159. (Chapter contains a little nod to one of my Truce scenes)

Despite the vow to disconnect, especially with work-related matters, Olivia found her mind wandering to G, the non-disclosure agreement, and the torment the young woman had been living with and battling all alone for the past few years. So, when she woke up early on their last full day in Delaware and saw a late-night text message from the young woman, Olivia immediately hopped out of bed, went downstairs, made herself a cup of coffee, and texted back saying she was available if G was awake and wanted to talk. The message had referenced the venue and catering and didn't even warrant a reply other than a thank you, but Olivia saw an opening and took it. G called soon after, and, after a few minutes of chatting about next steps, Olivia took a deep breath and asked how she was doing.

"I mean," Olivia clarified, "How are you really doing."

"Good," G replied.

"I promise I won't do this forever," Olivia said, "And I don't want you to regret telling me about what happened at your last job. But I want to help, if you want help. And, if you don't, that's okay. Either way it's okay. I won't keep bringing it up. But the offer's on the table if you want it. Whenever you want it." Olivia wished they were on Face Time so she could gauge G's reaction because silence suddenly fell between them. It took G only a few seconds to respond, but it felt like hours.

"How can you help?" She asked.

"If we can get a look at the NDA," Olivia said, "And, by we, I mean a trusted friend who's an attorney will look at it, that would be a start."

"I can give it to you," G said in a small, childlike voice.

"I swear it'll be between us and, well, my friend Rafael for now, okay? He'll give his honest opinion. I-"

"-Thank you, Olivia," G said, "No matter what, thank you."

"You're welcome, sweetheart," Olivia said, "You have a good day. Let's meet for lunch sometime next week, okay? Wednesday?"

"Yeah, I think that'll work."

After the call, Olivia rocked on the swing, sipped her coffee, and gazed out at the water. The chances that Barba would find a loophole or flaw in the agreement were slim; nevertheless, Olivia remained optimistic. Barba despised such obstacles to justice and he was capable of the creativity needed to circumvent even the shrewdest legalese. Challenging the NDA wouldn't be successful without a fight, though, and Olivia wondered if G had the will to endure facing her attacker once again. At least this time she could guarantee G wouldn't be alone.

Ed didn't exactly sneak up on her-it was impossible to do so in the old, creaky house-so Olivia's surprise at seeing him appear was due more to the hour rather than being startled. The kids had been staying up and sleeping in late, and the house hadn't been coming alive until closer to mid-morning most of the week. Typically an early riser, Ed had taken to sleeping in as well.

"Sorry I didn't make a whole pot," Olivia said of the coffee. Ed appeared with a mug and apparently used the Keurig, which he didn't like all that much. "I wasn't expecting you up quite yet."

"Missed ya," Ed gave her a kiss and sat down beside her. He graciously gave her some space, cognizant of the fact that his possessiveness and tendency to want to touch her all the time could be possibly driving her nuts. However, she moved over and settled in under his arm. "Have trouble sleeping?"

Olivia laughed softly, "You're forgetting we're usually having breakfast at this time on a regular day."

Ed thought about how he and Olivia wouldn't have decades in their fifties and sixties like most other people their age. They would be checking homework and organizing backpacks and worrying about clean school uniforms for the next several years. There wouldn't be many mornings where they could sleep in or just choose to be lazy. When the twins were born he would rock them after their four a.m. feedings and worry that he was too old to be a new Dad once again. Now, the fear was gone and he was grateful his second round of children would keep him young.

"G sent me a text last night and we talked for a little bit."

"Oh?"

"The fundraiser's coming along. And I mentioned...Barba."

Both Ed and Olivia knew lawyers upon lawyers, but very few could be trusted enough with this favor. They settled on Barba because, of course, they trusted him, but also because he was no longer actively practicing. It seemed safer and maybe more effective to have a pair of non-jaded legal eyes take a look.

"What'd she say?"

"She's going to let him see it," Olivia said, "She knows, well, I could tell she knows it could go either way."

"If anyone can pick it apart, he can," Ed replied, "How'd she sound?"

"Tired," Olivia said, "Weary, actually. I'm sure she's thinking this is a last shot at getting the guy. And, I hate to admit, she's probably right.

