Disclaimer: The Good Wife is not mine

August, 2017, Chicago

Alicia sat in Owen's apartment, surrounded by silence. The academic year had started so her brother was at work and Grace had moved into her dorm at Stanford, ready to start her pre-law course. Alicia was alone. Sighing she leant back against the sofa. The feeling that washed over her was different to the one she had in DC when she was alone. Alicia felt as though she were alone – but as though she wasn't alone. If that made any sense. There was no one with her, but she din't feel alone, she almost felt... at home, maybe.

Alicia's eyes wandered to the coffee table where the list of pros and cons sat. leaning forward she picked it up and stared at it. Flipping the paper over she saw Grace's handwriting on the back of the page. Do it! Was written in her daughters neat, rounded, script.

"What the hell." Alicia thought. The brunette picked up her phone and found the number for Lockhart & Gardner. Clicking on the number she pressed call and listened to the dial tone. Within ten minutes Alicia had hung up and she had arranged a meeting for 6pm in the bar opposite the court house.

At 6pm the next stage of her life would begin. At 6pm she would be sat in a bar with him. Something that she had not done in over twenty years. It filled her with nerves, all of a sudden Alicia was worried that she had nothing to wear, scared as to what he would think of whatever she did wear. The brunette was wondering what she should do with her hair, and how red should her lipstick be-?

Stop she told herself. This is a business meeting, it is not a date. Diane is there as well.

Despite the telling off she gave herself, Alicia still contemplated the outfit whilst she sat on her brother's sofa going over the financials for last month, checking over everything. She smiled when she saw that the firm had not taken a beating from her divorce. In actual fact they had signed three major businesses – all with female CEOs. Maybe it had worked in her favour?

Stepping out of the bathroom wrapped in a fluffy white spotty towel Alicia walked towards her bedroom and stood barefoot in front of her wardrobe debating what she should wear. She decided casual, after all in a few days she would be returning to DC, and her attire would once more consist of suits, pencil skirts and blouses. So, bearing that in mind she pulled out a light knit, oversized sweater dress that was thin enough for summer. It hung off of one shoulder, the dress was deep red in colour so she chose black lace underwear. The weather was warm, so Alicia forewent tights and instead decided to wear a pair of chunky black heeled sandals.

The brunette left the outfit on her bed whilst she dried her hair. Despite her drying it straight there were still loose waves. Deciding she really did not have time to straighten it she left it as was and applied a light coat of makeup before putting the dress and shoes on. Happy with her appearance she grabbed her black leather bag and headed out.

The evening air was just the right temperature. Not too hot, not too muggy, just right for an evening stroll. So the brunette wandered through the familiar streets as she made her way to the courthouse. It seemed so long ago since she had lived in Highland park. Seemed like a lifetime ago that this had been the city she called home. Yet, at the same time it felt like yesterday; taking her children to the park, to school, to the cinema to the latest Disney film to be released. Those days had been some of the best of her life. They were before everything changed, before the scandals, and the governorship. Before the entirety of their lived became the focus of the media.

Part of Alicia resented Peter for putting the microscope on their lives. More precisely putting it on the lives of their children. Grace and Zach would never be able to forget any mistakes they made. Never be able to live down a boyfriend or girlfriend because it was all documented in the media.

Alicia pushed the thoughts from her mind as she entered the small bar which was opposite the courthouse. She walked in and immediately saw Will and Diane sat in a booth over in the corner. She smiled as Diane waved her over. There was a bottle of red on the table, and three glasses, two of which were already filled and the third was in the process of being as she walked over.

"Hey." Alicia greeted them bother, as she sat down and slid into the booth next to Diane. She immediately regretted doing so because that meant that she was looking straight at will. Looking into those brown eyes that told so many stories.

"Hello Alicia, I hope red is okay." Diane commented, and the younger woman smiled.

"It is perfect, thank you. I'm not wearing white today, means I can be trusted with red." Alicia commented as she took the glass which Diane slid over. "Cheers." Alicia said, holding up her glass and the other two repeated before taking a drink. Once the glass was placed back down onto the table Alicia took a deep breath. "I have been thinking about what you said at the ball, and if you are still interested then I think that maybe we should start talking seriously about merging."

"That is fantastic news Alicia. We are definitely still interested." Diane answered.

