A/N: It has been a while since I updated this and since this is where the muse came back to first, it's what's updated first. All I can do is say that I hope you all will be patient with me in my updating, seeing as balancing this and my life is starting to become very difficult. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy.

"Miss Cabot, there's a woman sitting in your office that claims to know you." Alex's secretary, Janet exclaims, in rapid fire succession. "She looks like a victim but she seems a little bit off. I told her that you were just on your way out for the day and I tried to get her to wait in the lobby with me but she insisted that she wait for you in your office. I really do apologize."

"It's fine Janet, you did what you could. I'll go see who she is." Alex replies with a small frown as she makes her way back towards her office. She pokes her head through the door and her eyes widen when she recognizes the battered looking blonde slumping lowly in one of the chairs across from her desk. "Chloe…"

The younger woman's head snaps up at hearing her name and a sad, weakened smile manages to form across her lips. "H-hey Ali." She whispers, as the pain is evident in her voice as well as across her face.

Alex moves quickly into her office and shuts the door behind her before she takes a seat next to her former colleague in the unoccupied chair. "Chlo, what are you doing here?" she asks gently, her eyes widening in fear when she takes in the other woman's appearance. "Oh my god, Chloe, what happened to you?"

"Job gone wrong I guess." Chloe responds as she winces and shifts in the chair. "A woman was mad I'd dance for one of her friends and not for her. She caught me on my way home out behind the club and she beat me. She called me a bunch of nasty things before she pinned me to the wall and raped me with a strap on. Whoever said that women don't rape women lied, because it happens. I laid there in the damp ally for I don't know how long before I managed to pick myself up. I didn't wanna go to a hospital because I can't afford the bill, so I came here. I had to see you again."

"Oh Chlo…" Alex whispers sympathetically, running a hand through the matted hair of her friend. She mentally winces when she notices the blonde twisted into the golden locks probably accompanied with bruises underneath. "How did you know to come here sweetie?"

"I asked around. A lot of people thought I was some stripper strung out on drugs, wandering the street with no knowledge of up from down. I needed a friend I could trust." Chloe trails off sadly. "Look at you Ali. You got away from that. You managed to clean yourself up and make something special of yourself."

"You can do that for yourself too Chlo. You just gotta try."

"It's not that easy for me." Chloe responds, shaking her head. "You had something going for you. You're smart. Not me. I don't know how to do anything. Stripping is all I know how to do. I'm not smart like you."

Alex shakes her head in disagreement before gently taking the younger woman's hands in her own. "When I was little, I didn't think I was going to be anything either. My father gave up on me and I had to do everything myself which was extremely hard. Then when I was in college and I had a baby, I thought that was the end for me. I didn't think I was gonna be able to support myself. But I managed. Sure there was a bump in the road where I depended on stripping but I managed to make a life for my little girl. Then I was blessed to find someone who loves me for me, and not just my body. Now I'm engaged and I have the perfect family anyone could ask for. But that doesn't have to just be for me Chlo. It can be for you too. You just gotta try."

"I'm scared to try on my own."

"Then I'll help you, okay? Listen, go outside and Janet will take you to the restroom to clean you up and bandage your wounds, okay? I need to finish up some things here, but when I'm done I promise I'll drive you to the hospital. I promise I'll be brief, okay?"

Chloe nods her head and gives the attorney a light hug and a small kiss to the cheek before she allows for the secretary to tend to her wounds, feeling like she is finally safe for the time being.

Meanwhile…

"The need for you to continue on with this daily ritual of yours is becoming tiresome." Kim sighs exasperatedly as she drags her hands through her hair and eyes the other occupant in her office with minor distaste. "We've been through this before."

"And we'll go through this again. You know that I don't have a problem with that." Casey replies firmly as she folds her arms tightly across her chest in defiance. "You need to tell her Kimberly."

Kim scowls at the unnecessary use of her first name before she bites harshly down on her lower lip. "And pray tell, why do you think that I should tell her? Honestly Casey, what would it do other than create more hectic chaos than necessary? She's perfectly happy with the way things are now, which means that she does not need me coming in ruining everything!"

This time it is Casey who sighs heavily before she shakes her head in disagreement. "Kim, you need each other. She needs you."

"Think about what you just said, Casey. What could I possibly do for her? Think about it. What the hell would I even say? 'Oh hey, you know how we kind of used to hate each other? Well, turns out I'm your sister, surprise!' It doesn't work like that Casey. I can't just tell her something like that."

"No, you think about it! Look at this from her perspective. Your mother practically died when the both of you were very young. You never met her and Alex doesn't have a whole lot of memories about her. All her life Alex has basically going at things by herself, without the help of her father or her spoiled sister. But you aren't like either of them. I know you aren't. I know that you struggle with things and you hide behind the sarcasm and the tough exterior, but deep down, I know you care. She's your sister; you can try to throw at me that 'she's only your half sister' but damnit, sisters are sisters. You share a bond that not even I can share with her. She needs to know that there is someone in her family cares about her and supports her and you need to know that you don't need to hide anymore. You can help each other."

