MacGyver studied the robot in front of him, his mind working on the problem of how to make the gears move more smoothly within the arm. They worked just fine as is, but he wanted them to work better. This robot was seriously shaping up and once Bozer created the face and they assembled everything, Jack was going to freak. That was going to be a lot of fun.

Turning from the work table, MacGyver pivoted to reach for a different screwdriver only to hiss in pain. He hadn't been kidding when he'd told Jack the landing he made - after busting through the window to catch who they then had thought was just a homeless guy - hadn't been his best. Adrenaline and determination had kept MacGyver going at the time but now, a day later, he was feeling the pain in his lower back and left knee.

"Mac? You okay?" Bozer was more than a little worried as he studied his friend. It was obvious that MacGyver was hurting.

"I'm fine." Mac winced, this time at the white lie. It was only a little lie, after all. He was fine, just very sore.

Bozer wasn't buying it. "Yeah...well you don't look so fine. Did you hurt yourself? What happened? You didn't try punching Mr. Roboto like Jack did, did you?"

Mac frowned at his friend. "Why would I do that? I'm fine, Boze." Picking up the screwdriver he needed, MacGyver leaned over the robot only to hiss as his back spasmed. "Crap."

"You're not okay." Bozer was by Mac's side in an instant but uncertain of what to do to help. "Do you want me to call 911?"

"No!" Mac panicked at the very thought. "Look...I'm a little sore, that's all. I'm okay, Bozer. Really."

Shaking his head, Bozer continued to hover. "Bull, Mac, I can tell you're hurting. Should I call Matty?"

Involving their new boss was the worst idea ever, she still had doubts about Mac's effectiveness as it was. "Do not call anybody, Bozer," MacGyver beseeched his friend. "I'm stiff and sore but I'm fine."

"Well, what did you do to get hurt?" Bozer countered, because he wasn't going to let this go. Yesterday Mac had seemed just fine, but now he was in pain. Something had happened and Bozer wanted to know what it was.

"I know the answer to that one," Jack interjected, striding into the room. He grimaced at the robot on the table, before skirting around to stand beside his friends. He eyed MacGyver from head to toe, seeing how the younger man was pale and leaning against the table. "He jumped through a window and made a bad landing."

Bozer snorted. "Sure, that's what happened."

Jack shrugged, but his expression remained sincere. "When we found the killer in that abandoned building, only we thought he was a just a homeless guy. When he ran I chased after him, but Mac grabbed a phone line and jumped through the window to land on him. It was pretty epic."

"Sounds pretty badass," Bozer allowed, but he was still concerned. "Maybe you should make a trip to the ER and get checked out, Mac."

"Not happening," MacGyver stated, glaring at both of his friends. "In a day or two I'll be just fine, I heal fast." That said Mac, carefully, bent over the robot to tweak one of the gears.

Jack sighed. "You've got plenty of time built up, my friend," he said, moving to pat Mac on the shoulder. "I think it would behoove you to use a few of them."

A soft chuckled startled all three of them and they turned as one to see Matty standing in the doorway. She stepped closer, not missing the way MacGyver winced as he turned to face her, but she focused her attention on Jack first. "Behooved?" she echoed. "Pulling out the big words, Jack?"

"I like to dust them off now and then," he conceded.

"I bet." Matty was already dismissing him to concentrate all of her focus on MacGyver. "So you jumped out of a window to stop a runner and you didn't feel the need to include that in your debrief?"

MacGyver knew she had him trapped and there was no way out but the simple truth. "We caught the guy and questioned him, I didn't feel the method of catching him was important, just the end result."

Matty nodded. "That does seem to be your M.O.," she allowed. "The end justifies the means, doesn't it, MacGyver?"

"That's pretty much the way it works in our line of work," Jack interjected.

"Was I talking to you?" Matty snapped at him, enjoying the way he flinched. "For the record, Jack, you didn't mention it in your report either."

MacGyver was quick to defend his friend, not that Jack couldn't defend himself, it was just his default setting when it came to his friends. "Look, Matty, next time we'll know better and include every detail in our debriefs. Okay?"

