"Would you please tell me why you and Will are scurrying around here having clandestine conversations behind closed doors? And why do you both look alternatively happy or hopelessly sad? And why is there a suitcase in your office? And why…nope, that's it…that's all I've got for questions," Sloan stuttered to a stop within moments of bursting into Mackenzie's office the next morning.

"It's way too early for all these questions, Sloan. Have you had breakfast yet? Let's go get a bagel and some coffee and I'll try to answer as many of your questions as I am able," Mackenzie replied, trying to be patient, but secretly wanting to run to Will's office and see how he was this morning.

"Shit. This must be serious. You're buying me breakfast? Does Will want to fire me?" Sloan asked worriedly.

"What?! No! Why do you think Will wants to fire you? What have you done?" Mackenzie replied suspiciously.

"Nothing! At least nothing out of the ordinary for me. I asked him for a few extra minutes to talk about the Greek debt crisis and the stabilization of the Euro. It's not like I've set him up with any gun-wielding lunatics lately or anything," Sloan grumbled, taking a seat in the chair facing Mackenzie's desk.

"You are going to stop setting him up with anyone," Mackenzie responded seriously, her face not showing any hint of humor.

Sloan leaned back from the very angry, very determined look on Mac's face. "You're quite territorial today. Anything new I should know about?" Sloan asked, a slight grin forming on her face.

"Sloan, you are going to stop setting my boyfriend up with anyone, do you understand what I'm saying to you?"

"So, when you say boyfriend, is this another slip of the tongue, like at New Year's, or is this…something more?" she asked slyly.

Mac smiled. "It's a bit undefined right now, but we're talking, okay? No more questions about our relationship for the time being. I don't want you accidentally saying anything to Will."

"I would never do that!" Sloan shouted, defending herself. But then she thought about the Fukushima story and she bit her tongue. Maybe she was a bit of a loose cannon at times. But she wouldn't betray her friends. "So, what's with the suitcase? If this is so undefined, what exactly, are you two doing sneaking out of town together?"

"There is a family situation in Lincoln, Nebraska and we're going to see if we can help, somehow," Mackenzie admitted, seemingly wondering if they really could be any help. "It is imperative that you do not ask Will anything about going to Lincoln." She knew he was already upset and Sloan asking questions was only going to make it worse.

"Okay, fine, geesh! Someone's in full protective mode today," Sloan muttered, but it was terribly cute to see Mackenzie standing up for her man.

"I'm serious, Sloan. Not a word, are you hearing me? And, more importantly, are you listening? I will not have him questioned about this!"

"Okay, I get it Kenz. Just tell me, are you guys okay?" Sloan asked seriously.

"Will and I are fine," Mackenzie reassured her friend. She wasn't exactly lying, she rationalized.

"You're hedging Mackenzie. I can tell. What's wrong?" Sloan countered. They were staring each other down across Mackenzie's desk, and somebody was going to crack.

"Has anyone ever compared you to a dog with a bone?" Mackenzie replied wearily.

"No, but my father once told me I was like water eroding a beach…constant and unyielding. Give it up Kenz, you can't win with me."

"Nice analogy. You have to swear on the market, Sloan, you will not say a word to Will." Sloan could see how serious Mackenzie was about this. She was tempted to hold her two fingers up and do a Girl Scout pledge, but she sensed now was not the time for humor.

"Geesh, Kenz. Why don't you just ask for my firstborn! Okay, fine, I swear on the Dow Jones Industrial…I will not speak a word of what you say to me!"

Mac got a very sad look on her face and said, "Will's brother was diagnosed with lung cancer. I knew Mark before I knew Will. We're all very close and this is very difficult. It's not looking good," she admitted sadly to her friend.

"I'm so sorry. Is he undergoing treatment? Is there anything they can do?" Sloan asked.

"We don't know. Part of going to Lincoln is to figure out what we can do and how we can help. Mark's wife, Pam, is a friend as well. They have small children and this is going to be tough on all of them. Will and I are trying to help."

Sloan could see that this wasn't just about Will anymore. These people were dear to Mackenzie as well.

"You were close with Will's family, weren't you?" Sloan asked, watching the sadness color her friend's expression. Sloan had always wondered just how deep the connection ran between Will and Mackenzie, and now she knew. Mackenzie had practically been a member of the family, and then it was all ripped away. God, when would these two realize how much they needed each other?

"Yes, well, I was close with Mark and Pam, at least. We were all in D.C. together. I don't know Will's sisters as well, but until I fucked it all up, this was my family too," Mackenzie said sadly.

"Kenz, you haven't fucked it all up! You're here…you're trying to help him. And, I'm guessing from the suitcase, that he wants you to go home with him. That's something, right?" Sloan asked her friend, hating to see her in pain like this.

