"Hey, can you grab almond milk on your way home? We're all out. Thanks, love you." The message said.

The moment Casey read the text, she was immediately on guard. The text was inconspicuous, neutral, even; it was common for them to ask the other to run to the store when the other was out. But she knew for a fact that Alex hates almond milk - they've been married for almost ten years, for god's sake. She knew what her wife likes to put in her coffee every morning and it's certainly not almond milk.

She urged the car forward when the light turned green, the strange request still lingering in her mind as she drove to the grocery to pick up the milk. She made quick work of buying it, thankful that the checkout lines were miraculously short, and nearly ran back to her car. The whole ordeal took her only 10 minutes but she's more than eager to get it over with and meet her wife for drinks.

She was turning the corner of where the bar that they had agreed to meet in when it finally clicked.

Alex hates almond milk.

She nearly stomped her feet on the gas, car accelerating past the bar where they were supposed to meet, the onslaught of fear that suddenly gripped her almost making her choke. She tried to focus on driving, but her mind was swirling with a thousand possibilities on what could've prompted such a warning from Alex.

Oh, god. Alex.

She nearly turned her car around to go back to that bar, her mind going to a few darker, more ominous events, and she started to hyperventilate, her anxieties catching up to her faster than she could make sense of the situation. Her heart almost beating out of her chest as she gripped the steering wheel tighter in hopes of ceasing its trembling.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed the red light.

Casey stepped on the brake so suddenly that her body leaned forward in her seat, the fabric of the seatbelt digging into her where it crossed her torso. The car behind her blared their horn and she resisted the urge to flip the finger, opting instead on pressing her palm against her chest, her still racing heart beating erratically against her fingertips. She took a deep breath, and another, and another, her mind trying to formulate a more rational, more plausible reason on her wife's vague caution.

Maybe her recent rescue ran later than they anticipated and got held up in traffic. Or maybe, maybe Alex got a bit confused and turned the wrong highway out of New York - it's the first time that they're working separately in ten years, after all, and she knew just how terrible Alex is with directions. She shook her head when her thoughts started to drift back to something more sinister, focusing instead on getting her breathing back to normal.

It almost felt forever before her heart rate slowed and she took a deep breath through her mouth, closing her eyes and leaning her head back on the headrest. She blindly reached for the button that rolled the window down, letting the cold, Autumn air cool down her overheated skin. The signal light was still red, and she looked at the phone that she tossed on the seat beside her, contemplating what she should do next. She's frightened and worried, but not for herself. Alex, ever since the start of their relationship, had been very caring and had a penchant to be protective of her, a charming and (sometimes) exasperating trait of hers that they had more than one discussion about. Casey had always told her that she's a big girl and that she can handle herself; to which the blonde would always retort that she knows, but she wants to, anyway. As someone who had to learn how to be independent the hard way, Casey found it endearing that someone was so willing to take care of her, someone who wants to protect her, and keep her safe.

But, right now, the redhead is the one trying to swim through the sheer dread that's settled heavily over her shoulder. What they're doing is dangerous and illegal; she knew that when she agreed to doing this with her wife, the risks will surely follow them whenever they're handling their cases. But being apart from her, unable to know if she's safe or what, douses her very being in ice cold water, leaving her trembling and scared.

Releasing her breath in a rush, she picked up the phone and read the message over again. As her panic began to clear, she began to try and decipher her wife's text. The message was non-threatening, and the only out-of-place mention of almond milk. Casey doesn't detect forced nonchalance in it, and maybe that's why she didn't catch it at first: because everything in the message sounded normal to anyone who might look at their phones. It was innocuous enough that it wouldn't raise any alarm to anyone who might dare peek, but Alex knew Casey would pick up the real message beneath it: I am safe, but it's best that you wait to hear from me before we make any more moves.

The realization that her wife is safe, and not in any immediate danger, hits her like a wave and she lets out a loud sigh of relief. Her guard was still up, though, and decided that the best course of action was for her to continue her journey back to their home. With only a few seconds left before the light turned green, she quickly typed a response that she knew Alex would understand.

"I got the milk. See you at home, love you."

Read


"Casey?"

She turned her head to the right and was met with ocean blue eyes looking at her with concern and intrigue. Casey blinked up at her, her alcohol-addled brain a second-late at recognizing that the blonde was talking to her, and a grin came over her lips involuntarily.

