161.

Assemblyman Barba's city office was a far cry from his old downtown digs. As an ADA he'd enjoyed a space larger than most studio apartments, and now he was crammed into less than four hundred square feet. In an attempt to maximize the space, he worked at an L-shaped corner desk. When a constituent, or, in this case, G, was in for a visit, he invited the guests to sit on one of the pair of mid-century modern armchairs which were a little too close together for anyone's liking and separated by a narrow table which was originally a piano bench. Barba could sense G would clam up if he sat too close, so he remained behind his desk and listened to her account.

Once he'd heard everything, Barba took a minute to scan the notes he'd written. By its nature, the agreement itself was an admission of guilt, and the loophole Barba had found was significant. G was barred from discussing the events that led to the financial settlement with law enforcement, but nowhere in the wording was she banned from warning potential school employees or other contractors about the risks that came from working for her former boss. Second, it had become increasingly taboo for agreements such as these to prevent criminal charges from being filed. Barba had already run down these options with her, and now had to ask G a tough question.

"What is it you want?" He twirled his pen between his thumb and forefinger and waited.

Taken aback by his straightforward nature, G blinked rapidly and fought tears. Her face contorted as if she were close to sobs. She expected Barba to say something else, but he simply looked at her with a pensive expression on his face. Olivia had been right, not that G doubted her. This wasn't going to be easy. Maybe Barba's approach was intended to prepare her for the road ahead.

"I don't want this to happen to anyone else," G said, "And I shudder to think he's working around kids. Around people who think they can trust him."

"Can I take this to the DA? It'll give you a better picture of the options."

"I guess I don't have a choice at this point," G replied.

"You do," Barba said, "You can wage a PR war. You don't need the DA to do that. But to file charges, get him on the registry...that changes things."

"That's what I want," G said, "I'm beyond wanting revenge. I was so angry and confused and scared when I signed those papers, I couldn't think beyond the next day. But now I regret it...I regret not being brave enough to do something more, well, far-reaching." G vigorously rubbed her face, "I barely remember it all."

Barba finally dared to get up and sit beside her. He leaned forward on his elbows. "No matter what, we'll make it very difficult for him to hurt someone else," he said.

G met his eyes. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Barba maintained the eye contact for another few seconds and asked, "Why don't you use your full name?"

"I don't like myself as that person," she said. "Maybe...maybe at the end of all of this I'll respect myself again."

A lump formed in Barba's throat. For whatever reason, he had earned this woman's trust and that fact warmed his heart. He was reminded of the times he and Olivia had made a breakthrough, legal or personal, during a tough case. "And my job," he said softly to G, "Is, no matter what you want to be called, is to help you get that respect back. No matter what, that's what I want for you."

G nodded.

Barba slapped his knees, "Now, let's get to work."

….

Maggie arrived back at the house from her shift at the golf course in the late afternoon and found the place empty. She meandered from the front of the house back to the porch and peered out at their normal beach spot but saw no one. In case she'd missed a text message, she checked her phone, but, again, nothing. Either her family was playing a joke on her or they were all dead. There was no other explanation. They were never this rude or inconsiderate on purpose.

"Hey, Maggs!"

Sofia appeared seemingly out of nowhere, but she had probably been lounging in one of the hammocks that hung in the yard in random places wherever two sturdy trees were situated close enough together.

"Hey, Sof, hi, um, where is everyone?"

"They went down to the shack to get a table," Maggie said, "Jurymast is playing tonight out of the blue and everyone wanted to go."

Jurymast was a husband-wife duo who almost exclusively played Jimmy Buffet cover songs. They were regulars along the Delaware-Maryland coast and beloved among the local residents. Tourists came to appreciate their music, too, but the band catered to locals and often popped up at bars an hour or less after posting a notice on their members-only Facebook page. Hearing that her family was there, Maggie immediately forgave them for ditching her without notice, especially since she was sure she had a seat reserved for her at one of their favorite tables.

"Oh, cool," Maggie said, checking Facebook for the show's start time, "Why aren't you with them?"

"I had to proof a paper before I hit send," Sofia replied, "And then I had to decompress for a minute. This semester has been really hard. Sucked, actually."

"I would've read it for you," Maggie said, "Or any of us would have."

"My mom and my Dad and Noah did," Sofia replied, "It was fine, good, but, um, I just get really nervous clicking that button. And my professor is so picky about footnotes and sources. It's nerve-wracking." Sofia spoke with the intensity of someone who had always been trying to prove her worth to her aunt who was a mere eighteen months her senior and also with the tenuous relief of someone who had never been a standout student.

