Hey babes! Back again with a new story for ya! And it's a long one. Big thanks to my friend Caro for helping me come up with the idea for this fic. Basically, this is kind of our imagining of a series finale if we get six more episodes to hit that 100 episode mark.
Obviously, I want MacRiley together yesterday, but beef boy's got lots of stuff to deal with first.
This definitely came out way longer than I intended, at a little over 12k words, and I am so happy with it. So I hope you guys have as much fun reading it as I did writing it. Prepare yourselves for major amounts of fluff. :)
Enjoy!
Clapping along with the crowd, Mac smiles brightly as he watches his best friend accepting congratulations from everyone around him. It'd been an exhausting and stressful last few months, seeming like they hardly had a moment to breathe amidst all the chaos. So this party to celebrate his oldest friend is exactly what they all needed. The perfect way to relax and enjoy themselves after everything they've been through.
"He is completely in his element right now."
Mac glances at the woman standing next to him and smiles. "Yeah, that's Bozer for you. He thrives off attention. Always has."
Riley laughs quietly. "Not surprising, given how we found him after Russ bought the Phoenix."
Mac smiles at the memory, remembering how happy he'd been to see Riley after nearly a year of not staying in touch. He never thought he'd be so happy to see one single person, but then he'd walked into that tech shop and saw her wearing that grape polo that would have looked terrible on anyone else.
"I think he'll be good at this, though," Riley says, pulling him out of his head. "Wait, scratch that, I know he'll be good at this. He's already been doing most of the job while Matty's been off-site. But now it's all official and everything."
Mac watches his best friend with a proud smile. "Yeah. He's got this. Did you ever think when you met him that he'd be doing this one day?"
Riley snorts and shakes her head. "Definitely not. At the time I was just trying to think of the easiest way to let him down without completely hurting him."
Mac laughs. "That's right. He had a thing for you, didn't he?"
Riley smiles and nods. "Mm-hmm. Thank goodness he got over that when he did. Because he's like my brother now and I know neither of us would have it any other way."
"Well, that's nice to know. I certainly never thought my best friend would end up running the organization I work for and had kept secret from him for years. I never intended on telling him."
Riley's brows furrow slightly. "You know, I guess in a weird way we have Murdoc to thank for Bozer becoming Director of the Phoenix Foundation. He is the one who broke into your house and tried to kill you, after all, therefore exposing to your best friend what you really do for a living."
Mac chuckles. "Yeah. Think he'll want a thank you note or something if he finds out?"
Riley shrugs. "Who knows? That man is all kinds of crazy."
"He certainly is. Though, we have more than just Bozer's promotion to thank Murdoc for."
Riley glances up at him curiously. "Yeah? And what else would we have him to thank for?"
Mac takes a deep breath and turns fully to face Riley, doing his best to prepare himself for whatever her reaction might be. "Us." He watches as her body tenses. "I never would have known about your feelings if he hadn't hacked our comms, would I?"
"Mac…"
He shakes his head, shifting a little on his feet. "I know we agreed to keep the door closed, and you said that your feelings went away. But it feels like something has been changing between us the last few months, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since I realized it. Though, if I'm being honest, I've been thinking about you for a lot longer than just a few months." He lets out a breathy laugh and shakes his head. "No one has ever consumed my thoughts the way that you do, Riley. When my mind starts to wander, it wanders right to you. And that tells me that what I'm feeling—what I have always felt—is not going to just go away as easily as flipping a switch. I tried, so hard, but it didn't work."
Riley's entire body relaxes and she lets out a breath. "I guess I should probably be honest then. It didn't work for me either, pushing my feelings down until they went away. But I'm scared, Mac. I meant what I said on the plane after Banja Luka, your friendship is one of the single most important things in my life. I don't want that to go away if we don't work out in the long run."
"Neither do I. But after everything we've been through, don't we owe it to ourselves to at least try?" He takes a small step closer and grabs her hands in his, giving them a gentle squeeze. "We've wasted so much time, Riley, neither of us saying anything about how we felt because we didn't think the other would reciprocate. I don't want to waste any more time. So let's open that door and see what's waiting for us."
Riley's quiet for a moment and then a small smile pulls at her lips. "Okay. If you're confident in us, then I say we give it a shot."
Tugging on Riley's hands, Mac pulls her into a hug, his arms snaking securely around her waist to hold her tight. He melts into her embrace when her arms wrap around him, her chin nestling perfectly into the space between his neck and shoulder. Somehow this hug feels so much better than every other hug they've shared since they met. It's a feeling he knows he could get used to.
Pulling away after a moment, Mac keeps his arms around Riley and smiles at her. "I have an idea, but I'm not sure how you'll feel about it."
She smiles, looping her arms up around his neck. "Well, why don't you tell me what it is first?"
"Right, yeah." His arms tighten just a little around her to hold her closer. "Well, you know as well as I do how rough it's been lately, what with my breakup with Desi, and the whole thing with the nano-trackers, and then everything else we've had to deal with. I spent all that time working on myself, actually talking to someone about everything, and I'm finally in a good place again. So I'm going to take a break for a while, to kind of clear my head and get away from all the adrenaline and life-threatening situations."
Riley nods slowly. "Sounds like exactly what you need and more than deserve. I'll miss you for however long you're gone, though. No doubt it'll be very boring here without you."
He smiles. "That's nice to know. But I was thinking, if you want to, maybe you could come with me. It would give us a chance to explore this new version of us without having to deal with saving the world at the same time. And I always enjoy your company."
Riley tilts her head. "Hmm. I'm intrigued. What would this time away entail?"
"Honestly? I hadn't gotten that far." He lets out a quick laugh. "Potentially some world traveling but staying long enough to explore the sights this time. Maybe some camping too, to get off the grid for a bit."
"And when you say camping…"
Mac smiles. "I mean camping. Not wilderness training. So there will be plenty of s'mores and you don't have to eat any cattails unless you want to. And hopefully, there won't be any gunshot wounds that you'll have to treat."
"Any chance you'd teach me how to fish? Because we never made it that far the last time."
Mac laughs quietly and nods. "I think that could be arranged. So does that mean you're in? You'll come with me?"
Riley smiles brightly and nods. "Yeah. I think it could be exactly what we both need. No Phoenix, no missions, no running for our lives. Just us, together, doing whatever we want, for however long we see fit."
"It's perfect already and we haven't even left."
"Speaking of that, when were you planning on heading out?"
Mac shrugs. "I'm not sure. I still have to let Matty and Bozer know. But I figured we could go camping first, and then maybe go do some world traveling after that. We could visit places we've always wanted to go to, maybe even some of the places we went to on missions but never got a chance to actually see."
Riley grins. "Ooh. We could go back to Hawaii. We never got to enjoy ourselves last time and those beaches always look heavenly."
