Under Her Skin 26
Title: Under Her Skin 26
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Sick 5.19
Author's Note: Picks up right where 25 left off......Olivia's still on the ground ;)
****For Revi, who thinks she deserves at least a little credit for my recent rash of creative genius........;p
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Detective Olivia Benson sat up, ran a hand distractedly through her ever-lengthening russet locks, and sighed.
Stood up, brushed herself off, raised a hand to just kissed lips, and smiled.
Casey was *not* with Jenny.
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"Novak, sex crimes."
"Hi Case."
Casey felt a tiny little thrill at the sound of Olivia's voice, and didn't bother to keep that reaction out of her own.
"Hi yourself," she throatily replied, "what's up?"
Inwardly, Olivia groaned.
Outwardly, recognizing the fact that all of her co-workers were listening, she managed, "How fast can you get me a warrant?"
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After Olivia had explained the circumstances regarding JJ Ostilow and Billy Tripley, Casey wasted no time obtaining a warrant, actually busting in on a judge's lunch date.
Just as quickly as she got the warrant, Elliot and Olivia were in her office to pick it up.
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Detective Benson seemed different today, the suddenly shy ADA thought, as she passed the document across her desk to the sexy dark detective, and their fingers briefly connected.
Was that desire that had just flashed in Olivia's eyes?
When the sexy brown eyes didn't look immediately away, Casey blushed and ducked her head, then sunk slowly into her chair.
Feeling like schoolgirl, the ADA was unable to hide the fact that she was visibly, completely shaken by the nearness of the remarkably sexual older woman.
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Noticing the counselor's reaction, Olivia, frustrated that she didn't have time or opportunity to really talk to the ADA, softly said, "Thanks."
"You're welcome," Casey replied, then added, "will you call me and let me know what you find?"
Gracing her with a rare, gentle smile, Olivia assured, "You'll be the first."
There was no mistaking the layered meaning in the words, nor the look of promise in Olivia's eyes.
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Casey, frozen, simply stared speechlessly at the stunning detective.
Elliot, wisely, stepped into the hallway.
Olivia, struggling to control the urge to violate the suddenly available counselor, settled for one of those wordless, longing looks, then turned and walked out of the office.
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"You ok?" Elliot asked, as she joined him in the hallway outside of the ADA's door.
"Peachy," Olivia replied, as she fell into step beside him.
Grinning, he wondered if his partner knew that she was glowing.
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Casey groaned as the detectives disappeared from sight, buried her head in her arms on the desk, wondered if anyone would notice if she decided to lock the door and deal with the copious wetness now pooling between her thighs.
Thought about it, slid her hand downward...........
Stopped, as the phone erupted on her desk.
Frustratedly picked it up and recognized the voice of her friend, Mary Conway Clark, on the other end.
Unwilling to leave her office in case Olivia called, Casey agreed to lunch the following afternoon.
She also decided to spend the day playing catch up with the growing pile of paperwork on her desk.
All thoughts of the brief flare of desire gone, she resolutely picked up the folder at the top of the pile, and secretly began to count the minutes until Olivia called with the news.
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Seventeen phone calls, thirty-six files and four hours later...........................
"Novak, sex crimes."
Giggle.
Click.
ADA Casey Novak was in *no* mood for Jenny's certain brand of humor right now.
She was still annoyed, after all, that her friend had dared to call her out on her rather new, rather confusing feelings for the frustratingly irresistible detective.
Right?
Right.
My ass, her little voice said, as she inwardly admitted that until it was the sexy, sultry caress of Olivia's voice on the other end of the phone, she was going to be irritated.
Ring!
"Novak, sex crimes."
Giggle.
Click.
Grrrr.
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Casey's cell phone beeped with an incoming text message.
Flipping it open, she read:
We got him! no time 2 chat gotta book him. Probably b tied up all nite. c ya 2morrow.
Once again, Casey's phone erupted, and unfortunately, she was not afforded the convenience of just ignoring the office phone.
