A/N Okay, in the third section (when they are back in court), I wholly made up the whole California reference, lets just call it artistic license. I just imagine it would take lawyers to draw up ballot proposals and shit like that… feel free to tell me if I'm wrong! Actually, don't.
Oh, and as for Casey's age in this, well, it never said it in the series, so I made it up…
After initially being taken aback, Casey introduced him, "Alex, Abbie, this is my Dad, um…Casey Novak Senior."
"General Casey Novak Senior," her father corrected.
"Would you like a seat?" She asked him, gesturing to the plentiful empty seats which had been exited when the lawyer brawl had nearly ensued prior to her fathers surprise entry.
"I don't need permission to sit in my daughters office, and I prefer to stand. Now are you going to tell me what the fuck is going on here Titch, or do I need to get it from one of your other little lawyer friends?" Casey visibly winced at his use of her pet name.
"Could you give me a second to finish up here Dad?" Casey said, fidgeting nervously with her desk lamp.
"Five minutes." He growled, stalking toward the door, before he reached it, a young looking, wide eyed legal secretary popped her head in.
"Ms. Novak, there is a visitor for you…um…in your office." She gulped, looking at Casey's father who had clearly gotten past her.
"Evidently. Thanks for the heads up Steph," Casey glared, as her father followed her out of Casey's office, shutting the door noisily behind him.
"Just when I thought this day couldn't get any better." Casey muttered, running a hand through her strawberry-blonde hair.
Abbie looked Casey up and down. All five feet and ten inches of her. She had to ask, "Titch?"
Casey flicked her eyes up, "I've got three older brothers, the two eldest, Robert and Dan followed Dad into the army, Zachary went to med school. I came along twelve years after Zach. A surprise, or an 'accident'," Casey made air quotes, "if my Dad tells it; I've always been the baby of the family, and the nickname seems to have stuck."
Alex scrunched her nose, "You're named after your Dad?"
Casey nodded, "Yeah, I think my parents were pissed with me for ruining their early retirement plans."
"What's your Dad doing here?" Abbie asked.
"Can we please focus on the case at hand?" Casey asked, returning to her seat, glancing at her watch irritably.
"I don't think he meant five minutes, literally." Abbie said, bemused.
"I don't think you know my Dad." Casey said.
************
Elliot returned to the DA's office and headed for Casey's office, but was immediately headed off by a frazzled looking young legal secretary.
"Ms. Novak is not in the office today." She said. When Elliot looked puzzled, she made air quotes and whispered, "'officially'".
"Don't worry, I'm only here to bring her coffee, 'unofficially'" He stressed the words, as his coffee occupied hands prevented his own interpretation of the classic bunny fingers.
"Oh," She said, glancing back to an angry looking older man who was glaring at his watch and tapping his foot at her desk, then back to Casey's office door.
"Who's that?" Elliot asked, pointing with his brows at the man. The man definitely had hearing unbefitting for his age. He had heard Elliot's question and strolled up. He had a looming presence about him, and Elliot instinctively freed his hands, setting the coffees down on a nearby desk.
"Casey Novak," he said, sticking a hand out, which Elliot shook it firmly and the man glanced down at the tattoo his forearm. "Marine?"
Elliot nodded, "Elliot Stabler, former marine. I'm a Detective with the NYPD, sorry, did you say your name was…" Elliot began, but the older man interrupted.
"General Casey Novak, yes." He nodded. Elliot looked confused, until the Casey Novak he was familiar with exited her office, starting when she saw that Elliot was speaking to the man.
"Elliot, hi, this is my Dad, Casey Novak Senior, Dad this is my…" Her words fell away before she quickly tacked on, "Detective Stabler."
Her father raised an eyebrow, "Your Detective Stabler."
Casey looked a little flustered, "I meant Detective Stabler. Can we talk later? I'm due in court." She tried to skirt round her father, but her caught her by the upper arm as she passed.
"I'm sorry, next time I'll book a fucking appointment." He growled. Elliot watched the interaction carefully.
"I'm sorry Dad, it's just it is the middle of the day, and I'm at work." Casey explained weakly.
"It can wait." Her Dad said. "Now do you want to explain to me why the hell I got a phone call two days ago from a Lawyer named Jason Whitaker, telling me he needed to ask a few questions about our family since you were involved in a court case?"
"I'm a lawyer," Casey said, doing a good impersonation of nonchalant. "I'm involved in a lot of court cases."
"Don't be a smartass Casey." Her father warned. Elliot didn't like his tone. Casey clearly didn't either, and she gave Elliot an imploring look.
"Sir, would you mind taking your hand off of her?" Elliot said, politely removing the General's hand from Casey's arm. He turned immediately to Elliot, eyes vicious.
"Mr. Stabler, do you have children?"
Elliot rolled his eyes, wondering if 'father' was written across his forehead, he couldn't count how many people had asked him that same question, "four."
"Well then," General Novak said curtly, "I don't tell you how to raise your kids, I'd appreciate if you would afforded me the same privilege."
"I'm twenty-nine Dad. I think you can consider me risen." Casey said, sardonically. The General immediately turned back to his daughter, walking her back into the hallway wall, leaning in uncomfortably close.
"Do not take that tone with me Casey." He said, in a deep rumbling voice that even made Elliot himself jump. Casey held his glare for only a few seconds before giving in, casting her gaze down to her feet. Elliot felt a stirring in his stomach and unnerving memories of his own father which he liked to keep buried deep began to flash in front of his eyes. Before he knew what was happening, he had pulled the man away from Casey, and had his forearm pressed across his chest, pinning him.
"Elliot!" Casey said, sounding both confused and mildly relieved.
"Get the fuck off me!" General Novak spat, pushing Elliot away with strength surprising for his age. Elliot slowed his breathing, ground his teeth and started a slow count to ten.
