I know I said there wouldn't be another TucksoNoahLie installment, but I guess I lied. We have some unfinished business to take care of and I just flat out miss writing this family. So a fourth story was born.

This is set right after the two-shotter I did for "Tis the Season". While you don't necessarily have to go back and read that particular one, you do need to read the first three stories in this series: Come Together, By Your Side, and Unbreakable. Otherwise, 85% of this will not make sense.

As you have all learned from my stories, it's not a smooth ride, but I always promise a happy Tuckson family at the end. So everyone take a deep breath, grab a drink, and let's begin!

Chapter 1

"Dad?" Charlie yelled into the house as the barreled through the front door after a long work day. She had likely missed dinner, but assumed Lizzie was still awake since it wasn't even 8pm and Ed was not a stickler for bedtime.

"Dad? Mom? I'm home!" She yelled again, examining the cluttered living room and wandering into the kitchen where she saw that the dishwasher was still running.

"Maybe they are outside," she muttered to herself, before dropping her bags and heading to the back door. As soon as she stepped onto the back porch, she was met with squeals and giggles as she watched her father run around the back yard with her daughter and her brother. They were all three carrying flashlights and yelling "TAG" at various times. It was clear that two year old Lizzie had no idea what she was doing, she just followed Noah and yelled every time he did.

Charlie stood and observed with a smile until little Lizzie Tucker realized she was there.

"Ma-Ma!" The toddler yelled, and ran with her chubby legs towards the back deck, dark brown curls bouncing as she moved. Charlie came down the steps and scooped her up, smothering her cheeks with kisses as the little girl giggled and happily cuddled her mother after a day without her.

"Hiya, Lizzie-Bug," Charlie cooed. "How was your day? Did Papa behave?"

"Pa-Pa," Lizzie said with a smile, pointing towards Ed who was following Noah over to greet Charlie.

"That's right," Ed said as he kissed Lizzie's fingers while she was firmly wrapped in her mother's embrace. "I'm your Papa, that's for sure."

"They have a good day?" Charlie asked, as they slowly made their way back into the kitchen. Ed filled a glass with water from the tap, guzzled it down, then refilled again.

"Yep," he said. "Noah got a Gold Star in school today, didn't ya bud?"

"Uh-huh!" he said, his eyes lighting up as he ran to his backpack. Charlie laughed as the six year old dug through his minion backpack, then triumphantly pulled out a piece and paper and ran back to his sister. "See? This da star. It say 'Noah Tucker is a Good Sitting-son."

"You mean citizen?" Ed asked with a little chuckle. Noah just nodded.

"That what I say, Daddy," he said with an eye roll. "Sitting-son."

Ever since the family moved to Sag Harbor, Noah had been flourishing in school. It was almost as if the rigidity of New York City schools was too much for his little spirit. Noah was a sweet, loving, fun little boy and a lot of city kids were a lot rougher around the edges. Schools were putting pressure on them as young as pre-K, and Noah just didn't respond well to that. His first year out at Sag Harbor, and his second year through Kindergarten, had the little boy in his prime. He was easily learning all the lessons, he had made several friends, was constantly invited on play dates, and likely had the busiest social calendar of the entire family.

Charlie puttered around the kitchen, warming up leftovers with one hand while Lizzie stayed glued to her neck. Like Noah, her life had picked up considerably after the family relocated out east. She was back to working full time as a sports writer for Newsweek and loving it. She was primarily assigned to college sports, which was exactly what she wanted, and had high hopes she would be sent back to Oklahoma for the Women's College World Series again. She was the first female writer for this particular publication, and had brought several changes to the team, including a higher focus on women's sports.

Despite loving being back in her element with writing and sports analytics, she was missing her time with her daughter. Lizzie, while happy at home with Ed, would still cling to her mother each night as soon as she got home. The little girl had gotten used to having her mom, grandparents, and uncle around almost 24/7. But as life finally evened out for the Tuckers, little Lizzie found herself thrown into a routine of childcare that she had never experienced before.

Ed Tucker, after everything the family had been through, put his foot down and demanded that he be the one to keep Lizzie during the day. Charlie hesitated at first, but with Olivia only working part time hours at the local precinct assisting with Special Victims cases, she knew he'd have help and relented to his demands. So as the new year started off, Charlie went back to work and Ed became fulltime Papa and he couldn't be happier. Ed and Lizzie had formed quite the bond over the last few weeks, and Charlie was sure nothing would ever make her happier than seeing the two of them together and smiling. Knowing her daughter was likely to grow up without a father figure, she would be forever grateful that she had a strong grandfather in her life. It would never replace the role of Trevor, but Lizzie would have a good man to look up to when the world seemed dark and scary.

"Liv still at the station?" Charlie asked, almost absent-mindedly, as she plopped at the kitchen table, situated Lizzie on her one knee, and blew on the steaming bowl of white chili Ed had prepared earlier that day.

"Yeah," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "They have a pretty rattled teenage girl there, and she's responding well to Olivia."

"Of course," Charlie said with a smirk. "Momma is super-woman."

Ed just laughed and nodded his head in agreement.

"Can't argue with that."

"Did Charlie give any inclination as to how she was feeling about the trial?" Olivia asked as she lay limp on her husband's chest. She didn't get home until about midnight and had no sooner toed her shoes off before he had her pinned against the wall, biting and licking her neck. With her husband clearly in a mood, Olivia sighed and submitted herself to an hour of ravenous love-making. After he had made her come twice, and finally finished himself, she collapsed on his chest and tried to regain her bearings.

