Author's Notes: Set after the events of my fic Battle Scars and Broken Hearts. When we last left our favorite pair they were commiserating over drinks at Will's apartment after the ACN holiday party. This picks up a few weeks later. Our now reconciled anchor and E.P. have neglected to inform anyone else of their reunion. To quote the great Neal Sampat, "what could possibly go wrong?"
Will knew all along that she would be the one to break. This was, after all, the woman who sent out mass emails about their private life. But what he hadn't counted on was just how publically she would blow it.
Ok, in all honesty, part of it was his fault. They'd only been back together a few weeks and they had both agreed that, for right now, no public announcements or declarations needed to be made. They were enjoying each other without the stress and strain of anyone else's opinions or feelings. Ever since that fateful holiday party, they had settled into a routine of subtle exploration and mapping out of the future.
Then he had the brilliant idea to throw Mackenzie a little birthday get together at Hang Chew's. He had assumed that the informal after work party would be a simple evening with friends…a few drinks and they would head home. What he had forgotten to consider was the fact that Mackenzie had eaten nothing that day other than a granola bar and some coffee at around 10am. He should have paid more attention to that.
He watched from the other side of the room as she indulged in a few shots of some unknown substance with the young associate producers and then teetered her way over to the booth he and Charlie were sitting in.
She plopped herself down next to him and began sipping at his scotch.
"You have a drink Mackenzie" he admonished and pushed the glass of red wine he had order toward her.
"Oh lovely, thanks" she said and took several gulps.
"Please slow down Mac" he pleaded.
"Don't be a party pooper Billy."
"Just how many shots did you have over there?" he asked, not exactly certain he wanted to know.
"I'm not sure. My birthday is the seventh right? I think Tess said something about drinking the same number of shots as my birth date."
She leaned her head against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him. Charlie looked at the two of them with a grin.
"Hi Charlie!" she practically shouted across the table, as if realizing for the first time that the man was there.
"Hello Mackenzie. Happy Birthday" he said, still smirking at the woman's drunken display.
"I'm forty you know" she whispered loudly.
"I did know that Mac" Charlie replied.
"Actually, not for two more days Mackenzie. Your birthday isn't until Sunday" Will reminded her.
"Oh that's wonderful! I'm not forty yet!" She sipped at the remainder of her glass of red wine and seemed to be lost in thought about something. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what.
"Will! We were supposed to be in Paris!" she shouted suddenly, sitting straight up and looking at him like he should have known this.
"Excuse me Mac?" he asked.
"We always said we would have my fortieth in Paris Billy."
"That was years ago Mackenzie. I didn't think you were holding me to that" he replied uncertainly. He vaguely remembered a conversation on her thirty-fifth birthday of what they would do when she turned forty and he turned fifty-five. God, that seemed like a million years ago now. Back before Brian Brenner and cheating and running off to war zones and dating women that were half his age. They had been lying in bed together after celebrating their joint birthdays…his was just a few weeks after hers. He had only half seriously suggested a vacation in Paris to mark the occasion a few years down the road. Why she had chosen this moment to remember that was beyond him.
"Maybe later Kenz" he whispered into her hair, hoping she would let the subject drop and remember that no one here knew they were back together yet.
"Your birthday's next month Billy. Can we do it then?" she asked eagerly.
Damn, he hated that look. It was the look that could get him to do anything.
"We'll see Kenz, ok?"
"Charlie, did you know that 'we'll see' usually means no? He said the same thing the other night when I wanted to have sex in the shower. Not that sex in the bathtub wasn't extremely enjoyable, but I knew the minute he said we'll see it meant absolutely not."
Will watched as Charlie nearly choked on his scotch and started laughing.
"Was there something you two forgot to tell me?" Charlie asked with a grin.
"Did we forget to tell him something Will?" Mackenzie wondered aloud.
"Just a little something Mac. But you're doing an excellent job of making a public announcement on your own" he grumbled, looking down into his drink and wishing like hell he had made her eat something before she started drinking.
"I didn't announce anything Will. Are you upset with me?" she whined. Oh lord, here it comes. She was always the life of the party when she started drinking, but then quickly morphed into weepy and morose Mackenzie. He knew she wouldn't want everyone to see that. Time to make a quick get-away.
He pulled his wallet out and handed a credit card over to Charlie.
"Charlie could you…?" he started, but the older man beat him to it and took the card over toward the bar.
Unfortunately, Sloan took that opportunity to fill his seat.
"Sloan!" Mackenzie shouted.
"Hi Kenz" the younger woman replied, looking toward Will as if to say what the hell were you thinking?
"Sloan, did you know I am almost forty and I am not in Paris?!"
"I did know that Kenz. Were you supposed to be in Paris?"
"Billy told me we would be, didn't you Billy?" she asked, once again draping herself over him and looking up at him.
"Mackenzie, we've had this conversation already" he replied wearily.
"I know that Billy, but that was with Charlie. Maybe Sloan has some insight into the situation."
"What situation might that be Billy?" Sloan asked snidely.
"Nothing Sloan. Let it go, please" he begged.
"He promised me we would celebrate my fortieth in Paris. Now, it seems he's trying to weasel out of it by saying that we discussed this nearly five years ago, but I think that if I can sleep next to him while he snores louder than a fucking garbage disposal then he owes me that trip to Paris. Don't you Sloan?" Mackenzie asked.
"Well, that depends Kenz" Sloan said seriously, all the while looking at Will like he had just grown antlers.
"Depends on what Sloan?" Mackenzie whispered, leaning forward to hear what her friend had to say on the subject.
"On how long the two of you have been back together."
"Five weeks and three days" Mackenzie replied.
Wait, she could barely stand up straight but she knew exactly how long they had been back together? What the hell Mackenzie, he thought to himself. He was sure he was staring at her and turning three shades of red right now. Usually she was the one who blushed furiously at any discussion of her private life, but when she was drunk all bets were off. She seemed to give no thought to the amount of personal information she shared with others. God, he really needed to get her out of here soon, but Sloan was giving him a look that said take the drunk woman spouting all her deepest darkest secrets out of here anytime in the near future and I will kill you.
"Five weeks and three days, huh?" Sloan asked rhetorically.
"Yes, Sloan" Will replied tiredly. "Can we please not discuss this now? She's all fun and games for the first couple of hours of getting drunk, but trust me, you won't want her anywhere near your Prada boots in a little while."
Sloan reared back in disgust. "Point taken Will. But this is not over."
"I'm sure it's not Sloan" he replied tiredly. "Can you help me get her to the car?"
"Come on Kenz, up and at 'em" she told her wobbling friend. Mackenzie was currently looking a little green.
"Do not throw up on these boots Mackenzie. I will make you regret not telling me about you and Will" Sloan reprimanded.
"What didn't I tell you about me and Will?" Mackenzie slurred. "Do you want to know what he did to me the other night in the bathtub?"
"Mackenzie!" Will shouted.
"What? You should be proud that you're still that flexible Will."
Sloan laughed so hard she began to choke.
"It's not funny Sloan" Will grumbled.
"It is abso-fucking-lutely hysterical Will" Sloan replied.
Somehow the two of them managed to drag Mackenzie out to the SUV Lonny had pulled up and mercifully there was no sign of paparazzi or camera-wielding tourists. As Mackenzie slumped against him, Will heard Sloan call out "I expect a full report on Monday morning you two!"
"Thanks a lot Mac" Will murmured to his passed out girlfriend.
"You're welcome Billy" she mumbled and he laughed.
To Be Continued…