A little Willicia to soothe my heartache over seasons 5 & 6 with a twist my mind wouldn't let me forget. Inspired by the Diane/Kurt issue of meeting each others friends, but no McHart here I'm afraid! I love them but for this plot I needed Kurt out of the picture! NOTHING RECOGNIZABLE BELONGS TO ME.
Sometimes a relationship that you never thought could survive 'outside the bubble' surprises you in the best way. Others look at these relationships and wonder about their own.
A little bit of necessary (I feel) background to my A.U. :
In 5x02 Alicia agreed to be Will's new managing partner as her marriage to Peter ended in the finale of S4, after they filed in Red Team/Blue Team, but she supported the campaign. The car scene on election night had Alicia asking Will if he wanted to try again (I may flashback this because cute!) and Diane dumped Kurt and trashed Will in that article to get the judgeship. Diane celebrates on her confirmation night (AU 5x05) by getting drunk and falling into Peter's bed, they then decided to be a couple. Cary is still at C/G (Cavanaugh/Gardner) thanks to Alicia getting him partnership. The kid's love Will and the four practically live in Will's apartment.
This first part is mostly Diane's perspective, but not entirely.
Chapter 1: First Meetings and Stockings.
Diane's hands shook as Peter led her down the hall to the familiar front door.
"Are you ok Hun?"
"What if they hate me?" Peter just laughs as she glares at him.
"They'll like you just fine, just let them see you, don't put up a front, they'll notice," Peter says seriously. Diane just nods and knocks on her ex-partner's front door and tries to calm her nerves, unused to feeling so anxious about anything, but kids were not Diane Lockhart's forte. She silently prayed to a God that she didn't believe in that one of the kids answers the door and not the still-angry-at-her Will. Seconds later she looked up as Will's apartment door opened to reveal her boyfriend's ex-wife.
"Hey," Alicia smiles at Peter, then glances at Diane and steps aside to let them in, "Zach's all set but Grace is still raiding my closet." Diane laughed along with the parents as their daughter's voice sounded across the apartment, "MOM! Can I borrow your flower clutch?"
Alicia turned to yell back, "No! Take the one with the leather bow! I'm using the flower one."
It was then that Diane took in Alicia's appearance properly for the first time: hair up with soft curls around her face, make-up done perfectly and wearing sheer black stockings under her short black silk robe. Diane guessed Will was taking her out while the kids were gone for a few hours.
The judge briefly wondered if Peter had noticed how Alicia was dressed and, based on where his gaze was aimed when she looked at him, he had at least seen the stockings. Diane chose to ignore it though, considering she had been his wife for 20 years he likely wasn't used to not looking at her, but she'd be checking that he didn't spend any time looking at anyone else's legs like that.
"Come in and sit while you wait if you like?" Alicia asked as she turned on her heel and walked around the corner, not giving them much of an option, even if they were both too polite to decline anyway. Diane doubted Will would have offered had he come to the door, which upon reflection, was likely why Alicia had.
Peter grabbed her hand, smiled down at her, and led her around into the living area. Will was sitting on the couch with his eyes aimed at the movie playing on the large flat screen on the wall and a glass of red wine in his hand. Zach was sitting in one of the two lazy-boy chairs with his back to them, also watching the screen, neither of them glanced at the new arrivals for a moment. She looked up at Peter and he too was watching the TV so Diane looked over just as a guy in a mask started chasing the scantily clad teenager on the screen with a machete. After a minute, when the girl was dead, Zach looked over and nodded his greeting at them. Alicia had taken back her seat on the couch next to Will with her feet in his lap and a matching wine glass in her hand as she reclined against the armrest.
"Hey Peter...Diane," Will manages to sound friendly, but he sounded angry when he said her name now, not Peter's like in the past. Diane just inclined her head at her old partner. The couple looked contented, watching an obscene slasher movie. Will looked half dressed to go out as well, reclining on the couch in a white button-down and black slacks, tie removed and top-button open, indicating that they weren't going to a business dinner.
