Six. (reminder, in this universe, the Tuckson breakup was very very very brief!)

"When me or my babies don't follow rules, Mommy only tells us what to do. She puts the bad guys in jail at p'lice, but me an' Maggie and Wyatt don't go to jail!" Noah shrugged slightly, "But sometimes we haveta go to timeout."

The audience erupted into laughter and Noah grinned proudly. Off to the side, Ed smirked and wondered what else Noah would ad lib. He'd included a line about Olivia's job, but Ed did not recall the little joke about the kids avoiding jail time when they got in trouble.

"Now that Mommy isn't gonna go to p'lice anymore, she's gonna play with us and probably come to school and watch TV with Daddy on da couch," Noah giggled, "She likes to be on da couch with Daddy."

Sarah nearly fell out of her chair. She collapsed sideways, first into Justin and then into Olivia. Brooke and Olivia dabbed at their eyes with napkins. A few men in the back whistled. Ed blushed. Not unexpectedly, Noah was the star of the show.

…..

Saturday morning brought more chilly mid-February temperatures, and, for Sarah, a mild hangover. She and Justin celebrated Valentine's Day at a pub where his friend's band was playing, and then treated themselves to a nightcap at a cozy speakeasy-esque bar. Sarah attributed the dull pain in her head to the fact that she had drastically cut back on her alcohol intake—another one of Justin's positive influences. However, even he indulged more than usual and was still sound asleep when Sarah ducked out for coffee and bagels.

Instead of bringing the food home, Sarah knocked on G's door. Gradually, over the past few months, they had become friends, and Sarah hoped she wouldn't mind the unannounced visit.

"Good morning!" Sarah said brightly when G opened the door. "I brought breakfast as a thank-you for babysitting and also I need gossip."

G was already fully dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, so Sarah didn't hesitate to invite herself inside.

"C'mon in."

Sarah laid the bagel choices on the counter and the two of them dug into the food. Sarah took one sip of her coffee and frowned. "You know what? Can I have a glass of water?"

"Have fun last night?" G asked. She filled a tumbler and passed it to Sarah. Her normally put-together neighbor sported a messy bun twisted on the side of her head. Her face was blotchy and scrubbed of all makeup. She was wearing ratty jeans and a pullover that had to belong to Justin.

"Too much. I'm getting old," Sarah downed the entire glass, "How were my little sweeties?"

"That was the easiest money I ever made. I kind of felt bad taking it, but your Dad insisted."

"Small sister went to bed okay?"

"She did, but I'm pretty sure she stayed awake for a while. I heard her talking."

Sarah grinned knowingly, "Yup. That's her trick. Good job not falling for it."

"I was close."

"And Daddy and Livvie?"

G raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"Oh," Sarah said, "I don't think I've ever told you. I have a tremendous, borderline unhealthy crush on them." She leaned forward on her elbows and rested her chin on her hands. "So, what were they wearing?"

At first, G did not take Sarah seriously. She took a bite, chewed and swallowed, sipped her latte, and, when she looked up, Sarah was in the exact same position and her eyes clearly begged for information.

"Um…your Dad had a red shirt on with jeans…Olivia had black pants, leather jacket, red blouse. Kinda flowy."

"Gawwwwd she looks so good in red. And leather. What coat was my Dad wearing?"

Not quite sure how to react to Sarah, G smiled politely. "Black one? A lot of pockets? Army style?"

"Oh yeah," a dreamy smile crossed Sarah's face, "Were they fucked up when they got home?"

"Didn't seem like it. And they were home a lot earlier than I thought they would be. I was back here by eleven…I hope they didn't cut the night short because they were nervous about me being there."

Sarah immediately brushed off her worries. "They had to fuck," she averred.

Taken aback by the sudden vulgarity, G coughed.

"Happens to me all the time," Sarah explained, "I'll be there, they'll say they're doing dinner and something else and they'll be back really fast and not exactly want me to stay and chat…gawwwd they're so sexy, I can't stand it."

G laughed and murmured, "Wow…"

"I know," Sarah moaned, "I have a complex. An illness. I should probably see someone, but I really don't want a cure, ya know?"

…..

Splitting the difference on curfew, Noah arrived home at exactly eleven-thirty expecting to find his parents on the couch in their typical late night spots. Sure enough, Ed was lounging on the chaise end of the sectional with Olivia lying perpendicular across the cushions, her head resting in the space where Ed's waist met his hip. She was covered in their trusty knit throw blanket, sleeping soundly and unbothered by Ed's fingertips lightly stroking her one exposed wrist.

