Title: Promise
Author: Kanani
Pairing: Casey/Olivia
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not Mine
Spoilers: Season 8 premiere, oh and Kate and Leopold.
Note: If you haven't seen the premiere yet you might not want to read this. Takes place during and after the premiere because it just begged for it. You might want a box of tissues just in case
you never know. Sorry if it's sappy but I didn't know how else to write it. Feedback is always nice. Tell me what you think.

Apartment of Casey Novak
(Knock)(Knock) "I'm coming." Casey said opening the door.

"Hi."

"Hi, I'm sorry baby." Casey said as she hugged Olivia.

"You already said that." Olivia said walking in to Casey's apartment.

"I know. I love you." Casey kissed Olivia.

"I love you too, but we need to talk." Olivia said nervously.

"What's up, babe?"

"I'm...I don't know how to tell you this."

"Livy, what is it?"

"I'm...I'm leaving."

"What? Where are you going? Is this because of the DNA? I was doing my job. Are we breaking up?" Casey forced the last question out of her mouth. Her head was spinning and not in a good way.

"No, baby it's not because of the DNA, I know you were just doing your job. I can't tell you where I'm going. I don't want to break up but that's something we have to talk about." 'I don't want to
leave or break up with her.' Olivia thought to herself.

Casey tried to calm herself down and let Olivia explain, but failed. "This can't be happening!!! I love you. You can't leave me!!!"

"I don't want to leave but Dana/Star Morrison needs my help."

"Tell her to go fuck herself!"

"Casey! Stop it!"

"Are you coming back?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"I don't know. When they don't need me anymore I guess."

"Okay. So what do you want me to do about it?"

"I want...I want you to wait for me, but if you can't I understand." Olivia put her head down and stared at the floor.

"You're coming back right?" Olivia nodded "Then I'll wait."

"It might be a while."

"I don't care. I love you and I said I'll wait so I'll wait."

Olivia smiled. "I love you so much, baby." Olivia said kissing Casey.

"When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"That soon?" Casey whined.

"Yeah, Star actually wanted us to leave tonight. But I couldn't and wouldn't leave without saying good bye to you."

"What about the others?"

"Don will tell them in the morning."

"You're not even going to say good bye to Elliot and the others?"

"Star thinks that's what I'm doing. They'll understand. I want to spend my last night with you and only you. I plan to come back. New York is my home always has been always will be even more so now. You have my heart and you're here so even if I don't come back to SVU I'll come back to you because like the saying says 'Home is where the heart is.'" Olivia pulled Casey close. "I have a few things for you."

"What? I don't think I can take anymore surprises."

"First I know I really shouldn't but I need to see you and talk to you, so my new e-mail address and a web cam."

Casey hadn't noticed the suit case Olivia had with her until now. In it was the web cam and a few of Olivia's things. "Baby, I don't know what to say." Something dawned on her. "Liv, what would have you done if I told you I wouldn't wait for you?"

Olivia just stared at Casey for a moment. "There was never a doubt in my mind that you that you would say that you would wait." Olivia lied. She had thought about it 'I probably would have died.'

Casey considered Olivia's words carefully. She was satisfied with the answer and didn't push any further. "Okay."

"I have more. Since I'm supposed to be an activist now." Olivia pulled out her leather jackets. "You hold on to them for me."

"Okay." Casey said as she took them. They still smelled like Olivia.

"A few more things."

There was only a pillow and a change of clothes left in the suit
case. "What's the pillow for?"

"For you. To trade with you."

"What do you mean?"

"I give you mine and you give me yours."

"Okay." Casey said a little confused. She didn't know why Olivia wanted her pillow and then it hit her. "I get it. So that it's like were sleeping next to each other even though were not." 'That's
sweet.'

Olivia smiled because she knew Casey was tired it always took her a little while longer to think things over then normal. "Yep. Now there's just one more thing." Olivia reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a small box. "I got it a few weeks ago and well just open it and see for yourself."

Casey took the box from Olivia and opened it slowly. As soon as she did the hand not holding the box flew up to cover her mouth in surprise. "Oh, my God, baby!"

