November 2017, Washington DC
A week later and Alicia was back in DC, dealing with her husband's scandal. After today that would be it, there would be no more lying to the press, no more putting on the mask and standing up on some podium for him. After today there would also be no Eli Gold stood next to Peter. He would be on the same flight as Alicia. That flight would actually be the one Will would be on as well. Upon hearing Alicia was flying to DC in order to deal with the whole Peter situation Will had decided he would fly with her, after all he legitimately did need to visit their DC offices.
Alicia knew that was not the real reason though. He wanted to be there to support her, and that was something she was not going to stop him doing. It felt good, as she stood there talking to Eli, to know that when this whole thing was done Will would be there waiting for her, and ready to take her to dinner. Their date last week had gone perfectly. So well that she had not wanted it to end. Since then they had spent almost every lunchtime together and since arriving in DC last night they had shared an evening meal and breakfast. The brunette knew there was a chance he media would see and questions would be asked, but if she was honest it felt so good that she didn't care. This felt like a whole new chapter in her life. It felt like after dedicating the last twenty years to Peter's career and raising her children, this was her chapter. Alicia didn't regret focusing on others, but she felt as though she deserved her life to be her focus for a little while.
Zach and Grace had simply told her that they had been expecting her to go on a date with Will, and hoped that she had a good time. Both saying that when they came home from christmas he should join them for tea. That was something that had made her smile from ear to ear. Eli, well he did not know yet. However he no longer got to have an opinion on her life. She was pretty sure he would be pleased for her anyway.
"Alicia thank you for agreeing to do this." Peter said, as he walked over. He had that press smile on and she had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. His suit was black with a thin pinstripe and is shirt was pale blue. It was fresh out of the packet, she could tell by the creases on the shoulders. He should have ironed it before he put it on. The lawyer just nodded, not smiling.
"I'm not doing this for you, Peter. That child is family, that is why I am doing this. I don't agree with what you did, I'm still disgusted by it." To his credit, Peter did not argue, he simply nodded. Alicia pushed a strand of her softly curled brown hair behind her ear. She was wearing a body-con dress in cream. It had a square neckline and black paneling down the sides to make her waist look smaller than it was. On her feet she had a pair of red heels that matched the red of her lipstick. Eli had commented that they were probably not the best colour because of the connotations that the colour held. Alicia had promptly told him that unless he wanted to wear them then they were staying.
"Alicia, I want you to meet Emma." A young girl, with dirty blonde hair that was cut into a long bob walked over and smiled at Alicia. She was pretty, but in an inocent way – well if you didn't know her story anyway. The girl wore a flattering pale pink dress in a skater style. She had on black dolly shoes and wore a little too much makeup. Despite the dress being flattering the baby bump was still visible. She smiled warmly at Alicia.
"It's very nice to meat you Ms. Cavanaugh." Emma said politely. Alicia nodded, if it weren't for the fact that she had been one of her husband's mistresses Alicia would probably have liked the girl. Instead it just meant that she did not completely hate her.
"You too." Alicia replied, she did a fantastic job at acting, so much so Emma looked like she believed Alicia. However Eli, who stood beside the lawyer, knew that she was simply playing the game. One that she had played for so long that she was one of the best. Half the time even Eli did not know whether Alicia was telling the truth or not.
"I hope we can get on, even if just for the sake of the baby. I don't expect you to like me, I wouldn't if I were you, but I'd like you and your children to be a part of my baby's life." Emma said warmly. Once more Alicia nodded and smiled.
"I'm sure we can do that." With that they all made their way onto the stage. Alicia took the podium with Peter and Emma at one side and Eli on the other. Once upon a time she would have hated the idea of standing up in front of a crowd and talking. She would much rather have been in Peter's position. However these days it did not phase her in the slightest. Alicia had the image, she had the looks and she had the confidence. Eli knew that if she ever wanted the she would make one hell of a politician. If she ever wanted he also knew that he would be first in line to manage her campaign. That was certainly one he would love to run.
The crowd of press and the public gradually grew silent. Alicia waited like a school teacher until everyone was quiet. Then she took a deep breath. There was no speech to refer to, she knew what she would say. Eli did not, neither did Peter and especially not Emma. Having met the girl, she decided her life had already been ruined enough, she wouldn't humiliate her anymore. "Thank you all for coming here today. I would like to inform you now that there will be no questions answered. This will be quick and then we can all get on with our days." Alicia's voice was calm, trustworthy. It made you hang on her every word and believe that everything which left her lips was nothing but the truth.
