THank you or your response to the first chapter! Hope you all enjoy this one. I am doing some more establishing in this chapter, and the next one will start some heavy stuff. So enjoy!

The next morning I'm awakened by a sweet voice. "Wifey….wakey, wakey."

I open my eyes and find myself staring into my adorable wife's beautiful green eyes. She's lying on my chest staring right at me, a big smile on her face. Once she realizes I'm awake, she gives me a kiss. "Good morning, gorgeous."

I deepen our kiss and when we break apart I rest my hands on the back of Casey's head, holding her so she has no choice but to stare at me again. She seems herself this morning; no trace of the painful migraine from the evening before lingering on.

"Thank you for taking care of me last night," Casey says, reaching out and stroking my cheek. "Sorry I ruined our night."

"You're welcome, baby. And you didn't ruin anything. I love holding you in bed." I remove one hand from behind her head so I can touch her shoulder. "Are you feeling better today?" She nods, settling back down on me and sighing. I immediately start to stroke her soft hair. "Good. We can have our celebration tonight."

I turn my head and look at our alarm clock. It's ten minutes before its set to go off. I groan; I wish we didn't have to get up. I could lie in this bed all day with Casey and be perfectly content and happy.

I'm so glad her headache is gone. It hurts me to see her in that kind of pain. Sometimes her migraines still linger on the next day. The worst one she had lasted for almost two whole days. She got it right after New Year's and had to be in bed in the dark for two days. She was constantly throwing up and miserable. It was awful. Thank God this episode was tamer than others.

Casey and I lie there together for as long as we possibly can, savoring the feel of each other's bodies and feeling each other's love. But all too soon the alarm clock screams to life, letting us know that it's time to leave each other's arms and start the day.

Casey and I groan in unison and it's me who reaches over and shuts off the obnoxious clock. Casey pulls away from me and sits on the edge of the bed, yawning and scratching her messy hair. I nearly start laughing when I realize her Calex shirt is on backwards. We usually sleep naked but since Casey had one of her migraines last night, we both dressed for bed in our Calex t-shirts. I hadn't realized hers was on backwards, but now that I see it, it's adorable.

We both finally get out bed lazily. I'm thankful that Casey had a good night's sleep after her migraine last night. Granted it wasn't as bad as usual, but it was bad enough. I'm positive she slept through the night. If she had been awake or would have awakened suddenly, I would have known.

I shower quickly while Casey makes her way into the kitchen to make breakfast. Since I have a longer commute to my office from our house, I'm going to have leave earlier in the morning than Casey. Which means showering together is out. I'll have just enough time to eat breakfast with Casey every morning before I have to leave.

I don't spend as much time as usual on my hair this morning – I just remembered when I stepped out of the shower that I have to drive Casey to work this morning. I picked her up last night and her car is there. And I don't want her to have to take a taxi. So I do a quick blow-dry and brush job, then dress in record time; opting to wear one of my beige suits with a pink blouse today. Then I put on the finishing touch – the charm bracelet Casey gave me on our honeymoon. My finger graces my newly acquired house charm and I smile in pride. I'm certainly proud to have this milestone in my life symbolized on my bracelet.

By the time I'm dressed and head back out to the kitchen I expect to see breakfast ready and waiting for me. Instead I see a frustrated Casey searching the cabinets hurriedly.

"Something wrong?" I ask, coming over to the island and sitting on one of the stools. Casey turns around and glares at me. Not exactly the warm look you want to see first thing in the morning. "Casey?"

"What the heck did you do to this kitchen?" she asks, closing the cabinet door. "I can't find anything…where the heck are the pans?"

I nod to the cabinet door under the sink. Casey moves to it and opens it. She pulls out our good Teflon pan – and bursts into a fit of laughter.

I cock my head and look at her. "What's funny?"

Casey puts the pan on the counter and shakes her head, still laughing. "Alex, Alex…you're just as inept about kitchen organization as you are about cooking, I'm afraid." She points to a tier of multiple hooks above her head. "Those are for the pots and pans." She lifts the pan and shows me the small hole in the handle and then hangs it on one of the hooks. "Just like that."

I stifle a laugh. Whoops. "Oh. Sorry. I just wanted to get everything put away."

She shakes her head again and comes around the island to me, wrapping her arms around me and kissing the top of my head. "What am I going to do with you? You're just too cute."

"Keep me?" I ask her hopefully, giving her my best pathetic look as she backs away from me and sits on the stool next to me. "I'm sorry I screwed up the kitchen."

She reaches out and smoothes my hair back, smiling at me sweetly. "It's okay, baby. I'll keep you anyway, I guess. But when I get home from work I am re-doing this kitchen."

I shrug and throw my hands up in defeat. "As you wish. The kitchen is yours."

