Fourteen.

Noah sat on the island while Olivia packed a small cooler for their picnic in the park. The cooler had been purchased by Ed who made sure to take measurements so it would fit in the stroller's storage space. Today it was perfect to hold their lunches, a few bottles of water, and juice boxes. The bag of chips went into the twins' bag which, as they got older, contained fewer and fewer items. Gone were the bottles, piles of extra clothes, and hordes of toys. Olivia made sure to toss in a plastic ball, Wyatt's favorite dump truck, and Maggie's race car. Noah would eventually wedge his soccer ball and football in with everything else, and they would be all set to go.

"Okay, sweet boy," Olivia said before closing the lid, "How's this look?"

"YUMMY!"

"Great! Let's get those babies strapped in and we'll go."

"Gotta have coats, Mommy?"

Olivia checked the temperature for the third time that morning and glanced at the twins. They were wearing turtlenecks, jeans, and gray hoodies. To Noah's delight, the three kids were all dressed identically, right down to their red Converse sneakers.

"We all have da same!" He observed gleefully. "And, Mommy, you have jeans, so you almost da same!"

"Maybe I should've bought myself some red shoes when I bought yours."

Noah smiled, "But ya can't wear dese shoes to work! Gotta wear da boots!"

Olivia mussed his hair, "Well, sweet boy, once I'm done with work we'll all go out and buy matching shoes. How about that?"

"That's GREAT!"

On the walk to the park, Noah regaled Olivia with last night's activities which occurred under the supervision of Sonny and Justin. They ate their tacos, but Sonny had to hold Sofia because she was crying "all da time." Olivia explained teething and Noah's hands flew to his mouth.

"Ouchie," he said. "I don't 'member getting these teeth!"

Olivia decided to leave out the fact that soon, Noah would be losing teeth and growing new ones. Even though this round was not all that painful, she didn't want to unnecessarily scare him.

Noah continued, "After we ate da tacos, Justy say we had ta clean up, so we did, then we played hide-seek, and, you know what?"

"What?"

"For a long time we couldn't find small sister and brother!" Noah doubled over with laughter as he walked alongside his mother. "Justy and Sonny were runnin' around and they were sayin 'Maggie! Wyatt!' and we couldn't find em!"

Since her twins were safely strapped in the stroller and alive and well, Olivia laughed along with Noah. "Where were they?"

"SMALL SISTER AND BROTHER GOT INTO THE CAB'NETS!"

"How?" The Tuckers still had child locks on the doors Maggie and Wyatt could reach.

Noah shrugged, and Olivia speculated the guys had either forgotten to latch the lock or hadn't properly connected the two sides. Along with chase, hide-and-seek was a popular Tucker game. The twins, however, were usually very bad at it. They knew the concept of hiding, but, when the seeker approached, Maggie and Wyatt always revealed themselves. Apparently, they'd mutually decided to step things up.

"What did you do after hide-and-seek?"

"Justy and Sonny pushed us in da diaper boxes. And Sofia, too! I held her! Then she started laughin!"

When Olivia and the girls returned, Sonny and Justin were drinking beers at the island while the kids played on the floor. Now that she'd been apprised of all details, Olivia was shocked they hadn't both flopped on the couch.

After wandering around the park for a while, Noah finally pinpointed a spot on a hill suitable for setting up their picnic. Once they'd scaled the incline, they spread their large blanket and secured the corners with the cooler and a stroller wheel. They sat in a circle, sipped drinks, and took in the scenery. It was a beautiful day, and the paved walkways already teemed with joggers and camera-laden tourists.

"Lotsa people on 'ventures," Noah said, "S'like we're da king and da queen, Mommy, and dis is all our land!"

"Sure is, sweet boy."

"And those buildings over there—" Noah pointed to Central Park West apartment buildings towering above the tree line, "—those are our castles!"

Wyatt handed his juice box to Olivia. "A'done!" He stood up and toddled to their bag and produced a plastic ball printed with Disney characters. "Bah! Bah! Kick!" Even though he'd said "kick," Wyatt threw the ball in Olivia's direction.

"Throw, Wyatt," she said and demonstrated, "This is throw."

"Yeah! Ya kick with your foot!"

Maggie finished her juice and joined her brothers. The three of them wandered into the grass in front of Olivia. Noah found some sticks, made a goal, and organized a modified game. Olivia leaned back on her elbows and basked in contentment. Eventually, she snapped some photographs, took video, and acted as cheerleader.

"Kay, Wyatt, you give dis ball to Mommy," Noah said at one point, abruptly ending the soccer match, "I gonna set up da obstacle course."

