"Ok, I think we are done here," Peter told Diane. He felt quiet and relaxed, glad that the deposition was finally over. Stretching an arm to shake her hand, his eyes instinctively peeped around to try and catch sight of Alicia.

"Yes, we should be done," Diane replied in her usual very professional, yet soft tone. "Thanks for coming. And if you are looking for Alicia," he wondered if she caught his glances, "she had to be in court at 3pm so she might be discussing the latest details with Will."

He slightly nodded. Will. Not that he wanted to deal with him after all that happened in the last few months, and even more after their weird encounter in the elevator less than an hour ago.

"Thanks, but I guess I will call her later. Goodbye," and with a gentle gesture of his head and a hinted smile, he silently thanked her.

Walking by Will's office, he caught sight of Alicia sitting on his couch, exactly where Diane told him she would be. The comfortable distance, mixed with the continual coming and going of people, put him in the favorable position of observing without being noticed.

A folder open in front of her on the small table, she was toying with a pencil, twiddling it between her fingers, while going through some papers. She looked up and laughed, probably at something Will said. The chatter around him hindered the sound of the voices, confining whatever they were discussing behind the glass walls of the corner office.

He wished he were a fly, so he could slide in unnoticed. Not that their confidences mattered, but there was something in Alicia's eyes, in her laugh, in the way she was smiling, in the way she was crossing her legs slightly to one side... She was smiling inside, her inner and hidden feelings reflected all over her face and shining through her eyes. It would be clear even to a careless passerby that she was happy.

He tried to hide a painful grimace from forming on his face as he slowly came to the realization that what he always tagged as an affair, a subtle vengeance towards his past adultery, maybe was not just that.

She seemed genuinely happy and, what hurt more, she was glaringly in love. He knew from her deposition during the Grand Jury that her relationship with Will was over. But was it really? And if so, was Alicia even aware of the depth of her own feelings?

He started to search through his memories trying to recall the last time he saw her smiling like that and it hit him harder than he could ever expect the realization that the last happy memory was the blur image of a brief out-of-town excursion with their kids, before the scandal, before Amber Madison, before the arrest and the consequent fallout. Everything else, the accusations – unfounded or true -, the doubts and suspects, only added fuel to the flame, till the fire got too wide to put it out.

Now, with the separation made sort of official during the deposition, he wondered what would happen. Getting ready to run for Governor, he couldn't risk another scandal, he couldn't risk the news being released during the campaign and he couldn't risk Kresteva using it against him. He had to take a decision and he had to act on it.

After holding on for three years, patiently waiting, giving Alicia the time she needed, hoping things would eventually go back, if not to normal, at least to an idea of normality, he realized that it was time to take a decision: give the marriage another try - a real try -, or let it go, let her go, move on and let her move on for good. Deep down inside, he was still hoping that he didn't hold on for nothing, that eventually the time they spent separated helped Alicia in that very difficult and painful process called 'forgiveness'.

It was past 9pm when Alicia finally left the office. Peter called her a couple of hours before, asking her to drop in because he needed to talk to her. He didn't give explanations, so she had no idea what it was about, if it was the kids, Jackie, the campaign, or what else.

She gave a quick look around to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything, before turning the light off and leaving. Walking down the corridor to the elevators, she noticed the light still on in Will's office and opted for a quick pause. Deep into signing some papers, he didn't notice her presence until she lightly knocked at his door.

"Hey," he said, the tone of his voice giving away some weariness. "How was the appeal?"

She realized that they still haven't met after her courtroom session. "Good," she said, still satisfied by the outcome, "we managed to obtain six months of house arrest," she explained with a hint of pride, knowing it was way beyond their expectations, and managing to get a smile out of Will.

"Really?" His mouth open, the surprise all over his face, he clearly wasn't expecting it, and it made her even prouder. His surprise turned in a soft smile as he complimented her. "Great job, Alicia."

