Thirty Three: Olivia

"Hey!" Elliot answers the door with a Santa hat on, and about eight wrapping bows on his t-shirt. Alex takes one look at him and bursts out laughing. I shake my head with a smile.

"Nice outfit," I compliment.

"Thank you, Dickie helped me out a bit, "He answers as seriously as he can with a smile on his face. Dickie runs up behind him.

"Olivia!" He runs to me and I pick him up. Elliot motions for us to come in. Kathy makes her way over to us, seizing our bags and coats.

"Thanks for having us," Alex says politely to Elliot, handing him our 'host & hostess' gift. He takes the bag with a smile and puts his arm around her.

"It's nothin'. You're like family now, sweetheart," he says and Alex looks back at me beaming. I gesture that he's been drinking and he catches me.

"Oh come on Liv! You don't have to be drunk to have holiday cheer!" he calls to me.

"You sound like a retarded Christmas card," Munch chimes in. I just laugh at them and make my way to the kitchen with Kathy, leaving Alex to fend for herself. The house is already full. It's warm and cozy and the smells in the kitchen are making me hungry. People are talking and mingling in almost every room on the ground floor.

"Oh Kathy, what on earth are you cooking in here?" I ask, taking in a deep breath.

"Maureen and I are just finishing up some cookies and pigs in a blanket." Maureen waves and Dickie wiggles out of my arms and runs into the living room.

The kitchen and living room have no barrier and I find my eyes following Alex through the crowd. She hugs Munch and Cregan, laughing at their conversation. Fin is rockin' on the piano and Dickie is sitting beside him pretending to conduct. God, that boy has a lot of energy. I watch as Munch gets off the couch to allow Alex to sit and passes her a glass of diet coke. Her eyes wander over the crowd as Munch starts in on her. She catches me looking and smiles before turning back to Munch, laughing.

"She's changed you." A soft voice comes from behind, startling me. Kathy slides in next to me. I just smile at her. "I'm happy for you Olivia. It's about time. Now I see a genuine smile on your face."

"I lucked out, I guess." I say, not believing the reality myself.

"I don't think it's about luck… I think it's about fate; as corny as that sounds." She laughs, taking a sip of wine. I see Serena jump out of no where and pull Alex into a hug. Munch feigns hurt and she hugs him too and he tries to suck her into his conversation. "Look at me… I have four beastly children whom I love to death, who have a great father. Relationships are hard, I won't lie about that, and you two are in for a lot; your professions, your sexual preference, being parents and so on."

"Well Gees Kath, why don't you point out some more perks of my life?" I laugh, mocking her.

"No, no. It's not like that. My point is, in the end, none of it matters. If you look at that woman everyday, like you are looking at her now… you can face anything. Just remember that." I look at the married woman who is already three sheets to the wind and I am stunned by her words. She retreats to the kitchen, pulling a bickering Kathleen and Maureen apart. Alex's gaze returns to my stunned face and motions for me to come over.

"Liv, you remember Serena," she states with a smile.

"I've heard all the gruesome details," Serena jokes, pulling me into a hug. "Just kidding, I just talk shit with Alex some afternoons, that's all." I laugh at her and Alex shoves her.

"This woman needs her own psych. defense," Alex says, reaching for the snacks on the coffee table.

"Only Alex would make attorney jokes," Serena points out.

"Well, I hope we get to know each other more Serena," I tell her. "Alex really has nice things to say about you."

"Hey, how bout we play, 'what's in Munch's box'?" Munch asks us.

"Woah man, no one wants to play anything with you, " Fin says.

"That's not fair, just because I can't sing, or dance, or play any kind of instrument, doesn't mean I'm useless!" Munch places the box on the end table. Before Fin can make fun of him more, the sound of a clanking glass rings in the air, silencing the guests.

"HEY! HEY! HEY!" Elliot's arms are raised above his head. He's standing on Dickie's toolbox looking over the slue of guests. "If I can just have your attention for a minute!" A bow falls off of his shirt and Dickie leaps up and smacks it back on to his stomach. "Ugh! Thanks little man… Okay I just wanted to thank you all for coming. For those of you who know me well, know, this is my holiday!" A few stifled snickers pop up in the crowd. "I just wanted to take the time to thank you all for working so hard in the unit, or the office, or wherever you're from. Any Christmas, where we are all together, is a good one. I'd like us to take this time tonight to thank those around us, say what you gotta say, and lastly, we should have a moment of silence for Sgt. Jackson who fell earlier this year, fighting to keep our streets safe."

"Amen to that," a fellow cop says, holding up his glass.

"Amen," we chant back.

"Okay, let's eat! My darling wife has the food setup in the dinning room. It's buffet style so just dig in!" Elliot steps off the toolbox and says something to Dickie. People slowly file into the dining room and I follow.

Dickie runs up to me, "Olivia can you help me with something?" I motion for Alex and Serena to head on to the dining room.

"Yeah what's up?" I ask, bending down to his height.

"Daddy gave me this and told me to give it to the tallest person to hang up," he says, opening his hands to reveal mistletoe. I look up at Elliot and he smiles and shrugs. Oh, he knows I hate mistletoe. If it hadn't gotten me in trouble with Cassidy those years ago, maybe I would have a different opinion. I give him a dirty look. "Come on Olivia, please!" I look back at Dickie.

"Okay, but I need your help okay?" He nods and pulls tape out of his pocket. "You can be the tallest tonight. Get on my shoulders." I bend my head down low and Dickie climbs on. I walk over to the opening of the living room that leads to the foyer. "Should we put it here?"

"Yeah, so people can say goodbye under it!" Dickie exclaims.

"How do you know what that is?" I ask laughing, trying to make sure he doesn't topple off of my shoulders.

"Mommy told me, it's a love plant. People have to kiss under it. It's kind of gross," he says as I pass him the little bit I have.

"So you're not going to kiss any pretty ladies tonight?" I ask, trying to suppress laughter.

"Ew, that's gross! Girls are disgusting!" I can't help but laugh hard as I pass him pieces of tape to secure the branch.

"Disgusting? Are you sure? Every girl in the whole world?" I ask. He nods as the tape practically covers the branch he's plastering to the wall. "Even me?"

"You're not gross. But all other girls are!" I reach for his arms and pull him off my shoulders. Holding him on my hip we examine our work.

"I think it looks perfect," I tell him. He gives me a peck on the cheek. "Hey I thought you don't like girls!"

"We had to start it, to make sure it works… Duh." I let him down and he struts into the kitchen. I laugh and shake my head. As I turn around I see a pair of blue eyes, shining at me. Alex is standing just far enough for me to have not noticed her there. She walks forward, placing her plate on the coffee table. The other guests, lingering in the dining room and the others, just discovering the mock bar on the kitchen counter.

"Cheating on me this soon?" Alex jokes, her smile spreading.

"I told you I had a date, didn't I?" I laugh. "How do you like our craftsmanship?" She looks up.

"Let's give it the proper start," she says, smiling. Her eyes are shining as she leans in slowly.