Wyatt obediently brought the ball to Olivia and she took the opportunity to hug him and nuzzle his neck, sending him into a fit of giggles. He arched his back, and, with his head tilted, she admitted to herself that he probably could use a haircut even though she hated the thought of lopping off his soft brown curls. Wyatt squinted against the bright sunlight, and it reminded Olivia of their sunglasses.

"C'mere, sweethearts," she called to Noah and Maggie. "Sunglasses!"

"GASSES!" Maggie exclaimed as she snatched her pair from Olivia's hand and shoved them on her face. "Su'gasses!" She put her hands on her hips and posed as if she were on the red carpet. "Mooo STAH!"

"Yes, sweet girl, movie star," Olivia said, chuckling and assuming Maggie was mimicking something Sarah had taught her.

Noah had no patience for dwelling on how they looked in sunglasses though he did compliantly pose for a picture. He took the twins by the hands and walked them through his obstacle course. They had to zig zag around a few rocks, barrel roll twice, do a somersault, and sprint back uphill to Olivia who they were supposed to high five. By the time the three of them were tired of the course, dirt and grass streaked their clothing. Olivia grabbed the wipes and cleaned them as best she could. Before they unwrapped the food, she gathered all three kids in her lap and snapped a selfie. She edited it with the text "Hi, Daddy" and sent it to Ed.

….

During their call on their second-to-last night apart, Olivia and Ed spent most of the minutes laughing at one another's stories. Ed couldn't believe how dirty Olivia allowed the kids to get at the park. Olivia was shocked that not only had Ed filmed his mother dancing with various partners in the local pub, but also had joined in, purportedly to separate her from the much younger admirers. Ed shook his head at the crying lady in the pub; Olivia regarded his extra suitcase with bulging eyes.

"You had to buy another one?"

"Yep. Bought too much. When you and I come, make note, we'll need an extra bag."

Curious, Olivia requested to see one thing.

"Sure." Ed unzipped the bag with just enough room to pluck out the multicolored throw blanket. "I know we have a bunch of these, but this one's…so soft…the people have been makin' them here for hundreds of years."

Seeing him hold the blanket to his face, stirred every available emotion and Olivia would've given anything to be in that hotel room with him.

"I can't wait to touch it," she said, "And…touch you."

"Soon, Liv. Real roon."

…..

Sarah and Brooke grinned at Sonny and stepped to the dais.

"Livvie, we are not going to make you cry," Sarah declared, causing the audience to break into a fresh round of laughter.

"And if we do," Brooke added, "Please remember, this was all Sarah's idea."

"We," Sarah continued, "Are the daughters of Ed Tucker who many of you, some more intimately than others, are familiar with." Sarah paused for a peripheral glance at her father who had taken his seat between Olivia and Noah and was trying his best to pretend to be annoyed. "We met our Livvie one day about four or so years ago, we showed up at her office and she had no idea who we were, but as soon as we met her we knew she was someone special."

Brooke took over, "Olivia, I don't think you knew you were going to have to share Dad with us, or that we'd pop in to your apartment unannounced or that Sarah would occasionally demand you join us for drinks or for lunch. We both knew right away that you and Dad were going to get married…but we certainly didn't expect you to so willingly step in and invite us into your lives."

"Livvie, we want to publicly thank you—for being there for us for everything," Sarah said, "No matter what you were dealing with at work, you never said no when we needed to talk or cry or go shopping or complain or borrow Noah. We so appreciate your sometimes brutally honest advice and for always thinking of us and, most of all, loving us like we're children of your own. We love you, too."

Olivia had been squeezing Ed's hand under the table, but she stood and hugged each of the girls before they took their seats. She didn't have time to say anything other than, "thank you, that was so nice," because Carisi, the Master of Ceremonies, was already introducing the final speaker.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said, "Give it up for Captain Tucker!"

…..

Fin and Rollins munched doughnuts and sipped coffee while briefing the Lieutenant about the weekend's developments. Of the four women in the reservoir, two had been identified as tourists who had traveled to New York unbeknownst to anyone else in their lives. Coworkers, friends, and family had no idea why either one of them were in the city.

"COD?" Olivia asked.

"Still waiting," Rollins muttered.

"Still waiting?"

"ME said no outward signs of one. Waiting for the blood work."

"Do I need to send Fletcher back to the lab?"

"Said they'll have it this afternoon."

Olivia closed the folders and set them aside. "I have to get to the airport," she said, "Keep me posted, but I probably won't be back until tomorrow morning." She tossed a few things in her back and zipped out of the office, leaving Fin and Rollins in stitches.

