A/N: I got stuck in the middle of this story and couldn't find a way of fitting everything the way I wanted it. A huge thank you goes to Josie who gave an amazing contribution with the perfect idea!
With a ribboned bottle of champagne in hand and a light smile, her first days at Lockhart & Gardner came back to Alicia's mind. Back when it still was Stern, Lockhart & Gardner. Back when Will gave her a lifesaving opportunity with the job she had renounced years before. She wondered if Will still remembered. It was almost midnight. She was supposed to be home already and she knew it. Still, for some obscure reason she had wanted to make sure that nobody would be around. With light, yet confident steps, she walked the corridor down to his office, sure that she'd find him there. Indeed. There he was. Standing in the dark, in front of his window, he was probably enjoying the view or thinking about the events of the day. So many things were going on. She had caught some words, from the earlier associates' brainstorming, that had got her a little worried. She wondered what kind of impact it was having on him and it would have on his future because, let's face it, right now he was unquestionably the weakest partner.
His first day back – although not yet officially – after being taken away from what she knew was his home and he was risking being torn away again – although for different reasons. She didn't want to think about it. She didn't want to even consider the remote chance that he might lose his firm. It was simply unfair and totally undeserved. All she wanted now was for him to know that she was happy to have him back around.
Her head lightly tilted to the left, a sweet smile on her lips, she was looking intently at his image reflected in the window. A blank stare, he had clearly not noticed that she was there. At least not until she saw him straightening up a little, his gaze shifting to meet her reflected smile.
As he turned around to face her, she lifted the bottle with a knowing and a bit triumphant expression. "Welcome back home," she said with a soft voice.
Will approached her, slowly, his smile widened into a light laugh. Yes,he remembered too. Her first case, her first success, his cute way to tell her that he was proud of her job, of her. Four years later, she was the one to start the celebration for his return to law. He'd been through all that mess for her, because of her. And six months later, she still couldn't say whether what she felt was simple guilt or… or what? It didn't matter now. All that matter was that he was back – officially – for a couple of minutes now. With only a few inches between them, Alicia stretched her arms to offer him the meaningful gift.
"Thank you," he said, as he looked down and quickly glanced at the tag on the bottle. His voice was barely a whisper, still she caught a bit of excitement. She wasn't sure if it was all about being back or if her presence there had the same effect that his own had on her. "You didn't save yourself," he said with a knowing and pleased look.
"Exceptional events require exceptional celebrations," she said, her words coming out a little more flirty than expected. She caught Will's intense stare fixed on her and looked down for a moment, suddenly reconsidering her decision. Maybe it wasn't a good idea… or was it? Why did she want so badly to be here at midnight, to celebrate his return to the law, to the firm, toher, when all she was supposed to think about now were all those diplomatic interviews?
"And exceptional celebrations require an exceptional company," he said, silently inviting her with a kind gesture to join him for a glass of champagne.
Alicia didn't say anything. With a light nod, she followed him into his office and sat on his couch, crossing her legs to one side, slowly, and a bit teasingly. She watched as he took two flutes and handed them to her, then sat on his armchair in front of her, slowly, quietly opening the bottle. She smiled as she caught him discreetly checking up on her. She was still wearing the black dress. It really suited her but was so damn tight and uncomfortable that it was no wonder if she wore it once in a blue moon.
The cork popped, letting an intense yet sweet, enticing smell fill the room. She liked champagne. Not like wine. But she liked the sensation of bubbles going to her head. She lightly leaned forward so Will could pour the bubbly liquid for both, and watched as he filled the glass, carefully, but at the same time throwing quick glances at her.
"So," he finally said as he took his glass from her hands, raising it a bit, "let's toast to… lawyers…"
"To the end of suspensions," Alicia added with a knowing look, as she raised her own glass.
"To being back home," Will said as he looked around, peeping at the familiar surroundings.
Alicia thought of how much he must have missed it. He'd been around, yes. But it wasn't the same thing. The support he could give, what he could do was so limited that his presence at the firm had been barely a representative one. She had watched him more than once raring, champing at the bit, eager to give his word on a matter but having to silently listen instead. It must have been frustrating. Will loved law more than anything else. It was his life. It had always been.
Things had moved forward for the both of them, although on separate ways, bringing them to barely cross paths with each other over the last couple of months. She didn't realize how much she missed him till she found him in her office earlier that day, waiting for her. It was a picture she was used to when they were together. He used to sit on her couch, awaiting to discuss the most disparate stuff. Just to be there with her. If she had to be honest with herself, it was something she missed. She wondered if they could ever go back to how they used to be. So comfortable around each other without that undertone of nostalgia, regret, and light pain that often accompanied their conversations. Maybe things would change now that he was back. Maybe this might be the occasion to give a fresh start to their friendship.
"To new beginnings," Alicia said with a light smile.
"To new beginnings," Will repeated with a nod and a satisfied look on his face, as he leaned forward to join their glasses in a toast. The tinkle resounded in the utter silence of the night, as they both took a sip of champagne from their glasses, their eyes staring deeply into each others'.
