Just over a week later Will is on the 44th floor with Charlie, Leona and Reece looking through the counter packages being offered to staff to retain them from Fox. They know Mac can take anyone she wants just by asking as they will follow her anywhere. But she is not dismantling the team, merely making sure that the offers of pay increases are passed on in the hope that the team gets a pay rise from ACN to stay with Will. She would never keep people back. She's Mac.

The executive team are subdued because Mac has gone to FOX already and Jim is filling-in but looks like he might follow her. They know what they've lost. Will knows it's his fault…well they all do but they are not saying it to him.

Bloody Nina

"How's Jim working out?" Leona probes

"Fine" Will says lethargically "just Fine"

"What say I ask her out for dinner? Where does she prefer Will? I could try to get her to return" Reece offers

"Cut it out, Reece" Will says tersely "just cause the numbers are dropping you can't-" Will starts

"I can do what I like and I miss Mac too and so does the company" Reese blurts out angrily, another person finally fallen under Mac's spell.

"She'll come back if you fire me-or if I retire" Will suggests. Reece's eyes light up and he's about to offer Will the option when...

"No way would Mcmac ever step inside AWM again if anyone did anything to you" Leona scolds, giving Reece a silencing stare "She probably left because she thought she was saving you from something."

"I want her back too" Will continues thoughtfully "and actually... I do need your help to do it, Reece." Will continues, "Tell me all about the phone hacking stuff. How is it done? Who actually does it? Did Nina use some equipment or is there an app? Did she hire someone to do it for her?"

And he does. Reece doesn't know much because he just provides the budget. But he does know the staff don't do it themselves and there are techs who get commissioned. Will is given the name of a staff member who has used the service and can give him a name.

The next day Will approaches Neal and Jim to discuss an exposé he is planning on phone hacking.

The plan is to request a phone to be hacked and then expose the hacker.

"Sounds like entrapment Will" Jim challenges

"Technically yes but it is also important to reveal how easy this is and how cheap and so on. So I plan to OK this with a law enforcement agency and we will set up to hack the phone of someone who is semi-famous but has agreed to the intrusion."

"Seems a bit….you know… shady, but I get it" Jim says

"Neal we want you to link with the hacker as you can explain you want to know about a contract the person is about to sign. You will do the commissioning and get given the hacking results. Your first real exposé." Says Will

"Won't let you down Will" replies Neal enthusiastically

"Just let's keep it between us though for the moment," Will requests

It takes a week to set up his sting and to have a phone hacked and the conversations reported to Neal. The transcript of just one of the conversations is also reported to Nina as Will predicted it would be, given her wide web of contacts all looking out for juicy information to supply her with- for a price. Nina gets the call when Will is out at work.

The conversation that has been passed to Nina includes uncomplimentary references to her, though her name is never actually mentioned. The hacker is oblivious about giving Nina information that affects her personally. The man is happy with his 50 bucks on top of his hacking fee from Neal.

Nina is livid, incandescent about the information she's been given and she starts to write her most vitriolic piece to date. Will McAvoy's affair with Sloane Sabbath….. very bad on so many levels

Will steps into the apartment at 9.30 pm that evening with Neal for company. "Hi Nina" he calls out good naturedly "Home"

Nina is not there. She has returned to her place to write her article and berate Will McAvoy. He won't insult her so easily.

Neal and Will review their evidence and write the copy ready to present the piece. They develop various graphics options, acknowledging that Mac would do these better. Will is very clear he wants this story completely ready to present from the next night though he will decide when to air it. Law enforcement will be alerted just before it is screened. Neal agrees to prioritise it and be ready to air by 4.00 the next day so that they can include it tomorrow if Will gives the go-ahead.

After Neal leaves, Will phones Nina leaving a voicemail when she doesn't pick up. Nina doesn't join him at his apartment the next day either.

Nina's wrath at Will for his apparent liaison with Sloan, has made her so angry that, 3 days later, a variety of articles describing the McAvoy affair with Sloan are on every news stand. The story makes the Morning Show too; Will smiles.

And best of all, Mac calls him to see how he is…full of concern and disbelief and support saying that he and Sloan have been somehow set up. She still cares about him a bit at least. And she doesn't believe that he is a person who cheats on his girlfriend either. Better and better.

"I'd like to let you know what has been going on Mac- with Sloan if possible….but with all the phone hacking going about, I think we should meet face to face. You free after the show tonight? Can you come to ACN?"

"What about Nina, Will, she must be devastated, though I guess she realises you would never have done what the tabloids are saying" Mac says concerned for him as always

"Not with Nina any more Mac, come and we can talk" his smile almost splits his face.

"Neal we're going with the C block tonight" Will grins as he enters the bullpen "Be ready"

That night Neal is in the studio and in Will's ear for the phone hacking segment.

His graphics are quite good and Will's explanation of how Sloan's phone was targeted, with Law enforcement's and the owner's permission, was presented together with the ease and the costs and the potential damage to companies and individuals. The News of the World scandal and the Hugh Grant debacle are covered.

Will describes how Sloan Sabbath had been selected as a believable target and conversations between her and him had been scripted so that the sting would appear authentic. Sloan is interviewed to agree her part in the plot and to laugh at the fake romance she and Will had affected within one call to add realism. She alluded to the stories in the tabloids which had appeared that day to show the extent of damage that can result from a single hacked call.

Will ends the show and sits at his desk. His phone glows and vibrates…Nina. "Hi" he says, picking up instantly. He listens and then speaks

"I got the impression you had moved out since you wrote most of the stories in the tabloids about me this week" Will begins

"I have no idea how you got wind of Neal's first investigative journalism story but why on earth didn't you just ask me about it, when you turned it up? We clearly are not as close as we should be Nina and I am ending this right now. I need to be able to trust the person I share my life with. I'll box up your stuff"

And Will smiles as he hangs up the phone. He lifts his eyes to see Mac in the doorway of the News Night studio, a concerned look on her face.

"I do not have a girlfriend anymore Mac" he says quietly but his eyes twinkle. His expression softens as he sees her hesitate, her feelings in turmoil. Sadness for Will and his presumed pain at the loss of his girlfriend takes precedence over her feelings of hope that he is free once again

"Valentino's ?" Will asks gently, getting up and crossing to meet her

"Valentino's it is" she agrees with a sigh and leans in as he wraps his arms round her just as he had done one Valentine's Day recently.

They stand for several minutes, wrapped in each other and their separate thoughts.

"Will?" Mac eventually says as she realises how long they have stood.

"Ummm... Yeah! We need to eat, I know…" Will says, reluctant at having to release her anytime soon

"I just need to get something from my office drawer and we can get going" he murmurs softly into her ear.