Mac pushes back the image his mind conjures up of Riley standing on a sunny Hawaiian beach in nothing but a bikini and sunglasses with the sun glistening off her skin. It's much too early in their new relationship to let his mind go there. So he just nods. "Yeah. That sounds like fun." He takes a deep breath. "So we're really going to do this? Take our first vacation together already?"
"Sounds like it to me. There is one thing I want to do first, though, before we leave."
"I'm listening."
Riley bites her bottom lip between her teeth, her eyes flicking down, and then she's moving forward, closing the small space between them.
Kissing Riley is the best feeling in the world. Hands down, without a doubt, the best thing he's ever experienced. Somewhere in the back of his mind he's always wondered what it might be like to have her lips on his, and now it's happening and he can't believe he ever went this long in his life without it.
The kiss is soft and gentle, but somehow extremely passionate at the exact same time. This is everything they've both wanted for so long, and they're finally letting themselves have it. And it's incredible.
When Riley pulls back he chases after her lips. He misses the sensation already, wants to feel it again. Opening his eyes after a moment, he finds Riley watching him with a smile on her face. "What?"
She shakes her head. "Nothing. I just think I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this is happening."
"I know what you mean. But I've got a good feeling about us, Riles. A really, really good feeling."
"Glad to hear it." She unwraps her arms from his neck, slides her hands down his arms to pull his hands off her waist, and then holds onto them. She gently tugs on his hands and then leans back a little. "I'm thinking...pizza and skee ball before we head off on our grand adventure?"
Mac smiles brightly. "Sounds perfect. I was honestly starting to get a little bored here. Just don't tell Bozer."
Riley smiles. "Your secret's safe with me. Now come on, before Bozer finds us and tries to make one of us give a toast in his honor."
Mac laughs quietly, nodding. "Yes, sorry, let's go." He steps closer and gently nudges her waist with their connected hands, making her walk backward toward the door. He laughs a little louder when she stumbles, nearly pulling him down with her. He quickly glances over his shoulder and is grateful when no one seems to be paying them any attention.
Turning back to Riley, he releases her hands to allow her to start walking forward as they make their way out of the room and down the hall. Then he's quickening his step to catch up and sweeping her hand back into his as he laces their fingers together. Riley has fit so easily into every other part of his life from the moment they met, so he's not at all surprised that her hand fits so perfectly in his. Just like it was always meant to be there.
He has a smile on his face the entire time they're walking out to the parking lot, listening to all the ideas Riley has of things they can do and places they can go on their trip. He responds mostly with nods of agreement and a few gentle hand squeezes to let her know he's still listening.
He knows some people might call them crazy for going on a vacation together already for an undetermined amount of time, but he doesn't care about all of that. He just cares about Riley, and about getting to spending more time with her, and finally taking some true vacation time. All of this is so long overdue, and he's genuinely excited to see what the future holds for them. Because he's got a pretty good feeling about it.
*Five Years Later*
Riley nods her head as she listens to the voice on the other end of the phone call, her eyes skimming over the file on the screen of her tablet. It's the same basic stuff she's heard before; two troublesome young teens with the start of what could be a very long, very serious rap sheet if something isn't done soon. Most adults out there lose hope and completely give up. But she doesn't. She can't. Not when she's been in the same place and was allowed a second chance to do some good even when she thought it was too late.
"So what are your thoughts?"
Riley lets out a breath and leans back in her seat. "You can't force them to attend, David. Our program is strictly voluntary because we only want kids there who genuinely want to do something better with their life than to end up as another number in the system."
"Improvise is these kids' last chance, M—"
"I understand that," she cuts him off firmly, already knowing where this conversation is going. "But we've tried that before, forcing repeat juvenile offenders into our program. Sometimes it turns out well and they want to stay and learn what we have to offer and make something of themselves. But most of the time they refuse to participate. We can only help them if they want to be helped."
"So then what do you suggest I do?"
Riley lets out a breath. "You can still present Improvise to them as an option. Let them know what we have to offer and that they won't have to pay a single penny to be there. If they want to show up once to see what we do, then that's great. But if, after that, they don't want to be there, then that's up to them. We can't force them to stay."
David sighs heavily. "Alright. I'll talk to them, let them know about your voluntary program."
Riley smiles. "I like the emphasis on voluntary, David. Let me know if they're interested and we can get the ball started rolling on this end for them to sit in on some classes."
"Of course. Always a pleasure talking to you, Mrs. MacGyver."
Riley's smile widens. "You as well, Mr. Wilcox. Say hi to Jason and the girls for me."
She ends the call and then leans back in her chair, letting her eyes fall closed as she relaxes into the cushioned material. This is, hands down, one of the most comfortable chairs she's ever sat in and she firmly believes every home should have one.
The corners of her lips quirk up when she hears the wooden floorboards creak behind her, but she stays put. Familiar hands brush against her arms as they settle themselves on the sides of her chair.
"How'd the call go?" Mac's voice drifts into her ear as he presses a kiss to her temple.
"David wanted to force some new kids into the program."
"What'd you tell him?"
"Same thing I always do." She opens her eyes and tilts her head back a little more to look up at her husband, giving him a small smile. "That Improvise is strictly voluntary and he can't force juveniles to take classes if they're unwilling to do so. He should know that by now after all the time we've worked together."
Mac shrugs. "He'll get the hang of it eventually."
"Sooner rather than later would be nice. He got the hang of calling me 'Mrs. MacGyver' faster than all of this, and you and I have only been married for six months."
Mac steps back and spins her chair around so they're facing each other, placing his hands on the armrests again and leaning down into her space with a smile. "Remind me again why you haven't been Mrs. MacGyver for longer than six months?"
Riley rolls her eyes but continues smiling. "That's completely your fault and you know it. You just had to wear that all-black suit when you know what it does to me."
Mac smiles cheekily. "Why do you think I wore it?" He leans down to kiss her quickly. "But it's actually your fault that you've only been Mrs. MacGyver for six months. I was more than happy to marry you as soon as I could after proposing."
"Yes, but then you got me pregnant before we could even make a dent in wedding planning, and I was not going to look like a whale on our wedding day."
"So we could have gotten married before you started showing or after the baby was born."
"But I wanted to have time to plan a wedding instead of just going to the courthouse, and then we were preparing to be new parents while also working around the clock to get Improvise up and running before the school year started." She furrows her brows slightly and tilts her head. "Haven't we had this discussion before?"
Mac shrugs. "It's possible. But the important thing is that we're now happily married with a beautiful son."
Riley smiles. "True. And at least we'll already be married when the next one comes," she remarks, resting her hands on her heavily pregnant belly. "I forgot how much I hate being this pregnant. I feel so gross all the time."
"Well, I think you look beautiful."
Riley rolls her eyes. "Okay, you already married me and knocked me up twice, lay off the charm for a minute."
