Past, Present, Future? (Part 1)
"This was a dumb idea," MacGyver muttered to himself Friday evening as he struggled for the third time to tie a perfect Windsor knot. Who knew that a simple piece of silk could be so troublesome. He actually wished Sam was there to assist him for once. He undid his most recent attempt, took a deep breath and looked at the clock. Joanna would be arriving shortly and he couldn't mess this up. His hands shook as he attempted the task once more. Hands that had the innate ability to stay amazingly steady as he diffused hundreds of bombs over the years. Although, the thought of getting blown up was nothing compared to the question he was planning to ask tonight. Four little words that would change the course of his life one way or another. Slipping on his suit jacket he took one last look in the mirror before heading downstairs. The delicious aroma of the dinner he had in the oven wafted through the air and he smiled, even though his stomach churned. He straightened the floral centerpiece on the small kitchen table before lighting two taper candles on either side. He then dimmed the living room lights and turned on some soft, slow music to set the mood. A knock on the front door caused his heart to leap into his throat. He swallowed hard. This was it.
Joanna was standing in the doorway looking more beautiful than ever in the yellow and ivory lace dress she had worn several weeks earlier to a fundraising event.
"I'm sorry I'm a little late. I hope we don't miss our reservation," she said before MacGyver had a chance to compliment her or even invite her inside.
"It's not a problem," he assured her, stepping aside. "Welcome to Chez Mac, madam. Your table awaits."
He watched with satisfaction as her wide brown eyes landed on the table set to rival that of the most upscale restaurant in town. As she slowly stepped across the threshold, he sensed the moment she heard the soft music and felt the ambiance of the room wash over her.
"Oh Mac!" she quietly exclaimed as she turned towards him. "When you invited me to a fancy dinner I never expected this! And you even put on a tie!"
She reached up to straighten the knot in a way Sam never could and he automatically relaxed at her touch.
"I hope you don't mind," he said, gazing lovingly down at her. "I wanted it to just be you and me tonight."
"I like the way you think," she replied, smiling up at him.
Once Joanna was seated and dinner was served, the pair fell into easy conversation. MacGyver couldn't help but notice Jo rubbing the bare spot on her finger where she normally wore her sapphire ring. He reached out and took her hand in his, caressing the empty space with his thumb.
"You still miss it, don't you?"
"Yeah," she nodded sheepishly. "It's like when you get a tooth pulled and your tongue keeps going to where it used to be. Thankfully the jeweler said they should have the stone replaced by the end of next week."
Mac remembered earlier that week when Joanna had arrived at Challengers looking sullen. She had just discovered that one of the small diamonds flanking the larger dark blue stone was missing and she had to send off her precious ring for repair. MacGyver didn't much believe in coincidence, but he knew opportunity when he saw it and he planned to take advantage of it tonight.
After dessert, the couple moved to the living room couch. Ellen MacGyver's treasure chest was proudly displayed on the coffee table. Mac took it in his hands before placing it on Joanna's lap.
"This was my mom's" he explained when she looked at him questioningly. "She kept mementos from when I was a kid in there. Take a look."
Jo hesitated. "But Mac, it's so personal."
"That's kinda the point. Now go ahead and open it."
Joanna slowly lifted the lid and immediately smiled when she saw the homemade necklace and pondered the many cards he had created. His hands began to sweat as if he were a child all over again when she spent a bit too much time perusing his grade school report cards.
"I don't believe it!" she cried.
"What?" Mac asked defensively.
"You flunked science!"
"No way! Let me see that!" he insisted, reaching for the aged piece of paper. "Oh yeah, now I remember. That was the semester I got my first chemistry set. I spent all my time playing with that instead of doing my homework," he explained with a crooked grin.
"The fact that your mom kept all this stuff tells me she loved you very much. She must have been a very special lady. I wish I could've met her."
"Yeah, me too," he responded, his voice husky with sudden emotion. "There was something else in that box, but before you see it I need to say a few things."
The concern that marred her brow wrenched at his heart so he quickly decided to ditch the fancy speech he had prepared and improvise instead.
"I love you, Jo. You know that, right?"
She nodded, giving him the courage to continue.
"I tried to hide behind my fear of commitment, but I was only fooling myself. From the first time I saw you I knew there would never be anyone else. Not for me. It's always been you." Here he stopped and took a breath. "All my life I've been so afraid of losing people I love, and I still am. But you've made me see how much I've truly lost by running away. I'm done running, Jo. I'm here. I'm yours if you'll have me. Will you marry me?"
