New Hope

The drive home from Chicago was completed in relative silence. Every now and again MacGyver glanced over at Joanna only to find her staring out the passenger side window. Once he caught her swatting away an errant teardrop and his heart hiccuped. He asked if she was okay and of course she said she was. He knew better than to ask twice. Something was obviously bothering her, but he knew she would talk about it when she was ready and not a minute before. When they arrived at his townhouse, he unlocked the front door and she quietly slipped past him, taking a seat on the couch and hoisting Frog onto her lap for a cuddle session while he poured a glass of juice and berated himself for feeling jealous of a dog. He slowly made his way to the living room and took his place on the couch, waiting for her to break the stony silence.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this," she murmured as she rhythmically stroked Frog's back.

MacGyver remained silent, hoping she would continue.

"I wish I hadn't told anyone about our engagement," she moaned, turning her chocolate brown eyes on him. "I'm already getting so tired of all the questions about the wedding. Just getting engaged was a big step for us. I'd kinda like to just enjoy that for awhile."

Resting his arm on the top of the couch, he gently caressed her cheek.

"Is this about Connie, Pete and Sam?"

"No," Jo shook her head. "They were just the proverbial last straw. Have you told anyone else?"

"I called Jack and Penny. They're really excited for us, but they had a bunch of questions, too. Especially Penny."

"I can only imagine," Joanna laughed softly. "What did you tell them?"

"I told them we weren't thinking that far ahead and that we have all the time in the world."

"Do you really mean that?"

"Of course," Mac replied, perplexed why she would question him. "I thought we already decided that. Why do you ask?"

Joanna shrugged and broke eye contact as she turned her face away from him and his touch. After a moment she addressed him softly.

"When our friendship began to turn into something more, we set some boundaries for certain aspects of our relationship. I had some time to think in Chicago and started wondering if maybe you had proposed because you were getting impatient and wanted to speed things up."

MacGyver was stunned and a bit angry that she thought so little of him, if only for a moment. But then he turned his focus back to her and his heart squeezed.

"Aw baby," Mac muttered as he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to his side. "You have to know I would never try to manipulate you like that. I was part of that decision, too, and I promise you that every moment we're together I'm happier and more fulfilled than I've ever been with anyone else. I proposed to you to prove, once and for all, that I'm always gonna be here for you. I had absolutely no ulterior motive."

"So you're okay if we end up having a long engagement?"

"Absolutely. We've come this far on our own terms. Why change now?"

Joanna's face lit up and the worry that had been there before was washed away.

"I think you just made me love you even more," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck for a toe curling kiss as Frog, forgotten and squished between his two humans, began to whine.

XXXXX

After Joanna left, seemingly soothed by his words and kisses, the enormity of their situation hit him head on. As her husband, it would be his responsibility to see that she was safe and protected, physically as well as emotionally. Not that Jo couldn't take care of herself. She was strong, independent, and stubborn. But he knew her heart was soft and vulnerable and while he was honored that she had chosen to give it to him, he was also scared witless that he would mess up somehow and betray the unconditional trust she had placed in him. Figuring sleep would be a long time coming, he grabbed one of his favorite Westerns from the bookshelf and shoved it in the VCR before flopping down on the couch. His eyes fluttered closed as the familiar theme music began to play.

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Boston, MA

January, 1863

"I'm telling you, Kate, this is the opportunity we've been waiting for!"

"Angus, you know I prefer to be called 'Katherine' now! Besides, what about your job at my father's newspaper? He told me in confidence that you're next in line for a promotion. Besides, we agreed to stay settled until Samuel was grown."

"Come on, Kate!" The well-coiffed blonde woman raised an eyebrow at her husband which he deftly ignored. "Sammy's already five years old. This would be a great experience for him. For all of us. We've talked about moving West ever since we got married. Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Perhaps I lost it when you took a job as a scout for the Union Army and left me here to care for a three-year-old by myself!"

"If I recall, we made that decision together. The job was temporary and the pay was good"

"I just don't see what you have against staying and working for Daddy!"

