The Rising (cont.)

Jack's heart pounded faster than his feet as he jumped from the helicopter and ran across the median to where Mac lay curled up on the road. The truck burned, but at least wasn't spewing out debris like it had been. Debris that had almost taken Mac's head off, Jack thought. Mac was shakily pulling himself to sitting. Jack slid beside him.

"Mac, you ok?" Mac held up the bioweapon container and smiled. Mac was pale and as Jack helped him to his feet he saw how stiff the younger man was holding his left arm. Mac was pale and more than a little dazed. He grinned at Jack.

"Yeah! Savin' the world in style, my man!" They slapped hands and bumped nuckles. Mac handed off the container to DXS agents in blue biohazard suits. The surge of adrenaline began to leave him. He began to sway and shake. Jack who had stayed close put his arm around his friend's shoulders. "C'mon there's a beer with your name on it." Mac looked at him blankly. "Ok, hold up a mnute." Jack ran off. Mac nodded and his knees gave out. He winced as they smacked into tar. A not-Jack form came and stood over him talking, Mac just stared up at him blankly. Jack ran up and clapped the man on the shoulder and spoke. Mac heard the words but they didn't penetrate the thick gauze that seemed to engulf his brain.

"It's ok Norm, I got him. Thanks bud." The man waved and went to join the group of milling agents. Jack bent and lifted Mac to his shakey feet. He ducked under Mac's right arm. Mac leaned against him feeling like he was a rubber band. Jack kept up a stream of talk to help Mac focus.

"I managed to nick on of the good vehicles, I didn't think you'd really up for a helicopter ride, especially after your parachute trick, how did you make that anyway?" Mac blinked and looked over at him, taking a minute to catch up.

" Definitely no helicopter." Mac said with a close-eyed shudder. Jack smiled glad to see Mac coming out of his shock. By the time they reached the large black Espalade, Mac was walking on his own. His stiffness and the way he held his hand over his old bullet wound told Jack how much he was hurting. Mac turned back to the crash site behind him, his brain still not grasping everything he'd just done. His face fell, Jack could see the ghost of Nikki crawl into sad blue eyes. He stood on the sideboard and pounded on the roof. Mac turned wincing at the motion.

"Yo, Mac you want beer or not?" Mac gave him a week smile, nodded and climbed into the tall vehicle with a moan of pain. Jack put on his aviator shades and grinned over to Mac. "So where to, kemosabe?" Mac looked out the window his face slowly sinking into sadness.

"Home." He said softly. Jack reached over and grabbed his shoulder. He imediately let go when Mac flinched away his hand coming up as he yelped in pain. "Whoops, sorry bud, my bad. C'mon we need to celebrate! We just saved billions of lives."

"And put Nikki away." Mac said a faraway look on his face. Jack frowned. He couldn't read Mac. Was he happy she was in jail? Tore up? Mac turned toward him with a small smile. "I have some cold beer at home and Bozer said he left some fried chicken for us." Jack grinned and revved the engine turning the Ford back onto the road.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" He whooped. Mac pulled out his phone. "Who are you calling?"

"Riley." Mac said "she's part of the team now." Jack nodded, his smile disappeared as he turned to Mac with a serious look.

"Is there enough chicken?" Mac rolled his eyes.

"Jack, this is Bozer." Jack laughed.

"In that case, maybe we should invite Patty too."

Episode 2 Metal Saw

Jack left Phoenix his face hurting from smiling while he reassured Thornton. He hadn't lied, exactly. He had just exaggerated a littlle hiding his own concern about Mac. He regretted telling Mac he wasn't bringing his A game, but Jack hadn't been wrong. He was about to turn to go home, when he stopped. He sighed, turned on the other signal and turned toward Nikki's place. He wasn't surprised to see Mac's orange jeep parked outside her building. Jack let out a frustrated sigh. He had followed Mac here eveyday for the past two weeks, a couple of times more than once a day. He decided it was time for an intervention and pulled over to park.

Mac was going through Nikki's stuff. He was so intent on his search that he didn't hear Jack come in. Jack shook his head. Not good.

"What are you doing here?" He asked. Mac jumped and spun holding his chest in surprise. Mac smiled.

"You gave me a heart attack." Jack folded his shades away remaining unamused. He chided Mac on coming here every day for the past two days. Mac looked away and played with something on a shelf. Without breaking tone, Jack said.

