166.

Clad in almost-matching sweats, Olivia and Ed leaned over their respective sinks in their bathroom and completed pre-bedtime routines. Finishing first, Ed splashed water on his face and leaned against the vanity. From the perch he watched Olivia floss, rinse with mouthwash, and then carefully dab cream under her eyes. He assumed she would probably rather him not stare, but her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and he couldn't get enough of her bare neck, shoulders, and deliciously low-cut tank top.

"I felt so bad for Noah today," Olivia said, concentrating on her reflection in the mirror et well aware her husband was checking her out, "We should have talked to Mia's mom before we brought up going out after. He was so disappointed."

"He rallied," Ed replied matter-of-factly. He wasn't being dismissive of Noah's feelings, but Olivia agonized much more than he did over matters such as this and he liked to remain calm and collected to balance her out. Though Ed never wanted his son or any of his children to be unnecessarily saddened or anguished, he did see the value of learning how to handle adverse circumstances. He gave Olivia a kiss on the shoulder and growled, "Women."

Olivia dried her face with a hand towel, masking her amusement. "Women, huh?"

"Yeah. Women."

Ed grinned. Olivia stuck her hip out, toward him, and he took the gesture as an invitation to start kissing her neck. He did so gently and methodically, used his tongue, and continued until she shivered and gasped. Pausing, he touched his face to hers and peered at their reflections. Staring back at them were two freshly scrubbed faces, her freckles, the lines along his cheekbones and mouth which she traced with their fingers late at night or early in the morning when they lay together in placid silence. They were, by his own admission, a gorgeous couple, with mostly her to thank.

"I love you," Olivia said softly. "You're such a good dad. Today, with Noah, you knew exactly how to cheer him up. I know you were frustrated and upset for him but he couldn't tell. I had trouble faking it, but not you. You're the best." She patted his chest, kissed his cheek, and bit her lip before asking, "What'd you have in mind for the rest of the night?"

"I dunno," Ed replied breezily, "We have those Ireland books to look at."

"Books?"

"Maybe not?"

"I'm not really in the mood for books." Olivia put her hands on his hips, kissed him, and grinned. "They can wait, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Olivia kissed him again and said in a sultry voice, "Let's go to bed."

"Okay," Ed replied with a smirk and joked, "But no faking it."

"Honey," she replied, "Don't you worry about that."

…

Olivia stepped out of Ed's bathroom and held out her arms, "So," she said, "How do I look?'

Ed clasped his hands behind his head and leaned back against the headboard. "Way too good to be doin' a UC op tonight," he replied playfully, "I might need to tag along."

Olivia grinned. "That'll be too distracting." She knelt on the mattress and hovered over Ed for a second before kissing him.

"Wouldn't want to distract you on the job," Ed mumbled.

Olivia sat down, crossed her legs, and held one of Ed's hands. "I'm glad we got to spend the afternoon together," she said, "It seems like, lately, it's been a challenge to get even a few minutes by ourselves, so, a few hours, it was nice."

"Yeah it was." Ed gazed at her.

Whatever question marks still existed between the two of them had temporarily disappeared. Due to a miscommunication between Olivia and Lucy, the babysitter had arrived much earlier than needed that day, so, after feeding Noah lunch, Olivia packed her items for the night on the job and showed up unannounced at his door. The worst thing that could have happened was for him to be out and Olivia took her chances. Outside of work, Ed wasn't someone who was constantly on the go. He was home and opened the door wearing a huge grin. It was nice to have some spontaneity in their lives. The absence of excitement wasn't totally due to the lack of effort. Too often, the unexpected worked against them-a date would get interrupted or canceled altogether by one of them being called away-so fate owed them one.

They quickly fell into conversation about topics ranging from city politics to Olivia's uncertainty about Noah's preschool options. Ed listened as she wondered aloud about his verbal skills and reminded her that Noah, perhaps, would be one of those people who chose his words wisely. Olivia smiled graciously and lamented the gravity of every decision she made related to her son. Slinging an arm across her shoulders, Ed assured her that someone with a heart as big as hers and an endless supply of love would end up making the right calls when it came to Noah. His words were earnest and kind without being overly solicitous, and Olivia was enamored. She kissed him passionately and they made love in his bedroom for a change. Afterward, they showered together, laughing at how crammed they were in the small space, and Ed gave her the run of the bathroom so she could get herself primped for the night's sting operation. She emerged with her hair styled in waves, framing her face which was more heavily made up than usual. Her black cocktail dress, though cut conservatively, fit her better than a dress quickly plucked from a rack at TJ Maxx the day before should have fit.

"Be careful tonight, okay?" Ed swallowed hard after saying this. He often worried expressions of concern could be perceived as patronizing, but he of all people understood the inherent dangers of operating undercover, even if the assignment was taking place in a crowded banquet hall and very unlikely to turn violent.

"I will be," Olivia said softly, unbothered by the request. "Mind if I leave my things here?"

"Not at all."

"I'm sure we'll be late tonight," Olivia said, "So I can get everything tomorrow."

"Whatever works. I'll be up."

"I'll call you when I'm on my way home and we'll go from there."

"Okay…"

Olivia cocked her head. She could tell Ed wanted to say something else. "Okay…" She echoed.

Ed grinned. Once again, he was busted. "I, uh, I'll be able to sleep better if I know you're alright, so, even if you're not up for coming back over, just let me know?"

