Here's a quick update for you all! I was really inspired for this one :) Thanks to my loyal readers/reviewers for staying with me, and a special thanks to my friend Tracer0403 for always having insightful input on the story :) Enjoy this one!

Things get back to normal after my unfortunate leech attack. Casey and I both feel very refreshed after our shower and we take longer than is necessary getting dressed. We couldn't help it. It takes two hands to dress yourself and our hands were…otherwise occupied.

I don't know what's come over me. I nearly can't control these urges to constantly touch Casey and want her hands on me. She's like a drug and I'm hopelessly addicted. I remember touching Olivia and enjoying her touching me, but it was never a constant desire like it is for me right now with Casey. Maybe it's because our wedding is approaching…or maybe this is what it's like to really be in love.

We kill the rest of the afternoon with a short stroll around the property before we return to the deck and Casey decides to fire up the grill. I grudgingly help her bring out the charcoal and prepare the deck table for our "carnivorous feast", as Casey calls it.

"What do you think?" Casey asks as she comes out the slider door carrying the paper plates and plastic spoons and forks. She sits them down on the table and holds her arms up so I can see what it is she wants me to admire.

She's wearing a long white apron that says "Kiss the Cook" across the front. She must have slipped it into our cart at Wal-Mart, unbeknownst to me. Probably when I wandered away from her because she was taking too long to pick out the appropriate charcoal.

I approach her, giving her a smile and a small laugh. "Cute, Casey. But technically you aren't a 'cook' – you're grilling. You're slapping raw meat and hot dogs on a grill and putting them in buns. Even though it's more than I can do, it still isn't cooking."

Casey's face falls and she looks down at the apron. "Good point." She looks back up at me with that pleading puppy-dog look that always makes me give in. "So I don't get a kiss?"

My smile grows wider and I lock my arms behind her neck and give her the kiss she desperately wants. When it ends, I press my nose against hers and whisper, "You're way too spoiled." Then I can't resist reaching behind her and smacking her butt. "Now go slap that raw meat on the grill."

Casey walks away from me towards the grill, erupting in a fit of laugher. I can't figure out what's so funny about what I just said until she turns around and I see she's laughing so hard she's nearly crying and she manages to say, "Sorry to disappoint you, Alex, but I don't have one of those."

My face grows crimson red as I realize what she's talking about and what a poor choice of words I used. "Casey! You're so nasty! That's it. The wedding is off."

She laughs again as she starts forming the hamburger into patties and putting it on the grill. "Sorry. You kind of set me up for that one."

That's true; I did. So I save myself further embarrassment and keep my mouth shut while she attends to the meat and I get the plates and plastic cups all situated on the table. I have to go back inside to fetch the bottles of Mountain Dew and Diet Pepsi, and as soon as I come back out, Casey calls me over to her.

I expect some sort of sarcastic comment about the sizzling, popping meat on the grill in front of her, but instead Casey asks me, in a dead-serious expression, to get her cell phone from the bedroom because she needs to check it.

I do as she requests, but I'm not happy about it. Why does she feel the need to check her phone? She had told me it was staying off until Monday night. I've been checking mine because I have to…but would Casey needs hers for?

I bring it out and hand it to her and instead of checking it, Casey just slides it into the pocket on her apron and points to the table with a grin. I give her odd look and she says, "I'm pointing to the table. That means go there."

Again I do what she says, and as soon as I approach, I see a small stack of envelopes on the table with a red bow on them. I immediately know what I'm looking at and my eyes fill with tears as Casey comes up beside me and places her arm around my shoulders.

"You're still writing me letters?" I ask in disbelief, emotion dripping from my voice. This is so touching. No one has ever done anything like this for me before.

"Of course. I'll write you a letter every week forever. These are from the past month. And there's enough room in the book for them. When it's full, I'll get another book." She squeezes my shoulder as I pick up the bundle. "Don't read them now; I'll read them to you tonight. I just wanted to give them to you now."

Suddenly I realize why she wanted her phone, and I rest my head against her shoulder and sigh. "Getting your phone was a ploy, wasn't it? You wanted me inside so you could put these on the table."

I receive a kiss on the top of my head. "But of course, my dear. Now go put them inside while I go back to 'cooking'. I don't want to burn our meat now, do I?"

She's laughing at her own lame joke as she walks away and I toss over my shoulder, "I'm glad you crack yourself up."

Casey's response is, "Alex, honey, you make it so easy!"

I take the stack of letters inside and tuck them into our book, which I've placed on top of the dresser. I run my thumb over the cover, smiling as I think about what's inside. I can't believe Casey has done this for me. She is the sweetest girl in the world…and she's mine. I'm so lucky.

I know I have to do something special for her too, before the weekend is over. I have to show her that I love her just as much as she loves me and that I'm capable of being sweet and thoughtful too. I don't know what I'm going to do yet; but I'll think of something.

When I go back outside, Casey announces that the burgers are almost done and asks me how many hot dogs I want.

"If I'm having a burger, I don't want a hot too. I don't even like hot dogs," I tell her.

Casey shrugs. "Suit yourself. I'm having one of each. This is a holiday weekend, after all. Might as well splurge. Get the condiments and chips ready, will you? Make yourself useful instead of just standing there looking pretty."

