Christmas. A time of year for family, friends, and gift-giving. In Olivia's case, the usual Christmas celebrations would consist of Noah waking Olivia before sunrise. Locked into a deep slumber, she would be awoken by an excited child that would be jumping on her bed. She would spend the day with Noah, watching him open gifts and then watching a variety of Christmas movies throughout the day and then eating a delicious Turkey dinner in the late afternoon going into the evening. While Olivia would clean up, Noah would play with his new toys. Around eight he would crash. The evening would then belong to her, drinking a glass of wine, watching It's a Wonderful Life, light reading, and then asleep by eleven. Olivia both loved and hated Christmas. She enjoyed seeing the happiness on Noah's face, but she couldn't help but feel a little lonely. Sometimes they would have some from the precinct sharing Christmas with them, but for the most part, it was Noah and Olivia alone. This year, despite her new relationship with Alex, was no different. For Alex Christmas was a little different. Every year Alex would spend Christmas upstate with her family. Her parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, and cousins. For a Cabot, Christmas was an event, a time for photoshoots around a beautifully decorated tree, quiet drinks while aunt Mildred played Silent Night on the piano, and a large Turkey dinner on Christmas Day after an entire day of opening presents and pretending to like what they were given. Alex never really minded Christmas, for her, she constantly felt like she was working an event. She was never truly close to her family apart from her mother, Louisa, who she would call regularly and text throughout the day. Alex wanted to show Olivia how much she adored her and if she had to wait to do that, then so be it. For now, she would just enjoy their time together.
Christmas Eve. The evening drew in and Alex wanted to spend some time with Noah and Olivia before making the long drive upstate. Over the last few weeks, the three of them had throughout enjoyed decorating Olivia's apartment for Christmas. Hanging decorations, fireplace stockings and a beautiful Christmas tree with a glowing star at the top. Things had started to feel as if they were a natural family unit, even though Alex and Olivia had only been an official item for just over two months. Noah had taken to her, which she was thankful for. They had bonded over a shared love for Star Wars and often enjoyed partaking in conversations regarding the Star Wars universe, conversations that very much went over Olivia's head. Alex had never been happier. Every time she saw Olivia, she was greeted with a warm smile and a loving kiss. Quite frankly, she had gotten quite addicted to kissing Olivia and would find any opportunity to do so. During the day, the kisses would never get any deeper than a peck on the lips and they were often followed by snickering from Noah. At night, wrapped in each other's arms, tongues exploring, neck biting, moaning echoing throughout the room, but then - it would go any further. Alex was becoming a little flustered though she wouldn't push Olivia, this would be her first time with a woman, if not in several years, at all.
Alex's hands slammed the countertop in a fit of rage as she leaned forward from the kitchen side as she inched her way even closer. Her fingers curled into a fist, her knuckles turning white. Alex was known to be a passionate woman, always has been, and always will be and she was passionate about several subjects; child safety, protecting victims, and her first love, Star Wars. From a young age, she knew she was going to be a lawyer, she enjoyed arguing a little too much and often would jump into verbal scraps to defend her classmates and friends from injustices. As she got older, that passion only grew and now she uses that passion in other ways. She gritted her teeth, her cheeks flaring red. The debate was strong with Alex, however, depending on the opponent, she could sometimes get a little carried away.
"You're wrong, you could not be more wrong. Darth Revan is clearly superior to Darth Bane!" Her voice is filled with frustration.
"Oh? Really? Please present your findings!" Noah scoffed.
"Revan was the only force wielder who could master the light side and the dark side-"
"That eventually led to his soul splitting! He could barely control himself and needed to be killed AGAIN!"
"I don't see Darth Bane using the force to project himself into the minds of the tainted to bring about A CULT to bring himself back to life!" Alex stepped back and folded her arms with a smug smirk on her lips.
"He formed the rule of two - the very reason The Sith solely have One master and One apprentice!"
"He single handedly crippled The Sith Empire for generations to come, centuries of knowledge lost all because he wanted to be the only Darth!"
"The knowledge was sealed in datacrons-"
"Ah yes, so three thousand years later, that schmuck Ezra could corrupt himself!"
"That was Darth Maul and you know it! That had nothing to do with Bane!"
