For Family

By: Ridley James

A/N: I can't believe we are to the last chapter or that it took me so long to get here. I apologize for the delay and I am so grateful for each and every review and comment on this second story in the series. I am planning another soon, possibly for Christmas, and can't wait to share it with you all who have taken a chance on this little AU. Thanks to Mary who made this so much better.

RcJ

Jack Dalton had almost died when he was seventeen. It was a dare gone wrong, part him showing off for some girls, and part bad luck. In a moment of reckless teen bravado he'd overestimated his abilities to swim to a sandbar in the middle of the lake and had found himself struggling to force his muscles to continue to keep him afloat when all his body seemed to want to do was shut down. It had been akin to pulling cement blocks up from the sandy bottom as he tried to dog paddle enough to stay afloat. The sensation he was currently experiencing was incredibly similar in nature. In fact, Jack felt like his head was already underwater, his arms and legs numb, completely useless as he tried to reach the surface with an urgency he could not explain.

"Jack? Can you hear me?"

A rumbling voice reached Jack from a distance, muffled as if Jack were indeed somehow trapped below the surface and it had Jack fighting harder to emerge. After a monumental effort on his part, Jack awoke with a gasp that rivaled that of a drowning man's first gulp of oxygen. His striving was rewarded with a shooting pain in his chest that nearly sent him under once more.

"Easy, bud."

A hand accompanied the words this time, a firm grasp on Jack's wrist that anchored him and kept him tethered to consciousness. He blinked furiously, almost surprised water didn't blur his vision when he gazed up into the very concerned face of Harry MacGyver.

"Harr…" Jack tried for a name, his voice rough and scratchy as if he'd been buried in sand instead of trapped in a lake. "What's going on?" He managed after a few sips of water from the cup Harry held to his lips. "Where…"

"It's about time you woke up," Harry said, interrupting Jack. He placed the cup back on the table by Jack's bed, returning to a chair he'd pulled close to the rails. "Old men aren't meant to sit in straight back chairs for long periods of time."

Jack blinked again, his vision blurring. He looked around with a groan, realizing he was in a hospital. The harsh fluorescent lighting, antiseptic smell, and the irritating oxygen cannula forcing cool air into his nasal passages were a dead give-away. He took in the monitors, the movement sending a new stabbing pain through his upper torso. Jack felt the twinge of the IV in his hand when he moved it protectively over his ribs, surprised as he looked down to find himself attached to several electronic leads.

"How long have I been here?" Jack rasped, trying to recall exactly what had happened to warrant his current condition. Thoughts of a mission gone wrong swirled in his mind but were quickly discounted as he slowly recalled he'd been on leave for almost a month. His body felt floaty, like when he'd had a really good buzz, but beyond the numbness there was a faint echo of pain that told him he'd be in for a hell of a hurt if not for the drugs he was obviously receiving from the IV.

"Three days," Harry replied, frowning at Jack. "You had us all scared, bud."

"Mac?" A sudden panic had Jack trying to push himself up in the bed as an image of his little brother's frightened face worked its way through the fog filling Jack's sluggish mind. He frantically glanced around the room, trying to recall if Mac had been involved in whatever the hell had happened to him. "Where is he? Is he okay?"

"Your brother is fine." Harry's hand was back, his fingers cool. This time gently applying pressure to Jack's shoulder to keep him flat on the bed. Harry was either stronger than Jack had believed or Jack's body was not responding to his commands to get the hell up and find Mac because he remained helpless in the bed, panting. He was torn between gratitude and embarrassment when Harry reached over and pushed the button that raised the top of the mattress allowing Jack a view of the room from a semi-upright position. "He's with your grandmother, in the cafeteria."

"Beth's here?" Jack frowned, rubbing the hand without the IV over his eyes to clear them again. He was finding it hard to understand what Harry was saying while still trying to process where he was and how he'd gotten there.

"Do you have another grandmother?" Harry matched Jack's scowl, giving a shake of his head. "I can guarantee you I didn't go and get married on my vacation."

"Like any woman would have a crusty old curmudgeon like you." Jack tried for humor, covering the emotion that rushed to the surface at Harry's indication that Jack was as much his grandson as Mac. The cocky words couldn't hide the strained quality of his voice and Harry's face instantly softened. Jack blamed the drugs and the increased pounding that had now made itself known at the base of his skull for the atypical vulnerability to simple sentiment. He felt his skin pull uncomfortably when he frowned. "Why is Nana Beth here?"

"We thought you were dying," Harry replied, not ever one to mince words, but Jack could hear the worry behind the typical gruffness. "She and JP came as soon as they could get a flight."

Jack felt a wave of nausea at the simple profession, and managed a simple. "Oh."

"Oh is right," Harry continued, running a hand over his bearded face, blowing out a huff of air. "You're out of the woods now-going to be just fine. The doctors assured us you'd make a full recovery, but it was touch and go that first night. You had swelling on your brain due to the blunt force trauma you suffered-aka you took one hell of blow from a baseball bat." He folded his arms over his chest, his eyes never leaving Jack's pale face. "Thank God your skull is like reinforced steel or we wouldn't be having this conversation. Then there were the broken ribs, one of which punctured your lung- more than likely when you not so wisely decided to get in a brawl after already being in a sorry state." Harry run a hand through his mass of gray hair this time. "See my earlier point about your head being as hard as they come."

