Lawyers, Drinks, and Broken arms


-Part VII-


Once Alex walked into her brownstone, she stopped, wondering if she had entered the wrong house.

The lights were already on and there was the distinct sound of someone in the kitchen and the smell of food wafting in the air. The powerful New York prosecutor was definitely guilty of leaving her newly renovated kitchen unused most days of the week. It came to a surprise to her that an intruder would be making dinner, but at the moment, Alex was far from thinking it was a home invasion.

It was most likely her mother, or-

The blonde attorney paused as she continued into the unit, her eyes widening as she spotted a familiar briefcase and jacket strewn on her living room couch. A quickly widening smile replaced her apprehension, the smell of dinner making Alex wonder if Casey had lied about living on pizza delivery. She quickly kicked off her heels, tiptoeing in her pantyhose clad feet, her footsteps almost noiseless.

It was the dinner table first that caught Alex's eye, with a luxurious spread of foods that she could only describe as her favorite dishes on the table. Honey glazed salmon, carbonara pasta, cauliflower cheese bake, heirloom tomato salad...Alex was speechless, finally understanding all those loaded questions the redhead had asked her before. Salivating, the blonde was still in awe, wondering how the younger ADA could have whipped this up right after work. They only left a few hours apart, with loose plans of meeting for dinner later this evening. The meeting with Jack was edged out of her mind. It was something she had to deal with sooner or later, but it definitely wasn't ruining her evening tonight.

Turning to the figure standing at the sink noisily scrubbing at some pans, Alex grinned. It was a sight for sore eyes, seeing Casey Novak in that green apron that Alex had never once taken out of one of her many mystery kitchen drawers.

This domestic side of the overachieving ADA was one that Alex never would have guessed existed. It was refreshing to say the least.

After a few minutes of just observing the redhead wash her pans, Alex stifled a chuckle as she watched Casey heave out a long sigh once the dishes were done.

The younger ADA spun around at the sudden sound, nearly jumping out of her skin. She clutched a hand to her chest once she had realized that it was just the homeowner. "Alex. You scared me. I didn't even hear you come in. Why didn't you say anything?" A red blush rose to Casey's cheeks as she stripped off the apron, making her way around the breakfast counter and over to Alex who sat at the table, just grinning.

"I wanted to enjoy the moment." Alex laughed. "Who knows when I'll get another chance to witness the great ADA Novak slaving away in my kitchen." The blonde pulled Casey over to her, kissing the redhead deeply before she just held her in a comfortable embrace.

"Haha. That's very funny, but you could just ask if that's what you really want, you know?" Casey smirked as she pulled away from Alex, heading back into the kitchen to fetch a few glasses and a bottle of white wine that was chilling in the refrigerator.

Trailing behind Casey, Alex could see that her kitchen was once again spotless, no evidence of dinner making in sight. There was a slight pang in the blonde's heart, wondering why discovering Casey's homemaker side turned her on so much.

Casey pulled out a bottle of wine from the fridge, the sight of the label making Alex's heart skip a beat.

"Wow, is that an '89 Chardonnay? You really know your wines." Alex moved to help Casey with the glasses, feeling impressed. "It seems like you're quite the chef despite what you told me before." The blonde attorney raised an eyebrow as she walked around the table, grabbing a corkscrew from a cabinet.

Casey scoffed, wanting to be modest, but also wanting to gloat a bit. "The internet's a great tool to help people like me seem cultured. Also, don't shower me with praise until you actually try the stuff…I don't mean to brag, but I did go through quite a lot of cookbooks during my suspension." The redhead gladly took a seat after all the work she had done tonight, thanking Alex as the blonde poured her a generous glass of her favorite white wine.

After pouring herself an equally generous amount of Chardonnay, Alex pulled out a chair across from Casey, looking over with a slightly unreadable expression on her face. There was a smile on the older ADA's lips, but also a strange air to her.

Casey's breath hitched in her throat.

"Alex, was the surprise too much?" Casey felt her heart race, mentally berating herself for fulfilling the lesbian stereotypes she had heard so much about. She wanted to explain it away, to try and cover up any sign that she was becoming too invested in…whatever they had. "I just thought that since we don't have anything scheduled early tomorrow, and your meeting with Jack…I figured it was either something bad or something good, so I wanted to…take off the edge a bit." Casey watched Alex's expression, hoping she hadn't overextended the use of the blonde's extra house key.