"So how does it feel?" Alicia asked softly, still gazing at him.
Will looked down for a moment, apparently lost in thought. "It's like… being out of jail," he said with a mild laugh, as he looked back up to her. "It's like… getting my life back… I could never live without law… I thought I could, that six months would fly past quickly and I… I was wrong… It felt like an eternity…" There was a hint of sadness in his voice.
Alicia smiled, lightly and nodded in understanding. She'd been away from law for fifteen years. At that time it felt the best thing to do. It probably was the best thing to do. But if she were asked today to sacrifice her job, her career, everything she earned over the last four years… she just couldn't. She belonged here. Law was part of her life and something she could never live without. Not anymore.
She wondered if it would be the same to work somewhere else. She had once considered joining Canning. But would that be the same? Would that feel the same? She loved law, yes. But she equally loved the people she was working with. Kalinda… Will… Will… would law be the same without them? Without him?
She noticed Will's curious look, and only then she realized that she was smiling in a way she wasn't supposed to.
"What are you thinking about?" He asked, questioningly and probably amused.
"I… I missed it… having you around," she said, then looked down and drank all the champagne trying to prevent her mind to venture any further down the lines of thoughts than. She felt the bubbles reach her head. Badidea. Champagne had that intoxicating effect on her. That was why she preferred wine. Damn. Instead of making things better, she was just making them even worse.
Will's eyes were still fixed on her, but his look was different, more… serious.
She had come with the intention to celebrate his official return and she was just making things complicated.
"How are things going with Peter?" Will asked with a faint voice.
Alicia shook her head. It wasn't a conversation she was ready to have. Not at midnight, lightly drunk and with the tiredness of the day. But she had put herself in this situation, didn't she? "I… We…" She didn't even know where to start. She leaned forward and put the empty glass down, biting her lower lip in anxiety. "It's… different… from what it seems…" She looked up to meet his confused gaze.
"Different… in which way?" He asked, leaning forward himself to reduce the distance.
"It's… all the stuff about working on it… on the marriage… those things we both said to Peggy Byrne… it's… it's just for the press… for the campaign," she said, with a shrug. "Everything has already been… decided…"
"Decided…" Will repeated, nodding, as to make sure that he got the real meaning of the word and what that implied. He looked away for a moment, a smile filled with irony on his face. "It always seem to be the wrong moment, isn't it?"
Alicia looked down. He was so damn right. "It seems…"
"What if he loses?" Will asked.
It was a possibility that nobody seemed to ever consider. Peter wasn't running alone. Kresteva was a tough adversary with apparently unlimited resorts. "Then… he loses...," she said as a matter of fact. "We've kept the separation hidden for almost a year… I… I can't keep on pretending that things will eventually fall into place because they won't."
Will looked away, lost in thought. Alicia knew that expression. It was the one when he was trying to come up with an idea, with a plan, or a solution. Was there even a solution to them?
"One year," he finally said, very quietly.
Alicia gave him a confused look. What was he talking about? "One year… what?"
"Here… my office… same day… same hour…," he paused for a moment. "Same champagne," he added as he threw an approving glance at the bottle.
Alicia laughed, lightly, still confused. "Then what?"
"You'll be divorced…" he started, then looked around, "the firm will be in a different situation… for better or worse," he said, not hiding some concern. "Nobody could ever be accused of keeping their job for sleeping with the boss."
Alicia had to admit that the choice of the word nobody was pretty smart. She nodded. She hadn't thought about that. So naïve of her, since only few months before, in front of the Grand Jury, she was accused of getting her new office exactly like that. Her subconscious had worked hard to forget the humiliation.
"One year?" She asked again in confirmation. It was an eternity. Everything could happen in one year. It was huge promise. Not to mention, very binding.
"One year," Will repeated, slowly.
"Are you… are you going to… wait one year… for us?" She asked again. She wasn't sure what worried her most. Thinking he was willing to wait a whole year or that he might break the promise and get tired of waiting before that deadline.
"Would you?" He asked in return.
She didn't even know what would happen in two days. She was being asked to keep a one year long promise. Still… "I… I guess… I guess I would," she said, giving him a light smile. "You?"
Will didn't say anything. Instead, he stood up and kneeled in front of her. So he was only few inches from her. She felt her heart thudding. She wasn't used anymore to such proximity. And knowing that they were alone in the whole firm wasn't making it any easier. She didn't dare to move. She just sat there, letting Will close the distance with a soft, gentle kiss. She shivered as his lips touched hers. It had been so long since the last time her mouth met his, she had forgotten how good it felt. It didn't go any further then that though. She had somewhat expected Will to let himself go and give in to passion and longing. Or maybe it was what she was hoping for. She winced as she felt him breaking the kiss and instinctively moved forward to hold the pleasant contact a little bit longer.
"One year." Will's voice was a bare whisper. But the quiet of the deserted firm and the importance of that promise made it sound like a scream. A scream to the world that in one year they would try and give themselves a realchance.