101.

It was good thing Olivia snapped photographs of Ed and Noah dismantling the cribs because she witnessed the entire scene through tears. The emotions ran high for two reasons, the obvious one being the unofficial end of the twins' babyhood, and the other was Noah's and Ed's teamwork. Noah handed Ed tools, carefully placed screws and washers into small plastic containers, and helped Ed carry the pieces into the foyer. Later, they would move everything to the basement storage unit. Ed didn't yet have the heart to suggest they advertise the cribs on the homeowner's association resale website.

At the project's onset, Wyatt and Maggie wandered around their room with plastic toy screwdrivers and hammers and chanted "Bye bye, cribs!" They eventually lost interest and busied themselves with two new tree ornaments that played a rotation of classic Christmas songs. Maggie and Wyatt danced around the living room, shaking their heads and shoulders to the tunes and shouting "GAIN" at one another when the songs ended. Olivia lounged on the sofa and convinced herself to relax and bask in the domestic bliss.

"Daddy?" She heard Noah ask, "Where're those babies gonna sleep t'night? They don't have any beds!"

"How 'bout they sleep in your room? We can make a tent again."

"Oooo! And we can watch Home Alone!"

"Which one?"

Noah made some humming noises as he deliberated. "Um, I think, da first one! And then da one in New York if we're still awake."

"Sounds good."

Maggie ran to the sofa with a plush Santa Claus ornament in her hand, "UH-OH, Mama! Sanna fah down!"

"Oh!" Olivia exclaimed in a tone that matched Maggie's serious expression, "Poor Santa! Let's put him back on the tree." Maggie grinned and skipped away. Olivia followed and helped her put Santa back in his spot on a low branch. "There you go, sweetie."

"Sanna say HO HO HO!"

"HO HO HO!" Wyatt chimed in and then hit the button on the ornament to play more music. "Dance, Mama!" Olivia danced around the tree with the twins until they attacked her legs and shouted "BAY PIE!"

Olivia cooperated and fell into the beanbags. "Ahhhhhh! Babies! A baby pile!"

"Bay pie, Mama!"

Noah scampered into the room, "I wanna pile, too!"

"Tucker trio pile!" Olivia said through laughter. She wrapped all three kids into her arms and kissed them repeatedly. "I love my three babies so, so much. How's my big boy?" She said to Noah, "Everything all done in there?"

"Almost," Noah said, "Daddy said we can have a tent t'night 'cause those babies don't have anywhere to sleep!"

"That will be fun."

"Uh-huh! Or," Noah bit his lip, "We could all be in da big bed! One, two, three, four, five!"

"One-er-ee-FIVE!" Maggie echoed.

Wyatt toddled over to Olivia and held up one hand, "Five, Hi'FIVE!"

Olivia slapped hands with her youngest son, winked at Noah, and said, "Big bed it is."

….

The streetlight outside of Olivia's bedroom window provided enough illumination for Olivia to make out her boyfriend's facial features as he slept. It had been only a week since their reunion, and she and Ed had been making up for lost time whenever they could. She was burning the candle at both ends and would soon need a quiet, lazy weekend, but she didn't care. Ed Tucker was back in their lives.

Ed's lips fluttered ever so slightly with each breath, and Olivia couldn't resist the urge to kiss them. She was as gentle as possible, but Ed stirred and opened his eyes, smiling at the sight of her so close and realizing what had awoken him.

"I'm so glad you're here," she whispered.

They were both sans clothing having spent the hours after Noah fell asleep entangled under these covers, making love, conversing in hushed voices, and making love again. Olivia partially draped herself over Ed and massaged his thick, muscular chest and realized there had never been truer words spoken than the ones she'd uttered seconds before.

She was so happy he was there, and she never, ever wanted him to leave.

"I'm so glad to hear you say that," Ed replied, resting one hand on her hip and using the other to play with her hair. "There's nowhere else I wanna be."

Olivia's eyes clouded slightly. "Ed, I'm sorry," she said even though she knew he was tired of hearing her apologize. "I should've never let you leave."

"Liv," he replied softly, "I understand. You didn't do anything that warrants forgiveness, but, I already told ya, if you think you did, I forgive you, Olivia Margaret Benson. I think maybe…" Ed trailed off and tried to make Olivia forget he was going to say something else by kissing her and letting his hand drift to her inner thigh.

Olivia took a sharp breath and grinned at the sensation of his touch, but she wasn't letting him off the hook. "You think maybe what?"

"I think," Ed stared into her eyes, "I think maybe you're having trouble forgiving yourself." Tears instantaneously formed in Olivia's eyes. Ed was absolutely right, and the fact he had the guts to say it signaled a major step forward in their relationship. He cupped her face and kissed both of her cheeks before whispering, "But it's over, Liv. We're right back where we need to be."

