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“That’s not my phone, is it?” Angus “Mac” MacGyver muttered sleepily against the pillow.He shifted slightly so he could raise his head.
“No, sugar bear”,Kaitlyn replied, slightly more awake. “Your phone doesn’t have Irish fiddle music as a ringtone”. She shifted to reach the lamp on her bedside table. “Light”, she said, before switching it on, softly illuminating the bedroom. She picked up her cell phone and answered, was silent a moment, then said, “Mrs. McTavish, it’s ok. Take a deep breath and tell me what’s going on”. She listened patiently, playfully swatting at MacGyver as he nuzzled her bare arm and shoulder. After a few moments, she said, “ok, just make sure she’s comfortable and feels safe. Go put a kettle on, we’ll need it. I’ll be there as soon as I get dressed”. She giggled. “No, you didn’t interrupt anything”.
“That’s because she didn’t call an hour ago”, MacGyver said quietly against her bare skin.
Kaitlyn rung off after one more reassurance. “Sorry”, she said, smiling and kissing MacGyver on the forehead. “I’ve got to go help Mrs. McTavish. Ophelia’s going into labor, and she’s about two steps from a panic attack”. She reached up to scratch the chin of a large, ginger and white, purebred Norwegian Forest cat that was sleeping on the pillows above their heads. “You, Sir Fuzzy Britches, are about to become a daddy”.
A short time later, she was dressed in an old blue t-shirt that said “Cat Moms Rule”, worn jeans and her long red hair in a ponytail. “You can go back to sleep”, she told MacGyver, grabbing a hoodie from her closet.
“Nope”, he replied, sitting up. “I’m too awake now. Besides, I want to help”.
“In that case”, she said, “ I need you to grab some of the old towels and rags I keep in the laundry room”. She crossed to him and kissed him soundly. “And find me a good-sized box or something. Mama’s gonna need a nest for the wee ones”. She turned back at the doorway. “I’ll text you if anything changes”. With that, she left.
After she was gone, MacGyver sat up and swung the covers off, temporarily covering the cat, who meowed softly. “Sorry, Angus”, he said, moving the covers. He reached over and petted the cat. “Come on”, he said, “you can help me gather up the stuff she needs”.
A short time later, MacGyver was dressed, and had collected some of the old towels and rags from the laundry room, and was now searching for a container the size Kaitlyn had requested. He found himself back in the bedroom, looking under the bed. He stopped when he heard a soft meow coming from the direction of the closet. Angus was sitting on a good-sized boot box, looking at the blond man intently.
“I recognize that box”, MacGyver said, smiling. “You claimed it the last time you visited, and that was a while ago”.
The cat chirruped as he stepped off the box, his plumed tail giving it a good dusting as he walked to sit by MacGyver.
As he picked up the box, he heard a slight rustling sound coming from inside. Curious, he opened the box and glanced at the notebook pages inside. He immediately recognized Kaitlyn’s handwriting, and began to read.
“ Well, it’s been 24 hours since you called me from the tarmac to tell me you’re off on another mission. Today’s been a bit out of the ordinary. I started the section on Science and Star Trek today, and the class had a great time discussing it. I dropped your theory on them, and it was like watching a school of sharks smelling blood in the water, a wonder to behold.”
MacGyver chuckled, then reached down to pet the cat beside him. “This is one of her letters to me”, he said. “She’d write them down on whatever scrap of paper she had handy, just to keep track of things I might be missing out on, then read over them with me when I got back. Wonder which mission this was…?” His voice trailed off as he read the next part.
“ Just got back from the vet’s with Mrs. McTavish. He said to start keeping a closer eye on Ophelia, because it’s getting nearer her due date. I’ve already promised to help when she goes into labor, which could be at any time. So, you need to be ready for that. I’ve already made up a list of people who would want kittens, depending on the size of her litter. And yes, I’ve already agreed to helping feed the wee ones, and mam, as Mrs. McTavish calls her now. And I’m fairly certain I’m going to be footing the bill for her spaying--Ophelia’s, not Mrs. McTavish’s!--it’s the least I could do…”
MacGyver was still trying to figure out the date of the letter when he flipped the page over,trying to find more information, when he realized there were two pieces of paper stuck together. He carefully pulled them apart, and looked at the second page. There were several spots on the page that obscured the writing in places.
“ I just got off the phone with Matty ”, the top of the page began. “ She said that your primary exfil point had been compromised, badly, and if the team had been just a few seconds later, you’d all be dead ”.
MacGyver rocked back on his heels. That mission. He had wondered why the helicopter had aborted the landing at the last second, and he spotted the rocket a few seconds before it landed, giving him enough time to shout a warning and get the team to some cover. They all caught small pieces of shrapnel, but nothing hit anyone in a vital area, thankfully. Unfortunately, the second choice for exfil was almost as bad as the first. The area had also been compromised. There had been no choice but to try for a third.He kept reading.