"Alex!" She slurred, bleary eyes watching Alex take the seat next to her. She opted to sit in a booth that night, away from the noise of the crowd, wanting the privacy to wallow in her self-pity. She unconsciously leaned closer when she caught wind of the other woman's perfume, their shoulders brushing as Alex settled on her seat.

"Casey," she greeted back, an amused smile splaying on her lips as she looked at the redhead, "What's going on? Drinking on a Wednesday night?"

She shrugged and downed her nth glass of cheap whiskey that night in one go, "Oh, you know. Another day, another victim."

"Can you elaborate on that?"

Casey, in her state, found the term funny, "We're not in a courtroom, Counsellor," she laughed, "You can't compel me."

A small smirk formed on the blonde's lips, "Your Honor, she's deflecting."

"The opposing counsel may want to check her evidence again; there's not enough to suggest that there is something, and I quote, 'going on'."

"Objection. Calls for speculation."

"Sustained."

"Let me rephrase the question," Alex said, now with a full-blown grin on her lips, clearly enjoying the playful banter between them, "Is there a reason that you are drinking on a work night, knowing full well that, anytime during the night and the early hours of the morning, you might be called in?"

Casey laughed again, louder than she intended, but she didn't care. Alex, it seemed, wasn't bothered either.

"That's oddly specific, Alex," she giggled as she poured another shot of whiskey in her glass. She was about to bring the glass to her lips when a hand stopped her movement. She turned her gaze to her companion, eyebrow arched in a silent question.

"I think you've had enough for now, Case," she answered firmly but kindly as she lowered her hand back down on the table, gentle hands prying the glass from her fingers' tight grip, and putting the glass in front of her, "I feel like I never see you around even though we work on the same floor. Come on, talk to me."

Casey sighed and bit her lip, staring longingly at her glass in front of Alex, "If I answer your question, will you let me have my shot?"

It was Alex's turn to arch an eyebrow, "That depends if I'm satisfied with your answer. And that's a once-in-a-lifetime offer."

"Fine," she groaned, throwing her hands up dramatically, "Oh, to be driven to take a plea deal," she mumbled as she turned her body slightly to face Alex.

The triumphant smile on Alex's face made it all worth it, "Well, I can be charming," she replied cockily, before turning serious again, "So. What's going on?"

She looked down at her hands, unable to meet Alex's eyes as shame washed over her, "I won the case," she muttered, fidgeting with her ring.

"Yeah, I heard. I've yet to congratulate you on that," the blonde replied just as quietly.

She scoffed, "Then why are you asking what's going on? You already know."

Alex tilted her head down, trying to get the redhead to look at her. When she finally did, begrudgingly so, Alex answered, "Because I care about you, Casey. The case clearly got to you despite the win, and you should know that you don't have to wallow about it on your own."

Another sigh escaped her, "You're right," she finally conceded, unable to hide anymore from Alex's intense gaze, "The case did get to me."

"What happened?"

Casey bit her lip before replying, "It was the Williams case," she started, "The neighbors called 911 into their house because they can hear a woman and her child crying and screaming for the past 15 minutes. Ambulance and police were dispatched, and they took the woman to the ER for busted lips, bruised eyes and ribs, and an apparent concussion. Obvious signs of domestic violence. The kid, Leo, was unharmed, so he was brought to the station. The detectives questioned him, and he said that his dad was hurting his mom because she 'interrupted his game'. When Beth, the wife, was released by the hospital, we questioned her too. She denied what Leo saw and said she just fell - despite the doctors seeing evidence of previous assaults - she didn't want to press charges. Legally, we can't do anything about that. We have no case since Beth doesn't press charges. So, we let them go."

She took a deep breath before continuing, "Beth and Leo went back to her husband. Three days later, he killed them."

Tears began to well in her eyes and she gritted her teeth, her jaw tensing as she swallowed back the lump that appeared in her throat, "I tried to convince her, you know? I really, really tried to convince her that she had to press charges, that she and Leo would never be safe while they're with him. That it'll only get worse from then on. But she's worried about her son's future; said she didn't want Leo to grow up without his father to provide for them," a mirthless chuckle escaped her, "In the end, they really didn't have a future to look forward to anymore."

"Casey," the blonde whispered after a beat of silence.

She sniffled and turned away, craning her neck towards the window on her side and watched aimlessly as passersbys walked past, "I told myself, when I got back into the DA's office, that I wouldn't get too attached again, that I wouldn't let a case get to me again. But I can't stop thinking that maybe, if I convinced Beth hard enough to press charges, if I just tried a little bit harder... Maybe if I told her not to come back to him, maybe she'd be alive right now."

