by Cindy Combs
Carefully, he helped his father up to a sitting position, then took his jacket out of Mac's hand and draped it over him. Mac's face was white and taunt with pain. "Was that an explosion?"
"Yep. Diana had the detonator in her pocket."
"You saw it just before the blast?"
"Yeah. Sorry I didn't move fast enough to get you out of the way."
"Last time I checked, you're not Superman. And that's the kind of speed you needed."
Blair shrugged. "At least she's not up there shooting at us."
"She probably thought the fall killed us."
Both were silent for a moment, the 'like Deborah' swirling silently between them. Then Mac looked up at the rocks. "There is no way I can climb like this. You'll have to go by yourself."
"Me?" Blair squeaked. After a little cough, Blair tried again. "Me? I'm not climbing up there."
"Blair..."
"You're forgetting which son you're talking to. Sam's the one with a head for heights. There is no way I'm going up there."
"Blair..."
"Besides, you're hurt."
"I'll be okay for now. You need to get out."
"Uh uh. No way, Jose. Besides, aren't Jim and the guys around here somewhere? They can rescue us."
Mac dipped his eyes away from Blair. "Well, now that you mention it..."
Blair stared at him a moment. "Oh, no. Let me guess. You didn't tell anyone where you were going."
"She told me to come alone."
"Dad! Didn't you notice the little footnote that said, 'P.S. This is a trap!'"
"Well, she already had you. I didn't want anyone else in danger because of me."
Blair leaned his head against the rock behind him, rubbing his face with his hands. "Man, you're as bad as Jim. What about your cell phone?"
"I left it in the car. I've got yours."
"You do? Hand it over."
"Diana took the battery."
"Of course she did."
"Something else..."
Blair's hands dropped as he wondered how this situation could be any worse.
"You may not be the only target. Some detectives from New York found pictures of Sam as well."
Gut clenching, Blair could only stare at his father. "What detectives?"
"Jim called one of them 'Pez'."
"Sara Pezzini and Jake McCartey?"
"Sounds about right. Anyway, they were tracking an assassin and found Diana's apartment."
"Okay, let me get this straight. You're saying Diana's an assassin?"
"Yeah."
"The sweet gal I've been dating the past week is an assassin?"
"Blair, she just tried to kill us!"
"Okay, I'll give you that. But I thought she was just upset about her sister, not that she was a professional! And what's this about pictures of Sam?"
"Surveillance photos. Cory and Ian were also in some of the shots. Pez thought she had been debating between you and Sam."
All of a sudden, the full weight of the situation hit Blair. "Oh... My... God..."
"She probably considers this finished, though."
"We don't know that." Fear coursed through Blair. He accepted danger to Jim and himself as a matter of course. They were police detectives, protectors of the tribe, and it came with the duty. However, Sam wasn't a police officer, or even a federal agent. While he and Cory were protectors, they weren't on the front lines like the older pair. Plus Ian had just lost his mother; he needed his daddy more than ever. Fear was quickly replaced by anger. No one messed with his younger brother and baby nephew. Blair stood up, contemplating the rocks above him more seriously. "We need help."
"You can do it, Blair," Mac told him encouragingly. "I've done it. Just focus on reaching the top."
Blair closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "God, I hate this."
"Then it's a good thing we found you."
Blair stared up into Jim's relieved face. "All right, Jim! How did you find us? Wait a minute, tell us later. Right now, Mac's got a broken collar bone, and we need to get him out of here."
"Rescue unit should be right behind us, Chief."
"Us?"
"Hey, Indy!" Sam's head popped up next to Jim.
"Hey, Olsen!" Then Blair paused. "Jim! Diana's still on the loose!"
"No, she's not," Sam corrected. "O'Neill's got a gun on her. If she even looks at him funny, I really think he'll shoot her."
"I'd count on it," Cory added as he, too, looked down on them. "She sprung one of your traps, Mac."
"Traps?" Blair asked.
Sam laughed. "We found her swinging by an ankle."
"Alright, Dad!"
Mac simply smiled. He knew they'd be okay now.
* * *
General Hospital, Cascade, WA
Blair sat in the hard waiting room chair, hands running through his curls. The doctors had already released him from their quick checkup. He was going to be sore tomorrow, and he didn't think he'd ever eat curry again, but at least he didn't break anything. Now he was just waiting for confirmation on his father's injury.
A Styrofoam cup was gently bumped against his hand. Blair looked up and took the coffee gratefully from his partner. Jim sat down next to him and sipped from his own cup. Silence stretched for a couple of minutes. Then Blair stated into the air, "You were right."
"I'm always right. But what am I right about this time?"
"I've got lousy taste in women."
"Hell, I've been telling you that for years."
"Yeah, but this time, it not only nearly got me killed, but my dad as well. And Dad said she had pictures of Sam. God, Jim, what if she had gone after Sam?"
"We would have found her and stopped her, just like this time."
"Dad could have been killed, Jim. I didn't know which way to go from the cabin. What if I'd gone in the wrong direction?
"You did go in the wrong direction, Chief. Yet it turned out to be the right direction. You found them, you and your father survived, we got Diana. That's all that matters."
Blair only sighed. Then he stood up as he spotted Sam and MacGyver exiting the cubicle. Mac still looked pale and a little wobbly. Blair was only too familiar with the wooziness associated with pain killers, so he helped Sam escort him to a chair. "What the doc say?" Jim asked.
