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He knew it was a big change, going from MIT to the army.
Everyone had asked him why, when he had so much potential and could do an abundance of different things, why when MIT was full of some of the best people and he was still at top of the class.
The initial answer was because he wasn’t doing enough, he wasn’t actually helping people, only putting together theories and mashing probabilities that may help people, and that wasn’t enough for him. He needed to be out in the world, physically helping.
Frankie had been the first he told, her reaction showing him just a glimpse of what was to come.
“I think I want to join the army.”
“What, like after graduation?”
“No, like right now. Like drop everything and go now.”
“Why though?”
“Just— feel like I need to do more.”
Grandpa Harry was next, just thought the phone.
“Join the army? Why? What for? Some people outsmart you there so you need to get back with the normal folk?”
“Everything here is great, but I feel like I could do so much more if I’m actually out in the world doing it.”
“Well, if that’s what you want to do then I won’t hold you back.”
Bozer was the last one, and it was an in person visit on a break.
“What do you mean you’re joinin the army? You haven’t even finished your second year yet, and I know no one’s pressuring you into it. I mean look at you, there was a reason why Donnie picked on you.”
“Thanks for your input on how much of a twig you think I am.”
“I’m just sayin, you’re probably gonna get a lot of shit because you don’t look like army material… why do you wanna join anyways? Thought you hated guns.”
“I do— hence why I signed up for EOD; bomb defusal, it’s non combatant and I’m partnered with someone to watch my back.”
“Course you of all people would choose a non combat class in the army that handles bombs. AND apparently you already signed up because of course you did. When are you set to leave?”
“End of the month.”
“So that gives me two and a half weeks to get you prepped. Okay, GI Joe, let’s go.”
Mac had honestly expected much more opposition upon telling people.
A lot of his friends at MIT had urged him to rethink his options, but most others, while disagreeing with the decision, supported him, saying they’d try to keep in touch. He thought Harry would outright refuse, lash out and tell him he was throwing his life away, and him saying Mac has the right to do what he chooses kind of threw him for a bit of a loop, but he was happy nonetheless.
He also knew that while Bozer and his family were supportive, they were upset and unnerved. He and Bozer had been best friends, practically brothers since the fifth grade, and Loretta and Milton had become his second set of parents. Their concern was understandable.
The end of the month had honestly snuck up on everyone, and the several goodbyes had been too short.
He made it through basic training, bumping shoulders with a few people and shaking hands with others. He met Charlie Robinson during EOD training and had the best training officer everyone was hoping to get.
The first tour had been difficult, as expected, and the second one after that; more bumped shoulders and handshakes. His third tour was— chaotic.
Getting in a fist fight with his apparent new overwatch wasn’t something he expected, learning they were only supposed to be paired sixty-four days didn’t bother him, finding out how good of a shot Jack was after being surrounded was a bit surprising, saving Jack after he triggered an IED wasn’t unexpected, Jack signing up for another tour on the condition of being Mac’s overwatch was— something that never had the chance to cross his mind.
The guys in their unit obviously had a right to tease them about the situation.
“Hell I never pictured Dalton signing up again on the condition of staying your watch.”
“Yeah I would’ve thought it would be he never had to be your watch again.”
“You two literally tried to kill each other when ya first met and now yer best buds. What’s the sayin about opposites attract?”
“Nah, they’re more like two bits of string that got so tangled up that they can never go back to how it was before.”
It didn’t bother Mac, and he could tell it didn’t bother Jack. It was nice in a way, seeing that Bozer was really the only person he was ever close with. Jack had taken to telling Mac about his family and farm in Texas whenever they were out in the field, providing a calming sort of white noise that helped Mac focus while defusing.
“—so I start panickin cuz the thing’s poppin and splashin everywhere so it’s like little fireballs rainin down and ya know I’m screamin my head off, my sister comes in and just kinda stands for a second before doin anythin. She got the pot off the stove and smothered it while I was busy stompin out the little fires goin on through the kitchen and lemme tell ya, it did not smell good. When mama finally got home and I told her, she scolded me of course but then couldn’t stop laughin cuz the kitchen was just covered in singe marks. She always just gestures around when I say I’m thinkin bout cookin somethin.”
