I realize I am out of order with the episodes and cases - but I purposely rearranged Granting Immunity so it worked with my timeline. It's fanfic, so you can forgive me. *Shrugs*

Chapter 6

"Amaro, my office," Olivia called from the door. All three detectives looked up at her as she nodded for Nick to come see her. As he entered the office, Olivia caught Fin and Rollins eying each other. "Get back to work, detectives. Those reports won't write themselves." She shut the door, blinds rattling.

"Would not wanna be him right now," Amanda said softly under her breath.

Fin just shrugged. "At some point, we're all him. Even Benson."

Back in the Sergeant's office, Nick was leaning back in one of the chairs while Olivia sat at her desk, leaning forward and folding her arms in front of her. Glasses perched on her nose and hair pulled back into a clip, with strands falling on the sides of her face, her sharp, distinct profile was a prominent as ever. Nick, trying to keep up his indifferent attitude towards the recent events, began to squirm under her glare. He kept waiting for her to say something, anything, since she had summoned him. But that didn't seem to be her plan. She just waited, looking at him, until finally he couldn't take it.

"Look, I'm sorry," he began. In reality, he had no idea if she knew about his encounter with Rollins at the bar. Nick could only assume that she did, and that was why he had been summoned in. But seeing her cock her head slightly and her brow furrow, perhaps he was wrong.

"For?"

She was going to make this hard on him. Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, he decided to go towards the general side of things.

"I know my…anger…has been an issue," Nick said, leaning forward with one arm on his leg and the other moving around as he spoke. "It's gotten better. I promise you it has. Just, the whole Thanksgiving thing…"

Olivia softened at the mention of the holiday. She knew that he was supposed to have Zara, but it changed at the last minute. Having spent many holidays by herself, Olivia could appreciate the loneliness he was feeling but she refused to let him use that as an excuse.

"Your anger issue seems to be a liability," she said plainly. "And those issues were just used against our case in the courtroom. Now, you tell me, what should I do with that?"

"They still convicted him."

"That's not the point," she quipped quickly and sharply. "That's not the point and you know it, Nick."

"Sure you can manage to persuade Tucker if need be," he muttered snidely, but softly as if he didn't actually want Olivia to hear his words. She did.

"Excuse me?" She asked, eyes narrowed and jaw firm.

Nick fidgeted.

"My relationship is off limits for your commentary, Detective," she snapped. "Do not ever cross that line again. I have plenty of reasons to have you transferred. Don't make me use them."

Gaping at her, Nick's eyes widened at the threat. He knew he was in hot water with the higher ups, but didn't expect the venomous reaction from Olivia, so he backtracked.

"I apologize," he said. "That was out of line. I'm out of sorts. It won't happen again."

"Good," Olivia said, straightening papers and folders on her desk and throwing a few into her bag. "Do you have somewhere to be tomorrow?"

"Goin' to my mom's."

"Good." Standing up and shouldering her bag, Olivia rounded the desk and squeezed Nick's shoulder. "Try to take it easy. See you on Monday, pending something big."

With that, Benson breezed out of her office, bid goodbye to the rest of the squad, and headed for the elevator. She took a few minutes to breathe deeply before heading out of the building and onto the street, as Nick's comment about her relationship with Ed was bugging her. Firing off a message to Lucy and confirming that Noah was asleep and Lucy had a few extra minutes, she decided to walk and call Ed.

"Hey, Liv."

He sounded slightly out of breath, which confused Olivia at first.

"Hey there. You okay?"

"Oh, yeah," he said quickly. She heard some shuffling in the background and then an eruption of laughter. "Apparently it's family game night, according to my children. They are teaming up on me."

Olivia smiled at the image and then chuckled as she heard Emma tease Ed.

"Knock it off, you two," he said, not even attempting to muffle the phone. "Sorry…"

"It's okay," Olivia said. "I can let you go…"

"No," he replied quickly. "Don't do that. What's up?

"Just needed some air before heading home," she admitted.

"Tough week," Ed allowed. "Tough case."

"Aren't they all?" Olivia's voice was soft and tired, but Ed sensed that there was something more.

"What is it, Liv?"

