A/N: Well, hello there. I got a little distracted with real life responsibilities (way over-rated) and some fun requests, but I'm back with more TucksoNoah and Heather…
One more one shot request in the pipeline to come this week – keep 'em coming!
S/O to JennBenson, as per usual, for the feedback and assistance. ILY!
##
"Well, that was a bust," Olivia sighed. She leaned her elbow on the passenger door, massaging her forehead as Fin drove the squad car.
"You won't hear me complainin'," he chimed in. "I'd rather a bust than have to chase the damn fool…"
Olivia leaned her head back against the headrest, looking over at her longtime cohort with an amused smile. "Come on, Fin," she teased. "You'd've had him."
He gave his patented 'Fin' side-eye glare and shook his head as her phone buzzed, calling her attention.
"If that's another case…" he complained.
"It's not," she promised, reading the text from Heather. "You hungry?"
He shrugged. "I could eat."
"Turn right up here," she directed.
Moments later, they walked into a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant. Olivia scanned the nearly empty but dim dining area and her eyes landed on Heather, wiggling her fingers toward her and Fin while she sucked down half of a margarita.
"How do you find these places?" Olivia asked, kissing her friend on the cheek before sliding into the booth across from her.
"Oh, I've been coming here for years," Heather said, bumping her fist against Fin's as he slid into the booth next to Olivia. "Ramon takes good care of me." She winked toward the guy wiping down the bar, who returned the gesture, and Olivia laughed at the exchange.
"Does Ben know about Ramon?" Olivia questioned, a teasing glint in her eye and wiggle in her brow. It wasn't often that she was on the giving end of teasing with Heather. She planned to take every opportunity she could get.
Heather rolled her eyes, taking another long pull of her margarita as she nodded subtly. "This is where Ben took me on our first date," she told them.
"Romantic," Olivia observed sardonically.
Heather shrugged. "It was."
They all leaned back to allow Ramon to drop a basket of tortilla chips and a couple of salsas onto the center of the table. When they were left alone again, three hands descended on the chips and Olivia leaned back further into the booth, getting comfortable.
"So, what's the occasion?" she asked curiously, reaching for another chip and dipping it into salsa.
"Just wanted to catch up," Heather replied innocently.
Olivia scrutinized Heather, not buying into the act she was trying to sell. She nudged Fin, "You believe her?"
He threw his hands up in surrender. "I'm just here to eat," he held up a chip, "and watch," he added, gesturing at the two of them.
"Oh, I forgot you guys were all buddy-buddy now," Olivia said. "That was quite a performance you put on during our little engagement get-together, my friend," Olivia reminded her.
Heather bowed slightly in the limited space she had on her side of the booth.
"So." Heather scooped a generous helping of salsa onto a tortilla chip and popped it into her mouth. "Do you realize," she swallowed, "that you're getting married in a month and you're spending a week of that month in Paris?"
Dryly, Olivia responded, nodding. "It had occurred to me, yes."
Incredulously, Heather closed both hands into fists and pounded them lightly on the worn wooden table. "Time is of the essence, Liv! We have to celebrate the last days of your bachelorette…dom," she finished lamely.
"I'm also almost 50," Olivia reminded her with a raised eyebrow, sipping at her water. "Doesn't the whole," she flailed her hand in the air, using air quotes, "bachelorette thing kind of lose something when the bride is closer to retirement age than the drinking age?"
"Not necessarily. We don't need…like, a Bachelorette sash, or…penis straws," she reasoned, rolling her eyes dramatically.
Fin barked out a laugh, gesturing his hands in a time-out. "Hold up," he said, swallowing a chip and taking a drink of water before he choked. "Penis straws?" He looked incredulously from Heather to Olivia and back again, an impish grin on his face. "Do those work the way I think they work?"
"Oh, God," Olivia groaned, dropping her head in her hands and muttering to herself, "I should have never let you two be in the same room together again."
"No, come on." Heather reached across the table, pulling Olivia's hands from her face. "We don't need the penis straws, and," she huffed and rolled her eyes, "I'll return the tiara I got you that had little penises on it—"
"—I ain't hearin' this—" Fin dipped another chip into salsa, popping it into his mouth with raised eyebrows as he continued to watch the conversation volley back and forth between the two women.
