The Guest

Mid-January was always an odd time of year. The anticipation of Christmas, New Year's, and holiday activities was gone. Snowfalls that were magical a month ago were now a nuisance and it seemed the whole world was yearning for spring which was still only a distant promise. MacGyver felt this bleakness more than ever this year. Upon returning to work, Joanna had been offered, and accepted, a full time teaching position at the high school to cover for an instructor who had taken a sudden leave of absence for the second semester. This meant she spent more time at school than with him. He knew that was a selfish thought, but he still missed her presence. Now, the time they had spent together at the ski resort seemed all the more precious. Even if most of it was under quarantine. The telephone on his desk rang, breaking him from his melancholy revery and he reached for the receiver.

"Challengers Club," he answered.

"Hi MacGyver! Guess who!" An all-too-familiar bubbly voice greeted him.

"Gosh, I wonder," he teased as a smile tugged at his lips.

"It's me. Penny Parker." Her tone was serious now, almost sad, and Mac could imagine the frown on her face.

"I know, Penny. I'd recognize that voice of yours anywhere." He'd certainly heard it enough over the years. "What's up?"

"I'm flying into Milwaukee the day after tomorrow and was wondering if you could pick me up at the airport," she replied, her usual cheerfulness returning.

"No problem. What brings you here?"

"The university's drama department contacted me. They want to do a revival of Cleo Rocks and asked me to come and consult with them! Isn't that wonderful?!" Mac swore her voice rose an octave with excitement."

"Yeah, Penny, that's great. But how did they find you? The original show never even opened."

"They said they found all my information on the internet. Aren't computers awesome?!"

"Yeah, awesome," he agreed reluctantly. "Listen Penny, are you sure this whole thing is legit and not someone pulling a prank...or worse?"

"Oh Mac, why do you always have to be so negative?" Before MacGyver could express his doubts she continued. "Anyway, I thought it was kind of strange myself so I called the head of the Fine Arts department and she confirmed everything! This is really happening, Mac! People are finally going to get to see Cleo Rocks!"

Yep. This was definitely an odd time of year.

XXXXX

Two nights later Mac pulled his Jeep into his driveway and smiled to himself when he saw the inside of his townhouse awash with warm, welcoming light.

"Are you sure Joanna doesn't mind me staying here?" Penny asked, biting her bottom lip.

"Jo's fine with it," he assured her, stepping out of the vehicle. "After all, you're practically family."

Penny smiled with relief as she joined MacGyver who was already unloading her luggage from the back of the Jeep.

"Here, let me help you," she insisted as they both grabbed the same suitcase at the same time.

"It's okay. I got it, Penny," Mac replied as they lifted the heavy bag together.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure!"

"Okay!" Penny let go of the handle and MacGyver, caught off guard by the sudden extra weight, sank to his knees with a loud yowl.

"Mac! What happened?!" Penny asked anxiously as she crouched by his side.

"I wrenched my back," he explained through gritted teeth.

"I'll help you up," she declared, reaching out to grasp his upper arm.

"No!" Mac exclaimed before taking a breath and getting a grip on himself. "I can manage. Go on in the house. Joanna's waiting for you."

"Well…" Penny stood and hesitated, literally wringing her hands.

Suddenly the front door opened and Jo stepped out, breaking into a jog when she saw them.

"What happened?" she asked anxiously.

"MacGyver was taking the luggage out of the car and he hurt his back," Penny relayed like a dutiful child.

"And Penny was trying to help," he added with a pleading gaze he hoped Jo would understand. After a moment, she raised her eyebrow indicating she realized what he was trying to say.

"Mac'll be fine," she told Penny. "Come on in out of the cold and make yourself at home." With an arm around the other woman's shoulders, Jo led her through the front door.

Gingerly regaining his feet, Mac stood and sighed. Penny, much like Jack Dalton, had a way of finding trouble. Or of trouble finding her. Either way, he always seemed to suffer the unfortunate repercussions. With careful movements and measured steps, he once again picked up Penny's bags and made his way into the house. What he found inside made him stop dead in his tracks. Joanna and Penny stood stock still between the spiral staircase and the breakfast bar as Frog growled at them in a way Mac had never heard before, his entire chubby body quivering.

"What has gotten into you?!" Jo scolded.

