Dancing Within the Flames

By: Liv-x-Lex4Ever and E. Scribbles

Chapter 3: Undeniable Evidence

A few weeks later…

Olivia looked up as soon as she heard the clack of heels, disappointment itching at her when they stopped before the person she'd been hoping to see all day appeared. "Waiting for someone detective?" Casey appeared to her right, wearing her softball outfit, complete with dirty knees and a smear of dirt on her face.

She smiled. "Why yes, I am and I must say, that's an interesting outfit with high heels."

Casey crinkled her nose. "The guy downstairs wouldn't let me in with my other shoes, too dirty. Imagine. All the other people you bring in here and he wouldn't let an amazing person such as myself in because my shoes were too dirty."

"Snooty much? But I'd expect him to be that way since they know you they expect you to dress a certain way."

"I guess so. Sassy. Smart. Sexy. Mostly covered in coffee."

"I'd rather see you covered in whipped cream instead of coffee," she whispered into her ear, catching her as she nearly hit the floor.

Casey grabbed the edge of the table, now almost used to hearings Olivia utter such comments and able to recover quicker than she had been before. Most of the time. "I...I...umm...I can't remember why I came. Did I have to pick something up?"

Olivia smiled. "Maybe this," she replied, handing her a manila folder. "For your case," she added when Casey looked at her dumbfounded.

"Oh. Case. Yeah. I should go and...work. Yeah." She nodded, and then nodded once more and then mumbled, "where do I work again?" before walking towards the lifts

Olivia laughed, getting back to the case at hand. An hour later, Casey walked up to her desk, looking white as a ghost from shock. "Casey, what's wrong?"

"That guy. The one from the restaurant who followed me home. He's been to my office. He's been talking to people about it, asking things."

She wrapped an arm around Casey, taking her off to the side. "Asking what?" She could see how nervous Casey was to admit something in the open. "Bathroom. Come on."

In the bathroom, Casey promptly burst into tears, burying her head into Olivia's shirt, and no amount of coaxing could get her to speak.

Olivia sighed, wrapping her arms around her and swaying gently. "It's okay. It's going to be okay," she replied, feeling her tremble. "Shhh, it's okay. He can't hurt you," she whispered into her hair and kissing her cheek.

As fate would have it, who walked in at that moment, but Liz Donnelly. "What's going on here?"

Olivia sighed. They hadn't told anyone about this yet, but being as Casey was so upset... Olivia took a deep breath. "It's like this..." and she recounted everything up to now."We didn't know how our jobs would be affected so—"

"—So you kept it under wraps?" Donnelly asked, crossing her arms.

"Is there anything you can do?"

Liz sighed. "I'll go talk to Cragen. No matter what the circumstances, I won't stand for my newest rising star to be treated this way." And she left.

"You didn't have to do that." Casey offered, her voice still thick with tears, her body still shacking from shock at what she'd found written on a note, stuck to her desk. A note she'd immediately thrown out and had no intention of telling anyone, especially Olivia, about.

She hugged her tighter, rubbing her back. "Yes I did. What else about this is bothering you?"

Casey offered an attempt at a bright smile. "Nothing. It just scared me for a bit. After what happened to...Alex. I just. I'm fine now. Honestly."

"You are not fine, Casey Novak," she said, cupping her chin. "Whatever it is, you can tell me. Please?" she asked, leaning the heads together. "I know you're really upset, so there has to be a reason."

Casey shook her head, then stepped away, squeezing Olivia's hand. "Please don't push it, Liv. I'm ok. I better go and talk to Cragen with Liz."

Olivia held her wrist gently. "When you feel a bit more comfortable, please tell me."

Casey nodded, knowing she wouldn't, and then took a deep breath, fixing her eye makeup before leaving the room.

Olivia walked out after her. Cragen had his door open. "Novak." As she passed Olivia, she noticed she looked even more hurt as she entered the office.

Fifteen minutes later, she was requested. She walked in and sat down. "What's this exactly about?"

Donnelly pulled outa box. "These."

