Like Normal People

MacGyver and Joanna returned to work the second week in January to prepare for the upcoming semester. Evelyn reported that there had been no new acts of vandalism and the police still did not have any leads. Of course, she also had to tease them about getting stuck in a blizzard and how they seemed to attract natural disasters.

Joanna was sitting at her computer catching up on some data entry when MacGyver tapped softly on her door. The serious look on his face and rigid posture immediately caused her concern.

"Is something wrong?" she asked anxiously.

"May I come in?"

"Of course." Joanna was getting seriously worried. She and Mac had long gotten past the point of asking permission to enter one another's office. Mac entered and seated himself across from her.

"What's up?" she asked, fearing he was going to tell her he had found more vandalism.

"I was wondering if, um," he paused to clear his throat. "Would you like to go out to dinner Friday night?" he said in a rush.

OK, that hadn't been what she was expecting, but it was a welcomed idea since they hadn't seen much of each other since New Year's.

"Sure. We haven't done pizza in a while. Is Sam coming too?"

MacGyver crossed then uncrossed his legs, shifting in the chair. She had never seen him so unsure of himself.

"Um, no. I thought it could just be the two of us."

Joanna eyed him suspiciously. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"No! I mean, I know you don't date colleagues, I just thought—" MacGyver stopped and Jo raised her eyebrows. He took a deep breath. "Yes, I'm asking you out on a date. I thought we could go to that Italian restaurant you like so much."

Joanna sat back in her chair to consider his invitation.

"Look," Mac said, sounding more like himself. "It's been a while since we've been together, just the two of us. I thought it might be nice to—"

"I'd love to!" she cut him off.

"Great," he smiled warmly. "Pick you up at six?"

"I'll be ready."

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"How do I look?"

Sam repositioned himself on the couch. "Don't you think you're a little overdressed?"

MacGyver looked down at his suit and tie. Yeah, maybe it was a bit much, especially for him. He bounded back up the spiral staircase, changed into a collarless shirt and ditched the tie.

"What time are you picking her up?" Sam called.

"Six."

"You better hustle!"

"Yes, dad," Mac mumbled under his breath as he headed downstairs.

"How's this?" he asked, standing in front of Sam.

"Better. But I don't get what the big deal is. It's just Jo."

"Tonight's….different," MacGyver hedged.

Sam's investigative instincts sprang to life. "Really? How so?"

"It just is," Mac stated.

"Hey, I get it now," Sam's eyes sparkled with mirth. "You and Jo are going out on a date! A real date like normal people!"

"That's what I'm planning," MacGyver replied, running a finger between his neck and suddenly too-tight banded collar.

"But why are you so stressed out? You've been out on thousands of dates."

Mac cocked his head and eyed his son. "I wouldn't say 'thousands'."

"You know what I mean," Sam scoffed.

"Let's just say that this one is kinda…special."

"You really like her, don't you?" Sam asked, his voice serious for the first time that evening.

"Yeah, I do," MacGyver confirmed. "She's a good friend and I don't want to mess things up."

"Then why are you going out with her?"

Mac refused to tell his son he was doing this because Pete told him to so he decided to evade the question altogether.

"I gotta go," he told Sam, and hurried out the door.

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"Hurry up, Joanna! MacGyver will be here any minute!" Judy Fairfax hollered upstairs to her daughter.

"I'm coming, Mother!" Jo called back.

Her hands shook as she attempted to apply a coat of mascara to her eyelashes. She lowered the wand and took a deep breath. What was the big deal? She and MacGyver were good friends and they spent a lot of time together. But neither one of them had ever considered their shared activities as a date. That was the big deal. At least to her.

"He's here!" her mom announced.

Joanna threw the tube of makeup on her dresser. It wasn't like he was going to be gazing longingly into her eyes. He didn't do things like that with her. At least he never had before.

MacGyver was standing in the small foyer when Jo reached the bottom step. The sight of him made her pause. Sure, she had seen him in various dress clothes before, but that was always for a work-related function. Tonight it was for her.

"You look great," he smiled, his voice low and confident.

She looked down self-consciously at the red turtle-neck sweater she had paired with a long black suede skirt and dress boots.

