So I'm ready to start posting chapters for my story. I'm starting with chapter one tonight. It's kind of short, but I hope you guys all like it! Chapter two will be posted on Wednesday.

It takes place a couple of years after the finale. The virtual seasons aren't canon to this story (though I love the VS, I'm just keeping my story separate from them).

And a huge shout-out to Sanguine, Jediferret, and DashboardOnFire for helping proofread it and giving me tips for improving it. You three rock!



"I'm telling you, Dad, she's one of the nicest girls I've ever met! When she drops by, you'll love her right away, I swear!" Sam gushed enthusiastically, "You'll see!"

"Okay, Sam, okay! You've been going on all day!" MacGyver replied, smirking, "Where did you get all this... gushing from anyway? I can't imagine you getting it from me!"

It had been a couple of years since Mac and Sam had first met, and it was the middle of January. They had gotten tired of traveling, and had settled down back in Los Angeles, though they now had their own separate apartments.

Mac and Sam were hanging around Mac's apartment, waiting for Sam's love to drop by. Sam had been going on about her ever since he met her, and it was clear that he had a massive crush on her. He was always going on about her "amazing looks", "wonderful heart", and "beautiful personality". Now they finally had an opportunity for MacGyver to meet his son's girlfriend for himself.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "That's gotta be her!" Sam exclaimed, rushing towards the door.

"Whoa, Sam! Don't scare her off! I'll get the door!" Mac said, chuckling. When he opened the door, however, he saw someone else, someone he didn't recognize, but he knew it couldn't be his son's girl. This girl was much older, closer to Mac's age. She was beautiful, with curly brown hair, gorgeous blue eyes, and a tender, shy expression. Mac couldn't help staring.

"Oh! I'm sorry," she said, sounding embarrassed, "I must have the wrong address!"

"Uh, I guess so," Mac replied, still staring, "You want some help?"

Sam watched, thoroughly amused, as his dad helped the woman find out where she really wanted to go.

"Well, that wasn't your girlfriend, was it?" Mac said, closing the door after the woman thanked him and left.

"No, she wasn't." Sam replied, smirking.

"What on earth is so funny?" Mac asked, baffled.

"Oh, nothing," Sam answered, "Just the fact that you just told me I couldn't have gotten my infatuation with pretty girls from you, right before you gawked at that lady like she was from another planet!" He burst out laughing, unable to hold back anymore.

"All right, all right!" Mac relented, reddening slightly, but smiling, "Maybe you did get that from me. I admit it!"

After they both sat down on the couch, there was another knock. "Okay, I think that must be her." Sam said, getting up and carefully making his way towards the door.

"Hi Sam! I'm sorry I'm late, but I got stuck in traffic," a girl's voice said, wafting through the door.

"Oh, don't worry about it, it's fine. Come on in! My dad's right here, I can't wait for you to meet him!" Sam replied, showing her in.

"Oh! I know you! You're Mr. MacGyver, you helped save me that time!" the girl said, staring at Mac.

MacGyver stared back, dumbstruck. "Ashton!"

Great start! Loved it all but especially the part about Mac gawking at the stranger. Yes, he does, indeed, like to look at the ladies!

Woohoo! I was just wondering when you'd post this.

Thanks! That's definitely my favorite part of this chapter.

Thanks! That's definitely my favorite part of this chapter.

That was definitely my favorite part, too! Great job, Dragon!

Thanks! That's definitely my favorite part of this chapter.

That was definitely my favorite part, too! Great job, Dragon!

Thanks!

Okay, I think I'll post my second chapter now. It's longer than chapter one. I like to think I did a really good job on this one, even if I do say so myself XD.

I'll post again on Sunday, but I'll actually be posting both chapters 3 AND 4, for reasons which I will explain then.

Anyway, here it is:





"Yes! Wow! Small world, isn't it? How are you?" Ashton gushed, smiling from ear to ear.

"Wow, you know each other?" Sam asked, stunned.

"You could say that..." MacGyver replied, dumbstruck, remembering the time he and Ashton met.

Ashton was not only Sam's new girlfriend, she was the sister of his archenemy. Murdoc had asked for MacGyver's help rescuing her from his ex-boss, and they had formed a temporary, strained partnership. It didn't last, but it worked. However, Murdoc had said, upon their next meeting, that his beloved sister had died in an avalanche. Now, that clearly wasn't true.

Ashton didn't know of her brother's existence, but maybe that had changed. Maybe Murdoc had recruited her, and lied about her death. Murdoc had appeared to love his sister very much, but maybe he had a change of heart. Maybe he thought that the danger he was putting her in was worth it if he got a chance to end MacGyver once and for all.

And he's using Sam to do it MacGyver thought in disgust He's using his sister to get close to my son, and Sam has no clue...


******************************************************************************

"Hello, who is this?" Pete groaned, not sure who was calling him at this hour. It wasn't even close to dawn.

"Pete, I'm sorry to wake you, but I need your help."

"MacGyver! How are you? It's so good to hear from you, it's been a while!" Pete replied, voice brimming with excitement.

