Hey babes! Back with a new one for ya! This is gonna be a two-parter fic, a little alternate take on that ending scene of 5x14, if Desi had shown up during Mac and Riley's conversation. This is my interpretation of that. Started this one a while back, had maybe the first sentence written, and then got busy with so many other MacRiley fics. But recently I found it again and was struck with inspiration. So here we go. This one kinda spiraled, maybe, but I'm not complaining. And I don't think any of you will either, seeing as you get two chapters. :)
This first piece is from Desi's POV, and the second will be from Mac's.
Enjoy!
Arriving back at the house, the first thing Desi's aware of is the other car sitting in the driveway. She recognizes it immediately, given how often she's seen it in the parking lot at the Phoenix. She just doesn't know why it's here. They've all had a rough time recently, and she knows that she and Mac were going to spend some time relaxing by the fire before going to bed. So she doesn't know why Mac would have potentially invited someone over.
Entering the house, she crosses straight for the kitchen to set down the grocery bags, her curiosity still running rampant. She could put the groceries away right now, and just ignore whatever might be happening, but her curiosity gets the better of her. So she leaves the bags sitting on the counter and moves toward the doors leading out to the back deck, the two voices getting louder and the conversation getting clearer as she goes.
She stops when she reaches the doorway, grateful that it's already open, and then leans against the frame, watching and listening to the conversation she walked in on.
"…for Auntie's memorial garden," Mac's quiet voice drifts toward her as she finally focuses on the scene. "At the Mission City library."
Riley shifts, no doubt holding the brick that was mentioned. "For showing me how to dream, with open eyes," Riley speaks softly, "travel without moving my feet, and rest in the power of knowledge. Love, Angus."
Things are quiet, and Desi almost moves forward up the steps to interrupt. But she hesitates when she sees Mac shifting. Her curiosity rears its head again, needing to know what Mac is going to say next.
"I am so tired of losing family," his voice sounds broken and she'd bet anything that he's close to tears. "But given what we do, I just fear it's always just a matter of time."
Riley moves a second later, setting the brick down and pulling Mac into a hug that he willingly melts into, his arms wrapping around Riley. "You're never gonna lose me," she says, her voice barely able to be heard. They lean away, one of Mac's arms staying around Riley's waist so casually while hers remain around his neck. "We're family," Riley tells him, and Mac has a small, but genuine, smile on his face. "Forever." And then they're back in a hug.
Her heart should be breaking right now (though maybe in some way it is). She should be angry and jealous and hurt. Logically, seeing her boyfriend wrapped so comfortably in the arms of another woman should make her heart fall apart into tiny pieces. But it doesn't. It makes her sad because she knows without a doubt that Mac has never once held her like that. They've also never had quiet, heartfelt moments like that, where things are shared purely out of wanting to instead of obligation. But she's not angry. If anything, it opens her eyes to something she's tried to ignore for a while.
But she can't ignore it anymore. Not when there's more than one person getting hurt by what's happening. She has to do something.
Pushing off the doorframe, she moves back inside the house and into the kitchen, figuring that it's best if she doesn't let them know what she walked in on. Not that it's anything they should be embarrassed about, but it's obvious that it was meant to be a private moment just for them.
In the meantime, while she waits, she begins unpacking the groceries and putting them away in their respective places. It's not a lot, just a few things that she and Mac noticed earlier were needed and she had offered to run out to the store. As she moves around the kitchen, she can't get the image of Mac and Riley hugging like that out of her head.
It's not the first time she's witnessed them hug so wholeheartedly. The last time she'd seen a hug like that, that's when the suspicions started to creep into the forefront of her mind. She knew Mac wouldn't get angry at Riley for her feelings—there's not one instance she can think of where Mac has lost his temper with Riley—but the last thing she expected was for him to hug her, almost as if he was reassuring her. It had baffled her, to say the very least. And it didn't help the doubts about her relationship with Mac that were starting to surface again.
She never wanted to properly address what happened, which, in hindsight, may have been a poor decision on her part. But she couldn't bring herself to do it. Maybe she should have, though.
Footsteps echo behind her on the floor and she makes sure that she looks busy, that she doesn't look like she'd just been eavesdropping. So she keeps her back to the doorway and focuses on anything else.
"Desi, hey. When did you get back?"
She turns around and pulls her lips into a smile, but she knows it doesn't reach her eyes. "Just a few minutes ago," she tells him. Her eyes drift to the side, catching the moment that Riley shifts away from Mac. "Hey, Riley. I didn't know you were coming by."
"Yeah, I just needed to talk to Mac for a minute. But I should really get going now."
"Okay. Have a good night, Riley."
"Uh, thanks, Desi. You too."
