110. Good day, Tuckson fans! Today my How I'm Feeling About RJB Returning and Not in the Way We Want meter is registering at a 5 and tilting toward hesitantly optimistic because I remembered a question posed by my good Twitter pal DChap. What's the purpose of bringing back Tucker if end game isn't Tuckson? Well, the easy anwer is to torture Benson as much as possible before she sees those stars or whatever Warren was referring to, but still, an excellent point. There are a million ways to make Liv's life miserable...why source some out to Tucker? Show-wise, his departure was clean, although I have a very hard time believing a real life person would let him leave but then never ever hear from him or mention him again...anyway...that's the big question mark of the day...and the next ten days. Happy mini hiatus, but fic never stops!

….

"Didja bring an extra bra, Grandma?"

Tucker, Party of Eight, wandered through the Flora-Bama's various spaces. It was early afternoon and a few old salts were bellied up and one of the bars, but most of the tables were otherwise empty. As they passed under the "bra line," Caroline, Ed, and Olivia curiously regarded the dozens of bras hanging overhead and Caroline mentioned she would keep hers on for now, but couldn't make any promises after having one or two of the vaunted Bushwackers.

"Sare Bear, where's our names?"

"Names?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah," Sarah said, turning in a circle to get her bearings, "You're supposed to sign the wall when you're here. Ah, Noey, remember, we picked out that corner over there. Let's go see!" Sure enough, the Sharpie-scrawled Noey and Sare Bear was still prominent. "Daddy, you're going to have to sign in yourself, Livvie, and the twinsies."

"Will do," Ed shoved his hands in his pockets and took in the decor-walls covered with old, partially rusted license plates, signs printed with snarky adages, and banners advertising upcoming performances and special events.

"Cool place, huh?" Justin said.

"Yeah," Ed replied, "Right up my alley."

Olivia shot him an amused smirk and loosely held his hand. They trailed the others, walking slowly, and bumping into one another. The previous evening had been filled with card games, drinks, snacks, and delivered pizza for dinner, and it was well past the kids' bedtimes when they finally dimmed the lights in the living room and kissed Noah, Maggie, and Wyatt goodnight. Ed had assumed Olivia was too tired for any intimacy other than their own goodnight kiss, but she surprised him by sliding her hand under the elastic of his boxer shorts as they locked lips. They made love well into the night, and, afterwards, agreed they were relieved their relationship was back to normal. That morning they dressed but stayed under the covers; even when the kids came in and jumped on the bed, ready to start the day, Olivia remained locked in Ed's arms.

"I love a good beachy dive bar," Olivia murmured.

"I love you."

"Ed." He was in one of his moods, but Olivia knew him well enough to realize this was not a one-day thing. Ed Tucker was going to be in an amorous, near-euphoric state for at least the rest of their Florida vacation.

He snuck two quick kisses and one open-mouthed, sloppy smooch before they stepped onto the deck with the others. His eyes blazed with passion and a hint of mischief. Olivia was certain he'd considered diverting her to the passage near the restrooms and going for a longer makeout session.

"I'm so glad we're here," he rasped.

"So am I."

"But, promise me...it'll be like this when we get back?"

Olivia squeezed his hands and kissed him once more. "I promise."

…..

To Ed's and Olivia's amusement, the kids were saying goodbye to Paris with great reluctance. On the way to the train station, they murmured "au revoir" to Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Champs Elysees, and the Seine, among other landmarks. When they boarded the Eurostar, Maggie sighed and sat in her seat with a huff.

"Guess we gotta speak English now," she said.

Ed and Olivia thought the comment hilarious and expected Noah, at least, to point out they'd been speaking mostly English all along, but he replied with a mumbled, "yeah" and pulled out his phone to review photographs of the past few days.

"Cheer up," Ed coached from across the aisle, "London next."

"Then Ireland!" Olivia added.

The encouragement was mostly ignored.

Wyatt frantically searched through his backpack. He unzipped and zipped pockets and was near tears when Olivia asked him what he was looking for. "My books," he said in a shaky voice. The England one and the Ireland one. They're gone!"