Watching the interaction, she stirred her coffee, removed the spoon and placed it in the sink before she leaned against the kitchen counter and took a sip. Olivia wasn't going to pretend she knew what they were talking about, but she knew on both their parts there was no anger behind those words shared. She smiled watching them debate, every word, every argument, and rebuttal met with such passion. Noah didn't have many friends and he didn't trust most adults, so watching him interact with Alex in such a way brought nothing but a smile to her face.
"You know…" Olivia stepped forward. "My favourite is Darth Vader." She sipped her coffee.
Noah and Alex exchange a slightly confused look. Noah looks at his mother. "Why?".
"Well, you know - he made that…" She motions a circle with her free hand. "That ball thing in space and kidnapped the princess."
Alex raised her eyebrows as she looked at her girlfriend. "Ball thing? You mean the giant death sphere that destroyed an entire world?"
Olivia smirks and nods. "Yep! Pretty badass."
"Mom, he didn't make that and The Death Star had a huge design flaw that resulted in one of the best Imperial Officers getting killed," Noah interjected.
Olivia chuckled and looked between Alex and Noah.
"What? Come on! That was cool!"
"Luke - a nineteen-year-old farm kid from Tatooine was able to destroy the entire station by shooting a laser into a vent."
"So there was a blip in the plan - he still pursued."
"He turned on everyone he loved and went against the Jedi code because he didn't get his way…"
"Uh-huh, he did." Alex agreed and held up her hand to Noah to high-five, which the eight-year-old gladly did.
"Well, I guess you two told me!" Olivia smiled as she turned around to put her mug in the sink.
Noah pushed himself up onto the counter so he could lean over to Alex.
"Wanna watch Rebels?" He asked with a smile.
"Do you need to ask? I got time for a couple of episodes. Go set up Disney+ and I'll be there in a sec." She smiles warmly at him.
Noah jumped off the countertop with a skip in his step. He made his way past the dining table and over to the living area. Alex turned to Olivia, she approached her from behind and placed her hand on her back as Olivia finished rinsing out her mug. The detective smiled and leaned back into the warm loving embrace of the attorney's arms. Alex placed a gentle kiss on her cheek and Olivia nuzzled into Alex's neck. A moment of blissful silence, no words needed to be shared. Olivia turned in Alex's arms, leaning against the countertop. Her eyes traced over Alex's bright and beautiful face. Those eyes filled with adoration and genuine happiness, those lips that had curved into such a smug smile that made Olivia's heart melt.
"What?" Olivia asked with a smile.
"Nothing…" Alex shrugged as she leaned in closer.
Their lips are just mere centimetres apart, Olivia's eyes fell heavy as they closed, and the simple closeness of her lover sent shivers down her spine and made her heart race. She smiled, feeling Alex's lips brush over hers, she felt a twinge in her stomach like an agonising longing. Olivia moved in to capture Alex's lips, but the blonde swiftly moved her head just a little out of reach, earning a quiet whimper from the detective. She moved back in once more, her lips softly teasing Olivia. This was agonising. This gentle dance of denial was enough to light a small flame in the detective.
"Wait… wait… Noah…" Olivia whispered, still lost in a trance.
"Is picking out which episode of Rebels to watch." She replied with a soft smile.
Alex finally closed the gap and captured Olivia's lips with her own in a passionate, hungry, kiss. This was unlike any of the others - this was filled with lust and desire. Alex wasted no time pressing Olivia against the counter top and she trailed her kiss from the detective's lips to her neck. Olivia's head instinctively tilted back giving Alex more access to her neck. She felt the blond smile against her skin that sent shockwaves through her body. Alex had to restrain herself a little bit, even if Noah was in the other room - he could approach them at any time. Alex trailed another set of butterfly kisses up to the detective's ear.
"It's a shame I can't stay." Breathless, a whisper filled with desire and lust.
Olivia's eyes rolled back in her head as Alex pulled away. The detective bit her lip as their eyes remained locked for a single moment. Olivia had to stop herself from pulling Alex back, she hadn't felt a lustful need like this… ever. She always enjoyed sharing intimate moments with partners but with Alex, this was very different. She yearned for this woman in ways she didn't even know possible. The denial of a simple kiss for so long made the result feel amazing and had her wanting more. Alas, Alex would be leaving after a few episodes of Rebels and she probably won't be back for several days. What was Olivia to do until then? An agonising waiting game. Olivia hooked a finger in the belt loop on Alex's jeans and pulled her back. Just then, she noticed a head full of brown curls bouncing towards them. She quickly pushed Alex back slightly and turned away. Alex frowned at Olivia's sudden action.
