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Posted by: uniquelyjas 29 May 2019 - 05:16 AM
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.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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.







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

Posted by: uniquelyjas 29 May 2019 - 10:03 AM
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!

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

Posted by: uniquelyjas 5 June 2019 - 06:15 AM
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!








Posted by: Dragondog 6 June 2019 - 01:01 PM
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

Posted by: uniquelyjas 6 June 2019 - 01:39 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!

Posted by: Dragondog 6 June 2019 - 07:57 PM
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

Posted by: uniquelyjas 12 June 2019 - 09:57 AM
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.


Posted by: Dragondog 13 June 2019 - 04:25 PM
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

Posted by: uniquelyjas 19 June 2019 - 05:10 AM
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.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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.












Posted by: Dragondog 20 June 2019 - 01:55 PM
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

Posted by: uniquelyjas 21 June 2019 - 06:43 AM
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.

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

Posted by: uniquelyjas 28 June 2019 - 06:02 AM
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.”










Posted by: Dragondog 29 June 2019 - 09:38 AM
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

Posted by: uniquelyjas 29 June 2019 - 10:45 AM
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.

Posted by: Dragondog 1 July 2019 - 07:00 PM
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

Posted by: uniquelyjas 4 July 2019 - 12:39 PM
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!”

Posted by: Dragondog 7 July 2019 - 01:24 PM
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

Posted by: uniquelyjas 10 July 2019 - 03:01 PM
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.”






Posted by: Dragondog 11 July 2019 - 11:49 AM
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.

Posted by: uniquelyjas 17 July 2019 - 05:06 AM
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.”









Posted by: Dragondog 18 July 2019 - 08:31 AM
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 ͡°)

Posted by: uniquelyjas 18 July 2019 - 09:13 AM
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!

Posted by: Dragondog 18 July 2019 - 06:03 PM
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

Posted by: uniquelyjas 26 July 2019 - 04:34 PM
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!”





Posted by: Dragondog 28 July 2019 - 05:18 PM
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

Posted by: uniquelyjas 1 August 2019 - 06:05 AM
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.”



Posted by: Dragondog 3 August 2019 - 01:10 PM
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...

Posted by: uniquelyjas 3 August 2019 - 03:38 PM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 3 August 2019 - 01:10 PM)

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...

Of course!! It wouldn't be any fun otherwise!!

Posted by: Dragondog 4 August 2019 - 07:23 PM
Poor Jo just can't get a break... tongue.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 8 August 2019 - 08:04 AM
Chapter 11: Reunited: Part Two

“Welcome to magical, mystical, Mission City,” Jack’s voice boomed over the plane’s intercom early Saturday afternoon. “The temperature is a balmy…well, not quite balmy…eh, never mind.”

MacGyver looked at Joanna and they both chuckled. Even though it was supposedly spring, the temperatures in Northern Minnesota definitely did not reflect the season.

Mac was proud of Jo. If she had been nervous about the flight it certainly hadn’t shown. She appeared duly impressed with the big leather captain’s chairs and sofas in the customized cabin and even complimented Jack on his smooth take-off and landing. Something MacGyver was sure he would never hear the end of! They rented a car and drove into town.

Police sergeant and long-time friend, Neil Ryder, was the first to cross paths with the trio.

“Mac! If I’d known you were coming I’d have gotten Harry’s cabin ready for you!”

“That’s okay,” Mac assured him. “We rented a couple of motel rooms since we’re only staying overnight. You coming to the reunion?”

Neil frowned. “Can’t. Had too many officers call in sick so I’m pulling a double shift today.”

“What about Chuck?”

“He’s out of town at some outdoorsman convention,” the officer informed Mac. That made sense given that Chuck owned a sporting goods store and his busy season was about to begin.

MacGyver, Joanna, and Jack soon arrived at one of the more upscale motels in the city. The little town was growing daily, it seemed. They had secured connecting rooms. Joanna’s boasted a king size bed while the other had two doubles. The guys would share that room. After taking time to freshen up and change into the clothes they had brought for the evening, Mac and Jo exited their rooms at the same time. Mac wore a casual suit with a collarless shirt and Joanna wore a black, knee-length sheath dress with a long-sleeved, emerald green jacket.

“Where’s Jack?” Joanna asked, admiring Mac’s outfit.

“When I left he was singing show tunes in the shower. I told him we’d meet him in the lobby,” Mac replied as he appreciatively regarded Joanna from head to toe.

Fifteen minutes later, Jack sauntered into the gathering area wearing khaki pants, a brown bomber jacket and his well-worn flight cap.

“Does he always wear that?” Jo asked Mac between clenched teeth and a pasted on smile.

“No!” MacGyver quickly defended his friend. “Well, sometimes…usually…yeah, pretty much,” he conceded.

XXXXX

Mission City High School was a sprawling, multi-story building which boasted recent additions to accommodate the growing population. The reunion was in full swing in the gymnasium when Joanna entered flanked on either side by Mac and Jack. They stopped at the welcome table. Due to the lack of an RSVP, there were no ready-made name tags for them. The volunteer in charge handed them blank badges and permanent markers for them to scrawl their names and then display on their clothing.

Moving further into the gym, Joanna scanned the large room. A DJ played songs from the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. A few couples danced, but most chatted in small groups, sipping beverages and nibbling hors de oeuvres. It didn’t take long before her companions were recognized by fellow classmates and soon Joanna and Mac became separated from Jack who took advantage of the attention to spin yarns of his various adventures since graduation. Jo appreciated that MacGyver stuck close to her, holding her hand or placing a comforting arm around her waist. Her mind swam as she was bombarded with names and faces she would forget by the end of the night. However, she was pleased to see that Mac had been a popular, well-liked student.

As time passed, Jo became increasingly aware of the curious glances and whispered comments she and Mac garnered as they continued to mingle. ‘Mrs. MacGyver’, ‘wife’, and ‘husband’ could be heard as they walked past various groups. At one point, they were confronted by three giggling, forty-something, bleach blonde women.

“So you’re the one who finally captured MacGyver’s heart,” the most boisterous lady said to Jo.

Shocked. Joanna took a moment to reply. “Oh, we’re just—“

“She sure is!” Mac unceremoniously cut her off.

A brief, but polite conversation ensued, and as soon as the women directed their gossipy attention elsewhere Joanna rammed her elbow into Mac’s gut.

“What?!” he exclaimed, rubbing the spot she had connected with.

“’She sure is’?!”

“I thought it would just be easier to go along with it,” he innocently explained. “We’re probably never going to see these people again, so what’s the harm?”

Joanna had to admit he had a point as they headed to the buffet table. While Jo gathered finger sandwiches, MacGyver carefully began ladling punch into two plastic cups when someone bumped him from behind, causing the red liquid to slosh over onto his hands. He let out a disgusted groan.

“What happened?” Jo asked even as she observed the punch dripping off his fingers.

“Nothing,” he grumbled. “I gotta go wash this off. Be right back.”

XXXXX

Frustrated, MacGyver flicked his hands, spraying red droplets into the air as he strode down the long corridor to the men’s room, too caught up in his own thoughts to notice the shadowy figure lurking behind him. Not wanting to abandon Joanna to a room full of strangers for too long, he quickly washed his hands and checked his clothes for any damage. Luckily he found no stains. He was headed back to the gymnasium when an unbidden thought began to niggle at the back of his brain. He wondered if the science labs were still where he remembered them and, if so, had they been outfitted with up-to-date equipment. He knew Jo could hold her own socially, and he’d only be gone a few extra minutes.

Before he could change his mind, he proceeded down the hallway he knew so well. He discovered the old, wooden door of the chemistry lab had been replaced by a fireproof metal one with a small window that didn’t offer much of a view. He tried the handle. Locked. Making sure he was alone, he pulled out his Swiss Army knife from his interior jacket pocket, quickly chose a tool, and carefully picked the shiny new lock. Once inside, he flicked on the lights as an air of familiarity wrapped around him like a favorite blanket. He had spent a lot of happy and exciting hours in this room and his work here had served him well over the years. Grinning, he allowed himself to walk up and down the rows of heavy lab tables sporting Bunsen burners. Curious, he opened a drawer to reveal the standard issue equipment needed for just about every experiment done. Along the back wall, he noted with satisfaction, was a large glass and metal cabinet that held all sorts of chemicals. Yeah, this had always been one of his favorite rooms.

He was about to turn around and leave when he heard the soft shuffle of rubber-soled shoes and the click of the heavy metal door closing. He looked to find a lanky, balding man about his age dressed in an ill-fitting, powder blue tuxedo with a matching ruffled shirt. It was all he could do to keep from rolling his eyes.

“Ahhh, the infamous MacGyver! At last I have your undivided attention,” the unfamiliar man crowed. “So sorry for bumping into you earlier.”

“I’m sorry,” Mac replied. “Do I know you?”

“You mean you don’t remember me?” the man asked as he leveled a handgun at MacGyver’s chest.

Mac sucked in a breath at the sight of the gun and automatically raise his hands in surrender. “Um, off course I remember you…Gordon,” he said calmly, thankful for the name tag stuck to the man’s lapel. “Gordon Grapple. We had a class together.”

Gordon nodded eagerly. “Senior Chemistry. I sat three stations behind you.”

“Right!” Mac quickly agreed, trying to keep ole Gordy talking and diffuse the situation.

“Do you remember my lab partner?” Gordon asked, his voice low and serious now. “She had quite a crush on you.”

Doggone it! This guy was talking about a class they had almost thirty years ago! How was he supposed to remember Gordon’s lab partner when he couldn’t even remember his own?!

“She had long, blonde hair,” MacGyver guessed, hoping his punishment for the wrong answer wouldn’t be a bullet to his heart.

“Red,” Gordon replied, now looking through MacGyver as if into the past. “Her name was Winnie. Well, Winnifred. But I always called her ‘Winnie’. She was so jealous of your Ellen. That’s why she dyed her hair. She was always trying to get you to notice her, but you never did!”

Mac thought this was a good thing, but apparently it wasn’t as Gordy stepped closer, shoving the barrel of the gun into MacGyver’s chest.

“You ignored my Winnie and she ignored me!” he spat. “She was so caught up in you she didn’t give me the time of day! I tried everything to get her to notice me. Now, I finally have the chance to get her attention once and for all!”

“Aw, c’mon Gordon, that was a long time ago! We were kids! I’m sure if you saw her again—“

“I did see her. Tonight. And you know what?”

Mac shook his head.

“She was looking at you just like she did when we were in school. But that’s all gonna change right here.”

Gordon reached behind him with his free hand and pulled out two lengths of rope. He ordered MacGyver to sit on the floor where he bound his wrists behind his back and then fastened Mac’s ankles together.

“That should hold you until I get back.”

“Where are you going, Gordon?”

“I’m going for Winnie. I’m going to show her how helpless, how useless you are now. Then she’ll want me instead!”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack Dalton was at the portable bar waiting on his second…no, third…well, maybe fourth…beer when he saw Joanna heading directly toward him, a concerned look on her face.

“I’m worried about Mac,” she stated without preamble. “He went to the bathroom to wash punch off his hands, but that was over twenty minutes ago!”

“Mac’s a big boy. He probably just met up with some old pals and lost track of time,” Jack shrugged.

“Something’s wrong!” she protested. “I can feel it! Please go and make sure he’s okay.”

Jack considered himself a man of many talents, not the least of which was talking unwilling participants into participating in certain ventures, but he had nothing on Joanna’s big brown eyes and worried countenance.

“Fine,” he sighed, “I’ll go check.”

Jack made his rather unsteady way to the nearest men’s room. He earned some odd looks as he bent down to peek under the stalls looking for Mac’s shoes. Not finding his friend, he wandered back out into the corridor. He didn’t want to return to Joanna unsuccessful. After all, she was Mac’s girl and he really wanted her to think well of him. It didn’t take a brain surgeon to determine that Mac probably wandered off to check out the science labs. Or maybe the Ancient History classroom. But that was on the other end of the school. It had to be the science lab. At least the wobbly Jack Dalton hoped so. On his way, he almost collided with a nerdy, nearly-middle-age man dressed in, of all things, a light blue tuxedo. With a grunt as an apology, he continued down the corridor.

The pilot soon found himself standing in front of the heavy metal door of the chem lab. Light was shining through a small window. He stood on tiptoe and peeked in, but the view was quite limited and the knob was locked. He was about to head back to the gym when the sound of breaking glass caught his attention and sobered him up a bit as well. He tried peering through the window again.

“Mac?! Mac, is that you?!”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver didn’t know how long it would take Gordon to find Winnie and convince her to come to the lab, so he had to act fast. First, he had to get out of these ropes. Ole Gordy didn’t appear particularly strong, but he sure knew how to tie a good knot. Unsure of where his Swiss Army knife had gotten to, Mac looked around the room, wishing he was in the biology lab instead. A scalpel was just what he needed. His gaze fell upon the locked cabinet that held the chemicals. It was too risky to try and use an acid to eat through the ties without taking his skin with them, but he could use the glass. He scooted over on his butt and used his foot to break the glass. Turning, he tucked his hand up into the arm of his jacket and gingerly reached for a piece of the jagged glass. He had just begun to saw through the ropes that bound his wrists when he thought he heard a muffled voice call his name. Abandoning his bindings for now, he slid across the room and banged on the door with the soles of his feet.

“Mac?!”

“Jack!” he called out thankfully.

“It’s locked!” his friend called.

Now sitting with his back against the door, Mac used it to lever himself into a standing position. He tried the knob from the inside. It was locked, too, which was very strange. Classroom doors always opened from the inside. It was a long-standing safety regulation. He glanced around the room again and was struck with an idea.

“Jack!” he yelled through the heavy door. “Fire extinguisher!”

He closed his eyes and sent up a quick but fervent prayer that Jack would understand and grab one of canisters placed at intervals along the corridor. Seconds ticked by interminably before he finally heard the steady bang of metal against metal. If Jack could just break the doorknob…”

A few more blows and he heard the knob clatter to the floor. A second later Jack tumbled into the room.

“What happened?!” he asked, his eyes wide as if now first shocked by the situation.

“I’ll explain later,” Mac replied hurriedly. “Get these ropes off me. We gotta get back to the gym.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Joanna sat on a barstool waiting for Jack. What could be taking so long? All he had to do was go to the men’s room and get Mac. A ball of dread began to form in her stomach. Something was really wrong. She was sure of it. Too anxious to sit, she slid off the stool and began to pace when her path was blocked by a short, chubby woman with red hair and dark-rimmed glasses. She wore an overly bright flower print dress.

“Excuse me,” the woman said shyly. “You’re Mrs. MacGyver, aren’t you?”

Joanna felt her shoulders droop. She didn’t feel like explaining. “Yes, that’s me,” she replied.

The woman’s face brightened. “Mac and I had Senior Chemistry together. I had such a crush on him,” she giggled. “My name’s Winnifred.” She stuck out her hand for Joanna to shake.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Joanna.”

“Have you spent much time in Mission City?”

Joanna was not in the mood for idle conversation, but at least it would pass the time until MacGyver and Jack returned.

“Actually, I’ve only been here a couple times.”

“Oh, that’s a shame,” Winnifred frowned. “Why don’t we go for a stroll and I can show you some of the popular hangouts?”

This woman was a little too friendly.

“I don’t think—“

Suddenly Jo felt something sharp poke her in the side. She looked down to find a hunting knife in Winnifred’s hand.

“But I insist!” the woman exclaimed, looping her free hand through Jo’s arm and guiding her out the door and into the night.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver and Jack hurried back to the party. Mac frantically scanned the room for Joanna but couldn’t find her.

“Where did you leave Jo?” Mac asked his friend.

“She was at the bar when I left.”

The two men hurried over to the bar, but she was nowhere to be found. The bartender and fellow former classmate looked up from the glass he was wiping.

“Can I help you gentleman?”

“Yes,” MacGyver replied. “Have you seen—“

“Your wife?” the bartender smiled. “Yeah, she left with that weirdo from Senior Chemistry.”

“Gordon?!” Mac’s heart beat in triple time.

“No. A woman.”

“Winnifred,” Mac said under his breath.

“Who?” Jack asked.

“Where did they go?” MacGyver asked the volunteer bartender while ignoring Jack’s question.

“Got me. She said something about showing Joanna the local hangouts.”

Mac sighed and sunk onto the nearest barstool, his mind racing. He couldn’t think of any notable, and potentially dangerous, locations except…

“Gordon said he had a crush on Winnifred,” he told Jack excitedly. “And Winnifred had a crush on me!”

“So?”

“So where did we all used to go to make-out?”

Jack shrugged. His face blank.

“The Ridge!” Mac exclaimed triumphantly.

“What’s ‘The Ridge’?” Jack asked, still befuddled.

For a moment MacGyver’s curiosity overrode his urgency. “You never went to The Ridge?”

Another shrug from Jack.

“It’s that clearing in the woods above Ridge Lake. That’s where Winnifred must’ve taken Jo!”

MacGyver jogged to the exit, Jack lagging behind. Mac stopped short and quickly turned around.

“You stay here and call Neil. Tell him what’s going on and tell him we also need to find Gordon,” Mac directed before hurtling through doors and out of sight.

It only took a few minutes for MacGyver to drive to the clearing, but it seemed like hours. As the dense trees began to thin out, he doused his headlights and eased the car to a silent stop. He got out and headed for the tree line, ducking low to keep his presence hidden as he moved closer to the two women standing on the edge of the cliff overlooking the lake. Moonlight glinted off the silver blade Winnifred held against Joanna’s side and fear gripped his heart. He could hear their soft voices but couldn’t make out what they were saying. He had to find a way to get them away from the ridge, separate them, and disarm Winnifred. Based on Joanna’s shaking head and the other woman’s jerky movements he figured he didn’t have much time. Perhaps he needed a ploy more than an attack strategy.
With quiet, efficient steps MacGyver made his way back to where he had left his car. He opened the door and then slammed it shut. Loudly. Sometimes the best plan was the most obvious.

“Winnifred?” he called. “Winnie, are you here?”

He noisily plodded up the hill until he once again had the two women in his sights.

“Winnifred! Thank God you’re okay!” he exclaimed as he continued to slowly walk towards them. “I was worried sick when I couldn’t find you in the gymnasium!”

Winnie started and turned abruptly, spinning Jo around with her, still holding the knife.

“MacGyver?” she asked hesitantly.

“Yeah, sweetheart. It’s me,” he assured her in a deep, sure voice. He was now only a couple feet away. He looked at Joanna for the first time since his approach.

“What’s she doing here?” he sneered.

“She’s the only thing standing between us, and I was going to take care of that tonight.” Winnie raised the knife like a newly-gained trophy.

“Don’t bother,” he ordered. “She’s not worth it.”

“But…she’s your wife!”

“No she’s not,” Mac said harshly. “Look at her…she’s not even my type! You know I’ve always had a thing for red-heads.”

“Then who is she?” Winnie asked slowly.

“Just some chick from work. I paid her to come up here and pretend to be my wife. I didn’t want everyone to know that smart, handsome, charming MacGyver was still single because he was still pining for you.” He silently willed Joanna to understand what he was doing and get in the game.

“You…you want me?” Winnifred’s grip on the knife as well as Jo’s arm seemed to slacken a bit.

“Hold it just a minute, mister!” Joanna scolded as she freed her arm from Winnie’s loosened grasp. “I agreed to our deal because you said if I pretended to be your wife you’d show me a good time, if you catch my drift! Well, buster, that ‘good time’ did NOT include being abandon by my date and kidnapped by a nutcase. Come to think of it, I’m not sure who’s the nutcase here. Her for wanting to kill me, you for being in love with her, or me for going along with this!! That’s it! I’m outta here!”

Joanna ended her rant by stepping away too quickly for Winnifred to react, but Mac was ready and waiting. As soon as Jo was far enough away, he lunged for Winnie, grabbing the knife from her hand before wrapping his arms around her, pinning her own arms against her body, while walking them both carefully away from the cliff.

“Let me go!” she screeched as she struggled against him, kicking him in the shins for good measure.

“Want me to take her off your hands?” Neil smirked as he stepped out from behind a large oak tree.

“How long have you been here?” Mac asked as they transferred the prisoner between them.

Neil shrugged. “Long enough to see that you had everything under control.”

“Gee, thanks for all your help, man,” MacGyver replied sarcastically before growing serious. “What about Gordon?”

“We found him roaming the school corridors looking for Winnie,” Neil informed him. “He’s already in custody back at the station. I’m sorry I missed all the excitement. What was the reunion’s theme anyway? ‘Revenge of the Psycho Nerds’?”

“Something like that,” Mac mumbled as Neil led Winnifred down the path to his patrol car.

“I’ll need all three of you to come down to the station and give your statements before you leave,” the officer called before he was out of earshot.

MacGyver turned to find Joanna with her back to him, staring out at the lake below. He cleared his throat as he approached so as not to startle her. As he got closer he could see she had her arms wrapped tightly around herself. He gently placed his hands on her shoulders and rested his chin on the top of her head.

“You okay?” he asked calmly.

“Yeah, I guess.” She turned to face him, her eyes glistening.

Without another word, Mac pulled her close. She wrapped her arms around his waist, laid her head on his chest and began to sob. When the tears had stopped, she pulled back and studied the wet stain on his shirt.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered.

“You got nothin’ to be sorry about,” Mac assured her, his own heart crying out. “You did real good tonight. You know that, right?”

She nodded and turned back to look at the moonlight glistening on the water. MacGyver joined her, taking her hand in his.

“What did she say to you?” His question sounded like a command.

“A lot of it didn’t make sense. Apparently she had a huge crush on you in high school…and still does. She told me this place was called ‘Lover’s Leap’ and that if I didn’t jump off the cliff she’d stab me to death so she could have you all to herself.”

MacGyver sucked in a breath upon hearing this. He was amazed at how composed Joanna was in spite of everything. He let go of her hand and instead wrapped his arm around her shoulders and nestled her against his side.

“She lied, you know,” Mac informed softly. “The real name of this place is ‘The Ridge’. All us kids used to come up here to make-out. Well, all of us except Jack.”

He felt Jo’s shoulders tremble, not with sobs, but with laughter.

“I’ll bet you know this place quite well,” she said, looking up at him with a playful grin.

He smiled back at her. “I never kiss and tell.”

He was prepared for one of her snarky comebacks when the trees behind them began to rustle. All his senses went on alert until his mind registered a huffing, puffing Jack Dalton emerging from the woods.

“Whew! That’s some hill!” he wheezed, looking around. “Did I miss anything?”

“You missed everything, Jack,” MacGyver informed his friend.

“You mean…it’s over? Neil got Minnie?”

“Her name’s ‘Winnie’, and yes, Neil got her.”

Jack’s face fell in disappointment before brightening up again.

“So this is The Ridge, huh?” he asked. “I don’t see what the big deal is…there’s nothing here!”

Mac and Joanna began to laugh.

“I’m serious!” Jack retorted. “You know, this would be the perfect place for a—“

“Forget it, Jack,” Mac commanded.

“But I didn’t even tell you my idea yet!”

“Exactly!”








Posted by: Dragondog 9 August 2019 - 11:52 AM
QUOTE

MacGyver looked at Joanna and they both chuckled. Even though it was supposedly spring, the temperatures in Northern Minnesota definitely did not reflect the season.
It's Minnesota. It's never the temp it's supposed to be.

QUOTE

“When I left he was singing show tunes in the shower. I told him we’d meet him in the lobby,” Mac replied as he appreciatively regarded Joanna from head to toe.
I feel like Mac didn't want to wait up simply because he didn't want to listen to Jack's singing XD

QUOTE

Fifteen minutes later, Jack sauntered into the gathering area wearing khaki pants, a brown bomber jacket and his well-worn flight cap.

“Does he always wear that?” Jo asked Mac between clenched teeth and a pasted on smile.

“No!” MacGyver quickly defended his friend. “Well, sometimes…usually…yeah, pretty much,” he conceded.
Everyone knows a Jack. The Jack I know is me. I don't care about fashion either laugh.gif

QUOTE


As time passed, Jo became increasingly aware of the curious glances and whispered comments she and Mac garnered as they continued to mingle. ‘Mrs. MacGyver’, ‘wife’, and ‘husband’ could be heard as they walked past various groups. At one point, they were confronted by three giggling, forty-something, bleach blonde women.

“So you’re the one who finally captured MacGyver’s heart,” the most boisterous lady said to Jo.
Sheesh, is there anything better to do? Is it that noteworthy? laugh.gif

QUOTE

Frustrated, MacGyver flicked his hands, spraying red droplets into the air as he strode down the long corridor to the men’s room, too caught up in his own thoughts to notice the shadowy figure lurking behind him.
Of course.

QUOTE
He tried the handle. Locked. Making sure he was alone, he pulled out his Swiss Army knife from his interior jacket pocket, quickly chose a tool, and carefully picked the shiny new lock.
See, Sam's not so bad laugh.gif

QUOTE
Gordon Grapple.
What a perfect last name for what's about to happen XD

QUOTE

“I’m going for Winnie. I’m going to show her how helpless, how useless you are now. Then she’ll want me instead!”
Can't decide whether he's the biggest grudge collector I've ever seen, or completely insane.

...

...

Insane. Definitely insane.

QUOTE

Jack Dalton was at the portable bar waiting on his second…no, third…well, maybe fourth…beer
He's supposed to fly them out tomorrow. He's gonna have a bad hangover XD

QUOTE

Suddenly Jo felt something sharp poke her in the side. She looked down to find a hunting knife in Winnifred’s hand.
Wow. They're all insane -_-

QUOTE


“So where did we all used to go to make-out?”

Jack shrugged. His face blank.

“The Ridge!” Mac exclaimed triumphantly.

“What’s ‘The Ridge’?” Jack asked, still befuddled.

For a moment MacGyver’s curiosity overrode his urgency. “You never went to The Ridge?”

Another shrug from Jack.
This amused me far more than it should have XD

QUOTE
He silently willed Joanna to understand what he was doing and get in the game.
I'm sure she will XD

QUOTE

“She lied, you know,” Mac informed softly. “The real name of this place is ‘The Ridge’. All us kids used to come up here to make-out. Well, all of us except Jack.”
I know where this is going...

I'm still laughing at Jack's lack of a love life XD XD XD

QUOTE

He was prepared for one of her snarky comebacks when the trees behind them began to rustle. All his senses went on alert until his mind registered a huffing, puffing Jack Dalton emerging from the woods.
I saw that coming XD

QUOTE

“Exactly!”
Please oh please oh please tell me Mac said that in the same tome Jack usually does laugh.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 9 August 2019 - 01:35 PM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 9 August 2019 - 11:52 AM)

QUOTE

“Exactly!”
Please oh please oh please tell me Mac said that in the same tome Jack usually does laugh.gif

I'm fairly certain he did thumbup.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 14 August 2019 - 05:41 AM
Chapter 12: The Dance

MacGyver stood in his office doorway and gazed out at his domain, otherwise known as the Challengers Club. For the first time since beginning this venture he finally felt in full control of the endeavor. Jack had left for L.A. and, at Mac’s insistence, Cynthia had agreed to leave work early. It didn’t take long before his eyes fell on the two youngest members of the club seated on either side of Joanna studiously completing their homework. Davey, the elder of the two, had inquisitive hazel eyes and dark blonde hair with an out-of-control cowlick that refused to be tamed. In his short time with Challengers, Mac had discovered the boy’s love of science and desire to take apart anything that moved to find out how it works regardless of if he could put it back together or not. Davey’s five-year-old sister, Suzy, had dark brown hair cut in a bob similar to Jo’s. Quiet and non-assuming, the little girl had a way of wiggling into one’s heart when they weren’t paying attention. MacGyver felt his insides warm, realizing that these two children could easily be his and Joanna’s. He began to wonder what a child of theirs would be like before the ringing telephone rudely interrupted his thoughts.

“I’m going to take off now, if that’s okay,” a female voice said from the doorway.

“Yeah, sure,” Mac mumbled, not raising his head from the note he was jotting to himself.

“Davey and Suzy are helping the older kids clean up. I had them call their mom since they stayed later than usual.”

“Okay,” he mumbled again, his attention still focused on the note.

“Angus MacGyver! You haven’t heard a word I’ve said!”

The harsh tone of voice, not to mention the use of his Christian name, caused Mac’s head to snap up only to find Joanna standing in the doorway to his office, hands planted firmly on her hips, her brow furrowed.

Suddenly penitent, Mac quickly pushed back his chair and hurried around the old desk. He put his hands on Jo’s stiffened shoulders and kissed her forehead.

“I’m sorry, babe. I got distracted and didn’t even realize how late it was.”

He felt her shoulders relax as her hands reached up to gently grasp his forearms. The look on her face quickly morphing from frustration to concern.

“Is everything all right? You haven’t been out of your office since that phone call?”

“Everything’s fine,” he assured her. “How about we talk tomorrow and plan to spend some time together? Just the two of us.”

“Sure,” she replied with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes before she turned and headed toward the exit.

“By the way,” she called from across the room, “I told Davey and Suzy you’d drive them home since it’s dark outside.” This time her mischievous grin lit up the night.

The older teens made quick work of the end-of-day clean-up routine. Not only did it take a load off of MacGyver and Cynthia, but it gave the youth a sense of responsibility and ownership. Mac had just returned from dumping the garbage when he spotted Davey walking aimlessly around the rec room.

“Ready to go home, buddy?” he asked the boy.

“I can’t find Frog,” Davey replied, holding up the dog leash as if to make his point.

“He’s around here somewhere. I’ll round him up,” Mac promised. “Now go tell Suzy it’s time to leave.”

“I can’t find her, either,” Davey said woefully.

Mac’s senses went on alert. A habit from his days as a field operative. But he didn’t want the boy to see his concern.

“Maybe Suzy and Frog are playing hide-and-seek,” MacGyver suggested hopefully. “Let’s see if we can find them together.”

Hand in hand, Mac and Davey inspected the perimeter of the large room and any nooks or crannies that might serve as a good hiding place, but they found nothing.

“Maybe Frog needed to go outside,” Mac said. “Let me grab my jacket and we’ll take a look.”

He hurried into his office and grabbed the familiar brown bomber from the back of his chair. He was closing the door behind him when a muffled sob and a snort stopped him in his tracks. He stood quietly and listened. A few seconds later the sounds came again.

“Suzy? Frog?” he called softly. The only reply was more sobs and a snuffle.

MacGyver followed the sounds and soon found its source under his desk. Suzy sat cross-legged, her arms wrapped tightly around the stocky bull dog sitting in her lap, her head buried in his back as she cried. Frog sat patiently, his lolling tongue and panting breath the only indication of his discomfort.

“Hey, guys, is everything okay?” Mac asked, crouching down so he could see them better. Neither girl nor beast replied.

“What do you say we go on home?”

Suzy raised her head, her face flushed and tears streaming down her cheeks.

“I don’t wanna go home!” she exclaimed.

“Why not?” Mac asked. Was something going on at the house that caused the girl to not want to return? All sorts of unsettling scenarios crept into his head.

“I wanna go to the dance!”

Totally confused by this unexpected response, Mac repositioned himself on the floor so he now mirrored Suzy.

“What dance?” Mac’s voice was soft and calm.
“The daddy/daughter dance at school,” Suzy hiccupped. “I can’t go ‘cause I don’t got a daddy.”

“Aw, sweetie, I’m sure there will be other girls there who don’t have a daddy,” Mac tried to console her.

Suzy nodded. “My teacher said I could bring my mommy, but she’s not a daddy,” she offered, looking MacGyver straight in the eye. “Davey even said he’d go with me, but he’s only nine and I don’t wanna dance with my brother!”

“Is she still moaning about that stupid dance?” Davey groused from the doorway.

“It’s not a stupid dance!” his sister yelled back.

MacGyver sighed. He was way out of his comfort zone. “Let’s all go home and get a good night’s sleep and maybe we can think of a solution tomorrow,” he offered, trying to sound authoritative.

“But I have a solution!” Suzy proclaimed. “Only Mommy made me promise not to say anything.”

This piqued his curiosity.

“Well, ya know, I’m really good at keepin’ secrets,” Mac whispered conspiratorially. “Could you tell me what your solution is?”

Suzy shook her head vigorously.

“Why not?” MacGyver asked.

“Because you’re the solution! I want you to be my daddy for the dance!”

Mac felt the air rush out of his lungs as if someone had punched him in the gut. Hard. He was flattered that Suzy wanted him to be her ‘daddy’, but if her mother insisted the girl keep it a secret she obviously did not approve. Getting out of this conversation was going to be harder than getting out of East Germany before the Iron Curtain fell.
“I’d be honored to be your ‘daddy’ for the dance,” Mac managed to reply smoothly. “Why don’t we talk about it tomorrow?” He quickly rose from his seat on the floor to avoid a rebuttal.

“Davey, come and get Frog, it’s time to go home,” he directed.

The Nomad had barely come to a complete stop in front of the Talbot house before Davey and Suzy barreled out of the car and up the front walkway. MacGyver followed more sedately, taking in the peeling paint and lopsided roof of the old structure. A lanky young woman with straggly blonde hair greeted the children at the door, hugging each of them tightly before they bolted off in opposite directions.

“Thank you so much for bringing them home, Mr. MacGyver,” she said as he approached.

“No problem, Ms. Talbot. I’m happy to do it,” he smiled.

“Please, call me Jill.”

“Okay, Jill. Could we talk for a minute in private?”

The young woman’s thin face paled, but she ushered MacGyver into the kitchen and started pouring two cups of coffee before he could object.

“I hope the children aren’t being a burden,” she said quietly, sitting on the edge of a wobbly wooden chair.

“The kids are great,” Mac assured her. “We love having them around.”

“Then what’s the problem?” She couldn’t hide the weariness from her voice. Working two jobs was definitely taking its toll.

“I wouldn’t call it a problem,” MacGyver began, “But Suzy was telling me about the daddy/daughter dance at her school. She’s quite upset because she doesn’t have a daddy to go with.”

Jill sighed. “I know. We’ve been arguing about it for weeks.”

“She told me about her solution.”

“Oh, no,” the tired woman moaned. “I specifically made her promise not to bother you with it.”

“With all due respect, ma’am, it’s not a bother. In fact, I’d like to be her ‘daddy’ for the dance if you’ll allow it.”

The look on Jill’s face was a combination of surprise and relief. “Really, Mr. MacGyver, you don’t have to do this.”

“I want to do it. And the name’s Mac.”

Jill’s face fell again.

“There’s one problem,” she said quietly. “Suzy is going to want a new dress and we simply can’t afford it.”

MacGyver smiled. “I have a friend who might be able to help out with that if you’ll agree to it.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Saturday morning Joanna entered the Talbot home much to the delight of Suzy who bounced across the small living room to greet her.

“Thank you so much for taking Suzy shopping,” Jill said as she offered Jo a cup of coffee which she refused.

“It’s my pleasure. And don’t worry, I know some really good thrift stores,” Jo promised with a smile.

Two hours and three shops later, Suzy was still unable to find a dress that suited her. Her mother had warned her about not being too fussy and to be grateful that she was getting a new outfit at all. Nevertheless, the little girl apparently knew what she wanted and wasn’t going to stop looking until she found it. But Joanna was running out of options. There was only one second-hand store they hadn’t tried. Within minutes upon entering, Suzy perused the rack with dresses in her size before declaring them all unworthy. Joanna sighed and massaged her temple where a headache was beginning to blossom.

“Okay. Time for the mall,” she declared.

“But Mommy said the mall’s too ‘spensive.”

“Not if you look for sales,” Joanna smiled and winked at her young charge as they headed to the car.

After a quick stop at the mall’s food court to refuel with burgers and fries, Joanna led Suzy through the nearest department store. Soon they were standing in front of racks laden with party dresses. Little Suzy’s jaw dropped and her eyes grew wide. She stood stock still as if paralyzed by the options that confronted her. She bit her lower lip and looked up at Jo.

“What’s Mr. Mac’s favorite color?”

Joanna opened her mouth to reply before realizing she didn’t know the answer. What was Mac’s favorite color? She’d seen him wear everything from white tees to brightly colored print shirts and he always seemed to like what she wore, regardless of color. Not only didn’t she know his favorite color, she also didn’t know his favorite song, movie (though it was a Western for sure), season, or even pizza topping though she knew he didn’t like anchovies. How could they have known each other so long and she still not know the answers?

A tug on her handbag startled her out of her reverie. She looked down to find Suzy staring up at her, patiently waiting for an answer.

“Blue,” Jo blurted out. “Mr. Mac’s favorite color is blue.” She’d inform him later so he could give Suzy the proper compliment.

With the choices now narrowed a bit, Suzy began to gingerly pick through the brand new outfits.

“Does he like sparkly or plain?” she asked.

Yet another question Jo didn’t know the answer to, but this time she decided to take a different approach. She knelt down so she was at eye level with the girl.

“Sweetie, I know you want to wear a dress Mr. Mac will like, but it’s more important to find a dress that you like and feel comfortable in. Mr. Mac likes you regardless of what color you’re wearing or whether it’s sparkly or not.”

Suzy considered this information before plucking a powder blue ruffled dress from the rack.

“I like this one,” she declared, but a frown marred her precious face when she looked at the price tag. “But it’s too ‘spensive,” she sighed.

The girl’s comment was like a knife to Jo’s heart. No five-year-old should have to worry about money.

“Why don’t you try it on anyway,” she urged. “Maybe it’s on sale even though it’s not marked.”

Ten minutes later, Joanna handed the credit card MacGyver had given her to the clerk. After signing her name on the receipt, she reached for the tag on the dress, scribbled out the original price, and wrote in one that Jill would find acceptable.

“Your daughter will look like a princess in this dress,” the cashier commented as she completed the transaction.

Joanna opened her mouth to correct the assumption when she suddenly decided to go with the flow. “Thanks. I think so, too,” she replied, grabbing her package and heading to where Suzy stood waiting for her. She stopped and regarded the child. She had long ago accepted the fact that having a child was not part of her future, but this little sprite couldn’t help but make her wonder what a daughter of hers might be like. Her’s and MacGyver’s.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mac winced as Joanna readjusted his tie and tugged on his collar. Once satisfied, she brushed away some imaginary lint from his lapels and pronounced him fit for the daddy/daughter dance.

“Remember, your favorite color is light blue and you like ruffles, not sparkles,” she instructed as she handed him a small clear plastic container that held a miniature wrist corsage.

“Yes, mother,” he replied cheekily which only earned him a scowl and a playful swat on his shoulder.

“Seriously,” he said, “I will treat her like a princess and make sure she has a wonderful time.”

XXXXX

Suzy’s small hand tightly grasped MacGyver’s much larger one as she led him into the school cafeteria that had been transformed into a magical wonderland complete with twinkling fairy lights. Grown men talked and laughed as little girls whispered and giggled. It didn’t take long before Suzy spotted her friends and picked up the pace, practically tugging MacGyver behind her.

“C’mon Daddy Mac, I want you to meet my friends!”

They approached a small group of girls similar in age who all turned and stopped talking when they got close.

“Hey everybody,” Suzy announced, her head held high, “this is my daddy!”

The girls began to snicker and Suzy appeared confused as the tallest of the bunch…it always seemed to be the tallest who was the bully…stepped forward.

“He’s not your daddy,” the tall girl proclaimed. “You don’t have a daddy!”

MacGyver felt Suzy’s hand tighten in his and caught the slightest quiver of her lower lip. He knew tears would soon follow.
“I usually don’t argue with pretty young ladies,” he said calmly, “But for tonight I am most certainly Miss Suzy’s daddy.” He then turned to Suzy. “C’mon honey, let’s get some punch.” And together they walked away.

Mac quickly lost track of time as he and Suzy drank punch, sampled the family-friendly finger-food, and danced to a variety of music. Suzy tried to teach him new dance steps which she insisted were the most popular among her generation while he tried desperately to follow her instructions and not look like a fool in front of the other dads who no doubt had been schooled in these moves by their daughters over the previous weeks. His efforts brought on more than one bout of the giggles from his ‘date’. When the beat of the music became slow and rhythmic, MacGyver gently lifted Suzy into his arms and she snuggled against his chest as he swayed in time to the song.

“Are you having a good time?” he asked.

“This is the bestest night of my whole entire life!” she answered, looking up at him with a happy smile. “Will you be my daddy again next year?”

Mac chuckled. “You bet I will.”

The song ended and the DJ announced the conclusion of the evening. MacGyver lowered Suzy to the floor and looked at his watch. He couldn’t believe the dance was over. He looked around to find a group of weary kindergarteners who were probably already up past their bedtime. Even Suzy’s usual energetic glow had faded.

A short while later he escorted a sleepy Suzy to her front door where her mother greeted her.

“How was the dance, sweetheart?” Jill asked.

“It was awesome,” the girl mumbled around a yawn.

“Say ‘thank you’ to Mr. Mac,” her mom instructed.

“Thank you, Daddy Mac,” she said, rubbing her tired eyes before heading down the hall to her room.

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this, Mr. MacGyver,” Jill said once Suzy had disappeared. “I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”

“Hey, the pleasure was all mine. You owe me nothing,” he smiled before heading back to the car.

Mac was already tugging off his tie as he entered his apartment. He shrugged out of his suit coat and deposited himself on the couch. He laid staring up at the ceiling, wondering if there were any more daddy/daughter dances in his future. If Miss Suzy had her way he was sure there would be. At least now he had time to practice his dance steps.









Posted by: Dragondog 15 August 2019 - 06:58 PM
QUOTE

MacGyver stood in his office doorway and gazed out at his domain
Is it sad that I had to pause before finishing the sentence to remember where he works now? laugh.gif

QUOTE
Jack had left for L.A. and, at Mac’s insistence,
For a second, I didn't see the 'and' XD

QUOTE

“I can’t find Frog,” Davey replied, holding up the dog leash as if to make his point.

“He’s around here somewhere. I’ll round him up,” Mac promised. “Now go tell Suzy it’s time to leave.”

“I can’t find her, either,” Davey said woefully.
Well then... unsure.gif

QUOTE
He was closing the door behind him when a muffled sob and a snort stopped him in his tracks. He stood quietly and listened. A few seconds later the sounds came again.

“Suzy? Frog?” he called softly. The only reply was more sobs and a snuffle.
That was fast laugh.gif

QUOTE
Frog sat patiently, his lolling tongue and panting breath the only indication of his discomfort.
Me trying to help when someone starts unloading to me XD

QUOTE

“The daddy/daughter dance at school,” Suzy hiccupped. “I can’t go ‘cause I don’t got a daddy.”
sad.gif sad.gif sad.gif Well, now my heart is broken, poor girl DX

QUOTE

“Aw, sweetie, I’m sure there will be other girls there who don’t have a daddy,” Mac tried to console her.
I'm 100% convinced Mac's either going to end up standing in as her 'father', or he'll suggest holding a dance at Challengers to make up for it.

QUOTE

“But I have a solution!” Suzy proclaimed. “Only Mommy made me promise not to say anything.”

This piqued his curiosity.
Mine as well huh.gif

Well, I was right XD XD XD

This whole conversation is adorable XD

QUOTE

Joanna opened her mouth to reply before realizing she didn’t know the answer. What was Mac’s favorite color? She’d seen him wear everything from white tees to brightly colored print shirts and he always seemed to like what she wore, regardless of color. Not only didn’t she know his favorite color, she also didn’t know his favorite song, movie (though it was a Western for sure), season, or even pizza topping though she knew he didn’t like anchovies. How could they have known each other so long and she still not know the answers?
Welcome to the world of marriage (from what I've heard, anyway) laugh.gif

QUOTE
After signing her name on the receipt, she reached for the tag on the dress, scribbled out the original price, and wrote in one that Jill would find acceptable.
XD Nice going, Jo!

QUOTE
She stopped and regarded the child. She had long ago accepted the fact that having a child was not part of her future, but this little sprite couldn’t help but make her wonder what a daughter of hers might be like. Her’s and MacGyver’s.
Hmm, they've both wondered about this now... ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

QUOTE

“Yes, mother,” he replied cheekily which only earned him a scowl and a playful swat on his shoulder.
I love these two XD

QUOTE

“C’mon Daddy Mac, I want you to meet my friends!”
Rofl, "Daddy mac" roller.gif

QUOTE

“Hey everybody,” Suzy announced, her head held high, “this is my daddy!”
Hmm, not sure this will end well... hmm.bmp

QUOTE

“He’s not your daddy,” the tall girl proclaimed. “You don’t have a daddy!”
Yeah, I saw that coming... :-( Some friends...

Why am I getting Lilo and Stitch vibes from this though? XD

QUOTE
“I usually don’t argue with pretty young ladies,” he said calmly, “But for tonight I am most certainly Miss Suzy’s daddy.” He then turned to Suzy. “C’mon honey, let’s get some punch.” And together they walked away.
Awww, Mac always knows just what to do :-D

QUOTE

Mac quickly lost track of time as he and Suzy drank punch, sampled the family-friendly finger-food, and danced to a variety of music. Suzy tried to teach him new dance steps which she insisted were the most popular among her generation while he tried desperately to follow her instructions and not look like a fool in front of the other dads who no doubt had been schooled in these moves by their daughters over the previous weeks. His efforts brought on more than one bout of the giggles from his ‘date’. When the beat of the music became slow and rhythmic, MacGyver gently lifted Suzy into his arms and she snuggled against his chest as he swayed in time to the song.
Oh my gosh, I think I might be tearing up, why is this so cute?!

QUOTE

“Thank you, Daddy Mac,” she said, rubbing her tired eyes before heading down the hall to her room.
XD

Posted by: uniquelyjas 16 August 2019 - 05:23 AM
Glad you enjoyed this chapter Dragondog. Gotta throw in a warm-fuzzy every now and again!

Posted by: uniquelyjas 21 August 2019 - 05:02 AM
Chapter 13: Frog’s Secret

MacGyver stooped to retrieve Frog’s food bowl, noting that there was still a good deal of kibble left over for the second day in a row.

“What’s the matter, boy? Decided to go on a diet?”

Frog looked at him mournfully before bringing his back leg around to furiously scratch his neck, something else he had been doing a lot more of recently. Come to think of it, the dog hadn’t been as active as usual either, but Mac had chalked it up to age and busy days with the kids at Challengers.

“Is that collar bothering you again?” Mac asked, stooping once again to loosen it a notch before clipping on the leash and heading to the car.

Upon arriving at the Challengers Club, Frog headed straight for the corner where his plush dog bed awaited him. MacGyver readied a bowl of food and one of water, but by the time he put them on the floor next to the bed, Frog was already asleep, snoring softly…for him. Mac shook his head, but he couldn’t shake the concern that had been growing in the back of his mind. He walked into his office to find Cynthia already working away on the computer.

“Hey, Cynthia. You know anything about dogs?”

Cynthia looked up. “I never had a dog,” she shrugged. “I’ve always been more of a cat person. Why?”

“Frog’s been acting weird lately and I thought you might have an idea why.”

“Sorry,” Cynthia apologized. “But I’ve noticed it too. He doesn’t get as anxious for his walks as he used to. Maybe he’s just getting old.”

“Yeah, maybe,” MacGyver mumbled.

XXXXX

The day passed quickly and soon the center was filling up with teenagers ready to either blow off some steam or get started on their homework. Mac hardly noticed when Joanna arrived for her daily tutoring sessions, but when he did notice, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. They really needed to make a point to spend some quality time together. He watched as she commandeered a table before going over to the corner to greet Frog. She crouched down, ruffling his ears. Then she started fiddling with his collar.

“We need to tighten this up before your head slips out and you decide to take off,” she was telling the dog as MacGyver approached from behind.

“What are you doing?” he asked, more harshly than he had intended to given her startled reaction.

“I’m adjusting his collar,” she said, craning her neck to look up at him. “Someone keeps loosening it and I think it’s irritating his neck. See?”

MacGyver bent down to see the spot Jo was gently massaging with her fingertips. He reached out to feel for himself. Their fingers touched briefly, but long enough for a spark of electricity to arc between them.

“There’s a lump there,” Mac frowned.

Joanna nodded in agreement as she gently separated the short hair of the canine’s coat. “The skin around the area looks red, too.” Her eyes were full of concern as they met his.

MacGyver stood up and jammed his hand through his hair. Something was definitely wrong with his dog.

“I think you should probably take him to the vet just to be on the safe side,” Joanna suggested, rising to stand next to him.

Mac groaned. “He doesn’t have a vet,” he admitted. “He’s never needed one before.”

“Well, I think he needs one now,” Jo observed, looking down at the listless animal. “There’s an emergency clinic not far from here that should be able to see him right away.”

“I’ll let Cynthia know we’re leaving,” Mac said as Joanna went to get Frog’s leash.

It didn’t take long to drive to the clinic and soon they were seated on hard plastic chairs in an antiseptic waiting room, Frog sitting drowsily at their feet. MacGyver suddenly realized he had never even asked Jo if she wanted to come along. He simply assumed she’d come and she never objected. When the receptionist called Frog’s name, they both rose and coaxed the canine into an even more antiseptic exam room. Thankfully it didn’t take long for the doctor to see them.

“And what seems to be the problem today?” the vet asked in a kind voice. He was middle-aged with thin gray hair and wearing wire rimmed glasses.

“Frog hasn’t been eating much the last few days and he doesn’t have as much energy as normal,” MacGyver replied. “This afternoon we noticed a red bump on his neck and thought we should have it checked out.”

The doctor nodded and frowned as he reviewed the paperwork Mac had struggled to fill out when they first arrived.

“You don’t seem to have much information about our little friend here,” the vet observed. “How old is he?”

“I’m really not sure,” Mac winced, feeling like a terribly inadequate pet parent. The doctor cocked a brow.

“Well how long have you had him?”

“He’s been living with me for not quite a year, but I’ve known him for about nine,” Mac replied.

“Where did he live before?”

“Out in Los Angeles with a friend.”
“I see. And where did your friend get him?”

“From another friend,” MacGyver muttered, knowing how odd this must sound.

The vet removed his glasses, his eyes boring into Mac’s. “And where did that friend get him?” His tone indicating his patience was wearing thin.

“I don’t really know,” Mac shrugged.

The doctor scrubbed his face with his hand before settling his glasses back on the bridge of his nose.

“Well, then let me have a look and we’ll go from there.”

The vet performed a cursory exam before he removed Frog’s collar and gingerly examined the area Mac and Joanna indicated.

“It could be a cyst or tumor, or something as simple as an infected insect bite. I’d need to run a scan to be sure. Do you have time to stick around?”

“Sure,” MacGyver replied as Jo quickly nodded.

They waited in silence for the doctor to return with Frog and hopefully the results of the scan. The word ‘tumor’ echoed ominously through Mac’s brain. Joanna must have sensed his concern as she gently put her hand on his knee and gave it a comforting squeeze. Perhaps she was having the same thoughts. When MacGyver thought he couldn’t wait a second longer the door to the exam room opened and the vet walked in with Frog in his arms.

“What did you find?” Mac asked anxiously.

The man set Frog down on the table before pulling up a wheeled stool and sitting down himself.

“I don’t know what to make of it,” he replied baldly. “I started with a set of X-rays and there appears to be a small piece of metal imbedded right below the skin.”

“Like shrapnel?”

“I couldn’t tell. I’d have to remove it to find out for sure.”

“Can that be done tonight?” Jo asked.

The doctor shrugged. “It’s a simple procedure if you don’t mind waiting.”

“We’re good,” Mac assured him.

Relegated once again to the uncomfortable waiting room, Mac and Joanna sat silently next to each other, each lost in their own thoughts. After almost thirty minutes, the veterinarian beckoned them, not back to the exam room, but to the lab instead.

“Mr. MacGyver,” he began sternly, “Are you sure you don’t want to tell me where this animal came from?”

MacGyver’s muscles tensed. “If I knew Frog’s origins I would have put that on the paperwork. As I said earlier, I don’t know where my friend got him.”

“Is there a problem, sir?” Joanna asked before Mac could continue.

The doctor’s shoulders slouched as if in defeat. “Look, I don’t know who you are or where your dog came from, but the piece of metal we removed from his neck appears to be a microchip.”

“What?” the couple gasped in unison.

“Take a look for yourselves,” the vet directed them toward a microscope. “As you can see, it appears to be corroding which is causing Frog some discomfort. I doubt that anything harmful has entered his bloodstream, but to be on the safe side I’m prescribing a round of antibiotics.”

“Is it one of those microchips they’re putting in dogs in case they get lost?” Joanna asked as Mac continued to examine the specimen.

“No,” the vet answered confidently. “Those chips are quite small and implanted by injection. This chip is significantly larger and had to have been surgically implanted at some point.”

MacGyver now looked up and turned to face the doctor, questions churning faster than he could find the words to ask them.

“Also,” the man continued, “This chip is quite primitive. It looks to be at least ten years old.”

“Any idea where it came from or what’s on it?” Mac asked.

“Look, I’m just a retired vet working part-time to put the kids through college, not James Bond. I’ve never seen anything like this before. I should probably report it, but I don’t even know who to report it to!”

MacGyver shared the man’s mounting frustration and felt sorry for him. Perhaps full disclosure was in order.

“Sir, I used to work for the Phoenix Foundation in Los Angeles. That’s how I met Frog. A Bulgarian defector was living in L.A. under the Foundation’s protection. Someone got her Frog for companionship. Unfortunately, she witnessed a serious crime and had to change identities which meant giving up Frog.” Here he turned and looked at Joanna. “That’s when Frank and the Colton’s adopted Frog. He stayed with them until last July when Frank brought him to live with me.”

“That’s quite a story, son,” the vet sighed.

“With your permission,” Mac continued, “I’d like to take the chip and turn it over to Phoenix. Perhaps their labs can read it and figure out what’s going on.”

“Since the chip was found in your dog, it’s technically your property. And since I have no precedence on how to proceed, I believe your suggestion sounds like the best course of action.”

“Thank you, doctor.”

“But be sure to give Frog his full round of antibiotics. You can pick them up at the front desk on the way out. And keep his collar off as much as possible until the skin irritation subsides.” The two men shook hands and minutes later Frog was released into Mac’s and Joanna’s care.

XXXXX

“What is it now, MacGyver?!” Pete snarled into the phone.

“How did you know it was me?”

“Who else calls me in the middle of the night? I suppose you have a favor to ask.”

Mac grimaced and pinched the bridge of his nose. He glanced at Joanna snuggled up with Frog on his couch, both sound asleep. It had taken the two of them, the better part of twenty minutes, and umpteen pieces of liverwurst to get Frog to swallow his medicine. One pill down, nine to go.

“You still got any strings you can pull at Phoenix?” MacGyver asked his friend.

“Maybe,” Pete hesitated. “Exactly what kind of ‘strings’ are we talking about?”

“I’d rather not say anything over the phone. I’ll come down to your place in the morning.” Mac hung up the phone before Pete could respond…or object.

Early the next morning, MacGyver gently ran the back of his index finger down Joanna’s sleep-flushed cheek. She awoke and looked up at him with a disoriented gaze.

“You fell asleep on my couch last night and I didn’t have the heart to wake you,” he explained before she could ask.

“My stiff neck and sore back thank you for that,” she replied wryly as she pushed off the blanket he had covered her with. At some point during the night, Frog had removed himself to his favorite spot under the coffee table and continued to snore.

“Boy, you really aren’t a morning person,” Mac observed.

“It took you this long to figure that out?” came the snappy retort.

“How about I make us some breakfast and then take you home so you can get ready for work?”

“Breakfast sounds good,” she answered sincerely. “But there’s no need to take me home. I have a change of clothes upstairs if you don’t mind me using your shower.”

“No, go right ahead,” Mac replied, perplexed. Since when did she keep clothes at his place? And why hadn’t he noticed. He looked around warily, wondering what else he might have missed. So much for his keen powers of observation. He’d have to take inventory when he got back.

They discussed their plans for the day over MacGyver’s self-proclaimed world famous pancakes. He told Joanna about his hope to have Phoenix check out the microchip and she told him that she planned to spend the day at Challengers.

“Isn’t Hernandez gonna be upset with you taking off?”

“I told him it was a family emergency,” she shrugged. “After all, you and Frog are like family to me anyway. Besides, we left my car there yesterday and now with you going to Chicago I can be there to help Cynthia and take care of Frog.”

“I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone,” he warned her.

“Don’t worry about it. Just try to get some answers, okay?”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Once MacGyver was on his way to Chicago, Joanna told Cynthia what all they had discovered at the vet’s office the previous evening before heading to the nearest pet supply store to buy a harness for Frog. Hopefully it would be less irritating than his collar and allow the small incision where the chip had been removed to heal faster.

Before Jo knew it, the afterschool crowd of boys and girls of all ages began to descend upon the club. Working in tandem with Cynthia, Jo made sure all the members were engaged in positive activities and that they were all following the Challengers code of conduct. She was in the middle of a tutoring session when Frog ambled over to her with an expectant look.

“Raul!” she called and the young teen quickly appeared.

“I think Frog needs to go outside. Wanna take him?”

Raul’s face brightened and she had her answer. Together they struggled to strap the pudgy bull dog into his harness and soon boy and beast were on their way.

Joanna was once again engrossed in a lesson when Raul bounded into the room, a huffing Frog trying to keep up.

“Ms. Jo! Ms. Jo! You’ll never guess what happened!”

“Well, then you better just tell me,” she replied good-naturedly.

“A man just tried to buy Frog from me! He said he’d give me a thousand dollars for him!”

“What?!” Joanna shot up so quickly that the chair she had been sitting on tumbled backwards. Realizing the attention they had garnered, she steered Raul and Frog toward Mac’s office.

“Tell me exactly what happened,” she instructed Raul once they were settled behind closed doors.

“I was walkin’ Frog around the block like I do every day when this big car came up behind us and an old white guy got out and said he’d give me a thousand dollars if I gave him Frog.”

“What did you tell him?”

“I told him he ain’t my dog so I couldn’t sell him.”

“And the old guy was okay with that?” Jo asked skeptically.

“I guess,” the boy shrugged. “His face started to turn red but then he mumbled something about different ways to kill cats and got in the car and left. I ran straight back here in case he tried to follow us.”

“More than one way to skin a cat,” Joanna absently corrected the idiom before giving the teen her full attention.

“You did good, Raul,” she assured him. “Can you tell me what the car looked like?”

“It was big and black,” he shrugged.

“What about the man? You said he was old?”

“Yeah. Older than MacGyver but not as old as my grandpa.”

“Can you remember anything else?” Jo prodded.

Raul shook his head. “I was kinda scared, ya know?”

Jo smiled softly. “I know. Now I think I hear some homework calling your name.”

When Raul had left the office, Joanna sat back in the big desk chair and tried to make sense of everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. She didn’t think that finding the microchip and having someone try to take Frog was a coincidence. And she knew Mac didn’t believe in coincidences, either. She thought about calling him, but he couldn’t do anything but worry while he was still in Chicago. Yet her gut was telling her she had to get Frog away from Challengers. Things could have gone very differently for Raul with the man in the big black car. So as not to worry Cynthia, she claimed she had a headache and quickly took Frog back to Mac’s place.

“Okay, buddy, time for your pill,” she announced after divesting the dog of his leash and harness.

She opened the refrigerator in search of the liverwurst when her gaze landed on a clear plastic container of raw chicken livers.

“Really, dude?!” she looked down at Frog, her eyebrows raised. “Mac must really be worried about your appetite if he’s making your favorite treat.” The canine met her gaze, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth while his face was a mask of doggy innocence.

Not finding any liverwurst, she reached for a brick of tofu.

“Sorry, but this is gonna have to do for tonight.”

After fifteen minutes of wrestling with the stout little dog, Joanna finally got him to swallow the piece of tofu in which she had concealed his antibiotic. To her dismay, the ordeal left her light pink blouse disheveled and wet with slobber. She sighed and climbed the winding staircase hoping Mac had a clean hockey jersey. Doing laundry was not one of his strong suits, she had discovered. She was washing out her blouse in the bathroom sink when she heard glass smash and Frog begin to bark frantically.

“That better not have been anything important,” she scolded as she hurried to dry her hands. But by the time she made it down the staircase, all was quiet and the window that made up Mac’s front door lay in shards at her feet with no dog in sight.

Her heartbeat quickened and she let out an involuntary scream as the ringing phone startled her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver arrived at the Thornton’s suburban Chicago home by late morning. He stopped just long enough to collect Pete and head into the city where a scientist was waiting for them at the Phoenix Foundation.

“So when are you going to tell me what this is all about?” Pete huffed as they sat in the ever-present downtown traffic jam.

“Just hold your horses, Pete,” Mac soothed. “I want to know what we’re dealing with first.”

“And that’s supposed to make me feel better?!” his friend shot back.

MacGyver grinned.

Having arrived at their destination, Mac offered Pete his elbow as the two men navigated the maze of corridors that led to the electronics and computer lab. They were met by a nervous, wiry man with thinning hair who introduced himself as Doctor Downer. After settling a harrumphing Pete on a stool in a nearby corner, MacGyver handed over the small container holding the microchip.

As the good doctor prepared the chip for microscopic examination, Mac wandered around the lab which was much more advanced than anything he had encountered during his time with the Foundation. Curious, he picked up and examined various computer components and electronic gizmos. This could easily be his favorite place second only to the chemistry lab.

“Mr. MacGyver, may I please ask that you keep your hands to yourself?” Dr. Downer censured. “Perhaps you would like to wait over by Mr. Thornton?”

Mac held up his hands in a show of surrender, eventually approaching the corner where Pete not-so-patiently waited.

“Where did you get this?” Dr. Downer demanded after several long minutes of intense scrutiny.

“Why? What is it?” Mac asked as he quickly came to stand beside the scientist.

“First I must know how you came to be in possession of it,” the doctor demanded.

Mac jammed his fingers through his hair and sighed. “A veterinarian removed it from Frog’s neck yesterday.”
“What?!” Pete exclaimed.

“It was in a frog?” the doctor asked.

“Frog is the name of my dog,” MacGyver explained.

“Why would you name your dog ‘Frog’?” Dr. Downer asked distastefully.

Mac struggled for patience. “He was already named that when I got him. Now could you please tell us about the chip?”

Downer looked furtively around the lab. “I think it best if we discuss this in my office. Come.”

Leaning back in his plush leather desk chair, Downer removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “Back in the early eighties, a soviet defector by the name of Pleshenkov, came to work for Phoenix. He was a brilliant, cutting edge computer scientist. Unfortunately, he used the Foundation’s funding and resources to further his own personal agenda. This was discovered in 1985 and he was let go.”

“Now that you mention it, I seem to recall hearing something to that effect over at the DXS,” Pete offered.

“Yes, well, by that time, Pleshenkov had secured his own funding sources and continued his work elsewhere until his lab was shut down due to unethical practices.”

“That’s all very interesting,” MacGyver replied. “But what does that have to do with the chip we found in Frog.”

“Doctor Pleshenkov’s work consisted of encrypting microchips with government information and implanting them in domestic animals as a means of getting them out of the country. The chip you gave me definitely appears to be his handiwork which would make your dog one of the test subjects that was still in Pleshenkov’s laboratory at the time it closed.

Mac’s heart sank at the thought of Frog being caged up and experimented on.
“So what does all that mean?” he asked.

“Up until a few weeks ago, nothing,” Downer replied. “Lately there have been murmurings in the scientific underground that Pleshenkov is looking to fund a new project and there are still some former Soviet entities that will pay good money to obtain these microchips.”

“But how can he possibly expect to find them?” Pete blustered. “The animals he used could be anywhere in the country by now!”

“Indeed,” the scientist concurred. “However, Pleshenkov had the foresight to outfit the chips with a tracking device.”

“But tracking systems back then had a very limited range,” MacGyver pointed out. “And the chip is already corroding.”

Dr. Downer shook his head slowly. “The chip is not severely damaged and the tracking technique Pleshenkov used was a very sophisticated global positioning unit.”

“What does that mean?” Pete asked impatiently.

The pieces were starting to fall into place for MacGyver. “It’s a system that uses existing satellites to transmit information. Given the proper equipment, Pleshenkov could theoretically track down the chips anywhere in the world,” he explained to Pete before turning his attention back to Downer.

“Is it safe to assume that Pleshenkov may be coming after Frog?” Mac asked Downer.

“If he found the signal before the chip was removed, I’m afraid your little friend may be in a great deal of danger,” the scientist nodded sadly.

“May I use your phone?” MacGyver asked as he reached across the desk for the receiver.

“Be my guest,” Downer muttered, clearly annoyed by this invasion of his personal space.

Mac quickly dialed the number for Challengers and asked to speak with Joanna as soon as Cynthia answered the phone.

“I’m afraid she’s not here, MacGyver. She said she had a headache and was going back to your place with Frog.”

Mac immediately disconnected the call and dialed his own number. The phone rang several times, each ring causing his concern to ratchet up a notch. Finally Joanna answered.

“Hey, it’s me. I have some important news about the—“

But Jo cut him off. “Frog’s been kidnapped!” she exclaimed breathlessly.

Mac felt as if he had just been punched in the gut.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, but Frog—“

“Go over to Charlie’s and call the police. Stay with him until they arrive. I’m on my way.”

XXXXX

Darkness had fallen by the time MacGyver pulled into his driveway to find Charlie and Joanna sitting silently on his stoop, his front door already boarded up. They stood up as he approached, Jo finding her way into his open arms.

“The cops aren’t taking this seriously,” she told him, her words muffled as her head lay against his chest. “They’re calling it an attempted break-in and since I didn’t actually see anyone take Frog, they think he may have just run off on his own, but he didn’t. Mac, someone took him!”

“I know,” MacGyver soothed, rubbing gentle circles on her back to comfort her.

“Let’s go inside and figure this out, okay?” he urged. He tucked Joanna against his side as they headed indoors. Charlie offered the couple a sad smile as he ambled back to his side of the duplex.

“Now tell me what happened,” Mac prompted as soon as he and Jo were settled next to each other on his couch.

“Shouldn’t we be looking for Frog?” she protested.

“We will,” he assured her, “But he could be anywhere. I need to know what you know to help us come up with a plan.”

Joanna told him about Raul being offered money for Frog and how she heard the glass break before discovering the dog was missing.

MacGyver regarded her thoughtfully. “It doesn’t seem like they want to hurt anyone since both you and Raul are safe.”

“But what about Frog? Will they hurt him?” she questioned.

Mac shook his head and told her what he had learned about the microchip. “I’m assuming it was Pleshenkov who took him, and as soon as he discovers the chip is missing, he’ll need to keep Frog for leverage.”

“You mean ransom,” Jo replied dully.

“Yeah. But first things first,” Mac said as he went to his desk and fired up his computer. “You call Pete and tell him everything. With what we know about Pleshenkov and the chip, it shouldn’t be too hard to get the government involved. In the meantime, I’m gonna see if we can track down our little buddy.”

“How?”

“When Frog started bounty hunting with the Colton’s, I rigged up a homing device and hid it in his collar in case…well, just in case. It isn’t nearly as sophisticated as the chip, but if he’s within range the computer program I used should still be able to locate him.”

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Joanna lower her head and wrap her arms around her waist.

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay,” he tried to convince her.

“You won’t be able to find Frog,” she said, her voice quavering with unshed tears. “I took his collar off so it wouldn’t irritate his neck. He’s not wearing your homing device.”

MacGyver sighed silently and swallowed his disappointment. He couldn’t say or do anything to make Joanna feel worse than she already did. He rose from his chair and took her in his arms again.

“It’s no big deal,” he responded, trying to sound confident. “We’ll find a way to get him back,” he promised, hoping it was true.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Frog sniffed the threadbare carpet. Cats. Not only had he been dognapped, but now he was being held hostage in an abandoned house that had been formerly occupied by cats. After being unceremoniously tossed in the back seat of the big black sedan, the speed and bumpiness of the ride caused him to be thrown to the floor boards numerous times so he had been unable to look out the window and determine the route or destination. The ride, thankfully, had not been long, so he knew he was still relatively close to his master. Thoughts of MacGyver automatically made him think of Joanna. He was glad she had been upstairs when his abductor broke in, and he hoped she wasn’t too worried about him. He liked Joanna very much. He especially enjoyed cuddling with her on the couch. But then again, so did his master. Bringing his thoughts back to the present, he was thankful, as well as more than a bit surprised, that he hadn’t been chained up or, heaven forbid, locked in a cage. Instead, he had been left free to roam the dilapidated building, but he had stayed close to the man who took him, hoping to get some information he could use to escape.

Upon arriving at the old house, another man had been waiting for them. The man was tall, and broad, and didn’t seem too intelligent. He was obviously the muscle of the operation. Frog was quite familiar with his kind given the number of assignments he had accompanied Frank and Jesse on back in L.A. during his bounty hunting days. It was the older man that really got under his fur. The man’s scent was vaguely familiar. Frog never forgot a scent. And his accent had an odd way of grating on Frog’s sensitive ear drums. This man seemed to be the key to his predicament. He slowly wandered to the far corner of the room and sat down, careful to keep his eyes blank and his mouth drooling. Working with the Coltons had also taught him that the dumber you looked, the less attention people paid to you. Frog desperately hoped that would be the case tonight.

The two men continued to speak in soft tones across the room for a long time. Oh, how he wished MacGyver were here! His master had a knack for formulating plans and getting himself out of tight spaces. Frog had even helped him a few times. All he had to do was follow Mac’s directions. Push a lever, bring him a bottle. Granted, he may not have accomplished those tasks as expediently as expected, but he always got the job done. Unfortunately, Mac wasn’t here to tell him what to do. He’d have to figure that out all by himself. The men’s voices became louder and Frog’s ears perked up.

“He’s worthless without the chip,” Muscle said. “I say we shoot him and bury him in the backyard.”

“No, no, no!” the man with the accent scolded. “Don’t you see, he is much more important now. We must keep him alive and well in order to use him to bargain with!”

This time, Frog was able to pair the man’s voice with his scent. The man who had taken him was none other than Dr. Pleshenkov, that crazy scientist who had put a microchip in his neck when he was barely out of puppyhood. He was supposed to be shipped out of the States the following week, but Pleshenkov’s lab got shut down and Frog had been sent to the relatively friendly confines of an animal shelter before the Phoenix Foundation adopted him to be a companion for a pretty Bulgarian defector.

“Aw, c’mon doc!” Muscle protested. “You really think that MacGyver dude is gonna trade us that chip for a fat, wrinkly, bow-legged bull dog?”

Ouch! Must the dimwit be so demeaning?!

“Oh, he’ll give us the chip all right,” Pleshenkov said as he reached into his jacket and pulled out a gun. “Then, with the chip back in my possession, both man and beast will be expendable.”

“What about the woman and the boy?” Muscle asked.

“The woman didn’t see anything, and no one will believe the boy. They are to be left alone. Unless, of course, they become a problem.”

Oh, no! Frog’s mind began to spin. He had to escape and warn MacGyver, but how?!?! Suddenly, his big brown eyes focused on the finely tailored trousers and Italian leather shoes Muscle was wearing. It was payback time for the ugly words he had said earlier. Frog got up from the corner and went to sit in front of the man. He barked once.

“Shut up!” the man snarled.

He barked again, more urgently, before standing up, raising his left hind leg, and relieving himself on the man’s leg and foot.

“Why you little--!!” Muscle growled as he booted Frog away from him with his now not-so-fine leather shoe.

“Don’t hurt him!” Pleshenkov commanded. “Go put him in the backyard.”

“But boss…”

“Go!”

Soon Frog was following Muscle through the house and out the rickety door to the yard.

“And stay out!” the large man yelled, as if Frog really wanted to return to the house anyway.

Alone in the grassy space, Frog surveyed his options for escape which turned out to be few to none. The entire yard was enclosed by a tall, solid wood privacy fence. The gate was no help, as the latch was placed almost too high for most humans to reach. Frog dropped to his haunches, thoroughly discouraged. He was sure MacGyver could have found a way out. He needed to think like his master. Perhaps there was more here than met the eye. Frog got up and methodically began to inspect the edge of the fence. He was about half way around when his paw landed on a section of depressed ground. He stopped and quickly began to sniff the dead grass. He smelled rabbit and soon saw a piece of sunken ground under the fence board. He would need a much bigger whole if he was to crawl under the fence, but this appeared to be his only option. He promised himself he would go on a diet if he managed to get himself out of this horrid situation. With his front paws, he began scratching away at the dirt, the hole getting slightly larger with each effort. It seemed as though he had been digging for hours before the opening was big enough for him to wriggle his pudgy body through. The roughhewn edges of the wooden boards scraped his back, but he didn’t care. His hind legs had just cleared the fence line when he heard the door open and Muscle swearing at the top of his lungs when he realized Frog had escaped.

Run! He had to get away from Muscle and Pleshenkov before worrying about finding his way home. After scampering through several yards and alleyways, he allowed himself to rest. Panting heavily, he took stock of his surroundings. Even in the dark, the houses appeared familiar, and down the road a ways was a building he definitely recognized. Challengers! Thankfully, he often hung his head out the passenger window as Mac drove them to work every day. As soon as he got to Challengers, he could easily find his way home!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It seemed as though MacGyver had barely disconnected from his call to Pete when a number of various government agents descended upon his apartment like a swarm of angry bees. Before he knew it, his phone was wired for a trace and he was being briefed on how to handle the ransom call, never mind that he used to be the one doing the briefing, but that seemed like a lifetime ago now. Joanna stood in a quiet corner chewing on her lip. He longed to comfort her, but he had a mission to complete.

“May I have the chip, Mr. MacGyver?” a man in a dark suit asked.

“That might be a problem,” Mac replied.

“Why is that, sir?”

“Well, ya see, I don’t have it.”

“We were led to believe you were in possession of the microchip to use in a ransom exchange. Where is it?”

“With Pete and Dr. Downer at the Phoenix lab in Chicago,” Mac told him evenly. “But I find it hard to believe you’d risk Pleshenkov getting his hands on the actual chip.”

The agent ran his fingers through his close-cropped hair in an uncharacteristic sign of frustration before quickly huddling with his fellow investigators. Knowing he could resolve at least one problem, MacGyver went to his computer and unscrewed the top of the processing unit. Choosing a tool from his Swiss Army knife, he carefully disconnected a microchip of about the same size and appearance as the one found in Frog. He then approached the huddle of secret agents.

“Maybe you guys could use this instead?” he offered.

They all looked at him in disbelief before one agent silently reached out, took the chip, and slipped it into a small glass container before turning back to his comrades.

“You’re welcome,” Mac said wryly before leaving them to their whispered conversation.

Once the agents had a plan firmly solidified, the only thing to do was wait for the ransom call. MacGyver’s telephone had been set up on the coffee table in front of the couch where he and Joanna now sat. She rubbed her temples, sighed, and looked at her watch for the fifth time in five minutes.

“Relax,” Mac said softly, resting his hand on her thigh. “These things take time. Everything’s gonna be okay.”

“How can you possibly know that?” she glared, turning her head so her eyes bored into his.

“Well, I can’t. Not really. But I’ve been through this before and things have a way of working out.”

She turned her eyes back to the silent telephone and Mac wished he could have been more reassuring, but the simple truth was that while many hostage negotiations ended peacefully, others had a way of going south quickly. They could only hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. He was just about to go get a glass of milk when Jo reached out and grabbed his forearm.

“Did you hear that?” she whispered.

“Hear what?” he asked, not quite sure why he was whispering as well.

“I thought I heard something on your patio?”

The couple looked toward the patio doors. The vertical blinds had been closed tight early on to avoid any prying eyes that may be hiding in the night.

“You’re tired and upset. You probably just imagined it,” he told her gently.

A scratching sound on the glass door caused the couple to start.

“Don’t tell me I imagined that!” Jo challenged as her gaze swung to meet his.

“C’mon,” he said, grabbing her hand and slowly getting up from the couch.

After telling an agent what they had heard, lights were dimmed and men with guns drawn took up strategic positions throughout the room as others prepared to open the sliding glass doors. When the appropriate signal was given, one of the agents quickly slid open the door and aimed his gun at nothing but air. It was Mac who was the first one to look down and notice their guest.

“Frog! Buddy! Where’ve you been and how did you get here?” He moved toward the dog only to be scolded by a nearby agent.

“Stay back! It could be a trap!”

Frog trotted into the living room seemingly oblivious of the agents and plopped down at Mac’s feet before giving a soft ‘woof’ and then shaking his head, sending slobber flying. Joanna immediately fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around the canine’s neck before frowning in concern when she noticed the scratches on his back from the wooden fence he had slipped under. When the agents had finished scouring the area for any threats, they carefully examined Frog for any trace evidence that might reveal where he had been taken, but they found nothing. Suddenly, the phone blared to life garnering everyone’s attention.

MacGyver stared at the phone in disbelief. “That can’t possibly be Pleshenkov offering a trade. He has to know Frog has escaped by now.”

“But he has no way of knowing the dog is here,” an agent replied from behind. “Answer the call as we discussed earlier.”

MacGyver picked up the phone. “Hello?” he said in a low, controlled voice.

“Ah, good evening, Mr. MacGyver. I’m assuming you know who this is.”

“Dr. Pleshenkov.”

“Indeed! I must presume this call is being traced, so I will say this only once. Meet me in Wilmot Park at midnight. Come to the southeast corner by the monument. Bring the chip and come alone.”

Before Mac could respond, the call was disconnected. He looked at the technician sitting nearby. He shook his head. “The call wasn’t long enough, we couldn’t get a location.”
“So we go through with the meeting as planned, right?” MacGyver asked, knowing his answer would be confirmed.

“But why?” Joanna broke in. “Frog is safe and we have the chip. Pleshenkov just told you where he’s gonna be. Can’t you just capture him without this ruse?”

Mac turned toward her and put his hands solidly on her shoulders, willing her to understand. “If Pleshenkov even thinks he smells a set-up, he’ll go back underground and we may lose him forever.”

He could see Joanna’s eye’s soften slightly. “Think about what he’s done to Frog. We need to get him into custody,” he said gently.

Joanna had not yet responded when a Kevlar vest was shoved into MacGyver’s hands.

“You need to wear this, sir,” an agent told him.

Mac regarded the protective gear as if he was holding a snake. His brow furrowed and his lip curled slightly. He had been through and survived a whole lot more with a whole lot less.

As if reading his thoughts, Joanna whispered, “Please Mac, wear it for me?”

“All right,” he replied, softly stroking her cheek with the back of his forefinger before strapping the vest around him and fervently hoping that Pleshenkov would aim for his chest and not his head.

In the midst of the controlled chaos as the plan was set in motion, no one saw Frog nose open the sliding glass patio door and scurry out into the night.

XXXXX

MacGyver sat in the back of a dark, nondescript van as government agents wired him with a microphone connected to a tape recorded. This needed to be a solid bust. Several government agents and law enforcement officers had been dispatched throughout the park, hiding behind trees or crouching amongst bushes.

Thankfully, two officers had remained at his apartment to watch over Jo and Frog until this ordeal was over leaving him to concentrate on what he had to do. At precisely two minutes to midnight Mac slid out the side door of the van and walked determinedly toward the monument Pleshenkov had indicated. As the clock struck twelve, the scientist emerged from the shadows behind the cement statue, a taller, burlier man close behind.

“I thought the instructions were to come alone,” Mac called across the space that separated them. He stood casually, his feet slightly apart and his hands jammed in the front pockets of his jeans.

“Those instructions only apply to you, Mr. MacGyver,” the scientist replied coolly. “I trust you followed them?”

“Where’s my dog?” Mac asked, evading the previous question.

“First things first, Mr. MacGyver. Hand over the microchip.”

“Now, you don’t really think I’d have it on me, do ya?”

Pleshenkov took a deep breath as his cheeks grew pink.

“I do not have the time nor the patience for games, Mr. MacGyver. Tell me where the chip is!”

“Be glad to. Just as soon as you give me my dog back.” Mac knew he was pushing it, but he wanted to rattle the scheming scientist before the feds moved in.

“I’m afraid that is no longer an option, Mr. MacGyver.” Pleshenkov moved his hand in a silent signal to the man behind him who now stepped forward, a revolver aimed at Mac’s heart. “Tell me where the chip is!”

Mac regarded the men thoughtfully. “The way I see it, this is a no-win situation for one of us. If I keep silent, you don’t get your chip. If I tell you where it is, you kill me. What do you say we all sit down and try to come up with a compromise?”

“A compromise?!?!” Pleshekov roared, his face redder than a tomato. “I found the chip once, I’ll find it again!” He then turned to his accomplice. “Shoot him!” he ordered.

Out of the corner of his eye, MacGyver saw Frog running straight towards Pleshenkov as fast as his little bow legs could carry him, growling all the way before latching on to the man’s pant leg with his teeth and tugging hard. At that same time the other man fired his gun and Mac felt as if he had been hit in the chest by a wrecking ball, the force causing him to fall backward to the ground knocking the air out of his lungs. He heard myriad voices demanding Pleshenkov and his man to ‘freeze’ and ‘drop the gun’ before his world went black.

When MacGyver awoke, he was still lying on the ground. He tilted his head up just enough to make out the dark forms of concerned government agents standing around him, Frog slobbering his cheek with happy doggy kisses, and Joanna kneeling next to him, her deep liquid brown eyes full of fear as she stroked his hair and pleaded with him to be okay. He tried to push himself up but was met with a resisting force on his shoulder which turned out to be Jo’s hand.

“Stay down. The paramedics are on the way,” she told him. Her voice thick with unshed tears.

“I’m fine. I just had the wind knocked out of me,” he insisted, managing to force himself upright this time. He scowled when he looked down at his chest. “Aw, man! That goon ruined my favorite shirt,” he groaned, fingering the fabric that had been frayed by the bullet.

No longer able to hide her emotions, Joanna let her tears fall as she flung her arms around Mac’s neck.

“I was so scared when I saw you go down,” she sobbed. “You know they make bullets that can penetrate those vests.”

“Thanks for reminding me,” Mac responded sourly even as he wrapped his strong arms around her as she cried. “What are you and Frog doing here anyway? You should have stayed where it was safe.”

Joanna leaned back on her heels, wiping away her tears.

“After you left, I noticed Frog was gone. I figured he was following you.”

“So you decided to follow him,” Mac finished for her.

“Yeah,” she replied sheepishly.

“I’m sorry, sir, we tried to stop her,” one of the officers assigned to protect her apologized. “The best we could do was convince her to come with us instead of alone.”

MacGyver smiled at the young man. “No apology necessary. Joanna can be quite, um, persuasive when she wants to be.”

XXXXX

The dawn of a new day saw MacGyver, Joanna, and Frog cuddled up on his couch recounting the events of the previous night. After the crime scene had been cleared, Mac had finally relented and went to the hospital to make sure the impact of the bullet had been harmless, which it was. They returned to his townhouse just in time to receive a phone call from Pete informing them that Dr. Downer had been able to decode some of the information on the microchip and it was now safely in the hands of the United States government, where it would remain. Mac relayed to his friend that Pleshenkov and his crony had been arrested and would be out of commission for a very long time. Joanna lay against his chest and he felt her sigh as the first rays of daylight pierced the window.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she replied, absently fondling Frog’s silky ear. “It’s just hard to believe that Frog had that thing in his neck all these years.”

“It’s hard to believe what people will do to animals in the name of science,” Mac grumbled.

“I know,” Jo agreed sadly. “Do you think the other animals Pleshenkov used are okay?”

“I’d like to think so,” he answered pensively.

“Well, I’m just glad Frog has you,” she declared. “You’re a really good dog dad.”

MacGyver laughed. “Thanks…I think! And for the record, you make a pretty good dog mom yourself.”

Her only response was to smile and nestle closer to his chest. He savored the intimacy of the moment as his odd little family continued to watch the sun crawl over the horizon.



Posted by: Dragondog 22 August 2019 - 09:36 AM
QUOTE
Chapter 13: Frog’s Secret
I'm intrigued...

QUOTE
“There’s a lump there,” Mac frowned.

Joanna nodded in agreement as she gently separated the short hair of the canine’s coat. “The skin around the area looks red, too.” Her eyes were full of concern as they met his.
Personally, I would've checked his neck a lot sooner dry.gif

QUOTE

“I think you should probably take him to the vet just to be on the safe side,” Joanna suggested, rising to stand next to him.
Something else I would've done much earlier...

QUOTE

“No,” the vet answered confidently. “Those chips are quite small and implanted by injection. This chip is significantly larger and had to have been surgically implanted at some point.”
I'm really curious about Frog's past now...

QUOTE

“What is it now, MacGyver?!” Pete snarled into the phone.
Well hello to you too, grumpy...

QUOTE

“You fell asleep on my couch last night and I didn’t have the heart to wake you,” he explained before she could ask.

“My stiff neck and sore back thank you for that,” she replied wryly as she pushed off the blanket he had covered her with.
That happens to me every time I sleep on the couch, too XD

QUOTE

“No, go right ahead,” Mac replied, perplexed. Since when did she keep clothes at his place? And why hadn’t he noticed. He looked around warily, wondering what else he might have missed. So much for his keen powers of observation. He’d have to take inventory when he got back.
Lol laugh.gif

QUOTE

“A man just tried to buy Frog from me! He said he’d give me a thousand dollars for him!”
Frog's got a secret, all right. And he's probably in danger now sad.gif

QUOTE

She opened the refrigerator in search of the liverwurst when her gaze landed on a clear plastic container of raw chicken livers.
Mac didn't put that there...

QUOTE
But by the time she made it down the staircase, all was quiet and the window that made up Mac’s front door lay in shards at her feet with no dog in sight.
Saw that coming...

QUOTE

“Why would you name your dog ‘Frog’?” Dr. Downer asked distastefully.
I've actually wondered this a lot laugh.gif

Well, Frog has quite a past, hasn't he?...

QUOTE
“I took his collar off so it wouldn’t irritate his neck. He’s not wearing your homing device.”
Yeah, they replaced it with a harness for a reason, right? XD

QUOTE

Frog sniffed the threadbare carpet. Cats. Not only had he been dognapped, but now he was being held hostage in an abandoned house that had been formerly occupied by cats.
This little bit from Frog's POV is adorable XD

QUOTE
After being unceremoniously tossed in the back seat of the big black sedan, the speed and bumpiness of the ride caused him to be thrown to the floor boards numerous times so he had been unable to look out the window and determine the route or destination. The ride, thankfully, had not been long, so he knew he was still relatively close to his master. Thoughts of MacGyver automatically made him think of Joanna. He was glad she had been upstairs when his abductor broke in, and he hoped she wasn’t too worried about him. He liked Joanna very much. He especially enjoyed cuddling with her on the couch. But then again, so did his master. Bringing his thoughts back to the present, he was thankful, as well as more than a bit surprised, that he hadn’t been chained up or, heaven forbid, locked in a cage. Instead, he had been left free to roam the dilapidated building, but he had stayed close to the man who took him, hoping to get some information he could use to escape.
That moment you realize that Frog has human-like intelligence, enough to think logically and methodically like this XD

Forgive me for saying this, but it's also really heckin' convenient that the chip corroded and Mac found out about all this right around the same time Pleshenkov decided to reclaim him XD

QUOTE
He promised himself he would go on a diet if he managed to get himself out of this horrid situation.
XD XD XD



QUOTE

In the midst of the controlled chaos as the plan was set in motion, no one saw Frog nose open the sliding glass patio door and scurry out into the night.
Frog, what are you up to? huh.gif

QUOTE
“Aw, man! That goon ruined my favorite shirt,”
Well why did you wear your favorite shirt knowing you might get shot? laugh.gif

They're all so cute and happy in the end love.jpg

Can I just add that I can't read Pleshenkov without thinking of Peter Lenkov? XD

This chapter also makes me want more of Frog's viewpoint XD

Posted by: uniquelyjas 28 August 2019 - 12:44 PM
Chapter 14: Dating: MacGyver Style

Joanna took one last, cleansing breath of the warm, sweet, spring air before pulling open the heavy plate glass door and stepping into the hermetically sealed, multi-storied building that housed the Hernandez Law Firm. Her high heels clicked a steady cadence on the ceramic tile as she headed to the bank of elevators that would take her to the floor she and several other research assistants and paralegals occupied. Upon arriving at the office’s outer lobby, Jo breezily greeted one of the many receptionists.

“Morning, Geena! Happy Friday!”

“My, aren’t we in a good mood today,” Geena, the middle-aged, African-American woman observed.

Jo quickly picked up the slightly sarcastic note in the woman’s voice.

“Why shouldn’t I be? The weather is finally warming up and there are only eight more hours until the weekend!”

“Well, I hate to rain on your parade, but I have something for you.”

Geena reached behind her and grabbed a single, long-stemmed red rose and held it out to Joanna.

“That man of yours left this for you. You two have a fight or something?”

Joanna took the flower, her stomach doing a little flip at Mac’s surprisingly sweet gesture as she pressed her nose deep into the silky petals and inhaled the intoxicating scent before frowning at the woman’s comment.

“Why would you say that?”

“Honey, there’s only one reason a man sends flowers for no reason. Now what happened?”

“Nothing,” Joanna smiled reassuringly. “And who says he’s ‘my man’?”

“Girl, since the first day y’all walked in here the entire office knew you two were an item!”

Joanna’s smile slowly faded. She and MacGyver had tried to keep their personal relationship, well, personal. Apparently, they hadn’t succeeded. A bit deflated, she turned to head to her office.

“Hey, wait a minute!” Geena called. “Don’t you want the card he left?”

Joanna turned back, reaching out to grab the card. “Thanks,” she mumbled.

Making sure her office door was closed, Joanna settled herself in the comfortable chair behind her desk before reading the little note. And little it was:

Meet me at the rink after work.
Wear jeans.
Mac

Joanna’s head dropped forward as she groaned. She had forgotten it was their first “date night”. And apparently Mac’s big plan was having her watch him practice his hockey skills. She leaned back in her chair with a sigh, absently tapping the corner of the notecard on the desktop as she recalled a conversation they had earlier in the week while cleaning up at Challengers for the night.

“So, I was reading this article,” Mac began as he gathered cue sticks that had been left lying on the pool table, “and it said that busy couples need to make an extra effort to spend quality time together.”

“Yeah, I heard that somewhere, too,” Joanna replied as she straightened the cushions on the various sofas and chairs while picking candy wrappers up off the floor. “You know, we need to crack down on getting the kids to clean up after themselves,” she said wearily.

“Then I took this quiz,” MacGyver continued, oblivious to Jo’s previous comment.

Joanna snapped to attention. “Wait a minute. You took a quiz?”

“Yeah,” he shrugged.

“What kind of quiz?” her lips began to tug upward.

“The kind you find in magazines,” he replied sheepishly.

Joanna couldn’t believe her ears! She began glancing around until her gaze fell upon an old issue of Cosmopolitan laying dog-eared on an end table, then it was all she could do not to laugh out loud.

“You mean you took a relationship quiz in Cosmo,” she clarified as she watched Mac’s cheeks flush. She didn’t think she’d ever seen him so uncomfortable before. This was kinda fun.

“Maybe…” he hedged, his back to her as he carefully racked the pool cues. “What can I say?” he countered, turning around. “It was a boring day!”

“So what, exactly, did this quiz determine for us?” she smirked as she dumped the trash she had collected and sank down onto a well-worn couch.

“Nothin’! Forget I said anything.”

“Maybe I should take the quiz and see what results I get,” Jo pretended to threaten.

“Oh, all right! It said we should set aside one evening each week and go out and do something, just the two of us. And it has to be ‘out’, not in one of our homes or workplaces.”

“So air hockey and pizza here at the club is out?”

“Yeah. Well, according to the quiz.”

Jo’s smirk faded and her voice became suspicious. “So, are you saying you really think we should do this?”

Mac tilted his head to the side before giving a definitive nod.

“Yeah. I mean, it can’t hurt, right?”

“I just don’t see the point,” Joanna protested. “We see each other all the time and practically share a dog! What is one date a week gonna do?”

“According to the magazine, It’s gonna get us away from the distractions of everyday life and break up our routine allowing us to continue to learn about and appreciate each other more.”

“That’s what the article said?” Joanna asked, eyebrow cocked.

“Um…more or less. So what do you say, should we give it a try?”

Jo wasn’t sure what MacGyver’s exact motivation behind this ‘dating’ idea was. She never pegged him as the sort to put any stock in, much less even take, a relationship quiz, and then bring it up as a topic for idle conversation.

“Fine. We’ll give it a try,” she capitulated. “Who’s gonna plan the first date?”

MacGyver smiled for the first time during the entire conversation. He shoved his hand into his hip pocket and pulled out a quarter. “We’ll flip a coin!”

XXXXX

After stopping home to change clothes and grab a bite to eat…she wasn’t sure if food was in Mac’s plan for tonight…she pulled her Cavalier into the ice rink’s parking lot, alone except for an old pick-up and Mac’s Nomad. This facility was on the edge of town and much smaller than the Pettit Center where the majority of skaters hung out. She walked into the lobby area, expecting MacGyver to be waiting for her, but he was nowhere to be found and she was greeted by silence instead, along with the scent of sweat and stale popcorn.

“You Ms. Fairfax?” a grizzled voice called from behind an opening set into the wall to her right.

“Yeah,” Jo replied skeptically, cautiously approaching the elderly, gray-haired man.

“Mac said to give these to you.”

The attendant hoisted a pair of white figure skates onto the narrow shelf between them along with another long-stemmed red rose with a white notecard. Joanna opened the card and read the brief statement:

Go to the home team’s bench and put these on.
Mac

Terrific! Mac apparently expected her to skate with him. How had she never gotten around to telling him she never learned? She didn’t even roller skate!

“Something wrong, Miss?”

“Uh, no…everything’s fine,” Joanna replied politely. “Looks like a slow night,” she commented, trying to borrow time and somehow get gracefully out of this ‘date’.

“Fridays are usually pretty packed, but when someone rents the place for the night I’ll happily close it down and take the profit.”

Her brain needed a moment to process this. Mac had paid to make sure they’d have the place all to themselves? More befuddled than before, she bade farewell to the older man and headed toward the ice. She was sitting on the bench, trying to tie her skates when she heard the distinct sound of blades cutting across the smooth surface before her. She looked up to find MacGyver, in jeans and a pullover sweater, gracefully gliding in her direction from the far end of the rink. He skidded to a stop in front of her.

“Hey!” he greeted her with a smile.

“Hey, yourself,” she muttered, pulling awkwardly on the shoelaces.

“Here, let me help you with those.”

Before she could protest, MacGyver was seated on the bench next to her. She had turned, allowing him to place her foot in his lap as he re-tied the laces properly. He patted her boot, indicating he was done, then quickly stood up, apparently anxious to get back on the ice, but Joanna remained seated.

“Is there a problem?” he asked, concern evident in his eyes.

“No,” she lied. “I just thought you brought me here to watch you skate.”

“That would make for a pretty dull date,” Mac grimaced, unaware that he had voiced her own thoughts.

“Well…um…there’s something you should know,” she said quietly.

MacGyver sat back down, worry marring his finely chiseled features. “What is it?” he asked, his voice gruff with concern.

“I probably should have told you sooner…but…I can’t skate.” Joanna hung her head, not wanting to see the disappointment and possible frustration in Mac’s eyes.

She heard him let out a pent up sigh and dared to sneak a peek at his face. He was smiling!

“Why do you think I brought you here?” he asked. “I know you can’t skate, but I planned on starting to fix that tonight. Besides, with Pete down in Chicago, I have to break in a new goalie!”

“So you’re idea of a good time is watching me fall and break my face?” Joanna shot back, her previous embarrassment replaced with the sass she reserved for those she loved most.

Mac laughed. “Trust me, breaking your face is not in my plans. Besides, you’re not gonna fall.”

“Oh really?!?!”

“Of course not, I won’t let you.” He gave her a quick wink before reaching out to take her hand.

Even though she was still seated, Jo grabbed MacGyver’s hand and hung on tight as if it were her lifeline. Skeptically, she looked down at her skate-clad feet.

“These blades are awful narrow. How am I supposed to balance on them?”

Keenly aware of her uncertainty, Mac moved to stand directly in front of her and took her other hand.

“Okay, now just stand up like normal,” he instructed.

She swallowed hard as she levered herself off the bench, holding his hands tighter than necessary. Before she knew it, she was standing tall. Actually, very tall. About three inches taller than usual. It felt kinda funny, but at least she hadn’t teetered over onto the floor as she had expected to.

“All right!” Mac exclaimed triumphantly. “Now let’s get you on the ice!”

Joanna looked at him with narrowed eyes. “You are so gonna pay for this, Angus!” she promised as he helped her totter over to the opening where, heaven forbid, her feet would meet ice. Slippery ice. Hard ice. Oh yeah, payback was gonna be fun!

MacGyver stepped onto the ice first as easily as if he were stepping off a curb, letting go of her hands at the same time.

“Okay, your turn,” he told her.

She felt her pulse ratchet up as her fight-or-flight instinct kicked in. Flight. Yes, that sounded like a good idea. Just run away. But she probably wouldn’t get very far with her feet still strapped into these deathtraps.

“Put your left hand on top of the barrier,” MacGyver instructed, breaking into her thoughts, “and step sideways onto the ice with your right foot so your blade is parallel with the boards.”

As Joanna attempted to do as he said, her right foot slipped and she quickly grabbed the barrier with both arms, unaware that with her sudden movement her left foot had also come onto the ice. Mac was immediately beside her with his arm firmly around her waist.

“It’s okay,” he crooned. “You’re okay.”

“Easy for you to say!” she complained breathlessly.

After a few moments, she began to take deep, calming breaths as Mac pried her right arm away from the top of the padded barrier.

“Hold onto me with your right hand, but keep your left hand on the rail and remember to keep your skates parallel to the boards,” he directed.

Joanna held tightly to his hand and experienced a fraction of relief as she also felt his other hand on the small of her back for extra support.

“You got your balance?” he asked and she slowly nodded. “Good. Now we’re gonna do what’s called ‘penguin steps’. Just lift up your right foot a little bit and put it down, then do the same with the left. Kinda like you’re marching only with very small steps.”

Jo had absolutely no confidence in this process, but she did trust Mac so she decided to make an honest effort. Squeezing his hand as well as the top of the barrier for all she was worth, she picked up her right foot ever so slightly and quickly put it back down. To her surprise, she remained upright and she felt a surge of confidence. She did the same thing with her left foot and when that step was also successful she was beginning to think she might be able to do this after all.

After penguin-stepping half-way around the rink, MacGyver made her stop. She looked at him with questioning eyes.

“It’s time to get rid of one of your support systems,” he declared with a slight grin. “You need to let go of either me or the rail.”

Her traitorous body yearned to remain in Mac’s arms, but her practical mind much preferred the solidness of the railing. As MacGyver eased away, she continued marching in her private little ice parade. Before she knew it, they were back where they began.

“Great job!” Mac exclaimed, spontaneously planting a kiss on her forehead. “Now for the next step!”

“Huh?” Jo paled. “I thought that was it!”

MacGyver shook his head. “Now that you’ve gained some confidence and experienced the feel of the ice, it’s time to start letting those little steps turn into glides.”

“Oh goody,” came her sarcastic reply.

“And this time you hold onto me,” he directed.

“Why?” she asked suspiciously.

“Because I’m the instructor,” he grinned slyly before turning serious and gently reaching for her.

She had to admit that holding onto MacGyver was a whole lot better than grasping the railing. He was soft and warm and smelled like-- Suddenly her foot slid too far forward, causing her to lose her balance. She prepared herself to hit the ice, but instead felt two strong arms tighten around her and place her solidly back on her feet.

“I promised I wouldn’t let you fall,” Mac whispered in her ear, causing a warm tingle to snake down her spine.

After taking a moment to regain her composure, Joanna resumed her steps which were slowly turning into glides. With Mac by her side, she took one more turn around the rink. She was prepared to do another when MacGyver suggested they quit.

“You may feel okay now,” he informed her, “But in the morning you’ll feel muscles you didn’t know you had. Besides, I’m starving! What do you say we go to the pizza place next door?”

“Sounds good to me,” Jo agreed just as her stomach rumbled its assent.

Together they divested themselves of their skates and walked the short distance to the restaurant. The place was packed on a Friday evening, but after Mac whispered into the hostess’s ear they were immediately led to a small table in a dimly lit corner. Joanna cocked an eyebrow in question.

“It is a date, after all,” MacGyver shrugged.

The next hour passed way too quickly as the couple talked and laughed and devoured the pizza that had been place between them. All too soon the dessert dishes were cleared away and it was time to go. Hand in hand, they slowly walked back to the ice rink’s parking lot where they had left their cars. Joanna suddenly wished they had driven together so she could spend a few extra minutes in Mac’s company, but instead, she dug out her key and unlocked the driver’s side door of her coupe. With a wistful sigh she turned to MacGyver who still stood next to her.

“I wish this evening didn’t have to end,” she murmured.

“I take it you had a good time?”

“Anytime I’m with you it’s good,” she replied candidly.

“But you have to admit that tonight felt extra special, didn’t it?” he asked softly, his head dipping closer to hers.

“Maybe there’s something to this dating thing after all,” she conceded, raising her face to his, their lips nearly touching.

The world became silent and time stood still as Mac captured her mouth with his. Jo felt his hands tighten on her hips and hold her closer as she reached up and clasped her arms around his neck, allowing her fingers to play with the hair at his nape which caused him to moan and gave her a surprising sense of satisfaction. The kiss was soft and tender at first, then slowly became passionate and probing, asking and reassuring, though never demanding. Eventually they broke the kiss, but they didn’t step away from each other. MacGyver gazed into her eyes until she thought he could read her soul and then he smiled.

“What?” she asked, backing away slightly but not breaking contact.

“I have a confession to make,” he stated, his voice low and husky.

Jo cocked her head but remained silent.

“I didn’t take any stupid magazine quiz that told us to date. I just used that as a cover story in case things didn’t work out,” he informed her.

“Than what was tonight all about?”

“You. Me. Us. Ever since I came back from L.A. I feel like you back away from me at times. And I need you to know…I needed to show you…”

“I’m not backing away from you, Mac,” she interrupted. “It’s just that sometimes…the way you look at me…it scares me.”

MacGyver shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

“No one’s ever looked at me the way you do, and I’m afraid that eventually I’m going to end up disappointing you.”

“Hey,” he said firmly, cupping her face in his hands. “Don’t ever say that. There is no way you could ever disappoint me. And for the record, I look at you the way I do because I’ve never felt this way about any other woman and you’re right, it is scary ‘cause I don’t wanna mess this up. Not with you.”

Jo laughed at the same time her eyes welled with tears. “We make a fine pair, don’t we?” she teased.

Mac rested his forehead against hers. “I think we make a great pair, and I’d like to keep it that way if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind at all,” she replied, tears of myriad emotions now flowing freely down her cheeks.

“But I know,” Mac continued, using his thumbs to wipe away her tears, “that it’s gonna take some work. I see now that none of my other relationships worked out because it never occurred to me to work at them. To fight for them. So I’m warning you now. I’m gonna fight for this. For you. Are you willing to do the same?”

Joanna gave him a watery smile. “Even if it means putting on ice skates and breaking every bone in my body.”

“Let’s hope it never comes to that,” MacGyver laughed, as he wrapped his arms around her in a hug that left no doubt he would never let her go.

Posted by: Dragondog 29 August 2019 - 10:47 AM
QUOTE
Chapter 14: Dating: MacGyver Style
Oh no laugh.gif

QUOTE

“That man of yours left this for you. You two have a fight or something?”
Wow, jumpin' to conclusions much? laugh.gif

QUOTE
“You know, we need to crack down on getting the kids to clean up after themselves,” she said wearily.
My mom has a cleaning business, and I often help out, and that whole sentence is my eternal mood XD

QUOTE

“I just don’t see the point,” Joanna protested. “We see each other all the time and practically share a dog! What is one date a week gonna do?”

“According to the magazine, It’s gonna get us away from the distractions of everyday life and break up our routine allowing us to continue to learn about and appreciate each other more.”
Mac's got a point here, tbh.

QUOTE

Go to the home team’s bench and put these on.
Mac
What, is he gonna propose again?

QUOTE

Mac laughed. “Trust me, breaking your face is not in my plans. Besides, you’re not gonna fall.”
I DON'T NEED A PARACHUTE, BABY IF I GOT YOU, BABY IF I GOT YOU, I DON'T NEED A PARACHUUUUTTTEEE, YOU'RE GONNA CATCH ME, YOU'RE GONNA CATCH ME, YOU'RE GONNA CATCH ME IF I FAAAALLLLLLL (Yeah I have no idea what song that is, I've only heard it in crack videos roller.gif )

QUOTE

She had to admit that holding onto MacGyver was a whole lot better than grasping the railing. He was soft and warm and smelled like-- Suddenly her foot slid too far forward, causing her to lose her balance. She prepared herself to hit the ice, but instead felt two strong arms tighten around her and place her solidly back on her feet.
I really have that song stuck in my head now roller.gif

QUOTE

“I promised I wouldn’t let you fall,” Mac whispered in her ear, causing a warm tingle to snake down her spine.
Woah, Mac boy, surprise.gif

QUOTE

“You may feel okay now,” he informed her, “But in the morning you’ll feel muscles you didn’t know you had. Besides, I’m starving! What do you say we go to the pizza place next door?”

“Sounds good to me,” Jo agreed just as her stomach rumbled its assent.
What's funny is I haven't eaten recently either, and I really, really want to join them now laugh.gif

QUOTE


“I wish this evening didn’t have to end,” she murmured.

“I take it you had a good time?”

“Anytime I’m with you it’s good,” she replied candidly.

“But you have to admit that tonight felt extra special, didn’t it?” he asked softly, his head dipping closer to hers.

“Maybe there’s something to this dating thing after all,” she conceded, raising her face to his, their lips nearly touching.
Me: *reading this* Aww-
My stomach: mad.gif
My brain: I want pizza.
Me: What the heck?
laugh.gif

QUOTE
The world became silent and time stood still as Mac captured her mouth with his.
I'm so sorry, but that wording reminded me of that one meme where one puppy gets playful and bites the other on the face, fitting his entire muzzle over the other's. I just have this mental image of Mac using his entire jaw to bite Joana's face XD XD XD

QUOTE

“I didn’t take any stupid magazine quiz that told us to date. I just used that as a cover story in case things didn’t work out,” he informed her.
MAC YOU SLY DOG roller.gif

QUOTE

“No one’s ever looked at me the way you do, and I’m afraid that eventually I’m going to end up disappointing you.”
That's an interesting shift. I remember when she used to be afraid that he would disappoint her...

QUOTE

“But I know,” Mac continued, using his thumbs to wipe away her tears, “that it’s gonna take some work. I see now that none of my other relationships worked out because it never occurred to me to work at them. To fight for them. So I’m warning you now. I’m gonna fight for this. For you. Are you willing to do the same?”

Joanna gave him a watery smile. “Even if it means putting on ice skates and breaking every bone in my body.”

“Let’s hope it never comes to that,” MacGyver laughed, as he wrapped his arms around her in a hug that left no doubt he would never let her go.
Awww biggrin.gif

So, when's the wedding? XD

Posted by: uniquelyjas 11 September 2019 - 08:57 AM

*****So, so sorry I missed posting last week! This is a long one to make up for it:)))


Chapter 15: Bride #3


MacGyver reached under the passenger seat and pulled the lever, inching back a few notches so he could stretch out his khaki clad legs. Joanna’s Cavalier was roomier than he expected. He glanced down at his maroon, banded-collar shirt before turning his attention to Jo’s flowery sundress over which she wore a bright blue sweater. He recalled the way the light, gauzy fabric swathed her body and swirled around her legs, kissing her ankles as she walked. Never in his life had he thought he’d be jealous of a piece of material. But he was.

“You gonna tell me where we’re going?” It had been Joanna’s turn to plan their date night, and she had been frustratingly secretive about their destination. Based on her instructions to dress ‘casual but nice’, Mac figured she did not have a second ice skating lesson in mind.

“Just hold your horses,” she smiled at him from the driver’s seat. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

A few minutes later Jo guided the car into the parking lot of a large building with a neon sign declaring it to be the Glenfield Playhouse with the marquee below advertising the current performance of “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”.

Mac’s jaw dropped. “Musical theater?!”

“A little culture won’t hurt you,” his date replied saucily. “Besides, it’s a Western.”

“It is not a Western!”

“Well, it’s almost a Western,” she argued. “Besides,” she added sheepishly, “The tickets were free. Lee Vang at the office won them in a raffle and didn’t want them.”

He quickly bit back the rebuttal that was on the tip of his tongue when he locked onto her uncertain gaze. The whole idea of date night was to get them out of their normal routine and spend quality time with each other. Joanna had gamely strapped on figure skates and conquered her fear of the ice for him. A couple hours of watching actors sing and dance wouldn’t kill him. After all, it’s not like he hated the theater or anything, he had just been caught off guard.

As they entered the venue, the couple was greeted by an usher in black pants and a crisp white shirt who handed Joanna a program as she handed over their tickets. Mac waved off the program the usher offered him as they were led a few feet to their seats.

“The back row?” MacGyver complained in a loud whisper.

“What do you expect for free!” Joanna shot back.

Gentleman that he was, Mac stepped aside to allow Jo to enter the row of seats ahead of him. Finding the correctly numbered chair, she sat down with a huff and a frown. MacGyver sighed as he eased down next to her. The evening was not off to a good start.

The pair sat in uncomfortable silence as patrons poured in, chattering excitedly about the night’s entertainment. Soon the house lights dimmed signaling the start of the performance. MacGyver gently draped his arm around Joanna’s shoulders. When she didn’t pull away, he ever so slightly pressed her closer to him. Meeting no resistance, even though her eyes were set firmly on the stage, he leaned over and whispered in her ear.

“I’m sorry for giving you a hard time,” he apologized.

Finally she turned towards him. “It’s my fault,” she admitted. “I shouldn’t have kept you in the dark. I know you don’t care for surprises.”

Before he could reply, a group of performers broke into song. Jo refocused her attention on the play while he continued to study her profile. By happy coincidence, she had seen fit to wear her hair clipped back, exposing her neck in the most enticing way. Ever so slowly he pressed his lips to the smooth, tender skin behind her ear. Feeling her flinch, he quickly broke contact. It was then that he noticed her head tip, giving him better access. His lips tugged into a smile and he suppressed a delighted groan as he resumed his ministrations, blissfully trailing gentle kisses down her neck. He was just about to retrace his path when a slap on his shoulder roused him from his reverie.

“That’s enough! People will see us!” Joanna hissed.

Mac raised his head just enough to survey the audience. “No they won’t. It’s too dark. Besides, isn’t this what the back row is for anyway?” he assured her as he attempted to resume his previous activity.

“Maaac!” Jo was more insistent now, pulling her head back.

MacGyver sighed and slumped back in his seat. “In order for people to watch us they’d have to turn around. In that case, they deserve whatever they see. And don’t tell me you weren’t enjoying it.” He sent a quirky grin her way.

“It was okay,” she shrugged. “But I think you missed a spot.” She grinned shyly as she tipped her head and pointed to spot beneath her jaw.

“Well, I can fix that in a jiffy, lil lady,” Mac replied using his best cowboy imitation, causing Joanna to giggle softly.

MacGyver once again had his face buried in the curve of Joanna’s neck when a voice from the stage sliced the air causing him to bolt upright. He squinted, but couldn’t make out the face of the woman now singing.

“Cheap seats,” he muttered.

“What’s wrong?” Jo asked, clearly concerned at his sudden change in behavior.

“I know that voice,” he whispered urgently as he reached across her lap for the program the usher had given her.

“Hey, you should’ve taken your own!” she rebuked, but he ignored her as he opened the folded piece of paper, took a pen light out of his shirt pocket, and scanned the names of the cast members.

“I don’t believe it!” he exclaimed under his breath. There, in black and white, were the words ‘Bride #3 – Penny Parker’.

“What is it?” Jo pressed, apparently having lost all interest in the play.

“Bride number three. She’s an old friend of mine from Los Angeles.”

“Old?” Joanna’s lips formed a straight line as she regarded the actress now at center stage. She had to be at least ten years younger than him!

“You know what I mean.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me about her?”

“Penny? Well, she can be kinda…complicated,” Mac hedged. “It’s hard to tell anyone about her. You kinda have to experience her for yourself.”

Any further explanation was drowned out by applause as the stage curtain closed and the house lights came on for the first intermission.

“C’mon!” Mac grabbed Jo’s hand leading her down the main aisle before weaving their way to the backstage door where they were met by a hulk of a security guard.

“Sorry. Cast only,” the hulk grunted.

“But I’m a friend of—“

“Sorry. Cast only.”

Apparently the reading curriculum at security guard school was quite limited.

“MacGyver?” a female voice sounded above the din of the other actors. “Oh, MacGyver! It is you!!”

Penny skittered towards him and launched herself into his arms, throwing him slightly off balance, before planting a solid kiss on his lips. Mac’s eyes widened as he looked helplessly at Jo whose glare had cooled the room considerably before extracting himself from Penny’s embrace.

“How’re you doin’, Penny?” he grinned.

“I’m good, but what in the world are you doing here?!?! Well, obviously you’re watching the play. But I mean what are you doing here in Milwaukee?”

“I live here now,” Mac informed her. Beside him, Joanna cleared her throat. Loudly.

“Oh, uh, Penny, this is Joanna Fairfax.”

“You’re reason for moving to Milwaukee?” The actress smiled knowingly at him before turning to embrace Jo. “Oh, I just know we’re gonna be great friends!” she gushed to a stunned Joanna.

The overhead lights flashed, a silent message that the next act would be starting soon.

“Oops! Gotta run!” Penny said lightly. “Hey, how about we meet at my hotel for lunch tomorrow? The cast is staying at the Glenfield Inn and they have this little café that’s just so cute and we could—“

“Parker! Take your place!” a disembodied voice commanded.

Penny’s smile faltered just a bit. “See you tomorrow?”

“We’ll be there,” Mac assured her before he and Jo turned to head back to their seats.

“So that’s a Penny Parker,” Joanna mused. “She certainly is friendly.”

XXXXX

The following day MacGyver pulled the Nomad into the parking lot of a cheap motel on the edge of town. The cute café that Penny had mentioned appeared to be more of a dingy diner. Mac glanced over at Joanna who, even though it was a Saturday, had decided to dress up for the occasion and sported more make-up than he had ever seen on her. Did she actually feel threatened by Penny?

“Hey!” MacGyver reached over and grabbed Jo’s arm before she could get out of the car. “You’re not jealous of Penny or anything, are you?”

“Me? Jealous? Why would I be jealous just because your ‘old friend’ happens to be young, gorgeous, and successful?”

“Look,” Mac said firmly, turning in his seat so he could face her better. “Penny’s a good kid. She just needs some looking after sometimes. I think of her as the little sister I never had, nothing more.” He made sure to clearly enunciate the final two words.

“Oh yeah?! How would you feel if a tall, handsome man from my past suddenly reentered my life?”

MacGyver stared out the windshield, “You mean someone like Mike?”

“Mike? Mike who?”

“Mike ‘clean cut-always-wears-a-tie’ Harlow!” Mac snapped.

“I can’t believe you!” Joanna shot back. “You know he’s just a work friend. I’ve never been interested in him!”

Mac pinned her with a glare.

“Oh,” she said sheepishly. “Point taken.”

“Good!” Mac blew out a breath. “Now let’s go inside.”

“Wait a minute,” she put a detaining hand on his forearm before rummaging in her purse and pulling out a small mirror and a couple of tissues which she used to blot her lips and gently sweep at least one layer of make-up from her face. “Okay. I’m ready now.
Once inside the tiny restaurant the couple easily found Penny seated at a corner table. After greetings were exchanged and food orders given, Mac provided his friend with the abridged version of his experiences since they had last seen each other.

“Wow,” Penny sighed when he was through. “I really missed a lot!”

“Well, what about you?” he asked. “What have you been up to?”

“After that whole fiasco with that evil Murdoc at the theater I went back to the house my Aunt Betty left me to, you know, get my head together. That’s when I got this really neat idea. I decided to turn Parker House into a bed and breakfast! I call it ‘Aunt Betty’s B&B’. I like the sound of all the B’s. Anyway, it’s been open for about six years now. People really like it even if it is haunted. You and Joanna should come and stay sometime!”

“Penny, we’ve been through this, that house is not haunted! There is no such thing as ghosts!”

The actress leaned in towards Joanna and whispered loudly, “He always tells me that, but the house really is haunted. But in a good way. It’s just my Aunt Betty and she would never hurt anyone. Besides, I think he says that just to make himself believe it. Heaven forbid MacGyver not be able to explain something with science and logic.” Penny proceeded to roll her eyes as Jo suppressed a giggle.

“All right, fine! The house is ‘haunted’. But how are you running a B&B? I didn’t even know you could cook!”

“I can’t,” Penny replied. “But with the rest of my inheritance from Aunt Betty I was able to hire people to do the cooking and cleaning and hostessing and all that sort of stuff. That way I can still pursue my singing and acting career!”

“And how’s that been goin’ for ya?” Mac asked.

Penny frowned and looked down at her plate. “Not so great. You know, L.A. is full of singers and actors. But,” she raised her eyes which began to twinkle, “I have gotten some minor parts in movies and plays and I’ve even done a few television commercials!”

“That’s great, Penny!” MacGyver smiled. “So how did you land this role?”

“It was the weirdest thing,” she replied as her eyes widened. “I was walking out of a theater after an audition and almost got hit by this man in an electric wheelchair! I stumbled and ended up falling right in his lap! But you’ll never believe what happened next!”

“Try me,” Mac challenged.

Penny took a deep breath before continuing. Likely it would be her last for a while unless something managed to interrupt her.

“Well, after I got off his lap I figured it was only right that I should introduce myself. I mean, I had fallen all over him! He asked if I was an actress and of course I told him I was. And then he told me he directed musical theater and asked if I’d be interested in auditioning for him. Mac, his name was Jacques La Rue!”

Listening to Penny was often like trying to follow a mouse in a maze and MacGyver generally found it entertaining, but this news had him shaking his head in disbelief.

“There’s no way, Penny! You know Murdoc just made all that up to get to you…and me. And since he’s dead—“

“Don’t you get it, Mac?” Penny cried. “There really is a crippled director named Jacques La Rue! Murdoc must have known that and impersonated him. But the real Jacques La Rue is much nicer! He’s the one who hired me for this show!”

“I don’t suppose I could meet him?”

Penny chewed on her lower lip before answering. “He really prefers to stay in the background. Behind the scenes, you know. I think it’s because of his disability.”

“I see,” MacGyver replied cynically.

“But I’m sure if I told him a friend of mine wanted to meet him he would make an exception!” Penny brightened. “I’ll ask him about it tonight!”

Back in the car, MacGyver found himself pinned by Joanna’s gaze.

“What was all that about Murdoc and Jacques La Rue?” she asked.

“It’s a long story. And not a very happy one.” He didn’t care to explain further. Not even to Jo. There were some things in his past that he wanted to keep there, and Murdoc was certainly one of them.

“Maybe Penny will tell me more about it tomorrow,” Jo responded. “We decided to have a girl’s day and get to know each other better.”

“When did this happen?” Mac asked, more than a little shocked.

“Before dessert, when we went to the ladies room,” she shrugged. “Do you have a problem with me spending time with your ex-girlfriend?”

“No! And she’s not my ex-girlfriend!”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Late Sunday morning Joanna stood in the middle of Penny’s motel room as the actress finished putting on her make-up in the small bathroom. The main room was sparsely furnished with everything one would expect and nothing more.

“So, I was thinking we should hit the mall for some retail therapy, grab some lunch and then treat ourselves to a manicure. How does that sound?” Penny called to Joanna.

“Sounds great, but I thought you’d have a Sunday matinee.”

“No, Jacques doesn’t believe in working on Sundays which is fine with the cast. We get a whole day to relax or spend traveling without having to worry about performing.”

Joanna looked around the room once more before taking a seat in a straight backed wooden chair. “That makes sense,” she replied. “But I would’ve thought that you’d be staying in a…different...motel.”

“Yeah, me too,” the younger woman sighed, now standing in the bathroom doorway. “Jacques promises it’s only until the profits from the box office pick up. But until then, it was either fly to the cities we’re performing in and stay in cheap motels, or stay in nice hotels and take the bus.” At this, Penny pulled a face. Obviously, professional actors did not endure long bus rides.

There was a sudden knock on the door and Penny hurried to answer it. She opened it to reveal a twenty-something, blonde-haired girl holding a plain white box.

“Oh, hey Jenny! C’mon in. This is my friend Joanna. Jo, this is my understudy, Jenny.”

Jenny stepped into the room and smiled at Joanna. “I’m sorry to interrupt. I didn’t know you had company, but I just ran into the motel manager and he said this had been left at the front desk for you so I offered to bring it over.”

The girl handed Penny the box who eagerly opened it.

“Cherry cordials! My favorite!” she exclaimed. “Well, maybe not my favorite but definitely a close second! Gee, I wonder who sent them? Maybe I have a secret admirer!” She started to reach for one of the treats before hesitating.

“Oh, gosh, where are my manners?! Jenny, Joanna, would you like one?”

When both women politely declined, Penny popped an entire piece of candy in her mouth. Her eyes rolled back in pure bliss.

“These are wonderful!” she mumbled around the chocolate concoction.

“Well, I better be going,” Jenny announced. “Are we still on to run lines tonight?”

Penny nodded then swallowed before answering. “You bet. Come on over around six.”

Jenny smiled and slipped out the door.

“Poor kid,” Penny said sadly once the girl had left. “This is her first big break and she’s so worried she’s going to have to go on for me.”

“Isn’t it pretty rare for understudies to actually be needed to perform?” Jo asked.

“You’d think so, right? But brides number one and two are both currently being played by the understudies.”

“Really?! How come?”

“When we were in Houston, bride number one kept getting these strange notes and was convinced a stalker was trying to kill her so she just up and quit one day and went back to Los Angeles. Then, in Omaha, a piece of rigging fell and almost hit bride number two. She stumbled getting out of the way and broke her ankle. You sure you don’t want one?” Penny thrust the candy box under Joanna’s nose.

“No. Thanks,” she smiled.

“Suit yourself! I’ll be back in a jiffy!” Penny promised as she headed back to the bathroom, popping another cherry into her mouth on the way.

Curious about the information Penny had just disclosed, Joanna called to her, “So what did the police in Houston and Omaha say about what happened to the actresses?”

“They said the falling rigging was an accident, and the notes were probably just a cruel prank. Jacques refused to let them investigate further because that would have put us behind, travel wise, and he didn’t want to postpone any performances.”

“Don’t you think that’s kinda odd?” Jo asked, but her question was met with prolonged silence.

“Penny?” she asked again. Still nothing but silence.

Suddenly, a loud clatter and muffled thud come from the other room. Joanna raced into the bathroom to find Penny’s unconscious body crumpled on the floor. Not wanting to move her, but needing to know if she was alive, Jo gently shook the other woman’s shoulder.

“Penny! Penny, can you hear me?!”

When she received no response she frantically searched for a pulse. She relaxed slightly when she found one, albeit slow and weak. She also noted that Penny’s face was unusually flushed and there was the slightest scent of…something. Jo tried to place it and finally realized it reminded her of bitter almonds. She flew to the telephone on the nightstand and placed two calls, the first to 911, the second to MacGyver.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver all but flew through the automatic doors of the emergency room. He still had on his worn jeans and stained t-shirt as he had received Joanna’s call in the middle of painting a dorm room at Challengers. Groups of people huddled together in the waiting area. Penny’s co-stars, he assumed, but no sign of the director. His eyes continued to search for the one person he needed to find most. After several moments, he found Joanna comforting a young, blonde girl who was clearly distraught. Their gazes met and Jo excused herself from the girl and joined Mac in the center of the room.

“Any news?” he asked anxiously.

“No. They’re still working on her, I guess.”

“What about you? Are you okay?” he asked, cupping her face with his hands.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Joanna sighed. “Maybe a little shook up, but I’ll be okay.”

“You always say that,” he gently chided as he pressed his lips to her forehead in a tender, comforting kiss. “Tell me what happened.”

Jo led him to a pair of chairs away from the others and told him everything that had happened from the time she arrived at the motel until now.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t get here sooner,” he apologized. “By the time I got cleaned up and drove over to the motel everyone was already gone.”

“It’s okay. There was nothing you could have done anyway.”

“I could have been there for you,” he declared huskily as he noticed she was holding his hand a bit tighter than usual.

Before Joanna could respond, a tall woman in a white lab coat stood in the doorway, scanning the large number of people that had gathered. She spoke quietly to the nearest nurse who nodded toward Joanna.

“Ms. Fairfax?” the doctor called.

Joanna jumped out of her seat, pulling MacGyver with her, their hands still intertwined. Together they anxiously approached the physician.

“How is she, doctor?” Mac asked immediately.

“And you are…?”

“MacGyver. I’m a good friend of Penny’s.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. MacGyver, but I’m not at liberty to discuss a patient’s condition with anyone except immediate family. I came to speak to Ms. Fairfax since she was with Ms. Parker when she collapsed.”

“I’m the closest thing to family she has,” Mac insisted.

Just then a nurse quickly approached the doctor and whispered in her ear. The doctor’s face softened and she turned to MacGyver once again.

“It seems one of the paramedics found an emergency contact card in Ms. Parker’s purse with your name on it, although the contact information seems to be outdated.”

MacGyver was surprised to learn that he was the person Penny wanted someone to call if anything happened to her, but in a way it did make sense.

“And since Ms. Parker is a travelling performer, her situation is a bit different,” the doctor continued. “If you two will please follow me?”

Mac and Joanna followed the woman to the nearest empty emergency room bay for some privacy.

“My name is Doctor Reagan. I’m sorry if I was a bit brusque, but with all the new privacy laws these days…” she blew out a breath of what appeared to be frustration.

“We understand,” MacGyver assured her. “We’d appreciate anything you could tell us, though.”

“From the information the paramedics at the scene and Ms. Fairfax have provided, as well as my initial examination, I am all but certain Ms. Parker is suffering from cyanide poisoning.”

Stunned, Mac and Joanna looked at each other before turning back to the doctor for more information.

“We’ve drawn blood and the lab is analyzing the cherry cordials found in the motel, but I’ve already started Ms. Parker on an antidote. I doubt there was a high level of the poison in her system, and thanks to Ms. Fairfax’s timely actions Ms. Parker should recover quickly.”

“When can we see her?” MacGyver asked.

“We sedated her when she began to gain consciousness in order to allow the medicine to work. She’ll probably sleep into the evening. We can give you a call when she wakes up.”

Mac jammed his fingers through his already messy hair and shook his head.

“No. I’ll stay and wait,” he declared. Then he turned to Joanna.

“I hate to ask this of you, but could you swing by Challengers and check to make sure everything is going okay? I left in kinda a hurry and I’m sure Cynthia’s concerned.”

“I’ll do whatever you need me to do,” Jo assured him. “But promise you’ll call if there are any changes with Penny.”

The doctor called out to Joanna as she prepared to leave. “Ms. Fairfax, since this appears to be an intentional poisoning, I’ve already called the authorities and I’m sure they’ll want to speak with you.”

“No problem,” Jo replied. “Mac knows how to reach me.” She gave MacGyver a quick hug which he wished could have lasted much longer before turning her back and heading to the parking lot.

XXXXX

A few hours later, Penny’s condition had stabilized enough to allow her to be moved to a private room. However, it was early evening before she awoke to find MacGyver keeping vigil at her bedside.

“Hey you,” she greeted him with a weary smile.

“Hey, how’re you feelin’?”

“Not so great, but I guess I’ll live,” she replied, more subdued than Mac had ever seen her.

“Do you remember what happened?” he asked.

Penny sighed. “I remember I was putting on make-up before going to the mall with Joanna and then everything went black. What happened to me, Mac?”

Her innocent, questioning gaze twisted MacGyver’s heart. How could he tell her the truth without frightening her?

“Do you remember eating cherry cordials?” he asked

Penny began to smile. “Yeah, they were sooo good!”

“Penny, the lab here analyzed them. They were laced with cyanide. You were poisoned.”

“Oh no!” Penny exclaimed, struggling to sit up in her bed. “Thank goodness Joanna and Jenny both refused when I offered them some!”

“Who’s Jenny?” Mac asked, but he was interrupted by a soft knock on the door.

“Mind if I join you?” Joanna asked from behind a large vase of yellow roses.

“Oh Joanna! You shouldn’t have!” Penny gushed when she saw the flowers.

“Actually, I didn’t,” Jo replied with a grin, carefully setting the crystal vase on the table next to the hospital bed. “They were at the nurses’ station so I offered to deliver them. Here’s the card.”

Penny plucked the small white envelope from Joanna’s fingers.

“Oh! They’re from Jacques! He’s such a sweet, thoughtful man!” Penny clutched the note to her chest as if it was a valued prize.

“If he’s such a great guy, why didn’t he come with the others to make sure you were okay?” MacGyver asked with an edge to his voice.

“I already told you that he doesn’t care to make public appearances,” she replied with a slight pout.

He was gearing up to ask her more questions about the mysterious Jacques La Rue when Joanna cleared her throat, interrupting his thoughts.

“You look like you could use a break,” she said. “Why don’t we go to the cafeteria and let Penny rest for a while?”

MacGyver didn’t want to leave, he wanted to learn more about this enigmatic director Penny was so enamored with, but the stern look in Joanna’s eyes told him she wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

Joanna took a sip of her soft drink and peered over her plastic cup at MacGyver who was seated across from her nursing a glass of orange juice. An uneasy silence had settled between them since leaving Penny’s room.

“Mind telling me why you dragged me down here?” Mac asked sternly.

“I’m worried,” Jo answered softly.

“Penny’s gonna be fine,” Mac’s voice softened. “You saw how much better she’s doing already.”

Joanna shook her head. “I know. That’s not what I mean. She told me something at the motel I think you need to know about.” She then proceeded to tell MacGyver about the previous incidences.

“You gotta admit it’s pretty strange, Mac. I mean, one mishap can be an accident. A second can be a coincidence. But a third? I think there’s a pattern here.”

“Like someone trying to oust the main actresses,” MacGyver replied, picking up her line of thought.

“Exactly! I tried to convince the police of that when Jenny and I gave our statements this afternoon, but they didn’t seem to want to believe me. They’re just focusing on Penny right now.”

“I don’t suppose they shared anything with you?”

“No.”

“Figures,” Mac replied, scrubbing his face with his hands. “By the way, who is this ‘Jenny’ person anyway?”

“She’s Penny’s understudy,” Jo answered as if he should’ve known that.

“The girl you were with in the waiting room?”

“Yeah. She’s gonna have to go on tomorrow night and she’s really nervous.”

“She’s the one who gave Penny the cherries, right?”

“Right. She got them from the desk clerk.”

“Or so she says,” MacGyver mused, his eyes glinting with suspicion.

Joanna’s jaw dropped. “You don’t think…?”

“Well, she does have motive. This will thrust her into the limelight and no doubt help her career.”

“But she’s scared to death, Mac! I really think her feelings are genuine. But you could be onto something. Maybe it’s one of the other understudies?”

MacGyver tipped his head in thought. “They would all have motive and probably opportunity, but I’m still not convinced Jacques La Rue is as genuine or innocent as Penny says.”

Joanna remained silent, as if she knew Mac was working on a plan. And he was.

“Do you still have the program with the cast list?” he asked her.

“Yeah, it’s in my purse.”

“Good. When you get to work tomorrow, run background checks on all the actors. Get as deep as you can. And see what you can find out about La Rue as well.”

“You got it. What are you gonna do?”

“I’m gonna pay a visit to a certain motel desk clerk.”

XXXXX

Bright and early Monday morning MacGyver stood at the front desk of the Glenfield Inn facing a lanky young man in his early twenties.

“Sorry, no vacancy,” the man said.

“I’m not here for a room,” Mac explained. “I’m here for some answers.”

This seemed to get the young man’s attention.

“Were you working here yesterday morning?”

“Yeah, so?”

“Did someone deliver a plain white box for a Penny Parker?”

“Yeah.”

Boy, this kid either had a very limited vocabulary or he was trying to hide something.

“Did you recognize them? What did they look like?” Mac pressed.

“It was a boy, maybe about ten or so. Just asked me to give the box to Ms. Parker.”

“And did you?” MacGyver already knew the answer, but he wanted to make sure the stories matched.
“I was on my way to her room when one of the other actresses, a blonde, said she was headed that way and would take it.”

“Then what did you do?”

“I came back here,” the clerk shrugged.

Mac sighed, frustrated at the apparent dead end. He bade the young man good bye and was headed to his Jeep when his cell phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Hi MacGyver! It’s Penny! I’ve got some great news!”

Penny’s bubbly toned made Mac smile in spite of himself. “Hello Penny, what’s your great news?”

“The doctor is releasing me this morning! She says I’m almost fully recovered and can leave if I promise to take it easy. Isn’t that great?! But I’m gonna need a ride, so if you could come and pick me up that would be super! You can come and pick me up, can’t you?”

“No problem. I’m on my way.” Mac grinned as he got into the Jeep and drove to the hospital.

His grin immediately turned to a frown when he entered Penny’s room to find her already dressed and sitting on the side of the bed talking to a man in a wheelchair. It could only be the infamous Jacques La Rue and MacGyver was more than ready to have a few words with the reclusive director.

“MacGyver!” Penny exclaimed when she saw him. “Look who came to visit me! It’s Jacques!”

As the man maneuvered his wheelchair to face the doorway, MacGyver observed that the director was portlier than he had envisioned. He also wore thick glasses and had a bald head.

“Ah, so this is the ‘MacGyver’ Penny has been telling me about,” the older man smiled, reaching out his hand.

Mac stepped forward and shook La Rue’s hand even as he raised his eyebrows at Penny who offered and apologetic shrug.

“Ms. Parker was telling me how you so heroically rescued her from an evil assassin who was impersonating me. I owe you a debt of gratitude for protecting this wonderful lady.”

“Yeah, well, it was nothing, really,” Mac replied, a bit embarrassed as well as surprised at the friendliness and openness with which the director addressed him.

“Oh, Mac does stuff like that all the time,” Penny added airily.

“Well, not all the time,” MacGyver rebutted. “In fact, I’m trying to cut back.”

Jacques La Rue laughed heartily and Penny giggled along with him. Mac figured now was as good a time as any to get some questions answered.

“Mr. La Rue—“

“Please, call me Jacques! ‘Mr. La Rue’ makes me feel so old!”

“Jacques,” Mac continued, “do you know why anyone might want to harm your lead actresses?”

A dark cloud appeared over the man’s countenance and MacGyver waited for Jacques to gather his thoughts.

“The theater is a fickle mistress, my boy. One day you’re on top of the world, directing the world’s most prestigious performers, the next you are staying in cheap motels, trying to earn enough money to keep the show from going under. Unfortunately, my current status is the latter. If we do not complete this tour in its entirety, my career is ruined.”

“So you believe someone is trying to shut down the show.”

“Yes, I’m afraid that is so,” the director replied sadly.

“Do you have any idea who it might be?”

“Mr. MacGyver, in my position one makes a lot of friends as well as enemies.”

They were interrupted when a nurse arrived with Penny’s discharge papers. La Rue quietly took his leave and Mac waited before helping Penny to the Jeep.

“Hey! This isn’t the way back to the motel!” Penny sputtered twenty minutes later.

“That’s right,” MacGyver replied. “I’m taking you back to my place. You’ll be safer there.”

“But I need my stuff!”

“Give me your room key and I’ll pick it up later.”

“You really think I’m still in danger?” Penny asked despondently.

“Yeah, I do. And even if you’re not, I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Joanna leaned back in her desk chair and massaged her temples. She had been staring at her computer screen since eight o’clock that morning and it was now mid-afternoon. When she had arrived at the office, she had immediately pushed her assigned files to the far corners of her desk which was now littered with computer printouts and various colored notepapers that threatened to tumble onto the floor. Despite the fact that her office looked like a landfill, she actually had gleaned very little information about Jacques La Rue and the female actors Mac had asked her to investigate. From what she could find, La Rue had been a successful theatrical producer and director in his day. Articles reported that he was beloved by performers as well as peers. Unfortunately, his most recent productions had fallen on hard times and he was struggling to stay afloat financially. Perhaps he was sabotaging his own show to collect insurance money. If there was any. As for the actresses, they were all either unknowns or has-beens grateful for any role that would pay the rent. She had just called up the information on the actor who played the eldest brother in the play when there was a light tap on her door and Geena, the receptionist, entered her office.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Ms. Fairfax, but Mr. MacGyver is on the phone for you.”

Joanna wrinkled her brow. “Why didn’t he just call me directly?”

“He tried, but said he couldn’t get through. I just tried to transfer him to you with the same results. It sounds as if your phone’s off the hook.”

Together the women shoved aside papers and searched for Jo’s telephone. At some point, the receiver had been pushed out of its cradle and hung against the side of Joanna’s desk. She let out a low moan as she replaced it, wondering how many calls she had missed. She was just about to speak to Geena when she noticed the woman staring at the picture on the computer monitor.

“Is that who I think it is?” the receptionist asked breathlessly.

“I doubt you know him,” Jo informed her. “He’s just one of the actors in a play Mac and I went to the other night.

“That’s Chad Connors!!” Geena exclaimed.

“Who’s Chad Connors, besides brother number one?” Joanna asked.

“Don’t you watch ‘Memorial Hospital’, girl?!”

“The soap opera?”

“Of course! That delicious-looking young man right there is none other than Dr. Jack Weaver! Well, at least until he left the show.”

“Why did he leave?” Joanna wasn’t quite sure why she was interested, but she was.

“The official reason was because of creative differences,” Geena explained with an eye roll. “The real reason is anybody’s guess. But there’ve been rumors that the studio’s been bombarded with fan mail and they’re working hard to get him back. What’s his gorgeous face doing on your computer, anyway? Getting tired of looking at that man of yours?” Geena raised her eyebrows and nodded toward the small photo of Mac taped to the corner of Jo’s monitor.

Joanna smiled, squashing the urge to tell Geena, yet again, that Mac was not ‘her man’. “I’m just doing some research, Geena.”

“Okay, whatever you say,” the receptionist smirked as she headed back to the outer office.

Jo sat back and studied the face of the apparently famous Chad Connors. His dark hair and piercing brown eyes should have made her swoon. Instead, a shiver slid down her spine as a suspicion took root in her mind. The sudden ring of the telephone startled her.

“Hello?”

“It’s about time!”

“Sorry, Mac,” Jo grimaced. “I accidentally knocked my phone off the hook.”

“Find out anything interesting?” he asked regarding her research.

“Up until a few minutes ago I would have said ‘no’, but I think I may have changed my mind. I need to do a little more digging.”

“Can you come over to my place after work so we can exchange information? I’ll pick up Chinese.”

Joanna grinned into the phone. “Now how could I possibly refuse an invitation like that?!”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Late that afternoon, Penny opened MacGyver’s front door to find Joanna waiting patiently on the stoop, her myriad notes now tucked neatly inside a manila folder.

“Ya know you don’t have to knock,” Mac grinned, walking up behind his friend.

“I know,” Jo shrugged. “I just don’t feel right barging in.” She blushed slightly before addressing Penny.

“I’m so glad they let you leave the hospital! Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah, but I’ll feel a lot better when whoever tried to poison me is behind bars!”

MacGyver ushered the two women to his kitchen table where they passed around containers of various Chinese cuisine. Once they had taken the edge off their hunger, Mac cleared his throat and prepared to eat some crow.

“I met Jacques La Rue today,” he informed Joanna. “He was at the hospital when I picked up Penny. I think I really misjudged the guy. He really seems to want to finish the tour and end his career on a positive note.”

“See!” Penny gushed, “I told you Jacques was one of the good guys!”

“Are you sure about that, Mac?” Jo asked warily.

“Unless you found something to incriminate him,” MacGyver countered.

“Not really, though it had occurred to me that maybe he was trying to sabotage the show to collect some insurance money or something.”

“Penny and I talked about that this afternoon. From what we know, he has nothing to gain and everything to lose if the show shuts down. What did you find out about the actors?”

“Not much, and it wasn’t for lack of trying,” Jo scowled. “But I might have a lead.”

MacGyver felt hopeful for the first time that day.

“Do you know who Chad Connors is?”

“Should I?” he asked.

He noticed Penny bouncing in her chair, unable to contain her excitement.

“He plays the eldest brother, but before he signed on with Jacques he played Dr. Jack Weaver on ‘Memorial Hospital’! Rumor has it he got mad that they cut one of his scenes and just walked out one day!”

“Isn’t that a soap opera?” Mac asked.

Penny nodded vigorously. “On T.V. he’s real dreamy, but in real life he’s kinda a jerk.”

“What do you mean?” Joanna asked.

“When he’s not performing all he does is walk around like a big shot and complain about how his career is ruined. He keeps demanding that poor Jacques let him out of his contract, but if he leaves, no one will want to come to the shows. He’s the most famous person here!”

“Penny, when you signed your contract, was there some type of clause requiring you to stay for the entire run of the play?” Jo inquired.

“Yeah,” Penny shrugged. “It’s really not unusual, but I’ve heard some actors actually ruin their careers because they take legal action to get out of that type of agreement. That never really made sense to me. I mean, you get out of your contract and then you’re unemployed!”

“And nobody wants to hire you because you have a bad reputation,” MacGyver added.

“But if the show folds, then the contracts are null and void,” Joanna mused.

“Go on,” Mac encouraged.

“Rumor has it that ‘Memorial Hospital’ is eager to get Chad back. That has to be why he wants out of his contract with Jacques, and the best way to do that is to shut down the play.” Jo concluded.

“You mean Chad is behind all this?! He tried to poison me?!”

“I’m afraid it looks that way,” Mac replied sympathetically.

Penny straightened in her chair with new resolve. “Well, can’t we have him arrested or something?!”

MacGyver sighed wearily. “We don’t have any evidence, Penny.”

“Well, how can we get some?”

Her guileless expression twisted his gut. “I don’t know. Yet. Let’s sleep on it and talk about it in the morning.

He led Jo to the door and quickly kissed her goodnight as Penny trudged up the stairs to the bedroom.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Penny lay awake, staring up at the ceiling and listening to MacGyver snore softly from the living room couch below. How could he sleep when there was a killer on the loose?! Well, technically Chad wasn’t a killer, but he certainly was trying to be! She rolled her head to the side and glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand. It was almost midnight. The show should have ended a couple hours ago and, if Chad was true to form, he’d be out at a local bar getting hammered until closing time which meant his motel room would be empty. Mac had said they needed hard evidence against Chad. Well, now was the time to get it!

Penny silently slid out of bed, put on a pair of jeans and a sweater, and grabbed a pair of shoes which she planned to slip into once she was outside. She needed to be as quiet as possible. Tip-toeing down the spiral staircase, she paused every few steps to make sure MacGyver was still sleeping. She then stealthily made her way to the front door, snatching the keys to the Jeep from the brass sailboat keyring holder on the wall. Feeling bolder, she opened the door and stepped over the threshold. Unfortunately, she cut the turn a little too quick and rammed her bare toes into the doorjamb. An inadvertent squeak escaped before the slapped her hand over her mouth and hurried to the driveway.

Except for the light from a few stray lampposts, the motel parking lot was dark and more than a little spooky. Penny parked in front of her room so as not to draw attention and walked across the courtyard to Chad’s assigned room. She reached out to turn the doorknob, but of course it was locked.

“Oh, Penny! You can be so stupid sometimes!” she muttered as she headed to the front office.

An old man sat behind the counter. He was slumped in his chair, half asleep behind a newspaper he had been reading.

“Hello?!” Penny called.

“Sorry, no vacancies,” the man mumbled before readjusting his paper.

“I don’t need a room. I already have one, but I locked myself out. Can I get an extra key?” she asked, using her sweetest smile.

The clerk sighed gustily, asked for the room number, and handed over a key.

“Next time be more careful,” he growled, returning to his paper.

Once safely inside Chad’s room, Penny looked around and for the first time realized she had no idea what she was looking for! She chewed her lower lip and wondered what MacGyver would do in this situation. After a few moments, she figured he would probably look for something that seemed odd or out of place. She clicked on the lamp next to the bed, hoping the heavy curtains drawn across the large picture window would blot out the light. She really needed a flashlight, but it was too late.

Ready to begin her search, she opened the drawer to the nightstand but found it empty save for the requisite Bible. She then dropped to the floor and peered under the bed, only to be met by numerous dust bunnies that sent her into a sneezing fit. She rummaged through the dresser drawers next, but again found nothing suspicious. She was ready to give up when she remembered the bathroom. She entered the small room and clicked on the light. Unlike her own vanity, which was cluttered with various bottles and tubes of beauty products, Chad’s cabinet was empty except for his shaving kit. Figuring she had nothing to lose, she unzipped the leather pouch. Her mouth fell open at what she saw. There, nestled in amongst his razor and other toiletries was a small syringe and a vial of a clear liquid. Penny instinctively reached out to grab the items when a scuffling sound from the other room startled her. Chad had returned! And she was trapped!

Penny frantically looked around as if a window or door would appear out of thin air, but as reality set in and the man’s footsteps got closer, she did the only thing she could think of. She stepped into the bathtub, pulled the shower curtain closed, crouched down and focused on quieting her breathing.

She sensed the moment the actor entered the room. She heard him stumble against the commode before apparently leaning against the sink, causing the contents of his shaving kit to clatter to the floor. He cursed loudly and she tried to make herself as small and quiet as possible. She almost gasped when she saw his shadowed figure on the other side of the curtain. Only a thin piece of plastic fabric separated them. Her eyes widen as a large hand snaked around the edge of the curtain, flailing for a few seconds before grabbing onto the shower faucet and giving it a hard yank. The spray of cold water hit Penny and she could stay silent no longer.

“Oh!” she cried, immediately regretting her outburst. The shower curtain flew open and the tall man stood scowling down at her, his hands clenched at his sides.

“What are you doing here?!” he roared.

“I…I...um…” Penny stuttered as she slowly rose and stepped out of the tub, her foot momentarily slipping on the tile floor. Before she could gather herself and fabricate a reasonable explanation, Chad had already shoved her out of the bathroom and pushed her down into a straight-backed chair. He quickly grabbed the telephone, disconnected the extra-long cord, and used it to bind Penny’s arms to her torso.

“You’ll never get away with this!” Penny spat, finally finding her voice.

“Get away with what?” he snarled. “I’m not the one who was trespassing.”

“I wasn’t trespassing!” she denied instinctively.

“Oh yeah? Then what would you call it?”

“Ummmm, I forgot which room was mine?”

“Is that the best you can do?!” he rounded on her. “No wonder you’re such a lousy actress!”

“I am not a lousy actress! Jacques says I have a lot of potential!” She raised her chin and glared into his beady eyes.

“Well, let’s see what he has to say about you when he finds you dead!”

Penny’s bravado disappeared immediately. “Dead? Why would he find me dead?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Parker!”

“But…maybe I am dumb,” she replied softly, her large eyes full of innocence. Yes, she was dumb alright. Dumb enough to think she could find evidence and get Chad arrested all on her own. Tears threatened as she thought of MacGyver, still asleep on his couch, completely unaware she had left and was in danger. He wasn’t going to be her hero this time.

“Look,” Chad said, “I saw your friend in the Jeep this morning poking around and asking questions. You figured it out, didn’t you?!” he demanded.

“Figured what out?” Penny had seen enough movies to know that the longer you kept a person talking the longer it took for them to kill you…she hoped.

“That I’m the one sabotaging the show to get out of my contract. But if anyone finds out, my career is ruined!”

“I won’t say anything, I promise,” Penny vowed.

“I know you won’t, because I’m going to kill you! I messed up the first time, but it won’t happen again!”

He stalked into the bathroom and when he returned Penny noticed him holding a syringe filled with a clear liquid that could only be a deadly dose of cyanide.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver grumbled and opened one eye. Something had awakened him. He turned his head to find Frog sleeping soundly underneath the coffee table as usual. An intrinsic need to figure out what woke him pushed him up from the couch and he padded to the kitchen for a drink. He opened the ‘fridge, grabbed a carton of juice and took a swig. Maybe Penny had come down for a drink as well? Without turning on a light he slowly made his way upstairs to check on his house guest.

“Penny?” he called in a loud whisper.

No reply.

“Penny?” he called again.

Upon reaching the landing he found himself staring at an empty bed with the door to the adjoining bathroom standing wide open. He swallowed a curse and ran back down the stairs. Maybe she had just stepped outside for some fresh air, he tried to tell himself as panic rose in his chest. He jerked his front door open and looked around quickly. No Penny. And no Jeep!!

Thankful that he had decided to sleep fully clothed in deference to having a woman in his house, he quickly grabbed his bomber jacket and the keys to the Nomad. Recalling their conversation from earlier that evening he knew, he just knew, that Penny had gone back to the motel to find evidence against Chad Connors.

He slowed the car as he approached the motel, dousing the headlights before pulling into the parking lot. There was his Jeep, parked outside Penny’s room. Maybe she had decided to come and pick up more of her personal items. Granted, it was an odd thing to do in the middle of the night, but he had learned early on that anything was possible with Penny Parker.

He parked the Nomad next to the Jeep and tapped softly on her door. When there was no answer he took out his Swiss Army knife and jimmied the lock. The room was dark and empty. He let go a sigh of both fear and frustration. He looked around at the other rooms, all of which appeared equally dark. He had to find out which one belonged to Chad. And fast! He wasn’t in the mood to go another round with a surly desk clerk, but that seemed to be his only option. He was just about to turn and head to the office when a door opened across the parking lot and a young blonde stepped out into the night. Jenny. Mac sprinted across the asphalt and quietly called her name.

“MacGyver! What are you doing here?”

“Have you seen Penny?”

“No. I thought she was staying with you?” Confusion knit her brow.

“She is. She was. Look, do you know which room Chad Connors is staying in?”

“Yeah, room number twelve. What’s going on?”

“Hopefully nothing, but just to be safe, go back inside, lock the door, and don’t come out no matter what you hear, okay?” A sinking feeling in his gut caused him to add, “And call the police!”

Jenny nodded and Mac waited until she secured the room before moving. He kept his back up against the building and his steps as light as possible as he made his way to the room Jenny had indicated. As he got closer, he heard muffled voices arguing. Even though he couldn’t hear the words, there was no doubt that one of those voices belonged to Penny. He stopped at the edge of the large window, trying to peek around the curtain, but it was pulled tight. He had no idea what he’d be walking into, but he didn’t have time to worry about it. Chad was in there with Penny and there was no way that was a good thing. He glanced around for anything he could use as a diversion. His eyes lit on a small fire extinguisher bolted on the outside wall next to the door. It probably wasn’t large enough to meet the fire code, but for him it would serve as a key, a diversion, and a weapon if needed.

After quietly lifting the extinguisher from its holder and pulling the pin, he aimed the base at the locked door knob. He only had one shot at a surprise entrance so he had to make it good. He raised the red canister and slammed it down hard on the knob which easily gave way. Having announced his presence, he pushed the door open, raised the hose, aimed the nozzle and squeezed the discharge lever sending a cloud of carbon dioxide into the room.

“What the—?!?!” he heard Chad yell. Diversion accomplished.

But the cylinder ran out of the chemical way too soon. In seconds, the vapor had cleared enough for him to see the athletically built man charging towards him. Mac balanced the now-empty extinguisher in his hands before ramming the device into Chad’s abdomen, knocking the breath from his lungs and causing him to drop the syringe. The actor stumbled backwards, lost his balance, and fell, hitting his head on the corner of the table knocking himself out cold.

“Oh MacGyver!” Penny exclaimed as he cut through her bindings. “I didn’t think you would find me! How did you know where I was?!?! I thought for sure Chad would kill me!”

“We need to get out of here before he wakes up,” Mac commanded, pulling Penny to her feet but stopping when the excitement on her face turned to horror. Not wanting to turn around but knowing he had to, MacGyver slowly swiveled to find himself face to face with Chad Connors.

“Boy, this guy’s got a hard head,” he muttered.

A second later, Chad thrust his fist into Mac’s gut before hitting him in the jaw with a strong right cross. Mac staggered back, doubled over trying to catch his breath. Chad took another swing, but this time MacGyver was quicker and jumped out of the way. While the other man was recovering from his strike out, Mac balled his hand into a hard fist and smacked the other man square in the face. There was the sickening sound of cartilage breaking as Mac made contact and then the moans as Chad grabbed his nose and fell to his knees, blood flowing everywhere. For good measure, Penny came up beside him and kicked her would-be killer in the ribs turning the moans into curses. Mac shook out his fist. Man that hurt! Why did he keep doing things like this?! Suddenly, the room was awash in light as police offers moved in to grab their prisoner. Mac took Penny by the arm and gently led her from the room. Most of the other performers had heard the commotion and now huddled in small groups in the parking lot as their eldest “brother” was escorted to a waiting squad car.

“You saved my life again!” Penny cried, as she wrapped her arms around MacGyver’s neck and hugged him tight.

“Nothin’ to it,” he grinned, returning her grateful gesture.

XXXXX

The following evening, MacGyver, Penny, Joanna, and Jacques gathered backstage before the final performance. Actors hustled by practicing lines and dance steps. The theater began to swell with spectators and there was electricity in the air.

“Are you positive this is what you want?” the director asked Penny in a fatherly tone.

“Yes, Jacques, I’m sure,” she replied gently. “I’ll miss the excitement and all, but I really feel like it’s time for me to go home and put down some roots.” She looked at Mac and Jo and smiled. “Maybe I’ll even find me a guy to marry and have some kids. Not a lot, though. Maybe only one or two. Or maybe I won’t have any so I can be free to travel. But then again, that wouldn’t exactly be putting down roots, would it?” she laughed.

Jacques took Penny’s hand. “Just be happy, my dear. Follow your heart wherever it takes you!”

“What about you, Jacques?” MacGyver asked. “What will you do once the play finishes touring?”

The older man’s expression turned thoughtful, but there was a twinkle in his eye.

“I had every plan to retire and live out my days in a reclusive French villa,” he replied. “But once news got out about this whole sabotage ordeal, well, it seems I’m a sought after director once again!”

“Hey, that’s great!” Mac responded. “But I thought this ordeal would actually hurt your career.”

Jacques smiled. “In show business, any exposure is good exposure. My name and works have been revived!”

“So you think you’ll continue working?” This time it was Joanna’s question.

“Time will tell, my dear! Time will tell.”

The overhead lights began to blink before the conversation could continue.

“Looks like that’s our cue to head to our seats,” Mac observed. “Thanks again for inviting us,” he said to Jacques.

“After what you did, it was my pleasure! Please go and enjoy the show!”

MacGyver and Joanna had just settled into their front row seats when the house lights began to dim. Mac slung his arm around Jo’s shoulders, pulled her close, and began to nuzzle her ear.

“Stop it, Mac! Everyone is watching!”

“So? Let ‘em!” he murmured as the curtain rose.

















Posted by: Dragondog 13 September 2019 - 08:29 AM
Wow, that is really long surprise.gif

QUOTE
Chapter 15: Bride #3
... huh.gif

QUOTE
Never in his life had he thought he’d be jealous of a piece of material. But he was.
On one hand I'm cracking up, but on the other, I'm trying to figure out why I find this relatable. Can't figure out why XD

QUOTE
with the marquee below advertising the current performance of “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”.
PFFT, I know what that's referencing! roller.gif roller.gif roller.gif

QUOTE

“The back row?” MacGyver complained in a loud whisper.

“What do you expect for free!” Joanna shot back.
Accurate XD

QUOTE
By happy coincidence, she had seen fit to wear her hair clipped back, exposing her neck in the most enticing way. Ever so slowly he pressed his lips to the smooth, tender skin behind her ear. Feeling her flinch, he quickly broke contact. It was then that he noticed her head tip, giving him better access.
You should be happy you're in the back row wink.gif

QUOTE

“It was okay,” she shrugged. “But I think you missed a spot.” She grinned shyly as she tipped her head and pointed to spot beneath her jaw.

“Well, I can fix that in a jiffy, lil lady,” Mac replied using his best cowboy imitation, causing Joanna to giggle softly.
You two are going to flip out on your wedding night, aren't you? XD

QUOTE
There, in black and white, were the words ‘Bride #3 – Penny Parker’.
Oh, that's where the title of the chapter came from XD

QUOTE

“Why didn’t you ever tell me about her?”
Sheesh, Jo, chill, he can't tell you about everyone he's befriended... XD

QUOTE

Any further explanation was drowned out by applause as the stage curtain closed and the house lights came on for the first intermission.
That's either the fastest first act ever, or they spent a long time making out XD

QUOTE

Penny skittered towards him and launched herself into his arms, throwing him slightly off balance, before planting a solid kiss on his lips.
Someone really needs to teach Penny about boundaries XD

QUOTE

“You’re reason for moving to Milwaukee?” The actress smiled knowingly at him before turning to embrace Jo.
Penny's not always as dumb as she acts XD

QUOTE
“Oh, I just know we’re gonna be great friends!” she gushed to a stunned Joanna.
I can picture that, and it's hilarious XD

QUOTE

“So that’s a Penny Parker,” Joanna mused. “She certainly is friendly.”
Understatement of the century XD

QUOTE

“Me? Jealous? Why would I be jealous just because your ‘old friend’ happens to be young, gorgeous, and successful?”
Jo is starting to annoy me dry.gif

QUOTE

“Oh,” she said sheepishly. “Point taken.”
Good smile.gif

QUOTE

“Wait a minute,” she put a detaining hand on his forearm before rummaging in her purse and pulling out a small mirror and a couple of tissues which she used to blot her lips and gently sweep at least one layer of make-up from her face. “Okay. I’m ready now.
laugh.gif Good call, Joanna

QUOTE

The actress leaned in towards Joanna and whispered loudly, “He always tells me that, but the house really is haunted. But in a good way. It’s just my Aunt Betty and she would never hurt anyone. Besides, I think he says that just to make himself believe it. Heaven forbid MacGyver not be able to explain something with science and logic.” Penny proceeded to roll her eyes as Jo suppressed a giggle.
You write Penny's dialogue really well biggrin.gif

QUOTE

Penny took a deep breath before continuing. Likely it would be her last for a while unless something managed to interrupt her.
Lol, I love how she prepares for this XD XD XD

QUOTE
Mac, his name was Jacques La Rue!”
Okay, so did Murdoc steal the guy's identity the first time around or what?

QUOTE

“Before dessert, when we went to the ladies room,” she shrugged. “Do you have a problem with me spending time with your ex-girlfriend?”

“No! And she’s not my ex-girlfriend!”
Mac reminds me of a little kid in this XD

QUOTE


“Poor kid,” Penny said sadly once the girl had left. “This is her first big break and she’s so worried she’s going to have to go on for me.”
You gotta admit though, if you're not feeling confident or positive for any reason, Penny's the best person to have around XD

QUOTE


“When we were in Houston, bride number one kept getting these strange notes and was convinced a stalker was trying to kill her so she just up and quit one day and went back to Los Angeles. Then, in Omaha, a piece of rigging fell and almost hit bride number two. She stumbled getting out of the way and broke her ankle. You sure you don’t want one?” Penny thrust the candy box under Joanna’s nose.

“No. Thanks,” she smiled.
Okay, something is probably wrong with those candies...

QUOTE

“Don’t you think that’s kinda odd?” Jo asked, but her question was met with prolonged silence.

“Penny?” she asked again. Still nothing but silence.

Suddenly, a loud clatter and muffled thud come from the other room. Joanna raced into the bathroom to find Penny’s unconscious body crumpled on the floor.
Called it XD

QUOTE

“My name is Doctor Reagan. I’m sorry if I was a bit brusque, but with all the new privacy laws these days…” she blew out a breath of what appeared to be frustration.
I feel you, doc XD

QUOTE

“Actually, I didn’t,” Jo replied with a grin, carefully setting the crystal vase on the table next to the hospital bed. “They were at the nurses’ station so I offered to deliver them. Here’s the card.”
I wouldn't accept any more deliveries for the time being, thank you very much :/

QUOTE

“You look like you could use a break,” she said. “Why don’t we go to the cafeteria and let Penny rest for a while?”
That... sounds like an awful idea...

QUOTE

MacGyver tipped his head in thought. “They would all have motive and probably opportunity, but I’m still not convinced Jacques La Rue is as genuine or innocent as Penny says.”
Now I just want to know if "Jacques La Rue" is some code name for serial killers, and they all pretend to be crippled directors to snag young, aspiring actors/actresses off the streets...

QUOTE

As the man maneuvered his wheelchair to face the doorway, MacGyver observed that the director was portlier than he had envisioned. He also wore thick glasses and had a bald head.

“Ah, so this is the ‘MacGyver’ Penny has been telling me about,” the older man smiled, reaching out his hand.

Mac stepped forward and shook La Rue’s hand even as he raised his eyebrows at Penny who offered and apologetic shrug.

“Ms. Parker was telling me how you so heroically rescued her from an evil assassin who was impersonating me. I owe you a debt of gratitude for protecting this wonderful lady.”

“Yeah, well, it was nothing, really,” Mac replied, a bit embarrassed as well as surprised at the friendliness and openness with which the director addressed him.
Wait... he's not Zito, is he?

QUOTE

“Don’t you watch ‘Memorial Hospital’, girl?!”

“The soap opera?”

“Of course! That delicious-looking young man right there is none other than Dr. Jack Weaver! Well, at least until he left the show.”
This installment is just packed with references XD

QUOTE
It was almost midnight. The show should have ended a couple hours ago and, if Chad was true to form, he’d be out at a local bar getting hammered until closing time which meant his motel room would be empty. Mac had said they needed hard evidence against Chad. Well, now was the time to get it!
And it'd be much better to wake Mac up and tell him such instead of sneaking out yourself...

QUOTE

“Oh, Penny! You can be so stupid sometimes!” she muttered as she headed to the front office.
Lol XD

QUOTE
Chad had returned! And she was trapped!
Also saw that coming...

QUOTE

“But…maybe I am dumb,” she replied softly, her large eyes full of innocence. Yes, she was dumb alright. Dumb enough to think she could find evidence and get Chad arrested all on her own.
I mean, I feel bad for her, but... she's not exactly wrong...

QUOTE

“We need to get out of here before he wakes up,” Mac commanded, pulling Penny to her feet but stopping when the excitement on her face turned to horror. Not wanting to turn around but knowing he had to, MacGyver slowly swiveled to find himself face to face with Chad Connors.

“Boy, this guy’s got a hard head,” he muttered.
I was gonna say, he should've been out longer than that. But then again, he should be too drunk to handle himself as long as he has too XD

QUOTE
Mac shook out his fist. Man that hurt! Why did he keep doing things like this?!
XD XD XD

QUOTE
Suddenly, the room was awash in light as police offers moved in to grab their prisoner.
Did Jenny put two and two together? Are these the same cops who were investigating Penny's poisoning? How did they know to arrest Chad and leave mac alone? XD

QUOTE

Jacques took Penny’s hand. “Just be happy, my dear. Follow your heart wherever it takes you!”
Awwwwww XD

QUOTE

MacGyver and Joanna had just settled into their front row seats when the house lights began to dim. Mac slung his arm around Jo’s shoulders, pulled her close, and began to nuzzle her ear.

“Stop it, Mac! Everyone is watching!”

“So? Let ‘em!” he murmured as the curtain rose.
He's lucky Penny's so bubbly, or she'd be so embarrassed to see this XD XD XD

Posted by: Dragondog 13 September 2019 - 08:34 AM
Although I'm confused... where'd the ten year old boy come from? The one who brought the box to Penny's hotel? huh.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 13 September 2019 - 09:20 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 13 September 2019 - 08:34 AM)
Although I'm confused... where'd the ten year old boy come from? The one who brought the box to Penny's hotel? huh.gif

Ya got me! LOL! Probably a kid playing hooky from school? Any kid'll do something for money! Honestly, I needed a discreet, generic delivery person!

Posted by: Dragondog 14 September 2019 - 06:54 AM
QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 13 September 2019 - 12:20 PM)
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 13 September 2019 - 08:34 AM)
Although I'm confused... where'd the ten year old boy come from? The one who brought the box to Penny's hotel?  huh.gif

Ya got me! LOL! Probably a kid playing hooky from school? Any kid'll do something for money! Honestly, I needed a discreet, generic delivery person!

Works for me biggrin.gif tongue.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 24 September 2019 - 09:45 AM
Ugh! Can't believe I missed posting last week. In my defense, I was in a training all day that fried my brain!


Chapter 16: Homecoming

MacGyver paced the airport’s concourse much as an expectant father would pace the maternity ward, except that his son would be delivered by a commercial jetliner straight from Heathrow as opposed to a doctor in scrubs. He had been anxiously awaiting this day ever since Sam called to say he was coming home so why was he so nervous? Perhaps it was because, for the first time in two and a half years, Sam was coming home…to stay.

“Dad! Dad!” the dark-haired young man called, waving one arm in the air as he pushed his way through the crowd of people that had deplaned with him.

MacGyver easily detected his son’s voice amidst the din of the other passengers and wasn’t even concerned about the goofy grin he knew he wore. Before he knew it, he was locked in a tight embrace with his widely-smiling offspring as they heartily patted each other’s back. After a few moments, Sam backed away and glanced around the open waiting area, a deep frown marring his handsome features.

“Where’s Joanna?” he demanded. “Is she okay? You guys didn’t break up, did you?!”

“Relax, Sam,” Mac replied as he put a calming hand on Sam’s shoulder. “She’s still at work, but she promised to meet us for dinner.”

“Sorry for overreacting,” Sam apologized sheepishly. “I forget she’s still at the law firm.”

“No problem. What do you say we grab your luggage and get outta here?”

The two men made their way to baggage claim where they joined the group of travelers gathered around the carousel waiting for the conveyor belt to regurgitate their belongings. It didn’t take long before an old, worn rucksack slid down the ramp and landed in front of Sam who quickly snatched it up.

“All right, let’s go!” Sam said, turning to leave, but Mac grabbed his arm, keeping him in place.

“That’s all you got?” MacGyver asked incredulously. “Over two years living abroad and all you come home with is that?”

Sam chuckled. “Dad, most of that time I was imbedded with troops who were constantly on the move, the rest of my time I spent in a furnished apartment traveling around Europe. I didn’t need that much.”

“And I thought I packed light,” Mac muttered as they left the airport.

“So, tell me again what happened. You were kinda vague on the phone,” Mac said as he maneuvered the Jeep through the city traffic. It was a warm day so the top was off and the breeze ruffled their hair.

“There’s not much to tell,” Sam shrugged, not looking at his dad. “My editor in London has a friend at the Tribune. He sent him some of my work and the guy was impressed. Offered me a job right away.”

“I’m so proud of you Sam. And your mom would be, too.” Mac praised. “All your hard work has finally paid off and now you’re working for the Chicago Tribune.”

Mac glanced at his son who stared out the windshield. His stomach did a little flip, but he blamed it on the day’s excitement, not Sam’s odd demeanor.

“So when do you start?” MacGyver asked, attempting to get more information.

“In a week or two. They’re giving me time to get settled. I was kinda planning on crashing at your place for a while.”

“That’ll work,” Mac grinned. “I’ll take some time off from Challengers and we can go apartment hunting.”

“Yeah, sure,” Sam replied, not sounding nearly as excited as MacGyver expected him to.

XXXXX

“That boy’s driving me nuts, Jo,” Mac complained a few days later as they were closing up Challengers for the night.

“He’s hardly a boy,” Jo snickered.

“Well, he sure is acting like one,” MacGyver groused. “We spent the last two days apartment hunting in Chicago and he found something wrong with every single one of them! Every. Single. One.”

“This has to be a huge adjustment for him,” Joanna tried to reason. “A new job, a new place to live, it can be as overwhelming as it is exciting.”

“I guess you’re right,” Mac sighed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The following Saturday, Cynthia carefully returned her paint roller to the tray and stretched out her back. Joanna did the same.

“Looks good,” the older woman commented as she looked around the final dorm room to be painted. “We should be able to finish it up this afternoon. How about we break for lunch?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Jo agreed, stifling a yawn. Working at the firm and volunteering at Challengers was catching up with her. And starting next week the club was scheduled to be open twenty-four hours a day every day of the week. She’d have to make time to help out as much as possible until MacGyver and Cynthia could get more volunteers.

The two women plodded down the stairs only to find Sam waiting for them in the rec area.

“I’m sorry, dear, but your dad’s not here,” Cynthia told him. “He’s at a City Council meeting. Every now and again they like to see the man behind the lease instead of me,” she grinned.

“I know,” he replied. “I was actually here to see Jo.”

Joanna’s eyes grew wide with surprise, but she turned and nodded to Cynthia who quietly slipped into her office.

“Hey Sam, what’s up?” she asked, trying to sound upbeat even though the young man in front of her looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. “Wanna go grab a cheeseburger or something?”

“No,” he answered softly, staring at his shoes. “I was wondering if we could talk. In private.”

“Sure,” she replied, her tone low and serious. Sam glanced at Cynthia’s office and his brow furrowed.

“Why don’t we step out back and get some fresh air,” Jo suggested.

Once seated side-by-side on the small stoop, Sam continued to avoid Jo’s eyes and she waited patiently for him to begin the conversation even though worry gnawed at her. She had never seen the young man so quiet and dejected. He was like a stranger to her.

“Sam?” she prompted gently after several minutes of awkward silence. “What did you want to talk about?”

He threw a quick glance her way and she saw unshed tears welling in his eyes. “It’s gonna sound really stupid. Maybe I shouldn’t have come here.”

“Well, you’re here now and I doubt anything you have to say is gonna sound stupid.”

His eyes still locked on the concrete beneath them he mumbled, “I miss my mom.”

He then turned his head so he was looking Joanna straight in the eye. “I mean, I really miss her! How stupid is that?!”

Tears streamed down his cheeks as Jo put an arm around his shoulders to comfort him.

“It’s not stupid at all,” she assured him softly.

“How can you say that?!” His grief suddenly morphing into anger. “She’s been gone fifteen years! I shouldn’t miss her like this!”

Jo’s voice was gentle but firm. “Sam, you watched your mother get murdered. That isn’t something you forget and it certainly isn’t something that stops hurting. Have you talked to your dad about this?”

Sam shook his head. “I can’t. That’s why I came to you.”

Joanna’s heartbeat hitched at the blind trust he had in her. “Why can’t you talk to Mac?”

“He won’t understand. He had forgotten all about her until I showed up!”

Jo was treading in deep water and she knew it. “I don’t think you give him enough credit. You need to talk to him, otherwise this will always come between you.”

“There’s more,” he mumbled.

“There’s no job at the Tribune, is there?”

“How did you know?!”

Joanna shrugged. “Call it ‘women’s intuition’ if you want. It’s just that the Sam Malloy I know would be in seventh heaven and chomping at the bit to start his new job even if it meant living in a bus station. From what your dad is telling me, you’re doing everything in your power to avoid moving to Chicago.”

“You’re not wrong,” Sam smiled through his now-subsiding tears.

“And you know you have to talk to your dad about all of this.”

“I know.”

XXXXX

The following afternoon, Joanna parked her car in front of MacGyver’s townhouse. She had come on the pretense that he needed to sign some documents so Cynthia could get them in the mail first thing the next day, but really she wanted to know if he and Sam had talked yet. The driveway was empty, but one of them could still be home. Approaching the front door, she raised her fist to knock before recalling how Mac had chided her formality. She tested the doorknob and, finding it unlocked, let herself in.

“Mac? Sam?” she called, but got no response. It wasn’t like Mac to leave his doors unlocked. Perhaps Sam had been the last one to leave and forgot. Looking around the large living area she sighed. Clothes, towels and other miscellaneous items lay strewn across the floor and furniture. She placed the envelope containing the documents on the kitchen counter before stooping to collect the pieces of clothing she recognized as belonging to MacGyver. She knew he wasn’t a neat freak, but he also wasn’t a slob. His son was definitely having a bad influence on him!

Arms full, she carefully made her way upstairs where she tossed the pile of laundry on the bed. When she looked up from the heap it was to find MacGyver standing in the bathroom doorway, drying his unruly hair with one white towel while another was wrapped around his waist, his skin still glistening with moisture. She let out an instinctive squeak and quickly turned her back to him.

“Hey there! I didn’t hear you come in. I was in the shower,” he addressed her nonchalantly.

“Obviously,” she muttered shyly as she felt him draw closer.

“I didn’t startle you, did I?” he asked, taking hold of her upper arm and coaxing her to swivel toward him.

“No! I just wasn’t expecting…um…” she blushed furiously and couldn’t find the words to finish her sentence. Shoot, she couldn’t find any words at all as she stared at his broad shoulders, sturdy abs, and the little cluster of dark curly hair in the center of his chest. She was pretty certain she would need to go to confession if she didn’t rein in her thoughts quickly. Unfortunately, Mac didn’t seem inclined to assist her with that as he took her hands and placed them on his bare shoulders before looping his arms around her waist.

“With Sam in the bathroom at all hours, I have to catch a shower whenever I can,” he offered, grinning mischievously.

“I…I can see that,” Jo stammered, feeling like a naïve teenager and wishing the floor would open up and swallow her whole.

“I didn’t embarrass you, did I?” he asked, his smile fading.

“Of course not!” Jo shot back, summoning all the bravado she had even as the heat from his skin seared the palms of her hands, but she was unable to pull them away. She was suddenly aware of the back of his forefinger gently caressing her cheek.

“You know that feeling you have right now?” he asked huskily. “That’s the feeling I get every time I see you in one of my hockey jerseys, or sleeping on my couch, or doing practically anything or nothing at all.”

“Really?” she asked breathlessly.

“Really,” he confirmed. “And it’s not a bad thing. But right now I think I should get dressed.”

He leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on the tip of her nose, breaking the spell she had been under. He released her from his grasp and she reclaimed her hands.

“Could you hand me a pair of boxers?” he asked, indicating the bureau behind her. “Second drawer from the top.”

With still slightly unsteady hands she opened the drawer and extracted a pair of cream colored undershorts. She held them at arm’s length between her thumb and forefinger like a three-day-old fish and wrinkled her nose.

“What’s wrong?” he chuckled.

“I don’t know. They’re just so plain. I guess I was expecting something with more pizazz.”

“What kind of ‘pizazz’?” he asked warily.

“Oh, I don’t know,” she responded, her playfulness returning. “Something more colorful, maybe with little hockey sticks or cowboy hats on them.”

“Well, if this is going to be an issue for you I could go shopping later,” he suggested.

“Just get yourself dressed,” Jo ordered as she wadded up his boring boxers and tossed them smack in his face. “I’ll be waiting downstairs.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ten minutes later, after pulling on a pair of khakis and a collarless, turquois shirt, MacGyver headed down to the kitchen to find Joanna sitting patiently at the cluttered breakfast bar.

“So, what brings you by?” he asked.

“Cynthia needs you to sign some papers,” she responded, waving absently at the large brown envelope next to her elbow.

Mac raised his eyebrows so they were almost touching his bangs. “It couldn’t wait until tomorrow morning?”

“Well…actually…I was kinda wondering if Sam had a chance to talk to you,” Jo hedged.

Mac sighed and sat down on the stool next to Jo’s. “Yeah, we talked. A lot.”

“And…?”

“Kate’s been a part of my past for so long, it never occurred to me that she was still a part of Sam’s present.” Mac scrubbed his face with his hands before continuing. “Sam was on assignment in Saudi Arabia. There was a military skirmish in the village where he was staying. He saw a mother get shot in front of her children. It kinda brought everything back for him, ya know?”

Jo nodded her understanding but remained silent.

“As soon as he got back to London he put in his notice, finished up his assignments, and arranged to come home. His editor over there does have a friend at the Tribune and Sam’s gonna look him up when he’s ready.”

“I just don’t get why Sam thought you wouldn’t understand.”

Mac shrugged. “He said he was afraid I’d be ashamed of him wanting to come home and settle down. He knows that at his age I was still hungry to see and do whatever I could and he felt like he should follow in my footsteps. The funny thing is, a part of me has always wondered what my life would have been like if I had come home, or at least found a place to put down roots, sooner.”

“Did you tell Sam that?”

“Yeah.”

“So things are okay between you two?”

Mac smiled. “I’d say better than okay, and I have you to thank for that.”

“Me? I didn’t do anything.”

“You were there for my son when he felt he couldn’t come to me. I’d say that’s everything.”

XXXXX

A few days later, MacGyver was in the middle of reclaiming his living room from his son’s dubious housekeeping skills when Sam came bounding through the front door, cell phone in hand.

“Dad! Guess what?!”

“You finally got a date with that cute checker from the supermarket!” Mac teased.

“C’mon, Dad, I’m serious!”

“Alright, what’s the big news?”

“I just got done talking with my editor’s friend at the Tribune and he wants to bring me on board!”

“Sam, that’s great!” Mac exclaimed as they exchanged high fives and a brief hug before Sam became unusually somber.

“There’s only one problem,” he said flatly.

“What’s that?”

“I’ll have to work as a stringer until a full-time position opens up.”

“So? You’ve done that before,” Mac pointed out encouragingly, still excited about his son’s news.

“Yeah, but you know what that means. I’ll be covering stories that don’t warrant a big name reporter and I’ll have to free-lance whenever I can. But more importantly, I won’t be receiving a regular paycheck, and you saw how much apartments cost in Chicago. Especially something close to the Tribune,” Sam sighed and dropped down on the couch.

“Well, you have some money saved up, right? There’s gotta be a way,” MacGyver pressed.

“You can’t build me an apartment out of duct tape and paperclips, Dad,” Sam said dejectedly.

“That’s not what I meant,” Mac scowled. “I meant we need to think of other options.”

“You mean like commuting?” Sam offered.

“Yeah, that could work. You could use my Jeep.”

“Have you seen the price of gas lately?” Sam asked. “I’d burn through my savings in no time!”

“You got a point,” Mac agreed.

“Too bad you don’t live in Chicago, Dad. Then I could just keep bunking with you!” Sam chuckled.

“Of course!” Mac exclaimed, slapping his forehead with the palm of his hand. “Why didn’t I think of this sooner?! You could stay with the Thornton’s!”

“But I hardly know them,” Sam grimaced. “Don’t ya think it’d be kinda awkward?”

“Nah!” Mac replied excitedly. “You and Pete will get along great, and I know Connie will love to have someone else in the house to dote on. You want me to call ‘em?”

Sam shrugged. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to give it a shot.”

MacGyver grabbed his cordless phone, dialed the number he knew by heart, and paced as he waited for someone to pick up.

“Hello?”

“Hey Pete! It’s me!”

“Who’s ‘me’?” the older man asked gruffly.

“Pete, it’s me! MacGyver!”

“I’m sorry. You must have the wrong number. The MacGyver I know waits until the middle of the night when I’m fast asleep to call and then he has the nerve to ask me for a favor. I don’t suppose you’re gonna ask me for a favor, are ya?”

Mac closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “C’mon Pete, those were emergencies.”

“I know, Mac! Lighten up! I was just teasing you!”

“Oh? Well, very funny.”

“I thought so! What’s up?”

“Well, I sorta have a—“

“I knew it! You have a favor to ask!”

“It’s not so much a favor as a proposal,” Mac replied diplomatically.

“Oh really? And what, exactly, is this proposal?”

“Sam landed a job at the Tribune and needs a place to stay until he saves enough for an apartment. I thought he could stay in your guest room in the meantime.”

“Gee, I don’t know Mac…”

“Aw, c’mon Pete! It’ll be great! Sam’s a great kid! He’s even housebroken!”

Pete chuckled. “Well…I’ll have to talk to Connie. Can I call you back?”

“Sure thing. We’ll be waiting. Thanks, Pete!”

XXXXX

Late Saturday morning MacGyver turned his Jeep into the Thornton’s driveway. Connie threw open the front door and came to greet them before he could turn off the ignition.

“It’s so good to see you!” she exclaimed, enveloping Mac in a surprisingly strong hug as he stepped from the car.

Sam jumped out and grabbed his luggage, such as it was, from the back seat before he, too, was accosted by Pete’s wife.

“Looks like she’s glad to see me,” Sam commented as they followed the woman into the house.

“And Pete will be, too,” MacGyver assured his son. “He pretends to be tough, but really he’s just a big old teddy bear.”

“Hey, who’re you calling ‘old’?” Pete complained from his chair in the living room.

“It’s good to see you, too!” Mac greeted his friend with a firm handshake before Sam did the same.

“I really appreciate you letting me stay here, Mr. Thornton.”

“It’s our pleasure, and please call me ‘Pete’.”

“And I’m ‘Connie’,” the petite woman instructed as she carried a tray of glasses filled with lemonade into the room just as Mac and Sam settled themselves on the couch. “It’s such a pity Joanna couldn’t come with you.”

“She wanted to, but this is the first weekend Challengers Club is open for the summer and someone had to stay and help out Cynthia,” Mac informed her before taking a sip of his tart drink.

“Well, now that Sam is living here perhaps you’ll both visit more often,” Connie said hopefully. “She’s such a sweet girl. You know, MacGyver, you should really think about—“

“Connie! Leave Mac alone,” Pete scolded. “He doesn’t need you poking your nose into his love life!”

Time passed quickly as the small group caught up on everyone’s activities and the success of Challengers. Once Connie had settled Sam into the guest room to her satisfaction she served a light lunch. Conversation continued well into the afternoon as Sam regaled his new friends with stories of his adventures in the Middle East and Europe.

“Sounds like a chip off the old block!” Pete observed with a smile.

“Yeah, he sure is,” Mac agreed before looking down at his watch with a frown. “Pete, what time does that used car lot you told me about close?”

“Being a Saturday, they close at four.”

Mac looked to Sam. “If you want to check it out we should get going,” he advised.

“Sounds good to me,” Sam replied.

An hour and some haggling later, Sam was the proud owner of a twenty-year-old faded yellow Volkswagen Beetle.

“What’s with the frown, Dad?” he asked, as he examined his ‘new’ car.

“I was hoping you’d get something a little newer and more reliable,” Mac shrugged.

“Newer? This is a classic!”

“No Sam. The Nomad’s a classic. This one’s just old!”

“Aw, c’mon Dad! I can handle any mechanical problems that might come up,” Sam gushed. “Besides, it’s all I can afford, and it only has to get me to the train station and back.”

MacGyver reluctantly agreed and the two men headed back to the Thornton’s in their respective vehicles. After admiring Sam’s new acquisition, Connie insisted Mac stay for supper before driving home. He had just taken his last bite of pie when Sam stood up and whisked his plate away.

“Hey! You never clear the table at home!”

“True. But I’m your son so I don’t have to make a good impression on you!”

Everyone laughed and soon it was time for Mac to take his leave. He shook Pete’s hand and hugged Connie before they disappeared, giving him and Sam some privacy for their good-bye’s.

“So, what do you think?” Mac asked.

Sam smiled. “I think I’m gonna like it here,” he confirmed. “Pete and Connie seem pretty cool. Thanks for setting this up.”

“Hey, that’s what dads are for!”

After an exchange of hugs and hearty pats on the back, Mac headed to his Jeep. He looked back and watched through the large bay window as Sam locked the door and walked down the hall to his room. Finally, his son was home.



Posted by: Dragondog 25 September 2019 - 05:04 PM
QUOTE
Ugh! Can't believe I missed posting last week. In my defense, I was in a training all day that fried my brain!
If it helps, I forgot all about it until you posted today XD

Yay! Sam's back! XD

QUOTE

“Where’s Joanna?” he demanded. “Is she okay? You guys didn’t break up, did you?!”
Geeze, jump to conclusions much? XD

QUOTE

Mac glanced at his son who stared out the windshield. His stomach did a little flip, but he blamed it on the day’s excitement, not Sam’s odd demeanor.
Yeah 'kay, something's wrong, I know it XD

QUOTE

He threw a quick glance her way and she saw unshed tears welling in his eyes.
sad.gif

QUOTE
“It’s gonna sound really stupid. Maybe I shouldn’t have come here.”
Okay but that's me when I get emotional over stupid crap XD

QUOTE

His eyes still locked on the concrete beneath them he mumbled, “I miss my mom.”
*cries* *cries* *cries* Okay, we need a sobbing smiley, because this: sad.gif doesn't always cut it XD

QUOTE

Tears streamed down his cheeks as Jo put an arm around his shoulders to comfort him.
Welp, there goes my heart. Farewell...

QUOTE

“He won’t understand. He had forgotten all about her until I showed up!”
Y'know, I really like how you've been writing Sam and Mac's relationship. Like, they have a tight bond, but the truth of the matter is that there's still a lot of past hurt and bad memories that'll always be there. Something the show never touched on (not that there was much of a chance).

QUOTE

Joanna shrugged. “Call it ‘women’s intuition’ if you want. It’s just that the Sam Malloy I know would be in seventh heaven and chomping at the bit to start his new job even if it meant living in a bus station. From what your dad is telling me, you’re doing everything in your power to avoid moving to Chicago.”

“You’re not wrong,” Sam smiled through his now-subsiding tears.

“And you know you have to talk to your dad about all of this.”

“I know.”
*flops dragon-doggie self into the mix and snuggles him as comfortingly as possible*

QUOTE
She placed the envelope containing the documents on the kitchen counter before stooping to collect the pieces of clothing she recognized as belonging to MacGyver. She knew he wasn’t a neat freak, but he also wasn’t a slob. His son was definitely having a bad influence on him!
*rolls eyes* Bachelors laugh.gif

QUOTE


Arms full, she carefully made her way upstairs where she tossed the pile of laundry on the bed. When she looked up from the heap it was to find MacGyver standing in the bathroom doorway, drying his unruly hair with one white towel while another was wrapped around his waist, his skin still glistening with moisture. She let out an instinctive squeak and quickly turned her back to him.

“Hey there! I didn’t hear you come in. I was in the shower,” he addressed her nonchalantly.
I can't decide who's reaction is funnier roller.gif Jo is me, but Mac just doesn't care roller.gif

QUOTE

“I didn’t startle you, did I?” he asked, taking hold of her upper arm and coaxing her to swivel toward him.
Sheesh, not the best time, Maccy roller.gif

QUOTE

“No! I just wasn’t expecting…um…” she blushed furiously and couldn’t find the words to finish her sentence. Shoot, she couldn’t find any words at all as she stared at his broad shoulders, sturdy abs, and the little cluster of dark curly hair in the center of his chest.
Wow. Okay then laugh.gif

QUOTE
She was pretty certain she would need to go to confession if she didn’t rein in her thoughts quickly.
I mean, we've all been there, haven't we? XD

QUOTE
Unfortunately, Mac didn’t seem inclined to assist her with that as he took her hands and placed them on his bare shoulders before looping his arms around her waist.
Mac may be a little too comfortable around Joanna. Please tie the knot soon XD

QUOTE

“With Sam in the bathroom at all hours, I have to catch a shower whenever I can,” he offered, grinning mischievously.
Partly because of my OCD, my mom can relate to this XD

QUOTE

“I didn’t embarrass you, did I?” he asked, his smile fading.
...Earth to Mac, you are slow XD

QUOTE

“Of course not!” Jo shot back, summoning all the bravado she had even as the heat from his skin seared the palms of her hands, but she was unable to pull them away. She was suddenly aware of the back of his forefinger gently caressing her cheek.

“You know that feeling you have right now?” he asked huskily. “That’s the feeling I get every time I see you in one of my hockey jerseys, or sleeping on my couch, or doing practically anything or nothing at all.”
Okay, are we done yet? There's a time and place for this, guys, and this is neither XD

QUOTE

“Really?” she asked breathlessly.

“Really,” he confirmed. “And it’s not a bad thing. But right now I think I should get dressed.”
Yes. Yes you should XD (But wouldn't it be hilarious if Sam walked in right now and just... had to process what was happening, while Mac shouts "SAM IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!" while Same runs from the room celebrating as if his favorite team scored a winning goal? XD XD XD)

QUOTE

“Could you hand me a pair of boxers?” he asked, indicating the bureau behind her. “Second drawer from the top.”
Mac, you're a big boy. You can dress yourself tongue.gif

QUOTE

“I don’t know. They’re just so plain. I guess I was expecting something with more pizazz.”
Jo they are boxers. I'm not sure what you're critiquing here... XD

QUOTE

“Oh, I don’t know,” she responded, her playfulness returning. “Something more colorful, maybe with little hockey sticks or cowboy hats on them.”
Lol, can you imagine? Wait... on second thought, I don't want to imagine laugh.gif

QUOTE

“So, what brings you by?” he asked.
Oh, other than that really steamy thing that just happened? Just some paperwork XD

QUOTE

Mac sighed and sat down on the stool next to Jo’s. “Yeah, we talked. A lot.”
Sorry I missed that...

Idk why, but the evil side of my mind says, "Mac was so disappointed in his son's lie, he decided it was time to mate and produce new offspring. So far, Joanna seemed very responsive, but he knew better than to push her too hard, or she might tear into him like a lioness feasting on a dead gazelle..."

QUOTE

“Kate’s been a part of my past for so long, it never occurred to me that she was still a part of Sam’s present.”
Okay, back to what I was saying earlier, this is a very realistic parent/child relationship, especially given their history, and I love it so much <3

QUOTE
“Sam was on assignment in Saudi Arabia. There was a military skirmish in the village where he was staying. He saw a mother get shot in front of her children. It kinda brought everything back for him, ya know?”
Poor baby (I thought it might be something like that...)

QUOTE

Mac shrugged. “He said he was afraid I’d be ashamed of him wanting to come home and settle down. He knows that at his age I was still hungry to see and do whatever I could and he felt like he should follow in my footsteps. The funny thing is, a part of me has always wondered what my life would have been like if I had come home, or at least found a place to put down roots, sooner.”
Okay but the amount of hugs I want to send Sam now are enough to suffocate a fully-grown rhinoceros.

QUOTE

“You can’t build me an apartment out of duct tape and paperclips, Dad,” Sam said dejectedly.
Sam has some shade to throw XD

QUOTE

“Of course!” Mac exclaimed, slapping his forehead with the palm of his hand. “Why didn’t I think of this sooner?! You could stay with the Thornton’s!”
When was the last time we heard from them? I think it's time we hear from them again XD

QUOTE

“I’m sorry. You must have the wrong number. The MacGyver I know waits until the middle of the night when I’m fast asleep to call and then he has the nerve to ask me for a favor. I don’t suppose you’re gonna ask me for a favor, are ya?”
Lol, Pete's been eating some of Connie's less-than-edible dishes again XD

QUOTE

“Aw, c’mon Pete! It’ll be great! Sam’s a great kid! He’s even housebroken!”
XD XD XD (as housebroken as a male can be, anyway...)

QUOTE


“Well, now that Sam is living here perhaps you’ll both visit more often,” Connie said hopefully. “She’s such a sweet girl. You know, MacGyver, you should really think about—“

“Connie! Leave Mac alone,” Pete scolded. “He doesn’t need you poking your nose into his love life!”
No, listen to Connie. She knows best, listen XD XD XD

QUOTE

“I was hoping you’d get something a little newer and more reliable,” Mac shrugged.

“Newer? This is a classic!”
I feel like Sam's taken after Harry a bit XD

QUOTE

“Hey! You never clear the table at home!”

“True. But I’m your son so I don’t have to make a good impression on you!”
I feel like this would happen between my mom and I XD


Posted by: uniquelyjas 26 September 2019 - 05:01 AM
Hi Dragondog!

I take it you enjoyed this latest chapter! I'm really glad for your feedback regarding Mac and Sam's relationship. Obviously, the show left us with a pretty blank slate so I'm glad I'm portraying them realistically! As for the underwear scene...that came out of a conversation I had with another writer (Sanguine). In one of the early episodes, I believe it might have been The Human Factor, Mac is trapped (as usual) and takes off his pants, tosses them over a ceiling-type pipe and pulls himself out. Well, that's when MacGyver Nation discovers he wears boxers and I was oddly disappointed that they were simply a very light beige. Sanguine and I discussed this (yes, we have some strange conversations) and I think it was even her idea to put hockey or cowboy symbols on them. So voila! The scene was born!!!

Posted by: Dragondog 26 September 2019 - 07:53 PM
Lol, funny where inspiration comes from sometimes laugh.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 2 October 2019 - 06:54 AM
oops see next post

Posted by: uniquelyjas 2 October 2019 - 07:04 AM
Chapter 17: Vengeance


Sam slowly opened his eyes and squinted at the ray of sunlight streaming in the window of the guest room. Well, he supposed it was his room, now. Rolling onto his back, he stretched like a lazy cat, the scent of homemade waffles drifting through the air tickling his nostrils. He smiled. He had been living with the Thornton’s for over a week now and was surprised at how content he was. He knew he could count on warm meals, easy conversation, and a comfortable bed. A far different life than he had been living overseas where his flat was cold and empty and his bed was hard. That is, when he had a bed and wasn’t sleeping in a fox hole or transport vehicle while imbedded with U.S. troops in the Middle East.

After a quick shower, he pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before heading to the kitchen. Raised voices came from the room, causing him to stop just short of the doorway.

“I’m telling you, Connie, you’re spoiling him!” Pete scolded his wife.

“Oh, nonsense! I just want to make him feel welcome! It’s so good having a boy in the house again.”

“That’s just it!” Pete argued. “He’s not a boy, he’s a man. A man who can take care of himself without you hovering over him all the time!”

“I’m just fixing him breakfast, Peter. That’s hardly a federal offense.”

Sam cleared his throat and walked into the room before Pete could respond.

“Hi guys,” the young man greeted the older couple, effectively ending their argument.

He had barely taken a seat across the table from Pete when Connie placed a plateful of waffles dripping in warm maple syrup in front of him. He smiled up at her.

“Thanks, Connie,” he said warmly. “I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation and Pete’s right. You don’t need to take care of me. I’ve been on my own a long time.”

“All the more reason to give you a little extra TLC now that you’re home!”

Even though Pete was blind, his silent eye-roll spoke volumes.

“I saw that, Peter Thornton!” Connie admonished.

Sam grinned and wolfed down his gooey sweet breakfast before getting up and grabbing his camera bag.

“I gotta get to the paper,” he announced. “Thanks for breakfast. I’ll get out of your hair now, so to speak,” he snickered as he patted Pete’s bald head. The older man’s face turned red and Sam made a hasty exit.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver leaned casually against the door jamb of his office watching the group of teens in the rec area. Word of the club was spreading and Challengers was becoming a popular place to hang out. The phone rang, demanding his attention.

“Challengers Club,” he answered automatically.

“Hey Mac, it’s me.”

“Hi Pete! What’s up?!”

“What’s up? My blood pressure! That’s what’s up!”

Mac pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t suppose this has anything to do with Sam?” he asked warily.

“No,” Pete said firmly. “It has everything to do with Sam! Connie’s been coddling him worse than she did with Michael and what does he do? He comes and goes at all hours, plays that awful noise kids his age call music, and to top it off he makes fun of my hair!”

“What hair?” Mac asked, trying to keep his tone serious.

“Like father, like son,” Pete grumbled and MacGyver smiled.

“C’mon Pete, it’s only until he can earn enough money to get his own place. As for Connie? He seems to bring out the maternal instinct in women. I’ve even seen it with Jo.”

“But Joanna’s different!” Pete retorted. “I mean, she’s practically his step-mother!”

MacGyver let go a strangled cough. “I’ll talk to Sam as soon as I can,” he promised.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Sam walked into the Tribune, the whole building was abuzz with activity and he quickly tracked down the editor he’d been assigned to.

“Got anything for me today?” he asked the grumpy, over-weight man.

“Not today, kid,” the editor grumbled as he pushed pass the younger man. But Sam, with a reporter’s persistence, was not deterred that easily.

“C’mon Hank,” Sam pleaded. “This place is a mad house. You must have something that needs covered.”

Hank turned to Sam and sighed. “Well, there is this pro-am charity auto race this weekend. They’ve been clamoring for some press coverage. Maybe you could go over, take a few pictures, you know the routine.”

“Thanks Hank! You’re the best!”

Sam quickly commandeered the nearest computer and soon found the necessary information he needed about his new assignment. The Fairview Raceway was hosting a pro-am charity stock car race to benefit Gulf War veterans the following weekend. Each of the fifteen cars would represent a home-town vet and have the soldier’s name scrawled on the hood. He perused the list of entrants, but didn’t recognize any names. Apparently the “pros” weren’t top names in the sport and the amateurs were probably local kids looking to break into the big time. Finding the contact information at the bottom of the page, Sam placed a call and scheduled an appointment.

The next morning, Sam pulled his Bug up to the security gate at the race track and was directed to the main offices where he was to meet the track manager. As he parked his car in the small lot, he turned and surveyed his surroundings. Except for the one mile oval track and grandstand, he was essentially in the middle of nowhere. No wonder management had been asking for press coverage. He stepped into the small office building and introduced himself to the receptionist who immediately led him to a small room where he met the track manager. The jovial man was smiling broadly and soon Sam had secured a press pass and full access to the track.

Minutes later he was walking through the tunnel that ran under the grandstand and deposited him on the infield and pit area where teams were working on and testing their cars. Fumes of oil, gas, and burning rubber assaulted him, making him smile just a bit. The race was still a few days away so crews leisurely made engine and chassis adjustments as drivers took to the track to test the set-up of the car they would drive on Sunday. Sam pulled out his camera and began taking candid shots of various cars and crew members which earned him many smiles and friendly greetings. However, when he reached an area that a sign designated as belonging to the Stanley Reed Team, the mood was decidedly sullen and the air laden with disappointment. A small group of men in jumpsuits huddled around what appeared to be a brightly painted and very damaged race car. A younger man hovered in the background, his left leg in a plaster cast.

“Rough day at the track?” Sam quipped, hoping to lighten the mood but was apparently unsuccessful as a stocky, middle-aged man pinned him with his gaze.

“We ain’t here to play show-and-tell,” the man growled. “Go get your story someplace else.”

“I’m sorry,” Sam apologized sincerely. “Mind telling me what happened? I might be able to help.”

This time the man laughed sadly. “You got any experience with racing, son?”

“A little.”

“Well, then you should know that it’s gonna take a lot more than a little help from you to get this car ready to go and get us a new driver by Sunday.”

Sam moved closer to get a better look at the car.

“I’ve seen worse,” he commented. “And events like this usually bring out drivers lookin’ for a ride.”

“Usually. But this is a charity event. No money for the winner, therefore not a lot of guys looking to drive.”

“I might be able to help with that, too,” he grinned. “Name’s Sam Malloy.” He put out his hand which the older man reluctantly shook.

“I’m Ray Simmons, team owner. Over there is my son and driver, Bobby.” He used his chin to indicate the young man with the injured leg. “Well, former driver. Brake line ruptured during a practice lap and he got close-up and personal with the wall.”

“Ruptured?” Sam’s reporter curiosity was piqued. “Isn’t that pretty unusual?”

“Yeah,” Ray sighed, scratching his head, “Especially since we had just replaced it. But every now and again you get a dud. That’s racing.”

“I assume you still have it. Do you mind if I take a look at it?” Sam asked.

“Sure, follow me.”

Ray led Sam up the steps of a trailer that doubled as a portable garage and motioned to the workbench on the far side. Sam gingerly ran his index finger around the edge of the hole where the line had broken. Something didn’t feel right.

“I don’t suppose you have a magnifying glass or anything?”

“Not that I know of, but would these help?” Ray held out a pair of plastic rimmed reading glasses. “Wife insists I wear them to read the fine print before signing anything,” he chuckled humorlessly.

“Yeah, these should work,” Sam replied as he popped out one of the lenses and positioned it so he could see the rupture point more clearly.

“I’m not so sure the line broke by accident,” Sam informed him. “Come here and look at this.”

The two men bent their heads over the piece in question.

“See how the edge is jagged all around except for this little section right here?” Sam asked. “It’s smooth. As if someone cut it. Kinda gave it a head start.”

The older man squinted. “Well, I’ll be! Whatever made you think to look for that?”

“Just a hunch,” Sam shrugged. “I suggest you get this to the proper authorities, though. And it probably wouldn’t hurt to alert the other teams to check theirs out just in case.”

“I’ll get right on it! But who on God’s green earth would do something like this?”

“That I can’t help you with, sir, but if you’re interested, I can still help you get that car fixed up and take her for a spin on Sunday. I’m no Dale Earnhardt, but I’ll do my best.”

“That’s an awful hard offer to refuse, son,” Ray said thoughtfully.

“Then don’t refuse,” Sam smiled. “Just tell me what to do!”

With the extra manpower and renewed sense of purpose, the Stanley Reed Team got to work fixing up the race car. To their relief, the damage wasn’t as extensive as initially believed and what couldn’t be repaired could be replaced. One long day and an even longer night later, the car was deemed race-worthy. In the stillness of the early morning, Sam pulled on his fire retardant jumpsuit and, with helmet in hand, started towards the track where he was to take his first practice run. Butterflies of both excitement and trepidation flitted in his stomach, but he quickly tamped them down, knowing he had to keep his cool if he was serious about driving. As he walked across the dew-dampened grass of the infield, he was intercepted by a tall, sandy-haired man he didn’t recognize. A few years older than Sam, the man stood ramrod straight as his face broke into a smile.

“I hear you’re the man to thank for keeping the team from dropping out of the race,” the stranger said.

“Well, I wouldn’t say that,” Sam replied self-consciously, running his fingers through his dark brown hair.

“I would! Especially since that’s my name on the car. I’m Stanley Reed, the veteran that car is representing.”

The two men shook hands and exchanged pleasantries as they made their way to the pit area. Once there, Sam put on his helmet, slid through the window of the car, and allowed various crew members to adjust and secure the harness that would keep him strapped to the seat. When all safety precautions had been satisfied, Sam eased the machine down pit lane and onto the track, picking up momentum as he went. With each lap, he got a better feel for the car and its handling. Soon he was speeding around the track as if he did this every weekend. The engine hummed and the steering wheel vibrated and he was lovin’ every minute of it. The crew monitored his progress and radioed in instructions and encouragement and his confidence grew. Suddenly, the wheel jerked and became loose in his hands, his steering was gone. Sam frantically braked and shifted gears as the car headed for the wall, but it was out of control. He felt the car hit and then go airborne before landing on its side, the metal of the body screeching and sparking against the asphalt of the track. He felt his restraints break free as his head hit something hard and then everything went black.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“This is nice. I’m glad you could take the afternoon off,” MacGyver commented before biting into his deli sandwich.

“I have the time coming so I might as well take it,” Joanna replied lightly. “You usin’ that pickle?”

Mac regarded the limp spear lying untouched on the wrapper. “Oh, I get it, you only love me for my food!” he teased while reaching across his desk to hand her the requested item.

“That’s not true!” she protested, still eyeing his midday meal spread out in front of him. “Are you gonna eat your cookie?”

“Yes! As a matter of fact, I am!” Mac laughed as Joanna pretended to pout.

The shrill ring of the telephone interrupted their friendly banter.

“Hello?”

“MacGyver, it’s Pete.”

“Hey Pete! What annoying thing did Sam do now?”

“He’s been in an accident, Mac.”

MacGyver shot to his feet. His whole world narrowed to the voice on the other end of the phone line.

“What kind of accident?”

“A car accident.”

Mac sucked in his breath and bit his lip, fighting to contain his emotions.

“How is he? What’s happening, Pete?”

“Connie and I are here at the hospital, but they won’t tell us anything because we’re not relatives.”

“Why wasn’t I called?” Mac ground out. “I’m his father!”

“Apparently Sam listed me and Connie as his emergency contacts at the Tribune. He probably thought it made sense since he’s living with us.”

“Stay with him, Pete. I’m on my way.”

Mac hung up the phone and turned to catch Jo’s questioning gaze.

“Mac?” her voice waivered.

“Sam’s been in a car accident. He’s in the hospital and they won’t tell Pete anything. I’m gonna call Cynthia and have her cover for me here, then go home and pack a bag with some stuff for a few days. You do the same and I’ll swing by and pick you up.”

“You gonna be okay?”

“Yeah, I’ve got this. Now let’s hustle.”

XXXXX

The automatic doors of the Emergency department swished open and MacGyver rushed through, Joanna hurrying to keep up with him. He quickly glanced around the waiting room and found Pete and Connie seated in uncomfortable molded plastic chairs.

“Any news?” he asked, as Connie enveloped him and then Joanna in a motherly hug.

“Not yet,” Pete sighed.

“But it’s been hours!” Mac protested.

Just then a doctor in a white lab coat entered the waiting area, his gaze lighting upon the small group.

“Are you family of Sam Malloy?” he asked.

“I’m his father. How is he?”

“Very lucky. We just got the results of his CT scan. He has a severe concussion, a few cracked ribs, and a very bruised shoulder, but given the circumstances it could have been a lot worse. In fact, he’s already beginning to regain consciousness which is a good sign as well.”

“When can we see him?”

“I’m afraid I can only allow one person back at a time, and then not for long,” the physician offered apologetically.

Mac looked at Joanna who nodded before he allowed the doctor to lead him back to see Sam. The man pulled back the curtains that cordoned off the treatment bays, allowing MacGyver to enter.

“Hey Dad,” Sam whispered huskily, his eyes slightly unfocused and his skin pale.

“Hey yourself,” Mac replied, trying to sound lighthearted as myriad emotions churned in his gut at seeing his only son lying weak and helpless in a hospital bed.

As MacGyver walked further into the room, he noticed the scratched and dented helmet sitting on the bedside table.

“Pete said you were in a car accident. What’s with the motorcycle helmet?”

“Pete’s right and that’s not a motorcycle helmet,” Sam answered, his eyes focused on the far wall. “I was taking practice laps in a race car when it flipped.”

“What?!” Mac exclaimed, before looking around self-consciously and lowering his voice. “What?!” he repeated in a loud whisper.

“It started out as an assignment, but it’s kinda a long story. You gotta do me a favor, Dad.” Sam reached out and grasped MacGyver’s forearm. “You need to check out the car before anyone else can. It’s at the Fairview Raceway in the Stanley Reed trailer.”

“What’s this all about, Sam?” Mac demanded, shaking his head as he tried to make sense of what his son was telling him.

“I think the car was sabotaged. My steering went way loose and my harness broke. I don’t think it was by accident.”

“Stuff like that happens, Sam. That’s what makes the sport dangerous.”

Sam slowly shook his head. “It wasn’t the first time. Bobby, the original driver, got hurt ‘cause the brake line was cut.”

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave now,” the doctor said from the doorway. “We’re going to admit Sam and move him to a private room. You can see him again once he’s settled.”

“Dad, please…” Sam pleaded as two orderlies appeared to wheel him from the emergency bay.

Against his better judgement, Mac nodded his agreement as Sam was taken away. Back in the waiting room, he explained that Sam was being admitted before pulling Joanna off to the side.

“I need to go check something out,” he told her quietly. “Can you stay with him ‘til I get back?”

She nodded, but he could see the questions and concern in her eyes. Unfortunately, he didn’t want to say anything more until he was sure about what was going on.

Forty-five minutes later, MacGyver pulled his Jeep up to the security booth at the race track. After providing identification and receiving directions, he made his way to where Sam had indicated.

“Excuse me!” he called as he approached a group of men in the area reserved for the Stanley Reed Team. “Is one of you Ray Simmons?”

“That’d be me,” a stocky man said, stepping away from the others.

“Name’s MacGyver. I’m Sam’s dad.”

“Pleasure to meet you. Too bad it isn’t under better circumstances. How is the boy?”

“He’ll live,” Mac said with a crooked smile. “But he did ask me to take a look at the car he was driving.”

“Looks like curiosity runs in the family,” Ray chuckled. “It’s pretty beat up but you’re welcome to look all you like.” He pointed MacGyver to where the car had been towed.

“Thanks. Appreciate it!”

Mac took his time examining both the steering mechanisms as well as the safety harness. His frown deepened as, one by one, members of the crew approached, some peering over his shoulder.

“I hate to say this, but it looks like this car’s been tampered with,” MacGyver announced as he straightened to his full height. “See that?” he asked, pointing to a contraption under the hood. “That’s what caused the steering to go. And here,” Mac continued, leaning in through the driver’s side window and fiddling with the safety belts. “They’re mostly frayed, but if you look closely you can see where little cuts have been made. The force of the accident and strain from Sam’s body weight caused them to tear apart.”

Simmons took off the baseball cap he was wearing and scratched his head.

“I just don’t understand why this is happening! This is a charity event for goodness sake!”

“Can you think of anyone who might have a personal vendetta? Someone with access to the car?”

Ray shook his head slowly.

“Teams are competitive but not vindictive. And we don’t have money for much security so pretty much anyone with the proper credentials can get near the car. But it doesn’t matter anymore. I’m gonna report this to the authorities and then withdraw from the race. It just isn’t worth it. Would you mind if I stopped by the hospital to visit your boy? I’d really like to thank him for everything he’s done and apologize for letting him get involved in this mess.”

“I’m sure he’d like that,” Mac grinned. “I’m headed back there now. Come anytime.”

XXXXX

Later that evening, MacGyver, Joanna, and Ray Simmons sat around Sam’s bedside chatting amicably. Pete and Connie had left shortly after Sam had been settled in a regular room leaving Mac and Jo with an open invitation to stay at their place as long as they needed. After a couple of hours of rest and sustenance in the form of clear broth and Jell-O, Sam regained enough strength to explain everything to his dad and was visibly distraught when Ray informed him the team was withdrawing from the race.

“But if we pull out now they win…whoever they are!” he protested.

“It’s just not worth the risk, son,” Ray reasoned.

“How will we find out who’s behind this if we stop now?” Sam argued.

“We may never find out,” Mac said, “but getting someone hurt or killed isn’t the way either.”

“Besides,” Ray added, “There’s no way that car can be ready for qualifying tomorrow. This is all for the best.”

For the next few minutes everyone grew silent, focused on their own thoughts. Then Mac noticed a grin begin to bloom on his son’s face.

“Sam? What are you thinking?” he asked cautiously.

The young man looked at him and then at Ray.

“Yesterday I overheard the guys talking about a back-up car you have stashed away. If the crew pulls an all-nighter they should be able to get it ready to go!”

Ray considered Sam’s suggestion. “Well, given the format of the race, all cars will start on Sunday. Tomorrow only determines position so as long as she can limp her way around the track we can get her set up for the race.” Then he frowned. “But we’re still without a driver…again.”

“No problem! My dad can drive for you!” Sam announced excitedly.

MacGyver felt his eyes grow wide and his jaw go slack, but he couldn’t form any coherent words to protest.

“Does he have any experience?” Ray asked warily.

By this point, Sam was almost jumping out of skin. “Yeah! Years ago he used to race Formula One. Stock cars are much more forgiving. It’d be a piece of cake for him!”

Mac felt everyone’s eyes on him as he pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned.

“He even ran a race for the Phoenix Foundation once,” Sam added, pouring fuel on the already growing fire.

“I’m sorry, Sam,” Ray replied after some thought. “It’s just too dangerous. I can’t ask your dad to take on our problems.”

“But my dad loves doin’ this kind of stuff. Don’t ya, Dad?”

MacGyver had to admit, if only to himself, that the thought of getting behind the wheel of a race car again did cause his adrenaline to surge. And he definitely wanted to catch whoever was behind the sabotage that injured Sam as well as Bobby Simmons. He rocked back on his heels and drew in a breath, wishing he wasn’t going to say what he was going to say.

“What time should I be at the track?” he asked.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Joanna rolled over and squinted at the digital clock sitting on the nightstand. Its glowing red numbers told her it was just past midnight. She sighed. With everything that had happened in the past twelve hours, her mind would not allow her to sleep, so she slipped out of Sam’s bed, which Connie had insisted she use, and quietly made her way to the kitchen where she drew a glass of water from the tap. She sensed, more than heard, someone behind her and turned to find MacGyver shuffling her way.

