AN: Again, please go read 4.02, Gain/Loss, in The Measure of Our Lives first; otherwise, this doesn't make an awful lot of sense.

MACGYVER'S RESIDENCE

LA

Jack sipped his beer, sitting by the unlit fire-pit next to his boy, who was alternately drinking beer and shaping a series of paperclips into the word bang.

He was also silent, and staring into some kind of middle distance, lost in his own head.

He looked very young and definitely heartbroken, and for a moment, Jack actually regretted calling in a favour from Dez, because he knew that in her own way, she'd be hurting like this too.

Jack hated seeing his friends hurt.

(Especially his young friends. It was probably some kind of pseudo-dad/substitute-dad/Obi-Wan Kenobi thing.)

Eventually, Mac broke the silence.

'Jack…' The older man turned his head to face the younger, who was still staring at the bang paperclips. 'Why doesn't Desi…uh…make friends with co-workers?'

Internally, Jack sighed.

And wasn't that a story.

He made a mental note to at least text Dez while she was in-flight, since he knew he wouldn't get to catch up with her before she left.

(Mac needed him right now; besides, Dez was really, really good at not talking about things she didn't want to talk about.)

(Any opening up she did was always on her terms, and her terms alone.)

(Torture wouldn't get it out of her, let alone all the pressing Jack was willing to do.)

He looked Mac straight in the eye, and shook his head.

'That ain't my story to tell, son.' He paused, deciding how much he should share. 'It's…it's a hard one, shaped her when she was very young, helped make her into who she is today…' Jack gave a fond little smile. '…damn good fighter, damn good soldier, damn good agent...' The smile took on an exasperated tone. '…with more walls than a maze and pricklier than a porcupine on a cactus.'

That got a little smile out of Mac, too, fond and sad all at once, and he gave a little nod, accepting that.

(There were stories he'd kept from everyone, even Jack, for a very long time, might not ever have told if something hadn't forced his hand, after all.)

Just then, Jack's phone chimed, and he pulled it out of his pocket (just in case it was an emergency, given their line of work). Mac caught a glimpse of a message from Diane Davis, though what the message said, he didn't know.

(Though he could guess. Despite the fact that he'd been distracted of late, it was hard to miss the chemistry between Jack and Diane – given the long history, and what he'd observed over a year ago now – and it was very hard to miss Bozer and Riley conspiring.)

(Mac loved his best friend dearly, but subtle, Bozer was not.)

Jack gave a soft little smile that was probably involuntary, and tucked his phone back in his pocket, intending to reply later when he wasn't taking care of his boy (Diane, of all people, would understand), turning back to face Mac, who, very earnestly, gestured at Jack's pocket with his head.

'You should answer that.'

'Thought we were dealing with your love life, not mine, son.'

Mac lifted a shoulder, gave a slightly-sheepish, slightly-sad smile.

'Yours seems to be going much better than mine…'

Jack shot him a mock-look at the tone of Mac's voice.

(The kids were sometimes frighteningly alike.)

'Now you're just fishing, brother.' Mac shrugged again, as if to say, can you blame me? Jack shook his head at the younger man, but that small, soft smile returned, and he stared at the fire for a moment before replying. 'Yeah, alright, me and Diane…we've been texting, talking, you know.' Jack paused. 'Did that for a while, actually, after that charades night got interrupted by the fake Maths teacher, but…' Jack glanced at Mac, then back at the fire, then looked down at his beer. '…stopped when you ran off to Nigeria and I didn't deal so well.'

'I'm sorry, I-'

Jack cut him off with a wave of his hand.

'Hey, ain't your fault I got a little lost in my head and threw away a real special second chance, son.' Jack gave a teasing little grin. 'Except maybe your bad habits are rubbing off on me!' Mac gave a self-deprecating little smile at that, nodding in acknowledgement. His tendency to get lost in his own head was bad enough Jack had seen fit to warn Desi about it, after all. Jack's expression grew serious again. 'Nah, that's all on me.' Jack shrugged. 'Thought that was the end of that, she ain't gonna give me another second chance, or more like a seventh chance or something by now…' Jack looked sheepish and wry for a beat, before that serious, earnest look returned. 'Then everything with Kovac brought things into perspective, you know, made me realize I'd regret it forever if I didn't ask her for just one more chance, didn't, you know, not screw it up this time.'

Mac nodded, and smiled and clapped Jack on the shoulder.

'I'm happy for you.'

Jack smiled back.

'Thanks, brother.' He paused for a moment. 'Brother, could you do something for me and Diane, keep it on the down-low? We don't want Riles to get too excited about it if it doesn't work out…'

Mac nodded seriously. Jack and Diane would, naturally, have a lot to work through, given their history, both long ago and more recent.

'I promise, Jack.' He paused, a wry, affectionate look appearing on his face. 'Though, you might be a little too late on the not getting overly enthusiastic bit…'

AN: Does this serve much of a point? No. But come on – Mac and Jack bonding! Look over there!