A/N: We haven't had an early chapter for a while. This gives a bit of background to Will and Angela and also, in a way, allows for them to eventually stop dating but stay together. I'm not too happy with it, but subsequent chapters should make up for it.
Save The Last Dance For Me (The Drifters)
Baltimore, December 1999
Angela's paternal grandparents are visiting for the holidays and will meet Will for the first time. They spend a few days in Baltimore before moving on to Chicago.
"Thanks for offering to come with me to pick up Gran and Grandpa," she smirked at Will as they stood in the arrivals hall. "Granny, in particular, has been very eager to meet you, so I guess you can get it out of the way quickly."
"Hmm," he smiled, "so I'm popular, good to know," he bobbed his head with an air of arrogance that served him well over the years in court.
"Oh, no, no, no," Angela replied, grabbing his arm, "she's not some sweet old lady who will be satisfied with a slice of cake and a smile, this will be like feeding time at the zoo," she teased. In reality her grandma was sweet and polite, but would bombard him with questions. As she had spent the entirety of her only grandchild's courtship on the opposite side of the Atlantic, she was very keen to know more about the young man who had stolen her heart.
"What do you mean?" Will asked, a little unnerved. "I'm kinda scared now, save me from the bears," he joked. She smiled at him, "Oh, do shut up!" she said linking her arm through his.
As the first travellers from their plane started to come through into the hall, Will turned to Angela, "I really am looking forward to meeting them. Apart from the night we met I've only seen your Dad twice, and he still intimidates the hell outta me, so it will be good to get to know more of your family."
She planted a kiss on his cheek and squeezed his forearm affectionately. "Ah, there is Granny," she pointed to a white-haired lady in a pale blue trouser suit, Burberry mac and flowered chiffon scarf. She was carrying a large handbag and a hard backed copy of the latest Harry Potter book. Will looked at Mrs Austen and back at Angela, "Huh," he said in puzzlement, "didn't picture that," he added shaking his head.
"Do you mean Granny in general or the book?"
"The book!" He chuckled as they walked towards the old lady.
Angela embraced and kissed her grandmother; Will noted the obvious affection between the two women. "Where is Grandpa?"
The older woman shook her head and waved her hand in the air, "He wanted to go to to the gent's the moment we got off the plane, so I left him waiting for the luggage. I couldn't wait to see you," she smiling at her granddaughter, "and your young man," she added looking at Will. Angela smirked at her grandmother then looked over at Will who was obviously enjoying seeing Angela put on the spot.
"OK," Angela began, "Granny, this, as I'm sure you've realised, is Will. So, Genevieve Anne Elizabeth Austen please meet William Paul Gardner." She chuckled as she middle-named them both.
"Call me Jenny, everyone does," the older woman said taking a long look at the lawyer.
"OK, well it is very good to meet you Jenny," Will said, holding out his hand. Jenny ignored the formal greeting and pulled him into an embrace, "I'm eighty-one, I don't have time for handshaking at my age," she answered. Will thought, yes, David is correct; Angela definitely inherited her grandmother's personality!
"How was your flight?" Angela asked, as Jenny released Will.
"Fine," she mused. "I read while your grandfather watched two films and an episode of Friends. He likes Rachel, says she reminds him of you," she added waving her hand in the direction of her granddaughter. Will began to laugh, "Hee," he chuckled.
"Thanks," Angela replied rolling her eyes before turning to Will, "don't know why you're laughing, that makes you Ross." Will screwed his face before smiling back at her.
"Finally, here is your grandfather. Will, my husband Robert," she gesticulated at the older gentleman. "Robert, Robert," she shouted without any response from the man who was deep in conversation. Jenny rolled her eyes before shouting, "BOB!" across the concourse.
Will whispered to Angela, "If that didn't get his attention, nothing will. She's very impatient, just like you!" She playfully slapped him on the arm before moving towards her grandfather.