"Like you said before, at the very least, she's got us in her corner. And Barba won't lead her astray. He'll be a straight shooter."

It wasn't long ago that Ed was seething at how Barba had been snowed by Eugene and the Monsignor. To Barba's credit, he completely flipped positions when he realized the full scope of the corruption within the church and eventually, in his own way, apologized to both Ed and Olivia and they'd restarted their relationship on friendlier terms. Nevertheless, Ed's endorsement of Barba amused her.

"He will be."

"He's doin' good work in the Assembly," Ed remarked. "People really respect him."

"He is. And I'm so glad he and Justin connected. They have the same vision."

"Justin should work in his office."

"I don't think he has the time with his dissertation starting, but he's working with his advisors...this is already a game changer in the neighborhood." Olivia was talking about the research Justin's team had been doing on pilot programs which simultaneously provided rent, tuition, and childcare assistance to families living in poverty.

"It's a shame nobody did that sooner."

"I know."

"Then Noah will come along and rework the MTA."

Olivia laughed harder now, "Poor thing. I hate that he'll have to find out one day that the job is way more complicated than he thought."

"Maybe it's not," Ed breezily replied, "He can show up with his train tracks and the maps and drawings he does and...what will they have to lose?"

"They say everything you really need to know you learn in Kindergarten. Maybe that applies to hobbies you have in Kindergarten, too."

"For Noah," Ed replied, "I'd bet a lot of money it does."

…..

Olivia disguised alone time with Maggie as a trip to the local nursery where nobody else really loved to go. Ed was game for helping to plant and weed her garden, everyone else appreciated how it enhanced the yard, but Maggie and Olivia were the two people who genuinely loved and had a vision for choosing the flowers. Maggie drove, and Olivia made sure to keep quiet when Maggie rounded a corner too sharply or sped up to beat a red light. Olivia had to remind herself that Maggie's driving experience had mostly occurred in Los Angeles, and her daughter had emerged from that traffic unscathed. However, the sleepy Bethany Beach streets were a far cry from the 405, and Maggie was a little too aggressive for Olivia's liking.

"I think we should get more sage," Maggie said once they were parked and wandering the aisles, "It'll look so pretty with the lilies and cover a lot of ground. It's too bare in the front."

"You think so?" Olivia was mildly disappointed. She thought she'd done a great job with the front yard.

"A little," Maggie replied, "But I like things a little more wild than you." She grinned and intentionally ran into her mother.

"True, true," Olivia murmured.

"You're quiet, Mom," Maggie said sternly.

Taking a second to appreciate her daughter, suntanned and standing against the multicolored floral backdrop, Olivia smiled sheepishly and replied, "I wish you and Mia could bury the hatchet, that's all. I just prefer it when everyone's getting along." Olivia turned and inspected a tray of petunias and pretended to be overly interested in their colors.

Maggie audibly groaned. She was getting zero traction with anyone in her family. Even Sarah had treated her concerns with a droll sense of inevitability. Admittedly, Maggie accepted the immutable, underlying fact that Noah loved Mia with all of his heart and soul. Yet, the whole saga nagged at Maggie and she couldn't shake it. "Mom? Can you do me a favor?"

"Always."

"Tell me, with brutal honesty, if I am being unreasonable and I'll give up."

Olivia smirked at her daughter. "You're looking like your father."

Maggie relaxed her facial muscles. "Better?"

"Much better," Olivia patted Maggie's cheek, "And, yes, I think you're being unreasonable. Your heart's in the right place, but it's time to let bygones be bygones. This is going to be difficult to hear," Olivia took a deep breath, "But Mia doesn't owe you the apology you want so badly. She owes it to Noah. I don't know exactly what's changed or happened between the two of them, but we need to give him some credit. That's what your Dad and I are doing. Join us in looking on the bright side?"

Outnumbered and clearly fighting a losing battle, Maggie slumped her shoulders and gave in. "Fine," she said, "I hereby ask for acceptance onto Team Bright Side."

"Welcome to the team," Olivia said. "We are so thrilled to have you."

Maggie straightened her back, cocked her head, and broke into a huge smile as if she were standing on one of the world's most prominent award stages. She held the pose for a few seconds, burst into giggles, and hugged her mother right there in the middle of the nursery with the sun beating down on them. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you, sweet girl. But...I'm not so sure I agree with you on the sage."

