Nightmare within a Dream

By: Liv-x-Lex4Ever & E. Scribbles

Chapter 1: Coating Stress with Love

Alex sat in her office looking down at the photo of Casey that now sat on her desk. She played with a velvet box in her hand and thought back over their time together. The last year had been so peaceful compared to the start of their relationship.

Her favorite moments of the day were when she could sit quietly with Casey, anywhere really, and listen to her talk about her day. They'd both relaxed a lot more in each other's company and in other people's.

Alex was about to open the box when she heard familiar footsteps. Quickly, she put it in her top draw and pretended she'd been working.

Casey opened the door, walked in, closed it and collapsed in a chair in front of her desk. "Someone take a gun to my head. I swear this case over six raped, drug-addicted teens is going to be the end of me! We've got suspects. We've got evidence that links each teen to someone for rape, but not a thread for murder! We need a lead within 24 hours or the charges are dropped!" She sighed, banging her head as it rested on her desk. "Ow!" she said in a small voice.

Alex smiled. "Aww...you hurt my desk. Poor little desk."

Casey sighed. "That was me who said ow! But thanks for your concern," she said, propping her head up on her elbows. "Some girlfriend," she rolled her eyes.

"Hey, who said I wanted a girlfriend with a massive red bump on her forehead?"

"Knock it off, Lex! I'm not in the mood," she snapped, sitting up. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing much, I was waiting for you to finish." Alex stood and leant on her desk, taking Casey's face in both her hands to kiss her forehead.

She sighed. "I don't know if I'm going to finish tonight."

"How about we go out for a quick dinner, then I can come back and have a look at everything for you?"

Casey nodded. "Thanks, just need to let Liz know I'll be gone for a bit. I'm sorry I'm so grumpy tonight, but this case is killing me!"

Alex reached her warm hand forward once more, touching Casey's neck. "Well...there's a weak pulse there, so I'm pretty sure I can do something to liven you up."

She nodded. "Walk with me? I'll grab my coat on the way."

Alex nodded, standing. She pulled on her coat, glancing at Casey as she headed rather dejectedly from the room before slipping the velvet box into her pocket.

Casey knocked on Liz's open door. "I'm going out for dinner. I'll be back."

She waved in acknowledgement, not even bothering to look up. "Bring me back some coffee will you? Night, Alex."

Over the past year, Liz had turned into a surprising friend. She'd felt guilty about Mark and, at first, had tried to be awkwardly friendly with Casey, but slowly it had evolved into a friendship of sorts.

Casey nodded as Alex walked up beside her. "Where are we going?"

"I don't mind. What do you feel like?" Alex pressed the lift button, pushing her hands deep into her pockets.

"Mmmm...Italian?"

"Mmm...Suoni perfetti, il mio tesoro!"

"What? I was thinking of Tortellini or something pasta-ish..."

"I said, 'Sounds perfect, my darling'. I think. I might have said something about urine though..."

Casey laughed. "I loved the first part more! So are you multi-lingual or is it trilingual? I know you speak a bit of French too."

"I just pick up bits and pieces, nothing fluently. Except Casey bed-speak. That...that is a whole other language."

Casey wrapped her arm around her as they exited the lift. "And you're wonderful at that. Especially the tongue-speak."

Alex smiled. "Don't. You'll make me blush." She held out the front door for her.

Smiling, Casey walked out, taking her hand. "But you're cute when you blush."

"Hey, I'm a tough lawyer, remember, I'm never cute. I'm hard. How about that little Italian place a couple of blocks away?"

She nodded. "Yeah yeah. I've only seen those nerves get hard as pebbles, but you do have incredible physique."

Alex led her to the restaurant, trying to distract her from her case.

Casey smiled, realizing the restaurant was practically empty and grinned wider when Alex asked for a secluded corner. This would be just the thing to get her mind off of work.

"Wine? Or would you prefer a clear head?"

She shook her head. "I wish I could, but I do need a clear head."

Alex nodded, ordering water for them before browsing the menu, her feet playing with Casey's under the table, rubbing her leg gently.

Casey sighed, eyes focused on Alex, her feet playing a bit with hers. She placed her hand on to of hers. "You seem...nervous tonight. Everything alright?" she asked, watching Alex's eyes dart around on the menu, not seeming to be able to make up her mind.

"Mhm. Just thinking about how I'm going to have to sleep by myself tonight. Alone. Cold."

"Might not be the whole night. At least, I hope not. You...could crash at my place, then I could come home..." she said, laying her hands on the table.

"Alone, cold, in a bed that smells of you? You really do know how to torture me, don't you?"