"No they're not, honey," Olivia replied in her calmest, most soothing voice. "I have the England one right here," she reached into her tote and produced the travel guide, "And the Ireland one is in the suitcase." Despite their compact size, the books were deceptively heavy, so Olivia decided to stow two of the three books rather than pack them in Wyatt's already-stuffed bag. This was, perhaps, a mistake. "You can read the Ireland one on the plane?" She suggested.

"Okay," Wyatt replied begrudgingly.

Ed smirked at Wyatt and then at Olivia. He held her hand and kissed her cheek. Their youngest son was endearingly quirky, and extremely particular about his books. However, he was also exceedingly polite and respectful and would never let on how irritated he actually was at his mother's decision to stow one of the books where he couldn't access it until they arrived in London. They watched him in profile as the train pulled out of the station, and his facial muscles gradually relaxed as he became engrossed in the introduction.

"I hope we see Prince George!" Maggie said to no one in particular.

"I don't think we're gonna see Prince George," Noah replied.

Maggie was optimistic. "Maybe we will! And Charlotte and Louis! We're going to Buckingham Palace."

"They don't live at Buckingham Palace right now. It's summer. And even if they were there, we don't get to see where they actually live," Noah explained, "Like, when I went to the White House on the school trip, we saw three or four rooms and it didn't even look like anyone ever used them."

"Noah, you're killin' my buzz."

"Maggie!" Olivia had been flipping through a newspaper and only partially listening to the conversation, but the very adult catchphrase uttered by her daughter definitely caught her attention. She leaned across Ed. "Where did you learn that?"

"From a movie, mom," Maggie replied in a tone that suggested Olivia should have known exactly where she'd heard the phrase.

"Which movie?"

Maggie looked to Noah.

"Home Cooking," he replied, "We watched it last night. It was dumb."

"Yep," Wyatt muttered.

"Well at least it taught ya something," Ed quipped. Olivia elbowed him and he responded with a smirk, a shrug, and a kiss to the top of her hand.

Shaking her head, Olivia reclined her seat and watched suburban Paris come into view. Soon, the countryside supplanted Parisian sprawl and she felt a deep sense of peace watching the animals graze and a handful of people tend to their fields and gardens. She reclined against Ed's shoulder, enjoyed the scenery, and smiled whenever she heard the giggles of her happy children who were engaged in constant banter across the aisle.

….

Ed sat down at the picnic table and inspected the warped wood. "This's seen better days," he mumbled. In his mind he was predicting at least one kid walking away with a sliver in his or her finger.

"Part of the charm," Sarah said, "Noey and I sat in this exact spot the last time we were here, so we must have the same seats, right, Noey?"

"Right! Hey!" Noah turned his head back and forth and his St. Brigid's Cross necklace flapped against his throat. "Where's da music?"

"I think someone's coming on to play at one," Sarah said. She checked her watch. It was not yet noon. "We'll be here still." Expecting a reproving glance from her father, she looked at him only to see he hadn't been paying the least bit of attention. He and Olivia were sitting shoulder to shoulder, poring over one menu.

"You wanna share some oysters?" Ed asked in a whisper as if he weren't at all interested in sharing food with anyone else at the table, including their children.

"Sure," Olivia cooed back at him, coyly batting her eyelashes.

The exchange was sickeningly sweet and Sarah ate it up. The semi-private moment didn't last long, however. Noah read the menu and ticked off everything he wanted to eat. "Justy, you think they have good shrimp tacos here?" He asked.

"I bet they do," Justin replied. "I might get 'em."

"Gramma, whatcha gonna eat?"

"I don't know," she said, "I'm still deciding."

"You wanna share with me?" Noah asked.

Caroline sipped her Bushwacker and patted Noah's hand, "Dear boy, I'd love to. How about this sampler platter? It looks like enough for two."

Noah read the description and another smile formed on his face, "Yeah...I like dis. Let's share. Hey! They have CRAB CLAWS!"

"We'll get some of those, too, my dear boy."