"Not so good. Listen, it's a long story..." MacGyver started. Over the next several minutes, he told Pete all about Ashton and Sam. He had managed to pretend to be jovial and friendly throughout her visit, but inside he had been pretty upset. She and Sam had stayed late, until around 1:00 in the morning. Mac couldn't wait until a more decent hour to call Pete, but he hadn't wanted to do it with Sam and Ashton there in front of him.

"Wait, so Sam's in a relationship with Murdoc's sister? And he has no idea?" Pete asked, dumbstruck, "How did that happen?"

"A sick twist of fate, maybe, but I think it's more than that," MacGyver sighed. He told Pete his theory about Murdoc being behind the whole thing, and setting a trap to get at him.

"MacGyver," Pete replied, warily, "Are you going to confront Sam?"

"I don't know, Pete," MacGyver said, rubbing his eyes in frustration, "He's so into her, I hate to be the one to break the news, but if he's in danger, he needs to know! I at least need to warn him!"

"You know, MacGyver, it may not be a trap at all," Pete soothed, " Ashton seems different from her brother, at least that's what you told me after you first had to rescue her."

"It may not be, but I'm not taking any chances. I've lost so many people in my life, Pete. I only just found Sam. I'm not losing him, too, not so soon after finding him! Murdoc's tried so hard to ruin me. He's gone after me, you, Nikki, Jack, Penny..."

"I know, MacGyver, believe me I know. But don't do anything you might regret. Just... be careful," Pete warned.

"Thanks, Pete. I guess I just needed someone to talk to. Sorry to wake you so late," MacGyver replied, slightly guilty.

"Don't worry about it, but try not to do that too often," Pete replied warmly, chuckling slightly.

MacGyver hung up, thoroughly stressed. He hated to be the one to put Sam through such misery, but it was for the best. Reluctantly, he got himself ready for bed, not that he expected to get much sleep. Not with his mind so full of thoughts regarding the conversation he was going to have to have with Sam.


**********************************************************************************

A couple of hours later, MacGyver was awakened. He stirred, groggy, not sure what had awakened him. His mind was still full of the bad dreams he had over the last couple hours, about his upcoming talk with Sam.

Then he heard the sound of footsteps. They were somewhat faint, like whoever was making them was trying to sneak around. Before he could react, a dark figure leaned over the back of the couch MacGyver was sleeping on. The room was dark, but there was enough light for Mac to see the shape of the person leaning over him.

Murdoc MacGyver thought immediately. Before he could say anything, however, something heavy banged him in the head, and he lost consciousness.


**********************************************************************************

MacGyver slowly came to, confused by his surroundings. He flinched slightly, at the light shining on him. He was still in his own home, but the lights had been turned on. He glanced over at the clock, and saw that it was now five in the morning. He couldn't move, and one glance down told him he had been strapped to a chair. Suddenly, he became aware of Murdoc, sitting across from him, watching him silently.

This feels familiar, MacGyver thought to himself.

"Well, I see you're awake," Murdoc said, smirking. "That's nice. Now we can do this the right way."

"Ugh, really, Murdoc?" MacGyver groaned, "Are you really still determined to do me in? Isn't it getting a little tiring?"

"Maybe for you, MacGyver, but for me, it's not worth quitting until it's over. And it's not over until I've finally killed you!" Murdoc snarled.

"And Sam?" MacGyver questioned, worried, "Are you determined to bring him to his end, too?"

"What do you mean, MacGyver, who's Sam?" Murdoc asked, confused.

MacGyver refused to be detered. "Stop playing games, Murdoc. I know you know. Just killing me wasn't enough, was it? You had to go after my son too!"

"Wait, what do you mean? You have a son?" Murdoc replied, looking surprised.

"I said stop playing games! Stop acting like you don't know! Obviously you know, or you wouldn't have sent your sister to do your dirty work!" MacGyver snapped.

"What- Ashton died! I told you that already!" Murdoc replied.

"No she didn't! That was a good lie, and you had me fooled, but when she came into my home, pretending to be in love with Sam... Well, I knew you were behind it! So stop playing your sick games! I want no part of it anymore!" MacGyver yelled, seething. He was so sick of dealing with the lunatic, he was willing to tell the English assassin exactly what he thought of him, no matter how angry Murdoc might get at him.

But Murdoc didn't look like he wanted to fight. In fact, the once sure-of-himself hitman had gone ashen, and he put out a hand to steady himself. "MacGyver, are you sure it was Ashton? I swear, I didn't set this up. I thought she was dead! I thought..."

At that moment, MacGyver realized he had made a big mistake. Murdoc had no clue about any of this. It was just a coincidence, that Murdoc's sister should fall in love with his son. And an even worse coincidence that Murdoc would show up for revenge that same night. And now Murdoc knew of Sam's existence.

Why did I mouth off to him like that? MacGyver wondered, shifting uncomfortably, though he already knew the answer to that.

"How could she have survived?" Murdoc questioned, talking to no one in particular, "I watched her die. I heard her screams. I thought for sure-"

"Funny, I could say the same thing about you," MacGyver replied, not even trying to hide the snark in his voice. "You didn't show much emotion when you talked about her death before, you know. I always wondered if you were lying."

