stand and fight (tgw)
Title: Stand and Fight
Characters: Alicia and Kalinda, The Good Wife
Words: 1200
Summary: Future fic season four, set after the election; Kalinda pours herself another shot and takes it before Alicia can say anything. “There's something I need to tell you.”
It's late when there's a knock on the door. She doesn't know who to expect. She doubts reporters, since it means they would have to get past Sal, the night doorman. Will, she also doubts, he's been so withdrawn lately.
“Hi,” Kalinda breathes as Alicia opens the door. Alicia can see her eyeing the apartment behind her, probably checking for any sign of the kids. “I thought you could use a drink.” Kalinda proffers up a brown bag and when Alicia slides down the rough paper far enough to see the label, she smiles. Tequila. Of course.
“Come in,” Alicia tells her. Kalinda looks nervous as she steps into the apartment. “The kids are with Peter,” she says, hoping to relay her friend's trepidation.
Alicia sighs as she fetches two glasses out of the cabinet. She does really need this. The past couple days have been strange, an odd release after all the months of tension and worrying. Diane, Will, and Cary ask her how she's feeling. They treat her delicately, as if she was the one running for office.
She expects Kalinda to ask the same. “To the governorship,” Kalinda toasts wryly. It's unexpected and after everything, Alicia laughs. A smirk spreads across Kalinda's face.
“To the governorship,” she repeats.
They take their shots, Alicia wincing as usual, but Kalinda barely makes a face. “You seem okay,” she notes simply.
“I've never taken these things as hard as Peter,” she shrugs. She knows logically that Peter winning would have prolonged the media digging into their private lives and her absence at the Governor's Mansion would have been noticeable.
They talked about it, of course, discussed every finite detail, but now Alicia wonders what they were thinking, what she was thinking. The kids couldn't move again, after Grace is finally adjusting to her new school, and Zach would be off to college in less than a year, it seems suddenly so unfair that they were planning to uproot their children's lives once again. But it's what Peter wanted. It has always been about what Peter wanted.
Kalinda pours herself another shot and takes it before Alicia can say anything. “There's something I need to tell you.”
She swallows thickly. “Okay,” she manages to say, trying not to let her imagination get ahead of her.
“My husband...” Kalinda pauses, biting her lip. “I ran away from him. A long time ago. Things were okay for awhile...” She trails off.
Alicia waits for her to continue and finds she's holding her breath. “And,” she presses gently.
“But then he found out I was gone and I got-I was working for Peter, then, and I needed to hide. I knew he could help.” Kalinda brings one of the wedges of lime to her lips, sucking at the flesh. “It was a mistake to ask him for help,” she continues. “I'm sorry. But I thought...I thought he could save me.” Alicia doesn't know what to say. The silence clearly makes Kalinda uncomfortable, because she doesn't wait for Alicia to respond. “It was before I realized I didn't need anyone to save me.”
“Is everything okay? I mean, I know he was here. And you're still here...” Alicia squeezes her eyes shut tight, feeling dizzy and out of breath.
“I just came here to tell you that,” Kalinda replies in a vague tone. Alicia blinks, looking blearily at her friend. Is she her friend? Colleague? She starts to shrug back into her jacket. “I should go...”
Alicia's fingers closes over Kalinda's wrist, stopping her from sliding down off the bar stool. “Kalinda. Are you okay?” Her tone is firm. “Now. Are you okay now?”
“I...uh...” Her voice is strained. “I talked to Will. I'll be fine.” Her smile is quick, trademark Kalinda. There's something that slips in at the edge of her smile and Alicia doesn't trust her friend's words completely. She wants to press her and ask the details, what exactly she's discussing with Will, but Alicia knows Kalinda's already given more than she would with anyone else.
But she stays. Kalinda changes the subject. She's always been good at that, deflecting attention. Alicia wonders sometimes if its is a skill from her personal life that crept into her work or vice versa. “So, the campaign's over. Do you think you and Will might try things again now?”
“What?” Alicia gasps. “How-did Will tell you?”
“No.” Kalinda raises her eyebrows. “Investigator's instinct.”
Alicia laughs at this. Kalinda smiles, a real smile.
“So?” she nudges.
“Oh,” Alicia's throat feels thick. “I don't know,” she shrugs. “I don't think so.”
Kalinda's eyes are on her hand, fingering the rim of the glass. Her gaze flickers up to Alicia. “Why not?”