Even if, she thought, she was ninety-nine percent positive that it was just her friend screwing with her.
Snatching it up to shut it up, she barked, "Novak!"
"Problem, counselor?"
Crap.
"Hi Liz."
Silence.
"What's up?"
"I just got off the phone with Judge Terhune, Casey, and it seems that you and Doctor Huang have upset our defendant."
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"Not when you're breaking the law."
Defensively, Casey challenged, "How are we breaking the law?"
"Is it true that Huang hid his FBI status from JJ Ostilow?"
"No!" she exploded.
"Casey?"
"Sort of," the ADA admitted, "But it wasn't intentional."
"Intent is irrelevant."
"I wasn't even aware of the circumstances until after the interview," Casey added, hoping for her boss's sympathy.
"Ignorance is not bliss, Miss Novak, and you know it."
Ouch.
"But-"
"No buts."
"How can I fix this?" Casey asked.
"Tell me why he did it."
"We thought the father was the abuser."
"Well, that changes things, doesn't it?"
Casey, who knew when her boss didn't really require a response, silently waited for her to finish the thought.
"So you never would've expected the NDA. Therefore," the Chief deduced, "it didn't seem relevant to disclose Huang's FBI status."
"Exactly. We found out about the settlement when JJ told him, in session, about Billy and the deal his parents had made."
Liz sighed.
"What?" Casey asked.
"You need to get your butt over to Terhune's office, now. Apparently, Tripley's lawyer, Zeirko, has something to show you."
It was Casey's turn to sigh.
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Casey's meeting with Zeirko and the Judge had not gone well; completely pissed off at what was, obviously, a coerced retraction from JJ Ostilow, presented to her by his alleged abuser's lawyer, she went home and got completely hammered.
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The following day, a quite thoroughly hung over Casey stormed haughtily over to the precinct, the one place where *somebody* would understand.
The one place, she thought, and smiled despite the Absolut jackhammers working inside of her head, that she could see Olivia.
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Outside of the station, Casey swore as her phone erupted; still slightly irritated with Jenny, incredibly fired up over the videotape Tripley's lawyer had given her, *and* dealing with a pounding headache, she barked into the phone, "What!"
"Case, look-"
Snapped the phone shut.
Ring!
I'm *not* going to answer this phone!
Ring!
"Jenny, I'm working!"
"But-"
Once again, Casey hung up on her friend.
Ring!
Go away!
Ring!
Sigh.
"Dammit Jen, whatever you have to say, it can wait!"
Silence.
"What???"
"You said it can wait."
Inwardly, Casey recognized the fact that she was simply taking out her pent up frustrations and screaming headache on her friend.
Outwardly, however, she couldn't seem to stop.
"You're pissi-"
"Where are you?"
"Outside the Special Victims Unit."
"Is Olivia there?"
"I don't know yet, I'm *outside*!"
Silence.
"What?"
"There's something you need to know before you go in there," Jenny warned.
"What, Miss Know It All?"
"Miss what?" Jenny gasped.
"Know It All," Casey helpfully supplied.
"Cut it out, Casey."
"You *do* know everything, right?" the ADA, clearly enjoying herself, continued.
"Not everything," Jenny replied, "but more than you think."
"Really?"
"Really."
"So surprise me, Jen," Casey snapped at her friend, "tell me something that you know that I don't."
Wickedly, Jenny replied, "Olivia tastes like strawberries."
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Stopping dead in her tracks, heart racing, Casey looked dumbly at the phone.
"*What*?"
"I kissed Olivia," the bartender nonchalantly replied.
"Liar."
"She was wearing strawberry lip balm."
Casey snorted.
"It's true," Jenny insisted, "I ran into her, literally, in the park."
"Whatever."
"I did! I went jogging, after you left the other day, and I saw her....and, heck, I don't know, after our talk that afternoon and the challenge and the fact that I was right on top of her-"
Casey snapped the phone shut.
