Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and am not profiting from creation of this work.

"Will? Are you still here?" Alicia tiptoed into the partially darkened office. She didn't think he'd left, but she certainly didn't see him now. When Will materialized from a dark corner, she almost screamed.

"Alicia. I didn't mean to scare you. I just had a lot on my mind and didn't want to be disturbed."

"I'm sorry; I'll go…"

"No, no, please stay. I didn't mean you. How are you holding up?" She could see the sorrow and compassion in his eyes; he knew this wasn't easy for her.

"Well, you know, I'd kind of missed the paparazzi." But her offhand joke fell flat. Work had been crazy at the firm with all the cutbacks, and now that Cary had been let go, he was spreading all kinds of stories about Lockhart Gardner.

"I'm sorry, Alicia. I had no idea Cary would go this far." Cary's favorite claim was that he had lost the junior associate competition because Alicia was sleeping with Will, which, of course, was untrue.

Alicia sighed. "If even part of that rumor were true…" Alicia knew she'd won the job without any extra credit from Will, but Will and Alicia still hadn't even had dinner together. The closest they'd come to an affair was the kiss they'd shared in this office months ago, and although both Diane and Kalinda suspected something, neither knew the truth.

"I agree." They both stood quietly in the darkness, watching the lights go out around them. Finally, Will couldn't take it anymore. "Come home with me."

For a moment, Alicia couldn't react. "Will?" Alicia was currently separated from Peter, but she wasn't sure about going this far yet.

"No, no. Nothing has to happen. I just want…to be with you. To be able to hold your hand and not feel like the world is watching. And the press couldn't care less about me; they don't follow me or hang out at my place." The media hounded Alicia almost constantly, but by this time of night, in the middle of the week, the press would all have moved on to other things. They gave up on Alicia when crime or sleep played into their plans.

"I don't know, Will…" Alicia analyzed her options: going home to a dark apartment and an empty bed, or going home with Will. Even if she slept on his couch, at least she wouldn't be so damned alone. "Okay."

"Really?" The light falling in through the windows illuminated a shocked but thrilled Will.

"Will." She didn't want to hurt him, but she wasn't planning to go to bed with him, either.

"It's fine. We'll sit on my couch and watch movies all night if that's what you want."

"Let me grab my things and I'll meet you downstairs." Will tossed her his keys and told her where his car was.

"I should be there before you, but if not, just get in and wait for me." Will intended to be sure no errant photographers were hanging around; if they were, he'd get rid of them. Nothing was going to mess this up.