A/N: So, I don't know if anybody likes this story, but I wanted to continue this one, so, here's another one. Hope you like it ^^ Tell me what's wrong about it, because I want to know. :)
Tripperz: I love your metaphor. That's so suitable. :)
Chapter III
I know I am doing something that isn't mine to do. I'm not on the case. I'm not a detective. Hell, I shouldn't even know as much about the case as I do. But something's drawing me – no, luring me to it. I'm standing on the edge, discovering it, balancing on it, ready to take a leap. I want to do anything to keep the perp from attacking again, even if that means I'm gonna lose my job. It's an obsession. A sickness. It's like I stepped into something really icky, and I just weren't able to find the right cleaning product to get it off.
So, I'm having trouble staying at the right side of the edge. I shouldn't be falling into the debts. I should be wandering around on the ground, keeping an eye on my own cases, instead of some case that isn't even mine. I think it's gonna be bad, since Alex asked me a few days ago if I was okay. I mean, I haven't messed up yet, but still. I must have drifted off in my mind again, because Alex is waving her hand before my face.
"Huh?" I look up at her. Her eyes are narrowed and she looks at me in suspicion.
"Casey? Did you even listen to me?" She furrows her eyebrows, checking on me. I think I didn't even notice she walked in. Strange, since I always notice. She takes my silence as a no, because she continues her talking. "Well, it's past seven, so I came to tell you, since you're a lot distracted lately. I don't think it's a great idea for you to crash on your office's couch, so I'm gonna take you out for dinner somewhere and bring you home so you can sleep in your own bed."
I finally find my tongue back as I realize what she's saying. "That would be a great idea." I'm actually not quite hungry, but it's always nice to spend my time with Alex. Then I remind me I have to train tonight. "But after, I'm not going home. I was planning to stop by the batting cages, so I could strike some balls, before I'll go to sleep."
"Hmm, that seems fine by me." She seems to think about something. "I could go with you, if you like. You can teach me how to use a bat." She grins. I actually like that idea.
"Again, that sounds like a great idea." I smile. "But maybe I have to warn you, you might not be as good at this as at the rest you do." I smirk, and I see the blonde starts to pout.
"Maybe.. Maybe I'm just as good as those guys playing for the national team, and did I just miss something in my youth or something." She grins. "Maybe you should be afraid that I'm better."
"Oh, I'm most certainly not afraid, counselor. But I must say, if you're gonna be great, that must be because you're gonna have the best teacher you'll ever wish to have." I stick out my tongue at the other attorney.
When we're finally situated in a nice place near the batting caves, Alex asks me what's wrong and why I'm so distracted lately. She actually looks a bit concerned. I find that really touching. She's such a kind and loving person, and she's also funny. And damn, she's so hot. She has legs that go on forever, and she's got an amazing body, and when she's wearing glasses.. You can carry me away. Sometimes I just like to stare, but then I remind myself that is such an inappropriate thing to do. Hell, she probably isn't even a lesbian.
"Casey. You're distracted again. What are you pondering about, that you keep drifting off like this?" She pierces her eyes into mine. There's no way I can take my eyes off of hers. I kind of feel like drowning, until I remember she asked me something.
"Oh, eh. Yeah, I don't know." Then a memory pops up in my mind. "Alex? Why won't there be any Mr. Cabot?" She looks a bit shocked, not entirely expecting this kind of question.
"Well, I'm not easy to live with. It's not like I have low standards or something." She isn't telling me the whole story, but I can't put a finger on what's missing. "Besides, if I date someone.. The person in question has to live with an attorney, and as you know, that might not be the easiest thing to do." She grins.
"You're right. Same thing for me, I guess." I'm not completely satisfied with her answer, but I'll drop the subject. She might have a good reason not to answer it, and I don't want our dinner to be awkward or something. "So, how's work going?" I ask.
It's almost nine when we're done and head to the batting cages. It's a little chilly, so I put my hands into the pockets of my coats, deeper and deeper, trying to get some warmth of it. If I just could entangle my fingers with the blonde's next to me.. Well, I probably shouldn't be thinking like this, but I can't stop imagining what it would be like. Though, my pockets are just fine. It's only a few yards.
