The Real Chapter 19 follows the following fake chapter. *g*
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Title: Fake Chapter 19 - The Chapter that isn't. . .
Okay, I have gotten a lot of wonderful notes and reviews
- THANK YOU ALL I appreciate them no end
The fake chapter 19 is meant to be a little laugh before we get into the actual chapter.
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The sound of fingers snapping then some chuckling. "Goodbye Charlie!"
"NOOOOOOOO!" Jack yelled at the grief of losing his son. He reached for his zat which he just happened to have in his back pocket and aimed it at Murdoc.
"Your little toy gun against my bomb?" Murdoc laughed. "Pity. I am going to blow this . . . "
"Will you shut-up?" Jack yelled as he shot Murdoc with one blast and started to walk towards him.
"You always talk to much and you knew my son had been killed?" He shot him with the second blast killing him.
"This is for Charlie." He shot him a third time as the body disappeared.
"Jack?" Daniel approached hesitantly.
"What questions now Daniel? Don't you ever learn?" He spun around and shot Daniel only once. "Any more questions? Maybe you Carter? or how about you Pete?"
Hearing no reply, MacGyver gave into his grief and fell to his knees sobbing, unfortunately, Murdoc wasn't all talk. He had the place wired and MacGyver had the misfortune, that all TV heroes do, that as he felt to the ground a paperclip fell from his pocket right on to the detonator.
* * * * *
Three days later . . .
Jack Dalton walked out of the funeral home and bumped into a pretty blonde dressed in black. "Ah, Sorry"
"No, it is my fault. I wasn't paying attention." She sniffled as she gestured to the funeral home.
"Yeah, I lost someone too." Jack commiserated. "Look, let me buy you some lunch. By the way, my name is Jack." He smiled his best smile at her.
"Jack? Huh?" She smiled at him through her tears. "I'll take that as a sign, Jack. I'm Sara O'Neill."
"Sara," Dalton smiled again.
She wrapped an arm around his elbow and they started to walk towards a nearby cafe.
"O'Neill, name is familiar, I just can't place it right now. It's not important. What you need is to get away from Colorado Springs during your grief and I just happen to own a charter service." He grinned at her. They started walking away, no one noticing his left eye twitching the whole time.
The End or a New Beginning?
******** This is a fake chapter 19 ********
The Real Chapter . . . . Begins Now
"Jack?" by Teri
Chapter 19: Uninvited Guests
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Chapter 19 Notes: I realized awhile back that Makepeace is being written as an original character and as such should have his own identity. I, therefore, have named him Nelson after one of my favorite TV Air Force officers. NB: Makepeace is now Robert Nelson.
Also, I made a stupid mistake in the last chapter. I said MacGyver's birthday was January 23, 1950, when in fact that is RDA's birthday. MacGyver was born March 23, 1950. Sorry if that threw any die-hard MacGyver fans.
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"N-o-o-o-o-o-o!"
Jack felt like his soul was screaming, but he realized with a start that he was not the one who had verbalized it. He turned abruptly to the sound of the voice and found himself looking directly into the eyes of the one person who missed Charlie as much as he did. He saw his wife, rather ex-wife, Sara O'Neill. To him, it looked like she was as lost at he felt.
"You promised your life wouldn't touch him! You promised you wouldn't let Charlie get hurt. You promised your life wouldn't touch him!" She moved towards her ex. Crying and hitting his chest with both of her hands, she repeated "you promised," over and over again before slumping into his arms sobbing.
Jack envied her in a way. He wanted to break down too. He was finding it hard to put a clamp on his emotions; however, he knew that if he succumb to the grief, guilt, and anguish he felt he would never come out, and right now he needed to be in control. Later he would buy a several dozen cases of beer and disappear for a while, but right now his family was counting on him and Murdoc wouldn't hesitate to pounce on any weakness.
"What's wrong MacGyver? I thought you said you knew it was your fault?" Murdoc's tone mocked. "If you knew, why didn't you tell your wife? Didn't think she could handle the truth? Not her business to know? Well, it is a good think I took the liberty of inviting her for you. Isn't it MacGyver?"
