A/N: Hola, peeps! So, this little plot bunny came to me last night and I just now got the chance to write it. So, uh. Yeah. Hope y'all like it. Personally, I feel the ending is a little abrupt, but I'll see what y'all think of it. So, please enjoy and thanks for all the feedback! Also, today's translations are brought to you by Google Translate!
All My Love Will Remain
Mac yawned as he watched the bright sparkling stars up in the black sky. He wrapped his blanket tighter around himself and pillowed his head on his arms atop his windowsill. Mac snuggled up to the soft material wrapped around him. The toddler knew he should be sleeping, but he just didn't feel like it quite yet. So he opted to watch the stars out his window until he got tired. Mac was just starting to make up constellations and name them when he heard his door open quietly. He already knew who it was.
"What are you still doing up?" Jack asked quietly. Mac smiled his adorable grin innocently.
"I couldn't sleep so I decided to watch the stars."
Jack smiled at his toddler and sat down beside him. "Oh yeah?"
Mac nodded and pointed to a cluster of stars that were almost out of sight high above. "Mhm. I've been making up constellations too. I call that one, Pavo."
Jack laughed. "That's good, kiddo. But you know what I call that one riiiiight," he pointed to a group of three stars directly in front of them. "there?"
Mac quirked a brow at him. He didn't know Jack did this too. "Noo. . ."
"Hora de acostarse. Which is also known as-"
"Bedtime. I know." Mac pouted in a very toddler-like way. "Just five more minutes please?" Mac begged cutely. "I promise I'll go to bed!"
Jack sighed as he brushed back a lock of golden hair from his kid's face. "Alright. But I want you asleep by the time I come back in to check on you, ok?"
"Yay!" Mac wrapped his small arms around Jack's middle, burying his face into the older agents chest. "Thanks, Jack."
Jack smiled and ruffled his kid's hair as he hugged him back. "You're welcome, kiddo."
/ ~_~ /
Mac didn't know where he was. And it freaked him the hell out. He couldn't see anything he recognized. He thought he heard muffled voices, but it was really hard to focus. Where was Jack? Mac shivered. He tried to be brave, tried to shove down the sudden flurry of fear. But it was hard. Mac could feel Fear's cold grip around his heart tighten as his breathing picked up. His eyes widened.
"Jack? Jack, where are you? Jack?" He called out, praying for a response.
"Mac! Help me!"
Ice flowed through the toddler's veins at the terror running through his partner's voice. He quickly stood up and looked around desperately for Jack. His heart rate picked up even more. He's never heard Jack sound like that.
"Jack! Where are you?!" Mac called out, trying to fight the fearful tremble in his voice.
"Over here! Mac, please! Help me!" His partner's pain-filled cry reached his ears not a second later. It sounded even more terrified than before, if that was even possible.
Mac took off and ran as fast as his little legs would carry him. He followed where he heard Jack cry out. Mac's lungs burned as he panted for air. He had no idea how far he was running, nor where he was even going. The only thing he was focused on was getting to Jack in time before. . . . before whatever was happening got worse. His legs nearly buckled out from underneath him by the time he reached Jack. He swore his heart stopped. All he could do was stare at the scene before him in sheer terror. He would've ran if it weren't for the sudden shock that froze him in place.
Jack was shackled to a brick wall by his wrists, sitting on his knees. Fresh blood was caked in his hair and trailed down the sides of his face. His shirt was stripped across his chest, revealing lashings that were bleeding sluggishly. His broad chest was decorated in thousands of all different patterns. There was blood trailing down his face, into his right eye and dripping down on to the ground below. From the way Jack was sitting, Mac couldn't tell what exactly was causing the horrendous bleeding, but it didn't take a genius to know it was bad. Very bad. Below his partner lay a huge puddle of blood that only grew bigger as the seconds ticked by. It had already soaked into Jack's pant legs. Jack coughed wetly and shivered violently. Whether it was from pain or cold, Mac didn't know.
When the initial shock wore off a bit, Mac bolted straight for the older man. The toddler went to his knees and extended his hands as if to touch him. But he was so afraid of hurting Jack more, he didn't know what to do or what to begin with. He opted to so so softly place his hands on Jack's face, trying to get him to see he wasn't alone. Jack flinched at his warm touch, but relaxed when his exhausted, pained eyes met Mac's for the first time it what felt like forever.
"M-Mac. . . " Jack broke off with another cough that brought blood to his lips. Mac's eyes welled up with tears. He didn't care to fight to hold them in.
"It's ok, Jack. I'm right here. You're not alone. I'm right here, big guy." His voice shook as he spoke, his thumbs wiping away blood from his brother's cheeks. It was a futile attempt.