“I tried not to wake you,” she apologized.

“You didn’t,” he responded. “Somehow that couch isn’t as comfortable as I remember,” he complained as he took a carton of juice from the ‘fridge and filled a glass. By unspoken agreement, they each took a seat at the table.

“Are you sure it’s just the couch that’s bothering you?”

Mac jammed his splayed fingers through his already-disheveled hair. “No,” he admitted. “I guess I’m just worried about Sam.”

“Sam’s gonna be fine,” Jo assured him.

“I know,” he murmured before swallowing half a glass of juice in one gulp.

“Why didn’t you tell me you used to drive race cars?” she asked quietly.

“It never came up,” he replied with an impish grin.

“I get the feeling you’ve done a lot of things that have never come up,” Jo countered lightheartedly.

“And you’d be right. But that was in a different lifetime.”

“A ‘lifetime’ you miss?”

“You know I don’t!”

“Just checkin’,” Jo smiled.

“You’re not upset about me driving, are you?”

“No!” she exclaimed. Shaking her head to reinforce her answer. “Actually, I’m really excited about it. I like auto racing and the chance to be in the pits and stuff is so cool!”

Mac tilted his head in that adorable way he had and gently gazed into her eyes until she became uncomfortable under his scrutiny.

“What?!”

“You’ve still got some surprises left in you as well,” he observed and they both chuckled before allowing an easy silence to fall between them. It wasn’t until after they had both finished their drinks that Mac spoke again.

“It occurred to me that I never even asked if you could come. You just came.”

“You didn’t give me much of a choice!” she teased.

MacGyver lowered his gaze, his expression and tone of voice now serious. “It really means a lot to me, having you here.”

Joanna reached out and put her hand on his forearm that lay across the table.

“We’re a team. Where else would I be?” she asked with a loving smile before it turned to a frown.

“Mac, do think someone…will something happen to the car tomorrow?”

MacGyver shook his head confidently. “No way! The crew will be working on it all night so it won’t be accessible to anyone not affiliated with the team.”

“But what if it’s being sabotaged by someone on the team?” she asked, chewing her lower lip thoughtfully.

“We don’t have any evidence of that. Besides, what could a possible motive be? Why don’t you shut that brain of yours off and go get some rest.”

“Okay, but only if you do the same!” Jo challenged.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The following morning Mac and Joanna arrived at the track just in time to watch the crew move the race car from the secure trailer to the pit box where they would make last minute adjustments before qualifying. They were welcomed with weary but friendly greetings and handshakes before someone tossed MacGyver a jumpsuit and helmet and ordered him to change.

“We’ve still got a couple hours,” Ray Simmons said, approaching Mac. “Take her out and get a feel for the track and let us know if you need any modifications.” MacGyver nodded and disappeared into the trailer.

Minutes later, he eased the car onto the track and settled into the ride. The machine felt solid and well-balanced. Lulled by the steady hum of the engine, his mind wandered back to the fatal accident that had marked the end of his racing career.

“It wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t your fault,” he repeatedly whispered to himself, his hands clenching the steering wheel tight.

“What was that, Mac?” a voice crackled through the speakers in his helmet.

“Um, nothing. Everything’s good,” he radioed back, embarrassed that he forgot the crew was monitoring his radio transmissions. He thought he had rid himself of this particular demon after racing for Phoenix. He had thought wrong.

Satisfied with the set-up of the car, he slowly pressed down on the brake and guided it back into the pit box. Crew members swarmed around him as he climbed through the window, asking a variety of questions before turning their attention back to the machine and getting it ready for their qualifying run. MacGyver was looking around the small crowd for Joanna when he heard someone call to him.

“Excuse me! Are you the new driver?”

“Yeah. Name’s MacGyver.”

“I’m Stanley Reed. The vet your car is representing.”

“Good to meet you, Stanley, and thanks for your service,” Mac said as the two men shook hands.

“Ya know, you really don’t have to do this. I’d hate to see someone else get hurt.”

“It’s not a problem,” Mac assured him. “Besides, the decision’s already been made and we’re taking all necessary precautions. Everything’s gonna be fine.”

Seemingly mollified, Stanley bid MacGyver goodbye just as Joanna came to stand next to him.

“Do you really believe that?” she asked.

“Of course I do,” Mac replied confidently. Like he had a choice! “We’ve changed the lock on the trailer and the crewmen are gonna take turns standing guard tonight. No one’s gonna get near that car and cause any more problems.”

Ninety minutes later, a voice boomed over the loudspeakers ordering all teams to report to pit road for the beginning of the qualifying session. The format was simple. Each car took to the track individually and ran one practice lap to get up to speed before running two qualifying laps. The faster of the two laps would determine its starting position on the grid for the race tomorrow.

MacGyver watched as the five cars in front of him laid down their times. Then it was his turn. The car felt really good…and really fast. Ray had warned him not to push it, but Mac couldn’t quell his competitive side completely and opened up the engine a bit more than necessary, earning himself a spot on the inside of row two, bumping a few other cars back a notch. Then it was a waiting game. Once all fifteen cars had qualified, Team Reed was positioned on the outside of row four which was a very good starting point, especially given the circumstances. It would be a long night for the crews as they worked to get the cars ready to run the one hundred lap race tomorrow, but MacGyver’s plans were simple: Visit Sam, eat a good supper, and go to bed early.

XXXXX

Race day dawned cloudy and cool. Just the way MacGyver liked it. The track and inside of the car would heat up quickly enough. He and Jo arrived at the racetrack and walked across the eerily silent infield hand-in-hand. In a couple of hours, spectators would crowd into the grandstand and the roar of engines would fill the air. But for now he would soak in the temporary peace and tranquility. Jo discreetly slipped away as Mac headed towards his crew. Despite their assurances that the car had been guarded all night and was ready to go, he insisted on doing his own inspection from front bumper to tail pipe. Finding nothing out of sorts, he grabbed his jumpsuit and headed for the trailer, catching Joanna’s eye in the process. She smiled back encouragingly and his heart leapt. She was being a real trouper and once this was all over he promised to find a way to show her how grateful he was. Just thinking of a list of options brought a grin to his face as he prepared to go racing.

Time began to pass quickly and before he knew it he was suited up and standing next to his race car already placed on the starting grid. Connie and Pete had joined him and Joanna as they stood at attention for the National Anthem. After receiving last minute instructions from his pit crew, as well as a good luck kiss from Jo, he slid into the driver’s seat and focused on the track ahead. Only a mile long oval. It would be a fairly quick one hundred lap race and he was thankful for his good starting position as he jammed on his helmet and hooked up his radio. He glanced at his pit and saw Joanna and Pete don headsets as well.

“See you all at the finish line!” he said into the mic and turned to see smiles and waves from his friends.

After a couple pace laps to bring the cars up to speed, the green flag waved and the race was on. MacGyver instinctively hit the accelerator and passed two cars before the first official lap was complete. His adrenaline was flowing and he was feeling confident. After all those years of driving the freeways of Los Angeles, this was a walk in the park! He deftly shifted and made a move to pass yet another opponent. After several more laps, a car behind him lost control and hit the wall, bringing out the yellow caution flag.

“Okay Mac, bring her in,” Ray instructed.

On his next pass, MacGyver steered the car onto pit road, braking abruptly when he arrived at his pit box. Fuel was topped off and tires were changed and he was back on the track without losing a position. Once the debris from the accident was clear, the green flag waved and the remaining cars settled into a fast but friendly competition. With twelve laps left to go, Mac glanced at his telemetry and frowned. He was running low on fuel. He didn’t want anyone to get in an accident, but he also didn’t want to pit under green and lose the second place spot he was currently riding in. Half a lap later, the yellow flag flew. A car had blown an engine and was limping its way toward the infield.

“Okay Mac, let’s top her off and win this thing!” Ray radioed.

“Roger that,” MacGyver replied before loud static assaulted his ear drums.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Mac!” an unfamiliar voice sneered over the radio.

“Who is this?!” Mac demanded.

“You don’t need to worry about that right now. What you do need to concern yourself with is the bomb I have wired to your accelerator. Any let up in pressure will cause the bomb to explode. So unless you want to kill hundreds of innocent bystanders, I suggest you keep driving.”

“Why didn’t it go off the first time I stopped?” Mac knew the only thing he could do for now was keep this mad man talking and glean as much information as possible.

“Because I hadn’t activated it yet. You see, I thought the race should end with a bang!”

“Tell me who you are!” There was no way it could be who Mac thought it was. He was dead and buried and only existed in Mac’s nightmares.

“My name’s Walter Smythe, though I doubt that rings any bells. You’re veteran hero got my son killed over in that sand box and now it’s time to get revenge!”

More static, then silence.

“Ray? Pete? Did you guys get that?” Mac asked.

“We got it, Mac,” came Pete’s familiar voice. “What’s your plan?”

“Plan?! What makes you think I have a plan?!”

“Relax kid,” Ray instructed. “Just keep her steady.”

MacGyver weaved and skidded around the track, much to his fellow drivers’ dismay, but they had no idea what was going on. Mac had to maintain his speed or risk detonating the bomb. However, in doing so, he was eating up fuel. With no fuel, the car would stop and the bomb explode…with him in it.

“Okay. Listen up,” Mac ordered, frantically making a mental list of his options of which there were few. “Get to Race Control. Tell them what’s happening and have them stop the race and evacuate the stands and the infield.”

“Consider it done,” Pete replied. “Then what?”

“I’ll let you know when I think of it.”

Mac maintained radio silence as he concentrated on keeping appropriate pressure on the gas pedal. As he flew by the main grandstand he saw people being herded out of their seats. He couldn’t do anything until he was sure there was no risk of collateral damage.

“What’s happening, Mac?” Pete pleaded in his ear.

“The wall by turn four has a gate in it, right?”

“That’s right.” This time the voice belonged to Ray.

“And there’s nothing but field beyond it, right?” Mac was practically yelling into the radio.

“Yeah, that’s right,” Ray concurred.

“Then that’s where I’m gonna ditch the car. Get a safety crew out there and open it up!”

“But what about you, Mac?” Joanna had now joined the conversation.

“I’m still workin’ on that,” he answered before becoming silent once more as he watched the needle of the gas gauge drop into the dangerous red zone. The track was now free of cars and as he roared around the oval he noted that the observation stands were empty as well. It was now or never, but first he had to make sure he wasn’t in the car when it blew up.

With his left hand tightly gripping the steering wheel, he used his right hand to unlatch the fire extinguisher mounted next to the driver’s seat. He slowly lowered it against his leg until it came to gently rest next to his foot on the accelerator. He took a deep, calming breath as he wedged the top of the canister against the edge of the seat.

“Mac?” Joanna called, her voice filled with trepidation. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t think you really want to know,” he muttered.

“But you have a plan, right? I mean, one that’s not gonna get you blown up?”

“Yep. That’s the idea.”

“Look, in case your plan doesn’t work, I want you to know—“

“Not now, Jo!”

“But you need to know that I—“

“Don’t say it! Not here, not like this.”

He heard a sickening thud and then nothing.

“Mac, you okay?” Pete asked anxiously.

“Yeah, what just happened?”

“Um, Joanna, um…”

“Never mind. It’s better if she doesn’t see this anyway.” He figured the sound he had heard was Jo’s headset dropping to the ground. No doubt followed by her running out of the pit. Running away from this nightmare.

Putting Joanna out of his mind, he went back to work on the fire extinguisher, slowly pressing it against the gas pedal at the same time he eased his foot off. When he found himself and the car still in one piece he was fairly certain his plan would work, though probably not for long. As he guided the car into turn one, a light on the dash lit up, indicating a critically low fuel level. He gingerly removed his foot from the gas pedal and concentrated on steering.

“Okay everybody, this is it,” he radioed as he approached turn four and aimed the car for the opening in the wall.

The terrain of the field was rutted and bumpy compared to the smoothness of the track. Mac glanced down, making sure the fire extinguisher wasn’t moving…much. He knew when he let go of the wheel the rocking of the car would cause the extinguisher to shift and possibly fall. With only seconds to escape this death trap, MacGyver carefully lifted his body, holding onto the steering wheel until the last possible moment before pushing himself through the driver’s window. He tucked himself into a ball and rolled as he hit the ground, the car continuing to speed away. The pick-up truck that served as one of the safety vehicles pulled up next to him and he scrambled into the bed and huddled against the back of the cab, ducking his head as the truck raced off in the opposite direction. He had only counted to three before he heard the explosion. Small pieces of flaming debris fell from the sky onto the truck and he was thankful for his helmet and fire suit. When he figured they were a safe distance away, he looked up to see the race car consumed by flames, pieces of it scattered across the meadow. He pulled off his helmet and let the warm air whip through his damp hair as he let out the breath he had been holding. That had been a close one. A little too close.

Minutes later he jumped off the tailgate and approached Pete.

“Where is she?” he asked.

“Mac, the authorities are waiting for you in the track office. They obviously have a lot of questions for you.”

“Where is she, Pete!?” he demanded.

“Ray said she ran out to the parking lot. Connie followed,” his friend replied.

As MacGyver jogged across the now-empty infield, he tried to prepare himself for what Joanna’s reaction might be. Would she cry? Like any red-blooded American male, he hated to see a woman he cared about cry, especially when he was the cause. Would she run into his open arms for comfort or would she be spitting mad, glaring daggers, with fists ready to pummel his chest and any other body part that got in the way? It wasn’t long until he discovered the answer, and he found himself stupefied. There she sat in the passenger seat of the Jeep, staring straight ahead with seemingly unseeing eyes, her face void of all emotion. His gut clenched and his heartbeat skipped at the sight. He tore his gaze from Jo to find Connie several yards away gazing across the rural landscape.

“How is she?” he asked once he was standing next to the older woman.

Connie shrugged. “She’s been like this ever since we got here. She winced once when we heard the explosion, but that’s it.”

“She must be in shock.”

“She’s not showing any physical signs, but I’m sure emotionally it’s a different story. It’s as if she just folded in on herself.”

They walked toward the Jeep and the prone figure together, Connie hanging back as MacGyver drew close.

“Hey baby, everything’s fine. I’m okay. It’s all over,” he assured her as he lifted her hand and held it in both of his. It was surprising warm and pliable, yet his touch yielded no effect. “C’mon Jo, talk to me,” he pleaded.

Receiving no indication that she had even heard him, he gently placed her hand back on her thigh and jammed his fingers through his hair.

“I gotta get back and give my statement about this whole mess,” he told Connie. “It could be a very long afternoon.”

“Don’t worry about a thing,” she said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Stay as long as you need to. Pete and I will take Joanna home so she can rest and process everything that’s happened. I’m sure she’ll be back to her old self again in no time.”

Mac smiled at the two women who had come to mean so much to him before turning and walking away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Joanna lay on top of the duvet, fully clothed, curled into the fetal position, staring at the closed bedroom door. Upon arriving home with Pete and Connie, she had called in sick to work for the next day and taken a long, hot shower after which she was treated to a hearty, home cooked meal. Not wanting to be rude, she engaged in idle conversation and helped clear the table and load the dishwasher before heading off to bed with the request not to be disturbed. Now, hours later, her mind replayed the moment when she first laid eyes on MacGyver after hearing that earthshattering explosion. Oh, how she had yearned to run into his arms and let him hold her forever. And then, when he had held her hand, it was all she could do not to hang on tight and never let go, but she forced herself to refuse those luxuries at least until she could understand her own behavior that afternoon. As the sun sank below the western horizon, she had finally figured out the words to say, but the only person who would ever hear them still hadn’t come home.

Suddenly, as if her thoughts had conjured him, she heard the back door open and followed the sound of Mac’s distinctive gait as he walked through the kitchen, down the hall, and into the living room where the Thornton’s were watching television. She quickly slipped off the bed and padded to the door in her stocking feet to listen, not wanting to miss a word he said.

“How is she?” he asked, and Joanna just about melted. After everything that had happened, her welfare was still first and foremost in his mind?

“She went to bed right after dinner and asked not to be disturbed,” Connie told him.

“Oh.”

The pain and disappointment in that one syllable pierced her heart more deeply than any blade ever could and convinced her it was time to rejoin the land of the living and let him know she was okay. She opened the bedroom door and stepped into the hall, staying hidden in the shadows until the right moment came for her to reveal her presence.

“I didn’t know how long you’d be, so I made a plate for you. I’ll just go heat it up,” Connie told MacGyver, no doubt trying to steer the conversation in a more positive direction.

“Thanks, but I ate at the hospital when I went to visit Sam,” Mac replied. “He managed to charm the nurse into smuggling in an extra supper tray.”

Joanna suppressed a giggle.

“How is he doing?” Pete asked.

“Great! He’s being released tomorrow. I told him I’d be there to pick him up.” Even with his back to her, Jo could hear the smile in his voice.

“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Connie gushed as she gave Mac a hug.

Now was her chance to speak up and enter the conversation.

“Can I go along?” she asked softly, stepping into the well-lit room.

Mac turned toward her. “You bet,” he replied with a surprised smile. He took a moment to study her. “I thought you wanted to be left alone tonight?”

She shrugged and then reached out gingerly, grasping his hand. “I did. But I got lonely,” she explained with a smile of her own.

When silence fell, Pete cleared his throat and repositioned himself in his chair. “So Mac, wanna tell us what happened at the track today?”

“You still need to debrief?” MacGyver grinned, even though he knew his friend couldn’t see it.

“What can I say, old habits die hard!”

Everyone laughed as Mac and Jo took a seat on the couch, still holding hands.

“It’s kind of a long story but we ended up catching the guy.” Mac said, “I’ll give you the abridged version so I don’t keep you up past your bedtime.”

Pete huffed, Connie smiled playfully, and Jo squeezed his hand just a little tighter to let him know she was ready to hear whatever he had to say.

“Well,” Mac sighed, “It’s basically what Walter Smythe said when he hijacked our radio. His son, Bryan, was nineteen years old and serving under Stanley Reed when he was killed by enemy fire. Reed and several others were injured but survived. Mr. Smythe irrationally blamed Reed for his son’s death and wanted vengeance.”

“But that happened years ago? Why wait until now?” Joanna asked.

“He lost his job last year and then a month ago his wife passed away. That was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back and something in his mind snapped.”

“Didn’t he realize he could have killed hundreds of people with that bomb?” Connie asked, clearly upset.

Mac nodded. “That was the reason for the radio call. He assumed, and rightly so, that we would take appropriate action to prevent as much collateral damage as possible.”

“But what about you!” Jo protested. “He doesn’t even know you but was ready to blow you apart!”

Mac turned to look at her with a sympathetic gaze. “In his mind, the driver of that car, whoever it may have been, was honoring the man who killed his son. You have to remember, he wasn’t thinking straight.”

Jo lowered her eyes and felt a stab of pity for the man.

“So how in the world did anybody catch him? No one even knew who he was!” Pete blustered, apparently annoyed that this detail had been left out.

“Security knew that he had to be at the facility in order to interrupt our radio transmission. During the evacuation, a guard found a man huddled underneath the bleachers with an electronic jamming device and binoculars. Apparently he was waiting to see the results of his handiwork.”

“But how did he ever get near the car, much less rig it for all those accidents?” Joanna asked, her mind trying to make sense of it all.

MacGyver released her hand and scrubbed his face. “That’s the clincher. He paid off Claude Chapman, a new crewmember on the team.”

“Why would Claude ever agree to sabotage his own team?” she probed.

“Money can motivate people to do things you never imagined were possible,” Pete replied sadly. “I’ve seen it enough over the years, so I can’t say I’m surprised.”

“What’s gonna happen to them?” Jo asked.

“Currently they’re both in custody. With my statement and plenty of witnesses, they won’t be going anywhere for quite a while,” Mac assured her.

A hush fell over the room until Connie slapped her hands on her thighs and looked toward Mac and Jo.

“Well, I’m just glad no one was injured and the bad guys got caught. Now I believe it’s time for me and Pete to head off to bed. I’m sure you two have some things to discuss.”

It looked as if her husband was about to protest when she grabbed his arm, but he allowed her to guide him from the room. Alone with MacGyver, Joanna suddenly felt anxious. Could she say what she needed to say? Would he understand? She opened her mouth to begin the conversation, but Mac beat her to it.

“I really owe you a big apology,” he sighed gustily. “I knew this whole race thing could be dangerous. I shouldn’t have let you get involved.”

Her anxiety instantaneously turned to irritation. “First of all, I knew of the danger and I chose to get involved, just like you. Secondly, I’m the one who needs to apologize to you!”

“No way!” Mac protested. “You’ve got nothin’ to apologize for, and even if I didn’t force you into this situation, I still cut you off when you tried to tell me that you—“

“I shouldn’t have done that,” Joanna said firmly, interrupting him. “It was so selfish on my part. You were doing everything you could to keep everyone safe and I just wanted to make myself feel better by making sure I wouldn’t have any regrets if your cockamamie stunt didn’t work out. And then I did what I once promised you I’d never do: I ran.”

“Out of fear and anger. I get it,” Mac said softly.

Joanna nodded. “But I stayed away out of shame. I was a hypocrite, Mac!”

“What are you talking about?! You’re weren’t a—“

She held up a hand to shush him. “Yes, I was. And maybe still am.”

Mac’s face was a mask of confusion.

Taking a deep breath, she delved into her explanation. “When you and I were first getting to know each other, I couldn’t understand why women who supposedly cared about you were scared off by your job. I understood it was dangerous at times, but in my eyes that was all the more reason for them to want to be with you as much as possible, not run the other way! And today I did the exact same thing! When you needed me to be calm and supportive, I ran away from you instead!

“Listen,” Mac commanded, turning sideways on the couch and placing his hands firmly on Joanna’s shoulders, turning her towards him. “What happened today was tough on everybody. I figured you had run when I heard your headphones drop. At least, I hoped you had run because then I didn’t have to worry about you getting hurt. But I’ll admit, you had me scared when you wouldn’t talk to me afterward.”

“Scared of what?” Jo asked, her eyes wide and innocent.

“Scared of losing you,” he replied hoarsely, as if the words clogged his throat. He then shook his head and chuckled. “Do you think we’ll ever get this ‘committed relationship’ thing figured out?”

She thought her eyes couldn’t grow any wider, but they did. “Is that what this is?” she asked tentatively, as if saying it out loud would make it disappear.

He raised one hand from her shoulder to cup her cheek and her breath hitched.

“Considering that I fell for you the first time I saw you, have grown to love you more every day since, almost proposed to you, and have no desire to even look at another woman, I’d have to say yes.”

Tears welled in her eyes as she reached out to touch his face. “The day I met you my world turned upside down. I tried so hard not to love you but failed miserably. You are such a special man and I can’t imagine my life without you.”

“Then don’t,” he whispered huskily, “Because I’m not planning on going anywhere. You’re my home, Joanna. I love you.”

With one hand still caressing her cheek, she felt his other hand reach up and cradle the back of her head, gently urging her closer until their lips met in an all-consuming kiss. Oblivious to the world around them, they didn’t see Connie peek around the corner, hand over her mouth and eyes glistening happily.

“Oh Peter, did you hear that? They finally admitted they’re in love with each other!” she whispered excitedly.

“I could’ve told you, and them, that two years ago,” he grumbled.

Connie shot him a chastising look she knew he couldn’t see before saying, “Let’s go back to bed, dear, and leave the two love birds alone.”

“It’s about time,” came the surly reply.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam paced back and forth in his hospital room, glancing impatiently at his watch. The doctor had signed his discharge papers and he had called his dad for a ride thirty minutes ago. What was taking so long? As he waited, he recalled MacGyver’s visit from the night before. At Sam’s insistence, his dad had relayed every detail of the day’s events. While he was glad no one had been hurt, he was disappointed he had missed all the excitement. The reporter in him just couldn’t help it! He was about to turn and take another lap when the large door swung open and Joanna walked through, followed by his dad.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, but traffic was brutal,” Mac said.

“Traffic is always brutal here,” Sam replied wryly before hugging his dad and then Joanna. “I was hoping you would have come last night,” he told her.

“I’m sorry, but there were some things I had to take care of,” she replied cryptically.

Sam watched as Jo looked to his dad. He literally felt the air in the room change as their gazes locked and they shared a loving smile. Oh, wow! Something big had happened between them and he had missed that, too! He’d have to pump the Thornton’s for information as soon as he could.

The ride from the hospital went smoothly, at least by Chicago standards, and when the trio entered the house they were greeted by the scrumptious aroma of Connie’s cooking. After indulging in a leisurely lunch, Mac announced it was time for him and Joanna to head back to Milwaukee.

“We’d stay longer, but it looks like you’re in good hands,” he commented to Sam before Connie embraced the two men.

Jo stepped forward to give Sam one last hug as Mac retrieved their suitcases.

“Now be sure to take it easy and follow the doctor’s orders,” Joanna instructed. “If you’re anything like your dad poor Connie has her work cut out for her, but you don’t want to end up back in the hospital. And remember, Mac and I are just a phone call away.”

“Yes, Mom,” he promised with a playful eye-roll, secretly enjoying her attention.

Connie, Pete and Sam followed MacGyver and Joanna outside where the couple climbed in the Jeep and waved farewell as they pulled out of the driveway and disappeared down the quiet street. As soon as the car was out of sight, Sam rounded on the older couple.

“Okay, tell me everything! I know something happened between my dad and Jo. Something good. Did they get engaged? Oh! They didn’t sneak off and get married without me, did they?!”

Connie smiled indulgently. “It was so sweet, Sam. They finally confessed their love for each other.”

“That’s it?” Sam frowned. “They just told each other they love them?”

“That’s it,” Pete confirmed.

“Aw, man! I could’ve told ‘em that a long time ago!”














Posted by: Dragondog 3 October 2019 - 05:47 AM
QUOTE
Chapter 17: Vengeance
I'm intrigued...

QUOTE
Rolling onto his back, he stretched like a lazy cat,
Me waking up. Regardless of where I sleep XD

QUOTE

“I gotta get to the paper,” he announced. “Thanks for breakfast. I’ll get out of your hair now, so to speak,” he snickered as he patted Pete’s bald head. The older man’s face turned red and Sam made a hasty exit.
Sam takes after his father XD

QUOTE

“What hair?” Mac asked, trying to keep his tone serious.

“Like father, like son,” Pete grumbled and MacGyver smiled.
I repeat... XD

QUOTE

“C’mon Pete, it’s only until he can earn enough money to get his own place. As for Connie? He seems to bring out the maternal instinct in women. I’ve even seen it with Jo.”
Oh crap, now that it's in writing... XD I mean, I pretty much adopted him, and he's the same age as me XD XD XD

QUOTE

“I’m sorry,” Sam apologized sincerely. “Mind telling me what happened? I might be able to help.”

This time the man laughed sadly. “You got any experience with racing, son?”

“A little.”

“Well, then you should know that it’s gonna take a lot more than a little help from you to get this car ready to go and get us a new driver by Sunday.”
I can guess where this is going XD

QUOTE
“Well, former driver. Brake line ruptured during a practice lap and he got close-up and personal with the wall.”
Yep, I'm even more sure of what's coming now XD

QUOTE

“Ruptured?” Sam’s reporter curiosity was piqued. “Isn’t that pretty unusual?”

“Yeah,” Ray sighed, scratching his head, “Especially since we had just replaced it. But every now and again you get a dud. That’s racing.”
And I know what's coming up here too XD

QUOTE

“I assume you still have it. Do you mind if I take a look at it?” Sam asked.

“Sure, follow me.”
Yep, here we go XD

QUOTE
Sam gingerly ran his index finger around the edge of the hole where the line had broken. Something didn’t feel right.
Yup XD

QUOTE

“I’m not so sure the line broke by accident,” Sam informed him. “Come here and look at this.”
Also yep XD

QUOTE

“That I can’t help you with, sir, but if you’re interested, I can still help you get that car fixed up and take her for a spin on Sunday. I’m no Dale Earnhardt, but I’ll do my best.”
Son of MacGyver indeed XD

QUOTE
In the stillness of the early morning, Sam pulled on his fire retardant jumpsuit and, with helmet in hand, started towards the track where he was to take his first practice run.
I kinda figured that was gonna happen too XD But it's a given that Sam is going to have a nasty accident himself now, isn't it?

QUOTE

“Well, I wouldn’t say that,” Sam replied self-consciously, running his fingers through his dark brown hair.
I almost feel like this chapter should've been called "Like Father Like Son" XD

QUOTE
Suddenly, the wheel jerked and became loose in his hands, his steering was gone. Sam frantically braked and shifted gears as the car headed for the wall, but it was out of control. He felt the car hit and then go airborne before landing on its side, the metal of the body screeching and sparking against the asphalt of the track. He felt his restraints break free as his head hit something hard and then everything went black.
Okay, I expected that, but not this soon... blink.gif

QUOTE
“You usin’ that pickle?”

Mac regarded the limp spear lying untouched on the wrapper. “Oh, I get it, you only love me for my food!” he teased while reaching across his desk to hand her the requested item.

“That’s not true!” she protested, still eyeing his midday meal spread out in front of him. “Are you gonna eat your cookie?”

“Yes! As a matter of fact, I am!” Mac laughed as Joanna pretended to pout.
Me whenever I eat with anyone XD XD XD

QUOTE
“Sam’s been in a car accident. He’s in the hospital and they won’t tell Pete anything. I’m gonna call Cynthia and have her cover for me here, then go home and pack a bag with some stuff for a few days. You do the same and I’ll swing by and pick you up.”
My favorite thing about this is that Mac doesn't even say anything about Joanna staying behind. He just assumes she's coming with, and she agrees love.jpg

QUOTE

“Hey yourself,” Mac replied, trying to sound lighthearted as myriad emotions churned in his gut at seeing his only son lying weak and helpless in a hospital bed.
I'm not sure which of them I feel worse for.

QUOTE

“No problem! My dad can drive for you!” Sam announced excitedly.
Geeze Sam, hold your horses XD

QUOTE

“It occurred to me that I never even asked if you could come. You just came.”

“You didn’t give me much of a choice!” she teased.
Like I keep saying, you guys are pretty much a family unit. So why not try the proposal again? I see no real reason not to tongue.gif

QUOTE

“Um, nothing. Everything’s good,” he radioed back, embarrassed that he forgot the crew was monitoring his radio transmissions. He thought he had rid himself of this particular demon after racing for Phoenix. He had thought wrong.
sad.gif

QUOTE

“You don’t need to worry about that right now. What you do need to concern yourself with is the bomb I have wired to your accelerator. Any let up in pressure will cause the bomb to explode. So unless you want to kill hundreds of innocent bystanders, I suggest you keep driving.”
Of course.

QUOTE

“My name’s Walter Smythe, though I doubt that rings any bells. You’re veteran hero got my son killed over in that sand box and now it’s time to get revenge!”
Was that based on the season finale for the MacGyver reboot, or just a coincidence?

QUOTE
Oblivious to the world around them, they didn’t see Connie peek around the corner, hand over her mouth and eyes glistening happily.

“Oh Peter, did you hear that? They finally admitted they’re in love with each other!” she whispered excitedly.
OH MY GOSH CONNIE roller.gif roller.gif roller.gif

QUOTE

“I could’ve told you, and them, that two years ago,” he grumbled.
Everyone in and reading this story XD XD XD

QUOTE

Connie shot him a chastising look she knew he couldn’t see before saying, “Let’s go back to bed, dear, and leave the two love birds alone.”

“It’s about time,” came the surly reply.
Lol, two kinds of people XD

QUOTE

Sam watched as Jo looked to his dad. He literally felt the air in the room change as their gazes locked and they shared a loving smile. Oh, wow! Something big had happened between them and he had missed that, too! He’d have to pump the Thornton’s for information as soon as he could.
Oh Sam roller.gif roller.gif roller.gif

QUOTE

“Yes, Mom,” he promised with a playful eye-roll, secretly enjoying her attention.
This is so cute XD XD XD

QUOTE

“Okay, tell me everything! I know something happened between my dad and Jo. Something good. Did they get engaged? Oh! They didn’t sneak off and get married without me, did they?!”
Pfft, Sam is my favorite shipper XD

QUOTE

“Aw, man! I could’ve told ‘em that a long time ago!”
Now which dad are you taking after? XD

Technically, they've had conversations like that before, but never in front of an audience XD

Also, is it just me or is this chapter slightly longer?

Posted by: uniquelyjas 3 October 2019 - 09:06 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 3 October 2019 - 05:47 AM)


QUOTE

“My name’s Walter Smythe, though I doubt that rings any bells. You’re veteran hero got my son killed over in that sand box and now it’s time to get revenge!”
Was that based on the season finale for the MacGyver reboot, or just a coincidence?

Since I don't watch the reboot this is purely coincidence. And yes, this chapter was a lot longer;)

Posted by: uniquelyjas 9 October 2019 - 02:21 PM
So....this chapter is pretty dull compared to the last one, but Mac and Jo need a breather!!

Chapter 18: What’s in a Name?

Joanna leaned back in her soft leather office chair, staring unseeingly at her computer screen. It was almost noon on Tuesday. She and MacGyver had arrived home from Chicago the night before and, while she should be walking on air now that Mac had told her in no uncertain terms that he had fallen in love with her, she was dead on her feet as the events of the weekend caught up with her and the fallout at work began. She had come into the office to find a stack of files on her desk, all supposedly requiring her immediate attention, but they had to wait until her boss called her into his office to chastise her for taking off on the day the firm landed one of its biggest accounts. How was she to know that would happen?! To top it off, Mac had called to ask her to lunch and she had turned him down. She hated to, but it was necessary because if she walked out of the office right now there was a good chance she may never return. A sharp knock on her door interrupted her reverie.

“Who is it?” she called.

“That man of yours!” a very familiar masculine voice replied.

Good grief! Joanna covered her face with her hands before mumbling, “Come in.”

She was met with a chuckling MacGyver.

“You’ve been talking with Geena, haven’t you?” she moaned.

“Hey, she’s my favorite receptionist around here! Calls ‘em like she sees ‘em!” he said as she peeked through her fingers and melted at the warm smile he gave her.

“Anyway, since you couldn’t come to lunch I figured I’d bring lunch to you.”

He held up two brown bags from their favorite deli and handed one to her. She opened it up and inspected the contents.

“Alfalfa sprout sandwich and yogurt? I think this one is yours,” she said, crinkling up her nose and handing it back to him while he handed her the one containing a turkey club and a bag of chips.

“Sorry about that,” he said with a mischievous grin indicating he wasn’t sorry at all and that, in fact, he probably mixed them up on purpose. “So, why’d you try to bail on me today?”

“I really didn’t want to but I’ve had a tough morning,” she explained.

“You wanna talk about it?”

“Not really,” she sighed, but continued anyway. “I came into a load of paperwork and then got reamed out by Hernandez for taking time off.”

“But you had that time coming!” Mac’s voice rose. “He can’t dictate how you use it!”

Joanna gave a sad laugh. “You know, a couple of years ago I would have been so mortified about getting yelled at that I would have run and cried in the ladies room. But now, I just can’t seem to care. There are other, more important things in my life and I refuse to let my job get in the way.”

“Am I one of those ‘things’?” he asked with a crooked grin that made her heart beat faster.

“You know you are!” she chided. “Now, cheer me up by telling me how things are going at Challengers.”

“It’s actually going a lot smoother than I expected now that we’re open twenty-four hours a day. Of course, most kids are still in school for the next couple weeks,” Mac answered around a mouthful of sprouts before swallowing.

Joanna frowned. “I wish I could help you out more.”

“Hey, you’re there every day after work to tutor, that helps out more than you know.”

She then watched as he eyed the stack of folders on her desk.

“Of course, if you can’t make it tonight everyone will understand.”

“Are you kidding?! Looking forward to working with the kids is the only thing that keeps me sane!”

“The only thing?” Mac asked huskily.

“You know what I mean,” she replied in a clipped tone signaling the end of the conversation.

MacGyver suppressed a grin as he stole a peek at his watch.

“I better get back,” he informed her. “Cynthia wants to take some time off to go shopping and after she covered for me all weekend I owe her big time.”

“I’ll say,” Jo agreed. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“You sure you don’t just want to go home and rest up?” he asked, his concern for her evident.

“I’m positive,” she said, smiling up at him.

He leaned over and wiped a glob of mayo from her lips with the pad of his thumb before kissing her gently. “Later,” he whispered, disappearing through the door before she had a chance to respond.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver spent the remainder of the afternoon alternately looking at the clock and watching the front door to the club. He couldn’t wait to see Joanna again. Something fundamental had shifted in him the other night on the Thornton’s couch when he had finally told her that he loved her. Finally said the words aloud, face-to-face, making it all very real. Interestingly, the sense of uneasiness he had anticipated never came. Instead, he felt a steadying calmness. A feeling that, for once, everything in his life was coming together. It hadn’t been that long ago that he had been, for all intents and purposes, alone in the world. Then Sam had found him and now he had found Joanna. Could they eventually become the family he was yearning for?

The sound of high-pitched voices coming from the recreation area broke into his thoughts. He went to stand in his office doorway, watching as the club members talked amongst themselves and chose various activities to participate in. He smiled as the teens and adolescents respectfully played and worked together regardless of age or skin color. That peace was suddenly shattered when a mob of teens, with Joanna’s head bobbing in the center, barreled their way through the front door, all talking at once, some waving hands and arms in exasperation.

“Okay guys,” she commanded. “Take a seat at the big table and I’ll join you in a minute. We’ll get this all worked out.”

“What’s going on?” Mac asked, taking Jo by the elbow and guiding her away from the chaos.

“I don’t have a clue. I couldn’t understand a word they were saying, but I think it has something to do with not passing into the next grade level.”

MacGyver looked at the group, now seated quietly around a large, wooden dining table that served a variety of purposes. He recognized them as freshman from a nearby high school.

“Want me to talk to them?” he asked.

“No. I’ve got this. I just needed a minute to catch my breath. They were waiting for me when I pulled in.”

Mac frowned. “They know better than to accost an adult. Or anyone, for that matter.”

He started to walk toward them when Jo put a hand on his arm, causing him to stop and enjoy the tingling sensation he should not be so incredibly aware of at this moment.

“Relax,” she laughed lightly. “I said I’ve got this. They’re just upset. Everything’s fine...really!”

MacGyver hesitated for a minute before allowing his muscles to relax and his jaw to unclench. He had gone into super-protective mode in one point two seconds and he knew that would never do. Not with Joanna.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

“No problem,” she smirked. “Just don’t let it happen again.” She gave his arm a reassuring squeeze before she dropped her hand and headed into the teenage fray.

His concern put to rest, curiosity was now front and center in his brain. He trailed Jo to the small group and stood off to the side as he listened in on the conversation.

“It’s not fair! She can’t make us do anything!!”

“Hold on, Jessica. Who can’t make you do what?” Joanna asked calmly.

“The vice principal said we won’t pass ninth grade unless we do an extra credit assignment for Sociology,” Sergio explained.

“At least she’s giving you a chance to redeem yourselves. She could just let you fail,”
Jo reasoned, much to the students’ dismay.

“When you put it like that it doesn’t sound so bad,” a girl named Jordan muttered as the others nodded their heads.

“All right. So what’s the assignment and when is it due?” Jo asked, her eyes twinkling with the challenge.

This time it was Michael who spoke up. “We have to write up and give a presentation about our name. You know, its origin, what it means, if we like it or not. That sort of thing. But it’s due this Friday.”

“That sounds doable,” Jo responded confidently. “I’ll get some books and tomorrow you can come and do the research. On Thursday, we can get everybody here to listen while you practice your presentation. Then you’ll be all set for Friday!”

The students let go a collective sigh and MacGyver was astounded at how easily Joanna had not only diffused the situation, but gotten a plan of attack together so quickly.

“That was great!” he commended her once the teens had scattered.

“Thanks!” she replied. “So then you won’t mind if I leave early and hit the library before it closes?”

“Go for it!”

XXXXX

The following afternoon, MacGyver held open the front door to Challengers as Joanna carried in a tote bag full of books.

“Here, let me help you with that,” he said, reaching out to take the bag.

“Thanks,” she replied airily as she stepped past him and handed over the tote which was a lot heavier than it looked.

Mac followed her to the large table they had used the day before and started spreading out the books. Some were geared towards soon-to-be parents offering popular baby names while others were more reference-type books with historical information. They had just finished putting out some paper and pencils when the students arrived, smiling and happily chatting with one another. A much different scene than yesterday!

“Okay everybody!” MacGyver called above the din of voices. “Those of you who need to do the extra credit assignment need to come over to the table. Ms. Jo brought in a bunch of resources for you so let’s get started!”

To his surprise, the eight students eagerly headed his way and were soon paging through the various books and commenting loudly.

“Man, dig this name!”

“I’d hate to be called that!”

“If I have a girl, I’m naming her this!”

“Okay guys, listen up!” Jo said, her voice an octave lower demanding their attention. “You’re supposed to be looking up your own name. Got it?”

Their excitement turned to mumbles and hesitant head nods, but soon they settled around the table, reading the books and making notes on the paper while the adults monitored their progress and helped out when needed.

“Hey! I got an idea!” Michael said a few minutes into the project. “We should have Ms. Jo, Ms. Cynthia, and Mr. Mac do this assignment too!”

His classmates eagerly agreed as Mac’s stomach dropped to his toes. Only his family and a few close friends knew his first name and they rarely, if ever, actually used it since they knew how much he hated it. He was not about to divulge it to a bunch of blabber-mouth teenagers!

“Count me in,” Joanna told them. “And I’m sure Cynthia would love to participate as well.”

“What about MacGyver?” Sergio asked. “We don’t even know his first name!”

“Mr. Mac has a lot of work to do,” Jo replied, coming to his rescue. “Ms. Cynthia and I will just have to do.”

She glanced up at Mac and surreptitiously pointed her chin in the direction of his office and he took the hint.

“Ms. Jo’s right,” he said. “In fact, I need to get back to my office now.” He turned and walked away, thankful for the ‘out’ Joanna had provided him.

Hours later, when the last member had left, Mac and Jo went about their nightly routine locking up windows and doors and doing general clean-up of the rec area before heading home. Joanna suddenly paused and stood regarding him thoughtfully.

“What?” he asked.

“Look Mac, I know how much you hate your name, but did you ever research it, find out what it means? It might change your mind.”

He sighed. “Several years ago I had my family tree traced and studied its origin.”

“That was your last name. Did you ever learn about your first name?”

“There are some things that need to be left alone, and that’s one of ‘em!” he snapped but Jo wasn’t deterred.

“Did you ever think that maybe your name has a really great meaning or story behind it? I mean, your folks chose it for a reason, right?”

“It’s an old family name that I wish they would have kept in the past. It’s not up for discussion.”

“Fine,” Jo shrugged. “Have it your way.” She tossed out the trash she had collected, gave him a peck on the cheek and slipped out the door.

A shiver ran down Mac’s spine. That had been too easy.

XXXXX

It was five-year-old MacGyver’s first day of Kindergarten. His mom and dad walked him to his classroom door where he was greeted by his teacher.

“Hello, Angus, it’s good to meet you.” She held out her hand for him to shake.

First wincing then frowning at the use of his given name, he reluctantly but politely shook her hand as his parents had taught him.

“What do you say, son?” his dad prompted.

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” Mac muttered.

His new teacher led him to a large piece of carpet which would later be referred to as ‘the reading rug’. Girls knelt primly on one side while boys sat cross legged on the other. A little blonde girl offered him a shy wave which he returned before taking his place with the guys. The bell rang and signaled the start of the worst day of MacGyver’s life thus far.

Instead of taking tradition roll call the teacher asked each student to stand and introduce themselves. When it was his turn, he stood up and proudly stated, “Name’s MacGyver,” before quickly sitting down again.

“Thank you, Mr. MacGyver,” the teacher responded. “But in my classroom we address each other by our first names. Could you please share your first name with your fellow students?”

Mac slowly stood up again, the collar of his brand new shirt suddenly feeling stiff and tight. “Angus,” he muttered softly as the other boys and girls began to giggle and snicker. He felt his cheeks grow warm and he wanted to run out the door, but took his seat instead.

The second time the bell rang it was to signal the beginning of recess. He eagerly made his way to the door along with the rest of his classmates. Once on the playground, Mac approached a small group of boys who had a basketball.

“Can I play with you?” Mac asked hesitantly.

“Hey everybody! It’s Angus!” the boy holding the ball announced in a teasing taunt.

“Why’d your folks name you after a cow?” another jested.

Before MacGyver could say or do anything, a third boy pushed him roughly to the ground as the others gathered around, looking down at him and chanting his name. All he could hear was “Angus! Angus! Angus!”

Mac bolted upright in bed, breathing hard. His hair was damp and sweat trickled down his bare back. Man, he hadn’t had that dream since he was a kid! All this talk about his name had to end.

MacGyver arrived at Challengers earlier than usual the next day. As a result of his childhood nightmare, sleep had been out of the question. With Cynthia not due in for a few more hours, Mac grabbed some of the name books Joanna had brought the day before and locked himself in his office to do a little research. He actually had his doubts about whether or not a name like his would make publication, but he soon located it and began jotting down the information he found and, much to his surprise, it made him smile.

Later that day the after-school crowd began to pour in and along with them were Joanna and the eight students she had been working with. Mac and some of the older boys were put in charge of setting up folding chairs in rows to mimic a classroom setting. Room was left at the front where each presenter would stand. When most of the club members had arrived and filled the seats, Joanna stepped to the front and began explaining about the presentations. Mac took a seat in the back and watched as she orchestrated the event. The glow of her cheeks and the spark of fire in her eyes were testament to how much she loved working with and educating the youth in the community.

“To get things rolling,” Jo began, “Ms. Cynthia and I are going to share what we learned about our own names, and then we will listen to your fellow club members. Please remember to be respectful and listen carefully as they put a lot of effort into their presentations.

“As many of you know, my first name is Joanna. I was named after my maternal great-grandmother, Johanna. Both our names derive from the Hebrew and Greek term meaning ‘God is gracious’. According to the reference books, people named ‘Joanna’ are confident, ambitious, independent and self-sufficient. We also don’t like taking orders.” She winked playfully after that last sentence and Mac’s heart flipped.

As Jo quietly took a seat, Cynthia took her place in front of the teens and began her presentation.

“My name is Greek for ‘From Mount Cynthus’.” This statement was met with muffled giggles from the audience. “My name means I’m independent, practical, decisive, capable, efficient, and appreciate art and music.”

Wow, that described her perfectly, Mac thought as the students applauded and Cynthia was replaced by Michael.

“First of all, I hate my name,” the boy began earnestly. “It’s so common! There are guys named Michael everywhere I go! But after learning about it, I can see why folks would want to name their kid that. Ya see, it’s Hebrew for ‘Who is like God’ and really, who wouldn’t want to be like God?!” This received a hearty laugh. “Anyway, according to the books, I’m clever, responsible, self-confident, and I care about my family and friends so I figure that makes me a pretty awesome dude!” Michael shot his classmates a huge smile as everyone clapped happily. The next presenter was Jessica, who had been the first student to complain about the assignment.

“Just like Michael, I hate my name too. People often call me ‘Jessie’ and I don’t mind, but then a lot of kids tease me, calling me ‘Jessie’s Girl’ from that old ‘80’s song. Jessica is Hebrew and means ‘to see before’. The qualities I possess are courage, honesty, determination and creativity. I’m also outgoing and like to talk with people. All my teachers get on my back about that, but now I have scientific proof to show them why I do it!”

Joanna turned, caught Mac’s gaze and did an exaggerated eye roll before Sergio took his turn.

“I always thought my name was pretty cool. You know, really slick and attractive to the ladies. Now, thanks to this dumb assignment, I find out it’s Italian for ‘servant’, and I ain’t nobody’s slave!”

“Sergio…” Mac heard Joanna warn from her seat.

“Um, sorry about that, Ms. Jo. Okay, my name also means I’m friendly, sociable, charming, and give good advice. Heck, I could be the next ‘Dear Abby’!”

Joanna cleared her throat loudly and Mac tried not to laugh.

“But anyway, I also don’t like to be told what to do and I never change my mind once it’s made up, which is true. So I guess my name’s really not so bad after all.”

Everyone applauded and Mac watched Jo’s shoulders visibly relax. Sergio was apparently her most challenging student in the club. Next, a diminutive girl with glasses moved to the front.

“My name’s Jordan and I don’t like it because it’s usually a boy’s name. I think my parents just picked a name they could use either way. And this year I took a world geography class and kids started calling me ‘Jordan River’. But anyway, my name is Hebrew for ‘one who descends’. I’m gracious, capable, and clever, but I’m also a private person and I like to read and stuff but don’t like to do spontaneous things so I guess that sums me up pretty good.”

Every clapped as she took her seat and the next student began their presentation. As MacGyver listened to their reports, he was amazed at what Joanna had helped them accomplish in so little time. He was also learning a lot about some of his club members and looked forward to spending more time with them.

When the final student finished, they all huddled around Joanna and exchanged hugs and high-fives.

“Now do it like that in school tomorrow and make me proud, okay?!” she encouraged.

It seemed like forever until Jo was once again standing by herself. MacGyver walked up beside her and gently placed an arm around her shoulders.

“You’ve done good, teach!”

She leaned into him and smiled. “I didn’t do much, just provided the tools, the rest was all them.”

“And you loved every second of it.”

Jo nodded before turning, burying her head in his chest, and wrapping her arms around his waist. “I miss teaching, Mac. I miss it so much.”

“I know you do, baby. I know,” he crooned as he stroked her hair and let her silent tears dampen the front of his shirt.

XXXXX

Friday afternoon found Joanna pacing back and forth in the rec room waiting to hear how her students’ presentations went.

“Ya know, I just waxed that floor and now you’re wearing it all off,” Mac quipped, earning him a slit-eyed scowl.

“Cynthia, can you please come and tell Jo that the kids did great and she needs to stop worrying?” he called across the room.

“Nope!” Cynthia called back. “She said it herself, ‘Joanna’s’ don’t like taking orders!”

MacGyver threw up his hands and walked away, hoping to find something that needed fixing. The truth was, he was probably just as anxious as Jo was to hear the results.

At long last, the doors to Challengers flew open and Jo’s eight students scrambled in.

“We did it, Ms. Jo! We did it! We’re all gonna be sophomores!” Jessica exclaimed as the others quickly gathered around her for a celebration session.

Mac couldn’t suppress his own smile and the tinkling of Joanna’s laughter only made his smile grow. He was so engrossed in watching the happy group that he didn’t notice the appearance of a petite, middle-aged woman until he heard Cynthia greet her.

“Hello, I’m looking for Joanna Fairfax,” the woman stated. Dressed in a grey skirt suit with a white blouse buttoned up to her neck, Mac assumed the woman had come from the law firm.

“I’ll go see if I can pry her away from her adoring public,” he told Cynthia and the woman as he reluctantly went to interrupt the happy group.

Joanna was laughing and putting her hands up in a “time out” gesture as she addressed the teens that surrounded her.

“All right, that’s enough!” she huffed. “Why don’t you take your teenage energy and go do something productive with it?!”

After a final round of thanks and congratulations, the kids began to disperse allowing Joanna to see MacGyver making his way towards her. She smiled automatically at him, but when it was not returned she wrinkled her brow in concern.

“There’s someone her to see you,” he said flatly, indicating a woman in a grey suit.

“Who is she?”

“You don’t know?” Mac asked. “I assumed she was from the firm.”

Jo shook her head. “I’ve never seen her before.”

She slowly approached the stranger as MacGyver followed just steps behind. Who was this woman and what did she want?

Cynthia smiled and made the introductions. “Joanna, this is Mrs. Elizabeth Varga, vice principal at Lincoln High where several of the Challengers members attend.”

As the two women shook hands, Mrs. Varga’s stern face brightened. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person. Some of our students have told me a lot about you.”

“All good, I hope,” Joanna laughed.

“Absolutely. And that’s why I’m here,” Mrs. Varga said, looking around the large room. “Is there some place where we could speak in private?”

Jo glanced at MacGyver. “You can use my office,” he told the two women.

They smiled their thanks and walked away.

Now it was Mac’s turn to pace the floor. He’d re-wax it tomorrow if he had to. Twenty minutes later his office door opened and Mrs. Varga was the first to emerge. Both women had a smile on their face as she turned and shook Jo’s hand.

“I look forward to hearing from you next week and don’t worry, I can see myself out,” Mac heard the older woman say before heading to the exit. He looked at Jo who still stood in the doorway, a stunned look on her face, and hurried to her side.

“What was that all about?” he asked. “Are you okay?”

She nodded slowly before looking up at him with her liquid brown eyes. “She just offered me a job.” Her voice was monotone, as if she couldn’t believe what she was saying.

“Congratulations! That’s a good thing, right?”

“I’m not sure,” she replied flatly.

“Care to explain?”

She shook her head. “Not yet, Mac. I need to work some things out in my head first.”

“No problem,” he smiled softly. “I’m gonna head out soon. Why don’t you come over for dinner tonight.”

“I’d like that,” she said quietly.

XXXXX

Joanna picked at the piece of eggplant parmesan in front of her. She had only taken two bites while MacGyver was already on his third helping. Frog sat at her feet, watching her expectantly.

“When did you turn him into a vegetarian?” she asked.

“When he started begging for table scraps.”

“No more chicken livers?”

“Only on special occasions,” Mac grinned wryly. “So, feel like talkin’ about that job offer?”

Jo pushed her plate away and sighed. “Mrs. Varga wants to hire me to teach Freshman English this fall.”

“I thought you didn’t want to teach in a traditional school environment.”

“That’s just it! Lincoln High is a charter school, meaning they don’t have to adhere to the strict policies of the public school system. The administration, teachers, and even students have a lot more flexibility. Mrs. Varga said that most teachers even get all their lesson plans and grading done during the school day so they don’t have to do it at home.”

“That sounds perfect for you! And you did say you missed teaching.”

“It is, and I do, but unfortunately the position is only part-time,” she sighed.

“So?”

From the look on her face you would have thought he had just asked her to swim across Lake Michigan.

“So,” she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm, “Even if this was a full-time position I would still be taking a significant pay cut and losing benefits.”

“So this is all about money to you,” Mac stated scornfully. After all the time they had spent together, she had never once appeared materialistic. If anything, he had admired her frugality. Had he misjudged her so completely or was she playing him for a fool after he had given her his heart.

“Yes! No!” she huffed. “Look, no one goes into teaching for the money. I’ve always been smart financially, but when I got laid off a few years back it was a real wake-up call for me. Thankfully, I didn’t have to worry about how I was going to pay rent or feed myself, but it was still an eye-opening experience.”

“I get that,” MacGyver replied, ashamed of his initial reaction. “But would you really rather stay at a job you never did like in the first place just for the money? I see how your eyes light up when you’re with the kids at Challengers. That’s what you were meant to do!”

“That’s why this is so hard on me, Mac. I really want the teaching job, but it’s scary to give up the financial stability I may need one day.”

They sat in heavy silence with their own thoughts for several minutes until Mac began to form an idea.

“You’ve put in a lot of volunteer hours at Challengers, and I really appreciate that, but maybe it’s time I--”

“No way!” she cut him off. “You are not going to pay me like some employee!”

“That’s not what I had in mind!” he shot back. “If you recall, you loaned me the money to start up the club in the first place and I haven’t paid you back one cent.”

“And this is helpful how?”

“Technically, we’re business partners, and you should be getting your share of our revenue.”

“I didn’t know you even had revenue? Besides, you should be putting it back into the club”

“We’ve gotten a few large donations and so far that’s exactly what I’ve been doing, but I would much rather have the money go to a compassionate, competent ‘partner’ rather than a can of fresh paint. Besides, Cynthia’s been dropping hints that she’d like to cut back on her hours. I think she forgot how challenging working at Challengers can be,” he grinned. “We could really use you around there, especially with summer here.”

“So let me get this straight. You’re suggesting I quit the law firm, spend the summer hanging out at Challengers and then start teaching in the fall?”

Her answer came in the form of the sly, crooked smile that always made her stomach squishy. In short, the one she couldn’t say ‘no’ to.

“All right, I’ll call Mrs. Varga first thing Monday morning.”

Mac’s smile faded and he stared at her suspiciously.

“What?!”

“That was way too easy,” he confessed.

“Maybe you’re just way too persuasive,” she responded coyly.

“Maybe you know this is the right thing to do.”

“Touche,” she replied, pulling her plate closer, suddenly ravenous.

“I have a surprise for you,” MacGyver announced as Joanna curled up in the corner of his couch after dinner.

“Oh, really?” she asked, bending over to help Frog up on the couch before cuddling him against her chest.

“Yes, really,” he countered as he pulled some note cards out of the back pocket of his jeans. “While you were working with the kids on their extra credit assignment, I took your advice and did a little research of my own.”

Her jaw slackened and she slowly shook her head. “Oh Mac, you don’t have to…”

“I want to. I want you to listen to my presentation.”

Joanna leaned further back into the cushions as MacGyver cleared his throat and began.

“My name is Angus. I’ve hated it for as long as I can remember. Growing up in a small town in Minnesota doesn’t exactly lend itself to the acceptance of unusual names. Especially names of cattle breeds. My first day of kindergarten I remember the other kids jeering and chanting my name until I cried. I begged everyone to call me something else, anything else, but ‘Angus’. Finally, my grandpa Harry took pity on me and started calling me ‘Bud’. Eventually, I convinced people to call me by my last name or simply ‘Mac’. A few days ago, a woman who has my absolute love and respect challenged me to take a deeper look at the name I’ve despised and hid from for most of my life.”

Here he paused and caught her eyes in a gaze that she swore would melt all her internal organs.

“My name’s origin is Irish and Scottish Gaelic. It is interpreted as ‘one choice’, ‘one strength’, ‘chosen one’, ‘unique strength’, and ‘exceptionally strong’. In Irish myth, my name means ‘god of love and youth and beauty’. My name also represents a Celtic god who helped his people with his wisdom and intelligence. It’s humbling to learn my name is defined by words such as ‘strength’, ‘chosen’, ‘love’, and ‘wisdom’ because I’ve always considered myself a pretty ordinary guy, but maybe my folks knew something I haven’t figured out yet. Or, as Michael would say, ‘I’m a pretty awesome dude!’”

Joanna laughed and clapped as MacGyver concluded his presentation and flopped down on the couch next to her, reaching out to fondle Frog’s ears.

“So what do you think?” he asked. “Did I pass?”

“With flying colors!” she assured him. “So, what do you think of your name now?”

“Let’s just say I won’t be asking people to start calling me ‘Angus’ anytime soon! I appreciate the meaning behind it, and I’m glad you encouraged me to learn about it, but I think I still prefer ‘Mac’ if that’s okay with you.”

“I suppose I can live with it,” she replied playfully, leaning in to kiss him, causing Frog to whine as he became squished between his two humans.

















Posted by: Dragondog 9 October 2019 - 09:56 PM
QUOTE
She and MacGyver had arrived home from Chicago the night before
I can't speak for everyone, but I need a day to recoup after road trips, so personally I wouldn't be at work quite so soon tongue.gif

QUOTE
She had come into the office to find a stack of files on her desk, all supposedly requiring her immediate attention, but they had to wait until her boss called her into his office to chastise her for taking off on the day the firm landed one of its biggest accounts. How was she to know that would happen?!
It was a family emergency, you ungrateful jerkwad

QUOTE
while he handed her the one containing a turkey club and a bag of chips.
I didn't realize Joanna shared my taste in sandwiches XD

QUOTE
You know, a couple of years ago I would have been so mortified about getting yelled at that I would have run and cried in the ladies room. But now, I just can’t seem to care.
You know, I can actually relate. I was always the sensitive type, but at the same time I hate humanity as a whole, so now I just get all deadpan when they try to make me feel bad about anything XD For example, a customer snapped at me last week for being uncertain and vague about where things were (I haven't figured it all out yet, I'm still new), but he fell back when he saw me shrink back, and then tried to make it up to me by being much more polite and warm. Didn't make me feel better, but instead of having to force niceness while trying not to cry over it, I had to force niceness while trying not to get super curt instead XD

QUOTE

He leaned over and wiped a glob of mayo from her lips with the pad of his thumb before kissing her gently.
Alternate version: He leaned over and wiped a glob of mayo from his lips with her hair.

...

Yeah, I need to go to bed XD (I read it wrong the first time, so that's where that came from XD)

QUOTE

This time it was Michael who spoke up. “We have to write up and give a presentation about our name. You know, its origin, what it means, if we like it or not. That sort of thing. But it’s due this Friday.”

“That sounds doable,” Jo responded confidently.
That actually does sound pretty easy, for an assignment smile.gif

QUOTE

“Man, dig this name!”

“I’d hate to be called that!”

“If I have a girl, I’m naming her this!”

“Okay guys, listen up!” Jo said, her voice an octave lower demanding their attention. “You’re supposed to be looking up your own name. Got it?”
To be fair, at least they're interested, right? XD

QUOTE

His classmates eagerly agreed as Mac’s stomach dropped to his toes. Only his family and a few close friends knew his first name and they rarely, if ever, actually used it since they knew how much he hated it. He was not about to divulge it to a bunch of blabber-mouth teenagers!
I mean, you can look up Mack, or see if a name similar to MacGyver is in there XD

QUOTE

“What about MacGyver?” Sergio asked. “We don’t even know his first name!”

“Mr. Mac has a lot of work to do,” Jo replied, coming to his rescue. “Ms. Cynthia and I will just have to do.”

She glanced up at Mac and surreptitiously pointed her chin in the direction of his office and he took the hint.
Smart girl XD

QUOTE

“Fine,” Jo shrugged. “Have it your way.” She tossed out the trash she had collected, gave him a peck on the cheek and slipped out the door.

A shiver ran down Mac’s spine. That had been too easy.
Yeah, we all know she'll do it if you won't XD XD XD

QUOTE

It was five-year-old MacGyver’s first day of Kindergarten. His mom and dad walked him to his classroom door where he was greeted by his teacher.
Okay, unexpected flashback time! XD

QUOTE
The bell rang and signaled the start of the worst day of MacGyver’s life thus far.
Awww, I know where this is heading :'(

QUOTE
When it was his turn, he stood up and proudly stated, “Name’s MacGyver,” before quickly sitting down again.
I initially read that in his adult voice XD

QUOTE

Mac slowly stood up again, the collar of his brand new shirt suddenly feeling stiff and tight. “Angus,” he muttered softly as the other boys and girls began to giggle and snicker. He felt his cheeks grow warm and he wanted to run out the door, but took his seat instead.
Does the teacher not see how upset he is, or does she just not care? (I mean, she seems nice enough, but I'm bitter about the education system dry.gif )

QUOTE

Mac bolted upright in bed, breathing hard. His hair was damp and sweat trickled down his bare back. Man, he hadn’t had that dream since he was a kid! All this talk about his name had to end.
I don't know if I'm more disgusted that the incident traumatized him enough where it still affects him today, or disappointed that we don't know more of what happened that day...

QUOTE
Sergio was apparently her most challenging student in the club.
Oh, he didn't seem that bad to me XD

QUOTE
He was so engrossed in watching the happy group that he didn’t notice the appearance of a petite, middle-aged woman until he heard Cynthia greet her.

“Hello, I’m looking for Joanna Fairfax,” the woman stated.
Hmm, now what have we here? hmm.bmp

QUOTE

Here he paused and caught her eyes in a gaze that she swore would melt all her internal organs.
I snorted laugh.gif

QUOTE

“My name’s origin is Irish and Scottish Gaelic. It is interpreted as ‘one choice’, ‘one strength’, ‘chosen one’, ‘unique strength’, and ‘exceptionally strong’. In Irish myth, my name means ‘god of love and youth and beauty’. My name also represents a Celtic god who helped his people with his wisdom and intelligence. It’s humbling to learn my name is defined by words such as ‘strength’, ‘chosen’, ‘love’, and ‘wisdom’ because I’ve always considered myself a pretty ordinary guy, but maybe my folks knew something I haven’t figured out yet. Or, as Michael would say, ‘I’m a pretty awesome dude!’”
So did you research all these names for this chapter?

QUOTE

“I suppose I can live with it,” she replied playfully, leaning in to kiss him, causing Frog to whine as he became squished between his two humans.
That mental image made me laugh laugh.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 10 October 2019 - 05:22 AM
Thanks for the comments, Dragondog!! Yes, Joanna and I both like turkey club sandwiches with chips (just had one the other night!) And yes, I DID research all those names!! I'm gaining so much useless knowledge writing this story!!! LOL!

Posted by: Dragondog 10 October 2019 - 08:56 PM
QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 10 October 2019 - 08:22 AM)
Thanks for the comments, Dragondog!! Yes, Joanna and I both like turkey club sandwiches with chips (just had one the other night!) And yes, I DID research all those names!! I'm gaining so much useless knowledge writing this story!!! LOL!

Ah, the life of a writer laugh.gif

If, by some twist of fate, we ever meet irl, we should go get turkey clubs wink.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 11 October 2019 - 04:59 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 10 October 2019 - 08:56 PM)

If, by some twist of fate, we ever meet irl, we should go get turkey clubs wink.gif

Sounds good to me!!!

Posted by: uniquelyjas 16 October 2019 - 05:06 AM
Chapter 19: The Innocent

The June sunlight poured through the plate-glass window, creating an ethereal glow around Joanna who was busily packing her meager personal belongings into the oversized box MacGyver had brought her. In the waning minutes of her employment at the law firm, she chatted easily with Mike Harlow, Lee Vang, and Geena the Receptionist who had gathered around her now-empty desk to share their farewells and good wishes as Mac casually leaned against the door jamb taking in the scene.

“It’s been great working with you, Jo,” Mike said. “If you ever get bored you can come on back and help me catch up on the data entry I never get around to doing.”

“Thanks for the invitation, Mike, but I think the kids will keep me pretty busy both at Challengers as well as the high school,” she laughed and Mike pretended to pout before giving her a peck on the cheek and heading out the door, stopping to shake MacGyver’s hand.

“You got a good one there,” Mike told him. “Be sure to treat her right.”

“Count on it,” Mac replied with a smile.

Lee Vang was the next to speak.

“You’ll be missed around here,” he told her. “And remember, if you ever need legal counsel, I’m just a phone call away and more than happy to do pro bono work for families in the community.”

“Thanks, Lee. That means a lot to me, and Mac as well.” She gave him a brief hug before he, too, headed to the door, shook MacGyver’s hand and walked back to his office.

That left Geena.

“Oh, girl, this place won’t be the same without you,” she lamented as she embraced Joanna and squeezed her tight.

“I’m gonna miss you, too,” Jo replied, “but you know where Challengers is and we’re always looking for volunteers.”

“I may just have to check that place out one of these days,” Geena agreed. “Now I expect to be the first to know when that man of yours over there finally pops the question. Even if I’m dead in my grave!”

Joanna’s easy laugh made MacGyver’s heart soar.

“I can’t promise you’ll be the first, but you’ll definitely be in the top five!” she responded.

Hmmm. Jo really believed they were on the road to something permanent, and for the first time he could remember that excited him instead of tempted him to turn and run the other way. The phone in the lobby rang and Geena gave Joanna one last hug before hurrying off to answer it. Finally it was just the two of them.

“Any regrets?” Mac asked as he walked further into the room, hands jammed in the front pockets of his khaki pants.

“None,” Jo beamed up at him. “Thank you for encouraging me to do this. I think you’re starting to know me better than I know myself!”

MacGyver grinned as he glanced around the room.

“I thought Hernandez would come by to see you,” he commented.

“I saw him earlier today. Wished me well and offered to be a reference,” Jo said in a clipped tone.

Mac knew there was not much love lost between Joanna and her boss, hence her willingness to leave her current position. Before he could reply, Jo’s desk phone trilled and she frowned, no doubt wondering who would be calling just as she was preparing to leave...for good.

“Hello?” she answered.

“Hey Cynthia, what’s up?”

There was an uncomfortable silence while Joanna listened intently before her gaze caught MacGyver’s and conveyed a sense of urgent concern bordering on panic.

“We’re on our way,” she said firmly before hanging up.

Mac scooped up the box that Joanna had packed and followed her out of the office and down the hall before speaking.

“What’s going on?” he asked as they pushed through the main doors and stepped out onto the sidewalk.

Jo shook her head and kept walking. “It was hard to make everything out because of the background noise, but it has something to do with the Talbot kids. Cynthia said the police and someone from social services are there for them.”

“What?!”

“That’s all I could understand,” Joanna shrugged helplessly.

With lengthened strides they quickly arrived at their respective vehicles. Mac stowed the box he was carrying in the back of the Jeep and peeled out of the parking lot with Jo close behind. Davey and Suzy held a special place in his heart. Especially Suzy whom he had escorted to the Daddy/Daughter dance at her school and who insisted on calling him ‘Daddy Mac’. His stomach roiled at the thought of anything bad happening to those two kids.

Upon arriving at Challengers, MacGyver barreled through the front door stopping only long enough to survey the recreation room. All the teens were actively engaged in various activities, unfazed by any disruption the yet unknown situation may have caused. The only sign that something was wrong was little Suzy, with her brown bobbed hair so like Joanna’s, sitting in the corner Frog had commandeered for himself, hugging the long-suffering dog tight. Davey, with disheveled dark blond hair and an untamed cowlick, stood watch over her while a female police officer guarded them both. Tamping down his desire to comfort and protect the children, Mac strode into Cynthia’s office where Joanna was already witnessing a heated conversation between the club’s co-director and a conservatively dressed middle-aged woman who could only be from social services.

“And I’m telling you that Challengers is a certified emergency shelter! On top of that, Davey and Suzy are registered members of the club and have every right to be here!” Cynthia insisted, sending the other woman a scathing look.

“You don’t understand,” the social worker persisted.

“Oh, I understand all too well!” Cynthia shot back.

“Okay ladies, settle down,” MacGyver interrupted. “Are you all right?” he asked, turning to Cynthia.

“I’m fine, but--”

Mac held up his hand to keep her from saying more as he turned to the other woman.

“You must be from social services?”

“Yes. My name is Mrs. Hawley. May I ask what business you have barging into this private discussion?” she asked haughtily.

Mac swallowed the retort that was on the tip of his tongue and took a calming breath.

“Name’s MacGyver. I’m the director of Challengers Club and would like some answers about what’s going on here.”

Mrs. Hawley sighed before launching into her explanation. “Late this morning, the next door neighbor of the Talbot family called the police when she discovered the babysitter passed out on the couch from an apparent drug overdose and no sign of the children. The officers on the scene found the mother’s work number and address next to the phone as well as that of Challengers and went to the motel to arrest her once the EMT’s arrived and stabilized the sitter.”

“Arrest her?!” Mac nearly bellowed. “On what grounds?!”

“Two counts of child neglect and abandonment to begin with,” Mrs. Hawley sniffed in satisfaction.

“That’s ridiculous!”

“They were just doing their jobs, Mr. MacGyver, and I was called in to collect the children.”

“What’s gonna happen to them?” Mac asked, regaining his composure.

“They’ll be taken down to Child Protective Services and placed with an emergency foster family no later than tomorrow morning.”

“That’s not acceptable,” Mac stated firmly.

“That’s the way the system works, Mr. MacGyver,” the social worker retorted.

“Well the ‘system’ stinks!”

Before Mac could continue, Joanna stepped up beside him and lightly touched his forearm, halting any would-be tirade. Normally not one to raise his voice, all bets were off when someone close to him was threatened in any way.

“Mrs. Hawley,” Jo began in a placating tone, “last year Mr. MacGyver and I had papers drawn up to grant us emergency temporary custody of our clients’ children. I just called the law firm and confirmed that our names are still registered with CPS as emergency foster parents. Since Davey and Suzy are already comfortable with us, perhaps we could streamline the process and have you let us take temporary custody of them.”

“Well, of course I will have to verify that information and it’s not standard operating procedure,” Mrs. Hawley replied icily, “but if it is, indeed, legitimate you may have custody until a more permanent situation can be found.”

“Thank you,” Jo replied sweetly, unfazed by the other woman’s tone. She then turned to address MacGyver.

“I called Lee Vang. He’s agreed to represent Jill Talbot and will meet you down at the police station.”

Mac looked at Jo then out the office window to where the brother and sister remained in the corner.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of them,” she answered in response to his unspoken question, and it was all he could do not to take her into his arms and show her how much her thoughtful actions and support meant to him, but he thought it best to refrain given the steely gaze leveled on them by the stern social worker.

XXXXX

MacGyver, Lee Vang, and Jill Talbot sat on hard metal chairs surrounding an equally hard metal table in the dank interview room at the local police precinct. Jill was still wearing her uniform from the motel where she worked as a housekeeper. Her eyes were bloodshot and streaks of mascara marred her gaunt cheeks, evidence of the tears she had shed since her arrest.

“We’re here to help you, Jill,” Lee began, “but you need to tell us everything that led up to this. Can you do that for me?”

“I...I can’t afford a real lawyer like you, Mr. Vang,” she sobbed.

“It’s okay,” Mac assured her. “Lee does pro bono work for Challengers. Now tell us what happened.”

“I worked the breakfast shift at the diner this morning like I always do. When I stopped home to change clothes, the neighbor lady who babysits Davey and Suzy wasn’t feeling well and left.”

“Hold on,” Lee interrupted. “Which neighbor lady is this?”

“She lives across the street and offered to watch the kids for free this summer. Her husband died last year and she said it would make her feel useful again,” Jill hiccupped.

Lee nodded, encouraging the woman to continue. “I didn’t know what to do because I had to get to my job at the motel and there was no one to watch my babies so I called my sister to stay with them.”

“Are you aware that your sister is a drug addict?” Lee asked gently.

“Yes, but she’s been clean for almost a year. I thought she’d be fine with the children otherwise I never would’ve called her!”

“Why didn’t you just bring them to Challengers?” Mac asked.

“You and Challengers have done so much for my family already, I don’t want to take advantage of your services.”

“But that’s what we’re there for,” MacGyver insisted.

“I know, and I’m sorry. I was just upset and not thinking straight.” This brought another onslaught of tears. “What’s gonna happen to my babies?”

“Joanna and I are registered emergency foster parents. We’ll take care of them until everything gets straightened out.”

“I can’t ask you to do that! How will I ever repay you?”

“We can talk about that later,” Mac told her, not wanting to upset her any more than she already was. “Now you just listen to Mr. Vang and do what he tells you. Everything will be fine.”

Jill offered the two men a watery smile before a guard entered and led her back to the holding cell.

Mac sighed and scrubbed his face with his hands. “So what happens now?” he asked Lee.

The lawyer glanced at his watch and frowned. “The courts are closed for the weekend. Ms. Talbot will be held here until her arraignment on Monday at which time I’m going to ask that all charges be dismissed.”

“Do you think the judge will agree to that?”

“It’s hard to say, but so far the prosecution has a very weak case, so that’s in our favor. You and Joanna just make sure those kids stay safe and leave the legal stuff to me, okay?” Vang smiled and shook MacGyver’s hand before the two men went their separate ways.

When Mac returned to Challengers, he immediately sought out his new charges. He found Davey sitting cross-legged in an overstuffed chair immersed in a book about dinosaurs while Suzy was carefully creating a finger paint masterpiece under Jo’s supervision.

“Look what I made Daddy Mac!” the little girl called from across the room.

MacGyver made his way over to the newspaper-covered table to examine her creation.

“It’s a picture of all of us!” she proclaimed happily. “See, there’s Mommy, and Davey and me and you and Ms. Joanna!”

“That’s great, sweetheart! But you need to wipe that blob off before it gets on your hands.”

Suzy immediately frowned and Joanna shot him a you-should-know-better scowl.

“That’s not a blob,” the girl protested. “That’s Frog!”

“Of course it is!” Mac replied quickly, trying to pry his foot out of his mouth. “I was just teasing you!”

Relief flooded him when the little girl giggled. “Here,” she said, thrusting the paper toward him. “You can hang it in your office!”

“That sounds like a great idea! Ms. Joanna, would you like to help me?” he asked, hoping she would pick up on what he was really trying to say.

“Sure,” she immediately agreed before grabbing another large piece of blank paper and addressing Suzy. “Here sweetie, why don’t you make a painting for your mom this time?”

Suzy shrugged and wordlessly dipped her fingers into the mushy paint and began drawing as if she hadn’t a care in the world.

Once secluded in his office, MacGyver told Joanna everything that had happened with Jill.

“I hope Lee is right,” she said. “There’s no way those charges should stick! Jill’s a great mom!”

“I don’t get why she’s the criminal in this when it’s all her sister’s fault,” Mac groaned.

“Unfortunately, I saw this type of situation more than once when I was working in the correctional facility. A parent can be prosecuted for leaving their children with a less-than-competent caregiver even if they don’t realize it.”

Mac was about to voice his protest but decided to save his energy and instead asked, “What did I miss on this end?”

“After you left, Cynthia and I asked the kids to tell us what happened. They said they were watching TV when their mom left for her second job and when the show ended they wanted to play with their aunt. When they couldn’t wake her up, they got bored and came to Challengers. Their presence didn’t raise any red flags because they’re here so often anyway.”

MacGyver jammed his fingers through his hair. “Man, talk about a mole hill turning into a mountain.”

“Tell me about it,” Jo commiserated. “Anyway, Cynthia and I talked with them and explained their mom wasn’t feeling well and that they would be staying with you and me for a ‘fun’ weekend so their mom could rest.”

“Well then, I better get the kids back to my place before Mrs. Hawley finds out I kept them up past their bedtime,” Mac smirked. “Wanna come by in the morning for pancakes?”

“Um, sure,” she replied softly, her eyes downcast.

Mac tucked his finger under her chin, forcing her to look at him. “I just said something wrong. What is it?”

“Nothing,” she said, jerking her head away. “I just thought we were in this together. You know you don’t have to do your ‘hero’ stuff alone anymore.”

“Sorry, force of habit. Can you forgive me?” he asked, eyebrow quirked.

She nodded.

“How about we stop by your place on the way so you can pick up some things?”

She looked up at him sheepishly. “While you were gone I called my mom and she packed a bag for me and dropped it off. I’m good to go.”

For the first time that day, MacGyver’s world slowed and his attention was solely focused on the strong, beautiful woman in front of him. “Thank you,” he said before he dipped his head and found her lips with his. He kept the kiss soft and warm and, by necessity, all too short.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After leaving Challengers, MacGyver stopped at the Talbot home where he and Joanna helped the children each pack a small bag for the weekend before heading to his townhouse. He had barely unlocked the door before the brother and sister scampered across the threshold to inspect their new surroundings.

“How do you expect us to play hide-and-seek in here?” Davey demanded, arms folded across his chest.

“So much for open-concept architecture,” Joanna snickered.

“Where are the bedrooms?” Suzy asked, ignoring her brother’s concern.

“There’s only one bedroom. Upstairs,” Mac informed her.

“Where are we all gonna sleep?” she asked with a huff.

Jo sent MacGyver a bemused look and watched him squirm as he tried to figure out the answer.

“Well...I figure you and Ms. Joanna can sleep in the bed upstairs and Davey and I will bunk down here.”

“Why do they get the bed,” the young boy complained.

“Because they’re ladies and we, as gentleman, need to make sure they are comfortable.”

“Suzy ain’t no lady, she’s my sister!” Davey exclaimed.

Mac looked like a drowning man on dry land and it was all Jo could do to keep from laughing out loud. However, not wanting the battle of the sexes to escalate, she quickly altered the solution.

“How about Suzy and I take the bed and you and Mac can pitch a tent in the backyard and pretend you’re on a camp out?”

“But I wanna go camping, too!” the little girl cried.

Joanna groaned and covered her face with her hands. She could only imagine the goofy pay-back grin on MacGyver’s face and refused to meet his gaze.

“There’s plenty of room for the three of us in my tent,” Mac assured Suzy. “That is, unless Joanna wants to join us.”

This time she did look him in the eye and pulled a face before grabbing her bag and heading up the spiral staircase. “Not me! I’ll be very happy all alone in this great big comfy bed,” she proclaimed.

With the sleeping arrangements settled, at least for one night, they sat down to a late supper after which Mac put up the tent while the children bathed and got ready for bed. It was almost midnight by the time Joanna crawled into MacGyver’s bed and snuggled underneath the covers. The mattress was firm and the sheets smelled fresh. How often did Mac actually sleep in his bed anyway? She knew he had an affinity for couches and had always chalked it up to being part of his loveable quirkiness. But what if it was more than that? What if he got lonely sleeping in an empty bed night after night and crashed on the sofa so he wouldn’t have to face that particular demon? A pang of sadness stabbed her heart just as sleep claimed her.

Joanna slowly opened her eyes. How long had she been asleep? Minutes? Hours? It was impossible to tell, but the one thing she knew for certain was that she was not alone. Rolling over and raising herself up on one elbow she squinted into the darkness to find MacGyver standing at the foot of the bed.

“What’s wrong? Are the kids okay?” She was suddenly wide awake.

“Relax,” he whispered. “Everything’s fine. The kids are sleeping on the couch.”

“Why?”

“Suzy bailed on us after thirty minutes insisting she had seen a bear. About an hour later, Davey went into the house for a drink of water and never came back, apparently succumbing to the comfort of the couch. They just don’t make kids like they used to.”

“What about you?”

“I was only roughing it for them,” Mac replied, then nodded toward the empty side of the bed. “I was kinda hoping you’d be willing to share.”

Joanna silently answered by pulling back the unused covers, allowing MacGyver to slip into bed. She swore he was asleep before his head even hit the pillow, but she stayed awake much longer listening to his soft, rhythmic breathing and enjoying the weight and warmth of his body next to hers. The next time she awoke, rays of sunlight were streaming through the skylight overhead and a small ruckus had erupted downstairs.

“I want my mommy!” Suzy wailed loudly.

“Don’t be such a crybaby!” Davey shouted back.

“I’m not a crybaby!” Suzy protested in return.

Mac bolted out of bed and down the stairs before Joanna regained enough consciousness to sit up.

“Knock it off, you two,” she heard him say in a calm but firm voice.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After assuring Suzy that she would see her mother soon and convincing Davey not to call his sister names, MacGyver went into the kitchen to whip up a batch of his world famous pancakes while the siblings watched Saturday morning cartoons. Joanna soon joined them, already showered and dressed for the day, but the dark circles under her eyes told him she must have had a restless night. A twinge of guilt shot through him as he recalled the night before. He couldn’t remember the last time he had slept so soundly. Just lying next to Jo had been like a soothing balm to his soul.

“You’re letting them eat in front of the TV?” she asked behind a yawn.

“Good morning to you, too,” Mac grinned.

“Sorry. Good morning,” she mumbled.

“I keep forgetting you’re not a morning person,” he apologized as he pulled a kitchen chair away from the table for her to plop down in.

“So, what’s on the agenda for today?” Jo asked once they had both taken several bites of their breakfast.

“I thought we’d all go to Challengers. You need to pick up your car since you left it there yesterday and Cynthia deserves a break.”

“Sounds like a plan,” she agreed.

After putting away the breakfast dishes, Mac showered and dressed while Joanna wrangled the kids and got them ready for the day. When they arrived at Challengers they found one group of teens in the middle of a heated pick-up basketball game while another group tried their hand at street hockey. Inside the club, members were playing table games, working out on the exercise equipment or simply chatting and laughing amongst themselves. Davey quickly found the dinosaur book he had been reading the day before and buried himself in its pages while Suzy made a beeline for the corner where Frog, up until now, slept peacefully. Joanna followed MacGyver to his office where he quickly placed a call to Lee Vang.

“Any news?” she asked after he hung up.

“No,” Mac sighed. “He said we won’t know anything until after the initial court appearance on Monday.”

“So we just have to wait,” Jo frowned.

MacGyver went to stand behind her and began massaging her shoulders.

“I know it’s frustrating, but we don’t have a choice,” he said before burying his face in the curve of her neck, taking in her sweetness. A soft knock on the door interrupted him.

“Go away,” he groaned, not willing to move an inch.

The knock came again and Joanna eased out of his grasp with an apologetic smile. “You probably should answer that since we are at work.”

With a heavy sigh Mac opened the door and looked down to find Suzy and Davey looking up at him.

“We’re bored,” they informed him in unison.

Of course they were bored. They were the youngest members of the club and few teens wanted to spend their time at Challengers babysitting. It was dumb thinking on his part to expect them to spend the entire day entertaining themselves.

“I just remembered I have some errands to run,” Jo announced, stepping up beside him. “I could use a couple helpers. What do you say?”

“I wanna come! Mommy says I’m the bestest helper in the whole world!” Suzy proclaimed.

Davey rolled his eyes. “I guess it beats sitting around here all day,” he replied flatly.

Mac wasn’t sure if Joanna truly had errands or not, but he sincerely appreciated her efforts to distract the children. She grabbed her purse and shot him a bright smile as if she had read his thoughts before herding the kids out the door.

MacGyver sequestered himself in his office for the rest of the morning. With Joanna now working full-time at Challengers for the summer, he figured he would use this time to revamp the schedule. After an hour of frustrating confusion he was seriously thinking about leaving this particular task for Cynthia, or perhaps even Joanna herself. Coordinating high level security for visiting foreign dignitaries or executing a secret reconnaissance mission in a hostile Middle Eastern country was a piece of cake compared to working out a weekly schedule with a cast of ever-changing volunteers. Not quite ready to admit defeat, he decided to clear his head. He shot a round of pool with Raul before heading outside where he demonstrated the finer points of street hockey to a small group of boys and played a little one-on-one b-ball with some of the newer members. The Talbots might be the youngest members of the club, but Mac would happily admit to being the oldest!

Back in his office, he put in another couple hours of work and actually had a somewhat complete schedule to show for it. By mid-afternoon, a number of adult volunteers were on duty and he was anxious to see how Jo and the kids were doing so he collected Frog and headed home. What he saw when he turned the Jeep into his driveway made his heart ache in the most wonderful way. Joanna was kneeling on the grass between Suzy and Davey, their hands digging in the narrow strip of dirt between the house and walkway which had probably once been a flower garden and would be again if the flat of colorful petunias sitting on the front step was any indication. Was this what other men felt when they returned home to their wife and children? A wave of love and contentment washed over him as he slowly climbed from the car. Frog wiggled past him before awkwardly scampering to the backyard, presumably to avoid Suzy’s strangling hugs, and it was the little girl who first acknowledged his presence.

“Look, Daddy Mac! We’re makin’ a garden!”

“I can see that,” he called back happily.

As he got closer to the little domestic scene, he noticed that Joanna had put Davey in charge of digging holes while she helped Suzy release the plants from their plastic containers and place them in the dirt, carefully burying their roots.

“You’re doing great, keep it up,” Jo encouraged them as she slowly rose to her feet and made her way to MacGyver.

“So this was the ‘errand’ you had to run earlier?” he asked for only her to hear.

“I’ve had the idea in the back of my mind for awhile and today seemed like the perfect opportunity. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not a chance,” he assured her.

“But you’re gonna have to remember to water them every now and again,” she instructed.

“Don’t worry,” Mac said with a wicked grin. “I’ll put Frog in charge of that.”

Joanna playfully swatted his shoulder just as the children announced they had completed their task.

“How does it look, Daddy Mac?” Suzy asked.

“It looks perfect. Every time I see the flowers I’ll think of you.”

Suzy smiled and ran to wrap her arms around his waist, grubby hands and all.

“Why don’t you go in and wash up and we’ll all go out to dinner to celebrate the new garden,” Mac suggested and was met with a chorus of cheers.

Dressed in clean clothes with freshly scrubbed hands, the foursome were soon seated at a table at their favorite Italian restaurant. They had ordered two pizzas to accommodate everyone’s taste and once they were served, there was no shortage of opinions, especially when it came to MacGyver’s half of one of the pies.

“Ew! What’s that?!” Davey asked, wrinkling his nose.

“It’s pineapple,” Mac laughed, holding out a piece to the boy. “Want some?”

“No way!”

“Why do you have so many veggies on your pizza?” Suzy asked him, truly bewildered. “Are you being punished?”

“No. I like veggies,” he answered simply, which caused the little girl to shake her head in dismay before biting into her own piece.

Armed with leftovers in Styrofoam carry-out containers that would be tomorrow’s lunch, they left the restaurant to find dark storm clouds hovering in the western sky. MacGyver checked the weather report as soon as they arrived home and informed Joanna that several strong storm squalls would be passing through during the night. While not looking forward to dealing with potentially frightened children, the wild weather did make sleeping arrangements incredibly easy: Everyone in the household piled onto Mac’s bed, including Frog. Sleep was intermittent at best as the occupants dozed until a loud clap of thunder would awaken them. Finally, near dawn, the last line of storms rumbled away over Lake Michigan allowing exhaustion and fear to give way to peaceful slumber.

Hours later, Mac awoke gasping for air. At some point, Suzy had rolled over and laid her arm across his windpipe. Moving gingerly to relieve the pressure yet not wake the girl, he laid back and listened to the lingering rain fall in a steady rhythm against the roof. Joanna, Davey and Suzy still slept, their faces slightly flushed and serene, while soft snores emanated from the bulldog on the foot of the bed. Oh, how easily he could get used to waking up to a scene like this every day for the rest of his life. The sudden ring of the telephone shattered the dreamy peacefulness. MacGyver rolled out of bed and jogged down the stairs hoping to quiet the phone before it woke anyone else.

“Hello?” he answered, his voice still raspy from sleep.

Hey, Mac! Sorry to disturb you on a Sunday morning.” It was Lee Vang.

“No problem. What’s up?” Mac asked quietly so as not to disturb the still-sleeping trio upstairs.

“I’m preparing for Jill Talbot’s arraignment tomorrow and was wondering if you and Joanna could have the kids there. It’d be even better if you could also get Ms. Wilson and some of the volunteers to go too.”

Mac scrubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “That might be a problem,” he hedged. “See, we kinda lied and told the kids their mom was sick. We didn’t want to upset them more than they already were.”

“I understand,” Lee said, “but I plan on going out on a limb with the judge and could really use some back up.”

“Don’t worry, Lee. I’ll take care of it. We’ll see you tomorrow,” MacGyver promised.

He hung up the phone and turned to find Joanna standing at the foot of the stairs, her arms wrapped around her waist.

“What did Lee want? What are you going to take care of?” she questioned.

He relayed the telephone conversation to her before they both headed back upstairs to get the kids up and dressed. A short while later they were all seated around the kitchen table for breakfast. Mac sipped a protein shake while Jo ran her spoon back and forth through a bowl of cereal. Picking up on the adults’ discomfort, Davey and Suzy took a couple bites of pancakes before declaring themselves full. MacGyver caught Jo’s gaze and they both knew it was now or never. So, over the half-eaten meal, they took turns explaining to the two young children exactly what had happened with their mother and that they would all be going to the courthouse tomorrow. When they were done speaking, Suzy climbed onto Mac’s lap, buried her head in his shoulder and began to sob. Davey shoved his chair back and ran out the front door. Mac watched Joanna follow without trying to intercept him, knowing the boy needed some time to process what he had just heard.

Heavy gray clouds blanketed the sky for the rest of the day, aptly reflecting the mood in the townhouse. Once breakfast dishes were done and the children were settled in front of the TV, Joanna went to her house and then the Talbot’s to collect court-worthy clothes for the next day. While she was gone, MacGyver called Cynthia and a couple other volunteers who knew Davey and Suzy well. They all agreed to be in court for Jill’s arraignment and offered encouraging words. With those tasks complete, the day passed slowly and sullenly. The brother and sister had apparently agreed to divest themselves of adult interference and built an invisible barrier between them and their guardians so much so that after a silent supper of leftover pizza they climbed the stairs together and crawled into bed, leaving Mac and Joanna sitting on the couch to watch an old black and white western on television that couldn’t even hold MacGyver’s interest.

XXXXX

The courtroom was abuzz with activity when Mac, Jo and the kids arrived Monday morning. Davey squeezed Joanna’s hand and clung to her side while Suzy refused to walk, insisting that MacGyver carry her. It didn’t take long before he found Lee Vang, Cynthia, and a couple other Challenger parent volunteers standing in the front row of the gallery.

“Thanks so much for coming and bringing the children,” Lee said as he greeted them with handshakes

“So what’s the plan?” Mac asked as he settled a protesting Suzy in an empty seat while Jo did the same with her brother.

“Just wait and see,” Lee smiled, leaving MacGyver to wonder how the man could appear so confident and optimistic.

A hush fell over the crowd when the judge appeared and took his seat behind the bench as everyone followed suit. Three cases were presented before Jill Talbot was escorted to the defendant's table where Lee waited for her. She was still wearing her housekeeping uniform which was now dirty and wrinkled, but to Mac’s relief, her children were spared from seeing their mother in jail clothes and handcuffs. Once advised of her constitutional rights and having the charges against her read, she was asked to enter her plea. MacGyver watched as Jill peeled her eyes away from the judge only to land on her lawyer as Lee cleared his throat and began to speak.

“Your honor, on behalf of my client, I ask that you dismiss this case immediately and rescind all charges.”

“Counselor, you are well aware this is not the time nor the place for such a motion,” the judge warned.

“On the contrary, your honor, this is exactly the time. Ms. Talbot has two jobs she is currently at risk of losing as well as children who need their mother to return home. What happened last week is not my client’s fault. She did what she believed to be in the best interest of her children. Any and all fault lies clearly with her sister, who is being tried and prosecuted separately.”

“You’re not going to let this go, are you Mr. Vang?” the judge asked the lawyer even as he eyed MacGyver, Joanna, and the rest of the Challengers contingent.

“No, your honor, I am not.”

The judge sighed loudly. “Would all pertinent parties to the case adjourn to my chambers?” Though phrased as a question, Mac knew it was a command.

As the group crowded into the judge’s private quarters, Davey and Suzy ran to their mother, each grabbing one of her hands and holding on for dear life. MacGyver couldn’t help but think he saw a slight crack in the judge’s stern countenance.

“Your honor, I must strongly object to this unprecedented turn of events,” the prosecuting assistant district attorney sputtered.

The judge pinned him with a steely gaze. “This is not a hearing so you cannot object,” he reprimanded, “and even if you could, it would be overruled since I want to hear what Mr. Vang has to say.”

Lee took this opportunity to pounce. “As you can see, your honor, the Talbot children are healthy and well-cared for with no sign of neglect. In addition, my client has never received so much as a speeding ticket. The D.A. has a weak case at best, so I suggest we save the court time, the taxpayers money, and the Talbots a lot of distress by allowing them to walk out of this courthouse today as a family.”

The judge once again turned his attention to the prosecutor who was nervously re-adjusting his tie. “Exactly what type of evidence do you have against the defendant?” he asked.

“I have an eyewitness, your honor.”

“And what will your eyewitness testify to?”

“She found the defendant's sister unconscious and no children in the house.”

“Can she testify that the children were in imminent danger?”

“No, your honor.”

“Can she testify to a cycle of neglect?”

“Um, no, your honor.”

After several minutes of silent consideration, the judge turned his attention to Lee Vang.

“Given the prosecutor’s painful lack of evidence, I will make an exception and accept your motion to dismiss this case.”

The Talbot’s and their supporters breathed a collective sigh of relief before profusely thanking the judge and being led out a side door by the bailiff. In the parking lot, hugs and handshakes were exchanged before Davey and Suzy, along with their mother, piled into Lee’s sedan for the ride home while Joanna and MacGyver climbed into the Jeep with promises to quickly return the children’s meager belongings that remained at the townhouse.

Less than an hour later, the couple sat at Mac’s kitchen table nibbling on a light lunch of fruit and yogurt.

“So, what are your plans for the rest of the day,” MacGyver asked Jo, mainly to break the silence that had fallen between them since leaving the courthouse.

She shrugged. “Since it’s technically my first day of work at Challengers I was gonna meet with Cynthia and start learning some of the behind-the-scenes stuff. You know, the stuff you don’t like to do.”

Mac allowed himself to smile at her quip before turning serious.

“It’s been a pretty crazy past few days. Why don’t you go home and start fresh tomorrow?”

“What about you?” she countered, sidestepping his question.

“I thought I’d pack up the kids’ stuff and drop it off on my way to the club,” he replied. His voice almost monotone.

“Sure is quiet around here without them,” Joanna observed. “They sure have a knack of worming their way into your heart when you’re not looking.”

“No argument here,” Mac agreed. “But there is one member of this household who’s not gonna miss ‘em.”

MacGyver slanted his eyes to where Frog laid stretched out under the coffee table, snoring loudly.












Posted by: Dragondog 19 October 2019 - 11:15 PM
First of all, I'm really sorry it took so long to read and review this. But in my defense, since my job keeps me on my feet all day, I'm usually struggling not to pass out when I come home, and I usually end up falling asleep with my light still on, so my reviews will probably be coming in late anyway :/

Anyway, here we go:

QUOTE

Hmmm. Jo really believed they were on the road to something permanent, and for the first time he could remember that excited him instead of tempted him to turn and run the other way.
If this one has the same number of chapters as the last one, we're about halfway through now... What are you waiting for Mac? laugh.gif

QUOTE
The only sign that something was wrong was little Suzy, with her brown bobbed hair so like Joanna’s, sitting in the corner Frog had commandeered for himself, hugging the long-suffering dog tight.
Frog's such a good boy love.jpg

QUOTE


“That’s the way the system works, Mr. MacGyver,” the social worker retorted.

“Well the ‘system’ stinks!”
Lol, that's not the word I would use...

QUOTE

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of them,” she answered in response to his unspoken question, and it was all he could do not to take her into his arms and show her how much her thoughtful actions and support meant to him, but he thought it best to refrain given the steely gaze leveled on them by the stern social worker.

Social Worker: *grumpy witch*
MacGyver: *grabs Joanna and smothers her*
Social Worker:... You're not suitable...

QUOTE

“Look what I made Daddy Mac!” the little girl called from across the room.
I love Suzy so much love.jpg

QUOTE

“That’s great, sweetheart! But you need to wipe that blob off before it gets on your hands.”

Suzy immediately frowned and Joanna shot him a you-should-know-better scowl.

“That’s not a blob,” the girl protested. “That’s Frog!”

“Of course it is!” Mac replied quickly, trying to pry his foot out of his mouth. “I was just teasing you!”
<--- Why I don't spend time with kids XD

QUOTE
Mac tucked his finger under her chin, forcing her to look at him. “I just said something wrong. What is it?”

“Nothing,” she said, jerking her head away. “I just thought we were in this together. You know you don’t have to do your ‘hero’ stuff alone anymore.”

“Sorry, force of habit. Can you forgive me?” he asked, eyebrow quirked.

She nodded.

“How about we stop by your place on the way so you can pick up some things?”

She looked up at him sheepishly. “While you were gone I called my mom and she packed a bag for me and dropped it off. I’m good to go.”
I feel like she spends more time at his place than she does her own XD

QUOTE
“Where are the bedrooms?” Suzy asked, ignoring her brother’s concern.

“There’s only one bedroom. Upstairs,” Mac informed her.

“Where are we all gonna sleep?” she asked with a huff.

Jo sent MacGyver a bemused look and watched him squirm as he tried to figure out the answer.

“Well...I figure you and Ms. Joanna can sleep in the bed upstairs and Davey and I will bunk down here.”

“Why do they get the bed,” the young boy complained.

“Because they’re ladies and we, as gentleman, need to make sure they are comfortable.”

“Suzy ain’t no lady, she’s my sister!” Davey exclaimed.

Mac looked like a drowning man on dry land and it was all Jo could do to keep from laughing out loud. However, not wanting the battle of the sexes to escalate, she quickly altered the solution.

“How about Suzy and I take the bed and you and Mac can pitch a tent in the backyard and pretend you’re on a camp out?”

“But I wanna go camping, too!” the little girl cried.

Joanna groaned and covered her face with her hands. She could only imagine the goofy pay-back grin on MacGyver’s face and refused to meet his gaze.
Ah, the joys of children... yucky.gif

QUOTE


Joanna slowly opened her eyes. How long had she been asleep? Minutes? Hours? It was impossible to tell, but the one thing she knew for certain was that she was not alone. Rolling over and raising herself up on one elbow she squinted into the darkness to find MacGyver standing at the foot of the bed.
All right, creeper, enough already XD XD XD

QUOTE

“Suzy bailed on us after thirty minutes insisting she had seen a bear. About an hour later, Davey went into the house for a drink of water and never came back, apparently succumbing to the comfort of the couch. They just don’t make kids like they used to.”
Another accurate representation of children XD

QUOTE

“I want my mommy!” Suzy wailed loudly.

“Don’t be such a crybaby!” Davey shouted back.

“I’m not a crybaby!” Suzy protested in return.

Mac bolted out of bed and down the stairs before Joanna regained enough consciousness to sit up.

“Knock it off, you two,” she heard him say in a calm but firm voice.
And again... XD

QUOTE
Davey quickly found the dinosaur book he had been reading the day before and buried himself in its pages while Suzy made a beeline for the corner where Frog, up until now, slept peacefully.
So Frog slept at Challengers all night hmm.bmp XD

QUOTE
“I know it’s frustrating, but we don’t have a choice,” he said before burying his face in the curve of her neck, taking in her sweetness. A soft knock on the door interrupted him.

“Go away,” he groaned, not willing to move an inch.

The knock came again and Joanna eased out of his grasp with an apologetic smile. “You probably should answer that since we are at work.”
laugh.gif

QUOTE
With a heavy sigh Mac opened the door and looked down to find Suzy and Davey looking up at him.

“We’re bored,” they informed him in unison.
The best part is that's exactly what happens when couples have children. No more time to themselves tongue.gif

QUOTE
Everyone in the household piled onto Mac’s bed, including Frog
Aww tongue.gif I kinda want to see a drawing of this. Everyone in a pile, with Frog on top XD

It's sad to see the kids getting so upset sad.gif

Glad it got worked out pretty quickly though smile.gif

QUOTE


“No argument here,” Mac agreed. “But there is one member of this household who’s not gonna miss ‘em.”

MacGyver slanted his eyes to where Frog laid stretched out under the coffee table, snoring loudly.
Oh Frog XD

Posted by: Dragondog 20 October 2019 - 09:07 PM
I randomly woke up at 7 AM, went, "The title of this chapter was Innocence, which I assumed meant that the kids' mother was innocent, but it also has to do with the children, who are unaware of what's going on, and are adorable innocent cinnamon rolls." Then I fell back to sleep laugh.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 21 October 2019 - 04:57 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 20 October 2019 - 09:07 PM)
I randomly woke up at 7 AM, went, "The title of this chapter was Innocence, which I assumed meant that the kids' mother was innocent, but it also has to do with the children, who are unaware of what's going on, and are adorable innocent cinnamon rolls." Then I fell back to sleep laugh.gif

LOL...Glad you made the connection...that's what I intended when I came up with the title!

Posted by: uniquelyjas 23 October 2019 - 05:00 AM
**Dragondog, I think you will find this chapter quite interesting;) Enjoy!!!


Chapter 20: Deja Vu


“Hello? Hello?!”

MacGyver slammed the telephone receiver back down into the cradle.

“Whoa! What did that phone ever do to you?” Joanna quipped from his office doorway.

He sent a steely gaze her way.

“I’ve been getting prank calls all day,” he growled. “As soon as I answer they hang up.”

Jo shrugged. “It’s the start of summer vacation and kids are bored. Didn’t you ever do stuff like that when you were young?”

Mac’s eyes softened. “Yeah, I suppose I did some dumb things in my time. I guess I’m just cranky today.”

“That time of the month, huh?” Joanna asked, glancing at the pile of invoices on his desk.

“Yeah. I really wasn’t thinking when I told Cynthia to take the day off.” He jammed his splayed fingers through his hair in frustration.

“Why don’t you sign some blank checks and take off. I can handle the bills.”

MacGyver looked at her skeptically.

“Don’t you trust me?” she asked. A mix of hurt and indignation in her voice.

“Of course I trust you. I just don’t want to overwork you right off the bat.”

Jo’s light laugh warmed him as she came to stand behind his chair and massage his shoulders.

“Wow, you really are tense,” she observed, kneading his taut muscles.

MacGyver could feel the warmth of her hands through the thin fabric of his shirt and willed himself to relax as her thumbs began to caress the back of his neck. Man, he loved this woman!

“I’ll go home on one condition,” he told her.

“And what’s that?”

He reached up and grabbed her forearms, gently yanking her upper body over the back of his chair.

“That you come with me,” he grinned mischievously.

Jo pulled free of his light grasp and walked around to the front of his desk.

“That would defeat the entire purpose and you’d just come back to this stuff tomorrow. Go home or go skating or...something! Just get out of here and relax!”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied with a mock salute, giving her a peck on the tip of her nose as he passed her on his way out the door.

XXXXX

After two hours of working up a sweat on the ice followed by a long, hot shower, MacGyver still felt a niggle of soul-deep anxiety. His sixth sense, which he had so often relied on in the past, was clearly trying to tell him something, something he was unable to comprehend. Dressed in grey sweatpants and a black tank top, he now rifled through his refrigerator looking for something to eat. Not particularly hungry, he grabbed an apple from the crisper, took a bite, and pushed the door closed with his hip. No sooner had he swallowed than the telephone rang. He tried, unsuccessfully, to suppress a groan. Tempted to let the answering machine take it, he took another bite of fruit before deciding to answer the call after all. It could be something or someone important...like Joanna.

“Hello?” he mumbled around a mouthful of sweet, juicy apple.

He was greeted with an eerie silence before an all-too-familiar maniacal laugh came over the line, causing him to swallow hard. The voice was raspy and somewhat mechanical, but he would recognize that evil tone anywhere.

“No! No way! You’re dead!” he yelled, before clicking off the call and sending the cordless handset flying across the room.

He dropped his apple on the counter and crumpled into the nearest chair, the heels of his hands pressed against his eyes.

“It’s not him. It’s not him,” Mac muttered over and over, trying to convince himself he hadn’t heard who he thought he heard.

MacGyver had no idea how long he sat there, repeating his mantra, but when he next looked up darkness had settled over the apartment. Both ashamed and angry for letting a dead man control his emotions so easily, he made his way to the couch where he sprawled out and eventually fell into a fitful slumber.

Much to his dismay, Mac awoke several times during the night, his spine tingling with the sensation that someone was watching him. Each time, he took a turn around his apartment to ensure all windows and doors were locked and no one was lurking in the shadows. Even Frog slept undisturbed. He was completely alone.

The following morning, a bleary-eyed MacGyver entered his office to find Joanna leaning lazily against his desk before slowly walking towards him, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck, and gracing him with a soft yet sensual kiss.

“Wow! What did I do to deserve that?!” he asked, surprised and a bit stimulated by her assertiveness.

“As if you didn’t know,” she chided with a knowing smile.

“With a welcome like that I’d do it a lot more, but honestly, what are you talking about?”

Jo frowned and took a step back. “The flowers you sent to my house yesterday.”

“What flowers?”

“The long-stemmed red roses you had delivered,” she replied.

“As much as I’d like to take the credit, I didn’t send you roses, or anything else for that matter. Wasn’t there a card?”

“Yeah,” she replied, her mood seriously soured. “All it said was ‘Much love, M’.”

“‘M’? Not my name?”

“No,” Jo responded, now seeming to slip into confusion. “But who else could it be?”

“It’s not him,” Mac whispered to himself. “It’s. Not. Him.”

“Not who?” Joanna’s voice was far away.

Mac shook his head to resettle his thoughts and bring himself back to the present.

“A ghost from my past. Remember me telling you about Murdoc?”

“That crazy assassin that kept trying to kill you? Yeah, I remember. But he’s been dead for over a year, Mac. You watched him die. You went to the morgue to make sure he was dead. It can’t be him,” she reasoned.

“You don’t know Murdoc,” he muttered.

“C’mon Mac, think about this logically,” Joanna urged. “Maybe one of your friends is just playing a joke on you. Maybe it’s just Jack and his weird sense of humor.”

MacGyver shook his head adamantly. “No. None of my friends would ever joke about Murdoc,” he told her firmly.

“What about your enemies? I’m sure you have some.”

“Yeah...but the phone calls, the flowers...this has ‘Murdoc’ written all over it,” Mac sighed as he lowered himself into the chair behind his desk.

He was interrupted by a soft tap on the door jamb where Cynthia stood holding a large brown envelope.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, but I thought you’d want to see this.” She raised the package she held a bit higher. “It was in with the morning mail, but there’s no postmark or return address, just your name on the front.”

“Thanks Cynthia,” Jo replied as she took the envelope and passed it to MacGyver as the other woman headed back to her office.

Dread and curiosity warred with each other as Mac stared at the parcel now in his hands. With Joanna watching, he tore it open and tipped it sideways, allowing several photographs to slide out. He studied the grainy images one by one before passing them to Jo, the blood draining from his face. There were pictures of him and her, both alone and together, pictures of their houses, of Challengers, of the club members playing outside.

“He’s been stalking us for weeks,” Joanna whispered incredulously.

“That does it,” MacGyver announced as he stood up and began putting the photos back into the envelope. “This is definitely Murdoc and I gotta get out of here.”

“Why?! Where are you going?!” Jo demanded.

“I’m not sure yet. I just have to get away from you and Challengers. It’s me he wants. I’m not gonna put anybody else in danger.”

“Then I’m coming with you,” she declared.

Mac rounded on her, his voice rising. “Haven’t you heard a word I said? This is Murdoc we’re dealing with. I need to do this alone!”

“Isn’t there anyone you can call? Tell them what’s happening? Maybe they can help.”

“Everyone is convinced he’s dead. They’ll think I’m the lunatic!”

“What about Pete?” she asked quietly.

MacGyver took a deep breath before blowing it out. “It would be a stretch, even for him. I’ll be in touch.” He kissed her tenderly on the forehead before turning to leave.

XXXXX

Mac pulled his empty duffle bag out from underneath the bed, set it on the mattress, and began haphazardly filling it with clothes and other necessities. He had decided to head up to Harry’s cabin. That was probably where Murdoc anticipated he would go. He still hadn’t formed a plan about what to do when he finally came face-to-face with his archenemy. He’d deal with that when the time came. Right now he had to draw the danger away from everything he held dear. His phone rang and he gave it a venomous glare. This time he would let the machine get it. He heard the beep and then a familiar voice came over the speaker.

“MacGyver, it’s Pete. If you’re there, pick up.”

Mac scrubbed his face with his hand. He really didn’t want to talk to anybody, but if things went south with Murdoc, this could be the last conversation he would have with his friend.

“Hey, Pete.”

“Joanna called and told me what’s happening. Are you out of your mind?!”

“Maybe.”

“You and I both know Murdoc is dead, so before you go running off, take a minute to think things through. Who else might be behind this?”

“I don’t know Pete. I just don’t know,” Mac replied despondently before ending the call.

Calmer now, MacGyver forced his mind to go into field ops mode. His history with Murdoc had made their rivalry personal and allowed emotion to get in the way of logic. He wasn’t going to let that happen again. Sitting at his kitchen table, he took a closer look at the pictures that had been delivered to Challengers, studying them objectively. Something wasn’t right. The quality was off. Not quite blurry, but not crystal clear either. Photography was part of the assassin's M.O., but it was also one of his passions. Like everything else he did, the images he produced were neat and clean. And then there was the content. Specifically, the photo of the kids at Challengers. Though most always categorized as a cold-blooded killer, Murdoc drew the line at harming children. While concentrating on the pictures, the phone call from the night before began to replay itself in MacGyver’s head. It, too, had been ‘off’. The raspiness of the voice and that mechanical sound, almost like a...tape recorder!

Mac grabbed the telephone and quickly dialed Pete’s number.

“It’s not Murdoc,” he announced as soon as his call was answered.

“See? I told you!” Pete proclaimed.

“But if it’s not Murdoc, it’s someone who wants me to think it is.”

Mac considered this for a moment.

“Pete, what’s the status of HIT?”

“Well, as you know, we were able to shut them down using the information against them that Murdoc gave to you several years ago, but they somehow resurfaced though not to their initial extent. Shortly after you left Phoenix they went dormant. The Foundation, DXS, and other government agencies all monitored them for activity but by the time I retired it seemed they had shut down for good.”

“Can you verify that and get back to me?”

“Sure,” Pete promised. “You gonna be sticking around for a while?”

“Yeah.” Mac hung up. All he could do for now was wait.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

From the second MacGyver turned his back on her Joanna began to worry. Where would he go? What would he do? He had let his emotions get the better of him and he wasn’t thinking straight. She wanted to help him, but how? If she went to him, she could possibly be putting herself in danger as well as be a distraction for him. If she stayed away, he was on his own. Out there alone with a murderer after him. Hopefully Pete had been able to speak with him and help him see reason. Nervous energy had her re-organizing Mac’s office when Raul came to her.

“Ms. Jo, there’s a man here to see you.”

“Thanks Raul. I’ll be out in a minute. Where’s Ms. Cynthia?”

“She’s upstairs cleaning the dorm rooms. Do you want me to get her?”

“No, let’s see what this guy wants first. If I can’t help him we’ll call for her.”

It didn’t take Joanna long to spot the stranger standing just inside the rec room chatting with some of the teens. She walked slowly, taking time to assess him. Of average height and build, his dirty blond hair was cut military-short showcasing his piercing blue eyes. He wore a loose-fitting suit and his smile was strained. Joanna stood tall and confident as she approached him.

“Good afternoon,” she said in greeting. “I work here at Challengers. Is there something I can help you with?”

He turned his empty smile on her causing a shiver to run down her back as she looked into eyes that were cold as ice.

“I was actually hoping to see MacGyver. He and I are old chums.”

Loud warning bells went off in her head. Was this Murdoc?

“I’m sorry. Mac’s not here right now. If you give me your name I can tell him you stopped by when he comes back.”

“You must be Joanna,” the man said, totally disregarding her suggestion.

“How do you know my name?” She hoped her voice didn’t betray the quivering in her stomach.

“Like I said, Mac and I are old friends. I tend to keep myself abreast of his...activities. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll just stay and wait for him.”

The man took a seat on a tattered couch and casually crossed his legs.

“I’m actually not sure when he’ll return. He may have even gone out of town for a few days” Jo said, groping for anything to say that would get this unsettling man to leave.

“You are so naive, my dear. He will come when you ask him to. After all, he’s partial to saving damsels in distress.” The man slowly opened his jacket to reveal a shoulder holster holding a handgun.

Joanna couldn’t believe her eyes. “It’s true. You are Murdoc! You’re alive!” She kept her voice low so the kids couldn’t hear.

“I think it’s time you made a phone call, eh?”

“And if I don’t?”

The man shot to his feet and slapped Joanna across the cheek hard enough to make her head spin.

“Oh, I think you will. Now go call MacGyver like a good little girl.”

Joanna nodded and obediently went to the telephone on the reception desk and dialed his number.

“The line’s busy.”

“Keep trying.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“What do you got for me, Pete?” Mac asked anxiously after answering the phone on the second ring.

“Not much, I’m afraid,” the older man sighed. “HIT is still officially underground, but there is some suspicion among certain government agencies that there’s been some activity in the recent months. Mainly in Europe.”

“What kind of activity?”

“My sources couldn’t divulge that information, but they did tell me that a rogue agent by the name of Clancy has gotten antsy and may have struck out on his own. Possibly to prove his worth to HIT.”

“Did this Clancy character have any connection with Murdoc?”

“Mac, you know I couldn’t ask that! Just my poking around has probably raised some eyebrows. I did, however, put a couple trusted people on alert, just in case Clancy is the one harassing you.”

“I understand, Pete. Thanks for your help.”

“Keep me posted,” Pete instructed as Mac clicked off the call.

MacGyver had barely set the phone back on the counter when it rang again.

“Hello?”

“Hi Mac, it’s me.” Joanna said in a tense voice.

“Are you okay?” he asked, but she just continued talking.

“An old friend of yours is here and waiting to see you.”

Mac’s heart plummeted to his toes. “Do whatever he tells you. I’m on my way!”

MacGyver ran to his Jeep and headed to Challengers. The trip had never seemed so long even though he was pretty sure he was breaking every land speed record known to man. He screeched to a halt in front of the large building before taking a moment to collect his thoughts. He had no idea what he was stepping into. He needed to be calm, careful, and focused. There were too many people in harm’s way. He cautiously entered the recreation room to find everyone huddled together in the exercise area facing a man who had a gun trained on them. Cynthia’s dark eyes were wide with fear, while Joanna’s were mere slits staring down her captor. A reddish mark, much like the imprint of a hand, marred her cheek and made his blood boil. But he had to remain objective and diffuse this situation without anyone getting hurt.

“Rule number one at assassin school is to never leave your back exposed. Were you absent that day, Clancy?”

“Sarcasm doesn’t become you, MacGyver. Besides, rule number two is to know your enemy. I know you don’t carry a weapon, and any attack on me would cause my gun to fire into this mass of humanity you seem so keen on protecting.”

“What are you doin’ here?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Clancy asked, still not turning toward his foe. “I’ve come to kill you.”

“Then kill me and get it over with, but let everyone else go. They mean nothing to you.”

“Mmmm, no. I think not. You see, your friend Murdoc had somewhat of a moral code, albeit a bit twisted, that caused him to leave loose ends, especially where you were concerned. I, on the other hand, have no such qualms regarding children and innocent bystanders. I do whatever it takes to get the job done. And this time I will succeed where Murdoc consistently failed and become HIT’s new golden boy.”

“But HIT’s been disbanded. There’s nothing in this for you,” Mac argued.

“Oh, MacGyver,” Clancy chuckled. “You and your intelligence agents are such simpletons. HIT has been active for years. Carrying out assignments right under your noses. But that’s neither here nor there. It’s time for you and me to take care of some business of our own.”

“This is flat out murder, Clancy. How do you plan to get away with it?”

The hitman sighed. “If you must know, while your friends are mourning your untimely death, at my hands, no less, the stove in your so-called kitchen will suddenly have an unexplained gas leak causing an explosion. It could be days before all the bodies are recovered from the rubble. But, alas, your friends will have succumbed to the fumes before the blast can kill them. Unfortunately, it will be quite painless for them.”

Tired of talking to the back of the madman’s head, MacGyver’s first instinct was to shout out and make him turn around and face him like a man. Mac was, as always, more than willing to give up his life for his friends, but this time, his death would seal their fates as well. He needed a plan, and he needed one quick. His eyes began to methodically search the room until his gaze fell upon a pair of hand weights someone had forgotten to pick up and put away, a bright pink vinyl covering concealing the five pounds of solid cast iron underneath. Too bad they lay just on the edge of Clancy’s peripheral vision. He’d need a diversion to get the man’s eyes to move away just a bit. Knowing he needed help and trusting in the unspoken connection he and Joanna often shared, he stared at her until he knew she felt his gaze. He breathed an inward sigh when he felt her eyes collide with his. Once he had her attention, he let his eyes slide from hers, to the weights, and back. After two glances she lowered her chin imperceptibly to indicate she understood.

“You’re awful quiet back there, MacGyver. What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?” Clancy taunted snidely.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Joanna knew Mac was counting on her to keep Clancy occupied while he reached for the would-be weapons. But what could she do? As a teacher, she had learned to quickly evaluate her students’ strengths and weaknesses. She thought she had a pretty good idea of Clancy’s as well.

“You’re a real piece of work, you know that Clancy?” she said, her voice steadier than she could have ever anticipated.

“What do you mean?” he snapped, his gaze sending icy shards through her.

Ah, yes. A person’s ego was always their downfall. He had to know what she thought of him.

“You think you’re better than Murdoc. That you can do what he couldn’t. But the funny thing is, you wouldn’t be here today without him.”

“How so?” There was no denying the anger in the man’s voice. She had hit a nerve. Caught him off guard. She took the smallest of steps to her right, but he didn’t notice. Gotcha!

“Well, you see,” she began to explain, all the while taking miniscule steps that, if his gaze followed, would keep Mac out of his field of vision. “It took you using Murdoc’s tricks to reel MacGyver in. The phone calls, the flowers, the paranoia and fear. You knew Mac would rise to Murdoc’s bait, but not to yours. Not to plain old Clancy who he didn’t even know existed until today. And then you go and turn your back on the most dangerous man in this room.”

Her heart was in her throat as she watched Mac, over Clancy’s shoulder, move just enough to reach out and quickly grab the bright pink dumbbells.

“Shut up!” cried the assassin. “You know I could shoot you right now!”

“You’re gonna kill us all anyway so what difference does it make,” she shot back, belatedly realizing that probably wasn’t the smartest thing to say. Thankfully she seemed to have already lost his interest.

“Enough games! MacGyver, come stand in front of me and face me like a man while I kill you!”

“Yeah, no, that’s not gonna happen.”

“Why not?” Jo detected an uneasy edge in Clancy’s voice. “Afraid I’ll miss and hit one of the little hostages instead? Well, let me assure you, Mr. MacGyver, I don’t miss!”

Joanna knew Mac wouldn’t make a move until everyone else was out of harm’s way. She had to get Clancy to turn around. She hoped that the adrenaline already flowing through his system coupled with every human’s basic fight-or-flight instinct would do the trick.

She took a deep breath and then, without warning, screamed “Look out!” as she raised her arm to point to a spot behind him.

Clancy automatically pivoted, holding his gun out in front of him. MacGyver took the opportunity to bring one of the weights down hard across the man’s wrist, sending the weapon clattering harmlessly to the floor. He jammed the other weight into Clancy’s gut, causing the hit man to fall backwards, gasping for breath. One final shot to the jaw and the man was unconscious.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hours later, MacGyver sat on the front stoop of Challengers. Dusk had fallen and the club members had headed home. Moments after Clancy had been subdued, officials from various agencies had descended on the club like a swarm of killer bees. Pete had already called to inform Mac that the assassin was in custody and providing authorities with enough information to permanently neutralize HIT. He was lost in his own thoughts when he felt Joanna’s hand lightly squeeze his shoulder.

“How’re you doin’?” she asked.

“I should be asking you that,” he replied, reaching up to take her hand and gently eased her down beside him. “You did a really good job in there, but you did have me worried when you started comparing him to Murdoc. That could have gone south really quick.”

Jo shrugged. “I took a calculated risk. I figured if I was going down, I’d go down swinging. I’m pretty sure I learned that from you.”

MacGyver remained silent as he fiddled with the audio cassette tape he had found on Clancy that had captured Murdoc’s evil laugh one last time.

“I guess I finally believe that he’s dead,” he murmured.

A tall man in a dark suit approached. “Excuse me, sir, but I need that for evidence.”

Mac wordlessly relinquished the tape. The weight he had carried for almost two decades lifted from his shoulders only to be replaced by a strange sort of sadness.

“Tell me about him,” Jo requested softly.

“Huh?”

“Murdoc,” she clarified. “Tell me about him.”

Mac scrubbed his face with his hands. He had worked so hard to shield Joanna from the exact person she was now asking about. What could he say?

“Murdoc worked for HIT as a contract assassin who spent approximately fifteen years trying to kill me.”

Jo shook her head. “That’s what he did, I want to know who he was. There must have been something special about him to have affected you so deeply. Besides trying to kill you, that is,” she concluded with a smirk.

MacGyver sighed thoughtfully before speaking again.

“He was highly intelligent, very creative, and had a really twisted sense of humor.”

“Kinda sounds like you,” Joanna observed.

“Maybe, if he had made a few different life choices, we could’ve worked for the same side.”

“So then you don’t believe he was inherently evil?”

“I did. For awhile. But then he came to me. Told me he had a sister who was in trouble and asked for my help.”

“And you gave it,” Jo surmised.

Mac nodded. “We worked together to rescue her, only she had no idea who Murdoc really was. That was his doing. His way of protecting her from his enemies. She never knew he was her brother. While we were trying to get to her, I could feel the pain inside him. It was then that I knew he was capable of unconditional love even if he didn’t realize it himself.”

“So he wasn’t pure evil,” she concluded.

“No,” Mac replied. “But I think he always saw himself that way and acted accordingly. I bet he never even had a funeral. Every man deserves at least that.” Mac’s voice was husky now and he allowed Jo’s warm hands caressing his back to comfort him.

“Sounds like you two may not have been that different after all.”

MacGyver let himself chuckle at this. “If you would have said that ten years ago I would have unequivocally denied it. But now...I guess you could say we’re more like opposite sides of the same coin.”

“And you miss him.”

“I wouldn’t go that far!” Mac exclaimed. “But no man should die believing he’s evil and unlovable. Not even Murdoc.”

Jo laid her head on his shoulder, still rubbing his back, and he reveled in her love and understanding.

“He must have been a very lonely man,” she mused.

A lump formed in MacGyver’s throat. “I suppose he was.”

Posted by: Dragondog 24 October 2019 - 06:48 PM
QUOTE
**Dragondog, I think you will find this chapter quite interesting;) Enjoy!!!
Yay biggrin.gif

QUOTE

Mac’s eyes softened. “Yeah, I suppose I did some dumb things in my time. I guess I’m just cranky today.”

“That time of the month, huh?” Joanna asked, glancing at the pile of invoices on his desk.
I COMPLETELY misunderstood what Joanna meant X'D X'D X'D

QUOTE


He was greeted with an eerie silence before an all-too-familiar maniacal laugh came over the line, causing him to swallow hard. The voice was raspy and somewhat mechanical, but he would recognize that evil tone anywhere.
Can't wait to hear this explanation... XD

QUOTE
Both ashamed and angry for letting a dead man control his emotions so easily,
With the amount of trauma he caused you, you're within your rights Mac.

QUOTE

Jo frowned and took a step back. “The flowers you sent to my house yesterday.”
DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN

QUOTE
“That does it,” MacGyver announced as he stood up and began putting the photos back into the envelope. “This is definitely Murdoc and I gotta get out of here.”

“Why?! Where are you going?!” Jo demanded.

“I’m not sure yet. I just have to get away from you and Challengers. It’s me he wants. I’m not gonna put anybody else in danger.”

“Then I’m coming with you,” she declared.

Mac rounded on her, his voice rising. “Haven’t you heard a word I said? This is Murdoc we’re dealing with. I need to do this alone!”
I really, really want him to realize: Murdoc knows about Joanna. She's in danger regardless...

QUOTE
Though most always categorized as a cold-blooded killer, Murdoc drew the line at harming children.
Was this ever stated in canon?

QUOTE
The raspiness of the voice and that mechanical sound, almost like a...tape recorder
Yeah, I kinda figured XD

QUOTE

It didn’t take Joanna long to spot the stranger standing just inside the rec room chatting with some of the teens.
He's gonna try to kill you, Jo...

QUOTE
“Shut up!” cried the assassin. “You know I could shoot you right now!”

“You’re gonna kill us all anyway so what difference does it make,” she shot back, belatedly realizing that probably wasn’t the smartest thing to say.
Oh my gosh, this us exactly what I would say laugh.gif

That conversation in the end is heartbreaking and amazing and ARRRRRRGHHHH love.jpg XD

Posted by: uniquelyjas 25 October 2019 - 05:03 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 24 October 2019 - 06:48 PM)
That conversation in the end is heartbreaking and amazing and ARRRRRRGHHHH love.jpg XD

I thought you'd appreciate the ending conversation!! As for Murdoc not killing children...not sure if it's doctrine but it seems I read or heard about it somewhere. Regardless, he only killed adults.

Posted by: Dragondog 25 October 2019 - 09:00 PM
I know the VS said he won't kill children... Considering he didn't kill Amy or her mother in Strictly Business, but only tried to trick them (until Amy's mom found out the truth), I'd say it's pretty solid wink.gif )

Posted by: uniquelyjas 26 October 2019 - 10:10 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 25 October 2019 - 09:00 PM)
I know the VS said he won't kill children

Aha! That must be where I got that idea. Honestly, my mind has so many weird Mac/Murdoc facts it's scary!! LOL!!

Posted by: Dragondog 27 October 2019 - 09:27 AM
QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 26 October 2019 - 01:10 PM)
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 25 October 2019 - 09:00 PM)
I know the VS said he won't kill children

Aha! That must be where I got that idea. Honestly, my mind has so many weird Mac/Murdoc facts it's scary!! LOL!!

Some of the best facts to have! tongue.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 30 October 2019 - 05:02 AM
Chapter 21: Saving the Dude Ranch

Joanna carefully balanced two glasses of ice cold lemonade in her hands as she used her elbow to slide MacGyver’s patio door closed behind her. She set the drinks on a small, wrought iron table which also held the cordless phone and watched as Mac tossed an old tennis ball across the backyard and Frog gave chase. She smiled at his odd, bow-legged lope as he retrieved the ball and returned to drop the slobber-covered toy at Mac’s feet. His master rewarded his effort with a hearty ear rub.

“Why don’t you two take a break?” she called as she sat down in a lawn chair next to the table.

MacGyver turned and graced her with a smile which she automatically returned. He retrieved a fresh bowl of water for Frog before joining her at the table and taking a sip of his own drink. It was a warm, sunny Sunday afternoon which they both surprisingly had free from Challengers thanks to the large number of community volunteers. It felt good to be together, just the two of them, away from work and responsibilities on this lazy summer day.

“You know, pretty soon it’s gonna be a year since the law firm forced us into becoming emergency foster parents and our licenses are gonna expire. Do you plan on re-upping?” Mac asked.

Wow, that question had come out of left field!

“I actually haven’t thought about it. What are you planning on doing?”

“After the situation with the Talbot kids I figured it wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

“You have a good point,” Joanna conceded, taking a long drink of her lemonade before staring off into the distance, knowing that now was as good a time as any to bring up what had been weighing on her mind lately.

“Do you want kids of your own, MacGyver?” she asked softly.

“I’ve already got one,” he chided playfully.

“Sam’s an adult. I was thinking of the younger variety.”

“I don’t know,” he replied as Jo saw him shrug out of the corner of her eye. “Years ago the idea was always in the back of my head, but when Sam showed up I guess I stopped thinking about it.”

“Well, you better start thinking about it,” Jo replied a bit more harshly than she intended. “If you want a bunch of baby MacGyvers you’re gonna need to stop hanging out with me and find someone to help you with that.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Mac asked, his voice full of disbelief.

Joanna stared straight ahead and shrugged even as a shiver slid down her spine. She felt awkward talking about this, but she didn’t want him to have any regrets if he decided to stay with her.

“Jo, what are you trying to tell me?!” There was a hint of panic in his voice. Was she using this as a way to back out of their relationship?

“Let’s face it, Mac. I’m not getting any younger. You can still have children. Me, not so much.” This time she turned and looked him in the eye.

“And I’m perfectly okay with that,” he replied, his voice both gentle and firm. “I always figured if we wanted kids we’d adopt. Rather than bring a new one into this world I think I’d rather help out the ones already here.”

“Mac, did you hear what you just said?” she asked, her eyes wide with surprise. But before either of them could say anything the telephone rang.

MacGyver grabbed the handset and clicked onto the call.

“Hello? Hey, how’s it going?” He got up from his chair, offered Joanna an apologetic smile, and slipped into the apartment for some privacy leaving her to mull over what she had just heard. He had used the words ‘we’ and ‘kids’ in the same sentence as naturally as breathing!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Sorry to interrupt your Sunday, but me and Neil didn’t know who else to call.”

“What’s goin’ on, Chuck?” Mac asked, his voice serious. It had been a while since he had seen his two best friends from Mission City and was now concerned about what had prompted the call.

“Remember Mark Bennett from high school?”

“Yeah,” Mac replied thoughtfully. “Didn’t his folks own a farm just outside of town.”

“Yep. They sold it to Mark and his wife, Linda, when they retired and moved to Arizona. Mark and Linda turned it into a dude ranch.”

MacGyver could hardly contain the laugh that tried to escape.

“A dude ranch?! In Minnesota?!”

“I know it might sound a little corny, but it was actually doing quite well up until recently.”

“Why? What happened?”

“Ya know that old abandoned hospital? Well, some big Japanese electronics company bought it and turned it into a state of the art factory that opened about a month ago.”

“What does this have to do with the ranch?”

“The factory offers great pay and benefits that Mark couldn’t match. He lost almost half his employees to it and he didn’t have that many to begin with.”

“That’s too bad, but why are you telling me this?”

“Mark’s got a big group coming in this week. We’ve been asking friends and neighbors to volunteer some of their time to help out. I remember you used to hang around your grandpa’s farm as a kid and you know your way around horses so I just thought…”

“That I’d drop everything and come help at the ranch.”

“Well, yeah! I guess.”

Mac pinched the bridge of his nose and tried not to sigh. “Things are different now, Chuck. I have responsibilities.”

“You mean you have to clear it with the little woman.”

MacGyver could practically see Chuck’s smirk over the phone line. “There is no ‘little woman’,” he replied firmly.

“Hey, sorry man! It’s just that Neil told me you showed up at the reunion with a real special lady. I just assumed…”

“Well, you assumed wrong! Listen, let me think about this and I’ll call you back later.”

Mac hung up the phone before his friend could say anything else. He returned to the patio where Joanna was tossing Frog’s ratty old ball.

“Who was that?” she asked absently.

“My friend, Chuck, from back home.”

“The one who owns the sporting goods store?”

“Yeah, that’s him,” Mac confirmed before relaying their conversation to Jo.

When he had finished explaining everything his friend had told him, Joanna finished the remainder of her lemonade in one long gulp and rose from the chair.

“Well, I better get out of your way so you can pack,” she announced.

MacGyver’s hand snaked out and grabbed her arm.

“Wait a minute! You’re okay with this?”

Jo looked at him, a bit stunned. “Of course I am. It’s what you do, right?”

“Right. I mean, I used to, but,” Mac shut his mouth to stop the stuttering.

“Don’t worry about it,” she laughed lightly. “Cynthia and I will make sure everything’s covered at Challengers. In fact, I’ll take Frog over there right now. You go do what you have to do.”

Mac wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

“You’re amazing, you know that?”

“Of course,” she shrugged playfully. “But it’s nice to hear once in a while.”

Not knowing when he’d get another chance, he slowly lowered his head to hers until their lips met in a tender caress.

“I’m gonna miss that,” he told her in a husky voice.

“Me too,” she replied softly before clipping Frog’s leash to his harness and leading him out the gate.

XXXXX

Mac tossed his last pair of clean jeans into his duffle and was ready to call it a night when he heard a knock on his front door. There, grinning like a Cheshire cat, stood Jack Dalton.

“Hola mi compadre!”

“Jack, what are you doin’ here?” MacGyver moaned, knowing that even though he didn’t mean to, Jack always managed to bring trouble his way.

“Can’t an old buddy drop in to see how another old buddy is doing?” he asked innocently.

“Not when one old buddy lives two thousand miles away!”

“Au contraire! I just flew a couple of fat cats into the Windy City for a convention and thought I’d cruise on up.”

Mac popped his head out the door to find a flashy red sports car parked in the driveway.

“She’s a beauty, ain’t she? High end rental,” Jack announced as if reading his mind.

“You can’t afford that!”

“Big tips! One of the perks of the job!” the pilot exclaimed as he eased his way into the apartment. Tossing his ever-present aviator cap on the kitchen counter he caught sight of MacGyver’s bag

“Going somewhere?” he asked, eyebrows raised.

“Yes, I am,” Mac replied succinctly. “And no, you cannot stay here while I’m gone.”

“In that case, I’ll come with you.”

“Don’t you have clients you need to take back to L.A.?” MacGyver asked, not even trying to hide the frustration in his voice.

“Huh?...oh, them...they’re catching a flight out of O’Hare for Tokyo day after tomorrow and my schedule just happens to be clear. So, where’re we goin’?”

Realizing he was stuck with Jack like green on grass, Mac flopped down on his couch and began to explain.

“Do you remember Mark Bennett from high school?”

“Mark Bennett...Mark Bennett,” Jack rolled the name around on his tongue. “Was he ever in the market for a fake ID?”

“I don’t know,” MacGyver groaned. “Do you want to hear this or not?”

“Sorry, I’m all ears.”

“Mark and his wife, Linda, run a dude ranch outside of Mission City. They’re a little short-handed this week so I’m going up to help out.”

“Sounds like a blast! When do we leave?!”

Mac sighed. “Jack, what do you know about ranches?”

“What’s there to know?! Campfires, s’mores, singing Kumbaya with cute cowgirls.” Jack waggled his eyebrows.

“I meant horses, Jack. Horses.”

“No problemo! I learned everything I need to know about equines from my uncle Charlie!”

“Uncle Charlie?!” MacGyver shook his head in disbelief. “You’re thinking of horse racing! Your uncle was a con who used to rob your piggy bank!”

“So?”

Mac squeezed his eyes shut already regretting what he was about to say.

“Fine, Jack. You can come. It’s a long drive so we leave at first light.”

XXXXX

It was early afternoon the following day when MacGyver drove his Jeep up a long, gravel driveway and parked next to a sprawling ranch house. Three women stood on the porch exchanging hugs before the younger two skipped down the stairs to a battered pick-up truck. The remaining woman was tall with curly red hair and looked to be about six months pregnant, though Mac was no expert in that area. He hopped out of the Jeep and headed to the porch with Jack on his heels.

“Excuse me! Could you tell me where I could find Mark Bennett?” he asked, keeping his tone light and friendly.

“He’s out grooming one of the trails,” the woman replied. “But I’m his wife, Linda. Is there something I can help you with?”

“Name’s MacGyver. This is my friend, Jack Dalton.”

“Of course! Chuck said you’d be arriving today, but I thought you were coming alone?”

“Slight change of plans,” Mac explained with a forced smile as Jack climbed the steps, doffed his aviator cap, and brought Linda’s hand to his lips.

“A pleasure to meet you, ma cherie.”

It was all MacGyver could do to not roll his eyes, but Linda seemed to find the gesture amusing as she giggled before inviting them in.

“I’ll give you a tour of the house and by then Mark should be back to show you around the grounds. As you can probably tell, we’ve done quite a bit of remodeling,” she called over her shoulder to the men who followed her slightly waddling gait. “We downsized the living room to serve as the lobby and expanded the dining room to accommodate the maximum number of guests.”

“Do all your guests eat here?” Mac asked as she guided them into a large country kitchen.

“It depends,” Linda answered airily. “Each cabin has a small kitchenette since eating out isn’t exactly a prime option in this neck of the woods. We’re prepared to provide three meals a day for everyone.”

“So, exactly how many is ‘everyone’?” Mac inquired.

“We have five cabins that can house up to five people, so when we’re booked, that’s twenty-five guests.”

“And you’re booked for this week?”

“Yep! The first family arrives Wednesday. We should have a full house by Thursday evening.”

Jack let out a whistle through his teeth.

“Couldn’t have said it better myself!” Linda quipped with a smile as she continued the tour. “Back here are the bedrooms for Mark and me and the household staff. You two’ll be in the bunkhouse with the rest of the guides and ranch hands. There’s a kitchen in there as well and the foreman likes to think he’s a chef so you won’t have to worry about going hungry.”

“So how many employees do you have?” MacGyver asked.

“Depends on how busy we are. Thanks to you and Jack and other volunteers, the ranch care and activities are all covered. I have three housekeepers coming in, but unfortunately, you just saw half of my kitchen staff leave when you pulled up. They got full time jobs at the new factory,” Linda frowned.

“Then there are only two people to cook for everyone,” Jack concluded after doing some quick mental math.

“Yep. Just me and Ellie.”

“Don’t you have anyone else to help out?” Mac asked.

“Nope. Not on short notice like this. But we’ll get by. We always do!”

They had returned to the lobby in time to see Mark striding toward the house. MacGyver greeted him enthusiastically and then introduced him to Jack.

“I remember Jack,” Mark smiled. “By reputation, mostly. I never found myself in need of a fake ID!”

The three men shared a laugh before Mark led them to the bunkhouse. The wooden structure was well built with all the basic amenities. Bunk beds lined one wall while the rest of the area consisted of a small kitchen and dining area as well as a corner with a TV and a few comfy chairs.

“You two can bunk here,” Mark said.

“Thanks,” Mac replied, tossing his duffle on the lower mattress.

“Hey, why do I have to take the top bunk?” Jack complained. “I get airsick!” His left eye twitched.

“You’re a pilot, Jack. You don’t get airsick. Besides, I’m the one afraid of heights, remember?”

“All right,” Jack grumbled as he hoisted up his luggage. “But if I fall out of bed and break my neck it’s all your fault.”

XXXXX

The rest of the afternoon went by quickly as Mark first took his two new volunteers on a tour of the guest cabins randomly spaced amongst large pine trees. They were relatively new buildings made to look old and rustic but with all the comforts of home. He and Mac then saddled three horses and the trio checked out one of the shorter, easier trails available for guests to ride with a guide. MacGyver noticed Jack holding the reins a bit too tight and shifting uneasily in the saddle whenever his horse twitched.

“You doin’ okay, Jack?” he asked with a smirk.

“Yeah. Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?” Jack’s wide eyes were glued to the dirt path ahead and his knuckles were turning white as one hand now gripped the saddle horn and Jack tilted precariously to the side as his horse adjusted its gait to the terrain.

Mac reached out, grabbed Jack’s sleeve, and righted him on his mount.

“You’ve got to squeeze him with your knees,” MacGyver instructed. “Make sure he knows you’re up there and that you’re in charge.

“In charge. Right,” Jack repeated a bit breathlessly.

“Now loosen your grip on the reins. The horse knows where he’s going and you’re confusing him,” Mac coached.

Jack slackened his grip completely, but the well-trained horse continued to plod evenly down the trail. MacGyver shook his head, wishing yet again that he had listened to his gut and left Jack back in Milwaukee.

After they had returned to the ranch and tended to their horses, the three men and Linda sat down to a hearty meal she had prepared in their absence.

“Tomorrow I’ll show you guys the other trails we use,” Mark said in between bites of his wife’s delicious stew. “Today I took you on the one we use for kids and beginners. The ‘bunny slope’ so to speak. The others are much more interesting.”

“Interesting?!” Jack croaked as he almost choked on his sip of iced tea.

“And more challenging,” Mark added with a cheeky grin.

“Um, I was thinking,” Jack hedged. “Maybe it would be better if I stayed behind and learned how to do some of the other things around here. Ya know, maybe muck out the barn or something?”

“You? Muck horse stalls?” Mac looked at his friend with both suspicion and concern.

“Yeah! You got a problem with that?!” Jack responded a bit more defensively than necessary.

“No way. Suit yourself,” Mac answered evenly, slathering butter on a hot biscuit and smiling to himself. Go figure, Jack Dalton was afraid of riding horses!

The conversation continued to center around the ranch and it wasn’t long until the subject of the kitchen staff, or lack thereof, came up again.

“You shouldn’t be working so much,” Mark gently scolded his wife. “I’m sure if we look hard enough we’ll find somebody.”

“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” Linda replied. “Ellie and I spoke earlier and planned a very simple menu.”

“But still…”

“Hey! What about Joanna?” Jack eagerly suggested.

“Joanna?!” Three voices echoed back.

“Who’s Joanna?” Linda asked.

“She’s Mac’s...um...well, it’s kinda hard to explain,” Jack replied.

“She’s a friend of mine,” MacGyver replied succinctly.

“A very good friend, if you get my drift,” Jack added with a wink.

Mark and Linda exchanged hopeful glances. “Do you think she’d come?” Mark asked.

MacGyver’s first instinct was to shut down this idea immediately. Jo didn’t deserve to get caught up in his problems, or those of his friends.

“Jo’s covering for me at Challengers,” he replied, hoping that would end the discussion.

“C’mon Mac!” Jack exclaimed. “You and I both know Cynthia could run Challengers on her own with one arm tied behind her back. Can’t you just call Jo and see what she says?”

MacGyver knew he was fighting a losing battle with his friend. He also knew that Joanna would never forgive him if he refused to ask her for help she might be able to provide.

“Fine. I’ll give her a call,” he relented as Linda pointed to the telephone mounted on the wall next to the oversized refrigerator.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Joanna guided her car up the long driveway and parked to the side of the large ranch house. Except for MacGyver’s Jeep, the place looked to be deserted even though it was mid-afternoon. As she stepped from her vehicle, she inhaled the combination of fresh cut grass, hay, manure, horse sweat and smiled. Her friends in the city would probably think she was crazy, but the earthy smells of the ranch soothed and grounded her. She had been so jealous that Mac had been invited up here, but she hadn’t let on, knowing she had her own duties at Challengers. However, after receiving MacGyver’s call last evening she could hardly wait to arrive. Ever since she had been a little girl she had dreamed of living on a farm, preferring livestock to people. Even though she was here to help in the kitchen, she was bound and determined to enjoy her surroundings.

She had just raised her face to the warmth of the sun when she heard the front door to the house open with a soft creak. A pretty redhead with an extended belly stood on the porch and waved to her.

“You must be Joanna!” she called. “Grab your things and come on in!”

Jo did as she was told and soon found herself back on the front porch sitting in a white wicker chair and sipping a glass of ice water.

“I didn’t expect it to be so quiet around here,” she observed as Linda reached for her own glass of lemonade.

“Consider it the calm before the storm. Forty-eight hours from now we won’t have time to breathe.”

“Speaking of which, shouldn’t I be learning my way around the kitchen?”

Her hostess literally waved off her question. “There’ll be plenty of time for that. Life moves slower out here. None of that big city rush. Besides, it’s much more fun to make a new friend.”

Linda’s warm smile immediately endeared the woman to her.

“Where are the guys?” Jo asked, looking toward the stable area.

“Mark took Mac to check out a couple of the riding trails our guests will be using. They won’t be back for a few hours yet.”

“What about Jack?”

“Last I heard he was laying down clean straw in the horse stalls.”

Joanna’s eyes went wide with surprise. “I thought he’d be out riding with Mac?”

“They all went for a trail ride yesterday,” Linda said, her eyes gleaming with mirth. “Let’s just say I think it gave Jack a new perspective…a very high perspective!” The two women giggled at the thought of Jack’s fear of horseback riding before Jo sobered.

“I shouldn’t laugh,” she confessed. “My mom’s the same way so I know how he feels. I’m just glad he can still make himself useful.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. We can never have too many extra hands! Now, why don’t you tell me how you and MacGyver met?”

“It’s kinda a long story,” Joanna hesitated, her head spinning at the quick turn of direction the conversation had taken.

“Like I said, we got nothin’ but time, for now anyway.”

Jo spent the next several minutes trying to condense the events from the time Mac had saved her from falling off a stool at the now-defunct Challengers Academy to now.

“So you two are quite the item, huh?” Linda asked with a smile before taking a sip of her cool drink.

“What makes you say that?”

“Weren’t you listening to yourself just now? Besides, when Jack brought up your name at supper last night, Mac got the same look on his face that Mark gets on his whenever he looks at me and Junior, here. I know two people in love when I see them.”

“Yeah, well, we’re taking things slow. Really slow,” Jo responded, a bit unsure why she felt the need to defend the pace of their relationship. The heat of a blush began to blossom and she decided to turn the tables. “So, you and Mark met in high school?”

“Oh, no,” Linda laughed. “Mark is several years older than me. Besides, I was born and raised in St. Paul. In college I had gotten an internship at a big marketing firm where Mark was already halfway up the corporate ladder. We hit it off and the rest is history!”

“Is this your first?” Jo nodded toward her new friend’s belly.

“Yep! We had finally settled into married life and were thinking of starting a family when the Bennett’s retired and we decided to move up here and take over the ranch. After eight years of putting all our energy into this place, I finally put my foot down and told Mark it was now or never if he wanted to have a little cowpoke. No way am I havin’ a kid after I turn forty, you know what I mean?!”

Joanna summoned a smile and nodded, recalling the similar conversation she had with Mac a couple days ago. Before the two women could say anything more, a familiar voice floated around the side of the house.

“So there we were, high above the Pacific Ocean, both engines on fire with no land in sight when--Oh! Hiya Jo!”

“Hi, Jack,” she greeted him, a pretty young housekeeper at his side. He whispered something in her ear, making her giggle before she turned and headed back to one of the cabins.

“What can I say?! The ladies love a pilot!” he boasted. “Aren’t Butch and Sundance back yet?”

Linda glanced at her watch. “Oh my goodness!” she exclaimed. “I guess we really did lose track of time! They should be back soon. Jo, let’s go start dinner so you can get familiar with the kitchen.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mark and MacGyver guided their horses around the final bend in the trail that ended in the pasture just beside the barn. Mac’s stomach did an odd little flip of happiness when he saw Joanna’s car parked next to his. Once their mounts were groomed and fed, the two men headed into the main house to find Linda and Jo working companionably in the kitchen, preparing a light supper. Soon the two couples and Jack were sharing the meal and engaging in light-hearted conversation. MacGyver was pleased to see Joanna relaxed and laughing. Upon Mark’s recommendation, everyone went to bed early as their first guests of the week were due to arrive tomorrow.

Just before noon on Wednesday, a green mini-van pulled into the drive and a man, woman, and twin pre-teen girls emerged. The Donaldson family. They received a warm welcome from their hosts as ranch hands emerged from the bunkhouse to deliver their luggage to the cabin they would call home for the next several days. Insisting that they were planning on providing their own meals and entertainment, Linda gladly sent them on their way with a map of the grounds which included hiking trails and directions to “secret” fishing holes. The remainder of the day kept the staff busy preparing for the Schultz family scheduled to descend upon the ranch the following day. Ranging in age from seven to seventy and spanning three generations, the family had indicated on their reservation form that they would be taking advantage of all the food and entertainment services available. They were obviously the reason the Bennett’s needed as much help as they could get. It was nearly twilight before MacGyver had a chance to slip out of the stables with some snacks for the horses grazing in the paddock. As he rounded the corner of the building he saw Joanna standing by the split-rail fence, stroking the blaze of a pretty little chestnut mare. He watched as Jo lowered her hand, only to have the horse nip at her shoulder. Joanna’s girlish giggle carried on the soft summer air as she resumed caressing the mare’s muzzle. Mac smiled as he pulled out his Swiss Army knife and cut one of the apples he carried into wedges.

“Here,” he said, approaching Jo. “Try this.”

Jo put the wedge of fruit in the palm of her hand and offered it to the mare who gently took it between her velvet lips, chewed, swallowed, and nickered for more.

“What’s her name?” she asked MacGyver.

“Missy.”

“Well, Missy, you’re incorrigible, you know that?” Joanna teased the mare as her friends, spurred by the presence of a sweet treat, gathered along the fence.

“You’re really good with them,” Mac complimented her once the apples and carrots had all been eaten and the horses resumed munching on the grass.

“I wish I knew more about them,” she shrugged.

“You love them and respect them. That’s an awful good start.”

They stood in companionable silence watching the horses graze and frolic until pinpricks of starlight studded the now-black sky. After exchanging tender kisses and whispered farewells they returned to their respective quarters to prepare for the busy days ahead.

Morning came way too quickly for MacGyver and his counterparts who spent the day tending to the horses as well as the seemingly never-ending influx of Schultz’s. Every now and again he would catch a glimpse of Linda, Joanna, and Ellie setting out the cold buffet lunch or family style dinner they had prepared for the guests. Mark had sent Jack out with a bucket, work gloves and trowel to gather any stray stones from the riding trails that may have appeared since their last grooming leaving Mac to help out wherever he was most needed until he was summoned to his friend’s office late that evening. Mark was slumped in a chair behind his desk when MacGyver knocked softly on the already open door.

“Mac, thanks for coming. Please have a seat.” Mark motioned to a well-worn leather couch on the opposite wall as he came around to lean against his desk.

“I take it this isn’t a social call?” MacGyver ventured.

“Unfortunately not,” Mark replied. “Consider it more of a pre-emptive strike.”

Mac’s tired eyebrows shot up. “That sounds interesting.”

“I’ll cut right to the chase,” Mark began. “Grandpa Schultz signed up the entire family for a trail ride tomorrow.”

Mac quickly did the calculations in his head. “That’s twenty people!”

“Including children,” Mark sighed. “Our limit on any ride is ten. Generally less if there are kids.”

“Aw man…”

“But, he did sign a waiver stating he understood our policies and the risks that going against them may incur. He also signed waivers to use the black diamond trail and not require helmets.”

Mac winced at the ski term reserved for the most challenging slopes. “Are they nuts?”

“Maybe. More importantly, they’re rich and used to having their own way,” Mark stated. “Unfortunately, he has his mind made up and all the proper paperwork has been filed. To top it off, they’re all novice riders.”

“That’s where I come in?” Mac asked, getting a feel for what his friend was going to ask him.

“Yeah. There’s no way I’m taking them on a half-day ride on our most difficult trail alone. I need you to have my six.”

“You got it! What time do we leave?”

Early Friday morning MacGyver joined all available ranch hands to help saddle and assign the horses to their riders. The youngest, seven-year-old Timmy, would be riding Missy, the chestnut mare that Joanna had grown so fond of. She was small, gentle and predictable, and Mac was going to be sure to keep the boy close to Mark at the front of the line with the older, and hopefully somewhat more experienced, riders toward the back.

With the ride scheduled to begin at nine o’clock, the Schultz family gathered outside the stable at promptly eight-thirty to review the rules and riding tips Mark made sure everyone heard before mounting up. Unfortunately, Mark was nowhere to be found. With each passing minute, the riders grew more restless. MacGyver was just about to go to the house to see what the hold up was when he saw Mark and Joanna walk out the front door and head toward the eager group, their faces full of concern. He politely excused himself from the Schultz’s and met them halfway.

“What’s wrong?” Mac asked without preamble.

“It’s Linda,” Mark replied. “She’s been sick all night and now she’s worried about the baby. So am I. We have an emergency appointment with her doctor in Mission City this morning.”

“You take care of Linda,” MacGyver instructed. “I can handle the trail ride on my own.”

“Thanks Mac,” Mark said, clapping a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “But I can’t let you do that.”

“What other option is there? I doubt the Schultz’s would take kindly to rescheduling.”

“There is one option,” Mark replied, looking at Joanna.

“Her?!” Mac exclaimed as if Jo wasn’t there.

“Yes, me!” she bit back, taking offense to the tone he had used.

MacGyver scrubbed his face with his hands. “I’m sorry, Jo, but you don’t have much more experience than most of these riders. It’s too risky.”

Mark reached out and grabbed a grey gelding he introduced to Joanna as ‘George’.

“Look Mac, you told me Jo has a way with horses, and I know she has a way with you as well. You’ll make a great team and ole George here has done this a hundred times. He’ll take care of both of you.”

“I don’t know…” Mac waffled, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

“Look, it’s either me or Jack,” Joanna said firmly.

MacGyver’s eyes met hers and his gaze softened in an attempt to convey a silent apology for his earlier reaction. He knew she could sit a horse well enough, and he knew these horses were trained and docile. And he could use another hand in case something went wrong.

“Alright,” Mac capitulated. “But we’ll take it nice and slow...for everyone’s sake.”

Mark breathed a sigh of relief before he went to address the group and Mac and Jo mounted up. With MacGyver in the lead and Joanna bringing up the rear, the group set off to the trailhead single file. Mac took a deep breath before guiding his charges into the woods.

An hour and a half into the excursion, many of MacGyver’s initial concerns had been seemingly put to rest. The Schultz contingent turned out to be much more level headed and friendly than he anticipated, and they took direction well. Only a few times had he heard Joanna call out reminders to keep the horses on the smooth dirt path or ride single file and he had done the same. Now they had come upon a grove of trees with a natural spring.

“Okay everybody, let’s stop here for a while.”

Saddles creaked as riders dismounted. Some older riders groaned, already getting a little saddle sore. Mac couldn’t help but grin.

“Lead your horses over to the spring and let them drink. I suggest you do the same,” he instructed. “The facilities are behind the trees. We won’t be stopping again until lunch.”

“Don’t you mean the facilities are the trees?” Joanna asked, already standing by his shoulder with George in tow.

“Nope,” Mac smirked. “Go ahead and have a look. I’ll take care of ole George here.”

Jo headed toward the clump of trees he indicated while the family broke off into small groups to chat about their experience so far and some took advantage of the snacks Ellie had packed in their saddlebags. He had just begun leading the horses away from the water when Joanna emerged from the woods shaking her head.

“Port-a-Potties?! Really?!”

MacGyver smiled widely. “Only the best for Bennett Ranch guests! You see, people like to think they’re roughing it without really, well, roughing it!”

“And I, for one, appreciate that policy!” Jo teased.

It wasn’t long until they were back on their way. Some riders had fallen out of order, but they had all proved to be responsible so Mac wasn’t worried. There was more conversation and laughter as everyone relaxed and enjoyed the scenery. MacGyver answered as many questions as he could regarding the area and pointed out spots of interest that Mark had introduced him to the other day. With the summer sun high in the sky, the trail opened out into a wide meadow sooner than Mac had expected. Once again, he told the group to dismount and take their horses to a large, clear stream for a drink. With that chore accomplished, boxed lunches, once again courtesy of Ellie, were removed from saddlebags and the family once again broke off into groups to share their meals. Mac and Jo unloaded feed bags with oats, carrots, and apples and tended to the horses before settling down with their own food.

“Everything goin’ okay back there?” Mac asked, just as Joanna took a bite of her chicken salad sandwich.

“Hmm,mm,” she confirmed before swallowing. “From what Mark said I was afraid there’d be trouble.”

“I’m certainly not gonna complain,” Mac promised, leaning back on his elbows and tilting his face to the sky. When Joanna finished eating, she did the same.

“This sure is a beautiful spot,” she commented softly.

“Yep,” he agreed. “Probably the best on this trail.” He recalled another lovely spot Mark had shown him not far from the ranch. Hopefully he would find some time to take Joanna there...just the two of them. But right now the Schultz’s were packing up the remains of their lunch, eager to get back to their ride.

The second half of the trail wove in and out of shady woods, sun splashed meadows, and gurgling streams that seemed to follow them wherever they went. The hills were a bit steeper, the path narrower than before. Mac made sure to set a comfortable pace for the horses as well as their riders. None too soon they came upon their final resting site before returning to the ranch. Now used to the routine, the group of riders dismounted and watered their horses without MacGyver’s instruction before tending to their own needs. Everyone had spread out, some to take pictures of the landscape, others to stretch their legs. Joanna approached Mac as if drawn by a magnet.

“I think we’re gonna make it,” he said, sliding his arm around her shoulders after stretching out his own back.

“I don’t suppose the Bennetts have a hot tub hiding somewhere?” she asked as he felt her muscles flex under his hand.

“I doubt it,” he replied. “But don’t worry, you’ll feel a lot worse in the morning!”

“Oh, thanks a lot!” she grumbled.

Suddenly, from somewhere in the trees, they heard the sound of branches snapping, a panicked whinny, and a high-pitched shriek. Mac, Joanna, and several of the adults charged into the woods in the direction of the noise. Several yards away they saw Timmy sitting on the ground, tears rolling down his cheeks while the mare he had been riding had her reins caught in a tree branch and was refusing to put any weight on her hind right leg.

“You check on Timmy,” MacGyver directed Jo, “And I’ll take care of the horse.” He saw myriad emotions quickly play out across her face as she looked at her favorite little mare before heading towards the boy.

In no time the area was packed with well-meaning relatives and Joanna was in the middle of the chaos. When she finally made her way back to MacGyver it was to tell him that Timmy was fine, just a little shook up and more worried about the horse than himself.

“And well he should be,” Mac muttered, holding back the seething anger that roiled in his gut. “He knew better than to take her off the path.”

Joanna reached out and gently touched his forearm. A calming source just when he needed one the most.

“How is she?”

“I’m not sure,” he sighed, holding onto the reins he had just finished untangling. “I think she might have a stone in her shoe, but I’m more concerned about the gash on her fetlock.”

The couple’s gaze fell to the mare’s lower leg where blood streamed onto the mossy ground. When they looked up it was to find Grandpa Schultz and Timmy approaching.

“Terrific,” Mac muttered under his breath. “They’re probably gonna find a way to blame us for this and a lawsuit would kill the business.”

“Mr. MacGyver, my grandson here has something to say to you.”

Mac and Jo exchanged curious glances before giving the boy their full attention.

Timmy kept his eyes averted, “I’m sorry, Mister. I know I wasn’t supposed to take Missy off the trail, but I thought she might like some shade. Everything was fine until I tripped over an old dead log and yank her reins too hard. She reared and…”

“Wait a minute,” MacGyver interrupted, letting go a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. “You weren’t riding her?”

The boy shook his head and looked up cautiously. “Is she hurt?” he asked meekly.

“Yeah,” Mac replied, refusing to sugarcoat the situation. “I’m just not sure how bad.”

“Is there anything we can do to help out?” Schultz asked.

MacGyver looked to where the family had gathered a short distance away.

“I’d really appreciate it if you could get everyone back to the trail. I need to get the mare outta here and the less people around, the better. She’s spooked and in pain.”

The older man immediately headed back to his clan and took charge as MacGyver quickly and skillfully removed Missy’s saddle.

“What do you need me to do?” Joanna asked softly from behind him.

“Missy knows and trusts you. You can help me get her back up on the path where I can take a closer look at that wound. Give me your blouse.”

Without question, Jo shrugged out of the lightweight cotton shirt she wore over her tee. Mac took it and together they began to approach the injured horse, murmuring encouraging words to her all the way. Once Joanna had grabbed the mare’s reins, Mac slowly lifted the shirt and wrapped it around the horse’s eyes to blindfold her so she would need to rely on them to lead her out. It was tough going as the mare struggled not to use her injured leg, but eventually, with Jo’s and Mac’s hands gently yet firmly guiding her, all three made it back to the trail. MacGyver carefully removed the blindfold and handed it to Jo.

“Take this to the stream and get it cold and wet. And grab the first aid kit from my saddlebag,” he instructed.

He crouched down and examined the mare’s leg more closely as he waited for Joanna to return. It was bleeding much heavier than he would have liked. Sooner than expected Jo was handing him the cold, wet cloth. He gingerly began to wipe the blood away. He was hoping to use the gauze pads and tape in the emergency kit as a bandage, but the bleeding was too heavy. Instead, he tightly wrapped the shirt around the mare’s leg to create a pressure bandage. He then got out his knife, lifted the injured hoof, and selected a tool to dig out the stone he found lodged in her shoe.

“Is she gonna be okay?” Joanna asked, concern shadowing her face.

“I hope so,” Mac sighed, even as he saw fresh blood already seeping through the cloth. “At least we’re three-fourths of the way home. I’ll take Timmy up with me, you bring up the rear with Missy. Take it slow and easy.”

“Okay everybody! Time to get movin’!” Mac called as everyone mounted up. He swung Timmy up on his horse before climbing on himself and watched as Joanna mounted George and grabbed Missy’s lead, waiting for everyone to be on their way before she began the trek.

They hadn’t traveled very far before Jo called out to MacGyver.

“Mac, you better come back here!”

He quickly dismounted, but instructed the others to remain in the saddle.

“What is it?” he asked, but he answered his own question when he looked down to find the mare’s makeshift bandage saturated with blood that was now leaking onto the ground.

“Aw man,” he said, scrubbing the back of his neck. “We gotta find a way to stop the bleeding.”

“Any ideas?”

Mac jammed his hand into his pant pocket and wrapped it around his ever-present knife.

“Just one. I can try to cauterize the wound, at least enough to keep the bleeding manageable until we can get back, but it’ll take time and I’ll need your help.”

“What about them?” Joanna nodded toward their guests. “The trail’s well-marked. Should we send them on ahead?”

Mac shook his head. “Ranch policy says guests must not ride this trail without a guide. If anything happens, there would really be trouble.”

Not knowing what else to do, MacGyver headed over to speak with Grandpa Schultz. After relaying the guidelines they needed to follow and what needed to be done to the horse, the family elder ordered everyone to dismount and promised to keep them occupied while Mac and Joanna took care of Missy.

As Jo worked to soothe the horse and keep her calm, MacGyver went back into the woods to find some twigs and kindling. He soon had a small fire started a few yards down the path. As the flames grew, he placed his open knife on a rock to allow the flames to heat the steel blade. When he was satisfied it had grown hot enough, he kicked dirt onto the fire to extinguish the flames and then, wrapping his hand in Joanna’s damp, blood-stained shirt, picked up his knife and headed back.

“Okay, stand off to the side and hold onto her lead and try to keep her still,” he instructed. “But let her go if she bolts. Trying to pin her down would be more dangerous for all of us.”

Jo did as he asked, stroking the horse’s muzzle the entire time. Mac let his hands run lightly over the horse’s wither, side and flank to reassure her before crouching down by the bleeding fetlock. He could picture many outcomes, most ending with a hoof in his face. He silently prayed she was too tired and weak to fight him and then set to his task before the blade of his knife cooled off. He took a deep breath and firmly applied the flat piece of metal to the cut on the mare’s leg. The smell of blood and burning flesh caused bile to rise in the back of his throat. A few peaceful seconds passed before Missy reacted, sidestepping away from him before yanking the halter lead out of Jo’s hand. She hobbled down the path as fast as she could before stopping, her twitching body shiny with sweat.

“Go back to where I left her saddle and get the blanket,” Mac said.

He slowly approached the frightened animal and, once Jo gave him the saddle blanket, he began to rub her down, all the while speaking in low tones and making sure she could see him. After several minutes, the mare became calmer than she had been since the accident and was actually putting more weight on her injured leg. Cautiously optimistic, MacGyver examined her wound once again. Though some blood still seeped out, most of the gash had been sealed. It wasn’t pretty, but it would have to do until they could get back to the ranch and call for a vet.

Mac stepped up behind Joanna and began kneading her neck and shoulders, the knots there belying her calm, confident demeanor.

“Is she gonna be okay?” Jo asked, looking up at him with tired eyes.

“Yeah,” Mac nodded with a smile. “She’s gonna be okay.”

XXXXX

When they arrived back at the ranch an hour later than expected, a controlled chaos erupted. Ranch hands were dispatched to tend to the horses while MacGyver told Mark everything that had happened. Much to everyone’s surprise, Grandpa Schultz offered to cover all the vet bills since the injury was his grandson’s fault. Once the horses and guests were taken care of, Mac and Joanna headed to their separate quarters to shower and change before supper.

That evening’s meal was a casual affair. After getting cleaned up, Mac and the other ranch volunteers built a huge bonfire and set out bales of hay at a safe distance as seating for their guests. Once everyone was settled, including the Donaldson family who had decided to join in the festivities, Linda, Joanna, and Ellie emerged from the house carrying trays loaded with hot dogs, buns, various condiments and homemade potato salad. Everyone burst into cheers in anticipation of the weenie roast...and the s’mores making which was sure to come later. MacGyver caught Jo’s eye and motioned her over to where he sat. She gave him a tired smile and plopped down beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her close.

“Tired?” he asked, and felt her nod against him.

“How’s Missy?” she asked.

“The vet says she’ll be fine. He said we did a good job given the circumstances. How’s Linda?”

Joanna raised her head. “She’s basically fine, as well. The doctor said her blood pressure is slightly elevated, most likely due to the stress she’s been under. He ordered her to start taking it easier with the threat of three months bedrest if she doesn’t.”

“Sounds like Mark’s gonna have a battle on his hands,” Mac said drily, earning a laugh from Jo.

“What about Mark?” the ranch owner asked as he headed toward them carrying two plates laden with food.

“Just that you’re gonna have your hands full if you expect Linda to take it easy,” MacGyver explained as he eyed his supper warily. “Do you have any idea what’s in these things?” he asked, poking at his hot dog.

“No. And I don’t think I want to!” Mark laughed, patting Mac on the shoulder before heading back to his wife.

MacGyver had a fork load of potato salad headed for his mouth when an all-too-familiar voice called out.

“Hola, Kemosabe and maybe-hopefully-soon-to-be Mrs. Kemosabe!”

“Hi Jack,” Mac and Jo answered in unison.

“Heard about your little adventure today, pal. Trouble just seems to dog ya!”

If that wasn’t the pot calling the kettle black, MacGyver didn’t know what was, but before he could open his mouth to protest his friend continued.

“Look what I found in the bunkhouse.” Jack produced an old acoustic guitar from behind his back. “Perhaps you could grace us with some dinner music?”

“Fat chance!”

“Aw, c’mon Mac!” Jack whined. “I know you don’t like to play in front of people, but what would a campfire cookout be without a sing-a-long?!”

“Quiet?”

“Exactly! And we can’t have that now, can we?!”

“Apparently not,” Mac muttered.

As guests and staff alike finished their meals, made s’mores, or just relaxed around the fire, MacGyver grabbed the guitar and began to pluck out the notes to “Home on the Range.” Soon everyone was singing along and he played a few more songs that he figured both adults and kids would know. It didn’t take long before voices began to fade and the events of the day caught up with everyone. Small groups began to excuse themselves and head back to their cabins. Those remaining helped clean up before turning in themselves. Soon MacGyver found himself alone. Warmed by the fire and looking up at the stars, he leaned back against the hay bale he was sitting on, cradled the old guitar, and began to play the quiet strains of a piece he had composed himself and titled “Eau d’Leo”. The last time he had played that song had been over a year ago on New Year’s Eve when a blizzard had stranded the Thorntons, Joanna and him at a B&B in Door County. It was there that he told Pete he had feelings for Jo. The corners of his mouth tugged upward at the memory.

“Whatcha smilin’ about, cowboy?” Joanna asked as she settled next to him.

“Nothin’,” he lied as he went to set the guitar aside.

“No, don’t,” Jo commanded, putting a staying hand on his arm. “Keep playing. Please? I love that song.”

“But you’ve only heard it once,” he pointed out skeptically.

“Well, it made a strong impression on me.” She smiled and then snuggled against his side.

Repositioning the instrument, he started playing from the beginning, wishing it never had to end.

XXXXX

Late Sunday morning, the Bennetts, MacGyver, Joanna, and Jack waved good-bye as the final members of the Schultz family drove away.

“I hate to do this, Mark,” Mac said when the car was out of sight, “but we really need to get going, too. I’m sorry we can’t stay longer and help out.”

“Didn’t you hear?”

“Hear what?” Jack asked.

“When I took Linda to her doctor’s appointment on Friday I was approached by the leader of the high school’s 4-H Club. They’ve decided to make the Bennett Dude Ranch their summer project. We’re gonna have all the help we’ll ever need!”

“That’s great!” MacGyver said. “But what about when the baby comes? The kids’ll be back in school.”

“Things always slow down a lot by then,” Mark explained. “Besides, while we were in Mission City I also heard some rumblings that some of our former employees aren’t enjoying their high paying factory jobs as much as they thought they would. Any ranch hand worth his salt can’t stand to be cooped up, standing over an assembly line for twelve hours a day. I have a feeling I’ll be doing some rehiring over the next few months.”

After exchanging handshakes, hugs, and farewells, the trio from Milwaukee headed toward their cars.

“Hey, Jo! I’ll drive your car if you wanna ride home with Mac,” Jack offered.

Joanna sent MacGyver a panicked look that made him laugh.

“Don’t worry,” he assured her. “Jack drives better than he flies.”

“Ya know, Mac. If you keep complaining about my piloting skills I’m gonna have to ban you from my plane!”

“Promises, promises….” Mac whispered in Jo’s ear causing her to giggle as he slung his arm across her shoulders and guided her to the Jeep.































Posted by: Dragondog 1 November 2019 - 12:04 AM
Ok, this chapter is really long... But even though it's two in the morning, I will read through and review it, because my laptop is going in the be serviced, and may be kept overnight, so it's better I do this now (also, I don't have to go to work until noon, so being up so late shouldn't affect my shift that much XD)


QUOTE
and watched as Mac tossed an old tennis ball across the backyard and Frog gave chase. She smiled at his odd, bow-legged lope as he retrieved the ball and returned to drop the slobber-covered toy at Mac’s feet. His master rewarded his effort with a hearty ear rub.
Funny story, this French Bulldog (or Boston Terrier) mix used to wear all the fuzz off of his tennis balls, and chew on the bare rubber, and it would get all slick from his drool, and randomly come flying out of his mouth. Sometimes it'd go straight up and he'd jump up and catch it again XD It was hilarious every time XD XD XD

QUOTE

“Do you want kids of your own, MacGyver?” she asked softly.
Hey hey, proposal first, missy XD (Not that planning ahead is a bad idea, of course)

QUOTE
“If you want a bunch of baby MacGyvers you’re gonna need to stop hanging out with me and find someone to help you with that.”
As someone who doesn't want kids, I can relate to Jo's statement XD

QUOTE
leaving her to mull over what she had just heard. He had used the words ‘we’ and ‘kids’ in the same sentence as naturally as breathing!
How long you been dating now? What'd you expect? XD

QUOTE
It had been a while since he had seen his two best friends from Mission City and was now concerned about what had prompted the call.
That moment you realize your friends only call you when they need you for something XD

QUOTE
“You mean you have to clear it with the little woman.”

MacGyver could practically see Chuck’s smirk over the phone line. “There is no ‘little woman’,” he replied firmly.

“Hey, sorry man! It’s just that Neil told me you showed up at the reunion with a real special lady. I just assumed…”

“Well, you assumed wrong! Listen, let me think about this and I’ll call you back later.”
I'm really glad Joanna didn't hear that...

QUOTE
There, grinning like a Cheshire cat, stood Jack Dalton.
I can picture that in my head XD XD XD

QUOTE

“Hey, why do I have to take the top bunk?” Jack complained. “I get airsick!” His left eye twitched.
Of all the excuses you could've come up with, Jack XD

QUOTE

“She’s a friend of mine,” MacGyver replied succinctly.


“A very good friend, if you get my drift,” Jack added with a wink.




I'M SORRY BUT THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON IN THIS STORY:






QUOTE

“But, he did sign a waiver stating he understood our policies and the risks that going against them may incur. He also signed waivers to use the black diamond trail and not require helmets.”
Someone's gonna get hurt...

QUOTE


MacGyver smiled widely. “Only the best for Bennett Ranch guests! You see, people like to think they’re roughing it without really, well, roughing it!”

“And I, for one, appreciate that policy!” Jo teased.
Same, Jo, same XD

QUOTE

“I think we’re gonna make it,” he said, sliding his arm around her shoulders after stretching out his own back.
But then, suddenly,-

You gotta admit, the Schultz family, including little Timmy, is much more reasonable and responsible than anticipated.

I feel like they're going to make a donation as an apology.

QUOTE

“Just one. I can try to cauterize the wound, at least enough to keep the bleeding manageable until we can get back, but it’ll take time and I’ll need your help.”
Sounds painful.

QUOTE
“Look what I found in the bunkhouse.” Jack produced an old acoustic guitar from behind his back. “Perhaps you could grace us with some dinner music?”

“Fat chance!”

“Aw, c’mon Mac!” Jack whined. “I know you don’t like to play in front of people, but what would a campfire cookout be without a sing-a-long?!”

“Quiet?”

“Exactly! And we can’t have that now, can we?!”

“Apparently not,” Mac muttered.
Oh, I can't WAIT for this one roller.gif

Okay, not what I expected was gonna save the ranch, but close enough laugh.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 1 November 2019 - 05:11 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 1 November 2019 - 12:04 AM)
Ok, this chapter is really long... But even though it's two in the morning, I will read through and review it, because my laptop is going in the be serviced, and may be kept overnight, so it's better I do this now (also, I don't have to go to work until noon, so being up so late shouldn't affect my shift that much XD)


Yeah, it was a long chapter. I find whenever I introduce new OC's they get kinda long! Thanks for staying up and reading it! That story about the dog was so cute and funny. I can see that happening to Frog...well, maybe not the jumping up and re-catching it part...not sure he'd have the energy...LOL!!

Posted by: uniquelyjas 5 November 2019 - 12:27 PM
Chapter 22: A House Divided

MacGyver stood on the front stoop of the Fairfax home. A bouquet of wildflowers in one hand, he knocked on the door with the other. He inhaled deeply, enjoying the sweet scents of the warm summer day.

“I got it!” Joanna called from inside and he smiled at the lightness in her voice.

“Hi there,” he grinned when she appeared in the doorway. She wore a white tee and black shorts and looked carefree and wonderful. His heart did a little flip.

“Oh, you shouldn’t have!” she exclaimed, reaching for the flowers he held.

“I didn’t,” he confirmed, pulling them away. “At least not for you. These are for your mom.”

Joanna wrinkled her nose playfully. “You don’t have to butter her up, you know. She already loves you!”

Mac shrugged as Judy Fairfax appeared behind her daughter. “You could at least invite the poor man in!” she admonished.

Jo’s cheeks flushed slightly and she stepped aside, allowing MacGyver to enter the small foyer attached to the living room. Before he could say anything, Judy Fairfax had him wrapped in a motherly hug.

“It’s been too long, Mac! I’ve missed having you around!”

“I’ve missed you too, Mrs. Fairfax, but things at Challengers have been keeping me pretty busy.”

“You know to call me ‘Judy’,” she scolded, “And I know that my daughter has also been keeping you busy, but I won’t complain about that!”

As he followed Jo and her mom through the house to the backyard where Joe Fairfax was putting supper on the grill, he could feel the love and support that made this house a home. Joanna was the third generation to live here and, as an only child, one day it would belong to her. Would he be sharing it with her?

Mr. Fairfax greeted him with a hearty handshake as his daughter beamed. Mac knew how much this little family meant to Jo and his heart swelled knowing they had unconditionally welcomed him into their ranks, even if he did tend to go AWOL with their daughter at times!

Dinner was a casual affair filled with easy conversation and light-hearted banter. Jo and Mac regaled her parents with stories from their time at the ranch which awakened memories of the family’s first trail ride which brought even more laughter as Judy expressed her horror at how tall her horse was and bemoaned the fact that it wiggled and twitched.

After dessert was eaten and the dishes were cleared, the small group adjourned to the living room where Joe tuned the television to a baseball game, sans volume, but still earned a scowl from his wife which made Mac chuckle. Dusk fell as conversation continued and MacGyver became loath to return to his empty townhouse. Suddenly, a car in desperate need of a muffler roared up the street and pulled to a screeching halt in front of the Fairfax home. Joanna’s mother was out of her chair and looking out the bay window before Mac could blink.

“Jude, would you just settle down,” Joe complained as his wife partially blocked his view of the TV screen.

“That’s the third time this week that car’s been around here,” Judy protested. “And here comes the other one!”

Joanna rolled her eyes. “Ma, would you just sit down and mind your own business?!”

Ever curious, MacGyver joined Judy at the window.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“These two cars pull up, just sit there for awhile, and then speed off. I think it’s a drug deal,” Judy informed him.

“Could be,” he muttered. Even though the Fairfaxes lived in one of the safest sections within the city limits, crime did not discriminate. “Let’s call the police.”

“By the time they get here it’ll all be over,” Judy protested. “I’m not gonna take this anymore!” She pushed off the window sill and charged through the front door before anyone realized her intentions.

MacGyver was the first to gather his wits and, with long strides, quickly caught up to Jo’s mom who was halfway across the front yard, headed toward the offending autos.

“Get out of my neighborhood!” she yelled, stalking purposefully toward the vehicles.

Mac glanced at the car parked closest to them. As the occupant rolled down the window, MacGyver saw a ray of light from a nearby streetlamp glint off of what he immediately recognized as the muzzle of a gun.

“Get down!” he cried as he lunged through the air, placing himself between Joanna’s mom and the weapon, pulling her to the ground with him at the same time. He felt a white-hot heat slice through the side of his abdomen before landing on the soft grass, his head hitting something hard before everything went black.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Joanna and her dad had been watching the scene unfold from the front steps when the flash of a gun firing sent them running toward the two crumpled forms on the lawn as the cars sped away. Neighbors quickly emerged from their homes to see what the ruckus was all about and commands to call 911 quickly filled the night air.

With tunnel vision brought on by blind panic, Joanna fell to her knees and rolled MacGyver’s large form off her mother’s much smaller one. Both were covered in blood, but her mom was already struggling to sit up as neighbors came to her aid. With Judy insisting that she was fine and her husband now by her side, Jo turned her focus solely to MacGyver. He had a long gash on his temple where his head had connected with a decorative garden rock when he fell, but of more immediate concern was the dark stain flooding his shirt. Instinctively, Joanna pressed on the ragged wound with the palms of her hands in hopes of staunching the blood that flowed freely through her fingers and onto the already dewy grass. Her next door neighbor took off his own T-shirt and handed it to her. She took it wordlessly and pressed it to Mac’s side, holding her breath until the wail of sirens began to draw near.

Moments later, the once peaceful street erupted in chaos as paramedic and police units arrived. Firm but gentle hands grasped Jo’s shoulders and pulled her away from MacGyver’s prone, unconscious body.

“Let them work,” a soothing female voice told her as paramedics began to tear away Mac’s shirt and evaluate his injuries.

“You need to give us your statement, ma’am,” that same voice said. “What happened here?”

“Mac. I have to stay with Mac. I can’t leave him. I can’t run.”

“There’s nothing you can do for him now, ma’am. Please come with me.”

Joanna connected the voice to that of a female police officer and reluctantly allowed herself to be led to a quiet corner of the yard before her knees buckled and she sunk to the ground once again.

“Are you injured as well?”

Jo followed the officer’s concerned gaze to the bright red stain on her shirt. Blood. Mac’s blood. She shook her head in reply.

“Then tell me what happened.”

Joanna mechanically chronicled the events of the evening, all the while attempting to catch glimpses of MacGyver which the officer deftly blocked, much to Jo’s frustration. However, when she finally saw the gurney being lifted into the back of an ambulance she stood up.

“I have to go with him,” she declared.

“I’ll have an officer take you to the hospital when we’re done here.”

“I am done,” Jo firmly informed the woman, and headed toward the ambulance.

She had only taken a few steps before she was intercepted by a taller, stronger male officer. She was about to protest when a grandmotherly neighbor she had known most of her life wrapped comforting arms around her waist.

“We need to get you cleaned up, child,” the elderly woman said. “You can’t show up at the hospital looking like that!”

Her mind slowly beginning to clear, she looked down at the stain on her shirt as well as the sticky blood now drying on her hands. The adrenaline from earlier was quickly leaving her system only to be replaced by the chills and dizziness of shock. With the woman’s arms supporting her, they went into the house where she was quickly divested of her soiled clothes and wrapped in a warm blanket while her hands were scrubbed clean in the kitchen sink. Feeling physically improved, she went upstairs to pull on jeans and a clean top. When she returned to the living room where the remaining neighbors and emergency personnel now gathered she found herself pulled into her mother’s arms.

“I need to go to him,” Jo murmured.

“I know, baby,” Judy replied, stroking her daughter’s hair.

“Don’t call me that!” Joanna cried, jerking out of her mom’s grasp. Mac called her ‘baby’. Only Mac could call her that!

“Maybe you should wait until tomorrow, after you’ve had some rest,” Judy suggested, her eyes full of concern.

“No!” Jo shook her head emphatically. “I have to go now!”

“Then at least have your father drive you.”

Joanna capitulated since arguing would only keep her from getting to Mac. Father and daughter rode in silence. Joe dropped her off at the emergency entrance where she promised to call with any news before hurrying through the automatic doors and into the antiseptic environment of the hospital.

“I’m here to see MacGyver,” she said without preamble upon reaching the front desk. “He was brought in a while ago with a gunshot wound and head injury.”

“Are you a relative?” the young receptionist asked.

“No, but--”

“Then I’m sorry, you’ll just have to have a seat.”

Joanna closed her eyes and took what she hoped would be a deep, calming breath, but it didn’t work.

“Isn’t there anything you can tell me about his condition?”

“No ma’am. I’m sorry.”

Jo was trying to decide whether to scream or cry when a petite, dark-haired woman of Asian descent approached her.

“Excuse me,” she said gently. “I heard you ask for MacGyver. What is your name?”

“Joanna. Joanna Fairfax,” she replied, staring blankly at the woman in scrubs.

“I’m Wendi Vang, a trauma nurse here. I believe you and Mr. MacGyver used to work with my husband, Lee.”

Jo’s mind sputtered as she tried to process what the kind-looking woman had said. Then it finally clicked.

“Yes,” she responded on a sigh of relief. “He’s helped us out on a couple of occasions. Can you tell me anything about Mac?”

“Come with me,” Wendi instructed quietly.

Together they walked to the nurses’ station where she quickly logged onto a computer.

“These new privacy laws stink,” she said for Jo’s ears only. “And I’m afraid they’re only going to get worse. Anyway, MacGyver was immediately rushed into surgery and is there now.”

Joanna’s breath hitched at the news as Wendi’s well-trained fingers flew over the keyboard.

“I put your name on his chart as the main contact person. Make yourself as comfortable as you can and I’ll see to it that you receive any information on his condition as soon as it becomes available.”

“Thank you,” Jo whispered as tears held at bay too long threatened to fall.

Wendi stepped beside her and put a hand on her shoulder.

“From what Lee has told me, you and MacGyver have a very special relationship. It’s only right.”

Joanna nodded and sank down in a cushioned vinyl chair to wait. It seemed like an eternity before Wendi Vang appeared again, this time with a small smile on her face.

“Mac is out of surgery and in recovery. The doctor said the bullet went straight through and missed all his organs and major arteries. He lost a lot of blood, though, and that will slow his recovery. Plus, he has a pretty bad concussion.”

Flooded with relief that MacGyver would survive, Jo let out an exhausted giggle. “A concussion is nothing new for him. He’ll be fine.”

Wendi’s smile disappeared as she sat down in the chair next to Joanna’s.

“I’m afraid that’s the doctor’s main concern at this point. MacGyver’s charts show a history of head trauma. With each injury, his chances for a full recovery decrease.”

“What exactly are you trying to tell me?”

“I can’t really say anything. A neurologist will be working with him and able to give you more details. Right now the important thing is that he wakes up, and the sooner the better.”

“When can I see him?”

“They’ll be moving him to a private room within the hour, but I can take you there now, if you like.”

Joanna simply nodded and before she knew it she was standing in the doorway of an empty hospital room on the fourth floor. Wendi grabbed the attention of the head nurse.

“This is Joanna Fairfax. She’ll be staying with Mr. MacGyver.”

Joanna had just walked over to a large window that looked out over the lights of the city when she heard Wendi’s voice again.

“Just put it over there,” she ordered.

Jo turned around to find two orderlies positioning a reclining chair with footrest where Wendi indicated.

“I figured you’d want to stay the night so I thought we could at least try and make you comfortable.”

“You sure have a lot of pull around here for a trauma nurse,” Joanna observed with a thin smile.

“You mean I have a lot of pull around here for a trauma nurse whose husband is a lawyer and willing to represent doctors or patients,” she laughed warmly.

After thanking Wendi for all her assistance, Jo surveyed the sterile room, her eyes coming to rest on a telephone sitting on the nightstand. Even though it was late, she had some calls to make.

“Hello,” Judy Fairfax answered in a brisk tone.

“Hi Mom, it’s me,”

“How is he?”

Jo told her mother what Wendi had told her.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to send your father to pick you up so you can come home and rest?”

“Yeah, Mom. I need to be here.”

Judy sighed wearily. “I understand. Keep us posted and tell Mac we love him.”

Joanna disconnected the call and dialed a different number.

“MacGyver, I swear if this is you calling in the middle of the night to ask me for another favor I’m--”

“Pete, it’s Joanna.”

The man on the line gasped and immediately gentled his voice.

“What’s happened to MacGyver?”

“If Sam is there, can you put him on the extension so I don’t have to repeat myself? I’m sorry, but it’s been a long night.”

Joanna heard Pete tell Connie to go wake Sam and as soon as she heard the telltale click indicating Sam had picked up his line she launched into the reason for her call.

“I’m on my way,” Sam said as soon as she finished her monologue.

“No, Sam. Get some sleep and drive up in the morning. The last thing I need is for you to get in an accident because you’re tired and upset,” she instructed.

After a long silence Sam grudgingly agreed. She was just hanging up the phone when a pair of orderlies wheeled MacGyver’s bed into the room and locked it in place. She smiled at them weakly before they turned and left.

Joanna lovingly studied Mac’s unconscious form, drinking in the sight of him. The harsh overhead fluorescent lights made his pale skin appear gray. A large gauze bandage covered the gash on his temple. She gently smoothed back the long bangs that had fallen over his forehead. Watching the steady rise and fall of his chest, she carefully pulled back the lightweight blanket and thin sheet that covered him to find him shirtless, his abdomen wrapped in sterile dressings protecting the bullet wound. Tucking the covers back over his broad chest and muscular shoulders she finally allowed herself to slump down in the recliner and shed silent tears until she fell asleep.

Jo awoke in the pre-dawn hours when a nurse came in to take MacGyver’s vitals yet again.

“Any change?” she whispered hopefully.

The nurse shook her head. “Everything’s the same, but his vitals are strong so that’s a good sign.”

Joanna thanked the nurse for the information and changed positions in her chair hoping to get a couple more hours of rest, but sleep would not come. Instead, her mind began replaying the events of the previous evening. They had all been having such a nice time. Then her mother had to be nosy and look out the window. Then she ran out the door. Then she yelled at the hoodlums. Then she fell to the ground with Mac. Then Mac was shot and unconscious and it was all her mother’s fault. If only she had kept her mouth shut. If only she had stayed inside and minded her own business. Anger sparked deep in Joanna’s soul and over the next hours became a raging inferno that forced her into a decision she never thought she would have to make.

A soft knock on the doorjamb startled Jo awake. Apparently she had managed to doze off at some point without realizing it. Weak rays of sunlight told her it was early morning. She turned toward the door to find Sam standing there, wide eyes fixed on his father. Rising from her chair, her movement caught Sam’s attention and he strode to her and embraced her firmly.

“How is he?” Sam asked, his voice raspy.

“The same.” Jo smiled sadly.

Before they could say anything more, a nurse entered the room followed by two orderlies.

“Excuse us, but Mr. MacGyver has an appointment in radiology this morning,” she said a bit too brightly for Joanna’s taste. “It’ll take about an hour so feel free to grab some breakfast in the cafeteria.”

They watched silently as a still unconscious Mac was wheeled out of the room for what Joanna knew was a brain scan.

“You hungry?” Sam asked after everyone had departed.

“No, but I would like to go home. I know you just got here but would you mind--”

“C’mon,” Sam said, keys already in hand. “You’ll feel better after a long, hot shower and a few hours of sleep in your own bed.”

“Actually I was gonna...oh, you’re crashing at your dad’s place, aren’t you?” she asked deflatedly.

“Yeah. Something wrong with that?”

“No, I was just planning on doing the same thing.”

Sam shot her a questioning glance.

“It’s a long story,” was her reply.

“None of my business,” he shrugged easily. “I’ll just take the couch.”

It was still early when Sam deposited Joanna in her own driveway. Knowing her parents would still be asleep, she quietly slipped in the back door and trudged up the stairs. She had just pulled out her suitcase and began to toss some clothes in it when the telltale squeak of a step forewarned her that she was not alone. Her jaw and fists clenched as she summoned the last of her energy to keep her composure.

“I thought I heard you come in,” her mom said softly. “How’s MacGyver?”

“The same,” Jo replied coldly.

“What are you doing?” Judy asked, noticing the suitcase.

“I just can’t be here right now,” she answered flatly.

“Why? Where will you go?”

“Mac’s. Maybe Challengers.”

“But sweetheart, I just don’t understand.”

“I need some space, all right?” Joanna’s frustration was mounting.

“Look, I know you’re upset about Mac, but he’ll be just fine.”

“That’s just it, Ma! If it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t be upset about Mac because he wouldn’t have gotten shot and be lying unconscious in the hospital as we speak!”

“Honey, I never thought anyone would get hurt.” Judy Fairfax reached out to touch her daughter’s arm but Joanna quickly pulled back.

“Do you have any idea what it was like for me last night, hearing a gunshot and watching the two of you fall to the ground?!” Jo shot back. “I thought I lost two of the people I love most in this world! I’m glad you’re okay, Ma. I really am. But if you had just minded your own business the man I love wouldn’t be hurt! I’m sorry, but I just can’t be around you right now.”

Ignoring the tears pooling in her mother’s eyes, Joanna slammed her suitcase shut, hurried down the stairs and got in her car. She saw Judy watching her from the living room window as she pulled out onto the street, but she didn’t give her mom a backwards glance. Right now her world was all about MacGyver.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver’s head pounded, his side ached, his mouth was dry, and he felt like he’d been asleep for a month. He tried to peel an eyelid back, but as soon as a pinprick of bright light hit it he slammed it shut. Ouch! That little experiment just ratcheted up his headache exponentially. Where was he? What had happened to him? He calmed his racing mind and allowed his natural thoughts to fall into order. Then he remembered. He had been visiting with Joanna’s family. Her mom had gone outside. He had followed. He saw a gun. He had been shot. That explained the pain in his side. He fell. His head hit something hard. Aw, man. He was recovering from another concussion. After all the blows he had taken to the head, he should have figured that part out sooner. An involuntary moan escaped his lips and set off a cacophony of voices around him. Some were familiar, others not. Before he could sort them out, someone pried his eye open and aimed a blazing light right at it. He winced and pushed his head as far into his pillow as he could trying to escape the offending brightness to no avail. The same procedure was performed on his other eye. He worked his mouth, trying to make words come out, but nothing happened. Suddenly he felt something against his lips. A straw. He began to greedily suck in cool water, but it was pulled away all too quickly. The voices had quieted. He decided to test his own.

“Jo?” he croaked pitifully.

“I’m here, Mac. I’m here. You’re gonna be alright.”

He felt her warm hand cup his cheek and he leaned into it. He forced his eyes open and met her liquid brown gaze, shiny with unshed tears. Hopefully of relief.

“Your mom…” He hated how weak and hoarse his voice was.

“She’s fine, thanks to you. She sends her love.”

Mac tried to smile and hoped he succeeded. He saw another figure step up to stand next to Joanna.

“Sam?”

“Hey, Dad! How you feelin’?”

“I’ve been better,” he quipped before turning serious. “How long have I been out?”

“About two days,” Joanna told him. “The doctors have been running brain scans and they say everything is normal.”

“If they’re describing my brain as normal then something must be wrong with it.” He summoned enough energy to pull a face, making Sam and Jo chuckle.

A deep, unfamiliar voice interrupted them. “Now that Mr. MacGyver is conscious, he needs to rest,” a doctor in a white lab coat informed them. “You can come back in a few hours.”

As Joanna turned to leave, Mac reached out and grabbed her wrist with more strength than he thought possible. It was then that he saw the recliner positioned behind her.

“You’ve been here this whole time?” he asked, his eyes sliding to the chair.

“Most of it,” she amended. “Now get some rest and I’ll see you later.” She bent down and placed a soft kiss on his forehead, her lips lingering just a moment longer than necessary. He was pretty sure he drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face.

MacGyver slept sporadically over the next twenty-four hours. Each time he awoke it was to find either Sam or Joanna, or sometimes both, watching over him. Initially he wanted to tell them to go away, that he was fine. But he soon discovered he found comfort in knowing that they were by his side.

A few days later, the doctor deemed Mac recovered enough to be discharged. He was sitting on the side of his hospital bed dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt when Sam appeared in the doorway, accompanied by a nurse pushing an empty wheelchair. Time to go home at last!

Sam hovered over MacGyver like a mother hen as they made the short trek from the driveway to the front door. Upon entering, Mac noticed rumpled blankets piled on his couch.

“Haven’t you been sleeping upstairs?” he asked his son.

“Nah, that mattress is too hard. The couch is fine.”

Mac eyed Sam curiously but decided not to waste his energy pursuing this particular conversation. He gingerly climbed the winding stairs to his bedroom, with Sam close behind. The bed was neatly made and immediately he honed in on the fresh scent of Joanna’s coconut shampoo.

“Has Jo been sleeping here?”

“Yeah, sometimes,” Sam replied evasively. “We figured you wouldn’t mind.”

And he didn’t. In fact, a secret part of him that he rarely acknowledged thrilled to the idea that Jo wanted to feel close to him when they were apart.

“Where is she now?” he asked.

“Challengers. Cynthia wasn’t feeling well this morning. That’s why Jo couldn’t come with me to pick you up,” Sam explained. “Why don’t you lie down for a while? She’ll probably stop by later and you could use your beauty sleep,” he teased.

Mac summoned a weak smile, stretched out on the bed, and fell into a blessedly deep and uninterrupted slumber.

XXXXX

After a few days of recuperating at home under Sam’s careful supervision, MacGyver began to grow restless and, much to his son’s dismay, decided it was time to head back to work and for Sam to do the same. He had no sooner entered the Challengers Club when he was accosted by teens cheering his return. Joanna and Cynthia hung back, smiling widely, but it was Jo’s pale skin and hollow eyes that held his attention and concern.

“Why don’t you take the rest of the day off and get some rest?” he urged her once they were alone in his office.

“That’s okay. I’m fine,” she insisted.

He reached out and caressed her cheek. “No, you’re not. You’ve been running yourself ragged between covering here and checking up on me. Let me take you home.”

She shook her head vigorously. “I said I’m fine.”

Mac knew better than to push the issue, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to keep tabs on her. Something wasn’t right and he was going to find out what it was.

MacGyver quickly regained his energy as the days passed and he found himself arriving at Challengers earlier and staying later, just like he used to. And when Joanna wasn’t spending time with him at his place she was at Challengers as well, and Mac couldn’t help noticing that her car never seemed to move from its reserved space. Late one night, on a hunch that had been growing steadily stronger, MacGyver hopped into his Jeep and headed to Challengers. Sure enough, there was her car, parked exactly as it had been over twelve hours ago.

His unexpected arrival raised the eyebrows of more than one third-shift adult volunteer. He smiled in greeting as he made his way to the staircase which led to the second floor dorm rooms. Word of their shelter services hadn’t yet spread so only one door was shut tight. Mac tapped gently before entering. Joanna was lying on her back and from the glow of moonlight coming through the window he could see her open eyes staring at the ceiling. He perched himself on the edge of the empty bed next to hers.

“Wanna tell me why you ran away from home?”

“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about,” she mumbled.

“Look, I know that you stayed at my place while I was in the hospital and that’s okay,” he quickly reassured her. “I want you to feel safe and comfortable there. But now you’re staying here?”

“I worked later than I planned so decided to crash here for the night.”

MacGyver’s eyes slid to the suitcase propped up against the wall and back to Jo who was now looking at him. He raised his eyebrows in question and Joanna rolled her eyes.

“You’re not gonna leave until I talk about it, are you?” she asked with a sigh.

“Nope,” he replied with what he hoped was an encouraging grin.

Joanna sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed so she was facing him.

“Sitting in the hospital room with you the night you got shot gave me a lot of time to think. By morning, I decided the whole thing was my mom’s fault and I went home to pack a bag.” She then recounted the words she and her mother exchanged.

“And you haven’t been home or talked to her since?”

Jo shook her head.

“You do know that the only person responsible for what happened that night is the jerk who fired the gun.”

This time Jo nodded, but Mac could tell she wasn’t convinced.

“Okay, so you think your mom is nosy. That’s just a part of who she is, just like running to the rescue is a part of who I am.”

This time Joanna’s gaze locked with his.

“Promise me that tomorrow you’ll go talk with her and straighten everything out.”

“Fine,” Jo murmured, her shoulders slumped either in defeat or relief.

“Good. Now that that’s settled, let’s get some sleep.”

MacGyver sprawled out on top of the bed covers.

“You don’t have to guard me like some prisoner. I said I’ll go home and I mean it.”

“Good,” Mac confirmed without moving muscle. He smiled when he heard Joanna let out a huff and grumble as she crawled under the covers, her back to him.

XXXXX

Late the following afternoon MacGyver sat tapping a pencil against the top of his desk with no particular rhythm while staring out into the recreation area waiting for Joanna’s return. Her bed had been empty when he awoke this morning, both her suitcase and her car gone. A pang of envy hit him square in the chest as he yearned for the chance to go home and speak to his own mother just one more time. Even if only to say goodbye. Joanna and her parents loved and protected each other fiercely and he had been humbled when they opened their lives and their hearts to include him. As if his thoughts had conjured her, Jo came swooping into the room wearing a pastel sundress and a lighthearted smile. She cheerily greeted everyone she passed and looked as if a great burden had been taken off her shoulders. A heavy burden she had carried around needlessly for too long.

“I take it things went well with your mother?” he inquired once he had her attention.

“We had a good talk,” she confirmed. “About a lot of things. Everything’s going to be fine.”

“I’m glad,” he smiled. “You know, I never meant to come between you and your mom. I don’t want you to feel like you ever have to choose between me and your family.”

“I know, and you didn’t. This was all on me. I was scared and needed someone to blame, even if it was misdirected.”

Mac draped his arm over her shoulders and pulled her to his side, the one without the bullet hole, and kissed the top of her head.

“So, did the cops ever catch the creeps who started all this?”

“Oh! With everything that happened I forgot to tell you!” Jo exclaimed pulling away from him. “One of my neighbors got their license plate number and they were apprehended a few blocks away.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Yeah,” Joanna sighed. “Now things can get back to normal.”

Mac quirked a brow at her.

“Or at least as normal as things can get around here,” she laughed















Posted by: Dragondog 8 November 2019 - 08:27 PM
*phew* Okay, finally making the time to get into this happy.gif

QUOTE
Chapter 22: A House Divided
Huh, wonder what this entails?

QUOTE
Before he could say anything, Judy Fairfax had him wrapped in a motherly hug.
Fsr all I can think of is this:
user posted image

QUOTE
“By the time they get here it’ll all be over,” Judy protested. “I’m not gonna take this anymore!” She pushed off the window sill and charged through the front door before anyone realized her intentions.
Wow, mark this as the stupidest thing you've ever done, Judy...

QUOTE

“Get down!” he cried as he lunged through the air, placing himself between Joanna’s mom and the weapon, pulling her to the ground with him at the same time. He felt a white-hot heat slice through the side of his abdomen before landing on the soft grass, his head hitting something hard before everything went black.
This is why you don't interfere with criminal activity...

Also, this is why the house is divided, isn't it? Judy almost got Mac killed here (though we all know he'll pull through in the end XD)

QUOTE
“Maybe you should wait until tomorrow, after you’ve had some rest,” Judy suggested, her eyes full of concern.
Because she's totally going to be able to get some rest after that. Right.

QUOTE
Jo turned around to find two orderlies positioning a reclining chair with footrest where Wendi indicated.
She's really going all out, isn't she? I like her XD

QUOTE

“Pete, it’s Joanna.”

The man on the line gasped and immediately gentled his voice.

“What’s happened to MacGyver?”
He. Just. KNEW. *insert a crying emoji that doesn't exists on this site yet*

QUOTE

“No, Sam. Get some sleep and drive up in the morning.
Okay, does no one realize that people dealing with trauma don't just "go to sleep"? XD

QUOTE

Joanna lovingly studied Mac’s unconscious form, drinking in the sight of him.
That's really creepy... XD

QUOTE
The harsh overhead fluorescent lights made his pale skin appear gray.
Everyone's a vampire tonight...

QUOTE
Then Mac was shot and unconscious and it was all her mother’s fault. If only she had kept her mouth shut. If only she had stayed inside and minded her own business. Anger sparked deep in Joanna’s soul and over the next hours became a raging inferno that forced her into a decision she never thought she would have to make.
I knew it. But... *swallows hard* what "decision she never thought she would have to make"?...

QUOTE
Apparently she had managed to doze off at some point without realizing it.
I do that a lot... XD

QUOTE

“C’mon,” Sam said, keys already in hand. “You’ll feel better after a long, hot shower and a few hours of sleep in your own bed.”
Sam's already treating his future mother-in-law right XD

QUOTE

“Honey, I never thought anyone would get hurt.” Judy Fairfax reached out to touch her daughter’s arm but Joanna quickly pulled back.
WELL WHAT DID YOU THINK WAS GONNA HAPPEN?!

QUOTE
He fell. His head hit something hard. Aw, man. He was recovering from another concussion.
Lol, he's used to it by now XD XD XD

Of course Mac tries to get Jo to make up with her mom... XD

Aaaand happily ever after. For this chapter XD

Posted by: uniquelyjas 9 November 2019 - 12:03 PM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 8 November 2019 - 08:27 PM)

QUOTE
“By the time they get here it’ll all be over,” Judy protested. “I’m not gonna take this anymore!” She pushed off the window sill and charged through the front door before anyone realized her intentions.
Wow, mark this as the stupidest thing you've ever done, Judy...


For the record, though I doubt in this day and age my mom would actually go running outside, she IS always in the window if there's a strange car parked in our neighborhood, etc. And she's not afraid of them seeing her! We have had some drug deals go down like that (rarely)...so this really isn't much of a stretch if you can believe it!

Posted by: Dragondog 9 November 2019 - 11:42 PM
QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 9 November 2019 - 03:03 PM)
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 8 November 2019 - 08:27 PM)

QUOTE
“By the time they get here it’ll all be over,” Judy protested. “I’m not gonna take this anymore!” She pushed off the window sill and charged through the front door before anyone realized her intentions.
Wow, mark this as the stupidest thing you've ever done, Judy...


For the record, though I doubt in this day and age my mom would actually go running outside, she IS always in the window if there's a strange car parked in our neighborhood, etc. And she's not afraid of them seeing her! We have had some drug deals go down like that (rarely)...so this really isn't much of a stretch if you can believe it!

Oh I believe it, my mom does the same thing. But she's more likely to call the police than she is to go running outside. But we live in a really bad neighborhood, so getting shot is kinda expected if we were to try that out.

I hope that comment didn't come out as offensive, I can be pretty toungue-in-cheek, but at most I just meant that personally confronting baddies is a bad idea most of the time blush.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 10 November 2019 - 11:58 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 9 November 2019 - 11:42 PM)

[/QUOTE]
For the record, though I doubt in this day and age my mom would actually go running outside, she IS always in the window if there's a strange car parked in our neighborhood, etc. And she's not afraid of them seeing her! We have had some drug deals go down like that (rarely)...so this really isn't much of a stretch if you can believe it! [/QUOTE]

Oh I believe it, my mom does the same thing. But she's more likely to call the police than she is to go running outside. But we live in a really bad neighborhood, so getting shot is kinda expected if we were to try that out.

I hope that comment didn't come out as offensive, I can be pretty toungue-in-cheek, but at most I just meant that personally confronting baddies is a bad idea most of the time blush.gif

No offense taken!! We live in a very good neighborhood which can lull you into a false sense of security. But times are changing and crime IS moving in. Back in the '80's, a small grocery store by us got robbed one evening and my dad took off in pursuit of the robber and "treed" him! So I kinda transferred that incident to this story.

Posted by: Dragondog 10 November 2019 - 11:09 PM
[QUOTE=uniquelyjas,10 November 2019 - 02:58 PM] [QUOTE=Dragondog,9 November 2019 - 11:42 PM]
[/QUOTE][quote]
For the record, though I doubt in this day and age my mom would actually go running outside, she IS always in the window if there's a strange car parked in our neighborhood, etc. And she's not afraid of them seeing her! We have had some drug deals go down like that (rarely)...so this really isn't much of a stretch if you can believe it! [/QUOTE]

[quote]Oh I believe it, my mom does the same thing. But she's more likely to call the police than she is to go running outside. But we live in a really bad neighborhood, so getting shot is kinda expected if we were to try that out.

I hope that comment didn't come out as offensive, I can be pretty toungue-in-cheek, but at most I just meant that personally confronting baddies is a bad idea most of the time blush.gif [/QUOTE]
[quote]No offense taken!! We live in a very good neighborhood which can lull you into a false sense of security. But times are changing and crime IS moving in. Back in the '80's, a small grocery store by us got robbed one evening and my dad took off in pursuit of the robber and "treed" him! So I kinda transferred that incident to this story. [/QUOTE]
I guess it depends on the neighborhood. I've lived in this one a long time, and sometimes I can hear gun fights going on during the summer. Usually mistake it for fireworks, though hmm.bmp

Glad no offence was taken smile.gif

Posted by: Dragondog 11 November 2019 - 08:21 PM
What's even up with the quotes?..

Forget it, you get the idea XD

Posted by: uniquelyjas 12 November 2019 - 06:45 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 11 November 2019 - 08:21 PM)
What's even up with the quotes?..

Forget it, you get the idea XD

I thought the same thing, but I'm used to wonky computer stuff so it didn't both me!! LOL!!

Posted by: uniquelyjas 14 November 2019 - 09:41 AM
Chapter 23: Mid-Summer Gala

Sam stepped off the elevator and scanned the large, third floor room affectionately known as the bull pen by his fellow stringers. Flimsy partitions divided rows of computer desks into small cubicles and he soon found his prey tucked away in the far corner staring blankly at her monitor.

“Hey! How’s my favorite crime beat reporter today?” he asked cheerily.

“Hi, Sam,” Becca replied listlessly.

Rebecca Williams was a freelance journalist who, like Sam, had connections at the Tribune and impeccable references, yet she, like him, had been relegated to the role of stringer until a permanent position opened up. A couple years younger than Sam, she hailed from Kentucky but had moved to Chicago after graduating college in Santa Barbara. A bit short and a little on the chubby side, she generally wore her long brunette hair in a ponytail and her striking green eyes hidden behind glasses. She had been one of the first people Sam had met at the Tribune since she was always there searching for a story. Shy and reserved in the beginning, they eventually struck up an easy friendship. He was like a big brother to her and she was like the girl-next-door to him.

“You sound kinda down,” Sam observed. “Maybe this’ll help.”

He handed her a tall, clear plastic take-out cup and she immediately recognized the bright yellow contents.

“A pineapple Slurpee!” she exclaimed, her face brightening as she took a long pull of the frozen beverage through the straw.

“Better?”

“Not really,” she sighed, leaning back in her chair.

“C’mon Becca, talk to me,” Sam said as he pulled up a chair next to hers. He made a face when she looked at him strangely. “What?!”

“You’re the only person who calls me that,” she told him thoughtfully.

Suddenly ashamed that he may have crossed some invisible boundary by calling her by a nickname Sam quickly backpedaled.

“I’m sorry. You should have let me know you didn’t like it.”

“It’s not that,” she replied with a genuine smile. “It’s just that everyone I know always calls me ‘Rebecca’. It’s kinda nice that you don’t.” Her gaze suddenly slid to the floor and her cheeks began to turn pink. Sam suppressed a grin. It had been awhile since he caused a girl to flush.

“You gonna tell me what’s bothering you?” he pressed.

“This.” Rebecca slapped a square envelope of high quality paper down on her desk. “It’s an invitation to the Annual Tri-State Fundraising Gala for Non-Profit Agencies. My editor assigned it to me because all of the other lifestyle reporters have other functions to cover.”

“So?”

“So, I’m a crime reporter! I don’t do ‘fluff’ pieces. Especially ones that involve getting all dressed up and eating dainty finger foods just to garner inane quotes from people who have more money in their bank account than I’ll ever see in my lifetime!”

“It could be fun.” Sam tried to sound encouraging as he perused the invitation. It certainly sounded like a dull way to spend an evening, but he thought women liked that sorta thing. Suddenly, he found himself pinned by emerald green eyes.

“I’m glad you feel that way. My editor wants pictures, too, so I told him you’d go as my photographer.”

“Whoa! No! No way!” he protested.

“Why not? It could be fun,” she responded with a sly smile.

Sam closed his eyes and sighed. He knew he was going to give in. There was something about Becca that made him always want her to see her happy.

“Alright. Just tell me when and where and I’ll be there.”

“It’s Saturday night...in Milwaukee. I was kind of hoping you would give me a ride.”

“Milwaukee?”

“Yeah. The three states take turns hosting it. Last year it was here in Chicago and the year before that it was in Minneapolis. I thought it would also be a good opportunity for you to visit your dad.”

