A/N: Okay, this one needs a little set up. Whenever I watch the scene in 1x10 where Will tells Mackenzie he isn't coming back to work I wonder what would have happened if he followed through with it a little more. This story explores that and diverts from canon after the scene in 1x10 where Mac and Will talk about Camelot. So, in this story Mackenzie and Charlie don't know about the message yet, but they all know Nina Howard is waiting on a second source for the story about Will being high. This is another 2 part story because I cant seem to write less for these two. Enjoy. Review, let me know you're interested in part 2. Please and thank you.

Catch Me a Catch

Charlie: The Purposeful Matchmaker, Part 1

Mackenzie couldn't stop pacing. Back and forth, back and forth, she went. She walked over the well-worn groves in the wood floors of her apartment. She was utterly at a loss and like usual that meant she was thinking about Will. She had just left him at the hospital for the night and was feeling pretty exhausted. However, she knew she had a problem to solve. So, instead of attempting to sleep, she was doing laps in her hallway hoping for inspiration to strike. Will was insisting he was not returning to the show and Mackenzie was starting to believe him. She tried to clear her mind hoping it would help her magically come up with some way to make the man see reason, but so far it was a bust.

Mackenzie' paced until she was interrupted by the piercing ring of her cell phone echoing throughout her otherwise silent apartment. Mac immediately sprinted to her purse to answer the phone. Dread and hope mixed together within her as she ran, because maybe that was the hospital calling and something else had happened to Will! Or maybe it was Will himself calling to tell her he finally came to his senses and is coming back to News Night! Or maybe a million other maybes centered squarely around one man. Mac was not great with maybes.

"Hello," Mackenzie breathily answered.

"I've bought us a month," Charlie Skinner replied on the other line without any preamble. "Will turned in his resignation tonight after you left."

"He did what!?" Mackenzie screeched.

"Don't worry Mackenzie, like I said I bought us a month."

"What does that mean, Charlie? I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT MAN WOULD JUST-"

"It means," Charlie firmly cut off Mackenzie's upcoming rant, "I sat there. I listened to Will resign. I yelled, which didn't work. I used logic, which didn't work. So then I accepted it, which-"

"Why would you do that? You know he is not in the right frame of mind. He might think he means it, but he doesn't- He can't mean it!"

"Mackenzie, you have to let me finish!"

"Sorry," Mackenzie squeaked. "Go on."

"So, as I was saying, I accepted it. Or more precisely, I pretended to accept it. What I really did was shove the letter in my pocket, called HR, and got Will a month off under the pretense of him needing extra recovery time. So to the outside, News Night is simply on a hiatus. And that's how I bought us a month. Now you just need to convince Will that it's ludicrous to quit and we will be back in business."

"How exactly do we do that Charlie?" Mackenzie asked.

"That's your department. I have other fish to fry."

"What other fish?"

"Two Mackerels that go by the names of Reese and Leona Lansing. We can't get Will to come back only for him to be fired. If TMI finds that second source, and runs that story…"

"How are you going to do that? And what am I supposed to do? Will won't listen to me, I've been there every day and it doesn't seem like one word of what I am telling him is seeping into his thick skull at all."

"He'll listen, eventually. Mac, he listens to you in a way he listens to no one else. My advice, show up, keep showing up. Things will work out from there." Charlie encouraged.

Mackenzie let her natural can do attitude take over, "I can do that. I do have a month off. I can do this. I will do this. I am going to figure this out, and I am going to do this."

"Damn right you are. Mac, if one person can change his mind it's you."

"That's the part I just don't know about. Maybe once I was, I am not so sure about now. Either way I sure as hell am going to give it my all."

"Just be the confident smart Mackenzie I know and love and give him hell."

"Thanks, Charlie," Mackenzie, started pausing for a beat before adding, "for everything."

"My pleasure, sweetheart. Goodbye Mackenzie."

"I am taking you home." Mackenzie announced firmly as she strode into Will's hospital room. She was trying to appear extra confident, like that alone would make him agree without protest. It didn't work.

