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The Journey Continues, Continuation of "Continuum"
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uniquelyjas
Posted: 29 May 2019 - 05:16 AM                                    
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OK, let's see where Mac and Jo's journey takes them....


Chapter 1: Reflections

The wipers slapped the winter rain from the Jeep’s windshield as MacGyver headed west to Los Angeles. It had been less than twenty hours since Francine Dalton, Jack’s mother, had called on Christmas Night to tell Mac that Jack had crashed his plane and was in the hospital in critical condition. Unable to get an immediate flight, MacGyver had quickly packed his well-used duffle and began driving. With the exception of quick layovers at roadside truck stops to grab a bite to eat and catch a little shut eye, Mac had been driving for fifteen hours straight, avoiding the predicted snowstorm. At this rate, he should arrive in L.A. sometime tomorrow. Hopefully he wouldn’t be too late.

In an effort to stay alert behind the wheel, MacGyver chugged coffee, which he hated, tuned the radio to a rock station, which he tolerated, and reflected on the incredible changes the past two years had brought him. Twenty-four months ago he and Sam had returned to his Los Angeles apartment after a couple years touring the west coast on their motorcycles. Mac’s dream of settling down with his son was shattered when Sam announced he was leaving for a photojournalist position in the Middle East. Mac had not liked this decision, but he refused to clip his son’s wings. It proved to be a good choice on Sam’s part as he was now based at a London news agency but still traveled to far and dangerous lands to cover stories no one else was willing to tell. He and MacGyver kept in touch through frequent letters and phone calls and the occasional visit when Sam could take extended time off.

On his own once again, MacGyver rejoined the Phoenix Foundation, but new physical criteria for field operatives had been put in place and he could not pass the concussion protocol. He had escaped dreaded desk duty when Pete Thornton assigned him to be the security advisor at Challengers Academy, an off-shoot of the original Challengers Club, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Originally meant to be a temporary assignment, Mac ended up falling in love with the school, the city, and the pretty education director who could go from sweet to sassy in the blink of an eye. After sustaining two more head injuries, he had to face the fact that he would never pass Phoenix’s concussion protocol, so he submitted his resignation and worked full-time at Challengers until the funding for the non-profit school had been pulled seven months ago. Fortunately, a lawyer friend was quick to hire Mac to work in a number of different roles including security and investigation. Said friend had recently married and retired, leaving the firm in the capable hands of his protégé, Carlos Hernandez.

As MacGyver’s professional life evolved, he found his personal life to be in flux as well. Upon leaving Phoenix he also had to leave the apartment the Foundation had provided him. With a little help, he quickly found a duplex that was almost an exact replica of the house boat he had lost to a fire several years earlier. Pete, who was now completely blind, had transferred to the Phoenix Foundation Satellite Office in Chicago. Pete remarried his ex-wife, Connie, and retired soon after. MacGyver had also discovered that he had inherited his Grandpa Harry’s cabin in northern Minnesota after the friend it had originally been willed to passed away. It was while he was staying at this cabin that Murdoc resurfaced in his life, only to be killed in the most mundane and avoidable way. Even though bitter enemies, Mac’s humanity caused him to grieve for his nemesis to this day. As if he needed yet more change in his life, Frank Colton came to town and convinced MacGyver to adopt Frog, the Colton family’s aging, overweight, slobbery bull dog.

And then there was Joanna Fairfax, the director of education at Challengers Academy who had also made the transition to the law firm in the research division. His heart beat a little faster each time he thought of her. MacGyver would readily admit a part of him fell in love with her the first time he saw her standing on a rickety old stool in high heels, decorating a bulletin board. She had lost her balance and literally fell into his arms. Of average height with shiny brown hair cut in a classic bob and eyes like melted chocolate, she was the quintessential girl-next-door and she affected MacGyver like no other woman on the planet. Unfortunately, their mutual lack of trust and fear of commitment caused them to get off to a rocky start. And if he were truly honest, they still had times of turbulence. Jo was as innocent and sheltered as Mac was experience and well-traveled. At first glance, they might appear to be the most unlikely couple. But after forging a strong friendship over pizza and air hockey games, they finally allowed themselves to explore their deepening feelings further and MacGyver had been on the verge of, hopefully, changing both their lives forever when his cell phone rang, causing him to head back to California in the middle of the night.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXX

After a sleepless night waiting to hear from MacGyver, Joanna got up early the day after Christmas and called in sick to work. She couldn’t ever remember doing such a thing, but then again, she had found herself doing a lot of unusual things since Mac had come into her life. Just before leaving for L.A. MacGyver had asked her to take care of Frog. She planned on packing up his stuff and bringing him to the house she shared with her parents since it sounded like Mac would be gone for a while. Then she planned on taking a long nap whether or not she heard from MacGyver. She was just finishing her breakfast when the ringing of the telephone interrupted her thoughts.

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s me. I tried calling you at work. Why are you still home?” Finally a call from Mac. Joanna let out a relieved sigh.

“I decided to take a sick day.”

“Are you okay?” Concern colored Mac’s voice.

“I’m fine. Just wanted some time to myself.”

Joanna could practically see MacGyver’s eyebrows shoot up and touch his long, blond bangs. This was a very non-Joanna-like thing to do.

“Well, I just wanted to check in and let you know I’m not dead in a ditch somewhere.”

“Good to know,” Joanna replied, hoping the sarcasm would hide her concern and subsequent relief.

“Listen, about last night,” Mac began. “I’m really sorry about bailing on you like that. It’s just that when I heard about Jack, I—“

“It’s okay,” Jo cut in. “I get it. Just take care of yourself and say ‘Hi’ to Jack for me.” Joanna had only met the infamous Jake Dalton once, but it was clear he and Mac were more than friends. They were like brothers.

“Count on it,” MacGyver replied. “I’ll call again soon. Love you.”

Before Joanna could reply the line went dead. Her jaw dropped. Had he just said he loved her?! Though she was pretty sure she had fallen for him when he put his strong hands on her waist to keep her from falling off that stupid stool, and she was cautiously optimistic that he had similar feelings for her if his toe-curling kisses were any indication, neither one of them had actually come out and put a name to their feelings. But Mac just had. From hundreds of miles away and over the phone line. Insufferable man!

Later that morning, Jo pulled her Chevy coupe into MacGyver’s driveway. She could hear Frog whining mournfully before she got to the door. She knew that Mac would have given him plenty of food and fresh water, yet the hound suffered separation anxiety whenever his master disappeared. Using the spare key MacGyver had given her months earlier, she opened the front door and crouched down to fondle Frog’s ears before gathering his necessities and clipping the lead to his collar. Before heading toward the car, Joanna stepped next door and rang the bell. It was a few minutes before Mac’s landlord answered.

“Hi Mr. Rainey,” she greeted him as he eased open the door.

“Well, hello Joanna. And you know it’s Charlie!” The elderly man’s mocking scold caused her to blush slightly.

“I just wanted to let you know that MacGyver will be out of town for a while so I’m taking Frog home with me.”

“Thank goodness! That pitiful animal moaned all night long and then I woke up to find two month’s rent slid under my door. What’s going on with that guy of yours anyway?”

“MacGyver is headed to Los Angeles. His best friend was in a bad accident and he doesn’t know how long he’ll be gone.”

“Oh, that poor boy,” Charlie shook his head sadly. “Make sure you let him know I’m thinking of him and his friend.”

“Will do,” Joanna promised as she turned and led Frog to the car.

After returning home, Joanna watched as Frog inspected every nook and cranny of his new, albeit temporary, home with grunts and snuffles before lying down on the hockey jersey that lay puddled on her bedroom floor. The same jersey Mac had gifted her with the night before. She had frowned in disappointment when she noticed the name placard had been left blank, lacking the personalization all his jerseys had. She recalled him becoming oddly uncomfortable as he tried to ask her something about it, but his ringing cell phone and the ensuing news quickly put an end to any question he had. Suddenly feeling tired and incredibly alone, Joanna pushed Frog off the jersey, slipped it on over her sweater, crawled into bed with her knees practically tucked up to her chin, and promptly fell asleep.









Jody~

"I've found from past experiences that the tighter your plan, the more likely you are to run into something unpredictable" ~ MacGyver (The Heist)

 
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Barry Rowland
Posted: 29 May 2019 - 08:51 AM                                    
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Excellent!!



Barry

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"EXACTLY!"

 
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uniquelyjas
Posted: 29 May 2019 - 10:03 AM                                    
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QUOTE (Barry Rowland @ 29 May 2019 - 08:51 AM)
Excellent!!

Thank you so much, Barry!! When I originally published this on a fan fic site, it was a couple months after the end of Continuum so I had to do some sort of summary chapter to remind readers where we left off!



Jody~

"I've found from past experiences that the tighter your plan, the more likely you are to run into something unpredictable" ~ MacGyver (The Heist)

 
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Dragondog
Posted: 30 May 2019 - 08:37 AM                                    
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QUOTE

“Count on it,” MacGyver replied. “I’ll call again soon. Love you.”
Oh, you sly dog biggrin.gif

QUOTE

Before Joanna could reply the line went dead. Her jaw dropped. Had he just said he loved her?!
*insert Lenny face here*

QUOTE
and she was cautiously optimistic that he had similar feelings for her if his toe-curling kisses were any indication,
No, Joanna, he just kisses you like that to show how much your friendship means to him... headbutt.gif

QUOTE

After returning home, Joanna watched as Frog inspected every nook and cranny of his new, albeit temporary, home with grunts and snuffles before lying down on the hockey jersey that lay puddled on her bedroom floor.
Frog's behavior always fits the mood perfectly sad.gif

QUOTE
She recalled him becoming oddly uncomfortable as he tried to ask her something about it, but his ringing cell phone and the ensuing news quickly put an end to any question he had.
Joanna, if you haven't figured it out by now, you are hopeless laugh.gif

QUOTE
Joanna pushed Frog off the jersey
Poor Frog dry.gif laugh.gif



"If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer" - Hank The Cowdog

"You have the heart of a chief, and the soul of a dragon"- How to Train Your Dragon 2

"[T]he more we try to understand one another, the more exceptional each one of us will be" - Zootopia

"Love makes you do strange things." - Charlie Brown

"When something looks too perfect, it probably sucks" - Dreamworks Dragons Race to the Edge

 
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uniquelyjas
Posted: 5 June 2019 - 06:15 AM                                    
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Chapter 2: Jack’s Close Encounter


It was late afternoon on December twenty-seventh when MacGyver maneuvered his Jeep into a parking space in front of a prominent Los Angeles hospital. Hair mussed, clothes rumpled, dead tired, and smelling like a monkey cage, he eased out of the vehicle and headed for the main entrance. A shower and sleep would have to wait. First, he had to see Jack.

The hospital room was dimly lit, but MacGyver could make out a sophisticated, middle-aged, blonde woman sitting in a chair next to the bed paging through a magazine. Mac stood in the doorway and cleared his throat.

“MacGyver!” Francine Dalton exclaimed. “Thank you so much for coming!”

She quickly rose from the chair, skirted the edge of the bed, and embraced Mac in a motherly hug before holding him at arm’s length.

“My, you’re a bit of a mess, aren’t you?” she observed.

“Um, yeah,” he agreed sheepishly before turning his attention to Jack.

His friend lay flat on the bed, his pale face blending in with the sheets. His right arm and left leg in plaster casts.

“How is he?” MacGyver asked softly as Francine led him into the room.

“Better, actually,” she answered, a lightness in her voice that hadn’t been there when he had initially spoken to her. “Thankfully he doesn’t have any internal injuries and this morning he woke up briefly for the first time since the accident. They’re keeping him on pain meds and sedatives, so he’ll be out for a while, but the doctors are optimistic that he’ll make a full recovery.”

“What happened?” Mac asked softly as he grabbed a second chair and sat down beside Francine.

Jack’s mom shrugged her shoulders. “All I was told was that he had been returning to L.A. after delivering a load of toys to a Mexican orphanage and crashed outside the city. As you can see, he has a broken arm and leg as well as broken ribs and a concussion.”

MacGyver studied his once jovial friend now lying expressionless as he tried to process the information Francine had just given him. Unfortunately, this new knowledge just led to more questions. Was Jack’s trip truly just an innocent flight to deliver toys or part of a larger scheme? And how did the plane crash? Something had to have gone wrong, but what?

“Why don’t you go clean yourself up and get some rest,” Francine suggested, patting Mac on the shoulder. “The doctor said he’s going to keep Jack sedated for at least twenty-four more hours. Do you have a place to stay?”

“Where’s Jack livin’ these days?”

The blonde woman sighed. “He’s been living out of his office at the hangar.”

“Then that’s where I’ll be,” Mac declared. He leaned in to give Francine a kiss on the cheek before standing to leave. “You’ll call if anything changes?”

“You’ll be the first to know,” she assured him with a small smile.

XXXXX

It was evening by the time MacGyver pulled his Jeep into the empty hangar at a small municipal airport. He pulled his duffle from the backseat and made his way to Jack’s office. A scarred wooden desk, straight-back chair, and old Army cot greeted him along with a coffee pot and hot plate.

“Home sweet home,” he mumbled, dropping his bag next to the desk.

His body yearned to rest on the cot, if only for a few minutes, but Mac knew his overactive brain would just keep him awake. Something about Jack’s accident wasn’t sitting right with him, and he needed to find out why. Sitting down behind the desk, MacGyver shuffled the papers that haphazardly covered the surface. It wasn’t long before a bill of sale and a loan application caught his eye. Mac grabbed the papers for a closer look. According to the bill of sale, sporting Jack’s signature, his friend had just bought a very expensive, well-appointed Cessna. MacGyver frowned. Even if Jack used his life’s savings and lived out of this grungy hangar for the next hundred years he still couldn’t afford a plane like this. Mac’s attention quickly turned to the loan application. The amount listed made his jaw drop. He skimmed through the legal mumbo jumbo until he got to the bottom line and the co-signer: Francine Leyland Dalton. Apparently there had been a lot of familial bonding over the past few years for Francine to put her name on a hefty loan for the son she had abandoned as a baby.

The words of the document began to blur and MacGyver suppressed a yawn. He had been awake for the better part of three days and, during that time, had driven two thousand miles. The cot in the corner was calling his name, and this time it was impossible to resist. He spread out, fully clothed on the makeshift bed.

“Oh, Jack, what have you gotten yourself into this time?” he mumbled before sleep quickly claimed him.

XXXXX

MacGyver arrived at the hospital early the next morning clean and well-rested. As he stepped off the elevator, he saw Francine and a well-dressed middle-aged man talking animatedly outside Jack’s room. He automatically quickened his pace.

“Whoa, what’s going on here?” he asked, coming to stand next to Francine.

“MacGyver, meet my lawyer, Robert Littelmann,” she said disgustedly.

The two men sized each other up before hesitantly shaking hands.

“Nice to meet you,” Mac offered.

“Same here,” replied Robert.

Francine crossed her arms and glared at the attorney.

“Mr. Littelmann has just informed me that the NTSB has concluded their investigation of Jack’s accident and ruled it pilot error. We won’t get enough insurance money to even cover the loan,” she huffed.

“Wait a minute,” MacGyver replied, shaking his head. “It’s only been a couple days. You can’t tell me that they closed the investigation already.”

“They said it was an open and shut case,” Littelmann explained.

“There’s no way it’s Jack’s fault,” Francine insisted. “He’s an excellent pilot.”

“Look,” Robert pleaded. “It was late, he was tired, even the best make mistakes.”

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to agree with Mrs. Dalton on this one,” Mac spoke up. “As much as it pains me to say it, Jack is too good of a pilot to lose a plane without extenuating circumstances. That man could land a sardine can on the Hollywood Freeway in the middle of rush hour if he had to. I suggest you reopen the case.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. MacGyver, but that is beyond my control,” Littelmann replied firmly.

“All right, how about if I take a look at it, unofficially? Maybe I can find something the government boys overlooked,” Mac asked.

“You can’t. They’ve already cleared the scene.”

“What?!” Mac exclaimed loudly, earning himself a scolding look from the nurse at her station three doors away. “And who are ‘they’?” he asked, lowering his voice.

“Mr. Dalton’s plane crashed on the outskirts of an Air Force base. The plane, such as it is, is now property of the United States Military. I’m sorry, but as I said before, the case is closed.”

With that, Robert Littelmann turned and walked toward the elevators.

“They’re wrong, Mac,” Francine seethed.

“I know they are,” he agreed. “Why don’t you check on Jack while I make a phone call?”

MacGyver headed to the small lounge at the end of the corridor. Thankfully it was empty. He plunked a coin into the pay phone and dialed the number he had used so frequently when he worked for Phoenix.”

“Phoenix Foundation, Willis speaking.”

“Hey Willis! It’s MacGyver! How you doin’?”

“Mac?! I can’t believe it! Are you back with the Foundation?”

“Not really, but I’m working on something and need some information. Think you can help?”

“I don’t know…” Willis hedged.

“Aw, c’mon! For old time’s sake?”

“All right,” Willis relented. “What do you need?”

MacGyver rattled off a list of reports related to Jack’s accident.

“Think you can manage that?” he asked.

“I’ll do my best.”

“Great. I’ll swing by later this afternoon.”

In the meantime, Mac had some questions for Francine. He made his way back to Jack’s room and once again claimed the chair beside her.

“I was going through some of Jack’s things,” MacGyver began. “That’s a pretty expensive plane you helped him buy.”

“So? Can’t a mother help out her son?!” she replied defensively.

“Of course,” Mac soothed her. “But Jack is the king of bargain basement cargo aircraft. Even you have to admit this Cessna was way out of his league.”

Francine sighed. “Jack wanted to start a new venture. Dalton Air Limo Service. You know, shuttle overpaid CEO’s back and forth across the state, country or wherever they pay him to go. He came to me with a solid business plan. I had Littelmann look it over and he said it was a good investment.” Here she paused. “He had flights booked beginning next week. Now we have no plane, no pilot, no nothing.”

“Maybe not,” MacGyver mused. He could feel himself getting tangled up in Jack’s business again, but this time it seemed legit and deserved a fighting chance.

“What are you thinking?” Francine interrupted his thoughts.

“I’m not sure, but I might have a plan.”

XXXXX

It felt weird using the visitors’ entrance, signing in, and clipping on a temporary ID badge.

“Do you need an escort, sir?” the young security guard asked.

“No, I think I can find my way,” MacGyver replied with a smile.

Within minutes, Mac was standing in front of the door to the lab watching as Willis intently studied something under a microscope. Some things never changed. Mac tapped lightly on the glass to announce his presence before entering the room.

Willis looked up and soon he and MacGyver were vigorously shaking hands.

“It’s great to see you again Mac! C’mon in and have a seat.”

Willis led MacGyver to his desk.

“Did you get the stuff I asked for?”

“Yep,” he nodded toward a stack of files. “But I’ll save you some time. The NTSB ruled pilot error. There were no records or reports of any bad weather in the area and an appropriate flight plan was filed.”

Willis frowned at his last statement.

“What is it?” Mac asked.

“According to Dalton’s flight plan, he was several miles off course and strayed into restricted air space. An experienced pilot would never do that.”

“So you’re saying something must have happened to take him off course.”

“I’m no expert, but it looks that way.”

“Was there a cockpit recorder or anything?” Mac asked in desperation.

“No. Planes that size are not required to have one. And I couldn’t find any radio communication either.”

“So we have no way of knowing what really happened,” MacGyver sighed.
“Jack’s the only one who knows, and even if he wakes up and remembers it’ll be his word against the government’s.”

MacGyver jammed his hand through his hair in frustration.

“Mind if I take these files with me?”

“Be my guest.”

As Mac reached to grab the files, he accidentally knocked over a picture frame.

“Sorry Willis,” he said as he picked up the frame. A pretty redhead looked back at him. “Who’s this?”

“My wife,” Willis replied with a wide grin.

“You’re married?!”

“Yep, going on two years now. Listen MacGyver, don’t pay attention to what other guys say. Marriage is great! I highly recommend it. You bachelors don’t know what you’re missing out on!”

Mac simply nodded as thoughts of Joanna suddenly slammed into his brain. He hadn’t called her since before he arrived in Los Angeles.

“Mind if I use your phone?” he asked.

“Go right ahead. Need to check in with a special someone?”

“Something like that,” MacGyver muttered as he dialed Jo’s office number.

She answered on the second ring.

“Hey, it’s me,” Mac said, cutting her off in the middle of her formal greeting.

“Oh, hi Mac,” she replied, still using her professional voice.

“I’m sorry I haven’t called, but things got kinda busy here.”

“No problem. How’s Jack?” she asked in a clipped tone.

“He’s gonna be fine.”

“That’s good.”

“I promise I’ll call you soon with all the details.”

“Sounds good.”

“Okay, I’ll talk to you later then.” MacGyver hung up the phone, a sense of uneasiness settling into the pit of his stomach. Joanna had sounded cold and distant…because of him?

That night, after checking on Francine and Jack, Mac laid on the old cot and stared at the ceiling, replaying his conversation with Joanna in his head. Maybe he should have let her come along. He always felt better when she was with him. Then he considered what Willis had said and promised himself that he’d make things right with Jo as soon as he got home.

XXXXX

MacGyver spent the following morning studying the reports Willis had given him. Nothing made sense. When he arrived at the hospital, he found Jack sitting up in bed chatting with his mom.

“You sure bounce back fast,” Mac observed from the doorway.

“Mi amigo! Enter! Enter!” Jack urged.

MacGyver walked over to his friend’s bed, a huge smile on his face.

“Nice accessory,” he commented, motioning to the aviator hat Jack wore.

“Why thank you, my boy! Felt downright naked without it! I’m glad it didn’t get lost in the wreck.”

“Speaking of the wreck, do you remember anything about it?”

“Remember anything? Mac, I remember everything! It was incredible! I’ve never seen anything like it before in my life!”

“What are you talking about?”

“The UFO!”

MacGyver shook his head. Surely he hadn’t heard right. “UFO?”

“It was beautiful! All the lights and—“

“Whoa, back up,” Mac commanded. “Are you saying a UFO caused your plane to crash?”

