"Mac?" Will asked, concerned about her, but also wondering what all this clutter was doing in the McHale's usually immaculate home.
"They're divorcing," she said flatly. He didn't quite know how to respond. He knew the marriage on been on rocky ground for quite some time now, but he never actually expected Mackenzie's parents to divorce. They had enough money to live separate lives if they wanted to and, given their concerns about public appearances, he never expected them to air their dirty laundry to the world.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, reaching out to hug her, but she pulled away and eased her feet out of her heels.
"I need to lie down," she said, swaying slightly on her feet. He reached out and steadied her. He led her upstairs to the guest room he remembered spending a few weekends in years ago.
He watched her lower herself to the bed so slowly and carefully that it broke his heart. She was so strong and determined most of the time, that she could fool you into believing the façade. Fool you into seeing a vital, healthy woman without a care in the world. Obviously, it was getting more and more difficult for her to project that image.
He took her coat and handed her a pill bottle while he went off in search of a bottle of water. When he returned she was lying on her side, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger and taking deep, even breaths.
"How bad?" he asked. Once upon a time, he had been the only person she would share her pain with.
"Bad," she whimpered and held her hand out for the water.
He waited until she swallowed the pills and then ran his hand through her hair and joined her on the bed. "Talk to me," he pleaded.
"I never thought they'd do it," she said so softly he almost couldn't hear her.
"I know you didn't, but if this is what they want Mac…" he started but she cut him off.
"How can this be what they want?! They're throwing away forty-five years together Will! Don't they understand how lucky they are?" she shouted hoarsely.
Ah, so that's what this was about, he thought to himself.
"Is this about them Mackenzie? Or is it about us?" he asked gently.
"Not everything is about us Will. Is it really so hard to believe that I wouldn't want my parents to get a divorce?"
"No, it's not hard to believe at all. But I have to wonder if there's something you're not telling me. You've known for years that they were, for all intents and purposes, separated. This can't have come as that much of a shock Mackenzie."
"Of course it didn't. I just didn't think it was genetic!" she muttered.
"What's genetic?" he asked, thoroughly confused.
"Cheating," she whispered.
"Okay, now I have no clue what we are talking about Mac. You're going to have to fill me in on this one."
"She's been cheating on him. That's why my mother wants the divorce now…so she can move in with her boyfriend. My God, can you believe I just said that? My sixty-seven year old mother has a boyfriend!" she yelled out into the room.
"Shush…quiet Mac. Someone will hear you. And what the hell is so wrong with your mother finding someone she wants to spend her life with? Are you under the impression that your father hasn't so much as looked at another woman or spent an evening with someone else in all these years of separation? Please Mac, I know you adore your father, but even you aren't that blind."
Slowly and painfully she rolled over to look him in the eyes. "What do you mean I'm not that blind? What do you know about this Will?" she asked in disbelief.
"Nothing concrete Mac. But, come on, your parents' marriage was always friendly, even loving, at times. It was never a meeting of the minds, though. You have to have known that."
Her jaw dropped in shock. "That's exactly what my mother said."
"What?"
"That I could never understand why it didn't work out between the two of them because you and I are so much alike."
"Well, that's true Mackenzie. We may argue about everything under the sun, but when it comes down to it, you and I agree on the most important things in our lives. Our work, our passion for the truth, our intellects…we're very well matched. Your parents never were," he whispered, tucking her hair behind her ears and kissing her forehead.
"Then why did I cheat? If we're so fucking made for each other, why the hell did I cheat on you?" she said, gulping down her tears.
"Because you didn't know what that looked like. You were lucky in a lot of ways Mackenzie. Your parents adored you. They were stable financially and emotionally and provided you with everything you needed. Compared to my childhood that's pretty fucking picture perfect. But they never really showed you what a loving, adult relationship looked like. So, like you said, you didn't know you were in love with me until you went back to Brian and realized how fucked up that relationship was."
He was stunned for a moment himself. Holy shit! He had just forgiven Mackenzie and made sense of their disastrous break-up!
"Will?" she asked, a little concerned with the bewildered expression on his face.
"Oh my God…you were right! You really did realize you were in love with me after you slept with Brian!" he said, flabbergasted.
"I told you that months ago Billy."
"Yeah, but I didn't understand it until now," he said, a little awe-struck.
"That doesn't mean we wouldn't get divorced," she whispered sadly.