She didn't say anything for a little bit. Wandering aimlessly, she found herself within visual distance of the developing Hudson Yards area. "That place is such an eye sore," she said with a chuckle. Ed agreed but didn't let her off the hook.

"Ya wanna stop by?"

"No," she said quickly, quietly. "No, you go get clobbered in game night. I should get home and study this fruit cobbler recipe thing for tomorrow…"

Ed didn't say anything. He wanted to encourage her to stop by, so she could decompress without being alone, but sensed that perhaps it wasn't the right time. Feeling a pull to go to her, but knowing he should spend time with his kids, he relented.

"Okay," he said. "Text when you're home?"

"Sure," she allowed, biting her lip and finally turning north. She decided she would walk the fifteen or so blocks back up to her building. "Hey, Ed?"

"Yeah?"

"It never gets any easier…"

Ed knew she meant her job, the cases she saw on a daily basis, courtroom drama she would witness, questions she would get badgered with while on the stand, and now having to manage her detectives. But he also felt like she meant trying to balance their relationship. Deciding that perhaps he was reading too much into her statement, he focused on job-related responses.

"Often times, the right thing is the hardest thing." Ed's voice was low, deep, and raspy as he said those words. Olivia felt them hit her gut, causing her to take a sharp breath.

"I know," she whispered. "Hey…"

"Hmm?"

"See you tomorrow," Olivia said, shifting the mood and causing them both to smile at the idea of spending their first official holiday together.

"Absolutely, Liv. I'll talk to you later."

Olivia pocketed her phone and crossed the street, a newfound perk to her gait. There was still a heavy weight on her shoulders and she still felt butterflies about meeting Nate and Emma the next day, but the fact that she was the one that Ed would talk to later made her feel weightless.


"It's not stuffing if it isn't stuffed in the turkey," Nate said pointedly at Emma, who was reading the Pepperidge Farm directions to her brother. Ed, after basting and seasoning the turkey, got it into the oven and had retreated about half an hour ago to shower and change. He knew leaving his kids, despite both being teenagers, in charge of the side dishes was a gamble, but he was willing to take it.

Emma just rolled her eyes and kept reading. "Does Dad have a food processor?" She asked, looking around Ed's decent sized, updated kitchen. "I don't wanna chop all this shit."

"Emma!" Nate exclaimed. "Don't let Dad hear you talk like that."

"Like he doesn't say shit all the time," she muttered. "A-ha!"

"Celery, onion, garlic…" Nate handed over the items and let his sister put them in the processor, turn it on, and let it work. "What do you think Olivia is like?"

Emma bit her lip and looked up thoughtfully. "I dunno. Dad's kinda…hard. And he said she's a cop. So my guess is she's probably a lot like dad."

Nate shrugged. "I dunno. Sometimes opposites attract. Maybe she's outgoing and bubbly."

Both kids looked at each other and cracked up. "Yeah, no way Dad is with someone who is bubbly."

"I just hope she's nice," Emma said softly. "I don't want this to be…awkward."

"Yeah, I think Dad is pretty into her."

"We wouldn't be spending Thanksgiving together if she wasn't," Emma pointed out. "Ugh. Was not expecting Dad to be the first of our parents to make us do this."

Nate poured the mix of herbs and breadcrumbs into a baking dish and nodded towards his sister. "It'll be fine, Em," he said. "Here, pour that in here. We'll just mix it in the dish. One less thing to wash."

"Smart thinking," she said, doing as she was told. They mixed everything together, looked at their work with satisfied faces, and put it in the oven on the rack above the turkey. "Guess that Ivy League education isn't a total waste of money."

"Hey!" Nate playfully shoved Emma right as Ed came out of the back of the apartment.

"Knock it off. Both of ya," he said with a grin, knowing he had little control over their teasing behavior. "Liv'll be here soon. Don't go teaching Noah all your shenanigans."

"Did you just say shenanigans?" Emma asked.

"I did."

"You're so weird, Dad."

The three Tuckers all looked at each other while standing in the kitchen. Emma fidgeted slightly, signaling to Ed that she was a little anxious about the evening. He reached out and patted her shoulder. "If it makes ya feel any better, I think Liv is about as anxious as all of us put together."

Emma didn't say anything. Nate made his way out of the kitchen and sat at the one of the stools Ed had set up along the countertop bar.

