Was everything Billy told her true? Was it really cruel act of revenge on Brittany’s part? She wanted to believe in Billy so much. Her heart could not go on without him by her side. He promised her that he would stick up to his mother and keep her off of her back. They had just spent another hidden moment together where he told her how much he cared and that he would never leave her for Brittany or any one else. Being with Billy made her feel so alive. He made her feel beautiful. She never thought things would go back to how they were before. After the things Brittany told her she was not sure she could ever truly trust Billy again. But when it was just him and her, with no one around to distract them, Billy told her a thousand ways that she was most important to him. And when he held her in his arms and kissed her oh so sweet, she knew that he truly cared for her. Maybe even loved her a little. When Raul found out about them she was scared he would back away, and choose his friendship with Raul over what they were building together. But he stayed by her side and held her hand the days and nights she cried about the hurt they cause Raul. He even somehow got his mother to lay off her and not throw ant more threats her way. Life for once was good, and she had all the people who loved and cared for her close to her. Leaving Billy was starting to get a little harder each time. She never wanted to leave the warmth of his arms, but she knew she had to get home. As she slowly leaned over to kiss him on his cheek she whispers, “Wake up sleepy head. It’s getting late and I need to go home before they send a search party out looking for me.”
“Awww, you really gonna leave me?” he asks as he tightens his arms around her.
“Yeah, I got to. Your mom is being cool about everything, but I don’t want to give her a reason to come down on me again.”
“My mom has not been bothering you has she?”
“No, she acts like I don’t even exist when she’s around, but I’m not complaining. The less I hear of Jill ranting the better off I am,” Mackenzie sighed.
Billy laughs, “Just a few more seconds. How long have I been asleep?”
“Well you’ve been snoring…”
“Snoring?”
“Yeah snoring, for a while now but I didn’t mind,” she laughs.
“You should have make me get up.”
“As long as I am with you, you can snore as loud as you want.” He smiles as he stands to help her to her feet. “I wish you didn’t have to go.”
“Yeah me too, but…”
“I know, I know,” he says as he leans in to kiss her. Their kiss deepens as they embrace one another. “Come on let’s go, or we might never make it out of here. She smiles again as she tenderly touches his face. They leave arm in arm on a high because they are together once again. A kiss before they enter the car as Billy open the door for Mackenzie and helps her into the car. They hold hands as he drives never wanting to lose contact. They stand outside Mackenzie’s door as they share a few more kisses. Despite Jill not harassing Mackenzie, they still did not want to flaunt their relationship in front of here. She said little to Mackenzie but from the looks she still gave her, Mackenzie knew that Jill was still someone she should not trust.
In between kisses Billy smiles and murmurs, “Maybe I should move back in here, that way we never have to be apart.”
“I like the sound of that,” Mackenzie replies as she smiles.
“I bet you do. Maybe I should start packing as soon as I get home,” he jokes.
“Good idea, but you know moving back in here also means you’d be living with your mom again.”
“Well now that you mention it that way…,” he says as they both laugh. He cups her face and slowly joins his lips to hers. “I could kiss you forever.”
Mac smiles and says, “I like the sound of that too.” They hug lost in the moments of them. As Mac turns to unlock the door Billy asks, “You want me to come in for a little while?”
“I would love for you to but uh…I umm…I have to go and call my boyfriend before it’s too late and he starts worrying. And after that I’m headed off to sleep.”
“Oh, you have a boyfriend?”
“Yeah, the best one around…”
“The best?”
She smiles and says, “Yeah, the best. He makes me feel like the luckiest person in the world.”
He smiles as he touches her face and whispers, “I think he’s the lucky one.”
“We both are,” she says. She places her hand over his heart as she whispers, “Goodnight Billy.”
“You sure?” As Mac nods her head in agreement he takes her hand and holds it gently as he kisses it. “Well then sweet dreams, Mac…”
Touched by him kissing her hand she smiles as she whispers, “They will be because they will be about you.”
“Well just so you know I plan on dreaming about you too,” he says as he touches her face once more and the share a kiss. “Goodnight Mackenzie.”
“Goodnight Billy.” They kiss once more and Mac enters the house. She felt like she was floating on air. How she ever doubted Billy she could not say. She was glad that he never gave up on them being together. She was so happy that he held on to them even when she was ready to let go. As Mackenzie entered Jill met her on the steps. Jill smiles and slyly says, “It seems you have company Mackenzie.”
“Company? Mac asked surprised anyone would be visiting her this late at night.
“Yes company, they are waiting for you in the sitting room.” She continues to smile at Mackenzie as she directs her toward the sitting room. Although the doors were closed she could still hear voices coming for the room. They must be the voices of the “company” Jill was talking about. And as if in slow motion Mackenzie slowly opened the doors and came face to face with the one person she never wanted to see again.
“Hello Mackenzie.”
“Oh my God!” Mackenzie says as she quickly covers her mouth and turn to leave.
With a smug look on her face Jill says, “What Mackenzie, not even a hello to your mother?” as she turns her to face Amanda once again.
“I…you don’t understand. I…I…I…”
“I’ve missed you Mackenzie” Amanda pauses, “and so has your step father.”
As Mackenzie turns to look at Jill her eyes widen and feel with fear and for the first time Jill realizes how frightened Mackenzie is.
“Yes, Mackenzie I have missed you too.” He says as he stands to approach her. As a single tear rolls down her cheek she quickly turns to Jill and pleads, “Help me!”
“Mackenzie, what is wrong with you?” Jill asks shocked by her reaction of seeing her mother and stepfather.
“How could you?” Mackenzie cries as she wrestles away from Jill and runs out of the house.
“Stop her!” shouts her stepfather Ben.
“Mackenzie, please come back here,” Amanda calls after her.
Ben angrily shouts, “What is her problem? I can’t believe this! We came all this way and she doesn’t have enough common courtesy to speak to us. When she gets home I see we will have to show her what manners are again.”
“I know dear, but…”
“But nothing. That was completely unacceptable, the way she just behaved. And nothing you say will change that.”
“I know but…”
“And don’t make excuses for her behavior.” As they continued to argue back and forth Jill realized she made a mistake bringing Amanda and Ben there. For the first time she noticed how disheveled and frightened Amanda appeared, and how domineering Ben appeared to be. For the first time Jill felt the need to protect Mackenzie.

