A/N: Your reviews are really influencing me here, so thanks! Hope you enjoy!

After dinner the four friends sat at the table laughing and discussing Casey and Alex's earlier years...the time before that Fourth of July. "Alex I never knew you could be so laid back and fun," Abbie sighed, "you know had I known you back then we probably would have been besties."

Kim arches an eyebrow at her wife, "'Besties,' did you really just say that?"

Casey shakes her head, "What exactly do you mean Abbie?"

"Umm, Alex has always been a mopey cold stick in the mud since I have known her. I never knew what Kim liked about her." Abbie says shrugging.

Alex frowns, "Geez, Carmichael let us all know what you think about me."

Abbie pours everyone a little more wine before she starts again, "All I am trying to say is Casey brings a side of you out that I have never seen before. A happy fun side."

"I still do not understand. Can someone explain please?" Casey pleads taking a big sip of wine while leaning into Alex.

Kim drums her fingers on the table thinking of how to explain everything to Casey. "Okay, this is how it is Casey, there was an Alex with Casey, Alex after Casey, Alex without Casey, and Alex before Casey came back." Kim begins.

Alex rolls her eyes, "Really there are four versions of me?" Alex sighs.

"Yes Cabot, now stop interrupting me!" Kim snaps and continues, "Now I met Alex at Columbia the semester before the dreaded Fourth. Alex was fun and full of life, that's when we became friends. That time period is what I refer to as Alex with Casey. It's the same Alex that sits with us now. She's awesome. After that Fourth is when Alex turned into Alex after Casey, Alex was still Alex at times but rather bitchy, never fully happy known to have crying spells Alex."

Casey hearing this description pulls Alex's arms tighter around her as if she can erase those times of her life with a tighter embrace. Kim takes a sip of wine and continues, "That was the Alex status quo until you came home with that girlfriend Amelia for Christmas, that's when she started to morph into Alex without Casey. She was devastated when you came home with that girl. That's when Abbie and I started dating and Alex gained the name Ice Queen. She was usually a bitch most of the time, but would cheer up if she was going to get to see you. Then she finally decided to get her head out of her ass about being with you and built the courage to tell you after your graduation but you left instead. That is when the Alex without Casey version came to a head." Kim paused to sip her wine for a minute.

Alex took this moment to add her own thoughts, "I think Casey gets the point that I was a wreck you don't need to continue."

Casey swats Alex, "No, I want to hear the whole story."

Alex whines, "Why, Casey it's so embarrassing."

"Anyway," Kim continues, "So Alex returns home from Harvard early and has a complete emotional breakdown."

"At our apartment!" Abbie interjects.

Kim stares at Abbie harshly and once again continues, "So she is hysterical, she built this house and had it all figured out in her head that you would come home and you both would confess your love and live happily ever after, except that whole thought has now just been nuked basically. So three days later she's still crying and I tell Abbie as we are going to bed that night if she is still like that in the morning I am going to commit her because she is borderline suicidal. Although, when I get up the next morning that Alex was gone. Alex with emotions was gone all that was left was a shell of the Alex I once knew. She rarely smiled and always held her feelings inside, hell I don't know where she put them you just never saw them."

"She literally became the Ice Queen!" Abbie exclaimed.

At this Alex stands and says, "I am heading to bed guys. My depressing past is just a little much." She leans over and kisses Casey sweetly. "You stay up as long as you want babe. I will see you later." She says kissing Casey once more and disappearing up the stairs.

Casey looks back to Kim and says, "So what happened after that?"

Kim shrugs, "Nothing, she didn't date just worked. Getting her to hang out was like pulling teeth. I finally started to give up on her ever getting over you and becoming old Alex again when you arrived back. That's when I told Abbie we had to do something to get you two back together. Once she saw you it was like every wall she had built around her crumbled. She quickly became old Alex again."

Casey smiled, "I guess that's why I never saw it then." Standing Casey stretches and takes her and Alex's wine glasses to the dishwasher. Looking over to Kim and Abbie she says, "Thank you for looking after her while I was gone. I really do love her and can't wait to spend the rest of my life with her."

Kim looks at Casey as she walks to the stairs, "It was no problem Casey. We are really happy for you two."

Casey walks upstairs and into the bedroom. Dressing in her pajamas quickly she brushes her teeth and climbs into bed. Snuggling up next to Alex she realizes the blonde is awake. "Hey," she whispers.

Alex smiles at Casey, "Hi, I missed you and couldn't sleep." Casey runs her hand through Alex's long blonde hair.

"I love you so much, you know that right." Casey questions.

"Yeah I do."

Casey wiggles closer into Alex and places Alex's hand on her heart and then hers on Alex's. "Do you feel my heart beating?" Casey asks and when Alex nods she continues, "Every time it beats I love you more Alex. I want you to know that. I also want you to know that you will have my heart forever no matter what because you have always had it. I can't be without you Alex, ever. If they try to charge you Alex we are leaving got it."

"Casey, I already said..." Before Alex can finish Casey captures her lips with her own. Kissing her passionately for a minute Casey breaks the kiss and says, "Don't speak Alex. Just think about what I said while you hold me tonight." Alex nods and holds on tight to the redhead with her hand still pressed against Casey's heart so she can feel her love.


The next morning, Abbie awoke Casey and Alex by jumping on the bed with them. Pushing her way in between them and bouncing up and down both the redhead and the blonde were grumbling. "Get up you two!" The crazy brunette yelled jumping one more time before Casey reached out and grabbed her ankle effectively taking her down.

