Nineteen.

As much as Ed enjoyed defending Olivia when she played wide receiver, his new obsession was the two of them being on the same beach volleyball team. Slapping hands with her after a point, watching her body stretch as she served, seeing her wrap one of the kids in a hug when they made a good play—it was all deliciously sexy, but he couldn't get over the bikini. It was for him, this he knew, and he couldn't help but feel smug when men walked by and took an extra glance over their shoulders at his wife in swimwear. Sarah, too, wore a similar suit, but not even she could match Olivia's confident swagger. Olivia knew she was torturing Ed; she'd bought the two-piece for that specific reason.

"Wyatt, honey, your turn. Your serve." Olivia tossed him the ball. He caught it deftly and marched to the line closer to the net—the agreed upon serving boundary for the kids. Deeply concentrating, Wyatt pressed his lips together so hard they curled inward. Before the game he'd removed his precious goggles and donned the stylish sunglasses Sarah purchased for the kids before the trip. His sun streaked short brown hair curled in tendrils around his face.

Ed smiled at him in profile—his bone structure was still unmistakably Olivia's. Unlike Noah and Maggie, Wyatt wasn't all skin and bones. He was thicker, not chubby or overweight, but sturdy and tough. Even though he resembled a linebacker, Wyatt would probably never play football. He was a gentle soul, thoughtful, quiet, quite the opposite of his feisty sister.

Wyatt's serve sailed over the net toward Sonny who was trying to play with a beer in one hand. He managed to keep the ball in the air, passing it to Brooke, who attempted to set up Justin. Their timing wasn't quite right and Justin had to settle for a gentle lob over the net rather than a laser-like spike. Maggie raced to bump the ball and succeeded in passing it to Ed who redirected the ball to his wife. She jumped and slammed it down on the other side of the net.

Point, Tuckers.

"YAY MOMMY!"

"Good one, Mom! Nothin' they could do about that!"

Olivia grinned at the praise and held out her palms as Ed approached. "Nice set," she said.

"Nice hit." He slapped palms with her but gripped her hands and pulled her in for a kiss. He thought he got away with pinching her without anyone noticing.

"DADDY YOU PINCHED MOMMY'S BUTT!" Maggie shouted. She collapsed into the sand in a fit of laughter.

Ed lifted her up over his head. Her pigtails whipped against his face. "You don't miss anything, do ya, Maggie May?"

"NOPE!"

…..

Winter gradually lost its grip on New York City as March, 2020 disappeared from view. Warmer temperatures brought more residents to parks and playgrounds, and tourists crowded onto the city streets, moving in hordes toward attractions such as Times Square and the Empire State Building. The onset of spring also carried reminders of the next few months' milestones—Justin's college graduation, Brooke's first Mother's Day, and Noah's final days of Kindergarten. He often talked about the "older kids" who he was acquainted with thanks to his superior math skills, and he looked forward to perks like eating lunch in the actual cafeteria rather than in the classroom and using the school ID for more than a placeholder in his wallet. Noah loved school—both the learning and the procedures—and, for that, Olivia was grateful. However, with each passing day he grew wiser, his voice sounded older, and, just as she had mixed feelings about the twins getting older, Noah's maturation came with pros and cons. Yet, the little boy persona predominated most of the time.

On the way home from school he clutched Olivia's hand and cheerfully recounted his day, beginning with a retelling of how Mr. B. started class with the announcement that they would not be having recess that day. The news was met with a chorus of gripes and whines, but Mr. B. quickly pivoted and announced "APRIL FOOLS!"

"S'April first," Noah informed his mother, "And itsa day from his'try and people played jokes and told little lies to be silly and have fun, but those lies were okay 'cause it's a joke and you tell 'em right away!"

Olivia laughed along with him. "Did you play jokes all day?"

"Yeah," Noah said, "I told Mr. B. I wasn't done with my work and his face looked like dis," Noah scrunched up his face in confusion, "And 'den I say, April Fools! B'cause I WAS done!" Noah giggled at his ingenuity. "We should play April Fools on Daddy."

"Ooo," Olivia replied, "Great idea. What should we do?"

Noah twisted his lips as he thought. "I know! We say we gonna go to da pub and he comes in and we're not there but we're hiding!"

Olivia gnashed her teeth; it sounded a little mean. But, then again, Noah did stress the prankster was supposed to give him or herself up immediately. Also, her son was already laughing and predicting how Ed would respond when he bounded through the rickety pub doors and found their usual table empty.

"Okay, sweet boy. We'll do that."

"Daddy's gonna be so c'fused!"

"Do you think he'll be mad?" Olivia asked with an air of whimsy.