"Alex! Are you coming? I loaded it up!"
She then realised. She looked down and smiled before she turned to the young boy and nodded.
"Alright! Let's do this!" She said with a smile before leaving the kitchen.
The next couple of hours were filled with lightsaber battles, blaster fire, ship battles, and Jedi mind tricks. Both Noah and Alex were completely consumed by the Disney animation. Noah sat in Alex's lap, both of them crossed-legged on the sofa. Gasps, jumping about, and various "Did you see that?!"s filled the room with their excitement. Noah made Alex feel like a kid again. Growing up, she had to repress a lot of her interests as they weren't partially girlie for a Cabot Girl. Rather than horseback riding or Malibu Barbie, Alex was more drawn to Star Wars and video games. She managed to convince her brother to take her to see Return of the Jedi and since then, her secret love for the force-wielding heroes has remained in her heart. She's thankful she can now share it with Noah.
At the end of the couch, Olivia curled up under a blanket and was blissfully lost in the land of nod. Something that happened often when it came to Star Wars. She had fallen asleep halfway through the second episode and the two of them were too engrossed in the show to wake her up. As the episode came to a close, Noah leaned back against Alex and looked up at her with a smile.
"Do you have to go?" He asked.
Alex looked down and sighed "Trust me, I don't want to…" Alex said as she set Olivia's TV back to the home screen.
"Then stay!" Noah suggested.
Alex chuckled. "I wish I could but my mom would be very sad."
"Oh…" Noah looked down. "Why doesn't she come here?" He looked back up at her with eyes as wide as saucepans.
Alex wrapped her arms around him and rested her head upon his. She adored this boy even though she had only really known him for a few months. Noah had inched his way into her heart, she felt a need to protect him and show him the world isn't always hurtful.
"She doesn't like the city," Alex replied.
"Why?" He frowned.
"Well, you know how your mom catches bad guys that hurt people in a particular way?" She asked carefully, she wasn't sure how much Noah knew about Olivia's job.
"Yeah!"
"Well, a long long time ago - one of those bad guys hurt my mom when she was in the city with me and my brother when we were kids," Alex explained. "So, she doesn't like New York all that much and prefers living upstate."
She had just turned eleven at the time. The Cabot family had a large estate in Ulster County. Occasionally, Alex's mother Louisa would take Alex and her older brother, Christopher, into the city while she shopped. Alex usually hated being dragged around by her mother looking at various Gucci suits, dresses, and shoes. She was the typical country club socialite, dressed head to toe in the finest designer labels and always looked as if she was smelling an odour most foul. On this particular occasion in the summer of 1983, Alex was thankful for the sudden trip to Manhattan. Alex begged her brother all week to take her to see Return of the Jedi and after five days of constant pleading, Christopher gave in under the condition that she got approval from their mother and he would take her while they were in Manhattan. So while shopping, Alex didn't sulk, tantrum, hide or argue. She followed Louisa around and tried on everything the middle-aged woman would give her. She even complimented every shoe her mother would try on until…
"Mom, now that me and Chris are done, can we go to the movies?"
She can still see her mother staring at her with a perplexed frown across her brow. She knew she never asked this before and it was probably very out of the blue for Alex. Louisa took into consideration that Alex had been on her best behaviour and didn't fuss the entire trip. Louisa nodded, gave the two of them some money, and told them to meet her at Grand Central by six. The two of them ran off, leaving Louisa alone. After the movie, they went to meet Louisa at Grand Central but she was nowhere to be seen. After waiting for an hour they called their father, Henry.
The search lasted six hours and then they finally found Louisa in Central Park hiding in the shrubs, she had been assaulted, beaten, and was too scared to move. Her clothing was torn and her limbs were covered in bruises and scratches. They never caught the man that hurt Louisa, what concerned authorities more, and Alex later in life, was the fact she wasn't mugged. The attacker didn't take anything from her and even placed her shopping bags by the shrubs before leaving. It was as if the attacker knew Louisa. Since that day, Louisa never stepped foot in the city and she never spoke about what happened.
