DISCLAIMER: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and its characters are the property of NBC and Dick Wolf.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This could be considered a sequel (3quel?) to two previous shorts – Veteran's Day and Memorial Day. Characters and relationships mentioned here are established in the two previous shorts. I couldn't let the momentous happenings in NY go by without a short to commemorate the occasion. Hope you like it.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
FEEDBACK: To sunsetwriter[at]mindspring.com
SERIES: Part of the Holiday Shorts series.
Holiday Short – NY Legalizes Gay Marriage
By sunsetwriter
Olivia stepped forward, holding one long-stemmed red rose, and linked arms with the elderly gentleman who offered her his arm. She leaned forward just a bit, and peered around her old friend Coop to see Alex holding onto his right arm, basically in a mirror image of her own position. Alex seemed to have the same thought and looked back at Olivia with a gorgeous smile.
'Gorgeous', Olivia thought. That was the perfect word to describe Alex on this day. Her blonde air was pulled back in an elegant twist, and her blue eyes were sparkling even more than usual. She also carried one long-stemmed red rose and was wearing an ivory dress startlingly similar to the one Olivia was wearing.
They had each shopped for dresses separately and had dissolved into laughter when they realized that they had each chosen an almost identical dress. Ivory in color, sleeveless, with a long slit up one side, it was not exactly a typical wedding dress, but very classy with just the right amount of sexiness thrown in for good measure. Olivia's dress had a plunging neckline, showing off just a hint of cleavage, while Alex's had a higher, rounded neck bodice that complimented her sleek stature. The dresses were perfect fits for both their bodies and their personalities, and gave them the exact look they had each wanted for this day.
Olivia wore minimal make-up and had styled her short hair just the way she knew Alex liked it. Alex wore the subtle perfume that was Olivia's favorite, but drew the line at wearing her glasses today. She promised to put them on later tonight, though, bringing a smile to Olivia's face.
Coop cleared his throat and looked back and forth between the two women. "I'm the luckiest man in the world right now," he said with a smile and a twinkle in his eye.
Olivia squeezed his arm and said, "Don't make me cry, old man."
He chuckled quietly and said, "OK, ladies, everybody ready?"
"Absolutely," Olivia replied.
Simultaneously, Alex said, "Without a doubt."
"Then let's get this show on the road," Coop said as he started his slow but steady walk escorting Olivia and Alex to the altar of the church.
Olivia was pleased to see all of their friends, smiling as they watched Coop lead them down the center aisle.
At the altar, Elliot was standing on Olivia's side, wearing a new black suit and a genuine smile as he watched his partner take her position beside him. On the other side, Abbie Carmichael, also wearing a simple, but classy black skirt suit stood smiling as Alex stepped into place beside her.
Having done his duty, Coop turned and sat on the first pew closest to Olivia. He was absolutely beaming and couldn't have been more proud if Olivia had been his own flesh and blood.
The ceremony was surprisingly traditional and very simple – just the way Olivia and Alex had planned. The vows they exchanged were modified slightly from the typical ones brides and grooms had uttered for years, but they still centered on faith, hope and love and, of course, included the 'forsaking all others 'til death do us part' line.
The only bobble in the whole ceremony was when Elliot almost dropped the engraved, gold band that Olivia was to place on Alex's finger. Olivia couldn't help but chuckle when he juggled it for a moment before finally placing it securely in her hand. She found it quite amusing that he seemed to be so much more nervous than she did.
Once the vows and rings were exchanged, they were proclaimed to be married and were then prompted to share their first kiss as a married couple. And, oh, what a kiss it was. If asked later, Olivia would say it was a kiss that held all the love they had shared in the past, but had a spark that hinted of all the good things yet to come their way. She knew it was a completely corny description, but it summed up exactly what she felt.
As the music began to play, Alex and Olivia linked hands, shared another quick, impromptu kiss and began to make their way back down the aisle. Olivia glanced over to Coop, who winked and nodded as he continued smiling profusely. She then looked to the other side of the church to see Alex's mother. Elizabeth Cabot was discreetly dabbing the corner of one eye with a handkerchief. When she caught Olivia's gaze, she smiled warmly and gave an almost imperceptible, but unmistakable nod. Olivia tightened her grip on Alex's hand as they made their way out of the church.
As they exited the church, Olivia heard a purring sound and felt a weight on her right shoulder. She looked behind her, only to hear Alex's voice say in a whisper, "Jack, come over here." Olivia turned back to Alex as the purring sound softened, and she felt the weight move across her body.
As the sounds from the churchyard faded, Olivia opened her eyes.
She turned her head to find Alex's smiling, blue eyes watching her from the adjacent pillow. She grimaced as she felt a cat paw land right on her bladder as Jack walked across her body to hunker down contentedly between them. Bright, morning sunlight was coming in through the blinds, and she squinted as she looked around almost in a daze. It was a dream.
"Good morning," Alex said softly as she leaned toward Olivia for a quick kiss.
"Morning," Olivia replied as she returned the kiss.
"Sorry, I was hoping he wouldn't wake you," Alex said as she referred to the big orange and white cat now sleeping soundly just off Olivia's left hip. "You were obviously having a good dream."
"What makes you say that?" Olivia asked.
"You were smiling in your sleep," Alex said, smiling herself.
"It was a good dream. Do you want to hear about it?"
Alex shifted her position slightly and reached down to stroke Jack's fur. The cat began to purr again. "Well, just remember, my mother always told me if you talked about your dreams before breakfast they would come true, so if it's not something-"
"We got married," Olivia interrupted.
Alex's hand stilled and the cat quieted. She looked at Olivia for a moment as if she didn't understand what she said. "What?"
Olivia smiled. "We got married," she said again. "That's possible now, you know."
"I know," Alex said. She also knew that they had discussed it before it was ever made legal and ultimately decided that they didn't really need a piece of paper saying they were married in order to share their lives and live together as a committed couple. Although, when that discussion had taken place, neither woman was expecting the state of New York to legalize same-sex marriage anytime in the near future.
"Our families were there. Well, Coop and your mom were there, and all of our friends. It was nice."
Alex looked curiously at Olivia. "My mother and Coop were there?"
Olivia nodded. "I know they're both gone now, but it was like… they each gave us their blessing or something. It was nice," she said again.
Alex swallowed the lump she suddenly felt in her throat. "So… what are you saying?"
Olivia turned to face Alex. "I'm saying that, before it was actually possible for us to get married, it was pretty easy to dismiss it as something that we didn't need to do. But now…"
"Now…?"
"I haven't had breakfast, have you?"
Alex shook her head.
Olivia smiled. "So, then, according to your mother, it looks like we're getting married."
Alex laughed. "That has to be the most unconventional proposal I have ever heard." Then she paused and looked at Olivia curiously. "Was it a proposal?"
Olivia laughed also and nodded. "Since when have we ever been conventional? So, whaddya say?"
Alex broke into a wide grin. "I say yes," she replied, as once again, between them, a contented Jack began to purr.
They both laughed again as they leaned in for a kiss.
And, oh, what a kiss it was…
The End