From a Distance Your
Choice is Simple

Chapter 1 – Let's Do It.

"Brian's gone now, but you know not before leaving a little piece of advice." Will started, not giving a sign of telling the Doctor what said advice was. A moment passed before Jack spoke up.

"Was it the advice itself or the fact that he was giving you any at all that's got you booking another session with me in one week?" He questioned, staying seated as Will got up and walked to the far window.

"'Put Mac out of her misery.'" Will spoke, almost quietly, as he looked outside, "He told me to put her out of her misery. He then went on to inform me that she's under a delusion, his words, idea that I'll come back to her."

"Okay." Jack wrote something down on a piece of paper before addressing Will again, "What's troubling you about that? Is it the fact you can't put her out of her misery, or that she..." He was cut off.

"Mackenzie is waiting."

"Maybe," He leant forward as Will moved around to sit down again, "But what is she waiting for?"

"A dramatic running into each other's arms it would seem." He huffed, rubbing a hand over his face.

"Will, what is it you hope to achieve once you, if you, forgive Mackenzie?" Jack looked on as Will paused before speaking.

"To move on."

"Onto what?" He shot back, instantly. There was no reply after a few moments, "You've been coming here on and off for weeks, and every meeting you mention Mackenzie. Every meeting is about trying to understand her, or knowing how to forgive her. What do you want to achieve? What do you want to move onto? You both function great as a team, you function well as friends, what do you want – because I think we both know, and I think Mackenzie does too. You want to be able to forgive Mackenzie, so you can be with Mackenzie. You've said, in passing – easily – that she was 'the one', you bought an engagement ring to prove a point to her and that's not a normal thing to do Will. You don't want to forgive Mackenzie to move on from her, you want to forgive her to move on with her. "

"No." Will said easily back, denial lacing his words.

"You really believe that?"

"Yes," he answered easily again.

"Okay, you may believe that, but do you actually think it's true?"

Will had never made it any secret that he wishes Mackenzie hadn't told him that she cheated. It makes no sense because it also wishes she had told him straight away. He knows it's all illogical, because what he wishes most is that she didn't do it at all. He didn't have to sleep with an ex to realize he loved her, and that isn't even what bothered him most, what bothered him all along, was that he couldn't get over it. When he left, rather suddenly, from his appointment with Doctor Habib, it was due to the realization that the doctor was right. The same reason why he wishes she never told him she cheated, and wishes that she had told him sooner, and that she didn't do it at all, was so that he could still be with her.

As he walked into the office, the busy rush of people throwing a story together made it easy to slip in mostly unnoticed. His private office had a slight chill to it, yet he went and removed his jacket easily, walking to his desk and sitting down. He could hear her voice, calling over the murmurs of the news room office asking Jim if he's seen him. A few moments pass before he can see her peering into the glass of his office.

"I can see you," He spoke at her, inwardly smiling as she rolled her eyes. A moment later she walked in, the door falling shut behind her.

"I think we should give you a bell... Like a cat. Just... tie it around your neck so we know you're coming, because obviously having a big handsome bodyguard isn't enough," She shifted the file in her hand.

"Is this what you wanted to talk to me about? I didn't creep, I strolled into the newsroom oddly enough the people we've got employed here were doing their job and not searching for me. I was way ahead of Lonny because he was talking to Sloan and it seemed rude to interrupt, since in all legal terms I was technically in a safe place. I don't need a bell, I'm not an animal so that collar idea can be removed from your brain." He replied leaning back and lifting his feet onto his desk.

"Arse. Anyway, I haven't looked at it, but Brian has sent over a preview of the piece that he's doing. It's in the file. The one I'm holding," She spoke calmly but the twitch in her body made it obvious she was everything but.

"Mac? The file?" He asked, reaching his hand out towards her. She reluctantly moved forward, the arm holding the file extended in front of her, before pulling back.

"It's just... what if it says something?"