She quirked an eyebrow at him, but nodded. "See that you do. That said, go home, MacGyver. Jack can drive you. Take the next few days off to heal...you earned them."

"What about me?" Jack queried. "Do I get the next few days off as well?"

"Someone has to keep an eye on baby Einstein," Matty stated. "Go now, please." She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her toe as she watched MacGyver shed his lab coat before allowing Jack to lead him from the room. She didn't miss the fact that he was moving stiffly and limping a bit.

Bozer waved to his friends before moving to stand beside Matty. "What is it with you and Mac?" he queried, deciding not to mince words.

Matty locked eyes with Bozer. "What do you mean?"

"Why do you ride him so hard?" Bozer was more than ready to defend his best friend. He liked Matty, but it was obvious she had issues with Mac. "I know I'm just learning all about his secret agent life, but Riley and Jack have shared tons of stories of how Mac has saved the day, and I've gotten to see it for myself now as well. He's the best of the best, but you're all up in his grill. I don't get it."

"He's not what I'm used to," Matty allowed. "He's doesn't do things by the book and that concerns me. He's been lucky, but someday that luck is going to run out and I don't want to sit back and watch it happen."

Bozer stared at Matty for a long moment, unable to hide his shock. A heartbeat later he started laughing, hard enough that he bent over his knees to catch his breath. "That's pretty...funny," he managed to gasp out.

Matty frowned at him. "Apparently. Care to share the joke?"

"The joke is you thinking that MacGyver is just...lucky." Bozer took a moment to stop giggling, before facing Matty with in all seriousness. "I've known Mac since middle school. He is unlike anyone else you will ever meet. Smartest guy in the room, always. He's as detailed as they come, yet beyond creative and inventive. His mind goes to places no one else would even think to go. His brain is wired differently. To be honest, I'm not sure how to explain it, but I can tell you that it's never been easy for him...being so damn smart."

"I'm not sure I follow what you're trying to tell me," Matty countered, but she was curious enough to hear more. Maybe Bozer could offer her some insight to MacGyver.

Bozer struggled to find the best way to explain the unexplainable. "To other kids he was always skinny little nerd boy, blowing the grade curve. And he had a funny name to boot. To the teachers he was the kid who was always smarter than they were, although it didn't take him long to figure out it was in his best interest not to point out, or correct, their mistakes. To most adults he was just this odd boy who operated on a totally different wave length. Adults hate it when kids are smarter than they are. He graduated high school early, was younger than everyone else at MIT and graduated in half the time. It's never been easy for him to make friends because he never fit in. And I really don't see anything lucky about losing your mom when you're five and your dad walking out on you when you're twelve." Bozer paused to lock eyes with Matty. "Are you starting to get where I'm going with this? What MacGyver does isn't about luck, it's about skill. You know how they say people who are really book smart tend to be common sense stupid? That's not Mac, he's smart all the way around. His Grandfather taught him a lot about life and using your surroundings. MacGyver is like a sponge, he just soaks up everything and anything, and he figures out how to use and apply everything he's learned. You don't get what he does because you can't do it. Nobody does what he does, that doesn't mean he's doing it wrong...it justmeans he's unique and pretty damn amazing. And let me just add that if I were ever stranded on a deserted island, the person I'd want with me is Mac."

Matty watched as Bozer wound down and she held up a hand before he could start up again. "I get it, thanks." And she meant it. She was starting to understand who MacGyver was, at least a little bit. Maybe it was time to open her eyes and see who Angus MacGyver really was, instead of trying to pigeon hole him. "Go home, Bozer. You deserve a couple of days off as well. Say 'hi' to MacGyver for me."

"I can do that." Bozer shed his lab coat and headed out before Matty could change her mind.

Mac sat in one of the deck chairs, staring at the unlit fire pit, his mind wandering. After Matty had told him to go home, he had convinced Jack that he could drive himself, seeing as how he wasn't actually sick or injured. So Jack had allowed him to make his own way, but had warned him he would be close behind, right after he stopped for burgers and fries to go.

