Nature Versus Nurture

by Ridley C. James

Tag to Episode 2:23 MacGyver & MacGyver. Mac has left Phoenix, but the twin reaches of biology and loyalty are proving hard to escape. He'll be forced to face his father and all the lies and misunderstandings between them if he is to save his partner. He might have willingly walked away from Phoenix and his dad, but that didn't mean he'd ever turn his back on his brother.

1. Chapter 1

Nature versus Nurture

By: Ridley C. James

A/N: This is a tag to the Season finale, MacGyver + MacGyver. It's the Peru incident that my story Warriors eluded to. You don't have to have read that one, because it actually falls after this story. It's also kind of a slice of what I would love to see them do on the show, but we all know that's not going to happen. I could not find the last name for Carlos from Wind + Water, so I took liberty. If anyone knows if he had a specific one used, please let me know and I will change it!

RcJ

"Just as astronomers have mapped the night sky, geneticists have mapped the human genome, the strands of DNA telling your story through every cell in your body. Those who have come before you live inside you, shaping who you are."-Julie Clark (The Ones We Choose)

Biology was on Angus MacGyver's mind, specifically DNA. That wasn't really a unique occurrence considering the twenty-five year old typically had something scientific ruminating on the back burner in his thought processes. Mental multitasker was his middle name.

Mac's partner, Jack Dalton often related the on-going ponderings of random and sometimes bizarre topics to the bread starters his grandmother Beth always had stored somewhere in her generous, sunny kitchen so she could whip up a little loaf of heaven anytime she had the inclination. The former Delta was fond of pointing out that Mac was just as ready to pop a new idea in the proverbial oven in case a situation called for his particular brilliance. Currently, however, Mac should have only have been considering the dimensions of the board he was needing for the kitchen cabinets under construction and not what went into the building blocks of a human being.

"So, Mac, has whatever you were hoping to find magically appeared on the screen in the past five minutes since you last checked?" Carlos Molina's question interrupted Mac's musings. Carlos shot his co-worker an amused half grin, pointing to the cell phone that Mac had mindlessly picked up once again to only add to the chorus of concerns he was contemplating when he should have been staying focused. "Since when did you become a Twitter addict, hermano?"

"What?" Mac hoped he quickly masked his 'hand in the cookie jar' look with one which conveyed nonchalance and unaffectedness, his fingers tightening slightly around the device in question. "I don't know what you mean, man." He aimed a frown at Carlos, who had stopped sawing the board they'd placed across the saw horse between them to give him an amused knowing smirk. "I was just checking the time."

"Right." Carlos scoffed. "Because in the years since we shared living quarters in the Army, Angus MacGyver has become a clock watcher? I'd believe you're an avid Instagram user before I'd buy that story." He shook his head as if the lie was ridiculous and poorly planned, which it was because they both new the only occasions Mac was truly interested in time was when it involved the counting down of an explosive device and lives were at stake.

"Did my lovely wife, Kamila, tell you lunch was going to be earlier than I had thought because by my estimation," Carlos pointedly looked up to the clear blue sky where the sun wasn't even fully overhead yet, "we still have a few hours to go before she and Adriana show up with our food."

Mac sighed, putting the phone away and pulling off his work gloves. He stuffed them in his back pocket, running a hand over his hair and blew out a long breath of air. He purposively shoved thoughts of genome mapping from his mind before meeting Carlos's eyes. "If you must know I was checking to see if Jack had messaged me."

"That's funny." Carlos turned to open the cooler behind him. He grabbed two bottles of water, tossing one to Mac before taking a seat on the ice chest. "I vividly remember you wanting some down time while you were here helping us finish out the house. In fact, I think you were pretty clear when you said you had asked Bozer and specifically Jack not to be in touch."

"Like that would stop him." Mac snorted, twisting the cap off the bottle. Carlos might like to think he knew Mac, and considering they'd gone through boot camp together when they were both wide-eyed, scared shitless teenagers, he did to some degree, but he had no clue about Jack Dalton. It was true Mac had asked for some space after Oversight's revelation and to Jack's credit, he'd refrained from following Mac to Puerto Rico-so far- but that didn't mean he could or would give up his watch completely. Mac took a long drink and shook his head at his old friend.

