Sixty-two.

Morning came too quickly. Even though he'd been utterly exhausted from chasing the kids around all afternoon and the nighttime shower tryst, Ed awoke with a start when he heard sounds from the twins' room. He lifted his head and peered across Olivia's body at the baby monitor. Maggie rolled back and forth in her crib, arms wrapped around the small plush pink baby doll she'd owned from birth, and cooed words Ed couldn't quite decipher. Wyatt was still covered by his blankets and showed up as one jungle-animal-covered heap. When Maggie grew still again, Ed laid his head back on the pillow and gazed at his wife. The sight of her smooth olive skin juxtaposed with the crisp white sheets would never get old, and he smiled to himself when he remembered how he'd vowed never to use different color bedding. Theirs was simple white, but the view was perfect.

With an apologetic smirk on his face, Ed began kissing her face. One cheek, then the other, then her forehead. He carefully smoothed back a section of her hair and kissed around her ear before she finally reacted with a twitch. The corners of her lips curled upwards and Ed kissed them, too.

"Sorry," he whispered, "Go back to sleep."

Olivia grabbed his forearm, opened her eyes, and rasped, "No."

From there, sweet lovemaking ensued. After an abbreviated version of his favorite foreplay moves, Ed stared into her eyes as he moved inside of her.

"S'posed to rain all day," he said through labored breath.

Olivia's moan gave way to a smile. "Get organized," she managed to gasp, "For tomorrow."

"School."

"School."

"Should send the twins, too, then," Ed placed a sloppy kiss on her lips, "This, all day."

"They," Olivia gasped again, "Take naps."

"Sure do."

"Ed, yes, right there."

"Here?"

"Oh God…"

….

Feverish and peaked, Wyatt curled up under the navy blue microfiber blanket and stared blankly at the WWI documentary he'd been watching for at least two hours. He looked generally miserable and pathetic and Olivia wished there was something more she could do to help him feel better.

"Here you go, sweetheart," she set a fresh glass of grape-flavored Gatorade on the coffee table, "Are you sure you don't want to eat something?"

Wyatt shook his head.

"You haven't eaten anything since yesterday. Soup?"

"Okay."

"Chicken dumpling from the deli?"

Wyatt smiled; his mother knew his favorites and knew he couldn't turn down his preferred comfort food. "With oyster crackers?"

Olivia smoothed back his brown hair and kissed his forehead, "Anything you want, Wyatt Edward."

"I'm mad I don't get to go," Wyatt moaned. While he battled the flu, Noah and Maggie were going to see Mia sing at Carnegie Hall with her school chorus. The venue was hosting a series of high school performers in the weeks leading up to Christmas, and Mia's group was headlining opening night.

"I know, honey," Olivia said softly. She gazed sympathetically at her son as his eyes drifted back to scenes of trench warfare and carrier pigeons.

Later, as Wyatt took tentative bites of his soup, Noah and Maggie posed for pictures. Eighteen-year-old Noah looked handsome and regal in his dark gray suit, white shirt, and kelly green tie. His early obsession with stylish footwear had not waned, and he wore a pair of shiny black wingtips on his feet. Maggie insisted on wearing red, and had been searching for the perfect dress ever since Noah invited the twins to join him for the evening. She chose a bright red sweater dress with a chunky collar and accessorized with one of Olivia's long pendant necklaces.

Ed had to fight tears as he snapped the photographs. Noah, a high school senior, was now a head taller than his mother, handsome yet baby-faced, and was still every bit the sweet, kind boy he'd been in his younger years. Thirteen-year-old Maggie was full of middle school sass, spunky, silly, but effusive with love and affection for everyone. Ed studied her features. She had inherited his cheekbones, Olivia's jaw, and his blue eyes though the deep ocean-blue color was a nuance all her own. Olivia had curled her hair and it fell in soft brown waves across her shoulders and upper back. Ed was very grateful Noah had also maintained his protective nature because Maggie could have passed for a few years older than thirteen.