"Casey," Alex whispered again, "Look at me."

The redhead shook her head, not wanting to see the same looks that she gets when she's at work. She doesn't want the blonde to see the shame, guilt, and defeat weighing her down.

She nearly jumped when tentative fingers ghosted the back of her hand, gently tracing her skin with unknown patterns.

"Casey," she said, voice still gentle but more firm, "Please look at me."

She reluctantly did, her sight a bit blurred by the tears, the intensity behind those blue eyes almost taking her breath away.

"It's not your fault," she whispered fervently, willing Casey to believe her words.

"But-"

"It's not your fault," she insisted with a firmer voice. The hand that was holding Casey's tightened a bit, grounding her to the present, "You did the best that you could, you tried everything that you could to keep them safe. And you gave them justice by putting away the man that killed them."

Casey bit her lip and blinked back tears as she asked, "But was it worth it?"

Alex blinked, startled by the question. Doubt began to waver through her, Casey can see it creeping in her blue eyes. But the moment she saw it, it was gone, replaced by kind understanding.

"If we continue fighting for them," Alex started, "If we continue being the voice of the victims, giving them the justice that they deserve, it is worth it. We do what we must.

Alex gave back her glass and Casey readily accepted it, watching as the brown liquid swirled inside. Her response had been methodical, memorized, as if it was the same things that she repeats to herself. For a moment, Casey considered calling her out on it but, when she looked at her again, her words caught in her throat, seeing the look in the blonde's eyes.

It was refreshing to see – the people that she comes across during work hours mostly look at her with wariness, doubt, and pity, some of which came from the people that she wanted to hear from the most during her suspension but hadn't bothered to reach out and ask her how she's doing. But Alex... Alex's eyes were filled with understanding, warmth, and care. Alex was looking at her with such kind eyes that it threw her off-guard.

Her eyes drifted to Alex's lips, suddenly aware of how close they'd gotten. She always had a tiny crush on the blonde and, sitting so close to her, she can see how beautiful she really was. She swallowed, feeling a blush rising to her cheeks as she leaned in closer, face mere inches from Alex's. The beat of her racing heart drowned out the music of the bar, the noises of the other patrons fading in the background. In that booth, Casey can only focus on Alex.

"I feel like I could kiss you right now," she whispered, brazen courage brought on by alcohol and the heat pooling in her core.

Alex smirked, those luscious lips teasing her further, "Perhaps you should."

"Is that affirmative?"

Alex hummed and kissed her chastely. Casey groaned and pulled at her collar, bringing their lips together again. They kissed properly, thoroughly, Alex's hands tangled in her hair and hers wounding to the blonde's waist. When they pulled away, they were both breathing hard, their foreheads leaning against each other, and Casey couldn't help herself from giving her pouty lips another kiss.

Alex laughed lowly in her throat, gently running her hands through the red strands, "How about," she trailed off, her words a lower tone and Casey was delighted to hear the desire evident in her voice, "We continue this at my place?"

Casey was quick to agree.


Casey flicked on the lights, leaving the damned almond milk on the coffee table and plopping down on the couch. Her purse and documents fell haphazardly onto the floor as she heaved a sigh, eyes trained on the ceiling. The worry for her wife is still fresh in her mind, still running with the possibilities of what could've happened that she had to prevent Casey from meeting with her; but, seeing as Alex had read the text she sent, Casey can at least be comforted by the fact that she's safe.

Her eyes went to their wedding photo hanging above the TV, a nostalgic smile forming on her lips. The ceremony took place on the beach near their home, the setting sun a beautiful background to the candid picture that was taken by the photographer. Alex, as beautiful as ever in her white, flowing wedding dress with a short train and a sweetheart neckline, had her arms wrapped around the redhead's waist. Casey, with her less traditional knee-length white dress and a longer train, had her arms around Alex's neck, pulling closer. They wore identical grins, matching blushes making them glow in the setting sun, with love shining in their eyes, and Casey can remember that day so clearly, seven years ago. They were having their first dance as wives and, at a loss for words that they were now married, Alex could only whisper 'I love you,' to which she would whisper back 'I love you'. Casey's smile widened when she remembered that, for the rest of their dance, they could only whisper those three words to each other. At that moment, they were the only people in the world and nothing else mattered.