Jack nodded emphatically. “I know you don’t believe in that stuff, but I saw it Mac. I really saw it!”

“Why don’t you start from the beginning,” MacGyver prompted as he sat down in the chair next to the bed. “What happened after you left the orphanage?”

“The flight was as smooth as a baby’s bottom. Couldn’t ask for better conditions. I was in the homestretch when all of a sudden everything conked out. The engine, electrical system, the works. The plane was just floating, like a giant hang glider, when I saw the lights.”

“The lights?”

“Of the UFO! Lit up the night sky like a Christmas tree and just hovered there in front of me. I gotta tell ya, Mac, I was scared those aliens were gonna suck my brains out or something!”

“Hold it, Jack! There’s no such thing as aliens, and even if there were, what would they want with your brain?!”

At MacGyver’s remark, Francine, who had been silently listening to the conversation, covered her mouth with her hand and giggled.

“Maaa!” Jack whined.

“I’m sorry, dear, but MacGyver does have a point.”

“Okay,” Mac interrupted, trying to get back on track. “What happened next?”

“It flew away. Fast. Like warp nine fast and everything went dark. I could feel the plane losing altitude but there wasn’t anything I could do about it. Next thing I know I wake up here.”

Mac stayed silent as he struggled to make sense of what he just heard. Electrical and engine failure could certainly have caused Jack to drift into military airspace, and he could have easily mistaken another aircraft for a UFO if he was tired.

“You do believe me, don’t you Kemosabe? I swear I’m not making this up!”

MacGyver had been keeping tabs on his friend’s left eye as he told his story and it hadn’t twitched once.

“I believe that something happened to your plane, and I believe that you saw something. But it wasn’t a UFO.”

“Then what was it?” Jack challenged.

“I don’t know,” Mac replied thoughtfully. “But I’m gonna find out.”

As soon as he arrived back at the hangar, MacGyver placed another call to Willis asking for more specific information. Then he called Joanna and related everything he had learned.

“You certainly don’t believe Jack’s story, do you?” he asked.

“I want to believe,” she responded solemnly, but he could hear the laughter she tried to hold back in her voice.

“You’re not still hooked on that TV show with those two FBI agents chasing flying saucers, are you?”

This time Joanna did laugh. “Guilty as charged! But really, Mac, it’s all in good fun. However, you do have to wonder…”

“That’s my cue to hang up!”

“Listen Mac,” Jo turned somber. “I’m sorry I was kinda short with you earlier and I’m really glad to hear Jack is doing better.”

“No problem. I’m sorry for bailing on you like I did. Especially during the holidays. I’ll call back soon, I promise.”

MacGyver hung up the phone, his conscience feeling lighter. Joanna had sounded like her normal self again. And he missed her terribly.

XXXXX

The ringing telephone woke MacGyver before dawn. He tumbled off the cot and grabbed it mumbling a half-awake “Hello”.

“It’s Willis. I have some information I think you’ll find interesting.”

“Great, let’s have it!” Mac was wide awake now.

“Not over the phone. Meet me at Rosie’s Diner in thirty minutes.” The line went dead.

MacGyver stared at the telephone. What was up with all this cloak and dagger stuff? Were all his friends going nuts? He put on his shoes and headed to Rosie’s.

“Whatcha got?” he asked as he slid into the booth across from Willis.

The researcher pulled out a large, brown envelope from underneath his jacket. MacGyver rolled his eyes.

“Your friend’s plane was found on the Air Force base where the Space and Missile Systems Center is located.” Here he stopped, as if it was supposed to mean something.

“Sooo?” Mac asked, his patience wearing thin.

“So, I managed to hack into their computers enough to find records of recent tests and activities. On Christmas Eve, a high tech satellite was launched from there shortly before Jack’s plane went haywire. It must have passed close enough to interfere with the plane’s systems.”

“Okay, I’ll buy that. But what about the lights Jack said he saw?”

“Transcripts show that his plane was picked up on radar as an unidentified aircraft. A military chopper was sent up to intercept it.”

“And…?” MacGyver prompted.

“And, that’s all the information I could get.”

“But Jack said the lights, um chopper, flew off. Why would the pilots abandon a plane in distress?”

Willis shrugged. “I don’t know. Like I said, this was all the info I could get.”

“I understand,” Mac replied. “But next time could we just meet in the lab like usual?”

“You got it,” Willis laughed as he slid out of the booth and left the diner.

MacGyver entered Jack’s hospital room to find a tall, fit man with short brown hair wearing a dark suit and tie standing at the head of his friend’s bed as said friend waved his uninjured arm in the air as he spoke.

“Hey, Mac!” Jack interrupted himself. “This is Agent Millder, uhhh, Muller, er, Mildew?”

“He’s from the FBI,” Francine informed him in a loud whisper.

“No kidding?” Mac replied cynically before Jack started speaking to him.

“The G-Man here wants to know about my close encounter!” Jack excitedly explained. “He said there were dozens of reports of UFO’s in Southern California on Christmas Eve!”

“Actually, most claims turned out to be alleged sightings of Rudolph instead,” the agent replied drily.

“You don’t really believe Jack saw a UFO, do you?”

“No, I don’t,” Millder/Muller/Mildew said evenly.

“You don’t?!” Jack deflated in front of MacGyver’s eyes.

“No, sir. I believe you accidently came upon a secret military exercise that interfered with your plane’s electrical system and you drifted into restricted airspace before crashing.”

“I’ve been doing some investigating myself,” Mac asserted. “It seems a military chopper intercepted my friend’s disabled plane and then deserted him. Why?”

“I don’t know, but I promise you, the truth is out there.”

XXXXX

“You know, Mac, you don’t have to babysit me. I can take care of myself. Better yet, that pretty blonde nurse on the nightshift can take of me,” Jack waggled his eyebrows and smiled as MacGyver offered his friend another spoonful of Jell-O.

“I’m not ‘babysitting’ you, I’m spending some quality time with my best friend,” MacGyver retorted.

“Yeah, by force feeding me that vile green stuff only hospitals serve…and maybe you. But it’s New Year’s Eve! You should go out! Eat, drink, be merry!”

Mac glanced sideways at his friend.

“Oh, that’s right. You don’t drink and you frown on merriment, but you can still eat!”

“That’s enough, Jack,” MacGyver replied with fake annoyance. “I’m exactly where I want to be.” Sort of.

Mac glanced down at his watch. It was a little before ten. Almost midnight in the Midwest. He stood up and headed for the door.

“I’m going down to the lounge and make a quick phone call,” he told Jack.

“Give her my regards!”

“Who?” Mac asked, snapping his head around.

“Joanna, of course. That’s who you’re calling, right?”

“How do you know?”

“C’mon Mac, you’ve been hot for her for almost two years now. I saw it with my own eyes at Pete’s wedding, or was it a re-wedding?”

“Shut up, Jack. You have no idea what’s going on between me and Joanna.”

“Aha! So there is something going on between you two,” Jack smiled looking like the cat that swallowed the canary.

MacGyver groaned. Why did he keep letting himself get caught in Jack’s verbal traps!

Minutes later, Jack was forgotten as MacGyver happily chatted with Joanna. In the background he soon heard the tinny strains of Auld Lang Syne coming from her television. He ached to hold her and kiss her senseless as the old year passed away and the new one entered. Unfortunately, words would have to do this time.

“Happy New Year,” he said into the telephone, his voice husky. “I miss you.”

“I miss you, too. Happy 1997, Mac. Love you.” The line went dead.

MacGyver stared at the receiver in his hand and was glad he was already in a hospital because he felt as if his heart was about to pound out of his chest. Joanna had just said she loved him!










Jody~

"I've found from past experiences that the tighter your plan, the more likely you are to run into something unpredictable" ~ MacGyver (The Heist)

 
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Dragondog
Posted: 6 June 2019 - 01:01 PM                                    
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QUOTE
Chapter 2: Jack’s Close Encounter
So he's not dead tongue.gif

QUOTE
and smelling like a monkey cage
I understood that reference wink.gif

QUOTE
after delivering a load of toys to a Mexican orphanage
Well, that's nice of him smile.gif

QUOTE
Was Jack’s trip truly just an innocent flight to deliver toys or part of a larger scheme?
It's Jack, what do you think? XD

QUOTE
He had been awake for the better part of three days and, during that time, had driven two thousand miles.
Sheesh, go to sleep, Hamilton laugh.gif

QUOTE

“Mac?! I can’t believe it! Are you back with the Foundation?”
Where have you been? XD

QUOTE
Mac tapped lightly on the glass to announce his presence before entering the room.
I wouldn't have been able to resist walking in and scaring him tongue.gif

QUOTE
“My wife,” Willis replied with a wide grin.
*chokes* blink.gif Some things really have changed...

QUOTE
Marriage is great! I highly recommend it.
I'm sorry, Willis, but I am cracking up at your word choice. "I highly recommend it", like you're talking about a product or something XD

QUOTE

“Go right ahead. Need to check in with a special someone?”
Boy, Willis gets right to the point, eh? XD

QUOTE
“Oh, hi Mac,” she replied, still using her professional voice.

“I’m sorry I haven’t called, but things got kinda busy here.”

“No problem. How’s Jack?” she asked in a clipped tone.
*frustrated sigh* Is she mad again?

QUOTE

“Nice accessory,” he commented, motioning to the aviator hat Jack wore.

“Why thank you, my boy! Felt downright naked without it! I’m glad it didn’t get lost in the wreck.”
Lol, he just can't lose it, can he? XD

QUOTE
“Speaking of the wreck, do you remember anything about it?”

“Remember anything? Mac, I remember everything! It was incredible! I’ve never seen anything like it before in my life!”

“What are you talking about?”

“The UFO!”
*faceplant*

QUOTE

“Hold it, Jack! There’s no such thing as aliens, and even if there were, what would they want with your brain?!”
Yeah, 'cause no one wants your brain, Jack roller.gif

QUOTE

At MacGyver’s remark, Francine, who had been silently listening to the conversation, covered her mouth with her hand and giggled.

“Maaa!” Jack whined.
He's such a child XD XD XD

QUOTE

“You’re not still hooked on that TV show with those two FBI agents chasing flying saucers, are you?”
I feel like this is referencing something, but idk what. I'm uncultured XD

QUOTE

“Listen Mac,” Jo turned somber. “I’m sorry I was kinda short with you earlier and I’m really glad to hear Jack is doing better.”
Good smile.gif

QUOTE
MacGyver hung up the phone, his conscience feeling lighter. Joanna had sounded like her normal self again. And he missed her terribly.


Nobody:
Absolutely no one:
My Hamiltrash brain: AND THAT'S WHEN MARIA REYNOLDS WALKED INTO MY LIFE
Me: Wha- no, brain, Mac's not going to have an affair, stop relating everything to Hamilton dry.gif

QUOTE
Were all his friends going nuts?
You're just now wondering that? XD

QUOTE

“Actually, most claims turned out to be alleged sightings of Rudolph instead,” the agent replied drily.
I like his sense of humor XD

QUOTE

“No, I don’t,” Millder/Muller/Mildew said evenly.
I really don't think he's named Mildew XD

QUOTE
I can take care of myself.
Sure, we've seen you do so multiple times. It never ends well XD

QUOTE
Better yet, that pretty blonde nurse on the nightshift can take of me
yucky.gif

QUOTE

“I’m not ‘babysitting’ you, I’m spending some quality time with my best friend,” MacGyver retorted.
But you're cramping his stylllleeee XD

QUOTE

“Yeah, by force feeding me that vile green stuff only hospitals serve…and maybe you.
XD Mac probably would, too

QUOTE

“I’m going down to the lounge and make a quick phone call,” he told Jack.

“Give her my regards!”
Jack knows all *Lenny face*

QUOTE


MacGyver stared at the receiver in his hand and was glad he was already in a hospital because he felt as if his heart was about to pound out of his chest. Joanna had just said she loved him!
Aww XD



"If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer" - Hank The Cowdog

"You have the heart of a chief, and the soul of a dragon"- How to Train Your Dragon 2

"[T]he more we try to understand one another, the more exceptional each one of us will be" - Zootopia

"Love makes you do strange things." - Charlie Brown

"When something looks too perfect, it probably sucks" - Dreamworks Dragons Race to the Edge

 
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uniquelyjas
Posted: 6 June 2019 - 01:39 PM                                    
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In case you haven't gotten it yet...The FBI Guy...Mulder from The X-Files! Yeah, I was totally hooked on that show and just couldn't resist one little reference!



Jody~

"I've found from past experiences that the tighter your plan, the more likely you are to run into something unpredictable" ~ MacGyver (The Heist)

 
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Posted: 6 June 2019 - 07:57 PM                                    
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QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 6 June 2019 - 04:39 PM)
In case you haven't gotten it yet...The FBI Guy...Mulder from The X-Files! Yeah, I was totally hooked on that show and just couldn't resist one little reference!

That explains it. I've never seen X files laugh.gif



"If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer" - Hank The Cowdog

"You have the heart of a chief, and the soul of a dragon"- How to Train Your Dragon 2

"[T]he more we try to understand one another, the more exceptional each one of us will be" - Zootopia

"Love makes you do strange things." - Charlie Brown

"When something looks too perfect, it probably sucks" - Dreamworks Dragons Race to the Edge

 
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uniquelyjas
Posted: 12 June 2019 - 09:57 AM                                    
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Chapter 3: Second Thoughts

MacGyver felt like he was walking on air as he headed back to Jack’s room. He didn’t even bother to try and hide the goofy grin he must be wearing. Joanna had just confirmed his greatest hope. He couldn’t wait to get back to Milwaukee. Back to her.

“Wow, that must have been one heck of a phone call,” Jack observed when Mac returned. “Or did that cute little nurse give you her number?”

“It’s none of your business, Jack,” Mac replied, trying to keep the frustration with his friend out of his voice.

“You wound me, compadre! Since when do we keep secrets from each other?”

Mac’s jaw went slack. How many times had Jack told him half-truths or downright lies to get him to go along with a crazy scheme?

“Fine!” Mac sat down in his chair, jamming his fingers through his hair. “Joanna just said she loves me.”

Jack’s happy-go-lucky expression quickly faded. “Aw man, I’m so sorry.”

“Sorry? Why?”

“I’m sure Joanna’s a great girl to hang out with, but now you’re gonna break her heart.”

“I am?”

“Earth to Mac! After love comes commitment and we both know you can’t do that! You need to set that girl straight. Pronto!”

“You don’t get it, Jack. I was in the middle of proposing to her when your mom called and told me about your accident.”

“Proposing? As in marriage?!” Jack’s eyes grew so wide Mac thought they might fall out of their sockets. “Lucky Mom called you when she did! Guys like you and me need to be free, go where life takes us, not get tied down with a wife, two point five kids, and a nine-to-five job!”

“You may still need that, but I’m done living like a nomad. I want to settle down. Put down real roots. And I want to do it with Joanna.”

“All right, man. If that’s what you want,” Jack shrugged nonchalantly.

“That’s it?” Mac asked suspiciously. “You’re not gonna try to talk me out of it?”

“Nope,” Jack replied smugly. “I’ll let your commitment-phobic DNA do it for me.”

XXXXX

Two days later, Jack was released from the hospital into Francine’s care. MacGyver had called in a few favors and pulled some strings to get access to a private plane so he could fulfill the reservations Jack had scheduled before the crash. He had forgotten how much he loved flying. The freedom he felt when it was just him and the big blue sky, all concerns and obligations anchored firmly to the ground where they couldn’t reach him. In an effort to keep Jack’s dream alive, MacGyver continued to book and pilot flights in the hopes of raising enough money so Jack could take out a loan and make a down payment on a new plane.

With Jack making steady progress in his recovery and no flights booked for the day, Mac decided to stop by the Challengers Club. He wondered if anyone, with the exception of Hines, would remember him. He walked through the door and into the controlled chaos that was the teen youth center and shelter service.

“MacGyver?! As I live and breathe is that you?!”

Mac turned toward the familiar voice. “Hey Cynthia! How’re you doin’?”

The spunky, African-American woman ran into his open arms and embraced him warmly.

“What brings you back to Los Angeles?”

“I’m helpin’ out a friend who had a little accident,” Mac replied casually. “A better question is what are you doin’ back at Challengers?”

Cynthia laughed. “Hines is out of town for the holidays and you know I just can’t stay away from these kids. Not to mention that this time of year we are always overcrowded and understaffed. I don’t suppose you’d be willing to stick around and help out a bit while you’re here?”

“What do you need me to do, Cynthia?” Mac asked with a grin.

“Well, since you asked…” She reached into the pocket of her sweater, pulled out a list and handed it to MacGyver.

Mac laughed. “Okay, I’m on it!”

The next several days passed quickly for MacGyver. When he wasn’t flying charters he was either helping out at Challengers or visiting with Jack and Francine. When he had resigned from Phoenix, Mac had sworn he would never again call L.A. home, yet here he was, slipping back into aspects of his old life that fit like a well-worn pair of jeans. He thought back to Jack’s words in the hospital on New Year’s Eve. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps guys like him and Jack weren’t meant to stay in one place too long regardless of who or what they left behind.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The day after New Year’s Joanna arrived at work to find the office abuzz, her colleagues already working in high gear.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Joanna asked, snagging Mike Harlow’s arm as he hurried past her.

“Emergency meeting in five minutes,” he replied. “And I wouldn’t be late if I were you.”

Five minutes later Joanna found herself scrunched next to her co-workers in a small conference room. Their new boss, Carlos Hernandez, stepped to the front and asked for silence.

“Welcome back, people,” he began. “Just as the first snowfall brings a ton of accident cases, the new year brings a blizzard of divorce petitions. That being said, I’m going to need extra hands on these cases.”

Carlos read the list of paralegals, assistants, and investigators who would now be assigned to familial law. Joanna’s and Mike’s names were both called.

“And Mike,” Carlos added, “Since MacGyver is still on vacation, why don’t you use his office. It’ll make it easier for you and Ms. Fairfax to tag team if needed.”

Joanna’s hackles raised, but she stayed quiet. Granted, she hadn’t been looking forward to spending her days next to Mac’s empty room, but she certainly didn’t want someone else claiming the space instead! Mac was coming back, after all. Wasn’t he?

“I hope you don’t mind.” Mike’s voice broke into Jo’s thoughts.

“Of course not,” she responded politely before heading back to her own office.

The following week flew by as Joanna interviewed disgruntled husbands and wives. Their reasons for ending their marriage ranged from the mundane to the ridiculous. Like the woman whose husband had been leaving the toilet seat up for the last thirty years and suddenly she decided she couldn’t take it anymore.

By the time Friday rolled around, Joanna was dead on her feet. Not only had she been working solid eight to ten hour days with barely a break for lunch, but MacGyver had been calling her almost every night. Unfortunately, he seemed unaware of the time difference and often kept her up late talking about anything and everything, but she didn’t care. The sound of his voice soothed her and when she did sleep, she dreamed of him.

As the short January days melded together, Joanna found herself becoming depressed. She blamed it on working too much and listening to people complain about their soon-to-be ex-mates all day long, but in truth, many of their issues hit home and had her questioning the strength of her relationship with MacGyver. For example, there was the couple who had met at work and had never actually dated before getting married. Then there was the wife who complained that her husband didn’t share any of her hobbies and the couple who didn’t marry until they were in their fifties and found they could not stand living with and sharing their life with the other person. Last but not least were the number of couples who complained about the lack of communication in their marriage. Joanna’s stomach clenched. If these relationships were any indication, she and Mac didn’t stand a chance. They had met at work and their one attempt at a real date had failed miserably. Joanna’s hobbies included reading and knitting while MacGyver enjoyed playing hockey and outdoor activities. Plus, they had both been single a long time. While Jo shared a house with her parents, could she stand to be in constant close proximity to Mac and him to her? To top it off, his phone calls which had kept her up at night were now few and far between. And when they did talk, they were hard pressed to talk about something other than the weather or latest sports scores. Logic told her he was just busy and preoccupied getting Jack’s business up and running while also helping out at Challengers, but her heart feared he had grown bored with her since getting a taste of his old life where she did not belong.

One Tuesday afternoon Joanna sat surrounded by stacks of files furiously entering data into her computer when a knock on her door startled her.

“Sorry,” Mike apologized. “You wouldn’t happen to know the password to MacGyver’s computer, would you?”

“No,” she shook her head. “You’ve been working in there all this time and haven’t been able to use the computer?”

“I’ve been using the firm’s laptop. It just crashed.”

“Oh. Let me see what I can do.”

Joanna knew Mac’s password wouldn’t be complicated, it would just be odd. Something only the people closest to him would know. She sat down behind his desk and started typing. She hoped she didn’t blush when she punched in her name. She held her breath and then exhaled in disappointment when access was denied. So she began the litany of names he might use: Pete, Jack, Frog, Phoenix, Duct Tape. Nothing worked. She was about to give up when she had a sudden notion. Slowly she hit the keys: A-n-g-u-s. Bingo! The computer screen sprang to life.

“Excellent!” Mike exclaimed. “Hey, how about we go out to dinner tonight?”

He must have seen the surprise on her face as he continued, “We’ve both been working hard and deserve a break. Besides, I’d like to get to know you better, outside of this place.”

Was he asking her out on a date? Did she want to go?

“C’mon,” he urged, sensing her reluctance. “We gotta eat, right?”

“Of course,” Jo replied, finally finding her voice. “I’d love to.”

A few hours later she found herself seated across from Mike at her favorite Italian restaurant surreptitiously studying his features. His dark brown hair was cut in a short, neat style that accentuated his bright blue eyes that lit up when he spoke of his small but loving family. As they shared stories about themselves, she learned he had lived in Milwaukee his entire life and had once turned down a lucrative job offer because it involved too much travel and time away from home. He possessed an easy sense of humor, a warm smile and, even though he had been in his suit for over twelve hours, not once did he reach up to loosen the knot in his tie. Now this was the type of guy she always imagined herself falling for. Yet when she crawled into bed that night and closed her eyes, the only face she saw was MacGyver’s as a lone tear trickled down her cheek.

