Twenty-three.

Spending part of Noah's spring break at the beach when it wasn't warm enough to actually get in the water felt cruel, but it was the perfect time to get away for a long weekend and do some much needed work on the house before Ed and Olivia purchased the rest of their furniture. They left New York Saturday morning and planned to return mid-week. With retirement looming and things quiet at SVU, Olivia had no problem burning a few more vacation days. Besides, trusted her veteran crew-Fin, Rollins, and Carisi—to hold down the fort while she was gone and to call her if warranted.

Ed got right to work in the master bathroom on Saturday evening. They'd had new countertops installed and the tile changed in the shower, but the fixtures and mirror needed replacing, both tasks Ed felt comfortable tackling. While he worked, Olivia and the kids prepared dinner in the kitchen—the one room that had already been remodeled and updated with new appliances. Ed had already designed on paper his dream outdoor barbeque area, but that installation would wait until the summer.

Noah was set up at the table with two bowls—one full of raw shrimp and the other collecting the tails he was plucking from each piece.

"We always eat shrimpies at da beach," he remarked in passing, focusing most of his attention on his task.

"Yes we do," Olivia said, "And lobster and scallops…and, well, maybe we should try some other seafood while we're here this time."

"We try at da rest'raunt," Noah said, "Those guys know how ta cook lotsa stuff."

"Yes they do," Olivia replied, smiling at her son's unintentional, tacit criticism of his parents' culinary skills. "We'll go to the restaurant tomorrow."

"Who's gonna sit with us when you dance with Daddy?" Noah asked, genuinely concerned.

"Maybe we'll all dance together."

"Thatsa good idea."

Wyatt left his toys and walked over to the table. He gripped the edges and tried to pull himself up so he could see what his brother was doing.

"Hey, Wyatt, wanna shrimp?"

"SIMP!"

Olivia handed Wyatt some crackers, "Here sweetheart," she said, "No shrimp yet, we have to cook them."

"Cook! Cook simp!" Wyatt marched around the kitchen with his snack and pressed his face against a pane of the French doors. A few of his brown locks stuck to his cheeks. The dreaded haircut was becoming more and more inevitable. "SIMP!" He exclaimed. "Ma! Simp!"

"Are you going to swim this summer, Wyatt?"

"I think he wantsa swim now," Noah said.

"It's a little too cold."

"The guys in da suits surf when it's cold," Noah said, "Da suit is like skin and it keeps 'em nice and warm."

"Did you see that on TV?"

"No, on da c'puter."

"Oh…" Olivia hid her frown from Noah. At only six years of age she hated there were things about him she already didn't know. She brightened and suggested they build a sand castle the next day. "It'll be warm enough to play on the beach," she said.

"That's great! Wyatt! Maggs! You here dat? We're gonna build a sand castle tomorrow!"

"Cassa!" Maggie exclaimed. She had been on the opposite side of the room with her play kitchen. Before leaving the city, Noah helped Ed and Olivia decide which toys they should bring with them and keep at the beach. The kitchen was Noah's first choice. Maggie rarely played with it at home because it was stored in the twins' room rather in the main living area. "Eee, No! Eee!" She brought a plate with a plastic egg and rubber steak over to her brother and he pretended to take a bite. When he returned the food to the plate, Maggie brought it to Olivia. "Ma! Eee!"

Olivia complimented Maggie on her cooking and hid the steak and eggs under a dish towel which made Maggie crack up.

"All gone!" She said, giggling, "Ma all done!"

"Oh!" Olivia said with a flourish, "Look! Here it is!" She gave the toy food back to Maggie and she moved on to serve Wyatt. Together, the twins abandoned regular words and fell back into babbling only the two of them understood. This type of speech concerned Olivia until the pediatrician assured her it was perfectly normal for kids that age, especially twins, to communicate in this way.

Noah was always amused at the gibberish. "There they go again," he said with a smile, still concentrating on the shrimp.

Ed came downstairs and gulped a glass of water. He informed Olivia the faucets and shower head were installed, but he'd need her help for the mirrors. Olivia's response was delayed because the sight of Ed in his tight black t-shirt, shorts, and wrench in his hand was worthy of a minute or so of admiration. Finally, she covered the shrimp, put it in the refrigerator, and insisted everyone come upstairs. The house hadn't been completely child-proofed, so she refused to let the twins out of her sight.