"I didn't want to show emotion," Murdoc replied earnestly, "I waited a long time after her death -or what I thought was her death- before confronting H.I.T., and then you. I had gotten used to the idea of being without her." Murdoc sighed, got up, and, much to MacGyver's shock, started to untie him. "Go," Murdoc replied, "Get out of here."

"What? You're letting me go?" MacGyver asked, not quite ready to believe it. He thought about grabbing a phone, and calling the cops, but he knew Murdoc would shoot him if he even dared.

"I can't enjoy this. I'm too shaken up," Murdoc answered absentmindedly, "Just get out of here."

"Uh, no," MacGyver replied, shaking his head.

"I'm warning you, MacGyver, if I'm letting you go, you'd better take the opportunity to run." Murdoc snapped, looking pretty irritable.

"Murdoc, you're in my house," MacGyver pointed out.

Murdoc looked a little embarrassed, "Oh. All right, then. I'll go."

And before MacGyver could even get out of the chair, Murdoc was gone.

Good chapter! Mac really let his imagine get the best of him this time. Calling Pete in the middle of the night and getting knocked unconscious...can't have a Mac fan fic without those stand-bys! Awww, poor Murdoc is so confused he can't even kill MacGyver! Love the part about Murdoc telling Mac to get out of *his* house.

Thanks, glad you like it!

And yeah, that was my favorite line in this chapter

Great work!

Thanks! Stay tuned, more coming soon!

So tonight I'm posting both chapters 3 and 4. Chapter three here is almost exactly like the sneak peek I posted in a previous topic, though with some minor edits. I decided to post chapter 4 as well, so that anyone who's seen chapter 3 already will have new material, instead of a rerun.

I'll post chapter 5 on Wednesday.

Anyway, here it is:






It was the next night, the night after Murdoc had confronted MacGyver. As the moon cast a dim light over L.A., Murdoc was on a mission. He was dressed in a hoodie over his usual outfit, making sure to keep the hood over his face.

Was it true? Was Ashton really alive?

He didn't know. But he had to find out. He had been so close to finally ending his arch-enemy's life. So close to finishing the war that had gone on between them for all these years. But when MacGyver said that he had seen Ashton... Well that changed everything.

It took some digging, but Murdoc had managed to figure out where his sister was supposedly staying. He had avoided contact with her all her life, because he never knew who might be watching. He didn't want to see her, the only good left in his life, be killed because of the life he had chosen for himself. He certainly never let her find out what he did, because one of his worst nightmares was what would happen if she found out. Not only would she likely be killed for knowing too much, but she would completely reject him, and he would be left with nothing.

But he had been forced to rescue her when his old mentor, Nicolas Helman, found out of her existence. It was such a delicate mission, that he had been forced to ask MacGyver for help in saving her. Fortunately, she had no idea who he was, and he was able to keep his secret safe. But she wasn't safe for long, for she had died in an avalanche soon after.

Or did she?

Murdoc was so sure she had died. He saw her die before his eyes, and had felt a pain he hadn't felt since the day their parents passed. If she was still alive, he had to know.

He tightened the hoodie around him, making sure to keep his face as concealed as possible, in case someone was watching. He didn't want to put his precious sister in danger, not ever again. Hopefully she would recognize him as the friend who rescued her before, and would trust him when he asked about the avalanche, and when he told her that the government needed to know about it.. She didn't know a ton about government matters, and she was so innocent, he hoped she would just take his word for it. He had nearly been killed saving her from Helman, and she hadn't seen that he was really alive. She thought he was dead, but he was okay explaining how he survived, if she was okay explaining how she survived.

When he made it to the apartment complex, he paused a moment, then entered the building. After a little persuasion, the landlady had no qualms about telling him where Ashton lived. It took only a minute or two for him to make his way up to her apartment, and he rapped on the door with his knuckles.

He heard her voice, calling that she'd be there in a minute. It was definitely her voice. He stood there, waiting, not sure exactly what to say when she opened the door. He hated to admit it, but he was extremely nervous. This was a delicate matter. He had dealt with delicate matters before, as he had taken on some risky hits in his career, but this was personal.

When she opened the door, she stood there, staring at him. "You," she said.

"So you recognize me?" Murdoc replied, hoping this would go smoothly.

"Oh you bet I recognize you! What are you doing here? It's not like you wanted me to know that you're my brother!"

Murdoc nearly fell over. "How did you-?"

"What? How did I know who you are? Helman told me." Ashton snapped. "He captured me again, after you and MacGyver rescued me. I thought I was done for, but all he did was show me your picture, and tell me all about you! Then, he let me go."

"Helman is dead! I killed him myself! And you're supposed to be dead too! Though I'm relieved you're not..." Murdoc replied, full of dread. This wasn't going how he wanted it to at all.

"Apparently he isn't," Ashton snapped, "And I faked my own death to make sure you or Helman couldn't bother me ever again! So get out of here! I want nothing to do with you!"

"Ashton I-" Murdoc stammered, unable to finish, "I-"

"What? Do you really think I want to be friendly with my murderer brother? What I should do is call the police, but the whole building has no working phones. I guess you did that on purpose, huh?"

