Okay here we go chapter 2. I promise stuff will be more clear along the way...

Also I am sorry I hadn't done the math for this story well enough, as Cat would only be four at this point... sorry...

Also I talked with Steffi and we settled on that even though TGW are not good with election stuff it would be better that the elections were set in November like in reality. That mean both the governor election for Peter was set in November the re-election and presidential election will be in November too.

Also the first part of this chapter is largely inspired by my favorite scene in Brothers and Sisters.

A huge thank you to my amazing beta and girlfriend Steffi for helping out always. And a thank you to Sabrina for helping me with this chapter where I doubted some stuff.

I don't own the good wife.

Chapter 2

"Waky waky, rise and shine..." Alicia groaned at the sound of her mother's voice, while rolling onto her other side, pulling her pillow over her head. This was one of those times where she regretted letting her mother move in with them, to help her out with Cat. She didn't have work and it was unusual that she got to sleep in with a very active 4 year old in the house. So when she was for once not woken up by her daughter she certainly didn't want her mother to wake her up.

"Alicia, rise and shine... I come bringing gifts..." Veronica said and Alicia rolled back over, giving her mother a death stare she sadly was immune to. So she rolled her eyes and started to sit up.

"Why are you waking me up? And where is Cat?" She mumbled annoyed, but also curious why her daughter hadn't woke her up already.

"Eating breakfast in front of the TV while watching My Little Pony. She got up early and since I knew you had that gala last night I decided to let you sleep. So I took her for a walk. We went out to get something to eat. She did want to come in here when she woke up." Her mother explained.

"I should go see her... it would have been alright had she come in..." Alicia started to get out of bed.

"Cat is fine... eating muffins. The couch might not be so fine after but she is... You however..." Her mother looked at her in a way Alicia didn't recognize.

"What, Mom, just spit it out?" She mumbled, she wasn't in mood to drag this out. Her mother held a newspaper up.

"You made the front page..." She said as she handed the newspaper over. "Front page in them all. This one with page 3 and 4. This one page 2. And this page 6... I didn't bother getting the rest but this one. Where you get front page and page 3-6... basically it has a nice full biography of you." She handed Alicia the last paper. Alicia stared at them in shock. There on the front page was her and Peter dancing, in very different shots.

"My favorite is that one." her mother pointed at the last one where the front picture was her looking up at Peter, and they looked to be far more than exes sharing a dance. Which the headline also said.

"The Florricks reuniting?" and the line under: "Wouldn't be the first time." Alicia gulped and started to look through the pages finding the articles her mother had talked about. She was right, it was pretty much a biography of her. She scanned through it quickly, needing to see if they mentioned Cat at any point, though she was pretty sure she wouldn't find it anywhere, because if the press had found out about her, it would have been on the front page too.

"Calm down, she is not mentioned anywhere. But what were you thinking Alicia? What happened to staying out of the press to make sure no one learned about her? I told you getting yourself into politics was a bad idea. And it would end up with you in the media's light. I didn't dream of you being stupid enough to decide to snuggle up to Peter in public while he is running for President and already on every front page all the time." Her mother sat down on her bedside, while Alicia felt like crawling back under the covers and sleep again and hopefully when she woke up again, this would all be a bad dream.

"I don't know Mom. He asked me to dance... and I thought it would be nice... I don't know... it was just a moment..." Alicia groaned as she leaned back against her pillows.

"You are not getting back with him are you?" She looked suspiciously at Alicia, making her roll her eyes.

"We danced that was all. Danced and talked. Also he lives with someone... Her..." Alicia answered while pointing at a picture of Meredith. With a comment to whether Governor Florrick was cheating on Meredith Avery with his very own ex-wife.

"Well it wouldn't be the first time he couldn't help himself..." Her mother answered, making Alicia groan again.

"Thanks mother, you always know just what to say..." She answered annoyed, partly because her mother was getting into something she shouldn't and didn't understand and partly because she was right.

"I am just telling the truth. Not that you were ever one to listen. But think about Cat... wasn't that a part of why you kept her from him? You didn't want her to grow up in the lights of the media. And even if you take that out and decide you don't care about that anymore... how will you ever explain to him you kept his child from him for more than four years?" Her mother pointed out, making Alicia's stomach clench.

"I don't know... I..." She didn't have a good answer to that one, at least not one Peter would be likely to accept or agree with. Why did she do it? There were so many reasons, all ones she over the years realized were maybe most excuses she gave herself because of fear.