She's still smoothing my hair back and staring at me with love. God, I love looking at her. She is the most perfect human being on this earth.

Finally she sighs and gets up off the stool. "Well I'm afraid I don't have to time prepare breakfast now…I guess it's drive-thru this morning. I know you have to get going. But don't skip breakfast, okay? Get at least something."

"Well you'll be with me." She gives me a confused look. "Your car is at the office, remember?"

"Oh yeah," she says thoughtfully, smiling. "Then we'll do McDonald's. I'll go hurry and get ready. I already fed Harrison; I just need to shower and get dressed."

I envy Casey's ability to be able to take quick showers and make herself presentable in less than half the time it takes me to accomplish the same thing. She hardly spends any time on her makeup or hair at all and still manages to look beautiful. It's unfair.

I wander into the kitchen and turn on the early morning news while I wait for Casey to get ready. I don't usually watch TV in the mornings, but as I might as well do something productive while I'm waiting. I catch the forecast; rain tonight. Good; maybe that will get rid of the rest of that ugly snow we have outside.

I wait about fifteen minutes and then wander down the hallway towards the bathroom. The faucet has already been shut off but the bathroom door is still closed. I can hear the hairdryer. I smile as an impulse comes over me.

I quietly open the bathroom door, immediately spotting Casey bent over with the hairdryer, drying the underside of her long red hair. She has a towel wrapped around herself and the radio near the sink is playing at a very low volume. She's unaware of me stalking into the bathroom, so I use this to my advantage. I don't plan to scare her but I do want the element of surprise.

But it doesn't work. I'm two steps away from her when Casey stands back up and grins at me in the mirror. "Hello, wifey. Come to leer at me getting out of the shower?"

I love it when she calls me 'wifey'. It's the sweetest, cutest thing ever and uniquely Casey.

Instead of answering, I grab her and spin her around so she's facing me. Without a word I loosen the towel, causing it to fall to her feet. Her freshly showered body is mine for the taking…too bad we're pressed for time this morning.

I place my hands on each of her hips and pull her in for a deep, long kiss. Her breath tastes like toothpaste and I can smell the subtle strawberry scent of her shampoo. When I end the kiss, I rest my hand over the tattoo on her hip, smiling widely. "Beautiful," I tell her.

She returns my smile. "You too, baby."

I can't resist hugging her again. I know my affection may sometimes be too much, but I can't help it. I was never an affection person before but Casey has brought out this side of me. Now I can't get enough of it.

"Beautiful…" I repeat, squeezing Casey tightly. She has her arms wrapped around me. "Mine."

She lays her head on my shoulder, sighing contently. "Yours," she concedes. And then she squeezes me in return. "And mine."

I couldn't have thought of a better way to sum it up than that.

Casey's POV

Oh my God, this day is never-ending. It's only three o' clock and I already want to go home.

It's been hectic all day. First of all, the Senator's speech writer called in this morning with a family emergency and wasn't able to come in to prepare Senator Palmer's speech he is supposed to deliver on the Senate floor tomorrow regarding a current piece of legislation they are working on. It's not one I am familiar with, so I had to pull up the legislation and try and depicter the political mumbo-jumbo just to get the gist of it. I thought I had an okay concept of it, so I quickly hashed out a speech. I'm pretty good with words. Senator Palmer is in Washington today so I called him on Skype and emailed him the speech. He was pleased with it and thanked me for my effort.

Then I spent over an hour on the phone this morning with the Chief of Staff from our state's other Senator, getting information on a bill he wants Senator Palmer to co-sponsor, and asking the list of questions I got in my email from Senator Palmer.

After that I had a staff meeting and then fifteen minutes to myself in my office…before Jenna arrived.

I'm at the front of the office using the fax machine when she comes in so naturally I'm one of the first people she sees. She greets me in her usual enthusiastic manner, coming right up to stand beside me. When I turn and look at her, I realize she's not alone; there's a dark-haired man standing beside her.

"Hi Casey! How are you feeling? Better, I hope? You certainly look better!"

I was fine until you walked in. Now my entire day is ruined. Thanks a lot. That's what I want to say. But what I actually say is, "I am feeling better; thank you," with a small professional smile. I keep what Alex told me in the back of my mind; basically treat her professionally but don't give her any incentive to be overly-friendly. As if Jenna needs any extra incentive to be annoying.

I turn back to my document and act as if Jenna isn't there, but she doesn't go away. She stands there looking over my shoulder at what I'm doing and says, "Sorry if I seemed pushy to your wife last night…I was just concerned. Please give her my apologizes."

"It's fine; don't worry about it," I tell Jenna quickly. My fax finishes going through and as soon as the transmission record prints out, I grab it and turn towards the hallway in a desperate attempt to escape Jenna.

