Author's Note: Just to let everyone know, every story I have will be finished as soon as I can get to them (since none of them are finished, LOL). The reason they aren't is, after my computer went haywire and I had to do a recovery on it, I lost everything, but luckily I do have paper notes somewhere, because I always try to write everything out before typing it on the computer. Unfortunately, my room (but looks more like an office) is a mess and I haven't been able to locate any of the notes, as of yet. At least not the ones that I posted early on, which is mostly my CSI stories. Every other story I'll be able to finish when things become less hectic. However, the reason for this story is, I wanted to start a new one that I got an idea for a couple of nights ago, and also, since it's almost Christmas, I decided to make it my Christmas theme story. I hope everyone likes it, and please leave me reviews because it helps to let me know 1) How I'm doing and 2) If I should continue it.

Background Information: I've changed some dates and ages in this story to help out with it. Olivia Benson was born January 23, 1968 and Elliot Stabler was born October 20, 1966. Kathy Stabler was also born in October of 1966.

Elliot and Kathy married in 1984, and had Maureen Stabler in November of that year. For the purposes of this story, there is no Kathleen. Instead, a son, Nicholas Stabler was born in 1989 and then Dickie and Lizzie followed, born in 1993.

Olivia Benson married a man named Russell Maugham in 1986, just to get away from her alcoholic mother, Serena. They had a daughter, Abigail "Abby" Maugham in April of 1987 and a daughter, Kathryn "Kate" born in January of 1993. Russell abused Olivia almost daily, and she took it for the sake of her children, but when he went to lay a hand on one of them, only a month after Kate was born, she left, taking the kids, and they haven't been seen by Russell, since. After that, she changed her last name and all of her kids' last name back to her maiden name, Benson, hoping that maybe he'd give up and would never find them.

For the purpose of this story, Olivia started working at SVU in 1993. Everyone enjoyed having her there, except Elliot, at first. But soon, even he thawed out and warmed up to her. Everyone treated her kids as their own, even offering to babysit them at the station if she couldn't find anybody else to watch them. Her and Elliot began to get closer when he and Kathy divorced in 1995. He loved her, but wasn't "in love" with her, anymore. They got joint custody, but when he found out that she was drinking and doing drugs when one of the kids told him so, he fought hard to win custody of them. Around that time, he and Olivia shared one night together. One week later, he was awarded custody, but wanted to take them to get away from New York and Kathy, just in case she decided to take the law into her own hands. That was in November of 1996. In December of that year, Olivia found out that she was pregnant with Elliot's baby. She tried to find him to get a hold of him, but she never could. She didn't give up, but she didn't try so often. When his phone number changed, she started mailing letters, but they always returned to her, unopened. On July 14, 1997, Olivia gave birth to another daughter, Carly Josephina Benson. At the time, Olivia was 29, Abby was 10, Noah was 7 and Kate was 4. Olivia decided against telling them who Carly's father was, at least until they were old enough to understand.

Little Carly was a perfect mixture of her father and mother, her eyes being a blue-green color and her hair a much lighter color of brown than the rest of her siblings. And she was healthy...until she turned 5. That year, she'd been diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia. She stayed in the hospital, went through the treatments, and went into remission a year later. She started maintenance therapy, and completed that when she was 8. Again, she did fine, her hair grew back, and she was healthy...well, as healthy as a sick person could be, anyways. In July of 1998, she turned 11, and she was fine until the end of November. She had a terrible headache and passed out at soccer practice. At the hospital, they ran numerous tests, and found out that, not only had her leukemia returned, but now she had a tumor in her nasal cavities that was pressing against her brain. For her to survive, she'd have to go through chemo again, but now radiation, and would have to have surgery, which could leave her permanently disfigured.

Now it's December 18, 2008. She's been in treatments, off and on, for two weeks, and the hospital may allow her some time to spend at home if she starts responding to the treatment. But, all she wants for Christmas this year is to meet her real father, just in case she is disfigured or worse...in case she doesn't survive this, again, at all.

Olivia is now 40; Abby is 21 and Kate is 15. Carly, of course, is 11.

Elliot is now 42; Maureen is 24, Nicholas is 19, and Dickie and Lizzie are 15.

Kathy is 42, but hasn't seen Elliot or the children since they were taken away from her.

Olivia had awaken with a start. Looking at the wall, she could see with what little light the hospital room provided, that it was 5:00am. She tried to get comfortable, but it was hard to on the old cot the hospital provided her. She'd been more comfortable in one of the beds in the crib at work, but she refused to leave her daughter's side, right now.

