Chapter 13

Bright and early saw Olivia and Gia in Part 71 eagerly listening to Casey deliver her closing arguments. She spoke eloquently about Gia's accomplishments thus far in the unit as well as her past accomplishments in the Narcotics unit back in Miami. She recapped the contents of the surveillance video as well as the past assaults on Sam's records. She pled the jury to deliver a guilty verdict and reminded them that just because the charges on Assault against a Police Officer couldn't be brought forth that they should remember that she is and always will be an officer of the law.

With that, Buchanan stepped forth and countered on Casey's speech. He mentioned the "shadiness" to which Gia had became a detective so quickly and continued to soil her good name. She mentioned that Sam had been a model student and a town hero back in Miami, and just because she didn't have community ties here in the city, where she had blindly followed the love of her life did not mean that she should be treated contritely as opposed to her counterpart.

Casey then stood once more to counter what Buchanan had said. She delivered facts in this part of her closing argument. She mentioned how quickly she had made detective was for the fact that the force took away a year if you had a bachelor's degree under your belt, she mentioned her dexterity whilst at patrol, and later on the deftness of her work as a Narcotics Detective. Casey of course she mentioned the fact that her father belonged and took early retirement as a Major with the Marine Patrol before Gia graduated college and thought about applying with the force.

All in all, Casey's ability to deliver such an eloquent and well-thought out argument filled the team with an air of pride. This is how a prosecutor was supposed to be in all of the cases, not just because of the political aspect of it all.

As the jury left to deliberate, the attorneys and several people in the pews had dispersed. The Grand Jury hadn't taken long to indict and they were hopeful that with all the evidence and testimonies brought forward that the jury wouldn't take long at all. Closing arguments had taken a good part of the morning and they were nearing lunch so like the prior day, they met in Alex's office where once more you could find the Bureau Chief with the rowdy seven-month-old.

Upon entering, Olivia was quick to envelop her wife in an embrace, as Casey and Gia entered and spread around the office. Alex had Beau on her lap and was feeding her applesauce for her mid-morning snack. Gia looked exhausted both physically and mentally, she was also in pain—not having taken her pain medication for the past two days was really taking a toll on her healing ribs.

Gia flipped her hair over the back of Alex's office couch and sat slanted, placing her hand on her forehead, and evening her breathing. Casey was conferring with one of Alex's books when she saw the grimacing face of the detective, "Gia, are you ok?"

Gia opened her eyes and shook her head. "Pain meds are too strong and make me sleepy, in order to be able to testify I couldn't take them," she finished, grabbing at her sides. "I need some ibuprofen."

Casey turned to Alex, "Do you have ibuprofen, Al? Gia's in a lot of pain."

Alex chanced a glance to the woman and could physically see the type of pain that she was in. She switched Beau on her knees and bent to rummage her bottom drawer, retrieving an ibuprofen bottle and tossing it to the redhead. Casey smiled and opened the bottle, shaking three round pills into her hand. "Here, all you had to do was ask, baby," the term of endearment slipping from her lips before she was able to retrieve it.

Gia smiled. "Thanks, Case," she said, leaning in, and kissing her cheek quickly.

Olivia had retrieved a bottle of water from Alex's mini fridge and had walked it over to the woman. Gia gave her a smile and swallowed the medication. Just then, there was a knock on Alex's door. "Come in," she grumbled, rolling her eyes. "I swear, if that's one of my ADA's, coming to 'clear their mind' with Beau one more—" the sight before her eyes was one completely unexpected. "Kim," she whispered, causing Casey to avert her eyes towards the blue-eyed brunette.

Gia could see the anger and disappointment in Casey's eyes and body language. She could tell that something had happened between the two, but what exactly? Alex stood and handed Beau to Olivia whom walked towards the couch and gave the baby to her mother, "What are you doing here?"

"Well, hello to you too, Alex," Kim mentioned, crossing her arms at her chest. "That's not the way to greet your new ADA, Chief Cabot."

Alex smirked, "When they told me it was a transfer from DC, I wasn't expecting it to be you."

"Well, I saw a chance to come back so, why not take it?" Kim mentioned, moving around the office. "Oh, Detective, how are you?"

"It's Lieutenant and I'm doing fine," Olivia mentioned, obviously not pleased by the woman.

It was then when she noticed the redhead and the new face in Alex's office. "Casey," she whispered, her lips curling into a smile. "How are you?"

Casey looked between Gia and Alex, attempting to keep her composure for the sake of being at work. "Fine," she bit back.

Kim raised her eyebrows in shock and... distaste. "Is there anything that you needed, Kim?" Alex quickly said, averting a situation.

"Uh," she said, turning, "just wanted to let you know that I was your new transfer and that I look forward in working with you."

"I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early. Report to the Deputy Chief, he'll let you know what cases to cover," Alex finished, standing next to Olivia.

Kim nodded. "Chief, Lieutenant," she turned and walked to the door and turned before walking out. "I'll see you around, Casey," she said huskily, closing the door behind her.

