Previously in The Florricks.

"The schtick of the misunderstood girl gets old." Marissa said. "Nobody cares about an 18 year old throwing a tantrum."

"What about your schtick?" Grace stood up to face Marissa. "Oh, look at me. My parents were workaholics who divorced when I was 5 years old, so I've been a little adult ever since. Aren't I cute?"

"Fuck you, Grace."

"Lovely language."


Under different circumstances, Grace Florrick and Marisa Gold should've been friends just like their fathers, but they weren't. It all started with Grace's teen insecurities, when she met Marissa she felt a little bit of envy right away. Marissa was older and seemed to do as she pleased; even Jackie was impressed with her. Marissa wasn't gonna go to school, she was gonna go backpacking and then live in Israel, and adults seem to take her seriously. While Grace felt no adult really took her seriously. Why was she treated differently?

Marissa came back to Grace's life a few years later.

"Hi Grace!" Marissa was making coffee for Alicia early in the morning.

"Marissa? What are you doing here?" Grace rubbed her eyes.

"I'm your mom's bagwoman."

"My mom's what?"

"For her campaign." Marissa showed her the bag.

"Right, the campaign." Grace had received Alicia's news a few days ago, something about running for State's Attorney to help Cary Agos out of jail.

"Okay, I'm ready." Alicia entered the kitchen ready to go. "Hi honey."

"Good morning, mom."

"Here's your coffee." Marissa gave Alicia her mug. "We gotta go. We can have breakfast after the interview."

"Interview?"

"I have a radio interview, we gotta be there at 7:30 am." Alicia drank from her coffee. "Alright, let's go. See you tonight, Grace."

The envy grew. Grace only saw Alicia late at night, while Marissa hung out with her all day. Not just that, Alicia seemed to share more with her bagwoman than with her own daughter. Alicia was oblivious to the issue, Marissa wasn't.

"I'm not here to replace you." Marissa told the teenage girl in an attempt to clear the air. It didn't work, Grace disliked her even more. Once the campaign was over and Alicia had to step down, Marissa went her own way to Grace's relief.


The next time Grace met Marissa wasn't so bad, she helped Grace with an idea of how to deal with the building association. Maybe they could be friends after all, maybe they could work together, women supporting women and nevermind, because their next encounter would be a chip on Grace's shoulder for years to come.

At Jackie's wedding reception a tipsy Marissa announced to Alicia that she was gonna go to law school. Grace saw the hug between them and heard Alicia say loud and clear: "You're gonna be a good lawyer because you're smart." with a big smile. When Grace told her mom she wanted to be a lawyer like her, Alicia looked at Grace like she was a bug from out of space! Grace spent the last year helping her mom with her law firm, being her assistant, trying her best to get her mom's approval and Marissa fucking Gold got it in one afternoon.

And not only Alicia's approval, when Grace returned to Chicago for law school she found out Marissa was working for Diane Lockhart. Grace would've loved to work for Diane, she had admired her for years but she knew Diane wouldn't want anything to do with another Florrick ever again. Still, it bothered her to know that was Marissa's place.


During her first months working for the State Attorney, Grace kept a low profile, but an encounter was inevitable. As Grace was carrying a big box of files, she ran into Diane and Marissa on the courthouse corridors.

"Oh." Marissa noticed her first.

"Hi Marissa. Good evening Ms. Lockhart."

"Hello Grace." Diane nodded to her.

"How's work?" Marissa asked. "I mean, being your first job and all."

"It's hard work, but I like it."

Diane observed their interaction. "Of course you know each other."

"Me and Grace go way back. I met when Grace was still a brat."

"Yes, and you were already a 20 something dropout."

"I'm not that old." Marissa complained.

Diane kept quiet, reading the situation.

"If you excuse me, I have to get these files to my supervisor." Grace smiled. "Have a nice day."

"You too." Diane saw the rookie lawyer walk away in a hurry.

"I know what you are thinking and it's a bad idea." Marissa told her.

"You presume to know what I'm thinking?"

"You want to hire her because it would be a way to stick it to Peter and Alicia, right?"

"It never crossed my mind." Diane told her.

Grace wasn't gonna admit how much she envied Marissa for being a version of what she could've been. They had a lot in common: Divorced overachieving parents, thrown into adult situations at an early age, young female lawyers in Chicago and yet they couldn't see eye to eye.


Marissa Gold didn't hate Grace Florrick, in fact, she rarely thought about her. But whenever she interacted with Grace, she had a way to get under her skin. It didn't start when they first met, back then Marissa barely noticed Grace.

"Who is that?" Marissa asked Zach Florrick, pointing at the girl sitting in the kitchen.

"That's my sister Grace."

"Is she annoying? I always hear younger sisters are annoying."

"She's alright. Are you an only child?"

"Yeah. Thank God."