"Wow, Ed, this looks so good," Olivia marveled at how the new lighting scheme made the bathroom look completely different. "I love it." She tried the knobs on the faucets and Ed smirked.

"They work," he joked.

With Olivia's help it didn't take long to mount the mirrors. Aside from cleaning the debris from installation, the project was complete.

The twins wandered into the shower and climbed on the bench.

"Sit!" Wyatt said, giggling, "Siddown!"

"Ya got a seat in da shower jus' like at home!" Noah remarked.

Ed stifled a chuckle. "Yeah, bud, we're gonna have everything we need here," he said, "Everything."

"I love da beach house," Noah said. "And Mommy say we gonna play in the sand tomorrow!"

"Mommy's the boss."

"And I made da shrimpies for dinner. Mommy did the rest."

"She's the kitchen boss, too."

Olivia laughed, "I think I need some work in that area. So…we'll eat…then…bonfire?"

"YES!" Noah yelled and started for the stairs. "I get da stuff for s'mores!"

Olivia motioned for Maggie and Wyatt to come out of the shower. "C'mon, sweet twins."

They dawdled and Ed used the moment to kiss Olivia. "We're gonna get some use outta that bench later, right?" He whispered.

"And that shower head," she murmured, playing along with his erotic innuendo, "It looks…fun."

"That's why I bought it…said it was fun on the package."

Olivia gave him a playful shove and a loving eye roll. She stepped into the shower and grabbed the twins who both fussed at being forcibly removed. Ed grabbed Wyatt and flipped him over his shoulder, and Olivia did the same with Maggie. Squeals of delight supplanted the whines, and the four of them descended the stairs to join Noah who had already meticulously laid out the chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers.

…..

Thanksgiving morning at Sarah and Justin's Gulf front condo began before dawn. Olivia and Brooke arose early to prepare the turkey. Brooke also seasoned a pot roast and put it in the slow cooker, a nod to Caroline's disdain for the traditional main course. They'd prepared most of the side dishes the day before, so everything else simply needed to be warmed before the meal. It was not yet seven a.m. when the two of them poured congratulatory Irish coffees and sat out on the balcony.

"Are you sure you're okay taking Sofia to the water park today?" Brooke asked.

She, Sarah, Justin, and Sonny were playing golf later that morning. The condo had come with a golf club membership and, since their purchase, Sarah and Justin had trained themselves to be competent golfers.

"Absolutely," Olivia replied, "We don't reciprocate nearly enough with child care. We probably owe you and Sarah weeks."

Brooke laughed softly and brushed off the debt. "That's what family's for."

"Right."

"Are you and Dad going to play at all?"

Earlier in the week, the men had played a round. Ed had beaten Justin and Sonny handily; he didn't hit the links much, but the skills he had returned quickly. Sonny was the worst of the three, yet he was the most enthusiastic and was determined to get out there again to better his score.

"I'm a horrible golfer," Olivia said, "But I think your Dad wants to, so I'll go. Maybe early Saturday." She couldn't help smiling to herself. Part of the reason Ed wanted to golf with her was so he could "teach" the proper technique which, of course, required close proximity.

The sliding glass door opened and Maggie, clad in her blue and white unicorn pajamas, came out on the balcony and made a beeline for Olivia's lap.

"Good morning, sweet girl," Olivia cooed and kissed Maggie's cheeks.

"Morning Maggs!" Brooke said, perhaps a little too cheerfully and loudly for the early hour.

Maggie winced slightly and curled into Olivia's chest but she did mumble a faint, "g'morning."

"Happy Thanksgiving, too," Olivia said.

"Gobble, gobble," Maggie said in a hushed voice.

"Yes. Ready for some turkey later on?"

Maggie nodded. Suddenly, she realized what else had been promised and instantly perked up. "We goin' to da water park!" She said, "When we goin?"

"Not for a little while, honey."

"Daddy say dey have tramp'lines and slides!"

"They do."

Maggie looked at Olivia. There was pure joy and excitement in her deep blue eyes. "You gonna slide, Mommy?"

"I'll try it, sure."

"I want you to go wiff me first."

"I will, sweetheart." Olivia kissed her forehead.

"Den you and Daddy c'sit and watch us."

