Jesse James

The days began to pass quickly and uneventfully at Challengers Academy, a fact not lost on MacGyver and Joanna. There was plenty to do without dealing with cranky teenagers. By an unspoken agreement, they both kept their office doors open whenever they were in, but Joanna still kept the odd little doorstop in place and the remote close by…just in case.

MacGyver's first task was to get decent lighting in the parking lot and surrounding area. After much research and discussion with various contractors, the campus could now pass for a landing strip at night. In addition, he made sure he was the last one to leave the building each day. He had expected Joanna to bristle at being escorted out, but she was surprisingly compliant. Often they would use the short walk to their cars to catch up on the day's events since they both kept busy with their own duties and exchanged little more than polite greetings as they passed in the halls during the day. Was she finally accepting the friendship he was extending? Evelyn openly enjoyed his attentiveness and he soon found himself taking on the role of personal pack mule as opposed to protector. It seemed the administrator always had something for him to carry and load into her car and his mock complaints were met with her lilting laughter.

Mac's second project, and one he took an especially active role in, was getting new, high-resolution security cameras set up on the roof of the facility so every aspect of the outside area could be accounted for. Not only would these cameras capture everything on video tape, but they would provide a direct, real-time feed to a bank of monitors now located in Officer Carl's station at the entrance to the building. Once the equipment was installed and working properly, he gathered the faculty and staff to show them the upgrades. After providing the appropriate oohs and aahs, they all headed back to their classrooms and work spaces.

Soon it was MacGyver's favorite time of the day. Chemistry lab. He had promised Mr. Kowalski that he would do a demonstration for the students to hopefully get them excited about the class. He set out the necessary materials and waited until all the teens filed into the room and took their seats before he began.

"Who can tell me what you use to put out a fire?" Mac asked as an easy way to get the class involved right off the bat.

"Water!" they almost all replied in unison. Okay, so much for hand-raising.

"Most of the time that's true," Mac agreed. "But what else can be used?"

The students sat quietly, some fidgeting a bit in their seats, but no one volunteered to answer. Finally, a boy in the back slowly raised his hand and MacGyver nodded for him to speak.

"I was watching a TV show and they used a whole bunch of foam."

"That's right," MacGyver smiled at him. "Anyone know why firefighters sometimes have to use foam instead of water?"

More silence.

Mac continued, "Sometimes water can actually make a fire worse. In fact, water can actually start fires and today I'm gonna show you how."

Kids that had been slouching in their seats suddenly sat up straighter and those who had been whispering to friends turned their attention to him. Got 'em, he smiled inwardly.

MacGyver patted a pad he had put on the demonstration table. "This is a fire proof mat where I'll do the demonstration," he explained.

In a glass beaker he mixed together small amounts of zinc dust and ammonium nitrate before adding a few grains of ammonium chloride. He carefully dumped the powdery combination onto the mat and made a small depression on the top of the pile.

"Okay, now how do you think I can set this on fire?" he asked.

A girl in the front confidently raised her hand. "You said you were gonna use water to start a fire, so you're gonna put water on it."

"You got it!" Mac praised her. "But I'm only going to use one drop of water." He held up a small eye-dropper and, after releasing a droplet of liquid he quickly stood back. The zinc ignited and flashed with a brilliant blue-white flame that was followed by a dense cloud of white smoke.

The class gasped at the initial reaction before calling out various, and sometimes colorful, exclamations. By the time MacGyver opened the window to dissipate the smoke, everyone was clapping. Mac warned the students not to attempt to do the experiment on their own and promised that he would show them more 'cool things' as the semester progressed. He caught Joanna's gaze as he dismissed the class. He had seen her sneak in about halfway through and take a seat in the back. Was she watching to make sure he didn't mess up? Or had he already messed up and she was just waiting to call him on it?

"Meet me in my office after school," she directed Mac, following the teens out the door. "I have a favor to ask."

"You got it," he replied, his heart practically singing. Finally, she was asking for help. Help from him!

The remainder of the day dragged on for MacGyver as he tried to figure out what Joanna wanted. Granted, he'd do anything she wished, but curiosity was in his DNA. At last, the final bell tolled and the students quickly vacated the building. Mac laughed to himself. That was the fastest he'd seen them move all day! But who was he to laugh as he headed towards Joanna's office, his pace quicker than usual. When he arrived her door was closed.

