Mckensie McHale strode purposefully forward as she spotted one of her junior colleagues."Hey Neil any idea where Will is? I've searched the entire floor
and he seems to have disappeared."Looking decidedly shifty as he looked over both shoulders to check the coast was clear Neil lowered his voice as
he responded to Mac."Apparently Charlie is looking for him and Will does not want to be found."Rolling her eyes upwards before fixing the young man
who stood before her with a steely glare Mac spoke slowly and clearly."Ok I don't need to know what he's done just tell me where he is
please."Shifting uncomfortably Neil shrugged his shoulders."I kind of promised Will I wouldn't say." Mac stepped into Neil's personal space slamming the
clipboard she was clutching in her hands onto his chest.
"So Neil tell me right now who are you more scared of… me or Will? The grown man who is currently hiding from a senior citizen!"
"Conference room 44th floor. Mac don't tell him I told you!"Already marching away towards the elevators Mac called back over her shoulder "I won't."
Will McAvoy looked up guiltily as Mac burst through the conference room door speaking to Will in a sing song fashion as she beamed at him.
"Hey Will what you doing?"
Shaking his head in resignation Will replied to his grinning executive producer.
"Who told you where I was?"
"Neil."
"So what else did my former little buddy tell you?"
"Only that you're up here hiding like a little girl because Charlie is looking for you. So Billy what have you done this time?""First of all I am not hiding like
a little girl. I came up here for some quiet so I can go over tonight's stories. Second of all what makes you think I've done something if Charlie wants to
see me that's fine I'm not scared of Charlie." Mac whipped out her phone before Will had completed his sentence with her hand poised over her contact
list. "So it's ok if I ring Charlie and ask him to come up here to join us then."Giving his former lover a fixed glare Will shook his head in disgust.
"Ok Ok put the phone away. Charlie doesn't need to know where I am right now." Still clutching her phone she looked expectantly at Will who huffed
slightly before continuing. "You'll think I'm stupid but remember last week when I got into that little thing on twitter. Then some media outlet reported it
and legal got involved."
"Yes Will I remember I remember it was last week!" Mac raised her voice a pitch as she stared in dawning horror at the man beside her.
"So you remember that Charlie kind of suggested I keep away from twitter."
"I believe his exact words were that if you go anywhere near twitter without running it by legal or his office that he would personally kick your ass to
Hell and back!"
"Yes ok he may have said something like that." Will admitted grudgingly frowning at Mac as he went on.
"So here's the thing. And don't go getting mad but a couple of nights ago I kind of went back on twitter."
Will stopped speaking for a moment looking at Mac with what he hoped was an innocent expression as he waited for her reaction. The explosion
wasn't long coming as Mac slapped him over the back ofthe head before screaming at him.
"You idiot what is wrong with you!"
"Ow I thought you weren't going to get mad!"
"I didn't say I wasn't going to get mad and I am mad Billy! Tell me right now what happened!" Mac swatted his shoulder hard before walking away to
the other side of the desk to stop herself from beating the crap out of him.
"Ow stop hitting me! I don't know why you're so mad!" Screaming at the top of her voice Mac stepped threateningly towards her anchor-man.
"I swear to God Billy if you don't tell me right now what happened I am going to throttle you!"
Looking slightly abashed Will continued to confess."So I kind of got back into again with the same woman and it seems it got picked up again. And
when I got in this morning I had a few threatening messages from Charlie and Rebecca the lawyer. I figured if I laid low for a while till they calmed
down a bit things wouldn't seem so bad. So here I am been in the office five hours now and neither of them has found me." Will beamed triumphantly
at Mac who put her head in her hands as she screeched.
"So this is your plan rather than face Charlie or Rebecca you're going to hide out until it all blows over! Dear God you are totally deluded!"
"Hey it's worked so far neither of them have found me. And let me tell you something little Miss wise ass those messages were pretty threatening!"
"Ok that's it I'm not listening to you anymore you're driving me insane!" Mac turned her back to Will and ran her fingers through her hair as she paced
the conference room floor after a few moments she took a large calming breath before turning to face him again.
"So here's what we're going to do. I want you to pack your things and we're going down to Charlie's office to get this mess sorted." Will who had been
looking at Mac with an increasingly bemused expression began shaking his head vehemently."Have you been listening to me crazy lady? So far my plan
is working everything's fine. Once they've cooled down then I'll go see them. Here let me show the emails then maybe you'll understand."Will spun his
laptop around so Mac could see apparently oblivious to the volcano that was about to erupt right before forward so she was right in his
face Mac slammed the lid of the laptop down almost removing his fingers in the process.
"Hey careful there!" Will rubbed his fingers protectively as he glared accusingly at Mac.
"Billy they are not going to calm down! The longer you hide away the hotter the water your in is getting!"
Before Will had a chance to protest further the door swung open and Leona Lansing came in followed by her son and Charlie Skinner. Giving Will a look
that had him squirming in his seat Leona was the first one to speak. "Well well what have we here? Its twitterman himself."
Will stood up quickly in a feeble attempt to get away from the onslaught that was about to befall him.