“And you said this happened when you were fourteen?”
“You don’t gotta say it like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you ain’t ever messed up when you were a kid. We search out our own kind, and I can tell you also had a few mishaps when you were younger.”
He did. Of course he did. He probably had more mishaps than Jack would even be able to think of.
“I burned down the shed when I was eleven.”
“You what? How?”
“I’ll tell you when we’re back at base.”
There had never really been anyone who was interested in Mac’s life who wasn’t already a part of it, so it was nice to be able to talk about it with someone who would actually pay attention to what he was saying. Being with Jack was a big change Mac didn’t know he needed; a new, welcomed factor in his life. There was a sense of ease and security around Jack that made Mac want to let his guard down, something that he hadn’t been able to do in years.
He had actually intended to tell Jack the story back at base about how he burned the shed down. He just wanted other people to be there to hear it first hand because he knew Jack would bring it up every chance he got to every guy that would listen, and he didn’t want to repeat himself more times than necessary. But upon arriving to base, just after getting everything settled, a private had sought him out, saying there was a visitor waiting for him in the officer’s quarters.
“Don’t think getting called away gets ya outta tellin that story. I’m sure all the other guys wanna hear it just as much as I do.”
He expected he was being called for a report, maybe even having to get transferred to another base for a short while. The absolute last thing that would’ve even crossed his mind was his father standing there, talking with Martinez
“He is a member of the United States Army and and has been for nearly four years. He’s not free to go whenever he pleases.” Martinez had glanced at him, giving slight acknowledgement.
“With all due respect, he was my son first, and I won’t have him waste his life here any longer.”
“Unless he’s severely injured in action, he will remain on this base until his tour is over. After that, he’ll be free to leave if he chooses.”
Mac didn’t know what to think about the conversation playing out in front of him. He hadn’t seen his father in eleven years, then he suddenly shows up in his unit practically demanding his discharge.
“He signed up when he was only seventeen; a minor. A government man like yourself must know that anything he signed is null and void.”
“You’re wrong.” Mac took that moment to make himself known. “Enlistment is ages seventeen to thirty-five.”
James turned to face him. “Angus.”
It was odd, hearing his name from his father’s lips. He used to love it when he was a child, but it just sounded so wrong; full of emotion that shouldn’t be there, that should’ve died off eleven years ago.
“I was physically, morally, and medically fit, I graduated high school top of the class, and I’m a US citizen. I matched all of the qualifications to join, so I did.”
“Not to mention he scored in the top ninety-eighth percentile in the ASCAB placement exam.” Martinez added. “Would be a shame if he didn’t join up when he did.”
“The shame here is that he dropped out of college to come here when he had so much potential there.”
“You left when I was ten. Where was your concern for my potential in the last eleven years of my life? What would you even know about it?”
“I know that you and your team had been theorizing several ways to slow or even completely stop cancer from spreading and that your thesis was nearly complete when you decided to drop everything and run to the other side of the world.”
A quiet rage took over Mac. He didn’t want to have that conversation, not there in front of his CO. The situation was already embarrassing enough with his estranged father coming to an army camp to pick up his adult son like it was a daycare.
“You think you’re still allowed to dictate what choices I make in my life after you had nearly nothing to do with the person I am today? You should’ve thought of that before leaving.” He scoffed and turned to Martinez. “Permission to return to bunks, sir?”
Martinez nodded his head. “Go on then.”
Mac saw the confused ire on his father’s face, ignored whatever he was trying to say, and walked out.
The happy thought of telling a group of guys what happened when he was eleven was gone, replaced with a strange sort of fury, ready to lash out if anyone so much as looked at him wrong. And he hated it. He’d just gotten used to hanging around with them, laughing at whatever dumb jokes or stories each other had to tell. He didn’t want to end up accidentally snapping at them over something they had no control or idea of.
Then there was a hand on his shoulder. And voice in his ear that just seemed to feed the growing wrath. “Angus—”
Mac turned, slapping the hand off. “Do not place your hand upon me or I’ll be forced to use necessary force.”
“No son of mind would willingly throw his life away like this.”
“You lost the right to call me your son when you walked out of my life. Maybe you could’ve kept it if you stayed. Now you should leave before the MPs are called. You’re good at that.”