"Colton's." Jack closed his eyes a moment, bits and pieces of his memory falling into place. He'd been completely focused on the stray dog and had let his guard down. "Someone got the drop on me."

"They did." Harry's face grew grim. "Took you out with the bat. Once you were unconscious, it seems the three of them had a high old time beating the hell out of a Delta soldier."

"Three?" Jack didn't remember the assault, which he was going to consider a blessing for the time being. He did remember hitting Diane's bastard of a husband when the guy knocked Mac to the ground. He rubbed a hand over his pounding temple, wincing when his fingers hit a tender spot of broken skin. "Was Davis with them?"

"He denied being party to what happened to you, but the police pulled one of his buddies from my wrecked Jeep, which they found off the shoulder wrapped around a tree on Morehouse Rd." Harry's voice hardened. "The driver was wasted and had no compunction about singing like a bird considering he was already on parole for a drug conviction and was now facing a grand theft auto and attempted murder charge. They found the bat with your blood on it in the backseat, along with your wallet and a roll of cash."

"Lou Ferrier?" Jack guessed, remembering one of the men Randy had brought to the bar.

"That would be the one. He fingered Davis as paying him to help teach you a lesson after you supposedly made unwanted advances on his wife."

"What?" Jack growled, hearing the beeping of the monitors increase. "I didn't…"

"Take it easy." Harry held up a hand, giving Jack a narrowed gaze. "I know you better than that. The police didn't buy his story any longer than it took for Mac to tell them about Davis nearly running him over with his car. His banged up Honda was a damning bit of evidence and Mama was quick to add that you hadn't even met Diane Davis until the day before."

"Shit, Mac had to talk to the police?" Jack hated the idea of his kid brother being put in such a position. His eyes briefly moved over his bruised knuckles. He wished he'd hit Davis a few more times.

"They took him to the station until someone could get a hold of me." Harry glanced down at his hands, before meeting Jack's gaze when Jack cursed under his breath.

"Why the hell would they do that?" Jack curled one arm over his ribs as the pain in his side made it once again through the drug haze.

"Mama Colton offered to take him with her, but apparently they couldn't technically release him into her care without Children's Services getting involved."

"Damn it." Jack didn't want to image Mac being taken into custody even if it was a temporary one. It was too close to one of his worst fears where his little brother ended up in the system. It wasn't a stretch or an irrational fear. Jack knew he could be killed on any mission he undertook with Delta. That would leave only Harry, who thanks to James selfish departure had legal guardianship of Mac, but the man was no spring chicken. Jack's grandparents loved Mac like their own but technically they weren't relatives and had no say in what might happen to the kid. James was MIA and didn't seem to want to be found. That left no one else. "Are you sure he's okay?"

"He was shaken up," Harry admitted, once more applying gentle pressure to Jack's shoulder, when the younger man attempted another shot at getting out of bed. "Mama Colton said he wanted to go in the ambulance with you, but the paramedics refused. They couldn't have an unsupervised kid on their rig. Mama promised to take him to the hospital but then the police arrived and had other ideas. It took them awhile to get ahold of me, and when I made it here he was in bad way."

"What does that mean?" Jack's pulse sped up, the monitors beeping with his increased heart rate once more. He forced his arms to cooperate this time, aided by the new surge of adrenaline. "You told me he was fine."

"I also told you that you nearly died." Harry stood from his chair, blocking Jack's weak attempt to get out of the bed. "What part of swelling of the brain and pneumothorax do you not understand, son?"

"But Mac…"

"Mac is physically okay." Harry gripped the rails of Jack's bed. "I wouldn't lie to you about that and you damn well know it. He's just…" Harry waved a hand in the air. "Gone into his head."

Jack closed his eyes and tried to take measured breaths when the room spun sickeningly around him. "He won't talk?"

"Not to me, not to Beth or JP. When he's not been here staring at you from the window over there," Harry gestured to the glass surrounding the ICU room, "he locks himself in his room with that damn pup Mama Colton brought to him from the bar." When Jack opened his eyes in surprise, Harry levelled him with a scowl. "She said it was your idea. Thanks for that by the way. All I need is one more mouth to feed and care for."

Jack could tell there was no heat behind the older man's blustering and even if Harry had been pissed about Archimedes, now was not the time for Jack to plead his case. He coughed, swallowing when bile rose in the back of his throat. "What about Bozer?"

"I'll give that kid credit." Harry leaned heavily on the rails, and Jack noted the lines of weariness on his sun-weathered face, the dark shadows beneath his eyes. "He's shown up here almost every day; that house keeper of his bringing food for the lot of us. But Mac's having none of it. It's worse than those first couple of days after James left, before you showed up."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not blaming you, bud." Harry sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I just feel so damn helpless, and I want to throttle that son of mine. If I could get my hands on him…"

"What James did isn't your fault, Harry." Jack closed his eyes again, the dizziness not helping his queasy stomach at all. He allowed his body to slowly relax back into the pillow.

"That doesn't help your brother none, now does it." Something in Harry's tone brought Jack's focus back to the other man. Harry rubbed a hand over his eyes, which were suspiciously bright. Jack had only seen the old man cry once and that was at his mom's funeral. He had to fight not to look away when Harry's voice broke. "I'd do anything to take away the hurt that little boy's known, but I can't do a damn thing."

"You're here." Jack swallowed hard, gesturing to the chair Harry had been sitting in, the familiar Field and Stream magazines and newspapers strewn about as well as coffee cups and take out containers. "You haven't left Mac or me."