Noah scrunched up his forehead but quickly decided Ed would not be angry at the joke. "He jus' gonna laugh," Noah said, "And then prolly wanna April Fools Sare Bear."

Olivia grinned, for she had the perfect Sarah prank in mind. It, too, was a little mean, but she assured herself that if she held to Noah's rule against letting the joke run too long, it would be perfect.

….

Olivia closed the bathroom door only to hear it open again seconds later. Ed walked in with an almost predatory smirk on his face. He began removing the bikini from her body and kissing her as he did so.

"You didn't think you were gonna take this off alone, didja?" He asked as he lightly bit her shoulder.

"Ed…we're—"

"—Yeah, we're about to have dinner," he said, "But we have a few minutes. Kids are puttin' kebabs or something together," he slid both hands down her midsection and under the bikini bottom. "I need you first."

He worked her out of the suit as he planted sloppy smooches on the back of her neck. Olivia craned her head backwards and reached for his head with one hand while holding his opposite forearm in place with the other. She could feel him against her. She could also hear the clanging of plates and knives in the kitchen.

"Ed."

"Want me to stop?"

Unfair question. He had already started to swirl his fingers between her legs. Since they were on a strict timetable, he nudged her thighs apart and stared at her in the mirror. "I wanna watch you."

He repositioned himself, and Olivia gasped approvingly. Ed moved his hips and massaged her breasts. Olivia moaned softly. While she preferred more conventional positions, she liked this one for several reasons. For one, it was used when there was urgency, when they both had to have each other and had hardly any time. Also, the angles Ed was forced to use touched a different array of nerve endings and caused quick, intense jolts of pleasure to course through her midsection and radiate outward along her extremities. When he felt her begin to tremble, he rasped, "Look up, Liv."

The passion pulsating in his blue eyes nearly pierced the glass and weakened Olivia's already wobbly knees. She tried to smile but settled instead for contorting her lips into an oval shape as she breathed in and out, irregularly, for her husband was spending every last ounce of the night's energy on making her numb with his love.

…...

Olivia and Noah changed the April Fool's joke at the last minute. Rather than set up Ed's arrival like they'd planned, Olivia suggested it would be even funnier if he walked in and found Noah by himself at the table. Noah would claim Olivia let him walk to the pub alone.

"Do you think you can say it and not laugh?" Olivia asked.

Noah took a sip of his Shirley Temple and nodded vigorously. "I'm gonna be real ser'ous."

"Ok."

They waited until Ed was crossing the intersection. Olivia quickly gathered her bag and headed back toward the restrooms. Ed walked in and smiled with his brow furrowed. Olivia never left Noah alone.

"Hey bud," he said as he took a seat. "Where's Mommy?"

"At home," Noah answered matter-of-factly.

"At home?"

"Yup, she say I walk here by myself 'cause she's busy."

Ed yanked his phone from his pocket and called Olivia. Noah started giggling. Olivia answered and Ed heard her voice both via the call and live. She came up behind him, kissed his cheek, and whispered, "April Fool's."

"Gotcha, Daddy!" Noah exclaimed.

Ed's faced reddened and he shook his head in mock shame. "Yes you did," he mumbled, grinning at Olivia who sat in the booth across from him. "Good one."

"What were you thinking?" She asked.

"No, bud, you didn't seem scared," Ed mused, "So I was genuinely baffled…"

Olivia grabbed one of his hands and kissed the knuckles. "Sorry."

"We gonna April Fool's Sare Bear!" Noah announced. "We gonna call her and Mommy say, 'Did you get Noah' and she gonna be c'fused!"

Amused but also a tiny bit shocked, Ed mumbled, "You two are diabolical."

"What's di'bolical?" Noah asked.

Olivia kissed his head and winked at her husband, "It means you're good at April Fool's."

"Ohhhhh."

"I love that you like to learn new words, sweet boy."

"Oh!" Noah bounced in his seat, "Did you know…da man who made da dictionary was Noah too?"

"Didja learn about Noah Webster today?" Ed asked.

"Yup!"

"Wow," Ed muttered "Interesting curriculum…April Fool's and the dictionary…"

…..

Ed was waiting for Olivia on the sidewalk, steps from the entrance to the bar, a slightly more upscale watering hole than their usual haunts. He was both pleased and apprehensive. Pleased because she'd taken less than twenty-four hours to take him up on the rain check. It had been exactly one month since Joe Utley took Olivia and the Crivellos hostage. Ed was worried about how she was coping, hesitant about asking lest it dredge up flashbacks, and making a concerted effort to suppress his protective instincts.

She approached with a smile and greeted him with a soft, "Hey."

