This story is part of my MacGyver AU series, Domestic Adventures. You can find information on its premise, philosophy, origins and a timeline of stories on my profile page.
-Summer, 1982-
"Come on, Uncle Mac! There's something I wanna show you before Mom calls us back for lunch. Hurry up!"
"Comin', Becky." MacGyver approached his ten-year-old niece where she waited by a large stand of bushes.
A warm breeze gently stirred the strands of hair escaping from her reddish-brown braids, and he smiled fondly as a small hand automatically reached to straighten the glasses that were forever slipping down her nose. She was a great kid, bright and imaginative, possessing a never-ending sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around her. He truly enjoyed spending time with her whenever he could get away to Salem to visit his sister and her family.
"So what's through those bushes? Is it that secret you wanted to show me?"
She nodded in reply and pushed through a small gap in the foliage. As he followed her through the bushes and into a grove she turned and announced, "This is Darkmaze Woods. It protects us, and it's the outer border of the kingdom."
Mac nodded and repeated the name, regarding the old, moss-covered trees that surrounded them, the deep shadows lending them a dark, fearsome appearance. Thinking she might be scared he asked her, "You want me to carry you? It's dark in here, and there may be wild animals around. I don't want your mom angry at me if you were eaten by a bear or lion."
She vigorously shook her head. "Uh-uh. I'm not scared. The animals and monsters know me, and they'll let us pass through. Are you scared, Unc? I'll hold your hand if you want." At his nod, she grasped his larger hand in her much-smaller one and led him through the trees.
They paused at the steep bank of the little creek that ran through the city park; on the other side he could see another stand of thick trees. His young guide declared, "This is Whitefoam River, with Sweetshade Forest on the other side. It's the inner border of my kingdom, and only me and my subjects can cross it, using the Silverspan Bridge," pointing to a thick log lying across the creek. "You can go on it too, because you're my guest."
Still holding onto his hand, Becky walked over to the log and climbed on top of it, crossing the creek with him. Mac was somewhat surprised by her courage, as normally she was almost terrified of heights. But despite her fear she was obviously confident in the "bridge's" magical properties, and more than willing to ignore the danger in order to show him one of her most closely-kept secrets.
Once on the opposite side she paused and turned to him again. "Now you gotta promise not to tell anyone about this, or show it to them. Especially not Mom, Dad or Chris. No outsiders except those I choose can come in. Ever."
MacGyver understood instantly, remembering the secret hideout he had as a kid and the rules he'd made concerning who was and wasn't allowed in it- his friends, yes, but not his mom Ellen or big sister Allison. He'd never even let Harry in, now that he thought of it.
A kid's private, secret space should be just that. Private and secret.
Kneeling down and raising his right hand he solemnly said, "Becky, you have my word as your most faithful knight that I'll never tell anyone else about your realm. I also promise to serve you and your subjects always, and to defend you against all enemies." He took her smaller hand and gently kissed it. "Is that pledge acceptable to you, my lady?"
She grinned broadly and nodded, then pointed at a medium-sized gap between the trees and said, "There's my kingdom. You may enter, sir knight." Mac stood up, followed her through the gap, and blinked in the sunlight at the scene before him.
It was a sunny little meadow surrounded by trees, with a profusion of flowers, grasses and small plants. Birds sang and insects buzzed, and the gurgling of the creek behind him added a pleasant harmony. With all this beauty it was no surprise that his young niece had claimed this corner to be her secret kingdom.
"C'mon over here, Unc!" He turned and noticed her waving to him from where she stood on an old stump set in the exact center of the meadow.
Obediently he walked over and got down on one knee in front of her. "What's your wish, sweet princess? What service would you like this humble knight to perform?"
"There's a monster, the terrible Gray One, hurting my subjects over there," pointing to where a large oak tree stood at the northern edge of the meadow. "By the Lone Watchtower. Go fight it, and set them free from their suffering."
He gave her a deep bow. "As you command, my lady." He turned around and left to do battle with the monster.
Becky sure had one heck of an imagination, he thought. Must be from all those fantasy books she reads. At least they help her not to feel so lonely.
He knew his niece was a constant target for teasing and insults from her peers; it seemed like practically every time he visited between adventures lately he'd found her in tears over the awful names some kids had called her. As a result, she had few- if any- friends her own age, so she had turned to the magical worlds inspired by her books and favorite TV shows as places where she could be accepted, admired, and loved for what she was.
Even among family she largely kept to herself. The teasing from her big brother and his friends hurt her sensitive nature, as much as the taunts at school did. She loved her parents of course, but never really seemed to trust them enough to confide in them, as if they'd laugh at her too.