But it doesn't work. She actually steps right in front of me and says, "I want you to meet someone." She gestures to the man who came in with her, who is now standing awkwardly in front of the front desk. "This is my boyfriend, Kyle. He works for the Democratic Party." Kyle approaches me and holds out his hand. "This is the district attorney's wife," Jenna adds with a smile.

Kyle smiles and reaches for my hand. "Casey Cabot. Nice to meet you."

Kyle doesn't say much; just shyly says it's nice to meet me and then asks Jenna if she's ready to go.

Aw, they're leaving? That breaks my heart. I think I will retreat to my office and cry now.

"We're heading out to Washington; just wanted to stop by and say hello and make introductions before we left." Her tone is so cheerful. She sounds like a contestant from 'The Price Is Right'.

I barely say acknowledge she's leaving as she says goodbye to everyone else in the office and makes her way out to the parking lot. I watch her go, grateful that I won't be putting up with her today.

After taking care of a few more minor details, I'm finally able to take my lunch. I go to the taco place down the road and sit in my jeep to eat my tacos. I'm hallway done when my cell phone vibrates, indicating an incoming text message. It's from Alex. My face immediately lights up.

Hey baby. Just wanted to say I love you. I hope no headache today?

I quickly compose a reply. No headache. On lunch – tacos. I love you too…miss you. Can't wait for tonight! Celebration still on?

Oh yes. A romantic dinner and then…other activities. I'll be home a little late but don't spoil your dinner! Love you tons.

I smile again. Alex is always looking out for me. I text her back and tell her I'll be ready, and then I quickly polish off the rest of my tacos. I'm too lazy to get out of my car and throw the wrappers in the garbage can outside of the building, so I crumble everything up inside the paper to-go bag and toss it on the floor of the passenger seat. I'll throw it away at the office.

Almost on cue, as soon as I start the car my cell phone rings. I'm not a fan of talking on it while driving, so I turn the car off and answer. It's Senator Palmer.

"Senator, hi. What can I do for you? Is that about the speech? Did you decide you didn't like it?"

"Casey, I think you have worked for me long enough to call me Ryan…Senator is too formal. And no; the speech is great."

I feel myself relax a little when I realize I'm not about to be chewed out. But why is he calling me? Our communication when he is in Washington is mostly Skype and texts…this is a little unusual.

"I'm calling because there is something I want to tell you."

I can't tell from his tone whether this is good or bad, so I hesitantly say, "Okay…"

"I know I've already told you how much I appreciate your hard work and willingness to always go above and beyond what's asked of you. But I don't think I've ever told you that you're the best person I have on my staff. I was one-hundred and ten percent impressed that you were able to read through that bill and understand what you read well enough to compose a speech. There are individuals who hold four-year degrees in public policy who wouldn't have been able to come up with what you did. I just wanted to tell you that."

I feel my heart feel with pride at Ryan's words. I've never been praised in that way regarding any job I've held.

"Thank you." I'm grinning from ear-to-ear. I'm actually proud of myself. "But you didn't have to call me just to tell me that."

"Yes I did. I felt it couldn't wait. I'm so honored to have you on my staff, Casey. And I'm glad that you will attending the fundraiser next weekend with Alex. All the right people will be there and I think it's the perfect time for you to start making an impression on them. I was wondering if you might be willing to come to Washington on Friday instead of Saturday?"

"Why? The fundraiser isn't until Saturday night…"

"There's an important committee hearing I'd like you to attend. I think your insight would be valuable. Consider it and let me know if you're able to make it."

That's something I would love to do, but I have to discuss it with Alex first. We were planning on flying to Washington together on Saturday morning. I'm almost positive that Alex won't be able to get Friday off and I'm not sure I want to spend an extra night that week without her. But I will discuss it with her. I don't make any decisions without consulting Alex; marriage means compromise and making decisions together.

"I'll discuss it with Alex and let you know. And thank you for your kind words. It means a lot. I'm going to head back to the office now and get some work done."

"Take the rest of the day off," Ryan instructs me. "You've earned it. Go surprise that beautiful wife of yours at work."

I thank Ryan again for his words and his belief in me. I disconnect the call and I can't stop grinning. I can't believe I've taken so well to this job. I never thought I'd find my niche anywhere; I guess I was wrong. I can't remember the last time I felt self-pride about a job I was doing. Not even as an ADA did I feel this way; I always had this shadow hanging over me, this sense that I wasn't worthy and didn't belong because of that one mistake I made. But not here; not with this job. I have no prior experience and no educational background in politics or policy, but I still love what I do and I somehow manage to excel at it.