Kim purses her lips tightly before she shakes her head and sighs sadly. "Alex doesn't need me Casey. I've given her no reason to accept me and telling her this would make no difference…" she trails off, her heart sinking when she looks up and locks gazes with a certain blonde who is lingering in her doorway.

Alex blinks several times, glancing between the two women in the room before her gaze eventually lands on Casey. "Casey, what's going on? I-I was just about tell you I was about to take off so I could take a friend to the hospital when I heard you two yelling. What are you talking about?"

"Nothing." Kim speaks up quickly, probably a little too quickly as a tinge of fear splashes across her features. "It's nothing important."

"I heard my name." the blonde responds quickly, shaking her head as she purses her lips tightly. "I demand that the two of you tell me what has gotten you so argumentative at the moment. Tell me."

Casey sighs heavily before she glances over her shoulder at the fearful woman. "You need to tell her everything. I'm going to give you two the privacy that you need." She whispers before she crosses the room and places a gentle kiss to her fiancée's lips. "I'll take your friend to the hospital. Call me when you're finished up here."

Alex simply nods, as she hears the door close behind Casey's retreating footsteps though she keeps her gaze locked on Kim. "What do you need to tell me?" she begins with a firm tone of voice. "No games Kim. No games and no lies. I want the truth."

"I don't think the truth will be what you really want once you here it." Kim replies with a shake of her head as she leans against her desk and folds her arms. "When I first told Casey, I didn't even know where to begin. I still don't, but I suppose that it will just come to me once I start talking."

There is a pause as the two women shift uncomfortably in the silence before Kim begins speaking again. "The files that you've seen me studying so vigorously lately…they were files of information about your mother."

"Why were you looking at information about my mother?" Alex replies quickly with a defensive scowl as she feels like a more personal aspect of her life has been invaded.

"Because she was my mother too…"

Or not.

There is a heavy silence, much like the one a few moments prior, before Alex is the one who manages to find her voice again. "W-what?" she croaks out, still not believing what she has just heard. "What-what do you mean, 'she was your mother too'?"

"I mean she was my mother too." The brunette repeats. "We have the same mother Alex."

"If we have the same mother, then that would make you my…"

"Half sister…"

Alex blinks several times before shaking her head in disbelief. "But I-how? I-I don't understand."

Kim takes a deep breath before she wraps her arms around her body, retreating into herself. "Our mother was having an affair with my father. I am the accidental result from that affair. I only found out through a series of extensive research and I managed to trick your sister into a DNA test. I-I didn't know how to believe it when I found out, but it's true. It happened…"

"You have her eyes." Alex whispers as her mind finally allows for her to connect the dots. "And when you do manage to smile…you have her smile. God, Kim, this is all so much right now, I just…I really don't know how I'm supposed to respond."

"Nothing has to change…I don't even know why Casey wanted me to tell you. I don't expect anything to change."

"But do you want it to?"

This causes Kim to snap her mouth shut before she looks away and responds in the smallest of voices. "I-I don't know."

Alex sighs heavily before clasping her hands together. "Then it looks like you and I have a lot that we need to talk about." She states before a thought crosses her mind. "Have you ever seen her?"

"No, I-I wasn't able to scrape up any pictures during my studies. I've always wondered what she looked like."

"Well I'll tell you what. Maybe this weekend we can get together and have lunch? And I can show you some things about her? Granted, she did pass away and I was very young, but I did manage to keep quite a few of her things in my possession against my father's knowledge. I can show you if you'd like?"

"I'd like that…" Kim responds with a rare smile before she chuckles quietly. "You know, when I first told Casey, she made a joke about how us being sisters was the reason we clashed so much. Since we're so much alike…"

Alex cracks a smile before shaking her head with a small sigh. "I never said that I was marrying her for her sense of humor…or better yet lack thereof."

Later That Night

"Are you okay?" Casey murmurs quietly as her lover settles next to her for the night. She wraps her arms around Alex's waist, pulling their bodies close together before covering them up with the duvet. "The little monster finally go down?"

"Finally. It's like she's this never ending little spurt of energy. She's my little Energizer Bunny." Alex replies with a chuckle before resting her head on Casey's shoulder and sighing happily. "I'm so glad that you've decided adopt Emma, Casey. She really looks up to you and admires you and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect mother for my perfect little girl."

Casey grins before placing a kiss to the blonde's forehead. "I should be thanking you. You're the one that's given me the perfect family. I'm blessed to have you in my life Alex. I love you so much."

Alex grins as she finds her lips softly claimed into those of her lover's. After a series of loving pecks, she pulls away and sighs happily once more. "You know, my life just keeps getting more and more ironic. I used to be a stripper who could barely get by and support myself, let alone my daughter. Now I'm engaged to an amazing woman who loves me and my little girl, I'm an assistant district attorney, and I have a long lost sister who I may be able to have an actual relationship with. Am I gonna win the lottery next? Maybe be the first person on Mars?"

"You're silly." Casey states with a grin, nuzzling their noses together in a soft Eskimo kiss. "But I understand where you're coming from. I guess that it is pretty bizarre, but I swear that I wouldn't change any of it. Let's get some sleep okay? Tomorrow we've got a date with a cake planner."

Their cuteness always gets to me. Leave your thoughts?