Disclaimer: The Good Wife is not mine

August, 2017, Chicago

She was meant to be reading through the contract that was currently open on her laptop screen. It was for one of their biggest clients, so she had requested that it was sent to her to check through before it was presented to the client. Alicia knew it was perfect though, there was never a problem with the work of her equity partners. Still, she should probably read through it. Then again, she should also finish the list of pros and cons for merging with Lockhart & Gardner as well. Placing her laptop down next to the list she accepted that for the time being at least neither of those two things were going to get done.

The sound of the front door opening caused her to turn around just in time to see her daughter entering the apartment. Grace removed the large sunglasses and placed them down on the counter before walking over to her mother. "I brought us food." Grace said, smiling and holding up the paper bag. Alicia just smiled and made some room on the table. "We have falafel kebabs, they okay? Yours has extra hummus on it."

"Sounds perfect." Alicia commented as she took the pitta from her daughter and smiled at the spicy smell of the food. "How was town? You get your stationary?"

"Yep, although I did not realise that it would be so hard to find pretty lever arch folders. Like all they had were plain ones. I ended up just getting some stripey ones."

"You can always replace them if you see something nicer."

"Yeah I guess." Grace replied. They ate in silence, before Grace picked up Alicia's list, looking at what her mother had written. "What is this for?"

Alicia sighed. Recently she had realised that it was better to just be honest with her daughter, after all she wasn't a child anymore. That didn't mean Alicia didn't think of her as one though. Grace may be eighteen and off to University, but to Alicia she would always be her baby. Alicia would always have the motherly instinct to hide things that could potentially hurt or confuse her daughter. "A firm want to merge with me." Alicia stated simply.

"Okay, well looking at the list you have a lot more pros than cons; office space, reputation, client base, fantastic family law, bigger budget, more associates, fully trained lawyers..." Grace looked up at her mother who nodded at every point. "Then you have the fact that you won't be starting from the bottom."

"It feels like a cop out." Alicia commented as she finished her kebab and placed the wrapper into the empty bag.

"It isn't a cop out mum, trust me." Grace said, looking into her mothers eyes. "You built your firm up from the bottom, they may have a reputation but so do you! They will benefit from you just as you will from them. It would mean less stress, it would mean you could actually focus on your life and not your work for once!"

Alicia laughed at the look on her daughter face and leant over to hug her. "When did you get so smart, huh?" Alicia could feel Grace smile against her shoulder.

"Guess I get that from you." They pulled apart and Grace looked at the list again. "Wait, under cons you have Will. I don't understand?" Grace furrowed her brow as she looked at her mother.

"It doesn't matter." Alicia tried to avoid the topic, not wanting to discuss the man who had broken her heart, whom there was a very strong possibility that she had never stopped loving, not even when she was married to Peter.

"We are having a serious discussion, spill." Grace said, giving her mother a serious look. Alicia couldn't help the smile that came over her face. Her daughter was definitely going to make an incredible lawyer.

"The firm that wants to merge is Lockhart & Gardner, I went to law school with Will Gardner, the named partner." Alicia decided to stop there, it was probably not a good idea to go any further into the matter. Otherwise the next thing that Alicia knew, Grace would have told Owen and he would be planning out the remainder of her life.

"I heard Mr. Georgetown mentioned!" Owen sang as he emerged from him room. Alicia looked over at her brother who looked a little worse for wear. He had gone out the previous night and still not been home when Alicia returned from the ball just after midnight. She had not heard him come in, but considering it was now past midday and he was only just getting up she assumed it was probably nearer to 4am.

Grace looked at her uncle and smiled before turning back to her mother. She wasn't stupid, she knew there was more to the story but she would also not push. Her mother was allowed to have things she didn't discuss. "Are you scared that he will give you special treatment or something?"

"No, not really."Alicia said, leaning her head against the sofa. "We didn't exactly leave things well, up until a fortnight ago we hadn't spoken in twenty years."

"Look, you're both adults now, I'm pretty sure that you would be able to put that to one side and work together. If he is anything like you then he cares about his work too much to jeopardise it."