I have to call Alex and tell her. She's going to be bursting with pride when she hears what Ryan said. I'm in such a hurry to hit her speed dial that I accidently bring up the photo album and a random photo pops up. It's a picture of me and Alex from Christmas morning. I'm wearing a beautiful sweater that Alex's mother had given me and a stupid Santa hat, and Alex is right behind me with her arms locked around my chest. We're both smiling from ear-ear.

I smile at the memory. This past Christmas was our first Christmas as the Cabot's, and we had gone to our cabin on Montauk Lake to celebrate. We had a beautiful tree, decorations, gifts, each other…it was perfect. There was a very bad winter storm on Christmas Eve and we got snowed in for two days.

On Christmas morning we had gone crazy taking photos with our phones. We took photos of each other, photos of us together, photos of us outside in our winter gear, photos of the tree and the snow…everything. By the day's end we had over a thousand photos between the two of us. We had connected our phones to Alex's laptop and looked through every photo we had, laughing the entire time. It had been a blast.

I remember thinking it was going to be the worst Christmas ever because it was the first Christmas without my mother and the first one I wasn't spending with my family. But it turned out to be the best one ever because I spent it with the love of my life…and as Casey Cabot.

I'm actually getting teared up looking at the photo. I had forgotten I saved this one to my phone's memory. It had been my favorite. Me and Alex's love for each other is evident in the photo, and it captured the season perfectly.

I drop the phone into the passenger seat and start the car. I think I'll take Ryan's suggestion and go see my beautiful wife at work.

I raise my hand and knock on the closed door of Alex's office. When she tells me to come in, I catch the confusion in her voice. It's not usual for someone to knock on her door; usually her secretary buzzes her ahead of time and seeks permission for someone to come back to her office. But I had told her secretary I wanted this to be a surprise, so here I am, knocking on her door with a bouquet of white roses hidden behind my back.

I open the door and saunter into the office with a bit of a cocky strut, giving Alex a lopsided smile and making sure to keep the roses behind my back. I close her door behind me and approach the desk slowly.

Alex looks up at me from behind her cute black-rimmed glasses and raises an eyebrow questioningly. "Casey…you're a sight for sore eyes. Today has been extremely busy and you're just the eye candy I need. How come you're off work early?"

She stands and comes around the desk to give me a kiss. I lean into her awkwardly, not wanting to drop the flowers. She pulls me away and gives me a puzzled look. "What are you hiding?"

I give her my best Casey smile and present the flowers to her. She gasps in delight and takes them from me, letting a smile overtake her face and sitting them down on her desk. She gives me another kiss, this one deeper. "Oh Casey, they are beautiful!" she gushes. "Thank you."

Just to go and show you how much Alex Cabot has changed – almost two years ago she wouldn't be caught dead kissing me in her office, especially with a job as important as District Attorney. Now she doesn't care. I mean more to her than her job.

She motions for me to sit in the chair in front of her desk, so I do. I look down at the open file on her desk. It's a police report and a statement. "Wow. It does look like you're busy."

Alex laughs lightly. "Yeah. Sometimes it's not so fun being District Attorney. Having to pour over all these documents and statements and determining how to charge the suspects…and then having ADAs disagree and buck up against me. I love my job and the challenges it provides, but sometimes I miss being an ADA and having someone else make the decisions." She thinks about what she just said. "Oh my God, did I say that aloud?"

I have to laugh at her. "Yes, you did. But it's okay. I understand. Are you feeling any sympathy for McCoy now that you're in his place? Remember how much trouble I used to give him?" Alex gives me an 'I can't safely answer that' look and I nearly burst out laughing. "Okay, point taken. Maybe I was too hard on him."

"No, you weren't. You stepped out of a line a few times yes, but McCoy was a jerk. I have an understanding for the pressure he was under and can sort of see how our relationship was hard for him to deal with…but he had no excuse to treat you the way he did, Casey. You were a great ADA." She reaches across the desk and covers my hand with hers. "And now you're great Senate staffer. I'm so proud of my little Casey."

I feel myself blushing. Alex fussing over me always makes me blush like a lovesick teenager. Which usually makes her fuss even more.

"Aww…now my Casey is blushing…super adorable."

When my face goes back to its normal color, I'm able to say, "Speaking of my job…I have something exciting to share about it."

Alex cocks her head and looks at me, completely interested. "Oh? And what might that be?"

I fill Alex in on all the details about the speechwriter being absent and me writing the speech, about Ryan's kind words and his invitation to attend his committee hearing. I'm taking a mile a minute and I'm surprised Alex is able to keep up. But by the time I've finished my story, she is smiling and brimming with pride for me so I know she took it all in.

