Author's Note #1: I actually started this the Thursday before the episode after watching the sneak peaks, needing a conversation of some kind to happen between Jack and James and not sure if the Writers were going to give us one. Well, turns out they did, but I just needed to expand on it because I couldn't leave it at just that and I wanted, more.

Poor Mac, finding out the reason that his father abandoned him left me heartbroken for him, and the fact that James was right there, manipulating Mac his entire life... Oh Goodness, the implications and possibilities for Season 3.

Note; snippets of dialogue taken directly from the S02E23 MacGyver + MacGyver and used here do not belong to me.

Author's Note #2: Big Thanks to RiatheMai for taking my words and helping to make them better. Love you.

"Everything I did, I did to protect my son, and that's all you need to know," James says to him and then taps the back of his heals into the sides of his horse and pulls away at a trot down the trail. Jack doesn't even bother to hold in the scoff to let the other man know just what he thinks about that statement as he does the same thing, clicking his tongue and easily guiding his own horse to once again close the distance between himself and Oversight—his partner's long lost, negligent father.

The object of their search has been right under their noses the entire damn time.

Literally.

For all these years.

Son of a bitch.

That fact is still blowing Jack's mind, and he's still trying to process it hours after the roadside confession. If he's still feeling surprised and overwhelmed by the news, with all the possible implications that it raises, then he can only imagine what his partner is feeling.

Jack glances back at Mac, a half dozen feet or more behind and making no effort to close the gap and join them. His blue eyes are stormy, face set and jaw clenched, and Jack thinks poleaxed is probably one pretty good word to describe how his partner is feeling right at the moment.

Jack does a slow sweep of the wooded mountainside that they are riding in, scans up the sharp incline that lines their right side and then back down to the trail that stretches out in front of them, looking for anything out of the ordinary, anything, however small, that is out of place. They still have miles to go before they reach the compound where Jonah Walsh is supposedly holed up with members of the La Ola Cartel…

La Ola Cartel.

Jack shakes his head and drags his free hand down his face. That's just what they need.

The moment he heard James say that name, Jack's stomach clenched tight, memories flooding back unbidden of Mac being hauled away in cuffs—accused of murder and terrorism—and he being helpless and furious at being forced to stand down and do nothing but wait. The carnage he found when he and his TAC team finally breached the police station was bloody and violent proof of the lengths the cartel was willing go to in their efforts to try to get Mac. It was only who his partner was, what he was capable of doing that had saved not only his own life, but the lives of the two police detectives that had originally arrested him.

And now, because of his father, Mac might once again be on their radar.

Jack knows that it's only a matter of time before the name MacGyver makes it up the chain of cartel command and the man at the top puts it all together, realizes that there are two MacGyvers, and enacts his revenge on the younger for the cache of weapons he had destroyed.

So Jack is leaving nothing to chance. Considering that James' rogue ex-partner is Jack's equivalent in this entire puzzle of a hunt they are on, if the tables were flipped—and that's a thought Jack does not want to consider, ever—if this were him running and hiding from Mac, Jack would have traps and armed spotters in the woods this far out, watching for people just like them.

"Nothing to say, Agent Dalton?" James prods. "I find that hard to believe. You're never one to hold your tongue when you have an opinion about something."

Like you really know anything about me, about either of us, from atop that watchtower of yours, Jack wants to say. He keeps the thought to himself though as he turns his head slowly, eyes once again scanning along the top most edge of the tree-lined, rocky ledge before he pins Mac's father with his eyes. The elder MacGyver's gruff, calculating, I know better than you attitude is already grating on Jack's nerves, and makes him want to punch the man even more than he did before he ever met him.

It's obvious to the former delta commando, even in the very short time he's been in the other's man company, that although his best friend may share his father's features and intelligence, the younger MacGyver's thoughtfulness and gentle nature, his heart, in no way comes from his father. Those qualities, which make up so much of what makes Mac Mac, no doubt came from his mom, and Jack is eternally grateful for that or despite James' manipulating the two of them together back in Afghanistan, things between them might have turned out very, very different.

"Oh, there is so much I want to say to you right now, James," Jack drawls slowly, purposely leaving off the sir that the man just moments ago had instructed Jack to call him. "But I happen to care too much for that kid back there to get into it all with you right now in middle of a mission. Risk him being distracted and getting himself injured, or worse, killed. He has enough on his mind right now as it is."

Jack continues to just stare at the man, James meeting his gaze unflinchingly. While it might rub him a bit the wrong way, the man he now knows is Overwatch does have one thing correct: Jack has never been one to keep his opinion to himself and that fact is multiplied a hundredfold where his partner is concerned. So, while Jack is serious about not getting into it all with him right now, there are some things that he needs to get off his chest.

"You know that, that's all you need to know line may work on me," Jack begins casually as he nudges his horse around some downed tree limbs that lay across the path in front of him, and he doesn't miss the "doubtful" that is mumbled beside him. Not that there is any question in Jack's mind that he wasn't supposed to hear the word anyway.

