The Right Choice

Chapter 2

As much as Zeke was annoyed and angry by what he saw, a part of him had always felt that Michaela wasn't as invested in their relationship as he was. But right now more than anything he was hurt and confused. Last night Michaela had agreed to marry him, he put a ring on her finger and the two of them had seemed so happy in that moment. So how could she be kissing Jared right now, and what did it mean?

Zeke cleared his throat and the two of them looked up at him, mortified.

JARED: That is my cue for me to get back to work.

Jared gave Zeke a sad smile as he walked back towards his desk. Jared gave one backwards glance as he saw Michaela get up from her desk and walk with Zeke into the locker room. Jared knew he shouldn't listen into their conversation but as he was more confused now after the kiss than before, for sanity sake he knew he had to hear what Michaela was about to tell Zeke, so Jared turned around and stood right outside the locker room where neither of them could see him.

Zeke: Mick, what the hell is going on?

MICHAELA: I don't know Zeke, I don't know.

Zeke: What do you mean you don't know? I know that you were engaged to the guy before you went to Jamaica, but I thought that when you agreed to marry me last night it meant that we, you and I were engaged.

MICHAELA: We were, you and I, I mean we are.

Zeke: Look, I know that I love you, that I am in love with you and I want to marry you, but is that what you want? Do you want to marry me?

MICHAELA: I think so, I don't know Zeke.

Zeke: If you're not sure about this, then why did you say yes last night? If you don't want to marry me, then don't. But what is really confusing me here Mick, is that last night no one forced you to say yes, I didn't propose in front of anyone, there was no pressure on you to say something you didn't want to.

MICHAELA: I know, look Zeke I just don't know. This is all way too confusing for me.

Zeke: What is?

MICHAELA: You, me, Jared. I honestly just don't know what I want anymore, I don't know what makes sense or what the right thing to do is.

As soon as she said the last words, she realized she had slipped up and made a mistake but at this point it was too late. Zeke had already heard, and what she didn't know was that so had Jared. Jared knew Michaela well enough to know that no matter what he said, or how hard he tried she was always just going to do what felt like the right thing for her to do instead of doing what she wanted. Jared knew that in order for Mick to be happy she would have to follow her heart and be with the person who made her happy and as much as he wished that person was him he knew that she would never be happy with him knowing she would be leaving him. Jared couldn't listen in anymore, so he turned around and left work for the day. Jared went home and tried to plan his next move.

Meanwhile back at the precinct Zeke finally understood what was going on in Michaela's head.

Zeke: So, you only said yes last night because in the moment it felt like the right thing to do?

MICHAELA: Something like that

Zeke: Mick, why would you do that? To any of us?

MICHAELA: What do you mean? I don't understand why you are so upset about this.

Zeke: Because when I get married, I want to marry a woman who wants to be married to me, not just marry someone who wants to give a dying man his last wish of getting married and going out with a bang.

MICHAELA: So then why did you propose?

Zeke: Because I love you and wanted to be with you. Look I knew from the beginning that you love Jared and I was always afraid that you would go back to him. But recently after the way he has been acting and how you have been talking about him I felt like we, you and I were in a good place.

MICHAELA: Would you have proposed had you not been dying in a couple of days?

Zeke: Probably not, why?

MICHAELA: Because yes, I do love you and maybe if we had more time together it would be different, but we don't you will be dead by the end of this week. So, the same way you felt rushed to propose and get married I felt like the right thing to do was to give you this wedding as a dying gift.

Zeke: I appreciate what you were trying to do, but honestly is that fair to me? Yes, I wanted a wedding but not if the bride didn't really want to be there. Look I know you love Jared and that relationship is way more complicated than you ever wanted it to be, but I have one more question.

MICHAELA: Okay

Zeke: Does Jared know about the death date?

MICHAELA: Why?

Zeke: Look, you and I we had a good run, so we don't get married tomorrow I can live with that. But what I cant live with is the thought of dying and leaving you here alone. As much as I want to be angry with you for kissing Jared just now, a part of me is really happy and hoping that the two of you will patch things up. But I just don't think its fair to him if you two do get married and he doesn't know that you will be dying in several years.

MICHAELA: Why do you care so much what happens to him? I thought you hate him.

Zeke: Do I like the guy? No. But if he makes you happy and he loves you and treats you right that's what makes me happy. I just don't want him to get hurt again. I know that we have our differences but he is a good guy Michaela and just doesn't deserve to loose someone he loves again.

MICHAELA: I guess you won't like this but I guess that's why I have been trying to keep my distance from him and eventually what drew me to you. I just couldn't bare the thought of leaving him again.

Zeke: After the kiss today I kind of figured that out. What is your plan though for once I'm gone?

MICHAELA: I don't know I didn't really think that far ahead I just keep hoping that you won't die which would mean that neither will I and then I was hoping that Jared wouldn't hate me and that maybe we could try again. But if you did really die, which would mean that I would die to I was planning on staying as far away from him as possible. How could you just leave the love of your life for a second time? I just can't put him through that.

Zeke: Does he know this?

MICHAELA: I told him today.

Zeke: And?

MICHAELA: And he said he doesn't care. That he would rather spend the next 4 years with me and lose me again than not get to spend anymore time with me at all. But I don't know, I just don't know.

Zeke: Do you want to hear my opinion?

MICHAELA: Sure.

Zeke: This may sound crazy but I agree with Jared.

MICHAELA: You do?

Zeke: Yeah. Think about it. I proposed to you last night so that I could spend my last couple hours alive married to you even though I knew I was dying.

MICHAELA: Okay, but you got to make that choice.

Zeke: So let Jared make his own choice as well. Just tell him everything lay all the cards on table. Tell him honestly how you feel and what you want and see what he says. And if he says he still wants to be with you, believe him. You believed me.

MICHAELA: I'll think about it.

Zeke: Good. Mick, I know that today didn't go as I had hoped it would but I really do love you.

MICHAELA: I love you too Zeke, thanks for understanding.

Zeke: I think I'm just going to go spend the night with my mom if that's okay?

MICHAELA: Yeah of course, whatever you want.

Zeke left the precinct in a daze. He felt that Michaela accepting his proposal was too good to be true, and apparently, he was right. He so badly wanted to be mad at her hell he was so angry but not at her. How could he? He understood where she was coming from. Realized what a tough position she was in, so he just felt really bad for her. Zeke went straight to his mothers' home, walked through the door and just hugged his mother.

After Zeke left the precinct Mikami found Michaela and informed her they had just caught a case. Michaela and Drea worked through the night and by the time they were finished they were so exhausted that Michaela went straight home to bed. The captain had given her the next day off, which she appreciated as that was the day of Zekes death date. Michaela, Ben and Grace were sitting in the living room of Ben's house with Zeke just holding his hand and talking to him when there was a knock at the door.

Grace: You two stay here with Zeke, I'll go get that.

Grace walked towards the door and as she was about to open the door she heard Michaela and Ben crying in the background.

Michaela: Zeke, Zeke, Zeke. No, no, no, this can't be happening this cant be true. Please Ben, he can't die, you can't let him die like this.

Grace opened the door to find Jared standing there.

Grace: Jared, come in Michaela and Ben are in the living room.

Ben: Michaela, leave go it's over. He's gone.