Casey restacked the files on her desk for the fifth time that minute and sighed softly. She has a right to know, she thought silently. How bad can it be? It's not as if she will leave. But even as she thought that, another thought overpowered it, one that terrified her. Or maybe she will. After all, who wants to think of their girlfriend like that?

"God damn it!" Casey exclaimed out loud, dropping the file she had been holding. She watched helplessly as the papers within scattered all over the floor. Sighing, she knelt down and began to sort through them, checking the page numbers as she went to make sure they were in order.

How could she tell Olivia? She had been fully truthful in saying she had been nothing but faithful in the last few years, but in the back of her mind lingered a nagging worry that Olivia would never speak to her again if she knew what Casey had taken as a job in a fit of depression. That would be a wonderful conversation. She imagined briefly how it would go. Hey, beautiful. How are you today? I know you're very curious what I did in California. So I'll tell you. I was a-"

A loud noise jolted Casey out of her thoughts. She looked outside the office window, noting that it was still as pitch black as when she had gotten back from her dinner date with Olivia. She exhaled slowly, turning back to her files in an attempt to shake it off. She tried to convince herself that it was just nerves, making her hypersensitive to the slightest things.

But then it happened again. This time, Casey laid the open file on her desk and cautiously raised the blinds on the door a couple of centimeters. When she saw nothing, she raised them until they were fully up. But still she saw nothing. "Get a grip of yourself," she murmured, wondering what was going on with her lately. However, just as she got comfortable again, the noise sounded again, and this time, Casey focused on it intently, trying to figure out what it was. It sounded like someone was dropping things from a floor above. And that satisfied her. Until her logic got the better of her until she realized on crucial fact: her office was on the top floor.

Just as she was about to turn her attention back to her work, her eyes caught a flash of light. Looking up, she watched the door handle turn slowly. "Is someone there?" she tried to ask, the terrified question dying on her lips. She reached for her briefcase, the only thing she could think of at the moment to use as a weapon. Finally, the door swung open. As the light turned on, Casey breathed a sigh of relief. "Jesus Christ, Olivia, you scared me," the attorney snapped, tossing her briefcase none too gently onto the floor.

"Sorry," Olivia replied, closing the door behind her. "The key was being stubborn."

"You could have knocked!" Casey pointed out. "Instead of making me think someone was breaking in."

Olivia walked over to her and pulled her closer, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. "I'm sorry," she whispered. She placed a soft kiss on Casey's neck. "Your pulse is twice as fast as it usually is," she observed, pulling back so she could look into Casey's emerald eyes. "What is going on?"

"I don't know," Casey admitted, leaning against her desk. "This has been going on for a few days now. I sometimes start to feel as if someone is behind me, following me, but when I turn around, nobody is there. And then tonight, I heard sounds as if someone was trying to break in, but that was just you I guess."

Olivia looked at her, worry flashing across her face. "What sounds?" she asked. "I wasn't making any sounds, except for when I tried to get the key in the lock."

"You didn't hear them?" When Olivia didn't answer, Casey sighed, walking over to the window. She looked outside at the beautifully lit Manhattan below. "I know I heard something," she murmured, more to herself than Olivia. "It was loud, deafening really. It sounded as if heavy things were crashing into the roof. I know it makes no sense, but I heard something, Olivia. I know I did."

Olivia walked over and wrapped Casey into her arms, holding her tightly. Casey buried her head on Olivia's chest, exhaling slowly in attempt to calm herself down. "It's okay, Casey," she murmured, running her fingers through the redhead's natural curls. "Even if someone is there, you know I'll protect you."

"I know," came Casey's muffled response.

Olivia smiled softly. "Well, I had a feeling you would be here," she said, suddenly changing the conversation. "I called the house phone to tell you I was leaving work and would be home soon, and no-one answered. My first thought was that you were asleep, but I had a sneaking suspicion you would be at the office, so this was my first stop."

"I wanted to get some research done," Casey murmured.

Olivia didn't bother to point out the fact that the ADA could have done said research at home as long as she had her laptop. Instead, she kissed Casey's forehead and lifted her head so that they could look into each other's eyes. "You and your research," the detective chuckled. "What do you say we go home and do some more research? I could use some help on my anatomy."

Casey responded with a giggle of her own, immediately catching onto the older woman's double meaning. "Sure. That sounds great," she replied. But as Olivia started to walk away, Casey stood rooted to the spot. It was now or never, she decided. "But I want to tell you something first," she said.

"What would that be?" Olivia asked.

Casey took a deep breath before answering. "We talked about how both of us were faithful during the last three years. And I meant it. I never got into bed with anyone. But when I first got to California, well, more a couple days after, I suppose, I found myself unable to think of what job I could possibly apply for. I just kept driving and driving until the car ran out of gas. As I parked at a local station, I saw a club nearby, one run by women. I brushed it off, got gas, and found a hotel. Well, later that night, after crying for hours on end, I decided to check it out, thinking at least a drink would take my mind off of you, you know? And I went. It turned out they were hiring. They needed dancers, and me in my depressed, vulnerable, apparently idiotic state said yes." Casey sighed, feeling the tears well in her emerald eyes. "I got a letter a few days later saying I was hired, and I went in that night. Olivia, they didn't want a normal dancer. It turns out that I-I applied to be a-" The redhead swallowed hard, her gaze falling to the floor. "A pole dancer!" she cried before dissolving into tears completely.