The rest of the trip was blessedly uneventful. As they pulled into town, Janet looked over at Ian.
"How do you want to do this?"
"Do what?"
"Want me to take you home first, and then take Andrew? Or I could call Emmett or someone to meet us at your place and drop you and the car off and then we could take Andrew home…"
Oh.
"No, I'll go with you to take Andrew home. Then we can do whatever's easiest for you…"
She nodded, and with directions from Andrew, drove to his house first.
"I'll walk you in," Ian offered as he got out of the car so Andrew could as well.
Andrew nodded, giving Fraiser a smile.
"Thanks for coming and getting us, Doctor Fraiser. I'm sorry you had to."
She returned his smile.
"It was good spending time with you, Andrew."
He blushed at that, and her smile grew. Teenagers were so easy to embarrass sometimes.
"Thanks."
It was nice of her to say. He climbed out of the car and walked to the porch with Ian, who stopped at the steps. He had absolutely no desire to go inside and spend any time with Myra Stephens. She was far too enthusiastic and cheerful for the mood he was in just then. He did, however, have a few things he wanted to say to Andrew before they parted ways.
"You remember what I said about coming over?"
Andrew nodded.
"Is the offer still on the table?"
Ian gave him a partial smile.
"Yeah. You have a ton of potential, you know. And an opportunity that no one else in the world has – except Shawn. You can't let life get you down and fuck that up for you."
Andrew felt warm inside at the praise, and he realized that Ian was right about not letting it go to waste.
"Thanks, Ian."
Ian shrugged.
"Talk to your mom and dad and make sure they're okay with you coming over. I'll give you a call tomorrow night sometime to find out what's good for you."
Andrew nodded again.
"I'll let you know."
"We didn't get your cousin a surprise."
Andrew had forgotten all about the promise to bring Micah back a present to make up for him not coming along, but he shrugged.
'He'll get over it."
"Tell him we'll take him to a movie or out for pizza sometime next weekend."
Andrew snorted.
"You sure?"
"If someone had promised me something and hadn't brought it to me, I'd be pretty pissed off," Ian said. "Besides, I don't like breaking the promise."
"Well, we did have other things to think of."
"Just tell him there wasn't anything to get him, and we'll make it up to him later."
"He'll like that."
Ian nodded, ad turned to look back at the car.
"I'd better get going."
"I'm sorry about your car."
"Don't be. It wasn't your fault. I'll talk to you later."
"Thanks."
Andrew turned and headed up the steps, feeling better than he had in probably a year, and Ian turned around and headed back to the car, getting in and awkwardly buckling his seatbelt, and Janet started the car.
OOOOOOOO
They didn't head for Janet's house like Ian had almost expected. Instead, twenty minutes later, they pulled up outside the O'Neill's.
"I'll have Sam drive me home," Janet said when Ian gave her a quizzical look. "Colonel O'Neill can take you home, and Sam can pick him up on the way back from my place. And I can call Cassie and let her know we're home safe and I'm on my way."
It made sense. Ian nodded, and opened the car door, cringing at the thought of letting Sam see what he'd done to her car. Before he or Janet had either one managed to even reach the sidewalk, the front door opened and Jaffer bolted out, a black flash that was far too big to be moving that quickly. Tail wagging cheerfully; he waited politely while Ian opened the gate to the picket fence, and then whuffled both of them eagerly, being surprisingly careful with Ian – as if he knew he was hurting.
Ian slapped the lab's shoulder, feeling better just seeing him, and Sam appeared at the doorway, holding a blanket-wrapped Jacob in one arm as she smiled at the two of them.
"You made it!"
Janet smiled, reaching over and taking the baby from her. She never saw him enough.
"It was an adventure, let me tell you."
"Mom."
Cassie appeared at the doorway, then, as well, dressed in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt and not wearing any shoes.
Janet gave Cassie a smile, but her arms were filled with baby, so she simply moved aside as Cassie came outside to greet Ian, along with Sam, who was dressed similar to Cassie.
"How are you?" Cassie asked, resisting the urge to reach out and touch his cheek. He looked like he was hurting a little, and his hand was sporting a big bulky bandage, but it was more that she wasn't sure if he'd want to be held or touched just then.
"I'm okay, Cassandra." He gave her one of his rare smiles, and looked at Sam, and his dark eyes clouded with guilt. "I messed up your car…"
Sam didn't hesitate at all. She wasn't an uncertain teenager. She was a mother, and she could read him so easily that it was almost painful to see just how badly he felt. Not how much he hurt – because she knew he was hurting, she could see that, too – but because he thought he'd ruined something she loved. She pulled him into a hug, careful not to hurt him, and ran her fingers through his dark hair; automatically feeling for bumps and stitches.
"It's just a car, Ian," she told him. "I'd have been far more upset if you'd been hurt badly."
"What happened?" Cassie asked, curiously. "Did you really get attacked by a bear?"
It sure looked like he had.
Feeling better for having been reassured about the car – although it wasn't just a car to him – Ian gave Sam a quick squeeze and pulled away, although she kept one arm around his waist.
"Yeah, the little f-"
"Lead Foot!"
Janet groaned, and still holding Jake in her arms, she turned and met Jack's cheerful grin as he came to the doorway. Sam chuckled; and moved from Ian's side, relinquishing that position to Cassie.
"Let's go inside, you guys."
Jack could tease Janet just as easily inside as he could outside.