Ed smirked and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

Olivia shivered, "Have you been waiting long out here? It's freezing."

"Nah, a few minutes." He held the door for her. They bypassed the hostess and snagged seats at the far end of the bar. "How was your day?"

"Almost eerily quiet." Olivia tucked a section of hair behind her ear, "And I'm not complaining. How about yours?"

"Same thing different day," Ed replied wearily, "Nothing very exciting."

"No ten day rips? No shields taken?" Olivia teased.

"Not today," Ed replied, grinning slyly.

"How's that new office of yours treating you?"

"I actually preferred the other one," he said, "No windows anymore."

"Well, you're the Captain, you could pull rank and move back."

"I could," he murmured, "But this one is more intimidating."

Olivia chuckled. Ed Tucker certainly did not require anything other than his cold glare to menace cops under investigation. They fell into comfortable small talk. Olivia complimented him for choosing a different type of place. Ed shyly told her he'd been wanting to get away from the cop bars and dives they typically frequented. Hearing this, her cheeks flushed and she gave his hand a quick squeeze.

"Thank you," she said in a throaty voice.

He dared to drift into darker waters. "You, uh, doin' alright?" They hadn't seen each other much in the past month. He figured the retreat was partly because Olivia was ashamed at having had to be rescued. At least, that's how he would have felt if their positions had been swapped. He wished it would have been him in the townhouse rather than her.

"Yeah," she said through a sigh, "Today's always a little rough, though."

Consternation filled his face and he waited for more information.

Olivia had been forthcoming with much of her past, but she hadn't told Ed many details about her mother. The subject was complicated and painful, and the right time had not yet presented itself. However, as their relationship changed and they grew to trust one another more, she made a habit of uttering vague comments such as this one, essentially forcing herself into revealing more of her history.

"My mother's birthday," she said softly.

Ed pressed his lips together and dipped his head. "How old would she have been?"

"Seventy-two," She replied, "I went out to the cemetery earlier. Dropped off flowers. Still so many mixed emotions."

Ed laughed softly and quickly explained when he saw Olivia raise her eyebrows. "Sorry, uh, mixed emotions…made me think of earlier. When I was waiting for you. Had plenty of 'em."

"Deciding whether to stay or go?" Olivia teased, "Was I taking too long?"

He could tell she was joking but responded earnestly, "No, no, I, uh, I was lookin' forward to seeing you…"

Collecting his thoughts, he paused, but for too long.

Olivia narrowed her eyes. "Say it."

"I gotta admit, I've been thinkin' about you a lot. Every day. Just hoping you're okay. I…It was hell for me, I can't imagine how it was for you, and we…haven't talked…and I feel…"

Olivia listened patiently as he struggled for the right words.

He took a deep breath and audibly exhaled, "…I want you to know I'm here for you. For whatever you need to want…or if you just want me to shut up." Ed smiled weakly, begging her to say something and lead him from the verbal maze he'd created.

"I haven't been in a great place," Olivia acknowledged, surprising even herself with her raw transparency. "I went from blaming myself, asking how I could have willingly walked into that situation, alone…thinking about Noah…and then there's us…" Olivia raised her eyes to meet his, "Things were going so well…and then…I couldn't help but think, I put both you and me in a horrible position. And here I am, back with the shrink, back to a point where I could've died or been injured and dealing with everything that comes with that…I suppose I didn't want to bother you…make you have to care about someone who's, well, like I said, not doing so well."

Ed moved closer. "And for a while I wasn't sure I could make you care about someone who's been a thorn in your side for years—"

"—to put it mildly," Olivia quipped dryly.

"—Right," he smirked and continued in his most gentle voice, "But I'm tellin' you, right now, I want you to bother me. I care about you, Olivia. A lot. And not because you've been through hell…several times…it's because there's something about you…I can't explain it, but when I'm with you I'm happy, and when I'm not with you I'm tryin' to figure out a way to see you again. As soon as possible."

Olivia blinked back tears, but she was smiling. Ed Tucker's adorable side had surfaced, and it was difficult to resist falling into his arms. There was no doubt his words were sincere. Olivia Benson was no fool; she could tell when a man was attracted to her, but Ed was different than the others. When she spoke, he listened intently. He instinctively knew when to joke and tease her and when to let the gravity of whatever they were discussing run its course. Most importantly, whether it was spending time with Noah, divulging personal details, or physical intimacy, he never once pressured her into taking steps for which she was not ready.

"All you need to do is call…" she murmured as some slyness snuck into her grin.

He pretended to be stunned by such a simple response. "That all?"

"Yeah."

"What if I wanna kiss you?"

She puckered her lips as he closed the distance between them.