The next morning, Carlos was waiting for Joanna outside her office. He waved a piece of paper in front of her face as she approached.

“Do you know what this is?” he asked.

“No, sir,” Joanna said softly, taken aback by her boss’s behavior.

“This is yet another request for an extension to MacGyver’s leave of absence! How long does he plan on being gone? Doesn’t he realize that if he wants to keep his job he needs to show up once in a while?!”

Carlos was fairly yelling now and Joanna didn’t have an answer for him, but she promised she would speak to Mac about it when she got a chance.

Once ensconced behind her desk, Jo eyed her phone and the number Mac had given her in case she needed to contact him. She glanced at her watch. It was still early morning in L.A. so perhaps he hadn’t started his day yet. She dialed the number and was surprised when he answered on only the second ring.

“Hi! It’s me,” she greeted him, hoping she sounded somewhat upbeat.

“Jo? Is everything all right?”

“Yeah,” she replied automatically before backpedaling. “Well, actually, no. Carlos is pretty upset that you asked to extend your leave. Do you have any idea when you might be coming home?”

There was a long silence before he spoke. “I really can’t say. Business is picking up but Jack’s still not ready to fly and Challengers needs all the help it can get right now.”

“I understand, but I don’t think Carlos will. Mac, you might lose your job here.”

“Listen, I’ll call Carlos and see what we can work out. Thanks for the heads up, but I have a flight to San Francisco in ten minutes.”

“Mac, you are coming home, aren’t you?”

“Sorry, gotta go.” And the line went dead.

Joanna frowned as she hung up the phone. When she looked up, Mike Harlow was standing in her doorway.

“Bad news?” he asked.
“No. Um…it’s nothing,” she replied.

“I came to ask if you wanted to go out to dinner again. I really enjoyed last night.”

Jo hesitated. Mac was obviously moving on with his life. She needed to do the same.

“I’d love to, Mike, but I really planned on staying late to finish up this paperwork. It’s driving me nuts!”

“No problem! How about we order in and eat while we work. Do you want pizza or Chinese?”

“Your offer, your choice,” she replied with a smile, sincerely glad she wouldn’t be spending the evening alone.




Jody~

"I've found from past experiences that the tighter your plan, the more likely you are to run into something unpredictable" ~ MacGyver (The Heist)

 
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Posted: 13 June 2019 - 04:25 PM                                    
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QUOTE
Chapter 3: Second Thoughts
ranting2.gif

QUOTE

MacGyver felt like he was walking on air as he headed back to Jack’s room. He didn’t even bother to try and hide the goofy grin he must be wearing. Joanna had just confirmed his greatest hope. He couldn’t wait to get back to Milwaukee. Back to her.
Calm down, Romeo tongue.gif

QUOTE

“I’m sure Joanna’s a great girl to hang out with, but now you’re gonna break her heart.”
Jack dry.gif



QUOTE
“Lucky Mom called you when she did! Guys like you and me need to be free, go where life takes us, not get tied down with a wife, two point five kids, and a nine-to-five job!”
This made me want to slap Jack, but at the same time I'm cracking up at his "point five" remark XD

QUOTE

“Nope,” Jack replied smugly. “I’ll let your commitment-phobic DNA do it for me.”
I feel like that remark is going to make Mac paranoid for a while... XD

QUOTE
He had forgotten how much he loved flying. The freedom he felt when it was just him and the big blue sky, all concerns and obligations anchored firmly to the ground where they couldn’t reach him. In an effort to keep Jack’s dream alive, MacGyver continued to book and pilot flights in the hopes of raising enough money so Jack could take out a loan and make a down payment on a new plane.
Since when? XD True, he liked it in Eagles, but his anxiety in the episode with the teens in the wilderness (I'm running on five hours of sleep, it's 11 pm as I type this, though I won't post it until tomorrow, and I'm not looking it up) makes me think otherwise XD But his fear varies depending on the episode, so this shouldn't surprise me wink.gif

QUOTE

“Well, since you asked…” She reached into the pocket of her sweater, pulled out a list and handed it to MacGyver.
Was she just carrying that list around in hopes MacGyver would drop by? XD I kid, I kid

QUOTE
He thought back to Jack’s words in the hospital on New Year’s Eve. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps guys like him and Jack weren’t meant to stay in one place too long regardless of who or what they left behind.
You were happy enough in one place with Jo, and I'm sure she wouldn't mind traveling part of the time if you want/need to visit L.A., Mac XD

QUOTE
Like the woman whose husband had been leaving the toilet seat up for the last thirty years and suddenly she decided she couldn’t take it anymore.
Was their love ever true? XD

QUOTE
If these relationships were any indication, she and Mac didn’t stand a chance.
Stop comparing your relationship to other people's dry.gif

QUOTE

Joanna knew Mac’s password wouldn’t be complicated, it would just be odd. Something only the people closest to him would know.
It's 'Joanna' isn't it? XD XD XD

QUOTE
She sat down behind his desk and started typing. She hoped she didn’t blush when she punched in her name. She held her breath and then exhaled in disappointment when access was denied.
Never mind... XD XD XD

QUOTE
Yet when she crawled into bed that night and closed her eyes, the only face she saw was MacGyver’s as a lone tear trickled down her cheek.
I think this might be the slowest burn I've ever read XD

QUOTE

“Mac, you are coming home, aren’t you?”

“Sorry, gotta go.” And the line went dead.
*Murdoc voice* MACGYYYYYVEERRRRRRRRRR! blowup.gif

QUOTE

Jo hesitated. Mac was obviously moving on with his life. She needed to do the same.
I can never decide which of them I'm more annoyed with laugh.gif



"If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer" - Hank The Cowdog

"You have the heart of a chief, and the soul of a dragon"- How to Train Your Dragon 2

"[T]he more we try to understand one another, the more exceptional each one of us will be" - Zootopia

"Love makes you do strange things." - Charlie Brown

"When something looks too perfect, it probably sucks" - Dreamworks Dragons Race to the Edge

 
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uniquelyjas
Posted: 19 June 2019 - 05:10 AM                                    
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Season: ---
Episode:Faith, Hope, and Charity
Vehicle: Jeep
Jacket:  Brown bomber
House:  House boat



Chapter 4: Second Chances


It was a late-January morning when a non-descript beige sedan pulled into MacGyver’s driveway. Since Sam had been on assignment during the holidays and was going to be on a month-long mission in a few weeks, his editor had agreed to give him an extended leave to go back to the States provided he return with an editorial on Small-Town Americana. Wanting to surprise his dad, he had rented a car at the airport. Hopefully, Mac would agree with his plan to spend a few days at Harry’s cabin in Minnesota where he could research and write an article on Mission City.

Sam quickly made his way to the front door and rang the bell. When there was no answer, he rapped on the glass, calling his dad’s name. Still, there was no reply. Even Frog wasn’t barking. The young man eyed the deadbolt lock and chewed his lower lip thoughtfully. He had promised MacGyver he would stop picking locks, but what if his dad was inside and sick or hurt? Just as he was reaching into his pocket for his Swiss Army knife, he heard his dad’s landlord open the door on his side of the townhouse.

“What’s with all the racket at this time of the day?!” he scolded.

“Hi, Mr. Rainey,” Sam replied sheepishly. “It’s me, Sam Malloy, MacGyver’s son.”

“Well, of course it is! I recognize you now! And call me Charlie like everyone else.”

“Thanks, Charlie,” Sam smiled. “Do you know if my dad’s home? He’s not expecting me and I was hoping to catch him before he left for work.”

The older man shook his head slowly. “Your dad bugged outta here late Christmas night. The next morning that girlfriend of his came and packed up the dog and left. Said Mac was going to Los Angeles. A friend of his had been in an accident. Haven’t seen or heard from either of ‘em since.”

“Oh,” Sam responded both concerned and perplexed. “Sorry to have bothered you.”
“Think nothing of it! And don’t be a stranger now, ya hear?!”

A short while later Sam was standing in front of the reception desk at the law firm where Jo and his dad worked.

“May I help you?” the young, sweet-looking receptionist asked.

“I’m looking for Joanna Fairfax.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

“No, but I’m a friend of the family,” Sam replied, flashing her his winningest smile.

The young woman blushed. “Her door is the third one on the left,” she told him, motioning down a long hallway.

“Thanks,” he said with a parting wink.

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Joanna was sitting on the corner of her desk with Mike standing next to her. They were both laughing about a couple they had just met with who wanted a divorce after the husband lost a football bet to his wife when Jo glanced up to see Sam standing in the doorway.

“Sam!” she exclaimed, sliding off the desk and smoothing her skirt. “What in the world are you doing here?!”

“Who’s he?” the young man asked, ignoring her question.

“Oh, I’m sorry! Sam Malloy, this is Mike Harlow, a co-worker. Mike, this is MacGyver’s son, Sam.”

“Nice to meet you,” Mike said, offering his hand which Sam ignored. He then turned to Joanna. “We still on for lunch later?”

“Yeah, sure,” she responded absently, her attention fixed on Mac’s son.
Mike took the hint and silently left the office.

“What’s going on with you two?!” Sam demanded, walking up to Jo’s desk.

“We’re just friends,” she replied defiantly.

“Yeah? That’s what you always said about my dad!”

“It’s not like that.” Joanna willed herself to breathe deep and speak calmly. “Mike and I really are just friends. I promise.”

Sam’s posture relaxed, but he didn’t look convinced.

“I went by my dad’s place earlier. Charlie said he’s in Los Angeles. What’s going on?”

Joanna motioned to a chair across from her. “Have a seat Sam,” she said as she settled into her own chair. “Your dad got a call from Jack Dalton’s mom on Christmas night. Jack had crashed his plane and it didn’t look good. Mac couldn’t get a flight so he drove out.”

Sam’s gaze fell to the floor. “How’s Jack?”

“He’s doing fine. He has some broken bones but he’s recovering. In the mean time, your dad is helping out with Jack’s air charter business and also helping Cynthia at Challengers.”

“When’s he coming home?”

Now it was Joanna’s eyes that lowered. “I don’t know,” she replied softly.

“When was the last time you talked with him?”

“It’s been a few days. I’m sorry, Sam. Mac isn’t telling me much these days.”

“Is it because of the jersey?”

“Huh?”

“Dad did give you a hockey jersey for Christmas, right?”

“Yeah, so?”

“What did you say?” Sam sounded nervous. Almost like his dad when he first presented her with the gift.

“Nothing,” she shrugged. “His cell phone rang before I could even thank him.”

“So he didn’t ask you about the name?”

“He tried, but Francine called.”

Sam let out a pent up sigh and ran his hand down his face.

“Look, Sam, what’s the big deal about what name goes on it, anyway? It’s not like I have a favorite player or anything.”

“Do you have a number where I can reach my dad?” he asked, ignoring her question.

“Sure.” Joanna scribbled the number to Jack’s office on the back of one of her business cards. “Will you be staying at Mac’s place?”

“Yeah, if I can pick the lock.”

Joanna grinned for the first time since seeing Sam. She rummaged in her purse and pulled out a keychain.

“Here. You’re dad gave it to me. I don’t think I’ll be needing it anymore,” she said, dropping the key into the palm of his hand.

Sam studied her face and then the key. “What’s going on between you two?”

“Ask your father,” she replied shortly before turning her attention to her files.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver was scheduled to fly three CEO’s to Vegas in thirty minutes. He had just completed his pre-flight check list when the office phone rang. He was tempted to let the machine get it until he remembered that Jack’s answering machine was broken. Something else he had to fix. He jogged from the tarmac and answered the phone with a slightly breathless “Hello”.

“You didn’t ask her, did you?” a voice on the other end scolded.

“Huh?”

“Joanna. You didn’t ask her to marry you like you planned. You chickened out…again!”

“Sam? Where are you?”

“I’m in Milwaukee. I wanted to surprise you with a visit before I have to leave for my next assignment. I saw Jo.”

MacGyver sighed and ran his hand through his already tousled hair.

“I tried, Sam. I really did. But then Francine called…”

“Save it, Dad. Are you telling me you couldn’t have stayed a few extra minutes to propose? Or did you take advantage of the call to make an escape?”

“Look, I had to get to Jack. He’s my friend, and when you make a friend…”

“You take on a responsibility. I know that, Dad! But what about Joanna? I thought she was a lot more than a friend and a helluva lot more than just a responsibility to you!”

“She is, but—“ the line was already dead and MacGyver slammed down the phone in frustration.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam paced the apartment, seething with anger. He had come back to the States planning on celebrating their engagement, but he returned to find them further apart than ever, both physically and emotionally. It was obvious to Sam that Jo and his dad loved each other and belonged together, but something always got in the way. He stopped pacing and stared out the patio door. Maybe they just needed a little bit of help.

“Hello!” MacGyver barked into the phone.

“Dad, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things to you.”

“You’re right. You shouldn’t have,” Mac replied evenly, but Sam could hear the smile in his voice. “The thing is, you have a point. I really blew it this time, didn’t I?”

“Maybe,” Sam shrugged his shoulders even though his dad couldn’t see him. “Tell you what. How about you meet me up at Harry’s cabin this weekend? We could spend some quality time together while I write a piece on Mission City for my editor.

There was silence at first, then Sam heard papers being shuffled and finally MacGyver’s voice.

“Looks like I don’t have any charters so I can fly in. Meet you there Saturday morning?”

“I’ll be there!” Sam answered with a very satisfied grin.

One down, one to go.

Sam knocked on Joanna’s office door the following day. When he opened it he found Mike leaning over her shoulder, studying something on her computer. Sam frowned and Joanna looked up, surprise registered on her face.

“Sam! I wasn’t expecting you.”

“Obviously. Am I interrupting something?” he asked while keeping a wary eye on Mike.

“No,” she replied a bit too quickly. “We were just going over some reports.”

Sam would have preferred to talk to Jo alone, but Mike did not look like he was inclined to leave any time soon.

“I’m going up to Mission City this weekend and wondered if you’d like to come along. Kinda get out of your head for a while, ya know?”

“I don’t know…” she hedged.

“We’ll head out Friday morning. Make a three-day weekend out of it. What do you say?”

He could practically see the gears in her head turning, just like Dad when he was thinking. Maybe that was it! Maybe both of them just thought too much!

“You should go,” Mike urged her, to Sam’s surprise. “You’ve been putting in a lot of overtime and you have vacation days coming.”

“I was planning on staying at Harry’s cabin, but you could get a motel room if you prefer,” Sam added quickly before Jo could protest.

“No, I like Harry’s cabin. And you’re right, it might be good to get away for a couple days.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

What had she been thinking?! For the past few weeks she had worked so hard to get MacGyver and the chance of a future with him out of her head and here she was, planning to spend the weekend with his son at his grandfather’s cabin. The same cabin they had once shared.

It was mid-afternoon by the time Sam maneuvered his rental car up the narrow drive that led to the cabin.

“You okay?” he asked as he put the vehicle in park, concern evident in his eyes.

“Yeah, sure,” Joanna replied shortly as she climbed from the passenger seat.

Sam led the way and unlocked the door. He stepped inside and flipped a switch bathing the one large room in warm lamplight.

“Looks like Neil came through for us,” he observed. “I called ahead and asked him to get the utilities turned on.”

Joanna had met Neil, Mac’s childhood friend, when she had been up here before. She walked around the room to get her bearings. Not only had Neil taken care of the electricity, but he had laid in a supply of wood for the fireplace, stocked the cupboards, and flushed the pipes as well.

Sam retrieved their bags from the car and started a fire while Joanna put together a simple supper. A little while later she emerged from the bathroom after taking a long hot shower to find that it had started to snow. Large, fluffy flakes floated down from the sky. Clad in flannel lounge pants and a sweatshirt, Joanna slipped into the double bed and willed her muscles to relax and her mind to stop thinking. She fell asleep listening to the steady rhythm of Sam’s snoring coming from where he dozed on the couch in front of the television.

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MacGyver’s rented SUV bumped along the snow-covered road to Harry’s cabin Saturday morning. Thankfully, the snow storm from last night had stayed far enough north allowing him to land in Minneapolis without a problem. He soon saw smoke rising from the chimney and a large white bump that had to be his son’s car. It felt good to be back, away from the city and the demands of Jack’s fledgling business and Challengers.

Mac had just walked through the door and greeted Sam when Joanna emerged from the bathroom wearing jeans and a sweater. She was the last person MacGyver expected to see here. Apparently, she felt the same way about him as their gazes locked and he saw anger spark in her deep brown eyes before being replaced with…sadness?

As if by unspoken agreement, they both turned on the younger man simultaneously.

“Sam!” they exclaimed in unison.

“Now listen,” Sam replied firmly. “You two need to talk. I mean really talk and work through whatever’s going on between you. I’m gonna go get more wood for the fireplace.” He then slipped out the door into the snow.

MacGyver sat down at the kitchen table while Joanna walked over to the sink.

“Breakfast?” she asked politely.

“No thanks, I grabbed something on the way up here. But feel free to go ahead.”

“I’m not hungry,” she replied softly before filling a glass with tap water and taking a seat across from him.

“So, how did my charming son convince you to come up here?”

“You first,” she challenged.

“He played the ‘let’s have some father/son quality time’ card.”

“You mean he didn’t tell you about Mike?”

Mac’s pulse jumped. “Mike? Mike who?”

“Mike Harlow, from work. Since you’re not there Hernandez teamed us up. Sam saw us together a couple times and I believe he’s jealous on your behalf.”

“Should he be?”

“Absolutely not! You know Mike’s a good guy. We’re work friends, that’s it,” Jo explained.

“Yeah, I know,” Mac replied. “Now it’s your turn.”

“Sam, with a little help from Mike, convinced me I’ve been working too hard and needed some time off and, to be honest, a weekend in the woods away from everyone and everything didn’t sound so bad.”

“Until I showed up, right?” MacGyver figured it was time to come clean.

“When I gave you that jersey, before Francine called, I was trying to propose to you.”

The corners of Joanna’s mouth tugged upward. “I kinda figured that out.”

“You did?”

“Yeah,” Jo confessed. “After you, and then Sam, made such a big deal out of which name I wanted on the back, I figured you were going to ask me if I wanted it to say ‘Fairfax’…or ‘MacGyver’.”

“If we hadn’t been interrupted and I had asked you to marry me that night, what would you have said?”

“I would’ve said ‘yes’.”

“And if I asked you to marry me now?”

Joanna’s eyes fell to the untouched drinking glass on the table and she shook her head slowly. “I don’t know.”

Mac’s stomach clenched at her answer, but if he were honest with himself, he wasn’t sure he even wanted to propose again.

The uneasy silence that had fallen between them was shattered by the rev of an engine and the whir of tires. MacGyver lunged for the door, Joanna right behind him, in time to see Sam barreling down the snowy drive in Mac’s SUV.

“He’s probably just anxious to get into town and start his story,” Mac said casually, trying to hide his concern at his son’s hasty departure.

“I don’t think so,” Joanna replied ominously.

MacGyver turned in time to see her grab a note that had been tacked to the door.

“It just says, ‘See ya Sunday’.” She offered the note to Mac.

MacGyver crumpled the piece of paper in his hand.

“He’s not gonna get away with this!”

“Get away with what?” Joanna asked, truly dumbfounded.

“All but kidnapping and abandoning us in the hopes that we’ll get back together!”

Mac stormed back into the cabin. “Get your boots on,” he commanded Jo. “We’re leaving!”

A short while later, Mac slid behind the wheel of Sam’s rented sedan, now free of snow, and reached under the dash to pull down some wires. Joanna sat silently next to him. Hotwiring a car came naturally to him, but today he seemed to be all thumbs and, when the stripped wires made contact with each other, the engine wouldn’t fire. Biting back a curse he got out and lifted the hood.

“Terrific!”

“What is it?” He hadn’t heard Joanna approach.

“The distributer cap. It’s gone,” he groaned, shoving his hand through this hair.

“Can’t you do something?”

“No! I can’t just ‘do something’!” he snapped causing Jo to flinch. “C’mon,” he gentled his voice as he led Joanna back inside the cabin. “I’ll call Neil and have him come get us.”

“I don’t get it,” Joanna huffed. “Why can’t we just wait for Sam to pick us up tomorrow? Or do you want to get away from me that badly?”

MacGyver dropped his head and blew out a breath. “This has nothing to do with you. I’m just sick and tired of Sam thinking he knows what’s best for me and trying to manipulate us!”

Mac grabbed the phone, but silence greet him when he held the receiver to his ear.

“Line’s dead,” he growled.

“Did you bring you’re cell phone?”

“Yeah. I left it in the truck. You?”

“Sorry. It’s at home. I wanted to be disconnected, remember?”

“I got an idea,” he said as he grabbed Joanna’s wrist and made his way behind the cabin to a small storage shed.

After clearing away the snow and prying open the door, MacGyver stepped in and began to rummage around the small, dimly lit space.

“Ever been snowshoeing before?” he asked Joanna.

“No,” she answered, trepidation in her voice.

“Well, there’s a first time for everything,” he stated as he shoved a pair of snowshoes at her.

“You’re not seriously suggesting we walk to town!”

“Nope. Just to the main road. Hopefully someone will take pity on us and give us a lift.”

Mac continued searching the shed, but found nothing else of value.

“What are you going to do?” Joanna asked in a soft voice. “There’s only one pair.”

“Go inside, bundle up and strap those on,” he instructed. “I’ll be right there.”

MacGyver entered the cabin, arms loaded with various twigs and branches, to find Joanna bent over and struggling with the snowshoes. She looked up at him in frustration.

“I’ve never done this before.”

“That’s okay, I got it,” he replied in what he hoped was an easy, relaxed tone.

He made quick work of strapping her feet to the snowshoes.

“Could you grab the duct tape out of my duffle?” he asked as he grabbed a couple of the branches he had found.

“You’re going to make your own snowshoes?” Jo asked in disbelief.

“Yep,” he replied with a grin.

XXXXX

MacGyver took another step and his foot sunk even deeper into the fluffy snow. Maybe taking a shortcut through the woods hadn’t been the best idea since his homemade snowshoes weren’t working out as well as he had envisioned. When last he had checked, Joanna had been awkwardly walking a few yards behind him. They had been on the move for a while now, and Mac figured they were about half way to the road when he heard an oomph and a thump from behind. He turned to find Jo sitting awkwardly in a snow drift.

