Eighty-three. (Note to guest review re: Rob Miller flashback-I always wanted to write something about how Tucker would have responded to Benson getting pulled over, but there wasn't enough for a one-shot. So...since this is fic [as mentioned in the note at the beginning of 82] I pretended the incident happened way earlier than it did. Maybe I should've used Barba's name instead of Stone. Anyway...that's what I was thinking. Sorry you were so confused)

Wyatt was a hit on set. Usually the Tucker child least likely to be comfortable around people he didn't know, he instantaneously warmed up to the lead actress and the crew. The equipment entranced him. His on-screen mother's affect was warm and cheerful and each time he showed up, there were new toys for him to play with. The assistants also made sure Wyatt had a smoothie or another fun drink in his hands within minutes of arrival. Olivia was sure the writers were going to want to give him more screen time. In addition to being cute, he was also remarkably compliant. Granted, he didn't have any spoken lines, but if he was told to play with the trucks or lay in the bed and close his eyes, he did it. Good thing they needed a boy, Olivia thought, because Maggie would not have been nearly as manageable.

Today's scenes required him to wear pajamas. Olivia brought a few pairs of his own, but the costume designers had options laid out for him in one of the dressing rooms. The toddler crouched in front of each set and finally chose a one-piece printed with alligators.

"Go ni'night, Mama?" Wyatt asked as Olivia changed his clothes.

"We're going pretend night-night," Olivia replied, "With Marisa."

"Missa ni'night?"

"Yep. You're playing night night with Marisa for the cameras." Olivia ran her fingers through Wyatt's hair and wiped away remnants of his strawberry cooler that had collected in the corners of his mouth. "Okay, let's go."

Unlike the first scenes Wyatt filmed, this one was finished in only a handful of takes. It took three tries for Wyatt to get used to the toddler bed. After Marisa laid him down, he popped back up and asked, "Where my crib?" Olivia stepped in and explained, in pretend, he was going night-night in a big boy bed like Noah's. They gave Wyatt a few minutes to jump around in it and then got back to work. Eventually, they got the perfect take-Wyatt settled in under the covers, squeezed his eyes shut, and stayed that way until Marisa turned off the lights.

"Cut!"

"Wake up now?" Wyatt asked, still under the covers and facing the wall.

"Yep!" The director called, "Wake up Wyatt!"

He climbed down from the bed and ran to Olivia. She hugged and kissed him and praised his work. "Good job, sweet Wyatt. You're so good at pretend."

"I outta bed, Mama!" He exclaimed, a huge grin on his face, "No crib!"

Olivia chuckled and joked with one of the crew members who had a daughter a few months older than the twins, "We may have a problem getting him in bed tonight."

"Carlotta's not in a bed yet, either," she said with a slight frown, "My husband and I are reluctant to admit we no longer have a baby."

"I completely understand," Olivia commiserated. She took Wyatt back to the dressing room and swapped the pajamas for his jeans and hoodie. She zipped him into his blue fleece jacket-it wasn't quite parka weather yet-and gave him his knit beanie.

"My hat!" Wyatt yanked the cap on his head.

Olivia grinned at her gorgeous son. Though she was apprehensive about his gig as a child actor, she couldn't blame the show's creators for choosing him. He had Olivia's thick brown hair that looked best a little longer because it curled upwards at the ends and his deep-blue, ocean-colored eyes were enough to charm the hardest of hearts.

She and Wyatt said goodbye to everyone and made their way out of the studio. Though they were away from set, Wyatt was still hung up on one detail.

"No crib, Mama!" He said.

"That's right, for pretend you don't have a crib!"

"Magg crib?"

"Yes," Olivia said, "You and Maggie still sleep in your cribs." She kissed his cheek and murmured, "But not for much longer…"

…

Almost three decades had passed since Ed had been around small children and he'd forgotten how quickly and easily they could fall asleep anywhere. Five minutes ago he'd been showing Noah how to throw a ball, and now he was completely conked out in the middle of the blanket using his jacket as a pillow. Ed covered him with his own fleece pullover. The sun was setting, and he knew their time together was coming to an end. If Noah was warm and content, Ed figured he'd eke out an extra hour or so of alone time with the two of them.

"The trees look beautiful in this light," Olivia said. She leaned back on her elbows and took in the sight of the orange rays hitting the Upper West Side skyline.

"Can I say somethin' really corny?" Ed asked.

As she swung her head to look in his direction, her hair flowed in the breeze. "Sure," she replied.

"So do you."

They smiled at each other and met just above Noah's head for a kiss. Ed supported himself on one forearm and tangled his other hand in her thick swath of brown hair. Public displays of affection were new and Ed was careful not to get carried away. But kissing her filled him with an addictive warmth. It was safe to say, he was obsessed, yet, he was wary of showing it.