"Did that just happen?" Rollins asked.

Doubled over in the chair, Fin nodded.

Incredulous, Rollins turned and peered into the squad room. The Lieutenant was nowhere to be found. "She might as well have said, I'm going to be naked with Tucker the rest of the day, don't bother me."

Fin let out a long whistle. "Whooooweee," he said, still laughing, "Good for her though. Good for her. Go on, getcha some, Liv."

…..

Olivia opened the envelope and her jaw dropped. She shuffled the two tickets between her thumb and forefinger as if she were evaluating their authenticity.

"Ed…"

"Not an April Fool's joke," he quipped. In passing, Olivia mentioned envying Barba. The ADA had seen several Broadway shows in the past weeks, with Hamilton being one of them. Reminders of the vaunted musical were everywhere, and, more than once, Olivia wondered aloud about its allure. Now, she could see for herself.

Keeping her eyes on the tickets, she reached for her phone, "I'll call Lucy…make sure she can stay a little later tonight."

"I already took care of it," he said, "I hope ya don't mind."

Tucker couldn't believe his eyes and ears. Olivia actually giggled.

"I one-hundred percent do not mind," she said, "But I would like to change clothes."

"Me too," he said, "So, I'll, uh, I'll run home then come pick you up?"

"Sure." The office blinds were open, but she kissed him anyway and it wasn't exactly a quick, chaste peck.

An hour later they were at a tiny bistro two blocks from the theatre and miles away from the garishness of Times Square. They shared two small plates, a bottle of wine, and several kisses. Since they'd been outed as a couple, Olivia had been more inclined to public displays of affection, and she both held his hand and clasped his arm on the walk from the restaurant to the show. Even when they took their seats, she leaned into his shoulder.

The performance captivated them both in different ways. Ed was more interested in the history; Olivia raved about the music, and, during intermission, downloaded the soundtrack from Apple Music. After the show, when the cast took their bows, she clapped furiously. Her smile was one of the most jubilant Ed had ever seen.

He led her into the aisle with his hand on the small of her back, "Well, Benson, whadja think?"

"Amazing," she gushed, "Absolutely amazing…I'm…speechless."

"Wanted to make sure we went before the original cast goes their separate ways."

Olivia raised her eyebrows, "When's that happening?"

"This summer, I think."

She kissed his cheek and waited for eye contact. "Thank you, Ed," she said with utmost sincerity.

"You're welcome."

"Nightcap? Or…we can go right home…"

She cocked an eyebrow and squeezed his hand. Ed's face flushed and he flashed a shy grin. The fact that "home" implied the two of them going back to her place thrilled him.

"Whatever you want."

"Let's combine the two," she said.

"Sounds good to me."

Outside the theatre, she paused, cupped the back of his head, thanked him again, and capped the expression of gratitude with a brief yet deep kiss. For a split second, Ed felt a pang of guilt. He hadn't bought the tickets with an ulterior motive. He didn't want her to feel like she owed him anything.

"This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me," she murmured, almost embarrassed to utter the admission. "I'm…stunned."

Her easy, raw transparency rendered him speechless, so he took her hand and headed in the direction of her apartment.

It was at that precise moment he envisioned an indefinite future for the three of them.

…

Most of the time, Olivia avoided using the shield to obtain perks, but she cast all scruples aside to make sure she was there as soon as Ed stepped off the jetway. The flight was still in the air when she arrived at the gate, and she constantly refreshed the airline's website in case there were any changes.

She saw him first and weaved her way through waiting passengers. The Irish winds and exposure to the sea were evident on his face and the extra ruddiness caused his blue eyes to stand out even more. All of a sudden, they were the only two people in the airport. Caroline and Margie greeted her with words and smiles, but their voices were distant, muted and echoey. Olivia may have returned the hellos. She may have smiled. Caroline may have amusedly announced she and Margie would meet the two of them at baggage claim.

"Ed." She jumped into his arms. He dropped his carryon and caught her.

They were blocking others, and he managed to maneuver them a few steps off to the side, kicking his bag out of the way as well. He splayed his hands across her back, buried his face in her hair, and kissed her head. "Thought you might be here," he whispered, taking a much longed-for deep breath full of her scent.

"I couldn't wait to see you."

He coaxed a little space between them so he could kiss her lips. "Flight seemed like it took days."

He held her face and ran both thumbs under her eyes, ready to catch tears that had not yet formed. Olivia's chest heaved. She blinked a few times and, to keep her lower lip from trembling, she bit it, but he kissed her lips, her forehead, and each of her cheeks. A combination of love, compassion, and relief swirled among his features. Finally, the inevitable tears filled Olivia's eyes, and he wrapped her again in his firm embrace, willing to hold her there for as long as she needed.