"He's been sending gifs every day, which he doesn't consider communication. Also, streams of emojis I'm guessing he thinks I will get a kick out of decoding." A fond smile twitched around Mac's mouth. "I hate to break it to the big guy, but I can decipher encryption from some of the world's master minds, and still not make heads or tails of Dalton's logic when it comes to smiley faces." Mac gave a grinning Carlos a pointed look, attempting an aggrieved face. "I also know he's been keeping in touch with you, so don't even pretend he hasn't called."

Carlos laughed, neither denying nor admitting to the accusation of being complicit in Mac's partner's attempts to watch over him all the way from California. "I bet Adriana could help you out with that decoding as my eight year old daughter is probably a good match for Jack Dalton at his wittiest, most Delta's in general actually."

Mac took another drink, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "That sounds a little like sour grapes, pal."

"Hey now, I have great respect for Delta Force. As a Ranger I set perimeter for the bastards more time than I can remember. I'm just saying they're all a little crazier than your average Special Forces soldier." Carlos shrugged, brushing sawdust from his jeans.

"Funny, I thought they were just a little bit better than your typical Army Ranger. Didn't you try out for Delta?" Mac placed the half empty bottle of water back on the ground, running his hand damp from condensation through his hair in hopes of proffering some cooling from the sun. He couldn't help getting a poke in on Jack's behalf. In actuality about 70 percent of Delta started out in the ranks of the Rangers but comparing them was like putting apples and lemons in the same pie. Rangers were the elite Light Airborne Infantry and Carlos had been top in his class, where Delta was the go to counter terrorism unit.

"Knowing you're in a bad way I'm going to let that little dig slide right off my back." Carlos gave Mac another smile, one that held just a bit too much sympathy. Mac felt his gut turn, his eyes not meeting Carlos's.

He hadn't exactly explained everything to the other man, keeping to himself that his absentee father had returned, in fact had been a part of Mac's life all along without his son being any the wiser. But he supposed he was wrecked enough that Carlos assumed the worst, realizing that whatever made Mac rabbit from his home must have been particularly painful. Perhaps like simply recognized like. Mac's world had metaphorically been imploded. His friend's had been devastated by a real life Cat 5 hurricane. Both their familiar landscapes were unrecognizable and in desperate need of repair.

Carlos tilted his head thoughtfully, gaze still lingering on Mac. "There is also the fact you saved my life not so long ago, and here you are now, helping me and my family out of the goodness of your heart with nothing to show for it other than my mother in laws cooking."

"I want to help, Carlos. It's not like I'm here just to hideout." Mac supposed Carlos was being quite charitable considering they both obviously understood there had been an ulterior motive in his decision to return to Puerto Rico two weeks ago and that it wasn't just another gesture of friendship like the trip he, Bozer, Riley and Jack had made earlier in the year. It seemed he was embarrassingly transparent, especially for someone who went undercover for a living. Mac tried to take comfort in the fact Carlos did know him better than most. Friends and trusted allies were few and far between, especially with the life he lived. Of course, as much as it sometimes irritated Mac, Jack knew him best. Well enough to let Mac bask in the illusion of being completely on his own, but understanding the younger man well enough to know that total abandonment was the last thing he needed especially now.

He sighed as thoughts of his connection to Jack stirred more ideas of genetic combinations and the influence his father wielded over his life and thus restarting Mac's inevitable questioning of all his decisions, even his most recent of quitting a job he loved and jetting off to Puerto Rico. Mac was resourceful, but he wasn't reckless or impetuous. It made his head spin and he could feel a dull pounding starting behind his eyes. Mac was overwhelmed by an inexplainable need to hear from Jack, like the man was a touchstone that could somehow ground him. He gestured to where Carlos's phone resided by the cooler, hopeful that he was right about his partner reaching out.

"So you can be straight with me about Dalton being in contact with you. It's not like I didn't expect him to be keeping tabs on me." Mac rubbed two fingers over his forehead.

"Keeping tabs would be friendly conversations asking if you were getting proper rest and nutrition, if your head was on straight." Carlos snorted, making a wide gesture with his arms. "Jack has been blowing up my phone daily," he admitted. "I finally had to explain to Kamila because with all the texts and late night calls she was getting suspicious I had something on the side. Of course my girl was sympathetic to your partner's plight. Her mama bear side drew a distinct similarity in how we reacted the first time a seven year old Adriana went to Girl Scout camp by herself." Another even wider grin appeared on Carlos's face. "She felt so sorry for him, she suggested sending Jack snapshots of you as proof of life like she bribed our daughter's counselor in to doing."