"Yeah well, I'm not much one for participation trophies." Harry grunted gruffly. "Whoever said showing up is 90 percent of the game obviously hadn't ever watched Kareem Abdul-Jabbar play basketball or Wayne Gretzky make a goal."

"Harry, you've done more than sit on a bench these last five years." Jack took a shallow breath, thankful that the most recent wave of nausea had passed. He tested the way his ribs reacted when he tried to sit up higher in the bed now that he was actually feeling more awake. "You put your heart in the game after mom died, picking up James's slack. I'll never forget that." He added, still a little breathless.

"What I should have done instead of stepping in as a ringer for my son is backed you a little more, bud." The old man dropped his chin to his chest for a moment, then met Jack's gaze, new determination showing behind the obvious weariness. "I'm not good at admitting when I'm wrong, but I'm going to remedy my mistake. When you get out of here, we're going to see to it that you get full custody of your brother. I did a lot of thinking while I was at the cabin and James has made a mess of things for long enough. If we have to have him declared unfit, or charge him with abandonment then so be it. I've already been talking to Sarah. She's not passed the bar yet, but she happens to think she'll have no problem putting us in touch with someone who can work it all out for us." His mouth twitched. "She's in your corner, too, by the way."

"But…" Jack's mind whirled with what Harry was proposing. It was what he'd wanted from the moment James had proven he wasn't going to be able to pull himself out of the tailspin his wife's passing had sent him into. Jack wanted nothing more than to protect Mac, to watch over him. No one, not even Sarah and his grandparents had thought him ready when he first fought for that right, but it seemed that time had a way of changing people's minds, or maybe Jack had really been the one to change. Maybe he'd undergone the kind of transformation that gave the people he loved confidence in his abilities to be the kind of man Mac needed him to be, a man-surprisingly enough- that couldn't just leap at what Harry was offering no matter how badly he might want to ensure his brother couldn't be taken away from him. Jack shifted slightly, rubbing his hand without the IV over his eyes, when his vision blurred again. "I think we should to talk to Mac about that, Harry. James is his dad. It should be his decision, not ours. And whether I like it or not, I'm still tied to the Army. I'm not sure I'm in the best position to offer him the kind of stability he needs."

Harry nodded, his eyes once more suspiciously bright. He patted Jack's shoulder. "Right now the only thing your brother needs to know is that you're awake." Harry nodded towards the door. "I'm going to let your nurse know as well." The old man started out of the room, but turned back to face Jack just short of reaching the exit. "And if Beth asks, this little chat never happened because I wasted no time in coming to get her as soon as your eyes fluttered open. You understand me, bud? The last thing I need is to be on that woman's bad side. She's already rearranged the kitchen pantry and cabinets and threatened to start in on my storage shed, claiming I could take up pottery as a hobby." Harry shook his head in disbelieve.

Jack grinned, the pain it elicited from his abused face worth the effort as he imagined Harry at a pottery wheel. "If you let Mac keep the dog, I won't throw you under the bus with Nana."

"It's a deal, kid." Harry winked at Jack. "But if I hadn't already planned on keeping that mongrel pup I wouldn't have given the go ahead for JP to be at our place tearing up my backyard to construct some kind of Fort Knox fencing system he swears can keep even the smartest cattle dog from escaping."

Jack wasn't given a chance to respond as Harry left him alone and a nurse whose nametag read Caroline quickly took his place. She poked and prodded Jack, asking him ridiculous questions about his full name-Jack Wyatt Dalton-and ordering him to tell her the current president of the United States-George W. Bush. Nurse Caroline had no sooner finished her thorough and bothersome exam of his bandages when Jack's Nana burst into the room-a good combination of Scarlett O'Hara sweeping through the doors of her grand plantation, Tara, and Miss Kittie striding into the saloon doors of The Long Branch.

"Wyatt," she proclaimed breathlessly as she moved to frame Jack's face with her soft hands. Beth had tears in her dark eyes and didn't even let Jack speak before she was planting gentle kisses to both sides of his face. Jack might not have minded had Nurse Caroline not been an attractive red head close to Jack's age. She shot him an amused grin at his grandmother's antics.

"Nana, I'm okay." He said somewhat breathlessly, trying to sit up straighter.

"Praise The Lord for that." Beth ran a hand over Jack's hair. "These last two years I've worried myself sick about you stepping on one of those dreadful bombs buried in the sand or being taken out by a radical suicide bomber like they highlight in the news and you find trouble at home, practically in your own back yard. You are hard on this old woman's heart, sweet boy."

"I'm sorry I scared you, Nana." Jack offered his best grin, at least as much of one as he could make with his busted lip and bruised face. "And you're nowhere near old."

"I knew you'd be fine," Beth let her fingers linger against his cheek for a moment before she forced a brave smile and took the seat Harry had vacated, smoothing invisible wrinkles from her colorful skirt. "It was your granddaddy who got all worked into a lather, pacing the halls of this hospital like a cougar confined to a circus cage. I finally had to set him to some tasks before he frightened the other patients." Her eyes never left Jack's face. "Harry's close to hiring him out to the neighbors because he's fixed every loose gutter, squeaky door and leaky faucet at his place. If he hadn't started on that dog lot for Angus's pup, I'm convinced he'd have tried to put a new roof on the place."

