A/N: Huge thanks to Maddie for helping me work on this chapter, and to all of you for reading/reviewing etc. Sorry this update is well overdue and a little short. I think there's probably only going to be a couple more to finish off this story.

Alex doesn't get much time to dwell over their awkward car journey; the next morning she's hit by a messy, high-profile case, set to bring half of the DA's office down with it. It's all hands on deck. Except for Casey, who is left to balance the majority of their shared caseload by herself. Before Alex knows what's happening, the case has eaten through the whole of October, and half of November too, and she can count how many times she's even seen Casey in the last six weeks on one hand.

Which is why, when someone arrives at her apartment at 2am, the weekend after Thanksgiving, Casey's the last person Alex expects.

She hasn't quite gone to sleep yet, but she is in bed when she hears the buzzer, reading over closing statement drafts for the following day. For a moment, she considers ignoring it, but then she realises that if her doorman has let whoever it is in, it must be important. She slips out of bed, pulls her silk robe on, and pads out into the hallway, rubbing at her eyes underneath her glasses.

It doesn't take an elite squad of detectives to realise Casey's drunk. She's swaying slightly, and she starts speaking - unintentionally loudly - as soon as Alex opens the door, lurching into her personal space as she crosses the threshold.

"I really hate you," Casey announces, prodding a digit at Alex.

"Good to see you too, Novak," Taking a step back, Alex frowns, flinching as her front door slams.

"Don't gi'me that bullshit, Alex. You know what you've caused? How many years of work you've undone? Of course you do. You and that stupid mouth—- god I hate your mouth. I hate that I can't stop thinking abou— I mean, You did it on purpose. You can't just be mediocre at anything! Always have to be the best! It's not a fucking competition and yet you still... stop fucking looking at me like that."

In honesty, Alex can't imagine what the expression on her face is reading like: some kind of weird mix of amusement and complete bafflement, with a nervous energy buzzing beneath the surface. She can feel her heart thudding in her chest as she begins to realise where Casey is going with this little outburst, not least of all because she's sure half her neighbours are overhearing it. But Casey doesn't give her a chance to move into a more private part of the apartment, or even get a word in edgeways, so it's a lost cause trying to question her. She instead attempts a neutral face but that just causes Casey to groan louder.

"I'm a fully grown adult I shouldn't be acting like a horny teenager and yet... I just thought if I scratched the itch it'd go away. But it's worse. You made me worse!"

Alex can't help the giddy feeling that's rising in her with every word Casey rambles. Maybe sober they aren't on the same page at all - or at least maybe that's what Casey wants her to think - but drunk... and what is she doing getting this drunk on a Sunday night? Alex knows from experience that Casey most often drinks when a case is going south, but as far as she knows, the two cases she's currently working on are both looking good at the moment.

"What?" Casey says, animatedly raising her eyebrows, and when Alex doesn't immediately respond - mostly because she has no idea what to say - Casey dramatically throws her arms in the air, agitated, scoffing at Alex.

"You're drunk, and experience tells me that you being in my apartment, drunk, doesn't end well," Alex eventually says, measuredly. She doesn't want to send Casey away, but she also doesn't want to dig this ditch between them any deeper.

Casey nods, leaning her arm heavily against the hallway wall, looking at the floor instead of Alex, "yeah, that's an understatement."

"Case, go home. Sleep it off. We can forget this ever—"

Snapping her head up to look at her, Casey let's out a hollow laugh, cutting her off. "Forget?! I can't! That's the problem! I'll be sitting there in court, watching you, and I'll end up staring at your mouth or at your legs or... whatever. And it's so fucking distracting, knowing what you're capable of... and... fuck, Alex just STOP IT."

Whatever 'it' is, Alex can't seem to stop it because as far as she's aware she's not doing anything, but Casey is staring at her, and before she knows what's happening, the inebriated mess that is her colleague is reaching for her, and when her mouth finds Alex's, it's hot and hungry. Alex is wary - she knows she shouldn't take advantage of Casey being drunk, but god it's hard to walk away when every inch of her is burning under Casey's touch - enjoying the kiss momentarily, before softly pushing Casey away.