"Is there a limit to your greatness?" Alex asks, leaning back in her chair and looking me over. "Casey Cabot, Senate staffer extraordinaire, can now add speech writer to her list of talents. And she now has the title of Best Staffer ever."

That makes me involuntarily blush again. "I'm sorry for bursting in and blabbing about this…I know it's unlike me. I'm sorry. I just couldn't wait to tell you. I – I'm so proud of myself for this, Alex. Do you know how long it's been since I could say that?"

I'm becoming emotional. This is all too much. Too many good things are happening in my life right now. The marriage, the house, the job…it's all a lot to take in. It's more happiness than I think I deserve and more than I ever thought was possible for one person.

Despite all my efforts not to, I start to cry. Not a full-on bawl fest, but gentle sobs that send warm tears running down my cheeks. The good kind; happy tears.

"Aw, Casey…" Alex gets up again and comes around to the front of the desk, wrapping her arms around me and holding me. "You deserve every bit of recognition you are getting, baby. You are a wonderful smart girl that is going to do so many great things in life. And I get to be there by your side as you do them." She kisses my cheek and strokes my hair, and then crouches down so she's eye-level with me. Her blue eyes are so full of warmth and love and she continues to stroke my hair and gazes into my eyes. "I am so proud of you, Casey. So, so proud. My heart swells with love and pride every time I look at you."

Those words go right into my heart and stay there. I know she's sincere. There's not a hint of jealously or resentment anywhere in her eyes. She is honestly proud of me and the work I do, and I know she always will be.

I let another tear slide down my cheek and Alex is quick to brush it away with her soft thumb. She's still crouched down beside me, holding my hand and now stroking my cheek. Love is radiating off her.

"I just don't know what I did to deserve this kind of happiness, Alex," I say softly, closing my eyes. "Sometimes I think it has to be dream; that nothing like this could be true or real."

"Casey," Alex says again, ceasing her stroking of my cheek and opting to take my other hand in hers. She squeezes my hands tightly and forces me to look into her eyes again. "What did you do to deserve this happiness? You're you. You're Casey. You changed my life and made into a completely different person. You give me love unlike any I've known before. You bring joy into every day. I treasure you, Casey, and everything about you. Sometimes the prettiest eyes have cried the most tears and the kindest hearts have felt the most pain. That's definitely true, because you have the prettiest eyes and the kindest heart."

Just when I started getting my emotions under control, I lose it again. How can I not start the waterworks back up with the passage of Alex's last line?

We embrace each other again, holding on tightly and saying "I love you" until Alex's office line buzzes, startling us both. We both jump and pull away from each other, laughing easily as Alex picks up the phone. I watch her face contort into a look of displeasure as she says, "Okay. I'll be right there," and then hangs the phone up.

I grab a tissue off Alex's desk to and dab my watery eyes, when the photo frame I gave Alex on our honeymoon catches my eye. It's displayed proudly on Alex's desk, preserving one of our wedding photos. It puts a smile on my face when I see it and I turn my attention back to Alex. "Duty calls?"

She sighs and runs her fingers through her hair. "I'm afraid so; yes. One of my homicide ADAs needs to see me. So I'm sorry, honey, but I've got to run."

I get up from the chair and can't resist giving my wife another hug. "I understand. I know how busy you are. I just wanted to stop by; I'll see you at home. I love you."

Alex gives me a squeeze and peck on the cheek. "I love you too, baby. I'm so glad you came by, and thank you for the beautiful flowers."

Alex gathers her briefcase and slips her jacket on, and I walk out of her office with her. I have to hurry to keep up with her fast, purposeful stride. We part ways when we reach the elevator.

I reach out and seek Alex's hand, holding it momentarily. "I'm going to go home and re-organize that kitchen that you destroyed. I'll see you later."

Alex gives me a wink and smile before stepping onto the elevator. "Yes you will. And remember I'm proud of you and I love you."

I nod, and just before the elevator doors slide closed, Alex blows me a kiss.

"Casey…" Alex says in a sing-song voice, standing over the bed and leaning down towards me. She smoothes my hair back and says softly, "Time to get up."

I groan and venture a peek at the alarm clock…and groan again. It's only nine AM on a Saturday. Sleeping in is very valuable to me. If Alex valued her life at all, she wouldn't be trying to get me out of bed.

I roll onto my stomach and bury my face in my pillow. "I want to sleep…go get a drive-thru breakfast."

I feel the mattress dip as Alex climbs onto the bed and lies right beside me. "Casey…" she rasps again, right in my ear. "Come on, baby. I don't want food; I want you up. I know we stayed up late last night reading this week's letter, but…I just want you up. Please?"