She sighed. "Okay if it's not enticing enough, I guess I understand." She scoffed. "I just figured, you know, after four years, you wouldn't mind waiting for me, but do what you want," she said, still clearly upset as she took a sip of water.

"Case, I didn't mean that. You know I'll stay there." She reached across the table for her hand

She sighed, nodding, bowing her head as she took her hand.

"What do you feel like eating? How about a propro...prosciutto pizza or something?"

She retracted her hand, resting her head in them. "Sure. I'm...sorry. I guess I'm just not up to this."

Alex reached across the table, pulling a hand away to take it. "Just try to forget about it, Casey. Then when you get back and look at everything again, it will seem clearer."

"I've...tried. Every possible angle to connect everyone, but...there isn't one. It's...like their coincidence, but they can't be! Ugh!" she wrenched her hand away. "I just...we have to get them, Alex! It-its like this weird teenage-phase cult! I just don't know what to do anymore!"

"Just..calm down, stop thinking about it. It works, I promise."

"Okay," she said, reaching for her hand, "I'll try."

They ordered, but Casey barely ate, and hardly listened to anything Alex said.

Casey sighed, eating half a piece of pizza and leaving the rest. "Please tell me you've been this worked up too?"

"Sometimes. Normally I work it off in bed."

She sighed, taking another small bite. "I hope you feel better since four years ago."

"...You can go back to work if you want. You don't have to stay here."

Casey noted her disappointed tone and shook her head. "No, i-if you're here for me I-" she sighed, a hand went through her hair. "I'm sorry! I would much rather focus on you. I don't like it when you look sad because of me," she said, taking her hand, "like now."

Alex smiled, caressing her hand. "I'm not sad, I just...had plans...that I'm not so sure about anymore."

She shook her head. "I don't want you to throw them away. They look important to you. Really."

Alex smiled, caressing Casey's hand. "...Somehow, I don't think it would be right when you're so distracted."

"But you look so...disappointed. If you want this to be romantic, if it's supposed to be – whatever it is – order the wine."

Alex shook her head, hesitated, then reached into her pocket, putting the box on the table. "I just..."

Casey wasn't paying attention to what was there. "You just...what?"

Alex inched it forward, but when Casey still didn't look, she lowered her own eyes. "...Wanted to ask you to marry me..."

"I...you...we...what?" she asked. "God! An-and here I...I was. I'm sorry! It-it never crossed my mind." Her heart rate increased, as well as her tears. "Alex, please? I-I still don't believe..."

Alex once more inched the box towards her.

Casey pushed it back toward her. "I'm not going to answer unless you do it right," she said, the first smile Alex had seen all night.

Alex smiled back and sat there silently for a moment before standing, dropping the box and swearing, then ending up on one knee in front of Casey looking flustered, box open to show a ring Casey had admired in a jeweler's window for years. "...Will you marry me? Please?"

"Alex...th-this ring, it-its the one I..."

Alex nodded, then whispered. "Do I get an answer?"

Casey smiled. "Yes Alex. Yes I will!" she said as tears spilled when she hugged her tight. "I love you."

Alex stood, hugging her back as she tried to brush whatever sharp thing she'd knelt on.

"Are you okay? You sound...pained. Do you want me to take a look?"

"I want you to stop being distracted and put the damn ring on before you change your mind or forgot I asked you or something." Alex laughed.

Casey slipped the ring on which went perfectly with what Alex had given her about a year ago on her birthday. She smiled. "It fits. Now, will you sit and let me take a look? Please?"

Alex sat, but distracted Casey with kisses.

Casey folded up Alex's skirt, caressing her leg, before pulling away. "Hmm, glass. Porcelain like from a broken dish." She flagged a waiter. "Excuse me? Do you have a tweezers and a First Aid kit? She knelt in some glass."

He returned a few moments later and tried to help Casey, but she waved him away.

"You know...this is not what I imagined you doing between my legs after I asked you."

"Oh just shush and let me know if I get it all, will you?" she said, pulling out six minuscule pieces of white glass before she grabbed the biggest one and made her jump. Casey kissed above the wound. "I'm sorry." She wiped the blood, smeared a bit of antibiotic on it and bandaged it. "Is that better?"

"I guess so." Alex sat back, arms folded. "Aside from the fact I had the most romantic evening planned out, now I've asked over a rushed dinner and got glass in my leg."

"Can...we still have the romantic evening, please? I've forgotten the other thing. I was just focused on you."

Alex smiled, knowing how difficult it was to distract Casey for any length of time. She nodded and kissed her once more.

Casey sat on her lap carefully, wrapping her arms around her neck, kissing her. "This still...doesn't feel real. I love you so, so much! And I really am sorry. What else is there?"

"You don't need to apologies, Casey. We both get like that every so often. Your timing is just worse than mine." Alex smiled, dropping a kiss to her hand.

