2
16th Precinct, New York.
As the morning passed on so did the intrusive thoughts that had been tormenting Casey since her not so meet-cute with Alex. Now that she had spent the last few hours running around in court and getting the chance to have more than one of her pending cases in front of the grand jury, she felt very accomplished and proud of herself, and the best part was that it was barely noon. So, she did what any sensible person that didn’t had any breakfast would do; treat herself for an early but nice lunch, with a glass of wine on the side. But first, before she could start daydreaming about the best garlic bread in town and all the sauces she could have her pasta with, she had to make a stop at the precinct to give Olivia and Elliot a copy of the questions she would be reviewing with them later to prepare their testimonies for an upcoming trial. She stepped inside the familiar old building and took the elevator to get to the bullpen, the doors hadn’t even opened yet and she could already hear the hassle that usually was this unit. She made her way straight to Olivia’s desk, only to found it empty, and Stabler was nowhere in sight.
“Hey. Has anyone seen detectives Benson and Stabler?” she asked not aiming her question to anyone in particular. In her brief scanning of the room, she didn’t find Fin or Munch nearby either.
“Counsellor, we’re all in here” said the captain, barely coming out of his office but getting the attention of two green eyes inviting them to join them.
“What are we doing?” Casey asked as she closed the door behind her.
“Catching the latest performance of our Oscar nominee, Elliot Stabler” answered Fin pointing to the one-way glass on the wall without taking his eyes of what was at the other side. She looked at him asking for further explanation.
“Elliot has been grilling this guy for over 6 hours” Olivia added “now he’s playing the ‘I’m just like you’ card to get the perp to confess”
“Do you need the confession? I mean, isn’t there enough evidence to collar him anyways?” she asked, not being able to turn off her prosecutor side even when all she wanted was parmesan cheese instead of more heinous cases.
“We do actually” said a voice from behind the detective. Casey hadn’t noticed her when she first walked in, already confused to find almost all the squad standing side by side in front of the mirror, she didn’t look around the room enough to realize Alex was sitting on the arm rest of the couch next to Olivia. She was surprised, it was the second time she’d find herself around the blonde without even trying, not that she was complaining. “It’s just this creep really got under Stabler’s skin. He killed his children and then try to pin it on the mother. You know how he is, he needs the confession.”
“Well, can’t blame him” she replied with a little shrug of her shoulders, trying not to show her previous shock from not seeing her as soon as she had walked inside the office and then turned her head to look at Olivia again “Anyways, I just came by to drop these” she said as she took the papers out of her brief case and handed them to the brunette “It’s for the O’Malley trial.”
“You got the indictment?” Alex asked jumping from her previous sitting position, showing more investment on the subject that she had initially wanted to portray.
Casey looked at her with a puzzled expression. How did she know about that case? And then she remembered the fact she couldn’t believe she had managed to forget. Alex was her boss. Of course she had to know about the case, or else she wouldn’t be doing so good with the new job. Immersed in her own thoughts she almost forgot the blonde had actually asked her a question and was waiting for her to answer, so she did “Yeah, just this morning.”
“That’s great! It must’ve been tough, since the DNA couldn’t be used as evidence anymore.” She praised the younger woman as she also gave a look to the detectives knowing full well why usually those kinds of things happened, especially with this squad.
“Don’t even tell me about it” she huffed, revealing hints of stress left behind by the fight she had to put up in chambers with the judge to get her case admissible for trial, then she remembered what her next two hours were going to look and decided it was best if she headed out. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go celebrate in honour of me doing my job” she joked as she turned around and walked out of the office, the detectives saying their goodbyes but still fixated on their colleague now full-on crying as part of his strategy.
She passed through busy officers and confused civilians, and just as she was getting inside the elevator again to get to the exit a voice called after her.
“Casey!” the redhead looked to her left and could see a fast-approaching Alex Cabot, so she holds the door for her to step inside and stand beside her “Hey. So, what are you up to?”
“I was about to go have an early lunch” Casey told her, looking in her direction only for a second. She couldn’t keep up with the eye contact for too long when it came to that pair of lighting blue orbs, so she opted to quickly turn her gaze and stare at the changing numbers as they made their way down to the first floor. “What about you?” she added, trying to not lose her manners to her nerves.
