Author's Note: I apologize for the delay, and I truly thank you for keeping up with this story. I had a hard time with this chapter. It needed to be written, but I'm not 100% satisfied with it. The next chapter is going to be fun and fluffy though, so you can look forward to that :)
One of my readers pointed that having two ADA's with alcoholism is probably not realistic. I completely agree. My excuse: I totally forgot about Sonya until this was brought up. Oops. Dick and the Wolfpack should have made the the revolving door ADA's more memorable.
Casey and Olivia had been in contact almost every day since their chance meeting. Sometimes the calls were intense. When one of them felt an insatiable urge to drink, the other would be a rock of support. But many of the calls were just nice conversations between old friends. Casey realized that she really did miss Olivia, and she vowed not to neglect her friend again.
Now Casey was standing across the street from Alex's building. Olivia had invited her over for a home cooked meal. Both Casey and Alex were initially surprised about Olivia's choice of a new hobby, but it was something productive to do with her free time, since Olivia was still on medical leave.
Casey hesitated before crossing the street. She truly was happy that Olivia had found a loving relationship, but Alex Cabot intimidated the hell out of her. She didn't dislike Alex, because she barely knew her. But when Casey was in SVU, she always felt that she was living in Alex's shadow. It wasn't Alex's fault of course, but she had left some big shoes to fill. Casey hoped that the "non - work" Alex was a little more down to earth.
"Here goes...something," she thought, as she walked to the building.
Olivia buzzed her up and waited in the doorway.
"Hey Casey!" she exclaimed excitedly, as she gave Casey a hug.
"Hi Liv." Casey returned the hug and glanced around the apartment "Wow, you've really upgraded your accommodations."
Olivia laughed. "Yeah, this is much less Craigslist chic and much more Architectural Digest. Have a seat. Do you want some soda or water?"
"Water would be great right now," Casey said, as she took a seat on the couch. Her nose began to fill with an enticing scent.
"Liv, if that food tastes half as good as it smells, I'm going to eat it all myself."
"Don't worry, I'm making plenty for all of us," Olivia replied as she returned from the kitchen with two glasses of water.
"So, where's Alex?" Casey asked.
"She'll be home soon. She made sure that her calendar was clear this afternoon so that nothing would hold her up."
"That's great," Casey responded, though her shaking voice showed her nervousness.
Olivia immediately noticed the change in tone. "What's wrong, Case?"
Casey sighed. "Nothing really...it's just, well, she's Alex. She is the Babe Ruth of ADA's. I'm the minor leaguer who was cut from the team."
"You made a mistake, Casey. Admittedly, it was a huge one. But that doesn't define who you are. You're rebuilding your career. Maybe you'll go back to law; maybe you won't. But you're smart and resourceful...you'll eventually get into a career that you love."
Olivia moved next to Casey. "And if you're worried about Alex judging you...she won't. She knows better than anyone how hard working in SVU is and how badly we want to nail perps. I know she has the 'ice queen' reputation, but she's completely different outside of the office. Relax."
Casey smiled. "Ok. I'll try to chill."
The two women heard the lock turn. "Perfect timing," Olivia remarked.
Alex walked in and spotted Olivia and Casey. "Hi Liv. Hi Casey, it's a pleasure to have you over."
"Thanks, I'm happy to be here. I'm looking forward to this meal," Casey replied.
"You're in for a treat. Liv has gotten to be quite a chef...and I've benefitted from the home cooked meals. If you'll excuse me for one sec, I just want to change into something that's not completely uncomfortable." Alex retreated into the bedroom.
Alex's friendly demeanor put Casey slightly more at ease.
"You can breathe now," Olivia grinned. Just then the oven timer went off and Olivia stood up. "Ah, dinner is ready. Let me get everything set up."
"Do you need help?" Casey asked.
"Actually, if you could help me carry some dishes to the table, that would be great."
"Of course." Casey joined Olivia in the kitchen. "Oh wow, this is a full meal. What do we have here?"
"I cooked spinach lasagna and a side of breaded artichokes. In the fridge you'll find tomato and fresh mozzarella salad. I also bought some fresh bread and I have some hazelnut gelato in the freezer."
"Damn, Liv. Do you cook like this every night?"
"Not really. Usually my meals are a lot simpler, since I still have a lot to learn. But I wanted to pull out all the stops for this dinner. You know, to impress you" Olivia smiled
"Well, I appreciate it," Casey said. She grabbed the salad and the bread and took them out to the table.
Alex walked back into the living room, having exchanged her black power suit for jeans and a t-shirt. "I see Olivia put you to work."
Casey chuckled as she set the plates down. "Yep, she's a slave driver."
Olivia came in with the other dishes and waited for Alex and Casey to sit down. She then served the meal. She sat down and anxiously watched as Casey and Alex sampled her latest offering.
"Oh my gosh, Liv, you've really outdone yourself" Alex exclaimed. "The lasagna and artichokes are amazing!"
Casey swallowed her food before responding. "I completely agree - this is one of the best Italian dinners I've ever had. If the rest of your cooking is half as good as this, I may have to move in."
Olivia blushed, but she was also smiling proudly. "I'm glad you both like it."
For the next few minutes, the three women focused on their meals.
Alex broke the silence with a carefully worded question. She knew all about Casey's struggles, so she didn't want to seem insensitive "So, Casey, what are you up to these days?"
Casey knew a question like this was coming, but she didn't expect it right off the bat. "I'm working for my friend at a private equity firm."
