...Mac's got a son.

I mean.

He's old enough to not need a chaperon, and so's Jo for that matter.

(doggie doorbell, on the other hand, is way Mac)

Yeah, well, tell that to Frog

Yeah, well, tell that to Frog

Also, not everyone does that kind of thing, Jo apparently made a pledge with Mac, so...

Yeah, well, tell that to Frog

Also, not everyone does that kind of thing, Jo apparently made a pledge with Mac, so...

Thanks Dragondog! Yeah, poor Frog just wants to be with his humans...and it's a good way to keep Mac and Jo "honest". I also don't right about that kinda stuff...also exploring how this relationship is different than all of Mac's others. I know some readers won't buy into this but that's how I roll!

...ooh, I musta missed that. What pledge?

When Mac tells Joanna he wants her in his bed, she immediately says, "Mac, I thought we agreed". SO it's kind of an implied pledge

OK Dragondog and Persona non grata...Here is the part in the beginning of the chapter about the "agreement". Since I wrote this and the previous chapters about 2 years ago, I believe the agreement (which is not to have sex before marriage) was made "off-screen" and I'm mentioning it now basically to let readers know what is or isn't gonna happen. People never watched MacGyver for the love scenes (there were none!) and when a possible love interest was brought in, they got tons of fan mail demanding Mac stay out of a relationship. However, we do Mac had intimate relationships but all dissolved one way or another and he could not commit. Not only do I not want their relationship to take center stage, but I also want Mac to grow and realize that intimacy comes in many forms and if his relationship with Jo is gonna last, he needs to approach it differently (ie. not put sex first) than he has with his previous ones. Also, it's pretty much a fact that on TV, once a couple has sex and/or gets married, a lot of the anticipation the viewers had is gone and it's pretty much the beginning of the end of the show. However, I do still try to keep things "interesting" between them!







After several minutes of exchanging kisses that ranged from languid to passionate, Mac moved his attention to her neck. Blood roared in his ears from the thrilling sensation and he almost didn’t hear her whispered question.

“Mac, are you happy?” she asked, pressing her hand against his chest to create separation.

“Mmmm, I guarantee you I am very happy,” he murmured contentedly. He took her face in his hands and was about to kiss her again when he saw the fear and sadness in her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, concern washing over him.

“The way you’re looking at me. Like you want, need, something more.”

MacGyver sighed and pulled away from her to rest his back on the couch.

“I thought we already had this conversation?”

“We did. I just need to be sure.” Joanna lowered her eyes and Mac’s heart softened.

“Look,” he said calmly as he stroked her cheek, “we both agreed to go slow and wait on certain things. I understand your feelings about love and marriage and I respect them.”

“But I don’t want you doing it just for me. Eventually you’ll get bored or resentful,” Jo protested.

“Then you need to understand that I’m also doing it for me,” he continued. “When I was working on your church’s air conditioner, Father Mike and I got to talking. I realized that some of my past relationships may have failed because I assumed intimacy would bring about commitment, but now I’m beginning to understand that it might be the other way around. That commitment leads to intimacy. Does that make sense?”

....oh so Mac's Midwestern Catholic?

that.

*cough*

makes more sense than it doesn't

Mac's religious affiliation, if any, was never established on the show, though most scenes that featured church/religion were heavily Catholic. However, I am not giving Mac a specific denomination as he seemed to accept any on the show so I am staying true to cannon, but Jo is definitely Midwestern Catholic.

I can't help but think it'd be perfect if Sam suddenly came home (unannounced), and just opened the door that next morning and found Mac and Jo and was just like

Chapter 34: Mac’s Instant Family

MacGyver stood shirtless in front of the full length mirror studying his bruises. Had they faded in the past twenty-four hours? It had been eight days since the thugs had beaten him up. Eight days since Joanna had shared his bed. He remembered waking up early the next morning to find Frog gone and Joanna cuddled against his side, her soft, sleepy breath warm on his bare arm. He marveled at how something so innocent could be so intense and satisfying. He reluctantly forced his thoughts back to the present. After communicating with Leroy on a daily basis, his boss had finally given him clearance to return to work.

Upon arriving at the law offices, the receptionist immediately directed Mac to a small conference room where Leroy was waiting for him. Joanna was there as well, and she smiled brightly at him as he entered the room. Since the incident with Jorge, it seemed as if their remaining defenses had crumbled, allowing them to fall into a safe, comfortable place together. Leroy motioned for him to have a seat next to Jo before sitting across the oblong table from them.

“I have a special assignment for you two,” Leroy stated without preamble. “You may or may not be aware that our firm has been representing the wife of a wealthy local businessman in a very high profile and messy divorce battle. They have two children and the custody hearing begins later this week.”

“What does that have to do with us?” Mac asked.

“The one thing the two parties can agree on,” Leroy continued, “is that the children be kept out of the public eye until a settlement is reached. Normally they would go live with a relative, but their parents are quite paranoid and do not want them unduly influenced by other family members. They’ve gone so far as to take out several restraining orders against the grandparents, aunts and uncles, and other relations.”

At this point, Leroy slid a thick manila folder across the table. MacGyver began to page through its contents and let out a long, low whistle.

“Man, I’ve been in countries with a smaller population than this.”

“In addition, the children are home-schooled year round by their nanny and their parents do not want their schedule interrupted. That’s why I’ve had papers drawn up giving you two emergency temporary custody. Joanna, with your education background, you can continue their lessons. Mac, I’m counting on you for security. Make sure the restraining orders are not broken and that other issues do not arise.”

“You mean kidnapping,” MacGyver replied matter-of-factly as Joanna whipped her head around to stare at him. “Cases like this are prime opportunities for disgruntled relatives, friends, or colleagues to earn a little ransom money,” he explained to her.

“Will the children remain in their own home?” Joanna asked Leroy.

“No,” her boss sighed. “You will all be staying in the firm’s safe house in a nearby subdivision.”

MacGyver’s eyebrows rose beneath his shaggy bangs. “You mean you have an honest-to-goodness safe house?” he asked.

Leroy lowered his gaze. “Yes,” he replied softly. “And I apologize for not sending you and Jorge there. From now on I will be taking any threats, real or perceived, seriously.” He cleared his throat and slid one key towards Mac and another towards Jo. “These are the only two keys to the house. I’ll give you the next two days to pack and get settled. The children will arrive the day after tomorrow. Here is a company credit card for food, entertainment, and any other incidentals.”

“What about Frog?” Joanna asked.

“Frog is more than welcome to join you. I’m sure he will be a nice diversion for the children,” Leroy responded with a smile before turning somber once more. “There is one stipulation, however.”

“What kind of stipulation?” MacGyver asked warily.

“The mother demanded that if a couple was granted custody they needed to be married. To set a good example for the kids. So, by the power invested in me by no one in particular, I now pronounce you man and wife.” With that, he unceremoniously dropped two rings on the table and made a hasty departure leaving a stunned Mac and Jo staring at the gold bands.

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Twenty-four hours later, MacGyver pulled his Jeep into the driveway of a modest ranch home in the middle of a quiet, suburban neighborhood. Grabbing his well-worn duffle bag from the back seat, he made his way to the front door, Frog at his heels.

“Now mind your manners,” he told the dog as he slid his key into the lock.

The door swung inward and Mac walked inside. He was greeted by a large, comfortable-looking living room with an overstuffed sofa, matching chairs, and a large TV. Behind the living room was a spacious, eat-in kitchen with updated appliances. A hallway led to the master bedroom and private bath. Further down the hall was a smaller bedroom with two twin beds, a second bathroom, and a third room which was currently decorated as a den, but had a pull-out sofa to serve as another bedroom if needed. Suddenly, Frog began to scratch frantically at the back door. MacGyver had barely opened it before the bull dog scooted out and relieved himself on the first bush he found. Mac followed his canine companion into the yard. There was a small, cement patio that led to a well-groomed lawn. The area was enclosed by a tall, wooden privacy fence. MacGyver looked up to find flood lights attached to the garage and back of the house. He left Frog to become acquainted with his new surroundings while he hauled some boxes and bags from his Jeep. He had just deposited them in the house when he heard a car pull in the driveway.

Mac leaned against the front door jamb as he watched Joanna exit her vehicle and pull a large suitcase out of the trunk.

“Need any help with that?” he called.

“I’ve got it,” she called back, wrestling with the heavy piece of luggage. Soon she was beside him, the bag at her feet.

“Want me to carry you over the threshold?” Mac asked her, waggling his eyebrows.

Joanna rolled her eyes. “Not necessary,” she stated firmly.

“C’mon,” he coaxed. “We’re supposed to be newlyweds.” He grabbed her by the waist and leaned down to nuzzle her neck only to be pushed away.

“Save your energy. No one’s watching.” They both glanced at the neighboring houses, window shades and blinds pulled, their owners probably at work.

More disappointed than he probably should be, MacGyver reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out the two wedding rings.

“At least put this on,” he said, handing the smaller one to Jo as he slipped the wider band on his left ring finger.

“Feel weird?” she asked him.

“Not weird. Just…different,” he smiled crookedly

It had been quickly decided that Jo would occupy the master suite while Mac slept on the pull-out bed in the den. Once Joanna had unpacked, the couple visited the nearest grocery store to stock up on various and kid-friendly food. It was early evening before they had a chance to relax, sitting next to each other on the sofa.

“Do you really think someone will try and abduct the children?” Joanna asked, breaking the comfortable silence that hung in the room.

“Hard to say,” MacGyver shrugged. “I’d like to think not, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

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The following morning Joanna stood on the front lawn of the safe house, mouth dry, hands sweaty, and stomach queasy. The children were due to arrive any minute. She was used to dealing with kids in a structured learning environment, but knew precious little on the care and feeding of said kids outside the classroom. MacGyver stood next to her looking totally unfazed while Frog whined pitifully from his temporary confinement in the back yard.

A few moments later a dark sedan stopped by the curb and parked. An aide Joanna recognized from the office got out, opened the back door, and encouraged the occupants to step out. A ten-year-old boy and a seven-year-old girl hesitantly emerged from the vehicle. The aide took their hands and led them to the adults who would be caring for them.

“Jeremy and Sarah Crandell, this is Mr. and Mrs. MacGyver. You’ll be staying with them for a few days,” the aide said by way of introduction.

Jeremy had light brown hair and chocolate eyes. He stood with his arms crossed in front of him, a sullen look on his face.

Sarah, on the other hand, had long blonde hair held back by a headband and bright blue eyes. Her lower lip was sticking out in a pout, a well-loved doll grasped in her hands.

“Hi guys!” MacGyver greeted them cheerfully. “You can call us Mac and Jo.”

“Kinda like mac and cheese,” the little girl responded softly. Her brother grunted his disgust at her statement, but the adults laughed.

“Yeah, kinda like that,” Jo told the girl with a friendly smile.

“What do ya say we get you settled, and then I have a special friend for you to meet,” Mac said as he pulled their luggage from the trunk of the car.

The brother and sister did not respond, but Jo could feel the anger seething in Jeremy and the fear overwhelming poor Sarah. This was not going to be an easy assignment.

Thankfully, Frog proved to be the diversion the children needed. Once they had unpacked and put away their belongings the dog came charging into the house, eager to greet his new friends. Sarah fell into a fit of the giggles as the bull dog slobbered doggie kisses on her check. Even Jeremy lost his sullenness as Frog made sure to give the boy equal attention. Joanna felt herself relax for the first time since she had laid eyes on her new charges.

“Looks like they’re gonna be fine,” Mac observed quietly, casually draping his arm around Joanna’s shoulder as they stood watching the playful encounter.

“I hope so,” Jo sighed, leaning into him. “I can’t imagine what they must be going through.”

“I know,” MacGyver replied. “But we can try and take their minds off it for the next few days at least.”

Joanna stood looking out the kitchen window as Mac, the kids, and Frog romped in the backyard. MacGyver had had the foresight to arm himself with various sports equipment, including baseball gloves and bats. A simple game of catch between him and Jeremy had turned into an all-out melee when Sarah and Frog joined in. Currently, Mac was pinned to the ground laughing with Sarah sitting on his legs, Jeremy holding down his arms, and the dog barking happily, his stubby tail wagging joyfully.

Jo marveled at how easily the kids had taken to Mac, and him to them. He deserved his own family, his own children, not a make-believe wife and temporary offspring. Sobering, she turned back to the kitchen table where she had laid out the homeschooling books and materials. She needed to figure this out fast since she wanted to start the children’s lessons tomorrow. Suddenly the back door burst open.

“Don’t forget to wash up!” Mac yelled as small feet pounded down the hallway. “How’s it going?” he asked, turning towards Joanna.

Jo glanced at her watch. “How did it get so late?” she groaned from behind a pile of textbooks.

“Kinda overwhelmed, hey?”

“You can say that again,” Jo replied. “This curriculum is more rigorous than what we taught at Challengers!”

