A/N: Well, I decided that finals, two active FanFiction Stories and a screenplay wasn't enough, so I'm now going to do this whole 25 Days of Christmas thing. This is my very first time doing something like this, so we'll see how it works out! First one-shot: Elliot is alone on Christmas, something that he is not used to. Olivia comes to cheer him up!

The apartment was dim and bare. Elliot laid across the couch, sipping on a beer, watching some true crime television show rerun. Like I don't deal with enough crime in my job already, I need to add more when I get home.

He wasn't allowed within fifty feet of the precinct for the next three days, anyway. For the past week, he'd been in a particularly sour mood, and the day before, he'd beaten the living hell out of a child molester that had raped four different little girls. Cragen took his badge and gun and told Elliot that if the captain saw him before the holidays were over, the detective would be out of a job.

So there he sat, slowly getting drunk off of bottled beer.

What day is it again? Oh, right. December 25th.

That was another thing. He didn't even get to see his own children on Christmas. He asked Kathy to see them for even just an hour or two. Hell, he'd almost gotten on his knees and begged her, but the answer remained the same.

"You got them for Thanksgiving. Christmas is mine; we're flying down to Florida to visit my parents. We'll be back on the 27th, and you can see them then."

He couldn't even blame her. She was right; the kids were hers for Christmas. So there he sat, all alone, no job to escape to, no kids to give gifts to, and no family to speak of. The closest thing he had was the bottle of beer in his hand.

Well, the bottle was empty, now. He placed it next to the other three on the coffee table, and reached for another from the box sitting next to him on the floor. He was positive that the box would be empty by the time he and the rest of his family used to have their Christmas dinner.

Maybe he would even pass out and dream that it could all still happen. Hell, maybe he would sleep right through the next few days without them.

Elliot was halfway through the bottle and well on his way to being impaired when there was banging on the front door. Who the hell is that?

He seriously considered ignoring it, but the pounding continued, and it became clear that he didn't have a choice. Whoever it was wasn't going to leave until he opened the door.

"The hell- Liv?"

Olivia, dressed in a black coat and covered with melting snow, stood on his doorstep.

"You gonna let me in?" She asked after a moment of silent staring.

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question. Where are your kids?" Olivia peaked around him, eyes scanning the mess of an apartment.

"With their mother." He muttered, walking back towards the couch. She entered, and closed the door behind her, watching as he collapsed back down onto the cushions and grabbed his beer.

Olivia sighed. "You didn't tell me you were going to be alone today."

Elliot gulped down the rest of his drink, and looked up at her. "I didn't… I wasn't going to be. I was going to be at the precinct, but…"

"Go get dressed. Grab your coat."

"What?"

"Go ahead. C'mon, we don't have all day."

He sighed, and stood, heading towards the bedroom. Anything is better than sitting here alone.

He changed his clothes quickly, and grabbed his heavy black coat.

"You going to tell me where we're going now?" He asked as they walked into the elevator.

"Does it matter? Anything's better than sitting alone in that apartment, right?"

He remained silent. When they walked outside, a blast of cold air stung his face. He pulled the winter hat from the pocket of his jacket as they walked down the sidewalk.

"First you barge into my apartment, and then you drag me out into the cold." He said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Oh, stop complaining, you big baby." She said, nudging him with her shoulder as they walked.

After a couple of blocks, they crossed the street. In front of them, snow covered the grounds of Central Park. The trees were lit up with Christmas lights, and the snow glistened in the early afternoon sun. Even in his sour mood, the decorations made him smile slightly.

"C'mon." Olivia took her hand out of her jacket pocket, and grabbed his, pulling him along the path. He glanced down at their intertwined hands. His day was already starting to get a little better.

They walked through the park, dodging children having snowball fights, waving at a Santa Claus with a group of children around him, and examining snowmen in the process of being built.

"Let's build one." Olivia said, tugging Elliot toward a piece of pristine, untouched snow.

"A snowman? What are we, twelve?" Elliot asked, laughing.

"C'mon, El, just make a snowman with me." Olivia said, pulling him further into the snow. "You got something better to do?"