Sam couldn’t argue with that, and he appreciated Becca’s thoughtfulness, even if it was a means to her beneficial end.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver was beginning to hate Mondays. When he worked for the DXS and Phoenix, he could never understand why people dreaded Mondays and looked forward to Fridays. Out in the field, hours blended into days, days became night and then day again. The focus was always on the mission at hand, not which day of the week it was. Since he had settled into a somewhat normal routine, he was beginning to see Mondays in a whole new light. Even though he still worked some nights and weekends, Mondays brought a special, and not very pleasant, feeling. Perhaps it was the pile of phone messages, or the stack of mail, or the ever-present to-do list of things to get accomplished by the end of the week. Yeah, there was just something about Mondays he didn’t like and he had a feeling today was not going to be the exception.

Plopping down in his chair, he scrubbed his face with his hands before his eyes landed on a square envelope placed front and center on his desk between the piles of phone messages and bills. A yellow sticky note on the front read ‘Don’t Forget’ in Cynthia’s flowing handwriting. Mac sighed and reached for the envelope, carefully extracting a single piece of cardstock.

“You are cordially invited to the Annual Tri-State Fundraising Gala for Non-Profit Agencies to be held on--”

Mac’s eyes widened and he barreled out of his office and into Cynthia’s waving the invitation in her face without losing momentum.

“When were you going to tell me about this?!” he demanded. “It’s this Saturday!”

“Calm down, MacGyver,” Cynthia replied in her naturally soothing voice. “It was delivered several weeks ago but your mind was on other matters so I RSVP’d for both you and Joanna.”

“Does she know?”

“Of course she does. She even bought a new dress for the occasion. Which reminds me, you can pick up your tux from the cleaners on Wednesday.”

“What?! How did you even know I own a tux?!”

By now Joanna was peeking around the doorframe, probably to see what the ruckus was about.

“One night when you were working late I went by your place and did a little recon mission. I found it stuffed in the back of your closet,” Jo explained.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?” Mac’s angry glare bounced between the two women who at least had the decency to appear slightly remorseful.

“We know how you feel about these things, MacGyver,” Cynthia responded, her voice still calm and steady. “Besides, you’ve had so much going on lately there never seemed to be a good time to tell you.”

Mac’s anger deflated a bit. “Well, you’re not wrong,” he conceded. “But from now on remember that tampering with someone else’s mail is a federal offense!” He then returned to his office, slamming the door closed so loudly it even made him wince. Yeah, there was just something about Mondays.

After an hour of staring at a spreadsheet on his computer, MacGyver heard a light tap on his door. When no one took the initiative to enter, he got up and opened it himself to find Joanna standing there, looking contrite.

“I’m sorry we kept the invitation from you. We really didn’t mean to upset you.”

Mac jammed his fingers through his hair. “Nah, I’m the one who needs to apologize. I was way out of line coming down on you and Cynthia like that. I don’t know what got into me.”

He noticed a small group of teens begin to take notice of their conversation and silently motioned Jo into his office and closed the door behind her. She looked timid and unsure. His heart squeezed. He went to stand in front of her, just close enough so that when he reached out his hands rested lightly on her hips. When she didn’t pull away, he moved closer and tightened his grip.

“So, tell me more about this gala,” he urged tenderly.

Joanna looked up, her eyes hopeful. “We were actually lucky to get invited since we’ve only been in existence a few months. I think the Phoenix Foundation might have had something to do with that.” She stopped here and smiled a little. “Anyway, it’s a great opportunity to meet leaders of organizations like ours as well as donors to aid with financial backing. If we hit it off with the right people, we may not have to solely rely on the Foundation for grants.”

“Then I guess dusting off the ole penguin suit will be worth it,” he replied with a crooked grin.

XXXXX

Late Wednesday afternoon, while trying to keep his freshly pressed tuxedo wrinkle-free, MacGyver opened his front door to a ringing telephone. Hanging the outfit on the railing of his staircase, he quickly answered the call.

“Hello?

“Hey dad! What’s up?!”

“Hi Sam! How’re you doin’?”

“I’m good. Listen, a friend of mine here at the Tribune is going to Milwaukee to cover a story this weekend and I’m coming along as the photographer. I was wondering if we could hang out and get ready at your place Saturday?”

“Sure!” Mac agreed, a wide smile on his face. Sam, like him, was pretty much a loner. But unlike him, Sam hadn’t made any lifelong friends, not even someone like Jack Dalton. It was good to hear that Sam had a buddy to work with.

“Tell ya what,” MacGyver continued, “Why don’t you come up in the morning and we’ll spend the day together. Joanna and I have an event to go to that evening but I don’t want to waste one of your visits.”

“I don’t suppose your ‘event’ would be the fundraising gala? It sounds like something Phoenix or Challengers would be invited to.”

“Actually it is,” Mac replied slowly. “And I bet your friend is covering it, right?”

“Right! Hey, that’ll be cool! We can all go together!”

“Sounds like a plan,” Mac agreed. “See ya Saturday!”

Saturday morning, MacGyver opened his front door to find his son standing next to...a woman? She wore baggy shorts, a loose-fitting t-shirt, and had her long dark hair pulled through the back of a baseball cap.

“Hi Dad! This is my reporter friend Becca. Becca, this is my dad, MacGyver. But you can call him ‘Mac’.”

“Nice to meet you, Mac,” the girl said shyly as she tentatively held out her hand.

“It’s a pleasure,” MacGyver replied with a smile, shaking her hand. “Please, c’mon in.”

Once inside, Mac noticed his son had a garment bag draped over his shoulder.

“Want me to put that away for you?” he asked. “Wouldn’t want your tux to get wrinkled.”

“Yeah, sure,” Sam replied. “Becca’s dress is in there too.”

MacGyver took the bag upstairs and removed the pair’s outfits. He hung Sam’s tuxedo next to his, but upon seeing Becca’s dress, his jaw dropped. He held up the yards of white fabric with large blue flowers. Admittedly, he was a typical man and didn’t know all that much about women’s fashion but, as with art, he knew what he liked, and this wasn’t it. In fact, the piece reminded of him of his grandma’s old living room curtains. He had always hated those curtains. Feeling oddly protective of the near stranger, he knew he couldn’t let her go to the prestigious event in this so he picked up the phone and hit one of two numbers he had on speed dial.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The ringing of the telephone startled Joanna awake. She groaned. Figuring it was going to be a late night at the gala she had wanted to sleep in this morning.

“Hello?” she answered groggily.

“Jo. I need your help.”

MacGyver. This must be how Pete Thornton feels when Mac calls asking for favors in the middle of the night.

“What is it?” she ground out, her throat still dry from sleep.

“Remember I told you Sam and his friend from the Tribune were coming in today?”

“Yeah.” She suppressed a yawn.

“Well, his friend turned out to be female.”

“Sam’s got a girlfriend?!” Jo exclaimed, suddenly wide awake.

“No! I mean, I don’t think so. But she brought this dress that’s...well...I really need you to come over. It’ll all make sense when you see it.”

“Fine, I’ll be there soon.” Joanna shuffled off to shower and dress, wishing Mac would make half as big a deal out of her new outfit later that day.

An hour later Sam introduced Jo to Becca. Though shy and a bit awkward, Joanna took an immediate liking to the young woman.

“Listen,” Joanna addressed the girl. “I was just in the neighborhood and thought I’d drop by to see what you’re wearing to the gala tonight. Since we’re all going together I’d hate for our outfits to clash.”

Waves of doubt flitted across Rebecca’s face before she finally gave into the three encouraging smiles and went up to the bathroom to change.

When the journalist next appeared, Jo couldn’t help but gasp. There stood Becca, her hair loose and heavy around her face, her body swallowed up by billows of blue and white fabric.

Joanna turned her head and whispered in Mac’s ear, “She looks like she could be a balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!”

MacGyver nodded grimly. “That’s why I need your help,” he whispered back.

“It’s horrible, isn’t it?” Becca asked in a sad voice as she teetered in high-heeled pumps.

“I wouldn’t say it’s horrible,” Sam offered as Jo stepped forward and began plucking at pieces of the material.

“Sam’s right,” she agreed. “It’s just needs a few adjustments.” Jo tried to keep her voice positive as she glanced at her watch. Eight hours until they were due to arrive at the gala.

Joanna sat cross-legged on the floor as she folded over the hem that reached the girl’s ankles.

“Mac, do you have pins or something to hold this hem up?”

A few seconds later he held a roll of duct tape in front of her face.

“You’re kidding, right?” she looked up at him, rolling her eyes when he simply shrugged.

Tearing off a piece of the silver tape, she started tacking up the skirt and then stood to observe her handiwork. Even that little alteration had made a difference. Jo then examined the sleeves that were way too long and poufy and the bodice which was way too blouson. No amount of duct tape could fix this and there wasn’t enough time to rip out all the seams and re-sew it to fit.

“It’s hopeless!” Becca cried. “I’m not the type of girl who gets all dressed up and goes to charity events! I’m just a big old klutz who can’t even pick out a decent dress!” She turned and ran up the stairs, almost tripping as she got to the top.

Joanna turned to find MacGyver and Sam staring like deer caught in a car’s headlight, obviously on the verge of panic at the thought of having to deal with a hysterical female. In a way she couldn’t blame them, but she knew what she had to do.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this,” she told them before heading after Becca.

By the time Joanna got upstairs, the dress was nothing more than a puddle at the foot of the bed and the bathroom door was closed. She knocked on it lightly.

“Becca? It’s me. Can I come in?”

When there was no answer, Jo tested the doorknob to find it unlocked and poked her head into the small room. Becca was bent over the sink already wearing her shorts and t-shirt and splashing cold water on her face. When she noticed Joanna’s presence she turned off the faucets and grabbed a towel to dry her face.

“You okay?”

Shaking her head Rebecca perched on the edge of the tub. “I shouldn’t have come. This stuff is way outta my league.”

“Why did you buy that dress?” Joanna asked gently.

Becca sighed. “I got the assignment on short notice. I ordered it out of a catalogue and even paid extra for next day delivery. I thought it would camouflage this.” She glanced down at her less-than-perfect figure. “Instead it just makes it worse!”

“I understand. I used to have the same problem,” Jo assured her.

“You? No way!”

“Yep,” Joanna smiled sadly as she carefully sat down next to Becca. “I had a medical condition that caused me to gain a lot of weight in a short amount of time. I got it under control rather quickly, but the damage had already been done. I thought wearing loose, baggy clothes would hide my curves, but they only made me look bigger. I eventually lost a lot of the weight, but more importantly, I learned how to dress in a way that complements my figure.”

“That’s great, but how’s that gonna help me tonight?” Becca moaned.

“We still have time and I know a few places. Grab your purse,” Joanna ordered.

The two women returned downstairs to find Mac and his son sprawled on the couch already engrossed in an old black-and-white movie.

“I’m stealing Becca for the rest of the day. Pick us up at my place,” Jo called.

Mac lifted his hand and waved to indicate he had heard her before she turned and walked out the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Would you stop that!” Mac ordered, swatting at Sam’s hands and trying to pull away.

“But you’re tie’s crooked.”

“No, it’s not!”

“Fine! Have it your way!” Sam threw up his hands in disgust.

“Thank you! I will!” Mac shot back. “We need to hustle if we’re gonna pick up the girls on time.”

“Yes sir,” Sam replied with a mock salute that lightened the mood and put an end to their senseless bickering.

Half an hour later father and son stood in the Fairfax’s living room waiting for their ‘dates’. Joanna entered the room first and MacGyver’s jaw dropped of its own accord. Somehow she always managed to look beautiful, and somehow she always managed to take his breath away. Tonight she was dressed in a pale yellow satin sheath dress with an ivory lace overlay that fell just below her knees. Strappy, high-heeled sandals accentuated her legs, and she had done something to her bobbed hair to make it extra full and bouncy.

“You look great,” Mac told her as she walked up to him with a smile and began to straighten his tie.

“Oh, sure…you’ll let her fix your tie,” Sam complained.

MacGyver shot him a quelling sideways glance.

“I told you it was crooked,” his son smirked.

Sam looked away from his dad just in time to see Rebecca make her own appearance. Neither man could believe this was the same girl they saw earlier. Her long, slightly curled locks had been tamed and captured in a simple up do making her appear taller. She wore an emerald green dress that added extra depth to her eyes in spite of her glasses. The top of the dress was fitted, but not too tight, while the knee length skirt flared out slightly giving her the illusion of an hourglass figure. Sensible yet stylish black flats completed her ensemble.

“What do you think?” she asked, wringing her hands nervously in front of her.

Mac looked at Sam’s stunned expression and gave him a little nudge to get his attention.

“Oh...um...you look awesome,” Sam stammered before regaining his usual charm.

He walked up to his friend and took her hands in his.

“Who are you and what have you done with Becca?” he quipped, causing the young woman to smile as Mac choked back a laugh.

A short while later, with Joanna seated next to him and Sam and Becca in the backseat, MacGyver pulled the Nomad up to the Pabst Mansion, the historic site chosen for this evening’s festivities.

“Very impressive,” he observed, not even trying to hide the awe in his voice. “Looks like Flemish Renaissance Revival architecture.”

“You have a good eye,” Jo complimented him. “Captain Frederick Pabst, founder of Pabst Brewery, had it built for him and his family in the late 1800’s. Now it’s a national landmark.”

The foursome entered through the large, carved front doors and were greeted by a butler standing in the main foyer. Upon inspecting their invitations, he welcomed them warmly and wished them an enjoyable evening. From floor to ceiling, the house was ornate and opulent. Abundant with valuable works of art and antique furniture, it was an overwhelming sight. Small groups of people were scattered throughout the front parlor and gentlemen’s study chatting and laughing with food and drink in hand. Other guests strode the long hallways and grand staircase simply admiring the mansion itself.

It didn’t take long before a city councilman recognized MacGyver and approached the small group. They exchanged the proper niceties before the discussion turned to Challengers Club. Mac knew that this was one of many conversations he would have that night to promote the club and hopefully secure extra funding.

Once the man left, MacGyver guided Joanna toward the plush dining room, his hand placed lightly on the small of her back. He grinned when he saw Sam copy the gesture. Though he had only spent a small amount of time with Becca, he easily pegged her as the shy, quiet type. What puzzled him was his son’s sober demeanor. Normally enthusiastic and talkative, Sam had hardly said a word after leaving the Fairfax’s. Come to think of it, neither had Rebecca.

The large dining room table was laden with food and the two couples helped themselves to glasses of punch, dainty finger sandwiches, and mini cream puffs and chocolate eclairs. Once everyone’s appetite had been sufficiently satisfied, MacGyver suggested they split up so they could complete their tasks more quickly, emphasizing his request by running his finger along the inside of his collar and grimacing.

“Would you just give it up?” Jo snapped as soon and Sam and Becca were out of earshot. “I see you in buttoned up shirts rather frequently and your tie is not that tight.”

“Yeah, but it’s still a tie!” he retorted.

Joanna rolled her eyes, causing him to chuckle as he put his arm around her waist.

“Come on,” he instructed. “Let’s go see and be seen so we can get outta here.”

About an hour later, after giving his Challenger’s spiel at least a dozen times to prominent potential donors, MacGyver was leading Joanna back to the refreshment table when Sam suddenly appeared beside them, an anxious look on his face.

“Have you seen Becca?” he asked breathlessly.

“No, we thought she was with you,” Joanna replied, her brows knitted together in concern.

“She was. We were upstairs and she managed to snag an interview with the mayor. It seemed like it was gonna take a while so I decided to sneak away and take some exterior shots, but when I came back she was gone!”

“Well, people don’t just disappear. She has to be around here somewhere,” Mac reasoned.

The trio began to scan the crowd when a sudden, high-pitched shriek came from the butler’s pantry. They hurried toward the sound and stopped in the doorway to find Rebecca standing on a chair, her face contorted in horror as a man in a maître de uniform berated her.

“Madam! I must insist you get down from that chair immediately! It is original to the house, a veritable antique worth much money and you are ruining it with your shoes!”

“I’m not going anywhere until you kill it!” Becca shot back.

“Kill what madam?!”

“The spider! The spider that’s on the floor!”

“I assure you, madam, you are quite mistaken. I oversaw the preparation of this room myself and can assure you there are no spiders on the floor or anywhere else for that matter!”

By now MacGyver had eased his way into the small room and, by following Rebecca’s line of sight, saw the tiny spider in question. Somehow the fortunate arachnid had escaped the footsteps of the waiters, but his luck had just run out. Mac grabbed a small cocktail napkin from a nearby counter, reached down and squashed the little fellow even as he felt a pang of guilt.

“Alright Becca, you can come down now,” he assured her. But the young woman did not move.

Sam reached his hand up to her. “Come on, Becca. You heard my dad. The spider’s gone.”

In a daze of shock, the young woman mechanically grabbed Sam’s hand and allowed him to help her climb down from the chair. Once on solid ground, she wrapped her arms around his waist, buried her face in his chest and began to sob. Sam was soothing her as best he could when she pulled away without warning, looked at him as if he were a spider, and bolted from the room.

Sam exchanged a perplexed look with his dad. “What just happened?” he asked before both men turned helpless gazes toward Joanna.

“What?” she asked defensively, knowing full well what they expected her to do. “You want me to go after her, right?”

They both nodded.

“Because I’m a girl and I understand these things?”

Again they nodded, Sam’s puppy dog eyes boring into hers and Mac’s imploring smile melting her heart.

“Fine,” she replied firmly, pulling herself up to her full height and squaring her shoulders before leaving the room in Becca’s wake, albeit at a more sedate pace.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Joanna followed the path she assumed Rebecca had taken, peeking in each room she passed, but the girl was nowhere to be found. On a hunch, Jo opened the front door and stepped out on the large porch to find Sam’s friend sitting on the top step, her knees pulled up to her chin, her face in her hands, and her shoulders trembling with sobs.

“Mind if I join you?” Jo asked before slowly lowering herself onto the step. She rubbed soft, comforting circles on Becca’s back and waited for the tears to stop.

Finally, the young woman raised her head, face flushed and mascara smeared.

“I made such a fool of myself back there,” she moaned, and Joanna was afraid she’d start crying again.

“No you didn’t,” Jo assured her. “A lot of people are afraid of spiders. You’ve heard of ‘arachnophobia’ haven’t you?”

Becca shook her head. “That doesn’t even begin to cover it. I have arachnophobia to like the one-hundredth degree! I didn’t get you kicked out of the party, did I?”

“No. Everything’s fine,” Joanna promised and hoped she wasn’t lying.

“I’m just so embarrassed! Sam’ll probably never wanna look at me again!”

Aha! So this was about more than just spiders!

“No way! In fact, Sam’s the one who asked me to come look for you. He’s worried about you.”

“Then why didn’t he come find me himself?”

“Because everybody is scared of something, and I think Sam has a phobia about crying girls,” Jo chuckled and Becca offered her a watery smile.

“You really like him, don’t you?”

Rebecca nodded shyly. “What’s not to like? He’s kind, thoughtful, handsome, charming. But…”

“But you don’t think a guy like him would be interested in a girl like you,” Joanna surmised.

“How did you know that?” Becca asked, looking at Jo with something akin to awe.

“‘Cause I felt the same way about his dad. Sometimes still do, actually. I’m constantly amazed that a man as well-traveled and experienced as he is could ever be content with a girl who’s lived in the same place all her life.”

“So, you think there’s a chance that Sam could like me too?”

“I do.”

“Then why has he been acting so strange tonight?” Rebecca frowned.

“How do you mean?”

“He’s hardly said a word to me all evening and he totally bailed on me when I was interviewing the mayor.”

“Didn’t you see the way he looked at you when he first saw you tonight?” Jo smiled. “I think he was a little shocked by your transformation. You went from being the girl next door to Cinderella. Guys have a hard time processing that. And as for him not talking? Anyone who can render that boy speechless has to be pretty special.”

Rebecca’s only response was a grin and a thoughtful sigh.

“Tell you what,” Joanna continued. “Why don’t we get you freshened up and then we’ll get outta here.”

“I can’t go back in there looking like this!” Becca protested.

“Don’t worry. I saw a back entrance that the staff uses. We can sneak in that way.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver strode toward Sam who was standing in the main foyer.

“I can’t find them anywhere!” he said, throwing up his hands in frustration.

“They’re sitting on the front steps talking,” Sam replied quietly.

“Then why aren’t you out there?”

“I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“Since when?!” Mac didn’t wait for his son to answer but instead grabbed him by a lapel and led him to a dark, empty corner. “What is with you tonight anyway?” he asked in an exaggerated whisper.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean my usually charming, talkative kid has hardly said a word all night! Now, what gives?”

Sam shrugged his shoulders and lowered his gaze to his shoes.

“You like Becca!” MacGyver proclaimed.

“Of course I do. She’s a nice girl,” Sam muttered.

“You know what I mean. I saw the way you looked at her earlier, and I also saw the way she looked at you.”

“There’s nothing going on between us, Dad.”

“Do you want there to be?”

Sam sighed. “I don’t know,” he moaned, running a hand through his hair. “Becca’s a really great girl but I’m afraid I’ll end up hurting her.”

“How so?”

“What if I get bored at the Tribune? What if I decide I want to travel? Try new things?”

“What if you ask Becca out for a cup of coffee or a burger and go from there?”

“I guess I am kinda puttin’ the cart before the horse,” Sam admitted. “Did you ever feel like this with Joanna?”

“Sam, you know I did. But we cared enough about each other and our relationship to work through those things together. Now why don’t you go out there and butt in like you normally do?!”

Sam laughed as he opened the front door and stepped out onto the large porch, but the women were gone.

XXXXX

Sunday morning MacGyver and Joanna stood in the doorway of his townhouse waving good-bye to Sam and Becca. Once their car was out of sight they walked into the living room and collapsed on the couch.

“You look beat,” Mac observed.

“Gee, thanks,” Jo responded, pulling a face. “Becca kept me up half the night talking about the gala...and Sam.”

“I know the feeling. Sam slept like a log.”

When Joanna shot him a questioning look he laughed and explained, “A log being cut in half by a chainsaw is quieter than him. Man, can that kid can snore!”

“Do you think we’ll see her again?” Joanna asked soberly.

“If Sam has his way I’d say we can count on it. He’s gonna ask her out on a real date when they get home.”

“Really?! That’s terrific!” Jo exclaimed before becoming oddly silent.

“You’re worried about something. What is it?” MacGyver probed.

“Is Sam really serious about her, or was it just the fancy night and pretty dress?”

“Well, the dress sure didn’t hurt,” Mac replied, recalling the effect Joanna’s own appearance had on him. “But Sam knows his feelings. I think he would’ve asked her out sooner but he’s afraid he’ll end up hurting her.”

“Do you think he will?”

“Not on purpose. I told him to just take things slow and not give up too easily.”

“Sounds like good advice,” Jo praised. “Are you speaking from experience?”

“You know I am. I guess only time will tell...for all of us.”











Posted by: Dragondog 15 November 2019 - 01:33 AM
QUOTE
“It’s not that,” she replied with a genuine smile. “It’s just that everyone I know always calls me ‘Rebecca’. It’s kinda nice that you don’t.”
Shipshipshipshipshipshipshipship...

QUOTE

Sam closed his eyes and sighed. He knew he was going to give in. There was something about Becca that made him always want her to see her happy.
First two sentences: Like father like son. Third sentence: Shipshipshipship...


QUOTE

“What?! How did you even know I own a tux?!”

By now Joanna was peeking around the doorframe, probably to see what the ruckus was about.

“One night when you were working late I went by your place and did a little recon mission. I found it stuffed in the back of your closet,” Jo explained.
Totally not creepy at all... XD

QUOTE

MacGyver took the bag upstairs and removed the pair’s outfits. He hung Sam’s tuxedo next to his, but upon seeing Becca’s dress, his jaw dropped. He held up the yards of white fabric with large blue flowers. Admittedly, he was a typical man and didn’t know all that much about women’s fashion but, as with art, he knew what he liked, and this wasn’t it. In fact, the piece reminded of him of his grandma’s old living room curtains. He had always hated those curtains. Feeling oddly protective of the near stranger, he knew he couldn’t let her go to the prestigious event in this so he picked up the phone and hit one of two numbers he had on speed dial.
'Kay Captain Posh... XD

QUOTE

“Sam’s got a girlfriend?!” Jo exclaimed, suddenly wide awake.
I can't decide which is funnier: The concept of Sam having a love life being shocking enough to jolt her awake, or the idea of shipping him with someone exciting her so much that she doesn't even realize that she's acting like he does when he sees his dad and her together XD

QUOTE

“It’s horrible, isn’t it?” Becca asked in a sad voice as she teetered in high-heeled pumps.
Poor thing sad.gif

QUOTE

“Mac, do you have pins or something to hold this hem up?”

A few seconds later he held a roll of duct tape in front of her face.
*chokes* roller.gif

QUOTE

“It’s hopeless!” Becca cried. “I’m not the type of girl who gets all dressed up and goes to charity events! I’m just a big old klutz who can’t even pick out a decent dress!” She turned and ran up the stairs, almost tripping as she got to the top.
That's a mood XD

QUOTE

Joanna turned to find MacGyver and Sam staring like deer caught in a car’s headlight, obviously on the verge of panic at the thought of having to deal with a hysterical female.
Oh come on guys! X'D

QUOTE

Becca sighed. “I got the assignment on short notice. I ordered it out of a catalogue and even paid extra for next day delivery. I thought it would camouflage this.” She glanced down at her less-than-perfect figure. “Instead it just makes it worse!”
I repeat: Poor thing sad.gif

QUOTE

The two women returned downstairs to find Mac and his son sprawled on the couch already engrossed in an old black-and-white movie.
...Okay then... XD

QUOTE

“Would you stop that!” Mac ordered, swatting at Sam’s hands and trying to pull away.

“But you’re tie’s crooked.”

“No, it’s not!”

“Fine! Have it your way!” Sam threw up his hands in disgust.
Classic parent/child banter (speaking from experience) XD

QUOTE
Somehow she always managed to look beautiful, and somehow she always managed to take his breath away. Tonight she was dressed in a pale yellow satin sheath dress with an ivory lace overlay that fell just below her knees. Strappy, high-heeled sandals accentuated her legs, and she had done something to her bobbed hair to make it extra full and bouncy.
Somehow all I can picture is Belle XD

QUOTE
“You look great,” Mac told her as she walked up to him with a smile and began to straighten his tie.

“Oh, sure…you’ll let her fix your tie,” Sam complained.

MacGyver shot him a quelling sideways glance.

“I told you it was crooked,” his son smirked.
XD XD XD

QUOTE

“What do you think?” she asked, wringing her hands nervously in front of her.
Glad I'm not the only one with that tic XD

QUOTE
Mac looked at Sam’s stunned expression and gave him a little nudge to get his attention.

“Oh...um...you look awesome,” Sam stammered before regaining his usual charm.
When you've spent two hours looking for the perfect word, and then you give up XD

QUOTE

“Who are you and what have you done with Becca?” he quipped, causing the young woman to smile as Mac choked back a laugh.
I read that in the same husky tone Mac uses for Joanna XD

QUOTE
What puzzled him was his son’s sober demeanor. Normally enthusiastic and talkative, Sam had hardly said a word after leaving the Fairfax’s. Come to think of it, neither had Rebecca.
Hmmm...

QUOTE

“Have you seen Becca?” he asked breathlessly.
Uh oh...

QUOTE

“I’m not going anywhere until you kill it!” Becca shot back.
*sigh*

QUOTE


“The spider! The spider that’s on the floor!”
I don't like spiders either, but geeze...

QUOTE

Sam exchanged a perplexed look with his dad. “What just happened?” he asked before both men turned helpless gazes toward Joanna.

“What?” she asked defensively, knowing full well what they expected her to do. “You want me to go after her, right?”

They both nodded.

“Because I’m a girl and I understand these things?”

Again they nodded, Sam’s puppy dog eyes boring into hers and Mac’s imploring smile melting her heart.

“Fine,” she replied firmly, pulling herself up to her full height and squaring her shoulders before leaving the room in Becca’s wake, albeit at a more sedate pace.
roller.gif

QUOTE


“I made such a fool of myself back there,” she moaned, and Joanna was afraid she’d start crying again.
Now I feel guilty...

QUOTE

“I’m just so embarrassed! Sam’ll probably never wanna look at me again!”

Aha! So this was about more than just spiders!
Shipshipshipshipshipshipship...

Also, she kinda sounds like a freshman high shool student XD

QUOTE

“Because everybody is scared of something, and I think Sam has a phobia about crying girls,” Jo chuckled and Becca offered her a watery smile.
tongue.gif

QUOTE
And as for him not talking? Anyone who can render that boy speechless has to be pretty special.”
Yeah 'cause he never shuts up, right? XD

QUOTE


“Since when?!” Mac didn’t wait for his son to answer but instead grabbed him by a lapel and led him to a dark, empty corner. “What is with you tonight anyway?” he asked in an exaggerated whisper.
Time for the male version XD

QUOTE

“You like Becca!” MacGyver proclaimed.
Anything else to proclaim, Sherlock?

QUOTE

Sam sighed. “I don’t know,” he moaned, running a hand through his hair. “Becca’s a really great girl but I’m afraid I’ll end up hurting her.”
Like father, like son...

QUOTE
Sam laughed as he opened the front door and stepped out onto the large porch, but the women were gone.

XXXXX

Sunday morning
That was a sudden time jump XD

QUOTE

“Really?! That’s terrific!” Jo exclaimed before becoming oddly silent.
Literally everyone in this story is a shipper XD

QUOTE

“You know I am. I guess only time will tell...for all of us.”
For Sam and Becca that's a given, but for you two... it's been how long now? XD

Posted by: uniquelyjas 19 November 2019 - 02:33 PM
Ch. 24: Heat Wave

Joanna sat back on her heels and tossed the ragged sponge into a bucket of dull, gray water which had been clear and soapy when she began scrubbing one of the dormitory’s bathroom floors thirty minutes earlier. She stretched her back muscles as rivulets of sweat trickled down her neck, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.

“Has the air conditioner stopped working?” she asked.

Cynthia, who had been cleaning the toilets, laughed ruefully. “It better not have! A lot of people are counting on it.”

Milwaukee was in the second day of what was predicted to be a week-long heat wave with temperatures in the nineties and high humidity. Thanks to their networking the weekend before, the mayor had asked MacGyver and Joanna to make Challengers an official shelter and cooling station until the dangerous weather released its grip on the city. That meant a lot of foot traffic and strangers coming and going twenty-four hours a day.

“Besides,” Cynthia continued, “MacGyver could fix it in an emergency. That is, after he talks the firemen into opening the hydrant so the kids can cool themselves in the water.”

Jo smiled sadly. Poor Mac. So many people relied on him, yet he hardly ever relied on anyone. Even her.

“What do you say we break for lunch?” Cynthia suggested.

“You don’t have to ask me twice!” Joanna snapped off the protective rubber gloves she had been wearing and scrambled to her feet before the other woman changed her mind.

Back in Cynthia’s office, Joanna frowned.

“Have you seen my ring?” she asked.

“What ring is that, dear?” Cynthia inquired absently while shuffling through a pile of messages.

“The sapphire one I always wear. I took it off and left it on your desk.”

“It must be around here someplace then,” the older woman replied. “It surely didn’t grow legs and walk away.”

Joanna was about to commence her search when the main door slammed open followed by a wave of giggles. Curious, she and Cynthia quickly headed toward the noise. When she saw the cause she stopped dead in her tracks. MacGyver stood in the doorway soaking wet. His hair slicked back and his t-shirt and jeans clinging to him like a second skin accentuating his firm, athletic build.

“They opened the fire hydrant,” he announced with an adorably crooked grin.

He glanced around the room until he pinned Joanna with his gaze. She felt a flush bloom on her cheeks, embarrassed that he had caught her staring at him. But his eyes gleamed with mischief and his grin widened just for her.

“Lucky I keep a change of clothes upstairs,” he said as he went to step into the room.

“Don’t you move!” Cynthia admonished. “I don’t want you dripping all over my clean floor. I’ll go get you a towel.”

A few minutes later, Mac was vigorously rubbing his shaggy hair with one towel before using another to remove as much moisture from his clothes as possible before Cynthia allowed him to go to the dormitory and change.

When the commotion had died down, Joanna returned to Cynthia’s office to resume the search for her ring. Once certain that the piece of jewelry was not on the desk or hidden under a stack of paperwork that had accumulated during the morning, Jo dropped to her hands and knees to begin a thorough search of the threadbare carpet when a masculine voice from behind startled her.

“Looking for something?” MacGyver asked, leaning casually against the doorframe clad in fresh, dry clothes.

“No! I mean, I thought I dropped a paperclip,” she sputtered.

“Ah,” came his reply, the tone telling her that he would accept the lie...for now.

Joanna was surprised that the fib came so easily to her. But then again, she was more than a little embarrassed that she may have lost one of her most precious possessions due to her lack of responsible behavior. She figured she would be cleaning today, yet instead of keeping the ring in her jewelry box, she slipped it on her finger out of habit. Now it was gone. Presumably lost as she balked at the thought that anyone at Challengers would trespass in Cynthia’s office and steal it. Yet, Rosie Garcia had been in and out all morning to deliver messages and other paperwork. But Rosie would never do something like that!

“Cynthia said you guys were taking a break. Wanna go grab something to eat?” Mac asked, breaking through Joanna’s thoughts.

“Sure,” she replied half-heartedly as she considered the whereabouts of her ring.

“Great! Come on,” he said, spontaneously grabbing her left hand and rubbing his thumb over her knuckles.

“Hey, you’re not wearing your ring today,” Mac observed.

Joanna shrugged. “I knew we’d be cleaning today and I didn’t want to risk damaging it so I took it off.” At least that wasn’t a lie and MacGyver accepted her explanation without question.

They were headed out the door when Raul Garcia rushed in.

“Ma! Ma! The ice cream truck is here! Can I have some money?!”

“Mijo! Slow down!” Rosie scolded. “You’re not a little boy anymore. And what happened to the money from your allowance?”

Jo watched as the young teen’s gaze dropped to the floor.

“I kinda spent it all,” he mumbled.

“Ack! What am I going to do with you! You need to learn the value of a dollar!”

“I’m sorry, Ma.” Raul looked up now. “I’ll do better next week, but can I please have some money before the ice cream truck leaves?”

Mac and Joanna grinned as Rosie shook her head even as she removed her purse from the drawer she always kept it in. Finding her wallet, she opened it up only to frown.

“I could’ve sworn I had more cash than this,” she lamented, handing a couple of singles to her son. “I just went to the bank a few days ago!”

“Maybe you need to watch your money better, too,” Raul replied cheekily before barreling out the door to buy his treat.

“I do not understand…” Rosie muttered.

“Maybe you stopped somewhere and picked up something you weren’t planning to,” Jo suggested. “It happens to all of us!”

Rosie summoned a smile. “I suppose you must be right. What other answer could there be?”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver and Joanna returned from lunch to find Cynthia standing on the front steps of the club, speaking with a police officer.

“Excuse me, is there something wrong?” Mac asked, approaching the cop.

“And you are?” the man in the dark uniform asked.

“Name’s MacGyver. I’m the director here at Challengers.”

The other man extended his hand in greeting. “Nice to meet you. I’m Officer Hill. I was just informing Ms. Wilson that we will be running extra patrols past your club for the next few days. People tend to get a little crazy when it gets this hot. I also think you should know there’s been a rather significant rise in gang activity in the area, so please don’t hesitate to call us if you see anything out of the ordinary.”

“Will do. Thank you, officer,” Mac said warmly, the two men shaking hands once again before the policeman returned to his car.

“So, who are the popular gangs around here?” he asked, turning to Joanna.

Jo raised her eyebrows in response. “I’m hardly an expert,” she began sarcastically, “But the Latin Kings were the main players last I heard.”

“Good to know,” Mac replied with a smile before heading inside.

The afternoon sun bore down relentlessly as Challenger members and volunteers helped prepare for the expected influx of people seeking relief from the heat. Joanna and Cynthia finished cleaning while MacGyver and a couple of older boys carried in large cases of bottled water and huge bags of ice. Rosie collected donations from people in the community who offered everything from box fans to brownies. As the sun descended in the western sky, people from all walks of life began to file in seeking a comfortable place to sleep. Many were homeless and Mac recognized them from the neighborhood. Others were elderly or families with small children who were living in dangerously hot conditions. Club volunteers assisted with getting the guests settled and familiar with the rules. When most of the activity had died down, Mac pulled Joanna into his office.

“I just wanted to let you know that I’m spending the night here,” he said. “With all these strangers I wanna be around just in case something happens.”

Jo laughed. “Cynthia told me the same thing earlier. In fact, I offered to stay with her so I guess we’re all here for the long haul.”

After a short, impromptu meeting, it was decided that the three of them would take turns monitoring activity in the center. MacGyver volunteered for the first shift and Joanna and Cynthia headed to their respective offices to rest until it was their turn. He settled himself in the chair behind the small reception desk that was normally occupied by Rosie. He silently shook his head, wondering how she managed to work a full time third shift job and volunteer all day at Challengers as well as raise Raul. He made a mental note to sit down with Cynthia and go over the accounts to see if there was a way to pay her for her services.

Macgyver’s chin had dropped to his chest and he was struggling to keep his eyes open when he heard raised voices coming from the parking lot. He glanced at his watch. It was just a couple of minutes before midnight. He rose from the chair and hurried outside to see what was going on.

“You don’t belong here! This ain’t your turf!” a teen Mac recognized as a Challengers Club member yelled at a group of young men hidden in the shadows.

“Oh yeah?! I heard the mayor on the news and he said anyone could come so here we are!” a twenty-something man with a rather thick Hispanic accent shot back.

Mac watched as the teen from Challengers lunged at his opponent and wasted no time getting between the two.

“Hold it!” MacGyver commanded, separating them before either could throw a punch.

When Mac was satisfied that a brawl was not about to ensue, he turned his attention to the young man who seemed to be the antagonist and the small group of teens standing behind him and immediately understood what the problem was.

“Challengers doesn’t turn anyone away,” MacGyver began to explain. “But it’s also a gang-free zone. You’re more than welcome to join us, but you gotta lose the colors first,” he said, looking to the yellow and black bandannas the boys wore either on their heads or around their necks.”

“Forget it, man!” the leader spat. “The Kings don’t go nowhere we ain’t respected.” He turned, snapped his fingers, and the others fell in behind him stalking off into the night.

MacGyver turned to the remaining teen who stood under a street lamp and now recognized him as Diego.

“That was a really dumb thing to do,” Mac scolded. “What made you come out here in the first place?”

The teen shrugged. “I heard a noise outside my window and wanted to see what was up.”

“Well, the next time you hear strange noises come and get me. You know that could’ve turned out really bad for you tonight.”

“Yes sir,” Diego responded sullenly as they both headed inside.

Mac returned to find Joanna standing next to the chair he had recently vacated, her arms crossed protectively in front of her.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“A few members of the Latin Kings decided to pay us a visit.”

Jo’s eyes grew wide and MacGyver knew what she was thinking. “Don’t worry, everything’s fine,” he assured her. “Why don’t you go back to the office?”

She shook her head. “It’s almost time for my shift, anyway. Besides, I haven’t been able to sleep.”

“Why not?” Concern furrowed Mac’s brow.

“It’s probably just the heat and knowing there are strangers around,” she replied before settling herself in the desk chair.

Mac wasn’t buying that. Joanna had been distant all afternoon and evening, and he doubted the heat was to blame, but he’d have plenty of time to ferret out the truth tomorrow.

“All right,” he reluctantly agreed. “But come and get me if there’s any trouble.” He headed towards his office even though he knew he would be wide awake the rest of the night.

The following day, as the ones before it, dawned sunny, hot, and humid. A truck arrived from a local store to deliver donated cases of bottled water, ice, and snacks. Mac was helping Jo and Cynthia put away the needed supplies when Diego came running up to them.

“My bike’s gone! The Latin Kings stole my bike last night!”

“Whoa, take it easy,” Mac replied, gently grabbing the boy by the shoulders. “Are you sure it was stolen?”

Diego rolled his eyes. “Of course I’m sure! It was there when I went to bed and now it’s gone!”

“How do you know one of the Kings took it?”

The boy looked at him as if he was questioning Mac’s sanity.

“They were here last night,” Diego said, as if that proved their guilt.

“Yeah, but I didn’t see any of them take your bike. Did you?”

“No, but one of them could’ve taken it before we went outside.”

“And you’re sure you locked it up on the rack yesterday?” Mac inquired.

Diego’s gaze fell and he refused to look MacGyver in the eye. “I lost the lock last week,” he mumbled. “But I thought it would be safe with all the other bikes there!”

Mac sighed. “Anyone could’ve taken your bike. You know that. And why didn’t you ask me for a new lock? We have to be extra careful with things that are important to us.”

He looked up at Joanna for reinforcement but was met with a stunned expression before she turned and hurried away.

“Go with Ms. Cynthia and call the cops to report your stolen bike,” Mac instructed before going after Joanna.

He found her in her office, organizing her desk like she always did when she was upset about something. His eyes found her hands of their own accord. She still wasn’t wearing her beloved ring.

“When are you going to tell me what’s going on with you?” he asked softly.

“There’s nothing going on with me,” she replied defensively. “I told you last night, it’s just the heat.”

“I didn’t believe that last night and I don’t believe it now,” he informed her, walking up to her and grabbing her empty left hand. “Does it have anything to do with this?” he asked, tenderly stroking the finger that usually displayed the dark blue sapphire.

Joanna’s eyes welled with tears. “I think it’s been stolen,” she sighed shakily. “I hadn’t meant to wear it yesterday, but put it on by force of habit. I left it on Cynthia’s desk before we went upstairs to clean the dorm bathrooms. When we came down for lunch it was gone.”

“Are you sure you just didn’t misplace it or overlook it?” Mac asked, squeezing her hand tighter hoping to comfort her.

“I looked everywhere. Yesterday and last night. I even questioned some of the volunteers, but no one has seen it.”

“Who had access to the office?”

“I know for sure that Rosie did. But if someone forgot to lock the door, anyone could’ve gone in.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?”

Joanna’s chin began to quiver. “I didn’t want you to think I was some dumb, irresponsible flake.”

“Aw baby,” he crooned, stepping around the desk and pulling her to him. “You are absolutely none of those things. You had every right to believe your ring would be safe in Cynthia’s office.”

Jo buried her face in his shirt and he rested his chin on the top of her head as she allowed tears to fall. He held her tight until her trembling stopped and she started to pull away.

“We should call the police,” he suggested gently.

“It won’t do any good,” Jo replied, wiping the moisture from her cheeks. “Whoever took it is sure to have pawned it by now.”

“It still wouldn’t hurt. And we need to get the word out around here in case it’s just lost.”

Joanna nodded her acquiescence just as Rosie knocked frantically on the office door.

“Mr. MacGyver, I am so sorry to interrupt, but I need you to look at something.”

“Sure, what is it?”

Rosie reached into her purse and pulled out a clear plastic zip bag with a powdery white substance inside.

“Is this what I think it is?” she asked anxiously.

Mac dipped a finger in the bag and gingerly tasted a bit of the white powder.

“It’s cocaine. Where’d you find this?”

“It was floating in our toilet this morning. I wanted to ask Raul about it, but he had already left. I thought he’d be here, but he’s not.”

“I’m gonna go find him,” MacGyver declared, shoving the bag of drugs into his back jean pocket.

“Do you know where he is?” Rosie asked.

“No, but I have a hunch.”

MacGyver replayed the last twenty-four hours in his mind. Joanna’s ring and Diego’s bike had both mysteriously disappeared as well as cash from Rosie’s wallet. And then, for no apparent reason at the time, local gang members showed up. Now, a bag of coke had been found in the Garcia home.

He turned to Joanna and kissed her quickly on the lips, not caring that Rosie was watching. “Don’t worry, we’re gonna get to the bottom of this,” he promised before walking away.

After getting some information from Diego, MacGyver took off in his Jeep to cruise the Latin Kings’ turf. He slowly drove up one block and down another, but the streets were empty. Apparently, like cops, gang bangers were never around when you needed one. He was just about to give up when he passed an alley and caught movement in his peripheral vision. Parking the Jeep, he climbed out and walked back toward the alley, his nerve endings tingling with awareness. Before moving further, he did a visual assessment of the narrow passageway. Nothing. But a shiver sliding down his back told him things may not be as they seemed. He began to stealthily walk through the alley, alert and ready to pounce on anything that moved. He was about halfway in when he saw a pair of ragged tennis shoes peeking out from behind a large cardboard box.

With the element of surprise on his side, MacGyver grabbed the box and in one swift motion flung it aside to find Raul huddled against the brick wall of the building behind him, knees pulled up to his chest, eyes wide with fear.

“Raul! What are you doing here?”

“I’m hiding from them! They’re gonna kill me!” the young teen cried.

“Who?! Who’s after you?”

“The Latin Kings. They’re gonna kill me!” Raul repeated.

MacGyver pulled the small bag of cocaine out of his pocket.

“It wouldn’t have anything to do with this, would it?” he asked calmly.

Raul nodded as Mac sat down on the ground next to him.

“So, you usin’, dealin’ or both?”

“I ain’t doin’ none of that,” the teen insisted.

“Raul, your mother found this in your house. Now what’s goin’ on?”

“I was taking a shortcut home a couple days ago and accidently walked through Kings’ turf. They jumped me and tried to get me to join. When I refused, they said I would have to pay up if I didn’t want them to hurt me or my mom.”

The gears began to turn in MacGyver’s mind and suddenly clicked.

“So you were supposed to sell this coke and give them the money to keep them away from you and your mom?”

Raul nodded. “I didn’t want to! Honest! So I flushed it. Or at least I thought I did.”

“Plastic floats, man,” Mac reminded him only to be greeted by silence, but he figured he could guess the rest.

“Okay, so you planned to get rid of the coke, but you still needed to pay them off so you took money from your mom’s wallet and stole Diego’s bike and Ms. Joanna’s ring. Am I right?”

“Yeah,” Raul mumbled. “Only, when I tried to hock the bike and ring I didn’t get as much as I thought I would. If I don’t get the money by six o’clock tonight I’m a dead man!”

“Relax. I’m not gonna let anything happen to you,” Mac promised.

“How you gonna do that?”

“Well, first of all, I’m taking you back to Challengers and we’re gonna call the police.”

“Are you loco?! Do you know what gangs do to snitches?!”

“Raul, it’s the right thing to do. Now let’s get outta here.”

Back at Challengers, Rosie greeted her son with a suffocating hug followed by a scathing reprimand when he confessed to what he had done.

“C’mon,” Mac said, putting a guiding hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Let’s go in my office and make that phone call.”

A few minutes later they emerged from the room to find Joanna, Rosie and Cynthia huddled nearby.

“Well…?” Joanna asked impatiently.

Mac jammed his splayed fingers through his sweat-dampened hair. “I talked with Officer Hill, the cop we met yesterday. He said there was nothing the police could do unless the gang was caught doing something illegal. Raul gave his statement and Hill is gonna pass it on to the anti-gang taskforce.”

“What about tonight?” she pressed as Rosie stood next to her anxiously wringing her hands.

“I don’t know,” MacGyver sighed, keenly aware of the expectant gazes that had settled on him. He had always been the man with the plan. The guy that got called in to do what the best of the best could not. Today, he felt horribly inadequate.

“I got an idea!” Raul suddenly exclaimed. “The cop dude said they needed to catch the gang in the act right?” He waited for Mac to nod before continuing. “Then let’s go through with the payoff! You can put a wire on me. We’ll get them on tape and take it to the police! I just saw it on TV and it worked like a charm!”

“No way! It’s too dangerous,” Mac proclaimed. “Besides, this is real life, not some television show.”

There had to be something he could do. But what? Back in L.A. he would’ve gone to one of his trusted friends on the police force but here he had no one. Nevertheless, he mentally scrolled through the Rolodex in his brain.

“I think I might have an idea,” he announced.

“What is it?” Jo asked.

“I need to make a phone call,” was all he said before turning and walking back into his office, well aware of the frustration on Joanna’s face at being left out of his plan. But he didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up in case things didn’t work out.

“Lee Vang, attorney at law, how may I help you?”

“Hey Lee, it’s MacGyver.”

“Mac! Good to hear from you! Step in front of any speeding bullets lately?”

“Ha, ha, very funny. What ever happened to doctor-patient confidentiality?”

“When your wife works as a trauma nurse you hear a lot of stories. Wendi knew we were friends and thought you wouldn’t mind.”

MacGyver hadn’t met Wendi Vang when he had recently been rushed to the hospital with a gunshot wound, at least not while he had been conscious, but Joanna had told him how understanding and helpful Wendi had been and he would be forever grateful for that.

“Is there something I can help you with?” the lawyer continued.

“You wouldn’t happen to have any connections in the police department? Maybe someone who owes you a favor?”

“What kind of trouble are you in this time, Mac?” Lee chuckled.

MacGyver explained everything about Raul’s run in with the Latin Kings and the impending repercussions.

“Raul Garcia. Isn’t that the young man I defended earlier this year in a case involving vandalism and gang activity? The one whose mom makes those killer tamales?”

“I’m afraid it is,” Mac admitted.

“That boy sure has a knack for finding trouble. Are you sure he’s not related to you?”

“You’re just a regular comedian today, aren’t you, Vang? Can you help us out or not?”

Lee’s voice became serious. “I have some people I can contact. I’ll have them meet you at Challengers.”

XXXXX

MacGyver saw Joanna look nervously at her watch. It was five o’clock. One hour until Raul was scheduled to meet the Kings at the abandoned factory by the river. Lee Vang had sent over four off-duty narcotic detectives, two of whom were already in position in the communication van a block away from the meeting site. The van was disguised with signage indicating it was an air conditioning repair company, a rather common sight in the city these days so it was doubtful anyone would find its presence suspicious. The two remaining detectives had commandeered MacGyver’s office and swiftly secured Raul and his mother behind closed doors. Joanna had taken Rosie’s place at the reception desk, happily greeting bedraggled persons seeking relief from the heat, pretending that Challengers was operating as usual. He knew she was upset that he planned to tag along with Raul and the detectives, and even more upset that she couldn’t join them, but it was important for her to remain and help Cynthia keep the club running. Mac pulled up a chair and sat next to her, wanting to spend a few quiet moments together before he headed out.

“What are they doing in there?” she whispered to him as she glanced at his closed office door.

“They’re wiring him up and giving him instructions on what to say and how to act given different scenarios.”

“So he really is gonna be like that guy on television?”

“Pretty much,” Mac confirmed, putting a calming hand on her thigh. “But don’t worry. We’ll have lots of eyes on him. He won’t be alone for a second.”

Joanna turned to look at him. “That’s what they always say and the sting always goes south.”

“Have you been watching TV with Raul?” MacGyver teased, trying to lighten the mood. However, given Joanna’s deep frown and steely gaze, his effort had been unsuccessful.

“I don’t like this, Mac.”

“Neither do I. But we don’t have many options at this point. If he would’ve come to us right away then maybe…”

His office door opened and the small group emerged and headed toward MacGyver.

“Ready to go?” the first detective asked.

“Let’s do this,” Mac replied.

“Okay, we’re going to leave the building separately and at intervals, just in case they have someone watching the place,” the second detective instructed. “MacGyver, you go last. Make sure Raul doesn’t get intercepted between here and the factory. And when you get there, go straight to the van. I’m not in the mood for any collateral damage.”

Fifteen minutes before the designated meeting time, MacGyver slipped through the back door of the surveillance van. A detective handed him a pair of headphones and binoculars. Mac climbed into the driver’s seat and trained the binoculars on the front of the abandoned factory where Raul stood just outside the main doors.

“I’d feel better if we had some cameras on him,” Mac commented.

“Didn’t have enough notice to get them set up,” came the officer’s curt reply. “Besides, didn’t want to risk being made by any Kings that might be hanging out.”

Mac couldn’t argue with that. As he sat watching Raul, he felt his adrenaline build and his heart rate increase. The worst part of any mission, at least for him, was the waiting. He glanced at his watch. Six o’clock on the nose. When he looked up, he saw three gang members sporting their black and yellow colors approach Raul from either side of the old building. MacGyver put on his headset and readjusted the binoculars. A tall, broad shouldered male separated himself from the others and stood to face Raul.

“You got my cash?”

“I changed my mind, Manny,” Raul said in a stronger voice than Mac expected. “I ain’t sellin’ no dope.” Raul held out the bag of coke to the gang leader who snatched it from his hand.

“Sounds like we got ourselves a problem then,” Manny sneered, moving in closer.

“There’s no problem. Let’s just forget the whole thing,” Raul suggested.

“It don’t work like that, dude. You come around on King turf you either join up or pay up.”

“I ain’t joinin’ and I ain’t payin’!”

“I guess you don’t care about that pretty little mama of yours.”

“What do you mean?” Raul asked, his brave facade crumbling.

“You gotta protect your family, man. That’s what I mean.”

Raul shifted his weight from one foot to another, nervously licking his lips as he glanced around to find the other gang members slowly surrounding him, guns and knives visible and threatening.

“All right! All right! I’ll sell your stupid dope! But just this one time so you don’t hurt my mom!”

An evil, satisfied grin spread across Manny’s face as he handed the coke back to Raul. As soon as the bag with the white powder hit Raul’s hand, the detectives lunged from their hiding places and the two officers in the van barreled out the back doors. Shouts of “Freeze! Police!” and “Drop your weapons!” rent the evening air. For a moment it was if time stood still. Then suddenly the police had all the boys down on the ground, handcuffs snapped into place. MacGyver breathed a heavy sigh of relief. The takedown had been quick and harmless. He lowered his binoculars and was pulling off his headset when he saw a teen in Latin Kings colors race from the factory, past the van Mac was in. Acting on pure instinct, MacGyver tumbled out the driver’s side door and quickly regained his feet to chase after the boy. It didn’t take long for Mac to catch up and, hurtling through the air, slam the gang member into the ground, landing on top of him. Before Mac could right himself, the teen rolled over, knife flailing in his hand. MacGyver felt the sharp sting of the blade as it sliced his bicep, but his focus remained on the miscreant writhing beneath him. He reached out, grabbing the knife-wielding arm and pounding it hard into the ground until the boy’s grip slackened and the weapon fell harmlessly away. Mac stood, wadding the teen’s shirt front in his fist and pulling him up to his feet. Together they stumbled back to the van where MacGyver handed the escapee over to one of the detectives.

“Looks like we better get you an ambulance,” the officer said, looking at the blood flowing from Mac’s upper arm as he took custody of the boy.

“It’s just a flesh wound,” MacGyver shrugged. “I’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, right,” the cop smirked before turning to speak into his walkie-talkie.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Joanna sat at the Challengers reception desk smiling welcoming smiles at newcomers seeking relief from the heat and happily accepting donations from the community, but inside her heart was fluttering and her stomach churning. She glanced at her watch for the fifth time in the last four minutes. How long until she heard something? The meeting should have taken place thirty minutes ago and yet no one had called to inform them of the outcome. She was about to glance at her watch again when Cynthia approached and put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“I just heard from the detectives,” she informed Joanna. “Raul is safe and all the gang members are in custody.”

“So no one was hurt?” Jo asked with cautious hopefulness.

“MacGyver sustained an injury. They wouldn’t give me any details, but he’s on his way to the hospital right now.”

Without a word, Joanna quickly retrieved her purse, grabbed her keys and headed out. It wasn’t until she was behind the wheel, already driving down the road that she realized she hadn’t even said good-bye to Cynthia much less apologized for leaving her alone to run the center, but upon hearing Mac was hurt, nothing else seemed to matter.

Joanna rushed through the automatic doors of the emergency room only to be greeted by Wendi Vang.

“Wow! You made good time. The ambulance hasn’t even arrived yet!” Wendi grinned, but Jo failed to find any humor in her observation. “The medics just called in. Mac’s okay, just a knife wound that’s going to need stitched up.”

Joanna breathed a sigh of relief, thankful the injury wasn’t worse. The nurse’s pager went off and she politely excused herself, leaving Jo to take a seat in the emergency waiting room. Sitting on the hard plastic chair, she leaned her head back against the wall, her eyelids fluttering closed of their own volition as the stress and excitement of the day finally caught up with her. To her surprise, she must have dozed off because the next time she opened her eyes it was to find MacGyver standing in the waiting room watching her, a crooked grin on his face. The only evidence of his injury was a ripped and bloodied shirt sleeve and the white dressing peeking out of the tear.

“Hi,” he greeted her softly. “Tough day, huh?”

“You could say that,” she agreed, standing but not moving towards him.

“You’re upset,” he observed.

“I was worried,” she amended. “But Wendi assured me you’d be okay even before you got here.”

“But you stayed.”

“I figured you’d need a ride home,” she shrugged.

A young doctor wearing glasses and a lab coat interrupted them.

“Excuse me, Mr. MacGyver, but here are your discharge papers. Remember to keep the site clean and dry and we’ll see you back here in ten days to take out the stitches.”

“Thanks,” Mac murmured, taking the papers and shaking the physician’s hand before turning back to Joanna. “Shall we go?”

Jo turned her back to him and headed out the door, leaving him to follow in her wake. Once in the car she cranked the engine and jacked up the air conditioning as MacGyver struggled to push the passenger seat back and buckle his seat belt.

“You’re upset,” Mac repeated as she pulled out of the parking lot feeling his eyes on her.

“I’m not upset,” she sighed heavily. “I’m just trying really hard to get used to the idea that the emergency room is your second favorite hang-out after the ice rink.”

“That’s not true,” he retorted. “Wherever you are is by far my absolute, number one hang-out. The ice rink is second and the hospital is a distant third.”

By now they were parked in MacGyver’s driveway, the car idling. Joanna finally turned to look at him and genuinely smiled for what seemed to be the first time in days. When he smiled back, her stomach did a funny little flip.

“You wanna come in?”

“Do you need help with something?”

“No, I just thought…”

She reached out and put a hand on his cheek to silence him. “I think it’s best if we both just get a good night’s sleep.”

“But we’re okay, right?” he asked, the worry in his eyes and concern in his voice tugging at her heart.

“We’re way better than okay,” she assured him before they leaned toward each other, their lips meeting in a kiss that melted her from the inside out.

XXXXX

Joanna looked up at the clock on the wall and frowned.

“I thought MacGyver would be here by now,” she said, a bit deflated.

“I called him last night and told him to take the day off,” Cynthia informed her.

“I know. That’s why I thought he’d be here already!” she chuckled with Cynthia joining in.

An unpredicted cold front had swept through the region the night before leaving behind comfortable temperatures and low humidity. Cynthia, Joanna, Rosie, and several Challengers members had spent the better part of the morning cleaning the dorms and recreation area in an effort to get the club back to normal since there was no longer a need for cooling stations. Jo had just stowed the last of the cleaning supplies in a closet when MacGyver poked his head through the doorway.

“Is Diego here?” he asked, a secretive smile on his face.

“Yeah, he’s around,” Jo replied.

“Go find him and bring him outside.”

Knowing better than to question Mac’s request, Joanna went in search of Diego and escorted him out to the parking lot, the others following close behind out of curiosity. There, MacGyver stood grinning widely with a bicycle standing in front of him.

“Well, what do ya think?” he asked the boy whose eyes had gone wide.

“Is that my bike?” Diego asked in disbelief.

“Sure is!” Mac proclaimed. “Bought it back from the pawn shop this morning.”

Diego whooped with joy as he grabbed his bike, hopped on, and began riding laps around the lot. As everyone laughed and clapped and congratulated MacGyver on his find, Joanna snuck back into the building and slunk into her office. Sitting at her desk, she put her face in her hands, ashamed of her selfish feelings. Naturally, she was glad to see that Diego had gotten his bicycle back, but she couldn’t help feeling jealous because his property had been recovered but not hers. Of course, pawn shops were notorious for quickly selling valuable items like jewelry as opposed to a boy’s old, rusty bike. Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching and quickly lowered her hands, pretending to study her blank computer screen.

“Why aren’t you outside with the others,” Mac asked, standing casually in the doorway.

“With all the craziness of the past few days I have a lot of work to catch up on,” she replied, hoping her voice didn’t reveal her true thoughts.

“Well, when I was out this morning trying to track down Diego’s bike, I found something in one of the pawn shops I thought you might like.” He slowly walked behind her desk and, with a hand supporting her elbow, silently encouraged her to stand as she gazed at him skeptically.

Once they were standing face-to-face, he reached into the front pocket of his pants and pulled out his gift. Between his thumb and forefinger he held a dark blue sapphire ring with diamond accents. Joanna’s breath caught. She couldn’t believe her eyes.

“It can’t be,” she shook her head in amazement. “Is that really my ring?”

“Now you sound like Diego!” Mac laughed. “Yes, it is really your ring. The store owner recognized it as a high quality piece of jewelry that most likely didn’t belong to the man who hocked it. He didn’t put it on display in case someone came looking for it.”

“I can’t believe it!” Jo exclaimed, finally allowing her excitement to bubble to the surface.

She reached out to take the ring, but MacGyver quickly pulled his hand away.

“Hey!” she scolded.

“If I’m going to give you a ring I’m going to do it the right way,” he explained as if to a child. “Now, hold out your hand.”

Joanna gave him an exaggerated eye roll but held out her right hand, palm up.

“Not like that,” Mac chided as he stepped even closer and took her left hand in his. With his other hand he gently, almost reverently, slipped the precious piece on her ring finger.

Jo’s jaw slackened and her mouth went dry. “Maaac?” she asked uncertainly.

MacGyver bent his head so his lips were against her ear, his breath tickling her neck.

“Don’t worry. I’m just practicing.”








Posted by: Dragondog 21 November 2019 - 07:41 AM
QUOTE
Ch. 24: Heat Wave
Wonder if there's a double meaning or not wink.gif

QUOTE

“They opened the fire hydrant,” he announced with an adorably crooked grin.
Of course they did XD

Wait... does that mean MacGyver was the one giggling?

QUOTE

“Don’t you move!” Cynthia admonished. “I don’t want you dripping all over my clean floor. I’ll go get you a towel.”
I don't want you dripping all over my clean floor. That's probably still wet from having just been mopped. That will be just fine if you do drip. (Well, maybe a bit of work with the mop would be needed to keep it from streaking funny from the drips XD).

QUOTE

“No! I mean, I thought I dropped a paperclip,” she sputtered.

“Ah,” came his reply, the tone telling her that he would accept the lie...for now.
Why did she lie in the first place?

QUOTE

Joanna was surprised that the fib came so easily to her. But then again, she was more than a little embarrassed that she may have lost one of her most precious possessions due to her lack of responsible behavior.
Oh please... XD

QUOTE
Name’s MacGyver.
It's completely impossible for me to NOT read that in his voice XD

QUOTE
People tend to get a little crazy when it gets this hot.
Ah. There's the real significance of this chapter's title XD

QUOTE

Mac sighed. “Anyone could’ve taken your bike. You know that. And why didn’t you ask me for a new lock? We have to be extra careful with things that are important to us.”

He looked up at Joanna for reinforcement but was met with a stunned expression before she turned and hurried away.
And HERE we go...

QUOTE

Mac dipped a finger in the bag and gingerly tasted a bit of the white powder.
SURE, JUST RANDOMLY TASTE SOMETHING YOU FOUND IN A BAG!

(I'm pretty sure this is from ATLA)

Male character: Hmm, what's this? *tastes it* *spits it out* IT TASTES LIKE... ROTTEN PENGUIN MEAT!

Female character: You've been hallucinating on cactus juice all day, and now you just LICK SOMETHING YOU FIND ON THE WALL OF A CAVE?!

Male character: Well what can I say? I have a natural curiousity...

QUOTE
“Besides, this is real life, not some television show.”
Mac, sweetie, have I got some news for you...

QUOTE

“What kind of trouble are you in this time, Mac?” Lee chuckled.
Mood roller.gif

QUOTE

“That boy sure has a knack for finding trouble. Are you sure he’s not related to you?”

“You’re just a regular comedian today, aren’t you, Vang? Can you help us out or not?”
This is what I'm like 99% of the time laugh.gif

QUOTE

“Pretty much,” Mac confirmed, putting a calming hand on her thigh. “But don’t worry. We’ll have lots of eyes on him. He won’t be alone for a second.”

Joanna turned to look at him. “That’s what they always say and the sting always goes south.”

“Have you been watching TV with Raul?” MacGyver teased, trying to lighten the mood.
Nah, she's just becoming self-aware laugh.gif

Yeah, it never goes as planned XD Better than it could've, though...

QUOTE
“I’m just trying really hard to get used to the idea that the emergency room is your second favorite hang-out after the ice rink.”
Glad she brought that up XD

I kinda figured Mac would be able to buy back the stolen goods XD

QUOTE
The store owner recognized it as a high quality piece of jewelry that most likely didn’t belong to the man who hocked it. He didn’t put it on display in case someone came looking for it.”

“I can’t believe it!”
Me neither. Most Pawn Shop owners suck XD

QUOTE

“If I’m going to give you a ring I’m going to do it the right way,” he explained as if to a child. “Now, hold out your hand.”
For a moment I thought he was going to propose again XD

QUOTE


Jo’s jaw slackened and her mouth went dry. “Maaac?” she asked uncertainly.
Idk why, but that line cracks me up roller.gif

QUOTE

MacGyver bent his head so his lips were against her ear, his breath tickling her neck.

“Don’t worry. I’m just practicing.”
*brain shuts down trying to figure out whether that counts as a proposal or not*

Posted by: uniquelyjas 21 November 2019 - 10:15 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 21 November 2019 - 07:41 AM)
QUOTE

“No! I mean, I thought I dropped a paperclip,” she sputtered.

“Ah,” came his reply, the tone telling her that he would accept the lie...for now.
Why did she lie in the first place?

QUOTE

Joanna was surprised that the fib came so easily to her. But then again, she was more than a little embarrassed that she may have lost one of her most precious possessions due to her lack of responsible behavior.
Oh please... XD

This whole ring thing and Jo's reaction is based totally in reality. I was in my mid-twenties and had my sapphire ring stolen from a motel room. I left it on the dresser instead of putting it away and we believe the maid swiped it. Anyway, my mom went BALLISTIC that I was so irresponsible, etc. We called the cops to report it and they sent an older officer and by then my mom and I were going at it and I was in tears and the cop was trying to calm us both down assuring me it wasn't my fault and trying to convince my mom of it. Let me tell ya, it was pretty traumatic!!

Posted by: Dragondog 22 November 2019 - 09:49 AM
QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 21 November 2019 - 12:15 PM)
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 21 November 2019 - 07:41 AM)
QUOTE

“No! I mean, I thought I dropped a paperclip,” she sputtered.

“Ah,” came his reply, the tone telling her that he would accept the lie...for now.
Why did she lie in the first place?

QUOTE

Joanna was surprised that the fib came so easily to her. But then again, she was more than a little embarrassed that she may have lost one of her most precious possessions due to her lack of responsible behavior.
Oh please... XD

This whole ring thing and Jo's reaction is based totally in reality. I was in my mid-twenties and had my sapphire ring stolen from a motel room. I left it on the dresser instead of putting it away and we believe the maid swiped it. Anyway, my mom went BALLISTIC that I was so irresponsible, etc. We called the cops to report it and they sent an older officer and by then my mom and I were going at it and I was in tears and the cop was trying to calm us both down assuring me it wasn't my fault and trying to convince my mom of it. Let me tell ya, it was pretty traumatic!!

In your situation it makes a bit more sense, especially when your mom is going at you XD

Posted by: uniquelyjas 22 November 2019 - 11:08 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 22 November 2019 - 09:49 AM)
QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 21 November 2019 - 12:15 PM)
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 21 November 2019 - 07:41 AM)
QUOTE

“No! I mean, I thought I dropped a paperclip,” she sputtered.

“Ah,” came his reply, the tone telling her that he would accept the lie...for now.
Why did she lie in the first place?

QUOTE

Joanna was surprised that the fib came so easily to her. But then again, she was more than a little embarrassed that she may have lost one of her most precious possessions due to her lack of responsible behavior.
Oh please... XD

This whole ring thing and Jo's reaction is based totally in reality. I was in my mid-twenties and had my sapphire ring stolen from a motel room. I left it on the dresser instead of putting it away and we believe the maid swiped it. Anyway, my mom went BALLISTIC that I was so irresponsible, etc. We called the cops to report it and they sent an older officer and by then my mom and I were going at it and I was in tears and the cop was trying to calm us both down assuring me it wasn't my fault and trying to convince my mom of it. Let me tell ya, it was pretty traumatic!!

In your situation it makes a bit more sense, especially when your mom is going at you XD

Thanks. I guess the whole point I was trying to make is that Jo is super-responsible and thinking she lost/misplaced something would be very upsetting and embarrassing and she doesn't want Mac to see her in a bad light.

Posted by: Dragondog 22 November 2019 - 09:59 PM
I can understand that, just not relate to it, so apologies again if my snarkiness came out too strongly tongue.gif

I don't wear any jewlery, so I've never been in that situation, but I do get upset when I lose something (but I'm more honest about it). Most of what I misplace is either found or not very valuable. Usually both XD

Posted by: uniquelyjas 23 November 2019 - 12:25 PM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 22 November 2019 - 09:59 PM)
I can understand that, just not relate to it, so apologies again if my snarkiness came out too strongly tongue.gif

I don't wear any jewlery, so I've never been in that situation, but I do get upset when I lose something (but I'm more honest about it). Most of what I misplace is either found or not very valuable. Usually both XD

No, no, no!! Do NOT apologize! I wish we would have had this conversation a couple years ago when I first wrote this chapter and posted it on a fan fic website. My aunt, who was a professional author for a time, told me one thing that's really stuck with me, and that is to make sure your characters' motivations and actions make sense. You've actually inspired me to go back and tweak this part, giving it more of a back story to explain Jo's reaction to losing the ring. As I said, it's based on my own experience, but I didn't share everything...What made my experience really bad was that, from the time I was old enough to keep a ring on my finger, my grandma always made sure I had a sapphire one (my birthstone). After she died, I felt I as outgrowing the one I had been wearing for several years so I took the stones and had them reset. THIS was the ring that was stolen and my mom was super upset because because they were the stones my grandma (her mom) had bought for me so there was obviously a lot of sentimental value. That's where the strong emotions really came from...along with me being super responsible and just tossing it on the dresser the night before. Si THANK YOU for the feedback!!

Posted by: Dragondog 24 November 2019 - 09:38 PM
QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 23 November 2019 - 02:25 PM)
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 22 November 2019 - 09:59 PM)
I can understand that, just not relate to it, so apologies again if my snarkiness came out too strongly tongue.gif

I don't wear any jewlery, so I've never been in that situation, but I do get upset when I lose something (but I'm more honest about it). Most of what I misplace is either found or not very valuable. Usually both XD

No, no, no!! Do NOT apologize! I wish we would have had this conversation a couple years ago when I first wrote this chapter and posted it on a fan fic website. My aunt, who was a professional author for a time, told me one thing that's really stuck with me, and that is to make sure your characters' motivations and actions make sense. You've actually inspired me to go back and tweak this part, giving it more of a back story to explain Jo's reaction to losing the ring. As I said, it's based on my own experience, but I didn't share everything...What made my experience really bad was that, from the time I was old enough to keep a ring on my finger, my grandma always made sure I had a sapphire one (my birthstone). After she died, I felt I as outgrowing the one I had been wearing for several years so I took the stones and had them reset. THIS was the ring that was stolen and my mom was super upset because because they were the stones my grandma (her mom) had bought for me so there was obviously a lot of sentimental value. That's where the strong emotions really came from...along with me being super responsible and just tossing it on the dresser the night before. Si THANK YOU for the feedback!!

Well, I'm glad i could help then smile.gif

And ouch! I can see why that was such a bad experience sad.gif I can't imagine losing something of that value blowup.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 27 November 2019 - 06:04 PM
Ch. 25: Aunt Betty’s B&B

“Welcome to Cloverton! Home of Aunt Betty’s Bed and Breakfast proudly owned and operated by none other than our very own Penny Parker!” MacGyver proclaimed as he turned his Jeep onto Main Street and cruised the two lane road lined with several storefronts on either side that comprised the downtown area of the small town. It had been nearly ten years since Mac first visited here with Penny to check out the large Tudor Revival style mansion she had inherited from her aunt and it appeared nothing had changed. In fact, he highly doubted anything about this town had changed since the 1950’s.

“I still don’t feel right about leaving Cynthia alone at Challengers,” Joanna protested from the passenger seat.

“She gave us her blessing, remember?” Mac reminded her. “Besides, it’s been a crazy summer and in a couple weeks you’ll be starting your new part-time job at the high school. I thought this would be a good chance for us to spend some time together, just the two of us.”

“You did call Penny to let her know we’re coming, right?”

“Yes. I called. Now would you stop worrying! All you have to do for the next few days is relax. Do you think you can handle that?”

“I guess I can try.”

MacGyver glanced over to find Jo smiling playfully back at him and his heart squeezed in the most delightful way.

A few minutes later, he parked the Jeep in front of the large house. The masonry base, stone chimneys, and upper stories done in stucco and timber were all familiar. However, the overgrown trees and shrubs had all been trimmed and colorful flower beds scattered throughout the yard gave the old place warm appeal. He climbed from the driver’s seat and met Joanna at the back of his vehicle, ready to open the hatch.

“MacGyver!” a bubbly female voice called. “Joanna! I’m so glad you’re here!!” Penny Parker skipped down the front steps and engulfed them each in an enthusiastic hug.

“It’s good to see you too, Penny,” Mac chuckled. He opened the back of the Jeep and went to reach for a piece of luggage when Penny put a staying hand on his arm.

“You can get your stuff later,” she told him. “First, I want you to see your room. Oh! I just know you’re gonna love it!!” She flashed her famous smile before unwittingly turning her back on her new guests, assuming they would follow.

As MacGyver and Joanna climbed the grand staircase, Mac’s head swiveled to take in the changes that had been made to the house. His memory of a dreary, shadowy shell was soon quashed by the bright, welcoming warmth the home now exuded. He followed the two women down the long hallway to the corner room where Penny stopped beside a closed door.

“Oooh, this is so exciting!!” Penny cried, her body quivering with barely contained excitement. Jo tossed Mac a grin over her shoulder just as the younger woman threw the door open.

“Ta da!!” she exclaimed as her guests warily crossed the threshold.

In the center of the large room accented in red and gold stood an ornately carved king size canopy bed, its comforter littered with pink rose petals. Mac watched as Joanna moved forward and picked up one of the pieces of the velvety flower, gently rubbing it between her thumb and forefinger, a questioning look on her face. MacGyver shrugged and took a step back, bumping into a standing silver ice bucket. He pulled out a chilled bottle.

“That’s sparkling grape juice,” Penny explained with a knowing grin from her position just inside the doorway. “I know you don’t drink...well, at least you never used to...and I figured Joanna doesn’t either...or at least she wouldn’t mind--”

Mac held up a hand to silence his friend. “What is this all about?” he asked.

Penny’s gleaming smile fell just a fraction. “It’s the honeymoon suite! I wanted to make it extra special for you!”

“Penny,” Jo replied gently albeit with a slight blush, “We’re not on our honeymoon.”

“But I assumed when MacGyver called to tell me he wanted to bring you someplace special that you two had gotten married.” Penny’s frown deepened and tears began to pool in her eyes. Mac walked up to her, took her shoulders in his hands, and ducked his head so he was looking into her eyes.

“Penny, don’t you think that if Jo and I had gotten married we would have invited you to the wedding?”

“Oh, I never thought about that,” she said quietly. “But you could have eloped!” she stated hopefully. Mac shook his head.

“I’m such an airhead,” Penny moaned, tears threatening to fall once more. “I went through all this trouble because I wanted to do something really special for you guys and I blew it!”

“It really is lovely, Penny,” Joanna said. “It means a lot that you went through all this trouble just for us.”

“Really?” the younger woman asked, rallying just a bit.

“Really,” MacGyver assured her.

“I just thought of something else,” Penny wailed. “I don’t have any place else for you to sleep! I booked all the rooms because I thought you’d be sleeping...well, you know...together! I mean, it’s okay if you do...it’s not like it’s any of my beeswax...but I suppose I could figure out something if you don’t…”

“This will be just fine. We’ll make it work,” Joanna declared, once again coming to the rescue.

“Yeah. I could always sleep in the bathtub,” Mac teased, but the old joke fell flat.

Joanna continued to address Penny. “That bed is so huge Mac and I won’t even know the other is there. We can even put pillows down the middle. It’s no problem.”

What she said was true and right, yet he felt unduly disappointed that she planned to keep her soft warmth well away from him. Then again, with those kinds of thoughts running through his head, perhaps her plan was wise. If not, there was always the bathtub.

XXXXX

“What in the world did you pack?” MacGyver complained as he hefted Joanna’s suitcases out of the Jeep.

“Just the basic necessities and a few books,” she replied airily.

“It feels more like everything but the kitchen sink and an entire library.”

“I like to have options,” she shrugged, picking up a small wicker basket with a hinged, quilted cover.

“What’s that?”

“My knitting.”

“You knit?”

“Yeah. I knit hats and scarves to donate to my church’s winter clothes drive,” Jo explained then grinned cheekily. “There are still some things you don’t know about me, Mac.”

They were about to enter the house with their belongings when they heard a high-pitched squeal followed by the crash of a metal rain gutter on the porch’s concrete overhang. They automatically cringed.

“Oh, terrific!” Penny exclaimed as she stood on the lawn surveying the damage. “Now what am I going to do?!”

“Why don’t you tell me what you were doing in the first place?” Mac asked, abandoning the luggage to join his friend, Joanna close behind.

“I was trying to clean out the gutters before the next rain and now look what happened,” she pouted, her shoulders slumped in defeat.

“Don’t you pay someone to do that kinda stuff?” he inquired.

Penny let out a huff. “I did until last week.”

“What happened last week?”

“My handyman was cleaning out the gutters in back when he fell off the ladder and broke his leg. He won’t be able to work for six weeks!”

“So, hire someone else,” Mac suggested.

“It’s not that simple,” Penny replied softly, literally wringing her hands.

“Why not?”

“Well, before the ladder incident my cook was frying chicken for supper when the pot tipped over and the oil burned her hands. She quit on the spot! With two freak accidents in one week some of the townspeople are saying the house is--”

“Don’t tell me they think it’s haunted,” MacGyver interrupted.

Penny nodded silently, her eyes on the ground.

“We’ve been through this already. There’s no such thing as ghosts!”

“And I’m not the one saying it’s haunted!” Penny shot back. “In fact, before I opened for business, I had a séance just to make sure.”

“Aw, Penny!” Mac threw his hands up in the air in exasperation and turned away but she ignored him.

“Anyway, the house got a clean bill of health,” she proclaimed.

“Don’t worry, Penny. Mac and I will help out while we’re here,” Jo promised.

Mac spun to face the two women. “No! No way!” he protested. “We came here to relax and that’s exactly what we’re gonna do!”

Joanna grabbed his arm and pulled him several yards away from the house.

“What has gotten into you?! Penny’s your friend and needs our help! She could’ve gotten killed trying to clean those gutters by herself!” Jo exclaimed, her steely gaze boring into him.

“That’s exactly my point!” he spat back. “My friend’s always need my help and I’m getting sick and tired of being their go-to guy! Penny’s been running this place for years and has apparently been doing just fine without me. She can manage on her own.”

“I can’t believe you just said that!” Joanna responded, her tone conveying both shock and disappointment. “If you want to kick back and relax, fine! But I’m gonna help Penny! And you can sleep in the bathtub!!” She turned and strode purposefully toward the house.

“Fine!” Mac called to her retreating figure, slapping his palm against his forehead when he realized how selfish and childish he sounded. He hurried to catch up so he could apologize as well as agree to assist with the B&B. He had let his pent up frustration get the better of him. There was no way he would deny Penny his help. He entered the foyer to find Joanna standing stock still, watching a heated argument between their host and one of her guests.

“And I’m telling you that I had the entire house rewired and brought up to code. I don’t know what’s wrong!” Penny insisted.

“Well I suggest you find out my dear! And when you do, I’ll be in my room handwriting my manuscript!” an older gentleman with a grey mustache and reading glasses replied frostily.

“What was that all about?” MacGyver asked once the man had returned upstairs.

“Oh, him,” Penny replied dejectedly. “That’s Mr. Bidwell. He says he’s an author who needed a quiet place to work on his next novel but all he’s done since he arrived a couple days ago is complain. Right now he’s upset because his electric typewriter isn’t working and he insists there’s something wrong with the electrical sockets in his room.”

“Did he ever consider that there might be something wrong with the machine?” Mac asked.

“That’s it, MacGyver! You’re a genius!” Penny gushed. “Why don’t you go and see if you can fix it?!”

“Um, Penny, I don’t know…” He caught Jo’s reprimanding look out of the corner of his eye and cleared his throat. “Lead the way,” he sighed.

After Penny knocked on Mr. Bidwell’s door and introduced him to MacGyver, the man grudgingly stepped aside allowing Mac to enter. He immediately went to the old typewriter that, like the rest of the town, looked like it belonged in the 1950’s.

“Nice looking machine,” Mac mused.

“Indeed, my boy!” the author boasted. “I’ve traveled around the world with it. Made me the top-selling novelist you see today. Never gave me a moment’s problem until I came here.”

“Mind if I take a look?” MacGyver asked politely.

“Go ahead, if you must, but please be careful.”

“You bet.”

Before taking off the cover, Mac checked to make sure the machine was unplugged. He was not in the mood to get electrocuted today. Once he exposed the inside workings he surveyed each section carefully. Though not an expert in the field, he couldn’t find anything obviously wrong. For good measure, he pulled out his Swiss Army knife, found the tool he wanted, and checked to make sure that all the wires were in place and secure. He carefully put the heavy cover back on and plugged it in.

“Go ahead, give it a try,” he encouraged Mr. Bidwell.

The older man sat down in the chair and touched a key. It worked perfectly. He typed a word, then a sentence, then a paragraph.

“Well, I’ll be!” he exclaimed. “What did you do to it young man?”

“Oh, nothing much,” Mac hedged. “I just tweaked a few things.”

“And I thank you for that. It works as good as new! Now please, be on your way. I have a novel to finish!”

“How did it go? Were you able to fix it?” Penny asked anxiously when MacGyver returned downstairs.

“Actually, I couldn’t find anything wrong with the typewriter or the socket. I pretended to tinker with it, but it was fine. Mr. Bidwell is happily typing away as we speak.”

“Gosh, that’s kinda strange, isn’t it?” Penny’s eyes widened.

Mac shrugged. “Not really. It’s an old machine and bound to act up at times. It probably has happened before but Bidwell would rather blame you than admit it.”

XXXXX

The piercing ring of the alarm clock startled MacGyver awake. He slapped at it hoping to find the snooze button. He then turned and looked at the red glowing digits. Two in the morning?! He looked across the wide bed at Joanna. True to her word she was huddled on the far edge, seemingly still fast asleep, with a wall of pillows between them. At least he wasn’t in the bathtub. Making sure the alarm feature on the clock was no longer set, Mac rolled over and went back to sleep.

Thirty minutes later the clock blared again. Mac shot up, grabbed it, and banged it against the nightstand. This couldn’t be happening! He once again looked at Jo who had turned onto her back and was snoring softly. Deciding that perhaps there was something wrong with the wiring in the building, MacGyver leaned over and unplugged the digital clock before flopping on his back to stare at the ceiling until slumber claimed him once more.

A distant but persistent ringing coaxed MacGyver awake, his hand automatically searching for the button to shut off the alarm. But wait. Didn’t he unplug it during the night? He sat up shaking his head. Apparently now he was dreaming about hearing the alarm! Joanna emerged from the bathroom, already showered and dressed for the day.

“Hey there, sleepyhead!” she greeted him cheerily. “I thought you were the morning person?”

“Did you hear the alarm clock ring just now?” he asked.

“No. Why? Did you have it set?”

“I don’t suppose you heard it during the night?” he continued, ignoring her question.

“Nope,” she shook her head. “I slept like a rock!”

“So I noticed,” he groaned, peeling back the covers and slowly climbing out of bed.

“Mac? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. I just didn’t sleep very well is all. By the way, what are you doing up so early?”

“Penny and I are gonna try to recreate Aunt Betty’s famous cinnamon rolls. You sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah,” he replied with a reassuring smile. “I’m gonna take a quick shower and I’ll meet you downstairs.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Penny was already in the kitchen retrieving ingredients from the pantry when Joanna appeared.

“How did you sleep?”

“Wonderfully,” Jo replied. “I hate to say it, but I guess Mac was right. I really need some time away from work.”

Penny smiled and handed Joanna an apron. Soon the two women were combining flour, sugar, and eggs and rolling out dough, all the while chatting amiably until a loud yowl from upstairs interrupted them.

“What was that?” Penny asked, fear evident in her eyes.

“I don’t know, but it sounded like it came from my room!”

Together they bolted up the stairs and down the hallway, ignoring the guests peeking out of their rooms to see what all the ruckus was about. When they got to the honeymoon suite, Joanna pushed the door open and skidded to a stop so quickly that Penny almost knocked her over from behind. They gaped at MacGyver who stood in the bathroom doorway dripping wet, hair plastered to his head, towel wrapped around his waist, and scowling like a bear who had just been woken from hibernation.

“Wha...what happened?” Jo asked, biting back a giggle.

Mac’s gazed was pinned on Penny. “I just ran out of hot water! That’s what happened!” he snapped.

“But that can’t be.” Penny’s expression was one of pure innocence and confusion. “I had an extra-large water heater installed just so something like this wouldn’t happen!”

Turning serious, Joanna pushed past MacGyver, reached into the tub, and turned on the faucet.

“The water’s just fine, Mac,” she reported as it flowed over her hand. “Maybe you accidentally knocked the--”

“I didn’t ‘accidentally’ do anything! I’m telling you, there was no hot water!”

“Well, there is now,” Jo shrugged. “Why don’t you get dressed and come downstairs. We’ll go for a walk or something.”

“Fine,” Mac ground out as Joanna and Penny retreated, both of them giggling softly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“You’ve really done a great job with this place,” MacGyver commented later that morning as Penny was giving him and Joanna a tour of the grounds. After a quick jog and a hearty breakfast including a fair facsimile of Aunt Betty’s cinnamon rolls, Mac was feeling much more like himself.

“I really didn’t do that much,” Penny replied shyly. “I just hired people to do it for me.”

“But they still used your ideas, right?” Mac cajoled.

“Well, yeah. I guess,” she shrugged.

They were just about to round the front corner of the house when they heard raised voices coming from the porch swing.

“That’s Mr. and Mrs. Jackson. They’re here celebrating their sixtieth wedding anniversary.” Penny whispered to Mac and Jo.

“Doesn’t sound like they’ll make it to sixty-one,” MacGyver observed, earning slaps on either arm from his female companions.

“I’m tellin’ ya, Iris, that girl is downright incompetent! I told her I wanted somethin’ special for our anniversary and what does she do? She sticks us in a room with twin beds and a TV that’s on the fritz!”

“Don’t be so hard on the poor girl, George! After all, I heard she used to be an actress. What can you expect?! But I must say her cooking does leave something to be desired.”

Mac’s jaw clenched as he watched tears well in Penny’s eyes. Sure, she might be a bit hapless at times, and she had a tendency to find trouble but that wasn’t really her fault. Penny’s greatest problem was that she had a trusting heart and childlike innocence about her. And MacGyver didn’t consider that a bad thing. Suddenly they heard a loud clank, clatter, and then a thud followed by irate bellows and cries for help. Rounding the corner the trio saw that one of the chains securing the swing to the porch canopy had broken, causing George to crash to the ground and an overweight Iris to land on top of him. They hurried to make sure the elderly couple was okay.

“That’s the last straw I tell you!” George bellowed, struggling to his feet as MacGyver put a steadying hand under the man’s elbow. “We’re packing our bags and going home!”

“Oh, Mr. Jackson, please wait!” Penny begged. “Let me make it up to you!” She threw Mac an apologetic glance before continuing. “The honeymoon suite just became available. I’ll have your things moved right away!

“I’m sorry, young lady, but that’s too little too late,” he growled.

“Now George, be reasonable,” Iris urged as she brushed the dirt from her dress. “It’s not her fault the swing broke.” Then she turned her attention on Mac and Joanna. “Are you the young couple staying in the honeymoon suite?”

“Yes ma’am,” MacGyver replied.

“But didn’t I see you arrive just yesterday?” Iris asked. “You can’t be planning on leaving already!”

“Actually we--”

“George, we can’t take that room away from them! Look how much in love they are...just like us sixty years ago! We’re paid up to tomorrow. One more night won’t make a difference.”

“Well, I suppose not,” her husband grumbled.

“Then it’s settled! We’ll all stay right where we are!” Iris declared. “But I do think George and I will be going into town for dinner this evening.”

Penny sighed with relief as Mac put his hands on her shoulders.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she smiled reassuringly.

“Then why don’t you show me where the handyman keeps his tools so I can fix that swing?”

“Oh Mac, you don’t have to do that!”

“I want to, Penny. That’s what friends are for.”

XXXXX

MacGyver stared at Joanna, longing and frustration warring in his heart. She was curled up in a wingback chair on the other side of the living room engrossed in one of her novels. The other guests, and even Penny, had retired for the evening and it was finally just the two of them. And she was ignoring him completely. This was not what he had envisioned when he planned this little getaway.

“I’m gonna get a snack,” he announced. “Want anything?”

“No,” Jo mumbled, not even looking up from the page.

Mac pushed himself off the couch and headed for the kitchen. As he entered the room he saw Joanna’s knitting basket sitting on the small table in the corner. A skein of blue yarn and a pair of knitting needles sat next to it. Apparently she had been keeping Penny company earlier as dinner cooked and he repaired the television set in the Jackson’s room.

He had just turned toward the counter when he heard a soft clink behind him. He turned and found one of Joanna’s knitting needles on the floor. Not thinking much of it, he picked it up and put it back on the table which he assumed was slightly less than level, making sure it was still before rummaging through the cupboards for something to eat. He had just begun to spread some peanut butter on a piece of whole grain bread when he heard the clink again.

“Really?” he muttered, putting down his knife and once again picking up the knitting needle. This time he stabbed it securely into the skein of yarn.

Feeling satisfied, he returned to his snack and had just taken a bite when he heard the noise again. He turned and stared at the offending tool lying on the floor, noticing that its counterpart remained securely tucked away as he had left it. He moved to pick up the needle but stopped himself. Joanna could pick up after her own self! He was looking out the window into the starless night as he chugged a glass of milk when he sensed her presence.

“Mac, have you seen my knitting?”

“On the table,” he grunted without turning around. “And pick up the needle on the floor while you’re at it.”

“There’s nothing on the floor,” she said, the confusion in her voice causing him to turn and look for himself. Jo was right. The needle was on the table, just as he had originally found it.

“What the…?! I’m telling you, I heard the needle fall and saw it lying on the floor,” he insisted.

“Well it isn’t there now,” she replied, irritating him by pointing out the obvious.

MacGyver had had enough. He needed this day to be over.

“You going back in the living room?” he asked brusquely.

“No, I was planning on going upstairs.”

“Then I’ll turn off the lights.” He brushed past her without a glance.

“Mac, is everything okay?” Jo asked, dogging his heels.

“Everything’s just swell,” he replied drily.

He was halfway across the room when he felt her reach out to him.

“Mac…”

Her voice was so soft and sweet he couldn’t help but stop and turn toward her.

“Look,” she continued gently, “I know today’s been kinda--”

“Stop,” he commanded huskily, putting his hands on her shoulders and squeezing gently. “Let’s forget about today. Just now I acted like a dumb, selfish kid because Penny’s goofy problems and your friendship with her got in the way of us spending time alone and I’m sorry.”

He waited silently as Joanna looked around the room then back at him, a mischievous gleam in her eye.

“It looks like we’re alone now,” she whispered, smiling up at him.

“So it does,” he grinned.

He pulled her toward him, lifting his hands to her face as she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, bringing them even closer together. Her eyes fluttered close as his lips found hers, kissing her the way he had been aching to since they first arrived.

When they were both breathless, MacGyver broke the kiss, still cradling Joanna’s face in his hands he leaned his forehead against hers.

“I think we should stop,” he said, his voice ragged.

“Why?” she whispered against his lips.

“Because we’re sharing a room,” he stated huskily.

“So?” She playfully nipped his lower lip.

“We’re sharing a bed.” He nipped her back, enjoying the intimate playfulness she had initiated.

“So?” Her breath mingled with his. “Oooh!” she finally comprehended, pulling away from his touch. “Maybe you’re right,” she conceded, her cheeks flushed.

“Of course, I could always sleep down here on the couch,” he suggested, already missing the warm softness of her body in his arms.

“It’s not like you haven’t done it before,” she reasoned.

That was all the encouragement he needed. He reached for her again, closing his eyes knowing that his lips would find hers of their own accord, when suddenly he felt hands on his chest pushing him backward. His eyes flew open and his arms flailed instinctively in an attempt to keep his balance. He took a step back to steady himself, but his foot caught on the edge of an Oriental rug and the next thing he knew he was lying on his back. His view of the ceiling was quickly eclipsed by Joanna’s concerned face.

“Mac! Are you okay!” she asked anxiously, kneeling beside him, her eyes wide with concern.

“What’d you do that for?” he moaned, rubbing the back of his head which had hit the floor with a sickening thud.

“Do what? I didn’t do anything,” she protested. “I didn’t even have a chance to touch you!”

“What happened?! I thought I heard something fall!” Penny exclaimed, emerging from her private quarters and hurrying down the hall to the living room. Her eyes widened when she found MacGyver on the floor.

“That ‘something’ was me,” he groaned, regaining his feet. “I tripped,” he explained, glancing suspiciously at Joanna whose expression was innocence personified.

“I told you I didn’t touch you!”

“Oh, yeah?! Then whose hands did I feel on my chest?!”

“I can’t believe this is happening again,” Penny moaned.

“What?” Jo and Mac asked in unison.

“Isn’t it obvious?” their host asked. “I have a new ghost!”

“I am not having this conversation again!” MacGyver exclaimed, spinning on his heels and striding toward the far end of the room.

“Then how do you explain all the strange things that have been happening?” Penny challenged.

“I don’t know! Accidents? Faulty plumbing and electricity? Coincidence?”

“I thought you didn’t believe in coincidence,” Joanna observed.

“Well I believe in it a heck of a lot more than I believe in ghosts!” he shot back.

Heavy silence shrouded the room.

“Look,” Mac sighed, his voice calmer now. “Why don’t we take a closer look at all these ‘incidences’ and try to find a logical explanation, okay?”

Penny perked up immediately. “Great! I’ll go put on a pot of coffee!”

“Penny, wait! I--”

“I know you don’t drink coffee, MacGyver. It’s just a saying!”

“No. I was going to say that I didn’t plan on having this discussion tonight. It can wait until morning.”

Mac watched Penny’s happy face crumble and he felt like a first-class heel. “Then again, why put off until tomorrow what can be done tonight.” Penny’s bright smile immediately returned and MacGyver felt as if he had just successfully navigated a minefield blindfolded.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“You don’t really believe in this stuff, do you?” Mac asked Joanna as they settled themselves around the kitchen table while Penny went to grab something to write on.

“Don’t you want to put Penny’s mind at ease?” she asked.

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“You didn’t answer mine! But I’m not gonna say I don’t believe.” MacGyver pulled a face, but Jo continued. “People have been experiencing hauntings for centuries and there’s been tons of pretty scientific and persuasive research done on the subject. I would think you could at least respect that.”

“I do, but--”

“Here we go!” Penny came bouncing back into the room, took a seat and handed Joanna a pen and legal pad. “What’s the plan?”

“We’re gonna make a list of all the weird things that have happened, the people affected, and see if we can find a common denominator,” Joanna explained. “Now, when would you say this all started?”

Penny thought for a while before answering. “I guess the beginning of last week when the cook burned her hands,” she replied. “Boy, you should have heard some of the words that came out of her mouth!”

“Did you two get along?” Jo continued.

“I guess,” Penny shrugged. “I mean, we weren’t friends or anything. She thought she was too great a chef to be working at a B&B, but she wasn’t, really. Some of the stuff she cooked was just awful! And she wouldn’t try fun, new things. Like try to make Aunt Betty’s cinnamon rolls.” The young woman smiled warmly at Jo who smiled back, remembering their culinary experiment and subsequent success twelve hours earlier.

“Okay, what happened next?” Joanna asked, frowning as she watched MacGyver fidget in his chair.

“That would have to be the handyman falling off the ladder,” the younger woman replied definitively. “I had been asking him to clean out the gutters for weeks, but he kept grumbling about being nagged by someone young enough to be his daughter. He finally gave in and look what happened.”

Jo shot Penny a sympathetic smile as Mac headed for the refrigerator and a glass of juice. “Next?”

“Oh, you were here for that! It was when Mr. Bidwell’s typewriter wasn’t working.”

“Right. And you said he had been complaining a lot.”

Penny nodded vigorously. “You’d think if he didn’t like it here he’d just leave!”

“Okay, we’re up to number four,” Jo announced.

“That would have to be Mac’s alarm clock going off,” Penny offered. “And number five would be when he lost hot water in the shower.”

“I told you, some glitch in the wiring and a too-small hot water heater can explain those,” Mac reasoned even as Joanna sent a quelling look his way.

“Does that take us up to the swing chain breaking while Mr. and Mrs. Jackson were sitting on it?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Penny mumbled, chewing her lower lip. “I thought they liked me until I heard them talking about me.”

MacGyver reached over and covered her hand with his. “Don’t worry about it. We managed to get everything straightened out. And I’m sure they like you. They were just a little disappointed with their circumstances.”

Penny smiled her thanks at Mac who had turned his attention to Joanna.

“I guess that brings it back to me and the knitting needles rolling off the table which, by the way, simply means the table...this table...isn’t level.”

“Well that’s easy enough to check,” Penny said, getting up and rummaging through a drawer before producing an old fashioned level and putting it in the middle of the table.

Everyone stood up so they could watch the little bubble which, once stilled, proved that the table was completely even.

“That can’t be,” MacGyver muttered.

Jo shrugged and motioned to the device. “The proof’s right there.”

Mac plopped back down in his chair and let out a huff. “Then I guess the final incident is me not being pushed back by Joanna.”

“Right,” she replied absently, already studying her notes.

“Did you find anything helpful?” Penny asked, peering over Jo’s shoulder.

“I’m not sure,” she answered, her brows knitting together. She aimed her next words at MacGyver. “Let’s just say, for the sake of argument, that there is a ghost here. It seems the only people it bothers are those who’ve had run-ins with Penny. It’s almost like he, or she, is protecting or avenging her.”

“Then why, ‘for the sake of argument’ does he, or she, have a beef with me?!” Mac glowered.

“I have no idea,” Joanna replied thoughtfully. “Maybe it gets a kick out of annoying you or making you think you’re going crazy or something.”

“And it obviously doesn’t want me to have a love life, either,” he mumbled.

“Aha! So you admit I didn’t push you!” Jo exclaimed triumphantly.

“That’s not what I meant!”

“You said it yourself, MacGyver,” Penny goaded.

“Can we just get on with this?” he snapped.

“Fine,” Joanna replied frostily.

“Penny, did you bring anything new into the house right before the cook’s accident?”

“I bought some groceries the day before. Why?”

“I mean, did you find or buy some kind of object...maybe a decorative antique? It’s pretty well established that ghosts can attach themselves to objects and wherever the object goes, so does the ghost.”

Penny started to shake her head then stopped. “Wait a minute...on the way to the supermarket I stopped at this little pawn shop because I’ve been meaning to get rid of some of Aunt Betty’s old costume jewelry and I ended up buying a ring!” At that, Penny shot up out of her chair and hurried to her quarters. Upon returning, she had the ring in the palm of her hand and held it out for Joanna and MacGyver to inspect.

“A silver skull?” Jo asked warily.

“Weird, right? But I don’t know...it just seemed to call to me. Like I had to have it. Not that I ever plan on wearing it!”

“A death’s head ring,” Mac said under his breath so softly Joanna wasn’t sure if she heard him correctly.

“What?” she asked, hoping for clarification.

“Nothing,” MacGyver responded a bit too quickly. “I’ve had enough for tonight and I’m going to bed. If you two want to stay up and tell ghost stories, don’t let me stop you.”

Joanna watched as Mac emptied his glass of juice in the sink, exited the kitchen, and climbed the stairs. Something wasn’t right. Rising from her own chair, she picked up the pad of paper and gave the pen back to Penny.

“I think we should call it a night, too,” she suggested.

“But what about the ring? How are we gonna find out whose ghost is attached to it?”

“Let’s worry about that in the morning, okay?” Right now, Jo was more worried about Mac.

Joanna opened the door to the honeymoon suite to find MacGyver lying on top of the bedcovers, staring at the ceiling.

“Wanna tell me about it?” she asked, climbing onto her side of the bed.

“There’s nothin’ to tell. I just got tired of all that dumb ghost talk.”

“That’s not true and you know it. I watched you turn three shades whiter than a ghost when Penny showed us that ring. You recognized it, didn’t you?”

Mac suddenly sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hands. “It just isn’t possible.”

“What isn’t possible?”

“Murdoc always wore a ring exactly like that. It was like his signature,” MacGyver ground out.

Joanna crawled across the bed until she was sitting next to Mac, a comforting hand placed gently on his back. She could feel his warm, taught muscles through the thin fabric of his shirt.

“There have to be hundreds of rings like that roaming around,” Jo reasoned. “You can’t really believe it could be Murdoc’s?”

“Just like I don’t really believe in ghosts?” he countered.

“Mac, think about this logically.”

“I am!” he exclaimed. “That’s the problem!”

Joanna must have looked as bewildered as she felt because he continued without missing a beat. “Remember when I told you how Murdoc posed as that rock opera director, Jacques La Rue? It was then that he fell in love with Penny. And Penny thought she loved him when he was Jacques. It makes perfect sense that he would want to protect her and harm people he believed hurt her. And me? Well, I’m just a great big juicy bonus!”

“Are you listening to yourself?” Jo asked incredulously.

MacGyver must have considered it a rhetorical question because he didn’t respond.

“Look, first thing tomorrow morning the three of us will go to that pawn shop and find out where that ring came from. Chances are some kid found it in an alley and decided to cash in.”

“You’re right,” he acknowledged, sounding more like himself. “I’m just letting this stupid house get to me...again.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next day, MacGyver, Joanna, and Penny were standing outside the Cloverton Pawn Shop when the owner opened for business.

“What can I do for you folks?” the tall, lanky man asked.

Penny placed the ring on the counter.

“We were wondering if you remembered who sold you this ring,” MacGyver said.

“Sure do!” the store owner replied. “One don’t quite forget a piece like that. At least not around these parts. Guy who hocked it wanted to get rid of it real bad, too. Didn’t even haggle over the price.”

The trio looked at the man encouragingly and that was all it took for him to continue his story.

“Seems this guy was into buyin’ stuff at estate sales and such. Said he’d been in L.A. when he’d seen this ring. Story goes it belonged to some big time secret assassin. The dude’s been dead for over a year, but some of his possessions were found in an abandoned warehouse and sold off. But like I say, it’s just a story. Probably to get people to pay more than the stuff is worth.”

“Why was the man who sold it to you so anxious to get rid of it?” Penny asked.

“Can’t rightly say. Some mumbo-jumbo about them poltergeists or somethin’. With what he was willin’ to take, I wasn’t gonna ask. Now, if you’re thinkin’ about returnin’ that I’m ‘fraid all sales are final.”

“We understand,” MacGyver assured him in a clipped tone. “Thanks for takin’ the time to talk to us.”

Penny retrieved the ring and the small group headed to the Jeep. The ride back to the B&B was completed in silence. MacGyver kept his jaw clenched and his spine stiff as his logical mind tried to make order of all he had heard and experienced. He glanced in the rearview mirror periodically, always to find Penny staring at the silver piece of jewelry in the palm of her hand.

When they arrived at the house it was to find guests milling about the gardens, enjoying the late summer day. Penny silently hurried from the car and into the kitchen to prepare the midday meal. Mac expected Joanna to follow her, but instead she followed him up the stairs and into their room. He sat down on the end of the bed and scrubbed his face with his hands.

“This has to just be a big, freakish coincidence, right?” Jo asked, sitting down next to him but keeping space between them.

“Right,” he muttered.

“I mean, everything that’s happened can’t be because of the ring. And the odds of Murdoc’s ring showing up here after all this time have to be astronomical. Right?”

“Yeah,” he murmured.

“So what now?”

“I gotta convince Penny to get rid of that ring.”

Joanna’s jaw dropped and in any other situation Mac probably would’ve laughed. “You seriously believe Murdoc’s attached to that ring?” she asked.

“No. But Penny does and that’s what matters.”

Minutes later, Joanna had taken over cooking duties while MacGyver spoke with Penny in the living room.

“You want me to what?!” she cried, causing him to flinch.

“You gotta get rid of it. Throw it into the deepest lake you can find, bury it in the middle of nowhere. I don’t care, just get it out of this house.”

“But I thought you didn’t believe in ghosts,” she challenged, fingering the silver skull that now hung from a chain around her neck.

“Let’s just say I prefer to play things safe these days,” he grinned.

“Fine,” she frowned.

“Hey, I know how you felt about him when you thought he was Jacques, but that wasn’t him. It never was. It was all an elaborate act. It meant nothing.”

“Yeah, sure,” she agreed softly before heading back to the kitchen, her downcast eyes never leaving the floor.

XXXXX

“You all packed?” MacGyver asked from his side of the bed later that night.

“Yeah, I just wish we didn’t have to leave so soon,” Joanna bemoaned as she climbed under the covers on the other side.

“So then you wouldn’t be opposed to coming back sometime?” He purposely flashed her the smile he knew she couldn’t resist.

“I’d love to. But make it clear that we need separate rooms. I don’t want Penny making any assumptions again.”

Mac made a show of looking around until he found and caught her eyes.

“I don’t know. I kinda like this one,” he replied, his voice a bit raspy as he lost himself in the liquid chocolate depths. “Only next time we won’t need the pillows as chaperones.”

“What are you saying?” Jo asked suspiciously.

“Just thinkin’ out loud,” he replied smoothly, checking one final time to make sure the alarm clock was unplugged before sliding under the covers.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the room directly below the honeymoon suite, Penny lay on her bed facing the nightstand, staring at the silver death’s head ring that seemed to be staring back. She thought back to that night so long ago when Murdoc had captured her, revealing his true identity, as Pete and MacGyver fought for their lives in an elaborate trap he had devised. She remembered trying to convince him that he was musical, charming, and romantic and how he told her she brought those qualities out in him. How he didn’t know what it was like to smile until he met her. How he had fallen in love with her. And what was her response? She had called him insane right to his face, snuffing out any hint of hope or joy that may have been there. Now, in hindsight, perhaps he had possessed some good qualities. Perhaps he really had loved her. MacGyver wanted her to get rid of the ring. But what if Murdoc’s spirit was, indeed, attached to it, and he was even now watching over her, protecting her, loving her. She gently took the ring, placing it safely in the drawer of her nightstand. What MacGyver didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.








Posted by: Dragondog 30 November 2019 - 11:16 AM
QUOTE

MacGyver glanced over to find Jo smiling playfully back at him and his heart squeezed in the most delightful way.
Wouldn't it just be so romantic to propose inside a nice, comfortable room inside a B&B, and then to run off for a quick wedding, (because you both don't really like being fussed over), and then return to Challenger's and surprise everyone with the sudden news? Well, I suppose Sam would be ticked off, being left out, but-

QUOTE

“MacGyver!” a bubbly female voice called. “Joanna! I’m so glad you’re here!!” Penny Parker skipped down the front steps and engulfed them each in an enthusiastic hug.
*GLOMP* XD

QUOTE

“Penny,” Jo replied gently albeit with a slight blush, “We’re not on our honeymoon.”
*clears throat* It's not too late to change that ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

QUOTE

“I’m such an airhead,” Penny moaned, tears threatening to fall once more. “I went through all this trouble because I wanted to do something really special for you guys and I blew it!”
I mean, she is an airhead sometimes, but I always get heartbroken when she feels like it sad.gif (Besides, sometimes she reminds me of me XD )

QUOTE

“I just thought of something else,” Penny wailed. “I don’t have any place else for you to sleep!
Of course you don't... (I swear, sleeping together is practically a pasttime with them now XD)

QUOTE

“This will be just fine. We’ll make it work,” Joanna declared, once again coming to the rescue.

“Yeah. I could always sleep in the bathtub,” Mac teased, but the old joke fell flat.
This made me laugh laugh.gif

QUOTE

Joanna continued to address Penny. “That bed is so huge Mac and I won’t even know the other is there. We can even put pillows down the middle. It’s no problem.”
I love beds like that. I just like space XD

QUOTE

“It feels more like everything but the kitchen sink and an entire library.”
Not working for Phoenix has made you out of shape, huh Macky? XD

QUOTE


“Yeah. I knit hats and scarves to donate to my church’s winter clothes drive,” Jo explained then grinned cheekily. “There are still some things you don’t know about me, Mac.”
So is this based in reality?

QUOTE

“I was trying to clean out the gutters before the next rain and now look what happened,” she pouted, her shoulders slumped in defeat.
Super Mac to the rescue again? XD

QUOTE

“And I’m not the one saying it’s haunted!” Penny shot back. “In fact, before I opened for business, I had a séance just to make sure.”
What the heck Penny...

QUOTE

Mac spun to face the two women. “No! No way!” he protested. “We came here to relax and that’s exactly what we’re gonna do!”
Since when are you so big on relaxing? Normally you're the one leaping up to help XD

QUOTE

“What has gotten into you?! Penny’s your friend and needs our help! She could’ve gotten killed trying to clean those gutters by herself!” Jo exclaimed, her steely gaze boring into him.
Joanna gets it XD

QUOTE

“That’s exactly my point!” he spat back. “My friend’s always need my help and I’m getting sick and tired of being their go-to guy! Penny’s been running this place for years and has apparently been doing just fine without me. She can manage on her own.”
Ok boomer...

QUOTE


“I can’t believe you just said that!” Joanna responded, her tone conveying both shock and disappointment. “If you want to kick back and relax, fine! But I’m gonna help Penny! And you can sleep in the bathtub!!” She turned and strode purposefully toward the house.
Wow, not even married and she's already kicking him out of the bed XD

QUOTE

“Fine!” Mac called to her retreating figure, slapping his palm against his forehead when he realized how selfish and childish he sounded. He hurried to catch up so he could apologize as well as agree to assist with the B&B.
Good boy XD

QUOTE

“Actually, I couldn’t find anything wrong with the typewriter or the socket. I pretended to tinker with it, but it was fine. Mr. Bidwell is happily typing away as we speak.”

“Gosh, that’s kinda strange, isn’t it?” Penny’s eyes widened.

Mac shrugged. “Not really. It’s an old machine and bound to act up at times. It probably has happened before but Bidwell would rather blame you than admit it.”
DUN DUN DUUUNNNNNNNNNN

QUOTE

“I’m tellin’ ya, Iris, that girl is downright incompetent! I told her I wanted somethin’ special for our anniversary and what does she do? She sticks us in a room with twin beds and a TV that’s on the fritz!”

“Don’t be so hard on the poor girl, George! After all, I heard she used to be an actress. What can you expect?! But I must say her cooking does leave something to be desired.”
Oh poor Penny...

QUOTE

“George, we can’t take that room away from them! Look how much in love they are...just like us sixty years ago!
roller.gif roller.gif roller.gif EVEN RANDOM STRANGERS "FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT"!

QUOTE

“What happened?! I thought I heard something fall!” Penny exclaimed,

Mac: Yeah, my shirt fell.
Penny: That sounded way heavier than a shirt...
Mac: I was in it when it fell.

QUOTE

Joanna must have looked as bewildered as she felt because he continued without missing a beat. “Remember when I told you how Murdoc posed as that rock opera director, Jacques La Rue? It was then that he fell in love with Penny. And Penny thought she loved him when he was Jacques. It makes perfect sense that he would want to protect her and harm people he believed hurt her. And me? Well, I’m just a great big juicy bonus!”
Okay, but if that ends up being what happened, it's actually kinda cute in a way XD

While we're on that subject, I have to laugh at the image of Murdoc's ghost watching Mac and Jo making out and being like, "Okay, I've seen enough for one night..." *pushes Mac* That's better, lol."

So the ending... Cliffhanger? XD

Also, ironic how this was posted around the same time as the VS which ALSO has a ghost storyline XD

Posted by: uniquelyjas 30 November 2019 - 12:02 PM
OMG...I never connected it with the VS episode!!! I promise it was totally random! And yes, I do knit hats and scarves to donate to my church...actually just took in 7 sets last week. And I do take my knitting on vacation! I loved the dialogue you added with Murdoc watching Mac and Jo make out...yes, he would do exactly that!!

Posted by: Dragondog 1 December 2019 - 09:04 PM
QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 30 November 2019 - 02:02 PM)
OMG...I never connected it with the VS episode!!! I promise it was totally random! And yes, I do knit hats and scarves to donate to my church...actually just took in 7 sets last week. And I do take my knitting on vacation! I loved the dialogue you added with Murdoc watching Mac and Jo make out...yes, he would do exactly that!!

It's even funnier when you realize how long Mac and Jo went before Murdoc pushed him. Like:

Murdoc: Ergh, I took some time out of hell... just to watch this?!

Ugh, go back to your room...

Mac: We should stop.

Murdoc: Yes, you should.

Joanna: Why?

Murdoc: Listen to the man, woman!

Mac: Because we share a room.

Joanna: So?

Murdoc: *groans*

Mac: And we share a bed.

Jo: So? Oooh, yeah, you have a point.

Murdoc: 'Bout time...

Mac: Or I could take the couch...

Murdoc: Seriously?

Joanna: I mean, it's not like you haven't done it before...

Murdoc: Okay, first, the couch is MINE, second, I'm not dealing with this any more *muttering under his breath* How dare he have better luck with women than I ever did? *pushes Mac* That felt deliciously satisfying...

BONUS

Penny: *shows them the Honeymoon suite*

MacGyver: Penny, we're not married.

Murdoc: What? I've been dead for like.... MacGyver why are you so SLOW?!

Posted by: uniquelyjas 2 December 2019 - 06:17 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 1 December 2019 - 09:04 PM)
QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 30 November 2019 - 02:02 PM)
OMG...I never connected it with the VS episode!!!  I promise it was totally random!  And yes, I do knit hats and scarves to donate to my church...actually just took in 7 sets last week.  And I do take my knitting on vacation!  I loved the dialogue you added with Murdoc watching Mac and Jo make out...yes, he would do exactly that!!

It's even funnier when you realize how long Mac and Jo went before Murdoc pushed him. Like:

Murdoc: Ergh, I took some time out of hell... just to watch this?!

Ugh, go back to your room...

Mac: We should stop.

Murdoc: Yes, you should.

Joanna: Why?

Murdoc: Listen to the man, woman!

Mac: Because we share a room.

Joanna: So?

Murdoc: *groans*

Mac: And we share a bed.

Jo: So? Oooh, yeah, you have a point.

Murdoc: 'Bout time...

Mac: Or I could take the couch...

Murdoc: Seriously?

Joanna: I mean, it's not like you haven't done it before...

Murdoc: Okay, first, the couch is MINE, second, I'm not dealing with this any more *muttering under his breath* How dare he have better luck with women than I ever did? *pushes Mac* That felt deliciously satisfying...

BONUS

Penny: *shows them the Honeymoon suite*

MacGyver: Penny, we're not married.

Murdoc: What? I've been dead for like.... MacGyver why are you so SLOW?!

LOL!!! That is awesome!!

Posted by: Dragondog 2 December 2019 - 09:42 PM
QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 2 December 2019 - 08:17 AM)
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 1 December 2019 - 09:04 PM)
QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 30 November 2019 - 02:02 PM)
OMG...I never connected it with the VS episode!!!  I promise it was totally random!  And yes, I do knit hats and scarves to donate to my church...actually just took in 7 sets last week.  And I do take my knitting on vacation!  I loved the dialogue you added with Murdoc watching Mac and Jo make out...yes, he would do exactly that!!

It's even funnier when you realize how long Mac and Jo went before Murdoc pushed him. Like:

Murdoc: Ergh, I took some time out of hell... just to watch this?!

Ugh, go back to your room...

Mac: We should stop.

Murdoc: Yes, you should.

Joanna: Why?

Murdoc: Listen to the man, woman!

Mac: Because we share a room.

Joanna: So?

Murdoc: *groans*

Mac: And we share a bed.

Jo: So? Oooh, yeah, you have a point.

Murdoc: 'Bout time...

Mac: Or I could take the couch...

Murdoc: Seriously?

Joanna: I mean, it's not like you haven't done it before...

Murdoc: Okay, first, the couch is MINE, second, I'm not dealing with this any more *muttering under his breath* How dare he have better luck with women than I ever did? *pushes Mac* That felt deliciously satisfying...

BONUS

Penny: *shows them the Honeymoon suite*

MacGyver: Penny, we're not married.

Murdoc: What? I've been dead for like.... MacGyver why are you so SLOW?!

LOL!!! That is awesome!!

Thank you laugh.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 4 December 2019 - 08:52 AM
Chapter 26: Rolling Thunder

Sam weaved his way around the cubicles that made up most of the third floor of the Chicago Tribune with one destination in mind: The desk of Rebecca Williams. True to his word, a few days after the fundraising gala in Milwaukee, he had asked Becca out to dinner. They had kept the evening light and casual as conversation and laughter flowed easily. They had gone out a few times since, and Sam now recognized his feelings for Becca were definitely testing the boundaries of friendship and threatening to spill over into something more. He wondered if she felt the same.

Rebecca was furiously typing away on her keyboard when Sam arrived at her ‘office’.

“Big story?” he asked.

Becca looked up, her green eyes quickly finding his dark brown ones. There was a twinkle there he hadn’t noticed before. Perhaps it hadn’t been there before.

“No, just trying to meet a tight deadline,” she explained. “I can’t believe I finally get an actual assignment and I’m gonna mess it up if I don’t get it to the editor by the end of the day. By the way, how’s your toe?” she asked, biting her lower lip.

“Still attached,” he quipped, but when her frown stayed in place he sobered. “It’s starting to feel better already and the doc says the new nail should grow back just fine.”

Their most recent date had included an excursion to a local bowling alley. Despite Rebecca’s protests that she was a first-class klutz and lousy bowler, Sam had insisted she couldn’t be as bad as she thought and now he was paying the price. He had been standing behind her, giving her encouraging advice as she approached the alley, swinging the ball behind her when it slipped from her fingers only to land squarely on his big toe. Emergency room x-rays showed nothing was broken, and Sam put on a brave face in spite of the pain to keep Becca from feeling too badly. Now, five days later, he was finally able to walk without a limp, at least when other people were present.

“I wanted to let you know that Joanna and my dad invited us up to Milwaukee for the Labor Day Weekend. The Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealerships are throwing big block parties for the 94th anniversary of the company and they thought we’d like to go.”

Rebecca looked at him as if he had grown a second nose and third eye.
“Do you have any idea how much crime occurs in Chicago over a holiday weekend?! I could get three front page stories just by standing on a street corner for an hour! I can’t leave the city!”

“Whoa,” Sam held up his hands in surrender. “Don’t get all riled up. It’s not that big a deal, okay?”

“Okay,” she responded, a bit calmer.

“Then I guess I’ll see you when I get back on Tuesday.” Sam shot her his most devastatingly charming smile before turning his back and walking away...slowly.

“Sam, wait!”

The photojournalist turned to find Becca’s head popping out of her cubicle and he swallowed a grin of satisfaction.

“Change your mind?” he asked, feigning nonchalance.

“Yeah, I guess,” she admitted, blushing furiously as she made her way toward him. “I mean, I hear that Harley’s a big deal up there. Maybe I could still get a good story and have some fun at the same time.”

“That’s the spirit!” Sam praised her. “I figure we’ll drive up on Saturday. I’ll bunk with my dad and you can stay with Jo since her folks are out of town visiting relatives. We’ll have a great time!”

In the distance, they heard Rebecca’s computer ding, indicating she had a new e-mail message. Together, they returned to her cubicle where she clicked the mouse a couple times before the new message popped up on the screen.

“What is it?” Sam asked, peering over her shoulder.

“It’s an FBI press release. They’re asking for our help.”

Sam’s eyebrows raised. “Do they do that often?”

“It depends,” Becca shrugged.

“What’s this one about?”

“They want us to be on the lookout for a guy named Louis Lambista, one of the kingpins of an international smuggling operation.”

Becca clicked the mouse again and Lambista’s image appeared on her screen. His face was square and meaty, topped with a mass of curly black hair and made all the more menacing by a pair of dark, close set eyes.

“Nice lookin’ dude,” Sam commented facetiously, earning a scowl from his friend. “What’s his story?”

Rebecca continued to read from the email. “It says here that Louis and his goons have been ripping off custom car parts and shipping them out of the Port of Chicago for overseas distribution.”

“Car parts?” Sam wrinkled his nose. “Aren’t these guys usually into drugs or weapons?”

Becca shrugged. “Apparently not. It goes on to say that they’ve even been known to smuggle blue jeans. I guess a lot of European and Asian countries want regular American stuff and are willing to pay to get it.”

Just then, the police scanner Rebecca kept on the corner of her desk crackled to life, drawing her attention away from the missive on the computer. Though Sam could hardly make out a word, Becca urgently scribbled information in the small notebook she always carried.

“I gotta run! There’s been a jewelry store robbery a few blocks from here and if I’m quick enough I could get the scoop!” With that, she shot out of her chair and down the aisle, Sam on her heels in case she needed a photographer.

XXXXX

Sam settled himself at MacGyver’s kitchen table late Saturday morning, a glass of orange juice in front of him and Becca at his side.

“So Joanna and I thought today we’d check out the block party at a dealership a couple miles from here and then tomorrow we can rent bikes to ride in the parade to the lakefront where there will be a big food and musical festival before the celebration ends with a fireworks display over Lake Michigan.”

“Gosh, Dad, I didn’t think you’d have us on such a tight itinerary.”

Mac frowned. “Did you guys have something else in mind?”

“No,” Sam replied. “But when did you become such a planner?”

“I’m afraid that was my idea,” Joanna responded from across the table. “The city started this annual celebration for Harley’s 90th and every year it gets bigger so it’s best to have a good idea of what you want to do before heading out.”

“Makes sense to me,” he agreed. “But I didn’t realize you were a big motorcycle fan.”

Jo smiled and glanced at his dad before replying. “I know you and Mac like to ride, but I’m more of an admirer. It’s hard not to have a little Harley in your blood when you’re born and raised in Milwaukee. Besides, my grandpa worked with the original owners so there’s kinda a family connection.”

“Wow, he must have had a lot of great stories to tell!” Becca exclaimed, no doubt smelling a feature story.

“Actually, he died when my mom was young. She’s told me what she remembers from that time, though.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” the younger woman’s face fell.

“It’s okay,” Jo smiled. “That’s what events like these are for. It gives you a chance to be part of history and feel connected to past generations.”

“Speaking of history, I’m afraid I don’t know much about the company,” Rebecca lamented even as she pulled her notebook from her purse. “What can you tell me?”

“Well, the company was founded in 1903 right here in Milwaukee by William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson. They built their first bikes in a backyard shed and by 1923 they were the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer.” MacGyver cleared his throat and Joanna stopped.

“Do you think you could cover the next seventy years in the car? We’ll miss the whole party at this rate.”

Joanna pulled a face before chuckling. “Actually, that’s about all I know.”

“But what makes a Harley so special?” Becca asked, truly perplexed.

All three of her companions grinned broadly.

“Oh, you’ll find out soon enough,” Sam assured her.

XXXXX

The street housing the nearest Harley-Davidson dealership was cordoned off for several blocks allowing vendors to set up tents to sell food, apparel, and souvenirs. Local bands serenaded the revelers and cycle owners proudly displayed their ‘hogs’. Of course, the showroom was open and eager salesmen were on hand for anyone wishing to purchase the ultimate memento. Sam’s pulse began to pound in time to the low, rhythmic rumble of hundreds of finely tuned riding machines and he swore he could feel reverberations through the concrete beneath his shoes.

“Hear that?” he asked Rebecca as the foursome walked towards the festivities. “It’s called ‘rolling thunder’. No other sound like it in the world! That’s one thing that makes these bikes special.”

“Okay, so they’re old and loud. I still don’t get what’s so unique about them.”

Joanna threw her head back and laughed even as she held MacGyver’s hand to keep from getting separated in the throng of people just ahead of them.

“That’s just the point!” she exclaimed. “Each bike is unique!”

She reached out with her free hand, grabbed Rebecca’s forearm, and steered all three of them to a row of parked motorcycles.

“Take a look,” she directed and stepped aside as Becca inspected a few of the vehicles. “Think all that leather and chrome comes standard? Harley owners pride themselves on making their bikes their own whether it’s a one-of-a-kind paint job or customized parts. People spend thousands of dollars on special accessories.”

Becca turned toward Jo, her eyes wide behind her glasses. “Did you say custom parts?”

“Hey, I’m starving!” Sam unceremoniously interrupted them, reaching for Rebecca’s hand in the process. “Let’s grab some food!”

Becca glared at him and he glared back.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he hissed, “And you can just forget about it. There’s no story here. At least not that one.”

“But Sam…” she protested as he pulled her along.

“No. Lambista is a big-time bad guy. Just let it go.”

Sam wasn’t sure where his protective instincts came from or why they were so strong, but there was no way he was going to let Rebecca even try to track down the smuggler.

“C’mon, let’s just enjoy the day, okay?” he cajoled as they stood in line at a concession stand waiting to place their order.

“Okay,” she agreed reluctantly. “I guess I get a little over-eager when it comes to getting a big story. I’m sorry.”

“Not a problem,” Sam assured her as he let go of her hand so he could pay for their food.

The two couples spent the rest of the afternoon admiring bikes, talking to their owners, listening to music, and browsing vendors selling everything from collectible trinkets to expensive leather outerwear. Rebecca and Joanna each bought a commemorative t-shirt emblazoned with the famous Harley-Davidson emblem while Sam caught his dad eyeing a Harley Sportster.

“She’s a beauty, isn’t she?” MacGyver asked his son.

“Sure is,” Sam replied.

“I still can’t believe I trashed my cycle on our road trip.”

“Look on the bright side, you still have your Jeep and the Nomad.”

“I know. It’s just not the same,” Mac lamented.

As Sam turned to look for Becca and Joanna, he bumped into a boulder of a man. Dressed in jeans, boots, and a black leather vest he was obviously a rider. Sam looked up to mutter ‘excuse me’, but the words caught in his throat as he found himself staring into the beady eyes of a square-jawed, black curly-haired...smuggler?

“Ex...Excuse me,” he stammered before slipping around the man and back into the street.

“What was that all about?” MacGyver asked as he caught up with his son.

“Nothing!”

Mac put a hand on Sam’s shoulder, forcing his son to stand still. “It kinda looked like something to me.”

Sam sighed and pulled his dad into the relatively privacy of a vendor’s tent.

“Before we left Chicago, Becca got this memo at work about a smuggling kingpin who looks very much like the guy I bumped into back there.”

“Do you think it’s him?”

“I don’t know,” Sam shrugged. “The guy goes after custom auto parts, so custom motorcycle parts wouldn’t be that much of a stretch. And this is a good place to blend in and poke around.”

“We should alert security just in case,” Mac suggested.

“Yeah, but can we keep this just between us for right now, if you know what I mean?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder to where Rebecca and Joanna stood talking.

“You bet,” his dad promised.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver eased the Nomad to the curb in front of Joanna’s house on Sunday morning. Her car wasn’t in the driveway, but with her parents gone, she was probably using the garage.

“Now remember, don’t say anything about the guy I told you about yesterday,” Sam coached. “I don’t want Becca getting involved.”

“Don’t you think that should be her decision?” Mac asked turning to his son. “After all, breaking this type of story would really help her career.”

“I just don’t want her putting herself in danger.”

“Like your mom did?”

Sam shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Okay, I promise not to say anything. Now let’s get a move on.”

Rebecca greeted the two men at the door before either had a chance to ring the bell. She was wearing jeans and the Harley t-shirt she had bought the day before and wore her slightly untamed hair in a tight ponytail.

“Great timing!” she exclaimed cheerfully, closing the door behind her.

“Where’s Joanna?” Mac asked. Something wasn’t right.

“Cynthia’s short-handed at Challengers today so she went to help out. She said we should just have a good time without her.”

Becca tried to head for the car, but MacGyver stopped her.

“Wait a minute! Why didn’t she call me? I’d have gladly gone in her place so she could enjoy today.”

“That’s what she said you would say and that’s why she didn’t call you.”

Mac pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Whatever was he going to do with that woman?

XXXXX

Unlike the previous day, the street in front of the Harley dealership they had visited was now stripped of tents, vendors, and musicians. Instead, motorcycles ruled the road waiting to ride off and join up with groups from other block parties around the city and eventually end up at the lakefront for one big party. MacGyver noticed that the police presence had exponentially increased as well, but he figured that was par for the course. The trio slowly made their way through the mob of bikes and riders to the tent where they would rent two bikes for the day as well as a helmet for Becca since Mac and Sam had both brought their own. MacGyver watched as Rebecca settled into the seat behind his son and wrapped her arms firmly around his waist. He sighed inwardly. For days he’d been looking forward to riding tandem with Jo, imagining the feel of her arms around him, her laughter floating on the air as they sailed down the open road. But that wouldn’t be happening...at least not today. He brushed the thought aside and prepared to mount his own temporary cycle when he heard a small group of riders talking animatedly about what seemed to be a recent theft.

“Excuse me!” he called over the din of voices and engines. “Did I hear you say something about a theft?”

A young woman wearing a leather halter top and jeans nodded vigorously.

“The cops were here first thing this morning. Seems three bikes got ripped off last night.”

“From the party?” Mac asked the woman who had yet to provide a name.

“Nope. From the garage. Their owners were having them customized for the parade today. Man, you should’ve been here when they found out!”

“I’m glad I wasn’t,” MacGyver murmured before thanking the woman for the information.

He looked around at what had to be a hundred or more bikers ready to get rolling and then he looked over at Sam who was smiling at something Becca must have said. Was this the work of the smuggler Sam thought he saw? Did he have two other cronies with him? Would they have the audacity to ride the stolen bikes through town? An announcement over the loudspeaker asking riders to mount up broke into his thoughts. He once again noticed the number of police in place. This was their job. Not his. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t help out if the opportunity presented itself.

Thirty minutes later MacGyver was relishing the feel of the powerful engine beneath him as he glided down the interstate. Man, he missed this feeling. It was almost like skating, but on concrete. Knowing that hundreds more riders followed him only increased his sense of exhilaration and he silently thanked Joanna for seeing to it that he didn’t miss out on this experience. They had been on the road for about fifteen minutes when a trio of motorcycles suddenly peeled away from the group and veered off the highway at the next exit. Recalling that three Harleys had been stolen this morning, Mac decided to follow just in case. To his dismay, the image of Sam’s bike soon appeared in his side view mirror.

“What are you doing?” his son called above the noise of the traffic.

“Nevermind! Just go back to the others!” Mac ordered, but Sam only steered his cycle closer.

“You think they had something to do with the thefts?”

Great. So Sam and Becca knew about that too.

“That’s what I wanna find out!” Mac shouted back.

“Then we’re coming with you!” Sam insisted.

MacGyver wanted to protest, but they were now bobbing and weaving through city streets and he had to keep his eyes on the road as well as the three suspicious riders. It soon became apparent that they were all headed for the Port of Milwaukee. Traffic diminished significantly and Mac slowed, indicating for Sam to do the same. His intent was to observe and call the cops if needed. Unfortunately, a large semi-truck took the opportunity to slowly pull out in front of them, causing them to lose sight of their prey. Was it a coincidence or a planned diversion?

Once the truck had moved enough for them to pass the three motorcycles were out of sight. Mac stopped his bike and Sam pulled alongside. MacGyver scanned their present surroundings. Large warehouses sat eerily vacant, many of their windows broken or missing. A few dilapidated factories dotted what must have been a once thriving industrial section of the city.

“What do we do now?” Sam asked, the engine of his bike still purring.

Mac was about to suggest they turn back and report what they saw to the authorities, but before his mouth could form the words, his gaze fell on tire tracks in the gravel...fresh tire tracks. He turned the key to silence his cycle and dismounted.

“We go on foot from here,” he said quietly.

On high alert and walking as quietly as possible, the trio followed the tracks which ended at, of all things, an abandoned motorcycle plant. They flattened their backs against the rough brick exterior, listening for voices but hearing none. After several minutes, MacGyver peeked through a busted out window. In the center of the large factory sat three brand new Harley-Davidson motorcycles, but their riders appeared to be absent.

“I’m gonna check it out,” he whispered. “Stay here.” He crouched low and began to make his way to a steel door when he felt his son’s presence behind him.

“I thought I told you to stay put!” he scolded, still in a whisper. Not only had Sam followed him, but Rebecca had followed Sam!

“But this could be the break I’ve been waiting for!” the normally quiet Rebecca insisted. “I’m going in there!”

Mac sighed and turned away. They were wasting precious time arguing, not to mention making more noise than he would have preferred. With a slight wave of his hand, he motioned them to follow him. They finally made it to the door, only to discover it was locked.

“Sam, keep an eye out for any visitors,” he directed, digging in his pant pocket and pulling out his Swiss Army knife.

In less than a minute he had picked the locked and slowly opened the door which creaked with age. Upon entering the large space, they stood still and listened once again. Certain they were still alone, they approached the bikes. Two were still in mint condition, but the third was already in the process of being dismantled.

“Hey, what’s that over there?” Becca asked.

MacGyver looked to where she pointed.

“Looks like a shipping container,” he replied. “Let’s check it out.”

Large boxes were stacked next to the container, no doubt waiting to be put inside.

“Look at this!” Rebecca gasped.

Mac and Sam hurried to where she had opened a box and now held up shiny new motorcycle parts. Knowing what they’d find, but still needing to confirm it, the two men opened other boxes containing more of the same.

“This has to be Lambista!” she exclaimed.

“And so it is!” a deep, menacing voice echoed eerily through the empty building.

They were standing out in the open, unprotected, when the first bullet whizzed by Mac’s ear. Needing no further motivation, they scattered and ran for cover as more bullets flew, pinging off metal machinery. When the barrage stopped, MacGyver urgently looked for Sam and found his son and Becca hiding behind a large sheet metal press. Mac made some quick hand motions and trusted that Sam would be able to decipher them. MacGyver then made his way to yet another large machine and punched the ‘on’ button, but nothing happened. He grimaced. They needed something to distract Lambista long enough to make an escape. Using his knife once more, he unscrewed the panel next to the power button and tugged at the wiring, stripping the thin insulation off two of the wires and then touching them together. They sparked and the decrepit contraption roared to life, causing a wide conveyor belt to chug into action.

“Now!” Mac yelled as he ran for the door. He could feel Sam on his heels. But when he turned to slam the door shut it was just the two of them. Rebecca hadn’t made it out.

“Dad! We have to go back for her!”

The gunshots had started up again and Mac knew that in order for all of them to survive, he and Sam had to run.

“Not now! Just go!” Mac pushed Sam ahead of him as the two stumbled away from the factory.

Several minutes later, hidden in an empty warehouse, father and son breathed heavily from their sprint to relative safety.

“We have to get Becca out of there!” Sam pleaded between breaths. “What if they already killed her?!”

“They won’t kill her, Sam. Not as long as we’re still out here. They know we all saw the same thing.”

“And they’ll use her for bait to lure us back and kill us all,” the younger man concluded.

“Afraid so.”

“So what’s the plan?”

“Right now we sit tight and wait. They’ll be watching for us. We have to give them time to let their guard down a bit,” MacGyver explained, wishing he felt as rational as he sounded. He could only imagine what Sam must be going through. He would be going out of his mind if that was Joanna in there and even though his son didn’t have that type of relationship with Becca, he knew Sam cared for her and he promised himself they would all make it out of this ordeal alive.

MacGyver looked at his watch.

“What time is it?” Sam asked.

“Five minutes later than the last time you asked.”

Sam sighed. “When are we going to do something?”

Mac watched as the door to the factory swung open and three men walked out, headed toward the dock.

“I’d say right about now,” Mac replied.

Together, he and Sam cautiously approached the old plant. MacGyver looked in one of the busted out windows. Becca was alive, but she was gagged and bound to the sheet metal press.

“Take a look,” he urged his son. “When we get in, go straight to Rebecca. I’ll watch your back.”

Sam nodded once to show he understood before they both eased through the doorway. While MacGyver kept a lookout for any unwanted guests, his son made a beeline for his friend, pulled out his own Swiss Army knife, and cut her loose. A gunshot sounded just as she pulled the gag from her mouth. Sam tugged her down behind the big machine and his dad soon joined them.

“Now what?” Sam asked as Rebecca clung to him.

MacGyver looked around, mentally cataloguing the items that still haunted the old factory.

“Stay here. And this time I mean it!” Mac instructed before he sprinted toward a large, flat piece of metal lying several yards away. He bent to pick it up and was thankful it wasn’t as heavy as it looked, but hopefully it was still strong enough to stop a speeding bullet...or at least significantly slow it down.

“Decide to come back for the girl, did you?” Lambista called, still out of view and hopefully bullet range.

MacGyver didn’t reply but pulled the metal sheet over to the press machine.

“Here. We can use this as a shield until we get to the door,” he told Sam and Becca who immediately grabbed onto the large piece of metal and crouched behind it, taking small steps.

They were halfway to their destination when gunfire erupted once more. This time, bullets came from every direction, a couple hitting their makeshift barrier but ricocheting off. Mac didn’t know how many hits the metal could take and he wasn’t planning on finding out, but soon they were backed up against a wall.

“There are too many of them,” Rebecca cried. “We’ll never make it to the door!”

“Maybe we don’t have to,” Mac told her, looking up at the broken window above their heads.

“How are we going to climb out without getting shot?” Sam challenged. “We can’t exactly carry that big piece of metal with us.”

His son was right, but they hadn’t lost the battle yet. Once more, in desperation, MacGyver looked around for anything that could serve as a weapon or diversion. Nothing. At least nothing within arm’s reach. He absently took a step sideways and felt something connect with his booted foot. He looked down and saw a gas can. Unfortunately, he couldn’t tell whether or not it still actually held any fluid.

“I’ve got an idea,” he told Sam, slanting his eyes toward the metal container. “When things get hot, you two climb out that window and don’t look back.”

“But Dad…”

“I’ll be right behind you.”

The bad guys were fast approaching and bullets continued to fly. Mac slid his foot sideways, knocking over the gas can. Thankfully, fuel began to spill from it immediately. Grabbing a strike anywhere match from his pocket, he flicked it against the wall and threw it on the stream of gasoline which quickly ignited to create a wall of fire between them and the smugglers. MacGyver watched as Sam shrugged out of his leather jacket and wrapped it around Rebecca to protect her from any stray shards of glass before boosting her up until she could reach the opening above. The flames grew as she shimmied through the small space. Then it was Sam’s turn. He jumped up, just grabbing the window’s edge before looking down at his dad.

“Go!”

At MacGyver’s command, Sam pulled himself up and disappeared through the window. Lambista and his men were yelling curses as Mac scrambled up the wall and out the opening, dropping to the ground several feet below. Sam and Becca were already running towards their motorcycles. MacGyver took a deep breath and kicked it into high gear. Angry shouts came from the burning building, but there were no more gunshots. Quickly making it to their bikes, they hopped on, revved the engines, and headed for the nearest police station.

XXXXX

After being grilled by police detectives and local FBI agents, it was almost suppertime when the trio emerged into the lobby of the precinct, finally free to return home. Mac’s eyes immediately slammed into Joanna’s. She had never looked more beautiful...or more upset.

“Thank God you’re alright!” she cried.

He opened his arms to embrace her, but was met only by air as she breezed past him and Sam to embrace Becca.

“I never should have let you go off alone with these two,” she said, both scolding herself and apologizing to their friend.

Rebecca shook her head. “It’s okay. I…”

“I should have listened to you and called MacGyver as soon as I heard from Cynthia,” Joanna continued unabated. “Now let’s go home so you can get cleaned up.” She put a protective arm around the other woman’s shoulders and led her out the glass front doors.

“Hey, what about us?!” Mac called.

“You’re creative. You’ll figure something out,” Jo retorted without breaking stride.

“Do you think she’ll be okay?” Sam asked, his voice colored with concern.

“Jo’ll be fine. She was just worried about us,” Mac replied optimistically, hoping he was right.

“I meant Becca,” his son clarified, somewhat self-consciously.

“Oh! Um...yeah...she has a lot of spunk. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

Sam shook his head. “She wasn’t very happy about getting scooped by that reporter and becoming part of the news instead of covering it.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” MacGyver declared. “Maybe she could write a piece from the first-person point of view.”

“Yeah,” Sam replied, brightening a bit.

Upon arriving back at the duplex, Mac showered first so he could make supper while his son cleaned up. Sam had just trotted down the winding staircase and looked at the food already on the table.

“Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup?” he asked, wrinkling his nose.

“What?! After the day we had you expect haute cuisine?”

“Did you hear from Joanna or Becca yet?” Sam asked, changing the subject as he bit into his sandwich.

“No. I figure they need some space.”

“You mean Joanna has to cool down.”

“That too,” Mac smiled. “We’ll go over first thing tomorrow so you and Rebecca can get on the road.”

Sam put down his sandwich and stared at his father.

“What?” Mac asked, knowing his son had something on his mind.

“When did you know?”

Kids. They sure had a way of confusing a person. “Know what?”

“That you loved Joanna.”

MacGyver choked slightly as he swallowed a spoonful of soup.

“I don’t know,” Mac answered in something embarrassingly akin to a whine as he shoved a hand through his still-damp hair. “There wasn’t just one moment...why do you ask?” Yeah! Way to go! Turn the tables on the kid!

“I was just wondering,” Sam replied softly, gently stirring his soup with his spoon but not making an attempt to eat any.

Mac recognized the symptoms.

“You have feelings for Rebecca,” he concluded.

Sam shrugged. “I like her, if that’s what you mean.”

“That’s not what I mean and you know it.”

“We’ve gone on a few dates and now, after what happened today, I can’t imagine not having her around. Ya know? I mean, I know I haven’t had as much experience with women as you, but there’s just something special about Becca.”

“Then stop thinking so much about it and just enjoy her,” Mac advised. “If you’re meant to be together it’ll happen.”

“Then why didn’t it happen with you and my mom.”

Mac grimaced.

“Sorry. That was hitting below the belt,” Sam apologized.

“No. Nothin’ to be sorry about. I loved your mother, but we wanted different things and were too young to figure out how to make it work. But every couple’s different. If you feel something for Rebecca, give it a chance and don’t give up when things get tough.”

“Is that what you did with Joanna?”

Mac nodded. “And it’s something we’re both still doing.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“I hope mac and cheese from a box is okay,” Joanna announced as Rebecca shuffled into the kitchen. Fresh from the shower, she wore a baggy sweatsuit and had her long, damp hair piled in a messy knot on the top of her head. “I thought we’d be eating at the Harley picnic so I didn’t bother to get much food in the house.”

“Are you still mad at them?” Becca asked cautiously as Jo spooned the gooey noodles into the bowl in front of her.

“I don’t know,” Joanna sighed. “Maybe I’m more angry with myself. All I know is that they shouldn’t have gotten you involved. This sort of thing is second nature to Mac, and even Sam, but--”

“It’s not your fault,” Becca interrupted, surprising Jo at the force behind her words. “And it’s not Mac’s fault either. I’m the one who started the whole thing.”

“What do you mean?” Joanna asked slowly as she sat down in her chair.

“Back in Chicago I got this email at the Tribune alerting everyone to be on the lookout for a smuggler name Louis Lambista. He specializes in custom car parts. Then, this morning, Sam and I overheard that three custom bikes had been stolen. When MacGyver started following the cycles, I urged Sam to do the same. And then when we got to the old factory, Mac told us to hide but Sam insisted on following and, of course, I wasn’t about to be left behind. Then I tripped and got caught while trying to escape. If you’re going to blame someone, blame me.”

Joanna’s heart softened at Rebecca’s dismay. “I guess there’s plenty of blame to go around,” she observed.

“Just don’t be too angry with Sam and his dad,” Becca pleaded.

“You really have a thing for him, don’t you?”

Becca’s eyes grew wide. “How can you tell?”

Joanna shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe it takes one to know one. Everyone seemed to know Mac and I were crazy about each other even before we did.”

“But Sam just thinks of me as a friend and fellow journalist.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Rebecca looked down, regarding herself. “Trust me. Guys never think of me as more than just a friend. Especially great guys like Sam.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Jo replied. “Especially after seeing Sam’s face when he saw you all dressed up for the fundraising gala. And the fact that he risked his life today in order to save yours.”

“Yeah, but--”

“No ‘buts’! I felt the same way about Mac, thinking he could never be interested in someone like me. We both wasted a lot of time worrying about what the other thought. I don’t want you and Sam to make that mistake. Just enjoy each other and see where it leads.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Labor Day morning Sam pulled his VW Bug into Joanna’s driveway, his dad in the passenger seat. Together they walked to the front door where Rebecca greeted them.

“Hi. Dad and I thought we’d take you and Jo out to breakfast before heading home,” Sam declared.

“That sounds great, but Joanna’s not here.”

Mac groaned. For the second time in twenty-four hours she had bailed on him.

“Here,” Rebecca said, holding out a small piece of paper. “She said to have me and Sam drop you off at this address on our way out of town.”

MacGyver studied the numbers Jo had written down. It was the address to the Harley-Davidson dealership they had visited over the weekend.

“What is it, Dad?”

“I don’t know,” Mac answered, his brows knit in confusion.

Sam plucked the piece of paper from his dad’s fingers. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

Ten minutes later, after loading Becca’s luggage into the car, Sam pulled into the deserted dealership parking lot where vacant tents now stood. Joanna’s car was parked out front, but she had seemingly disappeared. Mac crawled out of the car with trepidation. He hadn’t spoken to her since seeing her at the police precinct and Rebecca had refused to give him any insight into what this little escapade was all about.

“Do you want us to wait for you?” Sam asked.

“Nah, I’ll be fine. Have a safe trip.”

“Sure thing,” Sam confirmed as he pulled out onto the street and headed for the interstate.

MacGyver watched his son leave before going in search of Joanna. He pulled the handles on the glass doors to the showroom, but they were locked as he had expected. Cupping his hands around his eyes to block out the sunlight, he peered through the windows, but the place was deserted. No doubt employees were recuperating from the weekend party. Not knowing what else to do, he began to walk the perimeter of the building, calling Jo’s name as he went with no response. As he turned into the back alley, his breath caught. There in front of him, Joanna straddled the exact same Harley Sportster he had been admiring only two days earlier. The saucy grin on her face the only thing able to outshine the cycle.

“Let me guess. You’re still mad about yesterday and plan on running me over with that thing,” he said, only half teasingly.

“Wrong on both counts,” she replied, swinging herself off the motorcycle. “Becca explained everything last night and I realized I owe you an apology. I’m sorry for the way I acted yesterday. When I heard about what happened, I was so scared for you.”

“How did you hear about it,” MacGyver asked, having wondered how she had ended up at the police station in the first place.

“Are you kidding?!” she laughed. “It was all over the TV news. Even Becca’s interview.”

“Oh, she’s gonna love hearing that!” Mac quipped before turning serious. “I’m really sorry I frightened you. It won’t happen again.”

“Oh yes, it will,” Jo contradicted. “But next time I’ll try to be a little more understanding.”

MacGyver fought the urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless, but there was still one item that needed to be taken care of.

“So, what’s with the bike?” he asked.

Joanna turned toward the chrome and steel machine.

“I saw you looking at it yesterday. A friend of mine from college works at Harley so I contacted him and worked out a deal.”

Mac’s jaw dropped. “Jo, you shouldn’t have,” he admonished huskily.

“Well, technically, I didn’t...buy it, if that’s what you mean,” she smirked. “Consider it a donation to Challengers. There’s only one caveat.”

“Oh yeah, and what would that be?” he asked, looping his arms around her waist.

“You’re the only person allowed to ride it.”

“That might be a problem,” he frowned, looking at the bike.

“Why?”

“It’s a two-seater and I may not want to ride alone,” he explained.

“Hmmm, in that case we need a caveat to the caveat.”

“Oh yeah?” he grinned.

“Yeah,” she replied, reaching up to pull his face closer to hers. “Make that you and I are the only ones allowed to ride it.”

“I’ll sign off on that,” Mac promised as his lips found hers, his heart beating in time to the distant sound of rolling thunder as hundreds of Harley riders left town, if only for another year.


















Posted by: Dragondog 6 December 2019 - 11:56 AM
*sees first paragraph* Yay, they're back again! biggrin.gif

QUOTE

Becca looked up, her green eyes quickly finding his dark brown ones. There was a twinkle there he hadn’t noticed before. Perhaps it hadn’t been there before.
Aww, they're just like Mac and Jo, only younger biggrin.gif

QUOTE
By the way, how’s your toe?” she asked, biting her lower lip.

“Still attached,” he quipped, but when her frown stayed in place he sobered.
I can totally picture this as a JoGyver conversation XD

QUOTE

Their most recent date had included an excursion to a local bowling alley. Despite Rebecca’s protests that she was a first-class klutz and lousy bowler, Sam had insisted she couldn’t be as bad as she thought and now he was paying the price. He had been standing behind her, giving her encouraging advice as she approached the alley, swinging the ball behind her when it slipped from her fingers only to land squarely on his big toe. Emergency room x-rays showed nothing was broken, and Sam put on a brave face in spite of the pain to keep Becca from feeling too badly. Now, five days later, he was finally able to walk without a limp, at least when other people were present.
This whole thing is a mood XD

QUOTE
Sam shot her his most devastatingly charming smile before turning his back and walking away...slowly.
wink.gif

QUOTE

“They want us to be on the lookout for a guy named Louis Lambista, one of the kingpins of an international smuggling operation.”
He'll be in Milwauke XD

QUOTE

“But what makes a Harley so special?” Becca asked, truly perplexed.

All three of her companions grinned broadly.
Me when someone asks me about my fandoms XD

QUOTE

“Hear that?” he asked Rebecca as the foursome walked towards the festivities. “It’s called ‘rolling thunder’. No other sound like it in the world! That’s one thing that makes these bikes special.”

“Okay, so they’re old and loud. I still don’t get what’s so unique about them.”
I am Rebecca in this scenario XD XD XD

QUOTE

Joanna threw her head back and laughed even as she held MacGyver’s hand to keep from getting separated in the throng of people just ahead of them.
I mean, it's not that you need an excuse to hold his hand, but there it is, just in case, right? XD

QUOTE

Becca turned toward Jo, her eyes wide behind her glasses. “Did you say custom parts?”

“Hey, I’m starving!” Sam unceremoniously interrupted them, reaching for Rebecca’s hand in the process. “Let’s grab some food!”
My two brain cells competing for my attention XD

QUOTE


“I know what you’re thinking,” he hissed, “And you can just forget about it. There’s no story here. At least not that one.”
Apparently Sam has forgotten all the excitement he's undergone in his life. If a story pops up, it will end up being wherever he is. Sorry, Sam, I don't write the laws of fiction XD

QUOTE

Sam wasn’t sure where his protective instincts came from or why they were so strong, but there was no way he was going to let Rebecca even try to track down the smuggler.
Oh, I can guess whyyyyyy biggrin.gif

QUOTE

“She’s a beauty, isn’t she?” MacGyver asked his son.
I wondered for a moment whether he was talking about the Harley, or if he was trying to have one of THOSE talks with Sam XD XD XD

QUOTE
Her car wasn’t in the driveway, but with her parents gone, she was probably using the garage.
Or Becca borrowed it to go after the smuggler because she somehow found out despite their attempts to keep quiet about it...

QUOTE

“I just don’t want her putting herself in danger.”

“Like your mom did?”

Sam shrugged. “Maybe.”
Dangit Sam, you always manage to bring out my maternal side, and technically (by timeline of this story) you are older than me XD

QUOTE


Rebecca greeted the two men at the door before either had a chance to ring the bell. She was wearing jeans and the Harley t-shirt she had bought the day before and wore her slightly untamed hair in a tight ponytail.
Nevermind, she's still here XD

QUOTE

“Where’s Joanna?” Mac asked. Something wasn’t right.

“Cynthia’s short-handed at Challengers today so she went to help out. She said we should just have a good time without her.”

Becca tried to head for the car, but MacGyver stopped her.

“Wait a minute! Why didn’t she call me? I’d have gladly gone in her place so she could enjoy today.”
WhY aRe YoU lYiNg BeCcA?!

QUOTE

“That’s what I wanna find out!” Mac shouted back.

“Then we’re coming with you!” Sam insisted.

Sam: I don't want Becca getting involved, so don't tell her anything!
Also Sam: *proceeds to follow Mac's unusual course, with Becca on the back of his bike, while knowing that he thinks smugglers are there*
MaKe Up YoUr MiNd SaM XD

QUOTE
Unfortunately, a large semi-truck took the opportunity to slowly pull out in front of them, causing them to lose sight of their prey. Was it a coincidence or a planned diversion?
Those darn semi-trucks, they always show at the worst of times XD

QUOTE

“And so it is!” a deep, menacing voice echoed eerily through the empty building.
And this is why you were supposed to stand guard, Sam XD

Ngl, I sort of feel if I were them, I'd be way too used to it by now. Bad guy tries to surprise me and intimidate me by showing up unexpectedly, and I just wouldn't even care, especially Murdoc. Like Murdoc: *walks in* Thought you seen the last of me? Me: Oh hey, Murdoc, no actually, I was wondering what's taking so long, ready to try to kill me again?

QUOTE
She had never looked more beautiful...or more upset.
Of all the times Mac has almost died, Joanna is most upset ever NOW? XD

QUOTE

“I should have listened to you and called MacGyver as soon as I heard from Cynthia,” Joanna continued unabated.
At least Becca was actually telling the truth. I wasn't sure at first.

QUOTE

He opened his arms to embrace her, but was met only by air as she breezed past him and Sam to embrace Becca.
Wow... roller.gif Okay, that's probably why she's so upset now.

QUOTE

“When did you know?”

Kids. They sure had a way of confusing a person. “Know what?”

“That you loved Joanna.”

MacGyver choked slightly as he swallowed a spoonful of soup.

“I don’t know,” Mac answered in something embarrassingly akin to a whine as he shoved a hand through his still-damp hair. “There wasn’t just one moment...why do you ask?” Yeah! Way to go! Turn the tables on the kid!
Mac and Sam discussing their various love lives while being super embarrassed and nervous about it is exactly what I'm here for XD

Also, funny how Sam is clearly an adult, (very young adult, but still an adult) and Mac still thinks of him as a kid. But understandable, since it's HIS kid XD

QUOTE

“Then stop thinking so much about it and just enjoy her,” Mac advised. “If you’re meant to be together it’ll happen.”

“Then why didn’t it happen with you and my mom.”

Mac grimaced.
Sam really has a way of hitting me right in the feels (I guess the credit for that goes more towards you, though XD)

QUOTE

“You really have a thing for him, don’t you?”
Ah, yes, time for the female version XD

QUOTE
Just enjoy each other and see where it leads.”
Wow. Exact same advice. It's... poetic. (Mac and Jo are meant to be together confirmed XD).

QUOTE

Ten minutes later, after loading Becca’s luggage into the car,
I get that Sam's luggage is presumably already loaded, but out of context, it sounds like Becca's the only one who brings anything, or at least can't travel light XD

I knew she got the bike for him XD

Posted by: uniquelyjas 11 December 2019 - 11:23 AM
Chapter 27: Everyone But Him

MacGyver scrambled down the spiral staircase, grabbed an apple from the bowl on the kitchen counter and his keys from the hook on the wall. He had overslept and was late for work. He couldn’t believe it. He never overslept. He opened the front door and almost barreled over his mail carrier.

“Hey Gertie, what’s up?” he greeted her quickly.

“I’m glad I caught you. I have a package here you need to sign for.”

Mac’s eyebrows knitted together in a questioning frown as he scribbled his name and took the rather small box. It was heavier than it looked. He planned to leave it on the counter and open it when he got home, but then he glanced at the return address. It was from Neil Ryder, his boyhood friend in Mission City. What on earth would Neil send him, especially without calling to give him a heads up? No longer concerned about arriving late to Challengers, MacGyver grabbed his Swiss Army knife from his pocket and sliced through the packing tape. Opening the flaps of the cardboard box, he spotted a white envelope with his name on it. Taking it to the couch he sat down to read it.

Mac:

A construction crew is renovating the nursing home that used to be your old house. One of the workers found this behind a wall and I figured you’d want it. Wish I could have delivered it in person.

Neil

MacGyver now looked down at the wooden box on his lap, his mother’s name ornately carved into the top. A sudden wave of memories knocked Mac’s breath from his lungs. His mother used to call this her ‘treasure chest’. He remembered her tucking away handmade birthday cards he had given her and the silver ‘necklace’ he had created out of paperclips and duct tape. She had said it was too special to keep in her regular jewelry box. He took a deep breath and gingerly opened the hinged top. Sure enough, there was her ‘necklace’ along with greeting cards made from colorful construction paper and decorated with crayon pictures and the lettering of a young boy. Of him. Digging a bit deeper, he came upon a stack of his grade school report cards secured with a rubber band. He chuckled to himself and tossed the packet onto the coffee table. He would look at those later. At the bottom of the box lay another envelope. This one was yellowed with age and had his name...his whole name...written on the outside. His hands stilled and his eyes became misty as he immediately recognized his mother’s flowing script. He opened the envelope and as he removed the single piece of paper, two thin gold bands, one with a small diamond in the center and both in desperate need of polishing, fell out and into the box. Mac quickly unfolded the letter and began to read:

My Dearest Angus,

If you are reading this letter, I am no longer of this earth. But please do not grieve for me as I am finally reunited with your dear father which is something I have longed for these many years past.

By now a pair of rings have probably fallen out of the envelope. They were your Grandma Cecilia’s engagement and wedding rings. After her funeral, Harry gifted them to me and I thought it only right to pass them down to you, my beloved only child. It is my greatest hope that you will find a woman in your life to wear these, but perhaps that is just the wishful thinking of an old lady. As I write this, you are far away, still full of wanderlust. Besides, girls of your generation are sure to want something flashy and expensive. Therefore, do what you will with this token of your grandfather’s love toward your grandmother.

The good Lord alone knows when and where this message will find you my adventurous son, but know that wherever you go and whatever you do, you take my love with you.

Until we meet again,
Mom

P.S. Always remember: “Ice Cream!”

MacGyver closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose to keep threatening tears at bay as he took deep breaths to calm the inner swell of emotion. He knew exactly who would wear these rings and she would cherish them just as his mother wished. The bigger question was when would he finally put old fears aside and do what he had been wanting to do for so long now? Was the arrival of this gift at this time just an ironic coincidence, or was there a greater message behind it? Mac tenderly fingered the gold bands before returning them to the envelope along with his mother’s parting words to him.

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“I’m gonna kill him,” Joanna grunted as she pushed an overstuffed chair against the wall so she could scrub the floor beneath it. “He asked me to come in extra early on a Saturday morning to help get the place in shape for the six month grant review next week and he’s a no-show!”

“Something probably came up,” Cynthia shrugged nonchalantly.

“Yeah, I guess,” Jo reluctantly agreed. “But it’s not like him not to call and let us know.” She knew all too well that MacGyver took his job and commitments seriously. Sometimes a little too seriously. “I hope he’s okay.”

Cynthia chuckled. “A minute ago you were ready to kill him. Now you’re concerned about his welfare?”

“When I find out he’s all right, then I’m gonna kill him,” Jo replied, a smile tugging at her lips. Just then the telephone rang.

“That’s probably him now,” Cynthia said with obvious relief. Joanna let her colleague take the call as she picked up her mop again.

“That was the bookstore,” Cynthia announced a few minutes later. “The novels you ordered are in and ready to be picked up.”

“Finally! I want to get them all out on display for when Pete and the board members from Phoenix get here. Mind if I go get them?”

“Why don’t you call MacGyver and have him pick them up on his way in?”

“But then I wouldn’t have an excuse to take a break from cleaning,” Joanna smirked as she propped the mop up against the wall and grabbed her purse, her car keys already jingling. “I’ll be right back.”

“Take your time. I’ll hold off the dust bunnies!”

Jo pushed through the main doors and out into the mid-September sunshine. She took a deep breath of the unseasonably warm air before getting into her car. Given the nice weather and light weekend traffic, she decided to take the scenic route. She had started her part time teaching job at Lincoln High School a couple weeks ago and, though she enjoyed it immensely, between that and her duties at Challengers she had precious little time to enjoy the waning days of summer. She was accelerating away from a stop sign when a rabbit darted out into the narrow road, freezing a few yards in front of her. Knowing she could never stop in time to avoid hitting the frightened animal, she jerked the steering wheel to the right before stomping down on the brake pedal. Unfortunately, her tires caught in the gravel on the side of the road, sending the car skidding head first into a large tree. Joanna felt the sting of her seatbelt against her neck before it suddenly released. The last thing she remembered was her forehead hitting the steering wheel before everything went black.

XXXXX

Joanna sat up in her hospital bed, her mother in a chair next to her, their hands joined. Her father stood staring out the window. Given his aversion to hospitals, his presence in the small emergency room bay was a testament to the scare she had given her parents. They were currently waiting for the results of her CT scan. She had been unconscious during her rescue and ambulance ride to the ER, but the doctor on-call had told her that a passerby had witnessed her accident and called 911. She drifted in and out of consciousness while various medical personnel tended to the cut on her forehead and bruises on her neck and collarbone before she was whisked away to radiology. It was only after her return from the scan, when she was finally fully awake and had satisfactorily answered questions to test her memory, that her parents were allowed to join her.

“I couldn’t find Mac’s phone number, but I called Cynthia at Challengers,” Judy Fairfax said, breaking the silence. “She promised to tell him about your accident as soon as he gets in.”

“Thanks,” Jo responded before a handsome man in a white lab coat asked permission to enter.

“Hello Ms. Fairfax. I’m Dr. Chandler, the on-call neurologist.”

Joanna smiled at him as her heart pounded faster. The rate increase having nothing to do with the pain in her head but with the handsome physician in front of her. His dark brown hair was cut short and neatly styled while his blue eyes seemed to twinkle of their own accord. She could tell he was fit, even with the lab coat draping his tall frame. Her eyes automatically strayed to his hands which held a metal clipboard. No wedding ring. Yes! When she looked up again it was to find him watching her with a knowing smile that made her blush. Finding her voice, she introduced him to her parents.

“I have the results of your CT scan and I must say you are a very lucky lady.” He moved closer to the end of her bed. “Aside from the cut on your forehead and the contusions from the seatbelt, you only have a very mild concussion. Now that we know you have no further injuries I’m prescribing something for your headache.”

She heard her mother breathe a sigh of relief. “When can we take her home?”

“Normally I’d say as soon as she feels up to it, but given the length of time she was unconscious I’d like to keep her here the rest of the day for observation. If everything checks out she’ll be home before bedtime.” Then he turned his attention to Joanna. “Of course, she’ll have to promise to follow all my instructions and take it easy for the next few days,” he said with a wink that caused her stomach to flutter.

“What about work? Mac needs me?”

“Who’s Mac?”

“My boss.” Joanna thought she glimpsed a look of surprise on her mother’s face but she was too focused on her own concerns to question it.

“Well, he’ll just have to be patient. I don’t want you trying to resume all your normal activities at once.”

As if their conversation had conjured him, she looked to find MacGyver standing in the doorway. His shaggy, dark-blonde hair, brown, beady eyes and oddly shaped lips a stark, and unwelcome, contrast to the attractive doctor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver stood in the doorway to the emergency room bay that housed Joanna and her family. She was sitting up in bed, listening to something the doctor was saying, a white gauze dressing peeking out from beneath her bangs the only obvious indication she had been in a car wreck. Since Cynthia had given him the news he felt as if a steel band was wrapped around his chest, his worry so intense his heart physically hurt. Having imagined the worst, he went weak with relief at the scene before him. Her clear, sharp gaze finding him was his undoing.

“Oh baby, I’m so glad you’re alright,” he said huskily as he strode to her bedside and embraced her gently, pulling away when her muscles stiffened.

“Do you hug and call all your employees ‘baby’?” she asked, almost accusingly.

He figured she must be teasing, which released even more of his tension.

“Only the special ones,” he replied softly before reaching for her again. This time her body became even more rigid if that was possible. Confused, he straightened and took a step back sending a questioning glance toward Judy, but the older woman only shrugged.

“Care to introduce us, Ms. Fairfax?” Dr. Chandler asked cheerily, apparently trying to cover the awkward silence that had descended upon the room.

“I’m sorry. Dr. Chandler, this is my boss, Mr. MacGyver. But everyone just calls him ‘Mac’. None of us know his first name.”

At her declaration MacGyver’s blood ran cold. She didn’t remember his first name. Worse, she didn’t seem to remember not remembering!

“Could I speak with you in the hall, doctor?” he asked, ignoring the look on Joanna’s face which was a mixture of concern, surprise...and fear.

“What’s wrong with her?” Mac asked, frustrated and more than a little anxious.

The doctor hesitated.

“Look, you can get permission from her mother to tell me how she is if you need to.”

The doctor sighed. “There’s actually nothing to tell. Except for a bump on the head she’s fine. Given a couple day’s rest she’ll be good as new.”

“But she’s not fine!” Mac exclaimed, loud enough to garner quelling looks from the nursing staff. He continued in a lower tone, “She doesn’t remember me!”

“She seems to know exactly who you are, Mr. MacGyver.”

“It’s not like that. Joanna’s not my employee, she’s my business partner. We’re close friends. Very close. And she most definitely knows my first name. Yet she’s acting as if we’re practically strangers!”

The doctor hugged the clipboard he was holding to his chest and lowered his head, mulling over this new information.

“I don’t know what to tell you. She passed all our memory tests, both short and long term, with flying colors. And she does remember you to some extent.” Here Dr. Chandler paused for what felt like an eternity. “I suppose, if she doesn’t object, I could ask her more questions. Dig a little deeper, so to speak.”

“Thank you,” Mac let out the breath he’d been holding. “Can we do it now?”

The doctor smiled. “No time like the present!”

Together MacGyver and the doctor reentered Joanna’s room.

“Ms. Fairfax, would you mind if I asked you some more questions about people who have come into your life within the past few years?”

“No, not at all,” Jo answered the doctor, a little too warmly for Mac’s peace of mind.

Over the next thirty minutes MacGyver’s heart broke piece by piece as he listened to Joanna describe her relationships with Pete, Connie, Cynthia, Sam, the kids at Challengers, her co-workers at the high school, and even Penny and Jack with love and affection. Only when she spoke of him were her answers vague, emotionless, and annoyingly polite. Even Frog garnered more regard than he did.

“Well doctor, did I pass?” she asked once the inquiries ended, smiling coyly. Mac’s stomach dipped. Was she flirting with her doctor?

“You did just fine,” Dr. Chandler assured her. “Now it’s time for us to leave so you can get some rest if you want to go home later.”

As MacGyver followed the neurologist and Jo’s parents out the door, he heard her gently call his name. His breath caught. Had this past half hour jogged her memory? He quickly returned to her bedside.

“I just wanted to apologize for how I acted earlier,” she said softly, her gaze lowered. “I know how much you care about everyone and I appreciate your concern.”

Mac swallowed around the lump in his throat but remained silent. Her words had been so formal. So professional.

“Could you do me a favor?” she asked shyly.

“Anything.”

“Could you go to the bookstore and pick up the novels I ordered for the club? I want to get them up on display before Pete and the Phoenix review board arrive.”

“You got it,” he promised. “Now try and get some rest.”

His heart heavy, he stepped out into the hallway and joined Mr. and Mrs. Fairfax who were already deep in conversation with Jo’s doctor.

“What did I miss?” MacGyver asked.

Doctor Chandler turned to him. “I was just explaining that Ms. Fairfax appears to be experiencing a case of dissociative amnesia, though I’ve never seen it this specific before. She remembers you and experiences with you, but she cannot recall her true feelings for you. It mostly happens when the victim has experienced emotional trauma. They use their amnesia as a defense mechanism when something is too painful to deal with. However, according to her mother, you two have had a very positive, loving relationship. To be honest, I really can’t explain it.”

“So what do we do about it?” Mac asked, his mind spinning with this new information.

“I don’t believe there’s much we can do,” the doctor sighed. “The mind is a funny thing and there’s still much we don’t know about it.”

“Yeah. I’ve heard that before,” MacGyver muttered.

“There’s a very strong chance all her memories will return on their own after she’s recovered from the shock of the accident. The best thing is not to pressure her to remember. Let it come naturally. I want to see her in a week for another CT scan, just to make sure we didn’t miss anything. If her memory of you still hasn’t returned, we’ll discuss further options.”

XXXXX

MacGyver sank down on his couch Tuesday evening, head in his hands. He wasn’t sure which was worse: Not seeing Joanna at all, or seeing her at Challengers every day, interacting normally with everyone but him. As the doctor had predicted, Jo had returned home late Saturday evening. According to her mother, she spent Sunday resting and returned to her teaching job Monday morning but chose to skip her shift at Challengers. He couldn’t blame her. Recovering from a head injury, no matter how minor, was always more physically challenging than one would expect. And he ought to know.

Today, she had arrived at Challengers just after lunch to make sure everything was in order for Phoenix’s visit tomorrow. He had teased her when he caught her rearranging the novels he had put out on display, but instead of a usual sassy retort, she sheepishly apologized and he quickly backpedaled to assure her that she had done a much better job than him. Later, he watched as she chatted with Cynthia as if they had known each other forever, patiently helped Suzy and Davey with their homework as always, and played a round of eight-ball with Raul and laughed heartily when he beat her. She even made a point of giving Frog some extra attention and slipped him treats when she thought Mac wasn’t watching. It was only when MacGyver was near that she reined in her enthusiasm, allowing a mask of professionalism and indifference to fall. He knew the doctor had said not to pressure her to remember, but surely a little nudging couldn’t hurt. After the grant review tomorrow, Mac would begin ‘Operation Joanna’. At best, her feelings for him would return. At worst, he would simply have to get her to fall in love with him all over again.

Pete and a small entourage of Phoenix board members arrived at Challengers on Wednesday afternoon. Once introductions and greetings had been exchanged, a couple of the men sequestered themselves with Cynthia in her office to take a thorough look at the ledgers while others fanned out to inspect the recreation room and dormitory. The remaining men struck up casual conversations with some of the club members and volunteers, including Joanna. Her wide smile and hand gestures told MacGyver she was enthusiastically regaling the men with positive stories of Challengers and the community it served.

Once the evaluation was underway, Mac guided Pete to his office, helping his friend into a chair before taking a seat himself.

“So how’s Joanna doing?” Pete asked, concerned etched on his face.

“The same,” Mac sighed.

Pete was silent for a moment before responding. “Well, it hasn’t even been a week since the accident. These things take time.”

“I know, but it’s just so...so…”

“Scary?”

“Yeah.”

The older man began to smile. “I’ll never forget that time you lost your memory and the bad guys convinced you that I was the bad guy. You even held a gun on me. Yet somewhere, deep down, you knew the truth.”

“And you helped me find that truth. Even as I was about to shoot you.”

“I guess it’s your turn to do the same for Joanna.”

“I’m already on it, Pete.”

“I figured,” he snorted.

XXXXX

“Well, that seemed to have gone well,” Cynthia stated as she, Joanna, and MacGyver gathered in her office that evening.

“When will we know if our grant gets renewed?” Jo asked, more to Cynthia than Mac.

“Pete said it’ll take a couple of weeks,” MacGyver replied. “He told me we have nothing to worry about.”

“I’ve heard that before,” Cynthia sniffed sarcastically.

“Pete wouldn’t lie to us,” Joanna declared. “We need to think positive.”

A soft knock on the door interrupted their conversation.

“Excuse me,” Rosie Garcia poked her head in. “All the kids have gone home for the night. Do you mind if I leave a bit early?”

“Not at all,” Cynthia replied. “In fact, that sounds like a really good idea. It’s been a stressful day for all of us.” She gathered her purse and headed out, MacGyver and Joanna behind her. It was now or never for Mac.

“Hey Jo, hold up a sec!”

Joanna stopped and turned, but didn’t say anything.

“I’m still kinda wound up from today. How about a game or two of air hockey before going home?”

A smile tugged at her lips and a fraction of Mac’s anxiety dissipated.

“We haven’t played that in a while, have we?”

“Nope.”

“I’m still pretty bad at it.”

“I’ll take my chances,” he replied. “How about we have a pizza delivered?”

“Sure,” she agreed. “Just make my half of it normal,” she said, wrinkling her nose.

Mac’s heart skipped a beat. At last, a glimpse of ‘his’ Joanna! “You got it,” he smiled.

And so it began. Air hockey games, pizza, and even a trip to the ice rink. Just like the old days. Joanna began to visibly relax around him and laugh and talk with him. His plan was working.

They didn’t see each other on Saturday due to Joanna’s follow-up CT scan. When he didn’t see her at Challengers on Sunday he began to worry. Surely if the scan had shown something her mother would have called. Perhaps Jo just needed to rest. She had been pushing herself at the end of the week what with teaching, Challengers, and spending time with him. Had he pushed her too hard? After a late supper of yogurt and a banana he sat on the couch, staring at the box Neil had sent him sitting on the coffee table. He slowly opened it and took out his grandmother’s rings, stroking the smooth gold and twisting them around the tip of his finger. Would these bands ever find the destination he had planned? Though more at ease in his presence, Joanna was nowhere near giving him her heart...or remembering that he already had it. And it was all his fault. If only he hadn’t overslept that day, or not taken the time to open the mysterious package. If only he had gotten to Challengers before she left for the bookstore. He could’ve run that simple errand and life would have went on as usual. He read his mother’s letter again, focusing on the last two words. Ice cream. How did she know he needed those words now, and would everything really be okay?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Joanna pulled her parent’s car up in front of MacGyver’s townhouse late Sunday evening. After the accident, her beloved Chevy had been taken to the body shop, damaged but not beyond repair. She glanced at her watch and sighed as giant butterflies flitted in her stomach. Actually, it felt more like dinosaurs stomping around her midsection. What in the world made her think that coming to Mac’s house and asking to speak alone with him was a good idea. She thought back to the days since her crash. Everyone and everything was just as it always was, except when he was around. She felt a tension between them that she wasn’t sure had existed before, and every time she looked in his eyes she saw a flicker of pain. Then, today, she had found a crumpled up hockey jersey buried in her dresser drawer. Something wasn’t right and she knew MacGyver was the only one who could provide the answers she sought.

She knocked on his front door and waited impatiently for him to answer. Perhaps he had gone to bed early. She was just about to leave, or more accurately, run away, when she saw him approach through the glass door.

“Hey!” he greeted her, his surprise obvious.

“Hey,” she echoed back, forcing a smile. “I hope I’m not bothering you.”

“You are never a bother. Please, come in.”

Joanna slipped through the doorway as he stepped aside and led her to the couch where he sat down next to her. Close, but not too close, and she couldn’t decide if she liked it or not.

“I was hoping to see you at Challengers today. How did your CT scan go?”

“It went fine. At least that’s what they told me,” she replied, hesitant to make eye contact.

“That’s a good thing, right?”

“I guess,” she shrugged, nibbling her lower lip and debating how to continue. “The thing is, I don’t always feel ‘fine’, especially when I’m around you.”

She heard his quick intake of breath and took a breath of her own. She had no choice now but to plow ahead, no matter how awkward this conversation became. She just hoped she wouldn’t lose her job at Challengers over it.

“I feel like I’m missing something. That I’ve forgotten something. Something important. I remember working with you and spending time with you and your friends, but I don’t remember how I felt when we were together and I know it probably sounds really weird and I’m probably making a fool out of myself but I can’t shake the feeling that we’re more than just casual friends. Then today I found this.”

She pulled the rumpled up jersey from her oversized purse and held it out so the name placard faced him. She didn’t need to see it again. The words had been seared into her mind...and her heart. ‘Mac’s Girl’.

MacGyver took the jersey from her, holding it almost reverently in his hands and blew out a sigh.

“You’re not making a fool out of yourself and you’re right, we are more than just friends,” he assured her. “In fact, last Christmas I tried to propose to you but it didn’t work out exactly as planned.”

“That’s when Jack had his accident and you went out to L.A. to be with him.”

“You remember Jack’s plane crash but you don’t remember me proposing?”

She shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. “Why didn’t anyone tell me about this?!” She motioned to the jersey he still held. “Or about you?! Why didn’t you say anything?!”

Mac gingerly reached out and she allowed him to caress her cheek with the back of his firm, solid fingers.

“I wanted to, baby. I wanted to tell you so many times, but the doctor said it would be better if you discovered your feelings on your own.”

“Do you love me?” she asked, feeling her face turn red at such a direct and intimate question.

“Yeah. I do,” he responded softly, his eyes meeting hers with a shared sadness.

“And do I love you?”

“Yeah,” he answered in a husky whisper.

“Then help me remember, Mac. Please help me,” she pleaded as tears rolled down her cheeks and he moved close to envelope her in a comforting embrace that she could never in a million years imagine she could forget.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

That week, MacGyver made a point of spending as much time with Joanna as possible, and she did the same. They were practically inseparable from the time she arrived at Challengers until they left, often grabbing take-out on the way to his place where they would spend the evenings watching old Westerns, video-taped hockey games, or simply talking until the moon was high in the sky. It became harder and harder for Mac to watch her leave, and she must have felt the same as her steps became slower, their goodbyes longer. Her humor and friendship soon shone through and MacGyver could tell she was learning to trust him once again. But she wasn’t progressing as quickly as he would have liked. She still found silence between them uncomfortable and shied away whenever he leaned in to kiss her, even if he only meant to give her a peck on the cheek or forehead. However, he was grateful for each step, no matter how small, and would do whatever it took and wait however long he needed to in order for her to rediscover her love for him.

Friday was a busy day at Challengers right from the start as the schools were closed for a teacher in-service day and all the kids had off, many with nowhere else to go. Thankfully the volunteers stepped up to make sure the club was fully staffed, but that left MacGyver with little to do. Joanna had told him she would probably spend most of the day at school so he didn’t even have her presence to look forward to. He must have looked as pitiful as he felt because at noon Cynthia came to him with a white paper bag from the corner deli.

“A turkey club for her and a bunch of veggies on bread for you,” she said, holding out her offering.

“But she said she probably wouldn’t be in today.”

Cynthia rolled her eyes. “Just because she doesn’t come here doesn’t mean you can’t go there. Even teachers have to eat, you know!”

It suddenly occurred to Mac that he had yet to set foot in Joanna’s classroom though school had been in session for about a month. If what she told him the night before was correct, the mandatory morning meetings would be finished by now and she’d be catching up on work. Not wanting to go the entire day without seeing her and risk losing any of the progress they had made, he quickly headed over toward the high school.

With the principal’s assistance, he soon found Jo’s room and leaned lazily against the door jamb. She was standing on the top step of a short ladder, her back to him, busily removing ‘Welcome Back to School’ decorations from her bulletin board and replacing them with colorful, laminated posters citing proper grammar and punctuation rules. His thoughts tumbled back to the first time he saw her, in very much the same position. Only today she wore sneakers instead of heels.

“Lookin’ good,” he observed cheerfully. But he must have startled her because she turned around quickly and began to sway. Taking two long steps he was at her side, his hands planted firmly on her hips until she regained her balance.

“We gotta stop meeting like this,” she smiled down at him.

“You remember?” he asked cautiously.

“Of course I do!” she replied as, with his assistance, she stepped down onto the floor.

Instead of moving away from him as he expected, she stayed right where she was, so close she had to tip her head back to meet his eyes.

“It’s not every day a damsel in distress gets rescued by a tall, handsome hero. Lucky for me it’s happened twice...so far.”

Her smile shifted into a sly grin as she reached up to slowly rake her fingers through his hair before gently urging his head down so his lips met hers in an achingly tender caress. MacGyver’s heart stilled and his thoughts fled as he instinctively pulled her closer and deepened the kiss, mindful to keep it soft and undemanding, until she broke the connection.

‘Mmmm, I’ve missed that,” she mused, her arms still around his neck, her fingers teasing the hair at his nape.

“Jo?” he asked, his heart now beating triple-time.

“It’s me, Mac. I remember everything. I remember us.”

“But...how?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s all the time we’ve been spending together. I just woke up this morning and suddenly all the pieces of the puzzle fit, ya know? I was trying to finish up here and get to Challengers so I could tell you.”

“I think I like this way better,” he smiled. “But I still don’t get why you forgot your feelings for me after the accident? The doctor said it usually happens to people who want to repress certain memories.”

Joanna shrugged. “Maybe my subconscious is still afraid of my feelings for you. I’ve never felt like this about anyone before and maybe a part of me is still afraid it may not last.”

“Hey! I thought I was the one with commitment issues,” Mac teased, earning him a watery smile before becoming sober.

“Aw baby, what can I do to make sure you know I’ll always love you?”

“Promise to hang on to me and never let me go no matter what?”

“Count on it,” he vowed. “And if I ever get knocked loopy, you do the same, okay?”

“You gotta mean ‘when’, not ‘if’,” Jo snickered, the warmth of her laugh lighting a fire deep within him.

Unable to recall a time when he had ever felt happier, he wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her slightly off the ground before kissing her again, this time more completely. When they finally separated, each of them breathless, she looked up at him with a light in her eyes that hadn’t been there since her accident. Filled with sweet love and desire, he couldn’t tear his gaze from her. She was back. His Joanna had come back to him...to stay.
















Posted by: Dragondog 12 December 2019 - 12:06 PM
QUOTE
Chapter 27: Everyone But Him
Hmm, wonder what this means... hmm.bmp

QUOTE
It was from Neil Ryder, his boyhood friend in Mission City.
It is late and I'm tired, apparently, because I misread that as "boyfriend" and was like, "Whoah whoah whoah, back it up, what?!" XD XD XD

QUOTE

MacGyver now looked down at the wooden box on his lap, his mother’s name ornately carved into the top.
I feel like this is going to make me shed theoretical tears...

QUOTE

P.S. Always remember: “Ice Cream!”
Yep, there it is, those dang feeeeeeeeeelllllsssss...

QUOTE

MacGyver closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose to keep threatening tears at bay as he took deep breaths to calm the inner swell of emotion.
Can I hug him? I want to hug him... *considers hugging my laptop* *decides against it*

QUOTE
The bigger question was when would he finally put old fears aside and do what he had been wanting to do for so long now?
I've been asking that for a long time XD

QUOTE
Knowing she could never stop in time to avoid hitting the frightened animal, she jerked the steering wheel to the right before stomping down on the brake pedal. Unfortunately, her tires caught in the gravel on the side of the road, sending the car skidding head first into a large tree. Joanna felt the sting of her seatbelt against her neck before it suddenly released. The last thing she remembered was her forehead hitting the steering wheel before everything went black.
*sigh* Can't you guys do ANYTHING without someone getting hurt? X'D

QUOTE

Joanna smiled at him as her heart pounded faster. The rate increase having nothing to do with the pain in her head but with the handsome physician in front of her. His dark brown hair was cut short and neatly styled while his blue eyes seemed to twinkle of their own accord. She could tell he was fit, even with the lab coat draping his tall frame. Her eyes automatically strayed to his hands which held a metal clipboard. No wedding ring. Yes! When she looked up again it was to find him watching her with a knowing smile that made her blush. Finding her voice, she introduced him to her parents.
Oh, Jo... XD XD XD

QUOTE

“Normally I’d say as soon as she feels up to it, but given the length of time she was unconscious I’d like to keep her here the rest of the day for observation. If everything checks out she’ll be home before bedtime.” Then he turned his attention to Joanna. “Of course, she’ll have to promise to follow all my instructions and take it easy for the next few days,” he said with a wink that caused her stomach to flutter.
I mean, at least you got a break from cleaning XD

QUOTE

As if their conversation had conjured him, she looked to find MacGyver standing in the doorway. His shaggy, dark-blonde hair, brown, beady eyes and oddly shaped lips a stark, and unwelcome, contrast to the attractive doctor.
Excuse me, how hard did she hit her head?!

QUOTE
The doctor sighed. “There’s actually nothing to tell. Except for a bump on the head she’s fine. Given a couple day’s rest she’ll be good as new.”
Ah, I understand the title now XD

QUOTE
Even Frog garnered more regard than he did.
Been a while since Frog was mentioned XD

QUOTE
He read his mother’s letter again, focusing on the last two words. Ice cream. How did she know he needed those words now, and would everything really be okay?
My emotions... (idk, this part just grabbed me laugh.gif )

QUOTE

“Then help me remember, Mac. Please help me,” she pleaded as tears rolled down her cheeks and he moved close to envelope her in a comforting embrace that she could never in a million years imagine she could forget.
I'm not sure exactly what it is, but this whole chapter, the drama, the emotions, they're all grabbing me just right *insert a smiley clutchin it's chest that doesn't exist on these forums*

QUOTE
She was standing on the top step of a short ladder, her back to him, busily removing ‘Welcome Back to School’ decorations from her bulletin board and replacing them with colorful, laminated posters citing proper grammar and punctuation rules.
This feels familiar biggrin.gif

QUOTE

“Hey! I thought I was the one with commitment issues,” Mac teased, earning him a watery smile before becoming sober.
Considering you still aren't married, I'd say you both have issues XD

QUOTE
She was back. His Joanna had come back to him...to stay.
Got me again XD (Also, go propose, because you almost lost her, don't let it happen again without doing whatever you could to hold on to her).

On a related note, I saw a sad video comic dub, and someone in the comments said "The feels on the bus go round and round" and while I snorted very hard, it's also very true XD DX


Posted by: uniquelyjas 12 December 2019 - 01:25 PM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 12 December 2019 - 12:06 PM)
QUOTE

“Then help me remember, Mac. Please help me,” she pleaded as tears rolled down her cheeks and he moved close to envelope her in a comforting embrace that she could never in a million years imagine she could forget.
I'm not sure exactly what it is, but this whole chapter, the drama, the emotions, they're all grabbing me just right *insert a smiley clutchin it's chest that doesn't exist on these forums*


Thank you!! That's exactly what I was going for with this chapter!!!

Posted by: uniquelyjas 18 December 2019 - 08:43 AM
Chapter 28: Past, Present, Future? (Part 1)

“This was a dumb idea,” MacGyver muttered to himself Friday evening as he struggled for the third time to tie a perfect Windsor knot. Who knew that a simple piece of silk could be so troublesome. He actually wished Sam was there to assist him for once. He undid his most recent attempt, took a deep breath and looked at the clock. Joanna would be arriving shortly and he couldn’t mess this up. His hands shook as he attempted the task once more. Hands that had the innate ability to stay amazingly steady as he diffused hundreds of bombs over the years. Although, the thought of getting blown up was nothing compared to the question he was planning to ask tonight. Four little words that would change the course of his life one way or another. Slipping on his suit jacket he took one last look in the mirror before heading downstairs. The delicious aroma of the dinner he had in the oven wafted through the air and he smiled, even though his stomach churned. He straightened the floral centerpiece on the small kitchen table before lighting two taper candles on either side. He then dimmed the living room lights and turned on some soft, slow music to set the mood. A knock on the front door caused his heart to leap into his throat. He swallowed hard. This was it.

Joanna was standing in the doorway looking more beautiful than ever in the yellow and ivory lace dress she had worn several weeks earlier to a fundraising event.

“I’m sorry I’m a little late. I hope we don’t miss our reservation,” she said before MacGyver had a chance to compliment her or even invite her inside.

“It’s not a problem,” he assured her, stepping aside. “Welcome to Chez Mac, madam. Your table awaits.”

He watched with satisfaction as her wide brown eyes landed on the table set to rival that of the most upscale restaurant in town. As she slowly stepped across the threshold, he sensed the moment she heard the soft music and felt the ambiance of the room wash over her.

“Oh Mac!” she quietly exclaimed as she turned towards him. “When you invited me to a fancy dinner I never expected this! And you even put on a tie!”

She reached up to straighten the knot in a way Sam never could and he automatically relaxed at her touch.

“I hope you don’t mind,” he said, gazing lovingly down at her. “I wanted it to just be you and me tonight.”

“I like the way you think,” she replied, smiling up at him.

Once Joanna was seated and dinner was served, the pair fell into easy conversation. MacGyver couldn’t help but notice Jo rubbing the bare spot on her finger where she normally wore her sapphire ring. He reached out and took her hand in his, caressing the empty space with his thumb.

“You still miss it, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” she nodded sheepishly. “It’s like when you get a tooth pulled and your tongue keeps going to where it used to be. Thankfully the jeweler said they should have the stone replaced by the end of next week.”

Mac remembered earlier that week when Joanna had arrived at Challengers looking sullen. She had just discovered that one of the small diamonds flanking the larger dark blue stone was missing and she had to send off her precious ring for repair. MacGyver didn’t much believe in coincidence, but he knew opportunity when he saw it and he planned to take advantage of it tonight.

After dessert, the couple moved to the living room couch. Ellen MacGyver’s treasure chest was proudly displayed on the coffee table. Mac took it in his hands before placing it on Joanna’s lap.

“This was my mom’s” he explained when she looked at him questioningly. “She kept mementos from when I was a kid in there. Take a look.”

Jo hesitated. “But Mac, it’s so personal.”

“That’s kinda the point. Now go ahead and open it.”

Joanna slowly lifted the lid and immediately smiled when she saw the homemade necklace and pondered the many cards he had created. His hands began to sweat as if he were a child all over again when she spent a bit too much time perusing his grade school report cards.

“I don’t believe it!” she cried.

“What?” Mac asked defensively.

“You flunked science!”

“No way! Let me see that!” he insisted, reaching for the aged piece of paper. “Oh yeah, now I remember. That was the semester I got my first chemistry set. I spent all my time playing with that instead of doing my homework,” he explained with a crooked grin.

“The fact that your mom kept all this stuff tells me she loved you very much. She must have been a very special lady. I wish I could’ve met her.”

“Yeah, me too,” he responded, his voice husky with sudden emotion. “There was something else in that box, but before you see it I need to say a few things.”

The concern that marred her brow wrenched at his heart so he quickly decided to ditch the fancy speech he had prepared and improvise instead.

“I love you, Jo. You know that, right?”

She nodded, giving him the courage to continue.

“I tried to hide behind my fear of commitment, but I was only fooling myself. From the first time I saw you I knew there would never be anyone else. Not for me. It’s always been you.” Here he stopped and took a breath. “All my life I’ve been so afraid of losing people I love, and I still am. But you’ve made me see how much I’ve truly lost by running away. I’m done running, Jo. I’m here. I’m yours if you’ll have me. Will you marry me?”

MacGyver held his breath as Joanna silently studied him, an unidentifiable look in her eyes. He knew she loved him back, but she was also insecure in that love. Did he, in an attempt to ease her fears, only make things worse? He had thought this was what she ultimately wanted and, after the last few weeks, it seemed that the time was right. She had asked him to hang on to her and never let her go. Had he misinterpreted her meaning? He ran his finger around the inside collar of his dress shirt which had suddenly become way too tight. Why wasn’t she answering him? Yeah, this had definitely been a dumb idea. Now he remembered why he never proposed to anyone. Leaving was a lot easier than getting rejected.

“Yes, I’ll marry you,” Jo replied simply. Eyes sparkling with unshed tears, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him toward her in a tight embrace. He released the breath he had been holding and lost himself in her sweet warmth as their hearts beat in rhythm as one.

When they finally pulled apart, he reached into his pocket and, taking her hand in his, slipped the now-familiar ring on her finger.

“Do you like it?” he asked in little more than a whisper as she stared at the small, twinkling diamond on the simple band of gold.

“It’s perfect. Absolutely perfect,” she assured him, squeezing his hand.

“It was my grandmother’s.” He lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on the ring before cupping her face in his hands and finding her soft, willing lips.

Lost in the magic of the kiss that promised forever, MacGyver vaguely heard the strains of an old-fashioned love song he recognized as one of his mother’s favorites. Reluctantly, he broke contact and pushed himself off the couch before turning back, his arm extended towards Joanna.

“Dance with me?”

Her flushed face, already filled with love and awe, looked up at him.

“I thought you didn’t care to dance?”

He smiled gently. “I do now.”

Joanna eagerly accepted his invitation and together they swayed to the gentle cadence of the music, his lips once again finding hers. Oblivious to the outside world, they startled apart at the shrill ring of the telephone.

“Let the machine get it,” Jo instructed, pulling him close so their foreheads touched.

“MacGyver, it’s me. If you’re there pick up!”

Mac groaned. “Go away, Pete.”

“It could be something important,” Joanna mumbled, taking a step back.

“You’re timing stinks!” Mac growled into the receiver.

“Now you know how I feel when you call in the middle of the night,” Pete chuckled wryly.

Mac glanced at Joanna who now sat on the couch, hugging a throw pillow. “I highly doubt that, Pete. What’s up?”

“It’s about the grant for Challengers. You’ll be getting a call tomorrow morning, but I wanted to give you a heads up.”

“What about the grant?” he asked. His words caught Jo’s attention and she now came to stand beside him, an anxious look in her eyes.

“The Western Division of Phoenix siphoned some of our funds to go toward Challengers in Los Angeles. You’re still getting the grant, it’s just not as much as you were promised.”

“What?! They can’t do that!”

“They can and they did,” Pete sighed. “I’ll keep on it and see if we can work something out. In the meantime, when you get that phone call, don’t shoot the messenger. Got it?”

“Got it,” MacGyver confirmed glumly before hanging up.

“Mac, what’s wrong?” Jo asked, not even trying to disguise her worry.

He sank down on a kitchen stool, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her down onto his lap before relaying the short conversation.

“So what do we do now?” she asked, her hands resting on his.

“I don’t know.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Joanna stifled a yawn early the following morning as she, Cynthia, and MacGyver gathered in his office to await the inevitable phone call Pete had warned them about. After leaving Mac the night before, she had gone home to an overjoyed mother and happily content father who, she had learned, had given MacGyver their permission to propose to her when he had asked for their blessing days earlier. Her heart warmed at Mac’s thoughtfulness. She hurried off to bed with as little fanfare as possible only to spend some of the night reveling in the memory of MacGyver’s kisses, some of it fretting about the fate of Challengers, and some of it terrified at the turn her life had suddenly taken. Though she had always assumed she would get married, she thought she had made peace with the fact that it wasn’t to be several years ago. Now she wore MacGyver’s engagement ring and tussled with the implications it came with. There was no doubt in her mind that she loved him and he loved her, but her pragmatic side struggled to accept the changes this shift in their relationship would bring. Not to mention the fact that she had answered him so quickly. For goodness sake, it took her longer to decide which shoes to wear in the morning than it did for her to make this life-altering decision! She didn’t even ask for time to think about it. She just blurted out ‘yes’! Yet somehow, she knew it was right. When the morning sunlight finally greeted her, she crawled out of bed and headed into work unlike most women who would gleefully be announcing the events of the previous evening to their family and friends. Upon arriving at the club, Cynthia had smiled at her warmly, admired her modest engagement ring, and gently embraced her before all thoughts turned to the business at hand.

The call came in shortly thereafter and MacGyver put it on speakerphone. A male voice in a clipped tone informed them that the grant they would be receiving would be several thousand dollars less than what they had planned and budgeted for. He offered a generic apology before disconnecting. Joanna and Cynthia watched as Mac clicked off the call, pushed away from his desk and silently strode out of his office, through the recreation area and out into the parking lot.

When Jo couldn’t stand his absence any longer, she ventured outside to find MacGyver sitting on his new Harley, lovingly polishing the already shiny chrome with a soft rag. Her stomach dipped. She had caught him doing the same thing to his Nomad six months earlier when he intended to sell it in order to pay the initial lease on Challengers before the Phoenix Foundation stepped in. Wordlessly, she mounted the bike behind him, slipped her arms around his waist, and rested her chin on his sun-warmed shoulder.

“You don’t have to do it, you know,” she said softly into her ear.

He turned his head so her lips were practically touching his cheek.

“No man needs three vehicles. Besides, it technically belongs to Challengers anyway.”

“I’ve seen the books. Cynthia’s done a good job. We’re financially solvent for a couple more months. We can use that time to find another solution.”

“Like what?” he protested listlessly.

“Maybe Pete will be able to work something out, or we could contact some of the donors we met at the fundraising gala. We’ll find a way.”

MacGyver lithely swung one long leg over the handlebars before sliding off the leather seat. He then took Joanna’s soft hand in his and helped her dismount as well, placing his hands on her hips to keep her near.

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” he said with a self-deprecating smile. “You should be picking out china patterns and Jack should be planning my bachelor party. We shouldn’t be worrying about losing Challengers...again.”

“I don’t care for china much anyway,” Joanna shrugged, her arms now looped casually around his neck. “And I highly doubt you would let Jack plan a party, particularly one you would enjoy. Challengers needs to be our priority right now and we will figure something out. Together.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sunday evening MacGyver zipped up his garment bag and laid it carefully across his bed so the suit inside wouldn’t get wrinkled as Joanna watched from a corner of the upstairs room.

“I know the timing stinks, but Pete thinks we can make some progress by going straight to the Phoenix board in Los Angeles.” Mac planned to pick up his friend on the way to O’Hare and catch the red-eye to the coast so they could meet with the board first thing in the morning.

“I hope he’s right,” Jo replied in an understanding tone. “And while you two are doing that, I’ll make some calls to potential local donors.” Here she paused and shifted the conversation. “Have you told him about us?”

Mac looked up and caught her tentative gaze. “Yeah,” he smiled affectionately. “Pete and Connie send their congratulations and love and Sam is thrilled that he’s finally going to have an official step-mother.”

The tension drained from Joanna’s face and she laughed softly. “Sometimes I swear that son of yours is twenty-something going on ten!”

“Can’t argue with you there,” MacGyver agreed lightheartedly.

“You’ll keep me posted on how things go in L.A.?” Jo’s serious tone returned.

“Count on it!”

XXXXX

“‘We’ll take your request under consideration’?” Mac huffed as he guided Pete through the myriad corridors of the Los Angeles Phoenix Foundation offices. “We travel two thousand miles and plead for an hour and that’s the best they can do?!”

“Calm down, MacGyver,” Pete urged. “These things take time. You know that.”

“Yeah, I know that,” he said, blowing out a sigh as he reached up to loosen his tie. “I’m just frustrated.”

“Hey! Why don’t we grab some lunch at that Indian restaurant you used to like so much before we catch our return flight,” Pete suggested.

“Have your taste buds recovered from the last time?” Mac grinned.

“MacGyver! Pete!” a male voice called from behind, interrupting their conversation.

Mac turned around and instantly recognized the man.

“Craig Bannister! What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing! Last I heard you had moved to some farm town in the Midwest to teach delinquent youth!”

“That’s not exactly accurate,” MacGyver protested but decided it wasn’t worth arguing about. “But what about you? Did Phoenix finally manage to snag you away from the DXS?”

“Something like that. I’ve been here about a year now,” Craig admitted with a sly grin. “You’re looking at the Director of Foreign Field Operations.”

“Impressive title,” Mac acknowledged. “Pete and I were just going to get some lunch. Why don’t you join us and we can catch up?”

Before Bannister could answer, his pager went off. “I have to take this,” he declared, after checking the number. “You remember what it’s like Pete, right?”

Pete smiled in the direction of Craig’s voice. “Sure do. And I can’t say I miss it!”

MacGyver and Pete stood off to the side as Bannister dialed the nearest telephone and was soon engaged in an animated conversation. Minutes later, he hung up the phone and approached his two friends, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

“Problem?” Mac asked.

“Yeah. You could say that,” he sighed.

“What’s up?”

“You know I can’t tell you that MacGyver. It’s classified.”

“Ah.” Mac nodded once to show he understood.

“Unless...Mac, would you be interested in doing a freelance assignment for Phoenix?”

“Depends. What do I need to do?”

“One of my operatives is in Berlin, Germany. She infiltrated a small communist cell that refuses to believe the wall is down. She confiscated a computer disc chronicling their activity and is scheduled to return to the United States.”

“Go on,” Mac prompted.

“She called for a secure pick-up because she thought she was being followed. I had an agent scheduled to leave later this afternoon but he just got called away on a family emergency and I don’t have time to arrange for anyone else. What do ya say? Everything is set. You won’t be in Germany long enough to shave and I’ll see that you get a nice, healthy bonus in return.”

“Pete?” MacGyver turned to his long-time friend and confidant looking for guidance.

“It’s up to you.”

Mac turned back to Bannister. “Who’s your operative?”

“Nicole Carpenter.”

MacGyver’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “Nikki?!”

XXXXX

“I just don’t get it,” Mac declared thirty minutes later as he, Pete and Craig munched on Chinese take-out in Bannister’s office. “Nikki is one of the most self-sufficient, independent, pig-headed agents Phoenix has! It’s not like her to panic at shadows and call for backup.”

“She’s also one of the most professional, by-the-book agents Phoenix has and she’s doing what she’s been trained to do,” Pete reminded him.

Mac struggled to refrain from rolling his eyes at the not-so-subtle reminder of the differences between the way he and Nikki operated. In spite of that, Nikki was a good agent and had been an even better friend. He couldn’t refuse to help.

“Okay, fine. I’ll do it. What’s the plan?”

“Your flight is scheduled to leave at 4:00 pm from LAX. You should arrive in Berlin about 5:00 am California time. Nikki will be waiting for you in room 306 of the Intercontinental Hotel.”

“Why not the U.S. Embassy?”

“We’re not certain her cover has been blown so she doesn’t want to tip anyone off. From there, you’re both scheduled on the next flight to the United States and should arrive here tomorrow evening. Piece of cake, right?”

“Sounds good,” MacGyver acknowledged.

“In the meantime, feel free to hang out here while I arrange for a charter flight to take Pete back to Chicago.”

Bannister stood up from his seat behind the desk and stepped out of the office, closing the door behind him.

“Are you sure about this, MacGyver?” Pete asked when the two men were alone.

“Pete, it’s Nikki,” he replied, as if that was enough explanation.

“What about Joanna?”

“What about her?”

Pete huffed and rolled his sightless eyes. “You two are a committed couple now. You need to let her know what’s going on!”

“I was planning on calling and telling her something’s come up and I’ll be away longer than expected.”

Pete slowly and silently shook his head in dismay.

“What?! You know this assignment is classified!”

“MacGyver, listen to me. I ruined my first marriage to Connie because I never opened up to her. I can’t let you do the same to Joanna. There are things you can tell her without compromising the mission.”

“You’re right,” Mac sighed, pushing to his feet and reaching for the telephone on Craig’s desk. He looked at his watch and considered the time zones, she should be at Challengers by now.

“Good afternoon, this is Challengers Club, how may I help you?”

“Hi Cynthia, it’s Mac.”

“I wasn’t expecting you to have news so soon!” she exclaimed excitedly.

“I don’t. Sorry to disappoint you. Is Joanna available?”

A few seconds later Jo’s sweet voice came over the line.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” MacGyver began after they exchanged greetings. “An old friend of mine here at Phoenix asked me to go on a mission. There was a last minute emergency.”

Silence greeted him. He cleared his throat before continuing, hoping Jo would understand.

“I can’t give you any details, but I need to do a secure pick-up. I should be home by tomorrow night.”

“Is it safe?” she asked.

“It should be.”

“Is someone in trouble?”

“Not if I do my job right.”

“Then go.”

“You’re okay with this?”

“Not really,” Jo responded truthfully, “But I love you and everything about you and I know part of that means running to the rescue when you need to. Just promise to be careful.”

“Aren’t I always?”

A very unladylike snort came through the receiver and Mac chuckled. “So, how are things going on your end?”

“I called a couple possible donors this morning during my break but had to leave messages. I’m gonna call more now. And Cynthia and I started brainstorming ideas for fundraisers like a bake sale or car wash. They wouldn’t bring in a whole lot of money but it’s better than nothing.”

“Well, if I’m successful with this assignment Phoenix will give me a bonus and I’ll make sure it’s something Challengers can benefit from.”

To be continued…


Posted by: Dragondog 19 December 2019 - 12:47 PM
Just out of curiousity, how long have you been working on this story? Like, how long since you first started on chapter 1 on Continuum?

QUOTE
Past, Present, Future? (Part 1)
Idk what's stronger, my anticipation because the word "future" gives me hope, or my anxiety, because of the big "part 1", implying a cliffhanger XD

QUOTE
Although, the thought of getting blown up was nothing compared to the question he was planning to ask tonight.
'Bout friggin' time XD

That's - that's it. Like, after all this time, that's all I can say XD


QUOTE
“Welcome to Chez Mac, madam. Your table awaits.”
Why is he so adorable? XD

QUOTE

“I hope you don’t mind,” he said, gazing lovingly down at her. “I wanted it to just be you and me tonight.”

“I like the way you think,” she replied, smiling up at him.
And all of a sudden, Jack comes bursting through the door. Mac straight up kills him in response. XD

QUOTE
The concern that marred her brow wrenched at his heart so he quickly decided to ditch the fancy speech he had prepared and improvise instead.
Good boy XD

QUOTE
“All my life I’ve been so afraid of losing people I love, and I still am. But you’ve made me see how much I’ve truly lost by running away. I’m done running, Jo. I’m here. I’m yours if you’ll have me. Will you marry me?”
If you don't mind me saying, this reminds me of a quote from HTTYD3 (may not be 100% accurate): "With love comes loss, son. It's part of the deal, But it's worth it. There is no greater gift than love."

Also, I felt a surge of relief when he got that out. Now, no matter what happens, at least the words are out there, so if a meteor crushes his house, or the phone rings, or Murdoc's ghost posseses some creature to attack them, his proposal is out in the open XD XD XD

QUOTE


MacGyver held his breath as Joanna silently studied him, an unidentifiable look in her eyes. He knew she loved him back, but she was also insecure in that love. Did he, in an attempt to ease her fears, only make things worse? He had thought this was what she ultimately wanted and, after the last few weeks, it seemed that the time was right. She had asked him to hang on to her and never let her go. Had he misinterpreted her meaning? He ran his finger around the inside collar of his dress shirt which had suddenly become way too tight. Why wasn’t she answering him? Yeah, this had definitely been a dumb idea. Now he remembered why he never proposed to anyone. Leaving was a lot easier than getting rejected.
This is me with my social anxiety. But constant.

QUOTE
“Yes, I’ll marry you,” Jo replied simply. Eyes sparkling with unshed tears, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him toward her in a tight embrace. He released the breath he had been holding and lost himself in her sweet warmth as their hearts beat in rhythm as one.
Good. Now if you die, you have that promise hanging over your graves forever instead of unspoken words XD (not that they're gonna die, in all seriousness, I just don't want a direct repeat of Continuum XD)

QUOTE
Oblivious to the outside world, they startled apart at the shrill ring of the telephone.

“Let the machine get it,” Jo instructed, pulling him close so their foreheads touched.
But it was not to be.... (at least it's just the wedding being postponed, right? The proposal still happened, which is better progress than last time).

QUOTE

“MacGyver, it’s me. If you’re there pick up!”

Mac groaned. “Go away, Pete.”

“It could be something important,” Joanna mumbled, taking a step back.

“You’re timing stinks!” Mac growled into the receiver.

“Now you know how I feel when you call in the middle of the night,” Pete chuckled wryly.
I'm chuckling at this exchange. Pete's chuckling makes me think maybe it's not so bad.

I kinda almost thought he was calling to say, "Oh, Sam got engaged, lol".

QUOTE
After leaving Mac the night before, she had gone home to an overjoyed mother and happily content father who, she had learned, had given MacGyver their permission to propose to her when he had asked for their blessing days earlier. Her heart warmed at Mac’s thoughtfulness.
I am a little disappointed that we didn't get to see this conversation happen, but I understand why XD (I will, however, be disappointed if we don't get to see Sam, Pete, and Connie's reactions. At least Sam's, he's hilarious about it all the time XD).

QUOTE

Mac looked up and caught her tentative gaze. “Yeah,” he smiled affectionately. “Pete and Connie send their congratulations and love and Sam is thrilled that he’s finally going to have an official step-mother.”

The tension drained from Joanna’s face and she laughed softly. “Sometimes I swear that son of yours is twenty-something going on ten!”
Know what, I'll take it XD That line of Jo's is too accurate, as we've already seen anyway XD

QUOTE


Mac turned back to Bannister. “Who’s your operative?”

“Nicole Carpenter.”

MacGyver’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “Nikki?!”
Well, the gang's all here XD (I just hope something about this doesn't cause another rift between Jo and MacGyver...

S U S P E N S E...

Posted by: uniquelyjas 19 December 2019 - 03:44 PM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 19 December 2019 - 12:47 PM)
Just out of curiousity, how long have you been working on this story? Like, how long since you first started on chapter 1 on Continuum?


I started writing Continuum in mid-April 2017 (I cranked out the chapters so fast..I'm amazed by that because now it takes me two or more weeks to get one done:( I wrote purely for the sake of writing and only shared my chapters with my mom until Sept. 2017 when I decided to start posting them on a fan fic website. Gosh, I can't believe that this April I will have been writing this story for 3 years...that just seriously freaked me out!!!

Posted by: Dragondog 19 December 2019 - 09:11 PM
QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 19 December 2019 - 05:44 PM)
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 19 December 2019 - 12:47 PM)
Just out of curiousity, how long have you been working on this story? Like, how long since you first started on chapter 1 on Continuum?


I started writing Continuum in mid-April 2017 (I cranked out the chapters so fast..I'm amazed by that because now it takes me two or more weeks to get one done:( I wrote purely for the sake of writing and only shared my chapters with my mom until Sept. 2017 when I decided to start posting them on a fan fic website. Gosh, I can't believe that this April I will have been writing this story for 3 years...that just seriously freaked me out!!!

..And in response, I started thinking about where I was at that time, for perspective, and wow, time really flies blink.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 26 December 2019 - 11:37 AM
Chapter 29: Past, Present, Future? (Part 2)

MacGyver jolted awake when the flight attendant’s voice came over the intercom asking passengers to fasten their seatbelts for the plane’s landing. He scrubbed the sleep out of his eyes and ran his fingers through his unruly hair before glancing down at the wrinkled suit he still wore from this morning. Er, make that yesterday. After securing his seatbelt he lifted up the window shade and squinted into the sunny, cloudless sky. He glanced at his watch and did the math. Back in L.A. it was early morning, but here in Germany it was almost mid-afternoon. He stretched out his legs and back as much as he could without disturbing his fellow travelers and felt vastly relieved once the plane had taxied to a stop outside the terminal and they were given permission to abandon their seats and exit the aircraft.

Without any luggage, MacGyver quickly wound his way through the crowded airport and hailed a cab to take him to the hotel where he would collect Nikki. He wasn’t looking forward to another eleven hour flight so soon, but he was already looking forward to returning home, which was odd given his love of travel. But this was a job, not a vacation, and their safe passage wasn’t guaranteed until they were back on American soil. Upon arriving at his destination, he asked the cabbie to wait. Bannister should have contacted Nikki with Mac’s arrival time so she should be packed and waiting for him. He figured they’d be back on their way to the airport in ten minutes at the most.

MacGyver easily navigated the well-appointed lobby, taking the elevator to the third floor where room 306 was just a few doors down. He knocked lightly.

“Who is it?”

“Room service!” he replied with a grin.

“I didn’t order anything,” the female voice snapped.

