Chapter Sixteen: Day of Reckoning

Saturday

Cindy and Derrick were both sober-faced at breakfast the next morning. Cindy sighed, poking at her waffle. "Daddy's coming home today, isn't he, Mr Mac?"

"Yup," MacGyver agreed.

"Yippee!" Cassie cheered, and Cindy's scowl deepened.

"Why aren't you happy, Cindy?" Cassie asked anxiously.

"'Cause he's not gonna be happy when he finds out how we fooled Mr Mac so he didn't believe me when Dylan fell in the hole," Cindy explained.

"Yeah, but Mr Mac said he wouldn't tell," Dylan pointed out, remembering their conversation after climbing the tree.

Derrick snorted. "That was just one trick, Dyl'. You're gonna tell Dad, aren't you, Mr Mac?"

"Nope."

Cindy looked up hopefully, until she heard MacGyver's next words: "You are."

Cindy swallowed hard and looked at Derrick, her eyes wide, but neither protested; they knew it was more than fair for all they had done.

"Is Daddy gonna be mad?" Cassie asked anxiously.

"Not at you," Derrick assured her, "an' probably not Dylan, either. But me an' Cindy…yeah, probably."

"How does he usually punish you?" MacGyver questioned.

"He doesn't," Derrick said flatly.

"But he always says someday he's gonna," Dylan chimed in.

MacGyver understood then that the uncertainty was worse than any actual punishment might be. "Well, he can't eat ya," he assured her. "And facing up to it and admitting what you did might help him see that you learned your lesson."

Cindy sighed. "Yeah…maybe." But her waffle went untouched.

The others' apprehension dimmed even Cassie's enthusiasm, leaving MacGyver to greet his old friend alone when Dave arrived later that morning.

"So…how did they behave?" Dave asked a touch hesitantly when they had greeted each other with all the customs of old friends. *

MacGyver met Dave's eyes squarely. "I think ya know what kind of kids ya have."

Dave winced slightly, looking away from his friend's steady gaze. "Yeah. Sorry, Mac. I know I should've warned you, but I guess I was afraid you wouldn't do it if you knew."

MacGyver raised an eyebrow. "Think ya know me better than that, or ya wouldn't have asked at all."

"My offer of pay's still open," Dave insisted.

MacGyver held up a hand in refusal. "Nope. Anyway, the kids have somethin' to tell ya, so I'll be finishing up the lasagna in the kitchen." He beckoned to the kids, and they came forward slowly.

"Hi, Daddy," Cindy said almost shyly.

"Hello," he responded a little uncomfortably. "What does he mean, you want to tell me something?"

Cindy cast a desperate look over her shoulder, and MacGyver gave her an encouraging wink and wave before disappearing into the house.

Derrick drew a deep breath and stepped forward. "I'll tell," he said firmly, earning a grateful look from Cindy.

With eager input from Cassie and Dylan, he told their father how they had fooled Mr Mac so many times that at last he didn't believe them when they called for help. Matter-of-factly, he explained how Mr Mac had helped them get Dylan out of the pit.

"An' I was only a little scared, 'cause I knew they wouldn't let me fall!" Dylan boasted less than truthfully.

Dave reached out to grip his son's arms. "You're all right? You didn't get hurt?"

Dylan shrugged. "One of the boards poked me, but Mr Mac taped me up, see?" He pulled his shirt up, displaying the white bandage, and Dave stared at it without seeing.

"You…stay here," he whispered hollowly, lifting Dylan to his hip as he turned abruptly.

Cassie tugged on Cindy's hand. "Is he mad?" she whispered anxiously.

"Shh, Cassie," Cindy warned, none too sure herself.

"No," Derrick assured them, wise beyond his years. "He's scared 'cause of what almost happened to Dylan."

Cassie frowned. "It's silly to be scared of something that already didn't happen!" she declared.

"Yeah, but grownups are funny that way sometimes," Derrick explained. "They get more scared after."

oOo

"Mac."

MacGyver turned at the near-voiceless whisper to see a white-faced Dave standing in the doorway with Dylan in his arms. "You…saved my boy, Mac," he whispered hollowly.

