"I probably don't have to tell you this," Shawn aid looking over at River as they made their way back towards their cabins in the fading light of the setting sun. "But you have flour and whipped cream in your ear."

River looked over at him.

"What? I can't hear you; I think I have flour in my ear."

Shawn grinned.

"Smart ass."

It was safe to call him that. All the kids were walking with Jack, watching him worriedly as he limped down the hill from the ball field and towards the cabins. Jack had slipped on a piece of slick cardboard and had fallen awkwardly, twisting his knee. He wasn't injured badly, and had refused Fraiser's suggestion that he go down to the nurse's cabin and get it wrapped up – saying that he wanted to finish the tank wars – but he was paying for that, now, because his knee had stiffened up and the kids were now trying to help him walk. Which wasn't much help. It didn't help that Sam was walking beside him, carrying Jake, amused instead of concerned.

River chuckled.

"I love tank wars…"

"It was fun," Shawn agreed. "But I don't see them doing it at the academy."

"Probably not."

River had taken the brunt of what had really turned out to be some kind of mad food fight. He was very popular, both among the campers and the counselors, and that had made him an ideal target for the food items that were left over after the initial gauntlet running.

A couple of the male counselors had even wrestled him to the ground and had whitewashed him in flour and whipped cream – the source of that which was now residing in the Californian's ear – and had topped it off with mustard to give it some color. It wasn't something they tried with Ian (which Shawn privately thought was just as well) and since Shawn was injured, they didn't try it to him, either, but River was a mess, and definitely one of many who needed to get cleaned up before they headed back that direction for campfire.

"I don't see Sam allowing you and Jack to try the home version, either," River said.

Shawn shook his head, still smiling.

"Probably not."

OOOOOOOOO

"Ian?"

Shawn intercepted Ian as the New Yorker headed for the cabin with the boys – once the boys had safely delivered Jack to the nurse's cabin to have his knee checked out. Ian stopped at the door when he heard Shawn, and when the younger cadet waved him over he walked over, frowning.

"What's up, Adams?"

Since Ian called Shawn by his surname most of the time, it wasn't anything new. But Shawn had a feeling Ian knew what he was going to ask him even before he asked it.

"I wanted to talk to you for a minute – without the kids."

"Yeah?"

Shawn looked around, feeling a little dumb even as he did it, since it made him feel like he was trying to be a spy or something – which he wasn't. He just knew that Ian wouldn't appreciate this conversation being overheard – and that was assuming Ian even answered.

"Why didn't you take care of Jack?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… why didn't you…" Shawn trailed off, flicking his fingers at Ian to imitate putting his hand on someone. "Take care of him…"

Ian scowled.

"In front of everyone? With all of them watching?"

Shawn felt a little foolish for asking, but he doggedly pressed on.

"It's not like you have to say magic words or anything – do you?"

"No."

"So they wouldn't have known what you were doing…"

"He's not going to lose the leg or anything, Shawn."

"I know that, but-"

"He would have been pissed if I'd have done it," Ian interrupted. "In front of everyone, risking falling on my face with them being forced to try and explain what was wrong with me – and trying to keep the kids from panicking if I'm not my usual chipper self – especially after the scare they already had."

Shawn hesitated. He hadn't actually thought about that.

"But you said it doesn't take that much to-"

"It's not easy, though." Ian's expression made it clear that he couldn't believe Shawn was even asking. "I told you that."

"It's just a sprain."

"Exactly. It'll be fine. Fraiser's here, you know? She's a fucking doctor. I think she can figure out how to keep-"

"He's my dad, Ian." Shawn said, realizing even as he said it that he was very aware that Jack was the only parent he had left. One that he depended on a lot more than he thought he did – especially considering that he wasn't even living with him nine months out of the year. The words came out of his mouth before he could stop them, even as he thought them. "He's all I have."

And that, of course, was the worst thing that Shawn could have said to Ian. Ian who would never forget – or forgive himself – for being the one that had urged Shawn to send his mother and James on the trip that had been their last. His annoyance faded immediately, and his dark eyes were anguished.

"I-"

"Ian, I'm sorry," Shawn said. "I didn't-"

"No. It's all right, Adams. I understand what you mean…"

"I didn't mean to-"

Ian shrugged; obviously trying to hide that Shawn had struck a chord – even though he was doing a lousy job of it.

"Don't worry about it. If Fraiser needs me to take care of Jack I will. As soon as we're out of here."

Before Shawn could say anything else, Ian turned and headed back for the cabin. The conversation was finished as far as he was concerned. Not that Shawn would have wanted to continue it anyways. He suddenly felt both stupid for thinking that Jack needed Ian to fix his leg when Janet was right there to take care of him, and lousy for reminding Ian of something that Shawn had hoped he might be forgetting – or at least shoving to the back of his mind where it wouldn't be so painful.

"God, I'm so stupid…"

Wishing he had thought a bit more before starting that particular conversation, Shawn followed Ian to the cabin.