Seeing her mother and stepfather scared Mac beyond belief. She had to get out of Genoa City before they tried to take her back with them. She needed a safe place to think. Someplace where she could figure out what to do next. She needed to call Billy and tell him what was happening because he promised to be with her if any thing like this ever happened. He would help her think of some solution. She decided to stop at Crimson Lights to place her phone call to Billy and to stock up on a few supplies they might need. But as she entered Crimson Lights she was met with another surprise. Seated in a booth together were Billy and Brittany. Billy had sworn to her that he no longer spoke to Brittany. She couldn’t go to him for help after all. She was on her own once again and her safety was up to her. Well maybe there was one other person she could go to for help.

~Billy~

Mackenzie was slowly becoming his entire world. After Brittany set out to destroy them, it took all he had to keep Mackenzie close to him. He would go days and nights dreaming about her back in his arms. And when he finally broke through the wall Mackenzie had built back up around her heart, it was like being given a second chance, a new chance at life. Though they were young he knew he found his soulmate. The person he would happily spend the rest of his life holding, learning and loving. He knew from the moment he saw her that she would bring and add so much to his life. And all the obstacles combined, Brittany, his mother, and even Raul to a certain extent. If he could change one thing though, it would the pain they caused Raul. Raul had been his best friend for as long he come remember and hurting him was the one thing he regretted most. If ever he could find a way to make things up to him, he surely would.
The ringing of his cell phone pulled him away from his thoughts. Thinking it was Mackenzie calling him wishing him goodnight he answered the phone, “Hello sweetie.”
“Hi, umm Billy, this is Brittany.”
“What do you want?”
“I wanted, I need to talk to you…”
“Why? I don’t think you have anything to say that I would want to hear. As a matter of fact I think it would be a good idea if you don’t call me again.”
“Please Billy, this is the last time I will call you, I promise. But I really need to talk to you.”
“Look Brittany…”
“Please.”
“Fine…when?”
“I’ll be a t Crimson Lights in about 15 minutes. Can you meet me there?”
“Fine.”

