An Unexpected Meeting

Casey sighed as she looked down at the flowers in front of her front door. They were pink roses, her favorite flower of all. Shaking her head, she picked the flowers up and unlocked her apartment, then slipped inside. Reaching the kitchen, with her car keys still in hand, the young attorney read the card, though she already knew what it would say. However, she read it anyway. "Casey, what must I do to make you forgive me? I sent you imported chocolate and this is the fifteenth bouquet of roses I've sent, not to mention all the other types of flowers. I know I hurt you and I am truly sorry. I wish you would consider talking. It's been a month and my life is like a black abyss without you, honey. I will always love you. Love, Olivia." Casey sighed once more. Thirty two days had passed since the night that turned their relationship upside down. That was thirty two days of loneliness, lack of communication between herself and Olivia, and a depression deeper than any Casey had ever felt before. Lately she had to force herself to even get out of bed. Going to work was a chore, a terrifying prospect every day that brought the stress of seeing Olivia.

And then there were the loving voicemails. The chocolate. The infinite flowers. Olivia had even sent her a singing telegram, which was horrible and off key, though Casey hadn't been able to stop herself from smiling a bit, even through her pain. Casey was yanked from her thoughts when her phone pierced the silence. Biting back a sudden flow of tears, she checked her text messages, and realized she had one from Alex asking where she was. Quickly, she informed the other attorney that she was on her way, and dropped her phone into her purse.

She had agreed to meet Alex at a cafe around the corner, though she hadn't the slightest idea why. If there was one thing Casey knew, it was that she was not in the mood to talk. Talking led to crying and crying led to heartbreak...or were they all intermingled? Shaking her head, the attorney grabbed her coat, the reason she had stopped by the apartment in the first place, and, leaving the flowers on the counter, exited, forgetting to lock her front door as she hurried out.

"Are you going to drink that coffee or just stare at it?"

For the second time in under an hour, Casey was jolted from her thoughts. She realized she had been staring into the murky depths of the coffee she had ordered, despite knowing, in all likelihood, she would not drink a drop of it. She hadn't eaten anything in two days, and she had only been able to keep down a few bottles of water over the past several days. "Alex, why did you bring me here?"

"You brought yourself here," Alex pointed out. "I asked you to come here because you need someone to talk to, someone neutral. I know you're hurting, but you need to talk."

"I don't need to talk, and as someone who has previously slept with her, you're hardly neutral. For all I know, your ulterior motive is to separate us further so that you can have her for yourself!" Casey's words were packed with suspicion, despite, or perhaps because of, her depression and anger.

Alex sighed, placing her own coffee cup on the table between them. "If I wanted Olivia for myself, do you really think I would have arranged the surprise I have for you?"

"What surprise?" Casey asked, arching her eyebrow suspiciously. "Alex, if you're Olivia in disguise, fuck off," she ordered. Thinking rationally was rather difficult when crying for eternity seemed the more pleasant option. No one had ever affected Casey the way Olivia did, not even Charlie. And he had inflicted far worse injuries on her. She went back to staring at her coffee.

"She's not in disguise. Neither am I," said a voice behind her. It was a voice that haunted Casey's nightmares and pranced across her dreams, and it was a voice she was too depressed to hear.

Startled, Casey tried to stand up abruptly, but in her hasty attempt to leave, and Alex's subsequent defeat of the attempt by grabbing her and pulling her back, she nearly knocked over her coffee. Thwarted, she looked out the window as Olivia invited herself to sit at the end of the table. "What the hell?" she demanded, turning her glare to Alex. "This is your surprise?"

Alex sighed. "Casey, this is getting ridiculous. You two have barely spoken, and the only times you do speak, you are cold in your body language and words. Olivia asked me to help her, and I agreed, because you two are a great couple, and I'm not going to sit idly by while you throw it away over a freaking punishment session. Olivia hurt you, we all know that. But she feels horrible, and you need to wake up and realize that she never meant to do so. I know you're angry, and I certainly do not blame you, but I will say that you cannot be angry forever. She loves you, Casey, and I know you love her."

Casey felt ridiculous. She and Alex were speaking about Olivia in a proverbial sense, even though the detective was barely a foot away. It was something five year olds would do, and she was not going to take part. Biting her lip and summoning every inch of courage she could, she faced the brunette, nothing but hurt and pain etched into her emerald green eyes. "I can't forgive you yet," she said quietly.

Olivia nodded. "I know that, and I understand fully. But listen to me. I was talking to Alex, and she knows someone who has made a sort of career out of punishing people however they want. And we were talking about it, and thought if I endured the same pain I made you suffer, maybe you would..."

"Feel better?" Casey cut in, her eyebrows knitting in confusion. "So your brilliant solution for hurting me is to fucking cheat?" she demanded, standing up quickly, this time too quick for Alex to stop her. She paused as the idea began to take root in her mind, but then she shook her head, looking away, feeling guilty for even thinking it. "Don't put yourself through that," she said quietly.

"Casey, I'm going to put myself through it, for you. If it means winning your heart back, then I'll do anything." Olivia stood and moved as if she was going to kiss Casey, but the redhead pulled back, startled and unwilling. "Will you come back to my arms?"

Casey shook her head. "I don't know," she admitted, knowing Olivia was asking if she took the punishment, would she win her love again? But it was too much to process for her heartbroken brain, and after murmuring a quiet goodbye, Casey rushed out of the cafe, thankful that, since they knew no one there, they were able to openly talk.

Olivia sighed and turned to Alex. "Call her," she ordered. "Tell her I'm ready tonight."