A/N: Did everyone enjoy a happy new year celebration? I hope so! (: Here goes chapter 7, a very emotional chapter and personally one of my favorites in this whole story (I mean, who doesn't absolutely love this office scene between Olivia and Casey?). I hope you guys enjoy it and I hope the interest on this story (and this pairing!) doesn't die out! I have to confess I was so very happy about the reviews I got, they really moved me! Anyways, here it goes!

As always, feedback aaalways welcomed.

Chapter 7

Alicia Hahn had grown so fond of the caring detective Benson that she had insisted on sitting on the front seat during the ride back to her house and started crying when her mother told her it wasn't possible, only stopping when Olivia herself explained that the recommendation was intended solely for her safety. Olivia deflected the mother's choleric gaze through the rearview mirror, cursing under her breath the entire situation and scolding herself from promising they would catch the bastard who raped her daughter because she knew this was probably the last thing the poor woman needed or wanted to hear. She dropped both Alicia and the mother at their house without engaging in a prolonged conversation with either of them, despite the girl's wishes to show her a collection of dolls, because "The detective is a very busy woman and she can't stay" - as the mother put hastily. Olivia handed out her business card and told Alicia to contact her whenever needed, she then watched the sad little girl walk away and vanish inside the tall, imposing white house.

Back inside the car, her mind reeled with indignation at Casey Novak, blood rushing so quickly through her veins she could feel it throbbing on her temples, and she was sure that if she was able to see her own face she would see a disgruntled expression that resembled more an animal than a balanced human being. Against all the recommendations the A.D.A. had pressured that little girl into making an identification, traumatizing her even further, to absolutely no positive outcome at all. But what really bothered her about Casey's conduct was the uncertainty over the intentions: did she care about the victims or was all this just a matter of winning a case and establishing herself? Her hands curled in fists around the steering wheel as she grasped it in hopes of achieving further comprehension on the matter the more she pressured it. The cellphone's ringtone announced what she already knew, bringing her mind back to Elliot's worried face watching her carefully, trying to analyze her intentions in that not so subtle way she knew and dreaded so well.

"You don't want me to go with you?", he had asked her, blue eyes fixated on her in search for her real intentions.

"There's no need to, El. Stay here, gather more information on the bastard. I'll be back soon", she had replied, dismissively, uncomfortable at how he seemed to slowly pierce through her, silently knowing she had something else in mind.

And so now she turned right where she was supposed to turn left and before she could collect her thoughts or decide what she would say she was already strutting her way to Casey's office. Peaking through the window glass, she could see the A.D.A. sitting by a pile of papers and somehow the mere sight of her only inflamed Olivia's temper even more than it already was. Without any introductions or explanations she flickered the door open.

"Could you have been any tougher on that little girl? Like she hasn't already been traumatized enough?", she blurted out.

Casey sat with her back arched towards the small table, her thick red hair concealing her face from Olivia's fierce stare. Her long, pale fingers were intertwined and she nervously pressed her palms together in an attempt to calm her pulsating nerves and rushed thoughts.

"I'm sorry", she replied, firstly looking down then turning her head up to face Olivia. She then got up from the small set sofa and walked across the room towards her desk.

Olivia's defences crashed down as she was taken aback by those bright green eyes that seemed to beg her for mercy. Casey Novak hadn't struck her as the type of person who would apologize or who would expose such vulnerability in just a single look, and yet it had all happened right there almost as fast as a lightening hits the ground. Of everything she had unconsciously expected - a dismissal, a denial, or even an insult - an apology wasn't even on the list, and she wondered if she had painted such an image of Casey based on what the woman presented her or solely on what she was willing to see. It dawned on her that this was the first time during that entire day she stopped to take into consideration the fact that Casey was new to SVU and most likely not used to any of those circumstances, that was added up with the unsympathetic co-workers (Olivia included) and with the rollercoaster case they had in hands to create a situation that got out of control fast.

Olivia sighed deeply and let her chin fall down. She had been way too quick to judge Casey, and by no other reasons than her missing Alex and feeling bothered over a person who was just trying to understand and learn things.

"Nobody thinks that they can do this at first", Olivia declared, walking towards Casey who now positioned herself defensively behind her work desk.

"I wanted straight homicides, you know?", frustration not hidden in her tone, she threw her briefcase on top of the desk and held her hands together in front of her body, "All the glory, no living victims".

"Lesson number one", hands in pockets, she paced closer to Casey, "Nobody can handle the children".

"How do you?", Casey asked, noticing her question came as a surprise to Olivia, who flickered her eyes down as if searching for a way to express herself.

"Well, I'm not going to lie to you. It doesn't get easier", she replied softly, nodding her head.

She didn't know exactly when or why her mind abruptly shifted focus from the subject to simply converge once again into thinking about Olivia, she just knew that it happened in an almost magnetic and unavoidable way, and now she watched the detective with attentive admiration, barely able to contain the influx of questions that rolled through her head.

"It's all this sickness and perversion", she hissed, leaning in closer to Olivia, "I mean, what do you say to your boyfriend when you go home at night?", changing her tone, she tried to maintain her expression as it was before.

"I don't actually have one", Olivia chimed in.

"Because of the job?", she asked smoothly, making it sound like an affirmation. Her green eyes were fixated on the detective's face, scrutinizing it, eager for a reply.

"Well, I try to date. Things go great until they ask what I do", she answered quickly once again her voice slightly shaking and her head turned down in embarrassment. "This is not where I expected this conversation to go at all", she thought to herself.

"Not exactly dinner conversation, huh?", Casey smiled ironically.

"The ones that don't pull away immediately, uh, lean in, way too interested wanting to hear all the sick, twisted details, and, um Either way, it's always the last date", Olivia admitted with her lips pursed, questioning herself why she was opening up to this woman she barely knew and why it felt so comfortable to do so.

"It must be easier for the male detectives", she affirmed vaguely. She couldn't care less about the male detectives and their love issues caused by the job. She was too busy watching Olivia's shy and pensive face, memorizing and admiring the features, inquiring once again what was it that drew her so strongly towards that woman and if everyone else felt this magnetism that appeared to exhale from Olivia Benson's pores.

"Well, let's see. Fin never talks about his love life at work, and Elliot doesn't talk about work at home. And Munch has just given up", she said with a sigh. Her eyes were full, and not even her crossed arms in front of her chest were able to contain the feeling they would pour if she persisted on that subject any longer, specially because Casey's understanding gaze seemed to fall on her like a thin veil, inviting her to become vulnerable, something she didn't like and couldn't afford to be.

"Then why do you guys do it?", Casey's voice was almost as low as a whisper. She walked in closer to Olivia, her eyes begging once more, but this time not for mercy, but for an insight. Casey wanted to comprehend how she dealt with the challenges she was faced with everyday, how she handled such an emotionally demanding work, how she coped with the solitude it forced upon her, how she didn't let it get into the way of her actually living and not only surviving. Casey wanted to understand how to do this job to her best and not get lost while doing it. But most importantly: she wanted to understand Olivia Benson, how the woman worked, what made her tick. She felt like she needed to understand Olivia.

Olivia felt intoxicated by her breath and her questions and her intensity. When she had crossed that door, filled with anger, she had nothing else in mind but a confrontation that maybe could result in an understanding, but somewhere down the road the interaction had taken a turn she wouldn't have confabulated in her wildest guesses, and now she felt as if she had exposed herself too much and too fast to a person she barely knew. This wasn't appropriate, and they had a case to attend to.

"Because somebody has to", she replied, pursing her lips into a straight line and clicking her tongue while patting Casey on the shoulder before quickly walking out of the room.