"It's okay, Frog. It's just me, Penny Parker. You liked me the last time I stayed here, remember?" She bent down and reached out to pet the dog who immediately bared his teeth. Penny quickly snatched her hand back and moved to stand behind Joanna.

MacGyver set the luggage he carried down just inside the doorway and went to stand between the two women and the ornery canine.

"This is ridiculous! Knock it off," he demanded, giving the bull dog a gentle shove with his foot. The growling stopped, but Frog remained seated, staring Penny down as if she was his worst enemy.

"I'll put him in the backyard until he calms down," Jo announced as she reached down, grabbed his collar, and unceremoniously dragged him across the hardwood floor to the patio doors on the opposite end of the room. She snapped on his lead and put him out into the night, closing the sliding door behind her.

"I don't know what happened," Penny moaned. "Animals usually love me!"

"Don't worry," Mac told her, summoning up a grin. "He's just getting old and cranky. Go on upstairs and I'll bring your luggage so you can get settled."

Penny turned to him, her big doe eyes wide. "Maybe it would be better for your back if you took the bed and I slept on the couch."

"No way! My back is just fine. You'll take the bed," Mac insisted as he moved to pick up her bags, but she beat him to it, lifting them as if they weighed no more than a feather before trotting up the stairs.

MacGyver looked on in disbelief and then shook his head in dismay as he limped toward his couch.

"She's only been in town a couple hours and already I've thrown out my back and my dog's gone crazy," he muttered. "What more could happen?"

"Do you really want an answer to that?" Joanna asked skeptically.

"No. Definitely not!"

XXXXX

The following afternoon, MacGyver was sitting at his desk at Challengers, yawning widely, when Joanna walked through his door.

"So, how did things go after I left last night?" she asked without preamble or a hello kiss.

"Depends on who you ask," Mac grumbled. "Penny took a shower, went to bed, and slept like a baby. Frog, on the other hand, spent the better part of the night pacing, sniffing, and growling at thin air so I couldn't get to sleep. I finally decided to watch TV when my VCR ate one of my favorite classic Westerns."

"Oh Mac! I'm so sorry!"

"Yeah, me too," he replied, stifling another yawn. "I decided to keep Frog here until Penny leaves. He settled down as soon as we got here."

"Ya know, I hate to say anything, but all this bad luck you're having reminds me of when we visited Penny's B&B."

Mac rose from his chair, pointing a finger at Jo. "No. Don't even go there. There are no such thing as ghosts, and even if there were, my apartment is not haunted."

"I know that," Jo retorted, rolling her eyes. "I was thinking about Penny and Murdoc's ring."

Mac shook his head. "Before we left Cloverton I made her promise to get rid of that thing. Ya know...just in case."

"Then I guess her visit and your sudden string of bad luck is just a weird coincidence," she concluded. "By the way, where is Penny?"

"At the university. I let her ride in with me this morning so she could borrow my Jeep. Which reminds me," he continued, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to give a guy a ride home?"

"Mmmm, perhaps I could be persuaded," she said with a sly smile.

"I'll cook you dinner," he offered, grinning crookedly.

"That's not exactly what I had in mind." Joanna arched one eyebrow and caught his gaze.

Wordlessly, MacGyver's hands moved to cup her face as he lowered his lips to hers in an achingly gentle caress. "Better?" he whispered huskily.

"Much," she murmured contentedly. "But you're still gonna make me dinner, right?"

Mac leaned back without moving his hands and considered her carefully. "I didn't realized you were this greedy when I asked you to marry me."

"Take it or leave it, Angus!"

"Oh, I'll take it. I'll always take it," he confirmed, moving in and kissing her deeply.

That evening MacGyver had just pulled a casserole out of the oven as Joanna eyed it suspiciously when Penny came bouncing through the front door.

"Hi everybody!" she greeted them cheerfully. "Here are your keys, Mac. Thanks again for letting me borrow your car."

"Sounds like you had a good day," Mac observed, taking the car keys and returning them to the hook next to the door.

"Oh, it was wonderful!" Penny exclaimed, spinning around in circle. "The director found the original script and plans to follow it just as Jacques would have!" At the mention of Jacques, or rather Murdoc, the light in her eyes dimmed, but only for a moment. "And guess what the best part is?" she challenged, her enthusiasm back in full force.