"It'll be fine," Maggie said, "I bet your prof won't even feel like reading any papers and will just give everyone an A or at least a B. But then again, those academic types are strange, so, you never know. At any rate, it's done, so...I'm going to shower real quick and go."

"I'll wait for you," Sofia said. She tucked her blonde hair behind her ears the way Brooke always did.

"Thanks," Maggie said with a grin, "I won't take long."

True to her word, Maggie was back downstairs within twenty minutes and despite the lack of primping time she dazzled in a pair of denim shorts, pink tank top, and her hair swept up into a damp bun. She wore a puka shell necklace around her neck and hadn't quite shaken her childhood affinity for stacked bracelets. Both wrists were chock full of beads and they rattled together as they walked the quarter mile between the house and the seafood shack.

"So, do you like your job?" Sophia asked.

"I really do," Maggie replied enthusiastically, "Not one day is the same, which is what I like. Some days I'm organizing an outing and another day I'm working on budget and another I'm ordering for the restaurant. I'm learning a lot of different aspects of running a business."

"Do you think you'll stay here?"

"Nah," Maggie said, "I want to be in a city. And, well, I get annoyed being around a lot of rich people. You know what I'd really like to do you? Open a place like that golf club but right smack dab in New York. And let anyone who wanted to come...they could come."

Sofia kicked sand as she walked. "You and Noah and Wyatt are always trying to help people," Sofia said, "That's so...that's just so cool."

"Help people?"

Maggie screwed up her face and thought about Sofia's observation. Her parents had raised her and her brothers in a home where they absolutely wanted for nothing, but, at the same time, Ed and Olivia, in their own way, demanded politeness, kindness, and fostered within their children a sense of duty to others. "If you can help, you should help," Maggie remembered her father and mother saying to her more than once. She remembered all the conversations about being nice and listening to the little voice in your head and the feeling in your gut. Apparently, the lessons had stuck.

"I guess...yeah," Maggie murmured, "I don't know how I'm going to turn this summer and the love of philanthropy into a career, but, well, who knows, there are a few weeks left."

"Are you going to go to grad school?"

"Maybe," Maggie said, "But I don't love school the way Wyatt does. He's going to be a professional student I'm sure. If I do, I'll work while I'm doing it, I just need to figure out...what that work is."

"I like your idea about the golf club for regular people," Sofia said.

"I need something a little more, um, well, something that doesn't require several acres of land. I can't take over Central Park."

The music from the opening singer started to be audible as the shack came into view. Sofia slowed her gait and kicked more sand. This was one of the most sincere conversations she'd ever had with Maggie and she didn't want it to end. "There are always businesses and corporations who do community outreach," Sofia said, "You would be really good at that."

Maggie cocked her head. "You might be onto something there, Sof," she said with a grin.

Sofia offered an unassuming shrug.

"When I make it big and get a nice apartment like Noah's, you're going to be my first guest."

Sofia wanted to hug Maggie but, instead, broke into a huge smile. They approached the restaurant and, even though their family was very visible at the large round table abutting the deck railing, Ed stood up and waved both arms in the air, signaling them. Maggie shook her head and, spurred by her Dad's dorkiness and Sofia's insight, quickened the pace to a near-skip. Suddenly, she saw purpose in her future and she felt ten times lighter. Hell, she thought as they climbed the wooden steps, she didn't even care that the seat reserved for her was next to Mia.

….

Each time the show's producers called and requested Wyatt's participation in another episode shoot, Ed and Olivia had the same conversation and asked themselves the same questions. What were they letting themselves get into? Why did they keep saying yes when they had planned to end his involvement after the first season? Now that they were saying yes, when would it end? It all seemed harmless. After all, Wyatt's role was primarily to let the lead actress put him to bed and occasionally play with toys while she stalked around her apartment talking on the phone. The problem was that Wyatt was a director's dream-cooperative, compliant, and smart. Also, he was gorgeous, sweet, and required nothing other than a fun drink to keep him happy. Since Olivia and Ed had no plans to turn their toddler into a career actor, they did not hire an agent, and didn't object when Wyatt was asked to say a few words, particularly when his on-screen mother agonized over leaving him at the beginning of each day.

The show had been back in session for a few weeks after the pandemic hiatus when Wyatt was called in again. The actors and set workers greeted him enthusiastically. He smiled back and clung to Olivia for a few minutes before he gradually warmed up and wandered among the props and tripods. It took no time at all for him to reconnect with Marissa, the lead actress, and seeing that Wyatt was comfortable, the director asked Olivia to get Wyatt dressed so they could begin. In the dressing room the designers had hung three sets of pajamas identical to the designs he'd worn before except that these were larger, wisely accounting for growth. Marissa took Wyatt by the hand and led him to the set while Olivia popped on a headset and sat in one of the unmarked chairs reserved for guests.