"I hear JP's not the only one working on some home improvements against Harry's wishes." Jack tried not to wince when Caroline fiddled with the bandage on his side, where she had explained earlier that the doctor had made a small incision to relieve the pressure on his collapsed lung.

Despite his efforts to not show any discomfort and add to Beth's concern, his Nana reached for his hand through the bars of the hospital bed, squeezing his fingers as if she understood his attempts for what they were. "If ever a man needed a woman's helping hand, it's Harry MacGyver. I was only obliging. In a month's time he's undone all the progress I made with his drawers and closet."

"You should keep your hands out of Harry's drawers, Nana."

Beth waved her free hand in the air as if she were swatting an annoying fly. "He's family."

"Speaking of family, where's Mac?" Jack cleared his throat, still working on taking only shallow breaths so not to aggravate his ribs as much. He glanced around his grandmother as if his little brother might have sneaked in unnoticed. He trusted that Harry wouldn't lie to him but he'd not be completely at ease until he could see for himself that Mac was okay.

Beth looked hesitant to speak, a condition that did not strike her often. Like Harry, Jack's grandmother was plain spoken, which probably explained why the two locked horns so often. She even went back to smoothing more non-existent wrinkles from her skirt.

"Nana?" Jack asked, not bothering to hide the fear in his voice.

His grandmother met his gaze once more, concern darkening her amber eyes. "As soon as Harry came through the doors of the cafeteria, Angus bolted like a frightened colt."

"What?" Jack pulled his hand from beneath Beth's, ignoring his body's loud protest as he once more prepared to get out of the bed, determined not to be deterred by his grandmother who had risen from the chair or Caroline who was now watching the machines monitoring Jack's vitals with an unhappy frown.

"Mr. Dalton, you shouldn't be getting up until the doctor has seen you," the nurse cautioned.

Jack ignored her heeding, keeping his focus on his grandmother. "Why did he run? Where did he go?"

"The where I'm not sure about. Harry went after him. I know Angus well enough to know he's not willingly going to leave this hospital without you. I have watched Harry and JP wrangle that boy to the house these last two nights and trust me when I say he is as stubborn as you ever were when he sets his mind not to do something." Unlike Harry, Beth didn't even try to stop Jack when he threw off blankets covering his lower body. She merely sighed, her hand going to the slight silver cross pendant resting at the base of her neck. "I imagine the why of your brother taking off would have something to do with the fear that's been eating away at him since the ambulance took you away from that dreadful bar. Being here," she gestured to the room, the machines so like the ones that had once surrounded their mother as she lay dying, "has been a painful reminder of much worse times I'm afraid. It is a lot for a child to take in."

"I need to find him." Jack clenched his jaw, as sitting up straight was a more painful task than he imagined, the protest of his broken ribs and bruised torso nearly stealing his breath. He had to close his eyes for a moment to let a wave of light-headedness and nausea pass, but the thoughts of what might have run through Mac's primed mind when he saw Harry helped him push through the worst of it. Wrapping one arm across his ribs, Jack turned his gaze to Nurse Caroline, her disapproving frown making her look less like the character from an Aerosmith music video Jack might have indulged in fantasizing about and a bit more like Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. "Can you help me?" The words lacked much strength and held more pain than Jack was happy to admit to.

"I'm not sure that would be…" she began only to be interrupted by Jack's grandmother.

"Nurse, please assist my obstinate grandson in this most unwise endeavor before he attempts it on his own and we're forced to tax our delicate natures by being afforded the task of picking him up off the floor." Beth's southern drawl was smooth and sweet like sun-warmed honey, making her entreaty sound more like a pleasant request than the dictate Jack knew that it was. "He's bound to do it with or without our permission and I for one would rather him undertake this foolishness under your professional vigilance to spare us any misunderstandings about the quality of care at your upstanding facility."

"I'll get a chair." Caroline gave a sigh, obviously understanding when she was outflanked by a worthy opponent. She pointed a finger at Jack. "Which you will use without any complaints after the doctor checks you over." She turned to look at Beth, offering a slight smile. "I have never had my standard of care called into question, Mrs. Dalton, and wouldn't want to incur any incidents on my record over a misunderstanding."

"Call me Beth, Dear, and I'll come along with you to explain the delicate situation to Dr. Fillers. It's not like I've seen patients with worse constitutions than my grandson carted out of here, carrying their IV all in the name of a smoke break." Jack's Nana gave him a wink as she started out with Caroline. Jack didn't miss the 'my boy's single, you know," that she whispered as they exited the room. He would not have appreciated his grandmother's knack for meddling had not the doctor made it to his room in record time. After a cursory examination, he allowed Jack to be taken by wheelchair to search for his MIA brother, although he made it clear the activity was against his medical advice. Beth had stayed behind in the room in case Mac showed up there, which left Nurse Caroline to play chauffer.

Jack might have taken the time to enjoy the company had he not been hurting and consumed by worry for Mac. It was not like the kid to take off on his own, at least it hadn't been a pattern before James's disappearing act. The new unpredictable behavior was another thing for Jack to hold against the man when and if he ever found him. Mac also didn't typically defy any adult, let alone Harry or JP, both who Mac seemed to strive extra hard to please.

He pushed the nagging thoughts about his brother's mental state to the back of his mind as he and Caroline made a quick sweep of the cafeteria and the meditation garden just outside the eating area. Finding no trace of the ten year old, the nurse suggested they try the small chapel on the third floor. Jack hadn't been overly optimistic considering Mac's experience with church was limited to the times when they found themselves at Beth's on a weekend. Their mother had always taken them on Christmas Eve and at Easter, but after she died, James no longer embraced the tradition and hadn't given Jack the opportunity to continue taking Mac. So he was more than surprised to find Harry stationed outside the doors, standing sentry.