***
It didn’t take a genius to see that whatever had gone down was big for the people involved, given the only people was Mac, as far as he could tell.
Jack had a feeling that whatever Mac had been called away for was somewhat different than other times. Often whatever private had been tasked with playing messenger would say something along the lines of why they were needed; report, temporary rotation change, and often for Jack— I dunno but he didn’t seem too pissed.
So obviously, he had been curious about the whole thing. He knew Mac would tell him upon his return, so he waited.
Five minutes turned into ten, ten turned into twenty, twenty turned into thirty, and then thirty doubled and Mac still hadn’t returned.
Jack had sought out the private that delivered the message, asking if he knew anything about why Mac had been called in the first place, why it would be taking so long. It’d surprised him when said private told him he didn’t know, but Mac was in and out of the officer’s quarters in the frame of maybe ten minutes and had assumed he returned to this barracks.
Jack asked around just to see if anyone knew what was going on, and was rewarded when someone had said Mac got permission to switch their work, and he was currently held up doing inventory in the supply tent.
That being said, he made his way over and into the supply tent. Mac had been there, meticulously going through a large box of MREs, tallying something on a clipboard.
“Ya know, if ya didn’t wanna tell the story, ya coulda just said so.” Mac jumped at Jack’s voice, clearly not hearing the man enter. “I ain’t got any guys to sit in and listen though, so it ain’t a total loss.”
Mac gave him a confused look for a moment before remembering. “Right, the shed.” Though he made no notion of telling Jack the story and merely went back to counting.
Jack raised a brow. He’d seen Mac like that before, during their first few weeks together, but then it was different. Before it was like getting him to crack open a door with a question, only to have it slam shut in his face, ending any and all possibilities of conversation. That time, Jack had barely knocked on the door and it swung open to the implication of a conversation, but Mac himself wasn’t anywhere near the door to open it.
So Jack took the initiative and walked through the doorway.
“Hoss you know I’m good at readin people, but even I have my limits, telepathy bein one of ‘em. You wanna let me in on what’s goin through that head of yours?”
Mac made a few more tallies before setting the clipboard down and running a hand down his face. “My dad’s here.”
That was a complete shot out of left field. Mac never really talked about his family. Jack figured there was a reason for it, and suddenly having Mac’s father appear in an army base halfway around the world might have something to do with it.
“No shit? How the hell’d he get clearance for that?”
“I didn’t ask.”
It was the short, curt answers that told Jack the situation was extremely troubling. Mac was the guy that was known for over explaining.
“What’s he here for?”
“Trying to get me discharged before the tour is up.”
“What?”
“I don’t know, okay?” Mac huffed out a breath in an attempt to quell his anger. “Sorry. I just— he walked out on me when I was ten. I haven’t seen him in eleven years, but he was apparently keeping track of me throughout school and college. Now he just shows up at base, yelling that I’m throwing my life away. I don’t know why he suddenly decided that now’s a good time to act like a father.”
Mac didn’t say again, Jack noticed. “What’d Martinez have to say bout it?”
“Just said I was a soldier and couldn’t leave before my tour was up.”
“How bout yer pop?”
“I don’t know. I kind of stormed off and have been cooped up in here the whole time. I assume Martinez would have him escorted off base, seeing as he shouldn’t have been here in the first place.”
It was a bit of an awkward situation for Jack. He had a good relationship with his dad before he passed, and the whole think wasn’t exactly a hug it out kind of deal. Mac had been without a father for eleven years, the so-called prime years of childhood and all through adolescence. It wasn’t something that could be swept under the rug.
“You don’t have to have a solution for it.” Mac said with a smirk, making Jack raise a brow. “I’m pretty good at reading people too, and I can tell you’re trying to think of something to make things better. I appreciate it but you don’t have to. Sometimes— there’s nothing to say. Sometimes people just get stuck in shitty situations and they can’t do anything about it. I just happen to be one of those people.”
“Guess your people readin don’t stop at telepathy.” Jack snorted. “Now I may not know what yer goin through, but I’ve been in plenty of shitty situations and I found they’re always better when you got someone to get stuck with. So unless you tell me to get, I’m stayin right here with ya.”