She nods a little and then turns her attention back to the groceries, giving the two of them another moment. She listens to the shuffling of feet, though, hears both pairs making their way across the floor. And then the front door opens and closes, one pair of feet making its way back toward the kitchen.
"Here, let me help you with tha—"
"What are we doing, Mac?"
"What do you mean?"
She lets out a heavy breath and turns around to face him. "I mean...why are we still in a relationship?" she questions. "This isn't working anymore. It hasn't for a long time."
He shuffles a little closer. "If you're talking about recent stuff, all couples go through rough patches."
She shakes her head. "It's more than just a rough patch, Mac. I think you know that. We both do. But neither of us wants to admit it. Not again."
"Whatever it is, we can work through it."
She smiles sadly. "No, Mac, we can't. There's a part of me that says to stay with you right now because you're already going through a hard time and the last thing you need is a break-up."
"And the other part?"
She lets out a heavy breath. "The other part says that we're just making ourselves miserable by holding onto a relationship that isn't going anywhere. Neither of our hearts is fully in this relationship, Mac. Not when we're both hung up on other people."
His eyes go wide, his mouth opening and closing a few times as he shifts on his feet. "Desi, I...we never…"
She holds a hand up. "It's fine, Mac. I'm not mad. I should be, but I'm not. I know what it's like to have that one person who means everything to you, that one person who takes up residence in every part of your mind. I also know what it's like to lose that person, and it's not something I'd want anyone else to ever go through. But I think we both know that we're not that person for each other. We should have just stayed friends."
His jaw tightens. "Does this mean we're breaking up?"
She nods. "Yeah, it does. Still friends, though?"
His lips pull into a tight line. "Yeah, we're still friends."
"Cool. I uh, I think it's best if I find somewhere else to stay tonight. I can come and get my things later."
"Okay. Uh, goodnight, Desi."
She moves across the floor toward him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Goodnight, Mac."
And then she leaves. She grabs a few of her things that she'll need for the night and then walks outside, closing the door tightly behind her. She heads straight for her car, pulls out of the driveway, and then drives off.
.
.
.
It's difficult for her to keep her eyes away from Mac and Riley after what happened that night. She doesn't know exactly what happened after she left Mac's place, and frankly, she's not sure if she wants to know. But whatever did happen, it shifted something between the two, probably for the better. Whenever they're in the same room together, eventually they will gravitate toward one another, Mac more so than Riley. Though there are instances where Riley gravitates first.
Again, Desi wants to be angry. But she can't do it. Because she's more upset with herself for not seeing the signs sooner. It's part of her job to be observant, to notice things that other people might not. One of those things that she missed, or noticed but chose to ignore, is the unbreakable bond between Mac and Riley. She always knew they were close, and that they worked well together in the field, it had been one of the details Jack made sure to tell her before she joined the team. She's also witnessed for herself what a good team they make.
She just never anticipated the true strength of their bond. She's seen plenty of people form strong bonds in the midst of war or tragedy, but Mac and Riley's bond was something different altogether. She already knows firsthand that nothing can shake their trust in each other, even when everyone else has doubts. That's a rare thing to find these days. She's glad that they've found that in each other. Even if they aren't exactly being subtle with all the stolen glances and sweet smiles.
After the incident with the hyperbaric chamber, none of them see each other for a few days, all of them taking some well-deserved time off. But when she does see them again for their first op back and no longer being under the government's orders, she can tell that something has changed between them again. It's subtle, but it's there. They're still professional at work like they've always been since the day she met them, but there's something different in the way they interact now. They still gravitate toward each other whenever they're in the same room, but it seems much more deliberate now. And there's no hesitation from either of them.
In the back of her mind, she has a feeling about exactly what's going on.
Her suspicion only grows about two weeks after they've cut ties with the government and are doing things their own way. Bozer and Taylor are off doing something together, so it's just going to be her, Mac, and Riley on the new op. The three of them haven't been alone in a room together since she ended things with Mac. They've all been civil toward each other, but going on an op just three of them is going to test everything.
She's the first to arrive in the War Room, Matty already there waiting to explain the op. Only a few more minutes pass before Mac and Riley show up, walking in together. It's not unusual, they've walked into the building together plenty of times before when they arrive at the same time.
What is unusual is the shirt that Riley's wearing. Desi's seen Riley wear flannel shirts before, so that's not unusual. The unusual part is that it's slightly too big on the shorter woman, the fabric bunched up near her waist where it's tucked into her jeans. The collar hangs down a little too, and the sleeves are loose despite being pushed up above her elbows.
And then that's when it hits Desi that Riley must be wearing one of Mac's shirts. That's the only logical explanation she can think of because she knows Riley doesn't typically wear clothing that's too big on her. Riley's not afraid to show off her figure, and baggier clothes would make things more difficult in the field.
