Author's Note: Just a short, feel-good chapter before Mac gets involved in some intrigue
Christmas Cupid
The month of December arrived with gray clouds and wintery drizzle, the temperatures mild enough to keep the snow away for now. Sam had decided to stay in town at least until the New Year and had taken up residence on MacGyver's couch. Mac was glad to have the extra time with his son, but Sam's presence seemed to have driven Joanna away. The only time MacGyver saw her lately was at Challengers or one of their hockey games. The team had yet to win, but they seemed to be enjoying themselves and that was the main objective.
Unfortunately, Sam soon became restless, especially with the wet weather keeping him indoors most days. MacGyver mentioned this one day at school and Joanna quickly suggested Sam volunteer in the learning center and rec room. She even arranged for him to do some presentations in the history class detailing his recent experiences in the Middle East along with displaying his photos. The students, particularly the young ladies, enjoyed Sam's contributions to their classes. A few of the older boys were already talking about enlisting after graduation as a means of staying off the streets and earning some money.
One day, Joanna was walking by the rec room when she noticed a group of students gathered in a corner. Sam was talking to them and the teens appeared to be hanging on his every word. Jo entered the large room as unobtrusively as possible in order to hear what was holding the normally short attention spans of the students. As she got closer to the small gathering, she heard Sam talking about his recent experience with Julie and Baby Joshua, stressing the importance of responsible behavior and consequences of individual choices. The dismissal bell rang and the students quickly dispersed. It was then that Sam looked up, noticing Joanna for the first time.
"Hi, Jo," he greeted her. "I hope you don't mind, but we were playing pool and talking about stuff and one thing kinda led to another and…"
"I don't mind at all," Joanna smiled. "It sounded like you were making some really good points and the kids were actually listening. You're a natural teacher, just like your dad."
"Speaking of Dad, I was wondering if I could talk with you…privately."
"Sure. C'mon in my office." Jo indicated for Sam to follow her, curious and a bit worried about what he had to say. She had already purposely stayed away from MacGyver as much as possible so as not to infringe on his time with his son.
Sam took a seat in one of the visitors' chairs while Joanna settled in behind her desk.
"What's on your mind?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Did you break up with my dad?" he asked meekly, sounding like a five-year-old but not caring.
Joanna's jaw dropped. "No! I mean, we're just friends. Whatever gave you that idea?"
Sam shrugged, "In his letters, he always talked about you and the stuff you guys do together. Since I've been here we've hardly seen you."
"First of all, I've been trying to let you guys have some time together. Alone. Secondly, this is a tough time of year for your dad," she explained, glancing at the calendar on the wall. Soon it would be December 14th. The anniversary of the death of Mac's dad and grandmother. And then there was Christmas, the day his mother died.
Sam nodded vigorously. "That's exactly why he needs you!"
Before Joanna could voice the protest forming on her lips Sam continued.
"Come on over for dinner tomorrow night. I'm cooking so it won't be anything weird."
Jo chuckled. "Well, how can a girl say 'no' to that!"
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The following evening found MacGyver and Joanna seated next to each other on his couch while Sam prepared dinner. Mac hadn't spent any time outside of school with Jo since Thanksgiving and he felt uncharacteristically uncomfortable…a feeling he never had around her. Perhaps it had been the endless hours Sam had spent singing her praises or the way he had shooed them out of the kitchen when they offered to help with dinner. It smelled for all the world like a set-up, but Sam should know better. Mac had stressed from the beginning that Joanna was simply a co-worker who had become a good friend. The couple released a collective sigh when Sam finally beckoned them to the table to eat. However, the table was small and it was all but impossible to move without rubbing knees or bumping feet. Every now and again MacGyver would catch Joanna's eye and roll his own toward Sam. Jo would smile surreptitiously, indicating that she smelled a rat as well.
"We need to get this place decorated for Christmas," Sam abruptly proclaimed, causing his dad and Joanna to look at him as if he just suggested they all jump off a bridge together.
"I don't do Christmas," Mac replied softly but firmly before shoving a forkful of suddenly tasteless food into his mouth.
"What do you mean you don't 'do' Christmas? Everyone does Christmas!" Sam insisted.
MacGyver, still chewing, gazed coldly at his son.
