Macgyver imagines

Jack Dalton: 5-Just a memory

"Old ways won't open new doors."
  -?-

Summary: Some people struggle with the past while others look forward and carry on, but maybe the ones who struggle are simply brave enough to face their demons every day, while the the others continue to put skeletons in the closet.

Warnings: Potential triggering for past experiences. Feel free to message if struggling with anything. I'm Willing to talk any hour of any day.
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"She's just a memory, man."
"What?"
"Just a memory."
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Jack Dalton walked into the Phoenix Foundation with a fairly good attitude. Of course any days a good day he's still breathing. He had said hello to Riley and Bozer. Madi and Mac were waiting in the 'war' room for a debriefing and the two would join in a few minutes.
   The first thing he noticed was the door was shut. Jack was tempted to pull his gun just for safety measures, but was surprised when the door swung open. Madi beckoned him in and shut it behind him. She even pressed the cloud or fogger on for more privacy.
  "What's this?" He had asked.
"Mission Afghanistan." Mac told him with a frown.
"I thought we finally escaped that sand box?"
"Not today."
"Jack."
"What?"
"I said not today." Mac answered with a confused expression.
"No you said my name." Jack was getting frustrated.
  "I swear I didn't, man."
Jack rolled his eyes blowing it off as a joke. "Whatever." He mumbled.
  And so it was forgotten. A simple whisper had been forgotten in a sea of yells.
  "This chip needs to be recovered. If it not we will have to face a new kind of weapon. The "sky line." " Madi pointed to the screen.
  "What's that?" Riley asked walking in with Bozer. She held the door for him and he mumbled a thanks.
"It has the power to shoot a straight shot, on point, at the distance of 20 miles. The human eye can not normally see this distance, but if they have a live feed of say the president, they can get the numbers of his area and type it in. Simple as that it goes through the bricks and into a heart. It's trained if a body is standing around that area to immediately hit the heart. This is so secret there is only one chip of years of work on this. You leave in an hour." Madi answered
On the plane.
"Jack. Please."
It was just a low voice only able to be heard because it was whispered in his ear. Maybe it was the fan, or his imagination but he could've swore he felt a breath.
"Shut up, Mac, seriously man."
Mac walked out from the snack bar on the other side of the plane.
"Stop what?"
Riley and Bozer sat across from him and looked up at the hostility in Jacks voice.
"That thing. In my ear." Jack used a hand motion to his ear.
"I'm not doing anything."
"Your going crazy old man." Riley laughed.
"Jack, we gotta go."
"There! Did you hear that?" Jack yelled hopping up from his comfortable window seat.
"Jack! Chill! There is nothing there." Bozer tried to reason.
"We gotta leave her!"
That voice was different it was a male and authoritative. The last was a gentle female, this was rough. He wanted the other one back.
"No! No! Shut up! We can't leave her!" Jack was now pacing and talking to the air. He could no longer see Mac and Bozer not even Riley.      No, all that was there was the woods. Connor was trying to get him to run. Jack wouldn't move. "We can't leave her!"
Macgyver began to realize what Jack was talking about and it was dangerous. "Bozer, Riley get to the back of the plane."
They did as told when they heard his voice. It was scared.
Macgyver walked underneath Jacks flailing arms and stole his gun, which went unnoticed by the Delta commander. He too went to the back of the plane. He handed Bozer the gun. "Stay back. He's having a flashback."
  Riley looked terrified and Bozer nodded and took the gun.
"Jack, don't leave me, please!"
"I won't leave! I promise, I promise, Dakota. I promise. I promise. I promise." At this point his eyes were beginning to water.
Macgyver sighed. "It's really bad this time." He mumbled.
"What's this about?" Riley decided on this phrasing after moments
"Every once and a while Jack will have a bad day. It's not your average bad hair day. He'll be back in a memory and won't know the difference from reality and his dreams. It's... dangerous."
As if right on cue the plane turned slightly and this only agitated him more. "Dakota! Where are you?"
Jack picked up small things at first and launched them at invincible enemies. Slowly it graduated to him looking for his gun.
"Kota where's the gun? Kota?! Dakota?" He frantically looked around before his yes settled on Bozer and in his hand the gun.
"He-hey, Jack. It's me. It Bozer."
This did nothing and barely registered to the Delta leader.
Mac quickly dropped the clip out of the gun and unloaded the chamber.
"Jack, Dakotas not here. She's gone remember? Kota's gone." Macgyver could only think of reasoning as his last resort.
"Where's Dakota? Answer me! Or I swear I'll kill you!" He was now talking directly to Macgyver.
Mac launched to the drop chord and tried to wrap it around a struggling Jack.
Finally after the soldier was tied down could Riley and Bozer relax. Though the yelling didn't cease,
"Stop! Leave me alone! Dakota! Kota?"
"How long do these last?" Bozer asked.
Mac shrugged. "Depends on the memory. This ones particularly bad."
"What is it? Who is Kota?" Riley asked tightening her computer straps.
"We were in Afghanistan. Me, Jack, and Kota. It had always been Jack and Dakota against the world. When I came along they saw me as someone they had to protect. That's what they did. We did great. Jack and Kota were the match made in the Hell we were in. The perfect team. Then one day a newbie to the squad slipped up. Kota wanted to go back for him. Naturally Jack went with her. I stayed to help the squad. An hour later and we were in a gun fight. Bullet after bullet. Cry after cry. Kennedy , the slip up, was dragging Jack back. They fought a while before Jack finally, so exhausted picked his gun up and held it him. The barrage was slowly going down and Jack yelled at him. "How could you, man. I've fought and bled with you. Might as well finish the job. Take the knife from my back and slit my throat." I'll never forget the tears going down his face or the words he said." Mac finished his story and looked up at his friends.
"But what happened to her?" Bozer pressed.
"Some say she died. Others say she's a ghost. Some even say she survived and is still fighting over in Afghanistan. But she never came home."