"We would never get divorced Mac," he said firmly.
"How can you be so certain?"
"We know what's at stake now…we understand the consequences. And besides, we aren't your parents Mac. What were they, twenty-three and twenty-five when they got married? They barely knew themselves, let alone each other. We've done all our messing around and messing up. I think we know what we want now, don't you?"
"Yes, we do," she whispered softly, burying her head in his chest and breathing in deeply. She had always found his scent relaxing.
He ran his hands up and down her back soothingly, but felt something strange…foreign to him there.
"Mac?" he asked haltingly.
"Back brace. It helps to ease the muscle spasms. It made the plane ride bearable, but it's really starting to itch. Can you help me get it off?" she asked.
God, he really hated seeing her suffer. It truly wasn't fair. He'd been an athlete all his life…taken his fair share of falls and injuries and all he had to show for it was an occasionally achy knee and shoulder. She was nearly fifteen years younger than he was and she was in constant pain. It was hard to believe, in this day and age, something more couldn't be done to help her.
He stood and went around the other side of the bed and loosened her blouse from her pants and found the aforementioned brace wrapped around her.
"How do I unfasten this?" he asked, looking at the various straps and Velcro fastenings wrapped around her tiny waist.
"Just help me sit up and I'll take it from there," she assured him, almost laughing at the confused look on his face.
"Good God Mac! Are you sure this isn't some medieval torture device? I think I've seen fewer snaps and latches on a chastity belt."
"Well, I'm sure it's not all that easy to have sex in this thing either, but I've never really tried so…" she trailed off, leaning against him and unfastening the brace and then allowing him to lower her back onto the bed.
"Wade didn't give it a shot? The wuss. Believe me Mac…no little back brace would keep me from wanting you," he said, leering at her playfully.
"Well, by all means then, you go ahead and give it a shot later…when I've woken from my pain pill induced haze," she mumbled, drifting off to sleep.
"I just might do that Ms. McHale. I just might do that."
Will moved back to his side of the bed and got in; Mackenzie gravitated toward him, seeking him out. He wanted to rest but he wasn't necessarily sleepy. He lay there thinking about what he finally figured out about her cheating and why it occurred. Ironically enough it was Mac who helped him understand why she cheated and helped him to forgive her. She had moved onto his chest and he was enjoying holding her as she slept. He didn't want to hurt her back but he was desperate to make love to her.
Mac moaned in her sleep and moved her hand to his crotch and rubbed him through his pants. She was definitely still asleep. He took her hand in his and rested them on his chest. Her touch felt so good. It never had taken him long to become aroused around, or even when thinking about her. She'd taken a pill so she was going to be out for a while and along with the pain; she was feeling the stress of her parent's breakup. Nothing, however, was going to make him move and leave her there alone. They had both spent too much time waking up alone.
Will had dozed off when a door opening and closing woke him. There were voices coming from downstairs. When he looked over at Mac she was still asleep. He quietly got out of bed and walked to the top of the stairs to find out what was going on. There were movers carrying the boxes out of the house and he heard Elizabeth explaining what else needed to be moved.
He walked downstairs and found Elizabeth in the formal living room. "Did Mackenzie tell you?" Elizabeth asked.
"She did," was all he said. He wasn't sure it was appropriate to say anything else. "Are you all right?"
Elizabeth had always liked Will and he certainly made Mackenzie happy. "The movers will not be too much longer. I've been moving items slowly, but with Michael's return…."
"Do you need any help?" Will offered.
"No, thank you. Where is Mackenzie?"
Will tried to think back to determine if Elizabeth had ever called Mac anything other than Mackenzie and he couldn't remember one instance. "She's resting."
"I would like to see her again before you two go back home, will you please tell her that for me?"
"Of course. Maybe we could all have dinner, you could introduce your friend to Mac," Will suggested.
Elizabeth smiled. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."
"You do realize that with the divorce you are going to have to work at your relationship with Mac? Michael kept you all connected."
"Mackenzie means the world to him," she said turning away from Will.
"You resent her for her father loving her. How in the world does that make sense in your head? Please explain this to me, I've never understood."
"I never really wanted a child but Michael did, so we had her." Neither one of them knew Mac was standing in the hallway and had been for a couple of minutes.
She walked into the living room and said, "finish it."
"It's true, I'm sorry, but it is, Mackenzie. I never wanted a child. I enjoyed traveling with Michael without having to worry about what a child would need or want, it was easier."
