Seven. (Note: one of the flashbacks is for a guest reviewer. I hadn't intended on spending much time on Tuckson reuniting since I've already written a story about it.)

Over one-hundred people attended the retirement celebration, and most of them wanted a photograph with the outgoing Lieutenant. Olivia gamely posed, smiled, and graciously accepted congratulatory words. At one point, Chief Dodds, himself a year into retirement, loudly summoned the most recent SVU squad to the backdrop for a group shot. Ed could smell liquor and tensed as the Chief half-staggered past. Dodds put one arm around Rollins' shoulders and the other across the small of Olivia's back.

Ed steeled his jaw and saw Olivia's clench. The polite smile was still plastered on her face, but he saw her entire body go rigid. Trapped in the middle of the group, she created as much space as possible between herself and her former boss and as soon as the camera flashed, she darted to Ed's side and put a hand on his chest.

"Don't," she warned him softly.

"His hand got a millimeter lower and I was gonna knock him out again," Ed grumbled.

Olivia kissed his cheek. She was still a little shaky from Dodds' awkwardness, but the comfort of Ed's proximity soothed her. "Did you knock him out?" She asked innocently, pretending to have a foggy memory of the night Ed punched Dodds in the crowded bar.

"I saw his eyes roll back."

Olivia grinned and kissed him again. As they backed away from one another Ed eyed the crowd. "Got about thirty more people wantin' a picture," he rasped.

"They can wait," she replied. "I'm having a moment with my husband right now."

….

The Tucker twins were regular visitors at Chelsea Piers' Toddler Gym and as soon as Ed and Olivia ridded them of their parkas and beanies, they dashed to their preferred play structures. Maggie loved to jump into the ball pit and Wyatt favored the slides. They were big enough now to navigate the climbing structures on their own, but Ed and Olivia stayed steps away in case one of them needed assistance.

"Big jump, Maggs!" Olivia took video of Maggie's leaps into the pit. She bent her knees and propelled herself forward, shrieking each time. When her head popped up she smiled jubilantly at her mother and huffed her word for "again." Static electricity caused strands of her brown hair to stand on end. After a few jumps, her purple socks twisted around so the heels were on top of her feet.

Olivia looked over at one of the slides. Wyatt was going down headfirst, and Ed helped him do a somersault at the end. She smiled, thinking ahead to the spring and how she would have to make sure her little boy slid on his bottom when using the outdoor slides. Sensing his mother's watchful eye, Wyatt toddled over and hugged her legs.

"Hell-lo, handsome," she cooed as she lifted him over her head. Wyatt's loose curls fell around his face and he broke into deep belly laughter. Olivia kissed his chubby cheeks. "I love you, sweet Wyatt."

Wyatt pointed at his sister, "Magg! BAH!"

"You want to jump?" Olivia stood him on the ledge. She expected him to hesitate, but, with a running start, Wyatt flew into the pit. She cringed, thinking he may have frightened himself, but Wyatt burst to his feet in a fit of laughter.

"Well, he's fearless all of a sudden," Ed remarked. Wyatt was usually the most tentative of the three kids.

"No kidding."

"Good thing we have a membership here," Ed said, "Since you're gonna be working at the studios…"

"I really like the producer and the writer I met with," Olivia said, "I feel like I can trust them and that they really want this to be something impactful."

"Good. I want you to be comfortable with them."

"I am."

"They writing the pilot now?"

"They're putting it together, yes. They've conceptualized the series, now they have to choose which story to tell off the bat."

"So exciting, baby," Ed slung his arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. "Can't wait to see your name on the credits."

Olivia chuckled. "That's a long ways away."

"I'm patient."

"That you are, Ed Tucker."

"MA! JUMP!" Instead of standing on the ledge leading to the ball pit, Maggie was preparing to leap the three feet to the padded floor.

Olivia rushed to her, "No, no, no," she said, holding out her arms, "Jump to Mommy."

"JUMP!"

Maggie fell into Olivia's arms and squealed as her mother swung her in circles. Olivia put her down and Maggie ran to the tunnels. It was hard for her to take her eyes off her daughter—she was so cute in her leggings, pink-and-white Adidas, and t-shirt with Girl Power emblazoned on the front. When she concentrated, Maggie bore an uncanny resemblance to her IAB investigator father. When she found her way out of the tunnel, her broad smile made Olivia feel like she was looking at one of her own baby photos. Maggie Tucker was a spot-on blend of her parents.

….