Alicia watched as people nodded, smiled and took photos. This was her last time in this situation, it was her last act in favour of Peter. "A lot of you want to know if what the Vice President said is true, my answer is that whilst I do not agree with, nor do I support the infidelity of my ex-husband, I also do not condemn him. Peter is a good man, and more than that he is a great father. For that reason both my children and I will welcome this child into our family. However my ex-husband is also aware that in the creating of the child he has resulted in multiple failings as a father. Whilst we will accept this child into our family, Peter will have to work hard in order to regain the full trust of our children. Yet I have no doubt he will manage this.
"I would like to take this opportunity to wish Emma a healthy pregnancy and birth, and offer my support in the raising of this child. Furthermore I would also like to request that the press provide all of my family with the privacy they so deserve. Thank you for your time."
Alicia gave a bright smile, before turning to Peter and Emma, she gave them an obligatory warm smile and turned to Eli who escorted her off of the podium. As she walked off of the stage the words ran through her mind, sounding weak and pathetic. Her heart was so divided over the issue that she wanted to say that she disowned peter but embraced him at the same time. "You did good." Eli said, once they were behind the curtain and out of said and ear of the press. Alicia turned to him and smiled.
"He didn't deserve it." She answered honestly.
"No, he didn't." Eli said, she just nodded. Her eyes scanned the small area. Will was stood over in the corner, dressed in dark jeans, a pale blue shirt and a blazer. He was typing away on his phone, however as though he felt her eyes on him he looked up and smiled at her. Eli saw as the smile took over Alicia's features and as a sparkle filled her eyes. The crisis manager couldn't help but think that he had not seen Alicia smile like that in a vary long time. In his ever nosey state, Eli turned to look at what – or who – had caused the smile. That was when he saw the man in the blazer. A man whose smiled was just as big and bright as that which Alicia wore."You should go."
"Yeah, thanks Eli, I'll see you on the plane." Alicia was about to go when she turned and looked at him, she just smiled. Despite their differences, Eli had become a good friend to her, he had almost bee the only constant in her world and Alicia realised that she had an awful lot to thank him for. "I know he isn't my husband anymore, but thank you, for standing by his side for so long."
"I believed in him." Eli said, honestly. "You deserve to be happy Alicia."
"I am, I really am." And with that Eli Gold watched as the brunette walked over towards the man in the blazer. The dark haired man pulled her into a hug, burying his face in her neck. Watched as they pulled back and looked in one another's eyes, smiling brightly, before softly kissing. The man then moved his arms and took Alicia's hand in his own and squeezed it softly as a sign of reassurance. They began to walk off then, heading out into the rest of the city. The man's hand moving onto the small of her back and Alicia's head resting on his shoulder. Even from behind Eli could see the happiness in Alicia. He could see it in the way she moved. He'd been able to see it in her eyes. After watching her hurt for so long at the hand of Peter, it was good to see her like that again.
It was the next day, when he sat with Alicia on the plane that he learn that the mystery man was named Will. When he learnt that they had known each other at Georgetown. However it was Monday morning, when Eli walked into Cavanaugh, Lockhart & Gardner for the first time, heading towards his brand spanking new office that he realised Will was in fact Will Gardner, named partner, former bachelor and basketball player.
On Monday evening Eli sat in his office, looking around the partners floor. The absurd amount of glass meant that it wasn't hard to spy on the others. He looked over to the closest office to him, Diane's. The ever elegant woman was on the phone as she pulled her coat on and grabbed her bag. She turned off her desk light and closed her office door, the sound of her laughter rang out. She smiled at Eli as she walked out and waved at Will and Alicia who were sat at the conference room table. Both smiled in reply and waved as she walked out.
Eli's eyes moved onto the pair, they were sat at the table, laughing at something or other. The table was filled with papers, as they tried to work through their latest case, bouncing ideas and possible precedent off of one another. Watching them throughout the day you would have to look a bit harder to notice that they were more than just friends. Now, in the later hours, when the sun had long since set over Chicago and the floor was pretty much vacant, it was obvious. The way they sat next to each other, closer than was professional, the way they looked at one another when they spoke, the way that Alicia would hand her pen to Will when he was about to do something or the way he would pass her those brown rimmed glasses just before she reached for them. The pair were so in sync that it was blindingly obvious.
It was in that very conference room, late one night, that Alicia realised that Leopards never do change their spots. That she realised it doesn't matter how hard you hope, or how well you convince yourself they do, at the end of the day it is all a pretence and anyone can act. Now it was time for someone else to deal with his spots. Alicia Cavanaugh was starting a new chapter in her complicated and ever changing life, yet she had never been happier. That was something she was certain of.