"Hey bud," Ed said in a hushed voice, well aware Olivia would wake up as soon as she heard Noah's voice, "Have fun?"

Noah sat in the armchair and tried unsuccessfully to suppress a grin, "Yeah. Good dinner, and I didn't have to let her win…she's a really good bowler."

Olivia took a couple of sharp breaths, yawned, and sat up. "Hi, sweetheart," she slurred. She stretched her arms and playfully connected a fist with Ed's forehead. "You had a good night?"

"Yep. Did you?"

"We did," Ed reported. "Good place. Your mom and I split two kinds of stew—one with beef and the other with seafood. Really good. You should go there for your next date."

Noah's cheeks reddened. "Okay, Dad."

"Hey, you can't save dates only for Valentine's Day."

"Relationship advice according to Ed Tucker," Olivia cooed lovingly as she stood up and folded the blanket. "Noah, honey, are you going to take her out again?"

"Probably…"

"You have a lot in common."

"Yeah, we do, that's kinda why we went out tonight…I mean, we like each other, but…" Noah twisted his lips, a mannerism he'd retained since childhood, "I dunno…"

Olivia kissed the top of his head. "You'll figure it out, sweet boy. I'm going to bed."

"Night, Ma."

"Goodnight. I love you."

"Love you."

"I'll be in soon, Liv."

"Okay," she said. Yawning again, she ambled to the bedroom, closed the door, and crawled under the covers. She would fight sleep as long as possible and wait for Ed's summary of his conversation with Noah. Though Olivia would have been willing to play a role in every aspect of her son's life, she recognized the importance of Noah's "guy talks" with Ed. Tonight, Noah hadn't made a beeline for his room, a signal he wanted to have a chat. Olivia wanted to hear more about his date, but she was so at ease with her family that she fell back asleep within minutes.

….

"FISS! FISS!"

Wyatt scrambled for the stroller and his bag where the goldfish crackers were always stowed and produced a blue plastic container. He triumphantly held it in the air with one hand and pointed at the aquariums with the other.

"FISS!"

Ed, Olivia, and Noah cracked up at Wyatt's enthusiasm. Maggie walked slowly up and down the aisle completely in awe of the backlit water and multicolored swimming creatures. She had a whimsical, dreamy smile on her face and stopped periodically to look back at her family. Noah took Wyatt's free hand and led him closer to one of the aquariums. He explained the different species and emphasized that whichever pet they chose would be their responsibility.

Noah had always wanted a dog, but, since playing with a neighbor's dachshund in their building's elevator, renewed his daily demands for a puppy. Olivia's answer was always an adamant no. Had she wavered at all, Ed probably would have convinced her to let them adopt a small dog. As a concession to Noah, he suggested a fish. He expected his son to balk and protest, but Noah enthusiastically hopped on board. The next day, the family headed out to choose their new member.

While Ed and Olivia consulted with a clerk about their options, Noah and the twins moved around in a huddle.

"Babies, we should get da fish that have da most colors. Dontcha think?"

Maggie and Wyatt babbled away and slapped the tanks.

"No, no. Dat's gonna scare 'em. Be nice." Noah switched to a higher pitched voice and gently tapped the glass with one fingertip. "Say, hi lil' fishies! Wanna come home with us and be our brothers and sisters? Hey!" He tapped the twin's heads, "Maybe these are twins like you!"

Ed and Olivia approached their brood slowly so they could listen without Noah noticing they were in the vicinity.

Ed finally interrupted them, "Hey bud, you see the ones you wanna take home?"

Noah spun around on his heel, "Yeah! We want these red and blue ones! It say tuh-tuh-tetra."

"Good choice, sweet boy," Olivia said, "The nice man said these are good for families and they like to live in groups, so we'll get four."

"FOUR?" Noah exclaimed, wide-eyed, "WOW!" He abruptly scrunched up his face. "But…we have five Tuckers! Can we get one, two, three, four, FIVE tetras?"

"Sure sweetie."

Once they were home, they decided to place the aquarium on one of the living room bookshelves. Ed set it up, filled it, and they introduced the tetras to their new home.

"Now we have to name them," Olivia said. The news stunned Noah. He hadn't expected such a monumental assignment, and his jaw dropped. Olivia told him he could think about it. "Why don't you watch them for a couple days and then you'll probably think of a good name?"

