Hello, thanks for the reviews, you all are awesome! More family moments before we get to the explanation… :3

Enjoy!

M.

Chapter Eleven

After seeing them run away from the living room, he decided to fix the mess he made to keep Naysa entertained. But stood quietly for a couple of minutes, just relishing on the laughter and muffled words in a language he didn't know. He frowned when he heard a squeal, he thought came from Sam.

And walked towards the stair when the noises of them running up reached his ear. He looked up, but and doubted for a while on going up and find out what happened or just wait to know. And ended up deciding, that in any case if Sam needed him she would call him.

He went to the kitchen and started to warm up water to make Sam an herbal tea. He thought about making coffee for her, but she had mentioned issues with the food. He shrugged deciding on making both. In any case, he could drink it all later. He also made her some scrambled eggs and was cutting bananas and apples when they entered the kitchen.

Naysa was now clad in a shirt that most definitely was Sam's and sporting a disappointed frown. His wife was also wearing a different set of clothes and she was smiling, sheepishly. He frowned too.

"What happened?" he couldn't avoid adding when he saw their matching expressions.

"Mommy. Wet." Naysa added, her frown deepening. He was surprised by the deep, but sweet voice of his daughter. She hadn't said a word while playing with him.

"She speaks," he commented looking at Sam.

"A few words… yes." Sam frowned, trying to contain her angriness at the situation. He deserved to know his daughter knew a few words.

"Why are you frowning? Why is she frowning?"

"Ah, mine is for the situation, our past situation. I mean; do I make any sense?" She asked sadly, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Because I don't know her, and we lost two years?" he asked, and she nodded, he returned to his tasks of cutting fruits. "And hers?"

"Hers… Well, we didn't make it," Sam explained, he turned around with an arched eyebrow, "we fumbled with her clothes for too long, and when I grabbed her to move her to the toilet, she wet me."

"I thought you said she didn't use diapers anymore," he commented placing the fruits in a plate and signaling her to take a seat on the breakfast table.

"Well, I've never said there weren't mishaps and technically, she never used what we know as diapers; she used their version until month nine and then, she started with the process of getting somewhat potty trained…" Sam grimaced.

"But…"

"A patch of terrain isn't quite the same thing than going to a toilet, clothes also weren't in the way," his eyes widened, "for her! Clothes weren't in the way for her," she blushed and judging by the small 'o' his mouth formed he thought she too was, well, more nature acquainted. "Anyhow, she needs to figure out what a bathroom is and why it is different from going where the others are going," Sam shrugged.

"She needs to be potty trained…" Jack added and she smiled.

"Basically, yes. She can hold it, but you never know how long it will be...ergo, we needed a shower."

"So, we do need to get diapers," he affirmed.

"We need a high chair," she affirmed; looking at their daughter who was seating on the floor, "and no, no diapers, we tried them on day one back. Not a good idea; maybe we can find some of the old-fashioned linen ones, those might work."

"Hmm, back to the old ways," he grinned.

"Yeah, I really don't want to compromise what little control she already has in favor of commodity; I mean, there's a good chance it takes a long time for me to be back and then she will be already trained. Is that coffee?" her eyes widened and he rolled his eyes, giving her a cup.

"And talking about it," he trailed. "When do you want to place the call?" She hummed, he didn't know for sure it if was a form of an answer or the result of sipping her coffee. The blush told him it was the coffee.

"The sooner the better, I really want to know where I'm standing. This is a very good coffee, Jack, you've improved."

"Thanks, things happen when you must do them yourself," he grinned, "They didn't mention anything yet?"

"No, and I've never been KIA before, so I'm, was, inexperienced," she grinned. "I've unlocked a new achievement, I wonder how many points that means." Her eyes twinkled in merriment.

"Don't look at me, I only got to MIA a couple of times, and I'm not as badass as a gamer as you are," he smiled. "You know you are the only one I know who can joke about this"

"After this, I will place the call," she grinned, "and if I couldn't joke with you, what's the sense? I mean, we have enough things weighing the situation to be all serious about it. I'm technically dead, Naysa doesn't exist, I'm yet to calculate where the hell I was, you don't know your own daughter, you have no idea what happened during the past twenty something months, they don't know what to do with me. It's complicated enough, right?"

"Yes, it is," he smiled finding her hand. "I'm just very glad my gut was right, and you are alive."

There were many things she loved about him. And many things she didn't like and some even she hated. But then, there was this simple fact, she could always read his eyes and see exactly what he was transmitting. And right now, that was a lot of emotion. She gulped, feeling the amount of pain and guilt he felt, all nicely packed on a ball of gratitude and love. She bit her lower lip.

He gave her a half-smile, he understood. There was too much emotion, and she needed to find her grip. He also read her like an open book, he saw the love and the pain she went through. And what made him understand her better, was the fact that he had been lost enough times to know how it feels like to realize you are alone.

"I can tell you I know how it feels, Sam. I know how it feels like to be left behind, to be alone in a situation no one should ever be. I just can't begin to understand how it feels like to do it, knowing you have someone there who depends completely on you. And yet, you brought her safely with you… to me," she sucked her lower lip, lost for words. What could she possibly say after that? He walked around and embraced her. "You don't need to be strong anymore, Sam. I'm here with you; it took a while, but I'm here," he whispered to her ear.

And she cried. She cried for all she had missed, for all the things she did and those she didn't. She cried because she missed him the whole time and she wanted him with her, and even then, she was angry at him because he wasn't with her. She cried her soul out and he left her to cry in the security of his arms.

He kissed her hair as he had many times before, and looked down as she sobbed. Their daughter had found the situation weird and was looking at them with a confused expression. Which despite the brown eye, it was so Sam's. He chuckled, making Sam retract herself enough to see what caused it and she too chuckled at it. Then she started to laugh, which quickly was followed by their daughter's soft giggles and then, he couldn't avoid it even if he wanted to, and soon they were all laughing for no reason at all.

Later, Sam cleaned a couple tears from her eyes, those fell out of the laughter and she smiled at him.

"I can't believe we are here."

"I can't believe it either."

The girl looked up at them, they seemed like giants from her position, she raised her arms up and Sam quickly acquiesced. Looking from Naysa to Jack and back, she grinned.

"Ah, Jack; there's someone you need to be formally introduced to," Jack gulped, and Sam looked at Naysa who looked almost expectantly, "Naysa… daddy," she said and as if the girl knew what that word meant, she scrambled to get to Jack's arms as fast as she could. Sam grinned, "daddy… this is Naysa."

Jack had played with his daughter for a long time that morning, but certainly, holding her now wasn't the same. Now he was 'daddy' and he couldn't be more thrilled.

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" Naysa repeated time and time again while starting once more her exploration of his face with her little hands, extending and contracting all the skin she could, from his cheeks to his eyes and poking him occasionally with her fingers. And laughing at the silly faces Jack returned to her.

Sam used their distracted status to walk towards the phone and with a sigh, she placed the call.