Forty-nine.

Ed redelivered Sarah's report to Olivia with great apprehension. Even though they viewed Noah as the indispensable nucleus of their family, Ed knew Olivia worried about how he would process the story of his past and she agonized over when and how much information to reveal. When Ed told her Noah had picked up on that one sentence of her speech, Olivia chuckled knowingly, shook her head, and said she wasn't surprised her perceptive son had zeroed in on an ad-libbed line.

"Tell me how ya want to handle it." Ed vigorously rubbed both her arms and looked at her, his face dripping with compassion.

Olivia heard his unspoken question. "Both of us will tell him...that I...was trying to help people and, when I was looking for them, I found him…"

"Okay."

Since there was no strict timetable for beginning the road trip to Bethany Beach, Ed and Olivia let the kids wake up on their own and allowed themselves a lazy morning. The twins ate their breakfasts on their own in the high chairs-they ate most of their meals in booster seats, but when Ed and Olivia needed to move around freely and not worry about them toppling over or climbing down on their own, Maggie and Wyatt were confined to the chairs.

"SCRAM EGGS!" Wyatt bellowed, stabbing his food with a chunky plastic fork. He opened his mouth wide and managed to shovel most of the bite into his mouth. Next, he smashed blueberries in with the eggs, took another bite, and grinned at Ed as he chewed.

"Like that combo, bud?" Ed quipped.

Perched on a bar stool, Noah rolled a Matchbox car with one hand and ate his portion of eggs and turkey sausage with the other. He kicked his feet happily and rambled about his plans for the first day at the beach house.

"Haveta take all da stuff outta da car," he said, "Then we're gonna swim!" He twisted his body around for a view of the blue, sunny sky, "Gotta have sunscreen, Mommy."

"We have a whole bunch, sweet boy," she said.

"Yeah," Noah replied sagely, "Got it at Costco."

Olivia smiled. Their last family trip to Costco had been heavy on items needed for the house, and she and Ed predicted they'd have a hard time fitting everything in their small SUV. She was dawdling, putting off broaching the topic of the first time she met Noah, and it wasn't until Ed came up behind her and reassuringly kissed her cheek that she finally conjured the courage to ask.

"Sweet boy," she began, "Do you remember what I said when I spoke to all the people at the party?"

"Uh-huh!" Noah rattled off several details but omitted the part about the job leading her to him.

"And I also said...something about, my job at police helping me get to you?"

"Yeah." There was a slight nervous twitch in Olivia's voice, and Noah noticed. His own voice became quieter and he mumbled, "You say I'm da most im-port-ant thing you got from being police."

"I'll tell you what that meant, honey." Olivia rounded the island, picked him up, and sat him on the countertop so they could be, more-or-less, eye-to-eye. Olivia then explained in the kid-friendliest words possible, how she and her squad were looking for another missing boy and, in the process, they had come across other kids who needed help finding their mommies, including him. "And there you were, sweet boy, a little baby, and I picked you up and I loved you immediately."

"And den you took me home?" Noah's eyes were bright and hopeful.

"After a little while, yes, I took you home and you became my precious son who I love so very much."

Noah thoughtfully twisted his lips and furrowed his brow. His eyes darted around the room and a smile gradually formed on his face as he took stock of its contents-the toys, the beanbags, the small aquarium, and the shelves overflowing with books and puzzles.

"I'm glad you found me, Mommy," he said in a voice barely above a whisper.

Olivia hugged him tightly. "Me too, sweetheart. You are so, so special, Noah."

"Mommy, you're squishin!"

Olivia held his shoulders and kissed his head. "I know, sweetie. Sorry."

Noah grinned and looked backwards at Ed. "Mommy's always squishin!"

"I know it, bud," he replied with a smirk, "That's how she shows us she loves us a lot!"

Noah growled and reached forward to hug Olivia again. "Dere," he said, "Squished ya back!" He giggled hysterically.

