Author's note : So yes, this chapter took me forever to get right. But I hope it was worth the wait, it's the longest one so far! I also feel like the time has come to tell you that this story is coming to an end. I'm expecting to write 2 more chapters. But...there's more! I'm working on several new ideas, one of which a new multi chapter story that starts right about when Will got shot and continues the way we all wish it would have. Please let me know if that's something you would like to see, or if you have any other requests!
Summary: force ma·jeure noun \ˌfȯrs-mä-ˈzhər, -mə-\ 1: superior or irresistible force. 2: an event or effect that cannot be reasonably anticipated or controlled. Alicia & Will, seven months after she left L/G: And I know it's flirting, of course it is. I know I'm doing it. It's not just the dress I'm wearing, but it's the way I'm sitting on this couch, the way I look at him. And he's been throwing me stares that tell me that it's not about if we're having sex, it's about when.
Thanks: All of you for your continued support and interest in this story!

Force Majeure

Chapter 24 - Joy

As the night dissolves into this final frame
You're a sweet relief, you saved me from my brain
-Bastille (Joy)

Friday, 19:10

The dark blue dress I'm wearing is too formal for this evening's purpose. It's not a funeral, Alicia, it's a dinner. It's a date, too. I sigh deeply and undress for the second time. I take a sip from the glass of white wine I poured myself and look in the mirror again. At least I set my mind on the lingerie. A silk La Perla slip dress, with fitted cups and lace running up the sides.

My phone rings. Will.

"Hi?"

"Alicia. I hate to do this, but I don't think I'll make 19:30. I'm stuck at work."

"Oh, don't worry, I understand," I say quickly, but quietly mouth a fuck after that. "So should we, ah, reschedule?" I ask, in an attempt to sound casual. Please say no.

"No. No, of course we're not cancelling," he responds as if that's the craziest thing he's ever heard. "Just give me until nine, maybe. And we'll go for drinks instead. How does that sound?"

"Perfect," I smile relieved.

"Ok, good. And I hate having to do this, I'm sorry."

"Will, it's fine, really."

"Thanks. I look forward to seeing you."

Friday, 19:51

I'm well on my way with my second glass of wine and I realise I haven't eaten anything yet. I did decide on my dress. A black one that hits just above the knee, with an elegant boat neck and a sexy, low draped back, showing my back to just below my shoulder blades.

I head over to the kitchen to find something reasonable to eat, but the sight of a completely empty fridge makes me curse out loud. This always happens when Zach stays the weekend. Then, my eye falls on the six-pack of beer that stands lonely in the bottom right corner of the fridge.

I call him again.

"Hi, Will, just a quick question," I start as he picks up the phone.

"Tell me."

"Is anyone with you there still?"

"No…?" He answers a bit confused.

"So you're alone?"

"Yes….?" He replies in the same questioning tone.

"Ok, good. That's all I needed to know, thank you."

I hear him laugh. "What are you up to?"

"I'll see you later Will, bye," I say with a smile and hang up.

Friday, 20:31

Why did I think this was a good idea again? I'm standing in the downstairs lobby of the Lockhart/Gardner building, with the beer hidden in my handbag and a pizza-box in my hand.

It seemed like a fun, spontaneous idea thirty minutes ago, but I'm seriously starting to question whether or not this will strike the right cord with him. We used to do this when we were co-workers, but now things are different and he might not appreciate me barging in like this.

But there's no turning back now, because the guard is already calling Will to inform he has a visitor at this hour. I'm never drinking two glasses of wine on an empty stomach again, I do know that.

"Sir, I have Ms. Florrick standing downstairs, she says you're expecting her," I hear the receptionist say on the phone. He looks at me with a suspicious stare that I find almost insulting.

"…Oh, in that case, yes, I'll tell her, hang on," he responds to whatever Will said on the other side of the line.

I cock my brow at him. "Yes?"

"Mr. Gardner says he definitely wasn't expecting to see you here and that it must be a misunderstanding." He looks annoyed as he tells me that, but I have to bite my lip trying not to laugh.

"Please inform Mr. Gardner that his pizza is getting cold."

The guard rolls his eyes and quotes me to Will. Then he hangs up and gestures at the elevator before he sits back down on his chair with a loud sigh. I can't help but grin as I walk away.

A minute later, the elevator arrives at the 28th floor. As the doors slide open, I immediately see Will. Leaning against the reception desk, hands in his pockets. The offices are dark and deserted.

He laughs at me as I walk out. "You did not."

"I think I did," I respond with a flirtatious smile. The tension between us is immediate.

"That is brilliant."

"There might be beer in my hand bag," I say as I hand him the pizza.

"God," he laughs. "OK, come on," and we walk to his office together.

Friday, 20:37

"Thanks, for coming by like this," he says as I sit down on his couch. "And sorry again. I was looking forward to dinner."

"Will, I know," I say reassuringly. "And this is fun too, isn't it?"

"It is," he smiles and picks up a bottle of beer from the table. "Cheers."

"Cheers. To…"

"Tonight," he finishes for me.

