Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
A/N: Two chapters in one day, I'm practically on a roll. For soundofmusicjibbsjunkie4ever, I'm glad I have a second reviewer. You're right, the wrench or Eli deleting the message will come up later, but first I need to ditch Peter. Hehe. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. Its a little angsty but I'm trying to get through all of the things that lead to Peter being shoved out of the way. Besides I think Eli has a secret White Knight complex. Lol!
We'll See
Chapter 5
As he sat in his office, staring out the wide, floor to ceiling windows, Eli Gold contemplated whether Alicia Florrick would blame him for Peter's current indiscretion. He considered it a distinct possibility. He was, after all, supposed to keep Peter Florrick on the straight and narrow as well as help run his campaign. He had tried talked to Peter after the news broadcast had aired, but the man had brushed him off with a hasty 'Later' and dashed out the door. Eli knew he would be going home to Alicia, who had probably left work early and gotten the kids from school. He didn't know how he knew she would get the children first, but he knew. She was a mother after all, and if there was one thing good mothers did, it was to protect their offspring as best they could from real or perceived dangers. He decided he would give it time, allow Peter to contact him that is if Alicia didn't stick to their bargain, and talk to him first. He would allow them some time to deal with the fallout themselves before he made an appearance. At least he thought he would. But the more he sat there, the more he thought about Alicia, and how things would go for her, the more he wished he was there. Before it had formed into a coherent thought, Eli was up and out the door, on his way to the Florrick apartment.
Alicia eyed Peter with disdain. Jacqui was speaking to her in a condescending tone that suggested to Alicia that Peter's indiscretions were her fault. Peter said nothing, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. She knew that if he didn't stop his mother soon she would. She had come close to snapping at the older woman a few times before, but this was pushing her limit. She almost breathed a sigh of relief when the doorbell sounded. Jacqui stopped talking abruptly as Alicia excused herself to answer it. Opening the door revealed Eli Gold. She didn't think she'd been so happy to see anyone in her life. The tears that she'd been refusing to cry suddenly sprang into her eyes, although she kept them from falling.
Eli took in her slumped shoulders and the extra moisture in her eyes, and wanted to pull her into an embrace, to protect her. It was a new feeling taking him by storm. First his extreme dislike for Peter, followed by a loyalty to Alicia, and now this feeling that he needed to play the 'White Knight' to her 'Damsel In Distress'. It confused him but he shoved it to the side as she stepped back to let him enter. He felt a little like an intruder but there was no way for him to back out now, as she closed the door behind him with a soft click.
Eli followed Alicia into the living room and took in the scene. Alicia was perched on a chair across the room from Peter who was sharing the couch with his mother. He knew then that it had been right to come to her aid, so to speak, as this was obviously a case of two against one. He sighed silently, gearing up his defenses for the battle that he knew was sure to come. Jacqui resumed her chatter once he was seated. Going on about how Alicia could have been better wife, and how she should have supported Peter's campaign more. Peter said nothing, still lost in his own world. He spared a glance at Alicia to see she was perilously close to losing her composure. He opened his mouth to stop Jacqui, or Alicia, he wasn't sure which, but Alicia beat him to it.
"Stop it!" Jacqui halted mid word, startled, and staring at Alicia with wide eyes. "Stop talking. I am so sick of being blamed for everything Peter does. It's time that he took responsibility for his own actions. I will not deny that things have been rough since everything came to light earlier this year, but I will not be blamed for his mistakes any longer. I stayed the first time because you said he deserved a second chance, and to think about the children. I stayed because you said he needed me. He doesn't need a good wife. He needs to learn to control his fucking behavior. I am so tired of putting up a front. I am so tired of not being me and I am so tired of living this lie with him. I'm done. There is no coming back from this one." Jacqui opened her mouth to speak again but Alicia waved her off. "No Jacqui. I'm tired of you telling me how to raise my kids, how to be a good wife, how to treat Peter, how to be you. I'm done." She looked at Peter, who still had his head bowed, afraid to look her in the eye. "Peter, look at me." He raised his eyes, but couldn't bring himself to look her at her. "Peter, this was coming anyway. I was going to wait until you made it into office or the campaign was over, whatever, but I was going to ask for a separation and then when all of us were established on our own, I was going to ask for a divorce. This latest event just sped up the time table. I can't live like this anymore. "
"Alicia, please…" Peter tried to talk, to reason, but no words would come to him.
