AN: I'm so terribly sorry for such a late update! I lost my mojo for a while there and I think (more like hope) I've got it back for good! This is a pretty long chapter, partly because it ended up that way and partly because I feel guilty about not kicking my own butt to get it to you all sooner. I do hope you enjoy it though, and please review it to let me know where your thoughts are at afterwards.

Will awoke to the soft sound of Alicia breathing. He was in that early morning haze when he could barely hear a thing around him. Except for Alicia breathing. She was curled up against his chest with her legs tangled with his. He couldn't be sure of how early it was but the room was barely lit by the outside light proving that the sun was still to rise, but he didn't care. He knew he had to wake up, that she had to wake up, and start their day. And he would have to leave her before the day was even over. He remembered what she said to him the night before, but he still had to go. He knew that she knew it too, but he still wouldn't ever leave her. Not in a bigger sense of it all. He'd have to think about how it would all work but Will knew it would. They'd make it work together. He felt her stir against his body and he wished a little bit that she wouldn't, just so he could have another moment of uninterrupted morning bliss, but it must end sometime and he couldn't wait to have her awake with him.

"Hey." Will whispered gently into her ear. He looked down at her perfect face and saw her smile. "What?" He asked. She took in a deep breath, readying herself to speak.

"I just… I always like waking up to you." She turned her head up to meet his soft gaze. He smiled brightly and kissed the top of her head.

"I like you waking up to me."

"I should go into the office today." She said after a few minutes, since both of them were still waking properly and not wanting to disturb their morning.

"You should." He encouraged her. He knew she would have to go in because she had already been away for too long, not that things couldn't be handled but they still needed Alicia's guidance.

"I think Cary is ready to kill me." She said as she turned over onto her back and stretched out her body. Which was definitely needed after the previous night's activities, Will noted silently.

"I'm not entirely surprised." Will said back to her, watching her as she curved her back off the bed and let her hands reach up to the bed head.

"I hate to leave Grace." Will kept silent. He was still cautious about what he should say about Grace. He didn't have anything to say on his own anyhow, so he just glanced at the bedroom door then back to Alicia. "I think she needs to go back to school." Alicia continued. Then something popped into Will's mind.

"Would she be ready to face it all?" He thought that was safe enough. Alicia turned back onto her side, put her hands underneath her pillow and looked to Will.

"I don't know. It's not an ideal situation but she can't miss any more classes. I know she's doing her work, but she needs to go." Her face changed into some sort of helpless look. He could see it written in her eyes that she wasn't sure she was doing to right thing by letting Grace stay home. He probably just knew her too well, but her face said it all too.

"School is important. She should go, I'd just be sure with her about it…" He tested and it seemed to go down well as Alicia didn't cast her eyes in disbelief at his comment.

"I should talk to her." She smiled softly and placed her hand over his cheek, gently brushing her thumb over his cheek bone.

"I can put together some breakfast, if you like?" Will offered, thinking it was the only thing he could do.

"Mmm. That'd be nice. Starting with some hot, hot coffee?"

"I wouldn't dare start with anything but." Will moved closer to her and lightly pressed his lips to her nose which made her giggle and they started to rise up from the bed. The sun had started to shine through the windows, giving the room a healthy golden glow and as Will watched Alicia walked around the room getting dressed and ready for the day he did nothing else but notice how perfect and angelic she looked. It was moments like these that reminded him forcefully why he loved her so much. Will eventually got dressed himself in his clothes from the night before. He didn't take his bag with him; he didn't expect he would need it. He crossed across the room to the bathroom and saw Alicia brushing her hair at the mirror. He walked up behind her and wrapped him arms around her waist, letting his chin fall onto her shoulder. He kissed her cheek and looked into the mirror, smiling at her.

"I'll make some coffee now. Anything in particular you want for breakfast?"

"Nope. Whatever you find will be good." She leaned her cheek against his, and Will closed his eyes taking in how comfortable it felt. He squeezed her tight and left a quick kiss on her cheek before leaving for the kitchen. He was cautious about leaving Alicia's bedroom, wary of seeing either of her kids somewhere in the apartment and startling them. That was the last thing he wanted to do, for sure. It seemed clear from the bedroom door so Will made his way slowly and silently to the kitchen. He got to work on making some fresh coffee and then took a peek into the fridge. He didn't see a lot of food that would make a sufficient breakfast for four people but he'd try to throw something together. He wasn't much of a cook but he did usually make excellent breakfasts, because it was easiest. He took some eggs and bacon out of the fridge. He set them on the island counter and continued to search around for some bread. He could only think of making some French toast.

