AN: There isn't enough apologies that can be made for the tortured delay of this chapter but my only excuse is life and studies. There were some upset reviews last time, all you have too know is that there will always be some kind of happy ending, so don't worry :)

Six months is up!


His feet slacked against the movng machine as he allowed his feet to move steadily against the treadmill. The music that blasted through his earphones gave him a sense of urgency, a need to run as fast as possible until his lungs could give out and his body could drop. The thrill of heavy breathing always made him feel worthy (and that did not count the bed, seeing as it were a totally different scenario when it came to himself and Alicia.)

His gaze rested on the clock in the far corner of the gym. 4.43 pm. He knew it was odd that he was here, even at this time of day, but oddly there was an extreme lack of work on his desk now that he had informed Diane that he and Alicia were having troubles. And even though he probably should be at home fighting with his wife, he took advantage in the fact that his business partner was taking a pause in relying on him for everything, and that Alicia most likely wouldn't want to spend anymore time having to go through the pain of looking at him

The simple thought of their current situation made his insides crumble, and his tempo increase. He levelled the number on the treadmill ten percent higher, and began to sprint. His thoughts returned back to his situation. They had managed to remain civil in each other's presence, he had stopped begging a week ago seeing as she was too stubborn to let him in, and instead, he opted for the chance to allow her to go through this on her own just as she wanted. He would always be there when she would need him (preferably in the guest bedroom of the house that they had spent eighteen years living in) but he was still residing under the knowledge that yes this was a mess, but thanks to his imaginary prayers that had yet to be elaborated, they would work through it, they always did.

Pulling back from the treadmill, he stopped at a halt and moved off the machine, trying to gather his breathing from causing him a heart attack, he placed his hands on his knees as he bent down and ran a towel over his face.

"Working yourself overboard there." he heard the voice comment from behind him, turning, he watched as the woman handed him a bottle of water. He recognised her immediately, she was one of the only familiar faces that he often saw at the gym. Middle aged mom. Healthy buff.

He tried to laugh it off, but that would only have caused more pain to his chest. He was In need of a new exercise regime. His wife had already lost a loved one to heart disease, he would rather put himself through suicide rather than put her through that pain again. And then suddenly, all he could think about was Alicia… and her smile.. And everything else that made him love her.

"Are you okay?" the woman finally asked after he gathered himself. "You were going pretty fast."

"I'm fine, thanks." he smiled, sitting down, he ran a hand through his sweaty hair and glanced down. The mirror on the floor that reflected his figure told him that he was in fine shape, but mentally, he looked completely drained.

"Thanks for the drink"

"You're welcome. Get better soon."

"Do I look that bad?" he laughed.

"You look like your puppy has just died and you're taking it out on the treadmill."

"Not my puppy." he said and then mumbled. "My wife."

The look on her face went from humour to shock in a matter of seconds. "Oh my god… I'm so sorry."

"It's okay.. She's not. My wife is not dead…. However, my marriage might be." at the revelation of his words, he covered his face and shook it in frustration; he had just met this woman no less than five minutes ago and he was spilling his life to her.

She sighed as she took a seat next to him, and mumbled a coherent response. "I know how you feel."

"Divorce is hard.." she continued. "Especially when there's family involved."

"I'm not….. We are, I'm not getting a divorce.."

"I said that once too. Sometimes marriage doesn't last for everyone you know? I hope you work through it." she patted his shoulder before she stood up and began to return back to where she came from.

He stopped her. "Wait.. Do I know you?"

"You forgot?"

"What?"

She sighed, before smirking. "I guessed as much. You play basketball with my ex-husband. Peter."

Will swallowed the lump of discomfort behind his throat. "Peter Florrick?"

"Yep, that's the one."

As he watched her walk away, the words she had just said no less than seconds ago ran simultaneously through his mind. Sometimes marriage doesn't last for everyone.

/

The house was empty when he arrived back from the gym, washing the pain and sweat from the last two hours in the shower, he ran his hand through his hair under the large shower head and finally allowed the single breath of exhaustion and tortured pain he had held for the last two months to finally succumb from inside him. Several tears rolled down his cheeks as he lent his head against the wall before he sighed. "What am I doing." he questioned; including everything that had transpired between himself and his wife during the last two weeks.

He pulled out from joining the club of exposing ones feelings, and managed to throw the body wash against the wall in anger. As he dressed later on, he heard voices downstairs, and immediately assumed it was Alicia. Buttoning the remainder of his dress shirt, he threw on a pair of jeans and made his way out of the room.

He began to call out for his wifes name, until he heard giggling come from Lenora's bedroom. He smiled immediately, knowing that a cup of hot chocolate with his little girl was the perfect cure. As he rounded the corner, the door was wide open as he entered and the sight of his daughters arms wrapped around Stacey's shoulders as she kissed her rather passionately sent him into shock mode. He felt himself unwillingly able to move as he tried to grasp his head around what was going on.