She picked up the files and, after arranging them in the correct order and pile, began to read the Hunter file over. The case was straightforward, and they were able to establish a timeline that they'll utilize to throw the cop of their tracks. But then, the Patterson case happened. A previously incarcerated man, who was convicted of being a wife-beater, is getting out early on parole after serving only seven years out of his fifteen-year sentence for 'good behavior'. Casey read the original case file again. Calvin Patterson is a very violent man with a very short temper – his wife, Angela, had sustained various life-threatening injuries at his hands, the last one leaving her at the hospital for several weeks following the assault. Once she was released, she agreed to testify against him and divorced him after the trial.

Years had passed and Angela, having learned that her ex-husband was being released early into a halfway house, started to panic. With no family in the city or any neighboring state, she was certain that he would find her and make her pay for sending him to prison. She reached out to them, seeking, pleading for their help since it'd only be a week before Calvin was out of Green Haven.

With two urgent cases on their plates, they agreed that it would be best that Alex would take the Hunter case, while Casey would work on relocating Angela. The past week had been a blur for them: between creating fake identities for two different entities, determining where to relocate them, and forging documents for these individuals to start anew in their lives, the two of them had been running themselves ragged. Time is of the essence and they're working on a deadline.

Everything finally came together on the third day, when Casey got up from the warm confines of Alex's embrace at four in the morning, the blonde stirring as she carefully pried herself from her arms. She got ready quickly, double checking the files that she had already prepared last night, then scribbled a quick note for Alex to read when she woke up. She was out the door before six and on the way out of New York by nine with Angela. Through her connections, Alex was able to learn that her ex-husband will have a strict curfew of 10:00 PM, will be under the direct supervision of his parole officer, and will not be allowed to leave the state. With that in mind, they determined that it would be best for Angela to stay in Illinois, a state where nobody knows her: no known relatives, no friends. In Illinois, she would have a fresh start.

It took Casey a day to relocate Angela and another day to get back to New York – only to return home into this cluster.

She sighed and looked down at her wedding ring, a simple gold band with two tiny rocks engraved in it: emerald and sapphire. Alex, the secret sap that she was, wanted their wedding rings to represent the two of them together wherever they are, and Casey was more than happy to agree. It brought her comfort now, knowing that Alex was safe somewhere and wearing the ring that held the promises and the vows that they made for each other. She wished that it brought Alex the same sense of security.

Her eyes landed on the third pile of papers on the coffee table, the case that they're thinking of taking on next. Setting her anxiety aside, she picked up the files and started going through them, her nervous energy going into something productive.


She barged into Alex's office without knocking, nearly taking off the door from its hinges. The blonde, startled by the rather loud entrance, looked up sharply, wide blue eyes meeting her furious green ones.

"You're quitting?!" Casey nearly growled; her eyes boring into Alex's as she slammed the door shut.

Alex's cool demeanor slipped back easily into place, returning her attention to the papers she was reviewing, "I'm not quitting," she drawled, "I'm resigning. I still have to render my two-weeks."

Instead of pacifying, her words seemed to anger the redhead even more, "It's the same damn thing and you know it."

Alex looked back at her, her eyebrow arched, "You know, it's really hot when you're angry and cussing me out."

The unexpected turn in conversation had Casey sputtering and blushing. They've been dating for the past six months already and, though they're yet to disclose their relationship to their bosses and friends, it was easy for their co-workers to notice the closeness that they share.

Casey shook her head, "Stop changing the subject!" she insisted, starting to pace the length of her office.

Alex shrugged and put down her pen, "Worth the shot," she mumbled, hiding a grin when her girlfriend gave her a glare. Casey took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.

"What's this about?" Casey demanded, "Why are you resigning out of the blue?"

Alex stood up and walked over to her, "Promise you won't get mad when I tell you why?"

She scoffed, "I'm a grown woman, Alex. I can handle reason."

The blonde took her hands in hers, gently rubbing her thumb across Casey's knuckles, "I can't do it anymore."

Casey yanked her hands from her grip, her fury coming back with a vengeance, "What?" She hissed, "So, what, you can't do it anymore, so you just leave? What happened to being the victims' voices? What happened to giving them justice?"

The expression on the blonde's face hardened into something colder, something that she only sees in the courtroom.

"You don't get to tell me how much more I can or cannot take, Casey," though she didn't raise her tone, the cold anger in her voice was enough to stop Casey's tirade, "You don't have the right to tell me that what I'm doing is wrong when you still didn't know the whole reason."