"Liiiiiiiiv," Heather whined, stomping her feet lightly though neither Fin nor Olivia could see. Seeing her friends less-than-enthused expression unchanged, she pressed on, seeking compromise. "C'mon…how about just a girls night?" She eyed her friend innocently, "And maybe a stripper…?"
Olivia's eyes darted up from the chips to meet Heather's and her voice was firm when she replied. "No strippers."
"Not even a cop one?" Heather pouted. "You obviously have a thing for them…"
Fin sat back, arms crossed over his chest and continued to watch. Olivia wasn't one to let social situations get the best of her, but Heather made her work overtime. It was fun to see her squirm a little bit. "She got you there, Liv," he pointed out, winking at Heather across the table. She grinned triumphantly in return but bit her lips to hide it before Olivia noticed.
Meanwhile, Olivia leveled him with a withering stare, almost as if to ask, whose side are you on? She turned back to Heather. "No strippers," she repeated, adding, "cop or otherwise," just because she knew Heather and didn't want to give her any loopholes. When Heather pouted, she continued. "A girls night could be fun, though."
"Jesus, finally," Heather sighed in relief. "Invite Amanda?"
Olivia only had to think about it for a brief moment. She didn't have that many girlfriends, and her relationship with Amanda was in better shape now than it had ever been, the blonde noticeably stepping up since her promotion to Sergeant. "Sure," she agreed.
Fin chuckled, eying his Lieutenant and longtime friend with a smile. "Now, that is a trio I would pay to see in action."
Olivia looked at him blankly. "You know, you're not helping," she deadpanned.
He grinned, ladling salsa onto another chip before replying simply, "I didn't come here to help."
##
Ed walked into the apartment and the smell that hit him upon opening the door nearly took his breath away. He had to fight against the cough that wanted to erupt from his mouth. It smelled like burnt…something.
Peeking his head around the wall of the entryway, he spotted Olivia, "Kiss the Cook" apron, a gag gift, tied around her neck, lost in thought as she hunched over the kitchen counter. "Liv?"
She glanced up, smiling at him as he made his way toward her, draping his suit jacket along the back of the chair in the living room and loosening his tie. "Hey, babe," she said softly, standing up straight and opening her arms to welcome him in a side-hug as he approached.
He took in the state of the kitchen as he wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head. It looked like every kitchen utensil they owned was out. Mixing bowls of assorted sizes were scattered across the countertop and he could see liquid and powdery residue on almost all the hard surfaces.
It looked like Olivia fought the kitchen, and the kitchen won.
"What happened in here?"
"I cooked," she snorted. "Or, at least, I tried to."
"What's the occasion?" He suddenly panicked, fearing he'd missed an important date.
"I just wanted to do something nice for you, since you're always taking care of us," she explained, leaning into him. "But I ruined it."
He kissed her head again, burying his nose in her soft brown hair. "Ah, it'll be great."
"It's probably terrible," she argued, flipping the pages of the recipe book she'd used. "I can't figure out where I went wrong, but it doesn't…smell like I think it should." He watched her with an amused smirk as she worried her bottom lip between her teeth. Her eyes darted from the photo in the cookbook to the dish on the trivet to her right. "Doesn't look much like it should, either."
Inwardly, he dreaded having to ensure a plateful of her concoction; the smell was pungent enough…but he didn't want to make her feel bad and felt like it was his responsibility, as her soon-to-be dutiful husband, to grin and bear it.
"It'll be fine," he assured her again. "Thank you."
Olivia abandoned her scrutiny of the cookbook and turned so she was more fully in his arms; grateful for him being such a good sport about her thoroughly ruining the nice gesture she'd planned for him. She felt like she didn't do enough to show how much she appreciated everything he did for her and Noah.
"Don't thank me yet," she cautioned with a self-deprecating chuckle, burying her face in his chest as they swayed in the kitchen. "I don't know what that is over there," she gestured toward the dish, "but it may kill us all…"
##
"How is it?" Olivia asked nervously, her own fork lifted halfway to her mouth.
