A/N:This is my contribution to TGWFandomfest. I had a very different idea of what I could share on such a special occasion, then this plot bunny happened and here I am. I didn't think I'd start a new multichapter anytime soon, but I didn't hesitate much. Special thanks to Kiki, whose review on my other McHart stroy inspired this one. To Ilona for the encouragement, the help with the descriptions I still need to improve at and the title. To Sab for offering to beta without thinking twice. And to Stine.

Before you think I don't know what I'm doing, I'd like to assure you that I do and don't at the same time. :D This fic is going to be a huge challenge, I'm well aware of that. I think it will be worth it though and I hope some of you will accompany me on this journey.

About the story: It's AU, but I'll try to tie it to canon as best as I can. There will be a present timeline and a past one in italics. Hope it won't be too hard to follow.

Reviews are always appreciated.

Divided Path

Chapter One

"Mr. McVeigh, the ballistics expert, is here to see you."

Diane's eyes shot wide open hearing the assistant's announcement through the line. The name and the occupation in one sentence, this couldn't be a coincidence, could it? And when she saw the tall figure in front of her office she immediately knew it wasn't.

He wasn't facing her, but she would recognize him anywhere. The broad shoulders and strong arms that used to hold her tight. The by now grizzled hair, she could partly be blamed for. Not to mention the jeans, the boots and the jacket, that constituted his unique style, which hadn't changed at all throughout the years. Not even she had been able to achieve that.

Diane had no doubt that it was Kurt, yet she couldn't believe her eyes. When Will had told her he'd found a new ballistics expert for the case, it hadn't even occurred to her it could have been him. Their paths hadn't crossed on a professional level long enough for her to assume this day would never come.

He was still standing there now, ready to see her and if there was one thing she knew for sure it was that she wasn't ready.

But when the few minutes she'd asked for to compose herself after the shocking announcement passed way too quickly, she had no choice but to tell the assistant to let him in.

"Hey," he muttered once he was inside and seemed rather uneasy now that she was able to observe his face.

"Hey." It was all she was able to respond, although she was trying really hard to get her act together. "Take a seat." She remembered the polite gesture, even if it was probably harder to deal with his presence from closer.

She knew every inch of that face like she knew her own and could read his mind through his eyes, just like he could probably read hers. She was able to notice the insecurity in his greenish orbs, that's how she knew it wasn't just her. But she could also discover the admiration with which he still looked at her, and it made her feel even weaker.

"I'm here for the case." He attempted to help her out.

"Some kind of warning would have been nice," she noted, envying the advantage he had on her of having had time to prepare for this moment.

"I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." He shifted his eyes on the ground.

"I know, it's just been a long time," she pointed out.

"Three years," he breathed out more to himself than to her.

She wasn't surprised he had the exact number ready, she remembered that day as if it was yesterday. And he definitely sounded like it meant something to him as well.

"That's a long time," she stated, and intentionally sounded unattached.

It may have been three years since the last time they'd met, but their attachment had been over long before that. Or at least she thought it was, which was exactly why this unexpected visit from him made no sense to her and she couldn't understand her own reaction either. They had met several times in the past, but those meetings served a very different purpose.

"Yep, how have you been?" He voiced a natural interest as he leaned back in the armchair and got comfortable.

"Good, you?" She returned the courtesy, while she tried to avoid his eyes by staring at the file in front of her.

"Same." She heard him say and the shortness made her wonder if he'd noticed that's all it was, courtesy. And she almost felt guilty for her curtness, but it made her feel safer.

"So my business partner thinks you can help us with our case."

She was more than happy to switch to the real subject. Not that she was really thrilled at the idea of having him involved. But she knew he was one of the best ballistics experts in the area. And she couldn't help remembering the number of times she hadn't given him a call when she probably should have.

"I can. I can show you if you want," he responded nonchalantly.

"In your lab?" she asked, trying to stop herself from counting the number of years that had passed since the last time she'd stepped foot in that building. And she knew him well enough to assume that time probably stopped in there as well.

"Yeah. You can send an associate if you want." He offered a way out for her, but for some reason she wasn't willing to take it.

"Don't be silly. We are adults. And I appreciate the help." She let herself smile for a split second, for the first time since he'd entered her office. It actually felt good, a sign that she was getting slightly more comfortable in his presence.

"Okay. So how about tomorrow?" he proposed, seemingly content with her response.

"I'll call you after I finish in court," she promised, even though calling him wasn't as natural as she made it out to be.

"Okay," he nodded and began to emerge from his seat. Diane felt relief that it was over for now, only to see him sit back again. "Liam called, he said he needs to talk to me in person this weekend. It must be something important."

The sudden change of subject was unexpected and it made her wonder if he'd planned to mention it all along, or did it just to have an excuse to stay longer. But it definitely made a lot more sense for them to discuss this topic, even though lately there wasn't much use for it either. All three of them were living their own lives.