"Why don't you sit in Wyatt's chair?" One of the grips gestured to the opposite site of the room. Sure enough, one of the chairs was embroidered with Wyatt's name.

"Oh...wow," Olivia murmured as her heart sank a bit, "I will, thanks."

While filming, no one spoke to Olivia unless they needed her to assist Wyatt. She didn't mind, and, by now, she was used to sitting back and observing the totality of the operation. It was amazing how all the moving parts and people worked together, and even more impressive how the bits and pieces were eventually strung together to create a seamless forty-two minute episode.

She smiled when she heard her son's sweet voice in the headset, and she sat up to get a closer look at the monitor. Marissa and Wyatt were acting out a typical morning scene. He was sitting on the apartment floor playing with toys and picking at a plate of waffles while she got ready for the day. Marissa's lines were all about their evening together and Wyatt, unprompted, smiled and replied to her as if he were talking to Olivia or Ed. Having made peace with Wyatt pretending another woman was his Mommy, Olivia grinned uncontrollably and nearly burst with pride. The scene ended with a knock at the door, and Wyatt reacted with a genuinely curious "Who's that?" The director yelled "CUT!" and everyone praised the toddler.

"Solid, Wy," the director said. "That's a wrap for this segment."

Marissa picked him up and gave him a hug, "You're the best, Wyatt! Great job! Good pretending!"

"Who a'da door?" Wyatt asked.

"We won't know until the next episode," Marissa said, "Where's your Mommy? No more pretend for today." Marissa was the mother of a five and seven-year-old, and Olivia appreciated how caring and considerate she was with Wyatt.

Wyatt scampered over to Olivia, still dressed in his pajamas, and exclaimed, "I done p'tend, Mama! Missa say all done!"

"I'm so proud of you," Olivia held him close, "You do such a good job with Marissa, honey. Now. Want to get your clothes on?"

"Yeah!" Wyatt tugged at his shirt, "No p'tend now. Not be'time!"

"No, not yet," Olivia grinned at him and ruffled his hair, "C'mon. Let's get changed." It took only a few minutes to duck into the dressing room and back out again. The creator of the show, a man named Michael who Olivia liked tremendously, was waiting outside in the hall, obviously planning to catch them before they left.

"Thanks for coming in on such short notice. We scrapped two of the episodes leading to this one." He said.

"Not a problem," Olivia said, "I'm glad we were in the city. We were at the beach last week."

"Good vacation?"

"Very good."

"So, we have five more episodes to film for this season," he continued, getting straight to the point, "We only had Wyatt in the finale, but I think we're going to write in a few more domestic scenes."

"How many more?"

"I can't tell you right now," he said, "But let me get with the writers and let you know."

"Ed and I," Olivia said, "Don't want this to be a regular thing. I understand, with the pandemic, there were some changes but-"

"-people love seeing her as a mother," he said of Marissa's character, "Have you read any of the reviews? We were lagging a little in viewership and then we brought Wyatt in a little more and the ratings ticked up." He shot Olivia an endearing, winsome smile, "And you saw today-how easy it is-it's been what? A couple hours? You have my word, it'll never be more than a couple hours at a time. Quick segments at home. That's all."

"Let me talk to Ed," Olivia said, "I'll call you."

Michael's smile didn't fade. The last time Ed brought Wyatt to the set, Ed not only beamed with pride he was outwardly fascinated with the equipment and came close to annoying the crew with his questions. Michael was certain Ed would be on board. "Great!" He said. "Let us know. By early next week?"

"Sure."

"Mama!" Wyatt said, "KK gotta Stahbucks!"

One of the assistants, Kayla, who everyone called KK, had been sent for a smoothie and must have run into an unexpected snag somewhere along the route.

"Sorry," she said breathlessly, "Here you go Wyatt! Mango pineapple today!"

"Tayyou!" Wyatt eagerly grabbed the cup and took a long swig from the straw.

"Everything okay?" Michael asked.

Kayla shrugged, "Something happening that they shut down Twenty-third, so I had to go around."

Olivia's interest was piqued, "What was going on?" She asked even though it had been clear Kayla was more concerned with returning on time with the drinks than whatever emergency had shut down a piece of a major east-west thoroughfare.

Another shrug. "A few fire engines."