"Kay," Noah said slowly. "Babies, you gotta start talkin' more so you can help!"

Ed and Olivia chuckled.

"You wait bud, they'll be talkin' up a storm before ya know it then you'll want some quiet time," Ed remarked.

Perhaps in reaction to the new aquarium, the twins spontaneously erupted in a fit of jubilant shrieks and giggles. They pawed at each other and fell on the floor in hysterics.

Noah affectionately eyed his siblings and remarked warily, "They're pretty loud now." He crouched and helped them to their feet. "C'mon, babies. Let's go play and think of some names. Those fishies are prolly tired. Need a nap."

"NO NAP!" Maggie blurted out. "NO NAP!"

Brown curls bouncing, she sprinted away as fast as her little legs could carry her.

…..

Valentine's Day storefronts taunted Tucker as he walked home. His unbuttoned jacket flapped in the balmy breeze and he fixed his stare straight ahead so he didn't have to think about what he and Olivia weren't doing that evening.

But he thought about it anyway.

A year ago they'd been shell shocked by Hank Abraham's crimes, but their relationship was new and exciting and their future together, though in its fledgling stages, seemed assured. He remembered Olivia taking his arm outside the bar and leading him home for the nightcap. They sipped the bourbon she'd kept in her cabinet especially for him, and he listened as she mourned for Pippa's fractured family.

"Sorry," she'd mumbled with a self-conscious smile, "I said I didn't want to think about it…and here I am talking about it."

"No need to apologize," he replied, "Gonna take a while to put this on the backburner…just hope she and her kids find their way back to some kind of normalcy."

"Right." Olivia shivered and went to turn up the heat a few degrees. Via the iPad, she saw Noah was still cocooned in his blankets, and she slid the device aside. "Okay," she said in a cheerier tone, "Happier subjects…Happy Valentine's Day." She touched her glass to his and leaned in for a kiss.

He kissed back slowly and deliberately, savoring every second yet also giddy at the prospect of making love to her again.

Now, a year later, everything, including the weather, had been flipped upside down.

At a busy intersection as he waited for the light to change, he stared at the street signs. He wasn't far from her place. Their apartments were only a mile apart. When they realized this at the beginning of their relationship, they were both amazed they'd never run into one another before.

"Fuck it," Ed muttered to himself as he crossed the avenue. He jerked his phone from his pocket and called her.

She answered as if she'd been expecting to hear from him. "Hi."

"Hey, Liv. Did I catch ya at a bad time?"

"No, I just left the precinct."

"Headed home?"

Ed cringed in the seconds it took her to respond. He knew Cassidy was back in New York and working with the DA's office. There was a very real possibility they'd rekindled their relationship.

"Yes," she replied. "You?"

"You, uh, you wanna meet for a quick drink?"

"Sure…I have time…the place on Fifty-seventh?"

"Sounds good. Meet ya there."

Ed practically sprinted to the location. Olivia's reaction to his call had been completely the opposite of what he'd expected, and he certainly hadn't called with the intention of asking her out. He had merely wanted to hear her voice and ask how she was doing. At the risk of being humiliated, he wanted to tell her he missed her. As luck would have it, he was getting the opportunity to tell her in person.

Due to his head start and pace, he arrived first and commandeered a corner spot at the bar. This way she could sit as close or as far away from him as she wanted. The bar was neither crowded nor loud, and, other than a shimmery red heart hanging from one of the television screens, the ambiance did not evoke much semblance of the Hallmark holiday.

Olivia's attire was another story.

She sauntered into the bar clad in her leather-sleeved black trench, dark suit, and a bright red blouse that was a welcome sight on the otherwise dreary day. Ed immediately conceded his plan to act cool and, perhaps, a little aloof already failed miserably. He jumped up and greeted her with a quick, firm hug. She sat on the stool and brushed windswept strands of hair out of her face.

"Thanks for comin," he said, unable to make his smile completely disappear.

"It's good to see you," she replied. Olivia ordered a glass of wine and sighed when she took the first sip.

"Tough day?"

"They've all been tough lately." Olivia lifted her eyes to meet his. "How have you been?"

He took a moment to study her countenance. Exhaustion was present, but there was an incipient levity about her. Ed realized she wasn't lying. She was genuinely happy to see him, and he didn't hold back. "I'm alright," he muttered, "Been better."

Alarmed, Olivia raised her eyebrows and put her hand on his wrist, "What's wrong?"

