Anderson and Rachel - Oh My Holiday
Title: Oh My Holiday
Author: iluvroadrunner6
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Michael Anderson/Lauren Mullvaney, Rachel Pino, Robert Pino/Lizzie Anderson, bb!Anderson-Pino.
Content Warning: N/A
Summary: In which the Anderson-Pino clan goes on a Christmas vacation.
Author’s Note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY afteriwake! This was another one that was supposed to be a Merry Christmas, and where I failed, but I recovered in time for this! Set in the usual verses but after Marty dies. Also, I don’t know if we ever decided if the baby was a boy or a girl, so this is the fic where Emily dances around referring to the baby with a name or pronouns. Good times.
Disclaimer: Whatever I don’t own belongs to afteriwake, therefore you shouldn’t be stealing anything else.
“Have I mentioned how wrong I think this is?”
He had, for the record. He had mentioned it when the idea was first proposed, when the tickets were bought, when they were packing, when they were getting ready to board the plane, when they were on the plane, and now he was rounding out their adventure to Miami with the final mention that this plan of action was wrong.
“Yes,” Lauren sighed. “You have mentioned it. You’ve mentioned it twenty times. But Michael, honey-this isn’t about you.”
Anderson knew that. He knew this wasn’t about him-this was about Rachel, and getting her out of the apartment for a little while, but spending Christmas somewhere warm just didn’t feel right. There should be snow, and if there was no snow, then there should be the threat of it. It should be so cold that if you weren’t careful, you could lose a finger.
“How do we know this is even going to work?” Anderson frowned. “Going to Miami isn’t necessarily a guaranteed cure for sadness and heartbreak.”
“No, but it’s a change of scenery,” Lauren replied as she tucked her arm in his. “And a change of scenery can help sometimes.”
“I hope so,” he sighed, leaning into her a bit. “Because it isn’t Christmas without it being cold.”
“I thought it wasn’t Christmas without your family.”
“Eh. Family’s overrated,” he smirked, back at her, and Lauren just glared at him, before moving her hand up and smacking the side of his face gently.
“Don’t be a smartass,” she sighed. “Besides, since it’s warm, we could go to the beach. Maybe go … swimming.”
Anderson straightened at that, raising an eyebrow back at her. “Oh really?”
“I do not want to hear this,” Lizzie replied, as she slid up beside them. “Not even a little.”
Anderson grinned in his daughter’s direction, before glancing back to her mother. “You know, we could always start once we get back to the hotel room. I hear that our floor has very thin walls.”
“Make them stop,” Lizzie whined as Robert came up behind them, holding their baby in his arms. “They’re being gross.”
“I think that’s they’re prerogative, sweetie,” Robert sighed softly. “But if they wake up the baby, they’re the ones responsible for fixing it.” Robert smirked. “Thin walls and all.”
Anderson made a face at that. “I knew there was a reason I didn’t like him.”
“Too late,” Lauren replied. “She already married him.” She then glanced back to the airport, giving Rachel a small smile. “Ready to go, Rach?”
“Yeah,” Rachel said with a nod. “Let’s head to the hotel. Where’s the car?”
There was a brief pause as the rental car employee brought the car around, and in seeing the dark green colored mini-van, he made a face. The face was even bigger when they put the keys in his hand. “You gotta be kidding me.”
Lizzie just grinned before making her way to the van. “Saddle up, Pops.”
***
The first few days were uneventful. The family mixed up their time both poolside and in the different areas of the resort as they got settled. For the most part, he would admit, it was a good vacation. There were a lot of different things that he rather enjoyed, but as it got closer to Christmas, Anderson got less thrilled with the situation. It was just before the rest of the group was getting ready to go to dinner that he made his way out to pool.
The area was empty, most likely because of the holiday, and he moved to sit down on one of the lounge chairs, leaning back and just taking a deep breath. So much had changed in the past year, it was hard to believe that it had all happened so fast, but at the same time-most of it was good. Most of it was right.
And some of it was so wrong, he didn’t know where to start.
He closed his eyes for a little while, just trying to get himself to relax and adjust to the situation, when he heard a voice above him.
“So this is where you snuck off to.”
He blinked his eyes open, and glanced over at her with a grin. “Hey there, SVU. You killing time too?”
She nodded, rubbing her arms lightly for a moment. “Just wanted to get out for a while. Get some air.”
Anderson frowned slightly, shifting over so that she had more room to sit. “You okay, Rachel?”
“It feels weird,” she replied as she sat down next to him, resting her head against his shoulder. “Being on vacation without him, having Christmas without him.” She’s quiet for a long time before she looked up at him. “I miss him so much, Mike.”
“I know you do,” he whispered, his head resting against the top of hers. “We all miss him. He was a big part of all our lives.”
“Do you think it’s ever not going to hurt?”
“Someday,” he said softly. “But until then, you gotta just try and enjoy what you can, okay? It’ll get easier.”
“I hope so.” There was a long pause as they just sat there with each other, two old friends enjoying a warm Miami day, and after a long pause, Rachel wrinkled her nose. “This so doesn’t feel like Christmas.”
“Thank you,” he said with a laugh. “Finally, someone who agrees with me.”
She laughed herself, before sitting up and giving him a nod. “Merry Christmas, Vice.”
