She poured a second cup of tea and stood in the doorway of Noah's room watching him sleep. Once upon a time, she dreamed of finding a father for him, especially a few years ago when he had started acting out because his classmates were picking on him for not having a father. She knew he would want a man to talk to someday, and she hoped that one of her male friends would step in. But secretly, and she'd never admit this, but she had always wanted it to be with Elliot. She already knew he was a good dad; his five children were evidence of that. But she also imagined they would have incredible, explosive sex too.

And maybe that's why everything was such a disappointment. She thought about the best sex she had ever had, and the man who had set the bar high enough that she doubted anyone could ever come close. Oh, she had wanted Elliot to tonight, though. But no, that honor belonged solely to Ed Tucker, and Ed Tucker alone.

Chief Dodds had called shortly after lunch to let her know that her office was hers again, effective the next morning. She sighed in relief, knowing this was the last day she had to suffer through a shift at Community Affairs.

As soon as Ed got the text from her with the news, he smiled. What she didn't know at that point was that Group One had cleared him of all charges that day as well, once it came to light that the sex trafficking ring had everything to do with the Catholic Church, and nothing to do with him. As he had predicted, her squad had come through with all of the evidence necessary to acquit both of them.

He could not wipe the grin off his face. He texted her back that everything was fine, and it was time to celebrate, and then he began to prepare. This was a celebration he wanted to make sure she would remember for as long as she lived. His first call was to Lucy. Once he explained that Liv was back at SVU, she was more than happy to take an overnight shift with Noah. Despite her best efforts, Olivia had snapped more than once at the poor girl during her stint at Community Affairs. In fact, he wasn't sure who was happier about Liv's new assignment - Lucy or Olivia.

His next step was to go to his favorite sex shop in town. He had packed up a few things from her apartment, but he wanted a few surprises for her as well. Like everything he did with her, he studied all of his options, considering her reaction to each one, and making his selections with slow deliberation. She had said all she remembered from her dream was that she had felt "fuller than she ever had before," and that's exactly what he would go on. Once he had obtained the items he needed for tonight, he went back to his apartment to set the stage.

In her dream, she had said that she had been tied to the bed, and while that appealed to him, he had something slightly different in mind. He went to the drawer in his bedroom where he kept a wide array of neckties, all in conservative, classic patterns, but plentiful, nonetheless and selected four. His eyes fell on the dark gray one with stripes of black and a lighter gray, and for whatever reason, he remembered that that was the one he had been wearing the moment he realized he had genuine feelings for her. Nothing as intense as love - not at that point - this was the one he had been wearing when he interviewed her about the events of the granary.

Why had he remembered that? Of all things, why that particular detail? And yet, it seemed all of the little details about her were seared in his mind. Looking at it now, he had other plans for it. He set the other four down and deftly tied the striped one around his own neck, then loosened the knot and slipped it over his head. Yes, this would do nicely. As he moved through the apartment, ensuring everything was just where he wanted, he grew more and more confident about this. He had texted with her on and off throughout the day, and she had agreed to drinks with him later that night. Even though she was thrilled to be back in SVU, she also know that this was her last guaranteed night to be home with Noah, and she wanted to have dinner with him and tuck him into bed before going out with Ed. As far as she knew, though, Lucy thought she would be back by 11:00, at the latest. She was completely unaware that Ed had arranged otherwise. And finally, they were sitting in their favorite bar, a glass of wine in front of each of them. He couldn't help but notice, though, she was drinking hers faster than he was.

"So, you get to keep your job," she said, fiddling with her cocktail napkin after he had told her what happened at Group One.

"And you get yours back," he finished for her. She picked up her glass and held it up for a toast.

"Congratulations to us," she said. He lifted his own glass and tapped it against hers. They both drank, her draining the remains of her glass while he was still nursing his drink. She signaled to the bartender for another glass, and he panicked slightly. She was two glasses in already, and he knew quite well from previous experiences that a third would put her in a place where she wouldn't want to do anything except let him hold her while she slept. It had taken a while, but she eventually had confided in him that, if she felt even the slightest bit inebriated, the simplest advances felt like an attack.

Damn William Lewis. Damn him for what he had done to her, and for creating this side of her that was so hurt and broken, all he wanted to do was mend it. And yet, it could never be fixed, only protected. So that's what Ed Tucker had vowed to do.

He watched the bartender approach with the bottle, and just as she hadn't laid out an ultimatum regarding his smoking, he wouldn't say anything to her about her drinking. And yet, she noticed. She noticed when he looked away from the glass - and her - and sniffed slightly.

"What?" she asked. He watched the wine flow out of the bottle. No, she couldn't drink that. He had plans for tonight, and he needed her to be sober for them. But this was her celebration, too. If she wanted to drink and cuddle, then so be it. He would be disappointed, sure, but he wanted to take care of her, too.