The added presence in the room was established however, Lenora could almost sense somebody else in the room and glanced to meet the sight of her father's jaw that had dropped to the ground. She gasped loudly and pulled away immediately, Will covered his eyes on instinct as if he had just caught his daughter naked and began to apologize repeatedly similar to a mortified parent.

In contrast, if Stacey were a boy, and the pace of that kiss had intensified into something else that included the bed, Will's fist would have found it's way to his face, but the sudden acknowledgement was evident, and Stacey was not a boy, and either Lenora was playing a joke, experimenting, or either gone completely insane at avoiding the truth to her own father.

"Dad! What are you doing here!"

He slowly and unwillingly slid his hand away from his eyes and made eye contact with her. She looked horrified and scared at the same time, something that was foreign even for Lenora.

"I live here." he croaked, cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "I… uh… where… are…. You guys hungry?"

Way to go man.

The misinterpretation behind the meaning of his words caused even more embarrassment on his shoulders. He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair.

Finding eye contact with her, he spoke calmly. "Lenora, what's going on?"

/

There were short, subtle movements that told him he and Alicia had lost more than their intimate connection over the last few months, There was the kiss with Peter that had torn him completely and resulted in nothing but his own stubbornness leading to the first notion of their marriage failing, and then there was his move to DC, followed by Alicia finding out about the investigator he had hired during his time in Washington as he basked in the paranoia of his wife leaving him. All men went through stages similar to this, but what he had not expected the most, what had taken him completely off the rail was the sudden awareness that his wife had gone to lengths of lying to him. He understood the need to protect their daughter.… And he may be a coward, and a fraud liar. But this was Alicia.. And Alicia never lied to him.

He patted Lenora's back as she told him everything, he was aware that he should probably be taking everything in, but all that could come to his mind was the fact that Alicia had known for two months. She had known when he came back home, she had known when they made love two weeks ago, she had known when she attacked him with words after finding the photos.

"You're mad at mom aren't you?" his daughter said as she looked up at him through her lashes, vulnerable in every way.

He pressed a soft kissed against her forehead and brushed her hair. "No." he lied.

"I made her promise me that she wouldn't tell you… it's all my fault.."

"What do you mean?"

"I asked her not to say anything, to you or to anyone.."

Under her admission, his entire perspective changed, he stood up from her bed and walked towards the direction of the large window that faced off towards the lake.

"Daddy, please don't be mad."

He turned around and opened an arm for her. "I'm not baby, I promise. It's just…. a lot to process.."

After several moments of silence, their gazes hidden under the view as she rested her head on his shoulder, lenora let out a big sigh and pulled away abruptly. Will eyed her curiously as she took a deep breath, ready to face the war that was soon to be approaching.

"I also, have to tell you something else."

"What?"

"I'm not going to college next year dad, I've decided to take a gap year and move to France. Afterwards, once ive decided what I want to do, Stacey and I plan on going to Chicago; that way I can be close to you guys, and study what I want to study, not what you and mom want."

He couldn't tell if she being honest or not, "Your joking right?"

She shook her head and stared up at him through her lashes like she used to when she was little and wanted her way.

"And your mother knows about this?"

She nodded.

He shook his head in frustration , the miscommunication between himself and his wife had just reached it's peak.

"Lenora, you and I both know that that is not happening."

"But mom said…"

"I don't care what your mother said, you are going to college!" he argued. "And you're grounded!

"What! On what grounds?"

"On forcing your mother to lie to me.. This whole… thing has gotten out of control."

"Thing?" she gaped. "You can't even say it can you?"

"Lenora, stop it."

She stared at him with such disgust that it almost killed him. She murmured. "I knew you would hate me." before storming out of the room.

He found himself involuntarily chasing after her, finding Alicia on the other side took him by surprise, he began to wonder if she had heard their conversation, the look on her face corrected his suspicions; she seemed alert and slightly alarmed at what was going on. He refused to allow any more anger between them, but he couldn't reject the instant distain he felt under the certainty that whatever trust they had left, had been erased no less than moments ago.

"You knew?"

She nodded in response.

"you said he would understand!" lenora panicked, Will was ready to interrupt when Alicia spoke.

"Honey he does, it's just going to take time. For all of us. Come on, let's talk about this."

"So you can tell me how much of a mistake it is? How much I've ruined the family's reputation? I'm not going anywhere with you!"

He reacted almost immediately after Lenora's harsh words rung around the house, and by Alicia's instant reaction he knew that her words had hurt her. Alicia seemed emotionally a well as physically exhausted in this moment, it was enough to worry him, until he recognised the dilemma they were currently in. His daughter's distressed words reminded him that this was far from over, and he couldn't deny that he felt even more horrible in wanting to just escape and leave the house.

The argument continued, Alicia tried to explain to Nora that he understood, even though that partially on many circumstances was not true; he still needed to come to terms with the fact that his daughter was in love with a girl and then, there was the striking notion that his own wife knew all of this and failed at informing him for weeks.

