I own no one but my own people
A/N Yes she's BACK ladies and gentlemen! I know I know, but this would have been my first Christmas in two years not writing about her and, well, the holidays are just no fun without the snobby bitchiness of your favorite mother in law and mine and this is a two for one deal; my annual Christmas fic AND I promised my twitter followers another MTC one shot (if you're not following me on twitter and missed that news my name on there is OneSixEOChick89. 4/5 Dentists recommend you follow me. The fifth one died before he had a chance to even register for his own twitter.) ANYWAY… I hope you enjoy this little Christmas gift from me, to you :-)
Takes place about two months after the end of MTC 3
December 24th, 10:37 PM, Alex and Olivia's Brownstone.
Max watched as Alex paced back and forth in front of the merrily decorated window as the storm outside raged on, covering the city in a which white blanket of snow far worse than even a Manhattan veteran like Alex had ever seen.
"They should have been back by now," Alex breathed as she gently rocked two month old Lily in her arms. "It shouldn't take THIS long to go to the mall, pick up two things, and come back." Alex shook her head. "I knew it. I KNEW Olivia should have picked up that stupid Disney Princess castle thing yesterday! But nooooo! She didn't want Lily to see it because it might ruin the surprise!"
Max cleared his throat as he took a long sip of hot Cocoa with just a touch of mint and cinnamon in it. "I'd be careful, Alex. Little ears are listening…"
"She's two months old, Dad," said Alex dryly as she turned to face him. "She can't even understand the concept of speaking much less understand who's gonna be bringing her the giant mass pile of toys she's getting tomorrow!"
Alex sighed as she ran a trembling hand through her hair. She shifted Lily to her other arm and stared out the window for several more moments. Only the sound of the warm crackling fire could be heard. "You think they're alright?" Her voice had softened considerably and Max could hear the serious worry and fret in her tone for the first time.
"Alex, you gotta calm down." His voice carried that soft tone that could put even the most worried man alive at ease. "I'm sure your mother and Olivia are just fine. It's Christmas Eve, it's snowing really heavily out; of course there gonna be a little late. Your mother probably had to pick up some foreign chestnut you can only get in one store out in Long Island and had Olivia drive there."
"But then why haven't they called?" Alex's voice was strained with tears. It was only the presence of her daughter snuggling against her that kept Alex from going into full on meltdown mode. "Olivia would have called me if Mom had her take her someplace else. Granted she would have called to ask me to bring down a shovel to bury the body, but she still would have called none the less!"
Max chuckled and despite her fear that something was wrong with her wife and mother, Alex couldn't help but manage a weak smile at her own words. Putting his cocoa down Max got up and walked over to her. He clapped her on the shoulder and offered her a kind smile that almost seemed to put everything at ease. "They'll be fine. Trust me. Now." He took Lily form Alex and threw her high into the air, earning a loud giggle from the little girl. "I think SOMEBODY needs to go to bed before Santa drives by!"
Even the mere mention of that magical name made Lily almost seemed to perk up in her Grandfathers arms. "No you can't put her to bed! Olivia will kill us if you do!" Alex protested.
"Why what's the big deal?"
Alex sighed and cleared her throat and looked down towards the ground as if she were embarrassed to admit it. "Olivia… Olivia wants to do the whole thing where she gets to read Lily 'The Night Before Christmas' on Christmas Eve. She never had her own mom read it to her and she's trying to make Lily's first Christmas special, starting with reading that book to her. But it's so late for her to be up and she's gonna be cranky all day tomorrow. We should just put her to bed anyway and tell her she fell asleep on her own"
Max looked almost astounded that Alex would appear embarrassed at telling him that. "Alex, there's nothing wrong with that. Lila used to read you that same story on Christmas Eve before you went to bed."
Alex's eyes widened to astonishing amounts, her jaw dropping. "Are you serious? My mom, Lillian Cabot, used to read 'The Night Before Christmas' to me when I was little? The one who made James read 'The History of the Electoral Vote' for a bedtime story for me?"
Max nodded. "Her own parents were far too stern and strict to ever do anything regarding Christmas, so Lila made sure you got read that book every Christmas Eve, by her, not James. I'd be stabbed in my throat if I so much as laid a finger on that book. That was your mother's special thing and I have a feeling that Olivia wants it for the very same reason."
Alex felt tears well in her eyes that Max tactfully ignored. She wiped them away and nodded. "Okay," she sniffed. "Okay… we'll wait for them."
