so, feeling christmassy, i've decided to write a two part alternate fringe christmas fic. I id include a little christmas surprise! Enjoy!

Summary: Liv gets the best christmas present ever: Being with someone

rating: K+, T if you squint.

disclaimer: I own nothing.


December XXIV Part 1

"No, no, you loop it around, like this!"

Olivia's laughter filled his ears as they sat together in a booth at a simple diner. He had owed her dinner and there they were, sitting together at a little diner that she said she had loved, laughing as he tried to write on a napkin with a pen they had found. Lincoln could have sworn that Olivia had once said she hated this diner, but he wasn't going to bring it up.

"Serious Liv, I'm pretty sure that's not how you make an 'a'," Lincoln chuckled, trying to loop the pen around the last part of her name. The letter came out strange multiple times and her name was written across the napkin more than once or twice.

Olivia laughed. "No Lincoln," she said, placing her hand over his, "Like this," she guided his hand in forming a shaking yet more readable form of an 'A', finishing 'Olivia' in handwriting.

"I see why we gave up on this," Lincoln murmured, flexing his hand, "It's so much harder than typing things."

"I still like it," Olivia said drifting her hand over the paper as she wrote. Lincoln watched with a strange fascination as her fingers were nimbly able to write out his name in perfect letters. Lincoln took the napkin from her and stared at her handwriting. It was flawless and didn't look like the chicken scratch he'd been use to seeing by her. This writing looked practiced and precise. He shook his head and chalked it up to being her accident a month before.

"My handwriting looks like chicken scratch next to yours," Lincoln laughed, tossing the napkin back to her. She laughed and smiled at him before looking down at the napkin.

"C'mon," she said encouragingly, "It only takes practice."

"And talent," he snorted. Shaking his head he took another sip of his beer and reaching into the basket of French fries they were sharing. Dipping it in the ketchup on his plate, he popped it into is mouth and smiled at Liv who was taking a sip of her soda.

"Okay," she said with a smile, "Whatever you say boss."

Lincoln grinned down at her from the lip of his beer before setting it down. The snow swirled outside as they sat together, both laughing and talking on Christmas Eve. Lincoln wanted to ask why she wasn't with Frank tonight, but he didn't want to bring it up. Lincoln wanted this strangely appealing woman all to himself right now.

"Oh I love this song," she said with a smile, "Merry Christmas, Darling," she said, humming the tune.

"I thought you hated Christmas music," Lincoln said, eyes narrowed at her. That he could remember clearly, she almost shot him when he played it over the P.A. at work. But Olivia smiled at him now and shook her head.

"Ever since I was little, my sister and I have always loved Christmas music. We use to sing Christmas carols at our local church and afterwards we'd go get hot chocolate."

Lincoln's eyes narrowed. Olivia didn't have a sister and she despised all forms of religion. It wasn't like Olivia to lie like this, he thought as he watched her hum the tune. She had never lied before. She had always been brutally honest with him even though it sometimes hurt. There was no way any of this were true. Unless…

"Dance with me?" Lincoln asked, brushing off the blatant truth. Olivia smiled and took his hand, standing up and being pulled into her boss' strong arms. Lincoln smiled down at her with an all teeth grin before dancing to the song. Olivia smiled and laughed for a moment before swaying along with Lincoln's lead.

Lincoln couldn't stop thinking. He had this awful nagging feeling in his gut that the conclusion he had drawn was true and that she wasn't her at all. But that would mean that she was the other Olivia, which meant-

"Lincoln?" she asked, looking up at him. Lincoln snapped from his train of thought to look down into Olivia's eyes. There was something different in them and he saw it instantly.

There was this innocence in her glance that he knew his Livvy lacked. In her gentle green eyes Lincoln saw no wicked under plot, no coolness or callousness that her stepfather left on her, and he saw something else in them. A haunting. He'd never seen haunting behind those seas of green before. He shook his head and smiled at her.

"What do you say we go for a walk?" he said, his voice thick and heavy with insecurity. What if she knew that she wasn't her? And what if she knew that he knew that she was pretending to be her? What would happen then?

Lincoln led her out of the diner and into the streets. The sidewalks were empty of people, save for a few people leaving buildings from work wrapped in sweaters and scarves. Lincoln wrapped his scarf tighter around his neck and pulled Olivia close to him. She huddled under his arm as they gazed at the decorated buildings together. Something strange came over him. Somehow, this felt right, having this Olivia wrapped under his arm.

"Shouldn't you be with your family?" Olivia asked, looking at the side of his face. Lincoln gritted his teeth. He should, but with Nick and his father telling him how to do his job, he really didn't want to head over to his father massive estate for a dinner that he knew would end badly.

"Should you be with Frank?" he answered with a teasing smile. Olivia shrugged.

"He's out of the country on a work assignment."

"Yellow fever in England?" Lincoln asked, assuming that was where he was sent.

"Yeah," she answered. They remained quiet. The silence allowed him to remember that this Olivia wasn't his Livvy and that she probably had a family in the alternate universe, maybe a Frank of her own that was laughing at the good time they had with his Livvy. He felt a whole punch through his heart. This poor Olivia had no one but enemies on this side. He shuddered, but it wasn't from the cold.

"You know," he said as they turned the corner to the park where a large tree was decorated with lights and larger than life decorations, "The real Livvy would have kicked me by now, and probably broken my jaw with that right hook of hers."

He felt the woman under his arm freeze and he turned his head to look at her. Her green eyes were wide with panic and fear, as if she were about to be sent away from him and tortured. He didn't know how correct he would have been about that. He didn't move his arm or break his gaze. They stood together like that, frozen.

"What happens now?" she murmurs to him and he could feel her getting ready to bolt. He takes his other hand and gently, carefully tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. She stands very, very still under his touch and gaze, unsure whether he's going to take a gun and shoot her or just watch her.

"Now?" he says with a smile, his cheek leaning on the top of her head, "Now we enjoy Christmas light watching together."

"Why?" she asked, her eyes narrowing at him. Lincoln sighed. He didn't know why. Because it felt right? He couldn't and wouldn't tell her that. He shrugged his shoulders and stared at her.

"You may not be Livvy," he answered, "But what would I be if I were to shoot you here or turn you in right now but a monster?"

"I don't understand," she said, shaking her head and wrapping her arms over herself to keep from freezing. Lincoln turned and stared at the tree in front of him. A couple was standing underneath it and hanging their own star on it before giggling and hugging and kissing each other. He longed for that.

"I don't know," he answered, shrugging, Really. Would it make me seem like a sap if I said no one should be lonely on Christmas, no matter what universe?"

"And what about you?" she whispered. He looked at her, not realizing that she had moved to stand next to him and stare at him. "You deserve to not be lonely."

"Then I suppose that's why you're staying here, next to me, rather than bolting," he answered, wrapping his arm around her shoulders again. Instantly his body heated up again. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"I don't have anywhere to go," she answered, "There is no one here who cares for me."

"I'm here," he answered, burying his nose in her hair, "And I care about you."

"That's because I'm your only connection to her," she said, bitterly cold. Lincoln chuckled at her tone. She may not be exactly his Olivia, but she was certainly a form of Olivia.

"I guess so," he said, "But caring about you has nothing to do with her. No one should be alone on Christmas Eve and that includes you. I firmly believe that."

"Yeah," she answered, "Me too. Merry Christmas Lincoln."

"Merry Christmas Livvy," he answered, kissing the top of her head. He may have said that he kept her around because she was the only link to his Liv, but if he were truly honest with himself that would be a lie.

Maybe he really did feel something more for this Olivia. Only time would tell.