A/N: Ooo, another bet has emerged. I love it. Hope you all enjoy.

"I can't believe actually let you talk me into seeing that." Serena shudders, trying to shake away the images of the far too graphic thriller from her brain. Okay, so maybe it wasn't that graphic when it comes to gore and stuff, but she never really has been one for horror movies and she can't imagine how Abbie sits through such things on a regular basis.

"Aw, c'mon Serena, it wasn't that bad. I thought it was funny more than anything else." Abbie chuckles as she walks the blonde to her apartment door.

"Because killer demons and possessed people are hilarious." Serena shudders once again, spinning around as she reaches her door. "Despite being scared out of my wits for an hour or so, I really did have a good time tonight and I'm really glad you thought about me enough to invite me out."

Abbie doesn't exactly know why, but she finds herself blushing as she shrugs her shoulders and shoves her hands into her pockets. "Yeah well…I just wanted to check on you and make sure you were doing okay and…yeah." She murmurs shuffling her feet as she clears her throat. "Um, if you ever need anything, like if you need me to take you somewhere because you don't want to walk or if you do want to walk and you just don't want to walk alone, please call me. I'll be more than happy to come over and take you wherever you need to go."

Serena sends a small smile as she slowly shakes her head. "Abbie, that's sweet, but you don't have to…"

"I know I don't have to, but I just don't want you walking around scared all the time. It wouldn't feel right and then what if she finds you? I don't want you getting hurt again because some jealous lowlife got her feelings hurt. So, please say you'll call me?" Abbie pleads, tilting her head when Serena doesn't respond so she decides to try again. "Please?"

"Oh alright, I'll call you." Serena finally relents as she steps forward and gives the brunette a warm hug. "Thank you so much for caring about me. I don't think I've ever really met someone who's shown as much concern as you have."

"No problem." Abbie squeaks, frowning when she hears the pitch in her voice before she clears her throat once again. "I mean…it's no problem. I should…probably get going."

"Yeah, you should." Serena responds, though she doesn't make an attempt to move. Finally, she steps forward and gives the brunette a tender, platonic kiss to her cheek before she steps back and smiles. "Goodnight Abbie."

Blinking rapidly, Abbie feels her face warm as she shakily nods her head. "G-G'night Serena." She stammers back, watching as the blonde disappears into her apartment. With the spot on her cheek still a little warm, she blushes again as she finds herself slightly thinking about the kiss being more than it was and the embarrassment is replaced by a small amount of guilt when she realizes she was thinking about someone other than Alex in that way. Especially since she adores her wife so and she practically worships the ground she walks on.

"It was just meant to be friendly anyway." she says to herself as she shrugs her shoulders and begins to make the reasonable walk home. Passing the apartment building, she glances up towards Serena's window, sending up a silent prayer that the blonde will stay safe from whomever it is that she's afraid of.


Alex sighs heavily later on in the week as she finds herself returning home. She wasn't quite ready to return from Paris yet as she found herself to be having an amazing time in a foreign country, not to mention she got to spend uninterrupted time with Casey which was amazing all in itself.

A small giggle escapes her lips as she remembers that she had to purchase a whole other suitcase for the items that she managed to buy in Paris and she remembers Casey's constant teasing from when she was attempting and failing miserably to pack everything into a tight fit.

"I just realized that I'm not sure how I'm going to explain this stuff to Abbie…" Alex explains as they are more than halfway back to her apartment. "I mean, she's bound to notice all of the clothes and shoes and of all things, the necklace…"

Casey can't help but laugh at the thought before she gives a simple shrug in response. "Just tell her that Liz gave you a travel bonus for travelling overseas and just hide the receipts after. She's not from my class so it's not like she knows what any of this costs or anything."

Alex's smile fades at the poorly worded statement. "Casey…" she says in a disapproving tone.

"What? It's true. Come on Alex, you and I both know that she's struggling and I know for sure that you're tired of struggling. Let's just stop beading around the bush and be honest about this. You know I'm who you would rather be with."

