A/N: This chapter might be more aptly named "A Wedding and Smut b/c the author clearly doesn't get laid enough." ;) Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy. Casandra, I hope I did this some justice. :) DMAA

Chapter Twenty-Six: I do.

"As well you both know, I am far from any kind of religious leader, so I hope you'll excuse the fact that my usual wedding procedures involve handing people pens to sign legal documents," Liz said. I snickered. Casey cracked a smile. "So, I' m going to do my best for the both of you."

"Thanks," I said, somewhat sarcastically, but I really did mean it.

"There are perks to being among my favorite attorneys to ever work for the DA," Liz chided.

Casey laughed. "I'm telling," she teased, reaching out to her side, the side I was standing on. Immediately, I grasped her hand in mine and pulled her close to me.

"The bottom line," Liz said, "is that I don't think there are two people on this planet more deserving of each other than you two." I smiled because that had nothing to do with her calling us her favorites. "Alex, I cannot imagine anyone better to put you in your place when you throw one of your infamous tantrums." Casey laughed. "And, Casey, I can't think of anyone better to put up with your bossy behavior." I laughed, squeezing her hand as she leaned against me, her other hand resting on my chest.

"But," Liz continued, "I also can't think of anyone who is more deserving of Alex's compassion, love, and fierce protection than you, Casey. Nor can I think of anyone more deserving of Casey's strength, determination, love, and spirit. You two have each done what no one else could – you've tamed the untamable." She smiled. "If I had known that was all it took years ago, I would have set you two up ten years back."

I smiled, shaking my head and rolling my eyes. Against my shoulder, I heard Casey chuckle.

"But, I think I speak for us all when I say you have amazed us with your indomitable spirits, your resiliency, and your determination to love each other even when it seems like the world is against you. And, I sincerely hope that you can both continue to be an unconquerable force together, that when times seem bad, you remember back to the days that lead to you standing here now, the good things. You truly bring out the best in each other. What you have is so rare some people wait their whole lives and never find it. Cherish it. Don't waste a moment of it."

Casey tipped her face up to me as she leaned against me, and I could see the watery tears beginning to form in her eyes. "You know," I said, "you mean the world to me. I love you. Nothing in this world or the next will change that."

Standing to her full height, my height for we were mere centimeters apart, Casey cupped my cheek. "I know," she answered. "I wish I had understood that sooner, but I get it now. You make everything about my life worth living. You've made a home for yourself in my head and my heart. I can't get you out or shut you off. I love you, too, and I'm so glad I have the chance to marry you." She pressed her lips to mine, and I kissed her, deep and hungry.

"Would you look at that," Liz mused, our subtle signal that we could stop eating each other's faces, "I didn't even have to tell them they could kiss the bride."

Fin laughed.

Elliot clapped us both on the back. "Congratulations," he said. "I can't even imagine what an argument looks like in your house."

Liz snickered. "No one wins," she retorted. "I'd put money on it."

Casey smiled broadly. I laughed. "She wins," I said, "but only because I let her."

"Do not," Casey challenged.

"Prove it," I muttered, kissing her again.

She laughed, meeting my kiss. "You know what?" she asked. I hummed. "I can do this anytime I want." She peppered tiny kisses over my mouth and jaw, and I smiled.

"I'm amicable to this arrangement," I replied.

We signed the papers making us legally wed in the State of New York. Olivia and Fin were our witnesses. I signed one more paper than Casey, and Liz followed suit, making the document an order of the court. "It's official," Liz said. "By the power vested in my by the State of New York, I now pronounce you Mrs. and Mrs. Novak."

Casey's head snapped to me, her mouth open. The detectives looked at me as well, clearly shocked. "Alex," Casey began, but I cut her off with a kiss. She just wrapped her arms around me and held me close. When we separated, she stayed flush against me. "Thank you. Thank you so much. You didn't have to."

"I wanted to, Casey," I whispered. "I've never belonged anywhere more than I've belonged with you."

She covered her mouth with her hands, and I reached forward and brushed away the tears. "It's really alright with you?" I asked.

"More than," she replied. "I never – I never expected that. This. All of this. Every moment of everything we have. You are really something else. I don't care what anyone else says." Mischief danced in her eyes and on her lips, and I smacked her playfully on the shoulder.

"I made arrangements for dinner at Vinnie's place. I, we would be honored if everyone would join us. After all, the official wedding only takes place once."

Olivia laughed. "How badly will Novak's parents kill you?" she asked me.

I cringed. "Pretty badly," I said, smile in my voice, but I was pretty sure I would make Tony's shit list. Her brothers, however, might find it incredibly funny. "So, I'd appreciate it if no one said anything to them. And, if you all actually showed up to the church, that would be fantastic."

