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Christmas was always Casey’s favorite. The snow, the ugly sweaters, the gift giving, the lights and even the horrible office Christmas parties, which were inevitably interrupted with some sort of pull from a criminal investigation. This year is different— she has Alex. The Alex Cabot. Never in a million years did the young redhead think she would be lucky enough to get to love and be loved by her, but here she is at the highest point in her career, dating the one woman she always longed for.
You could say the same about Alex. She loves the magic that surrounds her in the city. Strolling through the park to see the lights, seeing the children look in at Santa in the mall where the magic truly comes alive. But the one thing Alex finds more magical that Christmas is Casey. The one woman she has ever loved, and likely will ever love.
“Hey, Al,” Casey pokes her head around the corner of the hallway, “have you seen my box of Christmas decorations? It’s not in the closet.” Alex puts her notepad into the drawer next to her and gets up with a huff. Not because she didn’t want to, but because she had just told her girlfriend where the boxes were the night before.
“I’m not sure. It should be right where I told you it was last night.” She smirks and moves a couple smaller boxes out of the closet revealing a box with ‘Casey’s Christmas Shit’ written on the side. Alex looks at her girlfriend, shooting her a look that says ‘really?’. Casey takes the box to the other room, followed by Alex, who takes her box of holiday decorations. The two sit on the floor rummaging through their boxes, pulling out different ornaments and other trinkets.
“Oh wow, look at this!” The redhead pulls out a handmade ornament. A wreath with a picture of the woman as a little girl inside. “Judging from the date on the back and the illegible handwriting on the back, I’m guessing I was in kindergarten or first grade.”
Alex takes the ornament and lets out a laugh, “Somethings never change and one of those things is your handwriting,”
“Hey! Not fair!” Casey retorts, snatching the ornament back from her girlfriend.
“The other, your smile.” Alex leans over placing a delicate kiss on the other woman’s cheek, eliciting a smile from her.
“Aren’t you going to show me your most embarrassing Christmas ornament, or is this a one sided affair?” Casey says, sneaking a look in the other box.
“You sure about that? You might break up with me.” She pulls out a clay ornament.
“Oh my god, Alex!” she takes the ornament from her woman’s hands to see if she’s seeing what she thinks she’s seeing, “Are those your baby ass cheeks made into a snowman?” Alex nods while Casey laughs so hard that she snorts, which makes Alex laugh just as hard as Casey.
“I have no idea what my mother was thinking,” she shakes her head, “this thing was on her tree until the year I graduated law school, Case.”
“No fucking way.”
“Yep, my ass was on display every Christmas well into adulthood.” She takes the ornament back from her girlfriend, placing it gently back into the box.
“Maybe you should recreate it-” Casey smirks at her girlfriend, knowing she would give some sort of protest to the idea.
“Novak!” She nudges Casey’s arm in protest.
“What? Maybe I just want to festively have your ass on display in our home.”
“Baby, if you wanna see my festive ass,” she lets out a small chuckle before finishing her statement, “just ask me to put on a Santa hat.” She winks before letting out a loud laugh.
“Sounds hot.” They both laugh before leaning in for another kiss. Alex pulls away with a look on her face— she was thinking.
“Do you have a tree? I had to throw mine away last year after our little…” she pauses to think of the best word, “incident.” Casey shakes her head ‘no’, remembering what happened to Cabot’s last tree.
The two got together last New Year’s before Alex had a chance to take her tree down. Things got hot and heavy, the tree couldn’t take the heavy and the rest was history. The thought of that memory makes both women laugh before engaging in the real tree vs artificial tree debate.
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*
After what will go down as the Great Tree Debate of the Century, the couple decided to get an artificial tree, even though that was the last thing Casey wanted. Alex won the debate with the fact they would have to drag a tree up 6 flights of stairs because of the broken elevator in the building. Since Casey wouldn’t get her way with a real tree, she got to pick the lights for their tree. White lights that would twinkle if you press the little button.
They drag the box to the corner of the room by the big window overlooking the city. Alex opens the box and begins sorting the branches into piles by size while Casey gets the skeleton of the tree put together.
