I owe a special beta for fixing this chapter when I didn't have the time to. Welcome new followers! xx

Celebrating ones birthday on a plane wasn't exactly ideal but she didn't mind. She was glad to be out of asia and finally heading for Africa where they would get to spend some quality time in the city where Zahara was born. The candle on her cake marked 48, oddly enough she felt ten years younger, and she wondered if it had anything to do with the little girl who had stolen her heart less than four months ago.

She hugged Zahara from behind as the little girl sat on her mother's lap in front of the chocolate cake. Alicia rested her chin on her little shoulder, "you gotta help me blow the candles out sweet pea."

Zahara jumped up and down in excitement while everyone sung happy birthday and cheered in celebration. Marissa had a camera pointed in their directed and coaxed Owen into joining Alicia's side, Marissa managed to catch them laughing at each other. The next photo was of Zahara and Alicia, she had both arms wrapped around her little girl, squeezing her tight with cuddles that had Zahara giggling uncontrollably.

They stopped in Kenya for the night, afterwards they would fly to Ethiopia which wasn't far but foreign policy and anxiety got the best of people like Eli Gold and the secret service. She was beginning to acknowledge that being mindful of her surroundings was important now that she had another human being to take care of.

Zahara tucked herself further into Alicia's shoulder as she whimpered, she was tired and spent the better half of the journey distressed, traveling did prove to be a major hurdle for the two of them, her daughter wasn't adjusting to it as kindly as she had originally planned, so far time and patience was her only chance at making it work.

"I know honey, mommy's just about there sweetheart." She cooed softly, rubbing her back in soft patterns.

A house in the outskirts near the most rural and safe side of Kenya was awaiting their arrival, Alicia hoped with sufficiency that the common greeting she often received wouldn't last long. She concealed her little girl in her arms as they entered the gate and eventually in front of the house. Brick, antique walls with vines that grew across hard texture was the sight that featured. She had stayed here once with Peter, the large house was concealed for executives involved in politics, royalty, and high profile individuals who were looking for privacy.

They were greeted with a man and a woman at the foot of the doorstep, the sun in kenya was just setting, and they were all expected to participate in dinner. Alicia politely declined while Owen jumped at the chance of food, making her way upstairs, she noted the young man from before stare at her daughter with an odd expression and she motioned for Steve. "Come with us please?"

She gestured, more for Zahara's security then anybody else's. He nodded and followed suit. The other two agents set her bags in her private room, they left while she changed Zahara's diaper and pressed a warm cloth against her face, the child was still reluctant in freeing her tight grasp from her mother, so Alicia reserved her special place in her arms.

Steve took his time in adjusting the windows, checking the locks, and examining the bathroom before making himself present again.

"All clear Mrs Florrick."

"Good. You'll be in the room across from us?"

"What about Mr Cavanaugh?"

"Owen can sleep in the next room. I'll feel safer knowing you're closer. You're more mindful."

"Since when did you become prone to safety Mrs Florrick?" he teased.

"Since I began to take in all your shit talk on the plane this morning." She answered, he laughed to himself as he exited the room. She carefully placed her baby girl on the bed and rested her weight on her elbow as she took in the perfect complexion of her child, the golden skin that seemed to grow more stunning as the days went by, her lashes incredibly long with brows that were designed by god. Her hair was tied in a bun above her head – Owen's fantastic assembly, and her silk pink pyjamas fitted her little body like a doll made for precious hands and unconditional love, this definitely not going unnoticed by herself or anyone in the family.

Just as her eyes began to drift shut and her mind finally began to close, she heard the familiar sound of her phone vibrating in the pocket of her bag. She squirmed to the floor, knowing who it was, she answered in hushed tones, afraid that she may wake Zahara.

"Peter?"

"Hey" she heard his soft voice from the other line. "Just checking in to see that you're okay."

"I'm fine."

"Zahara?"

"She's… good." She glanced behind her shoulder, a grin tugging to her lips this time. "She's perfect and completely knocked out. She could barely keep her eyes open when we got here."

"And the housekeepers?"

"I'm guessing they're a bit surprised to find that we have another guest but I don't care anymore. I'm sick of lying."

"I know." he said, offering no ultimatum's in the situation. As an awkward pause found its way into familiar territory. Peter jumped straight to conclusion.

"So, um. Your mom dropped in today."

"What?"

