A/N: I hope you all like this story...it's had a lot of planning. :)

Casey Novak sat at her office desk drumming away at her keyboard. She was busy in the process of wrapping up her cases for White Collar eagerly awaiting her transfer to Homicide. Even though, she had done exceptionally well in White Collar the redhead was ready for a change and especially one that took a lot of skill. She'd never been known to back down from a challenge and she was more than prepared to prove herself in the District Attorney's eyes.

Hearing a knock at her door, the redhead called out, "Come in," without looking up so engrossed in her work. It was a habit she would be sure to break in the coming months. A lot would change for her, but she wasn't even on the cusp of being aware.

"Casey," Alex Cabot said softly standing before her desk.

Freezing at her ex's voice, Casey closed her eyes trying to will away the blonde figure that now stood before her. "What do you want, Alexandra?" Casey replied coolly opening her eyes and looking up into those all too familiar blue eyes.

"I came to say I was sorry, Casey." Alex replied in almost a whisper taking a seat in front of the desk, her legs were almost too shaky to stand and she didn't want to let the redhead notice.

Taking a deep breath, Casey let it out slowly to control her quickly building anger at the blonde. Feeling more in control after a few breaths, she began, "Really? You are sorry? It's been what, six years? But now you are sorry, so we are what, going to be friends now? Go out for coffee, what are you expecting to get from this?" As she finished, she pinched the bridge of her nose feeling the first of many migraines to come start to pulse through her skull.

"I came for closure Casey. I don't expect anything from you in return. I just wanted to say I was sorry." Alex replied before standing and walking to the door.

"Oh my god, Alexandra, you broke up with me six years ago right after graduating law school and have barely said one word to me in the two years I have been here, but now you apologize and leave without a decent explanation. What the hell? Talk to me damnit! I at least deserve that this time." Casey said forcefully as she stood to round the desk.

"Casey, please stay there," Alex said in almost a whisper. "I can't stay long enough to talk, I wish I could, but I have a meeting and I wanted to do this before I lost the nerve." She paused as she watched Casey pace the room something she did when she was upset or nervous.

"He did something didn't he?" Casey asked quietly.

"I have to go Casey," Alex replied just as quietly, clearly ignoring the question. "I just want you to know that I am sorry, and you were right."

"I am sorry that I was, Alexandra." Casey replied looking out the window, refusing to look at the blonde that she was still madly in love with after all these years.

"And Case, it's been 5 years 6 months and 3 days." Alex said before walking out the door. She left so fast she didn't hear Casey reply, "I know, I could never forget that day." She didn't want Casey to see her cry, she couldn't explain, she couldn't turn back time, if she could, she would change so much of that day.

Heading straight to the childcare, she quickly spotted her son, calling out, "Nicky, get your teddy, it's time to go." The barely four year old child did exactly as he was told and ran to his mother. "Did you have a good day?"

"Yes, Mommy, are we going home now?" Nicky asked as they entered the elevator.

"No, sweetheart, Mommy has to go to a meeting and you are going with me, because I won't be coming back here." Alex's statement was truer than she could explain to her son. She wished she could tell him everything, but she had been strictly advised against it until they were fully in the clear.

The drive to the Federal building passed much more quickly than she would have liked. Soon her whole world would change and she wasn't sure if she could handle it all on her own. She wished everything could be different. She wished she could tell Olivia, or Elliot, and most importantly Casey. She wished she'd had more time with Casey.

Walking hand in hand with her son, she passed through security and followed the same path she had taken for the last few weeks of this case. She'd called her husband and told him that she had this meeting. She'd told Nicholas she would be taking Nicky to the meeting with her, so she could make it home at his specified time. He of course was fine with everything; he always was as long as Alex fully complied with his every demand. If not there was hell to pay.

The last four years of her life had been spent catering to his every need. Keeping him happy, so he wouldn't yell too much, wouldn't break too many things, and god forbid wouldn't hurt her or Nicky. That's how she'd spent the last four years of her life, living in fear. It was humorous if you thought about it, she spent her life's work defending victims of abuse, to only be one herself. She would have pressed charges, but she knew the law well enough to know that his amount of money could buy him out of hell. She was trapped, there was no way out. Nicholas Cabot might as well as owned her and that alone was a chilling thought.