MacGyver held his breath as Joanna silently studied him, an unidentifiable look in her eyes. He knew she loved him back, but she was also insecure in that love. Did he, in an attempt to ease her fears, only make things worse? He had thought this was what she ultimately wanted and, after the last few weeks, it seemed that the time was right. She had asked him to hang on to her and never let her go. Had he misinterpreted her meaning? He ran his finger around the inside collar of his dress shirt which had suddenly become too tight. Why wasn't she answering him? Yeah, this had definitely been a dumb idea. Now he remembered why he never proposed to anyone. Leaving was a lot easier than getting rejected.
"Yes, I'll marry you," Jo replied simply. Eyes sparkling with unshed tears, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him toward her in a tight embrace. He released the breath he had been holding and lost himself in her sweet warmth as their hearts beat in rhythm as one.
When they finally pulled apart, he reached into his pocket and, taking her hand in his, slipped the now-familiar ring on her finger.
"Do you like it?" he asked in little more than a whisper as she stared at the small, twinkling stone on the simple band of gold.
"It's perfect. Absolutely perfect," she assured him, squeezing his hand.
"It was my grandmother's." He lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on the ring before cupping her face in his hands and finding her soft, willing lips.
Lost in the magic of the kiss that promised forever, MacGyver vaguely heard the strains of an old-fashioned love song he recognized as one of his mother's favorites. Reluctantly, he broke contact and pushed himself off the couch before turning back, his arm extended towards Joanna.
"Dance with me?"
Her flushed face, already filled with love and awe, looked up at him.
"I thought you didn't care to dance?"
He smiled gently. "I do now."
Joanna eagerly accepted his invitation and together they swayed to the gentle cadence of the music, his lips once again finding hers. Oblivious to the outside world, they startled apart at the shrill ring of the telephone.
"Let the machine get it," Jo instructed, pulling him close so their foreheads touched.
"MacGyver, it's me. If you're there pick up!"
Mac groaned. "Go away, Pete."
"It could be something important," Joanna mumbled, taking a step back.
"You're timing stinks!" Mac growled into the receiver.
"Now you know how I feel when you call in the middle of the night," Pete chuckled wryly.
Mac glanced at Joanna who now sat on the couch, hugging a throw pillow. "I highly doubt that, Pete. What's up?"
"It's about the grant for Challengers. You'll be getting a call tomorrow morning, but I wanted to give you a heads up."
"What about the grant?" he asked. His words caught Jo's attention and she now came to stand beside him, an anxious look in her eyes.
"The Western Division of Phoenix siphoned some of our funds to go toward Challengers in Los Angeles. You're still getting the grant, it's just not as much as you were promised."
"What?! They can't do that!"
"They can and they did," Pete sighed. "I'll keep on it and see if we can work something out. In the meantime, when you get that phone call, don't shoot the messenger. Got it?"
"Got it," MacGyver confirmed glumly before hanging up.
"Mac, what's wrong?" Jo asked, not even trying to disguise her worry.
He sank down on a kitchen stool, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her down onto his lap before relaying the short conversation.
"So what do we do now?" she asked, her hands resting on his.
"I don't know."
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Joanna stifled a yawn early the following morning as she, Cynthia, and MacGyver gathered in his office to await the inevitable phone call Pete had warned them about. After leaving Mac the night before, she had gone home to an overjoyed mother and happily content father who, she had learned, had given MacGyver their permission to propose to her when he had asked for their blessing days earlier. Her heart warmed at Mac's thoughtfulness. She hurried off to bed with as little fanfare as possible only to spend some of the night reveling in the memory of MacGyver's kisses, some of it fretting about the fate of Challengers, and some of it terrified at the turn her life had suddenly taken. Though she had always assumed she would get married, she thought she had made peace with the fact that it wasn't to be several years ago. Now she wore MacGyver's engagement ring and tussled with the implications it came with. There was no doubt in her mind that she loved him and he loved her, but her pragmatic side struggled to accept the changes this shift in their relationship would bring. Not to mention the fact that she had answered him so quickly. For goodness sake, it took her longer to decide which shoes to wear in the morning than it did for her to make this life-altering decision! She didn't even ask for time to think about it. She just blurted out 'yes'! Yet somehow, she knew it was right. When the morning sunlight finally greeted her, she crawled out of bed and headed into work unlike most women who would gleefully be announcing the events of the previous evening to their family and friends. Upon arriving at the club, Cynthia had smiled at her warmly, admired her modest engagement ring, and gently embraced her before all thoughts turned to the business at hand.