MacGyver shook his head. He should have known Nikki wouldn’t appreciate his attempt at humor, especially while technically working. He knocked again.

“Nikki, it’s Mac! Bannister sent me.”

A few seconds later the door cracked open and Nikki’s pale, haggard face appeared, her eyes wide with fear.

“Oh, MacGyver. You shouldn’t have come,” she whispered just before the door was jerked from her hands and opened further revealing a tall, dark-haired man in a suit.

“I have a gun with a silencer pointed at your friend’s back,” the man sneered. “Step slowly into the room and don’t try to be a hero.”

Mac complied and soon he and Nikki were seated side-by-side in straight backed chairs, their arms and legs bound. The bedding lay in heaps on the floor and dresser drawers and their contents were scattered about.

“What happened?” MacGyver asked in a whisper as soon as their captor disappeared into the adjoining room.

“I told Phoenix I thought someone was following me and obviously I was right!” Nikki spat, struggling to free herself. True to form, she was ready to fight instead of cower.

“Do you still have the disc?”

“Of course I do! That’s the only reason I’m still alive!”

“Who’s your friend?” Mac needed to gain as much information as he could in what little time they had alone.

“His name is Hans. He’s a henchman for Gunter Kraus, the leader of the Communist cell I infiltrated. He broke into my room an hour ago.”

“Nice that he decided to wait for me,” MacGyver replied sarcastically.

“Don’t flatter yourself. Someone obviously knew I called for backup and didn’t want to leave any loose ends.”

“So now what?” Mac asked, testing the strength of the rope that bound his hands.

“Isn’t that supposed to be my line?!

Hans picked that precise moment to reenter the room.

“Just do whatever he says,” MacGyver whispered to Nikki which earned him a slit-eyed sideways glance letting him know she wasn’t thrilled with the idea but would play along.

“The boss wants me to take you someplace nice and private,” Hans said in well-practiced English. “I am going to untie you now. There is a car waiting for us out front. I will have a gun pointed at you. If you try and escape I will shoot you both.”

MacGyver and Nikki acquiesced to the henchman’s directives and before long were standing outside on the sidewalk, a black luxury car parked in the space previously occupied by Mac’s taxi. They reluctantly slid into the backseat and watched as the city sites disappeared into a rural landscape. Soon the driver carefully maneuvered the car around a circular drive in front of a large mansion. Hans quickly leapt from the passenger seat, opened the door for Mac and Nikki and escorted them into the large house where they were met by a short, grey-haired man.

“Ah, Fraulein Carpenter! How nice to see you in person! And Herr MacGyver, a pleasure to finally meet the man behind the reputation!” Gunter Kraus greeted them with a heavy German accent.

Nikki shot Mac a questioning look and he replied with a shrug.

“Please, come in and make yourselves comfortable,” Kraus invited, encouraging the pair to step into a plush sitting room with Hans on their heels. “Do not look so surprised that I know your true identities. A man like me must be very careful about who he does business with.”

“Business?!” Nikki exclaimed. “Is that what you call trying to launch a Communist revolt against the present government?!”

Kraus smiled at MacGyver. “She is a feisty one, is she not?”

MacGyver, not wanting to be rude, nodded in response and immediately felt himself pinned by Nikki’s steely gaze.

“Now, Miss Carpenter, please hand over the disc you stole from me and you and Mr. MacGyver will be free to go.”

“I don’t have it,” Nikki declared defiantly, raising her chin.

“What?!” Mac and Kraus cried in unison.

“You don’t think I would carry such a valuable piece of information with me like a mere souvenir, do you?”

“Then you will tell me where to find it!” Kraus demanded, his good humor quickly dissolving.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Nikki replied calmly, crossing her arms across her chest.

“Then it is up to Mr. MacGyver to inform me of its whereabouts.”

“He doesn’t know where it is,” Nikki quickly spoke up. “And even if he did, we do not negotiate with Communists!”

“I am not interested in negotiating!” Kraus’s voice boomed. “Give me the disc or you will die!”

“C’mon Kraus, we all know you’re not gonna kill us until you get the disc,” Mac reasoned.

“Then give it to me!!”

Gunter Kraus sighed heavily when both Americans remained silent. “Lock them in the cellar, Hans!” he ordered. “Perhaps some time commiserating with the other vermin will change their minds.”

Hans placed a meaty hand on MacGyver’s upper arm and the other he wrapped around Nikki’s wrist, pulling them both from their seats. Taking out his gun, he once again aimed it at their backs and directed them through the large house, their footsteps echoing on the marble flooring until they came to a heavy wooden door leading to a wine cellar. At his command, Mac opened the door and he and Nikki descended the stairs into solid darkness.

XXXXX

Nikki stood at the bottom of the stairs, blinking her eyes in hopes of adjusting to the blackness they found themselves in while MacGyver ran the palm of his hand over the roughhewn wooden wall seeking some kind of light switch. Instead, he found an old fashioned kerosene lantern.

“Guess this will have to do,” he told Nikki as he held it up in front of her face for her to see.

“Is there any oil in it?” she asked skeptically.

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Mac replied as he lifted the protective glass shade, handed it carefully off to Nikki, and touched a strike anywhere match to the fuse. Within seconds, the cloth ignited.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Nikki replaced the shade before MacGyver raised the lantern to shed some dim light on their surroundings. Unfortunately, what they saw wasn’t very encouraging. A long, narrow hallway lined with shelves of old wine bottles stretched out before them. For how far they could not tell.

“Terrific!” Nikki exclaimed. “Now what do we do?”

“How about you tell me where the disc really is?” he rounded on her.

Nikki sighed and stared at the dirt floor beneath their feet. “It’s still in my hotel room.”

“What?! Nikki, you know that’s the first place they’ll look!”

“Hans searched for it for an hour and couldn’t find it,” she replied triumphantly.

“You don’t really believe they’ll give up that easily, do you?!”

“No. That’s why I hid it where no man would ever think to look.”

“And where would that be?” Mac asked, rapidly losing patience.

“I taped it underneath the lid of the toilet tank,” Nikki answered smugly.

“That’s not exactly by-the-book evidence handling procedure,” MacGyver pointed out.

“Well what would you have done?!” she retorted.

Unable to summon a logical comeback, Mac silently wondered if he was, indeed, losing his edge in the field.

“You realize this means we have to get back to the hotel and retrieve the disc,” he said flatly, knowing Nikki would recognize the dangerous repercussions of her actions.

“Of course I know that!” she snapped. “But first we have to get outta here. Any bright ideas, MacGyver?”

“Not yet,” he muttered. “How old would you say this place is?”

“At least a century if not more,” she replied, absently taking a bottle of wine from a nearby shelf, grimacing when she blew off the first of many layers of dust.

“Old mansions like this usually had tunnels or secret passages in case of enemy attack,” Mac explained, once again raising the lantern to survey their surroundings. “I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s an escape route behind one of these shelving units. You take that side and I’ll take this one and we’ll work our way down.”

Surprisingly, Nikki silently obeyed and began pushing and pulling on the rickety wooden shelves, rattling wine bottles as she went. Across the narrow aisle from her MacGyver did the same. They had progressed a few yards when Nikki let out a squeal.

“Did you find something?” Mac asked.

“No. More like something found me. It just ran across my foot!”

“Don’t worry,” MacGyver said, turning back to his task. “It was probably just a rat.”

“Just a rat?!”

“He’s probably more afraid of you than you are of him,” Mac reasoned with a shrug as Nikki replied with an exasperated huff.

They continued to work in silence for several minutes until MacGyver began to notice his light grow dim. He set the lantern on a shelf to examine it.

“What’s wrong?” Nikki asked, peering over his shoulder.

“We’re running out of wick. And we don’t have much kerosene left either.”

“But you have a plan, right?”

The sound of optimism in Nikki’s voice made him grin. “Yeah, I have a plan.”

MacGyver reached up and undid his tie. Finally, this thing would be good for something other than impressing people. He pulled his Swiss Army knife from his jacket pocket and handed it to Nikki along with his tie.

“Here, cut it into smaller strips,” he told her.

“What are you gonna do?” she asked as she set to work.

“Get us some fuel.”

Mac grabbed several bottles of wine, dusting them off and looking for the oldest vintage dates. Those would contain the most alcohol. When Nikki was done shredding his tie, he grabbed his knife, opened it to the corkscrew tool, and began opening the bottles. He gingerly sniffed the fumes from the first one. Wow! If that didn’t ignite, nothing would! Spreading out is homemade wick on the shelf, he thoroughly doused it with the wine. Then, while they still had some light, he filled the font of the lamp with the remaining alcohol.

“MacGyver! That’s marvelous!” Nikki exclaimed.

“We’re not done yet. Hold on, things are gonna get dark.”

With that said, he extinguished the flame. From here on in, his hands would need to be his eyes as well. Working purely by feel, he eased off the glass chimney and removed what was left of the original wick. He then reached out for his tie, shoving it into the font before taking a frayed end and threading it through the wick assembly. He held the flame of his last strike anywhere match to the makeshift wick and let out a slow breath when the material caught fire. The flame flickered and danced but steadily grew.

“You did it!” Nikki praised as he fit the chimney back in place with a small smile of satisfaction.

“All right! Now let’s find a way outta this place!”

Minutes began to feel like hours as MacGyver’s arms grew heavy and tired from tugging on the solidly built shelves. Nikki admirably kept pace with him, but her intermittent sighs told him she was growing weary both physically and emotionally. He was beginning to think his idea had been off base and it was time to reevaluate when the shelving unit he was pulling on gave way just a bit to spark some hope in the pit of his stomach.

“Over here!” he called softly to Nikki. “Help me pull this open.”

Slowly, the heavy section of wall heaved toward them. Adrenaline now flowing, they soon had the shelving pulled far enough away to reveal a rickety wooden stairway heading upward. MacGyver glanced at Nikki.

“Ladies first?”

“No way!”

Grumbling that this must be his penance for burning his tie, Mac gingerly put one foot on the bottom step and pressed down. When it didn’t splinter under his weight, he tried the next one. So far, so good. He felt Nikki’s presence behind him as they ascended the stairs, stopping when what appeared to be a trap door blocked their exit. MacGyver sighed inwardly, hoping that it wasn’t locked from the other side or worse, had something heavy sitting over it to keep it hidden. He bent over, angling his body so he could put the weight of his shoulder and back into the door. After a couple shoves on the swollen wood, it freely swung upward allowing rays of light to pour onto his face. Cautiously he poked his head out of the opening. The staircase had led them to a rarely used room in the mansion if the protective coverings draping the furniture were any indication. He climbed out the rest of the way, reaching back to help Nikki.

“Now what?” she asked.

“I don’t suppose you noticed if there were any outdoor guards besides the ones at the front door?”

Nikki shook her head. “But I did see what could be dog kennels on the side of the garage.”

“I saw that, too. C’mon.” Mac reached for her hand and together they quietly snuck out of the room, stopping only long enough to get their bearings before MacGyver guided them toward the back of the house and the kitchen. He efficiently began searching through the myriad cupboards and walk-in pantry from which he emerged holding a box of Milk Bones triumphantly.

“Our alarm silencer,” he said in response to Nikki’s questioning gaze.

They crept through the back door and outside only to find a huge expanse of well-manicured grass and an unobstructed view.

“Any suggestions?” Nikki asked.

“We’ll have to make a run for it.”

“We’ll never make it! This place is huge and we have no idea where we even are!”

“Do you have a better idea?” Mac bit back.

“Well...no,” Nikki admitted after some hesitation.

“Let’s head toward the garage,” MacGyver suggested. “We might find something useful in there.”

Nikki looked toward the large, ornate outbuilding that was more opulent than any house she had ever seen.

“Follow me and stay low,” Mac ordered. Together, they crouched and ran as fast as they could toward the building. The antique side door was locked, but MacGyver easily jimmied it with his knife.

Once inside, MacGyver found a light switch and flicked it on. Nikki gasped. Before them, parked side-by-side were five of the most cherished foreign classic cars that existed.

“Looks like ole Gunter may have himself a side job,” Mac observed facetiously before his gaze landed on a large number of wooden crates stacked from floor to ceiling against the opposite wall. Without a thought he headed in that direction.

“Hey, what are you doing? I thought we were gonna get outta here?” Nikki called.

Ignoring his former fellow agent, MacGyver reached the crates and, finding a rusted crow bar, pried the nearest one open. There, packed in straw, were brand new American military rifles of various sizes and capabilities.

“Looks like we just found out how Kraus plans to take out the new government,” he mumbled.

“I don’t believe it,” Nikki whispered. “We’ve got to get back to the hotel and get that disc! It has all the information we need to shut Kraus down permanently!”

Suddenly, in the distance, they heard the clamor of barking guard dogs and they were growing louder.

“We must have triggered an alarm when we broke in,” Mac stated, running his hand through his hair.

“What do we do now?” Nikki asked.

MacGyver slowly studied the contents of the garage.

“Surely you’re not planning on hot-wiring one of those cars!”

“No. I’m planning on hot-wiring that.” Mac pointed to a small motor scooter parked in a corner. In moments, he had the engine purring. He handed the box of Milk Bones to Nikki before she climbed on the seat behind him. Finding the remote control for the large, overhead garage door opener he gave it a punch and waited impatiently until they had enough clearance to escape the building. The scooter puttered down the long gravel path that led to the main driveway, but two angry Dobermans were faster.

“Nikki!” he called, “Distract our guests!”

He glanced over his shoulder to see his passenger tossing dog treats, leaving a trail behind them. The canines continued to pursue until first one and then the other allowed instinct to take over their training and soon both were laying on the ground, happily munching away on the treats. Unfortunately, their human counterparts were now getting in the game. High speed sniper bullets whizzed over their heads and angry shouts of the shooters could be heard. Deciding his original route was too dangerous, MacGyver steered the scooter off the path and headed across a wide expanse of grass with only a few trees and scraggly bushes for cover, but it was better than the alternative of the long, open driveway which would most likely lead them back into the hands of their captors...or get them killed.

“Hold on!” he told Nikki as the tiny vehicle bucked and bobbed over the rough terrain, significantly slowing their progress, but they had managed to put a safe distance between them and their pursuers. Nevertheless, both breathed a heavy sigh of relief upon reaching the smooth, paved road that headed back into the city.

Arriving back at the hotel, their mode of transportation garnered a number of stares, but MacGyver was too focused on retrieving the computer disc to notice. Grabbing Nikki by her wrist, he hurried her through the lobby, onto the elevator, and into her room which remained eerily empty. It appeared no one had returned...yet. Mac immediately headed for the bathroom and quickly removed the lid from the toilet tank, turning it over and resting it on the marble vanity. It was only then that he saw the disc in a waterproof plastic baggie held in place by rows of silver gray tape.

“Duct tape?” He looked up at Nikki with an amused smile.

“What can I say? You were starting to rub off on me before you left.”

“If I had known that I might have stuck around,” he smirked.

Ignoring him, Nikki reached over and snatched the disc from its hiding spot.

“Okay, we got it. Now let’s head to the airport,” she instructed.

Back outside the hotel, MacGyver hailed a taxi and they were soon on their way. The autumn sun was already sinking toward the horizon, casting shadows on the street. The promise of darkness would keep them from being seen by their enemies, but it would also blind them to anyone who might be following them. They both breathed an immense sigh of relief once they reached the airport, bought their tickets, and were safely seated on a plane headed to Los Angeles with a layover in Chicago. Just before takeoff, MacGyver covertly studied their fellow passengers to assure that they were, indeed, in the clear. Finding no one suspicious, he slightly reclined his seat and allowed himself to relax...a little.

Hours later MacGyver once again found himself winding his way through the ever-busy O’Hare terminal, only now with Nikki safe at his side. As the crowd parted before them he saw Craig Bannister waving at them from where he stood on the concourse.

“I called him from the airport in Germany,” Nikki explained, answering MacGyver’s unasked question before she slipped away from Mac and into Craig’s arms.

“Let me guess,” MacGyver said, grinning widely at Bannister. “She’s the reason you joined the Foundation.”

“What can I say, Mac? You caught me red-handed!”

“Isn’t it wonderful?” Nikki asked, reaching out to touch MacGyver’s forearm. “We’ve both managed to find love!”

“Did I just miss something?” Craig asked, his brows knitted together in confusion.

“Didn’t Mac tell you? He’s engaged!”

“You old dog!” Bannister exclaimed as he let go of Nikki long enough to give MacGyver a manly hug. “Who is she? When did this happen?”

Mac laughed at his former colleague’s enthusiasm. “She’s a teacher I met on my final assignment with Phoenix. We made it official a couple days ago. But what about you two?”

“We’re taking things slow,” Bannister conceded, smiling warmly down at Nikki. “And enjoying every minute of it!”

Nikki smiled back. “Mac told me all about Joanna during our flight. I can hardly wait to meet her!”

“You’ll just have to get your boss to give you some time off to come back,” Mac said, his words directed toward Nikki but his mischievous grin aimed at Craig Bannister.

“I doubt that will be a problem,” Nikki winked.

Their reunion was interrupted by an announcement that the plane from Chicago to Los Angeles was boarding. A flurry of good-byes were exchanged before Nikki and Craig headed to the terminal and Mac made his way to the parking structure where he had left his Jeep. Glancing at his watch, he was happy to see that he should be home by midnight. Two transatlantic flights in one day could really mess up a guy!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Joanna sat at the Challengers Club reception desk and glanced at her watch with a sigh. It had been an achingly dull evening and she had sent Cynthia home a few hours ago. She knew she should leave as well, but she also knew she wouldn’t be able to rest until she knew MacGyver was safe. She glared at the irritatingly quiet telephone. He had told her he’d be home by tonight. She assumed he would at least call and tell her when he was on his way. Unless something had gone wrong and he couldn’t call. What if the simple assignment had become dangerous? What if he had gotten captured, or injured, or worse?! A shiver slid down Joanna’s spine and she noticed her hands had begun to shake. Where was Mac and why hadn’t he called?

Growing weary of the pitiful looks the volunteers shot her way when they thought she wasn’t looking, Jo got up and made her way to the corner where Frog slept fitfully, his stubby little legs twitching as if he were chasing something. Was he anxious about Mac as well?

“C’mon, Frog. Let’s go home.” Joanna roused the snoozing dog, clipping his leash to his collar. She wasn’t quite sure when she had begun thinking of MacGyver’s place as “home”, but right now all she knew was that it was the only place she wanted to be.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The autumn moon was high in the sky when MacGyver finally pulled into his driveway. His insides melted a bit when he saw Joanna’s car pulled off to the side, allowing room for his Jeep, and dim light seeping through the living room window indicating she was inside. He had always returned from a mission to an empty house except for the times he let Jack stay over. He wasn’t sure which scenario was worse, but coming home to Jo was definitely the best. Not wanting to startle her, he tried to warn her of his approach by loudly stomping his feet on his outdoor welcome mat and noisily jiggling the door knob. Upon crossing the threshold, he found Frog sprawled on one side of the couch and Joanna snuggled into the corner of the other, her knees pulled up to her chin, her back to him.

“Hi honey, I’m home!” he called cheerily despite his exhaustion knowing that soon this would become an everyday greeting. When Joanna didn’t respond, his blood turned to ice. Something was very wrong. He hurried over to the couch, squeezing himself into the small space between his dog and his fiancé so he could look her in the eye. His heart clenched in alarm when he saw her smeared mascara and the now-dry tracks of tears she had shed.

“Baby! What’s wrong? Are your folks okay? Did something happen at Challengers?”

In response, Joanna uncurled her legs and leaned forward, enveloping him in a tight embrace, her head upon his shoulder as she began to sob.

“I was so worried when you didn’t come home and didn’t call,” she choked out, trying to swallow her tears.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured soothingly into her ear, hugging her tighter. “I promise it won’t happen again.”

Without warning, her fear and worry morphed into anger and she pulled herself out of his arms.

“You also promised you were done with Phoenix!” she shot back accusingly.

“And I am! But this was a special case,” Mac said in a plea to make her understand.

“And what are you going to do the next time they come to you with a special case?!”

“I don’t know!” MacGyver replied, his voice growing louder with frustration. “What do you want me to do?!”

“Oh no you don’t!” she responded, pushing herself off the couch to put distance between them. “You do not get to put this on me! What am I supposed to say?! If I let you go I’ll be worried sick and if I tell you not to you’ll resent me!”

Mac leaned back on the couch with a sigh and scrubbed his face with his hands. He had to admit she had a point.

“Look, we’re both tired and upset. Go home and get some rest and we’ll talk about this tomorrow,” he suggested calmly.

“No.”

“What?”

“You heard me. I said ‘no’. If we have a fight like this after we’re married we won’t be able to go our separate ways so why should we do it now?”

“Fine. We’ll talk!” MacGyver snapped.

Joanna sat down in the cushioned chair next the couch, arms folded defensively across her chest, as a heavy silence shrouded the room only to be punctuated by Frog’s intermittent snores. Each second that ticked by grated more deeply on Mac’s nerves.

“I’m sorry I didn’t call,” he ground out if for no other reason than to break the unnerving stillness.

A sideways glance was the only proof that Jo had heard him.

“Well…?” he prompted.

“I’m not gonna apologize for worrying about you,” she replied tartly.

“I’m not asking you to,” he said softly, finally finding the words he knew he needed to say. “But I am asking you to trust me. Trust that I am committed to you and Challengers and not going to run off if Phoenix calls. But I’m also going to help my friends when they need me. That doesn’t mean I don’t love you or that I’m taking unnecessary risks. It’s just a part of who I am. A part of me you said you loved.” Here he chanced a small smile in her direction.

After several minutes, Joanna’s lips fought to tug upwards in a smile of her own. “And I meant that. I apologize for overreacting,” she said quietly. “You’re not some child who needs protecting. You’re a strong, capable man who has proven you can handle anything that comes your way. I’m sorry for not having more confidence in you.”

MacGyver slid off the couch and crouched down in front of Joanna, taking her hands in his.

“I guess we both could’ve handled this better,” he admitted, Jo nodding her agreement.

“So, are we still okay?” he asked, his fingers finding and caressing her diamond ring.

“Yeah,” she replied, a sincere smile on her face. “I guess I underestimated how I would feel now that I know I’m gonna be your wife instead of being stuck in girlfriend limbo.”

“Things have changed, haven’t they?” Mac mused.

“But in a good way.”

“Yeah. In a very good way.”

As if drawn by a magnet, they leaned toward each other, their lips meeting in a caress that said what words could not.

























Posted by: Dragondog 27 December 2019 - 04:01 AM
QUOTE
He wasn’t looking forward to another eleven hour flight so soon, but he was already looking forward to returning home, which was odd given his love of travel. But this was a job, not a vacation, and their safe passage wasn’t guaranteed until they were back on American soil. Upon arriving at his destination, he asked the cabbie to wait. Bannister should have contacted Nikki with Mac’s arrival time so she should be packed and waiting for him. He figured they’d be back on their way to the airport in ten minutes at the most.
Yeah, I think we all know that never goes as planned XD

QUOTE
“I am not interested in negotiating!” Kraus’s voice boomed. “Give me the disc or you will die!”

“C’mon Kraus, we all know you’re not gonna kill us until you get the disc,” Mac reasoned.

“Then give it to me!!”
Kraus, that is pathetic X'D

QUOTE
They had progressed a few yards when Nikki let out a squeal.

“Did you find something?” Mac asked.

“No. More like something found me. It just ran across my foot!”

“Don’t worry,” MacGyver said, turning back to his task. “It was probably just a rat.”

“Just a rat?!”

“He’s probably more afraid of you than you are of him,” Mac reasoned with a shrug as Nikki replied with an exasperated huff.
C'mon, Nikki, get your head in the game XD

QUOTE
Before them, parked side-by-side were five of the most cherished foreign classic cars that existed.
Slash the tires of four of them and use #5 to get out XD

QUOTE


“Isn’t it wonderful?” Nikki asked, reaching out to touch MacGyver’s forearm. “We’ve both managed to find love!”

“Did I just miss something?” Craig asked, his brows knitted together in confusion.

“Didn’t Mac tell you? He’s engaged!”
When did Nikki find out? huh.gif

QUOTE

Nikki smiled back. “Mac told me all about Joanna during our flight. I can hardly wait to meet her!”
Oh.

QUOTE

“I was so worried when you didn’t come home and didn’t call,” she choked out, trying to swallow her tears.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured soothingly into her ear, hugging her tighter. “I promise it won’t happen again.”

Without warning, her fear and worry morphed into anger and she pulled herself out of his arms.

“You also promised you were done with Phoenix!” she shot back accusingly.
Oh here we go...

QUOTE
If I let you go I’ll be worried sick and if I tell you not to you’ll resent me!”
Welcome to reality, hun. (I should add that I do understand her frustrations, but I also kinda feel like she should be used to it at this point. It's like she said earlier, stuff like this is going to happen as long as Mac's a part of her life).

QUOTE

“You heard me. I said ‘no’. If we have a fight like this after we’re married we won’t be able to go our separate ways so why should we do it now?”
At least she's not rushing to call off the engagement (too many dramas make me automatically worry that that's where disagreements end up going).

QUOTE

“I’m not asking you to,” he said softly, finally finding the words he knew he needed to say. “But I am asking you to trust me. Trust that I am committed to you and Challengers and not going to run off if Phoenix calls. But I’m also going to help my friends when they need me. That doesn’t mean I don’t love you or that I’m taking unnecessary risks. It’s just a part of who I am. A part of me you said you loved.” Here he chanced a small smile in her direction.
Good choice, Macky XD

QUOTE


After several minutes, Joanna’s lips fought to tug upwards in a smile of her own. “And I meant that. I apologize for overreacting,” she said quietly. “You’re not some child who needs protecting. You’re a strong, capable man who has proven you can handle anything that comes your way. I’m sorry for not having more confidence in you.”
Phew XD

QUOTE

“Yeah,” she replied, a sincere smile on her face. “I guess I underestimated how I would feel now that I know I’m gonna be your wife instead of being stuck in girlfriend limbo.”
That makes a little more sense as to why she freaked out like that smile.gif

QUOTE

As if drawn by a magnet, they leaned toward each other, their lips meeting in a caress that said what words could not.
For some reason my brain automatically pictured Frog letting out the biggest snore yet in response, and I started laughing XD

Posted by: uniquelyjas 27 December 2019 - 09:27 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 27 December 2019 - 04:01 AM)

QUOTE

As if drawn by a magnet, they leaned toward each other, their lips meeting in a caress that said what words could not.
For some reason my brain automatically pictured Frog letting out the biggest snore yet in response, and I started laughing XD

LOL...That WOULD have been great!!

Posted by: uniquelyjas 1 January 2020 - 06:09 PM
Happy New Year!!

Chapter 30: A Place of His Own

Sam rolled over and covered his ears with his pillow. The Thorntons were bickering again. Over the past few weeks their arguments had become more frequent and much louder. And it was all his fault.

“I’m telling you, Connie, it’s time he got a place of his own. He’s been living here for almost six months, eats our food, uses our utilities, but hasn’t paid so much as a dime in rent!”

“But that’s the whole point, Peter. He’s living here so he can save money for rent.”

“Well surely he has enough saved that he could contribute something to the household expenses! If not, I’m going to demand MacGyver pay us child support!”

Sam heard Connie snicker. “Do you hear how foolish you sound?” she asked her husband.

“Yeah, I’m sorry,” Pete agreed reluctantly. “I just get so frustrated sometimes!”

“I know, dear.” Both Sam and Connie knew that Pete’s sour mood came primarily from still adjusting to his blindness and retirement. Sam’s presence just exacerbated it.

Sensing that the latest storm had passed, Sam crawled out of bed and hurriedly showered and dressed. He strode through the kitchen where Pete sat at the table and Connie stood by the stove, grabbed a granola bar from the cupboard, and headed for the door.

“Don’t you want some breakfast, dear?” Connie asked Sam cheerily as if she hadn’t been arguing with her husband moments before.

“No thanks,” he replied. “I wanna get to work early.” With that, he slipped out the door and into his car.

Upon arriving at the Tribune, Sam made his way to the cubicle next to Becca’s that he had recently commandeered as his own, grabbing a copy of the latest edition of the newspaper as he went. As soon as he was seated at his desk, he quickly found the classified section and looked for the heading “Apartments for Rent”. Pete was right. It was time for him to move on.

“You’re here early.”

Sam looked up, surprised to find Rebecca Williams standing in his doorway. He had been so engrossed in looking for a new home that he hadn’t heard her approach.

“I, uh, I have some research to do,” he stammered, not wanting anyone to know he was apartment-searching just yet. He knew that once word got out everyone would be giving him leads and advice, but this was something he wanted to do on his own. At least for now.

Pineapple Slurpee in hand, Becca came to stand behind him, peering over his shoulder at the newspaper. He closed it quickly, but not fast enough.

“You’re planning on moving?” she asked.

“I’ve been thinkin’ about it,” he replied nonchalantly. Actually, up until hearing Pete and Connie’s argument this morning he hadn’t been thinking about it at all.

“Maybe I can help!” Becca responded brightly.

Sam winced. He didn’t want to hurt her by refusing her offer. Thankfully they were interrupted by his editor before he could answer.

“Malloy!” Hank barked. “I’ve got a missing child story breaking and need you to cover it. There’s a reporter on scene but all my photographers are on other assignments. Here’s the address.” He slipped Sam a small piece of paper.

“Thanks!” Sam said to his editor before turning to face Becca. “I’m sorry. We’ll talk when I get back, okay?”

Becca nodded but Sam had already left the office.

“What you standin’ there for, Williams? Don’t you have a police scanner to listen to or something?” Hank growled before he, too, left the cubicle.

XXXXX

“How did it go?” Becca was waiting for Sam in his office when he returned. Since they’d started dating, they’d also found themselves sharing each other’s space.

“It was pretty intense,” Sam replied, running his fingers through his dark brown hair. “The mother was hysterical. Her six-year-old daughter got on the school bus this morning but never made it to class. Who knows how long it would have taken to find out if the principal hadn’t noticed and called home to verify the absence.”

“That is rough,” Rebecca agreed, chewing on her lower lip. “Didn’t a little boy disappear from a playground last week?”

“Yeah, but his father found him playing in a wooded area nearby. The kid was too young to say what happened and there was no evidence of a crime so everyone just assumed he had wandered off.”

“Do you think the two stories are related?” Becca asked, her reporter’s interest piqued.

“I don’t know. Could be,” Sam shrugged.

“While you were gone I got to thinking about your living situation,” Rebecca stated, causing Sam’s head to spin at the one-eighty degree turn the conversation had just taken. “There’s an available apartment in my building. Nothing fancy, just a one-bedroom with basic furnishings but very affordable. I could call my landlord and set up a time for you to look at it.”

Sam thought for a moment. The apartments he had seen advertised had either been too expensive or too far from the Tribune. A place in Becca’s nearby building would be perfect.

“I guess I could take a look,” he replied with a calm that belied his excitement.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver tapped lightly on the doorframe of Joanna’s office to get her attention. Her head was down as she poured over the Challengers volunteer schedule she had been working.

“We haven’t decided yet,” she muttered, still consumed with her work.

“Decided what?” he asked.

At the sound of his voice, Jo’s gaze shot up and locked with his.

“Oh, it’s you,” she said, breathing out a relieved sigh. “I’ve been calling a few people to tell them about our engagement. Mainly Geena from the law firm and the Vangs, but everyone I talk to wants to know if we set a date or where we’re gonna live or something else related to the wedding. I keep telling them we haven’t discussed it and are taking it slow.”

“Do you want to discuss it?” he asked, not really sure what answer he wanted to hear.

She shrugged. “Not necessarily. It’s kinda nice just being together and not worrying about all that other stuff. It can wait.” Her sweet smile reassured him.

“In that case, how’d you like to go to Chicago this weekend?”

“What?” she asked in confusion.

Mac suppressed a smile. Spontaneity was not Joanna’s middle name.

“Sam called last night after you left. Seems he moved into his own apartment,” MacGyver explained.

Jo’s eyebrows shot up. “When did this happen?”

“A couple weeks ago, actually. He said he wanted to wait until he was settled to let me know in case his plans fell through. Anyway, he’s invited us down to see his new place. I already called Pete and we can stay with him and Connie. I figure we’ll take the Nomad in case Sam has anything he still needs to transport.”

Joanna made a show of looking at her watch. “So, anything else happen in the last ten hours you want to tell me about?” she asked facetiously.

“Well, let’s see,” MacGyver squinted his eyes as if deep in thought. “I ate a blueberry yogurt, took a shower, and went to bed and dreamed about you,” he smiled roguishly.

“Ha, ha, very funny,” Jo retorted. “But to answer your initial question, of course I’ll go to Chicago with you. I’d never pass up a chance to see Sam,” she winked playfully.

XXXXX

It was mid-morning Saturday when MacGyver pulled the Nomad into the Thornton’s driveway and parked besides Sam’s VW. He and Joanna had just pulled their overnight bags out of the backseat when Connie called to them from where she stood in the doorway.

“Come in! Come in! I just took a batch of cookies out of the oven. Get them while they’re still warm!”

The couple walked into the house and greeted Connie with friendly hugs before she ushered them to the kitchen table where Sam and Pete were already indulging in the sweet treat.

“I see you’re still stickin’ to your diet, hey Pete?” MacGyver smirked.

“Since when is it illegal to have a cookie now and then. And wipe that stupid grin off your face!” Pete protested.

Mac’s smile only widened, glad to know that his friend still knew him so well.

“So, give me all the details,” Connie demanded with a devilish smile as she pulled Joanna down in the chair next to hers.

“Details?” Jo asked.

“About the wedding!” Connie exclaimed, her enthusiasm out in full force. “Have you set a date? Do you have a hall in mind? Did you pick out a dress? Oooh, what are your colors going to be...I wouldn’t want my dress to clash! Speaking of which, when will the invitations arrive? You know, these days you have to plan well in advance. Oh, and you’re mom and I will throw you the best wedding shower!”

“And I’m gonna give you the most awesome bachelor party you’ve ever seen!” Sam promised MacGyver when Connie stopped for a breath.

“Have you decided who’s gonna be your best man?” Pete asked, not wanting to be left out of the swirling conversation.

“Whoa!” Mac said, holding his hands up in front of him in a defensive gesture as his heart twisted at the stunned look on Joanna’s face. “We just got engaged. Give us some time!”

“Time?!” Pete exclaimed. “At the rate you two are going you’ll have to have the ceremony on my grave if you expect me to attend!”

Sam laughed, almost choking on the milk he was about to swallow, and Mac shot his friend a dirty look.

“I saw that, MacGyver,” Pete warned.

“Lucky guess,” Mac muttered under his breath.

“And I heard that!” Pete retorted causing everyone at the table to chuckle.

“Now, let’s get you two settled so Sam can take you over to his new place,” Connie said when the laughter died down. “Joanna, you can take Sam’s old room, and Mac, you can take the couch like always.”

Pete loudly cleared his throat and Connie blushed. “That is, unless you two are sleeping…”

“On the couch will be just fine,” Mac assured the older woman, saving her from any embarrassment before turning his attention to Sam. “I brought the Nomad in case you still have some things to move.”

“Nope! I’m good,” his son replied airily, handing him a piece of paper. “You guys can follow me, but if we get separated, here’s the address. It’s just a couple blocks from the Tribune.”

MacGyver found the place easily enough, even after losing Sam in the heavy downtown traffic. He allowed the car to roll to a stop in front of a large, four-story apartment building with a brick facade that had seen better days. He and Jo got out and met Sam who was already waiting for them on the narrow walkway that separated the front lawn and led to the main entrance.

“Hey Sam! Wanna play catch?!” An African-American boy about eight years old stood on the grass, tossing a tattered baseball into the air and catching it with an equally battered mitt.

“Sorry Ricky, but I’ve got company. Maybe tomorrow, okay?”

The boy frowned slightly until he noticed Mac and Joanna. “Who are they?”

“That’s my dad and his...um...his friend.” Sam wasn’t sure if the young boy would know what a fiance was so he decided to keep it simple.

Mac reached out to shake the boy’s hand. “You can call me Mac and that’s Joanna.”

“You wanna play catch?” Ricky asked, his hopeful eyes darting between the couple. “I got an extra glove if ya need one!”

“Sounds fun, but maybe later, alright?” Mac smiled.

“Alright!” Ricky proclaimed. Buoyed by the vague promise, he once again began tossing the ball in the air.

“Cute kid. Does he live here?” Mac asked.

“Yeah. It’s just him and his grandmother. No one knows who his dad is and his mom overdosed on drugs last year.”

With a sad shake of his head, MacGyver followed his son into the lobby of the old building and was surprised when bright lights and freshly painted walls greeted him.

“The outside might not look like much, but the inside was entirely renovated a few years ago,” Sam explained, obviously noticing his father’s reaction. “I’m on the second floor. The stairs are over here.”

As Sam led them to the stairwell Mac asked, “Isn’t there an elevator?”

“I prefer the stairs,” came the simple reply. Mac interpreted that as either there was no elevator or the elevator was broken. Or perhaps the elevator was working...for now.

Sam opened the door to his apartment and proudly stood aside to allow Joanna and his dad to enter.

“Well, what do you think?”

“It reminds me of the first apartment I had in Milwaukee,” MacGyver replied as he studied the layout. To his left was an open area with a couch, recliner, television and computer desk. To his right was a small eating area and galley kitchen. Down the short hallway were two doors across from each other. Obviously the bedroom and bathroom.

“Then you like it?” Sam asked.

“I didn’t say that,” Mac replied with a crooked grin before looping his arms around his son’s neck in a playful choke-hold. “Actually, I think it’s great!”

“Sam, is that you?” a feminine voice called.

MacGyver let go of Sam and looked down the hall to see Becca emerge from either the bedroom or bathroom. He wasn’t sure which.

“Yeah, and I brought my dad and Joanna along,” he clarified as he met her halfway across the room and casually took her hand.

Mac and Jo exchanged glances. Her’s amused, his not so much, before they greeted Rebecca.

“You didn’t tell me you had a roommate,” MacGyver observed, making a concerted effort to keep his voice from rising an octave. Sam and Becca were both adults and if they wanted to move in together it was none of his business. He sighed. When had he become such a fuddy-duddy?

“Huh?” Sam asked, before realizing what the scene must look like to his dad. “Oh! No! Rebecca lives in an apartment upstairs. She’s just here helping me clean things up. In fact, she’s the one who told me about this place.”

The ringing of the telephone saved Mac from having to pull his foot out of his mouth. Sam took the call in the kitchen and spoke for only a few moments before reappearing.

“That was Hank, my editor. He needs me to cover a story. Think you’ll be okay on your own for awhile?”

“I suppose we can manage,” MacGyver replied wryly

“Great! I’ll be back as soon as I can!” Sam grabbed his satchel and camera case and hurried out the door.

“Why don’t we go up to my place,” Rebecca suggested. “You must be starving. I’ll make us some sandwiches.”

Becca had just stepped into her apartment when a brown and white yapping blur of fur flew across the room to greet her. She bent down and gave the dog an affectionate pat.

“Who’s your friend?” Mac asked as the canine looked up at him, big eyes and long ears creating a comical expression.

“His name is pronounced ‘Kip’, but I spell it with a ‘C’. It’s kinda a long story.”

“What kind of dog is he?” Joanna asked as Cip warily sniffed her shoe.

“He’s an Airedale mix. No one is quite sure what he’s actually mixed with. It’s probably either a Shih Tzu or a coon dog. His former owner actually trained him as a hunting dog.”

“Who would give up such a great dog?” Mac asked, crouching down to run a hand over Cip’s back.

“Well, he was kinda orphaned.”

MacGyver looked up at Becca, questions dancing in his eyes.

“His owner was murdered.” Becca supplied.

Mac’s eyes went wide. “Murdered? So how’d you end up with him?”

“It’s kinda a long story,” Rebecca shrugged.

“Of course,” Mac muttered as he stood up to survey the apartment and Joanna took her turn petting Cip.

Becca’s rooms were laid out exactly like Sam’s only her decorating taste leaned toward eclectic. An old manual typewriter sat next to her computer monitor, and a set of expensive-looking encyclopedias lined part of the wall. MacGyver, however, was drawn to a bobblehead of Mr. Spock from Star Trek sitting on a bookshelf.

“You a fan?” he asked, reaching out to tap the oversized head and activate the spring action.

“Yeah,” she smiled self-consciously. “I guess that makes me kinda nerdy.”

“No way!” Mac assured her. “The show’s a classic.” Even though he didn’t see the attraction of science fiction, he could definitely respect television history. “Watch any of the spin-offs?”

“Ugh!” Becca rolled her eyes in disgust. “I don’t know why they even bother. Nothing can beat the original series!”

MacGyver laughed in agreement before Rebecca excused herself to make lunch. Minutes later, the trio sat at a small dining table biting into ham and cheese sandwiches with potato chips.

“So, Becca, are you from Chicago?” Mac asked in between bites. Despite the fact that Sam had brought Rebecca into their lives a few months ago, MacGyver realized he and Jo knew very little about the eager reporter.

“No,” she responded, shaking her head as she swallowed a sip of lemonade. “I’ve only been here about a year. I’m actually from Kentucky but I moved to Santa Barbara to go to college. I majored in English like Joanna but studied to become a librarian.”

Mac’s curious mind couldn’t help probing. “So how do you go from wanting to be a librarian to being a freelance crime reporter?”

“I needed money and ended up getting a job as a secretary for the Santa Barbara Police Department. I made friends with a couple of the detectives and even got to help out on a couple cases. I started writing about it in my journal but then decided I could make some extra cash if I sold the stories instead. Someone at the Tribune saw one of my articles and I guess the rest is history.”

Rebecca had just finished speaking when loud voices from the front yard drew all three of them to the window. An elderly, African-American woman was in tears and gesturing frantically as Sam appeared to be trying to calm her down. The scene had gathered a small crowd of onlookers.

“Who’s that with Sam?” Mac asked Becca, his adrenaline beginning to pump when he saw the concern on her face.

“That’s Mrs. Jefferson, Ricky’s grandma. I wonder what happened?”

“Let’s go find out,” MacGyver said as he strode out of the apartment, Rebecca and Joanna trailing behind him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Mrs. Jefferson, just take a deep breath and tell me everything that happened,” Sam coached the nearly hysterical woman. He had just returned from his assignment only to find Ricky’s grandmother outside in her housecoat crying and calling her grandson’s name. He looked up and saw MacGyver, Joanna, and Becca headed straight towards them, ready to help in any way they could.

“I called out the window to tell Ricky to come in for lunch,” she choked out between sobs. “When he didn’t come in, I came down here to get him but he was gone! I looked all around the building, calling his name, but he never answered!” These last words sent her into a renewed frenzy.

“When was the last time you saw him?” Sam asked, his voice calm but firm. He glanced up at his dad who nodded slightly, indicating that Sam was on the right track.

“Before I took my shower. About forty-five minutes ago.”

“Okay, that’s good,” Sam encouraged her. “Now, what was he wearing?” Sam silently chided himself for being too distracted earlier to notice.

“Jeans. He always wears jeans. And those worn out tennis shoes. Other than that, I can’t remember,” she wailed, slumping helplessly into Sam’s arms.

MacGyver stepped forward and addressed the small crowd that had gathered, glad for his keen observation skills and memory of meeting the child earlier that day. “Okay everyone! We’re looking for an eight-year-old African-American boy who lives in this apartment building. He’s wearing jeans, old sneakers, a red t-shirt and a Chicago Cubs cap. He may also be carrying a baseball and glove. His name is Ricky. We’d appreciate it if you could all spread out and help us look for him.”

As the people dispersed, whether to look for the boy or carry on with their own lives, MacGyver joined Becca and Jo who were now huddled around Sam and Mrs. Jefferson.

“We need to go inside and call the police,” he told them.

Mrs. Jefferson gathered herself and pushed away from Sam. “You think he was kidnapped like those other children?” she asked, her eyes wide with worry.

“What other children?” Mac asked, his pulse ratcheting up.

“Um, maybe we should talk about this inside?” Becca ventured.

“Would you mind telling me what’s going on, Sam?” Mac demanded when their small group was safely ensconced inside Mrs. Jefferson’s small, two-bedroom apartment just down the hall from Becca’s.

“A few weeks ago a toddler disappeared from the playground he was at with his father. His dad found him playing alone on the edge of a nearby wooded area and the whole thing was pretty much forgotten. Then a week later a six-year-old girl got on the school bus in the morning but never made it to class. She was found several hours later alone at Navy Pier.”

“How did that happen?” Joanna asked.

“The girl said that when she got off the bus she saw a man sitting on a swing on the playground. She knew she shouldn’t talk to strangers, but she felt bad for him because he looked sad and lonely. He asked if they could play together and she agreed.”

“So he took her down to Navy Pier, played games and then abandoned her?” Mac found this hard to believe.

“The girl said the man told her he had to get home because he would get in trouble if he missed supper. They had taken the bus to the pier and she didn’t know how to get back,” Sam supplied.

“Did she give a description of the man?” Jo pressed

“According to the police her description was vague and kept changing,” Sam sighed. “And since both kids were found alone and safe they’re hesitant to classify the incidences as kidnappings.”

“Well, the common denominator is that all the kids, including Ricky, wanted to play,” MacGyver declared.

“Aw man,” Sam moaned. “If I had stopped and played catch with him when we first came maybe none of this would have happened.”

Mac put a strong, comforting hand on his son’s shoulder. “Now don’t go thinkin’ like that. We’re not here to find fault. We’re here to find Ricky.”

“I bet Cip could help!” Becca volunteered. “He was trained as a hunting dog when he was a pup.”

Sam’s face brightened. “It sure couldn’t hurt to try! Mrs. Jefferson, could I have a piece of Ricky’s clothes from the dirty laundry so Becca’s dog can get his scent?”

The older woman silently hurried away and quickly returned with a wrinkled cotton shirt which she handed to Sam.

“Jo, could you please call the cops and stay with Mrs. Jefferson while we go look for Ricky?” Mac asked, regret in his eyes for leaving her behind, but someone had to stay with the older woman and keep her calm.

“I’ll take care of everything here,” she promised with a reassuring smile. “Just let us know if you find anything.”

Becca hurried back to her apartment to retrieve Cip. After clipping an extra long lead onto his collar she met up with Sam and MacGyver who were waiting in the front yard. Sam offered her the shirt Mrs. Jefferson had given him and she held it under Cip’s nose, making sure he got a good, strong scent. The dog lifted his head, looked around, and then took off down the sidewalk with the trio of humans in tow.

After several minutes and a number of direction changes, Sam began to wonder if this had been such a good idea.

“Do you think Cip knows where he’s going?” he asked his dad in a low voice that Rebecca wasn’t supposed to hear, but she did anyway.

“Of course he knows where he’s going!” she snapped. “He just needs some time!”

The dog led them in a circle, twice, before tugging on his leash and scampering to the edge of a vacant lot where he abruptly sat down. It didn’t take long to find Ricky playing catch with a strange man. Cip let out a bark to get the boy’s attention.

“Hey Sam! Wanna play catch with us?!” Ricky invited cheerfully.

Sam glanced at Mac before breaking away from the small group and walking toward the boy, keeping the strange man in his peripheral vision.

“Hey buddy!” Sam greeted him. “Who’s your friend?”

“That’s Darrell,” Ricky supplied casually. “He saw me playing and asked if he could play too. He said he knew of a place where we could throw the ball really far so we came here. Do you wanna meet him?”

“Yeah, that’d be great!”

Ricky motioned for Darrell to join them and the man reluctantly approached. Tall and stocky, he appeared to be in his early thirties with blond hair that was cut very short and pale gray eyes filled with something akin to fear.

“These are my friends Sam and Rebecca, and that’s Sam’s dad,” Ricky told him, pointing to MacGyver.

“Hi Darrell, it’s nice to meet you,” Sam said, reaching out to shake the other man’s hand. But Darrell stared at the ground, nervously shifting his weight from one foot to another while he held onto his baseball glove as if for dear life.

“Wha...what time is it?” the blond man asked without looking up.

Caught off-guard, Sam looked at his watch. “It’s almost four o’clock.”

“I...I have to ge...get home for sup...supper,” Darrell stuttered, still slightly rocking back and forth.

“Okay,” Sam replied, not sure what to make of this interaction. “Where do you live? We’ll walk with you.”

“I live in the big gray house.”

“And where is the big gray house?” Sam asked.

Darrell looked around and apparently decided he was lost. “I...I don’t know.”

Suddenly Sam felt a tug on his shirt sleeve and turned to find Becca standing next to him and MacGyver several steps away talking on his cell phone.

“I think I know where he lives,” Becca informed Sam in a whisper. “There’s a group home for adults with cognitive delays a few blocks from our apartment.”

“Hey Darrell,” Sam said, “I know where your house is. Why don’t we walk you home?”

No answer.

“It’s okay, Darrell,” Ricky assured him. “We’ll get you back in time for supper and then maybe we can play ball again tomorrow!”

Darrell smiled innocently at the boy. “I’d like that.”

The small group set out, following Rebecca’s lead. Darrell chatted and laughed easily with Ricky, but remained hesitant with the adults. When they arrived at the group home it was to find Mrs. Jefferson, Joanna, a couple police officers and a middle-aged woman who appeared to be in charge and was introduced to them as Mrs. Connolly waiting for them. Spying her grandson, Mrs. Jefferson hurried down the porch stairs and wrapped him in a hug that Sam feared would suffocate the boy.

“Where have you been, Darrell?!” Mrs. Connolly scolded. “You know better than to go off without telling anyone!”

“I...I’m sorry. But I...I came back in...in time for supper.”

Mrs. Connolly’s face softened as she addressed everyone. “Never misses a meal, this one!” Then she turned to Darrell, her voice gentler this time. “Have you been sneaking out to find someone to play with again?”

He nodded guiltily.

“Do you think you could tell these nice policemen about the kids you’ve met?”

Again Darrell nodded.

“Then let’s all go in the house and have a nice chat before I put dinner on the table,” she smiled so as not to alarm Darrell and herded her charge and the police officers through the front door.

“Thank you for everything you all have done,” she said, turning back to Sam and his friends before disappearing into the house.

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“So no one’s gonna press any charges?!” Pete asked incredulously the next day as everyone gathered in the Thornton’s kitchen for brunch.

“That’s right,” MacGyver replied as he poured himself a glass of orange juice. “The parents of the victims were all very understanding and even sympathetic when they discovered that, in spite of his appearance, Darrell only has the psychological age of a ten-year-old.”

Joanna picked up the explanation from there. “The father of the toddler at the playground pretty much blames himself for letting his son wander off in the first place. Darrell just admitted to picking the little guy up to help him get to where he seemed to want to go. As for the girl from the school bus, her mother was very upset that she even dared approach a stranger and Darrell didn’t understand that the girl needed to be at school instead of out having fun.”

“And of course Ricky went off more than willingly and thanks to Becca and Cip everything worked out for both him and Darrell,” Pete concluded.

“But it goes to show that the city needs more appropriate resources for people like Darrell,” Becca spoke up. “Mrs. Connolly said she is going to try and make more of an effort to help Darrell get the socialization skills and opportunities he requires, but that will take time and money.”

“I know it’s not your usual genre, but maybe you could write an article to help expose this problem. If the right people see it, someone may step up and help,” Sam suggested, smiling at his friend.

“There’s no ‘maybe’ about it! I am definitely gonna write an article about this and make sure Hank publishes it. And not bury it on the back page of the classified section either!”

“Sounds like you might have another passion other than the crime beat,” MacGyver observed.

Becca considered this before answering. “I wouldn’t say that. Darrell’s situation is a crime, just one that people like to sweep under the rug and not deal with because it’s not as straightforward as robberies or murder.”

“The girl has a point,” Pete beamed approvingly.

“Ya know Pete, I’ve been thinking,” Mac began.

“Oh no!” the older man groaned and rubbed his forehead as the others laughed.

“C’mon, hear me out,” MacGyver urged. “Maybe you could talk to some of your friends at Phoenix and see if they can look into some types of programs for cognitively delayed adults who lack needed resources.”

Pete stared at his friend despite his blindness. “You know the budget is tight, MacGyver. For heaven’s sake, the Foundation cut the funding for Challengers!”

Mac waved Pete’s protest aside. “Challengers will be fine. We’ll find a way to get what we need. There are other causes out there that need more help than we do.”

“I’ll make some phone calls tomorrow and see what I can do,” Pete promised. “You’re a good man, Mac. I hope Joanna knows how lucky she is to have you.”

“Oh no!” Connie, who had been silent up until now, wailed. “With all the excitement yesterday, we never got a chance to talk about the wedding!”

Joanna winced, then appeared contrite. “Maybe we could--”

“Sorry to interrupt,” Mac broke in, not really sorry at all, “But we need to hit the road.”

Jo shrugged then smiled at Connie. “Maybe Mac and I will come down more often now that Sam has a place of his own. After all, we wouldn’t want him to get lonesome.”

“I doubt that will be a problem,” MacGyver said wryly, his gaze focused on his son and Becca, their heads bowed together, sharing a whispered conversation in a world of their own.





































Posted by: Dragondog 2 January 2020 - 09:40 AM
QUOTE

Chapter 30: A Place of His Own
Hmm...

QUOTE


Sam rolled over and covered his ears with his pillow.
Oh, I see what the chapter is going to be about XD

QUOTE
The Thorntons were bickering again. Over the past few weeks their arguments had become more frequent and much louder. And it was all his fault.
Hmm? Oh, I bet it's because Pete's tired of housing him, and Connie is defending him.

QUOTE

“I’m telling you, Connie, it’s time he got a place of his own. He’s been living here for almost six months, eats our food, uses our utilities, but hasn’t paid so much as a dime in rent!”
I feel bad for Sam having to listen to this. (Actually, I just learned that it is indeed possible to experience second-hand guilt. Because that's what I'm feeling now).

QUOTE

“Well surely he has enough saved that he could contribute something to the household expenses! If not, I’m going to demand MacGyver pay us child support!”
I gotta admit, that is kinda funny XD

QUOTE
Upon arriving at the Tribune, Sam made his way to the cubicle next to Becca’s that he had recently commandeered as his own,
I'm sure he did that deliberately XD

QUOTE

“You’re planning on moving?” she asked.

“I’ve been thinkin’ about it,” he replied nonchalantly. Actually, up until hearing Pete and Connie’s argument this morning he hadn’t been thinking about it at all.
Pete wouldn't be happy to know that XD (Though I suspect Connie would feel guilty hearing this).

QUOTE

“Maybe I can help!” Becca responded brightly.
Crap, they're going to argue soon, aren't they?

QUOTE

Joanna made a show of looking at her watch. “So, anything else happen in the last ten hours you want to tell me about?” she asked facetiously.

“Well, let’s see,” MacGyver squinted his eyes as if deep in thought. “I ate a blueberry yogurt, took a shower, and went to bed and dreamed about you,” he smiled roguishly.
Idk why, but this made me laugh laugh.gif

QUOTE


“Since when is it illegal to have a cookie now and then. And wipe that stupid grin off your face!” Pete protested.
I love how Pete knows Mac well enough to know he's smirking despite being blind XD

QUOTE

“And I’m gonna give you the most awesome bachelor party you’ve ever seen!” Sam promised MacGyver when Connie stopped for a breath.
I was wondering whether it'd be Sam or Jack XD Wait, what if they teamed up?...

QUOTE


“Have you decided who’s gonna be your best man?” Pete asked, not wanting to be left out of the swirling conversation.
I was wondering, too, if it'd be Pete, or Jack, or Sam XD

QUOTE

“Time?!” Pete exclaimed. “At the rate you two are going you’ll have to have the ceremony on my grave if you expect me to attend!”
He's not wrong, I'll admit XD

QUOTE

Sam laughed, almost choking on the milk he was about to swallow, and Mac shot his friend a dirty look.
Pfft XD

QUOTE

“I saw that, MacGyver,” Pete warned.

“Lucky guess,” Mac muttered under his breath.

“And I heard that!” Pete retorted causing everyone at the table to chuckle.
This chapter just keeps making me lose it XD (I love it)

QUOTE

Pete loudly cleared his throat and Connie blushed. “That is, unless you two are sleeping…”
Okay, I actually did make audible noise with that one XD

QUOTE

“Hey Sam! Wanna play catch?!” An African-American boy about eight years old stood on the grass, tossing a tattered baseball into the air and catching it with an equally battered mitt.
Awwww wub.gif

(Wait, he's gonna go missing, isn't he?)

QUOTE

“That’s my dad and his...um...his friend.” Sam wasn’t sure if the young boy would know what a fiance was so he decided to keep it simple.
Girlfriend would probably do. (I couldn't help but think, "Yeah, they're friends, with benefits XD")

QUOTE
As Sam led them to the stairwell Mac asked, “Isn’t there an elevator?”

“I prefer the stairs,” came the simple reply. Mac interpreted that as either there was no elevator or the elevator was broken. Or perhaps the elevator was working...for now.
Lol XD

QUOTE

“I didn’t say that,” Mac replied with a crooked grin before looping his arms around his son’s neck in a playful choke-hold. “Actually, I think it’s great!”
Aww wub.gif (part 2)

QUOTE
When had he become such a fuddy-duddy?
When you met Sam XD

QUOTE

“His name is pronounced ‘Kip’, but I spell it with a ‘C’. It’s kinda a long story.”

“What kind of dog is he?” Joanna asked as Cip warily sniffed her shoe.
It's been one sentence, and I'm already calling him "Sip" dry.gif

QUOTE

“Aw man,” Sam moaned. “If I had stopped and played catch with him when we first came maybe none of this would have happened.”
Aww...

QUOTE
“Wha...what time is it?” the blond man asked without looking up.

Caught off-guard, Sam looked at his watch. “It’s almost four o’clock.”

“I...I have to ge...get home for sup...supper,” Darrell stuttered, still slightly rocking back and forth.

“Okay,” Sam replied, not sure what to make of this interaction. “Where do you live? We’ll walk with you.”

“I live in the big gray house.”

“And where is the big gray house?” Sam asked.

Darrell looked around and apparently decided he was lost. “I...I don’t know.”
Honestly, he doesn't sound so much like a creep, but something's wrong.

QUOTE

“I think I know where he lives,” Becca informed Sam in a whisper. “There’s a group home for adults with cognitive delays a few blocks from our apartment.”
That explains it.

QUOTE

“I doubt that will be a problem,” MacGyver said wryly, his gaze focused on his son and Becca, their heads bowed together, sharing a whispered conversation in a world of their own.
Aww wub.gif (seriously, did I laugh or "aww" more this chapter?)

Just wondering, any chance we'll find out about Cip's past at some point in the future?

Posted by: uniquelyjas 2 January 2020 - 10:17 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 2 January 2020 - 09:40 AM)

Just wondering, any chance we'll find out about Cip's past at some point in the future?

Yes, you will. And you'll find out a lot more about Becca, too. Neither are my characters. My best friend and fellow fan fic writer lets me borrow them from time to time!

Posted by: Dragondog 3 January 2020 - 02:34 PM
QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 2 January 2020 - 12:17 PM)
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 2 January 2020 - 09:40 AM)

Just wondering, any chance we'll find out about Cip's past at some point in the future?

Yes, you will. And you'll find out a lot more about Becca, too. Neither are my characters. My best friend and fellow fan fic writer lets me borrow them from time to time!

Yay biggrin.gif It's always nice to collaborate laugh.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 8 January 2020 - 02:33 PM
Chapter 31: New Hope


The drive home from Chicago was completed in relative silence. Every now and again MacGyver glanced over at Joanna only to find her staring out the passenger side window. Once he caught her swatting away an errant teardrop and his heart hiccupped. He asked if she was okay and of course she said she was. He knew better than to ask twice. Something was obviously bothering her, but he knew she would talk about it when she was ready and not a minute before. When they arrived at his townhouse, he unlocked the front door and she quietly slipped past him, taking a seat on the couch and hoisting Frog onto her lap for a cuddle session while he poured a glass of juice and berated himself for feeling jealous of a dog. He slowly made his way to the living room and took his place on the couch, waiting for her to break the stony silence.

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” she murmured as she rhythmically stroked Frog’s back.

MacGyver remained silent, hoping she would continue.

“I wish I hadn’t told anyone about our engagement,” she moaned, turning her chocolate brown eyes on him. “I’m already getting so tired of all the questions about the wedding. Just getting engaged was a big step for us. I’d kinda like to just enjoy that for awhile.”

Resting his arm on the top of the couch, he gently caressed her cheek.

“Is this about Connie, Pete and Sam?”

“No,” Jo shook her head. “They were just the proverbial last straw. Have you told anyone else?”

“I called Jack and Penny. They’re really excited for us, but they had a bunch of questions, too. Especially Penny.”

“I can only imagine,” Joanna laughed softly. “What did you tell them?”

“I told them we weren’t thinking that far ahead and that we have all the time in the world.”

“Do you really mean that?”

“Of course,” Mac replied, perplexed why she would question him. “I thought we already decided that. Why do you ask?”

Joanna shrugged and broke eye contact as she turned her face away from him and his touch. After a moment she addressed him softly.

“When our friendship began to turn into something more, we set some boundaries for certain aspects of our relationship. I had some time to think in Chicago and started wondering if maybe you had proposed because you were getting impatient and wanted to speed things up.”

MacGyver was stunned and a bit angry that she thought so little of him, if only for a moment. But then he turned his focus back to her and his heart squeezed.

“Aw baby,” Mac muttered as he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to his side. “You have to know I would never try to manipulate you like that. I was part of that decision, too, and I promise you that every moment we’re together I’m happier and more fulfilled than I’ve ever been with anyone else. I proposed to you to prove, once and for all, that I’m always gonna be here for you. I had absolutely no ulterior motive.”

“So you’re okay if we end up having a long engagement?”

“Absolutely. We’ve come this far on our own terms. Why change now?”

Joanna’s face lit up and the worry that had been there before was washed away.

“I think you just made me love you even more,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck for a toe curling kiss as Frog, forgotten and squished between his two humans, began to whine.

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After Joanna left, seemingly soothed by his words and kisses, the enormity of their situation hit him head on. As her husband, it would be his responsibility to see that she was safe and protected, physically as well as emotionally. Not that Jo couldn’t take care of herself. She was strong, independent, and stubborn. But he knew her heart was soft and vulnerable and while he was honored that she had chosen to give it to him, he was also scared witless that he would mess up somehow and betray the unconditional trust she had placed in him. Figuring sleep would be a long time coming, he grabbed one of his favorite Westerns from the bookshelf and shoved it into the VCR before flopping down on the couch. His eyes fluttered closed as the familiar theme music began to play.
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Boston, MA
January, 1863

“I’m telling you, Kate, this is the opportunity we’ve been waiting for!”

“Angus, you know I prefer to be called ‘Katherine’ now! Besides, what about your job at my father’s newspaper? He told me in confidence that you’re next in line for a promotion. Besides, we agreed to stay settled until Samuel was grown.”

“Come on, Kate!” The well-coiffed blonde woman raised an eyebrow at her husband which he deftly ignored. “Sammy’s already five years old. This would be a great experience for him. For all of us. We’ve talked about moving West ever since we got married. Where’s your sense of adventure?”

“Perhaps I lost it when you took a job as a scout for the Union Army and left me here to care for a three-year-old by myself!”

“If I recall, we made that decision together. The job was temporary and the pay was good”

“I just don’t see what you have against staying and working for Daddy!”

“I’m a grown man with a family now. Maybe I don’t want to live in the house your father owns or work as cog in the great Malloy Newspaper Empire. I want us to strike out on our own, build a home that’s ours, get away from the noise and pollution of city life like we talked about when we were courting. The least you could do is hear me out.”

“Fine,” Katherine said with a pout. “I’ll listen, but I’m not making any promises.” She seated herself on the edge of a dainty chair while her husband paced back and forth in front of her filled with an energy he hadn’t displayed since he had applied for that job with the Army.

“Last year the government passed what they call the Homestead Act. Just by filling out an application anyone can get 160 acres of free land out West!”

“Free land?” Katherine frowned. “It sounds too good to be true.”

“Well, there are a few requirements,” her husband hedged.

“Like what?”

“We’d have to build a home on the land and farm it for at least five years.”

“Five years?!”

“Think about it, Kate. I could plant corn or soybeans on part of it and buy some cattle to raise on the other. We could build the ranch we used to dream about. Buy up surrounding land once profits start coming in.”

“I guess it’s something worth considering,” she sighed. “Promise me we’ll think on it before we make any decisions.”

Her husband stopped his pacing and knelt beside her. “There’s something I have to tell you.”

“What is it?” she asked suspiciously.

“There’s a lot of frontier land out there now, but it’ll get taken up real fast with the government just giving it away. Lots of folks are looking for a fresh start.”

“What are you trying to say, Angus?”

He bowed his head. “I already filled out an application and found out today that we’ve been granted a parcel of land.”

“You made the decision to uproot your family and move to the middle of nowhere without even consulting me?!” Katherine’s voice rose in anger.

“I thought you’d be excited! Here, look,” he encouraged, a twinkle in his eye as he pulled a piece of paper from the pocket of his vest. “Our place is right there,” he said, pointing to a hand-drawn map. “Just outside the little town of New Hope in the Nebraska Territory. And it’s still early enough for me to get a crop in the ground this spring yet.”

“I refuse to travel in winter,” she sniffed. “Especially with Samuel. What if he fell ill? Besides, he needs to complete his lessons. We’re contracted with the tutor until spring.”

“I know. That’s why I decided it would be best if I packed a few necessities and headed out next week. If the weather cooperates, I could get our house built and send for you and Sammy in a couple months. Come on, Kate,” he implored. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Let’s start making our dreams come true!”


New Hope, Nebraska Territory
Mid-Summer 1863

“Good morning, Mr. Thornton. Did my shipment of textbooks arrive yet?” Miss Anna Fairfax asked the balding man working behind the counter of the General Store.

“I’m sorry, Miss Fairfax. Perhaps on the next stage,” he replied with an apologetic smile.

“Please, only my students address me as ‘Miss Fairfax’. Call me Anna.”

“Sure thing, Miss Anna. How are you settlin’ in to New Hope?”

“The previous school teacher left everything very well organized and the little house the town provides is just perfect! I already feel right at home.”

“Well, people are mighty glad to have you here. ‘Spect it’s a lot different than Chicago, though.”

“Indeed. But in a good way. Everyone is so friendly and helpful. Several families have even invited me to dinner.”

Just then the little bell above the door began to tinkle. Anna turned to see a ruggedly handsome man step into the small store. She figured he stood a bit over six feet tall, his dark, piercing eyes immediately grabbing her attention. Given his full, light brown mustache, scruff of a beard, and hair that grazed his collar she figured he must be a rancher or hired hand.

“Will that be all, Miss Anna?” the shopkeeper asked, breaking into her thoughts.

“I believe so, but if you don’t mind I’ll just take a look around to be sure.”

“Go right ahead and let me know if you need any assistance,” he told her before turning his attention to the man. “Mornin’ MacGyver. I have your order all set to go. I just have to get it from the storeroom.”

“Excuse me,” Anna said, approaching the stranger. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn’t help overhearing Mr. Thornton call you MacGyver. I’m Anna Fairfax, the new school teacher, and I believe I saw your son Samuel’s name on the roster for the fall term.”

“He goes by ‘Sammy’,” the man all but growled.

“Of course,” Anna replied, taken aback at MacGyver’s tone of voice. “I’ve been trying to meet all my students before class officially starts. I don’t suppose you brought him into town with you today?”

“Nope.”

“Here you go, MacGyver,” Thornton said from behind a pile of parcels. “You be needin’ anything else?”

“Nope,” MacGyver replied, picking up his goods and heading out the door without even saying goodbye.

“He’s certainly a talkative fella,” Anna observed sarcastically.

“He didn’t used to be that way,” the shopkeeper said sadly.

“What happened?”

“Now, I ain’t one to go talkin’ about a fella behind his back, but since you’ll be schoolin’ his son I suppose you have a right to know.” Thornton sighed and settled himself on a stool before continuing. “He came to town this past winter under the Homestead Act. Left his wife and son behind in Boston until he could get a house built. Nicest guy you could ever meet. Friendly, helpful, always seein’ the good in people. When he wasn’t working on his own place he’d be helping out a neighbor or one of the townsfolk. Has a real knack for fixin’ stuff and workin’ with his hands. When he finished his place he sent for his family. Since the railroad doesn’t run through New Hope they had to take a stagecoach for the last leg of the trip. Stage ended up being robbed by bandits. His son and another man were the only survivors. Story goes that Sammy hid under the seat and saw them shoot his ma dead. No boy should ever be seein’ that. When word got to MacGyver, he went to pick up his son and he came back a changed man. The man you saw today.”

“That’s horrible!” Anna cried. “There must be something I can do to help!”

“Problem is, MacGyver won’t accept any help. He cut him and that boy off from everyone and everything. Comes into town a couple times a month for feed and supplies, otherwise they just stay holed up on that farm. Quite frankly, I’m surprised he’s lettin’ Sammy attend that school of yours.”

XXXXX

The first week of school had drawn to a close and MacGyver was at his wits end, not to mention physically exhausted. He worked the land from sun-up to supper time and spent the evenings giving his son as much attention as possible. He found that filling every waking minute with chores or distractions kept the guilt and pain of his wife’s death at bay. Unfortunately, the same could not be said of Sammy who woke up in tears calling for his mother every night since his classes began. This had been a common occurrence for weeks after the robbery, but his son had seemed to have gotten over it until now. When the child’s plaintive cries rang out in the wee hours of Saturday morning, MacGyver knew he had to get to the root of the cause. He quietly stepped into his son’s room and sat on the edge of the bed, cradling Sammy in his arms and rocking him gently until the boy’s sobs subsided.

“Hey Sammy, what’s goin’ on? Why all the cryin’ lately?”

The child shrugged and rubbed his eyes as MacGyver waited for him to speak. Finally the truth came out.

“It’s my teacher, Miss Fairfax.”

MacGyver bit back a curse. He should have known the pretty little schoolmarm was to blame. A fire began to burn in the pit of his stomach. He had a bad feeling about her from the moment he met her in Thornton’s store that fine summer morning. But he had assumed she would be a danger to his well-being, not his son’s. He had been unpleasantly surprised at how his pulse skittered when he looked into her chocolate brown eyes, or how his fingers tingled to set her long brunette hair free from the neat bun at the nape of her neck. His wife had only been gone a few months. How could he possibly have feelings like this for another woman so soon? He had spent the next weeks avoiding her, not that it was very hard since he hardly ever set foot in town. But he kept his guard up anyway.

“What did Miss Fairfax do?” he asked his son.

“She calls me ‘Samuel’, just like Ma used to and then I remember how much I miss her,” he sniffled.

MacGyver fumed. He had told the teacher that his son’s name was ‘Sammy’. Apparently she didn’t take direction well. He intended to fix that first thing in the morning.

After completing his chores, MacGyver saddled up his favorite horse and rode to the little house next to the school where Miss Fairfax lived. He found her working in a small garden.

“We need to talk,” he told her sternly as he dismounted. “The first day we met I told you my son was to be called ‘Sammy’, not ‘Samuel’!”

“I’m sorry, Mr. MacGyver, but I make it a point to address all my students by their Christian name.”

“And I make it a point to protect my son! From now on you will call him ‘Sammy’!”

“Why?” she asked softly, catching him off guard.

He took a moment to gather himself before answering. “His mother didn’t like nicknames. She always called him ‘Samuel’.”

Anna gasped before he could continue. “And by calling him ‘Samuel’ I’m awakening memories of his mother.”

“Afraid so.”

“I’m so sorry. I never meant any harm.”

The sheen of sudden, unshed tears in her eyes made his heart ache in a new and different way.

“I’m sorry, too. I should have explained my reasoning instead of just giving you an order.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry. From now on I’ll call him ‘Sammy’ and I have a strong hunch I’ll be revising my own policy in the near future.”

“I’m much obliged,” he replied, touching the brim of his hat and turning back towards his horse.

XXXXX

“But Pa! All the kids in school have already had her over for supper at least once! Why can’t we?”

“Because Miss Fairfax is a very fine school teacher and we don’t want to take the risk of my cooking running her out of town.”

“You make a great stew!”

MacGyver smiled at his son’s enthusiasm. Over the past several weeks, Sammy had grown very fond of Miss Fairfax and, to be honest, so had he. Knowing it was time for farmers to harvest their fields and prepare for the upcoming winter, Anna had begun to keep Sammy after school, assigning him special duties to keep him busy and safe while MacGyver got the small ranch in order. He supposed he owed her a thank you for that, at least. And he did make a pretty good stew if he did say so himself.

“All right,” MacGyver capitulated. “You can ask her if she’d like to come to supper tonight. But use your manners and don’t get upset if she says no.”

That evening, Anna Fairfax joined the two men for supper and for the first time since he had moved in, MacGyver’s house finally felt like a home with her filling a place at his table and in his heart that had been empty too long. After lingering over dessert and convincing Sammy to get ready for bed because it was still a school night, MacGyver escorted Anna onto the front porch, regretting that he never did get around to hanging the wooden swing he had made. The October air was unusually warm and humid and laden with the scent of rain.

He wasn’t quite sure how it happened, but somewhere in the midst of discussing the possibility of an imminent thunderstorm and having to put the horses up for the night, his lips found Anna’s and they met in a sweet caress that warmed him from the inside out.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that,” he muttered, pulling away.

Anna lowered her head. “You’re still in love with your wife.”

“She’ll always hold a special place in my heart, and Sammy’s as well.” He had intended to stop there, but the words he had held inside since the stagecoach robbery finally broke free. “It’s my fault she died.”

Anna looked up at him with a mixture of compassion and confusion. “How do you figure? I thought stagecoach robbers shot her.”

MacGyver ran a hand through his hair and moved to lean against the porch railing.

“Kate refused to come with me when I left Boston. She wanted to wait until spring when she thought travel would be easier. I should have either forced her and Sammy to come when I did or just put my plans on hold until the weather broke. Either way I would have been there for her. I could have protected her like a good husband should.”

From the corner of his eye, he saw Anna shake her head and slowly approach him, her small hand hesitantly touching his shoulder. “It’s not your fault. You had no way of knowing. Besides, if you had been on that stage you might have been killed instead, leaving your wife and son alone in a strange new world. Or worse, you both could have died leaving Sammy an orphan.”

“It doesn’t matter,” MacGyver replied, his voice hoarse with emotion. “She died because I failed her and I won’t allow myself to do that to anyone ever again.”

“So you think by staying tucked away on this ranch with your son nothing bad will ever happen?” she challenged.

“Of course not. Bad things will always happen. The best one can do is try and even the odds.”

They stood gazing out at the vast prairie that spread before them in a silence that was interrupted only by the lowing of cattle in the meadow and the occasional scuffle of horses’ hooves on the hay-covered stable floor. In the distant sky, reflections of faraway lightning danced amongst the clouds.

“Looks like there’s a storm comin’,” MacGyver stated flatly. “We best get you home. I’ll go saddle my horse.”

“No,” Anna commanded. “I don’t live that far. I’ll be fine. You stay here with Sammy.”

“But…”

“‘But’ what?” she asked in her best teacher voice. “What if something happens to me on my way home? Then I guess I made a poor decision refusing your company. But it will have been my decision, not yours. Whatever does or doesn’t happen won’t be your fault, MacGyver. It will be mine.”

XXXXX

MacGyver was jolted awake from a fitful slumber by the crash of a nearby lightning strike. Moments later, Sammy was crawling into bed with him.

“It’s okay, son, it’s just a little thunderstorm,” MacGyver assured him. “But I’d best check on the livestock anyway.”

MacGyver crawled out of bed and pulled on his work pants and shirt from the day before. He opened the front door and immediately felt a difference in the air. A feel of foreboding enveloped him. The cattle had huddled into a small group in the pasture and the horses were snorting their displeasure at the turn in the weather. In the distance, he heard the familiar sound of a train chugging across the land. He stopped short. New Hope was nowhere near a railroad line. His mind flashed back to his childhood in Minnesota. He only knew of one other thing that sounded like that. A twister was bearing down on them!

“Sammy! Head for the root cellar!” he yelled above the strengthening wind as he ran back towards the house in time to see his son pull open the front door and scurry to the side of the house where MacGyver was already tugging on the large wooden doors that opened to the underground stairway that would lead them to shelter. He sat on the dirt floor, holding Sammy tight as the storm raged above them hoping with all his might that the house and outbuildings he had sacrificed so much to build would escape damage and destruction. He felt his ears pop and Sammy whimpered. Moments later, all was deathly quiet. With his son in his arms, he pushed open the cellar doors and climbed out. He breathed a sigh of relief and thankfulness upon discovering that his little ranch had been spared from the storm’s wrath. But his comfort was short-lived. In the distance, the peal of the town’s church bells heralded news of a catastrophe. He quickly tucked Sammy back into bed despite the boy’s protests and then saddled a mount and galloped toward town to assist in any way he could, intending to check on Anna on his way.

It didn’t take long until the sturdy silhouette of the schoolhouse came into view, but MacGyver’s pulse skidded to a halt when he saw the teacher’s cottage leveled to a pile of wooden slats. His chest clenched, lungs burned, and bile rose in the back of his throat at the horrific sight. He leapt off his horse before the animal fully stopped, calling Anna’s name. But the rain now pounded loud on the debris and drowned out his tortured words. Desperate with grief and not knowing what else to do, MacGyver continued to call her name as he threw boards off the pile that had once been Anna’s home. Tears sprung to his eyes at the thought of finding her crushed, lifeless body beneath the rubble. Yet he continued to frantically rip away at the debris. Between the noise of the storm and the sound of his own blood pounding in his ears, MacGyver almost didn’t hear the weak cry coming from the school.

“MacGyver! I’m over here! I’m alright!”

He turned to find Anna standing just inside the open doorway to the school, one hand waving to him while the other held her nightgown wrapper tightly around her as her long, loose hair billowed in the wind. An overwhelming relief such that he had never known before washed over him and he tossed aside the lumber he held, ran to where she stood, and wrapped his arms around her. Without a second thought, he kissed her more soundly than he had ever kissed anyone...even Kate.

“Oh, baby, I thought I’d lost you,” he muttered breathlessly once their lips parted. “I should’ve insisted you stay at the ranch where I could protect you until the storm passed. I would never have forgiven myself if something happened to you.”

“But I am okay,” Anna assured him, smoothing her hand over his rain-slicked hair. “And I have you to thank for it,” she smiled.

“What?” MacGyver asked, happiness giving way to confusion. “How?”

Anna bowed her head shyly. “I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking of this past evening with you so I decided to come over to the school and grade some papers. When I heard the tornado coming I crawled under the desk. If it hadn’t been for the wonderful time I had with you keeping me awake, I would have been asleep in my bed when the storm hit. So you see, MacGyver, you did protect me!”

“And I want to go on protecting you for the rest of my life,” he told her huskily before once again finding her sweet lips. And though he wasn’t the kind of man given to romantic flights of fancy, he swore he could hear bells ringing as he deepened their kiss.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The ringing continued and MacGyver groaned, lazily opening eye.

“Go away!” he called to the telephone. The ringing stopped. Then started up again a couple minutes later.

“Aw man,” he complained as he got up, shaking his head to release the remnants of the crazy dream he just had. “Hello?” he answered a bit grouchily.

“Why didn’t you answer when I first called? Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine Jo,” he replied more gently. “I was watching a movie and must have dozed off. What’s up?”

“I just wanted to thank you for tonight. I guess I let my emotions get the best of me. It’s just that I don’t do well with change, and you gotta admit this is a real big change for both of us.”

“That’s why we’re gonna take our time,” Mac told her. “You’re not starting to have any regrets, are you?” His stomach clenched in anticipation.

“No. What about you?”

MacGyver remembered his dream and smiled into the phone, “Absolutely not.”
































Posted by: Dragondog 9 January 2020 - 04:17 AM
QUOTE
Chapter 31: New Hope
Hmm...

QUOTE
When they arrived at his townhouse, he unlocked the front door and she quietly slipped past him, taking a seat on the couch and hoisting Frog onto her lap for a cuddle session while he poured a glass of juice and berated himself for feeling jealous of a dog.
Those last nine words made me laugh XD

QUOTE

“When our friendship began to turn into something more, we set some boundaries for certain aspects of our relationship. I had some time to think in Chicago and started wondering if maybe you had proposed because you were getting impatient and wanted to speed things up.”
I'm glad to see this particular serious subject being brought up.

QUOTE

“I think you just made me love you even more,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck for a toe curling kiss as Frog, forgotten and squished between his two humans, began to whine.
Awww- oh poor Frog roller.gif

QUOTE
Figuring sleep would be a long time coming, he grabbed one of his favorite Westerns from the bookshelf and shoved it into the VCR before flopping down on the couch. His eyes fluttered closed as the familiar theme music began to play.
Uh oh....

QUOTE

Boston, MA
January, 1863
Oh, here we go laugh.gif

QUOTE

“I know. That’s why I decided it would be best if I packed a few necessities and headed out next week. If the weather cooperates, I could get our house built and send for you and Sammy in a couple months. Come on, Kate,” he implored. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Let’s start making our dreams come true!”
Well, she's gonna die soon XD

QUOTE
When he finished his place he sent for his family. Since the railroad doesn’t run through New Hope they had to take a stagecoach for the last leg of the trip. Stage ended up being robbed by bandits. His son and another man were the only survivors. Story goes that Sammy hid under the seat and saw them shoot his ma dead. No boy should ever be seein’ that. When word got to MacGyver, he went to pick up his son and he came back a changed man. The man you saw today.”
And there we go XD (Sam was even younger here, poor thing sad.gif )

QUOTE
He found that filling every waking minute with chores or distractions kept the guilt and pain of his wife’s death at bay.
Knew he'd feel guilt, what with movin' out bein' his idea and all (five minutes of westerns, and I'm TYPING with an accent, for cryin' out loud roller.gif

QUOTE
He had a bad feeling about her from the moment he met her in Thornton’s store that fine summer morning. But he had assumed she would be a danger to his well-being, not his son’s.
Idk why I find this funny laugh.gif

QUOTE

The sheen of sudden, unshed tears in her eyes made his heart ache in a new and different way.
That was fast XD

QUOTE

“Because Miss Fairfax is a very fine school teacher and we don’t want to take the risk of my cooking running her out of town.”
Or her fine-ness running you out XD

QUOTE

MacGyver was jolted awake from a fitful slumber by the crash of a nearby lightning strike. Moments later, Sammy was crawling into bed with him.
Awww tongue.gif

QUOTE
Yet he continued to frantically rip away at the debris. Between the noise of the storm and the sound of his own blood pounding in his ears, MacGyver almost didn’t hear the weak cry coming from the school.

“MacGyver! I’m over here! I’m alright!”
I thought that might be where she was XD

QUOTE

“I just wanted to thank you for tonight. I guess I let my emotions get the best of me. It’s just that I don’t do well with change, and you gotta admit this is a real big change for both of us.”
Amen sister. I feel that. I really do.


Posted by: uniquelyjas 14 January 2020 - 04:18 PM
Chapter 32: A Challenger’s Halloween

The following day MacGyver pulled into the Challengers parking lot. After his strange dream and brief telephone conversation with Joanna the night before, he had slept more peacefully than he had in a while if he was to be honest with himself. It seemed incomprehensible how putting one particular ring on one particular finger could turn one’s world upside down, at least momentarily.

As he climbed from the Nomad, a brisk October breeze tousled his hair. The temperatures were already colder than normal, most likely promising a long winter ahead. He entered the building to find Cynthia and some other volunteers snuggled into sweatshirts, coats, and even blankets.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“The furnace went out overnight,” Cynthia told him.

“Have you called a repair man?”

“No. I was hoping you could take a look at it first and see if you could fix it.”

“Yeah, sure,” he responded before heading to the utility closet to grab some tools and descending the stairs to the basement where the silent monstrosity awaited. It wasn’t terribly old, but it was also far from being new.

MacGyver quickly unscrewed and removed the metal panel covering one side of the furnace to expose the inner workings of the machine. With the aid of a flashlight he assessed the damage.

“Well, can you fix it?” Cynthia asked. She had followed him downstairs and now peered over his shoulder.

Mac sighed. “See that?” he asked, aiming the beam of light on a black box. “The blower motor is shot and the capacitor probably is as well. Then over here,” he moved the light again, “the tubing on the thermocouple is split. That automatically shut off the gas. I could manage a quick fix but it would only be temporary. There could also be other issues we can’t see. I’d rather play it safe and call in a professional.”

He turned to face Cynthia who looked crestfallen.

“Oh, MacGyver! When I was doing the books I never budgeted for any major emergencies. With the cut to our funding we barely have enough to cover the absolute necessities.”

“My bonus from Phoenix should be coming through soon. Why don’t we use that?”

“I’ve already earmarked that for next month’s rent. It’d be like robbing Peter to pay Paul. There just isn’t enough money to go around.”

Mac put his hands firmly on the older woman’s shoulders both to comfort and encourage.

“Look, we have time to come up with the rent. We need to get this furnace repaired now. We need to prioritize and use the money where it’s most needed.”

“Your right, MacGyver. I’m sorry I panicked.”

“No need to apologize. We’re in a tough situation right now. But in the meantime, could you go upstairs and grab me a roll of duct tape, a paper clip and some gum so I can fix this thing?”

Cynthia’s jaw fell and it was all he could do to keep from laughing. A few seconds later she regained her composure...and caught him in the act.

“Oh, Mac!” she chuckled with a wave of her hand, “You’re such a tease!”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

That afternoon Joanna pulled into Challengers to find a large panel van advertising heating and cooling repair parked in front of the building. She entered through the main doors, stopping at Rosie’s reception desk.

“Hey, what’s with the van out there?” Jo asked.

“The furnace broke last night,” Rosie replied. “MacGyver patched it up until a repairman could get here.” The woman’s eyes strayed from Joanna’s to Mac’s office where he, Cynthia, and a man in stained overalls huddled around his desk. Joanna knocked lightly on the door before quickly joining them.

“Sorry to give you the bad news, ma’am,” the repairman, whose name was Ted if the patch on his breast pocket was any indication, replied.

“Are you sure you just can’t fix it?” Cynthia asked, chewing anxiously on her bottom lip.

“Well, I could. But you’d be calling me back in a month, if not sooner, to fix it again. You run a good place here and I don’t want you to go throwing good money after bad. Like I already told ya, it’s best to just get a brand new unit.”

Mac and Cynthia breathed a collective sigh and Joanna understood why when she peeked over Ted’s shoulder at the invoice. A new furnace would not come cheap.

“Thanks for comin’ out on such short notice,” MacGyver thanked the repairman, shaking his hand. “We’ll be in touch soon with our decision.”

Ted turned and smiled at Joanna before walking out the door.

“Sounds like we got a problem,” Jo said, stating the obvious but wanting to fill the uncomfortable silence.

MacGyver looked up, surprise in his eyes as if he was first now aware of her presence.

“Did you hear everything?” he asked.

“I heard enough,” she answered flatly.

“So what are we going to do?” Cynthia inquired.

Mac scrubbed his face with his hands before responding. “I suppose we get a new furnace.”

“But that’s so expensive!” the older woman protested.

“Initially,” MacGyver replied matter-of-factly. “But in the long run it’ll save us money if Ted’s right about the existing one needing repeated repairs.”

Cynthia sent Joanna a pleading look.

“I’m afraid I have to side with Mac on this one,” Jo said. “It just makes sense.”

“But where are we going to get that kind of money so quickly?” Cynthia bemoaned.

“What did you do back in L.A. when you needed extra money?” Joanna asked.

“Our biggest fundraiser of the year was always the Christmas pageant,” Mac told her. “But that furnace may not last until tomorrow, much less December.”

“Not to mention that it took a lot of time and preparation to put the pageant together,” Cynthia added.

“Well, Halloween’s coming up,” Jo said thoughtfully. “Maybe we can do something less labor-intensive centered around that? It would also be a good way to keep the kids out of trouble on what can be a pretty crazy night.”

“Like a costume party or something?” Mac ventured.

Joanna’s eyes lit up. “That’s a great idea! And I’m sure my friend will offer his DJ services like when we had the prom for Challengers Academy!”

“And we could get restaurants to donate food and soda,” MacGyver added, warming to the idea.

“That’s all well and good,” Cynthia interrupted, “But how is this little party going to bring in the money we need? We can’t exactly make the kids pay to attend.”

“She’s got a point,” Mac observed, glancing between the two women.

Everyone fell silent as they struggled with this obstacle.

“What if we had all the members who want to come pre-register and we could just check their names off a list when they arrive. Everyone else from the community will have to pay a modest cover charge, and we can put out a fish bowl or something to collect additional donations. I’m sure parents would love a place for their kids to be able to celebrate in safety,” Jo suggested.

“You know, something like that just might work,” Cynthia agreed, pondering the idea.

XXXXX

Several days later Joanna entered MacGyver’s apartment to find him decked out in hockey gear from head to toe.

“Well, what’d ya think?” he asked her.

“I thought we were going to have dinner together, but if you’d rather play hockey it’s fine by me.”

“Huh? No! This is my Halloween costume!”

Jo raked her glance over him. “For normal people that’s a costume. For you it’s your Sunday best.”

Mac looked down at his uniform and frowned. “I guess I could always go as a cowboy,” he muttered. Suddenly brightening, he grabbed a piece of cloth from the breakfast counter and tossed it at Joanna.

“What’s this?” she asked, carefully examining the green piece of felt. It had four ‘arms’ and two bulging white eyes made from ping pong balls.

“It’s a frog costume for Frog! Get it?!”

Joanna’s brow wrinkled with concern and she reached out to touch MacGyver’s forehead with the back of her hand.

“Are you feeling alright?” she asked.

“I’m fine,” he replied, pulling back from her touch. “Can’t a guy get into the Halloween spirit?”

“Yeah, sure, I’ve just never seen you like this before.”

Mac quickly closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms around Jo’s waist. “Maybe I’ve never felt like this before,” he countered softly as his lips gently met hers.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Over the ensuing days, Challengers Club members and adult volunteers alike eagerly took over preparations for the Halloween costume party. Before MacGyver knew it, the event was upon them. He was in his bathroom, putting the finishing touches on his costume, when he heard Joanna enter.

“Mac, you ready to go?” she called.

“I’ll be right down,” he replied. He heard her groan and smiled, knowing she had seen Frog in his own little costume. He descended the stairs to find Jo crouched in front of the chubby little canine murmuring something about ‘poor baby’ and ‘insufferable man’. He loudly cleared his throat to get her attention. Hearing him behind her, she quickly stood up and turned around to face him.

“Evenin’, Miss Joanna. You’re lookin’ mighty fine tonight,” he drawled as he watched her scrutinize him from head to toe.

“Not exactly the Lone Ranger, are ya?” she observed, wrinkling her nose.

“Real cowboys in the Old West did not dress like the Lone Ranger,” he replied, refusing to accept her criticism.

Once again he watched her regard his scuffed boots, loose, worn pants, woolen barn coat and misshapen hat.

“I guess you have a point,” she capitulated. “Do I look okay?”

Unbeknownst to her, Mac had been admiring her costume since he first walked in the room. The soft pink sweater, poodle skirt and saddle shoes made her look young and vulnerable and incredibly attractive. He reached out to pull her closer for a long kiss, but a strong hand on his chest halted his progress.

“You are not kissing me until you get rid of that cockroach that crawled up and died on your lip!”

“You mean you don’t like my mustache?” he asked, patting the fuzzy accessory to make sure it was still in place.

“I’ll like it just fine as soon as you take it off and put it back from wherever it came from,” she replied curtly before grabbing Frog’s leash and leading him out the front door.

“Then I guess a beard is out of the question?” Mac queried playfully as he followed.

XXXXX

By the time MacGyver and Joanna pulled into Challengers, the party was already in full swing. Frog the frog scampered to his corner where he held court, eating up attention as if it was candy...or fried chicken livers. Mac made his way through the recreation room greeting excited friends and neighbors. He was pleased that Jo chose to remain at his side instead of going off on her own. It felt good to be part of a couple...a permanent couple. The older teens ignored them as they either danced to the DJ or huddled in conversation near a table laden with food while the younger kids were busy playing games or visiting trick-or-treat stations set up throughout the club. MacGyver couldn’t help but smile when he saw everyone enjoying themselves. He was just about to pull Joanna into his arms for a slow tempo dance when a loud but familiar voice rang out above the crowd.

“MacGyver! Joanna!” The pair turned to see Geena, the receptionist from the law firm, standing on tiptoe waving to them.

Jo immediately rushed toward the older woman and was soon enveloped in a warm embrace. By the time Mac approached, Geena was holding Joanna’s left hand up to her face, squinting at her engagement ring.

“That’s the best that man of yours could do?” she asked with a frown of disapproval.

“I happen to love it,” Joanna said with a laugh. “Besides, it belonged to his grandmother and has a lot of sentimental value.”

“Ahh, a family heirloom. You must treasure this ring for the rest of your life!” Geena eagerly instructed, now smiling approvingly.

“I plan to,” Joanna promised.

After MacGyver greeted Geena, he noticed Lee and Wendi Vang standing off to the side, grinning widely. With Lee in a suit and Wendi still in her nursing scrubs, it appeared the two had come directly from work.

“So what brings you all to this side of town?” Mac asked after the appropriate pleasantries were exchanged.

“We’ve been meaning to come check out the club for ages,” Lee said, speaking for the two women as well. “We heard about the costume party and decided it was a great opportunity to not only catch up with you two and congratulate you on your engagement in person but also do some good as well.”

“Thanks! We appreciate that,” Mac replied.

“We also have some news of our own we wanted to share,” Lee added.

MacGyver’s eyebrows raised in surprise and he noticed Joanna’s did the same. “Let’s go in my office where we can hear ourselves think,” he invited.

“So what’s the news?” Jo asked as soon as they were settled behind closed doors. She couldn’t help but glance at Wendi’s abdomen and speculate.

“It’s not what you’re thinking, Joanna,” the trauma nurse said with a knowing grin, causing her friend to blush. “It really doesn’t have anything to do with me.”

“Of course it does!” Lee admonished. “This was a decision we made together!”

“Excuse me, kids,” MacGyver interrupted, “But would you mind sharing with the rest of the class?”

“I’m sorry, Mac,” Lee apologized. “The big news is that I’ve decided to start my own law practice. I have a couple other attorneys on board and we plan to open the first of the year.”

“And I’m retiring from the firm to work part time as their secretary,” Geena added. “That will also give me time to volunteer here at Challengers.”

“That’s great, Lee,” MacGyver said, even as he smiled at Geena. “It’s a big step. What made you decide to do it?”

“It was actually a number of things,” Lee shrugged. “I finally realized there’s little room for advancement at the firm. With my lack of seniority, I wouldn’t make partner until I was ninety! I also liked the idea of being my own boss. But most importantly, I want to give back and help out the people who need my services the most. I’m tired of defending the rich and stomping on the poor. Working with you and Challengers helped me see that.”

“Glad to be of service!” Mac teased. “What kind of law will you specialize in?”

“That’s one of the best parts!” the attorney responded excitedly. “I’m making a concerted effort to bring a variety of lawyers on board so we can deal with criminal, family, even real estate law. And I leased a building not far from here so we’ll be easily accessible to the community. And don’t worry, we’ll still be available for pro bono cases. Especially yours!”

Everyone laughed until there was a loud knock and Cynthia poked her head in the doorway.

“Sorry to interrupt, but a television news crew is outside and wants to interview MacGyver!”

“What?!” Mac felt his face fall. He neither sought nor craved publicity or attention. He much preferred to work behind the scenes, fly under the radar.

“They’re doing stories on places that are providing safe Halloween alternatives to trick-or-treating,” Cynthia clarified.

“It’d be great exposure for Challengers, Mac,” Joanna said softly behind him.

He turned, grabbed her wrist, and gave her a gentle tug. “If I’m gonna talk to the press, you’re comin’ with me.”

The interview was brief, and much less painful than MacGyver had anticipated. The reporter seemingly more interested in showcasing the various activities and speaking with the participants.

“See, that wasn’t so bad,” Jo soothed, patting his shoulder and trying unsuccessfully to smother a smirk.

“You’re right,” he agreed. “I just have one question...should I have taken off my mustache?”

The following morning MacGyver and Cynthia huddled around his desk, counting the proceeds from the night before.

“We made just enough to cover the cost of a new heating unit,” Cynthia declared.

Mac sighed, leaned back in his chair, and scrubbed his face with his hands.
“I don’t know how you and Booker managed to keep Challengers afloat all those years,” he said wearily.

“We found a way, MacGyver. We always found a way. And you will too. Just have some faith!” She reached over and patted his hand in a motherly fashion, pulling away when the phone rang.

“Challengers Club,” Mac answered.

Hearing the mayor’s voice on the other end caused him to straighten his posture and school his voice to sound calm and professional. In control. He noticed Cynthia slip from the room but immediately turned his attention back to the caller. A few minutes later he hung up and went in search of Cynthia, fully aware of the silly grin on his face.

“MacGyver, what is it? Who was on the phone?” she asked as he wandered into her office.

“You’re not gonna believe this,” he replied, shaking his head as if trying to believe it himself. “That was the mayor. He and some members of the city council saw the blurb about us on the news last night and when they heard we were having financial trouble they called an emergency meeting and voted unanimously to help fund the club. There’s still a lot of red tape to cut through, and it will take some time, but with the amount he quoted, it will more than cover what we lost from Phoenix.”

Mac was smiling widely now. “That means we can actually start to move forward. Buy new things. Implement new programs.”

“Oh MacGyver, that’s wonderful!” Cynthia exclaimed as she got up to wrap him in a congratulatory hug. “See, I told you everything would work out!”













Posted by: Dragondog 17 January 2020 - 11:15 AM
QUOTE
Chapter 32: A Challenger’s Halloween
*checks calendar* Uh, okay XD

QUOTE

“No. I was hoping you could take a look at it first and see if you could fix it.”
I mean, yeah, what else would you do? XD

QUOTE
But in the meantime, could you go upstairs and grab me a roll of duct tape, a paper clip and some gum so I can fix this thing?”
When MacGyver becomes self-aware tongue.gif

QUOTE


“But where are we going to get that kind of money so quickly?” Cynthia bemoaned.
*Mac proceeds to try to sell something of his again*

QUOTE
Several days later Joanna entered MacGyver’s apartment to find him decked out in hockey gear from head to toe.

“Well, what’d ya think?” he asked her.

“I thought we were going to have dinner together, but if you’d rather play hockey it’s fine by me.”

“Huh? No! This is my Halloween costume!”

Jo raked her glance over him. “For normal people that’s a costume. For you it’s your Sunday best.”

Mac looked down at his uniform and frowned. “I guess I could always go as a cowboy,” he muttered. Suddenly brightening, he grabbed a piece of cloth from the breakfast counter and tossed it at Joanna.

“What’s this?” she asked, carefully examining the green piece of felt. It had four ‘arms’ and two bulging white eyes made from ping pong balls.

“It’s a frog costume for Frog! Get it?!”

Joanna’s brow wrinkled with concern and she reached out to touch MacGyver’s forehead with the back of her hand.

“Are you feeling alright?” she asked.
This whole exchange is hilarious XD XD XD

QUOTE
Mac quickly closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms around Jo’s waist. “Maybe I’ve never felt like this before,” he countered softly as his lips gently met hers.
*eyeroll* XD

QUOTE

Unbeknownst to her, Mac had been admiring her costume since he first walked in the room. The soft pink sweater, poodle skirt and saddle shoes made her look young and vulnerable and incredibly attractive. He reached out to pull her closer for a long kiss, but a strong hand on his chest halted his progress.
What's she dressed as?

QUOTE


“You are not kissing me until you get rid of that cockroach that crawled up and died on your lip!”
Never heard "cockroach" be used to describe that before XD

QUOTE
With Lee in a suit and Wendi still in her nursing scrubs, it appeared the two had come directly from work.
Saves money on costumes XD

QUOTE

“So what’s the news?” Jo asked as soon as they were settled behind closed doors. She couldn’t help but glance at Wendi’s abdomen and speculate.
Literally my immediate reaction in these cases XD

QUOTE


“Excuse me, kids,” MacGyver interrupted, “But would you mind sharing with the rest of the class?”
laugh.gif

QUOTE
“You’re not gonna believe this,” he replied, shaking his head as if trying to believe it himself. “That was the mayor. He and some members of the city council saw the blurb about us on the news last night and when they heard we were having financial trouble they called an emergency meeting and voted unanimously to help fund the club. There’s still a lot of red tape to cut through, and it will take some time, but with the amount he quoted, it will more than cover what we lost from Phoenix.”

Mac was smiling widely now. “That means we can actually start to move forward. Buy new things. Implement new programs.”

“Oh MacGyver, that’s wonderful!” Cynthia exclaimed as she got up to wrap him in a congratulatory hug. “See, I told you everything would work out!”
Well waddya know? XD

Seemed to be a bit of a short chapter, but I don't mind smile.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 22 January 2020 - 06:23 AM
Chapter 33: MacGyverland (Part 1)

Frog pawed at the glass patio door, causing the vertical blinds to clank. Joanna, comfortably ensconced in a cozy armchair, looked up from her knitting, her gaze moving from the softly whining bull dog to the fiancé sprawled on the couch, video game controller in hand and attention riveted on the television screen where animated hockey players toddled back and forth, shooting the puck at his command.

“Your dog needs to go out,” she announced flatly.

“He’s soon-to-be our dog, and I’m one goal away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals,” MacGyver muttered, fingers adeptly maneuvering two mini joysticks.

“Fine,” Jo huffed, tossing her knitting on the floor and pushing herself up from the chair to tend to their beloved canine.

“You know you’re addicted to that game,” she observed after snapping on Frog’s leash and sliding the door open just enough for him to scooch through.

“I am not!” Mac protested. “I can stop anytime I want.”

“That’s what they all say!” she shot back with a snort she knew he found both endearing when directed at others, but annoying when directed at him.

“Hey! Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it,” he challenged as she watched Frog sniff the perimeter of the yard before settling on a spot to do his business.

“Alright!” she challenged, after letting their dog back in the house. Before MacGyver could stop her, she walked over to the gaming console and hit the reset button.

“What’d ya do that for?!” Mac cried as the screen went blank. “I was in the middle of a game!”

“You had two seconds left and the other team was on a power play. You weren’t gonna win. Besides, you said I should play.”

Having caught Mac by surprise, she swiftly grabbed the controller from his hands, but he recovered quickly and caught her around the waist, pulling her down on the couch with him only to tease the side of her neck with feather-light kisses.

“Are you trying to distract me?” she accused with a soft laugh.

“You bet.”

“Well, it’s not gonna work,” she replied with more resolve than she felt. His frustrated sigh sent a tingle trickling down her spine and she secretly relished the power she held over this amazing man.

“Now come on,” she urged, sitting up straighter. “Show me how this works.”

Joanna lost track of time as MacGyver showed her how to use the controller to move the animated figures. Her fingers were clumsy and she frowned in frustration when she missed a perfectly set up shot on goal.

“I hate this game,” she mumbled.

“Hang in there,” Mac encouraged. “It’s all about timing and eye-hand coordination. Kinda like your knitting. You just need some practice.”

She pulled a face at him but immediately reset the game to try again. She had just found a new obstacle to conquer, and conquer she would. Then she could challenge Mac to a game. Deep in concentration as she struggled to make the little animated men follow her commands, she almost didn’t hear the telephone ring. She felt Mac’s weight shift as he pushed himself off the couch. Her eyes never left the screen, but her ears couldn’t help overhearing his end of the conversation.

“Hello? Hey Craig! What’s up?”

There was only one ‘Craig’ that she was aware of in MacGyver’s life and that was Craig Bannister from the Phoenix Foundation. Had he called to try to convince Mac to go on another mission? Not that it should matter to her. She and Mac had already talked about this and agreed that he would still help out his friends when he could and surely they wouldn’t send a freelancer, which Mac now was, out on anything dangerous. Nevertheless, she forgot about the video game and focused her attention on the phone call.

MacGyver was silent for several minutes before countering. “But tests like that can’t replicate what an agent will encounter in the field!”

More silence. Then, “Yeah, I know. Do you need me to come out there? Yeah, sure, I can do that. Okay, bye.”

“What did he want?” Joanna asked as soon as Mac hung up the phone. She was ashamed at the displeasure in her voice.

MacGyver sighed and scrubbed his face as he sat down next to her, leaning forward with his arms resting on his thighs.

“Phoenix wants to shut down MacGyverland.”

“They want to shut down what?!” Jo was completely stupefied.

“It’s a nickname my former colleagues made up for an obstacle course I created that’s part of the field agent recertification process. Some members of the board think it’s dangerous, obsolete, and a waste of the agents’ time.”

“Is it?”

“It does take agents up for re-cert out of circulation for three days. Plus, Craig said the course hasn’t been properly maintained due to lack of funds and several people have gotten hurt which causes them to be out of work even longer. As for it being obsolete, Craig said the board members argued that with technological advances in surveillance, intel, and remote operations, agents don’t require the skills the course tests, at least not like they used to.”

“And what do you think?”

“I created the course not only to test physical strength, but also manual dexterity, mental focus, reflexes, strategic planning, and basic wilderness survival skills. That can’t be measured by putting someone on a treadmill or practicing in a shooting gallery. The board is going to meet in a week to officially vote on the status. They’ll be hearing arguments beforehand and Craig wants me to share my thoughts.”

“You’ll be going to L.A. then?” Jo didn’t like the way her mouth became dry upon asking that question. She loved this man. She didn’t own him.

MacGyver shook his head. “I’ll go to the Chicago office and participate in a video conference call, but according to Bannister it’s pretty much a waste of time unless I can come up with some alternative between now and then.”

Joanna watched as Mac’s gaze tore from hers to the video game. She could practically see the gears in his brain turning.

“Mac? What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking I have a lot of research to do.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The following day MacGyver shuttered himself in his office at Challengers. With funding woes behind them, he could focus on the task at hand which, for the present, was finding alternative recertification activities for Phoenix field agents. He knew Joanna wasn’t thrilled that he had agreed to it, but they had a deal and, to her credit, she hid her dissatisfaction well. Besides, when he had proposed to her, he never in a million years could have predicted he would ever work for Phoenix again. And this really wasn’t work. He was just a concerned former employee trying to help out. Mac booted up his computer and typed his question into the subject line of the search engine. Before long, he was sifting through numerous reports and studies to make sure his plan was viable and to serve as evidence for the Phoenix Board of Directors.

A few days later MacGyver entered his apartment to find Joanna sitting on his couch, completely engrossed in the video hockey game she was playing just like every other night since he introduced her to the pastime. He moved closer and marveled at how her delicate fingers now expertly maneuvered the joysticks and hit the buttons with near-perfect dexterity. Either she hadn’t heard him walk in or she was ignoring him because her concentration hadn’t flinched.

“She shoots, she scores, and the crowd goes wild!!!” Jo crowed exuberantly, raising her hands in the air to further celebrate her victory.

Mac couldn’t help chuckling. “Now who’s addicted?” he asked with mock sarcasm.

Joanna rose from the couch, pulled herself up to her full height, and approached him, not stopping until her face was mere inches from his.

“I’ll have you know I can quit anytime I want, mister. Besides, I just won the Stanley Cup.”

Grabbing her upper arms, he pulled her to him, giving her a hard, quick kiss.

“Congratulations.”

She pulled away with a frown.

“What?” he asked.

“Mac, I just won the Stanley Cup!”

“Well excuse me!” he replied with a sly grin. This time when he reached for her, his touch was gentle. He drew her into his arms and lowered his lips to hers, their long, deep kiss making his heart pound in a way no hockey game ever could.

“Better?” he asked in a husky voice as he reluctantly stepped back.

“Much,” she confirmed softly, her eyes still a bit unfocused. “I’ve missed you.”

“Me too,” he replied. “But I think I’ve finally got a solution. Come over here and let me show you.”

MacGyver took Joanna’s hand and led her over to his computer. He quickly popped in a disc and the monitor came to life with colorful game pieces on an electronic board.

“Mac, this is a video game,” Jo observed skeptically.

“You could call it that,” he shrugged.

“Are you out of your mind?! You can’t possibly plan on telling Phoenix that agent recertification will be based on how well they play a video game!”

“Now just hold on and let me show you how it works.” MacGyver pulled up an extra chair, reached for the mouse, and began clicking its buttons.

“This game is all about strategy. You have to match same-colored pieces to clear the board in a certain amount of time. In order to do that, you have to recognize one of three different patterns.”

“I guess I can see the theory in that,” Joanna said uncertainly.

Mac allowed himself a small smile, typed in a command, and soon the screen turned into a picture of a meadow. A woolly animated sheep darted across the green space from the left side of the monitor. MacGyver immediately clicked a mouse button and the animal was ‘shot’ with a tranquilizer dart.

“This one is designed to test your reflexes,” he explained.

“That looks like fun! Let me try.” Joanna unceremoniously shoved him out of the way as she scooted her own chair closer to the computer. Several sheep made their way across the screen before she successfully shot one in the nick of time. The computer displayed her score and she frowned. “I don’t think I like this game either,” she frowned, backing away.

MacGyver smothered a smile, secretly enjoying the competitiveness she tried to keep locked away. “It takes practice,” he reassured her.

“Okay, what else you got?” Apparently she was warming to the idea the way he hoped the board members would.

“The final exercise is designed to test manual dexterity. I figured we could use--”

“The hockey game!” Jo cut him off excitedly.

“Yeah,” he laughed.

“And all these games, um, programs, require a good deal of mental focus,” she observed. “But what about the survival aspect of it?”

Mac shrugged. “The initial training program covers that and if agents keep their other skills sharp it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Well, I’m sold. But how are you going to get Phoenix to agree to use this as an alternative strategy?”

“That’s where these come in,” MacGyver said, pulling large packets of papers from his satchel.

“What are those?”

“These are reports of studies that examined the success rate of using creative training methods.”

“I think I read about one of those,” Joanna responded, her brow furrowed in thought. “It had to do with basketball players, if I remember correctly. One practiced free throws like usual while the other simply used that same amount of time to visualize himself successfully making the free throws. I forgot what the exact outcome was, but the guy who did the visualization performed just as well if not better than the guy who physically practiced.”

“Exactly!” Mac exclaimed, glad that Jo understood his point. “These reports prove that skills can transfer from one environment to another.”

“Think that’ll be enough proof for the foundation?”

“I sure hope so.”

XXXXX

MacGyver inhaled a long, deep breath through his nose and slowly exhaled through his mouth, willing his heart rate to slow as he followed a cheerful receptionist through the corridors of the Phoenix Foundation office building in Chicago. With each footstep he silently chided himself. How many times throughout his career had he stood in front of influential boards or committees, presenting research, data, and various courses of action? Of course, he had always had the full support of Phoenix and, sometimes, even the United States Government. Today it was all on him. He would sink or swim alone. And that thought was kinda overwhelming. The receptionist stopped at the door to a small conference room and stepped aside with a smile, allowing Mac to enter. He quickly surveyed the empty room then grinned when his gaze fell upon a familiar figure seated in a corner.

“Pete! What are you doin’ here?!” The older man rose at the sound of his friend’s voice and soon the two men were embracing.

“Joanna called and filled me in on your situation. Thought you could use some moral support. She also seems to think I may still have some pull with the board members.”

“Do you?”

“Let’s hope we don’t have to find out.”

Before Mac could reply, he heard the two way speaker on the table click on and looked up to the television mounted on the wall to see it flicker to life as a number of middle-aged men in suits somberly gathered around a conference table in Los Angeles. MacGyver followed their lead and situated himself in a chair facing the screen so he could see and be seen. Once brief introductions and generic greetings were exchanged, the spokesman of the group addressed him.

“Contrary to our original plan and in light of the new proposal you sent us earlier in the week, the board has already voted unanimously to immediately terminate any and all use of the recertification obstacle course known as MacGyverland.”

Mac kept his face expressionless, nodding slightly to show he understood. He would not let them see his disappointment. Would not let them see any chinks in his armor.

“Now then,” the spokesman continued, “after studying your alternate method for recertification, several of our members found it quite interesting, including myself, and we’d like to take advantage of your presence to provide further information.”

For the next thirty minutes, MacGyver answered questions, expounded explanations, and referred to successful research studies as often as possible. When the board seemed satisfied, the spokesman once again addressed Mac.

“Thank you for your time, Mr. MacGyver. The board would like a few moments in private to discuss what we’ve learned here today.” With that, the speaker clicked off and the television screen went blank.

Mac let out a long sigh, slumped back in his chair, and turned to Pete.

“How do you think it went?” he asked the older man.

“It all sounded good to me, but then I’m not the one you have to convince.”

Moments later the Los Angeles office reconnected, the spokesman’s figure filling the monitor.

“After a brief discussion and vote, the board members have agreed to use your prototype recertification method on a trial basis.”

“Thank you, sir,” Mac responded evenly, keeping his emotions in check.

“What’s the first step in your process, Mr. MacGyver?”

“I need to come out to L.A. and install the computer program on the foundation’s mainframe and provide some overview for the field supervisors. It should only take a day or so.”

“Excellent. Can you be here tomorrow?”

“Absolutely.”

The connection was once again severed and MacGyver stood alone in the room with Pete, his mind reeling. He couldn’t believe Phoenix had accepted his proposal.

That evening MacGyver called Joanna as soon as he arrived home to let her know how the meeting had gone.

“They actually liked my ideas and want to give the program a test run.”

“Mac, that’s great!” she exclaimed, pride obvious in her voice.

“Yeah. There’s just one thing.”

“What’s that?” Pride turned quickly to suspicion.

“They want me out in L.A. tomorrow to install it.”

“Wow, they don’t waste any time,” she observed.

“You got that right. I plan on catching the first flight out in the morning and should be back sometime tomorrow night.”

“The last time you said that they sent you on a mission that nearly got you killed.”

“I promise that won’t happen again,” Mac assured her.

“Oh really?”

Mac sighed. “I promise I will not accept any other job except working on the recertification project. I’ll be in Los Angeles the whole time. Heck, I’ll probably be in the same building the whole time. You can call me every hour if you like.”

Joanna chuckled. “As much as I love the sound of your voice, I doubt that will be necessary.”

“You like the sound of my voice?” Mac teased.

“Among other things,” came the vague reply in a saucy tone that made him smile.

XXXXX

The following morning MacGyver entered the multi-story building that housed the main branch of the Phoenix Foundation in Southern California. He quickly obtained a visitor’s badge from a security officer who proceeded to escort him to one of several computer labs. Mac spent the next few hours working with technicians to load his program into the foundation’s main computer, work out any glitches, and set up agent-specific passwords. This way, any field agent could access and practice the skills for recertification from any personal computer in the facility.

After a short lunch break, MacGyver spent the afternoon meeting with field supervisors to explain the new re-cert process as well as demonstrate the programs and set acceptable parameters for success or failure of the actual test. After a brief question and answer session to end the day, the supervisors filed out of the room with Craig Bannister bringing up the rear.

“Well done, my friend,” he said, shaking Mac’s hand.

“Thanks, but this is just a trial run. The board could still decide to go in a different direction.”

“Why don’t we think positive for the time being? In fact, I want to introduce you to your first guinea pig.”

Craig Bannister led MacGyver through the winding corridors before stopping to knock on a door. A man of average size and looks answered.

“Mac, this is Agent Tom Duncan. He’s up for recertification as soon as he gets back from an assignment in a couple weeks. Tom, this is MacGyver, the man behind the new re-cert program. You need to make him look good!”

“I’ll do my best, sir,” Duncan replied, shaking hands with Mac and exchanging small talk before returning to work.

“Wanna grab some supper with an old pal?”

“What about Nikki?” Mac asked.

“She’s out of the country on assignment.”

“And you don’t like to eat alone, is that it?”

Craig held out his hands in a helpless gesture. “What can I say, you found me out! How about we go to that little Indian restaurant you used to like so much?”

MacGyver was about to agree when he glanced down at his watch and realized it was later than he thought.

“What’s the matter? Gotta clear it with the little woman?”

“No,” Mac replied scornfully before looking around the room. “Where’s the phone?”

Three hours later MacGyver glanced at his watch again and frowned.

“What’s the matter, buddy?” Craig asked.

“I really lost track of the time. I’m sorry, but I gotta get to the airport.” He hoped there was at least one more flight back to Milwaukee that night.

“Joanna sure has got you on a short leash,” Bannister smirked.

“It’s not like that,” Mac protested. “Maybe I just want to sleep in my own bed. I’m no longer at Phoenix’s beck and call like someone else at this table.”

“Alright, you got me there,” Craig conceded as Mac grabbed his jacket and left the restaurant.

When MacGyver pulled into his driveway, he felt a stab of disappointment when he saw the darkened windows but he quickly chided himself. He couldn’t expect Jo to wait up for him every time he stayed out later than expected. Heck, he couldn’t even expect her to hang out at his place when he was away. She did have a home of her own. Nevertheless, he made a point of unlocking the front door as quietly as possible, his heart taking one last nose-dive as he noticed the only occupant on his couch was Frog. Tossing his jacket on the kitchen counter he trudged up the stairs. A soft snore coming from a lump in his bed caused his pulse to skip. Even as the practical part of his brain urged him to allow her some privacy, the ache in his heart needed to hold her near. It wasn’t like anything was going to happen between them, he reasoned. She was asleep and he was too tired to do anything about it anyway. Fully clothed, he slipped underneath the covers, her back to him, and gently placed his arm around her waist so as not to wake her but still feel her presence. His heart warmed when she let go a sleep-filled sigh and automatically nestled into his chest.

Mac was in the kitchen making breakfast the following morning when he heard Joanna pad down the stairs.

“I hope I didn’t wake you,” he said, not turning around.

“You didn’t,” she replied succinctly. “When did you get home?”

“Late.”

“You must have slept on the couch, huh?”

“Must have.”

He felt her arms snake around his midsection and give a possessive squeeze.

“You are such a lousy liar,” she informed him with a giggle. “But I guess that’s a good quality to have in a husband. You won’t get away with a thing!”

“Oh yeah?” he asked, turning so he could embrace her. “And just what were you doin’ in my bed, Goldilocks?”

“Things got a little rowdy at Challengers last night and Frog seemed anxious. I thought he’d be better off here.”

Mac’s stomach sank. “What do you mean by ‘rowdy’?”

“Nothing Cynthia, Geena and I couldn’t handle, but you know how Frog hates to sleep here alone.”

“So you thought you’d keep him company.” Before Jo could respond, he lowered his mouth to hers and relished the precious moments when it seemed she melted into him.

All too soon her back stiffened, muscles tensed, and she stepped away, albeit with a smile.

“So how did things go in L.A.?”

“Fine. It all came together pretty smoothly. I even got to meet the guy who’s gonna be the first agent to use the program.”

“What happens next?”

Mac shrugged. “I suppose Phoenix decides if they’re gonna stay with what I designed or go back to the drawing board.”

“Will you have to go out there again?”

“I’m not planning on it. Everything I need is right here.” He reached out for her, but she deftly out-maneuvered him.

“Don’t forget, Mom’s expecting you for Thanksgiving next week,” she reminded him seriously.

“I wouldn’t miss it. Does she want me to bring anything?”

“Nope. For one day out of the year you’re gonna eat like a normal person!”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver, Joanna, and her parents gathered around the Fairfax’s small kitchen table, a giant roast turkey taking center stage. They all joined hands and bowed their heads as Joanna’s mom said the blessing. Jo couldn’t help taking a quick peek at Mac, seated across from her, only to find him doing the same, an endearingly crooked smile on his face. Her stomach twinged, but not from hunger. She was extra grateful this Thanksgiving to have this wonderful man in her life and to know that they would be together for the rest of their lives.

Halfway through the scrumptious meal the telephone rang. It was rare to receive a call on a holiday. Joanna quickly got up and answered before the machine picked.

“Hello?”

“Joanna? It’s Pete. Is Mac with you?”

Jo wanted to scold the older man for not bothering to wish her a happy Thanksgiving, but his tone was tense and clipped indicating this was not a social call.

“Yeah. Hold on a minute.”

“Mac, Pete’s on the phone for you,” she replied soberly, returning to her seat at the table.

She could hear the rumble of MacGyver’s muted voice coming from the other room but couldn’t make out any specific words. When he returned to the kitchen, his face was somber, his eyes empty.

“Everything okay?” she asked, knowing his answer already.

“Yeah, fine,” he replied.

The meal was completed in uneasy conversation, Mac’s troubled mood permeating the air. When he turned down a slice of pumpkin pie, Jo knew something was definitely wrong. A few minutes later, Judy Fairfax shooed the younger couple from her kitchen so she could clean up and put away the leftovers. A stern look kept her husband by her side.

“Wanna tell me about it?” she asked, hurrying to keep pace with MacGyver who was striding purposefully toward the living room.

“Not really,” came the flat reply.

She reached out and grabbed his forearm. “Tell me anyway.”

Mac finally turned toward her, a storm like she’d never seen before brewing in his troubled eyes.

“A Phoenix agent is dead and it could be all my fault.” Without another word, he shrugged on his jacket and headed out the front door.






























Posted by: Dragondog 24 January 2020 - 08:24 AM
QUOTE
Chapter 33: MacGyverland (Part 1)
hmm.bmp

QUOTE
Joanna, comfortably ensconced in a cozy armchair, looked up from her knitting, her gaze moving from the softly whining bull dog to the fiancé sprawled on the couch, video game controller in hand and attention riveted on the television screen where animated hockey players toddled back and forth, shooting the puck at his command.
Somehow, the idea of Mac playing video games is... new XD

QUOTE
Before MacGyver could stop her, she walked over to the gaming console and hit the reset button.
Ouch...

QUOTE
He knew Joanna wasn’t thrilled that he had agreed to it, but they had a deal and, to her credit, she hid her dissatisfaction well.
Well, given the circumstances, I don't really see why she's unhappy. He's not flying to L.A. or anything. Certainly not field work. Unless she's jsut sad he's in his office instead of spending time with her laugh.gif

QUOTE

“That looks like fun! Let me try.” Joanna unceremoniously shoved him out of the way as she scooted her own chair closer to the computer.
Me tongue.gif

QUOTE
“I don’t think I like this game either,” she frowned, backing away.
Also me laugh.gif

I want to play those games. Just to see if I could make it laugh.gif

QUOTE

“I need to come out to L.A. and install the computer program on the foundation’s mainframe and provide some overview for the field supervisors. It should only take a day or so.”
Okay, he IS going to L.A. XD

QUOTE

“You like the sound of my voice?” Mac teased.

“Among other things,” came the vague reply in a saucy tone that made him smile.
Jo's got game laugh.gif

QUOTE

Three hours later MacGyver glanced at his watch again and frowned.
Sheesh, how long did dinner take?

QUOTE

“Nope. For one day out of the year you’re gonna eat like a normal person!”
Lol XD

QUOTE

“A Phoenix agent is dead and it could be all my fault.” Without another word, he shrugged on his jacket and headed out the front door.
Well, you sure picked the strongest cliffhanger. I NEED ANSWERS XD

Posted by: uniquelyjas 24 January 2020 - 08:40 AM
Ha! I love being able to write a good cliffhanger! Now you have to wait until next week, Dragondog! In response to a couple of your comments, at the end of the episode The Wall, Mac is playing a video game one a computer...I believe hockey so I stole this idea. Joanna's not thrilled he agreed because she really doesn't want him involved with Phoenix in any way...and she knows how these things go!! LOL!! As for the computer games he created, my inspiration was Candy Crush and Pet Rescue Saga!!

Posted by: Dragondog 24 January 2020 - 08:42 PM
QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 24 January 2020 - 10:40 AM)
Ha! I love being able to write a good cliffhanger! Now you have to wait until next week, Dragondog! In response to a couple of your comments, at the end of the episode The Wall, Mac is playing a video game one a computer...I believe hockey so I stole this idea. Joanna's not thrilled he agreed because she really doesn't want him involved with Phoenix in any way...and she knows how these things go!! LOL!! As for the computer games he created, my inspiration was Candy Crush and Pet Rescue Saga!!

Well, the wait will be worth it tongue.gif

Okay, I forgot about the game in The Wall XD

Joanna's reasoning is fair enough. As someone who's never been in a relationship, I'll go by the word XD

Never had the pleasure of playing Candy Crush or any of the others. Maybe someday smile.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 28 January 2020 - 10:36 AM
Chapter 34: MacGyverland (Part 2)


MacGyver was halfway across the front lawn when he heard Joanna call to him from behind.

“Hey! You can’t do that!” she yelled.

He stopped and turned. “Do what?” he asked impatiently.

“Tell me you got an agent killed and then just walk out.”

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” he replied before turning to walk away...again.

“Is it classified?” she asked, now keeping pace at his elbow.

“Not yet,” he mumbled.

“Then please tell me about it while you still can.”

MacGyver stopped in his tracks and looked at her. He should shut down this whole conversation right now. Then he remembered what Pete had said about how lack of communication ruined his first marriage to Connie and told Mac not to make the same mistake he had.

He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “A veteran field operative was tasked with handing over a microchip containing top secret information to a U.S. representative in an undisclosed foreign country. Instead, it appears he set up a rendezvous with an enemy of the state, gave him the chip, and then was killed with his own gun.”

“He killed himself?”

“The authorities are working to determine whether it was suicide or just made to look that way.”

“But what does all this have to do with you?” Joanna asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

“The operative was the same agent that had started training for recertification using the new program. A routine cyber security check found that his computer had been compromised. It’s entirely possible the enemy hacked in through the program I designed.” He sighed again. “I should have been more careful, put more security measures in place.”

“You don’t know that for sure,” Jo countered. “And I don’t get why any agent would apparently hand over highly sensitive information to a known enemy.”

“I know,” MacGyver agreed, shaking his head. “None of this makes any sense.”

“So what are you gonna do about it?”

“What can I do? I’m no longer a Phoenix employee, remember?”

“That hasn’t stopped you from working with them before,” she said drily. “Besides, you owe it to yourself and the agent to get to the bottom of this. At least the part about the computer.”

Mac’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Wait a minute. Are you telling me to go to Los Angeles and insert myself into the investigation?”

“That is what you want to do, right?” she asked with a sly smile. “Besides, there’s no school until Monday so I can take your place at Challengers.”

“You are the absolute best, you know that?” he praised just before cupping her face in his large hands and giving her a firm, quick kiss.

XXXXX

MacGyver stared down at the Visitor’s Pass the security guard at Phoenix handed him and curled his lip.

“A tough thing to get used to, huh?” the younger man asked with a smirk.

“Yeah. Kinda makes me feel like a second class citizen around here,” Mac responded flatly.

“You? No way! You’re a legend within these hallowed halls!” the guard exclaimed as he led MacGyver to the elevator and pressed the button.

“A legend?” Mac’s innate modesty scoffed at the idea, but his all-American male ego swelled just a bit.

“You bet! You’re the best field operative Phoenix ever had. Every agent wants to be like you.”

The kid was going overboard now and MacGyver couldn’t help but laugh. “Is that part of the new HR pitch they give you when you get hired now?”

“Hey man, I’m serious! You’re still a big deal around here.”

Uncomfortable with his newly discovered fame, Mac was relieved when the guard deposited him in Craig Bannister’s office and took his leave.

“I don’t suppose I need to ask what you’re doin’ here,” the Director of Foreign Field Operations said after friendly greetings were exchanged.

“I want in on the investigation, Craig.”

“That’s not up to me, Mac.”

“But I thought you were spearheading it.”

Craig chuckled. “That’s above my pay grade, pal. They’re just letting me sniff around because Duncan was one of my men.”

“Who do I need to talk to, then?”

Bannister eyed MacGyver carefully. “You sure you want to get yourself caught up in this?”

“Listen, Craig. I know that his computer was hacked and it could be because of my re-cert program. I need to do this.”

“Fine,” Bannister sighed. “I’ll get you on board. Do you have a place to stay? This could take some time.”

“Yeah, I know. I was plannin’ on lookin’ up an old buddy and bunkin’ with him.”

“Sounds good. You go get settled in and we’ll hit the ground runnin’ in the morning.”

Late that afternoon MacGyver parked his nondescript rental car in front of the Hacienda Village Apartments. A tall, wrought iron fence and sturdy gate separated the courtyard and sprawling, four-story Mediterranean style building from the outside world. It looked like a respectable place in a respectable neighborhood. Mac couldn’t help glancing at the address he had scribbled on a piece of paper while talking to Jack. Yep. The address matched. MacGyver walked to the gate and pressed the button on the panel next to Jack Dalton’s name.

“Hark! Who goes there?!” a gruff voice asked through the speaker.

“It’s me. Mac.”

“Hey buddy!” Jack greeted in his normal voice. “I’ll be right down.”

MacGyver leisurely surveyed his surroundings while he waited for his friend who soon appeared on the other side of the fence, opening the gate to allow MacGyver into the courtyard.

“Nice place you got here. Guess the air limo service is really taking off.”

“Good pun, Kemosabe!” the pilot chortled. “But seriously, I should have taken your advice sooner and got an honest job. I mean, just look at this place! And I don’t have to worry about getting involved with, how shall I say, less than savory businessmen.”

“You mean you’ve finally decided to settle down and stop looking for that one last great adventure?” Mac asked incredulously.

“You bet!” Jack replied, just as MacGyver turned to see his friend’s left eye twitch. “Well, at least for the foreseeable future. Oh, by the way, I got you your own key,” Jack said, digging into the pocket of his bomber jacket.

“You got some pull with the manager?” Mac asked. His question was answered as a tall, blonde female crossed in front of them, waggling her fingers towards Jack. “Let me guess, that’s the manager.”

“You got it, amigo,” Jack confirmed, waggling his fingers in return.

“Sorry I don’t have an extra bedroom,” Jack apologized as Mac dropped his duffle next to the couch.

“No problem. I probably won’t be spending much time here anyway. Mind if I use the phone?”

“Help yourself!”

MacGyver started to dial when his friend interrupted.

“Um, it’s not long distance, is it?”

Mac stopped and glared at his temporary roommate. “Is that a problem?”

“No. I mean, it’s just that I’m on a limited plan,” Jack sputtered.

“I’ll pay you back,” MacGyver muttered.

“I hope you gave Joanna my love,” Jack said when Mac hung up.

“How can you be so sure I was talkin’ to her?”

“Give it up, Mac. You can’t hide your feelings from ole Uncle Jack! I saw you get all googly-eyed as soon as you started talking.”

“She’s fine. And I did not get ‘googly-eyed’!”

Jack held up his hands in surrender. “Whatever you say, compadre! Whatever you say! So, you gonna tell me why you’re back working for Phoenix?”

“I’m not working for them. I’m just helping out.” MacGyver chanced a glance at his friend who eagerly awaited more information. “There was an incidence. I can’t say anything more. It’s--”

“Classified,” Jack frowned. “Why is all the good stuff always ‘classified’?”

“Jack, an agent died! I wouldn’t exactly call that ‘good stuff’!” Mac snapped.

“Oh. That’s too bad, Mac. Really.” Jack paused and the air hung heavy between them. “So, how’d he die?”

MacGyver glared at his friend.

“Right. It’s classified.”

XXXXX

Early Saturday morning MacGyver walked into the Phoenix office building and picked up his pass from the weekend security guard. He smiled to himself when he saw that Bannister had arranged a Civilian Consultant badge for him. Less than twenty-four hours in the city and he was already climbing the ranks. He was headed for Craig’s office when he met the man in the hallway.

“As of thirty minutes ago this investigation is officially classified,” Bannister said in place of a friendly greeting. “From here on in, all information is strictly on a need-to-know basis.”

“Got it,” Mac acknowledged, falling into step beside his friend. He was silently relieved to know he hadn’t really lied to Jack. Just misled him prematurely. Oh great, now he was starting to think like Jack! MacGyver shook his head to reorder his thoughts. “So where are we headed?”

“The computer lab. There’s someone I want you to meet. Oh, and Mac…” Bannister put a hand on his arm to halt their progress. “I just got the medical examiner’s official cause of death on Duncan. The gunshot wound was self-inflicted.”

MacGyver shook his head sadly. “We’ll get to the bottom of this. We have to.”

Moments later the electronic doors to one of the computer labs slid open and Mac and Bannister entered. Several technicians, all wearing white lab coats, worked silently on consoles stationed throughout the room. Craig led them to a young Asian man on the other side of the lab.

“Jimmy Choo, I’d like you to meet MacGyver. MacGyver, this is Jimmy Choo, Phoenix’s number one computer tech. You’ll be working together on the hacking issue.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you in person. I’ve heard a lot about you,” Jimmy said as he shook Mac’s hand.

“Let me guess, the ‘hallowed halls’ speak?”

“No,” Bannister chuckled, “not this time. You might remember Jimmy’s dad, James Choo. He was a foreign operative back in your day.”

“Of course,” Mac replied. “I knew that name sounded familiar. What’s your dad up to these days?”

“He’s retired, sir.”

“Call me Mac. Tell your dad I said hello. We never worked any assignments together, but I heard he was a heck of an agent.”

“Yes, he was,” the younger Choo confirmed. A slight hitch in his voice caught MacGyver’s attention, but he decided not to question it. At least not yet.

“So, what’ve you got so far?” Bannister asked Jimmy, quickly turning the conversation back to business.

The young man sighed. “It was definitely a professional job. The mainframe was hacked externally, not from a Phoenix terminal, so we know it’s not an inside job.”

“Not necessarily,” MacGyver interrupted. “Over half the population owns a computer or has access to one so everyone, even Foundation employees, are still under suspicion.”

“Of course, I hadn’t thought of that,” Choo replied apologetically.

Craig raked his fingers through his hair in both anger and frustration. “We’re supposed to have a state-of-the-art security system throughout the building! How could something like this happen? Did Mac’s program compromise it?”

Choo shook his head. “Nope. The dude who did this was really good. He would’ve gotten in no matter what.”

“Did you find anything else?” Mac asked, leaning over Jimmy’s shoulder staring at the rows of numbers and letters on his computer monitor.

“It appears that once the hacker gained access, he honed in on Duncan’s terminal and wrote a program to piggy-back on the recertification program MacGyver created.”

“What kind of program?” Bannister asked anxiously.

“I don’t know, sir. I’m trying to decode it right now but it’s highly complex as well as encrypted. It’s gonna take some time.”

“Well, then I’ll let you two get at it,” Craig said, patting MacGyver on the shoulder.

“Uh, can I see you for a sec? Privately?” Mac asked, hoping he didn’t sound as uncertain as he felt.

Once they made their way to an unoccupied corner, MacGyver turned to Bannister and lowered his voice.

“My computer skills are a little rusty. That stuff Jimmy was supposedly reading looked like gibberish to me. I think I’d be of better use in the field tracking down whoever Duncan gave the classified info to.”

“I’m sorry, Mac. That’s not my call.”

“Then talk to somebody!”

Bannister’s eyes hit the floor as he remained silent.

“Wait a minute,” MacGyver began thoughtfully. “I got access to this assignment pretty easily. You made a deal with the board, didn’t you?”

“I promised I’d keep you here at headquarters,” Bannister confirmed.

“Aw man!”

“It’s a liability thing, Mac! You’re a civilian now. We can’t send you traipsing into hostile foreign territory! You can either stay here and help out or catch the next flight home.”

“Fine,” Mac replied through a clenched jaw. “I’ll stay and see what I can do. And don’t worry...I’ll stay out of trouble.”

“Famous last words,” Craig mumbled as he walked away, leaving Mac alone with the computer boy genius.

After two hours of watching Jimmy pound away furiously on his keyboard, MacGyver decided it was time for a break. Apparently Jimmy did, too, as he sat back in his chair and scrubbed his hands with his face.

“This is impossible!” the young man spat, frustration overflowing.

“Whoa, take it easy. You said yourself it was a complicated program. Cut yourself some slack,” Mac advised.

“I’ve been working on this for three days,” Jimmy countered. “I can decode most programs in a matter of hours. So much for being the number one computer tech at Phoenix!”

“Look, why don’t we go grab something to eat and you can come back and look at it with fresh eyes?”

“That’s it, MacGyver! You’re a genius!”

“I am?”

“Yeah! I need a pair of fresh eyes! Will you take a look at it after lunch?”

Mac hesitated. “I’m not sure I’m the right man for the job, but I’ll give it a shot.”

When the two men returned from the cafeteria, MacGyver sat down at Choo’s computer.

“I’m gonna try and see if I can find the hacker’s location,” Jimmy said as he booted up another machine.

For the rest of the afternoon, Mac sat staring at the monitor, trying to make sense of the seemingly random rows of numbers and letters. He dug into his memory and ran as many decoding programs as he could remember, fondly recalling his own computer hacking days...all done in the name of research, of course. His eyes were burning and his back was aching and he was ready to call it a day when a small sequence at the bottom of the screen suddenly looked familiar. With renewed energy, MacGyver continued his investigation.

“I think I got it,” he announced to Jimmy thirty minutes later.

“You did? How? What is it?”

“Let me get Bannister down here first.”

“We were overthinking this,” Mac explained once Craig arrived and the three men were gathered around the console.

“What do you mean?” Jimmy asked.

“The encryption as well as the code is actually very basic.”

“That can’t be! I started with the most basic decoding programs I know,” Jimmy protested.

“Exactly!” MacGyver exclaimed.

“Would you care to explain yourself?” Bannister demanded.

“I used an old program, and I mean really old, to decipher it. I doubt that most technicians these days are aware of it and, unless I miss my guess, the culprit was counting on that! It also means that whoever wrote this code is probably closer to my age than Jimmy’s.”

“Okay,” Craig capitulated. “So what does it say?”

Mac turned to face his friend. “Remember back in the late fifties when movie theaters were accused of using subliminal messages in films to advertise popcorn and stuff?”

“Yeah, but I thought that was eventually debunked.”

“Not totally. And from what I see, the hacker programed a subliminal message into my recertification program. At least the one accessed with Duncan’s password.”

“Go on,” Craig urged.

“While Duncan was practicing for re-cert, three phrases were flashed on the screen, each for ten milliseconds, in a continuous loop.”

“And what did these phrases say?” Bannister asked in a childish, sing-song voice that indicated he was growing frustrated with MacGyver’s stall tactics.

“It’s bad,” Mac warned, his stomach churning. “The phrases were: ‘Rendezvous with Ahmad’, ‘Hand over microchip’, and ‘Kill yourself with service weapon’.”

“Oh my god,” Craig muttered as the blood drained from his face. “Duncan was brainwashed.”

“Is that even possible?” Jimmy asked, clearly not convinced.

“Given the evidence, I’d say it is,” Mac replied.

“And since the coding used is basically outdated, we can assume it was probably done by someone close to our age, right MacGyver?” Craig deduced.

“Yeah. But that doesn’t exactly narrow the suspect pool,” Mac replied dejectedly.

XXXXX

That evening, per Nikki’s invitation, Craig, MacGyver, and Jack gathered around her dining room table where she served up a scrumptious meal. However, Mac couldn’t help noticing that she barely touched her food and the normally outgoing, opinionated agent barely contributed to the conversation. It was almost as if she didn’t want them there, even though she had asked them to come. When the dishes had been cleared and she was in the kitchen making coffee, Mac decided to broach the subject.

“Hey Craig, is Nikki okay?” he asked in a low voice. “She doesn’t seem to be acting like herself.”

“It’s this thing with Duncan,” Bannister sighed. “She’s taking it really hard.”

“Did they work together much?”

“A couple times over the past few years, but you know how it is.”

“Yeah,” Mac nodded. He knew all too well that underneath her oft-prickly exterior, Nikki had a soft, vulnerable heart.

“Here we go!” Nikki said with what MacGyver knew was forced cheerfulness as she carried a tray of coffee cups into the dining room. When she set a delicate cup of the dark liquid in front of Mac, his first instinct was to push it away. Apparently she had forgotten he hated the stuff. But he stopped himself. Tonight, for Nikki, he would drink coffee. But before anyone could take a sip, Jack spoke up.

“Sorry Nikki, but I gotta get going. It’s getting late and Mac’s my ride.”

Everyone glanced at their watch with Nikki being the first to speak.

“Jack, it’s not even nine o’clock. Surely you can stay for just one cup,” she protested.

“No can do, mon amie. I have an early flight booked and need to get some shut-eye. Can’t be falling asleep at the controls of my fancy new plane, now.”

“You didn’t tell me anything about a flight,” Mac countered.

“Oh, sorry. Must’ve slipped my mind,” Jack apologized to his friend before turning to address the rest of the group. “This super-rich oil baron hired me to fly him to New York for three days. Wants to leave at first light. As a bonus, he’s putting me up in a five-star hotel and covering all my meals and expenses until it’s time to fly him back. So Mac, you’ll have my place all to yourself. Don’t go throwin’ any wild parties or anything.”

MacGyver pulled a face as the others laughed before exchanging good-byes.

When Mac awoke the next morning, the apartment was eerily silent. Jack had already left. Knowing his friend had never been an early riser, MacGyver couldn’t help wondering if the pilot had really gone to sleep last night or just stayed up until time to leave. Mac mentally shrugged, rolled off the couch, stretched out his back muscles, grabbed a granola bar and headed out the door. Upon arriving at Phoenix, he headed straight to the computer lab.

“Find our hacker yet?” he asked Jimmy Choo who was already hard at work.

“No,” the technician admitted. “But based on what we found out yesterday, I’m running an older tracking program in case he’s using an older computer.”

“Good man,” Mac praised, clapping Jimmy on the shoulder before sitting down.

“Listen, Jimmy. I’ve been thinking about your dad. If I remember correctly he’s a couple years younger than me. What made him decide to retire so early?”

“Why do you care?” Choo asked in a clipped tone.

“I don’t know, I just do,” Mac replied innocently.

Jimmy stared at the floor for so long MacGyver didn’t think he was going to get an answer when suddenly the younger man pinned him with an empty gaze and began to speak.

“There’s not a whole lot to tell. My dad was up for recertification and he wiped out in MacGyverland. Phoenix didn’t want to let him go, so they offered him a job in computer program development. Not many people know that my dad was a whiz with technology. Taught me everything I know. Anyway, he turned down the job and retired instead. Said if he couldn’t work in the field he didn’t want to work at all.”

“Aw man, that’s tough,” Mac acknowledged somberly. “But he must be proud of you, following in his footsteps and all. What’s he up to these days anyways?”

“I gotta get back to work,” Jimmy mumbled, ignoring the question and turning his attention back to the computer monitor.

Uneasiness in the pit of MacGyver’s stomach grew as the afternoon progressed. He kept replaying the conversation with Jimmy in his head and didn’t care for the conclusion it kept leading to. Before leaving for the day, he sought out Craig Bannister.

“Hey buddy, how’s it going? Any new information on the hacker?”

Mac shoved his fingers through his hair and blew out a breath. “I think I know who’s behind this.”

“Well, don’t keep me in suspense! Who is it?”

“I think it’s Jimmy’s dad, James Choo.”

Now it was Craig’s turn to blow out a breath as he sank silently into his desk chair, a look of disbelief shrouding his eyes. “It can’t be,” he finally mumbled softly.

“I know. I don’t want to believe it either. He was a great agent, but all the pieces fit. Think about it. He washed out on his recertification and felt railroaded into retirement. Not to mention he has the computer skills to pull this off. What better way to get what he sees as revenge on Phoenix for ending his career?”

“Mac, it’s impossible,” Bannister said sadly. “James Choo committed suicide two days after his retirement.”

XXXXX

MacGyver flopped down on the couch. He had just gotten off the phone with Joanna. They both knew he couldn’t talk about the investigation, but he was hoping some conversation about Challengers and simply hearing her voice would calm his mind. It hadn’t. Who was behind the hacking and subliminal message sending? Theoretically, they were back to square one, yet Mac couldn’t help feeling that the answer was closer than anyone dared to imagine. The phrase, ‘Taught me everything I know’, kept cycling through his brain. He was on the verge of dozing off when suddenly everything fell into place, like tumblers in combination lock. He was reaching for the phone to call Bannister when the buzzer on the wall sounded indicating that someone was at the courtyard gate. Frustrated that he had to delay his call, he got up and walked over to the intercom.

“Jack’s not here,” he said as he pressed the button.

“It’s me, Mac. Nikki. I really need to talk to you,” came the grainy reply.

The desperation in her voice caused MacGyver’s pulse to beat double-time.

“I’ll be right down,” he said into the speaker.

Moments later he escorted Nikki into Jack’s apartment. She was halfway across the living room before she turned, pointing a revolver at Mac’s chest.

“Whoa, Nikki, what’s goin’ on here?” MacGyver asked, holding his hands up in surrender.

“You should’ve drank the coffee, Mac. It was poisoned. You would’ve come home, gone to sleep, and never woke up. Nice and clean and painless.” Her cold, monotone voice was a stark contrast to the pools of tears forming in her eyes.

“C’mon Nikki. You don’t wanna do this.” His voice was calm and gentle.

She remained silent, the gun still aimed at his heart.

“If you really wanted me dead you would’ve shot me already. Put the gun down.” His voice was firmer now.

“I can’t. I have to kill you.”

“Who said?”

“I have to kill you,” she repeated mechanically.

“Okay. Then what? What are you gonna do after you kill me?”

“Kill MacGyver, kill yourself,” she intoned.

“Nikki, you know you don’t want to do this,” Mac repeated.

“I have to.” A tear slid down her cheek.

“Who told you that?” MacGyver gentled his voice once again.

The woman’s brow furrowed slightly as her finger began to put pressure on the trigger.

Mac could feel beads of sweat beginning to form on his forehead.

“You don’t have to kill me and you don’t have to kill yourself. You don’t have to listen to them, you have a choice.”

Nikki stayed silent, but MacGyver noticed her hold on the weapon waiver just a bit. His first instinct was to use the opportunity to wrestle the gun away from her, but he hesitated. The odds of one or both of them getting hurt were too high.

“C’mon Nikki, this isn’t you. We’re friends. Good friends. You don’t wanna kill me. You can’t kill me. It isn’t in you, Nikki. Now put the gun down.”

“I have to--”

“No, you don’t,” Mac interrupted firmly. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t wanna do. Don’t do anything that doesn’t feel right.”

Tears were now freely flowing down her cheeks. “But I have to,” she insisted, even as her arms lowered.

MacGyver quickly stepped toward her and wrapped his hand around the gun, easing it from her grip as his other arm snaked around her back before they both crumpled to the ground, Nikki sobbing against his chest.

“It’s okay, Nikki. It’s all over now,” he soothed as he gently rocked her back and forth, stroking her hair.

Mac didn’t know how long he sat on the floor, comforting his friend, but he would sit there all night if he needed. Suddenly Nikki sniffled, hiccupped, and pulled back, looking around before her wide eyes met his.

“MacGyver, where am I? What happened?” she asked, panic tinged her voice.

“Everything’s okay,” he quickly assured her. “You’re in Jack’s apartment. You came to kill me but thankfully had second thoughts,” he teased, hoping to coax a smile from her.

“But why? How?”

“I’m pretty sure you were brainwashed, just like Tom Duncan.”

Mac helped Nikki into the kitchen and settled her at the table with a glass of water before heading towards the telephone.

“Who are you calling?” she asked.

“I’m calling Craig to come pick you up and then I’m going to Phoenix and end this once and for all.”

“I’m going with you!” Nikki stood up so fast the wooden chair she had been sitting on skidded across the linoleum floor.

“No way, Nikki,” Mac began to protest, but then he saw the determination in her eyes and knew he was fighting a battle he wouldn’t win. “All right,” he sighed. “I’ll have Bannister meet us there.”

As soon as the trio entered the foundation, MacGyver headed directly to the security desk to sign them in.

“Is Jimmy Choo on the premises?” he asked the guard.

“Let me check the log.”

Mac waited impatiently before the guard answered.

“According to this he’s in computer lab one.”

“Great. Have the fourth floor security officer meet us there,” Mac directed before herding everyone toward the elevators.

“Do you mind telling me what’s going on?” Craig asked, clearly confused and frustrated.

“As soon as I check something out,” MacGyver replied.

The security officer was waiting for them when they arrived at the lab. He slid his key card through the reader and the electronic door slid open. Jimmy swiveled in his chair where he had been working on his computer, obviously taken by surprise.

“Get him away from there and keep an eye on him,” Mac instructed the guard before sitting down in the chair Jimmy had abandon.

MacGyver pounded away on the keyboard, easily breaking and reading encrypted programs to make sure he had the proof he needed. When he was satisfied with his findings, he turned back to Craig and Nikki.

“Contrary to what we were led to believe, the hacker also breached Nikki’s terminal and loaded it with a subliminal message code,” Mac announced.

“You can’t know that!” Jimmy cried from across the room where he stood next to the guard who had a large, meaty hand wrapped around his bicep. “You said yourself you couldn’t read the codes!”

“I’m a fast learner,” MacGyver replied facetiously. “Besides, it was easy once I figured out you were using a nearly obsolete program.”

“Wait a minute,” Bannister broke in. “Are you saying Jimmy did all this?”

“Yes sir. And if you look you’ll see that the activity can be tracked to his father’s computer.”

“But why?” Craig asked Jimmy.

The young man glared at MacGyver. “Why don’t you ask him since he seems to think he knows all the answers?”

“Because I want to hear it from you,” Bannister ground out.

Realizing there was no way out, Jimmy began his story. “I blamed MacGyver for my father’s death,” he confessed. “Mac designed the obstacle course that my dad failed on and lost his field clearance which led to his suicide. I promised myself I would get my revenge by killing MacGyver. I worked night and day to get hired on at Phoenix. But by the time I came on board, he had already left. When I heard that the board wanted to get rid of MacGyverland, I figured he come back to fight for it. And I was right.” Choo paused to send Mac a triumphant smirk.

“But if your beef was with Mac, why get Duncan involved?” Craig asked.

“I needed something big to get everyone’s attention and then divert it away from me, and it worked. You sent all you’re best operatives to track down the man Duncan met with and left me to work the computer angle alone.”

“That way you could feed us fake information about the hacker and shift any suspicion away from you,” Bannister groaned.

“And it was working, too, until you had MacGyver come sniffing around.”

“That’s what I don’t get,” Nikki piped up. “You had plenty of opportunities to kill Mac yourself. Why bother brainwashing me?”

“I couldn’t exactly off him here at Phoenix without getting caught,” Choo replied, rolling his eyes. “I needed someone he trusted. Someone who could get close to him. You were perfect.”

“Perhaps a little too perfect,” Nikki countered. “Mac was able to get into my head far better than you and because of that, he’s still alive. So you’re grand scheme failed in the end.”

“But why instruct them to commit suicide?” Bannister asked Choo.

“I wanted them to feel the hopelessness my father felt and take their own lives like he took his!” Jimmy spat.

Apparently satisfied with Choo’s story, Bannister turned his attention to MacGyver.

“And you figured all this out?”

“Pretty much,” Mac replied casually.

“How?”

“When Jimmy was telling me about his dad, he slipped up and said that James taught him everything he knew about computers. That meant he would know the old coding that other technicians his age were never taught. After that, everything else just kinda fell into place.”

“But what about all those fancy, new-fangled programs he kept running to track down the hacker?” Craig asked.

“They were fakes that he wrote himself,” Mac explained. “That’s why I couldn’t make any sense of them and no other tech could have read them either. He was counting on you assigning him to this case solo. Isn’t that right, Jimmy?”

This time, the young man remained silent and hung his head in defeat.

“And it almost worked,” Craig groaned.

“But it didn’t,” MacGyver assured his friend firmly. “Now how about we call the authorities and wrap this all up?”

XXXXX

The following morning MacGyver and Bannister stood in Phoenix’s psychiatric laboratory anxiously peering through a glass partition watching Doc Beatty “deprogram” Nikki, much as she had done to Jack several years ago when he had been brainwashed to kill a visiting foreign dignitary.

“Is she gonna be okay, doc?” Craig asked as soon as the session ended and the two women returned to the lab.

“She’s going to be fine,” Beatty assured him. “Everything in her brain is one hundred percent Nicole Carpenter.”

“Aw, man, now we’re really in trouble,” Mac groused, albeit with a playful glint in his eyes as his friends broke into carefree laughter.































Posted by: Dragondog 29 January 2020 - 04:02 AM
QUOTE

“Is it classified?” she asked, now keeping pace at his elbow.
She caught up quick tongue.gif

QUOTE

Mac’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Wait a minute. Are you telling me to go to Los Angeles and insert myself into the investigation?”

“That is what you want to do, right?” she asked with a sly smile. “Besides, there’s no school until Monday so I can take your place at Challengers.”
Mac, you're really lucky with that one XD

QUOTE

“A legend?” Mac’s innate modesty scoffed at the idea, but his all-American male ego swelled just a bit.
My last two brain cells when someone says something nice to me laugh.gif

QUOTE

“Yeah, I know. I was plannin’ on lookin’ up an old buddy and bunkin’ with him.”
Wonder who...

QUOTE
It looked like a respectable place in a respectable neighborhood. Mac couldn’t help glancing at the address he had scribbled on a piece of paper while talking to Jack. Yep. The address matched.
Wonder how he scored that...

QUOTE

“Oh. That’s too bad, Mac. Really.” Jack paused and the air hung heavy between them. “So, how’d he die?”
I had to chortle, literally, because this is exactly me reacting to bad news... My sympathies, now gimme the details roller.gif

QUOTE
“I just got the medical examiner’s official cause of death on Duncan. The gunshot wound was self-inflicted.”
If this is going to go in the direction I think it is, then that little detail means it's not Mac's fault. (Future me commenting: it did not go like I thought).

QUOTE

“Yes, he was,” the younger Choo confirmed. A slight hitch in his voice caught MacGyver’s attention, but he decided not to question it. At least not yet.
hmm.bmp ...What are you hiding, Jimmy?

QUOTE

Mac turned to face his friend. “Remember back in the late fifties when movie theaters were accused of using subliminal messages in films to advertise popcorn and stuff?”
I feel I should research this myself...

QUOTE

“Oh my god,” Craig muttered as the blood drained from his face. “Duncan was brainwashed.”

“Is that even possible?” Jimmy asked, clearly not convinced.

“Given the evidence, I’d say it is,” Mac replied.
*sigh* That's something else I need to research now... XD

Okay, maybe reading this in the middle of the night was a bad idea XD

QUOTE


“Hey Craig, is Nikki okay?” he asked in a low voice. “She doesn’t seem to be acting like herself.”
I feel that Nikki is going to get brainwashed next...

QUOTE
Knowing his friend had never been an early riser, MacGyver couldn’t help wondering if the pilot had really gone to sleep last night or just stayed up until time to leave.
I legit do this though...

QUOTE

“Mac, it’s impossible,” Bannister said sadly. “James Choo committed suicide two days after his retirement.”
As soon as Mac said his theories, I thought it might ctually be Jimmy. Looks like I'm right.

QUOTE
He was on the verge of dozing off when suddenly everything fell into place, like tumblers in combination lock.
Dude, you are slow laugh.gif

QUOTE
She was halfway across the living room before she turned, pointing a revolver at Mac’s chest.
Called it tongue.gif

QUOTE

Mac didn’t know how long he sat on the floor, comforting his friend, but he would sit there all night if he needed.
This is probably my favorite trope in existence wub.gif

QUOTE

“Aw, man, now we’re really in trouble,” Mac groused, albeit with a playful glint in his eyes as his friends broke into carefree laughter.
tongue.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 29 January 2020 - 06:22 AM
Dragondog...sounds like you enjoyed part 2. Hope it was worth the wait!!

Posted by: Dragondog 29 January 2020 - 02:05 PM
QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 29 January 2020 - 08:22 AM)
Dragondog...sounds like you enjoyed part 2. Hope it was worth the wait!!

Indeed biggrin.gif

I know that that level of brainwashing is more of a sci-fi thing, but it's still kinda terrifying to read at three in the morning XD

Posted by: uniquelyjas 29 January 2020 - 02:43 PM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 29 January 2020 - 02:05 PM)
QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 29 January 2020 - 08:22 AM)
Dragondog...sounds like you enjoyed part 2.  Hope it was worth the wait!!

Indeed biggrin.gif

I know that that level of brainwashing is more of a sci-fi thing, but it's still kinda terrifying to read at three in the morning XD

biggrin.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 5 February 2020 - 07:17 AM
Chapter 35: Christmas Quarantine

“Thanks for the update. I appreciate it.” MacGyver hung up the phone and stepped out of his office and into the rec room at Challengers. Christmas was fast approaching and the teens had been decorating for days. This afternoon, Geena and Joanna were festooning the places the kids hadn’t already gotten to. As it was, they already had three Christmas trees, but this year Mac didn’t mind. Walking towards the two women he couldn’t help overhearing their conversation.

“Shouldn’t that man of yours be helping us with this?” Geena complained as she handed a length of garland to Joanna who was standing on a folding chair, tacking the decor to the wall.

“That man of hers has a name,” Mac informed the part-time law secretary and new Challengers volunteer as he approached and casually put his hands on Joanna’s hips.

“Oh, I know that,” Geena laughed. “I’m just funnin’ her! She never blushes when I just call you ‘MacGyver’.”

“I’m not gonna fall, ya know,” Jo informed him, glancing down at his hands.

“Let’s just call it a precautionary measure,” he grinned, squeezing her hips a bit tighter as she shook her head and returned her attention to the task at hand.

“Girlfriend, if you don’t want this fine man of yours touchin’ you, he can give me some sugar anytime!” Geena gave Mac a conspiratorial wink as she walked away.

“Okay, I’m comin’ down,” Joanna warned. “You might wanna let go and back up so my foot doesn’t accidentally hit you someplace painful.”

Figuring he had pushed the envelope far enough for now he did as she instructed but stayed alert and within arm’s reach in case she lost her balance.

“So, who were you on the phone with?” she asked once back on solid ground and looking up at him.

“Craig Bannister.”

The scowl that usually appeared on her face at the mention of that name remained absent, her expression neutral. Score one for the good guys!

“He wanted to let me know they caught the guy Duncan met with and recovered the documents,” Mac explained.

“I’m sure everyone at Phoenix is relieved,” she responded as she headed toward her office.

“Yeah, but it doesn’t make up for losing a good agent,” MacGyver said sadly, following behind her.

“I suppose not,” she mumbled before stopping halfway to her desk and turning to face him. “What’s going to happen with the recertification program you created?”

Mac was glad to see her taking an interest in his work for the foundation. “It’s been put on hold temporarily. The board will eventually decide whether or not to move ahead with it.”

“Are you okay with that? You worked so hard on it.”

“Yeah. And it almost got me killed.”

“What?! How?!” Joanna shrieked, a look of horror on her face.

“Uh, I really can’t say. It’s classified.”

“Would I want to know the details if it wasn’t?”

“Considering I’m standing here alive and well, probably not. But I will tell you something else you need to know.”

“What is it?” Jo asked, concern in her eyes.

“You have to kiss me now.”

“What?” Mac almost laughed at her befuddlement but knew he had to hold back if he wanted to move forward with this new diversion.

“It’s kinda tradition,” he clarified, snaking one arm around her waist to pull her close while he pointed up to the ceiling with his other hand to the sprig of mistletoe he had hung there earlier in the day.

“You booby trapped my office?” she accused.

His only answer was a slow, crooked smile he knew she couldn’t resist.

“Well,” she gave an exaggerated sigh. “I guess we can’t go breaking tradition now, can we?”

“Guess not,” he agreed as he lowered his lips to meet hers in a long, gentle caress.

“We should go try out the mistletoe in your office,” Joanna suggested lazily once they had broken the kiss.

MacGyver took a step back. “I didn’t put any in mine.”

“Why not?” she asked, taking a step back as well.

“I didn’t think you’d care for me being tradition bound to kiss every female that walked into my office.”

“But you don’t mind me kissing every guy that walks into my office?” she countered, one eyebrow cocked.

MacGyver hadn’t thought about it that way when he hatched this little plan. Time for a little recon. He grabbed a wire coat hanger from the hook on the back of Jo’s office door and gave it a yank to straighten it before reaching up and using the curved end to snag the offending piece of greenery and toss it into the trash.

“I always thought it was a dumb tradition anyways,” he explained when his eyes met Joanna’s quizzical gaze.

“Well, it was fun while it lasted,” she laughed. “Now we better get back to work before Geena starts wondering what we’re doing in here.”

“Oh, I think Geena knows exactly what we’re doin’ in here,” Mac replied. “Besides, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

“What is it?” she asked, a mix of concern and suspicion in her voice.

“Nothing bad,” Mac quickly assured her. “It’s just that I heard about this really nice ski resort a couple hours north of here--”

“You mean Cascade Ridge?”

“Yeah. I thought that once school lets out for winter break you and I could go up there for a couple days before Christmas to unwind.”

Mac held his breath as he waited for her answer. Knowing her need to plan and schedule, in detail, he expected a string of excuses to spew from her mouth.

“That sounds fun,” she replied.

“Wait, what?”

“I said, that sounds like it would be fun,” she repeated.

“Christmas isn’t until Thursday so I figure we can drive up Sunday night and be back by the twenty-fourth. That way you’ll still have the weekend for any last minute shopping,” he explained.

“Okay,” she said with a slight shrug.

MacGyver was taken aback by this easy-going, carefree side of her.

“Aren’t you going to point out that I just got back from L.A. and should spend the time here at work?”

“That was hardly a relaxing vacation,” she observed.

“But you don’t even ski!”

“I’m sure there are plenty of other ways to pass the time,” she declared. “I do like the idea of snuggling in front of a fire, drinking hot chocolate.”

“Me, too,” Mac agreed, once again reaching out to pull her close. Unfortunately, the moment was marred by his unexpected frown.

“What’s wrong?” Joanna asked, concern evident once again. “Don’t you want me to go?”

“No! I mean, I’m just not used to you being so...so…”

“So flexible and spontaneous?”

“Yeah, somethin’ like that.”

“It’s my New Year’s resolution,” she explained, extricating herself from his grasp with a grin. “I decided that if I’m gonna marry you, I have to get used to things like unexpected trips and surprise calls from Craig Bannister.”

“Aw Jo, I don’t want you to go changing because of me. I love you just as you are,” Mac protested.

“Don’t think of it as ‘changing’, think of it as ‘improving’. So, what’s your resolution?”

“To never let you forget how amazing you are,” he whispered huskily as he stole another kiss.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The following Sunday evening MacGyver pulled his Jeep up to the covered front entrance of the sprawling Cascade Ridge Ski Resort and Conference Center. Joanna couldn’t help but be impressed. She had done a bit of research and discovered that, not only did the large lodge boast an indoor ice rink, but it also had an arcade with a variety of games, several gathering rooms that each had a large stone fireplace for getting together with friends or spending time with a good book, a spa that offered manicures and massages, a number of conference rooms, and a critically acclaimed restaurant as well as a more modest cafe. Outdoor offerings included hiking and snowmobiling trails, tobogganing, and of course several ski hills from basic to advanced to accommodate all levels of ages and skills.

“Mac, this must be costing a fortune!”

“Don’t worry about it,” he replied with a lazy smile. “Consider it my Christmas present to you.”

“I think you’ve covered about five year’s worth of gifts,” she mumbled despite the anticipation building up inside her. For years, she had secretly dreamed of retreating to such a destination and now, thanks to MacGyver, she was actually here!

Once inside, the couple waited for their turn at the registration desk. A brunette woman and a blond-haired boy stood in front of them while an elderly husband and wife bickered as the clerk tried to collect their information.

“I’m tellin’ ya, Myrna, with a cough like that you should have stayed home!”

“Oh nonsense, George! It’s just the sniffles! The grandkids paid good money to send us here and I’m not going home now.”

“Fine! But if you die of pneumonia, don’t come cryin’ to me!”

Joanna glanced up at MacGyver with a smirk.

“Please, don’t let that ever be us,” he bent down and whispered in her ear, an amused grin on his face as well.

As the elderly couple worked to complete the registration process, the young boy standing in front of Mac began to voice his impatience.

“Mom, I’m hungry,” he whined. “Why couldn’t we have stopped at McDonald’s before coming here?”

“I’m sorry, honey, but how was I to know we were going to get a flat tire? We’ll go grab something as soon as we sign in.”

The boy sighed heavily and Jo noticed the brand new pair of hockey skates he had slung over his shoulder. So did MacGyver.

“Hey, those are pretty cool blades,” Mac observed, tearing the boy’s attention away from his hunger for the moment.

“Thanks! They’re an early Christmas present,” he responded eagerly.

“You on a team?”

“Yeah. I’m missing practice ‘cause I had to come with Mom to her work seminar, but she says I can use the indoor rink.”

“Sounds like a plan. I played on a hockey team when I was your age. Maybe we can do a little one-on-one if your mom says it’s okay. Name’s MacGyver.” Mac stuck out his hand and the boy returned the gesture.

This caught the woman’s attention and she turned around, a slight flush on her cheeks.

“Oh my goodness! I’m sorry if he’s bothering you. I’m Molly and this is my son, Josh.”

“I’m MacGyver and this is Joanna, it’s nice to meet you and Josh is no bother.”

“Mom, can I go skating with MacGyver while we’re here?” Josh asked excitedly just as the clerk beckoned them to the counter.

“We’ll see, honey. I don’t want you bothering the nice man,” Molly responded, sending Mac an apologetic smile.

“But maaa,” Josh whined as they moved forward.

Jo looked up at MacGyver and rolled her eyes as he chuckled.

Finally it was their turn to register. Joanna let MacGyver take care of the transaction and watched as the clerk handed him two key cards.

After taking the elevator up to the second floor and walking down a long corridor, Mac stopped in front of a well-lacquered wooden door. He slid the key card into the slot, threw the door opened, and motioned for Joanna to enter ahead of him. Expecting a modest motel room, she gasped when she saw the small suite. Directly across the room from her were large glass patio doors which presumably opened onto a balcony. The main room itself was outfitted with a couch, matching stuffed chairs, a coffee table and television. She noted two solid doors, one for the bathroom and one for the private bedroom.

“Mac, this is terrific!”

MacGyver shrugged, shying away from the praise. “The couch pulls out into a bed. This way I can sleep out here and get up early without disturbing you.”

His explanation warmed her soul. Not many people, especially morning people, understood her desire for a couple extra hours of sleep on days she wasn’t working. Suddenly she felt Mac grab her hand and she had no choice but to follow him to the patio doors.

“You can’t see it in the dark, but in the morning you’ll see the black diamond ski hill from here. Maybe you’ll catch one of my runs,” he said with a grin.

“Isn’t a black diamond one of the most advanced courses?”

“Yep!”

“Fine, I’ll watch as long as you promise not to wipe out!”

XXXXX

True to her word, the following morning Joanna emerged from her bedroom in flannel pajamas and a fluffy robe. She tugged open the heavy draperies that had been pulled across the patio doors and immediately shielded her eyes as the bright December sunlight glinted off the pure white snow of the ski hill. Once her eyes adjusted to the brightness, her gaze landed on a figure in red ski pants and jacket effortlessly swooshing down the mountain. She smiled as she admired MacGyver’s gracefulness, speed, and economy of movement. When he reached the bottom of the hill he skidded to a stop sending a rooster tail of snow into the air before heading back to the lift for another run. Joanna turned away and hurried to the bathroom to shower and dress before he returned.

Jo had just commandeered a small table for two in the main lobby where a complimentary breakfast buffet had been set up when Mac walked through the front door. His cheeks were red, his damp hair plastered to his head, and his smile larger than she had seen in a long time. He immediately made his way over to her.

“Having fun?” she asked, returning his smile.

“Yeah. I can’t believe how much I’ve missed it,” he responded, still a bit breathless.

“You looked good out there,”

“Thanks,” he replied, self-satisfaction obvious. “But all that exercise sure makes a guy hungry.”

After loading their plates with a scrumptious variety of breakfast treats, they returned to their table and made plans for the rest of the day.

After a long, leisurely hike which included hand-holding, stolen kisses, and more than one impromptu snowball fight, the couple returned to the lodge for a late lunch in the cafe during which MacGyver convinced a reluctant Joanna to resume her skating lessons. When the pair finally made their way to the indoor skating rink, they found Josh in full hockey gear gliding aimlessly around the ice, head down. Mac looked at Jo with a hopeful plea in his eyes.

“Go ahead and play with him,” she directed with a laugh. “My skating lesson can wait.”

After giving her a quick kiss, MacGyver laced up his skates and hit the ice. Joanna could see the boy’s face light up immediately.

“Promise to go easy on me. I’m not wearing any pads,” she heard Mac call to him before they dropped the puck and started a game of one-on-one.

Joanna settled herself on a bench to watch the proceedings. She instinctively knew that MacGyver would let Josh decide when it was time to quit. Given that the boy was only twelve, it could be a while. A few moments later she felt a presence beside her as Molly sat down, her eyes on her son.

“I hope he isn’t bothering your husband,” she apologized.

Joanna let the woman’s assumption about Mac slide. “Are you kidding? He lives for this kind of stuff!”

Just then, Josh slid the puck into the net. He let out a whoop and raised his hands, stick and all, into the air to celebrate.

“Did you see that, Ma?!” he called. “I’m beating Mr. MacGyver!”

“Not for long you’re not,” Mac called back as he returned to center ice with the puck.

Molly laughed. “I see what you mean,” she said to Jo. “If he does become a nuisance, just send him back to the room. Unfortunately, I need to get back to my business meeting.”

That evening, Joanna and MacGyver dined in the lodge’s five-star restaurant. The atmosphere was romantic and the cuisine delectable. After sharing a decadent dessert, they decided to forego returning to their suite and instead ensconced themselves in one of the smaller gathering rooms. Sitting close to each other on a buttery soft leather sofa, Mac put his arm around Joanna and pulled her close. She laid her head on his shoulder and placed her hand on his chest. She could feel the warmth of his skin through his shirt as well as the strong, steady beat of his heart.

“Are you having a good time?” she asked, tilting her head to look up at him.

“I am,” he confirmed with a smile. “How about you?”

“It’s been perfect. I hate to think of leaving.”

“Then don’t,” he instructed. “We still have one full day left.”

Tuesday morning Joanna made a point of waking early. She watched MacGyver make two runs down the ski hill. His speed seemed a bit slower today and his moves just a tad sluggish, but she still could not take her eyes off his athletic, confident form. When he did not return for a third run, she headed to the bathroom.

Stepping from the shower wrapped in a warm bathrobe, her brown hair still wet, she opened the door to find Mac standing by the couch, shedding his ski jacket.

“Done already?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he muttered. She couldn’t help but notice his hand reach for the small of his back and begin kneading it gently.

“Maybe you should go to the spa for a massage,” she suggested with a knowing grin.

Mac grimaced. “I’ll be fine once I get cleaned up and have a good breakfast.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver took a longer and hotter shower than usual hoping it would soothe the kinks in his back. Two straight days of skiing plus a couple of hours playing hockey had taken their toll, though he was loathe to admit it. On their way to the lobby for breakfast, he and Joanna ran into Josh and Molly. Josh was eager to get Mac back on the ice and there was no way he was gonna refuse the kid, even when Jo shot him a sideways glance that seemed to say he should know better. They had just filled their plates at the buffet and sat down as a foursome when an ambulance pulled up at the main entrance. The hotel manager quickly escorted the medics through the room amidst murmurs and stares from other diners.

“Wonder what’s going on?” Mac mused aloud.

“Some middle-aged guy probably threw his back out trying to act like a teenager,” Jo replied snidely.

They were half-way through their meal when the medics returned with a stretcher carrying an elderly lady wrapped in blankets. A man of about the same age followed behind, carrying her purse.

“Hey Mom, isn’t that the old couple that was ahead of us in line the other night?” Josh asked.

“It looks like it could be,” Molly replied.

“I remember that couple,” Mac added. “The wife had a terrible cough.”

“It must have turned into something more serious,” Joanna observed with a frown, silencing the others at the table.

Once the remainder of the meal had been consumed, Molly headed off to her seminar, Jo returned to their suite to grab a novel to read by the fire, and Mac and Josh proceeded to the ice rink. After some quick warm up exercises and a rousing game of one-on-one, MacGyver showed Josh some easy tips and tricks for him to share with his friends and teammates back home. Acutely aware of the precious time he was missing with Joanna, he cut their session short, much to Josh’s dismay.

“Sorry buddy,” he apologized. “How about you hang out in the arcade until it’s time to meet your mom for lunch?”

The boy nodded in polite agreement and Mac set out to find Joanna.

“So, what do you want to do for the rest of the day?” he asked Jo, settling beside her on the same couch they had cuddled on the night before.

“Whatever you want,” she replied.

Mac stared at her suspiciously. “You’re taking this whole New Year’s resolution thing pretty seriously, aren’t you?”

“I am,” she answered solemnly.

“Aha! I got you now!” he exclaimed.

Twenty minutes later he had her teetering on a pair of figure skates about to step onto the ice.

“You know you don’t really have to do this if you don’t want to,” he said, gazing into her trusting eyes.

She shook her head. “Skating is important to you, and I’ve always enjoyed watching it but I was always scared to actually try doing it myself.”

Taking his hand, she gingerly stepped onto the slippery surface. Much to his dismay, she quickly removed her hand from his in order to grasp the top of the wall. Once she had her balance, she started taking slow steps forward, still clutching the padded wall instead of him. Mac sighed and followed behind, offering encouraging words. Suddenly her hand shot out towards him. He instinctively grabbed it and felt her weight shift.

“I don’t think I need to hang onto the boards anymore,” she explained. “I seem to be remembering what you taught me last time. Just don’t let go, okay?”

“Count on it,” he promised, putting an arm around her waist for extra support.

Lost in both the thrill of skating and the feel of Joanna in his arms, time went by quickly. When their stomachs began to rumble, they agreed to grab lunch in the cafe. Afterward, they decided to check out the arcade and were soon engrossed in various games as if they were kids again. Joanna’s competitive side surfaced as it had when Mac had first introduced her to his video hockey game and she practically wore out her arm trying to beat him at skee ball after she had already won one air hockey game. Aware that their time at the resort was waning, they agreed to take another leisurely stroll through the woods before climbing aboard a festively decorated old-fashioned sleigh for a special holiday tour of the grounds. They ended their day with a long, romantic dinner in the lodge’s exclusive restaurant where they drank in each other’s company with light touches and meaningful glances taking the place of conversation.

The following morning, MacGyver watched Joanna reluctantly pack her things. His duffle was already set to go, waiting by the door.

“You know we can always come back,” he told her, hoping to raise her spirits. “Besides, tonight is Christmas Eve. Aren’t you anxious to see what I got you?”

This got her attention. She turned to him, eyes wide. “You said this trip was my present.”

“I said you could consider it my gift to you. I actually bought you something before we left.”

“Well, I admit I’m looking forward to seeing the look on your face when I give you your present,” she confessed.

“Oh really?!” Mac raised his eyebrows suggestively only to earn a scowl from her pretty face.

Jo had just closed her suitcase when the telephone rang. MacGyver snatched up the receiver to be greeted by a poor quality recording.

“This is the lodge manager. All guests are required to meet in Conference Room One for an emergency announcement at 10:00am.”

The message continued to repeat itself, but Mac only needed to hear it once. His brow furrowed in concern as he met Joanna’s eyes and relayed the message.

“I wonder what that’s all about,” she commented, concern filling her voice.

MacGyver glanced at his watch. It was 9:45am. “We’ll find out soon enough,” he replied before they headed out the door and down to the main floor.

A group of worried patrons had already gathered outside the designated room when the couple arrived and found themselves standing next to Molly and Josh. It didn’t take people long to consider what this imperative meeting might be about.

“Maybe there’s a blizzard on the way and we have to evacuate!”

“Or it could be an avalanche!”

“I bet it’s a bomb threat! There are all sorts of crazies out there these days!”

More people began to add their opinions and soon individual words were indiscernible. Josh looked anxiously at MacGyver.

“It’s probably nothing more than a broken ski lift or a hot tub on the fritz,” Mac said loudly, trying to dispel the rising panic, but his words seemed to fall on deaf ears.

Once inside the large room, the manager stepped up on a podium and spoke into a microphone. Joanna glanced up at Mac, nervously biting her lip, and he reached down to give her hand a comforting squeeze.

“Ladies and gentleman,” the manager began. “It is with great sorrow that I must inform you of the death of one of our patrons.”

MacGyver had no doubt it was the woman who had been removed by ambulance the day before. But why the urgency to announce her fate?

“We now know that the deceased was suffering from a rare strain of influenza before she passed. Due to this, the local Center for Disease Control has issued a quarantine for Cascade Ridge until all persons are tested for the flu and an appropriate treatment can be found. Therefore, I must insist that everyone please remain in their assigned rooms, wash your hands frequently, and avoid other guests as well as common areas as much as possible. The lodge’s restaurant will be providing free room service and asks that all patrons telephone in their orders. These rules will remain in effect until the quarantine has been lifted. In addition, if you, or someone you know, appears to be exhibiting symptoms such as sore throat, fever, body aches, chills, or fatigue, please contact a member of our staff immediately. Later today, a physician will be coming to perform a rapid diagnostic test on everyone. Your cooperation during this time is greatly appreciated.”

“Does that mean I hafta stay in our room all day?” Josh morosely asked his mother as the crowd began to disperse.

“I’m afraid so, kiddo.”

“But there’s nothing to do! And what about hockey practice?!”

“I’m sorry, Josh,” Molly replied, sounding a bit harried by this sudden turn of events. “But we have to do as we’re told. On the bright side, I’ll let you watch as much TV as you want.”

Josh hung his head and kicked the carpet with his foot.

“Listen, Jo and I have a suite. How about we trade so Josh at least has a little more room to move around,” MacGyver suggested to Molly.

“I’m sorry, sir, but that would be breaking quarantine. One of your rooms could already be contaminated,” replied the manager who had just happened to be passing by.

Mac looked at Molly and shrugged. “I tried,” he whispered.

XXXXX

Late that evening, Joanna tossed the television remote onto the coffee table in front of her.

“I can’t believe it! Premium cable, over a hundred channels, and nothing good on TV!” she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest in a pout.

“Why don’t you read the book you brought with you?”

“I finished it while we were waiting for the test results,” she mumbled.

Earlier that afternoon a doctor from the nearest town had come and swabbed everyone’s throat to test for influenza, but both she and MacGyver knew the test was terribly insufficient and not designed to identify individual strains. Nevertheless, it was a process they had to endure even though it would not be enough to lift the quarantine.

“Did you call your folks?” Mac asked in an attempt to get Jo out of her foul mood.

“Yeah. I explained everything and told them I’d call when we knew more,” she sighed. “Did you call Sam?”

“No. He and Becca are spending Christmas with Pete and Connie. I didn’t want to spoil their holiday worrying about us.”

“Speaking of the holiday, this sure isn’t the way I envisioned spending Christmas Eve.”

MacGyver sat down next to her on the couch. “You’re the one who didn’t want to leave,” he pointed out cheekily. “You got your wish!”

“Then I guess I better be careful what I wish for. I didn’t want to be held prisoner!” she complained.

“Perhaps we could find a way to make your sentence more enjoyable,” he said softly, leaning in only to be stopped by her hand on his chest.

“What?”

She felt his forehead with the back of her other hand and squinted her eyes at him. “You don’t have a sore throat do you? Or the chills, or body aches?”

“I get it. You wanna play doctor,” Mac observed with a sexy grin while attempting to move closer. He stopped when his eyes landed on her hard gaze.

“I’m making sure you aren’t gonna give me the flu,” she responded tartly.

“If you recall, my test came back negative,” he reminded her as he wrapped his arms around her, pulled her close, and kissed her deeply before raising his head to observe her reaction. “You, on the other hand, look a bit flushed,” he observed huskily.

“Why might that be?” she asked breathlessly.

“I’m not sure. I think we need to experiment a bit more to find out.”

Joanna giggled before MacGyver’s lips pressed against hers once more and he felt her muscles relax as she gave herself fully to the kiss. Riding a wave of emotion, he barely heard the frantic knock on their door. Knowing everyone was supposed to remain in their appointed rooms, he raised his head and saw Jo’s eyes mirror his concern. With a sigh, he pulled himself away from her to answer the door. Molly was standing on the other side, tears running down her cheeks, her mascara smeared.

“Is Josh with you?” she asked anxiously, shoving past MacGyver before he had a chance to greet her or invite her in.

“No. Isn’t he in your room?” Joanna asked, rising from the couch.

The woman shook her head and sobbed. “No. He was really upset about having to stay in and kept complaining he was bored and missing hockey practice. I went to take a shower and when I returned to the bedroom he was gone! I’ve already looked in the ice rink and arcade, but I can’t seem to find him anywhere!”

With his hands on her shoulders, Mac led Molly to a comfortable armchair while Joanna handed her a wad of tissue.

“I think I know where he may have gone,” MacGyver announced once Molly had calmed down.

“Where?” the mother asked.

“He’s upset about not being able to skate, right?”

Molly nodded.

“When Jo and I were out hiking we saw a small, frozen pond on the property. I’ll go check it out, but first I have to figure a way out of here.”

“What do you mean?” Molly asked.

“We’re under quarantine, remember? I can’t exactly stroll through the lobby and out the front door.”

“I’m sorry,” the woman apologized. “When I couldn’t find Josh I forgot all about that.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Mac replied absently as he opened the sliding patio doors and stepped out on a small balcony before turning to survey the room.

“What are you thinking?” Jo asked, coming to stand beside him.

MacGyver peeked over the railing with a grimace. Of course they had to be on the second floor. “Go in the bedroom and get all your sheets,” he told her, handing her his Swiss Army knife. “Cut them in half the long way and tie them together.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding!”

“I know it’s cliché, but do you have a better idea?”

Jo frowned and hurried off to her bedroom as MacGyver opened up the pull-out couch and set to work tearing those sheets as well. They quickly tied them together and secured one end around the balcony railing. Assured that all the knots were as tight as possible, Mac tossed the sheets over the balcony before climbing over himself.

“Pull these up as soon as I hit the ground so no one sees them,” he instructed

“But how will you get back?” Jo asked.

“I’ll figure that out when the time comes. First I have to find Josh.” With that, Mac shimmied to the ground and watched as Joanna gathered up the sheets.

Moving as stealthily yet as quickly as possible, he regretted leaving his warm jacket behind. But on second thought it was probably for the best since the red material would make him easier to spot and he couldn’t get caught breaking quarantine. At least not until he found Josh.

Since Mac had also forgotten a flashlight, he was thankful for the full winter moon reflecting off the white blanket of snow. He had been hiking for about five minutes before he reached the pond. He thought he saw something bobbing in the middle of it.

“Josh! Is that you?!” he called in a loud whisper.

“Mr. MacGyver! I was skating when the ice broke and I fell in! You gotta help me!”

“Just hang in there and stay calm. I’ll get you out.”

There was no way Mac could reach the boy without going onto the ice himself and if he fell through, they’d both be in trouble. He needed some type of rope. For an instant he considered returning to the lodge and getting Joanna to toss him the sheets he had used to lower himself from the balcony, but that would take too long. Reaching into the pocket of his jeans he grabbed his Swiss Army knife, thankful that Jo had remembered to return it to him before he left. He opened it up to the longest blade it had, got down on all fours and slowly crawled out on the ice, laying on his stomach, arms and legs spread wide so his weight was evenly distributed over the frozen surface. Once he got as close as he felt was safe he spoke to the boy again.

“I’m gonna slide this knife to you. Take it and stab the thickest piece of ice you can reach and hold on tight. I’ll be right back.”

As soon as Josh did what he had instructed, he carefully returned to solid ground to search for something to pull the boy out. He knew he had to act fast. It wouldn’t be long before the youngster started experiencing shock and hypothermia. With the help of the moonlight he spotted a shadowy figure that looked to be an old outbuilding several yards away. MacGyver hurried through the snow, striking his foot against an unseen rock in the process. He reached the windowless shed and groaned when he saw the door secured with a rusted padlock. Normally he could easily pick it with his knife, but Josh was currently using it to keep himself from sinking into the frigid water. Suddenly, an idea sprung to mind and he backtracked to find the rock he had stumbled upon. Wrestling it out of the snow, it wasn’t as heavy as he first thought, but it should be able to get the job done. Returning to the wooden shed, he hit the lock with the rock several times until it finally gave way. With a sigh of relief Mac entered, pausing to adjust to the darkness. He carefully made his way around the small room, reaching out and touching objects as he went. Finally, his hand landed on what felt like a rubber garden hose. He hoisted the coil from the hook it was hanging on and headed outside to get a better look. He would have preferred something more flexible, like a rope, but this would have to do. He only hoped it was long enough.

Back at the pond he found Josh barely keeping himself above water. The boy’s eyelids were drooping and his arms appeared rigid. Mac stepped as close to the edge as he could.

“I’m gonna toss you this hose. Grab on and pull yourself up. I’ll pull from this end,” he told the frightened boy.

It took a couple tries, but finally Josh, still holding onto the knife with one hand, grasped the rubber hose in the other and began to pull himself up onto the ice. MacGyver braced his legs and pulled on the other end, careful to not rip the length of hose from Josh’s hand. At last, the boy was able to wiggle out of the hole and lay belly down on the ice.

“Stay still and hang on,” Mac called. “I’ll pull you in.”

Once Josh was back on firm ground, he and MacGyver sat in the snow, wet, cold, and exhausted.

“How did you find me?” the boy asked meekly.

Mac shrugged. “I just thought about where I would have gone when I was your age and cooped up in a hotel room when I’d rather be skating.”

“I bet my mom’s gonna be pretty angry.”

“I can just about guarantee it. You gave her quite a scare. Come on, we gotta get back to the lodge and get into some dry clothes before we get into any more trouble,” Mac said as he stood up and reached down to help the boy do the same. The return trek took a bit longer due to cold, stiff limbs.

“So how did you manage to get out without anyone seeing you?” MacGyver asked.

“I snuck out the back door of the laundry room. Is that how we’re gonna get back in?”

“We’re gonna give it a try,” Mac replied with a smile.

Once at the main building, MacGyver had Josh lead the way to the door he had used earlier. Mac reached for the handle but it was locked. Instinctively he stuck his hand in his pocket then frowned.

“Looking for this?” Josh asked, grinning as he held up Mac’s Swiss Army knife.

“Yeah. Thanks buddy.”

Moments later MacGyver had the lock jimmied and they stepped into the blessedly warm room where industrial sized washers and dryers chugged away.

“C’mon, this way!” Josh motioned and Mac followed with a grin. Due to the late hour, very few staff members were present, but they did have to duck into doorways a couple times to avoid detection. When they reached the suite, MacGyver tapped a gentle cadence on the door. Joanna swung the door open before stepping back and staring at them.

“What in the world happened to you?!” she cried as Molly joined her.

“We’ll tell you all about it, but first let us in before someone sees us.”

“It’s a little late for that,” Jo responded as she and Molly stepped aside to reveal the manager of the lodge standing in the middle of the room looking extremely unhappy.

MacGyver and Josh entered the suite and before Mac could speak the manager answered his unasked question.

“Some of the guests reported seeing prowlers outside their windows. We identified you two when we played back the outdoor security footage.”

“So what happens now?” Mac asked.

The tired manager sighed. “Everyone stays put for now. I’ll call the local CDC first thing in the morning and see what the protocol is for this type of infraction. We’ll talk when I know more.”

“I’ll be here,” MacGyver promised as Jo draped a heavy blanket over his shoulders, the manager departing with a scowl.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“C’mon! It’s almost time!” Mac called from where he sat on the couch in his apartment.

“I’ll be there in a minute,” Joanna responded from the kitchen before turning her attention to the bull dog waiting not-so-patiently at her feet.

“Here you go, Frog. Enjoy,” she said as she crouched down and served up a canine meal of fried chicken livers.

“Joanna!”

“I’m coming!”

Jo plopped down next to MacGyver just as he turned up the volume on the television so they could hear the countdown live from Times Square. Watching the big, glistening ball slide down the pole as the year wound down always gave her chills. The crowd soon cheered and a recording of Auld Lang Syne blared. Mac turned and kissed her deeply. When he finally pulled away, she chuckled.

“What?” he asked a bit defensively.

“This just reminds me of when I was little and my dad told me once the ball dropped it was the New Year and I had to go to bed. Then I learned about time zones!”

“Speaking of which, we still have one more to go,” Mac observed.

“If you would have warned me we’d be ringing in 1998 every hour on the hour since midnight in London I would’ve bought stock in Chapstick!”

“Are you complaining?” he asked with a crooked grin.

“Not a chance,” she replied with a smile. “It’s hard to believe that a week ago we were quarantined in a ski lodge.”

“I know what you mean. But in a way it was kinda nice,” he said softly, taking her hand and weaving his fingers through hers.

“Yeah, it was. Especially since you didn’t get punished for breaking quarantine,” she replied dreamily, remembering the three days spent in the comfortable suite, eating gourmet food, talking, kissing, talking some more, and cuddling in front of the television. “But it was still nice to be able to come home after none of the other guests exhibited flu symptoms.”

“I’m sorry we missed spending Christmas with your family, though.”

Jo shook her head. “Spending time alone with you was the best gift I could’ve gotten.”

“Speaking of gifts, we agreed to exchange presents tonight, remember?” he asked as he reached under the sofa cushion and pulled out a small box.

Joanna lifted the lid and began to laugh. “My own Swiss Army knife!”

“I was gonna get you an extra-large roll of duct tape, but I figured this was classier.”

“Oh, I love it, Mac!

“Turn it over,” he ordered.

On the opposite side she found the engraving ‘JF + AM’.

“Our initials! It’s perfect!” she exclaimed. “I’m gonna keep this forever! Now close your eyes while I go get your present.”

“You mean my Christmas gift has been here the whole time?”

“No, I brought it over this morning when you were at Challengers. Now close your eyes because I couldn’t wrap it.”

When she was sure Mac had obeyed, she hurried upstairs and grabbed the present from the back of the closet.

“Okay,” she said when she was once again standing in front of him. “You can open your eyes now!” She didn’t miss the shadow of disappointment that momentarily covered his face.

“You got me a used hockey stick?” he asked, trying to sound pleased as he examined the nicks and scrapes and dried up tape.

“Read the handle,” she instructed.

Scribbled in black magic marker was an unfamiliar script that read ‘Merry Christmas MacGyver’.

She saw the moment when his dismay morphed into curiosity. “Keep reading,” she urged, barely able to control her excitement.

He rotated the stick in his hands until he saw Wayne Gretzky’s autograph in the same handwriting.

“Jo, how did you ever…”

“You never mentioned getting a bonus from Phoenix for your work on the MacGyverland project, so I called Pete who called Craig who pulled some strings and voila! Do you like it?”

“I love it!” he exclaimed. “But not nearly as much as I love you!”

Before she knew it, MacGyver swept her into his arms and was kissing her senseless as the clock struck twelve and a whole new year began.















Posted by: Dragondog 8 February 2020 - 10:44 AM
Sorry, took me a few days to get to this one tongue.gif

QUOTE
Chapter 35: Christmas Quarantine
Interesting... hmm.bmp

QUOTE

“Okay, I’m comin’ down,” Joanna warned. “You might wanna let go and back up so my foot doesn’t accidentally hit you someplace painful.”
"Accidentally" tongue.gif

QUOTE

“Are you okay with that? You worked so hard on it.”

“Yeah. And it almost got me killed.”

“What?! How?!” Joanna shrieked, a look of horror on her face.

“Uh, I really can’t say. It’s classified.”
Uh oh...

QUOTE

“It’s kinda tradition,” he clarified, snaking one arm around her waist to pull her close while he pointed up to the ceiling with his other hand to the sprig of mistletoe he had hung there earlier in the day.
Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky XD

QUOTE

“But you don’t mind me kissing every guy that walks into my office?” she countered, one eyebrow cocked.

MacGyver hadn’t thought about it that way when he hatched this little plan. Time for a little recon.
Smooth, Mac, smooth laugh.gif

QUOTE

MacGyver was taken aback by this easy-going, carefree side of her.

“Aren’t you going to point out that I just got back from L.A. and should spend the time here at work?”

“That was hardly a relaxing vacation,” she observed.

“But you don’t even ski!”
Mac: *is surprised Jo doesn't argue* *argues on her behalf*

QUOTE

“Don’t think of it as ‘changing’, think of it as ‘improving’. So, what’s your resolution?”

“To never let you forget how amazing you are,” he whispered huskily as he stole another kiss.
*squeals* (The newest Miraculous Ladybug season came out, and it left me in a very shippy mood biggrin.gif )

QUOTE

“I’m tellin’ ya, Myrna, with a cough like that you should have stayed home!”

“Oh nonsense, George! It’s just the sniffles! The grandkids paid good money to send us here and I’m not going home now.”

“Fine! But if you die of pneumonia, don’t come cryin’ to me!”
This'll lead to the quarantine, I'll bet. (future me says that his last line here is harsher in hindsight).

QUOTE

This caught the woman’s attention and she turned around, a slight flush on her cheeks.
Surprised it took her that long to notice XD

QUOTE

His explanation warmed her soul. Not many people, especially morning people, understood her desire for a couple extra hours of sleep on days she wasn’t working.
YES!

QUOTE
and more than one impromptu snowball fight,
*squeals again*

QUOTE


“Some middle-aged guy probably threw his back out trying to act like a teenager,” Jo replied snidely.
The SHADE XD

QUOTE

“Ladies and gentleman,” the manager began. “It is with great sorrow that I must inform you of the death of one of our patrons.”
Oh, that's freakin' sad sad.gif

QUOTE

“I can’t believe it! Premium cable, over a hundred channels, and nothing good on TV!” she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest in a pout.
Mood.

QUOTE

MacGyver peeked over the railing with a grimace. Of course they had to be on the second floor. “Go in the bedroom and get all your sheets,” he told her, handing her his Swiss Army knife. “Cut them in half the long way and tie them together.”
biggrin.gif

QUOTE

“This just reminds me of when I was little and my dad told me once the ball dropped it was the New Year and I had to go to bed. Then I learned about time zones!”

“Speaking of which, we still have one more to go,” Mac observed.

“If you would have warned me we’d be ringing in 1998 every hour on the hour since midnight in London I would’ve bought stock in Chapstick!”
Wow, Mac, just pullin' out all the stops tonight, aren't ya? XD

Okay, their gifts to each other are adorable XD

Posted by: uniquelyjas 13 February 2020 - 06:22 AM
Chapter 36: The Guest

Mid-January was always an odd time of year. The anticipation of Christmas, New Year’s, and holiday activities was gone. Snowfalls that were magical a month ago were now a nuisance and it seemed the whole world was yearning for spring which was still only a distant promise. MacGyver felt this bleakness more than ever this year. Upon returning to work, Joanna had been offered, and accepted, a full time teaching position at the high school to cover for an instructor who had taken a sudden leave of absence for the second semester. This meant she spent more time at school than with him. He knew that was a selfish thought, but he still missed her presence. Now, the time they had spent together at the ski resort seemed all the more precious. Even if most of it was under quarantine. The telephone on his desk rang, breaking him from his melancholy reverie and he reached for the receiver.

“Challengers Club,” he answered.

“Hi MacGyver! Guess who!” An all-too-familiar bubbly voice greeted him.

“Gosh, I wonder,” he teased as a smile tugged at his lips.

“It’s me. Penny Parker.” Her tone was serious now, almost sad, and Mac could imagine the frown on her face.

“I know, Penny. I’d recognize that voice of yours anywhere.” He’d certainly heard it enough over the years. “What’s up?”

“I’m flying into Milwaukee the day after tomorrow and was wondering if you could pick me up at the airport,” she replied, her usual cheerfulness returning.

“No problem. What brings you here?”

“The university’s drama department contacted me. They want to do a revival of Cleo Rocks and asked me to come and consult with them! Isn’t that wonderful?!” Mac swore her voice rose an octave with excitement.”

“Yeah, Penny, that’s great. But how did they find you? The original show never even opened.”

“They said they found all my information on the internet. Aren’t computers awesome?!”
“Yeah, awesome,” he agreed reluctantly. “Listen Penny, are you sure this whole thing is legit and not someone pulling a prank...or worse?”

“Oh Mac, why do you always have to be so negative?” Before MacGyver could express his doubts she continued. “Anyway, I thought it was kind of strange myself so I called the head of the Fine Arts department and she confirmed everything! This is really happening, Mac! People are finally going to get to see Cleo Rocks!”

Yep. This was definitely an odd time of year.

XXXXX

Two nights later Mac pulled his Jeep into his driveway and smiled to himself when he saw the inside of his townhouse awash with warm, welcoming light.

“Are you sure Joanna doesn’t mind me staying here?” Penny asked, biting her bottom lip.

“Jo’s fine with it,” he assured her, stepping out of the vehicle. “After all, you’re practically family.”

Penny smiled with relief as she joined MacGyver who was already unloading her luggage from the back of the Jeep.

“Here, let me help you,” she insisted as they both grabbed the same suitcase at the same time.

“It’s okay. I got it, Penny,” Mac replied as they lifted the heavy bag together.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure!”

“Okay!” Penny let go of the handle and MacGyver, caught off guard by the sudden extra weight, sank to his knees with a loud yowl.

“Mac! What happened?!” Penny asked anxiously as she crouched by his side.

“I wrenched my back,” he explained through gritted teeth.

“I’ll help you up,” she declared, reaching out to grasp his upper arm.

“No!” Mac exclaimed before taking a breath and getting a grip on himself. “I can manage. Go on in the house. Joanna’s waiting for you.”

“Well…” Penny stood and hesitated, literally wringing her hands.

Suddenly the front door opened and Jo stepped out, breaking into a jog when she saw them.

“What happened?” she asked anxiously.

“MacGyver was taking the luggage out of the car and he hurt his back,” Penny relayed like a dutiful child.

“And Penny was trying to help,” he added with a pleading gaze he hoped Jo would understand. After a moment, she raised her eyebrow indicating she realized what he was trying to say.

“Mac’ll be fine,” she told Penny. “Come on in out of the cold and make yourself at home.” With an arm around the other woman’s shoulders, Jo led her through the front door.

Gingerly regaining his feet, Mac stood and sighed. Penny, much like Jack Dalton, had a way of finding trouble. Or of trouble finding her. Either way, he always seemed to suffer the unfortunate repercussions. With careful movements and measured steps, he once again picked up Penny’s bags and made his way into the house. What he found inside made him stop dead in his tracks. Joanna and Penny stood stock still between the spiral staircase and the breakfast bar as Frog growled at them in a way Mac had never heard before, his entire chubby body quivering.

“What has gotten into you?!” Jo scolded.

“It’s okay, Frog. It’s just me, Penny Parker. You liked me the last time I stayed here, remember?” She bent down and reached out to pet the dog who immediately bared his teeth. Penny quickly snatched her hand back and moved to stand behind Joanna.

MacGyver set the luggage he carried down just inside the doorway and went to stand between the two women and the ornery canine.

“This is ridiculous! Knock it off,” he demanded, giving the bull dog a gentle shove with his foot. The growling stopped, but Frog remained seated, staring Penny down as if she was his worst enemy.

“I’ll put him in the backyard until he calms down,” Jo announced as she reached down, grabbed his collar, and unceremoniously dragged him across the hardwood floor to the patio doors on the opposite end of the room. She snapped on his lead and put him out into the night, closing the sliding door behind her.

“I don’t understand what happened,” Penny moaned. “Animals usually love me!”

“Don’t worry,” Mac told her, summoning up a grin. “He’s just getting old and cranky. Go on upstairs and I’ll bring your luggage so you can get settled.”

Penny turned to him, her big doe eyes wide. “Maybe it would be better for your back if you took the bed and I slept on the couch.”

“No way! My back is just fine. You’ll take the bed,” Mac insisted as he moved to pick up her bags, but she beat him to it, lifting them as if they weighed no more than a feather before trotting up the stairs.

MacGyver looked on in disbelief and then shook his head in dismay as he limped toward his couch.

“She’s only been in town a couple hours and already I’ve thrown out my back and my dog’s gone crazy,” he muttered. “What more could happen?”

“Do you really want an answer to that?” Joanna asked skeptically.

“No. Definitely not!”

XXXXX

The following afternoon, MacGyver was sitting at his desk at Challengers, yawning widely, when Joanna walked through his door.

“So, how did things go after I left last night?” she asked without preamble or a hello kiss.

“Depends on who you ask,” Mac grumbled. “Penny took a shower, went to bed, and slept like a baby. Frog, on the other hand, spent the better part of the night pacing, sniffing, and growling at thin air so I couldn’t get to sleep. I finally decided to watch TV when my VCR ate one of my favorite classic Westerns.”

“Oh Mac! I’m so sorry!”

“Yeah, me too,” he replied, stifling another yawn. “I decided to keep Frog here until Penny leaves. He settled down as soon as we here.”

“Ya know, I hate to say anything, but all this bad luck you’re having reminds me of when we visited Penny’s B&B.”

Mac rose from his chair, pointing a finger at Jo. “No. Don’t even go there. There are no such thing as ghosts, and even if there were, my apartment is not haunted.”

“I know that,” Jo retorted, rolling her eyes. “I was thinking about Penny and Murdoc’s ring.”

Mac shook his head. “Before we left Cloverton I made her promise to get rid of that thing. Ya know...just in case.”

“Then I guess her visit and your sudden string of bad luck is just a weird coincidence,” she concluded. “By the way, where is Penny?”

“At the university. I let her ride in with me this morning so she could borrow my Jeep. Which reminds me,” he continued, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to give a guy a ride home?”

“Mmmm, perhaps I could be persuaded,” she said with a sly smile.

“I’ll cook you dinner,” he offered, grinning crookedly.

“That’s not exactly what I had in mind.” Joanna arched one eyebrow and caught his gaze.

Wordlessly, MacGyver’s hands moved to cup her face as he lowered his lips to hers in an achingly gentle caress. “Better?” he whispered huskily.

“Much,” she murmured contentedly. “But you’re still gonna make me dinner, right?”

Mac leaned back without moving his hands and considered her carefully. “I didn’t realized you were this greedy when I asked you to marry me.”

“Take it or leave it, Angus!”

“Oh, I’ll take it. I’ll always take it,” he confirmed, moving in and kissing her deeply.

That evening MacGyver had just pulled a casserole out of the oven as Joanna eyed it suspiciously when Penny came bouncing through the front door.

“Hi everybody!” she greeted them cheerfully. “Here are your keys, Mac. Thanks again for letting me borrow your car.”

“Sounds like you had a good day,” Mac observed, taking the car keys and returning them to the hook next to the door.

“Oh, it was wonderful!” Penny exclaimed, spinning around in circle. “The director found the original script and plans to follow it just as Jacques would have!” At the mention of Jacques, or rather Murdoc, the light in her eyes dimmed, but only for a moment. “And guess what the best part is?” she challenged, her enthusiasm back in full force.

“I don’t have a clue, Penny. What is it?” He chuckled under his breath, his friend’s mood obviously infectious as he glanced to find Joanna grinning as well.

“I’m in charge of teaching Cleopatra how to do the high kick!” she replied, clapping her hands in glee. “Remember how much trouble I had with that move until I finally got it right?!” Once again she sobered, along with Mac, as they both remembered how she used the dance move to kick the gun from Murdoc’s hand as he held her captive and threatened MacGyver.

Soon the somber mood lifted and the threesome enjoyed dinner after which Joanna suggested they watch a movie. Penny flipped through the TV Guide and frowned.

“There’s nothing good on tonight,” she complained.

“That’s okay,” Jo assure her. “Mac has a ton of movies, if you don’t mind Westerns.”
Penny pulled a face but grudgingly gave in as MacGyver pulled Joanna aside.

“What are you trying to do?! Feed my VCR another of my favorite movies?!”

Jo shrugged. “So, pick your least favorite. Besides, do you really think it’ll happen again?”

“There could be something wrong with the machine,” Mac reasoned.

“Fine. If it eats this tape you’ll know you need to get it fixed, but last night was probably just a fluke.”

Not wanting to argue over something as dumb as a video tape, Mac grabbed a cassette covered with dust and jammed it into the machine. Two hours later both Penny and Joanna were doubled over in laughter and he had a headache.

“That was the absolute worst movie I’ve ever seen!” Penny offered in between giggles.

“Too bad you didn’t decide to watch that one last night!” Jo teased him.

“There’s a reason it had two years’ worth of dust on it,” he groused.

“Look on the bright side,” Joanna encouraged as she snuggled closer to him on the couch. “At least it was entertaining!”

“For some people,” he grumbled.

Jo smiled and kissed him indulgently before pulling herself away and rising to her feet.

“I gotta get going,” she announced. “It’s a school night and teaching full time is more exhausting than I remember. Are you going back to the university tomorrow?” she asked Penny.

The other woman shook her head. “No, they don’t start rehearsals until the following day.”

“Then why don’t you come with me to Challengers,” Mac suggested. “We can always use an extra pair of hands.”

XXXXX

MacGyver stepped out of his office and found Penny crouched in a corner, rubbing Frog’s tummy as the dog lay on his back, all four legs in the air. Mac would swear the canine was smiling blissfully. Upon his approach, Penny turned and looked up at him, a bright smile on her face.

“Look! He likes me again! I guess he was just in a bad mood the other night.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Mac agreed, reaching down to ruffle Frog’s ears. “Listen, I have to go pick up some emergency supplies. Joanna will be coming over in a little bit. In the meantime, Rosie and Geena will take good care of you.”

“You don’t have to treat me like a child, MacGyver,” she declared, rolling her eyes. “I’m sure I can find plenty of things to do while you’re gone.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Mac mumbled under his breath as he walked out the door and headed to the jeep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A couple hours later Joanna walked into Challengers and cheerfully greeted Geena, Rosie, and Penny who were gathered around the reception desk chatting.

“Hey ladies, is Mac around? I didn’t see his car in the parking lot.”

“He went out to pick up some supplies,” Rosie explained.

“I don’t understand why you don’t just have them delivered,” Penny commented, appearing truly perplexed.

Jo laughed under her breath. “Normally we do, but the holidays messed up the schedule. How long has he been gone?”

“Too long,” Geena replied, studying her watch with a frown. “I hope that man of yours didn’t land himself in trouble.”

“Well, it wouldn’t be the first time,” Penny observed lightly as the others grew concerned.

“I’m gonna call his cell phone,” Joanna announced, but before she could pick up the receiver, the front door banged open and a bedraggled MacGyver tumbled in.

“For pity’s sake! What happened to you?!” Geena cried as all four women hurried to his side.

“Just had a little car trouble,” he said with a lopsided grin. “Nothin’ to worry about.”

His hair was damp, his cheeks red from the cold wind, and his nylon ski jacket dirty and ripped.

“Mac, tell us what really happened,” Jo instructed in a low, firm voice.

“It was the weirdest thing,” he began. “I was coming around a curve and the steering wheel froze. I drove right into a snowbank. Luckily, a passing tow truck saw me and helped pull out the Jeep. I drove it the rest of the way here and everything was fine.”

“You should still take it to a mechanic and make sure everything’s alright,” Joanna urged.

“Yeah, I will, just as soon as I unload the supplies.”

“We’ll help!” Penny offered eagerly.

“It’s no big deal. I can handle it,” Mac told her. Jo and Penny gave him a two step lead before they followed behind him.

The trio was standing behind the Jeep when MacGyver opened the hatch and reached for one of the boxes.

“Aw man…” he moaned.

“What is it?” Joanna asked.

“One of the cleaning solution bottles must’ve busted when I had the accident. Everything’s wet back here,” he explained before turning to Penny. “Go get me some rags. There should be some under the driver’s seat,” he instructed.

Jo divided her attention between Mac, who looked for any damage the fluid may have caused, and Penny, who searched for the rags he had requested. Joanna could’ve sworn she saw the other woman slip something in her pocket, but it was Penny’s suddenly pale face that concerned her.

“Here you go, Mac,” Penny said flatly, holding out a wad of material.

When MacGyver accepted her offering, Joanna took her by the arm and pulled her aside.

“Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost!”

“There are no such thing as ghosts, remember?” Penny replied with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It just occurred to me that Mac’s accident could’ve been a lot worse.”

“Yeah, it sure could have,” Jo replied soberly. “C’mon, let’s help him get these boxes inside so he can dry out and clean up.”

Thirty minutes later, Joanna and Penny emerged from the store room where they had neatly arranged the new supplies and met up with MacGyver who had just come from his office. They rounded the corner where Frog was snoozing and Penny bent down to give him a light pat on the head. The dog abruptly struggled to his feet and began to growl at her.

“Honestly, I’ve never seen him this grouchy before,” Jo complained.

“We were getting along fine earlier,” Penny informed her.

Jo looked to Mac for confirmation which came in the form of a head nod. “Must be old age,” he reasoned, before they walked away.

Later that evening, Joanna and MacGyver stood side-by-side at the kitchen counter chopping vegetables for the soup they were making as Penny prattled on about the rock opera that was to begin rehearsals tomorrow.

“Ow!” Mac cried, startling the two women.

“What happened?” Jo asked anxiously

“I cut my finger,” he muttered, more in disgust than anguish.

Joanna peered over him to see the damage for herself. “It doesn’t look deep, but we should go upstairs and clean and bandage it.”

Surprisingly, Mac did not object to her suggestion as they made their way to the bathroom where Joanna cleansed the wound, smeared it with antibiotic ointment, and pulled it together with butterfly bandages before carefully wrapping a gauze pad around his entire finger as an added precaution.

In a short while they all sat down at the kitchen table, a bowl of piping hot vegetable and bean soup in front of them when Joanna frowned.

“We forgot to put out napkins,” she observed and began to rise from her chair before Penny interrupted her.

“I’ll get ‘em!” she volunteered, standing so quickly the table wobbled causing MacGyver’s supper to land in his lap.

He let out a painful cry as if the soup had scalded him right through his jeans.

“Oh Mac! I’m so sorry!” Penny cried, grabbing a pile of napkins and dabbing where the liquid had spilled.

“It’s okay,” MacGyver assured her, putting a hand around her wrist to stop her ministrations. “If you’ll both excuse me I’ll just go upstairs and change. I’ll be right back.” His clipped tone belied his polite words.

Penny’s eyes followed him as she chewed on her lower lip before turning back to Joanna.

“This is all my fault!” she wailed.

Jo’s brow furrowed in confusion. “It is not! Granted, Mac’s had his share of bad luck these past couple days, but you certainly don’t have anything to do with it.”

“Don’t I?” she asked wearily as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a silver chain with a death’s head ring hanging from it.

Joanna immediately recognized the macabre piece of jewelry she had first seen when she and MacGyver had stayed at Penny’s bed and breakfast. It had supposedly belonged to Murdoc, Mac’s greatest nemesis who died an untimely death, and now Penny believed the villain’s spirit was attached to it.

“What are you doing with that?!” Jo whispered urgently, glancing around to make sure MacGyver was still upstairs. “Mac said he told you to get rid of that thing!”

“I couldn’t!” Penny whispered back. “Murdoc loves me. He’s only trying to protect me. I couldn’t toss him aside...again.”

Joanna took a deep breath and leaned back in her chair. She wasn’t totally sold on the idea of Murdoc haunting them, but she couldn’t completely deny it, either.

“It has to be this!” the younger woman insisted. “It explains all of Mac’s accidents and why Frog always growls when he sees me.”

“Hold on a minute,” Jo said, her voice low but no longer a whisper. “Last night we had a perfectly uneventful evening and you said yourself that Frog enjoyed your attention earlier today. How do you explain that?”

Penny’s gaze fell to her lap. “I wasn’t wearing the ring then,” she mumbled before chancing a glance at Jo. “I didn’t even realize I’d lost it, but when Mac had me grab those rags today I found it on the floor of the Jeep. The clasp was broken so it must have slipped off when I borrowed the car to go to the university. That also means Mac was alone with Murdoc when he had his accident.”