"I'm a grown man with a family now. Maybe I don't want to live in the house your father owns or work as cog in the great Malloy Newspaper Empire. I want us to strike out on our own, build a home that's ours, get away from the noise and pollution of city life like we talked about when we were courting. The least you could do is hear me out."

"Fine," Katherine said with a pout. "I'll listen, but I'm not making any promises." She seated herself on the edge of a dainty chair while her husband paced back and forth in front of her filled with an energy he hadn't displayed since he had applied for that job with the Army.

"Last year the government passed what they call the Homestead Act. Just by filling out an application anyone can get 160 acres of free land out West!"

"Free land?" Katherine frowned. "It sounds too good to be true."

"Well, there are a few requirements," her husband hedged.

"Like what?"

"We'd have to build a home on the land and farm it for at least five years."

"Five years?!"

"Think about it, Kate. I could plant corn or soybeans on part of it and buy some cattle to raise on the other. We could build the ranch we used to dream about. Buy up surrounding land once profits start coming in."

"I guess it's something worth considering," she sighed. "Promise me we'll think on it before we make any decisions."

Her husband stopped his pacing and knelt beside her. "There's something I have to tell you."

"What is it?" she asked suspiciously.

"There's a lot of frontier land out there now, but it'll get taken up real fast with the government just giving it away. Lots of folks are looking for a fresh start."

"What are you trying to say, Angus?"

He bowed his head. "I already filled out an application and found out today that we've been granted a parcel of land."

"You made the decision to uproot your family and move to the middle of nowhere without even consulting me?!" Katherine's voice rose in anger.

"I thought you'd be excited! Here, look," he encouraged, a twinkle in his eye as he pulled a piece of paper from the pocket of his vest. "Our place is right there," he said, pointing to a hand-drawn map. "Just outside the little town of New Hope in the Nebraska Territory. And it's still early enough for me to get a crop in the ground this spring yet."

"I refuse to travel in winter," she sniffed. "Especially with Samuel. What if he fell ill? Besides, he needs to complete his lessons. We're contracted with the tutor until spring."

"I know. That's why I decided it would be best if I packed a few necessities and headed out next week. If the weather cooperates, I could get our house built and send for you and Sammy in a couple months. Come on, Kate," he implored. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Let's start making our dreams come true!"

New Hope, Nebraska Territory

Mid-Summer 1863

"Good morning, Mr. Thornton. Did my shipment of textbooks arrive yet?" Miss Anna Fairfax asked the balding man working behind the counter of the General Store.

"I'm sorry, Miss Fairfax. Perhaps on the next stage," he replied with an apologetic smile.

"Please, only my students address me as 'Miss Fairfax'. Call me Anna."

"Sure thing, Miss Anna. How are you settlin' in to New Hope?"

"The previous school teacher left everything very well organized and the little house the town provides is just perfect! I already feel right at home."

"Well, people are mighty glad to have you here. 'Spect it's a lot different than Chicago, though."

"Indeed. But in a good way. Everyone is so friendly and helpful. Several families have even invited me to dinner."

Just then the little bell above the door began to tinkle. Anna turned to see a ruggedly handsome man step into the small store. She figured he stood a bit over six feet tall, his dark, piercing eyes immediately grabbing her attention. Given his full, light brown mustache, scruff of a beard, and hair that grazed his collar she figured he must be a rancher or hired hand.

"Will that be all, Miss Anna?" the shopkeeper asked, breaking into her thoughts.

"I believe so, but if you don't mind I'll just take a look around to be sure."

"Go right ahead and let me know if you need any assistance," he told her before turning his attention to the man. "Mornin' MacGyver. I have your order all set to go. I just have to get it from the storeroom."

"Excuse me," Anna said, approaching the stranger. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn't help overhearing Mr. Thornton call you MacGyver. I'm Anna Fairfax, the new school teacher, and I believe I saw your son Samuel's name on the roster for the fall term."

"He goes by 'Sammy'," the man all but growled.

"Of course," Anna replied, taken aback at MacGyver's tone of voice. "I've been trying to meet all my students before class officially starts. I don't suppose you brought him into town with you today?"

"Nope."

"Here you go, MacGyver," Thornton said from behind a pile of parcels. "You be needin' anything else?"

