"Ian!"

Ian stopped immediately at the sound of his name, looking over at Sam. He wasn't the only one, though. Jack stopped, too, making sure that nothing was wrong, and Janet stopped as well, thinking that maybe Sam had noticed a problem with Ian that she hadn't. Which stopped everyone else, as well.

Sam waved.

"Ian? Come here, will you?"

He looked over at Jack, who shrugged, and then reached up and pulled Chance off his shoulders, making sure the boy was firmly on the ground before letting him go and wading over to the dock and getting out of the water. He had to hitch his soaked jeans up to keep from losing them (jeans aren't the best for swimming, but it was that or in his underwear – and that wasn't going to happen).

"What's up?" He asked, looking first at Sam, and then at Sammy, who was looking pale and a little scared. "You okay?"

Sammy nodded, and Sam smiled.

"Sammy wants to play with you guys."

"He does?" Ian couldn't hide his surprise. Or his misgivings. Sammy didn't look like he wanted to play. "You do?"

Sammy nodded again, but Sam spoke up.

"As long as you guys stay in the shallow water…"

Ian looked at Sam, but she just smiled.

"We're staying in the shallow water already." He looked at Sammy again, his dark eyes completely unreadable – which wasn't something Sam saw very often. "You're sure?"

Sammy nodded.

"Better take off your shoes, then – and your shirt."

The little boy smiled and stood up, pulling his shirt off as he did. Ian looked at Sam.

"You, too, Major – except the shirt, of course."

Sam frowned.

"What?"

"I have Chance. Sammy's going to need a partner."

"Yeah."

Sammy knew that Ian wouldn't be able to be his partner – it wouldn't be fair for him to just drop Chance in favor of him, no matter how much Sammy wanted him to.

Sam made a face, but she stood up as well, knowing that since she was the one who'd convinced the boy to play, it was only fair she joined in, too – whether she wanted to or not!

"Everything okay?"

Jack had come over to join them, worried that something was wrong with Sam.

"It's fine," Sam assured him. "Sammy's going to come play, too. And so am I."

"Really?"

"It's me or Jaffer. Sammy needs a partner."

Jack grinned, looking up at the boy from the water.

"Good for you, Sammy!"

Sam smiled as well.

"Do you want a life jacket, Sammy? Just in case?"

The boy hesitated, and then nodded. They might be excited that he was going to play, but he wasn't completely positive that he was doing the right thing.

"Don't worry," Jack said, misunderstanding the hesitation. "The others won't laugh at you if you're wearing a life jacket."

"I don't give a shit if they laugh," Sammy told them, distracted by the thought of going in the water.

Ian clamped his hand over the boy's mouth, looking chagrined, as Sam and Jack both stared at Sammy.

"I can't imagine where he learned that…" Ian told them.

Sammy pulled away, looking up at Ian.

"You told me to say that when I-"

"I didn't say to say it," Ian said. "You're supposed to just think it."

Jack snorted, pulling himself out of the water.

"Come on, Sammy, we'll go get you a life jacket. Sam… you can lecture Ian for me, okay?"

Without waiting for an answer, Jack took Sammy down to the end of the dock and then over to the ski boat dock to get him set up with a life jacket. Sam turned to Ian, who scowled.

"I don't need a lecture."

She smiled.

"I know.

If he was surprised, it didn't show. Instead, he glanced over at the other dock, where Jack was sizing life jackets against Sammy, looking for one the right size. Not too hard since they'd just had all the boys in life jackets only an hour or so ago.

"How did you convince him to come swim with us?" Ian asked, curious.

"I told him that you wouldn't let anything happen to him."

"Oh."

"So don't let anything happen to him, okay?"

"I won't."

OOOOOOOOOO

The other boys didn't exactly cheer when Sammy joined them, but all of them were well aware that Sammy was afraid of the water, and they were all glad to see him join them. They greeted him warmly, and when Ian told them that there was a new rule that they had to stay in the shallower water, they all agreed willingly. Then the game renewed, although the adults were careful to keep things calmer than normal. At least at first.

It'd been a long time since Sam and her bother had played Camel Fights, and then she'd been the jockey, not the camel. Sammy was shaking, and while Sam was plenty strong enough to hold him steady, she was pretty sure he'd have felt more secure with one of the guys carrying him. With that in mind, she switched partners with River, who was carrying Brian – one of the best swimmers in the group – and also one of the smaller boys.

Sammy had his arms so tightly around River's neck that it was a wonder the Californian could breathe, but River didn't mind at all, and it didn't slow him a bit. Sammy was more secure with River, who was a proven swimmer, and eventually he started to relax a little, daring to let go of River's neck with one hand to try and push against someone.

The water was soon flying and the air was soon filled with the sound of young laughter.