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MacKenzie is pulled to consciousness when she rolls over and feels that the space beside her is vacant and cold.
She groans as she unwraps herself from the warmth of the heavy blankets that ward off the late January chill. Even though she’s bone-tired, she knows she’s not going to get any sleep now that she has realised that he wasn’t in bed with her. Mac winces as she moves her legs out the bed, body still tender from having pushed another human being into this world recently.
When she manages to get around to the bassinet on her husband’s side of the bed and finds it empty, she gives a soft sigh, reaching over to slip on the robe that sat flung on the foot of the bed. She exits their bedroom and walks slowly across the hall to the pale green room. The house is quiet and dark at this time of morning but there’s a soft glow of light spilling from the partially closed door that she uses to guide her footsteps.
When she’s close enough she pushes the door opens softly. Just as she suspected she finds them both there, wrapped up in each other and not even noticing her come in the room.
It’s a scene that’s become all too familiar over the past two weeks since their son was born. Her husband is sitting in the rocking chair, swaying slightly, eyes firmly fixed on the small bundle held gently in his arms. The baby for his part is fast asleep, swaddles tightly in his woollen white blanket and his father’s forefinger held tightly in one of his tiny hands.
MacKenzie feels her heart constrict at the sight of them. She’d never thought herself capable of loving another human being as much as she loved Will ( their love borne from years of pain, separation and longing), but their son had devastated her, utterly and completely. With his dark blue eyes and smattering of downy blonde hair, she had been addicted from the moment she had seen him. Then she had seen Will hold him and felt that now familiar constricting of her heart. It was everything she never thought she would have.
She watches them for a few moments. Watches as Will gently and reverently kisses each one of the tiny fingers wrapped around his, counting them while marvelling at their perfection and humming something she doesn’t recognise in between dropping kisses on his head. She’d been finding them in this position almost every night for the past two weeks, since they had brought the baby home from the hospital. Will was constantly waking up in the middle of the night to check if the baby was still breathing and that all his fingers and toes were still attached.
She’ll never get tired of watching them.
When she feels the need to be near them grow too great, she comes out from the shadows and makes her way to their side. She sees Will look up from Benjamin’s face and meet her eyes with a soft smile.
“I didn’t mean to wake you up, I heard him fussing a little so I brought him in here” Will offers as she eases down next to them on the rocking chair when will makes space for her.
“It’s okay” she replies in a soft tone that matches his as he drops a kiss to her forehead when she cuddles into his side. “I can’t sleep without you guys anyway. The bed’s too cold without you”
Will shifts the baby down a little more so she can see his face. Mackenzie reaches over with her own hand to run a finger down Ben’s pink check, still tired but feeling indescribably happy. She watches as Will places another soft kiss on Ben’s head before reaching an arm around her to pull her closer.
She thinks that if Charlie and his mother could be here to see him now, they would be proud of the man he turned out to be.
Mac leans up; giving him a firm kiss on the lips. “You’re a good daddy, Will”
**
“Okay, here he is” Will says coming back into the living room of his house holding a squirming bundle in his arms, Mac smiling up at them from her position on the couch. “Benjamin Charles McAvoy” he finishes off proudly.
Abigail McAvoy can’t help the smile that takes over her face as she watches her big brother introduce their siblings, Grace and Jack, to their nephew in person for the first time. She had been the only one of the McAvoy siblings to be able to make it when Mac had gone into labour two weeks earlier than planned. Abby lived close by and was able to make the trip easily but her older siblings had jobs and families of their own to tend to and couldn’t drop everything at the last minute.
Now Ben was almost a month old and meeting them for the first time. They were all gathered in Will and Mac’s townhouse for the precious moment.
Abby watches with glee as Will carefully lowers Ben into Grace’s arms reminding her to support the babies neck. Grace just waves him off with a roll of her eyes as she look over her nephew for the first time.