The world was spinning around for Jack, too much at one time. Still, he had been dealing with Murdoc - madman and villain-types in general - for a long time. He still knew what was going on around him and he notice from the corner of his eye that Teal'c had quietly dropped back and was slowly making his way around the yard towards the man who had threatened him and his friends.
"YOU DIRTY BAST&%# (sorry this story is only rated PG *g*)" Malloy yelled, clearly upset and trying to find some way to protect his father and provide a distraction for his father's friends.
"Tut, tut, young MacGyver. Language." Murdock grinned. "Your step-mother and the other ladies are present." It appeared he was going to say something more to SAM, but then he turned his head and sighed. "I wouldn't go any further Teal'c or the doctor, the archeologist, or the General will receive an early Christmas present - my bullet directly into their brain." Murdoc called.
Teal'c stopped his approach, realizing that he had been seen, and that the stranger had called him by name. He turned to look at Murdoc.
"That's right TEAL'C, I know all about you. It pays to know all the G-2 in my line of work." He paused and sighed loudly as if insulted or affronted. "Major, if I can spot the Jaffa, surely I noted your approach?"
Sam stopped where she stood. She had made her way around the other side of the yard from Teal'c.
"Now, be good little children and go back to the group or I will make you all go boom!"
"Why should they?" Everyone turned to see that Daniel had moved forward and was baiting Murdoc.
Jack almost smiled. Daniel always baited the Gou'ald and here he was baiting Murdoc in the same way. If he had been in a different frame of mind he would have found the comparisons hilarious.
Pete just couldn't help thinking how much the young archeologist sounded like another young man he met many years ago. First Mac, then his son, and now this young man, . . . could Mac possibly cloning himself?
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An unknown and unidentifiable person sneaked into the base locker room at Cheyenne Mountain. The intruder slowly read the names off the lockers: Jackson, Alexander, Nelson, Makepeace, Roberts. . . . No O'Neill. Of course, no O'Neill, - he was "retired"- but there was an unmarked locker between Teal'c and Jackson. Too sentimental, when the Colonel retired they hadn't want to reassign his locker in case he came back.
The dark clad figure opened the locker that had been Colonel O'Neill's and glanced at the contents. It was obvious that someone had recently used the locker. A black gloved hand reached for a small cigar box in the bottom of the locker. The box was filled with photographs that were quickly pushed out of the way.
The person reached and removed a false bottom from the box. In it was found more pictures. At first surprised, the intruder chuckled before opening another side compartment that would ordinarily not have been found and would have been overlooked because of the false bottom. The black gloved hand reached in a grabbed a small circular disc-like object out of the box. The long fingers of the intruder closed around the object before closing the box and then the locker door.
The object should have been safe. Hidden in a false compartment, under a fake bottom, in an unremarkable box, in an unmarked locker, in the highest security base on the planet, but it wasn't. It was now in unknown hands. Of course, the question begged . . . just what was stolen?
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"Why should they?" Daniel challenged again. "You are only going to blow us up anyway. I don't see why they should listen to you."
"Well Dr. Jackson, as tempting as it is to blow everyone up as you say, I've decided I don't like to be boo'ed and I want to hear," he paused dramatically adopting his best Paul Harvey voice, "the rest - - of the story."
"What?" Pete asked reflecting the surprise of everyone who heard those words.
"It's simple Peter. Like all of the other readers, I want to hear how MacGyver, Mac-Gadget, Mac-Genius, who was the only person to ever escape me, became Colonel O'Useless."
The General leaned over to Dr. Fraiser, "readers?" Janet merely shrugged, not understanding the ravings of the madman anymore than the General did.
Sam wondered why that line sounded so familiar to her and why she felt so cold hearing it.
Sara finally looked up at the man who had been her husband, "Jack, what is going on here?"
"I got found out, Sar., I got found out." He whispered, but all heard. Sara had known.
"Story time, MacGyver!" Murdoc practically sang.
"And if I refuse?"
"Then," he grinned in a way that would have terrified most people, "we play a deadly game of truth or dare."
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Xander was working out in the base gym when Colonel Nelson joined him.
