A/N: Sorry if this chapter seems out of place but I think it was time for some pure Willicia moments.
Chapter 10: Bliss
Will woke up before Alicia. His body's natural alarm clock woke him up at 6am. He slept better than he had in a very long time. Next to him was the reason why. Alicia had actually spent the night, the first time she had spent the night at his place. When they were together before, she would leave late into the night even when the kids were with their father, which always bothered him. Her staying over was the first real sign that things were different this time.
She was lying on her stomach with the blanket at the small of her back. Will turned on his side and softly traced his fingers down her back and in her hair. In spite of everything that happened over the past few months; his love for her had not faded. He saw her differently now; she wasn't this perfect angelic helpless person that he had seen her as before. She was able to stand on her own and she showed him that over and over again in the courtroom. She developed this strength that he didn't realize she had. Although that surge of strength had fueled his hatred for her over the past couple of months, it made him love and respect aspects of her more as well.
Yesterday after they made love all morning, they both went to work that afternoon and rushed back to his place by early evening. Ironically, it was the first time since she left the firm that they weren't at work until all times of the night. Grace and Zach were with Alicia's mom for the next few days and they both decided to spend the next day together with no distractions. Both of their phones were in Will's kitchen as they spent most of their time in his bedroom. They talked, made love and slept throughout the night. Will was hoping that today would be more of the same.
"Good Morning", Alicia said through sleepy eyes.
"Good Morning", Will said reaching down to kiss her forehead.
"How long have you been up?"
"Just a few minutes. Your snoring woke me up"
"Ha ha yeah right. I'm sorry I didn't mean to sleep so long."
"Sleep as much as you want. We have the whole day together", Will said giving her another kiss.
"So what do you plan to do with me all day long."
"I have some ideas. But for now let's start with breakfast."
He went to the kitchen and made her pancakes while she sat in a barstool drinking coffee with just his Georgetown tshirt on.
Will had been reluctant to start things back over with Alicia because of everything that happened between them and how she betrayed him. But seeing her in his apartment, wearing his t-shirt and eating breakfast it was all so normal. It was the happiest he had been since the last time they were together.
"Are you sure you don't want to make a few calls?" Will asked her concerned that she was trying too hard to show she didn't have obligations.
"Will, I told you I'm fine. The kids are with my mom. Normally that would be enough to have me call a million times but she's gotten better. I can actually trust her with them now or just trust them to do the right thing", Alicia said finishing up her pancakes.
"Speaking of your mom, you know she came to see me a few months ago" Will said smirking at the horror that now covered Alicia's face.
"She what?! What did she say?"
"She asked me if I loved you and if I did it was time to stop being polite about it because you and Peter were about to renew your vows and then you would never break away from him."
There was that awkward silence again.
"And what did you do with that information?"
"Nothing."
"I see. Well since the elephant is already in the room, let's go ahead and start talking about all of this", Alicia said as she walked over to the couch and laid down. She motioned for Will to come over.
He quickly walked over and cuddled up with her on the couch.
"My divorce will be public soon. I don't want you or the law firm to be a target so we may have to cool it for awhile."
Will slightly jumped and looked at her with concern. "Maybe cooling it wasn't the best phrase to use. I just mean that obviously everyone is going to be trying to find the reason for the divorce and looking for another scandal so we need to make sure they don't find out about us before we are ready for them too."
"No disrespect baby but I don't think they will have to look too hard for the reason. I think most people will think it's a long time coming considering….."
"I just don't want to take the chance that they find out about us and it gets blown out of proportion. It could become an issue for you professionally as well. I don't see clients being so ok with us being involved in hot, steamy affair from dueling law firms."
"Which brings us to the firms. We have to discuss that as well. What are we going to do?" Will asked. The elephant in the room was getting bigger and bigger by the moment.
"I think we both stay where we are but we need to work out a way that we are not always facing each other and that there are not a ton of conflicts of interest. Cary is my partner I will have to bring him into the loop. We need to look at our caseloads and see how many are intertwined with Gardner & Associates and we will reassign them to other associates. I don't want us facing each other in court anymore. I can't imagine that would be good for the home front," Alicia said.
"And no more stealing clients", Will added.
"Touche Mr. Gardner. That goes both ways. Both of our firms can be successful without us having to go at each other throats and taking clients from one another."
"Agreed. How do you think Cary will take the news?"