Casey knew jealousy was bubbling in her gut. When Olivia looked in, all she could see was blurry photographs, but one figure had brown hair. The other—the other... "Where did you get these?"

Casey sighed. "They were sent to me. Sorry, Olivia, but I'm not about to be a rebound," she replied walking out.

Olivia sighed. "So, are you guys gonna suspend me or something?"

Cragen crossed his arms and looked after Casey before returning his eyes to Olivia. "Really? Our job isn't hard enough, you had to do this? We're going to need any information you can think of on who you think this might be. It seems the guy has something to do with Novak, but we need to make sure it's nothing to do with Cabot. Write down anything you can think of, pass it to Elliott and then take the rest of the day off. Perhaps try and sort out the mess you seem to have got yourself and the rest of us into."

She sighed, standing up. "Understood." She looked to Donnelly. "Nothing from you?"

She was silent for a minute, then offered. "She's really opened up this past week or so. Seemed really happy. I, personally, don't care who gets into whose pants, but when it starts to affect my staff negatively, I take it personal Benson, so sort it out."

"Believe me, I intend to. I never meant for anything like this to happen. I'll start writing those names immediately," she said walking out.

Elliot sighed. "What was that about?"

She just shrugged it off. "Need-to-know basis, although when I'm finished writing this list you need to take it to Cragen.

He just nodded.

Meanwhile, Casey wandered around, walking first to her office, then changing her mind, then to her apartment, before finally ending up at the park, wrapping her jacket tightly around herself as she watched people stroll leisurely by, not a care in the world.

Her phone kept ringing, but without checking it, she hung up, eventually switching it off as she raised wearily to her feet, walking towards the coffee vendor, aching for the normalcy of the strong, hot liquid.

She ordered a strong coffee, paid the vendor and took a long sip, but it didn't make her feel better. Those pictures hurt. Sure, she'd known something had happened, but until now she'd had no viable evidence. As far as who was sending them though, it wasn't exactly a no-brainier, but she didn't think she could tell Olivia that and be believed. She sat back on the bench, sipping it again.

A week ago when she'd woken up in Olivia's arms, she couldn't have been happier, now she doubted how she could've been so happy.

"Casey!" Olivia said, walking up with her own coffee in hand.

"What? Are you stalking me too now?" she asked bitterly.

She shook her head. "No, I just-Look Casey, I gave Cragen a list of who could've possibly taken—"

"—you were so passionate. You'll never be that way with me. Ever," she replied.

"Casey, please listen. I was jealous. I was wrong. I was hurt, but I don't think what we have is wrong."

She sighed. "Yeah, of course you don't, because your precious Alex approves," she bit.

"Casey, the more time I spend with you, the more you blush, the more you smile, it opens something I never thought possible."

"Which is?"

"That-that I think I'm in love with you," she admitted under her breath.

Casey was silent for a long time, then said. "No. You can't draw me in like this. Not again. It's not fair."

"Who says I can't love you?" she asked, grabbing her free hand. "What have I done, since you've known me, not to deserve a beautiful woman like you? I didn't even know those pictures existed! If I had, after that first night, I would've burned them."

Casey pulled her hand away and sat silently, looking down at her coffee.

"Casey, there is something between us. I knew it when you were rambling on about corn..."

"And brussell sprouts," she supplied.

"Yes, and brussell sprouts. I took a chance because you offered me one."

Casey took a deep breath, and seemed almost ready to give in, but then spoke softly. "So if Alex had given you more of a chance, you wouldn't have looked at me. I'm second to her and I always will be. Maybe that's ok for you, but it's not for me."

"No, no, that's not what I mean! Well, not exactly."

Casey shrugged and threw her empty coffee cup into the bun, standing. "I don't care anyway. Maybe you'll have worked it out by the time the next sucker comes along."

Olivia stood up. "Do those three little words mean anything to you?"

"You didn't say three words Olivia. You said you think you might love me. Think away, and while you're thinking, I'm going. I have a flight to book."

