A/N: I am so sick it feels like I am literally dying. But I didn't want to leave you guys in drought so I cranked this out. It might not be my best but…it's a step further in the story. Sorry.

Casey is standing outside of Alex's apartment once again at approximately seven thirty. She knocks a few times and nervously shuffles on her feet. She glances at her watch once more to make sure that she's on time.

The door opens a few seconds later revealing Alex in a form fitting black dress. Casey smiles broadly at her date's attire, knowing that she would get just what she asked for when she told Alex to dress classy.

"You look gorgeous." She says nicely which causes Alex to blush. She then repositions the flowers in her hand before she hands them to the flushed blonde. "These are for you."

Alex grins and thankfully accepts the flowers. "Thank you…I should put these in water. I'll only be a second."

Casey stands out side with her hands in her pockets waiting for Alex to reappear so they can leave. She thinks to her self that she really does come up with something different other than the whole flowers thing if Alex wants her to be different.

"Ready to go." Alex says stepping outside of her apartment. She feels Casey take her hand as they begin walking towards the elevator and thinks to herself that under normal circumstances she most definitely wouldn't be doing this. But obviously these are not normal circumstances.

Restaurant

"So why do you date so much?" Alex asks curiously after they've ordered their dinner. She has to say that she impressed by Casey taking her to a very upscale Italian restaurant. It isn't everyday she gets pampered you know.

Casey briefly pales from the question, but the color in her face quickly returns, turning into a full blown blush.

"Um…why do you ask?" is all she is really able to reply with.

Alex shrugs and sits back in her chair. "Well I was just wondering. I'm assuming everyone has a reason for the amount of people they date, and from what I've heard of you, it's quite an extensive amount. Why is that?"

Casey bites her bottom lip before she settles on shrugging as well. "I dunno really. It just kind of happens. Women are just that attracted to me….that sounded really arrogant didn't it?"

"Maybe just a bit." Alex replies curtly. "So I have drawn several scenarios on what we should do about or current relations. That is if you intend on pursuing a stable relationship with me."

Casey raises her eyebrows curiously at Alex's statement. "You have drawn…scenarios? Why?"

"Because that is the only functional way to operate. If you do not draw your own scenarios you are completely incapable of drawing conclusions and in situations it is best that you are properly aware of all of the possible outcomes."

"So…what are these scenarios?" Casey asks reluctantly.

Alex takes a deep breath before she continues on. "Well given the circumstances there is no possible way that we can hide this from our friend groups. In fact I am almost positive that you have already informed Abbie of our…relations. In addition to that I can't exactly hide anything from Kim, Liv, and Serena.

However, given the information that the three of them are all former lovers of yours, I think that it would be suitable to tell them first chance rather than hide it. Hiding something only prolongs further damages to relationships and will only make the situation at hand worse.

Aside from that, if you are in fact serious about being with me, which I supremely hope that you are because I do not wish for you to waste my time by making me your play thing. So you will eventually have to come and meet my family."

Casey's eyes widen and she chokes on her water. "Y-your…family? Alex you're like thirty! Why on earth would I still have to meet your family?"

Alex sighs and shakes her head as if the answer should be the most obvious thing in the world. "My parents are very formal and they adhere to the traditions of meeting who I am seeing. Despite my age, I am still their daughter and unfortunately I still have to abide by their rules."

"I still don't see why this is necessary." Casey mumbles as she shakes her head once again.

"It is necessary because not only am I following the guidelines my parents have given me, I am also making sure that you are being serious about this. I am trying to make sure that you aren't going to break my heart and leave me like you've left other women. Now that I think about it…has anyone every broken up with you?"

"Psh…no." Casey replies quickly.

Alex purses her lips and nods her head. "See that is exactly my point."

This causes Casey to frown in confusion as she tries to figure out whether or not she should be offended. "What point?"

"See, no one has ever broken up with you so you have absolutely no idea what it feels like to have someone leave you like that. For example, you told Serena that you loved her did you not?"

"….I really don't see how this is relevant…but yes I did."

"See? You told her you loved her and then you left; and with out even bothering to call at that. You don't know what that's like to have someone say they love you and just turn around and leave. I don't want that to happen to me Casey…I can't plan for something like that and that's why I'm here begging you right now, if you're going to run away from me, please do it now before I completely give up my heart to you."