She didn't mention flames or plumes of smoke, so Olivia took Wyatt's hand, thanked both Michael and Kayla, and headed for the exit. "How about we finish that smoothie outside?" Olivia said.

"No go home?"

"Let's go sit on a bench and watch the boats," Olivia said. "Then we'll go home."

Wyatt took another long sip of the drink and gasped, "Kay, Mama." He curled his arm around the smoothie cup and extended his other arm. "Hol'hands."

Olivia clutched her little boy's pudgy hand. "I gotcha, sweetheart. I gotcha."

…..

It was official. Olivia Benson was obsessed with Ed Tucker. Even in the middle of a macabre, disheartening investigation, she found herself sneaking a smile every now and then when she remembered how it felt when he kissed her goodbye the night before or sent her an early morning text laced with emojis. His words and actions were so incongruous with the Ed Tucker everyone else knew, and she wasn't sure she would ever get over the private-life side of the cantankerous captain. Olivia craved being the object of his attention. When in his presence, he was laser focused on her and Noah, he paid attention to minute details, and he doted on both of them without spoiling Noah or suffocating Olivia. It was becoming increasingly difficult to temporarily shove him to the back of her mind, and it would probably only be a matter of time before Fin or Rollins or maybe even Dodds called out her recent upbeat demeanor even though she was desperately trying to hide it.

Though they communicated on a daily basis, not seeing him was torture. When they finally met in person after a few days apart, it was all Olivia could do to stop herself from mauling him. He always knew what to say, where to eat, and what to to occupy the hours between Noah's bedtime and theirs. This dreary time of year was usually a desperate slog toward spring, but Ed made everything brighter. For once, Olivia operated with a sense of optimism separate from her career. She saw beyond SVU and let herself consider a future with Ed in their lives.

On a frigid February night a few days after Valentine's Day, Ed nestled himself against her chest and, instead of holding her against his chest after making love, let her hold him. He gently stroked the side of one breast and occasionally kissed the other. Olivia could tell he was totally drained, but not only because of the effort he'd exerted over the past hour or so. IAB had been swamped with calls in the past few weeks and he and Cole had been working long days. Ahead was a trip upstate to chat with two prisoners at Green Haven and two witnesses in the same area, so, after tonight, Ed wouldn't be back in her bed for at least a night, probably two. She needed sleep and she wanted to let him sleep, but she also did not want to squander moments like these.

"Be careful tomorrow," she said as she drew circles on the skin of his shoulder, "It's supposed to snow and get even colder."

"And they don't plow up there on some of the roads," Ed added. "But we'll be fine."

Olivia loved the way his lips brushed against her skin as he talked. "You have a scar here," she said of a spot just beneath his right shoulder blade.

"Yup. Moving accident. My first apartment, brought a couch up the stairs, third floor walk up about ten blocks from where I live now. Guys who had the top slipped, things fell right on me. Didn't realize there was any damage until I was dripping blood on my kitchen floor."

"That must have been quite the gash." Olivia gently touched the scar and kissed it. "Twenty stitches?"

"Twenty two. And three busted after the fact."

"You didn't take it easy?"

"No."

Olivia chuckled, "Why am I not surprised?"

Ed propped himself on his forearms and kissed her on the lips. "You know I have trouble takin' it easy."

"Not with us," Olivia caressed his face, "You're good at that with me. With Noah." Ed's only response was to stare at her intently. Olivia could tell he wasn't sure what to say or what to do. "I'm, well, we're going to miss you while you're gone. Hurry back, okay?"

"I will," he replied. Normally, he would've smirked, but Olivia telling him he would be missed was monumental. Now wasn't a time to be cocky. "Anything you want me to bring ya from up there?"

Olivia puckered her lips for a kiss. "I'm not sure," she said softly, "Surprise me."

…..

"Might wanna rethink your clothes," Ed said to Olivia when she came home with Wyatt in tow and picked up a pair of cotton shorts and a t-shirt. "You and I are going out. Or...we can stay in if you'd rather do that."

Olivia grinned, "You planned a date?"

"I did." Ed approached her with a smirk, held her wrists, and planted a few kisses on her neck. "I hope you don't mind."

"I never mind a date with Ed Tucker." She shivered a little at the sensation of his lips on her skin. She hoped she would never stop reacting this way to his kisses and touches. Even his smirk could still send a shiver up and down her spine. "Mmmmm…" She put a hand on the back of his head, encouraging him. Since she had to swap attire anyway, she leaned in when he bunched up her shirt and slid his hand underneath.

