A Challenger's Halloween
The following day MacGyver pulled into the Challengers parking lot. After his strange dream and brief telephone conversation with Joanna the night before, he had slept more peacefully than he had in a while if he was to be honest with himself. It seemed incomprehensible how putting one particular ring on one particular finger could turn one's world upside down, at least momentarily.
As he climbed from the Nomad, a brisk October breeze tousled his hair. The temperatures were already colder than normal, most likely promising a long winter ahead. He entered the building to find Cynthia and some other volunteers snuggled into sweatshirts, coats, and even blankets.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"The furnace went out overnight," Cynthia told him.
"Have you called a repair man?"
"No. I was hoping you could take a look at it first and see if you could fix it."
"Yeah, sure," he responded before heading to the utility closet to grab some tools and descending the stairs to the basement where the silent monstrosity waited. It wasn't terribly old, but it was also far from being new.
MacGyver quickly unscrewed and removed the metal panel covering one side of the furnace to expose the inner workings of the machine. With the aid of a flashlight he assessed the damage.
"Well, can you fix it?" Cynthia asked. She had followed him downstairs and now peered over his shoulder.
Mac sighed. "See that?" he asked, aiming the beam of light on a black box. "The blower motor is shot and the capacitor probably is as well. Then over here," he moved the light again, "the tubing on the thermocouple is split. That automatically shut off the gas. I could manage a quick fix but it would only be temporary. There could also be other issues we can't see. I'd rather play it safe and call in a professional."
He turned to face Cynthia who looked crestfallen.
"Oh, MacGyver! When I was doing the books I never budgeted for any major emergencies. With the cut to our funding we barely have enough to cover the absolute necessities."
"My bonus from Phoenix should be coming through soon. Why don't we use that?"
"I've already earmarked that for next month's rent. It'd be like robbing Peter to pay Paul. There just isn't enough money to go around."
Mac put his hands firmly on the older woman's shoulders both to comfort and encourage.
"Look, we have time to come up with the rent. We need to get this furnace repaired now. We need to prioritize and use the money where it's most needed."
"Your right, MacGyver. I'm sorry I panicked."
"No need to apologize. We're in a tough situation right now. But in the meantime, could you go upstairs and grab me a roll of duct tape, a paper clip and some gum so I can fix this thing?"
Cynthia's jaw fell and it was all he could do to keep from laughing. A few seconds later she regained her composure...and caught him in the act.
"Oh, Mac!" she chuckled with a wave of her hand, "You're such a tease!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
That afternoon Joanna pulled into Challengers to find a large panel van advertising heating and cooling repair parked in front of the building. She entered through the main doors, stopping at Rosie's reception desk.
"Hey, what's with the van out there?" Jo asked.
"The furnace broke last night," Rosie replied. "MacGyver patched it up until a repairman could get here." The woman's eyes strayed from Joanna's to Mac's office where he, Cynthia, and a man in stained overalls huddled around his desk. Joanna knocked lightly on the door before quickly joining them.
"Sorry to give you the bad news, ma'am," the repairman, whose name was Ted if the patch on his breast pocket was any indication, replied.
"Are you sure you just can't fix it?" Cynthia asked, chewing anxiously on her bottom lip.
"Well, I could. But you'd be calling me back in a month, if not sooner, to fix it again. You run a good place here and I don't want you to go throwing good money after bad. Like I already told ya, it's best to just get a brand new unit."
Mac and Cynthia breathed a collective sigh and Joanna understood why when she peeked over Ted's shoulder at the invoice. A new furnace would not come cheap.
"Thanks for comin' out on such short notice," MacGyver thanked the repairman, shaking his hand. "We'll be in touch soon with our decision."
Ted turned and smiled at Joanna before walking out the door.
"Sounds like we got a problem," Jo said, stating the obvious but wanting to fill the uncomfortable silence.
MacGyver looked up, surprise in his eyes as if he was first now aware of her presence.
"Did you hear everything?" he asked.
"I heard enough," she answered flatly.
"So what are we going to do?" Cynthia inquired.
Mac scrubbed his face with his hands before responding. "I suppose we get a new furnace."
"But that's so expensive!" the older woman protested.
"Initially," MacGyver replied matter-of-factly. "But in the long run it'll save us money if Ted's right about the existing one needing repeated repairs."
Cynthia sent Joanna a pleading look.
"I'm afraid I have to side with Mac on this one," Jo said. "It just makes sense."
"But where are we going to get that kind of money so quickly?" Cynthia bemoaned.
"What did you do back in L.A. when you needed extra money?" Joanna asked.
"Our biggest fundraiser of the year was always the Christmas pageant," Mac told her. "But that furnace may not last until tomorrow, much less December."
"Not to mention that it took a lot of time and preparation to put the pageant together," Cynthia added.
"Well, Halloween's coming up," Jo said thoughtfully. "Maybe we can do something less labor-intensive centered around that? It would also be a good way to keep the kids out of trouble on what can be a pretty crazy night."