"I don't know if I trust myself…"

Ed kissed her again. "Trust us," he said.

"I like the sound of that."

"Me too."

Olivia grabbed his wrist and cocked an eyebrow as she put his hand back on her thigh. "I had to wake you up," she said in a sultry voice. "I want you."

Ed smirked mischievously and gently laid her on her back. He kissed all over her face and let his body fall on top of hers. "Don't even think about apologizing for that," he said as he trailed kisses down the sides of her neck. "You wake me up anytime you want."

….

By the end of the original Home Alone, all three kids were asleep between Ed and Olivia. Wyatt had snaked his way to the headboard and wound his body around Olivia's head. The position looked uncomfortable, but Wyatt, fist in his mouth, was perfectly content. Maggie and Noah were side-by-side under Maggie's favorite floral-printed fleece blanket, their arms resting above their heads, both pairs of fists next to their ears.

When the credits on the movie rolled, Ed grabbed the remote and asked Olivia if she wanted to watch anything else. She took a minute to gaze at each of her children. "Watching this is perfect," she replied in a soft voice. She reached over and cupped the side of Ed's face. "I love you."

Ed turned and kissed her hand. "I love you too," he said, leaning over Noah and Maggie to kiss Olivia on the lips. When he pulled back he grinned at Wyatt. "Should prolly move him."

Olivia did her best to look backwards. "He's so peaceful."

"Kid who can sleep anywhere." Ed grinned widely and before Olivia could ask what was so funny, he said, "So, we got the beds comin' tomorrow and...Pearl, too?"

Olivia squeezed her eyes shut. Consumed by the drama of dismantling the cribs, she forgot to tell Ed she agreed to watch Pearl for the rest of the weekend while Sarah and Justin went to Vermont. She'd mentioned dogsitting a few days prior, but, at that point, no concrete plans had been made.

"Oh," Olivia murmured, smiling sheepishly, "Yeah...I'm sorry, I haven't even told the kids yet, obviously, I don't know if Noah could handle the excitement."

"It'll be fun," Ed remarked. He saw the surprise in Olivia's expression. "What? I can adapt...to a dog...for a couple days. And we can tell Noah it's a good opportunity to learn about responsibility. He'll take that very seriously."

Olivia grinned. "He will."

Ed leaned over to kiss her again, "And while these three are chasin' around the dog, you and I can-"

Olivia cocked an eyebrow, "-Chase each other around?"

Ed chuckled, "Readin' my mind, Benson."

They kissed again, getting as passionate as they could while surrounded by three sleeping children. Olivia ran her fingers through Ed's short hair and pressed her forehead to his. "We're overdue for some alone time," she whispered.

"Yeah." Ed pecked at her lips some more. By any other couple's standards, it hadn't been that long since they'd made love, but Ed and Olivia weren't just any couple. "Maybe tomorrow? Kids'll prolly camp out in the twins' room with the new beds?"

"We'll let them have the iPad," Olivia said with a wink, "Insurance."

"Love that device."

Ed and Olivia laughed softly and had one final kiss goodnight before rearranging Wyatt and turning in for the night. Seconds before Olivia closed her eyes, she took a long look at the scene in front of her eyes and did her best to imprint it in her memory.

….

For the middle of the night, there was entirely too much noise coming from the kitchen. Olivia slid out of bed slowly, careful not to rouse Ed, but he woke up anyway, whined, and pawed for her to stay. He hated the bed without her and he said so.

"I'll be right back," Olivia said, rolling her eyes a bit. He was in his sixties, but Ed Tucker was perfectly capable of acting like a child every once in a while. She patted his hand and made her way into the main living area. She found Noah padding around the kitchen, in the middle of making a substantial midnight snack. "Honey, what are you doing up?" She asked softly.

Startled, Noah's eyes shot in the direction of her voice. He smiled sheepishly when she came into view. "I, uh, I couldn't sleep and I didn't want to turn the light on and wake up Wyatt so I came out here...and then I thought food sounded kinda good." He held up the loaf of bread, "Want a sandwich?"

"No thank you," Olivia took a seat at the island and watched Noah take a huge bite. "Why couldn't you sleep?"

Noah sighed and took another bite before answering. "I keep thinking about those people today."

Olivia nodded sympathetically. Noah's school required students to perform a certain number of community service hours a semester, and Noah had been completing his at a downtown homeless shelter. Every Tuesday after school, he spent two or three hours there helping prepare and serve evening meals and sorting donations. When he came home he never said much about specific people, but everyone noticed the satisfaction in his demeanor. The work made Noah feel good about himself.

