It was downright painful for Mac to see what Will was doing, or trying to do after what happened between them in the hair and make up room. His eyes had that darkness she always dreaded, because that never ended well. He was completely ignoring her interventions through the headset and neither did he care to acknowledge what she was saying. For a moment, she contemplated just giving the control to Don and leaving the control room. She could not take it any more. She watched and watched as Will mercilessly cut Sloan and Don in the run up to calling the elections, as he very uncharacteristically let Tayler get personal with his political allegiance and literally tear him apart, casting serious doubt on all his calls as the moral centre of the show.

Her gasp was audible as she thanked the almighty for small mercies like this last commercial they had just broken into. Almost everyone in the control room heard it and she watched as Will flinched at the desk, pulling the headset almost instantly and continuing to scribble something on his notepad. This time, when he needed some information, he plugged in the headset called out for Don who responded nervously. Don shot an uneasy look at Mac before giving Will all the latest numbers he needed. Mac was not going to take this any further. She intervened and started telling Will what to do when they returned. Without looking up, Will held out a finger in the general direction of the camera before returning to writing his notes, a clear signal that he did not want her in his ear at the moment. Mac clenched her jaw, mentally willing herself forward. Don could see the rage in her eyes and could only be thankful for it being the last commercial and the last segment because he could not stand being in this tense atmosphere any more than that.

Mac was hardly able to hold herself together for the last segment. When she did speak to him, she made the instructions were audible and meant for all four of them. Will's jaw was still firmly set, not an errant word leaving his mouth. His knuckles were going white from the sheer force with which he was gripping his pen. The last segment went without a hitch and as soon as Will called the elections and they were clear, he looked at the camera for a few moments more than required, mentally zoning himself for something and then silently left the studio even as Don and Elliot congratulated him and each other for a great broadcast. As he left, they looked at each other, confused. Sloan tried to reach out to Mac but was surprised to see her absent from the control room. Don just gave her an unsure shrug in return to her questioning eyes. She let out a sigh.

Will escaped to his office. The rage and pain inside him was making his hands tremble but he'd be damned if he let anyone else see this. He did not even care for a second glance at Mac's office as he passed it by, pushing the door open with so much force he was scared he'd break it. His notes still in his hand, he flung the notepad on his table and bent over his table, his shaky arms somehow holding him up. Angry tears threatened to escape his eyes, now stinging at his eyelids. Looking up with his eyes closed, he tried to will those tears into disappearing, an unsuccessful attempt.

He rushed over to the other side of his desk now, his hands rummaging through his messenger bag. Taking out a small key, he nervously opened his drawer and the pale blue Tiffany box was right there, staring back at him. Grabbing it hastily, he stuffed it into his pocket and walked over to Mac's cabin, not even caring to knock before he entered. Mac was clearing her office. And then it all came back to him, he had fired her. He did not know what to do now. But his anger was getting the better of him.

"You can't leave", he growled

"Excuse me?"

"You can't leave, you are legally obliged to stay till the end of the week. I just talked to legal"

She could not believe this man. Was this some sort of new punishment? Some new trick? And he had the gall to say that to her in that tone! She moved towards him threateningly, about to start a huge argument. He dodged her and went over to her desk, placing the box on her table and then staring dead into her eyes. His eyes were dead, but still displaying pure anger.

"I hate you too"

He left without another word, and Mac felt like she'd just been trampled over.