"And just as an aside, I've been workin' for Uncle Sam since I got outta high school, long enough to know that line for the crap that it is. We both know damn well that it has everything to do with you protecting your own ass and absolutely nothing to do with sensitive intel of any kind that can't be shared. But that's not the point at the moment."

"You mean you actually have a point, Dalton? You're not just running your mouth to hear yourself speak?"

Jack shakes his head. "You are something else, you know that? And yes, I have a point," Jack bites out. "My point is that all your need to know, and all your secrets, and your goddamn games isn't fair to your son. You remember him, right? The little kid you abandoned fifteen years ago? No word, no explanation… just up and left. Leaving that child to wonder if he had done something wrong, if it was his fault, if he wasn't good enough," Jack hisses out. "He's not some pawn in whatever chess game you got goin' on for you to manipulate at your whim."

"It was for his own safety," James explains again, cool as can be and that just pisses Jack off more.

"That is bullshit," Jack snaps. He glances back at Mac, who is still trailing behind them at a distance, his gaze anywhere but on the two of them. That doesn't mean that Mac can't hear them, though or that he doesn't know exactly what is being said. Jack knows better than that. He knows that the young man he considers his brother is listening to every word they are saying. Jack will even go so far as to say that his partner knew exactly what his intentions were the moment Jack started to guide his horse up beside his father.

He and Mac never pull punches with each other when it comes to, well, anything, and Jack isn't about to start now, especially not where his long-lost father is concerned. If Mac feels that Jack is getting out of line or he wants the topic dropped, he'll let Jack know and Jack will honor Mac's wishes. But until then he's going to say his fill.

"Bang up job you've done keepin' him safe by the way, Sparky. That kid has been walking headlong into danger on a daily basis since he was nineteen years old, for cryin' out loud."

"That's why he has you, Dalton. To keep him safe," James states easily.

"Damn straight he does. I will do anything for him," Jack growls. "Hell, I have done anything for him…more than you will ever know. More than you—"

The rest of what Jack was going to say is instantly cut off by Mac's soft utterance of his name, and Jack turns his head back to find Mac staring at him. His partner gives him a slight shake of his head when their gazes meet and Jack gets the message loud and clear, that's enough. Jack reins in his temper and nods his head in return, the movement minute and meant only for him, letting Mac know that he'll do as he asks.

"Just to summarize for you, I'll make this simple," Jack says as he turns back to face Mac's father. "Your son has spent the last fifteen years wondering why you just up and bailed on him. So you might want to clear that up."

Before James can respond Jack clicks his tongue a couple of times, puts a bit more pull on the rein that he has threaded through the fingers on his right hand, and turns away, swinging his horse around to backtrack along the trail and meet up with his partner.

"You know," Mac says easily, side-eyeing Jack as he pulls up alongside of him, "when a person says there is so much that I want to say to you right now it usually indicates that you are not in actuality going to say all that much, if anything at all."

"You don't say," Jack hums. "Well, you know, a Wookie Life Debt just doesn't apply to saving certain scrawny-assed kids who perpetually paint bulls eyes on their backs and put themselves in the crosshairs of danger on a hourly basis."

"It's not hourly," Mac grumbles, and Jack smiles at the slight little boy whine he can hear in his voice. He can also hear the I know, thank you loud and clear in the small smile that Mac sends his way, and Jack winks back in return.

"So you're finally admitting that I'm Han Solo then?" Mac asks him, and Jack's gotta give the kid credit for the straight face and the innocence he's able to infuse in his voice as he asks the question.

"Oh, hell no," Jack quickly corrects him. "I'm Han as well."

"You can't be two characters, Jack."

"I so can," Jack defends. "It's my story."

"Your story, huh? Well I'll be sure to pass along to George that he's been delusional all these years," Mac deadpans.

"As you should. And that makes you Lukepio, by the way."

Mac barks out a laugh. "Lukepio? So now you're combining characters? One character per person, dude; those are the rules. So, what? Does that make you Habacca? Chewan?

"I can do what I want," Jack corrects Mac even as he's grinning at the fact that his partner is playing along and creating new names of his own. "And you hush up. Respect your elders when they're explaining things to you."

"Oh, by all means then," Mac says sweeping one of his arms out in an arc in front of himself, an exaggerated flourish to the area around them, "the forest is yours, noble sir. Explain away."

"Smartass," Jack quips with a fond smile. "Lukepio… The reluctant hero," he says with a flourish of his own. "Doer of good deeds and helper of the downtrodden—"

"Downtrodden, Jack? Really?"

"Combined," Jack continues without stopping, "with the annoyingness—"

"Annoyingness really isn't a proper word, Jack."

"It's my word, homie, and you just explained it all for me."

"How can I possibly provide an answer to something when I'm still not even sure what the topic of the conversation is?"