Strawberry lip balm?
Ring!
On *top* of her?
Ring!
On *top* of her?
Ring!
What the fuck was she doing on *top* of her???
Ring!
Bam!
Casey, beyond reason, had just hurled her phone quite forcefully against the precinct's outer wall.
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Casey was pissed.
Pissed at Jenny, who was supposed to be her friend.
Jenny, who just days ago had informed her of her pending marriage, had gone and sown her last wild oat.
By kissing Olivia.
Olivia, who she was also pissed at for letting it happen.
*Nobody* got that close to the volatile detective, dammit, unless she wanted them to.
And now?
Jenny's kiss hadn't done much for her, she recalled.
Then again, she grudgingly admitted, she'd never had a taste for blondes.
And if it *had* affected Olivia?
She groaned.
Why was there always a blonde bombshell around to come between her and her detective?
Cursing Jenny, cursing Alex, cursing the *entire* Benson blonde phenomenon, she barged through the front doors of the station.
Took a deep breath, put on her best "you're not going to get a reaction out of me" face, and let the counselor take over.
Clutching the damning tape, she marched into the squadroom.
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Rising to her feet at the tell-tale approach of a pissed off Novak in the hallway, Olivia, still quite shaky when it came to facing the counselor, kept her back to the door.
Jumped out of her seat and into the conversation about Billy Tripley, commenting, "The naive ones are just blinded by his generosity."
Completely ignored her partner's "look who just stated the obvious" expression.
Heart skipping a beat, she mentally prepared herself to greet her friend and counselor, the only living being on this planet that had ever truly made her feel alive.
That was single.
That was Casey.
Deep breath, sigh.
And turn.
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Completely unaware of the war going on inside of Detective Benson, ADA Novak just blew right past her, waving a videotape and snapping, "Something tells me he's been shoveling more money on his problems."
Damn, did it suddenly get colder in here?
Elliot, who noticed that the counselor had refused to even look at his partner, jumped in with, "Now what?"
It was a double-edged question, but Casey was strictly business.
"I just came back from another motion hearing with Zeirko," she lied, not missing a step as she marched straight to the squad's media center and popped the tape into the vcr, "imagine my surprise when he handed me this."
Olivia, who couldn't take her eyes off of the obviously annoyed ADA, was confused by the sudden, angry aloofness of her friend.
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The counselor, for her part, wondered if her "I'm suprememly angry and it's totally about the meeting I *just* had" act was working.
Daring to spin around and gauge the older woman's reaction, she was instantly trapped by the warring emotions in the almost black depths of her expressive eyes.
Uh-oh, thought Casey, she's not buying it.
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Caught by Casey, who had pushed play and spun around to see the reactions of her detectives, Olivia had the good grace to avert her eyes and try to concentrate on the video.
Nervously, she pulled a tube of flavored lip balm from her pocket, taking a little too much time in applying it to her lips.
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Casey, whose curiosity was suddenly overwhelming, focused on the tiny tube that Olivia was now generously applying to her sensuous mouth.
Nonchalantly, she kept the tube discreetly in her field of vision.
Looked at, talked to, engaged everyone in the room as she did it.
Everyone, that is, *but* Olivia.
Knew the detective noticed, didn't care.
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In truth, Olivia's eyes were now firmly fixed on Casey's delicate hand, which was dangling innocently at the corner of the screen.
Noticed the short, perfectly manicured nails, which were as blunt and squared as her own.
I wonder, she thought, why she keeps them so short?
I'm a cop, mine are always breaking, but a lawyer?
Then, without warning, the images were there......the perfect, long fingers of the ADA, slowly sliding-
"Liv!"
Pulled from her thoughts, Olivia set the tube on her desk and looked blankly at her partner.
"What?"
"I said let's go."
"Where?"
He sighed.
"The Ostilows?"
Blank stare.
"To talk to JJ?"
"Right," she replied, unconvincingly, as she shot one last, confused look at the ADA.
