A/N: A reminder that this story is going to continue through 2x06 so as much as I want Mac and Will to figure it out ASAP and for Will to kick Nina to the curb that's still 3 Newsroom Days away...hopefully I'll get there by the end of the week!

Mac had her head propped on her hand and her eyes focused on a newspaper. Sloan was not paying close attention when she strode into the room and didn't pick up on the fact that Mac wasn't doing her normal speed read technique and was instead just looking blankly at the page in front of her.

"Why didn't you tell me about Will's Dad?"

Mackenzie looked up, exhaustion etched on her features, "When was I supposed to do that?"

Sloan gave an exaggerated shrug, "How about this morning when I said 'Hey Kenz, Where's Will?' you could have said Nebraska."

Mackenzie slumped back in her chair, "I'm sorry, I am. But it's complicated and you know how he is. I didn't know if it was my place to let people know."

Sloan rolled her eyes, "It's you. He wouldn't have minded if you told me."

Mac didn't react at all but remained slumped in her chair, eyes trained on some point on the wall. Sloan's eyebrows climbed her forehead and she sat in the chair opposite the desk. "Kenz?"

Mac shook her head, "It's nothing."

Sloan leaned forward, "What's nothing?"

Mackenzie just gave a small shake of her head.

When Sloan then pressed again, "Is it Will?" Mackenzie looked for a moment as if she were about to answer but instead shot her eyes back down to the desk.

"What happened?"

"Nothing." Mac sat back up in her chair and busied herself shuffling the paper on her desk.

Disbelieving Sloan refused to let it drop, "Kenz..."

Mackenzie shook her head, keeping her eyes averted, "Nothing happened, truly. He's just in a bit of a vulnerable place right now and doesn't realize the effect that his words have on people."

Sloan reached across the desk and stilled Mac's hands, "Mackenzie, look at me. What did he say?"

Mac looked up at her friend with a sad, small smile, "It was really nothing. Nothing on purpose. I think he was honestly trying to be sweet. I just couldn't stand to listen to it because soon he'll come out of whatever fog he's in and be with Nina and remember he hates me and I just couldn't..."

Sloan's eyes doubled in size and she waved her hands in front of her face, cutting Mac off, "Be with Nina? What do you mean be with Nina?"

Mackenzie rolled her eyes, "It's her."

A dark look crossed the economist's face, "It's her?" she repeated.

Mackenzie looked meaningfully at Sloan, "The secret girlfriend that we've been guessing he has." Mac shrugged sadly, "It's Nina Howard."

Sloan's jaw dropped, "No. Fucking. Way."

Mackenzie just nodded.

Sloan stared back, intending to wait for an explanation but her patience wasn't strong enough, "How the hell could he do that!?"

Mac shrugged, "Will is a grown man. He's allowed to do whatever he wants with whomever he wants."

Sloan shook her head, incredulous, "No. Not with that woman...after all she said and wrote about him and you and...that was barely a year ago! And how long have they been dating? How does he go from thinking she was the scum of the journalistic gene pool to sleeping with her in just a matter of months?!"

When Mackenzie looked up she looked more broken than Sloan could recall ever seeing her, unshod tears shined in her eyes and her lip quivered. "He forgave her."

Sloan was struck speechless as Mackenzie clasped her hand over her mouth as if to hold in the small sob that wanted to escape.

Sloan stood to make her way around the desk but Mac was already pulling herself together and waved Sloan off with a determination to get to work. After a few pointed looks Sloan understood the topic was closed for conversation and left the office.

Mac dived back into show prep steadfastly avoiding even the chance of crossing Will's path or making eye contact.

For his part Will dutifully fell into the role of busy anchor prepping for a show but he couldn't restrain his feelings of rejection and confusion. Every time he had to leave his office instead of walking straight to his destination he would circumnavigate the room, giving him an excuse to walk by Mackenzie's office to catch a peak of her and hope to run into her and force an explanation for why she cut him off.

The more obvious it became that she was avoiding him the more sullen he became so that by the time he went on the air the familiar surge of performance adrenaline did nothing to energize the broadcast. She was mostly silent in his ear for the duration of the evening and for the first time in a long time he signed off feeling unsatisfied with the show.

As he left the studio he saw Mackenzie still in the newsroom and without thinking he called her name, "Mac!"

She froze and slowly turned to him, "Yes?"

He opened his mouth and then realized not only did he not know what he wanted to say but that he knew for sure he didn't want to say whatever it was in front of their whole staff. So he said the next thing that was on his mind, "Did you feel like the show was...lacking something...tonight?"