Alex sighed as she looked out the window; the snow falling more heavily, the wind howling so loud it almost seemed to be mocking the blonde lawyer. "Please, you guys," Alex whispered faintly, "come home."
…
"I knew it, I KNEW I should have taken the Ferrari instead of driving with you!" Lila protested as she and Olivia struggled against the wind and snow that whipped around the two. "My car wouldn't have broken down in street in the middle of a blizzard!"
"Lila!" Olivia had to shout to be heard over the winds although both women knew that wasn't her only reason for yelling. "I swear to God, if you don't shut up-!"
Lila gasped as if Olivia had just uttered the most foul, disgusting curse word in the English language and Olivia groaned and rolled her eyes as she struggled against the snow that was so forceful it was almost pushing them backwards. "You do NOT!" Lila shouted as she clutched her heart to double the effect of her words. "Take the name of the Lord in vein, ESPESILLY one day before his birthday! Olivia, I know you're a heathen but-!"
Olivia scoffed in disbelief. "I am NOT a heathen!"
"You do not believe in Christ or God. There for under the definition of the Bible, you are a heathen!"
"Well I'd hate to read the Bible and find out what it would call an old bitter woman like you!" Olivia yelled, severely limiting herself on insults she could think to call Lila right now. It was the Holidays after all.
Lila gasped in astonishment once more but never the less kept her mouth shut for the next few minutes as the two women made their way through the storm. Olivia shook so hard her teeth chattered. Her feet kicked the snow that seemed to be growing an inch every minute. "I hate this," Olivia breathed, her teeth chattering so hard she could barely make out the words.
"You know," Lila called out to her being rewarded with an annoyed groan from Olivia. "If you had a proper coat on instead of that brown sheet of paper that does NOTHING for your complexion by the way, you might not be so cold." Lila ran a hand over her own fashionable coat. "I bought myself this goose feather down coat from Macy's for over three hundred dollars at the start of the winter season and I'm perfectly warm. Of course on your budget I'm sure that's the best you can afford, but you really have no right to complain about the cold when you don't even take the proper time to guard yourself form it."
"You're right, Lila!" Olivia barked as she turned around to face her. "I should have bought myself a nice heavy thick winter coat and let Lily go outside in her onesies in the middle of December! Now shut the hell up or I will smack that Macy's coat right off of you!"
"How dare you!" Lila gasped, her eyes narrowing in disbelief.
"And not only would I hit you!" Olivia continued. "But I would do it multiple times! Laughing while I did it! And I'd take pictures of it so I could relive the beautiful moment! Now either shut up or go back and wait in the car while I, myself, find a place that's open that'll let me use their phone because even though I asked you BEFORE WE LEFT THE HOUSE! If you charged the phones and you answered yes, they somehow both went dead in one hour!"
The two women stared one another down before Lila scoffed, rolling her eyes to the heavens. "You don't have to be so incredibly rude you know…"
Olivia grumbled something about showing Lila just how rude she could be and stormed away from her, hoping with all of her might that they found and open place soon. Twenty more minutes past and even Lila began to recognize the seriousness of the situation and her complaints and insults soon died down.
Olivia began to panic as the wind and snow picked up. Not only was missing Lily's first Christmas Eve starting to become a very serious possibility, but the actual lives of both her and Lila were in danger if they stayed out in the storm much longer… Everything was frozen on their bodies it seemed like and if the snow got any worse Olivia was afraid they wouldn't even be able to see the light from an open place on the off chance that they did find somewhere; anywhere that was open.
More long minutes passed and finally the faint light of one of the buildings on the street shined warmly against a red 'open' sign.
"Lila!" Olivia cried out joyfully, a beaming smile on her blue lips. "We got a place that's open!"
"What is it?" Lila asked as she too began to feel the effect of the ice cold winter weather.
Olivia squinted her eyes through the blinding powder at the building that seemed so inviting. "It's a bar. Come on, let's go."
Lila looked at Olivia as if she had grown three heads. "A bar?" she spat as if it were a disgusting cuss word. She scoffed as if Olivia had made an unfunny joke. "Olivia, I know you're somewhat uncivilized when compared to myself but I am not, in any way shape or form, going into a bar that's tacky enough to stay open on Christmas Eve! I'd rather freeze to death!"