“I don't know,” she replies, aware she's the one being vague now. “Things always seem to fall apart.”
Kalinda doesn't comment, just nods along. “And Will...I...I'm not sure he's ready for all this.” She gestures around her.
It's not just the kids, they're almost grown, whether she wants to admit it or not. But it's everything with Peter, everything she still thinks of as theirs, but it's also everything she wants to claim for her own. Her work. She wouldn't be where she was without Will, but she knows things would have to change if they got serious. They would have to tell Diane at the very least, as if the woman doesn't have enough fodder on which to judge Alicia.
“You think?” A singular eyebrow is raised and in that moment, Alicia questions everything she just told herself.
She lets out a disbelieving laugh. “You really think Will Gardner is ready to commit? With me? I'm so messy.”
“We're all messy, Alicia.” Kalinda's eyes darken and Alicia grows quiet.
“Besides, I don't know if he's even interested anymore.” Will's been distant for the last few weeks and Alicia was just glad they'd gotten through the campaign without Will's name coming up too often.
Kalinda shrugs non-committally, but it's enough of a gesture to make Alicia wonder if she knows something and isn't saying. “I should go.”
Alicia nods, a little absentmindedly, still thinking of Will. “Thanks for the tequila.” Kalinda stands awkwardly by the bar stool she just vacated. “And for telling me about...Peter.”
“It's the least I could do,” Kalinda replies. Alicia follows her to the door, watching as Kalinda presses the elevator button and steps back to wait. “See you tomorrow,” she calls over her shoulder.
“Yeah,” Alicia replies, finally shutting the door. She takes a deep breath and walks back into the kitchen to clean out their glasses. Alicia puts the bottle of tequila safely away for now, but she keeps thinking about her friends. She can't imagine what about Kalinda's husband made her so desperate she felt the need to ask for help. Alicia can't imagine that version of her friend at all. Scared and Kalinda don't go together.
Despite Kalinda's dalliance with Peter, Alicia remembers what her friend has done for that she didn't have to do. Alicia makes a silent vow to do the same. She's going to talk to Will tomorrow and see if he will let her in on whatever secrets Kalinda may have entrusted him with. Even if he won't tell her, she's going to keep trying. She needs to know her friend is safe.
fin
Characters: Alicia and Kalinda, The Good Wife
Words: 1200
Summary: Future fic season four, set after the election; Kalinda pours herself another shot and takes it before Alicia can say anything. “There's something I need to tell you.”
It's late when there's a knock on the door. She doesn't know who to expect. She doubts reporters, since it means they would have to get past Sal, the night doorman. Will, she also doubts, he's been so withdrawn lately.
“Hi,” Kalinda breathes as Alicia opens the door. Alicia can see her eyeing the apartment behind her, probably checking for any sign of the kids. “I thought you could use a drink.” Kalinda proffers up a brown bag and when Alicia slides down the rough paper far enough to see the label, she smiles. Tequila. Of course.
“Come in,” Alicia tells her. Kalinda looks nervous as she steps into the apartment. “The kids are with Peter,” she says, hoping to relay her friend's trepidation.
Alicia sighs as she fetches two glasses out of the cabinet. She does really need this. The past couple days have been strange, an odd release after all the months of tension and worrying. Diane, Will, and Cary ask her how she's feeling. They treat her delicately, as if she was the one running for office.
She expects Kalinda to ask the same. “To the governorship,” Kalinda toasts wryly. It's unexpected and after everything, Alicia laughs. A smirk spreads across Kalinda's face.
“To the governorship,” she repeats.
They take their shots, Alicia wincing as usual, but Kalinda barely makes a face. “You seem okay,” she notes simply.
“I've never taken these things as hard as Peter,” she shrugs. She knows logically that Peter winning would have prolonged the media digging into their private lives and her absence at the Governor's Mansion would have been noticeable.
They talked about it, of course, discussed every finite detail, but now Alicia wonders what they were thinking, what she was thinking. The kids couldn't move again, after Grace is finally adjusting to her new school, and Zach would be off to college in less than a year, it seems suddenly so unfair that they were planning to uproot their children's lives once again. But it's what Peter wanted. It has always been about what Peter wanted.
Kalinda pours herself another shot and takes it before Alicia can say anything. “There's something I need to tell you.”
She swallows thickly. “Okay,” she manages to say, trying not to let her imagination get ahead of her.