Ed worked hard to chew the bite in his mouth and nodded as he swallowed. "It's good," he lied.
She stared at him, and he tried to keep the grimace from his face at the aftertaste as he reached for his water. "I don't believe you," she concluded, dropping her fork. "Look, you're sweet to try it…but we don't have to eat it if it's not good. We'll just order in." She rose from her seat and went to take his and Noah's plates, intending to tilt them over the garbage can, but Ed grabbed her hands to stop her.
"Stop, Liv. I mean it," he said. "It's good. See?" He cut off another chunk with the side of his fork, plopping it into his mouth and chewing enthusiastically. "Good," he mumbled around the mouthful.
Olivia eyed him skeptically. "You're sure?"
Ed cocked his head at her impatiently. "Yes. Now, sit," he patted the cushion of her chair until she lowered herself back onto it. "Eat." He looked at Noah, who was pushing chunks of the overdone soufflé across his own plate. "C'mon, bud. Mommy worked really hard to cook for us tonight. Let's show her how much we appreciate it by eating our dinner, okay?"
Noah didn't look happy about it, but he brought a bite to his mouth and chewed it a few times before letting the partially masticated food slide off his tongue and onto the plate with a grimace. "Dis yuck."
At her son's reaction, Olivia turned to Ed with a raised eyebrow, clearly still doubting his rave review of her culinary disaster, and he looked back at her incredulously, his hands going up. "I think it's good," he defended. "You're gonna trust a three-year-olds opinion before mine? He's used to chicken nuggets." She sighed and rolled her eyes and Ed turned his attention back to the little man at the table. "Noah, hey, lookit me bud," Ed instructed. When he had the toddler's attention, he continued. "I know it's different from what you usually eat, but this is grown-up food, kiddo. This is Big Boy stuff. You think you can take a few more bites for me? Like a big boy?"
Finally, Noah started making some progress, nibbling at a few bites and even getting a few down before Olivia started working on her own plate. It was a little…rubbery. Maybe a tad burnt, but not quite as terrible as Olivia thought it was going to be, and she quietly worked on her own portion while the three of them ate in relative silence – Noah not knowing to hide his disgust, and Ed trying desperately to conceal his.
"You know what might be fun?" he asked, washing down another bite with a generous gulp of water. Olivia raised her eyebrow expectantly. "Don't they have cooking classes for couples?"
Her shoulders sagged and she looked at him with apologetic eyes. "I knew it, you hate it."
Immediately, he reached for her forearm. "I don't hate it," he promised. "I just thought it might be something fun for us to do together. Maybe learn a few new recipes," he shrugged. "I can cook, but my skills in the kitchen are definitely limited. Maybe we can both learn some new tricks."
Olivia considered him for a moment before letting a small smile curve her lips. "You know, that actually does sound like it could be fun."
He simpered triumphantly. "See?"
##
Olivia stacked their dinner plates and set them on the counter in the kitchen, wetting the sponge and turning to start wiping down the carnage from her ill-advised attempt to channel her inner Rachael Ray. She'd come a long way from surviving solely on takeout, but clearly she wasn't ready to venture far from the simple recipes she'd been sticking to since the number of mouths to feed in the apartment expanded.
Ed's hand stilled her movement toward the countertop. "Hey," he said, taking the sponge from her. "You cooked," he reminded her. "The kid and I will clean. Right, bud?"
Both Ed and Olivia looked down at Noah, who was eyeing Ed warily, having fallen victim to that ploy at the hands of his Uncle Munchie before.
Ed whispered, "Just say, right."
"Right," Noah obediently repeated.
Ed looked at Olivia triumphantly. "See? We got this. Go relax." He tapped her hip gently as she moved around them to leave the kitchen.
"In that case, I think I'm gonna go draw myself a bath. You sure you don't want help?" She looked pointedly at Noah, who could be more of a hindrance in the cleaningdepartment.
Ed smirked. "We'll be fine." Leaning into to kiss her, he mumbled against her lips, "Go."