"Nothing, it's- it's just I thought, you know, I know this has been stressful and everything. I thought we could take it easy tonight." There. He put it out there. It was up to her to decide what the next move would be.

"Oh, ok. I thought we were celebrating," she replied, wide-eyed and filled with trust. She had no idea what was waiting for her back at his apartment.

"Oh, we are," he answered quickly. "It's just…"

"I get it," she said, taking one of his hands in both of hers. "You're just looking out for me."

"Always," he replied, staring into her deep brown eyes. He absolutely loved the way she looked at him, and as far as he could tell, she didn't look at anyone quite that same way. She brought his hand to her lips and kissed it. Then she gave him a smirk, in an almost embarrassed sort of way, and he knew it was time. He signaled for the tab and tossed his credit card toward the bartender, more than happy to leave her glass untouched.

She started to walk back towards her apartment, but he stopped her, hailing a cab instead.

"What are you doing? My apartment is three blocks from here," she said. He gently took her hands in his.

"I thought we could go back to my place instead," he said.

"But I told Lucy-"

"I already talked to Lucy. She's fine staying the night," he said. There they were again, the wide, trusting eyes and the look reserved for only him.

"…oh," was all she could say.

"Come on, celebration isn't over," he said, taking her hand and heading towards the cab. She smirked, and followed him, sliding into the back seat while he held the door open for her.

"How are you doing?," he asked, once they were on their way. "Do you want some coffee or something? There's a Starbucks on the ground floor of my building."

"I'm fine, Ed," she answered, knowing exactly what he was hinting at. "Relaxed, but I'm ok." He sighed in relief. He led her into his apartment, and she stopped cold as he was hanging up her coat. On the couch, draped over the back, but folded and placed with military precision, were four of his neckties, one for each of her wrists and ankles.

"Um…Ed…" she began. He stepped in front of her, blocking her view of his living room. He took her trembling hands in his, and her gaze fell to where their hands were joined. She clung to him, wanting to trust him, but he had caught her off guard. He gave her hands a reassuring squeeze.

"Sugar or spice, Love?" Her eyes flew to his face, jaw dropped in surprise, and yet, he had the gentlest of gazes, his blue eyes soft and kind without a trace of malice.

"…tonight?" She could barely breathe.

"Only if you're ready," he answered. "This is all for you. You have your safe word, and I'm not going to do anything beyond what we've talked about. You're safe here."

"I need a minute," she said honestly.

"Take all the time you need." She walked over to the couch and took each one of the ties in her hands, running the last one over her wrist. She hadn't expected this tonight, but yet, she had been ready not that long ago. It was a matter of chance, really. Some nights she was ready for this, some nights she was utterly terrified.

"The couch?" she asked. She wouldn't meet his eyes.

"That's what I was thinking, yes," he answered. She nodded and pursed her lips. Normally, he could read her, but this was new territory for both of them. He wasn't sure what her response would be.

"…spice," she said, so softly, he would have missed it if he wasn't studying every move she made. He took the tie from her and laid it back on the couch.

"Ok. Ok, Love." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, reminding her who he was and that she was safe. "I've got you," he whispered. "You're safe." He kissed her until he felt her trembling subside and she relaxed against him. He steered her towards a wall, and felt her relax as her back braced against it. He picked up the intensity of his kisses, pulling her blazer off at the same time and flinging it across the room, and was rewarded by soft moans from her. He kissed along her jaw until he reached the spot behind her ear he knew drove her wild.

"Ed…" she whispered, panting.

"I'm going to take your clothes off, and then I'm going to tie you up," he said softly, returning his lips to hers. She let out a long, guttural moan as a flood of moisture cascaded between her legs. Her hands found his shirt and she clawed out of it, pulling it from where it was tucked into his pants so she could get her hands on his bare skin. He felt her start to drop to her knees, but he held her up instead.

"No, no, Love…not yet," he said.

"But I want—" she started.

"Oh, I'm going to use your mouth, but not quite yet," he explained. He slowly and deliberately removed each garment she was wearing, taking time to lavish attention on the newly exposed skin. During the process, he allowed her to remove his shirt and undershirt, but stopped her every time she clawed at his pants. He wasn't ready for that.

When she was completely naked, he led her over to stand behind the couch.

"Spread your legs, Love," he said. She placed her feet roughly shoulder width apart. "Wider. As wide as you can." She widened her stance, feeling completely exposed, as he knelt down with two of the ties in hand. The first, he tied to her left ankle, securing one end to her and the other to the leg of the couch. When he finished, he moved to her right ankle, and repeated his actions again. He ran a hand up her leg, eliciting a shiver from her. Her dripping pussy was hanging over him, and he knew, in that moment, he had to taste it. Without warning, he pulled himself up onto his knees, and licked her full length.

