Miracle on 89th St

It was still, technically, Thanksgiving weekend, but Olivia was certain that she could hear Christmas carols through the headphones of the guy across the aisle from them.

She swore that Christmas carols had already been playing non-stop since Halloween. At least they weren't playing over head on the train.

It was comfortable enough in their train cabin, if a bit warm, and their seats gave them a table and plenty of space. Noah was asleep on Casey, and Casey was asleep on Olivia’s shoulder, spent from kid-wrangling and having been lulled by the gentle rocking of the tracks. She knew that he would wake up again soon and want to resume his wandering of the train, so Olivia enjoyed her warm and happy cocoon despite the dreaded carols.

A part of her still hated Christmas, a little bit anyway, and probably always would. But last year had been better. Last year had actually ended up great, when Casey had been snowed-in and came back to them. They let themselves have the day, sweet and quiet, indulging in their officially bourgeoning relationship. If she was honest with herself, it had been the best holiday she'd had in a very long time.

This year was looking to be a small and quiet repeat of that day as well, she let her head against Casey's and finally admitted to herself that she was looking forward to it.

She'd been promised a mostly-informal Thanksgiving- and mostly, it had been delivered.

Casey had brought them back home for the holiday.

She had met several members of Casey's family throughout the year, and her mother (who loved hopping up on the train to NYC) several times already. But it was the first time she'd been at a large family function.

Despite Casey's stories of family arguments and nit-picking and teasing, everyone seemed to get along well. She rather enjoyed meeting Casey's family, seeing the different dynamics, shared facial features, and different personality traits.

They all seemed to love Casey, and notice her happy mood, smiling or doing double takes - as if it was new to them. For as much as they gave each other hell, they seemed to be happy just to see her happy. As did Olivia, who knew she was now addicted to trying to make Casey happy - a shift that she noticed within herself recently, that her happiness was now linked to Casey's.

Olivia hadn’t really thought about all of the implications of her and Noah coming along until they arrived at Casey’s parent’s home.

All she had been thinking was that she probably had to work, half-days at the very least, through the holiday, and she knew that Casey was planning to stay in New York because of it. That meant that Casey had been highly encouraged to visit her family at Thanksgiving.

Olivia just thought it would be nice to be together. They were great together. They felt solid and sure. Olivia even felt like they would be able to weather it well when Casey finally returned to the DA’s office and SVU.

Casey did offer to withstand the parental guilt and stay and cook a turkey dinner just for the three of them. They were also invited over to the Stabler abode, but Olivia had been more worried about her old-partner’s reaction to her relationship - the teasing and shit-eating grins and smug I called it attitude he would have, than she had been of the reaction of the entirety of Casey's family. After all, she had already met her mother, her brother and one of her sisters - plus she would have Noah to hide behind.

The little bubble they had been living in had been a particularly happy place. They went on dates when they had a sitter (Casey would finesse her connections and get her tickets to musicals and take her to long forgotten favorite romantic restaurants, and then turn around and seem even happier when Olivia got her tickets to baseball games). Their dates when they didn't have a sitter went just as well (they had dangerously happy trips to the park, the zoo, children's events and play places).

The three of them spent time together more often than not, seeing each other almost every day, even if just for a few minutes on the busiest ones. “Together” became a new normal.

She should have known what a big deal it was to go home with Casey, but Casey's family had been nothing short of welcoming. She had a feeling they were warned to be on their best behavior, but there seemed to be a lot of surreptitious glances - a watching and smiling from all corners. Still, there was no forcing into family pictures (though one of the teenagers seemed to be sneaking pics of her and Casey together - with and without Noah). And one nosy younger sister who, when she got close, said “Casey hasn't been serious enough about someone to bring them home in a long time.” But that sister was unceremoniously ushered out of the room by other relatives before Olivia could muster up an answer.

If she thought she could hide behind Noah, though, she was wrong. He had been co-opted by all of Casey's nieces and nephews and cousins, whisked away to play and generally treated like a little prince.

Olivia ended up being allowed to help cook and prepare for the dinner since she had little interest in the parade or the games on tv. Casey’s eyes went wide at the sight and she later muttered about her mom playing favorites. She should have been more anxious and uncomfortable with the implications, not to mention what it probably meant for their relationship, but she wasn't.

