It's been four weeks since Charlie's funeral and three weeks since Mac has started her job as news director for ACN.
Like every workday since then she stepped into the elevator and had to remind herself not to go up to the 25th but the 44th floor, where her office was now.
Arriving there she wished Millie, who had been with Charlie for ages and thankfully had stayed on as her assistant, a good morning, hoping that her smile didn't appear too forced.
Millie was a lovely woman and had been of invaluable help to Mac while settling into her new duties, but still she almost dreaded meeting her in the mornings, because she knew what to expect: Tons of new memos, files, meeting requests and appointments that filled her days now.
„Good Morning, MacKenzie." Millie greeted her with a genuine smile and got up from her desk to follow Mac into her office.
„Here's the newest Nielsen ratings report for last week, twelve new memos from different departments – the most important ones are on the top. Michael Tengard from finance wants to meet on the new budget proposal, Carter from dayside needs to see you today – I scheduled him in for eleven, if that's okay for you?" She looked up to wait for Mac's confirming nod before going on.
„Marketing needs your input on the strategies to promote the new slogans and social media activities. Someone from the tech department will give you a briefing at 12:30 on what new equipment is needed and they'll need your decision by tomorrow to be able to use a special discount they've been offered. The report on last weeks target demographics is due today and in the afternoon you'll have three interviews for a position as weatherman on dayside. But..." she finally took a breath. „first of all Pruit wants to see you in his office."
Mac sighed. „Okay, just put everything down and let Pruit know I'll be there in five minutes." Millie nodded and turned around. „Oh, and could you please let Will know that I probably won't be able to keep our lunch date? Thanks."
When Millie had left the room Mac let herself fall down into her chair, leaned back her head and closed her eyes. What the hell had she gotten herself into?
Her day ended up being even worse than she had expected after Millie's briefing in the morning, starting to go downhill from the meeting with Pruit who was furious about an ad campaign Mac had approved that didn't mention the possibility of the viewer's involvement via social networks.
Carter had wanted to see her about one of the dayside anchors who appearently had been exposed as an alcoholic to HR, but hadn't been drunk on air so far and was much loved by the audience. What did she want to do with him?
In addition to the things Millie had briefed her on in the morning, memo after memo kept coming in, an ACN team in South America got into trouble for allegedly negative and biased reporting on the governing party of their host country, so that she had to meet with legal and they'd decided to have the State Department intervene, and several staffers asked for impromptu appointments.
Finally the budget meeting had been a disaster because Pruit's directives to Tengard were suddenly the absolute opposite of what Mac had planned with and what they had been working on for 14 days already – While she wanted to keep the budget portion for news production steady if not even increase it, Pruit intended to cut it by more than half and divert most of the money to the advertising budget and pushing the social media angle on all of ACN's shows.
By 6 p.m. Mac was exhausted and just wanted to go home. She sent a short text to Will to inform him she would meet him at their apartment and then got her driver – one of the so far very few perks of being news director - to take her back.
She had intended to wait up for Will, but in the end she barely managed to make herself a sandwich, of which she only ate half, and crawled into bed in her underwear by 7:30, not even bothering to remove her makeup.
When Will got home after the show he found Mac curled up in their bed. She was fast asleep, not even stirring when he turned on the lights and he could tell how worn out she was by the dark circles under her eyes.
He normally didn't go to bed this early but he hadn't seen Mac all day, not even in the morning, as her work day nowadays started hours before his own, and now he just wanted to be close to her. So he quickly ate the rest of her sandwich, got changed and settled next to her in bed, putting his arm around her waist and pulling her close.
He was worried about her, especially because she also had to take care of their baby growing inside her, but he was also very proud of what she was doing.
She hadn't talked much about the details of her position but he knew that most of it was uncharted territory for her, especially the numbers game, and that she still had a lot to learn.
Still, he was selfish enough to miss her – Not only her input for the show and having her in his ear, but he also missed the close contact they'd had throughout their work days up to now.
Jim was a more than capable replacement and he liked him, but he just wasn't MacKenzie.
Jim couldn't push him those last couple inches to turn a good interview into a great interview and he couldn't read him like Mac did, knowing when his impatience with a guest was threatening to show or when he was on the verge of leading someone into an on-air confession with just a couple more questions, giving him the time he needed for that.
He knew that some of this would develop over time, but nobody would ever know him like Mac.
Naturally he had told Mac that he missed her but she didn't know how much and he would certainly not let her in on that. She had enough issues to cope with and didn't need a moping husband on top of it.
He just hoped that she would settle into her job quickly so that they could develop kind of a routine and also keep the daily lunch date they had wanted to establish, at least on 'normal' work days, so that they could at least see each other once during the day. However so far they had managed to meet for lunch two times in three weeks which was ridiculous.
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Not being used to going to bed that early Will woke up at sunrise with Mac being snuggled into his chest and still dead to the world. He didn't move and just enjoyed the sensation of having her close to him, before gently running his fingers through her hair. She looked a little more rested, but still weary.
About thirty minutes later he noticed her change in breathing and knew she was about to wake up. He reached over to turn off the alarm to spare her the piercing sound she hated to wake up to and instead started to softly stroke her back and thigh while placing light kisses along her jawline and neck.
After a moment she started to moan and her eyelids fluttered, followed by a dreamy smile. „Mmh... What a wake-up service." she mumbled with a sleepy voice. „Can I have that every morning?"
Will smiled against her shoulder. „You still have a few minutes, just enjoy it."
He slowly coaxed her out of her sleep with his touches and butterfly kisses until she finally shifted herself onto him, took his cheeks into her hands and placed a tender kiss on his lips. „I've missed you yesterday, Billy... I'm sorry I couldn't do lunch."
