A/N: This story grew from 'Alicia, I Think You Need A Friend' although I haven't included Angela as yet (I might not), but David was necessary as a conduit for Will's letters and as Diane's friend.

Fields of Gold (Sting)

Chicago, April 2014

David Austen, lawyer and Professor at Northwestern, knocked on the door of the smart townhouse and sighed gently. He was not looking forward to his latest task, something that fell on his shoulders as the executor of his friend's estate. It had been three weeks since Will Gardner had died and he was beginning to follow his late friend's wishes. It was cold, the snow had just melted and he could see his breath in the air as he waited for a response. The door opened and Kurt McVeigh smiled at him, "Hey, David, come on in," he said stepping to one side to let David inside. "Thanks," he replied, "it's quite nippy out. Is Diane home, she wasn't at the office?"

"Yeah, through there," he pointed towards the lounge where Diane was curled at one end of the couch. Diane looked up as he entered, giving a crooked smile and a slight nod as she took off her glasses and sat up. "Hey," he said in a tone that sounded like he had the weight of a thousand years on his shoulders. Diane put down her glasses on top of the book she had previously abandoned and took a few steps towards him, embracing when they met in the centre of the room. "Oh David, I feel so lost," she said as they parted a moment later.

David let his arm fall on his friend's back as he guided her back to her seat. Diane sat and David unbuttoned his cashmere overcoat that had been protecting him from the chilly spring air.

"Do you want some tea?" Kurt asked, knowing that even after over forty years in the States, his wife's friend still favoured the stereotypical drink of his homeland.

"Tea would be lovely, thank you," he replied, sitting down in a chair opposite Diane. "Dee?" Kurt questioned looking at his wife. "Thanks," she nodded taking a long breath as she settled herself. Kurt went down to their kitchen to prepare the hot drinks. He knew that Diane was struggling since Will died and he wished that he could do something to really help her. Yes, being there was one thing, and she told him over and over that she was grateful he was with her, but they didn't have a long history together, not like her and Will or, her and David. Those guys seem to know what to do, or in Will's case, knew what to do, how to calm her. However, today wasn't one of the days when David would make Diane feel better, at least not straight away.

"You look like you haven't sleep in days, Diane," he noted.

"No, no," she shook her head, "I am finding it very difficult to sleep. People say 'rest, you'll feel better,' but it is easy to rest, to sit, but it is very hard to actually get any rest, to sleep, to recover." She said, slightly exasperated with her own inability to sleep and make herself snap out of the mire of mourning that had gripped her since her business partner and friend had been cruelly taken from the world.

David got up and moved to sit next to Diane, putting his arm across her shoulders. Diane immediately rested her head on his shoulder before sayig, "I don't know why I'm telling you this, you have lost far more than I have. You've grieved for a wife. I just lost my legal partner," she shook her head feeling she didn't deserve such time to heal. "Dee," David said, turning so that she was looking him in the face, "for many years Will was like a husband to you. You shared so much, good and bad, and were always there for each other. Do not lessen your friendship or love for him by trying to get over his death quickly."

Diane slowly closed her eyes and nodded, "Yes, you are right."

"And don't forget," David added, "you knew Will far longer than I knew Valerie, so don't cheat him out of your love." Diane took a deep breath and took David's hand in hers, interlocking their fingers and moving it up and down in agreement. "I won't," she said quietly. "We used to say that our relationship was like a marriage, but without the sex," she chuckled. David smiled, "See, that's the Diane I know peeking through. Give yourself time."

When Kurt returned with their tea, David moved back to his original seat to let Kurt sit next to his wife. Diane rubbed her hand on Kurt's thigh and he grabbed it, squeezing it gently in his fingers to signify his support. She looked at him through tear-stained eyes and he kissed her lightly on her cheek. With that Diane sniffed and dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief, before saying with a smirk, "Shall I be Genevieve?"

David laughed loudly and threw his head back against the chair. Diane laughed with him and, although confused, Kurt was so pleased to hear his wife's unrestrained laugh for the first time in weeks. "I don't get it," Kurt said turning to Diane.

"Sorry darling," she said, placing her hand on his leg again as she leant forward to pour the tea, "instead of 'Shall I be Mother?' David used to joke 'Shall I be Genevieve?' in a very pantomime-Dame-style voice." Kurt still looked puzzled. Diane clarified, "David's mother was called Genevieve. She was a very forthright, but fun lady," she smiled at her friend across the coffee table.

"I see," Kurt nodded.