I arrange the mustard, ketchup and pickle relish on the table and wrinkle my nose in disgust when I pull a jar of sauerkraut out of one of the bags. I quickly put it down as if it's radioactive and look at Casey. "Sauerkraut? Why?"

Casey doesn't even look up. "For the hot dogs."

I hate sauerkraut; everything about it repulses me. I hate it as much as Casey hates seafood. The texture, the smell, the taste. It's the vilest food ever invented and had I known Casey bought it, I would have made it disappear before it even entered the bag.

A few minutes later Casey carries over a plate containing four burger patties and sits them down on the table. They're juicy and still sizzling and…okay, I admit it; they look good.

"Two each; one for now, one for later. I have the dogs on now in case you change your mind about them." Casey is just about to turn and go back to the grill, when she catches my unpleasant impression. "What's wrong?"

I nod at the sauerkraut. "I can't believe you got that! Disgusting!"

Casey laughs and picks up the jar. "If it disgusts you that much, I'll put it in the fridge and won't even open it."

She changes her direction and starts for the slider door, but I grab her arm to stop her. I do hate the stuff, but Casey likes it. It's not fair to make her put it away when she wants to eat it. So I offer her my best apologetic smile and say, "It can stay out here. Just put the top on it when you aren't using it.

Casey gives me a peck on the cheek before she goes back to the grill. "Will do, babe – love you."

I tell her that she's lucky I love her too and then I quickly make a burger for each of us. I know Casey likes both mustard and ketchup so I load hers up. I pop the top off the Tupperware container of onion I diced up earlier and put some of that on Casey's burger too. She doesn't like tomato or cheese on her burger so I skip both of those on hers, but I do use them on mine. I like everything except onion and mustard. Then I rip open the bag of nacho cheese Doritos and put a handful on each of our plates.

I even do the liberty of getting Casey a glass with a lot of ice and pouring her Mountain Dew for her. By the time her hot dogs are done and she's back at the table, everything is set and we're ready to eat.

Casey seems impressed as she sits down and goes to work dressing her hot dog. She's considerate enough to open the sauerkraut jar away from me and to replace the top right away. She loads her hot dog up with sauerkraut, pickle relish and ketchup and then puts it on her plate next to her burger.

I can't help but laugh. "That's a lot of food, Casey. I can't believe you can eat like that and still stay so damn skinny. It's not fair."

She has already taken a bite of her burger and has to swallow before she can answer me. "I don't eat like this all the time. And I exercise a lot."

"You're always eating. I envy you. I exercise a lot too, but I can't eat like you. I gain weight way too quickly. You're lucky."

"Really, Alex, I'm not that skinny. And you don't have to stay so skinny for my sake; I'd love you no matter what you looked like." She reaches across the table and slaps one of hot dogs on my plate. "Eat that too. Live a little."

"I'm okay with my burger." To prove I'm human like Casey, I take a big bite. And it tastes as good as it looks. I don't eat this type of food often so when I do so, it tastes way better than it should.

"It's probably crazy – in fact, I know it's crazy – but I have never been insecure about what I look like. Yes I may bitch and moan that I don't look perfect in a dress and I think my butt is big, but when it comes down to it, I don't care. I don't place much importance on how someone looks. I may be insecure in every other way, but not in the looks department. I know I'm not beautiful and I never will be, so I work with what I have." Casey takes a drink of her Mountain Dew and then continues. "I know you care about staying super trim, but know that you don't have to do it for me. I'll love you even if you weigh five hundred pounds."

I'm in disbelief that Casey just said that. She's not beautiful? What planet has she been living on?

"What do you mean you're not beautiful? Have you looked in anything reflective lately? You're gorgeous, Casey. What is it exactly that you don't think is beautiful?"

What she says next surprises me. "I hate my red hair."

Okay, now I'm in extreme disbelief. That is…unacceptable. Casey's red hair is adorable! "I love your red hair! Being a real, true redhead is unique. And you have the perfect green eyes to go along with it."

After another bite, Casey smiles and says, "Well, thanks. But I've always hated it. Did you know I went blonde for a while?"

I gasp. "You didn't?"

Casey is laughing now. "I never told you?" I shake my head, and she goes on. "Wow. I thought I did. Anyway, yeah, I decided to go blonde. For about a year or so. It was a few years back; probably four years ago or so."

I can't picture Casey as a blonde. Maybe brown hair or black hair, but a blonde? No way. It doesn't fit her at all. I'm struggling to put the image in my head, but I just can't.

"I never knew that. Why did you go back to red?"

"I just decided it wasn't me. It didn't look good on me." She goes for some of her chips this time and then adds, with a small smile, "And my mom hated it."

Whenever Casey mentions her mom, she gets this sad look on her face that's just heartbreaking. I can't stand it; it takes my heart and squeezes it until it's devoid of blood.

So I start to talk, to distract her from her thoughts. "Well, I'm glad you changed it back. You are the cutest redhead in the world. I absolutely love your hair; although you already know that. Do you have any pictures from around that time? Now my morbid curiosity really wants to see…"

"I might have a few. I'll see what I can find for you," Casey promises, giving me a wink.