I groan in response and pull the comforter over my heart, which results in Alex ripping it off me. I turn so my back is to Alex in further protest of being awakened at this ungodly hour on a weekend, but that doesn't stop her. Alex presses her lips to my neck and within seconds she's kissing her way up to my head. Goosebumps immediately spring to life all over my body. My neck being kissed is a weakness of mine; which my wife knows all too well.

I give in and roll over so I'm facing Alex, causing her to cease her kissing expedition. And I gasp as I realize Alex is already fully clothed and even appears to have showered. I pull myself into a sitting position, blinking my eyes in confusion. "When did you get up?"

"A couple hours ago. I wanted to get ready."

I yawn and scratch my head, not yet fully coherent. "Ready for what?"

She gives me a devilish grin and swats my knee. "You'll see; now get up and get ready. I'll make breakfast."

Even in my sleepy stupor I find humor in what Alex has just said. "You're making breakfast? Don't catch the kitchen on fire."

She tells me to shut up and I make myself leave the pleasure and comfort of our wonderful bed and slink into our bathroom to attempt to make myself look presentable. I stand in front of the mirror, clutching the sides of the sink and staring at myself with another yawn.

I look real attractive. My hair is messy and I have the sleepy eyes going on. It's a wonder I didn't send Alex screaming from the bedroom. I wouldn't have blamed her.

It takes me about a half hour to get ready. I feel pretty sluggish this morning and even the nice refreshing shower doesn't seem to wake me up. We have to stop staying up so late…I'm getting too old for it. Of course it wouldn't have mattered if my wife had let me sleep in. Just where is she planning on taking me, anyway?

I throw on a pair of my old faded blue jeans and a lazy purple hoodie and make my way to the kitchen. I'm pleased to see it's intact and there are no flames or messes that I can see. And Alex is standing in front of the fridge, her back to me, so I know she hasn't perished in a cooking mishap.

"I'm up and ready for whatever you're going to do to me," I grumble, falling into a chair at the table. Alex slams the fridge shut and comes over to the table, holding a can of Mountain Dew and smiling. She places the soda on the table and I grab it immediately and pop it open. I definitely need the caffeine this morning.

"It's almost ready; I didn't start it until a few minutes ago because I didn't want it to get cold."

I'm about to inquire as to what 'it' is when I hear the toaster pop up. I have to stifle a laugh; Alex made us toast. What a safe way to go. And it doesn't smell like she burned it this time. She's making progress!

The last time Alex attempted to make us toast she burned it so badly that it could have been used as a weapon. I had picked up my slice and burst into a fit of laughter, telling her I was positive I had prosecuted a case with that as the murder weapon. My poor inept Alex – I swear she could burn cereal.

Alex slaps the toast onto two plates and quickly spreads the jelly on – grape for me and strawberry for her. Then she brings the plates to the table, sitting mine down in front of me and smiling proudly. "What's the verdict? How does it look?"

I pick up the toast slice, examining it carefully. "Hmm…where it's not burnt to a weapon consistency…the back looks nicely colored…good jelly distribution…." I raise my eyes to her. "I'm impressed! You get an A plus, and not just for effort this time."

We chat as we eat our breakfast and I'm starting to wake up. I think it's the combination of caffeine, food and my wife. Alex is very peppy and cheerful this morning, whereas our roles are usually reserved and I'm the cheerful one.

After breakfast Alex announces we're leaving and that our destination much be kept confidential until we arrive.

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me where we're going," I announce stubbornly, placing my hands on my hips and giving Alex my serious expression.

She isn't buying it. She smiles and kisses my neck, whispering, "Do it because I love you? Please?" I can feel myself weakening as she kisses me again, making her way to my mouth and giving me a long, passionate kiss. "Hm...toothpaste taste is gone. Now you just taste like my Casey." She pulls away from me and cups my chin, forcing me to look at her. "Meet me in the car in five minutes?"

All my resolve is gone. I'm a quivering pool of Jell-O now; that's what Alex has reduced me to. I lock my arms around her neck and tell her, "Fine. Let me visit the bathroom once more, and then I'll be right out."

Alex's POV

I've been sitting in the car waiting for Casey for five minutes. Whatever she is doing, she's taking her sweet time; probably intentionally so.

I'm so proud of Casey that I could burst. She is exceling at her job and her confidence has really soared these past few months. I've noticed a huge change in her since we got married and I think a large part of that is her job and how well she's treated by the Senator. I'm so happy to see her doing something she loves with people who respect her.

I stopped at the pet store a few days ago to pick up some food for Harrison, when a flyer for an Adopt-A-Thon caught my attention. There are going to be cats and dogs from shelters around the area today from nine AM until noon. I thought it would be a perfect opportunity for Casey to pick out a dog. Even though I'm not crazy about the idea, I still want her to get one. She deserves it for how well she's doing.