"I know it's kind of high schoolish but I saw it and I thought that..."

"It's absolutely perfect!"

"They're engraved too" Liv said blushing.

Casey looked at the inside of the rings 'I'll Love You Forever. Liv.' 'I'll Love You Forever. Casey.' "It's beautiful! I love it! Thank you!" Casey screamed kissing Olivia.

Olivia took Casey's hand and placed the ring that said 'Liv' on her finger. Casey took the other ring that said 'Casey' and did the same. "I love you." Olivia said kissing Casey again.

"I love you too. You do know that I'm yours now and forever more right?"

"Yep, just the way I always wanted it. What am I going to do without you?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"We'll make it through this and when it's over I'll be back here with you."

"Right where you belong. Promise you'll e-mail every chance you get."

"You got it."

"Let's go to bed." Casey said wiggling her eyebrows. 'Come this time tomorrow Liv would be far away and she had no idea where she would be.' Casey tried to put the thought out of her mind because for at least one more night she had Olivia. She could cry about the situation tomorrow when Olivia was actually gone.

Olivia was already naked and in Casey's bed. "Case, aren't you coming to bed?"

Casey smiled and undressed. "I'm right here baby." Casey and Olivia made love over and over again.

Casey fell asleep around 3:30 A.M. Olivia on the other hand couldn't sleep. Her mind
was on over load. 'Casey didn't blow up like I thought she would maybe she's waiting God more waiting on her part.' Olivia thought as she watched Casey sleep. She couldn't and wouldn't go to sleep, so she stayed up and watched Casey sleep. She held Casey as close as she possibly could, listened to her breathing, smelled and played with her hair. Casey had been asleep for two hours when Olivia whispered "I miss you already."

"Then don't go."

"I...I have to."

"I won't let you."

"You have to. I promised."

"NO! I DON'T! AND I DIDN'T!" Casey said crying.
'Here it is.' Olivia thought. "Please, Casey don't make this any harder than it already is." Olivia said starting to cry herself.

"I DON'T BELIEVE YOU. YOU'RE LEAVING ME."

"Casey please! I don't want to leave you. I want nothing more than to be with you."

"THEN DON'T LEAVE ME! STAY! BE WITH ME!"

"I can't! I have to get ready." Olivia got her clothes and went into the bathroom.

"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?!!!" Casey yelled.

Olivia was crying harder. "I... Never... Meant... To... Hurt... You!...I...Love... You!... You... Have... To... Believe... Me!" Olivia sobbed. Casey! Casey! I promise you, I'll be back soon." Olivia composed herself took a shower and got dressed in less than thirty minutes.

When Olivia got out of the bathroom she noticed that Casey had stopped crying and was standing by the door. "I'm sorry I'm acting like a petulant child. It's just I don't want you to go."

"I know. I don't want to go either. But I'll be back soon I promise." Olivia said as she held Casey. "Do you have to go to work?"

"I called in sick. What time is your flight?"

"In about two hours. Are you going to be okay?"

"I don't know, I might talk to George later."

"Okay. I have to go." Olivia's eyes were starting to water again. "I love you so much you know that right?"

"Yeah I know. I love you too."

Olivia kissed Casey as passionately as possible but it was hard because Casey was starting to cry again. "I'll e-mail you when I get there."

"Okay." Casey said crying again.

"Stop that. Or I'll start crying again."

"I'm sorry. I can't help it."

Olivia kissed and hugged Casey one last time. "I have to go baby. I'll love you forever."

"I'll love you forever." Casey sobbed.

And with that Olivia was gone.

Airplane at JFK Airport
"Well Miss Benson. Are you ready?" Star Morrison asked taking her seat next to Olivia.

"I guess so." Liv said flatly.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing!" Liv shouted.

"Is there a problem her ladies?" The flight attendant asked.

"No ma'am." Star said looking at Olivia who was now staring out the window.

"Okay."

When the flight attendant was out of sight Star asked "What is wrong with you? You're not the same Liv I worked with a year ago and a few days ago."