When we're at the batting cages, I hand Alex some of my spare clothes, so her own don't get all sweaty. When we're done changing our clothes, I'll get my bat and show her how to hit the ball.
"So, you just watch the ball approaching.. And then you hit it like this." I say, as I strike the ball. After a few times I'll hand her my bat. "Your turn." I grin. She takes the bat a little awkwardly. It's actually quite adorable.
She positions herself on the plate and looks at the ball approaching like I told her. Unfortunately, she misses, but I can't say I'm surprised. "Well, I would be flabbergasted if you hit that one your first try." I smile.
She looks at me funny. "Well, that would have been great. I must look like an idiot." She pouts a little. Oh, those lips. After three more missed balls and a flying bat, I decide I help her.
"You're holding it wrong." I smile. "If you hold it like this.." I stand behind her, laying my right hand on her right hand and my left hand on her other, and change their position. "And if you bend over a little like this.." Oh, how I want to wrap my arms around that waist and hold her. Alright, focus, Novak.
Another ball approaches and I help her hit the ball, and she strikes it far away. She drops the bat and turns around to hug me. I can't help but smell her hair when she does. She smells like a combination of jasmine and lilies, and I love it. I don't know how long our embrace took, but I know it was longer than just a friendly hug. But still, the hug ends sooner than I want. When we pull out of the hug, she looks at me funny again, but her cheeks are a little reddish.
Then the moment is gone and she turns around to grab the bat again. After an hour or so I decide it's late and we should go home. "Well, I had fun." Alex smiles. "You're a good teacher."
"Nah." I wave my hand dismissively. "You have talent." She grins.
"Well, you had to learn me how to hold a bat. I can't say that I'm not that talented, right?" She chuckles.
"Oh, you're very talented. Maybe not at softball, but you have a lot of qualities." I point out, looking into her eyes. Beautiful blue eyes.
"Oh, do I?" She raises her eyebrows. "Tell me about it." She grins.
"Well, you are a great prosecutor." I start. Not to mention the way you walk, the way you talk, the way you smile.. The way you say 'objection' in court. She takes a few steps in my direction, and I notice she's in my comfort zone. Well, I can't say that I bother. I actually like it. She's standing toe-to-toe right now, and I'm getting warm. I keep staring into her eyes, like the strongest magnet in the world versus a smalls piece of iron. She leans in and places a chaste kiss on my lips.
"Casey?" I startle. I must have drifted off, because we're still in the locker room.
"Yes?" I reply, a little embarrassed about my pondering. She was probably talking about something, and I didn't even have the decency to listen. Hell, I don't even know if she was talking, so I damn well don't know what she was talking about.
"Well, I was wondering what's getting you this distracted lately, because you're pondering all the time. Do you want to tell me, or..?" She looks at me concerned again. I sit down on the bench and look at my knees.
Why am I distracted? That's a good question. I'm not sure which one of my two obsessions is more distracting. The case, or Alex. I guess right now, it's Alex, but there's no way in hell I'm gonna tell her that. She sits down next to me and lays her hand on my thigh.
"Come on, Case. You can tell me." Case? I look up at her. "Anything." Her eyes pierce into mine, as if she's looking right in my soul.
"I.. can't tell." I sigh, trying to avert my gaze, but somehow now able to.
"Why not?" She raises her eyebrows. "Wait, you're not planning on killing me, right?"
I chuckle. "No, I'm not." She always knows how to break the tension.
"Well, then.. It can't be that worse, can it?" She smiles reassuringly. I bite my lip. Well, if you put it that way..
"I guess.. I'm in love." There.. I put it out on the table. Well, it was more like I vomited it on the table, but then again.. Out is out. Now I hope she doesn't ask whom I'm in love with. She cocks her head a little.
"Does he love you back?" She thinks it's a guy. I shake my head.
"I don't think so. I'm pretty sure, actually." I'm finally able to avert my gaze and stare at my knees again. "The person in question is totally out of my league." I sigh.
"Well, shame on him, because I think you're beautiful." She turns her head away, as I turn my head in her direction.
"Thanks." I smile. "We should head home."
"Casey?" She whispers my name. I look up.