"Sounds good." Will replied as he drank the red wine. Alicia wondered when he had started drinking wine exactly, the Will that she had known drank nothing but long necks, tequila and vodka. Maybe drinking wine had come about when he grew up, when he started styling his hair that way and wearing suits that fitted him too damn well.

"Obviously, there are things I would like to think over before anything gets set in stone. With the greatest respect I'd like to have my accountant look over your financials for the last few years. I'd also like to talk to a few of my clients and get the general consensus on what the feeling is among them. As long as everything is okay I would be more than happy to bring it to the equity partners."

Diane nodded in agreement. Will watched on in awe. Alicia had always been the best at whatever she did. Watching her now, talking business, it almost made him even more attracted to her. "I think that is fair enough. We would obviously like your financials as well."

"That is perfectly fine, I'll have them sent over to you tomorrow." Alicia stated. "There is one other thing, as of Monday morning Florrick & Associates will no longer exist, we will be Cavanaugh & Associates. Of course this would mean that the name going into the merge would be Cavanaugh. Is that a problem?"

"We don't just want you cause of your name Alicia." Will commented. "Lockhart, Gardner & Cavanaugh."

"I seem to remember we already had the discussion as to whose name would go first." Alicia stated, remembering the discussion they'd had back in Georgetown, in bed. "I also remember who won." There was a smile on both of their lips as they spoke, the kind that showed Diane that they were both reliving the same memory.

"There was no clear winner if I remember. We got … distracted." Will replied, unable to hide the twinkle in his eye at the memory. The comment made Alicia blush a little, because she remembered very clearly how they had gotten distracted.

"You surrendered Gardner. I clearly remember you telling me I won." Both of them just laughed at the memory, and Diane smiled at the interaction.

"I have no objection to Cavanaugh, Lockhart & Gardner." The older woman stated. In all honestly she would forgo her name being first simply to witness a few more conversations like this. In the back of her mind she contemplated getting Kalinda to look into just what the relationship between the two people she was sat with had once been.

"I don't think we should merge. Alicia obviously has memory issues. I never agreed." Will said, smirking at Alicia. Both women simply laughed, and Diane shook her head before looking at her watch.

"I'm going to leave you two to reminisce. Kurt has just got back from a case so we are off out for dinner. I will see you tomorrow Will. Alicia, it was a pleasure, I hope to hear from you soon." Diane stated, as Alicia moved out of the booth to allow Diane to do the same. The two women said their farewells before Diane left and Alicia sat back down. The mood instantly shifted once it was just the two of them.

"It has been a long time, since we did this." Will said, watching her take a sip of her wine and close her eyes, looking down at the marked wood of the table.

"Not far off twenty five years." Alicia said, looking up at him thought her thick lashes. Part of her wondered just where all that time had gone. It seemed like only yesterday that they were sat in the bar on campus, in the corner, text books and bottle of bear surrounding them.

"Jesus, I feel old." Will said, and Alicia just laughed.

"You and me both. You don't have two kids at college."

"Where are they?" Will asked, genuinely interested in her life.

"Zach has just gone into his second year at MIT, he is doing computer forensics. Grace has just started at Stanford doing pre-law."

"Not Georgetown." Will stated, with a twinkle in his eye.

"Grace got an offer but turned it down. There is too much going on in DC right now, she wants to go to law school there, though."

"They must be smart kids." Will said. It was strange to think that all he had achieved in the last twenty odd years was owning his own firm and too many one night stands. Yet she had her own firm, two smart children, what was once a successful marriage and a public image that most would kill for. He was proud of his firm, but he was jealous of her. Alicia had it all, or at least she had, before the scandal.

"They are. Although not really kids anymore. They make me so proud." She said, smiling, and he could see the love that filled her eyes.

"You make me proud, I always knew you would be an incredible lawyer." He stated.

"You're one to talk Gardner. Look at you." Both of them smiled. It was strange, talking like they were friends where there was a scar that was still bleeding so close to the surface. They had put a bandage over the wound, but they both knew that there would soon be a time when they had to actually deal with the wound. At some point they were going to have to talk. Neither was ready to admit that fact just yet though.

It still hurt too much.

Reviews are greatly welcomed and appreciated.

Abby