Great job on all the reviews everybody…I loved reading them all! And here is your next challenge: I would like to receive 10 reviews before I post the final chapter! Happy reading!

Thank you so much to everyone for all your support! I love receiving each and every one of your reviews! Sadly this is Chapter 27 out of 28…this has been so much fun! This was also the first FanFic that I ever started

Chapter 27

Peter stepped out of the elevator of Alicia's apartment building feeling a whole bucketful of negative emotions. Before he could try and list them off so he could take some deep breaths, he found Cary Agos on the other side of the elevator waiting to get in. Instead of offering a greeting, he just breezed by Cary as he said, "Good morning, Governor."

Peter got into his car and as he drove back to his offices, he finally began to sort through his emotions. He felt angry, upset, frustrated, and envious. Particularly envious of Will Gardner. He still didn't understand after everything he did to try and make things right with Alicia, she ended up with her old boss and friend from Georgetown. Who had probably been in love with her since Georgetown.

After getting stopped at a red light in downtown, he pulled out his cellphone and saw two missed calls from Eli. Great, he thought, Alicia's going to leave me to tell him. Only then did it occur to him to wonder, why is Cary Agos going to Alicia's apartment?

He parked his car in the designated spot and stormed through the lobby and down the hallway towards his office. He was ten feet from the door when Eli stopped him in his track said, "What the hell is going on?"

Peter tried to avoid eye contact with Eli and move around him, but Eli kept anticipating his movements. "Peter, I need you to tell me what's going on. Alicia's not answering her phone and Cary hasn't called me back."

"You sent Cary to Alicia's apartment?"

"Yes! Because Alicia wasn't picking up her phone! Now what is going on?" Eli seemed just as flustered as Peter was.

"Not here. Follow me into my office and close the door," Peter instructed in a quiet tone. Eli obeyed, and before he had to ask again Peter threw the divorce papers down on the table between the two sofas. When Peter didn't move, Eli slowly moved to the table and picked up the papers to get a better look. After reading only the cover page, he held them in his right hand, flashed them at Peter and said, "Was this the package I gave you earlier? Why didn't you tell me you would be going through with-"

Peter angrily cut him off. "Because I didn't know that this was happening! Alicia was supposed to come over for lunch today and instead she gets those papers delivered to me at the exact time we agreed to meet. All those years as a lawyer, oh God."

"Do you realize what will happen when this gets out?" Eli asked worriedly. "Because you are going to lose female support and I'm going to be faced with huge damage control if you want to stay in office."

"I intend to stay in office," Peter declared.

Eli sighed, putting the papers back down on the table. "Okay, not that it's happened, we have to deal with it one way or another."

"Yes, obviously, Eli. I'm not a child," Peter spat. "Shred them. Now."

"What?" Eli said, shocked. "You're not going to sign them, let alone read them?"

"No! Because I don't want a divorce!" Peter shouted, now thankful that the door was shut.

"Sit, Peter," Eli ordered, pointing to the sofa nearest him. "Now," he ordered in a more condescending tone. To Eli's relief, Peter sighed and sat down. Eli sat down on the other sofa, directly across from Peter, and took a deep breath. Secretly, Eli had feared that Alicia might pull the plug on her marriage with Peter at one point or another after Will had been shot. She had certainly done her part in helping Peter get the governorship, but her patience had started to run out five years ago.

"I'm going to offer a suggestion, okay?" Eli began. "And you're going to hear me out…I think you should read the papers and as long as her offer is acceptable, you should sign them."

"What? I thought you were on my side on this one!" Peter yelled.

"I'm your Chief of Staff, thank you very much, and I'm trying to do what's best for you as the governor. Look, Peter, the best way to deal with this from a political perspective is to be reasonable and make it go away quickly and quietly. Alicia is clearly not intending to make this a public matter, so if you sign them, then it will stay quiet. If word gets out that you are planning to take Alicia to court, then everything blows out of proportions. We have to try and minimize the damage here."

Peter put his head in his hands, smiling angrily to himself. I should have known that this would happen, he thought, Thanks a lot Alicia.

He looked up at Eli and said, "Okay."

"Okay what?"

"I'm going to finish out my day here and stew over it. I'll make my decision by tomorrow night."

Eli, who hadn't expected Peter to calm down that quickly, expressed approval and said, "Sounds good. Call me when you know what you're going to do." And after Eli finished that last sentence, he left the papers on the table in front of Peter and hightailed it out of the room.

***36 hours later***

Peter sat in his office yet again as the sun began to set behind the majestic Chicago skyline. He twiddled with a pencil as he put down the last page of the divorce proposal that Alicia had sent yesterday. He peered over at his desk phone, which was very close to his feet (which were propped up on the edge of the desk).

Alicia's offer was good. Very good, in fact. They split all their financial assets and would share custody of Grace until she turned 18 in two years. Alicia would no longer be obligated to be involved with anything relating to the political scene as long as Peter agreed to leave Florrick/Agos, LG, and Will Gardner alone. He suddenly realized that if he didn't accept this offer, Alicia would retract it and send in a less reasonable one.

After hesitating a few more minutes, he picked up the desk phone and said, "Please send Eli Gold in."

Less than a minute later, Eli walked into the room and closed the door behind him. Peter moved to an upright position in his chair as Eli stopped in front of the desk. His hands were behind his back, one of which was holding his cell phone.

"Yes, Peter?" Eli asked tiredly.

"I need a witness," Peter said matter-of-factly.

"What?" Eli asked, momentarily confused until Peter picked up a pen and flipped to the last page of Alicia's divorce paperwork. "So you're signing them?"

"What does it look like I'm doing, Eli?" Peter replied sarcastically. "It's not like Alicia's going to be any nicer now that she's with Will and all."

"Okay then," Eli said, silently rejoicing that Peter was taking his advice. After Peter had signed in all the required places, Peter handed the papers to Eli and said, "Please make sure these get back to Florrick/Agos, will you?"

"Of course," Eli said, turning to leave the room. He then turned back to the desk to grab a blank envelope to stick the papers in so no bystanders outside could read the print. He left Peter's office, walked into his own, and shut the door.

When he was done taping up the envelope and writing Florrick/Agos' address, he leaned back in his chair and dialed Alicia's number.

"Hello, Eli," Alicia said unenthusiastically.

"Good evening, Alicia," Eli said in a more positive manner. "I have news for you."

"And that would be?" she asked suspiciously.

"Peter just signed the divorce papers. They'll be on their way to your office tomorrow."