"Oh, fuck…" she cried out, bending forward over the couch. Perfect. This was how he had wanted her anyway. She reached between her legs to pull his head towards her. Fine, he would allow that. With how wet she was, she was going to need a release soon, or she would simply be too keyed up to enjoy the rest. He inserted two fingers and thrust into her while his mouth worked her clit, listening to her cries of pleasure from above. Her fingers curled against his scalp, in an attempt to get him where she needed him. He licked and sucked and teased her clit until she clamped down, crying out as the first of many orgasms ripped through her.

Laying a final kiss on the inside of her thigh, he stood up and walked around to the front of the couch, where she was slumped over, catching her breath. He crouched in front of the couch and ran a hand through her hair.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"Good," she said, still breathing hard. "I'm good." He lifted her chin up and kissed her again, letting her taste herself on his lips.

"Good, Love. Tell me if that changes," he assured her. He picked up the remaining two ties. "I'm going to do your wrists now, Love." Without needing further instruction, she spread her arms out as wide as she could, and he secured each wrist to the nearest couch leg.

"Beautiful," he said, standing back to admire his work. He pulled out a canvas bag he had stashed away, not wanting her to see the contents before this point, and set it on the coffee table.

"You remember what you told me about your dream? That you felt full?" he asked. She swallowed hard and nodded. He pulled out her remote control vibrating egg that he had taken from her nightstand, and held it in front of her. That she wasn't afraid of, and when he walked behind her and pushed it inside her, she closed her eyes and arched her back. He flipped it on the lowest setting.

"Ed…" Her voice was soft and high.

"Yes, Love?" he asked. He palmed her ass, waiting to see what she'd say.

"I need more," she said.

"I know, and you're going to get it. Just relax. He picked up the lube, and prepped his finger to probe her ass. He thrust in and out until she loosened up enough to add a second finger. When she was relaxed enough, he went back to the canvas bag in front of her, and pulled out a bulbous object with a pink jewel at the base and held it in front of her.

"Look at me, Love," he said. She lifted her head, and looked. A butt plug…and a big one, at that.

"I can't…" she said. He leaned in and kissed her again.

"You can, Love. You've taken me there, and this is smaller than I am," he said. He kissed her again. "As soon as it's in, you're going to use that incredible mouth on me." With that, he increased the speed on the vibrator, and she gasped.

He went behind her, applied a generous amount of lube to the toy. He rubbed her back for a minute, and pressed it against her entrance. He could hear her slow, regulated breathing, as she braced for the intrusion. She cried out as he breached he entrance.

"I've got you, Love. You're doing great," he said, calmly and evenly. He continued to push slowly but firmly until the toy was firmly lodged in place. By this point, his own erection, which he had largely been ignoring was painfully tight in his pants. It didn't matter, though. It would be taken care of soon enough. What mattered was her, and keeping her comfortable with what was happening to her.

"Please, Ed…" she begged softly.

"Please what, Love?" he asked.

"Please…" she begged again.

"One more thing…" He picked up the dark gray striped tie that was already knotted, and gently slipped it over her head. He didn't tighten the knot, but he did move her hair so that it lay flat against her skin. Neither of them would have ever considered a collar for her, but this was serving the same purpose.

"Oh, Love…" he groaned, taking in the sight in front of him, bound to his couch, filled to the brim, and his tie around her neck.

"Look at me," he said. She met his eyes with hers, and he couldn't tear his eyes off her as he lowered his own pants and rid himself of his boxers. He made the tiniest move forward, and she opened her mouth in anticipation. He was close enough that she could wrap her lips around the tip, but that was as far as she could do, no matter how hard she craned her neck forward, and she wanted him inside her, somewhere, anywhere.

He inched closer to her, letting her take more of him in her mouth. She licked and sucked and swirled and teased while he gently stroked her hair. He didn't pull it, and he didn't clutch at it, just a gentle stroke, which she never seemed to mind. She gave great head, but even more than that, she loved doing it. When he hit the back of her throat, she looked up at him and nodded, giving him permission to push farther, into her throat. He slowly started to thrust, careful not to hurt her, but loving the incredible sensations she was sending through them. She knew how to use her throat to tease him and making him even harder than he thought possible. He continued until he knew her jaw must be getting sore, and then he pulled out.

"Fuck me," she whispered. "Please, fuck me," she begged.

"One more surprise," he said. He reached into the bag and pulled out his final toy for her - a gag studded with a dildo around three inches long. Her eyes widened.

"No, Ed, no no no…" she cried, suddenly panicked. He had been afraid of this. She wouldn't want to be gagged because that took away her ability to use her safe word, if she needed it.