Mac chuckles, standing up straight and smiling down at her. "As you wish. You sure you still want to have everyone over tonight?" he asks, holding out a hand to help her up out of the chair. "I know you've been feeling petty miserable lately."
"I'll be fine, Mac," she assures him as she accepts his help and stands up, giving his hand a light squeeze as she smiles.
Mac lets out a breath and nods. "Okay. But promise me you'll say something if you want everyone to leave?"
"Promise." She rises on her toes just enough to give him a quick kiss and then makes her way toward the door. She rests a hand under her belly as she walks, glancing over her shoulder. "Is Jack ready to go?"
Mac shrugs as he follows behind her. "I don't know. Last I saw him he was in his room with Chewie. But, it's been pretty quiet the last few minutes so we should probably check on him."
Riley laughs. "Considering he's your son, I think that's a smart move." She steps into the hallway and moves toward their son's bedroom. Pushing the door open to peer inside, she smiles at the sight that greets her.
Mac's arms snake around her waist as he joins her in the doorway, his hands resting on either side of her belly. "Well, now that's just too cute," he remarks. "Tell me you got a picture for Bozer."
"Not yet. I think I left my phone on the—" She smiles when her phone appears in her peripheral and then she takes it from her husband, unlocking it and going to her camera. She leans back against Mac as she snaps a photo of the sweet scene in front of them.
Their three-and-a-half-year-old son is lying facedown on the carpet, his underwear-clad butt stuck in the air and one hand curled tightly into the fur of the dog that Bozer gave him for his birthday. Jack's mouth is open just the slightest and his hair is hanging in front of his eyes, while Chewbacca is wide awake but lying still for the sake of the sleeping toddler.
Quickly sending the photo off to Bozer, Riley slides her phone into her pocket and tilts her head enough to look up at her husband. "Any idea why our son has a shirt on but no pants?"
Mac shrugs. "He said he wanted to get dressed by himself, but he was still pretty tired. At least he managed to get a shirt on, though."
"His shirt's on backward, Mac."
Mac sighs, unwrapping his arms from around her and moving into the room. He kneels next to their son on the carpet and gently nudges him awake.
Riley smiles as she watches the scene, never sick of seeing Mac interacting with their son. She runs a hand over her belly, thinking about how much better everything's going to be when their little girl arrives in a few months. She just hopes Jack will be okay with having a sister since he was so adamant about wanting a baby brother.
"Mommy."
Her heart swells a little at the call—she doesn't know if she'll ever be used to it—and she smiles at her son standing precariously on Mac's thighs, Chewbacca wandering around the room now that he's no longer being held onto. "Hey, baby. Have a good nap?"
Jack nods. "Yeah. Mommy? Um...can...can I...um, I wanna see Nana."
Riley moves into the room, stopping next to Mac and leaning against his shoulder. "Nana's busy on Saturdays, remember? So you get to come to work with me and daddy. How does that sound?"
Jack tilts his head. "Okay. Chewie too."
Mac shakes his head. "Sorry, buddy. Chewie stays at home when Mommy and I go to work, you know that." He adjusts his hold on the little boy so he's more secure standing on Mac's legs. "But, you'll get to see Chewie after we're all done. And Nana too."
"And your Uncle Bozer, and Aunt Desi, and everybody else," Riley says to her son, running her hand over his hair and brushing it back out of his face. She makes a mental note to get it cut at some point and smiles softly. "How does that sound? You wanna see everyone later?"
"Yeah."
"Well that's good," Mac speaks up, lightly tossing Jack in the air as he stands and then holding the boy against his side with a smile, "because everyone wants to see you too. What do you say we finish getting you dressed while mommy gets herself ready for work?"
Riley glances down at her outfit; a simple pair of sleep shorts and one of Mac's old MIT hoodies, and a pair of fuzzy socks on her feet. She looks up at her husband with a cheeky smile. "Are you saying I can't go to work like this?"
"No jammies at work," Jack pipes up, still being held sideways against Mac's body like a football.
Riley sighs playfully. "I guess you're right. Daddy and I don't let you wear jammies to preschool, so I can't wear mine to work." She lets out a breath and runs her hand over her belly. "But, we are only going in for a few hours today, so maybe once we get home I can put my jammies back on."
"If you want everyone to see you dressed like that," Mac remarks, adjusting his hold on Jack.
She raises an eyebrow at him. "Babe, I'm seven and a half months pregnant, can't see my feet when I'm standing, have to pee constantly, and my boobs are always sore. I really don't care what people see me in at this point."
Mac chuckles. "No, I know." He glances down at the watch on his wrist. "You should probably go get changed, though, so we aren't late. I'll take care of getting the munchkin dressed properly."
"I'm not a munskin, daddy!"
Mac looks down with a smile. "I know you're not a munskin. You're a munchkin."
Jack giggles when Mac starts tickling his sides, the little boy squirming and nearly falling to the carpet.
Riley's heart jumps a little when she sees her son start to fall, but thankfully Mac has excellent reflexes and manages to maintain a good hold on the boy. She just shakes her head at their antics and then turns around to head back toward hers and Mac's room to get dressed. She wasn't kidding when she said that she's considering just wearing her pajamas later again, even when they have all their guests over.
But since she's going to work first, dressing more professionally is a staple, especially since they've only been open for a few years and not everyone in a position of power thinks they'll last very long. She's optimistic, though. She knows that with the right guidance and outlets, the kids they help can do some really good things in the world and with their lives.
.
.
.
Stepping through the front doors of Improvise, Riley smiles at the people milling about in the front lobby getting ready to start their days. It's not a huge lobby, by any means, but it gets the job done. Their students rarely spend time in the lobby, anyways, most of them typically showing up right on time for their classes or heading straight for the study room. They don't always stay in the building for classes, though. Occasionally they'll take their students on field trips of sorts, take them around Los Angeles to get some fresh air, and apply some of the skills they learn in real-world situations. Always under careful supervision, though.
A quiet gasp draws her attention and she looks down at her son standing next to her holding her hand. "What is it, baby?"
"Kai!" he shouts with a grin and then breaks free of her hand to dart across the floor, his Star Wars backpack bouncing against him as he goes.
Riley smiles when she sees Kai spin around to catch Jack just in time as he leaps toward her. A laugh bubbles out of her as she watches the two, sometimes not quite believing that it's real. There's a part of her that never thought one of her oldest friends would get to step foot in the real world again. But she realized pretty quickly after coming up with the idea for Improvise that they would need more than just her and Mac to teach classes. Kai had been one of her first thoughts for the computer sciences division of their endeavor.
Others were wary, naturally, but Mac had her back like he always does, and together they convinced the powers-that-be to let Kai out of prison to help mold young minds. And Kai has done nothing but prove to Riley that she made the right choice.
"Mommy!"
She's pulled out of her thoughts and smiles sweetly at her son as she moves across the floor toward the pair, adjusting the straps of her own backpack so they sit more comfortably on her shoulders. "Well, I hope you two haven't been over here plotting against me."