Reluctantly, he inclined his head away from hers and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. Olivia, though, wasn't finished. She grinned and shimmied closer to him. "One more," she requested.

"Sure."

A few minutes later they retreated to their opposite sides of the blanket and surveyed the green expanse in front of them. Most people who'd come to the park to lounge were gone and only a few flag football players remained.

"I should probably wake him up," Olivia said of Noah, "Or he'll never go to sleep tonight."

"Missed his regular nap today?"

"Yeah…"

"Sorry 'bout that."

"Are you kidding?" Olivia asked, "He had a great day. We had a great day."

There had been no shortage of things to do during their afternoon at the park. Noah blew bubbles, played ball, ran around, practiced somersaults, and squealed with delight when Ed flew him around in circles.

"Sure did."

The afternoon was supposed to be a park date for two, but Lucy had to cancel at the last minute. Olivia apologized profusely and offered to cancel, but Ed insisted they all go. Lately he'd been seizing every opportunity to show Olivia he wanted to be a part of their lives, not only hers. The day had gone so well, Ed decided to see if he could take things a little further.

"Can I take the two of you to dinner? Or, if...you'd rather head home...take out?"

"That sounds good... let's see what kind of mood he's in and we'll decide from there?"

Ed smirked at Noah. He predicted they'd be eating at her place. Olivia kissed her son's cheeks and ran her fingers through his hair as she cooed his name. After a few minutes, his eyes fluttered open, and he whined and fidgeted. Olivia sat him in her lap and he started to fall back asleep.

"No, no sweet boy. C'mon. Wake up. We're going to eat with Ed! What's my handsome little man want for dinner?"

Whether the words "Ed" or "dinner" perked him up was uncertain, but whichever it was, Noah sprung into consciousness. He stood up and skipped around the blanket swaying his head back and forth and hummed a little tune from one of his cartoon shows.

Ed grinned. "So...out?"

Olivia nodded, "Out it is."

…..

Leaving the bathroom door open this time, Olivia got ready for bed and silently rehearsed what she might say to Ed depending on how their conversation unfolded. There had been no palpable tension during dinner or throughout the evening. Olivia talked about Wyatt's performance and Noah chatted about the science experiment he began at school. With three kids, it was easy for Ed and Olivia to communicate with each other without really interacting. At bedtime, Wyatt mentioned the big boy bed again, but once he was among his blanket, pillow, and tiger Wubbanub, he forgot all about his earlier step out of babyhood. Maggie did not fuss at all when Ed put her in the crib, and Noah didn't ask for any extra time to read or draw. It was as if all three kids had made a pact to be as little of a nuisance as possible in order to give their parents the space to get back on track.

"Gotcha your water," Ed came into the bathroom and plucked his toothbrush from its charger.

The whirring noise filled the silence before she could thank him. Olivia washed and dried her face and rubbed face cream into her skin. She pulled her hair back into a twist and secured it with a clip. Routine complete, she left Ed alone, sat up against the headboard, and pretended to read a magazine.

Ed was wearing only a pair of loose black boxer shorts when he emerged from the bathroom. Arousal fluttered through Olivia's midsection at the sight of her husband one piece of fabric away from being sans clothing. His shorts sat low, an inch or so below the slight curve of his stomach. Daily pushups, "da workout," and good genes helped his pecs and upper arms stay firm and toned. Before he covered himself with the top sheet, Olivia got a glimpse of his thick, sinewy thighs.

She swallowed hard and bit her lip. Their rift had to end right here and right now.

"Ed, I'm sorry about last night," she blurted out.

He pulled the cord on his lamp and rolled over onto his elbow. With the opposite hand he cupped one of her cheeks and kissed the other. "Me too."

"I...overreacted. I know you were only trying to make sure I was okay."

"That's true, Liv," he replied, "But...it also felt like we were...somehow so disconnected then, it didn't feel right. I don't know why. Well, uh, I do know why. It seemed like you were...tryin' to make up for dabbling back into police work. And you don't have to do that. I-"

These revelations clearly pained Ed. Olivia grabbed his hand, coaxing the words out of him. Remorse oozed from his eyes.

"-I, uh, this isn't gonna sound how I want it to sound, but, I don't know how many times I have to tell ya, Liv, that you feelin' guilty about missing work isn't necessary. I get it. I expect it. And it seems like you're making it harder on yourself because you're tryin' to hide it."

"I'm just so disappointed I couldn't make a clean break," Olivia said. "And it was so easy when we were away at the house."

"Do you really think you'll be able to live the rest of your life completely tuned out? Because if you do, Liv, I hate to tell ya, but you're wrong."

