Macgyver imagines

Jack Dalton:17-Dog tags

"Life is 10% what happens to us, and 90% how we react to it."
-Dennis P. Kimbro

Summary: Spinoff on episode Duct tape and Jack

Warnings: None.

Kind of a spin off on the recent episode. Duct tape and Jack

His eyes watered when he saw the door open. For a split second he thought maybe, just maybe Joy had been able to come home. Maybe she had escaped herself and come home. Maybe she had come back to the states. Maybe she had stopped being MIA. All for him. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe.
   But when he entered and saw the couch moved slightly, he knew he had been robbed. Immediately his eyes wandered to his tv which had mysteriously walked out. "What?" He mumbled wondering how this happened to him.
  Mac, Riley and Bozer filed in behind him, all in various stages of surprise. "I just figured out how to use the remote." He wondered at the coincidence.
   He suddenly remembered his movie case. Jack ran to the back corner and slung open the door. Gone. It was gone.
         Oh.
He muttered silently. How would he ever get them back? Riley tried to tell him it was only stuff. Only things. But it made no difference. It was GONE.
    He flopped on to the couch, fuming mad, but keeping composure. He looked at the corner one more time and shook his head. Mac sat by him. "Hey man. I'm sorry. We have a mission. I'll tell Madi you don't want to come in."
  "No. It's alright. It's just stuff. Only one thing I cared about anyway." His heart hurt as he tried to play it cool.
"The cigar box?" Bozer asked.
"Yeah. Only thing that wasn't mine."
   "What's in it?"Mac asked as they got up to head to the Phoenix.
"Nothing." He brushed it off.
——
"Are you going to tell me?" Mac pressed as they were in the car for a mission.
   Jack sighed. A sigh filled with so much emotion, Mac questioned the sensibility of his asking. "It was Joy's dog tags."
    Mac sucked in a breath. "Oh. I'm so sorry man."
  He chuckled bitterly. "You know the funny part? I thought the door was open because she came home."
  Mac looked down. "Jack I didn't know."
"Oh I know kid. You had every right to ask. I just miss her. Kinda feels like she really is gone now."
  "We don't know that. She could be coming home tomorrow."
"Or two weeks. Or two months. Or two years. Face it. She ain't never coming home." Jack grimaced at how blunt it sounded.
   "Don't lose hope, Jack."
"I try every day. Dang don't I try."
    ——
Bozer presented the house to its owner. He smiled at Jacks happy tears at everything coming home. All except one thing.
    Jack couldn't help but ask. "You didn't find the box?"
Bozer smiled and whistled. Just like that the team walked out, MAC carrying his life long treasure. He slowly walked towards it as if he was approaching a scared colt.
    Mac handed him the box. He immediately opened it. Laying on top was an easy, yet so precious item.
   Joys dog tags.

   He held them up to catch its shining eyes. Bozer gasped not knowing what was inside. Jack drew him into a hug, loving the return to its owner.
    Jack wiped a stray tear.
  "well, since y'all are here, how bout some Bruce Willis?"
They all hesitantly agreed.
  "See that dent." He told Bozer after they sat around for a little while.
"Joy got shot. Stopped the bullet before it hit her heart. Saved her life."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Had one heck of a bruise though."
"Oh and this scratch."
He continued the rest of the night telling them all of the wonderful girl he had known in the sand box.
  Once he had went through almost all the stories he could think of, saving the special ones just for himself, Bozer asked what was in the rest of the box.
  "Oh. These are couple necklaces. She was obsessed with them. Every time we had a really close call in the field, I'd get her one to remind her how much I loved her."
    He held up one pair.