"His premonition of disaster was correct from the beginning; and like a ranting actress in an indifferent play, I might say that we have paid for the freedom." - Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He was bored. Bored, with a capital B-O-R-E-D!

SAM was, of course, enthralled; just like his father would be, but not Jack O'Neill. Goran and a docent had been driving them around the city for the past hour, and had taken them to their most prestigious museum. Granted, some museums were cool, his favorite being the Air and Space museum in DC, but he was convinced that this one was just trying to put him to sleep.

The guides voice kept droning on and on and on, every once in a while to be interrupted with questions from his nephew. Jack's feet moved on their own, as if on autopilot, and though he was aware of his surroundings- he couldn't afford not to be- his mind was a million miles, make that light-years, away.

Who knew that going to visit his brother would end up with him and his twin, plus a new member of the family, on an alien planet halfway across the galaxy? Figures, nothing is ever simple with us. At least none of us are being shot at for a change. He sighed. Damn family reunions.

He looked over to the young man. A man, probably early twenties, he would have to ask him sometime, and thought about all the wonderful memories that his brother missed out on. First words, first steps, baseball games, hockey games; all the things he had had with Charlie. The only things he had had with Charlie were what Mac had missed out on. He felt apologetic for him, yet envious at the same time. Mac had a son and he didn't. Don't go there! His current line of thought startled him, he was an uncle, and that gave him plenty of opportunity to help Mac with SAM, god knows he's gonna need it. SAM was already passed the teenage hormone hell, but if he was anything like his old man, then the rebelliousness was just beginning. Hell, look at him, he was still bad at conformity, they both were. Well, you know what they say about how "it runs in the family" and "it's in your blood" and all those other lovely family-related clichés.

He followed his nephew and their entourage into the next room and grinned when SAM looked at him with a huge thousand-watt smile. He was clearly enjoying the tour, and the beautiful docent had absolutely nothing to do with it. Jack couldn't help but get caught up in his good humor; the darn kid was contagious. He had an easy smile that, he knew from his own personal experience, could make women melt, SAM had gotten that from him.

He looks so much like Mac. Just a chip of the ole block if what he tells me is true. Mac had filled him in on a bit of his not so pleasant past. The kid hiked through red China when he was nine! Alone, for cryin out loud!

Poor Mac, bet he had a heart attack. Mac had always wanted to play dutiful uncle to Charlie, but had to settle for a spare phone call here or there. He had never even really seen him, which Jack knew just about tore him up, but now it was his turn to play Dad, and he had every confidence that he would do fine. SAM was a great kid, would've made a good cousin or big brother, if fate had given them a chance.

Jack physically shook his head, he was getting too melancholy. He could think more about it later when he wasn't on a mission.

He stepped into the room and acted as if he was genuinely interested in what was being discussed, something about parallels between the religious evolutionary path versus their scientific discoveries; sounded like the kind of stuff that Daniel and Carter prattled on about, only now it was his nephew. Oy!

He walked over to a display and raised his eyebrows in confusion at what the case contained. It looked like a tangled ball of yarn, but apparently it had some importance to their culture or it wouldn't be in a case. Contemplating whether or not some cosmic cat was supposed to have played with it and blessed whoever was supposed to lay eyes on it, he didn't notice SAM walking up to him.

"Jack?"

"Huh, yeah?" he asked, looking as if he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Lona here has invited us to return later this evening to-"

"Lona?"

"Yeah Jack…" he said while rolling his eyes and shrugging in the direction of the docent, "Lona,"

"Ah,"

"Anyway, she invited us to dinner at her folks' place. Apparently, they manage one of the most popular restaurants in town."

"Um, Goran..." he turned to the Guard Chief, "do we have any plans later tonight? Any obligations, meetings, signings, rituals, anything?"

"No sir. I have not been informed of such activities. If you prefer, I can send a detail to accompany you to your…dinner appointment," he answered, sharing a knowing grin with the Air Force Colonel, "I am positive that arrangements can be made to suit such plans."

"Thank you Goran."

"It is no problem."

Now turning to the young man next to him, who was sending him a mocking glare, he replied in a joking voice,

"Sure SAM, we can go to our little dinner date,"

"Jack!"

"I'll just have to clear it with Mac after he gets out of the negotiations."