"You've just…"Alex paused, casually taking a sip of her glass before she continued. "You've really made my day, Casey. I don't know what else to say but thank you." There was a genuine smile on Alex's lips and she reached out across the table to intertwine her hand with Casey's.

The redhead was elated to hear that, squeezing Alex's hand in reply. In hindsight, Casey felt foolish about wanting to censor her feelings towards Alex. When it came down to the blonde lawyer, the young ADA knew she couldn't think straight half the time, but it seemed like she was doing everything right so far, her anxiety clearly unwarranted.

"It's nothing, really. I just saw your expensive kitchen going to waste." Casey flashed Alex a smug grin, feeling proud of her accomplishment tonight. She turned to the table, using the serving utensils to fill Alex's plate with the dinner she had painstakingly planned out for more than a few weeks now. It was a calculating move on Casey's part, gathering information on the blonde lawyer's favorite gastronomic experiences.

"Well, Ms. All-things-modest, you've done a great job and I'm surprised you could pull it off with the desert of a pantry I have here." Alex laughed as she thought of her near-empty cupboards, filled with coffee beans, quinoa, and oatmeal.

"Oh, don't get me started on that. I really don't know how you run on that, Alex. I know expensive restaurants are more your scene, but after tonight, I'm sure you'll keep your kitchen well-stocked just to have me cook for you." Casey dug into her own plate, savoring the rich flavors she put into the honey garlic marinade, the tenderness of the fresh salmon just falling apart in her mouth.

The redheaded ADA was definitely a foodie, but a closeted one at that. Maybe it was the strange juxtaposition of softball and classic French cooking that people found surprising.

Alex was equally occupied with a mouthful of Casey's highly underrated cooking. She was shocked that such sophisticated talent was hidden in the woman who once told her that Oreos were her favorite food. "Casey, you are definitely going to do this again." The blonde was less preoccupied with her five-star restaurant manners, and more with inhaling the food in front of her. After skipping lunch and only having a cup of coffee for breakfast, it was comforting change.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself there, counselor. I know we both probably haven't eaten properly for the last few days, so that's another reason for this little celebration of ours." Casey took a swig from her wine glass, savoring the sweet taste of the green grapes that she loved in her Chardonnay.

"Hmm, good way of putting it. I definitely need a pick-me-up after finding out that I'm being sued for prosecutorial misconduct." Alex said this so nonchalantly, continuing her dinner without so much as a pause.

Across from the blonde, Casey raised an eyebrow, wondering if she had heard the woman correctly. The older ADA seemed too calm for it to be true, but then again, she was Alexandra Cabot, the proverbial queen of the DA's office.

"Is it a civil suit? There's no official inquest, is there?" Casey wasn't going to be worried if Alex wasn't, and she knew the woman well enough to know that Alex always had a gameplan for everything.

"No, there's no official inquest as of yet. Jack pulled some strings to have them hold back for now, so I still have all my active cases. Unfortunately, he did warn me that they'll investigate if the suit doesn't get quashed in pre-trial motions." Alex put a large spoonful of cheesy cauliflower in her mouth, feeling the stress of her own statement melt away with the flavors washed over her taste buds.

"I'm glad you're getting the benefit of the doubt. I guess my Brady violation was a bit too difficult to fight since I did it in open court…" Casey laughed weakly, a bit more than self-deprecating. She shook it off abruptly. "Anyway, what's the case? Something high profile?"

Alex furrowed her brows as she thought back to the initial investigation. It had only been a few months ago, but nothing in particular stood out about it. "It wasn't high profile at all. It was a pretty open and shut case and it only got kicked to SVU because a peeping tom was apprehended on scene." The blonde wracked her mind. No, it wasn't open and shut. There had always been something that bothered her about the coroner's report, but what was it… "The evidence cleared the suspect of everything and in the end, it was ruled natural causes. A heart attack. There really wasn't any other explanation for the cause of death."