"That sounds about right." Mac couldn't deny the feeling of warmth that spread through him. He supposed it should have been a wave of irritation considering he was a grown ass man and didn't need his partner treating him like an errant child on his first sleepover, but after all that had transpired he couldn't work up any real ire. In fact, he missed his friend, his old life too much to feel anything other than a surprising pang of homesickness. With everything coming down around him it felt good to have at least one constant that would never waver or fail. Mac might have had little control over his genetic make-up, at the mercy of whatever father biology bestowed him, but he had created a family of his choosing and Jack Dalton was a solid, steadfast part of it.

"The man actually listed the possible catastrophes that might befall you here on the island and what each offense may warrant in retribution both in English and Spanish. He has a pretty good grasp of my native tongue, at least when it comes to threats," Carlos continued on, rubbing a finger over his eyebrow. "You don't want to know what your demise at the hands of a native poisonous reptile might cost me. Let's just say Adriana would never get the little sister she keeps asking for every birthday and Christmas."

"I'm sorry." Mac could only imagine his partner's imaginative paybacks for any wrong or what he perceived as slacking of duty on Carlos's part. Jack saw Mac's welfare as a priority, as if he were some national treasure and believed others should also acknowledge and act accordingly. He shrugged a little sheepishly. "Jack can be over the top when it comes to my safety. It's like he takes anything that happens to me personally. It's been that way since Afghanistan, when our CO made him my overwatch."

"Hey, I've seen some pretty protective, intense guys on overwatch in my time, Mac. Especially Delta. No one I'd rather have watching my six or waiting in the wings, that's for damn sure. With them it was always more than a critical tactical maneuver, an order to provide cover fire. But with Jack, it's more than a mission, brother. He's scary serious and in the name of brotherhood and being a papa bear myself, I respect that. Family comes first."

Mac bit back on pointing out that Jack wasn't his father, in fact, nothing biological connected them or demanded that Jack worry about Mac's welfare. Instead he forced a half grin, knowing Carlos didn't have the full picture or any understanding that his words were rubbing salt in a festered wound, picking at old insecurities and bringing the complexities back to the forefront of Mac's mind. "You're seriously afraid of Jack?"

"Let's just say I have been providing detailed reports of your well-being upon request. I even added a few pictures when you weren't aware just to make Kamila happy." Carlos finished off his water bottle, tossing the empty in the bucket they were using for trash. He stood, slapping Mac on the shoulder. "Ranger or not, I've never been so cocky to provoke an Alpha wolf, which is why I've insisted you wear a helmet on the work site, use proper protocol with the power tools instead of ramping them up with one of your strokes of genius, and that you stay off Adriana's bike thank you very much."

Mac laughed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I was curious as to why you'd suddenly started worrying about OSHA's standards on the job. I admit it's stifled my creativity and slowed us down on sanding the floors. With all this new enforced caution, did you happen to mention our little cliff diving with your buddies last night to Jack? Or how about those sketchy burritos you bought me at that roadside stand this morning?"

"Actually, since you mention it, I haven't heard from overwatch today so there was no need to tell him about our nice moonlit swim in calm waters or the extremely nutritionally balanced meal I provided you." Carlos bobbed his brows, making a point to grab his phone, scrolling through the screen. He turned to Mac, one eyebrow lifted. "In fact, he didn't check in with me last night either. Maybe he's starting to trust me."

"That doesn't sound right." Mac's smile faltered with disappointment, his stomach turning with more than the remnants of his questionable breakfast. At Carlos's frown he offered a shrug, uncrossing his arms. "No offense, dude, but Jack doesn't typically trust anyone to do his job, not even a fellow soldier. It's not like him to go silent when I'm out of sight, let alone across the country."

"But he trusts you, Mac," Carlos insisted, still frowning. "I mean it's obvious he worries, but he probably understands better than anyone what you're capable of doing. He knows you can handle yourself in any situation, even if it makes him feel better to think he's got some kind of control by being in close proximity. It could be he decided to finally back off and give you what you wanted."

A momentary flash of panic sliced through Mac. After the revelation about his dear old dad, he'd effectively shut down, reverting to his typical MO when hurt. Meaning he'd pretty much pushed everyone that mattered away-including Jack- giving them and himself safe distance from the blast zone. Mac's mind was reeling, his feelings still a Tsunami of conflicting emotions. He needed time and space. He'd done something similar when James MacGyver first took off. Only then the singular thing Mac had to quit was the Boy Scouts, and Bozer was the friend who got shoved to the side.

