Under Her Skin 32
Title: Under Her Skin 32
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Sick 5.19, but really, at this point could these be considered spoilers?
Disclaimer: They're not mine, but if they were this is how they'd act ;p
Author's Note: I know it's short, but my life is just ridiculous right now, and I really wanted to get out there what I could squeeze in the time to post
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"Got a minute Casey?"
ADA Casey Novak looked up at the sound of her boss's voice, and gestured for him to take a seat in front of her desk.
Remaining in the doorway, he said, "Great job on the Hodges case. Guilty on all counts, right?"
"Right," she replied, "so why does it feel like too little, too late?"
"April's in good hands now, and Nora can't hurt her anymore," he reminded, "isn't that the best case scenario?"
"The best case scenario," she replied, "would have been that we immediately had our doctors examine the girl. After all, it was Warner who caught the poisoning, and..." trailing off, she buried her face in her hands.
He sighed, then gently stated, "Maybe you should have spent less time sparring with the lead detectives and more time working with them?"
"It's not my ability to get along with the detectives that's the problem!" she snapped.
"I talked to Olivia," he added, "and she seems to think that you hindered her ability to do her job."
"Oh she *does*, does she?" she seethed.
"Casey, I didn't believe it, not for one minute," he soothed, "and I still don't, especially after talking to Stabler, but - "
"But what?"
"But I'm not always going to be around to keep her in line," he warned, "and I think it would be in your best interest to learn to get along with her."
She glared in response.
"Work it out, Casey."
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"Benson."
"Where are you, partner?"
"Just got back from my run."
"Did you hear about the verdict?"
"Yeah," she replied.
Silence.
"What El?"
"Have you given any thought to what you're going to do when your childish little pranks succeed in ending Novak's career?"
With that, he hung up his phone.
Cursing, she tossed hers across the room.
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"Novak, sex crimes."
Giggle.
"Hi Jenny."
"Hi."
"What's up?"
"Wedding stuff," her best friend replied, "I was just wondering if you could possibly squeeze in a few hours for me this week? We really need to go over gowns and invitations and seating charts and -"
Hearing the unusual sound of panic in her friend's voice, Casey interrupted, "Absolutely Jen, I could really use a break today. Lunch good for you?"
"Sounds great! See you at noon?"
"Make it 11," Casey replied.
"Everything ok?" Jenny innocently asked.
"Been better," the redhead honestly answered, "I'll tell you all about it when I get there."
"Can't wait," the blonde responded, then said goodbye and hung up the phone.
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Rejuvenated after a nice long shower, yet still annoyed with Elliot and Casey and the whole crew of them, Olivia scrambled to find her incessantly ringing cell phone; found it, under the couch cushions, and smiled as she recognized the caller.
"Hi Jenny, sorry, I was in the shower," she answered, "What's up?"
She listened for a moment, then replied, "Sounds great. I'll see you then."
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"Stabler."
"It's on," Jenny said, "so tell me one more time - how exactly do you expect me to pull this off?"
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"Shit!"
Casey, completely stunned, took a deep breath.
Hands shaking, she reached for the mouse, and clicked on the email that she had just received.
Tears in her eyes, she read it once, twice, three times.
Face wet with tears that refused not to flow, she shut down the computer and left to meet Jenny.
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Jenny, grinning, lined up three shot glasses in front of her on the bar.
She then added a captain and coke (with grenadine!) and a banana split (the kind you drink!) and prayed that she could make this work.
Taking a deep breath, she smiled as Casey walked through the door.
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"Hey," Casey softly greeted, oblivious to the three shot glasses, banana split and captain & coke on the bar.
"What happened?"
Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Casey replied, "I heard from Charlie."
"Oh sweetie, I'm sorry," Jenny soothed, as she rounded the bar and took her friend in her arms, "are you ok?"
"I will be," she replied, "it's just, you know, the sudden randomness of his appearances in my life. He, uh, he's checking out of the clinic, got a clean bill of health, and he wants to see me."
"No!" Jenny exploded, "that's a terrible idea Case, I swear -"
"I know that!" Casey interjected, "and I swear, I didn't even reply to his email..."
"But?"
"But it's just so hard," Casey honestly answered, "to be so much in love with somebody who is so bad for you, you know? But I can't help it, I can't help the way I have always felt about him, and I can't say for certain that I know how I'm going to react if I see him again."
"See who, Casey?" Olivia, who was suddenly there, asked.
Fighting back hot tears, Casey tossed back a shot of Absolut, chased it with the banana split, and asked for more.
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"Who, Case?" Olivia softly repeated.
Jenny, bless her, interjected, "Hello Detective! Hungry?"
Olivia, seeing the plea of let it go in the bartender's eyes, said, "Famished. What's for lunch?"
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As Jenny disappeared into the kitchen, Olivia took a seat beside the counselor and gave her a gentle nudge.
"Hey," she softly stated.
"Hey yourself," Casey tearily replied.
"I was so mad at you," Olivia began, "but I don't think you understand why."
Taking a sip of her drink, Casey replied, "Oh, I think I have an idea."
"Do you?"
"I think so," the counselor replied, "and I'm sorry, but I'd do it again."
"No, I'm sorry. I truly am, it's just that I was *so* frustrated! And I felt like everyone, like my whole world, was against me, preventing me from doing the best job that I could possibly do, you know?"
"Yeah," the ADA replied, "I've been there."
"You have?"
"Who the hell are you?" Casey replied, in her best Olivia Benson voice, as she downed another shot.
"I'm sorry," the detective replied, "I didn't give you much of a chance, did I?"
"No, you didn't."
With a sigh, Olivia ran a frustrated hand through her hair, then whispered, "Do you know what was the worst part?"
Afraid to speak, Casey shook her head.
"The worst part," Olivia admitted, "was feeling betrayed by you."
DOINK DOINK