She gripped the material of his shirt at his hips, attaching her lips to his more firmly and nibbling at him. "I'm going, I'm going," she laughed, as she felt him gently push her away and out of the kitchen. She called an "I love you" over her shoulder as she rounded the corner to the hallway, meant for neither of them in particular, but she smiled when she heard both of them respond in kind.
Once Olivia was gone, Ed surveyed the damage with his hands on his hips and sighed before crouching down so he was eye-level with Noah.
"Alright, bud," he began, gripping the toddler's hands in his own. "What's the first thing you do to make something boring and icky a lot more fun?" Noah looked at him blankly, a tiny finger going to his chin as he pretended to think, though it was clear he had no idea. "We'll play some music," Ed shared. "Jam while we clean."
"We play Bops?" Noah asked excitedly. He'd been on a Kidz Bop kick lately; but Ed didn't know if he could take that tonight, as much as he loved his son. He didn't care much for the original versions of the songs on those albums, let alone the cutesy kid versions. They definitely didn't make music like they used to.
"How about we play some grown up music?" Ed asked. "The good stuff?" He pressed play on the classic rock playlist on the iHome and watched as Noah digested the opening notes to Bob Seger's Old Time Rock and Roll before he started moving his body to the music, and he knew the toddler was sold.
They migrated to the kitchen and Ed perched Noah on a clean section of countertop, giving him a mixing bowl and a wooden spoon to play percussion along with the music while he cleaned, leaning over every once in a while to jam with the little boy, his son, savoring his giggles and squeals.
##
Olivia sighed contentedly, listening to the water lap against the sides of the tub as she moved her legs, drawing patterns along the porcelain with tips of her toes. She breathed in the heady, relaxing aroma of her lavender and chamomile body wash, a Zen-like feeling seeping into her pores with the steam from the near-scalding hot water she was soaking in.
Her eyes slipped shut and she adjusted her head against the rolled up towel she was using as a pillow. Despite the tranquil atmosphere and her relatively unburdened mind, Olivia found herself unable to shut her brain off completely, and as she soaked, her mind ran through the calendar of events they had scheduled for the next month.
She'd expedited a passport for Noah, but despite it and the hotel and plane confirmations they'd printed and were keeping safe until the trip, she couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that she was actually going to Paris. Her mind was even more stubborn in its refusal to reconcile the fact that she was going to Paris with her son and her fiancé.
Beyond that, she was getting married.
She and Heather had really buckled down on the planning in the last couple of weeks, and really the only things Olivia could think of that were still outstanding were the final alterations for her dress and writing her vows, which would be an undertaking in itself.
How would she ever find the right words? Did they even exist?
They'd arranged for tables and chairs, a DJ, purchased a veritable nursery's worth of fake flowers, finalized a menu…
The closer it got, the more she found herself in disbelief that it was really happening. Just when she'd all but given up on the notion of ever finding someone that could not only handle all of her baggage, but who she trusted with it.
She could never bring herself to share the entirety of what she'd been through with Brian, and at the time, she'd chalked it up to protecting him. But now, having bared her soul and all its imperfections to Ed and being accepted by him wholly, she knew that subconsciously, it hadn't been that she was protecting Brian from her trauma. Rather, she had been protecting herself from his inevitable reaction. She knew he wouldn't have been able to handle the enormity of her scars – not just the physical ones, but also the ones that resided deep beneath the surface of her skin.
Olivia opened her eyes and took a deep breath, putting the heavy thoughts out of her mind as she heard the faint sounds of Noah's giggles coming from the living room. Smiling, she pulled the plug from the drain before carefully stepping out of the bathtub and wrapping herself in a towel, suddenly eager to be near her boys.
She quickly pulled on a pair of leggings and one of Ed's t-shirts before heading down the hall, music she recognized as "Bohemian Rhapsody" growing louder as she made her way closer to them.
When she reached the kitchen, she leaned against the wall, covering her mouth to stifle a laugh as both Ed and Noah sang along – Ed along with the music, Noah somewhat intelligibly – both with wooden spoons held up to their faces as makeshift microphones, so engrossed that neither noticed her re-emergence.