"I love you," he rasped into her mouth, not giving her a chance to respond before he planted a sloppy, passionate smooch on her lips. He backed her against the bed and laughed when the backs of her knees hit the mattress and she fell onto the covers. He playfully pinned her wrists above her body and pecked at her neck until she was laughing. At that, he stood and pulled her up with him. "I didn't plan anything fancy. Food, drinks...maybe a little walk?"

"I love it."

"Sarah's on her way over."

"I'll get dressed...put some makeup on…"

Ed stuck out his jaw and seductively eyed his wife, "You don't need makeup...but…"

"...you do love lip gloss…"

"Yeah," he poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue. Yeah I do."

….

Sarah arrived at the Tucker apartment with G in tow. She'd run into her neighbor on her way in from work and had invited her for a drink when Ed called. Instead of cancelling the plan for cocktails on the balcony, in typical Sarah fashion, she simply collected G into her world and took her along to at least begin the night of babysitting as a double team. The three young Tuckers were just finishing dinner when they showed up, and Ed and Olivia gave them quick kisses goodbye and headed out. Well aware that it was Friday, Noah suggested they go out for dessert since, he reasoned, they didn't have a great cookie selection in the house at the moment.

"We can take da stroller and go to da river," he said, "G, you know, 'cause you tooked us there before! Sare Bear, you, too. So we jus' get a ice cream and say hello to New Jersey! Itsa nice night," he added with a shrug.

G and Sarah exchanged a glance. How could they say no?

The river path was a fifteen minute walk away and once they were there, Noah immediately turned uptown. Somehow he had an innate sense of the location of a vendor who sold ice cream sandwiches, which he told Sarah and G were the best choice because, if they melted, the drippings could be caught in the aluminum foil wrapper. He walked alongside the stroller, and he and his siblings happily ate their treats until they came to the part of the greenway where a wide pier jutted out into the river. Noah ran ahead and Maggie and Wyatt fought against their restraints until they, too, were freed.

"I get so nervous to let them go like that," G said, "It's a good thing you're here. Maggie and Wyatt would still be in the stroller and probably screaming."

"Not screaming," Sarah said, "They don't do that. They try to say what they want. It's so funny. Justin was with them and they wanted Paw Patrol but he didn't know what they were saying so he Googled the names of the characters he could make out and when he put the show on, Maggie and Wyatt clapped."

"Oh my God, that's so funny."

"I love them."

Sarah appeared to tear up as she tracked Noah and the twins playing a version of chase ahead of them. G didn't ask if anything was wrong. She let Sarah have her moment and counted on one of the kids to lighten the mood. On cue, Noah jogged over, pointing at a boat. "Hey! Dat's a LOBSTER boat!"

"Oh yeah," G said, "I've been on that boat before. It makes a loop back and forth to the dock every forty minutes or so. It's fun."

"You been on dat boat?" Noah, arms akimbo, squinted at G.

"Yep." G searched through the photos on her phone. She often reprimanded herself for always forgetting to transfer pictures to her computer, but, in this case, she was glad to have a photo from a year ago. She showed Noah a picture of a seafood tower she and a friend had ordered aboard the boat.

"WHOA! Lookit da claws!"

"Yeah, they were huge. It was a good time."

"Noey," Sarah said, "We shall go soon."

"G," Noah said, "I go on 'ventures with everrone. But not you. So you have to go."

"Noah!" G pretended to be offended, "We've gone to Dos Toros!"

"Dat's not a water 'venture," Noah countered. "So you haveta take me."

"He's getting bossy," Sarah muttered under her breath. "Noey, we shall go. Maybe with Justy too so we can take the twinsies and give Mommy and Daddy another date."

"Good idea, Sare Bear! Daddy always love dose dates."

"How do you know that?" Sarah grinned and winked at G.

"He always take a shower and put on da stuff from his green bottle."

"He doesn't take a shower every day?" Sarah asked.

"Yes," Noah said, "But da green bottle...that's only for da dates."

"Well, you're going to need to find out what that it and get a green bottle for yourself," Sarah said, "Because you have Mia's recital coming up."

"Sare Bear! Dat's not a date! I'm not da husband! Only da husband goes on dates!" Noah shook his head, mildly frustrated, and ran back to where Maggie and Wyatt were playing.

Sarah and G shared a laugh.

"That kid…" G said.

"Yeah," Sarah said, "He doesn't know it yet, but he's been going on dates for a couple of years. I'm quite sure he and Mia are soul mates."

G smiled politely. She had never been one to believe in the idea of a soul mate, but, if it was possible, she could think of no better beneficiary than Noah.

….

#Tuckson