"Well you have fun with that," Olivia said dryly. "It's a bar, Lila. It's not like I'm taking us into a crack house."
Lila shook her head so hard her black beret hat fell off. "Olivia, I refuse to step one foot into that establishment!"
"Then freeze out here!" Olivia shouted, quickly becoming annoyed that she was till outside in the freezing cold when she could be inside in the warmth. "I don't care but I'm going inside!"
"Olivia!" Lila cried out to the detective as she stormed forward towards the bar. "Olivia Serena Benson, get back here right this instant! Olivia, will you just wait a moment!"
Olivia ignored her mother in law and Lila rolled her eyes to the sky, getting a face full of snow for her troubles. "It's like handling a child!" Lila grumbled as she reluctantly followed Olivia into the bad.
"Decided hanging out with hooligans and roughnecks was better than freezing?" Olivia asked with a smirk as Lila caught up with her.
"Oh Olivia, DO shut up. You're becoming rather annoying and tiresome," Lila said with an air of snobbish confidence as she walked into the bar. Olivia narrowed her eyes at the retreating woman before following her in.
"Oh Lila, DO kiss my ass," Olivia muttered in a falsetto voice mocking the older woman in front of her as she shut the glass door behind her.
As soon as the two women entered the bar it almost seemed to go silent as all the patrons stopped what they were doing to look over at them.
"Oh shit," Olivia mumbled under her breath as she froze just inside the doorway.
The bar itself was badly lit with several pool tables, a long bar full of various liquors in glasses, a small TV in the corner was turned off, and a lot of hap hazard tables and mismatched chairs.
All of the people in the bar sans Olivia and Lila; were all huge menacing looking biker men clad in leather and looking at the two women as if they were literally itching to knife them. Olivia swallowed and some of them looked strangely familiar to the detective.
"Olivia," Lila breathed. Olivia could hear the fear masking her disgust. ""Not only did you take us into a bar but you took us to one that is clearly in the hands of a criminal biker gang!"
"I'm well aware of that, Lila, thank you," Olivia muttered back as she struggled to remember where she had seen these men before.
Olivia exhaled a long deep breath before she gathered her courage and went up to the bartender with Lila clutching her arm tightly looking around as if she expected any one of them to suddenly jump them at any moment.
Olivia reached the bartender, the one who looked the least menacing and gave him a weak smile. "Our car broke down and I need to call my wife to let her know where I am and get a ride home, can I borrow your phone?"
The bartender looked like he was about to nod yes when one of the biggest ones walked up to them. "What the hell you think you're doing here, Benson?"
Olivia closed her eyes and struggled not to panic as she turned around to face him. He looked oddly familiar as did his voice.
He took several more steps closer to her and Olivia backed up against the bar even further, wishing more than anything she had carried her gun with her. His brown greasy hair hung low in waves down his rough looking face.
"I said," he growled low as he tossed the pool stick back and forth each hand. "What the hell do you think you're doing here?"
"I know him," Lila whispered low in her ear. "I don't know where but I know this… 'Man' somehow."
The man pushed Olivia back making her stumble a bit before she caught her footing. "I'll ask again," he snarled. "What the hell are you and this other chick doing here disrespecting me and this friendly biker gang?"
Finally it clicked where she knew that voice and the other faces at the bar from. 'We got friends at Rikers. We'll make sure they stop by and say hello…'
It was the same biker gang that Olivia had been accused of murdering one of their own. She and Lila had just stumbled unknowingly into 'The Death Knight's' bar.
Olivia licked her suddenly dry lip as she moved her jacket out of the way to show her badge still clipped to her belt. "Look you know it wasn't me who killed Clyde; you have no reason to be angry with me. I just need to use a phone to call my wife and a cab and then I'll even wait outside until it gets here."
The man laughed had said something hilarious. "Well looky here boys," the man chuckled as he smirked at Olivia. "Detective Benson here needs to use a phone of ours here call her faggot wife." He reached out to stroke her cheek and Olivia jerked her face away. "Afraid that's gonna cost you, sweetie."
"Excuse me," Lila snapped furiously. Olivia closed her eyes in defeat as the man turned and glared at Lila, no longer laughing. "Judging by your horrendous choice in fashion, your over grown facial hair, the fact that your logo on your vest is incorrect in terms of elementary grammar, and you've made your living being hooligans and ruffians, I would appreciate it if you NEVER called my daughter who is far more educated and respected then you that atrocious word again and if you do there will be SEVERE consequences to you regarding law enforcement!"