Hearing him, Maggie and Wyatt shrieked and giggled and wiggled their bodies around. Maggie's sippy cup went flying.

"JUUUUUUICE!" She strained to get out of the chair and chase down her cup.

Ed set the twins free, "Better run around for a little bit before we getcha into the car seats," he said.

"Babies!" Noah clambered down and chased after his siblings, "Betcha can't catch me!"

"NONONONO! GETCHA NO!"

Ed slid his arms around Olivia's waist and they watched the kids run around the living room for a few minutes before they went into beach-trip-prep mode. "That went well," he said.

"Almost too well," Olivia murmured.

Ed tilted his head back and looked at her with concern. "Hey," he said in a low voice. "He's perfectly happy, Liv."

She smiled and put her head on his chest. "I hope he stays that way...forever."

…...

By a vote of 3-0, the Tucker kids elected to spend Christmas at the beach house rather than at the Manhattan apartment. It had been a year of changes-Noah's first year of college, the twins' first year of high school, and a new part-time gig for Ed at the Museum of the City of New York. Always a lover of history, he had volunteered to serve on an advisory board for a new, permanent, NYPD exhibit. As he was with most new ventures, he was skeptical at first, but after a couple of sessions with the lead curator, he was hooked. Olivia spent, at most, three days a week at the Benson Center and was writing a second book, so she was relieved when Ed agreed to serve on the board.

They invited the entire family-Sarah and Justin, Brooke and Sonny, and, of course, the grandchildren, but the Carisis had to stay in the city because of work and the Vidals were flying to their Gulf Coast condo the day after Christmas. The Tuckers were joining them for the New Years Eve weekend. The plans were a far cry from what had transpired in years past, and Olivia found herself thrilled at the newness of it all, especially since her children were all back together, with her, safely under one roof.

On Christmas Eve morning, Olivia awoke early, gingerly peeled herself away from Ed, and crept downstairs, careful to avoid the squeaky spots on the way down. She was surprised to see the lights on the tree and the strands adorning the mantle gleaming in the gray early dawn. A table lamp was also turned on in the living room, and Wyatt lying on his back on the adjacent sofa, reading a book.

"Hi sweetheart," she said in a low voice so she didn't startle him.

He looked up and smiled. Wyatt boasted an enviable grin-his lips curled upwards, one side at a time and he squinted, yet the sparkle from his deep blue eyes still managed to sneak through. He wore his hair shaggier than Noah ever had, but it still curled upward at the ends and naturally fell off to the side, away from his face. At school, the girls loved him, and, at an age when girls were more boy crazy than boys were girl crazy, Wyatt struggled a bit with the attention in seventh and eighth grade. Many times he came home annoyed and frustrated because one girl or another wouldn't leave him alone. Olivia told Ed she thought the girls' behavior bordered on harassment. Ed smirked and verbally agreed with her.

"Hi Mom," Wyatt said. He sat up, making room for her.

"You're up early."

"Went to bed early."

"Yeah, it was a long drive."

Despite keeping a close eye on the weather before leaving New York, the Tuckers had to drive part of the way through a fairly dense snowfall. Ed took it slow, but Olivia spent the entire fifty miles or so with a death grip on the door handle.

"When you think about it," Wyatt said, "Riding in a car shouldn't make you tired."

"It made me nervous."

"Not me. Dad's a good driver."

"Even so…"

"He woulda pulled over if it got too bad."

"I know he would have."

It was getting lighter outside and Wyatt fixed his eyes on the water. He grabbed his phone and checked the temperature. "I wanna go for a walk."

"I'll go," Olivia said eagerly, "If you want the company."

Wyatt flashed his grin again. This time, his smile reflected the absurdity of his mother's hypothetical comment. "Mom, I always want your company," he said as if the facial expression weren't enough.