The call came in shortly thereafter and MacGyver put it on speakerphone. A male voice in a clipped tone informed them that the grant they would be receiving would be several thousand dollars less than what they had planned and budgeted for. He offered a generic apology before disconnecting. Joanna and Cynthia watched as Mac clicked off the call, pushed away from his desk and silently strode out of his office, through the recreation area and out into the parking lot.
When Jo couldn't stand his absence any longer, she ventured outside to find MacGyver sitting on his new Harley, lovingly polishing the already shiny chrome with a soft rag. Her stomach dipped. She had caught him doing the same thing to his Nomad six months earlier when he intended to sell it in order to pay the initial lease on Challengers before the Phoenix Foundation stepped in. Wordlessly, she mounted the bike behind him, slipped her arms around his waist, and rested her chin on his sun-warmed shoulder.
"You don't have to do it, you know," she said softly into her ear.
He turned his head so her lips were practically touching his cheek.
"No man needs three vehicles. Besides, it technically belongs to Challengers anyway."
"I've seen the books. Cynthia's done a good job. We're financially solvent for a couple more months. We can use that time to find another solution."
"Like what?" he protested listlessly.
"Maybe Pete will be able to work something out, or we could contact some of the donors we met at the fundraising gala. We'll find a way."
MacGyver lithely swung one long leg over the handlebars before sliding off the leather seat. He then took Joanna's soft hand in his and helped her dismount as well, placing his hands on her hips to keep her near.
"It wasn't supposed to be like this," he said with a self-deprecating smile. "You should be picking out china patterns and Jack should be planning my bachelor party. We shouldn't be worrying about losing Challengers...again."
"I don't care for china much anyway," Joanna shrugged, her arms now looped casually around his neck. "And I highly doubt you would let Jack plan a party, particularly one you would enjoy. Challengers needs to be our priority right now and we will figure something out. Together."
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Sunday evening MacGyver zipped up his garment bag and laid it carefully across his bed so the suit inside wouldn't get wrinkled as Joanna watched from a corner of the upstairs room.
"I know the timing stinks, but Pete thinks we can make some progress by going straight to the Phoenix board in Los Angeles." Mac planned to pick up his friend on the way to O'Hare and catch the red-eye to the coast so they could meet with the board first thing in the morning.
"I hope he's right," Jo replied in an understanding tone. "And while you two are doing that, I'll make some calls to potential local donors." Here she paused and shifted the conversation. "Have you told them about us?"
Mac looked up and caught her tentative gaze. "Yeah," he smiled affectionately. "Pete and Connie send their congratulations and love and Sam is thrilled that he's finally going to have an official step-mother."
The tension drained from Joanna's face and she laughed softly. "Sometimes I swear that son of yours is twenty-something going on ten!"
"Can't argue with you there," MacGyver agreed lightheartedly.
"You'll keep me posted on how things go in L.A.?" Jo's serious tone returned.
"Count on it!"
XXXXX
"'We'll take your request under consideration'?" Mac huffed as he guided Pete through the myriad corridors of the Los Angeles Phoenix Foundation offices. "We travel two thousand miles and plead for an hour and that's the best they can do?!"
"Calm down, MacGyver," Pete urged. "These things take time. You know that."
"Yeah, I know that," he said, blowing out a sigh as he reached up to loosen his tie. "I'm just frustrated."
"Hey! Why don't we grab some lunch at that Indian restaurant you used to like so much before we catch our return flight," Pete suggested.
"Have your taste buds recovered from the last time?" Mac grinned.
"MacGyver! Pete!" a male voice called from behind, interrupting their conversation.
Mac turned around and instantly recognized the man.
"Craig Bannister! What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing! Last I heard you had moved to some farm town in the Midwest to teach delinquent youth!"
"That's not exactly accurate," MacGyver protested but decided it wasn't worth arguing about. "But what about you? Did Phoenix finally manage to snag you away from the DXS?"
"Something like that. I've been here about a year now," Craig admitted with a sly grin. "You're looking at the Director of Foreign Field Operations."
"Impressive title," Mac acknowledged. "Pete and I were just going to get some lunch. Why don't you join us and we can catch up?"
Before Bannister could answer, his pager went off. "I have to take this," he declared, after checking the number. "You remember what it's like Pete, right?"
Pete smiled in the direction of Craig's voice. "Sure do. And I can't say I miss it!"
MacGyver and Pete stood off to the side as Bannister dialed the nearest telephone and was soon engaged in an animated conversation. Minutes later, he hung up the phone and approached his two friends, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"Problem?" Mac asked.