"I'm hoping it'll say something, because a blank page is hardly a story."

"Shut up, you know what I'm talking about. Brian... I don't think he can be trusted." She half whispered, clenching the file in her hand.

"Probably not, though it's all irrelevant because the story is written. The file, Mac?" She flopped it onto his desk before taking a seat opposite him. A few moments passed of him staring at her, when she finally spoke.

"Stop looking at me, Will. Read the damn file!" She half shouted, moving in her seat. He removed his feet of the desk, and leant forward.

"Have you ever heard of a site called, 'Help Me Rhonda'? I mean, probably not, it's a load of crap by a woman whose name I would bet on your pay, isn't even Rhonda. Anyway, there was a question on there about cheating. How a woman couldn't forgive her partner for financially cheating on her. Basically taking out accounts through her name, behind her back, and Rhonda," He snorted as he said her name, "Rhonda said something about cheating being something someone can't come back from. People don't change. Yadda yadda yadda. Anyway, now everyone was praising her and saying that her advice is great -"

"Will..." She interrupted before getting cut off again.

"-But I think it's bullshit. I know financial affairs are different to people because you're actually putting the person you love into danger that could actually ruin every aspect of their lives. I could write better advice than that. I can forgive you for the cheating." He finished suddenly, Mac looking surprisingly at him

"Where is this going?" She breathed out, quietly.

"I can forgive you for cheating on me. It turns out, I can't forgive you for betraying me. There's some psychology babble behind that, that I'm not saying that I 100% believe in, but it definitely has it's merits. I'm just saying... I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive you for that."

"I'm sorry," She replied, getting ready to stand, "Look Will, I can do this for the rest of my life, and I probably will. I just... I don't want to. It has been four years, and I don't blame you for not forgiving me, I don't. But I am still stuck in that same place I was those years ago when we split up – in love with you, and hating myself. Four years, Will. In reality, normally, couples that have been apart this long don't even harbour those feelings. They don't. But we were different. I don't know how but..."

"I agree." He stood with her, "My therapist says a lot of things. He asked me the question 'What do I want to achieve once I've forgiven Mackenzie'? He then went babbled on about how I don't want to move on from you, but move on with you. And he's probably right."

"He is?" She asked, her eyes wide.

"Don't act surprised, he also said that you probably know." He looked at her briefly, "I can trust you with the news, I can trust you as my work-partner, I can trust you being my friend but... We need to work on everything else."

"When you say work on... Are you saying that... You want to work on us?" She asked not meaning to stumble over her words. He didn't give her a reply, just a look that gave more of an answer than words. She smiled at him, unfazed when he didn't respond. "Okay, well, there's the file and... Charlie wants to see you about some meeting with Leona, which I probably should've mentioned first... Yes, so..." She trailed off, making to move for the door. He moved around with her opening the door as she went to exit.

"Dinner." He stated, quiet enough that if anyone was passing by they wouldn't hear.

"It's the largest meal of the day, comes after lunch...?" She looked at him, confusion on her face.

"No. You and me should go for it... tonight." He waved his hand around, almost dramatically, as if the conversation would be over faster if he did.

"Oh... Oh! Yes. That would... you mean a date?"

"No... yes, sort of... No. Yes." He finished lamely, before nodding and turning around, letting the door fall closed behind him.

"Your meeting with Charlie!" Her voice swam through to his office, cursing lightly, he picked up the file from Brian and walked out, nodding again to Mac as he moved passed her.

A/N: Ah peas and rice, I love these two. I'm undecided if I want to write the dinner scene. I think I do. My only problem is I don't want to get into any plot-like situation (since I've got no idea what Brian wrote, I don't want to pretend I do...and with the final episode coming so soon I don't want to be completely off the bat)... So I probably wouldn't mention in detail what Brian wrote (unless I plan to make this a few chapters, then maybe I'll mention it after the season finale). Thank you for reading!