"Sit, please," Alicia said as she gestured to the couch opposite where Zach was sitting. Peter led her over to the couch. Once seated, Diane looked up and locked eyes with Zach who smiled warmly. The teenager was dressed similarly to Will, except he was wearing his dinner jacket and his sleeves weren't rolled up like the older man's were. She only looked away as Zach turned back to the movie and she turned her head to look at the couple on the other couch as she heard Alicia mumble something to Will that was incoherent to Diane, before she upped her volume and spoke again, "What time is it?"
"8:15, we should leave by eight-thirty Leesh." It was the first time Diane had heard the nickname and she was surprised, having never pegged either if them as cutesy nickname types.
"Yeah, I'm going, tell me who dies next," as she gets up and walks past the kitchen, depositing her wine glass on the island counter, to the master bedroom at the back of the apartment. Diane could hear Grace talking to Alicia, while she couldn't make it all out, the general tone of the girl's voice was distressed and Diane couldn't tell if it was wardrobe related or to do with the prospect of this meet-the-girlfriend dinner. After ten minutes of watching the three men watch the horror flick on the TV, she heard two sets of footsteps in heels, one graceful and confident, the other a little clunky, like a child walking in her mother's heels. Diane realised this was the case here as she looked over to see Grace dressed in Alicia's heels and a dress that was likely her mother's based on the slight looseness in the fit of it.
"Hey dad, Ms Lockhart."
"Hey honey."
"Hello," the girl gave her a once over with a look that was all Alicia. As Diane glanced to the woman behind the girl, she saw her elegantly dressed in a black figure hugging dress and heels, on which she could see a hint of red on the sole, as the woman smirked into her reacquired wine glass. Alicia moved over to the arm of the couch that Will was sitting by and perched near him.
"When's your reservation mom?"
"8:45"
"Us too, and we're further away, so we should head out," Peter voiced to the kids as they nodded and Zach stood while buttoning his jacket. Diane thought it strange that Peter knew where Will and Alicia were going but maybe the other woman had mentioned it to him, or one of the kids had. Grace kissed Will and Alicia's cheeks and Zach his mother's as they walked to the hall to retrieve their coats. Diane and Peter bid goodbye to the other adults as they stood to follow the kids to the hallway. Peter opened the front door to the apartment, as they were about to follow him out, a feminine squeal echoed through the apartment. Zach and Grace threw each other curious looks before they stepped to peek around the corner. Diane could hear Alicia giggling in the living room and watched Zach and Grace snicker at their mother and Will.
In the other room...
As soon as the foursome were on their way out, Will grasped Alicia's waist and pulled her down so that she was sprawled across his lap. She let out an adorable squeak and glowered at him as he laughed at her. "Hey! Gardner! My dress is going to crease, you ass!" she couldn't withhold her laughter though, and the smile soon spread across her face as she giggled before she leaned up slightly to kiss him. He smiled against her lips, as she pulled back slightly, "we need to go Will."
"mhmm," he murmured as he stole another kiss before he helped her stand up. As they looked up they saw Zach and Grace leaning on the wall by the hallway, smirking. Grace waved a little before they turned and left.
Will smiled at her before standing and reaching for his jacket from the back of the couch. "You look beautiful Leesh," she smiled down at her shoes, but Will wasn't going to let her be shy as he lifted her eyes to his with a finger under her chin, he softly kissed her lips and then whispered, "you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
"Will," she smiled back at him, but he quickly recognised the spark in her eye, was about to ask when she said: "are you telling me you've seen prettier zoo animals?" she smiled at him then and he let out a deep laugh at her twist of his words, before pushing her in the direction of the door.
…
Once Zach closed the door behind them, Peter asked what she was dying to: "What was that?"
"Will pulled mom onto the couch, they're just being idiots," Grace answered and Zach snickered. Diane had seen many sides to Will Gardner, however family man and loving boyfriend were new faces to her. Once in the elevator, Grace spoke up again: "So Diane...got any embarrassing stories about Will? We need extra, we're planning speeches."
"Speeches for what?" Diane asked with a smile.
"We figure they'll get married fairly soon, we're just getting prepared."