The ADA, who was, quite completely, still ignoring her.
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The ADA who was, actually, just waiting for her to leave.
Lingering for a moment once the pair had disappeared, Casey engaged the Captain in a bit more conversation, gently steering him towards Olivia's desk as they talked.
Ended up perched atop the desk, just like she had been a dozen times before.
Reached, discreetly, behind her back, towards the forgotten tube, palming it as the Captain turned and walked away.
Stood, turned, cursed.
Strawberry.
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Exchanging a knowing glance with his partner, Fin accepted the ziploc bag that Munch handed him, then followed the counselor outside; grinned, hugely, as he bent to help her pick up the shattered remains of her cell phone, and silently produced the evidence bag to hold the many tiny pieces.
"Go away, Detective," Casey snapped.
"What's the matter Case?"
"Nothing."
"I see."
Silence, as she added her scooped up pieces to the bag.
"So," he continued, "what'd they get you for?"
A completely blank look on her face, she replied, "Huh?"
"I'm guessing littering," he continued, "or maybe public abuse of a cell phone?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" she demanded.
"Well," he offered, "since there's nothing wrong, this couldn't possibly be *your* cell phone in a billion pieces all over the parking lot; therefore, if you're cleaning it up?"
"Yeah?"
"Community service."
Smiling, she replied, "You're an ass."
"Maybe, but you're smiling," he grinned, as he stood and helped her to her feet, "do you wanna talk about it?"
"Not really," she honestly admitted, "I'm not sure there's anything *to* talk about."
"A'ight," he acquiesced, "but we care about you, and we know that you're pissed; just remember that, when you feel like talking, we're here."
"Thanks," she replied, as she took the now full bag from his hand.
At his amused smirk, she turned and walked away.
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"Benson!"
"Did I catch you at a bad time, Detective?"
"I just had a door slammed in my face, so yeah, I'd say your timing sucks."
"Sorry."
"Forget it," Olivia replied to the bartender on the other end of the phone, "what's up?"
"I told Casey about the park."
Aha! went Olivia's little voice, even as she froze in her tracks.
Recovering, she waved Elliot on to the car.
Out of his earshot, she continued, "Why would you do that?"
"Kiss or tell?"
"Both."
"Well," Jenny began, "I kissed you for two reasons - one, was that I didn't know how else to convince you that I wasn't with Casey, and to show you that you two need to be together; two, was because I kinda got a girl crush on you, Liv, and I wanted to make sure I wasn't making a mistake by marrying a boy."
"And?"
"I like boys."
Silence.
"Well I do!"
Olivia sighed.
"But I liked your strawberry lip balm," Jenny added, helpfully.
Shit! Olivia thought, as she realized that she'd left the tube on her desk.
At the station.
Where Casey was right now.
Damn Jenny, she thought, as she suddenly realized that the other woman was still talking.
"...and your lips are really soft. It was nice," Jenny helpfully added.
"You didn't tell her about my lip balm, did you?"
"Sure did."
Crap!
"Does it really matter?" Jenny asked.
"I guess not," Olivia admitted, then asked, "And the tell?"
"She hung up on me."
Releasing a much needed laugh, Olivia asked, "Are you serious?"
"Yep," the blonde replied, "I called to ask her to join me at my parents' spa to plan the wedding, and she hung up on me. Therefore, she had to suffer."
No *wonder* that woman looked familiar, Olivia thought, as she suddenly made the connection.
"Serendipity is your family's spa?"
"Yep."
"I really loved it there."
"So I heard; now, about Casey's payback..."
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After listening to the various forms of torture that Jenny had concocted for her friend, Olivia finally decided to speak up.
"Remind me to keep you on my good side," she said, then added, "how did you know I thought you were an item?"
"You don't hide your interest in Casey very well, Detective, nor your jealousy."
"Oh."
Jenny giggled.
"Can I ask you a question, Jen?"
"Sure."
