Author's Notes:
This is an adaptation of a story I wrote for the MacGyver Virtual 9th Season (episodes 904A and 904B) in collaboration with Christine Moss back in 1999 (I hope you're still out there online Chris, and I hope you're okay with this!).
Without the "dream" frame for the Virtual Season, this story is part of my AU series, Domestic Adventures. You can find information on its premise, philosophy and origins and a timeline of stories on my profile page.
Canon-wise these two parts span approximately Seasons 2-5, with a bit of Season 1 at the beginning (and a brief mention of Target MacGyver).
Feedback is welcome! I hope you enjoy!
-December, 1985-
"We hope you're enjoying our Holiday Festival of Music," declared the announcer. "This next song is for everyone who's headed home to be with their loved ones tonight..."
MacGyver chuckled to himself as I'll Be Home For Christmas- as sung by Bing Crosby- played on the radio. "Well, they sure don't get the 'snow' part here. Not in this part of Oregon, anyway; it's usually rain for Christmas." He peered out the water-splattered windshield of the rental car at the other headlights on the freeway; there was still about a half-hour drive before he finally reached Salem, and it was quickly getting dark.
Life was pretty darn strange sometimes, he mused. He never liked hearing that song since his mom died- as a reminder of that painful loss- but the other day he'd surprised himself by humming it while packing for the trip.
The reason for the change of heart was simple, he realized. He did indeed have a home to go to for Christmas, and whenever else he needed it.
Intellectually Mac knew he was not alone in the world, no matter how much his heart believed otherwise at times. He had his grandfather; heck, he had even been able to reconnect with Harry the previous month, while- of all things- also having to protect them from assassins hired to kill him. He also had his older sister and her family; they always welcomed him with open arms whenever he had the opportunity to visit.
An opportunity like that very night. Christmas Eve.
Suddenly he was filled with an aching need to get there as soon as possible. He was so darn tired of all the danger and pain and suffering he had experienced lately working for the DXS, and wanted to be among people he knew and cared for deeply, even if it was just overnight.
He couldn't wait to see the look on his sister's face when she opened the door. Not to mention his niece's; he could sure use one of her wonderful, enthusiastic hugs tonight.
Another holiday carol played on the radio- something about angels- and MacGyver smiled at the appropriateness of the song. It was true he loved all of them dearly; his family, after all, was the reason why he joined the DXS in the first place, to make the world a better place for them.
But he cherished his niece Becky in particular. She held a special place in his heart as his princess, his angel. There was nothing he wouldn't do to make sure she was happy and safe.
Finally he pulled the rental car up beside the curb and turned off the ignition. His sister's house looked so bright and festive with all the outdoor lights on and the beautifully decorated tree visible through the large living room window.
Humming another favorite old carol under his breath, Mac retrieved his leather travel bag and the few presents for the family he was able to buy during his limited free time and dashed up the two short flights of concrete steps to the front door, his heart lifting the closer he got to the house.
He rang the bell and couldn't help but grin at the woman who opened the door with a gasp of surprise. "Hey, Allie. Guess I made it after all."
"Oh Mac, I'm so glad you came!" Allison Cassandra MacGyver- now Dr. Allison Grahme, Ph.D.- invited her younger brother inside and gave him an enthusiastic hug. She was a petite woman, like their mother Ellen, with reddish-brown hair and twinkling deep blue eyes. "It wouldn't have been a real Christmas without you."
"It wouldn't have been for me either, sis," smiling as he returned the hug. "As soon as I knew I had some free time before I had to leave the States again, I immediately made arrangements to get here as soon as possible. I'm sorry, but I'll have to leave around noon tomorrow."
Allison pulled away and looked up into his eyes. "But do you really have to go so soon? We don't really know what work you do for the government, but surely it can't be so urgent that you have to miss the rest of Christmas Day."
"Sorry, Allie. You know I can't tell you anything specific, but all I can say is that it's really important, and a lot of people are depending on me."
"Hi, Mac!" Michael Grahme and his son Christopher came out of the kitchen, both tall men with sandy-brown hair and hazel eyes. "We didn't think you'd make it."
"Hey, guys. Merry Christmas." He greeted them with a handshake and embrace for each. "How's it goin'? Chris, I swear you've grown since I last saw you," he said to his eighteen-year-old nephew. "About as tall as I am now, looks like."
"I'm almost there," Chris replied with a smile. "Maybe an inch shy."
"You're graduating from high school in June, right? Got any plans for the summer?"
"Just going to help out at Camp Meriwether with Dad." Michael was a middle school teacher and very active in the Boy Scouts; in the summer he was going to be director of the council's summer camp on the Oregon coast. "Then to Illinois for basic training in September."