"Aw, come on!" Just when he thought their friendship was making progress she literally closed the door on him.

Frustrated, he turned toward his own office when he heard the fast, rhythmic click of heels coming towards him. He recognized the cadence immediately.

"Sorry, but I had to take care of something," Joanna explained, slightly out of breath as she unlocked her door and ushered him in.

"Nothing too major, I hope."

"No, just needed to get some student grades from the teachers for a report I'm working on."

When they had both taken a seat, Joanna leaned forward, arms resting on her desk.

"By the way, nice job in there today," she complimented him. He smiled in satisfaction. "So, you're probably wondering why I asked you here today—"

"Joanna, it's me," he interrupted tersely. "Cut the professionalism. What do you need me to do?"

"Fine," she huffed and relaxed back in her chair. "I was wondering if you could make some time in your schedule to tutor a student in sophomore biology."

"Sure, I can work something out," Mac assured her. "But my biology is kinda rusty. What about Mr. Kowalski?"

Joanna gave him an 'are-you-kidding-me' look.

"Right," Mac nodded. "Counting the days to retirement."

"Not only that, but if Jesse doesn't understand what he's teaching in class, I doubt she'll understand him as a tutor."

"Point taken. So, who is this 'Jesse'?"

"Her full name is Jessica Jameson. She likes to be called Jesse James."

"Sounds like a tomboy."

"She's a sixteen-year-old going through an identity crisis. Her dad left before she was born and her mom just got sentenced to court-ordered in-patient rehab. She's living with her grandmother and is new to the area."

"Poor kid," Mac mumbled.

"Yeah," Joanna agreed. "Oddly enough, records and test scores from her previous school show her to be quite intelligent. She's doing well here in all of her classes except science which used to be her strongest subject."

"Well, biology can be tough."

Joanna smiled. "When I was in high school I tested out of it so I wouldn't have to cut up any animals. Anyway, I went ahead and scheduled a meeting with her before classes tomorrow morning. Can you come in a little early so I can introduce you?"

"No problem. I'll be here."

"I have another question for you."

MacGyver remained silent, allowing Joanna to continue.

"The security lighting and the cameras you've put up…they look pretty expensive. I'm sure you know Evelyn and I have been working on a shoestring budget…"

Mac was nodding his head. "I know. A lot of the money was earmarked for safety upgrades. That's what I'm tapping into."

"Oh, okay," Joanna relaxed a bit.

MacGyver decided it was time to put all his cards on the table. "Look, I'm also here for another reason. Phoenix wants me to report on the school to help determine future funding."

Joanna's face fell.

"Hey, don't worry. I see the problems, but I also see how much this school means to you and Evelyn and the kids. I'm going to strongly suggest you receive extra funding for the next term. Even if it means digging into Phoenix's own pockets. I'm not going to let this school fail."

For once, Joanna was speechless. MacGyver stood up and headed toward the door.

"See you in the morning,"

"Hey!" Joanna called. He turned toward her. "Thank you….Mac."

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The following morning, MacGyver arrived early and headed straight to Joanna's office where he found her talking amicably with a teenage girl he assumed was Jesse. The girl had dishwater blonde hair that appeared greasy and unkempt. She wore a faded blue t-shirt, jeans with holes in them, and high-top athletic shoes that appeared a couple sizes too big. She was about Joanna's height and her build was lanky. MacGyver cleared his throat to announce his presence.

Both females turned towards the door.

"We were just talking about you," Joanna said with a smile.

"Don't believe a word she says," Mac said in a staged whisper to the teen, hoping to elicit a giggle or at least a grin, but all he got was a wary glance.

"Jesse, this is Mr. Mac. The biology tutor I was telling you about."

"Nice to meet you." He put out his hand. After glancing at Joanna and receiving an encouraging nod, Jesse put her hand in his. It was cold, clammy, and limp. MacGyver had filleted fish with a firmer handshake. He didn't claim to know a lot about kids, but he instinctively knew this wasn't going well.

"How about we meet in the science lab after the chemistry class?" he ventured.

"Sure," came the soft reply.

"Jesse, why don't you head to your first class, now?" Joanna prompted.

"Yes Ms. Jo." Jesse left the office, head down, refusing to look at MacGyver.