Booking his flight to Puerto Rico had been preemptive, something Mac had done on the way back from Mexico, when he'd known there was no way he could work for his father after the conversation they'd had in the burning lab, the man's words of truth more dangerous than Mac could have imagined. They'd been similar to a full frontal assault by armed militia, shredding Mac's defenses as sure as armor piercing bullets would have ripped him to pieces. Aside from the exfil plane ride home, Mac hadn't even given Jack a chance to talk to him, figuring the itinerary he'd emailed his best friend during his subsequent flight to Puerto Rico and the fact his plane ticket was a one way, the only hint Jack needed that Mac expected to be left alone, to handle things on his own.

Mac understood it was the equivalent of limping off into the woods to lick his wounds. He couldn't quite help himself. Leaving, keeping people at a distance, that was his true nature. One he was now certain was woven into his complex DNA design. He he had biology to blame for it. Could he blame his father for abandoning him in the name of keeping him safe, if he too had a tendency to shelter in place when he felt threatened? Mac might have been a hypocrite, but unlike James MacGyver, Mac hadn't left without word or lied. He also hadn't extended an invite for his partner or anyone else to join him.

Mac felt his gut give another nauseating twist. For once, he might have been getting exactly what he asked for.

"Or it could be he's busy with work." The look on Mac's face must have hinted at his sudden fear because Carlos quickly began back pedaling, holding up a hand in calming manner, like he was trying to appease a startled animal. "I mean, whatever it is you guys do at Phoenix seems like important stuff. To hear Dalton tell it, the world's always in need of saving. Right?"

"It's possible," Mac admitted hesitantly, though it felt hollow, all sorts of wrong, like a tried and true experiment taking a unprecedented turn, producing an outcome that shouldn't have been possible. He wasn't exactly in the loop considering his recent resignation, wasn't sure what happened when you retired from the spy business. A part of him almost expected Oversight to send a reconnaissance to reclaim his intellectual property. He couldn't help but to think back the 'MacGyver proof' room that Patricia Thornton had attempted to keep him corralled in during their first brush with Murdoc. Shaking himself free of the implications, he glanced to Carlos once more, his heart in his throat.. "But if Jack has been contacting you everyday…"

"Try multiple times a day," Carlos folded his arms over his chest, giving Mac a hard look. "If you're worried, hermano, you could just call him. Check in. Let him know his baby brother is alive and well. You both will feel better."

Mac considered the suggestion, glancing to his phone. Jack would be all too glad to hear from him, probably thinking Mac was ready to open up and pick apart what his father's reappearance meant, pick up where they had left off, life going on as usual. Only Mac was realizing there was no quick fix to what his father had done. He wasn't sure he could just begin again. Much like Puerto Rico, the clean-up was going to be extensive, restoration a long arduous process.

As much as Mac wanted to talk to Jack, just to hear his familiar voice, he wasn't ready for a dialogue about his dad. Mac was the one who'd wanted some head space, some time to decide what his next step was going to be and a little bit of homesickness wasn't going to thwart him, making his leaving all for nothing. He sighed heavily, trying to mentally ease the knot in his gut, assured he was being ridiculous.

"We really should get back to work." Mac gestured to the project in front of them. Carlos's place wasn't going to be finished before the next hurricane season kicked in if he kept getting distracted by his emotions. The thoughts of seeing Carlos and his family in a place with a permanent groundwork gave Mac a little hope for repairing his own cracked foundation. If nothing else it was more than enough incentive to get back to work. He told himself Jack was just fine, busy like Carlos suggested, and didn't let himself consider differently until hours later, the sun already making its decent as he and his friend arrived back at the compound that evening where they soon realized Kamila and Adriana weren't the only ones eagerly awaiting their arrival.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Mac couldn't quite believe his eyes as he crossed the threshold of his friend's makeshift home and found no other than James MacGyver holding court at the dinner table. His father stood slowly, a familiar scowl etching his face. He wasn't alone either. Bozer and Matty were with him.

"Mac…" Bozer started, quickly getting to his feet, worry written all over his face. Mac wasn't sure if the glare he shot his roommate or the fact Matty cleared her throat had the other man closing his mouth and sheepishly reclaiming his seat beside Adriana at the table.