"Nope," MacGyver replied, picking up his goods and heading out the door without even saying goodbye.

"He's certainly a talkative fella," Anna observed sarcastically.

"He didn't used to be that way," the shopkeeper said sadly.

"What happened?"

"Now, I ain't one to go talkin' about a fella behind his back, but since you'll be schoolin' his son I suppose you have a right to know." Thornton sighed and settled himself on a stool before continuing. "He came to town this past winter under the Homestead Act. Left his wife and son behind in Boston until he could get a house built. Nicest guy you could ever meet. Friendly, helpful, always seein' the good in people. When he wasn't working on his own place he'd be helping out a neighbor or one of the townsfolk. Has a real knack for fixin' stuff and workin' with his hands. When he finished his place he sent for his family. Since the railroad doesn't run through New Hope they had to take a stagecoach for the last leg of the trip. Stage ended up being robbed by bandits. His son and another man were the only survivors. Story goes that Sammy hid under the seat and saw them shoot his ma dead. No boy should ever be seein' that. When word got to MacGyver, he went to pick up his son and he came back a changed man. The man you saw today."

"That's horrible!" Anna cried. "There must be something I can do to help!"

"Problem is, MacGyver won't accept any help. He cut him and that boy off from everyone and everything. Comes into town a couple times a month for feed and supplies, otherwise they just stay holed up on that farm. Quite frankly, I'm surprised he's lettin' Sammy attend that school of yours."

XXXXX

The first week of school had drawn to a close and MacGyver was at his wits end, not to mention physically exhausted. He worked the land from sun-up to supper time and spent the evenings giving his son as much attention as possible. He found that filling every waking minute with chores or distractions kept the guilt and pain of his wife's death at bay. Unfortunately, the same could not be said of Sammy who woke up in tears calling for his mother every night since his classes began. This had been a common occurrence for weeks after the robbery, but his son had seemed to have gotten over it in the past weeks. When the child's plaintive cries rang out in the wee hours of Saturday morning, MacGyver knew he had to get to the root of the cause. He quietly stepped into his son's room and sat on the edge of the bed, cradling Sammy in his arms and rocking him gently until the boy's sobs subsided.

"Hey Sammy, what's goin' on? Why all the cryin' lately?"

The child shrugged and rubbed his eyes as MacGyver waited for him to speak. Finally the truth came out.

"It's my teacher, Miss Fairfax."

MacGyver bit back a curse. He should have known the pretty little schoolmarm was to blame. A fire began to burn in the pit of his stomach. He had a bad feeling about her from the moment he met her in Thornton's store that fine summer morning. But he had assumed she would be a danger to his well-being, not his son's. He had been unpleasantly surprised at how his pulse skittered when he looked into her chocolate brown eyes, or how his fingers tingled to set her long brunette hair free from the neat bun at the nape of her neck. His wife had only been gone a few months. How could he possibly have feelings like this for another woman so soon? He had spent the next weeks avoiding her, not that it was very hard since he hardly ever set foot in town. But he kept his guard up anyway.

"What did Miss Fairfax do?" he asked his son.

"She calls me 'Samuel', just like Ma used to and then I remember how much I miss her," he sniffled.

MacGyver fumed. He had told the teacher that his son's name was 'Sammy'. Apparently she didn't take direction well. He intended to fix that first thing in the morning.

After completing his chores, MacGyver saddled up his favorite horse and rode to the little house next to the school where Miss Fairfax lived. He found her working in a small garden.

"We need to talk," he told her sternly as he dismounted. "The first day we met I told you my son was to be called 'Sammy', not 'Samuel'!"

"I'm sorry, Mr. MacGyver, but I make it a point to address all my students by their Christian name."

"And I make it a point to protect my son! From now on you will call him 'Sammy'!"

"Why?" she asked softly, catching him off guard.

He took a moment to gather himself before answering. "His mother didn't like nicknames. She always called him 'Samuel'."

Anna gasped before he could continue. "And by calling him 'Samuel' I'm awakening memories of his mother."

"Afraid so."

"I'm so sorry. I never meant any harm."

The sheen of sudden, unshed tears in her eyes made his heart ache in a new and different way.

