DXS Agent
Posts: 704
Joined: 8 Jul 2007
Gender: Female
Country: USA
SAK owned: Tinker
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Season: season 3
Episode:The Widowmaker
Vehicle: Jeep
Jacket: Black/Navy flight
House: House boat
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CHAPTER FOUR
When Jack reached MacGyver’s table, he stood directly in front of it for a good thirty seconds waiting for a response for the table’s occupant. One never came. MacGyver just stared straight in front of him, not seeming to notice Jack’s presence. Finally, Dalton couldn’t take the silence anymore and he spoke.
“Is this seat taken?”
MacGyver sighed, began to respond, and then looked up slowly. “No, but I don’t think I’d be very good…JACK! What are you doing here?”
Dalton grinned his best ‘I’m innocent’ smile and answered, using his trademark leprechaun Irish accent.
“Oh, you know, just in the neighborhood, laddie. Thought I’d stop into ye old pub for a nip.”
Jack’s attempt at levity didn’t work.
MacGyver looked daggers at his friend and growled back.
“Go away, Jack.”
Dalton rocked back on his heels once before answering. “No can do, partner.”
MacGyver’s voice was laced with warning when he spoke again. “Jack…I’m really not in the mood for company right now…”
Jack regarded MacGyver for a second, then seemed to come to a decision. He nodded his head slightly, squared his jaw, stuck out his chest a bit in a big breath, and then slid into the bench opposite Mac. As he took his seat in the booth, Mac snarled again.
“Jack, I told you…I’m really not in the mood.”
Jack snarled back. “Oh, right. I forgot. You’d much rather pull your usual stunt.”
“What are you talking about, Jack?”
“I’m talking about the trademark MacGyver cut and run. The ‘I’m hurting and I’m going to stew about it for a while and to hell with everyone else’ routine. You know, the ‘I’m going to wallow in self pity for a while and take out a patent on guilt’ act. The ‘I can’t let anyone in to see me hurt because they might hurt me more’ plan. You did it with Mike, and you‘re doing it now.”
At the mention of Mike, murder came into MacGyver’s eyes, and an angry response came unbidden. “Don’t you dare bring Mike into this. It has nothing to do with her.”
Jack pushed on, unafraid. “I’ll bring Mike into this if I want to. She was my friend, too, you know.”
MacGyver seemed to consider this point a moment, then reluctantly nodded. Jack had a point. Mike had been close to both men. Still…this was different…Mike’s death still hurt, a lot, but this new wound added exponentially to that pain.
And Jack hadn’t been on that mountain. He couldn’t understand. He hadn’t heard the conversation between Mike and Mac just before Mike fell. He couldn’t possibly comprehend the level of guilt and pain that plagued MacGyver almost daily when he thought of Mike.
He hadn’t let Mike in.
His best friend was dead because he rejected her.
So he’d let in the next woman that came along, trying to somehow make up for what he’d done on the mountain.
He had let Deborah in.
And she’d turned out to be a professional killer that was interested in him only as a mark.
‘Yeah,’ thought MacGyver, ‘I sure can pick ‘em.’
It was quiet as these thoughts tumbled through Mac’s mind for the thousandth time. Jack was studying the table in front of him with great interest. MacGyver was engaged in a similar activity. He was picking idly at his napkin. It was as if the angry outburst over Mike had somehow taken a lot out of both men, and they kept their own company for a moment.
Finally, Jack spoke again.
“Pete told me what happened.”
MacGyver’s head jerked up as if an invisible string attached to it had been tugged. A look of shocked surprise ran across his features, but it was quickly replaced by anger.
“What?”
“Come on, Mac…you think I come around here often? I was looking for you.”
“He had no right to tell you.”
“He was worried about you.”
“I’m fine.”
“Sure you are.”
“Just leave it alone, Jack.”
“Come off it, Mac. I’m worried, too. You’ve been through a lot lately.”
“I’m fine.”
Jack sighed. He shook his head and leaned back in his bench wearily. After a moment, he sat up again and noticed for the first time a full shot glass of what looked like whiskey on the table.
Jack nodded to the small cup of liquid. “You ordered that, though, huh?”
MacGyver snorted and nodded back. “Yeah.”
“Don’t see any empties. You drink any?”
“You know I don’t drink, Jack.”
Jack snorted back. “I know you don’t drink often. I know you don‘t drink socially. I know you only touch the juice when you really need to dull something down a bit, and I’ve seen you do just that more than once, old buddy. You may have Pete and all those other Phoenix types fooled, but I know better.”
Mac ran a hand up and over his face then down through his hair to rest on the back of his neck. He looked up at Jack after a moment, and somehow his guard seemed to have relaxed, if only a little. Jack saw a pain behind brown eyes that was heartbreaking, and when MacGyver spoke, there was a broken sound to his voice that rarely was heard in the worst of times.
“True.”
Jack replied in a soft voice. “Well, I’d say tonight certainly deserves it.”
MacGyver chuffed out a small, sarcastic laugh. “No doubt. But if you must know, I never touched it. Couldn’t bring myself to bother.”
“I can understand that. You've been through a lot. Jesus, Mac…I’m sorry. I know that doesn’t cover it, but…damn…I’m sorry.”
MacGyver was silent for a few seconds, then whispered a response. “Yeah…thanks…”
The fact that Mac hadn’t just blown off Jack’s words with an ‘it’s ok’ or a ‘don’t worry about it’ made Jack realize how serious this was, and that finally he was getting through to his friend.
“No problem. Look, kimosabe, you know I’m here if you need me, but I suggest we get out of here. It’s closing time, my friend.”
MacGyver looked around the bar then, seeming to notice the fact that the other patrons had slowly filtered out the doors over the last half hour for the first time. He nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Let’s go.”
Mac began to stand, but Jack called him back briefly, nodding at the shot of whiskey on the table between them. “Now, hold on a minute, buddy. You gonna drink that?”
“No.”
“You’re hopeless, you know that?”
MacGyver smiled a sad smile. “Yeah. Guess so.”
“Well, no sense letting it go to waste.”
Jack tossed back the shot and gave a satisfied little grunt.
MacGyver shook his head and paid his bill, then the two friends headed out into the night.
When they reached the parking lot, Jack started to head toward his bike, now one of only a few vehicles present. MacGyver did not follow.
It took Jack a moment to realize he was walking alone.
He turned back and called to his friend, who was still standing in the doorway to the bar.
“What gives? You coming or not? Got the sidecar all fixed up and ready.”
“I think I’d rather walk. It’s a nice night.”
Jack looked around at the clear, starry sky. “That it is. Want company?”
MacGyver shrugged, clearly too tired to care much. “If you want.”
“Well, it’s late, I’m tired, and it’s a ways to my house. I could always use the exercise. I’ll just get the bike in the morning. It’s not far to the houseboat. That is, if you don’t mind me crashing there for the night?”
“When has that ever stopped you before?” A hint of a smile danced across Mac’s lips as he asked this, and Jack smiled back, glad to see some life in his friend.
“Good point, amigo. Let’s go.”
 "Now, come on, Pete! Look at me! I'm a hurtin' guy! I'm beat up! I need a month's worth of sleep! And I need a haircut!" MacGyver, 'Serenity'
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I also like the interaction between Jack and MacGyver. I don't think they showed enough of MacGyver in emotional pain around jokester Jack, so that's cool. 