"What about the movie, you know, that night?"
"That night at Casey's apartment?"
"Yeah."
"*I* was watching that movie, Liv, which was on loan from one of Casey's out and proud and trying to convert the rest of the world friends; I didn't know it was that erotic, and Casey really was asleep."
"And that night at the bar? When Cassidy showed up?"
"She was trying to rattle you, to make you pay for jumping to conclusions about her sex life."
"Oh," Olivia said, feeling like an ass.
So now what?
"She's really mad, Jen."
"Yeah, but she'll cool off, she always does."
Silence.
"Liv?"
"What?" the detective distractedly replied.
"Are you going to let her get away with screwing with you?"
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Hanging up the phone, Olivia returned to the car and barked at Elliot, "Let's go see Novak."
"Who was that?"
"None of your business."
With a tiny shake of his head, he smiled knowingly at his partner.
"What?"
"I think she's in court," he replied.
"Why?"
"I just tried her cell," he replied, "and it went straight to voicemail."
Grinning wickedly, she retorted, "Oh no she's not, she told the Captain she was having an office day."
"Really?"
"Really."
Hmm.
Picking up the phone, he tried the ADA's office.
Shook his head as he hung up the phone.
"What?" Olivia innocently asked.
"Her secretary said she stepped out for lunch."
"Oh."
She broke another cell phone, Olivia deliciously realized.
Because of me.
Grin.
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She broke another cell phone, Elliot despondently realized.
Because of his partner, he was certain.
Because of what, he hadn't a clue.
Women! he thought, as he sighed deeply and leaned his head on the steering wheel.
"Do you need me to drive El?"
Lifting his head and shooting her a quiet look of disbelief, he started the car.
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"So you're really not going to tell me whatever it is that you just found out that put that wicked gleam in your eye?"
Elliot, who was slowly circling the DA's office looking for a parking spot, nonchalantly asked his partner.
"Mr. Chou's now delivers to my neighborhood," she helpfully replied.
He groaned.
"So you're not going to tell me?" he persisted.
"Best Chinese in New York," she quipped, as they exited the car.
He rolled his eyes.
She ignored him.
"Is that Casey?" she asked, as they rounded the corner of the DA's building, and saw the stunning redhead marching resolutely towards the front doors.
"Yep," he replied.
"Casey!" she yelled.
Was ignored.
"Hey Case, wait up!" she tried again, to no avail.
Frustratingly, the ADA kept right on walking.
"Yo, Novak!" Elliot bellowed.
When she suddenly slowed at Elliot's shout, Olivia realized that the counselor had simply been ignoring her.
Damn her.
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Recognizing Olivia's voice calling her name, Casey didn't even pause and in fact, walked faster.
However, Elliot's added shout told her that this was business.
Hence, she slowed down and waited for the duo to catch up with her.
Olivia, clearly annoyed at the healthy dose of cold shoulder Casey had been serving up all day, spoke first.
"JJ's gone."
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Performing her best "Alex the Ice Queen" impersonation, Casey picked up her pace and, shoulder to shoulder with Elliot, slammed through the swinging doors that led to her office.
Addressing only Elliot, she stated, "How gone is JJ?"
If Olivia noticed that the ADA had gallantly kept the door from rudely slamming in her face, she didn't mention it.
Because she was annoyed that Casey would still only talk to Elliot.
Elliot, who noticed the tension, replied, "He hasn't shown up for school and no one in his apartment building has seen him."
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Annoyed that her partner was playing diplomat when she was trying to get under the ADA's skin, Olivia quickly added to the conversation.
"We pulled the Ostilow's credit cards, there's no bus or plane tickets on them."
Look at me Casey, dammit, look at me!
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Casey, who was really hoping that she could avoid Olivia for at least a few days, was completely annoyed that the detective kept popping up today.
Was completely annoyed that she looked so damn good.
Irresistible, actually.
Strawberry lip balm, her little voice taunted.
Damn her.
