AN: Here is the final requested follow up to my tags. It has truly been a pleasure doing this for you guys, and I promise that I will be writing tags for each episode of season three as well. However, idk if I'm gonna wait until next summer to do them, or do them as the episodes air. I'll figure that out later. For those of you who are reading my multi chapter fic, To The Ends of The Earth, I've decided that I am going to write longer chapters but have the updates be less frequent. You will most likely still be getting at least two new chapters per week though, as well as other possible fics (I've got some ideas brewing for several movies that I want to write fics for, all of which our beloved Lucas stars in). I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!
Mac sighed in contentment as he let the warm Texas breeze blow through his hair. He'd been needing a haircut ever since he quit, but he couldn't be bothered to do it. It was longer than it had been in a while, but Mac didn't mind. He was with Jack, in beautiful Texas, taking a relaxing ride with their horses, Dusty and Silver. Jack didn't think he knew, but Mac was fully aware that the man was planning on taking him to Disney World during their sabbatical - even Matty, Bozer, and Riley would be joining if Matty and Mama Colton allowed them to have the time off. Mac wasn't quite sure how Jack had managed to scrounge up the money for that, but he definitely wasn't about to say no.
"You about ready to head back in, partner? Dinner'll be ready soon," Jack said from atop Dusty. Mac opened his eyes and gave Jack a small smile.
"Yeah, they're probably ready to be done anyway," he replied, gesturing to the horses. Jack nodded, then clicked his tongue as he made Dusty turn around. Mac quickly followed suit with Silver, and they were soon on their way back to the ranch.
Despite how Mac's entire life had changed the week prior, while he was at the ranch, everything was fine. All of his stress and problems just faded away, along with thoughts of James - he still couldn't bring himself to even refer the man as his father. The ranch had such a calming effect. Despite the fact that it wasn't practical, Mac wished he could just stay there forever. Nothing and no one could touch him there. Maybe that meant he was running from his problems, but while he was at the beautiful Texan ranch, Mac couldn't bring himself to care. Everything was just so nice in Texas. The crime rate was low, everyone knew how to protect themselves, and the people were wonderful and not at all as idiotic as some back in LA. He could see why it had been so hard for Jack to leave.
As the two brought the horses back into the barn, Mac thought he saw a car coming up the winding driveway in the distance.
"I didn't know your grandparents were expecting company," he remarked to Jack. The blond dismounted Silver and began taking off his saddle. Jack followed suit with Dusty, giving Mac an odd look.
"As far as I know, they aren't. Why?" he asked. He took off Dusty's bridle and hung it up. "Did you see somebody?"
"I thought I saw a car coming up the driveway, but maybe it was just the light or something," Mac replied, shrugging it off. It didn't really matter anyway. If there was going to be company, Mac would be polite, but he would likely excuse himself to wash dishes or make some piece of machinery lying around more efficient - he didn't know which piece of machinery yet, but he was sure he could find something. Mac finished with Silver's saddle and began taking off the bridle.
"Well, they are popular folks, so maybe some neighbors decided to stop by or something," Jack responded, giving most of his attention to Dusty's saddle.
Mac shrugged, continuing to brush Silver. As the horse's name suggested, he was a beautiful dappled gray with white points. He was the first horse Mac had learned to ride. Growing up in Mission City, horses weren't all that common, and it wasn't as if he was going to learn to ride at MIT. But as soon as Jack brought him back to the ranch after Afghanistan, the man had made teaching the kid to ride a priority. Silver had been very young at that point, but Jack knew he would take well to Mac, and he had been right. Mac had never had quite as much luck with other horses as he'd had with Silver, but he was okay with that. Silver was enough for him.
Both Mac and Jack turned their attention outside when they heard the distinctive sound of gravel crunching under tires as a car came to a stop. That was odd. If it was a visitor for Jack's grandparents, they should've driven all the up to the house, which was still another eighth of a mile up the driveway. No one ever parked by the barn. They let the horses be, and wandered out to see who it was. Mac noticed Jack's hand traveling to the small of his back where he still stored his gun. It was always on him, and Jack was always prepared to use it if need be.