"Anytime."

….

Sarah, Brooke, and Olivia sat around the island, chatting and watching the twins play with Sofia. After declining at least two invitations to the stables, Ed and Olivia finally agreed it was time to cast their fears aside and let Noah visit. Instead of sending him with the Bianchis, Ed opted to drive Noah out to Long Island himself, citing the need to be back to help out with the twins. It was a fib, but they were not ready to send Noah there overnight with adults they did not completely trust.

"Does Mia ride well?" Brooke asked.

"I'm not sure," Olivia said, "She never describes actually being on a horse, only being there with her mom and taking care of them. Her mom and dad are…a little more hands off than we are."

"I'm sure they don't terrorize relatives and caregivers though," Sarah sniped.

Olivia gave her a quick hug. "We're sorry."

"That was very evil. I'm going to be haunted by it forever."

On April Fool's Day, on the way to pick up the twins from day care, Ed made a call to Sarah and pretended to think she was supposed to have Noah. Frantic, Sarah insisted she had not switched days and couldn't, for the life of her, figure out how the mix-up had occurred. Ed strung her along for a few minutes before giving the phone to Noah who let her in on the prank.

"That was a good one," Brooke said, laughing even though she'd heard the story several times, "Of course, if you'd done it to me, I might feel the same way."

"I set Wednesday reminders for the next twelve years," Sarah moaned.

"How can we make it up to you?"

"Promise you'll come to Justin's graduation party?"

"Sure," Olivia said even though she was confused as to why Sarah would even ask.

"Justin's mom was already planning something," Sarah said, "So I don't have to. But it'll be at her house."

"We'll be there," Olivia said, "Anything he'd like as a gift?"

"I can't think of anything. I got him this really nice bag, in case he decides to stay in school," Sarah made a face as if she'd tasted something extremely bitter, "For the life of me I can't understand why he'd want to do that, but, whatever makes him happy. He's been talking about being a TA for this one professor he likes…I hated the TAs! And I'm marrying one!"

"It doesn't seem like he really knows what he wants to do," Brooke remarked. Even though Justin had won her over, she was still skeptical of what she perceived as his aimless career path, especially since her sister seemed to have no problem supporting them financially as he found his way.

As usual, Sarah ignored Brooke's underlying acrimony. "The trouble is that he wants to do a lot of things—he loves his job, he wants to work with kids in the neighborhood where he grew up, he wants to be a professor and write books. Livvie, you two actually have a lot in common!"

Brooke seized the opportunity to change the subject. "What's going on with the show?"

"I've been reading scripts and making notes, talking to the writers and the producer," she said, "But I won't really dive in until later this summer."

"When do they start filming?"

"End of July."

"And you'll get to be on set?"

"When they need me, yes."

"Wow. That's so cool."

Sarah put her elbows on the countertop and rested her head in her hands. She gazed adoringly at Olivia. "Livvie, you're so talented. When you win an Emmy, will you take us?"

"Yes."

"I shall shop for dresses after the wedding."

"Don't forget to take your fashion consultant," Brooke quipped.

"Oh yes. Noey must attend all dress-related outings."

"Did we tell you what he said about one of the dresses?" Brooke asked. "When we were trying on wedding gowns?"

Olivia shook her head. They had not.

Sarah giggled. "He said I looked like a balloon!"

After a fit of laughter, Olivia said, "Wow. He certainly is honest."

"No kidding," Sarah said.

Over on the play mat, Sofia began fussing. Maggie regarded her warily and watched, eagle-eyed, as Brooke plucked Sofia from the heap of toys and handed her to Olivia while she prepared a bottle. Olivia bounced the baby in her arms and whispered assurances that her food was on its way. While Wyatt busied himself filling, dumping, and refilling his dump trucks with blocks, Maggie scrambled to her feet and made a beeline for Olivia.

"Ma! Magg, up!"

Sarah held out her arms, "Come here, small sister."

"NOOOO! Wa' MAMA! UP!" Maggie burst into tears and clutched one of Olivia's legs.

"Hang on, sweetheart," Olivia said softly. "Brookey's getting Sofia's bottle. Mommy will pick you up in a second." She looked helplessly at Sarah as Maggie's cries devolved into pathetic whimpers.

Having been rebuffed by Maggie, Sarah took Sofia and went to the sofa to feed her. Brooke drifted to the play mat with Wyatt, leaving Olivia alone in the kitchen to soothe Maggie.

"Oh-kay, sweet girl. Mommy's gotcha."

Maggie stopped crying immediately and grinned, clearly proud of herself for getting her way. She played with Olivia's necklace and cooed a satisfied, "Mama."

