To make up for last chapter's lack of Noah, and it's significantly high M rating, here's a whole lot of Noah fluff...

"Uncle Munchie it my BIRF-DAY!" Noah yelled as John Munch made his way to the party by Turtle Pond in Central Park. Munch noticed a piece of fabric blowing in the wind as the little boy ran towards him for a hug.

"Noah!" Munch said happily. "What do you have on?"

"It my SUPER-NOAH cape, Uncle Munchie," he said excitedly and spun around so he could get a better look. "Tar-lie made it for my birf-day. She have one too, see!"

Noah turned and pointed to where Charlie, Olivia, and Ed were still setting up all the food on the collapsible table they had drug out to the park. He was a little early, but the only thing Munch noticed in that moment was the matching capes that the little family appeared to be wearing. Same design, but different colors. Ed's was a navy blue color, with a big "E" on it, Olivia's was yellow with an "O", Charlie's was a shade of lavender with a "C", and Noah's was red with an "N" on it.

"We SUPER-FAMILY, Uncle Munchie. Tar-lie say so," Noah said matter-of-factly, as he took the older man's hand and led him towards the balloons and food.

"Hey John," Olivia said and went to hug her friend. He kissed her on the cheek then moved to shake Ed's hand.

"Greetings, Super Family," Munch said in his usual dry-wit tone. "What can I do to help?"

"What dat?" Noah interrupted as he noticed the big, festive gift bag Munch was toting.

"Well, young squire, it MIGHT be a present for the birthday boy," Munch said, peering down at his little friend through his glasses. Noah's face lit up in excitement. "Do you happen to know where he is?"

"I BIRF-DAY BOY, UNCLE MUNCHIE!" He yelled and Munch faked a surprised look.

"Wait, YOU are the birthday boy? Guess I better take this present back," he said and looked down into the bag. "I'm sure you don't want any more toys…"

"Nooooooo, Uncle Munchie! I want toys!" Noah said, jumping up and down in excitement. He was clearly over the moon for his little party. Charlie was watching them in amusement and finally came over to grab the little boy and hang him upside down.

"TAR-LIE!" He shrieked and then dissolved into a fit of laughter. Munch tickled his little belly, as he helplessly hung upside down, and the boy just roared in giggles. Finally, the two adults gave him a reprieve and Noah just looked up at Charlie with a smile. "Tar-lie, we go find turtles now?"

"Sure thing, kiddo," she said and took his hand to lead him away from the party set-up. "We'll be back, Liv!"

"Okay, babies. Have fun," she responded with a smile and continued to organize everything on the table just as she wanted. She couldn't help but feel so content in this moment. Her baby boy's birthday party, surrounded by all the people who have supported her. Just one thing seemed to be missing. "Ed, where did we put the candles?"

"They should be in the front pocket of the cooler," Ed said as he finished blowing up the balloon arrangement.

"Well, they aren't," Liv said quickly and began to search her own purse. "We have to have candles…"

"Calm down, babe," Ed said. "They are somewhere. And if not, I'll call Fin to pick some up."

"Okay," she said taking a deep breath and looking at him gratefully. "Sorry, I just want this to be perfect."

"It will be," Munch said. "I'm here, what more could you ask for?"

A couple hours later found the group sprawled out in various places along the shore of Turtle Pond. Ed had provided a large spread of rolls, deli meats, and salads – enough to feed an army, really. Noah was perched in Olivia's lap, playing with some of his new presents while some of the other adults played a game of Ladder Golf which Carisi had dropped off on his way to the precinct. All of a sudden Charlie let out a victorious yell, and Olivia looked up in time to see her and Fin high five each other.

"No fair," Ed whined. "You stuck the old guys together."

"Hey, speak for yourself old man," Munch said in a joking tone. The foursome began to laugh and make their way back over to where Olivia and Amanda sat with the two kids. As they all got comfortable, Ed passed around the sangria pitcher for refills.

"Here, drink up. We have no more room in our fridge," he said.

"You would know that now, huh Mr. Mom?" Fin said in a joking tone, but Olivia's head snapped up at the comment.

"Has Liv given you a frilly apron yet?" Munch asked with a smirk, enjoying the opportunity to pick on the former IAB Captain. Tucker, however, didn't even flinch at the comments.

"Yes, and its pink. Just the way I like it," he said with a dry tone. "Someone has to cook in this family."

"Touche, Captain," Munch said. "Olivia and cooking do not mix well."

Olivia reached out to grab his hand in support and gave him a small smile. It had been about a year since Ed's retirement and even though they had settled into the change as a family, Olivia still worried that he would eventually get bored and resent the whole idea of not having his career. Though, she supposed with everything they had going on he may not have had time to miss being on the job. But things were calming down just a little bit, so that could change. Either way, she didn't appreciate Munch and Fin picking on him.

"He dedicated a lot of his life to the job," Olivia said in his defense, and also with a stern look about her. "He deserves the chance at being Stay-At-Home-Dad if he so chooses."

"You ever think you'll do some private work, Captain?" Rollins asked as she allowed Jesse to crawl over the Charlie's open arms.

"Maybe," he mused. "For now, though, I'm happy where I am."

"Yo, if someone told me 10 years ago that Ed Tucker would willingly become Mr. Mom, I'd have laughed straight in their face," Fin said.

"Yeah, well, people change," Ed said and then looked to change the subject. "Who is ready for cake?"

"Oh, I am!" Fin said. "And I want credit for saving the day with the candles."

Amanda and Charlie were walking slowly out of the park and in the direction of the apartment building, each pushing a stroller with a sleeping child in it. The party had been a total success, and Noah and Jesse were completely worn out. With Fin offering to stay and help Ed and Liv breakdown the setup, the other women decided to take the kids back to air conditioning and maybe in the bath.