"I'm sorry, too. I should have explained my reasoning instead of just giving you an order."

"Well, you don't have to worry. From now on I'll call him 'Sammy' and I have a strong hunch I'll be revising my own policy in the near future."

"I'm much obliged," he replied, touching the brim of his hat and turning back towards his horse.

XXXXX

"But Pa! All the kids in school have already had her over for supper at least once! Why can't we?"

"Because Miss Fairfax is a very fine school teacher and we don't want to take the risk of my cooking running her out of town."

"You make a great stew!"

MacGyver smiled at his son's enthusiasm. Over the past several weeks, Sammy had grown very fond of Miss Fairfax and, to be honest, so had he. Knowing it was time for farmers to harvest their fields and prepare for the upcoming winter, Anna had begun to keep Sammy after school, assigning him special duties to keep him busy and safe while MacGyver got the small ranch in order. He supposed he owed her a thank you for that, at least. And he did make a pretty good stew if he did say so himself.

"All right," MacGyver capitulated. "You can ask her if she'd like to come to supper tonight. But use your manners and don't get upset if she says no."

That evening, Anna Fairfax joined the two men for supper and for the first time since he had moved in, MacGyver's house finally felt like a home with her filling a place at his table and in his heart that had been empty too long. After lingering over dessert and convincing Sammy to get ready for bed because it was still a school night, MacGyver escorted Anna onto the front porch, regretting that he never did get around to hanging the wooden swing he had made. The October air was unusually warm and humid and laden with the scent of rain.

He wasn't quite sure how it happened, but somewhere in the midst of discussing the possibility of an imminent thunderstorm and having to put the horses up for the night, his lips found Anna's and they met in a sweet caress that warmed him from the inside out.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that," he muttered, pulling away.

Anna lowered her head. "You're still in love with your wife."

"She'll always hold a special place in my heart, and Sammy's as well." He had intended to stop there, but the words he had held inside since the stagecoach robbery finally broke free. "It's my fault she died."

Anna looked up at him with a mixture of compassion and confusion. "How do you figure? I thought stagecoach robbers killed her."

MacGyver ran a hand through his hair and moved to lean against the porch railing.

"Kate refused to come with me when I left Boston. She wanted to wait until spring when she thought travel would be easier. I should have either forced her and Sammy to come when I did or just put my plans on hold until the weather broke. Either way I would have been there for her. I could have protected her like a good husband should."

From the corner of his eye, he saw Anna shake her head and slowly approach him, her small hand hesitantly touching his shoulder. "It's not your fault. You had no way of knowing. Besides, if you had been on that stage you might have been killed instead, leaving your wife and son alone in a strange new world. Or worse, you both could have died leaving Sammy an orphan."

"It doesn't matter," MacGyver replied, his voice hoarse with emotion. "She died because I failed her and I won't allow myself to do that to anyone ever again."

"So you think by staying tucked away on this ranch with your son nothing bad will ever happen?" she challenged.

"Of course not. Bad things will always happen. The best one can do is try and even the odds."

They stood gazing out at the vast prairie that spread before them in a silence that was interrupted only by the lowing of cattle in the meadow and the occasional scuffle of horses' hooves on the hay-covered stable floor. In the distant sky, reflections of faraway lightning danced amongst the clouds.

"Looks like there's a storm comin'," MacGyver stated flatly. "We best get you home. I'll go saddle my horse."

"No," Anna commanded. "I don't live that far. I'll be fine. You stay here with Sammy."

"But…"

"'But' what?" she asked in her best teacher voice. "What if something happens to me on my way home? Then I guess I made a poor decision refusing your company. But it will have been my decision, not yours. Whatever does or doesn't happen won't be your fault, MacGyver. It will be mine."

XXXXX

MacGyver was jolted awake from a fitful slumber by the crash of a nearby lightning strike. Moments later, Sammy was crawling into bed with him.

"It's okay, son, it's just a little thunderstorm," MacGyver assured him. "But I'd best check on the livestock anyway."