"I don't think Cary will be too happy because of all the changes we have to make at the firm with cases but I think he will appreciate that I came to him directly", Alicia said hoping that this was actually true. She had grown close to Cary over the past few months and she just hoped that her relationship with Will didn't come between the two of them.
"How did Peter take the news about you wanting a divorce?" Will asked cautiously. He didn't know if it was ok for him to ask about that.
"He just said ok and walked out. The whole conversation was uncomfortable but I don't regret it. We said things that were long overdue. I did tell him that I loved you and you can imagine that didn't go over well."
"Ouch."
"Yeah ouch" Alicia responded. She thought long and hard about her next statement but knew it was the most important part of all of this.
"I want you to meet the children Will", Alicia said seriously. She sat up and looked into his eyes as she said it.
"I've met Zach and Grace before."
"I know but I want you to meet them as my significant other. Not right away of course because Peter and I still have to sit them down and tell them about the divorce but sooner rather than later. Are you ok with that?" she asked.
"Yes. Of course. I mean I'm nervous about it but yes they are important to you so they are important to me."
"Why are you nervous?"
"I think Zach will be ok but Grace is a different story", Will said with a nervous laugh.
"Yeah Grace can be tough but ultimately she wants me to be happy. She knows that I haven't been happy in a very long time."
"Really?"
"I meant what I said on the rooftop Will. Being with you was the happiest I have ever been."
They embraced and kissed each other again.
"So you have me all to yourself for the day. What shall we do Mr. Gardner?"
"I have some ideas", he said as he kissed her lips and began to pull up her t-shirt.
"I like where your mind is heading", Alicia said.
"But then again if you don't mind I just want to lay here, listen to music and just be at peace…for once."
"I love that idea," she said as she snuggled in closer to him.
They lay for hours, sometimes in comfortable silence, getting up now and then for restroom breaks and for lunch and other times talking here and there. Mostly they just took each other in and created their own bubble again. The bubble that made her feel safe and carefree when they were together two years ago.
As Bryan Adams "Please Forgive Me" came over the loud speaker they both smiled at the irony.
"Can I have this dance?" Will asked.
"You sure can", Alicia responded.
They danced next to the couch, Alicia still in his sweatshirt and he in just a t-shirt and boxers.
Alicia was in a space that 72 hours she never thought she would be in. Although making the decision to end her marriage was hard she didn't feel as much of a sense of failure because she knew that she gave it her everything. Peter did as well but ultimately it just wasn't meant to be. She stayed in the marriage for all the wrong reasons and that's not the example that she wanted to set for her kids. They loved their dad but she would never want Grace to be in the kind of marriage that she was in with her father.
"You seem deep in thought", Will said breaking her thoughts.
"I am"
"Good things I hope"
"Nothing but good things"
"I love you Alicia"
"I love you too Will. More than you will ever know."
As they made love again and fell asleep in each other's arms, Alicia couldn't help but think to herself that this is what happiness is like. This is bliss.
They were woken up by a knock at the door at midnight.
"Who the hell?" Will asked as he woke up from his deep sleep. They both scurried to throw some clothes on.
The knock on the door was relentless.
"Who is it?" he yelled.
"Will, it's me."
"K?" he asked confused as he opened the door.
"Hey ha—oh hey Alicia" Kalinda said a bit embarrassed as she walked in.
"Hey", Alicia said nervously.
"Have you both been watching the news? Turn it on now", she said looking for the remote.
Alicia hadn't seen Kalinda so anxious in a very long time. Will turned on the television and both he and Alicia stood with mouths open as the news reran over and over again the video footage of a dark figure putting a box of ballots in a van. Alicia noticed the glance between Will and Kalinda and once again felt like she was on the outside of something. She ran to her phone and saw that she has several missed calls from Peter.
"Peter what's going on?" Alicia asked panicked.
"I've been trying to reach you all day. Where are you?" he asked annoyed.
"Uhh where's Eli? Are you guys on this?"
Peter noticed that she didn't answer the question.
"Is Will with you?"
"Yes."
"Bring him with you. Meet me at my office."
With that he hung up.
Will and Kalinda stood off quietly to the side.
"What did he say?" Kalinda asked.
"He wants me and Will to meet him at his office downtown" she answered. She expected Will to be surprised but he seemed to know why.
"Ok. Kalinda comes too. Let's go", he said as he picked up his keys.
Together they headed to Peter's office.