“I wanted to talk to you, actually” the older woman confessed “now, if that’s okay.” Alex said rather calm. She didn’t want it to come off as a demand for the girl, the last thing she wanted was to make her feel like she was bossing her around right now, but she also wanted to have this conversation as soon as possible.
“I… What about?” the redhead asked, not really knowing how to follow with the conversation. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what could she possibly want to talk to her about that couldn’t wait until they had one of their weekly meetings.
“Just some things I want to look over with you, I have court all afternoon so now is as best time as any.” She told her trying to sound sincere, not that it was a lie, she did have to be in court from three in the afternoon until God knows when, but the matters of this conversation were all but professional.
“I see. Well, we can do it over lunch if you don’t mind. I’m starving.” Casey said, a bit worried that an invitation like that could turn out unwelcomed by the blonde. She was taken by surprise when an honest smile appeared on the pink lips of the woman to her left.
“I would love that” the blonde said as the doors finally opened and motioned for Casey to step out “Lead the way”
They began walking through the streets of lower Manhattan, making their way to a cozy bistro just outside little Italy a couple of blocks away from the precinct. In the duration of their short walk they talked about nothing in particular, pointing here and there about things they saw passing by. When they arrived, Alex stopped in her tracks once she realized where they were. She hadn’t paid attention to the turns they took on their way there and so was surprised to find herself outside her favourite restaurant in a 10-mile radius.
“How did you know this is my favourite restaurant?” she asked.
“What do you mean? This is my favourite restaurant” Casey said, “No one knows about this place.”
“I know, that’s why it’s my favourite. In this part of town you can’t go anywhere without running into at least 2 defence attorneys and 1 judge.”
“I know, right?” the redhead agreed. She was feeling more at ease being around Alex in this moment, pleased that they had at least one thing they can relate too. They both approach the door, Alex just in time to open it for the younger woman.
“Ladies first” she said, with no double meaning behind it. She just thought it was an appropriate banter that could make them both feel more comfortable with one another, after all they were about to share a meal for the next hour or so. Casey, with similar thoughts in mind decided to play along.
“Such a gentlewoman” It came easy for her. She didn’t understand why though. With a smile she looked for the host, or someone really, who could lead them to a table.
“Good afternoon, ladies.” They were greeted by a petit woman with brown eyes and dark hair, and both offered her a smile. “I’ll be your waitress for the evening, it’s just he two of you or are we waiting for someone else?”
“Just the two of us” Casey stated quickly.
“Okay then, follow me” the woman said, turning around and leading them swiftly through the space as they approach a table, the same as every other table in the restaurant, with two matching chairs by the sides and an oil candle already lit at the centre leaving a not so bright orange light to offer some ambiance “Please take a seat, would you like something to drink while you decide? We have water, wine, juice…”
As the waitress began listing the memorized beverages the place had to offer, the prosecutors shared a look trying to choose what they wanted to drink. On her side, Casey had been looking forward to a glass of wine, she was there to celebrate, but she wasn’t alone anymore, and it was with the company of a superior to top it off, so she was thinking that maybe wine wouldn’t be such a good idea. She wasn’t sure if she was even allowed to have a glass of wine during office hours, but she wasn’t sure if she could get through this meal without at least a drop of any kind of inhibitor life could offer her at this time. If ‘chill-pills’ were a thing she would be going through them like tic-tac. At the other end of the table Alex was simply pondering which wine to have with her lunch, she already knew she couldn’t go through with this if she didn’t have her trusty glass by her side. Fortunately for Casey the older woman spoke first.
“I’ll have a glass of your Chianti” she said in a calmly matter, like it was nothing to be ordering wine this close after noon, it had to be five o’clock somewhere. This left an open opportunity for Casey, now that her boss had crossed that door, she wasn’t about to let it slide.
“And I’ll have a glass of your Pinot Grigio” and with that the waitress left to go and grab their drinks.
“You’re having white wine when we’re about to eat Italian food?” the blonde teased. She was good at reading people, it was her job for god’s sakes. Knowing what buttons to push and when to push them. It’s a craft she’d been perfecting for years, especially when she didn’t use it just inside the courtroom. So, by this time she felt she had Casey pretty much figured out. Between the years at law school, working in the same circles and then the up close take she had experienced while being at the other side of the stand, being able to see her in her element… now she was confident that her supposition that the redhead liked being right was more than accurate, plus, it was a new kind of exhilarating for Alex the way she reacted when someone told her she wasn’t.
