Small Hurts, Big Trust and Perfect Trees

Notes: This is a little flash ficlet written for Impossible Pluto's Tumblr prompt of: "I know it hurts but you have to let me take a look?"

It's part of the Jack Junior verse that was set up in "The metamorphosis of Jack Dalton Junior". Probably best to read that first, but if not the main thing to know if that Jack is now a small child of about 4 or 5 years.

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One moment JJ was running full pelt across the lawn laughing to keep up with Mac and his long legs, the next moment he was on the ground. It was innocent and not something that could have been avoided, but Mac still felt his gut clench with guilt and fear when JJ made a strangled sound of pain and clutched his arm tight to his chest.

It only took seconds to get back to the kid's side. Mac slid to his knees and reached out anxiously. But JJ twisted away, his eyebrows drawn down and lip wobbling.

"No, don't touch." As JJ looked up at Mac, a tear slid down his face and Mac's stomach did another guilty somersault in response.

"Hey, buddy. I know it hurts, but you have to let me take a look?" Mac all but pleaded, turning his hand around palm up in a gentler request for custody of the sore limb.

JJ snuffled, sighed deeply, and then slowly offered his left arm, placing it carefully into Mac's open palm.

"I trust you, Mac," JJ said. He lifted his tear-streaked face and looked straight into Mac's eyes, giving a serious nod.

The trust Mac saw in those big brown eyes almost knocked the breath out him. He'd seen that look before, having been so close to Jack over so many years, but even then, it had always caught him off guard. It was all the more surprising and heart-stopping to see that trust in the eyes of this pint-sized version of Jack.

"Thank you, kiddo," Mac managed to squeak out, throat suddenly gone dry. Mac swallowed and squeezed JJ's shoulder gently, giving himself a moment to pull it together.

He then turned his attention back to the little arm, rotating it gently each way. He was relieved to see there was no blood and nothing appeared broken.

"Where's it hurt, bud?" Mac asked.

The kid pointed with his right hand to his left wrist, where it sat in the palm of Mac's hand. Mac ever-so-gently turned the wrist this time and JJ made a small hurt sound almost pulling his hand away, but Mac immediately stopped. Without too much thought, he brought the small wrist up to his lips and planted a wet raspberry of a kiss against the delicate skin there.

JJ giggled at the unexpected action and Mac let him have his arm back.

"It feels better already, Mac. See?" JJ moved his wrist about, grunting a little when it bent downwards.

Mac was relieved nothing seemed broken, maybe sprained at worst. He stood and offered his hand to JJ who immediately caught hold.

"That's great. I think it's just sprained a little. How about we go inside and wrap it up?"

Inside, Mac lifted JJ up to sit on the sink, legs swinging a thumping sound against the cabinets. Mac found a simple stretch bandage and wrapped JJ's wrist. His wrist was so tiny that it barely used any of the length of rolled bandage.

When Mac was done, JJ was sat there on the sink looking at his wrapped wrist with serious concentration. He moved his wrist about this way and that, and then smiled like the bandage was a new fashion accessory.

"It's fine now, see," JJ said. "No need to worry. I'm good, hoss." JJ reached his newly wrapped hand up and tapped Mac's cheek, like Mac was the one who was hurt and needing comfort rather than him.

For just the briefest moment, it felt as if the older version Jack were standing right there. And a sudden idea hit Mac.

"Thanks, kiddo. Can you wait here a moment? I've got an idea." Mac barely waited for JJ to nod absently, before he strode from the bathroom.

In the adjacent bedroom, Mac dug through his drawers to find a worn out, thin black belt that he'd yet to throw out because the soft leather was so very comfortable to wear. He used his Swiss Knife to cut it to a much shorter length and add some new holes, then wandered back in to JJ. The kid was still examining his new wrapped wrist, but happily placed it into Mac's open palm this time without even being asked.

When Mac gently secured the little improvised wrist cuff over the top of the bandage, JJ's entire face lit up. Mac couldn't help but grin as the kid threw himself into Mac's arms and he swung him around to settle on his hip.

"My Pawpaw gave me one just like it once, but I don't have it anymore. It's perfect, thank you!" JJ whispered happily into Mac's shoulder as he was swung around again. The sore wrist that started everything seemed to be now all but forgotten.

Mac had always wondered what the significance of the leather cuff Jack wore was and it felt like a small invasion of privacy to hear it so easily from this pint-sized Jack. Somehow, he didn't think the older version would mind though.

JJ giggled as Mac swung him around again, jostling his charge as they headed back into the living room, their laughter reverberating around the old house.

"You know what I've been thinking?" Mac asked.

"We should eat ice cream?" JJ asked excitedly, giggling even more at his own cheeky suggestion.

"Good guess, and we can do that for dessert tonight if you like, but no. I was thinking we should build a tree house. Boze and I used to have a tree house laboratory when we were little. . ."

"Can we make it a fort? It'll need a good line of sight to the house and we can stock it with supplies, and . . ."

"Line of sight, huh?"

"Yeah, silly. You gotta be able to see everything or it ain't a good fort."

"All right then, let's go scope out the best tree for the job."

With that JJ scrambled down, racing ahead of Mac to get to the backyard and find the perfect tree. Mac swallowed, still reeling at how much JJ was Jack at times, and yet so very much a kid who didn't seem to know how he knew the things he came out with.

"Come on, Mac. Hurry up! This one is perfect."

Mac shook himself, took a deep breath and hurried to catch up, laughing as he scooped JJ up to ride on his shoulders for a better view of the perfect tree. JJ excitedly whooped and yelled "Yeehaw," his feet bumping a rhythm against Mac's chest.

Mac felt such a warm wave of happiness deep in his chest. He wasn't sure how exactly, but the version of Jack he was missing every day was still around guiding him as he always would be. And Mac was certain that whatever happened, he and JJ were going to be just fine.