A/N: A little flashback to a pre-Alicia time giving some additional backstory to Angela. We see some favourite characters in previous guises too…
Sometimes When We Touch (Dan Hill)
Chicago, September 2007
Members of Stern, Lockhart & Gardner are attending the annual Cook County Bar Association fundraising gala. Will has a date that, for once, Diane approves of. He is waiting in the SLG offices for her to arrive.
The elevator bell dings and the doors open on the 28th floor. Angela Austen walks out, greets Janelle on reception and proceeds down the hall towards the partners' offices. Will is perched on his assistant's desk concentrating on his cell phone. Hearing her approach he looks up and gives a broad smile, "Finally! I was getting worried I might have to put David Lee in a dress and take him," he joked.
"Sorry, things got busy," she responded.
"Yeah, I can see you got some of this busyness all over your shirt," he gestured to the blood and bodily fluids on her outfit.
She shook her head, "How long have I got?" as he put his arm across her shoulder and led her into his office and shut the door. "Quick as you can, then I can start drinking!"
Will shut the drapes around his office and produced a bag of Angela's toiletries from behind his desk. She could see her dress hanging up in its travel bag on his coatrack. "Thanks," she said gratefully, taking off her coat and shoes.
"I'll be outside, it'll be quicker, otherwise I might delay you putting your clean clothes on – the La Perla underwear I picked out is particularly inviting," he winked at her.
A short time later, Angela emerged from Will's office. She was dressed in a navy blue evening gown that discreetly highlighted her cleavage and flowed to a fishtail hem that showed off her figure. She had pinned her hair up in a low chignon and applied her signature lip colour. She smiled at Will and gave a little bob, "Will I do?"
Will, who was chatting to David Lee nodded, smiling more with his eyes than his mouth.
"Wow, it's like Cinderella," David smiled, impressed with Angela's quick transformation.
"You an ugly sister, David," Will chuckled as he turned to the head of Family Law, who squinted and scowled in return, "Hmmm."
"Well, enter Prince Charming," Will said as he left David and walked towards Angela.
"You look lovely," he noted, putting his right arm around her waist, pulling her close and kissing her left cheek – careful not to dislodge any hastily applied make-up.
….
Later that evening Will and Angela are alone at the SLG table. "Guess I should say 'Hi' to the State's Attorney," Will said sadly. "Play nice," Angela replied, tilting her head and looking sternly at her friend. "Of course!" He said a little too sarcastically for Angela's comfort.
Will stood up and fastened the top button of his tuxedo jacket. He picked up his remaining scotch, downed it, winced a little before handing the empty glass to Angela, bracing himself on her shoulder. "OK," he said, walking away from the table and the redhead hoping he wouldn't say something he would regret. Angela swirled her drink as she watched Will approach Peter Florrick and hold out his hand. She was the only person in the room aware that Will held a deep, unrequited love for Peter's wife. He had been to Law School with Alicia and they had formed a friendship that could have been so much more, but Peter entered her life and Alicia found herself pregnant soon after graduation. A swift marriage to Peter and a second child soon followed, meaning that she was, forever, out of his reach. Indeed, since Mrs Florrick had given up her legal career and become a stay-at-home Mom, Will hadn't seen Alicia in years. He had hoped she would have accompanied her husband to the gala, but he knew in his heart that she wouldn't go. She hated events like this and always put her family first.
Angela sipped her drink, pleased that from her vantage point everything seemed to be going well. She finished off the bourbon in her glass and decided to get a refill. On her way to the bar she heard a familiar voice.
"Angie, hey, it is you!"
"Hi Henry," she smiled at Will's basketball buddy Judge Henry Baxter. Will and Henry had been friends for years and she knew him quite well. They talked briefly before she returned to the table.
Will sighed as he sat down beside Angela. Without looking in his direction she slid a fresh scotch over to him, "That good, huh."
