This chapter is: drum roll: Casey and Munch.

Thanks to onetreefan for her request...ENJOY!

Disclaimer: Own Nada

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I'm in over my head. This case is driving me crazy, one of the most horrible I have ever encountered. I feel a headache coming on. A knock at the door, I check the time. It's past one am. Who the hell would visit me that late? I'm usually the first to arrive and the last to leave. I don't answer. Pretending that no one was in the office usually made some of the idiot interns leave. More knocking. "What?" I demand. John slowly opens the door. "Hey Red." He said, his nickname for me. "John." I say, not meaning to sound so frosty. He raises his eyebrows. "What's this? Is your temper getting as fiery as your hair?" he asks as a joke. I openly glare at him.

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I don't get this girl sometimes. Sometimes she's the sweetest thing on two feet, but other times I just find it so hard to get her to open up to me. Why is that? I know she's stressed about this case. I can see it in the way she sits there with her eyebrows knotted together. She's adorable when she's concentrating, but her snappy remarks rival my cynical ones.

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I know John wants to understand me. He wants to get in my head and find out what makes me stress and ease my pain, but I don't think he can. No one can. He's a detective. He's on the field and he's in the line of fire. Everyday that scares the hell out of me. What if I get a phone call from Olivia or Elliot telling me that John got hurt or something? Could I really handle that? He had become more than just a mentor and a friend. He was something else. Few people have ever been there for me, since I'm not a detective. I avoid talking about my job because I know that the things they see are far worse than what I see, but it's still hard for me sometimes. The detectives give me everything I need, but I can't always win.

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I know what's on her mind. Just like how I know the government is illegally tapping into my phone. She never opens up to anyone. She's afraid the detectives will laugh her because she knows that we see things that would make people cry. I know that she sees the same thing though. I see that look every time she exits the courtroom after losing a case and when the defense pulls a trick she doesn't see coming. It's that look of fear. I've been trying to let her know that no one blames her for not always winning. We don't expect her to. Somehow, I think she expects herself to.

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I glance at him again. He shows no sign of leaving. I don't admit it, but I'm glad. I wanted some company and his was the best. He wasn't that warm to me in the beginning but he wasn't exactly cold either, not like Liv and El were. I've proven my worth to them, but now its become a habit to try and live up to Alex. I don't think I ever can. Her track record is incredible. How do I compare? John comes up behind me and rubs me shoulders. "Relax." He says. I do. I don't know why.

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"You'll win, Red." I tell her. I know she will. She was good at what she did and Alex had chosen for her to stay in her position for a reason. She was good, pure and simple. I just wished she could see that. I silently vow to make sure that she will see how good she is and how much everyone has come to love her and cherish her….especially me.

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I'm running out of ideas for further chapters. If you have an ideas about a pairing let me know and I'll try and write one about the pair.