The sound of Owen drooping a pan effectively ended their discussion, followed by the sound of him winging about how the noise hurt his ears. Both women laughed, but grace decided to go and help her uncle, telling him to sit down and she would make him some food. Owen thanked her and moved over to sit with his sister who was looking at him with a smirk on her face. As he sat down she burst out laughing, unable to contain it any longer. "Thanks for the sympathy sis." He said, covering his eyes with a cushion.

"How old are you and you still don't know your limit?!" Alicia commented, glaring.

"Sorry mum! And for your information I do know my limit... I just decided to ignore it." He replied, slightly muffled by the pillow. "So what was that about Mr. Georgetown?" Even in his hungover state Owen was intrigued by his sister's love life, sometimes she wondered if he was more interested in hers than he was in his own. She leant her head against the sofa, as she seemed to be doing more and more often, and sighed.

"Lockhart & Gardner wants to merge with me." She stated.

"What is the issue? If you are working in the same offices he can just throw you over his desk whenever he wants and you can have steamy sex- Ouch!" Owen's statement was cut off by his statement of pain when Alicia pinched his arm – just as she had done back when they were children and he would annoy her.

"Keep your voice down!" She whispered harshly. Owen simply wiggled his eyebrows.

"Come on sis, you are a newly free and single woman. You need to get laid."

"I do not need to get laid." She replied, glaring at her brother. This was not the type of conversation that she wanted to be having when her daughter was in the same room as them. In fact it was a highly inappropriate conversation to be having.

"Oh yes you do. Why not anyway? From what I remember you two were unable to get enough of each other-"

"This conversation is over." Alicia stated, before standing up and heading to her room.

"You want him!" Owen sang as his sister walked away. However he sang too loud and it hurt his head. "Ow." He moaned, sounding like he was about to cry. Grace walked over and handed her uncle a bacon sandwich.

"Eat." She told him.

"Never drink Grace, ever." He told her as pain shot through his head as he moved. "Actually, scrap that- do drink." She just laughed and picked up her mothers list once more. Her eyes looking at that one word in the cons list.

"Owen, what happened between mum and Will?" She asked, turning to her uncle just in time to see a devilish grin spread across his face.

"Well..."

December, 1993, New York State

They had an hour before the fireworks would begin, and probably about half an hour before anyone noticed that they were gone. That was why they were currently running up the back staircase towards the room that she was sleeping in, giggling like two teenagers. The house was old, and belonged to her mothers latest husband. A man who was all about family and had insisted everyone come over for New Years Eve. Alicia had informed her mother the only way she would be attending was if Will went as well.

As soon as they stepped into the small backroom his lips were on hers, and every thought about how they should not be doing this, how they should be downstairs socialising, left her mind. All Alicia Cavanaugh could think about was getting his shirt off.

Will's hands were in her hair, and she knew she would have hell attempting to hid the post-sex hair before they returned to the party, but in that moment she didn't care. His lips moved to her neck and she moved her head to give him greater access as he trailed kissed from behind her ear to her collarbone. Alicia's fingers trembled as she finally managed to undo the buttons on his shirt and push it off of his shoulders. Will's hand moved to the back of her dark green dress and undid the zip, pushing the straps off of her shoulders and down to her waist. "We don't have much time." She whispered into his ear as his lips returned to her neck and his hands went to find the clasp on her bra.

"We best get on with it then." He said with an evil grin on his lips as they attacked her and her hands went to his belt. They were so caught up in the moment that they didn't here someone coming up the stairs.

"Oi, sis, mum says you need to-" The door opened and both Alicia and will jumped apart, blushing furiously, she grabbed her dress and attempted to pull it back up. Both didn't say a thing, neither did Owen for that matter of fact, he just stood there smirking and raised an eyebrow. "I'll tell mum you're... otherwise engaged." With that he turned around and was about to leave. "I'd make it quick, speeches are about to begin so the music will be turned off." Owen walked out of the room, and left both Alicia and Will stood in the middle of the room, half dressed, and looking mortified.

Alicia knew she would never hear the end of it, and she never did.

Thank you for all of the reviews, keep 'em coming!

Abby