That was true. He had cut off the phone lines earlier this past evening, just in case Ashton didn't believe his story about the government needing to know about the avalanche. "Well, yes, but I didn't think you'd know I was your brother. Ashton, I won't hurt you. I wouldn't. I know it's hard to understand, but I care about you a lot. You're all I've got!"

"Well!" Ashton snapped, "Maybe you'd have more if you'd made better choices!"

Her words stung like a whip. Murdoc flinched back before responding, "When our parents died, you were only a baby. I had to find some way to survive! Yes, it was wrong, but I didn't know what else to do! And before you tell me to try to change, to turn myself in, let me point out that after all the crimes I committed, I'll never be able to live a free life. And I'm too far gone anyway. I'll leave you alone, but please don't reject me. I don't have anyone else who I'm close too. Well, I did have this one girl, but she rejected me." He flinched, as memories of Penny entered his brain. "Look," he sighed, "The truth is, I understand completely. I wouldn't want me around either. But please! Don't just throw me out like yesterday's garbage. Please..."

Ashton sighed, and blinked back the tears welling in her eyes. "Go," She said. "I survived, so that should be enough for you. I guess surviving impossible odds runs in the family, huh? I guess I'll do you one favor, and that's let you leave without calling the cops. I can get to some other phone in some other building, but you'll be long gone by then, anyway. You always are. That's the only reason letting you run doesn't bother my conscience."

Murdoc was a little surprised at her voice. It sounded like a hiss, or a purr. It sounded uncomfortably like his own. His sweet, innocent sister sounded like him. He had been through so much, he didn't want his sister to go through any of it. To become like him. With a nod, he turned to leave. It was better for her, especially if Helman was still alive. The last thing he wanted was Helman going after her again.

You've finally done it. He thought to himself. Helman, you've gotten your revenge. You didn't kill her, but you took her from me another way. You've brought my nightmares into my reality.

He turned, and walked away, tightening the hoodie over his face again, both to conceal his identity from passerbys, and to hide the tears streaming down his face, especially from Ashton.

What he didn't see, as he walked away, was the tears streaming down Ashton's cheeks, as she closed the door behind him.

And now chapter 4. Things are heating up!




As Murdoc tried to make his way to the stairs, on his way out the door, he collided into someone.

"Oof!" Murdoc grunted, despite himself.

"Watch it!" a voice yelled angerly.

Murdoc looked up to see a young man standing in front of him, someone he had never seen before, but he reminded him of MacGyver. "Who are you?' he asked, despite himself.

"Sam, wait a minute!" MacGyver called, coming up behind him. He stopped when he saw Murdoc. "What are you doing here? I thought you wouldn't want to be anywhere near Ashton? Or did you lie about her again? Did you recruit her after all?"

Murdoc belatedly realized that his hood had fallen down when he collided with Sam. "I swear, I didn't hire her. Apparently Nicolas is still alive!" he explained, trying to save face, "He told her all about me! I just got kicked out when I came to see for myself whether she was really alive!"

"Is that why you're crying?" MacGyver asked, bewildered as he finally noticed the tears on Murdoc's face.

"Of course I'm not crying!" Murdoc snapped, wiping his face with his sleeve. "And why are you here?"

"Because my dad just told me all about you and Ashton!" Sam snapped, clearly having been in a bad mood all evening. "I came to confront her myself! Now, if you'll excuse me..."

MacGyver pushed past Murdoc, trying to catch up with his son. He hadn't had an opportunity to talk with Sam until this past evening, and Sam didn't take the news well at all. He wanted to focus more on Murdoc, but he had to catch up with Sam before he confronted Ashton, and maybe said some things he would later regret.

"Sam!" Ashton yelped, shocked to see him. She had watched the whole thing, leaning out of her doorway. How none of the other neighbors in the surrounding apartments had heard all the commotion, she'd never know.

"Ashton!" Sam yelled, "So it's true! You're related to this creep! Are you in cahoots with him, too?"

"Of course not!" Ashton exclaimed, "Sam, you know me better than that!"

"Do I?" Sam quipped, "We've only know each other a few months."

Ashton crept out of her apartment, leaving the door open behind her. "Sam, I'm not like my brother! Please... You know me. I'd never do the things he's done."

"I'm standing right here," Murdoc protested, feeling a little insulted.

"No one cares," Sam replied, completely focused on his argument with Ashton.

"Sam, he just came by to check up on me. I kicked him out. You can't just stop trusting me because of him!" Ashton wailed.

"Hey, maybe we'd better continue this inside your apartment," MacGyver suggested. People were finally starting to poke their heads out of their doorways.

"Good idea, Dad." Sam replied, starting to feel a little embarrassed.

Ashton showed them through the door, and closed it, then turned on her light as they sat down. They belatedly noticed that Murdoc had followed them in, and glared at him.

"What?" Murdoc sniffed, "I'm part of this discussion too! You're talking about me... I have a right to be part of this!"

"Do you?" Ashton snapped back, "You caused this argument in the first place!"

