Thanks for reviewing! And hello, Sean! Hello from the US! I hope you like being stuck in Germany! Hehe.

Chapter 2

Casey looked up in surprise at the sound of someone trying to open her locked office door, then knocking on it. For heaven's sake, couldn't she have ten minutes peace? "I swear, if this is you, Olivia," she muttered under her breath as she walked over and unlocked it, "...Elliot?"

He smiled slightly and gestured inside. "Can I come in?"

"Um... sure," she said and backed up, allowing him into the office. "What can I do for you?"

Elliot sat on the edge of her desk and patted the space beside him, waiting for her to sit next to him before saying, "Casey, after that little fight in the lab, I went to talk with Olivia. I think you should at least listen to her."

"No." No, Casey wasn't going to listen to her again. After everything that had happened, it seemed a little silly to break up over just one fight, one comment- but she didn't care. She had been perfectly clear when she had finally taken Olivia back after the Alex debacle. That if Olivia screwed up again, that was it, they were done. And yes, things had been quite nice these past few months- they hadn't fought once, and at least once a week, they'd managed to go out and get away from the troubles and horrors of work.

Perhaps, her warning had made Olivia cautious, and what she'd said that night had just been pent up feelings and held back comments over the past three months that had finally just broken free. She didn't know. The last three months had been wonderful, and yes... she already missed Olivia. But if Olivia could say something like that, then that was it. That was the last straw, and she poured all the cold finality and certainty into repeating her statement. "No, Elliot. I'm sick of it."

He frowned, watching her carefully. "Sick of what? Olivia?"

"Because..." she hesitated, trying to figure out how to conflicted feelings into words. She got to her feet and started pacing around the office."I know she already feels... or felt, I guess, guilty about that night, and I'm not saying that she should. But I warned her, Elliot. I warned her and I'm not going to lie; the past three months have been very nice- but what she said? No. That's it, I'm not giving her another second chance."

Casey sighed, leaning back against the wall and running her hands through her hair. "I don't know. Is this about Alex again? Is this because I'll just measure up to her in Olivia's eyes and she finally got sick of it? Or is something else entirely?" Without giving Elliot a chance to answer, she shook her head and continued. "Whatever it is, that's it, Elliot. I'm not going to let her dangle me out on a string and play and toy with me like this. I know, I know- it's just one fight, no big deal, but, what she said... that was worse than just a fight. I don't understand why she said it, but, I'm done. I suppose this is easier than last time, though." She laughed weakly, thinking back on how hard and difficult the break up had been after Alex had left for WP. "Only you know we're back together. So, this time, no loose ends, no... anything, really. The squad doesn't even have to know anything different. And it doesn't matter if I miss her or not. That's every break up. I'll get over it."

Elliot shook his head, not moving from his spot on her desk. "Casey... she misses you. She's sorry. You don't know how much she regrets it, but she does. She said there was no reason for her to expect you to take her back. And yeah, you did warn her. And no, if she kept making mistakes, then I wouldn't be giving you this advice- but, you said so yourself. One fight in three months. Talk to her, Casey. At least find out why she-"

"No, Elliot!" Casey pushed herself off the desk and started pacing around her office. "No, I can't. I'm not going to put myself out there again!"

"Even to salvage your friendship? Casey, you know Olivia. There has to be a reason behind what she said. You know that she doesn't really believe it. Just talk to her, Casey. You never know. You could gain perspective. All I'm saying is that she misses you and is sorry. And I think you should at least listen to her."

Casey smiled slightly. "Why is it you ended up playing matchmaker for us again?"

He shrugged. "Trust me, it's not something I'm putting on my resume. Well? You want me to drive you down to the precinct?"

She hesitated, then shrugged and pushed herself off the wall. "I suppose- but only because I know you'll give me hell if I say no. You owe me, Elliot."

He laughed. "Yes, you do. And so will Olivia, if this works out. I'm set for life." They both chuckled as he led her down the hallway before he said seriously, "Casey, if you don't want to do this-"

"I do want to. No regrets, I suppose."

Olivia walked back into the squad room with as much dignity as she could, hoping word hadn't spread yet of her and Casey's fight. No one said anything when they saw her, so people must not had found about it yet. Elliot wasn't here... he must still be at the DA's office.

Her stomach formed a hard knot at that, so she quickly sat down at her desk and tried to immerse herself in her work.

She had only been at it for about twenty minutes when Cragen burst out of his office, horror clear on his face. Fin, Munch, and Olivia all looked at him expectantly, his expression not doing anything but causing a slight panic. He was looking only at Olivia when he said, "There's been an accident."

"Um... who?" she asked when nothing else was forthcoming.

"Casey and Elliot. Come on."

"Ow," Elliot hissed under his breath as he forced his eyes open, looking around in confusion. He was in a... a car crash? God, what on earth had happened? Frowning, he tried to open his door, but it was jammed. "Damn it," he muttered when he felt his shoulder burn. It felt like it was dislocated, and his head was killing him. He turned to go through the passenger door then froze, staring in horror.