"Didn't bring it up," Ed said softly as he ran his fingertips along Olivia's spine and relished in the feel of her naked body against his – a feeling that would never get old. But at his last statement, Olivia propped herself up on his chest and eyed him.

"Ed…" she said softly, knowing he was avoiding the subject. "The trial starts next week. We've got to talk to her, see if she even wants to go…"

"I know," he said, rubbing his hand over his face before settling it against his wife's flushed cheek. "She's just been doing so well, and I didn't want to bring up yet another reminder of Trevor."

"Babe, I get that," Olivia said, knowing that Ed was basking in the happiness his family was finally experiencing. After years of hardship and trauma, they had been home free for a while and he was loathe to drag the past back up again.

"I'll talk to her tomorrow," he said, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "And we'll make a plan for the trial…"

"I love you," Olivia said, sliding back up his body and kissing his lips gently.

"I love you too," he said, before gripping her hips and flipping them so she was on her back.

Olivia let out a little yelp as his mouth descended upon her left nipple, followed by her right, and Olivia Benson-Tucker sighed at the pure pleasure he was creating.

Life was finally perfect for the Tuckers.

By the next morning, Ed didn't have to worry about bringing up the trial, because Charlie's nerves brought it up for him. He had just gotten Lizzie down for her mid-afternoon nap, when the front door flung open and Charlie ran in, heading straight for the bathroom. Hearing the sounds of her getting sick, Ed quickly prepared a cool wash rag and a glass of ginger ale and waited patiently in the hallway for her to emerge.

"Thanks, Dad," Charlie said meekly, as she came out of the bathroom, her face pale and her eyes red. Ed took her arm and led her to the couch, where they both sat down and Charlie put the rag on the back of her neck.

"You okay?" Ed asked cautiously, realizing these conversations were often best left to his wife.

"Yeah," she said, waving him off a bit. "An article ran today about the upcoming trial, and I guess I wasn't quite prepared to read about it."

"Ah."

"I definitely want to go," she said, almost as if she were talking herself through her own jumbled thoughts. "I need to go. I think it will give me the closure I really need to move on."

Ed just listened quietly, taking her hand in his and squeezing as a signal for her to continue.

"I just dread the nightmares it will bring back, ya know? I've finally got my feet under me. I feel solid, in a way I'm not sure I've ever felt. And I worry the trial will knock me back over."

"You know your mom and I will be right there with you," Ed said softly, realizing all he could offer was his presence and support. Charlie just looked at him and gave him a soft smile, despite her still fatigued looking face.

"I know," she said. "I couldn't do this without you both. I guess my anxiety just got the best of me today."

"That will happen, Charlie," Ed said, hoping he was saying the right thing. So often, these conversations happened between mother and daughter, and he was convinced it was better that way. But Olivia was back at the police station, so all he could do was try to say what she would likely say and hope he didn't butcher it. "You've been through more than anyone ever should. It's unrealistic to think you won't have days where it still bothers you…"

"I guess so," she said, looking down and picking at the hem of her sweater a bit. "Just sucks."

"It does suck."

"All of us being together doesn't suck, though," she said, trying to resolve herself to the positives in her life. "This new house, new neighborhood, new life. It's just…the best."

"It really is," Ed mused, thinking about how perfect things had been since they made the move out east. "Too bad Tessa can't come back for the trial."

"I know," Charlie agreed. "She seemed really conflicted about that when we last Skyped. But she's doing so much good."

"Must be hard, being away from everything she's familiar with…"

"Yeah," Charlie said, thinking about her might-as-well-be sister who had taken a position as a nurse in the Congo for the year. She was working with women and children who had been abused, helping them get back on their feet and making sure they were physically healed. "But she's amazing…"

"Reminds me of someone else I know," Ed said with a proud smile, but Charlie didn't return it this time. "What is it?"

"I dunno," she said. "I guess I feel a little…well…like everyone else is focused on ridding the world of horrible crimes, and helping victims…because of what I went through. But yet, I don't have that pull. I just wanna write about sports."

"Hey," Ed said firmly, turning her chin to look at him. "Charlie, your mom and I were always fighting crime. And…your story effected Trevor and Tessa in a way that surprised us all. But…you are doing exactly what you should be doing. Getting your life back. Being the victim of a crime doesn't mean you have to give up your dreams and go towards prevention work."

"I know, I just see all these stories about women who are using their ordeals and making big changes…the rape kit backlog, changing the culture on college campuses, and I feel bad because that isn't me."

"Listen to me, Charlie," Ed said, taking a deep breath and trying to channel as much as Olivia as he could. "I know we see all these stories right now, people speaking out, protesting, all of that. And, I get the urge to let that make you feel like you did something wrong. But it absolutely shouldn't. The only job you have, as a victim of a crime, is to survive. Nothing more and nothing less. Just because you don't want to travel around and tell your story, or change your career path, doesn't make you any less amazing for what you've been through. And maybe I'm bias, but you…Charlotte Tucker…are the strongest, most amazing survivor I know."

"I love you, Dad," she said, tears spilling down her cheeks as she leaned into him.

Ed just pulled her into his chest and kissed the top of her head.

"Love you too," he said. "We'll get through this trial, just like we got through everything else. Together."

I know it was a short start - not a lot of action, but we all needed to get our bearings before the next chapter hits.

How about ya leave me a review in the mean time?

#Tuckson #Endgame #Always