"We'll be there," Fin said. "And, hey, dinner at Vinnie's. I'm in."

Everyone agreed to go to dinner with us to celebrate. Casey and I were the only ones not cramped into a car courtesy of Olivia's fantastic offer to drive us everywhere. Otherwise, Fin got stuck with everyone else, but I noticed he was in an unmarked SUV for the evening. Apparently, they had kind of planned all of this. I greatly appreciated it.

"How does it feel to be married?" Olivia asked on our way over.

Casey twisted, appearing to look at me. "Wonderful," she said, pushing her hand over the seat until she found my leg. From there, she very lightly traced her fingers up my arm and neck to my lips. She leaned forward, pressing her lips to her fingers, then slid her fingers from between our mouths. "Absolutely wonderful."

I was left breathy with butterflies in my stomach. "It's by far the best feeling I've ever had," I murmured.

Olivia shook her head. "God, you two were made for each other."

I laughed, sliding my hand over Casey's, my fingers naturally falling between hers. Olivia had no idea just what she meant. We were absolutely made for each other. Some days, it felt like we were cut from the same mold, made to fit together perfectly. I could make no argument as to why Casey would not be my soul mate.

But, then, I was biased.

Dinner was probably the most fun I had ever had with the SVU family. We had no cases or verdicts looming over our heads, no mistakes to consider, nothing to be remorseful about. There was just us, and it was electrifying to find that, for once, we could talk about something other than work. Elliot caught everyone up on his family. We were all thrilled at how well he was doing. I think it was the first time Nick and Amanda got to meet him, as well, and I could see an almost star-struck look in Amanda's eyes. I remembered when she had looked at Olivia that way, as if the more senior detective had some kind of unattainable stature. I was glad Amanda had finally figured out Olivia was human.

The blonde detective talked about her Little, a girl named Jasmine. It had been a little over a year since she had signed up to be a Big, and I was happy to hear she was still enjoying it. On the side, I asked her about her gambling, and she swore to me she had not bet in over three months.

Munch made a toast, but he somehow managed to include conspiracies in there. I laughed when he was finished, holding up my glass. "To Mulder," I replied with my own toast. "May he ever make us laugh with his uncanny theories."

"Here, here," everyone cheered, drinking. Casey and I both stuck to ginger ale. She always said she did not mind if I drank, but I did not want to. I had little interest in being drunk or buzzed when I was with her. Some people, I needed it to be around. Such was not the case when it came to my new bride.

We had fun, it was silly. It was exciting. We were laughter and bubbles and jokes and taunts. Closer to nine, I leaned over and kissed Casey's cheek. "You looked ready to pass out," I whispered in her ear. Casey nodded. "Want to head out?"

"Please," she murmured.

We were all mulling over beers and sodas, anyway, so I did not feel too badly crashing our own dinner. "If none of you mind, I would like to take my wife home for the night," I said with a small smirk and a wink.

"We should probably all head out, too," Liz agreed. "It was a beautiful evening, ladies. Thank you for allowing me to be apart of that."

I flagged the waitress down. "I think we're done for the night."

The woman nodded, flashing a smile. "The tab's been covered," she told me.

"By who?" I asked, my brow pinched.

"It's on the house. Before you leave, Vinnie's in his office. Wait a couple of minutes?" I nodded. She turned and scurried to the back office. I had known Vincent Carpenter for years. He had been in business at one point with Hol law firm, where I had done my internship. Vinnie had liked me as a lawyer and a person, and we had kept in touch. I would not have thought we were close enough for him to cover our tab at his establishment. I was surprised he had considered our reservations on such a quick turn around. Normally, he was booked months out.

The portly man walked over to the table, instantly drawing me into a warm hug. He was a lot more touchy than I was. He had hugged me the first time I had met him, as a know-nothing intern. "Alex, it's good to see you. I wanted to congratulate you personally. Don't be shy. You and your beautiful bride are welcome here any time."

"Thank you, Vinnie," I said, "but you really don't have to cover the tab. Let me cover it." I figured it had to be at least a three hundred dollars if not more. There were eight of us, and I knew we had spent more than thirty dollars a head.

"Nonsense. Consider it my wedding present. Had I a little more notice, I would have made sure it was a more suitable present."

"It was perfect, Vinnie," I said. "As always. Thank you. We'll make sure Amy knows how much her tolerance with us was appreciated tonight."

"I know you always take care of my servers, Alex. I really do hope to see the two of you here more often."

I smiled broadly. "Of course."

He hugged me again. "Alright. I have paperwork to do and you all have a night to enjoy."

