DISCLAIMER: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and its characters are the property of NBC and Dick Wolf.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
SERIES: Part of the Holiday Shorts series.
Holiday Short - Easter
By sunsetwriter
Alex walked into the squad room to find Elliot and Fin high-fiving, Munch smirking, and Olivia sitting at her desk with her head in her hands.
"What did I miss?" Alex asked as she lowered her briefcase to the floor and sat down in the chair next to Olivia's desk.
Hearing the ADA's voice only made Olivia shake her head and Elliot's grin grow even wider. Alex looked from face to face waiting for an answer to her question. When her gaze landed on Elliot, he said, "It's the one-six's turn to deliver Easter baskets to the children's hospital patients."
Alex nodded and said, "Oh, count me in then." She looked back at Olivia when she heard a muffled groan. "Is there a problem with that?"
Elliot snickered as he moved behind his partner's chair. "NYPD does this every year, and they always ask one detective to dress up as the Easter Bunny." He put his hands on Olivia's shoulders and said to Alex, "Meet this year's Peter Cottontail." Olivia swiftly elbowed him and he jumped back saying, "She doesn't like being called 'Bugs' either."
Alex bit the inside of her jaw in an attempt not to laugh. Olivia noticed and rolled her eyes. "Go ahead, laugh. Everyone else has."
Alex managed not to laugh, but she did offer a wide grin. "Did you draw the short straw again?"
Olivia huffed. "No. I'm the only one that can fit into the damn bunny suit." She shook her head. "They used to have three of them, but the larger sizes have conveniently disappeared," she said as she shot accusing looks at her male counterparts.
"Normally, Olivia, I would agree with your conspiracy theory," Munch said. "But I volunteered last year and actually witnessed Ramirez catching his tail in the elevator door. We had to borrow surgical tape from the nurse's station to keep him from mooning all the kids after his tail got ripped off and fell down the elevator shaft."
Olivia didn't look convinced. "That accounts for the extra-large suit, but what about the other one?"
Fin spoke up this time. "Rumor has it that McDowell from the two-seven had some kid puke all over him the year before. They said the kid had about a gallon of red kool-aid in him. Now the suit has giant pink splotches all over it that won't come out."
Elliot snickered. "You'd look like a mutant Energizer Bunny."
Olivia glared at her partner. "Shut it, Stabler. And if you say 'wascally wabbit' one more time, I'll be forced to shoot you in the knee."
Alex stood up and said, "Well, it looks like I got here just in time to save your partner's knee. I was nearby and thought I'd save you a trip over. Is there a room we can use?" she asked as she picked up her briefcase.
"Yes, please rescue me from these kindergarten cops," Olivia said as she stood and gestured for Alex to follow her toward an unused interview room.
As they passed Elliot, he said to Alex, "What are you guys working on?"
Alex smiled as she answered. "Twial pwep."
Elliot snorted and Olivia spun on her heel and looked at the ADA with surprise. "What did you say?"
"Trial prep, what did you think I said?" Alex replied innocently.
Olivia glared for a moment, shook her head, and then turned and continued out of the room. Alex winked at Elliot as she walked past, making it even harder for him to stifle his laughter.
When they got to the interview room, Olivia waited for Alex to enter and then closed the door behind them. Alex put her briefcase on the table and opened it to pull out the case-file she was planning to review with Olivia. They both sat down, and when Alex looked up, Olivia was giving her a curious look.
"What?" Alex asked, immediately suspicious of the look she was receiving.
Olivia shrugged. "You offered to help with the Easter thing a while ago... I think the suit might fit you."
"Not a chance," Alex said emphatically. "You're much better with kids, and I'm actually looking forward to seeing you hop around with a big, fluffy tail."
Olivia's eyes widened and her eyebrows rose a notch. "I'm not planning on hopping anywhere."
"Well, you'll be a bunny, you can't really swagger around like you usually do."
Dark eyebrows continued their upward journey. "I don't swagger."
Alex scoffed. "You most certainly do." Then the corner of her mouth twitched as she tried not to smile. "And you do it quite well, I might add, but it just seems wrong for the Easter bunny." She tried again not to laugh at the expression on Olivia's face. "So what does this suit look like anyway?"
"It looks itchy. God, I hope they've had it dry-cleaned."
Alex nodded. "So I'm guessing it's not a bunny suit of the Hugh Hefner variety?"
Olivia's eyes widened again. "No! Thank God."
Alex nodded again as she tried to ignore the image that just ran through her head. "Is it strange that I'm both relieved and disappointed by that?"
Olivia felt the warmth in her cheeks as she smiled at the ADA. "You don't really expect me to parade around dressed like a Playboy bunny, do you?"
"Well, not at the children's hospital." Alex hesitated. "But… if you… you know, did some parading around later, I probably wouldn't object."
"Oh really?"
Alex shrugged. "I've always liked Easter parades."
"Have a thing for the bunnies, do you Miss Cabot?" Olivia said with a grin.
Alex shrugged again and tried not to blush. "Only the cute ones that swagger a little."
Olivia laughed. "And if I'm wearing a bunny suit, what will you be wearing?"
With a gleam in her eye, Alex replied, "I'll be the one holding the carrot."
The End