"Then what's the complaint? Damages? Why would the guy be suing you if he wasn't charged?" Casey knew it shouldn't be cause for concern, but it seemed suspicious for someone to be filing a lawsuit on a crime they were cleared of.

"That's the weird thing. It's not the suspect that's suing me and the department. It's the victim's daughter. She's claiming that I colluded with the defense to make the charges go away." Alex sighed, continuing on with rest of her dinner.

"Collusion? Really? What kind of evidence do they have on that? Collusion is such a hard thing to prove if they don't have physical evidence." Casey helped herself to seconds, just missing the expression that flickered onto Alex's face.

Suddenly, Alex paled.

"They…might have evidence of that." Alex thought back to the pictures. They were sent before notice was served. They weren't incriminating on their own, but in the context of the case, they could definitely suggest the alleged collusion was taking place.

"Alex…who was the defense attorney on that case?" Casey felt uneasy, not liking the sudden serious tone the blonde took.

"Trevor Langan. He was opposing counsel…" Sighing, the blonde put everything together, her mind finally as clear as ever. A sinking feeling hit Alex and she knew what this was. It was blackmail.

"And…I went as his date to the governor's ball two weeks after the trial."

Casey sighed, now seeing how this civil lawsuit could be more than just a trumped up accusation. The other side had the ammunition and probable cause they needed for an inquest. Now, they just needed the evidence to prove that the truth was the truth.

To do that, Alex definitely needed to call in some favors.


"Elliott." Olivia sighed, leaning back in the passenger's seat as she looked at her watch. It was almost 10:30 P.M. and tomorrow was another regular workday. She really didn't have the time to go on voluntary stakeouts.

"I know, I know. Another 30 minutes? I'm just getting worried. It's the second package that's ended up on my desk I just want to make sure she's alright." Elliott peered across the street, his eyes picking up movement in the upscale brownstone.

"I'm pretty sure Alex can handle herself. After all, if she was in trouble, she would tell us. They were pretty normal pictures, weren't they?" The exasperated detective yawned, checking her watch again. "Why don't you just give her a call?"

"But it's Alex, you know? She's on her high horse and all that. She probably doesn't think it's a threat, but I've seen these tactics before. They might seem innocuous, but the pictures tell you that they've been watching her for a long time." Elliott turned to Olivia and they shared a look.

"Hmm…You might be on to something. It's not like you to get so worked up about nothing." Olivia conceded, convinced that Elliott's gut was rarely wrong. "I do think you should give Alex a call though. It might be better than sitting outside her house wondering if she's been kidnapped."

"She didn't really give me the time of day the last time I told her. I just wish we got here earlier though. It's already gotten too dark for anyone to be scoping out her place for photos." Elliott looked up and down the street for any suspicious activity, but to be honest, their little stakeout was probably the most suspicious thing on the block. His beat-up four-door sedan stuck out like a sore thumb in this neighborhood.

"What's Alex got to do with Trevor Langan though?" Olivia mused aloud, having taken a look at both sets of photos that Elliott had kept. "They seemed awfully friendly in the photos, but it wasn't like a sex tape or racy photos, you know?"

"Maybe it's Langan's wife or girlfriend suspecting him of cheating? The pictures could be a scare tactic to tell Alex to stay away from her man." Elliott joined in on the brainstorming as he rummaged through his pockets for a stick of gum.

"That's a likely one." Olivia nodded in agreement, not knowing what other possibility it could be at this point.

There was a brief silence in the car, just the sound of Elliott's chewing filling the small expanse.

"By the way, since when were Casey and Alex friends?"

It was a question out of the blue from Elliott, who didn't usually take interest in anyone outside Olivia or his own family.

"I think they've been pretty chummy ever since that time Alex broke her arm. They've been working on a lot of cases together too, so it's no wonder." Olivia had a feeling that Elliott had caught onto something. Her interest was piqued, but she really didn't want to gossip about Alex.

"Huh." Elliott was at a slight loss. If Olivia didn't find it strange, then it probably wasn't.

A few more minutes passed and the car was filled with the sound of Elliott's gum smacking against the roof of his mouth.

Something was hanging in the air and Olivia knew that Elliott didn't want to drop the subject.

