While the camp was lingering over a noisy meal and then getting ready to scavenge for assorted items, Sam was pulling up to the clinic.

It was awkward to get her injured leg out of the truck and get out, but she managed without tripping, and turned to get Jake out of his car seat when Janet Fraiser appeared at the door, followed by Doctor Kennedy.

"I'll get him, Sam," Janet said, walking over and standing beside the truck.

She gave her friend a grateful smile – not that she was worried about dropping Jake, but this was better, really – and moved back.

"Thanks."

She hobbled over to the porch and greeted Doctor Kennedy with a smile.

"How are Ian and Libby?"

Kennedy smiled.

"Libby went back to camp an hour ago."

"Really? That's great."

The doctor nodded.

"It took a lot of fast talking and a fair number of tears to convince her mother to let her go."

Sam chuckled, smiling when Janet joined them with a just-woken Jacob who looked about as grumpy as he ever had. Nothing was worse than being woken from a sound car-trip induced nap, after all.

"I'd better take him, Janet, or there are going to be a lot more tears in a minute…"

Fraiser nodded; she knew the look on little Jake's face well, after all. He looked just like his daddy at his worst when he was grumpy like that, and while it was absolutely adorable, the baby was a master at screaming and crying at the same time. Preemie or not, his lungs were just fine, and he proved it when he was grumpy, sleepy, hungry and wet.

She handed Jake to Sam, who cuddled him, crooning softly as they entered the clinic. Jake whimpered – the first stage of a full-fledged fit – but Sam was already there, soothing him and reminding him that he was a good baby who didn't like to cry.

"How's Ian?" She asked, bouncing Jake in a list minute ditch to distract him from his temper tantrum.

Janet smiled, knowing from how red the little face was turning that Sam was fighting a losing battle. Jake had his father's temper all right.

"He's resting comfortably."

"He woke up for a few minutes," Kennedy confirmed.

"Good." Jake's whimpers turned into low cries – which soon turned into louder ones.

"Is he all right?" Kennedy asked.

Sam nodded.

"Just a little grumpy. He's fine…" she looked down at her son with a tender look that he wasn't sharing just then.

"Put him with Ian, Sam," Janet suggested.

Kennedy grinned.

"That'd be one way to wake him up, I suppose."

Janet shook her head. Waking Ian up wasn't what she had in mind. It was no secret that Ian had some kind of crazy ability to calm Jake with a touch – although they'd never tried it when he was asleep.

"You won't believe this…"

Sam hesitated, smiling, but then shook her head.

"That wouldn't be nice, Janet. It might wake him…"

"So? Then you can say hi and take word back to Colonel O'Neill and the others that you talked to him and reassure them that he's going to be okay."

Still Sam hesitated.

"I don't-"

"Pffft." Janet reached over and took a now screaming Jacob from his mother. "Come here, Roberta," she said to Kennedy. "You've got to see this."

"Janet…"

Sam still wasn't convinced that what they were doing was very nice, but Janet was grinning in anticipation.

With Kennedy following and Sam coming along behind – because she couldn't help but wonder if it would work with Ian asleep – Janet carried Jake into the room off the end of the hall, opening the door silently, even though the baby gave notice of their arrival long before they actually entered the room.

Ian was sleeping; sprawled on his belly with several blankets covering him. More than Sam thought he needed, although he didn't seem flushed or overheated. Before she could ask about that, though, Janet pulled the blankets back and settled Jake in the space right by Ian's side, reaching over and taking Ian's hand and resting it lightly against Jake's bare arm.

The baby stopped crying instantly, his brown eyes watery and filled with a shocked look that made Sam and Janet both smile.

He wasn't the only one that looked shocked. Doctor Kennedy was astounded by the abrupt stop.

"How did you do that?"

Sam smiled, and shrugged.

"It's Ian. Jake doesn't cry when he's with Ian. He'll whimper, and he'll make noises, but he never reaches a full-fledged cry."

"Why not?"

"Beats me."

Kennedy smiled as well.

"At least you know who to hire as a baby sitter."

"Ian's afraid of Jake," Janet said, smiling fondly down at the baby – and Ian, since he wasn't awake to see it.

Sam was watching Ian as well, and was the first to see the New Yorker react to the baby now snuggled up against his side. His hand moved first, slowly running along the baby's side, and then his head moved, as he finally opened his eyes to confirm what his hand and sleepy mind were telling him. They all saw the tired expression change to one that was tired surprise – and then annoyance when he turned his head and saw the three women watching him sleep. Jake he could handle; Janet, Sam and some woman he didn't recognize was another matter completely.

Janet recognized that look immediately, of course. Ian didn't hide his emotions any better than Jake did, after all.

"We'll leave you alone for a bit, Sam," she said, stepping back towards the door, followed by Doctor Kennedy. "Call if you need us."

Sam nodded, and turned back to Ian, smiling at the sleepy annoyed expression.

"Hi."

He scowled; looking down at Jake again and moving so he was on his side, not his belly. Jake rolled into the depression in the mattresses, which put him right up against Ian's belly. Which was fine with the baby.

"Hi."

She came over and awkwardly sat down on the edge of his bed, stretching her injured leg out in front of her – which drew Ian's attention to it. He even managed to lift his head off the pillow to take in the brace on the leg – and then the cast on her hand.

"What happened to you?" he asked, too tired to make small talk – even though Sam was one of the very few (maybe the only one, besides Cassie) that he was willing to do that with.

She shook her head.

"Nothing. Just an accident."

He reached out and took her hand, frowning.

"What happened?"

"I fell."

He didn't say anything, and Sam decided that he was distracted. She'd seen him distracted many times, after all, and knew the look well. Then she felt a sudden warm numbing sensation in her wrist, and realized what he was doing.

"Ian, don-"

Before she could even finish the sentence, he moved his hand away from her, and she was suddenly aware of a distinctive lack of pain. Where her knee had been killing her only a little while before, it was now fine. Sam could tell immediately, and she shook her head, amazed at the ability and awed at seeing it in action – even though it wasn't the first time.

"I would have healed on my own," she told Ian, shaking her head.

He nodded, and his head went back to the pillow. He was still tired – maybe a little more than he had been before waking up – but there was an impish gleam in his tired dark eyes when he looked at her.

"Want me to undo it?"

She shook her head again.

"Crazy kid." Leaning over, still encumbered by the brace on her leg, but no longer bothered by any pain, and brushed a kiss against his forehead. "Get some sleep, Ian. I'll be back to see you before I head back to the camp."

He nodded, and closed his eyes, and Sam gathered up her now quiet son and carried him out of the room, closing the door silently behind her.