"Ashton, I'm your brother!" Murdoc protested, "The fact that I've killed people doesn't change that!"

"No, Murdoc!" Ashton snapped back, "The fact that you're my brother doesn't change the fact that you've murdered people!"

"Hey, uh, I hate to interrupt, but... you know... are you and Sam still friends?" MacGyver asked, embarrassed to be stuck in the middle of this family feud.

"Yeah, that's kind of important," Sam answered, "Look, I'm sorry, Ashton, but the fact that Murdoc's around kinda makes me a little suspicious of you." He was slowly losing his previous anger that he had held at Ashton. It definitely looked as though she was living a life completely separate from her brother.

"Well, you don't need to be," Ashton replied, calming down a little herself.

"Why are you two so upset anyway?" Murdoc questioned, "Have you really gotten that close?"

"Actually... It's more than that..." Ashton responded quietly.

"What do you mean by that?" MacGyver asked, worried.

"Dad?" Sam answered, "I need to tell you something really important."

"What?" Mac asked, his worry growing every second.

"Sam and I are engaged," Ashton answered.

"I wanted to tell him!" Sam protested.

"Whoa, w-wait. Engaged? And you're just now telling me?" MacGyver questioned, feeling dazed.

"Yeah, Dad, we actually got engaged a couple of weeks ago," Sam explained, "I was going to tell you after you had become more acquainted with her."

"Wait... So my sister is marrying my arch-enemy's son?" Murdoc demanded, stunned, "And I didn't even know until yesterday she was still alive? What is happening?"

"What's happening is you're all in major trouble!" a new voice broke in, as a figure stepped out from the shadows in Ashton's kitchen.

"Helman!" Murdoc yelped, stunned, "Get out! How did you even get in here without us knowing?"

"I snuck in when Ashton left the door open. You were all absorbed in the argument she was having with Sam. It was so easy to sneak in, it was absolutely laughable!" Helman answered, chuckling darkly.

"Sam, Ashton, get out!" MacGyver warned, "Get somwhere safe, call for help!"

"Oh, that won't work, MacGyver!" Helman laughed, "I want revenge against you as badly as I do against Murdoc! After all, you helped him ruin me!" He pulled out a detonator, and stepped back to reveal a bomb he had managed to plant. "You know what happens if you try anything, don't you?"

"It goes boom," Sam answered, feeling snarky, "We're not stupid!"

"Good," Helman replied, "I'm just going to leave this right here, and take off. I'd love to watch you all die, but the explosion will be big enough to take out a lot more than just you four, and I'm not quite ready to do myself in just yet. Don't leave out the door, because I'll have it barricaded from the outside, and the fire escape is rigged, too. If you do manage to disarm the bomb, you'll never find a way out of the apartment! Then I'll just come back and kill you all a different way!"

"Great, he's insane!" Sam grumbled, "Dad, are all your enemies like this?"

"Oh, gosh, I hope not," Mac answered.

Helman started the timer, and left the bomb ticking, and closed the door with an ominous click.

Wow! When you said things were heating up, you weren't kidding!! Doesn't anybody ever die?!?! And everybody arguing with everybody! And poor Sam and Ashton caught up in all of it:( I'm not worried, though, Mac can diffuse that bomb and find a way out no problem...right???

Guess you'll find out tomorrow!

I'll be waiting!!!!

Okay, let's see how Mac can get the gang out of this little mess.

Stay tuned for chapter 6 on Sunday!



"Well, now what?" Sam asked, worried. He knew his dad had some experience with disarming bombs, but how would they escape before Nicolas returned?

"Well," Murdoc answered, "Helman never was particularly creative with bombs, but I think he's counting on us to disarm it. He's toying with us. I hate to think what he has planned for us when he comes back!"

"Let's just focus on disarming it first," MacGyver replied, pulling out his Swiss Army knife. He unscrewed the metal plate on the back of the bomb and got to work, careful not to set it off accidentally. He snipped the right wires, and the timer stopped. "Now we just need to get out of here before Helman realizes his bomb isn't going to go off after all."

"How?" Ashton wailed, "We can't get out the door- I just tested it while you were busy with the bomb. And the fire escape is rigged..."

"Do you have any other windows?" MacGyver asked.

"Yes, but they're not exactly on ground level. This isn't the first floor, MacGyver!" Ashton answered.

"That's fine. Do you have any that aren't visible from anywhere where Nicolas might be in a vehicle? He might be waiting in his car, so he can have close access to his weapons."

"Yes, over there," Ashton replied, gesturing over to one of her windows. "It's above this little grassy area, and you can't see it from the parking lot or the roads."

"Good. Can you bring me some sheets? Flat sheets, fitted sheets, even pillowcases. Bring them." MacGyver instructed, a plan forming in his mind.

Ashton ran off, returning with an armful of sheets. MacGyver used his Swiss Army knife to cut them into strips, then instructed the others to tie them together into a rope.

"Wait, we're going to climb out the window using sheets as a rope?" Murdoc scoffed, "That's not exactly what I had in mind, MacGyver!"