Olivia laughed and kissed her again. "You're so good at planning, sweet girl."

Maggie grinned triumphantly at the compliment and wriggled to get down. She looked out at the water, took note of the green flag, and murmured, "Yep…itsa good day for da water park."

….

As he always did when danger lurked, Noah warned the twins about getting too close to the fire. Remembering Sarah's strategy, he used his heel to dig a divot around the fire pit and explained to his almost-two-year-old siblings they were not, under any circumstances, allowed to cross the line. He needn't have worried. Once Ed got the fire started, Maggie and Wyatt were mesmerized by the flames and serenely sat together in one of the Adirondack chairs. Noah skewered marshmallows, Ed helped him roast them to a golden brown, and Olivia stood at the ready with the chocolate and graham crackers. Once the treats were cooled, she handed them over to the kids and grabbed the camera.

Maggie and Wyatt weren't nearly as messy as they'd been the first time they ate s'mores, but, even as experienced eaters, their faces, hands, and hair were soon a sticky, chocolatey mess. Crumbs clung to their cheeks and they grinned gooey smiles for Olivia as she hovered over them, snapping away.

Noah munched quickly and licked around the edges, trying desperately to avoid losing any bits of the s'more to the grass below. Once he had it under control he sat down and ate while staring contemplatively at the fire. Olivia took several shots of him in profile, his little face illuminated by the yellow-orange flames, his mouth ringed by the same crumbs and chocolate streaks that covered the twins' faces. Still, an aura of wisdom surrounded him; Olivia didn't want to interrupt his moment of solace, but she desperately wanted to know what he was thinking.

She put the camera down and wedged herself in a third chair with Ed. He swallowed a bit and kissed her quickly yet deeply and she smacked her lips approvingly. "Tastes good," she whispered.

"Here," he offered her a piece, "Want me to make you a whole one?"

"In a minute." She took a bite and nuzzled her head under his chin. She could see all three kids from this vantage point and she took a deep, satisfied breath. "This is so nice."

"Could stay all night out here."

"I really could."

"We should get a tent."

Olivia chuckled, "I'll let you be in charge of the camping."

"Oh, come on, Lieutenant," he said, "You wouldn't want to sleep with us in a tent? Sleeping bags…the waves…the great outdoors."

"I'll think about it."

"Da!" Maggie shouted, "More!" She clasped and unclasped a fist, emphasizing her point that she had eaten her entire dessert.

"I dunno, Maggie May," he said, "You've had a lot."

"Half of it's on her," Olivia pointed out.

"Give 'em one more? Split it?"

"Sure."

A couple hours later, the Tuckers were back inside. Noah insisted on a movie, and he commandeered the loveseat while the twins snuggled together in one of the beanbags. The boys each fell asleep within minutes of each other, and Maggie soon followed. Olivia stood up, planning to take them to the portable cribs set up in their room, but she stopped herself. Ed saw the look on her face and joined her. The coffee table had been partially blocking their view of their little ones.

Maggie had worked her way under Wyatt's arm, using his chest as a pillow. The contact with her brother made her cheeks look chubbier than they actually were. Asleep with their lips slightly parted, they looked identical…perfect, cherubic, and extraordinarily content.

"My sweet babies," Olivia whispered.

Ed kissed her cheek and neck, "Wanna picture?"

"No," she said, "I think I want this only in my head…"

Ed held her around the waist from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder. For several more minutes they gazed at their sleeping children—the huddled twins and Noah, who was buried under two blankets.

"I don't want to move them," Olivia said.

"Then let's not. Sit with me."

He led her back to the sofa and they started trading kisses, careful to be as quiet and tame as possible so, if Noah stirred, they wouldn't be caught, once again, in a compromising act. Ed behaved himself, holding her tightly and concentrating on the simple yet precious act of kissing his wife.

"I'm so happy, Liv," he whispered.

"I am, too. I love it here. But…I love anywhere with you."

He grinned proudly. "Imagine all the summers here…kids with their friends…bein' loud, running around, breaking curfew…"

"And me on the porch worrying."

"Of course," he joked. "That's why I'm here. To balance you out."

"You never worry…"

"Ah, I worry you're too worried."

"Ed?"

"Huh?"

"Can we talk about something else?"

He kissed her head. "Absolutely. Whaddya wanna talk about?"