Maggie laughed harder. "Well, we can't have petunias. Too boring."

"Maybe more lilies?"

"Ugh, you're obsessed with lilies."

"They were the first flowers your dad brought me. Well, actually, not the first, but, he brought me one once and I've loved them ever since."

"One?"

"Yes, one."

"That's lame."

Olivia grinned. "No, honey. It was exactly the opposite."

….

Noah packed wet sand into a yellow pail and expertly patted it down. "You said it wasn't gonna be like summer," he said to his parents who were lounging in their Tommy Bahama chairs, sipping margaritas out of plastic tumblers, and doing their best to savor and soak up every second of their final full day at the beach. "But it is like summer!" He proclaimed as he turned over the bucket.

"I SMASS!"

"No! No Maggs! We're not smashing yet!"

Maggie stopped in her tracks and dug her toes into the sand. "No smass yet No?"

"Nope. Jus' wait. We're buildin' a obstacle course for da cars, okay?"

Maggie shrugged, picked up another pail, and went to the shore where she filled it with water and entertained herself by whirling around and spraying the contents of the bucket everywhere. Wyatt was busy collecting shells. He wandered around picking up small pieces, examining them, and tossing aside any that had imperfections. When one hand was full he deposited his treasures in the chairs' cup holders.

"You keep, Dada," he would say. "You keep, Mama."

"We got 'em, bud!" Ed replied.

"These look great, Wyatt! You're so good at finding pretty shells!"

Wyatt grinned and trudged back to his search area. Noah, intent on constructing his obstacle course, was snaking his way along, making sure each sand tower was slightly shorter than the one before, so, in its totality, he would have one long slope.

"Shack for dinner tonight?" Olivia asked, referring to the local beachside bar they lovingly referred to by its truncated name.

"Absolutely. I can't believe we've only been there once."

"You have that outdoor kitchen humming, Captain."

"I love it," Ed replied, "I'm glad we went for the sink and the fridge. And, you know what would be a neat addition? A deep fryer."

"Ooooo…"

"I'm gonna research it," Ed replied, "We have enough space left. One corner." He saw Olivia grinning, pretended to be hurt, and asked, "What?"

"I love how passionate you are about the kitchen," she said. "We should be proud of ourselves. The house looks great. I almost don't want to leave."

"Want to move?"

Olivia laughed, "No, not quite yet."

"Not ready to be our neighbors?"

"No," Olivia said, "And that was very nice of you to offer the hot tub."

"Easier than draining it," Ed replied, "I didn't realize it was all so complicated."

Olivia reached over and squeezed his elbow, "You were only thinking about the pros. No cons."

"Exactly."

"Mommy? Daddy? You think this looks like a good obstacle course?"

Noah's arms, legs, and chest were caked with sand. Behind him, Maggie and Wyatt were making sand angels. Later, Olivia and Ed would have to spray down all three kids with the hose and then take them inside for a serious scrub in the bathtub.

"Wow!" Olivia gushed, "It's amazing Noah! You even made a tunnel! I can't wait to see the cars get through it!"

"Good engineering bud! Look at those bridges!"

Ed and Olivia weren't exaggerating how impressed they were. Noah had done all the construction himself and had carefully dug out underpasses and did his best to make sure the bridges wouldn't collapse.

"Ready for the cars?" Olivia asked, holding up the tote bag full of Matchbox miniatures.

Noah scrunched up his lips, "Now I don't wanna mess it up," he said through a giggle.

"How about we take a picture so we remember how it looked at the beginning?" Olivia suggested, "And then we can have a before and after shot?"

"Okay," Noah replied, "Maggs! Wyatt! You wanna drive da cars now?"

Maggie and Wyatt had burrowed themselves deeply enough to have trouble standing, so Noah carefully skirted the obstacle course and helped them up. "There ya go, babies! C'mon. Get da cars!"

"Smass it now, No?" Maggie asked.

"Do one lap, kay, small sister? Den you can smash." He saw Wyatt look longingly at the course and assumed the expression was one of serious regret at the impending destruction. "S'okay, Wy. Mommy took a picture so we can still 'member how it looked forever and ever. That's why it's good to have lotsa pictures! What car do ya want?"

