A/N: Howdy people! I'm SO sorry this took FOREVER to get out. As I said in another fic of mine, I got a new puppy for my b-day and he kinda turned my whole schedule around! So a special thanks goes to those of you who stuck with me during that time! I also want to say thank you so very much to those of you who reviewed and alerted Part Two of my MGR series! It means a lot to me and I love reading your comments! Like I said, they play a HUGE part motivation wise when it comes to writing. And I'll be forever grateful for y'all!
Now, I just want to point out that Part Three was gonna go a TOTALLY different direction when I first wrote it, but after much consideration I decided to...redo it, per say? Anyways, I hope y'all enjoy it and thanks again for reading and/or reviewing! Miss Bindi-fox, consider it done, darling! I hope you like it! Enjoy y'all!
I'll Be By Your Side
After two and a half weeks of hospitalization and non stop fussing from his teammates, (especially Jack), Mac was finally able to go home. Well, Jack's home. The former Delta wasn't about to let his younger partner out of his sight for a while. Mac, surprisingly, never balked about it. He knew it was his partner's way of dealing with the guilt, which, for all terms and purposes, often made the agent look like a kicked puppy half the time.
However, Mac tried his best to reassure Jack that it wasn't his fault and it's in the past now. During the time Mac was in the hospital, Mac often woke up to find a sleeping Jack, the older man's hand wrapped tightly around Mac's. At one point Jack was so messed up about what he'd done, Jack would crawl into bed and hold his partner close. Steadily murmuring sorry over and over until Mac was sure the man would pass out from the lack of oxygen. But even then, as strange as it was for the blonde, he never fought the action. Only embraced it whole heartedly, cuddling up to the older man. Falling asleep to Jack's gentle voice. He would've denied it had anyone asked, but he needed the closeness just as much, if not more than Jack. For reality that his partner was alive and well hadn't fully sunken in during that rough time.
Now though, as he casually glanced at his partner through his shades, Mac couldn't be happier. Surrounded by the comforting presence of his family, the radio playing quietly in the background, the top down with the wind blowing in his hair, bringing with it the fresh salty ocean breeze...the younger agent sighed happily. Two weeks ago all seemed like a bad dream now. Like it never even happened.
"Jack! Can you turn it up? I love this song!" Riley squealed from the back seat. Jack gave her a questioning glance, a dark brow coming into view behind his own shades, but did the request with a simple flick of his wrist. Mac shared the same look as the song filtered through the speakers.
"Since when do you like Katy Perry?" The blonde questioned. Riley rolled her eyes dismissively.
"What? A techie can't live a little?" Riley said. She cut off any and all possible conversation when she started to sing along to the radio. Bozer couldn't help but admire the young woman's voice as she belted out the song. Her voice was hitting every note so perfectly, it was hard for Bozer to decipher who was on the radio, and who was in the car. Jack and Mac grinned knowingly at each other at the mesmerized look on Bozer's face.
When the song was nearing it's end, Jack spoke up, turning the nob down as well. "We should be there within the next ten minutes or so." The agent announced. He got a group whine in response. Children, Jack thought with a sigh.
"But we've been on the road for hours," Bozer spoke up.
"My feet are asleep from sitting for so long." Riley piped in. Mac chuckled, shaking his head.
"And I'm hungry. Can we stop somewhere?" Mac couldn't help but chime in. Jack glared.
"Yeah! Can we get ice cream?" Riley said.
"I want a vanilla sundae." Bozer said.
"Dude, vanilla sundaes are so last year." The techie grossed.
Bozer looked offended. "Well sor-ry I don't stay up to date with the latest trends!"
"Trends?! Why you-!"
"Now, now, children," the oldest agent chided over them, sounding very much like a parent. "Let's just be patient. I promise we're almost there. Then we can go get something, sound good?" The group sighed an agreement, but didn't say anything else.
(~_~)
Mac sat back in his chair, soaking up the late afternoon sun. A half empty beer in hand. To his left, Jack laid out beside him on a beach towel, dozing in and out. His tanned skin turning him into a bronze god. Out in the distance, Bozer and Riley were playing in the water. Looking like toddlers as they splashed each other with the cool water. Country music played softly from the car's radio. One of Jack's usual favorites, Mac noticed as he listened. It was a nice little private spot Jack found them. The sand was soft and creamy white while the water was luke warm to the touch. Giant rock formations surrounded the tiny cove with bored out holes from past water levels. Seagulls squawked and screeched from above on the cliff side, others flying over the water and diving for a fish or two. Mac sighed contently when a fresh wave of salty breeze caressed his face.
