so sorry this has been delayed so much! here's another chapter for the time being. it's hard updating 2 stories at once!

Mackenzie laid on the couch wide awake. It was well past midnight, the entire house was dark and quiet. She tried all to her tricks to get to sleep, but wound up even more awake than normal. She hated the sound of silence.

Behind the closed door of the bedroom, Will laid awake. She thought it was a good idea to bring Mackenzie here, but now it seemed like a mistake. She was distant and closed off. He couldn't figure out why. She seemed very affectionate when he told her he was taking her away. But now, suddenly it was like she didn't want to come close to him. After laying awake, Will decided to get up for some water. Or scotch. Whichever poured itself first.

The couch faced away from the kitchen. But Will decided that he had to be absolutely quiet so she could sleep. He couldn't wake up Mackenzie. But when he walked out, he found Mackenzie sitting up on the couch. Her knees had been pulled up to her chest and she had a hoodie on. There is no way she would fall asleep like that - and if she had, Will knew it couldn't be comfortable. He walked around to the front of the couch to face her.

"Kenzie?" He whispered, reaching his hand out to rest in her back.

She looked over to him, reaching up quickly to wipe her eyes. "You okay?"

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." She looked up at him.

"What are you doing?" He sat in the armchair kiddie corner to her.

"I couldn't sleep," she confessed. "And I got cold. I hope you don't mind." She referred to his sweatshirt that she was wearing.

"That's fine, Kenz. Anything of mine, help yourself too." Will smiled in the dark.

"What are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I came to get some water." He sighed. "Or scotch."

It fell quiet in the house again. Mackenzie was fixated on the blank tv screen ahead of her.

"Do you believe in true love?" She asked so quietly that Will thought he was hearing things.

"What?" He asked, but he moved to rest his elbows on his knees.

"You know how they say everyone has a soul mate, one true love, their other half?"

"I have heard something like this,"

"Do you believe in it?"

"I'm not sure I follow, but I believe we have some kind of destiny." Will leaned back in the chair. "Why do you ask?"

"Just trying to process things."

"Mac, if this is about Brenner- you can't let this bring you down."

"What is this is my destiny? What if this is karma? It's happening right in front of my eyes."

"I don't think karma works like that." Will explained.

"But this could be full circle." She rested her forehead on her knees to keep from crying.

"Hey," Will moved over to sit next to her. He put his arm around her and pulled her body into him.

"Karma is making me pay for what I did to you." She sniffled, using the sleeve of his sweatshirt to wipe her nose. The hood of the sweatshirt was secure over her head, making it difficult to see her face in the dark.

"I don't believe that." Will was trying his best to comfort her. But truthfully, he thought, is the universe making her pay? He thought she had been put through the ringer enough already. Then again, who was he to decide this?

"Mac," he said, pushing her up into a sitting position. "You need to get some sleep."

"Yeah," she sighed.

"Sorry there isn't a nightlight or something," he cursed himself for not thinking about that. "What can I do to help?"

"It's okay. Eventually I will just fall asleep. I just wish I knew when it was."

"Want me to stay with you?" He offered. "You seem to fall asleep quickly when your with me." He chuckled lightly recalling all the nights that they would spend working or chatting on the phone. Whenever it was visible that Mackenzie was tired, he knew how to flip that switch and she'd be asleep within moments.

Mackenzie looked up at him. "You'd do that?"

"Of course." Will stood up and stretched, he held down a hand to her, "you should sleep in the bed though."

"I'd actually prefer to stay here."

"Mac, seriously. The bed is much more comfortable than this."

"I can't," she whispered.

"Why not?" He was getting frustrated either her.

"Being in a bed with you..."

"I'll take the armchair or the floor." He offered quickly.

"It's not that." She put her head back down. She spoke into her knees the reason why.

"What?" Will asked moving back down to sitting.

"I would love to lay next to you. But recently we've only done that when... After Brian..." Mackenzie suddenly couldn't find the words. But it clicked for Will. Whenever they've slept together recently she was so shaken up about an encounter with Brian. Will hadn't know it yet, but that's why she'd call him crying and she would be hysterical when he showed up.

"Kenzie," Will tried to pull her into a hug. "Don't think of those memories okay?"

She nodded against his chest.

"Let's try to sleep there. If you can't, if its too hard, then we can move out here and sleep on the couch."

"Okay." She replied softly and she let him pull her up to her feet.

She followed him to the bedroom, his hand never leaving hers. He pulled the covers up on the far corner, she reluctantly climbed in.

"You'll be asleep so fast you won't even remember where you are." Will assured her.

"Okay." She responded meekly. She shuffled to the edge of the bed. As far away from Will as she could.

He knew she had been through a lot, and he was surprised by the amount of physical contact she allowed from him. Still - he was going to push it further. He wanted her to know that she could trust him. He had to prove it to her.

He moved closer to her. He touched her should, hating that she jumped at his touch.

"Kenzie," he spoke softly, "it's me. It's Will."

"I know," she nodded her head I to the pillow.

"You can get as close to me as you want. I'm not going to hurt you."

Will thought that it has a lost cause. That they'd have to try again tomorrow. But then slowly, she turned onto her back and faced him. Her shaking hand reached up and touched his chest, laying it flat against his heart. He grabbed it, brought it up to his lips and kissed her knuckles.

"It's me." He whispered again.

"Okay." Was all she said in return. She left her hand over his chest, and slowly her eyes began to close and she was soon fast asleep.