A/N: Sorry for the extreme wait! Blitz and I have concocted yet another story for you all and well it's such a good idea that it's been in my head nonstop! Don't worry though, I will finish this one first! ;) Thank you, Starshine, for giving me the much needed inspiration to finish this chapter.
Eight months earlier...
Casey stormed into her apartment on the verge of tears. Slamming her door shut before quickly locking it, she began pacing the entry way to her condo as she held her phone to ear, waiting for Alex to pick up. Tossing her keys down on the table and heaving her bag to the floor, she sighed getting the blondes voicemail. "Alex, it's Casey," she began only to pause to wipe the tears that were steadily building in her eyes, "I am sorry, but I have to cancel for tonight. I, I just had a rough day is all and need some rest. I will call you tomorrow."
Disconnecting the call and setting the phone down on the counter, she finally let the tears she'd been holding in since she'd left her parents house fall. Making her way to her bedroom, she yanked her sweater off before removing her jeans. Wearing nothing but a tank top and underwear, she slipped between the sheets and cried herself to sleep.
Casey wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep when she woke to knocking at the front door. As a matter of a fact, she was half tempted to ignore it in fear it may be her mother. However, after two more knocks she forced herself from the bed, slipping back into her pants before making her way to the door.
Looking through the peephole, she spotted Alex and sighed. Figuring the blonde didn't get the message, she quickly checked herself over in the mirror. She looked like crap, her eyes were red and puffy from crying and she was rocking the bed hair look. Quickly running her fingers through her hair and throwing on her sun glasses she opened the door.
"Hi...I guess you didn't get my message," Casey greeted in a huskier voice than normal due to the crying.
The pursed lip look that the blonde gave her with a sympathetic head nod, instantly told Casey that she did get the message. "That rough of a day, I see," Alex replied reaching out and removing Casey's sunglasses.
The redhead wasn't sure why she let the blonde remove her glasses, there was just something about Alex that caused her to have zero guard up with her. It was something that scared and excited her all at the same time. "It's been a bad day."
"Want to talk about it?"
"No," she sighed.
Alex just nodded, "Okay, then pack an overnight bag."
"Excuse me?" Casey gasped.
"I said, pack an overnight bag. I am taking you on an adventure. When you have this rough of a day, you deserve to escape reality for a little bit. I want to help you escape."
The warmth in the blondes eyes caused Casey to smile for the first time that day. "Okay," she answered, before turning to run and pack a bag. It took her no time to have her bag ready, and be standing before Alex in her favorite field jacket, tank, jeans, and Chacos. "Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise," the blonde smiled.
With the windows and sunroof open, driving south down back roads to I-95, Casey reclined the passenger seat a bit and propped her feet on the dash. She and Alex were listening to some song about trying to tell the difference between shooting stars and satellites, and she couldn't help but think that she could finally breathe. The more distance that they put between them and the city, the more Casey felt better.
Looking over at the blonde, she couldn't imagine there being anything bad about this woman. This woman that showed up at her condo and swept her away for the weekend just to make her feel better, even after she'd canceled their dinner plans. There was no doubt in Casey's mind, Alex Cabot was a good person.
Two hours later, they made their way into Savannah. The historic town was always fun to visit and Casey couldn't help the giant smile that fell upon her face when she realized that was their destination. As they made their way to the riverfront hotel they would be staying at during their visit, Alex explained that she figured they could just relax and get to know one another.
Checking in and reaching their separate but adjoining rooms, Casey sat on her bed amazed at the thought Alex had put into everything. Standing, she walked to the adjoining door and knocked, waiting for the blonde to unlock her side. Seeing her open the door with a smile, Casey couldn't help but feel butterflies in her stomach. "Want to go downstairs for a drink?"
Smiling and blushing lightly, Alex asked, "Have you eaten?"
"No," she admitted.
"Then let's go upstairs instead," the blonde beamed, "that way we can eat and drink. Bring your jacket."
Doing as told, Casey followed the Alex to the elevator. She couldn't help but think how much she'd learned about the blonde over the last week, everything from her favorite ice cream to how she loved to work with kids teaching them how to sail like her father taught her. She seemed full of heart and despite her enormous wealth rather humble. She could easily mingle with all people and make everyone feel important, because in her eyes they were. The only thing Alex didn't really discuss was her life before age twenty.
As they stepped into the elevator, Alex softly asked, "Why are you so quiet suddenly?"
"I was thinking about you."
"Oh, really? What exactly?" The blonde questioned.
Turning to look at the blonde dead on, Casey smiled, "There is so much I still want to know about you..."
As the lift came to a stop, and the doors opened to reveal the roof top restaurant, Alex took her hand, "Then ask me over dinner."
Walking out onto the rooftop, Casey was amazed at the view of the riverfront at night. Even in the dark the city was magical. They were seated at a cozy table with a view of the bridge at the end of the waterfront, and seeing Alex in the candlelight and light breeze, Casey couldn't help but realize how much she was falling for the blonde despite her best efforts.
After ordering drinks and food, Casey began her inquiry, "Why don't you tell me about your life before age twenty?"
