Tea Time (interrupted)
Pairing: Alexandra Cabot / Casey Novak
Alex was focused on her report, fingers flying across the keyboard, when the door to her office suddenly swung open and Casey appeared in the doorway with a wide, conspiratorial grin on her lips.
„Hey, babe“, she said, eyes sparkling with excitement. „I have to tell you something.“
Alex looked up, smiling as she leaned back in her chair, clearly amused. Her girlfriend was practically buzzing with energy.
„Come in. I’m all ears.“
Casey gave an overly dramatic glance over her shoulder, then shut the door behind her. With two quick steps she was at Alex’s desk, hands braced against the edge as she leaned in, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
„So … I was at the courthouse earlier. Had to drop off paperwork for the Simons case. Total chaos over there. I mean, everyone was out today. There was even a school group clogging up the hallways … “
Alex raised an eyebrow, waiting patiently for Casey to get to the point.
„… anyway, I had to wait. Which is ridiculous, right? Why do people schedule appointments if they’re not going to stick to them? I was on time! As if my time isn’t just as important as …“
„Case …“
„Right, yeah, sorry! So. You know that redheaded security guard. Super friendly guy? Shawn, I think? Oh it was so funny when he tripped over the bubble wrap remember?“ Casey giggled.
Alex nodded, a little wary. „Casey … is this more courthouse gossip? You know how I feel about that.“
„No, not gossip! Well … okay, yes. Technically. But this time it’s different. Alex, this one’s actually good.“
„Casey. Please.“
„Just listen. It’s really exciting, I promise“, Casey said, her voice nearly squeaking from the urgency. „So, Shawn was talking … not to me, I swear … I just happened to be standing nearby. He was with those two court officers. You know the ones. One has the mustache? Ben? Ken? Ugh, I’m terrible with names.” she drew in a quick breath. “Anyway, I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop. They were right next to me. Okay, a little farther. But they weren’t exactly whispering and …“
The shrill ring of Alex’s desk phone cut her off mid-ramble.
„Sorry“, Alex muttered, picking up the receiver, her eyes not leaving her Girlfriend. But her expression shifted almost immediately from relaxed to serious. After a brief exchange, she sighed, and before the words „I’m on my way“ were fully out of her mouth, she was already standing, grabbing her blazer and briefcase.
„I’m sorry, babe. I have to head to the precinct“, she said, pressing a quick, apologetic kiss to Casey’s cheek. „Tell me later, okay?“
Casey nodded, a little disappointed. „Sure. Go get ’em!“
She watched Alex sweep out of the office like a woman on a mission, then let out a sigh and then dramatically dropped into the guest chair in front of the desk. She knew work came first, especially for Alex, but it didn’t stop the sting of being left mid-story.
„Later“, she muttered, eyes aimlessly wandering over the impossibly tidy desk. Perfectly stacked files, color-coded sticky notes, pens lined up by size. So Alex.
With a small, frustrated noise, she reached out and gave the pens a quick shove, leaving them crooked. Childish? Absolutely. But it felt good and eased her frustration a little bit.
○●○●
Alex hadn’t made it back to the office. Which meant the case was either bigger or messier than expected. Or both.
Since her own day had been slow, Casey had decided to deliver a little morale boost to the detectives at SVU, especially to her girlfriend. She had put together a generous lunch spread: sandwiches, salads, chips, and an assortment of soft drinks. Everything a hardworking squad might need to survive a long shift. And to be honest, it was also her sneaky way of making sure Alex didn’t skip yet another meal.
She was greeted with warm smiles when she arrived at the precinct, followed by a chorus of „Thank you“ and „Lifesaver“ as she started unpacking the contents of her paper bags.
A little while later, Casey found herself sitting across from Alex at one of the desks, happily munching on a sandwich of her own. She watched, completely content, as Alex took a bite of hers and let out a quiet, satisfied sigh.
„You are a saint“, Alex mumbled between bites. „I didn’t even realize how hungry I was.“
„I even got your favorite salad. A few vitamins never hurt. Everything to keep you sharp.“, Casey grinned.
„I love you“, Alex laughed.
„I hope not just because I bring you leafy greens“, Casey teased.
They ate in relative silence for a few minutes, until Casey couldn’t hold it in anymore. She glanced around. All the detectives were buried in their work. No one paying them any special attention. Perfect.
She leaned in a little closer and lowered her voice to a discreet whisper.
„Alex“, she said, waiting until her girlfriend glanced up from her files. „That thing I wanted to tell you earlier. At the courthouse? Shawn … and those court officers? I’m pretty sure they know each other. Like, know each other. It kind of looked like some secret meetup … except they were way too loud to really be secret ...“
„Casey“, Alex warned gently.
„I know, I know … but listen. Shawn was talking to his friends and I was just nearby … and he said something I couldn’t not overhear“, she said, pausing as she gathered her thoughts. „Remember the scandal with Judge Thompson?“
Alex made a vague, noncommittal noise while her eyes were already skimming her paperwork again.