"Whose arm did your grandmother have to twist to get you out of that bed?" Harry turned to ask as Caroline rolled Jack right up beside him. He shook his head at the IV pole and portable oxygen, lifting his hand to stop Jack from trying to answer his question. "Never mind, I'm just glad you're here."

"Is Mac in there?" Jack swallowed thickly, hoping he would not prove the doctor's point about being vertical too early by throwing up on Nurse Caroline's shoes.

"Yes."

"Then why are you still out here?" Jack asked, his patience wearing thin right along with his adrenaline-fueled energy.

"Well it's not like your grandmother believes and I'm afraid I might burst into flames if I cross the threshold of a holy place." Harry rubbed a hand over his silver hair, causing it to stick up in random places. "In this particular case Angus wanted to be alone."

"Did he tell you that?" Jack asked, hoping his brother had finally spoken to Harry. He shifted on the wheelchair, his breath catching when his ribs and torso protested the movement.

"Hell no," Harry grumbled. "The improvised slide bar he fashioned out of a broom to block the door was my first indication." He gestured to the double doors. "He's locked us out. I couldn't have gotten in if I wanted to and neither will you."

"There's another private entrance for the Chaplin," Caroline spoke up, looking from Harry to Jack. "It comes in at the front of the room, behind the pulpit."

Jack glanced up at the nurse. "Do you have access?"

"As your grandmother might say, you are a most taxing patient, Mr. Dalton." Caroline smiled, holding up her name badge and a swipe key. "But if you'll put in a good word with her for me, I think I can manage."

RcJ

Jack found Mac in the first pew of the small chapel, directly in front of the large stained glass image of Jesus that hung beyond the podium. He'd convinced Caroline he could manage the short distance from the door without the chair and the oxygen tank after promising his grandmother would never actually sue the hospital. Sweat broke out on his face and he felt his heart pounding rapidly against his hurting ribs. His mouth watered and he had to breathe through another wave of nausea. Jack was almost grateful for the IV pole the nurse insisted he drag along because he found himself leaning heavily on it as he crossed the short span to Mac.

The ten year old didn't even look at him as Jack took a seat. Mac's eyes stayed locked on the picture of Jesus, his hands clasped in his lap.

"Hey, little brother," Jack kept his voice soft, although they were the only ones in the chapel.

"Hey, Jack." Mac's voice was quiet as well, but Jack felt a wash of relief at the sound of it, even if the monotone and lack of a reaction to his presence was troubling.

"What are you doing in here by yourself, kiddo?" Jack inched closer, not wanting to spook the little boy, but physically needing to bridge the distance between them. He was thankful to be sitting again, his legs feeling a whole hell of lot like Jell-O. But every ache faded beneath the relief of being reunited with Mac.

"Praying," Mac replied as if Jack should have realized.

"Was that Nana Beth's idea?" Jack's grandmother had treated Mac to the same nighttime rituals of prayers and a story from a well-worn Children's Bible that she had read to Jack, and Jack's father before him. JP liked to tease her that she was determined not to let any child of hers fall victim to a culture where American children could name Ronald McDonald and Elvis but had no clue when presented with a picture of Jesus Christ, but he'd always been just as adamant about saying blessings at every meal and prayers before every Cowboy's game.

"She asked me if I wanted to come here earlier to talk to God," Mac took his eyes from the stained glass to briefly meet Jack's gaze. "But I didn't want to."

"Because of you believing in the whole Big Bang Theory now?" Jack asked, moving one arm protectively over his ribs. Their grandmother had taken Mac's recent adherence to strictly scientific explanations for the universe in stride. Jack was sure that Mac's claims of science being much more predictable and tangible than the notion of an all-powerful god and therefore the more reasonable theory might send their grandmother into a tizzy of epic proportions, but instead she'd accepted Mac's challenges with patience and grace.

"No." Mac turned his gaze back to the picture of The Messiah, though not without Jack missing the haunted quality of the kid's eyes. "Because I no longer believe in fathers. Of any kind. Not ones I can see here on Earth and especially not invisible ones in Heaven."

Jack's chest squeezed with a hurt that had nothing to do with physical pain. "Mac…"

"But when I saw Harry come into the cafeteria," Mac continued, his voice softer, "I didn't know what else to do, and I remembered something Nana Beth said when she tried to explain The Trinity to me."

"I remember you told Nana Beth that the Godhead was harder to grasp than String Theory." Jack nodded, recalling that particular exchange with a slight grin. It was one of many religious conversations of late between the two that he'd witnessed, although his favorite was still when Mac brought a visual aid of a mustard seed to refute Beth's claims about faith of such size having the ability to move mountains.

"That's because Mr. Erickson explained String Theory, but he wouldn't even try to talk about how Nana said God was three and one when I asked him about it," Mac said solemnly.

"Mr. Erickson is a smart man," Jack conceded, his eyes moving to the glass image of Jesus, before going back to Mac.

"But even if I didn't understand all that Nana was saying that day, the part about Jesus being God's son stuck with me." Mac looked at Jack once more, the older man's heart speeding up when his little brother's blue eyes brimmed with unshed tears and his lip trembled. "Nana said it made him our brother."