"We've all been there. It's gonna be okay. If you need to talk to someone.. I'm there for you." She gives me one of her most amazing genuine smiles, which gives me the chills. "Goodnight." She says, before she leaves.
I sit on that bench for another ten minutes or so.. Or actually, it felt like that, but in reality it was an hour. I finally decide it's best if I head home. I decide to walk back home, because it makes me feel a little distracted from my distractions. When I'm halfway, I hear two people fighting. When I approach the noise, I see a man screaming to another woman, totally raged about something. The woman is holding a skillet, trying to defend herself. She's lying on the ground, half lying on the stairs of their house, begging her – I guess – husband to stop. I walk in their direction and tell the man to stop, but he turns his anger to me this time.
"My worthless wife called you, didn't she? Well, you can leave. We can handle this." I look at the wife and see she's scared, but she won't tell me to stay.
"I don't know your wife, sir. But I want to ask you to stop hurting her, because I'm an ADA at Manhattan's DA's office." I look at him, but apparently he isn't scared of me. Suddenly, I feel a fist crashing into my cheek, which causes me to stagger a little. A throbbing pain scatters my face. In reaction, I grab my bat from my back and try to hit his leg in defense, but he's faster than I am.
He grabs the other end of my bat and tugs at it. The bat slips out of my hands and I dive to his legs to tackle him, but he's stronger than I am. He throws me back on the ground faced up, and last thing I know is that I see my bat swinging through the air..
I open my eyes, but the lights hurt, so I close them again. There's a throbbing ache in both of my temples. I slowly bring my arm to my head and feel there's bandages on it. Then I realize there's an IV in my arm. I open my eyes again, and notice I'm in a hospital room. What the hell happened? I try to remember, but everything is just a blur. I reach for the button that brings the nurse in.
"You're awake." She says. She's old, I'd say probably about sixty years old or something. She smiles. "You've been unconscious for two days." She walks to the side of my bed to check on my machines and wires. "How's your head?"
I groan a bit, because no words come out. My mouth is dry as a desert. I take the glass water on my nightstand and take a sip. I clear my throat and manage to answer her question. "Hurts."
"I would be surprised if it didn't." Her smile is genuine. "Do I need to call someone?" Alex crosses my mind for a second, but I don't want her to be concerned, so I decide she doesn't need to.
"No, thanks." I reply. "How bad is it?"
"I don't know for sure, but I can page the doctor in charge. He can tell you more about your injuries." She suggests.
"That would be great." I nod.
The doctor tells me I have to stay for at least three nights of observation, since I don't have someone to take care of me. They weren't be able to check on the severity of my concussion or any other brain damage, so I have to get a CAT scan to check on that. A part of my skull was crushed by my bat. I can't remember hitting myself or getting hit by someone else, but the doctor says that's just the amnesia. That's probably just temporarily, but some parts may not come back. Then again, they don't know that until further examination.
It's almost afternoon when I remember it's Monday, so I get my phone. I notice my secretary called. There are five missed calls. I decide to call them back, before they get all paranoid about my absence.
"Novak."
"Oh, I'm glad you call. We were worried, where are you?" Dylan asks. He sounds concerned, but he tries to hide it.
"I'm in the hospital. I had an accident. I won't be able to be at work for the next few days." I tell him.
"Oh, that's horrible. Are you okay?" Of course I'm not.
"Well, I'm getting better, I guess. But Dylan? Can you only tell people if it's completely necessary? I don't want people to know." I bite my lip. I don't like when people are worried about me. I don't want them to pity me, to see me as vulnerable and weak. I just can't handle that.
"Alright. I guess I have to tell your boss, because he's going to want to know about your absence, but I guess that's okay with you." He points out.
"Yes, that's okay."
"Alright, well, get better soon." He wishes me good luck and hangs up again. I close my eyes, because I'm totally exhausted after just one phone call. That's one hell of a concussion I'm having. I'm drifting off before I even notice it.
It's ten in the evening when I wake up again. Another nurse is checking up on me and tells me I need something to eat. I look at my phone and see I have two missed calls again. It's Alex. I close my eyes as I consider calling her. I must have dozed off again, because I hear her voice.
"You weren't thinking about not calling me, right?" But when I open my eyes, I see her standing in the doorway of my hospital room.
