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Eight days.
It took eight days for them to track down the compound Mac was being held in. Too long. Too damn long. Even the ten minutes it took Jack to find the cell in the basement after his tac team breached was unacceptable. He discovered Mac slumped in the corner with his head down, bruises in the shape of fingers on his bare arms, painful evidence of how Jack had let him down.
Holstering his weapon, Jack approached slowly, conscious of the hum of magic that hung in the air like the smell of a musty room.
“Mac!” Jack called out cautiously, he could see dried blood matted Mac’s hair and streaked down one side of his face. Although he seemed conscious Mac didn’t look up at him, even as he called his name a second time and Jack didn’t see the glazed look in his eyes until he’d put his hand on his shoulder and --
Jack was thrown back by an invisible wall of pressure until his back thudded heavily against the opposite wall. Mac’s eyes blazed golden. Wide and panicked. Sucking in short gasps of breath as he forced out a fearful “no.”
Jack took a deep breath as he turned his palms outwards in surrender, projecting as much calm as he could. Even still huddled on the floor, beaten to hell and who knows what else, Jack could feel the power Mac wielded, he was holding back, if he really wanted to he could crush Jack against the wall like a bug.
“Mac, it’s me, Jack.” He said evenly. “Look at me, buddy.”
But the eyes that met his were glassy, rimmed in red as the gold light stuttered in them.
“You’re safe now, let me help you, Mac.”
Mac frowned, still panting through cracked and dried lips as he tried to make sense of the situation. He looked up at Jack, his eyes examining him before he tilted his head, coming to a conclusion.
“’s a trick.” Mac whispered before turning to the door and shouting, “you’re tricking me!”
“Mac, Mac!” Jack tried to get Mac’s attention, there were ten armed agents in the building, Phoenix agents, but still, Jack didn’t want Mac to get shot in some kind of misunderstanding. “It’s not a trick, I promise, it’s me, it’s Jack. Look at me, I’m right here.”
Mac’s head wobbled back towards Jack and his shoulders sagged as he sighed shakily.
“That’s what fake Jack would say.”
Jack heard heavy boots in the corridor and a moment later a black helmet peeked around the door, the pressure holding Jack was centred on his chest, making breathing an effort but he could still move his hands easily, and he flicked his fingers at his team, the silent orders telling them to back off and stand down. This was Mac. Mac wasn’t going to hurt him, he was just confused and hurting, that’s all. All Jack needed was a little bit of time.
“How can I prove it to you, kid? You’re the smart one not me, you tell me how I can prove it. I’ll do whatever you need to me to do.”
“I don’t know.” Mac whispered.
“That’s not the Mac I know.” Jack said, ducking his head as much as he could to try and catch Mac’s eyes. He was rewarded with an agonising look of longing, Mac wanted to believe Jack, he wanted it to be over so much.
“Oh, Mac.” Jack whispered this time, briefly closing his eyes. “It’s okay. Take your time, as long as you need, I got no where else to be, I’m just glad that I found you and that’s you’re… well, you’re not okay, but you’re going to be.”
Jack wasn’t sure if it was his imagination but it felt like the pressure against him changed, settled into a constant force rather than a pressing weight.
“Can’t wait to get you out of here.” He continued. “Bozer and Riley are gonna be so relieved. And Matty, she’ll deny it, but she’s got a soft spot for you. She’s had every available agent and analyst searching for you. I know she’s called in some favours as well.” Jack paused for a moment, before finishing, “I’m sorry it took us so long.”
As Jack settled more comfortably against the wall, the force felt like a firm hand on his chest that he could probably break free from now but he wasn’t going to risk moving until Mac showed him he was ready.
“You scared us good, buddy. I don’t think any of us are going to want to take our eyes off you for a while. But I can’t imagine what its been like for you, pretty bad, I’m guessing. But I promise you’re safe now, Mac. As soon as you give me the okay, I’m gonna take you home and we’ll be sitting on your deck under the stars before you know it. Probably without the beers, you know what medical are like when you’ve got a head injury, but you’ll be safe, with family.”
“Jack…” Mac breathed, as the pressure let up entirely and the gold in his eyes died out.
Jack took a step. Then two. Then knelt, waiting for permission that he got in the way of a short jerky nod before he wrapped Mac into his arms, holding on tight as he felt hands snaking around his waist to clutch handfuls of his jacket.
“I’m here, Mac.”
He felt Mac nod again, the tremors in his body only matched by his shaky breathing until with a sigh, the tension in his body dropped out so abruptly that Jack was scrabbling to find his pulse for one terrifying second. The steady flutter was only a half reassurance when Mac was such a dead weight in his arms and he hollered for the medics. He wanted nothing more than to pick Mac up and have this place be a fading spot from the window of the chopper but Mac needed to be cleared for travel before they bolted.
Scooping Mac up, Jack stood, the one thing he wasn’t going to do was have Mac spend a second longer than necessary in this cell.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hours later, Jack shifted in an uncomfortable chair, wincing as the vinyl squeaked. A steady ache had started in his lower back, but until Mac could go home Jack wasn’t going anywhere. His doctors had been cagey about when that might be, we’ll see how he’s doing in the morning but for now, after over a week of fearing the worst, the certainty that he would be taking Mac home was enough for Jack.
Mac had woken on the ex-fil flight but he’d barely been with it, drifting in and out of consciousness and answering the medics questions with muddled responses. Jack had hovered, careful not to get in the way but making sure that every time Mac opened his eyes he saw Jack standing guard. And without fail, every time, Mac’s eyes had roamed the cabin until they settled on Jack, static magic filling the air until Mac had reassured himself Jack was there.
Mac had been sleeping for the last few hours, his IV doing its job of rehydrating and flushing out the drugs revealed in his tox screen. A bizarre concoction that Jack could only assume was meant to suppress or contain Mac’s magic in some way. But it was still a relief that Mac’s mental state was likely down to the drugs rather than a severe head injury. Mac looked better now that the blood and grime had been cleaned off his face, but as ‘better’ was still pale, bruised and exhausted it wasn’t saying much.
A change in Mac’s breathing alerted Jack to the fact that a sleepy set of eyes were now watching him.
“Hey,” Jack whispered with a touch of a smile.
Mac tried for a smile in return, not saying anything, but Jack could see in his eyes that he was more alert and more Mac than he’d been since Jack had found him in that basement.
“Hey.”
Leaning forward, Jack tentatively put his hand on Mac’s forearm, relaxing when Mac didn’t flinch or move away.
“You doing okay, bud?” He asked, his thumb rubbing circles as he watched his face. Stripped of his usual barriers, it was a sea of uncertain emotions.
Mac nodded.
“When can I go home?” Mac asked with a rough voice.
“Soon.” Jack replied, moving his hand up to cup his neck, relieved that Mac turned into the gesture as he held Jack’s gaze, his eyes filling up with gratitude.
“Thank you,” Mac whispered.
Jack rubbed his thumb along Mac’s jaw. He wasn’t sure if Mac was thanking him for the rescue or staying, but it didn’t really matter, it didn’t change anything. ‘Anytime’ was on the tip of his tongue before he decided that it sounded too trite, like a quip, because while it was true, it also so much more.
“I’ll always come for you, Mac.” He said instead, his voice tripping on the emotion. “And I’ll always be here for you. You know that, right?”
Mac nodded.
“I do now.”