Kai gives her a look. "We would never. Right, little man?"
Jack nods. "Right. Mommy, can I go with Kai?"
Riley looks at her friend. "Do you mind? I have some important Director stuff to follow up on before my class later and Mac has a few labs so you'd be a big help."
Kai shakes her head. "It's not a problem at all. He can help me run the drills today. Probably safer than whatever Mac's cooking up for his students."
Riley laughs quietly. "Yeah, probably." She looks at her son and runs a hand over his head before cupping his chin gently so he's looking at her. "You be good for Kai, alright? I don't want to hear that you weren't listening or were getting into something you weren't supposed to."
Jack nods. "Okay, mommy." He leans forward enough to wrap his arms around her neck in a hug. "I love you."
She smiles. "I love you too, baby." She brushes her son's hair back again when he lets go of her. "Daddy and I will see you after we're done working. Then we'll go home and get ready for everyone to come over." She slowly moves backward, catching Mac out of the corner of her eye talking to one of the other instructors. She smiles at her friend and her son. "You two behave. Kai, he has his snacks and his lunch in his backpack, so please, nothing unhealthy that I know you brought with you."
Kai cups a hand around her ear playfully. "What was that? I didn't quite catch it."
She narrows her eyes. "I know you heard me."
"I heard you, mommy."
Riley smiles. "And that's why you're my favorite. Be good." She blows him a kiss and then turns around to make her way toward her office.
Mac catches her on the way, his hand easily slipping into hers as he walks with her. "Where's Jack?"
"With Kai. She agreed to watch him for us until we're done."
Mac frowns. "Oh."
Her brows furrow slightly. "What?"
He shakes his head. "It's nothing. I was just excited about having Jack in the lab with me."
"Mac, he's three, and you're going to be working with a lot of dangerous chemicals today. You can't honestly tell me that you think having a toddler in that setting is a good idea."
Mac sighs, running a hand over the back of his head. "No, you're right. Maybe one of the entry labs would be a safer bet."
Riley smiles. "And we both know he'd love to help you with one of those." She takes a deep breath and stops when they reach the office, turning to face her husband. "Thank you for walking me, but you better get going before your students get restless and try to start the lab without you."
Mac chuckles. "They wouldn't do…" His smile falters and then his eyes go wide. "I'm gonna go." He leans down to give her a quick kiss, utters a simple "Love you", and then rushes in the direction of the labs.
Shaking her head with a quiet laugh, Riley steps into her office and flips on the light, crossing to the desk on the other side of the room. She drops her backpack on the floor and lowers herself into the chair, immediately sinking into its comfortability. It's just like the chair she has at home and it's incredible.
Pulling her tablet out, she boots it up and then leans back in her chair to take a moment to admire the photos sitting on her desk. She never thought she'd be someone who keeps precious personal photos on display at her place of work. Mostly because she was locked up and never thought she'd end up in a place of work like this, and the only photo she would ever consider putting out at that point in her life would be one of her and her mom.
But now she's the Director of a very important venture and has a small handful of her favorite photos sitting along the edge of her desk, showing off what she's most proud of her: her family. There are two double frames sitting right near the center where she can always see them. The photo on the left of the first set was taken when Mac proposed to her in Hawaii right before they came home, and the one on the right is from their first dance on their wedding day. The photo on the left of the second set is of them in the hospital with their son in their arms the day he was born, and then on the right is a photo of the three of them from Jack's most recent birthday. There are a few individual frames with various shots of them from their Phoenix days with the old team. And a photo of her and her mom, too, naturally.
A knock at the door grabs her attention and she sits up a little. "Come in." She smiles at the woman on the other side when the door opens. "Cynthia, hey. What's up?"
"Mr. Wilcox is here to see you. He brought a couple of teens with him as well."
"Well, that was fast," she mutters under her breath. "Tell him I'll be right out."
Cynthia nods and then steps back, pulling the door closed with her.
Riley lets out a breath, glancing at her tablet. "I guess my other important Director stuff will have to wait."
Grabbing her cell phone and sliding it into her pockets as she stands, Riley moves toward the door and pulls it open to step into the hallway. She keeps one hand under her belly and one on her back as she walks, a professional smile tugging at her lips when she reaches the front lobby. "David."
The man in question turns in her direction, a matching smile on his lips. "Mrs. MacGyver, good to see you again."
"You as well." Her eyes drift to the young boy and girl standing next to him, both of them continuously shuffling on their feet while their eyes dart around the room rapidly. She recognizes them immediately from the file David had sent her earlier; Kyle and Anna, fourteen-year-old twins with a lot of trauma looming over them. "Kyle, Anna," she says, getting their attention. "Hi, I'm Riley. Welcome to Improvise. Has David told you anything about what we do here?"
Anna shrugs. "Not really. Just that if we don't do this then our lives are going to suck."
"I didn't say that exactly."
Riley groans. "Seriously, David? We've talked about this. Stop threatening kids that their lives are going to be horrible if they don't come here." She turns her attention back to the teens. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions, but one thing I want to make clear is that we don't ask too much from you when you're here, just that you be yourselves, that you participate if you genuinely want to be here, and you treat everyone with the same respect you want them to treat you with."
"So what exactly is this place, then?" Anna asks.
Riley smiles. "Well, I'd be more than happy to show you, if you'd like."
Anna and Kyle share a look, a few silent moments passing between them, and then Anna looks at her again. She shrugs. "I guess that's okay. We're already here."
"Excellent, follow me, then." She gestures for them to walk with her and then begins making her way through the building, albeit a little slower than she'd like. She takes a deep breath, rubbing a hand over her belly. "At its core, Improvise is here to give kids like you a chance when no one else believes in them. I know what it's like to get too deep into something and then think that that's the end. But then I had a couple of people give me a second chance; they believed in me, allowed me to use my skills for good, and make something with my life." She stops when she reaches the computer sciences hallway and turns around to look at the twins. "That's exactly what we want to do for you, but we want to help you before you get too deep into that hole."
"Who's 'we'?" Anna asks.
Riley smiles. "Me and my husband. We started this program together after leaving our previous job because we still wanted to do something meaningful with our lives. This allows us more time to spend with our family while still helping people, which we both love to do."
"Okay," Anna says, "I'll bite. What do we do here?"
"I'm glad you asked. If you'll keep walking with me, I can show you a little of what we have to offer." She turns and makes her way down the hall. "At Improvise we focus on STEM subjects, but much more casually than a regular school would. Right now we're in our computer sciences wing, my personal favorite. We can teach you anything from basic coding skills to the more complicated stuff that they use in the big leagues."
She stops in front of an open doorway, peering inside and smiling when she sees Kai wandering between the computer stations with Jack hanging off her back as she addresses the class. "This is one of a few classes for computer sciences that we offer," she says, looking at Anna and Kyle. "They're currently going over the basics of coding to keep it fresh in their minds and—"
"Mommy!"