My trunk is filled with dog supplies. The same day I saw the flyer I bought a twenty pound bag of dog food, a collar and lease, food and water dish, a tie-out and some toys. They've been sitting in my trunk for two days just waiting to be used. So I'm fully prepared…all Casey has to do is pick out her dog.

And the surprise doesn't end there. Casey expressed an interest in making our basement into a game room. I thought a room on the second floor would be more practical, but Casey seemed to like the basement more. It's a very nice basement; carpeted and large with a full bathroom. So I've decided to turn it into a game room for her. For the past few days I have been working in secret with Olivia and Renee, trying to get everything set up and ready. I bought a new big flat screen and a mini refrigerator that Casey can use for that horrible Mountain Dew. I picked out a couch that is set to be delivered on Monday while Casey is at work. I'm taking my lunch so I'm there when it gets delivered and I plan on keeping the basement locked and the key with me so Casey doesn't wander down there. And on Renee's advice, I bought an Xbox 360 with something called Kinect to go along with it. Supposedly it's better than the Wii. Renee and Olivia are coming over sometime next week to hook up the game consoles to the TV and help me get everything looking nice. We're also going to pick out some posters and décor for the walls. I'm beyond excited about this – Casey is going to love it.

And she should be thankful I am taking my car. Her jeep is much more suited to transporting a dog, but I don't like driving it. So I'll endure having to vacuum my backseat out…just because I love Casey.

When Casey finally comes out of the house, she's on her cell phone. She opens the passenger side door and climbs in, wrapping up her phone conversation. She leaves the door open for a moment and lets the cold air in and I'm about to scold her when she pulls it closed and slides her phone into her purse.

"Sorry. That was dad. He just wanted to check in."

"No problem. Are you ready?" Casey nods. "There's one rule – you have to keep your eyes closed until we get there."

"Are you nuts?" she asks me. "I am not sitting in this car with my eyes closed!"

"Humor me, Casey. It's about a ten minute trip. Come on."

"I'll fall asleep," she threatens.

"Casey…do it."

She sighs in defeat and makes a face at me, and then finally buckles her seatbelt and leans back against the headrest, closing her eyes. I smile, satisfied with myself. She's so adorable.

A few short minutes later we've pulled out of the driveway and are headed to the pet store. I can't stop smiling. The look on Casey's face is going to be worth every dog hair on our furniture and every landmine in our yard.

"What if there's a car coming that you don't see, but I would have seen it if my eyes weren't closed, and you hit it and we both die?" Casey asks morbidly, turning her head in my direction.

She can't see me, but I'm sure she knows I'm glaring at her. She must be able to feel it. "Just stop. I promise you are going to like this surprise. It will be worth it. You'll see."

Less than ten minutes later we're parked in the parking lot of the pet store. There are several cars here already, and a huge banner hanging in front of the entrance to the store reads "Adopt-A-Thon – One Day Only! Find Your Furry Friend Today!" complete with balloons on each side.

"I can feel the car has stopped – can I open my eyes now?" Casey asks me.

I reach out and push a stay strand of her hair out of her face and kiss her forehead. "Yes. Let me see those beautiful green eyes."

She pops them open and stares right into my eyes, not even trying to look around. "Making me close my eyes….you're so weird, Alex."

"Yes; but you love me anyway. And you'll love me even more when you see where we are."

"It's impossible to love you more, but let me take a look anyway." Casey finally turns and looks out the window – and gasps in shock. "Alex!"

I smile and get out of the car, going around to her side and opening the door for her. I hold out my hand and help her out of the car. "I saw the flyer and thought it would be the perfect time. You had said you wanted to adopt a dog. Maybe there will be one here that you will like."

Casey hugs me excitedly. "Oh, Alex! But you didn't have to. I thought you wanted to wait a while before we got one? Until we were settled more?"

I take Casey in my arms and hug her. "You deserve to have a dog, Casey. I'm so proud of you for the excellent work you're doing…and for being such an incredible wife." I release her and take her hand in mine, playing with her fingers. "Now come on – let's go find your dog."

As soon as we enter the store we're bombarded with dogs parking and voices chattering excitedly. There are several cages on the right wall of the store which look to contain cats but I we don't even give them a second glance. Our eyes are open for the dogs.

Casey pulls on my hand excitedly, pointing to an area towards the back of the store. "I think they're there. Come on."

All the dogs are in what looks to be a room they use for dog training. There are at least thirty dogs, all leashed and excitedly greeting everyone who approaches them. Two smaller dogs on the right are yapping and jumping up on everyone who stops and I find myself thankful that Casey doesn't want a small dog; I've never liked them. Some of them are basically rats masquerading as dogs.