Will was by Mac's side and linked their hands. Mac swiped at the tears on her cheek.
"But you turned out to be his world. He wanted you around all the time. There was no sending you to boarding school when he thought being exposed to his world would be such a better education. I did grow to love you; I honestly never thought I would. All the women I knew that had babies instantly fell in love with them. I know this is hurting you and I don't like that, but you need to know the truth. That is always what you want, isn't it Mackenzie? The truth?"
"All I know is that I have a father who loves me and that I love and adore immensely. You will always be my mother, but I don't know if I want to have a relationship with you, I don't."
"I knew telling you about the divorce would most likely end our relationship."
Will saw Mac getting madder. "Telling me about the divorce was not the impetus. You and I have never gotten along and now I know why. If you need to know where it started, saying you never wanted me is where it started," she said and walked out of the room.
"You may not agree with me, Elizabeth, but if you don't fix this you will regret it because Mac is one of the most interesting, smart and loving people I know. I love her greatly and can attest to how wonderful it is to be a part of her life. You may never have a true mother, daughter relationship but you could work on at least being friends," he said and started to go find Mac. "One more thing, her friends call her Mac, you should try that sometime."
He found her out in the garden. "You up for some company?"
She was still facing away from him but nodded. He stood behind her and leaned her back against his chest, his arms going around her shoulders and her waist. "I love you," he said and kissed her temple.
"I love you, Billy," she said and turned in his arms, burying her face in his neck. He could feel the tears on her cheeks.
"I'm sorry you walked in on that."
She pulled back enough to talk to him. "It explains a lot. It hurts, but it does make sense now."
"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," he said wiping the tears from her cheeks.
"I want to go home Will. I don't want to be here," she mumbled into his shoulder.
"No you don't sweetheart. You want to be here for your father. If we get back on a plane right now you'll regret it the moment we take off. We can go to a hotel if you like? Get a suite at The Lanesborough or Claridge's?" he offered.
"Please stay. This is her home more than it ever was mine. She should be here when her father gets home. Please," Elizabeth McHale interrupted from the doorway.
"Mac?" Will asked, looking down at her.
"Don't touch anything in the library. Nothing in there is yours mother," Mackenzie said coldly as she moved to go back into the house.
"Of course. Mackenzie, I…." but her daughter cut her off before she could finish.
"Please don't talk to me right now. I'm tired, I'm in pain and I've just learned I was a horrible burden to my mother for my entire life. Please go before we both say something else we'll regret…if that is even possible at this point." Mackenzie stalked away.
"Elizabeth, maybe it's best if you give her a few days. Let her get Michael back here and settled in and let her get some rest. I promise you, she will want to speak with you before we return to New York. Mackenzie never has been one to walk away from an argument," he chuckled.
"Thank you Will. I'm so glad she has you again. I always wondered what would happen to her when she didn't have her father anymore. No one else ever understood her until you came along."
Will nodded his understanding, not quite sure he'd be able to say a word without crying at this point. How could her own mother not see the amazing, funny, smart, determined woman he saw when he looked at Mackenzie? He'd wanted to know more about her the moment he met her, but her mother wanted to pawn her off on a boarding school the second she was out of diapers.
After Elizabeth had instructed the movers on the loading of her boxes, she hurried to a taxi and was off, without a last look back at her daughter or the house she had spent nearly fifty years in.
Now, where the hell had Mackenzie disappeared to, he wondered?
"Mac? Mackenzie?! Where are you?" he shouted out into the echoing hallways of the McHale home. No answer. Damn it! He stomped around the empty rooms until he, at last, stumbled upon her in the kitchen opening and closing drawers in a fury.
"What the hell are you looking for?" he asked from the doorway.
"A corkscrew. You don't happen to have a Swiss Army knife on you, do you?" she asked desperately.
"Not allowed on planes anymore. Put down the bottle of wine Mackenzie, that's the last thing you need with Vicodin."
"Actually, I haven't had one in two hours. I'm sure a glass of wine would be fine," she huffed as she continued to stomp around the kitchen in search of the corkscrew.
"I'm not sure your doctor would agree with that," Will chided.
"And since when are you a spokesperson for my doctor? Give me the damn corkscrew!" she shouted, when she noticed he had found it lying on the bar.