The knock on the door interrupted her work on the case. She was spending her Saturday night with work since Grace was in Springfield with Peter and Zach away for college, plus pregnancy was making her tired, and not in the mood to do anything else. She was already dressed for the night, and had planned on soon going to bed. She got up to open the door to be met by the sight of her mother, making her groan in annoyance.

"I thought you would be home on a Saturday night, just your style." Veronica said while moving past Alicia, not waiting for an invitation, making Alicia roll her eyes while her mother continued in the direction of the kitchen.

"Don't worry I am bringing the party to you. Brandy, got it as a present. It is amazing." She was already pulling down two glasses, pouring brandy into them.
- Oh shit... was Alicia's thought, she hadn't told her mother about her pregnancy, she had pushed it back as much as possible, both her and Owen, the only two people more she planned on telling. Well to be fair the only ones she had told was Will and the kids. But really, her Mom, she shuddered at the thought of telling her. She would by far prefer never telling her but keeping her in the dark with almost everyone else, that would make her life so much easier. But it seemed that fate was cutting in.

Veronica handed her the glass but Alicia shook her head.

"No thanks, I can't drink..." Making Veronica raise an eyebrow.

"Why? Have you joined AA or become religious or something... that would be typical you... or is it Grace that said something..." Veronica looked at her questioningly, making Alicia roll her eyes yet again.

"No mom I didn't join AA or become religious." She answered.

"Okay then drink up it is the best..." Veronica insisted.

"I am pregnant, I can't drink." Alicia blunted out, making Veronica's jaw drop almost to the floor.

"You are what?" She asked her, not really believing what Alicia had just said.

"I am pregnant..." Alicia repeated.

"How did you let that happen? And why?" Veronica asked.

"I hope you know how by now... since you had me and Owen..." Alicia answered annoyed, she so didn't want to have this conversation at all.

"Don't be snarky with me Alicia... That was not what I meant. How in the world were you dumb enough to get yourself pregnant at your age? And who is the father? Will? Peter? Someone else? It sounds like Peter, trapping you with a kid, finally when you were getting rid of him, he made sure you couldn't." Veronica ranted, while Alicia felt tears gathering in her eyes, and cursed her hormones.

"Stop it Mom... please... I knew you would react like this that was why didn't tell you sooner... I wish Dad was here... he would know what to say or do so much better." Alicia said, her voice shaky and thick from her tears.

"Your Dad... like he would be any help in this mess you are in." She answered.

"He wouldn't judge me... he wouldn't be mean and judge me, he never did..." Alicia answered, making Veronica look shocked, and a little hurt.

"Is that what you think I am doing?... Alicia..." She started to say.

"Yes, Mom you are judging me, you are always judging me, and trying to screw up MY LIFE. You never understood me! And you have never even tried to! You are always just judging me for not thinking like you." Alicia answered her words harder than ever, her hormones and the pain of her mother's hurtful words made her want to hurt her right back.

Veronica looked hurt and took a step back and looked her daughter over.

"I was right... wasn't I? It is Peter's child..." She concluded, and Alicia nodded slowly, unable to answer verbally. Veronica let out a deep breath, she didn't look happy at all.

"I see... well I am sure he is happy... does this mean you are going back to him...?" She asked.

"He doesn't know..." Alicia whispered softly, making Veronica gasp in shock.

"You are pregnant with his child and he doesn't know... wow...so it is a recent thing I assume?" She asked and Alicia shook her head.

"I am five months along." She held her hand to her stomach and pulled her loose night shirt up, showing her mother her clearly pregnant stomach.

"Five months? Five months and you are only telling me now... were you even going to tell me? How are you keeping this a secret, do your kids even know...?" Veronica said as she took a seat on one of the chairs at the counter, while Alicia did the same, letting out a heavy sigh.

"I did plan on telling you... I was just scared... I don't know... I knew you wouldn't like it and I was scared of your reaction. I hide it with clothes. Winter clothes are helpful. I know I should have told you earlier, but I just couldn't, I had no idea how to bring it up... The kids know I am pregnant." Alicia admitted, almost relieved to finally tell her mother the whole thing, even with her judging it was nice to finally tell someone the full story.

"The way you said it... with the kids... makes me think they don't know all of it... I am guessing they know you are pregnant but not that it is Peter's... Alicia what is going on...? You better start from the beginning." She knew her mother was being her most understanding and kind at the moment and she appreciated it.