“It can’t be that bad.” Mac pulled out a chair and sat down.

“Oh yeah?” she challenged, handing him Jeremy’s science assignments.

“They’re learning this in fifth grade these days?”

“Yep!” Jo replied succinctly.

“Man,” MacGyver murmured as he flipped through the papers. “Tell you what, I’ll take care of the math and science and you can do English and social studies. Would that help?”

“That would be wonderful!” she exclaimed. “It will also help break up the monotony. I’m sure they don’t want to hear my voice all day long.”

“They don’t know what they’re missing.” Mac stood up and kissed the top of her head just before the subjects of their conversation appeared in the doorway.

“We’re hungry,” brother and sister announced in unison.

Soon the little family was busily preparing the first supper they would share together. Joanna cooked spaghetti noodles and sauce while Sarah helped Mac put a salad together. Jeremy was tasked with setting the table. The meal passed quickly with Sarah and Jeremy regaling Jo and Mac with stories of their home, school, and friends between bites of pasta. Joanna could not believe these were the same kids she had met less than twelve hours ago. Before she knew it, the meal was over, the kids were in the living room arguing over which TV show to watch, and she was handing freshly washed dishes to MacGyver to wipe dry and put away.

“Okay, time to get ready for bed,” Joanna announced a couple hours later, taking the remote from Jeremy and clicking off the TV. To her amazement, both children got up and quietly went about what she assumed was their normal nightly routine. It wasn’t long until they were each tucked into one of the twin beds and bidding Jo and Mac goodnight.

“Where’s Frog?” Sarah asked drowsily.

“Yeah! Can he sleep with us?” Jeremy added.

Joanna looked to MacGyver who shrugged. “Why don’t we let him decide?” Mac called the dog’s name and Frog eagerly ambled toward him.

“Hey Frog, wanna sleep with us tonight?” Jeremy called from his bed.

The pooch looked up soulfully at Mac and then Jo before waddling into the middle of the room, turning himself in a circle before plopping down with a sigh.

“Well, I guess that’s your answer,” MacGyver declared, pulling the door only half-way closed so they could hear if the children needed them during the night. He then put a hand on Jo’s back and guided her down the hall.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m beat,” Mac said quietly. “I think I’m gonna call it a night.” He bent down and kissed Jo on the cheek before heading to the den.

Joanna was exhausted as well, but still too wired to sleep. She changed into her pajamas, climbed into bed and leaned against a pile of pillows while opening a brand new novel. She was just about to start the third chapter when something caught her eye. She looked up to find Sarah standing in the bedroom doorway.

“What’s wrong, honey? Can’t get to sleep?” Jo asked, setting her book aside.

“Where’s Mac?” the young girl asked softly.

“He’s sleeping in the den.”

“Did you have a fight?”

“Of course not,” Jo replied. “Why do you ask?”

The child looked near tears so Joanna motioned for Sarah to join her on the bed.

“When Mommy and Daddy fight, Daddy has to sleep on the sofa. That makes him mad.”

Jo sighed. “Mac and I didn’t have a fight and no one is mad.” Here she hesitated. She didn’t want to lie to the girl, but she also wanted to put her at ease. “Mac has to get up very early. He’s sleeping in the den so he doesn’t wake me up.”

“So you still love each other?” Sarah’s voice quivered with unshed tears.

“Of course we do,” Joanna assured her, the line between fact and fiction suddenly blurring.

“Then why don’t you let him sleep here?”

Never in her wildest dreams had Joanna ever imagined having a conversation like this, particularly with a seven-year-old.

“I’ll make you a deal,” Jo offered. “If Mac sleeps in here do you promise to go back and sleep in your own bed?”

The little girl’s frown turned to a smile and she nodded happily.

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MacGyver veritably flew across the desert sands on the back of his trusty steed. Each stride took them further from their would-be captors. The relentless sun burned his face and the hot wind whistled in his ears, but he was free. Finally free! Suddenly he heard a faraway voice calling out to him: “Mac, help me! Mac, I need you!” No. He would not, could not, go back. Just as he urged his mount to go even faster, the horse stopped dead in his tracks and reared, tossing MacGyver onto the desert floor before galloping away.

Mac bolted upright, sweat beading on his forehead.

“I didn’t mean to startle you,” the familiar voice from his dream said.

He shook his head to clear away the last visage of his dream before reaching out to turn on a nearby lamp only to find Joanna standing next to his bed.

“Bad dream?” she asked.

“No, just…nothing.” It was then he saw the look of desperation in her eyes. “What’s wrong?” he asked anxiously.

“I need you, Mac. Will you sleep with me tonight?”

Either he was still dreaming or he hadn’t heard her correctly. He discreetly pinched himself on the arm. Ouch!

“What did you say?” he asked for clarification.

“Will you sleep with me tonight?”

Okay, he had heard her correctly, but had he misunderstood? She apparently noticed the confusion on his face as she went on to explain.

“Sarah’s upset because we’re sleeping in separate rooms. She thinks we had a fight like her parents. The only way she’ll go back to bed is if you come and sleep with me.”

“Oh…um…sure,” he agreed groggily, following her to the master bedroom, totally unaware of the little blonde head peeking around the door frame.

The following morning MacGyver awoke to an empty bed and the sound of muted voices coming from the kitchen.

“Good morning,” he greeted his so-called family who were all shoveling various types of cereal into their mouths. He sat down at the table and fixed a bowl for himself.

“Okay guys, go get dressed so we can start your lessons,” Joanna directed.

The children moaned their displeasure.

“The sooner you get your school work done, the sooner you can go outside and play with Frog,” she reasoned.

MacGyver chuckled as the brother and sister scurried from the room. “Resorting to bribery already?”

“Whatever works,” Joanna shrugged.

With both adults teaching, Sarah and Jeremy finished their lessons in half the time and hurried out the backdoor followed closely by Frog and MacGyver who produced a soccer ball for them to play with. The foursome was chasing the ball around the yard when Joanna called from the doorway.

“Mac, telephone!”

MacGyver jogged across the grass and into the house. “Hello?” he answered, breathlessly.

“Hi Mac, this is Leroy. I just wanted to give you an update on the custody hearing.”

MacGyver listened carefully before thanking the lawyer for the information and disconnecting the call. He could feel Joanna’s eyes boring into his back, waiting for a full report.

“That was Leroy,” Mac began. “Looks like the hearing is going to last longer than anticipated. We may have the kids all next week.”

“Should we tell them?”

MacGyver ran his hand over his face. “Naw, not yet. Let’s see how things go. Maybe it will wrap up sooner than expected.”

Returning outside, Mac noticed the gate standing open. The gate that always stayed closed. A shiver ran up his spine as he quickly scanned the yard and found Sarah cuddling Frog but no Jeremy.

“Sarah,” Mac called. “Where’s your brother?”

The little girl turned towards him. “He said he was going in the house for a drink of water.”

Aw man, the boy must have overheard him and Jo talking about the hearing and took off. At least that’s what Mac hoped had happened because he did not want to even consider the alternative. MacGyver ran out of the yard and to the street. He looked up and down and called Jeremy’s name, but the neighborhood was deserted.

“Wouldn’t Frog have alerted if there had been a stranger nearby?” Joanna asked after Mac had told her what he just discovered.

“I would assume so,” MacGyver answered her. “That’s why I think Jeremy just got upset and ran away. He’s probably trying to avoid being seen by cutting through neighboring yards. Go in the laundry hamper and bring me a piece of his clothes, something he wore recently,” Mac instructed Jo as he reached for Frog’s leash.

“Maybe we should call the police,” Jo suggested. “Or Leroy.”

“Normally I’d agree with you, but we need to keep these kids off the radar as long as we can. Give me a chance to find him first.”

Back in the yard, Sarah clung tightly to Joanna as Jo tried to soothe the whimpering girl. MacGyver clipped Frog’s lead to his collar and shoved one of Jeremy’s soiled shirts under the dog’s nose.

“C’mon boy, let’s go find your friend!” Within seconds, Frog was tugging his way out the gate and gaining speed even as he kept his nose to the ground.

Weaving up and down driveways and in and out of yards, Frog continued his pursuit. Even though it was the weekend, houses remained closed tight. Good because no one saw Mac and Frog trespassing, bad because no one could see a lost little boy. With each passing minute, MacGyver became more inclined to return to the house and call in some back up. Suddenly, the bull dog pulled Mac to a large tree and stopped.

“All right, do your business,” Mac told him as he finally made the decision to call off his one man search and report the incident.

Frog lowered his butt to the ground, looked up at his master and whined. MacGyver tugged at his leash, but the dog wouldn’t budge. Soon his whining turned into full-fledged barking, something he didn’t do very often. All of Mac’s senses sprang to life.

“What is it?” he asked the dog. “Is Jeremy here?”

MacGyver made a full circle scan of their surroundings. Nothing. So much for Frog’s tracking skills. Just as he was about to drag Frog away, a rustling noise and whimper came from above. Looking up through the branches of the old elm tree, Mac thought he spied a white athletic shoe.

“Jeremy!” he called. “Are you up there, Jeremy?”

“Leave me alone!” came the angrily mumbled reply.

“You know I can’t do that. Come down and let’s go home.”

“That’s not my home!” the boy shouted, but Mac could hear the tears in his voice.

“I know, but you need to come down. Then we’ll talk about it.”

“I can’t,” Jeremy said meekly. “I’m stuck.”

“All right,” MacGyver sighed. “Sit tight. I’m comin’ up.”

Mac dropped Frog’s leash, certain the canine would not abandon them. He then searched for foot and hand-holds on the tree trunk to use before lifting himself onto a low but sturdy branch. Twigs and leaves poked and scraped his face and forearms as he carefully made his way up to the boy. There was nothing physically impeding Jeremy’s descent, so MacGyver figured he was simply too afraid to climb back down. MacGyver gently guided the boy until they were both on firm ground.

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“They’re back! They’re back!” Sarah called as she hurtled through the front door before Joanna could stop her. The girl raced to her brother, threw her arms around his waist and hung on tight. Jo smiled when Jeremy returned his sister’s hug, Frog prancing merrily around the duo.

“It looks like you went ten rounds with the neighbor’s cat…and lost,” Jo observed as MacGyver walked past her into the house.

“More like the neighbor’s tree,” Mac mumbled. “Come on, Jeremy, let’s get cleaned up.”

Joanna headed to the kitchen to start dinner just as the phone rang.

“This is Leroy, I have some news,” her boss informed her as a greeting.

“What’s going on?”

“The Crandells’ lawyers have been working all weekend to work out a custody agreement. They’re presenting it to the judge tomorrow. I need you and MacGyver to bring the children to the court house first thing in the morning.”

“Sounds good, sir. We’ll be there,” Jo replied before disconnecting the call.

“Who was that?” Mac asked as he walked into the kitchen, his cuts and scrapes a bit less obvious since he washed up.

“Leroy. He thinks there will be a decision tomorrow. We all need to be there.”

“Are we going to see Mommy and Daddy tomorrow?” Sarah asked excitedly upon overhearing the conversation.
“It sounds that way,” Joanna answered encouragingly. “Now let’s all have supper and get a good night’s sleep. We have a big day ahead of us.”

Hours later, after the children had gone to bed, Mac and Joanna once again sat side-by-side on the living room sofa, their stocking feet resting on the coffee table. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

“So, who do you think is going to get custody?” MacGyver asked softly.

Joanna shrugged. “In most cases the courts tend to side with the mother.”

“It’s not fair,” Mac grunted.

“I know it’s not, but that’s the way it is,” Jo agreed sadly. MacGyver put his arm around her shoulders and she rested her head on his chest.

“Do you want kids?” she asked softly.

“I already have one.”

“I mean besides Sam. I’ve been watching you with Sarah and Jeremy. You’re a natural dad.”

“There’s only one problem,” Mac replied.

“What’s that?”

“Next time around…if there is a next time…I wanna do things in the right order. Wife first, kids second.”

“You’re a good man, MacGyver. It’ll happen,” Jo promised as she wrapped her arm around his waist.

Joanna didn’t know how long they sat that way, nestled together yet each deep in their own thoughts with only the approaching storm to indicate the passage of time. Suddenly a bolt of lightning ripped through the night sky followed closely by a thunderous boom. Jo instinctively closed her eyes and hunched her shoulders at the sudden noise. When she looked up, it was to find two children standing on the other side of the coffee table, eyes wide with fright.

“Can we sleep with you in the big bed?” Sarah asked, her lip quivering and a tear running down her cheek. Her brother was silent but remained next to her.

“The storm will pass soon,” Joanna informed them, moving away from MacGyver. “Why don’t you sit here with us until it does?”

The little girl quickly snuggled between the two adults while the boy took his time settling next to Mac.

True to Jo’s predication, the storm blew through quickly, yet the children remained even as their eyelids grew heavy. Joanna caught MacGyver’s eye and gave him a knowing look.