It seemed strange, then, that the only person in the world she'd trust would be him, her Uncle Mac. Or maybe not, he mused, remembering one night when Becky was three months old and couldn't sleep. He rocked her in his arms and told her a story of a knight, the lady who had left him- Amy's letter still stung, even after so long- and the magical little princess who rescued him from his loneliness.
He supposed that over the years he had in a way become her knight in truth, as chief confidant and protector. Someone who would never hurt her physically or emotionally and always give her the love and affection she deserved.
Apparently he was living up to that chivalrous image in her eyes, if she trusted him enough to reveal one of her dearest secrets. Mac glanced back at her; she was gesturing and delivering some sort of speech to her imaginary subjects. Lost in her imagined world, she failed to notice his fond smile, full of love and no small amount of gentle amusement at how serious she was about her secret realm.
He reached the oak and glanced around, seeing nothing at first. Then a rustling in the tree overhead caused him to look up warily, past experience causing the troubleshooter to instinctively ready himself to deal with a potential threat.
The rustling sound happened again, causing a shower of debris to land on his head. Mac irritably brushed stray leaves and twigs out of his hair then grabbed at a large fallen branch already laying on the grass nearby, gazing upwards into the dark mass. He hefted his makeshift weapon, ready to climb if needed.
What the heck? Was she right about the monster after all?
Suddenly there was a crashing sound, then the sense of something quickly dropping down towards him. He yelped in surprise and found himself involuntarily taking a step backward, tripping and landing on his backside.
A large gray squirrel hopped onto a visible branch and stood on its hind legs, twitching its nose as it peered down at the intruder. Mac laughed, both relieved and embarrassed at the same time; the animal gave a high-pitched bark in irritation at the outburst, then climbed swiftly back up the tree.
He chuckled and ruefully shook his head. So much for defeating the fearsome monster! Now, what could he bring back as proof of his courageous deed?
He had no idea what to use as a suitable trophy until he finally noticed delicate purple and white flowers peeking through the grass nearby. Grinning at the sudden inspiration he carefully picked the flowers, then reached for a suitable branch. He pulled out his pocketknife and got to work.
The sun was nearly at its zenith when MacGyver finally returned to the stump; Becky was curled on top, taking a nap.
The sleeping princess. And guess who's gonna play the part of the handsome prince- or knight, in this case- who wakes her with a kiss?
Not that he'd mind doing that. Not at all.
For a while he studied her, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest, her soft, young features peaceful, relaxed with sleep. From the first time his sister had placed her in his arms as a baby he knew they shared a special bond, and every time they were together it was renewed and strengthened. Becky was the real reason why he had been a DXS agent for the past two years- starting not long after her eighth birthday- and the fact that he actually enjoyed his work was an added bonus. He would do anything to make sure she and her family were happy and safe.
He recalled the previous night, when he, Allison and Michael had discussed her seemingly total immersion in her imaginary world. They were worried about her excessive shyness and evident lack of proper social skills, and planned to encourage her to abandon her fantasy life and instead focus on the real world. But Mac believed that she didn't need to learn about life's bitter truths quite yet.
"If it makes her happy, opens her mind to new possibilities and keeps her optimistic, then where's the harm? Besides, I'm having fun playin' with her," he had said. "Let her have her daydreams. She's a smart kid, she'll figure it's not real soon enough anyway. In the meantime it gives me a chance to show Becky that somebody in this world really does love and care for her. And you guys know, because she is so shy, how much she needs that kind of reassurance." They were doubtful but eventually agreed.
Mac glanced down at the "trophies" he'd created that indicated his successful mission. Time to go and wake his sleeping beauty. He hoped they'd make her feel she truly was a princess- at least in his eyes.
He knelt and reached over to softly kiss her on the cheek and lightly stroke her hair. "Wake up, sweet lady. The enchantment's broken, and you're free."
The blue eyes fluttered open and she sat up, gazing adoringly at his tanned, clean-shaven features. The sunlight touched the reddish highlights in his brown hair, which in turn revealed similar highlights in his twinkling deep brown eyes. Along with the warm, gentle smile reserved only for her, he imagined he looked every inch the handsome knight of her stories and innocent dreams.
She giggled with pure happiness and held out her arms to her loyal servant. MacGyver immediately understood her unspoken command and swept her into a big, affectionate embrace, lightly touching his forehead to hers.
"There's my girl," he murmured. "Love you, Beck."
"Love you too, Unc."
