Disclaimer: They aren't mine or I wouldn't be writing fanfic. Lol

A/N: I just recently did Hosiah Feed the Hungry in Atlanta so I thought this would be fitting for a story.

Casey has always loved the Christmas holidays. She enjoyed decorating and being festive. Growing up in a big family, Casey took part in many activities during the Christmas holiday which is why she decided to spend her Christmas with those less fortunate. This was one of her passions and it touched her heart to know she could help those who needed her assistance.

Arriving at the precinct around six, Casey found her friends and hardworking detectives typing away. She figured they were trying to get all of their DD5's typed up before the captain let them leave. Walking toward her friend of eight and a half years; Casey took a seat next to her desk and smirked.

"Novak, what the hell do you want," Olivia Benson asked through her pecks on the keyboard.

Casey couldn't hold back her laughter. Olivia had been on a roll for the past six months since her hormones were in overdrive. Being pregnant wasn't easy, but Olivia had certainly been difficult to be around. Casey found herself not even talking to her from time to time because of how irate she could get.

"I was coming by to drop off my key. I'm about to leave and I didn't know what time you guys were getting out of here."

Olivia finally looked up and threw a lopsided grin in her friend's direction. "Well have fun. No worries, I have everything under control."

Casey grinned as she looked from Olivia to Elliot. Yeah, they had it under control alright; she just hoped they wouldn't consummate their relationship all over her apartment.

"Ok again," Casey spoke as she stood. "Happy holidays!"

On that note, Casey turned and headed for the elevators. Casey made it to her car; crank it up, and off she went to the New Jersey line to help feed the hungry. Her heart thumped and her happiness swelled at the thought of giving back.

She entered Jersey just under an hour, making great time. There had been no traffic and all lanes were clear. It seemed like everything had fallen right into place for her. Casey found a hotel close to the food center; deciding that the Marriot was the best of the best hotels, she parked and went to check in. To her surprise, it wasn't crowded and the lobby was free of guests. Walking swiftly to the counter, Casey pulled out her wallet and asked for a suite. The bell clerk smiled, taking Casey's card, and quickly returned her American Express along with the room key. Rapidly walking to the elevators, Casey pulled out her cell to check her email. The elevator dinged as she continued eying her phone. The doors were just about to shut when…

"Hold it!" yelled a man as he ran toward the elevator.

Finally looking up from her "crackberry" as her coworkers called it, Casey came face to face with Chester Lake. She blinked twice; making sure her eyes weren't deceiving her. She had worked with him over ten months ago and at the time he had been in a relationship with someone. Casey knew it was wrong to lust after someone else's man, but it was just something about him that she couldn't let go of. He was charming, witty, and respectful. He loved to laugh and there had been many nights that she had met up with him at a bar just to talk. Now…here he was, in the same hotel as her and she couldn't help but wonder why.

"Thank you so mu-Casey," the shock evident in his voice. "Is that really you?"

Casey blushed. "Yeah, how are you Lake? Haven't seen you in almost a year."

Lake pushed the button and turned back to her. "Well I've been working up here and I just recently purchased an apartment here, but it's being renovated so I have to stay here for a few weeks."

"Wow. How weird is this, us running into each other. It feels like it's been ages."

"Not ages, just months. How is the job?"

"I can't complain, you?"

Subconsciously licking his lips, Lake grinned, "Mine hasn't been too bad either. Decided I wouldn't celebrate Christmas this year, I'm just going to help those less fortunate."

Casey couldn't believe it. The one detective who could take her breath away was literally taking her breath away. He was thinking of others besides himself and that was quite an attraction.

"Same here. I decided to participate in the big New Jersey Christmas dinner instead of going and spending a tremendous amount of money."

"Wow! You are a great woman Casey. I always knew you had a heart of gold."

"Thanks, same goes for you. So are you and your girlfriend participating in anything?"

"No. We broke up about three months ago. Actually, I'll be joining you in the New Jersey Christmas dinner. I decided that since I'm living here now, I need to become a part of the community so I decided to take this opportunity and make the best of it."

The elevator dinged, signaling for Casey to get off, but she didn't want to abruptly stop her wonderful conversation. Playing it cool, Casey smiled, "This is my floor. Would you like to finish our conversation in my room?"

Lake gave a curt nod and followed her off. They made it to the room and talked for hours. The evening had grown into night and the moon was shining brightly through the latched windows. The environment was so mellow and the two adults carried on with their conversations, blocking out the rest of the world.

Looking down at his watch, Lake sighed, "It's getting late. I had an awesome time talking with you Casey. Let's get together again and maybe I'll show you around Jersey."

"That would be lovely. Thanks for the wonderful conversation. You brought back quite a few fond memories."

Lake smiled at her as he headed for her door. "I hope we work together during the dinner. I would love to continue this."

"I must say we have a lot to catch up on."

Lake nodded, "Yes we do Novak, yes we do. See you."

Casey waved goodbye from the door as she watched Chester saunter down the hall and out of sight. Was she dreaming? Had this man really been in her room talking like they had known each other for years? Stepping back into her room, Casey couldn't take the goofy grin off her face as thoughts of Lake danced in her head. Heading to bed, she picked up her phone and checked it one last time before falling fast asleep.