“For your information, I’m having white wine because I plan on ordering the chicken alfredo” Casey said matter-of-factly “Can’t have red with white sauce, counsellor”
“Who says?” she questioned again
“I say!” the young woman exclaimed “but, really, it’s just common sense.”
“Common sense won’t get you pass the grand jury, sorry sweetheart” Alex said with a shrug of the shoulders, just in time for their drinks to arrive and for her to take a tiny sip as soon as it was in her hands. It didn’t come off as desperate though, no, Alex Cabot dripped with elegance and confidence even in her most anxious times, and so every movement she ever made seemed like just her body doing exactly what it was supposed to do. This doesn’t go unnoticed by the redhead. Oh, she had noticed. It was one of the very first things she learned about the woman in front of her, and it was mesmerizing, it was as if she was intended to be looked at, admired, worshiped.
As the time passed, the two women found themselves enjoying more and more the company of the other. Going back and forth between Harvard anecdotes and office gossip. It was probably, no -definitely-, the wine working its way to make every muscle a little bit loser, their backs a little less rigid and their walls a little bit thinner. Alex was going on about a story involving a mutual acquaintance and Casey fixed her gaze in the way the woman’s hand tried to portray everything she was saying. She began tracing the back of one of them, going up her knuckles and then resting in her fingernails. Short. Covered with a nude glaze and a white tip to make her look even more regal, as if that’s possible. Although lost in what felt like a trance, she could sense Alex was done talking and so, redirecting her eyes to meet with the blonde she offered a soft smile and gave her take on the matter, later leaving that part of the conversation as closed. This made it possible for a silence to fill the space between them. It couldn’t be described as good or bad, but it did leave a tension that reminded them why they were there in the first place, why they were drinking a glass of wine and sharing funny stories to get the other one to laugh and engage. Every human does it. Someone needs to approach a some-what awkward topic, and they manage to drag it out for hours over a good meal and pleasantries before they feel like they have the courage to just get over with it and spit out what’s been going around on their minds. It’s how every adult behaves, it’s how business deals are made and how doctors deliver the news. Avoidance, simple human nature, and although these were far from simple people they couldn’t scape what is decades of social construct.
“So Casey…” There it was, what everyone says when they realize they’re at that point of the conversation. They both knew it was coming, and Casey had been waiting for it. Ready and steady.
“Yes, Alex?” she said while leaning back on her seat, crossing only one arm over her chest as the other held her almost empty glass of wine, expectant. She already knew the blonde had something she wanted to talk to her about, she’s been trying through out the whole meal to figure out what could it possibly be, what could she have to say to her that needed all this preamble. By that time, she just wanted to tell her to spit it out already, but she soon realized she took some comfort in seeing her boss not having the right words just yet. It’s not something everyone gets to see every day. A nervous Alex Cabot.
“I’ve been wanting to talk to you about this for a few days now. Well, two things, really. I just never seemed to find the right time and so today I thought it would be better if I just went to your office and told you in person but we both know how that turned out…” she rambled, wanting to lay out everything that was on her mind as fast as her ability to speak would allow her to. She wanted the redhead’s full attention and thought that if she gave all the details, she could have it. She didn’t need to do that though. She couldn’t tell because she was lost in getting her mouth to say the right words, but a pair of green eyes was already fixed on her, her face, her nose and the way everything looked under the orange tones the moving light of the candle was offering. She was trying to absorb everything the other woman had to say. Listening carefully, attentive, perceptive. Ready to reply when she needed it. “…I guess I should really just come out and say it”.
“Yeah, you should” said Casey, finding the perfect timing to fluster her company even more.
“Hey, I’m trying here!” she pointed back “Cabots aren’t raised to do these kinds of things, we have manners yes, but we don’t go professing our gratitude to everyone who’s done right by us.” She confessed to the redhead while finishing the last drops from her glass.
“Alex, you’re making my head spin and I’m sure it’s not because of the wine. What kind of thing are you trying, and must I say failing, to do?” she asked the blonde with a confused look on her face. As much as she enjoyed teasing the woman she also knew that whatever she was trying to do was not easy for her, and for Alex Cabot that was saying something.
“I’m trying to say thank you” she finally admitted, locking her eyes on Casey’s, not wanting to miss anything she might say or do from now on.
“Thank you? Why?” she questioned even more confused than before.