"I just did what anyone would have," MacGyver dismissed. "And it's no credit to me; did they tell you I almost left it too late?"

Dave shook his head soberly. "The way they scream bloody murder all day long, most people — including their mother and me — wouldn't have bothered going to see if anything was wrong at all. But even if they had, only you could have come up with that way to get him out of there. If anyone else had been watching them, MacGyver, he would have fallen, and — I don't know how I can ever thank you." He held out a hand, and MacGyver clasped it warmly, throwing his other arm around his friend's shoulders.

"No problem," he assured him. "An' don't forget who saved him even before I did," he added, nodding toward the kids who now stood behind their father in the doorway. "If they hadn't grabbed Dylan, wouldn't've mattered how fast I got there. They musta had only seconds when he fell; I don't know many eight- and ten-year-olds who could think that fast."

Surprised grins spread across Cindy and Derrick's faces at this first evidence of his obvious pride.

"Thank you," their father said sincerely, turning toward them.

"I would've helped, too, 'cept I was with Mr Mac!" Cassie explained earnestly.

"So…you're not going to punish us, Daddy?" Cindy dared ask.

Dave sighed. "What do you think, Mac?"

MacGyver shrugged. "I would've said they needed discipline of some kind…but I think they got it when they thought I wasn't coming."

"That's what I was thinking," Dave agreed. "But, listen, Mac, you've got to accept something for all you did."

MacGyver shook his head. "Nope. You can reimburse me for the sleeping bags I bought 'em if ya want, but that's all I'll take."

Dave raised an eyebrow as he reached for his wallet. "Sleeping bags?"

"Yeah, Mr Mac took us camping at the fort!" Cindy explained eagerly.

"Fort?" Dave questioned. "How much, Mac?"

"Fifty," MacGyver responded even as Cindy sighed in exasperation. "Our fort, Daddy!"

"We told you about it!" Dylan chimed in.

"Yes…I guess you did," Dave admitted, vaguely recalling something they had tried to tell him about a fort. "And MacGyver took you camping there?"

"Sure did," MacGyver agreed. "You should go out with them sometime, Dave."

"Oh…well, now…"

"Oh, please, please, please!" the kids chimed excitedly.

"There aren't any bears or wolves, Daddy," Cassie assured him earnestly.

"And we'll be good, Daddy, I promise!" Cindy declared, glancing at MacGyver as she held her hands in front of her with fingers spread wide; MacGyver winked in return.

Dave looked helplessly at MacGyver, who chuckled. "Think they've got ya, Dave."

"But I haven't been camping in years, Mac — not since the last time you and I went."

"Tell ya what. How about I stay an extra night an' come out with ya?"

The kids let out another chorus of excited squeals. "Say yes, Daddy. Yes, yes, yes!" Cindy begged, bouncing eagerly.

"You're free for another day?"

"Sure; I never said when I'd be back."

"What do you do, anyway?" Dave questioned.

"Oh…I guess you could call me a troubleshooter," MacGyver answered vaguely, hesitating not so much because of the classified nature of some of his work as because no one had yet come up with a good description for the niche he had made for himself. "Anyway, they could find me if they really wanted me, so I'm guessing no one's lost Air Force One, an' I'm free for another day if ya want me."

Dave's eyes narrowed; it was the second time MacGyver had made such a reference, and for a fleeting moment he wondered if he meant it literally.

"Do, do, do!" the kids chimed.

Dave sighed in defeat. "All right," he gave in.

"Yes!" the kids cried gleefully, and MacGyver grinned along with them.

The End *

First outtake coming next week! (as long as the library doesn't shut down again…)

* Illustration for this scene can be found at

www . deviantart . com [slash] femalechauvinist [slash] art [slash] Old-Friends-886383742

www . deviantart . com [slash] femalechauvinist [slash] art [slash] Kids-Who-Cried-MacGyver-Freeze-Frame-886383840

I proofread all my stories at least once before posting, but if you see any mistakes I might have missed, please let me know!

Please note that I have only minimal internet access, and may not have time to respond to all reviews/messages. (But they are much appreciated, even if you're reading this story long after I originally post it!) If you have questions regarding my MacGyver alternate history, check my profile first to see if they're answered there. Thanks for your understanding! Barbie