AN: This is my first Good Wife fic. I wasn't going to post any other fics until my other story, It Only Gets Harder, was done, but I felt this needed to come out before the next episode of this series. So If anyone reads this... Enjoy!

R&R!

Ait92

Summary: Takes place after 3x18 "Gloves Come Off". A Carrie fic! Friendship themes!

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my thoughts.

The Good Wife 3x18: Bourbon Leads to Friendship

Carrie A.'s POV

"Are you safe?" Alicia asked me with a masked expression.

"I haven't been told otherwise and that usually means no." I responded shaking my head, trying to maintain a calm exterior while handing her the requested file.

"Thank you."

With that, Alicia left leaving me to wonder if she actually came over in genuine concern or if she had truly changed to the extent of malice. Had she come over to rub this demotion in my face? If she only knew what I did for this, that I essentially forced this onto myself. The odd thing about this being that I wasn't sure she'd even be surprised if I told her, not because she thinks highly of me, but because she thinks that low of Peter.

Unable to make any headway on Alicia's true motives in coming to retrieve information herself I continued with my work. I hadn't been lying when I told her that I wasn't sure if I was safe. I could never tell with Peter and wounded pride did odd things to a man. Especially a man like Peter.

A week had gone by since I'd last encountered her that day in my office. She sat at a bar, alone. The sight of her nursing the amber colored liquid gave me pause. I studied her for some time, debating whether or not to approach her. She had a stony, pensive look as she stared down into her emptying glass causing the lines within her skin to become more visible.

In the few minutes I allowed myself to ponder why I was so interested in her state of being, I accepted over the course of the last two years I'd come to appreciate her in an unconventional sense. She wasn't my friend or my adversary. She wasn't even an acquaintance. Yet she still gained my respect as both a person and lawyer. Making a decision, I walked towards her, taking the stool next to hers. I motioned for the bartender to get me whatever she was drinking.

"Alone?" I asked her a few minutes after having taken a seat, knowing she wasn't going to start a conversation.

"That surprises you?" She questioned, turning to face me. Her appearance told me she came here straight from the firm. Present in her usual black pencil skirt and matching blazer with not a hair out of place.

"That you're alone? No. That you're drinking alone? Yes." I responded honestly knowing there was no need for pleasantries.

She smirked at my words and shook her head before taking another gulp from her glass. "At least you're one person I can count on being honest."

"Who lied this time?" I questioned in response.

"Me." Her voice was automatic and if she finally voiced herself out loud and not during an internal battle.

"Lawyers thrive on being specific. Care to help me out here?" I asked, feeling the need to direct this conversation.

"I kept telling myself I couldn't forgive Kalinda because of what they did. But that's not true."

"Then what is true?" I was truly interested. I may not speak to Kalinda much, but I unfortunately, she was still in my head.

"I didn't want to forgive her. I'm tired of forgiving." Her face was tired, hurt and vulnerable.

"You shouldn't need to keep forgiving but can I say something you probably won't like to hear?" I asked her, finishing off my glass and calling for another.

"Go on."

"Kalinda has done so much for you since that happened. Since she got to know you, even after you stopped talking to her. She even let ASA Pine blackmail her into getting information for Will's indictment over that case with the missing waiver. But you know, you still don't have to forgive her. That's not the problem. The problem is why did you forgive Peter if you can't forgive her? What he did was worse and he hasn't done anything to win your forgiveness." I let the anger show in my voice. Being drunk I could care less about tact. I may like working at the State Attorney's Office, but I didn't like playing referee for Peter.

"I haven't forgiven Peter. I just can't cut him out like I did to her because of Zach and Grace. Why did Peter demote you?" She changed the subject abruptly. I suppose she was feeling too vulnerable for her taste.

"I made him." I said simply.

"What?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"He fired two gay black men for fraternizing on his office couch, demoted ASA Pine and promoted me over my seniors. That in itself isn't bad but add the fact that I was in a relationship with Pine? I was losing respect in the office and so was he. He wanted to let it slide but I couldn't let that happen."

"You're his moral compass." She smirked at me showing her amusement.

"More like referee." I said letting out a sigh.

"I'm sorry." She said suddenly serious.

"For what?" Now I was confused. Maybe this was a sign to stop the refills.

"You're kind of the reason I'm here." She said as if that explained everything.

"I'm the reason you're an alcoholic?" I retorted attempting to make some sense of what she was referring to.

"You asked me why I came instead of Kalinda. I said I didn't know. That was a lie."

"You're sorry you lied to me?" Alicia apologizing to me was definitely note worthy and I needed to make sure I had all the facts.

"That's when I realized how much I had changed. I came to rub it in your face, not check up on you. And now you're telling me about why you got demoted. I hadn't realized how malicious I'd become and for that, I'm sorry." Her eyes were glazed over from the intake of alcohol and there was a frown set on her face.

I raised my hand to her upper arm and gently squeezed. "Let's chalk it up to a bad year." It was unusual how I felt no need to deliberate in her flawed character this night. Maybe I was going soft.

Getting up, I pecked her on her left cheek and extended my hand to take hers. "C'mon, lets get cabs."

"Thanks, Carrie." She smiled. I mentally patted myself on the back, caught off guard by the satisfaction I felt from it.

"Next time you feel like drinking, call me. We'll trade Peter stories. I'll give his latest and you can fill me on the past. It's normal to bitch about bosses and husbands, right?" I smiled lightly at her before settling her into a cab.

"See you around." She replied with a grin.

I watched as her cab drove away. Maybe they finally had settled their differences. Knowing this wasn't going to be our last friendly encounter, contentment settled over me as I hailed another taxi.

Bourbon apparently bodes well in budding friendships.