Her heart swelled with equal-parts love, gratitude, and ferocious pride as she looked on at her boys, her family. There was no way she could have envisioned, years ago, the challenging road that would lead her here. But the struggle made this all sweeter, somehow; made her appreciate how far she, and they, had come that much more.
This was her life. They were her life.
##
The song hit its crest and Ed put both his and Noah's wooden spoons down, lifting the toddler into his arms and using him as a prop guitar for the final act of the song.
Ed swung his head around like a bona fide rock star, relishing in the giggle fit he was eliciting from Noah and remaining completely oblivious to Olivia watching from the doorway, her own head bopping along to the music as she watched amusedly at the display going on in their living room.
Her eyes raked over him; his skin flushed from the exertion as he got into the song, the muscles of his arms rippling with the effort of holding Noah and wrangling him like a guitar, and the smile on his face as he soaked up Noah's excited laughter.
She could not love them more.
As the high-octane part of the song petered out into the softer final verse, Ed finally looked up and he chuckled breathlessly in a combination of amusement and embarrassment when he saw her standing there, eyebrows raised teasingly and a playful smirk on her face. He planted Noah back on his feet and reached for the remote to turn the volume down on the music.
"I'm glad I didn't miss the show," she quipped sarcastically.
"I sorta wish you did," he retorted, scratching the back of his head.
Noah ran toward her, a wide grin on his face, and she crouched down to pick him up. "We sing Feddy Mer-ky!"
"I saw that, baby. You did so good," she kissed his cheek, putting him back down and palming his head as he ran back toward Ed.
"More?"
Ed smiled down at Noah, ruffling his hair before gently telling him that it was time to start winding down for bed and they'd play with more music the next night.
As Noah retreated to his toy chest, Olivia slowly made her way toward Ed, glancing into the kitchen on her way. "A living room concert and you managed to get the kitchen clean," she observed, her tone taking on a seductive, teasing lilt as she stepped into his arms. "I'm impressed, Captain."
"Yeah?" He grinned, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning in for a chaste kiss. "I'm a man of many talents, Lieutenant."
"Oh, I know." Olivia quirked her eyebrow and went back in for another kiss. "I just hope you haven't used up all your energy…"
"Mommy?" Noah intercepted Ed's flirtatious retort as he tugged on Olivia's pajama pants, seeking her attention.
"What is it, baby?"
He looked up at her with hopeful eyes. "You sing wiff us t'morrow?"
"Uh…"
Ed lifted Noah into his arms, smiling at her in challenge. "Yeah, Liv. More Queen?"
Noah pumped his fist. "YES! More Feddy Mer-ky!"
Olivia glared at Ed before softening her gaze on Noah, "We'll see, baby." She squeezed his leg against Ed's stomach and kissed his temple. "But in the meantime, I think it's time for one little boy to go to sleep."
Ed and Olivia went about Noah's night time routine together, getting him into pajamas and taking turns reading him a story before it was time for goodnight kisses and whispered I love yous. Olivia took one last look at her son, facing away from them and already drifting into sleep as she turned out the light and walked out of the room, Ed trailing behind her with his hands on her hips.
"So, what's it gonna be, Liv?" Ed whispered against her ear as they ambled down the hallway, his breath against her skin making her shiver. "Fat-Bottomed Girls?" He teased. "We Will Rock You? Somebody to Love?"
"I already have somebody to love," she flirted, stepping out of his grasp and reaching for a wine glass as they made their way into the kitchen, quirking her eyebrow in silent question before reaching for a second at his agreeable shrug.
"Touché."
"That was cute. Tonight," she said seriously, glancing at him as she poured the crimson liquid into their glasses.
"It was fun," he said. He rubbed at the back of his neck. "I might need to go easier on the head banging next time, though," he admitted with a chuckle as he took her proffered glass and leading the way to the living room.
"I think Noah particularly enjoyed that part," Olivia laughed, settling next to him on the couch. She rested the hand that wasn't holding her wine on his thigh, glancing at him out of the side of her eye. "I love the way you are with him. He so loves his Daddy."