Maybe this wasn’t a good idea, but if this is what he had to do to insure that Brittany never interfered again then so be it. After about five minutes of hearing Brittany trying to put the blame for what she did on someone else Billy realized that this was the last place he wanted to be. No amount of explaining could make him understand all of the things she did to Mac. Her antics nearly drove Mackenzie out of his life for good and that he could never forgive. Ten minutes more of Brittany putting the blame on everyone else was enough for him. “Are you done yet?” he asked impatiently.
“Well, I just wanted to tell you how all of this happened. I had to tell you my side…”
“Look Brit…whatever. I gotta go.”
“Billy do you believe me?
“Goodbye Brittany.” As soon as he got outside he breathed a huge sigh of relief. Relief that Brittany and all the drama surrounding her were out of his life for good. He smiled to himself as he thought that maybe it was time for him to do his ‘boyfriendly” duties and give Mackenzie a call. Even though they parted less than 20 minutes ago he was missing her. He smiled at the thought that one day soon they wouldn’t have to worry about ever being apart. After about four rings Mackenzie still hadn’t answered her phone. Now that Mac had her own phone line whenever he called he would always be able to speak to her and they would spend hours on the phone without the fear of ever being interrupted. Now for some reason she was not answering her phone. A funny feeling crept through him as he called the main phone to the house. After three rings the phone was finally answered to shouting and yelling in the background.

“Umm, is Mackenzie there?”
“I’m sorry Billy, but she’s gone.”
“Gone? Since when I just…when will she coming be coming back?”
“I…uhh…I can’t really say.”
“Esther…is something wrong? What’s going on over there?”
“Jill…maybe you should ask your mother.”
“My mother?” he says puzzled by what Esther said.

What did his mother do to Mackenzie now? He quickly turns his car around and head back to the Chancellor Estate. When he entered the house there was bedlam going on and his mother seemed to be in the middle of it all. Kay and Brock were angrily yelling at two people he had never seen, but he knew somehow this had to do with Mackenzie. As he walked into the room questions flew at him from every direction. “Have you seen Mac? Is she with you? Who are you? Did Mac call you?” One question after another all asking him about Mac’s whereabouts.

“What is going on in here?”
“Well your mother and her bright ideas…”
“Mom what did you do?”
“I didn’t think that this would happen…”
Yelling Billy asks. “What did you do?”
“Mac was taking you away from me..
“Taking me away…”
“So I did what I thought was best…”
“Mom?”
“I called her mother and told her where her daughter was hiding.”
“You did what!”
“She had the right to know.”
“Oh my God! Where is she?”
“After she saw them, she took off before anyone could stop her. I was hoping she came to see you.”
“I’ve got to find her…”
“Who are you? And what gives you the right to ask all these questions?”
“You stay out of this!”
“No! I have a right to know who is asking all these question about my daughter.”
“Stepdaughter!” Billy looked at Mackenzie’s stepfather for the first time and his anger grew. Mac hinted at the treatment she endured because of her stepfather and he knew this was the last person who should ever get to see Mac again. As he tightened his hands into a fist stepping toward Ben, ready to inflict the same pain he put upon Mac, Brock grabbed hold of Billy before he could do something he would later regret.
“It’s ok son, Mac will come back to us just fine and we will do everything in our power to keep her safe here with us.”
“Over my dead body. She will be going home with us.”
“Maybe it would be better if she stayed her…” Amanda suddenly stopped talking as Ben looked at her angrily.
“There will be no more discussion about this subject. Mackenzie will be going home, and that’s final.” Shouting between everyone began again and the situation grew worse.
“I got to get out of here. I’m going to look for Mac…”
“Billy, I think you should stay out of this.”
“I don’t care what you think,” he said as he rushed out the door determined to find and protect Mackenzie. He couldn’t lose her again and he was gonna do everything within his power to make sure of that.
“Billy, please don’t!” Jill pleaded as she ran after Billy. When they reached his car she said, “I can’t let you do this.”
“Why mom?” he asked as tears were slowly running down his face, “Do you hate me so much that you don’t want me to be happy?”
“Billy I don’t hate you. Son, I love you,” she replied shocked by his question.
“You have a funny way of showing it,” he says as he gets in his car and drives off.

When he got home he explains to John and Jack what Jill did, Mackenzie running off, and his need to go and find her. As much as he did not want to Jack convinced him to wait at least until the morning, just in case Mackenzie attempted to call or come home. He reluctantly agreed and spent the longest night of his life pacing, worrying, and rushing to the phone at the mere hint of a call. By morning’s light there had still been no word from Mackenzie. He knew by then that in order for him to see her again he would have to search for her himself. He decided not to tell Jack or his father because he knew they would try their best to talk him out of it. He also knew he still needed help and there was only one person he could think of. And he was unsure if he would even be willing to.