"What's up, Jack?" Ian asked, curiously, limping beside the Colonel, who slowed his pace to keep from forcing Ian to strain his leg to keep up.
Jack smiled.
"It's a surprise."
"Yeah? For Sam?"
"Nope."
"Well… I doubt Jake's going to be too surprised about pretty much anything…"
"It's not for Jake, either, Ian. Just hush and try not to fall on your face before we meet up with Sam, okay?"
Which would definitely give Janet a reason to second-guess her decision to release Ian from her care.
Ian scowled, but he didn't say anything else as they walked down to the infirmary and headed through the door. Sam was there; complete with one bundled up baby in his blue Air Force Academy sweatshirt. He looked so cute, even Ian had to smile.
"All set?" Sam asked, giving Ian a welcoming smile as they entered, and handing the baby-carrier thing (what are those called?) to Jack.
"Yup," Jack told her, taking it. "Three weeks of vacation." He gave Ian a pointed look. "For all of us."
Ian shrugged.
"I don't know what I'm going to do with myself," he admitted. He hadn't ever had three weeks all to himself. Not without having someone – usually his mother, since this was actually his first year out of the nest so to speak – to do things with or keep him company or tell him what needed to be done. He'd never had a long period of time with no responsibility. Not since he was young.
Sam smiled.
"You'll think of something, I'm sure."
He shrugged again, looking at the lego ship that Sam had put in Janet's office for safe keeping until they decided what to do with it. It was far too interesting to let him destroy it, she'd said.
"I guess I could discover a new hobby."
She laughed, and shifted Jake in her arms, looking at Jack.
"Are we ready to go?"
He nodded.
"Come on, Ian. You can walk us out."
"But what about-"
"Come on."
Smiling, Jack turned and headed for the door, waving a goodbye to Janet, who had already had her final words with Sam, reminding her – again – that if she had any questions or concerns to call.
Ian and Sam followed, Sam frowning at how pronounced Ian's limp was, although she'd been assured that he was fine. Young and healthy, he just needed a chance to work the kinks out. At least that was what Janet had said – and who'd know better?
By the time they'd made it to the surface, Ian's limp was even worse – although he was obviously trying to either hide it or ignore it.
"Are you okay?" Sam asked, worried despite all the reassurances.
He nodded, though, as they passed the final checkpoint, pausing only long enough for a couple of the Marines to check out the new baby – since they hadn't wanted to invade her privacy and go down to the infirmary and check the baby out down there.
"I'm fine, Sam… it just needs to be worked a bit."
"Well, don't work it too much, okay?" She asked as they walked outside, Jaffer and Jack leading the way to the truck, which was parked in its normal spot. He put the baby-carrier thing in the back of the truck, and opened the driver's door, letting Jaffer jump up into the truck and take his customary spot in the passenger seat. Then he reached over, and pulled something out of the panel between the two seats and closed the door, returning to Sam and Ian.
"Here," Jack told him, handing the envelope over to Ian, who took it automatically.
"What's this?"
"A thank you and Birthday present from me, Sam and Jake."
Ian smiled.
"You didn't have to get me anything."
"We didn't."
Ian frowned, not even trying to hide his confusion.
"Then what's this?"
"Open it," Sam told him with a smile, cuddling Jake, who wasn't so sure he liked the bright sunshine any more than he liked having clipboards falling on the floor and waking him up. So far, though, he hadn't started crying – although it was obvious he was thinking about it.
He did what she told him, opening the envelope and pulling out a piece of paper.
"This is the title to Sam's car," he said, confused.
She shook her head, still smiling.
"That's the title to your car," she said. "I'm a mother now, and Jack and I were talking about it. It'd be too much of a hassle to get a car seat in and out of the back of the convertible. I needed a four-door car, and so we went and found me one."
She pointed to a brand new shiny Dodge sedan that was parked on the other side of the convertible.
"But-"
"No buts," Jack told him, smiling. "We decided that you needed a car – and we want you to have that one."
Ian shook his head.
"You don't owe me anything, Jack… neither of you. I-"
"We owe you everything," Sam told him before Jack could say anything. "But this is the only thing we could think of that we knew you'd like – you're very hard to buy for, you know?"
He nodded, dumbly.
"My mom's complained about that…"
Sam nodded, too.
"I know." She handed Jake over to Jack, and drew Ian into a hug, holding him close for a long time, and he knew she was fighting back tears. He hugged her back, shaking his head. He knew that he wasn't going to be able to convince either of them that they shouldn't give him the car, and knew Sam would ask him and he'd end up saying yes, anyways.
"I don't know what to say…"
"Just say, 'thank you and I promise not to speed.'"
"Thank you."
She smiled and pulled back from him, and sure enough, her eyes were bright with unshed tears.
"You forgot the speeding part…"
Ian looked down at the title of the car – his car – and then over at the convertible.
"I didn't forget."
Jack chuckled.
"Just be careful. Understand? That's an order."
"Yes, Sir."