A New Beginning

-Chapter Six-

"Man can you believe how many types of cheese there is in this place?" Michael and Nicole were grocery shopping for the Christmas party Chase was having on Christmas Eve. Michael was unusually hyper and excited while Nicole was more in the irritated rushed mood. Yeah, weird role reversal there.

"It's amazing, Michael," Nicole said dully, "Wait! Ew, what's that brown one of there?" Nicole pointed to the far end of the gigantic refrigerator of cheese.

Michael walked over and picked a hunk of the brown cheese up and read aloud," Fudge Cheese."

"Ew!. Please put that back," Nicole looked away in disgust, "Are we almost done?"

"Why are you so crabby? We're shopping. You love shopping."

"Not for dairy products."

"Nicole, you were excited to go to the hardware store with me," Michael looked at her.

"Ok, that's true. But I guess I'm just not in a very good mood," Nicole shrugged and ran her fingers across the cold refrigerator.

"Upset about Hallie?"

Nicole nodded and was about to say something when all of a sudden Michael's phone rang, "Hello?"

"Mike, you need to, I need you to- Something happened. You need to get down here right now," Michael heard Chase's voice. It sounded weird- he was trembling, Michael never heard Chase tremble before.

"I'm at the hospital. Just go to the front desk and ask where Zoey Brooks is," Chase hung up before Michael could even say anything.

"What is it?" Nicole frowned at the confused look of shock on Michael's face.

"We need to go," Michael dropped the cheese, grabbed Nicole's hand, and ran out of the store.

Chase hated seeing her like this. He hated it even more that it was his fault that she was like this. When the car spun into the ditch Chase's airbag opened saving his life and letting him walk out of the car perfectly fine. On the other hand Zoey's airbag did not open. She hit her head on the dashboard knocking her out with a deep gash on her forehead. She still wasn't awake. The doctor said she would be alright, which Chase was extremely thankful for, but they didn't know when she would wake up.

"Chase!" Michael and Nicole rushed into the room. Chase jumped.

"What happened?" Nicole asked franticly.

"Car Accident. Zoey's airbag didn't open," Chase said slowly as if it was the hardest sentence he had ever attempted to say.

"How?" Michael asked.

Chase thought back. It was actually the first time that he even tried to remember what it was that made him act so stupid to drive into a ditch. Let's see, he and Zoey were going out to eat and...

"Yeah, so that's Chris."

Zoey grimaced and uncomfortably replied, "Ah."

"Is something wrong?"

"No, no it's just that...I kind of know that man." Chase's heart sank.

"You do?"

Zoey nodded.

"Well who is he?"

"Ryan."

"Ryan?" It still didn't make sense. Ryan was Zoey's ex-husband how could he and the tourist guy, Chris be the same people? Suddenly Chase slapped his head, "That's it! What a sly, awful person!" It was all coming together. Why Zoey had come home that night in tears and why he had such a bad felling when he and "Judy" walked in his cafe. Chase spilled out the whole story to Nicole and Michael. They listened with interest and in Michael's case, the same amount of anger Chase had.

"So I wonder why he would even come here. Or how he knew you guys were here, "Nicole pondered as she flopped down in a chair near the window that had a lovely view of a brick building.

"I don't know. June is with him so he can't be looking to get back together. It must be about something else," Michael said.

"Well all I know is that on Friday night my future wife was overflowing with joy and the next day when I saw her she was the most upset she had been in a long time. I hate that. I hate it so much. If this Ryan guy is going to mess with Zoey he's going to mess with me, "Chase said defensively.

After a long silence Chase continued and spoke softly, "I love her. If anything ever happened to her I don't know what I'd-" He looked to Michael and Nicole.

"I love you too." Chase turned and saw Zoey's eyes flutter open, a tiny smile spreading across her face.

"You're alright!" Chase rushed and attempted to hug her over the safety bars of the uncomfortable hospital bed.

"Yeah, we need to talk."

A/N: Well, there's a small update for you.

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