Olivia was torn between being flattered and worried about Maggie's possessive behavior whenever Sofia was around. She played nicely with the baby. She was gentle and sweetly brought her toys, but whenever Olivia doted on her granddaughter, Maggie reacted jealously. If Olivia was giving Sofia a bottle, Maggie curled up with Olivia as well. If Olivia sat on the floor to play, Maggie plopped into her mother's lap or brought her toys and insisted she play with an object of her choosing rather than Sofia's infant items. Most troubling was what had just happened—if Olivia held Sofia, even for a second, when Maggie noticed, she was at Olivia's side in seconds, demanding to be held. When she'd successfully commandeered her mother's attention, Maggie beamed. It was cute…and also a bit disturbing.

"Let's bring baby Sofia a towel in case she spills," Olivia said softly. "Here, sweetie, let's take this over there." Olivia put Maggie on her feet and held her hand. They walked to the sofa and Maggie handed over the burp rag.

"Bay! Eat!" Maggie bellowed.

"She's suckin' it down," Sarah reported, "Then she'll take nap."

"NO NAP!" Maggie shouted.

Sarah grinned. "See, Maggs? You don't want to be a baby! Babies take a ton of naps!"

"NO NAP!" Maggie ran back to the toys.

"There ya go, Livvie. That's her kryptonite."

Olivia's smile couldn't completely mask her concern, but, for the moment, she was at ease. Maggie and Wyatt were happily playing together at their construction bench. With their backs turned, they could have easily been mistaken as identical—loose brown curls, blue jeans, and white t-shirts. They were the same height, though Wyatt outweighed his sister by a couple of pounds.

"I hope she grows out of that," Olivia murmured.

"Don't worry, Livvie. I still get jealous like she does, I'm just a lot better at hiding it."

…..

Ed and Olivia carefully changed a sleeping Noah into his pajamas and tucked him in bed. Ed mumbled something about him probably needing a bath, but Olivia assured him it could wait until morning. He was completely out—usually when they arrived home after he'd fallen asleep, he woke up briefly and was alert enough to assist in changing his clothes. Tonight, he had not stirred, not even when Olivia nuzzled his cheek and whispered, "Good night, sweet boy" into his ear.

Ed poured drinks for himself and Olivia and started a bubble bath for the two of them. Olivia heard the jets and wandered into the bathroom with her eyebrows raised.

Ed made an exaggerated show of removing his shirt. He tossed it aside. "Strip," he told her matter-of-factly as his face broke into an impish smirk.

They settled into the tub and breathed in the fresh, minty scent of the bubble gel.

"Tell me about your day," Olivia said softly as she leaned back and practically melted into his body.

"Weird," Ed replied. "I felt like the whole time she was tryin' to separate me from the kids."

"Oh really."

"Mia and Noah went off with this trainer and that trainer. Feedin' the horses, watching them run and jump and whatever else. So I was offered mimosas when we got there, lunch came with cocktails, and there were more cocktails and hors d'oeuvres before we left. Noah and I stopped and had pizza instead."

"That's a lot of alcohol."

"I didn't have a drop."

Olivia craned her neck backwards and Ed planted a sloppy kiss on her lips.

"She was probably trying to make you have to spend the night."

"Wasn't gonna happen. I spend all my nights with my wife."

Another kiss.

"Did Noah actually ride a horse?"

"Yep. He was pretty good, even though he wanted it to go faster. He wanted to race Mia."

"She'd probably beat him. She's been on horses much more than he has."

"Didn't look like it. I got the impression she kinda hangs out with everyone when she's there and doesn't actually ride."

"So odd."

"Yeah," Ed kissed the side of her head and began gently massaging her breasts. "How was your day?"

"Good. Sarah and Brooke and Sofia were over for a little while. We went out for dinner, warm enough to eat on the patio. And," Olivia groaned, "Maggie's still not liking it when I hold Sofia."

"Neither do I."

"Ed!"

He laughed and kissed her again. This time it was more forceful and passionate. "I want all your attention, Lieutenant."

"Sarah had similar sentiments."

"You're in high demand."

"Lucky you then…you have me all to yourself right now."

"That's all I've been thinkin' about all day." He shifted positions so they could kiss more easily, and it wasn't long before they were sliding around, slipping against one another and sloshing water over the sides of the tub. They made a mess ambling to the bed, leaving puddles on the tile floor and droplets on the carpet before they fell on top of the covers. What began as slow, sensual lovemaking quickly turned a frenzied, almost desperate romp across the mattress.

The kids usually slept soundly, but, tonight, it was a good thing they had the extra insurance of Noah's action packed day and the twins missing their naps.

…

#Tuckson