"No, I guess not. Alright, I'll make a snowman with you."

Elliot started with the bottom, rolling snow until they had a decent base as Olivia began building the next ball of snow. Soon, they had three perfect circles forming the snowman's body.

"I'll get sticks for his arms." Elliot said. "You find something to make his face with."

When he got back, Olivia has used smooth, round rocks for eyes and a mouth. He stuck the sticks into the body, and took a step back. "Well, that's one handsome snowman."

He turned to Olivia, who was smiling. His heart warmed; maybe his first Christmas alone wasn't so bad after all. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and pulled her against him. "Good work, partner."

"Hey, El."

"Yeah?"

Before he knew what was happening, he was looking up at her, and his ass was incredibly cold.

Did she just push me in the snow?

Her laughter confirmed the thought. "Hey, what's so funny?" He grabbed her arm, and yanked her down with him.

"This!" Olivia picked up a chunk of snow, and shoved it directly in Elliot's face. He rolled away from her, formed a snowball, and chucked it at her. It hit her directly in the chest. "Hey! You'll pay for that, Stabler!"

Half an hour later, they were both soaked to the bone and their faces were red from the cold.

"C'mon, we better head back before we both catch pneumonia." Olivia said, heading towards the path.

"Yeah, that would probably be a good idea." Elliot followed her, rubbing his hands together and shivering as he went.

When they reached his apartment, he handed her some of his sweats to change into, and threw her clothes into his dryer. He changed himself, and put the rest of the beer in his fridge. When he was done, he stared at the picture on the wall in the living room. It was a shot of him and his four children, all smiling and looking like they were having the time of their lives.

Olivia's hand fell onto his shoulder. "Hey." She held a neatly wrapped box out in front of him. "Merry Christmas. This is for you."

"Liv." Elliot turned towards her. "You didn't have to get me anything. You being here is more than enough."

"I know, but I wanted to. You're the only one I can buy gifts for."

He looked at the box, and took it from her. He walked over to his desk, and took out his own package. "I was going to give this to you, but I'm not allowed back at the station, so… here."

She took it from him. "Thank you, El."

"Thank you, Liv." Elliot said, taking a silver watch out of the box. "This is great. You didn't have to do this."

He took off the old watch on the leather band, and slipped the new one on.

The necklace inside the box Elliot handed her took Olivia's breath away. A pair of silver handcuffs linked the chain together.

"I saw it, and it reminded me of you." Elliot said. "I just want to thank you. For, you know, being here for me during this whole thing. And especially for today."

Olivia smiled, and placed the box on the coffee table. "I'll always be here for you, El. Come here."

She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. The way she held him… he immediately felt warm, and loved, and he never wanted her to let go. He hugged her back, breathing her in, relishing the rare moment they broke their silent no-touch rule.

"Seems like you're all I have these days, Liv." He whispered. "I don't know what I would do without you."

"I'll always be here." She said.

He pulled away from her a bit, just enough so that they could look each other in the eyes, and placed his hand against her cheek hesitantly. "Are you sure about that?"

What the hell is he doing?

What the hell am I doing?

He swallowed the lump in his throat, just noticing how dry his mouth felt.

She watched as his face came closer and closer to hers, seemingly in slow motion. By the time he stopped, his lips were so close that she could feel his breath tickle her face.

"I'm sure." Olivia went the rest of the way, pressing their lips together for the first time. They were tentative for a moment, neither of them quite making a move. Once both of them knew the other wasn't going to jump back and bolt, the real kiss began. His arm slid around her waist, and pulled her against him. She didn't even notice as her fist grips his t-shirt.

Neither of them ever wanted the kiss to end. But, of course, it does. He breaks it, leaned back a bit, and simply stared at her, trying to think of what he could possibly say.

"Liv-

She shook her head and silenced him with a finger to his lips. "It's okay. I know."

Her fingers were replaced with her lips. He didn't mind at all.

This is probably the best Christmas I've ever had.

A/N: Please let me know what you think! If a lot of people read and review, I'll know that there is interest and I'll keep this this going!