"I'm sorry, Mac." Kamila made her way to Carlos's side, obviously flustered by Mac's reaction. "They arrived only a little while ago. A helicopter brought them."

"It's okay." Mac fought to calm his racing heart, the shock at seeing his father overridden by his desire to make sure Carlos's family didn't assume they had done something wrong. He smiled at the dark-haired woman, who'd been nothing but kind and gracious since his unexpected arrival. "I just wasn't expecting company, especially from business associates."

"He said he was Mac's father," Kamila said, confused, looking to Carlos. "Mr. MacGyver said it was important he talk with him about a family matter." She looked uncertain now, as if her trust and hospitality might have been unwarranted. Bozer was familiar to her, of course, but Mac had no doubt Oversight could play the role of a concerned, doting parent quite well when it suited his purposes.

"It's alright," Carlos assured, squeezing his wife's hand. He glanced to where his mother-in-law and young daughter still sat near Bozer, before turning his gaze to Mac who gave him a slight nod. "Perhaps we could step outside for moment and give them some time to catch up. I could use a hand in unloading the truck."

"Carlos…" Mac started, hating that he'd literally brought his trouble to the man's door.

Carlos halted him with a raised hand and a quick grin. "It's fine, hermano. I've been expecting Jack and his TAC team to drop by any day now. This is far less invasive than a hot extraction."

Mention of Jack had Mac momentarily forgetting his father's and former boss's intrusion on his private life. He didn't even object when Kamila, her mother and Adriana moved quickly to join Carlos who ushered them out of their own home. He heard the eight year old quietly ask if Mac was in trouble with his daddy for running away from home.

"You've been out of touch." James spoke before Mac could gather his thoughts. Oversight took a step away from the table, moving to stand in front of the younger man. "We were worried."

"You could have called." Mac unconsciously took a step back, tightly folding his arms over his chest. He narrowed his gaze as his father frowned at the less than enthusiastic greeting, hyper aware Matty and Bozer were watching them, much like the team had been when Mac quit Phoenix a few weeks before.

"That might have been an option if any of us had known where you were or had your number, as it was we had to rely on our resources." James said calmly, matter of factly.

Mac had only brought his burner phone. One of the ones he and Jack kept in case they needed to go dark. After their experiences with Nikki and Patrica Thornton, they didn't plan on being caught unaware again and even though Mac wasn't technically trying to hide from Oversight, he also hadn't welcomed easy access.

"How did you find me?" Mac hadn't revealed his specific travel destination to anyone but Jack. It wasn't that he didn't trust Bozer, but he didn't want to put his roommate in a position to have to answer hard questions or worse lie to those he loved. Mac sent a quick side-glance to his roommate, before shifting his concentration back to his father.

"Riley cracked Jack's old military email accounts. I figured you two might have kept those for a reason," Matty spoke for the first time, her face not revealing anything other than a flash of disappointment in what she considered Mac's obvious lack of sharing. Mac refrained from pointing out that she was the last person to harp on them having secrets. "We found your travel itinerary."

"Where is Jack?" Mac dismissed the violation of trust, asking the question that had been pounding away at his heart since he'd locked gazes with James MacGyver.

"We don't know," James answered, a spark of something that might have been regret flashing through his dark eyes. He crossed his arms, mirroring his son's stance. "That's why we're here."

Now Mac focused completely on Bozer. "What's he talking about?"

"Jack's gone missing." Bozer moved from behind the table now to come alongside Mac, ignoring the twin looks of reprimand from Oversight and Director of Phoenix. "Riley and I went to his place last night after he missed dinner with us at our place. We hadn't seen him for a while and I had promised him steak if he came over. Riley and I even agreed to a Bruce Willis marathon. When he didn't show, we tried calling." Bozer clasped his hands to keep them from gesticulating wildly. "Riley traced his phone to the apartment, but when we got there. We found the door open, inside was ransacked, and no signs of Jack."

"Why hadn't you seen him at work?" Mac wasn't sure why that question, of the many darting through his mind, but it seemed to stand out, the pulled thread that automatically caught his eye.

"Because Jack Dalton no longer works for Phoenix," James answered gravely causing Mac's pulse to quicken, the air seeming to thicken as it was suddenly difficult to draw a breath.

"You fired him?" Mac looked from his father to Matty, a disbelieving frown on his face. "How could you let him do that?"