"Sorry," He said, once the count up was finished. General Novak was furiously readjusting his suit jacket.
"You will be, who is your supervisor?" He snapped. Before Elliot could open his mouth, Casey cut in.
"Dad please, can we do this later, I have to be in court in ten minutes."
"What the hell for?" Her father asked again.
Elliot couldn't stand it anymore, "Your daughter was raped." He blurted out.
"What?" Her father looked between Elliot and Casey. "Who was it? Were you seeing him? Did he attack you…" He started. Casey put a hand up.
"It was a Detective from the department I work with." She answered. From the angry sideways glances she was giving Elliot, he knew he hadn't said the right thing.
"What's his name?" Her father asked. Casey shut her eyes and took a deep breath.
"It was a she." She said, finally.
Her Father looked confused, "what the fuck are you talking about? Have you gone the same way as Zachary?" Just then, Casey's office door opened, and Abbie and Alex joined them.
"We've got to get over to the courthouse," Abbie said, "we have less than ten minutes before the trial starts up again."
Her father still looked angry, and confused, "fine. I'll be waiting at your apartment when you're finished. Come straight back, no detours." he said, holding a hand, palm up to Casey. Casey rolled her eyes, then fished into her pocket and placed a set of keys into his waiting hand. He pushed them into his pocket and stormed off without a word.
"What's he going to do next, ground you?" Alex asked.
"He'd probably try," Casey said, annoyance apparent in her voice as she stared daggers at the departing back of her father.
"Well he's a delightful man." Elliot said, stepping closer to Casey, glad when she slipped one hand into his.
"Just like my Dad to be more worried about me being gay than being raped." She sighed.
"He always like that?" Elliot asked.
Casey nodded, "pretty much. He seems to think raising kids is the same as commanding a squadron. In fact, I'm pretty sure he once said that…"
"Why'd you give him your apartment keys?" Alex asked.
Casey smirked, "because I've moved apartments since I last saw him."
Abbie couldn't hide a giggle, "I wouldn't like to be whoever's living at your old place."
"Let's just get to the courthouse," Casey said, starting down the hallway with Elliot in tow, "I'll deal with my Dad after."
************
Back in court, Casey was still on the stand, and Whitaker hadn't handed proceedings back to the defence yet.
"Miss Novak, before recess you were telling us about how your Father and Mother disowned their youngest son, Zachary when he announced that he was homosexual…"
"Correct." Casey cut in, irritably.
"So, wouldn't it be safe to assume if your parents were to find out that you were homosexual, they would disown you also?"
Casey shrugged, "maybe. Like I said, never thought about it."
"All right, let me put this another way…" Casey cut in again.
"Mister Whitaker, Lionel Grainger is a partner at the firm you work for, your direct superior in fact, correct."
Whitaker looked perplexed, but nodded, "yes."
Casey smiled, "Mister Grainger is an acquaintance of mine, but we definitely have our differences in opinion. Is it not correct that Mister Grainger has been away from the New York branch these last few months, visiting the Californian branch of your firm to help them draw up a petition on behalf of the public, which many in the court might know as Proposition eight, a ballot proposal outlawing same-sex marriage?"
Whitaker neatened his tie, fidgeting, "that's correct, but completely irrelevant…"
"Really? Because I think that proves that your Boss is opposed to homosexuality, which means you would , Mister Whitaker, have a pretty strong motive to hide it, if you were gay." Casey said.
"But that doesn't prove that I am." Whitaker shot back immediately, then shut his eyes, realizing what he had just said. Casey smiled, and resisted the urge to say 'the prosecution rests'. Abbie smiled at her from behind the prosecution desk. Whitaker looked a little deflated.
"Your witness." He said to Abbie. Abbie shrugged.
"No further questions your honour."
"Miss Novak you may step down." Judge Saunders said.
"The Prosecution calls Ms. Alexandra Cabot to the stand." Abbie said, once Casey had left.
************
Alex was getting tired of being on this side of the witness stand.
She kept her eyes focused on Abbie as she paced the courtroom, coaching Alex on as she recounted numbly her relationship with Olivia. The first slap. The first punch. The first time she forced her down on the bed. The first time she had to lie to hospital staff about why she needed five stitches above her left eyebrow. The first broken rib. The first time she was certain she was going to die at Olivia's hands, when the punches and kicks wouldn't stop coming. All the while, she knew that the jury were looking at her. The people in the gallery were looking at her, hell even Abbie was probably looking at her and wondering why the hell she couldn't defend herself. Olivia was strong for a woman, but still, she wasn't exactly a formidable opponent.
The truth was, Alex had never even tried to fight back. At first it had been because she thought it was a one off, and she loved Olivia too much to ever hit her back.
But eventually, it had been about fear. She was scared of Olivia, scared shitless.
And she still was.
As she continued to reel off the pre-prepared testimony near verbatim, Alex's mind wandered back to that evening, when Olivia had come to her apartment. After Olivia had broke the hug, taken Alex's face into her hands. Staring into those brown eyes, Alex had frozen. Olivia had kissed her, and slowly started to unbutton Alex's blouse. Alex knew she should have stopped her, but her heart had been thudding in her chest, as familiar fingers had roamed over her torso, Alex knew she needed to get out of there. But she had been terrified, and instinctively, she had played possum. She let Olivia do what she wanted, then leave, because she was frightened of being hurt.
In that instant, she hated herself . All those years as the Special Victims Unit ADA, she had seen people come through, battered beyond belief because they had resisted the abuse of their bodies, and she had just rolled over and let it happen, just to avoid pain.
Alex felt disgusted with herself, but in that instant, she knew what they needed to do to put winning the case beyond doubt.