It was a small black sedan with tinted windows. Mac's stomach dropped. He knew who it was without anyone having to step out. The driver's door opened, but the man was hadn't turned to look at them yet. It didn't matter. The back of the man's head confirmed Mac's suspicions. It was all he could do to just stand there and not run back into the barn, hop on Silver, and gallop away.
Sure enough, the man turned around, revealing the one and only James MacGyver.
"What the hell are you doin' here?" Jack growled at the man. He dropped his hand from his gun, but held one hand out in front of Mac as if to protect him. "This is private property, and I'm afraid you're trespassing. Leave now, or I'll call the cops."
"Come on, Dalton, there's really no reason to be so dramatic. I'm here to take my son home. This charade has gone on long enough," James said, glaring at the both of them.
"Don't call me that," Mac spat out, taking a step closer to the man. "And in case you forgot, I quit. I will never work for you."
James sighed, saying, "you can't quit, Angus. In this line of work, it doesn't work like that. I've let you have your break, but it's time to go back to the real world. We're leaving, and you're coming with me, one way or another, so you may as well make it easy on the both of us."
"Like hell I am," Mac scoffed. He took a step back, and moved closer to Jack. "I'm not going anywhere with you. I don't care what you say, and I don't care what you do. Leave me alone, and get off Jack's property."
"It wasn't an empty threat that I'd call the police," Jack interjected. "It was a promise." He was deadly serious. James sighed again, staring at the both of them as if they were insolent children and not fully trained former spies.
"I would like to speak to Angus, please. Just Angus," James finally said, leveling his glare towards Jack. The Delta met the man's glare with a matching one, before breaking it to take a look at Mac to see if he was okay with that. Hesitantly, Mac gave a small nod. Jack put his hand on the blond's shoulder and squeezed.
"I'm gonna be right up at the barn okay. I'm not leavin' you," he said, loud enough that James definitely heard it. He sent a glare back at the man as James rolled his eyes at the hidden jab. After Mac gave a final nod of confirmation, Jack walked back up to the barn, and leaned against the door.
"I'm starting to really regret having paired you two up," James muttered, shaking his head.
"Oh really, that's what you regret?" Mac asked, furious. "Not treating me like I was nothing as a child, not abandoning me, not manipulating my entire life, not lying to me, but partnering me up with someone who actually gives a damn about me, someone who actually cares?" He scoffed. "You're disgusting," he muttered.
"Quit being such a dramatic child, Angus. I'm your father and I don't need to explain myself to you-"
"Why did I even want you back?" Mac pondered, more to himself than to James. He shook his head and looked away from the man, laughing humorlessly at the irony of the situation.
"We're leaving, now. Get in the car, Angus," James said. His tone left no room for argument, but Mac was never one to let impossibilities stop him.
"No," he said. "I'm not going with you. Like I already told you, I quit."
James glared at Mac, a look his eyes one that Mac hadn't seen in a long, long time. It made him nervous, and just a little bit scared. But he wasn't a little kid anymore who would just let his deadbeat dad push him around in anger. He was a highly trained operative who could and would defend himself, with deadly force if necessary.
"Angus. Get in the car. Now," James seethed, taking a few steps closer to the blond. Mac was not about to give him the satisfaction of seeing him back up.
"No," he said simply, with a small shake of his head and shrug of his shoulders.
James just laughed. "Okay," he said with a smile. "Have it your way then." The man quickly crossed the distance between the two, but caught Mac by surprise with his next move. He swung his fist up and caught Mac in the side of the jaw, momentarily stunning him. James took advantage of that and grabbed Mac by the neck, throwing him into the side of the car. He dragged Mac over to the side of the hood and bent him backwards over it, one hand on Mac's neck and the other harshly pulling his hair. The man's superior height and Mac's awkward position against the car were a detriment to the blond's escape. He tried every trick he knew, but he couldn't get free.