"Broken collarbone," Mac replied. "Just like I figured."
"Well, I need to pick up your prescriptions." Sam patted his father's good shoulder.
"And I should check in with Simon," Jim added. "Come on, I'll show you where to go." The pair disappeared around the corner.
A minute of silence stretched into two between father and son. Then at the same time, they both said, "I'm sorry."
Mac then smiled at his son. "What are you sorry for?"
"For not letting Jim do a background check on Diana when he wanted. What are you sorry for?"
"That my past made a swipe at me and hit you instead. I know how much Deborah hurt me. I'm just sorry you had to be hurt like that, too."
"It's okay, Dad. Actually, it may have been a good thing."
Mac blinked. "A good thing?"
Blair shrugged. "It made me think."
"About what?"
Blair paused a moment, then sighed. "Jim has found a good woman. And I'm extremely happy for him. If there's anyone who deserves a good woman, it's Jim. But I guess, seeing him so happy and realizing Daniel wasn't that much older than me and he died..."
"You were wondering if you would find a good woman before you die," Mac suggested.
"Yeah. So when I met Diana, I thought she was it. So I guess you could say I was a sucker waiting for the hook."
"And now?" Mac asked softly.
"And now I realize what a great life I have. I have family who loves me, great friends, and a job that makes a difference. I don't need a woman to complete me, or children to feel like I've made a contribution to society. Not that I wouldn't like to eventually have both, but not right now. Although, heaven forbid, if something were to
happen to you and Sam, I assure you that Ian would be welcomed into my home with open arms. But I'm not going to go out of my way searching for it."
Mac smiled at him. "I understand. Somehow, I skipped the part of a good woman, and ended up with two great sons. I couldn't be prouder of you."
"Thanks, Dad."
Cory and Jack approached their chairs. "You two okay?" Jack asked.
While his voice wasn't noticeably anxious, Mac could detect the concern in his double's eyes. Jack had already been through enough recently; he didn't need the extra stress. "We're fine, Jack. Thanks for helping."
"Yeah," Blair replied with a smile. "Glad to know someone in this family's handy with a weapon."
Sam and Jim joined the group. Sam gently squeezed his brother's shoulder, still happy he was in one piece. "Yeah. Too bad we don't have better taste in women."
"Yeah, what is with that?" Cory asked as he dropped into a chair. "I can't believe all three of you have dated assassins."
"Jim's dated an assassin, too," Blair pointed out defensively.
"You have?" Cory looked at the older sentinel, startled.
Jim refused to meet his eyes as he took another sip of coffee.
Cory turned to Jack. "Colonel?"
Jack dropped his gaze to the floor. "Let's just say it's classified."
"You mean, I'm the only one who hasn't dated an assassin?"
"Ian hasn't," Sam pointed out.
"Ian's only three," Jim replied pessimistically. "Give him time."
Cory shook his head. "Ah man, you know what this means, don't you?"
Blair glanced at him. "What?"
"As my duty as godfather, I'm going to have to check into the backgrounds of every girl Ian shows interest in for the rest of my life, starting with pre-school."
Blair snickered.
"Don't laugh," Jim admonished him. "Sounds like a plan to me. And speaking of which..." Jim's eyes bored into his partner's. "You will, from now on, give me the name, address, and social security number of every female you even THINK about dating. Got that?"
"Jim!"
"Sandburg..."
"Okay, Okay. I see your point. But social security number?"
"We'll talk about how to get fingerprints later."
"Fingerprints!"
"Unca Bear!"
Blair looked up to see Ian running down the hall to him. He scooped up the toddler, cuddling him close. It eased away the fear from the day. When he allowed Ian to wiggle out, the boy thrust a baggie in front of his face. "Miss 'manda said you'd be hungee!"
Blair took the bag and identified its contents. "Chocolate chip! Thanks, Buddy." He met Amanda's eyes over Ian's head, "and thank you."
Amanda gave him a happy smile. "I'm just glad you're all right." She turned to her boyfriend. "Did you explain to him the new girlfriend checking system yet?"
"Some of it."
Blair looked up, suddenly worried. "Some of it?"
"I insist that I meet all your future girlfriends within the first week, so I can give Jim a female perspective on whether she's likely to kill you."
"Or eat you," Jim added. He and Amanda shared a private smile.
Blair looked at his nephew. "Ian, never date."
Ian scrunched up his nose. "What a date, Unca Bear?"
"Never mind."
"Gampa!"
Before the toddler could jump into the hurting Mac's lap, Sam intercepted him. "Hey, Buddy, you're going to have to go easy on Grandpa Mac for a while."
Ian's eyes grew huge as he glanced between his father and grandfather. "Why?"
"I've got an owie, Ian," Mac told him with a dopey smile. Blair could tell the stress and the pain was catching up with him.
"But I'm okay," Jack announced, seeing the confusion on the small face. He held out his arms. "How about a hug for Grandpa O'Neill?"
Ian smiled as he held out his arms for the Colonel. Blair grinned as well. His family was here and in one piece, more or less. What more could he ask for?
The End
Note 3/2/05: For anyone who hasn't seen seasons 6, 7 or 8 of Stargate, don't worry about Daniel. As an ascended being, he pops up here and there in season 6, then comes back in season 7.
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