"Mom, do I-?" Grace abruptly stopped speaking and took in the image. Will was bent over the counter whisking some eggs; she thought it had been her mother making all the noise that was coming from the kitchen. "Sorry, I thought you were mom." Grace said disappointedly, and Will detected it but choosing to ignore it because who else would she expect?

"She's getting dressed. I thought I'd make everyone breakfast. I hope French toast is okay?" He asked her nervously. Grace looked down at her feet which, were covered by pink socks.

"Yeah, that's fine." She smiled warily towards him and walked off towards Alicia's bedroom. Will hoped he didn't do anything wrong or even step on a toe but breakfast talk would have safe territory. He turned back to the food and placed the bread into the egg mixture then into a hot pan.

"Mom?" Grace called into her mother's bedroom.

"Morning Grace." Her mother beamed to her from the bathroom. Grace made her way into the bathroom and propped herself against the counter. Alicia leaned to Grace and gave her a kiss on the head and a small shoulder squeeze.

"Can I ask you something?" Grace asked tentatively.

"Anything." Alicia smiled warmly for her daughter.

"Will I have to go to school today?" She said quietly. Alicia looked to her and tried to read what her face was saying. Whether she was faking or not, Grace looked scared and sad about her question. Alicia had been thinking about it since bringing it up with Will, trying to figure out what she'd say and she still hadn't decided whether to make Grace go back to school. It didn't seem right when Alicia knew her precious daughter would more than likely get bullied about what had happened, but school seemed more important right now. She wanted Grace to go back to school to keep updated with her work but she would just have to go with what Will said and talk it out with Grace.

"I take it you don't want to go to school today?" Alicia took a deep breath, knowing this would probably not go in her favor. Grace lifted herself up onto the counter and crossed her feet together, swaying them forward and stopping just before her heels hit the cupboard behind her legs.

"I don't think I can face everyone." She kept her head down. Alicia stepped in front of Grace and lifted her head up.

"Sweetie, you don't have to right now but you will at some point."

"I know. Can I just stay home for one more day?" Grace pleaded with her, and Alicia couldn't deny her daughter of this one thing. Especially not with what she would be facing when she did go back to school.

"One more day." Grace smiled softly and reached out to her mother for a hug. "Now let's go have some breakfast. I bet Will has something good out there." They left the bathroom together, Alicia keeping one arm wrapped around Grace's shoulders. They walked into the kitchen and saw Will come in from the dining room.

"If everyone could take their seats at the table." He said formally to the both of them. Grace called out to Zach as she walked to the made up table and sat down.

"What is this?" Alicia asked Will cheerfully.

"Breakfast. Now go sit down." Will ushered Alicia into the dining room and returned to the kitchen. He wasn't quite sure what he was doing for everyone but a nice family breakfast seemed like a good idea to him. He'd put out plates and cutlery for everyone and left a small bowl of fruit out too. He found a serving dish and placed all the French toast onto it and took it out to the table. Alicia and Grace looked impressed with what they saw and Zach was only just walking into the room, though he too seemed to be a little impressed by the effort Will had made, or at the idea of food ready and waiting. Will couldn't be sure but he'd put his money on the latter. He went back into the kitchen to get the plate of bacon and the maple syrup. He set them down in the middle of the table and took a seat next to Alicia. She looked at him and mouthed 'thank you' to him. That was all the reassurance he needed to know he had done right by making a big, yet not that big, breakfast for Alicia and the kids.

After breakfast Will started to clean up, with protest from Alicia but he wouldn't accept her trying to help since she always had to clean.

"Thank you for doing this." Alicia said lovingly as she sat down at the kitchen counter drinking her coffee.

"It was nothing. I was happy to do it. We've all got to eat, right?" He laughed softly as he started to stack the dishwasher.

"No, I'm not talking about breakfast." Will turned about to face Alicia and gave her a confused look. "Well, I'm not talking about just breakfast. I mean for all of it. For you coming here. I know I'm supposed to think it was just for work but I know better." Will smiled to her, like he had been caught but of course she knew better. His reasons for going back to Chicago were clear as a summer day. "It's probably the best feeling in the world to know that you'll be here for me for anything, and even my kids." She continued. Will then walked around to Alicia. She turned around on her seat to let him press against her knees. He reached his hands up to her shoulders, he let them slowly find their way to her cheeks.

"Of course I'd be here, Alicia. You mean the world to me and I would never let anything happen to you or your kids, if I had the power to stop it at least because if I could have stopped this I would have." He gave her a huge, sweet smile and she returned it immediately. "If you don't stop smiling like that at me I'm going to have to take you back to the bedroom." They both laughed together heartily.

