She felt a panic attack coming on. She was going to have a baby. There was a human being growing inside her as she stood in front of Melinda in the morgue. Her legs felt like jello as her lungs got heavy. She could feel herself hyperventilating. She felt Melinda help her sit down in a chair and helped her control her breathing. Once she could breathe again she looked at Melinda.

"What am I going to tell Alex?" Casey said.

Alex and Casey had been dating ever since Alex came back to New York. She and Alex had a long history. Twe two of them had met in law school when they were made roommates. At first the two girls hardly talked to each other but over time they had become friends. They had quite a few classes together and enjoyed studying with each other. One night Casey had convinced Alex to go with her to a party her friend Charlie was throwing. Alex had reluctantly agreed but the night turned out to be one of the best nights of the year. The party had been held at an apartment Charlie shared. About halfway through the party Alex had begun to feel very claustrophobic and needed some air. Casey had followed her when she had went outside to cool off. The two of them were standing a balcony staring that night sky above them. Casey just looked so pretty staring at the stars that Alex couldn't help herself when Casey moved closer to her. The kiss had been magical. For those few minutes the world didn't exist to either of them.

From then on they had been in a roller coaster of a relationship. After law school they had moved to different worlds it seemed. With Casey in white collar and Alex in SVU they two had to let each other go and it killed both of them inside. In the time they were apart they had seen other people but they both knew that part of them would always belong to each other and they knew they could never fully give themselves anyone else. When Alex had been put in the Witness Protection Program she requested Casey be the one who replace her. She knew Casey would fit right into the SVU. She knew Casey was the smartest lawyer had had ever known and she would do the victims justice. She knew Casey had to be the one to replace her.

When she left the program Alex could see that Casey had fit right into the SVU. She had done well bringing justice to the victims. She knew she couldn't take it away from her. Not that she could anyway, Casey outranked her. She knew if she asked Casey would step back. She couldn't ask that of Casey. The SVU needed her now. Alex had found a new place in appeals. She quite enjoyed the black and white nature of the job. It wasn't long before she couldn't resist the burning desire to go visit Casey. The night she found herself in front of Casey's door she felt the same way she did on the balcony at Charlie's party.

When Casey opened the door all self control Alex had inside her was dashed away as her lips found those of the redhead. The two women had slammed into Casey's desk as they remained liplocked. A feeling had exploded through both of them. Neither one of them had felt this feeling in a long time. It was a feeling only the other could bring. It was a feeling both of them had missed dearly.

"Casey." Melinda said getting her attention. "Breathe. Alex loves you. The girl has loved since you were in law school. I don't think she's stopping anytime soon."

Casey could only nod before asking.

"How do I tell her?" Casey asks. "It's not like we can get pregnant."

"She knows what happened to you. She knows that you didn't choose this. She will still love you. I would tell her soon and get it over with." Melinda tells her.

"Thank you." Caseys tells her. "Can we keep this between us for now?"

"Of course. My lips are sealed." Melinda reassures her.

Casey thanks her again and leaves the morgue thinking about what she said about telling Alex soon. She couldn't help but wonder what Alex would say. Would she leave her? Would she stay? Casey would certainly understand if Alex left but another part of her desperately needs her. She decided she would tell her that night.

That evening came sooner than Casey thought it would. It seemed like only minutes ago she had her conversation with Melinda but it was already six. Alex would be back soon. Alex had taken off time as soon as she had found out what happened to Casey. She spent every night with her in the hospital as she recovered. She been there during the nightmares. She had held Casey as she cried at night. She was with her after she broke down at the precinct. She was always there. Casey still couldn't help wonder if she would stay for this.

Casey had just put dinner in the oven when Alex walked through the door to their shared townhouse.

"Hello my love." Alex greeted Casey as she walked in the door.

A quiet hello was all Casey could say in return. Alex immediately knew something was wrong. Casey always greeted her with a casual hey or heya. She walked over to the redhead.

"Is everything okay, Casey?" Alex asked her with concern in her voice.

Casey's heart began to pound. It was now or never.

"I'm pregnant!" she blurted out.

Both Alex and Casey were surprised by the sudden outburst. It was not the way Casey had planned on telling her but that didn't matter now. The secret was out.

"I'm pregnant." Casey repeated as tears formed in her eyes. "That bastard got me pregnant."

Her voice had begun to shake at that last thing she said. At first Alex didn't do anything. Once the momentary shock wore off she pulled her girlfriend into her arms. A gesture Casey was completely surprised at. She couldn't help but blurt out the next thing that came to her mind.

"I..I want to keep it." Casey stuttered. "I understand if you want to leave."

Alex's grip only tightened on her girlfriend.

"Casey Novak if you think for a second I'm going to leave you and our baby. You are completely insane." Alex says to her.

"Our baby?" Casey asks.

"Yes." Alex said. "Our baby. I have loved you since we were in law school and I already love this baby. We are going to do this together."

As soon as Casey heard those words her lips flew to Alex's. It was the first kiss the had shared since her attack. Before this moment Casey couldn't bare letting herself be touched and Alex had been extremely patient with her. The two stayed glued together for the next few moments. For the first time in weeks Casey felt completely and utterly safe in her favorite place on the world. Alex's arms.

They parted only when the need for air became too great. Casey's green eyes happily peered into Alex's crystal blue ones.

"Can I ask you to be my wife now?" Alex asks.

"Only if you ask properly." Casey responds.

Alex dropped down to one knee and pulled out a little velvet box.

"Casey Novak, Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Casey's hands covered her mouth as she dove into Alex's arms.

"Yes!" She exclaims before her lips found Alex's again.

The newly engaged women stayed locked together on the kitchen floor until the oven timer scared the daylights out of them both.

Casey manages to peel herself away from her fiance long enough to pull the chicken out of the oven. As soon as the pan hit the cooling rack Alex's arms crept around Casey's waist. Casey managed to smile.

She finally felt safe and loved.