"Jack quit. Not long after you." Matty lifted her hands in exasperation, dropping them to her sides as if Mac was being a complete idiot. "Did you expect him to stay when you left? He did exactly what he threatened me with doing anytime I suggested that you two shouldn't be partners. Surely, that doesn't come as a surprise, Baby Einstein."

"I tried to get him to stay," James added. He uncrossed his arms and took another small step towards Mac. "I assured him you'd come to your senses soon, that your work was too important to let anything so petty as hurt feelings derail it. After all, a career isn't as trivial as The Boy Scouts, but I'm certain you know how stubborn the man can be especially when he believes he knows you a lot better than I do."

"He's not wrong about that." Mac resisted the urge to debate his father's subtle subtext that suggested Mac was acting childishly and throwing what amounted to a temper tantrum. He refused to get sidetracked. Instead he lifted his chin in defiance. "Jack knows me better than anyone."

"We get it, blondie. You and Captain Co-dependence are of one mind." Matty stepped in between Mac and James. She met Mac's gaze, her eyes betraying her as her expression went from hard ass director to concerned friend. "It's one of the reasons we're here, Mac. We thought he might have tried to reach out to you. When we found his car, we found the burner phone in the floorboard and …"

"Wait, what do you mean you found his car? What aren't you telling me?" Mac's gaze went from Matty to Bozer, his chest tightening at Bozer's expression. For the second time that day he felt his heart in his throat.

"The Shelby was off the road on Altadena Drive, just outside Eaton Canyon," Bozer answered, gently. "There was blood on the steering wheel and splattered on the windshield."

Mac's alarm must have shown on his face because Matty reached up and gripped his arm, her gaze not wavering as she stared directly at him. "Not enough for a bullet wound, Mac." She let go quickly, as if the move had been a reflex which caught her by surprise. "There was no sign this was a hit or even that Jack was seriously injured. We're thinking abduction."

"We go to Eaton Canyon sometimes when we want to get in some training besides a regular run," Mac stated calmly, his voice sounding unfamiliar to his own ears. He ran a hand over his mouth, swallowing hard. "The trail is more rugged than most near the city. They have horses, too. Jack goes out there to ride occassionally."

"The images Riley pulled from the traffic cams in that area after we discovered the Shelby showed Jack was travelling that way just before sunrise." Matty nodded as if what Mac was saying fit in with what their timeline and preliminary investigation had revealed. "We figured he was more than likely going to get in an early morning workout."

"He would have wanted to get there before the crowds." Mac agreed, shoving both hands through his hair. He was unable to stop the condemning thought that under normal circumstances Jack would have probably swung by and picked him up. Back when James MacGyver was merely a ghost, they would have headed out for a box of blueberry basil donuts and coffee before hitting the trail. Mac should have been there. He blinked hard, feeling bile burn the back of his throat. He wanted to blame himself, but decided there was enough culpability for his father as well. He glared at the man. "Did Riley get a hit on any other cars? Anything suspicious or any facial recognitions that might fit with any of our previous cases. What about Murdoc? This has his name written all over it."

"Murdoc's not involved. This was Jonah Walsh." James answered, his eyes never leaving Mac's face. "We have proof he was in the area in the same time frame. His prints were also lifted from Jack's apartment."

"Your Jonah Walsh. What the hell, dad? " Mac clenched his hands as his heart slammed against his chest, adrenaline priming his fight or flight reflexes. He willed himself to breathe through his nose though it felt like he'd just had a sledge hammer deftly swung at his midsection. The fact the strike was metaphorical didn't make Mac's sudden need to throw up on Oversight's shoes any less real.

"We think Walsh was acting on the orders of Luis Gomez."

Mac tore his gaze from his father's stoic face, to Matty who'd answered, fighting hard to keep the sudden panic at bay. "Why? Why would you think that?"

"Because since you three destroyed Gomez's facility in Mexico there's been some chatter that he's become extremely interested in certain American targets. That he's even shifted resources to find the men responsible for his loss. He has names and of course thanks to Walsh also knows a great deal about Phoenix and what we do. "

"Apparently. Luis is a big old sore lose," Bozer put his unique spin on the situation. "He's pissed at you, Jack and your dad and wants payback. This is worse than when you destroyed the football field and had the whole team gunning for you."

"Why am I just now hearing about this?" Mac returned his attention to his father. "How could you think it was a good idea to keep this to yourself? Put aside the fact you've kept everything else from me, this is my life we're talking about, my partner's life."