Olivia and Wyatt bundled themselves in parkas, hats, gloves, and boots and took off along the shoreline. When they arrived at the boardwalk, they took that route instead. Most shops were closed either for the holiday or for the entire winter, but they stopped at a small cafe and warmed themselves with chai and hot chocolate. Maggie snuck regular coffee every once in a while, but Wyatt still complied with the childhood coffee ban.

They set back out along the boardwalk toward home but stopped at one point to finish their drinks and stare at the frigid waves crashing at the shore.

"I think if I had a really good wet suit I could swim out there," Wyatt remarked.

"Honey, I don't think so."

"Did Santa bring me a wet suit?" Wyatt looked at her with wide, childish eyes. He tried and failed not to grin.

"No, he didn't," Olivia replied regretfully, "We've been here a lot in the winter, and I've never seen anyone out there…"

"Mom, I'm kidding."

"I'm not sure you are."

"Well, maybe not completely…" Wyatt took a deep breath of the cold sea air, "The water's so, I dunno, I love it. It's mysterious….I mean, I know the tides and everything aren't, but it's like...there're a lot of stories out there in that water."

"Not just in the water," Olivia pointed out, readily joining in with Wyatt's metaphysical insights, "People looking out into it, like we are, thinking and hoping for their lives to change…"

"...or stay the same," Wyatt suggested, "Mostly, when I'm here, I don't want anything to change."

Olivia kissed the side of his head. "You're right. There's a lot of hope out there too. I like to think about you and your brother and sister and all the hopes I have for your futures. I think, most of all, that's what I feel here, a lot of optimism, a lot of clarity."

Wyatt finished his cup, held out his hand for Olivia's, and threw both in a nearby trash can. They continued their stroll and Wyatt mischievously asked who Olivia thought would have the highest GPA when the first semester high school report cards were released in January. Olivia replied diplomatically that both her twins would have A averages.

"Be more specific," Wyatt said, "Use the numbers."

"Four-point and four-point."

Wyatt lovingly rolled his eyes. His mother did not play well into their friendly sibling rivalries, but she also knew Wyatt's ego still stung from the end of middle school when Maggie edged him by a half point in Science. Overall, Wyatt's grades were better, but Maggie's end-of-year Science project was fantastic and earned her extra credit...and also some bragging rights.

"But, you know," Olivia murmured, "Maggs gets a little lazy sometimes…especially at the end…"

"Yeah and she doesn't study for tests!" Wyatt exclaimed, sounding like a little kid again.

"You know I'm proud of you both," Olivia said.

"I know. I just wish you'd make a prediction!"

"That's never going to happen sweetheart."

"I know…" Wyatt smirked against the wind. Olivia could see the wheels in his mind turning, formulating another competition-based question for his mother to sidestep. "Okay," he said, "Whose cutouts will be the best?"

Olivia grinned. He got her. There was no question Wyatt was the most careful when making the sugar cookies and decorating them with frosting and sprinkles. Even Noah's designs came second to Wyatt's. The younger brother was about seven when it became apparent what he lacked in volume he more than made up for in quality.

"Yours, of course, Wyatt Edward." Olivia gave him a quick side hug. "You could go into the cookie making business...open up a little store here in Bethany...live with your mother forever…"

Wyatt grinned. "Mommmmm."

"Maybe that's too much to ask."

"How 'bout I promise always to make Christmas cookies with you?"

"I'd like that a lot, sweetheart."

….

The master suite at the beach house was huge, considering the house itself was constructed before such things as master suites existed. In addition to the bathroom and walk-in closet, the room featured an alcove large enough to be used as an extra bedroom. When the house was full, Maggie, Wyatt, and Noah occupied that space. The kids loved it-they slept all together on a large air mattress and fell asleep looking at the stars via the skylight. In the morning, the first person awake took it upon herself or himself to pile on the others and the trio proceeded to wake their parents.