Mac wiped a tear from her eye and nodded at Sloan. "I have no idea what we're going to do, Sloan, or how we're going to help. I have no idea about any of this, but we'll be there for them."

"Well then, you're going to need to be ready to go. You can't work all day on an empty stomach and then fly to Nebraska overnight. I'll go get you a coffee and that lemon pound cake you love from the deli downstairs. Can I get Will anything?" Sloan asked, and Mackenzie almost wanted to laugh out loud at how determined the economist was to do something for them…anything.

Mac smiled at Sloan and said, "thank you, that would be great. It will give me time to get the show going and get Jim prepped. We've got a lot to do today. Will would love anything sweet."

The day flowed smoothly enough, but Mackenzie could tell that Will was a million miles away, and he was counting on her to get him through it. Mac was keeping as much as possible off of Will's plate. She stuck her head into his office just as he was coming out of the bathroom. He had just changed for the show.

"You need some help with your tie?" she offered, standing in the doorway.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," he mumbled, looking down at the offending garment dangling uselessly from his neck. Should he really be going on the air? He felt slightly detached from everything at the moment, like Mark's cancer was reminding him of what was really important and it wasn't the fucking ratings or the viewers.

"Here, let me," she said, picking up the ends of his tie. "Double Windsor okay with you?" she asked as she tied his tie. Honestly, she didn't think he really cared. He placed his hands on her hips while she was tying his tie. "One more hour, Billy, and that will be it. I know you're not feeling like you should even be on the air, but you can do this, we can do this…together."

He looked into her eyes and he knew, if he could just listen to her in his ear, he would be able to make it through this one, last broadcast. "Okay," he nodded at her, and followed her toward the studio.

The whole broadcast was a blur to him, but he was certain the look on Mackenzie's face would have been much more grim if he had really fucked things up. She was waiting in his office after the show, a bright smile plastered to her face, as if sheer determination could get them through this.

"Mac, try not to look so panicked," he chuckled.

"What? I am not panicked Billy!" she replied, practically stomping her feet in disagreement.

"Okay, whatever you say. But you might want to loosen your grip on your briefcase. I'm not sure you have any circulation in the fingers on your right hand anymore," he told her, staring pointedly at her hands. She looked down and realized her fingers were a startling palate of whites and reds. Whoops!

"Fine, you win, I'm a little nervous," she admitted.

"Why? It's just Mark and Pam, they love you," he reassured her, pulling his coat on over his sweater and gathering their things.

"Yeah, and pretty soon it will be Mary and Anna. They hate me Will," she said sadly. Will's sisters had never warmed to her, but she was sure the whole cheating thing had only added fuel to the fire. She couldn't blame them for hating her, but it still hurt.

"They don't hate you Mac. They barely had time to get to know you. Let's give this a chance before you run for the hills, okay?" he pleaded, and she heard a little hint of fear in his voice. Shit! He thought she was ready to abandon him all over again. That had to change.

"You're absolutely right Billy. Let's go! We've got a flight to catch!"

They made their plane with plenty of time to spare. They'd each grabbed something to drink and a light snack while they were waiting to board and were simply sitting by the gate area, staring out at the busy tarmac beyond the windows. Lonny kept a subtle distance away from them, watching over their every move, but trying not to disturb the little bubble of intimacy that surrounded them.

"Is anyone meeting our plane?" Mackenzie suddenly asked.

"No. We've got a rental car set up and we'll go to Mary's house and catch up with everyone tomorrow morning. It's going to be so late when we arrive, I didn't want anyone to have to meet us when I can get us to the house."

She placed her hand on his arm and said, "no, that makes perfect sense. Didn't Mary move all of their things to San Francisco?"

"Not yet. They've not sold the house and they are in corporate housing right now, so everything is provided. It was easier to just leave most of their things in Lincoln."

Mac and Mary had gotten on better than she and Anna, but she'd never count either of them as close friends, let alone sisters, even though she'd never had a sister before.

He was so happy that she was coming with him. He didn't think he'd be able to do this on his own. "Thank you for coming with me," he said quietly and picked up her hand.

"I need to do something to help, Will. I'm feeling useless."

He looked at her and said, "you're doing a very important job right now and that's keeping me together and functioning. I couldn't do this without you, Kenz. More importantly, I don't want to. I want to know that you're there for me beyond all this…beyond Mark's illness," he said uncertainly. How could he believe that she would just be there for a few days in Nebraska, for a few family get-togethers, and then walk away from him?