"Wanna VETTE!"

Ed smirked. He and Wyatt had been out on a quick errand a couple of weeks ago and a red vintage sports car had been parked outside of their usual bodega. Awestruck, Wyatt gawked at the car and Ed explained that it was a Chevy Corvette, one of the coolest cars ever made, and when they got home he rummaged through Noah's Matchbox stash and found a silver version. Wyatt played with the car for a while, but it quickly disappeared back into the toy box. However, he hadn't forgotten about its existence.

Under Noah's direction, the twins drove the cars around the course. After Noah took a few turns, he realized the waves were creeping closer and closer to his structure and let the twins smash everything. They were left with an ample pile of sand and Noah asked Ed if he would bury him so only his head was above ground. Ed nodded and made quick work of cocooning Noah in the sand. When he broke out, Maggie shrieked.

"SAN'MONSTER!" She started running away, "WY! FOW'OW ME! MONSSTER!"

Wyatt ran after her and Noah easily caught up with the twins. He wrapped them in a bear hug and the three of them toppled over.

"PIE! BABY PIE!"

Ed and Olivia sipped what was left of their margaritas while their trio played one of their typical games of chase, beach style. At least here Olivia didn't have to worry about someone hitting their head or busting open a cut on a knee or an elbow. The kids zigged and zagged in front of them, taking turns being the one who fell and started the baby pile. At one point though, Wyatt paused in front of his parents and took a long look at the two cup holders.

"Shells are still here, bud," Ed said to him.

Wyatt took a second glance, saw his siblings out of the corner of his eye, and, in a hurried voice, said, "Do'lose 'em, Dada, kay?"

"I won't."

Wyatt looked at Olivia.

"They're safe with us, honey."

Wyatt grinned, ran off, and reached Maggie and Noah just in time to top the sixth or seventh baby pile of the afternoon.

…..

Hours after Terrence Reynolds passed away, Olivia got a ride back to the precinct, sat at her desk and stared at the blackness outside of the window for a while. A couple of hours before the sun rose, she gathered her things and went home. Seeing Noah had ceased to be an option much earlier in the evening, and she felt doubly guilty about missing yet another bedtime and turning Lucy's shift into one of the twenty-four hour variety. Tonight she hadn't even had time for a good night phone call. When she did find a moment, it was already well past Noah's bedtime.

She grabbed her jacket-what had she been thinking wearing leather August?-and left the office. In the elevator she adjusted her belt and shivered when she remembered the few passionate minutes she'd spent in Tucker's car. Thoughts swirled. They had to be more careful. Someone could have easily seen them. But, God, it had been so good, so romantic, so purely affectionate, and, yes, almost very much out of control. Even so, Olivia loved the feel of his hands on her bare skin, his hot breath the faintly smelled of the Altoids he compulsively munched as he drove, and his entire body almost on top of hers. Despite the frantic nature, the few minutes had been, what? Sweet? Gentle? Whatever it was, she wanted it to happen again. Only, not on a night when a young man was killed and the city was bubbling with rage and unrest.

"Goodnight, Lieutenant," the lobby desk sergeant said almost immediately after the elevator doors opened.

"Night," Olivia groggily mumbled. The short distance to the parking area felt like a miles-long slog, and her eyes drooped. She briefly considered taking a cab, but she would need the vehicle in the morning. She approached the sedan from the side, opened the door, and started to sit down when she noticed the bright purple lily pressed against the windshield. After a gasp, her lips curled into a smile and she plucked the flower from underneath the wiper. It was late, but she called Ed anyway. At the very least she could leave him a message.

He picked up. Of course. He always picked up.

"I think I figured out my favorite flower," she said.

"Yeah?" His voice was thick and gravelly and heavy with sleep and it made Olivia want to rush over to his apartment and crawl into bed with him.

"Yeah," she climbed back into the car and shut the door. "I think it's given me the energy I need to drive home."

"Lemme come and get you."

"No, no, I'm good Ed, I, well, I wish I could say I'll see you tomorrow, but-"

"-It's gonna be a hell of a shitstorm the next few weeks," he said, "I'm sure I'll see ya, but, not how I want."