Morning came bright and early. The sun's rays beamed down on Casey's angelic face as the warm rays soaked her skin. Her eyes fluttering open, she couldn't believe how beautiful it was outside. It was December 25, Christmas Day, but the sun still remained dominant over the darkened clouds that flew behind. Casey made her way to the bathroom and quickly showered before getting dressed for her morning jog. Twenty minutes later, there she stood in the lobby stretching. Many people greeted her with Merry Christmas and happy holidays as she made her way onto the busy sidewalks of New Jersey.

An hour and a half later, Casey returned, sweat dripping from her body as she pushed against the rotating doors of the hotel lobby. Her heart was pumping and she began to jog in place to maintain her heart rate. She slowly began to unwind, letting her body relax and her muscles unflex. Just as Casey rolled her upper body up, green eyes met blue as she took in the full figured man approaching her.

"Good morning. How's the weather?" Lake asked cheerfully.

"It's not really cold, just windy. You headed for a morning stroll?"

"No. I'm just going to register my name and info for the dinner. Would you like to join me?"

"Umm, sure. Thanks." Casey said as they headed back outside.

They waited an hour in line to register. Their not so quiet conversation kept them quite busy until they finally arrived at the registration table. After signing in, they were both pleased to see that they were both assigned to the cleanup session. Wondering in their own directions, they knew they needed to be back in two hours so they could begin setting up.

Lake and Casey headed back to the hotel. They agreed they would meet back in the lobby in forty-five minutes so they could grab lunch.

Casey ran to her room and rummaged through her suitcase to find a perfect but comfortable outfit. She hadn't planned on seeing anyone here, so her attire was drabber than she thought. Finally deciding that she would just have to go off her wit and charm, Casey threw on a green and white sweater with a white scarf, some Faded Glory blue jeans, and her tan moccasins.

"This outfit will just have to do," she told herself and headed for the door.

Hopping off the elevator, there he was in all his glory. He was dressed in a blue and red sweater, beige pants, and Gadsden Men's boots. Stylish and sharp, Casey wondered if he had forgotten where they were headed.

"Well don't you look dapper," Casey said as she ran her hand down his sweater.

Lake chuckled, "I thought I looked alright. Glad you approved, you look exceptionally nice yourself."

"Thanks," Casey said through a wide grin. "You ready?"

Heading to the dinner, Casey couldn't take her eyes off Lake. She would occasionally look down, but only because he had made her blush or she was trying to shake all thoughts of him from her head. The setup was impeccable and the decorating was done in a flash. All workers took to their post as the clock struck five and the doors opened filling the gala hall with people. As more people came, the more Casey could feel her heart expanding. She knew this was for a good cause. Turning to look at Lake, she was almost sure that he shared the same twinkle that she had in her eyes just moments ago.

"You're enjoying this aren't you?" Casey asked just above a whisper.

Lake turned to her. He had noticed Casey's stares, her constant blushing, and her blatant attraction to him. He knew it all too well and it scared him. She hadn't been the only one who had feelings when he worked at SVU. The only difference between the two was that Casey didn't have someone already usurping her love. Lake was a faithful man, but the burning inside that he got from close contact with Casey had engulfed him. He had broken it off with his girlfriend of a year and three months only to scare himself out of ever returning back to New York. Yet fate always had a plan B and Lake couldn't be happier.

"It's amazing. I'm doing something for others and you are here. It's like double the Christmas spirit."

Casey beamed. Not only had she enjoyed his company, but for the first time she had just been told that her company was enjoyed as well. That was all the confirmation she needed.

The dinner ran smoothly and cleanup was a breeze. The workers took plates home after making sure that every person had received a decent meal. After bagging and tagging the garbage and decorations, everyone was thanked and all went their separate ways to celebrate Christmas.

Casey and Lake headed back to their hotel. They took a seat in the lobby and began talking about SVU. The conversation quickly turned as Lake decided that Casey needed to know his true feelings. He had held them in for too long and there was no telling when his chance might come around again.

"Casey, I know when I worked in New York we became really close. I found you to be my go-to person and I really appreciated that." Licking his lips, he continued, "But there is one thing that I haven't been truly open about…I'm attracted to you."

Casey gasped as her eyes began to sparkle. He had to be a figment of her imagination. She had shed an abundance of tears at the thought of him.

"Are you serious? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I wanted to, but I was committed to someone else and I didn't want to hurt her."

"I get it. Well if it's any consolation, I have always been attracted to you as well. I never knew how to tell you so when you left it just became easy to stop trying."

Lake slid closer to her as he stared into her eyes. He could see the glint of love and passion dance between them.

"Casey, don't stop. I think we've proven that we have both missed each other." Lake said thinking of their previous conversations.

Casey smiled. He is truly something she thought. "You are right. Let's make it count."

Lake grinned as he pulled Casey closer to him. Staring into those beautiful, green eyes, Casey wrapped her hand around his neck and tilted her head as their lips meshed together. Deepening the kiss, Lake pulled Casey into his lap and wrapped his arms around her waist. His Christmas wish had come true and there was no other woman that could compare. Lake would always remember this Christmas; how he finally got the one his heart desired.

Happy Holidays! I hope you are in the Christmas spirit of giving…I would love a review! Thanks!