The older agent rolled to the side, getting up in one smooth motion. There was a fine sheen of sweat forming on his bare skin. He dug into the cooler, grabbing a water bottle. Jack cracked it open a second later, guzzling about half the bottle.
"Ya gonna go out in the water?" Jack asked him, putting his bottle in one of the built in cup holders. Mac shook his head.
"Not at the moment. Maybe later though." Jack nodded and took a seat beside him. He squinted against the glaring sun, watching the other two dig up shells in the murky water.
The silence stretched for what seemed like ages between them. The only filler being that of the screeching gulls or their friend's laughter. Mac could sense how tense and hesitant Jack was around him. He couldn't blame Jack though. Nearly killing your best friend has to do a number to you, even if it was drugs that caused it. They never really talked about it much. More for Jack's benefit than anything else. Anytime Mac tried to bring it up, the former Delta would either change the subject or drop conversation all together. Mac scowled at something only he could see. It felt odd to be on the reverse end of things. Usually, it was always Jack doing the comforting and fixing. The fact bothered the blonde. He wanted to help Jack, but, let's admit it, he sucked at giving comfort. That was never his forte. And the fact began to steadily eat a hole into his gut. How could he help Jack when it's a total pain in the ass for him to get over his lack of emotional responses?
"I don't blame you." A moment of surprise painted Mac's face. He hadn't even realized he was saying the words. His peripheral vision caught the momentary scowl that flashed before his friend's face. Jack looked down, drawing nonsense lines in the silky sand with his finger. Mac looked at him with concern. He reached out a hand towards the Delta's shoulder, frowning when he felt the muscles tense. "Jack?"
"I know you don't, brother. I know you don't." I just blame myself. The older agent swallowed, his gaze looking at anything but his partner. Mac gave his shoulder a little squeeze.
"Jack, c'mon. Talk to me." He pleaded. Jack gently shrugged off his partner's hand, rubbing his hands together to get the clingy sand off. The man in question still stayed silent. "Ya know I'm not good at this chick flick stuff. Help me out here." Mac added jokingly. Jack smiled.
"It's all good, kiddo. I just need to filter some things on my own now." The older agent turned his gaze back to the rolling ocean waves out in the distance. Mac nodded, respecting his friend's wishes, but also leaving the door open for conversation in case Jack changed his mind. The blonde watched as the sun caught the Delta's brown eyes, turning them that surreal golden brown you only ever saw when Jack was in his second form. Allowing him to make out every fine line in the older man's iris. He turned his head in time to see Riley and Bozer almost get knocked over by a forceful wave as they walked out into the deep. Hearing their screams of surprise and joyful laughter made the partners smile and chuckle. Jack turned to look at the blonde.
"Would you be a dear and grab what's in the little cubbie hole in the center counsel, please?" The Delta asked sweetly. Mac rolled his eyes, but did it anyway. He opened the driver's side door and peered over the counsel. Mac scowled when he found the fuzzy, bright green ball. All brand new and smelling of rubber.
"Jack, why do you have-?" Mac was cut off at the sight of a large, blue roan wolf sitting where his partner had been. Jack wagged his tail, giving a little bark of anticipation. Mac laughed. He wasn't sure what was more absurd. Jack planning on this, or him actually going through with it. Then again, his older partner has always been known to go to any great length to put a smile on Mac's face.
"You do realize we'll probably have to make a trip to the groomer's after this, right?" Jack's ears went back and he whined. His thick, black fluffy tail went between his legs as he backed up a little. There was no way in hell that was going to ever happen as long as there was breath in his lungs. The blonde agent smiled. Mac tossed the ball around in his hand after closing up the car. He walked over to where Jack sat, still looking a little uncertain. Jack growled impatiently after a few moments. Suddenly regaining his confidence. Mac looked around.
"You're seriously going to do this." It wasn't a question, but more a flat statement. Jack barked. It was a deep, loud sound that seemed to echo off the jagged cliff walls surrounding them. Mac smiled, shaking his head. His mind drifting back to when he had Archimedes.
"Ok then. Go get it!" He threw the ball with all his might. Jack was after it like a well aimed bullet. His stride was eating up the ground a mile a minute. Long legs and strong muscles propelled him forward into a deer-like run, kicking up sand in the process. The cool breeze whipped about through his shiny coat. Jack panted. The ball was slowly beginning it's slow descent from the long soar though the air. When the time was right, Jack paused in his stride. His muscles in his back legs bunched together like a spring. Jack jumped up with all his power and caught the ball mid-air. Strong jaws latched on to it like steel clamps. The wolf's paws came back into contact with the sandy ground a moment later. Jack shook out his coat before making his way back to Mac. Riley and Bozer started to cheer him on as they walked over.