"Wow, Cabot's really connected," Olivia whistled.

"Novak," I corrected.

She smiled. "That's right. Alexandra Novak. I like it. It's got a good ring to it. Alright, I'll drive you two home on the condition that you call sometime in the next couple of days and let us all know how you're doing."

Laughing, Casey agreed.

I estimated the bill at forty dollars a head, rounded up to the hundred, and left that in tip. Amy really had earned it. Liz, however, shooed my money away, replacing it with her own. "My treat tonight, Alex. There's no need for the newly weds to pay for dinner." I considered her for a moment, but her raised brow told me not to argue. "Don't worry, I took care of her."

Sighing, I tucked my money back into my wallet. "Thank you, Liz. For everything today. I means a lot."

"Oh," Olivia said, pulling out her phone. "Before you we leave, I got this." She turned the phone to me, and I smiled. It was a picture of me and Casey standing in front of Liz, Casey's hand curled on my chest, her head on my shoulder. The light from the tree cast across her body and mine as if we had planned it. And, in truth, if I had, it could not have been better.

"That's beautiful," I murmured. "Can you send it to me? I want to have it printed."

Olivia nodded. "You bet," she said.

We continued our conversation most of the ride home, but a heavy weight on my shoulder told me Casey had been worn thin. I could not blame her. She had been in the hospital for a little over two days, and instead of being able to sleep at home, she had cleaned up and we had gone to the court house. It had been a long week for us both, though I could hardly complain about the ending. Nevertheless, I knew she did not sleep well in the hospital, and I could only imagine how exhausted everything about our evening had made her. Despite her humor and her joyousness, she was still easily tired.

Olivia glanced back at a stop light and laughed, her voice soft. "Alex isn't getting laid tonight," she teased.

I laughed. "That's okay," I said. "I would much rather curl up and sleep. A good night's rest in highly in order for the both of us."

"God," Olivia breathed. "I can't imagine how scary this all must be for her. She's having to relearn the world without sight. I know you said she was doing small things before, knowing one day it would come, but, shit, Alex, even then, she knew she could take off the blindfold and see again."

I stroked Casey's hair, twisting it around my fingers. "I couldn't imagine. I'm fairly certain that if our roles were reversed, I would not have wanted to get married today. I would have wanted to curl up in bed and cry and scream and morn the fact that I could not see. The doctors said she still might be able to see fuzzy shapes and colors, but the longer she goes without improvement, the less likely she is to improve. I don't have the strength or the courage that she does."

"No," Olivia agreed, "but you do have a different kind of strength and courage. You've been there for her for everything, Alex. I'm sure if she were awake right now, she would tell you that a lot of her strength to face these problems comes from the fact that she knows you'll be right there beside her, helping her face them. Casey was gone a lot in the months before she resigned. We all noticed. But, we also noticed that shortly before she resigned, her absences were shorter and fewer."

I thought back to what Casey's doctor had once told me. If she felt safe and loved and wanted, she would likely remain healthier longer. Those emotions evoked a stress-free environment. If she did not have to worry about such things as shelter or finances or food; if she believed she was around even one person who genuinely wanted to be around her, who loved her, then, the doctor had said, it would act as a natural immune boost. The hospital staff had told me many times, too, that they were surprised at how seldom they saw Casey in the emergency room and how her stays had shortened from an average of four days to an average of two.

"That's funny," I mused, "because I would swear that the only reason I don't fall apart is because she doesn't fall apart."

Olivia chuckled.

Without waking Casey, I managed to climb out of the car and cradle her against me. Olivia grabbed each of the doors in turn until I was standing opposite the apartment threshold. "Thank you, Olivia, for everything today. I can't imagine it being any more perfect."

"I told you, Alex," Olivia chided. "I'm here in whatever capacity I can be here. Anything either of you needs, just call. Now, get some rest, Mrs. Novak."

I smiled being addressed as such. It would take some getting used to, but I loved it.

Carrying Casey into our bedroom, I lay her on the comforter. It was funny how at the beginning of our relationship, I could barely even run across a basketball court without getting winded. Two years later, I was carrying Casey from the street, up three flights in an elevator, and then to the bedroom.

She moaned as her head hit the pillow, and she rolled onto her side. I watched her open her eyes, and saw the moment of panic. Not being able to see when she opened her eyes had to be scary, especially when she was so accustomed to having her vision.

"Sh," I purred, "hush, baby, I'm here." I stroked her arm with my fingertips.

"Alex," she whispered. "I-"

"It's okay," I answered, helping her to sit up. "Why don't you throw on some pyjamas? I want to cuddle." I chuckled. It brought a smile from her lips.