The twins played nearby and drifted into the sand. Needing toys, Wyatt ran to Olivia and she produced two of his trucks from her purse. Maggie eventually found an abandoned bucket and the three items were enough to keep them occupied while the adults and Noah talked at the table.

"Justin, come over here and sit across from me," Caroline waved a hand wildly, "I haven't seen you in months."

Justin flashed his gap-toothed grin and switched seats. "Yeah, sorry...been working with a professor of mine, traveling a lot." He went on to explain the project and all its nuances. When Justin spoke of the most ideal outcome, his entire body twitched with excitement. "All the safety nets we have," he said, "have too many gaps...if we can get these pilot programs staffed and funded properly and have the support of the communities, I think we'll really see a lot of progress. Break the cycle."

Caroline raised her plastic cup, "Young man, you are simply amazing. And this is all part of your Master's Degree?"

"Yup."

"Your mother must be so proud."

"She is."

Mention of Carmen Vidal caught Olivia's attention, and she finally participated in the conversation, "How is your mom?" She asked, leaning on her elbow so she could see Justin on the other side of Ed. Ed took the opportunity to squeeze her thigh.

"She's pretty good," Justin replied, "So busy though with my niece and nephew living there and her job. I wish she would retire but she's not quite there yet. But, she likes being busy. Maybe one of these days she'll come down here and relax."

"We've offered a million times," Sarah said.

"She's like me," Caroline said, "Has everything she needs on her block at home."

"Still," Sarah said, "You have to remember there's a whole world out there and new places to explore and the Gulf of Mexico to swim in, right Noey?"

"Right!" Noah screwed up his face and asked, "But, Sare Bear, when you gonna take me to Texas?"

Caroline nearly choked on her drink, "Texas?"

"I wanna see da cowboys," Noah said matter-of-factly. "And da Alamo."

"How in the hell do you know about the Alamo?"

"Ma-"

Noah told Caroline about the large map at school which, according to his description, included insets of famous images from certain states. "And da Alamo was where there was a really bad fight and then after, Texas was in the USA and not Mexico."

"...in a nutshell," Sarah quipped.

Caroline shimmied off the bench and announced she was going to the "little girls' room." When she stood up, she lost her balance and stumbled into the table. Justin grabbed her wrist and Ed scrambled to her side.

"Ma, you alright?"

"Eddie, I'm fine."

"Maybe lay off the booze?"

"We'll eat."

Ed groaned. "Sare, go with her, will ya?"

"Eddie, I don't need an escort."

"Maybe not," he replied, "But you're gettin' one."

…..

"You know," Olivia handed Ed his refill and sat beside him with her legs tucked under her body, "Dodds is absolutely right. I don't have a political bone in my body."

Ed moved a section of her hair to the side and kissed under her ear. "One of your best qualities."

"I mean, when did political become the opposite of justice? The two systems are supposed to compliment each other, work together, and they're totally antagonistic."

"Not totally," Ed bit her earlobe and grinned when he felt her shiver.

Though her reflexes were betraying her, Olivia pretended to be unaffected. "Yes, totally. The second I'm told to stand down, or, in this case, told that I'm being completely ridiculous for expecting and forcing Child Services to-" Olivia feigned a gasp, "-do their fucking jobs, we are at totally antagonistic."

"Lieutenant-"

"It's technically still Sergeant."

Ed ignored the correction, "Lieutenant, you're awfully cynical tonight."

"I'm still so mad at that comment."

Ed stopped kissing her and held her shoulders at arm's length. "Alright. Be mad. But let's get it all out now. Pretend I'm Dodds. Let me have it. Whaddya want to say to him?"

"I cannot pretend you're Dodds."

"C'mon. Two minutes. You can do it. You'll feel better."

Olivia raised her eyebrows and asked, "Are you recording this?"

"No."

"Ed, I...can't pretend you're Dodds," Olivia let her eyes fall to the couch cushions and then found the courage to meet his, "Or, rather, I don't want to do that...I don't want to look at you and think of him."

Smiling, Ed cupped her cheeks and gave her a firm kiss on the lips. "Excellent answer, Lieutenant Benson."