"Like a costume party or something?" Mac ventured.
Joanna's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea! And I'm sure my friend will offer his DJ services like when we had the prom for Challengers Academy!"
"And we could get restaurants to donate food and soda," MacGyver added, warming to the idea.
"That's all well and good," Cynthia interrupted, "But how is this little party going to bring in the money we need? We can't exactly make the kids pay to attend."
"She's got a point," Mac observed, glancing between the two women.
Everyone fell silent as they struggled with this obstacle.
"What if we had all the members who want to come pre-register and we could just check their names off a list when they arrive. Everyone else from the community will have to pay a modest cover charge, and we can put out a fish bowl or something to collect additional donations. I'm sure parents would love a place for their kids to be able to celebrate in safety," Jo suggested.
"You know, something like that just might work," Cynthia agreed, pondering the idea.
XXXXX
Several days later Joanna entered MacGyver's apartment to find him decked out in hockey gear from head to toe.
"Well, what'd ya think?" he asked her.
"I thought we were going to have dinner together, but if you'd rather play hockey it's fine by me."
"Huh? No! This is my Halloween costume!"
Jo raked her glance over him. "For normal people that's a costume. For you it's your Sunday best."
Mac looked down at his uniform and frowned. "I guess I could always go as a cowboy," he muttered. Suddenly brightening, he grabbed a piece of cloth from the breakfast counter and tossed it at Joanna.
"What's this?" she asked, carefully examining the green piece of felt. It had four 'arms' and two bulging white eyes made from ping pong balls.
"It's a frog costume for Frog! Get it?!"
Joanna's brow wrinkled with concern and she reached out to touch MacGyver's forehead with the back of her hand.
"Are you feeling alright?" she asked.
"I'm fine," he replied, pulling back from her touch. "Can't a guy get into the Halloween spirit?"
"Yeah, sure, I've just never seen you like this before."
Mac quickly closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms around Jo's waist. "Maybe I've never felt like this before," he countered softly as his lips gently met hers.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Over the ensuing days, Challengers Club members and adult volunteers alike eagerly took over preparations for the Halloween costume party. Before MacGyver knew it, the event was upon them. He was in his bathroom, putting the finishing touches on his costume, when he heard Joanna enter.
"Mac, you ready to go?" she called.
"I'll be right down," he replied. He heard her groan and smiled, knowing she had seen Frog in his own little costume. He descended the stairs to find Jo crouched in front of the chubby little canine murmuring something about 'poor baby' and 'insufferable man'. He loudly cleared his throat to get her attention. Hearing him behind her, she quickly stood up and turned around to face him.
"Evening, Miss Joanna. You're lookin' mighty fine tonight," he drawled as he watched her scrutinize him from head to toe.
"Not exactly the Lone Ranger, are ya?" she observed, wrinkling her nose.
"Real cowboys in the Old West did not dress like the Lone Ranger," he replied, refusing to accept her criticism.
Once again he watched her regard his scuffed boots, loose, worn pants, woolen barn coat and misshapen hat.
"I guess you have a point," she capitulated. "Do I look okay?"
Unbeknownst to her, Mac had been admiring her costume since he first walked in the room. The soft pink sweater, poodle skirt and saddle shoes made her look young and vulnerable and incredibly attractive. He reached out to pull her closer for a long kiss, but a strong hand on his chest halted his progress.
"You are not kissing me until you get rid of that cockroach that crawled up and died on your lip!"
"You mean you don't like my mustache?" he asked, patting the fuzzy accessory to make sure it was still in place.
"I'll like it just fine as soon as you take it off and put it back from wherever it came from," she replied curtly before grabbing Frog's leash and leading him out the front door.
"Then I guess a beard is out of the question?" Mac queried playfully as he followed.
XXXXX
By the time MacGyver and Joanna pulled into Challengers, the party was already in full swing. Frog the frog scampered to his corner where he held court, eating up attention as if it was candy...or fried chicken livers. Mac made his way through the recreation room greeting excited friends and neighbors. He was pleased that Jo chose to remain at his side instead of going off on her own. It felt good to be part of a couple...a permanent couple. The older teens ignored them as they either danced to the DJ or huddled in conversation near a table laden with food while the younger kids were busy playing games or visiting trick-or-treat stations set up throughout the club. MacGyver couldn't help but smile when he saw everyone enjoying themselves. He was just about to pull Joanna into his arms for a slow tempo dance when a loud but familiar voice rang out above the crowd.
"MacGyver! Joanna!" The pair turned to see Geena, the receptionist from the law firm, standing on tiptoe waving to them.
Jo immediately rushed toward the older woman and was soon enveloped in a warm embrace. By the time Mac approached, Geena was holding Joanna's left hand up to her face, squinting at her engagement ring.
"That's the best that man of yours could do?" she asked with a frown of disapproval.
