A Valentine's Exception

'Loves Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Fantasy overture, can't stand red peppers in salads, loves that bakery on 2nd avenue, and is training for the spring triathlon…'

Casey recited those mundane points over in her head. It was like practicing for closing arguments. She wanted to have all the facts, to use them if the situation called for it.

Sighing, the redheaded lawyer walked through the crowded sidewalks with her head down, the biting winter air harsh on her exposed skin. With each step she took, Casey began to regret her impulse decision.

It was a Sunday evening and it was Valentine's Day. The sun had set and more and more people were filtering off the streets and into restaurants. Any decent restaurant would undoubtedly be full of couples tonight and for the first time in more than a few years, the cynical Casey Novak would be joining them.

She was going on a blind date.

However, the ADA wanted nothing more than to be at home, curled up on her couch with a glass of red wine and her laptop, drafting her arguments for trial. Casey knew that if she told this to any of her friends, they'd think she was crazy, but…the ADA would never disclose that anyway, so her questionable sanity would never be public knowledge. Regardless, the redhead did feel just a bit guilty for shutting herself up on one of the most overrated and commercially geared holidays of the year. That was only one of the reasons why she decided to go out in the first place.

Thankfully, it wasn't a completely blind date, since she had been messaging the mystery person for months now.

Yes, Casey Novak dabbled in online dating, but with her reputation and standing as a public servant, she couldn't risk having someone recognize her photos. That made Neighborhood Stranger the perfect website for the lawyer. Despite the fact that the name of the website made it sound like some kind of strange stalker fetish site, it had a good concept. There was no option for a profile picture, focusing on the nitty gritty details of personality and hobbies.

Casey would never admit it to anyone, but this faceless person had connected with her on a level that she had never experienced before with anyone before, not even Charlie, her ex-fiancé. It was strange, but Casey thought it might have been the anonymity of the internet or the fact that the website appealed to people who were less skin deep and more pursuant of a real relationship.

Then again, Casey had been bombarded countless times, being asked for nude photos which definitely made the lawyer lose her faith in humanity with every click. It wasn't until she received a message from ilovepancakes that the redhead didn't feel like she was the only decent person in the whole world of internet dating.

Also, it made Casey feel more normal about her own screenname. The redheaded attorney did love pancakes though…but she was more interested in the messages that clearly told her that this was a person who was not just there for hook-ups. She knew it was a good start when the message didn't start with a cam link or 'pics?'

The conversations they shared were witty and intellectual and they never talked about their jobs, which was a refreshing change. Over time, these anonymous conversations became a forum for Casey to talk about everything and anything. It was amazing how they went on endlessly about their shared interests in waterskiing, travelling, and often, politics. However, these past few weeks, Casey had been growing more curious about her online friend, wanting to take it to the next level. She decided it was finally time to meet in person, but it came with a certain amount of apprehension. A face-to-face meeting would mean the veil of anonymity would be lifted, bringing their interactions closer to real life. Reality always fell short of expectations and the redhead was afraid that ilovepancakes wouldn't be as eloquent in person, or lying about their interests, or…ugly. Casey cracked a grin at that last possibility, acknowledging that she knew that her looks were well above average. She always dressed well for court, the only place where she felt confident about herself.

The clack of Casey's heels slowed as she approached her destination. The redhead looked up to see the overhead sign of a popular Italian restaurant she had been meaning to go to for months now. It was a new fixture in her neighborhood, but the lawyer could never find the time or the company to try out the food. As an ADA, she didn't make too many friends who could match her odd work hours or friends who would understand if she suddenly left to secure a search warrant…

As the lawyer walked in, she was met with the welcoming heat, the smell of pastas, cheeses, and breads, making her salivate. So far, Casey was glad she didn't back out of the impromptu date.

Walking up to the hostess table, Casey smiled at the girl manning the booth. "Hi, I have a dinner reservation for two tonight under…" The lawyer paused for a minute, trying to remember what fake name she used this time. "It should be under Amanda."

It was purely for precaution's sake, just in case her dream date turned into a weird stalker.