The adults watched her leave before Joanna motioned Mac to what he was starting to consider 'his chair'.

"Was it something I said?" he asked.

Joanna sighed. "No. I don't know. We were having a great conversation until…" she let the sentence hang.

"Until I showed up," Mac finished for her.

"The only thing I can figure is that she's uncomfortable around men because she never had a father figure growing up," Joanna tried to reason.

"That for me?" MacGyver changed the subject as he pointed to the text book on her desk along with a manila file folder.

"Yes. Mr. K. outlined the topics she needs to review as well as the lab experiments she needs to complete."

"Sounds good. I'll stop by after our session and let you know how it went," he offered.

"Thanks, I'd appreciate that," Joanna said, gracing him with a gentle, genuine smile.

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It was 4pm. MacGyver lay sprawled in his chair at Joanna's desk. His shirt was wrinkled, his hair disheveled from jamming his hand through it numerous times, his throat was dry and his head ached. Joanna sat across from him, biting her lower lip to keep from laughing out loud.

"It's not funny," he grumbled. "I tried everything! I was nice, I was serious, I was funny, I ignored her…nothing! It was like tutoring a rock!"

Joanna bit her lip harder, her eyes dancing playfully.

"Go ahead!" he bolted from the chair and began to pace. "Go ahead and tell me I'm a miserable failure after one hour of trying to be a real teacher!"

Joanna let out the giggle she had been holding in, but turned serious when he stabbed her with his gaze.

"Let me ask you this," she began calmly. "Did she learn something?"

"No! Yes! I don't know!" he threw his hands in the air and fell back into the chair. "She buried her nose in the book and answered all the questions perfectly...all the while refusing to talk to me, much less look at me." He was back to grumbling.

"First of all," Joanna began, "she proved that she knows more than she shows in class. Second of all, don't be so hard on yourself. All teachers go through this. Maybe you just tried too hard to connect with her."

MacGyver looked at her skeptically but let her continue.

"You just need to be yourself and show that she can trust you. Rumor has it you can be a pretty charming guy when you want to be."

"Thanks for the pep talk," he replied, his confidence returning.

"Now go mope in your own office," she directed, her hands making a shooing motion.

MacGyver continued to tutor Jesse every afternoon. He took Joanna's advice and stayed true to himself. Jesse continued to do well in her studies, at least with him. And there were changes in her behavior as well. She became more comfortable with Mac, looking him square in the eye and laughing at even his dumbest jokes. He noticed her hair looked cleaner and she dressed less like a boy and more like the teenage girl that she was.

Finally, the day MacGyver was dreading finally arrived: Their first dissection. It was only a crayfish, but the environmentalist in Mac wished schools would get rid of this archaic exercise. He had looked ahead in the curriculum...a frog was next. Great.

MacGyver and Jesse stood side-by-side at the lab table donned in protective aprons, gloves, and goggles. They stared down at the dead crustacean.

"Go ahead," he urged, "look at your notes and take it one step at a time."

MacGyver noticed Jesse's hand shaking as she pick up the sharp instrument that would make the initial incision. Mac stepped behind her and reached around to put his hand on top of hers to steady it and guide it through the first cut. It was then that he noticed she smelled like flowers. A lot of flowers. As they continued to examine the crayfish, Jesse's hand relaxed, her confidence growing. Yet, when MacGyver pulled his own hand away, she began to shake again. By the time they had finished, Mac felt a heavy weight pressing against his chest. She was leaning into him. Uh oh. As casually as possible, MacGyver hurried her along to clean up the mess they had made and complete her lab report.

"Good job today, Jesse," he praised her as she headed out the door.

"Thanks Mr. Mac. And you can call me Jessica." She then disappeared down the hall.

"You gotta help me!" MacGyver demanded. Joanna once again sat behind her desk looking at him, but this time her expression was more serious.

"Well, Jesse can't be the first girl to have a crush on you," she pointed out as Mac nodded his head in agreement, recalling an expedition that had stranded him with four teens in the wilderness. One of those teens had been a girl who wanted to use him to make her boyfriend jealous. "How did you handle it before?"

"I was straight with her."

"Then I suggest you be 'straight' with Jesse."

"But I don't want to hurt her. She's had a tough life. And you, yourself, said she could use a male role model."