Joanna hated to admit it, but Penny did present a reasonable explanation for everything that had happened...if you believed in ghosts. Which Joanna wasn’t sure she did.

“Okay, say you’re right,” Jo challenged. “What are you gonna do about it?”

“We have to find a way to protect MacGyver. You know, keep him away from anything that could be dangerous. Do you think you could get his Swiss Army knife away from him?”

Joanna stared at Penny in disbelief. “That would be like trying to separate him from his liver! Besides, there’s a much easier solution.”

“What is it?” Penny asked, wide-eyed and eager to please.

“Get rid of the ring!”

Penny shook her head, tears pooling in her eyes. “As much as I love Mac, I can’t do that. I just can’t!” she sobbed.

“Alright,” Jo sighed. “Then just keep it away from MacGyver!”

“How?”

“I don’t know,” Joanna moaned, frustration getting the better of her. Suddenly, they heard Mac moving towards the stairs.

“Here, you take it!” Penny commanded, shoving the ring into Jo’s unsuspecting hands.

“I don’t want it!’ Jo protested.

“It’s okay. Murdoc won’t hurt you. He never met you, but he knows you’re my friend. Put it somewhere Mac never goes until it’s time for me to leave.”

“But--” the words died on Joanna’s lips as MacGyver descended the stairs. She quickly slipped the ring into the front pocket of her jeans and pasted on a smile.

Unnerved by the conversation she had just had with Penny, it was all Joanna could do to summon enough pluck to make it through the rest of the meal and make a hasty exit.

“I’m sorry to leave so soon, but I’m starting to get a headache,” she told MacGyver as he walked her to the door.

“Maybe I should drive you home,” he offered.

She smiled. “It’s just a headache, Mac. I’ll be fine.” She reached up and gave him a gentle kiss.

“Call me when you get there?”

“Sure thing,” she promised.

MacGyver stepped back, his eyes boring into hers. “You’re not gonna argue?”

Jo let out a little laugh. “You didn’t argue when I took care of your finger,” she pointed out.

“Alright. But be careful,” he warned.

Once inside her car, she pulled the ring from her pocket and tossed it in the glove compartment.

“Behave yourself, Murdoc,” she instructed, before starting the car and driving off into the night.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next several days passed uneventfully, much to MacGyver’s relief, and life fell into a somewhat normal routine. He spent his days at Challengers, Joanna taught at the high school, and Penny attended the initial rehearsals for Cleo Rocks. In the evening, they would all convene at Mac’s place for supper, conversation, and sometimes a movie. However, with hockey season in full swing, it was more likely that they would watch the game. Penny got in the habit of sneaking up to the bedroom at some point in order to give Mac and Joanna some private time, and her thoughtfulness was not lost on her host.

Late one afternoon MacGyver overheard Jo speaking with Rosie who was managing the reception desk.

“It was fine this morning, then, on the way over here, the light went on,” she explained.

Mac was at her side in moments. “What light?” he asked.

“The tire pressure light in my car. I’ll check it out when I get home,” she said, waving her hand as if to dismiss the situation.

“It’ll be dark by then,” Mac protested. “I can take a look at it right now. Is your tire gauge in the glove compartment?”

“Yeah,” she replied absently as Rosie handed her some telephone messages.

MacGyver was almost out the door when Joanna called to him from behind.

“Wait! I’ll get it for you!” she suddenly proclaimed, trying to squeeze past him.

He grabbed her by the shoulders to halt her progress. “It’s freezing cold out there. I can handle it,” he assured her, a bit confused by her behavior, as he headed outside.

Using the spare key Jo had given him, he unlocked the door and slid into the passenger seat before opening the glove compartment. As he was rummaging through the maps and various contents he was pretty sure Joanna didn’t even know she had in there, he caught a glimmer of something as it slide out and fell to the floor. Meaning only to return the item to its rightful place, his blood began to boil when he picked up the silver chain with a death’s head ring hanging from it.

“Joanna!” he bellowed as he charged through the front door. She was still chatting with Rosie when she turned around at the sound of her name.

“What is this?!” MacGyver demanded, holding up the offending object in front of her face.

“The reason I didn’t want you going in my glove compartment,” she replied.

“Where did you get it?!”

She tilted her head at him as if to say ‘really’ before replying. “I was keeping it for Penny.”

“But I told her to get rid of it!”

“Well, obviously she didn’t!” she spat back, temper flaring.

Mac glanced at Rosie who was staring at them with rapt attention. “Let’s continue this in my office,” he said, grabbing Joanna’s hand and leading her across the large recreation room.

“How could you be so stupid?!” he rounded on her as soon as he closed the door. A stab of remorse hit him when he saw the hurt reflected in her eyes, but he wasn’t about to let this go.

“I am not stupid!” she shot back. “Penny was only trying to protect you and I kinda got pulled into her scheme. If you don’t like me taking jewelry from other people, maybe you want this back as well!” She ripped off her engagement ring and ground it into the palm of his hand, causing his heart to plummet to the floor.

Dropping down into the chair behind his desk, he let out a long sigh as he jammed his fingers through his hair.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come down on you like that, but you know how I feel about Murdoc.”

Joanna must have taken pity on him because when she next spoke, her voice was gentle. “I know. But I thought you didn’t believe in ghosts.”

“When it comes to Murdoc, I’m not sure what I believe anymore,” he replied with a self-deprecating laugh. “How long has that thing been in your car anyway?”

“Penny gave it to me the night you got into that accident.”

“The night I cut my finger and had hot soup spilled in my lap,” he added with a wry grin.

“Yeah. She blamed herself because she had the ring. I didn’t even know about it until then. I told her to get rid of it and she ended up shoving it into my hand.”

A grin tugged at the corners of Mac’s lips. “Yeah, that sounds like Penny alright.”

“You’re not gonna yell at her, too, are ya?”

“I probably should, but I won’t. At least now that I have the ring I can make sure it disappears for good.”

“You can’t do that!” Jo exclaimed in horror.

“Why not?” he asked, unwillingly to lose this opportunity.

“You have to understand that even if you and I don’t believe Murdoc’s somehow attached to that ring, Penny does, and she wears it as a talisman of sort.”

“Kinda like rabbit’s foot?” Mac grimaced.

“Yeah. She believes Murdoc is protecting her. It means a lot to her Mac.”

“I know,” MacGyver grudgingly admitted, holding out the silver ring to Jo. “Go put this someplace far away from me.”

“You’re doing the right thing,” she assured him with a tender smile before turning to leave.

“Hey! You forgot something!” he called.

“I did?” Her brows knit in confusion.

“I hope you still want to wear this ring,” he said huskily as he walked up to her and placed the gold band with the tiny diamond back on her finger.

“I will always want to wear this ring,” she promised, tilting her head to receive his lingering kiss.

XXXXX

The next day, Penny stood at the front door to MacGyver’s apartment, her packed bags at her feet, looking more somber than Mac had seen her in quite some time.

“You know you could stay longer,” Mac invited, hoping to lift her spirits.

“No,” she replied, shaking her head. “I need to get back to the B&B. The director has everything under control. I’m sure it’ll be great.”

“But you will come back for the premiere, right?”

“I don’t think so. It just brings back so many memories. Do you plan on going?”

Mac shook his head. “Naw. Like you said, too many memories.”

“Well then, I guess this is goodbye!” Her smile was genuine and her voice more enthusiastic.

“Yeah, I guess so. Of course, we’ll have to say goodbye again at the airport since I’m driving you there.”

This earned a patented Penny Parker laugh. “Yeah, I guess we will.”

“By the way, Joanna asked me to give this back to you,” Mac said, gently placing the chain bearing Murdoc’s ring around her neck.

Penny’s eyes went wide with surprise. “How did you find out?!”

“It doesn’t matter,” he said with a smile.

“You mean you’re not mad that I didn’t get rid of it like you told me to?” she asked, sounding like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

“I was,” he admitted. “But then Joanna explained things. Just promise to keep that thing away from me the next time we visit.”

“Oh, I promise!” Penny vowed, her face fairly glowing as she reached up and hugged MacGyver.

“At this rate you’re gonna miss your plane,” he chuckled. “Let’s get your luggage in the Jeep.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” she asked skeptically as he reached for the heaviest bag.

“I’m positive,” he replied, lifting the bag with ease. “See, no problem!”



























Posted by: Dragondog 15 February 2020 - 12:22 PM
QUOTE

Mid-January was always an odd time of year. The anticipation of Christmas, New Year’s, and holiday activities was gone. Snowfalls that were magical a month ago were now a nuisance and it seemed the whole world was yearning for spring which was still only a distant promise.
Yeah, that's the time of year I most question if I may have some kind of depression.

QUOTE


“Hi MacGyver! Guess who!” An all-too-familiar bubbly voice greeted him.

“Gosh, I wonder,” he teased as a smile tugged at his lips.

“It’s me. Penny Parker.” Her tone was serious now, almost sad, and Mac could imagine the frown on her face.
She fell for it laugh.gif

QUOTE

Yep. This was definitely an odd time of year.
*chokes* XD

QUOTE


“Okay!” Penny let go of the handle and MacGyver, caught off guard by the sudden extra weight, sank to his knees with a loud yowl.
Mac, you've got no one to blame but yourself for that one XD

I might be more baffled by Frog's behavior if I hadn't scrolled down, happened to see something about the ring, and rememered that chapter XD

QUOTE
“There’s nothing good on tonight,” she complained.


Is there ever? (pretty much everything I watch these days is streamed XD)

QUOTE


“Then why don’t you come with me to Challengers,” Mac suggested. “We can always use an extra pair of hands.”
So Frog can go nuts.

QUOTE

MacGyver stepped out of his office and found Penny crouched in a corner, rubbing Frog’s tummy as the dog lay on his back, all four legs in the air.
Penny's not wearing the ring.

QUOTE

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Mac mumbled under his breath as he walked out the door and headed to the jeep.
Exactly what I thought XD

QUOTE

Surprisingly, Mac did not object to her suggestion as they made their way to the bathroom where Joanna cleansed the wound, smeared it with antibiotic ointment, and pulled it together with butterfly bandages before carefully wrapping a gauze pad around his entire finger as an added precaution.
I headcanon that the reason he doesn't object is because he likes the attention, at least from her XD

Seems a little overkill, though... *old man voice* In my day, cold weather made ones hands split all over, and bleed a lot, and we just sucked it up and dealt with it. (Okay, in all seriousness, dry, cracked skin is why I hate winter most XD)

QUOTE

“I couldn’t!” Penny whispered back. “Murdoc loves me. He’s only trying to protect me. I couldn’t toss him aside...again.”
*puppy whimpering sound* Okay, that's adorable, I mean, frickin' adorable. Especially because I've always felt bad for Murdoc when Penny rejects him (not that I blame her, or anything, but still...)

QUOTE

Joanna stared at Penny in disbelief. “That would be like trying to separate him from his liver! Besides, there’s a much easier solution.”
I laughed at that line, and it's so true laugh.gif

QUOTE

“It’s okay. Murdoc won’t hurt you. He never met you, but he knows you’re my friend.
Mac is also your friend, and Murdoc hurt(s) him all the time XD

QUOTE

“Behave yourself, Murdoc,” she instructed, before starting the car and driving off into the night.
I had to smile at this part XD

QUOTE

“It was fine this morning, then, on the way over here, the light went on,” she explained.

Mac was at her side in moments. “What light?” he asked.

“The tire pressure light in my car. I’ll check it out when I get home,” she said, waving her hand as if to dismiss the situation.
Murdoc did that on purpose, I bet.

FIIIIIIGGGHHHHTTTT XD

QUOTE
If you don’t like me taking jewelry from other people, maybe you want this back as well!” She ripped off her engagement ring and ground it into the palm of his hand, causing his heart to plummet to the floor.
Oooh snap...

QUOTE


“I will always want to wear this ring,” she promised, tilting her head to receive his lingering kiss.
Oh good, that's one less thing to worry about XD

QUOTE

“By the way, Joanna asked me to give this back to you,” Mac said, gently placing the chain bearing Murdoc’s ring around her neck.

Penny’s eyes went wide with surprise. “How did you find out?!”
So, was Penny planning to sneak over to Joanna and ask for the ring back, or did she totally forget? laugh.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 15 February 2020 - 01:26 PM
I thought you'd enjoy this chapter, Dragondog!!

Posted by: Dragondog 15 February 2020 - 09:13 PM
QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 15 February 2020 - 03:26 PM)
I thought you'd enjoy this chapter, Dragondog!!

Murdoc and Penny are kinda hard NOT to enjoy laugh.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 21 February 2020 - 06:14 AM
Chapter 37: Valentine’s Prey

Joanna sighed as she crossed yet another name off the list in front of her and leaned back in the hard wooden desk chair. She turned her head to look out the classroom windows where darkness had fallen and sighed again. Although she loved her job as an English teacher at Lincoln Charter High School and had willingly added classes to her schedule to cover for a colleague, she still hated parent/teacher conferences. Not because she was required to stay into the evening to accommodate the hours of working parents or even because she too often had less than stellar news to share regarding their teen’s performance in her class, but because she was lucky if one third of the moms and dads cared enough about their kids’ education to even bother to show up. Yet she had to be available if they did.

The last parent she had spoken with was Rosie Garcia, Raul’s mom and Challengers part-time volunteer receptionist. The kind woman had brought platters of her famous tamales as well as empanadas and containers filled with Mexican rice to share with the over-tired, always-hungry teaching staff. They had engaged in friendly conversation about Raul’s success in his studies as well as his behavior that set an example for others in his class. That had been well over an hour ago, and now there was only one more name left on Joanna’s list: Mr. Richard Miller, father of Trent Miller. If there was one person she hoped wouldn’t show, it was this one. But something in her gut told her she wouldn’t get off quite that easily. A soft yet firm knock on her door confirmed her suspicions. She stood up, pasted on a smile, and greeted the final parent of the evening. Of average height and build with nondescript features, Mr. Miller still somehow managed to exude a dominance that made her feel a bit uneasy. Or perhaps she was just tired, her nerves frayed from the long day. Determined to remain confident and professional, she reached out to shake his hand.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said in greeting. “I’m Ms. Fairfax. I’ll be Trent’s teacher for the rest of this semester since Mrs. Dunham has taken a leave of absence.”

“Then I suppose I have you to thank for this!” he sneered as he tossed Trent’s tattered report card onto her desk before taking a seat across from her, his dark eyes seeming to challenge her.

Joanna calmly unfolded the piece of paper, already knowing the unsatisfactory grades and comments she would find. She pretended to study it in order to give the man before her a chance to cool off.

“Mr. Miller, I’m afraid I must inform you that these are Trent’s grades from the previous semester that ended a few weeks ago. Mrs. Dunham submitted them before she left.”

“You women are all alike,” he grumbled. “Always trying to shift the blame.”

Any trepidation Joanna had felt immediately fled as a flare of anger raised her hackles.

“While I did not issue the grades you see, I am more than happy to discuss Trent’s performance and behavior since I took over his class.”

“I don’t need no uppity teacher telling me about my son! I know my boy. He’s gonna be the first generation of Millers to go to college!”

“Sir, with all due respect, Trent is only a sophomore. Talk of getting into college may be a bit premature.”

“Is that your pretty little way of tellin’ me my boy don’t got what it takes to get a higher education?!”

Joanna took a long, cleansing breath and weighed her words carefully before speaking.

“What I’m saying, Mr. Miller, is that it might be a good idea to let Trent explore his options. From what I’ve seen, he may be better suited for a technical or trade school.”

“So now you’re sidin’ with his mother?!” The man shot out of his chair, momentarily startling Joanna before she, too, got to her feet. There was no way she would let him glower over her. “Let’s get one thing straight, missy,” he warned, shaking a finger at her. “No one’s gonna stand in the way of my son goin’ to college. Not you, not my ex-wife, no one!”

Before Jo could gather her thoughts, Mr. Miller snatched Trent’s report card from where it lay on her desk and stomped out of the room. Feeling thoroughly defeated, she sank down in her chair, massaging her throbbing temples until a light tap on her door drew her attention.

“I see you met Mr. Miller,” Ms. Braun, the young algebra teacher observed with a sympathetic smile. “I guess we should’ve warned you about him.”

Joanna waved off the remark. “No need. I’ve taught in a correctional facility. I think I can handle one ornery parent.”

“Well, I’m taking off for the night. You want to walk out together?”

Jo looked around the classroom. “No, you go ahead. I want to tidy up a bit. I’ll be right behind you.”

“Okay. See you tomorrow!”

Joanna watched Ms. Braun leave and breathed a sigh of relief. Her classroom was as tidy as ever...she had made sure of it before any of the parents saw it. She just didn’t feel like making small talk, if only for a few minutes. Once she was sure there were no more well-meaning educators waiting to accost her in the hallway, she shrugged on her coat, grabbed her purse and secured her classroom for the night. Outside, the air was unseasonably cold causing her to hurry toward her car, key in hand. She quickly opened the door and slid into the driver’s seat when her cell phone began to trill. Snagging it from the front pocket of her purse she clicked onto the call.

“Hey, you still plannin’ on comin’ over for a late dinner?” She allowed MacGyver’s smooth, warm, wonderful voice to wash over her.

“Actually I think I’m just gonna head straight home,” she replied.

“You sound rattled.”

Joanna sighed. “I’m just really tired. It’s been a long day.”

“See you at Challengers tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there,” she promised.

XXXXX

A bleary eyed Joanna slogged through her lessons the following day. Although a deep, peaceful slumber had immediately claimed her the night before, she awoke in the wee hours of the morning, thoughts of how she could have handled the meeting with Mr. Miller more positively flitting through her brain, refusing to allow her any further rest. Just when she was pretty sure she was going to doze off despite the lecture she was in the middle of giving, a soft tap on the doorframe caught her attention. Vice Principal Varga walked up to her.

“There’s a telephone call for you in the office. I’ll watch your class,” she said lowly.

Joanna’s heart, which had initially stuttered at the sight of the woman, now beat double time as she hurried down the long corridor. Mrs. Varga coming to her and offering to monitor her students meant the call was about something bad. Really bad. Upon entering the main office, the receptionist held out the receiver to her which she grabbed immediately.

“Hello?” she answered, willing her pulse to stop pounding in her ears so she could hear the caller, but the line remained silent. “Hello?!” she repeated with growing urgency. Still no answer. She hung up with a worried frown.

“Were you the one who took the call?” she asked the middle-aged receptionist.

“Yes. I was told there was an emergency and to contact you immediately.”

“Did the caller identify themselves?” Jo prodded, tamping down the panic that was growing exponentially.

“No,” the woman frowned. “In fact, I wasn’t even sure if the voice was male or female. It was a bit garbled.”

“Do you mind if I make a couple calls?”

“Go right ahead. I’ll be in the copy room.”

With trembling hands, Joanna dialed her parent’s number and huffed when the machine picked up. They were screening their calls.

“It’s me. If you’re home pick up,” she said after the beep.

“Hi honey,” her mom answered. “I thought you had classes all day. Is everything okay?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. I was sent to the office to take an emergency phone call, but when I got here the line was dead. Did you or Dad call me?”

“No. In fact, we just got home from grocery shopping.” Her mother sounded as bewildered as Joanna felt. Then her stomach plummeted to the floor.

“Mac! It must have been Mac!” Joanna cried, hanging up the phone without even saying goodbye. She quickly punched in the number for Challengers.

Geena was only halfway through her professional greeting when Jo interrupted her. “Did someone call me? Is everything okay?! Is Mac there?!”

“Joanna?”

“Yeah, it’s me. Is everything alright?”

“Everything’s fine. Very quiet, actually. MacGyver is in his office if you want me to transfer you.”

Jo took a deep, calming breath. “No. I don’t wanna bother him. I’ll see ya later.”

When Joanna returned to her classroom, the vice principal motioned her to the hallway.

“Is everything okay?” she asked, her voice full of concern.

“That seems to be the question of the day,” Jo told her boss, then continued to explain the events of the last several minutes.

“It sounds like you’ve been the victim of a prank call,” Mrs. Varga told her. “We do our best to safeguard our staff, but every now and again something slips through the cracks.”

“I understand,” Joanna assured the woman, her exhaustion returning in full force. “Actually, I’m glad it was just a prank and not a real emergency.”

The older woman smiled. “Well, you certainly have a good point there!”

A few hours later, Jo walked through the front door of Challengers wanting only to be wrapped in MacGyver’s strong, comforting embrace. What she got was a steely command.

“In my office. Now,” he instructed as soon as their eyes met.

After securing the door so they wouldn’t be interrupted he rounded on her. “Mind telling me what’s up with you?”

“What do you mean?” she replied, indignation rising above her shock and confusion.

“Geena told me about the strange phone call she got from you this afternoon.”

“Geena needs to keep her mouth shut,” she murmured, crossing her arms in front of her.

Mac blew out a breath and scrubbed his face with his hands. “Look, last night when I called you didn’t sound like yourself, and I’ll admit I was disappointed when you didn’t want to have dinner together, but I figured you were just tired and needed some space. Then you call here in the middle of the day to make sure everything’s okay. I just want to know what’s goin’ on.”

His eyes were deep and dark and Joanna couldn’t resist their plea. “The last conference of the night went pretty bad. One of the fathers really tied into me and caught me off guard.”

“And you laid awake all night thinking about how you could have handled it differently,” he concluded, a smile tugging at his lips.

“I did not!” she retorted, before turning contrite. “It was only half the night.”

“Okay. Then what happened today?” His voice was calm and gentle.

“Mrs. Varga came to me in the middle of my class to tell me I had an emergency phone call in the office, but when I got there whoever it was had already hung up.”

“And you assumed something bad had happened here.”

Joanna nodded slowly. “Turns out it was just a prank.”

“But it still scared you.”

She nodded again.

“Aw baby,” he sighed as he drew her into his arms. Finally in the place she longed to be she could’ve cried when there was a knock on his door.

“Duty calls,” he said, reluctantly stepping away. “Let’s pick up where we left off later.”

XXXXX

After spending a cozy evening with MacGyver and getting a peaceful night’s rest, Joanna felt like a new person the following day. The sun seemed brighter, the temperature warmer, and the students more cooperative. Her good mood lasted until she headed to her car after classes were dismissed only to find that her left rear tire was flat as a pancake.

“Terrific,” she mumbled under her breath, stowing her belongings in the backseat before reaching for her cell phone. A phone she hardly used until a couple days ago.

“Looks like you got a problem,” a masculine voice said from behind her.

She turned to find Mr. Miller headed her way. A heavy lump of dread immediately formed in her stomach.

“It’s just a flat tire,” she replied, trying to sound nonchalant. “My fiancé will come over and change it.”

“No need to bother him. I’m already here and would be happy to do it,” he told her almost sheepishly. “Consider it an apology for the other night. My ex always said I had a short fuse. Especially when it comes to that boy of mine. Go ahead and pop the trunk and I’ll have you on your way in a jiffy.”

Joanna opened the driver’s door and did as instructed.

“So what brings you here today?” she asked, trying to make small talk to make the time go faster.

“Thought I’d surprise Trent by picking him up. He’s stayin’ late to get some science tutorin’. Save him a long walk home.”

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate that,” she smiled.

“Listen, it’s pretty chilly out here. Why don’t you go on inside while I take care of this?”

Joanna hesitated. She wanted to trust the man and certainly didn’t want to anger him by refusing his help, so she did as he suggested. Once in the warmth of the main entrance, she peeked out a side window to keep an eye on him until Ms. Braun distracted her.

“Everything okay?” the algebra teacher asked.

“Yeah,” Jo answered. “I came out to a flat tire and Mr. Miller offered to fix it.”

“What’s he doing here?” her colleague asked, scrunching her nose in distaste.

“He’s picking up Trent.”

“Well, he wasted trip. I saw Trent leave with a bunch of his buddies a nanosecond after the final bell.”

“I’ll let Mr. Miller know,” Jo replied. “Hopefully he won’t get upset.”

“Good luck with that,” Ms. Braun said sarcastically before walking out the door.

Joanna turned back to gaze through the window and saw that Mr. Miller was putting the jack back in her trunk, the flat tire still leaning up against her back bumper.

“That was quick!” she observed cheerily as she approached him.

“Told ya it was no big deal,” he shrugged.

“Well, I still appreciate it,” Jo confirmed. “Oh, by the way, one of the teachers said she saw Trent leave school with some of his friends. It looks like he skipped out on his tutoring.” She winced, prepared for Mr. Miller’s reaction.

Instead of exploding as he had done in her classroom a couple days ago, he simple hung his head and shook it sadly.

“That boy’s gonna be the death of me,” he groaned.

Joanna couldn’t help but chuckle. “I hear that from a lot of parents. I’m sure you’ll all survive.”

Mr. Miller looked up at her then, a glint in his eye. “Since I don’t have a kid to take home, how about I buy you a piece of pie at the diner across the street?”

Jo immediately knew where this train was headed and she needed to derail it before it picked up any steam.

“I’m sorry, but I have a prior commitment and thanks to the stupid flat I’m already late.”

“No problem,” he replied brusquely. “I see how things are. I’ll just be on my way.” He reached down and picked up the ruined tire, but instead of putting it in the trunk as Joanna expected, he began to walk away with it.

“Mr. Miller!” she called. “You can put the tire in my car. I can take it from here.”

The man stopped in his tracks, but for a moment looked as if he would not comply. Finally he turned and unceremoniously tossed the tire into the trunk and slammed it closed before walking away without another word.

“A flat tire?” MacGyver repeated as she was relaying the events of the afternoon to him in his office at Challengers.

“Must’ve gone one too many rounds with a pothole,” she reasoned. “They’re absolutely terrible and winter’s not over yet.”

“And it was fine this morning? The tire pressure light wasn’t on or anything?” Mac probed.

“No. Everything was fine,” Jo confirmed, his tone making her uneasy.

“Do you mind if I take a look at it?”

Joanna tossed him her keys. “Knock yourself out.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver frowned as he pulled the now-useless tire from Jo’s trunk. In his experience, a tire did not get that flat that quick without some help. His frown deepening, he examined every inch of the rubber until he found what he didn’t want to find...a number of barely discernable slits that no one would see unless they were looking for them.

When Mac walked back into the building, he found Joanna chatting with Rosie who sat at the reception desk, Raul next to her doing his homework.

“We need to talk,” he whispered urgently into Jo’s ear as he headed straight for his office.

“What’s up?” she asked lightly.

He hated to give her the bad news, but she needed to know.

“Your tire was slit,” he said flatly. “Several times,” he added for emphasis.

“Another prank?” Her eyebrows knit together in what appeared to be a combination of confusion and fear.

“Or something more serious. Any idea who’d wanna do this?”

“Well, the obvious suspect is Mr. Miller,” Jo stated.

“Agreed.”

“But he hardly knows me. He already knows I’m not responsible for Trent’s report card. Besides, how could he know which car is mine?”

“He probably hid outside and waited until you left the building after parent/teacher conferences. It was dark so he’d easily go unnoticed.”

“And I made a point of parking by a streetlamp that day for safety’s sake so he could’ve easily seen me get in the car,” she said, punctuating the irony of her statement with an un-ladylike snort that made MacGyver grin in spite of himself.

“But on the other hand, our lot isn’t secured and it could’ve been some kid just picking a random car to vandalize,” she added.

“True,” Mac conceded.

“So we’re back to square one?” she asked.

“Looks that way. Just promise you’ll be more careful, especially at school. Try to walk in and out with another teacher and be sure to report this to the principal first thing so the administration can take proper precautions.”

He wanted to add that he would happily drive her back and forth and watch her back, but he knew she would resist, claiming he was being overprotective. Hopefully she would be right.

They lingered at Challengers well into the evening until Joanna’s stifled yawns caused MacGyver to encourage her to go home and get some rest.

“Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday,” she said, gathering her things before heading to the door. “It’s been a really long week.”

“Listen, it’s Cynthia’s turn to take the weekend shift. Valentine’s Day is next Saturday. How about you and I just lay low this weekend and celebrate a little early?” Mac asked, hoping to spend more time with her. It seemed like since they got engaged they actually saw less of each other. He was pretty sure it wasn’t supposed to work like that.

“Sounds like a great plan,” she smiled wearily, standing on tiptoe to give him a quick goodnight kiss.

MacGyver watched to make sure she got safely into the car and stared at her tail lights until they disappeared. Soon he, too, was on the road toward home and was surprised to find his side of the townhouse ablaze with light when he pulled into his driveway. He wondered who the surprise visitor was this time. He really needed to change his locks.

Walking through the front door, Mac was met by a blur of brown and white fur that settled happily at his feet and stared up at him expectantly with big brown eyes. MacGyver could swear the dog with the long, droopy ears was smiling at him.

“Hi Dad,” Sam greeted him from across the room as the visiting canine drooled on Mac’s shoe. “You remember Cip, don’t ya?”

“Yeah, I remember him,” MacGyver replied, regarding the dog thoughtfully. “Kip with a ‘C’. Well, there are worse names. What are you two doing here?”

“Becca’s at a journalism seminar in Indianapolis. I’m dog-sitting.”

“Um, Sam?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m pretty sure she intended for you to keep Cip at your place.”

Mac’s son laughed. “That’s a good one, Dad! Can’t a guy visit his favorite father?”

“I’m your only father,” MacGyver replied dryly. “Now what are you doin’ here?”

“Relax. Things have just been slow at work so I thought I’d take a little break. Where’s Frog? I figured him and Cip might hit it off.”

“He’s at Challengers. Joanna and I were kinda planning on having the weekend to ourselves.” Mac knew he sounded pretty blunt, but a guy could be straight with his own son, right?

“Oooh...sorry,” Sam winced. “We can leave…”

“No. But you can do me a favor.”

“Sure, what is it?”

“You know Charlie, my landlord, who lives next door?”

“Yeah.”

“He’s out of town for a few weeks and I promised I’d look after the place. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you and Cip stayed over there for the weekend.”

Sam’s face lit up as MacGyver handed him the spare key Charlie had given him.

“To be honest, now that I have my own place, I’m used to having a lot more room to myself. This’ll be perfect!”

Mac chuckled to himself. “Go on over and get settled. I’ll see you in the morning.”

It seemed that MacGyver’s head had barely hit the pillow when his alarm began to ring. He swatted the clock, hitting every button he could find, but it still blasted away. Groggily, he realized it was his telephone.

“Hello?” he answered, his voice raspy from sleep.

“Mac, something’s happened.”

Three words from Joanna and he was wide awake and already reaching for his clothes.

“Where are you? I’m on my way.”

“I’m still at home.”

“Is everyone okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just…”

“I’ll be right there!”

MacGyver pulled onto the Fairfax’s street to find two squad cars parked in front of their house, the family and police officers gathered around Jo’s Chevy standing in the driveway. The Jeep’s tires squealed as Mac slammed on the brakes and hurried over to find his fiancé.

“What happened?” he called to no one in particular. A number of grim faces turned to look at him and everyone stepped back to allow him a look at the car. There, scrawled along the driver’s side in black spray paint were the words ‘I’ll get you!’.

Mac was still processing the scene before him when he felt Joanna approach. He instinctively reached out and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her close.

“I found it when I came out to go to work,” she said softly. “This jerk knows where I live.”

MacGyver tore his gaze from the vandalized car to Jo’s sweet face. Any sign of shock or fear had long since been replaced with anger and determination.

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” a police officer said as he approached, “But you need to finish giving your statement Ms. Fairfax.”

“You did tell him about the prank call and flat tire at school, right?” Mac asked in a whisper.

“Of course I did!” she spat before turning her attention back to the cop.

“Do you have any idea who may have done this?” he asked. “Any former students from the correctional facility or the school for at-risk teens?”

Joanna rolled her eyes. “I don’t know!” she huffed in frustration. “Anyone I suppose!”

“This isn’t some random act, ma’am. This is more personal than the others.”

“And dangerous,” MacGyver added. “Any chance we can get some extra patrols or protection for her until whoever is doing this is caught?” He knew the answer, but he had to ask anyway.

“Sorry sir, the department is short-handed as it is. I already advised Ms. Fairfax to take extra precautions.”

Mac nodded in understanding and then turned to Joanna. “Could this be the work of that Miller guy?”

“But how could he know where I live? The school considers all teacher information confidential.”

MacGyver thought for a moment. “What about when he changed your tire? Were you with him the whole time?”

“Yeah. Well, he told me to wait inside where it was warm but I watched him through a window.”

“And you never took your eyes off him?”

“No!” she exclaimed defensively before suddenly looking guilty. “Except when I was chatting with the math teacher.”

“That’s it!” Mac proclaimed, snapping his fingers. “He must have been watching you, too, and when you turned away he slipped into the car and got your address from your vehicle registration. That could’ve been why he slashed your tires in the first place.”

“We still don’t know for sure that he’s the one responsible for the flat,” Jo argued.

“I know,” MacGyver groaned, scrubbing his face with his hands. “But whoever is doing this is getting closer to you and I don’t like it!”

“I’m not exactly thrilled about it, either,” she responded wryly. “Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do about it except be extra vigilant. Now, since you’re here, would you mind giving me a ride to school? I don’t want to be seen driving around in that.” She waved her hand at her beloved and now defaced Chevy coupe.

“You’re still planning to go to work?” he asked, concerned that she wasn’t taking the situation more seriously.

“I’m not gonna let some yahoo rule my life. I won’t give him the satisfaction,” she stated firmly.

“So this is about pride?” Mac asked, his voice rising of its own volition. “What good is pride gonna do you when he kills you?!”

“Whoa! You are blowing this way out of proportion.” Her eyes held wild concern...for him.

“I hope I am,” he admitted, knowing he was letting old fears control him. “I’d just rather be safe than sorry.”

“So what’s your plan, then?” she challenged.

“Call Mrs. Varga, tell her what happened, and take the day off. Then go pack a bag and I’ll take you to my place where you’ll be safe while we figure this out.”

Joanna stayed where she was, chewing her bottom lip as if weighing her options.

“C’mon,” he encouraged. “We were planning on spending the weekend together anyway. Now we’ll have three days instead of two.” He summoned up the roguish grin that always crumbled her defenses.

“What about my folks? Do you think he’ll hurt them when he can’t get to me?”

Ah ha, so she was taking this more seriously than she let on. But what could he say to assuage her fears that wouldn’t be a lie?

“So far everything’s been directed at you,” he reasoned. “Last night he could’ve vandalized the house, but he targeted your car.”

“Again.”

“Again,” he added sympathetically.

“Fine,” she sighed, twisting his heart. “Come inside while I get some stuff together.”

MacGyver called and made arrangements with a local auto body shop to get Jo’s car repainted as quickly as possible.

“The police took lots of pictures, but you’re gonna need to call your insurance company as soon as we get back to my place,” he told her as they headed to his apartment.

Joanna remained silently lost in thought until they pulled into his driveway. Then she gasped.

He followed her gaze to where Sam stood on Charlie’s front stoop, coffee mug in one hand and leash in the other while Cip did his morning business.

“Why didn’t you tell me Sam was here?!” she admonished, slapping him on the bicep for good measure.

“I’m sorry! When I got your phone call all I could think about was you!”

“Well I can’t stay here now! There’s not enough room for all three of us!”

Mac grinned slyly. “There’s plenty of room. Sam is staying at Charlie’s while he’s out of town. And this way, you’ll have two built-in protectors.”

“Oh, goody,” she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

MacGyver blew out a breath as he exited the Jeep. “Look, I know you don’t want us hovering over you, but I’m only trying to keep you safe and hopefully get a hold of whoever is threatening you.”

“I know,” she replied softly, eyes on the ground. “It’s just been kinda a rough morning, ya know?”

“Yeah, I know,” he agreed, lifting her suitcase with one hand while he draped the other around her shoulders and pulled her close as they walked to the door.

“Hey Joanna!” Sam called. “What brings you here?”

“A very long story,” she mumbled.

While Joanna settled in upstairs, MacGyver booted up his computer and filled Sam in on the details.

“I don’t know, Dad. Maybe Jo’s right about this guy. I mean, he has means and opportunity, but no motive. Or at least not a very good one. Maybe it is someone from her past.”

Terrific! Now even his own son was working against him! Mac turned in his chair and began tapping on the keyboard.

“Whatcha doin’?” Sam asked.

“I’m accessing Wisconsin Circuit Court Records. Tryin’ to find out if Richard Miller is as squeaky clean as you and Joanna seem to want to believe.”

MacGyver could feel the younger man’s breath on his neck as Sam peered over his shoulder to read the results that had popped up on the screen. Mac slowly scrolled through them, clicking the mouse every now and again to go deeper into the case files, and then leaned back in his chair with a groan.

“Wow, Dad! You were right to be worried about this guy,” Sam confirmed. “Do you think Jo knows any of this?”

“No. But I gotta tell her. Maybe then she’ll be more cooperative.”

Sam drew his eyebrows together and regarded his father. “You make her sound like an assignment instead of the woman you love.”

“I’m afraid that in this case, she’s both.”

Sam made a hasty retreat to the other side of the townhouse as Joanna began to descend the stairs. Mac waited for her at the bottom, dreading the news he had to share with her. He waited until they were both comfortably seated on the couch before he spoke.

“What do you know about Trent Miller and his family?”

“Not much, really,” she shrugged. “I only started teaching his class a few weeks ago. I know he’s an only child and his parents are divorced. His dad wants him to go to college, but his mom just wants him to do what makes him happy. Nothing exactly new and exciting from a teacher’s standpoint.”

“Jo, when you were upstairs, I ran a quick background check on his dad.”

“You’re not gonna tell me Mr. Miller’s an ax murderer or something, are you?” she asked, eyebrows raised.

“No, nothing quite that dramatic. But before coming to Milwaukee, the family lived in Green Bay. Last year Mr. Miller physically assaulted Trent’s male math teacher for a poor grade on his report card. The school expelled Trent and pressed charges against his dad. Miller served a few weeks in jail and paid a hefty fine before moving south.”

Joanna’s soft eyes studied his face. “There’s more, isn’t there?”

“Yeah. His parents got divorced last summer, after the incident. Mrs. Miller has taken out numerous restraining orders against her husband and he’s broken several of them. A couple of assault charges have been filed against him as well, but they were always dismissed because Trent’s mom refused to testify.”

“Okay, you’ve made your point,” she conceded, but not without a challenge. “That still doesn’t give him a reason to want to harm me. Like I said, we straightened out that whole report card business and he seemed like a decent guy after that. He even wanted to buy me a piece of pie after he changed my tire.”

“Wait a minute! What?!”

“He offered to buy me a piece of pie at the diner across the street from the school.”

“What did you say?”

Joanna rolled her eyes. “I knew he was either hitting on me or trying to get on my good side so told him I had a prior commitment.”

“How did he take it?”

“Okay. I mean, I guess he was a little short with me. He almost forgot to put my tire in my trunk. He started walking away with it.” Here she paused before speaking again. “Do you think he was planning on taking the tire away so we wouldn’t find the slashes?”

“I’d pretty much count on it. And as for a motive, what better motive is there than rejection? He got upset when you turned down his offer to take you to the diner.”

“You were right about him, Mac. I can’t believe this is happening.” Her voice trembled as she laid her head on his shoulder and threaded her fingers through his.

“I know, baby. But we’ll figure out a way to end this. I’m not gonna let anything happen to you,” MacGyver vowed, hoping fervently this was one promise he would always be able to keep.

A couple hours later, after reluctantly leaving Joanna in Sam and Cip’s care, Mac hurried over to Challengers to tie up some loose ends and collect Frog for the weekend. He returned to find his son and fiancé locked in a competitive game of Monopoly. However, everyone’s attention soon turned to the two canines who were meeting each other for the first time. After locking eyes and emitting low, guttural grumblings, the dogs cautiously sniffed the surrounding air and eventually each other. Apparently unimpressed, the two soon parted with Frog crawling under the coffee table, presumably for a nap, and Cip standing by the patio doors in a silent plea to be let out.

Relieved that the two dogs appeared to accept each other, Jo and Sam returned to their board game while Mac plopped down on the couch and turned on the television set. Unfortunately, nothing could hold his interest. Remote in hand, he surfed through every available channel twice before turning it off and pacing the floor. It didn’t take long for Sam to voice the thoughts that had been troubling his dad.

“So, what’s the plan?” he asked.

“I don’t know yet,” MacGyver replied flatly.

“What plan?” Joanna asked.

“The plan to catch this Miller dude,” Sam supplied. “Do we just sit back and wait for him to strike again?” The query was directed at Mac.

“Wait a minute,” Joanna interrupted. “I thought the whole point of me staying here was so that he wouldn’t be able to do anything.”

“She’s got a point,” Sam observed.

“I know,” Mac groaned, scrubbing his face with his hands.

“I guess we could just wait for the cops to get him,” Sam suggested.

MacGyver shook his head. “They can’t do anything unless they catch him in the act. Even now what little evidence we have is only circumstantial.” He caught Sam’s gaze, willing his son to understand what he couldn’t say aloud. That in order to draw Miller out, they’d have to use Joanna as bait. And that was something MacGyver would never do.

“Well, I can’t stay here indefinitely!” Jo huffed. “Come Monday I’m going back to work.”

Mac wanted to argue, but she did have a point. Yet, she would still be putting herself in harm’s way.

“Maybe Mr. Miller will cool down by then and this whole thing will be over,” she said as if reading his thoughts.

“I hope you’re right,” he replied. Man, he hoped she was right!

The rest of the afternoon and evening passed uneventfully and MacGyver knew he should be glad about that, but it only increased his tension. Eventually Sam and Cip returned to Charlie’s apartment and Joanna went upstairs early, novel in hand. He sat on the couch and was about to kick off his shoes until he thought better of it, his old Boy Scout motto coming to mind. Fully dressed, he sprawled out on the couch and stared at the ceiling. Slowly, he drifted off to sleep, only to be startled awake by a strange sound. He surveyed as much of his apartment as he could without moving. Frog lay snoring next to him under the coffee table. Perhaps it had been his imagination. After doing a thorough walk-through of the first floor and stopping by the stairway to listen to Joanna’s gentle snores, he peeked out every available window until he was satisfied they were alone. Settling back onto the couch, this became his hourly routine until dawn.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Joanna must’ve been more stressed than she realized. Last night, she headed to bed as soon as Sam had left, intending to read several chapters of a novel she had been neglecting, but she only finished one chapter before the words began to blur and her eyelids grew heavy. Placing the book on the nightstand, she snuggled under the covers of MacGyver’s bed and allowed a deep, peaceful slumber to claim her. When she next awoke, sunlight was streaming through the windows and she heard muffled voices in the kitchen. She smiled as she imagined Mac and Sam working side-by-side to fix breakfast. Yips and yaps from outside told her the dogs were in the backyard, probably playing in the snow left from a storm a couple weeks ago. She stretched languidly before crawling out from under the cozy blankets, pulling on a clean pair of jeans and sweater, and heading downstairs for breakfast which, like most of last evening, was a quiet affair. Yes, she had wanted time away from work to spend with Mac, but this was not turning into the weekend she had envisioned and, by the frown lines marring his brow, she knew he felt the same.

They had just finished clearing the kitchen table when the telephone jangled. Mac picked it up on the second ring.

“Hello?”

Joanna watched as he listened intently, nodding every now and again as if the caller could see him.

“I understand. I’m on my way,” he said before hanging up.

“What’s happened?” Jo asked, feeling Sam standing close behind her awaiting the answer as well.

“That was the fire department. There’s been a natural gas leak at Challengers. Everyone’s okay, the building’s been evacuated and the supply cut off, but I need to go down and sign off on some stuff. Sam, do you mind stayin’ until I get back?”

Joanna held back a protest, but Sam was much more agreeable.

“No problem, Dad,” he grinned mischievously. “I have a Monopoly score to settle with my future step-mom.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Mac promised, bending to give Jo a peck on the cheek before walking out the door.

Joanna turned to Sam and placed a consoling hand on his shoulder. “I hate to tell you this, future step-son, but I’m gonna be upstairs cleaning your dad’s bathroom. It looks like a science project gone rogue.”

After donning heavy duty rubber gloves and liberally spraying the bathtub with a lemon scented foaming cleanser, Jo began to scrub. She was half-way through when there was a knock at the front door.

“I got it!” Sam called up to her as the dogs began to bark.

She returned to the task at hand, but soon became curious about their would-be visitor and annoyed that Sam wasn’t quieting the dogs. Dropping the sponge in the sink, she peeled off her gloves and headed toward the staircase. She was halfway down when she saw Mr. Miller standing just inside the door. The dogs’ barking turned to low growls, yet they did not advance on the intruder.

“How did you find me!” she gasped.

“Yesterday morning I hung around so I could see the look on your face when you found my message. Then that boyfriend of yours parked practically right in front of my nose. I figured you’d end up with him sooner or later so I took a peek at his registration. Ya know, you people should really lock your glove boxes,” he smirked.

Wanting to wipe that grin off his face once and for all, Joanna charged down the rest of the steps but came to an abrupt halt when she saw Sam’s unconscious body lying prone on the floor, Frog and Cip guarding him.

“Sam!” she cried, lunging toward the helpless young man as Miller’s arm snaked out to stop her, grabbing her bicep in a vise-like grip.

“What did you do to him?!” she demanded, trying to wrench herself free.

“Nothin’ a nice long nap won’t cure.”

“What do you want from me?” she hissed through gritted teeth refusing to let fear usurp her anger.

“First, I want to buy you a piece of pie. Then, I want you to go to the school and fix Trent’s report card.”

“You’re outta your mind!” she exclaimed loudly.

Mr. Miller reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small handgun, pointing it directly at her heart.

“You’re gonna wanna keep your voice down, Ms. Fairfax. You don’t wanna be disturbin’ the neighbors.”

Joanna clamped her mouth shut, even as her jaw began to tremble.

“Now slowly put on your coat and walk outside all nice and normal-like. We’re goin’ for a ride and don’t’ wanna be attractin’ no attention. Understand?”

What she did understand was that this man was in desperate need of grammar lessons, but she nodded dutifully so as not to upset him more. Once in the passenger seat of his car, she closed her eyes and sent up a heartfelt prayer for the wisdom and courage to get herself out of this situation. She heard the engine rev to life and then felt the car lurch forward. Squeezing her eyes shut even tighter, she had no way of knowing Cip had snuck out the front door and was even now following behind them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver was detained longer at Challengers than he had anticipated and he was anxious to return to Joanna. However, he was required to remain on-site when it was discovered that the leak was not an accident but a deliberate act. Someone had broken the valve. When Mac was finally able to return home, his anxiety ratcheted up when he found his front door ajar. He quietly crossed the threshold in case an intruder was still inside and quickly surveyed the apartment, dropping to his knees when he saw his son’s unconscious body lying on the floor, Frog licking his cheek.

He gently shook the younger man’s shoulders. “Sam! Sam! Wake up! What happened?!”

Frog’s mournful eyes watched as Sam finally began to regain his senses.

“Whoa,” Sam groaned, struggling to sit up.

Mac put a steadying hand on his shoulder and spoke softly but firmly.

“Sam, what happened? Where are Joanna and Cip?”

Sam rubbed the back of his neck before speaking. “This guy came to the door. He said he was a teacher at Lincoln High and had some important papers for Joanna. She was upstairs cleaning and when I turned to call her he must have hit me on the back of the head with something and knocked me out. Is Joanna okay?”

“She isn’t here and apparently Cip isn’t either.”

“Aw man, he must have taken her!” Sam exclaimed as fiercely as he could given his pounding head.

“How could you let this happen?!” Mac rounded on his son, his anxiety now giving way to anger. “I was counting on you to protect her and you let a stranger, who was most likely Miller, waltz right in!”

“How was I supposed to know it was Miller?! I don’t even know what he looks like and this guy looked pretty normal.”

MacGyver’s anger quickly turned to shame as he realized he had never even asked Joanna for a description of the man. Mac, himself, could bump into the guy on the street and not even know it.

“I’m sorry. You’re right,” Mac apologized as he helped Sam walk over to the couch. “This is all my fault. I should’ve gotten a description and I should’ve been here. I’ve lost my edge.”

“You can’t blame yourself, Dad. Pete would tell you you’re too close to the situation.”

“And he’d be right. We need to call the police.”

After being put on hold and transferred several times, MacGyver was finally connected to the police officer who had taken their statement at Joanna’s house the previous morning. After a heated discussion, Mac slammed down the phone.

“What’d they say?” Sam asked.

“They can’t do much. No one saw Joanna being forcefully taken and she hasn’t been gone long enough to be considered a missing person.”

“Then it looks like it’s up to us to find her,” Sam declared.

“And just how are we gonna do that? We don’t have any leads. They could be anywhere!”

“I can give you a solid description of the guy and then you’ll come up with a plan like you always do,” Sam replied full of optimism. Only Mac wasn’t sure he could figure this out, at least not before he lost yet another loved one.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Was I right or was I right?” Richard Miller asked gleefully.

“You were right,” Joanna agreed, unable to suppress a small smile. “This is definitely the best piece of blueberry pie I’ve ever had.” Despite being kidnapped and worried about Sam, she had somehow managed to keep her emotions in check. Any display of fear or anger would only make the situation worse. She’d been in tight spots before. But, then again, MacGyver had always been with her. She was completely on her own this time...unless Mac somehow miraculously found her.

Mr. Miller tossed some bills on the table and stood. “Now, let’s get over to the school and take care of that business we discussed,” he prompted with a self-satisfied grin. “And don’t try anything funny,” he grunted in her ear as he pressed the muzzle of his gun against her side through the material of his own jacket.

Using the key Mrs. Varga had given her, Joanna opened the main door to the school and slowly led the way to her classroom, trying to stall for as much time as possible. She didn’t know what Mr. Miller had in store for her once she completed her ‘assignment’, and she highly doubted he did either, but she knew it couldn’t be anything good.

“Get a move on, missy. I ain’t got all day,” he growled, nudging her in the back to quicken her steps.

When they reached her classroom, she unlocked the door, took a seat behind her desk and fired up her computer.

“The grading system is all computerized,” she explained in what she hoped was a calm, controlled tone. “Since Mrs. Dunham was the one who input Trent’s grades, I may not have access to them.”

“Stop all that mumbo jumbo and get to work,” Miller commanded, pacing the aisles in the room like a caged lion.

Joanna typed furiously on the keyboard to make it sound as if she was complying. In reality, she was hitting random keys and buying time. At least until Miller came to stand behind her and watch. Her stomach sank. So much for faking it. She logged onto the system, after purposely entering the wrong password several times, and set about trying to find Mrs. Dunham’s electronic grade book. At this, she did not need to fake her incompetence.

“What just happened?!” Miller demanded after several minutes of curses on his part and sighs on hers. “Why did the screen go dark?”

“Mrs. Dunham locked her electronic grade book with a personal password so no one can get into it and tamper with it.”

“You’re lyin’! You just don’t want to give my boy the grade he deserves. Now fix it!” he roared.

“I can’t!” Joanna yelled back. “I entered too many incorrect passwords and it caused the computer to shut down.” That wasn’t exactly true, but it was close enough. Mr. Miller didn’t possess the technological skills to know any better.

“Now what am I gonna do?” the man moaned, pacing and rubbing his forehead with the hand that wasn’t loosely holding the gun.

Joanna had quickly come to the conclusion that Richard Miller wasn’t the brightest bulb in the chandelier and, if he was going to harm her, she might as well make it worth it.

“Guess you don’t have a plan B, huh?” she asked wryly.

“Shut up and let me think!”

“We’re gonna be here awhile then, aren’t we?” she goaded.

“I said ‘shut up’!”

He stalked to her desk, pulling out random drawers and rummaging through them until he found what he was looking for. A roll of duct tape.

“I don’t want to hear another peep outta you! You got that?” he yelled as he firmly slapped a piece of the tape across her mouth.

He was about to return to his pacing but suddenly turned back to her. Tearing off longer lengths of the silver tape he bound her ankles and wrists in front of her.

“Can’t have you go runnin’ off on me now, can we?” he jeered.

Joanna leveled her best dagger-shooting stare at him, but he quickly turned away. She assessed the new situation she found herself in. Apparently this guy didn’t watch much TV because everyone knows that you should tie a person’s hand behind their back. Thankful for his miscue and the potential opportunity it offered, she focused on creating an escape plan.

Jo didn’t know how long Mr. Miller paced and muttered, but instinct told her it was time for action. She would either succeed or fail. As surreptitiously as possible, she moved her bound hands toward the pocket of her coat which she had hung on the back of her chair upon arriving. Twisting her torso while still keeping an eye on her captor, her fingers grasped the flap covering the pocket, allowing her to pull it closer until she could slide her hands inside and grasp what she needed: The Swiss Army knife Mac had given her for Christmas. She clutched it in her fists and turned just in time to see Mr. Miller swivel towards her. He spared her a glance before once again turning his back to her. She let out a silent sigh of relief and worked the knife until she found the blade she wanted. She then pulled her feet up as close as she could and began sawing away at the duct tape. It was a lot harder than she had anticipated and she made the crucial mistake of allowing her mind to focus solely on her immediate task and forget about Miller’s presence. She first realized her error when he wrapped a meaty hand around her arm and yanked her from her chair, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the floor. Thankfully, she still held the knife and when he reached down to grab her again she jammed it into his forearm with all her might, his piercing scream reverberating in her ears.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“I think the eyes were a just a little wider,” Sam said thoughtfully, looking over his dad’s shoulder at the computer screen where MacGyver was using a program to recreate Miller’s face. “And his lips had a slight curl to them.”

“Sam,” Mac sighed impatiently. “We are not recreating the Mona Lisa here. Now does this look like the guy you saw?”

“Yeah, except his nose was just a tad--” MacGyver hit the print button before his son could continue. Mac was a fan of precision, but he had a feeling time wasn’t on their side so they just had to do the best they could.

Sam had just grabbed the sketch from the printer when Cip skidded through the front door and immediately sought out Frog. Soon the two dogs were nose-to-nose, sniffing, grumbling, yipping, and wagging.

“What’s going on?” Sam asked his father.
“How should I know? I don’t speak canine. But we do know Cip isn’t with Jo.” Mac’s heart fell to the ground. He had been hoping the odd little hound had been protecting her. Obviously, that wasn’t happening.

Moments later, the two dogs sat in front of their respective masters. Cip pulled himself up straight and kept moving his eyes from Sam to the door, then back to Sam. Frog crouched in front of MacGyver, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth, drool dripping on the floor, and soulful eyes wide and alert as his entire chubby body quivered with energy.

“What is it, guys?” Mac asked the doggy duo, feeling only partly silly for doing so.

“Do you know where Joanna is?” Sam asked Cip who immediately stood up and ran to the door with Frog right behind him.

“They know something!” Mac exclaimed, grabbing his jacket from the bench by the door. “C’mon!” He opened the door and the dogs took off at a run leaving their human companions no choice but to follow.

Sam and MacGyver were breathing hard by the time Cip sat down on the sidewalk in front of the diner. Frog had fallen behind, but caught up quickly and soon had his nose to the ground, walking in circles, before he sat down and began to whine.

“Do you think Cip followed them?” Sam gasped, trying to catch his breath.

“Looks that way,” Mac confirmed. “And I think Frog’s picked up Joanna’s scent. Let’s go inside and see if we can get some answers.”

“Sorry hon, we got a packed house. You’re just gonna hafta wait,” a middle-aged waitress said in way of greeting as they entered the restaurant.

“Actually, we just have a question,” Mac explained as he motioned for Sam to show her the computer-generated picture of Miller. “Did you see this guy come in about an hour ago. He would have been with a pretty brunette.”

“Yeah, I remember him,” the waitress replied. “He comes in every so often. Always orders a slice of pie. Nothin’ else. Just a slice of pie.”

“Was there a woman with him today?” MacGyver inquired anxiously.

“Yeah. Sweet lookin’ thing. Wonder how he landed her.”

“Did you see where they went after they left?” he asked.

“Honey, I’ve got enough people to worry about inside the diner. Once they leave they’re somebody else’s problem.”

After thanking the waitress for her time, father and son headed back outside to the waiting dogs.

“Now what?” Sam asked dejectedly.

With a groan, Mac slapped the palm of his hand against his forehead. “Of course! It should’ve been obvious!” he said as he looked at the high school across the street.

“That might be a little too obvious,” Sam pointed out.

“Maybe. But right now it’s the best shot we got.” MacGyver called to Frog who slowly ambled over. Mac bent down and ruffled the dog’s ears. “Frog, find Joanna! Go find Joanna!” he commanded.

Frog shook himself from the tip of his nose to his barely-there tail, sniffed the air, and took off toward the school, only stopping when he reached the front door. Mac tested the handle.

“It’s open,” he whispered to Sam, signaling that they needed to be as quiet as possible from here on in.

They stepped into the large entrance and Mac winced at the sound of doggy toenails clicking on the tile floor. He was about to herd them back outside when Frog started waddling down a long corridor.

“That’s the way to Jo’s classroom,” MacGyver told Sam, still whispering. “They must be in there.”

A sudden yowl rent the air, causing the dogs to run toward the source, barking furiously, leaving Mac and Sam to follow them yet again. When MacGyver got to the classroom, he found Mr. Miller standing next to Joanna’s desk, one dog tugging on each pant leg as he tried to kick them away. Unable to hold back his anger, Mac called the dogs off before balling up his fist and hitting the man square on the jaw, knocking him to the floor where his head connected with the hard tile with a sickening thud.

“Ow! Why do I do that?!” Mac exclaimed, shaking out his hand which stung from the force of the contact.

When he was sure Miller was down for the count, he looked around to find Sam helping Jo release herself from her bindings.

“Duct tape! Can you believe it?” she asked ruefully. “Talk about irony!”

MacGyver had her in his arms before she could say another word.

“Aw baby, I’m so sorry!” he apologized, kissing the top of her head. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, I think,” she replied, wriggling out of his grasp so she could look him in the eye, tears shimmering in her own. “I was afraid I might never see you again,” she confessed in a watery voice. “How did you ever find me?”

“We had a little help,” Mac told her, drawing her attention to Cip and Frog who were licking the face and hands of the unconscious kidnapper.

XXXXX

Valentine’s Day

A week later, MacGyver and Joanna were sitting on his living room floor, the coffee table holding the Monopoly board between them and Chinese take-out cartons scattered about. Jo rolled the dice and scowled when her little silver Scottie dog landed on one of Mac’s properties.

“Aha! I got you now!” Mac crowed triumphantly. “Let’s see, that’s Boardwalk with three houses so you owe me…”

“More than I’ve got,” she stated, tossing all her toy money at him.

“Gosh, I didn’t know you were such a sore loser.”

“I’m sorry. It’s just been a long week,” she replied as she collected the remains of their dinner and MacGyver put the game away.

“Have you gotten any updates on Mr. Miller?” he asked, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her gently onto the couch with him.

“The school administration is pressing charges but he somehow managed to make bail. He’s under orders to stay away from Trent, the school, and all staff members.”

“Are you gonna have to testify at his trial?”

She shook her head. “Given Miller’s record, the prosecutor says our police statements should be enough evidence for a solid case.”

“I’m still sorry I wasn’t here for you.”

“Would you stop with that?! You had to go to Challengers. You didn’t have a choice,” Joanna insisted, turning to snuggle into his chest.

“Yeah,” Mac grunted. “And I played right into Miller’s hands. Who would ever have thought that he’d tamper with the gas valves just to get me out of the way?”

“Well, one good thing did come out of all this,” Jo mused.

“And what was that?”

“I finally got to use my Swiss Army knife,” she replied, smiling up at him.

“I’m really proud of you. You know that, right? You must have been scared to death but you held it together and did all the right things.”

He felt her shrug against him. “I just kept trying to think of how you would handle the situation. So you see, you were kinda there with me anyway. I guess you’re finally starting to rub off on me.”

“Oh really? Well then, Ms. Fairfax, how do you think I would handle this current situation we find ourselves in?”

“Hmmmm,” she responded thoughtfully. “You’d probably do something like this.”

She reached up and, cupping his face in her hands, gently guided his lips to hers until they met in a feather-like caress. A thrill zinged through him like an electric shock as it always did when she initiated contact and he savored every moment until she slowly pulled away.

“So, was I right?” she asked, her voice low and a bit husky.

“You know me so well,” he grinned before pulling her closer and kissing her deeply.


















Posted by: Dragondog 24 February 2020 - 11:19 AM
I split this over two days, since it was so long XD

QUOTE
Chapter 37: Valentine’s Prey
I automatcially thought of Murdoc laugh.gif

QUOTE

“You women are all alike,” he grumbled. “Always trying to shift the blame.”
Can I gouge his face out? I want to gouge his face out.

QUOTE

“I don’t need no uppity teacher telling me about my son! I know my boy. He’s gonna be the first generation of Millers to go to college!”
Then why are you here?!

QUOTE
“Let’s get one thing straight, missy,” he warned, shaking a finger at her. “No one’s gonna stand in the way of my son goin’ to college. Not you, not my ex-wife, no one!”
Oh good, she divorced him, I would do. What a jerk!

QUOTE


“Hey, you still plannin’ on comin’ over for a late dinner?” She allowed MacGyver’s smooth, warm, wonderful voice to wash over her.

“Actually I think I’m just gonna head straight home,” she replied.
You know she's had it rough when she turns Mac down.

QUOTE


“And you laid awake all night thinking about how you could have handled it differently,” he concluded, a smile tugging at his lips.

“I did not!” she retorted, before turning contrite. “It was only half the night.”
Me in a nutshell.

Anyway, I'm 100% convinced Mr. Miller prank called her, deflated her tire, and does not care that she's engaged.

QUOTE
He really needed to change his locks.
Bruh laugh.gif

QUOTE
Kip with a ‘C’. Well, there are worse names.
Like Angus, you mean?

QUOTE
Can’t a guy visit his favorite father?
Bruh XD

QUOTE

“He’s out of town for a few weeks and I promised I’d look after the place. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you and Cip stayed over there for the weekend.”

Sam’s face lit up as MacGyver handed him the spare key Charlie had given him.
TWO WEEKS LATER:
Mac: Hello, son who doesn't live here.
Sam: Hey.
Mac: I gave you the key for EMERGENCIES.
Sam: I was out of doritos.

QUOTE
He even wanted to buy me a piece of pie after he changed my tire.”

“Wait a minute! What?!”

“He offered to buy me a piece of pie at the diner across the street from the school.”

“What did you say?”
Please pay attention, Mac.

QUOTE
Apparently unimpressed, the two soon parted with Frog crawling under the coffee table, presumably for a nap, and Cip standing by the patio doors in a silent plea to be let out.

Relieved that the two dogs appeared to accept each other, Jo and Sam returned to their board game while Mac plopped down on the couch and turned on the television set.
So you're just going to leave poor Cip by the door, or...?

QUOTE

“That was the fire department. There’s been a natural gas leak at Challengers. Everyone’s okay, the building’s been evacuated and the supply cut off, but I need to go down and sign off on some stuff. Sam, do you mind stayin’ until I get back?”
I'll lay down my next paycheck on the likelihood that Mr. Miller caused the leak knowing it'd get Mac out of the house, freeing him to go after Joanna.

I won't lay money down on this one, because I'm not certain, but I'm theorizing that he doesn't know Sam and Cip are there, and that'll be an advantage. Better yet if Frog and Cip are the heroes...

QUOTE
She was halfway down when she saw Mr. Miller standing just inside the door. The dogs’ barking turned to low growls, yet they did not advance on the intruder.
Called it XD

QUOTE
Ya know, you people should really lock your glove boxes,” he smirked.
He does have a point...

QUOTE

Wanting to wipe that grin off his face once and for all, Joanna charged down the rest of the steps but came to an abrupt halt when she saw Sam’s unconscious body lying prone on the floor, Frog and Cip guarding him.
Well, Sam won't be much help...

QUOTE


“First, I want to buy you a piece of pie. Then, I want you to go to the school and fix Trent’s report card.”
Not to be dark, but in a way, she's damn lucky if that's all he wants out of her...

That being said, I wouldn't cry if Mac sterilized him with his SAK or anything... whistle.gif

QUOTE

What she did understand was that this man was in desperate need of grammar lessons
Joanna throwing shade laugh.gif

QUOTE
Squeezing her eyes shut even tighter, she had no way of knowing Cip had snuck out the front door and was even now following behind them.
Oh. I was actually on to something earlier... XD

QUOTE
However, he was required to remain on-site when it was discovered that the leak was not an accident but a deliberate act. Someone had broken the valve.
I called it XD

QUOTE
He quietly crossed the threshold in case an intruder was still inside and quickly surveyed the apartment, dropping to his knees when he saw his son’s unconscious body lying on the floor, Frog licking his cheek.
Okay, I now headcanon that this is what happened:

Dogs: *growling*
Mr. Miller: *pulls out gun*
Frog: That guy's crazy!
Cip: Yeah, and we dang well can't just go bite him, not without someone possibly getting shot...
Frog: And Sam's already down!
*Joanna and Mr. Miller leave*
Cip: *glancing between Sam and the door hesitantly* I'm gonna follow them.
Frog: That's crazy, you could end up in real trouble!
Cip: Not if I stay at a distance. Someone has to help!
Frog: Then I'm coming too.
Cip: No, stay with Sam, try to wake him up. When MacGyver comes back, he needs to know what happened, and only Sam can tell him. And no offense, I know you've helped a lot in the past, but I think with my breeding and past experiences, I might be a bit better suited for tracking them down. And with your drool content, you're better at this.
Frog: I'm gonna try to forget you said that... *goes over to Sam*
Cip: *sneaks outside*

QUOTE

“How could you let this happen?!” Mac rounded on his son, his anxiety now giving way to anger. “I was counting on you to protect her and you let a stranger, who was most likely Miller, waltz right in!”
Mac, your son was literally unconcscious two minutes ago, come on.

QUOTE

“You’re lyin’! You just don’t want to give my boy the grade he deserves. Now fix it!” he roared.
I mean, sure, if you want to believe that she's lying, despite the fact that you have a gun shoved into her and she's been compliant so far, knock yourself out...

QUOTE

“Guess you don’t have a plan B, huh?” she asked wryly.
Me if I ever get held hostage. I mean, I'd probably die fast, but still laugh.gif

QUOTE

“We’re gonna be here awhile then, aren’t we?” she goaded.
I repeat...

QUOTE

Sam had just grabbed the sketch from the printer when Cip skidded through the front door and immediately sought out Frog. Soon the two dogs were nose-to-nose, sniffing, grumbling, yipping, and wagging.

Frog: Cip? Cip! Yer alive! Didja find her?
Cip: Yes, and we gotta hurry! Think we can get Mac to follow us?
Frog: No problem, Sam's awake too!
Cip: Good job, ol' dog!

QUOTE

Moments later, the two dogs sat in front of their respective masters. Cip pulled himself up straight and kept moving his eyes from Sam to the door, then back to Sam. Frog crouched in front of MacGyver, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth, drool dripping on the floor, and soulful eyes wide and alert as his entire chubby body quivered with energy.


Cip: How're we gonna tell em?
Frog: Watch and learn!
Cip: I'll just... you're not doing anything...
Frog: He'll get it, just wait!

QUOTE

“Do you know where Joanna is?” Sam asked Cip who immediately stood up and ran to the door with Frog right behind him.


Frog: Toldja!
Cip: He understood ME not you...

QUOTE

Sam and MacGyver were breathing hard by the time Cip sat down on the sidewalk in front of the diner. Frog had fallen behind, but caught up quickly and soon had his nose to the ground, walking in circles, before he sat down and began to whine.

Cip: This is where I last saw 'em!
Frog: *sniffing* Good job, but they're not here now. Lemme have my turn, show ya how it's done.
Cip: *watching* Gotta admit, you're better at tracking than I thought.

QUOTE
When MacGyver got to the classroom, he found Mr. Miller standing next to Joanna’s desk, one dog tugging on each pant leg as he tried to kick them away.
I can picture them barking different rants and bellows, but out of sequence so no one could tell what they're each saying XD

QUOTE


“Ow! Why do I do that?!” Mac exclaimed, shaking out his hand which stung from the force of the contact.
Classic XD

QUOTE

“We had a little help,” Mac told her, drawing her attention to Cip and Frog who were licking the face and hands of the unconscious kidnapper.

Cip: Oh dog, is he dead?
Frog: Lemme check... Nope. Ooh, c'mere, he tastes salty!
Cip: *licks* Ooh, you're right!

QUOTE
Jo rolled the dice and scowled when her little silver Scottie dog landed on one of Mac’s properties.
I like the Scottie too XD

QUOTE

“Gosh, I didn’t know you were such a sore loser.”
It's Monopoly, I mean, what'd you expect? laugh.gif

QUOTE

“I’m still sorry I wasn’t here for you.”

“Would you stop with that?! You had to go to Challengers. You didn’t have a choice,” Joanna insisted, turning to snuggle into his chest.
*squeals* I've been reading a lot of fluffy fanfiction lately, so I'm in a mood XD


Posted by: uniquelyjas 24 February 2020 - 11:39 AM
Thanks for all the great comments, Dragondog!! I TOTALLY love the "doggy conversations" you added!! Yeah, I think if anyone held me hostage, try to carjack me, etc. I'd be pretty snarky....and dead:(

Isn't the Scottie dog everyone's favorite!?!?

Posted by: Dragondog 24 February 2020 - 09:45 PM
Any time wink.gif

I actually ended up dreaming that I got abducted, but just spent the time playing Animal Crossing. Stayed asleep long enough to dream the part where I called the police and got rescued laugh.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 25 February 2020 - 06:00 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 24 February 2020 - 09:45 PM)
Any time wink.gif

I actually ended up dreaming that I got abducted, but just spent the time playing Animal Crossing. Stayed asleep long enough to dream the part where I called the police and got rescued laugh.gif

LOL...that's awesome!! biggrin.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 26 February 2020 - 11:18 AM
Chapter 38: Spring Break ‘98

“I told you I wasn’t hungry!” Pete Thornton bellowed at his wife, Connie, as he shoved the bowl of chicken soup away causing the hot liquid to splash on her hands.

“But Peter, you need to keep your strength up!” she retorted.

“I’m not sick,” he scowled. “I’m just immobile.” He waved his hand to where his casted leg lay on the foot rest of the recliner that had been his prison since the accident.

“The doc gave you crutches,” Sam pointed out. “Maybe you’d feel better if you used them to move around a little.”

“And just how is a blind man supposed to navigate on crutches?” Pete shot back. “It’s hard enough to walk around my own home with two good legs. You want me to fall and break the other one?!”

“Peter, watch your tone. Sam’s our guest and he’s only trying to help,” Connie admonished.

“Well, he isn’t,” Pete mumbled petulantly as Cip nudged his hand with his snout. “And would someone get this mangy mutt outta here?!”

“He’s just trying to make you feel better, Mr. Thornton,” Becca replied meekly.

“Why does everyone insist on trying to make me feel better?!” Pete returned to bellowing. “I’m a blind man with a broken leg stuck in this stupid recliner for the next four to six weeks. Just how am I supposed to feel better?!”

“You need to find something to take your mind off your leg,” Sam suggested calmly.

“And what do you suggest?” Pete sneered. “It’s not like I can watch television or read a book! Don’t you and that girl and that mongrel of hers have apartments of your own to go home to?!”

“Peter!” Connie exclaimed. “How dare you speak to them that way!”

“It’s okay,” Sam replied, pushing himself up from where he sat on the couch. “We need to get going anyway.” He shrugged into his jacket and then helped Becca into her coat before clipping on Cip’s leash. “We’ll be in touch,” he promised, as they headed out the front door.

“Poor Mr. Thornton is really taking this hard,” Becca observed once they were in Sam’s car.

“I feel sorry for Connie,” Sam stated. “She’s the one taking the brunt of his attitude.”

“I wish there was something we could do,” Becca sighed.

“Maybe there is,” Sam replied thoughtfully.

“Like what?”

Sam’s lips curved into a mischievous smile. “I think it’s time we call in reinforcements.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Friday afternoon, Joanna got up from her chair in the teachers’ lounge and tossed the remainder of her lunch in the trash. Throughout her career she had made it a point to avoid this particular room set aside to act as both a school gossip mill and grapevine, but after the incident with Mr. Miller she decided it might be beneficial to listen to what the other instructors had to say about parents and students. Had she an inkling about the man prior to meeting him, she could have handled things differently and avoided the whole debacle altogether. She wandered to the window and watched fat, lazy snowflakes drift to the ground.

“Whose idea was it to have spring break the first week of March anyway?” she asked no one in particular.

“Hey, don’t knock it,” the young algebra teacher replied. “It’s still a week off of work! Got any plans?”

Jo turned to face her colleague. “I’m planning on spending most of my time at Challengers. Since I’ve been covering for Mrs. Dunham I haven’t spent a lot of time over there.”

“Considering you’ll get to spend every day with your hunky fiancé I can’t say I blame you!” she giggled.
Joanna smiled even as her cheeks turned warm. “I need to get going. I have a class in five minutes,” she said by way of excuse and slipped out the door.

To be honest, she was looking forward to spending the coming week with MacGyver. In fact, she decided to stay late and finish grading papers so she wouldn’t have to take work home. By the time she arrived at Challengers, Mac had already left, so she headed over to his place to join him for dinner. She walked in the front door just as he was opening the pizza take-out box.

“Hey! Good timing!” he said with a grin.

“So I see,” Jo replied, shrugging out of her coat before taking a seat at the table.

“Sam called this afternoon,” he said once they had both taken healthy bites of their food.

“How is he?”

“He’s fine,” Mac replied after swallowing. “He actually called about Pete.”

Joanna’s head snapped up in concern. “What’s wrong with Pete?”

“He broke his leg a couple weeks ago and, according to Sam, he’s as ornery as a hibernating bear with insomnia.”

“I can imagine!” Jo chuckled.

“Sam thinks I should go down there and keep him company. Ya know, run some interference for Connie.”

Joanna felt her blood begin to bubble with excitement. She could use a road trip and time with good friends right about now.

“I thought I’d head out tomorrow since you have off all week and were planning on working at Challengers anyway,” he said with a casual shrug before taking another bite of pizza.

The bubble of excitement Jo felt suddenly turned to boiling anger. He hadn’t even bothered to ask if she wanted to join him! He planned to leave her behind! She felt her muscles tighten and the cheesy slice of pie tasted like cardboard as she took a bite to hide her frown.

“I figured I’d take the Nomad,” Mac continued, oblivious to her change in demeanor. “It’s roomier than the Jeep and maybe I can convince him to get out of the house.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” she mumbled, refusing to meet his eyes. She couldn’t decided whether to cry or to kill him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Joanna was oddly quiet as they finished their meal and cleared the table. She stood at the sink, hands submerged in frothy bubbles, washing the few dishes they had used as MacGyver approached her from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling her neck when he felt her entire body stiffen.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked, raising his head and turning her around so she faced him. It was then that he noticed the shimmer of tears in her eyes.

“What’s going on?” he prodded as his heart squeezed.

“Nothing,” she said in a weak voice, wiping a soapy hand across her eyes.

“Don’t give me that, baby. Talk to me.”

She turned to grab a dish towel to dry her hands and he released her but stayed where he was.

“It’s silly, really,” she finally said. “I’m just overreacting.”

“About what?”

“You didn’t even bother to invite me along,” she said softly, dashing the tears from her eyes.

MacGyver’s heart just about ripped in two. He pulled her close, resting his chin on the top of her head.

“I’m sorry. I thought after everything you’ve been through you’d appreciate some time alone.”

Joanna eased from his arms. “I know this probably sounds weak and corny, but the only place I wanna be, especially after everything I’ve been through, is with you.”

“That is not weak and corny,” he gently protested, losing himself in the dark chocolate depths of her eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask, and I would love it if you came along. But I gotta warn you, Pete in a bad mood is not a pretty sight.”

This last statement earned him a smile. “I think I can handle it,” she assured him. “And I think Connie would like to have a female around for a little girl-talk.”

“You’re right,” he agreed. “Now go home and pack and I’ll pick you up in the morning.”

Before she could move, however, he captured her mouth with his in a long, lingering kiss to let her know exactly how much he wanted her by his side for now and forever.


XXXXX

“I suppose Sam called and told you to come down and keep me company,” Pete groused Saturday afternoon. His wife was repositioning a pillow behind his head while MacGyver and Joanna stood at the foot of the recliner.

“Nope,” Mac replied flatly. “Just came to sign your cast.”

The older man harrumphed and turned his head away from the direction of his friend’s voice mumbling something about still being a lousy liar.

“You gonna tell us how this happened?” MacGyver asked, motioning towards Pete’s injured leg even though he knew the man couldn’t see him.

“I was coming out of the doctor’s office and slipped on a patch of ice. Can you believe it?!”

Mac’s brow furrowed with concern. “What were you doing at the doctor’s office?”

Pete paused before blustering, “It was just a routine check-up.”

MacGyver didn’t miss the pointed glance Connie shot Joanna over the top of her husband’s head. “Why don’t you two freshen up and get settled. By then I’ll have dinner on the table,” she instructed before weaving her arm through Jo’s and leading her to the guest room, leaving Mac to make up the couch.

A few minutes later, Mac stole away to talk with Joanna who was still unpacking.

“Something’s not right,” he stated firmly, sitting down on the bed.

“I agree. There’s something they’re not telling us about that doctor’s appointment,” Jo replied, sitting next to him.

“Can you come up with a plan to get Connie out of the house tomorrow?”

“Sure,” Joanna shrugged.

“Good. Maybe then Pete’ll open up to me about what’s really goin’ on.”

MacGyver stood up and had just stepped into the hall when he almost bumped into Connie who was headed toward the living room carrying a tray laden with food.

“You takin’ that to Pete?”

She nodded sadly. “He refuses to even try to come to the table.”

“Not on my watch,” Mac replied as he turned Connie back toward the kitchen.

“C’mon Pete, soup’s on!”

“Connie’s supposed to be bringing me my tray,” he grumbled.

“Not today. You’re gonna come in the kitchen and eat with the rest of us.”

“How am I supposed to do that?” Pete grunted.

“Didn’t the doctor give you crutches?”

“Well...yeah. But how am I supposed to use them when I can’t see where I’m going?”

“One thing at a time,” Mac instructed as he found the crutches gathering dust in a nearby corner.

He coaxed Pete to lower the footrest and gently helped him from the chair. With his friend balancing against him, he slipped a crutch under each arm and slowly backed away.

“Alright!” MacGyver exclaimed. “Ready to go to the kitchen?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“You always have a choice, Pete!” Mac replied cheerfully, patting his friend on the shoulder.

“Not with you around I don’t,” Pete mumbled.

MacGyver carefully guided Pete into the kitchen with encouraging words and a steadying hand when needed. It was slow going, but they finally got the injured man settled in a chair, his casted leg resting on another.

“Now doesn’t it feel better to get out of the living room for a change?” Connie asked with a smile.

“Doesn’t matter since it all looks the same,” her husband replied.

Mac glanced at Jo who raised an eyebrow and shrugged a shoulder. He couldn’t remember Pete ever being this bitter about losing his eyesight. In fact, at times, he handled it better than MacGyver himself.

Supper was an uncomfortable affair with Pete mumbling under his breath while barely touching his food and Connie surreptitiously swiping moisture from her eyes. As for Mac, he hated the helplessness he felt, but he couldn’t make things better until he knew what was wrong to begin with. He was thankful when Joanna cleared her throat and began to speak, breaking the stony silence.

“Hey, Connie. I was thinking tomorrow we could go out to lunch and then do a little shopping. Just us girls. How does that sound?”

The older woman sighed. “Oh, Joanna, that sounds wonderful!”

“Wait a minute,” Pete quickly interrupted. “Who’s gonna take care of me?”

“I’ll be here,” Mac announced. “I think you and I can manage on our own for a few hours.”

Pete harrumphed again, crossing his arms across his chest indicating that this conversation, and meal, was over.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Noon on Sunday found Joanna and Connie seated at a small table in a cozy bistro just outside the city.

“So, have you two set a date yet?”

Jo’s hand, fork and all, froze halfway between her salad plate and mouth. She sighed inwardly, determined to make this a good day for her friend.

“No,” she replied with a forced smile. “We’re still working on it.”

“Well, I hope you’re not letting Mac drag his feet.”

“It’s a mutual decision,” Jo said, perhaps a bit more forcefully than she intended.

“Oh,” Connie quietly responded, dropping her eyes to her plate where she pushed the leafy greens around with her fork but made no attempt to eat.

“Connie, what aren’t you telling us about Pete?”

The older woman met Joanna’s gaze. “Pete made me promise not to tell anyone. Not even MacGyver. Though I do hope some time alone today will encourage him to confide in Mac.”

“That’s the plan,” Jo smiled.

After lunch, the two women decided to take a stroll and enjoy the seasonable weather while doing a little window shopping. It wasn’t long before Connie stopped in front of a bridal boutique to eye the white, lacy confection gracing the display window.
“Isn’t it gorgeous?” she asked her companion.

Joanna eyed the wedding dress and frowned. “I suppose, but it’s not really my style.”

Connie suddenly turned, grasping Jo’s arms with both hands, a carefree glint in her eye.

“Let’s go inside!”

Jo hesitated. “I’m not really ready to look for a dress. I mean, we haven’t even decided on a season.”

“Well, a little browsing never hurt anyone,” Connie retorted. “Besides, it will give you an idea of what’s out there for when the time comes.”

“I guess you have a point,” Joanna reluctantly agreed as her friend was already pulling open the plate glass door.

Before they knew it, a stylish, grey-haired saleswoman descended upon them and began peppering them with questions, none of which Jo could honestly answer. Not one to be deterred, the woman led them from rack to rack, pulling out dresses to hold up in front of Joanna. Some she returned to the rack, other’s she carefully draped over her arm. Thirty minutes later, Jo found herself standing in a large dressing room surrounded by satin, lace and tulle. One-by-one she donned the gowns and paraded in front of Connie and the saleswoman as they discussed the pros and cons of each. Not realizing how exhausting this process could be, Joanna breathed a sigh of relief when she handed the final dress back to the saleswoman.

“I’m sorry for taking up so much of your time,” she apologized. “But I’m just not ready to make a decision yet.” She was about to head to the door when Connie came hurrying towards her, yet another gown in hand.

“I know you’re tired,” Connie acknowledged. “But I think this may be the one! Please try it on.”

“Connie…” Jo replied, just short of whining.

“For me?”

Joanna grinned. “Sure, what’s one more?”

With well-practiced movements, Jo slipped into the dress. Turning to look at herself in the mirror she could not hold back the small gasp that escaped. If she had been looking for a wedding dress, this would have been the one. Made of soft, white satin, the top of the dress boasted a modest sweetheart neckline and long, fitted sleeves. At the waist, a floor-length A-line skirt gave the illusion of a ballgown. And strategically placed floral appliques and seed pearls accentuated the dress in all the right places. As Joanna closed her eyes and imagined the expression on MacGyver’s face as she walked down the aisle to him her insides turned to Jell-O. She had barely stepped from the dressing room when Connie’s hands flew to her mouth and her eyes misted over.

“Oh Joanna! That dress is perfect! And it fits as if it was made for you!”

The saleswoman happily agreed. “Indeed! I doubt there’s a dress in this entire store that would be better suited for you!” she gushed. “May I ring it up for you?”

Jo threw Connie a panicked look. Thankfully, the older woman seemed to take pity on her.

“Could you please give us a moment?” she politely asked the saleswoman as she urged Joanna back into the dressing room.

“Connie, I’m not ready to buy a dress and I’m sure I couldn’t afford it!”

“You have to admit, it looks stunning on you dear.”

Jo frowned. “It does, but--”

“No ‘buts’ about it!” Connie declared. “Peter and I have been talking. You’ve become the daughter we never had and we decided to help pay for the wedding. Please let us buy you this dress.”

Joanna shook her head but her protest died on her lips. The rest of the afternoon passed in a haze as she struggled to wrap her head around the fact that she was now the proud owner of a brand new wedding gown.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver opened the refrigerator door and studied its contents.

“What do ya want for lunch, Pete?” he called to his friend who had once again taken up residence in the living room.

“I don’t care,” came the disgruntled reply.

“Alright! Tofu casserole it is!” Mac proclaimed with a sly grin as he gathered fixings for some sandwiches.

“You know what this reminds me of?” MacGyver asked after taking several bites of his lunch.

“No. What?”

“That time we went skiing and I got caught in that avalanche. I survived without a scratch but you ended up busting your leg.”

“Yeah,” Pete grinned. “Ironic, isn’t it? But you’re still the only man I know who can go to pick up Chinese take-out, get kidnapped, and escape using those little packets of soy sauce!”

“I guess we both have some unique talents,” Mac observed.

Silence hung heavy in the room until Pete spoke up.

“So, when are you gonna ask me about it?” he addressed MacGyver.

“When will you be ready to tell me about it?”

Pete sighed, placed his sandwich on the plate in front of him, and leaned back in his chair.

“A few weeks ago, my eye specialist in Los Angeles called to tell me that there was a very new, very experimental surgical procedure being developed to reverse, at least somewhat, the effects of glaucoma and the trials were being done right here in Chicago. He set up an appointment for me with the physician in charge of the study. Turns out I wasn’t an appropriate candidate. I’ve had the disease too long and there’s been too much damage. I tell ya, Mac. For just a little while I had this glimmer of hope and then to have it all taken away...well, it was like going blind all over again. After the appointment, I was depressed and frustrated and not paying attention to my surroundings. That’s when I stepped on a patch of ice in the parking lot and fell adding insult to injury. Since then I’ve just lost all my confidence. I made Connie promise not to tell anyone.”

“Why? It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

“I didn’t want people’s sympathy...again.”

“So you shut out your friends, too,” Mac stated flatly.

“Yeah. And I’m gonna ask you to keep this to yourself, just until I’m ready to tell the others.”

“Aw, c’mon Pete! We’re your friends! Your family!”

“Please MacGyver!”

“Oh, all right,” Mac agreed, scrubbing his face with his hands.

“Thanks. You’re a good friend.”

XXXXX

After dinner that evening, MacGyver insisted Pete and Connie retire to the living room while he and Joanna cleaned up the kitchen.

“Did you and Pete have a chance to talk today?” Jo asked as soon as the older couple was out of earshot.

“Yep,” Mac replied placing a glass in the dishwasher. He hated keeping a secret from Joanna, but he also didn’t want to betray his friend.

“And?”

“Pete made me promise not to tell anyone,” he said flatly as he watched her shoulders fall.

“I understand,” she assured him quietly.

“Did you and Connie have a good time?” MacGyver asked, eager to change the subject.

“Yeah, we did,” Jo answered him, her cheeks turning an endearing shade of pink.

A smile tugged at Mac’s lips. “You gonna tell me about it?”

“I did the stupidest thing!” she exclaimed, catching him off guard.

“Somehow I doubt that. What did you do?”

“We were walking by some shops and came across this little bridal boutique. Connie insisted we go inside even though I told her I was nowhere near ready to buy a dress.”

“It doesn’t hurt to look,” MacGyver shrugged.

“That’s what Connie said. So since the day was all about keeping her happy, I let her drag me in and even try on some gowns.”

“So far it doesn’t sound that bad.” Mac wasn’t sure, but he kinda thought trying on fancy dresses was something most women would enjoy. Then again, Joanna wasn’t most women.

“I didn’t want to like it,” Jo confessed. “But it was kinda fun.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“I found the absolute perfect dress, Mac! And Connie insisted on buying it for me!”

MacGyver laughed in relief and reached out to hug her. “That’s great, baby!”

“No, it’s not!” she insisted, pulling away from him. “I had already decided to just wear a nice, sensible dress or maybe a skirt suit. I don’t need some fancy, overpriced concoction to make the day special.”

Mac found Jo’s troubled gaze and grasped her firmly by the shoulders. “I agree. You don’t need it, but I know that you deserve it. Especially if you love it. In fact, I bet you dreamed about finding the perfect dress growing up.”

Joanna shrugged and MacGyver let his hands drop. “That’s just it, Mac. It was a dream. One that died a long time ago. The dress...the wedding...none of that’s important. It’s the marriage that matters. The store is keeping the dress until I ask them to ship it to Milwaukee. I’m gonna give Sam and Becca the receipt so they can return it.”

“You sure you wanna do that?”

She nodded.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Joanna had just finished combing her hair the next morning when there was a knock on her bedroom door.

“Come in,” she called, knowing it had to be either Connie or Mac.

“Um, my hands are a little full right now,” came the reply in an unexpected voice.

Hurrying to the door, she opened it to find Pete waiting on the other side, leaning on his crutches.

“I let my seeing-eye-troubleshooter get away,” he said with a wry grin. “Mind if I come in?”

Joanna gently guided the older man through the doorway and to the bed where he carefully settled on the edge of the mattress.

“Seems I owe you an apology and explanation for the boorish way I’ve been acting these past couple days,” he sighed gustily.

“That’s okay. You don’t have too--”

“Yes, I do! Eventually you’re gonna marry my best friend, and you’ve become like family to Connie and me. I want you to know the truth.” And with that, Pete launched into the explanation he had given MacGyver the previous afternoon.

“I’m sorry, Pete,” Jo replied when he finished talking. She knew the words were inadequate, but couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“Don’t be. I should’ve known better than to get my hopes up anyway, but now you know the whole story. And from what I hear, I’m not the only one in this house keeping secrets.”

Joanna blew out a breath and sat down next to Pete. “Mac told you about the dress,” she stated.

“He just wants you to be happy, and so do Connie and I. If you both do this right, you’ll only do it once so make the most of it.”

“Breakfast’s ready!” Connie called.

“Would you mind escorting a blind guy with a broken leg to the kitchen table?” Pete asked.

“It would be my pleasure,” Jo responded with a smile.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Later that afternoon, MacGyver sat at the kitchen table studying the small electronic gadgets laid out before him. His concentration was interrupted when Joanna breezed into the room and began to pour herself a glass of juice.

“So where did you run off to earlier,” she asked.

“I took a little field trip to the Phoenix Foundation downtown and convinced them to let me borrow some things,” he replied.

Jo moved to stand behind him and bent down so her mouth nearly touched his ear. Forget about his concentration being interrupted. Her close presence totally shattered it!

“What’s that stuff?”

“It’s a surprise for Pete,” he told her, his voice husky. “Sit down and I’ll show you.”

With Joanna seated across from him and his teenage-like hormones firmly under control, he began to explain his project.

“Pete doesn’t want to move around ‘cuz he’s afraid of bumping into things, right?”

“Right,” Jo confirmed with a nod.

“Well, I’m gonna make a gadget that’ll detect when he’s getting close to an object.”

“Kinda like sonar?”

“Actually, pretty much exactly like sonar,” Mac laughed happily, duly impressed with her deduction.

“So how does it work?”

“I used one of the computers at Phoenix to write and upload the code. Now all I have to do is use these wires to connect this arduino to the ultrasonic sensor and plug in the buzzer.”

It didn’t take long for Mac to assemble the components.

“Wanna test it?” he asked.

Joanna’s eyes brightened. “You bet! What do I do?”

MacGyver turned on the mini-sonar device.

“Hear that beeping?” he asked and waited until she nodded before proceeding. “Okay, hold the palm of your hand in front of the sensor and slowly move it closer.”

Jo did as he instructed. The beeps came fast the closer her hands got to it.

“It works!” she exclaimed.

“Don’t sound so surprised,” Mac frowned playfully. “Now grab me a ball of twine from that drawer and let’s have Pete try this out.”

“Are you gonna tie it to one of his crutches?” Joanna asked as she followed orders.

“No. It works best if it’s placed in the middle of the moving mass.”

Jo quirked her eyebrows and MacGyver grinned. “I’m gonna attach it to his belt buckle.”

“Okay Pete, take it for a spin,” Mac urged as his friend stood in front of the recliner leaning on his crutches.

“I feel ridiculous,” Pete mumbled.

“Aw, C’mon! All the cool kids are wearing them!” MacGyver countered.

“I do know my way around my own house,” his friend pointed out.

“And you’ve been afraid to move around on your own since the accident. Think of it as a seeing-eye dog until you get back on two feet.”

“Okay, here goes nothin’,” Pete mumbled as he cautiously began to move forward. Soon the slow, steady rhythm of the beeps became more rapid and he stopped.

“By my calculations, I should be in the middle of the room. In open space. Connie, did you rearrange the furniture?”

“You’re right, Pete,” Mac replied instead. “There’s no furniture there. But you were just about to wipe out my fiancé.”

“Oh! I’m, ah, sorry Joanna,” Pete apologized sheepishly.

“Don’t worry about it,” she laughed. “It was all part of the test.”

“Ha! Then this thing really does work!” the older man exclaimed with a grin.

“The downside is that you can’t sneak up on anybody,” Mac observed.

“That’s a plus in my book!” Connie declared happily, causing the others to break into easy laughter.

XXXXX

“Are you sure you can’t stay longer?” Connie asked as MacGyver loaded the luggage into the Nomad while Joanna hugged the Thorntons good-bye.

“We’ve been here since Saturday. We don’t wanna wear out our welcome,” Mac replied, giving her a hug of his own.

“Like you could ever do that!” she scoffed.

“Besides, we need to get back to Challengers,” Joanna explained.

“And maybe spend some private time together?” Pete added with a knowing grin.

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Mac agreed with a wink at Joanna as the couple got in the car to head home.

Forty-five minutes later, the Nomad sat stopped on I-94 in the middle of downtown Chicago, the victim of the city’s infamous traffic jams. MacGyver heard Joanna’s cell phone trill from deep in her purse. He watched as she rummaged around in her handbag until she retrieved the device. He noticed a white slip of paper escape and flutter to the floorboards. Instinctively, he bent to pick it up and his heart stuttered when his eyes fell on the words ‘Bridal Boutique’.

“Hi Ma,” Jo spoke into the phone. “We’re caught in a traffic jam...yeah, I know...I’ll see you later tonight.”

After she clicked off the call, Mac handed the receipt to her. “I think you dropped something,” he said casually.

“Oh, thanks,” Joanna replied with a slight blush as she grabbed the piece of paper and shoved it back in her purse.

“I thought you were gonna give that to Sam and Becca.”

“I was...I am...I just thought it wouldn’t hurt to hang onto it for awhile,” she stuttered.

“Can I ask you something?” Mac ventured.

“Of course. What is it?”

“We’ve been engaged for what? Almost six months now?”

“Sounds about right,” she replied.

“I know we promised to do this whole wedding thing on our terms, but I kinda thought you’d be starting to make some plans by now.” MacGyver tightened his hands on the steering wheel even though the car wasn’t moving. “Are you having second thoughts?”

“No!” she exclaimed, turning her upper body to face him. “Not at all. Why? Are you?”

He heard the fear and uncertainty in her voice and mentally kicked himself for putting it there.

“No! And I’m still fine with us taking our time, but I just wanna make sure there’s nothing more to it.”

Joanna lowered her eyes and fell silent for so long MacGyver was ready to turn on the radio just to hear another human voice.

“It’s not something I’m proud of,” she finally said in a soft voice. “You know that my grandma lived with us while I was growing up.”

Mac nodded but didn’t interrupt.

“Well, she had heart problems from the time I was little, and whenever we made plans to go on vacation or even just a day trip they’d often get cancelled at the last minute because she wasn’t feeling well. Then, when I got older, my friends and I would talk about doin’ stuff, but they’d forget or bail on me. So, long story short, over the years I trained myself not to get excited about or count on long-term plans because I often ended up disappointed.”

MacGyver relaxed as understanding dawned. “You don’t want to start planning the wedding because you’re afraid something will happen to ruin it.”

“Or cancel it altogether,” she shrugged. “In my head I know that’s dumb.”

“It’s not dumb,” Mac assured her. “And there is nothing in this world that’s gonna keep me from marrying you. I promise that I will do everything in my power to make our wedding day exactly how you want. But if things go sideways, we’ll work through it together.”

He reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand, tenderly wiping away an errant tear.

“Does this mean you’re keeping the dress?” he asked quietly.

“I know it’s not practical like I had wanted, but I really do love it,” she confessed. “And I think you’ll love it too.”

“Baby, you could wear a paper sack and I’d love it!” This earned him a watery chuckle.

“Ya know, maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to start thinking about what we want our wedding day to be like,” she suggested.

“I bet you got a whole bunch of ideas in that head of yours just waiting to break free,” he teased.

“Mmm, maybe one or two,” she grinned.























Posted by: Dragondog 27 February 2020 - 03:17 PM
QUOTE
Chapter 38: Spring Break ‘98
Me: hmm, pretty self-explanatory- *reads first several sentences* IS THAT A PUN

Pete is officially the worst patient ever laugh.gif

QUOTE

“It’s okay,” Sam replied, pushing himself up from where he sat on the couch. “We need to get going anyway.”
Sam be like:

https://66.media.tumblr.com/6ea2b101b9104dfa6554e4e402f7147e/tumblr_p5ti6oaZdY1uiscmzo4_500.gifv

(gif won't upload directly)

QUOTE

Joanna felt her blood begin to bubble with excitement. She could use a road trip and time with good friends right about now.

“I thought I’d head out tomorrow since you have off all week and were planning on working at Challengers anyway,” he said with a casual shrug before taking another bite of pizza.
I really, really want to slap him now.

QUOTE


“You didn’t even bother to invite me along,” she said softly, dashing the tears from her eyes.

MacGyver’s heart just about ripped in two. He pulled her close, resting his chin on the top of her head.
It's oddly satisfying to see him realize his mistakes laugh.gif

QUOTE

“I suppose Sam called and told you to come down and keep me company,” Pete groused Saturday afternoon. His wife was repositioning a pillow behind his head while MacGyver and Joanna stood at the foot of the recliner.
Give him a Snickers bar.

QUOTE

Supper was an uncomfortable affair with Pete mumbling under his breath while barely touching his food and Connie surreptitiously swiping moisture from her eyes.
Connie's behavior has me worried.

QUOTE

“A few weeks ago, my eye specialist in Los Angeles called to tell me that there was a very new, very experimental surgical procedure being developed to reverse, at least somewhat, the effects of glaucoma and the trials were being done right here in Chicago. He set up an appointment for me with the physician in charge of the study. Turns out I wasn’t an appropriate candidate. I’ve had the disease too long and there’s been too much damage. I tell ya, Mac. For just a little while I had this glimmer of hope and then to have it all taken away...well, it was like going blind all over again. After the appointment, I was depressed and frustrated and not paying attention to my surroundings. That’s when I stepped on a patch of ice in the parking lot and fell adding insult to injury. Since then I’ve just lost all my confidence. I made Connie promise not to tell anyone.”
I thought that might be it. Well, something like that, anyway.


QUOTE

Jo moved to stand behind him and bent down so her mouth nearly touched his ear. Forget about his concentration being interrupted. Her close presence totally shattered it!

...


With Joanna seated across from him and his teenage-like hormones firmly under control, he began to explain his project.
I'm starting to realize that there's a lot of similarities in the style between this fic and the Miraculous one I'm currently reading. Probably why they both put me in a fluffy mood laugh.gif

QUOTE


“Well, I’m gonna make a gadget that’ll detect when he’s getting close to an object.”

“Kinda like sonar?”

“Actually, pretty much exactly like sonar,” Mac laughed happily, duly impressed with her deduction.
Okay, how long until someone makes a dolphin joke?

QUOTE

“I used one of the computers at Phoenix to write and upload the code. Now all I have to do is use these wires to connect this arduino to the ultrasonic sensor and plug in the buzzer.”
He had me, and then he lost me... laugh.gif

QUOTE

“You’re right, Pete,” Mac replied instead. “There’s no furniture there. But you were just about to wipe out my fiancé.”

“Oh! I’m, ah, sorry Joanna,” Pete apologized sheepishly.

“Don’t worry about it,” she laughed. “It was all part of the test.”
Idk why, but this is funny laugh.gif


QUOTE


“And maybe spend some private time together?” Pete added with a knowing grin.
Pete be like:

user posted image

(Idk why I'm taking a liking to GIFs lately laugh.gif )


QUOTE

“Well, she had heart problems from the time I was little, and whenever we made plans to go on vacation or even just a day trip they’d often get cancelled at the last minute because she wasn’t feeling well. Then, when I got older, my friends and I would talk about doin’ stuff, but they’d forget or bail on me. So, long story short, over the years I trained myself not to get excited about or count on long-term plans because I often ended up disappointed.”
I can relate, tbh.

QUOTE


“I know it’s not practical like I had wanted, but I really do love it,” she confessed. “And I think you’ll love it too.”
Cue the cheesy "I'd love you even if you were wearing a gunny sack" line XD

QUOTE

“Baby, you could wear a paper sack and I’d love it!” This earned him a watery chuckle.
I scrolled down to see this. Close enough XD


Posted by: uniquelyjas 27 February 2020 - 06:40 PM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 27 February 2020 - 03:17 PM)


QUOTE

“Well, she had heart problems from the time I was little, and whenever we made plans to go on vacation or even just a day trip they’d often get cancelled at the last minute because she wasn’t feeling well. Then, when I got older, my friends and I would talk about doin’ stuff, but they’d forget or bail on me. So, long story short, over the years I trained myself not to get excited about or count on long-term plans because I often ended up disappointed.”
I can relate, tbh.


That's 100% real personal experience talking. Funny how much Joanna and I have in common...LOL!

Posted by: Dragondog 27 February 2020 - 09:05 PM
I can imagine happy.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 4 March 2020 - 07:05 AM
Chapter 39: Til Death


Macgyver pulled the Nomad into his driveway and blew out a breath. It had taken twice as long as usual to drive back from Chicago. He and Joanna had agreed to grab a quick lunch at his place before checking in at Challengers. As they made their way up the front walk, they could hear a television blaring away. Jo cast Mac a questioning glance.

“Gotta be comin’ from Charlie’s,” he told her. “I’ve noticed he’s getting a little hard of hearing but won’t admit it.”

When they got to the front door, MacGyver put his key in the lock and the knob turned easily...a little too easily. Turning toward a wide-eyed Joanna, he put a finger to his lips with one hand and used the other to gently push her behind him. He allowed the door to swing silently open only to discover that the ruckus they heard was coming from his own TV. He visually scanned the open space, stopping when he saw a brown-haired head resting on the arm of his couch, a tattered aviator’s cap balanced on top. He took a few cautious steps into the room, Jo following behind.

“Jaaack?”

The only response was a loud snore.

“Jack!” MacGyver barked.

The startled form on the couch jerked awake. “Oh, hiya, Mac!”

“What are you doin’ here, Jack?” MacGyver asked as he prowled toward his friend.

“You stayed at my place when you came to L.A. so I thought I’d let you return the favor.”

“How did you get in?”

“You’re landlord, Charlie, let me in. Said he remembered me from the last time I was here.”

“Well, you are kinda hard to forget,” Mac muttered. “Now tell me, what are you really doin’ here?”
Jack rose from the couch and made a show of straightening the wrinkled shirt under his bomber jacket as he approached his best friend.

“Normally, I would attempt to amuse you with a pithy reply,” he said loftily. “But this is too important, so I’m gonna give it to ya straight. Mac, I’m gettin’ married!”

“Hold on. Say that again,” Mac demanded studying his friend carefully.

“I’m getting married. For real. Look,” Jack pointed to his left eye, “No twitching.”

“Congratulations!” MacGyver exclaimed, embracing Jack. “Who is she? When’s the big day?”

“Her name is Nanette DuBois,” Jack answered, grinning broadly. “And the wedding is Saturday. I came here because I wanted to ask you in person to be my best man.”

Mac’s head began to spin with questions. “Whoa, wait a minute. Don’t you think that’s awful quick? I mean, what do you know about her? How did you two meet?”

“About a month ago her brother, Frank, hired me to fly him down to Mexico and then put me on retainer. He inherited his father’s import/export business and started giving me steady business. Nanette came along on one of our flights and the rest, my good man, is history.”

“What, exactly, does Frank import and export?” MacGyver asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

“Don’t know, don’t care. Jack just fly plane, Kemosabe! And gets paid quite handsomely for doing so, I might add.”

“And what about you and Nanette?”

“What can I say, Mac m’boy? It was love at first sight!”

“So you’re getting married this Saturday to a woman you’ve only known for a month?! C’mon Jack, think about this!”

“There’s nothing to think about! When it’s right, it’s right. You’re just upset because out of the two future bridegrooms in this house you’re not getting married first!”

“What?! That’s ridiculous!” Mac shot back. “Besides, Joanna and I have our reasons.”

“Well, so do I!” Jack parried. “I’m not gettin’ any younger, Mac. This might be my last chance to settle down and start populating the world with little Jack Juniors. So will ya do it, Mac? Will ya be my best man?”

MacGyver pinched the bridge of his nose knowing that somehow, some way, he was going to regret his answer. “I’d be honored to.”

“I knew I could count on you!” Jack exclaimed with a gleeful smile. “I figure I’ll fly us all out to Vegas on Friday and--”

“You’re getting married in Las Vegas?” Mac interrupted.

“Sure,” Jack shrugged. “Frank is part owner of one of the big hotels out there and keeps a block of luxury suites reserved.”

“Are you gonna have an Elvis impersonator perform the ceremony?” Joanna asked.

“The King is so cliche, mademoiselle! Those of us with more discriminating taste much prefer to be joined in wedlock by Wayne Newton.”

A sudden throbbing took up residence in MacGyver’s temple.

“Look, Jack, Jo and I just got back from Chicago and we need to check in at Challengers. We’ll talk more when I get back.”

“No problemo! Can you imagine it, Mac? Me, Jack Dalton, finally gettin’ hitched. Who’da thunk it?!”

MacGyver and Joanna walked through the entrance to Challengers to find the closest thing to chaos he had seen since beginning this venture. Geena and Rosie scurried about trying to keep some semblance of control, looking contrite when they came to stand in front of him.

“What’s going on?!” he snapped.

“Cynthia’s home sick with bronchitis,” Rosie explained.

“And a bunch of volunteers backed out at the last minute,” Geena offered. “With the cold weather and the schools still closed for Spring Break, we have more kids here than expected.”

“Why didn’t you call me?!”

“We didn’t want to ruin your visit with your friend and his wife,” Rosie replied innocently.

“We thought we could handle it,” Geena added.

Before he could say something he’d regret, Mac grabbed Joanna by the wrist and strode toward his office, not stopping until he flopped into the chair behind his desk, head in his hands.

“What am I supposed to do now?” he moaned. “I can’t leave Challengers to go running off to Vegas, but Jack would never forgive me if I missed his wedding.” He slowly became aware of Jo’s soft hand soothingly rubbing his tense forearm and he allowed his muscles to relax slightly.

“You still have a whole day before you have to leave,” Joanna said calmly. “Why not have Jack help out here tomorrow and then I’ll stay behind while you go help your best friend get married.”

“You sure about that?” he asked, his heart overflowing with love for the woman in front of him.

“Absolutely.”

“You’re terrific. You know that?” he asked huskily before grasping her wrist, more gently this time, and placing a tender kiss in the palm of her hand.

XXXXX

Early Friday afternoon, Jack brought his Cessna to a stop outside a hangar at the North Las Vegas Airport. The small but well-appointed airfield was a favorite of wealthy businessmen unwilling to deal with the congestion of the more centrally located McCarren International. As MacGyver followed Jack down the steps of the plane, he noticed a black, stretch limousine with tinted windows parked nearby.

“Our ride awaits!” the pilot proclaimed with a large smile, gesturing toward the vehicle.

“Wait, you mean that’s for us?!” Mac asked incredulously.

“You bet! Courtesy of my soon-to-be brother-in-law!” Jack slapped MacGyver on the shoulder and guided him toward the car.

Once settled in the buttery leather backseat of the luxury vehicle, Jack pulled out a beer from the mini-fridge and handed Mac a bottle of high-end purified watered. MacGyver automatically took the offered drink but left it untouched, more concerned with the lead ball growing in the pit of his stomach. Over the last couple days, Jack had talked incessantly about Nanette but had still managed to say very little about her. A whirlwind courtship with a woman who’s brother provided Jack with steady business, luxury hotel suites, and limos all added up to something that smelled a bit fishy to MacGyver, and he hated himself for the question he was about to ask.

“Jack, I wanna ask you something, but I need you to promise you won’t get mad at me. I’m only asking because I care about you.”

“Okay, I won’t get mad at you,” Jack shrugged, taking another swig of beer. “C’mon, out with it!”

Mac took a deep breath to steel himself. “Are you marrying Nanette for her brother’s money?”

Jack lowered his beer bottle and turned to MacGyver, his face somber. “How could you think that about me?” he asked. “You’re my best friend.”

“Exactly! I’m your best friend. I know you Jack. Always looking for the next great business venture and here it is handed to you on a silver platter along with shiny cars and fancy hotel suites.”

“I guess I understand how you could think that,” Jack sighed. “I guess I have a rather colorful track record, but I’m tellin’ you, this is different. I really love Nanette. And she loves me. I don’t care about her brother’s fancy hotels or limousines and neither does she!”

“I’m sorry Jack, but I had to ask. I just want you to be happy.”

“I know that, Mac. And thanks for watchin’ out for me. But I promise you, this time it’s all good.”

XXXXX

Twenty-four hours later, MacGyver stood at the front of a small but famous Las Vegas wedding chapel wearing a dark suit and banded collar shirt. Jack stood next to him in a powder blue tuxedo with matching ruffled shirt and bow tie wearing a grin that had been plastered on his face since they left the hotel.

“You got the ring?” Jack whispered through clenched teeth without losing his smile.

“Yes, I’ve got the ring,” Mac assured him, but surreptitiously checked his pocket, just to make sure.

The only other person in the room was the bride’s brother, Frank DuBois, who sat in the front pew looking bored when he wasn’t impatiently glancing at his watch as if he had an important appointment to get to. MacGyver sighed, finding it strange and a bit unsettling that no other family members or friends were in attendance. To the best of his knowledge, Nanette didn’t even have a maid of honor.

Mac’s mind wandered back to dinner the night before where Jack introduced him to the DuBois siblings. Frank had been uptight and silent the entire evening. Mac wished he could say the same for Nanette. Jack’s bride was a tall, buxom blonde who giggled easily and chattered constantly about nothing of consequence. MacGyver had smiled and nodded in all the right places, which only encouraged her. Jack, on the other, couldn’t tear his eyes away from his beloved bride and was loathe to interrupt her. Later that night, alone in his room, Mac hated to admit, even to himself, how disappointed he was in Jack’s choice of a mate. Granted, Jack had enjoyed the charms of a wide array of women in the past, but MacGyver had always assumed that if his friend were to give up his bachelorhood it would be for someone like Joanna. Someone who would be a calm, steadying force in the face of Jack’s flights of fancy. A yin for Jack’s yang. Perhaps he didn’t know his long-time friend as well as he thought.

Loud organ music piped in through speakers in the ceiling and the appearance of ‘Wayne Newton’ pulled Mac’s thoughts back to the present. Moments later, Nanette appeared in the doorway and began her walk up the aisle. Her dress was little more than a long, silky negligee. In lieu of a veil, a rhinestone tiara sat perched upon her bushy blonde head.

“You’re really sure about this?” MacGyver whispered to Jack who simply nodded, apparently unable to pull his gaze from the woman in front of him.

Mac bit back a sigh, his eyes settling on the bouquet of flowers Nanette held. He couldn’t help wondering what kind of flowers Joanna would choose for their wedding. Roses, though traditionally romantic, were rather common. Would she prefer something more unique like wildflowers or lilies? His stomach did a little flip as he suddenly realized he didn’t even know what Jo’s favorite flower was. In that case, what was her favorite ice cream flavor? Vanilla. He was sure it was vanilla. Or maybe chocolate. Did she even like ice cream? He couldn’t recall ever seeing her eat it. But she had to, right? Not that it mattered. He knew her. Her heart, her soul. Everything else was trivial...wasn’t it? A sharp jab to his ribs broke his reverie. His eyes refocused to see everyone looking at him.

“The ring. Now!” Jack whispered urgently.

Mac dug in his pocket and quickly produced the requested piece of jewelry, but the questions he had been pondering hung in his brain like a smoky fog. Once the vows had been said and the proper papers signed, the small wedding party adjourned to Frank’s penthouse where he had arranged for a private gourmet meal to be served. While the newlyweds exchanged kisses and whispered sweet-nothings, allowing their food to grow cold, MacGyver tried to strike up a casual conversation with DuBois to no avail. The businessman had just swallowed his last bite of crème brulee when he excused himself on the pretense of being late for a meeting. Painfully aware that his best friend was firmly caught in the throes of wedded bliss, Mac muttered his excuses as well and returned to his own suite a floor below. A bone-deep uneasiness had him reaching for the telephone, dialing a number he knew better than his own. He waited impatiently as he listened to it ring, smiling slightly as he imagined Joanna hurriedly delving into the bowels of her purse to capture her cell phone and answer his call.

“Hello?” she breathlessly came on the line.

“Hey, it’s me. Did I catch you at a bad time?

“No,” she replied, her voice stronger. “I was just getting ready to leave Challengers.”

MacGyver glanced at his watch and noted the time difference. “You’re putting in a long day,” he stated.

She chuckled and his heart warmed. “Actually, Geena and I were talking and we lost track of time. How was the wedding?”

“Fine,” he replied flatly.

“Just ‘fine’?”

“Well, you kinda had to be there,” he explained.

“What about Nanette? What’s she like?”

“She’s...interesting.”

“‘Interesting’ as in I kinda had to be there?”

“That’s one way to put it.”

“Mac, is everything okay?”

He hesitated. He could say everything was fine, but then Joanna would know something was definitely wrong. “I just have a weird feeling about this whole thing,” he confessed. “I think I’m gonna hang around and check out a couple things tomorrow. I’ll catch a later flight.”

“Alright.”

“You’re not gonna argue about this?” he asked cautiously.

“Would it do any good?”

“Nope.”

“Then just promise to be careful.”

“Always am.”

XXXXX

MacGyver had just finished getting dressed the next morning when there was a frantic pounding on his hotel door.

“Hold your horses, I’m coming,” he muttered, emerging from the bathroom. He opened the door to find Jack, eyes wide and fearful, clutching a black briefcase to his chest.

“You gotta help me, Mac,” he said as he barreled into the room and took a seat on the foot of the bed, still holding the briefcase tight.

MacGyver closed the door slowly and ran his fingers through his hair. He had been with his friend only twelve hours earlier and assumed said friend had spent the remaining time cozied up to his new wife in the honeymoon suite. What kind of trouble had Jack managed to get himself into...and how?

“Alright, Jack. Just relax and tell me what happened.”

“I think I know what Frank DuBois is importing-and-or-exporting,” he replied in an exaggerated whisper. “Nanette was in the shower this morning when a courier dropped this off for her.” He glanced down at the case he was holding. “I put it on the desk but it, um, slid off and fell open.” His left eye twitched furiously but he ignored it. “Take a look at this!”

Jack laid the briefcase next to him on the bed and slowly opened it to reveal dozens of what appeared to be flawlessly cut diamonds sparkling against the black velvet lining.

“So Frank’s in the jewelry business,” Mac stated matter-of-factly, moving closer to examine the gems and the case. “Though you would think he would find a more secure way to transport them.”

Jack’s jaw dropped as he gaped at his friend. “So you think they’re legit?” he asked in disbelief.

“Sure. Why not?” Mac shrugged.

“Why not?! I’ll tell you why not! In my past experience a load of loose diamonds in a briefcase usually led to smuggling or payoffs or…”

“Frank was right about you, Dalton,” a cold female voice interrupted. “I’m very disappointed in you.”

Jack and MacGyver both turned toward the doorway where Nanette stood wearing a black jumpsuit. Her blonde hair was slicked back into a tight bun and she held a small but deadly handgun.

“Now put your hands up and step away from the diamonds,” she commanded.

“Pooky Bear, what is this? What’s going on?” Jack asked beseechingly.

Mac sighed inwardly and secretly hoped that the woman would refuse to explain herself. The less they knew, the better their chances of getting out of this alive. Nanette appeared to consider the question and then she began talking.

“I suppose you deserve to know, since you’re both eventually going to die anyway. Frank isn’t my brother, he’s my business partner.”

“Business partner?” Jack parroted. “You mean, there’s no dead father? No inheritance?”

“Hardly,” she spat. “Up until a few months ago, we ran this nice little operation where we delivered stolen jewels to arms dealers who then used them to buy guns for rebels in Central America. Of course, Frank and I were paid quite nicely for our services. Unfortunately, our trusted pilot suffered a most horrific demise and that’s when I had Frank hire you. I thought you were just dumb enough to keep your nose out of our business, and I was right...for a while. Frank started getting nervous. Said he thought you were catching on to our scheme.”

“I wasn’t! Honest! I’m dumb, just like you said! Ask Mac, he’ll tell ya!”

MacGyver looked at the woman innocently. “Oh yeah, Jack’s dumb. Real dumb,” he confirmed.

“Well, that hardly matters now, does it?” she commented sternly. “Frank wanted to neutralize you immediately, but I convinced him I could make you love me and keep our ‘family secret’ as it were. We weren’t expecting your friend here, so we set up this little test of your loyalty and you failed. You shouldn’t have opened the briefcase, Jack.”

“But why the brother/sister act?” Jack asked.

“In our line of work, you can’t be the same person for too long. Besides, we thought we’d look more trustworthy. You did buy it after all, hook, line, and sinker.”

“So what happens now?” Mac asked as Jack stood paralyzed beside him.

“Why, we’re going on our honeymoon, of course!” Nanette answered, grabbing the briefcase with her free hand. “Now, we’re all going to go downstairs and out to the limo. If you attempt to escape or draw any undue attention to us, I will kill you both. Understand?”

Jack and MacGyver followed Nanette’s instructions and soon the limousine arrived at the airport where they had landed two days ago. Jack’s plane was on the tarmac, ready for boarding. Nanette herded the two men out of the car and towards the Cessna, gun trained on their backs

“You got a plan, right buddy?” Jack whispered.

“Not at the moment,” Mac whispered back.

“Then what are we gonna do?” the pilot asked, voice rising an octave.

“We’ll think of something,” his friend replied nonchalantly. “In the meantime, try to keep your wife from shooting us.”

After Jack executed a textbook take-off, Nanette reached over his shoulder from behind and handed him a slip of paper.

“Those are the coordinates to our destination,” she explained.

“The Caymans?”

“Yes. I have a business meeting there later tonight. And if you stray from the flight plan, I’ll kill your friend.” Nanette moved to stand behind MacGyver who was in the co-pilot’s seat and leveled her gun at the back of his head.

Mac was keenly aware of Nanette’s presence and figured this was going to be a long six hours...less if she decided he was an expendable tag-along. He needed to get her talking.

“So, where’s Frank?” he asked.

“He had some business in the States to attend to,” she supplied succinctly.

“Just out of curiosity, how long did you think you’d get away with the marriage charade?”

“As long as it was feasible. Now shut up.”

MacGyver obeyed and, staring out the window of the plane, wished that just for once he didn’t have to be the one to come up with a plan because at this point, he didn’t know where to begin.

Several hours later, Mac glanced over at Jack who had been unusually quiet throughout the trip. He had come up with a couple ideas on how to escape from Nanette and buy them some time once the plane landed, but he was going to need his friend’s help. With their kidnapper in the cabin talking to her contact on a two-way radio, now was the time to decide on a course of action.

“Jack,” MacGyver whispered just loud enough to be heard. “I think I’ve got a plan. All we hafta do is--”

“Not now, Mac,” the pilot cut him off. “We’re almost there.”

“Exactly! We’re gonna have to move fast!”

Nanette poked her head in the cockpit before MacGyver could say more. She now had a parachute strapped to her back and clear goggles protecting her eyes.

“Okay gentlemen, this is my stop,” she declared.

“But we’re still a couple miles off-shore,” Jack protested.

“That’s the whole idea. Now I’m going to be leaving, but don’t try anything funny.” She waggled a little black box with a toggle switch under their noses.

“Oh, look, she brought her own TV remote control,” Jack quipped.

“It’s a detonator, Jack,” MacGyver informed his friend solemnly.

“Very good,” Nanette crooned. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m late for a meeting.”

With that, the woman opened the rear door to the plane and disappeared from site. Mac held his breath as he waited for the plane to explode, but nothing happened.

“Maybe she was bluffing about the bomb,” Jack commented as if reading MacGyver’s mind. “Maybe she really does love me...at least enough to not kill me.”

Before Mac could respond, the plane’s control panel began to sizzle and spark.

“I’m losing control!” Jack cried. “The steering is locked! We’re goin’ down!”

MacGyver was already inspecting the damage to the plane. “They must have wired the entire electrical system with small explosive charges that she detonated when she jumped. A plane blowing up in mid-air is a lot more suspicious than one having mechanical problems and crashing into the ocean.”

“Nice reasoning Mac, but I don’t suppose you have any ideas on how we can survive this in that oversized brain of yours?”

MacGyver tore his attention away from the instrument panel and began looking under his seat. “I don’t suppose you have an extra parachute or two lying around?”

“I keep one in the cargo hold in case of an emergency,” Jack replied.

“Well I think this would qualify!” Mac called above the whine of the engines as he scrambled to the back of the quickly descending plane and opened the hatch in the floor. He made quick work of stepping into the chute and securing the harness.

“Hey, what about me?!” Jack asked, now standing next to his friend.

MacGyver moved to the open door Nanette had bailed from and turned to Jack.

“You’re just gonna have to trust me on this one. Now wrap your arms around me and hang on tight!”

Mac let out a breath as Jack caught him in a tight bear hug. He turned to see the blue of the Caribbean speeding towards them, wondering how he managed to get himself into these situations.

“Here we go!” he yelled as he allowed himself to fall backward, away from the plane and literally into thin air.

After a few moments of free-fall, MacGyver reached for the ripcord and firmly pulled on it, breathing a sigh of relief when the parachute opened and jerked them upward before catching the breeze and gliding gently toward the water.

XXXXX

Late that evening, MacGyver and Jack sat listlessly in the terminal of Owen Roberts International Airport on Grand Cayman Island, both exhausted from the grueling events of the day. Mac held a ticket to take him home to Milwaukee while Jack would be heading back to Los Angeles. Thankfully, the captain of a large, private yacht had witnessed their not-so-graceful splashdown in the Caribbean Ocean earlier that afternoon and the small crew pulled them to safety. Once on board, MacGyver had radioed the proper authorities and Nanette was apprehended shortly thereafter. She was more than eager to share Frank’s whereabouts in exchange for leniency, and the FBI was sure to have him in custody before midnight. Perhaps the saddest part of the entire day had been watching Jack’s custom Cessna crash and explode on a tiny, uninhabited island.

“How you doin’?” Mac asked, turning to his friend who was staring blankly into the crowd milling about them.

“Terrific. Never been better,” Jack grunted.

“Sorry about your plane.”

Jack waved his hand as if swatting a fly. “No big deal.”

“Did I hear you right?!” MacGyver asked, his eyebrows shooting up under his bangs in surprise. “All you ever wanted to do was own a business flying airplanes!”

“Yeah, well, that dream came true at least for a little while,” Jack mumbled.

Mac regarding his friend more closely. “This is about Nanette,” he stated, rather than asked.

“I thought she loved me, Mac. I thought I had finally found the one, like you and Joanna. Guess I really messed that up!”

“Jack, look at me,” MacGyver maneuvered himself in the molded plastic chair so he faced the pilot. “You did not mess up! You made an honest mistake! If anyone’s to blame it’s Frank and Nanette. You trusted them. Took them at their word. That’s not a bad thing!”

“C’mon, Mac! Look who you’re talkin’ to! It’s me, Jake Dalton, king of scams and schemes and questionable business opportunities. I should have smelled this a mile away. Instead, I walked right into it!”

A disembodied voice came over the intercom to inform them that the flight to L.A. was boarding. Jack reached down and grabbed his well-worn duffle.

“You gonna be okay?” MacGyver asked, his voice laced with concern for his friend.

“Pffft! I’ll be fine!” Jack declared with renewed vigor as he rose from his seat. “I wasn’t meant to be tied down with a wife and kids anyway. I got some insurance money comin’ to me and Dalton Air Limo Service will be up and flyin’ in no time. Just promise me one thing.”

“Anything, Jack.”

“The next time I’m standing in a wedding chapel it’s because you’re finally makin’ an honest woman outta Joanna!”

“You got it!” Mac smiled and embraced his friend as the final boarding call was announced.























Posted by: Dragondog 7 March 2020 - 01:23 PM
QUOTE
Chapter 39: Til Death
Well that's a little concerning... unsure.gif

QUOTE


“You stayed at my place when you came to L.A. so I thought I’d let you return the favor.”
Nice logic XD

QUOTE
“But this is too important, so I’m gonna give it to ya straight. Mac, I’m gettin’ married!”
*chokes*

QUOTE

“What, exactly, does Frank import and export?” MacGyver asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

“Don’t know, don’t care. Jack just fly plane, Kemosabe! And gets paid quite handsomely for doing so, I might add.”

“And what about you and Nanette?”

“What can I say, Mac m’boy? It was love at first sight!”
>_< JAAAAAACKKKK

QUOTE

“There’s nothing to think about! When it’s right, it’s right. You’re just upset because out of the two future bridegrooms in this house you’re not getting married first!”
Jack right now:

user posted image

QUOTE

“Are you gonna have an Elvis impersonator perform the ceremony?” Joanna asked.

“The King is so cliche, mademoiselle! Those of us with more discriminating taste much prefer to be joined in wedlock by Wayne Newton.”

A sudden throbbing took up residence in MacGyver’s temple.
I can feel myself losing brain cells every moment. Thanks Jack.
user posted image

QUOTE

“Okay, I won’t get mad at you,” Jack shrugged, taking another swig of beer. “C’mon, out with it!”

Mac took a deep breath to steel himself. “Are you marrying Nanette for her brother’s money?”
*Jack chokes on beer*

QUOTE

Jack lowered his beer bottle and turned to MacGyver, his face somber.
Drat laugh.gif

QUOTE


“I’m sorry Jack, but I had to ask. I just want you to be happy.”

“I know that, Mac. And thanks for watchin’ out for me. But I promise you, this time it’s all good.”
*thinks about title* Oh no...

QUOTE

“You’re really sure about this?” MacGyver whispered to Jack who simply nodded, apparently unable to pull his gaze from the woman in front of him.
Okay, who brainwashed him?

QUOTE

Mac bit back a sigh, his eyes settling on the bouquet of flowers Nanette held. He couldn’t help wondering what kind of flowers Joanna would choose for their wedding. Roses, though traditionally romantic, were rather common. Would she prefer something more unique like wildflowers or lilies? His stomach did a little flip as he suddenly realized he didn’t even know what Jo’s favorite flower was. In that case, what was her favorite ice cream flavor? Vanilla. He was sure it was vanilla. Or maybe chocolate. Did she even like ice cream? He couldn’t recall ever seeing her eat it. But she had to, right? Not that it mattered. He knew her. Her heart, her soul. Everything else was trivial...wasn’t it? A sharp jab to his ribs broke his reverie. His eyes refocused to see everyone looking at him.
My brain, overthinking everything.

QUOTE
dialing a number he knew better than his own.
Yeah, I don't even know my own phone number laugh.gif (I hardly use my own cell phone, so I never really needed to learn it).

QUOTE

He hesitated. He could say everything was fine, but then Joanna would know something was definitely wrong. “I just have a weird feeling about this whole thing,” he confessed. “I think I’m gonna hang around and check out a couple things tomorrow. I’ll catch a later flight.”

“Alright.”

“You’re not gonna argue about this?” he asked cautiously.

“Would it do any good?”

“Nope.”

“Then just promise to be careful.”

“Always am.”
Further proof that these two are made for each other XD (I tried to find a GIF, but couldn't find the right one).

QUOTE

Jack’s jaw dropped as he gaped at his friend. “So you think they’re legit?” he asked in disbelief.

“Sure. Why not?” Mac shrugged.

“Why not?! I’ll tell you why not! In my past experience a load of loose diamonds in a briefcase usually led to smuggling or payoffs or…”

“Frank was right about you, Dalton,” a cold female voice interrupted. “I’m very disappointed in you.”
Ooooh, snap...

QUOTE

“Pooky Bear, what is this? What’s going on?” Jack asked beseechingly.
Pooky Bear?!
user posted image

QUOTE


“I wasn’t! Honest! I’m dumb, just like you said! Ask Mac, he’ll tell ya!”

MacGyver looked at the woman innocently. “Oh yeah, Jack’s dumb. Real dumb,” he confirmed.
Oh my gosh I'm dying roller.gif

QUOTE

“Pffft! I’ll be fine!” Jack declared with renewed vigor as he rose from his seat. “I wasn’t meant to be tied down with a wife and kids anyway. I got some insurance money comin’ to me and Dalton Air Limo Service will be up and flyin’ in no time. Just promise me one thing.”

“Anything, Jack.”

“The next time I’m standing in a wedding chapel it’s because you’re finally makin’ an honest woman outta Joanna!”

“You got it!” Mac smiled and embraced his friend as the final boarding call was announced.
I never get tired of these moments. They drive each other crazy, but deep down, they really care about each other love.jpg

Posted by: uniquelyjas 12 March 2020 - 05:03 AM
Chapter 40: Reevaluations

It was the wee hours of Monday morning when MacGyver pulled his Jeep into the driveway. A pang of disappointment ripped through him when he saw his apartment shrouded in darkness. Nevertheless, he slowly opened the front door and quietly crossed the threshold, his eyes immediately seeking out his couch. But the blanket-covered form of Joanna he hoped to find was not there. Neither was the sight of Frog lumbering toward him to welcome him home. His hope dimmed but not extinguished, he silently climbed the stairs to find his bed, bathed in moonlight, as empty as the day he had left. He sighed and jammed his fingers through his hair, chiding his selfish thoughts. Joanna had spent the weekend at Challengers, covering for him, no less, and she deserved a good night’s sleep in her own bed before returning to teaching after a full week off. Besides, after several years and hundreds of missions, he had most always returned to an empty house without thinking twice about it and often relished the solitude it afforded him to rest and refuel. But after having met and fallen in love with Jo, she had come to fill a spot in his life he didn’t realize was empty and a hole in his heart he had kept hidden for too long. Much to his own surprise, he found himself longing for the day when she would become his forever.

A loud, rhythmic pounding pulled MacGyver from a dreamless sleep early the next morning. He looked at his alarm clock and groaned. He had only been asleep for four hours. The pounding continued and Mac pushed himself off his bed which he had fallen into the night before, still fully clothed. He grabbed a light-weight jacket and stepped outside to find Charlie, his landlord, and a man in a suit chatting amicably next to a large wooden sign protruding from the front lawn. The two men soon shook hands and the stranger headed toward a sedan parked on the street.

“Hey Charlie! What’s goin’ on?”

“Hiya Mac! I didn’t want you to find out like this, but you’re a hard man to pin down! I’ve decided to sell the townhouse.”

“What?!”

“My son-in-law got a new job back East. My daughter and grandkids are the only family I got so they invited me to go live with them. Since I ain’t gettin’ any younger and don’t care to travel, I figured what the heck! Besides, I can’t take care of this place like I used to.”

“I’m sure gonna miss ya, Charlie,” MacGyver replied, putting his hand on the older man’s shoulder.

Charlie grunted with a hint of laughter. “Ya mean your gonna miss the low rent I’ve been chargin’ ya!”

“I didn’t mean--” Charlie held up his hand, cutting Mac off mid-sentence.

“Don’t worry, son. When this place sells I’m puttin’ a clause in the contract that your rent stays the same until it’s time to renew your lease. You’ve been a good tenant and even better neighbor. It’s the least I could do.”

“Thanks Charlie,” Mac said before the two men returned to their respective sides of the duplex.

A few hours later, MacGyver was sitting in his office at Challengers, mulling over Charlie’s decision to sell the townhouse when Cynthia knocked sharply on his door. She entered before he could issue an invitation.

“Thank goodness you’re back! We need to discuss Phoenix’s six-month review of Challengers!”

Mac glanced at his desk calendar. He had the day circled in red. March twenty-third, the one-year anniversary of the club...and his birthday.

“Relax. We’ve got two whole weeks to prepare,” he observed.

“That’s just it!” Cynthia replied, her voice laden with anxiety. “I was just notified that the date’s been moved up to this Friday!”

That got his attention. “What?”

“How will we ever be ready in time?”

Mac had never seen his long-time friend this anxious. He edged out from behind his desk and put his hands firmly on Cynthia’s shoulders, hoping to reassure her.

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay. This place is running like a well-oiled machine and you and Joanna have the books up-to-date so there’s nothin’ to worry about, right?” MacGyver reasoned.

“That’s what we thought last time and they cut our funding,” Cynthia countered.

“That was a budget issue on Phoenix’s end, it had nothing to do with Challengers itself.”

“I suppose you’re right,” his friend and mentor sighed. “But you’ll make sure Joanna is here as well? We need to make a strong showing regardless.”

“I’m sure she wouldn’t miss it. Now just relax.”

The rest of the day dragged on for MacGyver as Cynthia’s concerns niggled at his brain. Feeling restless, he did several walk-throughs of the building searching for areas that could use some extra cleaning or light maintenance, but found none. The place was as ready as it would ever be. He then closeted himself in his office with the ledgers to make himself as familiar as possible with all the financials of the last six months. The numbers began to blur and Mac rubbed his eyes. Looking up, he discovered it was late afternoon and Joanna was walking toward his office. He stood up, stretched out the kinks in his neck and back, and met her in the doorway.

“Welcome back,” she greeted him with a smile and quick kiss on the lips. “I thought you’d call when you got home.”

“I got in pretty late and didn’t want to wake you,” he explained as Jo settled herself in a chair across from his.

“So how was the rest of the weekend? Did you find out anything more about Jack’s new wife?”

MacGyver plopped down in his chair with a sigh. “Do you want the long version or the short?”

“Oh wow! Is Jack doin’ okay?” she asked when he concluded telling her about the events of the past couple days.

“Yeah, I guess,” he shrugged. “He seemed fine when I left him at the airport.”

Jo frowned. “Maybe you shoulda gone back with him to L.A. for a couple days, just to make sure.”

“Aw, don’t worry about Jack,” he said lightly. “He’s probably already knee deep in a scheme to buy a bigger and better plane. Besides, it’s lucky I got back when I did.” He glared pointedly at the books laid out in front of him.

“What’s going on?” Joanna asked, her brow creased with confusion.

“Cynthia got word today that Phoenix needed to move up our review to this Friday. They didn’t say what time they’re coming so I was hoping you could take the day off to be here for it.”

Jo lowered her eyes and Mac’s stomach did a funny little flip...and not the good kind. “What is it?” he asked.

“I was told today that Mrs. Varga needs to meet with me Friday to do my annual review. Since it’s only my first year there I really can’t ask her to reschedule.”

“Well, what time is it at? Maybe we could work around it?”

Joanna bit her lip and his stomach rebelled once more. “I don’t know for sure. She said it would either be during my morning prep period or after school.” She finally raised her eyes to meet his gaze. “I’m sorry, Mac, but I can’t be here Friday. But you’ll do great! Cynthia knows more than I do anyway and the club has been doing well. You don’t need me.”

“I’ll always need you,” he replied softly, “But I also can’t ask you to put Challengers ahead of your job. It’s just a case of crummy timing so it’s no use worrying about it. I hope your own review goes well.”

“Thanks,” she replied with a gentle smile.

XXXXX

“I’m sorry, Mr. MacGyver, but I must say I’m very disappointed with what I’ve seen here today and I can’t, in good conscience, recommend that The Phoenix Foundation continue funding your club.”

“What?!” Mac exclaimed as he shot out of his chair. He probably would have shot straight through the ceiling had Cynthia not reached across his desk and put a staying hand over his.

Two hours earlier, Mr. Matthews had flashed his ID and introduced himself as a Phoenix representative. Of Mac’s approximate age and height, the similarities ended there. Sporting a three piece suit, a too-short haircut, and a too-tight necktie, Mr. Matthews had proceeded to pour over the ledgers before inspecting every nook and cranny of the old building. Afterwards, he spoke with Geena, Rosie, and some of the other adult volunteers as well as some truant teens, most likely homeless, taking advantage of the services the club offered. He then had requested to speak privately to MacGyver and Cynthia once it was established Joanna would not be putting in an appearance.

“Challengers is simply not meeting our expectations. You’ve been operating for a year now yet have little to show for it.”

“That’s not true!” Mac protested. “We have a growing number of volunteers as well as members and we’re now able to stay open around the clock and act as an emergency shelter for teens or anyone else, for that matter. We’ve made significant progress!”

“The Phoenix Foundation is not in the habit of funding what amounts to little more than a daycare center. If you want our continued financial support, Challengers needs to be more active in the community. You should have a variety of structured, educational opportunities for after school as well as be initiating outreach programs to include the surrounding neighborhoods, not just be a haven for bored juveniles to spend a few hours playing video games until their parents get home from work.”

“There’s a lot more going on here and you know it!” MacGyver insisted. “Besides, if Phoenix refuses to fund us, how can you expect us to implement the types of activities you expect?”

Matthews sighed heavily. “The best I can do is recommend that you receive the same amount of funding as last time for six more months and then we’ll conduct another review.”

Instinctively knowing this was the best outcome he was going to get, MacGyver capitulated. “Thank you, Mr. Matthews. We will give serious consideration to the improvements you’ve suggested.”

Once Matthews had left, Mac and Cynthia collapsed onto a tattered couch in the rec room. Both of them exhausted and frustrated.

“You know he’s not wrong,” Cynthia stated after several moments of silence.

“I know,” MacGyver groaned, scrubbing his face with his hands. “Back in L.A. we had all sorts of programs from teaching kids self-defense to learning about and improving the environment. Matthews is right. We’re nothing more than glorified babysitters.”

“Please tell me I didn’t hear you say what you just said,” Geena called as she strode purposefully across the room toward them. “In the short amount of time I’ve been here I can see that Challengers has been a godsend to these kids and the community. Don’t let Phoenix bully you into anything!”

“Cynthia’s right,” Mac told Geena. “We need to be doing more. It’s my fault. I shoulda seen it. Taken more initiative to set up opportunities for the kids to grow and get involved in the world outside these walls.”

“Running a club like Challengers isn’t easy,” Cynthia said with a knowing smile.

“I don’t know how you and Booker did it. I respect you guys now more than ever.”

“There’s no magic formula, Mac,” Cynthia assured him. “All you need is a lot of determination and a lot of love.”

“Speaking of love,” Geena interrupted, “Joanna just pulled into the parking lot.”

Cynthia’s face immediately brightened. “Oh Mac, Joanna will be a great help! She’ll be on summer vacation in a couple months and I’m sure she’ll have some wonderful ideas to help grow Challengers. Maybe she can even get some of the other teachers to pitch in!”

MacGyver’s heart lightened. Things always seemed better with Jo around. He was so used to going through life on his own, if felt good to share the burdens and triumphs with someone else. Someone he loved. How he had missed having her by his side these last several weeks. But, as Cynthia pointed out, she’d be back soon enough and together they would be a formidable team. For now, however, the anxiety must have still shown on their faces as Jo stopped short when she entered the room.

“What’s wrong?” she asked warily. “Did something happen with the review?”

Mac approached her and put a guiding hand on the small of her back. “Let’s go into my office.”

Once settled in his desk chair with Joanna seated across from him, he detailed the events of the day including the discussion she had just missed. A lump formed in his throat when she looked up at him, her eyes sad.

“I had my meeting with Mrs. Varga today,” she said quietly as MacGyver mentally kicked himself for not remembering. “She really likes me and said a lot of good things. She offered me a full-time position in the fall and would like me to teach summer school.”

Mac felt as if he’d just been sucker punched. “You turned her down, though. Right?”

“I told her I’d think about it,” she replied, lowering her eyes.

“But I thought you preferred teaching part-time and working summers here?”

“I did. I mean...I do. It’s just that it’s a really generous offer and I couldn’t just tell her ‘no’. I have to show that I’m a team player otherwise she might not want be back at all.”

“You just said she really liked you,” Mac said, confusion furrowing his brow.

Jo sighed. “A school is just like a business. No matter how much anyone likes you, you’re still not indispensable. Teachers who take on more responsibilities are simply more valuable.”

Mac scrubbed his face with his hands and tried to order his jumbled thoughts. “Look, it’s been a long week for both of us. Whaddya say we go to my place, order some pizza, watch some hockey, and forget about life for awhile?”

His muscles relaxed a fraction as Joanna’s lips curved in a small smile. “Sounds like a plan.”

An hour later, MacGyver pulled into his driveway with Joanna on his tail. He watched as she climbed out of her Chevy and stared at the ‘For Sale’ sign on his lawn.

“So, this is new,” she observed. “When were you gonna tell me about it?”

“I’m sorry, baby. With everything going on at Challengers I forgot. Charlie decided to sell the place and move East with his family. He told me about it on Monday.” And this was Friday. How had over a week passed without Joanna coming over to his place?

“That’s too bad. I’m gonna miss him,” she said sadly, brushing past him on the way to the front door.

Once dinner had been consumed, MacGyver pulled Joanna down beside him on the couch just before the third period face-off. Unlike other evenings, when her very body seemed to melt into his, she was tense and hesitant.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, gently kneading her tight shoulder muscles.

“I guess it’s just all the stress from this past week,” she replied.

“Let’s see what we can do about that,” he muttered huskily, leaning forward to kiss the tender skin behind her left ear. He heard her sigh and couldn’t help but smile. But he soon scowled as the ringing phone broke the peaceful moment.

“Let the machine get it,” she murmured.

His response was to shift his attention to the right side of her neck, a smile tugging at his lips once again. The machine beeped. “Dad, pick up if you’re there.” It wasn’t a request, but a command. MacGyver groaned and leaned his forehead against the back of Joanna’s head.

“Dad!”

“You better get that,” Jo said, pulling away. But the words were hardly out of her mouth before her cell phone began to chime from its place on the coffee table. She scooped it up, glanced at the caller ID, and pointed to the stairs, indicating she would take the call in the bedroom, presumably for privacy.

“Daaad!!”

MacGyver grabbed the cordless receiver. “What is it, Sam?!”

“Geez, why’re you so upset, Dad?”

Mac pinched the bridge of his nose, willing himself to stay calm...and civil.

“Did I interrupt something?”

“You could say that,” MacGyver ground out. “Now what’s up?”

“Rebecca’s mad at me and I need your advice.”

“My advice? Make her unmad at you.”

“How do you suggest I do that?”

MacGyver looked longingly up at his lofted bedroom. He was finally alone with Joanna for the first time since before Spring Break and here he was giving relationship advice to his son.

“Well, whatever you did to make her mad in the first place, do the opposite.”

“Dad, would you be serious?” Sam scolded. “Besides, I don’t think I did anything wrong.”

Mac sighed, resigning himself to the fact that this was going to be a longer conversation than he had hoped. “Okay. Tell me what happened.”

“A couple nights ago I stayed late at the Tribune to catch up on some work. There was another photojournalist there and we knocked off at the same time. We decided to grab a quick dinner before going home, but we got talking and lost track of time. When I got back, Becca was waiting in my apartment, mad as a wet hen.”

“Look, she was probably just worried about you. Why didn’t you just apologize?”

“I tried, but…” Sam’s voice hung heavy on the line and Mac suddenly heard what his son wasn’t telling him.

“Sam, please tell me this other photojournalist was a guy.”

“I can’t. ‘Cause she wasn’t. But it’s not like Becca and I are exclusive or anything! I’m not like you were, Dad. I haven’t had a chance to do a whole lot of dating. And it was just dinner. I don’t get what the big deal is?”

“Then talk to Becca. Listen to what she has to say and admit that you were wrong.”

“But I don’t think I was wrong, Dad!”

“Just trust me on this.”

“Sheesh, you’re no help,” Sam grumbled before hanging up without so much as a good-bye.

Mac plopped down on the couch and looked at the TV screen. Calgary was down by two goals midway through the third and final period. Terrific. Could anything else not go right tonight?

“Do you have any idea what your son just did?!” Joanna called accusingly from where she was descending the stairs. Mac’s chin dropped to his chest and he sighed.

“Does this have anything to do with him having dinner with a fellow photojournalist?”

“A female photojournalist! That was Rebecca and she’s devastated. Sam cheated on her!”

MacGyver pushed to his feet and spun to face Jo. “What?! All they did was have dinner together! Sam said he and Becca aren’t even going steady so what’s the harm?”

“What’s the harm?!” Mac winced as Joanna’s voice rose. “Becca’s falling in love with him and he’s out running around with other women!”

“Wait a minute! First of all, one meal does not constitute ‘running around’. Second, Sam has spent most of his life just trying to survive. It’s only natural for him to want to date around a bit. And third, Becca’s too young and inexperienced to know what real love is!”

Joanna visibly bristled and MacGyver knew he had crossed a line somewhere. When she next spoke, her low, calm voice caused the little hairs on the back of his neck to stand up.

“Are you saying that just because you assume Becca hasn’t been in any serious relationships that she doesn’t know her own feelings?”

“Yeah. I guess I am,” MacGyver replied, jamming his fingers through his hair. This conversation was going from bad to worse.

“Then what about me?” Jo asked, her eyes locked with his.

“What about you?”

“I’ve never been in a serious relationship before but you believe I love you.”

“That’s different!” Mac objected.

“How?” she challenged. “How is it different? Maybe you were right in the first place. Maybe I’m like Becca and don’t know my own feelings because I haven’t spent the past twenty-odd years ‘gaining experience’ like some people in this room!”

Joanna was clearly spoiling for a fight and all Mac wanted to do was turn back time to before Sam and Becca’s phone calls. Reaching out, he placed his hands firmly on Jo’s shoulders. To his relief, she didn’t try to shrug them off.

“Listen. We’ve known each other for what, three years? Think of everything we’ve been through together during that time, both good and bad. You are a mature, intelligent woman who definitely knows her own mind. I love you and I know you love me. Or am I the one who doesn’t know his feelings?”

Joanna lowered her eyes and scowled. “I hate it when you get all logical and reasonable,” she muttered. “And I especially hate it when you’re right.”

“Are we okay then?”

“Yeah, we’re okay.”

“Can I kiss you senseless now?” he asked.

“You’d better,” she replied with a sly grin and that was all the encouragement he needed.

XXXXX

The coming days passed innocuously enough as everyone settled back into their normal routine. MacGyver made a point of chatting with Challenger members and volunteers to get a feel for the types of programs and activities that would be of most interest and spawn the most participation. With the snow steadily melting and the promise of spring in the air, this was the perfect time for a community clean-up initiative. Joanna also spent more time at Challengers as well as with Mac either at the club or his place. She was still struggling with Mrs. Varga’s offer of a full-time teaching position, but MacGyver had stopped asking if she had made a decision once his queries became met with squinty-eyed glares. They both continued to field calls from Sam and Becca, but had agreed to present a united and neutral front to encourage the younger couple to work things out on their own as well as save themselves from projecting the drama onto their own relationship.

The following Sunday, Joanna sat on MacGyver’s couch, her legs curled underneath her as she leaned against him, sharing a bowl of popcorn as they watched one of the final hockey games of the season. Much to Mac’s dismay, the Calgary Flames’ season would soon be coming to an end with no playoff hopes in sight. He had just shoved a handful of popcorn into his mouth when Jo snuggled closer and looked up at him with a sweet smile she tended to save for special occasions.

“Do you know what tomorrow is?” she asked innocently.

“Monday?” he mumbled with his mouth full.

“What else?” she prodded.

He held back a smile of his own as he knew what she was trying to get at, but not before he had a little fun first. “Mmm, the first anniversary of the grand opening of Challengers?”

She chuckled and slapped him playfully on his jean-clad thigh. “No! It’s your birthday!”

“Oh really? I forgot all about it,” he replied, failing to contain the grin spreading across his face.

“Now, I know you don’t like surprises or presents, but I was thinking we could get dressed up and go out to a fancy restaurant for a nice meal to celebrate. How does that sound?”

“Depends,” he replied, nuzzling the curve of her neck. “What’s for dessert?”

“Ice cream,” she whispered huskily.

“Count me in.”

XXXXX

MacGyver was shrugging into his sport jacket when Joanna walked through his front door at six o’clock on the dot Monday evening.

“Ooh, a tie. I’m impressed,” she declared with a saucy grin as she took inventory of him from head to toe.

“Well, I figured since it was a special occasion and all...Besides, you don’t look half bad yourself.”

Beneath her unbuttoned dress coat, Jo had donned a modest yet flattering black knit dress that she accessorized with a chunky gold necklace and matching earrings. Her soft brown eyes were enhanced with tastefully applied make-up, and her wine-colored lips had MacGyver wishing they had decided to stay in for a cozy dinner instead.

“Where to?” he asked, grabbing his keys from the hook beside the door.

“Oh, no,” she scolded gently, plucking the keys from his hand and returning them to their proper place. “I’m driving and it’s a surprise. Trust me on this, Mac.” And oddly enough, he did.

Twenty minutes later, Joanna pulled up to the canopied entrance of a small gourmet restaurant in downtown Milwaukee. She relinquished the coupe to a valet before giving her name to the maître de who proceeded to guide them through the dimly lit dining room. Mac’s eyes fell upon a table for two tucked away in a corner, but Joanna continued to follow the man to a larger table where another couple sat, their backs to him. He gently grabbed the back of her dress to halt her progress.

“Where’s he taking us?” Mac whispered in her ear. She only straightened her spine, held her head high, and continued to follow the man who had now come to a stop beside the already occupied table.

The maître de pulled out a chair and Joanna smiled her thanks as she sat down. MacGyver was about to protest when he suddenly recognized the man and woman seated across from them.

“Nikki? Bannister? What’re you doin’ here?!”

“We’re here to celebrate your birthday,” Craig said, rising to embrace Mac in a manly hug...if there was such a thing. Nikki was next to greet him.

“We had some meetings at the Phoenix branch in Chicago this past weekend and have a few hours until our flight. We called Joanna last week and asked her to set this up,” Nikki explained.

“Well, it’s great to see you guys,” Mac said, smiling widely as he settled into his well-cushioned chair.

“We also have another surprise,” Nikki said, glancing shyly at Craig. “We’re married!” She held out her left hand to show off her gold band as proof.

“What?! No way!” MacGyver exclaimed. “You said you were gonna take it slow!”

“That’s what we had planned,” Craig shrugged. “But a couple months ago Nikki was on a mission that really went south in a hurry. We decided that in our line of work you have to make the most of every moment you’re given so why waste time? What’s keepin’ you guys from pulling the trigger?”

Mac felt Joanna stiffen beside him. He slipped his hand under the tablecloth and rested it on her thigh, giving her a comforting squeeze.

“Some of us actually follow the plans we set,” he replied.

“Since when, Mr. Improvisation?!” Nikki scoffed.

“That’s always bugged you, hasn’t it?” MacGyver playfully replied. “Remember our first official assignment together?

Nikki rolled her eyes. “How could I ever forget?” she groaned, before turning to Joanna and launching into the story. “So Pete drags me all the way to Zurich to meet up with MacGyver who’s in some stupid hot air balloon rally with this little Swiss miss. What was her name? Helga? No. Hilga? No. Heidi! That’s it! H-e-i-d-i...Heidi! Anyway, a top-secret prototype military plane had crashed in East Germany and Pete thought it would be easier for Mac to cross the border if we posed as newlyweds on our honeymoon. MacGyver, of course, was totally against it because it was an actual plan. But it’s a good thing I was there ‘cause I ended up saving his life!”

“Whoa, wait a minute! You did not save my life!”

“Yes I did! And I nearly lost mine to hypothermia climbing that stupid mountain to warn you that the bad guys were on your tail!”

“Okay, fine! I’ll give you that one. But who got us out of the country without getting killed?!”

“I can give credit where credit is due,” Nikki replied, once again turning to Jo. “Can you believe this one used supplies from an abandoned barracks to make an honest-to-goodness hot air balloon? It worked great, too, until we ran out of fuel. Then he decided to lighten the load which included me!”

“You were the only one wearing a parachute!”

“And who gave it to me?!”

“Time out, you two,” Craig interrupted with a laugh. “MacGyver wouldn’t have even been there if I hadn’t rescued him while he was still with the DXS.”

Mac groaned and leaned back in his chair as he watched Bannister gear up to tell the tale.

“He had just finished a mission in East Germany,” Craig began, “and had the cops on his tail when I pulled up in a borrowed police car. Everything was going fine until they started firing at us. One of the bullets hit the brake line. I tried everything to slow us down, but nothing worked. Then Mac gets this idea to pump the power steering fluid into the brake cylinder. Thing is, we’re going down this winding hill at over eighty-five miles per hour! He tells me to pop the hood and the thing goes flyin’ off! Then he climbs out the window, does his thing, and voila! Suddenly we have brakes!” He turned his attention back to MacGyver. “Those were the good ole days, hey buddy? Guess you don’t get much of a chance to do that kinda stuff anymore, huh?”

“No. And I’m not complaining,” Mac assured him.

“That’s too bad,” Craig said, his voice now serious. “After we got married, Nikki decided to take an assistant director position at the Foundation so she wouldn’t have to travel as much. I’m in dire need of a top notch foreign operative and I can’t think of a better man for the job.”

“I can’t Bannister. My life is here now.”

“Aw, c’mon, I know you gotta miss the job at least a little. And I’m sure Joanna wouldn’t mind moving out to L.A. where it’s sunny and warm all year round.”

“No way! I’m done!” MacGyver insisted. “Besides, even if I wanted to come back I probably still couldn’t pass concussion protocol.”

It appeared that Craig was about to mount a protest when the alarm on his watch sounded. He looked down and frowned. “Wow, time really got away from us! I hate to cut the evening short, but if we don’t leave now we’ll miss our flight.”

Everyone at the table rose to say their goodbyes. Mac shook Craig’s hand as he patted him on the back before giving Nikki a hug and kiss on the cheek. Bannister gave Joanna a light hug before Nikki squeezed her tight.

“It was great to finally meet you in person! I’m so glad MacGyver finally found someone to love,” she told Joanna. “I hope you know what a great guy you have here. No matter what I might’ve said tonight, he really is a very special man.”

Just as Craig and Nikki took their leave, a waiter appeared at the table.

“Can I get you anything for dessert?” he asked.

“I don’t suppose you have any ice cream?” Mac ventured.

“Only in the baked Alaska, sir,” came the haughty reply.

XXXXX

Joanna was unusually quiet during the ride home. When she entered his apartment, instead of tossing off her coat and kicking off her heels like usual she simply walked over to the kitchen table and perched on the edge of one of the wooden chairs. Setting the small carton of strawberry ice cream they had picked up at a nearby convenience store on the counter, MacGyver figured she had simply been a bit overwhelmed at dinner.

“You sure you don’t want any?” he asked her as he scooped the ice cream into a bowl.

She shook her head. “I prefer vanilla.”

“I told you we could’ve gotten both.”

“That’s okay,” she replied softly.

Something was obviously wrong and Mac was determined to get to the bottom of it, but he couldn’t help glancing at his answering machine as he made his way to the table. He frowned when there was no blinking light indicating a missed call.

“What’s the matter?” Joanna asked.

Mac sat down across from her and scrubbed his face with his hands. “I’ve been calling Jack all week and haven’t been able to get a hold of him and he hasn’t called back. I’m getting worried.”

“You know Jack,” she replied, her eyes softening. “He’s probably already got a new plane and is off on some grand excursion somewhere.”

“You’re probably right,” Mac sighed, wishing he was as certain as Jo seemed to be.

“Maybe you should go out to L.A. and check on him if you’re really that concerned,” Joanna suggested.

MacGyver looked up and caught her gaze. That certainly came out of the blue! So had the empty, hopeless look in her eyes.

“What’s going on with you?” he asked. “You were quiet all during dinner and haven’t been yourself since.”

“I think it’s time you go home, Mac,” she told him flatly, without emotion.

“I am home,” he replied, reaching across the table to take her hand which she promptly pulled away.

She slowly shook her head. “You may think that now, but you belong back in Los Angeles with your friends and the Phoenix Foundation.”

“What are you saying?” Mac’s head began to spin and he felt as if he might lose his supper.

“I saw the way your eyes lit up when Craig asked you to go back. It was only for an instant, but it was there.”

“I don’t wanna go back! Besides, like I told Bannister, I probably couldn’t pass the physical.”

“Don’t you see?” Joanna said, her voice growing stronger. “That’s what brought you here in the first place and the reason you decided to stay.”

MacGyver jammed his fingers through his hair in both frustration and fear of where this conversation was leading.

“I may have come here on an assignment, but I stayed because I fell in love with you.”

“Mac, guys like you don’t fall in love with girls like me. At least not for the long haul. You need to be out saving the world with a paperclip and gum wrapper,” Jo said sadly. “You were lonely and I was available. It’s as simple as that.”

“C’mon, you know that’s not true!” MacGyver protested urgently. “Where is all this coming from?”

“Tonight, watching you with Craig and Nikki and listening to their stories, I realized there is so much I don’t know about you.”

“It doesn’t matter! That’s ancient history! You know everything that matters.”

“And it’s not the first time I’ve felt like that,” Joanna confessed.

Mac was truly at a loss for words now. He watched as her eyes scanned the room refusing to meet his.

“Sometimes when I look at you I’m overwhelmed by what an incredibly strong, handsome, confident man you are and can’t even begin to imagine all the places you’ve been and the experiences you’ve had. I don’t know how you could ever be happy with a plain, naive girl like me who’s lived in the same city...the same house all her life. You don’t deserve to be saddled with me. You should be with someone like Nikki. Someone who’s shared similar experiences and won’t hold you back.”

MacGyver leaned forward, closing the space between them. “I don’t want someone like Nikki. I want you. I love you. I proposed to you. And you accepted because you love me, too.”

“I was wrong to agree to marry you and I’m sorry. You were right when you said there’s no way I could know what real love is.”

“I did not say that! And just for the record, before I met you, I didn’t know what real love was either! Yes, I’ve been with a lot of women, but none of them ever made me feel the way you do. I always thought I was afraid of commitment because I was afraid of losing someone I loved. Now that I have you, I know I was afraid to commit to anyone else because somewhere deep down I knew it wasn’t right. I know my feelings for you, Joanna, and I know they’re not gonna change. And if they do, they’re only gonna get stronger and better. Don’t ever question that.”

Tears pooled in Jo’s eyes but her jaw remained set. “I’m sorry, Mac. I want to believe you. I really do! But there’s this part of me that just can’t see a future for us. I feel that by me marrying you I’d somehow be taking away a part of what makes you so special, and I can’t do that. I don’t want to do anything that would keep you from being you.”

MacGyver didn’t know what to do. He knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to knock some sense into that hard head of hers. Tell her she was wrong. Convince her that getting married was the right thing to do. He also knew that she was not ready to hear, much less believe, that. He had to be patient. Let her work through whatever she needed to work through.

“What do you need me to do?” he asked, his voice raspy from suppressing his own emotions.

“I need time...away from you. I need to think. Figure out where I belong in your life...if I belong in it at all.”

“That’s why you told me to go see Jack.”

She nodded.

Suddenly feeling restless, Mac pushed back his chair and stood up, Joanna following suit.

“Please try to understand,” she implored. “There’s an old saying that says ‘If you love something, set it free’. That’s what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to give you the freedom to live the life you deserve.”

Struggling to keep his emotions in check he rounded on her, grabbing her hands before she could pull them away.

“That saying goes on to say that ‘If it comes back to you, it’s yours.’ I’ll leave for L.A. tomorrow. But know this. I am coming back. And when I do, we are gonna work this out. Together. Understand?”

She nodded and turned toward the door but not before he saw an errant teardrop slide down her cheek. He watched as she got into her car and drove off into the night, his heart shattering into so many pieces that all the duct tape in the world couldn’t fix it.




































Posted by: bluegirl 12 March 2020 - 09:12 AM
Whoa! Poor Mac! Seems I´m not the only one pushing him to the edge emotionally... surprise.gif

Posted by: Dragondog 13 March 2020 - 01:30 AM
Passing out fully clothed? Gettign only four hours of sleep? Been there, Mac, been there XD

QUOTE


“I’m sorry, Mr. MacGyver, but I must say I’m very disappointed with what I’ve seen here today and I can’t, in good conscience, recommend that The Phoenix Foundation continue funding your club.”
What? Why?

QUOTE
“What?!” Mac exclaimed as he shot out of his chair.
Great minds...

QUOTE

“You know he’s not wrong,” Cynthia stated after several moments of silence.
I was, surprisingly, thinking something similar.

QUOTE

“Speaking of love,” Geena interrupted, “Joanna just pulled into the parking lot.”
Smooth tongue.gif

QUOTE
The machine beeped. “Dad, pick up if you’re there.” It wasn’t a request, but a command. MacGyver groaned and leaned his forehead against the back of Joanna’s head.

“Dad!”
I love how kids will interrupt at inconvenient moments, no matter how old they get laugh.gif

QUOTE

“Daaad!!”

MacGyver grabbed the cordless receiver. “What is it, Sam?!”

“Geez, why’re you so upset, Dad?”
Why is Sam so terrible like that? roller.gif roller.gif roller.gif

QUOTE

“Rebecca’s mad at me and I need your advice.”

“My advice? Make her unmad at you.”
Oh, he gets it from his dad, I see... roller.gif

QUOTE

MacGyver looked longingly up at his lofted bedroom. He was finally alone with Joanna for the first time since before Spring Break and here he was giving relationship advice to his son.
Welcome to parenting, Macky XD

QUOTE

“I tried, but…” Sam’s voice hung heavy on the line and Mac suddenly heard what his son wasn’t telling him.
I caught it as soon as Sam started explaining.

QUOTE
But it’s not like Becca and I are exclusive or anything! I’m not like you were, Dad. I haven’t had a chance to do a whole lot of dating
Hmmm, I see why she's angry, Sam...

QUOTE
Could anything else not go right tonight?
Ha... haha...

QUOTE


“Can I kiss you senseless now?” he asked.

“You’d better,” she replied with a sly grin and that was all the encouragement he needed.
That was fast...

QUOTE

“Do you know what tomorrow is?” she asked innocently.

“Monday?” he mumbled with his mouth full.
I do this too XD

QUOTE
Trust me on this, Mac.” And oddly enough, he did.
They've known each other for years now, I'd hope he would XD

QUOTE
We decided that in our line of work you have to make the most of every moment you’re given so why waste time? What’s keepin’ you guys from pulling the trigger?”
Well we're all just getting straight to the point, aren't we?

QUOTE
“So Pete drags me all the way to Zurich to meet up with MacGyver who’s in some stupid hot air balloon rally with this little Swiss miss. What was her name? Helga? No. Hilga? No. Heidi! That’s it! H-e-i-d-i...Heidi!
Nice callback XD

QUOTE
MacGyver, of course, was totally against it because it was an actual plan.
Nikki throws shade...

QUOTE

She shook her head. “I prefer vanilla.”
Hey, our Mac guessed right last chapter laugh.gif

Well, that was kinda depressing...


Posted by: uniquelyjas 13 March 2020 - 05:10 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 13 March 2020 - 01:30 AM)

Well, that was kinda depressing...

Just wait! When I was posting this in "real time" I took a hiatus at this point. At least you get the next chapter next week (if I remember!!LOL!!)

Posted by: Dragondog 13 March 2020 - 10:21 PM
QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 13 March 2020 - 07:10 AM)
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 13 March 2020 - 01:30 AM)

Well, that was kinda depressing...

Just wait! When I was posting this in "real time" I took a hiatus at this point. At least you get the next chapter next week (if I remember!!LOL!!)

Can't wait biggrin.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 18 March 2020 - 07:51 AM
Chapter 41: Saving Jack

March 24, 1998

MacGyver rested his head on the back of the seat and turned to stare out the airplane’s small window. A bright blue sky punctuated with wispy clouds stared back. Less than an hour into the flight, some of his fellow passengers were already snoring softly. Oh, how he wished for peaceful slumber to claim him. Unfortunately, he knew from the long, lonely night before that every time he closed his eyes it would be to see the parting look on Joanna’s face. Her empty expression, her tear-filled eyes as she told him she needed time to figure out her place in his life. How could she not see that her place was right beside him forever? But Nikki Carpenter and Craig Bannister had regaled her with tales of his past adventures with the DXS and Phoenix Foundation, causing her to doubt their compatibility. Would his past always haunt him? Would it always get in the way of his future? Not if he could help it. Not this time. He would give Jo the space she needed to think things through and take comfort in the fact that she still wore his engagement ring as a symbol of their commitment to each other. He would go to Los Angeles and confirm that Jack Dalton was alive and well. And then he would return to Milwaukee. Return home. And fight for their love.

Later that afternoon, MacGyver parked his rental car in front of the Hacienda Village Apartments. He strolled up to the wrought iron security gate and scanned the buzzer panel for Jack’s name but couldn’t find it. Movement in the courtyard caught his eye and he looked up to find a tall, leggy blonde a few yards away.

“Excuse me!” he called. “I’m looking for Jack Dalton.”

“Join the club,” she replied sarcastically while giving him an exaggerated eye roll. “The rat snuck outta here in the middle of the night owin’ me three months’ back rent.”

“What? Where’d he go?”

“Ya got me, but rumor has it he’s been hangin’ out at a place called The Wingman Bar. If you find him, tell him I still want my money.” The blonde abruptly turned her back and headed toward the building. Conversation over.

Mac slid back behind the wheel of the car, his mind reeling. Up until a few weeks ago, Jack had a lucrative air limo business until one of his regular clients turned out to be an international jewel smuggler and was now in federal custody. What had Jack been doing that caused him to get in the red with his apartment manager? Nothing made sense.

A short time later, MacGyver pulled up in front of The Wingman. It must have been about ten years since he and Jack had come here to find Francine Leyland Dalton, Jack’s birth mother who had given her infant son up for adoption. Mac took a deep breath before climbing from the car and making his way to the front door. He crossed the threshold and paused, allowing his eyes to adjust to the dim, smoky interior. The place was empty except for a figure in a bomber jacket and lopsided aviator cap hunched over the bar. MacGyver walked over and took a seat.

“Whatcha doin’ here, Jack?”

“Drowning my sorrows. What are you doin’ here?”

“Lookin’ for you.”

“Well, you found me. Now go home.” Jack drained the amber liquid from his shot glass and set it down next to a number of others.

“According to some people I am home,” Mac muttered, before returning his focus to his friend. “I need to know you’re okay and from the looks of it, you’re not. What’s goin’ on?”

“Barkeep, get me refill, and get a carrot juice for my friend here!”

“I went by your apartment,” MacGyver said softly.

“Yeah, so?”

“So I wanna know what happened to you!” Mac replied, his patience quickly eroding.

“You wanna know what happened to me?! I’ll tell you what happened to me!” Jack spat. “When I got back from the Caymans the FBI raided my bank account. Turns out Frank and Nanette had been passing me funny money all along. Then my insurance company won’t pay out...somethin’ about crashin’ two planes in less than two years. To top it off, Nanette and I were never really married. Even the Wayne Newton minister was a fake. So there you go! That’s what happened to me! I’m flat broke and homeless...unless you count this place.”

“You’ve been livin’ here?” Mac asked as he surveyed his surroundings with a grimace.

“I’ve been crashin’ up in the office.”

“Where’s your mom?”

“Who knows? Probably takin’ a three month cruise.”

“Why didn’t you call me, Jack?”

“Why? So you could ride to the rescue and bail me out like you always do?”

“Yeah! That’s what friends are for!”

“Not this time, buddy. I’m not draggin’ you down with me this time. Go home to Joanna, your dog, and your white picket fence. I’ll be fine.”

“You call this ‘fine’?” Mac countered. “I’m not leavin’ til you’re back on your feet.”

For the first time since this conversation began, Jack caught MacGyver’s gaze, giving him a squinty-eyed glare.

“Somethin’s goin’ on with you, too,” the pilot stated. “C’mon, I spilled my guts, now it’s your turn.”

Mac turned away and rubbed the back of his neck. “Joanna’s havin’ second thoughts...about me,” he confessed quietly.

“Aw, man, I’m sorry,” Jack replied, the edge from his voice gone. “Wanna talk about it?”

“Not really. I was kinda plannin’ on bunkin’ with you while she sorts stuff out.”

“Mi casa es su casa,” Jack quipped, looking pointedly at the glass windows of the ‘control tower’ facade of the upstairs office.

XXXXX

MacGyver flopped down on the threadbare excuse for a couch while Jack headed to the bathroom. He grabbed the remote and clicked on the television to a national news station.

“Our top news story this evening takes us to Prince William Sound, Alaska, where an American oil tanker struck the Bligh Reef early this morning causing a massive spill. Coast Guard officials report that the spill has been contained and is considerably smaller than the Exxon Valdez disaster that occurred in approximately the same location nine years ago today. The United States Environmental Protection Agency and several smaller agencies including the Phoenix Foundation in Los Angeles are in the process of mobilizing clean-up crews to send to the area. We will update this story as soon as more information becomes available.”

“Hey Jack! Did ya hear that?!”

“Hear what?” Jack asked, emerging from the smaller room.

“There’s been an oil spill near Alaska.”

“So?”

“The anchorman said that the Phoenix Foundation is sending some people to help out. I was thinkin’ I could give them a call and see if they could use a couple extra volunteers.”

“Wait? What? You wanna go to Alaska?!”

“No Jack. I want us to go to Alaska!”

“And leave the warm sunny clime of Southern California? I’ll take a pass.”

“C’mon, it’d be good for you. For both of us. Ya know, get outta the city, get back to nature, do some good while we’re at it. What else have you got goin’? A hot date with a cocktail waitress?”

“Naw,” Jack groused. “Even the waitresses here won’t go out with me since I found out I’m broke.”

“Then it’s settled,” Mac declared, getting up from the couch and heading to the phone sitting on a battered wooden desk. He dialed the familiar number and waited until a voice greeted him on the other end.

“Hey Willis! It’s Mac! How ya doin’?”

“Hi Mac! I’m good. What’s up?”

“I just heard on the news that Phoenix is goin’ up to Alaska to help out with the oil spill and I figured you’d be the one headin’ up the team.”

“Sure am!” Willis replied with a pride and confidence in his voice that made MacGyver smile.

“Was wonderin’ if you could use some extra help.”

“Aw, gee, Mac. I know you care about the environment as much as I do, but I can’t ask you to come out to L.A. much less go to Alaska!”

MacGyver couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m already in Los Angeles,” he informed the scientist. “I’m catchin’ up with an old friend and we’d like to join your team if you’ll have us.”

“That’d be great! We plan to leave at first light. Meet us at the airport. I’ll pack some extra cold-weather gear for you.”

“Sounds good! We’ll be there!” Mac confirmed before hanging up the phone to find Jack watching him, his face contorted as if he had just eaten a very sour lemon.

XXXXX

Early the next morning, MacGyver and Jack arrived at the airport to meet the rest of the team. After everyone had been introduced and boarded the plane, Willis took command of the conversation.

“We’ll be flying into Juneau where we will board helicopters to take us to Tatitlek which is approximately a mile and a half from the site of the spill. FEMA is already on the ground setting up a command post. Since there are no motels, FEMA will be providing us with trailers to bunk in for the duration of our stay.”

Jack leaned over and whispered to Mac, “No motels? Not a one? What kinda place is this?”

“A very small one, Jack.” MacGyver had picked up an Alaskan guide book before leaving Los Angeles. “It’s very isolated and only accessible by plane, chopper, or boat. Only about a hundred people live there, give or take, and the majority are Native Americans followed by Caucasians.”

Jack looked as if he wanted to say more, but Willis’s voice grew louder. “I’ll be working with those assigned to clean-up of the actual spill. MacGyver, due to your training and experience in handling biohazardous materials, I’m putting you on wildlife rescue and recovery. Jack, you’ll be stationed with members of the EPA and local volunteers to help clean up the surviving animals and birds.”

“Will we be doing an investigation into the cause of the spill?” a young Phoenix employee asked.

“Not at this time,” Willis replied with authority. “The Coast Guard is classifying it as an accident due to dangerous weather conditions, plain and simple. Our presence is strictly to support clean-up and recovery efforts and advise as needed.”

“I thought after the Exxon Valdez incident new protocol was put in place to keep something like this from happening,” Mac remarked.

Once again, Willis was right on top of the conversation. “You’re right. Tankers must now be guided through the area with at least one Escort Response Vehicle. Unfortunately, a major squall line formed and passed through the area before they could adjust the route. The ERV began the response effort immediately and are to thank for keeping the spill as small as it is.”

XXXXX

As soon as the chopper skids touched the tarmac of the Tatitlek airport, everyone grabbed an armload of supplies and bailed out.

“Whoa! Who turned on the air conditioning?!” Jack exclaimed.

MacGyver shot his friend an amused grin. “It’s got nothin’ on those northern Minnesota winters when we were in high school. You gettin’ soft on me?”

Jack scowled and pulled up the collar of his jacket as he followed Mac to a row of black SUV’s.

“These’ll take us to the high school campus where field headquarters is set up,” Willis explained over his shoulder as he walked ahead of them. “We’ll get settled and then head on over to the cafeteria for a late lunch that’s serving as a mess hall for all personnel. Then we’ll go take a look at the spill.”

It was a short trek from the airfield to the school. A large, though obviously temporary, structure on the far corner of the campus appeared to be the nerve center of the operation.

“What are those?” Jack asked as they climbed from the vehicle.

“Those are the FEMA trailers you’ll be staying in,” Willis declared.

“They look like shipping containers!”

Willis chuckled. “They may not look like much from the outside, but the inside is quite adequate. Each unit is outfitted with a bedroom and two twin beds, a small living area, and bathroom with shower. There are two propane tanks that provide fuel for the stove and central heating.”

“See, all the comforts of home,” MacGyver remarked cheerfully.

“There’s also a kitchen area, but you’ll probably be either too tired or too busy to make use of it.”

“Hence the mess hall,” Mac deduced.

Once trailers had been assigned and meager possessions tucked away, the Phoenix group waited in line at the cafeteria. MacGyver held up his plastic tray as a stout woman behind the counter plopped a heaping spoonful of mashed potatoes into one of the compartments with a bit more force than necessary. Mac smiled and thanked her only to receive a frown in return. The other servers, all citizens of the small town, were a bit friendlier but still guarded. Granted, they must be upset with the oil spill as well as strangers descending on their land, but everyone was here to help. MacGyver gave a mental shrug and headed for a table.

Upon leaving the mess hall, everyone once again piled into waiting SUV’s that took them to the site of the incident. Environmental engineers operated booms and skimmers in an attempt to collect as much oil from the surface of the water as possible. Unfortunately, the rocky, cove-lined shore hampered their efforts. Willis led them to an official looking man in a suit who was holding a clipboard and introduced the Phoenix team.

“Have you been able to determine who was at fault for this accident?” Mac asked as he shook the man’s hand.

“Mother Nature,” the official replied in a clipped, matter-of-fact tone. At MacGyver’s quirked eyebrow he continued, “A storm blew up unexpectedly and threw the tanker and escort off course. The hull of the tanker struck the reef, but if she’d been sitting lower in the water it would’ve been a lot worse.”

This correlated with the explanation Willis had offered earlier, but something about it didn’t sit right with Mac. Willis talked to the man for several more minutes before turning his attention to his colleagues.

“I’m gonna stay here and discuss containment and clean-up strategies. Those of you not directly assigned to this aspect of the operation can return to base and wait until morning to receive further instruction.”

Back at headquarters, Jack climbed into the trailer he was sharing with Mac and took a nap while MacGyver, not wanting to waste the only free time he might have in a while, commandeered a vehicle and drove into town which was really only a couple blocks long with a limited variety of businesses lining the street. He parked in front of a small grocery store and went inside to collect some staples to keep in the trailer. The cashier at the check-out counter scanned a few items before looking up at him.

“You in town to help with the spill?

“Yeah, I am,” Mac replied.

The young woman once again looked down and fixed her attention on bagging his groceries.

“Can I ask you something?” MacGyver inquired.

The cashier shrugged.

“I’ve only been here a few hours, but I get the feeling we’re not exactly welcome. I understand our presence is disrupting the town, but we’re only here to help. Is there something I should know?”

This time the cashier looked him squarely in the eye. “We know that, and trust me, we appreciate it. No one is mad at you guys. It’s the oil companies we’re upset with. Their greed caused this to happen.”

MacGyver’s senses went on high alert. “What are ya talkin’ about?”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything,” she replied, glancing nervously around the store before taking his payment and sending him on his way.

Mac arrived back at the trailer with just enough time to put his groceries away before heading over to the mess hall with the others. For the second time that day he stood in line, clutching his plastic meal tray. He scanned the line of servers and saw many of the same faces from earlier, now looking more haggard and worn. They must have started preparing for supper as soon as the lunch crowd had been served. Mashed-potato-lady now stood at the end of the line, placing a dinner roll on everyone’s tray. When MacGyver came to stand in front of her, he half expected to have the round piece of bread tossed in his face. Much to his relief, the woman placed it gently next to his helping of steamed carrots.

“Thanks!” he offered with a friendly smile. While she didn’t smile back, she didn’t frown like earlier.

MacGyver, Jack, and Willis lingered over their dinner long after the others had left and the cafeteria volunteers had retreated into the kitchen to clean up and prepare for the following day.

“Has a course of action been decided on?” Mac asked Willis in regards to the oil spill clean-up.

The scientist nodded. “We’re going with an air drop of chemical dispersants on the main spill along with a biological agent near the shoreline.”

“When’s the drop?”

Willis sighed. “Unfortunately, the weather isn’t on our side. Conditions need to be near perfect for the chopper to release its load on the bulls eye and that may not happen for a couple more days. In the meantime, we’ll continue using booms and skimmers to contain the oil and clean up as much as we can.”

“What about me and Mac?” Jack asked.

“An orientation session has been scheduled first thing tomorrow morning with a wildlife rescue expert. Holly will explain what you need to do and you’ll get to work immediately. The sooner we get to the affected animals, the better their chances for survival.”

An hour before dawn the following day found MacGyver by the back door to the cafeteria waiting for the volunteers to arrive. Somehow it didn’t surprise him that mashed-potato-slash-dinner-roll lady was the first to appear, her straight black hair woven into a tight braid that hung far down her back.

“Mornin’!” he greeted her with a friendly smile.

“We don’t start serving until sun-up,” she replied flatly as she unlocked the door.

“I’m not here to eat. I was hopin’ we could talk. About the oil spill.”

“I got nothin’ to say.”

“You and your neighbors don’t believe it was an accident,” MacGyver ventured.

He watched as her obsidian eyes quickly scanned the area before a slight nod of her head invited him into the kitchen. She turned on the lights and quickly closed the door.

“It was an accident, alright. An accident waiting to happen,” she blustered.

“So I’ve heard. Tell me what’s goin’ on.”

She appeared to deflate before his eyes. “I cannot say anything more. You and your friends get to leave here when your job is done. But me, my family, my neighbors, we must stay.”

So, the members of this small community weren’t just angry. They were scared.

“Look, I know people,” Mac told her. “People who can fix whatever’s goin’ on here so you don’t have to keep secrets anymore.”

He held his breath as he waited for her reply. She was just about to say something when voices from outside and the jiggling of the doorknob caused her mouth to snap shut. “You must go now,” she said, turning her back to him as she walked away.

XXXXX

Over the next two days, MacGyver donned protective gear from head to toe and headed out with groups of trained volunteers to search for affected wildlife while Jack stayed at headquarters and assisted with cleaning the surviving animals. The slick, rocky shoreline made for slow progress which was further impeded by strong winds and cold, intermittent rain showers. Mac’s heart broke a little each time he found a sea bird attempting to flap its oil-soaked wings or a harbor seal struggling to breathe through pollutant-covered nostrils. He tenderly picked the creatures up and cooed to them softly as he placed them gently in carriers to take back to headquarters. His heart broke even more when he encountered those that had not survived and just as gently deposited them in the appropriate containers. At night, Jack would joke about having ‘dishpan hands’ and MacGyver would chuckle like his friend expected, silently envious that Jack had been spared the sight of so much death and destruction.

When Mac reported for his third day of work, he was pulled to the side by Holly, the wildlife rescue expert who had given the volunteers their orientation.

“Why don’t you stay here and help with the cleaning,” she suggested, her eyes full of empathy.

MacGyver shook his head. “I’m good.”

“No, you’re not,” she countered. “You’ve been out there for two days straight. I remember my first rescue and recovery assignments. I could only do a couple hours at a time. Stay here today and bathe the little guys we bring in.”

Mac nodded his acquiescence, grateful for the reprieve. He spent the next few hours next to Jack, his hands immersed in hot water treated with a gentle cleaning agent as his fingers coaxed the crude oil from the feathers of various birds unlucky enough to be on or near the shore when the spill occurred. He laughed when some would stretch and flap their newly cleansed wings, spraying him with sudsy water.

It was almost noon when a loud ruckus drew everyone outside. MacGyver caught a glimpse of a man being loaded into the bed of a rusty pick-up truck. Holly stood off to the side, concern marring her otherwise pretty face.

“What happened?” Mac asked her with Jack on his heels.

“Clyde was climbing a boulder to rescue a sea otter when he lost his footing and fell. Looks like his leg is busted. They’re taking him to the clinic now.”

“Tough break,” Jack murmured, earning him a scowl from the woman. “Sorry, it’s just an expression,” he added defensively.

“I know,” Holly sighed, “It’s just that Clyde was supposed to fly out our first group of rescues tomorrow. There’s a wildlife center in Valdez where they will recuperate until they’re ready to go back to their natural habitat.”

“Two choppers flew us in. You must have another pilot around here somewhere, right?” MacGyver asked.

Before Holly could speak, Willis answered for her. “Yes, and we need him tomorrow. The National Weather Service is predicting a break in the rain before another system comes in. We’ll only have a small window of opportunity to drop the dispersants so we need him here and ready at a moment’s notice.”

“This temporary site isn’t equipped to handle the number of animals we’re dealing with, especially not long-term. Already some of the first ones we rescued are showing signs of shock and dehydration,” Holly pointed out.

Mac turned to Willis. “You only need one chopper for the drop, right?”

“Yeah,” the scientist confirmed with a nod.

“That means we can use the other one to transport the animals,” MacGyver reasoned.

“And who, exactly, is gonna fly it?” Holly asked, her voice laden with dejection.

“Jack!”

“Me?!”

“Yeah,” MacGyver replied. “You can handle a helicopter just as good as a plane.”

“Oh, that would be wonderful!” Holly exclaimed. “Thank you, Jack!”

“Um, yeah, sure, no big deal.”

“We’ll halt the rescue operation for today so we can prepare the animals for the trip,” Holly declared. “That means you guys can rest up until we have room for the others.”

Jack and the other volunteers quickly disbanded and Mac knew now was his chance to do some investigating.

“Hey, Willis. Can you do me a favor?”

“Sure, I guess,” he shrugged.

“Can you get me an oceanic map of the area as well as the latest federal and local rules and regulations for transporting crude oil through Prince William Sound along with shipping logs from the past few months?”

“C’mon Mac,” Willis moaned. “You’re letting the locals convince you this wasn’t an accident?”

“They know it was an accident. I want to know why it happened.”

“It was a storm, Mac.”

“There’s more to it. I can feel it. Will ya help me?”

“Everything you need is in the operations office. Follow me.”

MacGyver spent the next several hours poring over the information he had requested. Every now and then, Willis would peer over his shoulder.

“What are you looking for?”

“I’ll know it when I see it,” Mac replied.

The sun was dipping toward the horizon and MacGyver was absently eating a sandwich Jack had brought him from the mess hall when suddenly all the data he’d been studying fell into place. He found the cause of the spill and the reason the townspeople were so guarded. He called to Willis who was doing his part to prepare for the chemical drop the next day.

“I got it!” Mac proclaimed.

Willis gazed at the open books and unfolded maps spread haphazardly on a large conference table. “Got what?”

“Everything! C’mere and I’ll show you.”

Willis pulled up a chair and sat down next to MacGyver who eagerly began his explanation. “The main thing that’s been bothering me all along is why the tanker was riding low enough in the water to strike the reef in the first place. After the Exxon Valdez incident, limits were put on how much a tanker could carry to avoid such a collision.”

“Go on,” Willis prompted.

“These logs,” Mac said, waving his hand in their direction. “At first I just found them confusing because the entries didn’t match up, but that’s because there are actually two sets of them. One gets submitted to government officials. The other one doesn’t.”

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

MacGyver nodded vigorously. “The new shipment limits started hurting big oil companies because they had to cut back on how much they exported as well as ship more often. Somehow they found a way to add to the cargo after it passed official clearance and then offload the same amount before the tanker reached its destination and was once again inspected for compliance to the new regulations. And the citizens of Tatitlek figured it out, but the oil companies are holding something over them to keep them from talking. It all makes sense!”

“You got all that by looking at some maps and shipping logs?” Willis asked skeptically.

“Yeah,” Mac replied as if the answer was obvious.

“MacGyver, if you’re right about this -- and I’m not saying you are -- we’re talking about a huge operation employing or paying off a whole lot of corrupt individuals possibly as high up as the federal government!”

“I know. That’s why we need to be extra careful about who we share these findings with. Is there anyone here you think we can trust?”

“The project manager seems to be on the up-and-up. He appears as concerned as we are. I’ll try to get a better feel for him tomorrow.”

“Sounds good,” Mac confirmed. “In the meantime, this is just between us.”

XXXXX

The following morning MacGyver awoke before dawn coughing and struggling to breathe. A putrid odor filled the trailer. He reached across the small space between beds and shook Jack, who was still asleep and snoring, by the shoulder.

“Huh? Wha?” his friend asked, dazed from sleep.

“We gotta get outta here. Now!” Mac instructed urgently.

“What kinda animal crawled in here and died?” Jack asked, wrinkling his nose.

“It’s propane,” MacGyver explained as he hurried toward the door, opening small windows along the way. Once outside, he ordered Jack to evacuate the neighboring units and call the fire department before heading to turn off the flow of gas, but when he got to the propane tanks, he found the handles missing. A deliberate act. Without a second thought he bobbed and weaved his way through the makeshift trailer park until he found the one he wanted.

“Willis!” he called, pounding on the front door. When it didn’t open, he called his colleague’s name again while at the same time forcing the door open. The smell of gas was strong so Mac pulled his t-shirt up over his mouth and nose as he quickly searched the trailer, only to find it empty. Once he had opened the windows he went to check the propane tank and found the handles missing as well. He was about to head back to where a small crowd began to gather when he heard someone call to him from the structure serving as headquarters.

“Mac! What’s going on?!” It was Willis!

Quickly changing direction, MacGyver headed toward the scientist and told him about the gas leaks as together they strode to where emergency vehicles now surrounded both trailers.

“Are you the one who discovered the gas leak?” the fire chief asked, approaching MacGyver.

“Yes sir.”

“It’s lucky you woke up and took action when you did. A few more minutes and your trailer would’ve blown sky high.”

Mac nodded, knowing full well the gravity of the situation.

“My men found the handles to the turn-off valves missing from the propane tanks. Any idea who might’ve done this, or why?”

The chief was certainly straightforward, a trait MacGyver admired. He shot Willis a glance before answering. “No sir. I wish I did.”

“The police are on their way to interview everyone. Let them know if you think of something.”

As the fire chief returned to where his crew was setting up fans to ventilate the housing units, Mac pulled Willis aside.

“Did you tell anyone about what we discovered last night?” he asked in a loud whisper.

“No! Did you?”

“Of course not! But somehow I have a feeling this is all connected since yours and mine were the only trailers sabotaged.”

“Then someone must’ve been listening to us.”

“Yeah, but who?” Mac murmured.

The next few hours passed quickly. Not knowing who to trust, MacGyver kept his interview with a local police officer short and direct. Others seemed to be doing the same. Was everyone paranoid? By noon, the last officials left allowing the focus to return to the oil spill and clean-up effort. Willis wandered off to join the team of environmental engineers in charge of the dispersant drop. Glancing up at the sky, Mac noticed the clouds beginning to give way to the sun and assumed the maneuver would be happening sooner rather than later. Across the way, Holly and Jack were loading cages containing various rescued animals into SUV’s. Moments later, MacGyver hitched a ride with them as a parade of the black vehicles headed to the airport. Two choppers waited. One for Jack and Holly to transport the sea birds and animals to Valdez, the other being prepared for the chemical drop over the spill. Not wanting to take up precious room in Jack’s helicopter Mac stayed behind with Willis.

“Here,” Willis nudged him, shoving a pair of binoculars in his hand. “The pilot’s doing his pre-flight now. As soon as he’s done, it’s go time. We can watch from here.”

The two men leaned against one of the cars until the chopper took off. Looking through their binoculars, they watched as the pilot flew in small circles, surveying the situation, before hovering over one spot for several seconds.

“It looks like he’s locked on,” Willis observed.

Suddenly, gallons of liquid poured from the belly of the helicopter.

“Bull’s eye!” Willis exclaimed.

“What happens now?” MacGyver asked, handing his binoculars back to his friend.

“We wait. But I think we acted fast enough to avoid any major damage. In the meantime, maybe we could do a little poking around to find whoever tried to asphyxiate us and blow up our trailers this morning.”

“I’ve been thinking about that,” Mac admitted. “I think it would be best if we take the evidence back to Phoenix and launch a thorough investigation through the proper channels. I have a feeling we’re in over our heads on this one.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Willis conceded with a frown.

MacGyver grinned. “Don’t worry. I’m sure they’re gonna need you to take an active role since you’ve witnessed everything first hand. You’re input will be very valuable.”

“You think?” the younger man asked, his face brightening.

“I know. Now how about we head back and get some dinner. I’m starving!”

The two lingered in the mess hall well after everyone else had eaten and left. Their trailers had been secured as crime scenes and they were waiting to be rehoused as some volunteers were already rotating back to the lower forty-eight. The locals seemed to have taken pity on them, serving them extra desserts with friendly smiles, but they seemed even less inclined to talk than before. MacGyver couldn’t blame them. Even he made an effort to keep his thoughts to himself just in case the walls had ears.

Willis had just finished his third cup of coffee when the main door banged open and Jack strolled through, grinning widely.

“Hola compadres!” he greeted them.

“What’s got you in such a good mood?” Mac asked with a smile of his own.

“You’ll never guess what happened to me,” the pilot proclaimed, taking a seat at the table.

“You asked Holly out and she said yes,” MacGyver teased.

“Hmmm, that’s not a bad idea, but no,” Jack replied.

“Then why don’t you go ahead and tell us?” Willis urged.

“I, my good men, have been offered a job.”

“What kind of job?” Mac asked suspiciously.

“A real, honest-to-goodness one,” Jack replied, his left eye completely twitch-less. “An airline charter service in Valdez is hirin’ on extra pilots for the upcoming tourist season. They made me a real good offer and I figured what the hey! By the end of summer, I should have enough money to put a down payment on my own plane and I’ll be back in business again!”

XXXXX

The following morning, the volunteer group from Phoenix was told that their services, while greatly appreciated, were no longer needed and they could head home. Upon arriving back in Los Angeles, MacGyver and Jack headed to The Wingman Bar to collect the remainder of their belongings. As Jack packed up for his temporary move to Alaska, he appeared happier than Mac had seen him since the wedding debacle in Las Vegas. After parting ways with his friend, MacGyver headed to the Phoenix Foundation where he met up with Willis and together they explained what they had discovered about the oil spill and violations of regulations to the ad hoc committee that had been quickly formed to delve further into the case.

“You go on ahead,” Mac told Willis as they left the conference room after sharing all the information and evidence they had. “I’m gonna stop in and see Bannister and Nikki.”

“Didn’t you hear?”

“Hear what?”

“The assignment they were supposed to be working on got pushed back a couple weeks so they decided to take a belated honeymoon.”

“Oh,” Mac replied, surprised that Willis was privy to this information, but then again, a lot had changed since he resigned. “Well, when they get back tell ‘em I’ll be in touch, okay?”

“Sure thing. Are you heading back home?”

Willis had no way of knowing that ‘home’ was a relative term for MacGyver these days. “In a way. I decided to spend some time at Harry’s cabin. Ya know, get outta my head for a few days.”

“Well, enjoy yourself,” the scientist told him.

“Thanks. I’ll try,” Mac responded.















Posted by: Dragondog 19 March 2020 - 12:59 AM
So for the time being, my laptop is broken. So unless it fixes itself soon, my detailed reviews won't be what they were. This tablet I'm using doesn't let me run more than one tab at a time, and copying and pasting into quotes are a pain with this thing. I'll do what I can, though sad.gif

Saving Jack again. Joanna was right XD

Jack doesn't want to go to Alaska. I feel the same way about cold weather laugh.gif

Mac's not wrong about Minnesota winters.

Oh, still hanging on that cliffhanger, I see wink.gif I wonder if Joanna will feel reassured that MacGyver was mature enough to back out since he was overpowered here.

Posted by: uniquelyjas 19 March 2020 - 05:19 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 19 March 2020 - 12:59 AM)
So for the time being, my laptop is broken. So unless it fixes itself soon, my detailed reviews won't be what they were. This tablet I'm using doesn't let me run more than one tab at a time, and copying and pasting into quotes are a pain with this thing. I'll do what I can, though sad.gif

Saving Jack again. Joanna was right XD

Jack doesn't want to go to Alaska. I feel the same way about cold weather laugh.gif

Mac's not wrong about Minnesota winters.

Oh, still hanging on that cliffhanger, I see wink.gif I wonder if Joanna will feel reassured that MacGyver was mature enough to back out since he was overpowered here.

Sorry about your laptop. My computer here at work is running annoyingly slow...I think it's due to so many people working from home via the internet...or it's just our crummy computer system!! LOL!!

Thanks for the review. Per suggestions from other readers, things will get more, um, interesting??? hmm.bmp

Posted by: Dragondog 19 March 2020 - 11:45 PM
It had it coming. It's been working on and off, and the screen broke, too.

Looking forward to it biggrin.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 25 March 2020 - 10:14 AM
Chapter 42: On Her Own


March 24, 1998

“How could you break up with MacGyver?!” Judy Fairfax scolded as her daughter packed a suitcase.

“I didn’t break up with him, Ma,” Joanna clarified, quickly losing her patience. “I just suggested we take some time away from each other to make sure we can trust our feelings.”

“And then you’re planning on staying at his place while he’s gone?”

“That’s right, Mother,” Jo huffed.

“That doesn’t make any sense!”

“Look, I just need some time alone so I can think. Wherever I go, I’m with people. At school, at Challengers, even here at home.”

“When is Mac coming back?”

“I don’t know. Maybe never. We didn’t talk about it,” Joanna snapped.

“Seems to me you didn’t talk about a lot of things,” Judy observed.

Joanna stopped packing and took a deep breath. After leaving MacGyver’s the night before, she had pulled her car to a stop a block away and cried her eyes out before heading home where she held it together long enough to inform her parents that she and Mac needed some space and he was going to L.A. to check on Jack. Of course, her mother knew there was more to the story so Jo recounted the dinner with Craig and Nikki.

“They were telling all these stories about Mac’s assignments and I felt like they were talking about a stranger,” Joanna had tried to explain. After a long, sleepless night of alternately staring at the ceiling and sobbing into her pillow, she went to work as if nothing had happened, stopping at Challengers afterwards to pick up Frog where she learned MacGyver had told everyone he would be gone for a few days while he visited a friend. Of course, Mac’s total absence and her brief appearance garnered curious stares from Cynthia, Geena, and Rosie, but she refused to provide further clarification.

“I agree it wasn’t exactly my finest hour,” Joanna confessed to her mother. “But it’s done now.” She closed and latched her suitcase before heading downstairs, collecting Frog, and driving to MacGyver’s. When she pulled in the driveway his landlord, Charlie, was on the front stoop shaking hands with a man in a suit.

“Have you sold the townhouse yet?” she called to Charlie as she gathered Frog and her belongings.

“No,” the older man sighed. “My real estate agent just suggested I drop the asking price.”

“I’m sorry,” Jo replied sympathetically. “I’m sure it’ll all work out.”

“Mac didn’t mention you’d be staying here,” the landlord said, clearly eager to change the subject.

“That’s because he doesn’t know. Things happened kinda fast.”

Charlie studied Joanna who nervously shifted her weight from one foot to another while Frog tugged on his lead, anxious to head into the house.

“What’s goin’ on with you two anyway?” he asked.

“Mac went to visit--”

“A friend. I know,” Charlie replied, cutting her off. “He told me when I drove him to the airport. At least you got your stories straight. If you ever want to talk about what’s really goin’ on, I’m just next door. Remember that.”

Joanna summoned a small smile. “Thanks. I will.”

Once inside, Jo unclipped Frog’s leash and the pudgy bulldog headed directly to his usual napping spot under the coffee table. He had been spending a lot of time at Challengers and was probably glad for the solitude. Jo inhaled deeply and looked around. Everything was the same as it always was but somehow the space felt incredibly empty without MacGyver there. But that was what she wanted, wasn’t it? Annoyed at her melancholy and vowing not to shed another tear over the man, she picked up the TV remote and turned it on to a national news station.

“Our top news story this evening takes us to Prince William Sound, Alaska, where an American oil tanker struck the Bligh Reef early this morning causing a massive spill. Coast Guard officials report that the spill has been contained and is considerably smaller than the Exxon Valdez disaster that occurred in approximately the same location nine years ago today. The United States Environmental Protection Agency and several smaller agencies including the Phoenix Foundation in Los Angeles are in the process of mobilizing clean-up crews to send to the area. We will update this story as soon as more information becomes available.”

Her heart rate sped up at the mention of Mac’s former employer. Would Phoenix recruit him to go help with the spill? No, knowing MacGyver, if he heard this report, he would willingly volunteer for the job. Was he on his way to Alaska even now? Jo shook her head. That was none of her concern at the moment. She was here to see if there was a place for her in Mac’s life...assuming he even wanted her in it once he returned. If he returned.

After a late supper of leftover tofu casserole and a promise to go to the supermarket the next day, Jo changed into her pajamas and crawled into Mac’s bed. The sheets felt stiff and smelled clean. How many nights did he spend on the couch anyway? Or did he change the linens before he left? He had no way of knowing she would come here. Or did he know her that well? Joanna tossed and turned for an hour before glaring ruefully at the clothes hamper, cursing her traitorous heart.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she muttered as she climbed out of bed and rooted through the dirty laundry to find one of MacGyver’s t-shirts. Quest complete, she grabbed the extra pillow laying next to her on the bed and pulled the stretchy material over it. Snuggling back under the covers, she held the pillow close, breathing in Mac’s scent as she drifted off into peaceful slumber.

XXXXX

Wednesday morning, Joanna arrived at the high school early as usual and quickly checked her mailbox as was her routine. She was surprised to find a note from Vice Principal Varga asking to see her before classes started.

“I see you got one, too,” a rich, deep voice with a hint of amusement said from behind her. She turned toward its source only to find an attractive man looking down at her. About six feet tall, his short yet neatly styled dark brown hair sported natural auburn highlights while his clear, hazel eyes caught and held her gaze. “I guess we were never properly introduced,” he said, holding out his hand. “I’m Tim O’Brien, one of the social studies teachers.”

Placing her hand gently in his, she knew she should offer a firm, professional handshake, but this way just felt..right.

“I’m Joanna Fairfax. You can call me ‘Jo’. I teach English.” Though by the very simple sentences that had just come out of her mouth one would never know it.

“Oh, so you’re in the foreign language department,” he teased, his eyes dancing in the fluorescent light.

“I’m afraid my students would agree with you,” she laughed lightly while reclaiming her hand. “We should go see what Mrs. Varga wants.”

Before either of them could knock on her office door, the vice principal invited them in.

“The bell is going to ring in a few minutes so I’ll keep this short. There’s a statewide teacher’s convention in Madison this weekend focusing on at-risk students. I want the two of you to go.”

With this she handed Joanna and Tim each a large brochure.

“It runs all day Saturday and Sunday morning. I’ve booked you each a room in the hotel where it’s being held for Friday and Saturday nights. I figure it best if you drive up Friday after school and I’ll give you both Monday off to compensate for your time. I do ask that you try to attend as many separate seminars as possible. I’d like you to report what you learned at our next staff meeting. And Joanna, I’ll need your answer regarding your contract when you return. Do either of you have any questions?”

Jo stood speechless. Her head spinning.

“Nope. Everything sounds good,” she heard Tim respond confidently.

With a smile and a nod she turned and headed out of the office with the social studies teacher behind her.

“How about we get together during lunch and pick out which presentations each of us should sign up for?” Tim suggested.

“Sure, that sounds fine,” Jo responded absently, still trying to process all the information that had been thrown at her.

Joanna had just dismissed her last class of the morning when Tim entered her classroom carrying a bag lunch. They spent the next thirty minutes poring over the brochures Mrs. Varga had given them trying to decide who would attend which seminars. Joanna was surprised at how smooth the process went. Tim was organized, flexible, and easy to work with.

“I was thinking,” he ventured, just before the afternoon classes were scheduled to begin. “It doesn’t make sense for us to each take our own car. How about we drive up together. I’m always game for a road trip.”

“That sounds great! I really don’t know my way around Madison and have a penchant for getting lost,” Jo confessed.

“Then it’s settled,” Tim replied, smiling broadly.

Before Joanna could answer, the bell rang and students began to enter the classroom.

That evening Jo curled up on Mac’s couch, Frog snoring beside her. She turned on the television, but nothing managed to hold her attention. Her stomach roiled every time she thought of the upcoming weekend. Last minute assignments were a way of life for MacGyver, but she sorely lacked the confidence and spontaneity to deal well with such situations. Feeling restless, she gently rose from the couch so as not to wake the sleeping dog and began to look around Mac’s apartment. For all the time she had spent here, she realized she had actually paid little attention to many of his possessions. For instance, the yellow rubber ducky on the kitchen counter. She picked it up and gave it a squeeze. It had been there for as long as she could remember, but why? There had to be a story connected to it.

As she continued to stroll about, she noticed framed snapshots of Mac with Pete or Jack or even Nikki scattered about on shelves and the fireplace mantel. There was even one of him with an elderly gentleman she assumed was Grandpa Harry if the fishing hat was any indication. He also had books. Lots of books. Upon further inspection she noticed his preferred subjects were history, biographies, and just about any type of science you could think of. However, these were juxtaposed with a huge collection of video-taped Westerns and a rather impressive amount of records and a few CD’s and, oddly enough, high school yearbooks. Her fingers ached to turn through the pages, but she wasn’t ready to read what would undoubtedly be inscriptions of undying love from his former girlfriends. Having made a circuit of the room, she found herself back in the kitchen. She and MacGyver had spent a lot of time here together and she couldn’t think of a place that suited him better. And therein lie one of the reasons she had been avoiding marrying him. She loved this apartment as much, if not more, than he did. Never had another place felt more like home to her. But it was small. She glanced up toward the bedroom. Save for a small closet and dresser, there wasn’t much storage space. It was fine for a bachelor, but where would her things fit? The apartment didn’t even have room for a guest or even a child should they decide to adopt. Yet the idea of living somewhere else seemed unthinkable. Of course, she had never mentioned this to MacGyver. He had traveled and lived all over the world. Surely to him an apartment was simply a place to stow his hockey gear until he decided to move on. Perhaps that was the reason he couldn’t commit to buying a house when he had moved to Milwaukee. He couldn’t let go of the residue from his earlier transient lifestyle. Was he truly ready to finally put down some roots? But then again, people say home is where the heart is, so if her heart was truly with Mac, shouldn’t she feel at home anywhere as long as they were together?

XXXXX

Thursday at noon Joanna looked up from the essay she was grading to find Tim leaning casually against her door jamb, a brown paper lunch bag in his hand.

“I figured since we’re spending the weekend together we should get to know each other a little better,” he said with a gentle smile.

When she quirked an eyebrow he grimaced. “Sorry, that sounded better in my head.”

Jo laughed lightly. “Don’t worry, I know what you meant. Pull up a seat.”

Over the next half hour, Joanna learned that Tim O’Brien had been born and raised in a suburb of Milwaukee and now owned a home in the city. He had a sister and brother-in-law who had graced him with two nephews he clearly loved. Like her, he had grown up Catholic, attending parochial school until college. He was an avid Green Bay Packer fan and confessed to having only one serious relationship from which, he stressed, he learned a lot and was not about to make the same mistakes twice. If someone had asked Jo to create the perfect guy, before meeting MacGyver, Tim would have very much fit the bill. She had always rued the fact that she was an only child with no nieces or nephews to dote on, especially as time passed and it became clear she would have no children of her own. And, of course, having someone who actively shared her faith was a quality she highly regarded.

“So what about you?” he asked as they tossed the remains of their lunch in the trash. “Rumor in the teachers’ lounge says you’re engaged.”

“Do you always believe everything you hear in the teachers’ lounge?” she countered playfully.

“Only the stuff that’s true,” he replied, then let his gaze land on her modest diamond ring. “So, does that come with a guy or do you just wear it to scare off the weirdos?” He pulled a face causing her to laugh.

“It comes with a guy, for now,” she answered softly.

Tim’s demeanor turned serious. “Sounds like there’s a story in there somewhere.”

“It’s complicated,” Joanna said with a shrug. “He’s in Los Angeles right now. We needed some time apart.”

The bell signaling the end of the lunch period rang, saving Joanna from Tim’s questioning eyes. “Tomorrow? Same time? Same place?”

“It’s a date,” Jo answered, summoning a smile. Her heart was beating double time as students began to drift into the room. What had she been thinking? First, she flirts with the guy and then she leads him to believe that her relationship is in trouble. Of course, there was a very strong possibility her relationship with MacGyver was in trouble.

Friday morning Joanna left for work earlier than usual so she could drop Frog off at Challengers since she’d be gone for the weekend. She also felt she owed Cynthia an honest explanation. After all, both her and MacGyver had practically abandoned the club leaving the older woman to run it single-handedly. After Jo had settled Frog into his preferred corner and set out fresh food and water for him, she crossed the room and tapped softly on Cynthia’s office door.

“Mind if I come in for a minute?” she asked.

Cynthia looked up from her work, surprise registering on her face. “Of course not! Please, have a seat. We’ve missed you around here.”

“I know and I’m sorry,” Jo responded as she sat on the edge of the offered chair. “I wanted to let you know I brought Frog over for the weekend. I need to go to a convention in Madison.”

“That’s no problem. The kids will love having him around again. They missed him these past couple of days,” Cynthia assured her with a smile.

“I’ll also be making it a point to spend more time here.”

Cynthia waved off the comment. “You’re busy with school. We’ll be fine until MacGyver comes back.”

Joanna looked down at the floor. “That’s something else we need to talk about.”

“Well, it’s about time!” Cynthia leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. “There’s more to Mac’s trip, isn’t there?”

“How did you know?”

“When he stopped in to say he was leaving, he looked like he had just lost his best friend...or maybe someone even more important.”

Joanna reluctantly met Cynthia’s gaze, dreading the censure she assumed she would find, but instead, the woman’s eyes were filled with compassion.

“Mac didn’t totally lie to you,” Jo began. “He was worried about not hearing from Jack so I told him to check things out. But I sent him away because some things happened on his birthday that caused me to start rethinking our relationship.”

“Honey, you have to know that MacGyver is head-over-heels in love with you. I’ve known him a long time and have never seen him this happy. This content.”

“I want to believe you. I really do. But I need to be sure we’re doing the right thing for the right reasons.”

“And how will you know you are?” Cynthia challenged.

Ashamed that she didn’t have an answer, Joanna glanced down at her watch and quickly excused herself saying she was late for work which would be true if she continued with this conversation.

The lunch bell had just rung when Tim poked his head into Joanna’s classroom. She greeted him with a bright smile he did not return.

“Listen, I’m sorry, but I’m gonna have to break our lunch date,” he informed her. “I’m up to my eyeballs in paperwork that I need to get done before we leave.”

Jo sighed in relief. “No problem. I’m actually glad because I still have to get lesson plans together for the sub on Monday. I’m beginning to think it would be easier just to come in myself.”

“No way!” Tim objected. “Mrs. V. gave us the day off. Take advantage of it! By the way, could you give me your address so I know where to pick you up later?”

“Oh, sure,” Joanna mumbled as she scribbled the address to Mac’s apartment on a sticky note. “I’m all packed, I just want to change into something more comfortable for the trip.”

“Sounds great. I’ll see you about four?”

“See you then,” she agreed as both anxiety and excitement about the upcoming weekend did battle in her stomach.

Joanna had just finished taking one last look in the mirror when there was a knock on the front door. Knowing it was Tim, she hurried down the spiral staircase and let him in as she went to retrieve her luggage.

“Play much hockey, do you?” Tim inquired as he examined Mac’s gear.

Jo laughed. “No. This isn’t actually my place. I’m house sitting for a friend.”

“This ‘friend’ wouldn’t happen to be the same guy who gave you that ring?”

Joanna felt herself flush. “Yeah,” she admitted softly. “But I’m not sure how long he’ll be here, especially after his landlord sells the place.”

Not caring for the direction this conversation had taken, she picked up her large suitcase and changed the subject.

“Sorry, I tried to pack light,” she smiled ruefully as Tim quickly took the piece of luggage from her.

“No problem. A girl’s gotta be prepared for everything, right?” he said with a wink as he headed out the door.

Jo felt her heart flip at the refreshing reply. She had gotten so used to MacGyver complaining about how much she packed she never expected some other guy might actually understand.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I thought we’d take Highway 16,” Tim said as they headed west, out of the city. “I figure Friday night rush hour on the interstate will be a nightmare. This way may take a little longer, but it should be a lot less stressful. Besides, it’ll give us more time to get to know each other.”

Over the next two hours, they exchanged anecdotes about attending Catholic grade school, their families, and the paths they had each taken that had landed them both at Lincoln High School. Joanna was surprised and pleased at how easy their conversation flowed. Even the silence was comfortable. They had just reached the outskirts of Madison when they saw a billboard advertising a well-known, casual chain restaurant.

“Wanna stop and get some supper before we check into the hotel?” Tim asked.

“You read my mind,” Jo grinned.

When the server appeared beside their table at the crowded restaurant, Joanna ordered the fish fry, a Friday night staple on any Wisconsin menu. Tim ordered a steak with all the trimmings, causing Jo to frown.

“What?” he asked defensively.

“Nothing,” she murmured.

“C’mon, what is it? You a vegetarian or something?”

“No, it’s just a Friday. In Lent.”

Tim relaxed as understanding dawned. “And you thought I’d abstain from meat like a good Catholic boy.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed,” Jo stammered feeling suddenly awkward.

“Trust me, I’m sure God, Himself, would break that rule for a good old-fashioned piece of beef!” he laughed while Joanna summoned a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

After having secured and searched out their rooms in the hotel, Tim deposited Joanna’s luggage next to her door.

“Looks like we’re neighbors,” he remarked.

“Looks like it,” she agreed, as she fiddled with her keycard to unlock her door.

“Well, if you need anything during the night, just knock on the wall,” Tim teased with a friendly wink.

“I’m sure everything will be fine, but I’ll keep that in mind,” she replied with a smirk before tugging her suitcase into her room and closing the door behind her as a tingling heat crept up her neck. Later, as she crawled into bed, she stared at the dividing wall, a frisson of awareness passing through her before she drifted off to sleep.