Turning back toward the classroom, Riley laughs when Jack collides with her legs and hugs her tightly. She runs a hand over his head. "Hi, baby. Are you having fun helping Kai?"
Jack leans back and nods. "Yeah. Mommy, who's that?" he asks, his eyes darting to the side.
Riley glances at the small group beside her and then back at her son. "Well, I know you remember Mr. David. But the other two are Anna and Kyle, and they might start taking classes here."
Jack grins and looks at the siblings. "You gotta! It's so super fun."
Riley laughs quietly. "Thanks for the endorsement, Jack. You gonna go back and keep helping Kai, or are you gonna help me give a tour?"
"With you," Jack responds, hugging her tighter around the legs.
She smiles. "Well then let's get going. We're gonna show them daddy's wing next."
Jack bounces on his feet with an excited smile. "Yay!" He steps away from her and grabs Anna and Kyle's hands, tugging on them. "Come on. Daddy makes 'splosions."
"He's running some experiments today with his classes that use explosive chemicals," Riley explains. "Which means you"—she glances down pointedly at her son—"aren't going inside the lab."
Jack pouts. "Fine."
Riley smiles and then looks back up at her companions. "Shall we keep moving?"
The rest of the tour goes about as well as it usually does. Anna asks all sorts of questions as they move through the building, but Riley's not sure if it's because she's genuinely interested in taking classes or just hoping to be done faster. Kyle seems a bit more reserved, but that's nothing they aren't used to; many of the kids that have joined their program since they opened are pretty quiet and in their shells. Some of them it's just their personality and they become more confident over their time with Improvise, while others come out of that shell completely and become more outgoing. Whatever path they go down, she loves seeing all the progress they make.
When they eventually reach the physical sciences hall, Jack breaks out of her hold and makes a beeline for the lab Mac is in, stretching up to reach for the door handle.
"Jackson Henry MacGyver, don't you dare open that door."
He stops and turns to her with wide eyes. "What?"
She narrows her eyes as she gets closer. "You heard me. I already told you you're not going in there while your dad's working with dangerous chemicals. Now let go of that handle."
Jack slowly lets go of the door handle and then stands with his back against the wall, kicking the toe of his shoe against the linoleum floor. "Sorry, mommy."
Riley sighs heavily, rubbing a hand over her face. "Thank you." She turns toward the small group with her and takes a deep breath. "So, as I said before, this is our physical sciences wing. We've got a few labs down here where you can do all kinds of science experiments. My husband is one of the instructors in this wing as well the engineering wing right next door."
"Uh, do you...do you guys ever build any robots?" Kyle speaks up quietly.
Riley smiles and nods. "We do. Well, the engineering kids do. Robots of every shape, size, and function. They've even started entering competitions recently and have done really well for themselves. And the best part about all of this is that we're open year-round except for major holidays, and it's completely free. Neither of you has to pay a single penny while you're here."
Anna's brows furrow together tightly. "How is that possible? Nothing's ever free."
"Improvise is. When we built this, we made sure that the kids who attend never have to worry about money. Because not everyone comes from the same economic background and would be able to afford something like this normally and we want to give you all the same chance."
"But how do you guys stay open if no one pays for taking classes?"
"Very generous friends," she says with a small laugh, resting a hand on top of her son's head when the little boy wanders over and stands right next to her.
Anna shifts. "Okay. But if we come here...what do we even get out of it? Yeah, it keeps us out of trouble or whatever, but then what?"
"You get opportunities," Mac's voice joins them. "Opportunities that you might not have had otherwise."
Riley smiles over her shoulder as Mac comes to stand next to her, one of his arms wrapping around her waist and his hand resting on the side of her belly. She leans into him instinctively and lets out a small breath. "He's right. By taking classes here at Improvise, you'll learn new skills, develop ones you already have, and then once you're ready, you can do all sorts of things."
"Like what?" Kyle asks. "You didn't...you didn't say."
Mac smiles, lifting Jack into his arms. "Well, for one, college. We have a room here that many of our students utilize to keep up on their school work, allowing them to maintain a good GPA. Combining that with the skills they learn here, they're able to earn scholarships to various colleges across the country to earn degrees in whatever field they want to go into so they can find jobs and build careers."
"We're just a jumping-off point," Riley tells them. "At-risk kids who are interested in STEM come here and learn the skills they need to make a better future for themselves. And if you both want, we can help you do that too."
Kyle shifts a little. "Um...I...I kind of want to build robots."
Riley bites back a laugh when she sees the way her husband's eyes light up at Kyle's words. He's like a kid in a candy store when it comes to this kind of stuff and she finds it beyond adorable.
"Well, then you're in luck," Mac says. "Because our engineering students are always working on new robotic designs and I'm sure they'd be more than happy to have another set of hands and some fresh eyes."
Anna takes a step in front of her brother. "Uh, we still don't know if we're going to do this. I think we'll need to talk about it first."
Riley nods. "That's fair. It's a big decision to make. But our doors are always open if you ever decide to join. Whether it's today, tomorrow, a week, or even a month from now, we'll be here."
Exchanging goodbyes with the small group, Riley watches them exit the hall on their way back to the lobby. She'd offered to walk them, but David had insisted that he remembered the way and that she'd already done plenty for them.
"I don't remember a tour being on your schedule for today," Mac remarks as he gently rubs his hand over her belly.
She lets out a breath, her eyes fluttering closed at the feeling. "There wasn't. David decided to stop by unexpectedly with the kids he was telling me about."
"Ah. So then I take it you haven't gotten any work done yet."
"Nope. But I have a class in a little bit so I should probably go back and try to get some work done before then."
"Want me to walk you back to your office?"
She shakes her head. "No, that's okay. You need to go finish teaching your lab." She opens her eyes and reluctantly steps out of his hold, looking at her son. "Let's go, Jack, time to get you back to Kai's class so mommy can get some work done."
"Okay." Jack slides down out of Mac's hold and then grabs onto her hand.
Riley smiles down at him and then looks back at her husband, leaning up to give him a quick kiss. "I'll see you when we're done."
Mac smiles. "Yeah. Have fun."
"You too." She gives him another smile and then turns around to make her way back down the hall with Jack at her side, her free hand resting under her belly.
She smiles as she listens to her son tell her what he was doing in Kai's class earlier, how he got to give high-fives to the students whenever they got something right. He hops along beside her as she walks and tells her how much fun he's having and how he's going to show Kai all of his new toys when she comes to the house later.
For the third time that day, Jack breaks away from her when they reach the lobby, and if she wasn't heavily pregnant she'd chase after him. But she also knows that he's completely safe in this building, so she doesn't worry too much about it right now.