So, the night he beat her so badly that he broke three of her ribs and caused her to miscarry their second child, before leaving her bleeding on the living room floor to go out with his friends again, Alex called her mother.

While waiting for a DNC at the hospital, she and her mother devised a plan, one they'd been scheming for almost a year, and now it was time. Opening the door to the conference room, Alex let go of her sons hand as he saw her mother and ran to her, crying out, "Mimi."

Alex smiled at her mom, feeling tears build in her eyes as she watched her mother hug her son tight, "Hi Mom."

Standing, Liz Donnelly took her daughter's hands and squeezed gently, "Mom, am I doing the right thing?" Alex asked.

Pulling her daughter into a tight hug the older blonde answered, "Without a doubt Alexandra. You have to get safe. You have to keep Nicky safe."

As her mother let go, Alex felt tears spring to her eyes. It would be the last time she saw her and it was killing her inside. Watching her give, Nicky one last hug, she broke, "Are you sure this is the only option?"

"Yes, Alex. It's the only way. I am sorry I ever encouraged you to marry that nightmare." Liz said softly, pulling out a thick envelope. "This is full of places for you to go, and your new identities." Pulling Alex again into a hug, she whispered, "I love you so much. Please be safe."

"I will." Alex said, as a big man entered the room.

"Ms. Cabot, your detectives are here." The man said.

Walking to him, he informed her, "You and the boy will stick with me at all times. This will all go down very quickly. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she answered nervously. Turning one last time to her mother, she said, "Give Casey, Sex Crimes. She can handle it and will do the best."

Hugging Alex one more time, Liz whispered, "Okay darling, go be safe."

"I love you, Mom." Alex whispered back.

Following the man down the hall holding her sons hand she tried to keep calm. She only spoke to answer Nicky's questions. As they entered the area she was accustomed to she saw Liv and Elliot.

Running to her, Olivia spoke, "Alex! We were just told that your life was threatened!"

"That's correct," Alex answered in a monotone voice. She hated lying and had a bad feeling about this whole plan.

"Well, what's the plan? Do you and Nicky need a ride home?" Elliot asked in a nervous tone.

"No, this gentleman is escorting me to my ride. The Feds will take me home and then camp out in front of my home until the threat passes. The DA's office will be coming by the precinct for everything dealing with our case. They believe once it's out of our hands and off my desk the threat will end." Alex answered in her best authoritative voice. "So, I need you two to go there and get everything prepared. Can you do that for me?"

"Absolutely," Liv answered, as they took the elevator to the ground floor.

As the lift descended, Alex felt like her entire life was flashing before her eyes. She saw her childhood, her mother teaching her to ride a bike and braiding her hair, her father helping her with homework and teaching her how to fish in the summer, she saw her teenage years, and college, then law school and meeting Casey...

Casey seemed to go in slow motion, seeing her for the first time across the student union, asking her out, their first kiss, falling in love, moving to Manhattan to work for the District Attorney, then falling out. Had she ever really stopped loving Casey? The truth was probably no, but time was over for that life. Time ended on it when she met Nicholas.

Nicholas, who wooed her, married her and within five weeks of marriage threw the kitchen stools at her in a fit of rage. Nicholas who happened to be part of what she loved the most, Nicky, but Nicholas who'd beaten her to the point she lost their second child. Nicholas who promised to be better, but never changed, only became more violent. He robbed her of her life, he took Casey away. Now she'd take the one thing he seemed to love for the moment, she'd take Nicky to keep him safe.

As the doors opened, she picked up Nicky and held him close. Following the big man just as he'd instructed. She told her detectives goodbye for the last time, making sure to not take to long as to not draw suspicion. Crossing the street to the SUV, she left her world behind as she followed the big man exactly as he said.

Elliot looked to Liv, "We should get going. The quicker we get everything together the quicker Alex is out of danger."

"Yeah, I agree." Liv said as they walked towards their cruiser. As they reached their doors, Liv heard the engine of the SUV crank just before the explosion.

Pulling herself up off the pavement, she screamed, "Alex!" as she ran towards the remains of the SUV. Only stopping when Elliot grabbed her. She cried into his shoulder, as Federal workers came piling out of the building.

One thing was certain, Alex Cabot was dead...