Casey:

"Born for This"

I felt like a petulant child who had been summoned to the principal's office. I couldn't deny the fact that since I'd returned from my suspension, my nerves had been somewhat shot. In the courtroom, I was still as tough as ever, and hadn't lost a case. But I'd been wearing the rules like one wears a pair of thick leather gloves. I wasn't willing to risk my career and everything I love a second time around. Every move I'd made since returning had been careful and calculated.

So, why the bureau chief wanted a meeting with me, I really couldn't say. But knowing I hadn't done anything wrong didn't make it any easier, nor did it make me any less nervous.

Her door was open when I arrived, and I gave it the polite two tap knock before walking in. She was looking up, clearly ready and waiting for me.

"Casey, thanks for coming down."

I nodded, forced a small smile. "Yeah, well, when the boss calls, you sorta come running."

Alex smiled and brushed a small strand of loose hair away from her eyes. "I need a favor." She began simply, I nodded again, letting her know I was willing to listen. "I need you to take a case from me. An SVU case."

I swallowed the hard lump that had formed in my throat, blew out a breath.

"Sure." I responded in what I hoped was a nonchalant tone. "Of course. No problem."

I'd been longing for that, hoping for a chance to get back into my old slot, back with the squad I'd befriended and become comfortable with. I couldn't understand why I'd suddenly become more nervous than I was before I'd walked into the office.

Alex passed me a stack of files thicker than her waist.

"I really appreciate this." She muttered softly.

I bit down on my lip. "Is it too forward of me to ask why?"

Even behind the bruises, I watched the color rise hotly in her cheeks. "No. No, it's not, and I suppose you deserve to know… but I can't tell you."

Her words exuded pain; her eyes sparkled, brimming with unshed tears.

"It's alright, Alex." I whispered, unable to find the right words, and desperate for an escape. "I understand."

"You do." She murmured, softly. "Even if you don't quite realize it yet."

And with that sentiment, I understood myself to be dismissed.

It was a cop bar. Clean and well lit, with scarred wooden tables and cheap beer. And too many voices – all laughing and trying to talk over each other. Elliot and Olivia were easy for me to spot, even from across the crowded room. Their routines hadn't changed in the months I'd been gone. Same table, same alcohol. Her head was thrown back mid-laugh, and he was scowling into his drink.

It's good to learn that some things don't change.

"El?" I called out tentatively, not wanting to intrude on what appeared to be a private moment, a single breath of normality for detectives who so rarely got a break.

"Casey!" they called back in unison, beckoning me over, smiling brightly.

"Didn't expect to see you in our neck of the woods anytime soon…" Olivia commented gently.

"Well, Alex passed me her case … so… here I am." I towed the line carefully, unsure how much to tell them.

Silence lapsed back over us, awkward and annoying as it never had been in the past.

"I need another drink." Olivia announced, glancing down at her empty glass. "Want anything, Case?"

"Yeah, a beer would be great. Whatever you're drinking."

She nodded and vanished into the crowd.

"So, I take this to mean you've seen Cabot recently."

"This morning." I confirmed. "She looked a little worse for the wear." I admitted.

"She claimed she was in a car accident."

"But you don't buy it." I interrupted.

He paused, took a swig of his beer before continuing. "I think I did, at first. I mean, why the hell would she lie? But it didn't sit right. And now she's passed the case off. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to see you again. Didn't think I'd have this chance."

He smiled then, the warmth of it spread into my bones.

"It's nice to see you again too." I muttered weakly hoping he didn't notice the blush rising at the back of my neck.

"One Guinness." Olivia said brightly, returning with our drinks.

"Gross. If I'd known you were drinking that crap I'd have gotten my own damn beer."

"Aren't you Irish Case?" Elliot asked me with a laugh. "Isn't it like, sacrilegious for you to hate Guinness?"

"Ha. Ha. You're just a laugh riot tonight, aren't you?"

With another wide grin, he drained the remaining amber liquid from his glass and stood to leave.

"I'm going to call it an early night. I'm on shift at eight am tomorrow."

"Hang on, I'll walk out with you." Olivia said quickly, and like a pro, emptied her glass. I scowled into the beer I didn't want, and followed them both outside.

By the time I joined them, Olivia had already climbed into a cab and was jetting downtown.

"Heading home then Casey?"

I nodded, and stepped towards the curb to hail my own taxi.

"Split a cab with me, since we're both going all the way to queens anyway…?"

"Sure." I responded easily, but I was slightly amazed at how simply things had fallen back into their old routine.

Elliot rattled off my address, and predictably, the cabbie groaned at the thought of a trek to queens. I smirked, and from the corner of my eye I could see my expression mirrored on the handsome detectives face.

Yes, I thought. It was good to be back with people who understood me. My only regret was that it seemed to happen under violent circumstances. Something was very wrong with Alex Cabot. And I'm sure my mind would've lingered on that thought, but when my knees brushed Elliot's, I felt like a schoolgirl with a crush, and all thoughts seemed to vanish from my mind.

My neighborhood was deserted, as it always is at close to two am. I pushed a stack of bills into Elliot's hand and moved to open the car door.

"It was good to see you again, Case."

"Yeah." I agreed with a small smile. "Real good."

And suddenly, his lips were on mine, melting us together. The kiss was long, and it was hard, and not particularly playful. I wasn't sure what had come over either of us in that moment. We'd never had anything more than a professional working relationship. Maybe some mild flirtation. And I realized that I didn't care.

"Thanks for seeing me home, El."

He ran his hand gently down my cheek. "Sure thing Case. See ya tomorrow."

I nodded and climbed out of the car, my mind reeling with things I'd never expected.

It was good to be home.