I"M BAAAAACK! Yes, I know this has been super long in coming but please forgive me for the long wait! My life went to hell in a hand-basket and I've been unable to update at all! I've been super busy between a knee surgery, my parents divorcing (cause my dad's a cheating bastard) and everything else under the sun seeming to go wrong in my life at one time. ( Seriously though. It's been like my own personal 2020 repeat over here.) But I have gotten a few moments of time so I finally was able to get ahold of a computer and finish out this chapter! A little for warning, this chapter deals with a bit of a... sensitive topic and poor Mac is the unknowing victim of it. Don't worry! Nothing tooooooo bad but I figured I'd put a warning up here so that you guys would definitely be warned about the nature of this chapter. It's definitely a 18+ chapter. Nothing graphic just some very inappropriate insinuations about our favorite blond.
Anyways, here's chapter 12. Enjoy!
Angus Macgyver had learned many things during his time in the army. Some things he learned from being taught, like how to defuse bombs and how to fill up a Humvee tank, while others he simply learned through trial and error, who to and not to cross paths with without someone to back him up and how to avoid people on the base. Many different people had taught him these things; his basic training sergeants, Pena, his various partners between Pena and Jack. His commanders had taught him well how to recognize authority that deserved respect versus the authority that didn't. The army as a whole had shaped Mac into being the man, into being the soldier that he was today. But one thing that he had only needed eyes and common sense to learn was:
When Jack Dalton quit talking, you should run for your life.
Jack was a hot-head with the best of them. His Texas sized temper ran on a short fuze and he was prone to throwing hands when he was disrespected or degraded. He was also protective, which meant he would gladly get in a row with anyone who hurt, insulted, or belittled his friends and partners in any way. Many soldiers had learned that the hard way, which was the reason Jack had been bounced around so much before landing his job as Mac's overwatch. And while he did his job excellently in the field, sometimes it was up to Mac to protect his partner from getting in trouble off the field. It took a while, though, for Mac to learn Jack's tells. The little signs he threw out right before he snapped. And easily the most recognizable one was simple silence. His shoulders would stiffen and he would fall completely silent, allowing the offender time to notice the silent threat before following through. It was as though he honestly didn't understand that most people didn't recognize silent warnings when they got them. Which was where Mac came in. It was his job out of the field to recognize when Jack needed to be pulled away. It was his job to protect the others from Jack's wrath.
So when Mac saw Jack stiffen during an argument with another soldier, he knew this situation could only end with someone in medical. He quickly made his way over to the hot-headed delta, grabbing his arm and tugging on it. Usually some sort of simple physical contact was enough to break him out of his anger, but this time did not seem to be one of those cases. So, he continued on with words.
"Let's go, Jack," he encouraged, trying to catch the silent man's attention, "we need to get to dinner. Come on."
Jack shook off his hand, his brown eyes glinting darkly, "go without me," his voice was low and dangerous, the perfect warning for someone who he would actually ever hurt; not so much a warning for Mac.
"No," Mac pressed, trying to step between the two hulking soldiers, "let's go, Jack."
The man glared daggers at the hostile soldier in front of him, "you have two hours before I beat your ass into dust, Bell. You'd best write your loved ones and tell them what a sorry bitch their son is."
The man's face turned bright red, "oh you'll regret that Dalton, I'll make you eat your words."
Jack made to lunge at the man, but was stopped by Mac's body in front of his, "get out of my way, Mac."
"Is he really worth kitchen duty?" Mac asked, getting in his partner's face and forcing the delta to meet his gaze, "look at me, Dalton. Is he really worth it?"
"He ain't worth the dust on my boots," Jack spat angrily, looking fit to kill as he met Mac's gaze for half a second before snapping his eyes back to Bell, "or the rag I dust them off with."
"Then let's go," Mac pushed the delta backwards, trying to force him out of his funk,"I'm hungry, Jack, let's go."
"Yeah, Dalton," Bell taunted, "your bitch is calling. You should listen if you want anything from him tonight."
In the moment that it took Mac to register the words that had been said, the things that had been insinuated, Jack had already run past him fists raised. Mac whirled around in time to see the delta's crushing right hook slam into Bell's face. The soldier cried out and staggered back, raising his own fists and sending a retaliating blow back at Jack.
"Jack stop," Mac yelled, trying to prevent anymore injury to either party, although Bell's weak blow barely glanced off Jack's shoulder, "it's not worth it."
The delta merely growled before he was wrestled to the ground by the larger soldier. They rolled in the dust like a couple of rabid hound dogs, kicking up dirt and yelling abuses at each other. Mac sighed, fully intent on jumping in and pulling Jack out if it looked like the delta needed help. Honestly, it didn't bother him what Bell said. The man had more empty space between his ears than brains so Mac wasn't affected by his stupid words. He was more concerned about his partner, who's creative insults and fancy punches had begun to draw a small crowd. Mac rolled his eyes and leaned back against a nearby tent pole. He'd just have to let this play out by itself. Jack would never let it go if the man got away with what he'd said. The proud Texan was too hot-headed for any kind of sense to be talked into him when he got like this. There nothing to do but sit and watch.
