A/N: Thanks for all your comments, hope you like this. This is mid-season 3 after Alicia and Will break up. The fictional Jamie Larroughby is name-checked in one of my other stories.

Chicago, January 2012

.

King of Wishful Thinking (Go West)

.

Will and Angela attend Jamie Larroughby's wedding. At the reception, Will is dancing with the new Mrs Larroughby. "I like this song, Laura," Will said listening to the jazz band playing Isn't It Romantic as he spun her round in the sunlight.

"So are you dating anyone?" Laura asked. She knew he had come with Angela, but not as a 'plus one' as both Angela and Will were friends with her and Jamie. Jamie is a lawyer, an old friend and basketball buddy of Will, and Laura is an anaesthetist and colleague of Angela. Like many of their circle of friends, she was used to the pair teaming up.

"Off and on," he replied. Since he'd split from Alicia there hadn't been anyone but Angela. He needed time to get over the SA's wife, and sought comfort with a familiar partner. He admitted to himself that over the years he had had his fair share of women, Alicia even alluded to that in the bar before their first night of passion together.

"You are the definition of 'off and on,' Will," she countered, "You got to get serious sometime."

"Who says?"

"The Pope, I think," she replied, throwing her arms around him. He chuckled, thinking that had he had the opportunity he would have gotten serious with Alicia, but because she was already serious about her family, she ended it.

"Your time's up," she added, "and I think there's someone waiting to cut in."

At that point, Jack Copeland served Will, ruining not just his day, but the day of many from Lockhart Gardner.

Waving the envelope, he walked over to Angela, explaining that this meant trouble and potentially a Grand Jury summons. She rubbed his back and rested her head on his shoulder, as he spun his cell in his hand, wondering what to say to Diane. "If it is the Grand Jury, I'll need a lawyer," he said. "If it is the Grand Jury, we'll get you a good one," she replied, wrapping her arms round him and pulling him into an embrace. He sighed heavily, her embrace taking the edge off his anger, but he knew he was secretly seething. After a minute, they parted, Will saying he had to speak to Diane. They walked to the coat check, collecting Will's overcoat as he prepared to leave.

"Sorry, I have to go," he said sadly, grabbing her hand, she smiled as she saw him begin to trace circles with his thumb, "Don't worry, you have more important things to deal with," she responded.

"Yeah," he nodded, "I can't see Jamie, so say goodbye from me."

She smiled and nodded in agreement. "Enjoy the rest of the day," he began, "I'll come to yours later, but don't wait up," he said, before beginning to put on his overcoat. "I'll save you a piece of cake," she chuckled.

Thinking about what Laura said earlier, and with the prospect of an impending investigation, Will asked, "Ange, we're off and on, can we be more on at the moment?" He smiled hopefully at her as he pulled on his brown overcoat.

Smoothing his collar, "I'd like that," she purred, "call me when you know what's happening."

"I will," he replied, kissing her on the cheek before he turned and walked towards the lobby, palming his cell to talk to Diane.

Angela watched him leave and sighed. Although he had finally had a chance with the 'one that got away', it didn't last, and she knew he needed some personal stability now, especially when his professional life was about to hit the rocks.

After the wedding Angela returned home alone. Her apartment was in darkness which meant Will had yet to arrive. She sat down the small box with a piece of wedding cake for Will in it on the kitchen counter and kicked off her heels. Sighing, she picked a glass from the drainer and poured herself a glass of water. She worried about Will, apart from a brief message mid-afternoon she hadn't heard from him.

Walking across to the living room, she picked up her reading book from the couch and looked around; when she was alone she really was alone. Her life in Madison had been lonely, and she hoped it would improve when she returned to Chicago. It had, but she realised that aside from Will she doesn't have many people 'after hours'. Her friends are marrying, having children and she and Will really just have each other. She hoped they would always have each other, whoever came and went in between.

Will left early the next morning, before seven, he needed to be in the office but promised to come back before Angela went to work. He told his assistant he had a meeting and slipped out without Diane noticing, leaving his cell on his desk. He knew it was sneaky, but he needed some time away from the intensity.

Hearing her cell phone ring, Angela rolled over in bed. Groaning as she looked at the caller ID, she answered the call, "Some people are trying to sleep, David,"

"Oh, sorry, Angela," replied David Lee, "we're trying to locate Will, you don't happen to know where he is do you?"

"I do, actually," she said, turning over again and prodding Will on the shoulder.

"Oh, great," David said happily.

Proffering the phone she said, "For you, it's David Lee." Will rolled his eyes and took the handset, "Hi, David."

"Oh, Will, where are you? No, on second thoughts don't tell me, I can figure it out. We need your help on the current Huntley case."

"Now?" Will queried, a little irritated.

