The Next Day
"We have to tell him, he already thinks that something is up," Jack protests to Sam the next morning.
"So we tell him that I'm having a baby. From what you told me, he already sort of thinks that anyway," she retorts.
"Sam, he's going to be living with us the whole time that I'm pregnant. He's going to figure out what is going on."
"Jack, he's not going to believe us, if we tell him," Sam says.
"Don't underestimate him," Jack warns.
"Hey, guys, I put the kid in front of some Saturday morning cartoons. I figured we had a discussion coming," Jacob says, knocking on their bedroom door.
"You're right, come on in," Jack says, scooting over on the bed so that Jacob can sit between the two of them.
"Dad, we've got a baby on the way," Sam says.
"I knew it! Congratulations!" Jacob says, giving his daughter a hug.
"Well Jacob, there is a catch. Sam isn't pregnant," Jack says.
Jacob looks between them, confused, "You're adopting?"
Jack bites his lip, "See, I'm the one that's pregnant."
Jacob rolls his eyes.
"Dad, I know that you never bought my cover story," Sam says.
"Right, you got a lot of medals for working in 'deep space radar telemetry', whatever that means. And if that was really your field, you wouldn't be going out of the country as often as you do," Jacob says.
"Well dad, you're right, the cover story is crap. What we really do, it's crazy. And I can't give you any details. But I will tell you that it resulted in Jack being exposed to something that changed his biology in a pretty significant way. A way that allowed him to become pregnant," Sam says.
Jacob shakes his head, "I don't care what kind of secret government experiments you are into, there is nothing out there that can make a man pregnant. It's… more complicated than that."
"Well, these people have been working on this for a very long time, in secret," Jack explains.
"But it's not safe. I mean, even if this was somehow possible, there would be no way to carry the baby to term," Jacob says.
"Long time, dad, apparently it's safer than the natural way," Sam says.
"But you're the first human trial," Jacob protests.
"No, I'm just the first unwilling human trial. They did it to themselves, to each other before," Jack says.
Jacob shakes his head, "I still feel a little like I'm on Candid Camera. And if so, I am really going to look like a fool for believing you."
"Well, you're going to figure out that something is up in the next nine months. I would really appreciate it if you didn't exactly go share this with a bunch of people," Sam says.
"Of course not," Jacob says, looking at his son-in-law's flat belly.
"So the long and short of it is, you might have a puke pal a few more times before this is all said and done."
The Next Day
"Time to get up!" Ty says, bouncing on his parent's bed.
"Oh, bud, stay away from Daddy's stomach," Jack says, sitting up protectively to avoid his son's foot contacting that region of his body.
"Why?" the kid asks, taking a big leap and landing on his bottom inches from his father.
Jack looks at Sam. Sam smiles, "Buddy, are you ready for a big secret?"
Ty grins at them. "Yep."
"You're going to be a big brother," Jack says.
"'Kay," Tyler says, unimpressed.
"What I mean, is we are going to have a baby," Jack explains.
"'Kay," Ty replies.
"But the secret part of this that the baby is in Daddy's stomach. Usually babies are in the mommy's stomach. So we are going to have to pretend that is where this baby is," Sam explains.
Ty looks up at his father, "Daddy, is the baby going to stay in your stomach forever?"
"Ah, no, bud. After a long time, the baby is going to come out and live with us," Jack explains.
"Are you sure it can't stay in your belly forever?" Ty asks.
"Don't you want a new brother or sister?" Sam asks.
Ty looks from one of his parents to the other. "I don't know it yet."
Jack laughs a little, "Remember back when you didn't know me?"
Ty nods his head.
"Well, that turned out ok, didn't it?" he prompts.
"Well, if the new sister is going to be as nice as Emma, I guess she can stay with us," he says decidedly.
"It might be a brother," Sam tells him.
"In that case, he can go live with Uncle Mark," Ty declares. Jack starts to laugh, but is cut short with a glare from Sam.
"You'll love a brother as much as a sister," she assures him, "Remember Ty, you cannot tell anyone that Daddy is the one having the baby, no matter what. Got it?"
Ty nods. "I want to go fishing!" he exclaims.
Jack tries to stand up, but a wave of dizziness overcomes him. He sits back on the bed with a hard 'plop'.
"Are you ok?" Sam asks moving over to him.
"I'm fine, I just don't know about fishing this early in the morning," Jack mutters.
"Are you going to be ok if I take him fishing, Jack?" Sam asks softly.
He nods.
"You can't take me fishing!" Ty exclaims.
"Why?" Sam asks, her hackles already raised, expecting some answer related to her gender.
Her son's response is obvious, "'Cause you didn't grow up on a lake, Mom."