Or that was Mac's plan until someone came rushing through the crowd and jumped into the fray, cowardly whaling on Jack from behind and catching the tunnel-visioned man off guard. Bell's partner.
"Shit," Mac cursed, rolling up his sleeves and racing into the fray. Two against one was in no way fair, especially when both men were twice Mac's size and had at least fifty pounds each on Jack.
The young EOD tech jumped onto Bell, yanking him away so Jack could focus on the larger partner. The blonde then set to work dodging blows and keeping the man's attention by slipping in a few hits of his own. He didn't know how long the fight lasted. All he knew was that one moment he was throwing a solid right hook at Bell's chin, the next he'd been grabbed by the collar and was tossed bodily out of the fight. He watched as three sergeants waded into the brawl and dragged a spitting furious Jack away from the bleeding Bell. Both men were still yelling, spitting, and cussing each other out as the rank and file struggled to keep their hold on Jack. Mac shook loose the man holding him and slipped over to Jack, standing between the two hostile soldiers.
"Jack," the blonde tech tried to get his partner's attention, the blood from his nose trickling into his mouth, "hey, it's over, man. Chill out."
Jack's eyes snapped to the blood on Mac's face and his eyes narrowed into downright murderous, "that slimy son of a bitch," he turned his attention back to Bell, who was now fully aware, and terrified, of the enemy he'd just made, "if you or your partner ever come near Mac again, I swear by all things holy in this world that I'll-"
"Dalton," Sergeant Braswell snapped, interrupting the man's tirade, "shut your mouth unless you want more than just kitchen duty for a week."
Jack, recognizing the order from the superior officer, angrily clamped his mouth shut, though his eyes spoke thousands of threats, "yes sir," he ground out, ceasing his fight against the hands that were holding him.
"If we let you go, will you control yourself?" Braswell questioned, looking suspiciously irritated at the delta.
"Yes sir," Jack practically snarled, his eyes still pinned on the soldier in front of him. The man who'd made his partner bleed.
The men released him reluctantly, turning him over to Mac, who caught his arm. The delta seemed to register the blood pouring down Mac's face and his murderous gaze softened the slightest bit. He tilted Mac's head back and pinched the bridge of the kid's nose, feeling bad that he'd started this whole fight. But the things Bell had said about Mac had been unforgivable. He'd had no choice. He'd take bruises and bloody noses over escaped dishonor any day.
"Report to my office as soon as you two have been seen to," Braswell snapped irritably, "we'll discuss your actions. Dismissed."
"Yes sir," Jack grabbed Mac's arm and steered him away, in full mother-hen mode now, "come on Mac, let's go get you patched up."
"I'm fine, Jack," Mac rolled his eyes at the sudden change in attitude from his partner, "it's just a bloody nose."
"Humor me, kid," Mac could read the guilt and frustration in Jack's gaze and so he didn't push the issue, instead he allowed himself to be led to medical. It didn't take long for the medics to patch them up, disapprovingly muttering the whole time. Mac only winced a little when they reset his nose, but he saw the self-loathing flash across Jack's face and settle in his eyes at the sight of Mac's pain.
"I'm okay," Mac assured him, forcing down a wince when they shifted his nose around a little more.
"You shouldn't have jumped into it, Mac," Jack shook his head, "I had it handled."
"Two against one are never good odds, Jack," Mac sighed, "besides, you were defending me, what was I supposed to do?"
"Oh I don't know, dumbass," Jack growled, although Mac knew it was more out of worry than anger, "maybe stay out of the way of Bell's fists and let me handle it."
Mac rolled his eyes at his partner, "yeah, okay," he snarked, getting up off the table and heading towards the door, "come on. Let's go see what our punishment is."
Jack groused and grumbled the entire walk to the Sergeant's office, his black eye blooming angrily across his face. Mac stayed silent, letting his partner blow off some steam before knocking on the office door.
"Enter," Braswell sounded pissed, oh well, such was life as Jack's partner.
Mac and Jack both filed in silently, ignoring the triumphant expression on Bell's face as he and his partner were dismissed with a week of kitchen duty and two weeks of night patrol. Mac felt a pit grow in his stomach as he wondered what could possibly have been said when they weren't there to defend themselves. Well, mostly Jack, Mac had only been involved to even the odds.
"I am angry, gentlemen," the sergeant stood, coming around to stand in front of the two stiff soldiers, "do you know why I'm angry?" he let the rhetorical question settle for a few moment s before answering it, "I am angry because I have had commanders and sergeants up my ass all day during one of the most active days we've had in years, while also having to deal with the fact that several of our supply shipments are two days late, all while having complaint after petty complaint to deal with. And now, to top it all off, I have to deal with four soldiers who can't keep their heads on straight enough to walk away instead of throwing fists," by the end of his tirade, Braswell was yelling at the two men, his anger making itself known. Loudly, "now, Dalton," he snapped, forgoing any title or rank that Jack held, "would you care to explain yourself."