"Ready?" Noah offered his arm to his sister.

"Why thank you, sir!" Maggie grinned and looped her arm through his. She was wearing Olivia's black, leather-sleeved trench coat. It was a little big on her but she insisted on borrowing it because the evening necessitated fancier outerwear than what she owned.

"Bud, you have your wallet?" Ed asked even though he was positive Noah would answer in the affirmative.

"Yep."

"Enough money?"

"Yep."

"You sure?" Maggie interjected, "You promised me a show and dinner! A fancy dinner!"

"I have the card, too," Noah assured her.

From the coach, Wyatt groaned. He and his siblings had a penchant for exploring New York's restaurants, and, lately, they'd developed an addiction to fine dining establishments. Ed and Olivia joked they were spending more on food than they would on college. "Where you gonna go?" Wyatt asked weakly.

"I want steak," Maggie said.

Wyatt groaned again. "Take pictures."

"We will!" Maggie blew Wyatt a kiss, "Bye brother!"

After the duo left, Wyatt pouted. "I'm so jealous."

Ed mussed his hair and sat down beside him. "Feelin any better, bud?"

"Better than yesterday."

"You'll be good by Christmas."

Wyatt grinned and rolled his eyes. Christmas was three weeks away. "Gotta get better soon," he said, "We have to get presents."

"Have anything in mind?"

"Definitely a fancy coat for Maggs," he said, "Wearing Mom's...it looks like she has on a Snuggie."

Ed burst into laughter at the reference. In itself it was funny, but he had no idea where Wyatt learned of the "blanket with sleeves" that had a been a short-lived fad before he was born. "Where'd you ever see a Snuggie?"

Wyatt frowned and gestured toward the screen. "Old Infomercials."

Ed smiled. "You wanna watch somethin else?"

"Nah," Wyatt replied, "Will you play Scrabble?"

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I think the soup...that soup really works. Mom? Mom, you wanna play?"

"Sure," Olivia said, "I'd love to beat the two of you."

"I don't think so, sweetheart," Ed retorted. He and Olivia eyed Wyatt and then exchanged knowing glances. The odds of them both losing to Wyatt were high. Due to his studious nature, Wyatt found places on the board to play obscure, high-scoring words, and even when he drew unfavorable letters he still managed to be competitive.

Wyatt sat at the table with the blanket wrapped around his shoulders. "You two are both going down," he said in a voice that was far from intimidating. "But I'll go easy on ya."

…..

The imprint of Maggie's and Wyatt's foreheads smeared the window glass. They oooed at the black clouds and sheets of relentless rain. At the table, Noah was working on the optional assignment his teacher gave students at the August meet-and-greet. His "BioArt" included drawings of the beach house, jet skis, and the smiling faces of his family members. Tomorrow on the first day of school he would introduce himself with the visual aid.

"Whatcha see, sweet twins?" Olivia kissed Maggie and Wyatt on the tops of their heads. They babbled their answers but remained fixated on the weather. Olivia wandered over to the table and watched Noah draw. His lips were pressed into a straight line and every ounce of concentration was focused on his work. Olivia decided not to interrupt him. She joined Ed on the couch and sat so she had a view of the kids, back against the armrest and her legs bent over Ed's lap.

"Want to try and get outta the house for dinner?" He asked as he massaged one of her calves.

Olivia looked down at her sweatpants and t-shirt. Everyone else was similarly attired. "I don't think so," she replied, "I think we're all comfortable."

Ed grabbed her and and kissed it. "Okay."

"We'll cook?"

"Yeah," he said, "We have ingredients."

For what seemed like the thousandth time since she'd retired, innocuous details about Ed running the household punched her in the gut. She couldn't remember the last time she'd actually shopped for the purpose of stocking their pantry. "I guess I have to take your word for it," Olivia said. She winced at the unintended edge in her voice.

Ed raised his eyebrows.

