Mac worked as fast as he could to build his trap, but his hands froze when he heard the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked. He didn't even have time to look up before a shot rang out, and pain exploded through his shoulder and chest.

Everything went white for a moment before he found himself on the floor, with Murdoc standing over him, and Jack calling his name.

Jack raced back in time to see the chaos from a few rooms away. Mac went down and Murdoc winged Helman with a bullet to the bicep before he escaped.

Jack raced to his partner, lifting his gun to point at Murdock, who immediately put his hands up from where he leaned over the blonde on the floor.

"Get away from him!"

Murdoc placed his gun on the ground and backed away as Jack knelt next to his partner. "You might want to put pressure on that."

Jack could hear Mac's barely contained grunts of pain as he panted, but he couldn't afford to take his eyes away from Murdock. He kept his gun trained on the psychopath and stretched a hand down to his partner, placing two fingers at his throat.

His pulse was quick but strong, and he placed his hand on Mac's chest to feel his racing breaths. "Mac, you okay buddy?"

A shaky hand came up to grip his, slick with blood where Mac had been holding his ruined shoulder. His voice was strained, pain lacing every syllable.

"Jack, Helman is still out there. We have to move."

Jack turned his hand in Mac's grip, so he could squeeze the fingers back. He wasn't sure what his next move would be because while Mac was right, he couldn't trust Murdoc not to try anything.

Murdoc rolled his eyes. "Would you like me to help you save him, or would you rather we wait here like morons until Helman comes back here to kill us."

Jack gritted his teeth, wishing he could just shoot him and be done with it. Murdoc tried again, hands still in the air.

"I assure you, I'm on your side, Jack. I don't want our dear MacGyver to die by someone else's hand. That's my job, and I won't have someone take that privilege from me. Besides, you think I want to see a genius bleed out in the dirt? How boring is that? Now, put your gun down and hurry up. I only winged Helman, he'll be back soon enough."

Everything in Jack screamed not to trust him, but Mac's hand squeezed his as the kid let out another groan of pain, and he couldn't wait any longer.

He lowered the gun and leapt forward to grab Murdocs. "Fine. Help me get him up, so we can find a car."

Murdoc pulled some keys from his pocket and jingled them as he smiled. "I got the keys to Helman's cop car. He ran the other way when I shot him so, I don't think we have to worry about him taking it."

Jack barely listened to him as he focussed all his attention on Mac, who was trying to breathe through the waves agony and barely managing it. His face was tight with pain, as he held a hand to the mess of blood on his shoulder, the other hand still gripping Jacks.

Jack immediately began tearing his shirt apart to use for bandages and pressed them to the blonde's shoulder, wincing in sympathy at the whimper it elicited.

"I know, kid. I'm sorry. We'll get you patched up soon, okay?" He apologised again under his breath as he carefully rolled Mac over enough to see his back.

"Dammit. No exit wound. The bullets still in there." On the one hand, it meant that Mac wouldn't bleed out as fast, but on the other, it meant that there could be more damage inside which lead to complications which meant more pain and worry and-

He shook the thoughts away and laid the kid back on the floor.

Mac's breaths came in pained gasps, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes and threatening to fall as he spoke. "Jack, it hurts."

Jack nodded sadly as he did his best to tie the bandage to Mac's shoulder so that it wouldn't slip when they moved him. "It's not something you really get used to, is it?"

Murdoc stood by the door, peeking out and waving at them impatiently as Jack carefully slid his arms under Mac's back, about to lift him from the floor.

Mac's voice stopped him, broken off by a grunt of pain. "No, Jack, I mean it's worse than usual."

It would have occurred to Jack how sad it was to have a 'usual' for how bad gunshot wounds hurt, but his attention was taken by Macs trembling hand and the blood pouring from beneath it, despite the bandages.

He cursed softly but didn't have time to wait. "Okay, I'll sort it, Mac. But right now we need to get moving."

He was as gentle as he could, but tears still slipped from Mac's eyes as Jack pulled him up to his feet. He leaned heavily on Jacks side, as they made their way outside to the car.

Mac's feet were clumsy and his vision was blurred with pain but they made it to the car and managed to close the door, just before bullets started smashing through the windows.

Murdoc was in the front, with Mac and Jack in the back, and Jack ducked as glass shattered, yelling at Murdoc to just hurry up and drive already.

They raced out of there and were on the road in no time.

