A/N: Enjoy! Thanks for the amazing reviews!

The next morning Casey awoke to an empty bed. She awoke when she realized she was cold and reached for the warm body that usually kept her nice and toasty. Climbing out of bed she wrapped her bathrobe around her and started out in search of her beautiful girlfriend. Smiling to herself the redhead wondered if she should be calling Alex her fiancé or not now.

Reaching the top of the staircase, Casey could hear Alex talking to someone. Not being able to make out exactly what Alex was saying Casey continued down the stairs. Alex hearing Casey's footsteps on the steps quickly finished her call, "Okay, thanks Kim. Just let me know if you have trouble. Amanda should know how to get in though. Yeah thanks, see you later tonight."

Feeling warm arms wrap around her waist, Alex hangs up and turns in her lovers embrace. "Good morning beautiful, did I wake you?" Alex asked before softly kissing Casey. Casey smiled into the kiss. She wasn't sure if Alex was trying to distract her from the unusual phone call she just witnessed or what, but honestly as long as Alex was kissing her she didn't care.

Pulling Alex deeper into the kiss, Casey leaned back into the kitchen counter. Alex feeling the heat rapidly building in the passionate kiss, she starts roughly pressing herself into Casey with one hand at the small of Casey's back while the other hand ran up Casey's side to her breast. Casey couldn't handle the amazing intensity of the kiss so as Alex broke the lip lock to trail kisses down her jaw and to her neck she couldn't help but let out a breathy sigh.

Suddenly, the fire alarm began to blare breaking the two lovers apart and bringing them back to the reality that there was burning food on the stove. "Oh my God," Casey exclaims realizing that they were so caught up in their passion that they missed the room filling with smoke. Laughing Alex quickly puts out the small kitchen fire and starts opening the French doors to air out the kitchen and house. Looking at Casey she laughs again, "Well I think that settles that."

"What do you mean?" Casey asks while washing out the ruined pan Alex had been using to cook pancakes in.

Smiling Alex replies, "What I mean is we obviously shouldn't be allowed to kiss in the kitchen unless we want to be homeless! Once you started kissing me those stupid pancakes went right out of my head." By the time she finishes she is laughing hysterically as Casey gives her a look that screams she is being ridiculous.

Casey smirked at Alex, "I didn't realize you were cooking." Wrapping her arms around Alex's neck she continues, "I wouldn't forget that I was cooking something while kissing you. So I think you are just banned from kissing me while YOU are cooking." Finishing she kisses Alex firmly on the lips.

Smiling into the kiss, Alex says, "Oh that is one high horse you are up on Casey." She pauses to kiss the redhead again, "I am fairly certain I could make you forget that you were cooking as well." As she finishes she proceeds to kiss Casey again.

Breaking the kiss, Casey looks predatorily into Alex's eyes. Alex watches as Casey's green eyes seem to grow to a darker shade and she grins. "Oh you think so?" Casey whispers.

Leaning into Casey's ear, Alex hotly says, "Wrong, I know so." Not putting any distance between them Casey whispers back, "Show me."

Without a word Alex scoops Casey into her arms, earning a shriek of delight from the redhead. Looking into Casey's eyes she says, "I plan to..." Turning she carries Casey upstairs to the bedroom.


By 4pm that afternoon, Abbie and Kim pulled into the secluded beach house driveway. Parking the car, Abbie looked over to Kim. Taking a breath she asked, "Kim are you sure this is the best idea? I mean we pretty much have ruined their lives with our little Cupid's arrow plan."

Kim gives Abbie a disgusted look, "Ew, did you really just compare us to a chubby baby with a bow and wings. I am not okay with that Abigail."

Abbie shakes her head and laughs, "Leave it to you Kimberly to focus on the most insignificant part of way I said."

Rolling her eyes, Kim looks at her wife seriously "Abbie, its fine. Plus, we are bringing one giant peace offering for Alex. So I am pretty sure she isn't going to feed us to man eating sharks."

"Aw, thanks babe for reassuring me." Abbie says with her thick Texan accent as she kisses her wife.

"You are such a smart ass." Kim says kissing the brunette back.

Opening the door the couple hears laughter coming from the direction of the house. Abbie looks at Kim. "Is that the Ice Queen laughing?" Abbie asks with a shocked expression on her face.

Kim shrugs, "I don't know, I've only heard her laugh a handful of times. Sounds like her though."