"What do you think Noah's going to do when he grows up?"

"I dunno," Ed mused. "He's good at so many things, and he loves to learn…but he's also got a huge heart, like his mother, whatever he does…it's gonna be important."

Ed and Olivia spent the rest of the evening cuddled together and tossing around ideas about their kids' futures. It was well past midnight when they carried the trio to the master bedroom. Olivia and Ed laid the kids in the middle of the mattress and flanked all three, willing to sacrifice a night of lovemaking, for this type of sleeping arrangement wouldn't be possible forever.

There was a unique kind of magic in a crowded Tucker bed.

…

It had been a while since Olivia visited Ed's apartment. Their dates occurred either at bars or restaurants and culminated at her place. Ed was spending nights there more frequently, and it wasn't uncommon for him to spend entire weekends at the Benson home. If duty called Olivia away, he took care of Noah. He and Olivia were falling in love but also falling into a routine that had all the markers of an emergent family. An even bigger milestone was Ed being added to the very short list of people allowed to pick up Noah from day care. They had taken baby steps for the first few months of their relationship, but, Olivia's actions and words continually indicated she was ready to be all in.

One Friday night, they ushered in Olivia's off-duty weekend with dinner at a pub near Ed's apartment. Upon leaving, Ed gave her the option of walking or taking a cab back to her apartment, but she declined both options.

"How about we go to your place?" She suggested innocently.

"Alright." The familiar Benson-induced nerves returned as she looped her arm through his. They strolled in the direction of his building. By the time they reached the entrance, Olivia was clutching his arm with both hands.

Once inside Ed's apartment, he took her coat and offered her a drink. They stood in the kitchen, sipping bourbon, each waiting for the other to make a move. It was early, not yet ten o'clock, but Olivia didn't like to take advantage of Lucy's willingness to arrange her own schedule around the Lieutenant's. Nevertheless, based on previous nights out, Ed estimated he had at least two hours.

"I tell ya what," he said, making small talk, "I'm ready for spring and summer."

"Me too, this winter's been brutal…"

Ed met her eyes. "Brutal" had so many possible layers of meaning. He looked at her with a combination of compassion and love, and Olivia smiled. Ed had a unique way of expressing how much he cared without infantilizing her.

Olivia put her glass down and planted a firm kiss on his lips. He kissed her back and half-tossed his glass next to hers. The glasses collided and clanged. Ed and Olivia grinned but kept kissing. Her hands traversed his back; he felt fingertips pressing into his muscles, his shirt being yanked loose, and her hands coming into contact with his skin.

The liplock became a hungry, fierce battle. They breathed in sharp gasps. Ed found himself backing her against the counter then relenting a bit, worrying he'd hurt her, only for Olivia to tug on his belt, forcing him to remain flush with her body. He rocked his hips into hers, not nearly as aggressively as he wanted, but he knew the small of her back was pressing into the granite countertop edge.

"Liv…"

"I'm fine," she gasped, reading his mind, and clarified, "More than fine."

Ed wasn't convinced. He bent his knees and hoisted her onto the countertop. "There," he said breathlessly, "That's better."

Olivia bit her lip and smiled. Not only was she already aroused, but she was also dizzy with anticipation. Sex with Ed had been fabulous—no man had ever made love to her like he did—but she sensed, no, she knew, he was holding back, he was being overly gentle, a little too careful, and she wanted him to know he had he green light to be more aggressive every once in a while.

He returned her grin and kissed her cheeks, her neck, all the while slowly unbuttoning her blouse. "So pretty," he murmured, "So…pink…" He shot her a smirk, "I love Benson in pink…" Once he had the blouse and bra off, he smirked again, "Or in nothing at all…"

Olivia rubbed her hands all over his head as he lavished attention on her breasts. She moaned and whimpered, encouraged him to keep going…he was making her feel incredible, but he wasn't anywhere near being done.

She yelped a bit when he slid her pants off and her skin came into contact with the cool granite.

"You sure you don't wanna go to the bedroom?" He asked as he trailed kisses down her abdomen.

"I'm. Sure." She could barely form words. He blew cool air between her legs and it drove her crazy. She swallowed hard and croaked, "I want you…right here."