It still felt like they had just arrived at this place, where they realized the depths of their feelings, and everything still felt new. It’s not that they moved slowly, but they had been moving forward cautiously, and well, maybe they moved a bit slowly.

Eight Months Ago

“He is so hard to put down tonight,” Olivia complained.

Casey’s chest shook as she tried and failed to withhold her snicker.

“You think this is funny?” Olivia said, advancing on her.

Casey’s grin grew even as she tried to retreat.

“Of course you think this is funny,” Olivia said, trapping Casey against the counter. She abruptly ceased Casey’s laughter by nipping at her neck, lingering at one spot and sucking hard against it, appreciating the gasp she drew. “You were teasing me all day.”

Casey wrapped her arms around her and ran her fingers along Olivia's back under her shirt. “I wasn’t teasing you,” she said. “I had every intention to finish what I started… we just kept getting interrupted.”

Olivia had a feeling that Casey did know what she was doing all day long. So many other days too. It's not that she was overly demonstrative, or showed too many physical displays of affection, but she was so much more tactile than Olivia would have guessed or wondered about before they entered a relationship. She constantly sought out touch; her fingers slipping into Olivia’s hands, holding them, toying with her fingers, gently caressing them, or loose on their own, brushing up against Olivia’s side, along her arms, caressing at her neck or running through her hair. Olivia found that she liked all of the physical affection a lot. It was one of the many things she loved about her, even.

But the interruptions …

Getting interrupted constantly was almost an under-exaggeration. Busy schedules and a young one left for little alone time. They took advantage of every stolen snippet of time they could, which often left them feeling like horny teenagers. Just a few days before, after she’d put Noah to sleep, she practically pounced on Casey, pinning her to the couch. Casey grinned and pressed her thigh in between hers, causing a devastating moan. They’d been able to shed 50% of their clothes before the baby monitor lit up. She groaned at the time, nearly wanting to cry, but Casey just laughed.

It sometimes took an interminable time for Noah to stay in bed. But if all of the teasing of earlier had left her at a frustrated simmer most of the day, it was nothing to the ignition from pressing her up against the counter now, it was all she could do to remember to breathe. It wasn't the make-out session itself, it was how Casey was pressing her body against her with equal need, it was the way she would shift her hips, and how hot her skin felt under her fingers.

“So, if you weren't making me crazy on purpose,” she leaned back to look at her, still suspicious of Casey's amusement, “then that means you were interested in starting something at the children’s museum?” She resumed her attack.

Casey tried to laugh again, but it came out more like a gasp. “I didn’t get to see you very much this week, you really can’t expect me to keep my hands to myself.” She began toying with the waistline of Olivia's jeans. “Driving you crazy is just a side effect of needing to touch you,” she whispered into Olivia’s neck. Placing random patterns of kisses that quickly became open mouthed kisses everywhere she could reach. “Wanting you so much.”

Olivia’s hands gripped her harder and then slipped under her shirt. “Stay over tonight,” she said.

Casey tried to shake out of the haze she was deliciously drowning in. “Are you sure?”

“It’s time,” she said and nodded at whatever else she’d decided in her head. “I’m tired of you going back to your place in the middle of the night.”

“I’d like nothing more,” Casey said, placing a quick and nearly chaste kiss on Olivia’s lips. “But I want you to be comfortable with this.”

“He’s too young to understand,” Olivia said. They were good together, so good, and they were starting to make a good team. Casey had been so patient with her, and understanding about her reticence about starting a relationship, one that they knew could become very serious, when she had a child to worry about. And she was still there and still interested. “And you’re - you’re not going anywhere.”

Casey smiled at the last sentence. Her voice was the slightest bit shaky, but it was not a question, it was evidence that Olivia was hopefully, finally, beginning to believe.

“No, I’m not,” Casey said.

“Then stay.”

Casey had been at her most patient throughout the train ride back home from Thanksgiving. They had travelled together before; short Summer weekend getaways to the shore, and one long weekend to New Hampshire in the Fall. The trips went well, and they had worked well as a team to entertain and take care of Noah as they enjoyed their small vacations together, but Casey was always the one more willing to walk him around in cramped quarters.

Noah was still crazy about trains, so energetic and excited that he would not be contained. She walked him up and down compartments, got him milk and snacks in the dining car, showed him all the compartments kids were allowed to see into, and even arranged for him to see the video stream of the engineer at the controls. He was in heaven and his favorite buddy was completely indulging him yet again.