"Thanks, you do, too," she replied, hoping she was the only one who noticed the quiver in her voice. She reached for her wool coat.

"Here, let me." MacGyver grabbed the coat and held it out for her.

OK, this was weird. Nice, but weird.

Mac escorted her out the door and to the car, his hand never leaving the small of her back. He opened the passenger door and only closed it when she indicated she was settled in. They engaged in idle chit chat during the short drive and upon arriving at the restaurant, she waited politely as he hurried around the car to open the door and help her out. The hostess seated them immediately and the server took their order promptly. Then they were alone. Voices and laughter from other patrons surrounded them, yet they remained silent, not knowing quite what to say. MacGyver was the first to break the ice.

"Do you feel as awkward as I do?" he asked quietly.

Joanna felt her shoulders relax and relief flood her body. "Absolutely!" she replied.

"Promise you won't get mad when I tell you this, but it was all Pete's idea."

"I figured it was something like that," Joanna laughed softly. "And I'm not angry with you, but why did you go along with it?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time?" Mac shrugged.

"And now?"

"Not so much." They both laughed before Mac became serious again. He reached across the table and put his hand over hers. "I hope you know that I really do care about you even if I don't get dressed up and take you to fancy places." Then he chuckled and shook his head. "Can you believe I changed clothes twice and got the Nomad washed just for tonight?"

"Why?" Joanna chuckled along with him.

"I wanted to make a good impression."

"Don't you think it's a little late for that?"

MacGyver met her gaze and squeezed her hand. "I didn't want to mess things up between us. Are we still okay?"

"We're perfect," she assured him.

"Can I ask you one more thing?"

"Sure."

"Why do you only have mascara on one eye?"

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Late Monday morning, MacGyver was sitting at his desk reviewing the estimate for the repairs to the gym. Evelyn had asked him to look at the proposal to make sure they were getting a fair deal, but Mac couldn't concentrate on the numbers. His mind kept reverting back to Friday night. Had he done the right thing bailing on the whole 'date' idea, or was he just running from his feelings again? Joanna had visibly relaxed once they had decided to share a meal as just friends and they did have a good time. Feeling too restless to spend the next four hours stuck behind his desk, MacGyver decided to go to the Pettit Center and skate off some energy. There would probably be some kids from Challengers there that he could work with as well. On his way out, he poked his head in Joanna's office to let her know of his plans.

"Just wanted to let you know I'll be at the hockey rink if you need me."

"Sounds good," she acknowledged, looking away from her computer screen.

MacGyver was ready to be on his way when she spoke again.

"Hey Mac, thanks for Friday night. I really had a good time."

Mac took a couple steps into her office. "You're welcome. I enjoyed it too. I'm just sorry I made us both uncomfortable by taking Pete's advice and trying to turn it into a date."

Joanna smiled at him softly. "I'm not. I really appreciate everything you did to try and make the night special, but…"

Oh great. Here it comes. The brush off. What would it be this time? 'Let's just be friends', 'I'm not your type,' 'It's not you, it's me'?

He almost didn't hear Joanna continue, "…we've known each other for almost a year now. We've been through a lot together and we've learned a lot about each other. I think we're kinda past the dating stage, don't you?"

"Yeah, you're right," Mac replied, a bit unsure about what he was agreeing with. "Well, I'm gonna grab the equipment and get outta here."

"Have fun," Joanna called after him as he made a hasty retreat.

MacGyver had been at the rink skating around imaginary defensemen and faking out invisible goalies for about an hour before a large number of his team from Challengers arrived.

"We heard you were here and thought we might do some extra practice," Raul called as he entered the rink.

"Glad you came. I was getting bored playing by myself!" MacGyver smiled inwardly at the efficiency of the neighborhood grapevine as the teens took to the ice and began warming up.

Mac had just started leading the boys in some organized drills when he saw Joanna descending the stairs and heading for the home team bench. He skated over to greet her.

"Hey! Didn't expect to see you here."

"Things were kinda slow at work. I hope you don't mind that I came?"

"Not at all. But you might want to go stand behind the glass. The guys are improving, but there are always some shots that get away from them."