Saturday morning Joanna awoke with a dull ache in her temple and groaned. Her slumber the night before had been riddled with odd dreams. Faceless figures had floated past her mind’s eye. Some warmed her with hope and love while others chilled her with anxiety and fear leaving her feeling restless and out-of-sorts. Thirty minutes later, Tim knocked on her door and together they joined hundreds of educators from around the state in a huge conference room where everyone was taking advantage of a free breakfast buffet. She and Tim compared their schedules one last time to make sure that none of their chosen seminars overlapped as Mrs. Varga had asked. Soon, the large group split into several smaller ones as a number of presentations began in separate, smaller gathering rooms.

By lunch time, Joanna remembered why she hated going to these types of events and would do cartwheels to get out of them. Eventually, all the presenters basically said the same thing which, when boiled down, was basic common sense to any teacher worth his or her salt. Granted, she had picked up some interesting information as well as tips and tricks for teaching and disciplining at-risk youth, but her stiff back and aching shoulders outweighed them all...and there was still a whole afternoon and half day tomorrow to go.

Tim was waiting for her while everyone was herded back into the large conference room for the midday meal. Both needing a break from their colleagues’ incessant chatter, they ate quickly and silently before taking a stroll among the hotel’s common areas which ended with Tim kneading Jo’s taught neck and shoulder muscles. She wanted to moan with delight as the tension quickly melted under his gentle yet firm ministrations, but instead she moaned with disappointment when an announcement beckoned them back to their seminars.

“Tell ya what,” Tim proposed before they parted, “Let’s have dinner in the hotel restaurant tonight.”

“Are you sure?” Jo asked. “It’s pretty high end.”

“Yep! Consider it a reward for surviving a day’s worth of seminars.”

Hours later, Joanna was comfortably seated at a cozy table for two in a candlelit corner of the fancy restaurant. The afternoon had dragged, but the thought of spending the evening with Tim provided a much needed shot of adrenaline. She chalked it up to the excitement of getting to know a new friend. At least, that’s what she convinced herself to believe. As had become customary, conversation flowed easily. After debriefing each other on the information each had gleaned from the day, they proceeded to talk about both everything and nothing at all. Jo was once again pleasantly surprised at how relaxed she felt in Tim’s company. Maybe it was because they’re backgrounds were so similar she didn’t feel like she had to defend herself and her choices. Or perhaps it was because Tim was open and straightforward and she didn’t have to worry about saying something that would bring back an old fear or open up a painful memory. Or maybe it was because a kind, handsome, intelligent man appeared to take a genuine interest in her.

After dinner, they slowly strolled to their rooms. Somewhere along the way Joanna’s hand had slipped into Tim’s, but she made no effort to remove it. Arriving at her door she sighed.

“Thanks for dinner. It was wonderful. I hate to see this evening end,” she confessed.

“It doesn’t have to, ya know,” he replied softly.

Warning bells went off in her head, but she ignored them. “Wanna come in for awhile? We could start getting our notes together for the faculty meeting,” she suggested.

“Sure,” Tim murmured, giving her a lazy smile as she again fumbled with her key card.

Once inside, Jo headed toward the desk to retrieve her legal pad, but Tim grasped her hand tighter and turned her towards him.

“I’m really enjoying getting to know you,” he said, his voice husky. “I can’t believe we’ve been teaching in the same school for seven months and I never noticed you. I hope you know what a very special woman you are.”

She watched breathlessly as his clear hazel eyes darkened and he leaned closer. Every nerve ending in her body tingled in anticipation. She stood stock still as his warm lips ever so lightly grazed her own.

“I’m sorry, I can’t,” she said, pulling away.

“Is it because of him?” he asked, looking pointedly at the ring on her left hand. “I thought you were breaking up with him.”

“I said that it’s complicated,” she answered, preparing herself for angry words from Tim accusing her of leading him on.

When he next spoke, his voice was calm and smooth. “It’s not that complicated, Joanna. If that was my ring you were wearing, I wouldn’t have let you push me away in the first place.”

Her feet frozen to the floor, Jo felt him place a chaste kiss on her forehead before leaving the room. She mechanically performed her bedtime routine and it was only once she was snuggled under the covers that she allowed herself to replay Tim’s kiss in her mind. Her eyes welled with tears as she relived the emotions it had awakened. The loneliness, emptiness, coldness she had felt...because he wasn’t Mac.

At some point during the pre-dawn hours, Joanna’s heart firmly decided she truly and deeply loved MacGyver and would for the rest of her life, but it was her head that convinced her guys like MacGyver didn’t date, much less marry, girls like her and she would be much better off with a nice, safe, family-oriented man instead. Decision made, she knocked on Tim’s hotel door early the next morning.

“Can I buy you breakfast as an apology for last night?” she asked when he let her in.

“You have no need to apologize and breakfast is free,” he pointed out.

“But it’s the thought that counts. Right?” she asked with a sassy grin.

“Touche!” he laughed as he grabbed his notebook and draped his arm casually across her shoulders as they headed down to the conference room.

The final seminars of the convention were much more easy-going and laid back than the previous ones. It seemed as if Saturday had drained everyone’s energy, including the presenters’, and Joanna breathed a huge sigh of relief when the final session ended promptly at noon as scheduled. An hour later, she was sitting in the passenger seat of Tim’s car as they headed east on Interstate 94 towards Milwaukee.

“Since I missed my usual Mass this weekend, I was planning on going to a church near the high school that offers an evening service tonight. Would you like to come along?” Jo ventured.

Tim glanced over in surprise. “Naw, I’m good. I was planning on spending the evening with a basketball game on TV and a cold beer.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed.” Again.

“Don’t worry about it. I figure all the Masses I was forced to attend as a kid have me set for awhile,” he smirked.

“I’m not sure it works that way,” Joanna observed.

Tim shrugged. “I doubt God keeps an attendance log. Unless he works for Mrs. Varga!” Jo smiled but remained silent.

A little while later, Tim spoke again. “So, what are your plans for the summer?”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s only March!”

“What can I say? I’m a sucker for plans...and summer vacation!”

“Mrs. Varga asked if I wanted to teach summer school, but I was planning on working full-time at Challengers.”

“What did you tell her?”

“Nothing yet. But I need to let her know this week.”

“If you want my opinion, just take the summer off. Do some traveling or something.”

“Is that what you’re gonna do?”

“Yep! I’m going to Japan for a month and then maybe take a couple smaller trips stateside if I can fit them in.”

“Wow. Guess you won’t be spending much time at home,” Jo observed.

“Staying home is overrated. I never traveled as a kid and couldn’t afford to when I was in college and starting my career. Now I have the time and the means and nothing holding me back for three months!”

“So you’re making up for what you missed out on?”

He shrugged, “I guess you could say that.”

“I see,” Jo replied before turning to look out the side window and watch the familiar landscape pass by.

When they reached the city, Jo asked Tim to stop at Challengers so she could pick up Frog.

“What kinda place is this?” her colleague asked as they walked through the parking lot.

“It’s a community boys and girls club. Everyone is welcome, though. But most of our members are at-risk or low-income kids. We actually have quite a few from Lincoln High.”

“And you volunteer here?”

“Yeah. Well, actually I’m one of the directors. I feel bad that I haven’t been able to spend much time here since I started teaching full time, though.”

“You seriously want to spend time with your students outside of the classroom?” he asked with a tinge of sarcasm.

Jo stopped and turned to look him in the eye. “Yeah, I do. It’s a great way to get to know them and their background. I feel it helps me be a better teacher when I know what my students are going through after they leave my class. You might want to consider volunteering yourself. We’re looking to get the kids involved in community projects and will take all the help we can get.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll pass. A guy needs his down-time, ya know?”

“Sure,” she replied flatly.

They entered the building to find Cynthia and Rosie chatting at the reception desk. They both looked up when they heard the door open.

“Back from the convention?” Cynthia asked.

“Yeah, thank goodness,” Jo answered before briefly introducing Tim as her colleague. She grabbed Frog’s leash from its hook and headed to the corner where several younger members were petting the dog.

“Sorry to break up the fun, but it’s time for Frog to go home,” she announced.

“You named him ‘Frog’?” Tim whispered in her ear causing her to laugh.

“No. Someone else named him that long before I ever met him.”

As the kids moved on to other activities, Joanna bent down to give Frog a hearty ear rub before clipping the lead on his collar. When he caught sight of Tim standing behind her, he growled low in his throat.

“Hey, what’s that all about?” Jo asked the dog as she smoothed her hand down his back, feeling his chubby body quivering. “C’mon, I want you to meet a new friend.” She tugged on his leash but he remained firmly planted on his bed, his eyes never leaving Tim, his body trembling.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into him,” she apologized.

“He can probably sense I’m not much of a dog person,” Tim remarked.

“Then I take it you prefer cats?”

“Why would you say that?”

Jo hesitated. “Well, one is usually either a dog person or a cat person.”

“To be honest, I’m not really into pets. Too much responsibility.”

Joanna stared at him, speechless. A few days ago she thought he was her perfect match. Now in the span of a couple hours he basically said he doesn’t go to church or like animals and apparently had a low opinion of her involvement with Challengers. She mentally shook her head. She was tired and probably giving his words too much weight.

“You got a kennel or something to put him in for the ride home?” Tim asked, breaking into her thoughts. “My car does have leather seats, ya know.” From the look on his face he wasn’t kidding and Jo felt her blood pressure soar.

“Why don’t you let Frog stay here,” Cynthia suggested with a knowing smile obviously having overheard Tim’s comment.

“But you’ve had him all weekend,” Jo protested.

“And both he and the kids have loved it,” the older woman insisted.

“Alright,” Joanna capitulated. “I’m gonna spend some time here tomorrow since I have the day off so I guess it only makes sense.”

“Good. Now you go home and get some rest. And don’t worry about what time you come in. I can hold down the fort,” Cynthia promised.

The air in Tim’s car was fraught with tension as he drove Joanna back to the townhouse.

“Are you upset because I don’t like dogs?” he finally asked, breaking the silence.

What could Jo say? Yes, she was upset. She had always pictured a dog in her life. And, to be honest, her gut told her not to trust people who didn’t love animals.

“No, I’m just tired,” she finally told him. And it wasn’t a complete lie.

After arriving at the apartment, Tim carried in her luggage and waited until she was settled.

“How about we get together tomorrow and get our notes in order for the faculty meeting. We never did get around to that,” he reminded her with a grin.

“Sure,” she agreed, less enthusiastically than she would have liked. “I wanna spend the morning at Challengers, but you can come by my place say about one in the afternoon?”

“Sounds good,” he confirmed, taking the piece of paper on which she had scribbled her home address. At some point over the weekend she had also decided she needed to move out of MacGyver’s house since she had already moved herself out of his life.

XXXXX

Monday afternoon Joanna watched from the bay window as Tim parked his car in front of the house. She greeted him at the front door.

“Hi, c’mon in,” she invited. “I thought we’d work at the kitchen table,” she said over her shoulder as she led him down the hall.

“This is a pretty big place for just you,” he observed, taking a seat.

“Oh! I guess I never told you that I live with my parents.”

“What?!”

A bit taken aback by his reaction, Joanna went on to give him a brief history of the house and the rationale behind her decision to remain there.

“I don’t know how you do it,” he said, shaking his head. “There’s no way I could live under the same roof as Ed and Irma everyday.”

“Ed and Irma?”

“Yeah, my parents.”

“Do you always call your parents by their first names?” Jo couldn’t help but ask.

“Only when they’re not around,” he grinned. “I mean, there comes a time when you outgrow calling them ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’. Know what I mean?”

Apparently that was a rhetorical question as he continued, “So where are your parents now?”

“Monday is their day to run errands. They’ll be gone for awhile yet.”

Joanna had been looking forward to introducing her family to Tim. Now she just wanted to get him out of her house, and her life, as quickly as possible. Her first impressions of him had certainly been way off the mark. He was in no way the type of man she had imagined him to be, but she was thankful she discovered it so quickly. She should have been this decisive with MacGyver a couple years ago but she was too busy believing they were falling in love.

“Then we better get crackin’,” Tim suggested, obviously eager to part ways as well.

With a minimum of discussion, the two teachers quickly outlined the presentation Mrs. Varga expected from them and as soon as it was done, Tim expressed his need to leave and attend to his own errands. He hurried out the door with a tight smile and a light-hearted, “See ya around!”

Joanna stood in the middle of the living room and watched as his car pulled away from the curb just as her parent’s car turned the corner. Huffing out a sigh and refusing to shed even one tear, she painfully noted that she was once again all alone.















Posted by: Dragondog 26 March 2020 - 01:15 AM
"Seems to me you didn't talk about a lot of things" Boy, Judy is smart biggrin.gif

I thought she might hear about the spill on the news wink.gif it'll be fun to see where this goes...

Tim O'Brien just made a love triangle. Great, XD

The rubber duck. I see what you did there wink.gif

That whole "home is where the heart is" tangent that I can't quote because I'm still stuck on mobile is simply poetic. Well done thumbsup.gif

Yeesh, their chemistry actually makes ME question her and mac's relationship...

Massages? Candlelit tables? I'm suspicious. He knows she's technically taken right now...

Grrr, now I don't like him mad.gif

Frog's vote sells it. Tim is bad news.

I'm glad she's rid of him. But I really want to slap some sense into her XD

Posted by: bluegirl 26 March 2020 - 05:57 AM
Wow, you had me going there for almost the whole chapter - I really thought you might be bringing up another love interest for Jo, making her even more unsure and confused and giving Mac something to fight against, if he doesn´t want to loose her... But then Frog spoiled it wink.gif

But this whole situation makes me think of an old song I happened to hear today while driving to work: "The Last Unbroken Heart" by Patti LaBelle and Bill Champlin. It´s part of the Miami Vice soundtrack. You can find it easily on youtube. It´s about two people shying away from commitment, because their hearts might be hurt in it - the lyrics fit so well to the story your putting them through blush.gif sad.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 1 April 2020 - 09:47 AM
Chapter 43: Where It Began

March 31, 1998

MacGyver opened his eyes and immediately squinted at the bright shaft of sunlight piercing through the grungy window. He looked at his watch, chagrined but not surprised to find that it was already mid-morning. Scrubbing his face with his hands, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and yawned. His flight from Los Angeles to the Twin Cities the day before had been delayed...twice. And then, instead of taking a connecting flight to Mission City, he had chosen to rent a 4X4 figuring the solitude of the drive would give him time to think. Instead, he had brooded big time. It was exactly one week ago that Joanna had told him to leave. Had told him she needed to figure out if she truly belonged in his life. Had, in her mind, set him free when all he felt was tied in knots of despair. In hindsight, he now wondered if he did the right thing by doing what she asked, or if he should have stayed and fought for their relationship. It was a vicious rhetorical circle that was making him dizzy. By the time he pulled up to his grandpa Harry’s cabin in Northern Minnesota all he wanted to do was fall into bed, which he did, fully clothed. He pushed himself upright and shuffled to the kitchen area, grimacing at the dust that had gathered in the one-room hideaway. After pouring himself a lukewarm glass of water from the cranky faucet, he opened the door and breathed in the early spring air. There was something about this place that always soothed his soul, no matter how torn and beaten it was. Perhaps it was the fact that he knew it would always be here for him and would never change. At least he hoped that was the case.

He was about to turn and go back inside when something by the gravel drive caught his eye. It had been well after dark when he pulled in last night, but now, in the light of day, little red and yellow flags sticking out of the ground were obvious against the still-brown grass. MacGyver considered them for a moment. They had most likely been placed by the DNR or Forestry Service to mark something. Perhaps there were plans to repair and widen the deeply rutted road. Or maybe they were indicators of where trees were to be planted or taken down or both. With a mental shrug, Mac grabbed his car keys and headed into town for supplies.

As was his ritual, he first stopped to check out the house he had grown up in. Now a nursing home for more years than he could remember, the lawn and yard were perfectly manicured despite the harsh winter. A sudden yearning to walk through the rooms of his old home tugged at his heart, but he doubted the elderly residents would take kindly to his trip down memory lane so he kept his feelings at bay. Instead, he shifted into gear and headed toward the heart of town. He was a couple blocks away from the supermarket, his main destination, when he glimpsed flashing red and blue lights in his rearview mirror and the single whir of the siren signaling him to pull over. MacGyver groaned but obeyed and watched as the officer slowly climbed from his car and approached the rented vehicle. Mac rolled down the window and waited. This day was not starting out well.

“What seems to be the problem, officer?” MacGyver asked, turning toward the cop and summoning what he hoped was a friendly, innocent smile.

“MacGyver?!”

“Neil!” Mac exhaled when he recognized his childhood friend and Mission City police sergeant, Neil Ryder. “That you’re way of welcoming back an old friend?” he asked with a grin.

“Oh, sorry about that. I got a call from the nursing home about a possible stalker and your vehicle matched the description.”

“A stalker?”

Neil shrugged, “What can I say? The town is growing every day and those folks aren’t accustomed to strangers. So, I guess you’re here for the big town hall meeting tomorrow night, eh?”

“What meeting?”

“Didn’t you get the letter?”

“No. I didn’t get a letter.” Mac was quickly losing patience with his friend.

“That’s odd,” Neil mused.

“Well, I haven’t exactly been home a lot lately. Would you just tell me what you’re talking about?”

“An outfit called North Star Real Estate Developers is proposing to buy up a bunch of land around Bell Lake and build luxury condominiums. They’ve already been here talkin’ to your neighbors.”

“Neighbors?”

Neil chuckled, “I know Harry’s place is secluded, but you do have neighbors, ya know.”

“Well, they can’t be very happy about these plans,” Mac observed, steering the conversation away from the fact that he had never really considered himself as having neighbors up here.

“On the contrary, some are seriously considering the developer’s offers.”

“What about you? You still got the cabin?”

“Naw. I sold it after Sean started college. He didn’t have time to hang out in the woods with his old man anymore,” Neil replied with a wry grin. “Look, I gotta get going. Come to the town hall meeting in the high school gymnasium tomorrow evening at seven o’clock. In the meantime, let me know if you need anything.”

“Thanks, I will,” Mac muttered, his friend’s words swirling around in his brain.

After making quick work of his grocery shopping, MacGyver walked into the local sporting goods store owned by his other good friend, Chuck.

“Mac! How the heck are ya?!” the larger man greeted him with a bear hug.

“Good,” Mac grunted, relieved when his friend backed away allowing him to breathe again.

“Guess you’re here for the big town hall meetin’ tomorrow.”

“Yeah.” At least he was now. “What do you know about that anyway?”

“Not much, I’m afraid. I don’t own property up there so they ain’t interested in me. But they’ve been up there surveying the area.” That would explain the little flags MacGyver had found by his drive. “How much they offer you?”

“They haven’t approached me yet,” Mac told him.

“Whatcha gonna tell ‘em when they do?”

“I’m gonna turn them down like everyone else will.”

Chuck shook his head slowly. “I wouldn’t be too sure about that, buddy. Rumor has it they’re playin’ fast and loose with their cash. Might make ya an offer ya can’t refuse.”

“I doubt that,” Mac replied. “Harry’s cabin isn’t for sale.”

“Yeah, right,” Chuck smirked. “We’ll see what ya have to say after tomorrow night when they offer ya a big fat check for that rundown place. If I were you, I’d take the money and run.”

“Well, you’re not me, and I doubt I’m gonna change my mind,” MacGyver retorted. “Now if ya don’t mind, could ya get me some live bait?”

Chuck’s eyebrows came together as he frowned. “Awful early in the season to be fishin’. Lake’s hardly thawed.”

“Great! Then I’ll surprise the fish!”

Back at the cabin, Mac stowed his groceries before grabbing an old fishing pole from the storage closet and heading to the rickety old pier. The late March wind blowing off the water definitely had a bite to it, but MacGyver didn’t really plan on catching anything. He just needed to think. And soaking a line had always been a great way to do that. He inhaled the clean, fresh air while taking in his surroundings. Pine and spruce trees stood tall and green while sunlight poured down through the still-bare branches of the deciduous trees that also populated the area. While he had planned on considering ways to bring his wayward fiance back to her senses, his mind kept wandering to what Neil and Chuck had told him about North Star Real Estate. The unsullied space around him was a priceless refuge. He would go to that meeting tomorrow, politely turn down any offer that might be made, and spend the rest of the night driving back to Milwaukee. Driving home. End of story.

A soft but steady beeping sound pulled MacGyver from his reverie. He looked to find an elderly man walking the rocky shoreline, a metal detector in hand. Mac smiled, picturing Jack Dalton years from now still searching for his elusive fortune.

The man turned and caught sight of MacGyver. “You livin’ in the old Jackson place?” he asked.

“Nope. Just visiting,” Mac replied. “What about you?”

“Me and the missus live around that bend in the lake,” the man pointed in the direction he had come.

“Finding anything good?” MacGyver asked, nodding his head toward the device in the man’s hand.

“Naw,” he sighed dejectedly. “Just some fishhooks and a couple coins, but this cockamamie thing keeps goin’ off like the Titanic was buried here.”

“Well, keep at it,” Mac encouraged as he pulled his fishing line out of the water. “Maybe I’ll see ya around.”

“Yeah, sure,” the older man replied absently as the beeping grew more frantic. Probably another fishhook, MacGyver thought.

XXXXX

Wednesday evening, Mac slipped into an empty chair in the back of the high school gymnasium shortly before seven o’clock. A small stage had been set up at the other end of the room where a middle-aged man, casually dressed in khakis and a polo shirt, methodically set up various maps and charts and readied his slide projector. The gym was packed to capacity so the man gently tapped the microphone with his finger to get everyone’s attention. Once all eyes were on him, he introduced himself as Bill Lichtman, the CEO of North Star Real Estate. MacGyver leaned back, crossed his arms over his chest, and took in the presentation. He had been to more than one of these things during his time with Phoenix and he had to admit that this guy was good. He warmed up the crowd by praising the fine citizens of Mission City before cracking a couple jokes that native Minnesotans could easily relate to before drawing their attention to his company’s plans and vision for the future.

MacGyver kept his gaze trained on the audience, watching as people whispered into their neighbors ear while others nodded at what Bill was saying. There was a certain energy in the room that Mac found unsettling. Once Lichtman was done with his spiel, he opened up the floor for questions. At first, most inquiries related to the development itself, but soon a woman wearing a state DNR uniform stood up and asked about the impact the project would have on the lake, game, fish, and waterfowl. Mac leaned forward in his chair, knowing that this was where things were going to get interesting. Bill Lichtman gave a smooth, and obviously well-rehearsed, reply about his company’s shared concern for local wildlife and natural resources and assured everyone that several studies had been conducted in order to find a way to make the transition as harmless as possible. MacGyver scoffed to himself knowing full well how these operations worked, always leaving the land raped and pillaged. A murmur slowly rose from the crowd and Mac waited for protests to arise, but other than a few more head nods no one else spoke up. They couldn’t possibly be buying into this guy’s slick explanations! Were the citizens of Mission City going to allow a heartless development company like North Star run roughshod over Bell Lake and the surrounding land?!

In less than sixty minutes the entire event concluded. MacGyver watched as most audience members headed directly for the exits, many of them chatting happily and even laughing. Others stayed behind and visited in small groups while Bill Lichtman stepped down from his platform and mingled with those remaining. Mac soon caught sight of the developer speaking with an elderly couple. He recognized the husband as the man he had seen the day before scavenging with the metal detector. He waited until Lichtman took his leave before approaching.

“Hi there,” Mac greeted the couple before turning his attention to the man. “I believe we briefly met the other day. I’m staying at the Jackson place.”

“Of course!” the man exclaimed, recognition dawning in his eyes. “I’m Arthur and this is my wife, Maggie.”

Mac smiled and shook their hands. “Name’s MacGyver. Harry Jackson was my grandfather.”

“Ah, good ole Harry,” Arthur replied. “Bit of a loner but a heck of a fisherman!”

MacGyver nodded in agreement. “So what do you make of this whole business with North Star? Have they made you an offer on your place yet?”

“Oh, they’ve been an answer to our prayers!” Maggie gushed. “We just can’t take care of our house like we used to and have been wanting to move to Minneapolis to be with our children and their families, but who wants to buy a place that’s literally falling down? Then Mr. Lichtman came along and made us an offer we couldn’t refuse!”

“So you’re selling, then?” Mac asked feeling both surprised and dismayed.

“We finalized the deal earlier today,” Arthur confirmed. “Just came by tonight to thank Bill again for the generous offer.”

“Excuse me, did you say your name’s MacGyver?”

Mac spun around to find Bill Lichtman standing behind him, a wide, friendly grin on his face. How long had he been there?

“That’s right,” Mac said as Arthur and Maggie politely took their leave.

“I’ve been wanting to speak with you, but you’re a hard man to pin down,” Lichtman said, still grinning.

“If this is about me selling the cabin, you can save your breath. It isn’t gonna happen.”

The developer’s smile slipped just a bit. “Now, now, Mr. MacGyver. Let’s not be hasty. You haven’t even heard my offer.”

“It’s not for sale,” Mac told him firmly.

“Perhaps we could negotiate?” Lichtman handed MacGyver a piece of paper with a price written on it. Mac’s eyebrows shot up to his shaggy bangs. There were way too many numbers before the decimal point.

“Mr. Lichtman, you and I both know Harry’s cabin isn’t worth a fraction of this!”

“On the contrary, your grandfather’s cabin is the only piece of real estate standing in the way of our plan and worth a great deal to my company. I’d be more than happy to add to that number if it would get you to change your mind.”

Mac’s stomach fell to the floor. All his neighbors had sold out to North Star?! But then again, if Lichtman offered them anywhere near what he was offering MacGyver, he could hardly blame them.

“I told you, I’m not selling,” MacGyver reiterated between clenched teeth before heading to the door.

XXXXX

The following morning, MacGyver took his fishing pole down to the dock to think. He couldn’t believe that all the owners of land around Bell Lake had already sold out to North Star Developers. Arthur was once again combing the shore with his metal detector, gently tapping the device against a rock every now and again assumedly in response to false readings. The older man looked up and waved to Mac who smiled and returned the gesture. Just then, the whine of a small airplane engine began to grow louder. MacGyver looked to the sky, shading his eyes with his hand, as he watched the yellow and white plane approach and begin to circle over the lake several times, its altitude never changing until the pilot began making larger sweeps just above the top of the tree line. After ten minutes of making progressively larger circles the plane turned and headed back in the direction it had come, leaving Mac with an uneasy feeling. He needed to talk to someone, and who better than his two life-long friends.

“I’ve just got a weird feeling about this whole thing,” MacGyver insisted as he leaned on the counter inside Chuck’s store while his friend stood on the other side with Neil, in uniform, next to Mac.

“You just need time to get used to the idea,” the police sergeant reasoned. “North Star’s been up here surveying and holding meetings like the one last night for months now. Sure, in the beginning, folks were wary, but most of us have come to realize that this condo development is a real good thing for the town.”

“How so?” MacGyver challenged. “How is polluting our lake and taking away our woodlands a good thing?”

“Lichtman promised his company is just as concerned about the environment as we are,” Chuck pointed out.

“Plus, this project will bring in more jobs which will build a stronger economy,” Neil reasoned.

“I know,” Mac mumbled, jamming his fingers through his hair.

“Then why don’t you tell us what’s really bothering you?” Chuck prodded.

“I guess it’s the idea of losing Harry’s cabin,” MacGyver grudgingly admitted. “There are a lot of good memories in that place and I like knowing it’s always here.”

“We get that,” Neil agreed, “But you gotta think about this logically. How often do you come up here anyway? And you know that cabin is fallin’ down around you. Are you really willing to put in the time and money to keep up the old place when you could sell it and use the money for anything you wanted?”

Mac thought about how much Challengers desperately needed extra funds. Was he being selfish? Keeping a place just to know it was there for him, for when he had to run away? But there were bigger issues at stake also, he argued with himself.

“Thanks for the talk, guys. I think I’m gonna take a drive and clear my head.”

“You gonna be okay?” Chuck asked, his face full of concern.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Mac assured his friend. And he would be, once he drove out to the airport and discovered why that plane had been circling the lake earlier.

Like everything else in his hometown, the Mission City Airport had grown considerably, but he was still able to easily find the small yellow and white plane from that morning. A stocky, balding man in soiled overalls was examining the engine.

“Excuse me,” Mac called as he approached. “That your plane?”

The man looked up, “No sir, this here’s a rental, but I’m afraid it’s booked for the day. Pilot reported some engine trouble so I’m checkin’ it out before he takes it back up.”

“I’m gonna be in town for a while and might wanna take her out. Mind if I look around?” MacGyver asked casually.

“Suit yourself,” the man grunted before returning his attention to the machine.

Mac slowly strolled around the plane as if inspecting the fuselage until he came to the passenger side door. Standing on tiptoe he looked in the window and paused when his gaze fell upon a small black box tucked securely between the two front seats. After making sure the mechanic was still ignoring him, MacGyver opened the door and climbed in for a closer look. On the top of the box were a couple knobs and a small readout screen. Wanting to confirm his suspicions, he pulled out his Swiss Army knife and unscrewed the top panel to look inside. Sure enough, it was a proton magnetometer. Mac carefully re-secured the metal panel and exited the plane, heading back to chat with the mechanic.

“If you don’t mind me asking, who rented this plane for today?”

The man looked up, clearly frustrated with MacGyver’s presence. “Look buddy, I just fix ‘em. All the business takes place in the office.” Mac turned to where the man pointed with his wrench.

“Thanks a lot,” he replied cheerfully. “Maybe I’ll be seein’ ya around.” The man once again returned to his work while MacGyver walked to the rental office.

The little bell above the door jangled as Mac crossed over the threshold and strode to the counter. When no one appeared, he slipped around to the other side and found the reservation book laying open beside a computer monitor. Written in large letters under the day’s date were the words ‘North Star’. The unsettling feeling he had been having since Neil had told him about the development plans came back in full force as he quietly exited the office and headed for the 4X4.

Back in town, MacGyver walked into the library and headed for the section dedicated to the history of Mission City. Hours later he feared he would be permanently cross eyed from studying decades worth of historical data and geological maps. He longed to bounce his thoughts off his friends, but he needed more evidence before he shared his accusations against North Star Developers with Neil and Chuck.

Mac had just started a roaring fire and was about to crash on Harry’s old, thread-bare couch when there was a knock on his door. He opened it to find Arthur standing just outside, holding his metal detector.

“Hope I’m not disturbin’ ya,” the older man said in way of greeting.

“No, not at all. Please come in.”

Arthur took two steps into the room and stopped. “Harry once mentioned he had a grandson who could fix just about everything. You wouldn’t happen to be him, would ya?”

“I’m afraid so,” MacGyver chuckled. “That thing acting up on you again?”

Arthur nodded. “Durn thing keeps beeping at me wherever I go. Would ya mind takin’ a look at it?” he asked sheepishly.

“No problem. Put it on the kitchen table and let’s see what we got.”

Using his pocketknife and the few meager tools his grandfather had left behind, Mac dismantled, fiddled with, and reassembled the device.

“I can’t find anything wrong with it,” MacGyver finally sighed. “Let’s take it outside and test it.”

Arthur held a flashlight as Mac swiped the metal detector back and forth over the ground outside the cabin. He had covered a few square feet before the device squawked to life. MacGyver bent down to brush away the twigs and dried leaves from the autumn before that covered his ‘treasure’.

“Just another rock,” Arthur observed dejectedly as Mac reached for the object that had triggered the detector.

“Yeah, just a rock,” he muttered under his breath.

“Sorry to have bothered you,” he heard Arthur say.

“No problem. Maybe you should look into takin’ up a new hobby,” he suggested with a grin.

“Yeah,” the old man laughed as he headed down the path toward his home.

MacGyver sat on the couch and stared at the flames dancing in the fireplace, the rock he and Arthur had found still in the palm of his hand. The puzzle pieces were beginning to fall into place, but he didn’t like the picture they were forming. From everything he had seen, North Star Developers had been doing some serious land and aerial surveying including mineral deposit detection given the magnetometer he found in the plane. That, in itself, was standard procedure. However, the one thing that bothered him most was the extraordinary amount of money they were paying people for run down homes and cabins. And then there was Arthur, his wacky metal detector, and the rock from tonight. Was North Star really doing what he thought they were doing, or was this his psyche’s way of giving him a reason to resist selling the cabin?

Mac leaned his head against the back cushion and sighed. Up until a couple years ago, he had forgotten this place even existed. Since then, it kept pulling him back and unearthing long-forgotten memories from his childhood. This city, these woods...this was where it had all begun for him before wanderlust overtook him and he fled the small town for the far reaches of the earth. But he knew he could always come back. His roots were here and always would be. His tired, traitorous mind then strayed to thoughts of Joanna. There was no doubt she and her family had strong roots of their own. Would he be able to give her the same? He glanced at the telephone mounted on the kitchen wall. He wanted to talk to her. He needed to talk to her. But he knew he had to respect her wishes if he wanted to keep her hard-won trust. Even so, a glimmer of a plan began to take form in his mind, but he quickly squashed it. He had other things to take care of first.

Early Friday morning MacGyver drove to the nearby university and headed straight to the geology department. He knocked on the office door of the head professor.

“Is there something I can help you with?” the lanky, bespectacled man asked.

“I sure hope so,” Mac replied, quickly introducing himself. “I was doing some exploring with my metal detector around Bell Lake and it went crazy over this rock.” MacGyver pulled said rock from his jacket pocket. “I was wondering if you could examine it. See if it’s valuable.”

The man looked at him over the rim of his glasses. “I don’t get these requests very often, but I could take a look.”

Mac followed the geologist into the lab where he inspected the rock with different types of instruments. Finally he returned to where MacGyver stood waiting and gave him the information he had been looking for.

That afternoon once again found MacGyver, Neil and Chuck leaning against the glass display case in Chuck’s store.

“I’ve been doing some investigating and I think Bill Lichtman plans to do a whole lot more than build luxury condos,” Mac proclaimed.

His two friends groaned and rolled their eyes.

“Would you just stop with this nonsense, Mac?” Neil implored. “You don’t wanna sell Harry’s cabin, we get that. But don’t go making trouble where there isn’t any!”

“I’m not making this up,” MacGyver retorted. “Now just hear me out.”

Chuck and Neil sighed but gave Mac their undivided attention.

“Yesterday before I came into town I saw a small plane circling the lake. After we talked I went to check it out. Turns out it’s a rental and North Star had it booked for the entire day.”

“That’s not a crime, Mac,” Neil interrupted with a scowl.

“I know that,” MacGyver replied sarcastically. “But when I looked in the cockpit I found a portable magnetometer.”

“A what?” Neil asked.

“Think of it as a souped up metal detector. It measures the earth’s magnetic field and records the data. Geologist use them to find mineral deposits. I went to the library and did some research. This whole area of the state used to be the largest producer of iron ore in the country, but since all the high grade ore is now gone, the mining industry is turning its focus to taconite, an iron-bearing rock. North Star isn’t planning on building condos, they’re planning on stripping and mining this land!”

“Mac, that’s a pretty serious accusation you’re making,” Neil cautioned.

“I know that,” MacGyver concurred. “But it makes sense, especially when you consider how much Lichtman is paying for properties!”

“But you don’t have any solid proof!”

“I have this.” Mac held out the rock from the night before. “I found it by the cabin and took it to the university and had it examined. It contains trace amounts of taconite and if my neighbor’s metal detector is accurate, there’s a whole lot more all around the lake.”

“Sounds like he’s onto something,” Chuck observed.

“I’d have to agree,” Neil conceded.

“What all do you know about North Star Developers anyway?” Mac asked.

Neil winced, “Apparently not enough. I’m going back to the station and do some digging, no pun intended. I’ll let you know if I find anything interesting.”

MacGyver had just finished heating up some canned stew for a late supper when there was a knock on the door. He opened it only to come face-to-face with Bill Lichtman.

“How many times do I hafta tell you I’m not selling?” Mac asked, his frustration mounting.

“That’s not why I came,” Lichtman replied coldly. “I came here to get rid of something that’s in my way.” The developer reached into the front of his overcoat and pulled out a small handgun.

MacGyver instinctively put up his hands and slowly backed away as Lichtman moved forward into the cabin keeping the weapon trained on Mac’s chest.

“Hey, let’s not be hasty here,” Mac urged. “Everyone’s got their price, right? Can’t we negotiate?”

“It’s too late for that, Mr. MacGyver. I don’t have the time nor the inclination to let some environmentalist tree-hugger get in the way of my real estate project.”

“Don’t you mean your mining operation?”

The words were barely out of Mac’s mouth before two well-built men in ski masks slipped into the room, each grabbing one of MacGyver’s arms.

“Ya know, a gunshot can echo for miles up here. There’s no way you’re gonna get away with this,” Mac argued as he struggled against the men holding him.

Lichtman’s laugh sent shivers up and down MacGyver’s spine. “You think I’m that stupid? No, you’re going to die and everyone will believe it was simply a tragic accident.”

Mac watched as the developer once again reached into his overcoat. This time he pulled out a neatly folded white handkerchief and a small bottle of clear liquid he instinctively knew was chloroform. He quickly weighed his options. He could easily take out Lichtman, but the two other men were a bit more problematic. He could try and fight all three. That could be very problematic, but he was out of time. As Lichtman raised the cloth, MacGyver began to try and extricate his arms from the masked men while kicking out at the developer as well. The man on his left landed a hard karate chop to the back of Mac’s neck. His knees buckled and he slid to the floor. That was the opening Lichtman needed to press the chloroform soaked handkerchief against his mouth and nose. MacGyver held his breath until his lungs burned and he had no choice but to inhale the slightly sweet poison.

“Go ahead and toss him in the lake. Everyone will think he drown.” These were the last words Mac heard before unconsciousness claimed him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was mid-morning when Neil pulled his cruiser up in front of Chuck’s store.

“Hey Chuck, have you seen Mac around today?” he asked upon entering and finding his friend stocking shelves.

“Naw, he’s probably fishing up at the lake. Why?”

Neil rubbed his brow that had furrowed with concern. “I thought he’d be chomping at the bit to find out what I learned about North Star. You know how he is once he gets an idea in his head.”

“Yeah,” the other man chuckled. “What did you find out anyway? I mean, they’re on the up-and-up, right?”

“I wish that was the case,” Neil said, blowing out a breath. “Turns out North Star Real Estate Developers is a shell company, and ‘Bill Lichtman’ is just one of many aliases the man uses. He’s been running schemes across the country for a couple years now. There’s a federal warrant out for him so I called the FBI and they’re sending someone from the nearest field office before this yahoo can bolt again.”

“So was MacGyver right? About the mining, I mean,” Chuck asked.

“I couldn’t tell, but we’ll find out when we get Lichtman, or whoever he is, in custody.” Just then, the walkie-talkie on Neil’s police utility belt crackled to life.

“Dispatch to Sergeant Ryder.”

“This is Neil. What’s up, Betty?”

“I figured you’d want to know we just received a 911 call requesting an ambulance up at the Jackson place.”

“Thanks, Betty. I’m on my way!”

“Something must’ve happened to MacGyver!” Chuck exclaimed as he grabbed his jacket and followed Neil out the door, locking it behind him.

“We don’t know that. It could’ve been Mac who made the call, but I still wanna check it out.”

The two men piled into Neil’s cruiser and arrived at Harry’s cabin just in time to see MacGyver’s unconscious form strapped to a stretcher that was being loaded into the back of the ambulance. Neil sprang out of the car and jogged toward the emergency vehicle.

“What happened?” he demanded from one of the EMT’s.

“Won’t know for sure until we get him to the hospital. The guy over there found him lying on the shore this morning and called it in.”

“Thanks,” Neil said, clapping the EMT on the shoulder. “Take good care of him, okay?”

“You got it, Sarge.”

Once the ambulance pulled away, sirens blaring even though the road was deserted, Neil walked over to the man who had found MacGyver.

“Hey Arthur, looks like you’ve had a pretty exciting morning. Mind telling me what happened?”

The elderly man looked pale and frazzled. “I was taking my daily walk around the lake and a few yards past the old pier I found MacGyver lying face down on the rocks. His clothes were wet and there was a gash on his forehead that was bleedin’ pretty bad. When I couldn’t wake him up I called 911. What do ya think happened to him?”

“I don’t know,” Neil admitted. “Hopefully he’ll be able to tell us when he regains consciousness.” Then the police officer turned his attention to Chuck. “C’mon, let’s head for the hospital.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was dark and cold. So very cold. MacGyver clawed at the water surrounding him but his limbs were stiff and heavy. A jackhammer was going off in his head. His survival instinct told him he had to keep moving, but he was tired. Just a little further, his gut told him. He clawed some more. It felt like hours before his almost completely numb hand touched a rough rock. The shore! Fighting the exhaustion that threatened to claim him, he pulled himself out of the water and groaned as his head hit the jagged edge of a boulder and he drifted off into oblivion once more.

XXXXX

Home. MacGyver was in his childhood home watching his mother prepare the traditional Sunday pancakes for his breakfast. Harry sat at the table grumbling about the weather, but Mac didn’t care. He was safe and warm.

A cloud drifted over the scene, blocking it from view. When it passed, MacGyver stood in his houseboat. No, wait. His houseboat had burned down. He was in his apartment, but it was much larger than he recalled. More like an actual house. Joanna was there, beaming as she prepared his favorite pancake breakfast. Each of them wore a gold wedding band. She gazed lovingly at him and opened her mouth to speak, but when the words came out, it was not her voice.

“Mac. Hey Mac, can you hear me?”

He knew that voice. Had heard that voice since his childhood. He peeled one eyelid open but immediately slammed it shut as harsh, bright light assaulted him along with the antiseptic smell of what he knew was a hospital. He took deep breaths to calm the pounding in his head and reached up to touch his temple, only to feel a heavy gauze pad taped to him. Not again. He did a quick mental inventory and when the events of the past few days came flooding back he breathed a sigh of relief. At least this time he didn’t have amnesia.

“C’mon Mac. It’s me. Chuck!”

MacGyver slowly opened his eyes and looked up into the face of his friend who was leaning over the bed.

“You gave us quite a scare there, buddy,” his friend said, his voice more relaxed now.

“Yeah, tell me about it,” Mac groaned. “Where’s Neil?”

“He’s talkin’ with the FBI.”

“What?! What’s happened? How long have I been out?”

“Your neighbor found you about seven hours ago. We were hoping you could tell us the rest.”

Mac squeezed his eyes shut. “Get Neil. He needs to hear this,” he commanded weakly.

MacGyver gingerly raised the head of his hospital bed as Chuck, Neil, and the FBI agent gathered around him while he recalled his encounter with Lichtman and his thugs the previous evening. When he had finished, Neil told him what he had learned about Lichtman and North Star and the FBI agent assured everyone that the con man was in custody and currently being questioned.

“I’m sorry about what happened to you, Mr. MacGyver,” the agent said. “But if not for you refusing to give in to Lichtman he could very well still be on the loose. The government has offered a reward for his capture and I’ll see to it you get your share.”

“Thanks,” Mac mumbled as his eyelids slid closed and his head lolled to one side indicating he had fallen asleep.

XXXXX

“When can I get outta here, doc?” MacGyver asked Sunday morning as the physician examined his pupils with a bright penlight.

“Slow down, Mr. MacGyver. You haven’t even been conscious for twenty-four hours. If you continue to improve, I’ll sign your release papers first thing tomorrow. You do have someone to check on you, right?”

“Yep! I got that covered!” Chuck proclaimed as Mac glared daggers at him.

“What’d you go and say that for?!” MacGyver scolded his friend once they were alone in the room.

“Geez, take it easy,” Chuck drawled. “If you wanna get outta here, you hafta tell the doctor what he wants to hear. And trust me, I have no intention of playing nursemaid.”

The next day, Neil drove MacGyver home from the hospital.

“Are you sure you’re gonna be okay out here?” he asked.

“I’ll be fine,” Mac promised dutifully. “What’s gonna happen to all this property now that Lichtman, or whoever he is, got caught?”

Neil sighed as he guided Mac into the cabin. “That’s up to the courts and it’s a pretty complex case. I suppose some landowners will be able to opt to turn over the money they were paid and keep their places. Of course, some people have already started spending the payout they received from North Star. It’s gonna be a sticky situation.”

“No kiddin’,” MacGyver agreed as he gingerly lowered himself onto the couch. “I’m glad I don’t have to deal with it.”

“So, what’s next for you?” Neil asked.

What was next for him? It was now two weeks since Joanna had asked him to leave. Being back in his hometown had gotten him thinking.

“I think I’m gonna hang out here for a few more days before heading home. I have some plans I need to hammer out.”

Neil looked at him expectantly, but that was all Mac planned on sharing.



















Posted by: Dragondog 2 April 2020 - 01:44 AM
Before I start reading, I just want to say I really want to have a talk with Jo. I just want to be like "Answer just yes or no. Do you trust Mac With your heart? You've trusted him with your feelings over and over, and has he betrayed you? Would you trust him again? Then trust him with his own heart. If he's given his old life up for you, then you have to be enough to make that worth it. And if you trust Mac to protect and take care of you, and he has, then don't you think you can entrust him with taking care of and knowing what's best for himself? Or are you letting fear get in the way of the destiny God picked for the both of you?"

On to reading tongue.gif

Funny how it's only a day away from being today's update (different year, of course) .

As soon as Mac said he hoped the cabin would always be there, I knew what was coming XD

I somehow doubt that's just a fishhook...

I can't not laugh at Mac's "Oh no, not again" when he realized he had a head injury laugh.gif


Still in a cliffhanger, I see biggrin.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 2 April 2020 - 10:01 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 2 April 2020 - 01:44 AM)
Before I start reading, I just want to say I really want to have a talk with Jo. I just want to be like "Answer just yes or no. Do you trust Mac With your heart? You've trusted him with your feelings over and over, and has he betrayed you? Would you trust him again? Then trust him with his own heart. If he's given his old life up for you, then you have to be enough to make that worth it. And if you trust Mac to protect and take care of you, and he has, then don't you think you can entrust him with taking care of and knowing what's best for himself? Or are you letting fear get in the way of the destiny God picked for the both of you?"


I get that you're getting frustrated, but I feel I have to keep some type of tension between Mac and Jo because I think the whole thing will tank if they suddenly live happily ever after. All I can say is...keep reading!!! wink.gif

Posted by: Dragondog 2 April 2020 - 10:51 PM
QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 2 April 2020 - 01:01 PM)
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 2 April 2020 - 01:44 AM)
Before I start reading, I just want to say I really want to have a talk with Jo. I just want to be like "Answer just yes or no. Do you trust Mac With your heart? You've trusted him with your feelings over and over, and has he betrayed you? Would you trust him again? Then trust him with his own heart. If he's given his old life up for you, then you have to be enough to make that worth it. And if you trust Mac to protect and take care of you, and he has, then don't you think you can entrust him with taking care of and knowing what's best for himself?  Or are you letting fear get in the way of the destiny God picked for the both of you?"


I get that you're getting frustrated, but I feel I have to keep some type of tension between Mac and Jo because I think the whole thing will tank if they suddenly live happily ever after. All I can say is...keep reading!!! wink.gif

Hey getting frustrated with the characters is have the fun of reading tongue.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 3 April 2020 - 07:59 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 2 April 2020 - 10:51 PM)


[/QUOTE]
I get that you're getting frustrated, but I feel I have to keep some type of tension between Mac and Jo because I think the whole thing will tank if they suddenly live happily ever after. All I can say is...keep reading!!! wink.gif [/QUOTE]
Hey getting frustrated with the characters is have the fun of reading tongue.gif

Glad you feel that way!! Mac and Jo can definitely frustrate you! Heck, they frustrate each other!!

Posted by: Dragondog 4 April 2020 - 12:20 AM
QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 3 April 2020 - 10:59 AM)
[QUOTE=Dragondog,2 April 2020 - 10:51 PM]

[/QUOTE]
I get that you're getting frustrated, but I feel I have to keep some type of tension between Mac and Jo because I think the whole thing will tank if they suddenly live happily ever after. All I can say is...keep reading!!! wink.gif [/QUOTE]
Hey getting frustrated with the characters is have the fun of reading tongue.gif [/QUOTE]
Glad you feel that way!! Mac and Jo can definitely frustrate you! Heck, they frustrate each other!!

I mostly just want to pep talk her more than scold her tongue.gif

I'm kinda used to slow burn/frustrating love stories laugh.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 8 April 2020 - 04:29 PM
Chapter 44: Meanwhile...in Milwaukee

March 31, 1998

Joanna laid in bed waiting for her alarm clock to ring, her stomach roiling with dread of bumping into Tim O’Brien as well as speaking to Vice Principal Varga regarding her new contract offer. She rolled onto her side. Who was she kidding? She had been riding an emotional rollercoaster for a week now. Ever since she told MacGyver to go to Los Angeles...and he did. Why couldn’t she have kept her mouth shut and her feelings to herself? Time and again Mac had proved his commitment to her. But she had to keep pushing. Pushing for constant reassurance that this was what he truly wanted. She wouldn’t blame him if he changed his mind about marrying her. Perhaps, in the end, she was the one with commitment issues. Maybe, contrary to what she had always assumed, it was her, not him, who wasn’t cut out for marriage. Oh, what cruel irony! Would she ever be able to allow the last of her barriers to fall and willingly invite him completely into her life, never doubting the bond of love between them? Or was she fated to live out her days alone, mourning a love she, and she alone, denied herself? The clock began to buzz and she sent it an evil glare before silencing it and throwing off the bed covers while chiding herself for sounding like some forlorn creature in a Jane Austen novel. She would do what she had always done before MacGyver came into her life. She would put one foot in front of the other, doing what she had to do to get through the day and then do it all over again tomorrow, ignoring the constant ache of emptiness in the vicinity of her heart.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she survived the first half of the school day without running into Tim. She had been so foolish this past weekend. Perhaps he was avoiding her as much as she was avoiding him? A girl could only hope! During her lunch break she knocked on Mrs. Varga’s door and was invited in.

“I’m glad you dropped in, Joanna,” the vice principal greeted her. “How was your weekend?”

“It was good. Really interesting,” Jo offered. She had learned a long time ago that the word ‘interesting’ could carry myriad connotations to accurately describe just about any event. “But I came to discuss my contract with you.”

“I was hoping that’s why you were here,” the older woman smiled and Joanna felt her stomach turn into a lead weight.

“When I agreed to take the full time position this semester, I did so with the understanding that it was only temporary. When I started working at Challengers, I promised I would work there full time during the summer and part time during the school year while still working here part time. I would like to continue to honor that original agreement.” Jo bit her bottom lip as she awaited a reply.

“I must admit I’m disappointed,” Mrs. Varga confessed. “You are a wonderful teacher and Lincoln High would benefit greatly if you signed on full time. However, I must commend you on your loyalty to your previous obligation with Challengers. I’ll have a new, part time contract drawn up and you can sign it at the end of the week.”

After thanking the vice principal, Joanna headed back to her classroom feeling as if a great burden had been lifted from her. By sending Mac away, it became her responsibility to step up to her duties at Challengers, especially since their continued funding depended on implementing new and creative programs. Lost in thought, she came within a hair’s breadth of brushing against Tim O’Brien’s shoulder as he passed her going in the opposite direction. A tight smile and barely-there nod was all the acknowledgement he gave her. And she was just fine with that.

Joanna barely waited until the students cleared the building at the end of the day before making her own escape. She was anxious to get to Challengers given her lack of assistance these past few weeks. Getting into her car, she turned on her cell phone out of routine. Her heart began to beat double time when she saw the tiny icon indicating she had a voice message. Everything had happened so fast between her and MacGyver that they never talked about when or if they would contact each other. Had he reached out to her? She punched in her password with trembling fingers and felt a pang of disappointment when she heard the familiar voice of Rebecca Williams asking her to please return the call but not giving any further details. Most likely the young woman was wanting to once again get Jo’s advice on how to deal with her crumbling relationship with Sam. However, Jo was in no position to give advice when her own love life was in shambles. She sighed heavily, knowing she had to call Becca but dreading the conversation. With a fortifying breath, she hit the speed dial button she had designated for her friend.

“Hello?”

“Hi Becca, it’s Joanna. I just got your message. What’s up?”

“My editor just assigned me a new story and I was wondering if I could come up to Milwaukee to work on it. I could really use your help.”

Okay, she had piqued Jo’s interest. “Sure, what’s the story about?”

“It’s kinda weird. I’ll explain everything when I see you. Can you pick me up at the train station tomorrow evening at seven?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Thanks Jo. I really appreciate this. I’ll call if anything changes.” The line went dead.

Joanna tried to put the odd conversation behind her as she entered Challengers and was greeted by a cheerful Rosie Garcia. She returned the greeting and headed towards her office, passing MacGyver’s on the way. She was taken aback to see Cynthia seated at the desk, head lowered in concentration. She shouldn’t be surprised to see the woman in there, especially since she planned to suggest that Cynthia now occupy it permanently with Mac gone. Another reminder of what she had to put behind her. Before she lost her nerve, she picked up her phone and called Lee Vang. His law firm had been growing and she needed his help. After briefly explaining her situation, he promised he would take care of the details and have something for her to sign in a few days. She blew out a breath as her head dropped into her hands.

XXXXX

Joanna arrived at the Amtrak station shortly before seven the following evening and waited on the platform where the Hiawatha commuter line would deposit its passengers. It wasn’t long before the train glided to a stop and Becca disembarked, wearing a backpack and carrying a tattered suitcase.

“I’m so glad you came,” Becca said as she set down her luggage and embraced Jo in a warm, friendly hug. “I hope I’m not too much of an imposition.”

“Never!” Joanna gently scolded. “Though I keep forgetting you don’t have a car.”

Rebecca looked away shyly. “I don’t really need one in the city. I can either walk or take the train to anyplace I need to go.”

“Makes sense,” Jo agreed. “But what about Cip? Is Sam watching him for you?”

“A colleague of mine at the Tribune has a home in the suburbs with a big fenced in yard and she loves dogs so she agreed to take him in while I’m gone. After staying at a place like that he’ll probably hate going back to my dingy apartment.” Becca dipped her head so her long brunette hair formed a curtain that covered her face from view.

“First of all, your place is not dingy,” Joanna told her firmly. “And secondly, your Cip’s mom. He knows that and just wants to be wherever you are.”

By now the two women had reached Jo’s car. They tossed Becca’s belongings in the Chevy’s trunk before Joanna slid behind the wheel.

“Since Mac’s gone you can stay at his place,” Jo said, handing her friend a set of keys. “One is to the apartment and the other is to the Jeep. I figured you’d need a car since you came by train.”

“Are you sure Mac won’t mind?” Becca asked, reaching hesitantly for the offered keys.

Joanna thought about the times Penny and Jack had stayed at the apartment and borrowed Mac’s Jeep. “I’m positive.”

“When is he coming back?”

Jo fervently wished people would stop asking that question, but she supposed it was only natural.

“I don’t know. Probably not for a while. Hasn’t he been in touch with Sam?”

Joanna grimaced the moment the question left her lips. She had convinced herself that he was out of her life and didn’t matter anymore, yet here she was, asking about him.

Becca shook her head. “He called last week to say he was going to L.A. to visit Jack but that’s the last I heard.”

“How are you and Sam doing?” Jo asked, steering the conversation away from herself. Ah, Sam. Though an adult himself, she’d never forget how happy he was when he discovered she was going to officially become his stepmother. Now, that never could be. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and gave Rebecca her undivided attention.

“We haven’t seen a whole lot of each other,” the younger woman admitted with a shrug. “You know, we’ve both been busy and stuff.”

“Yeah, I know,” Joanna replied with a sad smile.

Once Becca was settled in Mac’s townhouse, Jo plopped down on the couch next to her.

“Now tell me. What’s this assignment all about and how can I help.”

Though not a professional writer, Joanna had taken a journalism course and had been a reporter on her high school newspaper. Coupled with being an English teacher, she was secretly hoping to try her hand at some amateur reporting.

“My editor wants me to do a story about my computer dating experiences,” Becca answered, not meeting Jo’s eyes.

“You signed up for a computer dating service?” Joanna asked, trying to keep her voice as normal as possible despite her shock.

Rebecca shook her head vigorously. “Oh, no! But he wants me to join this site on the internet where you write up a profile about yourself and e-mail back and forth with guys who are interested and even meet in person if you want.”

“No offense, but that kinda sounds like a fluff piece. I thought you were an investigative reporter?”

“I was...am...and it is a fluff piece,” Becca admitted. “And before you ask, I totally messed up a big story I was on ‘cause I was distracted by...I was distracted.”

Jo quickly surmised that Becca had allowed her troubles with Sam to interfere with her work. “So what do you need me to do?”

“I was hoping you could put up a profile, too, and that way I could write about both our experiences. I mean, if Mac wouldn’t mind. It would just be pretend.”

Apparently MacGyver hadn’t said anything about their breakup. “Mac won’t mind,” Joanna said flatly. “But this doesn’t sound like my kinda thing.” Scratch that. This was absolutely, positively not her thing! After the debacle over the weekend with Tim and long lonely nights that followed, she knew the only man for her was MacGyver, but she had single-handedly shattered their relationship. No man could ever make her feel the way he had so why even bother to try and find someone new?

“Oh please!” Rebecca suddenly begged, grabbing Jo’s arm. “I don’t expect many, if any, guys to respond to my profile, but you’d get tons!”

Joanna’s jaw dropped. Apparently the young reporter had no idea that Jo’s experience with men was as non-existent as hers.

“Please?” Becca repeated sheepishly.

“Oh, all right,” Jo sighed. “What can it hurt?”

“Terrific! When do you want to get started?”

Joanna glanced at her watch. “It’s getting late and I have work tomorrow. Why don’t you help out at Challengers until I get out of school and then I’ll meet you at the club and we can work on it there?”

“That’s perfect! Thank you so much!” Becca exclaimed as she squeezed Joanna in a big hug.

Thursday afternoon, Jo hurried over to Challengers after school. She found Becca in a corner cuddling Frog.

“I didn’t think I’d miss Cip this much already,” the younger woman said, looking up guiltily. “I had trouble sleeping last night without him around.”

“Why don’t you take Frog back to the townhouse later,” Joanna suggested as she reached down to ruffle his ear. “All the attention he gets around here gets in the way of his beauty sleep.”

“That’s a great idea! Thank you!” Becca exclaimed and Jo once again found herself in the young woman’s solid embrace.

“No problem,” Joanna smiled as she extricated herself from the hug. “C’mon in my office. I had Rosie set up an extra computer in there so we could work together.” Becca beamed as they walked down the hall.

Once the two women had carefully typed in the web address Rebecca’s editor had given her and provided all the basic information requested in order to become a member of the on-line dating site, Jo sat staring at the cursor blinking in the little box where she had been instructed to describe herself. Her brain froze and her command of the English language slid into oblivion. Her first attempt read like a resume. Her second sounded like an obituary.

“Let’s see what each other wrote,” Becca urged as Joanna completed her third attempt. She turned the screen and her friend’s face scrunched as she read the short paragraph.

“That makes you sound old and boring!” Rebecca protested.

“Maybe I am old and boring!” Joanna couldn’t help but laugh. “Let me see yours.”

Jo studied the self-description Becca had composed and bit her lip. “This doesn’t sound a thing like you,” she observed.

Becca slouched and looked down at the floor before quickly rallying. “I have an idea! I’ll write your description and you can write mine!”

Joanna glanced at her friend skeptically before agreeing. After all, sacrifices had to be made in the name of journalistic integrity. With that step successfully completed, they came to the part that asked them to describe their ideal mate. Both started typing without any hesitation.

“Okay, let me see what ya got,” Jo demanded. Her face fell as she read what Becca had written. “You know you just described Sam, don’t you?”

The young woman nodded sadly as she bent over Joanna’s computer. “And you described Mac perfectly,” she pointed out.

They simultaneously heaved a sigh. “Maybe we should be a little more flexible about what we’re looking for,” Jo offered. “I mean, the whole idea is to get guys to talk to us, right?”

“Right,” Becca echoed as they each returned to their own console, deleted their detailed list of the perfect man and replaced it with a general description just about any guy could relate to.

“Now what?” Jo asked.

Becca shrugged. “I guess we just sit and wait for messages.”

The following day was Friday. Joanna stepped into Mrs. Varga’s office right after school to sign her contract for the upcoming year.

“Are you sure you won’t reconsider?” the vice principal practically pleaded.

“I’m sure,” Jo replied with a tight smile. She had one more stop to make before heading to Challengers.

A few minutes later she entered the law office of Lee Vang and his associates. He offered Joanna a seat before pulling out a form in quadruplicate full of legalize. He began to go over the information when she put out her hand to stop him.

“You don’t have to waste your time. I trust that everything is in order. Just show me where to sign.” The sooner she got this over with the better.

“Are you sure this is want you want?” he asked, his voice full of concern.

Jo nodded firmly and scrawled her signature on the bottom line. “It’s what needs to be done,” she assured him, sealing her fate.

When Joanna finally arrived at Challengers, it was to find Rebecca pacing back and forth in their now shared office. The poor girl was literally wringing her hands.

“Becca, what’s wrong?!” she asked, quickly closing the door behind her.

“Thank goodness you’re here! I don’t know what to do!”

“What is it? What’s happened?” Jo demanded.

“First thing this morning I checked the dating website to see if I had gotten any responses, and there was a message from this guy. We’ve been messaging back and forth through the site all day and he seems really nice, but now he wants to meet me this weekend!”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Joanna asked. “It’ll make for a great story.”

“I know! I just didn’t expect someone to actually want to go out with me! Oh, this is all happening so fast!”

While Becca had been talking, Jo had been thinking. She wanted her friend to write a good article, but she also hated to see her so upset.

“Calm down,” she instructed. “I might have an idea, but first I need to see if any guys wrote to me.”

Joanna logged onto the dating site and gasped when the little envelope icon indicated she had ten messages. She clicked to open her mailbox and read the responses. Soon Becca was peering over her shoulder, reading along. Some of the messages caused them to groan in disgust while others made them giggle, but none of them really appealed to Jo.

“When is the deadline for your story?” Joanna asked.

“My editor wants it on his desk by the end of next week.”

“That doesn’t give you a lot of time.”

“I know,” Becca moaned.

Jo quickly glanced through her messages again. “This guy doesn’t sound too bad,” she said, pointing to the screen.

“You’re not seriously thinking of asking to meet him, are you?” Becca gaped.

“On one condition,” Joanna responded with a sly smile.

Rebecca’s eyes grew wide. “Oh! You want us to go on a double date!”

“Not exactly.” Jo grimaced as she watched her friend’s face fall. “I don’t think the guys would care for that, but we can arrange to be at the same place at the same time,” she explained. “What do you say?”

“I say it’s a great idea!” Becca replied with a full-fledged smile. “And this way I’ll have two experiences to write about!”

Through a series of electronic messages, it was decided that the dates would be pizza and then a play at a local college Saturday night. Becca drove to Joanna’s house where the two women got ready.

“You’re not gonna wear that, are you?” Rebecca asked looking pointedly at Joanna’s engagement ring.

Jo forced a chuckle. “I guess that would look kinda weird,” she agreed, slowly pulling off the gold and diamond band and reverently placing it on her dresser.

“Now you’re sure Mac’s okay with this?”

“I’m sure,” Joanna replied flatly. “What about Sam?”

“Pfft! Like he cares what I do!” Unfortunately, the sheen in her eyes belied her carefree words.

Arriving at the restaurant, Jo and Rebecca parked their respective vehicles several spaces apart and entered through different doors. Joanna easily recognized her date from his picture on the dating site and greeted him cordially before the hostess led them to their table. A few minutes later, Jo watched as Becca directed the same hostess to seat her and her date at a booth just across the way. When the waiter approached to take their order, Joanna’s heart twisted as the man across from her asked for pineapple on his half of the pizza. That had always been Mac’s signature topping when they first started getting to know each other. At times she swore he ordered it just to see her reaction. When she finished her last bite of dinner, she heard Becca’s laugh and looked to see her and her date both leaning forward, sharing a dessert.

“Can I get you anything else?” the waiter asked.

“No,” Jo replied quickly. “We need to get going or we’ll miss the opening curtain,” she explained to her date.

They all took separate cars to the college’s small theater and Joanna froze when she saw the poster advertising the production they were about to see: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Her heart raced and her hands turned cold as she spent the next two and a half hours sitting beside a man she barely knew watching the very same play she had seen with MacGyver and had starred Penny Parker. Unbidden thoughts of her and Mac kissing in the last row assaulted her until she excused herself and hurried to the restroom hoping to regain her composure. When she returned to her seat, her date appeared concerned, asked if she was feeling ill and if she would like to leave. Though she declined his offer since she had promised to be there for Becca, she had to give him points for thoughtfulness. When the actors had taken their final bow and the house lights came on, her date escorted her to her car, giving her a chaste peck on the cheek before heading toward his own vehicle. Nothing was said to indicate they would ever see each other again. Jo had just slid into the driver’s seat when her cell phone trilled. It was Becca.

“Come on over tomorrow afternoon and we’ll compare notes?” Her friend’s voice sounded as listless as Jo felt.

“Sounds good,” she confirmed, before starting her car and heading home.

XXXXX

The following day Joanna pulled her car into the driveway beside Mac’s Jeep. She noticed a strange truck parked out front just as the front door to Charlie’s half of the duplex opened and a young couple emerged and shook hands with a man she had come to recognize as the real estate agent. Apparently the house was still on the market. Becca met Joanna at the threshold with a glass of iced tea. Though not her beverage of choice, she accepted the cold drink and took a sip before stowing her purse and jacket and settling on the couch. As usual, Frog was napping under the coffee table. Becca soon plopped down on the other end of the couch, pencil and notebook in hand.

“So tell me everything,” she directed.

Joanna did her best to relay, in detail, the events of her date the night before. Unfortunately, there was precious little to tell.

“Sounds kinda dull,” Becca observed. Joanna had to agree. The irony was that she and Mac had gone on the exact same date about a year ago and it had been anything but dull.

“What about you?” Jo asked, attempting to change the conversation. “Did you have a good time?” If Becca’s laughter in the restaurant was any indication, she had had an enjoyable evening.

“It was fine.”

“Just ‘fine’?”

“Well, I mean, he was nice and all. Really cute and fun to talk to, but he just wasn’t--” Becca slammed her mouth closed and stared at the notes in front of her.

“He just wasn’t Sam,” Joanna concluded softly.

Rebecca nodded, tears now sliding freely down her cheeks. She didn’t even try to wipe them away.

“I love him, Jo! I love him so much!” she sobbed. “But he doesn’t think I know what love is. He doesn’t know how wrong he is!” she hiccupped.

“Who was it?” Joanna asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

“Huh?” Becca looked up, eyes already red and slightly swollen.

“Your first love. Who was he?”

Rebecca stayed silent for several moments as if pondering the question and Jo was afraid she wouldn’t answer it. Of course, that was her prerogative, but Joanna couldn’t help but feel it was an important story for her to tell. Finally the younger woman broke the silence that hung heavy in the room.

“It was when I was back in Santa Barbara. Remember when I told you I worked as a secretary at the police department and sometimes helped out the detectives?” Jo nodded but did not speak. “Well, he was one of the detectives. His name was Carlton. That’s why I spell Cip’s name the way I do. The “C” is for him. Anyway, when we first met he came off as being kinda surly and had a reputation for not having much of a sense of humor. But it didn’t take long before I realized there was a lot more to him...he was just hiding it. He was significantly older than me and divorced. He really freaked out when he discovered how young I was.” Becca stopped and studied her fingernails, absently picking at the cuticle. “I was nineteen and he was my first kiss. The first guy I ever really loved.”

“What happened?” Joanna asked quietly.

“Everything was great for a while. We got in a nice routine and would banter back and forth, especially at work. But then, I don’t know. Stuff happened. We both got busy. I was juggling work and school. It sounds cliché, but I guess we just grew apart.”

“I take it you never told Sam any of this.”

Becca shook her head.

“Maybe you should.”

Joanna didn’t know how long they sat there, not saying a word, but the next thing she knew the room was swathed in twilight from the setting sun. Frog’s toenails clicked on the wooden kitchen floor as he most likely searched for his supper. Jo was about to push herself off the couch when Becca asked the question she had been hoping to avoid.

“There’s something going on between Mac and you, isn’t there? Something bad.”

“Is it that obvious?” Jo asked.

Becca shrugged. “Probably only to me. I tend to pick up on stuff like that. Like the way you took your ring off before your date. As if you may not ever put it back on again. And when you talk about him your voice is emotionless.”

Joanna sank back onto the cushions and sighed. “Considering everything you just told me, I suppose you deserve to know. But this has to stay between you and me, okay?”

Rebecca nodded vigorously and turned to face her friend.

“I told Mac to go to L.A. so we could have some time and space to reevaluate our relationship. I needed to figure out how I fit in his life and I’ve decided I don’t.”

“Oh no, Joanna!” Becca cried. “You and Mac were made for each other!”

“It might look like that to you,” Jo replied sadly. “But I’m not the kind of girl he needs. I had to make him realize that...make myself realize that...before it was too late.”

Becca’s eyes were filled with anguish. “Are you saying you’re...you mean you’re not…?” She couldn’t say the words aloud and neither could Jo.

“Yeah. But please don’t tell Sam. Mac will tell him when the time is right.”

Both women sat in silence until Rebecca spoke softly. “I plan on taking the train back to Chicago tomorrow afternoon. Do you think you could drive me to the station?”

“Sure,” Jo confirmed, a lump in her throat.

XXXXX

Joanna hurried home from work Monday afternoon. Once upstairs, she pulled a wrinkled slip of paper from her wallet before crouching on the floor and pulling out a long, rectangular white box from underneath her bed. Despite her best effort, she couldn’t resist taking the top off and running her hands over the smooth, expensive fabric of what would have been her wedding dress. She felt oddly numb and incredibly empty as she gathered up the parcel and headed back out.

Jo picked Rebecca up at the townhouse and drove her to the train station. There was little conversation between them. Joanna found a parking space and popped her trunk. Becca eyed her questioningly as she lifted the large white box out of the trunk, the receipt taped to the top.

“I was wondering if you could do me a huge favor and return this for me?” Joanna knew Becca knew what was in the box so she provided no further explanation. “Just make sure Sam doesn’t know.”

Becca hugged her friend close, tears gathering in her eyes. “Are you sure you want to do this? It makes everything seem so...so final!”

“It’s what needs to be,” Jo stated, taking a step back.

Rebecca slung her backpack over her shoulder, tucked the package under her arm and lifted her suitcase with the other before wordlessly heading toward the boarding platform.

Joanna watched her friend walk away before turning back to her car. She slammed the trunk closed and felt as though she was slamming closed a chapter in her life. A very wonderful, but not meant to be, chapter.










Posted by: Dragondog 9 April 2020 - 01:45 AM
I like the chapter title laugh.gif

Jo is as dramatic as I am. And then she tells herself not to be. Just like me laugh.gif (There's actually a Tumblr post about that somewhere, but it's too much hassle to dig up XD)

Does Jo not realize Mac's coming back? I get that she might think he won't return to her, but does she really think he just up and abandoned Challenger's, Frog, his landlord, etc? Planning to have Cynthia take over Mac's office is a stretch, in my opinion.

I have a bad feeling about her calling Lee Vang...

QUOTE
Since Mac’s gone you can stay at his place,” Jo said, handing her friend a set of keys. “One is to the apartment and the other is to the Jeep. I figured you’d need a car since you came by train.”
Jo: speaking on Mac's behalf despite also trying to eliminate him from her life (I watched a lot of CinemaSins over the last couple days, so I'm in a tongue-in-cheek, critical mood laugh.gif )

QUOTE
Joanna’s jaw dropped. Apparently the young reporter had no idea that Jo’s experience with men was as non-existent as hers.
I understand Jo all too well roller.gif

QUOTE
Jo sat staring at the cursor blinking in the little box where she had been instructed to describe herself. Her brain froze and her command of the English language slid into oblivion. Her first attempt read like a resume. Her second sounded like an obituary
Oh, so relatable...

QUOTE
What about you?” Jo asked, attempting to change the conversation. “Did you have a good time?” If Becca’s laughter in the restaurant was any indication, she had had an enjoyable evening.

“It was fine.”

“Just ‘fine’?”

“Well, I mean, he was nice and all. Really cute and fun to talk to, but he just wasn’t--” Becca slammed her mouth closed and stared at the notes in front of her.

“He just wasn’t Sam,” Joanna concluded softly.

Rebecca nodded, tears now sliding freely down her cheeks. She didn’t even try to wipe them away.

“I love him, Jo! I love him so much!” she sobbed. “But he doesn’t think I know what love is. He doesn’t know how wrong he is!” she hiccupped.
Yup, there goes my heart. (Also, quoting really is hard on this thing XD)

I suspect Becca won't be returning that dress for her XD

Posted by: uniquelyjas 9 April 2020 - 08:18 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 9 April 2020 - 01:45 AM)


Does Jo not realize Mac's coming back? I get that she might think he won't return to her, but does she really think he just up and abandoned Challenger's, Frog, his landlord, etc? Planning to have Cynthia take over Mac's office is a stretch, in my opinion.


At this point, I really think Jo HAS talked herself into that belief. I think she is afraid to trust that he'll return and is basically preparing for the worst. To you and me she may sound misguided, but she pretty much believes this at this point...she's allowing her heart and fears to guide her.

Posted by: Dragondog 10 April 2020 - 01:29 AM
QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 9 April 2020 - 11:18 AM)
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 9 April 2020 - 01:45 AM)


Does Jo not realize Mac's coming back? I get that she might think he won't return to her, but does she really think he just up and abandoned Challenger's, Frog, his landlord, etc? Planning to have Cynthia take over Mac's office is a stretch, in my opinion.


At this point, I really think Jo HAS talked herself into that belief. I think she is afraid to trust that he'll return and is basically preparing for the worst. To you and me she may sound misguided, but she pretty much believes this at this point...she's allowing her heart and fears to guide her.

I'm just sad for her now. I kinda think both she and Mac could use some therapy. Not just for this situation, but they've been through a lot, so it might do both if them some good. I've had it before, so I'm not just dropping it out there or anything

Posted by: uniquelyjas 10 April 2020 - 04:23 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 10 April 2020 - 01:29 AM)

[/QUOTE]
At this point, I really think Jo HAS talked herself into that belief. I think she is afraid to trust that he'll return and is basically preparing for the worst. To you and me she may sound misguided, but she pretty much believes this at this point...she's allowing her heart and fears to guide her. [/QUOTE]
I'm just sad for her now. I kinda think both she and Mac could use some therapy. Not just for this situation, but they've been through a lot, so it might do both if them some good. I've had it before, so I'm not just dropping it out there or anything

When they both get out of their own heads they'll be ok. One of the reasons I have Jo going through this is because I didn't want to make Mac the bad guy (again!) in not being able to commit.

Posted by: Dragondog 11 April 2020 - 12:32 AM
It's definitely a unique take, that's for sure happy.gif Looking forward to the next part wink.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 15 April 2020 - 10:08 AM
Chapter 45: Secrets Shared

Rebecca quickly found a seat on the train, balancing the awkward package on her lap and absently stroking its lid as she watched Joanna slam her trunk closed before getting into her car. Becca’s heart ached for her friend. There must be something she could do to make Jo see that her and MacGyver were destined to be together, but what? Worse, she had promised Joanna she would keep her secret and Becca never betrayed a friend.

The return trip to Chicago seemed to take twice as long, and by the time the train screeched to a stop beside the platform, Becca was exhausted. She hailed a cab, a luxury she rarely afforded herself, but she did not feel like dealing with riding The El, especially at this time of night and with arms full of luggage. The first thing she did upon arriving at her apartment was call her friend and arrange to have Cip brought home first thing tomorrow morning. She was placing the receiver back into the cradle when she noticed the light on her answering machine blinking indicating she had a message. Her heart leapt. Could it be? No one else ever called. It was with an odd mixture of relief and disappointment that Becca listened to the grainy recording of Connie Thornton’s voice inviting her to a party that Friday in honor of Pete finally getting his cast removed. During the time that she had known them, the couple had become like surrogate parents to her. But how could she go and have a good time when she knew Sam would certainly be there as well, and maybe not alone.

The following morning Becca slipped into her cubicle, but not before feeling Sam Malloy’s eyes on her.

“Where have you been?!” he demanded sharply.

His unexpected outburst startled her and she visibly jumped. “None of your business!” she shot back.

“C’mon Becca, don’t be like that.” He gentled his tone.

Rebecca turned to face him, putting a hand on her hip. “I’m surprised you even noticed I was gone, what with all your dates and everything!” she spat.

“Of course I noticed,” he said. “I was worried sick!”

“You could’ve called if you were so concerned,” Becca retorted, venom in her usually sweet voice.

“I know,” he replied, running a hand through his hair as she had so often seen his father do when he was upset or frustrated. “But after I thought about it I figured you probably just wanted some time alone.”

Rebecca straightened her spine and composed herself before responding. “If you must know, I went to Milwaukee to work on a story I was assigned. I needed Joanna to help out with some research.”

“What about my dad?” Sam asked.

“What about him?” Becca queried in return, all wide-eyed innocence.

“Was he there?”

“No, but Jo let me stay in his apartment,” she replied flippantly.

Sam’s gaze found the floor and his annoyance with Rebecca quickly morphed into concern for his dad. “I haven’t heard from him since he left for Los Angeles and he’s not answering my calls. It’s not like him to stay away this long, especially now that he has Challengers.”

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Becca assured him. “He probably just needed a vacation.”

She stood with her arms crossed in front of her, chewing her lip, and hoping against hope that Sam didn’t question her further about MacGyver’s absence.

“Are you going to Pete’s party on Friday?” she asked, eager to change the subject.

“Yeah, sure. Aren’t you?”

Becca shrugged. “Maybe. If I don’t have other plans.”

“You know they consider you family. They’ll miss you if you don’t show. We can drive over together.”

“You mean you’re not bringing a date?”

Sam rolled his eyes. “No. I’m not bringing a date. Be ready by six.”

XXXXX

Wednesday morning Rebecca arrived at work before anyone else...or so she thought. A pineapple Slurpee, still cold, sat in the middle of her desk. Her lips formed a small smile of their own accord. A peace offering from Sam who was nowhere to be found. This proved to become a pattern over the next couple days. Not only did Sam woo her with her favorite beverage, but she would often look up from her work to find him staring at her. Sometimes he would quickly turn away, but other times he allowed his gaze to linger. She found herself doing the same and wondered if the old adage was true. Perhaps absence really did make the heart grow fonder.

Friday afternoon, Rebecca left work early to get ready for Pete’s party. She put on a pair of her best jeans and her softest oversized sweater. Her hands shook as she attempted to apply a meager amount of rarely used make-up. Her stomach dipped when Sam rang her doorbell promptly at six o’clock. They drove over to the Thornton’s in relative, albeit comfortable, silence. A weak electrical charge seemed to stretch between them, but neither dared broach the subject of their fractured relationship. It had been about a month since the pair had argued about Sam’s supposed dinner-date with a colleague and Becca’s lack of experience with the opposite sex yet neither seemed inclined to bring the subject out in the open.

Once the foursome had consumed Connie’s scrumptious homemade dinner, the matriarch shooed Sam and a still-limping Pete out of the kitchen while she and Becca cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher.

“So, when are you going to tell me what’s going on between you and Sam?” Connie asked as casually as if she was commenting on the weather.

“What do you mean?” Rebecca replied innocently.

Connie sighed and leveled a look that would put Becca’s mom to shame. “For the last several weeks, whenever Sam comes over he’s always alone, and rather broody I might add. And whenever Pete or I ask about you he always gives a vague response. I can only assume you two had a lover’s quarrel. I’m here to listen if you want to talk about it.”

But Becca didn’t want to talk about it. At least that’s what she told herself. Being around Sam these past few days had been sweet torture. Her yearning for him continued to grow, but nothing could ever come of it. He would always find her lacking. A stray tear trickled down her cheek. Connie, astute as ever, whipped out a tissue and handed it to her.

“Talk,” the older woman commanded. And Rebecca talked. She talked about the argument she and Sam had had. She talked about the phone calls to MacGyver and Joanna. She talked about Santa Barbara.

“Have you told Sam about this?” Connie asked gently.

Becca shook her head.

“Don’t you think he deserves to know?”

“That’s the same thing Joanna said, but it shouldn’t matter,” Becca mumbled.

“You’re right. In a perfect world it shouldn’t matter,” Connie remarked. “But this is an imperfect world with imperfect people. Talk to him, Becca.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“She’s drivin’ me nuts, Pete! She still won’t talk to me and I don’t know what to do about it!”

Pete chuckled as he repositioned himself in his recliner. “Ah, young love!”

“It’s not funny,” Sam grumbled.

“I’m sorry,” Pete said. “But don’t you think this is something you should be discussing with your father?”

“I’m trying, but he won’t answer my calls anymore! All he said is that I should apologize even if I didn’t do anything wrong!”

“That’s sound advice. Perhaps Mac is finally starting to understand women after all,” Pete mused.

“I should never have gone out to dinner with Susan,” Sam moaned.

“Ah, so she has a name.”

“It was no big deal!” Sam exclaimed, utterly frustrated with this whole chain of events. “We had both worked late and were hungry. I don’t need Becca’s permission to have a meal with a friend!”

“Is that what this is really all about?” Pete inquired.

“No,” Sam ground out, hanging his head so his dark bangs fell in his face. “We started fighting and some things got said that probably shouldn’t have.”

Pete’s eyebrows rose but he remained silent.

“Fine,” Sam sighed. “I said some things to Becca I shouldn’t have.”

“Did you try and apologize?”

“Not really,” Sam reluctantly admitted.

“You might wanna give it a shot,” Pete suggested.

Before Sam could reply, Connie breezed into the room carrying a gaily decorated chocolate cake as Becca followed behind with plates and plastic forks.

“Is everyone ready for dessert?” Pete’s wife asked cheerfully and was greeted with eager nods. Suddenly, she paused in the middle of cutting the cake and frowned. “Oh no! I forgot to get ice cream!”

Pete sent a sightless eye-roll in her direction. “I’ve been doing nothing but sitting in this chair for the past six weeks. The doctor said I gained ten pounds! We don’t need ice cream!”

“Nonsense, Peter! We can’t have cake without ice cream! Perhaps Sam and Becca wouldn’t mind running to the store and picking some up.”

“Connie…” her husband warned.

“I don’t mind. I’ll go,” Sam replied. “Becca, you wanna ride along?”

The poor girl looked like a deer caught in headlights. He belatedly regretted putting her on the spot like that.

“Sure,” she agreed with a half-hearted shrug.

A few minutes later Sam pulled into the grocery store parking lot. He turned off the ignition but instead of opening the door he turned to Becca.

“You know Connie set this up, right?” Sam asked.

“Yeah,” Becca replied. “I like her a lot but sometimes she’s not very subtle. You know you didn’t have to bring me along if you didn’t want to.”

“I wanted to. You didn’t have to come.”

“I wanted to,” Becca said shyly.

Sam’s heart flopped in his chest. It was now or never. “I’m really sorry for the things I said to you. I don’t blame you for getting upset with me. It’s just that I felt like things were happening pretty fast and I guess it scared me a little. Now I know how my dad must’ve felt about relationships when he was my age.”

“Have you been dating other women?” Becca asked, eyes downcast.

“I went out to dinner with a couple, but I didn’t enjoy it,” Sam confessed. “What about you?”

“I got assigned to do a story on computer dating. I ended up meeting a guy.” Rebecca finally looked up and caught his eye. “I didn’t enjoy it either. He wasn’t you.”

Sam felt immensely relieved, but one thing still niggled at him. “I was wrong to accuse you of not knowing your feelings for me.”

“Yeah, you were,” Becca agreed, surprising him with her candor. “I need to tell you about someone I met when I moved to Santa Barbara. His name was Carlton…”

By the time Rebecca finished her story, Sam’s heart hurt for her. In his fear and frustration he had erroneously assumed that Becca had been unscathed by love’s wrath. Knowing differently only made him admire her more. She was the most giving, genuine, gentle person he had ever met. She was also intelligent, stubborn, courageous, and always willing to stand up for what she believed in. And she had taken a chance by opening her heart to him. He was indeed humbled.

“Becca,” he began, his voice raspy with emotion, “I’m so sorry I ever questioned your feelings for me and even more sorry that I felt the need to run from them. Do you think you can forgive me?”

“I might be persuaded to,” she drawled, and Sam mentally added ‘sassy’ to the list of things he loved about her. He slowly leaned over the center console and was delighted when he she met him half-way. In the semi-darkness of the parking lot they shared the sweetest kiss he had ever known.

“Well it took you long enough!” Pete complained when Becca and Sam returned with the ice cream. “What’d you do? Make it yourself?”

The couple glanced at Connie who sent them a knowing smile before turning on her husband. “Peter!”

“I’m sorry,” he sighed, absently massaging his healing leg. “Guess my first physical therapy session took more outta me than I thought. Let’s cut that cake!”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The rest of the evening passed quickly and before she knew it Sam was escorting Becca to her apartment door.

“Would you like to come in?” she asked shyly, not quite sure what she wanted his answer to be. Sam’s apology and the kiss they had shared in his car had really muddled her brain.

“I would,” he replied with a sincerity she hadn’t heard before.

As soon as Becca opened the door, Cip came bounding down the hall to greet them, welcoming Sam with a wiggling behind and slobbery doggy kisses.

“Hey buddy! I’ve missed ya!” Sam told the dog as he bent to ruffle the mutt’s ears.

Cip wasn’t the only one who had missed Sam. Becca had missed him immensely though she didn’t allow herself to realize that until tonight.

“Can I get you something to drink?” she called from the kitchen as he made himself comfortable on her couch.

“Naw, I’m good,” he replied, glancing around the eclectically decorated apartment.

Becca returned to the living room intending to sit in the overstuffed chair facing the picture window, but as she walked by Sam’s hand snaked out and caught her wrist, gently tugging her down beside him.

“There’s a Star Trek marathon on the retro channel this weekend,” he informed her.

She sighed. “I know, but I don’t have cable.”

“I do,” Sam said matter-of-factly. “I thought we could watch it together. Ya know, make a day of it.”

Rebecca’s heart flopped and she was sure she was blushing. “Th...that sounds nice.”

“We can order pizza,” he offered. “With pineapple.”

He flashed her a devastatingly sexy grin and she was helpless to refuse. “Count me in,” she replied softly, hoping she didn’t sound as breathless as she felt. From a distance she heard Sam’s voice penetrate the fog that had enveloped her brain.

“What’s that?”

She followed his gaze to the large white box sitting on the coffee table.

“Um, just something I need to return,” she muttered.

Sam leaned forward and studied the receipt taped to the top. Becca cringed. What a lousy time for his investigative instincts to kick in.

“You bought something at a bridal boutique?” he asked, turning toward her, eyebrows raised.

“No!” she answered instinctively before realizing her error. “I mean...yes. Something for a friend,” she blurted out.

“Which friend?” Sam’s eyes narrowed and he was now in full interview mode.

“Ummm…” Rebecca fidgeted as she tried to come up with something to say without giving away Joanna’s secret. Lying didn’t come easily to her. “If I tell you, you have got to promise not to breathe a word of this to anyone. Understand?”

“Fine. I won’t say anything,” Sam conceded.

Rebecca took a long, deep breath before speaking. “It’s Joanna’s wedding dress. She asked me to return it for her.”

“Why? Did she decide she doesn’t like it?”

Good grief! Why were men so dense?!

“Something like that,” Becca shrugged. Sam’s eyes bore into her until she couldn’t stand it anymore. “Oh, all right! She changed her mind about marrying your dad!” she exclaimed.

“What?!” Sam bellowed as he rocketed off the couch. “You can’t be serious!” He jammed both hands through his hair and began pacing.

Rebecca sat quietly, hands cradled in her lap, picking at her cuticles.

“You are serious,” Sam said as he deflated back onto the cushions. “How did this happen? They’re crazy about each other! My dad didn’t do something stupid, did he?”

Rebecca shook her head.

“Then tell me, Becca! What happened?!”

She felt unbidden tears welling in her eyes. “I can’t! I’ve said too much already!”

“Then tell me the rest!”

Becca took a few moments to compose herself. “Okay. But you have to keep your original promise not to tell anyone. Especially Jo and MacGyver.”

“I don’t think I can do that. This is my family we’re talkin’ about.”

Rebecca stared at him long and hard until he relented. “Fine, I won’t say a word.”

Once she had Sam’s promise she proceeded to tell him everything Joanna had told her and, quite frankly, it felt good to share the burden she’d been carrying.

“Wow. How does my dad feel about all this?”

“I don’t know. Jo hasn’t heard from him since he left. Apparently no one has.”

“But he’s comin’ back, right? I mean, they’re meant for each other! He has to convince her to marry him!”

All Becca could do was stare at the floor. She had no answers.

“There must be something I can do,” Sam muttered.

“No!” She grabbed his arm and pleaded with her eyes. “I promised Jo I wouldn’t tell and you promised me you wouldn’t tell and if you do something they’ll know we told!” she sobbed.

Sam turned and gathered Becca close. “Alright. I won’t say anything,” he sighed, kissing the top of her head. “I just hope my dad doesn’t screw this up.”

“If it’s any consolation, I can guarantee you that Joanna still loves him,” Becca mumbled against his chest.

“And I know my dad still loves her. We just have to hope they know that.”





Posted by: Dragondog 16 April 2020 - 03:02 AM
"Why are men so dense?" That got me laugh.gif

I'm glad one pairing is back to good terms again

Posted by: uniquelyjas 22 April 2020 - 04:53 PM
Chapter 46: Hello, Goodbye?

April 11, 1998

Joanna stood in the darkened church, her bright pink outfit belying her dour mood. Of all the Masses she ushered for throughout the year, the Easter Vigil was the worst. For forty-five minutes before the liturgy began she was stationed in one of the vestibules opening doors and handing out candles and orders of worship to parishioners, an odd juggling act that made her appreciate the octopus. Now, she listened as Pastor Mike prepared the Easter Candle and blessed the fire. Soon, it would be her duty to light her own small candle from the sacred flame and, in turn, light the candles now held by the congregation. She soon recognized her cue and walked up and down the aisle with her small, white, taper sharing the holy fire with others to pass on, all the while hoping the movement wouldn’t extinguish her own little flame. Upon reaching the back pew, she carefully guided her candle to the one held in the large, strong hand of a gentleman shrouded in shadow. Once his candle was lit, she could breathe a sigh of relief having accomplished her small mission. Instead, she looked up at the man and had to swallow a gasp. The dim light softened his normally high cheekbones and chiseled jaw, the reflection of the fire dancing in eyes that searched her own. He took a step sideways, a silent invitation, and she hesitated just a moment before moving to stand beside him. MacGyver had returned.

As lectors read passages from the Bible and cantors led the faithful in hymns, all Joanna could do was focus on the man next to her who dutifully followed the proceedings, seemingly unaware of the effect he had on her. Handsomely dressed in a light gray suit, she could feel the heat emanating from him even though they never actually touched. Her heart raced and her hands trembled to the point where she considered blowing out the candle she held before she accidentally dropped it and burned down the church! To her amazement, she somehow managed to sit, stand, and kneel at all the appropriate times. When she dared to glance around the sanctuary, she saw her father, also an usher, standing sentinel in the main aisle, oblivious to the tilt-a-whirl of emotions his daughter was experiencing. In the section of pews across from her, Joanna’s mother smiled like the cat who swallowed the canary, no question whose side she was on.

Jo was relieved when it came time for her to leave her seat and pass the collection basket and even more grateful when the longest Mass of the year concluded and she could return to the safety of her position in the vestibule to hand out the weekly parish bulletin, collect the used candles, and bid a happy farewell to her fellow parishioners. Unfortunately, much to her dismay, MacGyver followed her out into the small gathering area. As the final hymn was sung and the congregates began to pour out of the church, she couldn’t help but watch with admiration as he graciously helped her with her duties and engaged in light-hearted conversation with people he didn’t even know, a genuine smile lighting up his face. More than once Joanna heard the loud clearing of a throat or felt a gentle whack to her leg with the tip of a cane reminding her to press the elevator button. All too soon, the people were gone and she was left alone with MacGyver. He stood in front of her, refusing to be ignored.

“You came back,” she remarked in little more than a whisper.

“I said I would,” Mac replied with far more conviction.

Joanna sighed as frustration, and resignation, mounted. “I didn’t want you to come back because of a promise. I wanted you to come back because you chose to.”

“What makes you think I didn’t?”

Jo turned away and shook her head while MacGyver jammed his splayed fingers through this unruly hair. “Can we go somewhere and talk?” he asked.

Joanna forced herself to meet his gaze. “I’m tired. It’s been a long day.”

“Tomorrow then. Come on over to my place.”

“On Easter Sunday?” she asked.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. Do you and your parents have plans?”

Yes! She wanted to scream. She wanted to tell him that she had plans for the rest of her life in order to avoid the inevitable conversation she, herself, had created. But she was a horrible liar. Maybe even worse than Mac.

“No,” she mumbled.

“Good! Come hungry. I’ll make pancakes.”

“Fine,” she muttered before turning her back to him and walking off in search of her family.

That night Joanna laid in bed, curled up on her side, watching the glowing digits of her alarm clock tick away the hours. She should have just bitten the bullet and agreed to talk with MacGyver after Mass instead of prolonging the agony. Sometime before dawn she grew even more restless. Something wasn’t right. Mac had been too nice. Too understanding. Had he not received the letter she had signed off on a week ago? Oh, why couldn’t he have just called her from California and asked her to pack up his stuff and send it to him? She consoled herself with the fact that, if everything went as planned tomorrow, this would be the final time she would speak to him before starting to rebuild the life she had shattered.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Easter morning brought heavy gray clouds, cool temperatures, and the threat of rain. Despite the dreary weather, MacGyver stood looking out his front door, anxious for Joanna to arrive. He could hardly wait to see the look on her face when she discovered the surprise he had for her. He wanted nothing more than to turn back time to when they were happily in love, before fears and doubts had assailed her. Without a time machine, this was the best he could do.

It wasn’t long until Jo pulled her Chevy into his driveway. He watched as she exited the car and began to make her way toward his apartment before she caught sight of the For Sale sign on the lawn. She regarded it for a moment before he greeted her at the door, not caring if he appeared eager to see her again. The sooner they got things back to normal the better. She offered him a polite, wordless smile before stepping over the threshold.

“I see Charlie finally sold the place,” she remarked casually.

“Yeah, he said it happened last week. Kinda a spur of the moment thing, I guess.” Mac ushered Joanna to the kitchen table in anticipation of their brunch.

“Did he tell you anything about your new landlord?”

“Actually, I already met him,” MacGyver replied, busying himself in the kitchen to hide his smirk. “He seems like a nice guy. About my age, I guess, and looking to put down some roots. He’s moved around a lot and decided it’s time to find a place to call home.”

“So he’s single, then,” Jo interjected.

“He’s engaged.” Joanna frowned. “What?” he asked.

“Won’t the place be a little small once he gets married and his wife moves in? Or are they already living together?”

“His fiancé is staying with her folks for the meantime, and we actually talked about some ways to make more space for them.”

“Oh,” Jo replied meekly, but Mac wasn’t to be deterred. He went over to the bookcase-lined wall that separated the two apartments.

“This is a load-bearing wall, so he can’t tear it down completely, but he can get creative with doorways to open up the area. Same goes for upstairs.”

“So then you’ll be moving out?” There was a disturbingly hopeful tone to her voice and MacGyver was disappointed she hadn’t caught on to what he was trying to tell her.

“Don’t ya get it, Jo?” he asked, reaching for her hands and pulling her to her feet. “I’m the guy! I bought Charlie’s house for us!”

“But why?” Mac’s heart dropped at the confusion in her eyes.

He led her to the couch where they sat side-by-side, still holding hands.

“I spent the last two weeks in Mission City and it got me to thinking. It’s time I got a place, a real home, that I know will always be there for me. For us. A place to put down roots and make a life. You’ve been questioning my commitment to you. Well, here it is. I don’t know how else to prove that I’m not goin’ anywhere. That I don’t wanna go anywhere.”

“It’s a done deal then?” Jo asked cautiously.

MacGyver shook his head. “I just got back in town yesterday so I need to go sign the papers tomorrow, but I was able to do everything else by phone and Charlie vouched for me so the real estate agent agreed to put the ‘Sold’ sign up so I could surprise you.”

“You shouldn’t have done that, Mac. Please don’t sign those papers tomorrow,” she all but begged, pulling away from him to go stare out the patio doors at the drizzle that had begun to fall.

MacGyver was momentarily speechless. He never expected her to react to his news like this! As he got off the couch and made his way toward her he realized his mistake.

“Aw, baby,” he crooned, gently taking her shoulders and turning her to face him. “I’m sorry. I should’ve figured you’d want a new place that we picked out together.”

Her gaze met his as tears welled in her eyes. “It isn’t that,” she insisted. “I love this place. It feels like home. But that’s just it. We can’t be together. I can’t let you marry me.”

Mac’s breath caught and it felt as if a thousand swords were piercing his lungs. Before he could form a cohesive thought, there was a knock at his front door. Joanna turned and continued to stare out at the rain.

“Hope this isn’t a bad time,” Charlie greeted him, standing on the front stoop, umbrella in hand. “I noticed you were home and thought I’d bring your mail over.”

“Thanks,” Mac muttered, preparing to close the door.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’ve decided to buy this place,” Charlie continued. “I hated the thought of handing it over to a stranger. Guess I’m just a sentimental old fool!”

“Nonsense! I’d feel the same way,” Mac assured the older man. “And thanks for this,” he said, holding up the pile of envelopes. Charlie simply nodded and headed next door.

MacGyver was about to toss his mail on the kitchen counter and go talk some sense into Joanna when the return address on the top letter caught his eye. ‘Lee Vang and Associates, Attorneys at Law’. Mac tore open the envelope and skimmed the contract inside. He felt as if he had taken a sucker punch to his gut. He read the contract again, this time it made his blood boil.

“What in the hell is this!” he yelled across the room to Joanna who whipped her head around, eyes wide with surprise. He couldn’t recall ever having used even a mild expletive in her presence and he tried not to use them at all, but this occasion seemed to call for it.

“You want me to sign away all my rights to Challengers?!” No way! This couldn’t be happening!

Joanna’s eyes sparked, her tears replaced with fire. “When you didn’t come back I had to make sure that Challengers was protected!” she yelled back, stalking toward him.

“But I had promised to come home!”

“And how could I be sure of that!” she spat. “Days, weeks passed and you didn’t even bother to call! What was I supposed to think?! I had to make some hard decisions. I turned down a summer teaching placement and full-time position next fall so I could take your place at the club while you were off gallivanting around Los Angeles!”

MacGyver’s head was spinning, caught in an emotional whirlpool. “First of all,” he hollered, his voice rising. “I was not ‘gallivanting’! Secondly, you’re the one who told me to go to L.A. in the first place!”

“But you could’ve stayed!” she shouted, even though they were now just feet apart.

“What?!”

“You could’ve stayed and fought for me. For our relationship. But you took the easy way out. Just like you always do when things get serious!”

Mac took a deep breath and tried to rein in his emotions.

“So let me get this straight,” he said, his voice calmer. “You told me to leave, but you really wanted me to stay?”

“No! I wanted you to go so I could have some time to think things over!”

“You’re not making any sense, Joanna!” MacGyver exclaimed.

“I know that!” she replied vehemently. “I also know I’m not the girl for you!”

She dug in her pocket, pulled out his engagement ring, and slapped it into the palm of his hand before grabbing her coat and purse and stomping out the door, slamming it shut behind her with a finality that just about brought Mac to his knees.

XXXXX

“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” Cynthia remarked from where she stood just inside the doorway to MacGyver’s office at Challengers. “It’s good to have you back.”

“I’m glad someone thinks so,” he mumbled from behind his desk as he scrubbed his face with his hands. He had spent a sleepless night on his couch and had arrived at work shortly after dawn unable to keep the events of the previous evening a bay.

“Did you and Joanna get a chance to talk?”

“Yeah.”

“So then you know about the project she came up with for the kids,” she assumed.

“Um, we didn’t talk about work.”

“Oh,” Cynthia frowned. “Well, I don’t want to steal her thunder so you’ll have to wait and hear about it from her, but she’s been spending every spare minute on it and I think it’ll really impress the Phoenix board members.”

“That’s great,” Mac replied flatly.

The hours crawled by as MacGyver waited for Joanna to arrive. Four o’clock came and went and he began to worry that she would stay away from Challengers in order to stay away from him. Another hour passed before he heard her breathlessly greet Rosie at the reception desk.

“I’m sorry I’m so late, but there was an emergency faculty meeting after school,” Jo explained.

The two women proceeded to exchange pleasantries before Joanna headed for her office, not even glancing in MacGyver’s direction. He gave her a few minutes to get settled before appearing in her doorway.

“Can we talk?” he asked softly.

“We talked last night. I have nothing more to say,” came the curt response.

“We yelled last night,” he clarified. “And I do have more to say.”

Joanna looked up from organizing the papers on her desk. Bloodshot eyes with dark circles under them testified that her night hadn’t been any better than his. Mac entered her office and took a seat across from her. Suddenly, all the fancy words and phrases he had mulled over in his brain all day vanished and he was left with nothing but the simple truth.

“I love you, Joanna, and I want to marry you,” he declared. “Ever since I left, all I could think about was coming home to you and picking up where we left off. But I respect you too much to force you to feel something you don’t. Tell me you don’t love me. Tell me you truly don’t want to marry me, and I’ll leave you alone. I won’t buy the townhouse and I’ll hire someone to replace me here and help you out. Just say the word and I’ll disappear, but know that I will always love you.”

An errant tear rolled down Jo’s cheek and Mac reached across the desk to wipe it away with his thumb. Her skin was soft and warm and he savored the moment. Would this be the last time she allowed him an intimate gesture? His heart pounded in his ears as he waited for her response.

“I love you too. And I do want to marry you,” she confirmed meekly. “But--”

“No ‘buts’,” Mac interrupted. “We’ll deal with those as they come up, together, just like we planned.

Jo graced him with a watery smile and before he knew what had happened they were standing beside her desk, locked in each other’s embrace.

“Cynthia says you came up with a great project for the kids. Come on over to my place for dinner and tell me all about it.” To Mac’s relief, she readily agreed and he squeezed her tighter.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

For the second time in two days, Joanna pulled her car into MacGyver’s driveway and took a moment to gather herself. Mac had seemed to think everything between them would magically go back to the way it had been, but life didn’t work like that, at least not in her experience. They needed to deal with their past before they could share their future. She walked into his apartment to find the kitchen table full of Chinese take-out containers.

“Supper?” she asked, quirking a brow.

“What did you expect on such short notice,” Mac teased.

“So, what’s your plan to get Challengers back into Phoenix’s good graces?” MacGyver asked once they had loaded their plates with food.

“I think Cynthia may have oversold it,” she chuckled, feeling happier than she had since before Mac’s fateful birthday dinner.

“Let me be the judge of that,” MacGyver replied before taking a healthy bite of his eggroll.

“Two of the biggest problems in the community we serve are kids using drugs or joining gangs or both,” Joanna began. “I thought it would be a good idea to have the club members make posters discouraging these behaviors and then go and display them in local schools along with a list of places where students can go to get help and support. Places like Challengers.”

“That sounds great! How far along are you?”

Buoyed by Mac’s response, Jo continued, “The kids will be finishing up their posters this week. I figure next Monday we can start taking them over to the schools and it’ll encourage more teens to join Challengers when summer vacation starts.”

“You are awesome! You know that?” MacGyver kissed the top of her head as he stood to collect the dirty dishes and empty food cartons. Joanna blushed at his praise as well as his kiss. She had missed his touch more than she cared to admit.

Together they went into the living room and sat on the couch, Mac draping an arm across her shoulders.

“So what happened when you got to L.A.?” she asked, trying to sound nonchalant despite her curiosity. “Was Jack okay?”

MacGyver took a fortifying breath before launching into his recount of the past few weeks, starting with finding Jack broke and homeless to his time in Mission City.

“I heard about the oil spill on the news,” she told him. “I figured you’d go.”

“You know me so well,” Mac smiled, dropping a chaste kiss on her forehead. “What about you? Anything exciting happen a work?”

“Not really,” she shrugged, hoping MacGyver wouldn’t question her further, but she should have known better.

“C’mon, tell me even if it’s boring,” he urged.

“The weekend after you left, Mrs. Varga sent me and another teacher to Madison for a two-day seminar. Then the following week Becca came up from Chicago and I helped her with research for an assignment. The rest of my time was spent at Challengers.”

Mac removed his arm from her shoulders and turned to face her. “That’s it?”

“Yeah,” she replied.

MacGyver studied her for several long minutes until she began to squirm under his scrutiny. “What?” she asked, feigning annoyance to hide her dread.

“I know you, too, Jo. You just summed up three weeks in three sentences. What aren’t you telling me?”

“Nothing important.”

“What kind of research did you help Rebecca with?”

“Nothing dangerous if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Then what was it?”

Joanna glared at him. The insufferable man was like a dog with a bone when he was on a mission. She might as well tell him everything if she had any hope of getting home tonight, well aware that what she had to say could rip them apart forever.

“Her editor wanted her to do a story about computer dating so she signed us both up so she could write about our experiences.”

“You’re kidding!” Mac burst out laughing. “What happened?”

“For your information we both met someone and went out on a date.”

“Wait a minute. You went on a date?” MacGyver quickly sobered and Jo rolled her eyes.

“Don’t worry, my match was a complete bore. All I could think of was how much I would rather be with you.”

“Really?” Mac asked with a self-satisfied smirk. “So you missed me then.”

“Maybe,” Jo grudgingly admitted, trying to save face and get his ego back in check.

“What about the teaching seminar?”

“It was...interesting,” she hedged.

“That’s a good thing, right?”

“Right,” Joanna agreed. She wanted to leave it at that, but the two-by-four whacking at her conscience wouldn’t allow it. “Mac, there’s something I need to tell you.” Her stomach rebelled as she watched the color drain from his face. “The colleague I went with...his name is Tim O’Brien.”

Jo told MacGyver about the weekend...and Tim, her heart sinking with every word. When she was done she held her breath and waited for his reaction.

“So let me get this straight,” Mac said, pushing himself off the couch and pointing a finger at her. “You let this guy take you to a romantic dinner and kiss you in your hotel room, all the while leading him to believe you were available?! How could you?!” He jammed his fingers through his hair and turned his back to her.

“I didn’t mean to let it happen, at least not at first,” Jo explained, standing up as well. “But you gotta understand, I had already convinced myself that I would never fit in your life. That you would be better off without me. Tim and I seemed to have so much in common and he felt...safe. But I was wrong. He was nothing like I thought he was. He was nothing like you!”

MacGyver walked to the kitchen, rubbing the back of his neck, and poured himself a glass of juice that he didn’t even want, but he needed time to think.

“Mac…?” Her voice was soft and meek and vulnerable.

“What’s it gonna take for you to believe, without a doubt, that you are exactly the kind of girl I can’t live without? You say you love me and that you’ll marry me, but there’s still a part of you holding back. I don’t know what to do, Jo. I don’t know what you want me to do. I’ve opened up to you, given you all I got. What’s it gonna take for you to do the same?”

If MacGyver was looking to tear her soul to shreds he was doing a great job of it. She stood frozen, unable to talk, cry, or even breathe. He was right. He was absolutely right. She was holding back, but even she didn’t know how to fix it. All her life she had always held a little piece of herself back to protect her from people who got too close. He needed all of her. He deserved all of her. What would it take for her to completely let go and love Mac the way she wanted to? She dared to look him in the eye, afraid of the anger and disappointment she’d find there, but she only saw pain...and love.

“I don’t know,” she finally whispered.

Mac strode to where she stood and gathered her close. “Don’t worry, we’ll get through this just like we’ve gotten through everything else,” he assured her.

“I love you, Mac. I really do,” she murmured against his chest.

“I know, baby. I know.”









Posted by: Dragondog 23 April 2020 - 02:04 AM
*reads title* ohmy.gif

Boy, they're a rollercoaster of emotions this chapter, aren't they?

Mac lays out the facts. i like it.

I'm glad to see they managed to work it out (I know it's not fixed, but it's something better than what they were doing). But now., since Sam and Becca were going on about wanting to help, I just picture Mac and jo embracing, right before Sam and Becca crash the door down screaming at them, before realizing they worked things out already laugh.gif

I love how reading the first part where jo visits Mac, I feel frustration at Jo on his behalf, but the second time, in her viewpoint, I'm able to sympathize with her more...

Posted by: uniquelyjas 23 April 2020 - 09:53 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 23 April 2020 - 02:04 AM)


I love how reading the first part where jo visits Mac, I feel frustration at Jo on his behalf, but the second time, in her viewpoint, I'm able to sympathize with her more...

This is exactly what I was going for. Remember I said I didn't want to make Mac the bad guy in the relationship, but I also didn't want to make Jo a complete jerk. I wanted the reader to be able to sympathize with BOTH of them.

Posted by: Dragondog 24 April 2020 - 01:13 AM
You did a good job of that wink.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 24 April 2020 - 08:00 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 24 April 2020 - 01:13 AM)
You did a good job of that wink.gif

THANKS!!

Posted by: uniquelyjas 29 April 2020 - 11:43 AM
Chapter 47: Puppy Love

The following morning MacGyver wandered through the empty rooms at Challengers alternately jamming his splayed fingers through his hair and scrubbing the back of his neck as he recalled, in vivid detail, his recent conversations with Joanna. He had sent Cynthia home, giving her the rest of the week off to make up for all the extra hours she had put in covering for both him and Jo, but now he wished she were here as he really didn’t care to be alone with his thoughts right now. He had assumed surprising Joanna at church would have been a good thing given her strong faith. Apparently not. She had been as ornery as a snapping turtle and he had no idea why...until he spoke to her the next day. His all-American male ego urged him to be angry and jealous because Joanna had gone out with other men while he was away, but the bigger part of him, the part that loved her in a way he had never loved any woman before, refused to blame her for her actions. She had been confused and scared and honestly believed he would sooner or later decide to leave. While it stung that she had such little faith in him, who was he to throw stones? She was only trying to protect her heart, and if her tears last night were any indication, she had failed miserably. What’s more, she wasn’t the only one at fault. After all, he had bailed on her instead of standing his ground and insisting they work things out. Had he done that, the story would read a whole lot differently. But he felt as if he’d been placed between a rock and a hard place. No matter which decision he made, it would have been the wrong one in her eyes at the time. But that was all water under the bridge. He was home to stay and Joanna still loved him. Everything else would eventually work itself out...he hoped.

Mac stopped at the long table where half-finished posters encouraging kids to stay away from drugs and gangs lay. While some were simple and to the point, others were creative and more artistic. His heart swelled with pride, not only because the Challengers members were doing something productive for the community, but because Joanna had thought of and initiated this project all on her own. This club was as much hers as it was his and he suddenly understood why she had petitioned for him to give up his rights to the place when she believed he wasn’t going to return. She was making sure that Challengers would continue to exist and be a vital part of the city with or without him. How could he fault her for that?

MacGyver was about to head to his office when he heard the front door creak open. He made a mental note to oil it later. He turned around to find a lanky teenage girl looking warily about the place. Her hair was cut short and straight and she wore a tattered flannel shirt underneath an equally tattered denim jacket. Her blue jeans were threadbare and dirty.

“Hey there,” Mac greeted her in a gentle voice.

“Hey,” the teen responded, so softly he almost didn’t hear her. “What sorta place is this?” she asked, eyes darting around the room but never making contact with his.

“It’s a boys and girls club, but everyone is welcome,” MacGyver replied as he tried to assess her situation.

“Oh, I thought it was a shelter or something.”

“It’s that, too. Basically it’s anything you need it to be.” When the girl didn’t reply, Mac pressed on. “Are you in some kind of trouble?”

The disheveled teen shook her head.

“Do you know someone who is?”

“Maybe,” she mumbled, looking up and finally meeting his gaze.

“What’s your name?”

“Jaime.”

“Nice to meet you, Jaime. I’m MacGyver but everyone calls me ‘Mac’. The place is empty now, but feel free to hang out if you want,” he offered.

“Naw, thanks,” Jaime said with a shake of her head. “I gotta get goin’.”

“All right, feel free to come by any time.”

The girl nodded in agreement and MacGyver thought he saw a slight smile tug at her lips before she walked out.

XXXXX

Later that afternoon Mac watched from his office doorway as club members trickled in. It wasn’t long until Joanna arrived and encouraged her recruits to finish their posters. On her way to her office, MacGyver gently snagged her arm.

“Got a sec?” he asked.

“Sure. What’s up?”

MacGyver pulled her into his office. “I signed the papers for the townhouse a couple hours ago. How about we go out to dinner later to celebrate?” He stepped close and bent to give her a quick yet tender kiss. When he pulled away, he was gutted by the haunted look in her eyes.

“Mac, after everything that’s happened between us these past weeks we can’t just hit the rewind button and pick up where we left off. I told you last night, I still have some things to figure out.”

MacGyver stepped back and jammed both his hands through his hair. “I’m trying to be understanding, Joanna. I really am. But I feel like we keep having the same conversation over and over. We promise each other we’ll trust, we’ll commit. Then one of us messes it up! Maybe you’re right after all. Maybe we aren’t meant to be together.” The grief on her face ripped at his heart, but frustration kept him from reaching out to her.

“Do you really mean that?” she asked, her voice thick with emotion.

Mac scrubbed the back of his neck. “No, I--”. His response was interrupted by a ruckus in the recreation room.

“Mom! Everyone! Come look what I found!” Raul called from the main entrance.

“Mijo! Calm down!” Rosie, who was working at the reception desk, admonished her son.

“Hurry!” Raul urged.

MacGyver and Joanna hurried to where the boy stood, Rosie and a handful of teens behind them. There, on the top step, was a large cardboard box with high sides and no lid. Mac threw a quick glance over his shoulder, but Jo just shrugged. Weak mewling sounds came from the mysterious box and when he looked in he found five balls of fur, whimpering and crawling over each other as they jockeyed for space. Puppies.

“Can we keep ‘em?” Raul asked.

“Yeah, can we?” his peers echoed.

“First let’s get them inside and take a closer look,” MacGyver suggested, dodging the teens’ questions for the time being.

He picked up the box and carried it inside. Club members scurried ahead of him to remove their posters from the table and make room for the new additions. It was then that Mac saw a piece of white paper folded up and stuck in a corner of the box. He reached in carefully and snagged it. Surrounded by curious eyes, he unfolded the note and read the short message: Please keep them safe.

“That means they’re ours!” Raul crowed as the others cheered. The sudden noise sent the puppies tumbling to the safety of a corner in one large ball of fluff.

“Raul, you’re scaring them!” Rosie once again scolded. “All of you, go back to what you were doing. You can see the puppies later.”

MacGyver sent her an appreciative smile as the club members moaned their displeasure but obediently headed back to the activities they had previously been engaged in. Mac felt Joanna press against him, her breath tickling his neck. “Oh, they’re precious,” she crooned, leaning in to get a better look. “I wonder what breed they are?” she asked, more rhetorically than to him, but nevertheless he reached in and carefully cradled one of the pups in his large hand. Distinctive black, copper, and white markings on its face, legs and chest as well as chocolate brown eyes gave him the answer.

“They’re Australian Shepherds, or Aussies, and they look pure-bred,” he told her as she gently smoothed the puppy’s coat with her index finger.

“How can you tell?” she asked in a soft voice so as not to frighten the little animals.

Still holding the pup, MacGyver quirked his lips. “I grew up in rural Minnesota, remember? They were often used as herding dogs, but they make great pets, too.”

“How old do you think they are?”

Mac regarded the warm, quivering body in his grasp. “Probably not more than six weeks, I’d guess.”

“Isn’t that awful young for them to be away from their mother?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Where on earth did they come from?” Jo asked, watching Mac tenderly place the puppy back into the box with its littermates. He had been wondering the same thing himself until his hand brushed a soft piece of fabric. He gently disentangled the Aussies and pulled out a tattered flannel shirt that he immediately recognized from this morning.

“Jaime,” he whispered.

“Who?” Joanna asked.

MacGyver told her about the teen he had met earlier and suddenly her question made sense. “She asked if this was a shelter. I told her it was.”

“But where would a girl like that get dogs like these?”

“No idea,” Mac frowned, but his brain was already in high gear eager to solve the puzzle that had literally landed on his doorstep.

“Can we see the puppies yet?” Raul asked, approaching the table.

MacGyver sighed and smiled. No sense delaying the inevitable. He just hoped the kids wouldn’t bond with their temporary visitors, but that was like asking the grass not to turn green. “Sure,” he replied. “But you come up one at a time for a quick peek. No talking and no touching. They’re just babies and they’re scared right now.”

Surprisingly, Raul stepped aside and let the younger kids look first. When it was finally his turn, the boy pointed to a pup that had settled itself apart from its littermates.

“Why is that one so little?” he asked. “Is he sick?”

MacGyver regarded the dog in question. “Looks like he’s the runt of the litter.” When Raul continued to look at him, he continued, “It’s not unusual for there to be one puppy that’s smaller than his brothers and sisters. If he gets proper care he’ll grow up to be big and strong, just like the rest.”

Seemingly satisfied with this answer, Raul walked away. Once everyone had had a chance to peek into the box, Mac reached to pick it up and take it to his office, but Joanna’s index finger stabbing him in the bicep stopped him.

“What is it?” he asked her.

“I think we forgot about someone.”

He followed her gaze to the floor and found Frog looking up at them, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth, eyes curious.

“Hey buddy,” Mac greeted the canine as he crouched down, box in hand. “We’ve got some friends for you.” MacGyver set the box on the floor and Frog simply stared at it. He then scooped up one of the pups and held it for Frog to see. The bull dog took a couple lumbering steps towards him before sniffing the strange animal and giving it a gentle lick. Apparently accepting the intruders, he headed back to his bed in the corner and quickly fell asleep.

“That went well,” Jo remarked, her voice tinged with surprise.

“Yeah,” Mac agreed in the same tone. “We’ll see how he does when they start getting more attention than him.”

Straightening to his full height, MacGyver once again picked up the box and headed to his office, Joanna following of her own accord. Knowing she loved animals just as much as he did, her actions did not surprise him. In fact, when he had been in Alaska cleaning wildlife that had been caught in the oil spill, he had often imagined her working beside him in easy comradery. Instead, he had stood next to Jack.

“What do we do now?” Jo asked, interrupting his wayward thoughts.

“Call the police,” he said, trying to ignore the frown she wore as she watched the puppies sleep. “You know it’s the right thing to do, Jo.” She nodded her acquiescence as he picked up the phone and dialed the non-emergency number. When his call was answered, he put it on speaker so they both could hear. After stating the situation and being put on hold a couple times, a friendly sounding female voice finally came on the line and she introduced herself as Officer Carter.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. MacGyver, but we’ve been inundated with similar calls the past couple of days.”

Upon hearing this, Mac and Jo exchanged curious glances.

“Really?” Mac responded.

“Unfortunately yes. People are finding boxes of puppies at hospitals, libraries, even individual homes.” Carter replied.

“Any idea what’s goin’ on?” MacGyver asked.

Officer Carter sighed. “Near as we can tell, some grass roots animal rights activists are hiring kids off the street to steal them from a puppy mill.”

“Puppy mill? Here in Milwaukee?” Jo asked incredulously.

“I’m afraid so, ma’am.”

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Mac asked.

“Well, the local animal shelters are already filled to capacity and veterinarian clinics are overrun. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Challengers Club and wondered if you’d be willing to take care of the puppies. At least until the Humane Society is able to take in more. I can give you a number to contact to get instructions on how to--”

“That’s not necessary,” MacGyver interjected. “I know what to do.”

“Good,” Carter responded. “We’re getting a task force together to deal with this issue. I’ll check in with you as soon as I can.”

Mac hung up the phone and looked at his watch. “I’m gonna hit the pet store for some supplies before they close. Would you mind watching these little guys while I’m gone?”

“Of course not,” Jo replied, holding a squirming little fur ball up to her cheek. “But why do you keep assuming they’re all male?”

“I don’t know,” Mac shrugged. “Why don’t you check ‘em out while I’m gone and see if there are any girls in the group.” He turned and headed out of his office, laughing as Joanna pulled a face behind his back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Joanna watched as MacGyver spread out an old blanket on the floor in front of his desk. He then placed five small bowls on it and gently set a puppy beside each one. He explained that he was serving kibble soaked in canine milk replacer. When he took the last pup from the box, he sat on the edge of the blanket, looking up at her expectantly. Able to read the question in his eyes, Jo lowered herself so she was kneeling on the opposite edge of the blanket, ready to wrangle any runaway Aussies.

“So, what did you discover while I was gone?” he smirked.

“There’s only one female in the litter,” she sighed sadly.

“What’s wrong with that?”

“She’s the runt,” Joanna replied with a frown. “While you were gone I was watching them and none of her brothers wanted to play with her.” Unbidden tears burned at the back of her eyes.”

“Hey, you heard what I told Raul. There’s every chance she’ll grow up to be just like her brothers.”

“I know,” Jo murmured.

“You know what I think?” Mac asked.

Joanna shook her head but didn’t say anything.

“I think she’ll grow up to be the prettiest Aussie anyone’s ever seen and these guys here will be beating all the other male dogs off with a stick!”

Jo couldn’t help but chuckle at the image that formed in her mind. At the same time, her heart warmed because she knew Mac understood she wasn’t just talking about the puppy, but herself as well. Did he really think she was the prettiest girl around? Or should she be offended that she had just been compared to a dog? She decided to go with the former. They sat in companionable silence, watching as the pups worked the tiny pieces of food around in their small mouths before she noticed something.

“Mac, she’s not eating,” Joanna observed, eyes fixed on the runt that sat beside her.

“That happens sometimes,” he assured her. “Try helping her out.” He demonstrated by picking up a bit of kibble and offering it to the dog closest to him.

Joanna mimicked his actions, but the undergrown female wouldn’t even open her mouth. “It’s not working.”

“Try holding her,” Mac suggested.

Jo scooped up the pup and cuddled her gently before presenting her with another piece of food, but the result was the same. She was getting genuinely worried now.

“I got an idea,” MacGyver said, sensing her concern as he rose from the floor. “I picked this up just in case we had problems.” He produced what looked like a small baby bottle from the bag he got at the pet store. He went into the staff kitchen and when he returned it was full of warm milk replacer. He handed it to Joanna.

“I’ve never done this before,” she told him, hoping he wouldn’t notice her trembling hand.

“First of all, you need to relax,” Mac told her, crouching down and placing a hand on her shoulder causing a stream of awareness to course through her body. “Now, just hold the bottle up to her mouth.”

Joanna gingerly followed MacGyver’s instructions and soon the pup was suckling eagerly from the rubber tip.

“It’s working!” Jo exclaimed in a whisper, beaming up at Mac.

“See. I told ya,” he smiled back.

When the puppies’ appetites had been sated, MacGyver carefully returned them to the large box with the old shirt and a hot water bottle he had found to help keep them warm. Joanna wished they had better accommodations, but she understood that they needed the familiarity and comfort of their current surroundings. With their new charges settled in for the night, or at least the next couple of hours, Jo and Mac took a seat on an old couch he had commandeered for his office.

“So what’s your plan?” Joanna asked, stifling a yawn.

“What plan?” MacGyver looked as bewildered as he sounded.

“The plan to track down Jaime and have her lead you to the puppy mill so it can be shut down.”

“You heard Officer Carter, they’re getting a task force together and don’t need us in the way.”

Jo stared at Mac incredulously. “So that’s it?! You’re not gonna do anything?!”

“I’m already doing something. I’m gonna stay here and take care of the puppies.”

“Then I’ll help you,” Joanna declared.

“No you won’t,” MacGyver countered. “They’ll need at least one more feeding during the night and you have work in the morning.”

“So do you,” Jo argued.

“Yeah. Here. Where I can nap while the pups are sleeping. You can’t exactly doze off while you’re teaching.”

“I hate it when you’re right,” Joanna frowned.

“I know,” Mac chuckled.

When Jo got home that evening she quickly told her parents about the puppies and promised her dad she wouldn’t bring one home...at least not to stay...and then hurried to her bedroom where she set her alarm clock for an hour earlier than usual. She was already anxious to return to Challengers and spend more time with the Aussies...and Mac.

Joanna arrived at Challengers the next morning to find the parking lot empty except for MacGyver’s Jeep. She found him in his office, slouched against the base of his desk, legs straight out. His head was tilted at an odd angle, causing his bangs to fall freely across his forehead. His eyes were closed and he snored softy. Jo’s heart sped up and she couldn’t tear her gaze from him. He looked so carefree and vulnerable. As she studied his softened features she noticed he cradled a squirming puppy against his chest, a bottle of milk lay next to him on the floor. She took a deep, fortifying breath before she turned into a puddle of mush at the sight. Mac’s love and tenderness knew no bounds and she was on the verge of throwing it all away. The little dog’s whine refocused Joanna’s attention and she carefully took the creature from Mac’s hand, picking up the bottle and offering it to who she immediately recognized as the runt. She was returning the pup to the rest of the litter when she heard MacGyver groan in his sleep. Kneeling beside him, she lightly brushed the hair off his face. Why could she not open her heart completely to this man?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver felt something gently brush across his forehead. His eyes drifted open and he groaned when he tried to straighten his neck. When he turned his head, his eyes slammed into Joanna’s and took his breath away.

“Are you stiff from sleeping like that?” she asked softly.

“Yeah,” he replied absently, reaching up to massage his tight muscles with one hand as he looked around for the puppy he had been holding before he dozed off.

“I fed her the bottle and put her back with her brothers,” Jo informed him.

“How do you always seem to know what I’m thinking?” he asked, still a bit dazed from his nap.

“It’s a blessing,” she shrugged, “or a curse. I haven’t decided which.”

Her playful smile did something odd to his stomach...in a good sort of way. She had been so sad and serious lately, that it was good to see her sense of humor return. He reached up with his other hand to try and ease the pain in his neck.

“Here, let me,” she offered. “Just turn a little bit.”

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he obeyed. At first, her touch was soft and hesitant and he was saddened to realize that this relatively intimate gesture they used to indulge in had now become uncomfortable for her yet again. Before his worries could take root, her ministrations became stronger, more sure, and while she focused on relaxing his neck muscles, she allowed her hands to explore his shoulders and upper back as well. He tried to remain still and quiet, but then her fingers hit a spot just right and he couldn’t help but let out a moan of pleasure. She giggled and he smiled to himself. She began to play with the hair at his nape and a shiver darted down his spine. If only this moment would last forever, but he knew that all too soon reality would smack him in the face. It always did.

“I hope you don’t mind that I came by so early,” she said huskily, the impromptu massage apparently affecting her as much as it did him.

“I can’t think of a better way to start the day,” he assured her, turning so they were facing each other, their lips tantalizingly close. While she didn’t lean in, she didn’t pull away, and for the first time since returning home Mac felt as if they were back on solid footing. No longer able to resist, he tenderly cupped her cheek in his hand and tilted his head, moving ever so slightly. Suddenly, a snuffle, a snort, and a woof coming from the doorway caused them to jump apart as if hit by a bolt of lightning.

“You got really lousy timing, Frog,” MacGyver muttered under his breath as the dog remained in the doorway, staring guilelessly at them.

“He probably has to go out,” Joanna surmised.

“I’ll get his leash,” Mac grumbled as he rose from the floor. “Would you mind keeping an eye on the pups ‘til we get back?”

Joanna glanced at her watch and smiled. “No, take your time.”

Biting back some choice words for his canine companion, MacGyver led the dog out the door and across the parking lot when Frog put on the brakes almost causing Mac to go flying over him.

“You’re really trying to ruin my day, aren’t you?” he asked testily, trying to meet the dog’s gaze, but his eyes were focused back towards the building they had just left. Mac turned to see what had gotten Frog’s attention just as a shadow of a figure disappeared around the corner. MacGyver dropped the leash and took off in pursuit confident that the bow-legged bull dog would follow. As he raced around to the back of the building, he found a lanky teen with short brown hair attempting to scale the chain link fence on the boundary of the property.

“Jamie!” he called, knowing without a doubt it was the young lady he had met yesterday. She ignored him but two large steps brought him to her. He grabbed onto her leg, even as she tried to kick him away, and managed to get her safely to the ground.

“Whoa!” he said, holding her tight as she struggled against him. “What are ya doin’ here?”

“I just came to check on the dogs,” she mumbled.

“Then why did you run?”

“I don’t know! I just did!” she spat.

“It wouldn’t have anything to do with those dogs you’ve been paid to steal now, would it?”

Jaime suddenly stopped fighting and turned to face him. “You’re crazy! I ain’t gettin’ paid to steal those dogs! I’m gettin’ paid to keep ‘em alive and I’m tryin’ to get them outta that place before they’re sold to the highest bidder!”

“You sayin’ you work at a puppy mill?” Mac asked more calmly.

“Wow, you’re just a real Einstein, aren’t you?”

“And you’re a smart aleck,” MacGyver shot back. “Come with me. We need to talk.”

Mac placed a guiding hand on Jaime’s shoulder and herded her back inside Challengers with little protest. They found Joanna in the small staff kitchen preparing the milk-soaked kibble that would be the puppies’ breakfast. Once introductions were made and the pups fed, Jo excused herself and left for work, leaving MacGyver alone with Jaime who was sitting cross legged on the floor playing with one of the dogs. Mac lowered himself and sat next to her.

“Mind telling me how you got yourself mixed up in this?” he asked, keeping his voice as non-threatening as possible.

The girl shrugged. “One day a guy came up to me on the street and asked if I’d like to earn some extra money. Cash. No strings attached. I mean, who wouldn’t? So he took me to this warehouse and told me all I needed to do was make sure the dogs had food and water. There were other kids my age there, too.” Here she paused, head down. “It was horrible, MacGyver! They had all these little puppies crammed into wire cages that never got cleaned or anything and we were only allowed to feed them once a day but a lot of them hardly ever ate. I think they were sick. The older dogs were thin and tired. The guy would come and take them away but never brought them back.”

“How come the Aussies you left here are so healthy?” Mac asked.

“I made some friends there. We decided to start sneaking the new puppies extra food and made sure they had clean water to drink. We knew we needed to get them outta there so a couple weeks ago we started taking a few here and there and leaving them someplace where we could trust the people to take care of them.”

Mac sighed. “You know you should have gone to the police or at least the Humane Society and reported this instead of taking matters into your own hands.”

“I know,” Jaime answered softly. “But we were afraid we’d get in trouble too.”

“Listen, I called the police yesterday and they’re setting up a task force to take down the puppy mill. Since you’ve actually been there, I’m sure they’d appreciate any information you could give them.”

After several moments Jaime nodded and MacGyver placed a call to Officer Carter. Their conversation was short and to the point.

“Jaime, can you come back about six o’clock tonight? The cop leading the investigation would really like to talk to you and she promised me you won’t get in any trouble if you cooperate. Do we have a deal?”

The teen glanced at the clock on the wall. “Yeah, sure, whatever. I gotta go,” she said nervously and got up and quickly left the building.

XXXXX

At five thirty that afternoon, MacGyver, Joanna, and Officer Carter closeted themselves in Mac’s office where he explained everything that Jaime had said earlier in the day. In return, the police officer shared the information the task force had uncovered. It seemed that an abandoned warehouse had been sold to a businessman looking to relocate a few months ago. The same man had also leased office space in a large building downtown. On the surface, everything appeared legit. However, when the task force began investigating newly acquired real estate in the area it turned out this particular buyer had used a fake identity.

“We could bring him in for fraud,” Carter explained, “but it’d be better if we could prove he’s running this puppy mill so we’re setting up stakeouts at both locations to get enough cause for a search warrant.”

“Won’t that take awhile?” Jo asked with a frown.

“Maybe,” the cop replied, “but I’m hoping Jaime can give us some inside info to speed up the process. However, the last thing we need is to bust this guy and then not have it stick.”

At six o’clock the trio moved into the recreation area and waited by the reception desk for Jaime to arrive. As the minutes ticked by, Mac’s discomfiture grew. When half an hour had passed and the girl had not arrived, MacGyver caught the skepticism in Carter’s eyes, but it was Joanna’s expression of concern and compassion that captured his attention. More than likely she knew what he was thinking, and she was thinking the same...that something bad had happened to Jaime. If Jo could read him so well, how could she not know how much he loved her and wanted her in his life forever? Perhaps she did know and that was the problem...she was scared. Carter’s voice broke into his musings.

“Looks like your little friend decided not to show,” she remarked sarcastically.

“She’d be here if she could. Something must have happened,” Mac replied.

“Yeah, she got a bad case of ‘cop-itis’. Happens all the time with kids like these,” Carter scoffed.

“Jaime loves those animals as much as any of us here!” he rounded on the officer. “She’s already proved that. She’s in trouble and needs our help!”

“And how can you be so sure of that Mr. MacGyver?”

“I feel it in my gut. We need to find her.”

“Unfortunately, a gut feeling isn’t enough cause to put out an APB on a runaway teen,” Carter all but snarled.

“Look, you can either help me find her or you can get out of my way. Now, what’s the address of that warehouse?”

MacGyver could see Carter’s mental struggle. Finally, she rattled off the address with the promise to send in backup while she and another unit checked out the downtown office.

“Thanks,” Mac called as he charged out the door and headed to his Jeep.

XXXXX

The evening twilight cast an eerie glow over the now-defunct industrial area where the alleged puppy mill warehouse was located. MacGyver doused his headlights and let up on the gas as he approached the only building with artificial light pouring from its windows which were surprisingly all intact. He slipped out of the Jeep and hurried to the back entrance, careful to stay in the lengthening shadows. There were no other vehicles in the area, including police back-up, but that didn’t mean he was alone. The hairs standing up on the back of his neck told him as much. The windows were set too high for him to peek through so he’d have to go in blind. He tested the rusty knob on the solid steel door and it turned with surprising ease. The old hinges complained as he pushed the door open just enough for him to squeeze through. He ducked behind a pile of cardboard boxes and waited to see if anyone had heard him enter.

After ten minutes, Mac was fairly certain no one was in the building so he took the opportunity to survey his surroundings and what he saw made him sick to his stomach both figuratively and literally. The large facility was filled with wire kennels and cages stacked one upon the other in long rows with only narrow aisles separating them. He quietly walked up and down these aisles, fighting his gag reflex as the cloying smell of days old feces, urine, and vomit hung in the air like toxic fog. The smaller cages held puppies weaned too early and suffering from malnutrition and other conditions he rather not identify. Most slept, their little rib bones already showing. Some looked at him with hopeful eyes, others with emptiness or fear. He bent down to look in the larger kennels. Adult dogs laid listlessly in their own filth. As with the pups, many were just skin and bones. Others were plump and most likely only days from giving birth. Perhaps his most unsettling observation was the preternatural quiet. Here and there a dog whimpered or wheezed but if he hadn’t seen them with his own eyes, he would never know that he was standing among what had to be hundreds of canines. His tour ended in a dark corner where heat emanated from an ancient but still operable incinerator. Mac swallowed the bile that rose in his throat. He knew enough about puppy mills to know that this was where the female dogs were disposed of when they became too sick or too old to breed.

MacGyver took a deep breath and refocused on why he was here in the first place and that was to find Jaime. A sudden bang came from behind a door next to the incinerator. Then another, and another along with what sounded like muffled cries for help.

“Jaime?!” Mac called, “Jaime! Is that you?!”

More banging.

MacGyver tried the doorknob, but of course this one was locked.

“Hold on, I’ll get you out!” he hollered through the door as he reached into his pocket for his Swiss Army knife. As he did so, he felt the tingle of a presence behind him. He turned only to have something heavy and blunt connect with his temple. He felt himself slump to the cold, concrete floor before unconsciousness claimed him.

Yips, yaps, barks, and a persistent pounding sounded at a distance as Mac struggled to push through the darkness that had claimed him. Dogs. Jaime. He needed to rescue them. He slowly peeled one eye open and immediately slammed it shut against the bright light. He moved his hand to rest on his forehead. He was hot...so hot. Clenching his teeth he forced his eyes open and found the source of the heat. Wooden pallets stacked along the walls of the warehouse were on fire, tongues of flame flared into the air. He scrambled to his feet, ignoring the pain in his head. Fumbling with his pocket knife, he clumsily picked the lock on the door and opened it to find Jaime and a boy about the same age with gags in their mouths and rope binding their wrists and ankles. He quickly freed Jaime’s hands and gave her the knife to work on the rest of their bindings as he watched the fire grow and move closer. A quick glance around the small space told him they were in some kind of storage closet. Unfortunately, it was the kind that did not contain a fire extinguisher. Out of the corner of his eye, he spied two large tarps rolled up against a shelving unit. He grabbed one, quickly unfurled it, and tossed the other to the still nameless teenage boy who was now on his feet. Together, they started batting down the flames as Jaime followed close behind.

“We have to save the dogs!” she yelled over the crackling flames.

MacGyver nodded, but his first priority was to get the humans to safety. Thankfully the fire concentrated itself around the large perimeter allowing them to safely reach the door that Mac had used to enter the building not that long ago.

“The dogs!” Jaime cried as she lunged back toward the engulfed warehouse. MacGyver grabbed her around the waist, holding her back.

“You stay out here,” he instructed. “Your friend and I will hand you the cages.” It would be quicker and easier to simply open the kennels and allow the dogs to make a run for it, but most weren’t strong enough and there was no guarantee they would head for the door. Mac heard sirens wail in the distance as he and the other teen began grabbing cages and passing them to Jaime. Bystanders appeared out of nowhere and soon formed a human chain, passing the kennels along to safety. MacGyver saw Joanna jump from a squad car and join in as fire trucks rolled up and began pumping water on the inferno while other firefighters and policemen joined in the frantic effort to rescue as many animals as possible. Mac’s arm muscles screamed from the repeated lifting of heavy loads and his legs felt like jelly, but he didn’t slow down even as a familiar haze threatened to envelope him. He coughed, choking on the acrid smoke, but still he kept grabbing kennels full of frightened puppies until a pair of strong hands grasped his shoulders and steered him out through the door. To MacGyver’s chagrin, his legs soon gave out and he slumped against the sturdy form that propelled him to an area filled with flashing red, white and blue lights.

Still in a daze, Mac allowed the paramedics to perform a cursory exam before he was coaxed onto a gurney, a plastic oxygen mask placed over his nose and mouth, and was loaded into an ambulance that immediately headed to the nearest hospital.

Upon arriving at the emergency room, MacGyver’s head wound was cleaned and stitched up before he was taken to radiology for a CT scan. By the time he was returned to his designated bed, he was fully conscious, alert, and seeking answers from those around him. Unfortunately, those around him, namely police officers including Officer Carter, had just as many questions for him with a few reprimands thrown in for good measure. It was only the sight of Joanna standing at the foot of his bed that assuaged his frustration.

“Were they able to save all the animals?” he asked, his gaze locking with hers.

“There were too many,” she told him softly. “They were weak and the smoke was thick.”

Mac squeezed his eyes shut and pushed his head back, deep into his pillow.

“We got the majority of them out,” Officer Carter informed him. “They’re at various veterinarian clinics as we speak. It could have been a lot worse.”

“Did you get the jerk behind all this?” he croaked, his throat still sore from the smoke he had inhaled.

“Yeah,” Carter confirmed. “We caught him several blocks away. Not only is he facing the slew of charges that go along with illegally operating a puppy mill, but we’re also charging him with arson, assault, and three counts of attempted homicide.”

“Good,” Mac murmured, even though he couldn’t think of a harsh enough punishment for such an unspeakable crime. Just then a grey-haired middle-aged man in a white coat entered and introduced himself as MacGyver’s doctor. Thankfully, he ordered everyone out of the room, with the exception of Joanna, so he could speak with his patient.

“What’s the verdict, doc? When can I get outta here?”

The man sighed, adjusted his reading glasses, and looked at his chart. “You’re in good shape considering the danger you put yourself in. Obviously you have a laceration to your temple and some minor smoke inhalation which may cause you some discomfort for the next few days, but my main concern is the hit you took to your head. The scan shows a mild concussion and your medical records indicate this is not the first.”

MacGyver almost laughed out loud. That was the understatement of the decade! He also knew the spiel that was about to come.

The doctor took off his glasses and looked at his patient. “Is there someone at home who can keep an eye on you for the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours?”

Mac bit back a mischievous smile as he turned his attention to Joanna and waited for her to do the fiancé/wife routine they had perfected so well, even in the early days of their budding friendship, but she averted her eyes and spoke to the doctor.

“No. He lives alone,” she stated.

MacGyver felt the blood drain from his face as shards of emotional pain sliced through his body. Over the past few days he had allowed himself to believe that Jo was breaking down whatever barriers she had put up as together they tended the abandoned puppies. From the neck massage to the almost-kiss he was positive that their relationship was once again moving forward. Now, with a simple statement, it had all but collapsed, at least as far as he was concerned. She had barely known him when he sustained his first concussion in Milwaukee, yet she insisted on playing nursemaid and stayed overnight at his apartment, waking him hourly to make sure he was okay. Fast-forward to today, when they were supposed to be an engaged couple, and she totally bailed on him.

“Well, in that case,” Mac heard the doctor say, “I’m afraid I need to admit you for observation for at least the next day. I’ll have someone come in and take care of the paperwork.”

MacGyver nodded mechanically and watched as the doctor turned and left the curtained-off bay, Joanna right behind him, her head down.


































Posted by: bluegirl 29 April 2020 - 12:29 PM
Aw, man....

Deep, deep sigh at the end... surprise.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 29 April 2020 - 01:34 PM
QUOTE (bluegirl @ 29 April 2020 - 12:29 PM)
Aw, man....

Deep, deep sigh at the end... surprise.gif

LOL..per the end...can't have happily ever yet!

I wrote this, in part, as homage to Whiskey, Andy, and all the Aussies RDA has been a dog-daddy to!!

Posted by: Dragondog 30 April 2020 - 01:22 AM
I actually didn't know about the incinerator thing hmm.bmp

*sighs heavily at Jo in the end*

I take it we may being seeing more of the puppies? At least for a little while?

Posted by: uniquelyjas 30 April 2020 - 07:54 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 30 April 2020 - 01:22 AM)
I actually didn't know about the incinerator thing hmm.bmp

*sighs heavily at Jo in the end*

I take it we may being seeing more of the puppies? At least for a little while?

Yeah, when I was researching I found out about the incinerator thing.

Unfortunately this is the last you'll see of the puppies. I really wanted to keep at least one and would have if Mac didn't already have Frog. I wasn't sure what I'd do with them and want to keep Frog as the main dog!! Sorry blush.gif

Posted by: Dragondog 1 May 2020 - 01:12 AM
It's ironic, because a few years ago I was doing research on puppy mills for a school paper tongue.gif

So will the next chapter have a time-jump, so the puppies can already be out? Will there be a reference to them and where they've gone?

Am I asking too many questions? laugh.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 1 May 2020 - 08:10 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 1 May 2020 - 01:12 AM)
It's ironic, because a few years ago I was doing research on puppy mills for a school paper tongue.gif

So will the next chapter have a time-jump, so the puppies can already be out? Will there be a reference to them and where they've gone?

Am I asking too many questions? laugh.gif

No. I don't believe I reference the puppies anymore. But that's something to think about if I ever tinker with the story in the future!

Posted by: Dragondog 1 May 2020 - 03:43 PM
Okay then laugh.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 6 May 2020 - 10:27 AM
Chapter 48: Meeting MacGyver

Joanna felt like pond scum as she crawled into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. She thought about MacGyver, lying in the hospital hurt and alone, and her stomach churned. Since finding the abandoned pups, she had felt the barriers around her heart begin to crumble and found herself falling in love with Mac all over again. Not that she had ever truly stopped loving him in the first place. Yet, when the doctor at the hospital had asked if he had someone to take care of him and Mac shot her an expectant, even playful look, a part of her panicked leaving him to be tended to by strangers in a place he hated. He most likely now hated her as well. He would never know that she had refused to leave until it was confirmed he was settled comfortably in his room and the nurses assured her he would be well taken care of. He would never know that she stood in the doorway of his room, needing to watch the steady rise and fall of his chest to assure herself that he had once again escaped a deadly encounter. All he would know was that she had left him when he had needed her.

The following afternoon, Jo hurried over to Challengers as soon as school was dismissed for the day. She had called Cynthia last night and explained what had happened and asked if she could step in for MacGyver while Joanna was at work even though Mac had originally given Cynthia the week off. Because of that, Jo wanted to relieve her as quickly as possible. Breezing past Rosie seated at the reception desk, she stopped short when she saw MacGyver sitting behind the desk in his office where she had expected to find Cynthia instead. Their eyes met uncomfortably as she stared at his pale face accentuated by the white gauze pad taped to his temple.

“What are you doing here?” she blurted out.

“Working.”

“But I thought the doctor wanted to keep you for at least twenty-four hours?”

“I was feeling better so I signed myself out. Sorry to disappoint you.” His tone was flat, but his words found their mark. Refusing to rise to the well-deserved bait, Joanna decided to change the subject.

“Where are the puppies?” she asked, noticing the large box was conspicuously missing.

MacGyver must have sensed her concern because his features softened slightly. “Animal control came and got ‘em. They’re ‘evidence’.” Jo frowned. “Don’t worry, they’ll be well taken care of and then put up for adoption,” he added for what she hoped was her benefit.

“Excuse me,” Rosie quietly interrupted from the doorway. “There are some people here to see Joanna.”

“Oh! The school volunteers! I completely forgot!” Jo exclaimed as she turned on her heel and headed to the small group of teens gathered by the reception desk. “The posters are over on that table,” she told them pointing them in the proper direction.

“What’s going on?” Mac asked from behind her.

“These are students from nearby schools. They’re picking up the anti-drug and anti-gang posters to take and display in their classrooms.”

Within minutes the task was complete and Joanna turned to head to her office when a bout of dizziness overtook her, causing her to stumble into MacGyver. Immediately two strong arms steadied her.

“Hey, you okay?” he asked with concern.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she replied. “I just must’ve moved too fast.” With every ounce of determination she possessed she pulled out of his grasp. To her dismay, he dogged her every step.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You look a little pale.”

“I’m fine,” Jo repeated. “I’m just kinda tired.”

She slumped into the chair behind her desk, glanced at her calendar, and moaned.

“What’s wrong?”

Joanna propped her elbows on the desk and began to massage her own temples which were beginning to ache. “Last week I scheduled a meeting for this Saturday to discuss Challengers’ participation in a river clean-up project next month. I totally forgot about it and have nothing prepared.”

“You’ve had a lot on your mind lately,” MacGyver soothed. “Anything I can do to help?”

Dare she ask a favor of the man she had been treating so poorly? “I’d appreciate it if you could attend,” she answered sheepishly. “A handful of community representatives from the planning committee will be here. I’ve also asked Cynthia to come.”

“No problem. I’ll be here,” Mac promised.

“Good.” She summoned a smile. “Now get outta here so I can start working on an agenda and make notes on a couple issues I want to discuss.”

XXXXX

By the time Joanna dismissed her final class on Friday all she wanted to do was crawl under her desk and go to sleep. She had been fighting a headache and nauseated stomach all day. She blamed it on lack of sleep, too much work, and generalized MacGyver-related anxiety. Unfortunately, rest was still not an option for her. She needed to go to Challengers and finalize the meeting notes for tomorrow. She had agreed to have the club participate in this annual project when she thought MacGyver was still safely tucked away in Los Angeles. His surprise return, and the surge of emotions that came with it, had totally knocked her off stride and now she was paying the price.

When Joanna arrived at the club she greeted Geena who was working the reception desk but didn’t stay to chat. Instead, she headed to the kitchen area and began to root through the refrigerator hoping to find some white soda to settle her stomach. Realizing her search was fruitless, she dug in her purse for some change and was about to raid the vending machine in the recreation room when MacGyver appeared in the doorway.

“I was hoping you could fill me in on this clean-up project before the meeting tomorrow,” he said.

Jo’s stomach suddenly rebelled and she tried to push him out of the way but he wasn’t fast enough and the remains of her lunch promptly landed on his shoes. With tunnel vision and a singular purpose, Joanna rushed passed him to the staff bathroom where she hit the floor in front of the toilet just in time to empty the remaining contents of her stomach. She sensed rather than saw MacGyver kneeling beside her. He reached out to keep wisps of her hair away from her face, but she slapped his hands away.

“No,” she muttered between clenched teeth before her stomach tightened and she began to gag again. She felt his large, comforting hand rubbing her back and she elbowed him away, even in the midst of dry heaves.

After several vomit-free minutes, Joanna flushed the toilet and sagged against the porcelain bowl, her body tired and drained. Slowly she became aware of her surroundings and saw Mac at the sink, working to dampen a wad of paper toweling.

“Here, let’s get you cleaned up,” he said softly as he crouched next to her and gently wiped her mouth and chin.

“I can do it,” she murmured, reaching for the toweling while keeping her eyes averted. MacGyver reluctantly released the wad of paper and stood. Jo felt her cheeks flame with embarrassment. To her, there was hardly a worse sight than watching someone throw up. It was the grossest, most vile bodily function in existence. She never even allowed her own mother in the bathroom when she was sick. And today she’d done it all right in front of MacGyver.

Feeling a bit stronger, she pushed herself up off the floor and leaned against the sink.

“I’m sorry about your shoes.”

“I never liked this pair anyway,” Mac replied with a crooked smile.

“I’m sorry I pushed you away.”

“It’s no big deal.”

No, she supposed it wasn’t a big deal, but for some reason it was important to Joanna that he understand why she did it.

“Touching me…” she paused to temper the bile that threatened to rise in her throat while taking deep breaths as she explained. “Touching me makes it worse. Always has. Since I was little.”

“Like I said, it’s no big deal,” MacGyver assured her. “How about you lie down for awhile. Can you make it upstairs?”

Jo nodded and they took a few steps before she reached back and grabbed a small plastic trash container. “Just in case,” she said with a small smile.

As they were approaching the stairs to the dormitory, Geena bustled toward them, impeding their progress.

“Oh my goodness! What happened?! Joanna, are you alright?!”

“I think she just went a few rounds with the stomach flu,” MacGyver answered for her. “I’m taking her upstairs to get some rest.”

“I’ll scrounge up some tea and dry toast,” Geena declared, but Jo shook her head as vigorously as she could while fighting back more nausea.

“Maybe later,” Mac suggested and Joanna breathed a sigh of relief. Under his tender guidance, she gingerly settled into one of the beds in the dorm room closest to the bathroom, her arms still wrapped around the waste basket. She curled up on her side as he tucked a blanket loosely around her.

“Do you want me to stay?” he asked.

Yes! Stay! Don’t ever leave me! “No, I’ll be okay. Go calm Geena down.”

MacGyver bent and kissed her ever so tenderly on the forehead. “Holler if you need anything. I’ll be back to check on you.”

Jo nodded and fell asleep before he even left the room.

When Joanna next opened her eyes it was to find MacGyver sitting on the bed across from her, staring at her as if she was some sort of science specimen.

“How you feelin’?” he asked.

Jo took a moment to do a quick internal evaluation. Her heart was beating fast and the palms of her hands were sweaty, but that had nothing to do with the flu and all about the man who had taken care of her. “My stomach’s better,” she confirmed truthfully.

“Good,” he smiled warmly. “Then maybe you can eat something.”

She followed his gaze to the small nightstand between them holding a can of white soda and a small bag of pretzels.

“How did you know?”

“I called your mom, but Geena still has tea and toast waiting for you downstairs.”

They both chuckled as Joanna sat up and Mac placed a pillow behind her back for extra support.

“When you feel up to it I’ll drive you home and I don’t want to see you back here until Monday.”

Joanna immediately protested, “But what about the meeting tomorrow?!”

“Cynthia and I can handle it,” he replied calmly. “You need to concentrate on getting well.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“What do you mean you don’t have the agenda?! The meeting starts in fifteen minutes!”

“Don’t take that tone with me, MacGyver. Joanna was still working on it the other day and apparently didn’t get a chance to print it out before she got sick,” Cynthia explained.

“Then she must have it stored in her computer, right?” Mac asked hopefully.

“I would assume so, but she probably protects her work with a password.”

“No problem,” MacGyver replied, cocking his head and shooting Cynthia a mischievous grin.

“You know her password?”

“Of course I do.” Well, not really, but he could make an educated guess. He sat down behind Joanna’s desk and fired up the machine. The prompt for the password appeared and he took a shot, making sure Cynthia couldn’t see the letters he typed in. He held his breath and soon was granted access. There were several files available with abbreviated or disjointed titles that probably only made sense to Jo.

“Which one do you think it is?” Cynthia asked, now looking over his shoulder. “Maybe we should call her and ask.”

Mac shook his head. “It’s early and she needs her rest. Let’s try this one.”

He clicked on the icon titled ‘Meeting MacGyver’. An essay-type document appeared on the screen, the first line quickly capturing his attention:

Her story begins on January 10, 1995. That was the day she first laid eyes on Angus MacGyver and lost her heart, not to mention her ever-lovin’ mind!

Mac swallowed a snort of amusement at her snide remark before fully realizing what he was looking at. Joanna kept a diary!

“Did you find it?”

Cynthia’s voice snapped MacGyver back to the present moment and his eyes away from something he instinctively knew he shouldn’t be reading.

“Um, no. Not yet. Give me a minute.” Mac swiftly closed the file and examined his options. He found and clicked on an icon titled ‘River Clean-Up’ and the sought after meeting agenda, along with Jo’s notes, appeared on the monitor. He printed enough copies for everyone and hurried back to his office where members of the planning committee huddled around his desk.

The meeting lasted for over an hour, but MacGyver would have been hard pressed to list the topics discussed, much less any details. His mind kept wandering back to the document he had opened on Joanna’s computer. Initially he assumed it was her private journal, but the fact that she kept referring to herself in the third person didn’t make sense. In his literary experience it read more like a novel. A novel about him...and her...them.

Mac pasted on a smile and impatiently offered friendly farewells as the committee members left the building with promises to stay in touch. He regretted not being able to give them his undivided attention...or any attention at all, but he was too caught up in the urge to read what Joanna had written about them. He knew he probably shouldn’t give in, but he apparently played a role in the story so he figured he had a right to read it, he rationalized.

“I’m going to head home if you don’t mind,” Cynthia announced, donning her coat and tucking a legal pad into her briefcase. “I’ll get my notes from today’s meeting together and share them with Joanna when she’s feeling better.”

After watching Cynthia leave and ignoring Geena’s suspicious glances, he settled himself behind Joanna’s desk, fired up the computer once more, and sat back to read ‘Meeting MacGyver’. With one hand on the mouse, Mac scrolled through page after page of the story. Every now and again, something would catch his eye and tug at his heart:

What a man as experienced and worldly as MacGyver would want with a girl like her she couldn’t comprehend. Surely Mac could have his pick of women, why was he wasting his time on her? She wanted so badly to believe MacGyver’s growing feelings for her were real, but he was here on a Phoenix assignment. As soon as his job was done he would go back to Los Angeles and forget she ever existed. She only wished she could say the same about him.

She stared at the diamond ring Mac had put on her finger. He really loved her! The most wonderful man in the world loved her and wanted to be with her forever!

Her mind kept replaying the dinner conversation with Nikki and Craig. They confirmed what she already knew: MacGyver was a very special man. Way too special for her. He was meant to do great things, not waste away in a Midwestern town with a naive, modest wife. That would be like Lois Lane marrying Superman. He would eventually resent her for clipping his wings, or cape, as the case may be.

Now her only question was how would their story end?

MacGyver leaned back in the chair and considered everything he had just read. Waves of despair rolled over him as he struggled to think of a way to quell Joanna’s uncertainty about his love for her. He closed his eyes and sighed, ready to go home for the day and deal with his emotions later when suddenly all of Jo’s words began to make sense, fitting together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Mac knew why she was struggling to commit and he was fairly certain he had a way to fix it.

Mac rang the Fairfax’s front doorbell later that afternoon. Judy answered and invited him.

“We’re just getting ready to leave for church,” she told him. “Jo’s in the den resting. Go on back.”

He smiled and nodded before heading to the back of the house. There, Joanna sat in a recliner, legs raised and covered with a brightly colored afghan. Her attention was on the television, but when she saw him standing in the doorway she quickly grabbed the remote and turned it off.

“There is absolutely nothing good on TV on a Saturday afternoon,” she pouted.

Mac couldn’t help but chuckle. “I came by to see how you were doing but since you’re complaining I assume you’re feeling better.”

“I am,” she confirmed, her eyes softening in a way they hadn’t since he’d returned last week. “Wanna join me for dinner?”

She tipped her head toward the small table next to her where a glass of flat white soda and bag of pretzels sat. MacGyver sat in the matching recliner on the opposite side and grabbed a handful of the salty treats.

“So how did the meeting go this morning?” she asked eagerly.

Uh oh. “Fine,” he shrugged. Everyone had left with a smile so he figured that was fair conjecture. “Cynthia took copious notes as usual and said she’d go over everything with you once you’re better.”

“Good,” she replied, taking a sip of her drink before lowering the foot rest so she could turn to him. “Mac, I owe you an apology for everything I’ve put you through,” she confessed.

“You don’t need to apologize for getting sick,” MacGyver remarked. “And if you’re worried about my shoes--”

“No, I meant everything I’ve put you through these past weeks. You’ve proved your love and commitment to me over and over again and I was an idiot to question it. I know I told you we couldn’t pick up where we left off and I meant that. We can’t undo what happened while we were apart, but do you think we could just put it behind us and move forward?”

Mac’s heart thudded in his chest and his mouth went dry. He couldn’t believe he was finally hearing this. “Forward as in…?”

“Being a couple in love with a wedding to plan.”

“I’d like that a lot,” he confirmed. “There’s just one thing missing.” He watched her brow furrow in confusion as he dug in the front pocket of his jeans and pulled out his grandmother’s, and now Joanna’s, engagement ring. He reached for her hand and slid it on her finger.

“You’ve been carrying that around with you?” she asked, eyes wide.

“Yes ma’am. I like to be prepared for anything.” The smile she gave him was warm and genuine and he wanted this moment to last forever but there was something he had to know. “What made you change your mind about us?”

She turned away and bowed her head. “You’ll probably think it’s really silly, but I knew, really knew with all my being, that you loved me when I threw up on you.”

MacGyver worked his mouth but nothing came out. He was speechless and thankful when she continued.

“See, I think that is the absolute grossest thing in the world. I won’t even let my mom see me like that. But you didn’t let me push you away...literally. You stayed, filthy shoes and all, and took care of me.” By now her voice was thick with emotion and Mac didn’t much trust his own either.

“Aw baby,” he reached over and cupped her cheek with his hand, “I’d do it all over again and a whole lot more. I’d give my life for you.”

Jo’s eyes filled with tears that threatened to spill over onto her cheeks. “I know, and I’d do the same for you. I’m so, so sorry I kept questioning my feelings.”

“Hey, I thought we were putting that all behind us,” he said with a quirky grin as he wiped away an errant tear with his thumb. Joanna offered him a watery smile, her face full of hope and love, and he knew he had to come clean with her. He reached into his jacket and withdrew the manuscript he had printed off earlier and handed it to her. Confusion spread across her face.

“How did you find this?” she asked softly.

“I was looking for the agenda for this morning’s meeting when I opened it by mistake.”

“You know my password?” She shot an accusing look his way.

“Yeah,” he nodded.

“Well, why wouldn’t you?” she muttered. After all, there were only a few people in the world who knew his first name so she figured it was the safest password ever.

“You read it,” she surmised, her demeanor surprisingly calm.

“When I realized what it was, I thought it might help me understand you better,” Mac explained. “And it did.”

This piqued her curiosity. “Go on,” she prompted, raising one brow.

“Ever since we met, I was determined to keep my past in the past so it wouldn’t ruin my chance at a future with you, but it turns out it did exactly that anyway.” He stopped and jammed his splayed fingers through his already disheveled hair. “By not talking about my time at Phoenix and the DXS, you ended up hearing bits and pieces about what I did, but never the whole story. You made me into some kind of hero, someone you thought didn’t deserve you, but I am and always have been just a regular guy with a kinda weird job. I mean, I’ll admit that I’ve done and seen more than most people could even begin to imagine, and maybe I tend to approach problems from a different angle than most, but I also got stuck with a lot of dull, lonely work no one else wanted to do.”

“Like what?”

MacGyver thought for a minute. There was so much to choose from!

“Well, this one time I spent three weeks above the Arctic Circle monitoring whale migration. I came home with a frost-bit finger and found Jack building a plane in my living room.”

Joanna tried but failed to hide the grin that tugged at her lips.

“Then there was the time I spent four weeks crammed inside a stuffy space simulator testing lab…”

“Okay, I get it,” Jo conceded. “I went a little overboard romanticizing your adventures.”

“And that’s my fault,” Mac declared. “Instead of burying my past, I should’ve shared it with you and that’s what I plan to do from here on in. No more hiding, no more running. If you want to know something, just ask. I’m an open book!” He spread his arms wide and smiled as she laughed.

“There’s something else,” he added, his tone serious. “I don’t want you to ever think that you are not the absolute best thing in my life. I don’t regret my past...well, at least not most of it...but I’m ready for a different future. One where I have a wife, own a home, have a family and do a job I love that won’t get me killed and you are the only person I want to have that with. Are we clear?”

Jo nodded, her countenance a reflection of certainty and peace. Still, he had to know one more thing.

“Are you upset that I read your story?” he asked.

Joanna appeared thoughtful before shaking her head. “I probably should be if for no other reason than you invaded my privacy, but given the outcome, I’m glad you did.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah,” she confirmed with a playful grin as she pushed herself out of her chair and went to stand in front of him, taking his hands and urging him to his feet as well.

“What are you doing?” he asked, brows knitted in confusion.

“I was planning on kissing my fiancé senseless,” she smirked.

She reached out and wound her arms around his neck with a sly smile.

“Well, it’s about time!” he exclaimed as he lowered his lips to meet hers before she could say another word.
















Posted by: Dragondog 7 May 2020 - 01:45 AM
This just happened to be uploaded on my birthday laugh.gif

Did you edit in that part explaining the puppies' absense? Or was that there originally after all?

Hey, you know it's true love when they're willing to hold your hair back while you expel your stomach's contents laugh.gif

And apparently she thought the same thing laugh.gif

Uh, I'd be leery about kissing someone who's still sick tongue.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 7 May 2020 - 08:22 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 7 May 2020 - 01:45 AM)
This just happened to be uploaded on my birthday laugh.gif

Did you edit in that part explaining the puppies' absense? Or was that there originally after all?

Hey, you know it's true love when they're willing to hold your hair back while you expel your stomach's contents laugh.gif

And apparently she thought the same thing laugh.gif

Uh, I'd be leery about kissing someone who's still sick tongue.gif

Happy (belated) Birthday!! party.gif

No, that part about the puppies was originally there. I wrote this so long ago I forgot about it!!

Everything I wrote about throwing up is true for me. NOBODY can see or touch me! Even though it sounds gross, this was a real big step in Jo's and Mac's relationship!

Posted by: Dragondog 7 May 2020 - 10:41 PM
Thanks biggrin.gif

Yeah, I can relate. Though my mother has seen me sick plenty if times laugh.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 14 May 2020 - 02:00 PM
Chapter 49: Collateral Damage

The following week was remarkable if for no other reason than nothing remarkable happened. MacGyver had spent Sunday morning at Challengers before spending the rest of the day with Joanna and her parents. She had quickly recovered from the twenty-four hour stomach bug and insisted on returning to work as usual on Monday. Though Mac was concerned about her overdoing it, he was equally happy to have her by his side once more, engagement ring firmly in place. Tonight he had made a special meal for them to celebrate his purchase of the duplex and they now sat on the couch, his arm draped around her shoulders as she snuggled against him with a glass of sparkling grape juice in hand while Frog snored contentedly in the corner.

“You really like that stuff, don’t you?” he teased as Jo reached for the bottle of effervescent juice on the coffee table.

“It’s actually really good,” she remarked, refilling her glass. “You want some more?”

“Naw, one of us needs to stay sober,” he teased. “So you’re really glad I bought this place?”

“I’m more than glad,” she assured him, her warm gaze melting into his. “I’ve lived in the same house my entire life, and never knew another place could feel this much like home. I also couldn’t imagine you living anywhere else. We belong here...together.”

“I’ll drink to that,” MacGyver said, gently clinking his wine glass against hers.

“Ya know, I’m actually glad you made us take some time apart from each other,” he confessed.

“Really?” Joanna looked at him questioningly. “Why?”

Mac put down his drink so he could wrap both arms around her. “Even though I never once doubted my feelings for you, I can see now that I took your feelings for me for granted. I also realized that while I was trying to protect you by not talking about my past I was actually hurting you by hiding the things that made me the guy I am today.”

Jo studied him thoughtfully. “When you said if I wanted to know something about your past I should just ask. Did you mean that?”

“Absolutely.”

“Then I have a question for you.”

“Fire away!”

“How did you and Pete meet?”

“Which version would you like?” Mac chuckled.

“You mean there’s more than one?” Joanna asked skeptically.

“Well...yeah. There’s the version we tell everyone and then there’s the truth.”

“Okay...tell me both.”

“In the official version, Pete was on assignment in Saudi Arabia for the DXS and I just happened to be there as well. I rescued him from some quicksand in the Nafud desert, and borrowed a camel to take us back to civilization.”

“I guess that sounds believable,” Jo remarked. “Now tell me how you really met.”

MacGyver settled back against the couch cushions. This story would take a bit longer. He related how Jack had been a cabbie in Los Angeles at the time but had gotten himself laid-up in the hospital. Mac, never being able to say no to a friend in need, agreed to drive the cab until Jack was on his feet again. One of his fares had been a woman who asked to be dropped off at an abandoned warehouse only to be followed by a stranger. That stranger turned out to be DXS operative Pete Thornton. Ever chivalrous, MacGyver tried to aid the lady but ended up having himself and Jack’s cab commandeered by Pete to chase after the ‘lady’, an adeptly disguised international assassin who would turn out to be Murdoc. Mac left nothing out, telling Joanna about the bazookas, exploding bed, and even Pete’s tacky toupee.

“Wow,” Jo remarked when he had finished speaking. “I can see why you go with the quicksand and camel story. It’s a lot simpler. But I have another question.”

“What is it?” MacGyver asked as she pulled away to look at him.

“Initially you were trying to help Murdoc. Why did he turn against you and make it his life’s mission to kill you?”

Mac shrugged. “Good question. Once Pete and I partnered up, Murdoc saw me as the enemy, too. Then it turned into sort of a game for him: Who could kill who first. He hated it that I was always able to outsmart him and I hated it that he never got caught.”

“What do you think things would be like today if Murdoc hadn’t died up at Harry’s cabin?” Jo asked.

The telephone rang before MacGyver could form a reply. He grabbed the cordless handset from the coffee table and clicked onto the call.

“Hello?”

“Hey Dad, what’s up?!”

Mac smiled and glanced at Jo. “Hi Sam, it’s been awhile.”

“Yeah, I know. Listen, I was thinking of driving up tomorrow and taking you out to dinner.”

“That’d be great, but Jo’s been sick so I don’t think--”

“You guys are back together?! That’s awesome!!”

“Wait a minute, you knew about that?” MacGyver glared at Joanna.

“Um, yeah. See, Jo told Becca and--”

“Becca told you. I get it.” His fiancé plucked the phone out of his hand before he could say anything else.

“Jo is right here and she’s feeling much better,” she told Sam. “What did you need?”

Mac watched as she listened intently, nodding as if his son could see her.

“We’d love to see both you and Becca,” she replied, shooting a menacing look at Mac. “But you have to let us treat you. We can pick up Chinese and relax here instead of going out. It’ll be the perfect Friday evening,” she smiled.

MacGyver reached to take the phone back but she pivoted away. “Listen Sam, do you happen to know if Becca still has the box I gave her?” Mac watched her nibbling her bottom lip and wondered about the turn in the conversation.

“Oh, good,” Jo let out a relieved sigh. “Can you guys bring it with you?”

Mac listened as the call concluded and Joanna put the phone back on the table. “What was all that about a box?” He thought Jo looked like a deer caught in the headlights as she struggled with her answer.

“I suppose I may as well tell you,” she replied defeatedly. “When Becca was in town doing research for her article on computer dating, I had already decided it wasn’t going to work between us and I gave her the wedding dress Connie bought for me and asked her to return it.”

The worried look in her eyes told him she feared his reaction and his heart squeezed as myriad emotions swept through him. In the end, he simply took her hand firmly in his and whispered, “I’m glad she didn’t listen to you.”

The following evening the two couples gathered around MacGyver’s kitchen table, passing around cartons of Chinese take-out. Mac and his son dug into their meal deftly using chopsticks while Joanna and Rebecca opted for conventional forks. When they were done eating, Sam leaned back in his chair and took Becca’s hand.

“I suppose you’re wondering why I wanted to come see you,” Sam said.

Mac glanced at Jo who simply shrugged.

“You mean it wasn’t to allow us to feed you?” MacGyver teased, but his son’s face remained serious.

“No, Dad,” he replied. “I just accepted an assignment in the Middle East.”

MacGyver felt the air rush out of his lungs. Not again. What was Sam thinking?

“Sam, what were you thinking?!” Joanna cried, once again reading Mac’s mind. “There’s a war going on over there!”

“There’s always a war going on over there, and that’s kinda the point,” Sam said. “My editor needs someone who has experience being imbedded with American troops to get a story. I have that experience. This could be my big break! If I do a good job the Tribune will probably hire me on permanently. I won’t be just a stringer anymore!”

“Provided you don’t get yourself killed!” Mac shot back.

“I’ve done it before, Dad! I know what I’m doing!”

MacGyver felt Joanna’s warm hand on his thigh, offering him silent comfort...and perhaps a warning to calm down. He clenched his jaw to keep from saying something he might regret.

“Sam, what can you tell us about this assignment?” Jo asked, her voice low and calm.

“I don’t know a lot. Apparently even I’m on a need-to-know-basis, but I should only be over there a couple of weeks at the most. Apparently military intelligence has had some kind of break through and I’m going to be joining up with a special ops team to get the scoop.

“So where are they sending you? Iraq? Afghanistan?” Mac asked.

Sam shrugged. “I don’t know yet. I fly into Germany the day after tomorrow and I’ll get more information then.”

“I don’t suppose I can talk you out of this.” It was a statement, not a question, because MacGyver knew the answer.

“Nope.”

“Then be safe,” Mac said, getting up from his chair and walking around the table to where is son now stood waiting to embrace him.

A few hours later, MacGyver stood staring out the patio door, waiting for Frog to finish his business. He saw Joanna’s reflection in the window as she approached to stand beside him.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” he said flatly, still looking out into the night.

“I know,” she sighed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam arrived at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, Germany on Sunday where he received further identification papers and a plane ticket to Kabul. He wasn’t surprised at his destination. Afghanistan had always been a hotbed of military activity and lately the news had been reporting a surge in rebel fighting within the country. Glancing at his watch he realized he needed to hurry if he was to catch his flight.

Seven hours later Sam’s plane landed in Kabul. He stretched as best he could while waiting to disembark. He figured he had spent most of the last seventeen hours in the air cramped in economy class and his muscles were beginning to complain. He longed to collect his rucksack, secure a room at the closest hotel, and take a long hot shower. Unfortunately, that was not to be. A man dressed in civilian clothes but clearly an American held a sign with Sam’s name written in large, dark letters. This was his contact who would transport him to the unit he would be imbedded with. Well-versed in introductory procedure, Sam had his passport in hand as he approached.

“Hi, I’m Sam Malloy,” he stated, handing over his ID which the man studied for mere seconds before returning it.

“Nice to meet you,” he said, lowering the sign and shaking Sam’s hand. “I’m Private First Class Alex Dunbar. I’ll be your escort the rest of the way.”

Private Dunbar appeared close to Sam’s age and height with brown hair and matching eyes.

“What’s with the civvies?” Sam asked as they headed to baggage claim.

“My commanding officer thought it best if I tried to blend in. I’m not sure it’s working,” he chuckled as he plucked at the tropical print shirt he wore.

“You must be pretty hungry,” Alex remarked once Sam had been reunited with his rucksack and camera bag.

“You could say that,” Sam laughed as his stomach grumbled as if on cue. “Airline cuisine only goes so far!”

“If you can wait about an hour or so there’s this little place outside the city run by local villagers. They serve the best qormah...better than you’ll find in any restaurant, plus it’s cheap and the portions are huge.”

“Hey, you don’t have to convince me,” Sam assured him. “Lead the way!”

A while later, Private Dunbar guided their utilitarian Jeep off the smooth highway and onto a bumpy desert road, leaving the lights of Kabul behind.

“This your first tour?” Sam asked.

“Nope. Second.”

“Voluntary?”

“Aren’t they all? If you don’t volunteer, Uncle Sam’ll do it for you.”

Sam chuckled at the saying he had heard all too often years ago when he was first becoming acquainted with military operations. It wasn’t long until he saw lights glowing in the darkness that had surrounded them. Minutes later, Alex parked the Jeep near an oddly shaped stone and clay structure. A mixture of white and multicolored Christmas lights powered by a portable generator provided a woven canopy for the outdoor eating area.

“Have a seat,” Dunbar motioned.

Sam sat down at a rickety table for two while his escort entered the small building to procure their supper. Even though it was well past midnight, the place was crowded and alive as men, women and children chattered away in a foreign language. Enticing aromas wafted on the cool night air causing Sam’s mouth to water and he was grateful when Alex returned and set a large clay bowl in front of him.

“Bon Appetit!” he said, taking his own seat.

Sam greedily dug into the hearty helping of stew covered rice. He immediately recognized the flavors of onion and lotus root along with large, tender pieces of lamb served in perfect combination. Once the two men’s appetites had been sated, they climbed back into the Jeep.

“How far is the base camp?” Sam asked.

“We should get there by dawn,” Dunbar told him. “Just in time for you to meet up with the convoy and head out.”

“Great,” Sam replied, trying unsuccessfully to smother a yawn.

Alex chuckled. “Jet lag’ll get you every time. I know it’s a bumpy ride, but feel free to get some shut-eye while you can.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“What do you think, Mac?” Joanna asked.

“About what?” MacGyver asked, tearing himself away from his self-imposed reverie.

“You haven’t heard a word I’ve said,” Jo accused from where she sat on the opposite side of his desk.

“If you think it’s bad now, just wait until you’re married,” Cynthia replied with a wry grin. “Booker, bless his soul, was the best man a woman could ask for, but that man had the worst case of selective hearing I’ve ever seen. At least up until now.” She nodded toward Mac.

“Look, I’m sorry, but I have a lot on my mind,” he snapped.

“You mean you have Sam on your mind,” Jo observed, no censure in her voice, only understanding.

“Yeah,” Mac confessed, scrubbing his face with his hands before standing up to pace the small room that was his office. “I don’t know what it is, but since he told us about his new assignment I’ve just had this feeling.”

Ever since Sam’s announcement at dinner Friday night, MacGyver had been distracted, unable to give Challengers and even Joanna his undivided attention.

“Perhaps I should leave and we can continue this meeting at another time,” Cynthia offered politely.

“No,” Mac countered. “The river clean-up project is a week from Saturday. We need to get plans nailed down and the kids on board.”

For the next two hours MacGyver forced himself to focus on the job at hand. The meeting ended with Cynthia volunteering to create a participant sign-up sheet and talk to Geena and Rosie about getting the kids interested in the project. Once Cynthia had left, Mac got up and began pacing the room.

“It looks like it’s gonna be a pretty slow night,” Jo observed. “Why don’t you head on home?”

MacGyver turned to her. “Only if you come with me.” He really didn’t feel like being alone, and that in itself bothered him.

“Fine. But your gonna have to feed me.”

Mac chuckled. “What do you say I make you my famous whole wheat and banana pancakes?”

“Sounds like a plan,” she replied with a smile.

XXXXX

The couple had just finished eating when there was a knock on the front door. MacGyver opened it to find two men with sullen expressions standing on his stoop. One wore a dark suit and tie and held a large manila envelope while the other was in formal military uniform. A high-ranking official if the medals on his chest were any indication. Mac knew government protocol when he saw it, and this was it. His stomach turned to lead as he anticipated the reason for this visit.

“Mr. MacGyver?” the uniformed man asked.

“Yes sir.”

“Are you the father of Sean A. Malloy?” the other man inquired.

“Yes, I am.”

“May we come in?” This from Military Man again.

“Of course,” Mac replied, stepping back to allow the two gentlemen to enter while Jo quietly came to stand beside him. He felt her arm wrap around his waist and saw the question and concern in her eyes. “This is my fiancé, Joanna Fairfax,” he said.

The men nodded toward her in way of greeting before turning their attention back to MacGyver.

“Perhaps you’d like to sit down,” Dark Suit Guy suggested.

“I’m good,” Mac replied firmly. “Just say what you came here to say.”

The man in uniform cleared his throat before speaking. “I have been entrusted to express deep regret that your son, Sean, was killed on assignment in Afghanistan early this afternoon. The armored vehicle he was riding in struck a roadside bomb and all occupants perished. The military and United States Government extends its deepest sympathy to you and your family in your loss.”

MacGyver felt as if he had just been sucker-punched and had all the air knocked out of him. The world around him began to spin and his vision blurred. He barely heard Joanna gasp beside him or felt her bury her head in his chest.

“No. It can’t be. Not Sam,” he murmured, his voice sounding far away even to his own ears.

“I’m sorry, sir,” the man in the suit offered. Mac now realized he was a chaplain. “Your son was positively identified by the documents he had on his person at the time of the incident. Here are some of his personal effects.” The man held out the manila envelope, but placed it on the kitchen counter when MacGyver refused to take it. “We’ll be in touch tomorrow to assist you with final arrangements.”

The two men silently let themselves out and Joanna locked the door behind them. “He’s not dead,” MacGyver proclaimed, turning to find Jo peering into the large envelope.

“I know you don’t want it to be true, but these are his things,” she replied softly. “Sam’s gone.”

“No, he’s not!” Mac yelled as he grabbed the envelope from her and slammed it to the floor causing its contents to scatter on the carpet.

Joanna knelt down to gather Sam’s belongings. She picked up a wristwatch and held it out. “Mac, it’s the watch you gave him for his last birthday. The one you had engraved.”

MacGyver’s legs gave out and he sank to the floor next to her. “It can’t be,” he whispered, taking the time piece and turning it over in his hands, trying to deny the evidence he held.

“What’s this?” Jo asked.

Mac immediately recognized the locket that hung from a long chain. He didn’t realize Sam still wore it. He took it from her and, with trembling fingers, carefully opened it to find a picture of a much younger version of himself staring back.

“This is the locket Kate gave Sam before she was killed. This is how he knew who I was,” he explained, his voice thick with emotion. Tears welled in his eyes and he knew it was true. His son was dead.

He didn’t know who reached out first, but he found himself in Joanna’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Filled with anguish and rage, he clung to her like a drowning man would cling to a life preserver. Their tears mingled together until they were both too breathless, too exhausted to cry. Sitting back on their heels, they reached out and wiped the moisture from each other’s cheeks. It was then that Mac noticed Frog all but attacking the forgotten envelope lying on the floor.

“Knock it off,” he scolded, making a half-hearted attempt to push the dog away. But Frog would not be deterred and continued to paw at the brown paper until it was nothing but shreds. Apparently satisfied, the bull dog then returned to his nap under the coffee table. With a lump in his throat, MacGyver reached out to recover Sam’s passport and press ID which was now exposed. Gingerly picking up the documents, he braced himself to see his son’s face one more time, but when he looked down, it was to find a stranger’s face next to Sam’s signature.

“They were wrong. It wasn’t Sam,” Mac said huskily, afraid to believe yet knowing it was true.

“What?!” Jo exclaimed, crawling forward.

Forcing himself to remain calm and logical, MacGyver studied the ID’s more carefully before showing them to her.

“This is Sam’s information, but not his picture,” he declared as hope bubbled up inside him.

“Is it a fake?” Joanna asked.

“Let’s find out.” Mac stood up and dug in his pocket for his Swiss Army knife as the couple made their way to the kitchen table. Once seated, he selected the thinnest blade he could find and probed the edges of Sam’s laminated press pass until a corner gave way. With slow, cautious movements, MacGyver lifted the imposter’s picture to reveal Sam’s smiling countenance. “It’s authentic,” he confirmed, leaning back in his chair. “Someone just replaced Sam’s picture with their own and did a real good job.”

“Then this is Sam’s too, only with someone else’s picture?” Jo inquired, fingering the passport.

“Looks that way,” Mac remarked. “Which means it wasn’t Sam who was killed in that convoy.”

Joanna leaned in. “Then who is this guy and where’s Sam? He’d never willingly had over his personal information, especially in a foreign country.”

“I know,” MacGyver agreed, scrubbing his face with his hands.

“So, what do we do now?” Jo asked, clearly bewildered.

“We figure out what’s going on,” Mac declared as he reached for the phone.

“Who are you calling?”

“Craig Bannister. The government and military often work closely with the Phoenix Foundation and Bannister may still have some connections at the DSX as well,” he explained as he dialed. When his friend and former colleague answered, MacGyver quickly summarized the situation. Several minutes later he slammed down the receiver.

“What happened? What’d he say?”

Mac blew out a frustrated breath and jammed his fingers through his hair. “He said we need to go through proper channels, but that’ll take too long.” He pushed out of his chair and bounded up the spiral staircase with Joanna close behind. He pulled out his worn duffle from underneath the bed and began randomly stuffing it with clothes.

“What are you doing?” Jo demanded.

“What does it look like? I’m going after Sam.”

Joanna grabbed his arm and wrenched it harder than he thought possible. “Have you lost your mind?! You can’t just run off to Afghanistan!”

“I can and I am! I hafta find Sam!”

“Then go through proper channels like Craig suggested!”

MacGyver turned and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Look, best case scenario is that someone simply lifted Sam’s papers or forced him to hand them over. Worst case scenario? Sam could’ve been kidnapped or worse. I’m not gonna sit around and wait for the government to cut through diplomatic red tape when my son is missing!”

“Would you just stop and think about this for a minute?” Jo pleaded, pinning him with the look she reserved for her naughtiest students. “Afghanistan is a large and very dangerous country. Where would you even begin looking for him? And what if something happens to you? Then you’ll both need rescued. At least give the government a chance to do it their way.”

Mac sighed and dropped his arms to his side. “I’m sorry. You’re right. It’s just that--”

“Sam is your son,” she said firmly. “If anyone can get out of whatever situation he may be in, it’s him.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Is he dead, Mama?” The little girl’s heavily accented voice pierced through his fog-shrouded brain.

“No, my little one, he was badly injured and needs to sleep while his body heals,” a melodic female voice replied.

“He’s slept long enough,” a harsh voice grumbled. “Every day he is here he brings more danger.”

“But Father, it was you who brought him to our camp,” the elder female countered.

“What was I to do? Leave him in the desert to die? I am an old man and will soon meet Allah and be judged. I cannot have a man’s death on my conscience. However, it is time that he leaves. He does not belong here.”

Sam’s head throbbed. He reached up to rub his temple, only to find it covered with a gauze-like material. He peeled one eye open, the other was swollen shut. His lips were dry and cracked and his mouth was filled with the metallic taste of blood. Continuing his physical inventory, nothing seemed to be broken, except possibly his ankle which throbbed in rhythm to his pulse. He attempted to push himself up by his elbow, but quickly flopped back down with a groan. Better add a couple of busted ribs to the list.

“Mama! Mama! The man is awake!” the little girl cried.

“Hurry, Asal, get him some water,” the woman ordered as she sat beside Sam on the narrow cot. She gently lifted his head and pressed the cool, earthenware cup to his lips. “Slowly!” she scolded as he drank greedily.

“What happened? Where am I?” Sam croaked when the woman pulled the cup away.

“My father found you beaten and unconscious in the desert and brought you here, to our camp.”

With the woman’s help, Sam sat up and took in the canvas walls of the little family’s tent and the one large room dimly lit by kerosene lanterns. He also noticed that he was no longer wearing his khakis and t-shirt but baggy cotton pants and a long matching shirt. His right leg was splinted with two narrow boards tied with more gauzy cloth which confirmed his suspicions about his ankle.

“Do you remember who did this to you?” the woman asked, genuine concern in her voice. Yet Sam knew it wasn’t wise to trust friends, much less strangers, in this volatile country.

“No,” he shook his head and instantly regretted it as a stabbing pain shot through his brain. “The last thing I remember was falling asleep in the Jeep.” Technically, the last thing he remembered was a very interesting dream starring Becca, but the lady didn’t need to know that. “How long have I been here?”

“It is the end of the third day,” came the gruff reply from the only other man in the tent. “You truly do not remember who attacked you?”

“No,” Sam replied as his mind raced with possibilities. Had he and Private Dunbar been ambushed? “The man I was traveling with. Where is he? And the Jeep?”

The woman and her father exchanged troubled glances. “You were the only one there,” the man confirmed.

Sam wanted to ask more questions. He needed to figure out his exact predicament, but he was tiring quickly.

“What’s your name?” the girl asked from the foot of the makeshift bed. With long, black hair and wide, dark eyes, she was a miniature version of her mother.

“I’m Sam,” he answered with the friendliest smile he could muster.

“My name is Asal, and this is my mama, Moska, and my grandpapa, Soban.”

“It’s nice to meet you all,” he replied, looking at each family member in turn.

“You must be hungry,” Moska observed. “I will get you something to eat.” At her declaration, everyone headed toward the opposite end of the tent. Sam leaned back on his cot and waited for his food to arrive.

Sam felt the rays of the morning sun caressing his face as the flaps of the tent’s entrance were pulled back. When he opened his eyes it was to see a pair of obsidian ones staring back. Asal.

“I guess I fell asleep before supper last night, huh?” he smiled gently.

“Mama said you needed to rest and will eat when you are ready.”

“Food heals the soul as well as the body,” Moska said as she came to stand beside her daughter holding a tray.

“I am pretty hungry,” Sam confessed as he sat up and took the tray from Asal’s mother. From previous trips to the area, he quickly identified ‘nan’, an unleavened flat bread, on a plate as well as a bowl of ‘mast’, a yogurt-based soup. Last, but not least, was a steaming cup of aromatic tea. Unfortunately, the delicious food soon became bland under Soban’s steely gaze.

“Now that you are stronger, perhaps you can tell us what you are doing here in our country.”

Sam swallowed a spoonful of soup before answering. “I’m a United States journalist. I was on my way to a U.S. military camp I’m supposed to be imbedded with. If someone can bring me my clothes I can show you my identification.”

The words had barely left his mouth when Moska presented him with his freshly laundered and carefully folded shirt and pants. “They were caked with blood and sand when my father rescued you,” she explained, “But your pockets were empty.”

His chin dropped to his chest. “Terrific. I’m in a foreign, war-torn country with no way to prove who I am,” he mumbled before looking up at Soban. “How far is it to Kabul?”

“Not far. At most it is a two-day ride. I will saddle you a horse, or camel, if you prefer, but you must agree to take a guide from the camp to show you the way and make sure my animal is returned.”

“Father!” Moska exclaimed. “Our guest is not healed enough to make such a journey! You must let him stay!”

“He can stay until sun-up tomorrow. Then he must leave and forget he was ever here.” The old man turned and stomped out of the tent.

“You must forgive him,” Moska said, shaking her head sadly. “He has lived his entire life in this desert as his ancestors before him. We are a peaceful, nomadic tribe, but that doesn’t keep violence and bloodshed from our homes.”

“It’s understandable that he would want to protect his family,” Sam assured her. “I couldn’t help but notice your husband isn’t here.”

Moska’s eyes took on a glassy sheen. “Several years ago, rebel insurgents tried to recruit my husband to fight with them. Asal was just a baby. My husband refused as our people do not believe in war and for that he was killed. My husband and father were very close. That is the reason my father distrusts strangers.”

“I’m sorry about your husband. I didn’t mean to bring up difficult memories, but I am glad your father saw fit to not let me die.”

“Our religion demands we practice charity,” she explained. “I will leave you to rest now.”

Sam spent the day sitting just outside the tent on a small, stone bench watching the other families in the camp go about their normal routine. Their self-sufficiency amazed him, as did their acceptance of him amongst their ranks. Moska had given him a walking stick and he was pleasantly surprised to find that his ankle wasn’t as sore as he first thought. Perhaps he had only sustained a sprain. It hadn’t taken very long before Asal insisted on introducing her friends to him and he spent the next hours fielding a plethora of questions about life in America. When the children could think of nothing else to ask, they split up in small groups to play soccer or baseball, but Asal remained steadfastly at his side.

“How did you and your friends learn to speak such good English and play sports?” Sam asked.

The little girl shrugged. “Sometimes American soldiers stay not too far from our camp. They bring us gifts and teach us things.”

“That sounds pretty cool,” Sam remarked.

“They also tell the boys that if they get real good at playing ball they could move to America and make lots of money, but I think they’re just teasing. Getting paid to play a game is silly,” she giggled, and Sam couldn’t help but chuckle as well.

That evening, Sam joined the family at the supper table and was amazed at the delicious meal Moska had made from such basic ingredients. When everyone was done eating, Asal and her mother cleared the table and Soban leaned back in his chair.

“I have arranged for our neighbor’s son to take you to Kabul tomorrow. He will meet you outside at first light. I am loaning you one of my best stallions. I trust he will be returned unharmed.”

Pleased that the old man apparently trusted Sam more than he let on, and infinitely relieved to learn he would not be riding a camel, Sam simply nodded.

Early the next morning, Sam stepped from the tent. The eastern sky was just beginning to blush a light pink, promising another sunny day ahead. As expected, a boy in his early teens stood holding the halters of two finely bred horses. He was admiring the animals when Moska approached with Asal and Soban behind her. She handed him a pair of saddlebags and a canteen.

“I packed your clothes and enough food for a two-day ride,” she informed him.

“You shouldn’t have gone through so much trouble,” Sam said, shaking his head. “You all have done so much for me already, there’s no way I could ever thank you.”

Moska gently put her hand on his arm. “It has been our honor to assist you. You can thank us by safely returning to your homeland.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Sam agreed with a smile, before hoisting himself up on his large steed, taking care not to aggravate his injuries.

XXXXX

Twilight was falling on the second day of the journey when Sam’s guide reined in his horse, causing Sam to do the same. While the young man hadn’t been exactly friendly, he had been polite and accommodating.

“Why are we stopping?” Sam asked, his instincts going on alert. “Is something wrong?”

His escort graced him with a rare smile. “No. See those lights in the distance? That is Kabul and this is where we must part ways.”

“Looks like a pretty long walk,” Sam grimaced.

The teen chuckled. “It is only about a mile to a well-traveled road. Someone will stop and give you a ride.” Then he looked critically at Sam. “You might want to change into your Western clothes. Locals will be more likely to take pity on you.”

“Gee, thanks,” Sam grumbled as he dismounted and dug his clean but now-wrinkled clothes from the saddlebag Moska had provided. His guide reached for reins of the stallion Sam had been riding and turned both horses back towards the direction they had just come from.

“You’re not planning on riding back tonight, are you?” Sam asked, concerned for the boy’s safety.

“I have traveled this desert since I was a small boy. I will be fine. And if I fall asleep, the horses know the way home.” He flashed Sam a parting grin and spurred the horses into a gallop, sand flying in their wake.

Sam quickly changed clothes, wanting to reach civilization before total darkness encompassed the desert. By the time he reached the paved road, his ankle was screaming in protest. He had taken the splint off the night before to make sitting his horse easier but now wished he had it back. On the other hand, how was he to know his guide was going to dump him outside the city to fend for himself?

Surprisingly, it wasn’t long before a taxi cab pulled to a stop in front of him.

“Need a lift?” the cabbie asked.

“Yeah, but I’m afraid I don’t have any money on me at the moment.”

“You are American?”

“Yes sir,” Sam replied, imagining what the man must think of his ripped shirt and torn jeans, not to mention the slowly healing bruises on his face. He wouldn’t be at all surprised if the cabbie suddenly turned tail and ran.

“My shift is over. I’ll keep the meter off,” the driver said after some consideration. “Where can I take you?” he asked as Sam climbed in.

“The U.S. Embassy if possible.”

With no further conversation, the driver zigged and zagged his cab through the city before pulling up beside the large building. Sam thanked the cabbie for his kindness before the man sped off. Now his next task was to convince the government officials in the embassy of his identity with absolutely no proof.

Sam made his way wearily up the steps and stumbled through the main entrance before approaching the reception area. He was hungry, tired, dizzy and in pain from head to toe, but he knew he had to hold himself together if he was to secure a way home.

“May I help you?” a young, female secretary asked warily from behind a large desk. Sam took a deep breath and pasted on what he hoped was a charming yet non-threatening smile. It was now or never.

“I hope so,” he replied in a friendly tone. “I’m afraid all my identification was stolen, but my name is Sam Malloy and I’m a photojournalist here on assignment for the Chicago Tribune.” He was prepared to say more but stopped short when the woman turned so pale you would have thought she had seen a ghost and shot to her feet.

“Please have a seat,” she invited, gesturing to a row of chairs lined up against the opposite wall. “I’ll be right back.” She hurried away and Sam sighed, sure he would soon be in handcuffs and sitting under an interrogation spotlight. He sat down, allowed his head to fall into his hands and silently bemoaned his fate even as he wondered how his dad would handle a situation like this. He didn’t have long to think before a burly, middle-aged man in military uniform approached, followed by a lanky, balding man in a disheveled suit. Sam rose to meet his fate.

“Did you say your name is ‘Sam Malloy’?” the office asked without preamble. He stood a head taller than Sam and clenched his hands behind his back, causing his chest to puff out.

“Yes sir,” Sam confirmed.

“Is that your given name?”

Now it was Sam’s turn to become wary. “No sir. My full name is Sean Angus Malloy.”

“Well, I’ll be!” the man in the suit exclaimed. “MacGyver was right!”

Thoroughly confused at the mention of his dad’s name, Sam’s questioning gaze bounced between the two men.

“Welcome back from the dead, son,” the officer proclaimed as he shook Sam’s hand with a sturdy grip. “I’m General Rimmer and this is Special Agent Max Foster with the DXS,” he explained, nodding to the man beside him who also shook Sam’s hand.

“I’m sorry. I...I don’t understand.”

“Let’s go back to my office and get this all sorted out. Then we’ll get you to the hospital and have a doctor check you out.”

General Rimmer led the way to his cavernous, well-appointed office in the bowels of the embassy. When everyone was comfortably seated, the general’s assistant brought in a tray of tea, coffee, and light refreshments. Having not eaten since early that afternoon, Sam eagerly indulged himself.

“Now, why don’t you start from the beginning and explain how you came to be here tonight?” Rimmer prompted.

Sam set down his cup of coffee and leaned back in the buttery soft leather chair. He was hoping the general and agent would have offered the same information, but he couldn’t fault them for not showing their hand. Afterall, he was the beat-up guy with no ID. Sam settled in and explained how he had flown from O’Hare to Berlin then on to Kabul where he was met by Private Dunbar and the events that followed.

“Then I woke up in a tent in the desert,” he told them and chronicled the days spent with Asal, Moska, and Soban, as well as his two-day trek back to Kabul.

“But you don’t actually remember the attack itself?” General Rimmer asked, not for the first time.

Sam shook his head. “Like I told you, I must have dozed off in the Jeep and was knocked unconscious. I was kinda hopin’ you could tell me what happened and if Dunbar is okay.”

The two older men exchanged somber looks laden with emotions Sam couldn’t quite identify. Finally, Agent Foster got up and retrieved a file sitting front and center on the general’s desk. He took out an eight-by-ten photograph and handed it to Sam.

“Do you recognize this man?” the agent asked.

“Yes,” Sam replied immediately. “This is Private First Class Alex Dunbar, my military-appointed escort.”

Foster plucked the picture from Sam’s grasp. “I’m sorry, Sam, but ‘Alex Dunbar’ doesn’t exist. Did you ask for his identification when you first arrived?”

Sam lowered his head. “No. I’m sorry. I was tired and just assumed he was who he said he was. He said all the right things.”

“There’s no need to be sorry,” Agent Foster assured him, “But perhaps it’s a lesson learned for next time. At any rate, the man in this photo was an American sympathizer with the rebel insurgents in the region. He went by several aliases which made it that much harder for us to pin him down. From the information we already had, and now with your side of the story, we believe it was this imposter who attacked you in order to steal your identity. You see, you were cleared to be imbedded with a special ops team on a highly sensitive mission that ‘Dunbar’ planned to sabotage. It would have been way too difficult to pose as specialized military, so he targeted you, a reporter, instead.”

“But how could he have possibly known about me?”

“We’re still trying to figure that out,” General Rimmer replied, stroking his chin. “Your incident has opened a very large can of international worms, so to speak.”

Sam took a sip of his coffee which by now had turned cold before raising further questions for the two men. He looked toward Rimmer first. “When we met earlier, you welcomed me back from the dead.” He then turned to Foster. “And you said that my dad had been right. What was that all about?”

General Rimmer scrubbed his face with his hands. “The man you knew as ‘Dunbar’ successfully infiltrated the special ops unit you had been assigned to. Their convoy hit a roadside bomb. Everyone in the vehicle ‘Dunbar’ was riding in was killed, including ‘Dunbar’”. He was identified by his passport and press pass that of course had your information on it. Per military protocol, officers were dispatched to inform next of kin and hand over personal effects.”

“So my dad thinks I’m dead?!” Sam exclaimed as he realized for the first time that not only were his ID documents missing, but he also did not have his watch, locket, or Swiss Army knife.

“He tried to deny it but, yes. At least until he discovered the altered credentials.”

Agent Foster picked up the story from there. “And you know how your dad is, like a dog with a bone when he has a puzzle to solve. I heard he even thought about coming here to look for you himself but his fiancé managed to talk him out of it.”

“Yeah, Jo’s about the only person who could do that, too,” Sam said with a smile until he realized that Joanna also thought he was dead and he hated to think of her and his dad grieving when he was very much alive. And what about Becca?

“So anyway,” Foster continued, “Mac called Craig Bannister at Phoenix and, since we all used to work together at the DXS, Craig called me after warning MacGyver to mind his own business. I was over here already so I started pokin’ around, but to be honest, there was very little to go on. Chances are we never would have found you if you hadn’t walked through that door tonight.”

Sam took a few moments to let this all sink in before the general spoke again.

“You’re a very lucky young man,” he observed.

“You call being beat up and left for dead ‘lucky’?” Sam snorted.

“I do, considering if you had been where you were supposed to be, you’d most certainly be dead right now.”

Sam blew out a breath. “Yeah. I guess I hadn’t thought about that. General, do you mind if I use your phone for a minute?”

“Be my guest.”

“It’s long distance,” Sam warned.

“I think the U.S. government can afford it,” Rimmer replied with a wink.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Mac, I think we ought to head home and let Sam get some rest,” Joanna suggested.

Sam had returned to his Chicago apartment twenty-four hours earlier and for at least twenty of those hours, he had been hovered over by either MacGyver, Joanna, Rebecca, or all three.

“He seems to be in good hands,” she offered, nodding toward where Becca stood.

“Oh, don’t worry about a thing,” the younger woman assured them. “I’ll take real good care of him.”

Jo bit back a giggle when Sam rolled his eyes. Like his father, he didn’t care to be fussed over.

“It’s okay, Dad. I’ll be fine now that I’m home,” Sam confirmed.

“Besides,” Joanna added, “You need just as much rest as your son, if not more. You’ve hardly slept a wink since this whole thing started.”

Mac blew out a breath and jammed his splayed fingers through his hair. “I guess I am being a bit of a ‘father hen’,” he admitted sheepishly.

“Look, I really appreciate your concern, but you can see I’m fine now,” Sam said from where he lie on his couch. His ribs had been bound and his taped ankle rested on a pillow.

“Alright,” MacGyver acquiesced. “But call if you need anything.”

“Would you like me to drive?” Joanna asked once she and Mac reached the parking lot.

“Why?”

“Because you’ve been awake for hours on end.”

“Fine,” he groaned, tossing her the keys and climbing into the passenger side of the Nomad.

Jo slid behind the wheel and grimaced.

“What’s wrong?” Mac asked.

“I never realized how huge this car is. It’s like driving the Love Boat!”

“Changing your mind?” he teased.

“No,” she replied firmly. “You just sit there and relax. You might even fall asleep, which would be a good thing.”

Mac snorted. “Like that’s gonna happen!”

Joanna carefully backed out of the parking space, quickly getting a feel for the big car. She tuned the radio to her favorite country music station and spared a glance at MacGyver who was snoring softly before she even reached the interstate.

Posted by: Dragondog 15 May 2020 - 02:42 AM
Interesting title...

I seriously thought Sam's news was going to be that he and becca were engaged tongue.gif

Sam can't be dead. I think he gave his stuff to the other guy.

I was close enough.

Mac crying 😢😢😢

Good chapter laugh.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 15 May 2020 - 09:10 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 15 May 2020 - 02:42 AM)
Interesting title...

I seriously thought Sam's news was going to be that he and becca were engaged tongue.gif

Sam can't be dead. I think he gave his stuff to the other guy.

I was close enough.

Mac crying 😢😢😢

Good chapter laugh.gif

I thought you would probably like this one!

Posted by: uniquelyjas 20 May 2020 - 12:11 PM
Chapter 50: Return to New Hope

A/N: This is a continuation of Chapter 31.

Boston, MA
March 1864

Mister Patrick Malloy sat behind his large mahogany desk from which he ran his incredibly successful newspaper empire. Distribution and readership had been on a constant rise, yet today a fiery rage roared through him. He looked at the crinkled paper he held in one hand and then at the calendar before him. It would soon be a year since his dearest daughter, Kate, had been murdered in a stage coach robbery while on her way to join her husband on the frontier land he was in the process of settling. His attention returned to the letter he had received that day from his six-year-old grandson, Samuel. In careful printing, the young boy had done his best to chronicle the Valentine’s Day wedding of his father to his school teacher, Miss Anna. Anger with his rogue son-in-law threatened to overwhelm him.

“How dare you?” he mumbled to himself. “She hasn’t even been gone twelve months and you marry the first chit to catch your fancy while I sit here day in and day out and grieve for my only child. It’s not fair!” Malloy slammed his fist down on his desk and immediately knew what he must do.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

New Hope, Nebraska Territory
May 1864

MacGyver stood on his front porch and inhaled deeply, his face tipped toward the mid-morning sun as its rays smiled down upon him. Late spring had brought clear skies and warm temperatures to New Hope and his homestead was already beginning to thrive. It had been a brutal winter, but thankfully he had only lost two head of cattle and his horses remained hale and hearty. An early thaw had also allowed him to get a head start on plowing and planting his field. He smiled as the joyful laughter of a grown woman and young boy drifted from the kitchen window. He could hardly believe that only a year ago he had been practically living like a hermit, sequestering himself from everyone and everything in the name of grief, and today he had everything he could possibly dream of. He heard the front door creak open and soon felt his new wife by his side.

“Would you mind hitching up the buckboard? Sammy and I need to go into town and pick up some groceries.”

“I’d be happy to drive you,” he replied, looking down fondly on the brown-haired, brown-eyed school teacher he had married this past February, much to the delight of his son and her student.

She reached up and gently weaved her fingers through the dark blond hair at the nape of his neck causing a delightful tingle to trickle down his spine. “You could do with a visit to the barber,” she mused.

“Um...on second thought...I have some things to tend to here. I’ll get the wagon ready for you.” He grinned as her mirthful giggle followed him all the way to the barn.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The little bell above the door tinkled a greeting as Anna walked into the General Store, Sammy beside her.

“Good morning, Anna! What can I help you with today?” Peter Thornton, the storekeeper, asked.

“I’m just here to pick up my weekly grocery order,” she sighed, looking around and wishing she had more time to browse.

“Sure thing. I have it all ready in the storeroom.” As Mr. Thornton slipped into the curtained off area, Sammy tugged at her skirt.

“Ma, can I go to the post office?” he asked impatiently.

“You know there’s no mail delivery on Saturday,” she informed him.

“But it’s been a whole week,” he whined.

“Fine. But remember to watch where you’re walking so you don’t get run over.” Anna had barely finished speaking before the boy was out the door.

“Here we are,” Thornton said, placing the box on the counter before calculating the total and taking the money Anna offered. “Guess you’re keepin’ pretty busy what with teachin’ and bein’ a newlywed with a ready-made family and all.”

“You can say that again!” she chuckled.

“Well, it’s right generous of you to offer to stay on teachin’ ‘til the end of the term.”

“In all fairness, I only thought it proper since I wasn’t planning on getting married and having a family when I signed my contract. I just hope they can find a replacement by the time classes resume in the fall.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry none about that,” Thornton assured her. “This here town is growin’ by leaps and bounds. Surely the school board will have plenty of young ladies linin’ up to teach our young’uns!”

The bell above the door rang again and Anna turned to find Sammy walking into the store, head hung low, followed by a man in a black suit and white shirt with a stiffly starched collar.

“Still no letter from Grampa?” she asked, sympathy overflowing for the boy. How could his maternal grandfather be so cruel as to not acknowledge the son of his late daughter?

“No,” Sammy mumbled. “I was hopin’, after I told him all about your wedding, that he might send you and Pa a present.”

Anna put a comforting hand on the boy’s shoulder. How could one so young understand that, while the wedding may have been a happy occasion for him, the news may not sit well with others? Thankfully, Sammy’s sullen mood dispersed when he spied a display of pocketknives that had not been there the week before.

“Look, Ma! They're just like the one Pa uses! Can I have one?! Pleaaaase?”

“We’ve talked about this,” she replied sternly. “You can have one when you’re older. It’ll be your father’s special gift to you.”

“But I am older than the last time I asked!”

“He’s got ya there!” Mr. Thornton chortled. “Would ya like me to carry this out to the wagon for ya?” he asked, easily changing the subject as he lifted her box off the counter.

“That’s a mighty fine offer and I think I’ll take you up on it,” Anna told him cheerfully. “Since marrying MacGyver, I’ve discovered how nice it is to have a man around to help out!”

Anna rushed to hold open the door, but the man in the black suit stepped out from the shadows and cut her off.

“Allow me,” he said, opening the door for her to walk through followed by Sammy and Mr. Thornton before he, himself followed.

“Thank you, sir,” Anna offered.

“My pleasure Mrs.---”

“MacGyver. Mrs. MacGyver.” She grinned as the name still felt strange upon her lips. “But you can call me ‘Anna’. We’re quite informal here.”

“How very lovely, Anna. In that case, you must call me ‘Edward’, and allow me to say what a splendid time I am having in your little town.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” she smiled. “What brings you to New Hope?”

“Business, ma’am, always business.”

“What kinda work do ya do, mister?” Sammy asked

“That’s not polite, young man,” Anna admonished, but Edward smiled even though it didn’t reach his eyes.

“I work as a scout for the railroad,” the visitor explained. “My bosses want to know if I think they should build a spur from New Hope to hook up with the main line.”

“You mean the train might be comin’ through here?” Thornton asked.

“Indeed,” Edward replied. “Now, if you all will excuse me, I must return to the inn where my hostesses will be serving up the noon meal and I must be punctual lest I go hungry.”

“You could come eat with us,” Sammy offered eagerly. “Both Ma and Pa cook really good!”

This time Edward offered a genuine laugh. “I rather think your parents are not prepared for a guest. Perhaps some other time.”

Even though this was frontier country, Anna knew what manners dictated her to say next. “Tomorrow is Sunday. Please join us for our evening meal.”

“I wouldn’t want to impose,” Edward protested.

“It would be no imposition and perhaps my husband can give you some information about the town and land to take back to your boss.”

“Well, how can a man turn down an invitation like that?”

“Then it’s settled,” Anna stated. “Supper will be at six. Mr. Thornton can give you directions to our place.”

XXXXX

“I hope you don’t mind, but I invited a guest to supper tomorrow night,” Anna informed MacGyver as he gently deposited the box of groceries on the kitchen table.

“I don’t mind,” Mac shrugged. “Who is it?”

“His name is Edward and he works as a scout for the railroad. He says they’re thinking of building a spur off the main line to service New Hope. He’s been eating at the inn, but I thought it only neighborly to invite him since it sounds like he’ll be here a while.”

“Then maybe he’ll learn to talk like us,” Sammy interjected.

MacGyver quirked a brow. “What do mean, son?”

Sammy gave a one-shoulder shrug. “He talks funny.”

Anna paused from replenishing the cupboards. “Edward has a British accent,” she explained.

“I thought we fought a war to get rid of those guys,” Mac teased.

“That was almost a hundred years ago,” Anna informed her husband. “Besides, this country is made up of immigrants. If not for our ancestors, you and I wouldn’t be here. None of us would. Now go wash up. Lunch will be ready soon.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“He’s here! He’s here!” Sammy exclaimed as he bounded out the door and down the porch steps to where a man dressed all in black dismounted from an equally black steed. “Hi Edward!” he greeted the man.

“That’s ‘Mister Edward’ to you,” MacGyver scolded lightly as he came up behind his son.

“Mister Edward, this is my dad, MacGyver,” Sammy said.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Mac said, shaking his guest’s hand.

“Oh, I assure you, the pleasure is all mine,” Edward replied with a grin.

“We best get in the house,” MacGyver instructed. “Anna is putting supper on the table as we speak.”

The mealtime conversation gravitated toward politely generic topics such as the weather, the upcoming growing season, and, of course, the railroad. When the final bite of dessert had been consumed, Edward turned to address Anna.

“I daresay this is one of the most delicious meals I’ve had in a long time, but I do regret if I inconvenienced you.”

Mac watched Anna blush slightly at the compliment. “It was only chicken and dumplin’s. Besides, I enjoy cooking.”

“Do you wanna play a game of checkers, Mister Edward?” Sammy interrupted eagerly. “I’ll let ya win if ya want!”

“You need to start getting ready for bed, young man,” Anna informed him. “You have school in the morning.”

“So do you, but you ain’t goin’ to bed!” Sammy uncharacteristically shot back. MacGyver sent his son a quelling stare resulting in a mumbled, though not entirely sincere, apology.

“Perhaps this will make up for the checker game, eh?” Edward asked as he handed Sammy a small package wrapped in brown paper and tied with a string. The young boy wasted no time as he ripped into the wrapping and soon held up a brand new pocket knife for everyone to see. Anna gasped and Mac felt as if his heart was being pierced by each and every one of the blades the small tool held.

“Wow! Thanks Mister Edward! Pa, can I keep it?!”

MacGyver glanced up at their guest who was smiling like a cat that got the cream. “We’ll discuss it in the morning,” he murmured. “Right now, say good-night and go to your room. And leave the knife on the table.”

Everyone waited to speak until the boy left the room.

“I’m sorry if I offended you with my gift,” Edward apologized, breaking the heavy silence.

“It’s not a problem,” Mac ground out.

“Indeed, it was very thoughtful of you,” Anna added.

Edward made a show of looking at his fancy pocket watch. “Alas, I fear it is getting a bit late. I should head back to town before I’m locked out of the inn. My hostesses keep to a strict curfew.”

Good-bye’s and thank-you’s were exchanged before their guest rode off, blending in with the night.

Hours later, MacGyver lie in bed staring up at the ceiling, Anna beside him. The cadence of her breathing told him she was still awake as well. He felt her small, warm hand cover his beneath the blanket.

“I’m sorry about the pocketknife,” she whispered. “Edward must have overheard us talking in the store when Sammy noticed them on display and asked if he could have one. I know you wanted it to be a special gift from you to him.”

“It’s not your fault,” Mac whispered back. “But Sammy knows better than to fuss about it,” Mac grumbled. “What did you tell him?”

