"MacKenzie McHale," She stuck her hand out as she walked back into his office after almost 3 years. After Charlie talked her out of joining a women's bowling league. After…

He kept reading his newspaper, and quite honestly she couldn't blame him. But, damn it, Will— "You might not remember me. I used to produce a little show called News Night with Will McAvoy. I've heard it gone to shit since I left."

He put the newspaper down, he knew MacKenzie was tenacious. She would stand here all damn day if she wanted to. Will looked up to see her forced smile and her hand extended out to him— she looked like she would cry at any moment. "Will McAvoy," he shook her hand and with an extra squeeze, "I remember you. You're a bitch." He released her hand. Will picked his paper back up.

"Now, Billy," Mac stood up straighter than before and kept wiping at an invisible piece of lint on her skirt. "Is that any way to talk to your new EP?"

"Oh fuck no—" Will stood up, going to look for Charlie.

MacKenzie followed him, looking around at all of the empty desks and the staff that seemed to be frightened by him just walking through the bullpen. "It seems as though you have a reputation of being hard to work for. People think you're an ass,"MacKenzie shouted.

"Like you have any moral high ground to stand on here." He turned around and snapped.

"I know I don't," MacKenzie started off strong but then whispered the end and looked down at her feet.

Will took a step closer, so they weren't screaming across the newsroom, "You went to War! Instead of coming into the office the next morning, you went to war." He was still quite loud.

"Yes, and I would still be there, but I was stabbed." She was balling up her fists at her sides.

"I know. You think I don't know every single thing that you did while over there." Will wanted to continue this conversation, but not here. Not in the middle of a room full of reporters. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back into his office. She went a little more willing than he had anticipated.

"Every single thing, Billy?" Mac smiled when the door had shut. She bit her bottom lip.

"Yes, MacKenzie. You're easy to keep up on." Will smiled despite himself, "Congratulations are in order… for your Peabody." He was nervous— gesturing more with his hands.

"Yeah, thanks." She blushed. She knew she didn't need an award to be bloody good at her job, but it sure was nice to have one. "So, what did you do? Have someone keep tabs on me? Don't they have real work to do?"

"Okay MacKenzie, I just asked some people every so often about you and I kept it strictly professional." Will did most of the digging himself, but she didn't need to know that.

"I didn't sleep with anyone," MacKenzie blurted. She was nervous, too.

"First time for everything," he muttered.

"I deserve that," Mac flopped onto his couch. She knew by coming back to work here with him that she would be punished. She thought she deserved to be. She ruined his life, then went off to war and put many of her staff in danger. She deserved whatever he had to give her. But, Charlie was right— she was never going to be a professional bowler and she hated the idea of running a show centered around lunch.

"You're really my EP again?" Will stood in the middle of his office. He stared her down. Hoping that he could will her into a different answer.

"In your ear, as always." MacKenzie smirked.

"Fuck me," he groaned.

MacKenzie couldn't help herself, "I'd like to." She stood up to leave his office, they had work to do, and she had to figure out what kind of staff she had since Will kept running everyone off. But, he snatched her wrist and pulled her flush against him. Involuntary, she gasped—

"I swear to god, MacKenzie, I have never been this angry with you," he growled in her ear.

"I know," she kissed his cheek reflexively. Where that came from she didn't know— his intensity frightened her a bit, so maybe that was it. She was overcompensating. He had never been this mad around her, ever.

The blinds were closed, the staff was afraid of his temper, all rational ran out of his head, and he… pushed her up against his bathroom door and kissed her. Hard. MacKenzie's eyes fluttered shut, and she leaned into him. Even after all this time, she loved him more than anything. She had thought about this happening, but never did she think he would actually do it. She thought he would fire her faster.

Will pulled back, and rested his forehead against hers, their eyes still closed— "Damn it, Kenz."

"I know," She was certainly not mad, but didn't know where to go from there. It all happened so fast.

"Why did you tell me?"

"You were going to propose and I hadn't been entirely truthful and I—" She knew exactly what he was talking about. He was breaking down his walls in a moment of pure and utter weakness.

MacKenzie McHale was definitely his Achilles Heel.

Will kissed her again. This time short and gentler. "You drive me insane."

"We have to work today, Billy."

"You can't call me Billy."

"You can't keep kissing me then."

Will really noticed in this moment where they were. His hands firmly on her hips, she was pinned against the wall with her arms thrown over his shoulders. "I have so much self-control and then you walk into my office and I have lost it twice now. How do you do that?"

"I definitely didn't mean to," She bit her lip and gazed into his blue eyes, "but I am certainly not complaining— I thought you were going to fire me or quit or I don't know…" He looked so broken.

"You really haven't slept with anyone?"

"War zones and leaving your best friend who wanted to propose to you and then getting stabbed didn't leave much time—"

"You were upset?"

"Why on god's green earth would I go halfway across the fucking world if I wasn't!"

"But, you left me!"

"Because you told me to!"

"I bought you flowers that next morning. I never thought you'd leave your job— you've always loved your job."

"But I loved you more." She looked down, crying. Their proximity was overwhelming. His hands on her waist, his breath on her skin and his smell of bourbon and cigarettes was strong— it was all too much.

"Look at me, Kenz."

She shook her head.

"Look at me."

She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. "Take a deep breath." They were both an emotional mess.

"Easier said than done," she quipped.

"Fair, but you have a show to run. And then later, after said show, you're going to get a drink with me." He brushed the tears off of her cheeks.

"Will," She started to put on her steely composure. "We can't do that. I… we.. aren't—"

"I don't think it was a question, McHale."

"Billy—"

"No more protests, go run your show." He kept his hands firmly on her waist.

"You have to let me go. And I need to talk to you…"

Will released her and walked over to sit at his desk, "Yes, please take a seat Ms. McHale."

Mac rolled her eyes, but appreciated the switch into professionalism, "When hired by Charlie," MacKenzie took a seat across from Will and pulled out a bunch of materials from her bag that she forgot she sat down next to his desk when she first walked in. "I was told you have become, and excuse my language, quote 'an arrogant, son of a bitch, who can't keep a fucking staff long than a few weeks who is more concern with ratings than he is actual reporting.' So, I intend on creating News Night 2.0 and I'm bringing in some new staff."

"New staff?" He grumbled.

"Mostly because you don't have any staff. Although, I met Maggie. Maggie will be a good AP."

"Maggie?"

"You don't know names of your staff do you?"

"I think my former EP was named Don? Is Maggie the young blond? I think I've been calling her Ellen."

"Okay, staffing shouldn't bother you too much then." MacKenzie rolled her eyes— he really did have the heart of a range rover, but he had to warm up to you first. Trust and loyalty meant a lot to Will. But, apparently he hasn't let anyone in lately. "The one big addition I am bringing with me is Jim Harper. He, literally, saved my life and is my right hand man. He will have his own show some day, but for now he is all mine. He'll be senior producer."

"I know who Jim Harper is." Will deadpanned.

"How?" Shocked.

"He called your parents when you got stabbed who then called me and asked if I had been told about it yet."

"Oh no." She never told them.

"Oh no' would be correct, my dear MacKenzie. Your parents asked why they were your emergency contact and not me."

"I never told them."

"Bingo!" He pointed at her sarcastically.

"I never told them we broke up because they liked you so much and I fucked everything up…"

"I didn't make it a big deal, Mac."

"Why?"

"I know how you are with them." Will started to become nervous. He had put on a tough face for the past few years, and he could feel himself cracking in so many places.

Jim opened the door in a flurry, "There's a well explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. It's yellow now, but this is going to go red."

………………………………