Jack nodded, having to clear his throat before he could speak. "I can see how one could make that leap."

"I might not trust dads anymore, but I still believe in brothers." Mac looked once more to the stained glass. He blinked, sending two fat silent tears trickling down his flushed face. "So I came here to ask Jesus- as one brother to another- to save you, to bring you back, just like he did Mary and Martha's brother, Lazarus."

Jack's gut twisted as realization dawned. "But, bud…Lazarus was dead."

"I know." Mac nodded, dropping his head so that his chin practically rested on his chest, tears dripping from his crestfallen face to splash on his shirt as a sob broke through his stoicism. Jack now understood all too well why Mac had run.

"Oh, kid," Jack had to swallow the lump that had formed in the back of his throat. He reached for the boy, pulling Mac to him, ignoring the fiery pain the action sparked in his side as Mac completely let go of his attempts to be strong and threw his arms around Jack's middle, clinging tightly. Jack ran his fingers through the little boy's hair, not even feeling the pinch of the IV needle in his hand. "I didn't die, Mac. I'm right here. It's not like Mom. I'm not going anywhere. I'm not going to leave you."

Even as Jack made the promise he felt Mac tense at the vow, words so similar to the ones he'd sworn in the treehouse over a month before. Jack realized his misstep, hating like hell what he had to do next-the only thing that would ensure Mac kept believing in brothers-kept believing in Jack. He held the little boy tighter and told the truth. "At least not until September, bud. I'm not going anywhere until then."

Epilogue

Sometimes Jack was amazed at the resilience of children, or maybe he was just in awe of the little boy sitting on the bench beside him in the late afternoon sunshine. It had only been two weeks ago that Mac was sullen and withdrawn; plagued with a fear that had the ten year old volleying between stretches of silence and retreat and times when he wouldn't let Jack out of his sight. Jack had even awoken more than a few mornings to find his brother and Archimedes asleep in a pile of blankets and pillows beside his bed and the twosome had taken to camping outside the bathroom door when Jack went in for a shower.

One would have never known that Mac had experienced any kind of emotional upset by looking at him now. The second pack of Astronaut Ice Cream that he was currently working his way through might have had something to do with the gleam in his eye but Jack would gladly take the sugar-infused grin his kid brother shot him over the overwhelming fog of wariness he'd been walking around in since Jack's incident at Colton's.

"So what's next, bud?" Jack spread the map of the museum out before them. They'd already tackled the traveling math exhibit and played with lasers. The IMAX movie of a simulated trip to Mars had actually been interesting and despite Jack having had way to many MRE's to enjoy the idea of freeze dried ice cream he had loved introducing Mac to something the ten year old had never tried before.

"Can we see the Tessellation exhibit again or ride the bike with the square wheels." Mac wiped a hand over the back of his mouth, pointing to another area on the map. "I want to save the telescope for last."

"Don't forget we have tickets to the game." Jack had packed their Saturday full, not willing to take the time he still had with Mac for granted. He'd talked with his Delta Commander after he left the hospital, confirming that, despite the turn of events, Jack would still report back to duty in September as long as he had medical clearance.

"We should buy a few more bags of Astronaut Ice Cream to take with us," Mac suggested slyly.

"What's with the 'we'?" Jack smirked. "You got a mouse in your pocket? Last time I checked you sure didn't have any money in there."

"I think it would be nice of us to take Bozer some back too since you wouldn't let him come today." Mac glanced up at Jack. "And maybe Riley, too. It might help her not be so sad."

"I think you should save some room for hotdogs but taking Bozer and Riley a souvenir back is a great idea, bud, as long as you don't take offense if Riley doesn't react too kindly to your peace offering." Diane's daughter had not been exactly friendly to Mac since her father was put in jail and her mother went back to New York to liquefy their assets to help with her husband's mounting legal fees. Mama Colton had also mentioned Diane needing some alone time to process what the future might hold for her and Riley now that Randy would be out of the picture for a while. Riley would be staying with Mama Colton for the duration of her summer break. Jack couldn't blame the little girl for being pissed at the turn of events that had dealt her a harsh and unfair hand, or even mad at him, but he wasn't okay with her taking it on Mac.

"I know she's not really angry with me." Mac shrugged. "Nana Beth says she's just hurt and skittish kind of like Archimedes."

"That's right." Jack nodded. "Just giver her some time."

"Nana says I can maybe help her because I should understand the kind of hurt Riley is feeling better than anyone."

"Only mom didn't choose to leave you, Mac." Jack was quick to point out. He understood where his Nana was coming from and he sure as hell wasn't trying to judge Diane Davis too harshly considering he didn't know her whole story but imagined it was a dark and scary one, but he didn't want Mac to take on a heavier burden than he already carried. "Your dad isn't a bad guy like Riley's father, either. He just made some bad choices."

"What if he is a bad guy and we don't know it? He might have run away because he'd one something wrong." Mac traced his finger over the colorful tessellations on the shiny brochure before him. "Bozer says super villains sometimes go into hiding and take on new identities to keep themselves safe."

"Bozer watches way too many movies as I have told you before." Jack reached out and tilted Mac's chin up so they were looking eye to eye. "Your dad isn't a villain."

"How do you know?"

"Because, Mom was a great judge of character and she loved your dad with all her heart." Jack moved his hand to run his fingers over Mac's hair, giving the kid a quick wink. "Haven't I taught you anything? Villians never get the pretty girl."