Peter looked like he'd been punched in the gut.
The dinner was going well so far, halfway through their entrées and Diane's nerves have mostly left her. Peter still looked tense after Grace's suggestion of an upcoming wedding between his ex-wife and her ex-partner. He was smiling and chatting but she could feel his tense muscles and sense his demeanour when the kids weren't paying attention. The judge knew not to read too much into his reaction, having never been in his situation, she imagined hearing a serious ex of hers was remarrying would throw her off balance too in his shoes. It wasn't a minute after she thought this that Peter broached the subject with Grace: "Grace," she turned away from her food to look at him, "what you said about mom and Will? Has he proposed?"
"Oh no! We just think he will soon, we're practically living at his apartment."
"Oh okay, do you guys like staying there?"
"Yeah, definitely! It's closer to school and the movies and the view is awesome!"
While Diane doubted that her boyfriend was thrilled that his daughter was so happy to be at Will's, he smiled because she was happy. Zach came back from the bathroom at that moment and the four continued to eat their dinner
Later, while they waited for their desserts, Zach asked Diane about being a judge and Grace asked her if she had any family around. This led to typical get-to-know-you chat through dessert. By the time the foursome walked out of the restaurant, Diane was feeling a lot better, though still wary, she had seen Alicia fake her way through many pleasantries with clients and she had no doubt that her offspring had inherited that ability. So she couldn't be sure if their interest in talking to her had been genuine, or politeness inherited from their upbringing.
The drive back to Will's apartment in the back of Peter's limo was subdued, with occasional chatter about school. As they got out to walk them upstairs, Diane wondered if Alicia and Will would be home yet, they'd had a slow dinner but maybe the other couple were still out. Diane wasn't sure if she wanted them to be in the apartment or not, she went back and forth on seeing Will these days. Their fighting as she left the firm had been brutal, she knew the interview where she trashed him was the final nail in their partnership's coffin, but she missed her friend. Seeing him and Alicia do so well with the firm made her happy but it was tinged with a sadness of what she had lost.
The whole reason she had drank so heavily on the night of her confirmation dinner was out of the sense of loss she felt, Will and Kurt were gone from her life and she foresaw a lonely future without the two men. This is what led to her drinking with the recently divorced governor, and later stumbling out of his limo and into his bed. Diane would say now that she was happy about what happened that night with Peter, but she was still wondering if theirs was a relationship which could last a life time. Her hypothetical jury was still out on that one.
Diane realise that Grace wanted them to come inside so her dad could look over some homework for her. Diane returned Peter's glance and smiled her agreement, albeit reluctantly. As they turned the corner, she focused on the clunk of Alicia's heels on Grace's feet, she only looked up when the woman of the house spoke, "manage?" as she smirked at her daughter, glancing at her own shoes on the girl's feet. Zach snickered.
"Yes! I was fine!" Grace said sharply as she punched her brother on the arm. Alicia smiled at the two of them and then glanced up to Diane and Peter, "hey."
"Hey," Peter replied, visibly uncomfortable, "Grace wanted me to look over some of her homework."
"No problem,"the younger woman smiled at Peter. Grace slipped off the heels with a look of relief and placed them under the coffee table and the bag she'd been using on top of it.
"Where's Will mom?" Zach inquired as his sister started to lead her father out of the living area to her room.
"Shower," Alicia mumbled as she smiled at her son and then looked back down to whatever she was writing on the yellow legal pad. The brunette was lying on the couch on her front, scribbling notes at a speed Diane had witnessed her do at the firm in the past. It was then that the judge realized she missed working with Alicia as well and she had no right to ask about the case she was so obviously prepping for.
Alicia had pyjama shorts on and a red tank top and her hair had been released from its elegant up-do to fall in waterfalls of soft brown curls around her face and shoulders. Diane had wondered about Will's interest in the forty-something when she had forever seen him chasing younger women. She'd put it down to old law school fantasies and a hidden desire for someone stable. However, looking at the woman now, casual and relaxed on her boyfriend's couch, Diane figured Will was probably exceptionally lucky to have such a beautiful woman as his girlfriend and he finally had someone worth giving up twenty-somethings for. Diane felt a little of her well-hidden insecurity about her new relationship surface, as she looked at the younger woman that her boyfriend had once cheated on with hookers, and wondered briefly how she compared to the brunette.