Her thoughts went back to the night before. Her oldest daughter, Abby, had just returned from college. She would've been home sooner, but she worked on campus and needed to stay to see it through. She didn't have to go back until the beginning of January, so Olivia found it handy to have her around. She didn't feel the need of having to rush home to make sure her other daughter, Kate, wasn't doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing. At fifteen, Kate was mature in some ways, but immature in others. Olivia thought that Kate resented Carly for being sick, but knew the teenager would never voice that opinion for fear of hurting her baby sister's feelings.

Olivia sighed, looking at the hospital bed. There, in the dark, Carly lay, cuddling her favorite teddy bear. Olivia smiled. That was her favorite stuffed animal out of the hundreds she had. Olivia had given it to her on her very first night in a hospital, when she was a frightened little girl. Carly had been five at the time, but the present from her mother had made her smile, so the little girl had decided to name the bear Wivy, after her mother. At the age of five, she could say her L words, but the medicine she was on made her mess up and slur some of her words. Carly had been embarrassed, but her mother told her it was cute. After she got better, Carly decided to keep the name Wivy, and never changed it.

Olivia jumped as she heard a noise. She looked back to Carly, who was tossing and turning. Olivia was afraid that she would wake up, but remembered the medicine she was given the night before. It was to calm her down and take away her pain. She'd been asleep in no time. Now, looking at Carly, she hoped it still held true. After a few moments, Carly's body stopped it's movements. She was facing her mother, but she never woke up. Olivia could hear the even breathing, and sighed in relief. Carly needed all the sleep she could get.

Olivia stood up, walking to the window. Looking out, she saw snow on the ground about four stories below. Christmas lights decorated the town, brightening up the dismal city, but Olivia still felt down, like she'd never be happy again. She knew why. Christmas was all of her kids' favorite time of year, especially Carly's. They had a big bash at their house that would last, sometimes, far into the night or early hours of dawn. And now, this year, Carly more than likely wouldn't be home for Christmas. She wouldn't have her tree or lights, or her friends and family...or her father. Olivia shivered, feeling cold but knowing she shouldn't be. After Carly's fever last night, they'd turned the heat up in her room because she'd been complaining that she was cold. The dial said seventy-two degrees, but it didn't feel that way to Olivia. She decided to put on her coat, and pulled a chair next to Carly's bed so she could be the first thing her daughter saw when she woke up.

Over the next two hours, Olivia was in thought about what to do for Carly to make this Christmas one that she would always remember—happily, as long as she lived. Carly wasn't in isolation, so Olivia could still bring things to her room. She made out a list: a four-foot Christmas tree, two strings of lights, one gold and one multicolored. Some garland...tinsel...ornaments of Carly's from their house. Christmas CD's and Carly's player...her winter wonderland figurines. Olivia thought for a long time until the page was almost full. She needed to get this done, and she needed to find someone who could do this for her, because she feared leaving Carly for too long.

But Olivia still didn't know what to do about Carly's one wish, the only special wish she wanted this Christmas: to meet her real father. Olivia had called him for a long time, but when Carly had turned one and she'd called, the phone service said his number was out-of-order. She sent letters, but they all came back unopened with the stamp, "return to sender." She even tried to find him, along with everyone else at SVU. Zilch...zip...nada...nothing. His fifth child had been alive for eleven years, and he had yet to meet her. Burning up inside thinking about this, Olivia was furious. He had left without a single call or letter to her, basically cutting off all ties. But Olivia couldn't stand for this, any longer. Their daughter had a chance that she may not even survive to next Christmas, so if it was the last thing Olivia ever did, she'd find Elliot, so her daughter could meet the one man she'd been talking about for months.

Olivia began formulating a plan. When Carly awoke, she would call a nurse to come and sit with her, knowing that she shouldn't disturb Abby and Kate, just yet. Abby would be tired and Kate was just tired of everything, so Olivia wanted to keep them out of this as long as possible. Later, after getting the things on her list, she would go and see Cragen to try and fulfill the only wish on Carly's list: the chance to meet her father, before time ran out on her.

Okay, so my note and background info were longer than my story, for a change, but it was necessary. The next chapter should be longer, but this one, for the most part, I'm making up as I go along.

Please review and let me know if you like it, if I should continue, etc. I should have some of my other stories updated within the next few days.

~*Missy*~