The afternoon sun was hot on his face as he sat out on his balcony. He was one of the few who actually had one and didn't have to share it in this apartment complex. The Gables Apartments were being turned into Condos and if he wanted to stay he had to buy the condo, starting at 150,000. Way too much money for the little box he lived in, that was for sure.

He probably could move into the complex down the street a ways, right next to the Foxhall neighborhood, but then he wouldn't be able to climb through a hole in the fence to get to Publix, and that would suck, majorly. He'd actually have to drive his car there, wasting money on gas that he didn't really have too. But, if he was feeling crazy he could walk the three-quarters of a mile to Publix.

Mac grimaced at the thought. It was too dammed hot to do that in Florida, maybe if he lived in Colorado, or Utah, or Alaska, he could do that, but not in West Palm Florida, no way in hell. He should never have let Sam talk him into moving here. Sky-blue oceans and beaches, yeah right, after you cleared away all the seaweed and sea lice…

Sighing, he levered himself out of his lawn chair and walked into the little apartment, which he only had two more weeks in. Rubbing the back of his neck, he opened the fridge, but couldn't find anything really edible in it. Blowing out a breath, MacGyver reached over and grabbed the phone off of the hook. Pressing the speed dial for one of his favorite pizza places he placed an order.

"Well…" he said to an empty apartment. "Wonder what's on TV?"

Walking back into his tiny living room, Mac fell back onto the couch and turned on the noise box. Chances are, there would be nothing on the TV because there never was anything in the middle of the afternoon. In the middle of his channel surfing, the doorbell rang.

"That was quick." Shrugging he got up off the couch and answered the door. It wasn't the delivery boy. It was three men on his doorstep, Air Force men. "Uh…what can I do for you gentlemen?"

"Dr. A. MacGyver?" The Major asked, his hazel eyes looking at him curiously. It was obvious that he was not what the Major was expecting. Getting over his shock, the man continued. "I'm Major Davis, Pentagon liaison."

"The Pentagon?" Mac squeaked. Davis was struck with a severe case of deja'vu, this man looked exactly like General O'Neill! "Wh-what are you doing on my doorstep?"

Davis hid a smile. If that surprised him, the next bit would send him into orbit. "The President sent me to retrieve you and brief you on a project he thought you might be interested in."

"The President!" Mac's voice raised an octave. "Of the United States of America?"

"Yes, sir." Davis answered, smiling. "We have a limo waiting outside-"

"A limo?" MacGyver's eyes were like saucers. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"Yes, sir, a limo." Davis nodded. "And, no, I'm not kidding you, sir."

Mac shook his head to clear it. "Yeah, yeah. Look, do I have time to pack a bag or something?"

"Yes, but be quick we don't have a lot of time." Major Davis answered. Mac stepped aside and gestured for the Major and his aids to step into the little place.

In a bigger hurry than he had been in a long time, Mac yanked the suitcase down from the top shelf of his closet and pulled open his dresser drawer. Quickly, he began to stuff things inside, running around his room and into the bathroom to get his toothbrush and shaving kit. Stuffing as many clothes as he could into the luggage carrier he zipped it up quickly, and hauled it off his bed with an almighty tug.

All the years I spent packing light! He bemoaned silently. Good grief! Dragging the suitcase on its wheels over to the door he nodded at Davis and gave a breathless, "Ready!"

"Then, lets go." Davis led the way out to the black limo that was parked in the lot in front of his building. Mac followed after the two Lieutenants and the Major, his suitcase dragging behind him. This day was proving to be a long one. There was no way around it.

Mac looked around the limo with wide-eyed curiosity. He hadn't been in many of them, and it was always a fun ride. His gaze settled on the Major who was giving him a strange look. Mac cocked his head to one side in a silent challenge.

"Sorry." Davis muttered. He handed MacGyver the file that was on the seat next to him. Mac reached out and carefully took the file from the man's hand. Leaning back in his seat he opened it and was stunned at what he saw. Top Secret? No way! After reading farther down the page, his astonishment grew. The President wanted him to go work at the SGC?

"Is this real?" Mac waved the file in the air. "Because if this isn't…"

"I assure you sir, it's real." Major Davis replied, a ghost of a smile on his lips. MacGyver gave him a disbelieving look. "Trust me, sir, I've seen it. It's real."

Mac's eyes went wide and he glanced back down at the file. Turning the page he was confronted with an image that he thought he'd never have to see again. There on the page was the photo of a man, who to him, was dead. His breath caught in his throat as he read on, his confusion and hurt increasing as he read. He was supposed to be dead, but he wasn't. Instead he was in charge of a top-secret military base that ran out of Cheyenne Mountain.

"Sir?" Davis had watched MacGyver's face get progressively white as he read the file. "Are you alright?"

Mac's head snapped up. "Uh, yeah, yeah, I'm fine." It was the Major's turn to cast a disbelieving look. "General Jack O'Neill. Who is he?"

"He's a friend of mine and a fine leader." Major Davis answered, his eyes shone with respect for the man that had saved him and the world a dozen times over. "He happens to look a lot like you actually. Do you know him?"

"I did, Major, I did." Mac answered softly, his gaze was set outside of the car window, watching the scenery change as they got onto I-95. The Airport wasn't much farther Mac knew. It would be one step closer to the person that he had thought he lost. The man who had been his cornerstone when everything went wrong.

"If you don't mind my asking sir…"

"What do I mean by that?" Mac finished for him. "It's not important."