The girl checked her screen briefly before nodding and grabbing a few menus. "Alright, please follow me. It's this way."

Casey followed the server to her table, a nice booth that was well out of the way from the main dining area. It was relatively secluded and it would be perfect for a date. The redhead hung up her black peacoat before sitting, revealing a sleeveless black cocktail dress with a modest v-line. Casey wasn't usually one for jewellery, but she wore a silver pendant today, a simple, but elegant adornment for her choice of moderately classy wear tonight. Absently fidgeting with her earrings, Casey noticed that they matched her necklace and her watch and at this point, she wondered if she was trying too hard. She was more than ten minutes early, so maybe that might constitute to her trying too hard as well. After further thought, Casey decided she didn't care. She wanted to give off a good first impression, to be punctual and well-dressed.

Trying to calm her nerves, the lawyer preoccupied herself with the menu. After a few minutes, Casey felt her mind drifting from deciding whether or not an appetizer would be a good idea to whether or not this whole thing was a good idea. Her thoughts escalated quickly, her insecurities coming back to bite her. It had only been a few months since she was rehired at the DA's office. The whole suspension fiasco had definitely changed Casey, making her second guess herself a lot more than before. It was an unfortunate effect on her ego, especially when people at the workplace kept expressing their surprise that she hadn't been disbarred.

Everyone kept asking her. They had all just assumed. No one had tried to contact her at all during those three years, which had always been a sore spot for the ADA.

Sighing, Casey tried to shift gears, but this whole dating thing was opening up doors to the lawyer's feelings of inadequacy. She wondered how she had gotten to this point, from powerful New York attorney to a woman who was afraid of what her blind date would think of her. It was a stark contrast and Casey wished she was more confident again, more rooted in life, and more like-

"Casey."

Casey looked up, startled to hear someone address her. Her eyes widened slightly as she locked gazes with the very person she was thinking of. Stunningly gorgeous, successful, and coming back without so much as a hiccup after so many years in witness protection, Alex Cabot was the definition of superhuman. The woman was every lawyer's wet dream, heavy artillery in the courtroom, but as well versed as a politician in front of the cameras. Casey also liked that Alex was still working SVU, not pursuing her political career like everyone had expected.

After a brief second, Casey's shock faded and she greeted the blonde.

"Alex, it's good to see you." The redhead stood, shaking Alex's cold hand with her now warm one. Casey noticed that Alex had just gotten in, her cheeks still red from the exposure, her beige overcoat still drawn up close to her.

"It's good to see you too, Casey. You look absolutely stunning tonight."

At that, Casey was dumbstruck, flustered at her co-worker's compliment, but also floored by the brilliant smile that followed.

Alex started unbuttoning her coat, distracting Casey as the redhead's attention was drawn to sight of the blonde's strapless burgundy dress. It fell just past her knees, leaving Alex's toned legs exposed. The older ADA didn't wear any jewellery, leaving Casey to admire her the dip of her collarbone that was framed by her blonde tresses.

Casey was abruptly jostled out of her ogling when Alex hung her sat down across from her after hanging up her jacket.

The redhead raised a curious eyebrow, wondering why the blonde had seated herself at the table without even asking. It was awfully presumptuous of her, rude even, and definitely not something Casey expected unless…

No.

Casey dismissed the thought immediately, not wanting to get worked up over the possibility that her online obsession was the gorgeous Alex Cabot.

"Alex, I'm actually meeting someone here."

Alex had gotten herself comfortable, putting her elbows on the table as she rested her chin on her hands. She stared at the young ADA across from her, her ice blue eyes boring into Casey's green ones before the redhead blushed and broke contact.

"I've always wanted to come here, you know? I live in the neighborhood, but I've never had the time to try it out, so I was surprised when you said exactly the same thing." Alex said this with a smug smile, finding the whole situation amusing.

Casey was silent for a moment, wondering if she had accidentally invited Alex out tonight instead of her internet date. Did she even have Alex's number? The redheaded ADA was starting to panic now, feeling anxious. She always did a good job of hiding it, but Casey could never think straight around Alex Cabot. The younger prosecutor had always envied her co-worker, respected her, but made it a point to admire from afar. Even before, they were just acquaintances, chatting at the odd Christmas party or work mixer.