"Sorry," she entangled her fingers with his, "It's been, eye-opening since we got back from the beach, the amount of work that goes into running this place, the kids, diapers in stock...and...I didn't even realize it was going on. I mean, of course, I knew we had to get those things from somewhere, it's-"

"-Won't need diapers for much longer," Ed interrupted her, smirking, and clearly trying to lighten the mood.

Olivia didn't bite. "I'm wondering where I fit in all of this," she blurted out.

Ed cocked his head and carefully set her feet on the floor so he could move closer to her. "You, Olivia Margaret Benson Tucker, fit in right here," he put his arm across her shoulders and kissed her cheek with too much passion given that they were within a few feet of their children, "And here," he kissed her lips, "and here," he kissed her on the neck and stopped only when Olivia let out a soft moan at which point he pulled away and looked into her eyes, "Seriously, Liv, we aren't we without you. And making sure we have olive oil doesn't make one any more or less valuable."

"Olive oil?"

Ed grinned sheepishly and shrugged. "First thing that popped into my mind."

"Olive oil?"

"Yeah. Extra virgin," he leaned in for another kiss, "Great for a saute, or on pasta," he kissed her again.

"DAH! DADA! Magg kiss!" Maggie ran over with Wyatt on her heels.

Olivia hoisted the twins onto the couch and she and Ed took turns smothering the twins in kisses. They screeched and laughed and wriggled around in Olivia's lap. Finally, Olivia hugged them both close to her chest while they caught their breath. The weight of her babies on her chest was comforting, and she felt the pent up anxiety leave her body.

"I'll start dinner," Ed patted Olivia's leg and stood up, "Unless...you wanna do it?"

"No thank you," Olivia said with an appreciative smile, "I think we're all better off if I watch you cook."

…..

When Olivia went to One PP late in the afternoon on the day Sally Landry reported the rape, she hadn't considered she might run into Ed. Staring at her phone and frustrated at being told to handle yet another high profile perp with caution, Olivia stepped off the elevator and into the lobby paying very little attention to her surroundings or the others bustling around her.

The royal blue blouse immediately caused Ed to stop in his tracks. The two sides of the neckline met in a knot near the center of her chest, adding extra allure to what the silky material was covering. The cavernous space typically echoed with the combined voices of officers and visitors, but Ed heard nothing other than his own voice call out, "Liv!"

She whirled around, smiling, and made a beeline for him. Forgetting where they were, she slid her arms around his waist but froze when she saw his shocked expression. "Oh," she said. She glanced around and dared to give him a quick peck on the cheek.

"No, no," he said softly, "Ya surprised me is all."

Olivia shoved her hands in her coat pockets, but she didn't surrender any space between them. Any onlooker would assume they were married or at least in a serious relationship. It had been three weeks since they'd both been reinstated, but those weeks seemed like months and the church scandal was now buried in the rear view mirror. The only hitch was that Olivia's return to SVU began with Carisi going undercover and continued with yet another famous man accused of rape. All the down time spent together, afternoon bar hopping followed up by stress-relief sex and then spending evenings with Noah also seemed like a distant memory.

Ed poked the inside of his mouth with his tongue. He couldn't resist letting his eyes fall to the blouse, her chest, and he felt goose bumps form on his lower back and on his arms. Olivia had to duck her head to force eye contact, and he shot her a sheepish grin. "That top," he explained, "I like it."

"Yeah?" She replied in a teasing voice, "Better than the red?"

"Do I have to choose?"

Olivia cocked an eyebrow and spoke in a low, seductive voice. "No."

Ed was having a hard time catching his breath and wondered if she could tell. "You, uh, you done for the day?"

"I can be." In addition to the eyebrow, she tilted her head to the side and her wavy brown locks fell enticingly across her face and chin. "Whadja have in mind?"

He was close to breaking out into a giddy sweat. "Do you have any idea what you're doin' to me right now?" He asked under his breath and took a mischievous look around as if he were searching for a closet or even an alcove where they could have a few minutes of privacy.