There could be plenty of reasons why Riley is wearing one of Mac's shirts, but there's only one that she's pretty positive is correct.
She doesn't bring it up, though, figures that they'll say something to the team about whatever the status of their relationship is when they're good and ready to do so. She also doesn't know if they're fully aware that Riley's wearing Mac's shirt and doesn't want to embarrass them. And if she's wrong about the shirt being Mac's, she doesn't want to embarrass herself.
Once they're on the jet to go overseas for their op, Riley is wearing a different shirt, most likely one of her own that she keeps on hand, so Desi doesn't bother bringing it up. It's really none of her business anyway.
So she decides to stop actively watching Mac and Riley after that. If they want to keep whatever's going on to themselves for a little while, then they have every right to do that. Of course, she still picks up on things here and there, just from spending time with them, but she's not actively looking. And based on what she sees, she assumes they're good and that everything is fine.
Which is why when Riley quits the Phoenix a week later, it leaves everyone confused and in shock. It happens out of the blue, no preamble, no explanation as to why, nothing. She's not even the one to tell them that she's leaving.
More than just quitting the Phoenix, though, Riley basically disappears off the face of the earth, never contacting any of them after she leaves. It affects them all, naturally, and Parker does a good job at filling the space that Riley left behind, being their person behind the keyboard. But Riley leaving takes its toll on Mac the most.
Desi can see that he's trying not to let it affect his work, but it does. She knows that there was a period of time where Mac didn't work in the field with Riley, and he obviously did really well. But the number of years that Mac has worked in the field with Riley greatly outweighs the years without.
She can see it mostly in the little things. The way he fiddles with paperclips more whenever they're on the jet, Riley usually keeps him company with light chitchat or a game of cards. The way his eyes start to dart from person to person in a large crowd before the sadness sets into his features, no doubt he's looking for Riley before remembering she isn't there. The way he gets frustrated quickly when he's putting something together and no one knows what he's doing or how to help him, Riley somehow always knows exactly what he's thinking. It's obvious that Mac has gotten used to having Riley around, and now that she isn't, he's off-kilter.
For his sake, Desi prays that Riley changes her mind and comes back.
.
.
.
Desi's entire world gets turned completely upside down about a week and a half after Riley leaves. They receive sensitive information from one of the few people Matty still trusts within the government, information that the love of her life, the man she thought she lost, is still alive. Immediately all of her focus is there, on getting him home safe and sound.
It's a whirlwind of emotions, but Mac is there for her. Because they're friends now. And she's glad to say that they're actually pretty good at just being friends.
After she tells everyone that Evan is alive, Mac finds her alone in the hallway. She gives him a strained smile, her mind still swimming. "Hi."
He gives her a small smile back. "Hey. How are you doing with all of this?"
She takes a deep breath. "Honestly? I don't know. I'm excited that he's alive, but I'm worried that things are going to be too different when I find him, that he won't still want to be with me."
"So don't worry about that right now. Just focus on finding him and bringing him back alive. All of that other stuff can wait until after we find him."
Her brows furrow slightly. "What?"
He laughs quietly. "Come on, Desi. You didn't honestly think I was going to let you do this alone, did you? I promise you I'm going to do whatever it takes to help you bring Evan home, okay? Whatever it takes."
Mac is true to his word and helps her every step of the way to find Evan and get him home safely. It takes them a while to find his exact location and then put together some semblance of a plan, but then they're going. They find Evan alive and she's a mess of emotions when she sees him. She's never cried so much in her life. It almost feels like a miracle. But it's just Mac.
.
.
.
Finally, about a month and a half after Riley left, she comes back.
Desi, Mac, and Bozer are coming back from a particularly brutal op, one where she got banged up a little and quite possibly needs some medical attention, when Matty meets them as soon as they arrive. She barely spares them a glance before pulling Mac aside to have a private conversation. But Desi watches them carefully.
She sees the subtle shifts in Mac's body language as he talks to Matty. And then he's darting down the hallway and out of their view.
Matty joins Desi and Bozer again, casting a glance between them but remaining silent.
"Where'd Mac go?" Bozer asks immediately, his eyes fixed on the spot in the hallway his best friend was just standing. "Does he have a new op or something?"
Matty shakes her head. "No, he doesn't."
"It's about Riley, isn't it?" Desi speaks up, both Matty and Bozer looking at her.
Matty lets out a breath and nods. "Yes. Riley's back."
Bozer's eyes go wide. "Back? She's back? Like for real?"
Matty rolls her eyes. "Yes, Bozer, 'like for real'. For the last month and a half, Riley has been undercover with a group we believed to have been connected to the nanotrackers that Mac and Riley inhaled."