Another thirty minutes passed and Alex was lost in conversation with Noah and not just about Star Wars. They discussed everything from the Sciences they enjoyed to other pop culture subjects like Disney movies and the superhero comics Alex would lose herself in as a child. She enjoyed learning about what she had in common with Noah and it settled her worry. She wasn't sure if Noah would accept her, she knew how much he loved Tucker and still asked about Ed occasionally. He never really got over his death. But as she sat there warmly cuddling this boy as they talked about the world and laughed, she knew there wasn't going to be an issue. He was completely comfortable around her and even told her a few secrets about chemistry.
"And then we put it in an apple!" His laugh echoes in the quiet room.
"Did it ignite?" She asked wide-eyed.
He shook his head. "No, it reacted WITH the acidic properties, but it wasn't enough to cause a fire. It just fizzed and then it was done."
"That's still pretty cool, Noah!"
"Yep! It was great!" He smiles.
A groaning sound came from Olivia as she started to move and stretch. The detective's eyes fluttered open and she looked around the room as it came into focus. She stretched again followed by a yawn. She wasn't sure how long she had been asleep but begged that Alex and Noah hadn't killed each other. She was greeted by them and sat on the sofa, in the same position as they were before she fell asleep, only this time wrapped in a blanket with their heads poking out the gap. Olivia couldn't help but smile looking at the image in front of her, they looked like a two-headed monster. Olivia chuckled and shook her head.
"A blanket for you two but not one for me?" She asked as she sat up.
"It was cold!" Alex replied.
"You look like something out of a Studio Ghibli movie." Olivia swung her legs over the sofa.
She leaned over to the other side of the couch where Noah was comfortably settled into his shared blanket. Olivia smiled and winked at Noah. It was nice to see him so happy and knowing Alex was a root cause made her heart burst with pure happiness. Olivia makes a motion with her thumb to beckon Noah out of his warm blanket.
"Come on, bed," Olivia said.
"Awe, can't I at least wait until Alex leaves?" He asked.
"Nope. Alex will tuck you in if you ask nicely."
Noah never needed tucking in. Olivia didn't even need to tell him when to take a shower, clean his room, or read. He might only be eight years old but that child held an old soul. He saw the world in ways that Olivia never knew how. He was compassionate, empathetic, and kind. He had a huge heart that mirrored his mother's in so many ways. She loved the little man he was growing into every single day. She didn't know what the future would hold for Noah, but she was confident that any choices he made would be the right ones. Should those choices not work out, she would be here to pick him up and dust him off. This boy's maturity knew no bounds. She can see Noah thinking for a moment as he mulled over his mother's offer.
"Fine. I can live with that, but Alex…" He tilted his head back to look at his new best friend. "You have to come back the day after Christmas!" He said that with a bright smile.
"I promise to return on the day after Christmas." Her smile glowed at him
She opened her arms and released Noah into the coldness of a December apartment. She wrapped herself back up as he stomped back towards his bedroom. Olivia, still with the same bright smile, looked down at her girlfriend who was comfortably wrapped up in a blanket. Alex looked up and smiled back at Olivia but with a hint of questioning. Why was she looking at her in such a way? Is it the fact she was wearing a blanket like a hooded shawl or the fact she just sat and chatted with Noah?
"What?" Alex asked.
"Nothing, just nice to see you with my kid is all." Olivia held out her hand for Alex to take.
"He's a great kid! You've done a fantastic job raising him."
As she stood, Olivia lowered the blanket hood like the veil on a wedding dress. She laughed softly at Alex's dishevelled hair. Olivia's hand slowly inches forward and she runs her fingers through those glowing golden locks. Alex always had beautiful hair and she could tell that ADA seemed to welcome the contact. The blonde's eyes slowly closed with every rake through Olivia's fingers as if she had found total solace. Olivia stepped closer and snaked her free hand around Alex's back. Once her hand had finished playing with Alex's hair, it rested softly on her cheek. Alex's eyes opened lazily.
"Is this a ploy to get into my blanket?" She asked quietly.
"It might be…" Olivia whispered back, her thumb softly stroking Alex's cheek.
"It's working." Alex opened her arms letting Olivia in and closed them around her waist.
"I'm going to miss you these next few days."
The brutal realisation she would be without Olivia for the next few days weighed back down on the blonde. She had spent every day with Olivia and Noah, eating dinner, watching TV, and doing all the sweet domestic errands that she never knew she would truly enjoy. Simple things like cleaning the kitchen after dinner became enjoyable because halfway through, she would feel a pair of arms wrap around her from behind and hold her close, hear a god-awful joke followed by an eruption of laughing, or just idle conversation about anything and everything that cropped into their heads. She loved her evenings with Olivia. Their routine was so ingrained, Alex hasn't done grocery shopping for her place in weeks. She practically lived with Olivia and Noah.