"That's right, you're joining the Navy. I promise I'll send you something if I can't make it to your commencement."
"If you just show up it'll be enough of a gift, Uncle Mac. Really."
"Then I'll do my best. So where's Becky?" Mac looked around for his niece. "I thought for sure she'd still be up tonight."
"She's in bed already," Allison explained. "She was so disappointed when we thought you wouldn't make it that she didn't want to participate in any of our usual Christmas Eve activities. She's up in her room. Sound asleep already when I checked on her last."
"Great, that means I can surprise her tomorrow morning. And I know exactly how do it, if you still have that huge TV box out in the garage and some wrapping paper and ribbons left over." Mac outlined his plan- which made the three laugh at the lengths he was going to surprise her- then made arrangements to sleep in Chris' room for the night and went upstairs.
Mac quietly opened the door to Becky's bedroom and peered inside at the thirteen-year-old girl sleeping curled up on her side, facing him. Rebecca Ellen took mostly after her mother in appearance with her petite figure, auburn hair and blue eyes, but had inherited her generally quiet and introspective behavior from her father.
He clearly remembered the day he first saw her: three months old, exquisitely tiny, smiling so sweetly up at him. He had been going through a rough patch then after breaking up with Amy and from the moment Allison had placed her in his arms he found himself completely smitten instead with his baby niece. Ever since then he was sure- though normally skeptical of such things- that there existed a unique emotional bond between them, one that had never gone away even though she was almost grown.
Mac smiled at seeing her favorite stuffed animal held tightly to her chest- a unicorn he had given her for Christmas years ago- and the eyeglasses that dangled from one small hand. Must've fallen asleep while reading again, he thought fondly, also noticing the book laying on the floor nearby.
Without making a sound he moved to the bed and carefully loosened her grip on the spectacles, setting them on the bedside table. He then bent down and bestowed on her soft cheek the lightest of kisses, smiled again as her own lips curled up as if in response to the kiss, and left the room, closing the door silently behind him.
"Wake up everybody! It's Christmas!" Chris bellowed as he threw a pillow at Becky in her bed, ducking when she sat up and threw it back at him.
"Go back to bed, you freak! Leave me alone." Why the heck does he have to be such a morning person? It's almost seven in the morning, for crying out loud, she thought with a frown. "And why do I have to get up, anyway? It's not like Uncle Mac's gonna be waiting for me under the tree."
"Oh Beck, are you still mad that he couldn't make it? It's not his fault, you know."
"Yeah, I'm still mad even though it's not his fault. We hardly ever get to see him, and now we probably won't at all this year. What on earth does he do that keeps him so busy?"
"I don't know, sis. But what's done is done. C'mon, lighten up already! Let's go. Time to open presents." He picked her up and hoisted her over his shoulder, carrying her into the living room. He deposited her unceremoniously onto the loveseat and shouted in the direction of upstairs, "Mom, Dad, wake up! Come on!"
"We're up, Chris. There's no need to yell." Michael stood in the doorway, bathrobe pulled on over his pajamas. "Why don't you and Becky go into the kitchen and get us something to drink and snack on? We're not going to have brunch for a while yet."
Becky obediently followed Chris into the kitchen; as they collected food and drink Becky heard their parents grunting and muttering under their breath. She glanced out the door, watching them slowly maneuver a large box into the living room, setting it beside the tree rather than under it.
"Hey, c'mon. Pay attention, squirt." Chris handed her a pitcher of apple cider. "Give me a hand with this, already."
Obediently she brought it into the living room, setting it on the coffee table alongside a plate of cookies and a set of five glasses. Five? But I thought it was only the four of us.
"Okay, time for presents!" Chris declared once everyone was seated in the living room. "Beck, why don't you open the first one?" He took her hand, leading her over to the large mysterious box.
"Who's it from?"
"It doesn't matter, Becky. Just open it," Michael said.
Standing on tiptoe, she opened the top of the box and looked inside. At first she could only make out crumpled wads of newspaper, but then something underneath started to move. She started pulling the newspaper away, jaw dropping as she spied familiar brown hair. "No," she whispered. "It can't be."
"Yes, it can," said a male voice that she also recognized. "Surprise!"
Becky's eyes widened and she let out a single cry, practically falling backwards in shock. "W-what are you doing... H-how did you get... B-but I thought you were..."
"Hey, what's goin' on?" MacGyver said indignantly, hands on hips, staring down at her with a stern expression though his eyes twinkled with mischief. "A stammering niece who can't finish her sentences? No hug? I came with Santa all the way from the North Pole for this?"
"Oh, Unc! I'm so glad to see you!" She grabbed him in an enthusiastic embrace once he stepped out of the box and he chuckled, folding his arms around her in return.