He shimmied out of his pants and underwear and slid her closer, teasing for a few seconds before holding her thighs and beginning hard thrusts. More than once the reality that he was actually having sex with Olivia Benson on the counter in his kitchen threatened to make him come too soon, but he postponed the urge. They kissed, stared into each other's eyes, glanced down at where they were connecting. Soon, Olivia couldn't help but arch her back and Ed held her as she quivered, writhed, and, finally, let loose a carnal scream. She reached for Ed and wrapped her legs around him as he kept going, faster and faster, groaning, grunting, and panting into her damp skin.

"Liv, Goddam…"

"So good," she cooed, lightly scratching his back and waiting patiently to gather himself and let him make the next moves.

He took her to the couch, grabbed a blanket, and she sat in his lap, cocooned in his embrace and the fleece covering. They exchanged lazy, sweet kisses and smiled at each other, celebrating what they'd just done.

"Well, that's something we can't really do at my place," Olivia said, clearly still in a jovial mood.

"Come here anytime, Benson," he said, grinning, "I mean it. Any. Time."

She saw his expression change slightly. "What is it?" She asked, squinting at him.

He frowned at his choice of monikers. "Callin' ya Benson…it, uh, I shouldn't do that."

She stroked the side of his face. "I like it. You're…playing."

"But I'm not," he said seriously, "I mean, yeah, I was joking, but not really. This," he kissed her softly, "This is not a joke."

"I know," she said, "But there's a difference in seeing us as a joke and actually joking around with each other. I love it when we do that. I never thought it was possible." The teasing glint was still in her eyes and she ran an index finger down his nose, "Never thought it was possible that big, bad Captain Tucker could be…silly."

He blushed and smiled shyly. "Silly, huh?"

"Yeah."

"I guess I can be silly," he leaned in and sucked at her neck hard enough to make her squeal and come very close to a rare giggle. "Oops, sorry, can't have ya goin' to work with a mark on your neck."

"I'm not going to work tomorrow," she said in a decidedly more sultry voice than she'd used seconds ago. To her surprise, Ed looked nervous. "Okayy…no marks on my neck…but how about you come home with me?"

"Sure."

He started to get up, but Olivia stopped him. "But…let's stay here a little longer. I'm still…well…I'm not ready to leave this spot."

"Me neither."

….

With the sun warming the Bethany Beach area to an unseasonably high sixty-six degrees, Olivia dressed the kids in shorts, long-sleeved t-shirts, and fleece pullovers. She was sure the outerwear would be shed after they got to work on the sand castles, but Olivia erred on the side of warmth. She pulled on shorts and a fleece of her own and joined everyone downstairs. The kids and Ed were waiting on the porch with their bag of sand toys.

"Mommy!" Noah exclaimed, "You and Maggs are twins!"

Olivia looked down. Sure enough, she and Maggie each wore light tan shorts and a lavender fleece. Noah, Wyatt, and Ed frequently matched, but it was often purely by coincidence—the three of them had a plethora of similar jeans, khakis, and polo shirts. Maggie's clothing didn't exactly mirror her mothers, especially when Olivia was most often clad in blazers and pants.

"Now you and Maggs are jus' like da boys! We always match and now you do!"

Maggie trotted over and stood in front of Olivia. She grabbed a handful of the purple fabric. "Same, Mama! Same!"

"That's right sweet girl," Olivia scooped her up and nuzzled her neck. "We're the same."

Ed smiled at his wife and daughter. Olivia-as-mother, particularly when Maggie was in an I want Mommy mood, was heartening and filled him with pride. He slung the bag over his shoulder and reached for Noah's and Wyatt's hands. "Let's go build somethin' big, kiddos."

"Build!" Wyatt said, "Build! Cassa!"

"We gonna build a whole neighborhood!" Noah said, "We got lotsa good buckets! And we brought da dump truck, so Wyatt, you're in charge of gettin' da sand."

As Olivia predicted, the work made them warm up quickly despite the cool breeze coming in off the water. Noah tugged off his fleece, and Ed helped Wyatt out of his. However, when Olivia went to remove Maggie's jacket, she whined. "No, Mama! Same!" She said, her little face contorting in a frown.

"Okay, sweet girl," Olivia said, her heart swelling with joy, "We'll stay the same."

Ed didn't have to look, but he did anyway. He knew, behind the sunglasses, Olivia's eyes were filling with her usual happy tears.

…

#Tuckson