"Stop struggling, Angus. Just get in the damn car like I said-"
"Let him go!"
It was Jack. Mac could've cried in relief.
"I told you Dalton, I wanted to speak to my son privately," James replied with a roll of his eyes, not giving up on his grip on Mac.
"He ain't your son anymore, and he hasn't been for a long time now. So you take your damn hands off the kid right now, or I'll blow you to hell, right where you belong," Jack said, fury in his voice. Mac couldn't see him, but he figured his pistol was drawn and pointed at James' head. That would be the only shot he could make without risking the bullet going through the man and hitting Mac. He knew Jack would rather not kill James in front of him, but he would do it if he had to.
"Let go of the kid," came another harsh voice near Jack. It was Jack's grandpa, likely brandishing the shotgun that was kept in the barn. Finally realizing that he wasn't getting away with Mac, James released his grip on the kid. As soon as the bruising grips were gone, Mac pushed the man away with all of his strength, and backed away, towards Jack.
"Now you leave here, right now, and never return or touch the kid again, or I promise, I will kill you," Jack growled.
"And I'll hide the body," Jack's grandpa added. "No one messes with that kid."
James rolled his eyes at them, but got back into the sedan, and drove away, down the driveway. Jack immediately holstered his gun and pulled Mac into a fierce hug. Mac melted into the touch, his arms quickly coming around Jack's back. He gripped his partner like a lifeline, burrowing his head into Jack's shoulder. Mac took a few deep breaths as he tried to calm his racing heart.
"You okay, kiddo?" Jack's grandpa asked, taking a step closer to them.
"Yeah," Mac responded, quickly pulling away from Jack and running his hands through his hair. "Yeah I'm fine."
"No you're not," Jack said, taking a gentle grip of Mac's chin and moving his head to the left. "You've already got a forming bruise there on your jaw, and on your neck..." Jack trailed off, closing his eyes. "That son of a bitch," he muttered. Mac didn't need a mirror to know that there would be a hand shaped bruise on his neck where James had fiercely gripped him.
"Who was that, Jackie? Should I be callin' the sheriff?" the man asked, slinging the shotgun over his shoulder.
"Mac's bastard of a sperm donor."
Mac couldn't help but smile at that. He wasn't the only one who couldn't bring himself to call James his father. Jack had begun routinely using various forms of "sperm donor" as a name for James, and Mac was okay with that.
Jack's grandpa's face grew sorrowful as he turned to look at Mac.
"I'm sorry, kid," he said.
"It's just life, I guess," Mac muttered. "Is dinner ready?" he asked, abruptly changing the subject.
The old man looked at him with grief in his eyes for a moment before responding, "yeah, I was comin' down here to get you boys, originally. It's all ready." He gave Mac a sad smile before turning away and heading back to the barn to put the shotgun back.
"We should get some ice on that," Jack said, gesturing to the forming bruises.
"Yeah, yeah that's probably a good idea," Mac muttered, gingerly pressing on his neck to check for damage. Satisfied that there wasn't any, he began following Jack's grandpa back up to the house. "I can't believe he would do that," he added, looking at the ground as he walked.
"Sadly, I can't say I'm surprised, but I can say that I'm never letting that bastard touch you ever again. If he ever comes near you again, that's it. After what he did today, he's lucky if we only file a restraining order against him," Jack said, slinging an arm around Mac's shoulders as the two walked.
Mac couldn't help but smile at that. No matter what happened, Jack was always in his corner, always trying to keep him safe and protect him, even from the man who was supposed to love him. Mac could never repay Jack for being that one constant in his life. But that's all he needed, really. Anything else could fade away, but as long as he had Jack, his one constant, then he knew that everything would be okay.