Jack had now begun to settle down and his eyes were no longer coulees with any form of mist, except the watery tears.
"Mac untie me."
He did this.
"Was it bad?"
Nod.
"Dakota?"
Nod.
Sigh.
Then the plane landed.
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"Take cover, Mac." Jack yelled as he ran out from behind his barrel. They were fighting an army and by the looks of it, failing. Each bullet ricocheted closer and closer until it was almost all the way through their only protection. The good news was they had the USB. Bad news was they were still miles away from the extract point. And then just like an angel had come the soldiers began to drop.

Jack took a double take when he saw the man he aimed at go down but he didn't pull the trigger.
He looked to the angle of the bullet and saw her. The ghost that had been haunting him for years.
Dakota Willsy.

After the remaining had died or retreated Dakota came down from her high advantage on the hill. She looked older and more serious. She didn't smile immediately. Not recognizing him until she got closer and when she did.
She stopped.
She put her hand over her mouth.
She gasped.
She took a few long strides before colliding into his chest.
She cried.
He held her tight and thanked the Lord that this wasn't a dream.
Finally, she let lose of him, but he kept a tight lock on her waist.
"What are you doing here?" Her voice was deep and scratchy.
"Had to grab an USB."
She nodded and looked at Mac.
"You grew up kid."
He laughed and hugged her.
"Where have you been?" Jack finally asked.
"I got shot and captured. Escaped three months ago. Been a ghost ever since. Been trying to work or steal for a plane ride home."
"Well, you don't got to worry about that no more. Your coming home with me."
She nodded and smiled.
Together they ran the miles to the extract point. Riley and Bozer noticed the new person and immediately demanded answers.
"This would be the infamous Dakota" Mac told them taking a seat at the table.
Before more questions could be asked, Kota was asleep on the couch leaning on Jack Wyatt Dalton.
He smiled and brushed her hair back. She was back.
The ghost was back
But then it all faded away so quickly. The room became black and

Jack Wyatt Dalton woke up.

Thanks for reading!