AN: If you're interested, my thoughts on 2.13, CO2 Sensor + Tree Branch, can be found in the latest update of Just My Luck (or you can just PM me). Obviously, this contains spoilers for that episode.
MACGYVER'S RESIDENCE
LA
'…So, what's this I hear about a beautiful and intelligent woman who was totally impressed by the thing you do and the whole saving-her-life-by-jumping-onto-a-Terminator-car-going-at-80-mph-which-is-about-to-be-exploded-by-fighter-jets thing, whom you had a thing with years ago but didn't tell me and apparently still likes you?'
Jack, still proudly wearing his Homecoming King crown, a beer in hand, sidled up to Mac, who was playing with his new Swiss Army knife on the deck,. The blonde rolled his eyes as he pocketed the knife.
'B.R.U.N.O is not a Terminator car, Jack. It stands for Battle-Ready Unmanned Network Operative.' Jack just shot his partner a very unimpressed look, and Mac sighed. 'It's…well, she did also go through my drone's design specs on my laptop, making me think for years that she only pretended to like me so she could cheat and win…'
To be fair to Allie, she apologized.
She knows and she's sorry that she let her hyper-competitiveness get in the way.
And I meant it; I do still care about her.
Of course I do. I always will.
And I forgive her.
But…
Mac gave a little half-shrug after a moment of silence.
'You forgave Jimmy LeRoy for stuffing the ballot boxes to beat you for Homecoming King, but I bet you're not going to try and become best friends with him either.' Jack nodded in agreement. Definitely not. He'd see Jimmy again in ten years for the thirty-five year reunion, maybe take him up on that offer for a drink, and that's all, thank you very much. 'It's like that.' Mac sighed again, pulling a paperclip from his pocket, which quickly took the shape of a key. A very particular key that Mac had once worn around his neck. 'Or like...well, you know.'
He gestured to the key-shaped paperclip.
Jack sighed, and put an arm around Mac's shoulders, pulling him into a side-hug, a gesture Mac returned. Then, after a quiet, comfortable moment, Jack let go of Mac, shook his head and pointed at the blonde with his beer.
'Man, what is it with you and women you like who like you but then go and lie to and/or kinda-betray you? Oh, and somehow, the CIA is always involved? What's with that, brother?'
Mac stared at his partner for a moment, then shook his head and gave a chuckle, mostly amused, but with a touch of bitterness to it as well.
'I have absolutely no idea.'
There are some things that you can forgive and forget.
For example, Jack putting down a detonator in a room full of explosives, leading to it being stolen by a Capuchin monkey, forcing me to give my grandfather's Swiss Army knife to it to save our lives.
And there are some things you can forgive, but not forget.
Like Allie saying she liked me, then taking the opportunity to sneak a peek at my drone design specs on my laptop.
Or, like Nikki getting me shot, breaking my heart, putting millions of lives at risk and making me think I was crazy, all to take down a mole and thus save a lot of lives. To do good. To, I guess, do her job.
And then there are some things that you can neither forgive nor forget.
Such as Murdoc almost killing Cage. And trying to kill Bozer. And Jack and Riley.
Or The Ghost blowing up Al, almost blowing up Jack, then almost blowing up me and Jack again, as well as half of downtown LA and my neighbourhood.
And then there are some things the jury's still out on.
Like whatever's going on with Matty and my dad.
Or my dad leaving in the first place.
Forgive and forget.
Three words. Sixteen letters. Three different vowels. Five different consonants. Five syllables.
It sounds so simple.
But it isn't.
Not much is.
'Yo, Mac, Jack! You guys want some pizza or what?'
Bozer stuck his head out onto the deck.
Well, some things are simple.
Both grinning, Mac and Jack headed inside, the blonde gratefully taking the cold beer that Bozer offered him when they passed him, and joined Matty and Riley in the kitchen. The hacker handed Jack a plate with two slices of meat lovers on it, then passed Mac a slice of plain cheese and one of pepperoni.
'Cheers, Ri.'
'Thanks.'
Mac took a sip of his beer and laughed at Bozer's attempt to steal the Homecoming King staff from Matty, then took a bite of his pizza as Riley teased Jack about his cholesterol levels, telling him that he might have to watch the bacon intake, since he was getting old and all.
Like this.
AN: Did you guys like this? Do you think my interpretations regarding what Mac can forgive/forget are reasonable? Honestly, writing this makes me think that maybe I was too harsh on Allie in my knee-jerk thoughts on this ep (the ones I referred to at the start of this story), which might have coloured my perceptions/interpretations, too. However, my gut tells me that even in light of the fact that she did apologize, that she did really like him and wasn't seducing him so she could cheat, given Mac's Nikki-issues and the fact that he spent years thinking otherwise, he'd not be able to 'forget', which means that he and Allie don't have a romantic future, in my honest opinion.