“Hey, what do you say we make tonight an adventure and camp out here in the living room?” he asked.

His question was met with tired cheers and soon the furniture had been rearranged and blankets and pillows littered the floor. Sarah once again positioned herself between Mac and Jo while Jeremy lay at their feet, Frog by his side.

Monday morning, Joanna awoke to find herself alone in the room. She pushed herself off the floor and followed muffled giggles to the kitchen where she found MacGyver and the kids making pancakes.

“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty,” Mac greeted her, majestically waving a spatula in the air.

“Good morning,” she laughed. “I see you had to one-up me. I feed them cereal and you make us pancakes,” she teased, hoping to delay the tension she knew the day would bring.

Once sated with Mac’s delicious breakfast, everyone went to dress and make themselves look as presentable as possible. When the children passed inspection, Joanna went to check on MacGyver. She found him frowning at his reflection in the bathroom mirror.

“Have a seat,” she motioned to the toilet. “I think I have just the thing for those scrapes.”

Joanna reached for her make-up bag and in no time was dabbing beige concealer on the offending scratches. Mac had initially resisted, but they both new it was best to hide the scratches if they wanted to avoid questions from Leroy and the others.

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MacGyver sat on a hard wooden bench just outside the courtroom staring at the floor. Sarah was on his right, playing with her doll, while Jeremy was on his left, leafing through a book about dinosaurs. He looked up when the large, ornate door opened and Joanna stepped through. Her smile did not reach her eyes and Mac knew it was for the benefit of the children. He rose and approached her.

“How’s it going in there?” he asked as Jo led them off into a corner for privacy.

“It’s horrible,” she sighed. “Instead of arguing over who wants the children, they’re arguing about why they don’t want them.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Mac exclaimed in a hushed tone. “I thought you said the lawyers had everything worked out?”

“They thought they did too, but as soon as Mr. and Mrs. Crandell saw each other everything fell apart.”

“So we’re back to square one?”

“Hopefully not. The judge said he wants this settled today. Would you mind looking after the kids while I go back in there?”

MacGyver shook his head sadly as he watched Joanna disappear back into the courtroom. Who could not want these two great kids in their lives?
The day dragged on and the children became restless. He took them to the cafeteria for lunch and then they all walked to a nearby park to work off some of their energy. They had just resumed their positions on the bench when the courtroom door opened and Mrs. Crandell emerged, tears in her eyes, while Mr. Crandell followed stoically behind her.

“My darlings,” Mrs. Crandall greeted them, arms opened wide. “The judge ruled in my favor. You both get to come live with me!”

Sarah quickly went to embrace her mother while Jeremy, as usual, hung back.

“What about Dad?” the boy asked.

Mr. Crandell cleared his throat. “The judge granted me very generous visitation rights. You’ll be able to see me anytime you wish.”

After asking and answering a few more questions, the fractured family turned to leave.

“Well, you called it,” MacGyver conceded to Joanna. “The judge ruled in favor of the mother.”

Jo caught Mac off guard when she produced the most unladylike snort.

“What?” he asked.

“It wasn’t the judge who made the decision, it was the nanny!” she all but bellowed. “The nanny said that if Mr. Crandell got custody she would quit, and of course they can’t have that. I mean, after all, who would actually raise their children? Certainly not them!”

Joanna swallowed the rest of her words as Leroy joined them.

“Congratulations on the victory,” Mac offered.

“There are no victories in cases like these, MacGyver,” the lawyer replied solemnly. “Only bad decisions and worse decisions.”
The trio walked to a nearby window to watch Sarah and Jeremy hug their dad good-bye before crawling into the backseat of their mother’s car.

“No victories at all,” he repeated quietly.

Are they really that bad?

Well, this sounds familiar... (Miraculous-related inside joke XD)

I feel like Mac's still a little bitter on what happened in the last chapter, and he's taking the opportunity to throw some salt

You should have done that in the first place, you jerk

Hey, if you can't shake it, fake it XD

And here we have another appearance of Flirty Mac XD

I really feel like I'm watching a Miraculous episode now

You're barely ready to date Mac, certainly not ready for instant motherhood...

Can't say I blame them

I just cracked up at the mental image of Mac romping around with the kids and the dog XD

I'd probably just reply with "He wants to sleep out there. I'm not banishing him." Can't say it would work, but I'd still try XD

Frog's still got it

Look up.

Look up.

Duh. Look up.

Look up, Stupid!

No, it's the Easter Bunny...

Not all the time...

I probably sound unsympathetic, but I thought "Jeremy, you're ten..." XD

Mac: Father of the Year XD

WTH?! I have a few choice words here...

Oh, so NOW you love them...

I have a hard time believing it could go that smoothly. And judges don't care about what the children want, so I'm just assuming that word choice was just decided on because it was the fastest way to solve the issue

I feel Joanna here

Truer words have never been spoken

Well, my review got bleak real quick... XD

Yeah, Dragondog, I guess when I wrote this I was in a position of wanting to make a statement on today's society...at least one bad part of it. Not the happiest chapter, but I wanted to explore Mac and Joanna interacting with kids. Some of your comments still made me crack up which is a good thing considering I just got to work and need a jumpstart to my day!

I'm glad to help then

My own father... wasn't the best, so that chapter hit me on a personal level

Chapter 35: Haunted Memories

MacGyver turned off his computer, placed the plastic dust cover over the monitor, leaned back in his office chair and let go a contented sigh as he stretched his arms over his head. After back-to-back field assignments, there had been a mountain of paperwork to wade through, but he was finally done and a week’s vacation awaited him. After one final stretch, he eased himself from the chair, picked up his light-weight summer jacket and headed out the door, making sure it was securely locked behind him.

Joanna’s office door stood open, and Mac peeked inside only to find her at her desk, computer pushed to the side, pouring over a three inch thick tome. A number of similar books laid on her desk and spilled over onto the floor. Some open. Some closed. Most with yellow sticky notes marking important pages. She was so engrossed in her reading she hadn’t noticed him.

“Knock, knock,” he said, as he softly wrapped his knuckles on the doorjamb.

Her head shot up. “Oh, Mac! You scared me!”

“Interesting reading?”

“Actually it is,” she replied with a tinge of excitement in her voice. “Leroy asked me to help one of the paralegals do some research for a new case. It seemed like a wild goose chase at first, but now things are starting to click.”

“You know you have all that information at your fingertips,” MacGyver informed her, using his chin to indicate the computer she had pushed aside.

“You know how I feel about computers, Mac. There’s nothing quite like the feel and smell of real books. Besides, there are some really old cases here that probably haven’t made it into the database yet.”

MacGyver nodded his understanding and looked at his watch.

“It’s way past six and it’s Friday. How about you call it a week and let me take you out to dinner?”
Joanna glanced around her office. “I can’t just leave in the middle of this.”

“Yes, you can.” In a few strides, Mac was beside her pulling her out of her chair with one hand and reaching for her purse with the other. “All your books will still be here on Monday. But I won’t.”

“Oh, that’s right! I forgot you were planning on going up to Harry’s cabin for the week.”

“You gonna miss me?” he asked with a mischievous grin as his hands settled on her hips.

“I guess we won’t know that until you’re gone,” she teased back, breaking free of his grasp as she so often did. “Now, what was that about taking me to dinner?”

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The flight attendant frowned as she approached his seat.

“Sir, we are on final approach. I must insist that you remove your foot from the aisle and adjust your seat to its upright position.”

The brown-haired twenty-something passenger muttered a curse under his breath before offering a half-hearted apology. It wasn’t her fault that it had taken him twenty-four hours to travel from Germany to the United States. Nor was it her fault that his leg was stiff and throbbing from sitting, then standing, then sitting some more only to have the monotony broken by dashing to various boarding gates as his flights got rescheduled. He offhandedly wondered where his luggage had ended up. After straightening his seat, he reached out and gingerly pulled his left leg into the tight space between him and the seat in front of him. The young man craned his neck to look out the window, relieved to see the landing lights of the runway at Milwaukee’s Mitchell Field rapidly approaching. His journey was finally over.

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MacGyver pulled the Nomad into his driveway, Joanna parking on his tail. It felt good to be back behind the wheel of the classic ride he had so painstakingly restored since his crash last winter. However, this week it would remain in the garage since the Jeep was better built for the rural Minnesota terrain.

“Thanks for dragging me out of my office,” Joanna thanked him as she approached. “Dinner was great!”

Mac chuckled to himself as they walked hand-in-hand toward his front door. They had participated in the traditional Wisconsin Friday night fish fry at a local sports bar, hardly anything special, yet Joanna was pleased all the same. That was one of the things he loved about her. She didn’t need fancy restaurants or elaborate plans to have a good time.

He put the key in the lock and turned. Silence. No click of the bolt sliding into place. “Oh no, not again,” he mumbled as visions of the Fourth of July flashed before his eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“The door is unlocked.”

“Are you sure you locked it when you came home at lunch to let Frog out?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” he insisted in a loud whisper. “I think.”

“Do you want me to go to Charlie’s and call the police?”

“No. Just stay here ‘til I check things out.”

Mac allowed the door to swing open before he quietly crossed the threshold. He immediately heard the familiar sounds of doggie toe-nails on the wood floor as Frog hurried to greet him in what had become their nightly ritual. He bent down and ruffled the dog’s ears as Frog’s body trembled with pleasure. Soon Mac found himself on the receiving end of slobbery face kisses before the dog started wiggling and yelping.

“What’s with you tonight?” he asked the chubby animal. “I haven’t been gone that long!”

MacGyver didn’t have to wait long for answer. Frog skidded across the kitchen floor before finding traction on the living room carpet and settling himself next to the couch, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. Mac followed at a cautious pace only to find a young man with an ice pack on his knee sleeping on the sofa.

“Sam!”

“Wha—“ MacGyver’s son jerked awake. “Oh, hi Dad,” he replied once his heart rate returned to normal.

“What are you doing here? How did you get in?!”

Sam pushed himself into a sitting position. “Hi Joanna,” he waved to the woman now standing in the kitchen.

Mac whirled toward her. How had he forgotten she was behind him? “I’m sorry…” he began.

“No worries,” she smiled at him and then at Sam. “I’m sure you have a lot of catching up to do so I’ll just get going.”

MacGyver gently grabbed her arm and escorted her to the door. “I’m really sorry about this,” he told her, his voice low. “I had no idea he was coming.”

“It’s okay,” Jo insisted. “You have a whole week off to spend together. Enjoy it!”

“Yeah,” Mac sighed. “Maybe I’ll take him up to Harry’s cabin. He hasn’t seen it yet.”

“I’m sure he’d enjoy that.”

MacGyver dipped his head and brushed his lips gently against hers. When he looked up, Sam was grinning like the cat that swallowed the canary. “I’ll see you in a week,” he whispered in her ear before she opened the door and walked out into the night.

Mac turned to his son. “I believe you have something to tell me?”

“What’s to tell?” Sam shrugged. “I have some time off so I thought I’d come visit my dad.”

“How did you get in?”

“I picked the lock.”

Of course he did. He was Mac’s son, after all.

“What happened to your knee?” MacGyver asked pointedly.

“It’s stupid, really. I was walking around a base at night and stepped in a hole. Wrenched my knee and tore it up pretty good. My boss put me on medical leave.”

“Does it hurt much?”

“Nah, it’s getting better every day.”

Sam hated lying to his father, but he wasn’t ready to share the details of the surgeries and rounds of therapy he had endured over the last several weeks and the pain and stiffness that would be his constant companion for months, if not years, to come.

“Look, I’m on vacation next week and was planning on going up to Harry’s cabin. Wanna join me?”

“Sure!” Sam agreed eagerly. “I’ve been wanting to see it since you wrote and told me about it. But what about Frog?”

Mac looked down at the dog who was now fast asleep. He’d call Jo in the morning and have her check in on him while they were gone.
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It was late Saturday afternoon by the time MacGyver and Sam arrived at the cabin after having made a brief stop in town to reconnect with some of Mac’s childhood friends and pick up some supplies. Sam gingerly climbed out of the Jeep, pausing to test his knee before trying walk.

“You okay?” Mac asked.

“Yeah, fine. It was just a long ride. I’ll walk it off.”

Sam slowly headed down a well-worn footpath leaving MacGyver to unpack the Jeep. Mac paused before opening the door to the cabin. He hadn’t been back here since his showdown with Murdoc resulting in his nemesis’ demise. He shook his head to clear away the memories of the fateful day then turned the doorknob and walked into the large room. It was just as Joanna and he had left it almost five months earlier. He set the grocery sacks on the kitchen table and went out for another load. By the time Sam returned, Mac had the food stowed and the furniture wiped free of the dust that had accumulated.

“How about we try and catch some fish?” MacGyver suggested as Sam lowered himself on the couch.

“I’m kinda tired. Maybe tomorrow?”

“You okay?” Mac asked, concern for his son niggling at him.

