Mac is not around after the show the next night. Jim takes the final segment after Mac informs Will through his ear piece, during the break, that she is leaving early and will not be in till Friday.

Will's a bit thrown because he had intended to offer to take her for a drink after the show. Nina has a standing date with her female friends on Wednesday nights anyway so he has no excuses to make. The whole misunderstanding over Major Max has forced Will to acknowledge how much he wants Mackenzie by his side and he is intent on repairing fences with Mac as fast as possible.

Friday morning sees Mac back in the newsroom immersed in work. She looks tired and serious. Charlie calls by her office and speaks with her for 20 minutes before visiting Will who is actually trying to write his script ahead of time to please Mac for once. He has behaved himself in the pitch meeting too with no more scenes like the one over Neal's suggestion….which has come to nothing anyway.

"What you writing about today Will?" Charlie demands "Got a scoop from some of the low-life information Nina can extract from sources?"

"Doin' fine thank you Charlie…to what do I owe this visit so early in the day?" Will replies, wondering why Charlie is so untypically derogatory about Nina's line of work. Not that any of them approve of it, but Charlie is far too much of a gentleman to be overtly rude about anyone without good cause; it's not his style.

"You're an idiot Will. Do you know that?" the older man says cheerfully "I hope you and Nina have some really strong emotional bonds built up. When Mac leaves, Nina is going to have to see you through a string on new EP's and a new Chief of News Division."

"What are you talking about Charlie?" Will replies trying to keep the rising panic out of his voice "Mac won't leave, I'm about to start a charm offensive. I'd planned to begin my campaign on Wednesday night but she was off …probably saying her goodbyes to Major Max and his wife. They have a baby daughter too I think." Will paused " Wait! You're leaving Charlie? is that what you're saying?"

"What I'm saying is that you two will be the death of me" Charlie whispers wearily as he lowers his head sadly while shaking it to and fro and rising to leave.

Truth is, Will has been thinking more rationally about Mac since he'd met Max and learned their story. It seems she'd not moved on…not left him behind and certainly not tried to hurt him. As his panic has subsided, he's been left with a simple clarity….he should be with Mac...he should always be with Mac..forever. He feels at peace at last with this decision made. The contrast with the many other choices, terrible, hurtful choices, he's made regarding Mac since her return makes him blanch. This, this contented calm he feels, must be forgiveness. He's impatient to see her and begin the rest of his life...

Friday lunchtime and Mac re-enters her office to find a bunch of flowers sitting in the middle of her disorganised desk. She smiles thinking of Max and his wife and the fun the last few days had brought her, sorry to see them go.

The 2.00 pm pitch meeting goes as well as it can, except Will seems to be staring at her, waiting to catch her eye. He follows her to her office when it's over.

"Can I do something for you Will?" she says wearily "I have a stack of_"

"Did you like the flowers?" He says quickly "Are they ok?"

She's puzzled "Are they from you, Will? I just assumed they were from Max and Cynthia as they leave today from JFK" and she leans over and takes the card out of its forked holder.

Reading it she looks up sharply at Will and snaps, "Not appropriate at all Will. What are you thinking? "

"But Mac-"

"No 'but Mac' anything, Will. You have a girlfriend. You have a commitment. And asking another woman out when you are already a couple is cheating Will. I am not going down that street. I know you feel that I am 'that sort of person' but if there is one thing I learned from our relationship it is never to two time anyone. I won't do it and I won't let you do it either, at least not with me" Mac almost shouts at him

"But-"

"No buts Will….I've learned the lesson the hardest way I could. I've ruined my life by seeing an old flame when I wasn't sure of the status of our relationship….I won't let you do it… Nina might leave you….and I can't face another article about me or you cheating in the press, I just can't,…..please go" Mac's almost in tears by this point

For several seconds Will is transfixed; Hoist by his own petard. He has no answer to this. She's right. He can hardly say he wants Nina to split with him, she has barely moved in yet. And if he explains the truth Mac would want answers about why he has led Nina on and how he could hurt Nina like that. He'd be a lesser man. And then there's the tabloids. He can't run the risk of either of them being in the papers because Mac will be hurt whatever happens.

He has to slow down, back off and speak with Nina, explain this is a mistake, he realises. "Sorry, sorry, Damn it Mac" he mutters as he storms out of her office

When he's gone, Mac looks again at the card in her hand "Come to Valentino's tonight. I never stopped you know… W x"

She crumples it, hurls it at the waste bin and retires to her bathroom to sob in peace, devastated that Will believes she would happily help him two-time the person he has so recently committed to; angry at herself for wishing she could allow herself to do so. Damn Will.

.

Mac's agent calls her just before 5.00 pm with an offer to go to Fox. They are overjoyed she's available. She can double what she's getting currently and have a corner office. Her run-in with Will over the dinner invitation has made her even surer she needs a fresh start, so she sets a meeting for Saturday. Relief washes through her. Max's visit has reminded her that she can have other lives away from Will. He has Nina now, there's nothing to stay for.

Will arrives at his apartment that night and is greeted by dance music blaring from the speakers in his home office. Nina has asked her girl-gang over to see her new home and meet Will when he returns from work. He is not pleased to find himself the focus of questions about his relationship with Nina…..What had made him actually invite her to join him? he was asked by one very forward and very tipsy woman. How long had they felt so strongly for each other inquired another. Did he believe in marriage was a third impudent question! Arrrrh!

Will ran for the bedroom saying he had calls to make before he went to bed. He hid for an hour, starving, but too afraid to leave the sanctuary of his room for the kitchen 50 feet away. Nina didn't check on him (like Mac would have he thought). He phoned Mac twice but she didn't pick up. What had he expected? He had messed with Nina and he could see he would be no match for her. He had known about her love of money. He would have to pay millions to get rid of her. He considered marrying her as a cheaper option, but he felt sick at the thought.

For thinking about marriage brought thoughts of Mackenzie.

She would never screw him for his money or encourage him to do things that made him a lesser man. She wouldn't even date a man she thought was in love with someone else.

And Mac now believes he loves Nina because she always assumes the best of him…but…his thoughts run to the gossip columnist who had hacked Mac's phone and who had known he loved Mac before she'd dated him. Nina did not have such qualms. She could go with the flow; see where it leads.

The contrast between the two women is stark.

Will sits on his bed and thought carefully for several minutes.

Picking up his phone he dials Sloan Sabbath…..