"Give me the bottle Mac," he said quietly as he carefully removed the wine from her hand and opened it for her. He poured her a small glass, figuring it couldn't hurt at this point. He didn't think being this upset was good for her pain either, and maybe the wine would help take the edge off that.
"I never knew she hated me," Mackenzie muttered as she wandered into the library and searched for some matches to light a fire.
"She doesn't hate you Mackenzie. She barely knows you…that's the whole problem," Will assured her as he guided her to a chair by the fire and found the matches her father always kept in a cabinet nearby. He arranged the logs and threw in a couple of balled up sheets of newspaper and threw a lit match in.
"She's known me for forty years Will."
"Not really Mac. She never really tried. You heard her she never wanted children. But your father did and for women of her social circle forty years ago, it was what was expected. It's shitty and unfair to both your mother and to you, but there it is. You may never have the kind of relationship with her that you do with your father, but you still have both your parents. Try to be thankful for that," he pleaded, patting her hand as he took a seat on the hearth next to her chair.
"Is that really better Will? I'm sorry your mother is gone and I'm sorry your father was an unmitigated bastard, but is it really so wonderful that my mother lived long enough to tell me she never wanted me?"
"I want you. Your father adores you. Your staff would put their jobs on the line for you. Maybe that needs to be enough Mac. We don't always get everything we want out of this life, but sometimes, if we're really lucky, we get enough Mackenzie. Isn't what you have enough?" he pleaded.
"You. You are enough Will. You and I together again is more than I could have hoped for. Just don't expect me to invite my mother to the wedding," she grumbled into his neck as she leaned over and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
"Wedding?" he asked. "When exactly is this wedding Mac?"
"I don't know, but let's face it…it's inevitable. We're old Will. We're too fucking old to mess around. And I'm tired of pretending we're not going to be together. Who else is going to put up with your four televisions blaring every fucking major news channel twenty-four hours a day? And what other man is going to want to have sex with me in my back brace? We're a matched set…you can't break it up," she said tearily into his shoulder.
"I beg to differ Mackenzie. We are not old. I'm old. You are slightly crippled and arthritic. But don't worry, the smell of Ben-Gay turns me on," he said, kissing her temple and pushing her away so he could look her in the eyes.
"Come on, let's get you back into bed before that wine intensifies the Vicodin and you're singing show tunes and swinging from the chandelier," he said, standing and offering her his hand. She rose and leaned into his side.
"I love you, you know that?" he whispered into her hair.
"Of course I know that…now show me," she said, leading him upstairs.
With all of the boxes gone the house looked like he'd remembered it being. He followed Mac up the stairs and into their bedroom. She turned to him, next to the bed and placed her arms around his neck. His arms were around her waist and they were standing there staring at one another.
"I never thought we'd be here again," Mac said.
"I've missed you so much, Mac."
She stood on her toes and kissed him, her tongue teasing his. He moaned and she laughed against him.
"You think teasing me is funny?" he asked with a smile. "I'll remind you of that later," he said as he unbuttoned her shirt.
She pulled his shirt out of his pants and unbuckled his belt. They both kicked off their shoes. He pushed her shirt off of her shoulders and with his fingertip he traced the outline of her bra. "This is pretty. I love how it looks against your skin," he said and leaned down to kiss the top of her breast. He felt her shudder and smiled. His hands were on her breasts, teasing and caressing, but keeping his touch very light.
She unbuttoned his shirt and each patch of skin she revealed she kissed with open mouth kisses. She pushed his shirt off and bit his nipple, then sucked it into her mouth.
"Fuck, Mac." She let the nipple pop out of her mouth and she smiled at him. Her hands moved to his pants. She unbuttoned them and very slowly she lowered the zipper, making sure she caressed his cock through his underwear. She dropped his pants on the floor, leaving him standing there in black boxer briefs.
"Damn, you look good in boxer briefs," she said walking around him, looking at him from all angles.
"My turn," he said, unhooking her bra and dropping it on top of his pants. His hand held up one breast and his mouth was tracing patterns all around her areola, never actually touching the nipple. He repeated the pattern on her other breast. He dropped to his knees and unbuttoned, and unzipped her pants and pulled them down. His mouth was on her, breathing against her, through her underwear.
Her hands were on his shoulders helping to keep her balance. "God, Billy," she moaned, her head thrown back.