„Don't worry about it." Will slid his hand up and down her back. „Did you have a hard day? You looked exhausted last night."
Mac sighed. „Yeah... don't ask. And today probably won't be better..."
„Are you doing okay? Both of you? You mustn't strain yourself, it's not just you anymore, Mac..."
„We're fine, don't worry." She gave him another kiss. „What time is it? Do we have time for some... exercise?" Mac glanced over to the alarm clock and answered her own question by sliding her hand down his chest to a certain body part of his that seemed eager to participate in said exercise while kissing him more deeply.
Will groaned. „Exercise is... uuh... very important, they say..."
„Mmmmh... and they also say practice makes perfect..." she mumbled against his lips with an enticing smile. „Why don't you show me what you've mastered so far?"
He didn't need to be told twice.
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Half an hour later Mac was taking a shower while Will made breakfast. When she came into the kitchen, barefoot and just wearing one of his shirts, she slid onto the bar stool. „Oh great, pancakes. I'm starving!"
Will looked at her. „Are you eating enough? Especially when we're not meeting for lunch?"
„Don't worry. On days I don't get out of the office Millie gets me something from the executive dining room... Why don't I check my schedule when I get in and if I have time I order something from upstairs and we'll have lunch in my office?"
He smiled. „I'd love that."
„Okay, I'll have Millie let you know. So, how was last night's show? Sorry I missed it."
„It was good. No major news break, just minor stories and follow ups."
„How's Jim holding up?"
„Well... He's not you, but he's doing okay. We're still adjusting, but we'll get there eventually. You've trained him well." Will smiled at her.
„He's a good kid." She smiled back at him. „Be nice to him."
„Hey, I'm always nice! Didn't I just prove that this morning?"
„Well, you better not be that nice to him or I'll have a sexual harassment file on my desk on top of everything else..." Mac grinned and then looked at her watch. „Shit, I have to get ready!" She hastily finished her pancake and then hurried back to the bedroom to change.
Five minutes later she came back out, all business-like in her trademark pencil skirt and a dark blue silk blouse. Will, appreciatively looking at her legs when she closed in on him, was already waiting with her purse and briefcase in his hands, but when Mac wanted to take them from him he took her into his arms for a moment.
„You do know that I miss those legs in my newsroom, right?"
„Just the legs, eh?"
„Sure, what else?" He shrugged but smiled when she playfully hit him. He gave her a quick kiss and put his hand on her stomach. „Take good care of our little bumblebee in there. I put a light snack in your briefcase, just in case."
„Mmmh, thanks... Did I tell you that I love you recently?"
„About 42 minutes ago, I think... Off you go." With a last kiss and a soft slap on her behind he sent his wife off.
As soon as she had stepped on the private elevator though his shoulders sagged and he ran his hand through his hair, standing there with the look of a lost puppy.
He hated to see her leave so early, he hated not working on the same floor with her anymore, not being able to see her all the time, going into her office basically whenever he felt like it, working with her instead of for her...
Mac was his best friend and he just missed being with her. Waking up together, going home together.
But he knew that this was a huge opportunity so he put on a happy face for her sake. He didn't want her to feel bad about leaving the newsroom but take this chance and make it work; she deserved it.
He still had the rest of his team, they'd manage.
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When Mac arrived at work it was the same procedure as every day.
Millie already waited for her with a whole stack of papers and a number of new appointments, several of them urgent, and once again Mac realized she wouldn't be able to meet Will for lunch. „Millie, will you please let my husband know..."
„That you won't make lunch today?" she interrupted her boss sympathetically.
Mac sighed and nodded. „Yeah... Tell him I'm sorry, okay?"
„Of course." Millie started to walk back to her desk, when Mac called her.
„Millie, will it ever get better?"
Her assistant shrugged her shoulders. „Well, you will certainly get the hang of things in a little while which will make it a little easier, but the amount of work definitely won't get less... Sorry..."
„Thanks, Millie... Let Parker know I can see him now."
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The next days pretty much worked out the same and when Friday came Mac was ready to scream and just lock herself up in her office, not wanting to see anybody, which naturally wasn't an option.
She had to work late – again - and decided to wait for Will to finish his show to go home together. She gathered her things and went down to the 25th floor to wait in his office, but when Jim saw her walking past the control room door he invited her in.
„Are you sure? I don't want to intrude, it's yours now."
„Don't be silly, come on in. And maybe we can even baffle Will by letting you do a segment..." He winked at her.
Mac laughed but immediately declined that offer. Even with Jim's permission she didn't want to appear to step on his turf, but she gladly sat in the back of the control room during the rest of the show and tremendously enjoyed being in the midst of what was happening for a change, her fingers only itching for a headset a couple of times.
When Jim had wrapped it up she stepped closer to him. „That was a good show, Jim, great job."
He beamed at her. „I had a good teacher, the best."
She fondly smiled back at him. „Have a good weekend. Are you going to see Maggie?"
„Yeah, I'll be heading to JFK from here and she'll pick me up in DC."
„Give her my best, okay?"
„Will do." Jim nodded. „Have a great weekend you two."
Mac winked at him and left the control room to go to Will's office. He was already changing in his bathroom so she didn't even bother to sit down but went up to the window front and looked over the city. She didn't hear him coming and startled when he stepped up behind her, sliding his arms around her waist, but then she immediately leaned her head back into his shoulder.
„I like this view better than mine from upstairs. Down here you feel like you're more a part of it all, not hovering over everything..." She sighed. „Ready to take me home?"
„Always, come on." He kissed her on the cheek, then stepped back but took her hand and pulled her out of the office.