"Super heroes do, though." Mac looked up at Jack. "Like with you and Sarah."

Jack frowned, "What do you mean, me and Sarah?"

"She's been to the house twice," Mac pointed out. "Does that mean she's going to forgive you for going away to war and be your girlfriend again?"

"Sarah…" Jack hesitated not exactly sure that beneath the statue of Einstein in the Butterfly Garden of the MoMath Musuem was the place he wanted to have a conversation with his brother about why Sarah had dropped by their place recently. He had planned on doing it after the baseball game when they were back at their hotel or maybe even on their way back home, but decided now might be the time to just man-up and push through. "Mac, Sarah came to talk about you."

"Why would she come to talk about me?" Mac asked, a frown and flash of worry marring his earlier happiness.

"It's nothing bad, bud," Jack was quick to assure. "Harry asked her to look into some things for us while I was in the hospital and she wanted to let me know how it was coming along."

"How what was coming along?"

Jack ran a hand over his mouth, seeing that he wasn't going to be able to quickly close Pandora's Box without having his little brother worry needlessly. "When your dad left, he signed some papers saying Harry could make any important decisions about you while James was away. He sort of made Harry the temporary person who watches out for you."

Mac bit his lip, giving a small nod. "When you were hurt the police said Harry had to come get me because he was my guardian."

"That's a legal way of saying it."

"Does that mean I'm an orphan now?"

"No, dude. It does not mean that." Jack reached out and squeezed Mac's shoulder. "It's just that with your dad away, Harry and I need to make sure one of us is watching out for you."

"You always watch out for me, Jack."

"Exactly." Jack took off his baseball cap, running a hand over his hair. He was unsure of how to proceed, or how to put things. Mac was plenty smart enough to understand the concepts, but it was not his intelligence Jack was worried about. It was his tender heart and fragile feelings concerning James's departure. "Sarah's boss has made it possible that I could take over as your guardian on a more permanent basis than what your dad arranged with Harry. If things work out I would have what they call full-custody of you, so that no one could take you away from me and Harry."

"Not even dad?" Mac asked tentatively.

Jack held his brother's gaze, unable to read the emotions swirling in the little boy's blue eyes. He wanted to tread lightly, but he also didn't want to lie. Mac had to know the whole truth to make the decision Jack was going to leave up to him. "James would have to take me to court to get you back, and even then, considering how he left, how long he's been gone, Sarah doesn't think he'd have much of a legal leg to stand on."

"Oh." Mac glanced away.

"Mac, I'd never keep you away from your dad if you wanted to see him." Jack was still pissed at James and would have a hell of a hard time forgiving the man for hurting his son, but he wouldn't let his anger get in the way of what was best for Mac. He waited for the kid to meet his gaze once more. "He's your father, my step-father, and I'd never do that to him unless he gave me a good reason."

"I don't want him to take me away from you and Harry. Not from Bozer or Archimedes either." Mac picked up the empty pack of Astronaut Ice Cream and started folding the edges of the foil package into a shape. "As much as I wanted him to come back when he first left, I was also afraid he'd come back and then make me leave with him and you and Harry wouldn't know where I was, just like we don't know where he is now. I knew how sad that would make you both."

Jack involuntarily tensed, his ribs and bruised chest reminding him that he was still healing. He'd had the same stark fear after finding out James had gone. There were nights he'd lain awake thinking the man would assuredly realize what a mistake he'd made, what he'd left behind and return to take his little boy back, leaving Jack with no clue as to where they had gone, or no real say in them coming back. "I would have found you, brother. No matter where he'd taken you, I'd have found a way."

If Mac had his doubts about that particular vow considering Jack hadn't had any luck with tracking James, he didn't let it show. Instead he smiled confidently at Jack. "We'll always find our way back to each other."

Jack returned the grin, taking an easy breath that eased some of his tension. "That's what brother's do."

"Will you still be my brother if you have full custody or will you be my dad?" Mac's voice dipped at the end, his obvious trepidation reminding Jack of his brother's revelation about no longer having faith in fathers.

"No matter what you decide I will always be your big brother, bud." Jack wanted to make sure Mac was completely clear on that particular point. "If you decide you want Harry to stay your guardian I'll understand completely and be the luckiest brother around. If you want me to pursue the full custody avenue then I'll still be your brother only I'll be watching out for you and taking care of you in the way that a parent usually does. I win either way, kiddo, and we will always be family."

Mac went back to folding the wrapper for a moment, his hands manipulating the packaging into what looked like a small bird. James had always had a thing for Origami, making their mom different flowers and animals out of whatever scrap of paper he might pick up as if his hands had a mind of their own. When Mac glanced up at Jack, his expression was a familiar one, the kind he often had when he had a new idea or had grasped a novel concept. "So, you'd be like Jesus?"

Jack didn't exactly follow his brother's train of thought, which wasn't exactly unusual considering the way the kid's mind worked but he had to laugh at the ten year old's latest notion. "Nana Beth might say that is a very far stretch, if not a bit of blasphemy."

"I don't mean that you'd be perfect," Mac's mouth twitched as if he realized just how far from perfect Jack was and what a juxtaposition the comparison made. "I mean you'd be my brother, but also at the same time sort of my father, too."

Jack sighed, running a hand over his face. "I didn't mean to make this sound like it was as complicated as The Holy Trinity or String Theory, Mac. I promise you it's not. Really. Nothing between you and me changes. I will be whatever it is you need me to be. I'll play whatever role necessary to keep us togehter and to keep you safe."