"What the hell you say to me, Granny?" the leader snarled as he whipped out a knife and started towards Lila. Olivia pushed by him and stood in front of Lila, blocking her from view which was proving hard as Lila was struggling to get from behind Olivia screaming, 'how DARE you threaten me, you thug!'
"We'll leave," Olivia told him. "We'll leave right now just don't hurt her. Lila, let's go."
Olivia grabbed Lila by the hand and tried to push past the man without exposing Lila to him but he grabbed her by the shoulder and pushed her back against the bar. The man held up his knife, the point gleaming menacingly in the low light. "No way in hell is that bitch gonna talk to me like that and get away with it."
"Hey, Vinnie, it's Christmas Eve!" one of the older bikers yelled out, "just let them go and let them use the phone."
There was a lot of mumbling of agreement from the other members but Vinnie didn't take his eyes or his knife away from either of them.
"She's old and senile," Olivia explained ignoring the screech of protest from Lila. "She doesn't know what she's saying so just leave her alone okay? Please?" Olivia held back a cringe, hating that she was begging this lowlife not to hurt Lila.
The man seemed to know how much it pained Olivia to say that. He chuckled and stepped closer to her again. Olivia pushed Lila back further but remained where she was and stared the man down. He leaned in close to her ear and Olivia flinched as his hot breath hit her cool skin. "Say it again," he whispered lowly.
Olivia closed her eyes in defeat before she pushed the pathetic word from her lips once more. "Please."
The man chuckled low as he looked at her, licking his lips. "Well boys, she said please. I gotta listen to her about not hurting the old bat."
"You know you should really learn to respect-."
"Lila, shut the hell up!" Olivia barked before she turned back towards the man whose smug grin had morphed into a sadistic smile.
"But my feelings are still hurt, Benson. I say you give me a nice big Christmas present to make up for it."
"Vinnie, stop!" another biker shouted at him, met with more and louder shouts of agreement. "Leave her alone!"
Olivia's heart began to pound hard in her chest. Vinnie grabbed her by the shoulders and began to push her down to her knees. "Open wide…"
"Vincent Mandingo Allan Parrish, unhand her right this instant!" Lila screamed as she used all of her remaining force to push the biker away.
While her push didn't move him a single inch, his eyes did wide at the name Lila had called him. There was low mutterings of confusion around the bar.
The man was so stunned he couldn't even try to look menacing as he spoke his next words. "How the hell do you know… that name?"
Lila scoffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You used to come over every Sunday after your weekly Biblical studies for a play date with my daughter Alexandra Cabot. I KNEW I knew you from somewhere and that was it! You were my daughter's playmate!"
There was a loud roar of laughter from the men behind him and even Olivia had trouble holding back a snicker.
"Shut up!" Vincent roared but none of the men would listen to him. He turned back towards Lila and licked his lips. "Shut up, hag! Just shut the hell up!"
"Oh fine I'll shut up," Lila snapped as she reached into her purse and pulled out her wallet. "But I don't need to speak to show your little social club the pictures I have here of you and Alexandra in the Church Choir! You had the most beautiful tenor voice until you hit puberty at what; sixteen, seventeen years old?"
"She's lying!" he shouted to the still laughing bikers, but the panicked and feared look on his face gave him away while conforming Lila's truth.
"Now release my Daughter in Law and let us use this establishment's phone or shall I reveal even MORE secrets you seem to be hiding from your followers?"
If looks could kill then Lila would be lying in a pine box right now. Vincent grudgingly put his knife away and stepped away from them. Without another word he stormed through the crowd until he reached the back and slammed the door behind him.
Both Olivia and Lila let out a loud sigh of relief and both collapsed in the ripped and tattered bar seats. At once nearly the whole bar came up to them, their voices overlapping with questions about Vincent from when he was a child. Lila held up her hands to silence the crowd and Olivia was amazed that they listened.
"I promised him I wouldn't reveal anymore secrets if he unhanded Olivia and he did. I will not break my word, especially when it's only an hour before Christmas."
Olivia jumped up, her eyes wide. 'We only got an hour before midnight?"
Lila checked her Rolex and nodded. "Yes. Well actually you only have fifty two minutes until Christmas."
Olivia kicked the bar seat in front of her. "Damn it!" she shouted as she kicked it again before collapsing in the seat. She struggled to hold back her tears.