Ed had come as close as he ever got to handling her. But instead of being upset or getting defensive, Olivia experienced a welcome sense of relief. Ed understood the emotions and uncertainties she'd been processing since returning from the beach. He gave her time to figure it out on her own, but he'd finally decided it was time to speak with raw honesty. Ed had simply gotten tired of seeing her founder; he loved her too much to let her struggle.

"You'll find the right balance," he said softly, inching closer to her. "Trust me."

"I've never gone wrong trusting you."

"And vice versa."

Olivia caressed his face. "Do you feel reconnected?"

"Yeah I do."

Their fiery kiss lasted several minutes. When Ed began rocking his hips into hers, Olivia slid her hands inside his boxers and wrapped her legs around his. Ed worked his way on top of her and momentarily tore his lips from hers. Olivia yanked off her shirt. She grinned when she heard a few seams of her pajama pants rip as Ed tugged them down her legs. They resumed the ferocious liplock. Refusing to stop kissing her, Ed partially removed his shorts and Olivia did the rest of the work with her toes. The tryst was progressing way more quickly than usual, but, for once, Ed didn't care. He felt the heat radiating from Olivia's body. She was already starting to quiver.

"I love you, Olivia," Ed rasped into her mouth.

Olivia couldn't reply. She lifted her shoulders, held his head to hers, half-screamed, and half kissed back. It was as rough as sex between them ever got, a welcome variation, a way for both him and her to eliminate the strain of the past twenty-four hours.

Ed was moving so vigorously, Olivia couldn't believe he hadn't yet hit his climax. She began to feel the familiar flutters of euphoria, her legs grew numb, there was the familiar...ache?...in her stomach. Even though they were still doing their best to keep kissing, Olivia could tell he was smirking.

"Harder, Ed," she gasped. There was a different sensation coming and she desperately wanted to experience it.

"Sure?" He croaked.

"Please, harder, there, oh Goddddddddddd." Olivia whimpered uncontrollably but she didn't let go of Ed. She cried out again. He was still so hard and pulsating; the entirety of the moment was overwhelming, tears formed in her eyes and dripped down her cheeks. Ed slowed down and kissed them away.

"Don't stop," Olivia mumbled. Her eyes were partially closed but she found his lips and swirled her tongue around his. The kiss, though, was short lived. Ed's last few thrusts struck more raw nerves and she had no choice but to bury her face in his neck as he finished inside of her.

Ed situated himself on one side of her so he could tease her body with his fingertips. They kissed lazily, pausing frequently for Olivia to gasp for breath because Ed was not yet finished pleasuring his wife. It was well after midnight before he began to lose steam.

"Why don'tcha let me change the sheets?" Ed said in a half-whisper.

"After a shower?"

"Sure."

Olivia sat up and slung her legs over the side of the mattress. "Whew," she said, "I may need your help." Ed rounded the bed and pulled her upright. She rose to her tiptoes and gave him a kiss. "Thank you."

"My pleasure."

"Ed?"

"Hmm?"

"We're better, aren't we?"

He smiled, "Yeah, baby. Yeah we are."

…

The process of pouring the mortar and re-leveling the driveway was more time-consuming than Ed thought, but the job was finished by late afternoon and he was proud of the work. Before he and Justin spread heating blankets over the surface, so it could dry properly, he invited Olivia out to take a look. She raved about the sleek design. Ed was surprised when she threw her arms around him and gave him a passionate smooch.

"Well thank you," he said.

"It's the least I can do."

"I'm kinda gross."

Olivia swung his arm by the wrist. "Why don't you come upstairs and get cleaned up after you put that cover on?"

Intrigued, Ed raised his eyebrows, "Where's everyone?"

"In the backyard deciding what we're eating for dinner."

Justin rounded the side of the house carrying the rolled blankets on his shoulders. They were big and bulky, but Justin was having no problem. He dropped them onto the lawn and jogged back to the shed, presumably to get the stakes.

"Gimme about ten minutes," Ed whispered. "I'll be right up."

Olivia started the shower and got in first. When Ed opened the bathroom door he was greeted with the amazing sight of her silhouetted in the late afternoon light and steam behind the glass. He tossed his clothes to the corner in a heap and stepped inside. "They're talkin' about going to buy some fireworks," he said.

"Fireworks, huh?" Wasting no time with small talk, Olivia pounced on him like she'd wanted to do all day, ever since she saw him attack the flagstones with the sledgehammer. All of those muscles now were within arm's reach and her hands flew all over his body, giving him a preemptive, soothing massage. Ed soaked up the attention, raved about how good it felt, and how appreciative he was. But they didn't have a lot of time.

Olivia sat on the bench and guided him to her.

"Liv…"

"Shhh," she hissed. "Right now...is all about you."

…..