"Hey, if you've got a better idea, I'm willing to listen. Or you can stay here, and let Helman kill you. I won't mind!" MacGyver replied, half-expecting Murdoc to pull out some superweapon, intending to do Helman in himself. He didn't. "What, you don't have any weapons for once?"


"I didn't think I'd need them. I thought I was just checking up on my sister, and I didn't want to risk her seeing me all armed to the teeth. Little did I know she already knew that's what I do all the time!" Murdoc replied.

"Let's just get out of here, and figure the rest out later, okay?" Ashton suggested, sounding more confident than any of them expected. Apparently, having been in so many life-or-death situations ever since Helman first captured her had numbed her a little.

Ashton opened the window, and MacGyver carefully lowered the make-shift rope down towards the ground, grateful that it was long enough, though they'd have to jump the last few feet. Thankfully, Ashton wasn't that many floors up, and she had plenty of sheets.

"Ashton, Sam, you go first," MacGyver instructed, as he found something to secure the rope to. "Then you, Murdoc, then I'll follow."

"Why that order, MacGyver? Being picky, are we?" Murdoc scoffed.

"Well, I don't exactly feel comfortable leaving you alone, and this way someone can be near you at all times. You won't hurt Ashton, I know that." MacGyver answered, though knew he was taking a leap of faith, trusting Murdoc not to harm him or Sam after Ashton was lowered.

As Ashton descended the sheet-rope, the sheets strained and loosened, but the rope did not break. MacGyver figured that he was the heaviest of all of them, so he'd be the riskiest one to send down. Which wasn't ideal, what with his fear of heights and all, but he didn't let on that he was worried.

When it was finally MacGyver's turn to descend, he could hear footsteps outside Ashton's apartment door. Helman was returning. Apparently, time had run out. MacGyver descended as quickly as possible, and almost fell over when he jumped to the ground. He could hear Helman's loud voice yelling at them as the four of them ran off, tearing across the ground, heading towards any place that seemed safe from Helman's wrath.

Aha!! I knew Mac could do it!! Boy, he gave his SAK a workout...diffuse the bomb, cut up sheets! Best line: "This isn't the first floor, MacGyver." "That's fine." OMG!!! And HE's the one afraid of heights!! Murdoc without any weapons seems strange! Love how he teases Mac about being picky in the order they climb down, but Mac's reasoning made sense. Ooooh, I was so worried the "rope" would give way and either strand Mac in the apartment or have him take a real nasty fall. Glad they all made it down OK!!

Good ole Mac will always find a way But worse things are on the horizon...

Oh no!! Waiting....

Way to go Dragondog!!

Thanks Barry! Stay tuned...

Just when you thought things were looking up... Chapter six happens





After they had been running for several minutes, they paused to catch their breath.

"So now what?" Sam asked, for what felt like the millionth time that evening.

"Don't even think of calling Pete," Murdoc warned, "You did that when I was after you a couple of years ago, and I found you in the safe house anyway. Helman won't have much trouble tracking us down, either. He knows about the Phoenix Foundation, after all. I tapped the phone lines then... I'm sure he can, too."

"I have a different idea, actually," MacGyver said, "But I'm not crazy about it."

"What is it?" Ashton asked, "Anything's good at this point."

"Calling Jack..." MacGyver answered, wincing as he said it.

"Who?" Ashton asked.

"Jack Dalton. He's a really close friend, but the definition of trouble. But he's also the guy to go to in this situation. He can fly us out of here for a while, maybe somewhere where we can call Pete, without Helman tapping the phone lines." MacGyver explained.

"I'm sure he'll find us anyway..." Murdoc snorted, skeptical.

"You got a better idea?" Mac replied, slightly amused. It wasn't often Murdoc could be intimidated, but he seemed pretty worried about Helman, not that anyone could blame him.

"No, I don't. Let's get this over with." Murdoc groaned.


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"You've gotta be kidding me! You expect me to help that lunatic?" Jack demanded.

"Technically I'm the one who needs your help. Murdoc's just along for the ride, too." MacGyver explained lamely.

"Please, Jack, we don't know who else to turn too!" Sam added, "And Dad always said you'd do anything to help your friends."

"I would, but he's not my friend!" Jack protested, glaring at Murdoc.

"And you're saying he's my friend? Look, just fly us along on your latest job. You said you were delivering something here in the U.S., right? Near Texas, I think. Just bring us along, and we'll call Pete for help long-distance." MacGyver suggested.

"Mac, it's the middle of the night! I wasn't planning on leaving until much later, thank you very much!" Jack replied, grumpily.

"Come on, I thought you loved a challenge!" MacGyver goaded, "And I bet you'll get a bonus for making the run much earlier than anticipated! You always wanted more money, didn't you?"

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get this thing in the air!" Jack exclaimed, back to his jovial self.


******************************************************************************

After they had been flying for a few hours, Mac started to notice a change in the atmosphere. They were flying right into a storm. Sam, Ashton, and Murdoc didn't notice- they had fallen asleep as soon as the plane had taken off.

"This is an interesting challenge, I must say!" Jack said, imitating an Irish accent, almost like he was going to yell "tricks o' me trade", like he sometimes did.