"Al-right Jack! We need to enroll you in the circus!" Bozer said.
"Nice job, old man." Riley smiled, petting Jack's head. The wolf dropped the ball at Mac's feet. The blonde picked it up and threw it again...and again...and again. While the other two laughed and cheered Jack on with each display of his agility.
(~_~)
Mac yawned after he got out of the shower. They stayed at the beach till dusk. He smiled remembering the calming trance of the orange, red and yellow sky. He dried off his hair one last time and brushed it back before opening the door. As he went to go put his towel away, Mac couldn't help but notice the scents drifting in from the kitchen. He knew Bozer was asleep already in his room. Riley went home. So that means it had to be Jack. But...Jack didn't cook. So then what the hell was he smelling? He shrugged, logging it away for later.
He smiled on his way to the kitchen. Jack was quietly singing some country song only he ever heard. Mac went around the corner. His partner was bouncing from drawer to drawer, singing and searching for something. Mac cleared his throat, frowning at the intensity of the smells coming from the kitchen. Jack nearly choked in surprise.
"Oh, hey. How long have you been standing there?" Jack asked. He studied Mac a moment before turning serious. "Is something wrong? You look a little..." Jack trailed off, struggling to find a word. Mac smiled, leaning up against the wall while crossing his arms.
"Ok, to answer in the order you asked: Not very long and I'm perfectly fine." Mac said. Jack canted his head to the side a little.
"You sure? You kinda got that...thoughtful look in your eyes again." Jack took a step closer, as if he could find the problem just by being within arm's reach. "Positive somethin' ain't bothering you?"
"Trust me. I'm fine." Mac raised a brow, taking a step back with raised hands. Jack glared, crossing his arms. It was obvious Jack didn't believe him. He sighed. A part of him didn't want to talk about the strange new sense of smell he's seemed to attained within the last thirty minutes, but Mac also felt the odd need for reassurance. Someone to tell him it was only his imagination and that he'd be fine. Which just so happened to be the older man's forte. Jack shifted his weight, cocking a foot up.
"Alright. Out with it. What's going on in that ginormous brain of yours?" His partner asked easily. He propped his elbows up on the counter. Attentive brown eyes searched hesitant blue. Trying to decipher what the problem could be. Jack personally thought today went great. It felt normal for the first time in a long time between them. Like they could breathe again. Sure, he knew they still had a long road ahead of them with rebuilding the pieces of their deep bond that may have been damaged or broken, but they'd face it head on. Just like everything else they ever faced. Mac chewed the inside of his cheek, trying to put his thoughts into words.
"I...um...I think something happened." Mac cursed himself at how weak and unsure his voice sounded. Jack instantly stood straighter, a protectively dangerous edge entering his eyes.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Did somebody do something to you? Who was it? What happened?" Jack started to fuss over him. Gently checking him over both visually and physically. He didn't recall running into anybody on their way to the beach, but that didn't mean shit with the enemies they've managed to make in their line of work. Mac glared and swatted his hands away.
"No! Jack, stop. Nobody touched me, ok? I'm fine." Mac kept the Delta away with a raised hand. Jack respected it and backed off, though his eyes still portrayed he wanted answers and wanted them now. Mac nodded and took a seat at the table. Jack leaned against the bar. He motioned with his hand for Mac to continue.
"Ok, well, uh. It's not something that happened while we were out today. It actually just popped up about an hour ago now, when I got out of the shower. At first...I thought reason for it was because you were making something." Mac smiled. Jack chuckled.
"Brother, since when do I cook? That's entirely Bozer's deal. This kitchen is practically his baby." The Delta joked.
"I know. That's why I knew...well, more like how I knew something was up. You see, I..." He trailed off. His mouth hung open as he stared off into the living room. Mac closed it after what seemed like an eternity of silence. Would Jack even believe him? It just seemed way too imaginable. Jack raised a brow at him. Mac sighed. "Dude, this is gonna sound crazy. But I think I have some kind of hyper sense of smell."
"What?" Jack blanked. Mac swallowed, suddenly feeling very exposed.
"Yeah, I know. It's crazy. But as soon as I got out of the shower-" Mac paused when Jack paled and started to pace around in the kitchen. The blonde didn't know how or why, but he was suddenly assaulted with wave after wave of nervous energy emitting from the Delta. The strong vibes sped up his heart and made Mac want to pace as well, just so he could get rid of the energy bubbling inside. The younger agent felt a small hint of fear work it's way into the mix along the way. Jack suddenly stopped pacing and looked at him with worrying concern. The nervous energy was still there, albeit taped down a notch from before.