Casey sees the pleading in Alex's eyes and she reaches across the table, taking the blonde's hand in her own. "Alex, I want this to work between us. I want something with you. A stable something that I'm not going to run away from. I just need you to trust me."

Alex nods her head before she averts her eyes to the table. "I haven't been with someone in so long…I'm not sure I know what to do any more."

"Hey, a relationship is a two person thing right? We'll figure it out together. I'll help." Casey responds reassuringly.

The two fall into a light and comfortable conversation even after their food has arrived. They talk easily about work and their friends, though some topics of conversation are easily objected.

Casey can't help but notices how Alex swiftly changes the subject whenever she brings anything up that has to do with information about her family.

While this is very curious, Casey still finds the relief of not yet having to inform Alex about her relationship with Melissa. Yes she knows that she needs to tell Alex about it, it's just…not the right time for her.

They have just settled into another conversation after eating, when a waiter carrying wine glasses on a tray trips and ends up spilling the contents of the glasses directly on Casey.

Casey gasps and moves away from the table, finding herself drenched in exceptionally strong wine from the waist up. She glares hard at the waiter who is looking at her with fearful apologetic eyes.

"Oh my god, ma'am, I am so sorry." he stumbles out as he picks up the now empty discarded wine glasses.

Casey opens her mouth to respond but snaps it shut as the strong smell of wine wafts across her nose. She closes her eyes and takes ten deep breaths before returning her icy gaze to the waiter.

"Don't worry about it. Just go." She says dismissively as she begins to unbutton her wine drenched shirt.

The waiter wants to apologize once again, but he decides against it, quickly scurrying away from the table.

Casey grumbles to herself as she unbuttons her shirt and slides it off, leaving her in only her black camisole. She then takes a clean napkin and dries and traces of the fluid that may have rubbed off on her.

"Casey, are you alright? We can go if you want to…" Alex asks concernedly.

Casey slips on her coat in place of her shirt and shakes her head. "No I think I'll…" she trails off as the smell of the spilled wine on the floor hits her again. "Actually, can we leave? I'm sorry, I just…really need to get out of here." she adds on standing from her chair.

Alex nods her head and stands as well, watching Casey mumble to her self irritably as she pays the check.

"Alex, can you do me a favor?" Casey asks before they leaving, receiving a head nod in response. "Take that shirt, and throw it away somewhere once we get outside."

Alex stares at Casey curiously for a moment before she picks up the wet shirt and follows the redhead outside of the restaurant. Once outside, she does as Casey asked her to and stuffs the button down in a nearby trash can.

Casey sits silently in the car with her head resting again the steering wheel. Even after Alex climbs into the passenger seat, she still needs a moment to gather herself.

"Are you alright?" Alex asks once again, seriously worried that something is wrong.

"I-I'm fine." Casey answers, taking another deep breath of air. Clean air. "I just needed a moment."

Alex's Apartment

"Casey can I ask you something?" Alex asks as she snuggles deeper under the covers next to her new lover.

"Shoot." Casey responds, throwing an arm over Alex's waist.

"Why'd you freak out so much when the waiter spilled wine on you at dinner? I mean, I'm sure that I would have freaked too simply because I've had something spilled on me, but that's just how I am. You…you looked like you were in pain for a little while. I was worried…"

Casey sighs and closes her eyes. This is a topic of discussion that Casey was hoping that she would never ever have to have with another girlfriend. Guess she was wrong on this one.

"Honestly? I…kind of have a drinking problem. It started probably when I was in my early twenties, and it just…never really went away. I haven't had a drink in a couple years now that I think about it, which is the longest that I've ever gone without, but it's still hard to be around alcoholic drinks. It's really horrible because it's actually showed up as a huge issue in some of my relationships and they just…didn't work."

Alex is silent before a moment before she leans over and places a soft kiss on Casey's lips.

"I trust you, and if I can help you in anyway, I will." She says softly before kissing the redhead once again. "And is was super brave of you to tell me that."

Casey shrugs and wraps her arms tightly around Alex's body, pulling them even closer together. "Most people don't know. It's not really something I tell. I mean, of course Abbie knows, she's the one who watches me…"

"Well you have a pretty amazing best friend, and now you have a pretty amazing girlfriend"

"Mmmm do I? Tell me, what might that girlfriend do that makes her so amazing?"

