Casey was sitting alone at the bar of her favorite restaurant, on a Friday night. The bar was pretty dead for a Friday, which she blamed on the cold weather. Not too many patrons were willing to brave the cold for a smoke. At least the bar's television was on The Colts and Patriots game to keep her entertained.
"Hi, can I buy you a drink?" A stranger asked her out of nowhere.
"Thank you, but no. I'm good. Thanks." Casey replied, slightly surprised. She had been too involved in the football game to notice the stranger occupy the stool to her left. The bartender placed a large light pink drink in front of the redhead. "Thanks, Rach." Casey told the blonde.
"No problem, Case." Rachel replied.
"Could you place that on my tab?" The brunette stranger asked the bartender.
"That won't be necessary. That one is on me." Rachel told the guy, with a wink at Casey.
"So you come here a lot?" The stranger asked wincing slightly at how lame that sounded. Casey chuckled lightly.
"As much as work allows, but only if Rachel is working." Casey replied and took a long sip of her drink.
"I'm Brian." He introduced himself with an out stretched hand.
"Casey." The ADA responded.
"Hey, Case want me to go ahead and put your order in?" Rachel asked the young attorney, hinting that Liv had snuck in.
"Yeah, that'd be great." Casey answered cheerily.
"So, does this really pink drink have a name? Let me guess, The Rachel Special." Brian hazarded.
"Actually, it's a watermelon margarita. Hello, Cassidy." Olivia answered for her girlfriend, much to Detective Brian Cassidy's surprise.
"Olivia." Brian greeted dumbly. It didn't seem possible, but the chocolate eyed detective had gotten even more beautiful than he last remembered.
"Sorry, I'm late. I got caught up with paperwork." Liv apologized.
"It's okay. I got sucked into the football game. Rach already put our order in." Casey conceded, then wrapped her arms around the older woman's neck, and rested her forehead against Liv's. "Hey." Casey said softly.
"Hey." Olivia replied, and then softly kissed her girlfriend.
"Uh ungh." Cassidy cleared his throat to get their attention.
"What's up Brian?" Liv asked as she reached for the drink that Rachel put in front of her.
"It's been awhile Benson. How have you been?" Brian asked cautiously. If he was honest with himself, he'd never truly gotten over her.
"Wait, he's that Cassidy? Oh Liv, Abbie was right." Novak interrupted.
"What is she talking about?" Brian asked completely confused.
"When you and I hooked up, I was in a relationship with Abbie Carmichael." Liv explained to him.
"Here you go ladies." Rachel interjected while placing two bowls of chili and a board holding a dark loaf of bread in front of them.
"Thanks." They both said in unison.
"Can I get you anything?" Rachel asked the now quiet Cassidy.
"Uh yeah. A double shot of Jack." He answered. Rachel merely raised an eyebrow at Olivia, but complied with his request. He drank the shot quickly, and then ordered a beer to chase it. "You were dating 'Hang 'em High' Carmichael and you told her about us?" Brian asked trying to understand.
"While I might not have always been faithful to Abbie, I was always honest, and I told her everything." Olivia answered honestly. Abbie and she had made their peace when it came to the Brian Cassidy incident, and to date they were best friends.
"You and she didn't last, huh?" Brian questioned, as he believed that anything outside the job came last in Benson's life.
"We were together for 4 years. In the end she needed to get out of Jack's shadow, and make a name for herself." Olivia told Brian. Brian turned to Casey before speaking,
"You know you two won't last. She's married to the Job. Sooner or later, she won't just be late; she'll be canceling all together. Then she won't return your phone calls, claiming that she's too busy with the case. Finally you'll get the hint and just walk away. When that happens give me a call." Cassidy told the ADA, then handed her his card.
"Damn Brian. Kinda full of yourself. Where'd you come up with all that shit?" Benson asked. Brian just looked into his beer.
"That's how you imagined how you and she would end. Isn't it?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah." Brian answered. Rachel nodded then left to go check on food orders in the kitchen.
"Look, Cassidy I know you're still bitter about the whole thing, but honestly I don't do relationships with men." Liv told him.
"Yeah, sure whatever the job's your life. Everything else will eventually fade, even Casey." Brian replied.
"Brian, Olivia and I have been together for 9 years. I know exactly how she gets over certain cases. If she's working late 9 out of 10 times so am I. I'm SVU's ADA. We live together. I'm living proof that she can commit to something else besides work." Casey explained.
"Thought you didn't date co-workers? I get Carmichael and you were an item before she started handling our cases, but what about Casey? Or was that just a line you used on me?" Brian questioned with anger in his tone.
"I have a thing for ADA's and let's leave it at that. Thanks Rachel. Come on sweetheart let's go home." Olivia answered Brian with a mischievous glint in her eyes, as she grabbed their food order, and left the restaurant. Her arm wrapped around Casey's waist.