After Casey started off on yet another walk toward the dining car, the woman across the aisle asked Olivia, “What's your son’s name?”

“Noah.”

“Your wife is so good with him, it's very sweet.”

Olivia's breath hitched but she maintained control. “She's very good with him, but she's my girlfriend.” She wasn't sure why she corrected the stranger so fast, just that a nervous part of her was compelled to do so.

The woman looked back up at Casey and Noah moving through the platform and then back at Olivia.

She didn't know what to expect from a stranger, perhaps unsolicited parenting advice or wandering homophobia… but-

“You should definitely marry her then,” she said.

-It certainly was not what Olivia expected.

She froze and awaited the coming panic that should have taken over. Common sense told her to panic, and she knew she had in the past. But as she caught one final sight of her two favorite people as they left their compartment, she felt her expression soften and a small smile take over. “I probably should.”

December moved faster than she realized it could, and after all of the work parties, day care parties, and holiday events that Casey just had to take Noah to, Christmas Eve crept up on her quickly.

Casey was on her way, but was out picking up one last forgotten grocery item before all the stores closed early on Christmas Eve.

Olivia lay tired and boneless on Casey's couch, she had gone into work twice already, and would invariably get called in again tomorrow, so she was resting her eyes while she could as Noah ran around.

Casey had baby-proofed her apartment, and anything that Noah was able to get into was generally safe, though it still felt like Casey gave him way too much leeway, and he knew it.

She raised her head after she heard several drawers opening and closing, and the sound of a few photo frames falling from the dresser, she craned her head around the tree to see the damage.

He indeed had been rooting around in the dresser, and was apparently trying to put away the laundry he found in the basket on the bed. On one hand, it was really sweet and reminded her how close he watched the world around him, but he was shoving random items from Casey's basket into any-which drawer, overstuffing and rearranging and causing everything to spill over.

She couldn't help but laugh, Casey always was a little anal and often over-organized things, and now she was never going to be able to find anything and half of the items were on the floor. She continued laughing as she came over to help, deciding to first pick up all the clothes on the floor and return them to the basket. After she retrieved half of the clothes, though, she found something else.

A jewelry box.

A ring box, to be particular.

It was right there under the dresser among several pairs of running shorts.

She picked it up a little nervously, though she tried to pretend there was no reason to be nervous. No matter how nervous it made her though, she could not prevent herself from opening it.

And indeed, inside was an engagement ring.

A beautiful, beautiful, engagement ring.

Her heart sped up and she couldn't stop looking at it until she heard Noah knock something off of the tree. The sound woke her from the trance and she snapped the box shut.

“Noah, come here baby. Where did you find this?” she held out the box in her hand.

He held out his hands in front of him in an exaggerated shrug.

Olivia rubbed at her forehead with her free hand. “Okay, but we need to put it back exactly where you found it,” she said. “I found it over here, which drawer did you get it from?”

He pointed vaguely at the dresser and ran toward the kitchen.

“That's just perfect,” she groaned, starting to feel frantic. “Oh my god, we really have to put it back.” She sat down on the bed and stared at the dresser, looking at all of the drawers trying to divine which one would be the most likely hiding place it came from, and fell back onto the bed in defeat.

The sound of the door opening caused her to sit back up immediately. It was a studio apartment, and Olivia knew that Casey could see everything within a few steps of the doorway.

Casey came in, greeting them and putting her bag down before looking up. Once she did, she indeed was able to take in the entire scene at once; the evidence of Noah’s help, and Olivia sitting on the bed with a pained face and wide eyes - ring box in her hand. Her mouth fell open, but she took a visibly deep breath and recovered, shutting a few kitchen cabinets that Noah had left opened, trying to get her thoughts in order.

She walked over slowly.

“I think he was trying to put your laundry away,” Olivia said, motioning to the basket and the clothes on the floor and the general dishevelment of the dresser. “And he found this,” she handed it over.

Casey took it gently and sat down next to Olivia, she opened the box in her lap and looked at it. She tried to form a smile when she looked over at Noah who was still playing with safe-enough items from the kitchen cabinets he could reach.

“This is not how a proper wingman is supposed to act,” she said, her smile wobbling a bit. She took a deep breath.