“ She’s even offering to have me brought into HQ until you make it home safely, but I told her no, because classes are nearing finals, and I don’t want to leave Angus alone for more than a couple of days, more for my comfort than his ”.
The next part caused him to slump back against the chest at the foot of the bed. “ So now I’m afraid of the next time my phone rings, or a knock at my door, afraid it’s Matty, or some official from Phoenix telling me you’re gone from my life again, for good this time. This is how it is for military families, isn’t it? That dread lurking in the back of your mind. My world’s already gone a little colder and darker. Angus has even picked up on it. He won’t leave my side more than usual, and insists on sleeping right next to me at night. He’s taken over your pillow. ”
There were a few words unreadable after that, but he kept reading.
“ I can’t lose you again, Angus. It damned near killed me when I got pulled out of high school, away from you. I was a wreck, and it took a very long time to put myself back together. ” There were more words that were unreadable, until, “... I don’t know what I’d do without you, now. I really don’t. You are my light in the darkness, my anchor, and all those other cliches. I loved you then, and I love you now, and always. Please come back to me. I love you, Angus ”.
Whether or not there was more to the letter, he couldn’t tell, because his own eyes were brimming with tears. He reached up with thumb and forefinger of one hand and squeezed the bridge of his nose to stop the flow, but a few escaped and landed on the paper in his lap. The third spot for the exfil was an open field, and they managed to hotwire a van to drive to it, but while running across the open field to the helicopter, Riley’s boot had found a hole, and she had tripped and sprained her ankle, almost causing another disaster. But they had made it into the helicopter with small cuts, bruises and bumps. He had wondered why Kaitlyn had hugged him so tightly when she saw him, and stayed so close. She hadn’t said a word.
He became aware of a deep, throaty purr in his ear, and a soft paw touching his face and hand. He took a deep breath and sniffled, then took his hand away and opened his eyes. “I’m ok, buddy”, he said, smiling at the cat as he stroked the soft fur. “Thanks”. He put the letter back in the box, closed the lid, and put the box back in the closet. “We’ll just let this be our secret for now, ok?” The cat chirruped his agreement.
Dawn was just starting to color the sky when MacGyver knocked on Mrs. McTavish’s door. The spry grey-haired woman answered the door. “Ah, here he is”, she said. “Come in, come in. They’re in me bedroom”. She eyed him a little closer. “Are you well, lad?” She asked.
MacGyver smiled. “I’m fine, Mrs. McTavish”, he said, trying to reassure her. He lifted the bundle of cloth he held. “Which way to your room?”
“Up the stairs, first door on your left”, the older woman replied, then added with an impish grin, “Ye should know the way, lad. The floor plan’s the same as your lady’s. Tell her I’ll be up in a moment”.
MacGyver grinned, then made his way up the stairs to the room. He found the lights low, and the room warm. Kaitlyn was sitting next to an open door of the closet, facing a closed door, and MacGyver. She smiled when she saw him, and motioned for him to enter quietly.
“You’re doing great, Ophelia”, she said in a soft voice. “Uncle Mac’s here with some fresh bedding for you and your babies”. She looked up at MacGyver. “Doc said he thought she’d have 5, maybe 6 kittens, and she’s got 5 now”. There was a quiet mewing sound, and she quickly looked into the closet. “And there’s number six”, she said.”Good job, mama”, she cooed. She watched silently for a few moments, then added, “I think that’s the last one”. She rose from her seat. “I’m going to give them a little while to rest and get acquainted, then I should sort out if they’re boys or girls, and switch out the bedding so they’ve got a clean space to sleep”. She took a step closer to MacGyver, and her smile faded slightly. “You ok?” She asked. “You look like you’ve--”
She didn’t get to finish the sentence, as MacGyver had closed the distance and was now kissing her soundly. After a few moments, he moved to whisper in her ear. “I love you”, he said. “You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I won’t ever leave you”.
“I love you, too”, Kaitlyn said quietly, then pulled back to look at him. “Wait”, she continued, puzzled. “What’s got into you? You haven’t been this...mushy, before”.
MacGyver smiled. “I’ll explain later”, he said, then kissed her again.
“Oh, mercy”.
They jumped and turned towards the voice. Mrs. McTavish was smiling brightly. “Well, that will warm you up faster than a wee dram of Glenfiddich”, she teased. “and we just got some wee kits. Don’t you two start makin’ some more right here”.
Kaitlyn squeaked in embarrassment, hiding her face in MacGyver’s shoulder, as he laughed. After a moment, she raised her head and took a deep breath. “I need to help Ophelia out with her kittens”, she said.”And then we need to change out that bedding”. She looked at Mrs. McTavish. “But I am definitely going to need a wee dram. Maybe more than wee”. She looked at MacGyver. “Then you have some ‘splainin’ to do, mister”.