"You have no idea how much I am going to miss you, Liv." Her soft voice laced like a gentle whisper only for Olivia to hear. "You have no idea how much I want to wake up with you and Noah tomorrow and watch him open his gifts." She sighed and rested her head on Olivia's shoulder. "It's my only Christmas wish."
Olivia held Alex close in a warm embrace. She didn't know what she was going to do over the next few days or how she'd stop herself from fretting over Alex. She knew she was going to be safe, but could she be a little selfish and say she wanted Alex to herself this year? Their first Christmas together curled up in front of a roaring gas fire while Noah is in bed. Sharing Christmas chocolate and watching a cheesy romance movie before ending the night wrapped in each other's arms. Olivia only held Alex tighter when she heard both their phones chime in the background. She hoped it didn't work - but she had a duty to protect the city even on Christmas.
"That's your phone," Olivia whispered.
"It's my mother most likely." Alex groaned as she lifted her head looking over at the phone on the coffee table.
"You better go and tuck in Noah, I need to call my sitter. Mine went off too."
"On Christmas?" Alex groaned in reply.
"Evil never sleeps."
Alex pulled herself away from Olivia, she flipped off the blanket and laid it on the sofa as she walked past the Christmas tree towards the back bedrooms. Olivia walked over to the kitchen counter with a huff in her step. It was Christmas after all, she wanted to watch Noah open his gifts not deal with something truly ungodly. Christmas went two ways for SVU detectives. Either there was stone silence or the worst crime only God themself could imagine. The years she spent alone on Christmas made her truly hate the holiday - not a single call, but as soon as she was to spend it with someone, her phone wouldn't stop. She just wanted a decent Christmas for once, to be happy Christmas morning. Olivia picked up her phone from the kitchen counter.
"Maybe next year." She sighed, unlocking it.
Or maybe… this year? It was not the control desk at the 1-6, it was not a judge or a 9-1-1 dispatcher, instead, it was something much more magical. She looked at her phone eyes wide, like a child on Christmas morn unwrapping the best present she had ever received. Her heart raced, and she almost dropped her phone as she silently squealed with glee. New York was known to snow from December to March. It's always been beautiful, however, once a year - a strong blizzard will rip through the streets and make them uninhabitable. This year was no exception, however, it did arrive a little early. Somewhat of a Christmas miracle. Olivia unlocked her phone, pulled down the notifications and looked at the red weather alert on her phone and in big capital letters there it was: BLIZZARD.
"Hey, Al?" Olivia called quietly as Alex emerged from Noah's bedroom closing the door behind her.
"Hmm?"
"Take a look at your phone." She cannot hide that smug smile playing on her lips.
"Why? It's just my mother." Alex walked through into the kitchen where her phone sat on the countertop.
"Oh, trust me - you're going to like this." She said with a bright smile.
Alex frowned as she picked up her phone and looked at the screen. Much like Olivia, her eyes grew wide and a bright smile stretched across her lips as she read the weather warning. Her heart felt as if it was to burst into a thousand pieces, she could wake up Christmas morning with Olivia and Noah. She could watch them open gifts and help Olivia cook Christmas dinner. This is all she wanted for Christmas.
"Road closures throughout the city, citizens are advised to stay indoors. The blizzard is set to last for seventy-two hours. Only leave the house if in an emergency." Olivia closed her phone and stepped close to Alex.
Alex smiled, put down her phone, and pulled Olivia into her arms with ease. This is all they both wanted this year - to be together and now, even the spirits of Christmas were screaming their name. They gazed into each other's eyes, unable to hide the joyful glint that they shared. Olivia leaned forward and kissed the tip of Alex's nose. The ADA smiled followed by a little giggle. This was going to be the most wonderful Christmas and it didn't even bother Alex that all of her clothes were on the other side of town and she would probably have to wear Olivia's clothes until the twenty-eighth.
"So… you have me all holiday, what shall we do?"
"Oh… I can think of a few things…" The seductive tone laced through Olivia's voice as she placed a kiss on Alex's lips.
The ADA blushes a deep shade of red and swallows the lump in her throat as she's led away by hand to Olivia's bedroom. This was about to be the best Christmas of her life.