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Resolve firmly in place, Casey shot Olivia a look of pure irritation.
Arrogantly, she sneered, "He"s twelve years old, somebody *has* to be taking care of him!"
At the counselor's dismissive challenge and exasperated sigh, Olivia snapped, "Well we don't know who! We have surveillance on the parents, they're not paying him any visits."
Elliot, trying to defuse the situation, calmly added, "They're saying they sent their son on vacation."
Bolting for the safety of her desk, Casey, without a backward glance, dismissively bit out, "That's not a crime."
Nonplussed, Elliot replied, "That's hindering prosecution."
The counselor spun and added, "That's what *I* think, but until I talk to JJ, I can't prove it."
Made the mistake of looking at Olivia.
Crap.
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"So what?" the chocolate eyed detective challenged, "you're just gonna dismiss the case against Billy?"
Elliot felt the need to avert his eyes, as the war of words and hormones raged between the two women; Olivia, sensing the upper hand, refused to stop staring at the angrily radiant ADA.
Backed into a corner by a deadly combination of Olivia and the law, Novak retorted, "I don't see what other option I have."
Olivia broke the gaze and looked disgustedly away, while Elliot gently reminded, "We're talking about letting a pedophile walk free."
At his words and Olivia's disappointed stare, Casey's resolve began to crumble; then, Elliot twisted the knife, softly commanding, "Find one."
Turned and walked away.
Olivia, however, lingered for just a moment longer.
Wordlessly expressed that she wanted, needed, trusted Casey to find a way to make this right.
As she watched Olivia disappear through the doorway, Casey realized that there was only one way to win this case.
She needed to play dirty.
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As Casey arrived at the restaurant to meet her mentor, Mary Conway Clark, she realized that her friend could tell that she was completely aggravated.
"Detective Benson, I assume?" she asked with a knowing grin.
"Not even gonna go there," Casey exasperatedly replied, "I've got bigger problems at the moment."
"Oh? Do tell," Mary, intrigued, replied.
"Well, my latest case involves an obscenely wealthy pedophile," she began, "whose only known victim, a boy named JJ Ostilow, has been secreted away by parents who are only interested in the money that his molester paid them to keep quiet."
Disgusted, Mary replied, "So I assume there is an NDA in place?"
"Exactly," Casey agreed, "and the worst part of it is that JJ confessed the entire story to Huang, yet the confession was blocked due to George's FBI status."
"I see," Conway Clark thoughtfully replied, then added, "why in the world does Huang's FBI status play into the scenario? He *is*, first and foremost, a psychiatrist."
"Right," Casey affirmed, "but when they went into session, it was because of JJ's threats to his little sister on a slasher site."
"Huh?" Mary replied with a confused expression, then suggested, "Ok, how about filling me in, starting at the beginning, and see if I can't figure out a way to help?"
Gratefully, Casey started, "Well, it all began in Denver..."
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Once they were seated and Mary was aware of all the details, the former judge honestly suggested, "Casey, I think you should consider dropping the charges."
"No way!" Casey exploded, "This guy is *guilty*, Mare, of molesting an innocent child."
"I understand that," the older woman replied, "however, you don't have a complaining witness, as long as the confession is inadmissable and you do not have the child."
"Mary-"
Casey was cut off by her friend, who interjected, "Langan is the Ostilow's attorney."
"I'm not afraid of Trevor," Casey snottily replied, "and this is one ADA he can't sweet talk into submission."
"So you know about him and Alex?"
"Yes, and I find it reprehensible."
"We can't help who we fall in love with," Mary gently reminded her, "after all, aren't you refusing to drop this case because of Olivia's emotional investment in the outcome?"
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"I'm not dropping the charges," was Casey's only response, as she irritatedly closed her menu and, gripping it with both hands, lowered it to her lap.
"I admire your tenacity," Mary stated as Casey guiltily averted her eyes, "but you know without a complaining witness your case is over."
At Casey's disgusted look, she amusedly went back to studying her menu.
