Chapter Text
“Riley, Riley please wait”.
She heard calling after her as she stormed her way into an interrogation room. Slamming the door behind her. Yelling to herself.
“How could I be so stupid, why did I think things would be different, why did I allow myself to..”
The door creaked open before she could finish her thought.
“Riley! What the HELL was that?!”
“Look mac I need you to just leave me alone okay can you just do that for me. Please” her words cutting through Mac's concern and confusion. “You are Not the person I need right now”
Pacing back and forth trying to hold back the words that were bubbling and burning her throat.
”Not until you talk to me and tell me what the hell is going on,” he said defensively.
”Oh now you wanna talk? Huh?!?”
5 minutes ago
Two weeks had passed since Mac and Riley infiltrated codex and took them down for the most part. The team had just completed their first opp back together after Riley and Mac were reinstated. Tempers were running high. Nearly everyone was put in harm's way all because of a simple mistake. Riley was unusually more aggravated than everyone else and no one understood why.
The team was on their way to stop an army of rebels from demolishing a small tribe in Iceland. The rebels had been terrorizing the tribe for years. kidnapping and selling kids and killing anybody who dared to defy them. Fortunately, someone was able to escape and ask for assistance.
As the team landed, Matty informed them that the rebels had everything surrounded so they would be a couple of miles out from the tribe and would have to tread carefully through the rough terrain.
Riley was slightly apprehensive about the mission not because it wasn’t something she and the team couldn’t handle but because of the new dynamics, no one wanted to discuss because all was forgiven right? Right. Plus there was the fact that the boy she loved was still dating the girl who aimed a gun at her face. They picked up like nothing had happened. Nevertheless, they were here; this was the situation she was in now.
Finally, the flight was over and she no longer had to witness the flirty whispers and interlocked fingers.
“Ok guys we have about a three miles trek due northeast.” Said Riley.
“Alright guess let's grab our bags and head out” Mac followed up.
Everyone grabbed their gear and started walking. Trying to keep communication at a low volume Desi and Mac were walking ahead, Bozer and Riley following behind. Riley was monitoring the satellite feed just in case the rebel army was outside the parameters they were occupying.
The team was in the last mile of the hike when Desi's voice began to rise.
“Will you just shut up already!” Mac screamed assertively.
“Who gave you the right to speak to me that way. I can say whatever I need to.”
“Woah Woah guys relax there are a lot of people with a lotta guns around here” Bozer butted in.
“Yeah, guys can we chill out here and focus on the mission” Riley politely added to the conversation.
“Yeah! if I don’t. what are you going to do leave again” Desi snarked
“Hey, Desi quit it alright, I’m tired of having this conversation. It’s always you left me here you chose your aunt. Hey remember that time you suffocated me that was fun.” he paused searching for the right words to say. ”Damn it when will you be over it”
“YOU DID DO ALL THOSE THINGS AND I JUST HAVE TO DEAL WITH YOU JUST COMING BACK AND BELIEVE YOUR STILL NOT COMPROMISED!!” Desi yelled.
Before MacGyver could come back with a retort a man appeared out of nowhere.
“Compromised?!?” The random man said.
All four of them looked at this man. Desi ready to kick his ass, Mac standing front and center trying to protect them all, Bozer still hasn’t landed on fight or flight, and Riley who desperately needed to release her pint up anger stood in an attack mode.
“Who are you?” Mac asked.
“I’m the man with all the power you see” he motioned for his guys to come forward. 15 guys surrounded them with automatic weapons.
“You don’t need to know my name, you won’t be around long enough to remember it. Grab them!”
The men rounded up Bozer, Mac, Riley, and Desi.
“This is all Desiree's fault” Riley mumbled.
This was partly true but they were all screaming at each other when they knew they had to be very quiet but it wasn't unlike desi to bring up personal things amid an opp.
“I can't believe Mac is still with this girl who's never trusted him. Always listing off what she believes to be negative attributes about him. She never has his back but me, so foolish, if he told me to jump off a bridge right now I would; no questions...”
“Riles?” the sound of her name broke her train of thought.
“Huh?”
“Are you ok?” mac asked.
“I'm fine. This isn't the first time I've been held at gunpoint and kidnapped.” she attempted to laugh. She failed.
“I will get us out of this, I promise.” Mac gave her a comforting smile.
All crowded in the war room for a debriefing. Matty decided they needed to have a family talk rather than her usual tactics when things go awry.
“What is wrong with all of you? How did we go from a simple run of the mill opp to you all being captured for 6 hours?”
Silence.
“I know things got a little crazy when Mac and Riley went undercover at codex but without trust, we can’t work together. We can’t protect those who are unable to protect themselves.”
Silence.
“So no one has anything to say? Blondie? Bozer? Desi? Riley?”
Riley knew this was the opportunity she needed to express everything that’s been boiling at the surface but the words burned in her mouth.
“I” breaking the silence “I don’t think I can continue to work here if Desi is going to keep treating ME and Mac this way. I cannot stand the condescending looks and snide remarks. I’m not a traitor and I will not stand to be treated like one.”
Everyone was staring at her now, she continued. “We nearly died today and all I could think of was how I cannot stand this anymore”
Hour six of captivity led to a few discussions. All of which made everyone angrier with the situation. There was a lot of blame and a lot of hurt and words laced with the intent to sting. They weren’t a team anymore. They could’ve gotten free hours ago if it weren’t for the underlying problems keeping them mentally and physically imprisoned.
“Look guys we need to figure a way out of here. we need to go help these people from these savages.” Riley said, trying to cut the tension.
“Riley’s right, all this fighting isn’t helping anybody. Especially not us.” Bozer replied.
“Well every time the guards come in we’ve been fighting and they’ve just walked out. Maybe an argument can work to our advantage.” Mac suggested
“When the guards come, two of us need to fight, Maybe a little physical so they can get close enough to knock them out. And then we can make our escape” he finished.
The plan worked well enough until they were met outside by gunfire and grenades. All of which were too close to their bodies. Barely escaping, losing a limb, or catching a bullet. Riley actually preferred codex.
The plane ride home was dead silent. They failed their mission, they fought, nobody wanted anything to do with the other well maybe except Bozer who had inside knowledge.
“We were put in a situation because nobody trusts each other and I don’t think I can wait out the regaining trust aspect of this. We saved millions of lives should that not be enough to warrant a nice working space. I’m tired of this...ALL of this”
“Riles, what are you saying?” Mac said with a shaky voice.
“I...I gotta go.” As she stormed out the room Mac followed calling out her name.
“Oh now you want to talk huh?!?” Riley snarked
“ We could've talked weeks ago but no, you decided there were other people more important to talk to and for what?!?! Just for her to keep throwing shit back not only at your face but mine as well”
“I didn’t think I had..”
Riley cut him off.
“That’s right you didn’t think… I risked everything for you. I’ve always had your back, and yet you go running back to that! I need to get out of here”
“Riley can you please just talk to me I don’t think you leavening is a good thing”
“And why is that?”
“I… I don’t know,” he said despairingly
“I can’t believe I thought that after everything that’s happened you’d actually choose me.”
“Choose…. you” realization setting in Riley’s feelings were deeper than he thought. How could he be so blind to the fact that they shared the same feelings.
“I’m always there when shits going down. I’m always letting you know I’m here for you. I WENT INTO CODEX WITH YOU WHILE EVERYONE WAS CALLING YOU A TRAITOR. And yet you still don’t see. I can’t do this anymore.”
With the walls, she so carefully built crumbling. she stormed out of the room to willing to divulge anymore hidden feelings. she already said too much.