….

Ed kicked the door closed with his foot.

"Liv, I dunno how…"

"Shut up." Olivia gasped for air then fused her lips to his, somehow managing to work herself out of her blazer and blouse, leaving her clad in bra, pants, shield, and Glock.

Ed couldn't help himself. He admired her at arm's length. "Goddamn."

Tempering her lust for a couple of extra minutes, Olivia seductively removed her shield and weapon, dropping them to the floor where they would be sure to find them later when they departed for Noah's school.

He filled his hands with her breasts and backed her against the wall. "Liv, I, I'm not gonna be able to wait much longer."

"Then don't." While they kissed ferociously, Olivia loosened his jeans and shoved them down so he could step out of them. She shimmied out of her own pants and he rocked his hips into hers. Primed and sensitive, she cried out, into his mouth, and he created enough space so he could lift her by the thighs and carry her to the couch.

He ridded them of their remaining garments and tried to slow down, backtrack into tender foreplay, but it wasn't necessary and, by the way Olivia was insistently pawing at him, he knew she wouldn't mind. Besides, they had the whole afternoon in front of them.

"Oh my God, I missed you," she moaned.

Ed released a few pleasant groans and rasped, "I love you, baby." Experiencing her again after an eight-day hiatus was like discovering a more perfect paradise. All the anticipation, the love and lust, her soft skin, her face contorting, her lips forming a circle then curling into a smile—it was exhilarating, close to an out-of-body experience, but he wasn't out of his body because his nerves tingled, he felt her hands on his hips and heard her pleas for him to go harder, faster, to never, ever stop.

They didn't care about the neighbors. They didn't care if their entire neighborhood heard them scream wildly. Ed didn't care that he could hardly breathe—he mustered the energy to carry her to the bedroom, kiss her more, explore every inch of the woman he loved more than life itself and now seemed brand new.

Olivia thought they were going to bed to be in each other's arms and talk sweetly about their time apart. The amount of energy they'd expended had to have an effect on her jet lagged husband, but he wasn't finished. Briefly, she considered giving him a way out, almost told him it was okay, he didn't have to—

"Oh my Goddddddd."

He'd been teasing her—kissing along one thigh then the other, back and forth, getting closer and closer to where she wanted him most and when he finally planted himself there, she arched her back and cried out for more.

Determined to leave her completely and utterly sated, Ed worked assiduously. In his mind, he was compensating for the eight nights he hadn't been there next to her. The vacation had occurred at her insistence, but neither he nor she realized how difficult it would be to be apart. The two of them were no longer meant to exist separately.

They were one.

And he was back exactly where he needed to be.

Home.

….

Disheveled and pleasantly fatigued, Ed and Olivia cocooned themselves under the covers, keeping an eye on the clock so they weren't late picking up Noah. They had a few minutes remaining until their agreed-upon shower time, and Olivia was so glued to Ed he predicted it might take some minor cajoling for her to adhere to their plan.

"You asleep?" He asked.

"No," she pressed a kiss to his chest, "I'm…basking."

"Whatcha thinkin' about?"

"How much I love you."

He made circles on her shoulder with his fingertips and kissed the top of her head. "I don't know if there's a number, a word, to describe how much I love you." He could feel her smile, and he dared to cross into more serious sentiments. "I don't ever wanna be away from you again, Liv."

She sat up a little. He saw flecks of trepidation in her eyes.

"I didn't want to say it," she replied. "Saying it…makes it seem too real. Too scary."

"Scary?"

Shifting so she was resting against his chest but facing him, she explained, "I could…function without you, sure. But it was…more than missing another set of hands with the kids or all the chores you do…" She paused and they exchanged tiny smiles, "…I…I…need you. I've changed into this whole other person and I'm not me without you. It's almost, like we share a heartbeat," she coyly ducked her eyes, self-conscious about being so sappy, "I didn't realize it until you weren't there."

"You said exactly what I was feeling," he murmured.

"And it doesn't scare you?"

"No," he twirled a section of her hair around an index finger. "But I can understand why you would feel that way."

"You must be tired of having this conversation…me having issues with being dependent on you…"

"Exactly the opposite, Liv. You talking to me, about anything and everything, about issues…it's an honor." She chuckled doubtfully. He pinched her chin between his thumb and forefinger, "And what you're describing is dependence, but it's the kinda dependence people have when they're in love. It's not a flaw…it's a strength. And," he paused for effect, "We are…so strong."

….

#Tuckson