Much to Sarah's delight and relief, Justin's mother, his aunts, and other female relatives assumed most of the reception planning duties. Other than a few music requests, Sarah wasn't concerned with colors or flowers or catering. All she wanted was to be married to Justin, and more than once declared they would have had a courthouse ceremony if it hadn't been for the Vidal family's deep faith and the fact that it was Justin's first, and hopefully only, marriage.

The only major task Sarah had to complete was dress selection. She and Brooke had already decided on bridesmaids dresses—they were pale yellow, empire waist shifts that would not break the bank and were not so fancy that they couldn't be worn again. As far as her own dress was concerned, Sarah had narrowed her choices to five pieces, all with distinct differences. On another freezing cold February afternoon, Brooke and Noah accompanied their sister to the dress shop for the final selection.

Brooke lightly chastised Sarah for bringing Noah along. After all, their afternoons together were usually filled with sugary snacks, some sort of touristy adventure, a stop at DaVinci, and subway rides. With equal levity, Sarah dismissed the reprimand, insisted she needed Noah's input, and promised to buy both Noah and Brooke dinner afterwards.

Noah cheerfully hopped around the parlor outside the dressing rooms. He ate peppermint candies, sipped "bubbly water" from a champagne flute, and played with Sofia when she wasn't dozing in her stroller. During Sarah's first change, he did somersaults across the shag carpeting.

"Nice, No," Brooke said. "Have you taught Maggie and Wyatt how to do somersaults?"

"Dey just go like dis," Noah planted his palms on the floor and raised his body into an inverted "V" shape.

"They'll flip soon."

"Yeah, Daddy and Mommy help 'em flip." Noah spun around on his heel then tugged on his sweater, emblazoned with his school's insignia. "Brookey, I needta get this off."

"Sure, c'mere." Brooke yanked off the crimson sweater and frowned, "This thing seems really hot."

"S'cold at school."

"Oh, good deal then. You have to wear the sweater? You don't have a hoodie?"

"Not for school," Noah replied sagely, "Only shirts like dis," he tugged on his oxford, "or the other ones with short sleeves and a sweater with NO sleeves."

"A vest?"

"Yes, a vest."

"What about shoes?"

"I pick my shoes in da morning."

"You like to wear the uniform? You don't wish you could go to school in jeans and a t-shirt?"

Noah screwed up his face. "I like da uniform. School's my work. So I get dressed for work. Like Mommy. And like Daddy sometimes."

"OKAYYY," Sarah twirled into the parlor, "What do you think about this one?"

Noah immediately shook his head. "Too puffy."

"Too puffy?"

"Yes." Noah walked over to Sarah and poked at the skirt which jutted out at her waist.

"It's supposed to be like this, Noey."

"I don't like it."

"Well, this one's out then," Sarah shrugged and returned to the fitting room.

Brooke laughed. "Noah, why didn't you like that one?"

"It made Sare Bear look like a b'loon!"

"Oh shit," Brooke murmured, erupting into soft giggles.

"Swear jar, Brookey."

"Noah, you're too funny."

Like he did with most compliments, Noah took her words in stride. He shrugged and continued flipping and spinning across the room until Sarah appeared again, this time in a much simpler ivory ankle-length gown with spaghetti straps.

"How about this one?"

Brooke smiled. Sarah looked gorgeous in the dress. It accentuated all her features and was perfect even with Sarah's hair in her tight work ponytail. Brooke hated that Sarah wore her hair that way more often than not; Sarah had enviable thick, wavy, dirty-blonde locks.

"Beautiful," she mumbled, well aware that Noah possessed the deciding vote.

"Dat's a good dress, Sare Bear!" Noah exclaimed. "I like it! Buy dat one!" He was sincere in his advice. Sarah and Brooke immediately knew he wasn't merely trying to leave the shop as quickly as possible. "Justy gonna like it!"

"Well, this one it is, then," Sarah said. "You're lucky, Noey. All you have to do is wear a tux with a yellow bow tie. We women have it hard."

…..

On the way from the elevator to his door, Noah tossed his keys from one hand to another. After living abroad for a year, he found Manhattan life to be more hectic than he remembered. Europeans ambled through their days; New Yorkers sprinted. Even though he worked for the United Nations, he felt a pressure to perform he hadn't noticed in Europe. He was looking forward to spending the upcoming weekend with his family in Bethany Beach. Ed, Olivia, and the twins had been there since school ended.

He rounded the corner to his apartment and froze.