Grace gives a soft Oh and Aby can see when she falls in love with him, just like she had. “Oh, Billy.” Grace breaths out, the words catching “He’s beautiful”
She sees Will’s chest puff out with pride at that ( choosing to ignore her calling him by his childhood nickname. He apparently only lets Mac call him that) as he hovers over her, his hands wait just under her own lest she drop his precious boy. “That’s because he takes after his mother”
Will’s eyes meet Mac’s as she just scoffs and laughs at his declaration from her position between her and Jack on the couch. “Oh please, he looks nothing like me!” She replies, with a smile and Abby laughs at the teasing tone in her voice. “All that work I did, carrying him around for nine months. You would think that the least he could do was have my ears or something.”
Will just laughs again, shifting his eyes back to his son. Abigail was glad to finally see him so happy. Her big brother, who had practically raised her and protected her from the man who wasn’t supposed to ever hurt them. His own safety and childhood sacrificed so that her and her siblings could have a better life. For so long after Mac had left she had seen him unhappy and lonely, and it killed her to know that there was nothing that she could do for him, and as the youngest McAvoy sibling she was accustomed to that feeling.
Then they finally found their way back to each other, and Abby was glad that he finally got to be happy. She had always loved Mac, and was finally glad to be able to call her a sister. Now they had Ben, a product of their crazy love and she had never seen either of them look happier.
“Oh yeah, he’s definitely all McAvoy right now” Grace says eyes still firmly on their nephew, gently tapping his nose with one finger. “That’s defiantly mom’s nose”
She sees Will get a soft smile at the mention of their mother and she feels her own eyes glaze over a bit. She feels Mac’s hand squeeze her thigh but she waves off her concern and gives her a reassuring smile.
“I think Gracie is hogging the baby” Jack suddenly announces, leaning over his older sister to try coax the baby from her. Grace protests that she just got him but eventually passes Ben over into Jack’s awaiting arms.
Ben squirms in his arms as Jack tries to make him comfortable. “He’s gonna be tall too, Billy.” Jack says looking over his nephew with pride “You did good, big brother”
Will blushes at that and mumbles thanks, and Abby can see the bright smile on Mac’s face as she watches her husband and brother in law. Then-
“Support his head, Jack!” Will commands when Ben’s cries go from slight whimpering to full blown cries.
“I am!” Jack tries, holding the squirming bundle close, trying to help him get comfortable but its already too late.
“That’s it” Will says as he leans over his little brother and reaches for his son, swiftly plucking the small boy out of his arms. “I’m taking my kid back now. You obviously don’t know how to hold a baby”
Jack throws his hands up in defeat and Mac laughs, calling out for her husband to be reasonable. “I have two kids of my own, Will!”
But Jack’s protests fall on deaf ears and Will snuggles his boy close and rocks him gently. Abby smiles as she watches him.
He’s a good father; he always has been.
**
Sir Richard McHale watches as his daughter leans over and kisses her sleeping son good night. The little boy was currently in her husband’s arms and Will had just taken him around the room where all of his Aunts and Uncles were gathered, so that they could all kiss the little boy goodnight.
It was the two days after Christmas and it was the first time in a long time that Richard could remember where all of his children were in the same place. His heart and his home were both full. It was especially good to see his MacKenzie and William. He was glad that he was still around to see his darling girl, finally be with the man that she loved.
She’d run so very far away from all of the pain that came with the break up ( run all the way to the Middle East) that he was afraid that she would never come back, that he would never see his little girl happy again. As a parent, that’s all you want for your children. No matter how old they are, you worry and you want the best for them. But she was home now; home with her own little boy. His precious grandson.
“Grandpa? Do you wanna kiss this sleepy head goodnight?” Will asks breaking him from his thoughts, leaning down slightly so Richards could see Benjamin’s little face.
“Actually Will, I think that I’m going to come up with you and give you a hand if you don’t mind?” He asks standing up, giving Will a gentle pat on his shoulder.
Will nods in agreement, giving MacKenzie’s shoulder a gentle squeeze on the way out the room.
“I just wanted to say thank you again for agreeing to watch Ben” Will says once they begin their ascent on the stairs.