During her travels, Marissa didn't think much about the Florricks. She focused on writing her book, her first novel. It didn't work, so Marissa returned from Tel Aviv to Chicago without a novel or a direction. Eli got her a job: Alicia's bagwoman. It was then when Grace started to irk her.

The girls were in the apartment's kitchen, Marissa was waiting for Alicia to go to a campaign event, Grace was quietly eating a bowl of cereal.

"You got a pretty good deal here." Marissa wanted to break the ice.

"Uh?" Grace put her bowl down. "What do you mean?"

"I pulled the same thing with my parents." Marissa said with a smile. "They never checked with each other so I could hang out with my friends whenever I want."

"I don't know what you mean." Grace said very seriously.

"Come on." Marissa insisted. "You say to Alicia you got 'Christian stuff' to do and since she doesn't care about religion, she just says yes. Good alibi for anything."

"I do attend a Christian youth group." Grace replied.

"Every day?" Marissa didn't buy it. "I don't think you're out there selling crack but you're obviously going somewhere else."

Grace stared at her, she was clearly annoyed. "I'm not lying to my mom."

"Everyone lies to their mom."

"Where is your mom?"

"She lives in Washington DC."

"Why aren't you with her?"

"What's with the attitude?" Marissa was confused, why couldn't Grace just admit she was lying. She wasn't gonna snitch to Alicia.

"I'm ready." Alicia came out of her bedroom.

"You look so pretty mom." Grace told her with a big smile, Marissa noticed how quickly Grace's demeanor changed.

"Thank you sweetie. I won't be too late tonight."

While driving to the event Marissa asked Alicia about Grace.

"What's the deal with Grace?"

"My Grace?"

"Yes, your Grace."

"Nothing, she's good. Probably the only good one in the family."

No, Marissa didn't buy it. At the end of the campaign Marissa was still working for Alicia, helping with the transition until Alicia's emails about Will leaked.

"Hey, your mom asked me to meet her here." Marissa told Grace when she opened the door.

"Sure." Grace let her in the apartment and returned to the living room to watch tv, Marissa sat down next to her.

"What?" Grace wasn't in the mood.

"Where were you on election day?" Marissa asked her. "At your 'Christian youth group'?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because it was a very important day for your mom."

"Was it, really? You don't say."

"Do you want to play dumb?"

"Tell me Marissa, are there Christians in Jerusalem?"

"Of course there are Christians in Jerusalem. Also a lot of falafel if you don't mind the gas."

Alicia came home and once again interrupted their conversation. "Grace, I need to speak to Marissa in private."

"Sure." Grace said with a sweet tone. Marissa would come to expect that duality from Grace, serious and harsh with her, cheerful and sweet with everyone else.


Marissa had imagined working for Alicia but things didn't work out, again. This time it was out of Marissa's hands, she was aimless for a while until she had an epiphany, she was gonna be a lawyer. And once she picked a lane, Marissa didn't stop. She started working for Diane Lockhart, she had other marvelous female lawyers as peers, she was leading cases in court, Marissa was thriving. So why did it bother her to see Grace at the bar?

"Hey." Marissa approached the women sitting at the bar.

"Marissa, hello." Grace said. "Aaliyah, this is Marissa Gold, Marissa, this is my colleague Aaliyah Carter."

"Nice to meet you."

"Same." Marissa shook hands with the other lawyer. "I saw you in court the other day. You two make a good pair."

"Thanks. So did you go to school together or?" Aaliyah asked them.

"Marissa is a friend of my family." Grace said.

"Not a friend of everyone in the family." Marissa added.

"Okay…I'm gonna go to the restroom before we go." Aaliyah said. Marissa then sat next to Grace.

"What are you drinking?"

"A club soda." Grace raised her glass.

"You know you're over 21, you can have alcohol."

"I'd rather not."

"You're such a good girl. Are you still not saying curse words?"

"Only when I'm fucking."

Marissa almost did a spit take. "You did that on purpose."

"You're drunk." Grace noticed Marissa reddish cheekbones.

"I'm celebrating a win in court too. Now that they're letting you be on trials, we're gonna see each other more."

"So?"

"There is that deadly serious face." Marissa pointed out. "You're all smiles to everyone else but me."

"So?"

"You know what? I can't wait until I beat you in court one of these days." Marissa proclaimed and then took another sip from her drink. Grace kept quiet for a moment.

"If we were men, we could go outside, get in a fist fight with each other and be done with whatever this is." Grace told her.

"Whatever this is? You started it, not me."

"I didn't." Grace replied. "You're the one who can't stay away from me."

Marissa snorted. She wasn't interested in Grace, she didn't care about her. It wasn't like Eli and Peter's bromance.

"You're scared that I'm gonna beat you in court." Marissa insisted.

"I doubt it." Grace replied. "Saw you in court the other day. You looked so bored."

"What do you mean?"

"You were making closing arguments and you were so uninterested. Do you even want to be a lawyer? You were more excited when you were my mom's bagwoman."

"Of course I want to be a lawyer, I am a good lawyer!" Marissa told her. "How about you?"

