Water
By: AndiKaneUnderwood
Jack was almost asleep when he got the call.
Elwood had finally managed to get comfortable enough to sleep in the chair and knowing that, Jack could finally settle down to go to bed himself.
Then his phone went off and Jack groaned, reaching out without opening his eyes to find his cell phone on the nightstand.
He finally found it and flipped it open.
"This better be good." He grumbled in way of greeting, too tired to deal with normal pleasantries or his usual greeting of 'Dalton'.
"If you'd classify 'Mac' as good, Dalton, then yeah. It's 'good'." Matty replied, none of her normal bite in her voice.
Upon hearing that, Jack sat straight up and all pretense of sleep flew from his mind. "What's happened?"
"Those kids on the ship? They made it. Except one."
"How does that-?"
Matty cut him off. "Her name was Zoe and Mac spent most of his time talking to her."
"Oh." Was all Jack could say.
"She sacrificed herself to save the kids on the ship."
"How'd she go?"
"There was a hole in the wall and water was coming in. The door wasn't sealing properly and nothing Mac tried was working. She went in and hand lit the fuse, sealing herself inside with no way out. She drowned."
"What do you need me to do?" Jack asked, already pulling on his boots and reaching for his gun between the headboard and the wall.
"Get over here. He doesn't want to talk about it, but I know him well enough to know that he'd talk to you before he'd talk to me. This thing with him thinking I knew his Dad..." Matty paused. "Just get over here, Jack. And bring some clothes. Something tells me you'll be here for a while."
"On my way." Jack replied, and he snapped the phone shut.
After leaving a message for Elwood on the coffee table, instructing him not to touch anything except the food in the cabinets, Jack grabbed his keys, wallet, and his duffel bag (which was always ready in case something like this happened) and was out the door to save the day.
Or more accurately, MacGyver.
MacGyver~MacGyver~MacGyver
Fifteen minutes later, Jack was at Mac's place and letting himself in.
Unsurprisingly, the door was unlocked.
Matty met him by the kitchen island.
"Where's my boy?" Jack asked her.
"Out on the balcony." She replied.
"I got it from here. Anything specific I need to know?"
"Her name was Zoe, she was 26, not much older than Mac, and she drowned. That's it, other than Mac did everything he possibly could to help and it apparently wasn't enough." Matty told him and sighed. "He's only 22, Jack. He shouldn't be dealing with this."
"I've been saying that every day since I met him, Matty." Jack sighed and scrubbed his hand down his face. "Thanks for calling me Matty. I'll take it from here."
"I'd wish you luck, but you don't need it. I expect you back in a week and not a second before." It was then that Matty left, sweeping her gaze across Jack's face and rushing out like nothing had happened.
Jack drew in one breath, then exhaled slowly and prepared himself to deal with his too-young partner.
Then he faced the balcony and nodded to himself.
"Alright, Dalton. Remember the three "R"s. Rest, relaxation, and reassemble. You can do this." He mumbled.
There were times Jack was afraid he'd be unable to piece Mac back together.
He never let that be seen. Especially by Mac.
Jack shook his head and let his emotions take control. Mac didn't need "Captain Dalton", he needed "Jack" and that was what Jack was going to provide.
Because he was what Mac needed at the time Mac needed it until it was no longer needed.
Jack's world revolved around a 22 year blonde boy who was too young to be doing this work and too young to feel such loss.
Jack steeled himself and walked on out the balcony.
"Mac?" He called softly, spotting the blonde man immediately.
Mac didn't turn, but Jack read the tense line of his shoulders and the posture of his body, even as it all drained out of his slender frame. "Hey, Dad." he murmured.
Jack's heart broke.
MacGyver~MacGyver~MacGyver
Mac turned and smiled sadly at the person he considered his father, more than his real Dad would ever be.
"Matty called me. You wanna tell me what happened?" Jack asked.
Mac hesitated for a few heartbeats, then shook his head and tears sprang to his eyes. He made it two steps, intending to go hide in his bedroom, before he fell and Jack was there to catch him.
He couldn't stop the tears, couldn't stop the pain or the heartache or the mess of emotion he'd been holding back since he clicked off the monitor and started putting away the tools.
He didn't know how long he sat there with his face buried into Jack's broad chest with his hands fisted in Jack's shirt, but when the storm was over, the lights outside had dimmed and Jack was coaxing him to the bedroom.
"Talk to me, Mac." Jack whispered into blonde hair.
"Zoe wasn't supposed to die. The sealant substitute was supposed to work. Why didn't it? The one on my end did and I don't understand. Did... Did I do that? Did I get Zoe killed?" Mac asked, mostly just rambling and asking and scared, but everything would be okay as long as Jack was there.
"No, kiddo. No, you were so brave, you did everything you could. I'm so sorry this happened." Jack murmured back.
Mac wasn't sure he could believe him yet, but he would in time.
Jack would stay with him until Mac's fears and insecurities where put to rest.
Jack wouldn't leave him.
So that's why Mac believed him when Jack whispered. "It's all gonna be okay, kiddo. You didn't kill her, Mac. It's gonna be alright."
That's why Mac believed him when he said that none of it was his fault and it was all the circumstances and nothing to do with him.
Zoe may have been lost to the waves, but it would all be okay.
It may be a bit before Mac was willing to go on a boat, though.
Yeah, I know, it's stupid and short, but I felt that the writers didn't put in enough time and I felt Mac deserved a better ending. It shouldn't have gone down like it did and I'm so upset for the writers to do that, but they're working the show and I'm not. So the only thing I can do is write these tags/one-shots and pray for a better ending next week.