Alex stares at her, her eyes trying to read Casey's. Her pupils are blown, her eyes dark and soft, and Alex wants so much to just forget about how much of a bad idea this is and just do it, the way Casey's looking at her making her want it all the more. But she knows that salvaging their friendship, whatever is left of it, even if that means only working together and nothing more, is more important. She quietly takes another step back, until her back is pressed against the opposite wall.

"We shouldn't do this again," Alex murmurs, closing her eyes, leaning her head back against the cool surface of the wall, "you're only going to regret it in the morning. I'm sorry. I really am. If you think I've done this on purpose, or that I took advantage of you in September... I'm sorry."

Casey shakes her head, and all at once her bravado shatters and she starts to cry. Thrown off guard, Alex doesn't know how to react for what seems like the hundredth time this morning. She hasn't seen Casey cry before. She's never been good at people showing emotion; mostly because her parents never did. It's one thing when it's a victim, but when it's Casey... she sighs, awkwardly moving closer to her, tentatively putting her hand on Casey's shoulder but pulling away when the redhead flinches.

"Great. Now I'm crying. In front of the great Alexandra the great. Perfect. Wonderful. Great."

Sighing, Alex dips to try and meet Casey's eyes, but she's purposely looking away, "hey... hey, come on. You know I'm not all that great. I'm just... me."

Casey scoffs, wiping away her tears messily and eventually looking at her. She frowns, and Alex catches another glimpse of the broken woman Casey Novak spends so much time pretending not to be. It's just like on that first day, struggling to carry all her belongings, but refusing help. It's intense. There's so much that Alex wants to say but she can't find the words.

"You have no idea what you're capable of, do you?" Casey murmurs, shaking her head, looking away again. The moment is over. She sounds remarkably sober when she speaks again. "I have spent so long trying not to feel like this and one touch from you and I... god. Alex I wish I could go back to resenting you. I really do. It would make everything so much less complicated."

"I don't want that," Alex tells her in a small voice.

"Nor do I." Shes biting her lip and Alex can't stop herself from staring. It's a habit of hers that never stops being alluring even if she isn't meaning it to. "But I can't do this. I just think... it would be better to not be around you. That way I can keep pretending..."

Suddenly, Alex gets it. And she feels stupid for not realising before now, but it hadn't even factored in at all, it seemed so unlikely... she exhales deeply, "i didn't realise," she admits, "I always thought... I mean, everyone always said..." she trails off, afraid to say exactly what she means.

But Casey understands all the same.

She laughs dryly, "I'm Catholic, Alex," she says, softly, "my parents are still waiting for me to get married and pop out a bunch of kids like the rest of my sisters. Me getting suspended was the best thing to ever happen to them. They thought I might finally settle down."

"They don't know you very well, then," Alex says, with a wry smile, grateful when Casey smiles back, even if her eyes are still wet with tears.

"I guess I don't know myself very well. Or I've been lying to myself. You'd think three years of it would have taught me that drinking doesn't solve anything."

"You seem remarkably sober now, in comparison to when you showed up here."

Casey lets out a peel of laughter, "yeah, well you have that effect on me, it turns out." Her cheeks are flushed, and Alex is sure hers must be too. Here they are, dancing around each other again. This should be the part where Alex makes some kind of cheesy joke, asks if there's some other effect she has on Casey, but this isn't a rom com movie, and she doesn't want to push. It's bad enough they're even having this conversation.

The air between them is suddenly thick with awkward tension again, and Alex clears her throat, though she doesn't really know what to say, dragging her gaze away from Casey.

"I'm sor-"

"I shou-"

They laugh, awkwardly, and Alex gestures for Casey to go first.

"I was just going to say I should go before I make a fool of myself any more than I already have."

"You haven't," Alex insists, leaving her apology unsaid.

"Don't be polite, Cabot. I showed up here three sheets to the wind and yelled at you, then kissed you. I'm a mess."

Alex laughs, "I kind of love that about you," she says, tensing as she realises how that wording came out, and wincing. But Casey doesn't say anything.

"Night, Alex," she says, quietly.

"Goodnight, Case."

And just like that, she's gone again.