"You settled in after that roller coaster in Florida?" Amanda asked, hoping to get Charlie to open up a little to her. It had been almost a month since the lawsuit was settled, and life was progressing semi-normally for the Tucker family.

"I think so," Charlie responded softly. "It feels weird, though, to have nothing hanging over me in that way."

"I can't even imagine," Amanda said shaking her head a bit. "I know your dad is glad it has calmed down."

"Yeah," she said. "He still checks in on me obsessively, though. Not that I mind. But I'm relieved that all the stress has gone down. And he seems to be back to his normal self."

"I did notice he was pretty active at the party," Amanda said.

"Yeah, he doesn't get tired as easily anymore. Which is a huge relief for him," Charlie said, then chuckled a bit. "He was going absolutely crazy when he was so restricted."

The two ladies continued the slow walk down Central Park West, both lost in thought, until Amanda changed the subject slightly.

"How's it going living on your own after all of this? Do you feel safe?"

"I guess so," Charlie said, seemingly lost in thought. "I spend most weekends with the family, making forts with Noah. So it is really just weeknights that I'm alone. And even then, Noah will demand a sleepover and who can say no to that? But, to be honest, some nights go better than others."

"I can definitely relate to that," Amanda said with a little chuckle. "What about getting a roommate?"

"Eh," Charlie said with a shrug. "I'm not much for strange people right now."

"Well, you let me know if certain nights are harder than others. Jesse and I will come keep you company," Rollins offered with a smile and Charlie looked at her appreciatively.

"I'd love that, Amanda," she said. "You up for an iced coffee before we get back?"

"Always," Amanda replied. "My treat."

Ed was lying face down on the bed, still in his clothes from the day, as Olivia made her way out of the bathroom and to the dresser to get her pajamas on. As she pulled the shorts up and tied the drawstring, she looked over and chuckled at her husband. He was exhausted.

"Did you put sunscreen on, babe?" She asked as she climbed into bed and inspected the back of his neck. It was pretty red.

"No," he mumbled from where his face was still in the pillow. "That would have made too much sense, wouldn't it?"

"I'll get some Aloe tomorrow," she said softly as she ran her fingers softly over her head. "I think today went really well, don't you?"

Ed finally rolled over and took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips.

"I think it was perfect," he said as he kissed each one of her fingertips softly. She gave him a soft smile as he pulled her into his chest and settled his chin on the top of her head. "Our little guy is officially four."

"Yeah," she said, though her voice was so soft he could barely hear her. "Time is going too fast."

"It really is," Ed mused. They remained in each other's arms for a while, both awake, but just enjoying the calm of the night. Olivia finally picked her head up a bit, resting her chin on Ed's chest, and looked into his eyes.

"Did it bother you today? All of the 'Mr. Mom' talk?" She finally asked, after fretting about it most of the evening. Sometimes Munch and Fin went a little too far in their general poking at people, and she was worried that Ed was stewing on it a bit.

"Not in the least," he said, putting her worries at ease. "Sometimes I miss the job, but I wouldn't trade my lot in life for anything in the world right now."

"Yeah?" Olivia asked, fully believing him, but wanting to know more.

"Absolutely," he said. "I love being the one to get Noah from preschool during the week. And bringing you lunch when you have some spare time. And arguing with a toddler about what vegetables to buy at the market. And all the free time I have to annoy Charlie with messages and ideas."

Olivia just watched as her husband explained, in detail, all of the reasons he loved their life right now. She was in awe.

"Maybe down the road I will look into consultant work, even if it's just a hobby," he mused. "But right now I love being Mr. Mom. I gave too much of my life to the job. I missed everything about Charlie's childhood. This is my chance to get it right."

"You are definitely getting it right," Olivia said as she leaned up to kiss him. "Everything about you is just….right."

"Oh yeah?" He asked with a smirk. "What else do you think I can get right tonight?"

"Mmmmm, give it a shot and I'll let you know," she responded as she removed her pajama top and rolled on top of her husband.

"Tar-lie?" Noah said softly, patting his sister on the cheek hoping to wake her up. They had both passed out cold in their living room fort while watching Peter Pan, and neither one had woken up to move into bed.

"Hm?" Charlie mumbled. "Noah? You okay?"

"I have bad dream, Tar-lie," he said softly, with signs of tears about to flow. Charlie sat up and rubbed her eyes, then pulled the little boy into her lap.

"It was just a dream, pal," she said softly and held him tightly to her. "It's okay."

Noah just laid comfortably against her and popped his thumb into his mouth. The menu screen for Peter Pan was still on the television, giving them a soft green light to illuminate the fort.

"I sleep in your bed, Tar-lie?" He asked, albeit a little slurred since he refused to remove his thumb. Charlie just squeezed him a little tighter.

"Absolutely," she said. "Come on, we'll clean up the fort tomorrow."

She picked Noah up and made her way towards the guest room, turning off the lights as she went.

"Tar-lie?" Noah asked softly, from his spot nestled into her neck.

"Yes?"

"Tank you for my cape," he said and Charlie's heart just melted. The little boy had insisted on sleeping in the cape, but Olivia had finally put her foot down in fear of it choking him. So Charlie came up with the idea to use the cape as a blanket in their fort. Noah had pondered the idea for a while, then reluctantly agreed once he realized it was his only option.

"You're so welcome, pal," Charlie said as they both curled into the bed. "You definitely need a cape."

"Yes," he said and nodded hard. "I be SUPER-NOAH all the time now."

"You sure will," Charlie agreed and rubbed his belly in hopes of soothing him to sleep.

"We be SUPER-FAMILY, just like you say Tar-lie," Noah said, continuing his thought. "We always be SUPER-FAMILY?"

"Always," Charlie responded as she watched Noah close his little eyes. "Always."

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