Casey pulled a pillow over her head and groaned, "Oh my God Carmichael, you are just as annoyingly cheery and obnoxious as Alex in the morning. Why don't you two go for a swim or something and let me sleep."

Abbie and Alex laugh. Alex whispers not so quietly, "Casey isn't a morning person until she at least has two cups of coffee in her."

"I heard that!" Comes from under the pillow. Abbie looks from Casey's pillow back to Alex and says, "Yeah, well as you know Kim isn't either, that's why I came to get y'all. I have to say Cabot I would have expected you to be the bed dweller not Casey. Casey seems all sporty and fun."

"I am all sporty and fun, just not before 8am. Go talk somewhere else," Casey grumbled.

Alex looks at Abbie, "You like to run?"

"Yeah," Abbie replies with a big smile.

"Great meet me downstairs in ten minutes." Alex says with a big grin as she and Abbie hop up.


Two hours later, Abbie and Alex walk back up the driveway with bags of baked goods in hand. They notice a new sedan parked in the driveway and as they enter the house they are greeted by Casey, Kim and Jo Marlowe.

"What's going on?" Alex asks, noticing the distraught look on Casey's face, and how Kim is pacing like a caged cat behind all of them. Abbie slips past her and sets down the breakfast goods.

Jo rubs her forehead and speaks, "Alex the prosecution is going to charge you."

Alex walks into the open living room and sits in one of the arm chairs. Finally she clears her head enough to ask, "Why?"

Casey sits on the arm of Alex's chair as Jo paces and Abbie and Kim slip out onto the porch. Looking at Alex now that the room is fairly clear, Jo says, "The police can't locate Marcus Clark and they want someone for their hanging tree. That someone has to be you Alex, you are the only other person they can link with knowledge of the fraud and even if it's by accident that you signed those papers they are going to charge you for fraud. Listen I have my best team trying to prove that it's possibly forged and I have another team checking all of your employees and records during that time frame looking for links or missing pieces to this cluster fuck of a puzzle. We will find something Alex to prove your innocence, or we will go to trial and sling so much reasonable doubt around that the jury will have to find you not guilty so don't worry." Finishing Jo finally sits in the other arm chair.

Alex looks like she wants to cry or scream. She just shakes her head, "I can't believe they still want to charge me when I willingly offered to help their investigation and offered to repay all of the victims well over what I would have ever have been required. What did I do wrong Jo?"

"You didn't do anything wrong kid, you just got the shit end of the stick in all of this. The government is coming down hard on everyone for White Collar crimes, unfortunately in your case the truly guilty person ran and now they need someone to blame." Jo replies with a frown.

Casey listened to the entire exchange. Slightly shell shocked by all of the information she hadn't said anything until now, "When will she be charged?"

"Friday, Monday at the latest. I asked them to give me a five hour heads up at least so we can get you back to NYC. They are okay with you staying here in the Hamptons until trial." Jo answers sadly. Taking a breath she adds, "Casey you will most likely be called to testify."

Casey nods and replies, "I know. Why aren't you trying to find Marcus Clark. It seems to me that he would be the key to clearing Alex's name."

"We don't know where he is, no one can find him. It is like he disappeared off the face of the planet." Jo sighs.

Alex looks up. "Wait Jo, I think I may know where you might be able to find him." Alex says, seeing Jo nod she continues, "I remember when I was a kid my dad sold an old lake house he owned to an old friend. I didn't pay much attention at the time who he sold the house to, I was really young, but I do remember as a teenager my father asking Marcus if he was still enjoying the fishing at the lake house. It could be that house. I can remember the lake and rough location of the house if you can find someone to check it out."

"That would be great Alex, write down the information for me and I will have it checked out. In the meantime, you two relax and stay out of the spot light." Jo says standing. Looking outside she tells Casey, "You might want to let your friends know they can come inside they look really cold."

Alex returns with the information on the house and shows Jo out. Returning to the living room she sees Casey curled up on the couch while Kim and Abbie argue over the best ways to make a fire. Alex sits next to Casey and curls into the redheads arms.

Looking into the beautiful redheads eyes Alex says, "Marry me Casey."

"When?" Casey replies knowing what Alex means.

"Tonight, I can set something up in a couple of hours tops and we could get married at sunset right here on the beach. I don't need anything fancy Casey I just need you and I want to be your wife. I need to be your wife before…" Alex trails off as Casey kisses her softly.

"I won't let anything happen to you Alex." Casey assures before continuing, "I will marry you tonight Alex, but you should know I didn't pack anything fancier than jeans do you mind your bride being in jeans?"

Alex laughs, "I think jeans are perfect babe, plus they are the nicest thing I brought too!"

"Good because I didn't pack anything nicer either!" Abbie chimes in interrupting the two lovers.

"Geez Abbie," Kim starts, "Way to ruin a moment. Now light the fire please. I am freezing."

Soon the room fills with easy conversation and laughter. Alex slips out and makes arrangements for a local minister to come out and marry them, and arranges for a local restaurant to deliver dinner for the four of them. It's super casual and super easy going and Alex feels like it couldn't be a more perfect day. Casey is happy and smiling and getting along great with Abbie and Kim. Alex sighs she feels relaxed despite all the chaos in her life. All she needed Casey by her side to find her own inner peace.