Christmas is a time for miracles. SVU is a place for heartache. Florida is a place to make an escape.

All alone. Something she was used to. That didn't make it any easier though. She sighed to herself as she sat down at her desk and pulled out a file in a manilla folder. Everyone else was gathered together talking about their evening plans. She didn't bother to listen in. She knew they all had family. They all had someone. Except her. She didn't have anybody else. Nobody to give her a present. Nobody to give her a card. She was lucky she even got a Merry Christmas.

As the day winded down into the evening and the snow glowed in the moonlight, everybody beginning home.

"What are you doing tonight, Liv?" the question came from Rollins. Someone who knew very little about her. Rollins probably thought Olivia had a family. Boy was she wrong.

"Nothing," Olivia said sadly, "I'm going home and going to bed."

"You're not going to your family's house?"

Olivia frowned, on the verge of tears. She didn't want to talk about it. "Don't have any."

Rollins left the conversation at that.

As Olivia walked through the snow the ground crunched beneath her taking her focus. It was freezing and yet Olivia felt ten times that cold. She knew she was going home to nothing. She knew.

As she arrived at the familiarity that was her apartment she sighed. It wasn't ever going to get easier. She fumbled with the keys in her hands as she shuffled to unlock the door. She didn't want to have to deal with anymore of the "cheer" that was going on outside/ The lights were giving her a headache and the carolers were making it worse. She walked inside and shut the door behind her, locking it tight. She took off her layers of warm clothes and sat down on the couch with a blanket. She didn't even bother turning on the lights. She just didn't care. She looked around at her apartment and wished that she could have someone to share it with. Someone to put a Christmas tree and decorate it too. She pulled the cover up under her chest and closed her eyes only to be startled by her doorbell ringing.

"Damn carolers," she mumbled under her breath. She went to open the door and surprisingly it wasn't any singers. It was Elliot. He didn't say anything, only handed her a card. She opened it up and read it to herself.

"Merry Christmas, Liv." He said it out loud after she read it.

Tears were on the verge of falling from her eyes and she couldn't let him see her cry. She sprung forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Elliot," she said quietly, "Where have you been?!"

He bowed his head and swiped his foot across the floor in front of him. He had thought about what to say when he finally worked up the courage to knock on her door.

"I've been getting ready..." he mumbled.

"Come in," Olivia said opening the door farther.

He walked in but didn't sit down. He needed to stand as far away from Olivia as possible, just in case she decided to hit him.

"I bought a house... in Florida."

"Florida?" Olivia gasped, "Are you serious?" She could feel the anger rising in her. If he had been in Florida all this time, why couldn't he just tell her?"

He nodded, "I bought a house. A big house."
"That's great," Olivia scoffed, plopping down on the couch and pulling the duvet down over her.

"I'm glad you were able to get away. Start living your life."

"Liv..." he said stuffing his hands into his gray jacket pocket, "I got you a present."

She looked up at him with her wondering eyes. She wasn't sure how she felt. She was overcome with emotion when she had found him standing on the other side of her door. She wanted to jump into his arms and never let go. She knew she had to stand her ground though. She wasn't going to let him of the hook that easily.

"What is it?" she asked with a small smile forming on her face.

"A house," he said honestly, "A house in Florida. I want you to move in with me."

Olivia felt her heart stop. She felt like this was all a dream. Some sick, twisted, demented dream. "El...this... that's crazy. You can't just come back here after all of this time and expect everything to be okay! It's not! It's not okay!" She was on a roll now and she wasn't going to stop. She tossed the blanket off of her and it fell to the floor as she angrily charged towards Elliot. "You left! Without a damn word! You just left! Did you think about anyone besides you? Did you think about me? Did you? Did you think about how I would feel?! Screw you, Elliot!"

"Olivia," he said keeping his voice level, "I'm sorry. I needed time to think... to get my priorities straight."

"Your priorities," she laughed, "Your priorities."

"Olivia," he said again taking a step closer to her.

"What?!"

Just then he extended his arm and placed it around her back, pulling her into his chest. He planted his lips against hers. Feeling the soft sweetness that rested on them. It's how he always pictured that she would taste.

"Merry Christmas," he said pulling away slowly.

Standing there, in that moment, she didn't feel alone anymore. Looking into his eyes and feeling the warmth of his touch, she felt like she had it all. It was almost as if she was standing on the top of the world and nobody could knock her down. She knew it wasn't true though. She knew it was only for a moment. When he would pull away, it would all be over. She would wake up.

"I can't," she said quietly hanging her head and letting go of him, "I can't... Elliot... I can't."

"Can't what?"

"I can't do this... I can't just drop everything here and leave without telling my family goodbye. I wouldn't do that to them."

Elliot sighed, "I don't expect you to. You are a lot smarter than I am... You always have been. I'll stay until you're ready to go back with me. I'll stay forever if I have to. But Liv... I'm not leaving without you. Not this time. I wouldn't make it."

Merry Christmas. Some Christmas she thought. This was everything she had wished for that year. Everything she had ever wanted had showed up outside her door. The only thing she asked for for the past fourteen years was finally hers. For now...