My first MacGyver fic! It's a missing scene for 4x13, that takes place during their first night back in LA, before the war room scene. I was inspired by the little nod, Riley gives Mac when he gets ready to tell the others about his plan to go to D.C. – It just seemed like she already knew what he was going to say… and here's why:

Sun + Rise + Riley

"Up early or late?" Riley asked as she stepped onto the deck. After tossing and turning all night, she had finally given up on the idea of getting a good night's sleep, only to realize that she wasn't the only one not getting any rest.

"Both?" Mac offered her a weak smile and she responded with an understanding nod.

"It's the adrenaline," he explained as she approached him.

"You sure that's all it is?" The lingering stress of the last few days might have been what was keeping her up, but Mac was doing a horrible job of disguising his anxiety.

"Well.." he looked down for a moment and took a deep breath. "That and my parents, Gwen …Desi, the general state of this planet…"

"Right..." Riley sighed and looked at him with imploring eyes, before she suddenly perked up. "Wanna get out of here?"

"It's 4.50 am, where do you want to go?"

"Just trust me."

"Am I allowed to change?" Mac asked, pointing out that they were both in pajamas.

"No time, jacket and shoes only!" Riley wasn't sure, where the sudden burst of energy had come from or if her plan would do any good, but she'd be damned if she didn't at least try to help Mac.

xoxo

"You did this," Riley beamed. After a quick stop for some milkshakes (strawberry for Mac and double chocolate for herself) at Mac's favorite diner, she had driven them to an outlook where they had settled on the hood of Mac's truck to watch the sun rise over the city.

"What do you mean?" Mac gave her a confused look.

"This!" She gestured at the pastel sky. "If you hadn't stopped that nuke, there would be no sunrise today."

"The sun would still rise," he corrected her. "We just wouldn't be able to see it because of the ashes, the eruption…"

"Mac," Riley cut him off, "just look!"

Mac pondered for a moment, but ultimately decided to humor her. An easy task, given the impressive display in front of him. It had started with a small ball of light, rising over the hills and valleys of the city, before increasing in size and brightness, meeting molecules and particles that scattered cool blues in favor of warm pinks.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments before Riley spoke up again. "I know that it feels like you're carrying the weight of the world, and in some ways you are..."

Her words caused Mac to visibly tense up.

"…but ," she put her free hand on his shoulder. "You're not doing it alone. It's ok to just sit back and enjoy it all for a moment. You got that?"

He turned his head and met her gaze, his blue eyes tinged with fondness. "Thank you, Riles. For everything."

"'till the end of world," she smiled into his eyes, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze before she pulled her hand away, knowing that Mac would be ok.

"I've been thinking," his confidence was slowly returning to his voice. "I want to honor my mom's research – use it the way she intended."

Riley nodded in approval. "She'd be proud of you."

"Of us," Mac added, giving her a little nudge.

"Now..." Riley spoke, a smirk forming on her lips. "Why don't you go ahead and explain to me why the sky looks like something out of My Little Pony, I know you want to," she teased.

"Well, since you're asking..." he started and Riley settled against him. A content look on her face, as she listened to him talk about wavelengths and spectrums. They would be ok.

Thanks for reading! Reviews are always appreciated.

Love,

Laura