Chapter 1
It wasn’t even December yet but Olivia Benson already hated Christmas.
Most cops have a different relationship with the calendar, one where more attention would be paid to the cyclical shifts in crime than a hallmarked passing of the seasons.
She’d also never particularly cared for this particular season, having had a complicated personal history with the traditionally-family oriented time of year.
Between last second scheduling changes and shift complaints, her general mood wasn’t doing any better than her seasonal cheer. In fact, the last two years were filled with change after major change in her life, all falling like dominoes, leaving little time for appreciation.
Cragen retired. Stabler left the force. She’d been promoted, and immediately had to fire (not to mention nearly arrest) Chester for the ‘paperwork error’ that cost a perp his life by being purposefully outed as a child-killer in the jail exercise yard.
They’d gone through a bevy of inexperienced ADAs due to Casey’s suspension.
She’d become a mom.
Bit by bit, things were settling down, but she really could use a vacation far away from any kind of Christmas carol. Only there was no time for a vacation, not even a short break.
This morning she was called back into work before the sun came up. She was cranky, hungry, under-caffeinated and at the moment particularly irritated by the twinkle-light-illuminated evergreen-garland, with periodically placed mistletoe, that had suddenly spawned itself throughout every public space in her building including the elevators.
She removed the scarf loosely looped around her neck and took a deep breath, rotating her head to work out the tension that had started to settle there and plastered a smile on her face for her son as she entered her home.
“Hi,” Olivia said.
“Good afternoon, Sergeant Benson,” Lucy said, generously putting a load of dishes into the dishwasher.
“Olivia,” Olivia corrected.
“Olivia,” Lucy said, her voice hesitant, never quite comfortable calling her boss by her first name.
“Where’s Noah?”
For an answer to the question, she smiled and pointed out the kitchen window.
One of Olivia’s favorite things about her apartment was the wonderful sunny view of the courtyard and it’s narrow garden space, even more now that her son could enjoy it too.
The arrangement of the building around the courtyard also provided a view of the apartments other side. The ones that faced the street.
And particularly, when her curtains were open, a view straight into Casey Novak’s new studio apartment. She looked through to see Casey holding Noah up on her hip, pointing at the passing parade balloons passing by the windows lining the street.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on them,” Lucy said. “Miss Novak thought Noah might like seeing some of the parade balloons since she has such a nice view. I know she babysits him for you sometimes, and I can see them from here and it was just so crowded in front of the building. I hope that was okay.”
“I actually managed to forget about the parade until I was on my way home,” Olivia said. “And yes, it’s okay, but text me a heads-up next time.”
Lucy nodded.
Olivia looked at her phone again though, and realized that Casey herself had done so much earlier.
-I have something of yours. We’re watching the parade. Come by my place when you get home.-C
Olivia sighed. “And it looks like Casey beat you to it and I missed it.” She sent a quick text back.
“Well, thank you so much for staying, Lucy. You can head home, have a great Thanksgiving with your family.”
“Thanks,” the young nanny beamed. “Happy Thanksgiving to you too.”
-
Casey answered the door with a warm smile, her easy going nature of late evident in her bare feet, jeans and a curve-hugging green cashmere sweater. Her long wavy red hair was loose around her shoulders, except for the one large bunch of it that was tightly held in Noah’s little fist.
Olivia smiled and unclenched Noah’s hand and released the red hair from it.
Noah wiggled lightly until he was free and quickly went back toward his window view.
“We were waiting for Garfield. Or Snoopy. Without one or the other of those guys it’s just not a real Thanksgiving day parade.”
“Well of course not,” Olivia said. “Though I admit that I haven’t seen this insane thing in years. I am more than familiar with the traffic nightmare, and the trouble getting into the building.”
“Nothing redeeming at all for you?” Casey smiled. “Not even Santa at the end?”
“Oh,” Olivia groaned quietly. “Do not bring up Santa.”
“Okay,” Casey said, voice lilting up in question. “I will not bring up the red suited elf-boss again.”
“I wasn’t even supposed to go in today.”
“You’re off now?”
Olivia nodded with a relieved sigh.
“What are your plans for the big turkey day?”
“Kathy Stabler has been campaigning for me to bring Noah over there. I’m still not 100% sure about it, I think Noah will be adorning their kitchen walls with mashed potatoes - but it would mean that I don’t have to feel guilty about not grocery shopping on the way home.” Olivia said.
“Your old partner’s wife’s invite is about on par to a dear auntie calling you to come back home. I’m pretty sure you have to go.” Casey smiled.
“What are your Thanksgiving plans? Headed home?”
“My mother has descended on my sister’s house this year, taking over the cooking duties because of the new baby, the third under the age of five. So I’m off the hook for going home.” She grinned. “I am going out a little later tonight though, some friends of mine are going to try and host for their first time for dinner - it should be fun if a bit inedible.” she said. “I have a just a bit more work here to finish up first.”
Olivia looked at the fold-out table/desk and frowned. There were legal pads with notes, several stacks of paper, folders next to a laptop. She checked that Noah was still behaving and looking out the window and moved closer to the work that Casey had mentioned.
“Casey,” Olivia continued frowning. “This looks… legal.”
“It is,” she said.
“You’re practicing law?”
“After a fashion,” she said.
“You’re license is suspended.” She motioned to the neat piles of papers. “Is that wise, to risk it permanently like that?”
Casey lips pressed together into a firm line then rolled her eyes. “Relax,” she said. “That is merely a mountain of research that I will summarize into a very concise two page brief. It’s for a friend who is also a lawyer. And while she does trust my opinions and analysis, she will make the final decisions regarding any action or policy work that she will then recommend and it will be on her license.”
