Author's Note: Here's the first chapter of the second story in the MacGyver the Tok'ra series. Thoughts are in italics. Symbiote Speech is in Bold.

Disclaimer: I do not own somebody else does.

"Come on, Mac. I've had big brothers before. None of them live in a place like this." Reggie looked curiously into the large telescope.

It had been MacGyver's idea to become a big brother and Jack had reluctantly agreed. Jack loved kids. He just wasn't sure they had the requirements to be a big brother. His reluctance had disappeared, however, as soon as he met Reggie. Reggie was a great kid and Jack liked him right away. So much, in fact, that within five minutes of Mac talking to him, Jack had insisted that he be allowed to talk to him. From then on, when Reggie was around, Jack was in control. Jack smiled at Reggie. "Well, it's comfy. I call it home." Jack began to fiddle with the telescope's knobs.

"I thought you had to be real normal to be somebody's big brother?" Reggie continued. "I mean, this ain't a normal place to live. This is weird."

"We aren't exactly normal are we, Mac?"

"That depends on your definition of normal."

"People a lot taller than yourself have said the exact same thing." He paused. Many thought he was odd for wanting to live in an observatory, but Jack loved it. Looking at the stars was one of his favorite hobbies. It was the only thing scientific he could actually understand, or was even was interested in understanding. "I think it's in'eresting," he drawled, in his Minnesota accent.

"Okay, it's in'eresting," Reggie pronounced the word like Jack. "Now, can I see Venus?"

Jack took a step back allowing Reggie to look into the lens he had previously been looking into. "You will be able to once that cloud clears. Tell you what," Jack slapped Reggie good naturedly. "In the mean time, what do you say we go down and get a bite to eat?"

"Okay!" Reggie bolted towards the stairs while Jack jogged behind at a slower pace.

"We have some leftover pizza in the fridge. That should do the trick."

"Jack, do you know how unhealthy that stuff is?"

"Mac, he's a kid. Kids like pizza. We're supposed to be a big brothe,r not a doctor."

"Hmph, do you know how much work I have to do after you eat that? You don't realize what's in that stuff."

"Its not like I get it that often with you in my head. Besides, work's good for you."

"Sure, Jack, sure."

After Reggie was gone, Jack climbed to the flat roof. It wasn't the most spectacular view. Still, it was nice to come up here and think, or lean way over the edge and make Mac highly uncomfortable.

"You better not!"

"Aw Mac! Where's your sense of fun?"

"I'm supposed to think you bugging me is fun?"

Their friendly banter was interrupted by the whirring sound of a helicopter. They watched as it drew near and landed in front of the observatory.

"Looks like we have a visitor."

"I'm guessing they want to see you and not me," Jack sighed as MacGyver took control.

"If they're wanting to see you we're in big trouble."

"Good point."

MacGyver hurried down to meet their visitor. He was close enough now to tell that it was his friend Gant.

"Uh-oh. There goes peace and quiet, and relaxation," Jack sighed. It had only been a week since their last mission.

MacGyver felt the same way. "Tell me you were just in a hurry to see me and that there is no bad news," he said as he walked up to Gant.

Gant never came by for just a casual visit, so MacGyver wasn't really surprised when he replied, "Uh. I was just in a hurry to see you, and save the bad news until we get inside." Gant started towards the observatory door.

"Uh. Gant," MacGyver stopped him. "Gant, come on let's have it." It was better to get it done and over with. If it was really important they would be wasting valuable time by going inside. If it wasn't important… Well, Gant didn't come if it wasn't important.

Gant turned and walked back to MacGyver. "Alright. An accident in New Mexico. A lab that handles a lot of classified research. Something set off a series of explosions."

"How bad?" MacGyver asked.

"Well, most of the personnel got out, but at least twenty are still unaccounted for. Among them is a top British scientist named Marlow. He was here visiting one of our own men, Stubens. They're also both candidates for the Nobel prize this year. Not exactly the kind of publicity the state department wants to hear," Gant explained.

"They still alive?" MacGyver asked.

"They survived the blast, but they're still trapped in the lab. They calculate the chances of anyone getting through to Marlow and Stubens is…" He paused. "Well, it's not great."

"Well, give me not great on the scale of one to ten." MacGyver could see where this was going.

"Minus three. That's why we couldn't order anybody to try. So your name came up."

"What other options do they have?"

Gant just looked at him. "I'm it, aren't I?" MacGyver asked.

"You're it. Look, Mac," Gant reached out and touched him on the arm. "You don't have to take this assignment. You know that."

MacGyver let out a breath of air. There was no way he could leave people to die. "Call the lab, Gant. Tell them we're on our way."

Gant smiled. He knew he could count on MacGyver. "Come on. There's a phone in the chopper."

"The chopper?"

"It's the quickest way of getting there," Gant explained.

MacGyver swallowed, then nodded, "Right." He followed Gant into the helicopter.

"A helicopter is no less dangerous than driving a car," Jack tried to console MacGyver.

"I know that. I just don't like being up high."

Jack was looking forward to the ride. It wasn't very often he got to fly. Not with MacGyver being scared of heights. It was a helicopter, not a jet, and he wouldn't be at the controls, but he would still enjoy it. Of course, his fun would be dampened slightly by sensing MacGyver's fear, but Jack had early on learned not to be overly bothered by that. "Do you want me to take control?"

"No. We're going to be up there for awhile and Gant would definitely notice a change before we got there. Besides, he knows I don't like heights."

"Suit yourself," Jack answered as they climbed into the helicopter.