Author's Note: I own nothing. This is just me taking Dick Wolf's toys out of the box and playing with them for a bit for fun, not profit. I always put them back when I'm done. Only spoiler would be some references to events in Night.
Feedback is always welcome. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
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Detective Olivia Benson had just clicked off her bedroom light and was shimmying out of her black jeans. 'This has to be my first night hitting the sheets before midnight in...a week and a half at least.' She thought as she slipped in to her boxers and tank and crawled under the cool sheets.
She closed her eyes and tried to blank out her mind, willing sleep to come quickly. As she plumped her pillow and rolled over on her side, she heard her cell phone vibrate on her bedside table.
"NO!" Olivia exclaimed in to the darkness. She wasn't catching tonight, part of the reason she was catching up on rack time. It couldn't be a personal call...she didn't really know anyone. Elliot wouldn't be calling about anything that couldn't wait. The captain usually didn't call and she could say, honestly, that her phone was still on vibrate and she didn't hear it having turned in early. She grabbed the phone, flipped it open and read the display. "Fuck."
The only person whose call she couldn't shirk would be her Assistant District Attorney, Casey Novak. It just made life easier to keep the ADA happy and off her back. Olivia exhaled heavily and pressed the green button. "Benson."
"Hi Liv. It's Casey. I didn't wake you, did I?" Casey's deep rich voice sounded tentative, a quality it rarely held.
"Nah. What's up, counselor?" Olivia sat up and clicked on the lamp on her beside table.
"I, uh, are you sure I'm not disturbing or interrupting?" Casey asked hesitantly.
"Look, Casey, either way, you've got me on the phone now, so what can I do for you?" Olivia tried to mask the exasperation in her voice. Casey wouldn't be calling if it weren't important, so she wished she'd just get to her point.
"Sorry. I shouldn't have called. Forget about it. I'll see you in the morning, detective." Casey's voice sounded apologetic and forlorn.
"Case, come on. Don't be like that. Obviously something made you call me. I'm sorry if I sounded short when I answered. Long week. Ok, long last couple of weeks, but that's not your fault." Olivia sighed when she was met with silence. "Please, tell me what's on your mind."
"I heard something outside my window...on my fire escape I think." Casey barely whispered her admission.
"Casey...if you think there's an intruder, call 9-1-1 and I'll be there as soon as I can. Get in a room that you can lock, call and don't move." Olivia was already sliding back in to her jeans.
"Wait. Olivia. It's not that. I looked outside. I didn't see anything. I don't think there's anything or anyone. It's been two hours...but...I can't..." Casey's voice struggled.
Olivia closed her eyes and ran her fingers through her shaggy bangs. "Case...go easy. I think I understand. I'll be over in about fifteen minutes, ok? Just to be safe, you should go in your bedroom and lock the door. I'll call when I get to your building."
"I feel so stupid. I didn't want to call the police because I don't need a 61 out there that says 'Casey Novak is a great big baby who's afraid of her own shadow.'"
"Don't. It's ok. It's actually...normal. Just sit tight ok. I'm on my way." Olivia slipped an NYPD sweatshirt over her tank, laced up her boots, grabbed her belt, Glock, and badge and was out the door.
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Casey heard her phone ring exactly thirteen minutes later. "Hello?" She answered.
"Hey, Case. I'm here. Buzz me in."
Casey heard a knock on her front door a few minutes later. "Hi Liv."
"Hey. How are you holding up?" Olivia asked with a slight smile.
Casey groaned. "I feel really, really foolish. I shouldn't be dragging you out in the middle of the night." Casey pulled her robe tighter around her waist. The robe hit her just above the knee and Olivia assumed she had a nightshirt on underneath.
"It's not a problem. Anything to keep the DA's office happy, right?" Olivia walked in. "You wanna tell me what happened?"
Casey shrugged. "I heard a sound and freaked out. Let's go sit. Can I get you anything?" Casey gestured to the living room.
"I don't need anything. Thanks." Olivia followed. "So, what was the sound?"
"Eh, probably cats on the fire escape. Who knows?" Casey sat on the sofa.
"Mind if I take a look?" Olivia wanted Casey to know that she didn't think she was crazy. Casey had been the victim of a brutal assault just a few months ago. That she'd flash back upon hearing strange noises was legitimate and expected.
"Yeah, sure. Go find Sheba the Attack Tabby." Casey pulled her knees to her chest.
"I'll be right back." Olivia unclipped her service weapon and slid the window open slowly. She stuck her head out and looked around. She didn't see anyone, but she did see evidence that someone had been out there. She ducked her head and climbed out.
When she came back in, she looked at Casey. Casey had curled herself up in to the tightest little ball imaginable. Olivia exhaled strongly. "Guess what, Case? You're not nuts. I'd guess some teenagers like to party on the different fire escapes. I found fresh cigarette butts and a couple empty cans of really cheap beer. My guess is they pick fire escapes of apartments where nobody's home most of the time."
"Really? You don't think it was..." Casey's green eyes were wide and shone with unshed tears.