We eat in silence for the next few minutes until I breech it with, "You really are beautiful, Casey. And I'm glad you don't fuss over what you eat. You don't need to. I probably worry about it too much, but I've always been that way. Staying thin is important to me. So don't worry – I won't ever weigh five hundred pounds. But it's nice to know you'd still love me if I did."

Casey gives me her classic smile. "Yes, I would. I'd love you no matter what. But you wouldn't love me as a blonde, so don't even echo my sentiment."

It's my turn to laugh. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad…"

"It was. Just you wait until I dig up some photos."

I really can't wait.

We stay up pretty late that night. Casey took her time rubbing Aloe on me; I didn't get burned that badly but I wanted to take the opportunity to have Casey massage me and I think she wanted to do it just as badly. And when she finished, I massaged her sore shoulders for about forty minutes.

We fell asleep while reading the letters. It's funny, I had made such a big fuss about there being a TV in the bedroom, but we haven't used it at all yet. Just having each other and that book is entertainment enough.

I'm awakened from my slumber at a little after three AM by some noises outside the bedroom window. I immediately sit up, on full alert. The room is completely dark; the only light coming from the moon outside. And it's so cold in the room. Casey left the window open when we went to bed. I had asked her to close it, but I guess she forgot. It's too early in the season to be leaving a window open all night.

But because it's open, I can hear what's happening outside. And I hear it again; the sound of movement. Rustling and a clanging noise followed by a creek, like the sound of someone walking on the deck.

My heart nearly stops and awful scenarios fill my head. We're out here alone in a secluded cabin with no weapons. No security system, no guard dog. The only way to call out is our cell phones. If someone were to break in and want to do unimaginable things to us, we'd be easy targets.

I hear the creak again and I shake Casey awake, trying to remain calm and not panic. "Casey. Casey, wake up."

She groans and wakes very slowly, sitting up when she sees me doing so. I can see her rub her eyes, and then she says, with her voice still thick with sleep, "What's going on? Are you okay?"

"I heard noises outside. Like someone walking around on the deck. And some sort of clanging noise, like something metal. Maybe the gate or the grill," I rush out, desperately trying to keep the edge out of my voice.

Casey utters, "What?" and then reaches over to switch on the lamp by the bed. She's squinting in the sudden light and appears to be listening carefully. After a few seconds she says, "I don't hear anything, Alex. I'm sure there's no one outside."

"I heard it – it woke me up out of a dead sleep," I tell her, feeling slight panic rising up inside me.

Casey sighs and looks at the open window. "There are a lot of noises out here at night. You haven't spent a lot of time outdoors. In secluded places like this, you hear noises at all hours of the night. Animals, the wind…I'm sure it was nothing."

Just as she finishes speaking, the clanging sound can be heard again, and this time Casey looks unsettled. She waits for the noise to finish and then she gets out of bed. "I'm going to go see what it is – stay here."

There's no way I'm letting her go face whatever is outside alone. I may not have the courage Casey has, but I love her and don't want anyone to hurt her. I get out of bed as well and grab my phone, clutching it tightly. "I'm coming too. Should I call the police?"

"Not yet," Casey says, keeping her voice low as we make our way out of the bedroom. We make our way down the hallway slowly and carefully, listening for any sound that may mean someone is in the cabin.

I reach for the light switch to turn the hallway light on, but Casey stops me. "Don't turn the light on. Do you have a flashlight app on your phone?"

I give the phone to Casey and she turns on the flashlight app, causing the entire touch screen to glow. It's pretty bright; I've never had to use it before, but it casts enough light to be able to see a ways ahead of us.

We're making our way through the living room and about to reach the slider door. Nothing looks out of place here and the slider door is still closed and I assume locked. But I still can't help but feel nervous as Casey flicks the locks and goes to open it. I grab her arm and hold onto her like my life depends on it, and she whispers to me, "Stay behind me."

Then she opens the door, and I hold my breath, just waiting for a gun to be pointed at us or to be grabbed and dragged towards a waiting vehicle.

We left the deck lights on, so we can actually see out here. And there appears to be no one.

And there's a loud crash to our right in the direction of the grill and Casey immediately looks in that direction and I squeeze her arm tighter, trying to keep my heart from pounding out of my chest. I can see movement towards the bottom of the grill and when Casey shines the phone light there to get a better look, I feel myself relax.

"It's a raccoon," Casey says with a relieved laugh as the intruder scampers off towards the woods. I let go of her arm feeling utterly stupid, and she approaches the grill. "I forgot to lock the top down on it. He must have smelled the bits of meat stuck to the grate." She looks off in the direction the raccoon ran and motions for me to step up beside her. "Look – there's more. See the shining eyes in the line of trees over there? It looks like at least three. Probably a family."

A raccoon was making all that noise. Not a rapist or a murderer bent on destroying us; a dumb little animal with a mask like Casey's ferret. Boy do I feel foolish…and cowardly.

Casey turns to face me and smoothes my hair back. "It's okay. They're pretty rampant in these parts. I'll close the grill and they shouldn't bother us again. Let's go back to bed."

"I'm sorry, Casey," I tell her. "I overreacted – again." I laugh uncomfortably. "I guess I'm not made for the outdoors! I'm too much of a city girl."