"At the end of May then we divorced he came over one night to sign the divorce papers. I mean I had them to sign and he was in Chicago anyway so instead of mailing them to him, he came over to pick them up. We ended up talking and signing them together while drinking some wine. I can't really remember who said or did what but I do know that I was lifted up onto the dining table on top of the just signed papers, and yeah I guess I don't really have to explain the rest." Alicia made a movement with her hand. Veronica looked like her ears were about to fall off.

"You had sex with your ex-husband on top of your just signed divorce papers... wow... just when I thought you were boring... I guess that explains the how you ended up pregnant but what about the rest?" Veronica asked.

"Well, I didn't find out for long I passed it on as the flu, and I wasn't much sick from it unlike with Grace. I know I should have noticed, and in the back of my mind I do think I knew it could be that but I really didn't want it to be this. So I tricked myself into thinking if I ignored it long enough it might not really be that... after all how could I be 43 and pregnant. I didn't find out until I went to the doctor thinking I had the flu. She did a check up and told me I was pregnant and I was three months along. I hadn't been with anyone since that one time in May so it had to have been Peter's. I wasn't sure what to do... how to take this... it was not fitting into anything. Actually it was anything but... I knew if I told Peter he would want to be there, he would be involved and I had finally moved on and I was starting to think I could be with Will. Also how could it work- a newborn... he is Governor, and he is doing an amazing job at it..." She said with a sigh looking at her mother, before continuing."

"He was born to be Governor or maybe even President one day... and if he learned I was pregnant with his child... he would want me to come to Springfield, which I wouldn't do... I can't do that... giving up my life and moving there...and if I told him I wouldn't do that he would give up the Governorship and move back here... and I can't let him do that... He would resent me and my child at some point if he did that... And I can't have that... I know he would... because I have been there... giving up my dreams because of him and my kids and I don't resent them, but for the last years before everything went down I wasn't happy either and I know Peter would feel the same if he gave up on his dream and destiny because of this. Maybe not in a month or two, maybe not even in years but at some point he would." She whispered, tears starting to gather in her eyes again, at the thought of Peter resenting her or the innocent life within her, because the little new life came at an unfortunate time. It made her heart break. She had been shocked and scared but she had loved the child from the moment she learned she was pregnant and she would never resent him or her because of timing. The thought was just too unbearable. She saw how Veronica nodded in understanding.

"Yeah well that is why I have not told him. The kids know I am pregnant but I told them it was from a bad judgment call on my account right after the divorce, and I don't know who the father is. And they have to keep it a secret, that no one can know because if this got out, that I had a drunken one night stand and ended up pregnant so soon after the divorce it would be very harmful to Peter's career. So they couldn't tell anyone of this... not even him... as he would feel a need to help out and that would hurt his career, too." She continued to explain.

"Let me get this right you told your kids you had a drunken one nights stand with a stranger right after finalizing the divorce to their father? And they couldn't tell anyone because you all need to protect Peter's career?" Veronica asked.

"Yes basically... " Alicia answered.

"I see... do you still love him...?" Veronica looked at her eyes searching hers to make sure if she lied or not.

"Mom... I don't... I have moved on... I really have... It is not about loving him. It is about how I know him and how he will react. And I know he is a great politician, and he can do so much good in those positions, and I can't have him drop that and end up resenting my kid. Also if I really gave up my life and moved there with the position he has now, my baby would get to grow up in the constant light of the media, everything with him or her would be gossip material, or stuff for the lifestyle section. And I don't want that for my child. He or she deserves a chance to grow up in peace, and have a normal innocent childhood like everyone else, not be a media attraction." Alicia sighed deeply, there were so many worries with this, but she felt she was truly doing the right thing.

"Okay fair enough... so you will keep it hidden that you are pregnant? How won't they notice it at work?"...

"Alicia... " Her mother's voice pulled her back from the memory, and she looked at her again.

"Yes...?" She answered, not really able to remember what they had talked about before she was captured by the memory.

"You need to be careful... if for nothing else then for Cat..." Veronica looked at her with eagle sharp eyes, and Alicia nodded, her mother was right. It was dangerous for her to end in the media's spotlight again as that would mean she was in focus, and if she was that it would be hard to hide Cat. For example Cat and she loved going to the park and similar things, and if she became media focus, that would be over because of the risk of them being seen. Yeah the night before had been her not thinking but from now on she would. No more mistakes like dancing and snuggling up to Peter could be made. She was not going back there ever again.

I hope that cleared up a bit of the questions about what happened and how Alicia did this and why... the rest will be cleared up along the way... also how Veronica went from being less that thrilled over the news of her daughter pregnant to helping her out. It will all be explained over time...