I'm not really a huge fan of this chapter. I'm trying, sorry if it absolutely sucks, but hopefully I can guarantee that my next fic will be better when I feel like I have more I can bring to it. If anyone has any ideas, I'd love to hear them. I haven't even thought about when Olivia tells Casey etc., so let me know. And please write honest reviews! I can and want to take criticism as long as it's constructive rather than just to put someone else down.

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"You think I'm overreacting, don't you?" Casey asked, clearly embarrassed. Elliot just turned to her and smiled.

"I think it's cute that you care so much," he responded. Casey turned to the window in an attempt to hide her blushing. Elliot was already laughing; he knew her well enough to know that she was burning up without seeing her.

"Shut up, it's not my fault I'm so pale!" Casey laughed. Elliot just continued smiling as he drove. Casey sat back in her seat, closed her eyes, and sighed. Elliot glanced at her and sighed as well.

Three minutes later the pair pulled into the parking lot at the precinct. Casey jumped out of the car nearly before it even came to a full stop.

"Casey! Jesus Christ, wait for me to stop the car! God, I have to tell my kids that!" he scolded her as if he were a parent who was, in fact, scolding their child.

Casey just continued to run towards the front door, not listening to a word Elliot was saying. Elliot properly parked the car, grabbed the keys from the ignition and sprinted after her. The two ran into the squad room. Elliot flipped on the lights and sighed—they were the only two there.

"She's here!" Casey exclaimed with the sound of relief in her voice.

"Casey Novak, do I need to take you to a shrink right now? Seriously, I'll call Huang and drag him in here… or maybe a couple of really nice men in white coats? There's not one other person in here!" he teased.

"Can it, Stabler. Her jacket's on her desk, that's how I know," she explained.

Elliot laughed. "Good, because I don't know how many people would want a mental case as their lawyer."

Casey jokingly slapped him on the arm and smiled.

"You never know," she responded, "there are some pretty crazy people out there. I mean come on, El, they let you walk free." She smiled, pleased with her own comeback.

"Let's just go find her, but this isn't over, Novak!" he answered as he went to check throughout the station. The pair searched upstairs, the interrogation/interview rooms, and some offices without any luck.

"I'll go check the bathroom." Casey said over her shoulder, and Elliot started to follow her.

"What are you doing!? There may not be anyone here right now, but you're still not following me into the bathroom you perv!" Casey laughed with a mischievous glint in her eye as she disappeared behind the door, leaving an embarrassed Elliot standing where he had stopped dead in his tracks.

"Liv?" she called. "Baby, are you in here? It's Casey… where are you?"

At the sound of Casey's voice, Olivia immediately awoke, making a noise. She stifled a yawn, but she knew that Casey had heard.

"Olivia?" Casey called again.

"I'm right here. I guess I fell asleep, sorry," Olivia explained as she exited the bathroom stall. She couldn't make contact with Casey, however, which Casey observed right away.

"Liv, people don't just conveniently fall asleep in the bathroom at their place of work while leaving their girlfriend at home worried sick, then come out and offer that explanation like it were normal!" Casey exclaimed, confused by her own statement.

"You lost me after 'Liv,'" Olivia laughed.

"Yeah, me too," Casey confessed. "So really, what are you doing here?"

"We have to talk, Case…" Olivia started.

Casey nearly fainted at the shock of those words. "You're… you're… please don't tell me you're-"

"Don't even ask me if I'm breaking up with you Casey Novak. You're insane if you think I'd ever let you get away!"

"I've been getting a lot of that lately," Casey laughed, although Olivia had no clue what she meant.

"And who else would be not letting you get away?" Olivia asked as anger rose inside her.

Casey laughed. "No, I meant the insane part… oh nevermind! Anyway, we have to talk?"

"Soon, yes, but can we not talk right now though? And especially not here, please. We can talk tomorrow. Don't worry though. By the way, how did you get here? If you tell me you rode your bike at this hour I swear I will-"

"Shit!" Casey exclaimed as she ran out of the bathroom; she had forgotten all about Elliot.

"Casey!?" Olivia stood in confusion for a moment before running after her.

"She's okay, Elliot, she was in the bathroom." Casey informed him as if she had never forgotten his presence.

"Gee, thanks for keeping me updated, Case." He teased.

"Sorry!" she laughed, blushing again as Elliot pulled her into a hug.