"Mia?"

The young woman propped against the window still straightened and smiled sheepishly. "Hey, No."

"Are you okay?"

She rubbed her eyes and yanked two sections of her ponytail in opposite directions. "I'm fine, I'm just tired and I couldn't get a hold of you."

Noah glanced at his phone. He had ignored several calls from an unrecognizable number. "I was in meetings," he juggled his keys around and unlocked his door. "C'mon. How long have you been out here?"

"Not long."

Noah sized her up. "Right."

"Have you eaten?" She asked, "I'm starving. I haven't had anything since I left."

Noah grinned and tossed near-obsolete menus in her direction. "You pick. And tomorrow I'm doing brunch with Sarah, Justin, and the kids before we go to the beach. You should come. They'll be happy to see you."

"Are you happy to see me?"

"Of course I am."

Mia twisted her lips and cast him a doubtful look as she lugged her bags inside.

….

"TETRAS!"

Trailed by Brooke, Sofia, and Sarah, Noah sprinted into the apartment. Maggie and Wyatt followed suit. Ed and Olivia smiled knowingly and simultaneously held out their arms for the baby. Ed let Olivia have her first.

"He's had some anxiety over naming them," Olivia said as she cradled Sofia in a shoulder hold.

"Very important decision," Sarah said, "Your name is your life. Dad and my Mom picked the easy way out. We have the most boring names on the planet. Daddy, how exactly did you pick those names?"

"I didn't," Ed muttered.

"You didn't?"

"Your mother picked them and I didn't think they were terrible, so here we are."

"I'm not displeased," Sarah said as she took a seat on a bar stool, "They're so generic though. I already know what I'm naming my babies."

Ed rolled his eyes and went to play with the twins and Noah. The conversation was already taking on the character of a girls' night and he wanted nothing to do with it.

"So, you found a dress?" Olivia asked, "Let me see."

Sarah showed her the picture.

"I love it. Classy. Elegant. Really beautiful."

Brooke laughed, "Noah totally nixed a couple others."

"He certainly doesn't mince words."

"Nope. He does not."

A distant, dreamy look clouded Olivia's eyes.

"Livvie, what is it?"

"Nothing, I was just remembering something."

….

Everything was exactly the same. Olivia nodded at the half-asleep doorman. They slapped thighs on the elevator ride. Ed asked if he should wait outside, and Olivia laughed. It was close to Noah's bedtime but he was wide awake. Lucy didn't bother trying to put him to bed on nights like this when Olivia had called and assured her she was on the way home.

"ED!"

Noah dashed to Tucker. He wrapped his little arms around Ed's legs and growled.

Amused and knowing she was in the middle of a potentially-important family moment, Lucy hustled out.

"UP! ED!"

The three of them were still huddled in the foyer and, other than Noah, a little unsure of what to do with themselves.

Noah took the lead.

"ED! FLY!"

"I'll fly ya, bud." Ed hoisted Noah into the air. The little boy planked, held his arms out, and made a whirring noise. Ed landed him on the couch and tickled his belly, just as he'd done dozens of times before. Consumed with giggles, Noah gasped for air. Ed gave him a break and, in the process, caught a glimpse of Olivia who was dotingly looking on.

The three of them ate pizza and Noah devoured his cupcake. When it was time for him to go to bed, Ed gave him an extra kiss and hug.

"You gonna come t'morrow?"

Ed glanced at Olivia.

"If Ed wants to," she said.

"Ed, you want to?"

Bursting with relief and joy, Ed gave Noah one of his broadest smiles and assured him he'd be there the following night.

"Wiff pizza?"

Olivia interjected, "We'll eat something else tomorrow, sweet boy. We can't have pizza every night!"

Noah pouted.

"But I'm sure Ed'll bring you a cookie." She winked at Ed and hoisted Noah into her arms. "Alright. Bedtime."

With Noah in bed, Ed and Olivia sat on the couch in near-silence for a while. Their abrupt breakup ended with an even more sudden reunion, and they weren't quite sure about the proper course of action.

"He's grown," Ed murmured about Noah.

"Yeah…he's gone up a pants size since Christmas."

"This was good…tonight."

Olivia rested her elbow on the back of the couch. "It was…Ed, I, I really feel like I should apologize. There was no reason for me to throw in the towel on us, take you out of Noah's life…and mine. I'm really sorry I didn't believe you."

"Believe me?"