"You ok?" Jack asked, taking a seat in front of him. The air seemed thick with anxiety.
"I'm fine. Are you?" Mac noticed the way his partner's knee bounced as well as the growing wild, panicky look in Jack's eyes. He was fighting to stay in control. The older agent sighed.
"Mac, I...I don't know for certain yet, but I think you may be...I think I may have..." Jack's voice faded. His eyes bore into Mac's, trying to tell him what Jack couldn't voice. Mac's brow furrowed a little. He glanced down at his arm where only a hint of a scar lay from that horrible day. He did always question why the damn thing seemed to heal up so fast. And, now that he thought of it, his eye sight, hearing and obviously sense of smell seemed to have gotten mysteriously better too during that time. Not that any of his senses were ever bad in the first place, but still. Mac met Jack's gaze once more. He could feel the blood drain from his face. His heartbeat going at the rate of a sledgehammer. Mac was barely aware of shaking his head in disbelief. There had to be a mistake. This wasn't true. It couldn't be true. Mac felt his stomach churn unpleasantly at the idea.
"I think I'm gonna be sick." He managed to grate out, Jack was up and back with the trash can in record time. Mac heaved up a mess of mucus and bile. Jack rubbed his back soothingly. When he was done, Jack grabbed a towel and dampened it. Mac gave him a nod and wiped his mouth. Jack leaned in close, putting a hand on Mac's shoulder.
"You good, brother?" Mac nodded tiredly. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breathes to calm his wired body.
"Are you sure that's what's going on?" Mac asked, meeting Jack's worried eyes once more. The older agent reluctantly nodded.
"That's the first thing that happened to me. Though I wasn't...bitten. At the time, my dad told me how my first change would go down and the likely signs it was about to happen, so I had him to lean on and kinda show me the ropes so it wasn't that much of a surprise." Jack explained calmly. Mac cursed under his breath. He rubbed a hand down his face.
"What do I do then?"
"Well for starters, do you feel a little odd? Like you're head's a little fuzzy?" Mac frowned.
"Not really. I'm just able to smell stuff out now." Jack nodded.
"Then you're an early bloomer, my friend." Jack smiled, trying to take off some of the tension. "Usually that doesn't start kicking in till the last stage of your first change."
Mac's eyes widened. "There's stages to this?"
"Yeah, but I mean it's not anything you can't handle." The Delta added quickly. "You'll just feel kinda uncomfortable for a bit. You'll feel real angsty and kinda claustrophobic. Those usually come first in the process. But, since you've already achieved your new and improved sense of smell, we just gotta wait for the rest of ya to catch up." Jack explained.
"How long is that gonna take?"
"Unfortunately, I can't say. It really just depends on you and the way your body processes the new...info, I guess."
Mac drew a lengthy sigh, holding his head in his hands. "Great. Just. Great."
"Hey," Jack shook his shoulder some until Mac met his gaze. "don't over think this, bud. You're gonna be fine. Trust me. And I'll be right here the whole time. If you need anything, and I mean anything, you just holler, ok?" Jack gave him a smile. He was happy to see Mac return it, even if it was tinged with worry.
"Ok."
"Great." Jack clapped him on the shoulder. "C'mon. Let's go get you settled on the couch."
Mac got up and allowed Jack to mother hen him until he was nestled into a warm, soft nest of blankets. Jack, pleased with his work, sat down beside him. The older agent draped an arm over Mac's shoulders. Mac leaned into him, his head coming to rest on the Delta's chest. Jack gently tightened his hold on his boy before slipping into a peaceful sleep.
(~_~)
Mac felt hot and sweaty when he woke up. He blinked a few times, trying to clear his head. A soft drum was beating in his ear. Mac slowly lifted his head up and smiled. Jack was fast asleep sawing logs. The older agent's arms were wrapped around Mac in a protective cocoon. Mac wanted to stay in the safety and warmth of his partner, but a sudden jolt in his head had him flinching, hissing softly. Immediately, Mac realized his mistake and looked up. He was thankful to find Jack still asleep.
The headache only began to increase from there. Mac bit back a whimper as he struggled to not wake up Jack while carefully extracting himself from his partner's hold. Once he was free, Mac fought to not topple over from the severe dizzy spell he obtained just from doing that. It was a miracle he was able to make it to the kitchen trash before losing everything he ate hours earlier. When he was done, Mac collapsed against the cabinets panting. He closed his eyes. The world was still spinning wildly and refused to stop. A pained whimper slipped from his lips as the rest of his body began to throb. It didn't help any that the headache was still going and the sticky sweaty feeling refused to relent.