“I told him he needed to wait until he was older and he informed me he was older.”

“First he talks back to you at the dinner table and now you tell me it also happened in the store? It sounds like I need to have a talk with him.”

“He’s just testing me, Mac. We’ve only been married a few months and it’s gotta be tough havin’ a new ma who’s also his schoolteacher. I’m sure things will get better when school lets out for the summer in a few weeks.”

“I suppose you’re probably right,” MacGyver admitted, but he was still disappointed in his son’s behavior.

“What do you think of Edward?” Anna asked, obviously eager to change the topic of this late night conversation.

“What do you think?” he countered.

He felt her shrug. “He seems like a decent man, I suppose.”

“You don’t sound convinced,” Mac observed. When she didn’t respond, MacGyver decided to put his two cents in. “I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something about the man that just doesn’t sit right with me.”

He heard his wife blow out a breath. “I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels that way,” she confessed.

Early the next morning MacGyver hitched up his team to the buckboard and pulled it around to the front of the small house just as Anna and Sammy walked through the door, headed for school.

“How about I give you a lift today,” he suggested. “I’m going into town and it’s right on the way.”

Mac took Anna’s hand and helped her climb up to sit on the seat beside him while their son scrambled into the wagon. Once everyone was settled, he slapped the reins and the horses began plodding forward.

“I didn’t know you had to go into town,” Anna remarked once they were underway.

“Found I was in need of a few things this morning while I was tending the herd.”

“This wouldn’t have anything to do with Edward, would it?” she asked, her voice only loud enough to be heard over the sound of the wagon wheels.

“Does it matter?”

His eyes danced as she shook her head in dismay. “Just behave yourself, okay?”

“You have my word,” he replied solemnly before leaning over to kiss her on the cheek.

After dropping off his wife and son at the small, one-room schoolhouse, MacGyver headed directly to the town’s saloon. If there was any news to be had, saloon-owner Jack Dalton would know of it. As Mac allowed his body to sway along with the rhythm of the wagon, he couldn’t help but chuckle at the unlikely friend he had made. Word had it that Jack was a gold prospector traveling through town on his way to California when his horse pulled up lame and he came down with influenza. Weak and penniless, he sold his claim and stayed on to run the saloon. MacGyver first met him the previous spring when a sudden thaw flooded his establishment and he lent Dalton a hand repairing the damage. An odd bond had formed between the two men and Mac often took it upon himself to get Jack out of the scrapes he sometimes found himself in. Arriving at his destination, MacGyver tethered his team to the hitching post out front, but knowing that Jack had probably just closed the saloon a few hours earlier, Mac headed to the back of the building and the owner’s living quarters.

“Go away,” Jack Dalton grumbled as Mac knocked on his door.

“It’s MacGyver! I need to talk to you!” He continued to pound on the door until it began to swing inward.

“I’m only opening this to make the noise stop,” Jack said, one hand on the doorknob, the other cradling his aching head. “C’mon in. Can I get you somethin’ to drink? On second thought, nevermind...I forgot who I was talkin’ to.” Turning away from his friend, he grabbed a bottle of amber colored liquid and tossed back a swallow. Mac frowned. If Jack kept that up, he’d drink all his profits.

“Now what’s so important that it can’t wait ‘til a decent hour...like this afternoon?”

“I was wondering if you knew anything about a visitor staying here in town who goes by the name ‘Edward’ and says he’s here on business for the railroad.”

Mac’s question was met with red-rimmed, unseeing eyes. Sighing, he continued, “He wears a black suit, rides a black horse, and has an English accent.”

Jack’s eyes immediately snapped into focus. “Oh, you mean Eddie.”

“Eddie?”

“Yeah, Eddie Murdoc. Comes in just about every night. Has a couple of drinks, cheats at a couple hands of poker and then disappears.”

“What do you know about him?”

“I just told you. He’s a quiet guy. Keeps to himself. Spends a lot of time at the inn, and is it any wonder? Those two ol’ biddies over there probably wait on him hand and foot. They think ‘he’s so handsome and charming’,” Jack replied, taking on a falsetto voice while clasping his hands to his chest and batting his eyelashes. “He comes in complainin’ about the attention, but I think he secretly likes it.” Jack yawned and Mac picked up on the not-so-subtle hint.

“Well, I’d best be gettin’ back to the ranch,” he declared before turning and heading back to his wagon. All the way home he kept replaying his conversation with Jack in his mind. “Murdoc. Why do I feel like I know that name?” he mumbled to his horses, but they had no answer.

Supper that evening was a quiet affair. MacGyver was still lost in his thoughts and Sammy, who usually provided a vivid retelling of the day’s events, remained uncharacteristically silent. Anna reached for his now-empty dessert plate, breaking his reverie.

“Sammy, help your mother wash the dishes while I finish the chores,” Mac directed, pushing his chair away from the table.

“She’s not my mother!” the boy exclaimed, rising so quickly his chair almost fell over.

“Sammy!” Mac growled.

“I hate her and I wish you’d never married her!” his son cried before running into his bedroom and slamming the door shut. MacGyver instinctively took a step to follow, but his wife’s words made him pause.

“Give him a moment,” she said calmly.

“I don’t get it! What has gotten into him lately?” Mac asked, hating the helplessness he knew was obvious in his voice.

Anna returned to her seat at the table, motioning for her husband to do the same. “This might have something to do with an incident at school today.”

“What happened?”

“Sammy accidentally called me ‘Ma’ during class. All the other students started teasing and laughing at him. They stopped as soon as I reprimanded them, but Sammy had already run and locked himself in the outhouse.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about this?” Mac asked, jamming his fingers through his hair in frustration.

“I was hoping he’d confide in you on his own.”

MacGyver blew out a breath. “Well, I guess I better go have a talk with him.”

When his son didn’t open the door after he tapped on it, he turned the knob, thankful it wasn’t locked. The sight of Sammy lying face down on his narrow bed, his body racked with sobs, nearly did Mac in. Sitting down on the edge of the thin mattress, he stroked his boy’s back hoping to bring him some comfort.

“I heard about what happened at school today,” he ventured softly.

“She shouldn’t have told you,” Sammy mumbled into his pillow.

“Yes, she should have,” Mac declared. “I’m your father and I need to know these things.”

The youngster rolled over and sat up, using the heel of his hands to scrub away his tears. “I wish you’d never married her. I wanna go back to Boston.”

MacGyver felt like he had just taken a hoof to his gut. He had no idea Sammy felt this way and he didn’t know where to begin. “We can’t go back to Boston, son. I made a promise to the government. This is our home now,” Mac tried to explain. “I also made a promise to your...to Anna. I thought you were happy that we got married.”

“I was,” Sammy confessed. “But ever since I told Grampa about it, he’s stopped writing letters to me.”

Mac sighed. It would be just like his former father-in-law to feel betrayed and take it out on his grandson. That was one reason Mac had been so eager to leave Boston. Kate’s father could be controlling and manipulative and he didn’t want his son near the man. But what could he say to Sammy?

“Maybe Grampa is just really busy with the newspaper,” MacGyver suggested. “Or maybe he and Gramma took a vacation.” Like that would ever happen!

“You really think so?” Sammy asked meekly, looking up to meet Mac’s gaze.

“It’s a possibility.”

“But you don’t really believe it.”

Wow, how could the little boy read him so well?

“I wanna go to sleep now.”

“Don’t ya think ya outta apologize to your ma first?” Mac asked.

“I ain’t sure I’m sorry,” Sammy stated before crawling under the covers and turning his back.

XXXXX

The coming days passed achingly slow for MacGyver who was watching his happy little family fall apart at the seams with no idea how to fix it. Sammy only spoke when spoken to...if then, while Anna put on a cheerful countenance yet he knew she cried herself to sleep more than once while trying to hide her tears from him. He was plodding through his Saturday morning chores when he looked up to see his wife running towards him.

“Angus! Angus!” she called frantically. The use of his Christian name caused his heart to beat double time. Something had to be terribly wrong.

“What is it? What happened?” he asked, meeting her half-way.

“I can’t find Sammy!” she huffed breathlessly. “I looked all over...his room, the outhouse, he’s nowhere!”

Mac’s stomach turned to lead, but he knew he had to be calm and think clearly. “Did you check the barn? I was there a few minutes ago, but he might have snuck in.”

She shook her head and they both raced to the structure. Together, they checked every stall, every corner, even the hayloft, calling his name, but the barn appeared empty.

“This is all my fault!” Anna cried. “He hates me and now he’s run away...or worse!”

“Now don’t panic,” MacGyver instructed, trying to take his own advice. “This is a big place. Maybe he just wandered off and lost track of time. I’ll saddle up and go look for him. You stay here in case he comes back.”

“No way! I’m comin’ with you,” Anna insisted. “And don’t you argue with me Angus MacGyver! Two people can cover twice as much territory.”

Knowing that time was of the essence, especially if Sammy was truly lost or possibly hurt, he bit his tongue and nodded his agreement. Once they had tacked up their horses they set out in opposite directions.

An hour later, Mac returned to the barn after having searched every inch of his and the surrounding land...twice. It was as if the boy had simply disappeared. He hoped Anna was having better luck in town. That was, until he spied her mare, still saddled, grazing nearby with his wife nowhere in sight. He was about to head to the house when a white piece of paper tied to the horse’s bridle caught his eye. Nudging his mount closer, he reached out and snagged the note. The words he read made his blood run cold:

Greetings MacGyver,

Looking for something? Or perhaps I should say ‘someone’? Your darling Anna assures me her horse will head straight home and deliver this to you. Won’t you please join us at the schoolhouse so you can bid a proper farewell to your beloved family?

M~

“‘M’. ‘M’ is for ‘Murdoc’,” Mac muttered under his breath causing his horse’s ears to twitch. Long-buried memories sprang to the forefront of his mind and he remembered exactly who, and what, Murdoc was. Without a second thought, he urged his horse into a gallop, ruing the fact that New Hope did not yet have a sheriff. He knew he was riding into a deadly trap, but what choice did he have?

Pulling his horse to a halt in the empty schoolyard, MacGyver quickly dismounted. “C’mon out, Murdoc!” he called, his attention fixed on the front door. However, the figure he sought did not appear. He glimpsed movement to his right and turned toward a copse of trees just as Murdoc emerged, flanked by Anna and Sammy who he grasped by their upper arms, their hands tied behind their backs.

“Ah, so glad you could join us, MacGyver,” Murdoc greeted him.

“Pa! Pa! I’m sorry! He said there was a package from Grampa waiting for me at the General Store and he was gonna take me to get it!” Sammy cried, trying to wrench free, but his captor only tightened his grip.

“It’s okay, son,” he replied calmly, the fear and guilt on the boy’s face nearly ripping him in two. His wife wore a look of despair, but when his eyes locked with hers, he recognized the fire of determination burning in their depths.

“Let ‘em go, Murdoc. We both know it’s me you want!”

“What do you mean?” Anna demanded, her gaze darting between the two men.

“Go ahead, MacGyver. Tell her.”

Mac sighed. He didn’t want to dredge up memories from a lifetime ago, but he apparently had no choice. “It was 1858. I was working at Patrick Malloy’s newspaper and got an anonymous tip that there was a plot to assassinate President Buchanan when he arrived in Boston to give a speech. I started asking questions and did a little investigating which helped lead to the capture of the would-be assassins. Murdoc was one of them. I assumed he was still imprisoned.”

“You assumed wrong, MacGyver, but that’s not why I’m here. You see, Malloy is a desperate old man. He paid handsomely to secure my release from prison on the condition that I return his only grandson to him and eliminate any loose ends.”

“You mean kill me and Mac,” Anna surmised.

“Exactly, my dear,” Murdoc replied. “Now let’s get on with it, shall we?” He shoved Anna toward MacGyver and pulled a pistol from his waistcoat.

“Noooo!” Sammy wailed, only to have Murdoc push him to the ground.

“Think about this, Murdoc,” Mac advised, Anna now secure in his arms. “You don’t really wanna kill two people in cold blood, do ya?”

Murdoc grinned knowingly. “You’re absolutely correct, MacGyver. I would much rather leave you to live and grieve the death of your lovely wife and the departure of your dearest son. To be honest, I suggested as much to Malloy, but the old man insisted that you be disposed of as well.”

“How do you plan to get away with this?” Mac challenged.

“Why must you ask so many questions? It’s becoming quite annoying,” Murdoc all but whined. “But if you must know, the teacher and her husband’s remains will be found in the rubble of the burned down school building.”

“Sounds like you planned this out well,” MacGyver remarked.

“Indeed. Thanks to you, I’ve had a lot of time on my hands to reconsider how I go about my business. I find that I am much more effective when left to my own devices as opposed to relying on others. Now, it’s time for you both to die.”

“Don’t move, Murdoc,” Mac warned, staring at the man’s feet. “There’s a rattler right behind you.”

“Ah, trying to distract me, eh? How stupid do you think I am?!” With that Murdoc aimed his gun at Anna and took a step to widen his stance. Quicker than lightning, the rattlesnake sprang, sinking its poisonous fangs into the assassin’s leg.

“Arghhhh!” he cried, swinging the pistol downward, shooting wildly at the reptile until a bullet hit home and killed it. He staggered a few feet away before crumpling to the ground.

MacGyver rushed forward to the injured man now writhing in pain. He pulled out his pocket knife and quickly slit Murdoc’s pant leg and then removed his shoe and sock. He easily found the two puncture wounds which had begun to bleed. Already the sight was becoming red and slightly swollen.

“Anna! Sammy! Get over here!” he called. They both hurried toward him and he quickly freed their hands. Anna immediately took the length of rope that had bound her and knelt on the ground, ready to tie it around Murdoc’s leg to create a tourniquet.

“No!” Mac stopped her. “We need to let the blood flow.”

“But the venom. It’ll get in his bloodstream,” she replied.

“Help me prop him up against that tree over there,” MacGyver said.

Together they soon had Murdoc sitting against the trunk of the old oak. “We need to keep the wound below his heart,” Mac explained.

“How do you know all this?” Anna asked, now standing with hands propped on her hips.

“I did a little research before I moved out here. Never know when somethin’ will come in handy.”

“What now?” she asked.

“We need to immobilize his leg,” he told her. Then he looked up at Sammy who had turned pale, his mouth agape. “I need you to find me a couple twigs the length of Mister Edward’s leg. Can you do that for me?” The boy nodded solemnly before running toward a stand of trees.

“Mind if I borrow this?” MacGyver asked as he reached for the hem of Anna’s dress and began cutting it into strips. He had just finished when Sammy returned.

With Anna’s help, Mac placed the slim tree limbs on either side of Murdoc’s leg and used the cloth from Anna’s dress to tie them gently in place.

“Okay, now we have to get him back to town,” MacGyver declared.

“Do you think you can stand?” he asked Murdoc who had been eerily silent since getting bit. The man groaned as his body remained limp. Mac noticed sweat beginning to bead on his forehead and his breathing becoming labored.

Apologetically he looked at Anna. “You’re gonna have to help me get him up and on his horse.”

His wife nodded with determination and together they managed to haul Murdoc to his mount. Sammy held the reins, speaking to the horse in soothing tones to keep it calm as his parents struggled to get the weak man in the saddle. Task accomplished, Mac swung up behind Murdoc and Anna helped Sammy mount MacGyver’s horse before she, too, climbed into the saddle and side-by-side they headed into town.

XXXXX

Several hours later, MacGyver and Anna sat on the front porch swing with Sammy between them watching the sun slowly sink below the horizon.

“What’s gonna happen to Mister Edward, Pa?”

“Well, the doc said he should recover from the snakebite and in a couple days the sheriff from a neighboring town will come and take him into custody. Hopefully for good this time,” Mac replied, knowing he needed to be honest with his son if they were to live and thrive on frontier land.

“Why did you help Mister Edward even though he was gonna kill you and Ma?”

“Because it was the right thing to do,” MacGyver explained. “It’s not up to us to decide who lives and dies. Only God can make that decision.”

“And speaking of God,” Anna said, “Tomorrow is Sunday so you better get yourself ready for bed. I don’t want you complaining about being too tired to go to church in the morning.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Sammy mumbled before looking up at her with something akin to curiosity. “Ma, why did you bother to come looking for me after all the mean things I said to you?”

Anna put her arm around the boy’s shoulders and held him close. “Because I love you, sweetheart, and nothing you say or do will ever change that.”

Sammy turned and threw himself into her arms, sobbing, “I love you too, Ma, and I’m sorry for all the terrible things I’ve said. You’re the only ma I got now and I was so scared Mister Edward was gonna kill ya just because of me. I don’t wanna lose you, too!”

“Don’t worry, son,” Mac assured him. “You’re not gonna lose either of us as long as I have somethin’ to say about it.”

The following morning, MacGyver hitched his horses to the buckboard and drove his family into town for Sunday church services. The small, clapboard building was filled to capacity and abuzz with news of yesterday’s incident. After the final prayer was said and the blessing given, the congregation filed out of the pews and gathered in small groups in the churchyard with Mac and Anna being the center of attention for many curious folk. However, they soon became aware of an anxious murmur spreading through the crowd and hurried over to Pete Thornton who was in the midst of it.

“What’s going on?” MacGyver asked.

“You’re not gonna believe this,” Thornton replied. “Murdoc’s gone!”

“How can that be?” Anna asked. “The doctor said he wouldn’t be strong enough to get out of bed until tomorrow at the earliest.”

Thornton shrugged, “I dunno, but he’s not in his room at the inn and nobody can find him. It’s like he disappeared into thin air!”

“Pa, look what I found in our wagon,” Sammy said, squirming through the throng of townsfolk to hand Mac a white piece of paper.

MacGyver,
It was a pleasure to finally meet you in person, but I fear I have a schedule to keep and mustn’t dally around your town any longer. Until we meet again…
M~

“I’ll gather up all the able-bodied men and form a posse to go after him,” Thornton offered enthusiastically. “He couldn’t have gotten far in his condition.”

“Don’t bother, you won’t find him,” MacGyver stated flatly.

“How can you be so sure?” Thornton protested.

“I don’t know. I just am,” Mac replied before herding his wife and son to their wagon.

On the way home, MacGyver once more gave himself over to the gently swaying of the buckboard, his eyes drifting closed more than once. The last thing he remembered was giving Anna the reins before feeling her hand on his shoulder.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver heard Joanna’s voice in the distance and felt her shaking his shoulder.

“C’mon Mac, wake up. We’re home.”

His eyes fluttered open and he found himself staring through the windshield of the Nomad at his own garage.

“How long have I been out?” he asked, scrubbing his face with his hands.

“You were snoring before we hit the interstate,” Jo told him, the dim light from the streetlamp shining on her gentle smile. “Did you have a bad dream?”

“Huh?”

“You were mumbling in your sleep and seemed kinda agitated at times so I assumed you were dreaming,” she shrugged.

“It was nothing,” he assured her as he reached out and stroked her cheek before leaning in and meeting her lips with his, secure in the knowledge that, in the real world, Murdoc was dead and could never hurt anyone MacGyver loved ever again.









Posted by: Dragondog 22 May 2020 - 02:31 AM
I knew it was Murdoc right away. The name Edward helped, too laugh.gif

Unique chapter wink.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 22 May 2020 - 06:09 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 22 May 2020 - 02:31 AM)
I knew it was Murdoc right away. The name Edward helped, too laugh.gif

Unique chapter wink.gif

Thanks. Since I killed off Murdoc in Continuum, I have to find creative ways to bring him back. I have another New Hope chapter waiting in the wings, just not sure when I'll post it.

Posted by: uniquelyjas 27 May 2020 - 02:23 PM
Chapter 51: The Plain Visitor

“That was the last box, Charlie,” MacGyver informed his now-former landlord as he slammed the metal door of the U-Haul trailer shut. “Sure that’s all you wanna take with you?”

“Aw, an ol’ coot like me doesn’t need much, Mac. Got my own pillow and my favorite easy chair...ya know, the important stuff! Besides, I don’t wanna be clutterin’ up my daughter’s new home with my old stuff. I hope ya don’t mind that I’m leavin’ so much behind.”

“Naw,” Mac waved off the comment with a smile. “This way I can advertise the apartment as ‘furnished’ and charge twice as much.”

Charlie Rainey chuckled, “Nice try, but you’re too honest a man to do somethin’ like that.” He paused before continuing in a more somber tone. “Have you really decided to rent it out?”

MacGyver sighed, “No. At least not yet. I was thinkin’ of keeping it available for when Sam comes to visit.” And Jack, and Penny, and any other wayward friends he added mentally.

“So, you’re not ready to remodel then?” the older man asked, a glint in his eyes.

“Not yet,” Mac grinned knowingly.

“Speaking of which, I expect an invite to your wedding unless I’m six feet under by then!”

“You can count on it,” MacGyver assured him. “Joanna’s sorry she couldn’t be here to help, but with summer break about a month away she didn’t want to take any time off.”

“No worries, just be sure to give that little gal of yours an extra squeeze from me.”

Mac grinned and shook his head as he watched Charlie climb into his old sedan.

“Are you sure I can’t drive you?” he asked.

“You’ve done more than enough already. You take care now, hear?”

“Yes sir,” MacGyver agreed, offering a mock salute as the car slowly rolled down the driveway before turning into the street.

With Charlie on his way, Mac locked up the townhouse before getting into his Jeep. Glancing at the gas gauge, he decided to stop and fill up before heading to Challengers.

He pulled into the nearest gas station and made quick work of refueling before going inside the small store to pay. At the counter, he found himself standing behind a girl who couldn’t be more than seventeen years old. Her shiny black hair was scraped into a tight bun at the base of her neck and she wore a rather shapeless navy dress and sensible black shoes. A tattered suitcase made from a material akin to cardboard sat at her feet and MacGyver immediately recognized her as a member of one of the Amish communities in the central or western part of the state.

“But that is all the money I have,” she said.

“I don’t care, it’s not enough,” the surly attendant growled.

Mac looked at the counter to find a map of the city, a pre-packaged sandwich, and a bottle of root beer. He pulled out a few bills from his pocket and offered them to the man. “Here, this should cover it.”

The girl immediately turned toward him and frowned. “I do not need your charity,” she informed him.

A bit taken aback he replied with a smile, “Consider it my good deed for the day.”

“Danki. I mean, ‘thank you’,” the girl replied, much meeker now as she gathered her purchases.

“No problem!” Mac called as she headed out the door. He then tossed more money on the counter to cover what he owed for gas before heading out as well.

Sliding behind the wheel of his Jeep, MacGyver noticed the girl sitting on the curb, the warm May breeze threatening to tug the open map from her hands. He knew he should just drive away. He had done what he could to help her. But leaving a penniless young woman in a strange town to fend for herself just wasn’t something he could do.

“Need a hand?” he asked, bending to sit next to her.

“I thought you already did your good deed for the day,” she observed.

Biting back a smile at her spunk he replied, “I guess I’m gettin’ a head start on tomorrow. Where you headed?”

“I was planning on staying with my cousin here in the city.”

Mac’s eyebrows shot up and she giggled. “My cousin left the Amish before she was baptized. ‘Jumped the fence’ so to speak and is no longer Plain.”

“Ah,” MacGyver nodded in understanding. “So you’re on Rumspringa?”

“My ‘running around time’? Ja, I suppose you could say that,” she replied.

But Mac didn’t believe her. He had once spent some time with an Amish family in Pennsylvania and became acquainted with many of their customs. Teens on Rumspringa did their best to quickly shed their modest lifestyle and dress and act like their non-Amish, or English, peers while discerning whether or not they would return to their family and community to be baptized into their faith. Given this girl’s dress and style of speech, she didn’t fit that mold.

“How did you get here?” he asked.

“I have been saving the money I earn from selling the quilts I make and bought a bus ticket.”

“It was more expensive than you thought, right?”

“Ja! How did you know?”

“Well, you seem like an independent, intelligent young woman. The kind that would plan her expenses and not run out of money so quickly. How do you plan to get to your cousin’s place?”

She shrugged, “I do not know, but I will think of something.”

“I can give you a lift if you want,” he offered.

“Nee!” she replied, shaking her head vigorously. “I do not think that would be a good idea. I do not know you.”

“Name’s MacGyver,” he told her. “People call me ‘Mac’. And you are…?”

“Esther. Esther Zook.”

“Nice to meet you, Esther,” Mac smiled, relieved when she smiled back. “I realize you have no reason to trust me, but…”

“I do trust you,” she replied quietly, cutting him off.

“You do?”

“Ja, you have been very kind and you have knowledge of my people. My heart tells me you are a good and honorable man. If you still want to give me a ride, could you take me to this address?” she asked hesitantly, handing him a slip of paper. “It is where my cousin lives.”

MacGyver studied the address and frowned. It was on the other side of town and not the best neighborhood, especially for an innocent Amish girl. However, Mac had a feeling that Esther would try to get there no matter what, and at least he could offer her some protection if necessary.

“Sure. C’mon.” They stood and he guided her to the Jeep.

Several minutes later, Mac parked the vehicle in front of a rundown apartment building with unsavory characters hovering nearby.

“You sure this is where she lives?” he asked

“Ja, it is the address she sent me.”

Together they got out of the car and headed to the main entrance. Esther walked with purpose, easily ignoring the curious looks shot her way. Mac, on the other hand, kept a lookout for any sign of trouble. At the front door, Esther studied the panel of buzzers looking for the one assigned to her cousin.

“I do not see her name here,” she told MacGyver.

“Maybe the manager knows something,” he suggested, pushing the button to the corresponding apartment.

In a matter of moments, they could hear locks being open and security chains being withdrawn from the door.

“What do ya want?” a short but fierce woman who had seen better days asked.

“Are you the manager?” Mac asked.

“Unfortunately,” the woman replied, bracing one arm against the door jam to block their entrance. “Who’s askin’?”

“I am looking for my cousin. She lives in apartment number four.”

The manager took her time studying Esther. Her expression a mixture of amusement and disgust. “Oh, that one. Had to evict her a week ago. Always had money for drugs but not for rent.”

“Do you know where she went?”

“Don’t know, don’t care.”

The Amish girl sent MacGyver a desperate look. Clearly her plan was not going as expected. Mac reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out one of the business cards Cynthia had insisted they have made up to hand out to people in need. He offered it to the manager.

“If you see or hear from her, could you please let her know she can contact her cousin here?”

The manager snatched the small white card from his hand, grunted, and slammed the door shut, throwing the bolts and chains back into place.

“What am I supposed to do now?” Esther asked, her eyes welling with tears, her spunkiness now replaced with despair.

“We move on to Plan B,” Mac told her.

“What is Plan B?”

“You’ll see,” he said with a reassuring grin.

Driving back to the other side of the city, MacGyver pulled into his usual parking place at Challengers.

“What is this place?” Esther asked.

“It’s kinda whatever someone needs it to be. In your case, it’s a safe place to stay until we can get things figured out.”

Esther relaxed in her seat but made no move to exit the Jeep.

“You didn’t know your cousin was doing drugs, did ya?” Mac asked somberly.

Esther shook her head. “Nee. I know some young people in our community experiment a bit while on Rumspringa, but never like that. I cannot believe she is using her rent money to buy drugs! Are they more important to her than a home?”

Mac sighed, “Unfortunately, yes.”

“I do not understand.”

“Neither do I, Esther. Neither do I,” MacGyver replied as they climbed from the Jeep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Joanna trudged up the steps to Challengers late that afternoon. She would be so glad when school was out for the summer. Between temporarily teaching full time and still trying to help Mac with the club, she felt as if she wasn’t giving one hundred percent to either, and that just wasn’t her way.

“Hi, what’s up?” she asked as she greeted Rosie and Cynthia at the reception desk.

“The usual,” the elder woman replied. “MacGyver brought in another stray.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. A young Amish girl, about seventeen. He met her at the gas station earlier. He told me she had planned to stay with her cousin but it fell through so he brought her here.”

Just then Raul hurried up to Jo and his mother with Esther in tow.

“Ma, can I be Amish?” he asked, his tone and countenance completely serious.

“Why would you want to do that?” Rosie asked.

“Esther says Amish kids only go to school through the eighth grade. If I was Amish, I wouldn’t have to go to school!”

Esther giggled, “You did not listen to the rest of what I told you, Raul. Once we finish school we have to go to work. Girls help their Maemms with household chores and boys help their Daedds in the fields or their shops.”

“Then why are you here running around?” the teen boy asked.

“I already explained to you about Rumspringa,” Esther reminded him.

“So when are ya gonna go back to being Amish?”

A shadow fell across the girl’s face and she lowered her eyes. “I do not know. I may never return.”

For once, Raul was rendered speechless, allowing Esther to turn her attention to Joanna.

“Are you another friend of Mac’s?” she asked.

“I should hope so,” Jo replied with a warm smile, “I’m his fiance.”

“And my absolute best friend,” MacGyver added, walking up behind Esther. “Can I see you in my office, Jo?”

“What’s up?” she asked once the couple was alone.

“Esther needs a place to stay and since Charlie moved out this morning and left a furnished apartment I thought she could stay there. What do you think?”

“That’s a great idea,” Joanna confirmed. “She’ll be a lot more comfortable there than here in the dorm.”

“I was also thinking we could have dinner together. You can take her over, get her settled, maybe have a woman-to-woman chat while I pick up a pizza.”

Jo took a step back, planted her hands on her hips, and eyed him suspiciously. “You’ve been doin’ an awful lot of thinkin’ today,” she observed. “What’s goin’ on in that mind of yours?”

Mac blew out a breath. “There’s something about her. Something just feels ‘off’. I’m not sure she’s here for the reason she says.”

Joanna was about to make a pithy comment about being recruited as a field operative, but the concern and confusion in MacGyver’s eyes stopped her. “Sounds like a plan,” she confirmed.

“By the time we get you unpacked and freshen up, Mac should be here with supper,” Jo told Esther as she unlocked the front door to what just yesterday had been Charlie’s side of the townhouse.

“Oh my goodness!” Esther exclaimed as she followed Joanna into the apartment which was the mirror opposite of MacGyver’s. “It is so fancy!”

Jo glanced around at the clutter, trying to see it through Amish eyes, before leading the way up the spiral staircase to the bedroom.

“You can put your things in here,” she instructed, indicating the closet, and then took a seat on the bed as Esther carefully hung up three plain homemade dresses.

“After I get off work tomorrow we can go clothes shopping,” Joanna offered. “I imagine you’d like to wear what English girls your age are wearing.”

Esther shook her head vigorously. “Nee, that will not be necessary. I think I would feel quite uncomfortable in English clothes.”

This response surprised Jo. From what she had read, Amish kids on Rumspringa could hardly wait to ditch their ‘Plain’ clothes for blue jeans.

“How long are you planning on staying in the city?” she asked, herself now curious about the younger woman’s intentions.

“I do not know,” Esther shrugged.

“Well, what would you like to do while you’re here?”

“I was planning on taking care of my cousin’s place and cooking and baking for us, but now I do not know what I am going to do. Perhaps Mac will let me help at the Challengers Club?”

“I’m sure he’d appreciate your assistance,” Joanna replied with what she hoped was an encouraging smile.

“You and Mac love each other very much, ja?” Esther’s face lit up with enthusiasm and Jo chuckled.

“Yeah, we do,” she replied.

“What does it feel like to be in love?”

Joanna took a deep breath as she considered her answer. “I suppose it’s different for everybody and it’s kinda hard to explain. All I know is that I can’t picture my life without MacGyver in it. Is there a boy back home that you’re sweet on?”

The light in Esther’s eyes dimmed. “No. There is no one,” she answered.

“Is that the reason you came here? To find an English boy to date?”

“Oh, I could never do that!”

Joanna was now more confused than ever, but before she could pose another question, she heard the front door to the neighboring apartment slam shut. “Sounds like Mac is home,” she said, pasting on a cheerful grin. “Let’s go get some pizza.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver had stalled as long as he could to give Joanna time to hopefully discover some things about Esther...like her reason for coming to Milwaukee. He had taken a circuitous route to their favorite pizza parlor and had purposely changed his order twice, much to the staff’s chagrin, but upon leaving he left an overly generous tip to compensate for their time and trouble. He was taking plates out of the cupboard when the two women came through the front door.

“Oh! That smells gut!” Esther exclaimed, heading straight for the large square box situated in the middle of the small kitchen table. Mac immediately felt guilty realizing that she hadn’t had anything to eat since the pre-made sandwich and root beer at the gas station earlier that day.

The three of them ate in companionable silence, and when the last slice of pizza was consumed, Esther excused herself saying she was tired from the long day and insisted she could show herself out. As soon as the door closed behind her, MacGyver turned to Joanna.

“So? What did ya find out about our visitor?”

“There’s something definitely ‘off’ about this whole situation,” she remarked without preamble. “She came here planning to keep house for her cousin. She insists on wearing her Amish clothes and has absolutely no desire to go out on dates with non-Amish boys. It’s like she wants to be exactly who she is except live here in the city.”

“Did she talk about her family or her life back home?”

Jo shook her head. “She only assured me she didn’t leave a boyfriend behind.”

“I wish she would just open up and tell us what’s really goin’ on,” Mac said, scrubbing his face with his hands. “Until then we just have to work on earning her trust.”

XXXXX

“Hey, Cynthia!” MacGyver called as he and Esther entered Challengers early the next morning.

“Goodness, you don’t have to yell, I’m right here,” she scolded as she approached them. “Now, what do you need?”

“Miss Zook has decided to spend the day with us. Do you think you could find something to keep her busy?”

Cynthia smiled and put her arm around Esther. “There’s always something that needs doin’,” she smiled. “Speaking of which, there are some things on your desk that need to be taken care of, MacGyver. In case you’ve forgotten, the river clean-up project is this Saturday.”

Mac felt like he had taken a punch to the gut. He had forgotten. And if he didn’t get with it, both Cynthia and Jo would have his head. “Yes, ma’am,” he replied before heading into his office.

After lunch, MacGyver and Cynthia stood by the reception desk looking over some forms when a bear of a man strode through the front door. He wore black pants, a dark blue shirt, suspenders, and light brown hair poked out from underneath his straw hat.

“Can I help you?” Cynthia asked.

“I am here for my sister,” he announced.

“Caleb!” Esther cried from where she was mopping the floor. “What are you doing here?!”

The large Amish man approached his sister. “I have come to take you home, Estie.”

“How did you find me?” she demanded.

“Maemm found the letters from our cousin. I went to the address and the manager gave me this card saying I could find you here.” Caleb produced the small rectangular business card Mac had given their cousin’s landlady the previous day and winced as Esther pinned him with an accusatory glare as if he had done something wrong. “Now come, if we hurry we can be home before nightfall.”

“I am not going home with you,” Esther declared, defiantly tilting her chin. “I am on Rumspringa and have every right to do as I please.”

Caleb scoffed, “You are not ‘running around’, you are running away from your responsibility to your family, the Yoders, and our church community!”

“What about my responsibility to myself?!” she countered loudly.

“Excuse me!” MacGyver cut in, raising his voice just enough to be heard. “How about we all have a seat and calm down?”

Mac led the way to a corner where he perched on the edge of a worn chair while the siblings sat side by side on a threadbare couch.

“Esther, Joanna and I already figured out you’re not here on Rumspringa so would you mind telling me why you are here?”

The young woman lowered her gaze and MacGyver feared she might not answer.

“It is as my bruder said. I have run away from home.”

“But why?”

Esther looked up at him, her eyes full of sorrow. “My parents have promised me to Isaac Yoder. It has all been planned. I will turn eighteen and be baptized in September and we will wed in November.”

“An arranged marriage? I didn’t think the Amish believed in those.”

“Nee, as a general rule we do not, but there are always exceptions,” Caleb explained. “Isaac is our closest neighbor and a gut friend. His wife died in childbirth nearly a year ago and left him with several young kinder to raise. It is time he find a suitable helpmate and get remarried for the sake of his family.”

“So your parents offered him Esther?”

“Ja. The two of them have always gotten along well and the kinder enjoy spending time with her. Even the elders see it as a most sensible agreement.”

“But I do not love him!” Esther cried as she shot to her feet, her hands balled into fists at her side.

“You will grow to love him!” her brother insisted, rising to his feet to stand beside her.

“Would you two just knock it off?!” MacGyver demanded, standing as well.

With peace once more established, Mac turned his attention to Esther. “Look, I know you don’t wanna hear this, but I think your brother is right. You need to go home and work this out with your family.”

The young woman’s initial glare of contempt quickly turned to acquiescence. “I suppose you are right,” she capitulated. “I cannot keep running forever. Could you please take me back to your house so I can pack?”

“No problem,” Mac replied with a sympathetic smile.

“Estie, if you give me the rest of your travel money, I will go buy you a bus ticket. I already have mine,” Caleb offered.

Esther lowered her head. “I used all my money getting here. It was more expensive than I thought,” she muttered.

Caleb looked as if he were about to scold her again, but MacGyver sent him a quelling glance. “Then how do you plan on getting home?” he asked, his voice only slightly tinged with censure.

“I could drive you,” Mac offered.

“Nee,” Caleb objected. “It is over a three hour drive to Chilton. It would not be right for Estie to spend that much time alone in a car with a man.”

“I could drive you both and you could cash in your bus ticket and get your money back.”

For the first time that day the large Amish man smiled. “That sounds like a gut idea.”

XXXXX

MacGyver took his foot off the gas and allowed the Nomad to slowly roll through the small town that comprised the Amish community located west of the state capitol. The main street housed several businesses, mostly Amish-owned, including a feed-and-seed store, a small grocery store, a buggy shop and a cabinet maker. Following Esther’s directions, he turned onto a long, tree-lined road that led to a large but plain two-story white clapboard house with several outbuildings including a spacious barn.

“What does your family do for a living?” he asked, gazing at the unspoiled landscape before him.

“My father owns the largest dairy farm in the community,” Esther answered proudly. “Come, Maemm and Daedd will want to meet you!”

Once introductions were made and friendly greetings exchanged, Mrs. Zook insisted MacGyver stay for dinner. Not wanting to be rude and finding himself hungrier than he first thought he gladly accepted the invitation. After a delicious and hearty meal, Caleb and his father excused themselves to tend to the evening milking and invited Mac along. A large number of cows already stood side by side in the barn which had been converted to a somewhat modern milking parlour while the rest of the herd waited patiently in a nearby pasture. Caleb hurried to join a group of other young men who were preparing the equipment as Mr. Zook and Mac followed at a slower pace.

“Due to the size of my herd, I hire other young Amish men to help out. I have also received permission from our bishop to use a modern milking machine run by a gasoline generator,” Mr. Zook explained, answering MacGyver’s unasked questions. Suddenly the older man stopped and turned to his guest. “Thank you for bringing our Esther home.”

“No problem,” Mac replied flatly.

“The tone of your voice indicates you do not approve of our plans for our daughter, but we must consider our church community and not our own desires.”

“I get that, but doesn’t Esther have anything to say about this? After all, it is her life you’re talkin’ about.”

“The decision has been made,” Mr. Zook said firmly.

“Couldn’t you at least hear her out?”

“The matter is settled and no concern of yours, Mr. MacGyver.”

“Daedd!” Caleb called, running from the far end of the barn. “The milking machine is not working and there is no way we can milk the entire herd by hand!”

“Mind if I have a look at it?” Mac asked, his gaze bouncing between father and son.

They both shrugged. “I will show you where it is,” Caleb offered, “But I doubt you can fix it.”

“We’ll see about that,” MacGyver murmured as he followed the younger man to the back of the barn. He turned on the machine and examined it. “You don’t have any suction. The vacuum pump is shot,” Mac declared.

“I thought I told you to get that pump replaced last week,” Mr. Zook, who had made his way over, scolded his son.

“I bought one on Thursday but the man who installs them it is not available for several days. I was hoping this one would last until he could get here,” Caleb explained.

“Do you have the new pump?” Mac asked.

“Ja, I put it in the store room.”

“I’m pretty good with my hands. I could probably get it up and running,” MacGyver said.

Within minutes, Caleb produced the new vacuum pump and some rudimentary tools. MacGyver dug in his pants pocket and retrieved his Swiss Army knife and set to work carefully dismantling the old unit and then installing the new. After finally connecting the pulsator to the vacuum pump, he sat back on his heels and wiped his brow.

“Where did you learn to do that?” Caleb asked in awe.

Mac shrugged. “Nowhere, really. I kinda have a knack for this sorta stuff. I also just paid attention while I was taking it apart and then did the reverse to put it back together. I bet you could do it next time.”

“You saved us from many hours of hard work. How can we repay you, Mr. MacGyver?” Mr. Zook asked.

Mac rose and clasped the man’s shoulder. “Go talk to your daughter. And when you’re done talking, let her talk while you listen. Deal?”

Mr. Zook hesitated a long moment before taking in a deep breath. “Deal,” he agreed, shaking MacGyver’s hand.

XXXXX

It was nearly midnight when MacGyver pulled up to his townhouse. His heart did a funny little flip when he saw Joanna’s Chevy parked in his driveway and the warm glow of artificial light spilling from his windows. He entered to find her curled up in the corner of his couch with Frog spread out on the cushion beside her snoring contentedly. Not wanting to startle her, he leaned down and gently kissed her forehead, causing her eyes to flutter open.

“You didn’t have to wait up for me.”

“I thought you’d be home earlier,” she replied, trying to stretch out her muscles without disturbing the sleeping canine.

“Yeah, well, something came up.”

“It always does,” she acknowledged with a heartwarming grin as opposed to the disappointed scowl he was used to receiving at times like these. “Cynthia told me all about Esther and her brother. What happened after you took them home?”

MacGyver settled back in his arm chair and proceeded to tell Jo about meeting the Zooks, staying for supper, and fixing the milking machine, as well as the conversation Esther had with her parents.

“She promised them she’d go through with her baptism as planned, but that she wanted to marry for love, like they had. In the meantime, she agreed to work as a nanny and housekeeper for Isaac Yoder.”

“And her father was okay with that?”

“Yeah, he was. I think her running off like that really shook him up.”

Joanna agreed as she glanced at her watch and yawned. “I didn’t realize what time was. I need to get going.”

“Look, it’s late and we’re both tired, why don’t you just spend the night.”

“You’ve had a longer day than me and spent the last three hours on the road, I don’t wanna kick you out of your own bed.”

“You won’t,” he smirked.

“You’re relegating me to the couch?! What happened to my chivalrous fiancé?”

“Now that I own this whole place, your chivalrous fiancé is going to suggest you sleep next door.”

“At Charlie’s?”

“It isn’t Charlie’s anymore.”

“Have you decided what you’re gonna do with the extra space yet?”

“I’m workin’ on it,” he assured her before giving her a long, slow, toe-curling kiss goodnight.



























Posted by: Dragondog 28 May 2020 - 04:33 AM
I got a new laptop! Which means I can type my detailed reviews again happy_dance.gif

QUOTE

MacGyver sighed, “No. At least not yet. I was thinkin’ of keeping it available for when Sam comes to visit.” And Jack, and Penny, and any other wayward friends he added mentally.
He's not wrong XD

QUOTE

“Speaking of which, I expect an invite to your wedding unless I’m six feet under by then!”
Huh. I wonder how big the reception's gonna end up XD

I agree with Mac that she seems off...

I hate arranged marriages mad.gif

QUOTE

“She promised them she’d go through with her baptism as planned, but that she wanted to marry for love, like they had. In the meantime, she agreed to work as a nanny and housekeeper for Isaac Yoder.”
See? Literally that easy tongue.gif

QUOTE

“You’re relegating me to the couch?! What happened to my chivalrous fiancé?”
laugh.gif

Okay, not as much commentary as I used to, but... laugh.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 28 May 2020 - 07:57 AM
Congrats on the new laptop!! And, as always, thanks for the feedback!!

Posted by: Dragondog 29 May 2020 - 01:18 AM
QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 28 May 2020 - 10:57 AM)
Congrats on the new laptop!! And, as always, thanks for the feedback!!

Thanks, and you're welcome wink.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 3 June 2020 - 02:55 PM
Chapter 52: Operation River Clean-up

The second Saturday of May found Joanna sitting on a park bench near the shores of the Milwaukee River tugging on knee-high rubber boots over her thick wool socks. While the weather, itself, was mild, the ground was muddy, damp, and cold and the water in the river even colder. As she donned protective rubber gloves, her mind wandered back to the night she had spent at Charlie’s. She always slept better when MacGyver was near, and knowing that he was just on the other side of the wall gave her a sense of peace she had rarely known. Of course, she knew there was a very good chance he had conked out on the couch downstairs while watching an old Western on TV, but it didn’t matter. She glanced around and found Mac watching her, pinning her eyes with his as a slow, crooked grin formed on his lips warming her from head to toe. An invisible jolt of electricity sizzled between them. Did he know what she was thinking? Did he feel the same? Perhaps it was time to start some serious wedding planning.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver looked up from pulling on his rubber boots and caught Jo’s eye. He held her gaze and allowed a slow, lazy grin to tug at his lips. Something had shifted in him the other night when she stayed over at Charlie’s. He usually didn’t mind being alone, and he rarely considered himself lonely, until now. Having Joanna a few steps away gave him a feeling of completeness he didn’t know he was lacking. He had fallen into a blissful slumber on the couch and dreamed of the day she would forever be at his side.

“Hey Mac!” Geena called, breaking him out of his reverie.

“Huh?”

“Did I interrupt something?” the older woman asked with a sly wink punctuating her question.

“No. I was just thinking about the clean-up plan,” he replied.

“Mmmm, okay, we’ll go with that for now,” Geena conceded, “But I came here to tell you that some of your volunteers aren’t too happy with the location of our assigned clean-up site.”

MacGyver looked over to where a small group of older teen boys stood, arms crossed defiantly across their chests, muttering to one another.

“What seems to be the problem guys?” he asked.

The self-appointed leader of the group, a boy Mac recognized as Darius, stepped forward. “When you said we’d be cleanin’ up the river, we thought you meant we’d be goin’ out in boats and haulin’ in all sorts of cool stuff like tires and shoppin’ carts. One dude who did this last year said they even snagged a couple bicycles! Instead we get stuck cleanin’ up this creek!”

Mac cocked his head and squinted at the teen. “Have you ever heard the saying, ‘There are no small parts, only small actors’?”

“What’s this gotta do with actin’ man?!”

MacGyver sighed to himself. “It means that every job here is important no matter how insignificant it may seem. Look at it this way. The Menomonee River is one of three main tributaries of the Milwaukee River. That means that all the debris in and along this river will eventually find its way to the larger one. Think of what we’re doing as a preemptive strike.”

The boys frowned and shook their heads.

“Alright, how about this,” Mac continued in an authoritative tone. “You don’t have to participate in the clean-up project.” Suddenly the group perked up, hope shining in their eyes. “Instead, you can get in the van and Miss Geena will drive you back to Challengers where you can each write a one thousand word essay on the cause and effect of pollution in the ecosystem and the steps individuals can take to combat the issue.”

The leader of the group stepped forward once again. “Hey, man, we didn’t mean we weren’t gonna help!”

“Right,” MacGyver confirmed, staring the boy down. “Why don’t you get your boots and gloves on and get to work.”

The young men immediately set out to the staging area to gather their supplies which also included buckets, long-handled garbage pickers, and trash bags.

“Nice job,” Geena murmured under her breath as she passed by Mac who was unable to suppress a self-satisfied grin.

XXXXX

The Challengers team worked for two hours cleaning up the riverbank and produced several buckets and bagfuls of various thoughtlessly discarded items including plastic water bottles, cigarette butts, aluminum cans, and cellophane food wrappers. MacGyver watched as more experienced volunteers trolled the river in a small motor boat using a fishing net to snag larger items from the murky water. Suddenly, the voice of the project leader echoed from a bull horn instructing volunteers to gather the refuse they had collected and return to the staging area. Mac grinned as some of the teens gave a whoop of delight while others complained that there was still more work to be done. He was about to join Joanna and Geena in rounding up a few wayward volunteers when he heard someone call his name.

“Hey, MacGyver! You gotta come see this!” Raul yelled from upriver.

Mac headed in the boy’s direction as Jo and several others followed. With a quick glance it was obvious what Raul had found. The water in this part of the river was cloudy, the edges by the shore thinly coated with a slimy blue-green substance and several dead fish either floating in the water or lying on the riverbank.

“Ewww, gross!” someone remarked.

“I think I’m gonna puke!” another loudly announced as most of the others simply backed away.

“What is it?” Joanna asked, wrinkling her nose as she came to stand beside Mac.

“Looks like an algae bloom, or the start of one.”

“Algae like in an aquarium?” Raul asked.

“Yeah.”

“It kills fish?!”

“Not normally,” MacGyver began to explain to the teen. “But if there’s too much of it in one place, this is what can happen.”

“How did it get here?”

Mac admired Raul’s thirst for knowledge. “It was probably caused by fertilizer in storm water runoff or even waste from water animals.”

“You mean like fish poop?”

“Sorta,” MacGyver chuckled.

“Do you think the proper authorities are aware of this?” Joanna inquired, tilting her head to indicate the polluted river.

“They should be, but I’ll mention it to someone when we get back to the staging area.”

“What do they mean ‘their hands are tied’?!” Geena asked from the seat behind Jo as MacGyver drove the battered old van he had recently purchased and its occupants back to Challengers.

“It’s politics,” Mac muttered, his hand clenching the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white in order to contain his anger and frustration.

Joanna turned from where she sat in the passenger seat to face Geena. “They mean they don’t have proper government funding to clean up that mess,” she clarified for the indignant receptionist.

“Well, what’s gonna happen then?”

“The algae bloom will grow over time and eventually flow into the Milwaukee River making the underwater habitat unlivable.”

“You aren’t gonna let that happen, are you?” Geena demanded.

“Not if I can help it,” Mac replied.

XXXXX

“Thanks for the info, Willis,” MacGyver said as he scribbled a name and phone number on a notepad before disconnecting the call later that afternoon.

“Well, is he going to help?” Joanna asked from where she sat on the other side of Mac’s desk at Challengers.

“He gave me the contact information for the Director of Environmental Research and Development at Chicago’s Phoenix branch,” he told her as he picked up the phone and dialed the number Willis had given him.

“Hello?” a seemingly annoyed female voice answered.

“Hi,” Mac greeted, trying to sound cheerful, “I’d like to speak with Dr. Jordan Banks.”

“This is she,” the voice replied tightly. “May I ask to whom I’m speaking?”

“Name’s MacGyver.”

“Ah, yes. The infamous MacGyver.” Mac winced and could swear he felt his cheeks turn warm. He had never intended to become ‘infamous’ and to be honest he was quite uncomfortable with the legacy he had apparently left behind. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” Banks asked in a clipped tone.

Mac took a breath and proceeded to tell her about the river clean-up project and the discovery of the algae bloom.

“What do you want from me?” she asked, sounding not only annoyed but impatient as well.

MacGyver ground his teeth knowing he couldn’t let her attitude get under his skin. He needed to remain cordial if he had any chance of getting help from Phoenix and the good doctor.

“I was hoping you could come up and assess the bloom and help us get rid of it.”

Silence stretched for so long Mac feared they had been disconnected when Jordan finally spoke. “Fine. I’ll come take a look at it,” she agreed, much to MacGyver’s surprise.

XXXXX

There was a sharp knock on MacGyver’s front door at exactly eight o’clock Monday morning. He opened it to find a young, petite woman with long, riotous curls of red hair tamed into a ponytail and impossibly clear green eyes looking up at him.

“Mr. MacGyver, I presume?” she greeted him.

“Ms. Banks, thanks so much for agreeing to meet on such short notice. Would you like to come in?”

“I’m on a very tight schedule. Could you please just take me to where you found the bloom?”

“Sure. No problem,” Mac replied, grabbing his keys from the hook beside the door before escorting Jordan to the Jeep.

“So, how long have you been working at Phoenix?” he asked the curt female beside him as he drove toward the river.

“I don’t see how that’s relevant to my being here today.”

“It’s not. I was just trying to make small talk,” Mac explained.

Jordan turned toward him as much as her seatbelt would allow and speared him with her gaze. “I know you’re wondering how someone my age could be qualified for this position.” Well, okay, she kinda had him there. “I received my PhD. in environmental studies when I was twenty-three and was hired on as a researcher for the Phoenix Foundation two years later where I worked hard to get promoted to my current position.”

“Very impressive,” MacGyver acknowledged as he pulled the Jeep to a stop and killed the engine. “We’re gonna have to hike in from here,” he told her.

A few minutes later, Mac directed her to the slime-covered water Raul had discovered. She barely gave it a second glance before turning her attention back to him. “This is it?” she asked with a frown. “You took me away from my research and made me drive all the way up from Chicago for this?”

“Yeah,” MacGyver replied, a little perplexed and a lot annoyed at her dismissiveness. “I don’t have the proper equipment for a full analysis, but my guess is that this is a toxic blue-green algae bloom, or at least the beginning of one.”

“I would agree with that hypothesis,” Jordan sniffed. “What have your local water management authorities said?”

“They recognize the problem but don’t have the funds to deal with it right now.”

“So you come running to the Phoenix Foundation for assistance? This is quite a small bloom and will most likely die off once it’s nutrients are gone in a few months.”

“Or it could continue to grow and ultimately get into the city’s water supply,” Mac countered.

“Look, Mr. MacGyver,” Jordan huffed. “I have much more important projects to work on, like getting clean water to thousands of children in Third World countries. I don’t have time and money to waste on minor local issues. Now please, take me back to pick up my car.”

Mac couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but he could tell that Ms. Banks was not in the mood to be persuaded. “Fine. But before you go, tell me how to clean this up.”

Jordan studied him from head to toe as if he were one of her specimens. “I’m sure you’ll figure out something. I hear you’re very good at that.”

XXXXX

MacGyver leaned back in his chair and squeezed his eyes shut tight. They were beginning to burn from hours of scouring the internet for viable solutions to the algae problem in the Menomonee River. A knock on his office door caused them to pop open again.

“How did it go this morning?” Joanna asked eagerly.

“Lousy,” Mac moaned, scrubbing one large hand down his face.

“What do you mean?” Jo’s brows were knit with concern and confusion as she took a seat across from him.

“I mean Jordan Banks doesn’t consider our problem worth her time and effort,” he sneered.

“So you mean ain’t nobody gonna do nothin’ about the slime we found?” Darius asked from the open doorway where he had obviously overheard their conversation.

“I didn’t say that,” MacGyver replied with more confidence than he felt if only for the boy’s sake.

“Is there anything we can do to clean up the algae bloom?” Jo asked.

Mac sighed. “I’ve been researching exactly that most of the day. We’d first need to evaluate the types of organisms in the river to determine which biological method would be most effective. Then, from what I found, our best bet would be to skim off as much of the bloom as possible before introducing herbivorous, surface-feeding fish like the South Asian catla to consume the algae.”

“That sounds good,” Darius, who was now sitting next to Joanna, remarked. “Let’s do that.”

MacGyver quirked a brow at the teen wondering exactly how much the boy had actually understood.

“It’s not that easy,” Mac informed him. “It’s a pretty expensive process and since we’re dealing with a public waterway we’d need to cut through a lot of bureaucratic red tape.”

“Red tape that Phoenix could easily get around if Jordan had agreed to help,” Jo concluded.

“Exactly,” MacGyver replied with a sigh.

“But y’all are still gonna do somethin’, right?” Darius insisted, scooting forward in his chair. “I mean, there’s gotta be somebody else who can help.”

Mac admired the young man’s eagerness and determination. And Darius was right...they couldn’t give up now.

“I have an idea,” MacGyver announced, reaching for the phone.

Mac had been put on hold for so long and transferred so many times that Joanna and Darius had long since disappeared by the time he finally completed his call. He stepped out of his office to go in search of them, only to find that they had been hovering near his door the entire time.

“How’d it go?” Jo asked eagerly.

“I got five Phoenix board members to agree to an emergency meeting day after tomorrow so I can argue my case in person,” he announced.

“Hey, I wanna talk to those dudes, too!” Darius interjected.

“Yeah! Me too!” Raul added. “After all, I was the one who found the gunk!”

A small group of teens began to gather around them, all nodding and murmuring their desire to be a part of the meeting. Mac caught Joanna’s eye and hoped she would hear his silent plea. When she began to chew on her bottom lip, he knew she was thinking of a plan.

“Well,” she began slowly, “The kids in biology class did just complete a unit on environmental pollution issues and the Challengers members in my class submitted their persuasive argument essays. I could speak with Mrs. Varga tomorrow and make a case that it would be an educational field trip for those that participated in those classes as well as the river clean-up as long as they get parental permission.”

The teens began to cheer and MacGyver wanted to kiss her soundly, but he settled for a satisfied grin. “Sounds like a plan,” he confirmed.

XXXXX

Wednesday morning Mac pulled the Challengers’ van into the high school parking lot where Darius, Raul, and a handful of other students quickly climbed aboard, permission slips in hand. MacGyver had chosen to wear a suit and tie and was glad to see the teens had upped their wardrobe game as well. They arrived in downtown Chicago by mid-morning and soon descended on the glass and steel building that housed the Phoenix Foundation. Their little group garnered some stares and whispers as they made their way to the designated conference room where an efficient office assistant seated them and offered them something to drink. Minutes later, the board members walked in and took their place at the head of the table, followed by Jordan Banks and her direct supervisor.

When directed, MacGyver rose and, for the official record this time, once again explained the Challengers river clean-up project, the discovery of the algae bloom, the inability of local authorities to eradicate it, and his call to Phoenix for assistance. He had barely taken his seat when Jordan stood and presented her side of the story, including the reasons why, according to her, Phoenix need not get involved as her superior smiled at her approvingly. With both sides having spoken, the board members adjourned to an adjoining room to make their decision. It didn’t take long before they returned, all keeping their eyes steadfastly away from MacGyver and the club members. The designated spokesperson for the board was just about to announce their decision when Darius interrupted.

“I got somethin’ I wanna say,” he said.

“Young man, this is most inappropriate. Mr. MacGyver has already spoken on your behalf,” the senior board member admonished him.

“He didn’t say everything,” the teen countered as the four others on the board looked to one another and Mac ran his index finger around the inside of his collar which suddenly seemed too tight.

“We don’t need to hear anything this hoodlum has to say!” Jordan’s supervisor blurted out. His moment of indiscretion cost him, though, as the spokesman skewered him with a steely gaze.

“Due to that unnecessary outburst, I would like to hear what the boy has to say.”

MacGyver saw beads of sweat begin to roll down the teen’s forehead as a hush fell over the room and all eyes turned to him.

“Go on, young man. What did you wish to say?” the spokesman prompted.

“Well...ya see...when we got to the river, some of us, including me, were disappointed because it was so small. We wanted to go out on a boat and snag us some really cool stuff like old tires and other trash we’d heard about.” Here Darius stopped, shifting his weight from one foot to another and looked to MacGyver who gave him an almost imperceptible nod, but it was enough to bolster his courage to continue. “But Mac here told us that even the little jobs, like picking up candy wrappers, were just as important. Now it seems that Ms. Banks is saying that only big problems are worth your time and money and that little problems, like our algae bloom, aren’t important. So who’s right?”

Mac could literally see the blood drain from the spokesman's face and watched as Jordan’s boss hung his head as if in shame. An ember of hope began to warm his stomach.

“Given this new, um, perspective,” the spokesman choked out, “I believe we need to take a few moments and reexamine our verdict.”

The five board members made quick work of huddling around the head table and murmuring amongst themselves. Heads would shake and then nod. Eyes would glance one way, then another. After what seemed like an excruciatingly long time, they returned to their assigned seats.

“Before I announce our decision,” the spokesman began, “I have a few words for you, Ms. Banks.” The smug expression she had been wearing throughout the morning began to fade. “The mission of the Phoenix Foundation is to provide aid to anyone who asks, be they rulers of foreign lands, starving children in war torn countries, our federal government, as well as our next door neighbor. No cause is too big...or too small. You are an extremely intelligent and talented researcher and could be a great asset to Phoenix. However, before that can happen, I must ask you to reevaluate your goals, both personal and professional, and decide if Phoenix is the best fit for you.”

Jordan responded with a stiff nod, her cheeks turning bright red as she sought support from her supervisor who refused to meet her eyes.

“Now, as for you and your friends, Mr. MacGyver. It is the decision of these Phoenix board representatives that your project be the recipient of any and all pertinent research and assistance to be determined upon meeting with the proper agencies in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.”

“Does that mean they’re gonna help?” Darius asked, turning wide eyes on MacGyver.

“It sure does!” Mac laughed both relieved and satisfied.

“Yes!” Darius punched the air with his fist. “We did it!”

“No,” MacGyver sobered. “You did it! They were ready to side with Ms. Banks before your speech. They wouldn’t even look at us. This is your victory, Darius.” Unable to contain his excitement, the teen wrapped Mac in a bear hug before turning and joining the others in high fives and gleeful cheers of victory. As the celebration wound down and the group headed for the door, Mac heard the spokesman call his name.

“Mr. MacGyver, we have one last piece of business we’d like to discuss with you.”

Mac felt his heart drop to his shoes as he approached the board. The feeling of a teenager being called into the principal’s office washed over him. What now?

“Prior to this meeting, I made a point to research your Challengers Club and noticed that Phoenix provides a substantial amount of funding if certain criteria continue to be met at each six month review.”

“That’s correct,” MacGyver answered, his mouth dry.

“Given what I just witnessed here today, I am going to see to it that your next review is canceled.”

“Sir?” Mac tried to swallow but couldn’t. He could barely hear the spokesman over the sound of his own heartbeat. Was Phoenix pulling its funding? But why?

“The latest progress report states, in no uncertain terms, that Challengers members must participate in projects to better their community if the club is to receive further funding. Today’s meeting showed that your club members are willing to go above and beyond to do just that. Not only have they learned an important lesson, they’ve acted upon it and are to be commended. It is the opinion of this board that Challengers has met the criteria of the report and will now be placed on the normal yearly review cycle. Congratulations, Mr. MacGyver.”

Trying to process what he had just heard, Mac cordially shook hands and offered ‘thank-you’s’ before leaving the office and meeting the kids at the elevator.

“You okay, Mac?” Raul asked. “What happened back there?”

“I’ll tell you on the way home,” MacGyver replied, a smile spreading across his face. “In the meantime, what do say we go get some ice cream?!”















Posted by: Dragondog 4 June 2020 - 03:16 AM
QUOTE
Chapter 52: Operation River Clean-up
Ah yes, the moment we've all been waiting for

QUOTE
Perhaps it was time to start some serious wedding planning.
Please. Do.

QUOTE
Having Joanna a few steps away gave him a feeling of completeness he didn’t know he was lacking. He had fallen into a blissful slumber on the couch and dreamed of the day she would forever be at his side.
Ah, yes. romantic telepathy.

QUOTE

Mac couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but he could tell that Ms. Banks was not in the mood to be persuaded. “Fine. But before you go, tell me how to clean this up.”

Jordan studied him from head to toe as if he were one of her specimens. “I’m sure you’ll figure out something. I hear you’re very good at that.”
Wow. I really hate her.

QUOTE

Mac sighed. “I’ve been researching exactly that most of the day. We’d first need to evaluate the types of organisms in the river to determine which biological method would be most effective. Then, from what I found, our best bet would be to skim off as much of the bloom as possible before introducing herbivorous, surface-feeding fish like the South Asian catla to consume the algae.”

“That sounds good,” Darius, who was now sitting next to Joanna, remarked. “Let’s do that.”

MacGyver quirked a brow at the teen wondering exactly how much the boy had actually understood.
I found this funny laugh.gif

Well, that whole climax was a banger, and I love it biggrin.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 4 June 2020 - 03:11 PM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 4 June 2020 - 03:16 AM)

QUOTE

Mac couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but he could tell that Ms. Banks was not in the mood to be persuaded. “Fine. But before you go, tell me how to clean this up.”

Jordan studied him from head to toe as if he were one of her specimens. “I’m sure you’ll figure out something. I hear you’re very good at that.”
Wow. I really hate her.


Well, that whole climax was a banger, and I love it biggrin.gif

Good! You were supposed to hate Jordan...but I admit it was kinda fun writing her! Glad you enjoyed the chapter!

Posted by: Dragondog 5 June 2020 - 01:40 AM
Good laugh.gif It's kinda refreshing to hate a character that's supposed to be hated, and then have her lose. As opposed to either being sympathetic towards the villain *coughMurdoccough* or have every other character be blind to her faults wink.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 10 June 2020 - 01:31 PM

HI FRIENDS! This is the last chapter for awhile until I can write more, but never fear, Mac and Jo WILL RETURN!! Stay Tuned and enjoy this chapter in the mean time:))))


Chapter 53: Old Friends, Different Enemies

MacGyver had been on the telephone that afternoon when Joanna entered Challengers and went directly to her office, locking the door behind her. He now stood in front of said door, ready to knock but questioning the wisdom of that action. There were only two weeks left in the school year and, as her students would say, she was ‘stressed to the max’. Tempting fate, he tapped quickly on her door.

“Go away,” came the mumbled reply.

He took a deep breath and tapped again. This time, he heard her desk chair rolling then the lock turning. The door cracked open to reveal her scowling countenance.

“Hi. It’s just me,” he greeted her optimistically.

“Go. Away.” She attempted to slam the door shut in his face but he shot out a foot to keep it from closing. She had already turned and was walking back to her desk. When she turned and saw that he had followed, her scowl deepened. Not good.

“What part of ‘go away’ didn’t you understand?” she asked, losing some of her sass as she defeatedly dropped back into her chair. Frowning sympathetically, Mac came to stand behind her and began massaging her shoulders which were stiff as a board.

“You need to relax,” he instructed as he kneaded her taut muscles and smiled as she momentarily leaned into his ministrations.

“What I need is to get these final exams written,” she countered, pulling away.

“Why don’t we call it a day, go grab some take-out and unwind at my place,” he suggested undeterred.

Joanna swiveled around to look at him.

“But I never get anything accomplished when we spend the evening at your place,” she argued.

“I’d say we get a lot accomplished,” Mac replied with the sexy grin he reserved just for her. He leaned down and was anticipating the moment his lips would meet hers when a hand in the middle of his chest stopped him.

“That’s exactly what I mean,” she sighed. “I need time alone to get this stuff done.”

“Then I just might have a solution,” MacGyver stated, pulling up a chair.

“What are you talking about?”

“I just got off the phone with Connie. Seems Pete’s been really depressed lately.”

“Why?”

“She doesn’t quite know. That’s why she called me. She said it started after he got a call from an old colleague at the DXS but he refuses to tell her what it was about.”

“So you want to go to Chicago and spend some time with him,” Joanna surmised.

“Yeah. I was thinkin’ we could go camping.”

“What?!” Jo exclaimed. “You want to take a blind man camping?! Does Pete even like camping?”

“Whoa, take it easy,” he replied calmly. “I just thought that getting him out of his comfort zone might be a good idea. And maybe if it’s just the two of us he’ll tell me what’s buggin’ him.”

He could see Joanna struggle and then relent before building up a head of steam again. “You’re not seriously gonna have him hiking through the woods, are you?!”

“Don’t worry. I got it all covered.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tuesday morning was sunny and unseasonably mild as MacGyver parked his Jeep in the Thornton’s driveway and headed inside.

“All ready, Pete?” he asked eagerly.

“Ask Connie,” his friend grumbled. “She won’t tell me where we’re going and she insisted on packing for me.”

“Here we are,” Pete’s wife declared as she entered the kitchen and handed MacGyver a backpack complete with sleeping bag.

“We’re goin’ campin’, Pete!”

“MacGyver,” the older man practically whined, “You know I hate camping!”

“No you don’t, Pete!” Mac corrected cheerfully.

“I don’t?” Pete asked skeptically.

“Naw! You did a great job the last time we went!”

“The last time we went camping was for my Phoenix field recertification and to conquer ‘MacGyverland’ if I wanted to keep my job status. I didn’t have much of a choice. And have you forgotten that we happened to stumble across drug smugglers and almost got ourselves killed?!”

“C’mon Pete. It’ll be fun!” MacGyver cajoled. “Besides, you never used to like skiing or fishing either until I made you go.”

“What kind of man takes his blind friend into the wilderness to sleep on the ground and forage for food just for ‘fun’?!”

“We’re not going into the wilderness,” Mac assured Pete, his voice now serious as he realized his friend’s concerns. “I reserved us a campsite at Bullfrog Lake. It’s totally civilized and only 20 minutes southwest of here.”

“That’s even worse,” Pete moaned.

“Why?” MacGyver asked, his patience quickly fading.

“It’s the week before Memorial Day. I bet the place’ll be packed. I don’t wanna be where there are a ton of kids running around.”

Mac had anticipated this excuse. “I already thought of that. When I called the park they said the place is deserted this week. Kids are still in school and the staff is working on final preparations for the holiday weekend. It’ll just be you, me, the lake, and hopefully some fish for dinner.”

Pete rolled his sightless eyes. “I’m not gonna get out of this, am I?” he asked.

“Nope! Now let’s hustle so we don’t waste the rest of the day!”

XXXXX

Thirty minutes later, Mac pulled his Jeep and a less-than-enthusiastic Pete into the parking lot of Camp Bullfrog Lake. An attendant greeted them and gave MacGyver a map of the area.

“Good news, Pete!” Mac announced. “Our campsite is right on the lake, but we’ll need to walk in from here.”

“Terrific,” his friend grumbled.

Mac sighed inwardly but remained determined. He helped Pete hoist on his backpack before he donned his own. His friend held onto his elbow for guidance with one hand and clutched his white and red-tipped cane with the other as the duo made their way down an unpaved path, MacGyver providing a running monologue describing the area including how many steps and in which direction the restroom facilities were located. Within minutes they arrived at the ten-foot by ten-foot mulch-covered and timber-edged tent pad complete with picnic table and fire ring with grate. The two men shrugged out of their backpacks before Mac guided Pete to sit at the table.

“Okay, now what?” Pete huffed.

“We pitch our tent,” Mac declared. He opened the main compartment of his backpack and pulled out the neatly folded nylon. “Feel around in there and grab me the mallet and metal stakes, will ya?” Pete groaned but did as he was told and MacGyver smiled.

A seasoned outdoorsman, Mac made quick work of setting up their tent, laying out their sleeping bags and cleaning up the fire pit. “What do you say we try and catch us some supper?” he asked, wiping his hands on the back of his jeans.

“You go ahead,” Pete replied. “I’m going to go use the facilities.”

“Want me to come with you?”

“I can manage, MacGyver,” Pete spat. “I’m not a child.”

“Never said you were,” Mac muttered under his breath as he watched his friend make his way up the path toward the restrooms.

An hour standing on the lakeshore with fishing pole in hand lifted Mac’s spirits, and he was especially pleased when he returned to camp with a stringer of fish.

“Tonight we’ll be dining on bluegill ala MacGyver,” he cheerfully announced to Pete who was once again sitting at the picnic table.

“What? No lobster?” Pete teased and Mac was relieved to see his old friend’s sense of humor returning. They chatted about Challengers and the river clean-up project as MacGyver cleaned and gutted the fish before frying them up over an open fire.

The sun was already setting in the western sky when the two men finished picking off the mild, white flesh from the delicate bones of their now-consumed meal. A gentle breeze wafted off the lake, chilling the air, so Mac stoked the fire and helped Pete take a seat on the ground nearby before doing the same.

“So,” MacGyver began, reaching out to warm his hands, “When are ya gonna tell me what’s eatin’ ya?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Pete replied a bit defensively as he mimicked the gesture he could not see.

Mac sighed. He was hoping his friend would willingly open up to him. But then again, Pete hated to burden anyone else with his problems. MacGyver understood the feeling.

“Is it your eyes? Were you turned down for another experimental procedure?”

“Ah, no,” Pete replied, his voice back to its usual tone. “It has nothing to do with that. I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’ll never see again and I’m okay with that. Most of the time, anyway.”

“I got a little present for you,” MacGyver announced, placing a palm-sized black box in his friend’s hand.

“What is it?” Pete asked, his curiosity obviously piqued.

“It’s a braille compass,” Mac told him before reaching over to show him how it worked. “You just slide the cover off like this,” he explained, taking Pete’s hands in his to demonstrate. “Then you read the braille dial.”

“Ha! That’s amazing!” Pete laughed. “How do you come up with all these gadgets?”

“I have my sources,” MacGyver smirked.

“I hope this doesn’t mean you plan on dropping me in the middle of nowhere to find my way back using this thing,” Pete joked before turning somber. “Of course, the way I’ve been acting I wouldn’t blame you.”

“You wanna talk about it?”

Pete sighed. “Did you ever wonder why I always believed your stories about Murdoc coming back from the dead?”

“You’re my best friend. That’s what best friends do. Besides, you didn’t always believe. Sometimes it took some convincing.”

“That was a show for the brass. I couldn’t have everyone thinking we were both crazy!”

“Gee, thanks Pete.”

“What I’m trying to say is that I had my own Murdoc. It was long before I met you. I had just started working at the DXS. He went by El Jefe.”

“The Chief,” Mac murmured.

“Biggest drug lord in South America at the time. His real name was Victor Prescott.”

“American?”

“As apple pie! He had this uncanny way of avoiding capture. Just when you thought you had him pinned down he’d disappear into thin air. Every agent dreamed of bringing him in, including me.”

“But you never did,” MacGyver surmised.

“After two long years of playing cat and mouse, I finally nailed him in the Colombian jungle. He was extradited to the United States and sentenced to life in a federal penitentiary.”

“That’s great, Pete!” Mac declared, enthusiastically slapping his friend’s back. “But why are you telling me this?”

“A couple weeks ago I got a call from one of my old partners at the DXS. He told me Prescott got paroled for good behavior. Can you believe it?!” Pete’s laugh was humorless.

“Aw, man. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, well, it just got me thinking about whether or not all those years spent working endless hours at the DXS and Phoenix were really worth it. It ruined my marriage and my relationship with my son and for what?”

“C’mon Pete, lighten up! You made a successful career of putting away the bad guys and saving innumerable lives in the process. You can’t let one man get to you like this after all these years.”

“Oh yeah? How would you feel if it was Murdoc?”

Silenced reigned as stars twinkled above. Finally, Pete spoke.

“It’s been a long day. I think I’m gonna hit the sack. You comin’?”

“In a minute,” Mac replied as he stared out over the lake now shrouded in darkness.

XXXXX

MacGyver awoke the following morning to find the sleeping bag next to his empty. He grinned and stretched lazily. Apparently Pete had slept well and was eager to start the day. Crawling out of the tent, he expected to see his friend nearby, but the campsite was vacant. Figuring Pete had gone to use the facilities, Mac rooted through his backpack for the granola bars that would be breakfast. When he had finished eating and the older man had still not returned, he began to worry and headed toward the building that housed the restrooms, but Pete wasn’t there. With concern for his friend beginning to gnaw at him, he spotted a park employee readying the grounds for the weekend.

“Excuse me!” he called, grabbing the man’s attention. “Did you happen to see my friend? He’s shorter than me, bald, a little on the heavy side?”

“I remember him,” the man replied. “The blind dude, right?”

“Right,” Mac responded flatly. He didn’t care for how the employee referred to Pete, but he was too worried to argue about it.

“He used the men’s room and when he came out your other friend was waiting for him and they headed off towards the woods. Figured they were going hiking.”

“Wait a minute!” MacGyver grabbed the man by the bicep. “What ‘other friend’? We came here alone!”

“Sorry, man. I just know what I saw.”

“But I thought this was a secure campground. Can you radio the gate attendant and ask when this guy came in?”

“Look buddy, we’re short handed and tryin’ to get ready for one of the busiest weekends of the year. The boss pulled the attendant for clean-up duty as soon as he came in. Besides, anybody can get to the camp if they hike through the woods.” With that the attendant turned his back and resumed his chores.

Mac looked in the direction the employee had indicated the two men took. It was the Willow Springs trailhead which led to the Palos Trail System. Some forty-two miles of rugged paths, rolling hills, and deep ravines. MacGyver made his way to the edge of the forest and bent to examine the ground, still a bit damp from dew. There were shoe imprints shuffled together. Did they belong to Pete and the man who, in Mac’s opinion, accosted him? Was this the sign of a struggle? Or was it simply a jumble of footprints from previous hikers? Most importantly, who had taken Pete? The only person Mac could think of was Victor Prescott. But how was that even possible? MacGyver forced himself to put worry aside and honed in on the environment. Ground-covering plants had been squashed. Twigs from bushes and small trees littered the ground. He picked up one of the thin branches and examined the end. It was a fresh break. Something had definitely happened here recently. Knowing he couldn’t rescue Pete if he was unprepared himself, MacGyver jogged back to camp to repack his backpack with some essential gear before heading back to the trailhead.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Would you hurry it up?” Victor Prescott demanded. “I don’t have all day.”

“You’ve been in prison for years. A few more minutes isn’t going to make a difference!” Pete argued, keeping his hands out in front of him to avoid walking into something. Unfortunately, he had no way to protect himself from the rutted trail. His foot caught on a dead branch and he pitched forward, landing on his hands and knees.

“C’mon, get up!” Prescott growled, grabbing hold of the back of the other man’s jacket and pulling him to his feet.

Pete gingerly regained his footing and did a quick physical assessment. Nothing seemed to be damaged. He brushed off his pants and the front of his jacket which he knew must be dirty from the fall.

“So where, exactly, are we going?” he asked his long-time nemesis.

“You’ll just have to wait and see,” Prescott replied before chuckling. “On second thought, I guess you won’t see!”

The wisecrack about his eyesight, or lack thereof, only caused Pete to become more determined to remain alive and unharmed. Surely by now MacGyver had discovered his absence and would come looking for him, but doubt slithered into his brain as he wondered how many trailheads were accessible by the campground. And how would Mac know to look in the woods and not assume he had been taken away by car? Details. Those were just details. MacGyver would figure it out. He always did. Mac would find him.

“Now get moving,” Prescott instructed as he poked Pete in the back with the tip of Pete’s cane which Prescott had confiscated outside the restroom. At least it wasn’t the muzzle of the gun which he had originally pressed into Pete’s ribs to make him comply.

“All right! All right! I’m going!” Pete replied, holding his hands up in the universal gesture of surrender. For whatever reason, probably because he was blind, Victor had chosen not to bind his wrists and Pete was desperately thinking of a way to make him pay for that error.

They walked in silence for what seemed like miles. Since losing his eyesight, Pete’s other senses had become highly tuned. Under normal circumstances, he would almost enjoy the earthy smell of the forest floor, the cheerful chirping of birds returning for the spring, squirrels and rabbits rustling dead leaves left over from last autumn as they scampered about, and a brook babbling merrily along. If he could just shake Prescott, he could follow the small river to civilization. That’s what his survivalist training as a Phoenix field agent had taught him. If you got lost in the woods, you followed the water. Unfortunately, Prescott was sticking to him like glue on duct tape. Pete couldn’t help but grin to himself at the analogy. He just had to stay alive until Mac arrived. Knowing that silence is never your friend when you’re a hostage, he needed to get Prescott talking again and remind him that Pete was a flesh-and-blood human being and not some object of prey.

“Look, we both know you’re gonna kill me so why don’t you just get it over with here and now?” Pete huffed, immediately regretting his opening line.

“You government agents are so impatient! How do you think I managed to evade you all those years. Your eagerness was my greatest ally. But to answer your question, killing you now would be too humane. You see, you left me to rot in a cage like a wild animal for more years than I care to count. Now it’s your turn to suffer until you wish you were dead!”

“How did you find me?” Pete asked, not wanting to hear more about what awaited him. “I could’ve been anywhere in the world!”

“After all you’ve seen, you still underestimate me? I was the general of the biggest drug cartel army in South America! My men gave me their undying loyalty in exchange for their lives! You may have captured me, Peter Thornton, but there have been many, many eyes on you since that dark day. I know more about you than you do yourself!”

“You’re not gonna get away with this, Victor!”

“Oh really? And who’s going to stop me? Your little boy scout friend back at the campsite?”

Pete’s breath caught. “You know about MacGyver?”

Victor let go an evil laugh. “Of course! Like I said, I know everything about you Thornton. I also know about MacGyver and won’t think twice about killing him, either.”

“Leave Mac out of this!” Pete demanded. “He means nothing to you!”

“Indeed. But he means something to you and that makes him quite valuable to me.”

Pete knew he couldn’t allow his best friend to be a victim of the vendetta meant for him so, with renewed determination, he began to think of a plan to take out Prescott before Prescott got his hands on Mac. Time. He needed time. And a ploy. Pete began to walk slower, adding a limp every now and again until allowing it to become more frequent.

“What’s wrong with you?!” Prescott growled. “Move faster!”

“I can’t,” Pete grimaced. “I think I really hurt my ankle back there when I fell. It’s probably bruised and feels swollen. Can you take a look at it?”

“I’m not a nursemaid, Thornton. Now shut up and be a man!”

Pete took a few more awkward steps before faltering. “I can’t make it.”

“Fine,” Prescott huffed, “I’ll take a look at it if that will make you stop whining.”

Pete stood favoring his left ankle as he heard and felt Victor come around to face him. “Mind if I put my hand on your shoulder to help me balance?” he asked.

Prescott grumbled incoherently as Pete reached out and laid his hand on the man’s shoulder. Now he could track his movements. He felt Prescott lower himself to a squat. When he was confident the positioning was accurate, he bent his leg and rammed his knee into his captor’s face with a sickening crunch. Yowling in pain, Prescott reached up and grabbed the front of Pete’s jacket, pulling the man down on top of him. Fists flailed as the two men rolled around on the ground, each seeking dominance. Suddenly, the earth around them gave way and they tumbled down a stony incline before landing on the gravelly shore of the river several feet below. Disoriented and shaken, Pete discovered blood oozing from his temple as his struggled to sit up with a groan. Prescott, who he assumed was beside him or at least nearby, was eerily silent.

“Victor?” Pete called cautiously in case the villain was using this opportunity to catch him off guard. When there was no answer or hint of movement Pete called again, louder, “Victor?!” No response.

Unsure of the new terrain, Pete began to crawl on his hands and knees, sharp stones biting his palms and poking through his jeans. Every few feet he stopped to feel around him as he tried to find Victor. He was about to give up when his hand bumped into a large, soft form. Feeling his way, he found his foe’s carotid artery but no pulse was evident. Pete sighed and sat back on his heels. “Aw man,” he whispered to himself. He felt an odd sorrow. He was glad Prescott would never be a danger to him again, but no man deserved to die before his time. He vaguely wondered if this was how MacGyver had felt when Murdoc died from a severe allergic reaction Mac had been unable to stop. A damp gust of wind chilled him to the bone and brought him out of his musings. He had to figure out where he was and mark the spot and then follow the gurgling stream to what he hoped would be civilization...or at least a remote campsite, preferably occupied with people willing to offer aid.

Continuing his tactile survey of the area, he smiled when he found a rock about the size of a basketball. He took off his belt and fastened it securely around the stone. Now his starting point was marked and it would also serve as a clue if MacGyver happened to come this way. As he stood debating which way to follow the river he remembered the braille compass he had tucked away in the back pocket of his jeans. He pulled out the device and slid it open, but his fingertips were scratched and bloodied from his fall and subsequent search of the ground and he could not feel the little dots on the dial. “Terrific,” he scowled. He carefully made his way to the river and bent down to feel the water to learn which direction it flowed and that would be the direction he would follow. He wiped his wet fingers on his pant leg, turned to his left, and began walking gingerly down stream.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver returned to the trailhead after quickly raiding his Jeep and the camp for anything that might prove useful in his search and, hopefully, rescue. He had swiftly stashed the gear in his backpack which was now firmly strapped to him. With no idea what the trail looked like or where it headed, he wanted to be as prepared as possible. He shook his head as he remembered missions from his younger, perhaps cockier, days when he started out with an empty bag in preparation for the things he found along the way as he began his trek into the woods.

Although Mac’s instinct was to run as fast as he possibly could and call his friend’s name, he knew how foolish and dangerous that would be. He had to be quiet and take time to observe his immediate surroundings for any clues to confirm he was on the same trail Pete and his captor had taken. He hadn’t been walking all that long before he noticed a dead branch laying in the middle of the narrow path. He reached down to grab it, intending to toss it into the woods, when he saw footprints and hand marks on the ground as well as crushed weeds and a few disheveled wildflowers. Mac hunched down and looked closer. The footprints were too large to be anything but male, and there were definitely two different sets. But what about the handprints? He glanced back at the piece of dead wood. Someone tripped over it and fell. He hoped it had been Victor Prescott and not Pete.

The path cleared for a while making it easier for MacGyver to follow the trail the two men had left. Suddenly, he noticed a slight difference in the prints. While three were all about the same depth, one appeared to be more shallow indicating uneven weight distribution. One of them was limping. Mac continued to follow the imprints for several yards when suddenly they all came together, one on top of another. Loose dirt had scattered across the path and there were more broken twigs indicating a scuffle like the one back at the trailhead. Only this time, the signs led him to the edge of a deep ravine where a piece of earth had fallen away. Being extra cautious so as to keep more ground from falling as well as preparing himself for what he might see, Mac carefully approached the edge and looked over. Nothing. MacGyver let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. Expecting to find Pete’s twisted, broken body at the bottom of the cliff, the sight of emptiness flooded him with relief. He returned to the dirt pathway, but the trail of footprints had stopped. Where had Pete and Prescott gone? Could they have both survived the fall into the ravine with neither suffering injuries? Mac returned to where the ground had given way. He was studying the riverbank when a random ray of sunlight glinted off a rock and caught his eye. Eager to investigate in the hopes of finding a clue to his friend’s whereabouts, MacGyver threw off his backpack and half-crawled, half-slid down the incline on his backside, coming to an abrupt halt at the bottom. Gaining his footing, he headed straight for the rock and saw a belt wrapped around it, a shaft of sunlight piercing the buckle, and he immediately recognized it as one of Pete’s favorites. There were even the extra holes Mac had made with an ice pick one time when Pete had put on a few extra pounds, but MacGyver’s gaze fixated on the drying blood staining the gray stone. Certain that Pete was injured, and wondering how he had gotten away from whom he could only assume was Prescott to leave this clue, Mac started walking parallel to the river, following its flow and hoping that Pete’s field training had kicked in and he was doing the same since the pebble and rock laden shore did not allow for any footprints for Mac to follow.

MacGyver’s pulse bumped up a notch when he saw a portly figure in a red jacket just a few yards ahead of him. Pete! And he was alone. Where was Prescott? As Mac approached his friend, the older man stopped and stiffened, apparently hearing the footsteps behind him.

“Pete,” MacGyver said in a loud whisper. “It’s me!”

The older man turned around. “It’s about time you found me!” he chided with a laugh.

“Shhhh,” Mac admonished. “Where’s Prescott?”

“He’s dead.”

“What?!”

“Didn’t you find the clue I left you?” Pete asked, confused.

“Yeah, the belt around the rock.”

“Right. Prescott’s body was a few feet away.”

MacGyver shook his head in disbelief. “There was no one there, Pete. Just the rock.”

Mac watched as his friend’s face fell. “That can’t be. I checked his pulse myself. He’s dead!

“Pete, I’m tellin’ ya, there was no body!”

“But that’s impossible!” Pete argued.

“Well, possible or not, we need to get you back to safety and get cleaned up. C’mon, I ditched my backpack on the trail. It has a small first aid kit I can use to patch up the gash on your head and take care of your fingers.”

“No way!” Pete balked. “If Prescott somehow survived, he couldn’t have gotten far. We need to find him.”

“We need to keep you safe,” Mac countered, but by the time he finished his sentence, Pete was already walking away sans his pretend limp.

“Okay, fine,” MacGyver said, catching up with his friend. “But Prescott could be anywhere. This forest is huge.”

Pete shook his head. “No. He’s too determined to get even with me. He has to be nearby, waiting to make his move.”

“You’re absolutely correct, Thornton,” Victor called from the path above the ravine, a handgun with a silencer attached aimed at the two friends. “And now I get to kill two ex-agents for the price of one. How economical! Now get up here so we can get on with this.” Prescott tossed a length of rope over the incline and MacGyver grabbed it.

“C’mon Pete, you go first. I’ll be right behind in case you slip,” Mac assured him.

“You mean we’re actually going to do what he tells us to?”

“For the time being, yes.”

Pete grunted as he began pulling himself up by the rope. Mac followed closely, trying to think of options but coming up empty.

“So how’d you do it, Victor?” Pete huffed once he was back on the trail.

“Do what?”

“Make it seem like you were dead.”

Prescott’s laugh was low and evil. “Let’s just say I’ve had a lot of time to learn new skills. The prison had a wonderful library and I became oddly interested in the meditation practices of a recluse sect of Tibetan monks. It seems they are able to meditate so deeply that their heart rates slow and become virtually undetectable. With no pressing engagements, I thought this might come in handy so I spent many hours practicing and today I finally had the opportunity to display the fruits of my labor.”

“Why go through all that trouble? Why not just kill me when I was on the ground?”

“I already told you, Peter. I want you to suffer as I did. And now you get to watch your best friend suffer, too.”

“You wouldn’t happen to be related to a guy named Murdoc, would ya?” Mac quipped, earning him a steely-eyed glare and a gun pointed at the middle of his forehead.

“If you think you can joke your way out of this, Mr. MacGyver, you are terribly wrong.”

“Sorry,” Mac muttered.

“Now get moving!” Prescott demanded.

Mac offered his elbow to Pete to guide him down the narrow path, avoiding fallen branches and other debris. After they had been walking through the deserted forest for about thirty minutes, Prescott ordered them to stop in front of a small, wooden outbuilding with no windows and one very heavy door latched with a padlock. Gun in hand, he motioned for the two of them to enter before swinging the door shut behind them and throwing the lock into place.

“Where are we?” Pete asked.

“Some kind of storage shed I think,” Mac replied as his eyes tried to adjust to the total darkness inside.

“Good! You oughta be able to find something to help get us out of here.”

“Not likely,” MacGyver said after making a quick but thorough turn around the small enclosure. “This place is totally empty.”

“But you have a plan, right?”

“No, Pete, I don’t have a plan!” Mac blustered before regaining his composure. “The walls are solid and the door locks from the outside. Anything remotely useful is in my backpack which I left on the trail where you fell down into the ravine. We’re stuck here!”

“Well, there must be something we can do,” Pete offered softly after several seconds.

“There is. We can figure out what’s going on here.”

“You mean besides Prescott trying to kill us?” Pete asked sarcastically.

“Yeah. I mean, how did he find you and orchestrate all this in the first place?”

“He told me he’s had people spying on me.”

Mac shook his head even though his friend couldn’t see it. “There’s gotta be more to it than that. It’s just a few days ‘til the park opens for one of the busiest weekends of the year, right?”

“Right. What are you getting at?”

“Supposedly the gate attendant got pulled to help with clean-up, yet I’ve only actually seen one person working so far, and he’s the same guy who told me you went off with Prescott and even pointed me in the right direction.”

“You think he’s one of Victor’s men and set you up?”

“Yeah, and given the amount of tree limbs and trash on the trail, lack of footprints, and unstable land along the ravine, there’s no way anything’s been done to prepare for this weekend.”

“What do you think happened to everyone?”

“I don’t know, but I do know we have to get out of here and go to the authorities.”

“But I thought you said you didn’t have a plan.”

“I’m beginning to change my mind,” Mac replied wryly.

“But there’s nothing here, MacGyver! You said it yourself, the place is empty!”

“Then it’s time to start thinkin’ about the stuff we have rather than the stuff we don’t.”

“You mean besides a headache, sore fingers, stiff back, swollen feet…” Pete moaned.

“Yeah. Look, we both have our shoelaces, and I’ve still got my belt. It’s better than nothin’.”

MacGyver bent down and began unlacing Pete’s hiking boots before doing his own and then slid his belt free. Unsure of how much time they had before Prescott came back to check on them, he quickly tied the shoelaces together and grinned when he discovered they were long enough to double up.

“Here, hold this tight,” Mac instructed as he put one end of his shoelace ‘rope’ in Pete’s hand.

“What’s this for?”

“We’re gonna trip Prescott up, so to speak.”

At Pete’s blank expression, MacGyver explained his plan. “The door opens outward. I’ll sit on one side and you sit on the other. When Prescott walks in--”

“We trip him with the shoelaces!” Pete concluded.

“That’s the plan!”

“Do you think they’re strong enough?”

“We’ll find out,” Mac replied. “While Prescott’s on the ground, I’ll use them to tie his hands behind his back. Think you can manage to use my belt to secure his feet?”

“I’ll make sure I can!” Pete assured him.

MacGyver proceeded to settle Pete on one side of the doorway before he sat down on the other, leaving the shoelaces slack between them for now.

“What about his accomplice?” Pete asked as they waited.

“We’ll worry about him when the time comes,” Mac declared.

After what seemed to be an eternity, MacGyver finally heard Prescott fiddling with the latch on the door.

“Get ready, Pete,” he whispered as both men raised their ‘rope’ to mid-calf level and pulled it taut.

Victor Prescott pulled the door open, but when he stepped inside, his leg snagged on the shoelaces and he fell forward, landing flat on his stomach as the gun he held skidded across the plank flooring. Mac quickly gathered his make-shift rope and, with a knee in the villain’s back to keep him prone, pulled his arms behind him and looped the shoelaces around his wrists in a tight figure eight while Pete secured the man’s ankles with Mac’s belt. Once the surprise wore off, Prescott started to buck and yell. Pete pulled a handkerchief out of his jacket pocket and stuck it in Prescott’s mouth.

“That should keep him quiet for a while, don’t ya think?”

“Great job, Pete,” MacGyver smiled as he got to his feet and retrieved the gun, removing the clip and checking to make sure the chamber was empty before tucking it into the waistband of his jeans. “What d’ya say we get outta here?”

“Sounds like the best plan I’ve heard all day!” Pete happily agreed.

Once outside with his friend at his elbow, Mac stopped and surveyed their surroundings.

“What’s wrong? Why aren’t we walking?” Pete asked.

“I’m not sure we should take the same path back to the campground, just in case Victor’s lackey is hanging around somewhere,” MacGyver replied.

“Then what do you suggest we do?” Pete queried, his voice laden with frustration.

“Are you up for a real hike through the woods?”

“No!”

“Good!” Mac smiled. “Let’s get going!”

MacGyver carefully picked his way through the brush and around the trees in an attempt to make the trek easier for Pete. It was slow going and Mac kept his ears open for any sound that would indicate the presence of another human being...namely the fake park attendant. It was late afternoon by the time the duo emerged from the tree line just yards from the original trailhead. The campground appeared empty, but MacGyver still didn’t like the lack of cover between where they were and where their tent still stood.

“Wait here,” he instructed Pete.

He then bent low and hurried to their campsite but came to an abrupt halt when he spotted the lone attendant poking around in their firepit. Mac pulled Victor’s gun out from underneath his shirt, holding it by the barrel. He quietly approached the man from behind who was too preoccupied to be aware of MacGyver’s presence. Holding his breath, Mac took two more steps before bringing the butt of the weapon down hard on the back of the man’s neck. The attendant crumpled to the ground with a moan before drifting away into unconsciousness. MacGyver quickly broke down the tent and used the tethers to bind the man’s hands and feet before returning to the edge of the woods to get Pete. Together they headed to the park entrance and used the phone in the security shack to call the authorities and then waited in the Jeep for them to arrive.

XXXXX

“And once Prescott and his accomplice were taken back into custody the cops searched the campground and found the real staff and caretakers bound and gagged in the main storage building. Seems some thugs were hired to take care of them. Once they’re found, they’ll probably happily turn on Prescott to escape jail time,” MacGyver concluded as he sat at the Thornton’s kitchen table where Connie and Pete both nursed mugs of steaming hot coffee.

Connie shook her head. “I should probably be upset, but I’m just glad you both returned safely from your ordeal. However, I do wish you would have told me about this as soon as you received that phone call, Peter. I thought you were done shutting me out of your life.”

“I’m sorry,” Pete replied. “I just didn’t want you to worry. How was I to know Prescott would seek revenge after all these years?”

“Yeah, Pete. That information would’ve been kinda helpful to me, too,” Mac remarked.

“Alright!” Pete huffed, “I apologize to both of you!”

“Apology accepted,” MacGyver said, before glancing at his watch. “I hate to break up the party, but I need to head home.”

“Oh no, mister! You’re spending the night with us,” Connie insisted. “You need a nice long rest before you drive back.”

“Thanks Connie, I appreciate it,” he said with a smile knowing that arguing would get him nowhere.

“Speaking of going home, how much of this are you gonna tell Joanna?” Pete asked.

“I’m gonna tell her everything,” Mac shrugged. “We kinda have this agreement where if I come home in one piece and don’t try to hide anything from her she’s okay with my little adventures.”

“Sounds like you’ve made progress,” Pete observed. “But let me tell you this, MacGyver...the next time we go camping, I want you to take me as far away from civilization as we can get so absolutely no one can find us. You understand?”

“Next time?” Mac asked with a crooked smile. “Ha! I told you you’d like it!”














Posted by: Dragondog 14 June 2020 - 12:21 AM
I'm sorry it took so long before I finally got to this. I've been busy dealing with stress (namely, fallouts and subsequent makeups with friends, and people deciding to trespass into our yard directly outside my bedroom window to duke it out), but I finally can read this XD

QUOTE

“But I never get anything accomplished when we spend the evening at your place,” she argued.

“I’d say we get a lot accomplished,” Mac replied with the sexy grin he reserved just for her.
Oh, Mac laugh.gif

QUOTE


“Don’t worry. I got it all covered.”
Ah, yes, the famous words that never end well at all biggrin.gif

QUOTE

Pete sighed. “Did you ever wonder why I always believed your stories about Murdoc coming back from the dead?”

“You’re my best friend. That’s what best friends do. Besides, you didn’t always believe. Sometimes it took some convincing.”

“That was a show for the brass. I couldn’t have everyone thinking we were both crazy!”

“Gee, thanks Pete.”
laugh.gif

QUOTE

“What I’m trying to say is that I had my own Murdoc. It was long before I met you. I had just started working at the DXS. He went by El Jefe.”

“The Chief,” Mac murmured.
ohmy.gif hmm.bmp

QUOTE

“Look buddy, we’re short handed and tryin’ to get ready for one of the busiest weekends of the year. The boss pulled the attendant for clean-up duty as soon as he came in. Besides, anybody can get to the camp if they hike through the woods.” With that the attendant turned his back and resumed his chores.
Sometimes, Mac has to do what the ACTUAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS won't.

QUOTE

“You wouldn’t happen to be related to a guy named Murdoc, would ya?” Mac quipped, earning him a steely-eyed glare and a gun pointed at the middle of his forehead.

“If you think you can joke your way out of this, Mr. MacGyver, you are terribly wrong.”

“Sorry,” Mac muttered.
So does he know murdoc, or no? tongue.gif


Posted by: uniquelyjas 10 January 2021 - 11:43 AM
Author’s Note: WELCOME BACK, READERS!! I sincerely apologize for the hiatus that lasted much longer than I could ever have imagined, but real life had different plans. But I’m back with MacGyver, Joanna, and all their friends with new adventures!! ENJOY!! And always know that feedback/comments are welcomed and encouraged!!


Chapter 54: Best in Show (Part One)

Frog sat looking mournfully out the glass patio door watching the rain pour down from leaden gray skies above. The only thing a day like this was good for was sleeping. He waddled over to the coffee table and belly-crawled under it until he was comfortably ensconced in his favorite napping place. He spared a glance at MacGyver and Joanna who were playfully laughing and stealing kisses in the kitchen on the pretense of doing the dishes. Jo hadn’t been around much the last few weeks, and when she was, she was either working, talking about work, or worrying about work. But today was the first day of June and the first day of her summer vacation. For the next three months, she and Mac would be working together at Challengers and spending their free time in each other’s company which always put them in a good mood. That meant more belly rubs and extra chicken livers for yours truly. Frog’s eyes drifted closed, but the jangling of the telephone kept him from drifting off into peaceful doggy slumber.

“Hello?” MacGyver answered. “Hey, Craig. What’s up?”

Craig? Frog only knew one person named ‘Craig’ and that was Craig Bannister from the Phoenix Foundation. And nothing good ever happened when he entered the picture, especially when it came to Mac and Jo’s relationship. Frog’s ears perked up, but he kept his eyes closed so as not to draw attention to his eavesdropping.

“But why are you calling me? How can I help?” Mac asked. He was silent for so long that Frog actually dozed off, waking up again when he finally heard his master’s voice. “Okay. Can you give me some time to think about it and I’ll get back to you?” Generic farewells were exchanged before MacGyver hung up.

Frog slowly lifted one eyelid halfway to find Joanna striding to his master’s side, her expression curious.

“I take it that wasn’t a social call,” she remarked, but her voice lacked the bitterness that usually accompanied it when speaking about the Phoenix agent.

“Yeah,” Mac said, scrubbing the back of his neck with his hand. “Let’s sit down.”

As Mac and Joanna settled themselves on the couch, Frog once more closed his eyes tight and faked a couple soft snores for good measure as he listened intently to their conversation.

“Bannister wants me to help him with something off the record,” Mac said.

“Go on,” Jo encouraged, her voice neutral.

“It’s kinda a long story,” MacGyver hedged.

Joanna shrugged, “I’ve got time.” And so did Frog as he settled his chin on his front paws with a sigh.

“A friend of Nikki’s owns a show dog and it was recently kidnapped from a hotel room after winning the grand prize and held for ransom.”

Jo gasped and it was all Frog could do to remain still. “What happened?” she asked.

Mac raised a shoulder and let it fall, “Nothing. She paid the ransom and got the dog back. She told Craig and Nikki about it afterwards.”

“Why didn’t she go to the police?” Joanna demanded.

“The ransom note said that if she went to the cops she’d never see her dog again,” MacGyver explained.

“So, Craig wants your help finding the dog-napper,” Jo concluded.

“Yeah. But it’s not that simple. When Bannister started looking into this he discovered that it’s been happening to a number of show dogs across the country for at least the past six months. The thieves are also very selective, always taking the dog named Best in Show. The thing is, on any given day, there are a number of shows in several different states, yet not all the winners are stolen. In fact, often none are taken.

“It must be quite an operation,” Joanna remarked. “I mean, there must be dog-nappers at each event. But how do they know if they’re supposed to take the winner?”

“That’s another question Bannister wants answered.”

“Nothing against Craig or Phoenix, but shouldn’t he take this information to the FBI or something?”

“Bannister says this is a very high-level, wide-spread theft ring and he’s afraid that if the authorities get involved the dog-nappers will shut it down and go to ground before they can be caught.”

The room went silent and Frog almost dozed off again before Jo spoke up.

“Okay, now tell me where you come in,” she prodded.

“There’s a regional competition coming up in Minneapolis. Craig’s already put together a small voluntary task force of Phoenix agents from the Chicago office and he wants my help in setting up a sting operation. He seems to think I have what it takes to bring down the dog-nappers.”

Jo quirked a brow, “And what, exactly, is that?”

“A dog.”

Frog’s eyes snapped open and he barely held back a yelp.

“What?!” Joanna squeaked, asking the canine’s own question.

“Bannister wants to have Frog compete...and win,” MacGyver explained. “Hopefully he’ll be the one the thieves want. He’ll be outfitted with a tracking device so all we have to do is follow him and we’ll get the dog-nappers.”

“Is Craig crazy?!” Jo asked incredulously. “I don’t know a lot about show dogs, but I do know they’re bred to be just that and begin training often as puppies. I love Frog to death, but he could never win a dog show!”

Frog raised his head slightly and was about to bark his indignation when Mac spoke up.

“Bannister’s got that part taken care of. He’s been working with the show’s producers to rig the contest. Frog will win. He has Nikki’s friend on stand-by, ready to fly here and train him in the basics to help solidify our cover. He’s also arranged for all the proper certifications papers to be filed. So, what do ya think?”

Frog thought it was a horrid plan, but he doubted he would get a say in the matter. He had absolutely no desire to prance around a ring and have the judges poke and prod him. And to have it rigged?! He could beat out any dog, any time if he really wanted to! To top it off, the plan was to get him kidnapped?! Nope, Frog was not onboard, but the decision was not up to him.

“I think it’s a longshot,” Jo declared. “A dangerous longshot. But I also want these people caught and put away for a very long time.” She glanced under the coffee table and Frog allowed his eyelids to slide closed. “Go ahead, call Craig and tell him you’ll do it.”

MacGyver got up and grabbed the phone while his dog let go a long-suffering sigh.

“Hey Craig, it’s me,” Mac said into the receiver. “I’m in!”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The following afternoon, MacGyver leaned against the kitchen counter drinking a glass of juice and watching as Joanna painstakingly brushed Frog’s short fur until it shone.

“I wish we would’ve had time to give him a bath,” she lamented with a frown. “I want him to look his best for Nikki’s friend.”

“You do remember this is just pretend,” he said, watching his bulldog all but swoon under Jo’s firm yet gentle touch.

She raised her head and skewered him with her gaze. “Of course I do!” she snapped. “That’s no reason he can’t look his best,” she declared as she smoothed Frog’s back whose eyes were now half-closed, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth in pure doggy bliss.

Mac had just drained his glass and set it in the sink when there was a knock on his door. He opened it to reveal a short, slightly plump woman with close-cropped black hair and a friendly smile.

“Mr. MacGyver?” she asked.

“Hi. You must be Cheryl Beckett, Nikki’s friend. And please, call me ‘Mac’.”

The two shook hands before MacGyver stood aside to allow Cheryl to enter. By then, Jo was at the door as well and the two women exchanged greetings.

“And where is your little friend?” Cheryl asked.

As if he understood her question, Frog waddled across the room and sat down at her feet.

“Oh, what a handsome boy you are!” Nikki’s friend crooned, patting Frog’s head. Mac could swear his dog was smiling. “Who’s going to be his handler at the show?” she asked.

“I guess that would be me,” MacGyver shrugged, grabbing Joanna’s hand and heading for the door. “We’ll get out of your way so you can do whatever it is you do.”

“You can’t leave!” Cheryl gasped, her eyes wide.

“Why not?” Mac asked warily.

“As his handler, you’ll need as much, if not more, training than Frog,” the woman declared.

Mac slanted a glance at Jo who was trying to contain her laughter. “Is that really necessary?” he asked. “I mean, we’re gonna win no matter what.”

“Only the judges directly involved are aware of the trap being set. It’s vitally important that everyone else, especially the other competitors, believe that you are a serious contender,” Cheryl explained.

“Well, then, I guess I’ll leave so you can get to training my guys,” Joanna all but snickered.

Cheryl snaked out a hand and captured Joanna’s arm. “It would actually be quite helpful if you could stay,” she said. “They both need to get used to performing in front of an audience.”

Joanna grinned mischievously. “In that case, I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

MacGyver and Frog led the two women through the patio doors and out into the backyard where Jo immediately made herself comfortable in a molded plastic Adirondack-style chair while the others stood nearby.

“Before we get started, I need you to understand that you are entered in a conformation show,” Cheryl informed them. “This means that the participants are not judged against one another, but against the breed standard.”

Mac glanced down at Frog taking note of the dog’s underbite, crooked teeth, salivating mouth, and pudgy form. “It’s a good thing the fix is in,” he muttered.

“I don’t suppose you have a proper leash,” Cheryl surmised as she dug into her oversized purse, “So I took the liberty of bringing one with me. This is called the martingale lead. It will give you, as the handler, proper control, but it isn’t as tight and uncomfortable for your dog as a choke chain.” Cheryl expertly fastened the white nylon collar around Frog’s neck before handing Mac his end of the leash. “There, now,” she said, “Let me see you gait.”

“Uh, what?” Mac was already at a loss.

“Gaiting is one of the most basic and essential skills that all contestants must master,” Cheryl explained. “It allows the judges to observe the animal’s movement and structure. All you need to do is have Frog trot beside you with his head up. And be sure to keep him on your left side.”

MacGyver, still holding the leash, did a little jig to properly situate him and his dog. “C’mon, Frog! Let’s go for a walk!” he encouraged, but as he took the first step he felt the leash become taut and turned to see his bulldog sitting stubbornly, butt firmly planted in the grass. “C’mon,” Mac urged, tugging gently at the lead without success.

“Here, let’s try something else,” Cheryl suggested. She instructed MacGyver to drop the leash and stand several feet in front of Frog as she slipped a dog treat into his hand. “Have him come to you,” she instructed.

Mac glanced at her uncertainly but did as he was told. “Look Frog, treat! Come get the treat, buddy!”

The bow legged dog immediately rose and trotted to where his master stood, snatching the treat from his hand before once again lowering himself to the ground.

MacGyver scrubbed the back of his neck with his hand and sighed, “Frog, you’re killin’ me here.”

Cheryl stepped forward and put a hand on Mac’s forearm, chuckling good-naturedly. “Let’s take a break and work on a different, but equally important skill called ‘hand stacking’.”

At MacGyver’s blank stare she continued, “The purpose of stacking is to display outline and balance. You will kneel down next to Frog and use your hands to lift his legs and help him get in the proper stance. The goal is for him to look alert and happy.”

“Seriously?” Mac asked.

“Seriously,” Cheryl confirmed without a hint of humor. “Now kneel down and keep your left hand on him at all times,” she commanded.

With MacGyver in place, she directed him on how and where to place each of Frog’s legs, but the canine wasn’t having it. What should have been a smooth, gentle alignment turned into an awkward wrestling match.

“I don’t think this is gonna work,” Mac said breathlessly. Joanna’s laughter flitted on the evening breeze and he pinned her with his gaze. “What? Think you could do any better?” he challenged.

“Well I certainly couldn’t do any worse!” she replied, swallowing a giggle.

Jo pushed herself out of her chair and joined the others. “Why don’t you take a seat and I’ll show you how it’s done,” she told MacGyver with a smirk.

“Fine. Be my guest,” he conceded.

Mac watched from the patio as Joanna conferred with Cheryl before bending down to pet Frog and whisper something in his ear. She then straightened, leash in hand, dog at her left side, and within minutes had a besotted Frog trotting gleefully next to her.

“Traitor,” MacGyver grumbled as he crossed his arms across his chest and watched them perform.

“That’s just wonderful!” Cheryl exclaimed, clapping her hands as Joanna and Frog circled the yard. “Now let’s try stacking,” she suggested.

Again, Mac watched as the other woman gave Jo some brief instructions before Joanna went to her knees beside his dog, gently and smoothly placing his legs in the appropriate positions until Frog looked like a bulldog statue.

“Marvelous!” Cheryl praised before calling MacGyver to join them. “I understand that you’re his owner,” she addressed him sympathetically, “But Joanna seems to have a special bond with him. In my professional opinion, you should strongly consider having Jo act as his handler.”

Mac shook his head emphatically. “No. No way. It’s a sting operation and it’s too dangerous.”

“The bad guys are kidnapping the dogs, not their handlers,” Joanna replied tartly. “You’re just jealous because Frog likes me better than you.”

“Does not!” MacGyver shot back with all the petulance of an eight-year-old.

Jo simply tilted her head to the side and gave him her best ‘you’ve got to be kidding me’ look as Frog laid down at her feet, settling his chin on her shoe.

“Fine,” he relented. “You can be his handler.”

“Now that that’s settled, we need to discuss a few more details,” Cheryl declared. “Although you are participating in a conformation show and only gaiting and stacking are required skills, it would look better if Frog entered at least one performance event. Since we’re short on time to prepare, I would suggest entering him in the agility contest.”

MacGyver and Joanna both looked down at Frog who was now drooling on the grass. “Really?” they asked simultaneously.

Cheryl nodded. “I’ll bring the proper equipment to start training him tomorrow. As for now, where, or rather who, will Frog be staying with?”

The couple exchanged confused glances before Mac shrugged. “Here with me.”

“That won’t do,” Cheryl proclaimed. “He needs to spend as much time with Joanna as possible so they can become attuned to one another and appear that they’ve been working together for quite a while. Would it be possible for her to keep Frog until the competition?”

MacGyver looked at Jo with an idea. “How about you stay in Charlie’s old place? That way we won’t confuse Frog by constantly moving him from my place to your place and to Challengers.”

Joanna’s brown eyes softened. “Sounds like a plan,” she agreed with a smile.

XXXXX

The following afternoon, MacGyver and Joanna pulled their cars into their respective driveways. Frog hopped out of Jo’s Chevy as soon as she opened the door and scurried to Mac who was walking toward them.

“I think he missed you today,” Joanna commented as she hefted her suitcase out of the trunk. “Maybe I shouldn’t have kept him in my office.”

“Nah, he’s fine,” Mac replied, ruffling Frog’s ears. “Aren’t you, buddy?”

Jo’s concerned frown tugged at his heart. He realized he had hardly seen her since this morning. The beginning of summer was always a challenge at Challengers with new members signing up rapidly. He made his way to her and hugged her tight before pulling away.

“Why don’t you get settled and Frog and I will meet you in the backyard.”

He watched Joanna enter her side of the townhouse before he and Frog entered their own. Mac stopped to grab a glass of juice before they headed for the yard. As he walked through the patio doors, he couldn’t believe his eyes. There was Cheryl, setting up what appeared to be an obstacle course on his lawn. Apparently this was the equipment for the agility test she had spoken of. Frog laid down with a whine, grabbing Cheryl’s attention just as Jo slipped through her patio doors and joined them.

“What’s going on?” Joanna asked, looking back and forth between Cheryl and Mac.

“I arrived early and the gate was open. I hope you don’t mind,” Cheryl began. “I set up the obstacle course for the agility competition so we can start working on it right away.”

MacGyver smothered a grin as he heard the bulldog at his feet let out a loud sigh. “Sorry buddy, but you heard the lady. Time to practice,” Mac declared. To his surprise, Frog stood up and shook himself from head to tail before sitting at attention.

Mac took a seat in the patio chair and watched as Cheryl patiently walked Joanna and Frog through the course. The first obstacle Frog encountered was a long tube made of wire and canvas for him to belly-crawl through. MacGyver laughed to himself as he envisioned the numerous times the dog did the exact same thing to get under the coffee table.

Coming out the other end of the tunnel, Frog quickly regained his footing and MacGyver felt an odd swell of pride. The next challenge was a line of six poles for the dogs to zigzag around. Frog paused in trepidation, but after watching both Cheryl and Joanna gamely demonstrate, he slowly wound his way through the second obstacle and trotted a few feet before he was expected to leap over a plastic gate over a foot high. Here, he abruptly stopped.

“C’mon baby, you can do it!” Jo encouraged from the other side of the hurdle.

Mac dropped his head into his hands as he listened to both women clap and cajole his dog to complete this final task. He peeked through his fingers to watch Frog as he put his two front paws on top of the gate, pushed it over, and waddled across to the imaginary finish line before lying down, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.

“Don’t worry,” he heard Cheryl tell Joanna, patting his fiancee on the shoulder in a comforting gesture. “A lot of the, um, more sturdier dogs often find this last hurdle quite challenging. Ironically, failure in a performance event can endear the contestants to the audience as well as the judges. Everything will work out just fine.”

XXXXX

The day before they were scheduled to leave for Minneapolis, Cheryl and Joanna put Frog through his paces one last time. They had long since given up trying to get him to jump over the plastic gate and now encouraged him to tip it forward in hopes this comedic gesture would raise his popularity. Once Cheryl was satisfied with his performance routine, she went about getting him ‘aesthetically ready’ for the competition. After a long bath, she cleaned his teeth and trimmed his toenails, even applying clear nail polish, before she handed him over to Jo who brushed his coat until it once again glistened.

“The last thing I need to do before I leave is implant the tracking device,” Cheryl declared after they had all shared a late supper. She rummaged through her bag and produced a large hypodermic needle and small metal case which held a chip not much larger than a grain of rice. Once she was ready, she knelt next to Frog, ready to inject the device when she frowned. “What happened here?” she asked, her questioning gaze bouncing between Mac and Joanna as she ran her finger over a bare spot on his neck.

The couple became somber as MacGyver explained in the simplest way possible. “About a year ago we discovered a microchip in Frog’s neck. It seems that he had been the subject of some scientific experimentation as a pup. The chip began to corrode so the vet removed it. His fur never grew back over the scar.”

Cheryl frowned, “I’ll inject the tracking device in a different spot and I’ll keep it as close to the surface as possible for easy removal, but that means you’ll need to be careful not to compromise it.”

“Thanks,” Mac replied. “We’ll be careful.”

Once the injection was complete, Cheryl gathered her belongings, shook hands with MacGyver, gave Jo a hug, and gently ruffled Frog’s ears.

“I’m sorry I can’t stick around to provide moral support, but we can’t take the chance that the dog-nappers will see me at the show. Good luck to all of you and be sure to let me know what happens.”

As soon as Cheryl left, Mac and Joanna collapsed next to each other on the couch and Frog fell asleep under the coffee table. MacGyver turned to look at Jo and became concerned when he saw the pensive look on her face.

“Hey, what’s goin’ on in that pretty little head of yours?” he asked, reaching out to hold her hand.

“I can’t believe that I forgot about what happened to Frog last spring. He got kidnapped then, and now we’re setting him up to be kidnapped again. It doesn’t seem right.”

“Hey,” he said, putting his index finger under her chin and gently turning her face to his. “Frog’s a lot tougher than he looks. He saved my backside a couple times and did the same for the Coltons back in his bounty hunting days. He’ll be fine. And this time we’re prepared. We’re in control. Everything’s gonna be okay,” he insisted, trying to assuage her fears...as well as his own.

Silence stretched between them for several moments before Joanna spoke again. “I still think this is a longshot,” she sighed.

With those words, Mac’s brain suddenly went into overdrive as if she had just turned on some invisible switch.

“That’s it!” he exclaimed, quickly pushing himself off the couch to fire up his computer.

“What’s ‘it’?” Jo asked as she followed to look over his shoulder as he entered commands into the machine.

“How they determine which winners to kidnap!”

He knew Joanna still didn’t understand, but he wanted to make sure his theory was accurate before sharing more. He read the content that came up on his monitor as quickly as possible, synthesizing the information as he went. As the pieces fell into place, he leaned back in his chair and looked up at Jo.

“It’s all about gambling,” he declared.

“Gambling?” Joanna asked, scrunching up her nose. “You mean this has to do with betting on dog shows?”

“Yep. It all makes sense now. I cross-referenced the Best in Show dogs that got kidnapped to their odds of winning in Vegas. All the dogs were longshots!”

Jo shook her head. “I’m sorry. I still don’t get it.”

“I think some big-time high-roller is behind this whole operation. He wagers a whole lot of money on which dog will win. When the longshot, which he hasn’t bet on, takes first place, he loses a lot of money.”

“So,” Joanna continued, finally understanding where Mac was going with this, “He kidnaps the dog and asks for a ransom to cover his bet and then some.”

“You got it! And that almost guarantees they’ll snatch Frog. Not only is he a late entry, but he’s bound to be the longshot! No professional gambler would take a chance on him, yet he’s gonna win. We’re finally gonna nab these guys and shut down their operation!” His adrenaline flowing, he grabbed Jo, pulled her to him, and kissed her hard on the lips.

Watch for Part 2 coming Sunday, January 24, 2021!!!



Posted by: Dragondog 11 January 2021 - 08:23 PM
Hey, nice to see you back biggrin.gif

I love how Frog's trying so hard to keep his eavesdropping discreet despite the fact that Mac probably wouldn't think anything of it if Frog were literally sitting at his feet with his ears perked up tongue.gif

Poor Frog, not having a say in it, but wishing he could sad.gif

QUOTE

As if he understood her question, Frog waddled across the room and sat down at her feet.
Because he does understand tongue.gif

QUOTE


“I guess that would be me,” MacGyver shrugged, grabbing Joanna’s hand and heading for the door. “We’ll get out of your way so you can do whatever it is you do.”

“You can’t leave!” Cheryl gasped, her eyes wide.

“Why not?” Mac asked warily.

“As his handler, you’ll need as much, if not more, training than Frog,” the woman declared.
Seems obvious to me, Mac XD

QUOTE

MacGyver, still holding the leash, did a little jig to properly situate him and his dog. “C’mon, Frog! Let’s go for a walk!” he encouraged, but as he took the first step he felt the leash become taut and turned to see his bulldog sitting stubbornly, butt firmly planted in the grass. “C’mon,” Mac urged, tugging gently at the lead without success.

“Here, let’s try something else,” Cheryl suggested. She instructed MacGyver to drop the leash and stand several feet in front of Frog as she slipped a dog treat into his hand. “Have him come to you,” she instructed.

Mac glanced at her uncertainly but did as he was told. “Look Frog, treat! Come get the treat, buddy!”

The bow legged dog immediately rose and trotted to where his master stood, snatching the treat from his hand before once again lowering himself to the ground.
Clearly he's doing that on purpose XD

QUOTE
“You’re just jealous because Frog likes me better than you.”

“Does not!” MacGyver shot back with all the petulance of an eight-year-old.

Jo simply tilted her head to the side and gave him her best ‘you’ve got to be kidding me’ look as Frog laid down at her feet, settling his chin on her shoe.

“Fine,” he relented. “You can be his handler.”
Frog likes mom better XD

QUOTE
“Although you are participating in a conformation show and only gaiting and stacking are required skills, it would look better if Frog entered at least one performance event. Since we’re short on time to prepare, I would suggest entering him in the agility contest.”
PFFT


Posted by: uniquelyjas 12 January 2021 - 06:04 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 11 January 2021 - 08:23 PM)
Hey, nice to see you back biggrin.gif

I love how Frog's trying so hard to keep his eavesdropping discreet despite the fact that Mac probably wouldn't think anything of it if Frog were literally sitting at his feet with his ears perked up tongue.gif

Poor Frog, not having a say in it, but wishing he could sad.gif

QUOTE

As if he understood her question, Frog waddled across the room and sat down at her feet.
Because he does understand tongue.gif

QUOTE


“I guess that would be me,” MacGyver shrugged, grabbing Joanna’s hand and heading for the door. “We’ll get out of your way so you can do whatever it is you do.”

“You can’t leave!” Cheryl gasped, her eyes wide.

“Why not?” Mac asked warily.

“As his handler, you’ll need as much, if not more, training than Frog,” the woman declared.
Seems obvious to me, Mac XD

QUOTE

MacGyver, still holding the leash, did a little jig to properly situate him and his dog. “C’mon, Frog! Let’s go for a walk!” he encouraged, but as he took the first step he felt the leash become taut and turned to see his bulldog sitting stubbornly, butt firmly planted in the grass. “C’mon,” Mac urged, tugging gently at the lead without success.

“Here, let’s try something else,” Cheryl suggested. She instructed MacGyver to drop the leash and stand several feet in front of Frog as she slipped a dog treat into his hand. “Have him come to you,” she instructed.

Mac glanced at her uncertainly but did as he was told. “Look Frog, treat! Come get the treat, buddy!”

The bow legged dog immediately rose and trotted to where his master stood, snatching the treat from his hand before once again lowering himself to the ground.
Clearly he's doing that on purpose XD

QUOTE
“You’re just jealous because Frog likes me better than you.”

“Does not!” MacGyver shot back with all the petulance of an eight-year-old.

Jo simply tilted her head to the side and gave him her best ‘you’ve got to be kidding me’ look as Frog laid down at her feet, settling his chin on her shoe.

“Fine,” he relented. “You can be his handler.”
Frog likes mom better XD

QUOTE
“Although you are participating in a conformation show and only gaiting and stacking are required skills, it would look better if Frog entered at least one performance event. Since we’re short on time to prepare, I would suggest entering him in the agility contest.”
PFFT

Hi there!!

I know it's been awhile!! I just love writing about Frog!! This part was fun...next part gets a little more exciting! Stay tuned!

Posted by: Dragondog 13 January 2021 - 06:00 AM
I'll be here wink.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 13 January 2021 - 10:50 AM
QUOTE (Dragondog @ 13 January 2021 - 06:00 AM)
I'll be here wink.gif

I'm counting on it! thumbup.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 24 January 2021 - 10:19 AM
Chapter 55: Best in Show (Part Two)

MacGyver, Joanna and Frog arrived at their upscale Minneapolis hotel early the following afternoon. They settled into their connecting rooms and grabbed a bite to eat before heading to the exhibition hall next door where the Greater Midwest Dog Show was being held. While Jo, with Frog on a leash, wandered around the nearly empty space to get the dog comfortable in the strange environment, Mac took a more structured approach to his tour, trying to think like a criminal dog-napper hoping to find where they would most likely be once the show started. However, with basically no background information to go on, he found his task all but impossible which frustrated him immensely.

“You okay?” Jo asked, meeting up with him just as he was blowing out a breath and jamming his fingers through his hair.

“No,” he confessed. “I was hoping to get a step ahead of the dog-nappers but I don’t even know where to begin!”

“Look,” she began, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder, “We just follow the plan and everything’ll work out. Right?”

“Right,” he agreed as they headed back to the hotel.

That evening the trio returned to the arena for the performance event competition. This time, the entire building was alive with anticipation as owners, handlers, and on-lookers prepared for the first event. A young woman wearing an armband that identified her as part of the show’s production team intercepted Joanna and Frog and led them backstage while an older man wearing a matching armband approached MacGyver and led him to a seat in the section reserved for owners. Mac politely greeted the older woman next to him, but kept his senses on high alert as his eyes scanned the audience. Yet again, he realized how futile his effort was since he had no idea what the dog-nappers even looked like. Feeling helpless, he decided to study the program he had been handed upon arrival. He was glad Bannister had managed to fix the contest because the competition looked fierce.

After sitting through numerous performance events designed for different breeds, MacGyver’s pulse ratcheted up when Frog’s group was announced. His gaze quickly found Joanna, as if drawn by a magnet, and his heart swelled with pride. He knew she was out of her comfort zone, yet she looked calm and in control as she followed the other handlers in a brief canine parade before taking a seat with Frog at her feet while they awaited their turn in the agility challenge. His heart rate had just returned to normal when the master of ceremonies introduced Frog as the next contestant. Mac found himself holding his breath as Jo led his dog to the beginning of the obstacle course before bending to release his leash. They both took a moment to focus and then Frog took off, Joanna beside him. He easily belly-crawled through a long, colorful tube before weaving his way through a row of poles. However, as usual, he stopped short when he got to the plastic gate. MacGyver’s blood pounded in his ears as he desperately hoped they had chosen the right strategy for this challenge. He watched carefully as Frog pushed the barrier down with his front paws and pranced over it toward the finish line. The crowd laughed, cheered, and gave him a rousing ovation as Jo waved to the audience before leading the dog back to their seat. Mac felt a wave of relief wash over him. It worked!

The next morning, the exhibition hall was once again packed, but the audience was much more sedate as today’s events centered around the conformation competition and a winner would be crowned. Just as Joanna was about to lead Frog backstage, MacGyver reached out to stop her, guiding her to an unoccupied corner.

“I have a little something for you,” Mac explained in response to Jo’s questioning gaze. Having decided to wear a suit and tie, he reached into his jacket pocket and handed her a small box. “Consider it a good luck charm.”

Joanna, wearing a navy knee-length skirt and matching blazer with a cream colored blouse and navy flats, gingerly opened the gift and smiled as she gently removed a gold brooch in the shape of an English bulldog with two black onyx eyes staring back at her.

“Oh, Mac, I love it!” she exclaimed. “But where did you ever find it?”

“I have my sources,” he replied with a grin. He watched as she quickly glanced down at her lapel. “Do you want me to put it on for you?” At her nod, his agile fingers deftly secured the pin to her jacket. “Do great out there,” he whispered huskily before lowering his mouth to capture hers. All too soon they heard Frog, sitting at Jo’s feet, begin to whine. They broke apart, each chuckling. “That goes for you, too,” MacGyver said, crouching down to give his canine friend a kiss on the snout.

Time crawled by for Mac as group after group of dogs pranced around the show ring. Finally, Frog’s ‘non-sporting’ group was announced and MacGyver’s boredom was quickly replaced with anticipation. He had checked the odds on his dog before coming over to the arena and they were astronomical which meant the ransom would be even higher, making him glad they would catch the perpetrators without having to complete the transaction.

Mac watched, transfixed, as Joanna and Frog demonstrated their gaiting and stacking skills. They looked as good as any other team in the competition, but then again, he might be slightly biased. MacGyver held his breath as the head judge approached Frog and ran his large hands over the dog’s back, haunches, and legs before lifting his jowls to inspect his teeth. Mac breathed a sigh of relief when his dog happily cooperated. In a matter of minutes, Frog was proclaimed Best in Group and, after another round of gaiting and stacking, he was officially named Best in Show. MacGyver stood and clapped and watched as several others in the audience did the same, but he took special note of those who frowned and whispered apparent disappointment to their friends. He felt a lump of emotion form in his throat as Joanna graciously accepted the prize of a silver platter and bouquet of flowers. He would have given anything to be standing next to her at that moment to offer his congratulations so he hurried backstage to do just that.

Later that evening, MacGyver and Joanna sat at a cozy table for two in the hotel’s restaurant, the tracking monitor Cheryl had given them before she left lay on the table between them. About the size of Mac’s hand, the black rectangular screen was superimposed with a map of the city and a blinking red dot indicated Frog’s location. Throughout the restaurant, undercover Phoenix agents as well as a couple local plain clothes police officers posed as diners and waitstaff, all ready to move on MacGyver’s command.

“Now remember,” he reminded Jo, “We need to wait until they get to their hide-out so they think they’re in the clear, but when stuff starts happenin’, you need--”

“To stay put,” she finished for him with a sigh, absently fingering the brooch he had given her that morning. “I just wish there’s something I could do to help.”

“You’ve already done it. You made Frog look like he belonged in the show. The next move is up to the dog-nappers and if Cheryl’s information is correct, it shouldn’t be too long.”

Mac watched as Joanna’s gaze slid from the monitor to the contents of the small clutch purse on her lap, a frown puckering her brow.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“This whole thing has given me a migraine and I must’ve left my meds in the room. I’ll be right back.”

MacGyver reached out quickly and snagged her arm. “You can’t go back there.”

“Look, we’ve only been gone for fifteen minutes and Frog hasn’t moved,” she gestured to the monitor with one hand while massaging her temple with the other. “It’ll only take a couple minutes and if I see anything even slightly suspicious I’ll come right back,” she practically pleaded.

Mac knew her reasoning was sound and by continuing to argue they were wasting precious time. “Okay. Fine,” he agreed, releasing her arm. “But be careful and don’t do anything stupid.” His command was met with a side eye glare.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

With a snuffle and a sigh, Frog rearranged himself on the doggy bed the hotel had provided as he regarded MacGyver’s earlier instructions: Remember, let them kidnap you. Don’t raise too much of a fuss. We’ll come in and get you once they stop at their secondary location. That pretty much went against every instinct Frog owned, but he understood the rationale behind it. Being too difficult or having Mac move in too soon could spook the dog-nappers and ruin everything they had worked so hard to set up. So Frog did the only thing he could do. He waited.

His humans had barely been gone fifteen minutes when Frog’s keen sense of hearing picked up the sound of a keycard sliding into the electronic door lock. Seconds later, two men disguised as armed security guards entered the room, closing the door tightly behind them. So that’s how they move around so easily, Frog thought to himself even as he growled low in his throat at the would-be dog-nappers, memorizing their scent as well as their features. Thug One was tall and lean, his long nose and beady eyes reminded Frog of a weasel. Thug Two was much more muscular, his face resembling that of a pug Frog had competed against that day.

“How did an ugly mutt like you manage to win Best in Show?” Weasel scowled. Frog cocked his head and whined in reply.

“Shut up!” Pug commanded. “Let’s get this show on the road.” He grabbed the leash from the dresser and had Frog secured before the canine could protest.

They were just about to lead him away when they heard footsteps outside the door and the click of the lock. Frog watched in horror as Joanna entered the room.

“Sorry to disturb you, buddy, but I forgot my--”

Quick as lightning, Weasel snaked out an arm and grabbed her by the waist, propelling her into his grasp as his other hand closed around her mouth. She squirmed and kicked at her captor, but Weasel was stronger than he looked and held her firmly in place. “What do we do now?” he asked his partner, a hint of panic in his voice.

Pug thought for a moment. “She’s seen us and can identify us. We’ll have to take her along and see what the boss wants us to do.” He then unholstered his weapon and waved it in front of her face as he addressed her, “Now just do as I say and no one gets hurt...at least not yet.”

Minutes later, Joanna was leading Frog through the hotel lobby toward the main entrance, a dog-napper on either side of them.

“Congratulations on your win today, Ms. Fairfax!” the desk clerk called from his post.

“Thank you,” Jo replied with a pasted on smile.

“I see you have your personal security detail,” the man observed.

“Can’t be too careful these days,” she explained. “Not with a brand new celebrity.”

“You have a good night, now.”

“You, too,” she called over her shoulder just as they headed through the door.

After walking about half a block, the little party halted beside a black panel van. Weasel opened the two back doors and snarled, “Get in.”

Joanna hoisted Frog into the cargo area, but before she could climb in, Pug once again grabbed her, forcing her hands behind her back and slapping on the handcuffs from his utility belt before she crawled inside. “And if you try anything to escape, I’ll tie your ankles and gag you, too,” he warned, before slamming the doors shut.

Frog hurried over to where she sat and pressed his weight against her side in what he hoped would be a comforting gesture. Although her face was pale, her jaw was set firm. “Don’t worry, baby,” she whispered to him. “We just have to do as they say until Mac and the others come rescue us.”

The ride seemed interminable to Frog until, at last, the van came to a complete stop after a sharp turn. When Pug opened the back doors, ordering them out, Frog saw that they had been taken to a cheap, one-story, run-down motel on the outskirts of town. Weasel had already opened the door to one of the rooms and soon they were all cramped in the small space that smelled of mold, mildew and cat and dog if Frog’s nose wasn’t mistaken. So much for the “No Pets Allowed” policy he had glimpsed on the sign. Weasel bent down and fastened Frog’s leash to the surprisingly sturdy leg at the foot of the bed while Pug undid one of Jo’s handcuffs only to secure it to the wrought iron headboard with one bracelet still clamped on her wrist.

Apparently satisfied that their hostages wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon, the dog-nappers opened the inside door to the connecting room before closing it half-way. Frog’s ears perked up as he heard the muffled rumble of Pug’s voice with long spaces of silence in between signaling the man was talking on the phone.

“What’d the boss say?” Weasel asked in a hushed tone that still wasn’t quiet enough for Frog and Joanna not to hear as the dog noticed Jo straining to listen.

“We follow the plan and collect the ransom as usual,” Pug told him.

“But what about the girl?”

“Boss says to keep her around as long as she’s useful and then take care of her.”

“Whoa, man, nobody said anything about hurtin’ anyone when I signed on,” Weasel protested.

“Yeah? Well, plans change!” Pug shot back. “If you can’t handle it then walk out that door and forget about your cut of the ransom.”

“I didn’t say I couldn’t handle it,” Weasel quickly clarified. “I can handle it. I can handle anything.”

“There’s something about this that doesn’t feel right,” Pug mused, apparently already having lost interest in Weasel. “They’re not even trying to escape.”

“That’s good, right?” Weasel asked.

“It’s like they’re waiting for something,” Pug continued, ignoring his partner’s question. “I don’t like it.”

“C’mon man, don’t get paranoid now,” Weasel prodded. “Let’s play some cards ‘til it’s time to go.”

Pug must have agreed because suddenly both men were silent.

Frog looked up and met Joanna’s gaze. “They expect us to try and escape,” she whispered. “Let’s not disappoint them.”

He watched as Jo first tested the strength of the handcuffs and then tried to wriggle her hand free. A look of defeat fluttered across her face before she took a deep, fortifying breath. “What would MacGyver do?” she mumbled.

Eerily calm, she slowly surveyed every inch of the room. Frog did the same, but both came up empty. Even the telephone was gone. He was just about ready to give up on the idea when Joanna gasped. He looked to find her clumsily unfastening the gold bulldog brooch Mac had given her before the competition that morning. “Why didn’t I think of this sooner?” she scolded herself, Frog assuming it was a rhetorical question. He continued to watch as she slid the straight pin into the handcuff lock, gently twisting and probing. “Mac makes it look so easy,” she muttered, frustrated at her lack of success.

While Jo continued to work on freeing herself, Frog started tugging on his leash, which only tightened the collar around his neck, the material biting into his skin. Sensing a losing battle, he changed his strategy and began to nip and bite at the knot Weasel had fashioned. It was too tight and he wondered yet again at the skinny man’s unexpected competence. His final option, he decided, was to slip his head out of his collar. He backed up and the collar slackened. He then sat down and, using his hind leg, began to push the collar over his ears. At that point, he let his front paws take over. He was almost free when the connecting door slammed open, startling both him and Joanna causing her to drop the pin she was holding.

“So, you two decided to make things interesting after all,” Pug snarled. “I don’t know what kinda game you’re playin’, but I think it’s time for a change of scenery.

With that, Weasel readjusted Frog’s collar to fit tighter and Pug once again restrained Joanna’s hands behind her back. The dog-nappers loaded their captives into the back of the van, only this time Pug sat with them, his gun trained on Jo’s chest, as he commanded Weasel to drive.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Back at the hotel restaurant, MacGyver glanced at his watch for the third time. Every minute Joanna was gone felt like an hour. His only comfort came from the fact that, according to his monitor, Frog was still in his room, but five minutes later his heart was in his throat as the little red dot began to move. Knowing he had to keep his emotions in check and stick with the plan, he waited impatiently for the dot representing Frog to clear the building. Once he was certain the dog-nappers were gone, he stood up and went to stand in the hallway where, at short intervals, the undercover agents and police officers joined him.

“They’re on the move,” he told them. “Everybody stick to the plan. We don’t want to spook them. When we have a definite location we’ll move in.”

His instructions were met with a chorus of “yes, sirs” before he continued. “There’s just one thing. Joanna went up to the room and hasn’t come back. I’m gonna go check things out.”

When he arrived at the room where Frog and Jo had been staying, the door was ajar and his stomach tightened. When he entered and saw her purse on the floor, its contents strewn about along with what appeared to be a ransom note, his stomach sunk to his toes. Not yet willing to assume the worst, he hurried into his room on the other side of the connecting door and rooted through his duffel until he found the second monitoring device he had stashed there. This one, however, was designed to track the microchip he had Phoenix solder into the brooch he had given Joanna. The brooch she had still been wearing in the restaurant. He turned it on and his heart ceased beating. The blue light representing Jo was on the move, but thankfully on the same path as Frog. The chances of rescuing both of them increased exponentially as long as they stayed together.

While it took all of Mac’s self-control not to jump in his car and chance after them, he instead gathered his small team in the lobby, informed them of Jo’s capture, and began to tweak the plan that would bring her and Frog to safety and the dog-nappers to prison where they would hopefully turn state’s evidence and betray their boss for lighter sentences.

MacGyver was practically cross eyed from staring at the two monitors when both the red and blue dots came to a sudden stop at the very edge of the screen. When he was certain movement would not resume, he took the monitors over to the desk clerk.

“Can you tell me what’s in this area?”

The desk clerk eyed him suspiciously but must have sensed his anxiety. “There’s not much out there anymore except for a rundown motel and a couple vacant buildings.”

Figuring that the criminals were most likely holed up in a motel room, he mobilized his team and headed out. With the lights of the city well behind him, MacGyver doused his headlights as he pulled into the parking lot of the seedy motel. Though it was absent of vehicles, he couldn’t assume that he was alone. Now he had to figure out which of the twenty-some rooms the dog-nappers were hiding in. Not in the mood to play games, he parked his car and proceeded to the main office. No one was at the front desk so he rang the bell. When no one arrived to assist him, he rang again, this time a bit more insistent.

“Hold your horses, I’m comin’!” a voice from the backroom called.

While he waited, Mac glanced at the board that held the keys to all the units. He smiled to himself, glad that electronic locks hadn’t made it to this side of town. He smiled even wider when he noticed the only key absent was to unit ten.

Slipping out of the office before the manager even appeared, MacGyver motioned his people into place. He quietly approached the door displaying the number ten and knocked. Nothing. He checked his monitors which indicated Jo and Frog should still be in the room. He attempted to peer through the gap in the curtains that covered the picture window, but it was too dark and all he saw was his own reflection. He pounded on the door, harder this time.

“Open up! Police!” he called. Obviously, he wasn’t the police, but there were officers nearby so he figured that was close enough. Unfortunately, there was still no answer, no movement. With the others still hiding in the shadows, he pulled out his Swiss Army knife and picked the lock, slowly easing the old door open. He took a few seconds to allow his eyes to adjust to the darkness and then moved in, followed closely by the others. The room, along with the one next to it, was empty.

“No!” Mac yelled as he hit the doorframe with the side of his fist. “They have to be here!” he insisted, studying the two monitors.

The lights were flipped on as agents and officers spread out to look for evidence. Defeated, Mac sat down on the side of the bed and allowed his head to fall into his hands. He had failed them. The unfamiliar sting of tears surprised him. He had to think! Just as he was about to push himself to his feet, light from the overhead bulb glinted off a shiny object on the floor by his foot. He picked it up. Jo’s brooch. No wonder he was getting a false reading. But what about Frog? Mac suddenly remembered Cheryl’s warning about compromising the chip. If Frog’s collar had been too tight, or he had been roughly handled while on the leash it could have been jarred loose. MacGyver immediately hit his knees and swept his hands back and forth across the faded carpet until he finally felt it. There lay Frog’s tracking device a few feet from where he had found Joanna’s.

“What do we do now, sir?” a young Phoenix field agent asked him.

MacGyver didn’t even pause, “We give ‘em the ransom.”

Back in his own hotel room, Mac listened as Craig Bannister barked at him through the telephone.

“You need how much?! By when?!”

Mac reread the ransom note out loud.

“Fine,” Bannister sighed, “I’ll see that you have what you need.”

A couple of hours later, MacGyver was meeting with his team, setting out a new rescue strategy, when a police officer entered the room holding a black leather briefcase.

“I got it, sir,” he declared.

“Great. Put it down on the bed.” Mac lifted the lid and examined the stacks of bills, greatly relieved that Craig had come through for him. There was just one more thing to do before delivering the ransom. MacGyver removed a neat pile of money before taking his knife and slitting the cloth lining the bottom of the case. He then carefully tucked in the bulldog brooch before smoothing the fabric and replacing the cash. In case things went sideways, he needed a way to track the criminals, especially if they arrived without Frog and Joanna.

At the appointed time, MacGyver made his way to the center of a large, public park and stood beside a granite monument as the dog-nappers’ note had instructed. Moments later, a black panel van pulled up on the service road and stopped. The back door opened and a skinny man wearing a dark ski mask jumped out, holding a leash with an anxious Frog on the other end.

“Put the briefcase down, step away, and you’ll get your dog back,” the skinny man instructed.

“No way. Where’s the girl?”

“She’s not part of the deal!”

Mac’s blood turned cold. If Joanna wasn’t part of the deal, then what was their plan for her? “You’re not getting a dime until I know she’s safe.”

He heard a scuffle from inside the van before a more muscular man, wearing a similar ski mask, appeared with Joanna, hands behind her back, held firmly in front of him as a human shield, a gun pointed at her temple. The hope and trust in her eyes when she saw him was almost his undoing.

“Let her go!” MacGyver commanded.

“You heard my partner. She’s not part of the deal. Now either you hand over the money and get your precious dog back or you don’t see either one of them ever again!”

Knowing he had to win the battle before continuing to fight the war, Mac put the briefcase on the ground and stepped away. The skinny guy with Frog in tow grabbed the case, opened it to inspect the contents, and then let go of the leash. The bow- legged dog bounded to MacGyver’s side looking up at him before looking back at Jo as she was pushed back inside the van and whined.

“I know buddy. We’ll get her back.”

When the van was out of sight, Mac pulled out the monitor that tracked the briefcase with the hidden brooch, hoping that Jo didn’t get separated from it once again. He watched as the blue dot traveled further and further in the opposite direction.

“What’s our next move?” another young field agent asked.

MacGyver handed him Frog’s lead. “Get him back to the hotel and make sure he’s okay. Get him something to eat.”

“But what about Ms. Fairfax?”

“I’m gonna go get her back.”

“All by yourself?”

“That’s the plan,” Mac replied, his tone clipped and no-nonsense. He wasn’t taking any chances with Jo’s life. Others would only slow him down and get in his way.

XXXXX

MacGyver sat in his car, staring at the blue dot on the monitor, willing it to stop. When it finally ceased moving, it was back in the area of the old motel. Surely the kidnappers weren’t stupid enough to return there. Then he remembered what the desk clerk had said about there being other abandoned buildings in the area. Turning the ignition and putting the car in gear, Mac once again headed toward the blue dot afraid of what he would find when he reached his destination.

It was well after midnight, the full moon shining bright above, when MacGyver spotted the kidnappers’ van parked beside what appeared to be a small, shuttered diner. He slowed and parked his own vehicle a couple blocks away so as not to be noticed and then, after grabbing a flashlight from the glove compartment, quickly made his way back to the diner on foot. Keeping to the shadows, he crouched down and stealthily crept beneath a broken window, his back pressed against the cool brick facade. Did he hear voices, or was that the sound of blood pounding in his ears? He strained to listen.

“What are you doin’? The boss said to get rid of her. She’s a witness.”

“Yeah? Well, plans change. If those show dog people are willing to fork over this much cash for a pooch, imagine what we could get for her.”

Mac breathed a silent sigh of relief. Joanna was still alive. Now all he had to do was get her outta there and capture the bad guys. Piece of cake. Since he was alone and unarmed, except for the flashlight, he quickly dismissed the idea of a frontal attack. Instead, he skulked around to the back of the building and rose just high enough to see through the grease-stained window of the kitchen area. He carefully raised the sash and climbed through, only to find himself in an industrial sized sink. He slowly crawled out of the metal tub and approached the swinging door, a bit crooked on its hinges, that separated the kitchen from the dining area. He pushed the door open just enough for him to get an idea of the layout of the place. A row of ripped and dusty booths occupied the front wall while worn and battered wooden tables and chairs were haphazardly scattered about. The two kidnappers, sans ski masks, whispered to each other and paced back and forth in front of the main entrance. He caught the slightest glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye and his heart tripped when he saw Joanna sitting on the dirty floor, handcuffed to a cold radiator. There was no way he could free Jo and get her out of there before the bad guys caught them or worse, shot them. He needed a diversion.

Turning his flashlight on, he kept it pointed toward the floor as much as possible lest the kidnappers see it. Being in a commercial kitchen had certain advantages and MacGyver quickly found ingredients that would cook up a very nasty recipe. Pulling a pair of latex “lunch lady” gloves from the box on the counter, he grabbed the jugs of bleach and vinegar from the supply closets and filled each glove with a fifty-fifty ratio. He then carefully blew air into each before tying them both off at the wrist, essentially making a water balloon that, when popped, would emit chlorine gas. The only problem he had was that he could not protect Joanna from its effects.

Before putting his plan in motion, he used his Swiss Army knife to cut out a portion of the lining of the suit jacket he still wore and fashioned it into a bandana to tie around his nose and mouth. He once again approached the swinging door, but this time he opened it wide and, after taking a deep breath and holding it, hurled the bloated gloves at the feet of the two men standing across the room. They exploded upon impact with the floor and within seconds, both kidnappers were coughing and clawing at their burning, watery eyes.

MacGyver ran to Jo, who was already coughing, and slid to his knees. Using his knife, he deftly picked the lock on the cuffs. Once her hands were free, he grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket and shoved it into her grasp. She immediately covered her nose and mouth with it as he helped her gain her feet and, with an arm around her waist, hurried her through the kitchen and out the back door. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but he didn’t know if it was due to the gas or crying.

“Hang in there baby,” he pleaded. “I got you now. You’re safe.”

When he had gotten her far enough away, he lowered both of them to the ground and pulled her hand away from her face, encouraging her to take slow, deep breaths of clean air. He used the handkerchief to wipe the moisture from her cheeks. Behind him, he heard the two men yowling in pain.

“Stay here,” he commanded before he ran back to the diner. Back in the kitchen, he realized the chlorine gas had dispersed throughout the small building and was beginning to dissipate. He had to get to the kidnappers while he still had the advantage. Grabbing a fire extinguisher from the wall by the stove, he headed into the dining room where the two men continued to cough and gasp for air. The muscular one saw him first and lunged toward him, but Mac slammed the metal canister hard into his solar plexus and he immediately collapsed on the floor. The skinny one was still screeching in between coughing fits and rubbing his eyes with his fists. MacGyver grabbed him by the arm and propelled him toward the radiator, quickly cuffing one of his hands before dragging the larger man over and doing the same. He then quickly returned to Joanna who welcomed him with sobs and a hug.

Mac held Jo close, rocking her gently and murmuring soothing words against her silky hair while her coughing and tears subsided. In less time than he had anticipated she pulled herself together and drew away from him, though not completely out of the circle of his arms.

“The kidnappers?” she asked.

MacGyver grinned. “They won’t be going anywhere for a while. I handcuffed them to the radiator.”

A watery giggle escaped her lips before her eyes turned hard and she punched him in the chest. “What took you so long?! And why did you pay the ransom?”

“Why don’t we go back to the hotel and get cleaned up and then I’ll tell you everything?”

“No,” she retorted. “I wanna hear about it now.”

Knowing resistance was futile once she had her mind made up, MacGyver began a play-by-play narrative of everything that had happened from the time she left the restaurant. When he got to the part about the false location reading from Frog’s tracking chip she nodded.

“It must have happened when he tried to slip out of his collar,” she clarified, then understanding dawned. “You had to go through with the ransom because you couldn’t track Frog!”

Mac nodded, anticipating her next question and knowing she wouldn’t be thrilled with the answer.

“But how did you manage to find me here?”

It was time to come clean. “You know the brooch I gave you for good luck?”

“Yeah, I lost it in the motel room.”

“Well, I found it and hid it in the briefcase with the money.”

Jo’s brow puckered and she tilted her head in confusion.

“I had the techs at Phoenix outfit it with a tracking device just in case.” He winced and waited for the verbal explosion to come. He knew how much Joanna hated being kept in the dark about things, especially when they concerned her, so he was sure she would not take kindly to being secretly monitored. He involuntarily jerked when her soft hand cupped his cheek and gingerly sought her gaze which was surprisingly warm and gentle.

“Why didn’t you just tell me about it right away?” she asked.

“You mean you wouldn’t have argued about wearing it?”

“No,” she shook her head. “You are very good at what you do and I love that you want to keep me safe. I realize that everything you do is in someone else’s best interest, including mine. I love you and I respect you, but most of all, I trust you.”

The hand that had been resting on his cheek slipped to the nape of his neck. He lowered his head, met her lips with his, and let his soul drift into sweet oblivion.

Back at the hotel, MacGyver placed a phone call to the local police letting them know where to find the dog-nappers and then he called Bannister and relayed what had occurred during and after the ransom drop. Dawn was breaking by the time he showered and changed. He tapped on the door that connected his room to Joanna’s. He thought she might be asleep, but instead she appeared freshly showered and dressed for the day. Frog, however, snored loudly from his doggy bed.

Mac gently caressed her cheek with the back of his index finger. “You wanna try and get some rest before we head out?”

She shook her head. “If you feel up to the drive, I’d just as soon go home.”

After all that had happened in the past twenty-four hours he really couldn’t blame her. “Get packed and wake up the champ,” he said before pressing a kiss on her forehead. When he backed away, it was to find her looking up at him.

“Hey Mac, when we get home, could you do me a favor?”

“Anything you want,” he replied fervently.

“Could you teach me how to pick a lock?”

























Posted by: Dragondog 25 January 2021 - 08:47 AM
QUOTE


Mac knew her reasoning was sound and by continuing to argue they were wasting precious time. “Okay. Fine,” he agreed, releasing her arm. “But be careful and don’t do anything stupid.” His command was met with a side eye glare.
It's all gonna go wrong now biggrin.gif

QUOTE
Weasel had already opened the door to one of the rooms and soon they were all cramped in the small space that smelled of mold, mildew and cat and dog if Frog’s nose wasn’t mistaken. So much for the “No Pets Allowed” policy he had glimpsed on the sign.
Frog can read. Looks like he's better trained than people give him credit for tongue.gif

QUOTE
Not yet willing to assume the worst, he hurried into his room on the other side of the connecting door and rooted through his duffel until he found the second monitoring device he had stashed there. This one, however, was designed to track the microchip he had Phoenix solder into the brooch he had given Joanna.
How to be a creeper boyfriend 101

Not as many comments as I normally have, unfortunately

Posted by: uniquelyjas 25 January 2021 - 08:56 AM
Of course Frog is smarter than one would think!! LOL!!
As for the tracking device...Mac's just paranoid, especially with people he loves.
Thanks for the feedback:))

Posted by: uniquelyjas 7 February 2021 - 10:50 AM

Chapter 56: Home Sweet Home

MacGyver grabbed the handle of the large suitcase as he watched Joanna take one final look around Charlie’s old apartment.

“Got everything?” he asked, as if the weight of her luggage wasn’t answer enough.

“Yeah,” she replied listlessly. When she turned to face him, he once again noticed the dark circles under her eyes and the frown on her lips.

“You okay?”

She nodded. Of course she was okay. She was okay even when she wasn’t. “I’m just tired.”

“After everything you’ve been through these last couple days I’d be worried if you weren’t,” Mac observed. “Why don’t you just go home and rest and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“What are you gonna do this afternoon,” Jo asked as they walked toward her car, Frog prancing beside her still showing off his gaiting prowess from the dog show.

“I thought I’d check in at Challengers and then spend what’s left of the day being a couch potato.” He had hoped his corny response would coax a smile from her. It didn’t.

Joanna opened the driver side door but instead of getting in, she just stood there, her eyes boring into his chest, her frown deeper. “I owe you an apology.”

MacGyver’s breath caught. Of all the things he expected her to say, it certainly wasn’t that. “What’d ya mean?”

“Last night, at the restaurant, I shouldn’t have been so insistent on going back to my room. If I would have just stayed like you told me to you wouldn’t have had to risk your life rescuing me. I don’t ever want to be the reason you put yourself in harm’s way.”

His heart filled with more love than he ever thought possible, he stepped around the open car door and drew her to him. “Aw, baby, it’s not your fault. I wouldn’t have given in so easily if I knew what was goin’ to happen. The important thing is that everyone’s okay and with the information the kidnappers provided, we not only shut down a nationwide dognapping ring but a big gambling operation as well.”

She pulled away from him ever so slightly. “I know, but--”

Before she could say another word, Mac’s mouth covered hers. If she didn’t believe his words, she had to believe his kiss.

“I, uh, guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” she whispered hoarsely when their lips finally broke apart. A whisper of a smile floated across her face and she settled into the driver’s seat and pulled away. Frog followed the car to the end of the driveway and sat there whining until she was far out of sight.

XXXXX

MacGyver and Frog arrived at Challengers that afternoon to find a bunch of boys ranging in age and size engaged in a competitive game of basketball. A few hollered greetings before quickly turning their attention back to the contest. Inside, Mac was happily greeted by Rosie and Geena who were both managing the reception desk. Not to be left out, the two women made sure to give Frog several affectionate strokes before he ambled over to his favorite corner. MacGyver looked around the large, crowded recreation area before turning back to his friends.

“I see there are lots of new faces here,” he observed. “You ladies have been busy.”

Rosie grinned, “I’m afraid you have my son to thank for all the new members.”

“How so?”

“A few weeks ago, Raul took a shortcut through the barrio on his way home from the grocery store. He ended up making friends with Freddie and in a few days had almost all the kids in the neighborhood coming to Challengers.”

“That’s great!” Mac exclaimed. “And I’m glad Raul found a guy his age to hang out with. He’s always been such a loner. Are they here?”

“They were a minute ago,” Rosie answered before calling to her son. “Raul! Come introduce your friend to Mr. MacGyver!” She then gave Mac a smirk he couldn’t define as Geena choked back a laugh.

He watched as Rosie’s son emerged from the sea of teenage bodies, a tall, skinny girl with long, straight, black hair following him. MacGyver’s jaw dropped and the two women behind him began to giggle at the sight.

“Hi! This is my new friend!” Raul announced.

Mac cleared his throat, smiled, and offered his hand. “Name’s MacGyver, but you can call me ‘Mac’.”

The girl shook his hand. “My name is Fredricka Martinez, but you can call me ‘Freddie’.”

“Freddie and her abuela moved here a few months ago,” Raul offered, “but she goes to a different high school.”

“Ah,” Mac nodded in understanding as he watched the girl whisper something in Raul’s ear.

“Ma, I’m gonna walk Freddie home. She has another stomach ache.”

“That’s fine,” Rosie told him, “Just make sure you’re home in time for supper. I’m making chicken enchiladas, your favorite.”

“Awesome! Can Freddie come?”

A worried look floated across his mother’s face. “Of course, if her stomach feels better and her grandmother agrees.”

“Thanks!” Raul smiled and waved at the adults before leaving.

“Wow,” was all Mac could say, scrubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

Rosie smiled. “He’s no longer a boy, MacGyver. He is becoming a young man.”

“I’ll say,” Mac agreed. “Are you okay with that?”

“I don’t have much of a choice,” Rosie laughed, “Though he is already pestering me to sign him up for a driver’s education class when he turns sixteen later this summer.”

“He really is growing up fast,” MacGyver muttered to no one in particular.
By the time Mac got home that night, the events of the previous days were catching up with him so he flopped onto the couch, grabbed the TV remote, and clicked on the NHL Stanley Cup finals though he had little interest in the outcome. Detroit was ready to sweep, anyway. His eyes were just drifting closed when he heard Frog’s mournful whine. He glanced under the coffee table, but the dog wasn’t in his usual spot. Curious, Mac levered himself up on his elbows to find Frog sitting and staring at the common wall between his apartment and Charlie’s. MacGyver rolled off the couch with a groan and went to the crying canine, bending down to ruffle his ears.

“She’s not over there anymore, buddy,” he said. “She went home.”

Frog gazed up at him, a plaintive look on his wrinkled face.

“I miss her, too, but she was only staying there until you won the dog show.”

Apparently not satisfied with his human’s explanation, Frog got up and scrabbled over to the front door.

“Fine. I’ll prove it to you,” Mac sighed, grabbing the keys to the apartment next door and stepping out into the cool night air.

As soon as MacGyver opened the front door next to his, Frog wriggled past, nose to the ground, sniffing every inch as he waddled through the downstairs area. When he came to the spiral staircase, he paused and looked expectantly at Mac before lumbering up the stairs with his master behind him. Here in the bedroom, even MacGyver could still easily smell Joanna’s signature coconut scent. He grinned when he found freshly washed and folded linens and towels on the bed with a hastily scrawled note: For whoever’s next!

Frog barked once and Mac looked down into his canine friend’s imploring eyes. “Okay. I’ll give it a shot.”

XXXXX

When MacGyver pulled into Challengers the following morning, he noticed Joanna’s car was already there. He entered the building, surprised to find Geena behind the reception desk.

“‘Mornin’,” he greeted her. “I thought Rosie was taking the morning shift for the summer.”

“She is,” Geena replied, “But she called and asked if I could cover for her today. When she got home yesterday, Raul had a stomach ache and hardly ate any dinner. He was still sick this morning, so she wanted to stay home in case he needs her.”

Mac grinned. “Thanks for the report. He probably just caught a twenty-four hour bug. I’ll try to check in on him later.” As he strode toward his office, he found Jo already there, leaning against the outer wall, Frog laying at her feet.

“I see we have some new members,” she observed.

“Yeah. Thanks to Raul.”

“I don’t recognize them from school or the neighborhood.”

“According to Raul, they go to a different high school and live in the barrio.”

“The barrio?!” Joanna turned toward him, concern and confusion altering her features. “You mean those slums a few miles from here?”

“I guess,” MacGyver shrugged.

“I thought the city took ownership and condemned those buildings years ago.”

“Apparently not,” he replied, opening his office door. “Listen, could you come in for a minute? There’s something I want to talk with you about.”

“Sure,” she agreed, confusion still shadowing her face.

“What’s up,” Joanna asked once Mac had settled into the chair behind his desk as she sat across from him.

“I’ve finally decided what to do with Charlie’s side of the townhouse. That is, if you agree,” he stated.

“Mac, it’s your place! You can do whatever you want with it. You don’t need my permission.”

Encouraged by her words, MacGyver straightened and summoned the crooked little smile he knew she could never say ‘no’ to. “In that case, I want you to move into Charlie’s place.”

“What?!” she exclaimed, breath whooshing from her lungs, eyes wide.

“Look, I know this a big decision for you, so take some time to think it over,” he said calmly, “But it really is a very practical idea.”

“Oh really?” she asked, an eyebrow quirked.

Mac got out of his chair and walked around his desk to stand in front of her before taking her hands, pulling her to her feet, and loosely draping his arms around her waist.

“Yeah,” he said softly. “I mean, you’re gonna move in when we get married anyway, you spend almost all your free time there now, and you wouldn’t have to always drive home late at night. Besides, Frog misses you.”

His heart warmed as a smile tugged at her lips. “You want me to move into Charlie’s because your dog misses me?”

“Yeah. And, I kinda miss you, too.” He lowered his head, aiming to capture her lips but she spoke again.

“You promise you’ll give me time to think about this?” she asked warily.

“I promise,” he assured her. “I never want to ask you to do something you don’t want to do.”

“Then it’s a deal,” Joanna declared, standing on tiptoe to place a quick, chaste kiss on his lips.

“How about you come on over for dinner tonight. I wanna stop and check on Raul so I’ll pick something up on the way.”

“It’s a date,” she confirmed.

That evening, Joanna was waiting in his living room when he arrived home carrying a casserole dish covered with tin foil.

“How’s Raul?” she asked as soon as he walked in the door.

“Better. He plans on being at Challengers tomorrow, and Rosie sent leftover chicken enchiladas.” He punctuated his statement by raising the dish as if it were a trophy. “She says they’re best reheated in the oven, not the microwave. Could you pop them in while I go up and grab a quick shower?”

“No problem,” Jo replied as she eagerly relieved him of his burden.

When MacGyver stepped out of the bathroom, his nostrils were assaulted with the spicy aroma of what promised to be a delicious authentic Mexican meal. He was halfway down the spiral staircase when he noticed Joanna and stopped to watch her. She moved about the small kitchen with grace and confidence as she dished up their meal, Frog’s snores echoing from under the coffee table. He marveled at how right this entire scene felt. As if he could watch it night after night for the rest of his life and never tire of it.

Hours later, Mac and Jo stood by the front door, wrapped in each other’s arms, relishing in a long, languid good-night kiss. Both were breathless when they finally, reluctantly pulled apart.

“I really need to get going,” Joanna muttered.

“If you lived here you’d already be home,” Mac gently pointed out.

Jo placed the palm of her hand in the middle of his chest and pushed back just enough to look him in the eye. “You promised you’d give me time to think about it,” she reminded him calmly.

“You’re right, I did,” MacGyver sighed. “I shouldn’t have said anything. But maybe we can talk about it some other time?”

“Yeah, sure,” Joanna agreed even as a shadow of misgiving flitted across her face.

MacGyver arrived at Challengers early the next morning to find Rosie at her usual post.

“Welcome back!” he greeted her. “Is Raul feeling better?”

“See for yourself,” she smiled, looking across the recreation room to where her son was engaged in a competitive game of pinball with Freddie while their friends were sprawled on couches and draped over threadbare chairs either napping or playing hand-held video games.

“Back to normal,” Mac grinned before changing the subject. “Do you have the files on the new kids?”

Rosie shook her head. “Joanna had them yesterday. They’re probably still in her office, but she’s not in yet.”

“No problem,” MacGyver assured her, digging in his pocket for the office keys. “I’ll go get ‘em.”

Mac had no sooner set foot in Jo’s office when Frog barreled in next to him, sending him swerving into a small wastepaper basket that immediately tipped over, spewing its contents on the floor. With a groan, MacGyver bent over, righting the bin and collecting the trash when his eyes fell on a large bridal catalogue. His lips instinctively twitched upward. So, Joanna was planning their wedding in secret. But why had she relegated this to the trash? Intrigued, he sat down in the chair behind her desk and began to flip through the well-worn pages. His heart turned to a lead ball that sank to his stomach as he found pictures of dresses, bouquets, and other wedding must-haves circled but then scratched out, handwritten notes in the margins scribbled over. His brain latched onto the only logical reason. She had changed her mind about marrying him. That’s why she was stalling about moving into Charlie’s place. He was so immersed in his own thoughts he didn’t hear her enter the room.

“What are you doing?” she asked suspiciously.

Hurt and anger launched him out of the chair. “Finding out the hard way why you don’t wanna move. Finding out that you don’t want to get married! That’s what I’m doing!” He slammed the magazine down on her desk and brushed past her toward the door.

“MacGyver, wait.”

Something in her tone caused him to pause instead of stomping from her office like a three-year-old throwing a tantrum.

“For a former Phoenix operative you sure can be dumb sometimes,” she observed, her voice oddly neutral.

“What do you mean?” he asked slowly, turning to find her holding the catalogue out to him.

“Look at the date on the cover,” she instructed.

Taking the magazine back, his gaze quickly found the numbers she indicated and he groaned.

“I bought that when I was in high school. I found it tucked away in a dresser drawer and thought it might be fun to look at again.”

“But why is everything crossed out?”

“Because, in case someone found this before it got incinerated, I didn’t want to be incriminated for my bad taste back then.”

“Then...you still wanna marry me?” he asked cautiously.

“Of course I still wanna marry you! Even if you are a big jerk sometimes!”

“Then why won’t you move into Charlie’s?”

Joanna sighed and motioned for him to have a seat across the desk from her as she dropped her purse on the floor and collapsed into her chair.

“You asked me to move in right after the kidnapping incident at the dog show. I thought maybe you just wanted me nearby so you could keep an eye on me and flex your protective muscles.”

MacGyver leaned forward, elbows on knees, and sighed, “Aw baby, I asked you so soon after that because I realized I had gotten used to having you around and I missed that. The place just feels so empty when you’re not there.”

Before either one of them could continue, a ruckus from the rec room interrupted their conversation and pulled them out of the office. Mac arrived in time to see Rosie Garcia in the middle of a group of Hispanic teens rattling off stern instructions in Spanish. Properly chastised, they spread out and resumed various activities in relative silence.

“What’s going on out here? Are you okay, Rosie?” MacGyver asked.

“Si, I am fine,” she said. “Teenagers! They make so much noise over nothing! I told them if they can’t behave they need to go home and not come back.”

“Those are some of Raul’s new friends, aren’t they?” This time it was Joanna asking the question.

“Yes, the kids from the barrio,” she sighed as she once again settled in at the reception desk. “If they aren’t picking fights they’re lying around doing nothing. Sometimes I wish Raul had never invited them here.” Shuffling papers, her mouth now in a thin line, it was clear Rosie was done talking.

“Mac, can we talk?” Jo asked, already heading to his office. When he entered, she closed the door. “I spent a lot of time watching Raul’s new friends yesterday and something’s not normal.”

“They’re teenagers. They aren’t supposed to be normal,” MacGyver chuckled.

“That’s not what I meant,” Joanna snapped with a concerned frown. “When I was going through their files I noticed they all attend the same high school.”

“Yeah, so? Just ‘cause they don’t go to Lincoln doesn’t mean they can’t come here,” he pointed out defensively.

“That particular school,” Jo continued, “is known for its special education programs and I’m willing to bet that most, if not all, of them have some type of learning or behavioral challenge. That, coupled with the fact they grew up in the barrio raises a red flag for me.”

“What kind of red flag?” Mac asked, now truly intrigued. It wasn’t like Joanna to go ferreting out puzzles. That was his job.

“I don’t want to say anything in case I’m wrong. I’ve arranged to meet with the school administrator this afternoon since summer school is underway and see if I can get some information.”

For the first time that day, MacGyver noticed that instead of her normal casual summer attire she had chosen to wear a floral print sundress with a lacy white sweater covering her shoulders.

“I’ll come with you,” he stated, but was met with another frown.

“It’s better if I go alone. Students’ personal information isn’t public domain. As a teacher, I’m more likely to get someone to talk to me.”

Mac had to admit she had a point. “Fine. Come to my place for dinner and tell me what you learned?”

“You got it!” she smiled victoriously.

MacGyver was standing at the stove, tending to their supper when Joanna walked in the front door that evening.

“Hey Nancy Drew! Did you solve your mystery?” he teased.

Jo wrinkled her nose at him before looking over his shoulder.

“Soup?” she asked, her voice full of dismay.

“What’s wrong with soup?” Mac countered.

“Nothing,” she said with a nonchalant shrug. “At least it isn’t tofu.”

“If you don’t like my cooking, why don’t you do your share?”

“I just may,” she retorted before plopping on the couch with a sigh. “Are we really arguing over soup?” she asked.

Mac chuckled. “Yeah, I think we are. You gonna tell me what you found out at the school today?”

“I was right. All the kids from the barrio are in some sort of remedial program for one reason or another. A few have been diagnosed with learning difficulties, but many of them have missed too many days due to illness, head and stomach aches in particular, to be able to keep up with normal class. Added to that, behavior tends to be an issue.”

MacGyver carefully carried two bowls of soup over to the couch and sat down next to Jo. “So, does that tell you anything?”

She nodded. “I think they’re suffering from lead poisoning.”

Mac was glad he had decided to set his liquid meal on the coffee table otherwise he would surely have spilled it in his lap. “Whoa! Slow down! I know those are all possible symptoms, but aren’t you making quite a leap?”

“Not really,” she replied. “Remember when I told you I thought the city had condemned the houses in that area?”

“Yeah. Go on.”

“They were supposed to be torn down because of the danger their lead pipes and lead paint posed to the residents, especially children.”

“Then what happened? Why are people still living there?” Joanna’s theory was beginning to make sense enough to make Mac uneasy.

“I don’t know. I was gonna go online when I got home tonight and do some research.”

“Why don’t we do it now,” Mac suggested, walking over to his computer and booting it up as he and Jo took a seat in front of the monitor. He quickly called up local newspaper articles on the subject which they both read carefully. After thirty minutes of staring at the monitor, Joanna sat back and rubbed her eyes as MacGyver summarized the information they had gathered.

“So a big time real estate agency in New York swooped in and bought the houses from the city on the pretense that they would refurbish the neighborhood, but all that came out of the deal was increased rent and an absentee slumlord whose tenants are too poor to take to court.”

“That makes me so angry,” Joanna responded through clenched teeth.

“So what’s your plan?” MacGyver asked.

Jo was silent for a minute before turning to look at him. “That’s where you come in.”

“Okay, what do ya need me to do?”

“Come up with a plan,” she smiled sheepishly.

Mac got up and paced the floor, jamming his splayed fingers through his hair. “First of all, we need to be sure the kids are suffering from lead poisoning in the first place. All it takes is a simple blood test, but the parents or guardians will need to give consent.”

“Then what?”

“Then...we take the next step.”

“Which is?”

“We’ll figure it out when the time comes,” Mac mumbled, losing himself in her eager, chocolate brown eyes.

XXXXX

It was mid-afternoon and MacGyver was carefully studying the spreadsheet Cynthia had printed out and put on his desk. As much as he hated paperwork and the administrative side of running a place like Challengers, he knew he would eventually need to be able to completely take on those duties. As it was, over the past months, he had heard Cynthia making veiled comments about disliking Midwest winters and missing the California sunshine. A soft knock on his open door pulled him from his reverie and he looked up to find Joanna standing just over the threshold.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“Freddie’s sick and needs to go home again.”

“So?” Mac asked absently, returning his attention to the columns of names and numbers.

“So, I thought you could take her home,” Jo replied, irritation evident in her voice though he didn’t know why.

“Can’t Raul do it? I really need to figure this stuff out.”

He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as she walked toward him, a look on her face that no doubt sent shivers down the spines of her students.

“I thought, perhaps, this could be the start of the first step in our plan.” Her voice was low and even.

MacGyver looked up at her, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You want me to take Freddie home so I can talk to her grandmother about getting her tested for lead poisoning.”

“So you’ll do it?” Her eyes shone and a smile lit her face. How could he ever say ‘no’ to that?

“All right,” he sighed helplessly. “I could use a break anyway.”

Freddie sat in the passenger seat of the Jeep, silent except when instructing Mac which street to turn on and how far to go. Several minutes later he pulled to a stop in front of a small house she said belonged to her grandmother.

“Wow,” he exhaled.

“You’ve never been to the barrio?” she asked.

“No,” he replied as he took in his surroundings. Both sides of the street were lined with single-family homes though, by the number of barefoot children running about, he assumed they housed more people than they were built for. The structures were all in various states of disrepair. At one time he could tell they had been painted bright, lively colors, but a dismal coating of gray now seemed to shadow them. Lawns were overgrown, shrubs grew wild, and weeds poked out from cracks in the sidewalk. When he turned back to look at Freddie, she was already walking toward her grandmother’s house. MacGyver quickly got out of the Jeep and hurried to catch up with her.

“You don’t hafta walk me to the door,” Freddie muttered, her head down as if embarrassed by her neighborhood.

“No,” he agreed. “I just thought it’d be nice to meet your grandma.”

The girl shrugged but kept walking until she reached the front door. She opened it and entered the house, calling out to her grandma at the same time and leaving MacGyver waiting just inside the doorway. Moments later, a short, plump woman bustled toward him, her long black hair now predominantly streaked with silver was scraped back in a tight bun.

“My dear boy, what are you doing standing there?” she admonished. “Come in, come in and have a seat.” Though the facade of the home was in severe disrepair, the interior was clean and comfortable, even if the furniture was a bit tattered and threadbare. “My Fredricka, she sometimes has the manners of a barn cat, no?”

Mac grinned up at the woman from his perch on an outdated brocade loveseat. “I wouldn’t be too hard on her. She’s not feeling well today. That’s why I brought her home. By the way, my name’s MacGyver.”

“Ah! The man from the Challengers Club! My nieta and her friend, Raul, have told me all about you! You are kind to bring her home. Is it her stomach again?”

“Yes ma’am, I’m afraid so.”

The woman immediately went over to Freddie who stood in the kitchen doorway. “Come, let’s get some medicine in you.”

Curious, MacGyver followed and found the girl sitting at a small table, her face contorted as if she’d just eaten a lemon while her grandmother stood next to her holding an old brown glass bottle.

“What did you give her, Mrs. Martinez?”

“Call me ‘Carmen’, por favor, and I gave her what we call azarcon. It is an old home remedy that my family has been using for generations.”

“What?” Mac exclaimed, lunging forward and grabbing the bottle from Carmen’s hand. “Did you give this to Raul the other day as well?” he asked.

“Si, he was complaining of stomach pain.”

“This isn’t ‘medicine’, Carmen. It’s lead tetroxide.”

“Que?”

MacGyver sighed. How could he make her understand? “It’s poison,” he declared evenly.

“You accuse me of harming my granddaughter?!”

“No, of course not,” Mac replied, his voice gentle. “I know you were only trying to make her feel better, but this is not the way. This will make her stomach aches worse.”

“What am I to do now?” Carmen asked as she took a seat at the table across from Freddie, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears.

Mac sat down in the only seat left. “The first thing we need to do is find out whether or not Freddie has lead poisoning. A simple blood test will tell us that.”

MacGyver’s chest tightened as Carmen shook her head dejectedly. “I cannot afford to take her to the hospital, Mr. MacGyver.”

He blew out a breath, relieved that was her only objection. “When I was driving Freddie home, I saw a free clinic a couple blocks away. They can easily do the test there and it won’t cost you anything.”

Carmen’s face brightened. “That is wonderful! We will go first thing tomorrow morning,” she promised.

“Can I ask you something else?”

“Si.”

“Do you think other families around here still use azarcon?”

“No, most of the people here are probably too young to have even heard of it. I brought this with me when I moved here from Mexico. Why do you ask?”

“My colleague at Challengers has noticed other kids from the barrio exhibiting symptoms of lead poisoning as well,” Mac explained, then had a thought. “Would you mind if I took a look under your kitchen sink?”

Carmen appeared confused by his request but readily agreed. MacGyver pulled out his Swiss army knife from his pants pocket before opening the cabinet doors and lowering himself to the floor. As he suspected, the pipes leading up to the faucet were a dull gray color. With the blade of his knife, he scraped away at the surface only to expose shiny silver metal. Just to be certain, he tapped his knife on the pipes and was rewarded with a dull thud.

He crawled out from under the sink to find Carmen and Freddie staring down at him curiously. He gave them a crooked grin. “I was just doing a little investigating,” he informed them. “Not surprisingly, your house has lead pipes that cause lead to get into the water supply and you consume it without even knowing.”

“Does that mean I have lead poisoning, too?” Carmen asked.

“It’s hard to say, but it wouldn’t hurt for you to get tested when you take Freddie,” Mac said as he stood up and walked over to the window. Dull orange paint was peeling away from the nicked woodwork. “I’d also bet this is lead-based paint. As it wears away, trace amounts of lead get caught in normal household dust that you then breathe in.”

“Can you use your knife to test that, too?” Freddie asked eagerly.

MacGyver chuckled. “Unfortunately not, but I can get my hands on a kit that will give us the answer if you’ll allow me to come back tomorrow.”

“You are always welcome here,” Carmen assured him as she took his hand in hers and gave it a grandmotherly pat. “I don’t know how I can ever repay you for helping us.”

“Well, I haven’t done much yet,” Mac admitted, “But it would be helpful if you could talk to your neighbors and see if a couple of them will let me in their homes tomorrow so I can do the same tests as here.”

“I will do just that,” Carmen promised, “And you and your colleague will come for lunch.”

It wasn’t as much a question as a statement so MacGyver nodded and smiled before taking his leave.

Mac and Joanna arrived at the Martinez house at precisely noon the next day. Carmen met them at the door and, after introductions and greetings were exchanged, invited them into the kitchen.

“I hope you don’t mind, but we’re having hamburgers for lunch. They are Fredricka’s favorite and she begged me to make them. I don’t know what it is, but I just cannot say ‘no’ to that girl!”

MacGyver gave Jo a sideways glance. “Tell me about it,” he muttered.

During their meal, Carmen informed them that both she and Freddie had gone for their blood tests that morning but the results wouldn’t be back for a few days. “The doctor told us that if we are ill he can treat us with medication or even something as simple as extra vitamins,” she happily informed the couple.

“That’s good to hear,” Mac replied with a smile though he knew possible treatments might not be so simple, but he’d keep that fact to himself for now if it would encourage more people to get tested.

“Did you bring the test kit?” Freddie asked excitedly as soon as everyone had taken the final bite of their lunch.

“Sure did,” MacGyver answered as Joanna reached into her purse and handed him a box. Under the teen’s watchful gaze he opened one end of the box and slid out what looked to be a thick piece of chalk.

“That’s it?” Freddie asked, her voice dripping with disappointment.

Mac chuckled. “For now. If this test comes back positive we’ll bring the experts in with their beakers and test tubes.”

His response seemed to mollify her until her curiosity once again bubbled up. “How does it work?”

“Just watch,” MacGyver instructed, pulling out his Swiss army knife and walking over to the kitchen window. “The first thing I need to do is to remove a nickel-sized piece of wood to expose all the layers of paint. May I?” His question was directed at Carmen.

“Go right ahead,” she sighed. “The place is falling down around us anyway.”

With Freddie at his shoulder, Mac made a small but neat gouge in the sill. Then he reached for the test kit and fitted a cardboard sleeve over the white stick and squeezed. “First, I have to break the chemical capsules in the tube and mix them up,” he explained as he squeezed the chalk-like stick and then shook it several times. “Okay, that should do it,” he declared. “Now, we just rub the tip back and forth on the spot where I removed the wood. If it turns red, that means there is lead paint here.”

“So red equals lead!” Freddie laughed at the rhyme and the others joined in.

After twenty seconds, MacGyver checked the end of the stick. It was a bright crimson. “We have lead!” he announced.

“Now what happens?” Carmen asked.

“I’d like to test more houses to get a better idea of what we’re dealing with here. Have you talked to any of your neighbors about me taking samples?”

“Abuela talked to some yesterday and they agreed. Come on, I’ll take you there!” Freddie offered.

Mac looked around helplessly as the teen grabbed his hand and all but dragged him toward the front door. Jo grinned and began to follow, but stopped when Carmen called her name.

“I thought perhaps you could join me in a cup of tea,” the older woman said.

MacGyver exchanged glances with Joanna. No doubt Carmen would enjoy some quiet adult company and conversation.

“I’d be happy to,” Jo replied, even though Mac knew she hated tea.

“This one here,” Freddie urged as she pointed to a small house with mismatched shutters and a broken screen door.

Upon receiving permission to enter, MacGyver got right to business checking the pipes under the kitchen sink as well as testing painted wood on a window sill. The results were the same as at the Martinez’s. As he and Freddie made a zig zag pattern through the neighborhood, all the houses tested positive. Having used all his testing supplies, the pair returned to Carmen’s house where Mac announced his findings at Freddie’s insistence though he had no answer to the questions that were sure to come. Pleasant farewells were exchanged and the ride back to Challengers with Joanna beside him was made in quiet contemplation. Upon arriving, he parked his car but they both remained inside, lost in thought.

“What happens now?” Jo asked.

Mac blew out a breath. “You’re the one who suspected this situation in the first place. What would you do?”

“First I’d get everyone tested for lead poisoning, then have the proper authorities test each house. That would give us physical evidence to take into a lawsuit against the absentee landlord and demand he remove all sources of lead and renovate the houses at no cost to the people living there.”

MacGyver nodded. “Sounds like a solid plan.”

“Unfortunately, we don’t have the resources we need to make it happen,” Jo frowned.

“Maybe we do,” Mac mumbled after several minutes. “Is Geena here today?”

“Yeah, she was supposed to take the afternoon shift.”

“Good,” MacGyver said as he got out of the Jeep and strode toward the building, Joanna unsuccessfully trying to match his long strides.

“Hey Geena, could you do me a favor?” he asked stopping in front of the reception desk with Jo a step behind and a bit breathless.

“Anything for you, handsome,” Geena replied with an innocently flirtatious wink.

“When you get back to your real job, could you set up an appointment for Lee to meet with us? The sooner the better.”

Joanna gasped. “I forgot all about him!”

She may have forgotten about Lee Vang, Attorney at Law, but Mac hadn’t. Both he and Jo had become friends with Lee two years ago when they both took positions at the same law firm for a brief time. In fact, before starting his own firm with Geena as his part-time secretary, Lee had done some pro bono work for Challengers and promised he’d always be there to help out should they need him. Well, they needed him now.

XXXXX

MacGyver and Joanna stood by the refreshment table watching Lee Vang mingle with the crowd, answering questions and offering assurances. As soon as they had presented their suspicions and evidence, the lawyer had readily agreed to take on the case at no cost. This evening, families from the barrio had gathered at Challengers to listen to the attorney explain how he and his colleagues planned to address the issue and take it to court if necessary. At first, several residents were skeptical and fearful that they would be forced to leave their homes or pay fees for services they couldn’t afford. Lee patiently answered their inquiries and assuaged their concerns, thus earning their trust and permission to move forward with the case.

“You two did a really good thing here,” the lawyer said to Mac and Jo as he poured himself a glass of punch after excusing himself from the crowd.

“I can’t take the credit,” MacGyver confessed. “This one is all on Joanna.”

“No way!” Jo protested. “I had my suspicions, but you were the one who backed them up with proof.”

“How about we call it a team effort?” Lee chuckled before someone from across the room called his name. “Sorry, I seem to be a popular guy tonight. We’ll talk later,” he said as he headed back into the crowd.

Mac was about to pour himself some punch when he felt Jo’s hand wrap around his much larger one and give it a slight tug. He turned toward her, eyebrows raised, but she only smiled and led him to a quiet, dimly lit corner.

“I think he’s right,” she said softly, now holding not only his hand but his gaze as well. “We do make a good team. Don’t ya think?”

“Absolutely,” MacGyver answered, surprised at the huskiness of his voice.

“And teams need to stick together, right?”

“Right,” Mac all but croaked, wondering where this conversation was going.

“Be there for each other,” she continued.

This time, he only nodded, not trusting his voice.

“In that case, I was wondering if the offer to move into Charlie’s old apartment was still good.”

“Sure is,” Mac confirmed.

“Then I’d like to take you up on it. After all, we spend so much time together anyway it would just be practical.”

MacGyver removed his hand from hers and slipped both his arms around her waist. “Very practical,” he murmured as he lowered his lips to hers.














Posted by: uniquelyjas 21 February 2021 - 11:44 AM
Chapter 57: All That Glitters

“Well, how does it feel?” MacGyver asked, balancing a brightly wrapped box in his hands behind his back as Joanna surveyed her new home with Frog already fast asleep under the coffee table.

“It feels great!” she responded with a wide smile. “Almost perfect!”

“Just ‘almost’?”

“Yeah,” she said, pinning him with a coy smile. “It’s just missing a couple hockey jerseys.”

The corners of Mac’s mouth tugged up. “I can fix that.”

“I was hoping you’d say that,” she said softly, their gazes locked.

MacGyver swallowed hard. It was rare for Jo to take the initiative when it came to flirting or intimacy and it did funny, though not unpleasant, things to his entire being. But it had been a long, exhausting day for both of them and he wouldn’t take advantage of the very convenient situation. At least, not yet.

“Here,” he said, clearing his throat as he handed her the box he held. “It’s kinda a housewarming gift.”

“Aw Mac, you didn’t have to get me anything,” Joanna protested. “Renting the trailer and getting the Challengers kids to help me move was more than enough!”

“Go ahead. Open it,” he urged.

She took off the lid and her forehead wrinkled as she stared at his present. He rocked back on his heels and fought the urge to laugh. He could only imagine what she must be thinking as she studied the contraption he knew so well. Two potatoes sat side-by-side with a wire connecting them while other wires connected each potato to a digital clock display.

“Thanks,” she finally replied. “I’ve always wanted a vegetable bomb.”

Now Mac did chuckle as he removed his creation from the box and set it on the breakfast bar. “It’s not a bomb,” he assured her. “It’s an alarm clock that you can use as a kitchen timer. It runs off the current from the potatoes.”

“Won’t they rot?” she asked, crinkling her nose.

“Eventually,” he shrugged. “But they’re a lot cheaper to replace than batteries.”

Joanna regarded the gift carefully before turning to him and wrapping her arms around his neck. “I love it!” she proclaimed, “Because you made it.” She lifted her face to his as he lowered his lips to hers. Soon they were lost in the warmth of a long overdue kiss.

When they finally broke apart, Mac rested his forehead against hers, his heart pounding so loudly he was sure she could hear it. He had wanted to kiss her like that all day and, while he should now be satisfied, he craved her all the more.

“Why don’t you come over to my place for a late supper?” he asked huskily.

“Do you mind if I take a rain check?” she asked, taking a step back. “I was really just planning on reheating the leftover pizza from lunch, taking a long hot shower and going to bed.”

MacGyver suddenly became aware of the dark circles beginning to form under her eyes as well as his own desire to yawn as his muscles began to tighten up. “Sounds like a plan,” he agreed. “Come over for breakfast?”

“You bet! Especially since I haven’t gone grocery shopping yet.”

“I’ll see you in the morning then,” Mac confirmed as he headed toward the door. “C’mon Frog, time to go home, buddy!” he called to the sleeping canine whose only response was a snuffle and a grunt.

“Just let him be. I’ll bring him over in the morning,” Jo promised.

“All right. I’ll see you then.” MacGyver gave her a quick but firm kiss goodnight before heading back to his side of the townhouse. Once there, he grabbed a yogurt from the refrigerator, flopped down on his couch, and remotely clicked on the TV to an old western movie already in progress.

Mac bolted upright when a strange noise fractured his dreams. He looked around cautiously, his apartment dark except for the glow of the television which now broadcast a popular late night talk show. An empty yogurt container sat on his coffee table. All was still. He shut off the TV, pushed himself off the couch, and headed to the spiral staircase that led to his bedroom taking odd satisfaction in knowing that Joanna would be sleeping just on the other side of the wall. His foot had barely touched the first step when the noise came again. This time he recognized it as something scratching against his glass patio door. He silently crossed the room and peeked through the slats of his vertical blinds. At first he saw nothing but his own reflection, then he looked down into Frog’s expectant eyes. He slid the door open and the dog scurried inside.

“What happened? Did you get homesick?” Mac asked as he bent down to ruffle Frog’s ears. The dog yawned and quickly settled himself in one of his favorite corners. MacGyver smiled to himself and ran a hand through his already mussed hair. He was just about to head upstairs, again, when he realized that Jo must have let Frog out to do his business before bed and was most likely waiting on his return. Mac changed direction, grabbed the cordless phone, and dialed the familiar number. Joanna answered on the second ring.

“Hi. It’s me. Frog’s here fast asleep.”

“I wondered what was taking him so long,” Jo replied, her voice laden with relief. “Thanks for letting me know.”

“No problem. Goodnight.”

MacGyver was having one of his favorite dreams. He was playing left wing for the Calgary Flames. It was the last game of the Stanley Cup finals. He was gliding swiftly across the ice towards the goal, his stick in firm command of the puck. The score was tied, the clock was counting down. It was now or never. He raised his stick for what he hoped would be an easy slap shot and goal and...woke up. A glance at the clock on his nightstand told him he had barely been asleep for two hours. He rolled over and groaned into his pillow. What had awakened him this time? And would he ever learn the outcome of his shot on goal? Just then, the clatter of the vertical blinds answered at least one of his questions. He crawled out of bed and plodded down the stairs and over to the patio doors where Frog awaited him.

“Didn’t you do what you had to do earlier?” Mac groused as he slid open the door and his dog slipped out into the night. He leaned against the back of the couch, waiting for Frog to return. His eyes were slowly drifting closed when the jangle of the phone startled him. Normally a call in the middle of the night was bad news...or at least bad timing, but he had a strong hunch he knew who was calling and why.

“Hello,”

“Hi Mac, it’s Jo. I have Frog.” Her last statement was muffled by a yawn.

“Send him back over,” he instructed.

“I don’t think that’s gonna happen,” she said just before his ear was assaulted with the sounds of slobbery snores.

And so it began...snatches of sleep, bits of dreams, opening and closing of doors, phone calls back and forth. Once the orange ball of the sun had cleared the eastern horizon, MacGyver finally gave up any hope for extended slumber and headed downstairs to start the day.

“It’s mornings like this that make me wish I liked coffee,” Joanna grumbled as she slouched in one of Mac’s kitchen chairs and stared at the plate of pancakes on the table in front of her. “I don’t think I can take another night like this.”

“Don’t worry, Frog was just excited and probably a little confused. He’ll be fine tonight,” MacGyver declared sitting down to his own breakfast with a yawn.

“Are you sure about that?” Jo raised an eyebrow to punctuate her question.

“No. But what can we do?”

“I had an idea just before sunrise,” Joanna declared, perking up just a bit. “If you don’t mind making a small modification to our shared wall, you could put in one of those doors that lets him come and go as he pleases.”

Mac’s heart rate kicked up a notch. “I had the same thought, but I didn’t want to do anything that would invade your privacy.”

“He’s just a dog,” she snorted. “I’d rather give up some privacy than lose hours of sleep. Besides, I like having him around.”

“Then consider it done,” MacGyver said firmly. “I’ll get some of the guys at Challengers to help and Frog will have his very own door between our apartments by the end of the day.”

XXXXX

Mac glanced at his watch. “C’mon fellas, we gotta hustle,” he urged the two teen boys who had stayed behind to clean up the dust and pieces of drywall from the floor behind his staircase. Joanna had said she planned on stopping at the grocery store on her way home from Challengers which had bought him a little extra time, but he wanted the place clean and the boys gone before she arrived.

Twenty minutes later, MacGyver watched from his front door as his helpers jumped on their bicycles and headed up the street and around the corner just as he saw Jo’s Chevy approaching from the opposite direction. He waited while she parked the car in the driveway, reminding him he still had to reset the code to her garage door opener, and popped the trunk before stepping outside to greet her.

“Here, let me get those,” he insisted, lifting two heavy bags from the trunk while Joanna took the other. “Looks like you bought enough food to feed an army,” he quipped as she unlocked the door to her side of the house.

“What did you expect? There was no food in the place and I intend to stay awhile,” she smiled, tossing her purse on the bench by the door before putting the grocery sack on the kitchen counter. MacGyver placed the bags he carried next to hers and she immediately began to unpack, but he gently grabbed her arm to stop her.

“You can do that later. Come look at Frog’s new door.” With his hand on the small of her back he guided her to the wall behind the staircase.

“Angus MacGyver! What in the world have you done?!” she exclaimed, turning to glare at him.

“What? You said I should put in a door,” he replied, feigning ignorance that only caused her eyes to bore more deeply into his.

“I meant a doggy door! That is a people door!”

“Guess you should’ve been more specific,” he smirked.

“This isn’t funny, MacGyver!” Jo snapped.

“Hey, what’s the big deal?” he asked, his tone no longer playful and light-hearted. “It’s like when we get connecting rooms at a motel. There’s a door on each side. If we want some privacy we just close it.”

“These aren’t motel rooms, Mac. These are our homes. How is one of us supposed to feel when the other locks us out?”

“Look,” he said, knowing she was speaking both literally and metaphorically, “You and I both know there are times when we each need some space. That’s where trust and love come in. Doors close. But they also open.” Silence reigned as he watched her process the situation. Several moments later her deep brown eyes softened.

“You’re right,” she sighed. “I’m sorry for overreacting. It’s kinda what I do best.”

Mac gave her a comforting smile and pulled her close. “I know. And I’m starting to get used to it.”

Suddenly, a loud, persistent banging on MacGyver’s front door grabbed their attention.

“Hey, MacGyver! Open up!” an all-too-familiar voice called. “It’s me! Your ol’ pal Jack Dalton!”

Mac squeezed his eyes shut in dismay and leaned down to whisper in Jo’s ear. “If we close all the doors and stay very, very quiet, maybe he’ll go away.”

“Mac, he’s your best friend!” Joanna scolded in a loud whisper before there was more banging.

“I know you’re in there, Mac! Well...at least I think you are! And why is Joanna’s car parked in your landlord’s driveway?!”

MacGyver tilted his face toward the ceiling and took a deep breath before turning and heading out the front door with Jo at his heels.

“I’m over here, Jack,” he said with resignation.

“Mac, buddy, what’s goin’ on around here?” the pilot asked, his eyes darting between his friend, Jo and the house.

“It’s a long story,” MacGyver said. “A better question is what are you doin’ here? Aren’t you supposed to be in Alaska working for an airline charter service until you can save up enough to buy a new plane...again?”

Mac watched Jack carefully, wondering if his friend was gonna be straight with him or spin some fantastic tale instead. One eye-twitch and MacGyver would send him packing. There was a long, uncomfortable pause before Jack dropped his head and sighed.

“There was a little bit of an incident at work and my boss suggested I take a few days off.”

Mac regarded his friend with a squinty-eyed glare. “What kind of incident?” he asked, knowing Jack was withholding information.

“If you must know, I was flyin’ this group of tourists from Valdez to Tatitlek when we hit a little turbulence.”

“You crashed the plane?!”

“No! Give me some credit, will ya,” Jack replied, clearly annoyed. “I used my finely honed creative piloting skills and landed safe and sound.”

“Then what was the problem?” Mac asked.

“Seems I kinda broke some company protocol with my--”

“Creative piloting skills,” MacGyver finished for him.

“So here I am, footloose and fancy free for the next two weeks before my suspension lifts.”

“And you just figured it was a good time to drop in and visit,” Mac concluded, eyeing the tattered suitcase that sat on his front stoop.

“Yeah. Sure. Why not?!” And there it was...the left-eye-twitch.

“Jaaack, what aren’t you telling me?” MacGyver asked cautiously, pretty sure he didn’t want to hear the answer. But before Jack could speak, Joanna cleared her throat.

“If you two will excuse me, I have a privacy door to close,” she declared before quickly slipping back into her apartment and shutting the front door tight.

“So what’s goin’ on with you two anyway?” Jack asked as MacGyver picked up the suitcase and led the way into his apartment. “You never said anything about Joanna in the one-and-only letter you sent me.”

“Like I said, it’s a long story,” Mac said over his shoulder. “You hungry? I could make some pancakes.”

“Is that the only thing you know how to cook?”

MacGyver set the suitcase down next to the couch and shrugged. “I could whip up a tofu casserole.”

“I’ll get the maple syrup,” Jack declared. “Now, tell me about you and Jo and this place,” he said, eyeing the newly installed door tucked behind the staircase.

Mac sighed as he gathered the ingredients for their supper. “Well, when I left you in L.A. I decided to spend some time at Harry’s cabin…”

Jack was mopping up a pool of syrup with the final piece of his pancake when MacGyver finished his story. “Gee, and I thought your life was complicated when you were playing secret agent with Papa Thornton.”

Mac stood and cleared the table. “All right. Your turn. Why are you here...for real this time.”

He watched as Jack reached into the inside pocket of his bomber jacket and pulled out several newspaper clippings, some yellow with age, others obviously newer, and spread them out on the kitchen table. Mac took a seat and read the headlines. “A shipwreck?”

“Not just any shipwreck,” Jack corrected him. “A shipwreck with hidden gold...just a few miles offshore of Milwaukee in Lake Michigan!”

“Where did you get all this?” MacGyver asked, waving a piece of newsprint under Jack’s nose.

“A buddy of mine up in Alaska,” Jack responded nonchalantly. “He’s into that kinda stuff. When I told him I was coming here he said I might wanna check it out. I had a chance to read everything he gave me on the plane. Man, I hate flying commercial! It’s so boring. Anyway, the ship was the SS Milwaukee. It was a ferry for train cars between Wisconsin and Michigan that sank during a storm in 1929.”

“So where does the gold come in?” Mac challenged, scanning the articles himself.

“Well, technically it’s just a rumor. But I have it on good authority that this would be the perfect way to move stolen treasures...like gold!”

“Jack, it says right here that the location is marked with a Wisconsin Historical Society shipwreck mooring buoy. That means it’s a recreational dive site. Don’t you think that if there was gold hidden there someone would have found it by now?”

His friend shook his head. “There’s never been any report of it. Besides, I can feel it in my bones, Mac. It’s still down there. Waiting to make Jack Dalton a very rich man!”

It was all MacGyver could do to keep from rolling his eyes at another one of Jack’s famous wild goose chases. “So how, exactly, are you gonna get this gold?”

“That’s where you come in, Kemosabe. I’ve already chartered us a boat and we can pick up your rental dive equipment at the dock first thing in the morning.”

“No Jack. Not anymore. I’m done with you and your treasure hunts,” Mac stated firmly.

“Aw, c’mon Mac. You always say ‘no’ and then end up helping me out anyway.”

“Well, this time I mean it!” MacGyver insisted. “I’m not gonna go out and dive for a treasure that’s not even there!”

“But Mac--”

“No!” MacGyver barked, pointing his index finger at his friend. “If you want this imaginary gold you’re gonna hafta go get it yourself!”

“What? Wait! I can’t even doggy paddle!”

“That’s your problem, not mine! Goodnight!” Mac spun on his heel and headed up to his bedroom. He was not going to let Jack talk him into another stupid scheme ever again.

XXXXX

After a restless night, MacGyver got up before dawn the next morning and was sitting at the kitchen table, listening to Jack snore and carefully reading the newspaper clippings as the sun cracked the horizon. While he didn’t believe for one second that there was any gold to be found, the lure of diving again and poking around an old shipwreck tugged at his soul. One article stated that the ship was sitting at an estimated depth of one hundred twenty-five feet. An advanced dive for sure, but still very doable. By the time Jack awoke, he had made up his mind.

“What do ya mean you’re gonna help me?” Jack asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Or am I still dreaming? Last night you said--”

“I know what I said last night. I changed my mind. Is that alright with you?” Mac snapped.

“Yeah, sure, whatever you want!” Jack eagerly agreed.

Thirty minutes later they were in MacGyver’s Jeep, headed toward the lake.

“And Jo said she was okay with this?” Jack asked, still in disbelief.

Mac chuckled, “Yeah, we’ve come to an understanding over the past couple months. As long as I don’t end up in the hospital, or worse, we’re all good.”

The sun was high in the sky when MacGyver pulled the rented boat up to the mooring buoy.

“Want me to drop the anchor?” Jack asked.

“No, it might damage the site. That’s what the buoy’s for. Grab that rope and tie us up nice and tight while I get in my gear.”

It wasn’t long before Mac emerged from below deck outfitted in a sleek black wetsuit. He sat on the edge of the boat to secure a pair of fins to his bare feet before standing and hefting on his oxygen tank like a backpack. Once it was properly strapped on, he put on his goggles and gloves and fastened a small bag to his waist before testing the regulator for air flow.

“Are you ready yet?” Jack asked like an impatient child.

Mac smiled. “Yeah. I’m all set. Now remember, it’s quite a ways down so I’ll be awhile. Don’t leave without me.”

“Don’t worry about me, amigo. I’m not goin’ anywhere until my gold is safely aboard.”

MacGyver sighed to himself as he inserted the mouthpiece of the breathing apparatus, grabbed the waterproof flashlight, and once again sat on the edge of the boat, this time allowing himself to gently tip backward into the water.

The lake was cold and murky as Mac kicked his way downward. The shaft of sunlight that had brightened the surface began to disappear. Regulating his breathing so as to minimize oxygen use, MacGyver became aware of the peace and solitude surrounding him and he felt a freedom like nothing else on earth. All too soon he was compelled to interrupt the serenity of nature with the beam of his flashlight. While he had seen pictures of the wreck in Jack’s old news article, nothing could have prepared him for the grandeur of the sight itself. Sitting upright on a bed of sand and still mostly intact, the SS Milwaukee appeared to stand sentinel of a time long passed. As Mac began to explore the ill-fated ferry, he realized that most of the train cars were still on board. In awe with the vision before him, his frustration mounted with Jack. Even if there was gold or other sort of treasure to be found, it would be like trying to find a needle in a thousand haystacks. MacGyver mentally shook himself, reminding him that he was here for the wonder and experience of the dive, not some tangible wealth.

As Mac continued to explore, he realized that it would take many days and several dives to see everything that had been so perfectly preserved. Unfortunately, he was not afforded that luxury and reluctantly decided to abandon the wreck and try to convince Jack to give up on his treasure hunt but not before he happened upon a train car sitting in the muck with three automobiles on it. Unable to resist, MacGyver went in for a closer look. The cars appeared to have been manufactured at the Nash Motors Company. Mac treaded water as he admired the antiques before slowly kicking himself upward. But something kept niggling at his brain. He checked his pressure gauge to find that his tank still held enough air for one last foray. Lithely turning back to the ship, MacGyver headed straight for the autos. He couldn’t help remembering when he had first learned of the Nomad’s existence and the priceless jewel Harry had once hidden in it. On a hunch, Mac explored the cars with renewed purpose even while chiding himself. After struggling to open the heavy metal door, he squeezed into the auto and began feeling around the floorboards for anything unusual. He suddenly paused and realized the futility of his actions. He had been listening to Jack too much. Checking his pressure gauge again, he saw it was time to leave if he was to make it to the surface safely, but as he turned with his flashlight in hand, the beam lit on something shiny. Something shiny that didn’t belong on the floor of an almost sixty-year-old car. Mac hurried to investigate and found a jagged rock about the size of a golf ball with smooth, angular edges. He scooped it up and placed it in the pouch tied to his waist. He’d examine it more closely on the boat. He was just about to turn toward the surface when a white-hot pain shot through his bicep.

MacGyver jerked around to find himself facing off with another diver clad all in black and holding a lethal-looking blade. He immediately kicked upward in an attempt to escape, but the stranger grabbed his ankle and pulled him down. Soon the two were entangled in a slow-motion underwater struggle each gaining and then losing ground against the other. Finally, Mac was able to grab his attacker’s wrist and squeeze until the knife slipped free and floated harmlessly to the sandy bottom of the lake. The diver immediately retreated and was soon out of sight. But MacGyver had another problem. He was out of air. Holding his breath, he swam upward as fast as he could. His lungs were burning from lack of oxygen when he broke the surface. Bobbing next to the boat, he pulled the regulator from his mouth and gulped in fresh air.

“Hey, I was getting worried about you,” Jack declared, leaning over the side of the boat.

“You’re not the only one,” Mac replied, his voice raspy. “Help me up, would ya?”

As soon as MacGyver was safely aboard, he ripped off his mask and scanned the surrounding area for another boat. He saw one in the distance, heading toward shore.

“Grab me the binoculars,” he ordered Jack, but by the time he had the other boat in focus it was too far away to make out a name or other identifying features.

“What happened down there?” Jack asked as Mac divested himself of his diving equipment.

“I’m not sure, but I wasn’t alone,” he replied, peeling away the top of his wetsuit and exposing the cut on his upper arm. It felt worse than it looked. The dive suit had taken the brunt of the blade’s wrath.

“Guess I won’t be getting my security deposit back on this,” Jack frowned, fingering the slice in the material.

“Why don’t you untie us and take us back to the dock while I change and take care of this cut,” MacGyver instructed.

“Aye, aye, capitan!” Jack saluted as Mac made his way toward the stairway that led to the cabin below, swaying a bit as he went. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just trying to get my sea legs back,” he replied with a slight smile.

After using the first aid kit to clean and bandage his wound he changed into his street clothes and joined his friend on the deck. A wave of dizziness washed over him and he tried to convince himself it was a delayed reaction from the surprise encounter underwater combined with the choppiness of the waves as Jack guided the boat toward the city’s skyline.

“So, did you find anything?!” Jack asked as soon as MacGyver appeared.

“Yeah. This.” Mac took the rock he had found in the car out of his pocket and held it in his hand. Jack’s eyes bugged out and his mouth dropped open.

“Is that what I think it is?” the pilot asked, almost reverently.

“No. It’s not gold. It’s pyrite.”

“Pie-what?”

“Pyrite, Jack. It’s fool’s gold!”

“How can you be so sure? It looks like the real thing to me!”

MacGyver shook his head. “You can tell by the brassy color. Gold would be, well, gold.” The light in his friend’s eyes immediately dimmed and Mac felt sorry for him. “Look, I’ve been on enough archaeological and geological digs to know the difference,” he explained gently.

“Hey, don’t worry about it! It’s not like I really expected to find a sunken treasure!” Jack replied with a forced smile and eye twitch.

“Really?”

“Yeah! I just thought you’d enjoy an adventure with your old buddy!”

Mac didn’t believe him, of course, but right now he had bigger things on his mind. “You gave me an adventure alright. I wanna know who that other diver was and why he attacked me.”

Jack shrugged. “Maybe he was there looking for the gold too and wanted to scare you off.”

“That would be an awfully big coincidence,” MacGyver said skeptically.

An hour later, Jack and MacGyver headed for the parking lot after returning the rented boat and scuba gear.

“Here, Jack. Why don’t you drive us home,” Mac suggested, tossing his friend the keys to his Jeep.

Jack looked at him with surprise which quickly morphed into concern. “You don’t look so good, Mac,” he observed. “And you’re walking kinda funny. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” MacGyver responded. “I just haven’t been on such a deep dive in a long time and I guess I’m feeling the consequences. It’ll pass.” Oh, how he prayed it would pass. However, as they approached the duplex, he felt an unwanted weakness settling into his arms and legs, and his knees and elbows ached when he tried to bend them. “Um, Jack, I think you better take me to the hospital.”

Jack’s head snapped around so quickly to look at him, it would have been comical if MacGyver hadn’t been feeling so ill.

“Is it your arm? Does it need stitches?”

“No,” Mac answered flatly. “I’m pretty sure I have decompression sickness.”

“Huh?”

“The bends, Jack. I have the bends.”

“But how? You’re a great diver.”

Mac sighed. “I stayed down longer than I should have and by the time I got away from my attacker I was out of air. I had to get to the surface fast and couldn’t make the needed decompression stops.”

“But you’re gonna be alright, aren’t you?”

“Yeah,” MacGyver assured him. “Once I get to the hospital I’ll be just fine.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Joanna sat in her office at Challengers, her back to her desk so she could gaze out the window at the warm summer sunshine. Even though she had only moved into Charlie’s old apartment a couple days ago, she felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She was basking in a newfound sense of independence she hadn’t known she lacked and a freedom she hadn’t known she craved, but most importantly, she was practically sharing a house with the man she loved. She blushed as she recalled her lighthearted flirting the day she moved in. Shy and reluctant to readily share her emotions, this may be the exact thing she needed to show MacGyver how much she really cared about him. Unfortunately, she hadn’t expected to be put to the test so soon. That morning Mac had informed her of his discussion with Jack and his decision to go scuba diving. He looked so eager, she didn’t have the heart to voice her concern that when he did anything with his friend it rarely turned out well. And if she was being totally honest with herself, she’d have to admit she was a bit jealous. Relaxing on a sun kissed boat in the middle of the lake was much more appealing than the hours of data entry she faced. She had just swiveled around in her chair, determined to get some work done, when her phone rang.

“Challengers Club, this is Joanna,” she greeted the caller.

“Hey Jo, it’s Jack Dalton.”

Her heart immediately fell to her toes. Something was wrong. She just knew it. She could hear it in his voice.

“What happened?” she demanded.

“Mac had a little, um, mishap during the dive. We’re at the hospital now.”

“I’m on my way,” Joanna said, slamming down the phone before Jack could respond. With a singular purpose, she grabbed her purse and bid good-bye to Rosie and Geena without stopping to give an explanation, almost tripping over a sleeping Frog on her way out.

Hurrying through the automatic sliding glass doors of the emergency department, Joanna bypassed a waiting, and very guilty-looking, Jack in favor of the woman in scrubs who stood slightly behind him.

“MacGyver’s going to be fine,” Wendi Vang, trauma nurse, wife of Attorney Lee Vang, and friend to Jo and Mac assured her. “He’s receiving treatment for decompression sickness as we speak.”

“Can I see him?”

“Of course. That’s why I’m here. Follow me.”

Wendi led Joanna through a maze of corridors before stopping and opening the door to a large room. In the center sat a large glass tube encapsulating Mac. “He’s in the hyperbaric chamber for recompression therapy. We gave him a mild sedative to help make the process easier and a respiratory therapist will be monitoring him throughout the treatment,” the nurse explained, tilting her head toward a shadow in the corner.

Jo absently nodded to show she understood before slowly walking toward the large device. MacGyver was lying on his back, motionless, clad only in hospital-issue pajama bottoms. As she got closer, the steady rise and fall of his bare chest eased her tension just a fraction. Assuming he was either asleep or unconscious, she gasped when he turned his head toward her and opened his eyes, gifting her with a quirky grin. He raised his arm and placed his hand on the glass. With relief flooding through her, Joanna quickly closed the gap between them and placed her hand on the glass over his. She watched as his eyes drifted closed and his hand slid away as he fell asleep, a smile still on his face. It was then that she noticed the white gauze bandage wrapped around his upper arm and her rational thought process returned.

She turned to find Wendi watching her as well as Jack who must have followed them in. “Would one of you tell me what happened?” she insisted. “How did he get the bends when he’s an expert diver? And why is his arm bandaged?”

After several moments, Wendi broke the deafening silence. “I need to get back to the trauma center. Call me if you need anything. And don’t worry, Mac’ll be just fine.”

As soon as the door closed behind the nurse, Joanna glared at Jack. “Well?”

Surprisingly, Jack didn’t try to evade the question. He told Jo everything MacGyver had told him.

“Did you call the police?” she asked when he had finished.

“Yeah, I called from here once I knew Mac was getting taken care of,” he told her.

