Burning Desire
By: Liv-x-Lex4Ever & E. Scribbles
Chapter 5: Blood Bonds
She looked back to Alex who only let go.
"Go after her, Olivia."
"I-I don't even know why you're here. If I'm going to defend myself I need something," she replied, sitting back in her chair.
Alex sighed, leaning against the desk. "It's a bit…complicated, actually."
Olivia hesitated, unsure of how much to say in front of people there. "Would it happen to have something to do with why Casey just left?"
Alex sighed again. "Yes, it does. Everything in fact."
Olivia just shook her head. "As glad as I am to see you, Alex, you were safer where you were."
She raised a brow and followed Olivia over to the side of the room. "You know, don't you? The real reason for why she was hurt."
She nodded. "Yes."
"If you know, then why are you even back here for Heaven's sake?" She dropped her voice. "Her uncle disappeared. He's looking for you. Eventually he'll find her and if you're here…"
"I'll be long gone by then."
"How do you know that? How do you know you won't be offed at the most convenient time?"
Alex sighed. "Because, as a cop, you'll never let that happen. I trust you, Olivia."
"But my heart belongs—"
Alex smiled. "I know that. I didn't come back here to make trouble for you – although, I did and I'm sorry about that. I came back to help with the investigation."
"What? Help? How? The second anyone realizes you're—you—" she sighed. "My God! I think that's—we've got to get her back here, now!"
Olivia made her way into Cragen's office with Alex following. "I need Casey ordered back here, now."
He looked up surprised. "Why isn't she still here?"
Alex answered. "She was, but, grateful to see Olivia, I hugged her and she saw it the wrong way…"
Cragen nodded. "Why should she be back here? She's told me everything, including how she's connected to this."
Olivia sighed. "The first night we were in the hospital, Casey had a nightmare."
"So? What does that mean?" Alex said. "I've had flashbacks too."
Olivia nodded. "Her exact words were: 'Please don't hurt her. I'll do whatever you want, I swear. Just please don't hurt Olivia'."
Cragen ran a hand over his face. "Okay, let me get this straight. You think Casey would give Alex up out of jealousy to keep you safe?"
Olivia looked at her hands. "Maybe not meaning to. An-and I know she was upset. I don't know if that would happen, but…she did say that's why she thinks the attack happened."
Cragen sighed, picking up the phone.
"Alex, would you be willing to say that to her?"
"What? That I'm not here to jeopardize you and her?"
Olivia nodded.
"What makes you think she'll listen to me?"
Olivia really had to think about that one. It probably wouldn't be easy to get her to stay in the same room, especially because she still believed Olivia loved Alex more than she could possibly love her.
Cragen replaced the phone on the receiver. "Well, she's not overly thrilled, but she's agreed."
Olivia nodded. "Good. Whether that was going to happen or not, we still need to have a talk with her."
Alex sighed. "For your sake, I agree."
When Casey entered a short time later, her arms were folded and she had her best court face on. She didn't look at anyone, just sat down softly in a chair.
Olivia sighed. "What's really going on? You can't just be pissed that she's here."
Alex leaned against the wall next to Olivia, curiously awaiting the response, but when one didn't come she sighed. "Look, I didn't come back here to do what you think, Casey. Hell, I suggested she give you a chance remember?"
"And why does everyone assume I'm a pathetic little girl who is scared someone's going to take her toy away? If she wants to go, she can piss off. That's not the issue here. Now, can I go? I have things to do, and I'm supposed to be at the hospital for a checkup shortly."
Cragen sighed. "That's...not why I called you in here. Olivia seems to think you might out Cabot to your uncle's 'friends' to keep her safe, but based on your attitude, that may not be the case. But you could be putting us on too. Alex is strictly here to help with the investigation, Casey so you must treat her with respect. Remember, she's not the only one involved now," he finished.
Casey's eyebrows shot up, and she finally looked at Olivia. "Oh, gee, thanks. Nice to know what you think of me, really appreciate it. And thanks everyone for all the respect you've shown me." Her sarcasm was palpable as she spoke, then pushed her chair back, standing to leave the room.
Alex blocked the door. "Oh no you don't! Your checkup can wait a few minutes," she said, "sit."