„That was wild, right? But apparently, that’s old news. If this new story gets out, no one’s going to care about Thompson anymore“, Casey said and leaned in dramatically, eager for an reaction.
Silence.
Then another „Mmhmm“ from Alex.
„Are you even listening to me?“ Casey asked, raising an eyebrow.
Alex looked up again, slightly sheepish. „Yeah, sorry. It’s just …“ She gestured at the documents in front of her. „Something’s not adding up here.“
Casey waved that off like a fly. „It still won’t make sense five minutes from now. Just listen.“
She scooted a bit closer to the edge of her seat, her voice nearly bouncing with excitement.
„So get this … Shawn said there was an incident at the courthouse Tuesday night. Late. After hours. Not his off-duty time, though … he was working the night shift. And then an alarm goes off in his little security booth. A manual one. From one of the judges’ chambers.“
She paused again, frowning slightly.
„Funny thing … Thinking about it … I didn’t even know they had manual panic buttons. thought it was all motion sensors and cameras and stuff. But anyway … this alarm …“
She was cut off as Fin stepped up to the desk.
„Ladies“, he said with an apologetic smile. „Hate to break it to you, but lunch is over.“
Alex put her sandwich down and turned her full attention to him.
„What is it?“ she asked, all business again.
„We got ourselves a fresh witness. Just hauled him in. You might wanna sit in on the interview“, Fin said with a shrug.
Alex gave a small sigh but nodded. „Yeah, of course. I’m coming.“
She quickly finished the last bite of her sandwich and washed it down with a sip of soda, then leaned over to press a quick kiss to Casey’s hair.
„Thanks for the food, babe“, she said with a faint smile. „We’ll talk later.“
And just like that, she was gone, heading straight for the interview rooms.
„Later“, Casey muttered under her breath, watching her leave. Again.
Then, maybe a little more aggressively than necessary, she began cleaning up the rest of the lunch mess, stuffing wrappers and empty bottles into the paper bags.
It really did feel cursed, the way every time she had a good story, Alex vanished before she could get to the good part.
●○●○
„Hey, babe.“ Alex’s voice was tired as she poked her head into Casey’s office near the end of the day. There were faint shadows under her eyes.
Casey looked up and smiled softly at the sight of her. „Hey you. Ready to head home?“
„Oh yes. Desperately. I need at least one glass of wine and a really good neck massage to feel like a functioning human again.“ She sighed and pushed herself away from the doorframe. „Just need to file a few things, then we can go. Give me five.“
Casey laughed and closed her laptop with a satisfying snap. „Well, lucky for you, you’re dating a certified neck massage expert“, she teased already putting on her coat as she followed Alex into her office.
Alex dropped into her chair with a soft groan, and Casey perched herself on the armrest of the little couch like she owned the place.
Alex opened her briefcase and began sorting papers into their proper folders. But then she paused, frowning at her desk. The pens were still jumbled from earlier, not lined up like they usually were.
She looked up, confused. „What …?“
Casey decided distraction was the best strategy. She had completely forgotten about the pens, and honestly, how was she supposed to explain that petty little rebellion now?
Besides, she was still dying to tell her story.
„Remember what I was telling you at lunch? About Shawn, the courthouse security guy, and the two court officers? The alarm?“
Alex needed a second to catch up, but then she nodded, still looking tired. „Sure.“
„So … an alarm went off. Tuesday night. Shawn was working the night shift. It wasn’t a motion detector … it was a personal alarm. Someone hit it manually. I didn’t even know they had those, did you? But I guess it makes sense. Better safe than …“
„Casey.“ Alex’s voice had an edge to it, sharper than she meant it to be. „What happened?“
„If I’m annoying you, just say so“, Casey replied, trying not to sound too deflated.
„No …“ Alex took a breath and softened her tone. „I’m sorry. It’s just … rumors are rumors. And I’ve spent the entire day reading between the lines of witness statements, and …“
She trailed off, catching the eager spark still dancing in Casey’s eyes. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. „Okay, okay. Go on. Tell me.“
Casey’s face lit up again. „Okay! So … Shawn gets the alert. He heads down to check it out. Apparently, he’s never had one of these go off before. He gets to the judge’s chambers … Judge Meyers, by the way … and the door is locked! from the inside. Totally shut. No way in. So he’s standing there, wondering if it’s a false alarm or something … then he hears this crashing noise inside. Like someone’s trashing the place.“
Her voice lowered slightly for dramatic effect. „So he decides to break down the door. And just as he …“
A soft knock at the door interrupted her.
Alex’s assistant, Anna, appeared in the doorway, wearing her coat and an apologetic smile. Clearly on her way out for the night.
„Sorry to bother you so late“, she said. „Just heard back from the courthouse. There’s an issue with the search warrant. Judge would like to see you and defense counsel in his chambers.“
Alex rolled her eyes but gave a tired nod. „Got it. Thanks, Anna. I’ll take care of it.“
„Night, you two“, Anna said with a knowing smile before disappearing down the hall.