MacGyver crawled out of bed and pulled on his work pants and shirt from the day before. He opened the front door and immediately felt a difference in the air. A feel of foreboding enveloped him. The cattle had huddled into a small group in the pasture and the horses were snorting their displeasure at the turn in the weather. In the distance, he heard the familiar sound of a train chugging across the land. He stopped short. New Hope was nowhere near a railroad line. His mind flashed back to his childhood in Minnesota. He only knew of one other thing that sounded like that. A twister was bearing down on them!

"Sammy! Head for the root cellar!" he yelled above the strengthening wind as he ran back towards the house in time to see his son pull open the front door and scurry to the side of the house where MacGyver was already tugging on the large wooden doors that opened to the underground stairway that would lead them to shelter. He sat on the dirt floor, holding Sammy tight as the storm raged above them hoping with all his might that the house and outbuildings he had sacrificed so much to build would escape damage and destruction. He felt his ears pop and Sammy whimpered. Moments later, all was deathly quiet. With his son in his arms, he pushed open the cellar doors and climbed out. He breathed a sigh of relief and thankfulness upon discovering that his little ranch had been spared from the storm's wrath. But his comfort was short-lived. In the distance, the peal of the town's church bells heralded news of a catastrophe. He quickly tucked Sammy back into bed despite the boy's protests and then saddled a mount and galloped toward town to assist in any way he could, intending to check on Anna on his way.

It didn't take long until the sturdy silhouette of the schoolhouse came into view, but MacGyver's pulse skidded to a halt when he saw the teacher's cottage leveled to a pile of wooden slats. His chest clenched, lungs burned, and bile rose in the back of his throat at the horrific sight. He leapt off his horse before the animal fully stopped, calling Anna's name. But the rain now pounded loud on the debris and drowned out his tortured words. Desperate with grief and not knowing what else to do, MacGyver continued to call her name as he threw boards off the pile that had once been Anna's home. Tears sprung to his eyes at the thought of finding her crushed, lifeless body beneath the rubble. Yet he continued to frantically rip away at the debris. Between the noise of the storm and the sound of his own blood pounding in his ears, MacGyver almost didn't hear the weak cry coming from the school.

"MacGyver! I'm over here! I'm alright!"

He turned to find Anna standing just inside the open doorway to the school, one hand waving to him while the other held her nightgown wrapper tightly around her as her long, loose hair billowed in the wind. An overwhelming relief such that he had never felt before washed over him and he tossed aside the lumber he held, ran to where she stood, and wrapped his arms around her. Without a second thought, he kissed her more soundly than he had ever kissed anyone...even Kate.

"Oh, baby, I thought I'd lost you," he muttered breathlessly once their lips parted. "I should've insisted you stay at the ranch where I could protect you until the storm passed. I would never have forgiven myself if something happened to you."

"But I am okay," Anna assured him, smoothing her hand over his rain-slicked hair. "And I have you to thank for it," she smiled.

"What?" MacGyver asked, happiness giving way to confusion. "How?"

Anna bowed her head shyly. "I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking of this past evening with you so I decided to come over to the school and grade some papers. When I heard the tornado coming I crawled under the desk. If it hadn't been for the wonderful time I had with you keeping me awake, I would have been asleep in my bed when the storm hit. So you see, MacGyver, you did protect me!"

"And I want to go on protecting you for the rest of my life," he told her huskily before once again finding her sweet lips. And though he wasn't the kind of man given to romantic flights of fancy, he swore he could hear bells ringing as he deepened their kiss.

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The ringing continued and MacGyver groaned, lazily opening eye.

"Go away!" he called to the telephone. The ringing stopped. Then started up again a couple minutes later.

"Aw man," he complained as he got up, shaking his head to release the remnants of the crazy dream he just had. "Hello?" he answered a bit grouchily.

"Why didn't you answer when I first called? Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine Jo," he replied more gently. "I was watching a movie and must have dozed off. What's up?"

"I just wanted to thank you for tonight. I guess I let my emotions get the best of me. It's just that I don't do well with change, and you gotta admit this is a real big change for both of us."

"That's why we're gonna take our time," Mac told her. "You're not starting to have any regrets, are you?" His stomach clenched in anticipation.

"No. What about you?"

MacGyver remembered his dream and smiled into the phone, "Absolutely not."