MacGyver made sure Jo was safely behind the clear barrier before he allowed the practice to continue. His heart warmed as Joanna yelled encouragement to the team and cheered when a play had been executed successfully. He was in the middle of giving the players a lesson on the finer points of a slap shot when he noticed Winston, one of the rink managers, motioning for him from the bench. Mac once again halted practice and skated over to the boards.

"Sorry to interrupt, Mr. MacGyver, but you have a phone call in the office. The man said it was urgent."

"Thank, I'll be right there."

"You guys keep practicing your shots. I'll be right back," he called to the players as he shook off his bulky gloves and put on his blade guards to protect his skates as he walked up to the managers' offices.

"Make sure they don't slack off while I'm gone," he instructed Joanna light-heartedly as he passed her.

Winston directed MacGyver to the office which had a large window looking out over both rinks. Mac picked up the phone, keeping an eye on his team.

"Hello?"

Silence.

"Hello?

More silence.

"Who is this?" Mac demanded as he watched Damon's shot get away from him, the puck hurtling through the air. The next few seconds went by in slow motion as MacGyver saw Joanna turn and crouch, covering her head with her arms at the same time the puck hit the clear barrier, exploding loudly in a flash of light and shattering the protective glass.

MacGyver dropped the receiver and barreled out of the office towards where Joanna and the rest of the team were now standing.

"Are you all right?" Mac asked breathlessly as he helped Jo remove the pellets of tempered glass from her coat and hair.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied, MacGyver checking her hands and face for cuts.

The boys were chatting excitedly about what had just occurred.

"Wow, did you see that flash?" one asked.

"It made so much noise!" another exclaimed.

Damon's eyes were huge. "I didn't think I hit it that hard."

"You didn't," Mac stated as he retrieved the puck which was now in pieces with colored wires sticking out.

"Is that what I think it is?" Joanna asked in little more than a whisper.

MacGyver nodded. "It was wired to explode."

"On impact?" she asked.

Mac examined the pieces in his hand. "No. Something like this would need a detonator."

"What happened?!" Winston asked in a panic as he hurried over to the small group.

"You'd better call the police," MacGyver instructed.

A short while later, the hockey rink was taped off and swarming with police officers and crime scene technicians. Joanna and Mac had been separated for questioning while the teens were giving their statements as a group.

MacGyver calmly explained everything that had happened leading up to and including the incident before the officer began peppering him with questions.

"Who has access to the equipment?"

"Myself and the custodians," Mac replied. "We keep it locked in a storage closet at the school."

"Were you here when it happened?"

"No. I was in the office on the phone." MacGyver pointed to the room with the large window.

"Who were you on the phone with?"

"No one. I was told I had an urgent call, but when I picked it up there was no one on the line."

The officer continued to ask questions and scribble down the answers he received.

"You said the puck had been tampered with and then detonated. How would you know something like this?"

"I did a lot of bomb diffusing and disposal in Vietnam and the Middle East."

Just then one of the crime scene techs approached the officer, handed him a small box and whispered in his ear before returning to continue investigating. The officer held out the small box to Mac.

"What does this look like to you?"

"A detonator," MacGyver replied flatly.

"It was found in a nearby trash can wiped clean of prints just outside the managers' office. I'm afraid I'm going to have to take you in for further questioning, Mr. MacGyver."

"What?!" Mac exclaimed. "You think I'm a suspect?!"

"You had the means and opportunity," the officer responded plainly.

"But I didn't do it! Someone is trying to set me up!"

"Is that so?" the officer almost sneered. "Now, you can either cooperate and come to the station or I can arrest you right here and take you out in cuffs."

Mac glanced over at Joanna who was being kept away from him by another officer. The look on her face was a mixture of fear and confusion, but mostly of anger.

"I'll cooperate," MacGyver conceded.

As two officers escorted him past Joanna he asked her to let Sam know what was happening.

"But don't call Pete," he instructed. "Do you hear me? Do not call Pete!

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Joanna's head was spinning and her heart was beating double-time. Once MacGyver had left the building the officer who had taken her statement gave her permission to leave as well.

"What about the boys?" she asked, watching the little group huddled together at the opposite side of the rink.