"He loves his Mommy." A beat. "I love his mommy, too."
Ed kissed her temple, his free hand playing with strands of her hair as the classic rock playlist he'd started after dinner continued to provide background music for them.
"Fin and I met Heather for lunch today while we were in the field," Olivia shared.
"I'm sorry," Ed teased, not missing a beat, catching Olivia's hand and intertwining their fingers when she went to smack his chest. "How did that go?" He brought their joined hands up to his lips for a soft kiss before lowering them back to his thigh.
"She wants to throw me a bachelorette party. I didn't even know that was a thing for people my age," she laughed.
Though she couldn't see him, he rolled his eyes. "You say that like you're 90, Liv."
"Well, when it comes to things like bachelorette parties, I kinda think I might as well be," she retorted. "Have any of the guys mentioned a bachelor party for you?" She turned her head slightly to look at him.
Ed shrugged. "Not in so many words. Cole mentioned something about grabbing a drink…but guys are way different when it comes to that stuff," he said dismissively. "So what'd you tell Heather?"
"Well, I shot down her stripper idea," she said dryly, patting his leg in reassurance when she heard him mutter something that sounded an awful lot like oh for Christ's sake under his breath. "I think we're just going to do a girls night with Amanda." She paused, rethinking, second-guessing. "I hope we're just going to do a girls night with Amanda. I was pretty adamant."
But sometimes with Heather, you just never knew.
"I'm sure it'll be fine."
Olivia eyed him suspiciously. "You seem awfully calm given the fact that there's a very real possibility Heather has already booked a very attractive, well-built guy to strip and dance for me…"
"Ah," Ed wiggled in his seat, dropping his hand to her thigh and letting it run almost up to her hip. "I know I got everything you need right here," he whispered teasingly into her ear, nuzzling his nose against her.
"Oh, my God," Olivia laughed, shaking her head and pushing him away.
Ed smirked, settling back against the cushions and spoke more seriously. "Ah, let her have her fun."
"We can have fun without strippers," Olivia declared, continuing simply. "The only man I have any desire to see without clothes is you."
"That can be arranged," he teased.
They drifted into a comfortable silence, nestled into each other, and Olivia's mind shifted focus from errant thoughts in her head to actually concentrating on the lyrics of the song. As it played, Ed started humming along in her ear and she adjusted her head against his shoulder so she could see his face.
In my life, there's been heartache and pain
I don't know if I can face it again
Can't stop now, I've traveled so far
To change this lonely life
I wanna know what love is
I want you to show me
I wanna feel what love is
I know you can show me
As she listened to the song, Olivia felt almost like the wind had been knocked out of her, the lyrics resonating so much in her heart with how she saw her relationship with Ed. It was the perfect depiction of them not only separately, but what they had been able to find and build together.
In each other, they'd found love like nothing either of them had experienced before. Real love. Not a fleeting emotion borne of necessity, obligation, or fear, but a deep love; the kind that you can only have when you really, truly know and accept someone for all that they are - taking the good with the bad. The kind you can feel deep in your bones.
It had taken time to get them to this point, time to peel back each other's layers, get to know the souls that lay beneath. They were scarred, jaded, alone for so long, but not anymore and never again. Ed had opened her heart completely and shown her what she hadn't even realized she'd been looking for, didn't know existed.
Olivia felt the tears welling in her eyes as the song continued to play, feeling her heart clench in the best way with every word.
"This song," she said. Her voice was barely above a whisper but she couldn't disguise her affectedness. She chuckled at herself as Ed reached down to wipe a stray tear from her eye. "I must've heard it a thousand times, but…this time…"
"I know. It's…us," Ed said, leaning down to kiss her nose. "We do still need a song," he reminded her gently.
"I think," she leaned up to kiss him softly, "we just found it."
##
A/N: I'm thinking we've got maybe 3 chapters left in this baby, depending on whether the muse strikes from Season 18 into something I can loop into this universe. Either way, this story won't be the last you see of Heather, I can promise that.
Review?