"High expectations?"

"You set the bar high, surprising me like this," he grins. He walks back to his computer. "I just need to send one more e-mail, then I'm all yours."

"OK, good," I say and take a slice of pizza.

I sit there, observing him as he types. He looks good. White shirt, blue greyish tie, dark grey pants. We haven't shared a single touch since I arrived. It's as if we are still readjusting to the reality that we now can actually break those barriers that we built so carefully these past years. We are allowed to surrender to the inescapable sexual tension that we're both sensing, and I'm pretty confident that we both know that we will, at some point tonight.

I wonder how this evening will go. Is he going to take me for drinks after he finishes here, or are we going to skip all that and just end up together at his place or mine? It's fun not knowing, not having to follow any specific sequence tonight. That's why I threw him a curveball and showed up like this.

And I know it's flirting, of course it is. It's what tonight is all about. It's shameless, from both sides. I know I'm doing it. It's not just the dress I'm wearing, but it's the way I'm sitting on this couch, the way I look at him. And he's been throwing me stares that tell me that it's not about if we're having sex, it's about when.

Will breaks away from the screen, leans back in his chair and takes a sip from his beer.

"Done?" I ask.

"Yes." He stares at me for a while, I look back at him. "You're far away," he states matter-of-factly.

"I know," I respond. "You were working," I gesture at his computer.

"Not anymore."

"Then… come closer."

He smirks, still looking at me. A silence falls.

I can tell that he's also very much aware of the fact that once we do get close, there's no going back. He seems to be enjoying the moment too much to let that happen straight away. And so am I.

So we're quiet for a moment. I open a second beer and lean back in the couch.

"You sitting right there reminds me how we used to work through cases on that couch," he says.

I smile as I think back to those memories. "We worked well together."

"Do you ever miss that?"

I think about how to answer for a moment. "Sometimes I do," I nod. "You?"

He shrugs. "It made things complicated very quickly."

"It was complicated... But we had our moments." I can't help to glance at his bathroom door for a moment. He catches my stare.

"Brings back memories?"

I offer him a flirtatious smile and drink from my beer.

"Good ones, I hope," he adds with a wry smile. He gets up from behind his desk.

I watch him as he comes closer. He grabs himself another beer and sits down in his leather chair, just a couple feet away from me. He's pacing us by deliberately not sitting down next to me. We wouldn't last a minute.

I feel my heart pounding against my chest harder as our little dance continues. We never had the luxury of taking our time in here.

I look through the glass walls of his office into the dimmed hallway. "It's strange to be back here," I sigh.

"Wanna do a tour?"

I throw him a look. "To do what?" Maybe I'm getting too worked up thinking about our office bathroom escapades, but I'm pretty sure he isn't planning to just walk around together.

Will shrugs innocently. "I don't know, see your old office. The one you never decorated. While you're at it, you can steal some information to share with Cary…"

"Will…-"

"I'm kidding, don't worry," he laughs.

"You're terrible," I grin and take a sip from my beer.

Then his ringtone breaks off our conversation. "Sorry, I have to take this," he says and gets up. He gestures to the offices behind us. "Seriously, feel free to walk around."

I don't leave his office immediately. I just sit there for a little while and watch him standing there in the dark hallway, talking on the phone. I used to watch Will like this all the time, for minutes on end. Sometimes I had to snap out of it. I'd be embarrassed if someone had to speak up twice to get my attention. Always fearing people would notice that I was looking at him. Always fantasising about what it would be like to have a minute alone. We both did our best to make it happen, in his office, a meeting room or the elevator. Sometimes several times a day. Quick moments, secret looks and quiet touches. It was a game we both loved playing. The glass walls allowed us to keep track of each other and to throw each other quick looks whenever we wanted to. Once we broke off our affair, those same glass walls became an annoyance to me. I was working so hard to move on, to forget him and all the moments we had spend together, but it was an impossible task. Will was never out of sight.

As Will's phone call continues, I decide to get up from the couch and take him up on his offer. I first pass Diane's office, then turn left and head through the hallway. I pass the meeting room and then, at the sight of my old office, I stop in my tracks.

There I am, in the middle of the open work space, staring through the glass of what once, briefly, was my biggest achievement: my own office. My partnership office. It looks the same, only the desk has been moved to the right. The mint green chest of drawers is gone. I look around the dim lit space surrounding me.

I let out a deep sigh and lean against one of the cubicle desks. So much has happened here. It's almost embarrassing to look back at my first weeks here. How I was juggling cases and was desperately trying to position myself as something more than the wife of the damaged State Attorney. And all the while, hoping to stand out more than Cary did. That makes me smile. Who on earth would have thought that the day would come when we would actually trust each other enough to leave this firm together.

I turn back around and look at my old desk once more. I remember how much stress I felt sitting there, always wondering if someone knew, if it was the right decision or that I was making the biggest mistake of my life. And if I would be losing Will over it, perhaps that was the biggest fear of it all.

"I'm done," I suddenly hear from a distance. "Wanna head out for that drink?"