"245," Xander was counting off sit-ups
"Does Doc know you are working out, Mr. I-just-got-released-from-the-infirmary." Rob asked, guessing the answer, and wondering how to use it to his advantage.
"What Doc, doesn't know, 246, won't hurt her." Xander grinned in the middle of his sit-ups, "or me."
"Uh, huh, what Doc doesn't know she has a habit of finding out."
"247. You gonna tell her?"
"Aw, Alex you wound me, To accuse me of such a thing. . . . "
"248"
"Of course I would tell her." Rob smiled. "I don't know why you ever doubted it."
"Traitor!" He grabbed a breath. "249."
"249? 249? Try 9," Robert laughed. "You couldn't do 49 much less 200 and 49."
"Oh, 250, oh really?"
"Really!" He grinned.
"Care to put your money where your mouth is? Ey, Big mouth?" Xander asked as he looked up at Robert, laughter in his eyes and a challenge on his face as he stopped his workout.
". . . that is Colonel Big Mouth too you, Lieutenant." Robert laughed back, "and yeah. I'll be happy to take your money."
"There you are."
Both Robert and Xander looked up to see Dr. Foster . . . er. . . ah . . . Knight so they were informed - Foster, Knight, Nick, whatever.
"Doctor," Robert acknowledged while Xander settled for, "Hey."
"Lieutenant Alexander, I was just getting ready to go to the BBQ and I wanted to know if you needed a lift?" Nick inquired.
"BBQ? Lift? Huh?"
"I thought Janet said that Major Carter invited you?" Nick was confused. He was sure Janet said the boy had been invited.
Robert turned to Xander rolling his eyes at his friend, "Alex, did you check your e-mail today?"
Xander hit himself dramatically on the forehead.
Robert explained to Nick, "he never remembers to check his e-mail."
Xander stood and walked over to the unassigned terminal on the side of the gym to check his mail. Sure enough Carter had sent him an e-mail. They wanted to get reacquainted with Colonel privately, but then wanted him to join them. She stressed that he was part of the team and he should come. Besides, she thought he and the Colonel would hit it off, that their sense of humors were similar. Well, he had heard that since he joined them.
"Ah, thanks for the heads up Doc and a lift would be appreciated."
"Why don't you call me Nick." He smiled. "Janet, tells me you share my passion for Twinkies."
"You too?" He smiled and they started to walk off together.
"Guys? Guys?" Robert called after them. "Hey Guys!!"
They continued to walk chatting about the sugary goodness that is Twinkies.
"Guys? What about - - me? Alex? Knight? Come-on, Alex." Robert followed after them. "Guys?"
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The dark clad intruder pulled up in front of the house where he was told most of the key members of the SGC were spending the afternoon. He got out of the car and began to look around, he hoped that the information he received from his informant was correct or . . . or he went through a lot of nonsense for nothing.
He couldn't believe he was actually trusting information from HARRY! Harry!
Only one thing left to do now was wait until the time was right.
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"What will it be MacGyver?" Murdoc asked again.
He was at a loss. What could he do? Even if he could make a break for it, there was no way someone wouldn't get hurt. There were just too many innocent people here. The best he could hope for would be to stall and wait for an opening. The only way to stall was to tell his story.
'For crying out loud I get the interruption I wanted, granted the worst possible one, and it doesn't even stop me from having to tell everyone. Someone up there really doesn't like me.' He muttered to himself. 'Thor? Buddy? Now would be a really good time. Please? Course a nice tornado would work too, one that would land a house on the wicked warlock of the west Murdoc.'
"Tic - Toc - MacGyver, I am running out of patience."
"Okay."
"That's more like it MacGyver. Please continue with your story and pretend that I am not even here. "
Murdoc walked closer and sat down and motioned for everyone else to sit down. "Don't get any ideas, children. Not only do I have the detonator here, the whole place is on a timer. So even if you do manage to kill me. You will never be able to stop the neighborhood from celebrating Independence Day early if you catch my drift."
It was clear to everyone that he meant that not only would the house go, but also the explosion would be big enough to kill others nearby.