Unaffected, Sam continued, "You told me you always spent time at the Challengers Club in L.A. helping with the Christmas Program and stuff. You went to Phoenix's holiday office parties and created that contraption to make non-alcoholic egg nog. Heck, you even decorated a church!"
"Returning a stolen statue hardly counts as 'decorating'," Mac murmured. "Besides, that stuff wasn't in my house. I didn't have to look at it day and night."
"C'mon Dad," Sam pleaded.
"You could at least put up a tree," Joanna suggested, finally speaking up.
Great! It was two against one. "Oh, all right. But just a tree," MacGyver agreed.
"Stores are already putting artificial trees on sale," Jo informed them. "You could probably get a real good deal."
"Oh, no," MacGyver said, warming up to the idea. "If I have to get a tree we'll do it the old-fashioned way…find a lot that lets you go out and cut one yourself."
Joanna gaped at him and Sam wrinkled his nose as Mac chuckled and began to clear the table.
The following Saturday, MacGyver headed to his garage to grab a hand saw. Clad in old hiking boots and a blue parka, he was eager to spend some time with Mother Nature. As he was making his way back to the house he saw Joanna pull up and park at the curb. Like him, she wore an all-weather jacket and boots. Though they still lacked snow, there was plenty of mud. Mac opened the front door and yelled to Sam.
"C'mon kid, let's hustle!"
Jo was now at his side. "I don't know why Sam insisted I come along. This would be an ideal father-son bonding trip."
"We've been sharing a one-bedroom apartment for almost a month. Believe me, we've bonded," MacGyver assured her.
Mac opened the door, ready to call to Sam again only to find the young man standing there wearing a sweat suit and socks.
"Why aren't you dressed? We need to get going."
"Sorry, dad, but I don't feel well."
MacGyver narrowed his eyes, "You were fine at breakfast a couple hours ago."
"Yeah, it hit pretty fast. Guess I'll have to count on you and Jo to choose the right tree."
"We could go some other time when you're feeling better," Joanna offered.
"No! I mean, all the good trees will be gone if we wait," Sam insisted.
Mac and Jo exchanged knowing glances. "Well, in that case we better leave right now," MacGyver said.
Joanna smiled at Sam as MacGyver led her to his car.
Wasn't there some old adage about taking a woman to pick out a Christmas tree? If not, there should be, MacGyver thought as Joanna browsed row after row of evergreens pronouncing them too short, too tall, too full, or too sparse. The sun had slipped behind the clouds earlier and the temperature had tumbled. She'd get cold eventually and settle for the nearest tree around, Mac figured.
He figured wrong.
Thirty minutes later Joanna finally informed him that, though not perfect, she had found a more than adequate tree for him to cut down. She steadied the tree as Mac began sawing. Memories from his childhood flooded his mind. He saw himself as a young boy, excitedly darting around the tree farm looking for the most rag-tag evergreen he could find. He remembered having to convince his dad to buy it so it would have a home on Christmas Day. When they got home, Mom always had cookies still warm from the oven waiting for them.
"Mac, you okay?" Joanna interrupted his thoughts.
He noticed he had stopped sawing and light snow was beginning to fall. "Yeah, fine," he replied before continuing to cut down the tree.
Joanna and MacGyver sipped hot chocolate from a nearby vendor as they waited for their tree to be wrapped in netting and secured on the roof of the Nomad.
"You've been making yourself pretty scarce lately," Mac ventured, finishing his sweet drink.
"Like I said, you and Sam need time together."
"Just because Sam is back in my life doesn't mean you have to leave, you know. In fact, I'd say he's trying to, um…"
"Yeah, I know," Jo smiled good-naturedly.
Just then one of the lot attendants approached them. "You guys are good to go. Have a Merry Christmas."
"Thanks," they responded in unison.
"So, I don't suppose you have any decorations?" Joanna asked as she gulped the last of her hot chocolate and tossed the paper cup in the trash.
"No," MacGyver replied. "But I'm guessing after today I will."
Mac parked in his driveway and, with Jo's help, quickly unloaded the tree and got it in a bucket of water until they could get an appropriate stand.
"Let's see if Sam feels up to some shopping," MacGyver suggested.
They entered the duplex to find Sam playing air guitar along with a music video on TV. Mac cleared his throat loudly and Sam turned to face him, looking like a kid who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"Feeling better, are we?" MacGyver asked.