He glanced at her hand before making eye contact, "I miss havin' you and Noah in my life."

The raw admission startled Olivia. She winced and retracted her hand only to reach out again, this time for his. His face contorted into a pathetic, self-loathing frown. "We miss you," she said softly. "It's been hard…to explain…to Noah and to myself. He asks about you. And…I think about you."

Unsure how to proceed, Ed gazed at her. She was still holding his hand, running her thumb along his knuckles. Finally, she implored him to say something.

"Liv, I don't know what happened…where we sorta veered off track…but I feel sick thinkin' we missed an opportunity to be together, be happy. Retiring…I guess I put too much pressure on ya but I didn't mean to do that. I know your job's your life—"

"—I shouldn't have said that," Olivia interjected, "And I didn't mean it. Not long ago I told Fin he needed some balance in his life. I seem to have forgotten my own advice."

"I think…" Ed's eyes begged for permission to be brutally honest and she nodded, "...you underestimated yourself, Liv. Things got chaotic and I know ya felt like you were bein' stretched too thin. But I was happy, I knew it would calm down, and, in the meantime, I guess I didn't make it clear that I was there, for you and for Noah. No matter what." Anticipating her response, he kissed her fingers and added, "Don't apologize."

Her smile was full of relief and an iota of self-deprecating humor. "I was going to bring Noah a Valentine's cupcake and order pizza," she said, "Do you want to join us?"

"Yeah I do." He signaled for the check, tossed his card on the bar, and inched closer to her. "Know what else I miss?"

She cocked an eyebrow, "What's that?"

"Kissing you."

Olivia cupped the back of his head and they exchanged a few pecks while the bartender ran the credit card. Ed signed and Olivia called home.

"Noah," she cooed, "Mommy's coming home and I have THREE surprises for you!"

Ed heard Noah's excited babbling and smirked.

"See you soon, sweet boy. Mommy loves you."

She hung up and smiled at Ed. "Ready?"

"Yeah."

As they strolled out of the bar, Olivia took Ed's arm exactly like she'd done a year ago.

"I'm really glad you called, Ed."

He dipped his shoulder into hers.

"So am I."

…

The new aquarium provided a welcome blue glow to the living room. The unnamed tetras swam around, in and out of the rock formations and plastic trees. Before going to bed, Noah said goodnight to the fish and promised he and his siblings would have names for them "in a couple days." After the stories, as Olivia tucked him in, Noah decided the names should start with N, W, M, O, and E. That way each Tucker would each have a special connection with one fish.

Olivia returned to the living room and settled in next to Ed.

"Excited about tomorrow?" He asked.

"I am," she replied, "And interested to hear more about the show. Do you think it's…it's a little wrong to fictionalize SVU? I mean…my stories, my experiences on the job…they actually happened. To people. You know?"

"Good point," Ed kissed the side of her head, "But…you're always sayin' how most people don't understand, how crimes against women and children are underreported or not taken with the same urgency as others…this might be a way to get another voice out there. Raise awareness. And with you on as a consultant, those sensitive topics will be presented with a sense of dignity and respect." He kissed her again, "Like only you can do."

"Who would have thought," Olivia mused, "All those years ago when I started at SVU…that it would come to this thirty some years later. A book and now a TV show…are you ok with this?"

Brow furrowed, Ed asked, "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, I'm retiring but…taking on something new."

"Liv, I assumed you would do something. And when Maggie and Wyatt go to school, you'll probably need to do something 'cause you'll get sick of me."

Olivia ran an index finger down Ed's nose. "Not possible."

Smirking, he replied, "I'm so proud you're my wife."

Olivia ducked her eyes for a split second. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for being…you. I…I remember when we first started seeing each other and I would go home after and…be amazed…at you."

"Didja think I was faking it?" His lips curled into a teasing grin.

"I have to admit I considered the possibility."

"But…?"

"But I replayed every conversation in my head…you were always so honest and straightforward…I realized I trusted you."

"And also that you were attracted to me?"

"Very, very attracted to you." With each word, Olivia let her head drift closer and closer to Ed's, culminating in a sloppy smooch.

He threaded his fingers through her hair. "I was so attracted to you I almost passed out the first time I saw you naked."

Olivia grinned. "I'm glad you didn't. That would have been extremely awkward."

"It's always a possibility."

"Even tonight?"

Ed blushed. He loved it when she flirted with him. He jerked his head in the direction of their bedroom.

"Only one way to find out."

…..

#Tuckson