"Yea" he sounded just as surprised as she was.

"She visited? I didn't even know she was in town?"

"She told me to get her a plane and send her to wherever you are. I thought I would call you first."

"She did what?"

"She wants to see you and Owen. Zahara too of course…"

"Does she know that you have a country to run? And that I actually have a job?"

"Alicia don't be like that okay, she's your mother."

Was he actually conditioning her on her relationship with her mother? Anger at her former husband found its way into known territory as well, and just before she could retort, he added;

"I think something's going on with her."

The unknown ball of fear behind her throat made itself known as she swallowed the thick lump of concern. "I don't think it's anything to do with her health." Peter reassured. "She just seemed off."

"Have her on a flight by tomorrow please."

"I'll have my secretary arrange it."

"Send one of the agents with her as well, people are unpredictable these days, some stranger tried to attack Owen the other day." She explained

"She won't need one."

"Excuse me?"

"I'll have Eric go with her."

"Good." She felt a coy smile developing inside her head.

"I have a national security briefing to attend and breakfast to eat."

"Ok, I'll let you go then."

"Give the little trouble maker a kiss from me?"

"And me?"

"And a kiss for you too." she could feel his smile from the other line. They both said their goodnights plus the good morning that never went overlooked on her part and hung up. In another life she would have considered their conversation to be extremely strange or at least in any element awkward. It was a long time before she became at all reconciled with the idea that her and Peter were growing closer.

There was a knowing feeling that grew within her when she felt her mother enter the hotel suite, by now they were in Ethiopia, settled in the common area of the hotel, Steve had left for the airport to collect Veronica while Zahara sat on the ground occupied by her uncle and her toys.

She stood up and made her way for the door that opened, revealing the seventy year old in sunglasses, a blouse and jeans with her handbag.

She smiled instantly at her, Alicia buried her in a hug.

"Hi mom." Alicia was close to asking her mother how she was when Veronica pulled back and ran for the little girl in the corner who had her arms up, her laughter echoed the room for the older woman lifted her up in the air and attacked her with kisses.

"And he sailed back over a year, and in and out of weeks, and through a day, and into the night of his very own room, where he found his supper waiting for him..

And it was still hot."

As she neared the finale of the children's book, she looked down at Zahara to see her small hands spread above her pillow with her eyes fully closed and most likely in another world. Alicia placed the book where Veronica sat near the edge of the bed.

It was more odd than difficult having to adjust back into the world of being mommy again. Preparing milk bottles instead of wine, changing diapers instead of doing paperwork, reading night time stories instead of books on foreign nations and religious protocols. Thank lord Zahara was yet to be in the stage of asking her mother to read Where the wild things are, twice, and beg for another reading. Coming from experience, Alicia learnt that it was impossible to refuse her children with bedtime stories.

"She's really clever." The older woman said when they exited the room, their direction headed for her mother's en-suite. "I didn't think she would recognise me, it's been so long."

"I didn't either, but she's beyond anything I ever imagined."

Alicia began to assist in unpacking her bags, she tensed immediately when finding that her clothes were very minimal, which ultimately meant that her mother wasn't planning on staying for long and though she appreciated her presence, she disliked that even though her health had somewhat deteriorated over the years, she was still the same.

"Zahara would probably get used to you a bit more if you spent more time with her."

"I would but I've just been so busy lately."

"Planning your fourth wedding?"

"Alicia, I would really appreciate it if you and Peter came, I know you're very busy but this is important to me."

Alicia smiled to herself. "So that's why you're here."

"No, I'm here because I recently found out some very disturbing news, I needed you and Owen to be in the same city so we could talk about it as a family."

Alicia felt her heart drop to the ground, and her gaze instantly fixed with concern, the older woman shook her head and waved the mad idea out of mind.

"It has nothing to do with me, I'm healthy and perfect." Alicia didn't look too convinced. "Why don't we finish unpacking my things and meet down the main floor, hopefully your brother has finished flirting with the house manager."

Owen and Alicia sat on the sofa situated in the lounge, there was a buffet of food in the corner that Alicia hadn't touched, even though her starved tummy had been repeating its impatience for the last hour. Veronica stood pouring herself glasses and glasses of wine, not a positive sign at this point.

"Mom. Come on, sit down." She got up and began to remove the alcohol, her mother placed a hand on her arm and pushed her back down.

