Three Months Later
"How are you? You alright with everything?" Cary asked Alicia as everyone left the conference room from their Friday morning meeting. Three months had gone by since she and Peter decided to end their marriage. She had filed for divorce, Peter had made a statement that they ended it. Eli was mad as hell and didn't understand it at all, but Alicia knew he would get over it. He'd have to. The kids were okay. It took a while for them to adjust to the finality of their parent's relationship, but their actual situation had hardly changed. Alicia tried her hardest to make sure that they were happy, but they were in a state of just being constantly okay. They never seemed overly happy about much. She had expected that. Even if they did know about what was happening it didn't make it any easier. Especially with the press reporting on a lot of different stories surrounding the reasons for Alicia and Peter's divorce. That aspect didn't make anything easy for Alicia either. A few clients left her firm from all the press. Some had gotten concerned with the bad words being said, some were less impressed about not being close to the governor. Nothing was getting easier. Alicia never had time for herself. The only time she did was when she was asleep. She constantly wished that Will was only half an hour away and she could just go see him, but it was impossible. The best she had was a few calls every week and maybe a video call if neither of them were terribly busy, but they always were. She wasn't doing great, but how was she supposed to let that all out to Cary?
"It's tough, but I think I'm handling it okay." She answered as honestly as she could.
"You need a break from it all." He said casually.
"I do." She laughed to herself. Cary leaned back into his chair and looked to Alicia.
"Why don't you take the weekend?" He propositioned. She looked at him like he was crazy.
"Cary, I can't do that. I have so much work to do, as do you. I won't leave you to handle it all on your own. We're a team." She stated.
"I think I could handle it for a couple days over the weekend. Just go home early this afternoon and be at home with your kids." Alicia sighed.
"Peter has the kids this weekend so I can work."
"Then go have a day at the spa or something. Do something for yourself." Cary wasn't going to let her out of this. He knew what she had to go through and she was handling it all superbly, as always, but she was going at full speed for weeks now, and he knew when she needed to slow down.
"I don't go to the spa."
"As your partner, I am ordering you to go home and not work for two days." He looked at her very seriously. She stared back at him, trying to convince him with her eyes that she didn't need it. Cary raised an eyebrow and tilted his head.
"Fine. I'll take two days off. Happy?" She caved in. It seemed like the only way out. She could still work from home, he would never know.
"I'm getting there." He smiled cheekily and got up from his chair. "Just stay until lunch and I'll let you go home."
"Thank you, boss." Alicia said to him as he walked out the room. Alicia got up herself and walked to her desk. An assistant stopped her on her way.
"Mrs. Florrick… Uh, I mean, Alicia. Your brother is on line two."
"Okay, thanks." Alicia rushed to her desk and answered the phone.
"Owen?"
"Hey sis. How are you?"
"Fine, Owen. And how are you?" Alicia had eventually told her family about Peter. She had to do it. She couldn't let them find out what was happening through the news. They would never forgive her. Of course they were happy for her that she finally wasn't attached to Peter anymore, but Owen was upset for his sister. Veronica was just over the moon. She recognized that her daughter was hurting but she wasn't ashamed to let it show that she was happy that Peter wasn't around.
"Oh fine. I was just sitting here in my office being very bored and wondered what my sister was up to."
"And?"
"And so I called you to find out."
"I'm working." Alicia loved her brother endlessly but he did happen to get bored often and called her out of the blue to have some idle chit-chat.
"I haven't seen you much. Neither has mom, by the way. She misses the kids."
"Well I'll try to find time to have you two around for dinner one night."
"Good." There was an awkward silence. Alicia had been meaning to tell Owen about Will but she was nowhere near ready, not that it would make any difference. They were months off from trying a relationship. A real one.
"I have to go now, Owen. It's still morning and I have a lot of work to get through."
"Oh yes, sure. Go to work and don't worry about your brother. I'll be fine." He said sarcastically. Alicia didn't have time for Owen playing that card this morning.
"Oh great! Goodbye Owen." And Alicia hung up the phone without letting him say goodbye. She set herself to work, determined to get a lot done before she would probably be physically forced out of the building at lunch due to Cary's order. She only wished that she could do the same for him; tell him to take the weekend off, but he was younger than her and had a lot more energy. And less family struggles. One day she'll be able to repay him.
Alicia had gotten home from work at lunch, with no idea what do to. She really didn't want to work anymore so she decided she would take Friday afternoon for herself and work on Saturday. The kids would go straight to Peter's place after school so she couldn't take them there and try to fit in a small amount of time. Zach decided to drive most of the time anyway. He voiced that it was probably for the best.