He just waves the younger man off. “Nonsense, Will. He’s our grandson, Anne and I would love to watch him for a few days”
Will had decided to surprise MacKenzie with a five day island getaway, just for the two of them. It would be the first time that both of them would be away from Ben for more than a day since he was born and Richard could see they were nervous about it.
“We know” Will says turning into the room that they had set up for Ben to sleep in. “We’re just nervous to leave him for the first time”
He just nods. “Mackie told me as much the other night, but all new parents need this time alone”
Richard steps forward and kisses his grandson when they reach the crib, running a soft hand through his wild blonde hair. The child was exhausted from playing with all the toys that he had received on his first Christmas and playing with all his cousins.
Will motions for him to pull the blanket away, and after he does his son-in-law gently lays the sleeping 11 month old down in the crib. Will carefully arranges the blanket around his son, making sure that the little boy is warm before kissing his fingers and touching them to his son’s cheek, whispering words of endearment to him.
Richard feels his smile grow at the sight. He had always liked Will and how fiercely he loved his MacKenzie; how he took care of her. Now seeing how he was Will with his grandson, he was glad that he had given his approval; all those years ago at that baseball game.
Will was a good man, an even better husband and a great father to his grandson.
**
Sloan tries to hide her laughter behind her hand but it doesn’t work and she joins MacKenzie, laughing out loud. Don for his part makes no attempt to hide his own laughter.
They were currently gathered around the McAvoy dining room table, having finished their dinner over an hour ago and now just enjoying each other’s company. Once in a while MacKenzie would invite them over for dinner, complaining that she never gets to see Sloan anymore given that she was President of the News Division. These dinners had been going on ever since Charlie’s funeral, with them all realising that life was short and that they needed to enjoy it more.
Sloan actually loved their dinners, because she wasn’t any good at cooking herself so at least for one night she and Don didn’t have to worry about what store they were going to call for takeout. Plus it also meant she got to spend some quality time with her godson.
Will huffs. “It wasn’t even like that!”
MacKenzie leans over and plants a calming kiss on his cheek. “We’re just joking honey”
Will just mumbles about them liking to gang up on him before throwing an arm over Mac’s shoulders and pulling her closer to him. Even after almost four years of marriage they were still very much in love, Sloan mused.
“Momma? Daddy?”
All four adults in the room turn to the doorway of the dining room where they see a sleepy Benjamin slowly making his way to them, rubbing his eyes with one hand and dragging his blankie along with the other hand. He looks absolutely adorable in his Superman footed pjs and it kind of makes Sloan want to have one of her own. Only slightly though.
“What’s the matter, my darling?” Mackenzie asks, running a hand through his messy hair, as Ben stumbles to stand sleepily between her and Wills chairs. They had just put him to bed an hour ago, with two stories and a cuddle from his parents and her and Don.
“I think there’s a monster unda my bed” the three and a half year old replies.
Both Will and Kenzie gasp appropriately. “A monster scaring my baby?!” MacKenzie asks affronted.
Ben nods dramatically in the way that little kids do. “Uh-huh”
“Well, we just can’t let that monster get away with that!” Will says standing up and scooping ben into his arms. “Do you wanna help me scare him away, Super Man?”
Ben nods against Will’s shoulder. “You’re the best at scaring monsters, daddy”
“Yes he is” Mac agrees, moving to get up but Will stops her movements with a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“I’ve got this. You just sit her and relax with our friends.” Will pats her slightly protruding stomach. “We don’t want to scare the baby now do we?”
Mac just rolls her eyes mumbling about being pregnant and not invalid, but only leans up to kiss her son once more and then sit down again.
Sloan smiles at the scene. She was glad that will had finally wised up and found his Goldilocks planet. She’s never seen either of them happier, and honestly they deserved it.
“He’s a good dad “Sloan finds herself saying. It’s something that she’d said many times before, but she always feels the need to voice it.
“I know” Mac replies, looking fondly after her son and husband as they make their way up their stairs and with one hand gently caressing her slight bump. “I know.”