In Diane's mind, if Alicia was as frigid as the news outlets had made her out to be for Peter to need to go to hookers, she figured Will would get bored, but through observing Alicia with Will and through a couple of very brief conversations with Peter on the subject, Diane realized that Alicia was a woman to be envied, not pitied.
"You can sit, Ms. Lockhart," Zach said.
"Thank you Zach," Diane walked to the couch she and Peter had sat on earlier in the evening and then turned back to the boy, "and Diane is fine, really."
The teenager smiled at her and then settled into his lazy-boy to watch the movie Alicia had on in the background. "Want some wine Diane?" Alicia offered, not willing to be tense with the woman just because Will was still mad at her.
"Sure, thanks," Diane watched her get up and cross to the kitchen and pour her a glass while refilling her own and leaving a third, full glass on the island, presumably for Will when he got out of the shower. Diane accepted the offered glass and watched the brunette settle back onto the couch.
Five minutes and nearly half a glass of wine later, the blonde heard a door open and footsteps echo through the apartment. Will looked up from his phone and met her glance and nodded his greeting while retrieving his wine glass from the counter. As he approached the seating area, Diane could see his messy wet hair, sweat pants and t-shirt, this was the most casual she had seen her partner, the closest she'd seen was his running outfit.
"Have fun?" Will enquired of Zach, to which the boy simply turned to nod at his mother's boyfriend before returning his attention to the slasher movie on the TV, it looked like they'd just picked up the one they'd paused earlier. As the credits started to roll, Alicia grabbed the remote from the floor by her and put the 2003 Texas Chainsaw on.
Will took her movement as the opportunity to sit down where her head had been. Diane foresaw an argument about him taking her space, but instead the brunette settled back as she was but with her arms and notebook resting across Will's lap. His left hand found her hair and fiddled with the ends for a minute before moving to massage the back of her neck and the base of her skull. Alicia's writing pace slowed as Will's movements relaxed her, and Diane thought she might fall asleep on top of her notebook any minute now. Will leaned over her to put his wineglass down on the coffee table, then moved his now-free hand into his girlfriend's hair as his other hand moved down to rub her shoulders.
Diane was watching the couple out of the corner of her eye, admiring this sweet, loving side of Will Gardner. He was caring for her while she worked, relaxed and calm, something Diane didn't think she'd ever truly seen him be. Her ex-partner hadn't looked at her since he sat down, his attention switching between the screen and Alicia. The woman in his lap had turned so she faced him slightly and they were talking in hushed tones as he helped her finish off what she was writing, as he spoke, he smiled down at her and ran a hand up and down her back.
A few minutes later, Peter and Grace reappeared and Grace immediately moved to curl up in the recliner next to her brother. Peter looked at Alicia and Will on the other couch briefly, watching his ex-wife with a weird look on his face that Diane couldn't decipher fully but guessed it was jealousy. He tore his gaze away from the other woman to incline his head at Diane in an invitation to leave. The judge stood and placed her glass on the table, "thanks for the wine Alicia," she smiled, and then bid goodbye to the two teenagers. As she looked back up from the kids, she saw Alicia throw her legal pad and pen onto the floor and manoeuvre to curl into Will's side with her feet across his lap. It was very domestic in Diane's eyes, in the sense that it wasn't sexual, it was just for comfort, and she wondered if she and Peter would be like that at some stage.
Peter led her out of the front door of the apartment and once they were on the other side, he spoke again: "That went well Di, don't you think?"
"Yeah the kids are great Peter."
"They are something, they're all Alicia though, they're nothing like me, thankfully," he laughed.
"Grace especially," she remarked, "she even dresses like her mother now."