She smiles when she sees him shouting excitedly and leaping into the thankfully waiting arms of one of the students, Nicole. She was one of their first students when they opened, reminded Riley a little of herself at that age, and she'd been only a little surprised when Jack had attached himself to the teenager so quickly.
Riley stands back and watches for a moment as they hug and chat, beyond grateful that everyone involved in Improvise makes Jack feel so welcome whenever he has to come with her and Mac. Their little boy loves being in the classes and hanging out with all the students, but he prefers Nicole over anyone else.
"Mommy! I found Nicole!"
Riley laughs quietly as she approaches. "I can see that. How are you doing, Nicole? I know it just started but is your senior year treating you well so far?"
Nicole lets out a breath, shifting Jack onto her hip. "Only time will tell. I just hope I don't completely screw up."
"Hey, you've got this," Riley tells her with a soft smile. "And you know we're here to help you with whatever you need. You've come a long way since you started here, and Mac and I are both insanely proud."
"Thanks, Riley. That means a lot."
"Of course." She shifts on her feet a little, rubbing her hand against her belly when the baby kicks a little harder than usual. "Now, if I remember correctly, you should be in Kai's class right now."
Nicole smiles sheepishly. "I know. I'm running super late. But I promise it's not on purpose."
Riley smiles softly. "I know. But you better get going so you don't miss too much more of it."
"Mommy, can I go with Nicole?"
"Would you mind?" Riley asks the teen. "I was going to take him back myself, but if you're headed there anyways…"
Nicole shakes her head. "I don't mind. Jack and I have lots to talk about anyways, don't we?"
Jack smiles and nods. "Yeah." He hugs Nicole around the neck, pressing his cheek against hers. "I missed you."
"I missed you too, buddy. Say bye to your mom."
Jack waves at her as Nicole starts making her way toward the computer sciences wing, hiking Jack up a little higher on her hip. "Bye, mommy."
Riley waves back. "Bye, baby."
Letting out a breath when they disappear from view, Riley glances at the clock on the lobby wall and then turns around to head back to her office. Her impromptu tour derailed her plans for the morning, which means she doesn't have much time left before she has to go teach one of the more advanced coding classes. So now she's going to have to reprioritize what she needs to do in the office before her class starts. And there is a lot she needs to do. But it's all worth it to keep this place up and running for the kids who need the classes. Completely worth it.
.
.
.
Mac hasn't stopped smiling since their guests started arriving. And now the party is well underway, even though everyone's just sitting around talking and eating. Then again, it's a baby shower, so there's not much for everyone to do other than to sit around and talk. Riley didn't want to do anything too crazy, just like the last time, so there are no wacky games for everyone to play. It's just good food, presents for the baby, and spending time with their friends and family.
Unlike how most baby showers have only women in attendance, both their baby showers have consisted of everyone closest to them, including some of the people they work with at Improvise, not just the women. He'd been completely on board with the idea when Riley suggested it the last time. And now, with Riley being seven months pregnant with their second child, they're doing it all again, having everyone over to celebrate the soon-to-be newest member of the family. And he's ridiculously happy.
Laughter draws his attention and he smiles a little brighter when he sees Riley sitting in one of the deck chairs that he modified to make more comfortable for her the last time she was pregnant. Her entire face is lit up in a smile, one hand resting on her pregnant belly while the other is curled around a glass of her favorite smoothie that they discovered she loved the last time. Her mom and Kai sit in chairs on either side of her, the three of them talking and laughing together.
The sight of Riley like that makes his heart swell, he never gets tired of looking at her and being reminded of where their lives are at now. It's crazy sometimes to think about how far they've come in a decade. He genuinely did not think upon first meeting Riley that she'd become so important to him as quickly as she did. But now she's the love of his life, mother of his children, and he's beyond glad that he finally acted on his feelings that he thought were one-sided for so long.
Familiar, slender arms snake around him from the side and he smiles down at his wife, one of his arms instinctively wrapping around her waist. "Hey."
She smiles up at him. "Hi. You've got that look on your face. What's on your mind?"
"Not much. Just enjoying the weather." He lets out a breath and tightens his arm around her waist to pull her a little closer. "What do you think about taking a mini-vacation before the baby comes? We could leave Jack with your mom for a few days and go somewhere."
"What did you have in mind? Because there's not much I can do right now without feeling completely drained two seconds later."
Mac smiles. "I know. It doesn't have to be anything exciting, we could honestly just book a hotel room for a few days and relax. Or something else equally as calm and relaxing. We could do it a few weeks before your due date if you're still feeling up to it by then."
Riley smiles, stretching up onto her toes to kiss him. "I think that sounds perfect. But first...get me another smoothie?" she asks with a grin, holding up her empty glass.
He laughs quietly, taking the glass and kissing her. "Of course." He watches as she waddles—he never uses that word out loud because she hates it—back to her chair and then he makes his way inside the house toward the kitchen.
Setting the glass on the counter, he moves around the space to grab everything he needs to make Riley another smoothie. With how quickly she tends to go through them, he always makes sure that they have plenty of each ingredient on hand so they don't risk running out.
"Mac, just the man I've been looking for."
Looking up as he sets the smoothie ingredients on the counter, Mac smiles at the man approaching him from the hallway. "Evan, hey. What's up?"
Evan steps into the kitchen and rests his hands on the edge of the counter, leaning forward just a little. "I wanted to talk to you."
"Okay. What about?" Mac asks, starting the process of making Riley's smoothie.
Evan shifts a little on his feet. "How do you like being a dad?"
Mac's face instantly lights up. "Oh, it's the best. Yes, Jack was completely unexpected, but Riley and I knew pretty much right away after we found out she was pregnant that it's what we both wanted. There were a few moments throughout her pregnancy, though, where I would start to doubt that I'd be a good dad."
"Really?"
Mac nods. "Yeah. Even though I was excited, I was still terrified. My dad walked out on me when I was ten, and didn't come back into my life until I was almost thirty. And then he died after we were finally in a good place again. Somewhere in the back of my mind I was scared that I'd inadvertently end up just like him."
"But you haven't," Evan points out. "I mean, I know Jack's not even four yet, but I can tell from the look on your face whenever you're with him and Riley that you'd never even consider leaving them."
"I really wouldn't. The two of them, plus the new baby, are my entire world. They're what keeps me going every day." He drops all the smoothie ingredients into the blender and then pushes the button to turn it on. Once it's done he takes it off the base and pours the concoction into Riley's glass. "So, not that I don't enjoy talking about how much I love being a dad, but what brought all this up?" Mac asks his friend.
Evan nods. "Right, yeah." He takes a slow, deep breath. "Desi and I have been talking about possibly starting a family."
Mac's eyes go wide and then he's smiling. "What? That's great, man. Congratulations."
Evan smiles. "Thanks. We've only had a couple of conversations about it, so we haven't decided for sure if we're going to or not, but I like the idea of having a couple of kids running around one day. However, I've heard that some pregnant women can have serious back problems and I'd hate for Desi to have to go through all of that. After that last incident, she's finally at a point where the pain in her back no longer makes her want to cry."