"Let's go to your place, then mine." Olivia didn't wait for an answer. She merely gave his wrist a tug and he followed her outside where she led him to her parked sedan. He watched in admiration as she wove her way through traffic, to his neighborhood, and expertly found a spot in a zone restricted to most other New Yorkers.

Inside the apartment, Ed gallantly took her coat and hung it next to his, but Olivia wasn't interested in any other pleasantries. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him fiercely until he pulled away and held her at arm's length, once again, admiring the blouse.

"Hold on," he said breathlessly. "I, damn…" Ed significantly slowed things down. He kissed Olivia's exposed skin slowly and methodically before carefully peeling back the material to expose more of her breasts. "You are so gorgeous," he whispered, "So beautiful."

"I've missed you," Olivia murmured, throwing her head back and relishing the feel of Ed's lips on her skin, his hands on her back, and his burgeoning erection pressing against her lower body.

"I missed you," he lifted his head and looked at her with desirous blue eyes, "I miss you all day." He went back to kissing her chest and soon they were naked, in his bed, crying out with pleasure and then cuddling under the covers as their breathing went back to normal.

With her head nestled under his chin, Olivia lightly scratched Ed's stomach and sighed contentedly.

"Good?" Ed asked.

"So good." Olivia craned her neck so she could kiss his chin. "Ed?"

"Yeah?"

"When you said you miss me all day," she began, hesitating a bit before uttering each word, "What...what exactly does that mean?"

"It means I can't stop thinking about you," Ed answered without missing a beat. "Is that," he adjusted their positions so he could see her face, "Is that too much?"

"I feel like it should be," Olivia said with a smile, "But it's not. I-" An agonized expression filled Olivia's features.

Ed interjected, "-I don't want to rush anything."

"I don't feel rushed," she ran a fingertip across his lips, "I want this, Ed. I want you. I'm annoyed these past few weeks have been so crazy because…" she screwed up her face, "...the whole thing with the church...it was the greatest of all silver linings, don't you think?"

"I do."

"Things will calm down," she said, "And I'm back to a full squad. And," she circled his nipples with an index finger, "I'm sure I could arrange some day care pickups if you want."

He kissed her head. "I want."

Olivia nestled her head back against his shoulder and said, "I like the idea of coming home to you and Noah." It was an admission she'd kept to herself until now and decided to test how it felt to actually say it.

"Me too," Ed replied softly then quipped, "Especially if you're wearing that blouse."

Ed had a sixth sense about when to inject levity into their conversations and when to stay on a more serious course. Olivia assumed he felt her breathe a sigh of relief and considered that a signal to needle her a bit.

"Should I keep an extra one at the office so I can change before I head home?"

"Nah," he said softly, "I don't want anything delaying you."

Olivia smiled and pressed a kiss to his chest. "Speaking of home," she said, "We better get going."

They dressed quickly and Olivia waited while Ed threw a few items in the now-familiar overnight bag. She sat on the edge of the bed and watched him move between his bureau and closet. "I'm glad I ran into you at One PP today," she cooed.

He smirked and zipped the bag. "Yeah...that needs to happen more often...or, maybe not at One PP…"

"What were you doing there?"

"Putting a training course together for next week," he said and added, "Avoiding procedural violations when a suspect resists arrest."

Olivia contorted her lips into an "O" shape. "I may need a refresher on that one."

"I doubt it." He slung the bag over his shoulder and held out his hands. He pulled her to her feet and held her close for a kiss. "But if you're havin' trouble sleeping later I can read you the script."

Olivia laughed and a naughty grin lingered on her face. She replied in a half-whisper, "I don't think I'll have trouble sleeping."

….

