Chapter One: An Unnecessary Apology

Mac dithered outside Matty's office trying to pluck up the courage to enter it. Now I know what your thinking. Mac just go in. She's not going to eat you. You'd be right but when your boss asks you to report to her after directly after a mission it's never good news. But you're right. Keeping her waiting isn't the best idea.

Mac bit the bullet and entered the office. Matty seemed to know he'd come in immediately. Not that was a surprise she was an ex-CIA agent and she'd been a good one. It occurred to Mac that Matty likely would be angry about his disregard for her orders. She's ordered him to come as soon as he got back to Phoenix and he hadn't done that. His father would never accept that from him. Even when he was a child he'd been strict about obedience and the punishment his father offered for going against him. Both Matty and his father had worked for the CIA so his boss would properly have the same reaction. So, before Matty could greet him Mac opened his mouth.

"I'm sorry Matty," Mac apologised "I disobeyed an order and that is unacceptable. I will accept any punishment you deem suitable."

Matty's look of confusion would have been hilarious had it not been for the circumstances.

"Mac, what are you talking about? What orders?" She asked. She wasn't aware of any orders that had been disobeyed. She always knew.

The team had just come from a mission in Nevada. Matty wanted to speak to Mac about the debrief and also wanted to check on him. She knew that his father had been hard on lately and while she planned to speak to Oversight too, she decided to check in with Mac first.

She knew that her favourite genius was sensitive especially when it came to his father and had been aware of the impact his father had on him. Because of that, she'd asked him to report to her as soon as he landed. Mac however had fallen awkwardly on his shoulder so had been ushered to medical by a concerned Desi.

"You ordered me to report to you as soon as we've landed ma'am. Desi made me go to medical when we landed. I landed badly on my shoulder."

"Mac." Matty interrupted trying to ease his mind. She hadn't been aware of his injury and if she had would have sent him to medical first. There was no need to reprimand him for that. Before she said all of this though, Mac was speaking again.

"I know ma'am. That is no excuse. I am the one that is responsible for my actions and injury is no excuse to disregard orders. I am very sorry."

"Mac-"

"I know you don't want apologises you want perfection and I wasn't that today."

"Mac"

"I'm a reflection of you ma'am and this organisation and when I disobey orders that reflects on you. So, any punishment-"

"Angus MacGyver!" Matty interrupted fiercely. The combination of his full name and the tone in which he said it caused him to flinch.

Matty suspected that Mac was repeating several old lectures that his father had given to him. She knew that James MacGyver was unforgiving in regards to mistakes when it came to his son. It had probably always been the case even when Mac was a child. The fact that Mac expected harsh punishment only highlighted that issue.

"Sorry, ma'am. What was it you were saying?"

Matty try to resist groaning. That was the fourth time he'd call her ma'am. This was worse than when she'd first took over. She thought back to when Mac had re-joined the team after discovering that James had been at the helm.

"I'm glad to see that you changed your mind and got over that petty grudge of yours Angus." James commented.

Mac had long since given up trying to call get his father to call him by his nickname. He'd also long since gotten used to his father speaking in that way. It wasn't that he was immune to it but that he had perfected his poker face.

"What can say I dad? I like this job. This team is my family."

"Sir." James corrected immediately

"I'm sorry?

"I may have been gone a while, but I had hoped you hadn't forgotten how to talk to me especially now am I your boss. You will address me as sir or there will be consequences. Is that clear?"

"Understand sir."

"Good. And I will be keeping an eye on you Angus. I haven't been able to intervene before due to my identity beginning hidden. Now that isn't a problem I can deal with certain concerns I have had observing your work."

"Concerns?"

"Yes, Angus. Concerns. I have not heard great things about your fieldwork."

"Mac is a brilliant operative and agent, James." Matty interrupted.

"I will be the judge of that Matilda."

Considering the way James insisted on the formality between the two. It made sense that it was Mac's response to a situation such as this

"Nothing is wrong Mac. You are not in any trouble. If you needed to go to medical then that comes first. My request to see you wasn't urgent. If you are injured or sick or harmed in any way and following orders may put that in jeopardy then I expect you to do what you can for the benefit of your health first. Is that clear?

"Yes ma'am."

"Mac. That's the fifth time you've called me ma'am. I thought we agreed on Matty.

Mac blushed not realising he'd fallen back on the honorific so much.

"Sorry, Matty. Force of habit."

"Mac I know I can appear like a hard ass, but I wouldn't punish you for going to medical when you need it." Matty told him.

"My father- I mean Oversight would have. As would Thornton."

"Well, I am neither Thornton nor Oversight. And you can refer to him as your father because that's what he is. You're not in any trouble so take a breath. You're fine."

Mac nodded and took a breath. If it had been his father he'd still be reaming Mac out and lecturing him about how he needed to be better. Thornton would have yelled at him for not following the chain of command and how it didn't matter the circumstances. Orders were orders. Matty was similar in her need for following the chain of command but she wasn't as harsh as Thornton.