"What about today was different?" Olivia asked.

"Nothing," Noah said with a shrug, "It's just, I feel so bad. It's almost Christmas and these people don't have anyone. Where are their families? How come people they know won't help them? I keep thinking," Noah's entire face contorted as if he were in a great deal of physical pain, "What if that happened to me? Like I had nothing? There are like at least ten people I could call and stay with until I could live on my own again. But these people? Their relatives have just let them be on the street."

Noah downed his entire glass of water and refilled it at the refrigerator. When he returned to the island, Olivia offered her thoughts. "Every one of those people has a complicated story," Olivia said. "And a tragic one. Some have histories with drugs, different types of abuse, untreated mental health issues, and, for one reason or another, going to family for help isn't an option."

"But why?" Noah asked.

"Honey, I don't know. But I've seen some people, well, they're addicted to alcohol or drugs and they were violent and, when that happens, a family can cut someone out of their lives pretty quickly, for the safety of everyone else. Maybe, in some cases, family members tell someone they need to get help or else...and they don't get help."

Noah's eyes grew wide. "What if me or Maggie or Wyatt did something horrible? If you and Dad didn't feel safe with us here or around anyone we know?"

Olivia reached for one of his hands and held it with both of hers. "Your Dad and I would do anything for you and your brother and sister. We would support you, go to the ends of the Earth to get you what you need. I hope," Olivia briefly squeezed her eyes shut, "We never have to. But we would, Noah."

"You would, but others don't?"

The question hit Olivia with an air of relief. Noah wasn't really concerned about his family. He knew everything Olivia had just said; he was having trouble comprehending why other mothers and fathers didn't have the same philosophy.

"We're lucky," Olivia said. "We have so many resources. We have time and energy and we can recognize a lot of problems before they explode into something unmanageable. Others don't have what he have, honey."

Noah rubbed his face and stared out into the night. "That's just...horrible."

Olivia waited patiently for Noah to say something else, but he finished his sandwich and the second glass of water and said he was going to try to sleep. Olivia wrapped him in a tight embrace-her teenage son, now a head taller than her, seemed small and vulnerable in her arms. "I love you so much, Noah," she said softly. "We are all so lucky. Never forget that." She felt Noah nod and held him close for a few extra seconds. This wasn't the first time Noah had been troubled by others' misfortune, and she was certain it wouldn't be the last. However, she was proud of herself for her ability to talk him through it and, in this case, get him to the point where he could rest. Noah's tendency to obsess over timeless problems simultaneously worried her and warmed her heart.

"You are a wonderful person, Noah Porter Benson Tucker," she added before they parted to their own rooms. "The world is lucky to have you."

Noah flashed his familiar grin and shyly ducked his eyes. "Thanks mom," he said, "It's lucky to have you, too."

….

The toddler beds were delivered mid-afternoon, on schedule, and Ed and Noah began assembly immediately. The frames were small and came in large pieces, so they made quick work of tightening the screws and securing slats. After exhaustive searches, Ed and Olivia decided on a simple mission-style design, charcoal for Wyatt and white for Maggie. They did let the twins pick out their own sheets and comforters, but they had no intention of depriving them of their favorite fleece blankets. When the beds were made and the room cleared of the packaging and other debris, Olivia sent Maggie and Wyatt into their room.

"Go look and see what Daddy and Noah made for you!"

The twins ran inside. Wyatt immediately hopped onto his mattress and crawled around. Maggie stopped in her tracks. Brow furrowed, she pointed at her bed which was neatly covered with the butterfly duvet she'd chosen.

"My bed?" She asked Olivia.

"Yes, sweet girl, that's your new bed!"

"No Kib?"

"Nope."

Noah patted Maggie's mattress, "Try it out Maggs! Me an' Daddy made sure it's, it's, Daddy, what's that word?"

"Sturdy."

"Me an' Daddy made sure it's sturdy," he said proudly and seriously, "Itsa good bed!"

Maggie still was not convinced. She slowly approached the bed and walked around it, inspecting every inch. Eventually, she touched the wood finish, and, liking the smooth texture, smiled at Ed, Olivia, and Noah who were all anxiously waiting for her final reaction.

"Wanna try it out?" Noah asked. He glanced at Wyatt who was lying down, head on his pillow, holding his favorite book, Noon Balloon, in front of his face. "Lookit brother," he murmured with a grin, "Wyatt always love dat book."

Ed smoothed Wyatt's hair and kissed his head. "Readin, bud?"

"I ree', Dada," Wyatt replied, his words slurred by the fist in the corner of his mouth.