The night before they were joined by Caroline and the girls and their families, Ed and Olivia made the most of their last night alone for a couple weeks. They rolled around under the covers and playfully made love into the wee hours of the night. When they finally surrendered to fatigue and cuddled together in the center of the bed, smiles lingered on their faces as they fell asleep. In the morning, at first light, Olivia awakened to Ed stroking and kissing her breasts.

"I want you," he whispered once he realized she was awake.

Olivia moaned and murmured, "I was going to wake you up earlier…"

"Why didn't you?" Ed was on top of her now and gently nudged her legs apart.

"You looked so peaceful...I didn't have the heart to do it."

Ed kissed her cheek and nipped at her earlobe. "I'm not as strong as you are," he said, "I had to give in to temptation…" He continued kissing her neck and gradually worked himself inside her, "God, I love you."

"Give into it anytime, Captain," Olivia gasped, "Oh, God…"

Ed stared into her eyes, "Good morning, baby."

Olivia couldn't form words. She threw her head back, yelped, sucked in air, and flailed her arms around until she got a grip on Ed's muscular shoulders. When they finished, she noticed the red streaks she'd made across his skin and kissed them apologetically. "Ed," she whispered, her voice shaking slightly, "Never stop loving me…"

He rolled over, took her face in his hands, and stared intently in her eyes. "I promise I will never stop loving you, Olivia Margaret. Never."

….

Noah, with Maggie and Wyatt on his heels, led Caroline on the tour of the house. He began with the less interesting upper level and showed her all the bedrooms, including his room which his grandmother would be using during her stay. He slapped the mattress, assured her the bed was "super comfy," and showed her how to turn on the lamp by simply tapping its base. Aside from the master bedroom, there were two other guest rooms upstairs, perfect for Sarah and Justin and Brooke, Sonny, and Sofia. When the three kids got a little older they would move downstairs to the pull out couch in the den, but for now they were bunked on the air mattress in the master bedroom alcove. Noah and the twins bounced on it.

"S'like a tramp'line, Gramma!" Noah exclaimed.

"How are your Mommy and Daddy going to get any sleep with the three of you jumping around like Mexican Jumping Beans?"

"After stories we'll go to sleep," Noah said. He was running out of breath and let himself collapse onto his back. He pretended to snore. "Jus' like dis, Gramma!"

"If you snore that loud you'll wake up the whole neighborhood!"

Noah giggled. "C'mon! Now we gotta go DOWN!"

He and Caroline held the twins' hands and slowly made their way down the steps, through the living room and dining room and into the kitchen. "Here's where ya can make da Irish bread!" Noah said.

"Who says I'm making the bread?"

"Gramma! You always make it!"

"That's right, dearie."

Maggie yanked on the refrigerator door, but Noah stopped her. "Small sister, we have drinks outside!" Noah turned to Caroline and explained, "Gotta fridge'rator out there now, Gramma! We got a whole kitchen out there, too!"

"Well, I have to see this!"

The four of them joined everyone else on the back porch. Olivia was holding Sofia and sitting on the swing with Brooke. Maggie made a beeline for them and glued herself to Olivia's opposite side. She pointed to the water. "Bee, Mama! Magg Bee!"

"Yes, sweet girl, we'll go to the beach soon."

"Ma, you want a drink?"

"Yes, please, Eddie, we need to toast to this beautiful home you have here. The pictures did not do it justice! It's gorgeous!"

"Thanks," Ed shook a gin-and-tonic and poured it in a plastic tumbler. Before handing it over he garnished it with a lime wedge. "Here ya go."

Caroline led the others in a toast and, after taking her first sip, she inspected the outdoor kitchen. The centerpiece was a six-burner gas grill with warming plates on either side. Caroline ran her hand along the brushed concrete countertop with built in cutting boards, tried the knobs on the sink, and opened and closed the cabinets. She nodded approvingly and needled her son. "A lot of pressure on ya, Eddie, a set up this nice? I expect to be served some delicious meals this week."

"You got it, Ma." Ed produced one of their coolers and asked Olivia about what to take to the beach.