"Yeah. You could say that," he sighed.
"What's up?"
"You know I can't tell you that MacGyver. It's classified."
"Ah." Mac nodded once to show he understood.
"Unless...Mac, would you be interested in doing a freelance assignment for Phoenix?"
"Depends. What do I need to do?"
"One of my operatives is in Berlin, Germany. She infiltrated a small communist cell that refuses to believe the wall is down. She confiscated a computer disc chronicling their activity and is scheduled to return to the United States."
"Go on," Mac prompted.
"She called for a secure pick-up because she thought she was being followed. I had an agent scheduled to leave later this afternoon but he just got called away on a family emergency and I don't have time to arrange for anyone else. What do ya say? Everything is set. You won't be in Germany long enough to shave and I'll see that you get a nice, healthy bonus in return."
"Pete?" MacGyver turned to his long-time friend and confidant looking for guidance.
"It's up to you."
Mac turned back to Bannister. "Who's your operative?"
"Nicole Carpenter."
MacGyver's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Nikki?!"
XXXXX
"I just don't get it," Mac declared thirty minutes later as he, Pete and Craig munched on Chinese take-out in Bannister's office. "Nikki is one of the most self-sufficient, independent, pig-headed agents Phoenix has! It's not like her to panic at shadows and call for backup."
"She's also one of the most professional, by-the-book agents Phoenix has and she's doing what she's been trained to do," Pete reminded him.
Mac struggled to refrain from rolling his eyes at the not-so-subtle reminder of the differences between the way he and Nikki operated. In spite of that, Nikki was a good agent and had been an even better friend. He couldn't refuse to help.
"Okay, fine. I'll do it. What's the plan?"
"Your flight is scheduled to leave at 4:00 pm from LAX. You should arrive in Berlin about 5:00 am California time. Nikki will be waiting for you in room 306 of the Intercontinental Hotel."
"Why not the U.S. Embassy?"
"We're not certain her cover has been blown so she doesn't want to tip anyone off. From there, you're both scheduled on the next flight to the United States and should arrive here tomorrow evening. Piece of cake, right?"
"Sounds good," MacGyver acknowledged.
"In the meantime, feel free to hang out here while I arrange for a charter flight to take Pete back to Chicago."
Bannister stood up from his seat behind the desk and stepped out of the office, closing the door behind him.
"Are you sure about this, MacGyver?" Pete asked when the two men were alone.
"Pete, it's Nikki," he replied, as if that was enough explanation.
"What about Joanna?"
"What about her?"
Pete huffed and rolled his sightless eyes. "You two are a committed couple now. You need to let her know what's going on!"
"I was planning on calling and telling her something's come up and I'll be away longer than expected."
Pete slowly and silently shook his head in dismay.
"What?! You know this assignment is classified!"
"MacGyver, listen to me. I ruined my first marriage to Connie because I never opened up to her. I can't let you do the same to Joanna. There are things you can tell her without compromising the mission."
"You're right," Mac sighed, pushing to his feet and reaching for the telephone on Craig's desk. He looked at his watch and considered the time zones, she should be at Challengers by now.
"Good afternoon, this is Challengers Club, how may I help you?"
"Hi Cynthia, it's Mac."
"I wasn't expecting you to have news so soon!" she exclaimed excitedly.
"I don't. Sorry to disappoint you. Is Joanna available?"
A few seconds later Jo's sweet voice came over the line.
"There's something I need to tell you," MacGyver began after they exchanged greetings. "An old friend of mine here at Phoenix asked me to go on a mission. There was a last minute emergency."
Silence greeted him. He cleared his throat before continuing, hoping Jo would understand.
"I can't give you any details, but I need to do a secure pick-up. I should be home by tomorrow night."
"Is it safe?" she asked.
"It should be."
"Is someone in trouble?"
"Not if I do my job right."
"Then go."
"You're okay with this?"
"Not really," Jo responded truthfully, "But I love you and everything about you and I know part of that means running to the rescue when you need to. Just promise to be careful."
"Aren't I always?"
A very unladylike snort came through the receiver and Mac chuckled. "So, how are things going on your end?"
"I called a couple possible donors this morning during my break but had to leave messages. I'm gonna call more now. And Cynthia and I started brainstorming ideas for fundraisers like a bake sale or car wash. They wouldn't bring in a whole lot of money but it's better than nothing."
"Well, if I'm successful with this assignment Phoenix will give me a bonus and I'll make sure it's something Challengers can benefit from."
To be continued…