“My husband...” Kalinda pauses, biting her lip. “I ran away from him. A long time ago. Things were okay for awhile...” She trails off.
Alicia waits for her to continue and finds she's holding her breath. “And,” she presses gently.
“But then he found out I was gone and I got-I was working for Peter, then, and I needed to hide. I knew he could help.” Kalinda brings one of the wedges of lime to her lips, sucking at the flesh. “It was a mistake to ask him for help,” she continues. “I'm sorry. But I thought...I thought he could save me.” Alicia doesn't know what to say. The silence clearly makes Kalinda uncomfortable, because she doesn't wait for Alicia to respond. “It was before I realized I didn't need anyone to save me.”
“Is everything okay? I mean, I know he was here. And you're still here...” Alicia squeezes her eyes shut tight, feeling dizzy and out of breath.
“I just came here to tell you that,” Kalinda replies in a vague tone. Alicia blinks, looking blearily at her friend. Is she her friend? Colleague? She starts to shrug back into her jacket. “I should go...”
Alicia's fingers closes over Kalinda's wrist, stopping her from sliding down off the bar stool. “Kalinda. Are you okay?” Her tone is firm. “Now. Are you okay now?”
“I...uh...” Her voice is strained. “I talked to Will. I'll be fine.” Her smile is quick, trademark Kalinda. There's something that slips in at the edge of her smile and Alicia doesn't trust her friend's words completely. She wants to press her and ask the details, what exactly she's discussing with Will, but Alicia knows Kalinda's already given more than she would with anyone else.
But she stays. Kalinda changes the subject. She's always been good at that, deflecting attention. Alicia wonders sometimes if its is a skill from her personal life that crept into her work or vice versa. “So, the campaign's over. Do you think you and Will might try things again now?”
“What?” Alicia gasps. “How-did Will tell you?”
“No.” Kalinda raises her eyebrows. “Investigator's instinct.”
Alicia laughs at this. Kalinda smiles, a real smile.
“So?” she nudges.
“Oh,” Alicia's throat feels thick. “I don't know,” she shrugs. “I don't think so.”
Kalinda's eyes are on her hand, fingering the rim of the glass. Her gaze flickers up to Alicia. “Why not?”
“I don't know,” she replies, aware she's the one being vague now. “Things always seem to fall apart.”
Kalinda doesn't comment, just nods along. “And Will...I...I'm not sure he's ready for all this.” She gestures around her.
It's not just the kids, they're almost grown, whether she wants to admit it or not. But it's everything with Peter, everything she still thinks of as theirs, but it's also everything she wants to claim for her own. Her work. She wouldn't be where she was without Will, but she knows things would have to change if they got serious. They would have to tell Diane at the very least, as if the woman doesn't have enough fodder on which to judge Alicia.
“You think?” A singular eyebrow is raised and in that moment, Alicia questions everything she just told herself.
She lets out a disbelieving laugh. “You really think Will Gardner is ready to commit? With me? I'm so messy.”
“We're all messy, Alicia.” Kalinda's eyes darken and Alicia grows quiet.
“Besides, I don't know if he's even interested anymore.” Will's been distant for the last few weeks and Alicia was just glad they'd gotten through the campaign without Will's name coming up too often.
Kalinda shrugs non-committally, but it's enough of a gesture to make Alicia wonder if she knows something and isn't saying. “I should go.”
Alicia nods, a little absentmindedly, still thinking of Will. “Thanks for the tequila.” Kalinda stands awkwardly by the bar stool she just vacated. “And for telling me about...Peter.”
“It's the least I could do,” Kalinda replies. Alicia follows her to the door, watching as Kalinda presses the elevator button and steps back to wait. “See you tomorrow,” she calls over her shoulder.
“Yeah,” Alicia replies, finally shutting the door. She takes a deep breath and walks back into the kitchen to clean out their glasses. Alicia puts the bottle of tequila safely away for now, but she keeps thinking about her friends. She can't imagine what about Kalinda's husband made her so desperate she felt the need to ask for help. Alicia can't imagine that version of her friend at all. Scared and Kalinda don't go together.
Despite Kalinda's dalliance with Peter, Alicia remembers what her friend has done for that she didn't have to do. Alicia makes a silent vow to do the same. She's going to talk to Will tomorrow and see if he will let her in on whatever secrets Kalinda may have entrusted him with. Even if he won't tell her, she's going to keep trying. She needs to know her friend is safe.
fin