She smiled delighted, pleased by his flattering words, but at the same time grateful for the precious advices he gave her during their early meeting. "Thanks for your help, your strategy worked big."

He didn't say anything, just returned her smile, slightly nodding in acknowledgement.

The unreal quiet that filled the sudden silence between them made them realize how late it was. She knew she had to go, her body was just unwilling to do so. And Will gazing at her wasn't certainly giving her any motivation to leave.

"So," Will's voice deftly broke that moment before it could turn awkward, "is it going to become official?"

Official? She was completely confused and taken back by not knowing what he was talking about. "W…What?" Was there something she still didn't know?

Will's confusion reflected her own, leading her to the conclusion that yes, he definitely knew something she didn't.

"The separation," he said as it was a matter of fact. "Peter's deposition… today…" Probably catching her plain confusion, he was giving her some hints.

Now she was officially more than confused. Actually she was completely lost. What did Peter's deposition had to do with their separation? "I… I have no idea what you are talking about."

The 'oops' look on Will's face reminded her that Peter actually told her they needed to talk. Now, that was very likely what is was about.

Will sighed, probably aware that he said something he shouldn't. But since he started, Alicia thought that he might as well go on and tell the rest. Slightly tilting her head, she silently invited him to tell her everything.

His gaze down, Will was probably searching for words. "Ok… during his recorded deposition with Canning and Mrs. Nyholm… Peter confirmed that you are separated."

Oh. This was a surprise. And something completely unexpected. They spent two years keeping the separation private, putting on hold, constantly postponing every definitive decision about their marriage, while pondering every consequence, on their kids, on his campaign, on her career, on their personal lives. Because let's face it, media would pounce on the news like vultures. The formality of it in the deposition plus Peter's request could only mean one thing: he was about to make it official to the media before it could backfire on him.

"You ok?" Will interrupted his thoughts. He looked slightly concerned.

"I… yes…" And she was honest. Because although the thought of being assaulted by the media scared her, finally getting that cumbersome secret off her chest felt like a huge relief. "I'm just surprised," she reassured him.

She wondered why she even felt the need of reassuring Will. After all, they broke up months before. But for some inexplicable and obscure reason, she didn't want him to think that she was having second thoughts, doubts or regrets about the end of her marriage.

Realizing she was still standing at the door, she stepped in and gently took seat in front of him. Letting out a heavy sigh, she looked down, thinking about the upcoming hard times. "I just don't want the media scrutinizing my life again," she said putting her major worry into words.

"They won't." Will's tone was so quiet, there wasn't any hint of doubt in his voice and she wondered what made him so confident. She looked up to meet his soft smile and that look in his eyes, that mix of sweetness and reassurance that she unconsciously came to love over their months together.

"How do you know?" She needed reassurance that he was right, that her life wasn't about to fall into the spotlight again, that she wasn't going to see her face splashed again across every newspaper, bulletin or chat show. She'd already been through that and certainly didn't miss that kind of notoriety.

"You've been separated for over a year and you live in separate places, how many chances are there that the media don't already know?" He asked, his gaze confidently fixed on her, making her reappraise her worries and considering the whole picture from a different point of view.

It made sense. After all Peter had been going in and out, every single day over the course of the last year, from a building few blocks away from her apartment. The chances that nobody noticed it were less than those of winning in the lottery. They'd probably kept the information ready to use against Peter at the first good occasion. Like the campaign.

Knowing Peter, plus having the confirmation that the separation was going to become public, she wondered if he intended to give a press conference and make it official before the campaign started. Beating them to the draw was the smartest and most logical move.

Her phone bleeping snapped her from her thoughts. Peter's text was very concise. "On your way?" She realized that her short stop in Will's office got longer than expected, as usual after all. With him, five minutes easily turned in one hour without even realizing it. "I should go," she said, giving him a soft smile, moving to stand up. "Thanks for everything, Will," she said quietly, before turning to leave.

"You're welcome" He said, his voice barely a whisper.