Alex smirks before she rolls over, straddling Casey. "Well, she might just have to show you then won't she?"

Later

Alex has successfully been able to seclude her relationship with Casey from any of her friends for a good two weeks. Oh and what a good two weeks those have been.

That is, until Serena brings up something at lunch that lets Alex know that she pretty much knows what's going on.

"Okay, you caught me. We're seeing each other." The older blonde mumbles irritably.

"I knew it! I knew it! See, I told you I knew!" Serena exclaims giving both Liv and Kim a look of self triumph.

"You just couldn't resist huh…" Kim murmurs. Usually, the comment coming from her especially would have a teasing tone, but for some reason, Kim's tone lacks all sense of humor.

Alex catches this and frowns at the brunette. "It's not that big a deal. I mean, she's soft, she's loving, she's caring she's tre-" she then finds herself cut off by Olivia.

"She's treating you right, she's buying you things, she's telling you how beautiful you are, she's…"

"Telling you how special you are, probably how you're one in a million. She tells you how much you mean to her, then she kisses you and the two of you make love until the sun rises." Kim adds on in the same monotone voice as before.

Alex snaps her mouth shut and blushes. She would be lying if she said that it didn't bother her that her friends were all right on the money.

"Okay, so what's your point…?" she asks begrudgingly.

"The point is, she says the same thing to every woman she dates. 'You're so special. I'm lucky to have you.' and all that shit. It's like she's a broken record that can't be fixed."

Alex rolls her eyes and looks towards her best friend who looks like she is struggling on what she wants to say. Finally, Serena realizes everyone is look at her, so she speaks.

"My opinion on the matter is...that it's your decision Ali…" the younger blonde says quietly.

"But…" Alex begins knowing there is more to the statement.

"But, I think that it isn't a wise idea to be involved with her. She's broken so many hearts, ours included, and I just…I don't want that to happen to you."

Alex scowls in anger and glares at her friends. "All of you are being overly judgmental. She's promised me that we are going to have a real and honest relationship. That she's not just going to up and leave, leaving me heartbroken. We've already talked about this. All of you are wrong."

"Alex, we're just saying that you need to be careful." Olivia says solemnly. "The trend that Casey has going on…you're only setting yourself up for the inevitable."

"If she doesn't want to listen then let her be. There is only so much that one can tell someone who is too stubborn to see the truth." Kim speaks up.

This causes Alex's anger to flare, and she zeros in on Kim specifically. "You know what Kim? I think that you're jealous."

Kim snorts and shakes her head. "Jealous of what? That you're dating a woman who has slept around with more women than she can count? No thanks."

"You're jealous because Casey is going to be serious with me unlike she was with you. That she's found something in me that she will never find in you. You're jealous because I'm obviously the woman that you were not."

"Alex, you really do need to calm down." Serena says sensing angers rising at the table.

Alex snaps her head towards Serena, glare still firmly in place. "Don't you dare tell me to calm down. How dare all of you? Tell me how to function in my relationship; a relationship that really isn't any of your business. Maybe you should check your facts before you start judging people." She says bitterly.

"There are no facts that need to be checked. We are sitting here telling you clear as day. Casey will break your heart, no ifs ands or buts. We as your friends who have already been down this road are just trying to let you know what you're getting yourself into." Kim says flatly.

"She's right Alex. The last thing that we are trying to do is attack you. I know it may not seem like it, but we really are trying to help you." Olivia says calmly.

Alex huffs irritably before she stands up from her chair. "All of you are just jealous. That's all it is. But let me tell you something; Casey is with me now, and I promise that my relationship with her will not end up like the rests of yours."

She pauses before she glares angrily at her best friend. Her best friend who is supposed to side with her but is doing an exceptionally poor job of it.

"And when I wake up in the morning, I am most definitely not going to be finding a note on my bedside pillow." She says spitefully before rooting in her purse from cash, throwing it on the table, and leaving three stunned women behind staring after her.

Serena sits with her mouth hanging open in pure shock. She had not once thought that Alex would use such a cheap shot like she did and it is actually very hurtful.

"She'll find out sure enough." Liv mumbles folding her arms.

Kim shakes her head and sits back in her chair. "Alex is a big girl, but she just better know what she's getting into."

Sorry once again….leave a review?