Sunlight was streaming in through the windows bathing Alicia in a warm glow, but it wasn't the light that had woken her. Coming from somewhere close to her was a rather annoying sound. It took her a few seconds to track the sound, only to realize they were coming from Will. She had forgotten how he tended to snore when he was sleeping on his back. She took a moment to watch him. She took in the features of his face, his slightly crooked nose from where he'd broken it in a basketball game at Georgetown, She took inventory of the bandages on his abdomen and shoulder, the one on his neck scared her the most as she examined it. As she counted she felt the tears starting to build and slide down her face. Somehow she ended up crying in the quiet moments like this. Without all the noise all she could hear was the phone call from Kalinda, the phone call that reminded her how close she had come to losing him. She hoped she'd be able to get it under control as more time passed. As she laid there watching him he started to stir. He opened his Alicia watching him. He had thought about seeing her like this so many times. She was so stunning when she first woke, before the worries and the stress of life set in them. These brief moments in the morning when she was at her weakest that she only shared with him.
He reached up with his good hand to cup her cheek noticing that there were once again tears in her eyes.
"Hey, stop that." His voice was tender and full of love. "No more tears, we're all exactly where we are supposed to be." He used his thumb to gently wipe the tears away.
"Sorry, I'm trying to get this crying thing under control." She smiled at him. "Good Morning, Gardner." She had been so wrapped up in her staring that she had forgotten to greet him. "I 'm going to go shower and get dressed, I have court today against Anthony and I plan on making him rue the day he double crossed me and Cary for Lockhart/Gardner. But before I trounce your newest partner into oblivion I will make you some of my yummiest pancakes."
Alicia showered and dressed quickly so that she would be able to spend a few moments with Will before she had to head off to court, she was beyond glad that she had told Cary she'd be going straight to court that morning and would be in after court, it meant she had an extra hour to help Will get dressed, make him breakfast and get him safely home. As she left the bathroom she was greeted with the highly amusing sight of Will trying throw his shoes on his feet since it was still quite uncomfortable for him to bend in half. She couldn't help but laugh since it reminded her of how many times she had attempted the same move when she was pregnant and had reached the point that her stomach prevented her from bending.
"Looking Good, Gardner." She quipped as she was walking over to help him.
"Oh quiet you, how about instead of laughing at the poor guy who got shot you help the poor guy get his shoes on." He responded.
Laughing she helped him get his shoes and then his shirt on. He leaned back on the bed for a few moments while Alicia headed to the kitchen.
She was standing in the kitchen and had just dropped the batter onto the steaming pan when Will walked up behind her and wrapped his good arm around her and started to gently nibble on her neck just below her ear – the spot that always made her squirm. She sighed and leaned back into his chest while his hands started drifting down her body until it reached the edge of her skirt, then Alicia heard a shocked gasp and a cry of outrage,
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?"
Alicia and Will jumped apart.
"I should have known when you asked for a divorce that it was for him. It's been about him since you started working for him at that damn lawfirm. "
Will had jumped apart from Alicia but made sure to stand close to her and kept his arm on her shoulder. Alicia had been floored. How dare he come into her house and demand answers of her.
"Just what the hell do you think you are doing in my house Peter?"
"Your daughter, you do remember you have a daughter right? Forgot a one of her school books here so I sent Zach on to school and told Grace I'd bring her by and take her to school. Did we interrupt your romantic moment? I am so sorry." He spat at her, the apology dripping with sarcasm. At the shocking realization that her daughter was in her room Alicia backed down from Peter, she wouldn't fight her hopefully soon to be ex-husband if the kids could hear her. She understood now the shocked gasp that she had heard was Grace.
"Peter I will not argue with you with our daughter in the house, in fact I will not argue with you in MY house. I don't answer to you." Alicia turned to Will, "Will, can you go to my room for a bit I need to talk to Grace then I'll need to take her to school. Peter, just get the hell o– SHIT!" Alicia had suddenly remembered the pancakes that she had started before Peter had come in. They were well beyond burnt and were smoking, if she didn't get to them before the smoke reached the ceiling she'd be dealing with an obnoxious smoke detector.
Peter and Will both remained in the places they stood as Alicia turned to remove the smoking pancakes from the stove and threw them into the sink and turned the water on to cool them. She turned back to Will and whispered to him,
"please just go wait for me in my room so I can go talk to Grace."
Will nodded silently and headed back to Alicia's room. Alicia took a deep breath finally turning back to Peter.
"Peter I'm not dealing with you right now, you can call my assistant and set up an appointment, but I'll tell you this, I may have worked at Will's law firm, but I was only there because of your inability to keep your pants on. Now my priority is our daughter who I need to go talk to so you can get the hell out of here." Alicia was so mad that she was practically hissing at Peter. Peter knew better than to argue with her when she had reached the quiet seething stage. When she reached this point she was more like a fuse and he didn't want to be there when that bomb went off. She'd talk when she was ready and when she felt like Grace was taken care of. Peter turned to leave.
"Tell Grace I'll see her for family dinner on Wednesday, and that I love her."
As Peter headed to the door Alicia began the walk to her daughter's bedroom, too long it was only a few feet and she didn't have nearly the time she would have liked to contemplate the questions she would inevitably be asked. She approached Grace's door and knocked'
"Grace, sweetie?" Alicia pushed open the door to find her daughter curled up on her bed hugging her pillow. "Honey you want to talk? If not you'll just have to listen." Alicia sat on the bed next to her daughter. "Grace, I didn't mean for you to walk in and see me with Will and I apologize for that."
Grace sat up and leaned against her headboard.
"Is Will why you want to divorce dad?"
"Grace, I will always love your father, but there comes a point when you have to realize that something that may have made you happy before, doesn't make you happy anymore. And sometimes the things and people you love hurt you. If you're lucky you can leave the pain behind, but for me your father just reminds me of all the hurt and I can't be happy with that anymore."
"So does Will make you happy now?"
"Right now he does, and I think he'll make me happy for a long time, but you don't need to worry because you and Zach will always make me happier than anything else in the world. And in the future in Will comes over I'll make sure you know in advance and we'll make sure you and Zach can meet him." Alicia paused "now we need to get you to school since I have to go to work. We can talk more later." Alicia stood up and headed to her daughter's door to get ready to talk to Will, as she opened the door Grace called her, she turned.
"Mom, growing up sucks. And things changing sucks even more."
Alicia smiled at her daughter, "you have no idea"
