Twenty-nine.

After sleeping for almost eight hours, Olivia stirred, turned onto her right side, and cried out in pain. Ed was right there by her side. He held the shoulder on her uninjured side, coaxing her to her back, and, in a low, soothing voice, told her she was okay, everything was okay, she was at home, in bed, and safe.

Shaking off the cobwebs, Olivia blinked rapidly, smacked her lips, and tried to clear her throat. Ed tilted her head with one hand and held the water glass with another so she could take a few sips.

"Thank you." Her voice was still hoarse and she took another, longer drink.

Ed put the glass on his nightstand and switched on the lamp. He sat up and examined his wife. Other than the sling, she looked completely normal. "Pain?" He asked.

Olivia shook her head. "I think I just rolled over on it. It doesn't hurt. Much."

"Much…" Ed stroked her hair. He couldn't help the gloomy, pitiful expression on his face, but he felt terrible in dozens of ways. In an attempt to divert her attention, he kissed her hand and each fingertip.

"Sweetie…"

Even doped up, she was onto him.

"I was scared, Liv." His eyes were apologetic now. She was the one with a bullet wound; he didn't have much of a right to feel sorry for himself.

"I'm sorry, I," Olivia winced as she tried to sit up. Ed helped her up, piled pillows against the headboard, and adjusted those under her arm.

"You have nothing to apologize for."

"I...I knew something was wrong. Everything was going down too smoothly. I should've known better, I should have-"

"-Stop, Liv," Ed kissed her lips while they were still trembling. "We'll go crazy."

"Good thing the guy wasn't a better shot," she said, "Or three kids would be lying in the morgue right now."

Morgue hit Ed like a gut punch, but he didn't let it show. He gingerly rubbed a piece of the sling between his thumb and forefinger. "Can I getcha anything? You must be starving."

"I am kind of hungry," she said, "And...I don't want to take any more of those pills. God, they knocked me out. I still feel strange."

"If you're hurtin…"

"Advil or Aleve is enough."

Ed kissed her a few more times until he noticed tears pooling in her eyes. He didn't bother trying to blink back his own. "You have no idea how relieved I am to be here with you right now."

"Probably as relieved as I am." Her voice shook and her lips quivered again.

"Hell of a Mother's Day," she was choking up now, "Well, maybe, not that bad...they could've lost their mother."

She barely croaked out the words before bursting into tears. Ed held her as tightly as he could-one arm on her back and the other curled around her head. He whispered, "let it out, Liv," but her sobs were so violent and her body so rigid he was concerned about her stitches rupturing. "Shh, shh, shh, it's okay, baby. It's okay. Breathe. Calm down. I'm right here. We're all right here." Her tears collected in the crook of his neck. She tried to talk through her wails, but, for the moment, an attempt at conversation was futile. Olivia wasn't exactly sure what she wanted to say. One sentiment, though, was abundantly clear. After the physical and emotional trauma of the past twenty-four hours, being in Ed Tucker's arms was exactly where she needed to be.

….

The apartment was so silent that the crunch of the ice pack seemed much louder than it actually was. Olivia stood up and stretched. On the opposite end of the couch, Ed waited for her to say or do something. They'd been sitting in silence for almost thirty minutes. The television, tuned to one of Noah's channels, was on mute. Their half-eaten dinner, the remnants cold and congealing, was still spread out on the coffee table. A near-empty bottle of wine was the centerpiece.

"Fucking January," she walked to the kitchen, tossed the bag in the sink, and returned to the couch. Now it was her turn to wait for Ed to talk even though she knew he was struggling with what to say in this particular situation. She didn't blame him. She was a hard person to know, especially in times like these.

"Somethin' particular about January?" He asked softly.

She gave him an appreciative smile-first, for asking the question and, secondly, she loved the kind, caring version of Ed Tucker's voice. It was comforting and sexy and she might consider listening to books on tape if he was reading the words.

"The New Year, for me, always comes with baggage...never a fresh start, never anything to celebrate." Olivia groaned and threw her hands up in disgust. "Last year we had the thing with Rollins and the Atlanta guy and," Olivia's voice grew hollow, "the year before that it was...the trial."