“You wouldn’t even go if I told you to.”
“No I would not. So you wanna tell me bout that whole burnin down the shed deal or am I gonna come up with a total fly ball story to tell the guys myself?”
***
There was a weird calm as Jack and Mac drove out the next day. At least, to Mac it was weird.
Jack had stayed with him until he had finished the inventory counts, sharing more of his own dumb child stories after Mac had told him how he didn’t just burn down the shed, but caused a small explosion, and the shed had been an unfortunate casualty.
He didn’t push for any information about his life, or ask if he wanted to talk about why his father had suddenly come barreling back into his life. He was just— being Jack. They had their normal morning routine, got some supplies, then headed out, and Jack— as he normally did— started a story about his life on the family farm.
They’d come up on an abandoned town, what was left of it anyways; a few half broken walls from whatever buildings might’ve been there and a single full building that had lasted better in the passage of time than the rest. The IED that was there hadn’t even been attempted to be hidden.
“No okay but given that I was only like six, findin out that pigs ate nearly everything was terrifyin. I had nightmares that they’d break into my bedroom and eat me durin the night.”
“Did it put you off pork products for a while?”
“If anythin it made me want ‘em more because surely they wouldn’t eat someone who’d eat them.”
Mac rolled his eyes. “Pretty sound logic for a six year old I guess.”
“You bet. Now go do yer thing.” Jack had gone to the single building that was still standing and took his position.
Mac approached the IED and inspected it. It looked like a simple enough build that it should only take a few minutes to deal with. Though it turned into something not so simple after about five minutes, when Jack spoke through their comms.
“We might have a bit of a problem hoss.”
“Are you okay? What’s going on?”
“Just got a call sayin we need to head back.”
“Why?” There was something in Jack’s tone that signified some sort of trouble. “Why, Jack?”
Jack huffed through the comm. “Apparently, yer pop is callin in some favors to get ya discharged. Martinez and Richards are doin what they can but… made it sound like their hands are tied.”
That made Mac stop working. What favors did his father have that he could force the army to discharge him early? He didn’t even know why his father was so eager to have him back in the first place. Mac was used to changes, even embracing them, but he wasn’t used to someone trying to put things back to how they used to be. It was a different change, one he refused to accept.
“Call them back up, and patch me through.”
“Mac—”
“Just— do it please.”
It was only a moment before he was connected with the base. “Hear you loud and clear one-one. What can we do you for? Over.”
“Specialist Angus Macgyver requesting to speak with one James Macgyver. Over.”
“Mac what are ya doin?” Mac didn’t answer Jack’s question, knowing he wouldn’t like the answer he would be given.
His father’s voice cut through the comm in his ear. “Angus.”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m bringing you home, back to where you should be, to where your skills won’t be squandered as they are here.”
“You don’t have the authority to do that.”
“On the contrary, I assure you I do. You’ll be discharged as soon as you arrive back, then we’ll be escorted from the base.”
“What makes you think I’ll just come back?” Mac was fully sitting cross-legged, looking nearly comfortable on the earthy ground.
“You can’t survive more than a few hours on the supplies you have. I am prepared to wait, but if you choose to make it difficult, I have more options to consider with bringing you home.”
James’s tone was smug, only making Mac more confident his plan was going to work.
“Who said anything about surviving?”
“What?”
“Mac I swear to god—”
“I’m going to stay here and finish my tour, and maybe I’ll sign up for another. Maybe I’ll go back to the states and get a job. Maybe I won’t even make it back. Who knows at this point.”
“You will be coming back with me.”
“I’m sitting next to a live IED. If you so much as take a step in my general direction, I’ll set it off.”
A loud silence took hold for a moment, but it was Jack’s voice that broke it.
“The hell you think yer doin?”
“That goes for you too Jack.” Mac looked in his direction. “Stay in your nest.”
“Hoss—”
“Specialist.” That was Richards’s voice. “We can make arrangements for—”
“With all due respect sir, the only arrangement I need is for my father to be escorted from base.”
“Angus, think about what you’re doing.” His father’s voice had a slight shakiness to it.
“I am. I want to continue my job and defuse IEDs, and I’m going to. And if you think you coming half way around the world to get me is somehow going to change that, you’re wrong.”
