From a Distance Your
Choice is Simple

Chapter 2 – Can We Do It?

Will's laughter was something that Mackenzie missed most when working with him again. When she first met Will, she knew he was smitten. It didn't happen often enough, so that when it did, she noticed it. He asked her out, she said no, and weeks went by before he asked her again, how could she turn him down again? They had their confrontations during their relationship, like everyone, but there was always an ease to it. As Mackenzie watched Will smile as he retold a story of their shared past, she couldn't help but think of how everything would be different this time. There would never be that ease they once shared, that ability to move past an argument easily because they just didn't want to argue. Mac couldn't help the feeling of dread that climbed her spin, but she kept her smile, as the story ended and let herself laugh.

"How did the meeting with Leona go?" Mac asked, before picking the last bit of potato from her plate and eating.

"No that wasn't today. We were talking strategies." He replied easily, taking a sip from his whiskey.

"Strategies? Why would you need any?"

"Because I'm sure she's going to fire me, and I don't like being unprepared."

"Wait, what?" She paused, pushing her plate away so she could lean her elbows on the table, "Is this because of the ratings?"

"No, the ratings are fine – you'd know if they weren't – Charlie thinks Leona knows something. I'm not sure what, I'm not sure... Well I'm pretty sure how -"

"Reese," She cut in.

"Yeah. But Charlie's sure that they have the information to sink me." Will finished, calmly.

"Well come on... We have to have a meeting with Hancock and go through those files again... I -"

"I just told you we have a strategy." Will cut through.

"No, you said you were discussing strategies... You actually have one though? Can I know?" She whispered as the waiter come over, taking their plates. As he left, Will leant on the table a bit closer.

"Right now Charlie is with Hancock, you and I have a meeting with some files tonight... For now, can we talk about something else?" He questioned, eyeing her.

"Of course..." She paused briefly, "So... what did the Brian file say?"

"Files can't speak." He answered smugly.

"Great. You're going to be stubborn on this Will?" He smiled very briefly before continuing.

"No. I haven't read it... Not yet." He stopped her from interrupting, "Look, Mac, anything he has in that file is going to be, it's not going to be the full story."

"So? It can prepare us." She shot back, "Will... I just..." She was stopped by the sound of her phone ringing, picking it up she saw the name 'Brian Brenner' on the caller-ID and half froze.

"Mac?"

"It's Brian," She almost laughed, "Speak of the devil."

"Mm," Will replied, leaning back in his chair, "Answer it." He half commanded. If it were any other situation, Mac would have, but it almost seemed like a test.

"I'm almost worried, if I answer you'll think something and if I don't answer you'll think I'm hiding something. You don't trust me..."

"On this subject? No. I'm still a little touchy about the whole cheating on my situation, God only knows why."

"Come on!" She huffed ignoring her phone altogether, "You should know I harbour no feelings for Brian. At all."

"How can I know that? How often does he ring you?"

"You're acting ridiculous. You know... Maybe it was a stupid idea to try this," her arms waved between them, "because you can't trust me over night and I think we'd need a miracle like that. Did it even occur to you that whatever is in the file -"

"Could be the reason he's calling? Of course. I know... Mac, I said work on this. Not 'magically pretend nothing happened', when it comes to you... this... rational thought is far from my mind."

"Oh." Mac shifted in her chair, "Okay."

"Okay."

The conversation swiftly changed to her father, as if the whole previous conversation was an acceptable way to move onto that topic. It was the first time, since she had been back that they had really spoken about him. She always loved that one thing about Will, was his genuine like of her father. It was something she admired, since Will's mother passed away before she met him, and his father... It was something she was always nervous of. She was painfully aware, also, that neither were mentioning what happened in the years they weren't together. Obviously much of a taboo subject.

Will was currently telling her a story of a day out he had with her father, one that she wasn't aware of, and she was painfully reminded of the biggest mistake she made. She once referred to him as perfect, and he was. Not because he didn't do anything that annoyed her, or that she agreed with everything that he did do, but more because there was an equal balance of everything. They liked enough of the same things that they could have conversation, but had enough differences so that they weren't too similar. The things that annoyed Mac about Will were some of the things that interested her most about him, they had different beliefs, different views on the world, but she always had a respect for his, and vise versa, what scared her now was that this time around, because of her mistake, they wouldn't have that balance any more. It was only when Mac felt his hand on her shoulder did she notice that he had stood, her coat on his arm, and ready to leave.