Alicia changed into some more comfortable clothes and sat on the couch, having no ideas with what to do. She sat there for five minutes then got back up to get her phone. She had a thought to text Will. What could be better when she had some free time, she thought to herself.
'Hey. Up to much?' She typed energetically, eager to hear from him. A few minutes later she got a response, and she was incredibly happy.
'Not really. Slow day I guess, you?'
'Cary sent me home. For the whole weekend.'
'Really? I can imagine you not wanting to do that.' They were sending and receiving their messages within minutes. Alicia only had Will who she could talk to about everything, and he'd understand. She didn't know how often she could get that from the rest of her inner circle of family.
'I don't want to. I don't need to.'
'You do need to. You've been pushing yourself, have you even had a moment for yourself yet? Since that night.' Alicia definitely knew what night he was referring to. She couldn't stop crying, even after the shower. The tears wouldn't stop and she didn't know what else to do but call Will. He almost always knew how to calm her down, and it was really only with his reassuring voice. They stayed on the phone to each other for a couple of hours. They didn't say a lot, but it was important for both of them and really helped.
'I guess not, but I don't need one. I'm okay, really.'
'I know you. You might be okay but you need some time. The kids are with Peter, aren't they?'
'Yes. I can't even spend some time with them.'
'You worry too much about them. They're okay. It's good for them to know that they can see their dad.'
'How do you just know everything?'
'I just do. I am all-knowing.' Alicia laughed out loud to herself. The sound filled the room and she noticed how lonely she really was.
'I miss you.' She typed and slowly hit send.
'I miss you too. Give me ten minutes, someone needs something.'
'Okay.' Alicia always felt less lonely when she was even just texting with Will. She didn't know how to explain it, it was just a message, but she felt that he could be sitting right in front of her. It gave her somewhat of an escape from her life in Chicago. He would talk about everything happening for him in New York and how exciting it all was for him and Alicia would disappear into the sound of his smooth voice and listen to his stories.
As Alicia started to walk to the fridge to find a snack her phone started to ring. It was Will. Of course, she thought.
"Hey." She answered very cheerfully.
"Hey. So, I have an idea." He said with caution. She noted that he seemed wary of whether he should even be asking.
"Which is?"
"I was just now thinking that… You should come to New York this weekend." Alicia paused and held her breath. She couldn't do that. She couldn't, could she?
"Never mind. Bad idea. It's too much and you will probably make yourself busy anyhow." Will said after she didn't make even a slight sound.
"No. It's—I—Would—" She started a few sentences but didn't know what to say. She would have to plan a trip like that. It was even six months yet. But she really wanted to. Everything in her body was screaming yes. To just buy a plane ticket that night and go to him and spend two days in a place where nobody would ask how she was, and give her sympathetic looks or those looks that implied that she was the problem in the very public marriage. She wanted to be with the man she truly loved.
"I want to, yes, I want to." She didn't have any obligations for the weekend and she needed to get away. It was very un-Alicia but that is why she wanted to go. She was always doing what was right and expected of her, but sometimes everybody needs to rebel and this was her opportunity.
"Really? You don't have to, it was just a spur of the moment idea."
"No, Will. I want to. I need to. I want to see you and it'll be good to get away for a couple days. I'm going crazy, right? That's what this is?" They laughed together.
"You were always a little crazy. Just be crazy with me." He didn't need to say much to be convincing. That was something about him that she loved, and partly why he was such a good lawyer. He rarely needed to say a lot of seem convincing.
"Okay. I'm going to book and flight right now." She walked into her bedroom where she had left her laptop and pulled it out of her bag. Will waited on the phone with her until she found a 5.30pm flight. "It's in a little less than four hours. Is that good for you?"
"Yes, that'll be fine. I can come pick you up from the airport." She heard Will become excited, and so did she. She suddenly couldn't wait for this to happen and knew it was a good decision. It would only be one weekend. They have done it before.
Alicia packed a small bag with a few changes of clothes. She considered packing a pair of pajamas but decided that there wouldn't be any need for them. She was sure of that.
She could barely sit still during her flight. It had been some months since she had last seen Will and she was very anxious to see him in person. To smell his familiar cologne and feel his warmth when he held her. It was seeing an old friend and lover but Alicia felt her heart flutter and tingle that spread through her veins and vibrated her whole body. Every touch of his hand and look from his eyes gave her such a good feeling. Like she would always have someone looking out for her, to be there for her. She loved the attention, no matter how much she wasn't supposed to.