"We'll take care of them, ma'am. You go on home and be sure to call us if you remember anything else to add to your statement."

Joanna nodded and headed for the parking lot. She had to get to MacGyver, but first she had to talk to Sam.

"Are they crazy?! Dad wouldn't do anything like that!"

"I know," Joanna tried to reassure Sam.

"We have to do something!" he insisted. Joanna agreed, but she had no clue how to deal with something like this. Suddenly she had an idea and grabbed MacGyver's phone.

"Evelyn, it's Jo. Mac's in trouble." she said when her boss answered her call.

"I thought you might still have some connections in law enforcement who could help him," Joanna concluded after summarizing the events of the previous couple hours.

"I do know a lawyer who owes me a favor. I'll have him meet you at the station."

"Thanks," Jo replied before abruptly disconnecting the call.

Sam and Jo hurried through the doors of the police precinct only to be greeted by a very large African-American man dressed in a suit and tie and carrying a briefcase.

"Sam Malloy and Joanna Fairfax?" he asked. His voice deep and calm.

They nodded in unison and then the man introduced himself.

"Name's Leroy Jackson. I'm a lawyer and friend of Evelyn Quinn."

"Thank you so much for coming down on such notice," Joanna said as they shook hands.

"No problem. I owed Evelyn a favor. A big one."

"Where's my dad. What's happening?" Sam demanded.

Leroy put a large hand on the young man's shoulder which Sam quickly shoved off.

"Now calm down, Sam. I just saw your dad. They have him in an interrogation room for now. He'll be fine as long as he keeps his mouth shut. Right now, I need to speak with both of you."

Leroy led Sam and Jo to a small conference room and closed the door tightly. "Tell me everything you know."

Joanna told the lawyer about the graffiti, the flooded gym, and the figure on the surveillance tape before launching into the incident at the ice rink. When she finished Leroy headed back to the interrogation room to plead Mac's case.

For the next two hours Joanna and Sam took turns pacing the small room while waiting for some news. Every now and again a secretary would come in and offer them water or coffee.

"What's taking so long?" Sam grumbled, running his fingers through his hair just like his father.

"I don't know," Jo responded. "Right now we just have to trust Mr. Jackson."

No sooner had the words left her mouth than the door opened and Leroy entered the room followed by MacGyver. He motioned for everyone to have a seat.

"Are you okay, Mac?" Joanna asked quietly.

"I've been through worse," he responded as he slouched in his chair.

Leroy loudly cleared his throat and waited until all eyes were on him. He then leaned forward and began talking.

"The good news is that no one is pressing charges against MacGyver…yet. The evidence is mainly circumstantial and, though they could try and prove means and opportunity, there is no motive. They're biding their time until they can make a stronger case."

"Are they going to investigate the angle that my dad is being framed?" Sam asked anxiously.

Leroy sighed. "Unfortunately they think that idea is a bit far-fetched. Fortunately, I don't. I'm going to make some phone calls and get my people on the case." He turned toward MacGyver. "Don't worry, man, we'll get you out of this. In the meantime, it would really help if you could come up with a list of people who might be behind this." The lawyer rose and gave each of them his business card before hastily leaving.

"C'mon, Dad," Sam prodded. "You must know someone with a grudge against you."

MacGyver shook his head and laughed humorlessly. "That's just it. There are a lot of someone's who would like to take me down."

The somber trio left the precinct and headed toward Joanna's car. The sun was almost below the horizon and no one noticed the black compact car parked across the street, but the driver took careful notice of them.

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"What do you mean they let him go?!" a voice bellowed, causing the man in the black car to hold the cellular phone away from his ear.

"They hired some lawyer dude and all walked out of the police station together."

"What about the girl? You think she'll turn on him?"

"No way. She's sticking to him like glue. Saw them getting pretty cozy at a restaurant last week."

The voice let loose with a string of curses. "This is all your fault! How could you mess up like this?!"

"I did everything according to plan," the man in the car yelled back. "I wore that stupid disguise, planted the bomb, then made that prank call and detonated the puck just like you told me!"

"I have one more job for you. If you fail, I'll see to it that both you and MacGyver permanently disappear!"