"He hasn't called me in a while," she noted, undecided if she was supposed to be jealous that their son had reached out to him, but not her.

"Maybe it's a guy thing," he suggested.

"Maybe," she agreed. And even if it wasn't a guy thing, she understood why Liam would turn to his father first and it was all right this way.

"I will tell you all about it if you want," he offered and she had to hide her appreciation. She didn't want to seem too vulnerable.

"That's okay, I'll talk to him anyway," she replied with faked confidence, hoping to fool him. All she knew was that Liam would tell her as well if it was something important, she just had to wait for her turn.

"All right. Talk to you tomorrow then." He did stand up this time.

"Tomorrow," she confirmed and she watched him leave the office while trying to process what just happened.

She was pretty sure the case was just an excuse and she was wondering what made him walk back into her life all of a sudden. She needed help with the Broussard defense, they just lost their ballistics expert in the middle of the trial. But did she need his help? Were they really adults enough to have an all professional encounter despite their history? She liked to think they were, but then she would have hired him for cases in the past, yet she never did. And now he forced her to face the reason why.

"Did you like him?" Will's voice pulled her out of her thoughts, and his question was harder to answer than he probably imagined.

"What do you mean?" She eyed him with a confused expression on her face.

"I saw him in court a while ago, he's really good. Just what we need to win this," he explained and the coincidence made Diane smile.

Of all the ballistics experts, Will picked him. If only he knew.

"We will see. Thank you," she added.

She wasn't really sure that she'd still thank him later, but the uneasiness she'd felt before completely disappeared by now. She was aware that everything happened for a reason and maybe Kurt showing up on her doorstep again, after all these years, could turn out to be a good thing after all.

###

"Diane, I'd like you to meet our ballistics expert for the Taylor case."

The firm's name partner entered the office with a very young man on his side, so she immediately wondered how could someone be called an expert at his age.

"Diane Lockhart," she approached the younger man and extended her hand.

"Kurt McVeigh," he said his name and after the required eye contact she noticed that he looked her up and down and rested his eyes on her legs for a few seconds.

That was the typical reaction she experienced from men. They somehow never could control their eyes facing an attractive woman in a shorter skirt. It was sadly true for Aiden as well, the fellow associate she shared the office with. Men were too predictable.

"I'll leave you two to discuss the details. I expect a report from you on my desk tomorrow morning," her boss addressed Diane then left them alone, closing the door of the office behind him.

"So you are an expert already? I'm only a junior associate," she noted from behind her desk again, where she appeared to be more in charge. She tried to hide that she felt a bit inferior, not that she had any reason to. If anything he should have felt that way in his jeans, plaid shirt and cowboy boots. While she was wearing a designer suit. But he seemed more than comfortable leaning against the door. She could only hope he didn't notice her checking him out.

"I'm still learning every day, I have great teachers," he stated humbly, which made him kind of cute.

"Let me guess, one of them knows my boss," she suggested the only reason why he could be on such an important case, and introduced to her by a name partner in person.

"I suppose," he replied without admitting to anything.

"So what are you going to show me?" She tried to prepare herself for the next step. She never met a ballistics expert before, so she didn't exactly know what to expect. It was typical of her boss to throw her into deep water time after time. That's how she learnt.

"Are you ready?" His question sounded almost like a challenge.

"You make it sound like I need to be." She chuckled a bit nervously.

"First of all we have to drive out of town," he warned her.

"Are you kidding me? To the country? Are you taking me to a cabin somewhere?" She felt a bit annoyed by the idea, but found it rather amusing at the same time.

"You can never know." He was openly teasing her now and she wasn't sure anymore if she liked it or not.

"Let me decide if I want to go at all," she proposed, as if she could have found a way out of this.

"Take your time," he offered with a smile and she had to admit that she really liked his smile.

"Well, since my boss left me no choice, I guess I can't say no," she concluded and silently scolded herself for playing hard to get. She wasn't sure why he made her act that way.

"That's the spirit," he sounded excited and it suited him even more than the smile.

"You know what's funny? I hate guns, yet I'm working on a case involving guns already," she revealed as she quickly gathered some files from her desk.

"We couldn't be more different. Unless..." He stopped mid-sentence and just stared at her as if he was trying to read her.

"Unless what? Don't tell me you not only love guns, but you're also a Republican." It hit her all of a sudden, the guns, the attitude, his instructor being friends with her boss, it would make sense.

"Guilty as charged," he admitted naturally and she began to laugh.

"Oh my, guess we're looking at a fun drive."

As she led him out of her office she found herself smiling. She had to get ready to spend the next hours with a Republican gun lover. Fortunately she was always up for a good challenge.