“Ya know,” Alex says, picking up another branch, “this is my first Christmas I haven’t spent alone in years.”
Alex had spent the last 4 Christmases alone. Three of them were because she was in witness protection, and the fourth was spent alone in her office in the D.As’s office, wondering who the hell would dump a child’s body in Central Park on Christmas Eve.
Casey steps away from her completed part of the project. She comes up behind Alex, wrapping her arms around the other woman’s waist, “I promise you this,” she leans her head on Alex’s shoulder, “with me by your side, you will never spend Christmas alone again.” She places a kiss on the closest part of Alex to her.
Alex turns around, enveloping the other into an embrace. They stay there for a moment before letting go, but not before whispering, “I love you” to each other. They stay there for a moment before resuming their tree activity.
The two women begin placing each branch into their corresponding spot until they reach the top of the tree. This doesn’t end without a few small scratches from the jagged edges of the fake pine.
“Lights?” Casey says reaching for the box on the couch.
“Only if you’re the one putting them on. I’m bound to get tied up in those things by accident.” Alex takes the second box off the couch helping to open it.
“Bound?” Casey smirks pulling the lights out of the box.
“Counsellor! Objection?” Alex raises an eyebrow in speculation.
“To what?” Casey shakes her head before letting out a silent, “withdrawn.”
“Just light the tree, Red.”
The two women step toward the tree. The redhead walks around the tree, placing the lights between the branches, making sure to space the lights perfectly. Alex follows close behind making sure the rest of the light strand doesn’t get caught on the base of the tree. Casey tucks the last bit into the back side of the tree before stepping back next to Alex who has already moved back about six feet from the tree. The blonde wraps her arm around the waist of the other woman, pulling her in to kiss the top of her head.
“Looks great, Case.” Alex glances over to Casey and back to the tree. Casey notices the glance and locks eyes with the other woman when she looks back.
“What are you thinking about?” Casey inquires.
“Nothing.” Lies.
“You’re thinking, babe. I know that look.” She’s right. Alex is deep in thought.
“Leave it alone. Casey.” Alex drops her hand from her girlfriend’s waist. She takes a few steps back. Her eyes bounce between the end table on her side of the couch and Casey.
“What’s in the drawer?” Casey takes a step towards the drawer, knowing Alex would cave the minute Casey makes a move.
Alex tries formulating a response, but she isn’t fast enough. Casey is already in the drawer. She reaches to the back of the drawer pulling out a small box and Alex’s notepad.
She raises an eyebrow before looking back up at Alex, who has sat down on the couch. The blonde pats on the seat next to her, taking the box from Casey’s hand and tossing the notepad to the side.
“I was going to wait until Christmas Eve, but I guess this is happening now.” She fumbles the small box in her hands.
“Casey, I don’t even know where to start with this. I-- I didn’t plan on doing this now.” Casey places her hand on Alex’s knee, grounding the other woman. They exchange a smile before Alex begins again.
“I am in love with you. I know. This isn’t news to you, or anyone really. You, Casey Novak, you changed my life. I went through loss after loss after loss,” Alex pauses to take Casey’s hands in hers, “The magic in my life was gone until you walked into that bar on New Year’s Eve. I didn’t ever think I was going to see this random woman from the bar after she left my apartment that next morning.”
“Ah, so I was just gonna be another run on your score sheet?” Casey says, distracting herself from the tears glossing in her eyes. Both women let out a soft chuckle.
“Never, but let me finish.” Alex straightens her posture. “When I walked into the D.A’s office after my vacation, I felt this pull in me. I had to have you in my life again and there you were, right in my reach. The magic was back. Casey, you saved me. I don’t know why or how, but you did. You made me love fiercely and deeply.” Alex opens the box, presenting the contents to Casey, “Marry me, Casey. Please.” She takes the ring out of the box.
“Alex--” is all Casey could manage to get out before ferociously nodding her head.
“You have to say it.”
“Of course, Alex. I want to marry you.” Alex slides the ring onto Casey’s finger. She cups her new fiancée’s face and pulls her in for a kiss. This kiss was one neither would forget. The love, the passion, the spark. It was all so new, yet so familiar and so much stronger.