“What happened?” he asked as he made his way back to her.

“My knee just gave out,” she answered calmly. “Here, help me up.” She stuck out her hand towards him.

“You should stay down. You might be injured.”

Jo shook her head. “I’ve had problems with my knees since I was in my early teens. I’m fine,” she explained as she clamped onto his arm and clamored to her feet.

Unfortunately, the next time she put weight on that leg the knee buckled again. This time, MacGyver was prepared. He caught her around the waist and gently lowered her to the ground.

“We need to get you back to the cabin,” he said firmly.

“No. I just need to rest it a minute. You go ahead and track down Sam and I’ll walk back to the cabin in a bit.”

“Do you honestly think I’m going to leave you alone in the snow with a bum knee?” he asked gruffly as he began to unstrap her snowshoes.

“Apparently not,” she mumbled as MacGyver made quick work of ditching his sorry excuse for snowshoes and putting on the real ones Joanna had worn. He then crouched in front of her, his large hands examining her knee through her jean clad legs.

“How am I supposed to walk back when you stole my snowshoes?” she asked, frustration creeping into her voice.

“You’re not,” Mac replied. “Your knee is already starting to swell. I’m going to have to carry you.”

“What?” she squeaked as he reached out, pulled her to her feet, and bent over.

“Climb on my back,” he instructed. “We’ll do it piggy back.”

After several seconds he finally felt Jo put her weight on him.

“Put your arms around my neck,” he instructed as he straightened up holding her legs around his waist. She held on so tight he had trouble breathing, but he actually didn’t mind.

Once safely inside the cabin, MacGyver lowered Joanna to the floor and watched as she gingerly tested putting weight on her knee.

“Think you can make your way to the bathroom and get out of those wet jeans?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she nodded. “It seems to be getting better.”

When she stepped out of the bathroom wearing her flannel lounge pants and a sweatshirt, MacGyver helped her over to the couch, raised her leg to rest on the battered coffee table, and placed a plastic baggie full of ice cubes on her knee. He retreated to the kitchen for a couple minutes before returning to the couch with two piping hot bowls of chili.

“I know I’m hungry and I figured you must be too,” he said as he handed Jo one of the bowls and sat down beside her.

“You made this?” she asked skeptically.

“Yep. Opened the can all by myself and everything!” he grinned before shoveling a spoonful of chili into his mouth.

Joanna laughed softly before doing the same.

“What happened between us, Mac?” she asked quietly once they were done eating.

MacGyver sighed, leaned forward, and scrubbed his face with his hands.

“I let Jack Dalton get inside my head. That’s what happened.” He glanced at Jo’s questioning gaze before continuing. “He tried to convince me that guys like us are incapable of settling down and the longer I was out there the more I believed it.”

“And what do you believe now that you’re here?” Her voice was little more than a whisper.

“I believe I need to stop listening to Jack Dalton. I suppose there will always be a part of me that craves freedom and adventure, but there’s a bigger part of me that wants to fall in love, put down roots, and have a real home.”
Mac looked up and locked on Joanna’s eyes. “What about you?”

She shook her head slowly, sadly. “I let myself get caught up in all the ugly divorce stories I heard and I started to apply them to us.”

“Like what?”

“Like how we met at work and never really dated. How we enjoy different hobbies and activities. How we’ve both been independent so long. And how we shut each other out when life gets hard.”

MacGyver draped his arm across the back of the couch and began massage Joanna’s neck.

“Some of those things aren’t necessarily bad,” he reasoned. “And we can work through all of them if we love each other enough to try.”

Joanna simply sighed as they both turned their attention to the crackling fire that warmed the room.

“Why marriage?” Jo suddenly asked, breaking the silence that had enveloped them.

Mac shrugged. “It just seemed like the next logical step.”

“And now?”

MacGyver’s silence was her answer.

“That’s what I thought,” she replied sadly as she carefully rose from the couch and limped her way to the bed.

XXXXX

MacGyver had turned on an old Western and muted the sound after Joanna went to bed. He was just beginning to doze off when a noise from the other side of the room caught his attention. When he didn’t hear it again after several minutes, he figured it was just the winter wind and allowed himself to relax. Just then the noise came again, sounding like something between a moan and a whimper. Joanna!

Mac quickly ran to her bedside and found her lying with her back to him.

“What’s wrong, baby? Is it your knee?”

“Cold,” came the mumbled reply.

MacGyver quickly looked around the room for an extra blanket and ended up pulling the quilt off his cot and gently placing it over Joanna. Still, he could see her body quaking beneath the covers. He reached over and put his hand on her forehead.

“You don’t have a fever,” he murmured, “But you’re probably coming down with something.”

He stood helplessly watching her for several minutes as she shivered and moaned, his mind warring with his heart. When he couldn’t stand watching her suffer any longer, he did the only thing he could think of. He lifted the covers and carefully crawled into bed beside her to share his body heat. He draped an arm gently around her waist and was about to pull her to him when she suddenly shimmied against him so that her back pressed against his chest. He gently kissed the top of her head before tucking it to rest beneath his chin, his arm wrapped tightly around her.

Hours later MacGyver was awakened by Joanna’s coughing, her entire body shuddering.

“Honey?” she croaked.

“I’m right here, baby,” Mac assured her as he held her tight.

Joanna wiggled out of his grasp and into a sitting position.

“No,” she said in between coughs. “Do you have any honey?”

“Oh. Um. Let me check,” he said as he slipped from the bed.

He grabbed a flashlight and rummaged through the cupboards until he had located a jar of honey and a spoon. Joanna greedily measured out and swallowed the sweet syrup, allowing it to soothe her throat and calm her cough. When the episode passed, she once again burrowed beneath the covers, this time facing MacGyver. He smiled when he felt her warm breath on his cheek and the weight of her hand on his chest.

“Thanks…honey,” she murmured sleepily.

XXXXX

“How are you feeling?” MacGyver asked Joanna later the next morning as he handed her a steaming mug of hot chocolate and sat beside her on the sofa.

“Better,” she replied after taking a sip of the hot liquid. “My knee is still stiff, but the swelling’s gone down, and my cough seems to be gone but my nose is stuffed up.”

“This is all my fault,” Mac sighed guiltily. “I should have never dragged you out in the snow like that.”

“C’mon, Mac,” Jo chided. “Since when do you ever make me do anything I don’t want to?”

“You got a point,” he responded, tapping the tip of her nose with his index finger as she nestled her head against his shoulder. He relished the feelings of protectiveness and peace she stirred in him.

“This is why,” he said huskily.

Jo raised her head. “’Why’ what?”

“Why I wanted to ask you to marry me.”

Joanna quirked her brow and Mac knew further explanation was in order.

“When you asked yesterday, I didn’t know what to say. But now I do. I wanted to marry you so that I could always be there to love you, take care of you when you’re sick or hurt, but most of all, so that no matter where we go or what we do, you’ll always be my home.”

The words had barely left MacGyver’s mouth before the front door swung open and Sam barged into the room, dropping two packages on the kitchen table before standing in front of the fireplace.

“Man, it’s cold out there!” he exclaimed. “So, did you two get everything straightened out?” he asked.

“We’re working on it,” Mac assured his son as he smiled at Jo. They were on the right track, but their behavior these past few weeks proved they still had some things to work through.

“So no engagement then,” the younger man frowned.

“Saaam,” MacGyver warned.

“Hey, no rush! But I think you’ll like what I have for you.”

They made their way to the kitchen table where Sam gave one box to Jo and the other to Mac.

Joanna opened her gift first and laughed. It was the Milwaukee Admirals hockey jersey that MacGyver had tried to propose with at Christmas. On the back, emblazoned where her name should be was the statement: “Mac’s Girl” in big, bold letters.

Mac opened his box to find a brand new Calgary Flames jersey. He turned it around to find that it boldly proclaimed him “Jo’s Guy”.

“Well? What do you think? Do you like ‘em?” Sam asked eagerly.

“They’re perfect!” the couple replied in unison.














Jody~

"I've found from past experiences that the tighter your plan, the more likely you are to run into something unpredictable" ~ MacGyver (The Heist)

 
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Dragondog
Posted: 20 June 2019 - 01:55 PM                                    
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QUOTE
Chapter 4: Second Chances
That sounds promising ;-)

QUOTE
Wanting to surprise his dad, he had rented a car at the airport.
On one hand, I'm happy to see Sam again. He's one of my favorite characters. smile.gif But on the other hand.... He's not going to be pleased when he finds out Mac is sort of MIA blowup.gif

QUOTE
When there was no answer, he rapped on the glass, calling his dad’s name.
Gee, Sam, who taught you manners. Calling your dad by his name XD

QUOTE
Just as he was reaching into his pocket for his Swiss Army knife
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
QUOTE


The older man shook his head slowly. “Your dad bugged outta here late Christmas night. The next morning that girlfriend of his came and packed up the dog and left. Said Mac was going to Los Angeles. A friend of his had been in an accident. Haven’t seen or heard from either of ‘em since.”
Well, at least he got a suitable explanation

QUOTE

“No, but I’m a friend of the family,” Sam replied, flashing her his winningest smile.

The young woman blushed.
Well hello, hot stuff XD XD XD

QUOTE

“Thanks,” he said with a parting wink.
Yeah okay, we all know who he got his skills from XD

QUOTE

“Who’s he?” the young man asked, ignoring her question.
On one hand, I'm laughing because Sam has all the manners of a Millennial, on the other hand, I'm laughing because I can just feel his ship sinking XD

QUOTE

“Nice to meet you,” Mike said, offering his hand which Sam ignored.
I feel you, Sam. I get salty when my ship isn't canon as well XD

QUOTE

“What’s going on with you two?!” Sam demanded, walking up to Jo’s desk.
Me with my (very short) ship list XD

QUOTE

“It’s not like that.” Joanna willed herself to breathe deep and speak calmly. “Mike and I really are just friends. I promise.”
I find it kinda comical how she needs to defend her romantic choices from Sam XD

QUOTE

“Is it because of the jersey?”

“Huh?”

“Dad did give you a hockey jersey for Christmas, right?”
huh.gif Sam knows about that?

QUOTE
“What did you say?” Sam sounded nervous. Almost like his dad when he first presented her with the gift.

“Nothing,” she shrugged. “His cell phone rang before I could even thank him.”
I shouldn't be laughing this hard, help me roller.gif

QUOTE

Sam let out a pent up sigh and ran his hand down his face.
Mood. Big mood XD

QUOTE

“Look, Sam, what’s the big deal about what name goes on it, anyway? It’s not like I have a favorite player or anything.”
headbutt.gif Funny thing is, I'm supposed to be used to obliviousness, because I'm a huge Miraculous fan and everyone in that show is stupid ( laugh.gif ), but I'm very frustrated right now at this XD

QUOTE

“Sure.” Joanna scribbled the number to Jack’s office on the back of one of her business cards. “Will you be staying at Mac’s place?”

“Yeah, if I can pick the lock.”
At least he's honest laugh.gif

QUOTE

Sam studied her face and then the key. “What’s going on between you two?”

“Ask your father,” she replied shortly before turning her attention to her files.
Oh look, they've already got accurate parenting skills XD XD XD

QUOTE

Sam paced the apartment, seething with anger.
Okay, I understand Sam's anger, but I kind of have to side with Mac on this one. He thought Jack could have been dead, or dying. Even if he had taken five more minutes to propose, the moment would've been ruined by the shock of what happened to Jack.

QUOTE
Maybe they just needed a little bit of help.
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

QUOTE

“Dad, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things to you.”
I'm glad Sam wisened up quickly happy.gif

QUOTE

“I’ll be there!” Sam answered with a very satisfied grin.

One down, one to go.
Oh no, I know what he's up to ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

QUOTE
Maybe that was it! Maybe both of them just thought too much!
I have that problem too blush.gif

QUOTE

“You should go,” Mike urged her, to Sam’s surprise. “You’ve been putting in a lot of overtime and you have vacation days coming.”
Good boy. But you're not coming wink.gif

And I freaking called it! XD

QUOTE

As if by unspoken agreement, they both turned on the younger man simultaneously.

“Sam!” they exclaimed in unison.
Rofl, this is my new favorite scene X'D X'D X'D

QUOTE

“When I gave you that jersey, before Francine called, I was trying to propose to you.”
0.0 Well that was extremely straightforward X'D

QUOTE

The corners of Joanna’s mouth tugged upward. “I kinda figured that out.”
What?! Since when?! 0.o X'D

QUOTE

The uneasy silence that had fallen between them was shattered by the rev of an engine and the whir of tires. MacGyver lunged for the door, Joanna right behind him, in time to see Sam barreling down the snowy drive in Mac’s SUV.
SAM YOU DIDN'T!!! X'D

QUOTE

“He’s probably just anxious to get into town and start his story,” Mac said casually, trying to hide his concern at his son’s hasty departure.
Hahaha no X'D

QUOTE

“All but kidnapping and abandoning us in the hopes that we’ll get back together!”
I didn't know I could love Sam any more, but THIS CHAPTER X'D

QUOTE

MacGyver dropped his head and blew out a breath. “This has nothing to do with you. I’m just sick and tired of Sam thinking he knows what’s best for me and trying to manipulate us!”
I feel like the next conversation between father and son is going to be interesting XD

Wait... Did Sam call Neil already?

QUOTE

Mac grabbed the phone, but silence greet him when he held the receiver to his ear.
Close enough. Sam, boy, what are we gonna do with you?

QUOTE

“Nope. Just to the main road. Hopefully someone will take pity on us and give us a lift.”
Getting a bit desperate, are we? Or just stubborn XD Tbh, I'd do the same thing. I guess the Northerner stubbornness is one thing I inherited XD

QUOTE

Jo shook her head. “I’ve had problems with my knees since I was in my early teens. I’m fine,”
Me too XD

QUOTE

“Yep. Opened the can all by myself and everything!” he grinned before shoveling a spoonful of chili into his mouth.
My cooking XD

QUOTE
He lifted the covers and carefully crawled into bed beside her to share his body heat.
This is becoming a past time now XD

QUOTE

“Honey?” she croaked.

“I’m right here, baby,” Mac assured her as he held her tight.

Joanna wiggled out of his grasp and into a sitting position.

“No,” she said in between coughs. “Do you have any honey?”

“Oh. Um. Let me check,” he said as he slipped from the bed.
I literally lol'ed XD

QUOTE

“Man, it’s cold out there!” he exclaimed. “So, did you two get everything straightened out?” he asked.
He just reminded me of Jack XD

QUOTE

“So no engagement then,” the younger man frowned.

“Saaam,” MacGyver warned.
Yeah, tread carefully. He's not taking your crap anymore XD

QUOTE
On the back, emblazoned where her name should be was the statement: “Mac’s Girl” in big, bold letters.
Oh Sam XD

QUOTE
He turned it around to find that it boldly proclaimed him “Jo’s Guy”.
You're so corny, Sam XD XD XD

I seriously hope that whenever Sam finds his perfect SO, Mac make just as big a fuss. Perfect revenge XD



"If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer" - Hank The Cowdog

"You have the heart of a chief, and the soul of a dragon"- How to Train Your Dragon 2

"[T]he more we try to understand one another, the more exceptional each one of us will be" - Zootopia

"Love makes you do strange things." - Charlie Brown

"When something looks too perfect, it probably sucks" - Dreamworks Dragons Race to the Edge

 
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uniquelyjas
Posted: 21 June 2019 - 06:43 AM                                    
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I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter, Dragondog! And especially that you like Sam. I'm sure I've said this before, but his character is both a blessing and a curse. Any fic post-season 7 should probably include him since he is a canon character. Unfortunately, we didn't learn very much about it since he only appeared once. Therefore, it gives you a lot of freedom when writing him, but at the same time, if you get stuck, you don't have canon to fall back on!

I also included a couple personal snippets. I really have had bad knees since I was a teen, though not to the extent of Joanna's. I also use honey to help with coughs and sore throats. I actually learned that remedy from my grandma who would give me spoonfuls when I got sick when I was little.



Jody~

"I've found from past experiences that the tighter your plan, the more likely you are to run into something unpredictable" ~ MacGyver (The Heist)

 
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Posted: 21 June 2019 - 11:27 AM                                    
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Interesting wink.gif



"If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer" - Hank The Cowdog

"You have the heart of a chief, and the soul of a dragon"- How to Train Your Dragon 2

"[T]he more we try to understand one another, the more exceptional each one of us will be" - Zootopia

"Love makes you do strange things." - Charlie Brown

"When something looks too perfect, it probably sucks" - Dreamworks Dragons Race to the Edge

 
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uniquelyjas
Posted: 28 June 2019 - 06:02 AM                                    
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Chapter 5: Justice

Okay. He admitted it. He deserved this crummy assignment after taking a month-long emergency leave of absence. MacGyver leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands trying to get the sight of the mountains of paperwork surrounding him out of his mind if only for a few minutes. If he never saw another manila file for the rest of his life it would be too soon!

“Was it worth it?” Mike Harlow asked, leaning casually against the doorjamb.

Mac straightened up and opened his eyes to glare at his co-worker.

“I’m beginning to wonder,” he grumbled.

After his weekend at Harry’s cabin, he had flown back to Los Angeles, hired a temporary pilot until Jack was fully healed, borrowed Jack a down payment and co-signed a loan for another plane, and then drove two thousand miles back to Milwaukee. Back home.

“Jack must be a pretty special friend,” Mike observed.

“Oh, he’s special all right,” Mac confirmed cynically.

Before MacGyver could elaborate, Joanna poked her head into the office. Her friendly smile turned to a frown when she saw the piles of paperwork Carlos Hernandez had given to Mac.

“Hey!” she greeted him. “I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be at the courthouse the rest of the day. A couple clients’ divorce cases are being heard and they insisted I be there for moral support.” She pulled a face as she explained and MacGyver couldn’t help but chuckle.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was late afternoon by the time Joanna emerged from the courtroom. The clients had appreciated her presence, but the heavy cloak of negativity that surrounded the proceedings had started to depress her. Not anxious to go out into the cold February weather, Jo decided to stroll around the old courthouse and admire the art and architecture she usually never had time to notice. She was walking down a long, ornate corridor when the doors to a court room burst open, causing her to stop in her tracks. A surly Hispanic teenager stalked out flanked by a petite Hispanic woman Jo assumed to be his mother and a burly, white, middle-aged man who must be his lawyer.

“I ain’t gonna plead guilty for somethin’ I didn’t do!” the boy spat at the man.

“Mijo!” the woman exclaimed, reaching out to grab her son’s arm which he promptly pulled away.

“Listen, kid,” the burly man snarled. “Just take the plea deal and make it easy on everyone. No jury in the world is gonna believe you anyway.” And with that the man walked away.

The teen spun around to stare out the window while his mother silently wrung her hands. Joanna swallowed hard. She knew the scene that had just played out in front of her happened all too often. The public defender too lazy to actually work a case so he coerced his clients into false confessions and plea deals. But she had never actually seen it happen. It made her blood boil. But it wasn’t any of her business. She put her head down and slipped quietly past the little family, but then jerked around when the woman called out to her.

“Ms. Joanna?!?!”

She hadn’t been called that since her days at Challengers Academy.

“Yes?”

“Oh, it is you,” the Hispanic woman said in a relieved voice.

“I’m sorry…I don’t…”

“Oh, of course you don’t remember me!” the woman apologized. “I’m Rosie Garcia and that’s my son, Raul. He attended Challengers.”

Joanna smiled and shook Rosie’s hand. She remembered Raul well. He had been a small, shy boy, but he had grown like a weed since she last saw him.

“Raul,” Rosie called in a commanding tone. “Come say hello to Ms. Joanna!”

The teen turned around, eyes wide with surprise, but remained silent.

“Hi Raul,” Jo said before turning back to Rosie. “I couldn’t help but overhear what happened just now. Can I ask what’s going on?”

“I didn’t do it!” Raul proclaimed defensively as he came to stand beside his mother.

Rosie sighed. “Raul has just been charged with vehicular vandalism, attempted auto theft, and party to a crime.”

“I wasn’t even there!” the teen interjected.

“How about we all go to the cafeteria, get something to drink, and you can tell me all about it,” Joanna suggested, hoping to diffuse the situation somewhat.

Thirty minutes and several cups of hot cocoa later, Joanna learned that local gang members had vandalized a car parked at a gas station. The incident had been caught on grainy surveillance tape. The leader of the gang, who had been arrested in the process, quickly identified the member swinging the baseball bat at the windshield as Raul Garcia. Raul was later arrested at his home where he claimed he had been all night. He also claimed he was not involved with the gang and that the leader had lied to punish him for not joining.

“I suppose you don’t believe me, either,” Raul moaned when he had finished his story.

“I believe you,” Jo assured him. “In fact, I might be able to help. I work for a law firm now. Let me talk to my boss tomorrow and see if we can get a real lawyer on this case.”

Rosie shook her head dejectedly. “That’s very kind of you, Ms. Joanna, but we can’t afford some fancy lawyer.”

“Don’t worry about the cost,” Jo said gently. “I’m sure we can work something out.”

After exchanging contact information and promises to keep in touch, Rosie and Raul left the building. Joanna quickly dug in her purse for her cell phone. She had to talk to someone. Scratch that. She had to talk to Mac. When she called his office, home, and cell phone and he didn’t answer any of them, she decided to take the long way home and see if he was at the hockey rink.

Having seen his Jeep in the parking lot, Joanna now made her way down the bleacher steps to the home team’s bench. She sat down and watched the lone figure in front of her glide across the ice with a unique combination of grace and power, a sight she was sure she would never grow tired of.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver was just finishing his final warm-up lap when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. He skidded to a stop and found Joanna seated on the home team’s bench. He acknowledged her with a wave of his bulky hockey glove before skimming across the ice to join her.

“Hey,” he said breathlessly before giving her a quick peck on the cheek and sitting down beside her. “How did you know I’d be here?”