"Grandpa," she said coming round the side of him to kiss his cheek before moving behind the luggage cart to take control of it from the airport porter. Will, quickly caught her up and in one swift move, manoeuvred Angela out of the way so that he could push the trolley and gave his thanks and $20 to the porter. He felt a little out of place at the family reunion and wanted to appear helpful.
"Well, now, granddaughter, let me look at you," Robert said, taking Angela's hands in his and smiling. "You look good, you're obviously doing something right, son," he winked at Will, who gave a big cheesy grin and bobbed a little from side to side.
…
Back at her apartment, Angela prepared dinner for them. Will came into the kitchen to pour two large whiskies – one for him and one for Robert. As he did so, Jenny told Will, "My father was called William."
"OK," he nodded, a little unsure of what to reply. Fortunately, Angela came up behind him and whispered in his ear, "She'll love you forever now, idolised her father and I'm sure regardless of whatever you do in the future, it will always redeem you." He chuckled at her words but also at the sensation of her warm breath on his face.
….
While Angela and Jenny were in the kitchen, Robert Austen took the time to speak to Will. Will was wracked with nerves again, he wasn't used to getting the 'be careful with my girl' chat from a girlfriend's grandfather - this could potentially be more intimidating than the dinner he shared with several judges the night he met Angela.
"My granddaughter is very taken with you," Robert began, "she does not give her heart easily, she is like her father in that respect." He took a drink of his whisky before continuing, "Although, our Dave has good reason to guard his emotions," he looked down into his glass, a sadness crossing his face. Will nodded. The old man continued, "She talks of you often," he smiled at Will, pointing his finger in the air, "mind, she tells her grandmother far more than she tells me," he chuckled. "The girl doesn't have a mum and she should, so she makes do with her Gran and her Aunt, who is really Dave's best friend. Dee-Dee has been a great guide for Angela," he bobbed his head as he recalled Diane Lockhart. Will nodded with him, unsure of who this Aunt Dee really is. She lived in Chicago so he hadn't met her and wondered if he ever would. Little did he know that only a few years later he would be living in Chicago and be in partnership with Ms Lockhart. It took the conception of Stern, Lockhart & Gardner for everyone to connect the dots.
"Anyway, who knows what secrets women share," Robert said, taking another drink of his whisky, "like the contents of their handbags, never to cross the minds of mere menfolk!" he joked. Will laughed with him, unsure of where the conversation was going, but certain that potentially Angela didn't have enough liquor to get him to the end.
"Angela loves you," Bob continued. The statement was not new to Will, but it was unusual hearing it from this particular source, causing him to look up in surprise.
"And I love her very much," Will added, certain a goofy grin had crossed his face.
After a long pause in which he took a slurp of his drink, Bob replied, "Good," nodding at the young man opposite him. "You've had your heart broken, Will," he said as he swilled the amber liquid around the glass in his hand. Will was shocked by his statement and felt his surprise was evident on his face. "Err," he stumbled, "yes, Sir, I have," he took a breath, "in the past." Will thought to himself, boy, this guy gets straight to it – maybe he should have been a lawyer, not his son.
Bob nodded, "I can tell. You remind me a little of my son, he had his heart broken when Valerie passed." His words were quiet and heartfelt, and made Will's breath catch in his throat. Will realised that he actually knew very little of Angela's mother, as she herself didn't knew her for very many years, being only a young child when she died.
"Oh, and quit this 'Sir' malarkey, that and Ma'am, really irritate me about Americans. They think they are being polite but what they are actually doing is making you feel old and covering their tracks because they forgot your name! Call me Bob."
"Okay," Will said, smiling at the old man.
"I don't want you to break my granddaughter's heart and I hope she won't break yours," he said pointedly. Will looked at him pensively, again a little unsure of what his companion was going to say.
"Angela is very independent and," he paused, "she likes her fun." Will smiled and bobbed his head at the comment. "I don't know if you two have talked about the future, or if you just keep it in the here and now…" he queried.
