Taking Care of Mac

Chapter 4

AN: I know it's been an obnoxious amount of time since I posted some of this, but my muse has been rather silent on the matter… until this morning. So, here's the next bit. Sorry to those of you who wanted the day spent watching TV together, I just couldn't make it work. If somebody wants to write it, I'd love to read it, though! Onward…

Disclaimer: Yeah, they're still not mine. If they were, Maggie and Jim would be happily shagging each other's brains out, instead of the debacle of the last episode. Don and Sloan, ditto. Hmph.

MacKenzie McHale felt rejuvenated. Despite having had the nastiest cold this side of the H1N1 breakout, she'd had a pretty damn good weekend. She and Will had spent Saturday curled up on his couch, eating popcorn, and yelling at Howard the Duck on cable. (Christ, what an awful movie.) But now it was Monday morning. Her cough was gone, her sinuses were clear, and she felt like a million dollars. Fox News betters watch out, because she felt like kicking some major ass today.

As she stepped into the bullpen, Jim caught her eye and gave her a smile. "Hey, Boss. You look like you feel better!"

"I do. Thanks."

He threw her that small smirk of his. "Will looks much better too."

Mac's eyebrows rose, she hoped innocently. "Oh?"

"Mmm." Jim smiled, knowingly, and turned back to his computer.

Mac just shook her head. Sometimes that boy was too observant for his own good.

As she stepped up to her office, out stepped a well-recovered Will McAvoy, looking exceedingly handsome in a deep blue button down that brought out his eyes. "Hey."

"Hey."

"You're looking much better, Mac."

She smirked. "You too, Will."

He held her door open for her and she dumped her briefcase onto her desk.

Will said, "It's amazing what a Saturday in front of the TV can do for you."

Mac didn't respond since they both knew the TV had nothing to do with it. She just sent him a warm smile instead. "And now it's back to the grindstone and reporting the news."

"Almost," Will said, stepping into her personal space (not that she minded). "I believe it's time to cash in that rain check, now that I won't re-infect you with the bubonic plague."

Mac's heart raced even as she said, "You're such a drama queen, it wasn't nearly as bad as that."

Will slid his hand across her cheek and into her hair to cradle the back of her head. "Mac?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up." After this many years, kissing Mac again was a revelation. It was familiar and new at the same time and Will wasn't sure he could, or wanted to, stop.

Mac rose up on her toes to reach Will's lips better and wrapped her arms around his neck. God, she had missed this. Missed his strength, missed his warmth, just plain missed Will. And did she mention how good he smelled? She would not fuck this up again.

When they finally separated, Mac said, "Does this mean you've forgiven me?"

Will's eyes were very serious as he said, "Forgiven, yes. But that doesn't mean I'll forget."

Mac nodded. "I understand."

"I've missed you, Mac."

"I've missed you too, Billy."

"Don't call me that." Clearly, he wasn't serious. Mac just smiled.

Charlie chose that moment to open Mac's door. "Mac, I wanted to—" He stopped right where he was, his eyebrows disappeared into his hairline, and a huge grin broke across his face.

Will and Mac both pulled back a tiny bit, but didn't come close to leaving each other's arms.

Mac said, "What did you need, Charlie?"

"Hell if I know. I've completely lost my train of thought. When the hell did this happen?"

Will smiled down at Mac. "This weekend. Mac was sick and then I was sick and we were taking care of each other and then—"

"Stop! I don't want to know any more! I'm thrilled for both of you and it's about damned time, but now I have to go back to my office and figure out what I was going to ask Mac because someone needs to do some work here today." Charlie started to leave and then stopped and turned back. "All it took for you two to get back together was for both of you to have a cold? Damn, I would have infected you both with malaria ages ago if I'd known."

"Thanks, Charlie." Mac said to Charlie's back. All she got it response was a dismissive wave of his hand over his shoulder as the door shut behind him.

Will finally let Mac go and said, "That was fun. Who shall we throw off their game next? Jim?"

Mac opened her laptop to check her e-mails. "Jim took one look at me this morning and knew."

"Seriously? That's kind of freaky, Mac."

"That's how long we've worked together. He reads me well."

"Maybe I should take him out for a beer and we can compare notes on you."

"Just don't get him stoned."

"Spoilsport."

Mac grinned at her computer screen. It was so nice to be back in sync with Will. She might have worried about the effects their relationship would have on the show, but she knew from experience that they'd just get better and better. When they were both on their game, they became two halves of a well-oiled whole and they were unstoppable.

"Have dinner with me tonight."

Mac stopped and looked up at Will's suddenly serious face. "Of course."

"I mean like a date."

Mac's lips quirked a tiny bit. "That's what I figured."

"It won't be a clean slate. It will be a well-worn slate that's got a new coat of paint."

"That sounds good."

Will smiled and turned to leave. He turned back at the door. "I do love you, Mac."

Mac felt her eyes fill and a lump fill her throat. All she could do was smile.

Will came and kissed her forehead and murmured "Work hard" and left her to it.

Needless to say, it took her a while to focus that day.