"Are uh…Casey and Alex seeing anyone?"

Olivia arched an eyebrow, turning to her partner and giving him the most incredulous look she could manage. "I never pegged you for a gossip monger…What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing! It's just that…" Elliott paused, unable to forget that strange thing that happened last week with Casey answering Alex's phone. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but it was…weird. "I was just curious."

"Elliott, come on. What's that supposed to mean?" Olivia shook her head, disappointed at the man's attempt at making conversation. The urge to tell Elliott about the time Alex missed brunch was getting stronger. She knew it would just perpetuate the unfounded assumptions.

"It's just that they're both young, beautiful and successful lawyers and it's rare to see women their age still single."

Olivia Benson scoffed, almost as if she were offended. "Elliott, you know that I'm still single, right?" There was a slightly chill in the air despite the lighthearted tone that the female detective attempted to take.

Feeling uncomfortable at how Olivia bristled, Elliott decided to stop trying to beat around the bush. "That's not what I meant, Liv…I uh didn't want to tell you, since you'd think I was overthinking things, but…" Elliott scratched his head sheepishly, wondering how to word it. "When I called Alex last week to warn her about the photos, Casey picked up."

Olivia raised an eyebrow again. "And…?" The detective struggled to contain her excitement. It was inappropriate for a woman her age to get excited over office gossip, but it was definitely one of her guilty pleasures.

"It was the middle of the night…and it sounded like I woke them. Casey sounded like she had made the biggest mistake on earth by answering the phone too. I didn't think much of it then, but it was just after our conversation the other day that I started thinking…"

Olivia chuckled. "You mean how we were talking about how Casey is pretty much the only female in the DA's office that can play softball?"

Elliott laughed. "Yeah, and you know…that little wager we had going on. I was thinking about that, but Alex? I just don't see that ice queen batting for the other team."

"You'd be surprised, El…Alex can be quite the political bisexual. The way she flirts with everyone and anyone who could possibly further her political career…You should have seen her at the DA's Christmas party."

"But that's work, right? I get that. I guess it's just weird to picture the two of them being such close friends. Aside from being bossy and good at their jobs, they seem like complete opposites." Elliott sighed as he got his suspicions off his chest.

"I know what you mean. Casey can be a bit quirky and neurotic at times and Alex…" Olivia paused, trailing off, not knowing how to describe the blonde ADA.

"Alex is just Alex." Elliott finished his partner's sentence for her, and they both agreed that there really was no other way to justly embody the description of Alex Cabot.

The two lapsed into a moment of silence before tensing up as the front doors to Alex's unit opened up.

"Look! There's someone coming out." Elliott squinted, trying to make out as much as he could in the darkness.

"Oh my god. Is that…" Olivia was intensely trained on the doorway, her jaw almost dropping.

"Well, you know…it doesn't mean anything. Just because we were just talking about them doesn't mean that there's anything going on." Elliott tried to rationalize his thoughts as he watched the subjects of their conversation step out onto the doorstep. Casey held her briefcase and jacket in hand, talking animatedly with Alex, who was still in her work attire. The older lawyer leaned on her doorframe, her stockinged feet just visible from the detective's car.

So far, the two women looked like colleagues who had just had dinner after a regular workday. Really close colleagues, but nevertheless, there was nothing incriminating about how their conversation looked.

"Yeah. They were probably discussing their caseload over dinner."

Still, the two detectives watched with bated breath, expecting something to happen, as if they were watching a soap opera.

After a few more minutes of talking, Casey moved to leave, turning to walk down the stairs.

At this, the excitement died down, the inherent imagination of the human mind, disappointing.

"I guess it was a stretch. I mean really? Alex and Casey? That's not really something I would ever expect to-" Olivia stopped midsentence, her attention suddenly captured by the sight of Alex taking a few steps out past the main door. She caught Casey while the redhead was halfway down the front steps, a hand on the woman's arm stopping her.

The two women exchanged a few words, shared a few laughs and after that, Casey followed Alex back into the house.

Back in Elliott's car, there was a sense of nervous apprehension between the two detective. There was a silent agreement between them after what they both saw. They were both adults. They could both read the body language there. It was far too intense to suggest that Alex and Casey were just friends.