"She shouldn't be nervous," he said. "I happen to think we are perfectly normal people."

Emma let out a little laugh, grateful for the comedic relief. "I guess," she replied. "I can't wait to play with Noah. He's so cute in all those pictures and videos you send, Dad."

Ed had a habit of passing along some of his favorite shots of Noah to his kids, in an effort to try and move along everyone's comfort. Emma always responded with excitement and Nate would play it cool with a few emojis, but had mentioned a few times that he appreciated the texts.

The phone by Ed's front door rang, signaling the front desk was calling about a visitor. "Well, here we go," he said, taking a deep breath and heading to pick up the phone and wait by the door.

Nate went over to Emma and put an arm around her shoulder. "Just be yourself," he said.

"Right," she mumbled. Emma stood off to the side, just outside of the kitchen as she heard Ed greet Olivia in the foyer.

"It smells so good in here, Ed," she said. "Here, take him?"

Ed took Noah, tossed him in the air a couple of times to get him to laugh and then carried him out of the foyer and to the left towards the kitchen and open dining and living room space. Olivia remained for a few seconds, taking her time removing her coat and hanging it in his entryway closet. She fluffed her hair a bit in the small mirror then picked up the insulated bag containing her homemade dessert and made her way inside. Noah was clinging to Ed as he introduced him to Nate and Emma. Nate was almost exactly Ed's height and stood in the same manner. His dark hair was cut relatively short, allowing only a hint of curl to show around the edges. Emma was a few inches shorter than the Tucker guys. Her long, wavy hair was the same color as Nate's, except she had highlights which made it seem like a lighter hue. Both of them closely resembled Ed's facial structure, and from pictures Olivia already knew they all had the same piercing blue eyes. The older kids didn't smother Noah, but talked softly to him about eating turkey and watching a recording of the Macy's Parade. The parade talk did the trick.

"Ba!" He exclaimed, pointing to the window. "Ba!"

"That's his word for everything," Olivia explained, finally letting herself be noticed in the room. "This time it likely means 'balloon'."

"Ya liked the balloons on television, bud?" Ed asked, turning around and gesturing for Olivia to join them in the living room where they all stood. Her smirked as she made her way towards them dressed in appropriately-tight fitting jeans and a cream colored sweater. "Olivia, this is Nate and Emma. Kids, this is Olivia."

"So nice to meet you," Olivia said, extending her hand and shaking Emma's first and then Nate's. "Your dad has told me so much about you both."

"Likewise," Nate said. "And about Noah. Nice to finally meet."

A silence fell over the group, no one quite knowing what to do next. Suddenly the timer went off, causing Olivia to jump slightly and then laugh it off.

"Ah, that's the turkey," Ed exclaimed, placing Noah on the floor, knowing he would likely crawl right over to where he had a box of toys for him, and went back into the kitchen. Instead of beelining for the toy box, he sat and looked up expectantly at Nate, who responded by sitting in front of him, grabbing some blocks, and beginning to play.

Olivia looked on with a small smile before turning slightly towards Emma. "You're a junior this year, right?"

"I am," she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, not making eye contact with the older woman. She kept watching the boys play.

"Having a good year so far?"

"For the most part," Emma offered, giving Olivia a side glance and small smile. "The break is nice."

"You got all week, right?" Olivia asked. "Have you had a good time with your Dad?"

"Yeah, it's been good," Emma said before sitting down on the floor next to Nate and Noah, effectively ending her conversation with Olivia. Taking a deep breath, Olivia moved into the kitchen where Ed had put an apron on, presumably to save his slate grey pants and hunter green polo. He had just pulled the turkey out of the oven and placed it proudly on the stove, admiring his work.

"Nice job, Lieutenant," Olivia whispered, coming up next to him and snaking her arm around his waist. He leaned in and kissed her head, before turning back to the cooked bird.

"Looks done, right?"

"Where's your meat thermometer," she asked, looking around the kitchen. "We can easily check."

As they did that, Olivia couldn't help but sneak glances at him in an apron. Being careful not to overtly flirt with him in front of the kids, she kept most commentary to herself. But as he triumphantly announced the temperature was perfect and the turkey was done, she couldn't help but smirk.