After a while- and with considerably more decorum- he set her back on the stump and made a formal bow. "Your Highness, you will be pleased to know I've defeated the monster as you commanded, and set your subjects free from its tyranny. I've even brought you some of the treasures it hoarded in its lair."
He reached behind him to pick up a small circlet of purple and white flowers, their stems twisted together. "I noticed before that you don't have a proper crown to mark you as ruler of this realm. Or a proper scepter, either," bringing up a straight, bark-stripped branch encircled by a trailing line of the same flowers twisted together and topped with a spray of golden buttercups. "So please accept these as tokens of the loyalty and affection your subjects have for you, including this humble knight."
With ceremony he placed the circlet on her head, handed her the decorated branch, and bowed. "All hail Princess Rebecca," he declared. "Long may she reign."
She grinned and reached with the scepter to lightly tap him on the shoulder. "I dub you my most faithful knight and protector of the realm. I make you my consort too, and allow you free passage between this and other kingdoms. Go forth, my good knight, and help anyone else in the world who needs you."
"Indeed I will, my lady," he replied, inwardly wondering if this was the result of overhearing him telling her parents about some of his latest adventures. Or was it her just believing that was what he did anyway, as her handsome and courageous knight? Either way, he silently vowed to preserve her heroic image of him as best he could, or at least until she got older. "So what do we do now? There aren't any more monsters for me to fight today, so your kingdom is safe."
The young girl cocked her head to one side, pondering the question. "How about telling me a story?"
"Sure. Here on your throne?"
She shook her head. "Take me over there, to our Summer Palace by the Whispering Sea," pointing to another nearby oak, approximately west of where he had dealt with the "monster."
"As you wish." MacGyver scooped her up into his arms, obediently carrying her over to the tree. He sat down, leaning back against the trunk and stretching out his long legs. She nestled against him as he held her close and spun an exciting tale of a Brave Princess and her Clever Knight as they worked together to protect her kingdom from an Evil Ogre named Murdoc, who lived in the Ironheart Mountains to the east.
"That was a good story, Unc," she sleepily murmured. "Thanks."
"My pleasure, princess." He kissed the top of her head as she settled more comfortably against him. They rested together in the shade, allowing the whisper of the trees, the babbling of the creek and the steady beat of their hearts lull them into sleep.
"Mac! Becky! Where are you? Time for lunch!"
MacGyver instantly woke, regarding his surroundings then relaxing when he found no one intruding on their privacy. He felt the the little girl stirring in his arms and smiled down at her. "Hey, your mom's calling. We gotta go."
She sleepily blinked up at him. "Do we really have to? I don't wanna go right now."
"Yeah, we do. I know you don't want to abandon your subjects, but you can always come back after we eat."
"Promise you'll come back with me? There are so many other monsters out there, hoping I'll be alone so they can attack my kingdom and hurt me and my subjects."
"You bet I will." Tears suddenly came to her eyes and he frowned slightly. "What's wrong?"
"You're leaving again soon, aren't you?"
"Yeah, but not for a couple weeks. We'll have plenty of time to spend together until then."
"I don't like it when you go. It scares me sometimes, makes me feel all alone."
"Oh, sweetheart." His hand reached to tenderly cup her cheek, thumb lightly brushing away the moisture. "You know that's not true, don't you? You've got your folks and Chris. You're not alone. Trust me on that."
"But it's not the same without you here."
"You'll be just fine. You've got school comin' up in September, and time will fly by before you know it. I'll try to be here for Thanksgiving in November, and the next day I'll take you to see Santa Claus at the mall downtown. What do you say?"
"Sure, Unc. And maybe if you come Christmas Eve we can stay up late enough to watch him coming down the chimney!" She giggled.
Mac found himself grinning in return. "Sounds like a plan to me. Hey, you know something else? I travel a lot for my work, so I probably won't have much time to stop and see you guys. But I'll always be around to help you, Becky. Both up there," lightly tapping her forehead, "and right here," tracing a heart on her shirt. "I promise I'll always love you and do my best to protect you. No matter what."
"I know, Uncle Mac, and I promise I'll always love and protect you, too." She kissed his cheek and they held each other close until Allison started calling once more.
"There's your mom again," he remarked. "We'd best not keep her waitin' much longer or she'll get mad at us."
"Yeah we better go, 'cause I wanna have some potato chips before Chris eats them all up like he did yesterday."
"What an awful thing to do to my princess! Well then, as your faithful knight I'll just have to keep him away so you can have your fair share, won't I? C'mon, let's get outta here and rescue those chips."
He helped her to her feet, and hand in hand the troubleshooter walked with his niece out of the meadow that was her secret imaginary realm.
-End-