With his teeth Will took hold of her underwear and pulled them off of her. His hands were on her hips, holding her steady. He rested his head against her abdomen and breathed her scent in, deeply. "You smell so good, fuck you have no idea how much the smell of your arousal turns me on. I think I can't get any harder and I smell you and fuck, I'm harder than I've been in years."
One of her hands was now in his hair, letting her fingers sift through.
He pushed her back against the bed and sat her down. He was between her legs, looking up at her. "I love you, so much Mac."
Her hand was on his neck pulling him in for a kiss. She kissed her way around to his ear and traced the shape of his ear with her tongue. Her other hand was teasing his other ear, one finger only and her touch very light. She replaced her tongue with her lips and nibbled and fondled his ear, stopping briefly to suckle on the lobe.
His hands were caressing and rubbing anywhere he could reach. What she was doing to his ears was driving him wild and felt so good. He wanted her to feel that good. His hands were on her thighs, massaging her muscles, his thumbs teasing the skin where her legs met her torso.
She bit down, very lightly, on his ear when she felt his fingers on her clit. He would barely graze and move away. She was very wet and he longed to taste her. "Mac," he whispered and she pulled away from his ear to look into his eyes.
"Are you okay?" she asked smiling at him. His eyes were full of lust and wanting, staring right at her. The feeling was almost overwhelming to have such intensity aimed at her.
"I'm so much better than okay," he said, leaning in to kiss her. His kisses moved from her mouth down her neck, all along her collarbone, down her chest where he finally took a nipple into his mouth and sucked hard.
"Damn, Billy, that feels so good."
His hand moved hers from her other nipple so he could pinch and tantalize. She loved her nipples played with and he knew that, it was a huge turn on for her. She pinched his nipples as he was playing with hers, her fingernails scratching them.
He switched breasts and was now using his teeth along with the suckling. She moved one hand behind herself to brace against his assault on her breast. With the other she took his fingers that were teasing her thigh into her mouth, suckling in time with him.
Her suckling was driving him mad and making it very hard to concentrate. The nipple popped out of his mouth and he pulled his fingers from her mouth and held her hand, pulling it to his mouth to kiss her palm. She was watching him, trying to figure out what he was going to do next.
With his eyes on hers he placed his mouth on her mound, nibbling, kissing, teasing. When his tongue touched her clit, she moaned loudly. He sucked on her clit while putting two fingers inside her.
"Fuck, yes," she moaned, her head thrown back. She was very close to coming and wanted him inside of her when that happened. She reached under his arms and got his attention. He pulled his fingers out and took his mouth off of her. Her hands were on his cheeks. She kissed him and tasted herself on his lips. "I want you in me when I come." He nodded and stood up while she moved to the top of the bed with him following her after he pulled off his underwear. She held his cock and with her thumb teased the head.
He pulled her hand away from his cock and kissed it, "you can play next time, I promise. I'm really close." She nodded, understanding completely and laid back, holding her arms out to him. He easily went to her and rested against her, keeping most of his weight on his elbows. He kissed her and pushed his tongue into her mouth, her tongue keeping pace with his. Her hips were pushing against his, grinding in time with their dueling tongues. He pulled his mouth away, panting. "I need to be in you."
"Do it," she replied with a smile. "I need to feel you in me."
He took his cock in hand and eased himself just inside of her, going very slowly, letting her get used to him. He pulled back slightly and pushed all the way inside.
"Fuck," she screamed. "God, yes, fuck you feel good." Her hands were on her nipples, pulling and twisting them.
He loved watching her pleasure herself, it ratcheted up his arousal even further and he wasn't sure that was even possible. He began thrusting slowly and gradually increased his pace. He knew by her moans how close she was to coming.
"Billy," she moaned, "harder."
He did as she asked and with every thrust their skin was slapping together.
"Yes, so good. I'm so close, Billy, please," she moaned, her eyes squeezed shut. She was very close, as was he. Their pace was intense.
"Open your eyes and watch me come in you," he said.
She opened her eyes and he asked, "you ready?"
She nodded and he touched her clit and she was screaming and coming harder than he ever remembered her coming and the intensity triggered his own orgasm.
"Fuck, Mac, God yes, fuck," he said and collapsed on her, completely spent.
After a couple of minutes he rolled off of her and pulled her to his chest, one of her legs between his. She pushed herself up and kissed him, gently, lovingly and said, "I love you."
He tucked some hair behind her ear and said, "I love you, too, sweetheart."
"God, I hope no one is here?" she mumbled into his chest.