Murdoc seemed happy to be at the wheel, while Jack was anything but, as he carefully held Mac's head on his lap and pressed against the kid's shoulder.

"How are you feeling Agnus? A little worse for wear?" Murdoc let out a happy titter at the growl he got from Jack.

"Shut up and hand me that radio."

Mac was trying very hard to stay awake, but the pain was taking up every bit of his concentration. There wasn't much else to focus on either, it's not like he was needed to build something or disarm a bomb, he was just laying in the backseat of a stolen car, slowly bleeding out.

He let out a moan of pain with each turn and bump of the car, trying to focus on Jacks comforting voice rather than how wet his shirt was getting.

"He's losing too much blood, and Helman is still out there. We need somewhere to lay low where I can patch Mac up enough to hold us till you can get back-up here."

The radio crackled as a familiar voice answered, and Mac used their conversation to try and block out the way his shirt was sticking to his skin, blood slipping down his torso uncomfortably.

"There's a safe house not far from your location. There'll be a medkit and ammo there. I can have back up and a medevac to you in an hour."

Jack nodded, free hand absentmindedly pressing down harder on Mac's shoulder as Murdoc took a sharp turn. "Thanks, Matty."

They headed there as fast as the car would take them, Mac getting weaker with each passing minute. They followed Matty's directions and eventually came to a safe house, Murdoc parking sloppily out front.

By the time they arrived, Mac was barely awake and blood was soaked over his chest. It was getting harder to breathe, and he wasn't much help in getting himself inside.

Jack opened the door behind him and carefully gathered Mac into his arms, hugging the kid from behind and dragging him into the safe house. Murdoc swept his gaze around them, keeping a lookout for his former teacher.

Mac blinked his heavy eyes as everything swirled around him, colours and sounds warped and distant through the screaming pain that came with every step. His clenched teeth did nothing to hold back his groans of agony.

By the time Jack got him inside, he could barely open his eyes, and he was practically dead weight.

Jack was beginning to panic as Mac drooped in his arms, and he dragged him to the kitchen. "Murdoc, lock the door and get in here!"

He hated how much trust he had to give the man but in their current situation there weren't many options, and he always said he'd do anything to save Mac.

"He will find us. Don't think a little bullet to the arm is enough to stop him."

Jack dragged Mac over to the table in the centre of the dining room, as Murdoc came to their side.

"Help me get him on here. On three, one, two -"

Murdoc took Mac's feet while Jack lifted Mac by his chest and they shifted him on with only a soft moan from the blonde.

He was pale and clammy, and Jack pressed two fingers to his throat to find his pulse was rapid and uneven. "Shit."

He quickly gripped the fabric of Mac's shirt, around the bullet hole, pulling it apart and tearing the shirt open to see the damage. It was a mess of blood and torn skin, and he quickly pressed the makeshift bandages back to it.

Murdoc hadn't lost his annoying attitude and his voice was teasing as he leant over Mac.

"Oh Anguuus, you'd better stay awake. I'm not finished with you yet."

Jack pressed a hand against the man's chest and shoved him backwards, voice low and threatening. "Don't talk to him and don't touch him unless I ask you to help. You even say his name without me telling you to and I'll put a bullet in you and wipe that creepy smile right off your face. Do you understand?"

Murdoc smiled, enjoying Jacks anger, and nodded. He raised his hands in surrender, pointing one finger to the table.

"You have complete control here, Jack. However, you might want to focus your attention back on your partner there, before his heart gives out."

Jack turned to see where he was pointing and cursed at the blood dripping from the table, onto the floor. Mac wasn't moving anymore.

He hated that Murdoc was right and that he had to let the psycho anywhere near the kid, but he was running out of time.

"Put pressure on it! I'll get the med kit, but if you try anything, I swear to god-!"

"I know, I know. You'll kill me. This shouldn't surprise you, Jack, but I'm more than happy to get my hands dirty."

He smiled as he laid his hands over Mac's bloodied shoulder, red staining his skin as Mac moaned in pain, eyes rolling beneath their lids. "I've dreamed of making him bleed this much, and while I really do enjoy this, I wish it was my bullet that had done it."

Jack growled as he moved through the house, grabbing things he needed. "Shut up!"

Murdoc sighed, annoyed at having his fun spoiled, and watched Jack gather supplies. More ammo, a cellphone, and a med kit and blankets. He brought them all back over to the table, taking a quick look out the window, before shaking out the blanket and laying it over Mac, who was now shivering.