It looked for a moment that Casey was about to use fists to get out of the room, but after a few seconds standing with clenched fists, she turned back around, but stayed standing.
Olivia turned the chair in case she wanted to sit down. "Casey, why did you run?" It was a simple question, but she knew the answer would be anything but. "Please, I want to know."
"You're the cop. You work it out."
Olivia shook her head. "Work what out? If you really think there's still something going on between me and Alex, you're—"
"I'm what, Benson? I've already said, I don't care. Is anyone going to arrest me, or can I go now? None of you may care, but I would actually like to get some pain killers in the near future."
Olivia sighed, resting her hand lightly on her shoulder. "Casey, nothing has ever been perfect. Probably never will be. I'm sorry I accused you of that, but that dream just shook me. I trust you. I've protected you. Given you all you want, Now you need to trust me when I say nothing about Alex being here will ever change how I feel. I want you to be safe, Casey. If I need to protect Alex to do that I will. Now go to your checkup so you can feel better, okay?"
Casey shrugged Olivia's hand off and left the room, followed, as was usual now, by her two bodyguards.
Olivia sighed. "Well, that went...a little worse than I'd hoped."
Cragen gave a sigh, rubbing his face. "Alex, you stay here and keep going over things with the others, Olivia, you go with Casey to the hospital, she might be easier to talk to alone."
She nodded. "Alright. Whatever you say, but if you need me," she looked to Alex, "just call."
Alex nodded, giving her a gentle smile, and as she left, she squeezed her hand.
"Thanks," she whispered, leaving the room.
At the hospital, Casey was given some pain killers, then left to wait alone in the room for the doctor. Letting out a long breath, she rested back against the pillows and closed her eyes.
Olivia knocked and was instantly greeted by the guards who let her through. She walked over. "How did it go? Everything all right?"
Casey just sighed, but didn't reply, trying to stay in the happy place she was imagining in her mind.
"What do you want from me, Casey?"
"...You shouldn't be here Liv."
She raised a brow. "Why?" Then she took in how cold and rigid the sentence was. "I-is something wrong?" she asked barely able to be heard.
Casey opened her eyes, and Olivia suddenly realized the reason she hadn't been able to look at her earlier was that she knew Olivia would be able to see the fear in them. "Please. Go back to the station."
"Casey," she ran a hand along her face, "what is it? Who are you trying to protect me from?"
Casey's eyes closed again, but for only a second as the door opened. A man in a white lab coat walked in, his face partially obscured by a mask, but Casey recognized her uncle.
Olivia recognized the fear in her eyes and, though she didn't want to leave – it was the last thing on Earth she wanted to do right now – she knew what was going on. "Alright, well, you look better. I'll see you later, okay?" she said walking from the room.
As soon as she was out the hospital doors, Cragen was on the other end. "I know what the problem is and I'm on my way back to the station."
Olivia walked into Cragen's office, noticing Elliot, Fin and Munch were all there waiting with him and Alex. "Well, I think it's safe to say we've got a situation. Do you remember Casey mentioning an uncle who's in league with the people who are trying to get to you, Alex?"
Alex nodded, offering her seat to Olivia who shook her head. "She mentioned him a little."
"What specifically did she say, Alex? Think! Did she give a profession or name? It's important."
Alex frowned for a moment. "I think maybe...I think she said her dad called him Doc. I think he was a doctor. I don't know what his name is."
She nodded. "Well, that narrows it down a tiny bit then." Then she turned to Cragen. "Any idea whose side of the family he's on? Would Liam know him?"
"Probably, he's upstairs, we gave him a coffee and sat him down up there. But he's not talking. He says he wants to see Casey."
She sighed. "Okay, then one of you do a search for doctors at Mercy. I'm thinking it should take a few minutes. And I'll go see if I can get him to talk a little bit."
Liam sighed when he saw Olivia coming and leant back in his seat. "Sent you now? I've got nothing to say, I'm sorry."
She shrugged, sitting beside him. "Yeah, I kinda figured as much, but what I want to know is why. Your daughter's life could be in danger so why won't you help us? Can't you, at least, tell me that?"