"Olivia, Good Heavens, what on earth is the matter?" Lila snapped.
"It's Lily's first Christmas Eve and I wanted to read her 'A Night Before Christmas' before she went to bed," Olivia admitted with a sniff as she wiped away her tears.
Lila's face fell and she swallowed her own tears. She hesitated before she reached out and rested a hand on Olivia's shoulder. "I'm sorry." Lila spoke softly with full sincerity. "I know how special that is to a mother. Look maybe we can still get home in time if we call a cab right now."
Olivia shook her head as she wiped away more tears. "It'll take an hour just for a cab to get here and I won't make it home before Midnight. I'm gonna miss it…"
A sad silence overtook the bar. The older man who had called out to Vincent to leave the two women alone first cleared his throat and stepped toward them. His long gray hair was pulled into a low ponytail and he had a large muscular body with sad blue eyes. "I used to read that same story to my son before my old lady got custody of him," he explained. "I know what it's like to miss it. If you want two of the guys can give you lifts home."
Olivia eyed them wearily and the man held up his right hand. "Swear on my kid's life nothing's gonna happen to you. I'll even ask two of the Mama's to give you lifts and drop you off around the block so we don't know your building number if that makes you guys feel safer."
Lila cleared her throat and gave them a forced smile. "While that's a very nice offer, it's a blizzard outside. No one in their right mind would drive in this weather."
"Who say's we're in our right minds?" the man said with a chuckle.
"Good point but still; riding with outlaw bikers-."
"How fast can you get us to 78th Street?" Olivia interrupted.
"Olivia!" Lila hissed but the Detective ignored it.
The man thought for a moment. "In this weather," he mused. "Forty five minutes. You'll be cutting it close but it won't be midnight yet."
Olivia turned to Lila who shook her head and crossed her arms defiantly. "Absolutely not! I am not riding on a motorcycle in a snow blizzard with outlaws, one of whom just assaulted you! Not in any way, whatsoever in any type of manner!"
…
"GET ME OFF OF THIS NOW!"
"Why the hell did you get the quiet one?" Tory, the old man's wife, shouted to her companion as Lila held on to the woman's waist as tight as she could, her screams of terror being heard well over the roar of the Motorcycles engine as well as the roar of the blizzard around them.
Cassie, another Mama in the club, who had a silent and calm Olivia wrapped around her waist simply smirked at her fellow driver before she sped up.
"LET ME OFF!" screamed Lila at the top of her lungs as Tory sped up to meet Cassie's increasing speed. "I WANT TO GET OFF THIS THING RIGHT THIS INSTINT!"
"We're almost there, Grandma, relax!" Tory shouted back.
"I WILL NOT RELAX UNTIL I AM OFF THIS TWO WHEEL DEATH MACHINE! NOW LET! ME! OFF!"
Tory rolled her eyes and muttered something about finding a way for Lila to get off without her stopping as they took a rather sharp turn, being met once more by Lila's screams of terror.
Finally, after what seemed like three lifetimes for both Lila and Olivia although for two very different reasons, the two bikes slowed before finally rolling to a stop on the corner of Olivia's street where Olivia had given them the instructions to.
Lila literally felt off of the bike and gathered the snow in her arms and buried her face in it. The three other women had a strong suspension that Lila was literally kissing the ground.
Olivia stepped off the bike and gave a thankful smile to the two bikers. "Thank you. You don't know what this means to me."
Cassie smiled at her and nodded down the street. "You only got twelve minutes left. I'd hurry up if I were you. Merry Christmas, Detective."
"Merry Christmas to you too," Olivia replied with a smile. Without another word the two bikers rode off into the night, their headlights quickly extinguishing into the dark winter night.
Olivia ran up to Lila and grabbed her around the waist and tried to pick her up from the ground. "Come on, Lila, get up. We gotta get inside."
Lila flipped herself around and without so much as a moment's hesitation tried to slap Olivia across the face. Luckily for Lila, Olivia blocked her just in time. "I will NEVER!" Lila screamed as she struggled against Olivia's grasp. "Ride on one of those again! Have I made myself perfectly and abundantly clear?"
Olivia stared at Lila for a long moment before she nodded and released Lila's hand, ignoring the furious harsh glare her mother in law gave her. "Fine," Olivia told her. "But right now we gotta get inside, it's almost Christmas and I swear to… I swear if I miss reading to Lily, you're gonna think that bike ride was fun compared to how scared you're gonna be of me."