Mac smiles. "I understand your concern. But it's something you two will need to discuss, and probably talk with her doctor about too. And if it's too risky, or you're worried about what might happen, there are plenty of other ways for you two to start a family if that's something you decide you want."
Evan lets out a breath. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks, Mac. You know, it still amazes me to this day that I'm able to be such good friends with someone my wife used to date."
Mac chuckles. "Yeah, I get that." He takes a deep breath. "Now, while I do enjoy talking to you, I should get this smoothie to my own wife before she decides to freeze all my bank accounts indefinitely."
The two men share a laugh as they walk toward the doors leading to the back deck. Mac narrowly manages to avoid tripping over one of Jack's toys on the way, kicking it off to the side and then following Evan up the stairs.
It's true that he never thought he'd be such close friends with Evan. Mainly because he thought the man was dead. And then when he and Riley came back from their trip to find out that Evan was alive and living in Los Angeles, he'd been surprised. But not angry.
How could he be angry when Desi finally seemed genuinely happy? And Mac was more than happy in his own relationship with Riley, the two of them having just gotten engaged. So no, he wasn't angry. And he was civil toward Evan when they were introduced. He just didn't expect to become such good friends with the man so soon after. He's not complaining, though. Evan's a good man and a good friend, fitting in so seamlessly to their group.
Mac smiles when he sees Evan approach Desi on the deck where she's talking with Parker and Bozer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to pull her closer. Desi leans into him as she snakes one arm around his waist.
Moving across the deck and approaching Riley, Mac's brows furrow slightly when he sees their son lying against Diane with his arms and legs hanging down, Chewbacca sitting right behind him on Diane's knees. He hands Riley her smoothie and then sits down on the arm of her chair, gesturing wordlessly to Jack.
"He wore himself out running around with Chewie," Riley tells him and then takes a sip of her smoothie.
Mac nods. "Ah. And his Nana was clearly a better choice than his bed," he says, smiling softly at his son.
Diane smiles, laughing quietly as she rubs a hand up and down her grandson's back. "Oh, I don't think he would have made it to his bed. Even if someone carried him."
"Well, at least he's comfortable. You sure you don't mind him using you as a pillow?" Mac asks his mother-in-law.
Diane waves him off. "I never mind when it comes to my grandbaby."
Mac smiles. "Right." He glances down at Riley. "You still feeling okay?"
She nods, leaning against him, her head resting against his side. "Yeah, I'm good. I'm probably gonna sleep for a very long time after this, though."
"Do you want me to have everyone leave now?" he asks, his wife's health and well-being always his number one priority. Right up there with their son.
Riley just smiles and shakes her head, resting a hand on his leg and squeezing gently. "No, babe, I'm okay. I can hang on for a little bit longer."
He opens his mouth to respond when a hand claps him roughly on the shoulder, nearly knocking him into Riley if his reflexes weren't so good. He turns a little, looking up over his shoulder and giving the man a tight smile. "Russ."
"Angus," he says with a bright smile. "How's my investment doing?"
Mac raises a brow at the older man. "You mean our year-round STEM program designed to give at-risk kids a chance to develop valuable skills that will allow them to create a better future for themselves when no one else will believe in them?"
Russ nods quickly. "Yes, that's the one."
Mac chuckles. "Four years later and it's still going well."
"Any potential Phoenix Foundation candidates?" Matty asks as she wanders over to them.
Riley laughs quietly. "I think right now we're just focused on keeping them out of trouble. But we'll let you and Bozer know if anyone seems like they'd be a good fit down the road."
"Be sure that you do."
"We do have a couple of new prospective students, though," Mac speaks up, "but we're not sure how it'll turn out. It's a brother and sister, twins, so it could go either way."
"I'm pretty confident they'll join," Riley speaks up. "Kyle seemed interested in building robots, and although Anna didn't look nearly as interested in anything there, she seems like the type to join something like this so her brother can be happy. I give it a few days before they decide to start."
Mac smiles. "Very insightful." He leans down to give her a quick kiss. "There's a reason why you're the woman in charge. And you do it so well. I don't know if I'm going to be able to handle the day-to-day of it all when you go on maternity leave."
"You'll be fine, just like last time. You and Kai can manage for a while without me. And I'm not on maternity leave for another month and a half, so I plan on doing as much work as I can until then to make it easier on the both of you."
"Well, we definitely appreciate that. Just don't work yourself too hard, okay?"
"I agree with Mac," Bozer's voice drifts over to them as he approaches, Desi, Parker, and Evan right behind him. Bozer smiles gently at Riley. "I know you love what you do, but just take it easy, alright? Can't have my niece being born before she's ready 'cause you stressed yourself out."
"I second that," Desi speaks up, raising one hand in the air. "Knowing how Riley gets when she goes into labor that's on time, I don't think any of us want to see Riley if the labor happens too early."
Parker nods. "Absolutely. Seeing as Desi and I had to deal with your irritability until Mac arrived, I don't want to go through that, or worse, again if I can avoid it."
"I agree with them," Kai interjects with a smile.
Riley rolls her eyes. "Seriously, you guys? You're all going to gang up on me right now? I'll be fine, I promise. I won't overwork myself. The last thing I want is to go into labor too early. Jack was right on time so I'm gonna pray for the same thing with this baby."
Mac smiles. "Well, while you do that, I'm going to start taking all these gifts inside so I don't have to do it later." He presses a quick kiss to her hairline and then stands up to move toward the stack of presents they'd piled up on one side of the deck once Riley was done opening them. "Boze, wanna give me a hand?"
"Uh, not really."
Mac rolls his eyes and grabs Bozer's arm, pulling his best friend along behind him. "Come on." He laughs quietly when Bozer trips over his feet and then focuses on the pile of presents in front of him.
They'd mostly gotten clothes and some new toys for the baby, seeing as they already have a crib, stroller, and a few other larger items from when Jack was a baby. Both of them knew that they wanted at least one more kid eventually, so they'd only kept some of the bigger things to use the second time around. They just didn't expect Riley to get pregnant again a month before their wedding.
Grabbing as many bags and boxes as he can carry, Mac makes his way down the steps and into the house. He heads straight for the living room and sets the gifts down on whatever surface is closest, then lets out a breath, his hands coming to rest on his waist.
"Just put those wherever," he tells Bozer when his friend enters the room right after him.
Bozer sets the presents down and then turns to look at him with a smile. "Not much longer now, Mac. I know everyone's always checking on Riley because she's the one carrying the kid, but somebody needs to check in on you too. How are you doing with all of this?"
"I'm good, Bozer, honestly. I know I was freaking out a lot when we had Jack, but I was a new parent and had no clue what I was doing. I was beyond terrified."