The blonde pursed her lips and straightened her glasses, before leaning back in her chair as she looked off into the distance at the bridge. Alex looked stunning in this moment of inner reflection, and Casey wished it possible to remember the look of emotions that seemed to fall across the blondes face in shadows forever. This right here is how Casey always wanted to remember the blonde, vulnerable and open, honest and giving.
Finally, Alex took a shaky breath, "I don't talk about it, because I am not the same person as I was then. I was a child and I was foolish. The only person in the world that saw the real true me at the time, the person I would become, was taken from me and it just about killed me. But from his loss, I emerged a new and stronger person. In a way, it's like he never left, he just grew in me. I owe my father everything, and everything I have done since in life is to simply make him proud of me."
"Alex..." Casey whispered as she saw the tears forming in the blondes eyes.
"It's okay, you asked and I want to tell you..." She took a deep breath, steadying herself and began, "My life, before my twenties, was what some people dream of, I traveled, and experienced things most people never will. I had anything I could ever want, but real friends, that is until I met your sister. She accepted me as the entitled, far to grown up for my age kid I was and she melded me into her group of friends. My parents were amazing people, my mom still is...we really helped each other after my dads death and she helped us both get the counseling we needed."
Alex took another breath to steady her words, and as she did she locked eyes with Casey, "Before my father's death, he could see I needed help, that I needed to get out everything bothering me. That picture of us on the boat we rebuilt together, he bought that worn out sailboat for us to work on just to help me open up to him. It worked, and he helped me with some of my biggest issues ever that summer. At the end of it, he let me name it and we were going to sail it down to the Keys and back before school started to celebrate...two days before we were going to set sail he died...he had a heart attack leaving work. He was there one minute in my life and then just gone..."
Looking down at the dark water, Alex swallowed thickly before continuing, "The hardest part was looking in the mirror afterward, because every time I did I saw him and I missed him that much more."
"I'm so sorry, Alex," Casey whispered taking the blondes hand in a tight squeeze. She'd remembered the blondes father's death.
Looking into the redheads green eyes, she nodded, "It happened to me, it's awful yes, but my dad taught me so much that summer...as if he knew he didn't have long...he helped make me who I am..." She bit her lip looking back out at the bridge before smiling, "He made me closer to fine..."
"Closer to fine..." Casey hummed, "that's beautiful...just like you."
The blonde ducked her head as a small blush covered her cheeks, causing Casey to smile at her omission. The two sat in silence staring at each other for a moment, and as if on cue, the waitress delivered their food. As they enjoyed their meals and continued drinks, Alex resumed talking about her past being sure to leave Elle out, and Casey talked about story ideas, even taking ten minutes to jot down one that spurred over dirty martinis.
Making their way back downstairs, they collapsed on Casey's bed laughing about the evening. As their laughter quieted and they found themselves staring into each other's eyes, Casey began, "Its hard being the youngest in my family. My sister's are all smart and beautiful, and here I am...a total tomboy at heart, graduated college only to work part-time for my best friend, not a successful ADA, homicide detective, or profiler...my parents think I am a joke. I mean I did well in college and was an athlete and all, but it's just like I can never do enough for them. That's what upset me earlier. I visited them, and they laid into me about getting a real job and making a future for myself. They basically told me that my dream of being a famous writer, was just that...a pointless dream."
"Live your dream, Casey. You'll be great at it. You will show them all who you really are, a bright, gorgeous, creative, amazing woman...a woman that..." Alex trailed with her words.
Watching as the blonde bit her bottom lip to hold herself back, she asked, "What? What were you going to say?"
Taking a breath, the blonde rolled over on her side looking directly into green eyes, "I have known you for a long time, Casey Novak, and I want you to know I never would have used the word ordinary to describe you. I would have chosen words like dynamic, lively, beautiful, comedic, daring, imaginative...a smile that can melt a room..."
Without hesitation, Casey closed the distance between her and Alex. Pressing her lips softly against the blonde's, she tangled her hand in the back of Alex's hair before lightly pulling her bottom lip between her own and running her tongue lightly along it. Breaking the kiss just enough to speak she smiled, "I've wanted to do that since you rescued me from my house earlier..."
"I've been waiting far to long to kiss you," Alex sighed as she pulled the redhead into another kiss that quickly grew passionate. Although as Casey's hands began to wander down her sides, Alex pulled away. "We can't, Casey."
Quickly standing and moving to the open adjoining room doorway, she turned to stare at the now sitting and confused redhead, "I'm sorry, I really am, I just need you to really know the real me first...I don't want you to regret anything."
Shaking her head in understanding, Casey whispered, "It's okay. Sweet dreams, I will see you in the morning."
Smiling, Alex nodded, "Sweet dreams, sweet Casey."
As the weekend came to a close, they made their way back to Charleston in relative silence. Watching Alex drive with a small smile on her lips, Casey couldn't help but think over the weekend. She'd learned more about the blonde over the weekend than she ever could have imagined. She knew she was still missing pieces of the puzzle, but she couldn't imagine anything causing her to ever think less of the blonde.
They'd spent countless hours talking, taken carriage rides, house tours, and walked the riverfront trying every flavor of salt water taffy possible, and in that time she'd discovered one thing...she had fallen for the blonde.