She buried her head in her neck. "And tonight it really couldn't have been worse! I wish we could do it over."

"We could. When your case is done, we can do it again, exactly how you've always imagined it would happen."

She pulled back. "Bu-but...I don't want to take it back...to give it back. It-it symbolizes..."

Alex lowered her head to kiss Casey's hand once more, caressing it as she pulled away. "Well...how about you give me one then?"

Casey nodded. "But will you ask me again? Later when I feel a bit better?"

"I'll ask you a million times if you like. Once day, twice a day, forever. Will you marry me, Casey Novak?" Alex leant forward to whisper the words in her ear, her lips tickling.

Casey smiled, giggling a bit and nodding. "So...are we back to the office now?"

Alex nodded. "How about I get us something to go in case you get hungry later?"

"Sounds good," she said, standing up.

Alex ordered their food and Liz's coffee and then returned to the office with Casey.

"We're back," Casey chimed as she walked in and handed Liz her coffee. "I don't suppose anyone's found a connection while we were away?"

"No such luck, I'm afraid."

She sighed, somehow, feeling lighter than when they'd left. "I've gone over everything five times! There's got to be a connection!"

"Well, I've left you the files I had and taken some of the ones on your desk, maybe we can find something..."

"Alex, would you still care to give us a hand?"

Casey saw a glint in her eye, and knew she wanted to say something rude, but managed, just, to give a nod instead.

Casey stood up, shaking her head. "I'll...be right back."

Alex sat, ready to read the file.

Five minutes later, she returned with a stack of files and set them on Liz's desk. "Is this considered after hours work?"

"It's considered nec— is that a ring?"

"What? Oh you mean the 'other' one?" she grinned, taking off her jacket. "Yes...it is. Too bad my mind was more focused on this case during dinner."

Liz looked towards Alex who buried her face in the file she was reading over. A moment later, she grabbed Casey's hand and practically pulled her over the desk to take a look. "It's...beautiful."

Casey tried to balance. "Um...thank you. I've...had my eye on it for a long time."

Alex reached out a hand to balance Casey, her cool fingers sliding up her skirt a little.

"Looks...expensive!"

Casey looked over her shoulder, glaring. "I-I'm sure it was. I don't remember."

Her hand slid down a little, but caressed her thigh.

"Are you going to get Alex one? I've...well, I've never thought about this sort of thing before."

"A-a-about wha—Alex, for God's sake! Take your hand off me!"

Alex's hand dropped, her face still hidden behind the file as Liz and Casey both blushed.

"Now you see what I put up with! But yeah I will. What haven't you thought about?"

"How it would work. A proposal, rings, the wedding..."

Alex's hand returned and got slapped away.

Casey sat again. "Yeah, haven't quite figured that out. Unless the one who thinks she's invisible has an idea..."

Alex shook her head from behind her file and made Casey jump up again as her hand lay on the seat she was about to sit on.

Casey took her hand. "So, did you find anything?"

They sat working on the case for the next 3 hours, Alex seeming to mostly work on distracting Casey, but it was her, in the end, who found the break they needed.

Alex walked into Casey's apartment first, yawning widely, then groaned when she tripped over discarded shoes.

Casey laughed as she closed and locked the door. "Are you okay?" she asked, helping her up. "How's your knee?"

"Sore. I think I need you to say you'll marry me again to take the pain away." Alex sat on the edge of the couch.

Casey discarded her jacket, kneeling in front of her. "Nothing would make me happier than to spend every morning on your arms and snuggle with you every night. I'll marry you a million times over." Casey sat beside her, pulling her into her arms. "I love you Alex Cabot, I love you Alex Cabot, I love you Alex Cabot, I love you Alex Cabot, so, so much!"

"Even more now I solved your case for you?" Alex gave a mischievous smile.

She smiled, yawning. "I need a bed. Can we go please?"

Alex found her yawn contagious and yawned wider, falling against her. "Mmm...no, we should stay awake."

Casey stood, pulling Alex with her. "My bed is more comfortable."

Alex groaned, but as usual, was completely naked by the time they reached the bed.

Casey smiled, discarding her shirt, pants and socks before the last two and climbed into bed beside her.

Alex's hand searched for Casey's, pulling it to her lips once more to kiss it.

She smiled, snuggling into her. "Mmm..."

Alex's delicate fingers played with Casey's ring until she drifted off to sleep.

Author's Note:Well, here's the start of the final story. Perfect? Hardly. But you'l have to keep reading to find out why.

This story will be updated randomly as we have others that are currently above this, Cabin Fever being one of them, along with a few A/O stories.

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Liv-x-Lex4Ever & E. Scribbles