Bozer raises a brow. "And you're not terrified now?"
Mac laughs. "Oh, no, I'm still terrified."
Bozer laughs with him. "You're excited, though, right?"
Mac beams and nods. "Definitely. I can't wait to be a new dad again."
Bozer claps him on the shoulder. "Well, I'm happy for you, man. I know we don't hang out a lot anymore because we no longer work at the same job or live in the same house, but I'm still your best friend and I only ever want to see you happy."
"Same to you," Mac says. "And speaking of your happiness, how are things going between you and Vanessa?"
Bozer chuckles. "Pretty good. A part of me is always going to love and miss Leanna, but I think I can see myself having with Vanessa what you have with Riley."
Mac smiles. "I'm happy to hear that. I'm sorry she couldn't make it, though. I know Riley was looking forward to seeing her again."
"She wanted to be here. But she thinks she might be coming down with a cold and didn't want to risk exposing Riley to it."
"Tell her we appreciate it. And that we missed her today."
"I will. Now let's finish bringing these gifts inside so we can get back out there and join the party."
Mac chuckles. "Yeah." He claps his friend on the back and then follows him toward the deck. He's glad that he and Bozer are still able to find time to hang out whenever they can. It was tough at first to find time to hang out with his friend since he and Riley were starting up Improvise at the same time they were preparing for a baby and then struggling with being new parents. But he and Bozer managed to make it work back then. And they still do. Just like Riley still finds time to hang out with her own friends amidst all the parenting and running a company.
A knock at the door has him pausing mid-step and he looks at his friend. "You go. I'm gonna get the door." Mac nudges Bozer forward when he doesn't move, laughing quietly when his best friend stumbles up the steps.
Shaking his head with a smile, Mac turns and makes his way to the front of the house. He pulls open the door and his smile widens when he sees the two figures standing on the other side. "Milton? Lauretta? We didn't think you could make it."
Lauretta passes a gift bag to Milton and then steps forward to pull Mac into a tight hug. "We were able to get away last minute and wanted to surprise you both." She leans back and gently cups his cheek. "How are you doing?"
He grins. "I'm great. Riley's on the back deck with everyone else if you guys want to head out there," he says, gesturing over his shoulder. "There should still be some food left, made by your son, of course, if either of you is hungry."
Lauretta smiles brightly and releases him from the hug. "Oh, good. Remind me how far along Riley is now?"
"She just hit thirty-three weeks the other day," he tells her, pushing the door closed after Milton steps through. He accepts the hug from the older man and then takes a deep breath and looks at the both of them. "I'm glad you were both able to come."
"So are we," Milton says. "Come on, hun," he says to Lauretta, guiding her toward the back deck with a hand on her back. "Let's go join the others."
Mac follows behind them as they go, eager to see Riley's reaction to the Bozer's showing up. Lauretta had taken an immediate liking to Riley when Mac introduced them during his and Riley's trip before they did the world traveling portion. He knows they stay in touch too, which makes him immensely happy. And Milton was more than happy to give Mac plenty of advice on how to keep the relationship lasting and healthy when Mac had told him that Riley was the one. Communication was his biggest piece of advice, though Mac had just smiled because that's never been an issue for him and Riley. Communication is probably their strongest quality together, even before they were a couple.
Stepping up onto the deck, Mac stops for a moment and smiles as he watches Riley greet the Bozer's with a wide grin and tears in her eyes, eagerly accepting both their hugs when they lean down. She'd been understandably upset when Milton, Lauretta, and Elwood had said they wouldn't be able to make it to the baby shower this time around. So he knows that having the people who were basically his parents able to be here means a lot to Riley; it means a lot to him too.
Bozer ends up hijacking some of the hugs from Milton and Lauretta, seeing as they are his parents, and his childlike giddiness just makes Mac smile even bigger.
"Mac, come here. Look at how cute these are."
Moving toward his wife, Mac smiles and admires the outfits she's holding up. "Oh, those are going to look great on her. Once she's big enough to wear them, of course."
"We wanted to get something that she wouldn't grow out of right away," Lauretta tells him.
He smiles. "Well thank you. We'll make sure to send you pictures when she's wearing them."
"Good."
Mac chuckles quietly and then takes the gift from Riley when she holds it up to him. He leans down to press a kiss to her temple and then moves to the side of the deck to grab another stack of presents to take inside. He lingers by the pile, watching as Desi, Kai, and Parker rest their hands on Riley's belly, no doubt to feel the baby kicking. This baby is not nearly as active as Jack was, but she still gets a few kicks in now and then, much to Riley's dismay whenever she's trying to sleep. Riley's smiling brightly as she tells them all about her latest pregnancy milestones, though, one of her own hands resting on her belly. He loves seeing her face light up the way it does whenever she talks about their children. It's a sight he'll never get tired of seeing.
Bozer nudging his shoulder pulls him out of his head and he turns to see his friend standing next to him with an armful of gifts. "These baby gifts aren't for me so I shouldn't be the only one carrying them."
Mac chuckles. "Sorry, Boze. I can grab the rest if you want to go join everyone again."
Bozer grins. "Awesome." He shoves the gifts into Mac's arms and then hurries back over to the firepit with an excited cheer, immediately being reprimanded by all the women for being too loud while Jack is sleeping.
Mac laughs to himself at the offended look on his best friend's face, his eyes drifting over to his wife. He smiles softly at her when she looks at him, his heart swelling at the sight of her lounging back with a hand resting comfortably on her belly. "I love you," he mouths.
She beams, mouthing "I love you" back at him before her attention gets pulled away by Matty.
Letting out a breath, Mac turns around to head inside and deposit the gifts into the living room with the others. He knows he's going to start sorting through everything as soon as possible and putting it all away so that they'll be prepared when the baby comes. But there's a part of him that just wants to leave it all sitting for a few days before touching it again.
Just add it to the list of things they still have to do before the baby comes. And with roughly two months left until Riley's due date, it would make sense that they'd have plenty of time to get it all done. But they learned the hard way when she was pregnant with Jack that the days fly by quickly, and then before they know it they'll have a beautiful baby in their arms to take care of. And they'll be completely happy and in awe of the life they made together.
He smiles brightly at the thought of finally getting to hold his baby girl soon. He's been beyond thrilled since the moment they found out, the excitement never wavering, completely loving the idea of being a 'girl dad'. Especially if their little girl is a miniature version of Riley. Right down to her looks and her personality. He knows he's going to be a goner the second he lays eyes on her.
And as his wife's laughter drifts into the house, he's reminded once again that he's finally living his best life. That after all the pain and heartache and trauma he went through over the years, he was able to build a good life for himself with the woman he loves more than life itself. And he knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that it's only going to get better.
So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Also! Be sure to check out the 'savemacgyver' website for ways you can help keep the campaign going to save our show. :)
Until next time,
Jellybean96 out!