"You'll get used to it," she tells me. "And truthfully, I was scared too when I heard that clanging sound. I think it was the top of the grill hitting against the bottom when our little friend was picking off meat."

Casey may have been scared, but she took charge and protected me. She told me to stay behind her and put herself out in the open to keep me safe. Just as she had promised she would do.

"Casey…you protected me…" I point out, allowing my eyes to well up with tears again. Everything about Casey is so touching and sweet that I swear I'm going to become an expert at shedding tears before we're married.

Casey smiles again and touches my cheek, causing me to melt into her touch like I always do. "I said I would keep you safe from all the monsters of the world, didn't I? That includes raccoons."

We walk back into the cabin with our arms around each other and once we're safely inside with the slider closed, Casey says, "It may not be a bad idea to get a security system put it, just for peace of mind. Especially when we're not here."

Yes, good idea. You never know when those big bad raccoons are going to decide when to attack.

The weekend goes by way too quickly and before we know it, it becomes Sunday night, our last night at the cabin. We're driving back to the city tomorrow. Back to paperwork and ringing phones and computers. Back to the stupidity of humanity.

But tonight, it's just me and Casey.

It's just started to get dark and Casey and I are sitting on the deck, enjoying the warm evening air and each other's company. We're exhausted from another long day of walking, kayaking and grilling. We both got burnt pretty badly today; we never did make it back to Wal-Mart for sunscreen. But I guess that's a small price to pay for a great day together.

I've decided that I'm going to make tonight special for my Casey. She deserves nothing less after having to put up with my hysterics over the leeches and the raccoons. I was waiting until dark to make my move. Now is just about perfect.

I get up from my chair and tell Casey I'll be right back and I'm thankful when she doesn't follow me. She's probably too tired to even get up out of her chair. I collect both of our towels and fetch the small bottle of Aloe from the bedroom. It's funny; I remembered to bring the Aloe, but not sunscreen. Go figure.

Once I'm back out on the deck and Casey sees what I'm carrying, she frowns in confusion and raises her eyebrows. "What are you up to?"

I walk right by her off the deck and motion for her to follow. "Come on. It's a lovely night. Let's not sit on the deck all evening. There's a lovely spot on our little beach calling our names, and I have towels. Come."

Casey groans and whines, "I'm tired. Can't we just sit here and stargaze?"

I turn around and march right up to her, stopping in front of her chair. She's looking at me in amusement, and I drape the towels over my arm and offer her my hand. "Come on, precious. I want to sit on the beach. Are you going to make me sit there alone?"

Casey easily gives in and allows me to pull her to her feet. "I guess not. But only because you called me 'precious'."

I lay the towels out side by side and sit Casey down on hers first. Once she's seated, I stand over her and instruct her to remove her shirt.

"Why?" Casey asks, a hint of adventure in her voice. She likes my suggestion, even though she's trying to hide that fact.

"Don't argue with me; just do it," I tell her with a laugh. "Jeez, I miss when I used to be your supervisor and I'd tell you to do something and you'd do it."

Casey quickly pulls off her shirt and I smile when I see she isn't wearing a bra. "I still do what you tell me…I just like to challenge your authority every now and then."

"Not wearing a bra…naughty, naughty Casey."

"The straps hurt my poor sunburned shoulders." Casey looks up at me. "You don't seem to mind. Are you going to sit down or what?"

"No," I tell her, and without warning I push her down on her stomach and kneel next to her. It doesn't take her long to figure out what I'm doing, and she relaxes while I uncap the bottle of Aloe and squeeze a large drop into my palm. I spread it around on my hands and start to apply it evenly over Casey's back and then her shoulders.

"Ohhh," Casey says, moaning into the towel. "That's nice and cool. Feels so good."

I smile, happy that she's getting so much pleasure out of this. "Is it the coolness or me that feels good?"

"I think it's both," Casey says, and she groans in disappointment when I stop rubbing her. "Don't stop!"

"Relax, I just had to squeeze out more. It's too dark to see how badly you're burnt, but I'm applying it everywhere just in case. I assume you have objections to that?"

Casey shakes her head. "By all means - rub away!"

I go to work on her again and take my time, paying extra attention to her shoulders. I massage them deeply, knowing they are not only burnt but also sore from two days of rowing with an oar.

"Since you're a redhead, I suppose you're going to freckle more from the sun," I say thoughtfully, knowing that Casey hates freckles and it will get a rise out of her.

"Ha, ha, Alex." She raises her head and turns it towards me. "Did you know that natural redheads have a higher pain tolerance than the rest of you?"

"The 'rest of us'?" I echo in disbelief with a laugh. "What, are we a different species? And that's bull, Casey. Where the heck did you hear that?"

"In a science magazine a few years back. There was an article by a geneticist from England about us special gingers. He actually called the gene that causes red hair a 'mutant' gene, and said it affects how redheads react to pain. We're able to withstand more pain than you normal people."

It sounds like science fiction to me, but I decide to humor Casey. "Really? Hmm. So you're my own special little mutant, huh?" I lean down and kiss the back of her neck, causing her to moan again.

