The night was loud and energized as Olivia stood in Times Square. The air reminded her how cold it was every time her steamy breath made its way into the sky. Having the rare misfortune of being put on New Year's Eve duty, she, along with everyone else in her precinct, were standing around, seeing the new year in with thousands upon thousands of strangers.
Each of the members of her squad were only a button's push away, the speaker nestled in her sleeve on the cool night.
Nick chuckled at the comment he got over his radio.
"I love my job." The sarcasm dripped from his partner's voice.
He listened to Munch reply. "Oh come on, Liv. I really find the cold exhilarating."
Her quick remake came, slightly amused.
"I'm numb."
Nick let himself laugh a little as he listened to the comedy unfolding. No matter what they said, he knew there was hardly a place he wouldn't want to go with his team. Spending New Year's Eve with them, whether they froze or not, was going to be a night to remember.
The crowds were rowdy, giving him a bit more energy than he thought he'd have at 11:45. His radio crackled to life again.
"I've got a couple of drunks at 1560. McDonald's - go figure. Can one of you back me up?" Amanda's voice was calm, almost fed up with the action.
"I've got it." Olivia copied back.
Amanda was escorting one to the side of the barricade, handing him over to a uniformed officer to take out of the square. Olivia came around the corner to grab the one that became violent. He yelled slurred words at her.
"This isn't how I wanted to spend my New Years." He struggled to make words as Olivia took hold of his arms, keeping him standing with her strength.
"Yeah, you and me both." Olivia replied, Amanda smirking as she grabbed his other arm.
Once the two were gone, Olivia and Amanda both stood together for a few minutes.
"Well this is fun." Amanda mumbled.
The sergeant chuckled when she saw the young detective roll her eyes with a smile.
"What a way to ring in the new year." Amanda scoffed.
"Really. I'll be back at my command post if you need me again. Happy arresting." Olivia shoved her hands in her pockets as she fought the crowds to get back to where her place was.
Amanda called after her. "You too."
What a night. She shook her head as Olivia disappeared, melting into the crowd.
Detective Cassidy volunteered for Times Square duty that night because he knew Olivia had to work. What use was it to stay home when she wasn't there for him to sit with and watch the old year turn into a new one?
He was standing fifty feet from Olivia, if that, and he couldn't even see her with the thick crowds. He was trying to get her a text before the ball dropped so he could be standing next to her when the new year arrived, but he hadn't gotten ahold of her yet.
So Brian stood in the square, his breath filtering like fog up into the air. The performances blasted through the city. No one would be sleeping that night, not in New York anyway. He crossed his arms across his chest to keep his heat in, glad he wasn't wearing his uniform.
Every member of the squad escorted at least ten people each out of the crowd of people. One of them thought it was appropriate to swing at Fin, giving him a big old red mark that would definitely be a bruise by the first day of 2014.
Amanda helped one family find the group they searched for while Nick broke up a drunk couples' fight.
"Everyone having fun?" Fin sarcastically radioed to everyone in the group.
Olivia smiled.
"Tons." Nick's voice met her ears.
Amanda shook her head with a grin on her face as she shuffled her feet.
"New York's finest." Munch's voice came over again, coated in deep sarcasm and mock pride.
"40,000 and counting." Fin replied with a nod.
"Yet only a handful of us are sacrificed to freeze our asses off on New Year's Eve. I'd like to talk with the 39,000 who aren't out here tonight." Olivia was feisty, more vocal than they'd heard her for a while.
But no one minded it. Her remarks were how pissed-off-sarcastic-Benson let out her steam. They were just glad to have her back, complaints and all.
Nick checked his watch, 11:56. He just wanted the countdown to end, the crowd to disperse, and cleanup to take over so he could go home.
Brian checked his phone to see if he'd gotten a reply. He had. It was just an address, the address where she stood. He used his radio to check in with his team of officers.
"I'm going over a block." Brian made his way across the sidewalks where garbage slid along.
People were either running, walking, or standing idly as he passed them.
He saw Olivia from ten feet away, standing in a black beanie, her long coat, hair moved ever so slightly by the breeze. With a smile, he walked up to her.
"I hear it's pretty busy over here. Thought I'd give you some backup."
Olivia sighed, content with his arm around her as he kissed the side of her head gently. He let his arm fall as they stood.
"I have no injuries yet." She smiled back.
"Me either." Brian chuckled quietly.
After a short pause, she remembered a memory aloud.
"I've only worked New Years once before tonight." Olivia thought about how long ago it had been.
"1994."
The clock ticked closer to the new year. Brian nodded.
"Was it this much fun back then?" He smiled as she put her arm in his, looking up at him.
"Oh no. A drunk party-goer threw up on me. Spent the rest of the night with vomit on my shirt, which eventually froze to me."
Brian nodded with a laugh. "Rookies have more fun."
"Always." Olivia agreed with a laugh that Brian loved.
No matter how long it had taken to get it back, it was there again.
He put his arm around her again, not caring who saw. Olivia leaned into him easily, loving how much safety she found there. The crowd began to count as the numbers were displayed on the large screen above them all. Less than a minute to 2014.
Both kept silent, leaving the others to count for them. They just stood together, cold air hovering around them as their smiles reflected the lights of Times Square. When the ball was done descending, the crowd cheered. Confetti rained down on every one of the thousands of people while fireworks shot into the sky, exploding with brilliant color and sound.
Brian looked down at Olivia when the new year had come. "Happy new year." He smiled.
She did the same, leaning up to kiss him. It was a happy New Years after all.
A call on her radio interrupted them, and she let her arms fall from around him to listen.
"Happy New Year." It was Captain Cragen's voice.
"Captain? Thought you were off duty tonight." Olivia answered first.
"I'm never off duty. And what was I going to do? Go home and spend it without you guys?"
Brian laughed with Olivia.
"Well - happy New Year, Captain." Nick chimed in.
Then there was an expectant pause.
"You two better keep it PG. I can see you." Cragen came in again, talking to Brian and Olivia who immediately turned around where they stood.
There he was, two floors up in the large glass window of the first hotel they saw behind them.
"Cheater." Olivia coyly spoke into the device she held.
"You guys head out a little early - I won't tell if you don't." The captain smiled as he spoke down to them all.
The team shared identical grins on their faces as they stood in their separate sections of Times Square.
"Works for me." Munch replied with a nod.
"Go home then - all of you." Cragen gave them each permission to leave.
"Brian too." He added.
Brian gave him a quick wave.
"Move quick. This crowd gets real crazy real fast." Fin was already on the move.
Brian wrapped Olivia in a hug before they left, finding confetti sprinkled in her hair as she hugged back."Let's go home."
She put her hand in his as they made their move to leave.
"Happy New Year everyone." Olivia addressed everyone on the other end of her radio.
The song echoed through the city as all of Times Square sang. The words of Auld Lang Syne could be heard in New Jersey, time having stopped, if only for a mere minute. A new year was upon them, and they sang to a new day of fortune and blessing. Even the SVU detectives sang along as they escaped the previous chaos, now turned into harmony, complete peace.
It was a beautiful night to be a New Yorker. It was a beautiful night to be ringing in a new phase of life. The festivity in Times Square might have been one of chaos, but to every person everywhere, the meaning of the night would never fade.