"I hate that guy," he said, shaking his head before taking a drink of the amber liquid. Angela rubbed his forearm and he covered her fingers with his free hand. "To echo Nellie Forbush, I need to wash that man right outta my hair, let's dance!" he said turning to her. She giggled and stood up. "Oh, that laugh," he said chuckling at her.
….
Diane was sitting alone at the SLG table when she was approached by Lionel Deerfield. "May I?" he asked, gesticulating at the empty chair next to her.
"Of course," Diane replied, smiling as she bobbed her head towards the esteemed lawyer.
"Is Will around?"
Diane chuckled, "He's dancing," using her forefinger that was clutching her glass she pointed to the dance floor.
"David's daughter?" he questioned.
"Yes," she nodded.
"He's still in Cambridge isn't he?"
"Yes, he's loving it," a broad smile crossed her face as she shook her head gently, "for all he spent most of his career practising law in the US, he fitted back into the British system like a comfy slipper."
"Well, I've never thought of David as a comfy slipper before!" he chuckled.
Diane laughed with him, "Well, he's enjoying teaching and being Master of a college. Plus, his mother lives nearby and she is quite elderly now, so it is good for her to have him close."
"I concur that teaching is rewarding," he smiled and took a sip of his drink.
"Why did you want Will?"
"Nothing that can't wait. They're getting quite cosy," he noted to Diane as the song waned and Angela twisted her long arms around Will's neck while resting her head on his shoulder.
"Many a young man meets a girl he does not marry, but whom he cannot quite get out of his system. Courtship and romance are followed by a life-long affection, together with nagging thoughts of what might have been." Diane said to Lionel, unaware that Will probably had nagging thoughts of two women, only one of which was in the room.
As Angela's hands parted she let her right hand fall down his left arm until they were holding hands. Gently squeezing his hand in her, she led him from the dance floor, "I'm going to the bathroom, meet you back at the table?"
"OK," he replied, a happy smile on his face, "I'll get us some drinks." She nodded at him as she turned towards the restrooms remembering a similar scenario the day they met.
...
"Lionel!" A voice from behind Diane called. They both turn to see a fellow lawyer who nods in their direction. "Excuse me," Lionel says as he gets up to talk to the gentleman.
Almost immediately Charles Abernathy sat down on Diane's left side, "Hello," he said cheerfully. Despite the late hour and the vast quantities of alcohol on offer, the liberal lawyer was chirpy.
"Charles, how are you?" Diane asked, turning to face her friend.
"I am good Diane, very good. I was wondering if you could sponsor me," he said, pulling out a crumbled sponsor form from his tux, "I'm running the Chicago Marathon for Greenpeace in a couple of weeks."
Diane laughed, "Of course," as she removed her spectacles from her purse to examine the form.
As Diane completed her pledge, Angela swept over to the table and flung her arms around Charles' neck, "Lovely to see you Charlie, Dad was asking after you," she said as she planted a kiss on his cheek.
"Angie, my dear, always a flirt!" He said winking at her. "I know you'll sponsor me," he added, pushing the paper towards her. She smiled and picked up Diane's pen to fill it in.
Will returned to the group and handed Angela a new drink, "What did I miss?"
"This wonderful gentleman is running the Chicago Marathon for charity, he needs more sponsors," she smiled at Charles as she said it.
"OK," Will said, pulling a pen from his inside pocket, "then we're heading out." He quickly completed the form, clicked his pen, and, as he put it back in his jacket whispered to Angela, "I'm looking forward to getting you on your own." She giggled flirtatiously and surreptitiously ran her hand up his thigh under the table. She felt him tense and take a deep breath.
"Thank you all," Abernathy said clasping his hands together. "Well, good luck Charles and good night everyone," Will said standing up and fastening the button on his jacket, as was his custom. Angela said her goodnights, fished her purse out from under the table and stood next to him, linking arms as they walked towards the exit.
A/N: This was a bit of fun. Let me know what you think.