Casey sighed, her own anger dissipating as she realized her mistake, "I'm sorry," she said regretfully, running her hand through her hair, "I'm really sorry. I-I got angry before hearing you out."

Alex laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, "I accept your apology," she conceded, "And I understand. I should've told you first before you could hear it from anybody else. Who told you?"

"Donnelly did," she replied, relief coursing through her as she looked at the kind understanding in Alex's blue eyes, "She asked me to talk you out of it."

A wry smile formed on her lips, "I'm sorry, love, but no one can talk me out of it anymore."

She nodded and brought her hands to Alex's cheeks, "Okay, then I won't try to talk you out of it," she hesitated on her next words, but Alex's hand on her shoulder squeezed gently, encouraging her to continue, "But can you please tell me why?"

Alex sighed and pulled away, taking a step back from her. Her smile was sad, and Casey can feel her own rising worry, "If I do," she said, "The way you look at me will change."

Her eyebrows furrowed, "Alex, what are you talking about? I love you – all of you. Nothing will change that."

"This will," she retorted, looking down at the ground and her lower lip drawn between her teeth.

"Alex," Casey almost whined exasperatedly, taking a step closer and cupping her face, forcing the blonde to meet her eyes, "Listen to me carefully, alright? Whatever it is that you think of doing after the DAs Office, I will support you no matter what. I will be by your side – supporting you, cheering for you, being proud of you, and loving you. Nothing will ever change that."

She was surprised when tears began to well in Alex's blue eyes, her hands coming up to rest on her shoulders, "It's not fair. Every time you say something like that, you make me fall in love with you all over again."

"That's the goal, sweetheart," she grinned and laid a kiss to her forehead, "Now, tell me what's going on in that pretty head of yours."

Alex sighed, the last of her reluctance leaving her as her breath left her in a rush, "I-I'm thinking of doing something else. For the victims, that is."

The redhead smiled widely, "Alex, that's great!" her enthusiasm faltered when she saw conflicting emotions running through her blue eyes, "Or not?"

"I-I came in touch with an old friend in college who started a... non-profit org, so to speak," she swallowed nervously before continuing, "They-they rescue family members from abusive homes."

Green eyes narrowed suspiciously, she asked, "In what way, Alex?"

Alex's eyes refused to meet hers, focusing instead on her collarbone as she twirled red strands of hair between her fingers, "In a... not-so-legal way," she whispered.

"Elaborate."

"What I'm about to tell you can and will be used against me, if it ever gets out," she whispered, pulling away from her and starting to pace the length of her office. Her eyes burned with urgency, willing Casey to believe her words, "What we talk about here, it doesn't conform with the oath that we took as prosecutors. But I can't keep doing this, Casey. I can't keep on pretending that what I do here is enough when there are others out there who can't report to the police, or those who aren't believed by the jury, or-or something else."

"Alex," she replied lowly after a beat of silence engulfed them, "Are you... are they... are they kidnapping these people?"

Alex shook her head, taking Casey's hands in hers, "God, no," she fervently denied and was quick to clarify, "They're relocating these people. Relocating them someplace else, where they're safe and away from their abusers, giving them new identities. It's-it's a fresh start for them, a clean slate where they can begin their life anew, without the fear that their tormentors will find them."

Casey looked down at their joined hands, silently contemplating and processing everything that she had learned since she entered Alex's office. Casey can understand where she's coming from – they're good at their jobs, of putting bad guys to jail and providing justice for those who come to them. But what about the ones that they couldn't? What about the ones where the crime could've been prevented entirely, if only the victims had the choice of running away? Unbidden, Beth and Leo Williams' case came to her mind. There were – are – so many others like them; if what Alex wanted to do is to save them, get them away from the people that they fear, who is she to stop her? Furthermore, who is she not to follow Alex?

She ran her thumb over her girlfriend's knuckles, "I'm sorry I invalidated your feelings," she whispered apologetically.

Alex hummed and kissed the top of her head, "Apology accepted. Next time, hear me out first, okay?"

The redhead nodded eagerly and gave Alex a conspiratorial grin, "Can I join you?"

The smile that formed on Alex's lips was blinding and so satisfying to see that whatever doubt Casey had over the decision had dissipated. She could already see Donnelly's disapproving glare but, in the warmth of Alex's gaze, she could care less about what anyone says.