They had previously agreed to not use the radio unless it was an emergency, and dinner, no matter how hungry he might be, was not one. Besides, he was sure that the minister wouldn't appreciate being interrupted.

As they exited the room, Jack surreptitiously reached out for SAM's arm and pulled him back, preventing him from leaving just yet.

"SAM, just remember: This isn't home, we're on an alien planet, you gotta be careful. You can't just chase after all the pretty alien girls," he whispered, "trust me, it never turns out well."

"I know what I'm doing. We'll be out in public, giving us a chance to hear what people say on the street, plus not to mention we can recon more of the city that we haven't seen. And tell me that you want to eat that cafeteria food again?"

He had a point. Being among the people could be dangerous sometimes, but it would give them more of a feel for who these people were and what they were like.

"Okay, just…be careful."

"Sure thing."

He let go of SAM and let him walk outside, thinking about what he had said. There was some definite potential in SAM, he caught himself thinking as he followed.

Goran fell instep with him as they came to the end of their tour through the museum.

"How go negotiations?"

"I don't know, honestly, that's MacGyver's department," he took off his baseball cap and fingered the brim, a nervous habit he had.

"I anticipate a swift and suitable end to this tension between our…the states. I fear that Clatia is on the brink of destruction for Klax does not seem to be cooperative in the discussions."

"Why are you telling me this? Aren't the guard supposed to be neutral?"

"Indeed we are, but you must see that if Clatia is attacked, though Henron prefers peace, he will surely counterstrike. If that happens, there will no longer exist anyone to be neutral to. Do you believe that your MacGyver can be successful where so many have failed?"

"That's what's on his resume. If at first you don't succeed, try and try again, and if you still don't succeed, call MacGyver," he joked. Turning serious for a moment, though, he added, "He's been doing it his whole life. Back home, we had a great philosopher who once said, 'What people say you cannot do, you try and prove that you can'. That's Mac."

With a simple nod, Goran moved away and boarded the tram that had been taking them around the city, leaving Jack the last one to get on.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Once again, Jack found himself contemplating his family. This, time it was Mac. He had earlier been thinking about SAM and his thoughts eventually got around to his brother.

"How do you deal with it bro…God, I feel so…old…"

Normally he would have chalked it off to a midlife crisis. But they, Mac, had gone through many midlife crisis, hell, one every week when people were shooting at him. This was different, he had sounded so dejected over the phone, that was, until he had met SAM. Jack had the odd suspicion that no matter how high in spirits his twin was because of his son, it was just a matter of time. He would still feel the same about being…dare he say it…old, and that this temporary happiness was just that: temporary. He wasn't saying that Mac wasn't genuine in his feelings for SAM; it was just that his fears had been swept under the rug, a patch job.

It was depressing to finally realize that you weren't as indestructible as you once thought you were. The knees start to lock and squeak, the back starts to give out and crack so loudly that you think the guys in orbit can hear it. Slowing down, losing your breath more easily, suddenly you find that everyone around you is looking younger and younger, being lapped on the ice: aging. It happened to the best of them, no matter how many wheat germ shakes you force yourself to eat-er- drink.

Jack resolved to take his brother aside as soon as they were finished with the mission and talk to him. He was the older twin, by six minutes, but he could do Mr. Big Brother well enough. Plus, he had already gone through that stage, and even though he was in a delicate balance of acceptance and denial about the O-word, he was willing to be there for Mac to help him through it.

Jack, still on active duty and going on missions was himself finding it harder and harder to keep up some days, but he wasn't willing to say 'Uncle' just yet. He knew that his health conscious brother would have a hard time adapting. MacGyver was a man who never knew the meaning of 'slow down'. He was very active, they both were, and would take it hard. But they would take comfort tin the fact that they were once again together, and together they were twice as strong. It's a scientific fact.

SAM turned to him with a confused expression and Jack realized that he had laughed out loud.

He muttered his apologies to Lona and asked her to "continue on" with her lecture about…well, it was about something. He settled back, confident in his plan, before suddenly, from out of nowhere, a horrible sensation washed over him, as if someone had walked over his grave. Something was wrong.

Somewhere, something…someone.

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Extra points to anyone who knows who Jack is quoting!!