“Do I really have to explain myself?” Alex retorted, a little annoyed now that what was supposed to be a quick rip of the band-aid was going to take a little longer.
“You’re the one ‘professing gratitude’ or whatever. I think I have the right to know what it is I did that you are so grateful for” she replied with a hint of cockiness to her voice, leaving her glass on the table as she leaned into it, resting her crossed arms above it.
“I know but isn’t it obvious?”
“Not to me”
“How can you be so oblivious? Casey, you saved my life.”
“What? When? What the hell are you talking about” Alex left out a deep breath, that beautiful shiny red hair seemed to be thicker than she originally thought, leaving her to succumb to explanations.
“You made it possible for me to come back, to New York, my job, my friends…” she began “witness protection is no fun you know? There were days where I thought I might never comeback, especially around the time for the one-year mark. It wasn’t just pretending to be someone else anymore, I had to be Emily. And it was pretty damn hard since the bitch had zero personality. How could I be a person I didn’t even like?”
“Alex. I was just doing my job. Not so long ago it was your job too, surely you haven’t forgotten?” Casey asked softly.
“I know, but still. I have to thank you for giving me my life back” she replied. Casey didn’t know what to say or what to do. What do you say to that? She really was just doing her job, but Alex new that too and still needed to thank her in person. That was one of the few moments in her life Casey Novak found herself at a loss for words “and since I can’t ever repay you for something like that, I think me paying for this lunch it’s the best way to start. Don’t you agree?”
“No” Casey said immediately, being brought back from her deep thoughts over the blonde’s words “Nonsense, I invited you to come along, this one is on me” she said in a more serious manner.
“Casey, I just thanked you for saving my life, you really didn’t think I would let you pay too?” she asked arching one of her brows. A signature Cabot move.
“Maybe I saved your life, but I also ruined your blazer, I think that evens things out” Casey said with all seriousness.
“You’re comparing my life to a stained blazer?” Alex then asked, trying to sound offended behind a small laugh.
“It looked like a very expensive blazer” she stated, ignoring the question.
“It was! But certainly not for it to be equally as valuable as my existence” she huffed “and as for the damages to the blazer, I think you can repay me for that with a part of your salary if you keep insisting” she teased as she grabbed her wallet and took her credit card out, waiving at the waitress to come and pick it up.
“Oh yeah? How many months on my ADA salary is going to take me to pay off that debt, huh? 6? 9? A year?” she questioned, surrendering to Alex’s demand as she saw the small girl approaching them and taking the card from Alex’s hand, leaving them alone once again.
“Well, since the raise Senior ADAs had last year, I would say no more than 2 or 3 months” she replied unphased and sincere.
“Well, last time I checked I wasn’t a Senior at the office. Not that it stops them from making me work like one…” Casey said with a little annoyance in her voice, letting the stresses of adulthood comeback to her head in quick flashes of piles of paperwork over her desk and sleepless nights on her office couch. She’d had such an uneventful hour and a half having lunch with her boss that being inside that restaurant completely isolated her from the troubles the world had to offer.
“Check again” the blonde said grinning, as she took out of her bag a few pieces of paper, extending them for the other woman to take.
“What do you mean? What’s this?” she asked with a puzzled expression and grabbed them.
“Please counsellor, read the highlighted section” Alex said with her court voice, in return Casey rolled her eyes and proceeded to read carefully. Then she read it again, and again. Her eyes not quite believing what was right in front of them, tracing over the words more times than necessary.
“You’re going to give me a promotion?” was all she could asked.
“I already did”
“Is this because I saved your life? Because I don’t want it if it just you trying to say thank you in ‘the Cabot way’” she said putting the papers down “the lunch was more than enough”.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You know I’m more professional than that.”
“Then why?” Alex couldn't believe it was so hard for the girl to value her own competence.
“When I saw you that day at trial, I knew Casey. You’re better than most, and your talent gets wasted running around court for misdemeanours when you should be aiming for the bigger targets. You have a way to connect with the victims I would kill for, you’re an unstoppable force when cross-examining a witness, and you have a passion that most throw out the window when dealing with the kind of stuff you and I see every day. I need a steady right hand for the Bureau, and I think you’re perfect for the job” Alex confessed, with the uttermost sincerity in her words, and Casey again found herself being unable to speak her mind “So, what do you say?” Alex said, trying to get something, anything, from the young woman.
“Where do I sign?”