"No Peter, not again, never again." She paused, lost in thought. Eli considered that she didn't really need him there, that he was just a witness to the inner turmoil of a failing marriage for no reason other than Peter was a political figure. He wasn't needed to play the 'White Knight' when Alicia called on all of her inner strength. She could slay the dragon on her own.
Alicia had never felt stronger than in that moment. She had her own strength, but having Eli Gold there was somehow giving her courage as well, not to mention he got the heads up he wanted. Her thoughts turned to the children. They needed to discuss things with them as well.
"Grace, Zach, come out please." She called. The children looked confused to see him there, but figured he would have to in the know if he was going to save their father's campaign. "I want you to sit down and we're going to talk about things."
"You guys are going to get a divorce; we could hear you through the walls." Zach said sullenly. Grace just looked upset.
"I thought you loved each other!" Grace started crying in earnest now.
"Grace, sweetie, look at me." Alicia commanded, and she looked up. "Remember what I said earlier, how you could love someone and still want to be with someone else?" At the girls nod, she continued. "Well this is sort of the same thing. I love your father very much. I will always love him, because he gave me the two of you, but I don't like being hurt, and as much I love him, and he loves me, we're hurting each other. And it's going to hurt to get a divorce, more than anything else, but we can't stay together anymore. It's not right for us, and it's not fair to either of you either." Eli loved the gentle way she tried to explain to the kids. He knew they were all in pain and she was trying her level best to keep that pain to a minimum. Zach continued to look suspicious of his mother, as if he was trying to gauge her sincerity.
"I don't believe you. I think you hate him. That you want to be with Will!" Alicia looked torn but Peter finally spoke up.
"Zach, do not speak to your mother like that." The boy started to interrupt but Peter waved him off. Eli was finally witnessing what it took for Peter to step up to the plate and act like a real man. "The problems your mother and I are facing are my fault. I cheated on your mother. I was with other women. I broke the vows we took when we got married that said we would love and honor each other, forsaking all others. Your mother has been very patient with me. I knew she wanted to get a divorce the first time this happened. I never knew why she didn't go through with it, but I hope it was because she loved me enough to see past my mistakes. I see now that it was entirely her decision. I know that you are angry with her, and with me, but your mom did nothing wrong. She stood by me when she didn't have to and she tried to make the best of a difficult situation. And I believe her when she says she doesn't want to be with Will and you should too." He trailed off, apparently out of steam, his words seemingly draining what little energy he had. Zach looked a little shocked that his father wouldn't blame everything on his mother, that he was taking responsibility for what had occurred.
Grace continued to be upset, and as she was standing next to his chair, Eli rose and maneuvered her into it. He decided to take his leave then. He wasn't sure if Peter would drop from the race or not. After this incident coming to light, it was highly likely that he would.
"Alicia, Peter, I'm going to take my leave. I will be at the office for the rest of the afternoon and all day tomorrow if you need me. No one looked at him except Alicia. She rose and followed him to the door. She stopped him with a hand on his arm before he walked out.
"Thank you, Eli, for being here. I know it seems like you didn't do anything, but you were here at just the right moment. I would like to see you tomorrow or the next day, whenever you have things sorted out with Peter." She said quietly. He nodded, giving her hand a squeeze. He remembered thinking once, that he wanted to see her smile without the pain shadowing her eyes, but seeing her at that moment, knew that it was even farther off that he had originally hoped.
"That will be fine Alicia." He turned and walked out the door. As he entered the elevator and turned back to face her once again, he wanted nothing more than to grab her up and carry her away with him, so that she wouldn't have to deal with any more of the torment she was being put through. Alicia gave him one last sad look, as if she wished the same and closed the door to return to her dissolving family.