"She loved Will," David added, "thought he was a 'lovely young man, just the right side of crazy," he emphasised her view of Will in a comedic feminine voice which made Diane laugh again. Kurt smiled, pleased that his wife was able to forget the dark cloud above her, even for just five minutes. "She sounds like a character," he said.

"Oh, yes," David confirmed. "I think she caused ninety years of chaos!" He joked.

….

As they drank their tea, Diane asked the reason for David's visit and he became more serious.

"As you know I am Will's executor and apart from distributing his estate and sorting out the firm with you and his sisters, I have another task. This is something that I didn't think I'd actually do. Hell," he paused, "I, well, nobody, thought I would really be his executor. He should have outlived me." David said, taking a deep breath and staring up to the ceiling. "You have a bulb out," he added, turning away from Diane and Kurt and rubbing his palm across his mouth, resting his face on his hand. Diane recognised the pain in her friend and that his way of coping with grief was simply to ignore or push it away. "I'll have Kurt get right on it," Diane said gesturing to the light. Kurt smiled before saying, "Will's death shook all of us, he was the next generation, he shouldn't have gone first. Not like that," he paused, "the sheriff should have secured his weapon," he spat the last sentence and got up to walk towards the window, "damn!" he said. "Kurt, this isn't the time to carry out an investigation, nobody could have envisaged it happening," she said walking over to him and rubbing his back.

Diane and Kurt sat down again opposite David who had composed himself. "Anyway, my additional responsibility is to deliver some letters Will wrote. They are to those closet to him and," he paused, "I have one for you," he said looking at Diane. Diane became more alert, "What? What do you mean by letters? It is not as if Will knew he would die?"

"I know it is something those faced with the prospect of terminal illness or old age normally do, but I think he was prompted to write them by Jonas' death, as it was so sudden."

Diane turned to Kurt, "You didn't meet Jonas. He was the 'Stern' in 'Stern Lockhart and Gardner' but he had left the building by the time I met you."

Kurt nodded, "By the time Will introduced me to you, you mean," he smiled at his wife.

"Yes," she took his hand, "Will gave me a husband," she smiled and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"So he wrote them years ago?" She questioned.

"Originally, yes. He updated them periodically. There was a letter for me that explained the letters he wrote, where to find them and some further instructions."

"Where were they?"

"In the safe in his bedroom," David answered. He pulled at his overcoat that lay across the arm of the chair, taking a small box from its pocket. He fiddled with it in his hands before he began to speak. "Alongside the letter was an instruction to give you this. I think it might be explained in the text," he bobbed his head as he walked across the room to hand her the box. Diane took she small box in the distinctive Tiffany Blue in her hands and stared at it. David put his hand into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out the envelope destined for her. On seeing the envelope, Diane put the jewel box on the table and took the letter from David. He went back to sit in his chair.

Diane stared at the cream envelope in her hands, she ran her fingers over the text, 'Mrs Diane McVeigh,' in Will's hand and smiled weakly. "Although I always kept Diane Lockhart for work, Will loved that the once staunch feminist singleton got hitched and he used to call me 'Mrs M'," she recalled.

"He knew you were happy and he also knew how proud you were of your husband. He told me that he suggested changing the firm's name on your marriage but you wouldn't hear of it."

"No," she shook her head. "But he would have loved it if we had abbreviated to the initial, MG, like we did with L/G," she smiled.

"Oh," Kurt smirked.

"Yeah, that's probably why. Maybe he thought he could get a free car!" David added.

"Anyway," David brought them back to reality, "you can decide if you want to read it, but I think the gift will be explained."

Diane looked over at her friend and held the envelope close to her chest, "Thank you."

"I should be going," David said, standing up to put his overcoat back on. "Thanks for the tea Kurt," he nodded at him.

"I'll show you out," Kurt jumped up to lead David to the door. Before he opened the door onto the cold street air, he added, "Regardless of what that letter says, thanks for bringing a bit of Dee back. I feel helpless but I hope, with time, it will get better."

David smiled at Kurt, "It will. But it will take time, I know. I have to go break or mend more hearts now," he said as he took his leave. Kurt closed the door and sighed as he heard the feint sound of his wife running a letter opener along the envelope. He smiled and went upstairs, leaving her to her final moment with Will.

A/N: OK, this was meant to be a short intro but multiplied! Holidays are giving me more time to write and plan. What do you think? Subsequent chapters will involved David delivering the letters and the recipients reading (or maybe not reading!) them.