"Jack, you'd better know what you're doing!" Mac warned, eyeing the clouds nervously. The storm wasn't bad yet, but it could turn any time.

"Mac, come on! You know me!" Jack laughed.

"That's exactly why I'm worried!" Mac replied.

"Ouch... That one hit deep, buddy," Jack said, wincing.

After they had flown on for another twenty minutes or so, the storm got bad. Jack was dodging lightning, and struggling to keep the plane steady with all the wind currents.

"What's going on here?" Murdoc demanded. The commotion had woken him up, and Ashton too. Sam was still sleeping, snoring peacefully.

"We're going to die, that's what," MacGyver answered pessimistically.

"No we're not, mi amigo!" Jack answered, sounding more confident than he felt, "I just gotta- oh snap, hang on!"

A bolt of lightning had just struck down right in front of them, and they were thrown off course. They couldn't help but start screaming in terror, which finally woke Sam up.

"Dad?" Sam asked groggily.

"Hold on Sam, we're going down!" MacGyver yelled back.

That was when their whole world went black.

Oh wow! You know Mac's really in trouble when he has to ask Jack for help!! And Jack will do anything for a quick buck. I really like the Mac/Jack banter in the airplane! Good job!

Thanks, Uniquelyjas. More to come soon!

Okay, now let's see where Mac and his friends (and Murdoc) are



MacGyver groaned, not sure what woke him. As he took in his surroundings, he remembered the plane crash. He was still buckled in, hanging upside down. And he could hear something awful. The crackling of a fire.

"Ugh. What's going on? Where are we?" Sam groaned.

"Sam, don't panic. We need to get out of here. Now." Mac answered, trying not to panic himself. He could tell that they were leaking fuel, and if that fire reached the tank...

"Hurry, let's get out of here! Murdoc? Murdoc!" Ashton cried, trying to wake her brother.

"Stop... I'm fine..." Murdoc protested, waking up. Slowly he took in the situation. Quickly he reached up and undid his seat belt, as Sam and MacGyver undid theirs.

"My seat belt is stuck!" Ashton cried, and Murdoc reached up and helped her get out.

"Jack?" MacGyver asked, worried.

"Help! I think I broke my arm. I can't get out!" Jack called out, still stuck in the pilot seat.

"Hold on, buddy, we'll get you out," MacGyver soothed, glancing worriedly at Jack's arm, "But it probably won't be pleasant. We can't do it without jarring your arm..."

"Just get me out of here. I can handle the pain." Jack said. He could smell the smoke, and clearly knew how much trouble they were in.

"Sam, I need your help," Mac called, and Sam came over and helped him remove Jack's seat belt. They helped lift Jack down, and helped him crawl out of the plane, over somewhere safe from the impending explosion. Murdoc and Ashton were already there.

When the plane exploded, the sky was filled with an orange light, and they could feel the heat from where they sat, grateful not to be still inside. The orange light didn't go away, even as the explosion tamed into a blazing fire. The orange light was full of pink streaks, and they realized that the light wasn't just from the blaze. Dawn was on its way.


******************************************************************************

"Where are we, anyway?" Murdoc asked, "I'm pretty sure we're off course, and it doesn't look like we're even near civilization."

Mac looked around, noticing the landscape for the first time. "The Chihuahuan Desert. That's close enough to where we were intending to fly. We'll have to either walk a ways, or wait until a rescue team shows up. I'm sure someone will come, what with the explosion and all."

"We have to go, we can't just wait," Murdoc argued, "I'm still convinced that Nicolas can find us anywhere, and it's too dangerous to stay in one place."

"I never thought you were afraid of dying, Murdoc," MacGyver commented, "But Nicolas has got you pretty shaken up, doesn't he?"

Murdoc snorted, "I'm not worried about myself, MacGyver. Helman has taken Ashton from me before. I'm not losing her again." He turned away, avoiding eye contact with any of the others. He knew Ashton didn't want him in her life, but that didn't mean he was willing to watch her die. Not again. Not after seeing her go over that mountain, not after thinking she was dead for so long...

"I need a sling. I'm willing to walk, but this arm of mine..." Jack cut in.

"Use the hoodie. I don't need it anymore, anyway, especially if we're in a desert," Murdoc suggested, slipping off the hoodie he had been wearing over his shirt.

"The Chihuahuan Desert doesn't get that hot, actually," MacGyver explained, "Not in the winter, anyway, which it is, since it's January. But you probably don't want that hoodie." He took it from Murdoc, and used his Swiss Army knife to cut it as necessary, using the hoodie strings to tie it around Jack's neck and opposite shoulder. It was tough to cut through, but actually made a decent substitute, at least for now.

"Let's go now, while we still can," Ashton added in nervously. She was more confident than she had been when Mac first met her, but she still was pretty antsy in these dangerous situations.


*************************************************************************

They traveled for several hours, trying to stay optimistic, but it was hard. They were exhausted, but Murdoc's warning about Helman kept them moving. It was strange, listening to Murdoc, but given the circumstances, they felt that they had to trust him. That didn't make it easy, though.

"How much farther?" Jack asked, for the millionth time.

