Love Changing Blues – Chapter XI

Will punched the lit up floor button again.

"I think it got the message." A baritone voice rang out from behind him.

Will looked around to glare at the bodyguard, his large frame filling the small wood lined elevator.

"Nothing wrong in double checking." He tried calmly, his nerves straining inside him.

"No, nothing wrong…" Lonny replied sceptically. "Just a little OCD…" he mumbled under his breath.

"What?" Will turned back to him.

"Nothing." The bodyguard feigned innocence.

Will sighed in frustration and went back to facing the metal doors of the elevator. "You know you didn't have to come with me."

"No, I much prefer leaving my clients to run free around an unprotected building." Lonny replied dryly.

"We're in the Upper West Side! What's going to hit me here? Airborne tofu?" Will huffed.

"I'm not the one paying for your protection."

"I'm not the one either!"

Lonny paused for a moment, looking him up and down. "You trying to get rid of me for a reason, McAvoy?"

"I just… Could you just hang here for a few minutes?" The elevator slowed down to a stop as the heavy doors creaked open. Will held out his hand to the gap then turned back to Lonny. "I need to do something. Alone."

The bodyguard studied him carefully for a moment, then reluctantly took a step back to the wall of the elevator. "Don't do anything stupid." He grumbled.

Will gave a sly smile then stepped out of the elevator and into the long hallway, the last of the afternoon sun shining down its empty expanse.

The metal doors shuttered closed behind him as the sound of his heart pumping filled up his ears.

This was it.

With a half skip he turned and strode down the hallway.

His fingertips tingled with excitement. His breath became short. His chest tensed up.

He reached the door.

Quickly, he pulled his cell phone out from his jacket pocket and held it out in front of him.

A wave of doubt suddenly washed though him.

No. He had to do this.

Swallowing down his nerves, he unlocked his phone with a determined swipe, pressed the familiar number, and slowly brought the phone to his ear.

The sound of ringing filled his thoughts when it clipped to a stop, and was replaced by a bright English accent. "Will, it's a saturd – "

"Hey." He quickly interrupted, heart racing as he stared at her door. "It's me, Will. Listen, I swear I'm not saying this – "

" – Are you stranding outside?" MacKenzie's confused voice interjected through phone.

Will froze in his spot. "What?"

He heard muffled sounds from the other side of the door. "You are!" Her voice exclaimed. "What are you – "

He could hear the click of the door unlocking from inside.

"No!" He found himself shouted into his cell phone.

"What?" Mac's voice echoed.

"Don't open the door!" Will tried desperately the pick up the pieces of his plan.

"Why on earth not?" She sounded perplexed.

"I just… needed to tell you something."

"Good, so I'll let you in."

"No."

"But you want to tell me something."

"Over the phone!"

"Then why are you standing outside my apartment?"

"Because."

"When did you turn 10?"

"Because there is a reason, but I can't tell you, so can you just stand there for a second?" Will sighed in frustration.

"I am literally staring at your giant blonde forehead right now." Mac's voice continued unhindered. "What's the difference in me opening the door?"

"A big difference."

"Well, you look horrible in fish eye lens so I'm going to open the door."

"No!"

"It's my door!"

"It's your landlord's door!"

"Well I pay monthly for the use of it!"

"Then can you wave that right for just one minute?"

"And you call yourself a patriot!"

"What?"

"Asking me to relinquish my domestic rights!"

"MacKenzie - "

"I happen to enjoy using doors!"

"I'm sure you do."

"I use them every day!"

"Listen – "

"And you want to come here and tell me when and where I can't – "

"HEY IT'S ME WILL." He gave up and shouted over her quickly. "Listen I swear I'm not saying this because I'm high and if the answer is 'no' then just do me a favour and don't call me back or bring it up or anything but I have to tell you I mean after tonight I really want to tell you that I've never stopped loving you."

He took in a deep breath, as his hand gradually stopped shaking and his voice became slower.

"I never stopped loving you.

Even with, you know, all that shit – which I don't want to talk about but it's there but you know, with today and with 9/11, I just think – it makes it clearer what you want. What you love.

And I love you. God do I love you. You're the love of my life so… yeah. I don't know why I'm calling I just needed to say this, so can you call me back? But I mean, if you don't feel the same way then don't. Don't call or talk about it and we'll just go back to normal. Ok? Sorry. Good night. I love you."

Will felt as if a crushing weight had just dropped from his shoulders, as he stood there in silence, holding up his cell to his ear and staring at the wooden door.

Suddenly, he heard a muffled click, and the door slowly edged open, revealing the stunned, beautiful face of MacKenzie McHale.

He dropped the phone from his ear, and took in a deep breath, drinking her in as a swell of joy rushed through him.

"That's what the rest of the message said." He said softly, a relieved smile tugging at his lips.

MacKenzie remained silent, staring at Will in amazement as she continued to grip onto the door handle.

"But there's something I need to add now." He tried cautiously, as he stepped an inch towards the threshold. "Something that has taken me way too long to do."

He looked down into her large dark eyes and gave a small, hopeful smile.

"I forgive you." He said softly. "Can you forgive me too?"

Her breath hitched in her throat. "You're not being sarcastic." She whispered in disbelief.

"No." He shook his head simply and took another step closer.

"You forgive me." She echoed in surprise.

"Yes."

"That means…"

"Yes."

"We can be together?" The words sighed from her mouth in realisation, as Will closed the gap between them, and carefully brought his hand to her face, his eyes swelling with devotion as he delicately drew a loose strand of her soft dark hair behind her small ear, then met her gaze.

"If you want me." He offered simply with a small half smile.

MacKenzie's mouth flustered open then closed it as Will's hand rested on her cheek. "God you're hopeless!" She sighed in frustration.

Will couldn't help but grin, when he suddenly pulled her in closer and brought her lips to his. The feel of them together, the feeling forced into memory for so long, now swept back as he felt her small hands wind their way into their old spot amongst his hair and he became intoxicated by the familiar taste of her, the smell of her, the feel of her. This was where he belonged.

Breathing her in, he slowed their rhythm and drew back slightly to take in her eyes, their blue tinge now shining in the afternoon light.

"And that." He murmured to her lips. "Is exactly why I need you."

N/B:

And that, I'm afraid, is the end.

Yes – this is the end. Wether you're a Doors or Adele fan, you know what that means.

It actually took me longer than normal for me to start writing this chapter, just kept pushing it back because I didn't want to stop writing these stupid amazing characters, but then the thought of Will and Mac bickering over a door made me giddy so I pretty much just burst this out. But now that's it.

So I'm just going to take this moment to say: HOLY CRAP GUYS THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT! No, really! This is a tiny fandom and some of you have been here since day one, and come back even after my holyfuckhowlongisthishiatus hiatus – So let me give you a giant inter-interweb bear hug. And to all those who reviewed as guests who I can't reply back to, let me give you a hug and bake you a cake and kiss your feet (unless you're not into that kind of thing, which is totally cool – the 'cake' thing, I mean).

But yeah, it's been a joy writing these mad characters, so I hope you've enjoyed the ride. So please, to tell me what you think or how you think or what is this 'think'-thing anyway? - please Review!

Your reviews are like the MacKenzie McAvoy to my dormant Will McAvoy of a brain. SO THANKS!