A/N: Ok, I want everyone to know reviews are very helpful! Even the ones I don't like ;) Now, the present part isn't necessarily meant to be fully understood. You are getting a very choppy brief glimpse of the future. Everything will be explained by the end, and it will all tie together. When we hit present time it will all foil in. Writing this way is an experiment. Bear with me this one time, if you hate it I will not do it again! ) If you ever saw the show Damages it's where I got the idea...keep in mind this is my first go at it. I like creative madness, it keeps things interesting. If you have specific questions feel free to ask. Thanks for hanging in there, just remember there is method to the madness. :)

Present Day...

"Why are you here Olivia?" Casey said as she walked across her office to her desk.

Olivia sighed as she fought the urge to walk right back out of the room. She hated dealing with hostile Casey and this was one of those moments. Casey was never fun to deal with when in a bad mood. Alex was the only one who could defuse the redheads temper when upset, but that wasn't a possibility right now. "Casey, you know I am here to talk to you about you and Alex so drop the act. You two need to move past this and fix things already. You are both miserable." Olivia stated in her best nice cop voice.

"Olivia," Casey started then stopped. The problem was Casey didn't know if she could take back what she'd said in retaliation to Alex's hurtful words. Yes, Alex had hurt her, but Casey had fired back with her own arsenal of hurtful remarks. Plus it was she who had called off the engagement.

Taking a breath, Casey confessed, "I want to fix things Olivia, but I don't think there is anyway we can fix this anymore."

One Year Ago...

Alex awoke still wrapped in Casey's arms. She had no idea how long they'd been asleep, or what the world outside now looked liked, but she could careless. She felt safe and happy. This cabin and the accompanying snow storm had been the best thing for her. Why she hadn't faced her feelings earlier she didn't know. Smiling to herself, she thought it funny that it took almost freezing to death for her to leave her denial behind and admit to herself that she loved Casey.

Snuggling in closer to Casey, she though about when she first realized she was falling for Casey. It was at Casey's parents home in Connecticut. She had left the reception in search of the redhead and found her sitting on the floor of her father's office with family photo albums scattered about and the television playing old family movies.

"Casey?" Alex called softly into the room not wanting to startle the woman.

Casey looked up bright eyed at the blonde, "Hey, come join me."

"What are you doing?"

Casey smiled sweetly looking down at a Halloween picture of her and her parents when she was no more than 6 dressed up like a clown. "Remembering the happy times. I had to escape the rooms filled with nothing but sadness. My mother believed life should always be celebrated so that is why I made my escape to here. My dad loved to flip through old albums or watch family movies when he had a really stressful case. He said it helped him forge through the sea of uncertainty to find the light so he could win the cases or accept the losses. I finally understand that now."

Sitting down next to the redhead, Alex took the album and flipped through some pages. Casey had clearly never lost her youthful spirit. The following pictures showed Casey juggling in her clown outfit at what appeared to be a elementary school Halloween party and bobbing for apples in the next. Looking back up into Casey's glossy green eyes, Alex said, "Casey everything will be okay eventually."

Casey nodded, "I know it will. To be honest, I am glad they went together. Neither would have done well without the other. They both depended on the other for strength and their love was endless. I hope to have love like that one day."

Alex tilted Casey's face up to look her in the eyes, she had so many things she wanted to say but suddenly couldn't find the words. Casey's eyes completely captivated her and a deep sense of peace seemed to wash over both of them. It was as if Alex suddenly knew, knew how being in love really felt. She hadn't fallen slowly or even realized what was happening, but in a weird way it was like she always felt this way.

Everything felt so right, their proximity, the setting, Casey's eyes darting to Alex's lips and back up to her blue eyes. Alex leaned in to close the distance separating them. Just as her lips began to brush Casey's, Alex felt a jolt of energy surge through her. Kissing Casey felt right in so many ways. As Casey took Alex's bottom lip between hers, a voice traveled down the hallway calling Alex. It was Charlotte. The moment lost to the sea of dying dreams, as Charlotte walked in saying Audrey was on the phone.

Alex had stupidly taken the call. She'd let herself be ordered back to New York City. Stupidly Alex had let her guilt bury her feeling for Casey along with the knowledge that Casey would be eaten alive by the New York constituents. They'd hate her provocative dress and childish demeanor. So she buried her feelings and tried to focus on work and her girlfriend, slowly her resentment for not being the redhead coming out as constant picking and nagging. However, Casey had never stopped pursuing Alex, her love was true and Alex wanted to be enveloped by it and have the joy of loving Casey back for once.

"You are doing a lot of thinking Cabot." Casey's husky voice fills the room.

Alex looks up into Casey's eyes. "I was thinking about when I fell for you how stupid I was to run from it."

Casey smiled, "I bet I know when it was..."

"Okay, I will bite, when?"

"When you kissed me in my dads office. You thought my juggling abilities were so hot!" Casey joked.

"You are ridiculous," Alex said claiming Casey's lips again.

Breaking the kiss, Casey grinned, "Yes, but you like me...you want to hold me...you want to kiss me...to love me."

Climbing out of the bed, Alex shakes her head, and in a joking tone says "Oh my god, what was I thinking falling for you."

"You were thinking that I could make you happier than you've ever been." Casey answers stepping from the bed, "And you know what? You were right, I will." Shooting a goofy grin to Alex as she pulls on her sweater she leaves the room.

Alex shakes her head. Casey Novak might change her life for the better.