"I know, but telling her isn't easy. I keep telling myself that I'm going to sit down and have a talk with her but I can never bring myself to do it. I know what I'm doing is wrong and I know it's not fair to her, but I can't bring myself to see myself hurt her .Just not yet."

"Hey," Casey says gently as they come to a stoplight and she reaches over to take the blonde's hand. "And I completely understand that it's not easy for you. I just…I dunno, I just wish things would happen sooner rather than later? That way you can be mine and we can start working on you opening your practice as a counselor. And then when I finally close this deal with Liz, I can sweep you off your feet and we can live anywhere in the country. But I understand how leaving your wife is hard, you've been married for what, three years?"

"Four." Alex corrects with a heavy sigh. "Thank you for understanding."

"It's one of the things I'm good at." Casey grins, leaning across the center console to steal a quick kiss just before the light changes. "I love you, you know that?"

"I know…and I love you too." Alex responds with a warm smile as she leans back against her seat. A few minutes of silence past before they pull up to her apartment building and she sighs quietly. "Looks like it's time to go."

"You want me carry your bags upstairs?" Casey asks as she gets out and leans against the side of her car.

Shaking her head, Alex removes one of her rather heavy suitcases and drops it to the ground. "No, I got it. Thanks though."

"Alex?"

The voice causes Alex to drop her other bag completely before she spins around to see her wife standing in the center of the sidewalk with a few groceries in hand. A sinking feeling immediately springs to her heart before she realizes the situation will only turn disastrous if she allows it to.

"Abbie, hey." Alex responds, giving her wife a warm smile as she picks up her suitcases. "What're you doing out?"

"You're home early. I wasn't expecting you back for at least a couple of days. Anyway, I had to run out and get a few groceries." Abbie explains, though her gaze isn't on her wife, but on the well dressed stranger still leaning against her car by the curb. "Hi…I don't believe we've met."

Blinking rapidly, Casey puts on a smile and approaches the couple as she extends her hand. "We haven't. Casey Novak." She introduces herself as she shakes hands with the other woman who is still staring at her intently. "You must be Abbie. Alex here has told me a great deal about you."

"I wish I could say the same." Abbie responds with the world's smallest smile as she firmly returns the handshake."

"Um, Casey is Liz's business partner. She's thinking about expanding the company." Alex explains, trying to relieve some of the tension in the air. "Casey was sent on the business trip as well and she offered to drive me home from the airport."

Nodding, Abbie continues to size up the other woman. It immediately bothers her that this woman has money radiating off of her and she doesn't like the smile she's giving Alex every now and then. "I see." She responds flatly before her eyes shift to behind the redhead. "That's a really nice car."

"Oh, um, thanks. It's customized." Casey responds, briefly glancing at said car over her shoulder. She clears her throat before briefly turning her head to the blonde who looks to be holding her breath. "Alex, are you sure you don't want me to carry your bags up for you?"

"I've got it." Abbie steps in before Alex even has a chance to respond.

Raising her eyebrows at the territorial display, Casey shoves her hands into her pockets before giving shrugging. "Well, alright then. Alex? I suppose I'll see you around the office."

"Yes…thanks again for the ride." Alex responds, giving a small wave.

Casey nods curtly before spinning around to head back to her car and she can't help but chuckle humorously at Abbie's defensive posture. Honestly she halfway feels bad for the artist, but as soon as the feeling is there, it disappears.

Meanwhile, Abbie manages to lug Alex's suitcases along with the groceries up to their apartment. Once there, she places the luggage in the center of the room and disappears to put up the groceries only to return to the living room a few minutes later to find Alex staring in her general direction. "What?"

"Why did you have to act like that?" Alex asks, shaking her head with a sigh of disapproval. "She was only trying to be nice."

"Well, she wasn't being so nice with her eyes." Abbie mutters in response as she crosses the room. "I didn't like the way she was looking at you. She was…she was undressing you and checking you out. I didn't like it."

Rolling her eyes, Alex's crosses her arms as she shakes her head once again. "You're jealous and it's completely ridiculous. You're being irrational."