Jack smiled a little and bowed his forehead to Mac's. He looked straight into Mac's baby blue eyes, everything he didn't have the strength to say flashing behind his brown orbs. Mac sobbed and carefully wrapped his arms around the older agents neck. He knew what was happening, but he never imagined it would be like this. That everything would end like this. Mac couldn't say goodbye. He just couldn't. Not like this.
"I . . . I l-love you, kiddo. Please," Jack swallowed thickly and drew an agonizing breath. ". . don't e-ever f-forget. . . that."
Jack closed his eyes and the shackles made an awful clang as his full weight pulled against them.
Mac screamed.
/ ~ _~ /
"-ac! Mac! Wake up!"
Mac gasped as he shot up in his bed. Sweat soaked his clothes and sheets. His heart pounded hard against his chest like a drum. Mac couldn't get enough air.
"It's ok, kiddo. You're alright. Just breathe, bud. You're ok." Jack's soft, soothing voice slowly brought Mac back to the present. The toddler blinked a couple of times to bring Jack's face into focus. It was then Mac realized he was safe in his room with Jack. Jack wasn't dead. . .
Jack wasn't dead.
Mac's eyes flooded with tears once again as he stared at his worried partner. Jack wasn't beat to hell. He wasn't bleeding. There were no injuries anywhere. There was no blood.
Jack was totally fine.
"Aw, kiddo. C'mere."
Jack gently picked up the small toddler and placed him against his chest, somehow managing to wrap him up in his favorite blanket along the way. Mac quietly sobbed and whimpered, burying his face in Jack's neck. Jack shushed him softly and rubbed his back soothingly as he made his way to the kitchen. From there he grabbed two mugs and a small pot from the cabinet. He put the pot on the stove after filling it with milk and left the contents to heat up. When it was warm enough, he mixed it with some cocoa mix and poured it off into the two mugs. How Jack managed to balance a distraught toddler and two full mugs was beyond Mac at the time. But he was grateful for the warm drink when they made it to the couch. His crying had reduced down to sniffles now. Jack set the mugs on the coffee table and focused on his kid for the time being, trying to calm him down.
"You want your stuff now? It's made just the way you like it." Jack asked him softly, fussing with the kid's blanket. After a moment, Mac nodded his head against his shoulder after wiping his eyes.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" He then asked carefully. Jack already knew Mac would probably say no, but he was willing to try. He hated seeing his kid so upset.
There was a long pause on Mac's part. A part of him knew - wanted - to tell Jack what his nightmare was. Just to get it off his chest. But another dreaded having to relive those awful memories, those painful images. Mac knew that if he said anything now, it would all become way too real again.
But then, he started talking.
"It. . ." Mac's voice was scratchy and trembled a little. "It was. . . awful, Jack. I. . . I didn't know what to do. Where I even was. I. . . thought it was. . . real. I couldn't find you. Anywhere. I called for you. And then somewhere you started screaming for me to come help you." Mac blinked several times to help keep the tears at bay, but it soon proved useless as they slipped out one by one. Jack gently rubbed his back soothingly in response. "I. . . I was s-so scared for you, Jack. I've never heard you sound like that before. I knew s-something was wrong. But. . . I didn't expect you to look that. . . bad."
Jack's heart broke when Mac burst into tears again. Cursing the world for the billionth time for all the bad luck this poor kid gets thrown at him in response for all the good he does. He wrapped his arms around his kid protectively. He leaned his cheek against Mac's forehead as he whispered soothingly. "Shhh, I get it, Mac. I get it, kiddo. You don't have to say anything more."
"There was so much blood." Mac sobbed, his small hand coming up to cling to Jack's shirt collar. Jack held him tighter. "There was s-so much b-blood. It was everywhere. You. . . you died in f-front of me, Jack. I was s-so s-scared. I didn't know w-what to do. And you d-died."
"Shhh, Mac. It's alright." Jack squeezed him tight before pulling him back enough to look Mac in the eye. He gently wiped away his tears with the pad of his thumb. "You're not there anymore. I'm right here. I'm completely fine, bud. Nothing happened, ok? It was all just a bad dream. None of it was real. I'm here, kiddo."
Mac sniffled and nodded after a moment. He resumed his earlier position against Jack's chest as he silently drank the rest of his hot chocolate. Jack remained quiet as well, lending whatever strength Mac needed. When they finished their drinks, Jack took the mugs and set them in the sink before making his way back to his room. He carefully climbed back into his warm bed and laid Mac down beside him. Mac snuggled up to Jack's chest and sighed contently as he fell asleep to the sound of Jack's heartbeat. Jack smiled and wrapped an arm around his kid before joining him in peaceful oblivion.