"I don't have a clue, Penny. What is it?" He chuckled under his breath, his friend's mood obviously infectious as he glanced to find Joanna grinning as well.

"I'm in charge of teaching Cleopatra how to do the high kick!" she replied, clapping her hands in glee. "Remember how much trouble I had with that move until I finally got it right?!" Once again she sobered, along with Mac, as they both remembered how she used the dance move to kick the gun from Murdoc's hand as he held her captive and threatened MacGyver.

Soon the somber mood lifted and the threesome enjoyed dinner after which Joanna suggested they watch a movie. Penny flipped through the TV Guide and frowned.

"There's nothing good on tonight," she complained.

"That's okay," Jo assure her. "Mac has a ton of movies, if you don't mind Westerns."

Penny pulled a face but grudgingly gave in as MacGyver pulled Joanna aside.

"What are you trying to do?! Feed my VCR another of my favorite movies?!"

Jo shrugged. "So, pick your least favorite. Besides, do you really think it'll happen again?"

"There could be something wrong with the machine," Mac reasoned.

"Fine. If it eats this tape you'll know you need to get it fixed, but last night was probably just a fluke."

Not wanting to argue over something as dumb as a video tape, Mac grabbed a cassette covered with dust and jammed it into the machine. Two hours later both Penny and Joanna were doubled over in laughter and he had a headache.

"That was the absolute worst movie I've ever seen!" Penny offered in between giggles.

"Too bad you didn't decide to watch that one last night!" Jo teased him.

"There's a reason it had two years worth of dust on it," he groused.

"Look on the bright side," Joanna encouraged as she snuggled closer to him on the couch. "At least it was entertaining!"

"For some people," he grumbled.

Jo smiled and kissed him indulgently before pulling herself away and rising to her feet.

"I gotta get going," she announced. "It's a school night and teaching full time is more exhausting than I remember. Are you going back to the university tomorrow?" she asked Penny.

The other woman shook her head. "No, they don't start rehearsals until the following day."

"Then why don't you come with me to Challengers," Mac suggested. "We can always use an extra pair of hands."

XXXXX

MacGyver stepped out of his office and found Penny crouched in a corner, rubbing Frog's tummy as the dog lay on his back, all four legs in the air. Mac would swear the canine was smiling blissfully. Upon his approach, Penny turned and looked up at him, a bright smile on her face.

"Look! He likes me again! I guess he was just in a bad mood the other night."

"Yeah, I guess so," Mac agreed, reaching down to ruffle Frog's ears. "Listen, I have to go pick up some emergency supplies. Joanna will be coming over in a little bit. In the meantime, Rosie and Geena will take good care of you."

"You don't have to treat me like a child, MacGyver," she declared, rolling her eyes. "I'm sure I can find plenty of things to do while you're gone."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Mac mumbled under his breath as he walked out the door and headed to the jeep.

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A couple hours later Joanna walked into Challengers and cheerfully greeted Geena, Rosie, and Penny who were gathered around the reception desk chatting.

"Hey ladies, is Mac around? I didn't see his car in the parking lot."

"He went out to pick up some supplies," Rosie explained.

"I don't understand why you don't just have them delivered," Penny commented, appearing truly perplexed.

Jo laughed under her breath. "Normally we do, but the holidays messed up the schedule. How long has he been gone?"

"Too long," Geena replied, studying her watch with a frown. "I hope that man of yours didn't land himself in trouble."

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time," Penny observed lightly as the others grew concerned.

"I'm gonna call his cell phone," Joanna announced, but before she could pick up the receiver, the front door banged open and a bedraggled MacGyver tumbled in.

"For pity's sake! What happened to you?!" Geena cried as all four women hurried to his side.

"I just had a little car trouble," he said with a lopsided grin. "Nothin' to worry about."

His hair was damp, his cheeks red from the cold wind, and his nylon ski jacket dirty and ripped.

"Mac, tell us what really happened," Jo instructed in a low, firm voice.

"It was the weirdest thing," he began. "I was coming around a curve and the steering wheel froze. I drove right into a snowbank. Luckily, a passing tow truck saw me and helped pull out the Jeep. I drove it the rest of the way here and everything was fine."

"You should still take it to a mechanic and make sure everything's alright," Joanna urged.

"Yeah, I will, just as soon as I unload the supplies."

"We'll help!" Penny offered eagerly.