Right on cue, Jack came in, calling out his presence as he made his way through the house and out onto the deck. He dumped one of the burger bags into Mac's lap before setting his own down so he could grab a couple of root beers. It was too early for the alcoholic kind of beer. Once he handed one over, he dropped into his own chair and snagged a couple of French fries. He was pleased to see Mac munching on his own. When the kid turned down one of Eddie's mushroom burgers and curly fries, then Jack had to worry. Still, he didn't miss MacGyver's heavy sigh. "You okay?" Jack prompted.

"I'm bored," Mac replied, before demolishing another curly fry.

"We could go fishing," Jack offered. "We haven't been to Lake Meade in almost two years, we can open up the cabin." The cabin that had belonged to MacGyver's grandfather. The kid had invited him there for the first time three years ago, after a mission had ended badly, and he knew it was a good place for Mac to decompress. With all the things that had been happening in the past few months: Nikki turning out to be CIA, Thornton arrested for treason and Matty coming in as new director, not to mention Sarah getting married...a few days at the cabin would be good for them both.

Mac considered the idea and found himself nodding. He always found peace on the Lake and he knew that Jack had his own issues to deal with. "We can leave in the morning. We should invite Bozer and Riley." They had all been on a wild ride right along with them and it was time for everyone to get off and take a moment to breathe.

Jack was all for it. "Sounds like a plan." He pulled his chili burger out of the bag, unwrapped it and took a big, satisfying, bite.

For a few minutes they were both involved in enjoying their burgers, until MacGyver set his aside after only two bites. He wiped his mouth on a napkin and sighed.

"What's going on, brother?" Jack asked, setting his own burger aside. "I can hear the gears grinding in that big brain of yours."

"Matty...she doesn't trust me to do my job and, I'm not going to lie, that bugs me." MacGyver was surprised how good it felt to get that off his chest. Sure she was grateful that he had caught the man who killed her God daughter, but Matty never let MacGyver forget that she didn't approve of how he worked and he feared that it was going to create issues for them both in the near future.

Jack had figured as much. "Listen, she doesn't trust what she doesn't know...and she doesn't know you. You push her out of her comfort zone and she doesn't like that." Jack leaned over to squeeze Mac's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, bro. I've got your back. Matty will catch on in good time. We'll make her see who you really are, the best damn agent at the Foundation."

MacGyver hoped Jack was right. "So...what about you and Matty? You said what happened between the two of you was your fault. Care to elaborate?"

"All in good time, Mac," Jack countered. "Right now I want to enjoy my burger and the company of my good friend." He raised his burger in a toast, but before taking a bite he promised, "I'll tell you everyone at the cabin."

"Deal." MacGyver reached for his own burger and enjoyed another bite. However, he had a confession to make. "I'm still bored, Jack. Feel like a trip to the hardware store?"

Jack frowned at him. "Maybe after I finish my burger. What have you got in mind?"

MacGyver grabbed a notebook from the side table and began sketching a diagram. "I've always wanted to make a cleaning bot. We can take it to the cabin and test it."

"What is it with you and robots, man?" Jack shuddered at the thought of a tiny robot attacking him in his sleep. "Can't you create something more useful and less...deadly?"

"It'll be small enough for you to stomp on, Jack," Mac promised, warming up to his idea and ready to get to work on it. He was already making a mental list of what he would need. But suddenly the pad was yanked away and MacGyver glared at Jack. "What are you doing? I'm working on that."

Jack tossed the notebook into the fire pit, more of a gesture than anything, since it wasn't lit. "No work, we have a few days off so relax, bro."

MacGyver made to get up to grab the notebook back only to hiss in pain. He'd forgotten about his sore back, but it was making sure to remind him. So he made sure to move more carefully, ignoring the way Jack was eyeing him with concern. Once he retrieved his notebook, he sat back down and resumed sketching. "This is relaxing for me, Jack. You know that."

"Finish your burger," Jack ordered, because he did know that and heaven forbid he should come between the kid and his toys. "No trip to the hardware store unless you eat every bite." He chuckled to himself when MacGyver reached for his burger with his left hand and absently took bite after bite while he continued to sketch.

It was going to take some time, Jack knew, but eventually Matty would look at MacGyver and see him clearly for the amazing man he was. Jack would make sure of it.

THE END