Casey caught Alex’s eye.
„Yeah, yeah … I know. Later.“ She gave her a crooked smile.
„I’m sorry, Case … looks like I’m not done yet after all.“ her voice was more tired than apologetic.
Casey nodded, already resigned to it. „It’s okay. I’ll see you at home? I’ll have the wine ready.“
Alex shrugged on her coat. „I hope you survive until then.“
Casey muttered something under her breath. „Maybe I should just email you the story.“
Alex laughed and leaned down to kiss her softly on the lips. „Love you“, she said with a warm smile.
„Love you too“, Casey called after her as Alex disappeared once again through the door.
„Unbelievable“, she muttered to herself. Seriously, it was like the universe conspired against her finally getting to the punchline.
She stood, stretching a little, then paused. Her guilty conscience catching up with her.
With a small, precise gesture, she reached out and straightened the pens on Alex’s desk, placing them just the way she liked them.
○●○●
It was already dark when Alex finally shut the apartment door behind her with a quiet thud. Letting out a relieved groan, she slipped out of her heels and dropped her bag onto the little sideboard by the coat rack. The day had dragged on longer than she’d hoped, and now the exhaustion had settled deep into her bones. She had been looking forward to a glass of wine, but at this point, all she wanted was her bed.
The apartment was quiet and dim. Alex tiptoed toward the bedroom, pausing in the doorway when her gaze landed on her girlfriend. Casey was fast asleep in their bed, wrapped up in a fortress of blankets and pillows, hair slightly mussed, face completely at peace. A warm feeling spread through Alex’s chest. It still hit her sometimes, just how lucky she was. That she got to come home to Casey.
Without turning on the light, Alex ducked into the bathroom, washed her face, and changed into soft pajamas. Then she padded over to the bed, lifted the blanket gently, and slid in beside Casey. Casey unconsciously scooted closer, mumbling something that, with a bit of imagination, sounded like „been waitin’ for you.“
„Sorry it got so late“, Alex whispered, pressing a kiss to her shoulder.
Casey grabbed Alex’s hand and tugged her closer, eyes still shut, snuggling up without missing a beat.
„You okay?“ she murmured sleepily.
„Yeah, all good. Just a long day“, Alex reassured her.
„‘kay … good …“ she sighed contently.
Alex sank deeper into the pillows, resting her forehead against the warm skin of Casey’s neck. She gave her another soft kiss. „Sweet dreams.“
„Mmm … ‘lex …“ Casey twitched a little, blinking groggily, vaguely patting for Alex’s hand and turning her head just enough to mumble: „Judge Meyer … broke down the door … and he was … busy … Mrs … you know … that clerk with the eyebrows … Shawn was horrified …“
A sleepy giggle followed the half-coherent mumbling. „Poor guy … what a sight.“
Alex propped herself up slightly, trying to make sense of the dream-ramble, but when she looked at her girlfriend, she was already back asleep, lips curled in a tiny smile.
Alex chuckled softly. Whatever that rumor was, it had clearly followed Casey straight into her dreams. She felt a little bad, actually. They kept getting interrupted before she could spill the full story. Not that Alex was dying to know, but Casey’s infectious excitement over that kind of drama was hard to ignore. Still, it was late. Her head was spinning. Sleep was calling.
She cuddled back into the pillows, inhaled the familiar scent of her girlfriend, and closed her eyes, ready to drift off.
But her thoughts had other plans.
Judge Meyer. Mrs … Clerk … the one with the eyebrows … what was her name again? Mrs Martin. Some loud crash in the office and Shawn had to break down the door … but why the alarm?
The puzzle pieces refused to form a clear picture. She had a rough idea. But still, why the alarm? And damn it, she didn’t even want to know. She wanted sleep. She hadn’t spared a single thought for office gossip all day. She was not going to start now. Casey was the one who thrived on rumors.
Alex was above that. She was just going to sleep. Whatever happened, she would find out tomorrow. If she wanted to. When Casey was awake. She knew all the juicy details. Not that Alex really wanted to know. She didn’t give much about rumors.
But an alarm in a judge’s chamber usually meant danger, didn’t it? But this sounded more like … something else. Something very … physical … but considerably less threatening. Just … why would he set off the alarm?
Alex sighed annoyed. Instead of drifting off peacefully, her brain was now doing cartwheels. She didn’t care about rumors. She didn’t. Really. And yet, her imagination was now painting increasingly vivid mental images, and sleep wasn’t even a speck on the horizon anymore.
„Damn it“, she muttered, propping herself up on one elbow. Her eyes drifted over to Casey’s peacefully sleeping face. So sweet, so innocent, so blissfully unaware that she had just wrecked Alex’s chance at sleep.
Her breathing was deep and even. Infuriating. Shame if something was to disturb her rest.
„Casey?“ Alex asked softly, gently shaking her shoulder.