"Stop playing with that." Mac looked up like a kid caught in the cookie jar. Jack finished gently calling Mac out. Mac nodded and admitted Jack was right.

Jack nodded. He knew he was right. He knew Mac's brain was stuck in a rut and wouldn't jump out of it until he processed what happened and moved on. He was about to tell the younger man that when his phone rang.

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Jack stared out the window replaying the fight he had almost died in. Sarah had saved his life that day. Tears burned his eyes, he breathed out forcing them to stay unshed. Jack didn't know if he ever had a love of his life for real, but if he did Sarah would be it. We're getting out of here alive. Don't say anything you'll regret. The look she gave him was one of hope, hope he would, hope that the bright sparks between them would come into the air and build into a blaze. Jack closed his eyes. He had almost spoken the words, but he didn't. He was young and dumb. He knew she would always be there, there would be time. No, he did not say anything he would ever regret, but that silence, that hung around his heart like a solid rock of regret.

"Hey," Mac said as he slid into the seat across from Jack. Jack looked up not hiding his misery. Mac put his hand on Jack's arm. "Are you ok?" Jack didn't answer, afraid that he would burst into tears. Mac kept looking at him his face showing gallons of concern.

"I was just thinking of Belize." Jack said around the lump in his throat.

"When you were pinned down by soldiers and Sarah saved you?" Mac asked. Jack nodded and looked out the window a long minute. Mac waited silently.

"I never came so close to coming home in a pine box in my entire life. If it wasn't for that woman…" Jack's tears got heavier, his eyes turned red wanting to shed them. He looked at Mac with one of the most honest naked expressions Mac had ever seen from his friend. "If it wasn't for her I would never have made it back...in time for my Dad's funeral." Jack's voice tightened as he squeezed out the last words. Thinking of his dad made the pain worse. He looked at Mac. Mac gently put a hand on Jack's shoulder.

"We're going to get her out of there." Jack nodded taking a deep breath. There was a promise in Mac's voice, and Jack knew Mac always kept his promises.

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Fiancee the word shredded Jack. He managed to swallow the pain enough to stick on a happy smile. He endured the guy hug from George? Jeff? Whatever. He managed to stutter out a reply to the man's emotional gratitude. What a drip. Jack told himself. He wrapped Sarah into his arms closing his eyes, taking in the smell of sweat, gun powder and sweet smell of Sarah. They fit together so perfectly. No wonder you like her, she's a female you. As always Mac read him too well. He remembered feeling her cry on his neck when he had stopped her from blowing away Barrios Jack's mind flew through images of what could have been. Waking up beside her, a passel of little Jacks or little Sarahs, Jack would be fine with either...where else was he ever going to find a woman who got him, understood his work, he didn't have to lie to? Not that he ever could anyway, she knew him too well. Jack pulled her closer, trying to keep from breaking down, wailing or outright becoming a puddle on the ground.

"I tried to tell you," She whispered. He took a deep breath. Time to man up.

"It's ok." He lied. He smiled at her watching her leave. She took her fiance's hand. Jack waved, his smile heavier than carrying a car. He felt his feet following her, he wanted to go up after them on the stairs, drag her down, tell her he was wrong, beg...he stopped a swallowed sob leaking out. He held onto the handrail to keep from face planting. It wasn't his place anymore. She couldn't be his any more. Jack was sure his knees were going to fail him.

"Hey…" Mac said softly at his elbow. Jack looked up the stairs and almost sat on them. A thought occurred to him and he began to laugh. Mac looked at him wondering if he had crossed the line into hysteria. "What are you laughing at?" Jack put a hand on his young friend's shoulder.

"I just realized I am really bad with women." Mac joined in laughing. Jack turned to him amused. "What are you laughing for? You're just as bad." Mac's face fell. They both were lost in their mutual misery for a minute. Mac slapped Jack on the back.

"At least we have each other." He said. Jack raised an eyebrow, before he could snark out a reply Mac,

"Don't look at me I knew how creepy is sounded when I said it." They both went into a giggling fit. Mac smiled and invited Jack over to taste Bozer's meat-art or whatever. Jack gladly said yes. He seriously needed to not be alone tonight. When they got there Mac challenged him to a game of one on one. They played, both glad to blow off steam while Bozer showed off his cooking prowess for Riley. They playfully dissed each other, always competitive like brothers. Jack felt himself letting go of pain. The regrets would always sting, but he knew he'd be ok, eventually.