No one but you

March 9th, 2008

In the next two years, Charlie and Mac got pretty close. He actually kept his promise and Nancy would once a week, at Thursdays, cook some dinner for Mac to get some family time. They practically took her in and she couldn't say thank you enough. There was no gesture, money or love that would repay all the things Charlie and Nancy did for her. 

For the first few weeks, Will would question Charlie on why he didn't stay on the studio for the live broadcasts at Thursdays. He put the blame on Nancy. "It's some new rule about family dinner, you know." He shrugged. Will seemed convinced and didn't ask any more questions about Thursdays nights. Charlie was glad. But he hated lying to Will. 

Even though Charlie saw Mac getting her life together as best as she could, he also watched as Will became more and more distant. He reached out a few times, but the hard headed wouldn't admit he missed the love of his life, so Charlie didn't push it. He wasn't an adolescent. But seeing Will suffer, those were the hardest times to keep MacKenzie's secret. Which was now his secret, too. He was taking the woman who broke his best friend's heart in.

For what was worth, Charlie didn't regret it, nor he would have made it any different. He knew, for sure, when Will eventually were to find out, he would lose his mind over the lying. That was the whole reason why he broke up with MacKenzie in the first place. Will felt the love, he wasn't crazy. But the lying was unexcusable. 

But Charlie also knew that when he cooled down, Will would see the bright side of him taking care of Mac while she was bearing his child. He was sure Will wouldn't want it any other way. So he didn't care if his friend demolished AWM's building with his bare hands. He felt like he needed to look after Mac. 

For that, MacKenzie was grateful to her last strand of hair. Especially because she knew Charlie kept his promise of not telling Will anything, but it didn't work both ways. He answered every question Mac asked about Will, which were many. Is he eating right? Are there many women? How many times he's changed assistants so far? Are you sure he has no idea that I'm pregnant? Did he ask for me? Is he too upset.... 

Charlie could hear her voice inside his brain if he was quiet enough. 

Eventually, the questions decreased. They turned into casual dinner talking, just so she knew how alive Will was. But that killed her. Every tiny part of her body hurt knowing she shouldn't reach out to Will.

When she found out on her third ultrasound that she was having a boy, half of her tears was happiness. The other half was sadness. She missed him like hell. 

___

Harry was born on March 9th, 2008. On that day there was an important guest coming on the morning show to talk about the Summer Olympics to be hold on Beijing that same year. In the middle of live broadcast, Mac felt a great deal of pain. No, she didn't take some weeks off before the baby was born. She just kept on working until her water broke. 

Jim, one of her closest friends from the new job, an associate producer for the show, ran with her to the hospital. 

"I NEED YOU TO CALL CHARLIE, JIM!" He was the only one she could think of that needed to be let know her baby was coming to the world. 

"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF GETTING US A CAB!" Jim didn't know if he should wave, run to the middle of the street to get some driver's attentions or if he helped MacKenzie to be on her feet.

"Aaaaaaaargh!" Mac twisted herself in pain until she got to the hospital. Some nurses took her in, on a wheelchair and lead her inside while Jim stayed behind to check her in.