At this revelation, the two detectives were dumbstruck.

"I really hope you're not planning to wait to see if Casey goes home tonight." Olivia cocked her head slightly, wondering if Elliott wanted to pursue this further. The female detective was still intrigued by the exchange they witnessed tonight, a bemused smile on her lips.

Elliott's face matched Olivia's expression and after a brief pause, fished his keys out of the cup-holder. "We'll solve this mystery another day…And leave them their privacy. They are our friends after all..." The gruff detective mumbled as he started up the car, heading back to the precinct, more embarrassed than anything at having possibly uncovered a secret affair between Manhattan's hottest ADAs.


The following morning, Olivia and Elliott weren't given a moment's rest. The unofficial case they were on the previous night had caught up to them, starting with the surprise guests that had just showed up at the precinct.

"Olivia, I'm so glad you and Elliott are here. Do you have a few minutes to talk? I need to ask you two for a favor." Alex Cabot stood in front of Olivia's desk, briefcase in hand. It would have been a normal sight no matter how early in the morning, but today, beside her, stood Casey Novak.

Olivia and Elliott shared a knowing look, their detective skills kicking into in overdrive.

Alex had on one of her notorious miniskirt-blazer combinations with a matching pair of satin black high heels, not a hair out of place.

"What can we help you two with?" Elliott stood, walking over to the women.

Both attorneys looked professional as always. They stood an appropriate distance away from each other, not awkwardly distant, but not suspiciously close either. There were no clues there.

"Is there somewhere more private we can talk? The information is a bit sensitive." Casey piped up, dropping her voice as she posed the question.

Olivia gave the redhead a quick once over before replying. "Of course. I think there's an interview room that's open. Let's head there."

Casey had on a flattering grey pant suit that Olivia had seen her wear before. It was definitely Casey-esque. It wasn't the outfit she had worn to Alex's place last night, but she could have gone home this morning to change.

Olivia gave it another thought.

Or maybe…Casey had a few outfits stashed in Alex's closet for the occasional overnight stay.

Both were possibilities if they assumed that there was something going on between the two lawyers.

The two detectives escorted the lawyers down the hallway and into one of the empty interview rooms. They all took a seat at the small metal table, each side bracing themselves for the news.

It took no more than ten minutes to lay out the details, and it helped that Olivia and Elliott remembered the case somewhat. However, the two detectives were both relieved and disappointed that their discussion wasn't to disclose a clandestine romance between the two lawyers.

"So, let me get this straight…the victim's daughter from that case…four months ago is suing you and the DA's department because she thinks you dropped charges against her mother's alleged killer?"

Elliott narrowed his eyes, his head cocked slightly to the left, feeling strange to have said all that in the same sentence. Especially after learning that Alex Cabot was the subject of a lawsuit.

"Yes, and I hate to ask this of you two, but I would really appreciate it if you could take a second look. Something just doesn't sit right with me, especially with the timing of the lawsuit." Alex adjusted her glasses, leaning forward on the cold metal table. "The cause of death was ruled an accident, but they're arguing that there was foul play."

"Yeah, the timing is definitely suspicious. Do you think the pictures have something to do with this? Elliott told me that they were pictures of you and Langan. Wasn't he the defense lawyer on this case?" Olivia chimed in, growing more worried that Alex had gotten herself tied up in something complicated.

"Pictures?" Casey looked puzzled as she stared down the detectives and her blonde lover. It was the first she had heard of any pictures. She was curious and concerned. Especially when pictures of Alex and Langan were used in the context of blackmail.

Alex glared daggers at Elliott before turning to Casey. "I'm sure it's nothing. The pictures are quite innocuous, so I don't know how it could possibly help their case. In terms of blackmail, I don't even know what they could achieve by doing this."

"It's still unnerving, Alex. Especially if they've hired someone to follow you around like that." Casey trailed off, wondering if the mystery photographer had snapped any pictures of their own illicit love affair…

"Hey, Casey, don't worry. Elliott and I will look into it and check our regular channels. We're in contact with a few PIs who might know who's on Alex's tail." Olivia paused as she turned to the blonde. "We can also send a squad car to sit on your house if you're worried, Alex."