"Hey, Becky. Merry Christmas! I'm really glad to see you, too."
"How on earth did you get here?"
"I came last night and slept on the floor in Chris' room. Quite a surprise, huh? Come on you guys, it's Christmas! Time for presents!" Mac and Chris dived into the huge pile of brightly colored boxes, passing them out to their owners.
The family spent a fun morning together, opening presents, singing carols and enjoying each other's company. It wasn't until after the delicious Christmas brunch (made by Michael, who was the better cook in the family) was devoured that MacGyver reluctantly announced it was time he had to leave.
"Do you really have to? The kids love having you here, and so do we," Allison said softly to her younger brother.
"Yeah, sis, I do. Believe me, I'd stay here if I could. But as I told you last night, what I'm doing is important, and people are counting on me."
That got Becky's attention, since there was something she had been wanting to discuss with MacGyver all morning. It's now or never, she thought. The worst he'll do is say no, right? "Unc? Can I talk to you for a minute in private? It's important."
"Sure, Beck. I guess I have a few minutes to spare. Lead the way." He followed her into the kitchen, helping her to sit up on the counter, so she could look him in the eyes without straining her neck. "So what's going on?"
She took a deep breath. "Can I stay with you in Los Angeles this summer? Dad and Chris are gonna be at Boy Scout camp all summer, and Mom's got a research project at the university. I'll be stuck with Mrs. Roberts next door almost every day, and I won't get to do anything fun. So can I be with you instead, Uncle Mac? Would you mind? Please?" She looked at him with her big blue eyes and smiled inwardly at the grin spreading across his face. I can talk him into doing anything.
"Whoa, slow down," he laughed. "I'd love to have you stay with me, but you'd better go ask your parents first."
"Great. Wait right here, okay? Don't leave yet!" She jumped off the counter, hurried out of the kitchen and into the living room, where her parents were picking up discarded wrapping paper. "Mom? Dad? I need to ask you something real quick."
"Sure, Becky," Allison said. "What is it?"
"Since you guys are real busy this summer and I don't have anything else to do, I asked Uncle Mac if I could stay with him in Los Angeles instead. Is that okay?"
"What did he say?"
"He said he'd love to have me, and I really want to. Please?"
Her mother cocked her head and turned to look at her father, eyebrows raised. "Well, Michael? Then we wouldn't have to arrange for Martha to watch her next door, and she'd definitely have more fun with my brother."
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth and his eyes twinkled mischievously. "I don't know, Allie," he drawled. "Do you think he can keep up with her? You know how she is, always off on adventures and causing mischief. She might run him ragged."
"Dad!" Becky's eyes went wide, a blush appearing on her cheeks. "C'mon. You know I'm not like that. I'll be on my best behavior the whole time, I promise. Please?"
Michael laughed, bending to kiss her on the cheek. "Just teasing you, sweetheart. Don't worry. We know you'll be good for your uncle. We'll figure out the details later but yes, you can stay with him in L.A."
She clasped her hands in delight. "Thanks, Dad! I'll go tell him right away." She dashed back into the kitchen where MacGyver still relaxed against the counter, thumbs hooked into pockets of his jeans.
"So what did they say? From the size of your grin it looks like good news."
"It is. They said yes! I can stay with you this summer!"
"Hey, that's great!" His arms closed around her and she smiled. Uncle Mac was her best friend in the whole world; she could never get enough of his hugs and the way she always felt so warm, safe and loved whenever he held her close.
"We'll have fun, won't we?"
"Of course we will. There's so much I want to show you, and lots of fun stuff we can do together." He released her, a hand lingering to stroke her hair.
Her parents came into the room at that moment, her brother behind them carrying Mac's travel bag and leather jacket. "Allie, I'll call you when I get back in the States and we can hash out the details. I want to make sure Becky here has the best vacation ever." He winked at her and she giggled.
Allison nodded, smiling. "We'll talk later. Have a good trip, Mac." She reached up to hold him tight. "Love you. Be safe. Don't get into too much trouble."
"I'll do my best, sis." He kissed her cheek, then accepted hugs and similar words of farewell from Michael and Chris. Finally he pulled on the jacket, hefted the bag and turned back to Becky. "Sweetheart, I really have to go now."
"Okay. I'll see you in June, then?"
"You bet. I'll be counting down the days. Be good for your mom and dad until then, okay?"
"I will. Love you, Unc."
"Love you too, Beck."
MacGyver bent to kiss her, then walked out to the rental car, knowing that she would keep him there all day if she could. He didn't mind it- he wished he could spend more time with Allison and her family, but the DXS wanted him to get to Central America right away on an urgent mission. He couldn't wait to spend the summer with Becky, though.
June suddenly seemed very far away indeed.