"There's the cheese and fruit in there," Olivia said, "And we'll grab the crackers and that good summer sausage from the deli down the street. I think that's enough for now? We'll come back here for an early dinner? Brooke? How's that sound?"

Brooke fidgeted uncomfortably. "Sounds great...I'm still full from Burger King."

"Burger King?" Olivia asked.

Sonny shrugged sheepishly. "Guilty road trip pleasure," he said, "But, yeah, we're payin' for it right now. Except for Caroline...you seem fine."

"I have insides of steel," she said. Caroline held out her arms for Wyatt and he toddled over to her. She hugged him and cooed, "How's my grandbaby?" Wyatt smiled shyly and ducked his head. Caroline smoothed his hair and kissed each of his cheeks. "You are the handsomest thing," she said. "Are you going to show Grandma how you swim?"

"SIM!" Wyatt struggled to get down. When freed, he ran to one of the baskets where the kids kept their beach toys. He extracted a small pair of goggles and held them up to his eyes. "SIM!"

"Wyatt! Those are mine," Noah scolded him good-naturedly, "Those are too big for ya! Mommy! We gotta get Wyatt some baby goggles."

"We will, sweet boy," Olivia said, "I bet they have some at the surf shop. Maybe we can go later."

"Kay!" Noah grabbed the goggles and made the strap as small as possible. "Here ya go, Wyatt. You can try an' use 'em. I have my mask." Noah slid the goggles on Wyatt's head, but they were still too big. Wyatt didn't seem to care, though, and he walked around the porch with one hand holding the eyewear to his face.

…

When the local news stations broadcast the A.J. Martin verdict, Ed Tucker was in his office at I.A.B. watching dash camera footage of Sergeant Benson's takedown of the youth center's security officer. Since George Turner had sought medical attention, it was a matter of protocol that the circumstances surrounding the injury be reviewed. It took only a few seconds for Tucker and Draper to determine Benson acted entirely in self-defense, but Tucker couldn't help rewinding and replaying the footage. The move was impressive...and sexy.

At times it seemed like the entire city had been following the A.J. Martin case, and Ed was no exception. Investigating while under the heat of public scrutiny was tough, so he figured it wouldn't be such a big deal if he called Benson to congratulate her and also to assure her she wasn't facing any type of internal consequence for defending herself at the end of the chase.

He called her cell rather than the office and could immediately tell she was on the street and was surprised she didn't sound more pleased at the guilty verdict. Taking her brusque reply as an indication she was busy, Ed apologized for bothering her and started to say goodbye, but Olivia interrupted him. Suddenly, the background noise disappeared.

"It, um, the jury came to the right decision," Olivia said, "But, it doesn't stop there. His wife and son...this isn't over for them. It'll never be over."

"At least they're safe tonight," Ed offered. "But unfortunately, he'll never get exactly what he deserves."

"Yeah…"

"And, uh, another thing," Ed continued, "Didn't know if this was weighin' on your mind at all, but there's no action being taken against ya' for that Turner guy. One hundred percent justified."

The past few weeks had been a blur and Olivia barely remembered what she considered one of the more trivial parts of the Chicago-related case. "Oh," she mumbled, "I, uh, haven't really given it much thought, but, thank you."

"You get style points, that's for sure."

She smiled and thanked him.

By her mere change in tone, Tucker could tell she was grinning. He hadn't seen her smile much and he pictured her lips curling upwards and her cheeks getting a rosy hue.

"Everything else goin' okay?" Tucker asked.

"Yeah," Olivia answered and wondered if he could tell she was lying. The truth was she was exhausted. Between work and caring for Noah she'd been running herself ragged on very little sleep and was looking forward to the Thanksgiving holiday which was typically a slower time for SVU. "But I can't say I'm upset about getting some time off soon."

"Deserved."

"Right."