"Please MacGyver, you were just telling us how you met Peter and how you thought I was dead. Pray tell, what happened next?" Murdoc asked.
Mac swallowed the lump in his throat. He could do this. He could do this. 'Just keep it vague, Mac.' He decided.
"After that Pete offered me a job with the DXS."
"We know all that!" Murdoc complained. "I wanted to know how Colonel O'Useless was born."
Mac took a deep breath. "One of my first missions was to infiltrate the United States Air Force special operations training program to prevent an information leak. The Air Force was aware of the problem, but due to the nature of the school one of their own would be easy to spot so they asked the DXS for assistance. As I had already done time in the military, I needed a new identity for this assignment and . . . " he waved his hand in a way that conveyed the 'you know what happened next' idea and let the sentence drop letting the others draw their own conclusions, reminding himself to keep it vague.
"The Air Force had been impressed by the work of 'Jack O'Neill' and in the spirit of inter-agency cooperation, I spent a lot of time as Jack. I even met Kawalsky on one of O'Neill's missions." Mac glanced at Pete. "Pete left the DXS in December of '85 to become the Director of Field Ops at Phoenix. I followed him leaving the DXS and I thought Jack O'Neill behind."
'Keep it vague, only tell him what he already knows and wait for an opening.'
MacGyver looked around. He could tell his friends had many questions for him, but didn't want to ask with Murdoc around. He swore to himself that he would answer all their questions when this was over even if it meant he wrote that autobiography Hammond asked about once upon a time. He was also pleased to see that Teal'c, Carter, Hammond, and Daniel had all subtly moved themselves to be ready when the story was over. Doc had moved closer to Pete, 'bless her heart'. SAM had moved near Sara; he was a good kid.
He glanced over at Sara and winked at her. She knew him well enough to know he didn't want to mention their relationship, thereby, calling her to Murdoc's attention. Sometimes, she remembered why she had once loved him so much and always would she supposed.
"In '90, the Gulf was heating up again and the Air Force was looking for experienced personnel with knowledge of the country and, well I did have experience there, and my old pal Kawalsky remembered me and I got invited to go play in the sand box. I wasn't going to do it until I was offered a chance to work with the PJ's - pararescue. So Jack O'Neill got assigned to Proven Force based in Turkey."
"Not long after I quit the Foundation, I was tired of playing spy - troubleshooter - whatever and wanted to get to know my son." Keep it vague. "Couple years later General West sent for me and 'O'Neill' got recalled again. I retired again, then was reactivated by General Hammond and the rest as they say is history."
MacGyver prepared himself for questions, expecting some from Murdoc at least. "Questions?"
"Well, that was certainly an interesting story." Everyone present turned upon hearing a very familiar voice. "It's got action, intrigue, romance, and even a little sci-fi - very impressive. A little sparse on the details, but I think that was just a hole in the plot. You ever consider writing? Cause that is a really griping story. I hear that new show Wormhole X-Treme is looking for writers. You ought to think 'bout it." The voice continued, as the face behind the voice became visible, amid numerous gasps of all assembled. Everyone present knew that face, the eyes, the small scar above the eye. " . . . because that's what it is - a STORY. Come on people, don't tell me you are buying this load of malarkey?"
Daniel glanced back at MacGyver before focusing on the new arrival. A new arrival that appeared to be someone he thought he knew well. He was also the only one able to ask what everyone was thinking. "Jack?"
"No, it's the Tin Man. For crying out loud, Daniel, of course it's me. You forgot me after just a few months? Well, six months - - -" He kind of shrugged in the 'well you know I never pay attention to details' way that is so reminiscent of the Colonel O'Neill everyone knew. "Ain't that just touching." He walked further into view and put his bag down. "Anyone care to tell me why there is a party at my house and I wasn't invited?"
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Hi guys, I hope you all enjoyed.
Thank you for all the wonderful notes and reviews, they really mean a lot to me.
I sometimes get notes from people wondering how Methos, Nick, or Xander ended up at the SGC. If you are interested in reading about how Xander did, you can read "The Next Mission" WIP here at fanfiction.net (storyid=1727343)
Thanks again everyone!
~Teri