Alex shook her head, smiling slightly, grateful for the concern. "Don't worry about me. I'm sure it's harmless. I just need you guys to help me figure out what's wrong with this case. It might turn out to be a career breaker if I don't play this right…"

"Sure. We'll take another look at it. Since Melinda's back in the ME's office, I'll ask her to review the tox panel on the victim." Olivia wrote something down in her notebook, already gearing up for the challenge. "Is there anything else you remembered that was strange?"

The blonde thought for a moment and went over what she had discussed with Casey last night. They two attorneys had pored over the case details, picking it apart. "Yeah. It's the daughter. I was shocked to hear that the daughter was filling suit since she was never mentioned anywhere in the initial investigation."

"Oh so she doesn't surface when her mother dies, but she does when she sees a chance to sue the city?" Elliott arched an eyebrow, intrigued by the semantics. "I'm on it. I'll dig into her background. What's her name?"

"It's Tracy Jefferson. I'm meeting with her and her lawyers in a few days to deal with pre-trial motions and depositions and whatnot…" Alex sighed, feeling a headache coming on just thinking about it.

"Hey." Olivia reached out, trying reassure the blonde with a calming squeeze of her hand. "Everything will be alright. Let me and Elliott take care of this. Just focus on your defense and let us know if you need anything."

Casey bristled at the sight of the sudden contact, but struggled to hide her flicker of jealousy.

Alex missed the redhead's internal struggle, focusing on the detectives, feeling grateful for the support. "Thanks, Olivia. Elliott."

"Anytime, Alex." Elliott motioned to stand, a sympathetic smile on his gruff exterior. The other women stood as well, and they all moved towards the door.

"Alex." Olivia called out to the blonde and Alex turned, only to be enveloped in a warm hug. "Everything's going to be alright. We're gonna make sure of it." The detective pulled away, lingering only for a moment when she noted that Alex had probably washed her hair early this morning. There was the distinct smell of mint and jasmine, a familiar scent that Olivia had noted on the blonde often.

The group filtered out into the bullpen again, but as a fleeting thought, Elliott wondered something.

"So, is Casey going to be your lawyer?"

It was an innocent question and the detective didn't mean anything by it, but the two attorneys suddenly froze. They both had the inexplicable urge to explain away their closeness, but something erupted in Alex. It must have been her meeting with Jack.

"No, Casey's not my lawyer." Alex paused for a second, looking at Elliott.

"I've just been helping Alex with the case." Casey jumped in, feeling slightly awkward that she had contributed to the discussion without explaining why she was there. She had just assumed that the detectives wouldn't question her presence. "I mean. It's just good to have someone from the DA's office on your side, right? Alex is my friend after all and I just want to do what I can to help." The redhead smiled as she said this, making Alex melt at the sight of the genuine emotion that showed on her face.

"And I'm glad that you're helping Alex with this, Casey." Olivia was touched by the gesture, forgetting for a moment that Casey was under investigation for having the hots for her blonde co-worker.

"You're not the only one, Olivia. I'm really grateful to have all of your help on this." Alex adjusted her glasses, a nervous tic that Casey had picked up on. She knew that the almost perfect Alex Cabot only did that mid-conversation when she was embarrassed.

"It's no problem. You're one of us after all." Elliott smiled in his own gruff Elliott way that showed how much he cared.

"We'll see you two around. Let us know if anything comes up." Alex motioned to leave, with Casey on her heels.

"Will do. You take care of yourself, Alex." Olivia bid her farewells to both women, but something clicked as Casey walked past her. There was a distinct scent, a scent that she had just noticed not too long ago.

It was that same mint and jasmine combination that she had smelled on Alex earlier. She knew it wasn't just a coincidence.

Detective Olivia Benson had just hit a big break and she was itching to tell her partner.


A/N: Getting swamped with work! I really regret embarking on a multi-chapter project. I can never commit!

And I chose the most convoluted plotline to run with...please forgive me. haha...

Please stay tuned for more. I'll try to write more at a time and just upload a few chapters in one go. In the meantime, thanks for reading and drop me a review if you liked it!

Thanks :)