"...She asked me not to. I don't know why, but I'm sure she had a good reason."
"I know her doctor is...him. She told me with gestures because she wanted me out without being hurt. I know she doesn't want anybody hurt or anyone involved who could be hurt, but...Liam, we-we can't just sit here - I refuse to - while she could be hurt again. I know that bond between a father and daughter is strong and, most of the time, not to be played with, but, I would think, in this situation, you could give us - give me - a little help. For her sake...Please?"
After a few moments' thought, he gave a gentle nod. "What do you want to know?"
"What's his name? Why does he want her to help him?"
"James Gray. They used to have a very strong bond when she was younger...maybe he thinks she'll give in...He doesn't know about you."
She nodded. "Okay. Why do they have such a strong bond? Was he around a lot?"
He nodded. "I worked a lot, and I wasn't that interested in her to begin with...I just couldn't bond with her. He was there all the time, buying her things, playing games. He was her dad really."
She sighed. "At least you cared...eventually. Mine never gave a damn. Not that I really cared." She bit her lip as her fists curled, then she shrugged and attempted to shake it off. "Do you know what's kind of going on with Alex being back? Do you know anything about that?"
He shook his head. "Casey just said don't say anything. I didn't even know what I wasn't supposed to not say."
"Um, okay, does James do any work you're...well...not so proud of? I-I'm sorry. I'm a little on edge from what I brought up a moment ago."
He reached out and squeezed her hand, then continued to hold it as he spoke. "I lost contact with him a long time ago. Casey is the only one who ever really liked him, and as far as I'm aware she hadn't spoken to him for a long time. He went to med school, graduated, got a job here in New York, not sure where, I hear he got married but never invited any of us. Casey was going to look him up when she got here, but she seemed to go off the idea."
"Any idea why?"
"Her conversations have been more focused on you of late. First, how annoying and rude you were, then...well, you know."
She laughed a bit. "Yeah, I'll admit, at first, it was like that after...after Alex left I suppose I didn't exactly warm up to her."
"A couple of times I had to talk her out of punching you. She said you annoyed her more than anyone she'd ever met...then next thing I knew, she was calling to saying 'oh, Olivia isn't so bad. You know, she loves coffee, she loves this, that, she smells like roses' I had to listen to hours of her babbling about you."
"You didn't have to listen, not really," she answered with a smile.
"Hey Olivia!" Elliot called from below.
She walked over. "James Gray."
He nodded, going over to search.
She turned around. "I'm sorry about all this, Liam. I'm trying to help her, but I don't like the way I have to go about it," she said sitting beside him again.
He sighed and gave a shrug. "It's ok."
"Olivia!"
She stood and looked down at Elliot again.
"We've got a situation. New detective was talking to Novak when she came in earlier, now he says his gun is gone."
She jumped up, running to the rail. "What? Damn!" she turned around. "You don't think...? Does she even know how to shoot?"
"She does. Well. Only gun range though."
She bit her lip. "I need to go," she said making her way downstairs. "Elliot, what else do we know?"
"Hospital called. There's something going on, on the roof, and both Casey's bodyguards have been knocked out."
"Doesn't sound good. All four of us should go."
As they reached the roof of the hospital, Elliot tried to push it open, but it was being held shut with something heavy. "Shit. Fin." Both of them trying, they still only managed to get it slightly open. Olivia was first through, gun at the ready, but at first glance, the roof appeared to be empty.
The others spread out, looking behind all the small units that scattered the roof. Olivia suddenly drew in a sharp breath when she saw Casey appear, blood covering her hands and shirt.
"Casey? Are you hurt?" Olivia kept her gun high, not moving as Casey continued to move towards her.
Tears coursed down Casey's face, but she continued to keep walking towards Olivia, not uttering a word…
Author's Note: What do you think?
Just a forewarning: the next chapter is extremely long and I apologize. I just couldn't find a spot to break it up.
This is my first post after being all moved into my new apartment! Yay!
Thanks to my Beta:Tiger(dot)Lily(dot)Weasley(dot)757
Review thanks to: tummer22 & starie78
Please read & review!
Liv-x-Lex4Ever and E. Scribbles