"Yes. I'm one of the X-Men," Casey answers.

I put my hands on Casey's back and hold her down. She's exactly where I want her right now and I'm going to make sure she doesn't move.

"See, I told you that you shouldn't hate your red hair. Apparently it's the source of your powers. What are your mutant powers, anyway? Mind reading? Shape-shifting?" I release Casey just long enough to tear off my own shirt and bra, and then I lower myself down right next to her and before she can say anything, I grab her and pull her close to me. She's sticky from the Aloe but that doesn't stop me from holding her.

Casey wraps her arms around me in return and rests against my chest. "My mutant powers are being charming. I used them to bewitch you. Worked, didn't it?"

I laugh at that, kissing her neck again. "Mmmhh, I suppose it did. And if what you said is true, how come you were crying like a big baby when you had appendicitis?"

"Alex!" Casey pulls away from me and swats my shoulder playfully. "You said I wasn't a big baby! And it hurt. Let's see that happen to you. You said it yourself; you would have been in a ball screaming. And since you're a blonde, I believe that. You don't possess the redhead powers."

I've been bitten by the playful bug. I'm not letting Casey off easily. I sit up and give her a lopsided smile and that tells her I have something up my sleeve.

"Okay, whatever you say," I tell her casually, and then I look away from her and add, under my breath, "Big baby."

"Alex - " I can hear agitation in her voice, which is what I'm going for. I want to push her buttons.

I stand up and look down at her, trying to concoct the right combination of words that will make her upset with me so I can properly make my move. "It's okay; I love you anyway. Even if you are a redheaded freckly big baby."

Casey stands up too. She's getting visibly irritated; she thinks I'm picking at her on purpose. Which of course I am…but for a good reason.

"Your point is made, Alex. Now stop. You know I was embarrassed about how I acted with the appendicitis."

Perfect. She's in just the state of mind I want. I can't hide my grin as I lean towards her and whisper in her ear, "Big baby."

She swats at me again. "I mean it - stop!"

I jump away from her. "You want me to stop? You have to catch me first."

A grin slowly breaks out across Casey's face as she realizes what I'm doing. I run away from her towards the lake, and she follows close behind. "You're going to pay for that teasing session, Cabot."

I'm a few feet ahead of her, but she's catching up fast. And what a sight we must be - two grown woman chasing each other on our small little beach, both topless and giggling like teenagers.

Casey catches me right as I reach the shore. She grabs me from behind and smacks me on the butt, causing me to squeal and laugh at the same time. "There. I spanked you."

I manage to spin around in her arms, and the moon is giving off enough light for me to see the happy playful expression on her face and in her eyes. She's really getting into this. Casey loves play; and I love to please Casey.

A year ago, I wasn't like this. Running around topless and teasing was something I wouldn't do for any price. But now? Now it's as natural as breathing. Casey opened the door for me and I've left it open all this time.

"Spanking is a form of abuse; I'm calling the police when we get back to the cabin," I tell Casey, rubbing my thumb against her jaw line and gazing into those soft expressive green eyes.

"That will look nice in the papers," Casey plays right along. She lowers her voice so it's soft and seductive. "Spank me back and then we both will have a compliant."

"No - I have my own idea."

I quickly pull away from Casey, taking her by the hand and pulling her along with me. I run with her down the shore a few feet - and then I pull her right into the water, letting go just as both of us fall into it.

It's just as cold and awful as before; maybe colder, actually. I can barely breathe as I struggle to stand up, reaching out for Casey's hand as she struggles right beside me. We've both become a snack for leeches again…but I don't care this time.

We both manage to stand and I notice we're only shin-deep in the water. Which is about perfect for what I have planned.

"You are determined to make this water the death of us - I can't believe you!" Casey says, adjusting her drenched shorts and trying not to tremble from the cold water.

I'm partially soaked and cold, but staring at Casey is quickly warming me up from the inside out. She's so shocked and amused at what I just did and I can't resist putting my arms around her again.

"This is nothing compared to you jumping into my parent's pool naked and convincing me to do the same. And I'm trying to be spontaneous, and you know what? You're right - it is fun."

Casey hugs me back and as we break apart we rest our foreheads together, both of us shaking and miserable. I'm sure all Casey's Aloe has been rinsed off…it's a shame I'll have to redo it.

Without a word, I take Casey's hand again and walk her out of the water. She's under the impression that we're going to get our towels - but she's wrong. Instead I stop right on the shore. I let go of Casey's hand and I swiftly and expertly remove my capris and panties. Casey follows suit, tossing her wet shorts onto the sand. She's grinning ear-to-ear, obviously completely aware of my plans.

This is one of the craziest things I've ever done. I've just submerged us in freezing water and now I'm leading us in a striptease on the beach. I don't even care if there are leeches making a meal out of me right now.

I ignore how cold I am. What we're about to do will warm us up anyway. Casey sits down in the sand, and I sit next to her. But we're not sitting for long. I push Casey onto her back and lean over her, staring right into her eyes. "I love you, Casey. Thank you for showing me the playful side of life, and making me appreciate it. And you're right; you really did bewitch me with those red-head superpowers."