"Ya look cute in that apron, there, Tucker," she said, her eyebrow raised and her smirk growing.

"Oh yeah" Ed asked, wrapping his arms around her waist and pecking at her cheek. "How cute?"

Olivia pushed him away slightly, much to his disappointment, and gently reminded him of potential prying eyes. As she wandered back out of the kitchen to try another attempt at chatting with Ed's kids, she turned to Ed with a playful look.

"Bet ya'd look good in only the apron too." Satisfied with herself, Olivia sauntered back into the living room and took a seat on the couch, watching Noah hand Nate blocks to stack up before he'd knock them down.

"Wine?" Ed called out from the kitchen, recovering from her only wear an apron comment.

"Sure," she said. "I brought a bottle. On the counter, by the fridge."

Ed got to work uncorking the bottle and pouring them each a glass. He came in and sat next to Olivia on his couch, close but not too close, and clinked their glasses.

"Cheers," he said softly. Olivia returned a smile and sipped her wine, before turning back to the trio on the floor. Another silence fell over the room as Noah continued to hand blocks over. The little boy seemed to gravitate towards Nate, so Emma mainly observed the scene. The only sound for the next few minutes was his giggling each time he knocked the towers down, causing a smile to cross both Tucker kids' faces.

"You two don't have to keep doing that," Olivia offered. "He's got other toys here."

Nate just shrugged. "I don't mind," he said. "He's so happy."

Emma began to look around and stood up. "Nate you want a drink?" She headed into the kitchen as Nate yelled out his request of a Coke. Olivia eyed the girl as she wandered off.

"She's uncomfortable," Olivia commented softly. Only Ed heard her words.

"She'll warm up," he promised. "It's a first for all of us. We'll weather it together, Olivia."

The rest of the evening progressed smoothly. Olivia managed to make small talk with both Nate and Emma, learning about their likes and dislikes, Nate's first semester at Stanford, and Emma's thoughts on whether she wanted to try to play soccer in college. Nate quizzed Olivia on her job, asked about any weird cases to which she vaguely spoke about the mushroom incident. That story caused Emma to laugh, finally breaking what seemed to be a thin, icy layer of her.

"Should we warm up the cobbler, Liv?" Ed asked as they all cleared the dishes. Emma got to work loading them into the dishwasher, happy to be away from the group for a little bit.

"Yeah, it could probably use a little reheat. You got the ice cream?"

"Well, Nate did," Ed admitted. "But yeah, we're all set."

Once the dishes were put away and the dessert was warm, Olivia served bowls of the warm treat topped with ice cream and they piled back around the table.

"This is really good," Emma said, mouth full of food. "Thanks, Olivia."

Those simple two words almost caused Olivia's heart to burst. She paused from where she was feeding Noah small bites and smiled. Ed patted her leg.

"Thank you, Emma," she finally said. "It was a first for me."

Emma returned the smile and went back to her dessert, the table once again becoming quiet.

"How about we play a game?" Nate finally said, figuring that would be an easy buffer. He was right. Ed, Olivia, Nate, and Emma spent the next hour playing Phase 10. Noah began the game in Ed's lap, before moving to Nate's and helping him play a couple of hands. Finally growing board as the game persisted, Noah crawled over to play with his toys. The next time Olivia looked over to check on him, he was fast asleep on the rug, curled up on a throw pillow that had somehow landed on the floor.

"He's so cute," Emma whispered, elbowing Nate. "Look at him."

Nate just smiled. "Musta been the block destruction," he quipped. Everyone let out a soft laugh.

"I should probably get him home," Olivia finally said reluctantly. She felt like the awkwardness had semi-abated once they started playing a game and desperately wanted the night to end with all of them feeling comfortable. But it looked like that wasn't going to happen completely on this particular day.

"One more round," Ed said softly. "Got two of us on Phase 10. Can't quit now, Benson."

Olivia raised her eyebrow at him. "Callin' me a quitter, Tucker?"

"Only if the shoe fits…"

Nate and Emma observed the exchange, Nate with a smile identical to Ed's and Emma with an inquisitive look, still pensive but admittedly less anxious than earlier. Olivia rolled her eyes, grabbed the deck to shuffle, and began to deal.


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