She hurried through the airport to baggage claim. She walked over to her flights area and looked around. She was expecting to see Will around somewhere but she couldn't spot him. She let out a deep breath, heavy with disappointment. After a few minutes the bags started coming out and hers was one of the first, she was thankful for that. She picked it up and started slowly walking outside. She was close to one of the floors when she heard her name being called. She looked to her right and there he was. She paused for a few seconds and just looked right at him. He started smiling widely at her and she returned the smile, feeling every part of her body light up with happiness. She started moving slowly towards him. They met somewhere in the middle, eyes locked onto each other. She thought it was cliché but to her it had felt like everything stopped around them and they were the only two.
They stood within an inch of each other.
"Hi." Will spoke first, still with his huge smile and sparkly brown eyes.
"Hi." Alicia laughingly said. Will raised his hands and put them around her. She let go of her bag and held him tightly, burying her face into his neck. She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent. It was perfectly Will and she had missed it more than anything. She let it fill her senses and relaxed while holding onto him. He chuckled and kissed the top of her head. They pulled away, disappointed that they couldn't hold each other longer.
Will picked up her bag, threw the straps over his right shoulder and placed his left arm around Alicia. They started to walk outside, beaming from finally seeing each other and not having to be worried about who could see them together. They got into a cab and started to go to Will's new apartment. Alicia wasn't sure where they were actually going. She had some knowledge of the city but not a lot, she never needed to.
The cab stopped out the front of a very nice looking building, Alicia thought. Of course, Will would only pick the best. They got out and Will took Alicia into the building. She noticed him smiling at the door man as he opened the door for them. She gave him a polite smile too. Will lead her into the elevator and pushed for floor 7. The doors closed and they both smiled to themselves. Alicia pulled her hand out of her coat pocket and slid her hand into Wills with his hand. They intertwined their fingers and she felt Will stroke her hand with his thumb. It was soothing and familiar, and something she never wanted to feel go away.
The elevator stopped at his floor and they wandered to apartment 702. Will pulled their hands out of his pocket and reached for his keys in the other pocket and opened the door. Alicia walked into his new place behind him. He'd left the lights on and she could see that the door opened to a huge room that had the living area and kitchen open. Just like his other place, she thought to herself. Except there was a hallway of the left, probably leading to his bedroom, presumably a study and maybe a guest room. She couldn't help but notice how big it was, with very high ceilings which she loved. It had all of his furniture from Chicago. It almost felt like a home to her, and she was only visiting for the first time, but it was all very Will and she loved it all.
"It's gorgeous Will."
"It looks better with you here." He got the sweet voice and charm out. "So this is the main area. There isn't much but I obviously didn't need something too big." Alicia nodded along and kept looking around. She walked over to the couch and took off her coat and boots.
"I'll just go put your bag in the bedroom. Down here," he pointed to the hallway, "The door down the end on the right." He began walking down the dark passageway and Alicia followed him, with only one thing on her mind.
She stood at the doorway, leaning against it, and watched him put her bag on the lounge chair by the window. He took off his coat and draped it over the back of the same chair. He turned around and saw Alicia looking at him cheekily. She pushed herself off the door frame and walked to Will.
She wrapped her arms around him. He began to caress her face and run his fingers into her hair. Alicia reached up to him and gently placed her lips on his. It was soft, tender. And that one simple kiss let them feel everything that they neglected to feel every other time; complete devotion. Will eased his mouth open a little more and Alicia happily invited his tongue to link with hers. Will slowly moved his hands down her back and pulled her closer to his body. Alicia wrapped her arms around his neck and became increasingly forceful with her kisses. She felt Wills hand sneak up her shirt and traced her spine. She shivered at his light touch. She needed to feel more of his skin, so she slid her hands around to Wills chest and started unbuttoning his shirt. They broke apart briefly as Will pulled of Alicia's sweater. Their lips were interlocking again without any pause. Will started to move their bodies against the wall. As Alicia hit the wall she let out a small moan. Will broke away and kissed along her jawline and found her sweet spot on her neck. He nipped, pecked and sucked there, making her squirm against him and reach for his jeans zipper. She felt his hot and heavy breath down her neck and stop at her breasts. She arched her back and rested her head against the wall and closed her eyes, feeling Wills soft yet indulgent kisses continue down her body. He slowly undid her jeans and slid them off her legs. He stood back up, smoothly sliding his hands back up her long legs. He kissed her neck once, twice, three times, Alicia feeling the tip of his tongue each kiss. She placed a hand on his cheek and looked him in the eye. She looked at him so lovingly, with so much hope. He returned the look and lightly pressed his forehead to hers.
Whispering ever so gently, Alicia said "I love you, Will."
"I love you. So much Alicia." He returned, and then he lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around him tightly and let him take her to his bed.