I need a second to break away from my thoughts.

"Alicia? You OK?" I hear his voice come closer.

I clear my throat. "Yes," I reply quickly and turn my head towards where his voice is coming from.

He stands there, in the middle of the dark hallway. He's further away from me than I expected. Nothing more but a silhouette at this distance. One hand in his pocket, his beer bottle dangling in the other. The sight brings a smile on my face.

We don't say anything.

He walks towards me, moving out of the darkness. I notice he took off his tie and loosened the first few buttons of the white shirt he's wearing. He looks incredibly handsome.

My hear starts beating against my chest again. Hard, slow beats that tell me I'm craving for much more than just a conversation at a distance.

"What were you thinking about?" He asks as he casually pushes the green office chair away from the cubicle with one foot so that he can lean against the tabletop as well, next to me.

"The past," I sigh.

"Good or bad?"

"Both, I think."

He nods slowly, but doesn't say anything in return. He just stares at my old office, next to me.

"What are you thinking about?" I decide to return the question.

He clicks his tongue.

I raise my brow at that. "What?"

Without answering my question, he gets up, swiftly moves away from the desk and then turns around so he's standing in front of me.

"I... was thinking about how much longer I can go without touching you."

My heart is racing again. I tease him by not saying anything and taking a sip from my beer instead.

"Why is it there's something really attractive about you drinking beer?"

"Only when I drink beer?" I pout jokingly.

He scoffs. "Didn't say that."

He brings himself even closer towards me, so that his legs suddenly touch mine. He rests his right hand on my knee and then slowly finds its way to my thigh and stays there.

I look at his hand touching me, then back up in his eyes.

He stares at at me, with that look in his eyes that I didn't get to see for such a long time, but that I know so well. Bold and loving at the same time, eager for more.

Without saying a word, he wraps his hand around mine that's still holding the beer bottle. He gently guides me to put it down on the desk. Simultaneously, his other hand moves from my thigh to my lower back. He leans in and places a soft kiss on my shoulder. I eagerly turn my head so that my lips meet his. He lets out a moan as soon as our tongues meet.

His eagerness turns me on even more. I try to get a hold of myself and to not let go completely right here and now, but his touch, his lips on mine, it brings so much relief that I don't want it to end.

But then he pulls back for a moment. "I really want to say that we should leave for a drink…" he whispers in a low voice against my ear. He bites my earlobe and it makes a shiver run down my spine . "I just…"

"You want to take me now?" I whisper back.

"Yes." The hand on my thigh is now slightly crawling inwards, pushing up the fabric of my dress.

"Here?" I ask teasingly.

"Hmm," he responds with a sigh and looks around for a moment. "No. Follow me."

He grabs my hand and I willingly follow. Fully convinced that we're going back to his office, he turns left and gestures at Diane's door. You are kidding me.

"We're not doing that!" I gasp.

"Something that I always wanted to do…" He pulls me closer and kisses me again. "Come on…" he breathes in my neck.

"Will," I give him another look.

He pushes with his back against the glass door and lures me in.

"I can't believe we're doing this," I mutter as I stand in the middle of Diane's office.

Will walked to the right and is now leaning against the large windows. He reaches out his arm to me. "Come here," he says in a way that's comforting and encouraging at the same time. "You showed up here unannounced, now it's my turn."

I roll my eyes at that, but walk over to him and place my hand in his. "If that's how it works, show me."

He smiles, pulls me closer, gently pulls my hair behind my ear and kisses me again. Before I know it, his hand gets lost underneath my dress. I feel his fingers rub through the satin of my underwear. I can't help to let out a soft moan in response.

"I thought you didn't want to do this here," he chuckles as he obviously notices how aroused I am.

I just smile against his lips and kiss him again. My hands trail off to his belt, I unbuckle his pants and quickly feel the stretched fabric of his boxer shorts, telling me he's just as aroused as I am. He groans as I stroke him and that's the moment we both know we're done pacing ourselves.

With strong, confident hands, Will turns us around so that's it's me leaning against the window. He holds my hips and pushes me down on the deep window sill, telling me we're doing this here. There's no changing his mind.

Suddenly, there's a desperation to it all. Our hands are everywhere. Within seconds, I feel him inside me and from then on, it's all a blur. I gasp at his movements and try to hold myself together, but it feels too good and I need him to continue. He moans and grunts, buries his face in the crook of my neck. He needs this as much as I do. With my hands on his back, I push him closer towards me.

And everything comes back to me. Why we were so good together, why we work so well. Why we wouldn't get out of hotelrooms because the sex was just too good.

We're loud. I'm louder than usual, but there's too much tension to be relieved. Tension that has lingered between us for years, that would come up and flow away like the tide but would never fully disappear. It's not just about the heat of the moment and the urgency of it all. It's the past and the present, and everything that we are.

We don't last long, perhaps a couple minutes. But time is irrelevant to this. He presses his forehead against mine, kisses my nose, my lips and I love all of it.

Thank you for reading.

(Preview for next chapter: The evening continues...)