“Good,” she replied icily before turning her attention back to the large glass capsule. A man in a white lab coat, the respiratory therapist, had emerged from the shadows and stood across from her monitoring MacGyver’s condition and progress. “Do you mind if I stay with him?” she asked.

The therapist shrugged, “Fine by me, but it will be at least a few more hours in here before we can transfer him to a regular room for observation. It was a long, deep dive and the oxygen deprivation didn’t help so it’s going to take a while.”

Joanna glanced at her watch and sighed. It was already evening.

“Why don’t you and your friend go home and get some rest. Mr. MacGyver is doing well and will probably sleep through the night. There’s really nothing you can do for him right now,” the therapist told her gently.

Jo bowed her head and chewed her bottom lip as she considered her options. The man was right. She couldn’t whisper encouraging words in Mac’s ear or even comfort him with her touch. She was useless. After she assured herself Mac was still asleep, she quietly left the room and started making her way out of the hospital.

“Hey, wait up!” Jack called from behind before catching up with her as she waited for the elevator. “You’re upset. Let me drive you home.”

The elevator doors parted and Joanna stepped in, quickly pushing the button labeled ‘LOBBY’. “I drove myself here, I can drive myself home,” she replied curtly as the heavy doors began to close. Jack had to step in sideways to avoid being left behind. That was a mistake because as soon as the car was in motion Jo rounded on him.

“I want you to know I hold you personally responsible for what happened to Mac,” she declared. “When we get home you’re gonna pack your things and leave...tonight!”

“Whoa! C’mon Joanna!” Jack protested.

“Tonight, Jack!”

They stood in stony silence and when the elevator came to a halt, Jo stepped off and headed to the exit without a backward glance. During the drive home, she noticed a pair of headlights following her. Jack. She sighed and resolved to apologize for her harsh words in the morning. She was coming to know Jack too well to believe that he would actually follow her orders and leave tonight anyway. After parking her Chevy in the garage, she stepped out and headed to her front door only to find Jack standing on the lawn, staring at Mac’s side of the townhouse. All she wanted was for this horrid day to end, so she decided to slip unnoticed into her apartment, but the look on Jack’s face caused her to head in his direction instead.

“Hey, I’m sorry about what I said in the elevator. You don’t have to--”

Jack raised a hand to cut her off. “Look,” he whispered.

Joanna turned to find Mac’s front door smashed to bits, shards of glass laying all around. “C’mon, we’ll call the cops from my place,” she said, putting a guiding hand on Jack’s arm.

Shortly after calling 911, two police cruisers arrived and the officers busied themselves with clearing and securing the scene as well as searching for evidence while a detective took statements from Jack and Joanna.

“Are you the same Jack Dalton who reported his friend was attacked while diving in Lake Michigan earlier today?” the plain clothes cop asked.

“Yeah, I am! Have you found anything?”

The detective shook his head. “We had officers check out the marina for unusual activity, but no one reported anything. The Coast Guard was called in to take a look at the dive site. We found a knife near the wreck but that was all.”

“Can’t you lift some prints or run a trace on the blade or something?” Jack asked eagerly.

The detective slowly shook his head. “There were no finger prints since the suspect was most likely wearing gloves and the knife was a common diving knife you could buy at any scuba supply shop in the country. But don’t worry, the investigation is still on-going.”

“Do you think these two crimes are related?” Jo asked.

“It’s too early to tell yet, ma’am. Tonight’s incident could be a random smash-and-grab burglary.”

A uniformed officer appeared in the doorway and nodded to the detective who addressed the couple. “The team is done with your friend’s apartment. Now we just need you to go in and take a look around and see if anything’s missing.”

MacGyver’s apartment was ablaze with light...and completely trashed. Drawers had been emptied, furniture tossed, and books thrown on the floor. Joanna did a cursory inventory and noted that his television, VCR, and computer were untouched. It didn’t take a professional to see that this was not a typical burglary. Nevertheless, she and Jack carefully stepped through the debris to take a closer look. Jo never realized how much Mac actually possessed until she saw it strewn about. It would be next to impossible to determine what, if anything, was missing. Over the next several minutes she found his collection of videotapes, now laying on the floor, still intact. Even the silly yellow rubber duck he insisted on keeping on the kitchen counter remained though it had been tossed into the living room. As Jack continued to scour the downstairs, Joanna climbed the steps to the bedroom which was in equal disarray though nothing appeared to be missing.

Once the thorough search was completed, Jo sought out the detective.

“It doesn’t look like anything’s been taken,” she informed him as Jack stood beside her, nodding his agreement. “In fact, it doesn’t appear to be a normal robbery. Whoever did this was looking for something.”

A smile tugged at the detective’s lips. “I would have to concur with you. Any idea what they might have been looking for?”

Joanna glanced at Jack who simply shrugged. “No. As far as I know, Mac’s most valuable possessions are his hockey jerseys and those are still hanging on their hooks.”

“Well, then, thank you for your time and cooperation. Don’t hesitate to call if you have any more problems.” The detective shook hands with Jo and Jack before collecting the other officers and driving off into the night leaving the two friends standing in the middle of the shambles that was MacGyver’s apartment.

It was well past midnight before Jack got the damaged front door boarded up and secured and he and Joanna had restored Mac’s apartment to some kind of normal. Tired, but still keyed up from all the excitement, the duo relaxed at Jo’s kitchen table.

“So, which one of us is gonna tell MacGyver about this?” Jack asked with a grimace.

“I vote for you,” Joanna told him, knowing that Mac would be angry and then concerned about this turn of events.

“Gee, thanks. You think he’ll still be sedated?”

Jo couldn’t help but chuckle. “I doubt it.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver sat on the edge of his hospital bed dressed in the clothes he had arrived in, tossing the brassy colored rock he had found in his jeans pocket from one hand to another. The last thing he remembered was seeing Joanna’s face through the glass of the hyperbaric chamber before falling asleep for the rest of the night. He was glad she had decided to go home and get some rest, but he had expected to see her early this morning, especially since the doctor said he would sign Mac’s release papers as soon as his ride arrived. Footsteps in the hallway drew his attention to the door to his room. His heart leapt as Joanna walked in, but skipped a beat when he noticed the tender skin under her eyes shades darker than it should be. Had worrying about him put the dark circles there? He immediately went to her, gently taking her by the shoulders.

“Hey, are you alright? Is everything okay?”

“I should be asking you that,” she replied with a tight smile. “I met the doctor on my way up here and he said you’re good to go.”

“I’m perfect now that you’re here,” he proclaimed, bending slightly to kiss her gently on the lips.

A nurse appeared behind Jo with an empty wheelchair.

“Your chariot awaits, sir,” the young woman declared.

MacGyver regarded the contraption with disdain, but understood hospital policy all too well. The sooner he got in the chair, the sooner he could get on with his life, so he settled in and allowed the nurse to push him towards the bank of elevators as Joanna kept pace at his side.

“Where’s Jack?” he asked. He had seen the look Jo had given his best friend while he was in the recompression chamber and wouldn’t be surprised if she had ordered him to get on the red-eye back to Alaska.

“He’s waiting for us at your place,” she replied.

“You mean ‘our’ place,” Mac clarified with a grin, reaching out and taking her hand.

As Joanna maneuvered her car through the city traffic, MacGyver once again began fiddling with the ‘treasure’ he had found on his dive.

“What’s that?” she asked as they sat at a stop light.

“A piece of pyrite I found at the wreck.”

“Fool’s gold?”

“You know your rocks,” Mac grinned.

Jo shrugged, “I did a science report on pyrite back in grade school.”

MacGyver turned his attention back to the rock and frowned.

“What’s wrong?” Joanna asked, accelerating through an intersection.

“Something’s not right about this,” MacGyver said, examining the pyrite yet again. “It hasn’t oxidized and there are no signs of distress. It’s just too ‘new’. There’s no way it could have been on the ship when it sank. Plus, it was basically in plain sight for any diver to find.”

Mac felt the car slow as it turned into his driveway. He looked up to find Jack standing in the yard, his formerly glass front door covered with plywood. He was out of the vehicle before Joanna put it in ‘Park’.

“What happened to my door?!” he yelled.

“It’s not what you think, MacGyver,” Jack responded. “This time it wasn’t me. It was this.” He held up a brick. “Well, not this, the cops took the real one for evidence.”

“Cops?! What cops?!”

“The cops we called when we discovered your place had been broken into,” Jack explained calmly as Mac’s brain went into overload.

“Let’s go inside and discuss this,” Jo suggested, firmly clamping her hands around MacGyver’s uninjured bicep and steering him into his apartment. He had expected to find a mess when she opened the door, but everything looked to be in order and nothing valuable appeared to be missing.

“What happened?” he demanded.

“...and then I overslept and didn’t get to the hospital as early as I wanted to,” Joanna concluded a long while later. MacGyver swallowed hard. So that’s why she looked as if she’d lain awake all night. She spent most of it cleaning up his stuff so he wouldn’t have to deal with it. Only Jack’s voice suppressed his urge to crush her to him and show her how grateful he was, not only for taking care of his things, but that she hadn’t been home at the time of the break-in. He could never forgive himself if something had happened to her.

“But we still don’t know what the burglar was looking for,” Jack informed him.

“Maybe he was lookin’ for this,” Mac replied, holding up the piece of pyrite.

“That’s a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?” Joanna challenged.

“Me getting attacked at the dive site and then having my house broken into the same day isn’t exactly a coincident,” he countered.

“But who?” Jo asked.

“And why?” Jack added.

“The ‘why’ is pretty easy,” Mac said, taking Joanna’s hand and leading her to the couch while Jack took a seat in the armchair. “Someone believed I found real gold and tried to steal it from me. As for the ‘who’, tell me more about this friend of yours that gave you all the news clippings about the wreck.”

Jack shrugged. “Manny? Not much to tell. He’s lived in Alaska his entire life and works double shifts just to feed his family. You don’t think he’s behind all this, do ya?”

“I’m not sure,” MacGyver answered. “Right now I’m more concerned with how that other diver knew when I’d be checking out the wreck and how the burglar knew where I live.”

Joanna glanced at her watch and frowned. “I’d love to stick around and help you figure this out, but I better get over to Challengers.”

“May as well,” Mac told her, “There’s not much you can do here.”

“What are you gonna do?” she asked.

“Research.”

XXXXX

Later that afternoon, MacGyver drove downtown to pay a visit to the Milwaukee branch of the Wisconsin Historical Society and managed to wrangle an impromptu meeting with the Great Lakes Program Director. The metal plate on her door indicated her name was Doreen. She was tall and fit with her long blonde hair corralled in an intricate twist at the nape of her neck.

“What can I do for you, Mr. MacGyver?” she asked brusquely after polite introductions were exchanged.

“I’d like some information regarding the S.S. Milwaukee.”

Doreen’s eyes hardened. “I’m sorry, but that dive site is temporarily off limits.”

“Does it have anything to do with the attack that occurred yesterday?”

“Unfortunately it does, but I cannot give you any further information about that.”

“You don’t have to. I was there.” Mac smiled wryly as he pulled up his shirt sleeve to reveal the white bandage covering the cut.

Doreen’s features softened slightly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize. But you can be assured that we are cooperating fully with the proper authorities to secure the site and find your attacker.”

“I appreciate that, but that’s not why I’m here,” he told her. “I was actually hoping to learn more about this.” He pulled the fool’s gold from his pocket and placed it in the middle of her desk. “I found it in the wreck, but I doubt it was on the ship when it sank.”

For the first time since MacGyver arrived, Doreen dropped all her defenses. “You’re right. It wasn’t,” she confirmed. “We had a fundraising expedition dive scheduled for this weekend which will now most likely need to be canceled for safety reasons.”

“An expedition dive?”

“Yes. It’s sort of like a scavenger hunt. Divers pay big bucks for tickets to explore the wreck. In return, we place ‘treasures’ for them to find. There are prizes for those who find the most.”

“And this was one of the ‘treasures’ you planted.”

Doreen nodded. “It’s one of our biggest fundraisers of the year and now we need to scrap it and refund people their money. I was just about to start calling pre-registered participants before you came in.”

“Would the event still go on if I could catch my attacker before the weekend?”

“Yes, I suppose. But what can you do that the authorities can’t.”

“Maybe nothin’. Maybe somethin’.”

MacGyver arrived home to find Jack pacing a hole in his living room carpet.

“Hey, what’s goin’ on?” Mac asked.

“Mac, I’m so sorry! You were right. Everything that’s happening...the attack, the break in...it’s all my fault!!”

If his friend hadn’t been so serious MacGyver would’ve laughed. “How do you figure that?”

“Remember earlier when you asked if Manny might be behind all this?”

“Yeah,” Mac replied hesitantly.

“Well, it got me to thinkin’.”

“Uh oh.”

“C’mon Mac, I’m serious! I’m positive Manny wouldn’t do anything like this, but I’m not the only one he talked to about the wreck.”

“Go on,” MacGyver encouraged, his curiosity piqued.

“A new guy named Erik just got hired on about a month ago. He’s young, adventurous, never stays in one place too long, you know the kind.”

Mac glared at his friend, Jack’s words hitting a little too close to home.

“Well, um, he’d sometimes sit with me and Manny in the evening, shooting the breeze. He was there the night Manny gave me the newspaper clippings and talked about the sunken gold. He also knew about my little, um, vacation.”

“So you think Erik followed you all the way from Alaska to steal any gold we found?” MacGyver asked skeptically.

“Sure. Why not? It’s as good an answer as any!”

Mac sat quietly and let this new information tumble through his brain. “Even if what you say is true, how could Erik find us so easily?”

“Things are pretty laid back up there. I may have left your letter laying out somewhere and he might have seen your return address,” Jack offered. “He could’ve been staking out your place and followed us to the lake yesterday then attacked you when you found the gold. When you fought him off, he came looking for it here figuring you hid it.”

“Aw man,” Mac sighed, shoving himself off the couch. Now it was his turn to pace. “This is actually starting to make sense!”

“What’s our next move?” Jack asked eagerly.

MacGyver jammed his fingers through his hair and blew out a breath. “Well, since he still hasn’t gotten what he came here for, it’s safe to assume he’ll be hangin’ around. Tomorrow we can go back out to the dive site and hope he follows, only this time we’ll be ready for him.”

XXXXX

The following morning, Mac sat at Joanna’s kitchen table while Jack continued snoring on his couch.

“I can’t say I’m thrilled with this plan of yours,” Jo admitted before eating a spoonful of cereal.

“At least this time we know what to expect and we’ll be prepared,” Mac assured her, taking a swallow of his protein shake as he tried to avoid her worried eyes.

They finished eating breakfast in silence and when Joanna cleared the dishes from the table and took them to the sink, MacGyver followed, slipping his arms around her waist from behind and resting his cheek against her silken hair.

“You don’t have to worry, ya know. Everything’s gonna--”

Jo twisted around to face him. “Don’t say ‘everything’s gonna be okay’,” she warned. “You can’t promise that. None of us can.”

“You’re right,” he agreed, taking a step back. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, just come home safe,” she snapped before heading upstairs to finish getting ready for the day.

When he had worked at the DXS and then Phoenix, he secretly envied agents whose girlfriends or wives would kiss, or cry, or make love to them before they went on a dangerous mission. Now, his own fiancé chose to distance herself from him, as if it would somehow lessen the pain if he never returned. Shaking his head, he walked through the connecting door behind the staircase to find his apartment eerily quiet.

“Jack?” he called, but no one answered. “Jack?!” he hollered up the spiral staircase toward the bathroom. Still no response. Last night his friend had been eager to head back to the lake. Now, he was nowhere to be found. Frustrated, MacGyver plopped down hard on the couch and let his head fall into his hands. It was then that he saw it. A sheet of plain white paper sitting on the coffee table with Jack’s handwriting scrawled across it.

Mac,
I know I got you into this mess so I’m gonna get you outta it. See ya later!
Jack

“Oh no he didn’t!” MacGyver growled under his breath as he barreled out the front door to find his Jeep gone. Swallowing a yell that would surely wake the neighbors, Mac grabbed the keys to the Nomad. He had to get to the lake!

MacGyver parked next to his Jeep in the Marina parking lot and hurried to the attendant. In minutes, he was steering a speedboat out into the open water toward the site of the shipwreck wondering how much of a head start Jack had gotten on him. Putting more and more distance between him and the shore, he was soon able to see the mooring buoy and two white boats bobbing next to it. He assumed one of the crafts belonged to Jack. But what about the other? Cutting the engine in an effort to make a silent approach, Mac guided his boat next to the one that appeared to be the same rental they had used for his dive the day before. After quickly securing his boat to Jack’s he climbed aboard and surveyed the situation. No one was on the deck of either boat and he had to suppress the urge to call out. Senses alert, he carefully climbed down the few stairs that lead to a small cabin. There he found Jack, sitting on the floor, hands bound behind his back and legs tied together.

MacGyver rushed over to his friend. “Hang on, Jack, I’ve got ya.” As he reached out, Jack’s right eye began blinking rapidly. His right eye. What was he trying to say? Mac had barely turned his head to look behind him when something blunt and heavy connected with the back of his skull. He fell forward, his vision blurring seconds before he lost consciousness.

“Mac! Hey, Mac! Wake up!” Jack frantically urged in a loud whisper.

The fog slowly cleared from MacGyver’s brain. He groaned. His throbbing head hung at an odd angle. Doing a quick self-inventory it didn’t take long to realize his hands and legs were tied as well.

“C’mon, Mac. We gotta get outta here before he comes back!”

“Before who comes back,” MacGyver asked groggily.

“Me.” The voice was low and menacing. Mac looked up to find a hulk of a man in full scuba gear sneering down at him.

“Uh, Erik, this is my buddy Mac. Mac, this is Erik”

“Nice to meet you,” MacGyver winced, a bolt of pain slicing through his head.

“So, did you find anything down there?” Jack asked, trying to sound friendly.

Erik unhooked a small sack from his belt and opened it, holding it out for MacGyver and Jack to see as he smiled greedily.

“Ya know, that’s not real gold,” Mac informed him.

“Yes it is!” Erik roared. “And it’s gonna make me a real rich man. Thanks for leading me right to it.”

“Now that you’ve found what you came for you can let us go. Right?” Jack asked hopefully.

“Wrong! I’m afraid you’re gonna meet with a very tragic accident.”

“Hey, c’mon, that stuff isn’t even real. Just let us go and we’ll forget all about this little...incident,” Mac tried to bargain.

“You think I’m that stupid?!” he spat in MacGyver’s face. “I’ll be out of the country living in the lap of luxury by the time they ID you by your dental records if you’re dumb enough to try and follow me.”

Erik laughed as he turned and stomped up the stairs causing the boat to rock perilously back and forth. Moments later, Mac heard a motor fire up and quickly fade into the distance.

“What d’ya think he meant by that?” Jack asked.

“Let’s not hang around and find out,” Mac suggested. “Grab my knife out of my back pocket, would ya?”

The two men scooted around and contorted on the floor of the boat until Jack was able to retrieve MacGyver’s Swiss Army knife. “Maybe I oughta get me one of these if we get outta this alive,” Jack mused.

“Just give me the knife!” Mac demanded. With tool in hand, he quickly felt for the desired blade and began to saw through the rope that bound his hands behind his back. As soon as he was free, he set to work on Jack’s bindings before they both untied their ankles and scrambled up to the deck. Erik’s boat was nowhere in sight and the speedboat MacGyver had used was a dot on the distant horizon.

“Time to get outta here!” Jack proclaimed as he slid into the captain’s chair behind the wheel and reached for the ignition.

“No!” Mac yelled.

“Why? Aren’t we goin’ after him?”

“Don’t you remember what he said?” MacGyver asked as he grabbed Jack’s arm and pulled him out of the chair before dropping to the floorboards to look underneath the control panel.

“About what?”

“About how if we tried to go after him we’d need to be identified by our dental records. Jack, there’s a bomb attached to the ignition. If we turn that key…”

“We go ‘boom’?”

“In a manner of speaking,” Mac confirmed.

“But you can diffuse it, right?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?! What kind of an answer is that?!”

“An honest one?” Mac replied with a grimace as he visually examined the small pack of C-4 attached to a digital timer by two wires. It looked simple enough, but then again, looks could be deceiving.

“Hey, Jack! You can swim, right?”

“Sorta, why?”

“Just checkin’,” MacGyver muttered under his breath. He grabbed his knife again. “Here goes nothin’.” He cut the red wire, simultaneously squeezing his eyes shut and waiting for a deadly blast. When none came, he breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived as he heard a high, beeping sound. He looked at the timer he had apparently activated by cutting the wire. It was counting down from ten seconds.

Wriggling out from under the control panel he called to Jack. “When I say ‘jump’, jump.” He glanced back at the timer. Three seconds left. “Juuummmpp!” he yelled as he flung himself off the side of the boat and into the water, hoping Jack had done the same. He kicked furiously, diving as fast and far as he could to avoid the blast. There was a loud, though muffled, concussion and the water began to swirl around him. Reversing course, he headed toward the surface, breaking through to see fiery flames licking the boat.

“Jack! Jack!” he yelled for his friend.

“Over here!”

MacGyver looked to find his friend treading water several yards away. He quickly swam to him.

“So, what happens now?” Jack asked, clearly dismayed they had lost their ride back.

“Someone had to have heard the explosion,” Mac said. “We hang onto the mooring buoy until they come.”

XXXXX

Back at Challengers several hours later, Joanna’s face was void of color as Jack regaled her with the events of the morning. Every now and again her gaze locked with Mac’s and each time he offered a reassuring smile.

“...and that’s when the Coast Guard rescued us,” Jack concluded.

“What happened to Erik?” Jo demanded. “Did he get away?”

“I called the police on my way to the lake,” MacGyver explained. “With everything that’s been going on they agreed to send out a couple cruisers. The officers were waiting for our thief when he docked. They also called in the explosion.”

“Well, I’m just glad you’re both okay,” she replied with obvious relief. She rose from her chair to hug Jack and give him a peck on the cheek before finding her way into MacGyver’s arms.

A sudden knock on the door caught everyone’s attention. They turned in unison to find Doreen from the Historical Society standing there.

“The police told me I could find you here,” she said to MacGyver. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“Nothing that can’t be continued later,” Mac assured her as he tossed Joanna a mischievous grin. “What can we do for you?”

Doreen smiled. “I just thought you’d like to know that, thanks to you, the fundraising expedition dive will go on as scheduled.”

“That’s great!” MacGyver smiled.

“I don’t suppose you’d be interested in participating?”

“I think he’s had enough diving for treasure for awhile,” Joanna answered for him before he could speak up.

“Well, then. Thanks again.” Doreen gave them one last smile before turning to leave.

“Well, Jack,” MacGyver addressed his friend as he pulled Joanna to his side. “Did you learn anything from this little adventure?”

“I did. Ya know that old saying, ‘All that glitters is not gold’? I guess it’s true. Maybe it’s time I give up my treasure hunting.”

“Glad to hear it,” Mac grinned, clapping Jack on the shoulder with his free hand.

“I learned something else, too,” Jack continued.

“Oh really? What might that be?” MacGyver asked.

“I really gotta work on my backstroke.”


































Posted by: uniquelyjas 7 March 2021 - 10:58 AM
Chapter 58: Fallen Angel

MacGyver squeezed his eyes shut and massaged his pounding temples. The glare of the computer screen was giving him a headache. He couldn’t believe it was time to balance the monthly budget...again. The light tap on his office door was a welcome interruption.

“Come in!” he called, a bit too enthusiastically.

Rosie Garcia opened the door just enough to poke her head in. “There’s someone here to see you,” she announced before quickly retreating.

Wondering who the guest could be, Mac rose from his chair and strode out of his office and into the recreation room where a gaggle of teenage girls, hormones raging, surrounded a tall, handsome man in a naval uniform. With black hair cropped close, stunning blue eyes, and a ready smile, he seemed to be enjoying the attention. As MacGyver made his way across the room, the group of girls parted as if he was Moses and they were the Red Sea.

“Can I help you?” Mac asked, stopping within an arm’s length of the stranger who now aimed his smile at him.

“You don’t remember me, do you, Mac?” the man asked, his grin widening to expose dimples...familiar dimples.

MacGyver thought hard, then his eyes lit on the military issue name tag the man wore proclaiming his surname to be ‘Peters’.

“No way! Mitch Peters?!” The two men vigorously shook hands before Mac pulled Mitch into a one-arm hug. “What are you doing here? How did you find me?”

“I’m in town for the Fourth of July Air and Water Show down in Chicago. My dad said you left the Foundation and I should look you up if I was ever in the area.”

Before MacGyver could reply, Joanna emerged from her office down the hallway, no doubt disturbed by the ruckus. “What’s going on out here?” she asked.

Mac couldn’t miss the megawatt smile Mitch directed towards Jo nor the sliver of jealousy that slid down his own spine at her appreciative gaze. He cleared his throat...loudly, as his arm snaked around her waist to pull her close to his side. “Mitch Peters, I’d like you to meet my fiancée, Joanna Fairfax. I worked on a couple of research and development projects with his father, George, when I was at Phoenix.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mitch,” Jo said, shaking his hand.

“Likewise ma’am. And my friends call me ‘Titan’.”

Joanna’s confused gaze flitted between the two men, causing Mitch to blush ever so slightly before offering an explanation.

“I’m a naval aviator and my call sign is ‘Titan’ thanks to MacGyver here.”

Mac’s eyebrows shot up under his bangs in surprise. “Me? What’d I have to do with that?”

“Remember the watch you gave me for my junior high graduation?”

“Sure,” MacGyver shrugged.

“Remember what it was made from?”

“Titanium,” Mac suddenly recalled.

“Yep! I put it on that day and didn’t take it off until I graduated flight school. I still carry it with me on missions as a sort of good luck charm, so the guys nicknamed me ‘Titan’.”

MacGyver chuckled before asking, “So what are you doing at the show in Chicago? Are you on some type of recruiting mission?”

“Not exactly. I’m one of the pilots for the Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron.” This declaration caused teen girls and boys alike to once again gather around Mitch.

“Why are you here if the show’s in Chicago?” a voice from the back of the group asked.

The pilot turned to stand in front of his admirers. “We flew into the 128th Refueling Wing at Mitchell Field and will be practicing over Lake Michigan off the Milwaukee shoreline because there’s less commercial air traffic and it was easier to clear space for us,” he explained, which only encouraged the kids to pepper him with more questions.

“Whoa, take it easy,” Mac cautioned his charges.

Mitch chuckled and turned to address MacGyver. “Part of the Blue Angel’s mission is to give presentations at schools and community groups. I’m not assigned to any this time around so I’d be happy to come back tomorrow and talk to the kids if it’s okay with you.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Mac agreed.

XXXXX

True to his word, Mitch returned to Challengers the following morning and gave an insightful presentation about teamwork, military service, and the importance of following one’s dreams.

“Can we come see the show?” a club member asked at the conclusion.

“I’d love for all of you to come, but I don’t have enough tickets,” the pilot said with a frown before showing off his trademark pearly-whites. “But if you come down to the lakefront tomorrow afternoon you can catch the full rehearsal.”

A round of cheers went up and Mitch used the opportunity to step away and speak privately with MacGyver and Joanna.

“I hope you can use these on Saturday,” he said as he surreptitiously produced two tickets to the air show from his pocket. “They’re for the press section. I pulled a few strings to get you the best view.”

Mac couldn’t miss how Jo’s eyes brightened as if she had just won the lottery and chuckled to himself. “We’ll use ‘em,” he promised with a grin.

“Great!” Mitch exclaimed, before changing the subject. “Hey Mac, you did some flying back in the day, right?”

“I’ve been in the cockpit a few times,” MacGyver replied modestly as he remembered the last time he piloted a fighter jet. Over ten years ago he had flown into Afghanistan to retrieve a downed U.S. satellite before the Soviets got to it and wound up getting shot and being cared for by a kind, young widow and her son.

“I’ve got some time before our next practice. How about you come with me and I’ll take you up in the two-seater and show you some of our moves?”

This time it was Mac’s eyes that shone. “Thanks! That’s quite an offer.” Belatedly he remembered Joanna standing next to him. “Can she come watch?” he asked.

Before the pilot could answer Jo replied, “Someone has to stay and finish up the reports for the month.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm and MacGyver was about to rethink his response to Mitch when she suddenly smiled wide. “But you go ahead and have a good time,” she encouraged, standing on tiptoe to kiss his cheek.

“Have I told you how much I love you?” Mac whispered in her ear.

“Occasionally,” she answered nonchalantly. “Just remember, you owe me one for this.” With a wink and a grin, she turned away from the two men and headed back to her office. “Have fun!” she called.

A couple hours later, MacGyver tucked his Jeep behind Mitch’s nondescript government-loaned sedan at the security entrance to the 128th Refueling Wing and followed close when the guard waved them through. They stopped on the tarmac, not far from where the iconic blue and gold F/A-18 Hornets stood as if at attention, ready to fly into action at a moment’s notice, grabbed Mac’s attention like a magnet.

“Aren’t they somethin’?” Mitch asked as MacGyver gazed at the jets. “Hard to believe they can be outfitted to return to combat duty on an aircraft carrier in less than seventy-two hours, hey?”

“Yeah,” Mac sighed in appreciation as one of the squadron’s mechanics caught the pilot’s eye.

“Hey Rusty! Find my friend here a G-suit, would ya?” Mitch called as he recaptured MacGyver’s attention and the pair headed toward the hangar.

“That’s alright, Rusty,” Mac replied. “I’m good.”

“But sir, the high levels of acceleration during some of the maneuvers creates a gravitational force that can cause blood to pool in your legs which can lead to loss of consciousness. The G-suit has air bladders, or pockets, if you will, that automatically inflate or deflate to keep your blood flowing properly,” Rusty explained with a tinge of censor in his voice.

“Your pilots don’t wear them because the inflated air bladders can interfere with the control stick and cause un-commanded aircraft movement, but they compensate by methodically tensing their lower extremity muscles and adjusting their breathing accordingly. I can do the same,” MacGyver pointed out, causing Rusty’s jaw to literally drop.

Mitch laughed. “If I didn’t know any better I’d say you’ve been studying up on us.”

Mac shrugged. “I know stuff,” he replied casually.

Soon MacGyver, wearing an official Blue Angel flight uniform and helmet, was strapped into the rear cockpit of one of the prestigious jets.

“You ready to go?” Mitch asked through the intercom in his own helmet as he readied the plane for takeoff.

“You bet,” Mac answered. “I just wish Jo could see this.”

“Oh, she will,” the pilot said mischievously.

“What’d ya mean?” MacGyver asked warily.

“Later today my teammate is taking up a local newscaster in this plane. Your cockpit’s already been set up with cameras and recording equipment. I’m making a souvenir videotape for you!”

“Hey, that’s great,” Mac responded, trying to summon some enthusiasm as Mitch chuckled in his ear. As the plane’s engine roared to life, he secured his oxygen mask over his nose and mouth. At the last moment, he also decided to lower the sun visor on his helmet. Although it was a mostly cloudy day, he didn’t want Joanna to see his eyes roll back in his head if things didn’t go as planned and he ended up passing out despite his determination not to.

“Here we go!” Mitch announced. “The barf bag’s on your right if you need it.”

“Thanks,” Mac said flatly as he checked the security of his harness one last time. Seconds later, the pilot hit the throttle. MacGyver’s head slammed backward into the seat as the jet rocketed skyward.

“So what do ya think?” Mitch asked after they had leveled off, the sleek machine slicing through the air.

“This is great!” Mac exclaimed, peering out the clear canopy at the gray, empty sky as a surge of adrenaline coursed through him.

“Just wait. That was nothin’!” the younger man laughed. “You ready to start pullin’ some hard G’s?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” MacGyver responded.

“When I count down from three, start doing those exercises I taught you and hang on!”

As Mitch called out ‘zero’, the aircraft accelerated into a hard right turn. Mac’s body felt as if it weighed a ton and it took all his concentration to focus on his leg muscles and breathing. Just as his peripheral vision began to blur, the force working against his body subsided and his world returned to normal.

“You okay back there?”

“Couldn’t be better!” MacGyver answered before mumbling, “I’m getting too old for this.”

Later that afternoon, Mac returned to Challengers and was immediately surrounded by a swarm of inquisitive teenagers spewing a multitude of questions his way.

“I come bearing gifts,” he announced as he held up his hands in a plea for silence.

Once the ruckus had died down, a voice in the back asked, “What did ya bring us?”

“This!” Mac declared, showing off a plastic lined paper bag. “My official, and definitely unused, barf bag!”

He smirked as a chorus of “ewwww’s” echoed through his adoring crowd and Joanna, standing off to the side, dramatically rolled her eyes.

“Oh, and I also brought this,” he casually said as he held up the videocassette that had captured the entire flight.

“Cool! Can we watch it right now?” a boy named Terrell asked.

“You bet!” MacGyver led the way to the TV and VCR set-up as everyone gathered around and settled on the floor in front of the screen. Taking the remote control in one hand, and Joanna’s hand in the other, he guided her to a ragged couch where they sat and watched the film. Except for spontaneous “oooh’s” and “ahhh’s” the room was uncommonly quiet. Glancing at Jo, he found her eyes wide and glued to the television as if in a trance. One maneuver caused her to gasp and instinctively put a protective hand on his thigh. Warmth shot up his leg as he smiled and pulled her closer. The next, more complex maneuver had her nails digging into his flesh through his jeans.

“Hey, take it easy,” he chuckled softly. Her head whipped around to meet his gaze and she grimaced as if just realizing what she had done.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “That’s just so...wow!”

“I know,” he concurred with a crooked grin.

Jo loosened herself from his grasp and turned to face him. “Be honest, did you really enjoy doing all that?”

A wide smile immediately blossomed on MacGyver’s face. “Absolutely!”

XXXXX

The Fourth of July was sunny and warm. MacGyver grabbed Joanna’s hand tightly as the two made their way along the crowded Chicago lakefront in anticipation of the day’s activities which would be capped off by the Blue Angels performance. Dressed in navy shorts and a red and white striped tank top, Jo had slathered herself with sunblock that only served to enhance her signature coconut scent and this did not go unnoticed by Mac who longed to get some much-needed private time with his fiancée, but that would have to wait for a few more hours. He stopped short when Jo tugged on his arm.

“Isn’t that Sam and Rebecca?” she asked, holding up her free hand to shade her eyes despite the sunglasses she wore.

MacGyver focused on the cordoned off press area they had been heading to. “That’s them,” he confirmed. “They’re probably covering the event for the Tribune.”

They continued on their way and, after showing their passes to a security guard, approached the young couple. Becca, whose head appeared to be on a swivel as she took in all the activity, was the first to see them. “Hey guys, over here!” she called, waving her hands in the air as Sam turned to see what all the commotion was about.

“What are you guys doin’ here?” Sam asked with a smile as he put down his camera and hugged his father and then Joanna.

“The son of one of Mac’s former colleagues is a Blue Angel pilot,” Jo all but gushed. “He gave us press passes to the show.”

Sam looked at his dad and raised his eyebrows.

“What she said,” Mac grinned. “Are you and Becca covering this for the paper?”

“I am,” Sam replied, turning his attention to his cameras. One was his old trusty thirty-five millimeter, the other was a larger, though still compact, video recorder. “I’m taking stills for the paper and getting some live action film for a local TV news station. They gave me an extra ticket, so I brought Becca.”

“I never thought I’d say this, but for once it’s nice to just take in all the action and not have to worry about writing up a story afterwards,” the young reporter added, excitement in her voice. The comment was followed by the public address announcer asking everyone to take their seats as the show was about to begin.

MacGyver, Rebecca and Joanna sat together on the portable bleachers that had been set up for the occasion while Sam took his cameras and prowled back and forth, searching for the best shots of the performances taking place on the water, stage, and sky. Mac turned to gaze at Jo, the summer sunshine bringing out the golden highlights in her soft brown hair. She munched on popcorn as she watched a synchronized water ski team go through their routine. MacGyver thought back to another Fourth of July two years ago. He and Joanna had driven into the country and sat on a secluded hillside to watch fireworks from several locations around the city. Their budding romance was new and fragile. Mac’s heart swelled with wonder and delight at the difference twenty-four months could make. He had decided weeks ago that tonight they would return to that spot on the hill and make some fireworks of their own. He couldn’t help but chuckle as the old cliche skittered through his brain.

“What’s so funny?” Jo asked, turning and capturing his gaze.

“Remember our first Independence Day together?”

“I do,” Joanna frowned, her eyebrows coming together in a ‘V’. “I don’t remember anything humorous about it,” she stated indignantly.

“There wasn’t --”

“Unless you’re thinking about how you thought Frank Colton was burglarizing your place when we got back from the fireworks and then he convinced you to adopt Frog,” she smiled.

“If I recall correctly, Frank wasn’t the only one lobbying on Frog’s behalf,” he said wryly.

Joanna playfully swatted his shoulder. “You know you love that dog. We should do something special when we get home tonight to celebrate the anniversary of him coming to live with you.”

Mac summoned his crooked, sexy grin. “I was kinda hopin’ you and I could--”. He was abruptly cut off by the PA announcer as the Blue Angels were introduced and a round of thunderous applause drowned out every sound but those of the jets’ screaming engines as they flew over the crowd.

MacGyver grabbed the binoculars he had brought and trained them on the six planes now flying in formation.

“Which one is Mitch?” Joanna asked above the noise.

“Number five,” Mac answered, passing her the field glasses so she could locate the blue aircraft with the gold number ‘5’ painted on its tail.

For the next thirty minutes the crowd, including Mac’s small group, sat mesmerized by the intricate maneuvers performed by the pilots as Sam worked furiously to capture it all on both film and video. During one particularly impressive stunt, MacGyver glanced over at Jo, her eyes wide with awe and admiration. He leaned over and spoke in her ear.

“That’s called the Diamond 360 maneuver. The wing tips are only eighteen inches apart,” he informed her and smiled as she slowly nodded, her attention still fixated on the sky. She applauded along with the others as the planes broke formation to regroup for the next part of their routine.

When the six jets next came together, Mac’s attention had strayed to his son and the events that had brought them to this moment. Lost in his reverie he didn’t hear the collective gasp of the crowd, but he did feel Joanna grasp his bicep as if her life depended on it.

“What’s happening, Mac?” she demanded. “Is that Mitch?”

He looked up to see one of the planes caught in a flat spin and quickly losing altitude as she shoved the binoculars into his hands. MacGyver quickly focused the glasses and trained them on the distressed jet. His heart sunk to his toes when he caught a glimpse of the number five on its tail. “Take it easy, Mitch. Get control. You’ve trained for this,” Mac instructed under his breath as if the young pilot could hear him.

Now standing with the rest of the crowd, Joanna held on to him even tighter. “Why isn’t he ejecting?” she asked, her voice laced with fear.

The space between the fighter jet and lake surface was rapidly decreasing and Mitch was still in the spin. “C’mon, kid, punch out,” MacGyver pleaded in a choked whisper. Just when he was sure both plane and pilot were going to hit the water with deadly force, the canopy of the jet lifted and Mitch, still strapped into his seat, rocketed upward into the sky before the attached parachute opened and lowered his limp body to a not-so-gentle splash down a safe distance from where the jet had crashed into Lake Michigan.

After the initial shock of the accident, things happened rapidly. The Coast Guard, on hand for a performance of their own, immediately scrambled both air and watercraft and headed to the crash site as the public address announcer’s booming voice commanded all observers to stay in their seats per emergency safety protocol until event officials could begin escorting the large crowd from the site. Joanna and Rebecca huddled together in horror while MacGyver scrambled down the bleachers and ran toward the staging area, Sam close on his heels, before they were met by a wall of security officers who instructed them to clear the area as emergency vehicles began to arrive.

XXXXX

Hours later, MacGyver sat helplessly on a worn couch in the waiting room of Chicago’s elite trauma center. Joanna curled up next to him, her head resting on his shoulder as they held hands, each giving and receiving comfort from the other. From outside, he heard the muffled boom of exploding fireworks. Fireworks he had planned to be part of a romantic evening with Jo, but now they only reminded him of the sickening thud of Mitch’s jet hitting the water. His musings were interrupted as a middle-aged man wearing a disheveled suit and tie entered the room. Wild eyes set in a haggard face lit on Mac. “Where’s my boy, MacGyver? What are the doctor’s saying?” he demanded.

Mac rose slowly, pulling Joanna up with him, and shook his head. “He’s still in surgery for internal bleeding and other injuries. That’s all they’ll tell me.”

“I figured as much, but I was hoping for more,” the man sighed.

MacGyver felt Jo squeeze his hand and belatedly remembered his manners. “George, this is my fiancée, Joanna Fairfax. Jo, this is Mitch’s dad, George Peters.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Joanna said with a small smile as the two shook hands. “I wish it could be under better circumstances.”

Any further conversation was quickly aborted as a surgeon, still in his scrubs, entered the waiting area. “You’re here for Mitchell Peters?” he asked the trio.

Mac and Jo nodded while George introduced himself. “How is he, doc?” the elder man asked.

“Quite honestly, he’s lucky to be alive,” the surgeon said. “We were able to stop the bleeding, but he also has a broken ankle, dislocated shoulder, a few cracked ribs and a concussion. Amazingly, he’s holding his own. You’ve got one tough kid, there.”

“When can I see him?” Mr. Peters asked.

“He’ll be in recovery for a couple hours before we move him to ICU for observation. He’ll sleep through the night if not longer. If all goes well, you should be able to see him around noon tomorrow. In the meantime, I suggest you get some rest yourselves.”

“I suppose the good doctor is right,” George conceded reluctantly.

“Do you need a ride or a place to stay?” MacGyver asked his former colleague.

“I reserved a hotel room and rented a car at the airport. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“Okay, then, we’ll drive home to Milwaukee, but I’ll come back down tomorrow to check on Mitch,” Mac told him.

Late the following morning, MacGyver made his way to the intensive care unit where a nurse escorted him to Mitch’s room with a warning not to stay too long. Not surprisingly, Mr. Peters was already there, seated in a straight-backed chair next to his son’s bed. With a cast on his leg, an arm in a sling, bruises on his face, and wires and tubes leading to various IV’s and monitors, the injured pilot’s head was slightly raised so he could see his visitors.

“How ya doin’?” Mac asked, trying to sound cheerful as he entered the room.

“Like I hit the deck of a carrier doin’ Mach 1,” Mitch groaned.

“Well, you’re not too far off,” MacGyver teased and was rewarded with a small grin.

“I’m glad you’re here, Mac,” George said. “I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Oh, Dad,” Mitch muttered.

“Sure, whatever you need,” MacGyver agreed, glancing between his two friends.

George got up from his chair and straightened to his full height. Even now, after all these years, he could be a formidable man. “I called in some favors this morning and got you clearance to take a look at Mitch’s plane. Well, what’s left of it, anyway.”

“Daaad,” Mitch protested hoarsely, but was summarily ignored.

Despite the growing tension in the room Mac asked, “What, exactly, am I looking for?”

“The cause of the crash, of course!” George replied, his frustration mounting.

“Doesn’t the Navy usually handle the investigation?”

“Yes, and I heard rumors that preliminary reports cite pilot error as the cause. My son is one of the top fighter pilots in the United States Navy and I will not have anyone, much less our government, besmirch the Peters’ name. You were the best agent at Phoenix, if they missed something, you’ll find it!”

“But Dad, it was my fault,” Mitch insisted weakly from his bed.

“That’s nonsense! You’re an excellent pilot!” George protested.

“Hold on, you two,” MacGyver intervened. “Mitch, why don’t you tell me exactly what happened up there yesterday?”

The young man averted his eyes and when he spoke, his voice cracked. “I made a rookie mistake and got caught in the jet wash of the plane in front of me. I might have blacked out for a second, I don’t know, but I couldn’t pull myself out of the spin.”

“Oh poppycock!” his father retorted. “There’s no way you could make such a basic error and I’m sure you did everything you could to save the plane. There has to be some other explanation!”

“Okay, just knock it off!” Mac instructed. “I’ll go poke around and see if anything got overlooked.”

On his way to the airport, MacGyver pulled out his cell phone and called his own son.

“Hey Dad, what’s up?” Sam asked.

“Do you still have the video you took of the air show?”

“Yeah, I made a copy before I sent it over to the television station.”

“Good. Can you get a hold of tapes from other Blue Angels performances within the past couple months?”

“I guess. What’s going on?”

Mac sighed. “Mr. Peters wants me to determine the cause of Mitch’s crash. More specifically, he wants me to rule out pilot error. I’m headed over to look at the wreckage now, but if you could take a look at the videos I’d really appreciate it.”

“Sure, no problem,” Sam agreed. “But what am I looking for?”

MacGyver recalled saying those same exact words less than an hour earlier. “I don’t know but focus on Mitch. Compare his performance from yesterday to previous ones. Look for something that doesn’t seem right. Stuff like that.”

“I’ll give it a shot!” Sam promised.

XXXXX

MacGyver stood and stretched out his long frame as he scrubbed his tired eyes with the heels of his hands. He didn’t know how long he had been crouched on the hangar floor meticulously examining every remaining piece of Mitch’s jet under high intensity lights in the otherwise dark interior, but he knew it was time for a break. And he still hadn’t found anything to indicate the cause was something other than pilot error, just as Mitch had insisted.

“Who’s there?” a vaguely familiar voice called, the sound echoing through the steel and concrete structure.

“Rusty? It’s me, MacGyver. Mitch Peter’s friend.”

The mechanic threw the main light switch, squinting against the sudden brightness. “What are you doing here?” he asked accusingly, advancing towards Mac. “This hangar is off limits except to government personnel.”

“Yeah, I know. Mitch’s dad pulled some strings to get me clearance. I’m just tryin’ to find anything that might have caused the accident.”

“Well, you won’t find anything wrong with the plane. I know these jets like the back of my own hand and I personally did the pre-flight check on this one. If one bolt had been crooked I wouldn’t have let it fly. The cause of the accident is laying in a hospital bed.”

“You sure about that?” MacGyver challenged.

“Hey, look man, Mitch is one of my best friends, but he made a mistake yesterday. Every pilot does at one time or another, usually more than once.” Rusty stopped and shrugged, “Actually, I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner given the way he’s been--”

“What, Rusty?” Mac demanded. “How’s he been?”

The mechanic sighed and stared at the floor. “He’s been hot-doggin’ during practice and even logging extra flight time. He pushes the plane, and himself, to the limit. The team’s commanding officer has even called him on it a few times, but he keeps at it.”

“Was he always like that?”

Rusty paused a moment to think then shook his head. “Naw. He’s always worked harder than any of the other pilots, but he’s only gotten reckless recently.”

“Thanks, I appreciate the info.”

“No problem,” the mechanic replied, pulling up his sleeve to look at his watch. “It’s getting late. How about we both head out and you can get a fresh start in the morning?”

MacGyver didn’t hear the suggestion because his attention was riveted on Rusty’s timepiece. “Where’d you get that watch?” he asked.

“Mitch gave it to me yesterday morning. He said it was a ‘thank you’ for all my hard work and friendship. I know it’s his good luck charm and I tried to give it back, told him he could buy me a steak dinner instead, but he insisted I keep it. Maybe if he had had it with him, he wouldn’t have crashed.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Mac muttered as he and Rusty headed out of the building.

Even though the hour was late, MacGyver decided to return to the hospital to check on his friend and explain what he had found. Or, more precisely, what he hadn’t found, but he couldn’t get the mechanic’s words out of his mind. Mitch had always been pretty fearless. You needed to be in order to do his job, but he had never been careless. And then there was the watch. His cell phone rang, interrupting his thoughts, and he quickly answered the call.

“Hey Dad, I think I found something! Can you come over and take a look?”

“I’m on my way!” MacGyver checked for nearby traffic before making a U-turn and heading for his son’s apartment.

Sam was waiting by the door when Mac arrived. “C’mon, you gotta see this,” he urged as MacGyver sank down into the worn sofa across from the television set where Sam now stood.

“This first video is the maneuver Mitch crashed on, but it’s from a performance last month.”

Mac watched carefully, honing in on Mitch’s jet. He watched as it, being the last plane to join the formation, slid in smoothly behind the others.

“I don’t see anything unusual,” MacGyver commented.

Sam nodded. “There isn’t anything unusual. That’s the way he always sets up for this stunt.” He paused to eject the current cassette and put in a new one. “Okay, this is the video I took of the same maneuver at the show yesterday.”

Mac watched as Mitch guided his jet into the formation. Only this time, instead of approaching the leading plane head-on, he brought his own plane in at an odd angle. The jet immediately began to shutter.

“Turn it off,” MacGyver commanded, not wanting to have to re-watch the coming spin and crash.

“I don’t get it,” Sam said, plopping down next to his dad. “Why did he change his approach? Do you think there was something wrong with the plane and he was having trouble handling it even before he got caught in the jet wash?”

“There was nothing wrong with the plane,” Mac confirmed. “But I think I know why he changed his pattern.”

Once again MacGyver headed back to the hospital. He needed to talk to Mitch...alone. He parked his Jeep in a shadowed corner of the lot. It was getting late and George would be leaving soon. It wasn’t long before Mr. Peters walked through the sliding glass doors and headed to his car. Mac waited until the sedan’s taillights were out of sight before getting out of his own vehicle. Once inside the hospital he headed directly to Mitch’s room in ICU, ignoring the glares of the nurses who were obviously perturbed at his appearance after visiting hours.

“Mac, what are you doing here?” Mitch asked. “Did you find the cause of the crash?”

“Yeah, I did,” MacGyver spat. “There was nothing wrong with the plane and there was no pilot error. Wanna tell me why you tried to kill yourself up there?”

Mac’s glare was met with a look of resignation. “How did you figure it out?”

“Gee, where should I start?” Mac asked sarcastically. “Maybe it was the fact that I couldn’t find anything mechanically wrong with your jet. Or that Rusty told me you’ve been doin’ a lot of reckless flyin’ lately. Or maybe it’s that you gave Rusty the watch you’ve been carrying with you since you were a kid! But ya know what really gave it away?”

Mitch remained silent, his eyes down.

“I looked at tapes of your performance. You changed your approach to that stunt yesterday to make sure you’d get caught in the jet wash and the whole thing would get swept under the carpet as one big accident. Only you couldn’t go through with and decided to eject at the last second.”

“You don’t understand,” the pilot mumbled, his face turned toward the window.

“Then make me understand,” Mac pleaded, his tone gentle now.

Mitch was silent for several minutes before turning to face MacGyver. When he spoke, his voice was flat and his eyes appeared to be focused on something far away.

“I’m on my last tour with the Angels,” he began. “After we wrap up this season’s schedule I’m headed back to a carrier in the Persian Gulf. But I can’t do it. I can’t go back. I’ve seen too much suffering and destruction. Hell, I’ve caused a lot of it! And what do I get? A medal pinned on my chest and heart full of guilt and fear that never goes away.”

“Have you talked to your dad about this?” Mac asked softly.

“My dad’s the last person I’d talk to about this,” Mitch grunted. “He thinks I’m perfect. He’s always bragging about his son, the hot-shot pilot. You heard him earlier, he refused to accept the fact that I could have caused the crash. I can do no wrong in his eyes.”

“He’s just proud of you.”

“Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep living up to his expectations? I have to work harder, fly better, and have more successful missions than anyone else and I just can’t do it anymore. Being a part of the Angels has shown me the good side of humanity and that’s what I wanna keep seein’. I don’t want to go back to a life of war.”

“You know you hafta tell him about all of this, right?”

Mitch nodded, tears streaming down his bruised cheeks.

“The sooner the better,” Mac prodded.

“He’ll be back first thing in the morning. I’ll tell him then, before I lose my nerve.”

“Good man,” MacGyver said, clasping Mitch’s uninjured shoulder.

“Could you do me a favor, Mac?”

“Anything.”

“Be here when I tell him.”

“Count on it.”

XXXXX

MacGyver stretched out on his couch, his head resting comfortably in Joanna’s lap as her slender fingers combed through his hair sending pleasant electrical currents through his body.

“It’s just so hard to believe,” she mused. “Mitch seemed so confident and care-free and happy. How did his dad take the news?”

“Surprisingly well,” Mac said. “He was shocked, of course, and didn’t realize the pressure he was puttin’ on the kid, but he promised to support Mitch and be there for him no matter what. I guess it just proves that we really don’t have any idea what a person is going through on the inside.”

“What’s gonna happen to Mitch now?” Jo asked.

“Once he’s had some time to recuperate there’ll be a psychological evaluation. My guess is the Navy will give him a medical discharge. After that, who knows.”

“Mac, let’s make a promise.”

The soft, serious tone of Joanna’s voice caused MacGyver to sit up. Turning towards her he noticed the sheen in her eyes. “Okay,” he assured her, taking her hands into his.

“Let’s promise to always talk about stuff that’s bothering us and not hide our feelings from each other no matter what. I don’t want either of us ending up like Mitch.”

“You got it, baby,” Mac vowed as his hands left hers only to cup her face and guide her lips to his.


















Posted by: Dragondog 8 March 2021 - 11:24 PM
I know i'm like, super behind now, life's been weird right now. I'll try to make up for it by reviewing the first two chapters at once. I'll do the newest chapter later this week.

QUOTE
Frog followed the car to the end of the driveway and sat there whining until she was far out of sight.
Awww, Frog sad.gif

QUOTE

“They were a minute ago,” Rosie answered before calling to her son. “Raul! Come introduce your friend to Mr. MacGyver!” She then gave Mac a smirk he couldn’t define as Geena choked back a laugh.
Let me guess - Freddie's a girl?

QUOTE

He watched as Rosie’s son emerged from the sea of teenage bodies, a tall, skinny girl with long, straight, black hair following him. MacGyver’s jaw dropped and the two women behind him began to giggle at the sight.

“Hi! This is my new friend!” Raul announced.
Yep, called it laugh.gif

QUOTE

“Ma, I’m gonna walk Freddie home. She has another stomach ache.”
Uh ohhhhhhh

QUOTE

“She is,” Geena replied, “But she called and asked if I could cover for her today. When she got home yesterday, Raul had a stomach ache and hardly ate any dinner. He was still sick this morning, so she wanted to stay home in case he needs her.”

Mac grinned. “Thanks for the report. He probably just caught a twenty-four hour bug. I’ll try to check in on him later.” As he strode toward his office, he found Jo already there, leaning against the outer wall, Frog laying at her feet.
And no one's connecting the dots yet, eh?

QUOTE

“I thought the city took ownership and condemned those buildings years ago.”
Oh. Oh no.

QUOTE

“How about you come on over for dinner tonight. I wanna stop and check on Raul so I’ll pick something up on the way.”
I can just picture whatever virus is going around singing "I like to move it move it" at Mac's visit as it spreads.

QUOTE


Rosie shook her head. “Joanna had them yesterday. They’re probably still in her office, but she’s not in yet.”
Hmmm...

QUOTE
His heart turned to a lead ball that sank to his stomach as he found pictures of dresses, bouquets, and other wedding must-haves circled but then scratched out, handwritten notes in the margins scribbled over. His brain latched onto the only logical reason. She had changed her mind about marrying him.
These two always assume the worst...

QUOTE

Hurt and anger launched him out of the chair. “Finding out the hard way why you don’t wanna move. Finding out that you don’t want to get married! That’s what I’m doing!” He slammed the magazine down on her desk and brushed past her toward the door.
Just as exasperating as they'e always been tongue.gif

QUOTE
A few have been diagnosed with learning difficulties, but many of them have missed too many days due to illness, head and stomach aches in particular, to be able to keep up with normal class
So the stomach aches are connected after all.

QUOTE

“In that case, I was wondering if the offer to move into Charlie’s old apartment was still good.”

“Sure is,” Mac confirmed.

“Then I’d like to take you up on it. After all, we spend so much time together anyway it would just be practical.”

MacGyver removed his hand from hers and slipped both his arms around her waist. “Very practical,” he murmured as he lowered his lips to hers.
This is a big step for these two biggrin.gif

Next chapter

QUOTE
Two potatoes sat side-by-side with a wire connecting them while other wires connected each potato to a digital clock display.
Oh Mac laugh.gif

QUOTE

“Thanks,” she finally replied. “I’ve always wanted a vegetable bomb.”
roller.gif

QUOTE

Now Mac did chuckle as he removed his creation from the box and set it on the breakfast bar. “It’s not a bomb,” he assured her. “It’s an alarm clock that you can use as a kitchen timer. It runs off the current from the potatoes.”
The Irish are taking over everything.

QUOTE

“I’ll see you in the morning then,” Mac confirmed as he headed toward the door. “C’mon Frog, time to go home, buddy!” he called to the sleeping canine whose only response was a snuffle and a grunt.
Frog is just straight-up "I like mom better" XD

Okay, they need to make a doggy door for Frog in the wall between them or something XD

There we go, they had the same idea.

QUOTE


“I meant a doggy door! That is a people door!”

“Guess you should’ve been more specific,” he smirked.
Maaaaaac laugh.gif

QUOTE

Mac squeezed his eyes shut in dismay and leaned down to whisper in Jo’s ear. “If we close all the doors and stay very, very quiet, maybe he’ll go away.”
Introvets be like

QUOTE
“You hungry? I could make some pancakes.”

“Is that the only thing you know how to cook?”

MacGyver set the suitcase down next to the couch and shrugged. “I could whip up a tofu casserole.”

“I’ll get the maple syrup,” Jack declared.
Ha XD

QUOTE

“Don’t worry about me, amigo. I’m not goin’ anywhere until my gold is safely aboard.”
And Mac dry.gif

I think the knife was laced with poison.

Or decompression sickness, I guess that works too XD

QUOTE
“What happened?” she demanded.

“Mac had a little, um, mishap during the dive. We’re at the hospital now.”
Jack doesn't have the best tact, does he?

QUOTE

“MacGyver’s going to be fine,” Wendi Vang, trauma nurse, wife of Attorney Lee Vang, and friend to Jo and Mac assured her. “He’s receiving treatment for decompression sickness as we speak.”
One could also argue that even if she wasn't a friend of theirs, that she'd still recognize them due to their constant visits there XD

QUOTE


Joanna turned to find Mac’s front door smashed to bits, shards of glass laying all around. “C’mon, we’ll call the cops from my place,” she said, putting a guiding hand on Jack’s arm.
I mean, I'd be worried that there'd be people still there, and there's only a door in the wall between your homes...

QUOTE
Even the silly yellow rubber duck he insisted on keeping on the kitchen counter remained though it had been tossed into the living room.
I see what you did there wink.gif

QUOTE

“What happened to my door?!” he yelled.

“It’s not what you think, MacGyver,” Jack responded. “This time it wasn’t me. It was this.” He held up a brick. “Well, not this, the cops took the real one for evidence.”

“Cops?! What cops?!”
I repeat, Jack sucks at tact.

QUOTE

“A new guy named Erik just got hired on about a month ago. He’s young, adventurous, never stays in one place too long, you know the kind.”

Mac glared at his friend, Jack’s words hitting a little too close to home.
Pfft XD

QUOTE

Mac,
I know I got you into this mess so I’m gonna get you outta it. See ya later!
Jack
Oh Jack, you mean well.

QUOTE
Mac guided his boat next to the one that appeared to be the same rental they had used for his dive the day before.
Has it really been a day?

QUOTE
There he found Jack, sitting on the floor, hands bound behind his back and legs tied together.
Oh Jack, you tried.

QUOTE
Mac had barely turned his head to look behind him when something blunt and heavy connected with the back of his skull. He fell forward, his vision blurring seconds before he lost consciousness.
Take a shot every time Mac gets knocked unconscious. Now you have alcohol poisoning.

QUOTE

Back at Challengers several hours later, Joanna’s face was void of color as Jack regaled her with the events of the morning.
Jack really, REALLY isn't great at tact XD

QUOTE
She rose from her chair to hug Jack and give him a peck on the cheek
Jo's feeling affectionate, apparently.

QUOTE

“I did. Ya know that old saying, ‘All that glitters is not gold’? I guess it’s true. Maybe it’s time I give up my treasure hunting.”

“Glad to hear it,” Mac grinned, clapping Jack on the shoulder with his free hand.
I don't believe him XD


Posted by: uniquelyjas 9 March 2021 - 06:05 AM
I've missed you, Dragondog!!! But I TOTALLY understand "busy". That's why it took so long for me to get back posting again and I'm falling behind once again!! I loved your comments...they always make me smile/laugh! Be well!!

Posted by: uniquelyjas 21 March 2021 - 11:21 AM
Author’s Note: This is dedicated to my best friend and fellow fan fic writer, Sanguine. Without her, this chapter would not exist.

Chapter 59: Strangers in New Hope


MacGyver leaned back against Joanna’s kitchen counter and popped another grape into his mouth as he watched her slice strawberries over a large glass bowl.

“So, tell me again why I wasn’t invited to this party.”

Jo let out a long-suffering sigh, put down the paring knife she’d been using, and turned to address him, one hand on her hip. “It’s not a party,” she clarified. “I’m just having some friends over for the evening.”

“Who’s comin’?” Mac asked, plucking a pineapple chunk from the can beside the bowl containing Jo’s in-progress fruit salad.

Joanna took a deep breath and recited the list, “Rosie, Geena, and Cynthia. And Sam agreed to hang out with Pete so Rebecca’s coming with Connie.”

“They’re my friends, too. Why can’t I stay?” MacGyver asked, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

“Fine,” Jo huffed. “You can stay. As long as you don’t complain about chick flicks and girl talk.”

Mac pushed himself away from the counter. “Hmm, when you put it like that, maybe I’ll just go over to my place and pop an old Western into the VCR.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Jo agreed with a smile and a slight flush. “And take him, too.” She went over to the coffee table and bent down, grabbing Frog’s collar and hauling him out from one of his favorite napping spots. “Tonight this is a testosterone-free zone!”

“What’s wrong with testosterone?” Mac argued.

“Nothing, but sometimes it’s nice to just have some ‘girl time’.”

MacGyver couldn’t help but laugh. “Okay, but at the stroke of midnight, all bets are off!” He heard her giggle behind him as he urged their shared canine companion through the interior door connecting their apartments.

Frog headed straight for Mac’s coffee table where he settled with a snuffle and more than a little drool as Mac tossed himself on the couch, TV remote in hand. “Women,” he muttered to the dog. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand them!” He pressed the ‘play’ button and settled in for the night with one of his favorite movies, his eyelids quickly becoming heavy.


New Hope, Nebraska
February 1865

Anna was fixing oatmeal at the wood-burning stove when MacGyver approached from behind, wrapping his arms snuggly around her trim waist and nuzzling her neck. “Do you know what today is, Mrs. MacGyver?” he asked.

Anna turned around to face him without leaving his grasp. She still held the spoon she had been using to stir the porridge and fixed her large, brown, guileless eyes on his. “I do believe it’s Thursday,” she replied, before turning back to her daily task.

“You know what I mean,” Mac admonished as he let go of his wife and grabbed the coffee pot instead.

Anna MacGyver laughed and gave her husband her full attention. “Of course I know what today is. I’m just surprised you remembered!”

“What makes you think I could forget our first wedding anniversary?! After all, I had you marry me on Valentine’s Day so I wouldn’t forget!” That little comment earned him a playful slap with the towel his wife had wrapped around the handle of the hot cast iron pot.

“Hey! Be nice to me or I won’t give you your gift,” he warned.

Anna suddenly turned serious. “I thought we agreed not to buy gifts in order to save some money to make improvements on the ranch this spring.”

“Who said anything about buying a gift?” Mac countered.

Just then, Sammy barreled into the room, his enthusiasm barely contained. “Pa, when can we give Ma the special present you made for her?”

MacGyver’s heart warmed to hear his seven-year-old son call Anna ‘Ma’. The boy had gone through some rough patches adjusting to the loss of his birth mother, Kate, but hopefully the worst was behind him.

“I’d say right about now would be a good time,” Mac declared. “You stay here and make sure your ma doesn’t peek while I go get it from the barn.”

“The barn!” Anna exclaimed. “Angus MacGyver you better not be bringing any livestock into my house!”

“Guess you’ll just have to wait and see,” Mac chuckled as he walked through the door.

Maneuvering his special gift into the house was a bit more challenging than MacGyver had anticipated, but thanks to careful measurements, he was able to get it safely into the living room and set it next to the fireplace as quietly as possible.

“Okay, you can open your eyes now,” he told Anna as Sammy grabbed her by the hand and led her to where her gift sat.

“Oh, Mac, it’s absolutely gorgeous! I can’t believe you did all this yourself...and in secret!”

“You know all those nights I said I had to stay in the barn and tend to a horse with colic?”

Anna nodded.

“Well, it wasn’t a horse with colic I had to tend to.”

Anna slowly slid her hand along the smooth, shiny wood of the intricately hand carved rocking chair her husband had made for her. Then she turned and wrapped her arms around him, melding her lips to his as one hand raked through his long, unruly hair.

“I reckon you like it,” MacGyver said huskily once they broke the kiss.

“I love it! Now I guess I should give you your gift.”

“I thought we agreed not to buy gifts this year,” Mac parroted her earlier words back at her.

“I know, but this is such a special day I couldn’t help it! I still have a little money saved up from when I was teaching and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend it.” Anna dug into her skirt pocket and produced a small rectangular box, wrapped in brown paper and tied with a string.

Like a kid on Christmas Morning, Mac tore into the package. He lifted the cover to find a shiny new pocket knife he had seen on display at the General Store.

“Do you like it?” Anna asked shyly.

“I love it! I just about wrecked my other one makin’ that chair of yours so this is perfect!” He swept her into his arms and kissed her soundly.

“If you two are gonna keep gettin’ all mushy, I’m goin’ to school,” Sammy declared, as he grabbed his books and headed outside shaking his head in dismay. He would never understand adults.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“We’re lost, aren’t we?” the woman asked the man beside her who was driving their small covered wagon down the trail. Though the trail seemed to be more well-traveled here than in other places, she still suspected that they’d been going around in circles. “You can be honest with me. I can take it.”

“No, we are not lost,” replied the man with a slight French accent.

“There aren’t any trees or other landmarks out here. How can you be so sure?”

“Just trust me. It is not far,” the man answered, his frustration with his traveling companion mounting.

“I hope you're right,” the woman challenged. “These lanterns won’t last for much longer, and I’d rather not freeze to death tonight in the middle of nowhere.”

The man rolled his eyes. “You will live,” he muttered.

“You don’t know that! I might not!”

“Must you be so contrary, mon cheri?”

“Perhaps.”

The man heaved a heavy sigh. “You could at least try to be cheerful. Think of this as an adventure, no?”

“I’ll be a lot more cheerful when we’re out of the cold. I’m freezing,” the woman complained.

“I promise it is not far. Please, try and calm yourself.”

“How do you know how far it is? Have you been here before?”

“Of course not,” the man soothed, “But given the amount of time we have been driving it only makes sense.”

“Fine. I’ll trust you,” the woman huffed.

They rode in silence for a few moments until some nocturnal creature scurried through the brush and spooked the horse. Whinnying in alarm, the large bay bolted down the trail, leaving his driver to frantically tug at the reins, calling out to the horse in French in as calm a tone as possible. And just as quickly as the horse had taken off, he stopped dead in his tracks. The wagon lurched dangerously, sending the Frenchman rolling to the ground in a most unceremonious fashion. The woman, who had been clinging to the edge of her seat since the horse had taken off, jumped out of the wagon and rushed to her companion’s side.

The man groaned in pain. “I am all right,” he assured her, rubbing his legs. “But I cannot get back into the wagon by myself thanks to these useless limbs of mine, and I fear you are not strong enough to assist me in that endeavor. We are not far from the next town. Take one of the lanterns and follow the trail until you come upon someone willing to help us in our plight,” he instructed.

“I’ll hurry,” the woman promised, as she grabbed a lantern and took off as fast as she could down the cold, dark trail.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“It sure is chilly out there tonight,” MacGyver announced as he warmed his hands by the fireplace.

“And it’s sure to get colder before it gets warmer,” replied Anna. “But at least the winter solstice is well past us.”

“What’s that?” asked Sammy, looking up from the primer he was using to practice his reading.

“The winter solstice is the longest night of the year,” Anna explained. “It happened right before Christmas. Haven’t you noticed that the sky stays brighter just a bit longer these days?”

“Yeah! Then that means spring will be here soon and I can play outside longer!”

“That’s right,” MacGyver assured his son, affection for his family glowing in his eyes. “It won’t be long now!”

Just then, there was a timid knock at the door. In fact, it was so quiet Mac wasn’t even sure he had heard it. Then it sounded again, bolder and more insistent.

“I wonder who that could be way out here at this time of night?” Anna said, her eyebrows frowning to form a V on her forehead.

MacGyver grabbed the knob and swung the door inward to discover a brown-haired woman in her mid-twenties standing on the other side of the threshold. Her traveling dress was dusty, and her bonnet askew. No sooner had he made eye-contact then words poured from her lips.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but I need your help! My fiance and I...our horse bolted and threw him out of the wagon. He said he isn’t hurt but I’m not so sure. If you could just come and help me get him back into the wagon I’d surely appreciate it and I promise not to bother you again.”

“It’s not a bother,” Mac said, grabbing his coat. “Now just tell me where your wagon is.”

“It’s down that trail,” she said, pointing in the direction from which she had come. “I’m not sure how far it is, but I can take you there.”

MacGyver shook his head. “Come in the house and warm up. I can find it on my own as soon as I saddle up.”

The woman shook her head stubbornly, backing away from the cozy home. “I’m coming with you,” she insisted.

“I promise I will help your fiance. Now go inside. I’m sure my wife already has something warm for you to drink on the stove.”

She shook her head again. “We don’t have time to argue. I’m going. I have to.”

Mac sighed inwardly. Why did women always have to be so difficult? “All right, let’s go,” he said, ushering the woman towards the barn but not before turning to give Anna a quick kiss goodbye. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back before we need to tuck Sammy in.”

XXXXX

As MacGyver expected, he easily found the wagon about a half mile from his homestead. The couple had obviously been on their way to New Hope when the accident happened. After approaching the wagon, he halted Dexter, his favorite horse, and dismounted. He turned to assist the woman who had ridden behind him and was surprised to see her already standing on the ground. She motioned for him to follow her to the other side of the wagon.

“Rachelle? Is that you?” a French-accented voice called out.

“Yes, it’s me. I brought help. Are you still all right?”

“Oui, but I now believe my ankle to be twisted.” He chuckled humorlessly. “Not that I can use it anyway.” He pushed himself to a sitting position. “You brought the cavalry, I see,” his dark, assessing eyes sending a chill up Mac’s spine.

“Name’s MacGyver. Nice to meet you,” he said, stepping forward to help the Frenchman.

“Indeed. I am Jacques Leroux. If you please, pull me closer to the wagon so I can grab onto it. Unfortunately, I am without the use of my legs from a previous carriage mishap.”

MacGyver complied, noting that the man was a bit accident prone, as together with Rachelle they managed to ease Jacques back into the wagon.

“We have a doctor in town,” Mac informed them. “I can take you to see him tomorrow. Until then, you’re welcome to stay the night with my family. Under the circumstances, I don’t think my wife would mind. If fact, she would insist on it.”

“Nonsense! We cannot impose!” Jacques exclaimed.

“Please,” MacGyver replied. “It’s too cold to argue. Are you able to drive the wagon?”

“Of course. I presume you will lead the way?”

“Yep,” Mac agreed, swinging onto Dexter’s back and heading him toward home.

XXXXX

“MacGyver!” Anna cried with relief when her husband came through the door. “It took you longer than I expected. Is everything all right?”

“Just fine,” Mac replied with a comforting smile, “But I hope you don’t mind that I brought a couple visitors to spend the night.”

Much to Anna’s surprise, the brunette woman from earlier slowly entered the house, pushing a lean mustachioed man in a wooden wheelchair.

“Good evening, again,” the woman offered shyly.

MacGyver cleared his throat. “This is my wife, Anna, and my son, Sammy.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you and your family, my darling,” the man cooed, taking Anna’s hand and gently placing a kiss on it, earning a blush from her and a raised eyebrow from her husband. “I am Jacques Laroux and my lovely companion is Miss Rachelle Mershon.”

“Hi, Mister!” Sammy blurted out, immediately darting from behind his mother’s skirt toward the Frenchman. “Why do you sound funny? Are you from a different country or somethin’? The last guy who talked funny was from England. He tried to kill Ma and Pa and kidnap me! Why are you in a chair with wheels on it? Did you make it like Pa made a chair for Ma?”

“Whoa, Sammy, slow down there,” MacGyver admonished. “I’m sure our guests are very tired. They were just in an accident.”

Sammy’s eyes grew wide. “What kinda accident? Are you alright? Your horse wasn’t hurt, was he?”

Jacques smiled and allowed a small chuckle to escape. “What a charming little boy! Very curious, no? To answer your questions, young man, I am from a country called France. It is in Europe. Rather close to where your English friend hales from, but I intend your family no harm. And no, I did not make this wheelchair, but I must use it because my legs were paralyzed in an accident several years ago. But tonight, both Rachelle and myself are fine, thanks to your father.”

“Okay, Sammy, I think that’s enough excitement for one night,” MacGyver declared. “Time for bed.” He scooped up his protesting son and carried him down the hallway to tuck him into bed while Anna and Rachelle busied themselves with setting up a place in the main room for the visitors to sleep. In the small house, he couldn’t help but overhear their conversation.

“You must have had a long journey,” Anna commented. “May I ask where you’re from?”

“Kentucky,” Rachelle replied softly. “Near Hodgen’s Mill. Where are you and your husband from?”

“I came to New Hope from Chicago and Mac and Sammy came from Boston. What brings you out West?”

“Jacques, mostly. It’s a long story,” the young woman sighed.

“I’ll bet it is,” Anna said slyly. “Where were you headed before the accident?”

“We were hoping to settle in the Wyoming Territory.”

“Then you still have a long way to go,” Anna informed her.

“We do, but we’ll get there eventually. We really appreciate your help and hospitality.”

Anna smiled warmly, “It’s no problem. Mac and I try to help others whenever we can.”

The next morning, while Rachelle helped Anna prepare breakfast, the two men went outside to survey the damage done to the wagon.

“It looks like there isn’t a whole lot of damage, but I don’t think that axle will hold for a long trip. Where did you say you were headed?”

“Wyoming Territory,” Jacques replied in disappointment. “Do you believe we will need a new axle?”

“I’d suggest getting one as soon as possible. In the meantime, I can fix it up good enough for getting around New Hope, but it’s a long way to Wyoming and you’ll need something sturdy enough for the rough trail ahead.”

“I was afraid of that,” Jacques muttered, mindlessly stroking his mustache. “Is there a place in town where I could get the wagon fixed?”

“Yep. There’s a wainwright next to the general store. I can take you there after I finish the morning chores.”

“Thank you, but that will not be necessary. Rachelle and I will find it. We have made it this far, after all.”

“Well, good luck getting her away from my wife,” MacGyver chuckled. “There aren’t a lot of womenfolk nearby for Anna to talk to and it seems that she and Rachelle have really hit it off.”

Jacques scoffed to himself but then reluctantly agreed. “Very well. That is, of course, if you can convince her to stay behind. She is...how you say? ‘Stubborn as a mule’, no?”

MacGyver grinned, “I noticed that last night, but something tells me Anna is more than a match for her.”

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Much to Jacque’s surprise, MacGyver was more than correct in his prediction about Rachelle and Anna. In fact, not only were they content to stay at the ranch, but they seemed to be rapidly becoming best friends.

“I can’t believe we have so much in common,” Rachelle commented to her new friend after discovering that she and Anna had both been teachers for a time and shared similar tastes in books, hobbies, and, to some extent, men.

“I know!” Anna agreed. “I feel like I’ve known you my entire life! Who would’ve thought that two girls with a passion for teaching, reading Jane Austen, and coming from two completely different places would end up meeting in the same small town? I’m really going to miss you when you leave.”

“I’m going to be so sad when Jacques and I have to move on,” Rachelle confirmed. “I don’t have very many friends and none to travel with, so I’m going to miss you even more.”

“Are you sure you have to leave?” Anna asked thoughtfully. “You could always settle in New Hope. It’s a really nice place once you get to know everyone, and you might even be able to get a position assisting at the school. My replacement is a lovely girl, but it’s her first year teaching. I’m sure she’d appreciate the help. I know I would have!”

“I do like the sound of that, but I don’t know. I’d have to talk it over with Jacques. It isn’t just me, after all, and I don’t know that we’d fit in here. Then again, it seems we don’t fit in anywhere.”

Anna frowned slightly, reaching across the table to touch her new friend’s arm in a comforting gesture. “That’s the beautiful thing about a frontier town. Nobody ‘fits in’. We’re just a bunch of strangers settling the land together who become friends and neighbors.” Anna paused to chew on her lip, deliberating whether or not to ask the question she’d been pondering since the previous evening. “Rachelle, you said that Jacques is your fiance. Do you mind telling me how you two met?”

“It’s a long story,” the younger woman sighed, and Anna feared she wouldn’t care to elaborate, but after a moment she continued. “When the war broke out, a lot of my family members began to join the Union Army. Eventually, my brother did too, joining the 3rd Kentucky Cavalry. When he left, I was more or less on my own, so I quit teaching and moved to the city and found a job as a typesetter for a newspaper printer. At first they didn’t want to hire me because I was a woman, but I became better at it than any of the men working there. Unfortunately, I made some bad decisions that got me in trouble. You see, the good folks of Patrick Malloy’s newspaper empire don’t take kindly to women submitting and publishing articles, especially under a false, male name. Jacques worked at the theater on the same street as the paper so I had already made his acquaintance and I knew that he was looking for a wife to take West with him. I needed a way out and Jacques was it. So here we both are.”

Taken aback by the mention of Patrick Malloy, MacGyver’s former father-in-law and Sammy’s grandfather, Anna sat quietly, absorbing what she’d just heard and focusing on the matter at hand. “That is a long story, but surely you don’t mean to say that you don’t have any feelings for Jacques at all.”

Rachelle looked down, but not quickly enough to hide the bright red blush spreading across her cheeks. “Oh, I didn’t say that. I do have feelings for him. Strong ones. Otherwise I’d have found another way out of my predicament. Unfortunately, he doesn’t feel the same way. No matter how hard I try, he always keeps me at arm’s length.”

“But why?” Anna protested. “Surely he can see what a sweet, intelligent, hard-working person you are. I can see that and we’ve only just met!”

“You say that because you’re my new best friend,” Rachelle pointed out. “But those things don’t matter to Jacques. He refuses to get attached or feel anything for anybody, except perhaps himself. If he hadn’t been paralyzed in that carriage wreck, he’d still be a successful actor without a care in the world...for anyone.”

Anna shook her head firmly. “When I first met Mac, he blamed himself for his wife’s death and was determined not to lose his heart to another woman, but our time together changed his mind. I’m sure Jacques will grow to love you as well.”

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When MacGyver and Jacques arrived home, Sammy was playing outside, jumping around on a stick and pretending it was a horse. Mac pulled his wagon alongside his son who clambered into his father’s lap as soon as the wheels stopped turning.

“Pa, guess what! I learned a new song today!”

“Oh yeah? How does it go?”

Sammy cleared his throat dramatically and began to sing: “Frere Jacques, Frere Jacques, dormez-vous? Dormez-vous?”

“Whoa! Good job!” Mac praised. “Where’d you learn that?”

Sammy beamed. “Miss Rachelle taught it to me. At first I thought she was singing about Mr. Jacques, but she told me it means ‘Are you sleeping, are you sleeping, Brother John? Brother John?”

“That’s pretty impressive,” MacGyver said with a smile.

Jacques Laroux smiled also. “You sing in French very well. You must be very clever, no?”

“Thanks!” Sammy exclaimed, his grin growing even wider.

“Did you get all your chores done?” Mac asked.

“Yep!” his son replied cheerfully. “Ma and Miss Rachelle and I got ‘em all done a long time ago. That’s why I had time to learn the song!”

“I see. Well, you go inside and tell your ma that Mr. Jacques and I are home while we get the horses unhitched.”

“Sure thing, Pa!”

“You have a very nice family,” Jacques observed as Sammy ran toward the house.

“I think so. Do you plan on having one of your own someday?”

“Moi? Non. I do not think so.”

“But you are engaged to be married,” MacGyver pointed out.

“A husband, oui. But I fear I would not make for a very good father like yourself.”

“What does Rachelle think about this?”

Jacques merely shrugged and stared at the horizon so Mac let the subject drop. Still, as he was caring for the horses, he couldn’t help shaking his head. Something was very strange about this couple...if they could even be called a couple at all.

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Later that evening, Rachelle and Jacques took a quiet walk around the MacGyver homestead, as much for privacy as for cool fresh air. Jacques used his arms to propel his wheelchair while his fiancee walked alongside.

“So you see,” he said, finishing the explanation of what he had learned from that day’s trip to the wainwright, “we are stuck here until we can replace the axle, and we cannot replace the axle unless we find a way to earn enough money to pay for it. We have no choice but to delay our travels to Wyoming.”

“Maybe that’s not such a bad thing,” Rachelle mused. “If we stay here through the winter, we can pick up again for easier travel in the spring.”

“But how will we get by?” Jacques argued mildly. “We cannot rely on the kindness of strangers forever. We have already imposed enough.”

“I agree. But from what Anna told me, I could get a job assisting at the schoolhouse. She also said there’s a saloon in town. Maybe you could get a job playing the piano. You’re so very good at it! That should give us enough money to fix the wagon and move on.”

As they circled back toward the house, Jacques snorted. “So much for our plans, hm? I should have known that our luck would run out. It always does.”

“Well, we could stay and settle here permanently,” Rachelle suggested quietly.

Jacques halted abruptly. “Stay?! Here?! Moving to Wyoming was your idea, my darling. If you wanted to live in the middle of nowhere we could have stayed in Kentucky!?

“But I like it here,” she replied with a shrug.

“Non, you like your dear little friend Anna here.”

“What’s wrong with that? We don’t know anybody in Wyoming anyway,” Rachelle said defensively.

Jacques sighed. “I suppose you are correct. One place is the same as another. But let me remind you of this, mon cheri. New Hope is a small town, and small towns breed small-minded people, non? At least in a big city like Cheyenne, we will go unnoticed. You should have seen the stares the townspeople gave me today.”

Rachelle cringed and looked down. “I’m so sorry, Jacques, you shouldn’t have to deal with that. Perhaps they only stared because you are new in town.”

Jacques flinched and looked away.

Rachelle reached for his hand, clasped it between both of hers and leaned forward. “Look, I just want you to know that no matter what anyone else sees in you, I think you’re a wonderful man. And no matter what happens, I want you to know how much
I--”

“Non,” Jacques instructed firmly, placing his free hand over her lips. “I know what you are about to say, and I cannot let you say it. Ours will be a marriage of convenience. Aside from friendship, there can be nothing more between us.”

Jacques retreated to the warmth of the house, but Rachelle remained standing in the same place for several long moments. She sighed and whispered, “You were wrong, Anna. It’s not that we’re not certain about our feelings for each other, it’s just that our feelings are different.”

As she walked back to the house, she didn’t notice MacGyver, who had been returning from the barn, close enough to have heard the entire conversation.

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MacGyver waited until his guests had gone outside again to check on their horse and wagon one last time before quickly relaying to Anna what he had overheard earlier.

Anna groaned. “Rachelle said something similar this afternoon. Oh, Mac, I can't stand seeing someone having to put walls around their feelings. There’s got to be something we can do.”

“I don’t see what. We can’t make the man feel something he doesn’t feel.”

“I don’t know,” Anna said slowly. “There’s a part of me that’s convinced he does feel something beyond friendship for her, but he’s just too stubborn to admit it.”

MacGyver shook his head. “I just can’t see two people that stubborn making a relationship work.”

Anna grinned slyly, “Oh, I don’t know. I know of a certain couple who managed to make it work.”

Mac chuckled and swept her into his arms, leaving her breathless. “Good point.”

Anna smiled. “They just need a little push like we did, that’s all.”

“You mean like conjuring up a tornado in the middle of winter and allowing Jacques to think that Rachelle died in its path?”

“No,” Anna replied, swatting playfully at his arm. “But we’ll think of something.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Mac muttered as a feeling in his gut told him there was more to the strange couple than met the eye.

XXXXX

The following day, MacGyver walked into Pete Thornton’s general store, rubbing his hands together to warm them as he closed the door behind him and Jacques.

“Why, good morning, MacGyver!” Pete called cheerfully as he walked out of the back room and saw his favorite customer. “What brings you into town? It’s not like you to come out here so often in one week.”

“I wanted to check to see if the supplies I ordered came in yet,” Mac explained.

Pete shook his head. “Not yet, and I wouldn’t expect them for a while. Heard the East Coast got hit with a blizzard, so shipments are running behind schedule.” The older man then nodded to the stranger in the wheelchair. “Anything I can get for you, Mister?”

For a second, Jacques remained quiet, contemplative. “Non, monsieur, thank you. I came to inquire if there were any jobs available here in town. Mr. MacGyver said you would be the man to ask.”

“Ya know, I’m not sure,” Pete confessed. “Come spring I can always use an extra hand in the storeroom as new merchandise arrives, but there’s not much for me to do this time of year, especially now that Christmas has passed. Have you tried Jack Dalton’s saloon? He’ll either have work for you or know where you can get some.”

“Thank you, monsieur,” Jacques replied flatly, wheeling himself toward the door.

“Real ray of sunshine, ain’t he?” Pete whispered to MacGyver with a shake of his bald head.

“Ya know, Pete, Jacques and his fiancee have been staying at our place while they figure out how to get their wagon fixed and between you and me, something’s just not right.”

Pete winced. “Is the girl as sour as he is?”

“No. Actually, she’s pretty sweet and she and Anna managed to become best friends overnight.”

“Women!” Pete snorted.

Mac held back a grin. “Rachelle’s been really great with Sammy, too. I don’t know what she sees in Jacques, but it seems like the only two people who don’t see how much those two love each other are--”

“Are those two,” Pete finished, nodding sympathetically. “That’s the way the story always goes.”

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Jacques, meanwhile, had wheeled himself down the street to the saloon and quietly entered through the swinging double doors. The place was about half full, the customers consisting mostly of cattlemen and farm hands hoping to warm themselves with a stiff drink.

Immediately spying the unattended piano in the corner, he went over to it and slid himself out of his chair and onto the stool provided. His hands touched the keys as he, for the first time since arriving in New Hope, allowed a ghost of a smile and began to play.

The melody was soft and haunting, a love song in a minor key. By the time his finger hit the last note, several hardened, burly ranchers were heedlessly allowing tears to slip into their whiskey glasses.

Jacques looked up to find the proprietor, Jack Dalton, hovering over the piano. “Look, partner, I’m not tryin’ to criticize ya, ‘cause everybody’s a critic these days, but next time ya think ya could play somethin’ a little more lively? Ya know, somethin’ to draw my customers in, not make ‘em cry. Hey! Do ya know any ragtime?”

The Frenchman groaned quietly and eased himself back into his wheelchair. “This is so humiliating,” he muttered, and left the saloon as soon as physically possible.

Jack Dalton, still standing by the piano frowned. “Was it something I said?”

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The first thing MacGyver did when he arrived home from town was grab his beloved Anna in a warm embrace and kiss her gently on the cheek.

“You missed,” she teased, and then his lips found hers.

When they finally broke the kiss, Mac asked, “What’s that smell?”

“Mint,” Anna replied. “Sammy came home from school with a terrible cough, so Rachelle and I whipped up some mint tea to ease it a little. He’s asleep right now and rest is probably the best thing for him at this point.”

MacGyver nodded. “Agreed. He needs rest to keep up his strength. Poor kid. Where’d you find the mint, anyway?”

“Rachelle had some. She has a lot of dried herbs in that wagon of theirs and she seems pretty knowledgeable about their medicinal uses,” Anna explained. “See, that’s another reason why she and Jacques should settle in New Hope!”

Meanwhile, Rachelle went to welcome Jacques who sat just inside the doorway. “I have good news!” she told him. “While you and MacGyver were gone I went with Anna to pick Sammy up at school and she drove me to the hotel in town. I spoke with the manager and he said he would rent us a room for a lower price, provided I help with the cleaning and such. I know it’s not ideal, but at least we won’t be imposing on our friends any longer.”

“Very well,” Jacques responded curtly.

Rachelle frowned. “What’s wrong? I’d thought you’d be happy?”

While Jacques went on to describe his misadventures in town, Anna and Mac recounted their day with each other as well.

“I wish there was something we could do to get those two to see that they truly love each other,” Anna lamented.

“Look. Maybe we should just leave them be. They’ll figure it out eventually.”

“But Rachelle is the best friend I’ve had since settling here,” Anna protested.

MacGyver put his hands on his wife’s shoulder and lowered his forehead so it was touching hers. “Something isn’t right about this whole thing. I can feel it in my gut,” he said softly, so as not to be overheard.

“You and your gut!” Anna complained as she stepped away from him. “Rachelle is a sweet girl. I admit, Jacques might be a bit eccentric, but I’m sure he’s harmless.”

“I just think we should stay out of their business…”

“I’ve got it!” Anna exclaimed with a victorious grin. “Ever since they arrived, I’ve spent all my time with Rachelle and you’ve been with Jacques. Maybe it’s time we switched dance partners, so to speak! I’ll entertain Jacques while you get to know Rachelle better!”

“Whoa, wait a minute!”

“C’mon, Mac! I bet I could talk Jacques into staying in New Hope and maybe even confess his love for Rachelle.”

MacGyver brought Anna back into his arms. “I still don’t like this, but if anyone can talk that man into staying it’s you. You could sweet-talk the green off grass, Mrs. MacGyver.”

XXXXX

“What, exactly, did you need my help with again?” Rachelle asked nervously as she followed MacGyver around, watching him feed the horses and tend to the other livestock.

“Anna tells me you know your way around some medicinal plants,” Mac replied.

“Some of them. Mostly the ones that are hard to kill. Did you need something?”

“You got anything that’ll help achy hands?”

Rachelle’s face lit up. “I know just the thing!” She led him over to the broken wagon, grabbed the wooden box that contained most of her worldly possessions, and rummaged around inside it until she held up an old glass jar half-full of a dark yellow concoction. She offered it to Mac with a proud smile. “This is dandelion salve. Just rub it on your hands and massage your knuckles with it.”

MacGyver smiled. “Thanks, I’ll give it a try. Did Jacques use some of this after your accident? I imagine he had some aches and pains from hitting the ground.”

Rachelle immediately sobered. “Jacques doesn’t believe in this kind of thing. I’ve tried to explain how the Indians have used herbs and plants as medicine for hundreds of years, but he doesn’t believe me.”

Silently scolding himself for upsetting Rachelle, he quickly summoned a friendly smile and changed the subject. “How’d you like to learn how to patch up a wagon axle?”

“I...I’m not very handy with that sort of thing.”

“Aw, c’mon. It’s easy. I’ll show you.”

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“Jacques, would you mind giving me a hand for a minute?” Anna asked.

“It would be my pleasure, madame. What can I do for you?” he asked from where he sat beside the fireplace.

Anna plopped a large wooden bowl in his lap and handed him an equally large wooden spoon. “Could you stir the batter for the cornbread while I tend to the soup? I thought this would be the perfect meal to make Sammy feel better. It’s so warm and comforting.”

“I could not agree more.”

Anna chewed her lip for a moment before casually asking, “So how are you and Rachelle enjoying New Hope so far?”

Jacques scoffed. “My fiancee loves it here, thanks to you and your family.”

“And what about you?”

“It is the same for me no matter where I go: Stares and shame.”

“I’m very sorry to hear that. You have to know you have nothing to be ashamed of. It was an accident after all. Once you’ve been here for awhile people will get to know you and the stares will go away.”

“I know what you are trying to do and it will not work. My mind is made up.”

“Why?” Anna asked, her frustration mounting. “Can’t you see that Rachelle only wants to be with you regardless of where you live? That she loves you? And I think you love her, too.”

“Non. Trying to be someone I am not...giving her something I cannot...that would break her heart more than having her believe I do not love her in the first place.”

“Living a life without love isn’t really living, Mr. Laroux. You’ll find that out eventually. Just remember that, by the time you do, Rachelle may not be waiting for you any longer.”

“She has nowhere else to go,” he snapped.

“That may have been true when you began your journey, but it isn’t true now. Now she has New Hope.”

Jacques turned his head away from Anna, but then grimaced and asked, “What is that?!”

Anna followed the man’s gaze. “It’s one of the barn cats. Sammy must have brought her in to play with before he fell asleep.”

Jacque’s lip curled as the feline sidled towards him. “Scat you filthy creature!” he commanded, just as his leg shot out in the animal’s direction.

Anna gasped. “Did you just try and kick the cat?”

“Of course not, my dear,” Jacques replied, quickly regaining his composure. “Even if I had wanted to, which I did not, my leg would not obey.”

“But I saw your leg move!” Anna countered incredulously.

“It was a mere muscle spasm. The doctor warned me it could happen from time to time. It was simply an unfortunate coincidence. Please, I would ask that you forget you witnessed it. Even Rachelle has not seen this particular malady of mine.”

“Of course,” Anna murmured as she collected the bowl and spoon from Jacques and went about preparing the rest of the meal.

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“Well, it seems like everything is coming together,” MacGyver declared as he sat on the hearth, whittling a small piece of wood with his new pocket knife. The ranch chores are done for the day, Sammy’s starting to feel better, and my beautiful wife prepared another excellent dinner. Life is good.”

“Maybe for us, but not for our two houseguests,” Anna countered from her rocking chair, careful to speak softly so as not to disturb the couple sitting at the kitchen table.

“Anna, we did everything we could,” Mac soothed.

“I know. I just wanted them to have a happy ending like we did.”

“They’ll be fine. They just don’t know it yet.”

“I suppose,” Anna capitulated, “But think about what might have happened to us if the tornado hadn’t brought us together? As scared of commitment as we both were, it could have taken forever and a day for us to realize we were meant to be together forever.”

“But we are together now. That’s all that matters.”

A grin tugged at Anna’s lips. “I hate it when you’re right, ya know.”

“I know,” Mac grinned back.

“Would you mind if I invited them to Sunday church service? I think it might be time for a little divine intervention.”

MacGyver chuckled. “You never give up, do you?”

“Nope! And that’s one of the things you love about me!”

XXXXX

Rachelle’s eyes sparkled when Anna invited her and Jacques to the morning church service that Sunday. “I’d love to go! I haven’t been able to properly observe the day since leaving Kentucky.”

Jacques, on the other hand, shook his head slowly. “That is a very kind invitation, but I must decline, if only for myself.”

Rachelle leaned closer to Anna, speaking in a frustrated whisper. “Sometimes dealing with that man is just so...so…”

“Aggravating?” Anna suggested.

“Yes! Exactly. Gah, I swear he wouldn’t know an emotion if it whacked him in the head with a grubby garden hoe!”

“I know the feeling,” Anna agreed. “But I’m sure the two of you will work things out.”

“Maybe,” Rachelle said, “but I’ve already made a few decisions that he’s not going to like and if that doesn’t get a rise out of him, I give up!”

MacGyver and Anna, with Sammy in tow, were still discussing the pastor’s sermon when they arrived home only to find Jacques nervously wheeling himself back and forth around the house. “Where is Rachelle?” he demanded when he noticed their party had lost a member.

“She asked us to leave her in town,” Anna answered calmly. “She decided to take up a room at the hotel and work off the cost. She asked me to tell you that you’re more than welcome to join her.”

“But why would she do such a thing?”

“To make a point,” Anna stated firmly. “She’s staying in New Hope and she wants you to stay with her, unless you no longer want to be with her.”

“Rachelle’s been begging for your attention the whole time you’ve been here and probably long before that,” MacGyver pointed out. “Anna and I have been trying to encourage you both to talk to each other about your feelings, but I guess we’ve been too subtle. At least for you. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have chores to do before lunch.”

“Wait!” Jacques called as Mac put his hand on the doorknob. “I apologize...to both of you. I have been a silly fool, no? If it would not be too much of an imposition, could you please give me a ride to the hotel?”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jacques Laroux found himself banging on his fiancee’s hotel room door.

“Open this blasted door, my darling! I must speak with you!”

The door swung open almost immediately and Rachelle stood in front of him, hands on her hips, but her eyes appeared red and swollen, as if from crying.

Jacques frowned beneath his mustache. “Mon cheri, please forgive me. I have been a fool.”

“Yes, you have,” Rachelle quickly agreed.

Jacque’s frown deepened. This was not how he had expected this particular scene to play out. Nevertheless, he rolled himself past Rachelle and into the room, turning about to face her. “I have wronged you, dearest, and for that I am, indeed, sorry. I knew you were in love with me from the very start, yet I maintained my distance because I thought I did not want to fall in love. Not just with you, but with anyone. I foolishly believed my life would be easier, less complicated, if my heart did not get in the way. But now I can see that I have missed out on so many things, including falling in love with this quaint little town and falling in love with you.”

Rachelle watched him skeptically. “How do I know those aren’t just more of your fancy words to get me to do what you want?”

“Because this time I promise to be less stubborn. If you wish to stay in New Hope, then I will stay here with you because I truly do care for you even though I have avoided showing it.”

He watched as Rachelle’s expression softened only slightly. “Why now?”

Jacques sighed. “Because earlier today, I had someone, well, actually two someones, speak very plainly to me and tell me exactly what would happen if I didn’t change my ways.” He glanced down for a moment before continuing, “You are very special to me, Rachelle, and I love you.”

“I love you, too!” Rachelle exclaimed, bending down to hug him. “And here in New Hope we have a chance to begin all over again!”

“Indeed, we have a ‘second chance’, as they say,” Jacques muttered with a gleam in his eye he made sure his fiancee did not notice.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Mac!”

MacGyver bolted upright on the couch. “What?!”

“You don’t have to yell at me,” Joanna scolded as she headed toward him from their shared door, a large bowl in her hands.

“Well, you started it,” he groused, running his fingers through his already-mussed hair.

“I asked if you wanted any of this leftover fruit salad, but apparently you didn’t hear me because you fell asleep during one of your old movies again. Honestly, I don’t know how you even know you like them since you never see the ending. I bet you dozed off halfway through if not sooner.”

She stopped her rebuke when she noticed his pale face and the faraway look in his eyes and her heart squeezed. “You dreamed about him again, didn’t you?” she asked softly.

Mac nodded. “It wasn’t bad this time. It was actually kinda entertaining. And there was this girl that reminded me of Becca. But I always get this feeling…”

“He’s gone, Mac. For good. You don’t have to keep looking over your shoulder anymore.”

“You wanna watch a movie with me?” MacGyver asked, obviously wanting to change the subject.

Joanna put the bowl of fruit on the coffee table and allowed him to pull her down into his arms and cuddled close. “You bet.”
















Posted by: Dragondog 22 March 2021 - 12:46 AM
It doesn't help that we're planning a move for later this year, so things are a bit up in the air these days.

Gonna review one chapter now, and the newest later.

QUOTE


Before the pilot could answer Jo replied, “Someone has to stay and finish up the reports for the month.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm and MacGyver was about to rethink his response to Mitch when she suddenly smiled wide. “But you go ahead and have a good time,” she encouraged, standing on tiptoe to kiss his cheek.
Wholesome content biggrin.gif

QUOTE


“Couldn’t be better!” MacGyver answered before mumbling, “I’m getting too old for this.”
Lol laugh.gif

QUOTE

“This!” Mac declared, showing off a plastic lined paper bag. “My official, and definitely unused, barf bag!”
Maaaaaac laugh.gif

QUOTE

He smirked as a chorus of “ewwww’s” echoed through his adoring crowd and Joanna, standing off to the side, dramatically rolled her eyes.
Jo roller.gif

QUOTE

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “That’s just so...wow!”

“I know,” he concurred with a crooked grin.
At least your ego's being stroked dry.gif

QUOTE

“Oh poppycock!” his father retorted. “There’s no way you could make such a basic error and I’m sure you did everything you could to save the plane. There has to be some other explanation!”
dry.gif

QUOTE

“There was nothing wrong with the plane,” Mac confirmed. “But I think I know why he changed his pattern.”
Attempted suicide?

QUOTE

MacGyver stretched out on his couch, his head resting comfortably in Joanna’s lap as her slender fingers combed through his hair sending pleasant electrical currents through his body.
It's official: Mac is now a dog.


Posted by: uniquelyjas 22 March 2021 - 04:55 AM
Thanks for the comments, Dragondog!! Especially the last one...LOL!! Now Joanna has two...Frog and Mac!! I totally understand about being busy. In fact, I'm going to post one last chapter in two weeks and then take a hiatus as my writing has come to a complete stop with real life getting in the way:(( But, I'll be back!!!

Posted by: uniquelyjas 4 April 2021 - 09:55 AM
Chapter 60: Purgatory

He had never really given much thought as to where professional assassins go when they die. He supposed he had assumed it would be the eternal flames of hell or some dark oblivion to match the darkness of his soul. Either way, he was willing to accept his fate, only he hadn’t counted on this.

The sting of the flat, wooden yardstick upon his shoulder shattered his reverie and he looked up at its source and scowled. An elderly man with snow white hair and bushy eyebrows clad in an equally white robe pinned him with steely black eyes.

“What is it now, Jeeves?” Murdoc whined.

The man used the yardstick to point to the glass step below the one on which Murdoc stood. With a sigh, Murdoc stepped down, only to watch the stick point to yet a next step.

“Really?!” Murdoc complained. “I do one nice thing for Penny and it’s one step up, yet I harmlessly invade MacGyver’s little dream and it’s two steps down. What kind of bloody hell is this?!”

“It’s not hell, it’s purgatory,” Jeeves informed him flatly, as if he needed the reminder.

“It was a rhetorical question,” Murdoc spat as he stomped on the step below him, causing it to crack in a web-like fashion. “Oh dear, you wouldn’t happen to have any duct tape on hand, would you?” he asked innocently.

Jeeves rolled his eyes and turned away. This soul had been nothing but a thorn in his side since his arrival over two earth-years ago.

“It wasn’t my choice to come here, you know!” Murdoc called after him. “Come to think of it, why am I here anyway? Why not toss me into the fiery pit and be done with it instead of all this up-and-down, up-and-down business?”

Jeeves folded his hands, puffed out his chest, and cleared his throat before addressing him. “It seems the Big Guy was in an exceptionally benevolent mood the day you...um...passed on. Apparently, He sees something in you worth redeeming that is beyond the rest of us.”

“Wait! What? Does that mean I’m not destined for hell?” Murdoc asked, gazing downward as the stairway he was standing on became shrouded in gray smoke.

“That is correct,” the older man replied, unable to keep the tone of disappointment from his voice.

“You mean to say I’m going up...there?” Murdoc looked upward into the blinding light that obscured the top of the stairway.

“Indeed,” Jeeves confirmed. “Didn’t you ever hear of the stairway to heaven?”

“Hmmm, of course...interesting song, quite popular,” he replied.

“Well, they had to get the title from somewhere!” Jeeves exclaimed, the sleeves of his robe billowing as he raised his arms in exasperation.

“All right then,” Murdoc said. “What do I need to do to get there and how long will it take.”

“Time is meaningless here in purgatory,” Jeeves admonished. “A day is a millennium and a millennium but a day.”

“Well, it seems as if I’ve been going up and down these same three steps for a millennium and a day!” Murdoc shot back. “Now, what can we do to expedite the process?”

Jeeves stared at this man, still dressed all in black and wearing that insufferable silver skull ring, with his mouth agape. “The process cannot be rushed, Mr. Murdoc! The Boss, in His infinite wisdom, granted you the ability to make considerable progress towards heaven’s gates when He allowed you to be Penny Parker’s spirit guardian and allowed her to believe your soul was attached to that abominable hunk of metal on your hand.”

“And I assisted and protected her on several occasions,” Murdoc pointed out.

“Yes, and you’ve also haunted, tormented, and plagued MacGyver!”

“Even a dead man needs some form of amusement,” Murdoc pouted. “Why don’t you send me back to earth so I can make amends?” he suggested cheerfully.

Jeeves grunted at the man’s audacity. “That is not within my power. Besides, I have recently been informed that the Boss has special plans for you.” Suddenly, a series of melodic chimes filled the air. “Ah, time for lunch,” Jeeves proclaimed. “If I’m late I won’t get dessert and today they’re serving my favorite...angel food cake!” In the blink of an eye he was gone.

Murdoc sighed heavily and sat on the step he had been occupying off and on for the better part of his afterlife. He allowed his legs to swing freely above the puffy white clouds and absently wondered what would happen if he simply jumped into the great abyss below.

“Not thinkin’ ‘bout jumpin’ now, are ya?” a low, raspy voice asked.

Murdoc instinctively shuddered and turned to look up at the elderly man standing next to him clad in a worn plaid shirt and tattered beige fishing hat. Murdoc scrambled to his feet as quickly as possible while still maintaining some semblance of dignity and pulled himself up to his full height.

“Didn’t think a guy like you would startle so easily,” the man chuckled.

Murdoc cleared his throat, leveled his head, and pasted on a polite smile. “I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of meeting.”

“We haven’t,” the man confirmed. “But I wanted to meet the weasel who’s been messin’ with my grandson.”

“Ah, you must be referring to MacGyver,” Murdoc acknowledged, recognition dawning. “That would make you Grandpa Harry.”

“It’s Mr. Jackson to you,” Harry replied gruffly.

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Murdoc said with a saccharine smile and slight bow.

“Liar!” the older man snorted. “You wanna stay on that step forever?”

“I’ve actually become quite comfortable here,” Murdoc said loftily. “Now, what can I do for you?”

“You can repent for all the times you tried to kill Bud.”

“Not one to mince words, eh?”

“Don’t you ever want to get to heaven?” Harry asked, pointing toward the light.

“I don’t know,” Murdoc mused. “Everyone is so perfect up there. Doesn’t sound like much fun. Besides, if repenting for my attempts to neutralize MacGyver is a prerequisite, I fear I will never pass through the pearly gates because I have no remorse for my actions. In fact, I rather enjoyed our little games of cat and mouse. It was strictly business between me and MacGyver.”

“That’s another lie and you know it!” Harry challenged.

“I will admit that I allowed emotions to cloud my judgement a time or two where your darling grandson was concerned,” Murdoc conceded. “But know this, old man. MacGyver wanted me dead just as badly as I wanted to kill him.”

In the blink of an eye, Harry Jackson disappeared and in his place stood Jeeves, his ever-present yardstick pointing to the step below the one Murdoc currently occupied.

“But I haven’t done anything!” Murdoc exclaimed.

“You lied...twice and admitted your refusal to repent for your sin.”

“How could you possibly know that? You were at lunch!”

“I left the intercom on,” Jeeves answered flatly.

Murdoc relented and took his position on the lower step just as a bell chimed. “Time for a coffee break already?” he chided.

Jeeves smiled like the cat that got the cream. “That sound means that Harry Jackson just earned his wings.”

“What! How?” Murdoc sputtered. “That man was just here harassing me!”

“On the contrary,” Jeeves corrected him. “Harry was sent to urge you to repent.”

“But I didn’t!”

“That does not matter. Harry completed his final assignment and has now entered paradise,” Jeeves explained. “Now, I believe you have another visitor.” Tucking his yardstick under his arm, the older man disappeared from sight.

Murdoc looked up to find a fit woman with long blonde hair descending the staircase. “My, my, my...if it isn’t Kate Malloy.”

“Why isn’t your filthy carcass burning in hell?” she spat.

“Apparently a Higher Power saw some redeeming quality in me,” he responded nonchalantly. “It surprised me, too, darling.”

“I’m not your ‘darling’.”

“Of course not. You are MacGyver’s one true love and came to beg me to repent for my grievous acts against your son’s father.”

“Angus has a new love now,” Kate reminded him firmly.

“Of course, how could I forget? The sweet Joanna Fairfax. Do you remember that occasion, just after my untimely demise, when the fair Jo was shot and fell into a coma and we all met at the lake she loves so much?”

“How could I forget? You tried to convince her to stay on the other side so you could get your kicks out of watching Angus grieve yet another loved one.”

“But you came along and spoiled my fun,” Murdoc pouted, but rallied quickly. “All right, then. Say what you need to say to earn your wings and then leave me be.”

“I’m not ready to earn my wings,” she informed him sadly. “I’m still repenting for keeping Sean’s...Sam’s... existence a secret from Angus for so many years. I thought I was doing the right thing, but now I realize I hurt them both.”

Murdoc yawned, “Surely you didn’t come to me just to share your sad, yet boring, little story. Get on with what you need to say.”

Kate’s spine stiffened and her eyes grew hard. “I came to tell you to stay away from Angus and Sean...and Joanna. They’ve finally found love with each other and become a family and if you do anything to hurt any one of them I swear I’ll…”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Murdoc interrupted. “I’m not an expert, but I’m pretty sure threats and swearing are frowned upon here.”

“Just know that I’ll be keeping an eye on you. I may not have always been there for Angus during my lifetime, but I’m here for him now, and I’ll do whatever it takes to protect him and his new family.”

“And how do you propose to accomplish this, hmmm?”

Kate narrowed her eyes. “Let’s just say I have friends in high places.” With that, she turned on her heel and walked into the light.

“She’s a feisty one,” Jeeves observed from behind Murdoc.

“Indeed,” Murdoc agreed. “MacGyver sure knows how to pick them.”

“Perhaps he likes a challenge, just like you,” Jeeves offered.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Murdoc asked warily.

Jeeves shrugged. “Consider it food for thought.” And then he was gone.

Murdoc morosely surveyed his surroundings. He didn’t know why he bothered. The scenery never changed. He lowered himself to sit on the glass step and began to brood. What had Jeeves meant by that last statement? Certainly he wasn’t trying to suggest that Murdoc actually had something in common with MacGyver. That was unthinkable! They were polar opposites and Murdoc intended to keep it that way.

Suddenly, Murdoc felt yet another presence beside him. He looked up to find a pale, gaunt man dressed in a dark, soot-stained suit, coughing uncontrollably.

“Helman. What are you doing here?” he asked caustically.

“I’m not here,” the older man replied once his lungs were clear. “I’m there.” He pointed down to where the acrid smoke from hellfire obscured the stairs of purgatory. “The real question is what are you doing here instead of there?”

“Apparently trying to earn salvation,” Murdoc answered. “However, I must say it is quite a dull journey thus far.”

Nicholas Helman slowly lowered himself to sit beside his one-time protege and sighed heavily. “I’m really disappointed in you, Murdoc. You were the best assassin HIT ever had. I trained you myself. And you killed me with a damn grenade in that snake pit. I was looking forward to sharing eternal suffering with you, but your weaknesses led you here, instead.”

“Yes, yes, I know. My repeated failure to neutralize MacGyver is still a blemish on my record.”

“Hmph! MacGyver indeed. You had the nerve to partner with him to save your sister. You joined forces with your mortal enemy! You made a mockery of me, HIT, and yourself all for your own selfish agenda.”

Murdoc took a deep, calming breath. “I would hardly consider saving my sister from your murderous plans ‘selfish’,” he replied with every ounce of restraint he had.

“That’s exactly my point.” Helman flashed him an evil grin. “You were meant to be an assassin first and foremost, but you allowed emotion and dare I say love to interfere with your life’s calling. I grievously misjudged you and it will haunt me for eternity.” The old man’s lips had now flattened into a thin line.

Murdoc’s mind worked furiously to form a scathing retort but none came. Helman was right. Despite mercilessly and successfully carrying out all of his missions, save for murdering MacGyver, he was still a failure, having allowed emotion to color his actions on a handful of occasions he could recall but preferred not to dwell upon.

A loud gong sounded and Helman swore under his breath.

“What was that?” Murdoc asked.

“My summons back to hell,” his former boss replied. “I had to pull some strings to come here. I had hoped to return with you, but this has proven to be a fruitless errand.”

“Will I see you again?” Murdoc inquired, unsure of the answer he wished to hear.

“I fear not. We are now on separate paths which will never converge.” Helman groaned as he painstakingly rose to his feet and headed back to eternal damnation.

His former mentor had just disappeared into the hazy smoke when Murdoc felt the now-familiar slap of a yardstick upon his shoulder.

“I know, I know...down another step,” he grumbled.

“On the contrary,” Jeeves said. “You have earned one step up.”

“How? Did I unwittingly do something nice?”

Jeeves sighed. This man had such a thick skull at times. No doubt it delayed his arrival here at least a couple decades. “Your progress, or lack thereof, has nothing to do with ‘nice’,” Jeeves explained. “It has to do with self-discovery which will lead to atonement for your earthly sins. You have just acknowledged that, contrary to what you may wish to believe, you are not completely evil. You selflessly put your life on the line to save your sister and annihilate the one who would harm her. That is one of the reasons you are here and he shall rot with the devil.”

Murdoc cocked his head. “When you put it that way, it sounds as if I’ve made a great deal of progress that certainly deserves more than one measly step upward.”

“Don’t push it,” Jeeves warned. “I’m well acquainted with your list of earthly offenses. You still have a lot of work ahead of you.” And with that, he was gone, leaving Murdoc to once again ponder thoughts he would rather not.

XXXXX

Purgatory remained a conundrum to Murdoc. He felt as if he still inhabited his earthly body, yet he did not require food or sleep. His battered bones no longer ached and his hair did not grow. He wore a wristwatch, but the hands had disappeared as time, as he knew it, did not exist. Oddly enough, the one thing he actually did miss was people. For a number of reasons, he had kept his earthly existence as unknown as possible, often living below the ground and operating above the law. He had no use for human affection. At least, that’s what he had managed to convince himself. Yet here he was, utterly alone with the exception of Jeeves and the occasional appearance of a specter from his untidy past. From the deep recesses of his mind, an image arose, probably from childhood, of how he had imagined the afterlife. The saved souls in heaven laughing and rejoicing as they were reunited with loved ones. The condemned souls in hell wailing and grinding their teeth in a burning fire that would torture but never consume them. And the anxious mob of souls in between, standing shoulder to shoulder as if in line to buy treasured tickets to their favorite rock band’s concert. But that was not the case...at least for him. Like always, he was alone.

Before he could slip further into his morose thoughts, a sweet, melodic, feminine voice beckoned him by name. Following the direction from which it came, his eyes lit upon a young, vibrant woman with blonde hair and a peaches and cream complexion. “Ashton,” he involuntarily whispered and she smiled gently.

“I’ve been asking to see you since you arrived, but I was always told you weren’t ready to meet me,” she said, her voice soft as an angel’s feather.

Murdoc swallowed hard. “Do you know who--”

“I know exactly who you are. I know everything,” she replied, her voice calm and peaceful. “I know that you’re my big brother and that you supported me in secret after our parents died because you didn’t want the people you worked for to discover me and put me in danger.”

“But that happened anyway,” he murmured. “I am so sorry, Ashton.”

The young woman shook her head. “You have nothing to be sorry about. You did the best you could. And you and MacGyver did save my life when Helman captured me.”

“And there it is!” Murdoc spat, throwing his hands in the air. “MacGyver again!”

“I know how hard it was for you to ask for MacGyver’s help,” Ashton said, reaching out to put a comforting hand on her brother’s arm. “But you did it anyway...for me. Because you loved me. And when Helman was tossed into that pit of vipers, you risked your life to save mine.”

“By throwing you into MacGyver’s arms,” Murdoc grumbled.

“He tried to go back and rescue you, too,” she retorted, her voice now strong and firm. “But it was too late. Just like when he tried to save you from the allergic reaction to poison ivy that took your life.”

“If you came here to sing MacGyver’s praises you can just leave.”

“I came to help you soften your heart towards him. To see that the two of you aren’t as different as you’d like to think.”

“And just how do you figure that?” Murdoc snorted.

“You didn’t have to ask him for help, but you did because you loved me. He didn’t have to help you, but he did because he understood how much I meant to you. You both put aside your differences for a common goal.”

“What else could I have done?”

“Let your need for vengeance and superiority supersede your affection for me. But you didn’t.”

“Yes, well, love isn’t something I generally associate myself with, but you were the only family I had. I couldn’t let Helman take you away from me.”

Ashton smiled slyly. “You value family. That’s another thing you have in common with MacGyver.”

At a sudden loss for words, Murdoc simply scowled.

“You can deny it all you want, big brother, but you are capable of love. I saw how you fell for Penny.”

“That was a temporary aberration on my part. You see, I simply got caught up in the role of Jacques Laroux,” he protested. “Besides, if you know as much about me as you claim, you also know that Penny hated me. She said I disgusted her!”

“Of course she’d say that! You kidnapped her and tried to kill her best friend! But there’s more to you than that,” Ashton insisted. “Penny saw it in Jacques, and I see it right now.”

When her comment was met with silence she continued, “Have you ever wondered what you would have become if Mom and Dad hadn’t died?”

“But they did die, and I had to do whatever I could to make sure you had a decent, normal life. I didn’t have a choice!”

“You did!” Ashton shot back. “You could have been a photographer or musician or composer. Maybe our lifestyle would’ve been simpler, maybe not, but you made a choice and now’s your chance to undo it.”

Murdoc looked at his sister in utter disbelief. “I’m dead, Ashton! I can’t go back and relive my life, right my wrongs, even if I wanted to!”

“You say that so passionately, yet you claim you have no heart, no remorse.”

“That’s one of my shortcomings, I fear. There are times when my passion gets the better of me.”

“Like when you try to kill MacGyver?” his sister asked softly.

Murdoc paused and considered all the ways he had failed...yes, he could admit it now...to murder MacGyver. It had always happened in the heat of the moment, the thrill of having his prey within arm’s reach, the excitement of the kill and the promise of victory. In the throes of vengeance he had been his own worst enemy always making one critical error.

“I suppose you could be correct,” he finally capitulated. “But I made my choices and now I must live with them, so to speak.”

Before Ashton could protest, the soft strains of a harp wafted through the air. “I need to leave you now,” she explained with a sad smile.

“Could you tell me just one thing?” he asked, uncharacteristically apprehensive. “Did you suffer much?”

Her forehead creased in confusion before understanding dawned. “You mean in the avalanche?”

Murdoc could only nod.

“No,” she assured him. “I lost consciousness as soon as it hit me. The next thing I knew, I was here.”

“I’m glad,” he replied, a ghost of a smile on his lips. “Will we be able to talk again?”

“That’s up to you,” she said before turning and ascending the staircase.

Murdoc watched until she was out of sight. A disturbing, though not completely unpleasant, warmth swelled in his chest. It was an odd feeling. One he hadn’t allowed himself to feel in a very long time. It was hope.

Author’s Note: Unfortunately, I must put this story on hiatus again. MacGyver, Joanna, and myself are having “creative differences” about the direction the next chapters should take. In real life, that means I have become very busy with work and other obligations. But have no fear…new chapters WILL RETURN!!!


Posted by: bluegirl 5 April 2021 - 09:46 AM
Since you had chosen to kill Murdoc, you do have to take some special, odd and strange detours to still enable him cause some trouble in Mac´s life, hm???

nasty.gif nasty.gif nasty.gif Love it!

Posted by: uniquelyjas 5 April 2021 - 09:58 AM
QUOTE (bluegirl @ 5 April 2021 - 09:46 AM)
Since you had chosen to kill Murdoc, you do have to take some special, odd and strange detours to still enable him cause some trouble in Mac´s life, hm???

nasty.gif nasty.gif nasty.gif Love it!

I'm glad you love it! And yes, I have to get creative with Murdoc. I killed him off before I delved into his character and learned more about him. However, this way, he can do things that perhaps a "live" Murdoc couldn't or wouldn't.

Posted by: uniquelyjas 5 September 2021 - 09:51 AM
Welcome Back, Readers!! I dusted off this chapter I wrote a couple months ago. I have no other chapters ready to post, but hopefully will have soon!! Mac and Jo have plenty of adventures to come!! Please keep an eye out for new chapters and remember, feedback is always appreciated!! Enjoy!!


Chapter 61: Sold!

The man’s cell phone rang twice. He glanced at the caller ID and answered before it could ring a third time.

“Whatcha got for me, Willis?”

“Everything, sir.”

“Everything?!”

“Yep. Time, date...everything. Meet me at the usual place? Same time?”

“Sure thing. Thanks Willis.”

“No problem.”

The two men disconnected the call without saying good-bye.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MacGyver and Joanna walked into Challengers to find Geena amicably conversing with a gentleman neither of them recognized.

“Well, speak of the devil! Here he is now,” Geena declared with a smile, her gaze finding Mac’s.

The stranger turned around and MacGyver’s hackles immediately rose. He knew this guy. His hair was blonder and shorter on the sides and back, almost like a military cut. He had also lost weight and gained a more athletic physique which was showcased by his snug-fitting jeans, and tailored blazer with suede elbow patches. A pair of worn but well-cared-for cowboy boots completed the outfit.

“Shouldn’t you still be in prison, Minton? Or should I say ‘Gun Man’?” Mac snarled, stepping protectively in front of Jo.

Geena gasped. “Is that anyway to greet a visitor?!” she scolded. “And who is ‘Minton’? This fine-looking young man is Jon Baker, a lieutenant from the California Highway Patrol.” Geena produced a business card to hand to MacGyver who refused to take it.

“Go to your office,” Mac muttered to Jo without taking his eyes off the stranger. He knew she didn’t like it when he got overprotective, but he hoped she would understand this was a special situation. She hesitated a moment before quietly heading down the hallway and out of sight, leaving MacGyver to breathe a small sigh of relief.

“Look, man, I know what you’re thinking,” Baker said calmly.

“You have no idea what I’m thinking!” MacGyver spat. “You go from dealing guns to gangs to impersonating a law enforcement officer?!”

“I can explain everything if you give me a chance. Can we talk in your office?”

Mac looked around the recreation area that was quickly filling up with teens seeking to escape the boredom of another hot summer day. He was responsible for their safety. “No,” he replied. “We’ll go to the diner down the street.”

The two men settled at a table in the back of the small restaurant. Jon Baker ordered a cup of coffee while MacGyver ordered a glass of milk in the hopes that it would calm the fire burning in his stomach. Whether it was from the orange juice he had quickly gulped for breakfast or the presence of the man seated across from him he couldn’t say.

“Okay, start talkin’,” Mac commanded once the waitress had delivered their beverages and disappeared into the kitchen.

Baker took a sip of his coffee before leaning back in the booth. “My name really is Jon Baker. I worked as a California Highway Patrol Motorcycle Officer until 1982 when I went home to my family’s ranch in Wyoming to help out my dad. I returned to the CHP about six years later. Almost immediately I was approached by the Los Angeles Police Department and asked to join their gang task force.”

“Why you?” MacGyver interrupted.

Jon shrugged. “I had been off the streets for years. I was a fresh face. I joined a bunch of guys from various agencies and we spent three years deep undercover infiltrating some of the biggest gangs in L.A. Since that proved harder for an older white guy, we spread the rumor that I was a disgruntled cop who got fired for beating up a kid. Anyway, all those years of hard work and sacrifice finally paid off and we were getting ready to bring down two gangs and their big players when you and your friends from Challengers got involved.”

“But you shot a kid in the back in an empty alley and killed him!” Mac protested.

“Player G,” Baker sighed. “He was a plant. Probably had the hardest job of any of us. We got word that his cover might have been blown. We didn’t know if we were being watched, so we set up that confrontation. The responding cops, the coroner, they were all in on it.”

“Your stupid stunt got an innocent kid arrested!”

“It goes with the job!” Jon replied, raising his voice for the first time since the conversation began.

“Just like knocking me unconscious, locking me up in a storeroom, kidnapping me in a van rigged with dynamite and then beating me up again?!” MacGyver countered.

“Look, man. If I was a real weapons dealer, you wouldn’t be around to complain. I was trying to keep you out of my way and I had to make it look good in case there were eyes on me!”

“But you were gonna blow up a van!”

“What you saw in there was fake. If I would’ve flipped the switch it wouldn’t have been anything more than a smoke bomb to create a diversion so our team could move in. But I never got that chance because you shoved me out a window!”

“I pulled you back in!” Mac exclaimed.

Silence reigned as the waitress approached to offer refills which both men declined and waited until she disappeared again before speaking.

“Okay, say I believe you. What are you doing here?” MacGyver asked.

“I need your help on a case. You can call Willis and verify everything.”

“Wait a minute,” Mac shook his head in disbelief. “You got Willis involved in this?!”

“Back when we first, um, met and I knocked you out in my office, I went through your pockets and found your Phoenix ID and did a little research. I’m currently on a case that’s about to go cold if I don’t show some results so I reached out to them. Willis has been assisting with surveillance and some other stuff. He said my best chance of closing this case is in a few days in Chicago and he gave me your contact information if I needed help. Since the powers-that-be have determined I’m chasing my tail and wasting taxpayers’ money, I don’t have a whole lot of backup and could use a guy like you on my side.”

MacGyver couldn’t help but chuckle at this last line. “That’ll be switch. So, tell me about this case.”

“Does that mean you’re in?”

“You bet.” But Mac made a mental note to call Willis as soon as he got back to Challengers.

Jon surreptitiously glanced around the diner. “Can we meet later? Someplace else?”

Understanding the officer’s caution, Mac agreed. “Come on over to my place for supper and we’ll talk,” he said, scribbling his address on a paper napkin and handing it to Jon. “See ya later.”

XXXXX

Later that afternoon, MacGyver leaned against Joanna’s refrigerator, watching her pad around the kitchen in her bare feet as she prepared supper.

“Thanks for not gettin’ mad this morning when I told you to go to your office,” he said a bit sheepishly.

“No problem,” she responded.

“And thanks for cooking dinner.”

“Well, we can’t feed your guest that horrid tofu casserole you make.”

“It isn’t that bad...is it?”

“Babe, even Frog won’t eat it.”

“I’m gonna pay for all this later, aren’t I?”

“You betcha,” she replied with a wide smile before stopping in front of him. Standing on tiptoe she kissed his frowning lips firmly but quickly. “Now get outta my way.”

An hour later, the trio gathered around Joanna’s small kitchen table and savored the chicken parmesan she had served with a side of garlic-roasted cauliflower for several moments before MacGyver broke the silence.

“So tell me about this case, Baker.”

Jon took his napkin, wiped marinara sauce from the corners of his mouth, and leaned back in his chair. “It started about eighteen months ago. The Los Angeles Police Department noticed a higher-than-average uptick in vehicle theft reports. All classic cars, many owned by wealthy collectors. The LAPD requested assistance from the highway patrol to keep an eye out for the stolen autos, but there were no verified recoveries. It was like they vanished into thin air.”

“It’s been known to happen,” Mac interjected. “A quick paint job, falsified registration.”

“Yeah, but this is where things get weird.” Jon leaned forward, arms crossed on the edge of the table. “Normally, when someone reports a theft, even if it’s just a television or VCR, they constantly hound the police department to see if their property has been found or, more often than not, to complain that the cops aren’t doing enough to find their stuff. But the owners of these cars filed a police report within hours of the theft and never bothered to follow-up. No phone calls...nothin’.”

“You’re thinking insurance fraud,” MacGyver deduced. “The ‘victim’ modifies the car, stashes it somewhere, files a theft report and collects the insurance. Sounds like a pretty straight-forward case.”

“Right,” Jon agreed. “Only, as quick as the theft reports rose, a few weeks later they fell drastically. Then we get notified by the Portland PD that the same thing is happening up there. A couple weeks later, a different city has the same issue. That’s when we realize this goes beyond your basic insurance scam. The brass takes notice, calls in the FBI and forms a task force. We manage to get some viable intel, but just when we think we’re ready to make the bust, the operation moves. Months later, the leads, along with the funding, dry up.”

“And that’s when you asked Phoenix for help,” Mac concluded.

“Yeah,” the officer confirmed.

“So what happened?”

“To make a long story short, after several weeks of working with Willis and a few field agents, things started to come together. Ya see, the collectors reporting their cars stolen and collecting the insurance money was just the surface of a nationwide black market auctioning ring. Turns out, the collectors were approached by members of this operation who encouraged them to relinquish their prized autos for the insurance money. The perps would then take the cars, modify them, and conduct very exclusive underground auctions with invitations being issued to some very rich people. They would then sell the cars for much more than they were worth and move on to another city.”

MacGyver watched Joanna pull a face. “No collector is gonna pay for a car that isn’t original,” she observed.

Jon swallowed the last bite of his supper. “The people who attend these auctions aren’t your typical collectors. They’re young, very wealthy, and looking for a fun, flashy way to spend their money. For them, it’s strictly entertainment.”

“Do the buyers know they’re buying cars illegally?” Mac asked.

Baker shook his head. “Not to the best of our knowledge. It’s just an evening out for them. You see, the perps have connections nationwide and send invites to the demographic they’re targeting. The event itself is a fancy dinner followed by the auction. To add to the intrigue, as well as disguise, it usually takes place in an abandoned factory or warehouse set up to look like an exclusive restaurant.”

“So it looks like a game to the guests? Like one of those murder-mystery dinner theater shows?” Jo asked.

“Exactly. And at the end of the night, everyone walks away happy. The original car owners have their insurance money, the auction guests have a new toy, and the perps have a boatload of cash. Unfortunately, we’ve always been one step behind, until now.”

“This is where Chicago comes in,” Mac surmised.

Baker nodded. “From what Willis could find, this is gonna be the last auction in the United States. They plan on moving the operation to Canada so it’s our last chance to catch these guys on our turf. As a bonus, the mastermind of this scheme is expected to attend. We could shut this whole thing down right then instead of relying on his minions to sell him out.”

“When is this happening?”

“Friday night. Willis was able to hack into the perps’ computer and get us invitations. I’ve arranged to meet up with two female Chicago police detectives who’ll assist us. Like most attendees, we’ll go as couples to blend in. You still on board with this?”

“You bet!” Mac replied.

“Oh, and don’t forget to dust off your tux. It’s black-tie only.”

MacGyver sighed inwardly and glanced at Joanna who seemed to be having a difficult time containing a smile.

XXXXX

Noon on Friday found MacGyver, Joanna, Geena, Rosie, and a few other adult volunteers gathered around the large, weathered, multi-purpose table in Challengers rec room, sandwich wrappers from various fast food establishments the only remains of their midday meal. Most of the teens had gone outside to play ball or simply just enjoy the mild summer weather. While the others chatted amicably, Mac thought about the evening to come. He had studied the grainy surveillance photos of the perps that Willis had somehow managed to obtain for them as well as memorized the year, make, and model of the cars reported stolen that were expected to be up for sale that night, but he still felt unsettled about their plan, or lack thereof. There was a time, not that long ago, when this would not have bothered him. In fact, it would get his adrenaline flowing with anticipation. But now he yearned for more. More intel, more strategy, more certainty. Suddenly, the main door opened and Jon Baker stepped in. He was greeted with cheerful hellos, but a frown stood steadfast on his lips.

“We need to talk,” he said quietly as he approached Mac.

“My office okay?” MacGyver asked.

Baker nodded and headed in that direction as Mac quickly rose from his chair. Joanna’s curiosity-filled eyes collided with his and he shrugged before turning his attention to their visitor.

“What’s up?” he asked, closing the door behind him as Jon was already leaning up against the desk.

“The female detective I planned to partner you with got assigned to another case. We may have to scrap the whole plan for tonight,” Jon explained morosely.
“Can’t you replace her?” MacGyver asked.

Baker shook his head. “Not with such short notice.”

“So it’ll be the three of us instead,” Mac concluded.

Again Baker shook his head and this time he audibly sighed. “I really didn’t want to take the chance of sticking out in the crowd like that.”

“Hey, I’m sorry, man,” MacGyver replied. “Maybe you just need to let this one go.”

“Unless…”

Mac followed Jon’s laser-focused gaze and his stomach fell to his toes when his eyes landed on Joanna.

“No. No way. We are not gonna make her a part of this.”

Jon turned to look at him, confusion written across his features. “From what Willis told me about you two, I was under the impression she helped you out on stuff like this from time to time.”

“She has,” MacGyver replied much to his chagrin. “But she’s a civilian. Those were special circumstances.”

“And this isn’t?” Jon challenged.

“She’s my fiancé! I’m not gonna put her in harm's way.”

“C’mon Mac,” Jon pleaded. “She was there when we planned this whole thing and knows what to do. She just has to look the part of your rich wife. She’ll be fine.”

“You can’t guarantee that,” MacGyver argued.

Jon took a deep, calming breath. “I know you’re just trying to protect her. But don’t forget that there’ll be about a hundred other civilians there tonight. You and I can’t guarantee everyone’s safety, but if we do our job right, we’ll all get outta this okay.” After a long pause he added, “Don’t you think you should at least let her decide whether or not she wants in on this?”

MacGyver raked his fingers through his hair. Life had been so much easier when the only person he had to worry about was himself. He also knew Jo would happily skin him alive if she knew he was making decisions for her.

“Okay. Fine. I’ll ask her,” he conceded.

Moments later, Joanna sat on the worn couch in Mac’s office, Jon crouched in front of her explaining the circumstances and what her role would be if she decided to help, which was basically to look pretty, act rich, and stay alert in case things got interesting. MacGyver stood behind Jon, arms crossed in front of his chest and a frown tugging at his lips. He couldn’t help but notice that Jo never once even attempted to make eye contact with him while all he could do was stare at her and will her to tell Baker she didn’t want to get involved.

“Could I talk to Mac alone for a minute?” he heard her ask as her gaze suddenly met his.

The CHP officer simply nodded, stood, and left the office, closing the door behind him.

Joanna slowly got to her feet, her eyes never leaving MacGyver’s. “I won’t do this if you don’t want me to,” she said.

Mac’s heart melted and he fell more in love with her, if that was even possible. He knew she understood how much he wanted to protect her regardless of what she wanted to do, and she was putting the opportunity right in his hands. He just had to say the word.

“No,” he said around a lump that had formed in his throat. “It’s your call.”

“I’d really like to help, but I don’t want to be a distraction and compromise your safety,” she replied, her large, doe eyes almost his undoing.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course. Anything.”

“Why would you want to be part of this?”

Joanna lowered her gaze and walked slowly to the other side of the room before turning to face him again. “Ever since you came to Milwaukee, you’ve been living in my world. I want a chance to live in yours.”

“But that’s not my world anymore!” Mac exclaimed.

Jo rolled her eyes and scowled.

“All right,” MacGyver recanted. “Maybe I haven’t been able to completely change my ways, but I’m trying.”

The expression on Joanna’s face softened as she reached out and gently cupped his cheek with her hand. “I don’t want you to change,” she said softly. Now it was his turn to scowl. “Okay, maybe in the beginning I did, but I know how important this is to you. I just want to be a part of it.”

“Look, Joanna,” he said, stepping back from her touch. “This isn’t some hobby we can share on the weekends. This is dangerous, life or death stuff we’re talkin’ about!”

He watched as disappointment flitted across her face before fire sparked in her eyes. She took a deep breath and he steeled himself. When she spoke, her voice was calm but firm. “When I got hired at the correctional facility, none of my childhood friends could understand how sweet, shy, little Joanna could be successful working in a place like that, much less enjoy it. Buy ya know what? I worked my butt off and did a darn good job and I loved it! I’m a lot stronger than most people think.”

Now it was MacGyver’s turn to reach out and gently caress Jo’s cheek with the back of his index finger. “You know you don’t have to prove anything to me. I already know how amazing you are.”

“Then you’re okay if I do this?” she asked.

Mac’s lips tugged upward into a soft grin. “Yeah. I’m okay with it. But there is one problem.”

Joanna immediately frowned. “What is it?”

“Baker said this thing tonight is formal and we only have a couple hours before we have to leave for Chicago. Do you think you can be ready?”

Jo turned to look out his office window and smiled. “I’ll be ready. With a little help from my fairy godmother.”

XXXXX

MacGyver ran his finger around the inside of his starched collar and looked at his watch...again. “Are you almost ready? Baker’s gonna be here any minute to pick us up,” he called through the adjoining door into Jo’s apartment.

“Your man needs to learn some patience!” Geena commented loudly from the other side.

“I’ll be right there!” Jo promised.

Mac’s chin fell to his chest as he huffed out a frustrated breath. When he looked up, what he saw caused him to lose his breath altogether. Joanna stood in their shared doorway, a sleeveless, floor length, shimmery light blue sheath dress hugging her body in all the right places with a side slit up to her knee exposing a tantalizing view of her leg. Strappy silver sandals completed her ensemble. Her silky bobbed hair was strategically rolled in an updo exposing her neck and making MacGyver want to skip the auction and spend the evening alone with her.

“Wow!” he exhaled.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she said, smiling coyly.

Mac barely heard the knock on his front door as he stood drinking her in.

“You gonna get that?” she asked.

He felt a flush creep up his neck just as Jon Baker let himself in through the unlocked door. “You guys ready?” he asked.

“Yeah...um...sure. Right behind ya,” MacGyver choked out in reply before collecting himself and offering Joanna his arm like a proper escort.

“You kids have fun tonight!” Geena called.

“We will!” Joanna answered with a smile.

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Joanna held lightly to MacGyver’s arm before sliding into the back seat of Jon’s rented sedan. Mac closed her door, making sure it was secure before settling himself in the front passenger seat.

“So what does Geena know about tonight?” Mac asked, turning his head sideways.

“I told her we were going to a fancy charity fundraiser in Chicago,” Jo replied.

“And she bought it?” MacGyver queried.

Jo shrugged, “Who knows. But at least she doesn’t know enough to put her in any danger.” She watched as Mac turned to gaze out the windshield and then addressed the two men. “So, what can I do to help?”

“Nothing!” MacGyver responded immediately which caused her to frown at the back of his head.

“Actually, you could help us identify the ‘stolen’ vehicles,” Jon contradicted, earning him a sweet smile. “There’s a file on the seat next to you. It contains pictures and descriptions of the cars we expect to be auctioned off tonight. You can study them while we drive.”

Jo grabbed the file as Mac shifted in his seat and ran a hand through his hair. Keenly aware of his unease, she reached out and put her hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Don’t worry. It’ll be alright,” she tried to assure him before focusing her attention on the glossy pictures now on her lap.

Before she knew it, Jon pulled the car up to the front entrance of a ritzy downtown Chicago hotel.

“What are we doing here?” she asked. “I thought the cover for the event was an abandoned building?”

“It is,” Jon confirmed. “But first I have to pick up my date.”

How had she forgotten?! Jon’s ‘date’ was a Chicago police detective. Jo smiled politely as valets opened doors and ushered them into the plush lobby. Across the way, an elevator yawned open and out stepped a tall, athletic woman in a black, strapless mini-dress bedecked with sequins. Long, blonde hair fell in loose curls around her shoulders and down her back. She headed straight towards them, her eyes locking with Jon’s. This was a cop?! Joanna felt like sinking into the floor when she felt MacGyver’s arm snake around her waist and pull her close to his side.

“She’s got nothin’ on you,” he whispered into her ear, his feather-light breath causing her to shiver. How did he always know just the thing she needed to hear?

Once introductions were made, Jon slipped his hand into the inside pocket of his tuxedo jacket and produced two envelopes, handing one to Mac who immediately opened it.

“What’s that?” Jo asked.

“Your official invitation, complete with aliases, courtesy of Willis,” Jon replied.

Joanna craned her neck to read the form Mac held. “Rick and Deanie Anderson?” she said, scrunching her nose in distaste.

“What’s wrong with that?” MacGyver asked. “I think it has a nice ring to it.”

She looked up at him dubiously. “Well, you kinda look like a ‘Rick’, but I am not a ‘Deanie’!”

“And what, exactly, does a ‘Deanie’ look like?” Jo couldn’t miss the mischievous gleam in his eye nor the fact that his lips were begging to be allowed to break into a teasing grin.

“That!” Jo replied firmly, her eyes honed in on the blonde detective before turning back to the invitation. “What’s this barcode for?” she asked.

“It’s an identification system,” Jon answered. “Each invitation has its own, unique code. You have to be scanned in to prove you’re an invited guest before you can enter the party.”

“What happens if it doesn’t work?”

“Let’s hope Willis did a good enough job on it so we don’t find out,” Mac replied.

“Now everyone remember,” Jon instructed, “We have to wait for a sale to go down before we attempt a bust, and I don’t want any of us acting as a buyer. Don’t want to give a lawyer the chance to argue entrapment. Understand?”

Three heads nodded.

“One more thing before we head out,” Jon said, holding up two sets of car keys. “Do you want the BMW or the Jaguar?”

Joanna’s jaw dropped and he snickered. “Rich people drive expensive cars,” he reminded her.

“Go ahead...pick,” Mac encouraged her.

Jo’s indecisiveness kicked in and she looked up at him. “You’re driving. It’s your choice.”

“I’ve always admired large cats,” MacGyver grinned.

“Then the Jag it is!” Jon laughed, tossing the keys to Mac. “It’s on level three of the parking structure. You can’t miss it. You’ll find a map and directions in the glove compartment.”

“Courtesy of Willis?”

“Who else?! You and Jo leave first. We’ll follow a few minutes later. Remember, once we get there, we’re strangers.”

“Got it. See ya soon!”

Joanna sighed in appreciation as her body sank into the buttery soft leather seat of the luxury automobile.

“Not bad, eh?” Mac asked, tossing her a crooked grin as she reverently smoothed her hand over the dashboard. “Kinda makes you wanna get rid of that Chevy.”

Jo’s eyes turned cold and she crossed her arms over her chest in mock defiance. “Never!” she shot back before turning the tables on him. “You gonna trade your Jeep?”

MacGyver gasped, dramatically putting his hands over his heart. “That car and I have been through a lot together!” And then they both broke out laughing at their antics.

“We better get going or Baker’ll wonder where we are,” Mac said, sobering as he turned the key, the finely tuned engine purring to life.

As Mac made his way out of the parking structure, Joanna found the map and read off the directions to him. They rode the relatively short distance in silence, the seriousness of the matter taking precedence over small talk. At the abandoned warehouse a few blocks from Lake Michigan, a line of expensive cars waited to pass through the gates. MacGyver pulled the Jag up behind a brand new Corvette to await their turn.

Looking out the car window at their less-than-stellar surroundings, Jo felt a lead ball take up residence in the pit of her stomach as adventure turned to reality. She didn’t realize she was nervously picking at her fingernails until she felt Mac’s large, warm hand cover both of hers and give a tender squeeze.

“You okay?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re sure? ‘Cause if you aren’t I need to know now.”

She turned to find his eyes boring into hers. “I’m positive,” she replied. “I won’t let you down.”

“I know,” he said softly, bringing one of her hands to his lips and gracing it with a whisper of a kiss. In his other hand he held their invitation and tapped the corner rhythmically on the steering wheel.

“Are you okay?” Joanna asked, observing his nervous energy.

“Yeah. Just the adrenaline, ya know? I used to live for this kinda thing.”

“And now?”

Before MacGyver could answer, a man dressed as a security guard motioned them to move forward. Jo held her breath and sensed Mac tense beside her as he handed over the invitation to be scanned. Seconds seemed like an eternity before the guard’s hand-held device beeped once and the small light blinked green.

“Welcome to the auction, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson. Enjoy your evening.”

They both immediately relaxed as MacGyver thanked the guard and drove into the parking lot. “Thank you, Willis!” she heard him whisper and silently echoed his words.

Valets waited under a canopied entrance to assist Mac and Joanna from the Jag before parking the vehicle. Making their way to the door, MacGyver tucked the invitation carefully into the inside pocket of his tux and pulled out a small, velvet box. “I forgot something,” he whispered in Jo’s ear just as he clasped her elbow and pulled her into the shadows. He opened the box to reveal an ostentatiously large diamond ring.

“What’s that for?” she asked.

“We’re supposed to be married, remember?”

“But I’m already wearing your engagement ring. Won’t that do?”

“We’re supposed to be rich, reckless spenders,” he reminded her.

Quickly slipping her own ring to her right hand, she donned the giant stone he offered and allowed him to escort her through the entrance where doormen greeted them. She looked around in awe at the inside of the abandoned warehouse that now was decorated like a ballroom at Buckingham Palace.

“Wow,” she whispered, trying desperately to look like she was not impressed by their surroundings. Waiters in white shirts with black vests and pants circulated among the growing crowd with trays of champagne flutes and various hors d'oeuvres. Elegantly set tables with fine linens graced one end of the large hall while the cars up for bidding were displayed in all their glory on the opposite side. Men in tuxedos and women in sparkling cocktail dresses milled about, some chatting casually while others admired the classic automobiles.

“Let’s split up and make a solid ID on these cars.” MacGyver’s breath tickled her ear as he spoke softly into it.

“What about Jon and his partner?” Jo asked, carefully looking around.

“We’ll catch up with ‘em at dinner. Willis made sure we’re all seated together.”

With a slight nod to show she understood, she broke away from Mac’s side and watched him snag a crab puff from a passing waiter before sauntering toward what she recognized to be a 1969 Dodge Charger. Darn! She had wanted to check out that car herself. Sighing inwardly, she turned and headed off in the opposite direction.

For the next half hour, Joanna sipped champagne and was able to recognize many of the cars that had been in the file Jon had given her on the drive down. All had been painted a different color and some had modifications such as spoilers or customized tire rims, but the uniqueness of each vehicle couldn’t be that easily disguised. She smiled when she happened upon a red and white ‘57 Chevy Bel Air not unlike MacGyver’s own Nomad. Perhaps he should have posed as a seller instead. As she continued to meander through the cars and crowd, she found herself in a darkened corner. Velvet ropes cordoned off an area where vintage foreign automobiles sat low to the ground, shining under the glow of well-positioned spot lights. Having a vague idea of what a legal dealer would sell these cars for, she shuddered at the thought of what someone might pay for one tonight. Suddenly, she felt a presence beside her and knew instinctively it was Mac.

“How’s it goin’?” he asked casually.

She turned to look at him, still amazed at how his too-long, unruly hair and formal tuxedo made a perfect combination. “Good,” she replied. “I recognized a lot of the cars from those reported stolen.”

“Yeah, me too.”

Before more information could be exchanged, one of the waiters, sans hors d'oeuvres tray, escorted them to a table where Jon and his partner already sat. They greeted each other with somewhat stilted introductions for the benefit of the other two couples at the table. Unfortunately, the strangers’ presence meant they couldn’t speak freely, but Joanna recognized the moment between Mac and Jon when subtle looks and gestures conveyed that the vehicles had been identified. After a scrumptious dinner and decadent dessert, guests were once again invited to peruse the classic autos before the auction began. This time, Mac and Joanna strolled together. She had just bent down to peek in the tinted window of a Mustang when she felt MacGyver go stiff beside her.

“Uh oh,” he murmured.

“Uh oh?” she asked, quickly straightening to her full height, a frown on her lips. “That doesn’t sound good.”

“It’s not,” Mac said flatly as she followed his gaze directly to a short, wiry, gray-haired man in an expensive designer suit who was glaring back at them with steely eyes as he stalked their way.

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“Who’s that?” Joanna whispered urgently while MacGyver tried to calm his runaway heartbeat.

“Someone Sam and I had a run-in with while we were on the road,” he explained through gritted teeth. “We helped authorities put him away for extortion.”

“Well, well, well, Mr. MacGyver! Small world, isn’t it? But I don’t recall seeing your name on my guest list,” the man greeted them.

“I thought you were still in prison, Bensch,” Mac replied coolly, slowly regaining his mental composure.

“Yes, well, if you have enough money...which I do...interesting things can happen.” When the man turned his attention to Jo, MacGyver’s blood ran cold. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your lady friend?”

“Leave her out of this,” Mac demanded.

“She’s already in it,” Bensch parried. “Now let’s take a walk outside so we can have some privacy.”

As if from out of nowhere, two armed guards appeared beside them to escort them away. MacGyver was careful to avoid eye contact with Baker and he hoped Joanna knew to do the same. He couldn’t blow this for Jon, so it had to look like he was acting on his own. Walking across the parking lot, Mac’s heart thudded with regret. He never should’ve let Joanna and Baker talk him into letting her get involved. Oh, she would’ve been upset with him, but at least she’d be safe.

“Okay, that’s far enough,” Bensch stated when they reached an area shrouded in shadow where a ‘59 Cadillac waited. “Cuff ‘em,” he instructed his guards, pulling out and training his own pistol on Jo and Mac. As the guards secured their hands behind them, Bensch opened the trunk. “Get in,” he commanded.

Knowing that compliance was the smartest, and pretty much only, thing to do at the moment, MacGyver reluctantly took a step toward the car.

“Hey boss, why don’t we let her ride up front?” one of the guards asked, caressing Joanna’s cheek with the back of his fingers as she grimaced and tried to turn her head away from his touch.

“Get away from her!” Mac growled, lunging at the man. A second later, he felt the butt of a gun connect with the back of his head. He was falling and couldn’t stop himself. He hit the ground and his world went black.

MacGyver’s head pounded and his mouth felt like it had been stuffed with cotton as consciousness ebbed and flowed. He fought to wake up and focus. Slowly peeling back his eyelids, he saw nothing but darkness. Where was he? Where was Jo? What had happened after he had blacked out? Thoughts he didn’t want to entertain struggled for purchase in his brain, but he pushed them away.

“Mac?”

A tidal wave of relief washed over him. Wherever they were, whatever had happened, Joanna was with him and alive.

“Are you okay?” he whispered in a raspy voice.

“Yeah.”

“They didn’t hurt you?” MacGyver held his breath, afraid of the answer.

“No. They were perfect gentlemen,” she replied firmly, sarcasm dripping off every word causing him to grin. “How’s your head?”

“Fine. How long have I been out?”

“About ten minutes, maybe,” she guessed.

“Any idea where we are?”

“The trunk of a ‘59 Caddy,” she grunted.

He then realized he was looking at the backside of the back seat. He also realized he had been conscious for several minutes but hadn’t felt any movement. Were they still in the warehouse parking lot? “Care to add any details?”

“They drove us around for five minutes or so. Then they slowed and it felt like we were going up ramps. The car stopped and I heard voices but couldn’t make out what they were saying. Doors slammed and it’s been quiet ever since. My guess is they abandoned us in a parking structure.”

Despite their situation, Mac’s heart filled with pride. Jo had kept her head, paid attention, and gathered some very helpful information.

“Do you think they’ll come back?” The worry creeping into her voice made him want to hold her, but words would have to do for now.

“Doubtful. Bensch is a snake, but he’s not into hurting people. Best I can figure is he had one of his goons follow us in a second car and they’re headed for the border. By the time someone finds us they’ll be in Canada.”

“Speaking of which, I assume you have a plan to get us out of here in a more timely manner. I’m starting to have great sympathy for sardines.”

Mac bit back a laugh, glad to know that Joanna hadn’t lost her sense of humor. “I’m facing the backseat. How about you?” he asked to determine their respective positions.

“I’m facing the latch. We must be back-to-back.”

MacGyver wiggled himself backwards and found her hands with his. He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. “I think I have an idea. Just hold still for a minute.”

Encumbered both by his tuxedo as well as his hands clasped behind him, he bent his knees slightly, dug his feet into the floor of the trunk, and with the help of his shoulder, gained enough leverage to twist his body so that he was on his back. Going through the motions one more time he flipped to his other side so that he was now facing Jo’s back.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“We gotta get outta these cuffs,” he said. “I need you to try and get my knife.”

“They took it after they knocked you out,” she told him.

“Aw man,” he groaned, at the same time inhaling the scent of her hairspray as his face was practically buried in her updo. He coughed, but another idea started to form. “Please tell me you have bobby pins in your hair.”

“A ton,” she snorted.

“Good. I’m gonna try and pull one out with my teeth. When I got it, I’ll get it as close to your hands as I can and you take it from me.” Using his nose, he probed for one of the pieces of metal. It didn’t take long before he felt one at the nap of her neck. Angling his mouth in position, he felt her shudder as the tip of his tongue touched her sensitive skin. Ignoring the acrid taste of hairspray, he carefully bit down on the end of the pin and slowly moved his head back, pulling the pin with him. “I got it,” he told her through clenched teeth. She immediately moved to try and bring her hands up as he scooted against the backseat to give him more room to bend his long frame and get his mouth down to her fingers. After a couple of awkward attempts, he felt the tip of her nails on his lip and the bobby pin was suddenly snatched from his mouth. “Okay, that was the hard part,” he told her.

“No kidding,” she replied. “Now I suppose I have to get this into your hands so you can pick the locks.”

“You got it,” he confirmed with a smile she couldn’t see. “I’m gonna roll back over. Find my hands just like we did before.”

After more contortions, grunts and groans, mostly on his part, he had the coveted bobby pin grasped firmly between his long fingers and he set to work blindly picking the locks on the handcuffs. When they were both free, he turned onto his back, took a few deep breaths, and allowed his muscles to relax. Beside him he felt Joanna do the same.

“What’s next?” she asked.

“We kick out the backseat.” He turned his head to look at her, his eyes now accustomed to the darkness. Her face was a study in determination.

“Tell me what to do.”

Moments later, they repositioned themselves, an easier task with the use of their hands, so they were both on their backs, their knees bent and their feet flat against the back of the back seat.

“You sure you don’t want to take your shoes off?” Mac asked, wary about Joanna’s strappy heels.

“I’m good. Let’s get this done,” she replied.

On the count of three, they both pushed hard with their feet. Nothing happened.

“They sure don’t make cars like this anymore,” MacGyver mumbled. “Okay, let’s try again.”

Two more tries and he felt a little give, but not much movement. “I think we need to get a little rougher,” he said. “This time, pull your legs back and kick as hard as you can.”

As the two of them kicked, the seat finally released and fell away. Maneuvering back to their stomachs, they crawled out of the trunk through the hole where the back seat had been. MacGyver made his way to the driver’s seat with Joanna behind him, struggling with her long dress, into the passenger seat beside him. Taking a moment to survey their surroundings they discovered that they were, indeed, in a parking structure.

“We need to get back to the auction,” Mac said as he reached under the dashboard and pulled down some wires. In no time at all he had the engine running. “We can’t be that far away so maybe we can still catch them.”

MacGyver drove the classic car down several stories before turning onto a familiar street that would lead back to the warehouse. As they approached the building they saw several police cars, blue and red lights flashing through the night. Mac pushed the brake hard and parked the car. He and Jo quickly swung open their doors and headed for a group of people standing by one of the squads. Jon Baker and his partner stood talking to a uniformed police officer. When he saw them, he quickly broke away.

“Hey, I was just about to form a search party for you two. I saw you leave with Bensch and his goons. Are you alright?”

MacGyver glanced at Joanna who was nodding. “Yeah, we’re fine,” he assured Jon. “I’m sorry I blew this bust for you.”

“You didn’t blow it,” Baker said with a broad smile. “After you left and things settled down, the auction continued as planned. Your ‘friends’ returned shortly afterwards and we were able to arrest the whole gang after the first sale.”

“I was sure when Bensch made me that the whole thing was shot,” Mac confessed.

“Well, it wasn’t,” Jon clapped him on the shoulder. “Now, tell me what happened to you two. I have a feeling we’ll be adding more charges to the list including kidnapping.”

XXXXX

MacGyver sat at his kitchen table, his head in his hands. His tuxedo jacket pooled on the seat of the chair next to him, his bowtie still hung around his neck though undone. The events of the evening ran in a continuous loop through his mind. Contrary to what Baker had said, Mac had blown it big time. The CHP officer had counted on him to pull his weight and help take down the criminals. Instead, he got himself and his fiancé kidnapped. He had been lucky this time. Had the situation been different, he could’ve gotten them killed. Just the thought sent acid churning through his stomach. He was the guy people counted on to help them, not bring them more trouble. Was he losing his edge? Had he already lost it and just didn’t realize it? Did he have any business running to the rescue if it turned out he would be the one needing rescuing? The tropical scent of coconut wafted from across the room and he looked up to find Joanna standing in the doorway that connected their apartments. Her hair, styled so impeccably hours before, hung damp and straight. But her face, now scrubbed clean of make-up, glowed and she looked relaxed and refreshed in her comfy bathrobe.

“Hey,” he greeted her. “How’re you doin’?”

She smiled at him as she walked toward the table. “It’s amazing what a long, hot shower can do,” she said, sitting down across from him and eyeing him scrupulously. “Maybe you should try it.”

Mac sighed and scrubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “It’s late. You should try and get some rest,” he said, deflecting her suggestion. She had to be exhausted. He was. After arriving back at the warehouse and talking to Jon, they both were taken to the police precinct to give their official statements and positively identify their captors. Once allowed to leave, a squad took them to the hospital to have a doctor evaluate MacGyver’s injured head before returning them to the hotel where they had picked up Jon’s partner earlier to retrieve the rental car and drive back to Milwaukee. Baker stayed behind, explaining that now that the case was closed he’d be flying from Chicago back to L.A. the next day.

“Jon was right, ya know. You didn’t blow it,” Jo told him softly as she reached across the table, offering her hand.

He took it and squeezed it tight before caressing it with his thumb. Pete Thornton had been the only person in his life that could read his mind...until he had met and fell in love with Joanna. At times their connection soothed him, and at other times it scared him because he knew he could never hide anything from her. “I know,” he sighed heavily. “I just sure didn’t help.”

Jo frowned at him. “You had no way of knowing the leader of this scam was someone you knew.”

“It’s not just that,” he replied, his frustration rising. “Don’t you get it? I got us kidnapped! I got myself knocked unconscious leaving you to deal with whatever would happen! I couldn’t protect you and I couldn’t help Baker break the case. I’m nobody’s hero.”

“No. You’re not,” she said firmly. “And nobody expects you to be, except maybe yourself.”

Mac stared at her rich brown eyes trying to process what she was saying.

“You don’t always have to be the one to save the day,” she continued. “Jon came to you because he trusted you and knew he could count on you. That allowed him to stay at the auction and make the bust and not have to come running to our rescue instead. People don’t need you to be their hero. They just need you to be who you are.”

MacGyver gave her hand one last squeeze before releasing it. He understood what she was saying and, for now, that was enough. He just wasn’t sure if he was still enough. But that was something to be dealt with after he cleaned up and got some sleep. He pushed back his chair, stood up, and walked over to where she now stood as well.

“Thanks for the pep talk,” he said.

“You’re still doubting yourself,” she gently challenged.

“I’ll be fine after a long, hot shower. I hear they can do amazing things.”

Posted by: uniquelyjas 26 October 2021 - 05:14 AM
Chapter 62: Opportunity Knocks

Sam Malloy paced the narrow hallway in front of the door to the office of the editor-in-chief of the Chicago Tribune, periodically jamming his splayed fingers through his dark brown hair. Earlier that morning, Becca had received an email requesting her presence in said office. She had been nervous and worried, but Sam tried to convince her there was nothing to be upset about. That the meeting might bring good news. Now he was beginning to wonder if he had been wrong. He stopped pacing to glance at his watch...again, when the door opened and Rebecca Williams emerged, cheeks flushed and a wide smile on her face. Sam felt instantaneous relief.

“Well, what happened?” he asked.

“You’ll never guess!” Becca exclaimed.

“That’s why I asked,” Sam laughed.

“I just signed a contract to become the Tribune’s newest staff reporter! I’m not a stringer anymore! I have a real, actual job!” She launched herself at Sam, throwing her arms around his neck and almost squeezing off his oxygen supply.

“That’s great!” Sam congratulated her, hugging her back. “We need to go out and celebrate!”

“Malloy, get in here,” a gruff voice, belonging to their boss, commanded.

After extricating himself from Becca, Sam followed the man into the office. A bubble of hope swelled. Maybe this was his break, too.

The short, rotund man turned to face him, pointing a finger at Sam’s chest. “I know somethin’s goin’ on between you two, but now that Ms. Williams is a member of the staff I need you to stay out of her way, got it?! She’s a promising, talented writer who could really make a name for herself in this business and I don’t want her getting distracted by a pretty-boy and his camera.”

Sam’s heart fell to his shoes. Not only was he not getting hired, he was being warned away from his girlfriend. Unnerved by the declaration, yet admitting to himself the man only had Becca’s best interests at heart, he nodded. “I got it, sir.”

“Good! Now get back to work, or whatever it is you do around here.”

Quelling his quickly rising anger, Sam pasted on a smile and rejoined Becca in the hallway.

“What did he want?” she asked.

“Just gave me some advice, is all,” Sam replied. This was Becca’s special day. One she had been waiting for longer than he had. He would not ruin it for her. “So, how do you want to celebrate?”

That evening found Sam and Becca sitting on the floor of her apartment, a square pizza box in front of them on the coffee table and a classic episode of Star Trek playing on the television. Rebecca had just finished the last bite of her Hawaiin pizza and was washing it down with the remains of her pineapple Slurpee when Sam asked, “Are you sure you wouldn’t have rather gone out?”

Rebecca turned to him, clearly surprised. “No way! What better way to celebrate than with my two favorite guys?” she asked, reaching out to gently stroke her odd-looking but ever-faithful dog, Cip.

“I hope I’m one of those guys, or did Spock beat me out?” Sam laughed.

“Hmmm...it’s close, but you made the cut,” Becca teased.

“Good to know,” Sam replied, oddly chagrined that he was almost jealous of a fictional character. “So, when do you think you’ll get your first official assignment?”

“Oh, I already got it,” she replied nonchalantly as she collected their used plates and headed to the kitchen, Cip on her heels.

“That was fast,” Sam replied, following her and the dog. “Guess you’re lucky you live in a city with a lot of crime that needs investigating,” he tried to tease, but it came out sounding lame, even to him.

“It’s not a crime story,” she said, turning to face him but avoiding his eyes. “It’s for the lifestyle section. The wives of the Chicago Cubs are holding their annual fashion show for charity tomorrow and I was assigned to cover it.”

“But I thought you didn’t write ‘fluff’ pieces,” Sam challenged.

Becca’s gaze now collided with his. “Things are different now, Sam. I’m an honest-to-goodness employee of the paper. If I want to stay that way, I need to cover whatever assignments they give me.”

“So you’re selling out! Giving up on your dream!” Sam spat.

“No! I’m paying my dues. Once I prove myself I’ll start getting the stories I really do want to write.”

Sam threw up his hands and turned away. “You’re right. I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I guess I’m just...tired.”

“I know something that will cheer you up,” Becca said brightly. “I’m sure the paper is going to want pictures. I’ll ask if you can be my photographer!”

Sam grinned shamelessly. “You mean you wouldn’t get jealous of me photographing all those beautiful women in sexy clothes?”

“Of course not! Like I said, they’re all married anyway!” Becca smiled triumphantly before playfully sticking out her tongue at him.

The following day, Sam and Becca stood in the editor’s office.

“You don’t understand, Williams. You don’t have to rely on a stringer anymore. A staff photographer has already been notified and will accompany you to the event this afternoon. Malloy will just have to sniff out his own stories.”

Rebecca looked up at Sam apologetically, but he shrugged her off. “It’s no big deal,” he replied casually. “I can find plenty of stuff to keep me busy.”

XXXXX

Sam slumped in the threadbare armchair across from the TV, absently petting Cip who lay at his side, both of them completely ignoring the sitcom playing out in front of them. It had been three weeks since Rebecca had been officially hired by the Tribune. She had just landed her first investigative story and was working late...again. She asked him to take care of Cip until she got home...again. Sam glanced over his shoulder and eyed his kitchen ruefully. He had spent hours putting together a romantic dinner to surprise her with. Now it sat drying out in the oven. Cip lifted his head, sniffed the air, and whined.

“I hear ya, buddy,” Sam sighed. “We might as well go ahead and eat it ourselves.”

He knew he should be excited for Becca, and he was. But he couldn’t help the jealousy that snuck in every now and again when he took second place to her job. And every now and again he was reminded that he didn’t have a job...at least not a steady one with a consistent income. Unless he counted babysitting Cip, but he was doing that for free. His girlfriend was suddenly on the fast track to success in a career she loved and he, after more than a year of working as a stringer, was sharing an overdone meal with a dog that wasn’t even his.

After dinner had been eaten and the dishes done, Sam stretched out on the couch to brood. The TV was still on and his attention was drawn to images of buildings exploding and general chaos in a faraway country. Not that long ago, he would have eagerly been in the middle of all the commotion, documenting the event with his camera, assisting where needed, and doing everything he could to bring down the bad guys. Something unexpected stirred in his soul and he couldn’t help but wonder if it was time for him to move on.

The next thing Sam knew, sunlight was streaming through the slats in his blinds and he felt someone watching him. He turned his head to find Cip impatiently waiting, ready to take care of his morning business. Sam rose quickly, knowing all too well the consequences of keeping his canine pal waiting. As he fastened the purple nylon leash to Cip’s collar, he noticed a piece of paper had been slipped under the front door. He picked it up and immediately recognized Becca’s handwriting. Got home late. Didn’t want to wake you. See you tonight. B.

“Guess it’s you and me again,” he said to Cip as he led the dog out of the apartment.

Not inclined to return home to the lonely space, and definitely not inclined to spend the day hanging out at the Tribune, Sam took Cip on a longer-than-usual leisurely walk through a nearby park. An old man sat hunched over on a bench tossing breadcrumbs to a flock of pigeons. Would that be him someday? Sour mood still intact, he and the dog eventually returned home. They stepped off the elevator to find two men in dark suits loitering in the hallway just outside the door to his apartment.

Sam came to an immediate halt. He recognized feds when he saw them. The question was which agency did they work for. FBI? CIA? More importantly, what did they want with him. Aware that the men had yet to notice them...what kind of agents were they, anyway?...Sam took a moment to gather himself before loudly clearing his throat to get their attention. “Something I can do for you fellas?” he asked, casually approaching them but mentally on high alert.

“Sean Angus Malloy?” the taller one asked.

“Name’s Sam.”

The two men glanced at each other, the one who had spoken raising his eyebrow before saying, “Can we talk inside?”

“I need to see some ID first,” Sam demanded.

Clearly displeased with the younger man’s defiant attitude, the men slowly reached into their pockets and withdrew their identification cards and badges. Sam studied them carefully. “Department of External Services?”

“That’s correct,” the shorter man spoke this time. “I’m Agent Sanders and this is Agent Turner.”

Sam knew that his dad and Pete had worked for the DXS before joining the Phoenix Foundation, though neither one spoke extensively of their time there. Regardless, this couldn’t be a coincidence. “Whatta you want?”

“We’d like to speak with you. Privately,” Sanders said.

Sam nodded once to show he understood before taking his sweet time unlocking his door and gesturing for the two gentlemen to enter. He bent down and unclipped Cip’s leash, watching as the dog darted into the bedroom. Wimp. Looking up, he found the men had already seated themselves on his couch.

“Okay, talk,” he said without preamble or any of the other niceties normally bestowed on guests.

“Wouldn’t you like to sit down?” Turner asked him.

“I’ll stand for now.”

Once again the two agents glanced at each other in silent communication.

“We’ll get right to the point,” Sanders said. “We’d like you to come work for the DXS.”

“Why?” Sam asked bluntly.

“Your father was the best operative the department ever had. We have every reason to believe you could be just as good.”

“How’s that?” Sam wasn’t sure why he felt like he had to give these guys a hard time, but following his gut had kept him out of trouble in the past.

“When you and MacGyver brought down Colonel Chung and his syndicate, a lot of people took notice.”

“That was six years ago. What took ya so long to find me?”

Sam swore the agents nearly smirked before Sanders cleared his throat to reply. “We’ve been keeping an eye on you for quite awhile now...Sam.”

Sam’s breath hitched, but he worked hard to maintain a cool facade. “So what, you’ve been tailing me? Bugging my apartment?”

“Nothing so ‘cloak-and-dagger’ I’m afraid,” the other agent, Turner, replied. “Let’s just say we have ways of keeping track of people who interest us. And we are very interested in you.”

“If I’m so interesting, then you know I already have a job.”

“A job you’re considering leaving, perhaps?” Sanders countered.

Surprised at how much the DXS really did know about him and wondering exactly how they had gotten this information, Sam took his time before replying. “Perhaps,” he agreed. Perhaps this is the change I didn’t know I needed, he thought to himself. “You’ll give me some time to think about this?” he asked.

“Of course,” Sanders quickly agreed as Turner nodded. “But we’ll need an answer soon. Opportunities like this rarely knock twice.”

Sam took a step towards the door, indicating it was time for the men to leave. On their part, the agents stood and adjusted their suits before following. “We’ll be in touch,” Turner informed him.

As soon as the men had crossed the threshold, Sam closed and locked the door behind them before turning to lean his back against it. Cip scurried out of the bedroom and stopped in front of Sam, big brown eyes begging for attention. “Some help you were,” Sam grumbled as he gave the dog a hearty ear rub. “But I can’t blame you for hiding. I didn’t much care for them either.” But they’d be back, and before they returned, Sam needed to do a lot of thinking...and a little recon as well.

XXXXX

Hours later, Sam’s thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his front door. Concerned it might be the DXS agents again, he quietly made his way over and looked out the peephole. It was Becca.

“Cip! Your mom’s here!” Sam announced as he opened the door. Rebecca eagerly entered his apartment, a smile on her face as she bent down to cuddle her dog.

“Thank you SO much for keeping an eye on him, Sam!”

“No problem. I enjoyed the company,” he replied, hating the sarcasm that couldn’t help but drip from his voice.

Becca looked up at him and cocked an eyebrow before straightening to look him in the eye. “I’m sorry I’ve been so busy, but this was my first investigative story. I had to do my best. But I submitted it today and thought we could go out for dinner to celebrate. For real. No pizza and Star Trek this time.” The look on her face was a mix of hope and anxiety. Sam truly didn’t want to hurt her but…

“I’ve got plans,” he said flatly, handing her Cip’s lead which she clipped onto the pooch’s collar, her eyes sad.

“Well, maybe some other time?” she asked, trying to rally her flagging spirits.

“Yeah, sure,” Sam agreed.

“Okay then, I guess I’ll see you around.”

Sam gave Becca a curt nod. His heart hurt as he watched her turn away, but he had other things to take care of at the moment. He would find a way to make this up to her. He hoped.

Once Rebecca had collected Cip, Sam headed out and drove directly to the Thornton’s. After ringing the doorbell, he glanced at his watch. It was early evening already so he shouldn’t be interrupting their supper.

“Peter, answered the door!” he heard Connie instruct.

“But I’m listening to the game,” Pete mumbled.

“You’ve been snoozing is what you’ve been doing,” Connie accused. “Not thirty seconds ago you were snoring!”

Sam bit his lip and tried not to smile as he heard Pete groan and approach the door. He knew Pete couldn’t see him, but the man had an uncanny sense of knowing others’ reactions. The front door opened a crack.

“Who’s there?” Pete asked and Sam was glad to see he was taking precautions, even if he should have asked that question before opening the door at all.

“Hi Pete, it’s Sam. I’m sorry to barge in like this, but I really need to talk to you.”

Pete’s initial welcoming grin quickly disappeared as his lips turned into a serious flat line. “No problem. C’mon in.” The older man held the door wide as Sam entered.

“Sam! What a pleasant surprise!” Connie greeted him. “Have you eaten yet?”

Sam was about to dismiss the question when his stomach growled as if on cue.

Connie smirked. “Come into the kitchen. I have some leftover pot roast.”

Knowing resistance was futile, he followed her to the table and took a seat with Pete following suit. Once a plate of tender meat, and roasted root vegetables was in front of him, Connie silently left the room.

“Now what is it that’s got you all hot and bothered?” Pete asked.

Sam hesitated, even though he had come here specifically to discuss the day’s events. “A couple of DXS agents came to my apartment today,” he said after swallowing a bite of food. “They want me to come work for them.”

“I see,” Pete responded. His voice was calm and neutral, no doubt the result of years of interrogating criminals...and listening to MacGyver’s crazy schemes.

“I got a really bad vibe from ‘em, but I don’t know why. It could be a great opportunity. I know you and my dad worked for the DXS before joining Phoenix. What can you tell me about them?”

Pete sat back in his chair. His sightless eyes staring across the room. “The DXS is a high level security government agency that performs special activities outside of the United States.” When Sam remained silent, he continued, “This could be in the form of surveillance, intelligence gathering, or any type of covert operation they’re assigned.”

“That stuff sounds like it’s right up my dad’s alley. Why did he leave?”

Pete sighed. “Don’t you think you outta talk to Mac about this?”

“No! At least, not yet. I need to make this decision on my own, but I need some unbiased information.”

Pete chuckled. “I’m not sure how ‘unbiased’ I can be! I’d like to think your dad followed me to the Phoenix Foundation because he liked working with me.”

“I’m sure that was part of it,” Sam agreed. “If you won’t speak for my dad, can you at least tell me why you left? I mean, weren’t you getting promotions and stuff?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I was,” the older man sighed. “But as the years went by, the very things that had made the job appealing began to make it, well, not what I wanted to do anymore.”

“But didn’t you still do that kinda stuff for the Phoenix Foundation?”

Pete nodded. “I did. But working for Phoenix provided me with other opportunities outside of the government as well like environmental initiatives and public education and assistance programs. I guess you could say it gave me a new sense of purpose.”

Sam slouched in his chair and expelled an exasperated breath. “I’m still not sure what I should do.”

“Let me ask you this. Why did you become a photojournalist?”

Sam shrugged. “As a kid, it was the only thing I knew. When I got older I realized it was the perfect cover for me to track down my mom’s murderer.”

“And you did that. But when you and your dad came back from your excursions, you chose to stay one. Why?”

“I enjoy the freedom and the thrill of the chase,” Sam replied without hesitation. “And sometimes I get to help people along the way.”

“Then why are you letting this business with the DXS bother you? Sounds to me like you’re already doing what you love.”

“It just hasn’t been the same over the past few months,” Sam confessed.

“How so?”

“I’m bored,” Sam moaned, feeling more defeated than ever. “Every journalist in this city gets to a story before I do. The most excitement I’ve had was working with Willis to help Dad figure out why that Blue Angels jet crashed on the Fourth of July.” He hung his head, glad for once that Pete was blind.

“You’re more like your father than you realize,” Pete muttered, massaging his forehead with one hand.

“I don’t wanna let him down, Pete. When he was my age he was--”

“Stop right there!” Pete commanded. “You and Mac may be father and son, but you’re also two individual people. No one, including MacGyver, expects you to do exactly what he did. And as a father myself, I can tell you that you could never let him down. He loves you and that’s never gonna change...no matter what!”

“I know,” Sam conceded, “but I’m just so confused right now. I don’t know what I should be doing or where I belong.”

Silence reigned for so long that Sam thought his friend had dozed off, but when he finally spoke, Sam’s heart skipped a beat.

“Have you ever thought about working at Phoenix?”

“Are you kidding?!” Sam exclaimed. “After hearing about all the stuff you and my dad have done I’ve always thought it would be totally awesome!”

“Why didn’t you ever say anything?! I could’ve pulled some strings and--”

“That’s why,” Sam said, his excitement gone. “If I got a job there I’d always be seen as ‘MacGyver’s son’. You just said we’re two individuals. I need to make my own way in life.”

“Son, from what I hear, you’ve been making your own way since you were nine years old. Isn’t it about time you accept some help?”

“I just don’t want everybody thinking I got the job because of who my father is,” Sam explained.

Pete chuckled. “Hey, I don’t carry as much weight around there as I used to, but I can make a phone call, and I’m sure Willis and your dad, if you want him to, would be more than happy to vouch for you, but once you get your foot in the door, it’s gonna be all up to you. You’ll have to prove yourself just like everyone else. In fact, expectations may be higher for you because you are Mac’s son. Why don’t you take some time to think this over?”

Sam felt a cloak of peacefulness settle around him. For the first time since taking down Chung he knew without a doubt what he had to do...what he wanted to do. “Make the call, Pete.”

XXXXX

Sam glanced at the clock on the nightstand as he stood in front of his bedroom mirror tightening his tie. He was finally taking Becca out to dinner and he didn’t want to be late. The traffic between his apartment and the Phoenix field office had been unusually horrible. He had just spent the last two hours in the human resources department signing what felt like a hundred documents, but he was now an official employee of the Phoenix Foundation.

At seven o’clock sharp, Sam knocked on Becca’s door. She opened it and smiled wide before inviting him in. Cip hurried to greet him as well and Sam bent down and affectionately ruffled his ears. “I’ve missed you, buddy!”

“What about me?” Becca asked, her arms crossed over her chest in mock indignation.

Sam stepped back to drink her in. She was beautiful this evening in a simple red dress and just a hint of make-up. “I’ve missed you more,” he said, drawing close to place a tender kiss on her forehead.

A short while later the couple was seated at an intimate table for two in one of the city’s most prestigious restaurants. Sam couldn’t help but grin as Becca surreptitiously took in their surroundings. “You didn’t need to bring me to an expensive place like this to celebrate my first story,” she half-heartedly objected.

“Yes I did,” Sam assured her. “We waited too long for a proper celebration and I wanted to do it in style. Besides, we actually have two things to celebrate tonight.”

“Oh, Sam! You finally broke a big story! I knew it was just a matter of time before things turned around for you!”

“No, it has nothing to do with a story. In fact, I won’t be around the Tribune anymore.”

“What’s going on, Sam?” she asked cautiously as if fearing his response.

“I didn’t want to say anything to you in case something fell through, but Pete and Willis helped me get in at the Phoenix Foundation and as of a few hours ago I’m an official employee.”

Becca sat so still Sam was unable to tell if she was even breathing. He had wanted his announcement to be a happy surprise but now he was having second thoughts. Perhaps he should have let her in on his career change from the beginning.

“Look, I’m sorry. I shoulda told you about it right away.”

“I guess it doesn’t matter now, does it?” she replied in a clipped tone that made him wince. “What will you be doing there?”

“That’s yet to be determined,” Sam told her, relaxing a bit. If she was asking questions perhaps her temper was cooling. “They did say they’d like to take advantage of my photography skills. Maybe have me do surveillance or something. The plan is to have me intern in a bunch of different positions and then see where I fit best.” Sam got excited just talking about all the possibilities opening up for him and he wished Becca felt the same.

“Will it be dangerous?” she asked softly, bowing her head just enough to break eye contact.

With those four words, Sam instantly understood her initial reaction.

“It might be. Sometimes,” he answered. “It’ll depend on the type of assignments they send me on, I guess.”

“I’m going to miss you,” she whispered huskily as a lone tear slid down her blushed cheek and just about killed Sam. Nothing was more dangerous than a woman’s tears. Reaching across the table he gently used the back of his index finger to impede its escape.

“I’m not leaving you,” he whispered back. “I’ll still be in the apartment below you.”

“But you won’t be at the Tribune. You won’t leave pineapple Slurpees on my desk when you know I’m having a bad day and you won’t be there--”

“Becca, stop,” he cut her off, his finger moving under her chin to tilt it up until they were eye-to-eye. “You’re gonna be okay. You’re awesome at what you do and you know you love it. You don’t need me hangin’ around.”

“But what if we start to drift apart?” she said with a hiccup. “I’ll be at the Tribune and investigating stories and you’ll be at Phoenix or wherever they decide to send you.”

Sam was pretty sure his heart had just broken in half and he had to swallow back tears of his own. He hadn’t meant to cause her this much pain. “So, maybe we’ll have to work a little harder at our relationship,” he suggested. “It might be harder for us to spend a lot of time together, especially at first, but we’ll just have to make time. We’ll be okay, Becca.”

He watched helplessly as she dabbed at her eyes with the linen napkin. “I guess I kinda overreacted,” she said with a watery smile. “Does your dad know about your new job?”

Sam took a sip of water and cleared the emotion from his throat. “Yeah. And he took it better than I expected.”

“What do you mean? I thought he’d be proud that you’re following in his footsteps.”

Sam then realized there was still a lot about him and his dad Becca didn’t know. “The thing is, when my dad left Phoenix it wasn’t exactly on good terms. Things had changed a lot while he was gone. But he’s really happy for me. Joanna, too. And even though he’s my dad, it’s not like I’m gonna be running off to foriegn lands to diffuse bombs with chewing gum and paperclips. I’m gonna get to figure out what’s best for me. Who knows, maybe I’ll end up locked away in some windowless room crunching numbers all day!”

Becca chuckled and it warmed his heart. “I doubt that’s your true calling, but I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

“No,” Sam countered, taking her hand in his. “We’ll figure it out...together.






















Posted by: Dragondog 11 June 2022 - 11:10 PM
Hello, my friend, I'm afraid I've disappeared far longer than I intended to. Life has been pretty crazy lately (won't get into it here to avoid going off-topic, but I did post about it in the general talking section of mac's loft if you decide to see what's been going on with me).

Anyway, I'm back to resume reviewing where I left off, though idk if I'll get all four chapters done quite yet.

Back to Dreamland, I see.

QUOTE

Mac pushed himself away from the counter. “Hmm, when you put it like that, maybe I’ll just go over to my place and pop an old Western into the VCR.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead.
Mac, every time you do that, you teleport into another dimension XD

QUOTE
Anna MacGyver laughed and gave her husband her full attention. “Of course I know what today is. I’m just surprised you remembered!”
This just in: MacGyver breaks gender stereotypes laugh.gif

QUOTE

“The barn!” Anna exclaimed. “Angus MacGyver you better not be bringing any livestock into my house!”
I'm just imagining MacGyver walking inside with a cow with a huge ribbon around it's neck nasty.gif

QUOTE
He lifted the cover to find a shiny new pocket knife he had seen on display at the General Store.
Ah yes, the perfect gift, every time laugh.gif

QUOTE

“If you two are gonna keep gettin’ all mushy, I’m goin’ to school,” Sammy declared, as he grabbed his books and headed outside shaking his head in dismay. He would never understand adults.
LOL

QUOTE

“We’re lost, aren’t we?” the woman asked the man beside her who was driving their small covered wagon down the trail.
Oh hello there, new characters. Friend or foe?

QUOTE
“Indeed. I am Jacques Leroux.
Foe, definitely foe wink.gif

QUOTE
“Why do you sound funny? Are you from a different country or somethin’? The last guy who talked funny was from England. He tried to kill Ma and Pa and kidnap me! Why are you in a chair with wheels on it? Did you make it like Pa made a chair for Ma?”
Funny you should mention that, Sammy... Also can you imagine if Jacques were actually a nice guy and this kid just blasts him with all that information? Like "Hi! My whole family was almost murdered once!" roller.gif

QUOTE

“Whoa, Sammy, slow down there,” MacGyver admonished. “I’m sure our guests are very tired. They were just in an accident.”
Yes, I'm sure them being tired is the only thing disturbing about Sammy's rambling laugh.gif

QUOTE
Rather close to where your English friend hales from, but I intend your family no harm.
Uh-huh, sure XD

QUOTE
I’m sure Jacques will grow to love you as well.”
ABOUT THAT...

QUOTE


“A husband, oui. But I fear I would not make for a very good father like yourself.”
I mean, I'm not sure if you'd be the best husband either considering your profession...

QUOTE
Jacques sighed. “I suppose you are correct. One place is the same as another. But let me remind you of this, mon cheri. New Hope is a small town, and small towns breed small-minded people, non? At least in a big city like Cheyenne, we will go unnoticed. You should have seen the stares the townspeople gave me today.”

Rachelle cringed and looked down. “I’m so sorry, Jacques, you shouldn’t have to deal with that. Perhaps they only stared because you are new in town.”

Jacques flinched and looked away.
This would make me feel so sad for him if I didn't know better laugh.gif

QUOTE

“No. Actually, she’s pretty sweet and she and Anna managed to become best friends overnight.”

“Women!” Pete snorted.
Reading this as a woman who can't make friends that easily unsure.gif XD

QUOTE
I admit, Jacques might be a bit eccentric, but I’m sure he’s harmless.”
Ha... haha...

QUOTE

Jacque’s lip curled as the feline sidled towards him. “Scat you filthy creature!” he commanded, just as his leg shot out in the animal’s direction.

Anna gasped. “Did you just try and kick the cat?”

“Of course not, my dear,” Jacques replied, quickly regaining his composure. “Even if I had wanted to, which I did not, my leg would not obey.”
That has got to be the most pathetic attempt at lying I've seen XD

QUOTE
“Indeed, we have a ‘second chance’, as they say,” Jacques muttered with a gleam in his eye he made sure his fiancee did not notice.
Oh dear...

I thought it was going to end way worse than it did. But that's a sign that there's more to come in the future, isn't it? wink.gif

Posted by: Dragondog 11 June 2022 - 11:54 PM
I think I have time to review the next chapter too.

Time to have Murdoc back again!

QUOTE

“Really?!” Murdoc complained. “I do one nice thing for Penny and it’s one step up, yet I harmlessly invade MacGyver’s little dream and it’s two steps down. What kind of bloody hell is this?!”
I mean, in his defense, he didn't do anything bad in the dream itself laugh.gif

QUOTE

Jeeves rolled his eyes and turned away. This soul had been nothing but a thorn in his side since his arrival over two earth-years ago.
I like the implication that souls that need redemption aren't NORMALLY a pain in the neck laugh.gif

QUOTE
“Come to think of it, why am I here anyway? Why not toss me into the fiery pit and be done with it instead of all this up-and-down, up-and-down business?”

Jeeves folded his hands, puffed out his chest, and cleared his throat before addressing him. “It seems the Big Guy was in an exceptionally benevolent mood the day you...um...passed on. Apparently, He sees something in you worth redeeming that is beyond the rest of us.”

“Wait! What? Does that mean I’m not destined for hell?” Murdoc asked, gazing downward as the stairway he was standing on became shrouded in gray smoke.
Also the implication that Murdoc never bothered to ask this before now tongue.gif

QUOTE

“That is correct,” the older man replied, unable to keep the tone of disappointment from his voice.
Lol, he's brutal

QUOTE


“Time is meaningless here in purgatory,” Jeeves admonished. “A day is a millennium and a millennium but a day.”

“Well, it seems as if I’ve been going up and down these same three steps for a millennium and a day!” Murdoc shot back.
I forgot how much I love Murdoc's banter XD

QUOTE
“Ah, time for lunch,” Jeeves proclaimed. “If I’m late I won’t get dessert and today they’re serving my favorite...angel food cake!”
Lol

QUOTE

“How could you possibly know that? You were at lunch!”

“I left the intercom on,” Jeeves answered flatly.
*snorts* laugh.gif

QUOTE
“I’m not ready to earn my wings,” she informed him sadly. “I’m still repenting for keeping Sean’s...Sam’s... existence a secret from Angus for so many years. I thought I was doing the right thing, but now I realize I hurt them both.”
I feel bad for her, really. She wasn't trying to do bad.

Well that Helman part was a bit dark laugh.gif

QUOTE

Before he could slip further into his morose thoughts, a sweet, melodic, feminine voice beckoned him by name. Following the direction from which it came, his eyes lit upon a young, vibrant woman with blonde hair and a peaches and cream complexion. “Ashton,” he involuntarily whispered and she smiled gently.
Aw

Honestly the whole part with Ashton is a lot of "awws" biggrin.gif

Posted by: Dragondog 12 June 2022 - 10:50 PM
QUOTE

Geena gasped. “Is that anyway to greet a visitor?!” she scolded.
Yes, because Mac getting upset at the sight of someone is something he'd just do for no solid reason dry.gif

QUOTE
“And who is ‘Minton’? This fine-looking young man is Jon Baker, a lieutenant from the California Highway Patrol.”
I'm really out of touch with my 80s television apparently, since it took me a bit to realize the meta humor here laugh.gif

Nice job tying the shows together while explaining Minton's existence thumbup.gif

QUOTE

“Thanks for not gettin’ mad this morning when I told you to go to your office,” he said a bit sheepishly.

“No problem,” she responded.

“And thanks for cooking dinner.”

“Well, we can’t feed your guest that horrid tofu casserole you make.”

“It isn’t that bad...is it?”

“Babe, even Frog won’t eat it.”
I really do love their banter laugh.gif

QUOTE

An hour later, the trio gathered around Joanna’s small kitchen table and savored the chicken parmesan she had served with a side of garlic-roasted cauliflower for several moments before MacGyver broke the silence.
Honestly, that sounds really good tongue.gif

QUOTE

Joanna craned her neck to read the form Mac held. “Rick and Deanie Anderson?” she said, scrunching her nose in distaste.

“What’s wrong with that?” MacGyver asked. “I think it has a nice ring to it.”

She looked up at him dubiously. “Well, you kinda look like a ‘Rick’, but I am not a ‘Deanie’!”
This chapter is full of meta jokes laugh.gif

Well, that was a nice ending smile.gif

Posted by: Dragondog 12 June 2022 - 11:57 PM
I'm happy we get to see Sam and Becca again smile.gif

QUOTE
The short, rotund man turned to face him, pointing a finger at Sam’s chest. “I know somethin’s goin’ on between you two, but now that Ms. Williams is a member of the staff I need you to stay out of her way, got it?! She’s a promising, talented writer who could really make a name for herself in this business and I don’t want her getting distracted by a pretty-boy and his camera.”
I hate him.

QUOTE
yet admitting to himself the man only had Becca’s best interests at heart
Lol no he doesn't.

QUOTE
Sam grinned shamelessly. “You mean you wouldn’t get jealous of me photographing all those beautiful women in sexy clothes?”
Wow Sam...

QUOTE
“Of course not! Like I said, they’re all married anyway!” Becca smiled triumphantly before playfully sticking out her tongue at him.
laugh.gif

QUOTE
He bent down and unclipped Cip’s leash, watching as the dog darted into the bedroom. Wimp.
That's literally what our dog Tsuki would do laugh.gif

QUOTE

“You’re more like your father than you realize,” Pete muttered, massaging his forehead with one hand.

“I don’t wanna let him down, Pete. When he was my age he was--”

“Stop right there!” Pete commanded. “You and Mac may be father and son, but you’re also two individual people. No one, including MacGyver, expects you to do exactly what he did. And as a father myself, I can tell you that you could never let him down. He loves you and that’s never gonna change...no matter what!”
Aw

QUOTE

Silence reigned for so long that Sam thought his friend had dozed off,
Okay but that mental image is honestly hilarious laugh.gif

QUOTE

Sam felt a cloak of peacefulness settle around him. For the first time since taking down Chung he knew without a doubt what he had to do...what he wanted to do. “Make the call, Pete.”
Time to move on...

QUOTE
“I’ve missed you, buddy!”

“What about me?” Becca asked, her arms crossed over her chest in mock indignation.

Sam stepped back to drink her in. She was beautiful this evening in a simple red dress and just a hint of make-up. “I’ve missed you more,” he said, drawing close to place a tender kiss on her forehead.
He's his father's child all right laugh.gif

And they're still a super cute couple biggrin.gif

And now I'm finally caught up! Excited to see where this goes in the future smile.gif

Posted by: uniquelyjas 18 January 2023 - 02:46 PM
Chapter 63: Things Come Undone

Joanna settled into her office chair at Challengers and reached to turn the page on her ever-present desk calendar. It was the first day of August. She sighed quietly. Where had the summer gone? In four weeks she?d be returning to her part-time teaching position at Lincoln High School. A ray of early morning sunlight glinted off the diamond in her engagement ring, surprising her with a pang of regret. Another season had passed without a wedding ceremony tying her life to MacGyver?s. She swiveled the chair to look out the window behind her. Several teens were already involved in what appeared to be a hotly contested basketball game. She leaned back and closed her eyes, reflecting on the events of the last two months.

Her summer vacation had started with her, Mac, and Frog going undercover as part of a sting operation to capture a group of dog-nappers. Shortly after that, she accepted MacGyver?s invitation to move into the newly vacant side of his townhouse while they also discovered that several new club members from a nearby Latino neighborhood suffered from lead poisoning courtesy of old, run-down houses and lazy landlords. She was still in the process of moving into her new home when Jack Dalton showed up on Mac?s doorstep and convinced him to go scuba diving in Lake Michigan in search of a sunken treasure. That escapade resulted in MacGyver getting the bends and his home getting ransacked. Fittingly enough, the only ?treasure? he had found was fool?s gold. Craving some fun and relaxation, she and Mac spent the Fourth of July in Chicago where a friend of his was performing in a Blue Angels aerial show. Only it ended in an aborted suicide attempt made to look like an accident. Upon returning to the familiarity of their work at Challengers, a man from Mac?s past tracked him down and the three of them became involved in an undercover operation to break up a nationwide classic car theft ring. Still leaning back, she reached up to cover her eyes and groaned, ?When did my life become a Nancy Drew novel on steroids??

?Hey, you okay??

And there was her answer. ?I?m fine, Mac,? she groaned, tearing her hands from her face and turning to watch as he entered her office and nonchalantly plopped down in the chair opposite hers.

?You don?t look okay.?

?Gee, thanks,? she replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

MacGyver reached across the desk and took both her hands in his.

?I?m serious. What?s wrong.?

The concern and confusion in his tender gaze left her no choice but to tell the truth.

?I was just thinking about how fast the summer?s gone.?

?Yeah, I guess we?ve been awful busy. Time flies,? he agreed.

When Jo remained silent he pressed on. ?There?s something else.?

It wasn?t a question, but a statement, and Joanna couldn?t keep it to herself anymore.

?We?ve been engaged for ten months. I thought by now we?d be seriously planning our wedding,? she confessed. ?But there never seems to be a good time.?

She felt Mac gently run a finger over the ring he had given her. ?What if there?s never a good time? What if something always comes up? Does that mean we never get married?? he challenged.

No longer able to look at the man she had come to love and adore, she let her gaze slip and offered a slight shrug of her shoulders. As she fought back a tear that threatened to fall, she felt MacGyver?s finger now under her chin, raising her head to look her in the eye.

?When I proposed, it wasn?t to have an indefinite fianc? but a forever wife. You?ve mentioned wanting a fall wedding. Well, we still have a couple months. Do ya think we could make it happen??

A familiar feeling of warm affection coursed through her veins as she nodded. ?You?d be willing to get married that quick? I mean, I know how serious you are about commitment.?

?You mean how scared I was about commitment. And if I remember correctly, a few months ago it was you who almost torpedoed our relationship,? Mac reminded her.

Joanna easily recalled those dark, lonely days when she had convinced herself that she wasn?t the type of woman MacGyver deserved and had gone so far as to return his engagement ring. ?Touch?,? she replied. ?But I did come to my senses.?

?Then I?m ready whenever you are,? he smiled reassuringly.

?Well, it?s just gonna be a small ceremony anyway,? she replied, her mood brightening. ?I could give Father Mike a call and see what our options are.?

?Now that sounds like a soon-to-be-bride talking!? Mac grinned. But his reaction was short-lived as he watched Joanna?s face fall once again. ?What is it now?? he asked cautiously.

?I never should?ve let Connie buy me such an extravagant gown. I?m only going to be wearing it for a short time.?

?But I thought you loved the dress? You said it makes you feel like a princess.?

?I do and it does, but it?s so impractical!?

?C?mon,? MacGyver urged. ?Isn?t there some kind of rule that says every bride should feel like a princess on her wedding day??

Joanna grinned wryly. ?I always thought that was a pretty corny line, but now that I?m going to be a bride, I have to admit it?s true.?

?Then you?ll wear the dress??

Jo smiled at the wariness in his voice. ?Yes. I?ll wear the dress.?

?Good! Now call Father Mike. Just make sure you give Sam enough time to put together an awesome bachelor party for me!?

Feigning disgust, Joanna reached for the phone and dialed her church, glad that it would be Sam organizing Mac?s party and not Jack Dalton. She frowned as she was immediately connected with an answering machine. She quickly requested that her call be returned whenever it was convenient and hung up.

?Father Mike is out of town on a week-long retreat,? she began to explain. But
before anything else could be said, a soft knock on the door jamb captured their attention.

?Could I please speak to the both of you? Privately?? Cynthia stood ramrod straight, her hands clenched in front of her.

?Of course,? Joanna replied, a sense of foreboding encompassing her.

Cynthia entered and eased down in the chair next to MacGyver, her countenance somber. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath before speaking.

?You know I love you two like family and I love being a part of Challengers, but the other day I learned that a dear friend of mine was in a serious car accident. She has several broken bones and other injuries. Like me, her husband has passed on and they never had any children so she?s basically alone. She obviously has a long recovery ahead of her and I need to be there for her.?

Jo let out a breath she hadn?t realized she?d been holding. ?Of course. Take all the time you need, and if there?s anything we can do please let us know.?

At that, Cynthia lowered her head and Joanna?s unease returned. ?I?m afraid I wasn?t very clear. My friend...she?s in Los Angeles. I?ve decided to move back to California.?

A heavy silence shrouded the room like invisible fog. ?Please believe me when I say that I did not make this decision lightly. I?ve been thinking on it since I first found out. I don?t want to leave you, but I also want to be there for my friend and, if I?m honest, L.A. has always been home. I?ll miss everyone terribly. Especially you.? She turned and cupped Mac?s cheek in her palm. ?But I have to go.?

Joanna watched MacGyver?s Adam's apple bob as he fought back his emotions. He looked as if he had been physically punched in the gut. She would miss Cynthia, but she had only known the woman a little more than a year. Mac had known her much longer and they had been through a lot together.

?We understand,? Mac assured her, his voice thick. ?How long until you need to leave??

Hands once again clasped firmly in her lap, she held back tears as she answered. ?I hate to give such short notice, but if I?m to get everything ready by the time she?s released from the hospital, today needs to be my last day. I?ll be flying out early Monday morning.?

?I?ll give you a ride to the airport,? MacGyver told her.

?There?s no need for that. It?s better to just say goodbye now.?

With that, Cynthia gathered her poise, rose from the chair, and headed out of the office to finish her final day at Challengers.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Two days later, Mac parked his Jeep behind a taxi waiting just outside Cynthia?s place as the sun was kissing the eastern horizon. He got out and approached the driver?s side, tapping on the window until it slid down.

?You here to pick up Cynthia Wilson?? he asked the cabbie.

?What?s it to ya??

?I?m an old friend. I?ll take over from here.?

The cabbie eyed Mac suspiciously before protesting. ?Time is money, kid. I ain?t gonna lose my first fare of the day.?

MacGyver dug in the front pocket of his jeans, pulled out a wad of bills, and handed them over. ?This should cover it.?

The cabbie quickly counted the bills and grinned. ?Thanks kid. Have a good one,? he said before pulling away.

Mac was casually leaning against the Jeep?s fender when Cynthia emerged through the front door. Struggling with a large suitcase and carry-on she didn?t notice as he approached.

?Need some help with those??

?MacGyver! What are you doing here?!?

?I couldn?t let you leave without a proper send-off. Friends don?t let friends take cabs to the airport.? He smiled reassuringly as he took her luggage from her and walked back to the car, trusting that she would follow.

Once on their way, Cynthia looked over at him and placed her hand gently on his forearm. ?You didn?t have to do this. I know how much you hate goodbyes.?

?The only ones I hate are the ones I never get a chance to say,? Mac replied somberly.

After giving his dear friend one last hug at the terminal gate, along with a promise to send a wedding invitation as soon as the date was set, MacGyver headed to Challengers. The night volunteers were still there and looked at him questioningly, but he simply smiled at them as he made his way to his office. He plopped down in the chair behind his desk and scanned the files and spreadsheets Cynthia had left for him. He blew out a breath and jammed his fingers through his hair. He was on his own. As he waited for his computer to boot up, he mentally chided himself for spending so much time away from the club these last couple months. He had a lot of catching up to do. At least Joanna would still be there full time for the next month to help out.

Over the next few hours, Mac was vaguely aware of the coming and going of staff and club members. Laughter and sometimes quarreling from the rec area permeated his office walls along with the staccato thump of a basketball outside his window, but it was the soft rap of knuckles on his closed door that finally caught his full attention.

?Come on in,? he called, relieved that someone had finally seen fit to drag him away from the paperwork.

Scrubbing his tired eyes with his forefingers, he refocused to find Joanna standing on the other side of his desk, looking lovely in a floral print sundress which was a departure from the capris and polo shirts she normally wore. He allowed himself an extra moment to drink in the sight of her.

?Did Cynthia get off to L.A. alright?? she asked.

?How did you know??

?I heard you leave. I also knew you would never let her take a cab, much less leave without one last good-bye.?

?You know me too well. I?m glad you?re not my enemy,? he teased.

?Someone?s been busy,? she observed, turning his attention back to the paperwork, no doubt amused by the disheveled state of both him and his desk.

?I didn?t realize how much stuff I missed this summer,? he explained. ?I?m just glad I still have you here.?

Jo?s face sobered. ?About that. I just got a call from Mrs. Varga. She asked me to meet her at the high school this afternoon.?

Mac?s heart sank. The previous semester, Joanna had taken on a full-time substitute position. The vice principal had wanted her to continue come fall, but Jo had requested to return to her part-time schedule so she could still help out at Challengers. Had things changed?

?Did she say why?? he asked.

Jo shook her head. ?No. It?s probably just to review things for the upcoming school year.?

A shriek from the upstairs dormitory interrupted their conversation. They hurried to the reception area and Rosie just in time to see Raul pounding down the stairs, dripping wet with a towel around his waist and a scowl on his face.

?What happened, mijo?? Rosie asked anxiously.

?I decided to take a shower after playing basketball and found out the hard way there?s still no hot water!?

Rosie?s face became stern. ?I?ll have to have a talk with the other boys. They mustn?t be dawdling and using up all the hot water.?

?It?s not the others,? Raul protested. ?They usually clean up with the hose or go jump in the public pool down the street since we only have cold water here anyway.?

?How long has this been going on?? MacGyver asked urgently, his question directed to Raul as well as the others.

The boy shrugged. ?A couple days, I guess.?

?I haven?t really noticed,? Rosie confessed, lowering her gaze. ?It?s been so hot out I?ve been using cold water to wash my hands anyway.?

?And nobody else thought to say anything?? Mac almost growled.

His question was met with silence as the few teens who had just entered the room scurried back outside. Apparently no one wanted to be responsible for giving him bad news and he hadn?t been around enough to notice. He jammed his fingers through his hair and blew out a frustrated breath. ?It?s gotta be the hot water heater,? he grumbled.

MacGyver turned to look at Joanna. ?I?ll go upstairs and check the other showers. You and Rosie check the faucets down here.?

The adults hurriedly completed their tasks and gathered to share their results.

?There?s no hot water upstairs,? Mac confirmed.

?None down here, either,? Jo reported for both her and Rosie.

MacGyver sighed. It seemed as if they had just replaced the furnace and now this. ?I?ll go down in the basement and take a look.?

With a quick stop at the utility closet to grab a flashlight, Mac headed down to the cellar with Joanna at his heels.

Unlike the shiny new heating unit that took up most of the central space in the basement, the hot water heater was located in a dark, dank corner and looked as if it had been there a hundred years.

?How old do you think it is?? Jo asked, wrinkling her nose.

?Too old,? MacGyver replied, before kneeling down and looking underneath it. ?The pilot light is out,? he confirmed.

?Why don?t we smell gas??

?These units have safety measures built in to shut off the natural gas flow in case of malfunction,? he explained.

?Then what?s the problem?? Joanna asked.

?I?m not sure. Hand me the flashlight, will ya??

Jo complied and MacGyver began to inspect the outer valves and components of the tank. His attention was soon focused on a thin, copper tube. ?Looks like we got a bad thermocouple,? he pronounced.

?How can you tell?? Joanna asked, bending to get a closer look at where the beam of the flashlight was aimed.

?See this tubing?? Mac asked. ?It has small cracks and is slightly discolored. If you look real close, you can see little holes like pin pricks in it too.?

?Can you fix it?? she asked.

?Sure. No problem.?

?Great! I?ll run upstairs and get the duct tape. Will you need anything else??

MacGyver chuckled before he realized Jo was serious. He stood up and let his arms lightly encircle her waist. ?What I meant was that I?ll go to the hardware store and get a new one and replace it.?

?Oh,? Joanna mumbled, her flushed cheeks obvious even in the low light.

?I can wrap the new tube with duct tape and even use my Swiss Army knife instead of a regular screwdriver if it?ll make you happy.?

A firm hand on his chest caused him to involuntarily step back. ?Don?t tease me,? came a curt reply.

Reaching out and pulling her closer than he had before he apologized. ?I?m sorry, baby,? he whispered before kissing her tenderly on the forehead.

?It?s okay,? she whispered back before peeking at her watch. ?Oh my gosh! I?m gonna be late for my meeting with Mrs. Varga!? she exclaimed, her voice back to its normal volume.

?Then get outta here! I?ll have this fixed by the time you get back.?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The conversation Joanna had with the vice principal was still replaying through her mind as she entered Challengers a couple hours later.

?Where?s Mac?? she asked Rosie.

The receptionist handed her a note. ?He left but said to give this to you.?

Jo took the note, unfolding and reading it as she headed to her office.

Come straight to my place after work.
Mac

Since ?her? place was only separated from ?his? place by a thin wall, she wondered what he was up to. However, all curiosity disappeared when she opened her door to the pile of paperwork she had left on her desk earlier that day. By the time she finished, the slim crew of night volunteers was arriving and most of the kids had either headed home or gone to some fast food restaurant for dinner.

The summer sun was already beginning to make its descent when Joanna finally pulled her car into her garage. Turning off the ignition, she massaged her temples, trying to discourage the headache that was forming. Tired and still thinking about her meeting at the school, all she really wanted to do was go home, change clothes, and curl up with a good book. And maybe Frog. Human interaction, even with her fianc?, was not at all appealing. Regardless, she followed Mac?s directive and crossed the yard in front of her side of the townhouse and walked up to his front door. Her breath caught when she saw him standing on the threshold leaning casually against the door jamb, hands stuffed in his front pockets.

?Welcome home,? he said with a knowing smile. Clad in faded jeans and a black tank top that showed off his firm chest and muscular shoulders, he knew he would get Joanna?s pulse pounding.

?Hi,? she replied huskily, clearing her throat as his grin grew wider. She felt her cheeks turn hot, but it wasn?t from the warm evening air. Does he have any idea how great he looks? she asked herself, and from the smug expression on his face she figured he did. ?You needed to see me right away?? she asked, regaining a bit of her equilibrium.

?Yeah, c?mon in.? He stepped aside and allowed her to enter.

For a minute, Jo stood in the small foyer, reveling in the heat of his presence. Then she slowly became aware of her surroundings. Rays of fading sunlight kissed the room. Soft music came from somewhere inside. The small kitchen table was draped with a white linen table cloth and set with fine China and flatware. A vase of seasonal flowers, freshly cut, graced the center along with two taper candles, their wicks already flickering. She felt Mac place his large but tender hands on her bare shoulders. As he leaned down to whisper in her ear, a pleasurable shiver slid down her spine causing all thoughts of wanting to spend the evening alone to evaporate.

?What do you think?? he asked softly.

?I can?t believe you did all this,? she replied just as quietly as she hastily scanned her memory to see if she had forgotten an important anniversary or event. Coming up blank, she turned in his arms and stepped closer, hugging his waist. ?What?s the occasion??

MacGyver shrugged the best he could with his arms firmly enfolding her. ?Us,? he stated.

?Just ?us??? Jo queried.

?Yep,? Mac confirmed as he captured her lips in a quick but searing kiss. ?Just ?us?.?

Apparently she must have looked confused as he went on to clarify. ?The other day you reminded me how busy we?ve been this summer. We haven?t had much time alone and now that Cynthia is back in L.A. and your teaching job is starting up again, I wanted to take advantage of the time we have left before work gets in the way. Speaking of which, how did your meeting with Mrs. Varga go??

Joanna frowned and stepped away from Mac?s comforting presence. ?Not like I expected,? she said flatly.

?What happened?? he asked, his face and voice full of concern as he reached for her hand. ?Did she change her mind and want you back full time??

?No. Just the opposite. She said there?s no room in the budget for a part-time teacher. She had to let me go.?

MacGyver immediately pulled Joanna into his arms again. ?I?m so sorry, baby. I know how much you loved that job,? he murmured, resting his chin on the crown of her head.

?Yeah, but maybe there?s a bright side,? she offered, pulling away slightly. ?With Cynthia gone, you?ll need more help at Challengers. I?m working there full time now anyway, so I figured I?d just continue on. That is, if it?s okay with you.?

?Okay? That?d be great! Then we?d be able to sneak away whenever we wanted and?.? his voice faded as he began to nuzzle her neck, causing her to giggle from the tickling sensation. A sudden buzzing sound jolted them apart.

?Supper?s done,? Mac declared as he side-eyed the oven timer, obviously annoyed with the interruption.

After MacGyver escorted Joanna to the dinner table and made sure she was comfortably seated, she watched as he retrieved two plates from the refrigerator and set one down in front of her. The chilled spinach, walnut, and strawberry salad dressed in a light vinaigrette was, indeed, a step above the ordinary.

?This is delicious!? Jo exclaimed after a couple of bites. The sweetness of the berries blended well with the tangy dressing and the nuts provided an interesting texture. She was pleased when her comment elicited a smile from the chef.

Once the empty salad plates had been cleared from the table, Mac pulled a large baking dish out of the oven and set it on the stovetop. Melted cheese bubbling on top of the concoction made Joanna?s mouth water. Soon, MacGyver placed a large plateful of eggplant parmesan complete with homemade garlic bread in front of her before settling down to his own meal. Fork in hand, she was ready to take her first bite when Mac cleared his throat, causing her to pause. She looked to find him holding up his crystal water goblet. The room had grown darker, and the flickering candlelight reflected in his eyes. Her heart swelled with love for this man.

?I?d like to make a toast,? he said. ?To us.?

?To us,? she echoed quietly, touching her glass to his before taking a sip.

The entree was even more delicious than it looked and when they both had finished the last bite, Joanna sat back in her chair completely sated but still looking forward to discover what Mac had whipped up for the final course.

?So what?s for dessert? Cr?me brulee? Chocolate souffle??

MacGyver leaned towards her and motioned her forward with his index finger. ?Ice cream,? he whispered.

Fully aware of the special meaning the treat held for him, she swallowed the lump in her throat and allowed him to serve her one last time.

?Mmmm, that was one meal I hate to see end,? Jo bemoaned as they cleared the dishes from the table.

?Who says it has to end?? Mac asked huskily, grabbing a remote control. The background music grew slightly louder. The waning sunlight had long since disappeared, giving way to the soft glow of the candles. ?May I have this dance?? MacGyver stood tall and held out his arms to her. She felt herself float toward him, eager to lay her head against his chest and feel his embrace once more. Together, they swayed in rhythm to the strains of an old love song.

Losing all track of time, Joanna eventually lifted her face to Mac?s.

?Thank you so much for this very special evening,? she said.

?Thank you for being so special,? he replied, then tenderly cupped her face in his hands and lowered his lips to hers. Unlike earlier, this kiss deepened and lingered with caring, respect, love, and passion. In the distance, a telephone rang and Mac groaned into her mouth.

Jo broke the kiss with a smile. ?I think your household appliances have something against us kissing.?

?They?re probably just jealous,? he complained.

Sensing his reluctance to release her, she encouraged him to take the call. Unlike back in Los Angeles, very few people had his phone number so if there was a phone call, it was likely important. She watched MacGyver stalk to the coffee table and pick up the cordless handset. His expression changed instantly from annoyance to concern as she listened to his side of the conversation. ?No, she?s with me.? ?Yes, I understand.? ?We?re on our way.?

Dread settled like a rock in the pit of her stomach. ?What is it?? she asked.

?It?s Challengers. There?s been an explosion.?






















Posted by: uniquelyjas 18 January 2023 - 02:47 PM
I copied and pasted from a Word doc...not sure why the quotation marks turned into question marks! Sorry!!

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 19 January 2023 - 12:48 AM
QUOTE (uniquelyjas @ 18 January 2023 - 03:47 PM)
I copied and pasted from a Word doc...not sure why the quotation marks turned into question marks!  Sorry!!

Try copying from word into a text document first and then copy that into the post.

Or you can send the word file to me and I'll see if I can get it in properly.

Word has a lot of "behind the scenes" codes which can cause problems for web browser displays. I've seen this happening quite a lot recently.

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