"I'll be by your side as long as you'll let me be." To him that sounded as if their whole relationship was up to him. The more he thought about it, the more everything she said made sense to him. She was the one who hurt him and now she was letting him make the calls. But he didn't want a one sided relationship and he didn't want her doing penance any longer. For that to happen though he needed to let her know her penance was over and that they needed to make some decisions about their relationship…together.

"Can we talk on the plane, or are you too tired?" he asked her.

"I'm fine. I've got my coffee and we can talk as much as you'd like and about anything."

"Thanks." He was thinking about all the things he wanted to say to her when his thoughts were interrupted by an announcement inviting them to board.

They gathered their carry-ons and made their way to the gate. The attendant took their boarding passes and kept the stub, handing them back their tickets and wished them a safe and happy flight. They got settled in their seats in first class and Will moved the armrest from between them. Lonny was seated behind them, quietly flipping through a magazine, as he watched passengers board and made sure no one got too close to his client. Their flight attendant came by to see if they wanted anything and they all declined for now. By some miracle they were the only ones in first class.

Once they took off he crossed his legs toward Mac and said, "I need to talk about us."

"Right," she said and looked both sad and scared at the same time.

He tilted his head and said, "let's agree to something before we continue."

"What?"

"Nothing we talk about is going to be done in anger and nothing is going to be said to deliberately hurt the other. Do you agree?"

"Agreed," she said.

"I don't like that you seem scared to talk to me about this, Kenz."

She wasn't prepared for him to be so open with her. For the better part of two years he'd kept other women, news stories and anything he could use between them so that he wouldn't have to really talk about anything.

"I have no idea where your head is right now and I don't know what you're feeling toward me. Are you angry, sad, hurt, all of the above? Are you only leaning on me right now because I'm here and I'm convenient? Will this all go away after we get back from Nebraska? I just don't know what to think Billy."

He reached for her hand and laced their fingers together and rested their hands on his leg. "I'm upset about Mark, that's for sure. I'm very thankful that you're coming with me to Lincoln and that you want to help, but it's more than that Mac. I don't know what exactly it is right now…but it's more than two friends helping each other through a rough time."

"I love you, Billy. I know that scares you right now, but I don't know how else to explain this to you. I want to help because that's what families do they help each other. I may not be officially a part of your family, but you and your family is the closest I've got here."

"You are," he said quietly.

"Excuse me?"

"You are my family. You're the person I want to laugh with and celebrate with and cry with, Kenz."

He saw the tears flood her eyes and he pulled her head to his shoulder and held her as best he could. Even in first class there wasn't that much room.

After the tears stopped, she didn't untangle herself from him, quite the opposite in fact. She turned and sat against him, his arm around her and she'd laced their fingers back together and rested them on her chest. Her head was tucked against his. They sat there being quiet together, enjoying the closeness.

"Do Mark and Pam know we're coming?" Mac asked.

"Not exactly."

"What does that mean?" she asked quietly.

"It means that I didn't tell them I was coming and they have no idea I'm bringing you with me."

"He's going to be so pissed off at you," Mac chuckled at the thought. Will and Mark were like two old Billy goats, knocking heads.

"Then he should have let me help from the start and I wouldn't have had to fly to Nebraska to knock some sense into his head." Mac held in her laughter as Will confirmed her earlier image of the two stubborn brothers.

"Pam will make him listen," she assured him.

"You think? What if she didn't want me to help?"

"Did anyone say that they didn't want your help?" Mac asked, trying to help him work through this in his own way.

"They said they didn't want any money."

"That's different. You and I both know it's different having money." And they did both understand that money could be a wonderful, powerful tool. But it could also build up resentments and uncomfortable feelings of the haves versus the have-nots in many cases. They had both had their fair share of feeling as if they were being judged for being privileged…for working hard and climbing the ladder at a national news organization that paid very well.

He nodded, his head still resting against hers. "I want him to have the best and most advanced treatments available and those cost money. Plus, a lot of time the insurance companies won't pay for experimental treatments."

"There are also drug trials and government studies to look into and those don't cost," Mac added.

"I hadn't thought about those options. I guess I was thinking more about the private doctors that are cancer specialists."

"I think we need to be ready to make all of these suggestions to them, but this is happening to them and we have to respect their decisions, even if they aren't the decisions we'd make."

"I know," he agreed. "I want them…" he started and then stopped.

She knew he was trying to compose himself and she held his hand tighter. "We'll help them in any way they will let us, okay?" she asked turning her head toward him.

He was staring into her eyes and he knew at that moment that he'd come to accept that she was his family and that he loved her with all of his heart. "I love you, Kenz."

He wasn't expecting tears but she had them rolling down her cheeks. She turned in his arms and wrapped herself around him, her head resting against his. "I love you, Billy."