Chills flew up and down Ed's spine. The Lewis trial. He hadn't been in the courtroom, but he heard all about it then, of course, became involved after Lewis killed himself. Ed dared to move closer to her. She did the same until they were sharing the middle of the couch.

Tears gushed from her eyes and poured down her cheeks. The bruise from Utley's smack glistened dark purple and red. "I don't want to go back there," she said, "I don't…"

Ed put his arms around her. He had no idea what to say but he held her so tightly he worried it was too forceful. When he felt her body relax a bit and rest against his, he leaned back and brushed her hair back and out of her face.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled trying to collect herself just as quickly as she'd fallen apart moments ago.

"It's okay," he rubbed her back up and down and side to side, "It's okay…"

"You know what's weird?" She asked through sniffles before answering her own question, "The whole time I was in that house, I didn't think of him. I didn't make the connection. I'm sure everyone else was thinking, okay, here we go, she's a hostage again, but not me. I was only focused on getting everyone out of there and me home to Noah. It was only this morning I woke up and was like, what the hell?"

Her transparency did nothing for Ed's cluelessness. He could talk down a hostage taker. He could interrogate the hell out of a dirty cop. But he had no idea how he should go about helping Olivia through crisis. All he could think to do was hold her.

"Say something." The request came out apologetically, for she was putting him in an uncomfortable spot.

"I think Tutuola might know there's somethin' goin' on between the two of us." Ed held his breath, waiting nervously to see if the attempt at levity landed.

It did. Olivia sat up and stared at him. The corners of her lips curled into an intrigued half-smile. "What did you say?"

"I suggested ESU get outta there, retreat and Gabriel wasn't havin' it-Fin heard the whole thing, he was right there."

"Well, if they find out why you were there, we're really busted." They shared a laugh but the weight of Olivia's past trauma and yesterday's near-disaster lingered. "I'm sorry I put you in that situation," Olivia squeezed her eyes shut, "I didn't...I didn't know who else to call, when he said, I'm sorry I used you as...well, a bargaining chip."

"Don't be sorry." Ed was resolute and held her hands. "And don't think of it as a bargaining chip. Think of it as me bein' there to make sure nobody screwed up."

The tiny smile returned. Ed had a knack for calming her down and for putting the most horrific scenarios into perspective. He wanted so badly to put her at ease. She swallowed hard. "Thank you for being here."

"You're welcome."

"I don't know...I don't know if this is the right thing to say," Olivia laughed sardonically, "Or even, well, the right time, but, I, you don't have to be here if you don't want to. I'm...I'm a tough person to know, Tucker. I'm...it's hard to be close to me. It's-"

Ed shook his head, silently objecting to her revelation. She paused and raised her eyebrows. Compassion and sincerity poured from his eyes and were etched on his face.

"It's not hard for me." Without another word, he guided her back under his arm and they sat right there, together, until the darkness gave way to a hazy but assured dawn.

….

Everyone wanted to check in on Olivia. Sarah texted incessantly. Ed kept her at bay. Brooke offered to bring food and watch the kids. Ed declined both offers. He wanted Olivia to rest, heal, and be in a good head space for the twins' birthday party the following weekend. They had tossed around the idea of a kid-centric party and inviting the twins' day care friends, but nixed the idea in favor of a small family gathering on their rooftop terrace. There would be plenty of time for raucous parties in the coming years.

Since Olivia refused to take more of the strong painkillers and over-the-counter medication only slightly dulled the pain, she remained awake most nights until utter exhaustion forced her to close her eyes and she was able to catch a few hours of restless sleep. One mid-week morning, Ed returned with the twins from taking Noah to school and found Olivia fully dressed in jeans and a light sweater sipping coffee at the island and scrolling through her laptop.

"Hey," he kissed her cheek before unloading the toddlers. "I was gonna help ya get dressed."

Olivia shot him a loving eye roll. "Next time."

He was a little disappointed that she didn't tell him he could help her out of the clothes later, but quickly reprimanded himself. She wasn't one-hundred percent. "Goin somewhere?"

"Yeah," Olivia sat up straighter. "Mandatory shrink time."

Ed kissed her cheek and smoothed her hair. "Want us to walk with you?"