"Hey guys Mac and I were just leaving looks like the room is all yours." Charlie who looked as if he was about to blow a gasket was quick to
respond."William Duncan McAvoy you sit your sorry ass back down and don't move until I say so!"
Knowing when he was beat Will slumped back down looking from the angry faces of Leona and Charlie. Irritatingly for Will both Mac and Reese were
grinning as if they were looking forward to seeing what happened next. Leona spoke to Charlie.
"Ok Charlie he's all yours we can reschedule our meeting for another time. Try not to leave any visible marks remember he has a show later."
Walking towards Will she spoke directly to him this time. "William the next time Charlie or legal or anyone the Hell else for that matter tells you not
to do something without running it by them first YOU DON'T DO IT!"
McAvoy winced as Leona raised her decibel level as she finished speaking. Unable to help himself he responded with a sheepish shrug of his shoulders.
"Honestly Leona I don't think it's that big a deal. It was just a bit of online nonsense."
Mac and Reese flinched as Leona shot forward grabbing Wills ear and twisting as she growled at him, Charlie smiled on approvingly.
"No big deal you think it's no big deal! Jesus Charlie how have you not killed this guy already! You listen to me McAvoy and you listen good if you step
out of line one more time or do anything that Charlie has expressly forbidden you to do I will personally beat the crap out of you do you understand?"
"Yes Ma'am Ow I understand Ow I understand."
Letting go of his ear Leona headed towards the door gesturing at Reese. "Come on Reese lets go."
Reese looked at his mom with surprise. "Really you want to leave now I think it would be kind of fun to stay and watch Charlie kick his ass!"
Reese grinned at Will who was rubbing his ear ruefully whilst glaring back at his former numbers man.
"Reese come on I am no mood for this!" Reese headed after his mom giving Will an infuriating wink as he left. Mac was the first to speak once the
Lansing's had left.
"Do you want me to go Charlie I know you two have a lot to discuss?" Charlie turned to Mac asking the question which he had been mulling on whilst
Leona laid into Will. "Were you hiding him up here Mackensie?""What no way I only just found out I was trying to get him to come down
to see you."Mac was horrified to think the older man could think such a thing and was grateful when he patted her shoulder smiling affectionately.
"I didn't think so kiddo I just wanted to make sure. You stay Mac you can always be the referee if things get out of hand."
"I hardly think she will make an impartial referee." Huffed Will. "You don't get a say just say there and don't speak unless I tell you to!"
Charlie's focus was now solely on the man in front of him who was starting to feel uncomfortable at the intensity of the glare combined with
the waves of disapproval he was feeling from both his friends. "What in the name of all that is holy possessed you to go back on twitter after I had in
no uncertain terms made it clear you were to stay away! Is there something wrong with your understanding have to many slaps to the head rendered
you brain damaged! I don't suppose you realise how many calls I have had to field about this and when legal get a hold of you they will really put you
through the mincer! So come on wise guy pleaseenlighten me why in hell did you go back online?
Sighing Will decided to bite the bullet he didnt really have an excuse for his lapse in judgement so he decided to go with the truth.
"Well Charlie you know how sometimes I have trouble sleeping. The other night was one of those nights so I got up found a joint got a little high and
started to relax a bit. Then I thought I'd have a little play about online and it seemed like it would be a good idea to just see what was happening on
twitter. I swear to God Charlie I didn't mean to get into it again it just kind of happened!" Will grimaced apologetically at the other man whilst Mac
cringed in anticipation of Charlie's response.
Charlie was sputtering with frustration as he yelled at his protégé. "You got high and decided to play about online! Jesus fucking Christ how old are you
fifteen! You're the number one news anchor for cable television you do not get into spats on twitter or any other Goddamn social network!
Especially after I have forbidden to do so!" Charlie took a deep breath as he turned away from Will who was trying to look suitably chastened. Charlie
turned back facing the source of his current headache.
"So here's what's going to happen. We're all going down to see Rebecca in legal to see if she can sort this mess out. William for the next two
weeks you will be staying at my house. As soon as you finish the broadcast you will come to my office handover your laptop and phone and wait until
I'm ready then we go home together !"
Mac tried unsuccessfully to smother her grin as Will stared at Charlie in horror.
"Seriously you're taking away my computer privileges and grounding me!" Will raised his arms in frustration as he continued.
"Come on Charlie seriously I'm a grown man you can't ground me!" Shooting the younger man a hard glare Skinner responded.
"You wanna bet!" Before turning on his heel and heading out of the office without a backward glance.
Will let his arms flop to his side in resignation and looked at his grinning ex girlfriend saying. "What the Hell two weeks with Charlie how bad can it be?"
Charlie chose that moment to yell from the corridor. "William Duncan McAvoy get your ass out here don't make me come get you!"
Will looked at Mac worriedly grabbing his stuff as she responded. "Hopefully bad enough to stop you behaving like a dick fifty percent of the time!"Will
shot her a look and raced after Charlie with Mac following at a more sedate pace with a beaming grin plastered over her face.
"Oh the next two weeks are going to be so much fun!"Mac was almost skipping as she caught up with the two men.