“Yeah, I think the jet lag is finally catching up with me.”

“All right. Then what do you say we call it an early night and get a fresh start in the morning?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Sam agreed, as he maneuvered the short distance between the couch and the bed, obviously trying to hide his limp. But was he also hiding something more?

MacGyver should have been sleeping like a baby. There was no noise, no city lights, no worries to keep him awake, yet he laid in the dark staring at the ceiling. He didn’t want to close his eyes because, when he did, he was immediately transported back to the last time he was here: Joanna’s face when she realized she was sitting on a bomb, the muzzle of Murdoc’s gun pointed at his chest, and worst of all, the look on Murdoc’s face when he realized he was going to die. As in life, the madman continued to haunt him in death.

Mac quietly rose from the cot and slipped out the front door, careful not to wake Sam. At least one of them was sleeping. He took a few steps into the small clearing that surrounded the cabin. The summer air had cooled significantly after the sun had gone down and a light breeze now rustled the leaves and teased at his hair. He tilted his head back and gazed up at the stars that peeked through the canopy of trees and then he heard it. A weak cry. No, more like a whimper. Had a small animal been injured? He tilted his head, trying to discern where the sound was coming from when he realized it was coming from inside the cabin. He hurried inside and grabbed the flashlight from the kitchen counter, scanning the room with its beam. As the light landed on Sam, he saw his son thrashing around on the bed, moaning and muttering in the throes of a nightmare.

“Sam!” Mac whispered loudly, grabbing the young man by his shoulders. “Sam, wake up! It’s okay!”

Sam bolted upright, almost knocking MacGyver square in the jaw. He was sweating and trembling at the same time. His eyes held fear and another emotion Mac could not name.

“It was just a dream,” Mac said soothingly. “Just a bad dream.”

Sam nodded, finally free from the images that had disturbed him. He wordlessly slid off the bed and went to the bathroom for a drink of water.

“Do you have these sorts of dreams a lot?” MacGyver asked when Sam returned.

Sam just shrugged.

“What are they about?”

Another shrug.

“Okay, I get it. But I’m here to listen if you wanna talk.”

The days that followed blended into one another. MacGyver would awake in the middle of the night to find Sam either experiencing a nightmare or walking around the cabin trying to shake off the effects of one. To make up for the lack of sleep at night, Sam often took a long nap during the day. While Sam rested, MacGyver went for hikes, fished, and even drove into town to visit with his friends. He had longed to do these things with his son and was disappointed that Sam was unwilling to confide in him about the dreams that seemed to haunt him.

Early one morning, MacGyver stood on a rickety dock, soaking a fishing line in Bell Lake. He heard the creak of steps on the rotting planks and turned to find Sam approaching, rod and reel in hand.

“Glad you finally decided to join me,” Mac offered as lightly as he could.

“I guess I’ve been kinda a party-pooper,” Sam confessed.

“Nonsense. We came up here for some rest and relaxation, that’s exactly what you’ve been doing.”

Sam remained silent as he carefully baited his hook and then cast it into the water.

“I know you know about the nightmares,” he said quietly. “Thanks for not getting on my case about them.”

“No problem. I figured you talk about it when the time was right.”

“I don’t know if there will ever be a ‘right’ time, but I want to tell you about them anyway.”

“Go on,” Mac gently encouraged.

“Do you remember hearing about the terrorist truck bombing in Saudi Arabia back in June?”

“Yeah, the Khober Towers, right?” MacGyver remembered seeing the attack on the news.

“Right,” Sam concurred. “I was there.”

“What?!”

“The Khobar Towers housing complex and been turned into living quarters for the Coalition forces. It was June 25th and I had just returned from a two week assignment embedded with troops in the desert and fell asleep as soon as I hit my bed. It was a little after 10pm when a loud knock on my door woke me up. Someone kept hollering ‘Get out! Get out!’ When I opened the door there was chaos in the hallway. Everyone was fleeing their rooms and knocking on doors and yelling as they tried to escape to safety. It was like I got caught in a human tidal wave. We were on the eighth floor being directed to a stairwell. I was about halfway down when I missed a step and fell, wrenching my knee. Then it was like I was caught in a stampede. No one stopped to help me. They all wanted to get out. I could feel people stepping on and stumbling over my leg. I tried to get up but couldn’t. All of a sudden there was a humongous explosion. It felt like the strongest earthquake ever only a hundred times worse. The people around me were thrown against the wall and down the stairs. Someone landed on me, pinning my leg. The building shook for what seemed like hours. I was sure it was gonna crash down on us and we were all gonna die.”

Sam paused and MacGyver’s heart ached for the trauma his son had experienced.

“Once everything had calmed down and we got outside, I couldn’t believe my eyes. There was almost total destruction everywhere. To this day I can’t find the words to describe it. I learned later that one of the reasons I survived was because the stairwell I was in was made of heavy marble and located on the side of the building furthest away from the truck bomb.”

“What about your knee?” Mac asked around the lump that had formed in his throat.

“The medics on scene immobilized it and I was flown to a base in Germany with the other injured. It was torn up pretty bad and required surgery. Then I was put in physical therapy.”

“It hasn’t been that long. Are you done with therapy already?”

Sam stayed silent, gazing across the lake.

“Sam?”

“My knee stopped getting better. I got frustrated, checked myself out and came home.”

“It’s only been a little over a month! You can’t expect to bounce back from major knee surgery in a few weeks!” MacGyver scolded.

“The doctors and therapists can’t guarantee that I’ll regain full use of the knee again, so what’s the point. It’s just wasting my time and energy.”

“So you decided you’d just come home, camp out on my couch and feel sorry for yourself?!”

“I just need some time to think and figure out what to do next,” Sam retorted.

MacGyver jammed his fingers through his hair and sighed. He had been in a similar position not that long ago.

“Hey,” he said softly. “I didn’t mean to come down on you like that. Take all the time you need, and remember I’m here for you.”

“I know that, Dad. And thanks.”

The day before they were due to leave, Sam accompanied his dad into town where they met a childhood friend of MacGyver’s for lunch. Midway through, Sam politely excused himself saying he had some phone calls to make.

“You never managed to settle down with a woman yet you still got yourself a son,” Mac’s friend shook his head and snickered.

“It’s not funny, Neil,” MacGyver said flatly.

“Of course it’s not,” his friend turned serious. “What was it like learning you had a son you didn’t know about?”

Mac sighed. “It was pretty weird, actually. At first I wondered if he was even really mine, but he showed me all the proof I needed. We’ve formed a pretty solid relationship over the past few years.”

“That’s really great, man. I’m happy for you both. But don’t you sometimes wonder what it would have been like if you had been there while he was growing up?”

“Of course I wonder! I felt guilty about it for a long time, too. Then I realized you can’t go back so now I’m focused on being there for him in the future.”

The conversation ceased when Sam returned to the table. Soon the three men were discussing what was on the mind of every Minnesotan: The upcoming hockey season.

The following day, MacGyver grumbled about Sunday afternoon traffic as he pulled the Jeep to a standstill yet again on the outskirts of Minneapolis. This trip was already taking longer than he anticipated due to the fact that he purposely stopped every hour or so to allow Sam to walk around and keep his knee from getting too stiff. He heaved a sigh of relief as the cars ahead of him began to creep forward.

“Dad, I’ve been thinking,” Sam said from the passenger seat.

“Uh oh,” Mac teased.

“I’m serious! Remember when I made those phone calls yesterday?”

“At the diner? Sure.”

“Well, my first call was to my editor. He’s still holding my job and even has some stories for me to work on that I could do from the office.”

“Are you okay with that?”

“For now. That’s why my second call was to my physical therapist. She referred me to a therapist in London and will be sending over my records. With a lot of hard work and determination I think I can get back in the field.”

“That’s great, Sam!”

“I also made another call,” Sam said sheepishly.

Mac glanced at his son. “Go on.”

“I booked a nonstop flight to Heathrow early tomorrow morning.”

MacGyver raised his hands and brought them down hard on the steering wheel.

“Why do you always do this!? Make decisions and run off without warning!”

This time when Mac looked at his son, he found an impish grin on Sam’s face.

“I know! I know! I was the exact same way when I was your age. And your mother probably was too,” Mac huffed.

“So, does that mean you’ll give me a ride to the airport?” Sam smiled good-naturedly.

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It was late evening by the time MacGyver and Sam finally staggered through the door of the townhouse. A lamp in the corner cast a warm glow as Frog snoozed under the coffee table.

“Home at last!” MacGyver proclaimed as he tossed his bag on the couch. He headed to the fridge for some juice and that’s when his eye caught the blinking light on his answering machine. He hit the ‘play’ button.

“MacGyver, this is Leroy. I know you probably won’t get this until late, but there have been new developments in the Crandell case. Pack up yourself and your dog and meet me and Joanna at the safe house first thing Monday morning.”

Not quite as many thoughts as usual this time, but here we go:

Considering what happened last time, good idea XD

Sam is just so casual about his whole thing XD

At least he didn't say, "Hey mom"

Sam's never going to outgrow that, is he?

How long you gonna lie?

I'm guessing Sam has PTSD :'(

SAM POOR BABY! (who am I kidding, I'll be the same age as him in less than three weeks XD)

I see Sam hasn't lost his sense of humor XD

I'm glad this isn't the last we'll see of them.

Chapter 36: The Protectors

MacGyver pulled into the driveway of the safe house early Monday morning after dropping Sam off at the airport. A green minivan was parked where Joanna’s car should be. He climbed out of the Jeep, clipped Frog’s lead on his collar and lifted him to the ground. Was it his imagination or did the animal seem not as heavy as before? Perhaps a regular feeding schedule minus Mama Colton’s fried chicken livers was getting the pudgy dog back in shape. Frog might just be able to avoid the diet Joanna had been threatening to put him on these past few weeks. Mac smiled at the thought.

He was still smiling as he opened the front door and stepped into the now-familiar living room. Joanna sat on the couch, leaning forward, her elbows on her knees. Leroy stood in the middle of the room as if at attention, and a man in a suit quietly moved about the house, no doubt doing a security check. Mac bent down to unclip Frog’s leash.

“So, what’s going on?” he asked, straightening to his full height.

“Mrs. Crandell claims she has been getting phone calls threatening the children,” Leroy explained.

“What do you mean ‘claims’?”

“We have no proof, only her word,” Leroy said with a sigh. “She says she’s always alone when the calls come in and she won’t let us tap her phone claiming invasion of privacy.”

Mac glanced at Jo who only shrugged.

Leroy continued, “She wants to put the children back in our custody until the issue is resolved.”

“How does Mr. Crandell feel about this?”

“He’s on board, especially since his ex-wife started accusing him of being behind the threats.”

“Okay, what’s the plan?” MacGyver asked.

“Your part is pretty straight forward. You and Joanna stay here and protect the kids. Only this time, make sure they are never alone and stay in either the house or the yard. If you have to take them somewhere, use separate vehicles. We have to assume whoever is making these threats wants both Sarah and Jeremy. Also, watch out for any tails you may pick up while driving. I’ve briefed Joanna on the basics so she knows how to handle herself. And speaking of driving, I have provided the minivan you saw in the driveway and there is a sedan in the garage. Both of your cars will be taken to a secure location. We can’t take any chances that you were followed here.”

“What about tracking down whoever is supposedly making these threats?”

“Investigators from my firm are working with the local police,” Leroy informed Mac. “Remember, your job is to protect the kids. That’s it. Everything else is being taken care of. Understand?”

“Yes, sir,” MacGyver ground out, feeling as if his wings had just been clipped.

Leroy was almost out the front door when he stopped and quickly turned around, digging in the pocket of his suit coat.

“I almost forgot about our already agreed upon stipulation.” He pulled out two gold rings and handed one to MacGyver and one to Joanna.

“Does anyone else see the hypocrisy in having a woman who has just dragged her kids through a messy divorce insist that a married couple take care of them?” Mac asked sarcastically.

“She’s our client, Mr. MacGyver. A very wealthy client. If she wanted the Good Lord Himself to babysit you can be sure we’d make that happen.” With that Leroy stalked from the house.

Mac blew out a breath and sat down next to Jo. “Well, I guess we have our orders,” he said in a clipped tone. Joanna simply nodded.
The children soon arrived and settled in quickly. MacGyver knew he had to lay down some ground rules, but he didn’t want to frighten them. He looked at the kids sitting on the floor playing with Frog who was soaking up the attention like a sponge. Mac sat down beside them and motioned for Joanna to do the same.

MacGyver took a deep breath and began. “Jeremy, Sarah, do you know why you have to stay with us again?”

“Mommy said Ms. Lyla, that’s our nanny, is going on vacation and Mommy is going to be too busy to take care of us,” Sarah answered matter-of-factly.

Terrific. The kids had no idea they might be in danger.

“Right,” MacGyver replied, playing along with Mrs. Crandell’s lie. “But this time around we have some very special rules you have to follow.”