"Nope. Anybody up to no good wouldn't have left butts and empties behind for us to track them. If you want, I can bag some of it and have it run through...but I don't think we'll get any hits." Olivia was all business.
"Oh. Sure. Whatever you think." Casey hugged herself and shivered.
"No, not what I think. It's whatever will make you feel safe in your own home." Olivia tapped her thumb to her fingertips nervously. "Look, let's do it just to be extra sure, ok? Do you have rubber gloves and some baggies?"
"Liv. Don't. I feel silly enough without you having to enlist Melinda's help in proving that some 16 year-old was on my fire escape and I acted like a..." Casey buried her face in her knees and her voice was muffled.
"What can I do, Casey?" Olivia moved over to the usually strong woman. She hated seeing her like this.
"Nothing." Casey shrugged. "You've done enough."
"Sweetheart, you wouldn't have been happy no matter what I found out there. It's good news that there were noises. It's normal to be a little more skittish than usual. It hasn't been that long." Olivia sighed.
"I know. I know. I've sung the same song you're singing to victim after victim, Liv." Casey looked up with distance in her eyes. "Thanks for coming over."
"Yeah. It's no problem." Olivia crammed her hands in her pockets. "So, you want to play cards or checkers or something?"
Casey looked at Olivia like she had grown another head. "What?"
"I figured I'd hang out. Keep you company. I know you aren't going to be sleeping any time soon." Olivia tilted her head and gave a half smile.
"You don't have to baby-sit me, Liv. I can read or something. You mind letting yourself out?" Casey slumped even further in to herself.
Olivia steepled her fingers in front of her mouth. "No."
"No?" Casey's expression was pure confusion.
"You heard me. No." Olivia plopped herself down in a stuffed chair and drummed her fingers on the armrests.
"Are you kidding me?" Casey unfurled herself slowly.
"Serious as a heart attack." Olivia stroked the inside of cheek with her tongue and picked up a magazine. "I'm not leaving."
"You are out of your mind." Casey was perking up.
"Maybe so." Olivia sniffed a bit and flipped the pages of the magazine absently.
"Why are you doing this?" Casey was sitting upright now and staring at the woman across from her.
"Because, Casey, you would be in the same situation if I had found a paroled rapist on your balcony with a gun stalking you as you are knowing it was teenagers smoking and drinking. You can either talk to me and we can figure this out or we can sit here in awkward silence all night long. Makes no difference to me." Olivia stretched out her legs and settled further in to the chair.
"Why?" Casey's face fell.
"Case. You called me. I'm involved now. You could have called the police, 9-1-1, Elliot, the Captain...your landlord. But you called me. Now you're stuck with me." Olivia tossed the magazine back on the coffee table.
"You're a pain in the ass." Casey spat.
"Yup. But you called me. So, now I'm your pain in the ass." Olivia pursed her lips. "It's up to you. If you really, really want to be alone tonight, I'll go."
Casey sighed and took several deep breaths. "It feels like I'm going crazy some times. I hear a sound and freeze. Someone walks too close behind me on the street and I panic. I was never like that, Liv. I hate being like this."
"Oh Case. You know it's not you. You won't be like that forever, but you can't change what happened." Olivia stood up and walked over to Casey. "You can only change you. What can you do to feel safer?"
"I hadn't thought about it."
"Well, think about it. What?"
Casey shrugged. "I guess locks on the windows. Not being alone as much, which is hard living alone and all. Maybe a self defense class or something?"
"Now you're thinking. Locks on the windows we can do tomorrow. Not being alone, well, you can call me any time, Casey. I mean it. Not just as your guard dog, but as a friend, ok?"
"Ok." Casey looked up at the woman standing in front of her. The warmth in her eyes and her smile forced her to smile a little too.
"And self-defense, well, I could teach you some stuff if you want. You'll never find a class with your schedule." Olivia sat next to Casey on the sofa.
"You'd do that?" Her smile widened a little more.
"Sure. We could meet at the gym. Before long, I'll be calling you to help us run down perps. Might even be fun. We could hang out after. Do dinner or go for a drink. It would help with the being alone piece, too."
"That, uh..." Casey was now in full grin mode. Olivia was sounding excited about the prospect of spending time with her and helping her. "That sounds really nice. Thank you, Liv."
"Any time. So, do you have any popcorn?" Olivia patted her thigh genially.
"Popcorn? Why?" Casey squinted in to the cock-eyed grin of Olivia's.
"I like to eat popcorn when I beat people in poker. You play Texas Hold 'Em?"
"You're a special kind of pain in my ass. You're not leaving, even now?" Casey shook her head.
"Nope. Oh, and how about hot chocolate?" Olivia stood now and offered Casey her hand.
"Unbelievable." Casey took the offered hand and let Olivia pull her to her feet. "You're going to stay up with me all night, playing cards and eating my food whether I like it or not, aren't you?"
Olivia widened her eyes and nodded.
"That sounds like fun. Thank you." Casey gave her friend a quick hug and scampered off to the kitchen.