"Zach is too, just less obviously than Grace, who has definitely decided to copy her mother's fashion, though at least that means I don't have to worry about her wearing mini-skirts and crop-tops," Peter laughed and Diane joined him as they got back into the limo. Her smile didn't quite reach her eyes as she worried that she made some bad decisions recently to get what she wanted and wondered if she and Peter could really make a go of it.
Once the front door had closed, Grace and Zach both turned to Alicia and Will. "She's okay, seems nice enough."
"Yeah well at least dad didn't bring home a hooker, Grace."
Will looked at Alicia after Zach's comment to check her facial expressions for discomfort but she seemed fine to him, smirking at her kids, "so you guys like her?"
"We don't know her too well mom, but she's tolerable."
Will smirked at Grace then, and the girl smiled at him before turning her attention back to the TV again. He looked down at Alicia as her hand moved from the centre of his chest, where it had been resting, to his right shoulder and pulled slightly. She smirked at him, then tilted her lips up to meet his and he smiled against her mouth. After a moment Will felt her tongue press to his lips, seeking entrance, and his mouth slipped open in response.
"Yuck, jeez you guys need to get a room," Grace exclaimed from her nearby seat.
"Yeah guys, yuck," Zach said, more mocking his sister's disgust than expressing any of his own. The boy had been oddly accepting of the displays of affection between the pair over the last four months. Grace, however, liked to make fun of the couple on a regular basis.
"You'll live," was Will's only response. Alicia smiled placatingly at Grace, accepting the girl's tease.
An hour later, the movie was building to its conclusion, captivating the Cavanaugh and Florricks in the room, while Will was too bust watching Alicia watch the movie. Will had always remembered Alicia's fondness for horror and slasher movies (but not so much the paranormal kind – she had cried in fear once) and had been thrilled to find out it was a common interest with Zach and Grace too. Alicia's fingers played with the short hairs at the base of his skull, while her left hand rested on his abs through his t-shirt. Will took a break from looking over her facial features to nuzzle his nose into the top of her hair and press a gentle kiss to her head. Alicia snuggled closer to his side in response and grabs a fistful of his t-shirt in the hand that had been previously pressed into his stomach. She tortured him, mostly without meaning to, merely by smelly like fruit shampoo and body wash, and being soft and malleable in his arms.
Lawyer Alicia turned him on, impressed him and left him in awe at her brilliance and he loved her. Casual Alicia though, relaxed with him and the kids, wined and dined and completely content – made him want to never let her out of his bed where he could see her spread across his soft sheets and watch her come undone all day – and made him love her all the more. She was delicate, sexy, strong and soft all at once and he was completely smitten.
As the credits rolled on the movie Grace yawned and stood with a mumbled: "Goodnight family," as she rounded the corner towards her room. Will and Alicia both smiled at the girl's sleepy choice of words.
"You two mind if I play Xbox on the big screen for a bit?" Zach asked in what Will had come to nickname his please mommy voice.
"Go for it baby, we're going to bed now anyway." Will was a half-second away from making a joke about her dictating his bedtime when he saw her smirking at him with that twinkle in his eye that made Will damn sure he wanted to follow her into his bedroom. Alicia moved to kiss her son goodnight before she stepped past him towards the master bedroom.
"Night Zach."
"G'night Will."
With that Will followed the path Alicia had just taken. As he walked across the threshold, he grabbed her wrist and spun her to push her up against the door, closing it in the process. Alicia hummed deep in her throat as Will's lips met her shoulder, and moved her hands to his shoulder and hair.
"You're insatiable," he muttered against her collarbone, referring to the hour spent in bed after dinner earlier after they took dessert to go and he practically dragged her home in his eagerness to see her in just those torturous stockings she had had on.
"You make me insatiable," he held his breath, waiting, "I just can't get enough Will," he let out a puff of air onto the spot behind her ear where he'd just left a wet kiss, cooling her skin and making her shiver in anticipation. Her hand slipped off of his shoulder and slid down between them to cup his erection through his sweat pants. He groaned and stole a kiss from her parted lips.
"Bed," she mummered huskily into his mouth, He complied instantly.
Reviews appreciated, this A.U. Is my baby, so I'd love to hear what you think - Jenny