A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and follows! I decided to continue the story, so just a short update, from Will's perspective. It follows on directly from when he left Alicia outside the bar.

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Chicago, Fall 2009

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Will opened the door to his family's apartment. It was quiet and the hallway was lit by a single lamp. He realised that given the lateness of the hour his family would be in bed. He felt guilty for not being there to say goodnight to the kids, especially Sam, as he was still at an age when he enjoyed a bedtime story. He smiled to himself because Sam preferred Will read to him, as "Mom doesn't do the voices!" God, how he loved his little boy. That is not to say that he doesn't love his daughter to the same degree, but she is so much older and wiser. He only stayed with Jenny for the kids' sakes, but it was primarily for Sam. The boy was too young to understand why they had to really move to Chicago, but he had accepted moving states and moving schools with childish glee and enthusiasm. Will remembered that the kid was pretty excited to be able to go to a Cubs game with his dad and for Will, it was reciprocated. Since they had been in Chicago they had been to practically every game. Not having to work did have its benefits.

He dropped his keys into the bowl on the console table and walked through to the kitchen. He poured himself a whisky. He sighed as he looked around the apartment. Although comfortable, it wasn't the spacious family home they once inhabited in Herndon, Fairfax County, Virginia. He missed their old house. They were renting while they searched for a house and he searched for a new job.

Although Will enjoyed looking after the kids, he wasn't really cut out for being Mister Mom and missed the cut and thrust of the courtroom. Agreeing to move to Chicago for the sake of his family was something he knew had to do, even if it meant he had to leave his law firm – all he had worked for since law school – and start afresh. Jenny had found a position at Harbor Hospital that prompted their move to Chicago. After a period of adjustment and settling the kids into new schools, Will had been searching for a new role. Going from a senior partner in one of Baltimore's most established firms to the bottom of the career ladder was not something he was relishing. It was a difficult job market to enter: the country was riding out a recession and although litigators were often in demand, it could be difficult to move state-to-state. Fortunately, Illinois had reciprocal arrangements regarding the Bar Exam, so he didn't have to sit it again.

He rubbed his hand across his face as he thought of what he had left behind. He missed his old law firm. He missed work. Thankfully, he would be returning to the courtroom the following week after being appointed as Stern, Lockhart and Lee's newest attorney. He bit his lip gently recalling who he would be working alongside.

As his thoughts turned to Alicia, he let out an audible sigh when he recalled how close he had come to kissing her. The urge to press his lips to hers had been overwhelming and, in order to protect his fragmented family and his own fractured heart, he had to leave; he had to run. Will Gardner was running scared. He was scared of opening up old wounds that had long been covered by a loose Band-Aid. What wasn't apparent to outsiders, or his own wife, was that those wounds weren't caused by Jenny's infidelity but by Alicia Cavanaugh all those years ago at Georgetown. Will leant back against the kitchen cabinet and downed the remainder of his whisky. He pushed himself away and, placing the glass in the sink, moved towards the refrigerator. He opened the door and pulled out salad, cheese, spreads etc. so that he could make his kids' school lunches.

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Twenty minutes later Will pushed open the door to his marital bedroom. He would prefer to sleep in the spare room, have his own space, but to keep up appearances he agreed to stay with Jenny. They were both concerned about what the kids would think if they woke up during the night to find Mom in bed alone. Will was adamant that he was only sleeping in the same bed as his wife. They hadn't been intimate since before the trial - since before he discovered his wife's duplicity.

He took off his tie and threw it over the chair by the bed. He quickly undressed to his boxers and undershirt and gently slipped into bed beside his wife. Jenny stirred and turned over, placing her arm across his chest. Will felt himself flinch at her touch and carefully moved her arm back to by her side. He moved further towards the edge of the mattress and closed his eyes. That night the images that ran through his mind weren't of his kids or baseball, but of a twenty-two year old in a red sundress who smiled at him across a crowded pool. That smile had so much power over him. He hoped it wouldn't get him into too much trouble.

A/N: So, this was Will reflecting a little on what had brought him to Chicago and Stern, Lockhart and Lee. I'll try to update soon. Please review!