Thinking of You
by Erin Griffin
Fandom: Law and Order: Special Victim's Unit
Pairing: Casey/Olivia
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Summary: Casey and Olivia give each other a new drive to do the best they can at their jobs.
Note: Unbeta'd, so forgive me.
Even before she'd ever thought of becoming a cop, Olivia Benson had always been curious by nature. She always found herself wondering the who's and why's, which just might be why she was good at what she did. There were, of course, times when her curiosity got her in trouble where she's wish she'd just left it all alone. There were too many times where she never stopped her curiosity from bugging her, telling her to get down to the bottom of things.
In this case, 'things' happened to involve Casey Novak and her sudden changes. They weren't anything bad, all the contrary. Something changed her drive for justice. She'd stay for longer hours, not stopping until a case was solved and the perp was put away. It fascinated Olivia to see Casey's determination and hard work- which wasn't to say it wasn't already there, but it was evident now, if she wasn't somewhat pushy. Casey demanded more, better evidence even if anyone knew it would hold up in court. Olivia wanted to argue it that first time, but something on Casey's face forced her to grab Elliot by the back of his jacket and hauled him back to the mother's house to grill her again. When, later that same evening, Casey smiled at her as she held printouts of an email exchange between the suspect and another man who claimed to be strangers, Olivia couldn't help but feel that it'd been worth it. She found herself taking a couple of extra looks, asking one or two extra questions to squeeze that much more from each crime scene, hoping to bring back something for Casey to smile about.
This new air from Casey sparked a new determination in Olivia, and in turn, Olivia spread that to Elliot, who passed it to Munch and Fin. She spent more nights in the crib anymore, than she did in her own bed. Now, when those cots start to become more comfortable than a queen-sized mattress you know something's got to give. But it was one of these nights in the crib that she got a clue- a lead in the mystery surrounding Casey Novak. She'd been trying to sleep but the hallways- if one could believe it- got too quiet. Slowly, she got off of the cot and ventured back to her desk, where she was surprised to see Casey there with headphones on, her eyes closed, and seemed to be asleep except for the fact that her hand softly tapped the case file Olivia had handed her only an hour or two prior. When she'd felt Olivia approach, she opened her eyes and shut off the CD player, looking guilty.
"Sorry, "I was-" Casey looked as if she was preparing to stand.
"Don't worry about it. I wasn't about to evict you. I just need my jacket."
"You headed home?"
"Just down the street for overpriced coffee. Want me to bring- You know what, I'll just skip that question and ask you what I should get for you." Olivia said, and Casey grinned. Olivia felt good about herself because she'd been able to make the attorney smile.
Casey seemed to think about it, and then she said, "In the time it takes to tell you my order, you could be already there. You mind if I just tag along? A small walk and coffee break is just what I need right now." She stood up and grabbed Olivia's jacket and handing it to her. Her own jacket, which was on her lap, was then put on as the two walked out into the night.
They were mostly silent as they walked, both concentrating on the sidewalk ahead of them. When they got to the twenty-four hour coffee shop, they waited in line. They chatted idly, and then Olivia had to ask, "I saw you were pretty deep in thought back there. What were you listening to?"
"Oh, just a CD that Elliot got for me," Casey said nonchalantly. She looked almost guilty. Olivia felt something when Casey told her that Elliot got it for her. Seeing Olivia's face, Casey added quickly, "I asked him to get it for me. He had better access to it than I did. I had to pretty much bribe him."
"Oh." Before Olivia could say anything else, they got to the cash register, and the detective motioned for Casey to order first. The redhead rattled off an order that felt like a movie's end credits list, and the barista took it all in with the air of indifference. She then ordered drip coffee with room, and when their orders were up, the two made their way back to the sixteenth precinct, where right away someone called for Casey.
The redhead put her drink down on Olivia's desk and said, "Watch this."
"Only if it does tricks," Olivia retorted, which caused Casey to look back and give a playful glare. As Olivia sat down, she opened her desk and saw Casey's CD player staring up at her. She looked over and saw only Munch speaking to Elliot about something, and then she looked down again. Slowly, she put on the headphones and pressed play on the CD player. Right away, she heard her own voice as she was sworn in. She recognized it as being a case she'd done a couple of months ago, and it was one of the toughest she'd have to do. She clicked off the CD player before she took the headphones off. She stared at the CD player in thought.
"I listen to that to keep my focus. Thinking of you helps me get the job done," Casey said from behind her. Olivia looked guilty for snooping, but the ADA didn't seem to mind that as she went on, "The last few weeks, seeing you worked up on a case made me want to be like that, and lately, I've wanted to make sure I could use Elliot and your evidence so that the victim does get justice."
There was a short silence as the two stared at each other. Then Olivia spoke her truth. "I have to admit that after that first time you sent me back for more evidence a couple of weeks ago, I couldn't stop wondering if it was enough. I always thought about you as I worked, hoping like a puppy you'd be pleased with what evidence I'd bring to you in the higher standers you'd set. I could stop trying to measure up."
"You thought of me too?" Casey asked, and Olivia nodded. Casey took a quick look around, and then kissed the detective, which was little more than a peck on the lips. The two women looked into each other's eyes before the ADA's cell phone went off. Looking at the display, she reluctantly stepped away from Olivia. "I've got to take this. Thank you for the coffee. We'll talk later."
Olivia sat down at her desk and smiled. She could feel the imprint of Casey's lips upon hers, along with the image that came with it. She put the headphones over her ears again and found herself falling asleep to Casey's sexy voice.
End