"Look at me, Love, look at me," he said. "I'm not going to fasten it. I just want you to put it in your mouth."

"No, Ed…" She was too panicked to listen to him. He took her chin and forced her to look at him. His eyes were gentle and kind, like they always were.

"I said, I'm not going to fasten it. Open your mouth." It was more of a command than a suggestion. She kept her mouth closed, but she wasn't offering resistance.

"Do you have something you want to say to me?" She knew what he was asking. All she had to do was say "sugar," and this was over. And, if she was really serious about ending this, she would. She looked up at him, anger flashing through her. She loved what was happening, right up until now. She opened her mouth, with the intention of saying her safe word, but to her surprise, it never came out. Instead, the phallic object slipped past her lips and filled her mouth. But, like Ed had promised, he didn't fasten it.

"Spit it out," he said. "Spit it out, Love." She opened her mouth, and it fell to the ground. He picked it back up and rinsed it off. "See? You can spit it out anytime you want. Now, open your mouth again, and this time you're going to keep it there, unless you need to say your safe word." She opened her mouth again, and he positioned the gag back where it was, but true to his word, he didn't fasten it. "Now I think you're ready to be fucked," he said. He turned the vibrating egg off and removed it from her body. Before she had time to register what was happening, he had replaced it with his own dick, and without warned, he buried himself inside her. She groaned, but held onto the gag between her teeth, wanting - for whatever reason - to please him. He found a rhythm and thrust into her almost relentlessly, striking her G-spot with every thrust.

He knew she wasn't going to be able to keep the gag in place through sheer willpower, but that was never what this was about. And so, when she cried out as his hand found her clit, the gag fell to the floor, forgotten. He just wanted to fuck her into oblivion. He looked down at where they were joined, watching himself disappear into her over and over as the pink jewel nestled in her ass sparkled with the combination of light and movement. Judging from the sounds she was making, she was getting close, but he wasn't ready for it to be over quite so soon. He pulled out and dropped to his knees again, replacing his dick with his tongue. She was moaning incoherently as his lips found her clit once again, and brought her to yet another orgasm, this one longer and more powerful than the first. She slumped over the couch, and he stood up, resuming the fucking he had just abandoned.

"Ed…" she whimpered as he pounded into her. He reached forward, sweeping her hair to one side of her head, and then bent over to kiss her neck. He kissed and nipped and sucked, the whole time thrusting into her, shifting so that he was taking longer, harder strokes. Her clit would be too sensitive to touch, but he was hitting her G-spot the right way to send her into another powerful spiral.

"I love you, Olivia Margaret Benson," he said and kissed her again. He felt her clench around him, and he slowed as she tensed and cried out.

She was spent. After three orgasms in a single position, he knew she couldn't stay there much longer without feeling it in the morning. He undid her bonds, keeping the ties with him, and helped her up. Her limbs felt heavy, and everything seemed to required extra effort to move.

"Come on, let's get you to bed." She let him lead her into his bedroom, and laid her down on the bed. Then he took one of the ties and tied both of her hands to one of the bedposts, then repeated the action with her ankles.

"What are you doing?" she asked. "Wait…you still haven't…"

"We're going to finish in here," he said. "You still up for it?" She nodded. He slipped into bed behind her and slid the butt plug out from where it was settled. He replaced it with himself, and started slowly thrusting into her, taking long, full strokes.

"I love taking you like this," he said. She was so relaxed, all she felt was pleasure. He didn't know if she had a fourth in her, and neither did she, but he was determined to find out. She moaned softly as he continued to thrust into her. She gave a sharp cry when he reached for her clit, still too sensitive to be touched. So, he did the next best thing. He rolled her nipples between his fingers, and kissed at her neck again. She was going to need concealer to cover the marks he had left on her in the morning. As her fourth, weak, orgasm ripped through her, there was nothing left. She didn't have the energy to cry out anymore; all she could do was feel. Her body was moving out of instinct and involuntary actions. And, knowing she was done, Ed was finally able to let out his own powerful release, crying out so loud the neighbors surely heard it. It was the last thing Olivia heard as she drifted off in to unconsciousness. Somewhere, in the recesses of her mind, she felt Ed free her from her bonds and pull her close to him.

She was content to sleep in his arms, with that particular tie nestled between her breasts for the rest of the night. It was a while before Ed fell asleep, too caught up in watching her so peaceful and content, and…his. She was his now, more completely than she had ever been before. And likewise, he was hers. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her. He just hoped that she had gotten what she needed from this, and maybe…just maybe…she might want to try it again.

And though she was initially repulsed at the idea that this particular fantasy had turned her on, she couldn't deny that it was the best sex that she had ever had.