"I'll, uh," Tucker paused and found himself in the now-familiar conundrum of how to end a conversation with Olivia Benson. There was a new collegiality between the two of them-no, there was a burgeoning friendship and he was interested in where it was headed. Nevertheless, he wasn't quite comfortable enough to suggest meeting for a drink. "I'll let ya go," Ed mumbled, annoyed for not thinking of a more charming way to say goodbye. "You have a nice Thanksgiving."

"You too," she replied...sweetly? It was certainly a softer tone than she'd ever used with him. They said their goodbyes and hung up.

Tucker tossed the phone aside, sat back in his chair, and resisted the urge to hit "play" once more.

….

The kids played in the waves along the shore under the watchful eye of Ed and Olivia for over an hour before they joined the rest of their crew in the dry sand a little farther away from the water. Caroline and Brooke were lounging under the large umbrella and Olivia settled into the third chaise alongside her mother-in-law. Sofia was nestled in Caroline's lap and gradually waking up from her nap.

Noah grabbed four buckets and made two soccer goals. He kicked his small soccer ball around and called for Maggie and Wyatt to join him. Olivia smiled at the three of them-suntanned and clad in brightly colored swimwear. Noah's and Wyatt's trunks were bright red and dotted with smiling blue lobsters. A sunglasses-wearing zebra was printed on the front of Maggie's light blue one-piece. All three kids wore Wayfarers and their damp brown locks clung to their heads and, in Maggie's case, the back of her neck.

The twins did not follow Noah's rules or his instructions, so the game quickly turned into one of chase-the-person-with-the-ball. Maggie, who hadn't wanted to leave the water's edge to begin with, grew bored quickly and ran to the water as fast as her little legs could take her.

Olivia sat up and shouted, "Get her, Ed!"

Sonny and Ed were sipping beers and were closer to the kids. Ed handed over his cup and sprinted to Maggie. He scooped her up from behind, flipped her upside down, and smothered her with kisses until she was giggling uncontrollably. He lifted her high above his head, spun around, and complied with her request to take her back in the water.

Caroline eyed Olivia. "Quite a man you got there, sweetheart," she said.

Olivia nodded. In that span of a minute or so, everything she loved about Ed was on display-springing into protective action, doting on his kids, doing anything he could to make them happy, and, of course, Olivia couldn't deny how irresistible he looked as he ran toward their daughter and how pleasant chills ran up and down her spine when she saw how his muscles flexed as he swung Maggie in the air. When he returned, he'd have Maggie perched on his hip and water droplets beading on his chest.

With a silly smile plastered on her face, she reached over and squeezed Caroline's hand. "Quite a man raised by quite a mother," she said.

"I suppose," Caroline said, "But he was quite the pain in the ass at times."

"Aren't we all," Brooke murmured rhetorically. She held up her cup, toasting to no one in particular, and took a huge gulp.

"I'm sure he's not a pain in the ass for you," Caroline said, "Because I'm quite positive he's terrified of pissing you off, my dear."

Olivia laughed. "I think there might be some truth to that."

"Son," Brooke called to her husband who was now playing goalie for Noah and Wyatt, "Are you terrified of pissing me off?"

"Absolutely!"

"What's pissed off?" Noah asked.

"Oh, shit," Caroline muttered.

"Grandma!"

"OH SIT!" Wyatt shouted.

"How the hell did he hear that?" Caroline asked incredulously.

"SITSITSIT!"

"Grandma!"

Doubled over with laughter, Olivia merely waved her hand to brush off Caroline's apologies. She took responsibility but also blamed Wyatt's keen sense of hearing. "I don't know how the two of you make any kind of decent love," Caroline said, "One little moan and that one's probably waking up and yelling for Mommy!"

"Oh my God," Brooke gasped. She reached for her phone so she could send Sarah the conversation transcript. She and Justin were on their way and Brooke could picture Sarah reading the message and urging Justin to speed up so she wouldn't miss any other profanity-around-children slip-ups or references to her father's and Olivia's sex life.

….

#Tuckson