Desi's brows furrow slightly at her boss' words. "Didn't we take care of those already?"
"That's what I thought too. But there was still one lingering inside of Mac. Which meant there was a chance of him being able to be controlled again. So I sent Riley undercover to shut it down once and for all."
"That doesn't explain all of us thinking she quit," Bozer pipes up. "We could have helped her if we knew."
Matty shakes her head. "In order for her cover to work, it needed to be believable. Which, unfortunately, meant that we couldn't back her up. And she had to look like she was leaving on her own volition. Not even Mac knew the real reason why she left."
Desi shifts a little, wincing slightly when she jostles her arm. "But she's back now, so I'm guessing everything went well?"
Matty nods, the tiniest hint of a smile pulling at her lips. "Indeed it did. Unfortunately, Riley got a little roughed up on her way to exfil. She's fine, just a little brushed and banged up."
"That's good. I'm assuming that's where Mac is right now?"
"You would be correct in that assumption." Matty takes a deep breath and shifts on her feet, standing a little taller. "Now, Desi, go have your injuries tended to and then go home. Bozer, if they don't need your help with anything in the lab then go home and get some rest. We'll debrief later."
Part of her is hesitant to go down to the med bay. She knows that she needs to, so she can get her injuries taken care of. But she also wants to give Mac and Riley however much privacy they're going to need at a time like this. She knows from personal experience from getting Evan back how important it is to have some time alone to recover and just be there with each other.
She goes down anyway, the pain medication she was given earlier finally starting to wear off.
She's on her way down when Evan texts her, asking her when she's going to be home because he plans on cooking her dinner. She can't help but smile, savoring every moment like this with him because she'd been deprived of it for so long. She sends a quick reply, letting him know about her injury, and that she'll be home as soon as she's done. He sends back a few heart and kissing face emojis—he loves using emojis—and she can't help but shake her head a little with a smile.
Approaching the med bay, she slips her phone into her pocket but pauses before she gets any further into the room, her eyes immediately drawn to the only occupied bed. Mac and Riley are curled up together on it, Mac's head resting on Riley's chest with his arms wrapped securely around her waist. Riley's head is resting back against the pillow while she runs her fingers on one hand through Mac's hair. She can see Riley's lip moving, but can't hear what's being said, which she's okay with. She doesn't want to intrude on their moment, but it confirms everything she's been thinking for a while.
She's unsure of exactly how long it's been going on between them, but again, she has a suspicion. Right now, she needs to deal with her arm. Which she's thankfully able to do without disturbing Mac and Riley.
.
.
.
Several months later, Desi meets up at the hospital with everyone else to welcome Mac and Riley's son into the world; Wyatt Henry MacGyver. As it turns out, Riley had been pregnant while she was undercover, and they didn't find out until after she got back and had a full exam done to make sure there were no internal injuries. Which probably accounts for the way Desi found them cuddling in the med bay all those months ago when Riley came back.
"He's beautiful, you two," Matty speaks up, a smile on her face as she looks at the new parents. "And the name is perfect. Jack would be so incredibly proud of both of you."
Riley has tears in her eyes as she smiles. "Thanks, Matty. I wish he was here, but I think he is in his own way."
Mac smiles, kissing the top of Riley's head. "I second that." He breathes deeply and then looks at all of them. "So who wants to hold the baby first?"
Desi pretty much zones out after that. It's not that she hates babies, she's just not the most motherly person and she will be the first to admit it. So she does what she can to avoid holding Wyatt. At least while he's still this small. She'll probably wait until he's a little bigger and can function on his own some too. For now, she's content to let everyone else coo over the newborn and continue to offer their congratulations to the new parents.
Eventually, visiting hours come to an end and they're all ushered out of the room by one of the nurses. They all make plans to stop by again once Mac, Riley, and Wyatt are settled in at home together, and then everyone begins filtering out of the hospital. But Desi lingers in the doorway.
She can't help but smile as she watches the family from afar. It was always going to end up this way, wasn't it? With Mac and Riley together and happy with a kid. The two of them were somehow destined to be together, if that's even possible. It just took them a while to get there. Though she probably didn't help the situation any by staying in a relationship with Mac way longer than they both knew was healthy. But they managed to find their way, and she feels nothing but happiness for them.
And with the expression on Mac's face as he looks at Riley and Wyatt, she gives it six months tops before he proposes.
So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Like I said at the top, the second chapter will be from Mac's POV, so you'll get to see some of those "missing moments" that Desi didn't see. And I'm very excited for you to read that piece. :)
Make sure you check out the 'savemacgyver' website to see how you can help in the efforts to save our show.
Until next time,
Jellybean96 out!