"Uhm. I'm not sure I understand what you mean." Casey wracked her brain, thinking of some kind of explanation. She checked her watch. It was 7'oclock, the time her and her online date had agreed on meeting. Casey remembered sending the message through the website. There was no way a mix up could have occurred.

Still watching Casey's struggle with a smile on her face, Alex leaned in, almost whispering. "Amanda, right? I have to tell you that I love pancakes." At that, the blonde attorney stifled her laughter, surprised that she succeeded in saying that with a straight face. Alex recovered quickly, but still had a grin on her face as she launched into a short explanation. "It was a stupid screen name…my sister made it up for me after we had pancakes for brunch one day."

To a third party, those two sentences wouldn't have made much sense, but the effect on Casey was paramount.

"Oh my god…" The words escaped Casey's lips and immediately, the ADA wanted to bury her head in ground to hide herself out of embarrassment. Casey's cheeks burned a bright red, from the tips of her ears down to her cheeks. "Alex…I had no idea."

"I know that this must be a shock to you, Casey, but I'm still that person that's been messaging you behind the computer screen." Alex reached out a hand across the table, placing it atop Casey's as she gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Casey's skin burned at the sudden contact, her heart racing. She was feeling foolish, like a flustered high school girl. "I didn't even know…I-I didn't even know you were a woman. I just…I just assumed. I-I…" Casey was visibly flustered, at a loss for coherence.

"I'm sorry I wasn't forthcoming with you." Alex retracted her hand, giving the other woman space to think about what was happening. "Do you remember that lunch I invited you to two weeks ago?"

The redhead thought for a moment before responding, thinking back to that day. "Yeah, it was a busy day…I was called into court for an emergency hearing, so I told you I would get back to you."

Alex chuckled at the ease at which Casey recalled the event. "Yes, and you never did get back to me about lunch."

Casey blushed, hit with another wave of embarrassment yet again. It was true that she was tied up with work, but it was also true that she had spent the remainder of the week thinking of a time to return Alex's offer of having lunch. Their offices weren't far apart, but Casey didn't want to impose. She presumed that it was only a figure of speech since they bumped into each other on the elevator that day.

Clearing her throat, the younger ADA tried to shake off her embarrassment, her incredulity, and her slight loss of dignity. "I'm sorry for not returning the lunch offer. I…did spend a lot of time thinking about it, but I never got around to it and…here we are."

"I planned to tell you then." Alex adjusted her glasses, fixing her gaze on Casey through her horn rimmed lenses. "I wanted to tell you who I was. It was hard keeping it a secret and I really did want to get to know you as Alex, not some internet stranger."

"How did you know it was me you were talking to?" Casey furrowed her brows, still stumped on that part of the mystery.

"Well…" Alex grinned sheepishly, hesitant to explain. "I went by your office one day to drop off some documents. The paralegal had sent them to me instead of you, so I went to return them. Your door was open, but your office was empty, so I decided to leave the papers on your desk…" Alex paused before continuing, seemingly looking for the right words to use. "I didn't mean to pry, but your laptop was on your desk and the browser was open to your email. It wasn't intentional, but I caught a glimpse and it was one of the email notifications about a new message. And I think you can guess where it went from there."

Casey just stared, still reeling from everything that had happened tonight. "This is so surreal. I can't believe that…that this is actually happening." Shaking her head in disbelief, Casey let out a long sigh. "So, when did you find out?"

"It was probably a month after we started messaging each other. If anything, finding out that you were 'ihatelawyers' made me more interested in you." Alex's lips curled up into a smile at the mention as she said Casey's screenname, still amused at how well it suited the redhead.

Casey cringed at the mention of her username. She was anything but inventive, so she settled with that. It was true though. She did hate lawyers, since most of them couldn't be described as anything less than bona fide douche bags.

"I didn't want things to get weird between us, Casey, so I just let it play out. I wasn't sure where it was going, but before I knew it, I wanted to get to know you more and more. You're a very interesting individual and I couldn't help myself."

