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Jack sits down in front of Mac. Mac’s already half-way through his food and he seems to be eating as fast as possible. His shoulders are tense, and he seems to be scanning the room like he looks around for IEDs. He slightly relaxes when he meets Jack’s eyes.
Jack watches him eat and after a minute he says, “The food’s not going anywhere.”
Mac freezes with his spoon halfway to his mouth. He’s silent for a few seconds before saying, “I’m just tired, I want to head back soon.”
Jack nods and starts eating, eying Mac every now and then. He’s not sure he exactly believes his kid, uh, the kid, but he doesn’t question him.
He’s distracted by his thoughts when someone comes up to him and slaps him on the shoulder.
“Dalton, what are you doing sitting here with Angus?”
Jack frowns at him. It’s Griggs, a man he just knows in passing. He doesn’t like the way he’s talking about Mac and he makes it very clear with the glare he sends at him.
“Mac here is my EOD tech.”
Griggs laughs, “Now what did you do to get stuck with the slowest EOD tech here?”
Jack continues glaring at him. Sure, he sometimes pokes fun at Mac for being a “slow bomb nerd,” but Mac knows it’s for fun. And he always makes sure to tell Mac he did a good job after every bomb. He noticed that Mac seemed upset if he thought he didn’t live up to Jack’s expectations.
But Griggs tone is cruel, and it’s clear he’s not teasing.
“I didn’t get stuck with him. We were assigned together when he moved to this area. And anyways, he’s the best bomb tech I’ve ever worked with.”
Griggs frowns, “Jeez Dalton, I was just messing around. Don’t take it personality.”
He claps Jack on the shoulder and then walks away. Mac watches him go and drops his spoon and pushes away the rest of his food.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Mac says.
“Done what? Called him out for being an asshole?”
“Never mind,” Mac says.
Mac stands up and grabs his tray he was eating from. He tosses it in the trash and puts the tray away and leaves. Jack is left wondering what that was all about.
When Jack makes it back to the barracks, Mac is reading some sort of science book and muttering to him about stuff Jack can’t understand. When Mac notices Jack, he smiles at him.
Mac is a lot more open with him now then when they first met. He still remembers being called into the office and being introduced to Mac.
Mac hadn’t looked happy and Jack had assumed that he had a problem with him. They mostly kept their distance, until the first time Jack saw Mac create one of his amazing inventions to disarm a IED and the rest was history.
“What was that about?” Jack asks.
Mac sighs and puts down his book, “It doesn’t matter. Griggs isn’t that bad.”
“Isn’t that bad? You mean other people give you shit too?”
Mac shrugs.
“Mac?”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s not that bad.”
“It is that bad. No one should talk to you or about you like that Mac,” Jack says.
Mac shrugs again, “They’re not even the bad ones.”
Jack’s eyes widen, “You don’t mean…Mac, does anyone hurt you?”
Mac looks at him slightly confused, like he doesn’t understand why Jack is angry, “It’s just harmless stuff. Tripping me or elbowing me or stuff like that. No big deal.”
“No big deal? I want names,” Jack says clenching his fists.
No one hurts my kid and gets away with it.
“Jack, it’s harmless. No point in making it a big deal.”
Jack feels a mixture of sadness and anger at that, Who made this kid believe that being hurt is no big deal? Who hurt him so much?
“Mac,” Jack says keeping his voice gentle, “No one has any right to hurt you in any way. Whether it’s with words or fists. No one should hurt you.”
Mac looks even more confused at that, “But why do you care?”
“Because-” you’re my kid. I can’t let anything happen to you.
Jack decides not to say that, he knows Mac will shut down right away.
“Because I’m suppose to watch out for you. I have your six. You go kaboom, I go kaboom.”
“You go kaboom, I go kaboom?” Mac asks.
Jack nods and Mac smiles.
“Now I want some names, kid.” Jack says. He didn’t mean to let the nickname slip, but it doesn’t look like Mac minds. In fact, he’s turned slightly red after hearing that.
“I don’t know their names,” Mac says, “But I can point them out to you?”
Jack smiles, “Don’t worry, kid. They won’t ever bother you again…”