Across the room, Maggie climbed onto the mattress and started jumping. "Jump, jump jump!"

Noah gripped the headboard. "Hold on here," he said.

Maggie put her hands where Noah's had been and kept jumping. Olivia didn't love the idea of using the bed as a trampoline, but she wanted Maggie to be comfortable and didn't think reprimanding her was a good way to introduce the new furniture.

"We're gonna have a sleepover in here tonight," Noah said, "S'gonna be fun! Mommy, can we have cheese puffs?"

"Not in the bedrooms," Olivia said, "How about regular chips or veggie straws?"

"Kay," Noah said. "Can't have cheesy fingers."

"That's right."

"Well bud," Ed said to Noah, "How about we give ourselves a little treat right now for doin' so well with our second set of beds?"

"Oooo! What kinda treat?"

"Whatever you want."

"I want…." Noah trailed off, thinking of his preferred treat, "A float! Like Gramma makes! You know howta do dat, Daddy?"

"I sure do."

"Yeah," Noah said, "You know everrthing." Before he could run to the kitchen for the ice cream and soda, there was a knock at the door. Noah veered down the foyer and called "Who is it?" in a sing-songy voice.

"It's Sarah and Justin and Pearl!"

The excitement of the beds had made Noah forget about dogsitting. He grinned and yanked the door open. Pearl had been sitting obediently, but she immediately jumped on Noah, barked, and licked his face. "Hi there, girl!" He said, "Eeek! You really love ta lick!"

Sarah detached the pink leash and hung it on the closet handle. Justin brought in her dishes, a small bag of food, and a box of treats. He and Sarah thanked the Tuckers profusely for keeping Pearl, gave some simple instructions, and headed out to their car after admiring the new beds.

"C'mon, Pearl!" Noah said, "I'll teach ya how to fetch!" He squeezed her plush football. It made squeaking noises and Pearl galloped alongside Noah into the living room.

"Still want that float, bud?"

Noah, thinking the question was hilarious, doubled over in laughter. "Yep! Still want da float, Daddy!"

….

Late that night, Ed and Olivia softly closed their bedroom door and began a slow, sensual makeout session. They fell on top of the mattress, holding each other and appreciating the feeling of their bodies pressed together. Wrangling three kids and a puppy had left them utterly exhausted, but once everyone was asleep, Ed and Olivia caught a second wind. The kiss energized them as did the anticipation of the pleasure to come.

Ed removed Olivia's hooded sweatshirt and slid his hands under her tank top. It was tight-fitting, so she'd skipped a bra for lounging that night and Ed massaged her bare breasts. He began grinding his hips into hers and grinned proudly when Olivia moaned her approval.

"You feel so good, Liv," Ed whispered as he started kissing her neck. "God, I want you." He expected Olivia to reciprocate in some way-give him another moan, or a throaty "yes," or an " I want you, too." But she froze and craned her neck toward the door.

"We have company," she said.

Hearing the footsteps, Ed groaned. "We sure do." He stood up, took a deep breath, and opened the door. Noah, Maggie, Wyatt, and Pearl were all standing there. Wyatt and Pearl looked groggy, apparently dragged out of bed by the other two, who were smiling as if being awake and at their parents' door at one-thirty in the morning was the most normal thing in the world.

"I think Pearl hasta go out," Noah said, "She was crying."

"Doggie," Maggie mumbled.

"Sarah didn't mention she has to go out in the middle of the night," Ed griped to Olivia. He ducked into the closet and grabbed a fleece pullover. "Like a newborn. I'll take her."

Olivia, feeling guilty since she was the one who agreed to take Pearl, mumbled a thank you. She got up, kissed Ed on the cheek, and picked up Wyatt. "Alright sweethearts, back to bed."

"Can I get a drink?" Noah asked.

"Dink!" Maggie echoed.

"Sure."

Instead of going to the kitchen, Noah went into the bathroom and helped himself to a Dixie cup of water. He filled another for Maggie. She drank it all and asked for more. Olivia eyed her pajama bottoms, making sure she'd put a diaper on Maggie earlier that night.

"Okay," Olivia said. "Bed."

"C'we stay with you 'til Daddy gets back?"

"Sure."

Ed wasn't gone long, but when he returned, Olivia and the kids were sound asleep in their bed. Ed smiled but shook his head, lamenting the elusive alone time. He got under the covers, and when he rolled over to turn off the lamp, he saw the dog lying on the floor on Olivia's discarded sweatshirt. She peered up at him with her wide, brown eyes.

"G'night Pearl," he grumbled. "Welcome to our room."

…

#Tuckson