"Your father loved you both very much, you know that?"

"Yes. Mom god, I feel like I'm in preschool again. What is this about?" Owen was just as impatient as she was.

Her mother began to pace, and though Alicia was vaguely annoyed, she sensed immediately that this wasn't just any ordinary family orientation. "When the both of you were in middle school; it was such a long time ago it makes me feel ancient. He and I weren't in the greatest place regarding our marriage."

"We know.. that, jesus"

"I think you both deserve to know the truth."

"What truth?"

"He was having an affair. He had an affair I mean, her name was Rebecca, does the name ring a bell?"

"Dad was having an affair?" The first lady's eyes that glistened with tears told the both of them that the forty eight year old wasn't as self-aware and intelligent as the tabloids seemed to make her.

"Yes. For twenty years. Up until he passed away actually."

"Oh my god" she covered her face with her hands and rested her elbows on parted knees.

Owen looked up at his mother with confused brows

"It gets worse, this woman, Rebecca, she called me last week. She's dying, she has cancer, she told me everything, and I went to go see her." Her mother sat near the coffee table and placed a photograph in front of them. An older woman centred the image, she was around about the same age as Veronica, only her eyes were a striking shade of blue and her hair was blonde. There wasn't a doubt in why her father would go for her, however Alicia in her shade of pride and stubbornness, refused to have anything to do with the woman at this point.

"What does she want? Money? Her share in the inheritance?" Owen snickered

"No" there was a long pause and outside the bubble of agony that had been created in the last five minutes. Alicia sensed a storm approaching by the shallow touch of tears that formed in her mother's disappointed guise.

"I found out that she has a daughter, blood tests were done, and.."

"Mom?" Alicia stood up, watched as her mother took a deep breath

"You have a sister."

Grace's first week at Lockhart Agos and Gardner had travelled by rather smoothly, she was extraordinarily intelligent and confident in every aspect, but she was also stubborn, just like her mother. The resemblance in their personalities was uncanny, the only difference was that Grace was open and Alicia had always been closed off.

Zach Florrick and his sister only made conversation with other associates when it was professionally necessary while at work and stuck to each other like glue, the pair weren't at all interested in making friends which other's found as resource for gossip. They were polite, kind and pleasant in ways that convinced him that they weren't only her children, but they had inherited the soft side of Alicia's loving character which was not at all surprising; they had been through things that would usually take young adults a while to adjust to.

Will found himself pressing further into his heal to rid himself of the constant pain he was feeling having Alicia's kids around him for the most part of his working days. It had been 2 years and five months since election night, but the distressing picture of her tears was still so vivid, even though he had said his apologies five months ago, it was difficult knowing that she was a country away risking her life while her kids were under his wing.

And though Macey was another reminder of why he should be home, she was spending the night with Will's mother, he had planned on meeting his sister Sara for dinner but she was running late, and for he sat in a restaurant alone, the familiar feeling of being the target of many woman's stares settled inside him once again. There was a blonde in the corner who sat with a bottle of merlot red wine – it was one of Alicia's favourites.

The woman was staring at him with a coy smile as she looked over him hungrily. There was another one too, sitting across the far edge of the restaurant. He sighed heavily and rested his head backwards, so far, his sister's absence was causing nothing but trouble – he knew this would happen.

"Hey is that Will?" he heard the familiar voice come from behind him

"Oh yea, I think it is."

"Maybe we should?"

"No Grace.."

"Mr Gardner!"

It was a long time before he became united with the idea that the woman calling his name was one of the many people he had grown tired of in his law firm. He turned to face them, and smiled graciously out of politeness.

"Zach… Grace, Hi." It wasn't that he disliked them, he could grow to love them if he wanted to, he just couldn't handle it anymore; Alicia was everywhere, tv, magazines, th papers, and now her kids were working directly with him and their response to working among their mother's ex-lover wasn't at all accurate to his rude behaviour lately, they were actually astonishingly lovely in reality.

"We're just getting dinner, would you like to join us?"

"Grace I don't think he.." Zach said, Grace waved a hand in his face, the action portrayed their relationship in context. Grace had obviously grown up with the upper hand when it came to her brother, they were both opposite characters; Zach was quiet and respectful whereas with Grace she was a full time party.

"Are you waiting for someone Mr Gardner?"

