Christmas Time

The "Prada moment" was starting to die down in the homicide office. Instead, people's attention was on Christmas. The courts closed for the holidays, which meant none of the ADAs had to work, other than the schlep that got stuck fielding warrant requests.

Instead of surreptitiously watching the video, the homicide ADAs hung mistletoe and encouraging kisses between whoever came under it.

Alex did not respond with words; instead, she put the DA's office policy on sexual harassment in every mailbox. No one tried to kiss her.

The Bureau Chief had her own plans for holiday cheer and it did not involve the likes of her subordinates.

This year, Christmas was doubling as Alex's homecoming. Both her mother's family and her father's family would be there, all under one roof: aunts, uncles, cousins, everybody.

She would also be there with her ladies, all in one room. She hoped that her relatives didn't notice their sleeping arrangement, and if they did, they stay discreet about it. The last thing she needed was a dinner table discussion of her sex life.

Olivia and Elliot were getting coffee at a nearby diner. They both needed a break from the squad room, Olivia because she was bored and Elliot because Munch was spouting another conspiracy theory.

"Any luck?" Olivia questioned. Elliot knew what she was talking about.

"She said I could come over for Christmas."

"That's something. Do you know what you're going to get her?"

"I usually get her jewelry, but I don't think that's going to cut it this year."

"Maybe a family vacation. You have any time saved up?"

"I do, but I wouldn't want us to argue in front of the kids all week." What was Elliot to do?

"Maybe it's time for a marriage counselor."

"I must be in trouble if you of all people suggested counseling." He tried to laugh it off; it wasn't very funny.

"Okay, I resent medical intervention of any kind, but if I were desperate enough …"

"I should be desperate enough, shouldn't I?"

"Yeah probably."

"Damn!"

Casey was about to leave her office, when she got an unexpected phone call.

"Novak."

"You still answer the phone like that?"

"Jamie? What's going on?" She hadn't heard from her brother since Thanksgiving the year before.

"It's James." He hated being called Jamie. He was no longer twelve. "Mother wanted to know if we should be expecting you for Christmas this year." He didn't care if she made an appearance or not, but mother told him to call.

"She made it clear I was no longer apart of the family. Why would I come to Christmas?"

"You know they'll take you back if you apologize and …"

"I have nothing to apologize for. I love Olivia, and if they can't accept that, then I don't need them."

"Casey, be reasonable about this."

"Goodbye Jamie!"

Her brother was an asshole. He was always talking to her like she was a child. Not anymore, she didn't need that.

Of course, it was raining by the time Casey actually left her office. "FUCK!" She hopped into a cab and headed for Alex's. She and Olivia had both moved a decent amount of their clothes into Alex's apartment.

They decided to sell Olivia's furniture and to leave Casey's furniture in her apartment, so they could sublet a furnished apartment for more money.

The poor girl was soaked and cranky by the time she got home.

"Get out of those clothes; you're going to catch a cold," Alex admonished gently before kissing her brow.

"Today sucked."

"How about I draw you a bath, you get into it, and then tell me about your day?"

Alex had been working on a pot au feu for dinner. It simmered on the stove while Alex drew a hot bath with lavender salt and rose petals in it. Casey stripped before she sank into the water. When she saw the cold Guinness next to the tub, she almost burst into tears.

How does she always know exactly what I need?

Casey slipped into the tub, groaning as the warm water shocked her cold bones. She took a swig of beer and the bitterness distracted her from the war raging in her mind.

She was about half way through her beer when Alex returned to wash her hair.

Casey started to talk about her day, which involved Cutter snapping at her over some response to a motion that she supposedly didn't file on time, only to find out that they had been improperly served, and she had never received the motion. Instead of apologizing, he just told her she was dismissed. Man she could throttle him sometimes.

She thought that would be the only fiasco until Jamie called.

"I don't believe them. They ignored me for a year, just to say, I can come crawling back with my tail between my legs. Not gonna happen."

Alex kissed the corner of her mouth. "You have all of the family you need right here. I love you, Liv loves you, and my family is your family."

"I know, and it's not that surprising. My parents have always been very narcissistic." Casey was to do as she was told and not speak unless asked to speak: get her father his morning paper, make his coffee, bring him and his friends drinks when they came over. The women served the men. That was the Novak way and they expected that Casey would become a good housewife someday and a good baby breeder the next. She was defined by the man in her life. Choosing to love a woman made her worth nothing. She wondered how they'd react to her loving two women.

James told his mother, "I tried talking to Casey, but she hung up on me. She claims to love that Olivia girl."

Janet Novak huffed in response. "Well, thank you for trying dear."

"Of course, anything for you mother."

If Janet knew her own daughter, then she would have realized that a phone call from James Jr. was the last way to get her to want to talk.

"Your brother Timothy will arrive tomorrow." Tim, the middle child, had been close to Casey before her fall out with the family. It was hard to cut ties with his sister, but he thought it was better for both of them. He couldn't afford (financially) to alienate their father, but Casey had a new life, a new city, and a good woman who loved her. She was better off never looking back.

"How wonderful Mother." James only cared about James, like father, like son.

The Novaks had a comfortable life. James Sr. was a banker while Janet raised their three children at home. James Jr. went into finance. Timothy became an engineer, and Casey for some reason had to go to law school.

When James Sr. arrived, his wife brought him dinner and his evening coffee straight away.

"Did you have a good day dear?"

"It was uneventful," he said.

"No news is good news."

"Humph!"

The 1-6 did a secret Santa before everyone left for the holidays. There was a $20 maximum. Alex had been invited to participate as well and she had picked Elliot.

"Who did you get?" Liv questioned.

"Not telling!"

"Aw!" The detective tried to peek, but Alex hid the present well.

The night before the Cabot crew went to Boston, they all met in the squad room to exchange gifts.

The Captain got the honors of going first. He opened his gift and inside was a replica of the famous Farrah Fawcett poster.

Naturally his first guess was Munch, but he was wrong. His second guess was "Fin."

"Yep."

Fin opened his present next and someone got him 2 40 oz malt liquors and duct tape.

He started cracking up. He knew it wasn't Munch; that cheap bastard would have only bought one 40. "Liv?"

She laughed. "No, but good guess."

"Casey."

"Yeah, Liv told me what to buy."

"You're not supposed to tell," Alex chastised.

"She forced it out of me."

"Oh did she?" Munch raised a brow.

Casey opened her present next and she got "Cosmo magazine: fashion tips for redheads, and a box of candy. Munch!" She waved her fist.

"Busted!" The group laughed as she chased him around the room. When he returned to his spot, Munch opened his present and there was a Rod Sterling bobblehead doll.

He knew this was from, "Elliot!"

"Yep." He opened his present and got a "beer hat? What the hell is a beer hat?"

Olivia read the box. "Wear it on your head, so you can keep your beer cold while you are in the bathtub. Hot bath, cold beer, good times."

He denied ever taking baths, but the detective secretly loved them. "Olivia?"

"Nope."

"Captain?"

"Not me."

"Alex?"

"Some detective you are."

The others laughed.

"It wasn't from Prada so …"

Alex frowned. "I'm taking back the hat."

"MINE!"

Alex opened her present, and it was a sterling silver locket. "Thank you Captain."

"Your welcome Alex." He missed having the blonde around. She had been like a daughter to him.

They shared some eggnog and trash talk and then it was time to go home. Elliot didn't want to go to Liv's apartment. There was nothing wrong with the apartment, but it reminded him that his wife put him out.