"That Liv is dead! I have to leave everything, my home, my life, my job, my friends just because you need my help!"

"This isn't about me. This is about someone else."

"The hell it isn't, your the reason I have to leave. You don't know what the hell you're talking about someone else my ass."

"That ring on your finger you weren't wearing it yesterday when I saw you."

"So! Why the hell do you care about my fucking ring?"

"Who is he Miss Benson? Is it Elliot? He's kind of cute if you go for that sort of thing."

"Ha. He wishes. It's not Elliot. It's nobody."

"It's not nobody. If it were nobody you wouldn't be acting like a royal bitch."

"Excuse me!"

"I'm sorry to say it but you're being a bitch to everyone."

"I'm a New Yorker. It's who I am."

"You may be a New Yorker but you were never this rude before today."

"You know nothing about me! Just shut up!"

"I know a lot more than you think Miss Benson."

Three hours into the flight
"At least tell me his first name."

"You don't give up do you?"

"Nope."

Olivia didn't answer but looked for her book instead. When she opened her suit case she was surprised to find four books instead of one. 'Salem Falls, My Sister's Keeper, Plain Truth, and
Vanishing Acts.' All written by Jodi Picoult one of Casey's favorite writers. She also found Casey's pillow right where she left it except it was in one of those vacuum sealed bags along with another one that contained the clothes that Casey was wearing the day before and an envelope. She realized that when she was in the shower, Casey had taken Olivia's clothes and traded it with hers and put the other things in as well. 'Sneaky girl' Olivia thought to herself. She also realized that Star was looking over her shoulder.

"What's with the clothes and the pillow that is a pillow right?"

"It's a pillow, it's just my pillow that's all." She had to think 'Did Star see Casey and what she was wearing yesterday?' "The clothes are just extra."

"Really because that bra looks a little too small for you and the rest of it doesn't look like something you would wear. But it does look like something that your pretty little ADA would wear."

Olivia was caught. 'What the hell am I going to do?' "Like I said before you know nothing about me."

"You were telling me the truth when you said it wasn't Elliot, because it isn't him it's that ADA. What's her name?"

"Casey" Olivia whispered "Shit I walked right into that didn't I?"

"Yep. So tell me what happened. I promise I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to."

"Okay" Olivia sighed "Well we started dating a few months ago but we both knew that we loved each other when we first met but I guess we were just scared of rejection. Anyway we've had a great friendship for the past three years sure we fight but who doesn't, friends or lovers it doesn't matter. I know I fight with Elliot, Munch, and Fin and they fight with Casey. So I finally got up the
courage and told her how I felt, and things were great until this morning. But I think we'll be okay with some time.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know. I just thought it was your job you were leaving behind."

"She said she'd wait for me."

"That's good."

"She shouldn't have to wait for me. I should be with her. To be honest it's actually the only thing I want right now."

"The ring? It's a promise ring?"

"Yeah. I was going to give it to her anyway this just gave me a reason to give it to her sooner."

"Is it engraved?" Olivia nodded. "What does it say?"

"They both say 'I'll Love You Forever' the only difference is mine also says 'Casey' and hers says 'Liv'. I'm not taking it off and you can't make me."

"I made you leave her and it means a lot to you so I won't even try."

"I also gave her my e-mail address and I don't care what you say about it, if she has to wait for me to come home the least I can do is talk to her everyday."

"Okay, I'm sorry Liv. I promise I'll get you back to her as soon as I can. Now if you excuse me I have to use the restroom."

While Star went to the restroom Olivia opened the envelope. In it were pictures of Casey and pictures of Casey and Olivia together and a note in Casey's handwriting. The note read: I'm going to miss you so much, baby. I love you. Thank you for everything. I'll never take the ring off. I promise to wait for you. I'm sorry about this morning. If you haven't noticed already I put some of my favorite books in your suit case I also traded your clothes with mine because I wanted you to have more than my pillow and I wanted your clothes for myself. I miss you already. Come back soon. I'll love you forever. Love Always Your ADA Casey 'Case' Novak. Olivia smiled, held the note to her heart and whispered "I promise."