Not another word is exchanged and suddenly we're rolling around in the sand, causing it to cling to our wet bodies. We quickly warm up as we make love right there on the beach, the freezing water lapping at us the entire time. We don't even feel its coldness. All that matters is the two of us and this moment.

Once we've finished, Casey looks up at me with tired and happy eyes, and tucks my hair behind my ear. "This has been the best holiday weekend of my entire life, Alex. I love you too."

And it's safe to say that the feeling is mutual.

All good things must come to an end and, unfortunately, our weekend at the cabin was not immune to that sad fact of life.

And sadly, the reminder of the week is nothing short of a disaster. It's a majorly busy week for me because of being behind one day behind due to the holiday, and I find myself not able to leave the office until after seven every night.

Casey's job keeps her even busier than I am. She goes directly to Palmer's campaign headquarters every day after work, and I don't see her until well after nine or ten all week. She's mentally and physically exhausted when she comes home and not interested in anything besides going to bed.

It's Thursday now, and I don't think Casey and I have said more than four words to each other face-to-face all week. Our communications have been mostly texts and the small amount of words exchanged before Casey falls asleep at night can't really be considered 'conversation'.

I know I haven't really given Casey's new job responsibilities a chance, but I already don't like them. We have a wedding to finish planning and we need more than an hour together every night. And I know it's just going to get worse as the campaign gets into full-swing. I feel as if I don't even know what's going on in Casey's life this week. She doesn't talk much about her job.

I never got around to talking to her about this issue at the cabin…so I decide to tackle it Thursday night when Casey comes home.

She comes through the door at ten forty-five. I'm sitting on the couch watching the news, and I get up and greet her with a hug and kiss. "Hey, workaholic. I've missed you."

Casey doesn't hug or kiss me back. She utters a "thanks" and quickly goes about taking her shoes off. I can tell by her attitude and tone in her voice that she's upset or angry about something.

"What's going on, Casey? Did you have a bad day?"

Casey sighs and leans against the wall, letting the back of her head hit it. She looks beyond exhausted, like it's an effort to keep her eyes open or hold herself upright.

I can't stand this; I know it may seem controlling or out of line, but I have to ask her to give this campaign job up. It's taking too much out of her. I can't see her like this every night. I just can't.

"Bad doesn't even begin to describe it…" Casey says, walking right past me to the couch and collapsing onto it. She sits forward and puts her head in her hands, and I sit beside her and put my hand on her back.

It actually hurts me to see my sweet Casey this upset. I start to rub her back. "Can I get you something, baby? Do you want to talk about it?"

She lifts her head and meets my eyes, smiling a little. "Can you get me an Aspirin? I have a horrible headache."

I immediately pat her knee and go into the kitchen to fetch an Aspirin and glass of water for her. And when I come back to the living room, Casey has her briefcase open and the day's newspaper sitting on the coffee table.

"Did you see the paper today?" Casey asks, swallowing the pill down and nodding towards the paper.

I did. I read it this morning. But I can't recall seeing anything in it that would upset Casey this much…

"Yes. Why? Is there something I should have seen?"

Casey nods and looks away from me. "Uh, yeah. I'm surprised your phone wasn't ringing off the hook today."

What is she talking about? "Casey?" I ask, fully wanting an explanation.

Casey opens the paper to the second page and points to the article about Phil Williams; Senator Palmer's opponent in the U.S. Senate race. "Did you read this?"

"No. I tend to skip over articles about full-of-themselves Republicans."

Casey sighs again and turns to face me. "Okay. You know how Phil Williams is this outspoken critic of same sex marriage?"

"Of course; most Republicans are. And he's a fool to be so vocal about it. This is New York. He doesn't stand a chance in the election."

Casey lets her eyes wander back to the paper. "Well this time he's gone too far. I fully understand that he is entitled to his own opinion; as wrong as it may be. And I've kept my mouth shut, because he has only been exercising his right to free speech. Until he made it personal today." Casey slides the paper over to me and points to a particular paragraph. "Read that little gem."

I let my eyes graze over it. He's railing on about how same sex marriage is destroying the precious sanctity of marriage…and then I see what has Casey so upset. I have to read it twice to make sure I'm not seeing things.

"Public officials are held to a higher standard than the general public. And as such, should accept that they are a reflection of the people they represent. Their job is to uphold the constitution and the law of the state and this country. That includes protecting the institution of marriage. It troubles me when a high-ranking official such as District Attorney Alexandra Cabot chooses to destroy the very values we've worked hard to protect." And it goes on to talk about my engagement with my live-in "girlfriend".

After I read that, I look back at Casey. I'm feeling a mixture of emotions; the strongest one anger. How could I not know about this? How did the day come to an end without someone letting me know about this article?

Casey reads my expression and says, "Yeah, that was my reaction too. I went straight over to his campaign headquarters and waited over two hours for him to get there. I didn't tell his staff why I was there; I just showed them my Senate staff ID and said I needed a moment of his time. Amazingly, they were polite to me. Respect for the opponent, I guess. But I wasn't polite to him. I didn't even give him the courtesy of speaking to him in private. I let him have it – right there in front of his whole campaign staff and someone who had come in to volunteer. I introduced myself and opened the tongue-lashing with the words, 'I'm Alex Cabot's fiancée' and immediately his attitude changed. The jackass didn't even know that your fiancée works for his opponent; I guess he should have done his research. I told him I respect that he has his own opinion, but he had no right to name you in that article. He let me rant, and then just dismissed me by saying, 'I stand by what I say, Miss Novak', and walking away from me. The guy is…" she's so upset she can't even find the right words. "Oh my God, I was so mad! He celebrates being an ass."

