A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! I generally don't like / struggle with original characters but I kind of backed myself into a corner with this story so I'm glad that you still like it. I promise there will be more Mac and the regular crew and Will will get back to NYC but thank you for your patience as he works through everything 'back home'.
Will could feel himself start to tremble in anger. Caroline began to cry again and leaned in to grasp his shirt.
Will gently pushed her back so he could look her in the eye, "Where is he Caroline?"
She shook her head.
He felt his heart pounding in his chest, "Caroline, come on now, this is me, tell me where he is."
She took a deep breath. "I don't know where he is right now. I left him last month. He was angry because dinner wasn't going to be ready before he had to leave for some meeting or whatever but he hadn't told me about it so how was I supposed to know to have dinner ready early? He tossed a plate and got in my face but before he could hit me Jason stepped in and pushed him away. He grabbed Jason by the arm and tossed him into the wall. And, oh my god Will, it was just like you and Dad. It was like I was a little kid again watching you get hit for protecting one of us except this time it was my son. My son Will! I put him in that situation and...and..." She breathed a few deep, shuddering breaths.
"We left him that night. I had Jason pack up his things and he and I drove down here and have been living in the house with Dad for the past month. I don't know where Greg is, nor have I returned his calls for the past month."
Will was trembling. "Caroline, how long has this been going on?"
She shrugged, avoiding eye contact "I couldn't even tell you. I mean it wasn't always like this but he's been under a lot of stress lately so it's been more so but...I don't know. It's not new."
Will brusquely pushed away from Caroline and stood at the bottom of the steps. "I'm going to kill him."
"Will!" She reached for him again but he began to pace on the walkway.
"No, really, I'm going to kill the bastard."
She grasped his arm, "Will, please, I'm sorry. I didn't tell you this to make you mad. Please, I'm sorry."
Will froze and looked down at her, "No. Don't you dare apologize. A woman being hit by her husband has no reason to apologize to anyone. I, however, need to apologize to you for killing your husband, because that's what I'm going to do right now."
"William!"
He brushed her off, running his hands through his hair. She followed him and grasped his arms.
"Please, Will. I'm sorry I never told you. But please, don't be angry."
He breathed out harshly, "Don't be angry? How can you...How...? We just; we just talked about how you are everything I cared about. Now, you tell me the man you've been with for 15 years is no better then the father I spent 15 years protecting you from! How the hell am I supposed to not be angry?!"
"Will, please. Let's just talk about this tomorrow, please...I just needed...I was worried about Jason...that's all...I didn't mean for you to...please...just don't...please..." She collapsed against him sobbing into his chest and pulling on his shirt.
He could do nothing else but pull her to him and slowly rock her in the dark. "Shhh. Okay. Okay. It's okay. I'm here. I'm staying right here and I'm not going anywhere. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry. You're both going to be alright. It's okay. I'm right here."
Brother and sister stayed out on the porch until the horizon began to lighten, heralding the rising sun.
Will finally convinced Caroline to head to bed to try and grab some sleep in the last couple of hours before breakfast. He watched her disappear up the stairs then settled himself back outside on the porch swing knowing there was no way he could even hope to get some sleep.
He breathed deep breaths and tried to let the beauty of the breaking dawn over the plains soothe his frayed nerves. He wished he had a joint but figured a cigarette would have to do. He let it dangle from his lips and leaned back, closing his eyes.
'Shit.' he thought to himself.
Day 2 with little to no sleep and just keep adding on the emotional stress. He idly wished he had some mirtazapine with him. Sub-consciously he raised his hand to his stomach. Nope, never mind. No more self-medicating...unless it was some of those brownies Neal knows how to get.
Those were good brownies. He let his mind wander back to that night.
If he was honest it was one of the best nights he'd had in a long time. Not only was it one of the best stories he ever got to report but everyone was in a good place that night. No drama, no thinking about anything in the past; just sitting back and watching some of the best people in the business do the work he loved on a great story.
Being baked just meant he allowed himself to really take the time to enjoy each moment.
He loved the excitement of trying to get the confirmation, loved watching Charlie tell the team, loved the energy each time someone announced they booked someone good, loved watching everyone jump from the holding pattern to moving the moment they gave the go, loved watching Mac pull everyone together and give them direction, loved hearing her effortlessly coordinate segment after segment they did even when it was past 3 in the morning, loved the way she kept subtly reminding him to drink water, loved the way she sauntered into the studio at the end of the night, loved the way the skirt she was wearing...
ARRRRRAAAHHH-ARRRRAHHHH
"JESUS CHRIST GOD DAMN IT!" Will jerked awake to find the rooster patrolling the porch and crowing in the new day.
Will blinked his eyes rapidly as he listened to the farm coming awake; the cows baying in the barn, goats and sheep in the paddock, the crows in the tree top, the hens chattering in the hen house
ARRRRRAAAHHH-ARRRRAHHHH
And the goddamn rooster who would not shut the fuck up.
"Yeah, yeah. You did that already, get the hell away from me you dumb cock." Will shoved the rooster off the porch with his foot. With a huff and shake of his wings the king of the hen house wisely strode away to bring his call to another corner of the yard.
Will shook his head and fished his phone out of his pocket, powering it on.
-Remember when I said it was quiet here? I forgot about the goddamn animals. Someone save me and bring me back to the peace and quiet of NYC.-
He settled back on to the porch swing. It wasn't long before he felt the buzz in his pocket.
-Mac: I take it no sleep?-
-A little, fell asleep on the porch. Didn't last long. Fucking rooster. Up most the night with Caroline. You can't believe how fucked up everything is.-
-Mac: Want to tell me about it?-
He sighed, he didn't think he could yet articulate what Caroline's revelation did to him, nor did he want to think about it too, even just thinking about thinking about it invited the anger to come and coil itself in his chest, like a physical weight on his heart. He looked at the time on the top of the screen. Considering the time he had kept Mac up talking last night she was probably still in bed. Crap.
-Tell you all about it when I'm back. Go back to sleep. It's Sunday and it's early. I'm sorry.-
-Don't be sorry Billy. Don't ever be sorry.-
He smiled fondly at the phone. She could make him feel better in the simplest of ways.
His smiled fell into a frown and he scowled at himself. What the hell was wrong with him? Shouldn't he be calling and texting Nina?
It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to Nina. She was a great person to have a conversation with but...she didn't know he rationalized...she didn't know anything about his childhood or his family and that wasn't something you got into over the phone. He just needed to feel a connection with someone who knew both sides of him.
He promised himself once he got back to New York Nina would go back to being his first call, but for now, for what remained of this weekend, he would allow himself to take the easy way out.
He snorted at himself under his breath. He was so full of shit.