"Well geez, Alex, can you blame me? With the way she was looking at you I couldn't help it. Not to mention she has that nice car and probably a whole bunch of money."

"Wow, so you're jealous of everything Casey has?"

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to! Let me tell you something, Abigail. Casey got to where she is because she worked at it. It wasn't just handed to her, it wasn't just some wish granted, it was just because she sat around on her ass and believed something would happen, it was because she worked for it. Worked, Abigail. But that isn't something you know anything about."

"You think I don't try?!" Abbie exclaims. "You think I haven't been trying to make you happy?! To do everything that I could to make sure you were happy! For fuck's sake Alex, give me at least a little credit for something! I adore you and you are well aware of the fact. Stop walking around and making me seem like I'm completely useless."

"I wouldn't have to point it out if you would see it for yourself." Alex snaps back coldly, her words lingering heavy in the silent room before she scoffs and picks up her purse. "You know what, forget it, I'm going to see Kim."

"Fine." Abbie cuts back, folding her arms tightly but wincing when the door slams, practically rattling the room. She lets out a frustrated sigh of her own before she falls onto the couch and drops her head into her hands.

As she begins regretting letting her attitude get the best of her, she lifts her eyes to the two suitcases in the center of the living room. A frown crosses her face when she remembers Alex only leaving with one suitcase; so what reason would she have for two?

Going against the voice screaming in the back of her head, she pulls the newer of the two closer to her and slowly begins to open the zipper. Before she can open it herself, its contents push open the flash. Abbie's frown increases as her eyes fall on the new clothes and shoes within the luggage case, many of which still have the tag on them.

As she shifts through the clothing within the suitcase, she finds a brand new matching set of lingerie and immediately her cheeks warm. Upon lifting the garments from the suitcase, Abbie scowls in deep confusion when she realizes that the lingerie has been worn.

Immediately her suspicions spike and she drops the underwear back into the suitcase before she stands up and heads over to their home computer to do a little bit of research on just who the hell Casey Novak is and what the hell she wants with her wife.


"You could've told me that you were going out of town with her." Kim states flatly as she stands in the center of her living room with her arms folded.

"I thought I did." Alex responds with a shrug of nonchalance before she rolls her eyes. "Besides, it's not that big of a deal Kim. If I had told you, you would've told me to go anyway."

"That's not the point! The point is I'm your best friend and you completely forgot about telling me that you let Casey freaking Novak fly you to France!" Kim shouts before she drops her hands to her sides. "Are you in a relationship with her Alex?"

Alex remains silent for a long period of time before she shrugs. "What's it to you if I am?"

"That you didn't tell me!" Kim exclaims once again. "The point is that it wasn't just one time sex on her plane like I thought it was! It wasn't just something that you did for thrills because you needed change! This is a full out relationship and frankly, Alex, it's wrong!"

At this, Alex's eyes widen and her jaw practically hits the floor. Did Kim just tell her that what she was doing is wrong? Kim? Of all people, Kim?! "Are you freaking kidding me, you practically pushed me to her!"

"No, I pushed you to flirt with her. Hell, I was even surprised when you told me you had sex with her but I never once said that you should run around having an affair. Granted, I don't like Abbie at all, but she doesn't deserve this. Damnit, Alex, she came to me and borrowed money so she could take you out to dinner! Mind you to a restaurant that Casey already took you out to and I should've told her that, but I didn't. You need to break it off with Abbie if you're gonna continue to do this."

"Since when do you care?!"

"Again, about her I don't. But I care about you and I don't want you making a stupid decision that's going to get every one of you hurt in the long run. You need to make a choice Alex. And soon."

Sighing heavily, Alex shakes her head before dropping her chin to her chest. "It's not easy Kim."

"I never said it was going to be. But you need to decide…and fast."

I hadn't intended for this story to be all that long so we are coming up to the falling action point. There maybe two, MAYBE and I stretch this maybe, three at the max, chapters left. Anyhow, I hope leave your thoughts!