Joanna smiled. “I’d like to say it was due to my finely honed detective skills…”

“But…?” he prodded teasingly.

“But you weren’t at work and you weren’t at home so I figured where else could you be?”

“Aw man, you mean I’m that predictable?” MacGyver slouched against the bench, removing his gloves and helmet. His sweaty hair plastered to his head.
“Trust me. You will never be predictable,” she reassured him as she reached over and brushed his dripping bangs out of his eyes. “Let’s just say I know you better than most people, okay?”

“Okay,” Mac replied with a cheeky grin. “We’ll go with that. Now, what brings you down here anyway?”

“I ran into a mutual acquaintance of ours today.”

“Really? Who?” he asked absently as he began unlacing his skates.

“Remember Raul Garcia from Challengers Academy?”

“Yeah. Nice kid. He was turning into quite a hockey player.”

“Well, I ran into him and his mom at the courthouse today.”

“The courthouse? What was he doing there?” MacGyver’s curiosity was sufficiently piqued, but he was afraid to hear the answer.

Joanna turned so she was facing him and launched into the details of her encounter earlier that day, as well as her plans to help Raul.

“So what do you say? Will you help me?” she asked, an expectant look on her face.

XXXXX

The following morning MacGyver stood next to Joanna in Carlos Hernandez’s office. When she had asked him for help the day before, her liquid brown eyes, like melted chocolate, had warmed his heart and he was helpless to refuse. Besides, if even part of what she had said was true, Raul was getting a raw deal.

“Pro bono?!?!” Hernandez bellowed when Jo had finished laying out her plans causing both her and Mac to wince.

“Let me get this straight,” their boss continued in a low growl. “You want me to assign one of my lawyers to defend some punk street kid for free when everyone is up to their eyeballs in billable cases?!”

“Look,” MacGyver tried to explain. “Raul isn’t a punk. He’s a good kid with a lot of potential who’s found himself in a bad situation through no fault of his own. It’s just him and his mom and they can’t afford to seek the justice he deserves.”

Hernandez blew out a breath. “I’ll tell you what. If you can find one of my lawyers who’s willing to take the case without pay and on their own time you can go right ahead. But, if I notice even a fraction of decrease in said lawyer’s performance, they’re off the case! Understand?”

“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir,” Mac replied with a nod, saving his satisfied grin for when he and Jo left the office.

Later that afternoon, MacGyver poked his head into Joanna’s office, clearing his throat loudly to announce his presence. She turned away from her computer with a frown, no doubt not pleased with the interruption, but that would soon change. He hoped. He motioned a forty-something man of Asian descent ahead of him before entering the office himself and firmly closing the door. Jo’s eyebrows shot up and she tilted her head in a questioning gesture.

“Joanna, this is Lee Vang, a criminal defense lawyer from downstairs. He’s agreed to take Raul’s case,” Mac announced.

A look of disbelief flitted across her face before she pasted her most professional smile in place and stood to shake the man’s hand.

“It’s good to meet you,” she said warmly. “Did MacGyver explain the details and stipulations of the case?”

“Yes, Ms. Fairfax. He did.”

“And you’re still willing to take it?”

“Indeed. I began my career as a public defender and saw similar injustices carried out far too often. It’s been an issue close to my heart all these years, and my caseload is relatively light at the moment. It would be my honor to defend this young man MacGyver speaks of so highly.”

Mac watched as Jo’s professional veneer slipped just a bit.

“I’m so glad to hear that,” Joanna replied. “I’ll get you the Garcia’s contact information, and please let Mac or me know if we can help in any way.”

“Thank you, Ms. Fairfax. I look forward to working with both of you.”

“Please, call me Joanna,” she said as she once again shook the lawyer’s hand before he headed back to his office.

“Wow,” she turned to MacGyver. “You work fast!”

“Let’s just say I can be very persuasive when I want to be,” he said, grinning like the cat who swallowed the canary while Joanna quirked an eyebrow.

Three days later, Lee Vang summoned Mac and Joanna to his office. The frown on the attorney’s face caused MacGyver’s stomach to dip. There was a problem.

“Please, have a seat,” Vang invited them to sit across from him.

“What’s up?” Mac asked, trying to sound casual even as he felt the concern emanating from Jo.

“I’m afraid this case might be more difficult to defend than I first anticipated,” Vang confessed as his two co-workers remained silent awaiting further explanation.

“The only hard evidence we have is an inconclusive surveillance video and testimony of a gang leader.”

“Exactly!” Mac exclaimed. “What jury is gonna believe a gang banger?! And whatever happened to being innocent until proven guilty?! If the tape is inconclusive, then there isn’t any proof!” Mac slammed his hand down hard on Vang’s desk before standing up to pace the small room.

Vang remained calm, apparently used to outbursts from his clients. “If we take this case to trial, the best we can hope for is a sympathetic jury willing to consider the lack of evidence and testimony of character witnesses.”

“What do you mean ‘if’?” Mac turned to glare at the lawyer.

“I hate to admit it, but perhaps agreeing to a plea deal in this case would be the best course of action.”

MacGyver could feel his blood turn cold even as beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.

“No!” he barked. “Raul wasn’t even there!”

“So he says,” the attorney replied softly.

“You don’t even believe your own client?” Mac asked incredulously.

“Perhaps you could show us the video?” Joanna asked calmly in an obvious attempt to diffuse the conversation.

“Of course,” the lawyer agreed and went over to a small cabinet which he opened to reveal a small television set and VCR. He replayed the tape a couple of times while MacGyver stood on the other side of the room trying to regain his composure.

“Mac, come over and look at this,” Joanna implored. “Maybe you can see something we can’t.”

MacGyver stared intently at the screen as the crime played out before him over and over. All he could see were four figures, assumed to be gang members, wreaking havoc on a parked car. Oh, how he longed for access to Phoenix technology that could enhance this grainy video!

“I don’t suppose there are any ways to clean up this tape?” he asked.

Silence was his answer.

He had seen enough and was ready to walk away when he thought he might have found a clue.

“Play this back one more time,” he requested.

This time his gaze stayed focused on the figure with the baseball bat.

“I think I found something,” he announced as he turned to leave the office.

“What is it?” Joanna asked, hurrying after him.

“Where are you going?” she demanded when her question went unanswered.

“Back to my place. I need to check something out. Wanna come?”

“Of course!” she exclaimed, tight on his heels.

MacGyver quickly unlocked his front door and hurried to his video collection, scanning the titles until he found the cassette he wanted. He turned on the television, shoved the tape into the VCR, and waited impatiently for it to begin.

“What are we watching?” Joanna asked.

“A tape of one of the Challengers ice hockey games. A parent had given me a copy.”

“What are we looking for?” she asked again as the tape began to play.

“Raul,” Mac replied evenly.

They watched the game for several minutes before MacGyver pointed to the screen.

“There he is…number nine.”

Mac kept his eyes glued to the screen, waiting. Eventually the puck was passed to Raul who wound up and took a shot on goal that went incredibly wide.

“I knew it!” MacGyver exclaimed, turning off the tape and grabbing it as soon as it ejected as if it was the Stanley Cup.

“Knew what?” Joanna asked, clearly not understanding his discovery.

“Raul is left-handed! That slap shot proves it!”

“So?”

MacGyver took a breath. “So, Raul is supposedly the one swinging the baseball bat on the surveillance tape, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Whoever swung that bat was right handed and therefore not Raul!”

A week later, at Raul’s preliminary hearing, Joanna and MacGyver spoke out as character witnesses for the boy. Once they had given their testimony, they sat on a cold, hard bench in the gallery with a nervous Rosie Garcia between them. Joanna patted the woman’s hand soothingly and MacGyver offered encouraging smiles while the judge watched the two video tapes that were the basis of Raul’s defense. Once the official was satisfied with what he saw, Lee Vang began a well-rehearsed closing statement ending with a motion for the court to dismiss the case against his client due to lack of evidence. The judge called for a quick recess in order to consider the request while ordering all parties to remain in the courtroom. Rosie Garcia took this opportunity to lock hands with Joanna and MacGyver.

“No matter what the judge decides, I want to thank you both for believing in my Raul and going out of your way to help us. I have never been more grateful to anyone,” she said as tears welled in her eyes.

“Hey, even if we don’t get the case dismissed, there’s still a long way to go and we’ll all be with you and Raul every step of the way,” MacGyver assured her.

“You and Ms. Joanna and Mr. Vang have been such a blessing. How will I ever repay you?”

“You won’t,” MacGyver said firmly but with a warm smile.

“Unless you want to make us a batch of your homemade tamales Raul has been telling me about,” Lee Vang offered, turning from where he was seated with his client.

“Consider it done,” Rosie promised with a watery smiled that was wiped from her face seconds later when the judge reentered the courtroom. Once settled in his chair, he asked Raul to rise before addressing him.

“Young man,” he began. “It appears the court owes you an apology. In our rush to judgement, we often see what is not there and hear what is not true. I applaud you and those who supported you in your quest for justice. Therefore, due to the overwhelming lack of evidence and to keep your record unblemished, this case is undeniably dismissed.”

There was a collective sigh as the judge banged his gavel and returned to his chambers. Raul turned to Joanna and MacGyver.

“Thank you so much for believing in me,” he said fervently.

“Not a problem,” MacGyver answered with a smile as Joanna beamed beside him.

“Come, mijo, we must go home,” Rosie ordered. “I have tamales to make,” she said with a wink to Mr. Vang.

“I wish all cases were so easily resolved,” the lawyer sighed as the Garcias left the courtroom. “What is the world coming to when the justice system continually fails our youngest citizens? If it wasn’t for you two, Raul could have very well ended up being another sad statistic.”

“We’re just glad we could help,” MacGyver replied, rocking back on his heels.

“Unfortunately you can’t help them all,” Vang said dejectedly. “And just today the city shut down yet another youth program which means there will be more kids out on the street.”

“What happened?” Mac asked.

“What do you think?” Vang countered. “Money, Mr. MacGyver, or lack thereof. It’s always all about money.”

Mac watched as the lawyer hung his head and left the room before staring unseeingly at the large, wood double doors.

“You’re thinking about something. I can see it.” Jo’s voice cut into his thoughts. “What is it, Mac?”

“I think I might have an idea.”












Jody~

"I've found from past experiences that the tighter your plan, the more likely you are to run into something unpredictable" ~ MacGyver (The Heist)

 
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Dragondog
Posted: 29 June 2019 - 09:38 AM                                    
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QUOTE
He deserved this crummy assignment after taking a month-long emergency leave of absence.
Is Jack okay now? Mac's back, I see XD

QUOTE

After his weekend at Harry’s cabin, he had flown back to Los Angeles, hired a temporary pilot until Jack was fully healed, borrowed Jack a down payment and co-signed a loan for another plane, and then drove two thousand miles back to Milwaukee. Back home.
Ah, okay XD

QUOTE

“Listen, kid,” the burly man snarled. “Just take the plea deal and make it easy on everyone. No jury in the world is gonna believe you anyway.” And with that the man walked away.
I hate it when that situation happens dry.gif

QUOTE
Let me talk to my boss tomorrow and see if we can get a real lawyer on this case.”
The shade XD

QUOTE

“Joanna, this is Lee Vang, a criminal defense lawyer from downstairs. He’s agreed to take Raul’s case,” Mac announced.
That was fast XD

QUOTE
What is the world coming to when the justice system continually fails our youngest citizens?
This is true. This is so, so sad, and so, so true. The court system is broken, and they don't have anyone's best interest's at heart but their own. And because children have no rights, they suffer the worst...

In case it's not obvious from my comments, yes, I have personal experience with the brokenness of the legal system. While my situation wasn't nearly the same story as Raul's it was just as much proof that deep down, our legal system, even the government itself just doesn't give a damn about the most helpless members of society.

I know that wasn't much, but I had a long day, I'm very tired, and it's been like 90 degrees all



"If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer" - Hank The Cowdog

"You have the heart of a chief, and the soul of a dragon"- How to Train Your Dragon 2

"[T]he more we try to understand one another, the more exceptional each one of us will be" - Zootopia

"Love makes you do strange things." - Charlie Brown

"When something looks too perfect, it probably sucks" - Dreamworks Dragons Race to the Edge

 
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uniquelyjas
Posted: 29 June 2019 - 10:45 AM                                    
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Dragondog, this chapter was personal for me as well (if you couldn't tell). Though I've never had direct experience with the juvenile system, I did work as a teacher at a correctional facility for about 5 years and learned a whole lot of stuff about our justice system. I still work with ex-offenders and see first-hand how lives can be ruined by injustice. Sometimes they get it right, sometimes they don't.



Jody~

"I've found from past experiences that the tighter your plan, the more likely you are to run into something unpredictable" ~ MacGyver (The Heist)

 
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House:  House boat



QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 29 June 2019 - 01:45 PM)
Dragondog, this chapter was personal for me as well (if you couldn't tell). Though I've never had direct experience with the juvenile system, I did work as a teacher at a correctional facility for about 5 years and learned a whole lot of stuff about our justice system. I still work with ex-offenders and see first-hand how lives can be ruined by injustice. Sometimes they get it right, sometimes they don't.

I kinda figured there was some personal stuff in there, tbh wink.gif



"If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer" - Hank The Cowdog

"You have the heart of a chief, and the soul of a dragon"- How to Train Your Dragon 2

"[T]he more we try to understand one another, the more exceptional each one of us will be" - Zootopia

"Love makes you do strange things." - Charlie Brown

"When something looks too perfect, it probably sucks" - Dreamworks Dragons Race to the Edge

 
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uniquelyjas
Posted: 4 July 2019 - 12:39 PM                                    
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Chapter 6: Possibilities

The day following the dismissal of Raul’s case, MacGyver sat at his desk staring at his closed office door deep in thought. His boss thought he was working through the mound of paperwork he had been assigned. His colleagues knew better than to disturb him. And Joanna had an innate sense of knowing when to give him time and space. Unfortunately, that “sense” was apparently attached to a timeframe because by noon her office door closed a little harder and her footsteps in the hall were a little louder. By mid-afternoon, various thunks, thuds, and bangs assaulted the wall they shared. Mac grinned. Time had run out. He ambled next door and leaned casually against the door jamb.

“You beckoned?” he asked Joanna who was typing away at her computer.

“I did?” Her mask of wide-eyed innocence only confirmed how guilty she was.

“Yes. You did.” Mac stated as he sat down in a chair across from her.

“Well, you’ve hardly said a word since we left the courthouse yesterday. I’m worried about you.”

MacGyver sighed. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine.”

Without warning, Joanna slapped her palms against her desk and stood up fast. All pretense of innocence gone.

“You may be fine, but I’m not!” she exclaimed. “You talked about commitment and marriage. You even tried to propose to me! Yet you shut me out every chance you get! I know something is rattling around that great big brain of yours. Why can’t you share it with me?!”

“I don’t have everything figured out, yet,” he replied, stunned at her uncharacteristic outburst but knowing he deserved it.

“So?” she asked, her voice calmer as she sat back down. “Can’t we talk about it together? They say two heads are better than one,” she grinned hopefully.

Mac scrubbed his face with his hands and leaned forward, his elbows perched on his knees.

“Remember yesterday when Vang said that a boys and girls club had just closed down?”

“Yeah,” she replied, her brows knit in confusion.

“Well, I want to buy it and open it up as Milwaukee’s own Challengers Club. That whole mess with Raul yesterday might have been prevented if teens like him had a place like that to go and people to watch out for them. We need to keep as many kids off the street as possible.”

“Wow,” was all Joanna said as she let out a breath and leaned back in her chair.

To MacGyver, it seemed as if all the oxygen had left the room. His heart pounded and his lungs burned as he waited for her to say something. Anything. Minutes felt like hours and he was just about to tell her to forget he ever mentioned it when she drew in a breath.

“That’s quite a commitment,” she replied softly.

Now it was Mac’s turn to bolt out of his seat in frustration.

“Really?! You’re gonna throw the commitment issue in my face about this?!”

To Joanna’s credit, she kept her composure and looked up at him confidently, her words strong and sure.

“What I meant is that it’s a huge commitment for anyone.”

Mollified, MacGyver sat back down.

“So, what’s our first step?” she asked.

“What do you mean ‘our’ first step?” he asked in confusion.

Joanna rolled her eyes before pinning him with an angry glare. “I thought you were done shutting me out!”

“You mean you’re on board with this?”

“How can I not be? I think it’s a great idea!”

Mac knew she must have as many questions and misgivings as he did, but she refused to voice them and for that he loved her even more. As for himself, he would have to treat this like any mission he had went on for the DXS or Phoenix: Stay focused, remain calm, take it one step at a time.

“I already spoke with Vang and he contacted the realtor. They want to get the property off their hands as soon as possible so we scheduled a walk-through for tonight after work.” He looked into her expectant eyes and knew what he had to do. “Want to come along?”

“Duh!” she pulled a face before smiling indulgently.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Joanna, MacGyver, and Attorney Lee Vang huddled outside the old, brick, two-story structure in a not-so-great part of town as the realtor unlocked the door. Of course, Jo fully understood that such services needed to be in the areas where they could do the most good, but that didn’t keep her from holding her purse a little tighter and looking around warily.

As they entered the building, she heard Mac release a relieved sigh. Apparently it was everything he had been expecting it to be. Since up until a few days ago the space had served as a youth center, there was no obvious need for modifications. The realtor also happily explained that everything, including plumbing and electricity, was up to code and ready for immediate occupancy.

The vast majority of the first floor was an open-concept recreation area complete with pool tables, video arcade games, overstuffed chairs and sofas, and even basic exercise equipment. The remaining space included small offices and a modest kitchen. Upstairs was a long corridor flanked on either side by several doors. Behind each door was a small, dormitory-like room with a nightstand and lamp between two twin beds. At either end of the hall was a large, locker room type bathroom complete with showers. This was where kids in dangerous or homeless situations could stay until more appropriate services could be provided.

“Surely it doesn’t come with all the furnishings,” Joanna observed, more than asked.

The realtor shrugged his shoulders. “We were told to lease it ‘as is’, so what you see is what you get.”

Joanna’s eyes grew huge as she caught Mac’s attention and mouthed an astonished ‘wow’.

After the tour, the trio had dinner at a casual restaurant near the law firm.

“Well, what do you think?” Vang asked.

“I think it’s perfect!” Mac replied with more exuberance than Joanna had ever heard from him except when he was playing or watching hockey. She nodded her head in agreement.

“I thought you’d say that,” Vang smiled, “So I went ahead and talked some numbers. It’s really a very good deal considering everything that’s included.” The lawyer passed a piece of paper to MacGyver whose excitement suddenly faded. Joanna peered over his shoulder at the numbers and her stomach rebelled.

“You can take occupancy as soon as you can come up with first and last month’s rent,” the lawyer continued. “Call me when you’re ready to seal the deal.”

With that, Lee Vang grabbed his briefcase, slid out of the booth and disappeared, leaving Mac and Jo staring at the numbers he had presented.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver was lying on his couch, staring up at the ceiling. The digital clock on top of the television read two o’clock in the morning. Every time he closed his eyes, numbers appeared in front of him along with big, fat dollar signs. What had he been thinking? There was no way he could make this happen. Yet Cynthia and Booker Wilson had done it. He just had to come up with a plan, only this time he was gonna need help. He pulled on jeans and a sweatshirt and soon found himself parked in Joanna’s driveway. He didn’t want to ring the doorbell and wake the entire household, so he dialed her cell phone with his.

“I’m outside. Can we take?” he asked. She had answered the phone on the second ring so chances are he wasn’t the only one having a sleepless night.

“I was so stupid!” he exclaimed, jamming his hand through his unruly hair as he collapsed on Jo’s small sofa. “All I could think about was swooping in and saving kids from the street. I never considered the cost!”

“There were a lot of things you didn’t consider,” she added gently, her voice free of censure which he appreciated.

“What are you going to do about your job at the law firm?” Jo asked. “And who’s gonna manage and staff the center when you can’t be there?”

“I don’t know,” Mac mumbled, scrubbing his face with both hands. “But none of that will matter if I can’t pay the lease.”

“Well, how was the original Challengers Club financed?” Joanna asked.

Mac shrugged. “Donations. Fundraisers. Various grants. Loans.”

“You have good credit, you should be able to get a loan.”

“I doubt that,” MacGyver replied slowly.

“Why?” Joanna was now squinting at him.

Mac winced. “I sorta co-signed a loan for Jack Dalton’s business and Jack being…Jack…will probably default.”

“Oh, Mac,” Jo sighed, but quickly recovered. “What about the grants? Where did they come from?”

A slow smile tugged at MacGyver’s lips. “For the last several years…from the Phoenix Foundation.”

He pulled out his cell phone, ignoring Joanna’s raised eyebrow.

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” Pete Thornton hissed into the phone.

“Is that how you answer all your calls?” Mac retorted.

“Ah, MacGyver. I should have known. What is it?”

“I got a favor to ask of you Pete!”



Jody~

"I've found from past experiences that the tighter your plan, the more likely you are to run into something unpredictable" ~ MacGyver (The Heist)

 
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Dragondog
Posted: 7 July 2019 - 01:24 PM                                    
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Sorry this took so long

QUOTE

“You may be fine, but I’m not!” she exclaimed. “You talked about commitment and marriage. You even tried to propose to me! Yet you shut me out every chance you get! I know something is rattling around that great big brain of yours. Why can’t you share it with me?!”
Oh, here we go again rolleyes.gif

QUOTE

“Really?! You’re gonna throw the commitment issue in my face about this?!”

To Joanna’s credit, she kept her composure and looked up at him confidently, her words strong and sure.

“What I meant is that it’s a huge commitment for anyone.”

Mollified, MacGyver sat back down.
Yeah, I kinda assumed that's what she meant XD

QUOTE

“So, what’s our first step?” she asked.

“What do you mean ‘our’ first step?” he asked in confusion.

Joanna rolled her eyes before pinning him with an angry glare. “I thought you were done shutting me out!”

“You mean you’re on board with this?”