Grabbing their bags, the two women walk up to the house. Reaching the wrap around porch the finally realize the laughter is coming from the other side of the house. Walking around they catch a rather amusing sight of their blonde friend sitting on the porch swing watching as her redheaded girlfriend reenacts funny scenes from a movie. Seeing Alex laughing so hard that she is crying, Abbie leans over and whispers in Kim's ear, "Is she high or something?"

A wide eyed Kim whispers back, "I think it's more something." As she finishes she points at Casey.

Casey suddenly mid monologue sees the two other attorneys' and freezes her performance. Alex looks at what caused Casey to freeze and sees her two friends. Smiling widely Alex exclaims, "Hey guys! How was the drive?"

"Good," Kim replies tentatively, "you both seem to be enjoying the beach."

"Yeah, it's really peaceful." Casey says quietly.

"More like full of hysterical laughter." Abbie says, earning a quick glare for Alex. Abbie smiles to herself thinking, 'there's the Ice Queen, I knew she couldn't have wandered too far!'

"Kim, did you get my papers?" Alex asks. Kim nods, "Yeah, you want to help me get this stuff inside, and we can let these two talk?"

Abbie quickly shoots Kim a look that speaks volumes. Kim smirks and heads in the house with Alex. Turning back to Casey, Abbie says, "I am sorry Casey for everything. I let Kim talk me into that hair brained idea. I never thought it would cost us both our careers in White Collar."

Casey stares at the brunette. She can tell that her words are full of sincerity, but it doesn't lessen the pain of losing a career she loved. "I know Abbie. I am sure you are sorry. I just haven't fully gotten over losing White Collar yet." Casey says with a sigh.

"I understand that Casey. I want you to know that I did try to save you your career. I begged Branch to not punish you and told him the whole story. Honestly, I think if he could have afforded to lose another ADA on leave Kim would have been out as well for a month. He did at least suspend her for this week." Abbie sits on the swing and puts her head in her hands. Taking a shaky breath that is laced with tears she starts, "I worked so hard in that damn unit. You'd think some of it would have been able to buffer this shit. I mean I know Alex isn't guilty of anything, but those damn papers!"

"Abbie, you and I should work with Jo Marlowe and try to come up with a solid defense plan. I know she isn't guilty as well, but if we can't prove it directly we need to have a solid plan." Casey says sitting next to Abbie.

"Branch might fire us Casey, if he thinks we helped her get off. You do realize that right?" Abbie states flatly.

Casey frowns, "Do you seriously expect me to send the love of my life to prison?"

"You seriously are in love with her? Weren't you just in some relationship with a doctor? How do you go from loving one person one week and another next?" Abbie inquires.

Casey looks out at the water and smiles, "I have been in love with Alex since we were teenagers Abbie. She is the only person I have ever been in love with. She just didn't openly express her love for me. So I ran away to try to move on. I met Teddy two years ago and we in a way just filled each other's voids. In no way was I in love with Teddy and she wasn't in love with me. So when Alex finally confessed that she was in love with me and had been all these years the decision was easy for all parties involved. It sounds crazy I know." As she finishes she looks to Abbie.

"Damn, Kim and I had it so easy. She scowled at me and I blew her a kiss, she told me she hated me and I told her I was madly in love with her, I proposed and she said no so I dragged her down the aisle anyway. It was love at first sight." Abbie sighed romantically.

"Carmichael that isn't how it was at all and you know it!" Kim exclaims stomping her foot for emphasis. Abbie cringes at her wife's words as Casey erupts in laughter. Abbie shakes her head and looks up at her scowling wife and blows a kiss.

Alex reemerges from the house to discover the interesting sight of Casey laughing so hard she is crying, Kim trying to kill Abbie with a dirty look, and Abbie grinning widely. "What did I miss?" Alex questions.

"Abbie's delusional story of how we fell in love." Kim states flatly as she walks over to lean against the porch rails.

"Oh," Alex says following Kim's suit. Watching Casey pull herself together Alex smiles, for so many years she missed Casey's laugh and now she heard it multiple times a day. It was the best sound in the world to her.

Casey catches Alex staring at her and smiles back. Smiling back Alex interrupts the quiet moment, "Casey do you know why I put that porch swing right there?"

Casey nods and says, "Yes, we use to sit right here on the ground when you'd bring me out to just the lot. It was our spot." As she finishes she smiles brightly at Alex proud of herself for knowing the reason.

Kim rolls her eyes and groans, "Are you two going to be this lovey dovey all day and night?"

"Oh, no." Alex begins, "we are way worse at night if you get what I mean."

Kim blushes as another round of laughter escapes Casey. Abbie stands and holds her hand out to Kim, "On that note I am taking my wife to get a drink."