The brother and sister let out simultaneous groans.

Pretending he didn’t hear them, Mac continued, “You have to stay where either Jo or I can see you, and if you want to play in the backyard, one of us has to come with you. When it’s time for bed, Sarah is going to sleep in the big room with Jo and Jeremy, you and I are gonna bunk together in your old room.”

Jeremy’s familiar scowl quickly returned, but his sister appeared to be deep in thought.

“What about the bathroom?” she asked.

“What about it?” Mac questioned, lost with this sudden topic change.

“Do you have to be with us when we use the bathroom?”

At this point Joanna chuckled. “No, Sarah,” she replied lightly. “You can use the bathroom by yourself. But I do have a couple other rules.”

More groans. MacGyver was suddenly glad he had not been around when Sam was this age.

“You have to promise that you will not open the door if someone knocks or rings the bell, and if you see anyone outside besides me or Mac, you need to tell one of us right away. Do you promise?”

The siblings nodded sullenly.

“Sarah, would like to come into the kitchen and help me decide what groceries we need while you’re here?” Joanna asked lightly.

The girl bounced up and skipped across the room, following Jo.

“Hey Jeremy,” MacGyver said, trying to sound enthusiastic. “Let’s go pick out which bed you want to sleep in.”

The boy rolled his eyes. “I don’t care which bed I sleep in,” he grumbled.

“Good,” Mac replied. “Then you can help me decide which bed I should take.”

MacGyver got up from the floor and encouraged Jeremy to escort him to the bedroom. The boy plopped down on one of the beds, crossed his arms in front of him, and went into full pout mode.

Mac closed the door to the room and sat down on the second bed so he was eye level with the boy. Jeremy was the same age he was when his dad and grandma had died in a car crash and only a year older than Sam when his mother was killed. MacGyver didn’t want to upset the boy, but he didn’t want to patronize him either.

“There’s something I need to tell you, Jeremy.”

“We’re not here because of Ms. Lyla’s vacation, are we?”

“No, I’m afraid you’re not.”

“It’s about the phone calls Mama gets, right? The ones that make her cry?”

“Yeah, it is,” Mac confirmed. “Your mom’s afraid someone might try to hurt you and your sister. She sent you here so Jo and I can protect you. We lied because Sarah is too young to understand and we didn’t want to scare her. Can I count on you to help us out and take care your sister?”

After a long moment of consideration, Jeremy nodded.

The rest of the day settled into the easy routine they had previously created. Jo stayed in the house to prep the children’s lessons while Mac played with them in the back yard. They munched on frozen pizzas heated in the oven with promises from Joanna to go get groceries the next day. Before long, it was time for the siblings to go to bed and they did so without protest, an indication of how tiring the day had been for both of them.

Once the kids were asleep, MacGyver and Joanna sat side-by-side on the sofa, stocking feet propped on the coffee table, Mac’s arm draped lazily around Jo’s shoulders.

“Feels like déjà vu,” Jo commented.

“Yeah,” Mac agreed, leaning his head back against the cushion.

“Got any working theories about who’s behind this?”

“You heard Leroy. Our job is to protect the children, not find the bad guy.”

“And it’s driving you nuts, isn’t it?” Joanna turned to grin at him.

“Yeah, it is,” Mac readily admitted. “As for theories, in cases like this it’s usually one of the parents paying someone off to kidnap their kids, blame the other, and gain full custody and/or a nice ransom. But since neither of the Crandalls wanted custody in the first place and since both of them have more money than God, that theory doesn’t hold much water.”

“Maybe it’s a relative?” Jo ventured

“Could be,” Mac mused as he stared at the ceiling.

“Jo! Mac!” Sarah called as she came running from her room. “Someone was looking in my window!!”

The two adults were on their feet instantly. MacGyver directed Joanna to stay with Sarah as he grabbed a flashlight and went out the backdoor. The floodlights lit up the yard. There was no sign of an intruder. Mac walked the perimeter of the house checking for footprints or other clues but came up empty. He returned to the living room and Jo and Sarah.

“I couldn’t find anything,” he sighed. “Sarah, did you see the person looking at you?” he asked gently.

The girl nodded but remained silent.

“What did he look like, honey,” Mac prodded.

“He was black.”

“He was a Black man? Like Mr. Leroy?”

“No. He was ALL black. Like a shadow.”

Mac glanced at Jo who shrugged her shoulders.

“Do you think we should call the police?” Jo asked MacGyver after they had gotten Sarah back into bed.

“We can have them log the incident, but I didn’t see any signs of prowler. I’ll look again in the morning just to be sure.”

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Monday morning Joanna hurried the children through their routine so they could complete their lessons while leaving time for her to go to the grocery store.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay while I’m gone,” she asked MacGyver.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine!” he insisted. “I’ve taken care of both of them before. Besides, we still have to do their science lessons. Just be sure to drive safe and watch for a tail. Double back every now and then.”

“Now who’s the one worrying?” Joanna challenged. “It’s just a quick trip to the grocery store.”

“Fine, but don’t forget yogurt. And tofu. See if they have any bean curd!”

MacGyver was still calling out a list of food as Joanna got in the minivan and drove away. The trip to the store was uneventful. The trip home was a different story. Jo was not overly familiar with this part of town and, while she was trying to make sure she wasn’t followed, she ended up getting lost herself. She searched the vehicle for a map but found none. She almost wished someone had been following her. Perhaps they could lead her back home. She continued to drive and eventually found street names and buildings that looked familiar. After parking the van in the driveway she grabbed a sack of groceries and opened the front door.

“Sorry it took so long but…” The site in the kitchen stopped her dead in her tracks.

The table and floor were littered with newspapers, and every surface she could see, included MacGyver and the children, were dusted with flour. In the middle of the table stood a large, pyramid shaped lump of dough with mud smeared down the side for good measure. Not to mention the mud on the humans as well!

“What in the world…?” she started to ask but was quickly cut off.

“Yay! You’re just in time to see it, Jo!” Jeremy was actually smiling and bouncing on his chair. Sarah clapped her hands in anticipation.

“See what?” Joanna asked cautiously, setting the grocery bag on the nearest clean space of counter she could find.

“The eruption, of course!” MacGyver stood between the children, flour and mud on his face along with a crazy grin.

“A volcano,” Jo finally realized. “So, this was the science lesson for today.” Her tone of voice made it a statement, not a question, and the look on her face as she put her hands on her hips and cocked her head caused the children to momentarily frown.

“Yeah, isn’t it neat?” MacGyver asked. “I used to make these all the time when I was a kid.”

“I’m sure you did,” Jo replied snidely.

“C’mon Mac, make it explode!” Sarah cried, unable to contain her enthusiasm any longer.

“Okay. Now everybody stand back and put on your safety glasses.”

For the first time Joanna noticed clear plastic goggles piled on the counter. She snagged a pair for herself. The mess had already been made, what harm could a little explosion cause?

“Now remember, it’s not an explosion but an eruption,” Mac corrected as he began to sprinkle baking soda into the opening at the top of the ‘volcano’.

Joanna assumed that the mini-mountain already contained a mixture of dish soap and vinegar given the bottles on the table. MacGyver backed away as the last of the baking soda disappeared. Within seconds there was a fizzing sound and shortly thereafter bubbles and foam started to spew from the volcano. The children laughed and clapped and cheered. MacGyver looked as if he just scored the winning hockey goal. And even Joanna allowed herself to smile, if not at the chemical reaction, then definitely at the reaction of those around her.

“Okay guys, go get cleaned up,” Mac instructed the kids when the eruption had subsided.

Joanna cleared her throat loudly, caught his eye, and looked pointedly around the room.

“Oh. Um. Guys, come back here! We have to clean up our science experiment first,” Mac redirected.

Joanna spun on her heel and walked out of the room, glad that MacGyver couldn’t see the grin spreading across her face.

With the science experiment dismantled and the kitchen once again clean, Joanna started preparing supper with Sarah, a willing helper, by her side. Jeremy had retreated to his room and MacGyver was…somewhere.

Jo was in the middle of peeling potatoes for the stew when Frog began to bark furiously from the back yard.

“Mac!” Joanna called, vegetable in one hand, peeler in the other. “MacGyver!”

“What’s going on?” he asked as he appeared in the doorway.

“Frog is barking at something outside. Could you shut him up and bring him in before the neighbors get mad?”

MacGyver had just stepped out the back door when the front doorbell rang.

“Terrific,” Jo grumbled as she put down the potato. While she grabbed a towel to wipe her hands, Sarah took off and ran to open the door.

“Sarah, we told you not to open the door!” Jo reprimanded as she hurried to catch up to the girl, but she was too late. The door was already open and two stocky men with ruddy faces were entering the room, each with a handgun leading the way.

Joanna immediately stepped in front of Sarah to shield her and drew in a deep breath to call for MacGyver.

“Don’t bother yelling for your boyfriend or whoever he is,” the older man said. “He won’t be able to hear you.”

Jo remained silent as Frog continued to bark frantically and Sarah whimpered behind her.

“Where’s the boy?” the man demanded.

“He’s not here,” Joanna replied, lifting her chin defiantly. An action which earned her a backhanded slap across the face. Though her cheek stung and tears threatened, she pinned the man with a hard gaze.

“Is supper ready yet?” Jeremy asked as he wandered into the room.

“Tie up the kids,” the man told his partner. “I’ll take care of the woman.”

Joanna knew this was a kidnapping and the children would be kept safe and alive, but she would soon outlive her usefulness. And what had they done to Mac? The man roughly spun her around, grabbed her arms and tied her wrists with what felt to be a stiff rope. When she turned around, she made a point of once again meeting his eyes. It was her way of letting him know she wasn’t going down without a fight.

Within minutes, Joanna and the children were being shoved into the back of a dark utility van. The engine roared to life. Jo and the kids were tossed around as the driver jerked the van away from the curb and sped down the street.

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MacGyver’s head was throbbing and he smelled gasoline. He forced his eyes open and found himself lying on the floor of the garage next to the sedan. Frog was licking his face and wagging his stubby little tail. The last thing Mac remembered was stepping out into the backyard then blackness. Joanna! The kids! Mac sat up suddenly and fell back just as quickly, the world spinning around him. He lie still for a minute before trying to get up again. This time more slowly. He gingerly made his way into the house, Frog yapping beside him. Upon entering, the dog took off in search of his friends. When he didn’t find them, he returned to MacGyver and whined.

“I know, buddy. Someone got to them.”

Mac grabbed the phone and called Leroy to tell him what happened. A short while later, MacGyver sat on the sofa, his fingers inspecting the knot that was beginning to form on the back of his head as the lawyer, the Crandells, and what had to be half of the Milwaukee Police Department descended on the safe house. Mac explained what happened to everyone who asked and answered as many questions as he could, but the answer he needed evaded them all.

“Do you have any idea where they might have taken them?” the lead police detective asked.

“If I knew where they were do you think I’d be sitting here?!” he snapped, immediately regretting his reaction when pain sliced through his head.

“What do we do now?” Mrs. Crandell asked, her voice quivering.

“Not much we can do,” the detective replied. “We wait for a ransom call. Our technicians have arranged to have calls to all your numbers forwarded here, and we have a wiretap and recorder set up.”

“Wait a minute,” MacGyver said, the fog finally lifting from his brain. “How did the kidnappers know how to find us in the first place?”

“Just before you called me, I received a memo that the agency’s computers had been hacked sometime over the weekend. I was just about to come see you. It must have been the kidnappers, or somebody working for them, who hacked the system and got all the information we have on the Crandell case, including security detail,” Leroy explained.

Mac groaned and leaned his head back on the sofa cushion, his hands covering his face. Time seemed to stand still. Minutes seemed like hours. There was nothing left to do but wait for the ransom call. Provided there was one. If not…Mac didn’t even want to think about that.

Soon the hostage negotiating team arrived. It was quickly decided that Mrs. Crandell would be the one to answer any phone calls since she had been the one initially receiving the threats. The officers briefed her on what to do and say and assured her they would be right there, listening in. MacGyver, in the meantime, grew more and more restless. He pushed himself off the couch and headed for the front door.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Leroy asked sternly.

“I can’t just sit around here and wait. I have to go look for them.”

“Where? Where are you going to look for them? This is a big city. They could be anywhere. Now sit down and wait until we at least have a solid lead.”

MacGyver scowled and stared out the window. Numerous squad cars and other official vehicles clogged the street. This was not a situation Mac was used to being in. Usually it was him who went after the hostages and saved the day. How many foreign countries and communists borders had he crossed and gone in to rescue various persons from kidnappers, prisons, and even mental hospitals? He did not like being helpless, just sitting and waiting.

Mr. Crandell approached MacGyver and put a hand on his shoulder. “I know this must be difficult for you, as well, Mr. MacGvyer. These thugs have my children, but they also have your wife.”