“How can I not be? I think it’s a great idea!”
Somehow this whole discussion is a roller coaster, and I think it's funny laugh.gif

QUOTE

“I thought you’d say that,” Vang smiled, “So I went ahead and talked some numbers. It’s really a very good deal considering everything that’s included.” The lawyer passed a piece of paper to MacGyver whose excitement suddenly faded. Joanna peered over his shoulder at the numbers and her stomach rebelled.
This is exactly what Animal Crossing players experience whenever visiting Tom Nook's store roller.gif

QUOTE
Every time he closed his eyes, numbers appeared in front of him along with big, fat dollar signs.
Me after math class laugh.gif

QUOTE
He pulled on jeans and a sweatshirt and soon found himself parked in Joanna’s driveway. He didn’t want to ring the doorbell and wake the entire household, so he dialed her cell phone with his.
For some reason I find it funny that he goes all the way over there before calling her XD

QUOTE

“I’m outside. Can we take?” he asked.
*talk. Sorry, I know I keep doing that, it's a reflex blush.gif

QUOTE

Mac winced. “I sorta co-signed a loan for Jack Dalton’s business and Jack being…Jack…will probably default.”
Ah yes, ol' Jack 'Homewrecker' Dalton...

Idk, it's been like 90 degrees, and I can't think, so my sense of humor is weird at the moment laugh.gif

QUOTE

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” Pete Thornton hissed into the phone.

“Is that how you answer all your calls?” Mac retorted.
I actually do answer all my calls like this laugh.gif



"If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer" - Hank The Cowdog

"You have the heart of a chief, and the soul of a dragon"- How to Train Your Dragon 2

"[T]he more we try to understand one another, the more exceptional each one of us will be" - Zootopia

"Love makes you do strange things." - Charlie Brown

"When something looks too perfect, it probably sucks" - Dreamworks Dragons Race to the Edge

 
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uniquelyjas
Posted: 10 July 2019 - 03:01 PM                                    
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House:  House boat



Chapter 7: Realities


It was late Friday evening when MacGyver knocked on the door of the Thornton’s modest home in suburban Chicago.

“Mac, come on in!” Pete greeted him as he opened the door. The two friends exchanged quick hugs.

“How ya doin’ Pete?”

“Good, good,” the older man replied a bit distractedly. “I hope you brought a suit for tomorrow.”

“Yes, I brought a suit for tomorrow,” Mac parroted back indulgently.

“And you got a haircut?”

“Of course!”

“You still can’t lie, even to a blind man,” Pete grunted as he turned and led the way into the living room before settling in an oversized chair.

MacGyver followed, pleased to see how easily his friend managed to get around despite his lack of sight.

“Where’s Connie?” Mac asked as he seated himself on the couch.

“She decided to turn in early.”

“I still can’t believe you guys have been remarried for almost two years!”

“Yeah, how about that?” Pete laughed.

“Aw, come on! You guys were meant to be together. It only took a long divorce to help you figure it out,” MacGyver teased before turning the conversation to the reason he had come to Chicago in the first place.

“So, how did you get the board to agree to a meeting so quickly? And on a Saturday?”

Pete leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his rotund belly and a satisfied grin on his face.

“Seems as if this old dog still has a few tricks left in him after all,” he chuckled. “Turns out a couple of the Chicago based board members were friends of mine back at the Foundation in Los Angeles. I called in a couple old favors and voila!”

MacGyver smiled at his friend and former boss. Pete was always happiest when he had a project to work on. In the past, that project had usually been MacGyver and now, in a way, it was again.

“Thanks again for taking care of all the red tape and stuff,” Mac said.

“Well, I know that’s not your forte…besides, I’ve been getting kinda bored rattling around this house day in and day out.”

“Connie’s not keeping you on your toes?”

“Oh, she tries…but it isn’t the same. You know?”

“Yeah, Pete, I know.”

The following morning, MacGyver guided Pete through the maze of corridors that made up the Phoenix Foundation. Upon entering a small conference room, they were greeted by a jovial middle-aged man wearing chinos and a crew neck sweater. Mac looked down ruefully at his suit but new he had to put his best foot forward if he was to get this grant. Belatedly, he regretted not getting a haircut.

“Pete, my friend! So good to see you again! What is this? Twice in one week? You do remember you’re retired, don’t you?!” the man laughed.

“Andy, thanks for agreeing to meet with us outside of normal hours,” Pete replied. “This is MacGyver.” He gestured toward his friend.

“Good to meet you,” Mac said, shaking Andy’s hand before they all took a seat at the large, oval table that dominated the room.

“Ah, your reputation precedes you, Mr. MacGyver! Pete speaks very highly of you, and after reviewing your file I can see that it is well deserved.”

“Thank you, sir,” Mac replied politely, feeling like a kid in the principal’s office waiting for the worst but hoping for the best.

“No need to be so formal! Call me ‘Andy’.”

MacGyver smiled and nodded his acquiescence.

“Well, then, I suppose you two want to get down to business.”

“Won’t the others be joining us?” Pete asked, his brow knit in confusion.

“Oh,” Andy waved his hand dismissively, apparently forgetting Pete couldn’t see it. “There’s no need for them,” he stated as he opened a portfolio and put on a pair of reading glasses. “All the appropriate paperwork has been submitted and at the weekly board meeting this past Wednesday it was unanimously agreed upon that—“

Mac tried to swallow but found his mouth had gone dry. This was it. One way or another.

“—The Phoenix Foundation will present the Challengers Boys and Girls Club with a grant for the requested amount with a review for renewal every six months.”

MacGyver let out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding and suddenly realized his lungs were beginning to burn from lack of oxygen. He sat in stunned silence for a moment before reaching across the table to shake Andy’s hand in appreciation.

“Now then,” Andy continued, “We just need to go over the terms and conditions, have you sign a few more forms, and we can all get on with our weekend!”

XXXXX

Mac stood in his closed garage Sunday evening polishing the hood of the Nomad until he thought the paint would rub off. Frog sat at his feet, panting. A reminder that supper was long over-due.

“I haven’t forgotten about you, buddy,” MacGyver assured the dog. “We’ll eat soon.”

Lost in his thoughts, he hardly heard a car pull up his driveway, the drone of the motor suddenly cut off. Frog stood up and wagged his stubby tail. If Mac didn’t know any better he’d say the beast was even smiling.

“You can’t possibly know who it is,” he chided the canine while heading toward the service door. It was then that he saw Joanna heading toward the house.

“In here!” he called.

Upon hearing his voice she made a quick turn and headed to the garage. Her expression flat and unreadable.

“What’s up?” Mac asked. He thought she raised her eyebrows slightly.

“I thought you’d call when you got back.”

“Oh, yeah, sorry about that. I’ve had a lot on my mind,” he explained as he returned to polishing his car.

“You didn’t get the grant?” Jo asked quietly, a hint of pity in her voice.

“No, I got it,” he replied dully.

Silence reigned and he knew she was giving him the chance to open himself up and let her in on his thoughts. Usually the one to solve problems, he wasn’t used to sharing his concerns with others. But if he wanted a lasting relationship with Jo, or anyone else, he better start…now.

He sighed and sat down on the chrome bumper. “When I got home there was a message on my machine from Vang. He said there’s another offer on the building and if I can’t come up with the down payment this week I could lose it.”

He met her questioning gaze. “The grant money won’t be available until the first of the month. By then it will be too late.”

Joanna silently sat down beside him. “I’ve been saving—“

“No! I’m not gonna take that kind of money from you!”

“Why not? That’s what friends are for…to help you out.”

“I refuse to take advantage of my friends like that!”

“Then pretend you’re Jack Dalton!”

MacGyver hung his head and laughed wryly.

“Funny you should mention Jack. The first thing I did was try to call in my loan, but it’s so soon and his business is still in the red.”

“There’s gotta be a way,” Joanna murmured, putting a comforting hand on his knee.

“There is.” He stood up and turned to look at the car.

Joanna could remain stoic no longer as he saw fear then pain cloud her eyes.

“Please tell me you’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking,” she pleaded.

“If I find the right buyer I’ll get enough for the initial rent and then some,” he told her matter-of-factly.

“But it was your grandfather’s!”

“I still have his cabin,” Mac shrugged. “Besides, I hardly drive it anymore. I’m just one guy, I don’t need two cars.”

“So just like that you’re gonna sell the Nomad?” Jo challenged.

“Yeah!” he snapped back. “It’s the only logical choice.”

“Well, then” Joanna declared, standing up and resting her hands on her hips. “I’ll buy it. You can even have visitation rights.”

“I told you I’m not gonna take your money.”

“No,” she retorted. “You said you weren’t going to let me give you the money. Consider this a business transaction as if I were any other classic car aficionado.”

Mac studied the rigid set of her jaw and the gleam in her eye that suggested she was spoiling for a fight. He might not win this one. Actually, he might not want to. He jammed his splayed fingers through his hair and groaned.

“Fine. You win! I’ll agree to take the loan you are offering, but I’m gonna pay you back every cent,” he promised.

“Take your time,” she said, flashing him a victorious grin.

Awed by the generous, stubborn, beautiful woman in front of him, Mac could contain his emotions no longer. He cupped her cheek with the palm of his hand and lowered his lips to hers in a silent, all-consuming expression of his gratitude.

XXXXX

The tickling in his nostrils roused MacGyver enough to realize two things. His nose was being assaulted by the spicy aroma of Indian food, and soft fingers were gently playing with the hair gathered at the nape of his neck. He raised his head from his desk to find Joanna standing beside him.

“How late is it?” he asked groggily.

“Too late to be eating that stuff,” she grimaced, pointing to the take-out containers before him.

“Then why’d you bring it?”

“I knew you’d want it,” she shrugged.

Ever since securing the building, Mac had been spending his days at the law firm and his evenings in his office at what was now known as Challengers. It was a well-known fact that he hated paperwork, and he had sorely underestimated the number of forms and reports that were required for his new venture. However, he didn’t mind it so much since he knew the eventual outcome would far outweigh his current misery. His ultimate goal was to have the club open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week to provide safety and shelter to anyone who needed it. However, his immediate plans were much more modest. He planned to have the club open from mid-afternoon through early evening so kids who normally went home from school to empty houses or out on the streets would have a safe, friendly place to pass the time.

“How’s it going?” Joanna asked, nodding toward the papers scattered across his desk.

“Okay, I guess,” Mac answered before shoving a forkful of food into his mouth.

“You can’t go on like this,” Jo protested. “You’re gonna make yourself sick.” Mac stopped eating long enough to give her a pointed look, but she continued, “Surely you know someone who can at least help out until the club is up and running.”

Silence hung in the air as each considered the options.

“What about Cynthia Wilson?” Jo asked excitedly. “Didn’t you say that she and her husband started Challengers in Los Angeles from the ground up?”

MacGyver was about to protest, to tell Joanna that Cynthia had cut ties with Challengers, but it died on his lips. He remembered running into her in L.A. after Jack had his accident. She had happily stepped in and took charge of the club when it was short-handed. He could at least call her and maybe get some advice.
Three days later Mac parked the Nomad in front of a hangar at a small, municipal airport a few miles from the city where Jack had temporarily parked his almost-new (a term he preferred over ‘slightly-used’) Cessna after flying in from Los Angeles. Cynthia emerged from the building with Jack a few steps behind.

“Thanks so much for coming!” Mac greeted her with a hug. “How was your flight?”

“Oh, MacGyver! It is so good to see you again!” Cynthia exclaimed. “Jack is a wonderful pilot! He handled the turbulence so smoothly!”

Mac cocked an eyebrow at his friend, “Turbulence?”

“Well…uh…still getting used to the new controls. They’re pretty sensitive,” Jack explained with a half-hearted chuckle.

“Ah,” was all Mac could say.

The trio headed straight to Challengers and Mac’s friends were duly impressed upon entering the building.

“It’s absolutely perfect!” Cynthia gushed, her smile wide and eyes twinkling. MacGyver didn’t think he had seen her this enthused since Booker’s death.

“You’ve done good, Compadre!” Jack congratulated him with a slap on the back.

“You can use my office while you’re here,” Mac told Cynthia as he led them into a small room.

Cynthia looked at the papers and file folders strewn across the top of an old wooden desk and then at MacGyver.

“I was gonna clean up,” Mac replied sheepishly to her unvoiced observation, “But I didn’t want to get rid of anything you might need.”

The woman simply gave him a knowing smile and a nod. “Before I get started, perhaps I could freshen up a bit?”
“Of course!” Mac quickly agreed.

Minutes later they were standing in MacGyver’s living room where Joanna had just finished cleaning and now stood by his side.

“Cynthia Wilson, I’d like you to meet Joanna Fairfax,” MacGyver said as he introduced the two women.

Cynthia smiled and reached out, taking Jo’s hand in both of hers, giving it an approving squeeze. “So you’re the young woman who has stolen MacGyver’s heart,” she proclaimed rather than asked. “I can’t wait to get to know you better!”

Mac cleared his throat to get Joanna’s attention. “And of course you remember Jack Dalton.”

“A hard man to forget,” she answered with a warm smile that held a touch of humor as she offered her hand to the pilot.

“Ah, mon cheri! You’re looking lovely as ever!” Jack gallantly swept off his aviator’s hat, bowed, and kissed the back of her hand while Mac glared at him.

“Cynthia, you take the bed upstairs,” MacGyver directed after a few moments, “I’ll just take the couch.”

“What about me?” Jack asked.

“What about you?” Mac queried.

“Where am I supposed to sleep?”

“In a motel, Jack. There’s one real close and it even has free HBO.”

Jack dramatically placed both hands over his heart and staggered backwards with a gasp.

“You would exile your best friend, who, by the way, just did you a big favor, to a cold, lonely motel room?!”

MacGyver rolled his eyes, but Joanna was more sympathetic.

“Well, if it’s going to be a problem you could—“

“Sleep in the motel with all the other lonely people,” Mac asserted, cutting her off.

“Fine!” Jack huffed. “But you remember this the next time you think about asking me for another favor!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Mac replied languidly as he started to close the door behind Jack.

“Wait a minute,” Jack retorted with his foot keeping the door open. “If you’re kickin’ me out of the nest I’m gonna need some wheels.”

MacGyver sighed and considered the Jeep and Nomad parked in the driveway. Grudgingly, he plucked a keychain from the brass sailboat nailed to the wall next to the door and dropped the keys into Jack’s outstretched hand.

“You can take my Jeep. But be careful!” Mac warned

“Gracias, amigo!” Jack grinned and fairly skipped to the car. “Hasta manana!” He called.

MacGyver dropped his chin to his chest and groaned. “I think I’ve just made a very big mistake.” Joanna stood next to him, rubbing his back in commiseration as they watched Jack back the Jeep out of the drive and peel off down the street.

The next morning, Mac drove Cynthia to the Challengers Club on his way to the law firm. He was surprised to find Jack there and waiting for them in the parking lot.

“What are you doing here?” he asked his friend. “I thought you’d be half way to L.A. by now.”
Jack shrugged. “What can I say? Business is slow so I thought I’d hang around for a few days. Maybe help out.”

This took Mac by surprise. He studied his friend’s face carefully, awaiting the left-eye-twitch that would indicate Jack was up to something more than just wanting to help out, but the tell-tale eye remained steady as a rock.

“I’m not lyin’ to you, Mac,” Jack confirmed. “No tricks, no schemes, nothin’. I just wanna help.”

“Sorry. Force of habit,” Mac grimaced before returning to his car and heading to work. In a way, it was nice to have Jack around again. He forgot how much he missed his conniving, scheming, lying, absolute best friend.

That evening MacGyver returned to Challengers to pick up Cynthia. To his surprise, his borrowed Jeep was still in the parking lot in the same place it had been this morning. Had Jack spent the entire day here? When Mac entered the building he stopped short. The place was so clean it practically sparkled. The game tables, including the air hockey table he had resurrected from a storage unit, had been placed strategically throughout the recreation area. The scent of pine and disinfectant hung in the air.

He entered his…er…Cynthia’s office and was once again shocked by the transformation. The papers that had covered the desk were gone, the furniture was neatly arranged, and Cynthia was working away on the computer as Jack leaned back in chair across from her.

“Wow! You guys have been busy!” Mac exclaimed.

Cynthia looked up at him with a gentle smile and Jack turned around, smiling widely.

“It really wasn’t that bad, MacGyver,” she assured him. “I just tidied up a bit.”

That was an understatement!

“And it looks like things are right on track for us to have the grand opening next week.”

“Couldn’t have done it without your help,” Mac told her. He felt a bit chagrinned that after all his hard work and sleepless nights Cynthia had managed to get the place in order in a matter of hours.

“Are you feeling all right?” Jack asked him skeptically.

“Sure. Why?”

“You look a little pale.”

“Guess I’m just tired. Nothing a good night’s sleep won’t cure.”








Jody~

"I've found from past experiences that the tighter your plan, the more likely you are to run into something unpredictable" ~ MacGyver (The Heist)

 
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Posted: 11 July 2019 - 11:49 AM                                    
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QUOTE

“And you got a haircut?”

“Of course!”

“You still can’t lie, even to a blind man,” Pete grunted as he turned and led the way into the living room before settling in an oversized chair.
Pete knows Mac only too well tongue.gif

QUOTE
Belatedly, he regretted not getting a haircut.
No, Mac.... Don't lose yourself! laugh.gif

QUOTE

“Pete, my friend! So good to see you again! What is this? Twice in one week? You do remember you’re retired, don’t you?!” the man laughed.

“Andy, thanks for agreeing to meet with us outside of normal hours,” Pete replied. “This is MacGyver.” He gestured toward his friend.
I know it isn't, but for a moment it felt like Dana Elcar's first role on this show was meeting his second role XD MacGyver would get pretty freaked out if he thought he was seeing double, though XD

QUOTE

“Why not? That’s what friends are for…to help you out.”

“I refuse to take advantage of my friends like that!”

“Then pretend you’re Jack Dalton!”
Pfft laugh.gif

QUOTE

“There’s gotta be a way,” Joanna murmured, putting a comforting hand on his knee.

“There is.” He stood up and turned to look at the car.

Joanna could remain stoic no longer as he saw fear then pain cloud her eyes.

“Please tell me you’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking,” she pleaded.
Oh no... sad.gif


QUOTE


“Well, then” Joanna declared, standing up and resting her hands on her hips. “I’ll buy it. You can even have visitation rights.”
Tbh I would be Joanna in this case laugh.gif

QUOTE

Awed by the generous, stubborn, beautiful woman in front of him, Mac could contain his emotions no longer. He cupped her cheek with the palm of his hand and lowered his lips to hers in a silent, all-consuming expression of his gratitude.
Well, that escalated quickly XD

QUOTE
“How late is it?” he asked groggily.

“Too late to be eating that stuff,” she grimaced, pointing to the take-out containers before him.

“Then why’d you bring it?”

“I knew you’d want it,” she shrugged.
I'm Mac in this situation XD

Now I crave lo mien...

Why'd I have to go and be allergic to MSG? sad.gif

Anyway, back to the story XD

QUOTE
MacGyver didn’t think he had seen her this enthused since Booker’s death.
I misunderstood the meaning of this at first roller.gif

QUOTE

“Ah, mon cheri! You’re looking lovely as ever!” Jack gallantly swept off his aviator’s hat, bowed, and kissed the back of her hand while Mac glared at him.
This is how good friendships end XD

QUOTE
“Cynthia, you take the bed upstairs,” MacGyver directed after a few moments, “I’ll just take the couch.”

“What about me?” Jack asked.

“What about you?” Mac queried.

“Where am I supposed to sleep?”

“In a motel, Jack. There’s one real close and it even has free HBO.”
What's the term for platonic friendzoning? Because that just happened XD I think it's my above comment, actually.

QUOTE
MacGyver rolled his eyes, but Joanna was more sympathetic.

“Well, if it’s going to be a problem you could—“

“Sleep in the motel with all the other lonely people,” Mac asserted, cutting her off.
Pfft, Mac XD XD XD

QUOTE

“Fine!” Jack huffed. “But you remember this the next time you think about asking me for another favor!”
Well you did flirt with his girl... XD

QUOTE

MacGyver sighed and considered the Jeep and Nomad parked in the driveway. Grudgingly, he plucked a keychain from the brass sailboat nailed to the wall next to the door and dropped the keys into Jack’s outstretched hand.

“You can take my Jeep. But be careful!” Mac warned

“Gracias, amigo!” Jack grinned and fairly skipped to the car. “Hasta manana!” He called.
...And they never saw Jack or the Jeep ever again... XD

QUOTE
In a way, it was nice to have Jack around again. He forgot how much he missed his conniving, scheming, lying, absolute best friend.
You know, in a way, Mac and Jack showcase the best friend relationship perfectly. They drive each other crazy. They would die for each other. Like siblings XD

QUOTE
He felt a bit chagrinned that after all his hard work and sleepless nights Cynthia had managed to get the place in order in a matter of hours.
It takes a woman's touch. And it is Cynthia XD

Okay, my new theory is that Jack is being a good boy because of Cynthia XD I may have a new ship.



"If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer" - Hank The Cowdog

"You have the heart of a chief, and the soul of a dragon"- How to Train Your Dragon 2

"[T]he more we try to understand one another, the more exceptional each one of us will be" - Zootopia

"Love makes you do strange things." - Charlie Brown

"When something looks too perfect, it probably sucks" - Dreamworks Dragons Race to the Edge

 
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uniquelyjas
Posted: 17 July 2019 - 05:06 AM                                    
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Chapter 8: Nemesis

MacGyver ran his finger around the stiffly starched collar of his tuxedo shirt as butterflies flitted wildly in his stomach. He never thought this day would ever come. The priest standing next to him put a steadying hand on his shoulder. Sam, as best man, stood on his other side with a wide grin on his face. Giving up on his collar, Mac ran his hand through his hair, trying to smooth it down to no avail. He had offered to get it cut for the wedding, but, after months of insisting he do just that, his bride had taken him to task saying she wanted to marry him and every single too-long hair on his head. The music started, and as Frog ambled down the aisle toward the alter with two modest gold rings tied to his collar with a white satin ribbon, MacGyver looked out over the small group of family, close friends, and colleagues who would witness this momentous occasion.