"Yes sir." Alicia replied and let her face change to a playing stern look, but her eyes said something entirely different. Will just groaned jokingly and kissed her quickly.

Will went back to his hotel room after leaving Alicia's and changed into a fresh suit. He was going to work at L/G for the rest of the day he still had in Chicago. Diane had told him it wasn't necessary but with Alicia back at work Will didn't know what else he could do except help out. Not that he would want to be anywhere else in particular. He had missed the bustling atmosphere of the firm and could do with a good hit from it. His office was closed off while he was gone. Diane had said that too many people were basically wrestling over who would occupy it in his absence, like they had done while he was suspended and she chose to do the same thing as then and just keep the door locked.

As Will stepped into it that morning he felt a sense of coming home. He slowly walked to his leather chair and sat down in it. It felt the same, and he almost couldn't understand why he had left it in the first place but he felt better knowing it wouldn't be much longer until he was back for good, yet again.

As he sat there, looking out of the window in front of him he heard footsteps enter the office. Footsteps that could only belong to one person.

"Working hard I see." Will got up from his chair and faced Kalinda, smiling softly to her.

"You know me." She gave him an amused smile.

"How's Alicia?" On the outside it seemed like the question was simple enough, but Will of course knew why she was asking. That was the thing, Kalinda could ask a normal question like that but it could have so many hidden reasons.

"Things are good there. It's sorted."

"Good." She looked at him anxiously, Will noticing that she needed to tell him something that could be potentially serious. He straightened his posture and put his hands in his pockets.

"What is it?" He asked her straight out, serious.

"I was asked by Eli to investigate the issue surrounding Grace Florrick." Will felt his stomach drop slightly. If she looked serious and was coming to him for this, it wasn't going to good. Will walked around to his desk and sat down, Kalinda following him and sitting in a chair in front of the desk.

"Let me ask you first, have you told Eli yet?" She looked hesitant but he couldn't decipher what it meant.

"I haven't."

"Then why tell me first?"

"It's not exactly about Grace, its Zach Florrick, her brother. I just thought you should know so you could tell Alicia yourself." Now he knew it really wasn't good. Alicia had told him that she thought something was going on with Zach and if Kalinda knew and felt that she should tell him and not Eli or Peter first then it was extremely serious.

"Okay." Will turned around to the side slightly in his chair and crossed his legs.

"I was looking at some of the kids at Grace and Zach's school to see if they knew about the site Grace was on and I… Uncovered a situation with Zach." She took in a deep breath and opened her little orange notebook and flipped through some of the pages. "I found out that he was, let's say, involved with another female student at the school. I tried to find something on her and she was involved with another student who I may have thought was involved in Grace's problem." She paused.

"Okay?" Will couldn't see where it was going exactly, but if it was Zach and a girl then it didn't seem great.

"He wasn't but I looked into her a little, and I found out she made an appointment at a clinic about a week ago…" Kalinda had started to get cautious with what she was saying, probably hoping that Will would put the pieces together himself and understand what it all meant. And he unfortunately had a pretty good idea about what it meant.

"I'm just going to put out there that this doesn't mean an appointment to get checked for an STD, right?" He asked, already knowing the answer. Kalinda just nodded.

"I didn't think this was something Eli or Peter needed to know right away. And I thought it might come better from you when telling Alicia."

"Alright. How long have you known this?"

"I only found out this morning." Will just looked out into the air of his office. This was not something that was going to be easy telling Alicia. Out of all the things it could be, Will hoping for Alicia's sake that it was something as simple teenage brooding, this was by far one of the most complicated.

"Thanks Kalinda." He diverted his gaze back to her and all she did was nod her head and walk out of the office. Nothing else needed to be said, so that was that. Will was going to have one hell of a time telling Alicia. He really didn't want to, he didn't know whether her reaction to Zach getting a girl pregnant and this girl making an appointment to have an abortion would be completely hostile or completely confused. Though Alicia did need to know. Will wasn't going to keep this hidden from her, even though it meant his future trust with Zach would be obliterated. This was too big.

Will eventually decided to tell her when he left L/G after lunch to see her before he left for New York. He gave Diane a hearty hug before he left telling her she should visit him sometime and he'll show her around. She laughed at his offer but did tell him she could make it happen. He said goodbye to some other associates as he left the building and then made his way out to the Florrick/Agos offices.

As Will rode the elevator up to the fourth floor he decided he'd take Alicia to the café across the street to tell her about Zach. There was going to be way less people there and even more importantly, no one she'd know that could see her reaction. The lift reached the fourth floor and Will stepped out. He walked into reception and tried to ignore all the strange looks he was receiving. He was sure that none of those lawyers would like to see him there and yet here he was.