Casey blushed as Alex said this, melting at the sight of blonde's lady-killer smile.

Before either one of the women could continue, the server came by, his notepad out and ready to take their orders.

"Are we ready to order, ladies? We also have a few specials of the day, all seasonal, all farm-to-table. We have a wonderful roast duck breast in a blackberry reduction, a fresh Chilean sea bass grilled with our selection of seasonal vegetables, and a roast Cornish hen with fingerling potatoes."

There was a slight pause between the two women, the sudden interruption throwing them both back into reality. Casey broke the stare first, turning to the waiter.

"I'll have the duck breast."

Alex glanced quickly at the menu, but decided to follow Caesy's lead. "And I'll have the sea bass, thank you."

"Those are both fine choices. Anything to drink?"

Casey was tempted to order something stronger to help her calm her butterflies, but decided on trying to impress Alex with the research she did on wine pairings. The two did talk online extensively about the older ADA's collection of vintage wines and their shared love of cooking.

"A glass of pinot for me, please."

The redhead caught Alex's grin as she said this, feeling accomplished.

"A Sauvignon Blanc, please." Alex made her selection and shortly after, the server was gone.

There was a short lapse of silence between the two attorneys, with Casey trying to figure out all the questions she wanted to ask the other woman.

"I'm just curious, Alex…" Starting slowly, the redhead struggled to find the right words. "In what capacity did you want to get to know me?"

The blonde let out a chuckle, surprised that the lawyer would be so blunt with her first question. "Romantically, of course." Alex replied with an equal amount of straightforwardness.

Feeling a jolt of excitement run down her spine, Casey leaned in, lowering her voice. She was feeling more comfortable with Alex's candor on the subject. "You don't seem fazed by the fact that we're both women. Doesn't that change anything for you?"

"I could very well ask you the same thing, Casey. You don't seem…unopposed to my intentions." Alex adjusted her glasses again, searching the redhead's eyes for a flicker of reassurance. There was a look in Casey's eyes that told Alex she wanted to know more. The blonde continued on, "I've run this scenario through my head a million times and in most of them, you don't even let the conversation get this far before you tell me frankly that you can never be interested in women."

Casey laughed as she felt the mood lighten significantly. "Well, to put your fears to rest, I'm definitely open to dating women. I'm not entirely foreign to the practice."

Alex raised an eyebrow at that, wondering if the softball stereotype did hold an ounce of truth to it. "Neither am I. If anything, I find myself more attracted to smart and beautiful women like you."

The redhead scoffed, smirking. "I wasn't sure before, but I'm pretty certain now that you're flirting with me, counselor."

"Yes, isn't that common practice when you find someone attractive?" Alex slowly reached across the table, tucking a stray strand of hair behind Casey's ear. The action was smooth, practiced almost, and it made Casey wonder if the blonde was a natural flirt. Alex's hand lingered, brushing up against Casey's cheek briefly.

The feel of Alex's skin on her own made the younger ADA's breath hitch in her throat. She had never felt this way around anyone before, shocked that this chemistry hadn't shown itself earlier. With Alex's attention on her, it felt like the world didn't matter, like they were the only people in the room at the moment.

"Well, I'm not very good at flirting, but I want you to know that I find you very attractive too, Alex." Casey bit her lip, mentally berating herself for the lack of inhibition she experienced just now.

"You're a natural, Casey. I think you've elicited the desired reaction from me." Alex smiled from ear to ear, relaxing considerably after the hard part was over and done with.

"Well, thank you. I know I could never measure up to you though." Casey wanted to retract her words once she had said them, not intending for it to come out sounding so bitter.

With that sentence, Alex stole a glimpse of Casey's concerns, never knowing her secret rival and online love interest to be so self-deprecating.

"Casey, I know I've said this time and time again, but Jack wanted you back for a reason."

"Because all the other ADAs hate sex crimes?" Casey quipped without hesitation. She knew that Alex was trying to make her feel better, but it was hard to hear coming from Ms. Perfect sitting across from her.

