#macdalton

Between the flight and the time difference, it was only a little past noon by the time the team finally touched down back in California. Matty seemed tired enough too, so it was still pretty early in the afternoon by the time she let them out of debrief.

"Lunch?" Riley asked the group as they were all shuffling their way out of HQ. "Stave off the jetlag for a little longer?"

"I'm in," Bozer nodded enthusiastically. "I could go for a nice steaming slice right about now. Plane food is still terrible, even when it's funded by shadow organizations."

Cage exhaled. "Yeah. Some food and some sunshine sounds nice right about now."

Riley turned to him and Jack. "Guys?"

Personally, Mac just wanted to sleep, jetlag be damned. One quick look at the circles under Jack's eyes told him the other man was thinking about the same thing.

"Nah, we're gonna head back," he said, stuffing his hands in just jacket pockets. "You guys go on ahead." Jack didn't say anything from next to him, in opposition or otherwise.

The three of them left with a quick flurry of nods and shoulder pats, Jack remaining uncharacteristically silent and only bothering to give a few weak smiles and a half hug to Riley.

Once the others turned the corner round the building toward where Cage had parked her ride the day before, Mac turned to Jack.

"You good?" He asked quietly.

"'Course," Jack nodded. He grinned at him crookedly. "Don't even think a single G.I. Joe spook followed me home, so one might even say I'm golden."

Mac huffed in exasperation, reluctantly amused. "I think a nice, old fashioned haunting would do you a load of good," he said, nudging Jack's shoulder with his own. "Might make your personality more bearable."

Jack grimaced, just for half a second, before shooting a wry grin his way. Mac knew him too well not to notice it. He tried to hide his frown behind a return smile and chose not to say anything.

"Mine?" Mac asked.

Jack closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath. "Yeah, Hoss. Sounds good."

Without another word, or even meeting Mac's eye, he turned and headed toward the parking lot.

Mac frowned and stared after him.

"Come on, man," Jack called over his shoulder, once he was a good distance away and finally realized Mac still hadn't made the move to follow him. "I know my backside looks devine, but it really ain't even my good side."

Well, that got his mind focusing on other things, at least. Mac flushed, cursed himself for flushing, and then quickly made to catch up.