"Can I help you?" The receptionist said to him and he let his attention focus on her.

"I'm here for Alicia… Florrick." The girl smiled softly at him and dialed a number on the phone. She called Alicia to reception and told Will to wait a moment. Alicia then walked swiftly to Will and gave his a small hug.

"Hey." She said brightly.

"Hey. Look, I was wondering if we could grab a coffee at the café across the street."

"Yes, sure. Let me just grab my bag." She walked back to her desk and grabbed her bag and her coat and returned to Will. She let the receptionist know she was just going for coffee across the street and to call her if something deathly serious came up. Will and Alicia made their way to the ground floor then walked across the street and entered the nearly completely empty café. Alicia offered to order their drinks while Will found a table in the back of the café. Will sat down and felt his stomach turn. He wasn't ready to tell Alicia this news. If he wasn't feeling good about it then he couldn't even imagine how Alicia would feel about it. Will watched as she walked to the table he had chosen and he noticed how happy she seemed to be. He'd hate to crush that happiness but it had to be done.

"Why so far back? I'm not sure it's necessary anymore Will." She gave him a full smile and he tried to return it but he just looked awkward. "Will? What's wrong?" And she noticed it.

"There's something I need to tell you." There was no point in beating around the bush, he had a flight to catch soon.

"What?" She started to sound concerned, which was natural.

"I don't know if you know, but Eli put Kalinda on finding some information out about this Grace thing."

"No, I didn't know that." She sighed heavily. Will felt terrible, knowing this was just the beginning.

"Well he did, and while looking for information within Grace and Zach's school she found something."

"She found who was responsible?" There was a hint of hope in her voice and it crushed Will even more, if that was at all possible.

"No. She found something that has to do with Zach." He watched as she jerked her head back slightly and blinked fast a few times, definitely confused at where this was going.

"Something? Is this about why he's being so distant?" Will nodded.

"Kalinda discovered that Zach was involved-" to use Kalinda's word, "with a girl at the school." Alicia started to tense up and look extremely worried. "This girl, I don't know who she is, but she made an appointment at some clinic about a week ago."

"I-" She paused herself, thinking of what to say. "What type of appointment, Will? Do you know?" She said impatiently, Will beginning to see where her thoughts were going. He took a deep breath and paused for a moment. He let the air out slowly.

"For an… Abortion." He said it slowly, carefully. Hating to even say the word to her, or at all. Alicia developed a blank look on her face. Her eyes started darting around in front of her.

"Zach?" She questioned and Will just nodded. "Zach, my son, got a teenage girl pregnant and she…" Will watched her. She started to get a look of repressed rage on her face. She slowly and softly placed both her hands flat on the small table and pushed herself up from it. She then carefully placed the straps of her bag over shoulder and walked out of the café. Will got up immediately and apologized to the waitress, telling her to forget the coffee. He almost ran out of the door and out to the street where Alicia was walking across the street. Her walk told Will she was furious and desperate to get somewhere.

"Alicia!" He called out to her and she whipped around to face Will.

"What the fuck, Will!" He didn't know if he should say anything. "What the fuck was my son thinking?" He yelled out into an empty street. Her fuming voice bounced off the walls nearby.

"I don't know, Alicia." He chose to say, speaking the truth. He didn't know what Zach could be thinking. He took a few steps closer to Alicia, who didn't move.

"I can't believe this. I've got to talk to him." Her voice started to calm down, which Will was thankful for. "You have to catch your flight." He was less thankful of that.

"I don't have to. I can stay and be here." She took a few slow steps to Will and placed her hand over his chest.

"I know you want to be here, and help and I would like you to stay but you need to get back. I appreciate you wanting to be involved but this is just…" She dropped her head and shook it from side to side. Will wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.

"It's alright. I get it. This is a really serious family problem. I'll go back." She pulled back slightly to look him in the eye.

"I don't want you to think that you aren't part of my family, Will."

"I don't think that, but I truly get it and I should go back." He tried to smile at her, trying to reassure her but she just gave him a fake smile.

"I love you."

"I love you too." He kissed her forehead and let his arms fall away.

"I'll call you later tonight." He nodded in response. "After I interrogate the shit out of Zach." Will couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, which gave Alicia a real smile.

He let Alicia walk back up to her office and Will found a cab, going to the hotel to get his bag and check out and then he went to the airport. He felt horrible and nervous throughout all of it. Horrible for giving Alicia the news, nervous for what Alicia would have to do when she got home, and mostly nervous for Zach because of what Alicia would have to do when she got home.