"Well that sounds exciting. I imagine you get to see a lot of cool new technologies," Alex responded, trying to keep the conversation positive.
"To tell you the truth, it sounds a lot more glamorous than it is. I'm pretty much an office assistant, doing whatever administrative work needs to be done. It's not my dream job, but it's something for now. I'm sure you heard about what happened...I'm still trying to figure out my next move." Casey stared down at her plate of food.
"I did," Alex admitted. "But we all make mistakes. I mean, SVU can eat at your soul. So I understand why you did what you did."
Casey shrugged. "It's mortifying. I'll have that black mark on my record forever. Right now, I'm just trying to stay positive. At least I have a job, a roof over my head, and friends who care about me."
"And those are all important," Olivia chimed in. "You'll redeem yourself. You're too smart and talented to stay down forever."
"Yeah. It's hard, but I'm still standing."
"Sometimes, just getting out of bed in the morning is an accomplishment. I struggled for a long time in witness protection, and I'm still not fully recovered from that ordeal. You'll bounce back, Casey," Alex said, trying to be encouraging.
"Thanks," Casey sincerely said. She was surprised at how easily she was able to talk to Alex. Maybe the ice queen really wasn't so intimidating after all. "Anyway, enough about me. When Liv told me that you two were in a relationship, I was kind of shocked. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled for the two of you, but it certainly was unexpected. So, how did this happen? I love a good romance story."
Olivia smiled. "I fell for her pretty much the second she walked into the precinct."
"It took me a little longer to be attracted to Olivia. Maybe three seconds. We both danced around it for several years, though we became friends. And just when it looked like maybe we would finally move into 'dating' phase, a little thing called WITSEC happened." Alex shook her head.
"That's why I was so hard on you in the beginning, Case," Olivia said. "I was grieving, and I'd had my heart shattered."
"Aw, I thought you were just hazing me," Casey joked.
"After I got out of witness protection, it took awhile for me to just get my head on straight. But during that time, I realized that life is short, and you have to go for what you want. So a few months ago, I finally worked up the courage to ask Olivia out. She agreed….and I've been stuck with her ever since" Alex finished.
"Hey! That's it, no gelato for you," Olivia threatened.
Casey laughed. "That's great. You both seem incredibly happy."
"We are,' Alex said. "So what about you, Casey…how's your love life?"
Casey rolled her eyes. "Pretty much nonexistent. I'm really afraid I'll end up an old maid with fifty cats. Hopefully I'll meet Mr. Right one of these days. Hell, at this point I'd settle for Mr. Generally Tolerable."
"You know, Munch is available," Alex offered.
"Hmmm, now that I think about it, maybe being old maid isn't so bad," Casey said.
"On that note, I think it's time for dessert. I'll be right back," Olivia stood up and left Alex and Casey at the table. Alex turned to Casey.
"Casey," Alex began. "I want to thank you. Ever since Olivia reconnected with you, she's become much happier. She also seems a lot more sure of herself. I know that you're working on your own sobriety, but your support has made a world of difference."
Casey smiled. "Well, she's also helped me through some tough times too. No offense, but sometimes you can only talk about topics with people who've been there."
Alex held up her hands. "None taken. I'm just happy she has you as a friend."
"Alex, I have a confession to make. I was incredibly nervous about this dinner I mean, we really haven't interacted much. And I kind of thought…" Casey trailed off as she struggled to find the right words.
"That the ice queen would show up?" Alex asked.
"Maybe. Sort of…I don't know. But you're much different than I thought you would be. In a good way."
Alex laughed. "Yeah, sometimes I even act like a human being with real emotions. But seriously, I hope we can be friends as well."
"I'd like that," Casey said.
"And I want to offer my support to you as well. If you need help, whether it be with your career, or your sobriety, or even your love life you can reach out to me. I'd be happy to help in any way I can."
"Considering you suggested Munch as a potential love interest, I may decline the romance department help," Casey grinned. "But really, thank you so much. That means more than you'll probably ever know."
"You're welcome."
Olivia returned with three bowls on a tray. "Looks like my two favorite women are getting along swimmingly."
"Yep," Casey said. "All is great with us."
"That's a relief," Olivia replied. "Now grab a bowl before I eat all of this gelato."
The three women managed to finish off the entire carton before Casey went home.
After Casey left, Alex and Olivia retreated to bed.
"You know, I really like Casey," Alex said. "I wasn't sure about her, but I wanted to give her a fair shot, since she's been such a great friend to you. She surpassed my expectations."
"Yeah, Casey is a great person" Olivia confirmed. "She's genuine and incredibly caring. She also has a wicked sense of humor."
"I noticed," Alex smiled. "Hey, there's something I want to talk to you about."
"Uh oh. What's wrong, Alex?"
"Nothing at all. Actually, it's something good. How would you like to go on vacation?"
"Where to?" Olivia asked.
"I don't know. But your medical leave will be over soon, and I have a ton of accrued vacation days. I figure we should take a break and have fun. What do you say?"
"Let me see what Dr. Forrester says. I know I've been doing well, but I don't want to jeopardize my recovery," Olivia replied.
"You seem to be doing really well, Liv. I'm proud of you. But I understand," Alex said.
Olivia took her hand. "I would like nothing more than to go on a relaxing, romantic vacation with you, Al. I'm just nervous. This sober thing is still so new to me, and I don't want to screw it up."
"OK. Clear it with Dr. Forrester, and then we'll decide where to go."
"Perfect," Olivia responded. "Thanks for being so understanding, sweetie."