Santa Clauses Are Coming to Town

LO:SVU song inspired Christmas story…

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of LO:SVU or any other show mentioned here. I don't own the rights of the songs either. I'm making no money out of this whatsoever. Don't sue me, I have no money.

A/N: Before I joined FFN I had the idea to write an Advent Calendar and started to write Santa Incident, my first fanfic ever. But it didn't work out as I planned and when I finally joined in December it was way too late. When I reread this story in October I thought that I would do some things differently now and so I decided to rewrite it the way I wanted to do it last year.

As it is the nature of an Advent Calendar, a new short chapter will come up each day. Please have fun and let me know what you think, okay. ;) Many thanks to my beta-reader who helped me so much. This story is for JO, Iluvstabler, Future Mrs Stabler, Obsessedwithstabler, Sweet-4-Stabler (LOL), all my reviewers and all the fans out there who read and share here on FFN.

1

Santa Claus is coming to town

Santa Claus is coming to town jingled out of the speakers in Elliot Stabler's car. After picking up his partner, Olivia Benson, they were heading for the station, singing along with Bing Crosby & the Andrews Sisters. Now it was the Sisters' part and Olivia grinned widely as she tried to keep her voice synchronous to the song.

Elliot returned her grin mischievously when he stopped at a red traffic light. It did not happen too often that she was in such a playful mood. But after an undisturbed weekend, the first in December, and the first snowflakes tumbling down, she was really relaxed.

The snow began to cover everything in white. In the morning twilight the decorations that illuminated almost everything in the streets glistened like candles on a tree and spread Christmas cheer to everyone.

He sees you when you're sleeping and he knows when you're awake, Olivia sang with the Sisters and Elliot fell in right behind her together with Bing, He knows if you've been bad or good. So be good for goodness sake!

You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I'm telling you whythey sang in turns, then the same part was repeated by all of them. Santa Claus is coming…

You mean the big fat man with the long white beard, sang Elliot, emphasizing every word of the line with an even broader, mischievous grin.

He's coming to toooown, they all sang and an instrumental part ended the song.

Neither Elliot nor Olivia cared about the fact that their singing was totally off key. In the car they were in a small world of their own where it did not matter. It would matter if they ever repeated this in front of their colleagues. They both knew that they would never do that, well, at least they would not do it as long as they were sober enough to know better.

"So, what did you do your first December weekend?" Olivia wanted to know.

"On Saturday we were in Manhattan," Elliot replied. "The girls went on a shopping marathon. Later we went skating on Wolman rink." He chuckled. "We got home late. The kids were pestering us to eat somewhere in the city, so we went to our favorite Chinese restaurant." Now he grinned at her. "And yesterday we went to the morning mass and then to Kathy's parents for lunch and coffee."

"Sounds as if you were pretty busy." Olivia could not hide a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"Worse than work," he joked.

"Oh! Really?" she played his game.

"Yeah. Have you ever been shopping with four girls?"

"Yes, I was," Olivia giggled. "That's because I'm a girl."

"Oh, how could I ask! You're always going in groups, even for the restrooms," Elliot chuckled.

"Very funny!" she grumbled.

"Well," he shrugged, "it's true."

She could not deny that. They were going in groups. Olivia just opened her mouth to tell him about her going dancing on Saturday night together with Alex when, at the very moment the light flashed from red to green, someone in a Santa suit jumped in front of the car. Even if the car was still standing, Elliot jammed on the breaks. Their talk was forgotten when the Santa opened his coat, presenting his jingle bells and shouting Merry Christmas.

"Do you see what I see?" both the detectives asked each other incredulously.

As fast as he had jumped into the street the Santa jumped out and walked away down the street.

"We don't let him get away with that, do we?"

Olivia opened the passenger's door and was out of the car before Elliot had a chance to reply. Incredulously he stared at her back, then he followed her with the car.

Olivia was only few yards behind the Santa, when he noticed her and began to run.

"NYPD," she shouted. "Stop!"

The Santa did not think of complying to her order for so much as a second. He just ran even harder, but he was left no chance. He ran right into Elliot's SUV, Olivia hit him from behind and got him into a firm grip.

"Hey!" he protested. "Let go of me! What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm arresting you," she replied, clicked her cuffs around his wrists and presented her badge to him. "You have the right to remain silent…" she read him his Miranda rights.

Elliot stood in the open driver's door and had nothing else to do than to wait until she was finished. Olivia shoved the Santa in the backseat and on they went to the precinct.

"Liv," Elliot said hesitantly while he was driving. "I think we should have called a sector car to transport this guy."

Olivia was confused. "He's fine back there, El, why? What's wrong?"

He squinted over at her and grimaced.

"Well, he reeks of pot, and Kathy and I have to do the grocery shopping tonight. What am I gonna tell her if she smells it?"

"Why not tell her the truth? You apprehended a flasher on the way to work and transported him in your car?"

"She's not going to like that very much."

"Well, no one said that she'd have to like it. You just should tell her the truth."

Thinking hard he bit his lower lip, then he nodded.

Everyone was cheering, when they entered the bullpen with the Santa in their tow.

"Don't you think that's a bit early?" John shouted.

"Yeah, still almost four weeks 'til Christmas," Fin added.

"Three and a half," Liv replied. "And he's not here to entertain you."

"Even if he might want to," Elliot chuckled, thinking of the reason they had arrested him.

"Did I miss a memo or something? Since when did we start busting unlicensed street performers?" Fin wanted to know.

"Since they started jingling their bells in the public street," Elliot replied.

As long as the coat was closed nothing suspicious could be seen. The Santa wore heavy, red boots and red trousers with the crotch cut out. His hood was thrown back on his shoulders and his long white beard hung lopsided under his chin.

"Bells?" John wondered. "His bells?"

"Right," Elliot confirmed.

Neither he nor Olivia joined in the ensuing banter. They guided the Santa to the interrogation room and told him to sit down. Then they left him a few minutes on his own.

"Okay," Olivia began, when they came back. "I'm Detective Benson, my partner, Detective Stabler. We're curious. Isn't it a bit too cold to indulge in such a hobby?"

"I don't know what you want. It's my body. I can do what I like."

"As a matter of fact, you can't," Elliot said, presenting that smirk Olivia saw so often during interrogations when a suspect was unaware of having done something wrong.

"Why can't I? It's a free country…"

"Well, presenting yourself to others this way is considered obscenity," Olivia declared, "which is a Class A misdemeanor."

The Santa swallowed. "I'm in trouble?"

"You can say so, yes," Elliot confirmed, suppressing a grin.

"Can I call a lawyer?"

"Of course you can."

"Then it will be better if I don't say anything before he arrives, hm?"

The both detectives looked at each other. He was absolutely right.

tbc…