Casey breathed out through her nose, obviously annoyed by what had happened. No one dare to say anything. The women just looked at each other, waiting until one of them spoke. Gia, being the straight shooter she was, was the first one to speak, "Who was that?"

"That was Kim Greylek, she took my spot when I was censured a couple of years back," Casey explained. "She went back to DC and Alex replaced her temporarily until I returned to SVU. We stayed in touch, actually and we dated long distance. I wanted to surprise her one weekend and when I arrived, I found out she was cheating on me."

Gia understood now why everyone had been so short with the brunette. "Do you still have feelings for her, Casey?" Gia mentioned, placing a hand on her knee.

"She really hurt me. I haven't seen her since I walked out on her that night," Casey admitted.

Gia nodded and smiled, silently grateful that she still had a chance with the redhead. Olivia and Alex watched them from afar, granting them the slight privacy they deserved. "Do you think they worked it out?" Olivia asked her wife.

"If Gia's smile is any indication of it, I'd say yes, they did," Alex responded.

After the eventful encounter, they decided to order their lunch to be delivered to the Bureau Chief's office, not wanting to step out in the cold any longer. Due to Gia's medications, her appetite hadn't been the same, but she was still able to out-eat the other three women easily. She fed Beau some of the food that had been ordered and finished by rocking her gently and easing her into slumber. It had been roughly four hours and the jury was still not back, Olivia was beginning to get fidgety. Usually when they took this long, it only meant one thing.

A ring to Alex's phone snapped every one of their thoughts. "Cabot," she chirped quickly.

"…"

"Yes, she is here," she mentioned. "Casey, phone."

Casey stood from her position and paced towards the phone, "Novak."

"…"

"About time, Jesus, we'll be there in ten," she hung the receiver. "Jury's back, we have fifteen minutes to make it back."

Olivia and Gia stood quickly. Gia handed Beau to Alex whom decided to take a break from her files and sit with the sleeping child in her arms until verdict was delivered. It wouldn't take long regardless of what happened.

They quickly made their way back to court, careful not to aggravate Gia's injuries and her lack for keeping up with the other two women. They briskly made their way to the eleventh floor and sat in their correspondent seats. Apparently, Olivia had texted the team to let them know that the jury had made it back and when in the gallery, Gia, once more had the full support of the one-six. They heard the bailiff announce the entry of the Judge and they all stood and waited for her to take her seat. Judge Barth sat and everyone took his or her cue.

She recapped what had happened during the trial and preceded to address the foreman, "Mr. Foreperson, have you reached your verdict?"

"Yes, Your Honor, we have," he said.

"On the charge of Domestic Violence and Assault in the First Degree, what say you?" Judge Barth asked.

"We the Jury find the Defendant…"

Gia held her breath, she thought about both possibilities. What if the verdict came back 'not guilty', could she really live her life knowing that at any given moment Sam could want her revenge? She could be vengeful and vindictive like that. She wouldn't stop until she either had Gia back or else, no matter the circumstances that were Sam's end goal; to get Gia back and have her under her control.

Gia was beginning to get antsy when the foreman delivered their verdict, "Guilty."

"On the charge of Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, what say you?" Judge Barth asked once more.

"We the Jury find the Defendant, guilty."

Gia could feel the tears fast down her face and Olivia hugged the girl next to her and congratulated her on the win. The gallery was filled with cheers, as justice had been made for one of their own.

Judge Barth banged her gavel, "Order! The Defendant will continue to be on remand until sentencing. Court's adjourned."

She couldn't move, not after all the emotions that were coursing through her body.

Her tears were hot and steady on her face, but they were ones of joy and gratitude. She was happy that she could finally put everything behind her, she was happy that now she could finally start anew, she was grateful for her squad, and most importantly; she was grateful for that beautiful redhead that now stood in front of her. She could breathe easily now, she was beginning to live again, and all because she almost lost her life at the hands of someone she thought loved her.

Because there is no bigger awakening than staring death straight in the eyes, a near death that was brought on by the hands of someone who knew her since college, the same someone who vowed time and time again never again to hurt her, to always protect her, and care for her.

How could she have been so dumb?

How could she have been so naïve?

Was it because she believed she was damaged goods or was it because she truly believed no one could be capable of loving her after going through what she went through?

Either way, Gia had proved Sam wrong; Beau loved her, her parents loved, her squad mates and superior felt love for her, and now there was this woman, this amazing woman that was caring for her and her daughter, that was there for her without asking anything in return. That was real and unabashed; something that no one could take away from her other than herself.

Gia felt Olivia tugging at her arm, ushering her out. "Come on, we'll pick up Beau, and I'll drop you off at Casey's. I know you need your rest," Olivia mentioned calmly, still with a smile on her face.