"I'm waiting for my sister actually but it looks like she's taking her time"

"Great. Then you can sit with us." She patted the seat next to her. He took in a deep breath, preparing himself for the downfall, he couldn't bare the idea of hurting her feelings – he had done it to enough Cavanaugh's to last a lifetime. And just as he began to bid an excuse, she added.

"I won't take no for an answer." Her eyes were dead serious with a hint of something else, it was scary how much Grace resembled to her mother, the strangeness of actually having it in proximity was oddly relenting, a sense of sympathy, for the two young adults reminded him just how much he was smitten over a woman he could never have.

"I don't want to intrude."

"You are not intruding on anything, we would like to have a guest." Seeing as they had no other reliable ones in this town. "Right Zach?.." she nudged him in the elbow.

"Right." He offered a rather kind smile, advanced towards his sister's desire to make friends in Chicago, Zach gestured for him to join them.

Will felt his inner lungs releasing in defeat, he stood and made his way to the table.

The conversation between three was soothing, even though they were a completely different generation, they were beyond his years, and they were mature enough to understand his perspective on the world. He disliked the living of politics, which Zach and Grace seemed to share. They talked on baseball - Grace wasn't at all interested. They talked about overseas travels, Will told them about his trip to the UK back in his late twenties. Zach and Grace talked marvellously on southern Europe and their time in Africa and Asia with their mother. Alicia's name only popped into the conversation twice, they referred to her as mom – obviously – though it was still odd for him being an outsider.

The food was delicious and the wine wasn't too savvy, Grace had a class of white, she said red was her mothers and white was hers. "It's our thing". She explained to which Zach rolled his eyes and Will laughed.

"So I've told you both every embarrassing thing I've ever done, now it's your turn. Why did you choose to move back to Chicago?"

Grace looked over at Zach who answered first "After I graduated, I worked in DC for a bit but I hated it. Chicago's my home, and just because my parents are my parents, doesn't mean I have to live under the radar as well. I want to live a normal life as much as possible, while being free to do whatever I want; that's why I didn't sell myself under a contract in your firm, its better being your own boss."

"I've never known what that feels like."

"Really?" Grace was surprised "But you are the boss."

"Yes. But that doesn't mean I have control over everything. Trust me Grace, being partner isn't all that it's cut out to be, sometimes having less power is better in order to have some sort of content lifestyle."

"Content lifestyle" she repeated to herself. "What is that?" The three of them chuckled under breath.

"So Grace, why did you move back?"

She looked up at him and suddenly her expression changed from elated to uncomfortable. "I needed a 2 month internship at a law firm, so I came here, after this, I will go back to DC for graduation. I was supposed to stay in Washington and complete a short internship there but.. it's too complicated. My mom got me into a firm with one of her friends, but I wanted to get it on my own. So I packed up and I left."

With the sudden knowledge of where they had found themselves, Will tried to comprehend what she meant. "Grace… does your mom know that you're here?"

"She knows that I'm in Chicago, she doesn't know that we are working at her old firm."

"We?"

"Yes"

"You never told her?"

"I didn't want to upset her." Zach explained, the table unconsciously went quiet. "She's really happy at the moment, she hasn't been happy in a long time."

"Yea, and I mean – she's busy." Grace said

"Playing mommy." Zach's response was barely a mumble but Will 'heard it. His comment had Will's brows creasing up with puzzlement and before he could say anything he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Will? You started without me?" Sara looked down at him with a grin, her gaze instantly moved to the two young adults

"Sara you're an hour late."

"No, I said meet at seven."

"You said meet at six"

"No I said seven!" she raised her voice and he shook his head in frustration

"You must be Mr Gardner's sister." Grace stood up and lifted a hand out to Sara, she shook it and looked at the younger woman with an odd expression.

"This is Zach and Grace, they work with me at the firm." He explained,

"Ahh, right. Why is it that I instantly feel bad for you having my idiot brother as a boss?"

Will opened his mouth but Grace was the first as she laughed and gestured towards the seat. "Sit down with us, please. Will was just telling us about high school, seventh form."

"He isn't intentionally trying to destroy your sanity right?"

"I hope not" Zach teased. "However it does feel that way." Grace added. The four adults laughed loudly, his guarded character seemed to have disappeared, being with two young ambitious leaders, he came to the sudden recognition that being liberal-minded wasn't necessarily a bad thing afterall.