After Lenora stormed off, and he counteracted in addition with Alicia as she tried to defend her actions, he found himself repeating his daughters previous immature trails and stormed off. Even knowing that his wife had just accused him of being an alcoholic wasn't enough for him to stay and fight it out.

He had no more fight within him to draw this one out and as far as the eye could see, he was positive Alicia felt exactly the same.

/

The glass of whiskey that swirled in his hands reminded him that it was time to face reality, and yet, his feet couldn't move from the coffee table of his office. He couldn't stop his mind from wondering to better and happier times of his marriage; when they would giggle for hours over absolutely nothing, where he would love teasing her in the mornings and intentionally embarrass her with flushed cheeks by kissing her passionately in public places. He loved meeting her for late lunches after court and holding her hand under the table. He savoured the moments where they would watch movies with the kids and he would catch her running a hand through a very chubby and young Zach's messy hairy

He closed his eyes, and tried to discard the more intimate memories that came to mind; failing miserably. He tried to focus on anything else but the lost feeling of the taste of Alicia on his lips or her sweet smile that she only offered him and their kids when they were alone, it was beginning to hammer into his head and just when he thought it couldn't get any worse Kalinda entered in her warrior mode.

"So. I managed to receive more inside information about our last witness, turns out he was spying on her, he eventually found out that she was planning on divorcing him and taking full custody of their kids. Yea, it's really messed up but I think you need to change strategy."

The direction of Kalinda's conversation made him want to bolt, he produced a large sigh and shook his head. The sudden notion of wanting to give up the firm was beginning to be a great idea since he seemed to be growing more tired and tired of the law.

"K, can you just take a break from work please? I'm on my day off."

"Sorry Mr Grumpy Pants." she smiled. Sitting down, she crossed her legs and raised her brow. "What's the problem?"

"I'd rather drink my sorrows than talk about it."

"Because that is definitely more healthy for your situation."

"My situation?"

She glanced around the office, "People are beginning to notice that you've been out of it lately and Diane wont say anything, so by proxy, I am not an idiot Will."

"I didn't say you were?"

"Stop trying to change the subject."

Even under his current situation, he couldn't help but chuckle.

/

It was a little after eleven when he arrived home. The conversation he had shared with Kalinda hours prior reminded him why he had fought to keep her as the firms investigator, she didn't necessarily care about the fact that he was failing at everything, but she was a great listener, and deep down, even though she and his wife had never worked together professionally. Kalinda had always enjoyed Alicia's company and that had always been foreign for a woman who preferred to keep at bay when it came to forming new relationships.

He washed and dressed in the main bathroom, and washed his face with cold water as he tried to comprehend on what to do next. Alicia was his wife - she was his lover, and yet he had never been so afraid of sleeping in the same bed as her.

He knew she was awake by her shallow breathing, he tried to close his eyes, it was the first time in weeks they had slept in the same bed. He assumed that she would tell him to leave, but she remained quiet.

"Alicia?" he spoke softly, receiving no answer, he glanced down for a moment and then back up to her head. Her hair was displayed against the ivory pillow, straight and silky waves that smelt of apple and lavender. He had forgotten the scent of her pillow in the last two weeks and it was such a relief to have it back.

"Leesh." he whispered, knowing that if he pushed a little further she would eventually turn. He mimicked her very same technique she had done more than two weeks ago, and stretched his hand out so that he could stroke her back. The texture of her shirt told him that it wasn't hers, but that it was one of his nikey jumpers that she had avoided wearing for months ever since their first fallout.

When she eventually did turn to face him, the tears on her cheeks reminded him of why he hated himself sometimes. He was a good father and husband, but lacked at trying to balance everything, he often had to remind himself that all he needed to do was love her in order to prove himself.

"I'm sorry." he whispered

She glanced up at him through her lashes and choked back the lump behind her throat. "Me too."

They both simultaneously shifted closer to one another, he was the hesitant one, and she was the confident one out of them who placed her forehead against his chest and sniffled back the tears. he slipped his arms around her and held her tight. Eventually, she shifted under his embrace and moved her arm to settle around his waist, he began to move and felt her grip tighten, almost painfully around his waist.

"Please don't go." she pleaded.

He pressed a soft kiss against her forehead, "I'm not. I just seem to be laying on a very uncomfortable and thick book that's digging into by shoulder blade." he smiled, lifting himself up, he brought the novel of one of Jane Austen's to his vision and chuckled. He couldn't openly see Alicia with detail in the dark but he knew she was smiling. "Of course" he smiled.

Soon enough, they were back to their previous position, only less painful as they laid on their sides with arms and limbs wrapped around each other. "Can we just keep fighting until we can't walk or talk anymore? I hate feeling like I'm going to lose you after another pointless argument." she admitted.

he found himself nodding with exhausted eyes as he played with her hair and pressed soft kisses against her forehead. "Okay."