Olivia sighed, "All along, you were telling me…little by little…showing me you were committed, you even said it, told me we could last, and I…" Olivia's shoulders slumped, "…I didn't believe you. And that must have hurt you so badly."

Ed held each of her shoulders. "I kept tellin' you because…" he winced, reconsidering what he had been about to say.

"—say it," she implored.

Compassion and love filled his blue eyes, "—because, I remembered, one night, one really good night, we were talkin' and it was probably one of the heavier conversations we'd had and you tried to make a little joke about abandonment, but I knew it wasn't a joke…and you knew I knew," he caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers, "Liv, I shouldnta let it end…but I respect you too much. I still mean everything I said. I love you. And I want to be with you. And I know it won't always be easy, but I want us to be us…no matter what."

Olivia's chin trembled and she replied in a shaky voice, "I want that, too."

Before she could burst into tears, Ed kissed her and held on until he felt her body relax. They passed the rest of the night together on the couch watching classic reruns and making lighthearted small talk about the actors' wardrobes, hairstyles, and dialogue. Olivia seemed surprised and a bit disappointed when he left around midnight having made no other amorous advances. He tenderly kissed her goodnight, told her he loved her, and confirmed plans for the next evening.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay?"

"I do," he said softly, "But, uh…"

"I understand."

"I wanna give you a little time…tonight happened so fast."

Olivia pressed her lips together in an appreciative smile. She didn't speak. Any attempt to form words at the moment would have ended up in shaky, tear-filled gibberish.

"Weekend's comin' up…maybe we can take a drive somewhere? Get outta the city for a day or two?"

"I'd like that."

"I'll look at a few places and let ya know tomorrow."

"Okay."

"Six?"

"Yes. If I'm running late…would you mind staying with Noah?"

"Not at all."

…..

A furious snowstorm battered Manhattan in late February, closing schools and forcing almost everyone to hunker down in their homes. Robust flakes began pelting the Tucker windows around bedtime and, by the time Maggie woke everyone up in the morning, the city was buried under two feet of heavy slush and the storm had not yet abated.

"Wanna go out there!" Noah shouted. He danced around in front of the windows in his pajamas. His usual view of various shades of brick was now completely painted in white.

Ed was all too happy to have his family trapped inside. "We'll go out later, bud. When it stops snowin. Everyone's supposed to stay in right now so the police can make sure it's safe."

"Mommy? You goin ta work?"

"No, sweet boy," Olivia cooed, "I'm staying right here."

She started a pot of coffee and water for the kids' hot chocolate. Maggie and Wyatt mimicked their brother. They spun around in circles, chanting something close to "SNOW" and, dizzy, collapsed into one another. Noah, adept at making sure he didn't crush his siblings, fell backwards into his beanbag.

"Ahhhhhh!" he shouted as Maggie and Wyatt piled on top of him, "Baby mess! Baby attack!"

"NO NO NO NO SNOW SNOW SNOW SNOW!"

"Hey bud, why don't ya tell Maggie and Wyatt about sledding? They prolly don't remember from last year. We'll go out as soon as it stops snowin."

"Kay Daddy!"

Noah busied himself gathering the proper toys, and Ed annoyed his wife in the kitchen. He came up behind her and whispered into her neck, "Want me to make breakfast?"

"Sure. Want coffee first?"

"I want you."

Olivia chuckled and turned around in his arms. "Will you settle for a Green Mountain Dark Roast?"

"I guess." He kissed her a few times. "Mmmm…you're so good. God, I love kissing you."

"Yeah?"

"Ye—"

SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Ed and Olivia contorted their bodies across the island and saw Noah pushing the twins along the floor via the empty diaper boxes the Tuckers kept in the foyer closet to help with recycling. Noah could only manage pushing one twin at once. While he zipped Wyatt across the hardwood, Maggie squealed and screeched for him to return and give her a similar ride. After taking a deep, exaggerated breath, Noah sprinted Wyatt's box back across the living room and Maggie flailed around in her box, impatient for Noah to push her.

"GAIN! A'GAIN! NO!"

"Oh my God," Olivia murmured.

Ed was chuckling uncontrollably. "That boy is too creative for his own good."

"What a perfect inside day activity," she said, taking a seat on a barstool.

"I'd put it in the top five," Ed quipped.

Olivia swatted his chest.

"Hey, No, do the return trip with Maggs and then I'll push you."

"Thanks, Daddy!" Noah huffed breathlessly, "Dese babies are wearin' me out."

…..

#Tuckson