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Mac sat down next to Riley, placing a fresh beer next to her on the lip of their deck. She took it without a word, eyes not straying from the fire. They sat in companionable silence for a little while; distant singing came from inside the house. Jack and Bozer were incapable of cooking quietly, something Mac would forever be grateful for. He watched Riley out of the corner of his eye, waiting for her to make the first move. She let out a soft sigh, knocking their knees together and taking a quick sip of her beer.
Mac leaned back on his hands, watching the sky shift in color. “If you want to talk about it,” He started, letting out a small chuckle at Riley’s huff, “Then I’m here. I know I’m not Jack or Boze, but I get it more than they do.”
“Look, Mac, I appreciate it. But our childhoods were different kinds of fucked up,” Riley sighed, “So don’t say you get it, because you don’t. Elwood was his own kind of hell, and now he wants back in my life. And the crazy thing is that I’m letting him!”
Mac was silent for a moment. “Do you want him in your life?” He asked.
“N–ye–I don’t know,” Riley replied with a frustrated huff, “He can’t make up for what he did while I was a kid, but doesn’t everyone deserve a second chance? I wouldn’t be here if you guys didn’t give me another chance, and he says he’s really changed.”
“A second chance doesn’t mean he has to be in your life again,” Mac said softly, “Just that you consider his offer. You’re not obligated to take him back if you don’t want to.”
“Jack said the same thing,” Riley smiled, “What would you do? If it were your dad.”
Mac frowned, “I don’t know. I know what Jack would say. Neither of us can tell you what to do, though, Riley. But we’re with you no matter what you decide, we’ll even hide a body for you if you want.”
Riley chuckled lightly, resting her head on Mac’s shoulder, “Thanks, dweeb. I don’t think we’ll be needing your body hiding skills quite yet, though.”
“You never know,” Mac smirked, “they’re nothing to laugh about. Even Jack doesn’t know what happened to our old CO.”
“Seriously?”
Mac laughed, and Riley grinned. The two sat there watching the fire until Jack called them in for dinner, happy with the little family they’ve created.
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Mac’s dad was Oversight. Mac’s dad was back and had somehow muscled his way back into Mac’s life, and Riley couldn’t help but worry about him. Everyone knew that the two had a rocky relationship, and Jack was nearly climbing the walls every time James called Mac into his office to talk.
Mac had been different ever since the man reappeared in his life; he was a little duller, a little less the Mac she knew. He called Jack sir the other day, and Jack just about broke down in tears right then and there. But, there was no evidence for anything other than a bit of extra attention, and Mac would just give excuses he knew no one believed.
Riley was waiting around in the War Room for Mac to get back from his father's office. Matty had frowned and told him to stop by after James had interrupted their debrief. Mac had given her a small smile and promised before following his dad like a naughty dog. She paced the empty room. Matty had left a little while ago, trusting Riley to make sure their resident blond was okay. She spun around when she heard the door open, Mac entering hesitantly.
“Where’s Matty?” He asked, looking around nervously.
Riley studied him, noticed how he favored his left side and how his eyes flicked between her and the ground. He looked like her mother in that moment, before Elwood had left, before Jack entered their lives. Riley would creep out of her room after all the shouting and crashing quieted, and find her mom crying at the kitchen table. She’d stand up and usher Riley back to bed with promises of love and comfort.
She thought back to when Elwood was trying to get back into her life, when Mac said he got it. It hit Riley then and there that he really did get it; he wasn’t just trying to comfort her. Mac had told her years ago that his father used to hurt him, and here they were, letting the man be alone with him. They let him go to that office like a lamb to slaughter.
“Sit down,” She ordered, pointing at the couch, “and take your shirt off.”
Mac jumped a bit, panic taking over his features, “Hey, Ri, I love you, but not like that. You’re like a sister to me–”
“No, Mac,” She sighed, “I need to check your ribs, I know you’re not gonna go down to medical.”
“I’m fine,” Mac insisted, “I didn’t hit the ground that hard. I’m just going to be bruised for a little while.”
“I’m sure your dad hit harder than the ground did, though,” She shot back, not letting herself feel guilty for the way Mac flinched. You could hear a pin drop as he sat down on the couch, pulling off his button-up shirt.
She winced in sympathy when she saw the fresh bruising on his torso, sitting down next to him to get a better look. She glanced up at his face and saw him slip off the mask he had so carefully been putting in place these last few months. He looked tired.
“Don’t tell Jack,” he begged, wincing slightly as she prodded at his ribs. She hadn’t been there in the Sandbox when the two met, hadn’t been there when they got back stateside, but she was there now, and she knew a thing or two about asshole fathers. “He won’t get it,” Mac continued, “I deserved it, I shouldn’t have let the target get the opportunity to escape like that in the first place. Dad was just reminding me.”
Riley pursed her lips, “You didn’t deserve it, and Jack’s gonna say the same thing when you tell him, Matty, and Bozer.”
“I think Jack figured it out in the sandbox,” Mac admitted quietly, giving her his wrist when she asked what else hurt, “and Bozer was there when I was a kid; he wasn’t as careful back then. Loretta used to slip domestic abuse pamphlets into my backpack when I had to go home.”
Riley snorted, “One of my friend’s mom did the same thing after a school bake sale. My mom had shown up with a black eye, and Elwood was already well known at all the bars. Turn around.”
Mac twisted in his seat, showing off old welts that crisscrossed over even older scars. She prodded at the skin gently. “Elwood only hit me twice, Mom and Jack kept him away otherwise,” Riley said, “I’ll never forget it.”
“He’d get mad about everything,” Mac explained, “Had to punish me to make sure I learned my lesson. The funny thing is, I couldn’t figure out what I was being punished for half the time.”
Riley tapped his shoulder, giving a weak smile as he turned around. “Yeah, Elwood tried to justify it too, Mom ripped him a new asshole for it though,” Riley said.
“What a pair we make,” Mac sighed, rebuttoning his shirt once Riley gave him the all clear. “I promise I’m alright, it’s really nothing.”
She could read between the lines. James was worse before he left Mac high and dry as a kid. “It’s not nothing, which is why we’re going to tell the rest of our team,” Riley reiterated, doing her best to engulf Mac's hands in hers, “they’re waiting for us at your house right now. We’re all worried about you, Mac.”
He froze, staring at where their hands joined. She waited patiently for him to gather his thoughts, squeezing his hands gently when they started to shake. “Between Matty and me, we’ll be able to dig up enough dirt to get him to resign, if not fired. We’ve got your back, Mac,” She assured.
He nodded hesitantly, swallowing roughly. She jumped as he let out a soft sob, tears falling on their hands. She pulled him into a hug, rocking them slightly, “Please don’t cry. I don’t know what to do when you cry.”
Mac let out a wet laugh, pulling away to wipe away his tears, “Thanks, Ri.”
Riley smiled, “We’re with you no matter what, Mac, and I’ve got enough experience hiding bodies to know they’ll never find him.”
“Yeah?” Mac asked, pulling her to stand up with him.
“Yeah,” Riley agreed, lacing their arms together as they left the War Room together.