The tempo of the organ changed and his attention turned to the back of the church where she stood. Joanna. His Joanna. For now and for always. The nervousness he had felt only moments ago left his body in one, slow breath as he focused on the woman he loved walking toward him. Her steps were sure and her face serene as she walked down the long aisle on her father’s arm. At Mac’s request, she had foregone the traditional white gown and instead wore the outfit she had on the first time he saw her. A black hat with a red bow accessorized her slim black skirt, white blouse, and red blazer, along with the small bouquet of white calla lilies she carried.

Side by side they faced the priest and exchanged the sacred, age-old vows. When it came time for objections, they each looked playfully over their shoulder as if daring anyone to speak. Suddenly, the back door of the church crashed open and a familiar figure appeared.

“Starting the party without me, MacGyver? How uncivilized!”

“Murdoc!” Mac growled under his breath. He took a step forward but Jo’s firm hand on his bicep kept him in place.

“Apparently my invitation got lost in the mail,” the unwelcome guest said flippantly as he moved out of the shadows towards them.

MacGyver’s gaze immediately locked on to the semi-automatic weapon his nemesis held casually in his hands.

“Why don’t we take this outside, Murdoc,” Mac ground out as he tried to control the anger that seethed through his veins. “It’s me you want.” He felt Jo’s grip on his arm tighten in protest.

“What’s the matter, MacGyver?” Murdoc mocked. “Haven’t you ever heard of collateral damage?” And then chaos reigned.

Upon hearing Murdoc’s maniacal laughter, MacGyver pushed Joanna to the floor, shielding her with his body, as his ears were assaulted with the horrified cries and screams of their loved ones above the steady tattoo of the gun firing off sprays of bullets.

When all became quiet once more, Mac was acutely aware of Joanna’s erratic breathing beneath him even as his own heart pounded. He squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to look up and see the carnage that must be all around them. This was all his fault. He was responsible for protecting the people in his life from Murdoc and he had failed. He took a deep breath and—

MacGyver shot straight up in bed, gasping for air. His hair was damp and beads of sweat trickled down his face and neck. He began twisting the smooth gold band around his finger in what had now become a self-soothing gesture. He felt the mattress shift as Joanna laid a cool, comforting hand on his shoulder.

“Another nightmare?” she whispered, as she always did.

Mac nodded, knowing she could see even though dawn was a long way off.

“Wanna talk about it?” she asked, in the same gentle voice as she always did.

Mac shook his head. How could he tell her that his subconscious had turned their beautiful, special day into a no-holds-barred massacre?

“Okay,” she replied, smoothing his hair as she always did before lying down with her back to him.

He mirrored her motion, wrapped his arm around her waist, pulled her close and held her tight as he always did before drifting back into dreamless slumber.

When MacGyver awoke again, he was alone in bed, a shaft of sunlight streaming through the window. He yawned and stretched like a lazy, contented cat. He smiled when he heard the whir of the blender. Joanna was already fixing a protein shake for his breakfast. He scrubbed his face with his hands as he debated whether or not to get out of bed and take a shower. Before he could decide, he heard a knock at the door.

“Hi. Can I help you?” Jo asked amiably.

“Ah, you must be MacGyver’s new bride. I must say you look particularly fetching this morning.”

Mac’s blood ran cold as he immediately pulled on the jeans and sweatshirt he had discarded on the floor the night before and ran down the spiral staircase.

“Murdoc! You’re supposed to be dead!”

“Obviously I am quite alive and well,” the killer replied in his British accent, allowing an evil grin to curl his lips.

“But I watched you die! I saw your dead body in the morgue!”

“Do you always believe what you see, MacGyver? Science and technology these days is a wondrous thing if you have access to the right people and, fortunately for me, I do!”

By this time Mac had maneuvered himself so he was standing between Joanna and his long-time nemesis.

“What do you want, Murdoc?” he growled.

“Aside from killing you?”

Mac took that as a rhetorical question and remained silent.

“I wanted to come and wish you happy on your marriage.”

“You’re eight months too late,” Mac replied in a menacing tone.

“Well, it isn’t my fault I didn’t get an invitation now, is it?”

“Get out of here, Murdoc, and don’t come back.” Mac was growling again.

“Aw, you know I can’t do that, MacGyver. At least, not until I kill you.”

MacGyver glanced behind him and saw the surprise and fear in Jo’s eyes.

“Don’t worry. I’m not interested in her.”

“So what’s your plan? You gonna shoot me? Blow me up?”

Murdoc grinned slowly as he reached inside his jacket and pulled out an ornate blade and waved it in MacGyver’s face.

“I thought this time I would get up close and personal. I’m not letting you escape again.”

Mac sensed, rather than felt Joanna’s muscles tense and before he knew what was happening she bolted out from behind him to stand between him and Murdoc.

“Get out of my house now!” she shouted, pointing to the door.

“My, my. You picked a feisty one, MacGyver. Too bad you won’t be around to enjoy her!”

“I told you to get out!” Joanna yelled, planting the palms of her hands on Murdoc’s chest and pushing him hard.

Momentarily caught off-guard, Murdoc wavered a step before regaining his balance and shoving her to the floor.

“You said you were gonna leave her alone!” Mac protested as he knelt beside Jo to ensure she was unharmed.

“Well, she started it,” Murdoc replied like a petulant child. “Come now, MacGyver. Let’s get on with it. I have places to go, people to see.”

Mac rose, pulling Joanna up with him and once again placing her behind him as they slowly walked backward into the living room, Mac’s eyes frantically searching for a weapon.

Murdoc began to raise the knife. “Time’s up, MacGyver,” he pronounced with a victorious gleam in his eye.

The next few seconds played out before Mac’s eyes in slow motion. Joanna screamed and once again stepped out from the shelter of his body just as Murdoc waved the knife not to stab, but to slash into MacGyver’s flesh, accidentally connecting with Joanna’s jugular instead. She immediately crumpled to the floor, blood pooling around her head. Mac collapsed beside her, searching frantically for a pulse, but there was none.

“Nooooo!!” he cried, before holding her lifeless body close to him and showering her pale face with gentle kisses. Leaning back on his heels he began to sob uncontrollably and when he looked up again, Murdoc was gone.

XXXXX

Somehow MacGyver managed to sleepwalk through the next few days. A steady stream of friends would call or drop by to offer their condolences. He took the phone off the hook and stopped answering the door after the first day. He spent hours scrubbing Joanna’s blood from the carpet. The stain was gone, but nothing could erase the memory. Why hadn’t Murdoc killed him when he had been helplessly grieving over Jo’s body? Thrust the blade that had killed his wife into his own back. Mac would much rather have died with her than continue to live without her. His worst nightmare had come true but he couldn’t decide which was crueler: Not acting on his feelings for Joanna until they only had a short time to spend together, or allowing himself to have those feelings in the first place.

The day of the funeral, a brisk March wind buffeted the mourners who had gathered at the gravesite for one last farewell. Believing she would never marry, Joanna had arranged to be buried next to the plots of her parents’ eventual entombment. MacGyver had no idea where his remains would eventually end up. Even in death they would not be reunited. After one final, heart-felt prayer, the small group hurriedly dispersed to the relative warmth of their waiting vehicles. Mac saw Pete and Sam approaching so he began walking the opposite way, a silent signal that he wanted to be left alone. Suddenly, Murdoc stepped out from behind a large oak tree.

“What are you doing here, Murdoc,” Mac demanded.

“Can’t a gentleman come and pay his respects?”

“You’re no gentleman,” MacGyver rounded on the man. “You killed her!”

“It truly was an accident,” Murdoc said, almost apologetically. “I’ve been watching you two for some time now and I almost kind of, sort of, liked her.”

Mac grunted and kept walking.

“So how have you been passing your time?”

“None of your business.”

“If I were you, I would be plotting ways to avenge my wife’s murder.”

MacGyver stopped walking and glared at Murdoc. “How? Pistols at dawn?”

“No, no. Not your style. I pegged you for a shoot-out at high noon type of guy. But then again, you don’t care to play with guns, do you?”

“I might be persuaded to make an exception,” Mac murmured causing Murdoc to chuckle.

“Really MacGyver, when, where, and how would you like to die? You see, I’m really quite flexible and I do aim to please.”

“Why don’t you just shoot me now and get it over with?”

“It’s not that simple anymore. You see, I have to decide which would amuse me more. A dead MacGyver, or a grieving one.”

“A dead man can’t kill you,” Mac pointed out.

“Well, there is that. And I have made it my life’s goal to see you to your grave. For once I must agree with you, let’s be done with it here and now.”

Murdoc reached into his coat lining and pulled out two pistols.

“You’re a walking arsenal, aren’t you?” Mac observed wryly. “Do you have a machete duct taped to your leg?”

“No,” Murdoc replied thoughtfully. “But that isn’t a bad idea. Now quit stalling and choose a weapon.”

With hesitant steps and a heavy heart, MacGyver approached Murdoc and took one of the offered guns. He tested its weight and balance. It felt good. Real good. Too good. All these years he had fought against guns, and now he was going to use one to terminate his immortal enemy. Or, if he was lucky, Murdoc’s bullet would kill him first.

So this was it. There, in a deserted section of the cemetery, one or both of them would die, killed by the other’s hand. They counted their paces, turned, and leveled their guns at each other. Looking Murdoc straight in the eye, MacGyver slowly applied pressure to the trigger. Millimeter by millimeter, click by click he came closer to firing the bullet until finally, one last squeeze would release the round. He closed his eyes, gave the trigger one final press, and waited for a shot that never came.

XXXXX

MacGyver’s head pounded, his throat was dry, and every muscle in his body ached. He slowly opened his eyes to find himself staring at a ceiling. His ceiling. He moaned.

“He’s coming out of it!” a female voice said excitedly.

“Thank God,” another female voice replied, this one sounding relieved.

The voices were familiar, but he couldn’t quite place them. He tried to lift his head and sit up, but his weakened body refused to obey and he slumped back onto the sofa cushion.

“Here, you need to drink something,” the second voice said.

Mac lifted his head again, this time more slowly and, with the support of a gentle hand, took a sip of water from the glass held out to him. Suddenly, he was so thirsty he couldn’t get enough. He began to greedily gulp the precious liquid until it was suddenly pulled away.

“Not too much right away,” he was told.

He turned his head to find himself looking into the most beautiful pair of sable brown eyes he had ever seen. Eyes he knew and loved from the very first time he had seen them.

“Jo,” he croaked. “I thought you got…I saw you get…killed!” His eyes welled with tears. She was alive! It had all been a dream! A cruel, heartbreaking rendering of his greatest fear played out in his subconscious.

Joanna smiled softly as she gently wiped his face with a cool, damp cloth.

“What time is it?” he rasped.

“It’s late. And now that your fever has broken you need to rest.”

“But—“

“We’ll talk about it tomorrow,” Jo insisted before smoothing back his hair and walking away. He yearned to reach out to her. To hold her tight and never let go. But his arms were too weak.

The next morning MacGyver sat on the couch carefully spooning warm, clear broth into his mouth. Joanna had placed a napkin under his chin as if he were a tot. In all honesty, he felt as weak as a newborn babe. When his bowl was empty, Jo took it from him and placed it on the coffee table before settling next to him on the couch, apparently ready to answer all the questions he had. He decided to start with the basics.

“What day is it?” he asked, his voice stronger now.

“It’s Saturday. You’ve been asleep for almost forty-eight hours.”

His heart skipped a beat. He had slept for two whole days?

“You’ve had a bad case of the flu,” Jo explained before he could even ask. At least that accounted for his physical state.

“Who was here with you when I woke up last night?”

“Cynthia. She called me when your fevered spiked. She thought you were becoming delirious.”

“Was I?”

“Depends on who you ask,” Jo teased.

Panic set in as things began to fall into place. “What about Challengers? The grand opening is soon!”

“Relax. Everything is fine. In fact, we’re ahead of schedule. Cynthia said that with you out of the way she was able to get a lot more work done. And Jack’s been a big help as well. We all took turns taking care of you.”

“When is it? The grand opening?” he asked.

“A week from tomorrow,” Jo replied.

Mac’s flu-fogged brain tried to do some calculations but failed miserably.

“What date is that?” he asked.

“The twenty-third. Why?”

“March twenty-third?” His birthday.

“Yeah, is there a problem?” Jo asked cautiously.

“No…I just…no,” he shook his head.

“Can I ask some questions now?” she queried.

“Sure.”

“Tell me about that dream you had.”

“That’s not a question.”

“Close enough,” she said with a shrug and he chuckled.

“It was nothing,” he told her, trying to protect her from the gruesome memory.

“Last night you said you thought I was dead! To me that is not ‘nothing’!”

Mac took a deep breath and related the details of his fevered dream. By the time he was done, her eyes glistened with unshed tears. She had moved closer to him as he told his tale and now rested her head on his shoulder.

“I’m so sorry you had to go through that,” she whispered huskily.

He kissed the top of her head but didn’t respond. When the silence reached an uncomfortable level, she raised her head and caught his eye.

“What aren’t you telling me?” she asked. “And don’t say it’s nothing.”

MacGyver gazed unseeingly across the room. “I willingly used a gun to try and kill someone,” he said flatly, hardly recognizing the sound of his own voice. “I betrayed everything I believe in, everything I fight against!”

“Mac, it was only a dream,” Jo responded firmly.

“But if I was willing to do that in a dream, a part of me must be willing to do it in real life. Have I just been living a lie all these years? Am I a hypocrite?”

“Angus, listen to me,” Joanna instructed in her firm teacher voice. “You are not a hypocrite and never could be. You have no control over your dreams or your actions in them, but in real life you do have control. You have morals and values and make choices accordingly. You are the same man you were before you had that dream and I, for one, am pleased that you wished to avenge me.”

Mac felt a weight lift from his chest. She was right. He was in control. And he would do anything for her.

“One more thing,” she prompted, looking like the proverbial cat that swallowed the canary. “You said in your dream we were married. What was it like?”

His heart swelled. “From what I could tell, it was pretty darn amazing.”











Jody~

"I've found from past experiences that the tighter your plan, the more likely you are to run into something unpredictable" ~ MacGyver (The Heist)

 
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Posted: 18 July 2019 - 08:31 AM                                    
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QUOTE
Chapter 8: Nemesis




QUOTE
MacGyver ran his finger around the stiffly starched collar of his tuxedo shirt as butterflies flitted wildly in his stomach. He never thought this day would ever come. The priest standing next to him put a steadying hand on his shoulder. Sam, as best man, stood on his other side with a wide grin on his face.
Dream sequence. Calling it now tongue.gif

QUOTE
as Frog ambled down the aisle toward the alter with two modest gold rings tied to his collar with a white satin ribbon,
That's actually a really cute idea XD

QUOTE
“Starting the party without me, MacGyver? How uncivilized!”

“Murdoc!” Mac growled under his breath. He took a step forward but Jo’s firm hand on his bicep kept him in place.
Definitely a dream. Er, a nightmare XD

QUOTE

“Apparently my invitation got lost in the mail,” the unwelcome guest said flippantly as he moved out of the shadows towards them.
Calm down, Maleficent... tongue.gif

QUOTE
MacGyver shot straight up in bed, gasping for air.
Called it. I called that stuff tongue.gif

QUOTE
He felt the mattress shift as Joanna laid a cool, comforting hand on his shoulder.
Is this just a thing with them now?

QUOTE

“Ah, you must be MacGyver’s new bride. I must say you look particularly fetching this morning.”
Wait are they... actually married? XD

QUOTE

“Murdoc! You’re supposed to be dead!”
I really don't think that's Murdoc tongue.gif

QUOTE

“Obviously I am quite alive and well,” the killer replied in his British accent, allowing an evil grin to curl his lips.
Okay, I'm allowed to be wrong once, right?

I'm just assuming this is another nightmare?

QUOTE

“Well, she started it,” Murdoc replied like a petulant child.
Why am I laughing? XD XD XD

QUOTE
Mac collapsed beside her, searching frantically for a pulse, but there was none.
This is definitely a dream, right?

QUOTE
Somehow MacGyver managed to sleepwalk through the next few days. A steady stream of friends would call or drop by to offer their condolences.
IS THIS A DREAM OR NOT?!

QUOTE
“I’ve been watching you two for some time now and I almost kind of, sort of, liked her.”
Ew.

QUOTE

“If I were you, I would be plotting ways to avenge my wife’s murder.”
Last time I checked, you were in hell.

QUOTE
With hesitant steps and a heavy heart, MacGyver approached Murdoc and took one of the offered guns. He tested its weight and balance. It felt good. Real good. Too good. All these years he had fought against guns, and now he was going to use one to terminate his immortal enemy. Or, if he was lucky, Murdoc’s bullet would kill him first.

So this was it. There, in a deserted section of the cemetery, one or both of them would die, killed by the other’s hand. They counted their paces, turned, and leveled their guns at each other. Looking Murdoc straight in the eye, MacGyver slowly applied pressure to the trigger. Millimeter by millimeter, click by click he came closer to firing the bullet until finally, one last squeeze would release the round. He closed his eyes, gave the trigger one final press, and waited for a shot that never came.
This whole scene is a Hamilton song XD

QUOTE

MacGyver’s head pounded, his throat was dry, and every muscle in his body ached. He slowly opened his eyes to find himself staring at a ceiling. His ceiling. He moaned.
I knew it. It was a dream. I called it.

Btw, you almost made me hate you, Jas XD XD XD

QUOTE


“He’s coming out of it!” a female voice said excitedly.

“Thank God,” another female voice replied, this one sounding relieved.
Oh yeah, last chapter he was strangely pale and tired, right?

I wonder if this will convince him to propose again.

At least we'll actually see the wedding, instead of "It happened 8 months ago" XD

QUOTE
The next morning MacGyver sat on the couch carefully spooning
I misunderstood what "spooning" meant in this sentence roller.gif

QUOTE

“One more thing,” she prompted, looking like the proverbial cat that swallowed the canary. “You said in your dream we were married. What was it like?”

His heart swelled. “From what I could tell, it was pretty darn amazing.”
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)



"If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer" - Hank The Cowdog

"You have the heart of a chief, and the soul of a dragon"- How to Train Your Dragon 2

"[T]he more we try to understand one another, the more exceptional each one of us will be" - Zootopia

"Love makes you do strange things." - Charlie Brown

"When something looks too perfect, it probably sucks" - Dreamworks Dragons Race to the Edge

 
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uniquelyjas
Posted: 18 July 2019 - 09:13 AM                                    
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I thought of you as soon as I posted this chapter, Dragondog. Had you goin' there for a while, didn't I?? That was my whole goal;) Have to try and find ways to keep Murdoc around considering I killed him off "for real". Perhaps not the best decision on my part!



Jody~

"I've found from past experiences that the tighter your plan, the more likely you are to run into something unpredictable" ~ MacGyver (The Heist)

 
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Posted: 18 July 2019 - 06:03 PM                                    
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QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 18 July 2019 - 12:13 PM)
I thought of you as soon as I posted this chapter, Dragondog. Had you goin' there for a while, didn't I?? That was my whole goal;) Have to try and find ways to keep Murdoc around considering I killed him off "for real". Perhaps not the best decision on my part!

I was gonna say, did Helman perform some arcane pagan ceremony or something? laugh.gif



"If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer" - Hank The Cowdog

"You have the heart of a chief, and the soul of a dragon"- How to Train Your Dragon 2

"[T]he more we try to understand one another, the more exceptional each one of us will be" - Zootopia

"Love makes you do strange things." - Charlie Brown

"When something looks too perfect, it probably sucks" - Dreamworks Dragons Race to the Edge

 
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uniquelyjas
Posted: 26 July 2019 - 04:34 PM                                    
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I tried to post this earlier in the week, but I'm on vacation and have a really weak wi-fi signal. Enjoy!!


Chapter 9: Grand Opening

MacGyver recovered rapidly once his fever broke. Against Joanna’s protests that he needed more rest, he went into the law firm Monday morning to hand in his resignation and finish up his assigned work. Throughout the week, he was plagued with anxiety about the date of Challengers grand opening. Was it just a coincidence that it was scheduled on his birthday? Both Jack and Pete knew when his birthday was, and they both knew how he felt about celebrating it, especially publicly, but he couldn’t recall ever telling Joanna. Not that it was some big secret, it had just never come up. He made sure to keep a keen eye on his friends to detect any changes in behavior or attitude, especially around him, that might tip him off that they were planning something but found none. Either they were really good actors, or he was losing his edge, or it really was just a coincidence. Oddly enough, that last thought came with a pang of disappointment which he quickly quelled.

Sunday morning MacGyver pulled the Nomad into the Challengers parking lot to find Joanna’s Chevy and his Jeep already there along with a handful of cars he didn’t recognize. He smiled when he spotted a nondescript sedan with Illinois plates. Pete and Connie had driven up for the big day. He walked into the center to find it humming with activity. Cynthia looked up and greeted him from the registration table where she was giving last minute instructions to Rosie Garcia and her son, Raul.

“Look, MacGyver!” the young teen said, holding a piece of paper in front of Mac’s face so close that it tickled his nose, “I’m your first official member!”

“All right!” Mac exclaimed, giving Raul a high five before walking further into the room.

The large recreation area was decorated with colorful balloons and crepe paper streamers. Jack appeared to be in charge of a group of adults and children who were hanging hand-painted banners encouraging kids to stay in school and away from drugs, gangs, and violence. Pete sat on a worn couch next to a young Hispanic girl who was jabbering away. Apparently he found her amusing if his wide grin was any indication. At the far end of the room, Connie and Joanna fussed over the refreshment table which included a big bowl of punch and a large sheet cake.

“Wow! Things are really coming together,” Mac observed as he approached the two women. He nonchalantly glanced at the writing on the cake which simply said ‘Welcome to Challengers’. He frowned, but then again, what had he been expecting? He certainly didn’t want it to say ‘Happy Birthday, Mac!’

“Mac?” Joanna’s voice cut through his thoughts. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just a little overwhelmed, I guess.”