His forehead creased in concern, as he laid the backs of his fingers across Mac's pale cheek. "He's going into shock. Has the bleeding stopped?"

Murdoc looked down to the blood-soaked scraps of shirt being used as a bandage. "Hmm, no. And from what I can tell, the bullet hit his collarbone. Which is probably why it hurt so much."

Jack closed his eyes for a moment, squeezing his hands into fists and pressing them to the hard wood of the table, as he tried to gain control over his panic. "Okay. Okay, all we can do is keep the pressure on it until we get the medevac here and they can get him into surgery to fix it. He'll be fine."

Murdoc was amused. "Don't lose your head, Jack. He needs you to focus."

Jack clenched his teeth, about to tell him off again when the killer spoke once more. "You know it's funny, how desperate our Angus is to find his father when he has his own papa bear right here."

That wasn't what he was expecting to hear. Jack opened his eyes in surprise, before shaking his head and concentrating, grabbing the med kit and pulling out bandages and gauze.

"Stop talking, Murdoc."

He slipped a pad of gauze under the other man's hands, before digging through the med kit and pulling out tubing for an IV.

Mac wasn't moving very much anymore, but his eyes opened a crack when Jack patted his cheek, and he blinked lazily up at him. "Mac, I need you to keep your eyes open, do you hear me? Stay awake, buddy."

Mac watched him, laboured breaths pulling in through his ashen lips, as Murdoc continued on.

"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. Mac's like a son to you, and you're the closest thing Rileys ever had to a real father. Oh, how you love your lost little puppies. Does it bother you, that he's trying so hard to find a man that didn't want him when you're right here risking your life every day just to keep him safe? Does it hurt, that you aren't enough for him?"

Jack watched Mac's glassy eyes, as he gently pulled the kid's arm out from under the blanket, and pressed the needle to his vein, before hanging up the bag of saline and pain meds.

He knew what the man was trying to do, and he did his best to ignore him as he picked up the phone and dialled, tucking Mac back in as he waited for an answer.

"Jack, how's our boy doing?"

Murdoc silently added another gauze pad to the pile under his hand, as Mac squirmed a little.

"Not so good, Matty. He's barely conscious and he's losing too much blood. It won't stop and he's already going into shock. We need those medics here, now."

For once, she didn't tell him off for rushing her and her voice was sympathetic as she answered. "They'll be there as soon as they can, Jack. He'll be okay. Do you still have Murdoc?"

Jack rolled his eyes, glaring at the man as he offered a cheeky smile at the mention of his name.

"Yeah, he's-"

His words were cut off abruptly by the sound of gunfire, and the smashing of glass. Jack immediately ducked, calling out to Matty as he picked up his gun. "Helman's back! Get that back up here pronto!"

He didn't wait for her reply, as he dropped the phone and fired two rounds through the window, where the bullets had come from.

"Give me a weapon!"

Jack looked over to where Murdoc was ducked down, hand still clamped on Mac's shoulder. "Absolutely not!"

Another barrage of bullets came through the windows, and glass sprayed over the three of them, tumbling over Mac's still form. He was so vulnerable, flinching at the noises but unable to defend himself.

Murdoc scowled at him. "Either you give me a gun and trust that I won't kill you, or you let him die! Make a choice, Dalton!"

Jack hated that he was right, and he hated that he needed him to save Mac, in fact, he hated everything about the man. He should have just shot him right at the start and saved them all the trouble. Matty would have been pissed but at least Mac wouldn't have been hurt.

Jack really didn't want to do anything that Murdoc told him to, but it was the only way to save his partner.

"Fine, here." he tossed him one of the guns from the pile he'd found among the supplies, and holstered his own as he prepared to move Mac.

Murdoc took up a position at the window as Jack leant over the kid. "Mac? Everything's okay, but I need to move you and it's going to hurt. Just hold on to me, okay?"

Mac turned his head towards the voice but didn't register much else, before pain consumed him once more.

Jack took the IV bag off the pole and placed it on Mac's chest, wrapping the blanket tightly around him, before slipping his arms under Mac's back and knees and lifting him from the table.

Mac had, thankfully, always had hollow bones and wasn't as heavy as he should have been, and Jack gently held him to his chest, as he lowered them both to the floor, sitting against the cupboards in the kitchen. Murdoc continued to fire, as Jack held Mac close, trying to keep him calm as he gasped in pain.