"I don't want to be a lawyer." Grace answered nonchalantly.

"Then what the hell are you doing girl?" Marissa asked.

Ailayah came back from the restroom. "Ready to go?"

"Sure, let's go. It was lovely to see you Marissa, please tell your dad I said hi." Grace said with a big smile to annoy Marissa more.

"No, no, come on." Marissa shook her head. "We're just getting started."

"Sorry, Aaliyah is my ride and I have to get up early in the morning." The younger woman justified herself.

"What do you have to do tomorrow morning? Volunteer at the local orphanage?" Marissa joked.

"Wait…" Grace frowned. "How do you know?"

"You gotta be kidding me. You are going to the orphanage?"

"I volunteer to hold the babies." Grace said. "Babies need to be held and gently rock."

"Yeah, its pretty cool. I've seen the videos." Aaliyah confirmed it. "Grace is something else."

"She sure is." Marissa finished her drink.

"Anyway, goodnight Marissa." Grace and her friend walked away.

"Call your mom!" Marissa shouted.

"You first!" Grace shouted back, making Marissa laugh.

"I should call my mom, tho." The curly hair lawyer called her mother right at that moment.

"Hello?"

"Mom! How are you? I miss ya. What are you up to?"

"Marissa, are you drunk?"

"A little bit. I won a big case today, and I feel... I feel.. great?" Marissa said with insecurity.

"Honey?"

"I wanna visit you, mom."

"You can visit me anytime you want."

"We all should get together. You, me and dad." The lawyer suggested "Gold, Gold and Gold, no wait.. Gold and Associates. Or triple Gold!"

Vanessa Gold laughed. "Not a bad idea."

"Right? We'd be stoppable."

Soon, Gold Consultants was formed. In an odd way, Marissa got her family back together as coworkers for a lucrative company.

Marissa enjoyed very much the excitement of campaigns, strategies and last minute Hail Mary's in courts. Still, her busy life got her once again face to face to Grace Florrick.


"Welcome to Doc B. Is your party waiting for you?" The hostess asked Grace, she looked around the restaurant and spotted Marissa Gold sitting in a booth.

"There's my table, thank you."

"Gracie!" Marissa opened up her arms. "Please take a seat."

"Marissa."

"Welcome, can I get you anything to drink?" The waitress asked Grace as she sat down.

"I'm not gonna stay. Would you please get me an ice tea and cesar salad to go?"

"Okay, right away."

"You're not staying?"

"No." Grace said very seriously. "I don't think you have anything to say to me of value."

"Wow. Rude as always." She shook her head. "You need to be a likable candidate, Grace."

"That's why you are here. My campaign." Grace nodded. "Why do you even care?"

"Why didn't you hire us? Always go for the Gold."

"Gold Consultants is above my pay grade."

"We could've given you the family and friends discount." Marissa raised her glass. "You didn't have to go rogue."

"Rogue?"

"Going against the party."

"It's open for anyone who fits the requirements."

"You're too young, you're single."

"I have enough experience."

"Do you have enough donors?"

Grace smirked at Marissa's line of questioning. Definitely leading the witness.

"I want to tell you how touched I was when I found out you followed my advice, Marissa." The younger lawyer said. "You changed careers thanks to what I told you."

"Aww, you're so cute when you think you're relevant to me."

"If I'm irrelevant to you, why are you here? Why do you care?" Grace had a realization. "Wait...You're here for Ulises Samuel. You're with his campaign."

Ulises Samuel was the other lawyer who wanted the nomination for the democratic party.

"Is his campaign like a test for you? A little campaign with training wheels?"

"l'm with no one." Marissa insisted.

"Amazing that you thought you could get info out of me."

"I already have the info: You don't have enough small donors and the big ones, they don't like your last name." Marissa said.

"And you want to help me?"

"Are you going to ask for help?"

Grace chuckled. "Look at us girls wanting to be like our daddies."

"Except you don't have Peter's charisma."

"And you don't have Eli's wit."

The waitress came back to the table with Grace's order to go. "Here you go."

"Thank you so much." Grace gave the waitress a big smile. "You deserve a big tip."

"Come on, stay and eat your salad." Marissa insisted

"This isn't for me. I saw an unhoused person a block away, I'm gonna give them the food."

"For God's sake." Marissa groaned. "Not everything is a photo op."

"I'm not doing it for the cameras." Grace got up from the table and took the brown bag. "The salad is the only positive from this meeting."

"No at all." Marissa smiled. "I can see you're nervous."

Grace ignored her and walked away.

Yes, they should've been friends. But they really weren't.


Next time in the Florricks…

"Are you getting married just because she's pregnant?" Jackie asked her son. "We're in a safe place here, Peter. You can tell me if you need help."

"We've been living together for almost a year, mom. I love Alicia and I know she's the one."

"Is she? Not to be crude, but I don't see Alicia as a good wife." Jackie insisted.