Joanna smiled at him warmly as their gazes locked. All thoughts of his birthday fled.

“You can thank Jack and Cynthia for that,” she told him. “They made up informational flyers promoting the club and asking for volunteers and posted them all over the neighborhood. Apparently the community was thirsting for a place like this.”

The doors opened to the public at noon, and the following hours whizzed by for MacGyver. A steady stream of people came and went. Most were simply curious while others, like some former Challengers Academy students, were eager to register. Still others came for the free food. Mac spent the afternoon shaking hands and speaking with the visitors, engaging in friendly games of pool and air hockey, and evening demonstrating some of the exercise equipment that was available. It wasn’t until early evening, after the final guests left and he locked the door behind them, that he noticed Joanna was nowhere to be found.

“Oh, she went home with a headache a while ago,” Connie informed him when asked about Jo’s whereabouts.

“Why didn’t she tell me?” he muttered.

Connie smiled brightly. “She probably didn’t want to worry you and spoil the big day.”

“Yeah, sure,” he replied softly.

“And I’m afraid it’s time for Pete and me to head home as well,” Connie continued. “I’d like to stay and help clean up, but Sunday evening traffic can be so insufferable.”

“Don’t worry about it. I can take it from here,” he assured her as he hugged her goodbye. “You just drive safe, okay?”

Mac then turned to Pete who now stood next to his wife. He reached out and shook his friend’s hand before the two embraced.

“Congratulations, Mac,” Pete said. “If the decibel level in the place this afternoon was any indication, Challengers is sure to be an absolute success!”

After the Thornton’s left, MacGyver rolled up the sleeves of his sweater and began collecting paper plates, cups, and other trash that had been strewn about. He was just about to take the garbage container out to the dumpster when Cynthia appeared at his side, placing a gentle hand on his forearm.

“Why don’t you go on home,” she suggested. “Jack and I can take care of this.”

Mac glanced across the room to where his friend was dismantling the decorations and felt a twinge of guilt.

“Naw, you guys did all the set up earlier, the least I can do is stick around and help clean up,” Mac protested.

“Look,” Cynthia continued, “Tomorrow is your first official day as director of the Challengers Club. Go home and relax while you still can.”

“I’d do what she says,” Jack called from where he was sweeping up streamers. “Run like the wind before she changes her mind!”

MacGyver knew when he was beat. “All right, I’ll go home. But promise you won’t stay too late. I can take care of what’s left in the morning.”

“It’s a deal,” she said with a smile. “And don’t worry, Jack will bring me back to your place when we’re done.”

Mac thanked his friends one last time before heading out into the night. As he pulled the Nomad into his driveway, he reached up to press the garage door remote control he kept on the visor, but it wasn’t there. He put the car in Park and let the engine idle as he ran his hand over the seat, the floor, and under the seat with no luck. With a suppressed groan he turned off the ignition and headed to the townhouse. He’d look again tomorrow. As he unlocked his front door he noticed a warm glow coming from the corner of his living room. Had he turned on a lamp before he left? Or did he forget to turn it off? Good grief, he knew he was getting older, but was he also getting senile? Wasn’t he still too young for that? The door swung open and he crossed the threshold to find Joanna sitting at his kitchen table, smiling coyly, his Team USA hockey jersey hanging loosely on her frame. Did she have any idea how incredibly attractive she was to him when she wore his clothes? Tired, stunned, and confused at the sight before him, he struggled to find an appropriate greeting.

“I thought you had a headache?” he blurted out before squeezing his eyes shut at the blunt greeting.

She laughed lightly, almost playfully. “That was just an excuse so I could sneak out of the party early.”

“Where’s your car?” he asked, before mentally whacking himself upside the head for this stupid line of questioning.

“In the garage.”

His face must have gone as blank as his mind because she kept talking.

“Earlier today Jack gave me the door remote from the Jeep and then took the one out of the Nomad so I could surprise you,” she explained as she stood up and slowly walked towards him.

MacGyver swallowed hard, his eyes glued on the woman now standing in front of him. Was she trying to seduce him? But they had talked about this and had an agreement. Joanna may be a lot of things, but she wasn’t a tease. Belatedly he saw the frown on her face.

“I hope you don’t mind that I’m wearing this,” she said uncertainly, taking a step back and plucking at the silky fabric. “I spilled some punch on my sweater earlier and wanted to rinse it out as soon as possible.”

It was then that he noticed she still wore her jeans and loafers from the grand opening and he suddenly became aware of Frog snoring from underneath the coffee table, the scent of chocolate permeating the air, and a scrumptious looking dessert sitting on the kitchen counter.

“Is that what I think it is?” he asked with a grin as his good senses returned.

Joanna grinned back. “If you think it’s my famous chocolate-hazelnut cake, then yes it is.” She then set to work fetching plates, forks, and glasses of milk.

“What’s the occasion?” he asked.

“As if you don’t know,” she replied in a give-me-a-break tone of voice as she cut a piece of cake and set it in front of him.

“How did you find out?”

“Jack told me,” she shrugged. “So how did you like your present?”

“It’s delicious,” he mumbled around a mouthful of cake.

“I meant the present at Challengers.”

“What present?” He was definitely getting senile.

“Exactly!” she exclaimed. “Jack wanted to use the grand opening as a cover for a surprise party, but Pete managed to talk him out of it.”

“So let me get this straight. My birthday present was to not have a party?”

Joanna nodded. “Unless you count this,” she nodded toward their plates. “I hope you don’t mind.”

The concerned look on her face just about broke his heart.

“I think this is just about the best birthday I’ve ever had,” he assured her. “By the way, did I ever tell you about the time Pete threw a surprise party for me at Phoenix?”

Having just taken a big bite of cake, Jo simply shook her head.

Mac took a long swig of milk before settling into his story. “I’d been working with Pete for about seven years or so. I had just gotten back from a mission and the only reason I even survived it was just dumb luck. Jack disguised himself and ‘kidnapped’ me from my apartment. I was so jetlagged I didn’t even bother fighting back. Of course, we ended up at Phoenix where all my friends and co-workers were waiting to surprise me. I think the funniest part of the whole night was seeing Pete in a party hat.”

Joanna giggled at that as she got up and cleared away their dishes and together they headed for the couch. Mac plopped down wearily, pulling Jo down next to him and putting his arms around her loosely before he continued.

“So then, instead of presents, everyone started telling stories about how I had helped them or rescued them. Even people who couldn’t be there had sent mementoes to remind me of them and how we had met.” Here he stopped and gazed blankly across the room. “Then I asked Pete to draw up resignation papers for me,” he said flatly.

“What?!” Joanna slipped out of his grasp and turned towards him, her eyes wide, her jaw slack. The sight would have normally made Mac chuckle, but tonight he was too caught up in his memories.

“I had had it, Jo,” he started to explain. “Every person in that room reminded me of a time I had gotten shot at, blown up, kidnapped…I just wanted to be done with it. To go home to Minnesota and lead a normal life. Maybe get married and have a kid.”

“What made you change your mind?” she asked softly, her brown eyes full of sympathy.

Mac sighed. “I realized that it was all those crazy, dangerous assignments that had brought these people into my life, and I would’ve missed out on a lot of love and friendship if I hadn’t been there to help them out. I didn’t want that to end.”

“Well I, for one, am glad you decided to stay,” Jo replied with a playful grin.

“And why is that?” he smiled back.

“Because if you had resigned back then, I never would have met you.”

“Hmmm, and that would have been the worst tragedy of all,” Mac mused as he leaned in close, intending to kiss her for all he was worth. Unfortunately, as with so many of his best laid plans from over the years, he had to quickly abort the idea as Cynthia came walking through the front door.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to intrude,” she apologized. “It’s just that we got everything cleaned up and…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Mac admonished as he quickly got to his feet and gave his friend a hug. “It’s our fault. I guess we lost track of the time.”

“Yeah,” Joanna agreed, also rising. “I should really be going anyway. I’m sure my sweater’s dry by now.”

“Actually, I’m glad you’re both here. There’s something I’d like to discuss with you,” Cynthia said, suddenly seeming nervous and unsure of herself.

“What’s going on, Cynthia?” MacGyver asked once all three of them were seated at his kitchen table.

Cynthia reached out and put her small, soft hand over Mac’s larger one. “First of all, I want you to know what a wonderful time I’ve had helping get Challengers off the ground. Rattling around that old, empty house in Los Angeles made me forget how much I enjoy sinking my teeth into a project and feeling that my actions are making a difference. I’ve felt so lonely and useless lately, and it felt so good to be needed again.”

“Well, I sure couldn’t have done all this without you,” Mac confided.

“That brings me to my second point,” Cynthia continued with more confidence. “I’d really like to stay and be a part of Challengers. Permanently.”

MacGyver opened his mouth to respond, but his friend cut him off.

“I know money’s tight right now, but I have some saved up. Jack has been helping me apartment hunt in our spare time and I found a furnished efficiency that would suit me just fine. Do you think you could find a way to keep me on?”

Instead of answering the question, Mac turned to Joanna. “Could you please cut this lady a piece of birthday cake,” he instructed in his most serious tone. “She’s gonna need all the strength she can get if she’s going to be the co-director of the Challengers Club!”







Jody~

"I've found from past experiences that the tighter your plan, the more likely you are to run into something unpredictable" ~ MacGyver (The Heist)

 
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Dragondog
Posted: 28 July 2019 - 05:18 PM                                    
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Sorry it took me so long, but here's my review:


QUOTE

“Oh, she went home with a headache a while ago,” Connie informed him when asked about Jo’s whereabouts.

“Why didn’t she tell me?” he muttered.

Connie smiled brightly. “She probably didn’t want to worry you and spoil the big day.”

“Yeah, sure,” he replied softly.
I feel she made that up XD

QUOTE

“And I’m afraid it’s time for Pete and me to head home as well,” Connie continued. “I’d like to stay and help clean up, but Sunday evening traffic can be so insufferable.”
She may or may not be telling the truth with that one...

QUOTE

“Why don’t you go on home,” she suggested. “Jack and I can take care of this.”
Cynthia and Jack are totally in on this too XD

I'm just saying there's no way everyone forgot Mac's birthday. They're totally trying to send him home to be with Joanna, who's not sick XD

QUOTE
Did she have any idea how incredibly attractive she was to him when she wore his clothes?
I'm more interested in why she's wearing his clothes laugh.gif

QUOTE
Tired, stunned, and confused at the sight before him, he struggled to find an appropriate greeting.

“I thought you had a headache?” he blurted out before squeezing his eyes shut at the blunt greeting.
My social skills laugh.gif

QUOTE

“Where’s your car?” he asked, before mentally whacking himself upside the head for this stupid line of questioning.
About my social skills...

QUOTE

“I hope you don’t mind that I’m wearing this,” she said uncertainly, taking a step back and plucking at the silky fabric. “I spilled some punch on my sweater earlier and wanted to rinse it out as soon as possible.”
Oh, okay, that makes more sense smile.gif

QUOTE

Joanna grinned back. “If you think it’s my famous chocolate-hazelnut cake, then yes it is.”
I want. I really want drool.gif

QUOTE

“What’s the occasion?” he asked.
dry.gif

QUOTE

Joanna nodded. “Unless you count this,” she nodded toward their plates. “I hope you don’t mind.”

The concerned look on her face just about broke his heart.
How do these two manage to be so adorable?!

QUOTE

“Hmmm, and that would have been the worst tragedy of all,” Mac mused as he leaned in close, intending to kiss her for all he was worth. Unfortunately, as with so many of his best laid plans from over the years, he had to quickly abort the idea as Cynthia came walking through the front door.
Nice going, Cynthia...

Lol, ABORT MISSION tongue.gif

I really feel like Jack x Cynthia is going to be a thing here tongue.gif



"If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer" - Hank The Cowdog

"You have the heart of a chief, and the soul of a dragon"- How to Train Your Dragon 2

"[T]he more we try to understand one another, the more exceptional each one of us will be" - Zootopia

"Love makes you do strange things." - Charlie Brown

"When something looks too perfect, it probably sucks" - Dreamworks Dragons Race to the Edge

 
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uniquelyjas
Posted: 1 August 2019 - 06:05 AM                                    
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House:  House boat



Chapter 10: Reunited: Part 1

MacGyver couldn’t believe that Challengers had been officially open for over a week already. New members continued to join daily as did community volunteers. Cynthia had the office running like a well-oiled machine and he easily fell into the familiar role of mentor, troubleshooter, and jack-of-all-trades except when it came to paperwork. And speaking of Jack, he had found ways to make himself quietly useful, which was a bit odd for Jack Dalton. Mac knew that one day he’d turn around and his friend would be gone, but for now he’d take whatever help he could get. Even Frog had found a place in his master’s new venture. Mac had taken the canine to the club the second day it was open to save Charlie from the dog’s cries if Mac didn’t get home on schedule. Since then, every morning found the pooch panting excitedly by the front door as MacGyver prepared to leave for the day. Before he knew it, Frog had taken over a corner at Challengers complete with a doggie bed, blanket, food and water bowls, and toys. The kids loved him and he had quickly become somewhat of a mascot. Mac was, however, concerned about Joanna. She still worked full time at the law firm but was at Challengers every evening tutoring or supervising the ever-growing group of teens and adolescents. While he appreciated her help and commitment, he didn’t want her taking on too much. But again, he chose to remain silent, realizing that this was about the only time they got to spend together. That was going to have to change, and Cynthia saw to it that it would happen tonight. She had made MacGyver promise to pick up Joanna, go home early, and eat a proper dinner.

Swallowing the last bite of the zucchini lasagna Jo had prepared for them, he reached across his narrow kitchen table and took her hand, idly playing with her fingers.

“This is nice,” he commented softly. “Just you, me, and food.”

Jo chuckled lightly. “Oddly enough, I know what you mean. Can you believe that for the first time since we met we’re not working together all day long?”

“Yeah,” he replied lowly as he weaved his fingers through hers. “I’ve missed you.”

She looked up shyly, her brown eyes full of questions as they both realized they could no longer hide behind titles like ‘co-worker’ and ‘friend’. They were in a full-fledged relationship and they were going to have to find ways to make it work now that life had gotten between them. Both lost in their thoughts, they started when Jack knocked on the door before letting himself in.

“Oops! I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” he said a bit belatedly causing Mac and Jo to quickly refocus on the present moment.

“You? Interrupt? Never!” Mac replied sarcastically as he prepared to throw Jack out. He finally had an entire evening alone with Joanna and no one was going to take it from him!

“Well, ya see,” Jack began as he deftly slipped past MacGyver and into the room, “I was planning on leaving tomorrow and wanted to drop off your Jeep—“

“Then don’t let me keep you,” Mac cut him off, putting a guiding hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“When I found this!” Jack finished in a rush. He held a rumpled piece of paper up to MacGyver’s face.

“What is it?” Mac scowled as Joanna came to take a look as well.

“It’s an invitation to our high school reunion. I found it crushed up in your glove compartment.”

MacGyver’s eyes narrowed and his voice became dangerously low. “And just what, exactly, were you doing digging around in my glove compartment?”

“Ummm, looking for a tire pressure gauge?” His left eye twitched furiously.

“Jaaack!”

“All right, all right! I was looking for your registration,” he confessed dejectedly.

Mac continued to glare at him.
“Ya see, I was driving over to Challengers, minding my own business—“

“Jack!”

“Fine! I got pulled over for speeding. Okay?!”

Mac blew out a sigh and threw up his hands in resignation.

“Don’t worry about it. The cop was a lady. A real cute number and I managed to talk her into letting me off with just a warning. Anyway, that’s when I found this,” he shook the paper for emphasis. “Why didn’t you tell me about it? And more importantly, why didn’t I get one?”

“You probably didn’t get one because they couldn’t find you,” Mac snarled.

“Well, it’s generally best if people don’t know exactly where to reach me,” Jack murmured, half to himself. “But why didn’t you say anything?”

“I honestly forgot all about it,” MacGyver replied, his voice and temper returning to normal. “It’s not even time for our class reunion.”

“So when did that ever stop Mission City High from having a party?” Jack countered. “Are you going?”

“No, I’m not going. Would I have wadded up the invitation and tossed it in my glove compartment if I planned on going?!”

“Afraid an ex-girlfriend might try to kill you again?” Jack laughed.

For the first time since this pointless conversation began, MacGyver became aware of Joanna standing next to him. She cleared her throat and cocked her eyebrow.

“No, Jack,” Mac replied firmly. “I just don’t have any desire to reconnect with people I haven’t seen in almost 30 years. Besides, I got that so long ago it’s probably too late anyway.”

“Oh, contraire, Kemosabe! According to the invitation, it’s this weekend. We still have time.”

“We?”

“Yeah! You and me, amigo! It’ll be a blast!”

Mac scrambled for a logical response.

“We can’t go because I didn’t RSVP,” he stated.

Jack waved off the excuse. “Nobody RSVP’s anymore! I’m sure there’ll be enough food for everyone. We can be the surprise guests!”

MacGyver caught his friend’s twinkling eyes and his resolve began to melt.

“But this is a busy time at Challengers and it’s a pretty long drive…”

“No problemo. We can fly up in my plane! Just promise me you’ll think about it! I’ll see ya tomorrow!” Jack called as he headed for the door.

“Hey, wait! What about the keys to my Jeep?”

“I’ll still need them if I’m staying ‘til the weekend,” Jack replied flippantly as he closed the door behind him.

Mac turned with a sigh to Joanna only to find her brow furrowed in thought.

“Maybe you should go with Jack,” she suggested. “It might be fun.”

“No. No way,” MacGyver protested. “I am not going anywhere, much less to my class reunion, with Jack! If I have a weekend away from Challengers I’m gonna spend it with you.” He looped his arms around her waist and an unbidden plan clicked in his brain.

“On second thought, maybe I should go to the reunion.” He smiled when he saw the surprise in her eyes. “With you.”
“What about Jack?” she teased.

“Oh, I suppose we could bring him along, as our personal pilot, of course.”

Joanna’s face turned pale and all signs of amusement disappeared.

“What’s wrong?” he asked with alarm.

“Nothing!” she responded a little too quickly. “It’s just that I…I mean I don’t…”

“You don’t want to fly with Jack,” he stated for her. “I get it. I usually don’t either, but this time he has an honest-to-goodness air-worthy plane.”

She remained silent, her gaze riveted on the floor.

“Hey, talk to me,” he gently urged as he placed his finger under her chin, forcing her to look at him. Her eyes, glistening with tears, tore at his heart.

“It’s silly, really,” she said, jerking away from his touch. “It’s just…I’m afraid of flying. Well, actually, I’m afraid of crashing.” She wrapped her arms around her middle and headed for the couch.

Mac felt like a heel.

“Aw baby, I had no idea,” he crooned as he sat down next to her and pulled her close. “We can drive or just not go at all.”

“No,” she protested, turning to him. “That wouldn’t be fair to you. Just go without me.”

“Absolutely not!” He wiped away an errant tear with his thumb remembering the last time he had gone off without her.

Minutes ticked by while the couple sat in silence, apparently at an impasse.

“You’ve flown with Jack a lot, right?” Joanna suddenly asked.

“Yeah. More times than I care to remember,” and he remembered all of them for less than stellar reasons, but it was best if Jo didn’t know that at the moment.

“Well, you trust Jack, and I trust you so…I gotta face my fear sooner or later, right?”

“Jo, you don’t have to…”

“I want to, Mac. I want to do it for you.”





Jody~

"I've found from past experiences that the tighter your plan, the more likely you are to run into something unpredictable" ~ MacGyver (The Heist)

 
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Dragondog
Posted: 3 August 2019 - 01:10 PM                                    
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QUOTE
Chapter 10: Reunited: Part 1
hmm.bmp

QUOTE
And speaking of Jack, he had found ways to make himself quietly useful, which was a bit odd for Jack Dalton.
Maybe Mac's not the only one growing up a little tongue.gif

QUOTE
Mac had taken the canine to the club the second day it was open to save Charlie from the dog’s cries if Mac didn’t get home on schedule.
Frog is such a caring boy wub.gif

QUOTE
“This is nice,” he commented softly. “Just you, me, and food.”
Food. Yes, food is good laugh.gif

QUOTE
Both lost in their thoughts, they started when Jack knocked on the door before letting himself in.

“Oops! I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” he said a bit belatedly causing Mac and Jo to quickly refocus on the present moment.
Mac needs to get a "Do not disturb" sign for his front door... dry.gif

QUOTE
“It’s an invitation to our high school reunion. I found it crushed up in your glove compartment.”

MacGyver’s eyes narrowed and his voice became dangerously low. “And just what, exactly, were you doing digging around in my glove compartment?”

“Ummm, looking for a tire pressure gauge?” His left eye twitched furiously.

“Jaaack!”

“All right, all right! I was looking for your registration,” he confessed dejectedly.

Mac continued to glare at him.
“Ya see, I was driving over to Challengers, minding my own business—“

“Jack!”

“Fine! I got pulled over for speeding. Okay?!”

Mac blew out a sigh and threw up his hands in resignation.

“Don’t worry about it. The cop was a lady. A real cute number and I managed to talk her into letting me off with just a warning. Anyway, that’s when I found this,” he shook the paper for emphasis. “Why didn’t you tell me about it? And more importantly, why didn’t I get one?”
Jack's not fully grown up yet XD XD XD

QUOTE

“You probably didn’t get one because they couldn’t find you,” Mac snarled.
Or they didn't want him XD

QUOTE

“Well, it’s generally best if people don’t know exactly where to reach me,” Jack murmured, half to himself.
Oh, Jack...

QUOTE

“Afraid an ex-girlfriend might try to kill you again?” Jack laughed.
BURN laugh.gif

Okay, the JoGyver stuff at the end was cute, but I feel like bad things are going to happen if they go through with this...



"If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer" - Hank The Cowdog

"You have the heart of a chief, and the soul of a dragon"- How to Train Your Dragon 2

"[T]he more we try to understand one another, the more exceptional each one of us will be" - Zootopia

"Love makes you do strange things." - Charlie Brown

"When something looks too perfect, it probably sucks" - Dreamworks Dragons Race to the Edge

 
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