Chapter Text
AT THE PHOENIX...NO ONE KNOWS WHERE ITS LOCATED...
"So you've made up your mind then." Bozer asked.
"Yes, I have." Riley replied.
"There's nothing we can do to change it?" Bozer asked back. Riley had just informed the team that she was going to leave the Phoenix in order to focus on The Brink and more importantly, finding the man behind the nano-trackers. She had wanted to with in the Phoenix but to do so she needed Russ to make Sarah and Brooklyn official Phoenix agents. Russ declined Riley's request, so she took matters into her own hand.
"No. I'm sorry. I have to do this. I promise, this team will be fine without me. I know Matty will make sure that my replacement is perfect." Riley smiled as she turned to look at Matty.
"Well, no one can replace you Riley, but yes. I will make sure our new technical analyst is at least half as incredible as you are." Matty replied smiling.
"Thank you Matty." Riley smiled back.
"While I am glad that's been settled, there is one question I would like to ask." Russ interrupted.
"Yes...?" Riley asked reluctantly.
"Where's Angus?" Russ asked.
"Umm...about that. Look, saying goodbye to all of you is...hard. You're my family." Riley replied.
"Are you saying Mac's not family?" Desi asked.
"What? No. Of course Mac's family. He's...he's more than family...which is why he's not here. I just...I'm not ready to say goodbye to him yet. That's why I need to ask a favor of all of you." Riley said looking around.
"Anything." Bozer replied.
"Don't tell Mac that I'm leaving." Riley asked.
"WHAT? No. We have to tell him. He has a right to know!" Desi exclaimed.
"Desi, please. I know this isn't easy for you. It's not easy for me either. I just...I need time to tell him. Please." Riley pleaded.
"Guys? Tell me I'm not the only one who thinks we should tell Mac?" Desi asked looking around. Everyone stayed silent until Matty spoke up.
"Look, I want to tell Mac as much as you do..."
"But..."
"But...this isn't for us to share. It's for Riley. If she's not ready then she's not ready. I know when she is ready, she'll tell him, on her own terms." Matty responded.
"Fine. I still think Mac has a right to know." Desi said at the WORST time possible.
"A right to know what?" Mac asked as he walked into the war room. Everyone looked around at each other waiting for someone to say something. Finally, Russ spoke up.
"That we have a case and it can't wait." Russ said as he pulled the case details up on the screen. Russ and Matty tagged teamed the briefing, while everybody watched, listened, and discussed the case. Though everything seemed normal, Mac could still feel a weird awkwardness in the air. Everyone was trying to pretend that nothing was wrong, but Mac knew there was something he didn't know.
AFTER THE MISSION, AT THE PHOENIX
The mission had gone well...as well as a phoenix mission could go. There were a few kinks here and there, but overall the mission was a success. Mac, Desi, and Russ had gone in the field while Riley, Bozer, and Parker worked from the war room and the lab. The entire plane ride back, Mac could see Desi was freaking out about something and Russ was trying to console her. Mac didn't intrude despite the fact that he wanted to know what it was that had been bothering her, not only on the plane ride but throughout their entire mission as well. Once they had arrived back at The Phoenix, Mac, Desi, and Russ headed to the war room for debriefing where Parker, Bozer, and Matty were waiting. Mac immediately noticed Riley wasn't there.
"Where's Riley?" Mac asked.
"She had something to do. She's already been debriefed. Let's get started." Matty said as she started the debrief. After about thirty minutes, the debrief had ended and Matty had ordered everyone to go home and get some rest. Desi and Russ were the first ones out of the war room to head home. After the amount of fighting they had to do that day, Mac didn't blame them. Parker followed shortly after with Bozer on her tail. Mac was the last one to leave as he was still wondering where Riley was. Mac walked to the front door but instead of opening it, he turned around and walked to Bozer's lab. He had hunch that Riley would be there and sure enough, she was. Mac smiled as he walked towards the lab doors, unable to see the folders and boxes of things Riley scattered around the room.
"There you are. I was wondering where you were when you weren't at the debrief." Mac exclaimed as he walked into the lab.
"Oh. Yah. Just had some stuff to take care of." Riley tried to reply naturally. She could feel her heart rate climb as Mac started to notice all her stuff.
"What's going on here? Are you going somewhere?" Mac asked.
"Oh. No. Just moving my stuff out of Bozer's lab. I'm trying to give him some space, you know?" Riley replied as she shoved more papers into her backpack. She reached over to another pile to grab more papers but ended up dropping everything on the floor.
"Crap..." Riley said as she bent down to pick up the papers.
"Here, let me help you." Mac replied as he bent down to help. Riley grabbed most of the papers on the ground before Mac did, but Mac still managed to grab a few. It wasn't the papers on the ground that caught Mac's eye though. It was the one left on the table that didn't fall and had one word written in uppercase letters at the top of the page: RESIGNATION. A bunch of feelings started to flood Mac's brain.
"Riley? What is this?" Mac asked as he lifted the paper from the table.
"Mac...I-"
"Are you leaving?" Mac asked, not giving Riley the chance to answer his last question.
"Mac-"
"Who else knows about this?" Mac asked again before Riley could say anything. Riley didn't answer but Mac could read it all over her face.
"So, everybody knows...wait. This morning. The meeting. The one that everyone was at except me. Is that what the meeting was for? ", Mac asked anger swelling inside him, "This...this is why everyone's been acting weird around me, isn't it?"
Riley wanted to answer but she could barely muster a sound while tears started to swell up in her eyes.
"Is that why you weren't at the debrief? You wanted to pack and leave before we got back. No..no, before I got back. Right?" Mac asked furious.
"I-I can explain..." Riley said tears streaming down her face.
"Explain what, how you were just going to leave without telling me? No note, no text, not even a goodbye?" Mac asked.
"I-"
"How was this supposed to work? Was Matty supposed to tell me once you were gone that you quit?" Mac question. Mac was angrier than even he himself had realized.
"Mac, I-"
"Don't", Mac stopped Riley from finishing her sentence, "Just don't."
Tears were streaming down Riley's face. She could see the look of pain on Mac's face, in his eyes and she knew it was her fault. Mac contemplated for several seconds what to say. He was hurt and wanted Riley to know that but at the moment Mac just wanted some space. He gathered up as much strength as he could and said the three words he'd never thought say to Riley and the three words Riley never thought she'd hear from Mac.
"Good bye, Riley." Mac said as he set her resignation letter on table and walked away. As he disappeared around the corner, Riley stood in the lab crying and wiping her tears at the same time. She hated what had just happened and she wanted to see Mac and explain everything to him, but she knew right now, what Mac needed more than anything was space. She was determined to give him all the space he needed but that would prove to be harder then Riley anticipated.