“Casey,” Olivia tried, “You don't have to explain-”

“Do you remember when I went home for my grandmother’s birthday?”

Olivia stopped talking and nodded at the seeming non-sequitur. She remembered that trip, it had been months ago, before Casey's birthday. She remembered specifically because she had had to rearrange impending birthday plans she had for Casey.

“Apparently, I talked about you so much that my grandmother pulled me aside and gave me a ring. She said that it had been in the family forever.” She smiled wistfully. “She had been saving it for one of us, and said I could do whatever I wanted with it - but that it had always brought luck and love, and that it would inspire me. And well, it was a little old fashioned, so I took it to a jeweler.” She tucked a fallen lock of hair behind her ear.

“He wants to meet you by the way, we talked a lot about you and about your job and when cops wear rings and when they don't, and what kinds of jewelry you like. We spent a lot of time designing it around the original stones.” She had to take another deep breath to continue.

“I’ve known you were it for me, for a very long time. Almost right away. And once I had the ring, I couldn't stop thinking about you and Noah and us, all of us together. I know we've talked about the future a few times, maybe more than a few times, but the truth of all of those conversations was that I don't want to imagine mine without the two of you. I can't see any future for myself that I wouldn't want the two of you there. I love you… more than I thought you could love someone, and when were together it feels like home.”

Casey paused, and Olivia thought she may even stop, but she merely took another breath and continued.

“I have had the ring ready for a while, but I just didn't know how to...but I didn't want to spring it on you, or have any holiday pressure on it-”

“Casey-”

“-And of course, you can think about it, take all the time you want, we can even decide if it’s too early for us to even talk about this - “

“Casey-”

“-We’re not pressed for time, and you really don’t have to say anything-”

“Casey!” she almost laughed

Casey finally looked at her. “What?”

“You do realize you haven't actually asked me anything.”

Casey let out a laugh that was merely an exhalation of breath, and held the ring out to Olivia. “Will you marry me?”

Olivia cupped her cheek, so lightly, and kissed her, “Yes.”

“Yes?” Casey's eyes welled up and her lip trembled so Olivia brought her in for another kiss.

“Yes,” she said, softly against her lips. “I’ll marry you.” When they finally broke their kiss, Casey slipped the ring on. It fit perfectly, not that Olivia expected anything less.

-

They were relaxing on Olivia's couch later, once Noah was finally asleep in his room, watching the lights twinkle on the tree that she succumbed to after puppy-dog eyes from the two Christmas tree lovers. She was blissfully letting her mind drift, as Casey ran fingers up and down her arms. When those fingers stopped again at the new ring, running over it a few times, she looked at Casey's face, serious in contemplation.

“What are you thinking about?”

“I'm just a little in awe still. I can't believe I finally asked.”

“I can’t believe you proposed to me for Christmas.”

“But,” Casey sputtered turning a bit in her arms, the indignance clear on her face. “That isn’t- it wasn't like-”

Olivia smirked.

“You know I already had a present for you, you put it up in the closet with the others!” she said, starting to defend herself. “You’ll get to open it in the morning if you-”

Olivia started laughing.

“Oh,” she said, her voice going up at finally recognizing that she was being teased. “Oh, I see… well keep it up and not only will you not get your present, but I’ll plan a great big wedding on Christmas Day next year.”

Olivia poked her in a ticklish spot just under her ribs causing a little laughter and a lot of squirming, but looked thoughtful after a minute. “It’s not the worst idea I’ve ever heard. It would be on our anniversary. Easy to remember…” thinking it could be a better reason to celebrate, and that having Casey in her life brought her a long way towards learning to appreciate the holiday.

Casey looked like her eyes were going to well up again. “I can't believe we’re going to get married.”

“You’re the one who proposed,” Olivia laughed.

“Finally,” she said, running a finger along her face, cupping it. “I've wanted to do that for a while.”

“I've been thinking about it too,” Olivia admitted, leaning into the caress. “Maybe he's not such a bad of a wingman after all.”

“Maybe,” she agreed. “Or maybe Santa was listening, and I got everything I could possibly want for Christmas.”

“So, does that mean you don't want the present I got you?”

“Well,” she said. “I didn't say that…”

Olivia grinned, and pulled her down for a kiss.