It's certainly understandable why Casey would be so upset; in her place, I would be too. But she takes things much more personal than I do and doesn't exactly know when to let things go.

"Casey," I say sympathetically, taking both of her hands in mine and giving her a warm smile. "I'm so touched that you defended me…but this is politics, Casey. He is playing a game. I'm very angry that my name was used in that article too, but you know what? It's okay. Our engagement is public; we weren't trying to keep it a secret. Making something like this public when you have a job like mine is opening yourself up to this kind of attack. I know. I knew that when I made the announcement. It's dirty politics he's chosen to play, but there's nothing you can do about that."

"I realize that, Alex, but it pissed me off."

"I understand. But you have to tread lightly, okay? I know how you are. I know how your mouth gets you in trouble. You had every right to confront Phil Williams…but use restraint, okay? Keep in mind that this is a game and don't take it too seriously. Don't give him any ammunition to fire at you too."

Casey is looking at the carpet now, as if she's embarrassed to meet my eyes. "I know. I wasn't out of line with him. I told him what he needed to hear. I just couldn't let it go, Alex."

I tell her it's okay and I squeeze both of her hands, trying to think of something to say to make this a little better. She's still so upset and tired and stressed. She needs to relax. She needs me. This job is way too much for her.

So I tell her that. "Casey, we said we were going to be honest from here on out, right?"

She looks scared by those words. "Yes…"

I put the serious expression back on my face. "Okay. Then I'm going to be honest – I want you to give up the campaign job. I can't stand what it's doing to you. We don't see each other anymore, and that's only going to get worse. Working in his office is enough, Casey. You don't need to fill your evenings with even more stress. We both have stressful enough jobs as it is, and we both need to come home and unwind with each other. Nothing feels better than coming home to you…and I know you feel the same way about me. I know it may seem controlling or mean to ask you…but I am asking you, Casey. For the sake of yourself, and us. Please."

I'm fully expecting an argument from Casey. I expect her to blow up a me and then retreat to the safety of our room. But she surprises me by giving me a small smile and saying, "Okay, Alex. I will. I'll tell Senator Palmer tomorrow." And that's all she says – just those words. And then she drops my hand and gets up off the couch and says, "I'm going to shower and go to bed."

After she's disappeared down the hall, I remain seated on the couch, thinking about what just happened. My words didn't seem to make her feel any better. She was just as upset when she got up off the couch as she was when she sat down.

I sigh and head towards the bedroom. I hope this week gets better. It certainly can't get any worse.

Friday night I pull my car into Palmer's campaign headquarters at a little after eight PM. Casey had promised to be home by six; I worked through lunch and a meeting I needed to attend in order to be there when she got home so I could take her out for dinner and maybe a movie. And here it is eight o'clock and her jeep is still in the parking lot and the last text I got from her was an hour ago, apologizing repeatedly for being late and promising to finish up soon. I texted her before I left the apartment and so far haven't heard back again.

It's supposed to be her last day on the campaign and I fully expected her to be home when she said she would be. And not answering my texts now…it's unacceptable. I would never do that to her. This is so unlike Casey. She has never been so disrespectful to me before.

As soon as I enter the office, I'm greeted by a friendly brunette who can't be more than eighteen. She stands up from behind the desk and smiles at me. "Good evening! What can I help you with? Sorry for the clutter; we've just gotten some signs and bumper stickers in and need to sort through them."

I can tell she's sizing me up and hoping I've come to volunteer; what a pity I'm about to disappoint her.

"I'm here for Casey Novak. Could you tell me where she is?"

"Casey is in a meeting with the campaign staff right now. It's closed-door so I can't interrupt. Is this an emergency?"

I sigh heavily; why would Casey need to be at a meeting on her last day? What could be so important?

"No. Just tell her that her fiancée wants her to come home immediately. Tell her to call me when she decides I'm important enough."

I don't give the girl a chance to respond. I adjust my purse strap on my shoulder and make a hasty exit, being sure to slam the door behind me.

I'm so hurt; I never expected Casey to hurt me in this way. What could be so important that she wouldn't be home when she said and couldn't take five minutes to call or text me? I thought I meant more to her than this.

I've just opened my car door and am about to get in the driver's side, when a voice shouts my name. "Miss Cabot! Please hold on!"

I turn to see Senator Palmer himself jogging across the parking lot towards me. He's dressed in a three-piece suit and looks like he just walked off the Senate floor.

He stops in front of me and regards me with a smile. "Miss Cabot, you have my apologies for keeping Casey so late. None of us have had a spare moment today and I understand she had hoped to be home a few hours ago. It's my fault she's still here; I asked her to do some extra work."