Mac instinctively fingered the gold band he wore that represented a fake marriage. “Yeah,” he croaked and turned back to the couch.

At last the telephone rang. MacGyver felt a rush of adrenaline as everyone gathered around Mrs. Crandell who was receiving a quick briefing on how to handle the call. Once the recorder was turned on, the detective signaled for her to pick up the receiver.

“Hello?” Her voice quaked.

“Bring one million dollars, in cash, to 312 Exeter Street in exchange for the children. And come alone. You have one hour.”

Mrs. Crandell turned to look at the detective, eyes wide. He motioned for her to keep the man talking so they could get a trace.

“That…that’s a lot of money. I need more time.”

“I don’t think so.”

Again the woman looked at the detective for guidance. He pointed to MacGyver.

“What about Joanna? Is she with my children? Is she safe?”

“For now.” And then the line went dead.

The detective slammed his hand on the coffee table. “We weren’t able to get a trace.”

MacGyver’s mouth went dry and he bit back the question that burned in his gut: What about Joanna? An offer had been made for the children, but not for her. Mac didn’t need anyone to tell him what would happen once the kidnappers no longer needed Jo to take care of the kids. A panic like he had never known before swept over him. He took several deep breaths and willed the feeling away. He was working a case. He had to keep his mind clear, his head in the game. He had one job: Protect the children. He had failed, but silently promised to redeem himself by doing whatever it took to get them, and Joanna, back safely.

“What’s our next move?” he asked the detective.

“Our next move is to mobilize a SWAT team and execute the ‘exchange’. Your next move is to stay here with the Crandells and let us do our job.”

Oh no, they were not gonna bench him like some bush league hockey player.

“I’m sorry, sir, but that’s not gonna happen,” MacGyver replied in a deathly calm tone. “I either go with your team or I go by myself, but I’m going.”

“Fine,” the detective sighed. “I don’t have time to argue. But you keep your head down, stay out of our way, and wear this.” He tossed a Kevlar vest at MacGyver.

When the team arrived at 312 Exeter, they found an abandon warehouse with dim light shining through the dirty windows. MacGyver watched from the passenger seat of the detective’s car as snipers and other tactical officers received last minute instructions and hurried to their assigned positions. Mac knew the cops wanted the kidnappers alive in order to gain information about who, if anyone, was behind this scheme.

“I don’t suppose you’ll listen if I tell you to stay here until it’s over,” the detective said to MacGyver.

“Not a chance, sir.”

“Okay then, follow me, but don’t do anything stupid.”

Once the team was in place, a female officer made up to look like Mrs. Crandell approached the warehouse carrying a leather briefcase supposedly full of cash.

“I’m here!” she called. “I have your money. Let me have my children.”

This was it. MacGyver and the rest of team held their breath. Slowly, the large overhead door opened. Joanna stepped out into the darkness, Jeremy holding her right hand, Sarah clinging to her left. Two men followed behind. Each had a gun leveled at one of the siblings.

“Bring us the money,” the kidnapper standing behind Sarah demanded.

“No. Not until my children are safe!”

“Mommy!” Sarah called.

Crouched behind a dumpster, MacGyver watched in horror as Sarah broke away from Joanna’s grasp and ran toward the female officer. The kidnapper who had been standing behind her aimed his gun at the girl’s back. Joanna threw herself in front of him just as he pulled the trigger and landed hard on the ground as total chaos erupted.

Yells of “Shots fired! Shots fired!” rent the night air as more gunfire erupted. The previously hidden tactical team now swarmed the area. Mac saw that the female officer posing as Mrs. Crandell had Sarah out of harm’s way. MacGyver’s only mission was to rescue Jeremy. Staying as close to the ground as possible while still being able to run, Mac raced toward the boy and pulled him to the ground, sheltering him with his own body as gunshots rang out around them.

After several long moments, the gunfire ceased and calls of “All clear” echoed from various directions. It was only then that MacGyver rolled off Jeremy, allowing them both to sit up as he examined the boy for injuries. Except for the tears rolling down his checks, the child appeared to be fine. Two officers quickly swooped in and whisked Jeremy away to a waiting ambulance for further evaluation.

Relieved that both children were now safe and injury free, MacGyver turned to look for Joanna. When he saw her his heart nearly stopped. She was still lying, face down, on the gravel road. He ran to her side and gently turned her over. Her eyes were closed and a red stain on the front of her white t-shirt continued to spread. She had been shot! He frantically felt for a pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found one. It wasn’t strong, but it was there. She was alive. At least for now. He pressed his hands against her abdomen, trying to quell the bleeding.

“Medic! Medic! Over here!” he yelled. Within seconds, teams of EMT’s surrounded Joanna as arms reached out to pull him away.

“Stand back, sir! Stand back and let us do our jobs!”

MacGyver stumbled a few steps backward before looking on in horror as the paramedics worked to save the life of the woman he was coming to love.

So! Uh... since you posted a day earlier than normal... Any chance next chapter can be up before next week?

Anyway...

My immediate, depressing thought was that Frog was losing weight due to old age and on the verge of wasting away

Yeah, we already know Mac's better at this than you, sir

Mac tells it like it is!

Mac never liked taking orders. Can't blame 'im XD

They are totally going to break the rules at some point

Ah, yes, Jeremy's attitude is per the norm XD

This might not be too bad. Until Sarah breaks the rules XD

Okay, that is creepy Ironically enough, I was listening to the Fate game soundtrack, and the dungeon themes are creepy as heck, and I'm just really glad I paused to read this, or I'd be having anxiety now XD

That's it. That's Mac's diet in a nutshell XD

Sheesh, sure you're not married already? XD

This would be me in that situation XD

Mac is totally the fun parent. He never grew up XD

He's totally barking at the kidnappers XD

Well, crap

So, I need to know what happens next, so if I have to wait a week, I may go track this down on Fanfiction and read ahead XD

Seriously, don't listen to stuff like this while reading about creeps looking in windows at night

A little suspense won't kill you I posted early because I am getting sick and not sure if I'll feel like posting later. I will try and remember to post the next chapter sooner or......you could go to about page 3 on this thread and look for a fan fic titles "Passages ll"

Yikes! Hope you'll feel better soon

Which reminds me... I really need to go edit a fanfic I'm working on... but I don't want to

Thanks!
I know the feeling...I should be writing a fan fic chapter and don't want to...my excuse is that I'm sick

Chapter 37: Passages II

As soon as Joanna was stabilized, the paramedics carefully loaded her onto a gurney. MacGyver stepped forward, intent on riding with her in the ambulance when a heavy hand on his shoulder stopped him.

“There’s nothing you can do for her, son,” Leroy’s deep voice rumbled. “Her parents have been called and will meet her at the hospital. We need you here to give your statement and help secure the crime scene.” The lawyer shoved a moist cloth into his hands. It was then that MacGyver looked down and realized Joanna’s blood still covered his palms and fingers.

Wiping the sticky, red substance from his hands MacGyver sighed. The job came first. The job always came first.

MacGyver entered the emergency room and quickly located Joanna’s parents. Her mother had her head bowed and hands folded, no doubt praying for her daughter. Jo’s father stared blankly at a baseball game being played out on a television mounted high on the opposite wall.

He approached them somberly. “How is she?”

Judy Fairfax immediately stood and hugged him while her husband shook Mac’s hand.

“They took her right into surgery,” Judy informed him. “We’re still waiting to hear from the doctor.”

MacGyver sat down. Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on his knees and stared down at this folded hands. It had happened again. Another loved one’s life hung in the balance because of him. Why had he acted so foolishly? Why had he allowed himself to think that a new job, a new city, a new life could bring him the love and peace he sought? Mac scrubbed his face with his hands when a doctor wearing surgical scrubs approached the trio.

“Are you all Ms. Fairfax’s immediately family?” he asked, looking pointedly at MacGyver.
“Yes,” Judy stood and replied without hesitation and MacGyver silently thanked her for allowing him to be included in this moment. “How is she, doctor?”

“She’s very lucky,” the doctor sighed. “The bullet missed all her organs. She did lose a lot of blood, but with time and rest I expect her to make a full recovery.” The relief in the room was palpable.

“When can we see her?” Judy asked.

“I’ll take you to her now, but you can only stay for a few minutes. She’s still groggy and needs her rest.”

The surgeon led them to an elevator and then through a maze of corridors before coming to a stop outside Joanna’s room and bidding them farewell. MacGyver stepped aside, allowing her parents to enter first while he hung back near the doorway.

Mrs. Fairfax headed directly to her daughter and gave her a gentle hug before tears of relief and happiness began to fall. Joanna’s dad squeezed her hand, and MacGyver could tell the man was holding back tears himself. As was he.

Once assured that their daughter was, indeed, alive and well and as comfortable as possible, the couple headed out of the room with promises to return soon. As they were about to walk through the door, Judy put a comforting hand on Mac’s shoulder. “Go to her.”

“Yes ma’am,” MacGyver choked around the lump in his throat as he went to stand beside Jo’s bed. He had never seen her look as weak and helpless as she did right now, lying in a hospital bed, connected to wires that monitored her vital signs and an IV that provided life-giving fluid.

“You didn’t think you could get rid of me that easily, did you?” Joanna quipped, her voice hoarse.

MacGyver reached out his hand and smoothed her dark bangs away from her forehead. “What makes you think I want to get rid of you at all?” he smiled back at her.
“Are the kids okay? Did you catch—“

“Shhhh. I’ll tell you all about it once you’ve gotten some rest”

“You’ll come back tomorrow?” she asked.

“Count on it,” Mac promised.

He was about to turn and walk away when she grabbed his hand. “This is not your fault,” she told him groggily. “You know that, right?”

“Yeah, I know that,” he lied, gently releasing his hand from hers.

The following afternoon MacGyver entered Joanna’s hospital room to find her sitting up in bed chatting with her parents.

“Hey you,” she greeted him.

“’Hey’ yourself. How are you feeling?”

“Surprisingly not as miserable as I expected. They’re saying I can go home in a couple days.”

Mr. Fairfax got up from his chair and motioned for MacGyver to sit down.

“I’m going for a walk. Maybe stop in the cafeteria. I’ll be back later.”

“My dad hates hospitals,” Joanna explained with a wry grin. “Now tell me, what happened with the Crandells?”

“You’re not gonna believe this,” Mac told her. “It was the nanny who was behind the threats and the kidnapping.”

“No way!” Jo gasped, her eyes twinkling in anticipation of further details.

“Yeah. Remember how she was the one who ultimately determined who got custody? Turns out she was really upset about how Mr. and Mrs. Crandell were very ‘hands-off’ parents and she thought the children would be better off with her. She had tried to convince them to turn over guardianship to her, and when they decided not to, she set this little scheme in motion.”

“Wow,” Joanna replied. “She must have had some money and resources as well to pull it off.”

“Let’s just say she was not Mary Poppins,” Mac grinned.

They continued to talk for the better part of an hour before MacGyver announced he needed to leave.

“You’ll come back tomorrow?” Joanna asked hopefully as he rose from his chair.

“I’ll try. Leroy wants me on a new case so I might be pretty busy.”

“Mac?”

It was all he could do to meet her confused gaze. “I’ll try,” he said again with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

MacGyver arrived at work early the next day, but Leroy summoned him to a small conference room before he even had a chance to boot up his computer. When he walked in the room, he saw a young blonde woman sitting next to his boss.

“Have a seat, MacGyver,” Leroy invited. “We have a new project to discuss.”

Mac’s gaze traveled back and forth between Leroy and the blonde.

“Oh, please excuse my manners,” Leroy apologized. “This is Melissa Swenson. She’s an expert in geological and environmental research.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. MacGyver,” Melissa replied, reaching across the table to shake his hand. “My friends call me ‘Missy’.”

“The pleasure is mine. My friends call me ‘Mac’,” he returned her greeting, holding her hand just a moment longer than necessary.
Leroy cleared his throat. “We have a lot of work ahead of us so let’s get started,” he prompted. “An out-of-state developer wants to build a strip mall on a large plot of land northeast of the city. It’s currently old farm and swamp land. The township is opposed to this and hired us to do a survey of the ecological impact such a project would have on the area and file a lawsuit if necessary. I’m assigning the two of you to work on this and present your results to the township and developer in two weeks.”

MacGyver could hardly wait to get started on this project. A nature lover and conservationist, he had done a number of similar studies and reports for Phoenix.

“How about we grab some coffee and work out a plan,” Missy suggested after their little meeting adjourned.

“Sounds like a great way to start,” Mac grinned as he watched the lithe woman lead the way. No need to tell her he didn’t drink the stuff. He could make an exception. After all, what was one cup of coffee compared to potentially saving the environment?