Clearly taken off guard by his comment she blinked, "I don't know. It wasn't the most exciting broadcast in the world but news wasn't very exciting today. Every night can't be American Taliban."

He smirked but furrowed his brow, "Seriously, I felt like maybe it was missing something. Maybe it was just me but I don't know...you didn't sense it at all?"

She shook her head slowly, "No." She raised her voice and addressed the room, "Did anyone here feel like the broadcast was lacking this evening?"

The staffers all shook their heads and murmured their agreement that the show was just fine.

He tilted his head, not satisfied, "What about touching base with someone about our numbers? I mean we haven't for a long time...Just to double check that we are where we think we are?"

Mackenzie sighed and walked up to him, "Will, it's fine. We're fine. You're fine. You've had god knows how little sleep in the past 3 nights in addition to everything else. I'm not surprised you felt like the broadcast was a little off but I'm telling you it's fine."

Now embroiled in this line of thought he forgot about everything earlier in the evening and leaned forward in full debate mode, "Even so; what's the harm in doing a quick check? We're all so devoted to this thing we might not be seeing what someone else might be able to tell us. Nothing fancy or complicated; a quick dials group. That's it."

Mac sighed, "Will, you know Charlie won't authorize that."

"I don't see why not!" He gesticulated broadly, "I just want to touch base; make sure I'm connecting with the audience the way we think I should be."

She put her hand to her forehead, "God how often do we have to have this conversation Will? Don't worry about the numbers. Don't worry about the audience. Don't worry about the ratings or the rankings or the whatever other popularity polls that are out there. If the show ever gets close to being in trouble Charlie will tell us; other wise let's just do our show."

He rolled his eyes, unimpressed with her clear frustration, "Mac, no one is going to hear what we're saying on our show if we don't have their attention. Look, if Charlie won't go for it may be I'll just do it myself, I can call Harvey and he can run a group on tomorrow's show without Charlie knowing anything. Just to make sure we're swinging at the right pitches."

She crossed her arms and regarded him carefully, "Will...don't you think it's possible that this sudden desire to double check the ratings is..."

She paused, her eyes tracking something behind him.

"Mac? Is what?" He prodded.

She brought her eyes back to him and sighed, "Is nothing. Just...don't worry about it and don't worry about the numbers."

Suddenly frustrated he snapped, "I don't need your permission to call Harvey."

She stilled and looked at him straight in the eyes for a long, tense moment. "You're right, you don't. And you know what Will? I truly don't care what you do; why don't you discuss this with someone who does?"

Confused he followed her line of sight to the entrance from the elevator lobby where Nina stood sending him a smile when she realized he saw her. He return the gesture and turned back around just in time to see Mackenzie disappear into her office.

Wanting to go after her but incredibly aware of Nina's gaze on him he huffed out a breath, "Screw it." He muttered, turning and crossing the room to greet Nina.

"Hey there..." He stopped a few feet away. "This is a nice surprise."

She smiled and leaned up to him to plant a chaste kiss on his cheek. He tried to restrain the instinct to see who in the room may have seen. "You said that you'd see me after the broadcast so I thought I'd meet you here and I could take you out to dinner."

Will smiled softly at her, his heart honestly warmed by her effort. "I'm sorry. I'm completely beat and only have a t shirt and jeans. They don't trust me to leave the studio with these suits so unless you want to go to 2 Brothers Pizza I don't think going out to dinner is the best plan."

Her face faltered, "Oh...that's okay...You still must be hungry though, how about delivery? Your place?"

He shrugged, "Yeah. Good. Just let me get changed."

After Will disappeared into his office Sloan slowly came up behind Nina. "So, you're dating Will?"

Nina startled and spun around, "Oh! Uh, yes, we are. I mean, I am."

Sloan crossed her arms and slowly nodded. "Things are going well?"

Nina tilted her head in confusion, "Excuse me?"

Sloan took a half step forward, "Between you and Will; are things going well?"

Nina shrugged and smiled, "I'd like to think so. It has been quite a while."

"Really?" Sloan smirked and tilted her head, "How long? I hadn't even realized Will was seeing anyone."

Self-consciously Nina began to stammer, "Oh, well..."

Seeing the exchange from his office Will didn't bother with his watch and hurriedly strode across the room to stand next to Nina, "Ahh, Hey there. Ready to go?"

She nodded and he quickly ushered Nina out to the elevator lobby, shooting a glare at Sloan as they left.