EPILOGUE

"Jack?" Jack snorted in a breath. He worked his mouth until it was moist again. "Jack, I got bacon." Jack cracked open one eye and panned up until he saw his partner sitting cross legged beside him.

"Hrmm?" Jack mumbled. Mac smiled. Jack felt something warm brush his nose. His eyes opened wide. He opened his mouth and chomped down on the piece of bacon. Mac jerked his hand back with exaggerated fear.

"Jeez! Eat the bacon, not my hand!" Jack laughed as he lifted the bacon and chewed on it. He pushed up. Mac leaned forward and helped him sit up.

"Whoa!" Jack said the world spinning. Mac leaned him against his chest as he worked something behind Jack's back. Mac slid out and eased Jack back against a pile of cushions. Jack sighed. This was heaven! Bacon in bed. He closed his eyes and grinned tasting the crunchy meat.

"I think I've died and gone to heaven." He gushed as he opened his eyes and grinned at Mac. Mac had been watching him and turned away, avoiding the older man's eyes. Jack frowned. Mac turned back holding a tray with his good arm. He slid it onto Jack's lap. Jack stared at the heaping plate in front of him sure his chin was dripping with drool.

"You didn't cook this, did you?" Jack said pausing before digging in to the mountain of fluffy eggs and hashbrowns. Mac looked at him surprised.

"Eggs aren't hard." Mac said defensively. Jack eyed him.

"Izzy cooked didn't she." Mac laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, she did." Jack turned his attention to the plate and attacked it. Mac sat beside him silently. Jack leaned back after wiping his mouth with a clean cloth napkin.

"Put a fork in me and call me done! Damn that was a fine breakfast."

"I'm surprised you could taste it." Mac murmured as he pulled the tray closer. Jack turned and looked at his partner. Mac grunted and wobbled to his feet balancing the tray in one hand. He stumbled a couple steps before getting the tray in a good grip. Jack sat up ready to catch the dishes should they shower down on him. Mac grinned at him.

"Nervous, buddy? I got this." Jack opened his mouth to complain but Mac spun and disappeared down the hall. Jack leaned back and rubbed his face with his hands. He yawned. He felt stiff and sore but not near as bad as he thought he would. Jack itched his arm and froze. He rolled up his short sleeve and shot up.

"MAC!" Mac came skidding into the room his eyes wild.

"What? What's wrong?" Jack gaped at him in horror. Wordlessly he jabbed a finger at the small reddened area on his bicep. Mac breathed out in relief, "Izzy gave you some pain medicine before she left."

Jack ignored the amusement in his partner's voice. Jack rubbed his arm as he curled it closer to his body to protect it. Mac shook his head and returned down the hall, presumably to the kitchen. Jack sat back and took deep breaths. He supposed he should be grateful. He was out for the shot and he didn't have pain, but it just wasn't right.

Jack heard the sound of water spray and raised his eyebrows. Mac was doing dishes? Jack chuckled. If Izzy had told him to, he would have too. Jack sat up holding his hand over his abdomen. His shoulder hurt like hell. Jack doubted it was from the bullet that grazed his deltoid, it had to be the shot. Jack grumbled and cussed as he pushed himself to his feet. After the world stopped swaying he followed the water to Mac.

Mac stood in the center of a circular room. Jack gulped, for a second it reminded him of the bromine donut. Mac looked up at Jack's hitched breathing. He looked at Jack worried.

"You ok, big guy?" Jack nodded. Mac turned back to a sink that was made from a welded barrel. Mac pumped a lever beside the sink then reached out and hosed down dishes sitting on a built in dish rack made out of cracked CDs.
"Are you sure you aren't related to Izzy?" Jack joked. Mac grinned at him.

"Watch this." He flipped a switch on the side of the barrel. There was a high pitched whine, strong puff of air, then a sucking noise. The water drained in a fast spiral. Mac turned off the switch. After a second the motor ground to a stop.

"The dishes are dried by the same air used as a vacuum to pull the water down the drain. After that it's recycled and used either to water the green house or in the bathroom. Izzy says 99.5% of all the water in this house is recycled." Jack whistled.