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Time passed excruciatingly slow for Joanna marked not by minutes or hours but by mini-milestones. Graduating from an IV to liquids and Jell-O to soft solid food. Walking five feet further down the hall than the day before. Staying awake long enough to finish a game of Monopoly with her dad. The one thing that didn’t change, however, was MacGyver’s absence. She had not seen or heard from him since her first days in the hospital. Her mother tried to reassure her that he was just preoccupied with work. When Leroy called to check on her progress, he told her the same thing. But Joanna knew differently. She had seen the look on his face when he saw her lying in the hospital bed for the first time. The guilt. The blame. She had tried to reach out to him, calling him at home and the office, but he never answered…never returned her calls.

Several days after being declared fit to resume normal activities, Joanna got up early and drove to MacGyver’s apartment hoping to see him before he left for work. She was glad to see his Jeep still in the driveway when she pulled up. Eager to see him, she hurried to the front door and knocked twice before turning the knob and walking in.

“’Morning, stranger,” she greeted him. At the sound of her voice, Frog appeared from out of nowhere, skidded across the wood floor and slid to a stop at her feet. She bent down to ruffle his ears but winced as the movement tugged at her newly healed incision.

MacGyver looked up from pouring one of his healthy concoctions from the blender jar into a glass, a surprised look on his face.

“Joanna! What are you doing here?”

Struggling to remain upbeat in spite of the less than stellar greeting she straightened and replied, “I’ve missed you! I know you’ve been busy with a big project at work so I thought I’d drop in. I plan on coming back in a few days and then I’ll be able to help you out. Unless, of course, if Leroy needs me for something else.”

“Mac, where do you keep…oh, I didn’t know we had company.”

Joanna’s head jerked to the top of the spiral staircase where a slim, leggy blonde stood wearing Mac’s favorite hockey jersey and little else.

“Um, Melissa, this is Joanna, from work.”

The blonde descended the remaining stairs until she stood level with Jo.

“Oh, you’re the poor thing that got shot.” Melissa all but crooned. “And please, call me ‘Missy’.”

Joanna leveled MacGyver a deadly glare. The pain in her abdomen was a day at the beach compared to the pain from the invisible knife that was stabbing her in the back.

“Missy…um…Melissa works at the office and is helping me with the project,” Mac tried to explain.

“I see,” Joanna responded, her tone clipped. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I guess I’ll just be going.”

She turned and walked out the door before MacGyver could utter a protest. If he even wanted to. Tears stung her eyes and clouded her vision as she got into her car and drove off. Upon turning the corner a block away, where no one could see her, she pulled the car to the side of the road and shifted into park just as sobs began to rack her body. She knew what he was doing. He was pulling away. Trying to protect her. But all her traitorous heart knew was that she had found the man she loved with another woman.

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The pain in Joanna’s eyes when she had seen Melissa almost ripped MacGyver’s heart in two. If he was honest with himself, he was ashamed of the way he had been acting these past couple weeks. Staying away from the hospital, ignoring Jo’s phone calls, and now allowing her to think he was seeing another woman. But he had to do it. He had to push her away if he was to keep her alive. It may be cruel and painful for both of them, but that’s the way it had to be. The way it always had to be.

“Why are you wearing that?” Mac snapped at Melissa.

“It was the only thing I could find to put on after my shower,” she answered innocently.

“There’s a robe hanging on the back of the bathroom door,” he ground out.

“It’s too hot for that heavy thing,” Melissa replied lightly as she reached for the protein shake he had just poured, but MacGyver grasped her wrist before she could raise the glass.

“Let’s get one thing straight,” MacGyver replied in a firm, controlled voice. “We are co-workers assigned to the same project. Nothing more. I apologize if I led you on in anyway. We’ve logged a lot of hours together and last night went a little long so I let you stay over and use my shower, but that’s it! You understand?”

“Oh, I understand!” Melissa shot back. “Let’s just finish this report and get through the presentation. In two days I’ll be out of your life. But let me give you some friendly advice. Decide what and who you want in your life, MacGyver. And when you finally make a decision, commit to it!”

MacGyver sat at his desk Friday morning staring at the thick report in front of him. In a couple hours, he and Melissa would present their findings and he could get on with his life. He had not seen nor heard from Joanna since that day in his apartment. He wanted to go to her, explain everything, but he had forced himself to wait until after this presentation when he could give her his undivided attention. He was pretty sure she would understand. The question was, would she forgive him?

The ringing of his telephone broke into his thoughts.

“Hello?”

“Mac, this is Judy Fairfax.”

Was she calling to lobby for her daughter? “Hi Judy, what can I do for you?”

“It’s Joanna. She’s back in the hospital and things…things don’t look too good.”

MacGyver didn’t remember hanging up the phone or running down the hall to tell Leroy he was leaving. He didn’t remember driving across town to the hospital. But he would never forget the look on the faces of Joanna’s parents when they met him at the hospital entrance.

“What happened? How is she?” he demanded as they led him to a small waiting area.

“She spiked a very high fever yesterday,” Judy Fairfax began to explain. “She had gone upstairs to take a nap. When she didn’t come down for supper I went to wake her, but she was unconscious.”

“Why didn’t you call me?!”

“When we got her here, the doctor said it was just an infection. He put her on intravenous antibiotics and a sedative. He expected a quick response to the medication and full recovery.”

“But…?” Mac wasn’t sure he wanted to hear more, but he had to know.

Judy sighed sadly. “She’s still running a very high fever despite increased doses of antibiotics. The doctors have been doing more tests but can’t find anything except the infection that should be responding to the meds but isn’t. They don’t know why. We thought that, regardless of what you two have been dealing with these past couple of days, you’d want to be here.”

“Thank you,” MacGyver choked back tears as he bent down to hug the petite woman. “Can I see her?”

For the second time in as many weeks Mac once again stood in the doorway to Joanna’s hospital room. She looked pale, weak, and tired. MacGyver pulled a chair over next to her bed and took her hand in his as he sat down.

“I’m here now, baby. It’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna get through this together.”

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Joanna slowly opened her eyes to find the bedroom bathed in bright summer sunlight. She sat up slowly, trying to get her bearings. How could she be here? It was impossible! There was no way she could be in the vacation house on Lake Delton. It had been destroyed by a tornado over a year ago! Or had that all been just a bad dream?

She climbed off the bed, her clothes a bit wrinkled, and headed toward sounds coming from the kitchen. A plump, gray haired woman in a white nurse’s uniform looked up when Joanna entered the room.

“About time you wake up, sleepyhead,” she said in a warm, comforting voice.

“Who are you and how am I here?” Jo asked warily.

“Come down to the lake and we’ll sit and talk,” the woman replied with a kind smile.

Oddly trusting of the stranger, Joanna followed her out the patio doors, across the yard, and sat down next to her on a wooden bench overlooking the water.

“My name is Martha,” the woman said gently. “I was sent to stay here with you while you heal.”

“Heal?”

“Oh dear, you don’t remember, do you?”

Joanna shook her head. “I’m afraid not.”

Martha sighed. “You are a very sick woman. You’re body needs to fight to keep itself alive. You’ve been brought to the one place that always calms your soul so you can get the rest you need.”

“Am I going to die?”

“No dear,” the woman chuckled. “That’s not in the plan. Of course, you do have free will.”

“What do you mean?”

“The outcome is ultimately up to you and the choices you make.”

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MacGyver’s head jerked up. How long had he been asleep? Minutes? Hours? He still held Jo’s too-warm hand in his.

“Mac, why don’t you take a break and go get something to eat?” Judy urged from a chair in the corner of the hospital room. “You won’t help matters if you get sick yourself.”

MacGyver rose and reluctantly let go of Joanna’s hand. From what her mother said, he must have been sitting here quite a while.

“You’ll call me if there’s any change?”

“Absolutely,” Judy promised.

Mac sat at a table in the cafeteria, poking a fork at the salad he had bought, but he wasn’t hungry. He wasn’t thirsty. He wasn’t anything, except hurting. Why did Joanna have to suffer because of him? He tried to keep her close and she got shot. He tried to push her away and she got sick. Did his callous treatment of her recently contribute to her succumbing to this infection…if that’s what it was? He should have been treating her with kindness and gentleness, offering her his love and support. Instead, he ignored her and allowed her to think the worst of him. He abused his salad for a few more minutes before tossing it in the trash and heading back to Jo’s room.

When he arrived, the doctor was talking to Joanna’s parents. Her dad was smiling and her mother was weeping what he assumed were tears of relief. The band that had been squeezing his chest since he heard the news loosened slightly.

“What’d I miss?” he asked, trying to sound upbeat.

“Her fever has finally broken,” the doctor turned to him with a smile. “She’s not out of the woods, yet, but she should wake up once the sedative wears off.”

MacGyver leaned over and brushed a kiss against her forehead. “Hear that, baby? You’re gonna be okay.”

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Joanna didn’t know how long she and Martha had been sitting on the bench when they heard a rustling sound behind them. They turned to find a well-dressed man approaching them. As he got closer, Joanna noticed his blondish, curly hair and dark eyes. He appeared slender yet athletic, but not as tall or broad as MacGyver. His posture was impeccable and spoke of extreme confidence. He moved gracefully with his chin up, shoulders back, and head high. However, his sharp cheekbones, angular jaw, and wide smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes caused Joanna to feel uncomfortable.

“What are you doing here?” Martha asked with disdain.

“I heard a friend of MacGyver’s was here and I wanted to drop in and welcome her. They do let me out every now and again for good behavior, you know.”

“She’s not staying,” Martha replied harshly.

Joanna didn’t understand Martha’s reaction to this man. He seemed harmless enough. Her curiosity rose when he said that he knew MacGyver. Perhaps he could give her some insight into that infuriating man.

“You know Mac?” Joanna asked the stranger.

“I do. Well, ‘did’ if you want to get technical about it.”

“What’s your name?”

“You can call me ‘Eddie’. Or Tom, or Dick, or Harry if you like. It really doesn’t matter.”

Eddie continued walking past them and out onto the pier before turning to pin Joanna with an intense stare.

As if reading her mind, he asked, “So, what do you want to know about dear old MacGyver?”

Just as Joanna was about to head toward the pier, Martha put a firm hand on her arm to stop her.

“It is time to go, child,” she said, her serene tone once again emerging.

“Now? Can’t I stay and talk to Eddie for just a minute?”

Martha looked nervously between Joanna and the house.

“You need to go back. It is not time for you to stay here. You must come with me,” she said with uncharacteristic urgency.

Joanna felt torn. She wasn’t ready to go back. Not yet. She wanted to talk with Eddie. She wanted some answers.

“I’ll be okay,” she assured Martha. “Just tell me how to go back and I promise I will in just a couple minutes.”

The older woman sighed in resignation. She knew she could not impede a person’s free will.

“See that shelf of clouds off to the west?”

Joanna looked up and nodded.

“You must be back inside the house before the edge of the clouds covers the sun, otherwise you will be here for eternity.”

“You mean I’ll be dead?” Joanna asked uncertainly.

“I’m afraid so. As I said before, it is ultimately your choice.”

Joanna nodded. “I understand,” she replied firmly before turning and walking out on the metal dock to join Eddie.

“Ah, you’ve decided to join me after all!” Eddie exclaimed upon seeing Joanna standing next to him.

Joanna glanced up at the sky. “I can’t stay long, but I do have some questions.”

“About MacGyver, no doubt.”

Joanna nodded.

“Well, go ahead then. Ask me what you want to know.”

“It’s not so much a question as…well…before I came here I thought Mac might be falling in love with me. At least a little. But after I got shot, he pulled away. I know why he did it, but it still hurt. And then I found him with this pretty woman. I just don’t know what to do.”

“I think the answer is pretty simple, my dear. MacGyver obviously no longer wants to be with you. That is, if he ever did in the first place.”

Joanna frowned.

“Oh come now, don’t look so sad. You can’t honestly think that MacGyver could commit to someone. Especially someone like you.”

“What do you mean?” Jo asked defensively although she was sure she already knew the answer.

“An innocent little wallflower like yourself can’t expect to hold MacGyver’s attention for long,” he explained haughtily. “A man like MacGyver needs adventure, intrigue, passion! Why, just look at all the women he’s dated. If none of them could keep him satisfied, what makes you think you can?”

“But Mac said he’s changed. That he wants to settle down and have a normal life.”

“Well, he obviously lied,” Eddie said bluntly. “You must be able to see that now.”

“Then what am I supposed to do? I think I love him.”

Eddie turned so he was facing Joanna. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes with his most convincing stare.

“Let him go,” he said. “If you love him like you say you do, let him be free!”

“How can I do that?” Joanna asked, her heart breaking.

“By staying here, of course! If you die, MacGyver will be free to move on and sow his oats hither and yon without anyone holding him back. That’s the only way he’ll ever be truly happy, you know.”

Tears started pooling in Jo’s eyes. Was that really the best thing she could do for MacGyver? Die so he could truly live?

“But what about my parents? If I die—“

“Don’t worry about them,” Eddie replied flippantly. “They’re old. You’re greatest fear is that they’ll die and leave you all alone. Now you don’t have to worry about that! In the meantime, they have each other, their friends, and their faith to see them through.”