By the time he arrived at the door of his new classroom, Noah had been photographed at least two dozen times. Before leaving home, Olivia posed him with Maggie and Wyatt, with Ed, with herself, and then set up the camera on the tripod, set the timer, and snapped one with the whole family. The five of them grinned for the camera standing in the middle of the living area surrounded with toys, the easel, the train table, and the three bean bags. Noah, in his khaki pants and burgundy school polo, looked hilariously formal in the middle of the chaos and among his jeans-and-t-shirt-clad siblings and parents.

Ed helped Noah stow his BioArt in the appointed corner of the room, shoved his hands in his pockets, and stood off to the side with Olivia. They shifted their weight from foot-to-foot, knowing their presence was no longer necessary and it was a matter of minutes before the teacher or her assistant politely asked them to leave.

"Is this ever going to get easier?" Olivia whispered to Ed.

He glanced down at the twins who were taking in the classroom scenery from the stroller. For the moment, they were quiet and almost paralyzed from sensory overload. Ed shuddered to think of the day when they would drop all three kids off at school. It's only going to get more difficult, he thought.

"It'll always be tough," he replied, squeezing her hand, "But we'll do it together."

Olivia nearly teared up at his sincerity which was a bit unexpected given their surroundings. Instead of attempting a reply, she clutched his hand to her chest for a minute. Finally, when the last of the parents began filing out of the room, Olivia waved at Noah and he came over in his usual, half-skipping gait.

"Gonna go, Mommy?"

"Yes, sweet boy. Time for school," she bent down and kissed the top of his head, "You have a good day. I love you."

"Love you, too, bud."

"Love you!" Noah said and then addressed Maggie and Wyatt, "Babies, I gotta be here and learn t'day, but I see you later, at two-thirty, that's when school ends."

"No! Bock!"

"Yep, small sister! Got blocks here and art stuff and tablets…" Noah turned around in a circle, "Lotsa stuff to do!"

"Out!" Wyatt fought against the harness and reached for Noah, "Ouuuut!"

Noah hugged Wyatt. "Brother, I'm in first grade now, so I gotta go." Noah looked up at his parents, "We're gonna have ice cream after, right?"

"Right, sweet boy."

Noah addressed Wyatt in his most serious voice, "Wyatt, when you pick me up we're gonna have ICE CREAM, kay? You want cookie dough?"

Wyatt grinned. "Coo DO!"

Satisfied the thought of a sweet treat would be enough to distract Wyatt from his absence for the rest of the day, Noah nodded and addressed his parents. "S'okay, now. Wyatt knows he's gettin' ice cream!"

"Alright, bud," Ed said, "We'll see ya this afternoon."

Noah rushed back to the center of the room and took his seat. Ed ushered Olivia and the twins out of the room and down the corridor toward the building's entrance. As they rounded a corner, they almost collided with Mia and her father.

"Hi Livia! Hi Ed! Hi Babies!"

"Hi there," Tony Bianchi brusquely shook Ed's and Olivia's hands, "We're, uh, a little behind schedule this morning."

Ed and Olivia mumbled some pleasantries and said hellos to Mia before her father practically dragged her down the hall. Once they were out of earshot, Ed rolled his eyes. "Late on the first day? What a mess."

"Poor thing," Olivia said, looking back even though Mia was out of sight.

Wyatt was still squirming and Ed used the pause to get him out of the stroller. "C'mon, big guy," he hoisted the little boy onto his shoulders, "Up ya go."

"Up!" Wyatt repeated and hugged Ed's head, "Dada! U'high!"

Olivia smiled at the sight of Maggie thrusting her fists in the air. "Magg ouuuuut!"

"Sorry," Ed mumbled apologetically.

Olivia got Maggie out of the seat and perched her on her hip. Olivia simpered at Ed and pushed the stroller one-handed. "Don't apologize for being a fantastic Dad," she said softly.

He smirked proudly and gripped Wyatt's ankles more tightly. "Hold on, bud."

Wyatt clutched Ed's ears. "Dada gahme!"

"That's right," Ed murmured, "Daddy's gotcha."

…..

#Tuckson