He untangled their arms and placed his hands on her cheeks and very gently leaned in and kissed her. "I want us to be happy, together, again. The past is done and we can't do anything about that, but what we can control are our actions and how we move forward, because I do want to move forward with you, sweetheart. We're done with the penance, do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Anything else you'd like to say?" he prompted, stunned that she was just sitting there quietly. Mackenzie didn't do quiet.

"I think I'm in shock. Not in a bad way, don't get me wrong. I can't wait to move forward with you. I had no idea you were there, though."

"I think finding out Mark is sick changed my perspective. We can't postpone happiness, because none of us is guaranteed a tomorrow, so we have to embrace happiness when we find it and I know I sound like a fucking greeting card, but the bottom line is that it's true." And he was also starting to believe what Habib had said about forgiving Mac. He couldn't force it and he couldn't keep holding his hand over the candle. There would suddenly be a moment when he knew that forgiveness was right for him…for them. And that moment was now.

"It is true and I want that happiness with you," she said snuggling up against his chest. He saw her yawn.

"Are you getting tired, Mac?"

Instead of answering him she simply nodded her head against his chest. He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. "Close your eyes and I'll close mine and we'll rest for a while." They slept, curled up together, for the rest of the flight.

Arriving in Lincoln, Nebraska in the middle of the night was a disarming experience. Having spent most of her life being shuttled from one big city to the next, Mackenzie was not, nor had she ever been, a small-town girl. It was startling to leave New York City's bustling JFK Airport and be confronted with a nearly empty terminal once they arrived in Will's hometown.

"Do you ever get used to this?" she asked, tiredly leaning against him near the baggage carousel, Lonny hovering protectively nearby.

"What?" he asked, not quite sure what she was talking about.

"The quiet," she said. Looking around them, he realized they were practically alone.

"Um…not really. You forget I haven't lived here since I was seventeen Mackenzie. I'm just as used to the bustle of New York or D.C. as you are. I never really felt very at home here," he told her, squeezing her hand.

"Was it just because of your family or did you always want to be somewhere else?" she asked, truly curious, since he had never really talked much about his childhood before. Not even when they were still very much a couple.

"Who knows? I don't ever remember having a normal, healthy family life. I'm sure that colored how I felt about this town. I have no clue whether I would have wanted to stay here if my father hadn't been an asshole."

"I would say I'm sorry then, but I'm not. We never would have met if you had stayed here," she admitted. But part of her felt awful for saying that. In her heart, she wished Will had gotten to experience the love of a true family.

"Hand me your driver's license," Will said, clearing his throat. He wasn't ready to discuss his father and his fucked up childhood in the middle of the Lincoln Airport, and certainly not with Lonny Church standing over his shoulder.

"Huh?" she asked blearily, fatigue and confusion coloring her voice.

"I need to put your name on the rental lease, so you can drive the car if you need it," he reminded her. Please Mac, follow along here. I'm not ready to fall apart yet.

"Oh, right," she replied, nodding brightly and digging into her purse for her license.

"Thanks," he said, handing the clerk both their licenses. He knew she had also understood his abrupt change in topic…he was thanking her for playing along with that as well. He put his hand on her lower back to guide her out toward their car. Lonny got in the front and Will guided Mackenzie to the back seat, where they leaned against each other tiredly.

The ride out to Mary's house was boring and traffic free, something neither of them were used to. Even in the middle of the night, New York City bustled with traffic and energy. This pastoral scene was quiet and relaxing…and deadly boring.

"You're not falling asleep, are you?" Mackenzie asked, poking him in the side.

"It would be easy to, wouldn't it?" he laughed.

"God yes! What the hell are we going to do when we want Chinese take-out or a falafel in the middle of the night Will?"

"I think the McDonald's might be open 24/7?" he replied chuckling.

"Oh joy," she said sarcastically.

"Come on Mac! Look at it this way…we'll have plenty of time to talk. Not much else to do in Lincoln, Nebraska" he chuckled.

"I could think of a few other things we could fill our time with," she mumbled.

"Me too," he whispered, grabbing one of her hands in his and kissing her knuckles. But soon enough, they were pulling up to the old farmhouse that had been Will's childhood home, and that his sister Mary had called home for nearly ten years.

"The house looks good," Mac said as Will and Lonny pulled their bags out of the car.

"Yeah. I think Mark and Pam were coming over every so often to check on it after Mary and Thomas left. Not sure who's been looking after it the last couple of weeks. We may have to air the place out a little and make sure the fridge isn't growing mold," he told her.

But none of them were prepared for the mess they walked into. Clutter everywhere…old newspapers, empty bottles, and fast-food containers. They flipped the lights on in the kitchen and were met by a pile of dirty dishes in the sink.