"I don't know Jack! Just hush!" MacGyver grumbled, feeling crabby, not that anyone could blame him.

"My arm hurts. I'm not normally one to complain, but this sucks!" Jack grumbled back.

It was true. Jack never really wanted sympathy, so he must have been pretty miserable to whine like this, MacGyver realized. "Okay, Jack, we'll stop to rest." Even Murdoc couldn't complain with that suggestion. They headed over towards a tree, which was so mercifully placed right where they were walking.

"This is nice, actually," Jack commented, after they had some time to rest, "It's quiet, and pretty peaceful."

"Yes, Dalton, very peaceful. Except for the fact that our plane exploded, we're stuck out here, a madman is after us, and we're trying to stay alive." Murdoc replied, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Gosh, I hope I didn't inherit that pessimism," Ashton said, giggling a bit.

Murdoc stared at her a moment, feeling his grumpiness start to fade a bit. She had lost a lot of the malice that she had been exhibiting towards him since the previous night. Maybe she was willing to give him a second chance after all.

Stop that! He lectured himself. You know nobody like Ashton is going to love you when you're a cold-blooded killer! Penny didn't, so stop letting false hopes possess you!

Even so, he couldn't hope but feel a tenderness overwhelm his senses as he watched her chatting with Sam. Even if she didn't accept him, he still loved her a lot. He'd do anything to protect her, even at cost to himself.

"Helman needs time to track us down," He commented, "We should be safe for a while." He looked over, and noticed that Jack and MacGyver had fallen asleep. Not that he could blame them. They were all exhausted, and MacGyver and Jack hadn't napped on the flight there. Slowly he relaxed, and wound up dozing off himself.


**********************************************************************************

They were awakened by some strange sounds. The sound of a motor in the distance, and some strong breezes blowing across the sand.

"What's that?" Sam asked, perplexed. He was cradling Ashton's head as she napped, with her face resting on his leg.

"It sounds like a helicopter passing over," MacGyver replied, having also been woken up by the noise.

"Nicolas has a helicopter. At least he did when he was Chairman of the Board. He probably still does," Murdoc warned.

"I have a pair of binoculars. You should go take a look, Mac," Jack suggested, pulling the binoculars out of his jacket.

"I'll come with you, Dad," Sam offered, easing Ashton's head off of his leg.

"I don't know..." MacGyver replied, eyeing Murdoc suspiciously. They were all in the same boat, but he didn't like leaving the crazed assassin unsupervised, especially with Jack being unable to fight back with only one good arm.

"You don't have to worry, MacGyver, I won't hurt anything," Murdoc reassured, rolling his eyes, "You know I won't hurt Ashton, and I hold no grudge against Dalton. I hate to say it, but I think I even have to refrain from harming you ever again."

"What makes you think that, Murdoc?" MacGyver replied, unconvinced, "You always seemed to think that killing me was the only thing that made your life worth living. You never had anything else to live for."

"I do now," Murdoc answered quietly, avoiding Mac's gaze, and staring at Ashton's sleeping form, "She rejected me, and I couldn't take it. I can't blame her either, but I wasn't ready to give up my hitman lifestyle. I still won't, but I'll leave you alone. Ashton had no family, after our parents died, and I avoided contact with her. She and I are alike, in that aspect, although she took a much higher path in life. She even found family in you, and Sam. I won't take that from her. Besides, I always protected her, and I guess now I have to protect you two as well, for her sake. After all, we're all family now."

"Please, don't say that ever again!" MacGyver groaned, trying not to gag.

"It's true, MacGyver," Murdoc responded, now staring into Mac's eyes, "Sam is my future brother-in-law, and I guess... Well, if your son is my brother... Hello, Dad."

"Oh, sweet honey iced TEA!" MacGyver yelped, now actually gagging. He turned, and now, without another word, went off towards a tall sand dune, with Sam in tow.

After traveling for about five minutes, they reached the top of the dune, where they could see towards where their plane had crashed, even though the plane was hours of walking away. Looking through the binoculars, Mac could see where a helicopter had landed, and he recognized the man who stepped out. He could also see some big weapons, including a bazooka and a flamethrower

"What's up, Dad?" Sam questioned, seeing the worry on his dad's face.

"It's Helman," MacGyver answered, "and he brought some big toys with him."

Lots of good stuff in this chapter! You actually really had me going with the pink streaks they saw through the orange of the fire. I thought it was some chemical/scientific stuff that could hurt them or something! Guess I kinda overreacted! It's weird to see Murdoc running for his life and having to rely on others. Weird, but good! It's sweet that he's willing to die for Ashton. He is capable of unconditional love whether he believes it or not. And now he figures that he has to actually not just stop trying to kill Mac but protect him because he's family? Oh wow!! And I loved "Hello, Dad!" Great line!! Poor Mac! Ah, what would a Mac/Murdoc story be without a bazooka and a flame thrower??

Ashton brings out Murdoc's soft side, no matter how hard he tries to bury it. Especially in the next chapter.

Lol, I just realized that I mistyped "streaks" as "steaks". I guess the plane crash had a built-in barbecue! I fixed it.