"Damn, she is your spiritual grandmother." Mac laughed.

"You should see her workshop." Mac's gaze seemed to look through the painted rubber walls. His face dropped to a familiar sadness. He carefully folded the wash rag and hung it from the edge of the sink. He leaned on the barrel and stared at his feet. Jack waited knowing the kid was working up to something. Mac visibly braced himself then looked at Jack. Jack squirmed at the seriousness in the younger man's moon colored eyes.

"Jack, I'm sorry." Mac said. He absently kicked at the floor. Jack blinked realizing for the first time real grass grew on the floor. The lawn was the kitchen floor? He shook his head and focused on Mac. Mac studied him with fear and uncertainty roiling in his eyes.

"What for?" Jack asked. Mac ran a hand through his hair.

"I don't know, making the sluice, getting you kidnapped...being an asshole when you were trying to save my life, acting like a child and running away... Take your pick." Mac stared at his feet and crossed his arms. He wouldn't meet Jack's eyes.

"Are you serious?" Jack asked. Mac's jaw clenched and he straightened his good fist folding tight.

"Absolutely. I was so focused on this girl…" Mac's voice hitched and he walked away from Jack hunched forward as if he were in a storm. Jack felt his heart ache in sympathy.

"Mac, c'mon you really liked her…"

"JACK, don't!" Mac snarled over his shoulder. He turned to face Jack. Jack blinked at him surprised, "don't make excuses for me. I only knew her for five dates...I've known you a lot longer and don't know what I would have done if…" Mac shook his head and turned to leave the room.

"Mac, c'mon now." Mac ignored him. Jack trailed behind the blond who returned to the living room and began to gather the cushions piling them into a neat stack. Jack could see the pain bending and moving caused Mac, but the kid ignored it. He was punishing himself. Jack walked to his side and stepped in Mac's way. Mac growled and turned to step around his partner.

"Oh for Pete's sake!" Jack huffed. He shoved Mac in the chest. Mac looked at him surprised and a little hurt as he tipped and fell into the pile of cushions. Mac looked up at Jack holding his left arm. Jack stepped around Mac's legs which dangled in an ungainly sprawl.

He sat beside Mac allowing himself to slide to the floor. Both men sat breathing for a long minute trying to get on top of their pain.

"Mac, I'm sorry too." Jack said slowly turning until he faced Mac. Mac laid flat on his back staring up at the sunlight that lit up the solid frame of bottles over their heads. Mac pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Why?" Mac whispered.

"I'm sorry I left her behind. If I had…"

"We'd all be dead. You did the right thing, big guy."

"I wish she didn't die." Jack offered. He looked away. It sounded so lame.

"Yeah, me too." They were quite a long time.

"I don't think I can stand up." Jack groaned leaning back. The big breakfast had settled in his gut like cement.

"I don't think I want to." Mac mumbled. They were quiet again.

"How long before Izzy comes home?"

"She said she'd check on us around noon."

"Noon, huh."

"Yeah." They were quiet again.

"What time is it now?"

"I think around nine. Why?"

"I'm thinking we should both get up and help around the house."

"Yeah." Neither man moved.

"Mac?"

"Yeah?"

"Screw it, I'm not moving.." Mac winced as he laughed. He held out his hand and Jack bumped it.

"Right there with ya, big guy." He mumbled. Both men wormed deeper into the cushions sighing as they fell asleep.

"Hey Mac?"

"Hrmm?"

"Love ya, kiddo." There was a long pause. Jack thought Mac was asleep.

"You too, big guy." Mac whispered. Jack smiled as he closed his eyes and drifted off.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

And with that let us all share a brief moment of AWWWWW! As always thank you for reading and especially for leaving comments, like all of the other writers in the world I live for them! I have another story planned but I am not sure if I will get it done before surgery (in two weeks), but I will be hard at work the minute I get home! By then maybe we'll know what the hell Matty is up to on the show. I have a theory and I did some googling to translate the files Mac's dad gave him, but who knows until we see it, right? I just hope I'm back home by then! :) Anyway, you guys are the best! Until next time, Pox.