Will sat in his street clothes in the chair next to his bed, signing his release paperwork.

"Lonny will take me," Will dryly responded not even looking up from what he was doing. He knew this was just the beginning of a battle. He was hoping being dismissive might work because what was happening between him and Mac since he arrived in this hell hole was extremely unsettling to him. He couldn't let it continue. Will was getting used to her being there all the time. He was getting used to her feeling like she had some claim on him that went beyond working together. It was equally comforting and absolutely terrifying for him.

"I just spoke to the doctor outside and he said you shouldn't be alone for the next twenty four hours. And I just happen to have a duffle bag already packed." Mac responded.

"And what exactly makes you think I don't have someone else to stay with me?" Will countered.

"Do you have someone else?" Mac asked a couple octaves higher than her normal speaking voice.

"Not exactly, but the-"

"Well, then case closed. I am coming with you." Mackenzie cut off.

"You aren't staying at my place, Mac. It would be you know, weird."

"I am staying. And wake up, Will! Everything about the two of us is weird, what's one more thing? Plus, it's not like I am asking to cuddle, you have 3 guest rooms for me to choose from. I can play Goldilocks."

"This isn't your job, Mac."

"I know that, but I won't leave you alone and then have to come to your apartment again and find you in a bloody mess in your bathroom. I won't do it!" Mackenzie began to get more and more emotional as she went on.

"Mac!" Will roared both frustrated and guilty. He slowly stood up moving until he was face to face with Mackenzie. Will really preferred to keep his head in the sand about how his self-inflicted wounds affected those around him. Her fear and her heartbroken face were really making that a challenge for him and it really pissed him off.

"Will!" Mackenzie mimicked, stepping even more into his face, not backing down an inch.

"Damn it, Mac!"

"Damn it, Will!"

"Fuck it, fine. One night and only to make sure I don't croak." Will finally conceded after they both took some time staring each other down. He found he was simply unable to take the look Mackenzie was giving him and the clawing in his chest that accompanied it.

"I mean it-"Mackenzie paused as Will's words sunk in, "Oh, wait. You just agreed didn't you?"

"I did. I don't know why, but I did. Do I need to stay I would prefer this little over nighter stay between us?"

"Ashamed of me?" Mac mostly joked. Yet, she stepped back a little from Will's personal space slightly worried about what Will might say next.

"No, but I also don't want to make TMI's job any easier for them." Will pointed out.

"I see," And she did. So, she took a breath and she let it go. "Speaking of jobs, what do you say to a week's recovery and then back to broadcast. I have some fantastic show ideas."

"I'd say I quit, and you already knew that. Charlie told me he told you." Will said.

"You do realize you would be putting a lot of talented people out of a job. People you know, people you like."

"I did consider that, but they are young and bright and I am sure who ever replaces me will hire most of them."

"We're in the shittiest economy in recent history and new people always bring in new people." Mackenzie reminded. "And what about me? I think you are aware of my last job hunt-"

"Mac, if you're going to be like this, making me feel guilty, then I am going to have to start fighting you again and honestly I am pretty damn tired."

"Fine, I'll drop it, for now. Only because you haven't even officially left the hospital yet."

"I knew you were going to add that for now." Will grumbled.

"Well, you do know me better than any," Mac started then self-edited, "most people. Now grab your things and let's get the hell out of here."

"Now, that is an idea I can get behind." Will said as the pair made their way out of the room.

Being at Will's apartment, alone with him, had been a lot less awkward than Mackenzie originally anticipated. It was all very cut and dry. They arrived. He took a much needed nap, and she took the time to tidy up. He woke up, and grumbled about her messing with his things. She smiled and kept messing with them. She ordered food, he scarfed it down, very excited to not be eating hospital dreck. She went to change for the night, and he went to watch TV having already been in his pajamas for hours. When Mac made her way back to Will he looked up at her and immediately started laughing.

"Head to toe flannel, really Mac?" Will chuckled really taking in Mackenzie's over-sized red flannel long sleeved pajamas, which showed zero skin and hung loosely off her small body. "Did you get those at a nunnery?"