"Mac? Bud, you ok?" His partner's voice cut through the pain-filled void like a flying arrow. He felt more rather than saw Jack sit beside him, grounding him through the hazy mess. Mac leaned against him heavily. His partner's warmth was comforting and relaxing. Jack carefully wrapped an arm across Mac's shoulders, pulling him in closer. Mac nodded feebly.
"I just feel numb. I can't feel anything." The younger said quietly, but the hidden panic was evident. Jack was torn between concern and excitement at the confession. It wouldn't be long now. The Delta carefully moved to sit in front of Mac, acting as a visual to help ground the blonde. Mac watched him curiously.
"Ok, partner. I need you to take a deep breath and let everything go, ok? Just erase everything from your mind. All I want you to focus on is me. Can you do that, bud?" Jack asked keeping eye contact with his partner. Mac squinted at him with slight confusion.
"Why? I-" He cursed as a sudden shock wave of pain shot through his skull. Mac blindly latched on to Jack's shirt front, his fist curling the fabric tightly. Jack tried his best to coach his best friend through the worst of it. At one point, Mac cried out and curled in on himself. A silent scream trying to crawl from his throat. Mac latched on to Jack like a lifeline. His lean frame racking with endless shivers. The Delta wrapped him in his arms, offering every bit of comfort he could.
It wasn't until Mac was left utterly exhausted did he finally notice the warm, cozy feeling. He blinked curiously a few times, trying to get his sluggish brain to cooperate. At first he thought it was because of Jack's body heat, but further investigation led him to find that the strange feeling was blooming on the inside. Even though the flares of pain left him wired and hurting, the peaceful feeling seemed to stop all the bad ones in their tracks. Mac sighed tiredly, slumping against Jack more. He was surprised when he felt the emotional coziness increase. The blonde bit his bottom lip in thought. Were their wolves communicating with each other? Or was Jack simply calming Mac's wolf somehow?
Mac felt a sudden mental pull as the thoughts continued to whirl around in his mind. He allowed his mind to surrender to it, but only for a split second before the overwhelming, sensory overload freaked him out and he pulled away. Latching on to Jack tighter with a quiet gasp. The warm feeling was suddenly back again as Jack softly coaxed him into relaxing again. When he caved to the mental pull, the warm feeling was there to accompany him the whole time. Making Mac feel safe and secure as his wolf finally took form to become one with the agent. Mac felt a slight pinch and then a sharp, electrifying pain. A tight whimper escaped him, his mind vaguely recognizing Jack's soothing voice in his ear. Mac clung to Jack's voice for what seemed like an eternity before everything came to a screeching halt.
And everything went black.
Jack smiled, looking very much like a proud papa bear would as he shifted the small being in his arms. The wolf was lean, just like its' human. His fur was a silky blonde russet with a tinge of black, white and gold up along his guard hairs. His ears were black as was the ridge and tip of his tail. Jack grinned when he noticed the pup's back left paw. It was the same exact white as his.
The Delta gently massaged the pup's right ear as Mac slowly came to. He blinked owlishly a few times before his gaze met Jack's. The young wolf's eyes were still the same stellar ocean blue that could pierce anyone's soul. Mac whined and Jack gently put him down. The wolf was definitely young, Jack noted after further inspection. At least, younger than him. Probably not a day over eight months old.
Jack chuckled. Poor Mac still looked like he was in shock over the whole thing. His black ears were back and his innocent baby blues held an apprehensive and slightly fearful look. It was something that looked so out of place to Jack. The older agent let his paternal instincts take over as he scooped up the young pup and carried him to the couch. The pup watched him curiously the whole time, often tilting his head whenever Jack talked to him. Once the Delta got them situated on the couch, he pulled down a blanket and wrapped them both up. Holding the young pup close as he dozed off on Jack's chest. Mac snuggled up to him, feeling safe and secure.
And there you have it, my darlings! Sorry if this was a bad spot or a little short for your liking. I wanted to get this thing out before New Year's since I'll more than likely be busy having fun lol. Again, thanks so much to those of you who decided to fave, alert and comment on Parts One and Two of this series as well as give them all a read! It means a lot and, if you wanna, I'd greatly appreciate the feedback with this one as well! As for a possible Part Four, that may not happen for a while only because...I have absolutely NO idea where to go from here. Well, I take that back. I do, but it's gonna make the series seem repetitive and nobody wants to read a repetitive story, so. That's what we're lookin' at here with that so we'll see. Any possible ideas guys? Anyhooz, I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and have an awesomely blessed New Year! Peace.
~Cam