Olivia sighed. “I’m sorry, Casey, I didn’t mean it like that I just-“
“It’s okay,” Casey said. “I get it. But if it makes you feel any better, I do have my license back.”
“What?” Olivia snapped.
“It is fully legal for me to practice law again.”
“Since when?”
“Just about a month ago.”
“Then why the hell aren’t you back at work? Do you know how hard it is to break in new ADAs?”
“Oh, I remember,” she said, she said with a sardonic smile.
“Then what’s going on?”
“I appealed the suspension, and won.”
“Really?”
Casey snorted. “Let me tell you about the Bar Associations’ record on appeals sometime,” she smirked and then fake whispered, “50% appealed sanctions are overturned.”
“Then when are you coming back?”
“In a little less than eighteen months,” Casey said.
“What?” she said a little too loud. She stopped herself saying more, looking over toward her son and sighed. “Why?” She continued in a more reasoned voice.
“Look, getting my license back is one thing, but if I want to have any credence in court I am going to have to let the judiciary know that I took this all seriously and that I regret what I did and won’t do it again. I’m in career rehab here.”
“I guess I understand that,” she said, “but it still sucks.” She rubbed at her head.
“Headache?”
Olivia grimaced in affirmation. “Isn’t Thanksgiving supposed to be the easy holiday? People should be happy to get time off and be well fed? No presents, no pressure.” She rubbed at her head.
She looked at her watch and tsked. “A headache already? It’s not even the afternoon, you’re not even peeling potatoes or forgetting to baste the turkey.” She moved to the kitchen area, opening a cabinet that contained some pain killer and handed the bottle to Olivia and prepared her a fresh cup of coffee. “You haven’t even had to endure a table-wide family argument yet.”
“Thank you,” Olivia said looking more than appreciative for the drink that was placed in front of her. She took a long sip with the pain killer before continuing. “Is that why you’re not at your sister’s house today? Avoiding the bickering?”
Casey flashed her a grin.
Olivia smirked and shook her head. “Anyway, yes, I blame the holiday, or whole entire season, really. The crowds, the obscene shopping, the repetitive music- ”
“You know,” Casey said. “I know it’s never been a great time for work, but, uh,” she bit her lips together and cringed. “Do you really want to tank the whole season?”
“Come again?”
Casey took a slow breath weighing her words. “Look,” she said. “The holidays are tricky for a lot of people, included me and my family, but you have someone else in the picture now who will soon enough might just enjoy and come to expect a twinkle light infested, presents under the tree, music filled holiday complete with pictures with a certain… toy distributer.”
“Ugh,” Olivia said, running a hand through her hair. “Part of me knows that.”
“But?”
“But this morning, on the first day that there is a major santa presence in the city, we brought in 5 santa-pervs. After that round up, there’s no way I’m putting my son on Santa’s lap.”
Casey cringed. “I can definitely understand that.”
“Look,” Olivia said. “He’s young enough to not know or remember much about this Christmas. And of course I’m going to spoil him, but I was hoping for it to be low key.” She sighed. “I think the city can handle the Bensons being mellow and a bit off schedule.”
“Off schedule?”
“The nanny has finals, and she’s about to vibrate apart with the stress of it,” She said. “I can not afford to lose her, so I was thinking about giving her some time off, whether or not it is a good time for me. She’s close to pulling out her hair out.”
“Yeah,” Casey said, wincing. “I noticed that.”
“And the other babysitter I use is going upstate to visit her family now and again in December and my main backup babysitter is going on vacation.”
“That sucks.”
“I really thought I had my bases covered with those three. The daycare will take him. For overtime. And there will be overtime, I’ve never known a CO that didn’t have to come in at least once or help scramble to find cover for someone during the holidays - something always happens,” she sighed. “I’ve had a couple of odd offers to babysit from the Stabler twins, I haven’t ever taken them up on it since they’re all the way up in Queens-”
Casey mirrored her frown then tilted her head. “You know,” Casey said. “I’m sure the daycare will be fine and all, but I can watch him.”
“What?”
“What do you mean, what? I’m here in the building. I’m working from home, mostly. And I’ve babysat for you before.”
“Yeah, for a few hours, but this would be considerably more and for like, a month. I can’t ask you to do that Casey, you’re - you’re my colleague.”
“Nope,” Casey said. “Technically, I’m just your friend-slash-neighbor now.” She smiled. “And I wouldn’t offer if I wasn’t willing.”
“You’re saying you want to moonlight as a babysitter?”
“Mmm,” Casey said. “That’s the beauty of freelance work,” she held her hands out, surveying an imaginary office. “I write my own conditions, clauses and dress code,” she wiggled her toes, showing off her pedicure. “Moonlighting is allowed and even encouraged.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously,” Casey said. “Come on, I’ve babysat loads in the last few years - all my little nieces and nephews love me. I want to help and I owe you. I wouldn’t even have this place without your help.”
“You had really good credit and references,” Olivia smirked. “And a nice-sized apartment that you sublet for a huge rent.”
“Yes, my money was fine, but my current work history reads: recently suspended. And I wouldn’t have been able to sublet my apartment if I didn’t find somewhere else to live.”
Olivia shrugged. “The board is also happy with how beautifully you’ve fixed up this place.”
Casey smiled. “The hard work and elbow grease I’m good at. The first impressions or selling myself to the building’s board…” Casey waggled her hand in the gesture-equivalent to ‘not so much.’ “Anyway - I really don’t mind filling in with some babysitting. Even a lot of babysitting.”
“I don’t want to impose on you,” Olivia ran her hand through her hair again. “But it would really help me out.”
“I’m happy to do it. Just let me know the schedule.”