"Can I think about it?" Mac asked, looking a little sheepish as if he were unsure of how his answer might affect Jack.

"I wouldn't expect a cerebral guy like yourself to make a decision any other way, dude." Jack gave Mac's shoulder another reassuring squeeze. "There's no hurry, bud, because like I said, I'm not going anywhere."

"Until September." Mac ducked his head, resuming his careful, concentrated folding of the foil.

"Right." Jack said softly."September."

"Could I go with you to the desert if you have custody?" Mac's head whipped up, his eyes holding a new gleam of hope.

"No." Jack shook his head adamantly. "It doesn't work that way. You'll still be living with Harry, nowhere near the war."

"Would you be able to come home more or maybe even stay with me all the time?"

Jack waned to say yes. Oh how he wanted to give his brother that assurance. Instead he shook his head, hating like hell when he could practically see the optimism leaving the ten year old's eyes. "I can't promise you that, kiddo. I know other single parents who serve. In fact one of the guys in my unit is a dad who has a daughter younger than you. She stays with his sister when he's on deployment."

"Would I change my name to Dalton?" The ten year old raised a furtive brow. "I could be MacGyver "Mac" Dalton?"

"Nice try." Jack smirked, reaching out to ruffle his brother's hair. "You're Angus Reed MacGyver and that's not going to change."

Mac smacked his hand away with a huff. "But you'll get to tell me what to do?"

"I already get to tell you what to do." Jack tapped his chest. "I don't need any paperwork or court order to be the boss of you, brother. That will never change."

"True," Mac conceded, glumly. He offered the tiny foil bird to Jack. "Then I guess I'm in."

"You're in?" Jack asked, surprised by the sudden and definitive proclamation, his heart leaping around a bit at what Mac's answer meant for them. "But I thought you had to think about it?"

"I did think about it." Mac said, easily, as if he'd solved a complex math formula in a matter of seconds. "My brain just works a lot faster than most people's including yours."

"That it does." Jack chuckled, turning the tiny bird over in his hand, the symbolism not lost on him. The metaphor of a parent giving their children wings and teaching them how to fly had his throat tightening, the awareness that all baby birds eventually left the nest causing his eyes to sting. Sarah's lawyer friend had cautioned Jack to consider his decision to go through with the custody petition as well, to think of the responsibility he was taking on. Jack hadn't even hesitated. There was nothing to think about on his side, but he didn't want Mac to have regrets. Jack quickly blinked away any trace of his ridiculous sentiment, blaming the painkillers he was still taking as he refocused on his brother. "Are you sure? That was quick even for a genius like you."

"It didn't take much brain power." Mac met his gaze. "I just had to do what Nana Beth says, and search my heart. Logic doesn't successfly apply to love, so it doesn't really work with us."

"That's a big leap for a man of science, brother." Jack's mouth twitched and he tried to keep a straight face as he pointed a finger up at the statue of Einstein. "What would your hero Albert think? I thought you guys tried to take feelings out of the equation."

"Usually that's a tried and true rule," Mac agreed, giving the science great a brief consideration before his blue eyes found Jack's face again. "But I'm willing to risk it for family. I'd do anything for you."

The lump was back, seemingly doubling in size. Jack had to clear his throat before he could speak and even then his voice was thick with emotion. "You're really wanting that Astronaut Ice Cream aren't you?"

"Maybe." Mac returned the smile, jumping up from the bench. He picked up the map of the museum. "After we ride the bike with the square wheels again and go use the telescope."

Jack snorted, glad his brother didn't realize that in that moment he could have probably asked him for his own rocket ship and Jack would have done everything in his power to make it happen. He tossed his arm over the little boy's shoulder as they made it towards the entrance that would lead them back into the museum.

"So you think Sarah's pretty, huh?" Jack teased, as they walked along in the warm sunshine.

"Well, her hair doesn't look like strands of gold filament, but her smile is nice." Mac observed seriously. He glanced up at his brother. "Does she smell like strawberry ice cream, too?"

"What?" Jack asked, caught off guard by the odd observation and even stranger question. He held the door open for his little brother who bounded through. "Why would you think that?"

"Penny Parker always smells like strawberry ice cream," Mac said thoughtfully, waiting for Jack to catch up with him and his train of thought. "I wasn't sure if it was just her or if girls came in different flavors."

"Do they ever, brother." Jack shook his head at his brother's completely innocent expression. "Do they ever."

"What's your favorite?" Mac asked, shooting Jack an earnest look, much like the one he often got when trying to define the parameters of a particular experiment.

"All of them." Jack answered without hesitation.

"I don't understand." Mac frowned.

"That's because I still have so much to teach you, Young Jedi." Jack grinned, pulling the little boy into a hard side hug that the ten year old didn't even try to evade.

Mac grinned up at him then, a happiness and mischievousness showing in his eyes that had been absent for far too long. "Mac, I am your brrrather," the little boy intoned in his best Darth Vader voice.

Jack guffawed at the kid's clever spin on the iconic line from their favorite Star Wars movie. Mac's own peels of boisterous laughter joined his, bringing several curious glances their way. Jack knew then as Mac gripped his hand and pulled him along towards the tricycle with the square wheels that whatever September brought and however far his orders might take him from home, that his brother was right. They would always find their way back to one another.

Then End…for now.