The post-make-up-sex days were blissful and flirtatious and filled with subtle and not-so subtle touches, winks, and suggestive glances. It was like Ed and Olivia were stuck in the afterglow; they hadn't yet come down from that night. They doted on each other even more than usual and thank-yous always came with kisses. Had Noah, Maggie, and Wyatt been a few years older, they would have been put off by their parents' behavior. Brooke and Sarah were plenty old enough and even Sarah raised her eyebrows a few times when they all got together for dinner and a movie on a rainy Saturday night.

Ed and Olivia had the largest living room and the most kids, so they hosted. Dinner was Greek take-out and the movie was Rudy. It was tough to find films suitable for Noah and the adults, and Sarah found the title on a list after a Google search. "It's football season," she reasoned, "Let's watch it."

While everyone claimed their spots around the flat screen, Ed and Olivia made quick work of cleaning up the kitchen and refrigerating the leftovers. Olivia called out, "Pudding cups!" and the three kids abandoned their bean bags and came running for the desserts. Sarah twisted around to watch the action and nudged Brooke when she saw Ed remove the lids, lick one of them, and then kiss Olivia. She smiled, said "Mmmmm," and reciprocated.

"I can't believe this," Sarah muttered under her breath. She wasn't worried about being heard. Justin and Sonny were playing with the surround sound. Ed and Olivia had never used it so they had no clue how to funnel the audio to the speakers. "They're all over each other."

"What is going on with them?" Brooke asked, her voice equally hushed, "Do you think they're having another kid?"

"No way."

"Did you see them eating? Dad wiped her mouth!"

"She missed a spot," Sarah replied matter-of-factly, "Those sandwiches were messy. Still, I get your point. I saw it."

"And they'll probably go to that side of the couch," Brooke jerked her head toward the chaise end of the sofa, "How are they both going to fit there?"

"She's gonna sit in his lap," Sarah surmised.

Sarah was wrong. Olivia sat in the armchair, tucked one leg under her body and let the other hang over the cushion. Ed sat on the floor with his back against the chair. Olivia's calf was next to his head and he occasionally reached up and rubbed her leg. Olivia occasionally toyed with his hair or his ears. Halfway through the movie, he was holding her ankle. Later, Sarah and Brooke would estimate the pair had only been farther than a few inches apart when they carried Maggie and Wyatt to bed. Noah was still wide awake when everyone left and Sarah giggled.

"That's gonna be really problematic for the lovemaking portion of the evening," she said.

"Real torture," said Brooke.

"Can we talk about something else?" Sonny asked from the front passenger seat. He and Justin were trying to block out the ladies' conversation and make small talk of their own, but Sarah and Brooke were too bubbly and loud.

"Shall we talk about you?" Sarah said breezily. "Sofia Angelina is away for the weekend with Grammy Carisi and you and Brooke spend Saturday night with us?"

"Family's important," Sonny said.

"And the night's young," Brooke added.

"Do you guys wanna go somewhere with Justin and me? Justy? Nightcap?"

Always agreeable, Justin said, "Sure. Where to?"

"Let's go home first and drop the car then we can maybe go to Park Bar or something? They have fun cocktails."

"Or Headless Horseman," Sonny said. "I love that place."

"Let's do both!" Sarah said. "Bar hopping like old times!"

"You okay with that Brooke?" Sonny asked.

"Yes," she leaned forward and gave him a clumsy kiss. "It'll be good."

"Oh boy," Sarah said, "Here we go. We have Dad and Livvie Junior in here, Jus!"

Brooke rolled her eyes. "You're insane."

….

Noah downed the rest of a Coke that was not originally his and flopped back onto his beanbag. He used the remote control's voice feature to search for another movie, but before he could start a second film, Ed stopped him.

"Bed, bud."

Noah scrunched up his face. "Please one more?"

"Nope. It's late. And you have basketball in the morning."

"Oh yeah!" He jumped to his feet and pretended to dribble the basketball weaving among the bean bags and chairs. "Drive to da hoop and...SWISH!"

Ed caught Noah mid-shot and slung him over his shoulder. "Annnnd, here he goes, around the couch, through the living room, fakes left, goes right," They were in Noah's room now, "The kid goes up-" he hoisted Noah high in the air before dropping him on the mattress, "-And it's good!"

Noah giggled uncontrollably, "Good one, Daddy!" He said breathlessly.

"Thanks bud," Ed kissed Noah's forehead and tucked him in. "G'night. I love you."

"Love YOU Daddy!"

"Mommy'll be right in. See you in the morning." He passed Olivia on his way out of the room and squeezed her hand.

"Everything's turned off out there," she said. "Twins are sound asleep."

Ed winked. "I'll be waitin' for ya."

…..

#Tuckson