He ended up flopped on his back, on his bed with his leg (still in the brace) stuck out awkwardly and his pillow over his head. Not because he wanted to block out the sound of the crying baby – that didn't bother him at all, really – but because he was sulking, and he did his best pouting with his head under a pillow.

Which was why he didn't see Sam approach, and didn't hear the baby screams getting louder as they drew closer. He didn't realize she was near by until he actually felt the bed move under her weight as she sat down beside him. Surprised, he pulled the pillow off his head, wondering if Fraiser had returned to chew him out again. And he smiled when he saw it was Sam instead, holding Jacob close to her, cuddling him as he cried.

She smiled down at him, her free hand coming out to touch his cheek – something she loved doing.

"You okay?"

Ian nodded, sitting up and moving a little to give her more room. He glanced at the end of the room where Jack had been talking to Janet and was now heading their direction.

"Everything okay?" He asked, more worried about her and the baby than he was about himself. Of course, he hadn't just had a baby, either. He looked at Jacob, who was still bright red, but the baby looked a lot better than he had the day before – even screaming.

"He's just grumpy," Sam said, smiling warmly at the baby.

"He's not the only one." Ian said, looking down the room at Janet once more.

Sam grinned.

"You should know better than to go wandering off like that by now. You know how Janet is with her patients."

"She wasn't here."

Meaning he'd figured he could get breakfast and get back before anyone had even noticed he was gone.

Jack joined them, then, and sat down on Ian's bed as well, careful to avoid the leg. Jaffer looked up onto the bed, realized that there wasn't a lot of room – and probably not enough for him, and flopped down on the floor with a discontented sigh. Damn.

"Janet says she'll call the specialist and see if he can come down this morning." Jack told Sam, reaching out and offering his finger to Jacob, who knew immediately it wasn't a nipple or anything else he was interested in just then. Jacob was smarter as a baby than Jaffer had been, apparently.

"Specialist?" Ian repeated. "I thought he was okay?"

Sam nodded.

"He's far more developed than most preemies are," Sam said, with just a touch of pride. "But Janet wants him checked over by someone who knows more about that kind of thing than she does."

"Oh."

Sam smiled, looking at Ian, and then down at the baby, well aware that he'd been the one to get her through what had probably been the most terrifying moments of her life – not because she'd been afraid for herself, but because she'd been afraid of losing the baby. Her eyes misted over as she thought about just what might have been, and Ian and Jack both caught the change in expression immediately.

"Sam?" Jack reached out, touching her cheek; just as the first tear rolled down it, captured by his hand.

"I'm sorry…"

She sniffed, trying to get her emotions back under control, and Jack took Jacob from her, handing the screaming baby over to Ian so he could gather his wife in his arms and hold her tightly.

"Hey… it's okay…"

She shook her head, trying to tell him through the lump in her throat and the tears that were now coming full force that she knew everything was okay, but she couldn't. She couldn't say anything. All she could do was cry. And Jack realized it, and held her, cradling her as gently as he'd cradled their son, and burying his face against her neck, murmuring assurances to her while she clung to him.

As the first spat of tears past, Sam realized that she couldn't hear Jacob screaming, anymore. This drew her out of her crying jag, and she turned her head,her gaze going to Ian, who was holding the infant at arm's length, looking at him with an unreadable expression in his dark eyes.

Jacob was looking back at him, too, it seemed. The moment Jack had handed him to Ian, the infant had felt a shock of recognition that he – of course – didn't understand, but he'd reacted to. And his tears had stopped immediately at the sensation, his eyes wide. It was a reaction to the energies that Ian had loaned the baby when he'd delivered him, finishing what should have taken a couple more months to complete. Ian's sleep had replenished him, but the bond was still there, and while both of them felt it, it was more of a shock to the baby, who didn't have bruises everywhere else to distract him from the sensation.

Jack didn't notice the looks when he glanced over, but he did scowl at the way Ian was holding his son.

"He's a baby, Ian, not a boa constrictor. Cuddle him."

Ian turned, the moment between him and Jake passing – although the infant didn't resume his crying – and he brought him up against his chest, holding him awkwardly. Luckily, Jacob was small enough that Ian could support him fully without needing to use any special technique. The cadet looked down at the baby, who was looking up at him, and then over at Sam, his expression turning concerned.

"Are you okay?"

She sniffed again, wiping her eyes with her shoulder, and nodded, feeling stupid for crying when there was no reason to.

"I guess we know who to bring him to when he's crying…"

Jack smiled, knowing what she was trying to do and willing to let the moment pass. He knew from experience that Sam would probably be doing a lot of crying the next little while – Sara had when she'd delivered Charlie – so he'd simply do what he'd done for her when she was pregnant and dealing with the racing and raging and changing hormones; he'd love her and hold her when she needed him to. He didn't let her go, but he did shift his grip on her so she could release him if she needed to.

Ian didn't scowl like Jack knew he wanted to. Unlike Jack, Ian wasn't aware that post-partum depression was natural. All he knew was that Sam had been in tears and was still looking weepy. His expression was troubled as he watched her, wondering if there was anything he could do to make things better, and not realizing that he already had.

"He was probably just tired of being grumpy."

Sam smiled, reaching out and wiping the tears from Jacob's little cheeks.

"Are you sure you don't want to apply for the position of nanny?" She asked him, knowing the answer already.

Ian snorted, and shook his head, his dark eyes amused, now, as Sam had hoped they would be.

"I don't think I have the temperament for it."

He was sure he didn't, for that matter. And he knew he didn't have the experience.

"How about Godfather?" Jack asked, softly, his own eyes completely serious.