"It's no big deal. I can handle it," Mac told her. Jo and Penny gave him a two step lead before they followed behind him.

The trio was standing behind the Jeep when MacGyver opened the hatch and reached for one of the boxes.

"Aw man…" he moaned.

"What is it?" Joanna asked.

"One of the cleaning solution bottles must've busted when I had the accident. Everything's wet back here," he explained before turning to Penny. "Go get me some rags. There should be some under the driver's seat," he instructed.

Jo divided her attention between Mac, who looked for any damage the fluid may have caused, and Penny, who searched for the rags he had requested. Joanna could've sworn she saw the other woman slip something in her pocket, but it was Penny's suddenly pale face that concerned her.

"Here you go, Mac," Penny said flatly, holding out a wad of material.

When MacGyver accepted her offering, Joanna took her by the arm and pulled her aside.

"Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"There are no such thing as ghosts, remember?" Penny replied with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "It just occurred to me that Mac's accident could've been a lot worse."

"Yeah, it sure could have," Jo replied soberly. "C'mon, let's help him get these boxes inside so he can dry out and clean up."

Thirty minutes later, Joanna and Penny emerged from the store room where they had neatly arranged the new supplies and met up with MacGyver who had just come from his office. They rounded the corner where Frog was snoozing and Penny bent down to give him a light pat on the head. The dog abruptly struggled to his feet and began to growl at her.

"Honestly, I've never seen him this grouchy before," Jo complained.

"We were getting along fine earlier," Penny informed her.

Jo looked to Mac for confirmation which came in the form of a head nod. "Must be old age," he reasoned, before they walked away.

Later that evening, Joanna and MacGyver stood side-by-side at the kitchen counter chopping vegetables for the soup they were making as Penny prattled on about the rock opera that was to begin rehearsals tomorrow.

"Ow!" Mac cried, startling the two women.

"What happened?" Jo asked anxiously

"I cut my finger," he muttered, more in disgust than anguish.

Joanna peered over him to see the damage for herself. "It doesn't look deep, but we should go upstairs and clean and bandage it."

Surprisingly, Mac did not object to her suggestion as they made their way to the bathroom where Joanna cleansed the wound, smeared it with antibiotic ointment, and pulled it together with butterfly bandages before carefully wrapping a gauze pad around his entire finger as an added precaution.

In a short while they all sat down at the kitchen table, a bowl of piping hot vegetable and bean soup in front of them when Joanna frowned.

"We forgot to put out napkins," she observed and began to rise from her chair before Penny interrupted her.

"I'll get 'em!" she volunteered, standing so quickly the table wobbled causing MacGyver's supper to land in his lap.

He let out a painful cry as if the soup had scalded him right through his jeans.

"Oh Mac! I'm so sorry!" Penny cried, grabbing a pile of napkins and dabbing where the liquid had spilled.

"It's okay," MacGyver assured her, putting a hand around her wrist to stop her ministrations. "If you'll both excuse me I'll just go upstairs and change. I'll be right back." His clipped tone belied his polite words.

Penny's eyes followed him as she chewed on her lower lip before turning back to Joanna.

"This is all my fault!" she wailed.

Jo's brow furrowed in confusion. "It is not! Granted, Mac's had his share of bad luck these past couple days, but you certainly don't have anything to do with it."

"Don't I?" she asked wearily as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a silver chain with a death's head ring hanging from it.

Joanna immediately recognized the macabre piece of jewelry she had first seen when she and MacGyver had stayed at Penny's bed and breakfast. It had supposedly belonged to Murdoc, Mac's greatest nemesis who died an untimely death, and now Penny believed the villain's spirit was attached to it.

"What are you doing with that?!" Jo whispered urgently, glancing around to make sure MacGyver was still upstairs. "Mac said he told you to get rid of that thing!"

"I couldn't!" Penny whispered back. "Murdoc loves me. He's only trying to protect me. I couldn't toss him aside...again."

Joanna took a deep breath and leaned back in her chair. She wasn't totally sold on the idea of Murdoc haunting them, but she couldn't completely deny it, either.

"It has to be this!" the younger woman insisted. "It explains all of Mac's accidents and why Frog always growls when he sees me."

"Hold on a minute," Jo said, her voice low but no longer a whisper. "Last night we had a perfectly uneventful evening and you said yourself that Frog enjoyed your attention earlier today. How do you explain that?"