I angrily slam my car door and cross my arms in front of my chest. "Excuse my harsh tone, Senator, but Casey and I are planning a wedding. We haven't even had a conversation this week. She comes home exhausted both physically and mentally every night. And one day out of the week she hopes to come home at a decent hour, and you give her more work?"

"Miss Cabot, I – "

I don't let him get a word in. "No. I'm speaking now. I'm not intimidated by you just because you're a Senator. Don't expect me to go easy on you. Casey means more to me than anything in this world, and you are taking advantage of her. She is so eager to please that she will do whatever anyone asks of her, and you are playing this card with a full hand. I don't like seeing Casey get taken advantage of. She's been through a lot in her life, and she doesn't deserve that kind of treatment. Kindly go back inside and break up her meeting and send her out here."

Senator Palmer seems impressed by my words, and not at all fazed by what I've said. He nods at me. "I understand your dedication to Casey. It's admirable. I was in love once…and I made a huge mistake that destroyed my life. So I do understand your stance. And I know how difficult it is to plan a wedding. But let me tell you something about Casey. I haven't known her as long as you have, but I what I do know about her is that you can't make her do anything. Casey does what she wants and doesn't care what anyone thinks of her. She burst into my opponent's campaign headquarters yesterday and called him on attacking you in the Post."

I actually feel myself soften at those words, and I feel I owe an apology for that. "I heard…I'm sorry about that. Sometimes she overreacts."

"No; don't apologize. We need more people like her. I wasn't angry in the least when I heard about what she did. She stands by what she believes in and tells people when they're wrong. Just like the way she handled my case as ADA. Too often in this line of work people become what they think they should become and don't stay true to themselves. Casey's rare. It's refreshing to see someone like her."

I find myself beaming proudly. Casey is being complimented for her big mouth…this is a first.

"Anyway, Miss Cabot, I won't bore with you politics. I came out here to talk to you about Casey. She informed me that today is her last day on my campaign staff. To be completely honest with you, I don't want to lose her. She is the best person I have."

I laugh bitterly. "She already works in your office; that's not enough? And she has no experience working on a political campaign – how can she be the best on your staff?"

"She has experience in life, and she has experience in sticking her convictions. She's motivated and dedicated. That's what I need. I need her on my staff."

I can't believe this man is so selfish. He keeps Casey here late, doesn't let her call me, and now he's saying he needs her?

"I'm sorry, Senator, but it won't work out. As I stated earlier, we are planning a wedding and this job doesn't allow any time for us to be together," I say again.

"I offered Casey a full-time position on the campaign. I told her she could work eight to five during the week and only occasionally on nights and weekends when we have a big event. I will still need her to travel for the campaign occasionally, but we can work that out. I can find a temporary replacement for her in my Senate office and she can walk right back into that job after the election. I will pay her the same as she is making in my office. But she refused. She said it wasn't what she wanted."

I shrug. "Then it's not. Casey would tell you what she wants."

Senator Palmer pauses, and then says, "Miss Cabot, can you come back inside? I'd like to show you something."

I follow him back into the office and he leads me down the hall and stops in front of a conference room. There's a large picture window. "Take a look."

I do as she requests, and what I see surprises me. There's a group of maybe ten people seated a large long table. They're all watching the speaker intently, taking notes.

And the speaker is Casey. She's standing in front of a large dry-erase board that is filled with writing and graphs, and she occasionally points to something as she speaks. She looks so confident and proud of herself. There's not a hint of insecurity. And she has the attention of everyone in the room.

I turn and look at Senator Palmer, not able to hide the surprise on my face.

"Those people in there respect Casey just as much as I do. She's good with them; she motivates them. They look to her for leadership. She is great at this job, Miss Cabot. She has the right personality, drive and morals for it."

I can't help looking back inside. Casey is still speaking, and my heart swells with pride. I've never seen Casey like this. Not even as ADA. When she came back to the DA's office, she was so tentative and unsure about herself. I never would have described her as a "leader". But yet there she is – leading a table full of people.

"She has so much promise in this field. Campaign experience would be good for her; and you can see how she's taken to her leadership role. I've never had the pleasure of someone like Casey working for me. I see so much promise in her that I can say with certainty that she would be a good candidate for state legislature in the next election in two years."

I'm so shocked by what I've just heard that I actually do a double-take. Casey running for office has never crossed my mind…it's always been something I aspired to.

"Of course I haven't discussed this with her yet and she may have no interest, but take it from me; she has what it takes." Senator Palmer looks in the window once more. "Now she's told me her wishes regarding the job, but I want you to know this – she's doing it for you, not for herself. That girl is made for this job, and she loves it. I really wish she would reconsider my offer. Maybe you should have a discussion with her."

I stand cemented to where I'm standing as Senator Palmer starts to walk away. He stops and turns back towards me. "If you love her, don't let her walk away from her potential."

I hear his footsteps getting further away until I can't hear them anymore, and then I find myself watching Casey again, lost with my own thoughts.

So what do you think? Did you like the girls' weekend at the cabin? Do you think Alex is overreacting about the job? Will she let Casey quit...or encourage her to stick with it, and see what they can work out? Please review and let me know what you thought about this chapter.

On another note, this story is almost over; maybe 3 more chapters or so. I will then be doing a sequel, which I will start right away. I hope you all will read!