Olivia looked at the twins. Wyatt was digging through the stroller's storage compartment for something and Maggie was partially inside the toy box. "I do, but, you were just out."

Ed could tell she wanted to be alone. The two of them shared everything, but going to therapy remained mostly private. Ed never took offense. He understood and let her have her space. "We'll be here when you get back," he kissed her and inspected the sling. "We'll change that gauze then, too."

"Okay."

Ed started to step away but she pulled him back for another kiss. "Thank you for taking such good care of me," she glanced again at the twins and added, "Of us."

"It's an honor."

Her face crinkled, but he wasn't joking. "Seriously, Liv. It's an honor."

…..

Noah gathered his school items, zipped his bag, and threaded his arms through the straps. He took a deep breath and stared at himself in the foyer mirror. One side of his polo shirt collar had folded under itself and he straightened it, pressing down hard, trying to do the job of an iron. He briefly considered swapping shirts, but he had no time to spare. If he was late to school on the first day, his mom and dad would easily have reason to revoke the privilege of going there on his own.

School was well within walking distance, especially on a pristine September day like this one, but Noah was taking the subway. The trip was only two stops, but it was a start. He reached into the side pocket of his bag and felt for the MetroCard. There it was, loaded as usual with enough money to have him riding the city for months without stopping for a refill. He was itching to get out there and explore the city on his own, but he had had enough experience with his mother and father to see the value in taking baby steps toward his independence.

"Bye guys!"

He waited. Olivia got to him first. She was still in her pajamas. "Leaving so early?"

Noah grinned. He'd budgeted a lot of time so as not to be late, but he also wanted to avoid walking with Maggie and Wyatt. He was in middle school now, at a campus three blocks from the twins' building, and while he expected to walk as a family every once in a while, today, the first day, had to be his.

"Not that early, but I don't want to be late."

"Of course."

Ed rounded the corner. He, too, was in sweats. "Have a good day bud."

"Thanks. You too."

Ed looped an arm around his neck and kissed the top of his head. "Have your phone?"

"Yeah."

"And everything else? Laptop?"

"Yep."

"Alright then."

Olivia hugged him, kissed the same spot Ed had kissed, then hugged him again. "Be careful, sweet boy."

"I will."

"Do you have money?"

"Money and the card."

"And...you're coming right home after school?"

"Yeah."

"Let me know if something changes."

"Okay."

Olivia sighed apologetically and wrapped him in her arms one more time. "I love you so much."

"Love you too, Ma.

"C'mon, Liv," Ed gently led her back into the apartment by the elbow, "Let's get the second graders ready."

"Second grade…

"Bad choice of words," Ed good-naturedly mumbled to himself. "See ya later, bud."

The last thing Noah saw before he closed the door was his dad kiss the side of his mother's head. For most sons or daughters, the affection would have been perceived as gross and and an anathema to their very existence as teenagers, but Noah merely smiled knowingly and wondered if, one day, he'd love anyone as much as Ed Tucker loved his wife.

…..

When Olivia returned, the twins were standing at the window, their faces pressed against the glass, and bellowing at the dark storm clouds beginning to move over the city.

"BACK! BACK COWD!

"RAY! RAY MAMA!"

Wyatt ran to Olivia right as the first rumbles of thunder arrived. His eyes shot wide open and he extended his arms, requesting to be picked up. Olivia scrunched up her face, dropped her bag, and sat on the floor, offering her lap as refuge. "Come here, sweet Wyatt. Sit in Mommy's lap. It's okay, only a little storm."

Ed had one eye on his wife and one eye on the television. He surreptitiously sent a text to Sarah; it was Wednesday and she had Noah. He was hoping she had been at least mildly conizant of the possibility of thunderstorms during the afternoon and early evening and hadn't taken Noah some place where they would be stuck outside in a ferocious storm. When the news broadcast returned from a commercial break he did a double-take.

Tornado Watch in effect until six-fifteen.

Shit.

Ed was no meteorological expert, but that was a wide window.

Seconds later, another alert flashed across the screen, this one came with the emergency buzzer.

Tornado Warning in effect until five-ten p.m.

"Liv, we gotta go downstairs."

Had she had full use of her arm, she would have shot up. Instead, she settled for sitting up very straight and straining to see the television.