"Yes, now!" David replied, "so put on your pants and come back to the office!" He hung up and nodded at Diane and those assembled in the conference room, "He's coming," he sneered.

Will put his arm around Angela and pulled her close, "Sorry, gotta go," he said as he kissed her forehead. Angela groaned, "Ohhh," as he ran his free hand down her body. "Serves me right for leaving the office for elevenses," he chuckled.

….

Will returned to Angela's apartment late that evening, it was after midnight and she had just returned from her shift. He took off his overcoat and was removing his shoes when Angela came out of the kitchen holding a mug. He closed the space between them, "I met with that lawyer I mentioned, she's," he paused searching for the right word, "different," he added as he shrugged off his jacket.

"Alicia recommended her and she's good, right?" she questioned, looking concerned about her friend and a possible inditement. "Yeah, she's good," he replied, taking the mug from her hands and putting it down on the counter, "you don't need that now," he said gently. A broad smile crossed her face, "Really Mr Gardner, why would that be?" she teased.

"I'll show you why," he responded, gently, but passionately kissing her neck, moving his lips across her cheek, his finding hers as they responded to each other's need. In a low voice, she said, "Let's go to the bedroom." Will nodded, "Whatever you say," swooping his arms around her as they danced, entwined towards the room.

Early the next morning, Will's cell phone rang. He ignored it as he worked his way up Angela's torso, planting little butterfly kisses on her soft skin. It stops ringing. She laughs gently with pleasure as his movements tickle, "Oh you like that," he whispered, just as his cell began to ring again.

Will groaned audibly, "Arghhh! What now?!" and picked it up from the nightstand, unplugging the charging cable, "it's Diane, I should take it," he said, sitting up on the edge of the bed.

Talking on the phone, Will is downcast, but listens, responds and hangs up.

Angela is sitting in bed, the sheets scrunched around her as Will dresses quickly.

"Did I just get cock-blocked by Aunt Dee?" she teased.

Will leant forward, kneeling on the bed with one leg, "Yes," he replied, kissing her quickly but passionately on the lips, "yes, you did," he smiled back, as he retreated across the mattress, putting on his tie.

Angela laughed with him, "Great!" she rolled her eyes.

"I'll be quick," he responded, "don't go anywhere," he joked as he fastened his tie.

"While quick can be good, I want you to take your time," she said seductively, moving across the bed to stand by him, grabbing hold of his tie to tidy the knot. "I want you to be thorough," she continued, lowering her voice and letting her hand slide down his chest, gently caressing him as she felt her way to the waistband of his suit pants. Grabbing hold of his belt buckle, she asked, "Understand counsellor?" Will groaned gently, "Uh-huh, yes ma'am," he replied, as his cell rang again.

"Will," Angela began in a serious tone, "are you in big trouble, more than Tinkerbell can deal with?"

He let out a puff of air, shaking his head, "I don't know Janie, I hope not, I think it is going away, but, well, nothing is ever over," he said before pressing 'Answer' on his cell.

Chicago, November 2016

.

Alicia and Angela are talking over coffee, the friendship is getting back on track, but Angela is still wary given that she felt that Lucca and Alicia threw her friends under the bus.

"How was Will after we broke up?" Alicia asked, "when I ended it, he was, well, he was calm and a bit distant," she said quietly, looking down into her cup.

Angela took a sip of her coffee, "Well, you had put your hand in his chest, ripped out his heart and stamped on it," she replied, stony-faced and without intonation. Alicia leant forward, "What?" she choked.

"Maybe that is an exaggeration," Angela proffered, "but you ended the most longed-for relationship of his life, and ultimately stayed in your marriage. He wanted to take the relationship further, he wanted to meet your kids, and once that had happened, he would have introduced you to me," she let that last comment hang, Alicia furrowed her brow and swallowed hard, "he would have given you anything and did a lot to protect you," Angela added.

Alicia took a deep breath, unsure what to do with that last line. "I know I hurt him, I made choices I'm not proud of, some I am, but I made a choice to protect my children. I am pleased we had our time together."

"Yeah," Angela agreed, "you did hurt him. Not just when the relationship ended."

"I think I'm to blame for the SA's investigation, Wendy Scott-Carr, the Bar investigation, what happened to Will afterwards," Alicia said sadly, but knowingly.

Angela bobbed her head, "Well, you kinda were, at least in part. Peter suspected you were sleeping with Will. You were. It went from there, but ultimately his suspension was his own fault. He took the money, albeit briefly, but he took it and he stood up and took the penalty," Angela's pager pinged, she looked down at the number, "If it wasn't for Diane it would have been so much worse, so at least he was able to return to the law." Standing, she began to gather her things, "I gotta go to work, call me tomorrow," she said before turning and leaving Alicia alone.