"Now. I asked to see you see if you were all right. I know Oversight has been hard on you lately."

"Oh no. He's always been like that. He just wants me to be the best I can be."

"Mmm. Well, I think he should try and cut you some slack and I will be telling him this when I see him later."

"Please don't tell him I was injured or that I skipped out on speaking to you to go to medical."

"He probably already knows Mac, but he won't hear it from me."

Mac let out a breath he didn't realise that he was holding. Matty looked at her agent, really looked. His father made him nervous that much was obvious. She was beginning to grow concerned that there was something more to it than she'd first planned.

"Mac your father is a protectionist. He always has, and he's always will. He might not have that much tolerance for mistakes but he's wrong. You are human. And if I wanted an agent that would simply obey orders to the letter and not think for themselves I'd hire Sparky. While it's true when I give orders, I need them to be listened to, there will be times that you will need to disobey those orders. I am certain that you will be able to figure out when you are in that situation."

"If I disobeyed an order in the field you'd be pissed."

"Maybe. But if you can give me a good explanation for disobeying the order I will accept that. These things aren't always black and white like they are in the army. Like I said, if wanted an agent that will just follow orders, Sparky would be one of my top agents, not you."

The joke put a smile on Mac's face. Matty realised that it was the first time he'd smiled in months. The first time since Oversight's identity had been revealed.

"How's that shoulder?" Matty asked.

"It's going to be fine. The doctor says it's barely bruised."

"And if I check with Doctor Thomas she'll say the same thing?"

"Yes, Matty. She'll tell you it's good."

Matty smiled. She could tell when Mac was lying, and he was telling the truth. Good. She never wanted any of her agents to be injured but she had a certain soft spot for the blonde-haired genius.

"Next time you get injured let me know. Even if you think it's not serious. I like to be kept informed about the welfare of my agents. Especially when said agents are my friends too."

"Yes, Matty."

"I also asked to see to get your debrief from today's mission, but you seem tired Mac, so I will let you get home and we'll continue this after your report."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Are we still up for drinks later at your house?"

"Yeah. Jack's bringing the beer."

Matty chuckled.

"What bet did he lose?"

"I can neither confirm nor deny that there was a bet." Mac deadpanned.

"Mac. I know that your relationship with your father has been a bone of contention between the two of you but please know that I am always here."

"As a neutral third party?" Mac asked thinking about how Jack had said the same except his promise had included a lot more violence. In particular, it involved injury to a certain Oversight's special area.

"As whatever you need." Matty answered.

Notice how Matty empathised what I need and not what I want. The two things are not always mutually exclusive but when it comes to your agents you can never be too sure. Sometimes what you need isn't what you want. I've learnt that the hard way.

"Go home Mac," Matty ordered "I'll be at your house in a few hours. I'll bring doughnuts."

Mac turned and left the office feeling a little silly for being so nervous about seeing Matty. She wasn't unreasonable. He knew that. He knew she wasn't like his father.

My grandfather would say 'Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear.' He wasn't religious he just knew it was true.

"Where do you think you are going, Angus?" The telling sound of James' MacGyver's voice stopped Mac from getting far down the corridor.

"Home," Mac informed him. "Sir." he added at his dad's glare.

"No, you're not. You're coming with me. There are a few things we need to discuss."

"Can't it wait, sir? I'm tired." Mac asked without thinking. His shoulder was hurting, and he wanted to go home. He should have known better than to ask. When his dad told him to do something he expected Mac to comply immediately. The question would likely anger him further which was not a situation he wanted to be in.

He knew he was right when his father's eyes hardened like steel. He took a threatening step towards his son took one back out of instinct. It didn't stop his father from grabbing hold of his arm (thankfully not the one connected to his injured shoulder) and gave it a tight squeeze.

"No, it cannot wait Angus. I expected better than to question me. I would not push me if I were you."

"I'm sorry sir." His father let go of his arm, but his eyes remained hard and cold.

"I have heard that you not only sustained an injury due to your carelessness, but you also disobeyed orders. I will not allow insolence and I will not accept incompetence. We will be discussing that in great detail including why such behaviour is unacceptable."

James turned and went in the direction of his office. He fully expected his son to follow him and when he did not he growled.

"Now Angus!"

Mac inwardly cursed. It seemed like his bad luck was never over. While he wanted nothing more than to go home, shower, put his feet up and chill out around the firepit, he couldn't. He knew from experience what happened when he'd disobeyed his father before or kept him waiting. It was never pretty.

"I'm coming sir." Mac assured.

Despite what Jack said he did have some sense of self-preservation. So, he did exactly what he was told and followed his father to his office, hoping that he wouldn't be too hard on him. He knew it was pointless but here's to hoping right?