Joanna was so confused. She looked up at the sky and was surprised to see how much closer the wall of clouds had gotten to the sun.

“So you really think it would be best for everyone if I just stayed here?”

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“Why isn’t she waking up?” Judy Fairfax asked the doctor, panic underlying her tone. “Her fever broke twelve hours ago and the sedatives should be out of her system by now!”

Mr. Fairfax and MacGyver stood nearby, waiting for an answer as well.

“We can’t really say,” the doctor began. “Her blood count is returning to normal but her vitals are weakening. It could just be her body telling us that she needs more time to recover. We’ll run more tests in the morning if there’s no change.”

MacGyver looked at Joanna’s weary parents. “Why don’t you guys go home and try to get some rest. I’ll stay here and call if anything changes.”

“Oh Mac,” Judy laid a comforting hand on his arm. “You’ve been here day and night as well, but I’ll feel better knowing you’re with her.”

MacGyver watched the couple turn and head toward the bank of elevators before returning to Joanna’s side. He sat down and held her hand as he had been doing for hours on end.

“Aw baby, I know I really messed up this time. But if you’ll just come back to me I’ll explain everything. It wasn’t what you thought.”

XXXXX

“Mac! Mac! Wake up!” Judy Fairfax shook his shoulders.

“Wha…What’s wrong? Is there a change?” he asked sleepily.

“No, there’s no change. But you have to go home and get some rest!”

Apparently time away from the hospital had done wonders for Jo’s mom. She was back to her usual way of watching out for others. Maybe he should listen to her and take a break as well.

MacGyver took the elevator down to the main floor and decided to wander the halls and stretch out his muscles before driving home. He didn’t pay much attention to where he was going until he passed a door with a gold cross on it. The chapel. He hesitated. He hadn’t prayed since…well, it had been a long time. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in God. He did. After all, Who could create such a wondrous universe? But why would that Creator take time to listen to him…again? He hadn’t listened when MacGyver prayed for his dad and grandma to return home safely. He hadn’t listened when MacGyver prayed to find a way to get to his mother before she died. But then again, what did he have to lose?

Mac quietly opened the door, walked down the aisle of the empty sanctuary, slid into a smooth wooden pew, and humbly bowed his head in prayer.

“Dear Lord,” he whispered huskily, “please send Joanna back to us. I’m not asking for myself, but for her family, friends and all the people who love her. You’re the only One who can help her now.”

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“Get away from her, Murdoc!” A female voice called from across the yard.
Joanna turned so quickly she almost fell in the lake. A tall, slim woman with kind but determined eyes strode toward them.

“You’re Murdoc?!” Joanna gasped and quickly backed down the pier away from MacGyver’s greatest enemy.

“Kate!” Murdoc spat. “You have impeccable timing. Couldn’t you have waited just a little while longer?”

“Go to the house, Joanna,” Kate instructed calmly. “You need to go back.”

By now Joanna was standing on the grass with Kate at her side. Murdoc remained on the pier, his face contorted in anger. She was incredibly confused and more than a little scared.

“Who are you?” Joanna asked the woman.

“I’m Kate Malloy.”

“Sam’s mom,” Jo responded, her voice barely a whisper.

“Yes,” Kate nodded. “You must go back. Angus and Sean need you.”

Joanna wrinkled her brow at hearing the strange names.

“I’m sorry,” Kate chuckled. “You only know him as MacGyver. His given name is Angus. He’s always hated it, but I think it’s a lovely name. That’s why I named Sam after him.”

Joanna’s brain raced to process this information.

“Sam’s full name is Sean Angus Malloy. He’s chosen to use the acronym,” Kate patiently explained.

“They don’t need me,” Joanna responded quietly. “Mac will be better off without me.”

“Is that what Murdoc told you?”

Joanna nodded.

“Joanna, Murdoc is an evil man who lies to get what he wants. Can’t you see that even after his death he’s trying to hurt Mac by taking away one of the people he cares most about?”

“You think Mac really does care about me?”

Kate put her arm around Joanna’s shoulder. “I’ve been watching you and Angus for a while now. He hasn’t been this happy in a very long time.”

“You know that he loved you.”

“I do. That’s how I know that he now loves you. He may not be able to tell you yet. Perhaps he doesn’t even know it himself. That’s why you must go back. You are not meant to stay here. You must go back to MacGyver.”

A cool breeze blew across the lake causing Joanna to look up at the sky. The clouds had moved in rapidly and would soon start covering the sun. She glanced at the pier, but Murdoc was gone.

“You must go into the house now, Joanna. Time is running out,” Kate urged.

“I…I don’t know what to say to you. How to thank you. I know how special you were to Mac and Sam.”

Kate gave Jo a brief hug. “Then go back and love them yourself.”

A strong gust of wind distracted Joanna and when she turned back Kate was gone. Finally sure of what she needed to do, Jo ran across the yard and up onto the deck of the house. She pulled on the sliding patio door but it would not open. It was then that she heard Murdoc’s diabolical laugh through the glass. Joanna pounded on the door.

“Let me in, Murdoc! I have to go back!”

“I think not, my dear,” he replied coolly.

Jo picked up a metal patio chair and began banging it against the glass door.

“You’re too weak, darling. Such a pity…for MacGyver!”

“No!” Joanna yelled as she once again slammed the chair against the glass.

The clouds were moving in quickly now. There wasn’t much time left. She began banging her fists on the door, hoping that the piece of humanity Mac had seen in Murdoc would soften his heart enough to let her in. It was then that she saw a shadow moving down the hallway, away from her. She could tell by the stride and posture that it was MacGyver. She yelled to him, but he continued to walk away.

Frantically, she picked up the patio chair once more and heaved it at the glass again and again as she continued to yell.

“Mac! Mac! MacGyver! Help me! Open the door! Mac!”

She anxiously glanced over her shoulder at the clouds which were now seconds away from edging out the sun. With all the strength she could muster, she hurled the chair at the glass one last time as she yelled with all her might.

“Annnnguuuus!!!!”

The glass shattered and Joanna lunged over the threshold just as the edge of the clouds began to cover the sun.

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MacGyver didn’t know how long he sat alone in the chapel, longing for a peace that did not come. When he could take the silence no longer, he headed back to Joanna’s room. The nurse informed him that Mr. and Mrs. Fairfax were in the cafeteria, but while they had been gone, Joanna’s vital signs had strengthened though she still remained unconscious. Perhaps his prayer hadn’t fallen on deaf ears after all?

Mac entered the room and took up his place beside the woman who had wormed her way into his life and his heart. MacGyver sighed as he stretched out his legs, rested the back of his head against the cushion of the chair, and closed his eyes.

A strange noise startled MacGyver awake, his heart pounding. He sat up straight, looking around the room. He was still alone. Joanna was still sleeping. He shook his head. As his heart resumed its normal rhythm he began to lean back in the chair once more when he heard something.

“Mmmm. Mmmm.” Joanna whimpered.

Mac shot out of his chair to summon the nearest nurse.

“She’s waking up!” he said excitedly.

The nurse grabbed a doctor and they hurried into Joanna’s room with MacGyver on their heels. The pair immediately began taking her vitals as she continued to whimper and moan. Soon her body began to jerk and she rolled her head back and forth on the pillow, her brow wrinkled in pain or distress.

“What’s happening? Is she okay?” Mac asked, hovering over her.

“Please give us some room and let us do our job, sir,” the nurse commanded.

He had just taken a step back when Joanna opened her eyes and muttered softly but clearly: “Angus.”

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Several days later, Joanna was curled up on her love seat while MacGyver sprawled in the recliner in her small living room. They both watched as a movie played out on the television screen.

“So when are you—“

“Shhhh,” Jo scolded him. “This is the best part!”

Mac sighed. “You said the same thing about the part where she carried the watermelon, and the part where they practiced lifts in the water.”

“But this is really the best part,” she insisted.

MacGyver watched as the handsome actor walked over to a small family table and smoothly delivered the now infamous line: “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”

Joanna savored the long awaited scene for several seconds before turning her attention back to MacGyver.

“Okay, what did you want to ask me?”

“When you were in the hospital, unconscious, what was it like?”

Jo shrugged. “Pretty much like sleeping, I guess.”

“Did you have any dreams?” he ventured.

Joanna sat so she could look him in the eye. “I did have a dream. A pretty weird one, actually.”

“You wanna tell me about it?”

“I dreamed I was up at Lake Delton. In the house we stayed in. At first I was with this nurse but then…” here she hesitated. “I dreamed that I met Murdoc and he tried to convince me to stay away from you, but then Kate Malloy came and made me come back,” she said in a rush. “Sounds ridiculous, right? I mean, I never even met these people.”

“It doesn’t sound ridiculous at all,” Mac assured her. He pushed himself out of the recliner and sat next to Joanna on the small couch, pulling her close.

“Did I ever tell you about the time I almost died?”

“Which one?” she giggled.

“When I flat lined in the hospital.”

Jo turned serious and shook her head. Her eyes searching his.

“I dreamed I was on a cruise ship. I was following Harry who had just died. My folks were there. I wanted to stay so badly. To be with my family.”

“What changed your mind?”

“I was told that Pete’s life was in danger. I was the only one with the information to save him. I had to come back for Pete.”

“I’m glad you did,” Joanna replied as she wrapped her arms around him and snuggled closer.

“Me too,” Mac said, kissing the top of her head. “Tell me something. When you met Kate, what did she say?”

“That’s between us girls,” Jo teased him before sobering. “She said that she loved you and that she wants you and Sam to be happy. She said I had to come back to you…Angus.”

This time I've got a lot of comments to make

Yep, I know this is just the way it is, but it doesn't help me like Leroy any better

I's not your fault Mac... :'(

Ahem, *immediate

I wanna hug him, can I hug him?

Wow

My response reading that XD

Well, that failed epically, didn't it?

She freaking almost got the girl shot. She certainly ain't Mary Poppins at all XD

...

...

...

Okay, I had to pause here for a while. It's not that there's a problem with the story here, it's just... My aunt was named Melissa... and everyone called her Missy. She passed from cancer in late 2014...

...


...

Anyway, on with the review...

Honey, that's not a good way to introduce yourself to someone, especially when you're hanging out in her boyfriend's house, wearing his clothes... and acting like you've taken over the place.

Normally I get really annoyed with this trope because of the old stereotype that girls are overly jealous and guys are always having misunderstandings and have a hard time getting the girls to shut up and listen and understand that NOTHING RESEMBLING CHEATING ACTUALLY HAPPENED. But this is an exception because I can't blame Joanna one bit for getting upset at this.

Can I hug him again? Around his throat? And maybe slap him? With a cactus? 8)

Wise words, from someone like her...

I may or may not have teared up a little...

*sharp inhale* MAAAACCCC!!!!!

...Fair :/

Can I just say that for some reason, this made me laugh? XD (who's Martha exactly? Or is she just a random nurse?)

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... ha... ha... *cries*

I understood that reference

How come you don't at least tell her who he actually is? That might help a lot...

Oh, screw you, Murdoc!

"...And come to me insteeeeaaaaaddd" (couldn't resist )

Wow, talk about refreshingly direct XD

Uh, he was resting, and you woke him up

Mac, He was listening, He just didn't give you the answer you wanted.

Finally, someone here has enough sense to give her a proper warning XD

*CinemaSins voice* They have time for this *ding*

Am I becoming more aggressive, or is everyone in this chapter just becoming more exasperating? I keep wanting to slap people XD

*sniffs* I-I'm okay, that was just *sobs* really beautiful! XD

I can't help but chuckle at the concept of him being in the house when the clouds go over the sun, and also coming back to life XD


So... I guess Mac and Jo worked things out?

So sorry about your aunt, Dragondog. What a strange coincidence with the name...sorry my Missy wasn't a nicer gal:( I enjoyed all your comments as always. This was an emotional chapter to write and I wanted to do it justice. I also had to find a clever way for Joanna to discover Mac's first name;)

It's fine, I'm not taking it personally

I liked the scene between Kate and Jo. We saw so little of her in the actual series

Thanks. I know, right?!?! I guess that's why I felt I had to bring her back, for some closure if nothing else...kinda give her blessing to Mac and Joanna.

So is Murdoc in hell? "They do let me out now and then for good behavior."

LOL...what do YOU think?!?! Actually....yes!

LOL...what do YOU think?!?! Actually....yes!

Lol, yeah, I suppose it's pretty obvious, the dialogue is just amusing to me

Murdoc seems so dang chill about it, but then again, I suppose he's used to fire already

LOL...what do YOU think?!?! Actually....yes!

Lol, yeah, I suppose it's pretty obvious, the dialogue is just amusing to me

Murdoc seems so dang chill about it, but then again, I suppose he's used to fire already

Ya know...it's really just another day for Murdoc!