Alex quickly steals Abbie's seat and pull Casey into her arms. Kissing Casey's shoulder, Alex whispers, "I love you. I love your smile and especially your laugh."

Casey hums. Thinking for a moment Casey says, "Alex I honestly think I love everything about you."

"Really?"

"Yes, really!" Casey says looking back at Alex.

"Hey! You stole my seat!" Abbie exclaims as she walks to pull two chairs from the porch table over to where the swing was located. As Kim and Abbie sit down everyone gets serious. "So how bad was your meeting with Branch Abbie?" Alex questions.

"Bad Alex bad. He wanted to know what the hell I was thinking as Senior ADA of White Collar. I explained what Kim and I had done, and that since you weren't involved I thought it was fine. He wasn't amused in the least. I'd say he was more or less on a war path. Removed me from White Collar and put McCoy on the case. Then he put me on a one month suspension no pay and told me he would tell me at the end of the month if I still had a job. Pretty much sucked." Abbie says shaking her head. Taking a breath she added, "I'd like to tell you more Alex, but I will probably be called by the prosecution to testify. I am just really sorry that Casey got hurt in all of this."

"I am sorry you and I got punished Abbie, but I am not sorry you did it. Seriously I am not, because it helped me and Alex find our way back together." Casey says happily.

"Casey," Alex says kissing her shoulder, "why don't you come help me in the kitchen."

"Okay," Casey replies not noticing the looks exchanged between Alex and the other two women.

Walking into the kitchen, Alex opens the fridge and pulls out the casserole dish and sets it down on the counter. "Hey Casey, could you open that bottle of wine over there for us please?" Alex asks trying to fight a big smile.

Grabbing the wine bottle opener Casey says, "Sure baby."

Alex watches Casey from behind open the bottle. She has her hand in her pocket holding the small ring tightly. Kim and Abbie have their faces pinned to the window glass watching the scene they helped to create anxiously unfold. Everyone is holding their breath waiting for Casey to notice.

Casey unaware of all that is going on around her opens the bottle and quickly grabs four wine glasses as Alex jaw drops. Alex shakes her head realizing Casey didn't notice the bottle. Casey pours four glasses of wine as she hears Abbie outside erupt in laughter.

Handing Alex a glass of wine she says, "I wonder what Abbie finds so funny." pausing to take a sip of her wine she adds, "are you going to put the casserole in the oven?"

Alex bites her lip and nods as she puts the dish in the oven. Looking up she watches Casey sip the wine again. "Geez, Alex this is amazing wine. What is it?" Casey asks.

Alex bites her lip harder as she now hears Kim and Abbie laughing outside. Taking a calming breath she says, "I don't know Case why don't you look and see."

Casey frowns, "Wow Alex, I don't think I've ever seen you not know a label of wine from taste." Turning back to the island she picks up the bottle and freezes still as she reads the bottle.

Our relationship is like a bottle of red wine, better with age and better when shared together. Share a lifetime with me Casey...

Will you marry me?

Casey realizing everything is quiet around her looks up to Alex to see Alex kneeling before her holding a beautiful marquis diamond ring. A ring that Casey knows was Alex's mother's engagement ring. A token of Alex's past that she holds extremely dear and she is offering it to Casey as a sign of her undying love.

"Casey Diane Novak, will you marry me?" Alex asks softly.

Casey nods and finally whispers, "Yes, yes Alexandra yes I will marry you!"

With that Alex stands and slips the ring on Casey's finger and kisses the beautiful redhead. Abbie and Kim instantly cheer outside. Casey smiles into the kiss and breaks it enough to ask, "Is this what you were talking to Kim about this morning?"

Alex smiles and admits, "Yes it was, I needed her to pick up the ring and bottle from my office safe."

Casey looks confused, "When did you plan this?"

"I planned the bottle when I turned around that day and saw you in my office. I wasn't going to let you disappear from my life ever again. Doing it now and here I planned last night after your lame proposal." Alex said with a big smile as Casey pulled the blonde in for a kiss.

Breaking it Alex said, "We shouldn't kiss in here." Casey ignoring the warning kisses Alex again before asking, "Why?" then she resumes kissing her. Pulling back Alex says, "Because we know we will burn down the house if we take this where we want to and we also have company." Alex points towards the window.

Casey smirks at Alex and yells, "Abbie, Kim, watch the oven! I am taking my fiancé upstairs. Call us when it's done!" She doesn't wait for a response she just grabs Alex's hand and runs towards the stairs.