The pyjamas never happened. I moved to help her change, and her hands covered mine against her breast. "Touch," she whispered, "feels so electric."

Leaning forward, I kissed her, my hands roaming over her clothed body, unbuttoning her blouse one little button at a time. She was panting, grinding against my leg as well as the bed before I even had her clothes off. I pushed her shirt off, and she gasped, my hands following the cloth down as my mouth moved over her breasts.

"God, yes," she whispered, her arms around my neck, nails digging into my back as she pressed herself harder into me. I knew she was close, and I snaked a free hand between us so that I could pay homage to both erect nipples at the same time. The other hand moved between her legs, pushing her soaked underwear aside. A few seconds later, her neck and back arched, and I could feel the dig of her nails in my back as she orgasmed around my fingers.

By the time we were both spent to the brink of passing out, the sun was rising. I could not remember a night like that, ever, with her or anyone else. She had wanted to touch and feel and taste almost everything about my body, and she had found places on my body that did things to me I did not even know about. And, every single one of her reactions seemed amplified a thousand times over. The mere act of blowing on her skin set her off. Watching her in the midst of pleasure was so damn erotic.

But, we were exhausted by sunrise. I felt her still trembling body slouch against me, her breathing hard as she tried to catch her breath. I remember wrapping my arms around her and holding her close to me. Everything following that was the darkness and peace that sleep offered.

When I woke up, she was still laying on top of me, one hand curled over my shoulder, the other hand tangled in the sheets she had pulled over us. I brushed the hair from her face and leaned forward, kissing her nose. She moaned, smiling. "What time is it?" she whispered.

"Don't know," I answered. "Don't care. I have all the time in the world to be with you all day."

She smiled again, sliding off me. Rolling on to her side, she draped an arm over my middle and cuddled against me tightly. "Good, then I vote we spend another couple of hours sleeping. Or, at least, lying here enjoying the fact that we made it to forever."

I laughed softly, pushing her hair from her face. "I like that plan," I whispered, twisting so that we were facing each other. She rested her forehead against mine, her fingers dancing over my hip. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she mumbled.

I watched her facial muscles relax as she fell back asleep. For a while, I just watched her sleep. The next thing I knew, though, I was the one waking up to tiny kisses being peppered around my face and neck. Quietly, I opened my eyes, watching her for a moment for telling her I was awake, but she just laughed. "Your breathing changed, Alexandra," she whispered. "I know you're awake."

I laughed. "My breathing has always been a dead give away with you, huh?" I purred, reaching over and drawing her face to mine. I kissed her softly. She pushed me onto my back, following, never breaking the kiss as she straddled me and drew the blankets up over us, tossing both over our heads as she cuddled against me, nibbling my ear.

"You've got some easy tells," she murmured, and I moaned as her tongue flecked across my ear lobe and down my neck. My breathing definitely changed as she kissed her way down my body, and when she kissed her way back up, I was damn near delirious.

"Yep," she whispered, the taste of me still on her lips, "you have some fairly obvious tells."

I moaned in her mouth. She only kissed me harder, grinding her hips against mine. I drew her closer to me, my body still on fire. With a smile, she pressed her forehead against mine. "I wanna ride the Cyclone," she whispered.

Laughing, I kissed her lightly. "I don't even know what time it is," I chided.

"Sun's still up," Casey said. "I could feel it on my skin." She pushed the blankets off of us and sat up. "Come on, Alex."

I sat up, Casey still on my lap, as I wrapped my arms around her and held her close to my body. "You up to that?"

"I spent the night fucking until the sun came up, and I could keep this up, Ali, until the sun went down again. I know I'm still unsteady on my feet, but with you with me, I think it would really be a fun evening. We might move a little slow sometimes, but it would be a great chance for me to get used to using my cane, and, seriously, I wanna ride the Cyclone."

I kissed her nose. "Alright, alright. Cyclone it is."

She kissed me, grinning like a child. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

She scrambled off my lap and sat on the edge of the bed. I helped her walk to the shower. "Shampoo on the left," I said, taking her hand and touching the shampoo bottle. "Conditioner on the right." She moved her hand, her fingers tracing the bottle as she nodded. I moved her fingers up to the next shelf. "Body wash and pouf." I moved her fingers down to the shelf below the shampoo and conditioner. "Razors and shaving cream."

"Got it," she murmured, repeating the pattern to make sure she could find everything. "Don't go too far. I might need help." She flushed, biting her lower lip. "I'm sorry, I – I'm just not used to –"

I covered her mouth with mine, silencing her. "It's not a big deal, Casey," I whispered. "I'm here for anything you need, whatever that might be."