"Hey, you too!" he beckoned for Olivia to come join them.

"Glad we found you. I was fast asleep when I got a frantic call from this one. No pulling this again, I need my sleep," he joked. "Do you have your car, Liv? Or do you need a ride home?" he asked as he pulled away.

"Yeah, I do. It's outside," she answered. Elliot and Casey both burst out laughing.

"What?" Olivia asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"As opposed to where, Liv, in your desk drawer?" Casey teased through laughter. At that Olivia burst out laughing too.

"Come on, we clearly all need sleep," Elliot observed as the three left the station.

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Olivia glanced at the clock on the nightstand as she opened her eyes. 9:52! Wow, that's a whole three hours of sleep. She sighed as she watched the deep, even breathing of the sleeping figure next to her. Olivia loved waking up with her girlfriend in her arms; somehow no matter where the two fell asleep, no matter how far apart, they ended up in each other's arms. I don't want to lose this…

Still mentally exhausted but too physically awake to fall back asleep, Olivia strengthened her hold on the woman next to her as if she were holding on for her life. She reached for Casey's hand as she caressed the sleeping woman's cheek, smiling all the while.

"Mmm, why are you awake?" Casey demanded, smiling, although her eyes remained shut tight. She was in no way a morning person, but Olivia was not either. Casey turned around so that she was facing her girlfriend as she snuggled up close.

"I don't know, I just woke up," Olivia sighed as she played with Casey's silky red hair.

Casey looked up at Olivia with worry in her deep green eyes as she recalled the conversation from the previous night. Olivia still had no idea how she would tell the woman whom she loved more than the world about the situation at hand.

"Nevermind, hun, I'll tell you later, okay?" Olivia prayed that Casey wouldn't push. She knew she had to tell Casey, but she was not ready to face it quite yet. Casey was too asleep to protest, so she just responded with a nod. Olivia pulled the younger woman as close as she possibly could up to her own body, and waited until sleep took over.

Twenty minutes later Casey's breathing had completely evened out. Olivia carefully slipped out from under Casey and stood up, being careful to be silent enough that Casey could continue to sleep peacefully. She lightly shut the door behind her as she made her way into the living room.

She picked up her phone and dialed Elliot's number, praying he would answer. She needed to confess what she knew, but she was not ready to do so to Casey.

"Stabler," he answered after the second ring.

"El, it's me. I need to talk to you about something… it's kind of important. And I need to talk to you soon, and privately," Olivia explained. They decided that it would be safest if Olivia met Elliot at his house, so she left a note for Casey and slipped out the door.

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"Wait a minute, you had a kinship analysis done with your own DNA?" He asked, slightly in shock. "You do know that's illegal, right?"

"I know that, Elliot, but I needed to know. You can't tell anyone though—Melinda did this for me as a favor. I don't want her to get in trouble."

"Olivia Benson, don't even tell me you really think I'd report you or something crazy like that!"

"Okay, Elliot, that's not even the point. There is so much more to it," she started. Elliot sat back on the couch, showing her that she had his full attention.

"Do you remember Casey's ex-fiancé, Charlie? The one who was sick…"

"I remember him, Olivia, but what has that got to do with anything?"

"I have a brother…"

"That's great, Liv! I'm happy for you. I think that's what I'm supposed to say, right? I'm not really sure, it's not like I've been in this situation before," he started, trying to make humor out of an awkward situation. "What does this have to do with Casey's ex-fiancé, though?

Olivia stared at Elliot in disbelief for a moment. For a detective he sure can be dumb as a doorknob. After a couple moments of silence, Elliot's face changed. He finally understood the situation. Neither of them knew what to ssay.

"Well…" Elliot began. "It sure is a small world, huh?"

"Yeah, but what do I tell Casey? It's so weird!"

"I guess just tell her exactly what you told me. It's just really, really weird. She may be upset, but it shouldn't change anything," he advised.

"What if she breaks up with me?" Olivia asked, panic and worry in her voice. Elliot had never seen her in love like this in all the years he had known her.

"You and Casey are stronger than that. You just have to tell her, Liv—and soon. The longer you wait, the more it will eat at you and the harder it will get. It's a delicate situation though. There's no way to tell how she'll react. You just have to trust that your love is strong enough to hold this burden, and everything will be fine."

Olivia said goodbye to her partner as she made her way back to her apartment. I have to get this over with sooner or later… I just hope Elliot's right.