"The past with its anguish will break through every defense line of custom and habit." – Cyril Connolly

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Minister please, minister…Minister Henron. MINISTER!" Finally seeing that the frantic man paused long enough to give him his attention MacGyver continued, "please, calm down."

"Calm down? CALM DOWN?! My people are now going to be attacked, I must prepare. Tyrea has made their choice, as regrettable as it is…the loss of life… Chanar, Go alert the outposts to make ready the explosive ballistics, Silia-"

"Minister, PLEASE. There is no need for that yet," god how he hoped he wasn't wrong, "I don't believe that they are going to attack just yet-"

"Oh, you don't believe do you? These negotiations have been a waste of time, I should have been with my people trying to save as many as I can." The leader had changed from the pleasant man he had met earlier to a man years older, tougher, and one who although still cared greatly for life of all kinds, was guided by his conscience to protect his people first. Burdened with duty and yoke of power.

"I understand that, but I think that we have time to-"

Once again he was cut off,

"You think! I cannot gamble on the goings on of the mind of a…a…a stranger."

"Sir, I could buy you time. My group and I are willing to find out why the Tyreans suddenly withdrew. There's got to be a reason. Let us help you. We don't want any loss of life either."

Henron slumped back into his chair at his words. He truly didn't like war, but he liked the death of his own people even less.

"You are confident that you could make a difference in this avoidance of battle?" Mac nodded and tried to conceal his nervousness. He prayed to no end that he wouldn't prove to be a liar; it was just the only option he saw at the moment. "Then you shall travel to Menautos covertly and learn what it is that has forced this outcome."

"I have to-"

"Mac?!" A voice interrupted him, coming from his radio, "Mac, you alright? What's going on? Mac?!"

"Jack, not now," he said after he fumbled for the radio to break off the rant he knew that he was going to get. Something had alarmed Jack and now he knew he wouldn't hear the end of it, but Jack would wait until Mac said it was okay first.

"Like I was trying to say, I would have to clear it with Jack but I'm willing to do anything to prevent an all out nuclear war."

And it was a grateful Henron who bowed his head in thanks. "If you succeed in your mission, the people of Clatia will be forever in your debt, as will I. You may have any resources you deem necessary, just ask Goran to provide it for you." With that, the minister left with high hopes, though tacked on to the realistic mindset of a leader preparing his people for war.

Mac sighed. Jack and Thor had both said that this would be an easy negotiation…yeah right! This whole situation was going to Hell in a handbasket!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

SAM had been engrossed in a discussion with the pretty docent, Lona, about Tomacian culture. Specifically what they did for fun, and was pleasantly surprised to hear that they had a silent movie theater. He had been listening to her talking about the latest one she had seen when he felt…he didn't know what he felt or at the very least how to explain it. He had never felt anything like it. It was as if he knew someone was in trouble. Kinda like a sixth sense.

A question on his lips, he turned around to his uncle Jack and found that he must have felt it too because he had this weird look on his face. He was sitting ramrod straight and scanning the area as if he knew that something was going to jump out at them. SAM too started looking around just out of reflex. He had been in hazardous places throughout his short life: Bosnia, Nicaragua, Nigeria… there was nothing wrong with his survival instincts.

"Mac?! Mac, you alright? What's going on? Mac?!"

His head snapped back to Jack when he said that. Is Dad in danger? Jack certainly thinks so, why?

It was at this time that Lona had stopped talking; never having realized that SAM's attention hadn't been on her. Goran also turned his attention to O'Neill, who seemed oblivious to everyone else at the moment.

"Jack, not now," came his father's distracted tone. Both he and Jack breathed a sigh of relief at the harried voice, though his uncle was still tense. What's going on?

Jack tore his attention away from the radio and looked him in the eye. His expression was schooled into nonchalance, but if you looked in his eyes, you knew better.

"SAM you're gonna have to cancel dinner," he said, though he knew Lona was listening, "we're going back to the capitol. Goran, please…"

Goran turned the vehicle around and headed back. It wasn't long until the two heard back from MacGyver.

"Jack? You there?"

"Yeah bro, I'm here. What the hell was that?"

"Umm…long story."

"Start talking…"

"The Tyreans walked out of negotiations. They broke off ties and said that they had more pressing business back home than to waste their time here."

"That's not good."

"No, it isn't. Is SAM there with you?"

"Yeah Dad. I heard ya," SAM keyed his own radio.

"Good you two head back here as soon as you can."

"'kay, Goran how-"

"Fifteen regas sir."

"Ah. Mac, Goran here says we'll be there in fifteen…regas."

"Okay, that's roughly twenty minutes. See ya then."

Jack looked thoughtful for a split second before making a decision and simply replying,

"O'Neill out."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

MacGyver shook his head. What am I going to do? This didn't sound like a piece of cake, it would be dangerous, and he didn't want SAM to be anywhere near something that would be unsafe. They had gone through this already, and every fiber of his being told him that they would continue to go through this time and time again. SAM was his son, and there was no way he would be willing to put him at risk. His family was too small, he didn't want to lose any of them; he just couldn't. He had felt that way about Jack all his life, and now he had SAM as well. So sue him, he was an overprotective father.

///flashback///

"I'm gonna go with you," SAM said as he hopped off the desk in Pete's office he was sitting on. At his words, MacGyver stopped, just short of the door. No way was he going to let his newfound son go into such a dangerous situation.

"Ahhh, I don't think so. There could be some trouble."

But SAM wasn't having any of it. He had to go, it was personal.

"Look, we just found out you're my father okay" With that line alone, Mac knew he was going to get an earful. The look on the kid's face reminded him of himself, "That's father, not boss. I've been on my own a long time. And I'm old enough to vote, I'm old enough to fight for my country, not to mention the fact that I am a professional photojournalist and I'm looking at one hell of a story, so back off."

SAM had won that round with such fervent words and he knew it. He would not be left behind no matter what.

"I'm going with you."

///end flashback///

No matter what he wanted, he knew SAM wouldn't go along with it. If he had his way, he would be back home under a lock and key, but SAM was too much like him, Jack as well. No one and nothing could keep them away from the action. It was who they were and there was no changing that.

He walked down the hall, thinking the entire way about what they were about to do. Undercover in an unknown city on an alien planet looking for who knows what; a mission full of unknown perils: not a place he wanted his only son to be. He was used to working alone, now he had two other people with him, his two weaknesses.

Closing the door to their room behind him, he leaned his back against it for support in a moment of vulnerability. He was scared.

Scared of losing his family. He knew that they could handle themselves; they've proven it many times already. It was just that he was fighting overwhelming feelings of protection that he knew he couldn't give in to. It was irrational, he knew, but lately that's the way he had been feeling.

He moved away from the door and tried to collect himself. He was glad that the others hadn't been there already. He was a private man and liked to handle things alone where nobody could intrude.

MacGyver took the moment to think over what exactly had just happened at the meeting and how he was going to tell Jack and SAM. Jack wasn't going to like it; they were changing the whole purpose of their little excursion into space, and yet they weren't changing it at the same time. Thor had asked them to try to negotiate a peace treaty between the countries and that's what they were going to do. The only thing was that they had to go undercover into one of the cities and find out their secret so they can try to broker a deal. No big deal…right?

Jack was sooo going to be pissed.