“Merry Christmas, SVU.”
Author: iluvroadrunner6
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Michael Anderson/Lauren Mullvaney, Rachel Pino, Robert Pino/Lizzie Anderson, bb!Anderson-Pino.
Content Warning: N/A
Summary: In which the Anderson-Pino clan goes on a Christmas vacation.
Author’s Note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY afteriwake! This was another one that was supposed to be a Merry Christmas, and where I failed, but I recovered in time for this! Set in the usual verses but after Marty dies. Also, I don’t know if we ever decided if the baby was a boy or a girl, so this is the fic where Emily dances around referring to the baby with a name or pronouns. Good times.
Disclaimer: Whatever I don’t own belongs to afteriwake, therefore you shouldn’t be stealing anything else.
“Have I mentioned how wrong I think this is?”
He had, for the record. He had mentioned it when the idea was first proposed, when the tickets were bought, when they were packing, when they were getting ready to board the plane, when they were on the plane, and now he was rounding out their adventure to Miami with the final mention that this plan of action was wrong.
“Yes,” Lauren sighed. “You have mentioned it. You’ve mentioned it twenty times. But Michael, honey-this isn’t about you.”
Anderson knew that. He knew this wasn’t about him-this was about Rachel, and getting her out of the apartment for a little while, but spending Christmas somewhere warm just didn’t feel right. There should be snow, and if there was no snow, then there should be the threat of it. It should be so cold that if you weren’t careful, you could lose a finger.
“How do we know this is even going to work?” Anderson frowned. “Going to Miami isn’t necessarily a guaranteed cure for sadness and heartbreak.”
“No, but it’s a change of scenery,” Lauren replied as she tucked her arm in his. “And a change of scenery can help sometimes.”
“I hope so,” he sighed, leaning into her a bit. “Because it isn’t Christmas without it being cold.”
“I thought it wasn’t Christmas without your family.”
“Eh. Family’s overrated,” he smirked, back at her, and Lauren just glared at him, before moving her hand up and smacking the side of his face gently.
“Don’t be a smartass,” she sighed. “Besides, since it’s warm, we could go to the beach. Maybe go … swimming.”
Anderson straightened at that, raising an eyebrow back at her. “Oh really?”
“I do not want to hear this,” Lizzie replied, as she slid up beside them. “Not even a little.”
Anderson grinned in his daughter’s direction, before glancing back to her mother. “You know, we could always start once we get back to the hotel room. I hear that our floor has very thin walls.”
“Make them stop,” Lizzie whined as Robert came up behind them, holding their baby in his arms. “They’re being gross.”
“I think that’s they’re prerogative, sweetie,” Robert sighed softly. “But if they wake up the baby, they’re the ones responsible for fixing it.” Robert smirked. “Thin walls and all.”
Anderson made a face at that. “I knew there was a reason I didn’t like him.”
“Too late,” Lauren replied. “She already married him.” She then glanced back to the airport, giving Rachel a small smile. “Ready to go, Rach?”
“Yeah,” Rachel said with a nod. “Let’s head to the hotel. Where’s the car?”
There was a brief pause as the rental car employee brought the car around, and in seeing the dark green colored mini-van, he made a face. The face was even bigger when they put the keys in his hand. “You gotta be kidding me.”
Lizzie just grinned before making her way to the van. “Saddle up, Pops.”
***
The first few days were uneventful. The family mixed up their time both poolside and in the different areas of the resort as they got settled. For the most part, he would admit, it was a good vacation. There were a lot of different things that he rather enjoyed, but as it got closer to Christmas, Anderson got less thrilled with the situation. It was just before the rest of the group was getting ready to go to dinner that he made his way out to pool.
The area was empty, most likely because of the holiday, and he moved to sit down on one of the lounge chairs, leaning back and just taking a deep breath. So much had changed in the past year, it was hard to believe that it had all happened so fast, but at the same time-most of it was good. Most of it was right.
And some of it was so wrong, he didn’t know where to start.
He closed his eyes for a little while, just trying to get himself to relax and adjust to the situation, when he heard a voice above him.
“So this is where you snuck off to.”
He blinked his eyes open, and glanced over at her with a grin. “Hey there, SVU. You killing time too?”
She nodded, rubbing her arms lightly for a moment. “Just wanted to get out for a while. Get some air.”
Anderson frowned slightly, shifting over so that she had more room to sit. “You okay, Rachel?”
“It feels weird,” she replied as she sat down next to him, resting her head against his shoulder. “Being on vacation without him, having Christmas without him.” She’s quiet for a long time before she looked up at him. “I miss him so much, Mike.”
“I know you do,” he whispered, his head resting against the top of hers. “We all miss him. He was a big part of all our lives.”
“Do you think it’s ever not going to hurt?”
“Someday,” he said softly. “But until then, you gotta just try and enjoy what you can, okay? It’ll get easier.”
“I hope so.” There was a long pause as they just sat there with each other, two old friends enjoying a warm Miami day, and after a long pause, Rachel wrinkled her nose. “This so doesn’t feel like Christmas.”
“Thank you,” he said with a laugh. “Finally, someone who agrees with me.”
She laughed herself, before sitting up and giving him a nod. “Merry Christmas, Vice.”
“Merry Christmas, SVU.”