“So help me— I will get on a helicopter and get you myself.”
“If I see a bird, I’ll detonate. If I see any other friendly vehicle, I’ll detonate. The only way this thing is going to get disarmed is if I do it myself, and the only way that’ll happen is if you leave, and you don’t come back.” After a second of silence, he continued. “The choice is yours, dad. You left once, why should a second time be any different?”
Mac took the comm from his ear after that, unwilling to listen to any sort of argument that would be used to try to change his mind. He then looked to Jack, knowing there was a scowl plastered on his face. He wished he wasn’t there, wished he hadn’t dragged him into the horrible mess that was his supposed family. He knew Jack was looking at him, so he made gestures saying his earpiece was out, signaling he’d put it back in after a few minutes.
He then took the time to look at everything that surrounded him, or really the vast emptiness that was the desert he’d made his home for the last three years. In actuality, Mac did want to go home; back to his grandpa’s house, back to Bozer and Frankie. He had grown used to having to check his boots for any wildlife in the mornings and the so-called food he ate. He would be lying if he said it didn’t get to him sometimes.
He hated having to go out and look for bombs, bombs that always had a chance of going off and severely injuring or killing him. He hated having to look through populated towns, because then it wasn’t just his life on the line.
But that was his life. Same thing day in and day out, but it was constantly changing. Sometimes there were scorpions in his boots, sometimes the food they got was bearable— sometimes he didn’t even eat. There were days that had IED after IED, and others where there’d be nothing.
Mac had grown used to the ever changing world around him, because he was in control of it.
Then there was Jack. Jack had been a big change in Mac’s life, the first big change since he joined up. His previous overwatches did things like clockwork, same things day in and day out. Jack was different, because he wasn’t supposed to be there at that moment. Receiving a new overwatch was a regular thing for him, but having one choose to stay was different. Jack staying was a change in itself.
Jack had become an anchor, always there to pull Mac back if the change had been too much for him to handle. Which is why Mac refused to let him budge from his nest in the current situation.
Mac put the comm back in his ear, having a welcoming silence sound back. “So on a scale from one to ten, how grounded am I?”
“Boy if I wasn’t in my right mind, I’d put you in the ground for what yer tryin to pull.” Jack snorted humorlessly. “What the hell’s goin on in yer head that makes you think sittin next to a live IED is a good idea?”
“I never said it’s a good idea, but it’s the only way I can think of that’ll make my father leave.”
Jack was silent for a moment. “Him bein here really that bad, huh?”
Mac nearly scoffed. “Yeah. I’ve spent more of my life without him than I have with him. When my mom died, he just kinda started distancing himself until he left completely without a word. Now he just thinks he can waltz right back into my life, pick up where we left off, and act like nothing happened. And before you say I should give him a chance, he basically had sixteen years for it.”
“Well… I ain’t gonna act like I know what yer goin through, but if you want him outta yer hair, then I’ll back ya in whatever needs to be done.”
“Thanks.”
Neither one of them knew exactly how long they stayed there; Jack continuously scanning their surroundings and Mac more or less fidgeting in any way he could. Maybe close to an hour, maybe more, before they were contacted by base, informing them that James Macgyver was currently on an aircraft back to the states, and had whatever clearance he had to get him to the army in the first place revoked.
“Only you would cause this much trouble, Macgyver.” Martinez said through the comm. “I still expect a full report of your current situation when you return.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way, sir. Over and out.”
“Cool now that that’s all done and dealt with, can ya do me a favor?”
“What do you need Jack?”
“Can you please disarm that thing? I don’t think I’ve been this antsy since the nightmare pigs.”
“Sorry to make you worry big guy, but the IED’s been disarmed for a while.”
“You what?”
“It started a countdown timer and contrary to what I said, I don’t actually want to be blown up any time soon.”
“And how long’s it been like that exactly?”
“Pretty much the whole time.”
Jack didn’t answer over comms, instead choosing that moment to exit his nest and stalk over to Mac. “You better hurry up and try to lock yerself in that vehicle before I decide to smack you so hard upside the head—”
Mac snorted. “Okay I know your mad but what if I tell you about the time I may have accidentally burned down my high school football stadium?”