"It's the truth," she replied softly. Slightly nervous, Olivia bit her lip and stared at Ed's hands which he'd let fall into his lap. She dared to reach out and hold them and they sat like that, bobbing their fists between them, wondering what exactly to do next. "Tuck-um-Ed, thank you for letting me, just, well, let off some steam tonight, and last night, and probably tomorrow."

"That mean I'm seein ya tomorrow?"

Olivia squeezed his fingers. "Yes it does."

"Other than you being pissed off," Ed replied, "Sounds real good to me."

….

Ed's nightly routine took significantly less time than Olivia's, so he leaned against the bathroom wall and watched her pull her hair back, wash and dry her face, and carefully apply cream. Olivia occasionally leaned closer to the mirror to inspect a blemish only she could see. When she did this, her shirt lifted a little, exposing the skin of her back which was a slightly lighter shade than her arms and legs. It took every ounce of restraint for Ed not to take her into his arms and make love to her on the counter, so he figured he'd concentrate on another serious topic.

"You think I oughta make my mom see a doctor?"

"Why? Did she have another dizzy spell?"

"Not that I know of," Ed replied, "It makes me worried though. She's by herself a lot. Still drives. I want to know if it's somethin' more serious than too many drinks and not enough food."

Even though she smoked cigarettes for years, Caroline had never shown even a hint of health problems. For that reason, Olivia often forgot she was in her eighties. She tightened the cap on the aloe bottle and faced Ed. "Will she let you take her to the doctor?"

"Probably not."

"Maybe call John and Margie when you get back and ask them if they've noticed anything?"

"Yeah, I suppose, or, it might be nothing," Ed rubbed his face with both hands, "But now I wonder, with the amount she's been drinkin' here, does she drink all day? Is she some kind of...geriatric alcoholic?"

Chuckling softly and sympathetically, Olivia stepped toward Ed and slid her arms around his waist. "Geriatric alcoholic? Is that a thing?"

"It might be."

Olivia kissed his chin. "We'll keep an eye on her for the rest of the week," she suggested, "And go from there? And maybe she's lonely up there in Riverdale all by herself. We can go there more often, even if it's only for a couple of hours."

"Yeah, we can do that."

"She really seemed normal to me all day," Olivia insisted, "And those drinks...were pretty strong."

"I didn't notice."

Olivia swatted his chest.

"Seriously. So," Ed planted a few kisses along her jaw bone, "What are we doing for our anniversary?"

"You know what I want to do?"

"What's that?"

"Spend the day with everyone and then go for a really long walk on the beach with you at sunset. I don't need a fancy dinner somewhere or anything...just you and me and the sand and the waves."

"That all?"

"Yes," Olivia said softly, "And it's more than enough. I have the need to be around...everything we've created...and then, those little ones will be conked out after midnight and we can ring in the new year." She kissed his chin, "Just the two of us."

"I know I say this a lot," Ed said, smirking, "But, whatever you want."

Olivia grinned. "This one's kind of a no-brainer."

"That's for sure."

…..

The next afternoon Brooke called via Face Time and took everyone on a virtual tour of their Hawaiian resort. She and Sonny were smiley and tan, Sofia was adorable in her floppy straw hat and sundress, and Olivia was thrilled to see the three of them so carefree and content. She tried to convince herself that Carisi was doing the right thing in leaving the police department for the DA's office, but deep down she knew he was simply trading one hectic career for another.

When they were almost finished packing for the beach, Olivia realized she hadn't seen Maggie and Wyatt for a few minutes and, trying not to sound panicked, called their names. They came running into the living room from the foyer with sand pails on their heads.

"Hat, Mama! Have a hat on!"

Overnight, it seemed the twins had made a conscious decision to stop using baby talk and do their best to be understood, because, starting that morning with I want pancakes, they had been speaking in highly intelligible sentences. They were also taking it upon themselves to open doors and drawers, and they'd apparently found a way to get into the hall closet where the sand toys had been stored.

"Very nice hats, sweet twins," Olivia said, "Hope we rinsed them so we don't get sand all over the floor in here."