"See my earlier point, son. It's hard to communicate with someone when I have no idea how to reach them." James said in that same cool matter of fact tone that had Mac's pulse on the rise once again, his temper on a precarious edge. He had the sudden urge to channel Jack and throat punch the man.

"You could have told Jack." Mac's knuckles turned white, his nails digging painfully into the palms of his hands as he fought for restraint.

"Dalton took his lead from you and quit his position before I had a chance. It's not procedure to share highly classified intel with civilians, Angus."

"Don't call me that and don't hide behind proper procedures. We should have known what was going on as soon as you found out." Mac pointed at his father, his anger burning. Even if he wanted to stop he couldn't. He had held back his emotions for far too long. Lashing out, even only verbally felt good. "How do I know you didn't want something like this to happen? I wouldn't put it past you to use us as bait to draw Jonah out in the open. Was Jack kind of maneuver? Another manipulation? You did after all say you would stop at nothing to see your old friend rotting in a cell."

"Mac, it was chatter." Matty spoke up. "Oversight was on top of the situation. He had me check in with Dalton, who assured me you were fine. I knew he was okay so we saw no need to jump at shadows."

"So you told Jack about the threat?" Mac knew that wasn't possible. His partner would have been on the first plane to Puerto Rico, Mac's desire for space be damned. "Or maybe you passed off some secret clues in a game of cat and mouse, Matty." Mac knew it was a low blow but he couldn't help himself. He was grateful for Matty's attempts to help him find his father, at least the intentions behind it, but still wasn't sure why she didn't just give him the information in the first place. As much as that betrayal stung, this was a hundred times worse. This was Jack's life.

"Not exactly." Matty shook her head, glancing to James before refocusing on Mac. "My request to put a security detail on Jack's place was not well received."

Mac wondered if that had also been a point of contention between the director and Oversight, once more confounded by whatever bond the two shared that kept Matty from acting on her instincts and her insistence to protect James MacGyver. When Jack wasn't teasing Mac that it was lust on their boss's part, he insisted that it was more than likely born from loyalty. James had apparently saved Matty's hide on several occasions, but of course there was always the possibility that Matilda Weber and James MacGyver were merely cut from the same cloth and incapable of telling the truth.

"You know as well as I do that all the information that comes down the pipe isn't reputable," Matty continued, tugging at the ends of her jacket. "It takes time to decide what's true and even my contacts at The Farm or the Bureau weren't sure who'd leaked the information. It seemed unnecessary to share at the time so…"

"So you sat on your hands and demurred to Oversight until Jack was taken by a maniac like Gomez?" Mac interrupted heatedly, brows drawn together.

"Angus."

"Mac."

His father and Bozer spoke simultaneously. Both looked disappointed, but Bozer's obvious shock at the venom Mac's tone held had more effect. Mac blew out a long breath of air, glancing to Matty. He pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut in hopes of reclaiming some cool-the collectedness under pressure that he was known for. Pena's voice played in his head, wise words about not allowing emotions to take his focus from the simple matter of solving a problem-'work the bomb, don't let it work you'. When he opened them once more Matty was watching him with an amused expression. "I'm sorry," he told her. "I'm just sick of all the secrets."

"Then you are in the wrong business, blondie." Matty rolled her eyes. "Secrets are pretty much the standard in the spy game, a fact both you and Dalton are well aware of."

"Maybe that's why we quit." It wasn't true of course, not exactly. Mac had long since decided that there were some things about his job that weren't exactly honorable, that turned his stomach if he pondered on them too long, but the endgame was always for the betterment of mankind. Helping people, saving lives, always appeased his conscious just enough.

"We all know why you quit, son, and I'll try to make a mends for that if you'll give me a chance."

Six months ago, hell, even six weeks ago, Mac might have jumped on the offer. He might have found it in his heart to give his father another chance, the undeniable biological link between them reason enough for the possible risk. James MacGyver had after all passed down half of Angus MacGyver's genetic material, helping create the man he was now. That demanded consideration. Except Mac, despite being a scientist, was only beginning to understand that he was who he was because of another man, one who had not been present at his conception, but had been a significant contributor to his growth and shaping for the past eight years.

"No. I'm sorry, but there's only one thing I need from you, Oversight, sir." Mac swallowed and shook his head slightly. "Your help in getting my partner back."

To be continued…