"You know, it was the craziest thing," Sam began.
Mac held up a hand to quiet his son. "Save it. Jo and I know what you've been trying to do, but it just isn't going to happen."
Sam frowned and glanced at Jo who nodded her confirmation.
"But don't you guys see how great you are together? I just don't want you to grow old and lonely, Dad."
"Gee, thanks," Mac replied sarcastically as Joanna tried to hide her smile. "And for the last time, Jo and I are just good friends and right now that's enough." But he didn't know how long he would remain satisfied with just that.
"Well, in that case I guess you won't be needing these." Sam pointed to the ceiling where he had hung several bunches of greenery which MacGyver assumed was supposed to be mistletoe.
"Naw, that's OK. They can stay," Mac replied, causing Sam and Jo to raise their eyebrows and shrug.
MacGyver took Joanna's arm and led her behind the spiral staircase.
"Whoa, are you anxious to try out the mistletoe?" Jo giggled.
"You're not really on board with that, are you?" Mac asked.
"Well, I'd hate to mess with tradition," she grinned, enjoying the way MacGyver always ran his fingers through his hair in response to her flirting.
"I was going to say that you don't have to go shopping with us. We've wasted enough of your time with the tree."
"You're not wasting my time," Jo insisted. She was starting to get frustrated with MacGyver. First he complained because she stayed away and now he was trying to force her out. "Come on, let's go shopping," she instructed.
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Good grief, what had she been thinking? Well, she'd been thinking that she'd missed MacGyver and wanted to spend more time with him, but she hadn't counted on two grown men acting like kids in a candy store arguing over Christmas tree decorations. It was obvious that neither of them had decorated a tree in quite a while and the options they faced were overwhelming. Joanna looked in the cart at the multicolored lights and rainbow of garlands and ornaments but kept her mouth shut. Unfortunately, she could not hide the dismay on her face.
"Don't worry," Sam said, draping an arm around her shoulders. "It'll all look great once it's on the tree."
"Yeah," Mac agreed with a quirky grin. "We can make this work."
Joanna snorted and headed with them to the checkout lanes.
A few hours later, Jo leaned against the breakfast bar and gazed in amazement at the bedecked evergreen tucked in the corner by the patio doors. Somehow, Sam and Mac had made the odd assortment of colors come together in shiny Christmas harmony.
As father and son stood back to admire their handiwork MacGyver's phone rang. He absently picked up the receiver and mumbled a greeting. Suddenly his jaw tensed and his eyes hardened.
"I'm sorry, sir, but I no longer work for the Phoenix Foundation."
Sam and Joanna exchanged curious glances.
"No, that arrangement ended the day I handed you my resignation."
Jo mouthed the name 'Stern' to Sam who nodded in understanding. She could hear the voice on the other end of the line. It was loud and urgent, but she could not understand the words.
"With all due respect, sir," MacGyver began, visibly reigning in his anger, "I have a job and responsibilities here. I understand that you are in a difficult position, but I'm sure you have more than one capable agent who can complete the mission."
Everyone was silent as Mac listened to Stern's response.
"My loyalties cannot be bought and at the moment they lie elsewhere. I'm sorry, but I can't help you." MacGyver hung up the phone and groaned.
Joanna hung back, giving Mac time to process the conversation, but Sam's curiosity got the better of him and he pounced.
"What was that all about, Dad? Did Phoenix want you to go on another mission? Why did you turn them down?"
MacGyver rubbed his face with his hands before answering. "Stern wanted me to be part of a covert operation in North Africa. I turned him down because I no longer work for Phoenix."
"But it must be something really important if Stern wants you," Sam prodded.
"It is," Mac acknowledged. "But if I took the assignment I'd be working for Stern, not Phoenix. He tried to bribe me, Sam. If I had any respect left for that man it's gone now."
"So you're really okay with being done with field ops?" Sam asked.
Joanna held her breath in anticipation of Mac's answer. Did he regret resigning from the Foundation? Was he bored at the school? Did he miss the travel and adventure?
"Yeah, I guess I am," MacGyver replied confidently. Jo followed his eyes as he surveyed his apartment, taking in the cheerful tree, his favorite couch, his son, and finally her. "I have everything I need right here," he smiled.