A dog on the right catches Casey's eye immediately and she goes straight over to him, me following close behind her. He's a beautifully colored dog with thick fur ears that stick straight up. He's sitting calmly in front of the chair of the person who is holding his leash, and wags his furry tail when Casey crouches down in front of him to pet him. "Hello there…you're really pretty and calm."

The woman in the chair smiles at Casey's enthusiasm. "His name is Blaze. He's a two year old collie mix."

Casey is stroking his soft fur and talking softly to him, a huge smile on her face. "He's so calm and beautiful…what is a dog like this doing at a shelter?"

"We've had problems adopting him out. He's partially deaf and walks with a slight limp. He was brought to the shelter about six months ago after someone found him in the woods. He had been shot in the right hind leg and unfortunately the limp is a permanent result of it. It does not take away from his enthusiasm or energy, however; he loves to go for walks and play. He was treated by a vet and sent to a shelter after being released. He was terribly afraid of people. It was believed he had a history of abuse. He would urinate and cower if someone raised their voice to him. It took several months of loving care for him to trust humans again. And now he's a wonderful, loyal dog. He would make a good companion to anyone."

"Oh that's so sad…" Casey says, stroking his fur some more. I see tears in her eyes. "Is the deafness a result of the shooting as well?"

"No; and he's only partially deaf. He can hear loud noises and voices if you speak loudly enough."

I get into the spirit and crouch down so I can pet him as well. He's so soft and he licks my hand as I start to pet him, earning a "Aww, he likes you, Alex!" from Casey.

"What's he like? What's his temperament?" I ask.

"I've been fostering him. He's housebroken and neutered, and generally a very good dog. He's very calm and has no behavior problems. He also knows the basic commands – sit, stay, lay down, shake. Just as I said, speak loudly to him. He's very intelligent and trainable. Walks very well on a leash; doesn't pull. Loves other dogs. Taking him to a dog park regularly is a must."

That dog sits and behaves amazingly while Casey and I pet him and converse with his foster parent. It's clear by the way that Casey looks at him that she's already in love. And I have to agree he seems like a good dog. I'm not fond of the long fur; shedding season will be a nightmare. But I'll do it for Casey if she wants him.

The woman hands Casey the leash. "Walk him around. Get him to obey you."

There's not much room to move around because of the other dogs and people, but Casey walks him from one end of the room to the other. The dog stays right by her side the whole time and when she comes back to us, she tells him to sit in a loud clear voice. He obeys immediately and wags his tail happily again when Casey pets his head.

Watching my wife with this dog is so heartwarming. She crouches in front of him again and tells him to shake, and when he does she so praises him happily. The dog is looking right into her eyes, his attention on Casey the entire time, shutting out the noise and confusion around him. Casey has fallen in love with a beautiful dog with a sad story that no one wanted.

Casey looks at me with a mixture of excitement and love. I can tell her mind is made up already and we don't even need to look at any more dogs. She pets him again. "What do you think, Alex?"

I reach out and stroke him once more, smiling. "I think it looks and sounds like you found your guy." I turn my attention to the dog's foster. "Can we take him today? Do we have to submit to a background check or anything?"

"You can take him right away; we just need you so sign some papers and pay the adoption fee. It's one-hundred seventy dollars, and we'll give you a month's supply of flea drops and he's been micro chipped. Do you want him?"

I don't hesitate to say, "Yes, we do. Please get us the paperwork."

Casey turns to him with a smile and says, "Did you hear that? You're mine now. A Cabot." She pats his neck. "You lucky boy."

I get tears in my eyes seeing how happy the dog is making Casey. That smile hasn't left her face since she met him. She reaches back and grabs my hand, locking her eyes with mine. "Thank you, Alex. I love him."

I squeeze her hand. "You're welcome, baby. And my trunk is full of dog supplies. I bought them the day I saw the flyer for today's event. But if there's anything else you want to get for him, go ahead."

The woman returns a few minutes later with the paperwork for us. We fill them out and pay the adoption fee, and then we're on our way. My heart is bursting with happiness and pride as we walk through the store, Casey's attention on her new friend the entire time.

Watching her, I make a last-minute decision. There was something I needed to talk to her about today…but now I feel it can wait. I think it will upset her a bit and I don't want anything to take away from this happy day.

So that gives me another twenty-four hours to figure out how to tell her that I can't attend the fundraiser in Washington next Saturday.

So what did you think? Alex can't attend the fundraiser...how do you think Casey will react to that? And did you like the dog? I know not much happened in this chapter, but I am still trying to establish Alex and Casey's lives together, and Casey's performance on her job. It's pretty important for this story. Please leave me a review and let me know what you think of this chapter!

The next chapter promises to be intense. Something happens. So brace yourself.