"Shut up. I get cold." Mackenzie defended.

"I spent a few winters with you, Mac. You never wore anything like that."

"What did you want me to do Will? Prance around your apartment in some sheer lacy number?"

Will got a far off look on his face, a look that was punctuated with a smirk, as he imagined Mac in next to nothing, her long legs, her soft skin, her perfect curves, fluttering from place to place in his apartment for his visual enjoyment like some kind of angelic siren.

"I mean, I can't say I'd complain." Will said cheekily.

"Well, I'd be willing to wear less, if I could be assured to be heated up in other ways," Mac raised her eyebrow at him. If he wanted to play with flirting, she would up the ante.

"Fine, wear the flannel." Will abruptly backed down. He was weary of the path they were going down, suddenly aware of how very alone they were and how much harder it was to squash his longing for her in a non-work environment.

"Spoilsport and you started it by the way." Mac whined a little, wishing he would just let go, forget who she was, and what she had done, even if it was only for a few minutes.

"Oh just sit down and watch the movie." Will muttered.

"Fine," Mac said as she sat, sitting extra close to him on purpose, just to annoy him. "But only because I was tired of standing."

Will could do nothing but concentrate on the way their shoulders were rubbing together, how natural and good it felt to have her near. He had to wonder what exactly she was doing. This didn't appear to be about getting him to change his mind about work. And if she was trying at something more personal then she would have called him back that night months ago. And if it wasn't personal, why was she so damn close to him all the time?

Mackenzie was similarly preoccupied by their proximity, but more enraptured with the gentle brushing of their thighs every time he took a breath. She sat still pretending to watch TV as she absorbed every second of contact.

After a minute, Will turned his body sideways both to look at Mackenzie and to break some of their contact. Contact they had both been enjoying, even if only one of them would admit it if asked.

"You look like you belong there," Will said.

"I do?" Mackenzie asked sweetly, as a little flutter danced through her chest.

"Yep, remind me to go out and buy a nice red flannel throw blanket, I now know it will work well for the couch." Will joked.

"Ass!" Mac grabbed a throw pillow and playfully threw it at him. She wasn't really offended and they both started cracking up. Their joint laughter joyfully reverberated throughout Will's living room.

"Okay, Will I'm off for now. I have a few things I have to take care of, but I'll be back to check on you for a bit tonight." Mac said.

"That wasn't part of our deal." Will reminded.

"I am still going to come over."

"Don't. We agreed to 24 hours. I am fine to be alone now. I'd like to be alone now."

"Oh, okay whatever you want." Mac said, hurt at the harshness of his words, but hid it expertly with a smile. "Bye, then."

She grabbed her things from the foyer and left without another word. She'd let him think he won, for now.

After her abrupt exit, Will stood in his home totally perplexed as to why she just gave in so easily. She always fought him when she thought she was in the right. Hell, wasn't that why she spent the night? Why hadn't she even attempted it this time? What was happening with her? What was happening with them?

Will was less perplexed about why Mackenzie didn't fight with him when she showed up at his place at around 8 pm that night.

"I gave the door man very specific instructions about not being disturbed." Will said as soon as he saw Mackenzie's face.

"You mean Fred, him and I go way back. His daughter is graduating next year from Columbia. He knew you didn't mean little ol' me." Mackenzie said innocently fluttering her eyelashes.

"I meant you. I meant everyone. Damn it, Mac. Why do you have to be so charming all the time? It's the damn accent. His first loyalty should be to me. I should have Fred fired."

"You would never do that and we both know it."

"I know, but it is annoying."

"And you're not really that upset that I am here. Especially because I brought Thai food from your favorite place," Mac lifted up a full plastic bag of takeout in her hand while smiling so widely she was squinting. She then followed that up with her trademark lip bite. It was a classic one two punch to Will's soft spots.

"Oh for god's sake, Mac. Take the food to the living room. I'll grab some plates." Will acquiesced with a heavy sigh.

"You're welcome Billy," Mac sing-songed as she skipped to the living room with the bag swinging slightly in her hand.

Up Next: Mac keeps showing up...