Penny's gaze fell to her lap. "I wasn't wearing the ring then," she mumbled before chancing a glance at Jo. "I didn't even realize I'd lost it, but when Mac had me grab those rags today I found it on the floor of the Jeep. The clasp was broken so it must have slipped off when I borrowed the car to go to the university. That also means Mac was alone with Murdoc when he had his accident."

Joanna hated to admit it, but Penny did present a reasonable explanation for everything that had happened...if you believed in ghosts. Which Joanna wasn't sure she did.

"Okay, say you're right," Jo challenged. "What are you gonna do about it?"

"We have to find a way to protect MacGyver. You know, keep him away from anything that could be dangerous. Do you think you could get his Swiss Army knife away from him?"

Joanna stared at Penny in disbelief. "That would be like trying to separate him from his liver! Besides, there's a much easier solution."

"What is it?" Penny asked, wide-eyed and eager to please.

"Get rid of the ring!"

Penny shook her head, tears pooling in her eyes. "As much as I love Mac, I can't do that. I just can't!" she sobbed.

"Alright," Jo sighed. "Then just keep it away from MacGyver!"

"How?"

"I don't know," Joanna moaned, frustration getting the better of her. Suddenly, they heard Mac moving towards the stairs.

"Here, you take it!" Penny commanded, shoving the ring into Jo's unsuspecting hands.

"I don't want it!' Jo protested.

"It's okay. Murdoc won't hurt you. He never met you, but he knows your my friend. Put it somewhere Mac never goes until it's time for me to leave."

"But-" the words died on Joanna's lips as MacGyver descended the stairs. She quickly slipped the ring into the front pocket of her jeans and pasted on a smile.

Unnerved by the conversation she had just had with Penny, it was all Joanna could do to summon enough pluck to make it through the rest of the meal and make a hasty exit.

"I'm sorry to leave so soon, but I'm starting to get a headache," she told MacGyver as he walked her to the door.

"Maybe I should drive you home," he offered.

She smiled. "It's just a headache, Mac. I'll be fine." She reached up and gave him a gentle kiss.

"Call me when you get there?"

"Sure thing," she promised.

MacGyver stepped back, his eyes boring into hers. "You're not gonna argue?"

Jo let out a little laugh. "You didn't argue when I took care of your finger," she pointed out.

"Alright. But be careful," he warned.

Once inside her car, she pulled the ring from her pocket and tossed it in the glove compartment.

"Behave yourself, Murdoc," she instructed, before starting the car and driving off into the night.

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The next several days passed uneventfully, much to MacGyver's relief, and life fell into a somewhat normal routine. He spent his days at Challengers, Joanna taught at the high school, and Penny attended the initial rehearsals for Cleo Rocks. In the evening, they would all convene at Mac's place for supper, conversation, and sometimes a movie. However, with hockey season in full swing, it was more likely that they would watch the game. Penny got in the habit of sneaking up to the bedroom at some point in order to give Mac and Joanna some private time, and her thoughtfulness was not lost on her host.

Late one afternoon MacGyver overheard Jo speaking with Rosie who was managing the reception desk.

"It was fine this morning, then, on the way over here, the light went on," she explained.

Mac was at her side in moments. "What light?" he asked.

"The tire pressure light in my car. I'll check it out when I get home," she said, waving her hand as if to dismiss the situation.

"It'll be dark by then," Mac protested. "I can take a look at it right now. Is your tire gauge in the glove compartment?"

"Yeah," she replied absently as Rosie handed her some telephone messages.

MacGyver was almost out the door when Joanna called to him from behind.

"Wait! I'll get it for you!" she suddenly proclaimed, trying to squeeze past him.

He grabbed her by the shoulders to halt her progress. "It's freezing cold out there. I can handle it," he assured her, a bit confused by her behavior, as he headed outside.

Using the spare key Jo had given him, he unlocked the door and slid into the passenger seat before opening the glove compartment. As he was rummaging through the maps and various contents he was pretty sure Joanna didn't even know she had in there, he caught a glimmer of something slide out and fall to the floor. Meaning only to return the item to its rightful place, his blood began to boil when he picked up the silver chain with a death's head ring hanging from it.