"Exactly." Jack smiles at the perplexed and annoyed look Mac gives him, happy and relieved beyond belief for the return to their normal banter and for getting his partner out of the dark headspace that Jack knows he was slipping into, however brief that that respite is going to be.

"With the annoyingness of explaining everything, quoting statistics, telling me the odds… And you just wait," Jack wags a finger at him, "someday it'll come back to bite you and then you'll understand my pain," Jack tells him. "I'm a simple guy, hoss… Just tell me who I can punch and what I can shoot and I'm happier than a dead pig in the sunshine. I really and truly don't need all the extracurriculars."

Mac's quiet for a moment, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "I really have absolutely no clue where to even begin with anything you just said, big guy."

"Well then, how about you start with this… We didn't just spend the last year of our lives circumventing the globe looking for your dad so you can avoid him. Why don't you get up there and do some bonding real quick?"

"Jack… I don't—"

"I know you don't. But, son," the endearment rolls off Jack's tongue so naturally, so easily and without any thought. As much as Jack hasn't liked anything that Mac's father has said or done to date so far, and the man is giving him some seriously bad vibes, Jack doesn't want to be outright cruel to the man, but he's also not going to apologize, or change the way he feels either. And if a rather large part of Jack is gratified by the minute flinch that he catches out of the corner of his eye from the elder MacGyver at his use of the sentiment, well, Jack's certainly not going to apologize for that any time soon either.

"You've come this far; if you don't follow through you're going to regret it for the rest of your life. The what-if will kill you, Mac. He's been right here this whole time, right in the same goddamn building with you…" Jack cuts himself off then and forces himself to take a deep breath. The more he thinks on that fact that Mac's father was, more times than Jack can probably count, just mere feet from his son—the son that he had to know was looking for him—burns his fuse down just that much more. The last person in the universe he wants to lose it on, or push away, is the one person who needs him the most right now. Jack softens his voice as he goes on. "You deserve some answers. We got miles to go before the compound. Ride through the woods is the perfect setting for a little heart-to-heart."

"Speaking from experience?"

Jack tips his head in acknowledgement of that observation. "More than once my dad and I, or my sister or granddaddy would hit the trails behind the house to work something or the other out. There's a natural peace out here, lends itself well to a little share and care." And Jack thinks that's just what Mac needs, a trip back to the ranch, to relax and decompress, escape from everyone and everything for just a bit, and the first opportunity he gets, Jack is going to talk to Matty about the two of them taking some much needed and much deserved time away.

"That's all very Hallmark of you, Jack," Mac says. It's a poor attempt at the humor and lightness of just of a few seconds ago and Jack's heart aches at its loss.

Mac doesn't say any more and Jack stays quiet in the silence, let's Mac take in and digest everything that he's just said. He watches Mac stare at his father's back. Jack knows that the kid is running computation after computation through that big brain of his, calculating all the possible outcomes of a conversation, and Jack sighs.

"Mac," he says softly, "it's actually simple—"

"Jack… There is nothing simple about any of this." It breaks Jack's heart that instead of the frustration and anger he expected, Mac just sounds tired, resigned.

"Yeah it kinda is, kiddo. You have two choices, here," Jack explains, and the way Mac looks at him, laid open and raw, eyes pleading as if Jack is the only lifeline holding him afloat in a storm, forms a lump so big in his throat that Jack nearly chokes.

"You either forgive him or you don't," Jack tells Mac gently. "You listen to what he has to say, and you decide: either you can forget what he did and build a relationship with him, or you can't and you move on without him. Two choices, Mac. That's all. And whatever you decide, I have your back one hundred percent. No questions asked."

"The day Jack Dalton doesn't nag me to talk about my feelings is the day I know you've turned to the dark side, or have been possessed by the pod people."

Jack growls low in his throat, giving Mac one of his patented Wookie cries and he's happy to see that it brings the smile to Mac's face that Jack was hoping for. The smile is small, a bit rough around the edged, but Mac looks a little steadier, a bit more determined, and Jack will take the win.

"Thanks, Jack."

"Anytime. Now, git," Jack tells him, nodding his head up towards Mac's father. Jack watches Mac's back as he rides away then pulls up on the reins, slowing down the stallion he's riding and allowing some distance to fall between himself and the MacGyvers, giving father and son a modicum of privacy as he resumes his own Overwatch duties and begins to once again scan the woods.

Jack glances momentarily back up the trail to check on the pair. He can tell that they're talking, their body language suggesting that the conversation is stilted and mostly one-sided as Mac tries to get the answers he so desperately needs.

But at least they are talking.

Jack decides, for Mac's sake, that he'll see how this all plays out. He'll hang back, not get involved, be supportive and encouraging and a shoulder for anything Mac needs.

He'll play nice. For now.

But Jack knows, better than he's known anything ever before, that sooner, rather than later—Overwatch be damned—it's going to be time for him to not be so nice to the elder MacGyver.