Casey had been tossing and turning on their bed for the past hour, unable to find the comfortable position to sleep. She glared at the empty space beside her: Alex's side of the bed was empty and cold and she missed her wife's arms and scent around her. The bed was too big, too spacious for just her to sleep in.

Sighing in frustration, she sat up, her eyes darting around the room as she looked for something, anything, to distract her from her wife's absence. She lit up when she saw the sleep shirt that Alex wore and discarded two days ago, hung up on the back of the chair in front of their vanity. She clambered out of bed, almost skipping to get to their vanity, hugged the fabric close to her chest, a slight smile forming when she caught hints of the scent of her wife's lotion. She missed her terribly already.

Pulling the shirt on, she imagined Alex's arms around her as she exited their bedroom, opting to sleep on the couch instead. Alex will be home soon; she just knows it.


"Baby?"

Casey, without looking up from the maps app of her phone while sipping her shitty convenience store coffee, said, "Yeah?"

"Will you marry me?"

She sputtered her coffee. The most undignified sputter that Casey had ever experienced. She coughed out the coffee that she was sipping, the dashboard in front of her now had coffee stains, her phone and lap now drenched. Not very demure, not very mindful.

It took her a while to catch her breath, "What?!" She exclaimed when she finally did, looking at her girlfriend.

The blonde, who kept her eyes steady on the road, was now a blushing mess, her cheeks burning and her hands gripping the steering wheel tighter than before. They just finished another successful relocation and, on the way back to their shared apartment in New York. They were just crossing the state line when the unexpected question popped out.

Reaching for a napkin, Casey began to wipe her face and hands, "Alex," she called again, "What did you just say?"

Alex pursed her lips, and then all but mumbled, "I asked if you would be willing to marry me."

The breath caught in her throat, her heart thundering in her chest as she looked at her girlfriend. They've been together for almost two years now and, though they did talk about marriage, it wasn't in depth and almost always in passing. She never expected Alex - the Alexandra Cabot - to be the one to propose to her first.

"You want to marry me?" She asked dumbly.

The blonde gave her an incredulous sideway glance, her blush letting up a little, "Yes. Of course, I want to marry you. I love you so much, and I want everyone to know that I'm married to the most incredible woman in the world," she said then snorted, "Though, she can be a bit funny at times."

Casey started to smile, that turned into a full-blown grin that lit up her entire face, "You know," she started, her left hand reaching towards the back seat to blindly reach into her purse, "this is the most unromantic proposal."

"Even more unromantic than Charlie's?" She teased; her tone playful but Casey can hear the uncertainty creeping in her voice.

Having found her desired item, Casey clutched it between her hands and giddily waited for the next red light before answering, "You bet. But," she tapped her girlfriend's arm and presented the open velvet box containing the engagement ring that she had spent weeks overthinking about if it's the right one, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Those blue eyes looked at her with tears that shone in the dim lighting of their car, but the smile was the brightest thing that Casey had ever seen.


Alex sighed as she turned the key in the knob, blindly putting back her keychain in her purse, and letting herself in. She was welcomed with the delicious smell of dinner wafting from the kitchen, the warm lighting of their home greeting her. Dropping her things by the door, she began to walk towards the kitchen.

"Casey?" She called out, her legs heavy and tired and begging for their bed's comfort.

"Alex?"

Alex can hear the excitement in her voice, her quick footsteps echoing through the silence of their home. Her heart fluttered upon hearing her voice, her mood lightening and she can't help but smile despite the wariness that had settled like a blanket over her for the past two days. The grin that lit up Casey's face when she met her halfway to the kitchen made her heart settle in her chest, the safety and security that that smile had always provided her.

"Alex," she greeted, relief palpable in her voice. With quick steps, she had Casey in her arms, burying her face in her neck as she does so.

Alex let herself collapse against Casey, her tired bones basking in the solace and warmth that her wife's embrace always gave her. She can feel the exhaustion lifting from her body, the tension in her shoulders finally easing as Casey's hands ran gently up and down her back, her worries and anxieties practically melting under her palms. Nuzzling her face further into her neck, she breathed in the familiar scents of bergamot, vanilla, and something else that she can only identify as Casey's - it's the comfort of home.

"Let's not do that again," Casey joked, but Alex can hear the underlying worry in her words.

She chuckled and dropped a kiss to the side of her head, before pulling her wife impossibly closer.

"Agreed, my love," she whispered against Casey's lips before kissing her fully.