"Joanna!" he bellowed as he charged through the front door. She was still chatting with Rosie when she turned around at the sound of her name.

"What is this!" MacGyver demanded, holding up the offending object in front of her face.

"The reason I didn't want you going in my glove compartment," she replied.

"Where did you get it?!"

She tilted her head at him as if to say 'really' before replying. "I was keeping it for Penny."

"But I told her to get rid of it!"

"Well obviously she didn't!" she spat back, temper flaring.

Mac glanced at Rosie who was staring at them with rapt attention. "Let's continue this in my office," he said, grabbing Joanna's hand and leading her across the large recreation room.

"How could you be so stupid?!" he rounded on her as soon as he closed the door. A stab of remorse hit him when he saw the hurt reflected in her eyes, but he wasn't about to let this go.

"I am not stupid!" she shot back. "Penny was only trying to protect you and I kinda got pulled into her scheme. If you don't like me taking jewelry from other people, maybe you want this back as well!" She ripped off her engagement ring and ground it into the palm of his hand, causing his heart to plummet to the floor.

Dropping down into the chair behind his desk, he let out a long sigh as he jammed his fingers through his hair.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come down on you like that, but you know how I feel about Murdoc."

Joanna must have taken pity on him because when she next spoke, her voice was gentle. "I know. But I thought you didn't believe in ghosts."

"When it comes to Murdoc, I'm not sure what I believe anymore," he replied with a self-deprecating laugh. "How long has that thing been in your car anyway?"

"Penny gave it to me the night you got into that accident."

"The night I cut my finger and had hot soup spilled in my lap," he added with a wry grin.

"Yeah. She blamed herself because she had the ring. I didn't even know about it until then. I told her to get rid of it and she ended up shoving it into my hand."

A grin tugged at the corner's of Mac's lips. "Yeah, that sounds like Penny alright."

"You're not gonna yell at her, too, are ya?"

"I probably should, but I won't. At least now that I have the ring I can make sure it disappears for good."

"You can't do that!" Jo exclaimed in horror.

"Why not?" he asked, unwillingly to lose this opportunity.

"You have to understand that even if you and I don't believe Murdoc's somehow attached to that ring, Penny does, and she wears it as a talisman of sort."

"Kinda like rabbit's foot?" Mac grimaced.

"Yeah. She believes Murdoc is protecting her. It means a lot to her Mac."

"I know," MacGyver grudgingly admitted, holding out the silver ring to Jo. "Go put this someplace far away from me."

"You're doing the right thing," she assured him with a tender smile before turning to leave.

"Hey! You forgot something!" he called.

"I did?" Her brows knit in confusion.

"I hope you still want to wear this ring," he said huskily as he walked up to her and placed the gold band with the tiny diamond back on her finger.

"I will always want to wear this ring," she promised, tilting her head to receive his lingering kiss.

XXXXX

The next day, Penny stood at the front door to MacGyver's apartment, her packed bags at her feet, looking more somber than Mac had seen her in quite some time.

"You know you could stay longer," Mac invited, hoping to lift her spirits.

"No," she replied, shaking her head. "I need to get back to the B&B. The director has everything under control. I'm sure it'll be great."

"But you will come back for the premiere, right?"

"I don't think so. It just brings back so many memories. Do you plan on going?"

Mac shook his head. "Naw. Like you said, too many memories."

"Well then, I guess this is goodbye!" Her smile was genuine and her voice more enthusiastic.

"Yeah, I guess so. Of course, we'll have to say goodbye again at the airport since I'm driving you there."

This earned a patented Penny Parker laugh. "Yeah, I guess we will."

"By the way, Joanna asked me to give this back to you," Mac said, gently placing the chain bearing Murdoc's ring around her neck.

Penny's eyes went wide with surprise. "How did you find out?!"

"It doesn't matter," he said with a smile.

"You mean you're not mad that I didn't get rid of it like you told me to?" she asked, sounding like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"I was," he admitted. "But then Joanna explained things. Just promise to keep that thing away from me the next time we visit."

"Oh, I promise!" Penny vowed, her face fairly glowing as she reached up and hugged MacGyver.

"At this rate you're gonna miss your plane," he chuckled. "Let's get your luggage in the Jeep."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" she asked skeptically as he reached for the heaviest bag.

"I'm positive," he replied, lifting the bag with ease. "See, no problem!"