After exiting the gallery, Gia felt like she was swimming, but not in darkness the way she had been feeling all along, she could actually see the speckles of the rays of sunshine penetrate the surface and cast that shadowing light at the bottom of the water. She could finally see where she was going, where she was headed. She wasn't swimming blindly any longer. Now she knew where to go, and now she knew that she had been swimming closer to the surface than she had thought. She could come up for air at any given moment and see what waited for her there beyond the horizon, it was there for her, and no one could take it away.

She could finally breathe.

She could finally heal.

She could finally live.

Walking back to the DA's Office, Olivia did her best to keep her arms around her subordinate. It was like all of her emotions were on autopilot and she was moving because she needed to move, not necessarily because she wanted to. Olivia could see that Gia was in daze; she had this grin of true happiness upon her face that hadn't dissipated since they'd left the courthouse. Olivia was her only connection to reality.

Arriving at Alex's office, Alex immediately noticed the overall joy on Gia's face, but what they couldn't understand is why she hadn't been able to react to her surroundings. It was like she was stuck, relishing in what would be her new life from here on out. But, they couldn't be happier for her if they wanted to. Gia sat with her elbows on her knees on Alex's couch, still smiling whilst Olivia and Alex spoke at Alex's desk with a sleeping Beau in Alex's arms.

Casey walked in, a smile on her face to the Bureau Chief's office. "What's wrong with her?" she asked, snickering at the face that Gia sported.

Olivia chuckled, "I don't know, she's been that way ever since we left court. It's like she's aware, but she's not responding to her surroundings. I think she's still processing."

"Gia," Casey cooed softly. "Giovanna, can you hear me?"

Gia was aware of her surroundings. She was aware of what was being said. She knew how silly she must've look to everyone around her, but then again, she couldn't believe it. She needed time for it to sink in.

Suddenly she stood from the couch and approached Casey, a wry smile on her lips. She crashed her body with Casey's in a tight hug, her breathing suddenly easing, and calming. Casey hugged her waist, giving in to the hug. "Thank you," she whispered to Casey's ear.

Casey relaxed, her arms tightening around the woman in front of her, and nodded, her face burrowing further into Gia's neck. Once they released each other, the unexpected happened, they held each other, centimeters apart. Casey was drowning in the sweet scent of the woman in front of her, whether it came from her perfume or from her delicious shampoo, all Casey knew was that in that moment, that was her favorite scent, and she never wanted to stop smelling it.

They smiled to each other, their faces tinting with red. They knew they were in Alex's office, with Olivia there as well, and the door wasn't locked so they risked the chance of being caught after having said in open court that they were not in fact, in a relationship… yet. Casey smiled that full smile that had the power to send Gia to her knees. Her pink lips were perfectly aligned with the other woman's. God made no mistake when molding this beautiful woman and her incredible features. Casey was a work of art that Gia planned on admiring until Casey got tired of her. Before Casey could say something, Gia nudged her nose against Casey's, the simple gesture making her gasp and catch a breath in her chest. But, the moment didn't last long as Beau's rowdiness interrupted the women.

They came apart slowly and when they turned to face Olivia and Alex, they couldn't help but feel like guilty teenagers. Both Olivia and Alex had smug grins on their faces and a knowing look in their eyes. Of course they weren't going to say anything to make the moment even more uncomfortable than it already was, but they hoped they conveyed that whatever this façade they were putting up for the sake of their jobs, themselves, or whomever they thought they were fooling, came to an end soon. They wanted nothing more than for Casey and Gia to be happy. Whether it was together or separately, they deserved happiness and if they had found it in each other then so be it, it deserved to be explored.

Alex approached Gia with Beau still in her arms. "Congratulations, Gia," Alex cooed softly, enveloping the woman in a hug as best as she could.

Beau reached for her mother, a sleepy grin on her face. "Thank you, Alex," she said, exchanging the baby in their arms. "And, thank you, Lieutenant for everything."

Olivia approached the women and snaked her arm around Alex's waist, "There's no need for that. I told you from the beginning that we're a family and you're part of it."

Gia smiled and looked into Beau's expressive eyes, bouncing her lightly against her body, causing the baby to giggle lightly. "Family," she whispered, almost inaudibly.

She could breathe and live again.

Yes, this meant therapy and clearance before she was able to go to work, but she preferred this, she would take this any day instead of being stuck underneath the hideous and somewhat powerful hold Sam had had on her for the past eleven years. She vowed, on that day, whilst looking into the sweet stare of her daughter that she would protect her, that she'd always live truthfully and with her in mind.

Even after the few months of therapy after her rape, Gia was not as strong-minded as she had thought, she was still weak and she allowed for Sam's words to blind and cloud her judgment. Gia knew that there were women out there whom would love her regardless of her being 'damaged goods' yet she still allowed herself to be consumed by the wretched power behind Sam's words.

She knew better than that.

Now that she had been working SVU, she would tell this to her survivors, she would make them believe that they were more than what their predators had subjected them to.

She was too.

NOTE: Sorry for abandoning this story. I hit a little roadblock down the road, but hopefully can get into the full writing gist again. Hope you enjoy this chapter!