He was so weak now, eyes scrunched shut from the movement of his, clearly broken, collarbone.

Jack did all he could to comfort him, rubbing a hand over the kids back. "I know it hurts, buddy, and I'm so sorry. We'll get you some proper help soon. I promise, Mac. I'll get you home, just hang on a little bit longer."

Another window broke, glass cascading to the floor, as Mac cracked his eyes open, searching for Jacks' face. He pulled a weak hand up, shaky and clumsy, and curled it into the fabric of Jacks shirt. His fingers left smears of red over Jacks' chest, but he was determined to speak.

"Jack…" His voice was thin, and he found it difficult to pull in enough air to form the words he wanted, but he kept going.

Jack watched him, eyes growing wet as he watched Mac struggle, wincing with every breath.

"I'm here, Mac. You don't have to say anything." He knew they were running out of time, and he didn't want Mac to say any goodbyes. He wasn't giving up yet.

"What Murdoc said...that you're not enough..."

Jack shook his head, sighing. He didn't want to have that conversation. "Mac-"

The blonde's fingers tightened on his shirt, and his glassy eyes were adamant. "It's not true. It's not, Jack. I..." he winced as he pulled another laboured breath in, tiring more with each word. "I know you're there for me. You're...al-always there for me."

His eyes drooped, as shots continued to ring out behind them, but Jack took no notice because Mac was falling asleep.

"Mac? No, come on. Stay awake!"

But it was too late, Mac had lost too much blood and had been fighting for too long. His eyes slid shut, and his fingers lost their grip on Jacks shirt. His hand fell to his own chest with a thump, and Jacks eyes blurred with tears.

Back-up arrived no less than a minute later, and Mac was torn from Jacks' arms, leaving him suddenly cold without him. He watched, in shock, as Murdoc was put in handcuffs, and Mac was strapped to a gurney.

He didn't move until someone took his arm and lead him to the chopper to ride with Mac to the hospital.

…

Mac took a sip from his lemonade, as he looked out at Jack sitting alone on the deck. It had been a few days since the mess of a mission, and Mac knew Jack still hadn't let go of what happened.

Riley patted his arm, being careful to avoid the one in a sling, and nodded towards their shared father figure. "You gonna talk to him?"

Mac nodded, seeing Riley smile from the corner of his eye. She gently squeezed his good arm and silently handed him a new beer for Jack.

"Thanks."

Jack didn't turn as he came up behind him, only looking when Mac sat down at his side.

"Your arm okay?"

Mac smiled a little at the question and nodded, handing Jack his beer. "Yes. For the millionth time, I took my meds and I feel fine. Here."

Jack took it gratefully and looked back out at the sunset, saying nothing. His shoulders were slumped and Mac hated how down he was.

"You know it's not your fault I got hurt, right? And it's not your fault that Murdoc escaped."

Jack took a long pull from his beer before nodding, tone unconvincing. "Yeah, I know."

Mac wasn't used to being the one to fill the silence, and he tried to think of how to phrase what he wanted to say.

"Jack...I meant what I said, back there in the safe house."

Jack moved his gaze to the floor, voice low. "You don't have to-"

"I want to. A lot of that mission is kind of fuzzy for me, I don't remember all of it. But I remember what Murdoc said and I need you to know that he's wrong. I'm not looking for my dad because I want him to be my father again. That ship has sailed and even if I manage to find him, and he actually wants to be in my life, there's no way we're ever going to have a normal father-son relationship."

Jack looked up at him, seeing how determined the kid looked as he continued.

"I know I can be...difficult, and I always manage to find myself in some kind of trouble, but you're the one that's been there for me, and kept me safe for so long. You're also one of the only people I trust to do it. I don't say it enough, Jack, but thank you. You've saved my life more times than I can count, and I'm…"

He smiled, laughing a little at the remembered phrase. "I'm proud to be one of your lost little puppies."

Jack closed his eyes, shaking his head slightly as he laughed. "Thanks, Mac."

He clinked his bottle against Mac's, the weight finally dropping from his shoulders. They looked out at the sunset together, Jacks voice finally warm again.

"I'm glad you're okay, buddy. I don't what I'd do if I lost one of my pups."

Mac just laughed and silently promised that he'd never let him find out.