"I happen to love it," Joanna said with a laugh. "Besides, it belonged to his grandmother and has a lot of sentimental value."
"Ahh, a family heirloom. You must treasure this ring for the rest of your life!" Geena eagerly instructed, now smiling approvingly.
"I plan to," Joanna promised.
After MacGyver greeted Geena, he noticed Lee and Wendi Vang standing off to the side, grinning widely. With Lee in a suit and Wendi still in her nursing scrubs, it appeared the two had come directly from work.
"So what brings you all to this side of town?" Mac asked after the appropriate pleasantries were exchanged.
"We've been meaning to come check out the club for ages," Lee said, speaking for the two women as well. "We heard about the costume party and decided it was a great opportunity to not only catch up with you two and congratulate you on your engagement in person but also do some good as well."
"Thanks! We appreciate that," Mac replied.
"We also have some news of our own we wanted to share," Lee added.
MacGyver's eyebrows raised in surprise and he noticed Joanna's did the same. "Let's go in my office where we can hear ourselves think," he invited.
"So what's the news?" Jo asked as soon as they were settled behind closed doors. She couldn't help but glance at Wendi's abdomen and speculate.
"It's not what you're thinking, Joanna," the trauma nurse said with a knowing grin, causing her friend to blush. "It really doesn't have anything to do with me."
"Of course it does!" Lee admonished. "This was a decision we made together!"
"Excuse me, kids," MacGyver interrupted, "But would you mind sharing with the rest of the class?"
"I'm sorry, Mac," Lee apologized. "The big news is that I've decided to start my own law practice. I have a couple other attorneys on board and we plan to open the first of the year."
"And I'm retiring from the firm to work part time as their secretary," Geena added. "That will also give me time to volunteer here at Challengers."
"That's great, Lee," MacGyver said, even as he smiled at Geena. "It's a big step. What made you decide to do it?"
"It was actually a number of things," Lee shrugged. "I finally realized there's little room for advancement at the firm. With my lack of seniority, I wouldn't make partner until I was ninety! I also liked the idea of being my own boss. But most importantly, I want to give back and help out the people who need my services the most. I'm tired of defending the rich and stomping on the poor. Working with you and Challengers helped me see that."
"Glad to be of service!" Mac teased. "What kind of law will you specialize in?"
"That's one of the best parts!" the attorney responded excitedly. "I'm making a concerted effort to bring a variety of lawyers on board so we can deal with criminal, family, even real estate law. And I leased a building not far from here so we'll be easily accessible to the community. And don't worry, we'll still be available for pro bono cases. Especially yours!"
Everyone laughed until there was a loud knock and Cynthia poked her head in the doorway.
"Sorry to interrupt, but a television news crew is outside and wants to interview MacGyver!"
"What?!" Mac felt his face fall. He neither sought nor craved publicity or attention. He much preferred to work behind the scenes, fly under the radar.
"They're doing stories on places that are providing safe Halloween alternatives to trick-or-treating," Cynthia clarified.
"It'd be great exposure for Challengers, Mac," Joanna said softly behind him.
He turned, grabbed her wrist, and gave her a gentle tug. "If I'm gonna talk to the press, you're comin' with me."
The interview was brief, and much less painful than MacGyver had anticipated. The reporter seemingly more interesting in showcasing the various activities and speaking with the participants.
"See, that wasn't so bad," Jo soothed, patting his shoulder and trying unsuccessfully to smother a smirk.
"You're right," he agreed. "I just have one question...should I have taken off my mustache?"
The following morning MacGyver and Cynthia huddled around his desk, counting the proceeds from the night before.
"We made just enough to cover the cost of a new heating unit," Cynthia declared.
Mac sighed, leaned back in his chair, and scrubbed his face with his hands.
"I don't know how you and Booker managed to keep Challengers afloat all those years," he said wearily.
"We found a way, MacGyver. We always found a way. And you will too. Just have some faith!" She reached over and patted his hand in a motherly fashion, pulling away when the phone rang.
"Challengers Club," Mac answered.
Hearing the mayor's voice on the other end caused him to straighten his posture and school his voice to sound calm and professional. In control. He noticed Cynthia slip from the room but immediately turned his attention back to the caller. A few minutes later he hung up and went in search of Cynthia, fully aware of the silly grin on his face.
"MacGyver, what is it? Who was on the phone?" she asked as he wandered into her office.
"You're not gonna believe this," he replied, shaking his head as if trying to believe it himself. "That was the mayor. He and some members of the city council saw the blurb about us on the news last night and when they heard we were having financial trouble they called an emergency meeting and voted unanimously to help fund the club. There's still a lot of red tape to cut through, and it will take some time, but with the amount he quoted, it will more than cover what we lost from Phoenix."
Mac was smiling widely now. "That means we can actually start to move forward. Buy new things. Implement new programs."
"Oh MacGyver, that's wonderful!" Cynthia exclaimed as she got up to wrap him in a congratulatory hug. "See, I told you everything would work out!"