"Not how I want either."

"The rest of the bouquet's waitin' for ya whenever we can make it happen," he said. "You sure you don't want me to come and get you?"

"I'm sure," Olivia smiled at his gallantry. She had a Glock, years of police experience, and could clearly take care of herself, yet still he was worried about her.

"Get home safe. Let me know when you're there."

"I will."

"Liv?"

"Hm?"

"Even if we don't see each other for another couple weeks, we'll always have tonight in the car."

Olivia threw her head back and laughed, "Very true, Tucker. Thanks for the reminder."

"Anytime."

…

On the first day back to school after Spring Break, the lower school teachers allowed their students an extra, end-of-day recess period to socialize and unwind after their first full day back. The plan was emailed, Tweeted, and posted on Facebook, and Ed spent most of the morning being cynical about how different school was now as compared to what he experienced. First of all, the idea of any time to "unwind" was unheard of, but what made Ed laugh the hardest was that the school felt it was obligated to notify parents. Caroline, he pointed out, and especially his Dad, had no clue what went on during the school day. Ed and Olivia, at any minute, either knew or had access to a website which told them exactly where their son was and what he was doing.

Typically, whoever picked Noah up met him outside of the Lower School building, or, if that person was Sarah, outside of the classroom. But, on this day, Ed and Olivia were directed up to the rooftop play area. The space was brand new, completed over break, and boasted artificial turf, soccer goals, balancing pods, and a host of other play items that was sure to make the school the envy of any outsider. Even though the new things were appealing, Ed and Olivia spotted Noah huddled with a few other kids, among them, Mateo and Mia.

"I built a HUGE track for cars with sand," Noah said, "Then my brother and sister crushed it!"

Olivia cringed. Noah always referred to the twins as "babies." She'd never heard him speak this way. He sounded too old for her liking.

"I was with the horsies," Mia said, "Chores. Gotta brush, brush, brush, brush and it's NOT FUN!" Hearing this, Olivia and Ed both chuckled softly. Mia hated any type of work that didn't involve dancing or singing.

"I went to the Statue of Liberty!" Mateo proclaimed proudly. He pronounced each word carefully, making sure to enunciate each syllable.

"You went all the way there?" Mia asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Yup! Up to the top!"

Noah frowned. He had seen the Statue of Liberty many times on his bike, but he'd never been to the island. "How'd you get up dere?"

"Steps!" Mateo said, "Lots of 'em and we had to stop but we made it! Then we had to take pictures all together then we went down and had a pretzel."

Olivia heard the question before Noah could ask it with his own voice. They hadn't even stepped off the turf when Noah suggested they go to the top of the Statue of Liberty as soon as humanly possible. Olivia and Ed assured him they would make it happen during one of the upcoming weekends, and Olivia gave Ed a telling look. Correctly reading her concern, he nodded and got to work sending texts to former colleagues. There was no way he was going to wait in one of the tourist lines for a boat ride to Liberty Island.

Outside of the school, Ed and Olivia strapped the twins into their stroller seats. Noah shifted his weight from one foot to another and gripped his backpack straps with each of his hands. "Are we goin' to da park?" He asked.

"Well, sweetie, I thought we'd go home first. Because, guess what?"

"What?"

"Your new passport came today!"

Noah's face lit up. "Now I can really go to Ireland!"

Noah's status was never truly in doubt, but Ed and Olivia hadn't realized children's passports were only valid for five years and his had expired. So, they'd scrambled, had new photos taken, and submitted everything along with expedited payment as added insurance. The passport arrived with two months to spare.

"I'm gonna call Gramma and tell her I don't have my baby passport anymore," Noah said.

"You can call her when we get home."

"But what 'bout da stamp from France?"

"They give us the old one back," Olivia replied, "With a hole punched in it so we can't use it again."

"Ok," Noah replied, "Cause after Ireland I'm gonna have one, two stamps and I gotta keep all of 'em."

"We'll make sure you keep them," Olivia said, "I bet you're going to have lots and lots of stamps in your life, sweet boy."

"Yeah," Noah said, "Probably like a hundred million."

"You'll have to ask for extra pages, bud," Ed quipped.

Noah giggled, "Yup! I will!"

….

#Tuckson