"It's ok, bud, I taught your mother everything I know about fishing. Go get dressed," Jack says.
"That's an exaggeration, 'everything you knew about fishing'. You took me once," his wife excuses.
"I didn't say that I knew much," he says, giving her a kiss.
Two Weeks Later
"Daddy," Ty says, standing on the end of the bed.
"What's wrong, honey?" Sam asks.
"I want Daddy," Ty pleads.
"Ok, bud, it's ok," Jack says getting up and following his son. Tyler puts his hand in his father's and leads him toward his room. Jack sees some vomit on the floor. Jack realizes it is probably his own fault. He did let the kid have an extra serving of ice cream.
"Your stomach still hurt?" Jack asks, touching his forehead gently.
Ty shakes his head.
"Ok, let's get you cleaned up, and then you can go lay with Mommy while I get this cleaned up."
"Don't tell Mommy what happened," Ty begs.
"Honey, your mommy isn't going to be mad at you about his. No-one is ever going to get mad at you for being sick," he pauses, and then adds, "Again."
Jack looks at his son as he helps him change his shirt, and gently brushes his teeth. "Son, do you remember someone hurting you?"
Ty looks away.
"It's ok, babe," Jack prompts.
"Mommy and Grandpa were really mad," he whispers.
Oh, God. "Sweetie, they weren't mad at you. They were mad at the person who hurt you. Honey, she was a bad person. And if they'd known, they never would have left you with her. We love you, and we don't want anyone to hurt you, ever, do you understand?"
Ty nods.
"Ok, ready to go to Mommy?" Jack asks.
The boy puts up his arms, and Jack carries him in. He sets the kid down on the bed, and Ty snuggles against his mom.
"Sam, he, ah… remembers what happened to him. He was sick, and he was afraid you'd be mad. It happened once before when you were gone, that time he wet the bed. He thinks you were mad at him after the abuse. I told him that it was the woman who hurt him that you were mad at," Jack explains.
"Oh baby, you didn't do anything wrong," she says, cuddling him. "And I wish you never got hurt. It's not going to happen again, I swear," she says, rocking the boy.
"Not mad?" Tyler asks.
"Not mad," Sam assures him, touching his forehead, "You sick?"
"He told me he feels better, I've got some cleaning to do," Jack says. "Need anything, kiddo?" Jack asks.
"Blankie?" Ty asks.
"You got it, bud."
-0-0-0-
By the time Jack's cleaned up his son's room, his son is asleep, wrapped around Sam.
"I'm sorry you had to deal with that, Jack," she whispers as he sits down next to her in the bed.
"Well, I think the extra ice cream might have been the cause, so I deserved it."
"He remembers," Sam says, looking down at the boy wrapped around her.
"I don't actually know how much he remembers, Sam. It could just be more of a feeling than specifics."
"I really hoped that he wouldn't have any memory of it," Sam whispers.
"Well, he might not, when it's all said and done. Sam, he's still really young."
Sam nods her head, "Do we talk to him about it? Or ignore it?"
"I think he just needs some reassurance. He needs to know that it's not going to happen to him again."
Sam nods her head. Then she leans down next to her baby boy and whispers, "I'm so sorry, my love. But Mommy will never let you get hurt again."
The Next Day
Ty squirming wakes both of his parents the next morning. "How are you feeling, bud?" Sam asks softly.
"Better," he responds, stretching.
"Listen, Tyler, I wanted to talk to you about something important," Sam says.
Tyler nods, looking a little embarrassed.
"Sweetie, everyone gets sick sometimes. And you're never going to get in trouble for being sick," Sam says.
"I should have made it to the toilet," Tyler says.
"You know, when you were in Mommy's stomach, I got sick a lot. One time I missed, too," Sam admits.
"Really?" Tyler asks, looking up at mother in surprise.
"Yeah, babe. Why are you so worried you will get in trouble for being sick?" Sam asks.
Tyler shrugs.
"Ty, your mother and I are not going to be mad at you, no matter what you tell us," Jack assures him.
Ty just looks down, and shrugs again.
"Do you remember Ms. Melissa?" Jack asks.
Ty shakes his head.
"Do you remember when your arm was broken?" she asks.
Ty looks at her, "I was someplace new, and I didn't know nobody. And they kept touching my arm, and it hurt."
"Oh, baby," Sam says, hugging him tightly.
"Tyler, a woman hurt you. It was because she was bad, not you. It's not going to happen again," Sam says.
"But if anyone does hurt you, you would tell us," Jack says firmly.
Tyler nods his head.
"I love you bud," Jack says.
"Me too, so much," Sam says.
"I love you guys, too," Ty says, throwing an arm around each of his parents in order to give them a squeeze.