"San' out dere!" Wyatt said, pointing toward the balcony.

"Yes it is! Are you ready? Go get Daddy."

"Where Daddy?"

"In the bedroom putting sunscreen on Noah. Go get him!"

Maggie, dressed in a plush white coverup over her pink bathing suit, and Wyatt in a navy swim shirt and anchor-printed trunks ran away to find Noah and Ed. Olivia tossed a few snacks into her bag and slid four water bottles into its cooler section. Sarah and Justin were already downstairs, having left early to snag a cabana, and Olivia was seconds from telling Caroline they were ready when she appeared.

"Everyone leave?" She asked.

"No. The kids and Ed are here. Ready?"

"Yep!" Caroline snagged a coffee mug from one of the cabinets, filled it with ice, then bloody mary mix and vodka. Want one?" She asked Olivia.

"Maybe later," Olivia said. "Or, well, I think I'd rather have one of those pina coladas from downstairs. Those are so good."

Caroline sipped her concoction and added more vodka. "Those are a little too sweet for my tastes right now."

"Ahh," Olivia sighed contentedly, "But you have to love vacation, right? Sleeping late, cocktails before noon…" she trailed off, hoping her remarks would be perceived as lighthearted and not what they actually were-an attempt to gauge Caroline's daily alcohol consumption routine.

Caroline raised the mug, "Everyday's a party!"

"Cheers to that." Having garnered absolutely no useful information, Olivia slung both beach bags over her shoulder and called to the rest of her family. "C'mon! Beach time!"

"Whoooooo!"

"Yayyyyyyy!"

"Beeeeeeaaaach!"

The three kids sprinted toward the door and Ed appeared wearing black swim trunks and a tight, white sleeveless shirt. "Ready, handsome?" Olivia grabbed a handful of the tee and kissed him.

"Sure am. Thought you wanted me to get your back?" He held up the bottle of Banana Boat sunblock.

"We can do that down there," Olivia said, "Sarah and Justin are probably wondering where we are."

"Mommy! Daddy! We gonna go?"

"Right behind ya, bud!"

Olivia started walking away, but Ed grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to him for a quick kiss. "Love you," he whispered.

Olivia patted his butt and kissed him again, "Love you, too, Ed Tucker."

…

The shower wasn't as large as they were used to, but Olivia invited Ed in with her anyway and they embraced under the pulsating water, taking a few minutes to appreciate the simplicity of being in each other's arms. Ed had a clear view of her back, traced the crisscrossing tan lines, and gradually let his fingers fall lower and lower.

"Was a good day," he rasped in her ear.

"Perfect," she replied in a half-gasp.

"I'm so glad we came here."

"So am I."

There was no room for a bench in the enclosure, so Ed dropped to one knee and slung one of Olivia's legs over his shoulder. "C'mere, baby," he said, looking up at her with desirous eyes. Olivia balanced on one foot and leaned back against the wall. The water hit at her midsection and ran down to where Ed was working between her legs. In no time, Olivia was crying out, grateful the vent fan was so loud, and wondering how she was still standing. Her entire body was numb, tingling, and Ed wasn't showing signs of stopping. Olivia managed to get clarity long enough to look down and the sight of him so devoted to pleasuring her made her gasp, he ramped up the intensity, and she nearly burst into tears from the utter bliss traveling through her body.

Breathless, he kissed back up her body and pinned her in one corner, but finding a safe, suitable position proved to be difficult. Her need for Ed insatiable, Olivia yanked the lever to turn off the water and dragged Ed out by his wrist. They kissed frantically, jostling for position, slipping a little, until they ran into the vanity. Ed lifted her onto the countertop and paused. He stared into her eyes and then looked down to where they were about to become one.

Olivia wrapped her arms around his neck so she wouldn't be tempted to flail about and knock over the few bottles sitting nearby. "I've wanted this all day," she intoned in a deep, seductive voice.

Ed smirked. "Wait's over, Liv," he gripped her hips and gave her a quick, deep, passionate kiss, "Wait's over."

…...

#Tuckson