She stood with him, allowing his to help her put her coat on, ignoring the part of her that wanted to do it herself, and walked with him only remembering halfway to the exit she forgot her phone. As she got to her phone and turned, she noticed Will leaning on a pillar outside of the restaurant smoking a cigarette and couldn't help but selfishly wish that it would be just like before. Just so she wouldn't have the guilt that consumed her everything time she felt slightly happy. As she exited, she stood next to him in silence and waited as he finished his cigarette.

"I guess you don't hate the smell," He stated, before dropping the stubbed cigarette in a nearby trash can. She shook her head, buttoning her coat.

"Not any more," She half smiled as they walked down the street to Will's car, "I thought you had quit...a few years ago granted but..." He answered her with a shrug, but gave no verbal response.

"Will..." She stopped, near the car, but not quite there, "What are we doing?" She shook her head.

"Before you stopped we were walking, now I'm not sure." He replied, knowingly avoiding the topic of conversation.

"You know, I thought this would be different. I thought that... I thought that we would just fall into the ways things used to be but..."

"We're different now. There were four years we weren't together, and three years where I hadn't seen you. You're not stupid Mac, you know this would be different."

"I don't want it to be different." She felt like a stubborn child stomping her feet, but it was true, and they needed to talk about this now, not tomorrow, and not the day after – both would be too long.

"Yeah well, that's changed now. I meant what I told you earlier. I can't trust you yet, I'm working on it and I know you're suffering because of it, and we need to find a way to work around it."

"So the logical thing is to work on us while you work on yourself?" She questioned, shifting her feet.

"Maybe one will help the other."

"Like a theory to the practical."

"Exactly. The theory is worked out in private and the practical is happening right now, between us," He stepped towards her, "I... I know whatever this is may fucking suck, Mac. It may not even work. It's up to you to decide whether you want to try or not." There was a silence as his eyes searched hers, it was written everywhere that she wanted to say yes, but there was an inner battle that he knew so well.

"I don't know," She huffed out looked down as he brought his hands to rest on her shoulders.

"Look, Mac, come back with me tonight. We'll work on the files, we'll talk... We'll actually talk and not just about the past, we'll talk about everything..." There was a moment where he was sure that she'd say no, then her eyes met his as she looked back up.

"You sure you can handle staying up, Billy boy, you're not as young as you used to be," She half joked, a small smile on her lips matching his own.

"I do some of my best work in the middle of the night," He shot back. Ignoring her snort. He let go of her arms, letting one hand trail down to grab her own, before a car horn went from two cars down, startling them. Moments later Lonny exited the car walking their direction.

"You two only just convinced me not to come in there and sit with you, then you're standing in the middle of an open street making googly eyes at each other. Seriously? Come on!" He shot at them, bringing his hand to point back at the car. They moved passed him, Will's hand dropping from Mac's and gently placing it on her back.

"Sorry," Mac mumbled as she passed Lonny, stopping when his hand touched her shoulder.

"You sure I can't tempt you away?" His eyes flicking up to Will as he rolled his eyes, "I can take him."

"Thank you, Lonny maybe some other time?"

"I'll hold you to that." He got into the car, Mac getting into the back seat and Will in the front, "So the office for Mac, then home."

"Nope. Just home." Will replied, not bothering to look at Lonny.

"Seriously?" Lonny huffed, looking at Mac in the back, "The offer still stands." He spoke to her, his eyes widening.

"As does my answer, but thank you again." Mac smiled, gratefully.

"Crazy." He mumbled.

"Just drive, you can ease your bruised ego when you go home," Will interrupted before letting the smallest of smiles ghost his face.

A/N: I'm filled with sadness as the finale airs tonight (well, for you lucky americans I've got to wait until tomorrow morning). I thankfully got this done before then, so it's something to pass over time until the finale. (I'm hoping we got more on the hancock situation, so I can put it in the next chapter). Thank you for reading, and those whom are following, or that have reviewed and everything, thank you!