Will pushed his lips together and thought for a moment before answering, "We are happy," he nodded, "and," he paused, "have told each other of our hopes for the future, but not discussed what I think you are referring to, the elephant in the room," he joked.
Before he had a chance to complete his sentence, Bob jumped in, "Marriage."
"Yeah," Will smiled. "I don't know," he added, shaking his head, "it isn't something I've even given much thought to. Even if I had, I don't think I have much to offer as a husband," he took another drink.
Bob nodded, "I was a catch," he smiled at Will, "I was a dashing pilot, a hero of the RAF, you son, have none of that going on," he said waving his hand in Will's direction. Will pursed his lips, unsure of how to respond. Before he could, Bob added, "You have to win women over the old fashioned way – with charm, looks and intelligence." Will smiled and shook his head from side to side, taking a drink of his whisky. "Don't worry, my granddaughter says you have all three," he reassured Will who nearly choked on his drink.
"Thanks," he spluttered.
"But, I don't think Angela wants anymore than that," he said looking directly at Will. "She is very different to her father in that she doesn't seem to want to be tied down. You could say it is because she loves her work et cetera like modern women claim when they don't want to get hitched," he noted, "but Jenny believes that this lack of commitment, the fact she is scared of marriage, is more about her parents. They fell in love and married young, hell," he emphasised, "by the time David was your age he was a widower with a three year old." Bob sighed before taking a long pull of his whisky. "I hate that I can't take away my son's pain. I see it in his eyes. No amount of time can heal the loss of the only woman he ever loved."
Will found it difficult listening to Bob. His words only increased his admiration for David Austen. He couldn't imagine being in his shoes. Yes, Bob was right, he was heartbroken. Alicia Cavanaugh broke his heart when she married Peter Florrick after Law School and he had been trying to dim the torch he carried for her ever since. Angela had helped. She had broken into his heart and he found he loved her too. Could he really love two women? He had settled himself into being with Angela and loving her, as he knew he was merely lusting after Alicia. His love for the current Mrs Florrick was, and probably always would be, unrequited.
"As I said, Jenny feels that Angela is unwilling to move any relationship forward because she is scared. Scared of what might happen and scared of being the one left behind, like her father was." Will nodded and let out a barely audible, "Yes," as he sighed.
"Angela might never marry," Bob said looking Will straight in the eye, "and I don't want you to be disappointed or to be strung along. If you want to be married and raise a family, be aware that it is not something I foresee in Angela's immediate future."
"I understand," Will nodded, "but," he paused, "I love her and I can't imagine being without her. It may sound corny, but she is," he took a breath, "she is my soul mate and I will never hurt her. Trust me on that, Bob," he said in a determined tone that he hoped the older man understood.
"I believe you son," Bob replied. "I've seen the way you look at her and the way Angela gazes at you to know real, honest love when I see it. Reminds me of the way I look at Jenny and vice versa. You know, we've been married fifty-five years on New Year's Eve," he smiled as he thought of his wife.
"I did, yeah. That is wonderful," Will beamed at the old man.
"Yeah, it is. I can't imagine how my life would have turned out without Jen. But, this gets me back to my point," he said waving his hand in Will's direction. "I don't know if you two will get married, or even if you will have a great love affair, but I do know that you will always have each other in your lives." Will smiled at his last comment. Bob continued, "You may end up like Eric and Ernie, or, if you manage to convince Angela, and yourself, that a lifelong commitment is worthwhile, who knows?" he mused. "But, know this," he emphasised, "the friendship and trust you two share will always be there. Jenny and I have it and David and Valerie did."
"Thank you. And," Will paused, "Bob, know this," he said leaning towards him and resting his elbows on his thighs, "I have never and, will never, lie to your granddaughter. She means so much to me to hurt her."
"I am pleased to hear that," Bob raised his glass at the young man.
A/N: Please review and let me know what you thought of the chapter. In coming chapters we will have some more of the three ladies bonding and a little Will.
