Author's note: Okay, disregard the note in the last chapter. I originally planned for each of the next four chapters to take place two months apart, but it did not work out very well. So I am amending that note. I also need to know what you would all prefer to read. I need to know whether everyone would prefer to read the final stages of the investigation in detail or not Please let me know what you prefer. Thanks, as always, for reading. Please enjoy this next chapter. I look forward to knowing what everyone thinks.

Casey was exhausted after her bath. As she changed into one of her favorite pajama sets and tied her favorite robe over it, she sat on the bed for a few moments, closing her eyes and allowing her mind to wander. Her stomach hadn't felt well for weeks, but she had assumed it was just the flu, which was going around, as it did every year at this time.

As her stomach roiled again, Casey winced. Her dinner must not have agreed with her. She couldn't wait until this flu passed, and she could actually keep something down for once. As the feeling slowly passed and the taste of pennies dissolved, Casey paused when she heard talking in the living room. She checked the clock beside the bed, realizing she must have fallen asleep for a bit in the bathtub. This needing twelve hours of sleep a night thing was starting to get to her.

Standing up slowly, Casey walked out of the bedroom, spotting two people on the couch. Alex and Olivia were sitting side by side, talking about who knew what. When she heard her name, Casey cleared her throat quietly. "Hey, Alex," she murmured, sitting on Olivia's free side. "Thanks for coming." There was a time when she wouldn't have dared suggest that Alex come over for a visit. But her days of jealousy over Olivia's former relationships were over...for now, at least.

"Hello, Casey," Alex answered calmly. She moved a little further away from Olivia, giving Casey more room to sit. Casey smiled and moved closer to her girlfriend, resting her head on Olivia's chest. "How are you feeling?" Alex questioned.

Casey was getting sick of that question. At first, it was genuinely comforting to know that everyone was in her corner, and that she had people who wanted to help her. But after two months of hearing the same question at least three times a day, just hearing it made Casey's blood pressure spike. "I'm okay," she answered quietly. There wasn't much more to say. She didn't want to go into detail. Besides, the word okay summed it up rather well. She wasn't great, but she was getting better. She was okay. "Thanks for asking," she added lamely.

Alex nodded. "Let me know if you ever need anything," she said, looking away as Olivia wrapped her arm around Casey to hold her. She opened her brief case and retrieved several files, placing them on the coffee table. "Olivia told me you want to talk to me."

"I said we both needed to talk to you," Olivia interjected, shooting Casey an apologetic smile.

Casey sighed. How nice of Olivia to throw her under the bus like that. But then, it was comforting to be able to speak for herself. Everyone had been treating her like an invalid lately. She supposed this was the price she had to pay to be treated like a human being. "We do," she finally conceded. "It's about the case."

"The case?" Alex asked. Casey noticed Olivia had already given her a glass of wine. She looked away. Alex turned sideways, to face them. "Is everything alright?"

Olivia nodded. "Everything is fine, now that we finally have one of the two bastards who did this to her," she answered before Casey could. "But, as you may know, Matthews is refusing to name his partner, no matter how much we try. We tried every approach: threats of prison time, guilt trips...But nothing worked. He bragged about his buddy, even joked about him, but will not name him."

"Olivia, there's nothing I can do about that," Alex answered slowly. "I can't overlook what he did. Whether he worked with a partner or not, the fact remains that he was clearly the alpha in this partnership. I can't help you."

"Yes you can," Casey interrupted. She took a deep breath, biting her lip. "You can offer him a deal," she said before she had time to second guess herself.

Alex, who had turned her attention to one of the case files, snapped up. "Excuse me?" She sat back on the sofa. "Casey, I would think you, of all people, would advocate more time."

"I would, if it were anyone else," Casey conceded. She sighed, shifting uncomfortably in Olivia's arms. "But this is different. Yes, I would love for him to get as much time as possible, after what he did to me. It was clearly pre-meditated, and I know that he must have stalked me before hand." She paused, considering how best to continue. "But that doesn't change the fact that he did have someone else with him, and unless we offer him some time shaved, he's never going to tell us who that is. So it's either half justice or merely warped justice. They both deserve to pay for what they did."

Olivia held Casey tightly, gently kissing the top of the younger woman's head. She nodded in agreement. "Casey's right," she agreed. "And who knows how many other women they've done this to, in the name of revenge. Who knows how many women they could continue to do this to, if we don't stop them? Alex, please. There has to be something you can do here."

Alex remained silent for several minutes. Casey started to worry that this was all a mistake, and that Alex would only care more about her batting average than genuinely helping them. But then, just when Casey had given up hope in their cause, the blonde sighed. "I'll see what I can do," she promised. "Casey, what would you do, if this was your case?"