The top of the car was crushed in, so he couldn't reach the other side and it was pinning the passenger in- the passenger being Casey Novak.

She was still unconscious, the left side of her face covered with scarlet blood, her skin paler then he had ever seen it. A few heavy pieces of steel were twisted across her stomach, pinning her in place, and there seemed to be a lot of blood trailing from underneath the cold metal. "Oh god," he whispered, turning over and trying to reach. "Casey... Casey, come on... Casey, wake up!" he half ordered, half pleaded as he gently shook her shoulder.

When his efforts produced nothing, he grabbed his radio and gasped, "This is SVU, mobile one to central."

There was no reply, and he had ceased trying to shake Casey awake- he was worried that her head or spine was injured.

"SVU mobile one, this is central."

"This is Detective Elliot Stabler, I'm was in a car crash on 24th avenue north- I'm fine, and I don't know about the other driver, but ADA Casey Novak was in the car with me and she's pinned and not responsive."

"Does she have a pulse?" He tentatively reached over and felt Casey's neck, sighing with relief when he felt the hectic beat of her blood underneath his fingertips.

"Yeah- it's fast and irregular, but it's there."

"All right, please stay where you are. An ambulance is on it's way." Elliot tossed the radio to the floor and started trying to move the derbies out of the way to reach Casey, swearing when the pain in his shoulder refused to subside and only grew worse with time.

"Come on, Casey, wake up for me, please," he muttered under his breath, tapping the side of her face uncertainly. "Come on!" She moaned very, very softly, so softly he wasn't sure he even heard it at all, but other then that, there was no sign that she'd heard him.

"Case, please..." he trailed off as he managed to find her hand through the wreckage and squeezed it. "Olivia needs you... we all do... you can't leave us now," Elliot whispered, not just speaking for Olivia's sake but his own, and the rest of the squad's. Casey was like family to them- they loved her, and if they lost her- well he remembered what the squad had gone through after Alex's 'death'. And she hadn't really been dead...

He heard the sirens getting closer and started trying to free her again, murmuring comfortingly to her as he worked. He was frantic, but he tried not to let it show in his voice. "Come on, Casey, hang in there, I'm gonna get you out of there," he murmured in her ear as an ambulance raced around the corner and came to a stop by the car.

"Detective! Detective, are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine!" he shouted back, glancing over his shoulder at the EMT. "Don't worry about me, you need to get to her!"

The EMTs swarmed around the car, two of them on Casey's side. "She hit her head, don't try and move her," one of them called, then stuck his hand inside the car to feel her pulse. "Damn," he muttered as he watched his watch for a couple seconds. "About 140, we've gotta get her out of there. Detective, can you free her?"

"No, damn it! I've been trying; it's too heavy! Can't you just rip the door off?"

"We can try," he stated flatly.

Elliot rolled his eyes and returned his attention to Casey. "Case, come on, stay with me. You're gonna be fine." She sighed, her eyes slowly fluttering open. Elliot gasped, staring at her in shock. "Casey!"

"El...Elliot," she mumbled, looking at him blearily.

"Elliot! Casey!" Elliot twisted around at the scream to see Olivia pushing through the EMTS to the car."Elliot!" she shouted again, managing to stick her head inside the car. "Elliot, where's... oh my god. Oh my god, Casey!"

"Who's there?" Casey whispered deliriously, her eyes hazy as she stared at a spot of blood on the dashboard. "Liv?"

"Yeah, it's Olivia, Casey," Elliot told her softly, glancing nervously at the EMTs. "She's right here."

"…Tell her I love her." Her soft voice was resigned, filled with exhaustion and defeat as her eyes closed again.

Elliot's eyes widened in shock before he gasped sharply, "No! I won't tell her! You can tell her yourself, because you're gonna get out of this and you're gonna be just fine! Don't you dare give up on me, Casey!"

"I'll be fine? You promise?" she asked, her eyes half-closed.

"I promise, Casey."

"Liar," she accused with a soft chuckle before falling back into unconsciousness.

"Casey," Elliot said sharply, alarmed, tapping her cheek. "Casey, come on- no, don't do this to me- Casey!"

Olivia tried to force her way inside the car as she shouted, "Elliot, what's wrong? What's wrong with Casey? Tell me!"

"Ma'am, I need you to back away from the car, we're about to rip the door out and you can't-" Olivia started arguing with the EMT and Elliot tried to focus on Casey again, finding it almost impossible. His shoulder was screaming at him to stop, but he couldn't- he had to save Casey.

The EMTs finally managed to rip Casey's door off and get her out of the car, strapping her to a stretcher and rushing her towards the ambulance. Olivia froze, torn between her partner and her love. "Go on!" Elliot shouted, still trapped in the car. "Go on, I'm fine!"

She hesitated a moment longer, then took off after Casey at a run.