"You know that's not true. He had a line-up of lawyers waiting to fill the space, but he chose you because he knows that you're one of the best and he knows that the suspension was never a reflection on your abilities." Alex's blue eyes pleaded with the other woman, desperate to get her points across to Casey.

Casey mused, wondering where she had heard that before. "Right…I remember you telling me this before…It must have been that Christmas party where I took advantage of the open bar a little too much." The redhead thought back to that night, finding it strange that Alex of all people had approached her then. "You were so nice to me. It always made me suspicious, since we hadn't really talked since your WPP trial and since you didn't really have a reputation in the office for being nice."

"Ouch. Do people really say that about me?" Alex was genuinely surprised that she was even a topic of discussion, but not too taken aback at what they were saying about her. The Ice Queen of the DA's office was hard on crime, but even harsher when it came to incompetent colleagues.

"They do, but I think that's part of your appeal. That's why I found it so much more endearing that you came to talk to me while I well on my way to making a fool out of myself…again." Casey grinned, still remembering how taken she was with Alex's elegant blue satin dress that night. "At first, I thought you were going to be like the others, asking me how I had gotten out of a disbarment. I was surprised when told me how great it was to have me back. It was so genuine that I thought I was just too drunk to tell the difference."

Alex laughed at Casey's honesty, a smile coming to her face as she remembered that night. It was nerve wracking and the blonde had more than a few drinks on her part. "It took me three martinis before I had mustered up enough courage to come talk to you. You seemed like you were enjoying yourself."

"That's hard to believe, Ms. Cabot. You're like the epitome of confidence." Casey shook her head in disbelief, wondering if Alex was just trying to get into her pants by flattering her to no end. "Why would you be nervous anyway?"

"Well, to be honest, I had my eye on you ever since you came back to the DA's office. I was still impressed by the way you handled my trial and…I thought you looked smokin' hot." Alex chuckled at the sudden blush that colored Casey's face at her words. As Casey looked away in embarrassment, the blonde attorney continued. "Also, I was staying at the hotel that night and it definitely took all my willpower and Olivia telling me you were straight as a ruler to stop me from asking you to join me in my room."

It was Casey's turn now as the redhead burst out laughing at this, feeling over the moon, but incredulous at the same time at Alex's own account of the events. "That is definitely hard to believe now. I mean, I'm pretty sure that sexual preferences wouldn't matter if you were the one asking, Alex. And besides, you can't be serious about the hotel room, right?"

"You've got to give yourself some credit, Casey. It's true. If it weren't for Olivia being so persistent about your preferences, I would've tried to ruin our professional relationship that very night. You're attractive and you're likeable, you know?" Alex smirked as she met Casey's eyes with a smouldering gaze, her blue eyes darkening slightly. "I like you."

"Thanks. I'm glad someone does." The redhead smiled, feeling silly that two New York prosecutors were talking about possible sexual indiscretions and 'liking' each other. It sounded absurdly juvenile, but the blonde's words warmed her heart.

With the sudden lull in conversation, it was perfect timing as the server came by with their main courses and two long stemmed glasses. Another waiter filled them with the requested wines, leaving the two attorneys to continue their evening.

More laughter and conversation accompanied dinner, the two women enjoying picking apart their internet personas. In no time, plates were cleaned and the dessert menu was passed around. Wine glasses were also refilled multiple times, drawing out their conversation well past last call.

Glancing around to see the patrons dwindling, Casey checked her watch. "Oh wow, it's gotten pretty late. It's almost ten now."

"I guess time flies when you're enjoying yourself." Alex smiled, finishing off the last of her wine.

"Yeah, it sure does. I'll just get the bill." Casey's hand shot up as she looked around for their waiter, but Alex extended a hand to stop her.

"Casey, don't worry about it. It's been taken care of." Alex gently pulled Casey's arm back down to the table, her touch lingering for far longer than expected.

The two shared a look before it registered in Casey's head what the other lawyer meant by that.

Scoffing, the redhead feigned indignation. "Wow, that's one smooth move, Cabot. I didn't know you had everything planned out. I'm definitely going to make you regret that next time." Casey shook her head as she said this, unable to stifle her smile.

