Her Safe Place
By: Liv-x-Case-Benson
Ch. 1: Instinct
The day was dark, as was the brunette detective's mood. She hadn't seen her beautiful red haired attorney in the last few days. And that was slowly driving her crazy. Not that she had much time to focus except at night lying awake in bed.
Olivia's work, however, wasn't lacking. In fact, she was putting even more effort into it. The fact that she missed the redhead wasn't evident in her work. She was more passionate, more energetic (which surprised her from the chunks of sleep she'd lost every night), she was faster. Accessible in every way at any time.
And she hated it.
She missed Casey so much it hurt, but she couldn't let it show. They were very careful at work and public events not to disclose certain aspects of just how close they were.
Olivia sighed, finishing up her papers for the current case. A two and a ten-year-old had been left abandoned outside a shopping mall. The windows were up and, inside, the brunette guessed, it felt like 90 degrees. They were called to the scene by a couple of good Samaritans who had noticed the situation, but couldn't get the car doors unlocked. The children were unconscious in the back seat. When Olivia had got into the car to get them she figured she wasn't in there over three minutes and she was about out from the heat.
Luckily after spending a night in the hospital, three for the younger, they were released to the custody of their aunt, with little more than severe dehydration. The mother was still nowhere to be found. Though, from the look of things...maybe she didn't want to be.
Whatever the case, it was probably the best for those kids.
Case . . . Casey… she thought as she got up and turned her papers into Cragen. Walking back out into the bull pen, she pulled her jacket on, putting her phone in her pocket and leaving.
Pulling up to Casey's apartment building, she noticed her lights were very dim, but not out. Calling might insinuate that she was there as more than a comforting gesture – not that it hadn't happened before – and she wasn't in that kind of mood at the moment.
Walking inside, she easily scaled the two flights of steps, stopping outside the door. She noticed three morning papers tossed haphazardly against it. Picking them up, she knocked.
Casey groaned from underneath the covers of her warm and comfortable bed. She knew Olivia's knock, but wasn't really up to talking. The past few days had been hell on her physically, mentally and emotionally and she wasn't ready to talk. Not yet. At the same time, she knew the detective would keep knocking until she answered.
Straightening her robe, after tying it, the ADA answered the door, not at all surprised by who was on the other side. "Hey Liv," she said in an exhausted tone.
Olivia took in the redhead's appearance. Her hair hadn't been combed, she was void of any and all makeup, her bed clothes wrinkled. "Hey, is something the matter? I haven't seen you in a few days."
Without a word Casey, stepped aside to let her in.
The detective went inside, sitting on the couch as Casey closed the door. "I've been working another case, outside of New York. Sorry I haven't been around."
"What kind of case? You usually don't go outside our jurisdiction," Olivia said.
Casey sighed, sitting beside her. "It doesn't matter. Not anymore."
"If I can help you in any way, you know I will, don't you?"
"Yes. I told you. It's nothing. It-it's over now. C-can you please just go?" Casey curled herself up into a ball, her hands around her knees.
Olivia placed a hand on her knee. "Casey. I know something's wrong. Something happened."
Casey looked over at Olivia. "..I-I can't, Liv."
"But you want to," she said, rubbing Casey's knee gently. When Casey flinched she noticed what looked like… "Is that a rug burn?"
Casey swatted her hand away. "I-I tripped," she said, her voice thick with unshed tears. "I'm glad you came to see me, Liv, but I'm fine, ok?"
"When will you be back to work?" Olivia asked.
"I-I don't know. I haven't felt very well."
The detective sighed. "Case, you have signs of-"
Casey stood abruptly, shoving the detective off the couch. "I TOLD YOU! I'M FINE!" she yelled.
Olivia, surprised by both Casey's attitude and physical force, sat up slowly. She saw so much pain, but Casey didn't seem to want her help. She stood. "You want me to leave? Fine." And she left, closing the door behind her.