Lila and Olivia glared harshly at one another before Lila gave her a curt nod. Without another word the two women rushed down the block towards Olivia and Alex's brownstone, fighting against the snow and the wind to get to their home…
…
Alex sighed as she glanced at the watch as she and Max sat on the couch. It was eight minutes until Christmas and Lila and Olivia still weren't back yet. Alex looked down at Lily who yawned and nuzzled against her, as if she knew she was supposed to stay awake for just a little longer but was losing the battle.
Alex shook her head and sighed as she stood up.
"Alex, don't," Max pleaded gently.
"I can't keep her up any longer. Maybe next year," Alex told him as she made her way towards Lily's nursery.
Just as she was about to walk through the nursery threshold the front door slammed open.
"Wait!" Olivia cried out desperately and she stumbled over to Alex while Lila struggled to shut the door behind them as the wind and snow blew against the piece of wood with all their might. Olivia unzipped the snow covered jacket and tossing it to the ground and took Lily from Alex's arms and rushed into the nursery, grabbed the book and raced back out to the living room, taking the spot on the couch in front of the fireplace.
Alex took a few moments to comprehend what had just happened before she walked over to Olivia who opened the book cover.
"Liv, hang on," Alex protested as Olivia opened her mouth to read. "Lily can barely keep her eyes open. Let her go to bed."
Olivia opened her mouth to protest but Lila interrupted her first. "Alexandra, you let her read that book!" Lila barked at Alex as she finally managed to get the door shut with Max's help. "I don't care how tired Lillian is, she will stay up as late as she needs to in order to hear that story! Do you understand me!"
"Mom, it's almost-."
"Do you understand me, Alexandra Cabot?"
Alex swallowed hard before she sighed and nodded.
"Good!" Lila snapped, giving Alex a curt nod before she looked over at Olivia before taking a seat in the arm chair next to the couch. "Read NOW."
With a smirk towards Alex who looked flabbergasted at the strange turn of events, Olivia turned back towards the book. "'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house," Olivia began soothingly with a smile as she looked down at Lila who was more invested in the pictures in the book then the actual words but Olivia didn't care. "Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there. The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads…" Olivia's tone was soft and soothing as she read the long poem to Lily. Even Alex couldn't help but get lost in the easy flowing words as they spilled from Olivia's mouth, taking her time with each page so that Lily could look at the brightly colored pictures in the book. The only sounds in the apartment were Olivia's soft patient voice and the warm fire that cackled merrily. The only time that any other voice broke through was when Max muttered lowly to Lila why she smelled like Gasoline. Lila told him that it was a long story and to shush and listen to the story… As Olivia finished the story she kissed the top of Lily's head and held her tight in her arms. Alex could have sworn there were several tears made their way down Olivia's normally pale voice made red from the wind burn outside. At one point her voice got choked with tears but she only took a moment to console herself before she finished the well known rhyme. "He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, and away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, 'Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night'." As Olivia shut the back cover Alex walked over and picked up a now exhausted Lily from Olivia's arms and walked to her nursery with the two people who meant the world to her in front of her. Alex, who had already dressed Lily into the red and green pajamas Olivia had bought for Lily and changed her minutes before Olivia and Lila had arrived, laid Lily down in her crib and covered her up with her soft pink blanket. Within moments Lily fell asleep. "You know tomorrow's gonna be hell with her," Alex muttered as she looked down at Lily. Olivia nodded in agreement as she slipped her arms around Alex's waist and rested her head on her shoulder. "It was worth it though." "Yeah I guess it was." As the tow looked down on the greatest gift they could ever receive Alex smiled down at her daughter. "Merry Christmas, Liv." Olivia kissed her shoulder before looking back at Lily who looked like an angel in her own right. "Merry Christmas, Alex." Alex leaned against her and closed her eyes, feeling like she could stay like this forever and be perfectly content. Alex sniffed the air and wrinkled her nose and looked back towards Olivia. "You really do smell like gasoline. What happened to you guys?" Olivia chuckled as she gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "It's a long story." Alex gave her a playful glare before she turned back towards Lily and leaned against her once more as Olivia gently rocked her side to side. As Olivia held her wife in her arms she glanced at her watch and couldn't help the teary smile that grew on her lips. It was 11:59 PM, December 24th. She had made it… Merry Christmas everyone :-)