"Next time, hm? When do you think that will that be, Novak?" Alex was a little tipsy at this point, reaching out across the table, not even bothering coming up with an excuse to touch Casey this time. The blonde laced her fingers with the redhead's, absently tracing circles on the back of her hand with her thumb.

"It can be whenever you want, Alex. Don't forget I owe you lunch too." Casey chuckled, finding the gesture cute, intrigued by this side of the prosecutor.

Leaning in, the blonde ADA bit her bottom lip, trying to refrain from just kissing the other lawyer. The thought had been on her mind all night, but she thought it apt to show some restraint, especially in such a public place. Instead, Alex settled for a whisper as she closed the distance between her and Casey, her lips brushing up against the tip of the redhead's ear.

"How about we go and get some dessert? I know this really good brand of strawberry cheesecake ice cream at the 7-eleven down the street." Alex's breath tickled the nape of Casey's neck, making 7-eleven sound far more sensual than it ever could be. After all, she was talking about getting ice cream at a convenience store.

Then again, depending on the situation, ice cream could be very sexy.

Alex pulled back only slightly, settling just centimeters from Casey's luscious red lips. The older ADA's attention was split, struggling to focus on Casey's eyes and not on kissing the younger attorney.

"That sounds good, Alex. I just have one question." Casey mirrored the blonde's earlier actions, leaning in as close as Alex did. "Your place or mine?"

Alex felt a pleasant shudder run through her, her lips parting in a smile. "I thought you would never ask."

Casey pulled back, but like Alex, found herself still drawn to the other woman. They were only mere centimeter apart, a seemingly magnetic force bringing them closer.

Casey licked her lips without thinking, unknowingly baiting the slightly inebriated blonde prosecutor.

Seconds passed and Alex finally couldn't help herself.

The blonde ADA leaned in, placing a hand gently on Casey's cheek as she pressed her lips to the redhead's in a long kiss. The younger attorney kissed Alex back without hesitation, moaning as Alex delved into her mouth.

They both parted after, breathless and slightly embarrassed to have done that so impulsively in front of the remaining customers and the wait-staff. It wasn't that the two were ashamed of what they had, but they both had their run-ins with the press, so it wasn't absurd to be just a little bit paranoid. As if on cue, the two attorneys stood, busying themselves with putting on their winter coats.

"Ahem, well. I had a really great time, Alex. Thank you so much for dinner…Uhm…" Casey paused, not wanting to seem too eager for dessert. "How about we continue this at my apartment? I can't wait to show you my…" The redhead trailed off, not having thought this through too well.

They were well on their way out the door, but still didn't have a plan for their post-dinner activities.

"Bedroom?" Alex grinned, feeling especially mischievous as she offered to finish Casey's sentence under her breath.

"Wow, that's really subtle there, counselor." Casey laughed, but she figured there was no beating around the bush at this point.

"I think I've had enough of subtleties for a lifetime as a lawyer. On that note, I'm glad you didn't run away when you realized that I was your date." Alex quipped as the two women exited the restaurant, heading down the sidewalk.

"Me too. For once in my life, I'm actually glad for this useless holiday. If it wasn't for all the nauseating commercialization, I wouldn't have felt bad enough about myself to ask you out." Casey managed a self-deprecating laugh before shivering at the sudden contrast in temperature.

"Well, lucky for me there's Valentine's day then. I guess that you're more of a romantic than you thought, Casey."

"Only for you, Alex." Casey chuckled, her statement full of sarcasm, but deep down, the ADA felt like Alex could be the one exception in her life, a pleasant surprise that changed everything.

In the end, maybe Valentine's Day wasn't so bad.

A/N: So not in time for Valentine's haha. I started writing this on Valentine's day, hoping to finish it that same day, but I guess real life got in the way (as always). I met my ex on an online dating website, and I was a bit frustrated over the recent breakup, so that's what fueled me to write this. Lawyers are busy people and especially with closeted lawyers, how can you expect them to participate in conventional dating practices?

Anyway, this was long winded and pointless, but please review if you enjoyed it :P

Thanks!