"Billy Tripley is guilty of witness tampering," Casey confidently replied.
"Can you prove it?"
"Not *yet*," she admitted, as she placed the menu on the table, "but I know Tripley got to the parents, threatened to enforce the non-disclosure agreement."
Annoyed, Casey placed her elbows on the table in front of her, and absently closed her right hand over her left.
The gesture had always been the ADA's tell that she was losing control, that she was in need of assistance, and the former judge wondered if her young protege even had a clue that she was channeling her hidden insecurities.
"Are you absolutely sure that JJ recanted under duress?" Mary challenged, as Casey's hands switched into a prayer fist.
Not a clue, she realized, as Casey emphatically stated, "I know that boy was molested. JJ told Huang he can identify a birthmark on Billy's penis!"
Casey, realizing that her voice had just risen above a conversational volume, looked apologetically at the diners who were now silently staring in her direction.
Gracefully, Mary stepped in, addressing said diners with an amused, "She doesn't get out much."
"It's just so *frustrating*!" Casey continued in a throaty whisper, "if a jury heard the boy's original statement, believe me, they'd put Tripley away."
Damn her sexy whisper, Mary thought, as she closed her menu and reminded, "Well unfortunately, the boy's out of the picture. And we can't very well go around violating a defendant's Fifth Amendment right to face his accuser."
Dropping her eyes, knowing that she had the older woman right where she wanted her, Casey replied, "We also can't allow rich offenders to buy their way around justice with non-disclosure agreements."
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Mary wondered if Casey had any idea how adorable she looked when she was being manipulative, and once again cursed the decades that kept her from launching herself across the table and kissing that sexy pout away.
Instead, she decided to allow herself to be manipulated.
"There's your loophole," she stated, "the NDA."
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Casey, who wondered if Mary was onto her intentions, decided to throw up a little more of an argument, just to see where it would go.
"They're always very carefully worded," she responded with a dejected shake of her head, "there's never an admission of guilt."
"But there might be a mention of the boy," Mary reminded her young friend, and as she opened the menu once again, added, "and legally, a minor can't enter into a binding contract."
Casey, dropping her eyes and rubbing her fist once again, challenged, "No, but his parents, acting as his guardians, can."
As she lifted her eyes to look directly at her mentor, Mary asked, "But the question is, were his parents acting in his best interest? If not, that boy deserves a lawyer of his own."
Hope spread across Casey's face as Mary continued, "And I think I know just who it should be."
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"Novak, sex crimes."
"I hear Langan's representing the Ostilows."
"Hi Elliot."
"Do you have time for lunch?"
"I wish I did," she replied, "but I've got a strategy session that's going to keep me tied up all afternoon."
"You know that Trevor is scum, right Case?"
"He's a defense attorney, Detective, scum is just his profession."
Elliot sighed.
"He's not really a bad guy, El," she continued.
"Look, Case, there's something you need to know about Langan."
"I know."
At Elliot's puzzled silence, she continued, "I'm not afraid to go up against him, and I don't have the blind spot for his tactics that my predecessor possessed."
Stunned, Elliot replied, "Look, about Alex-"
"It doesn't matter what you're about to tell me, Elliot, because I'm sure I already know."
Silence.
"No thanks to you *or* your partner," she added resentfully.
"Case, we just-"
"Were broken hearted because she died on *your* watch," Casey interjected, "so it hit you two harder. I know the story, I just don't have time for this today, ok? I need to prepare for trial."
Elliot, surprised that the counselor knew as much as she did, wondered if he should clue her in on the truth of Alex's demise.
"Oh, and Detective?"
"Yeah Case?"
"Tell your partner that unlike her and Langan-"
"What?" he challenged, as she thought better of finishing that particular statement.
"Nothing."
Silence.
"Case?"
"Yeah?"
"Olivia never broke a phone over Alex."
Casey's jaw dropped as the line went dead.
DOINK DOINK