"Bell was running his mouth about my partner, sir," Jack snapped, his irritation and frustration barely restrained, "he wouldn't drop it so I made him."
"And what, pray tell, was he saying about Private Macgyver," Braswell lowered his voice, clearly taking Jack's words into account.
Then, Mac saw something he never thought he'd ever see in his life time. Jack hesitated. The man who would tell a tree stump or a fence pole exactly what he hated about them, hesitated.
"I prefer not to repeat," he sounded uncertain, casting a quick glance Mac's way.
"I don't believe I asked," Braswell wasn't letting him off the hook at all.
Jack paused again, stirring Mac's concern, "he... insinuated certain things about Mac that I didn't like."
"And what words did he use, Dalton," Braswell looked less angry now, and more subtly concerned, everyone on the base knew that Jack Dalton told it how it was. He didn't hesitate to tell you how it was and what he felt, so the fact that he was doing it now...
"He seemed under the opinion that," Jack hesitated again, throwing a look at Mac before repeating it in a rush, "he said the only reason anyone kept Mac around was because he was everyone's bitch. He was spreading lies that my partner would do anything with anyone and," Jack winced a bit, anger flushing his cheeks, "that he liked it when he was forced to... 'perform'. What he was saying was dangerous. He insinuated that my partner would be delighted for any one of these boys on this base to have their way with him whether he wanted it or not. I couldn't let him spread those rumors so I told him to shut his mouth. He just came back at me with insinuating that I just wanted to 'keep Mac to myself'. He wouldn't stop talking so I made him."
Mac's head spun as Jack's words reverberated through his mind. Who would ever do anything like that? Why would anyone do anything like that? It was wrong. Bell was wrong. Mac felt his skin crawl as he thought of the consequences of rumors like that. The things people would try. The danger he would constantly be in.
"Mac," Jack's hand on his arm knocked Mac out of his spiral, "you're shakin' kid."
Mac stared at his partner's bruised face as he tried to wrap his mind around what Bell had said about him. He'd heard Bell's assumption about him and Jack, but he hadn't had the full picture. And now it bothered him. It really bothered him. He slid closer to Jack, the older man's arm slipping around his shoulder. Jack stared up at the furious sergeant. He'd never seen Braswell so incredibly, purely angry. The sergeant seemed ready to snap someone in half.
"Did his partner know what was going on?" the man's tone was deadly calm and his hands clenched the desk tightly, "when he jumped into the fight?"
Jack shook his head, "I don't think so," he admitted, "to him it probably just looked like I was beating on his partner. Mac did the same thing when it looked like I was getting my ass handed to me. Bell's partner was just defending him."
Braswell sighed, running a tired hand over his face, "both of you are dismissed, no punishment. Go get something to eat, dinner isn't over yet."
Jack nodded gratefully, "thank you sir."
Braswell waved him off, "and tell Jahaed at the desk outside to send for Braswell and Keenes," his expression darkened, "I'm about to have a serious discussion with them both."
Jack led Mac outside and repeated the orders to the kid at the desk. He steered Mac towards mess, keeping his arm securely on his partner's shoulders. Mac was shivering slightly, despite the heat.
"I'm not hungry, Jack," the kid mumbled, pulling away and turning towards their barracks, "I'm going to go to bed."
"No you're not," Jack snagged the kid's arm and pulled him towards the mess, "you have to eat, Mac."
"If I eat anything I might throw it right back up," Mac warned, his face pale.
Jack stopped, pulling Mac into a shielded corner, "look at me kid," he waited until Mac met his worried gaze, "you just saw me go to bat for you, didn't you?"
Mac nodded a bit numbly, wrapping his arms around his torso as he searched Jack's eyes for something.
"That was just because someone was talking shit," Jack reminded him, "if anyone ever tried anything I'd cut his hands off, feed them to him, then blow his damn head off for laying a single finger on you," he promised, "you don't have to worry about anything. I've got your back, kiddo, remember?"
Mac nodded, leaning his head against Jack's chest and taking a deep, settling breath. He pulled back and stayed silent as jack led him into dinner and sat with him as they both ate dinner. Mac managed at least half before his nausea forced him to stop. Jack stood and led them back to the barracks where they stayed for the rest of the evening. And if Jack stuck particularly close to his partner during the following days, no one said anything. And when Avery Bell was dishonorably discharged from his post and sent home in disgrace, many questions were raised. Many theories arose and the story spread of the fight that had led up to it. No one knew what was said but one knowledge solidified into understanding for the people on that base that day.
Don't ever mess with Jack Dalton's partner.
Whew! Done! Again, super sorry about the long wait! I'm trying to update all of my stories within the next week so be on the lookout for new chapters if you follow my other Macgyver story or my Avengers stuff. Thank you all for your patience and your support! Comments, Constructive Criticism, and ideas for future chapters are always welcome! I love hearing from my people! Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! Love y'all!
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