"And I believe that's the reason she's latched on to you," Joanna explained. "She's desperate for attention from the opposite sex and you just happened to be there."

"Gee, thanks a lot," Mac said sourly.

"You know what I mean. You also know what you have to do."

"Yeah." He dragged his hand down his face. Bringing down a Colombian drug cartel was preferable to breaking a young girl's heart.

The following afternoon, MacGyver waited in the science lab for Jesse to arrive for their tutoring session, a lead weight forming in his stomach. He never used to be prone to such anxiety. He'd been out of the field for too long. He needed to find productive ways to work off his adrenaline. If he kept going like this he'd have an ulcer by summer.

"Hi Mr. Mac," Jesse said breezily as she all but danced into the room. "What's the plan for today?"

"Have a seat, Jesse," Mac replied in a calm, confident voice he had mastered during his years of field ops and interrogations.

"What's up? You sound so serious?"

"We need to talk." Hmm, usually it was the girls that said that to him!

MacGyver looked at the quizzical expression on the teen's face and steeled his resolve as he sat in a chair across from her.

"We need to talk about yesterday. And you and me," he clarified.

"You mean, you felt it too?" Hope and excitement filled her eyes.

MacGyver knew he had to give it to her straight. No lectures, no platitudes, no pithy comments. Just keep it real.

"No Jesse, I didn't," he said evenly. The girl's face fell and his heart clenched.

"No, I know you did! And don't tell me I'm too young. I know what I felt!"

"I'm sure you think you know what you felt, but it isn't real. It's all a part of growing up. And yes, you are too young. But look around you. This school is full of boys who would jump at the chance to spend time with you."

"All the boys here are so immature," she responded haughtily. "All they care about is how good of a ballplayer I am. But you're different. You really care about me. You're handsome, intelligent, fun—"

"Jesse stop. Yes, I care about you, but not in the way you think. And if you let yourself act more like a sixteen-year-old girl like you have been instead of the tomboy I first met, I'm sure the guys here would notice you and appreciate you as more than just another teammate," MacGyver said earnestly.

Jesse stared down at her hands folded in her lap. "It's just hard, ya know?" Her voice was little more than a whisper.

"What's hard?" Mac gentled his own voice.

"Moving to a new town. Coming to a new school. Trying to fit in."

"You're right. It is hard. But maybe you need to stop trying so hard to 'fit in' and just be yourself."

The girl let out a very unladylike snort.

"Jesse," MacGyver continued, "What did you really find attractive about me?"

She glanced up shyly. "You're new here, too. And you're different."

"Different than who?"

"All the other teachers here."

"That's exactly my point! I caught your attention because I'm new and different. Don't you think the boys here would be attracted to someone new and different too?"

"I never really thought about it like that," she mumbled.

"Well, think about it! Stop selling yourself short and give people a chance!"

After a long silence, MacGyver heard Jesse sigh. "I guess I did act kinda stupid," she admitted.

"Not stupid. Just human. Everybody makes mistakes once in a while. The trick is learning to live with it and move on."

"Will you still keep tutoring me?" Jesse asked shyly.

"Do you really need the extra help, or were you just fakin' it so I'd get assigned to work with you?"

The blush on her cheeks was his answer. "I thought so."

"Do you hate me, Mr. Mac?"

"No, I don't hate you," he replied earnestly. "Now why don't you get outta here and go do something teenagerish!"

"Thanks Mr. Mac, for everything."

Jesse smiled as she headed out the door leaving MacGyver to wonder how his own son had navigated his teen years. Regret niggled at him, but then he recalled what he had told Jesse moments earlier. Everyone makes mistakes, but you have to move on.

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Joanna stood in MacGyver's office doorway watching him type away at his computer.

"So, how'd it go with Jesse?" she asked.

MacGyver let out a sigh. "Good, actually. We talked and I think she's gonna be okay."

"Good, I'm glad," Joanna responded, lingering by the door. Mac looked up at her pointedly. "Um," she continued, "You still owe me a game of air hockey."

"I believe I do," he laughed, surprised that she had taken the initiative. "How about you follow me back to my place. We'll order a pizza and then see how 'uncoordinated' you really are!"

"Sounds good. But remember, you promised to play with your hockey gloves on!" she reminded him playfully before heading to her office to gather her things, completely unaware of Jesse standing just around the corner. Tears in her eyes.