Casey was surprised that Alex had actually asked for her opinion. It was the last thing she had expected. "If this was my case, and I was on the proper side of the desk," she answered carefully, "I would offer him fifteen years for the rape itself, and disregard the stalking. That would be in exchange for his ability to testify against his partner and willingness to lead us to him. The partner, of course, would get no deal."

Alex nodded thoughtfully. "That's exactly what I would do," she answered. "Olivia?"

"I agree," Olivia answered. She had been relatively quiet during the entire conversation, but Casey knew Olivia was doing that on purpose, in an effort to provide her with some of the control she felt she had lost because of what had happened. It actually made Casey feel loved and appreciated.

Alex returned the files to her brief case, closing it tightly. "I will get to work drafting a plea agreement in the morning. I wanted to take this bastard to court, to punish him for what he had done, and I am shocked that you didn't want the same thing, Casey. But I fully understand your reasoning. I can't say I wouldn't feel the same way if I was in your shoes." She smiled gently. "I hope you feel better. Thanks for the wine, Olivia. Goodnight."

Once Alex was gone, Casey shifted in Olivia's arms, lifting her head to look up at the older woman. "You did that on purpose," she stated. It was a statement, not a question.

"Did what on purpose, honey?" Olivia asked, though her smile said everything.

Casey rolled her eyes. "You know what," she answered. "You knew that I meant for you to talk to Alex about the plea, but you stayed silent the whole time, because you wanted to force me to talk to her. You knew I would need a few moments to really feel like myself again."

Olivia smirked. "And did it work?" she asked, kissing Casey's forehead.

Casey thought about it for a few moments. She had spent years feeling enveloped in Alex's shadow, both in the office and in the love department. She may have had the higher conviction rate, but knowing that she was assigned to the Special Victims Unit in the wake of Alex's tragic "murder" had left some huge shoes to fill. And the rumors swirling around the office that Olivia was brokenhearted over the loss didn't help.

But then she realized that this wasn't a battle. It wasn't a competition to see who Olivia would love more, because Olivia herself had proven that she loved Casey. She had chosen Casey. So there was no reason to hate Alex anymore. There was no reason to live in her shadow. She had the higher conviction rate and the love of the woman they both adored. Maybe they could be friends, after all. There was no need for them to remain rivals when there was no reason to be anymore.

"Casey?"

Casey jumped, realizing she had allowed her mind to wander. "Yeah, it worked," she murmured, realizing, as she said it, just how true it was. Everything that had happened to her had made her doubt herself completely, especially in regards to her career. But having been able to provide input in her own case had made her realize that she was still a prosecutor, no matter what happened to her. And Olivia's actions had truly given her that epiphany.

"Good." Olivia smiled. "Hey, I'm going to go out and get some ice cream. I assume you want your usual. Peanut butter cup, I presume? Extra fudge and sprinkles?"

Casey grinned. "You know me so well," she murmured.

"When it's all you've wanted for a month, I can't help but notice a pattern," Olivia replied with a chuckle. She gently laid Casey back on the couch, propping a few pillows beneath the younger woman's head. "I swear, you're going to turn into a peanut butter cup."

"I wouldn't mind that," Casey said, shrugging. As Olivia turned to walk away, she gently grabbed her girlfriend's sleeve. "Olivia?" she asked quietly.

"What's the matter?" Olivia asked.

Casey bit her lip. This was the perfect time to tell her the truth. But the words died on her lips. "Um, it's nothing," she mumbled. "Can you just make sure to get extra hot fudge? Their fudge is the best in the city."

If Olivia didn't buy the excuse, she didn't say anything. She just nodded, kissing Casey again, this time on the lips. "Anything for you. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Will you be okay here by yourself?"

Casey nodded. "Yeah, I'll just watch TV or something while I wait for you to get back." Truthfully, what she really wanted to do was take a sixteen hour nap, but she knew that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. She was tired of being so exhausted all of the time, tired of not being able to keep any of her favorite foods down. She was tired of crying at random things, or being filled with rage at odd moments, only to have it dissipate within seconds. She was tired of being a victim, tired of being forced to stay home when she really couldn't wait to be back at work. She was just tired.

"Alright. I'll be back soon," Olivia replied, pulling the covers over Casey and leaving, locking the door behind her.

Casey settled back on the sofa, sighing. She untied her robe and lifted her night gown, looking down at her belly. Shaking her head, she dropped the nightgown and retied her robe, sliding under the covers once more. She laid her head back on the pillows, closing her eyes. "Yeah, we'll both be fine," she murmured.