Author's Note: Okay… it's really not all that hard to tell the multiple named characters apart. Whenever I mention Jack (the dog) I put the little (the dog) thing after his name. With the two Jacobs, you can assume that if one is walking around, talking to people and doing pretty much anything, it's Jacob Carter, Sam's dad. If Sam is breast-feeding a Jacob, we'll assume that it's the baby Jacob, because the alternative is just too icky to consider. If there's a Jacob being cuddled, assume it's the baby. If a Jacob is being held and changed and circumcised, assume it's the baby. How hard is that?

OOOOOOOO

Jacob was right; it was a long story. Made even longer by the fact that Ian kept asking questions – since he didn't know all that much about the Tok'ra in the first place – and interrupting the tale. Selmac had made a brief 'appearance', to be introduced to him, and had occasionally answered a question as well.

During the telling, Hammond ended up stopping by, looking for Jacob to talk to him about some matter or the other regarding his injured companions, and the general had ended up sitting on the bed as well, listening in on the story – even though he already knew it, of course.

When Jacob finished, telling Ian that now he was a representative between the two races, Ian couldn't help but be impressed. A symbiote wasn't something he'd ever want – he couldn't imagine the thought of not being in command of his own mind and body for even a minute – but it seemed like the perfect thing for Jacob. Especially considering the alternative. He hadn't even heard the older man was sick.

"Does my dad know you had cancer?"

Jacob shook his head.

"I told him I was sick – which was my reason for moving out of DC. Climate changes, you know."

Since the weather in DC was shitty pretty much all year round – too cold in the winter and too hot and muggy in the summer, although spring and fall weren't too terrible – Ian could believe that. And knew his dad would have, as well.

"Do you like it?"

"Yeah. I'm doing something important, you know? It feels good after being retired…"

Ian nodded, but before he could say anything, Hammond spoke up.

"I need to borrow you for a while, Jacob…"

"Sure thing, George. I should probably let Ian get some rest anyway."

Ian scowled at that comment, as Jacob had known he was going to, and he rested his hand on the cadet's forearm for a moment before standing up.

"I'll come see you before I leave."

"Okay."

"I'll even bring Pia."

"Oh, joy."

Jacob grinned; that was pretty much the reaction he'd expected. He and Hammond left, leaving Ian to get some rest.

Which, of course, he didn't need. His leg was injured, he had a simple cut on his head and a few bruises – okay several bruises – but none of that was life-threatening, and none of it required lots of sleep to heal him. He sighed, and looked at the stack of homework on the table in front of him. He might as well get started on it, huh? Get a head start and maybe have it done by evening, so he'd have… well… a whole lot of spare time to do absolutely nothing, since Fraiser probably wasn't going to let him out of bed anyway.

Or…

He leaned over and looked down at the large bucket of legos sitting on the floor by his bed.

OOOOOOOOOO

Jack was tired. He'd had a long couple of days; filled with a roller coaster of emotions from fear (terror, actually when he'd lost Sam to the Goa'uld), joy at her return, wonder at the early arrival of Jacob, relief, gratitude and a myriad of other emotions. Lounging beside Sam as she nursed Jacob, it was a small wonder that he dozed off, his forehead resting against her shoulder and his hand lightly pressed against her stomach, just under where she was holding the infant.

She noticed fairly quickly, and smiled softly as she switched Jacob over to the other breast, moving carefully to avoid disturbing either her husband or her son, and when Jacob resumed nursing, she reached out with her free hand and brushed her fingers against Jack's cheek, knowing that even if she woke him he wouldn't mind, and unable to stop from doing it.

He shifted a little in his sleep, his head coming off her shoulder and resting against her pillow, his face turning towards her, but even though she watched, his eyes didn't open and his steady breathing never changed.

"Asleep, is he?" Janet asked softly as she came over to check on Sam and see how things were going.

Sam smiled and nodded.

"He looks tired."

"He'll be more tired once you guys take Jacob home. At least until the baby gets into a pattern of sorts."

"How long do you think that'll take?"

Sam wasn't worried about lack of sleep. She was used to it, and she figured Jacob was worth anything she'd ever have to put up with.

Janet shrugged.

"It just depends on him. Some babies do it immediately; some take a good six or seven months to." She smiled. "Just remember, if you ever need a babysitter, Cassie and I are always willing."

Sam nodded.

"I know. She told me."

"Jack will help, too," Janet assured her. "He's done this before, remember, so don't be afraid to ask him…"

"I know. I'm not worried." She gave the man sleeping beside her another tender look. "He's going to talk to General Hammond about taking three weeks off to help get us into a routine – more if he thinks it's needed – or if I ask him to." She didn't plan to keep him away from work that long, though. For that matter, she didn't intend to stay away from her lab for all that long, either. Once Jacob was a little bigger, she'd get one of those things that she could use to carry him all the time, and she could still do her experiments. The non-dangerous ones, anyways.

"Three week vacation?" Janet said, smiling. "What a pleasant thought. I wonder if Daniel's going to use that time to get some rest, too, or if he'll go offworld with other teams?"

"I don't know," Sam admitted, shrugging. "But Jack and I were talking about sending Ian somewhere. He's started to look a little worse for wear, you know…?"

Janet nodded. She had noticed – but only because she'd checked his medical records from the time he'd joined the SGC until that morning, and had been shocked to find he'd lost 18 pounds. While most women – and many men – would love to lose that much weight, it was a lot for someone as thin as Ian was already.

"Where are you going to send him?"

Sam shrugged.

"We don't know. Maybe someplace with sand… and water… and sun…"

"Why don't you ask Cassie? She'd know what he likes and doesn't like…" Janet said. "If anyone would know the perfect getaway for him, it'd probably be her."

That was a great idea, Sam decided. She hadn't even considered it. She'd been thinking of maybe calling up Nate or Maggie and asking them – although that would make them worry about him, and she didn't want them to worry.

"Good idea, Janet."

"She'll be by to visit after school." Janet said. "Just remember… wherever you decide to send him, he's not taking her."

She was finally allowing herself to get used to the idea that Cassie was dating Ian, but she had no intention of allowing her to go off on a trip alone with him. No matter how tired he was.