"Tornado warning."

Olivia jerked her head toward the window. The rain was coming down in sheets now and the sky, off in the distance, was coal-like and threatening.

"Noah! Where are they?"

"I'm callin' now."

Olivia struggled to her feet. She hustled to the kitchen, grabbed juice boxes and some snacks, and herded the twins to the foyer. Ed followed with his phone in one hand and hers in his back pocket. They rode the elevator to the bottom floor and joined dozens of other residents who'd taken shelter in the cavernous basement storage area. They found their pod, unlocked it, and let the twins play with ride-on toys they were almost grown out of but would keep them occupied while they waited out the warning. Ed unfolded their lawn chairs and took a seat.

"This isn't so bad," he said, stretching out his legs and nodding to neighbors he recognized but didn't know well.

"Sarah didn't pick up?"

"She did, but they were on the train. Said she'd call as soon as they got outta there."

"Dammit."

"I know."

"How are we the only city on the fucking planet with no service in the subway?"

Ed couldn't help but smirk a little. He always found a way to inject some sort of joy or lightheartedness when she was otherwise consumed with worry; when he first noticed this, he felt guilty until Olivia told him she actually appreciated the levity. "I bet Noah's gripin' about the same thing. We'll get him on that, when he gets home." Ed reached for her hand, "And he will get home."

"Where were they?"

"Times Square."

"Oh, Jesus. Times Square, a tornado, the subway…"

"How's your arm?"

"Fine," Olivia replied tersely, "I guess, her building, it's only a block and a half from the stop...there's a basement...she'll know to…" Olivia trailed off because her lower lip was starting to tremble.

Ed adjusted his chair so he was facing her; it was a difficult sight to take in-her anguish, longing for Noah, the sling, the trauma of the shooting still fresh in her mind, not completely processed, raw, and poised to tamper with their lives if they let it.

"She knows. She'll call when they're safe." Ed cocked his wrist, "And it's almost over."

"CASH!" CASH WY!"

Everyone looked in the direction of Maggie and Wyatt who had rammed their plastic, wheeled vehicles into the exterior of a fenced enclosure. Wyatt was trying to turn his car around. Maggie kept ramming the fence until she rebounded with enough force and distance to turn herself around. Wyatt raced back to his parents. Maggie grinned at one of the neighbors and promptly ran over his foot.

Ed's phone rang and he put it on speaker.

"Dad?" Sarah sounded neither panicked nor concerned. "What's going on?"

Ed and Olivia both shot the phone exasperated looks. "There's a tornado warning," Ed said in his calmest voice in case Noah was listening. "You in your building?"

"Yeah, we're downstairs in the mail room. No windows. Doorman put us in here when we got back."

"Okay good."

"So it's me, Noey, G, and a few other people hanging out. We're fine. I'll return your kid when the coast is clear."

"Okay." Ed saw about ten thousand pounds of anxiety and stress float away from Olivia's body. Her jaw relaxed. Relieved, she leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling. Her moment of solace didn't last long. Wyatt and Maggie pulled up at their parents' feet and grabbed for the snacks.

"PEEEASE!"

"DINK PEEEASE!"

Taking a second to appreciate her twins' happy, carefree demeanors, Olivia didn't immediately hand over the food and juice boxes, so the twins continued their chorus of "PEEEEASE."

"Here you go, sweethearts," She rested pretzel bags on the steering wheels.

Ed handed over the juice boxes to the toddlers and the phone to his wife. Even though the weather was perilous and they were stuck in a dark, dank basement, he felt nothing but contentment. The twins had no clue anything was wrong-they were enjoying the deviation in their routine and the unusual adventure. Olivia was talking to Noah who, from what Ed could hear, was perfectly content decorating the exterior of plain cardboard packages with his new colored pencils. At one point he heard Sarah mention they could possibly be breaking federal law.

But who really cared?

Brooke, Sonny, and Sofia had checked in and were safe.

Sarah and Noah were safe.

Justin was out making sure others were safe.

And Ed had his Olivia right there, a little worse for the wear, but, oddly enough, here in the basement, waiting out a tornado warning, she was more alive than he'd seen her since the day she'd been injured.

….

#Tuckson