Olivia followed her getting in front of her and doing the only possible thing that might convince her otherwise. The kiss was passionate, firey, loving and she didn't try harder until Casey kissed back, wrapping her arms around her.

When Olivia pulled away she half-expected Casey to run off out of her grasp. Instead, she stood there frozen on the spot. Olivia brushed some hair from her face.

"I'm not going to think anymore, Case. Please, from the bottom of my heart, please believe me. I never thought I could love someone so much. Alex was Alex, but you, Casey Novak, from this point on, actually about a week ago, you're everything I love about this life. You're funny, sweet, kind, tough, cheerful, sexy as hell... What more can I say? What can I do to make you believe me?"

Casey was silent for several minutes, opening and closing her mouth, trying to look anywhere but at Olivia so she could just think. Finally she looked into her eyes and saw them shining with everything Olivia had said, and her face looked so earnest that all Casey wanted to do was hug her and never let go. "...Maybe another kiss would do it?"

Olivia nodded, wrapping her arms around her. "Come here." Their lips touched and it sent a fire through their entire bodies. Casey wrapped her arms around Olivia's strong, muscular frame, her body memorizing every inch of this moment. She could hear a growl in her throat as they struggled to pull apart so they didn't look like exhibitionists. "Well?" Olivia asked.

As Casey opened her mouth, someone else called her name, and Olivia's eyes took a moment to focus on John. "Hey, I got your call Case, is everything ok?"

Olivia stepped beside her. "Yeah, Casey, is it?" she asked, trying not to sound jealous.

Casey had called John to see if he could think of anything about the guy he'd scared off so she could tell Cragen...and, if she was going to be honest with herself, she'd seen Olivia was uncomfortable around him, and the moment she'd seen those pictures she'd wanted to make Olivia feel how she'd felt. But now... "Ah...yeah."

"You're sure?" Olivia asked. "I could go." But Casey, boldly, grabbed her hand.

"I've just...been having some trouble with that guy from my apartment the other night. I was just hoping you might have remembered something about him so we could work out who he is." Casey's hand held Olivia's in an almost vice-like grip.

"That's...a good point," Olivia said, swallowing the knot in her throat. "What can you tell me about him?"

John shrugged. "Nothing really." Olivia tried hard to concentrate on his words as she felt Casey watching her. "He just wore weird clothes. Had a New York accent. That's it."

"Did he say something specific? To either of you?"

"He knew my name." Casey offered, her hand loosening slightly, her fingers moving against Olivia's.

"It's on your doorbell."John pointed out, causing Casey to shrug.

"Everything else he said was just let me in, I need to talk to you."

"Hmm," Olivia said. "Thanks for the help. Appreciate it. Don't you have somewhere to be, Casey?" she asked, feeling her hand tremble.

"Ah yes, I do. Thanks for your time John." She offered him a smile, but when he leant forward to kiss her cheek, she moved to stand partially behind Olivia, waiting until he'd began to walk off before moving.

Olivia looked at her. "Good job of not looking suspicious."

Casey smiled, and then a blush crept onto her cheeks, making her lower her head. "You're really sure about this Olivia?"

"About what exactly?"

"This. Us. Are you ready? Because it's not going to be easy. And I don't want you to feel forced into anything because I've made you feel bad. You have a big heart. I know that, and I don't want to take advantage of that by making you feel guilty. "

Olivia pulled her close. "Of one thing I'm absolutely sure and that's that I love you. I know, I know, it seems really fast, but we can take our time," she said, kissing her cheek. "If I feel uncomfortable with anything, I'll let you know. What do you mean if you make me feel guilty?"

Casey shrugged, fiddled with the button on Olivia's jacket for a moment before raising her head. "How about we take our time over lunch? I'm free the rest of the day."

Olivia smiled. "Me too."

Author's Note: So what do you think? Sorry about these back-to-backs, but I have this story finished. It's very short chapter-wise.

Thanks to my Beta:Tiger(dot)Lily(dot)Weasley(dot)757

Review thanks to: BenslerBaby

Please read & review!

Liv-x-Lex4Ever and E. Scribbles