"I will." Olivia kissed the top of his hand and leaned in to kiss his lips. She wiped away the lipstick streaks and smiled. "What are you going to do?"

Honestly, Ed thought, he was going to piddle around the apartment and think about her. But, instead, he answered, "Probably watch the ball game. Finish reading the paper. Nothin' too exciting."

"Were you reading the paper earlier? Before I showed up?"

"Yeah."

"Sorry for the interruption."

Ed blushed and tugged on a lock of her hair. "Benson," he said, "You interrupt me anytime."

…...

With Sonny now back at work full time, Brooke and Sofia resumed a normal routine which included regular play dates in the park, stops at the market, and weekly trips to a museum or the zoo. Brooke also developed a passion for cooking. When Sofia napped she prepped for the night's dinner and enjoyed finding interesting ways to tweak recipes. Sonny jumped on board and tasked himself with pairing wine with their meals. When he came home at night he was usually armed with a bottle or two. He pushed open their door with a flourish, and, even before he shrugged off his jacket or removed his shoes he held up the bottles and launched into an explanation of why one or both would compliment their meal. Tonight Brooke experimented with southern cooking and Sonny explained that the Reisling he chose was their best bet.

"I almost just got a six pack of beer," he said, "Wine and chicken fried steak don't exactly match."

"Beer would've been fine," Brooke said.

Sonny inspected the crock of macaroni and cheese simmering in the oven. "Man that looks good."

"The book I'm reading now is set in rural South Carolina," she said, "That's where I got the inspiration."

"Well God Bless South Carolina," Sonny said. "Where's Sof?"

Brooke's face fell and she gestured to the living room.

"What?" Sonny asked.

"She woke up from her nap early. This meal's labor intensive and she was fine here on the floor for a while but then she was getting close to the oven, I got nervous, so I turned the TV on and she's been watching Little Baby Bum for two hours."

Sonny shrugged. "Nothing wrong with that."

"She knows how to get to the next episode! She cried when I tried to put her in her chair to have a snack. She's addicted."

"Isn't that an educational show?"

"Not really. They sing songs mostly."

"Well then maybe she'll be a star," Sonny said.

"Maybe." Brooke started the process of dredging the cutlets in an egg wash and flour. "How was your day?"

"Good," Sonny untucked his shirt and loosened his tie. He took a few steps toward the bedroom but stopped and spun around on his heel. "Actually, something weird happened today. I was walking with my boss and all of a sudden Barba was there. At first I said hi, ya know, because hey, it's Barba but then I was like, wait a minute, he's not supposed to be here."

"Barba's the ADA right? Olivia's friend, the one who's in the state assembly now?"

"Yeah, you've met him."

"I remember," Brooke replied, "What was he doing there?"

"He was real cagey about it," Sonny replied, "He said something about a grand jury session and then walked off. He sent me a text later but I was already on my way home."

"Did you know the grand jury was in session today?"

"Yeah, but, nothing I'm involved in obviously."

"Maybe he's doing someone a favor."

"Maybe," Sonny screwed up his face, "But it seems like he would've said something. A 'hey I'm going to be at the courthouse today want to have coffee' type of thing. It was just weird running into him like that. He seemed like he had something to hide."

"Did you ask your boss?"

"No, I was on my way out."

Brooke laughed sarcastically, "You must not have been as curious then as you are now."

"I was anxious to get home."

"That's good to hear."

Sonny darted to her and gave her a kiss. "I'm gonna get changed. Then maybe call Barba before dinner. This is making me crazy."

"Wouldn't want that," Broooke murmured with a smile thinking he was out of earshot.

"Hey!" He shouted, "I heard you!"

…

The hotel was designed for patrons in income brackets much higher than the Tuckers, but Ed always insisted on the best options when traveling, especially when he and his wife were traveling solo. The decorations in the lobby, room, and hallways were ornate and bellhops were at the ready for anything guests needed. The bedsheets were some of the softest they'd ever slept in, and, before coffee and breakfast arrived each morning, Ed and Olivia cuddled under the avalanche of linens.

It was their third time visiting Noah in Washington D.C. The first had been mostly devoted to getting him settled in the house he shared with two other interns near Capitol Hill. Once he was in a groove, they returned and had a chance to explore parts of the city most tourists overlooked. Now, three months later, they were back simply to visit and take him out to dinner when he was available. With Maggie and Wyatt off at college, Ed and Olivia had time on their hands, so they made it a point to travel once a month. This time, they made a detour to D.C. on their way to the Delaware house. Spring was upon them and it was time to start sprucing up the yard. Since the stop was announced with short notice, they stressed to Noah that it was fine if they didn't get to spend a ton of time together. He brushed off the suggestion but mentioned he'd invited "Sunny" to have dinner with them. This took Ed and Olivia by surprise and they practically ran back to the hotel to debrief. They grabbed a nightcap from the bar and headed for their room.

Ed flung open the floor-to-ceiling windows and let in the cool spring air. Olivia swapped her clothes for sleepwear and the plush hotel robe. Though older, Ed's desire for his wife had never waned and he licked his lips when she sat on the loveseat, crossed her legs, and rested her elbow on the armrest.

"So," he said, "Sunny?"

"She was nice."

"I got the sense they were maybe a little more than friends?"

"Me too," Olivia replied, "She was sitting too close to be just a friend."

"You usedta sit that close to me when we weren't friends."

"You've had one too many bourbons."

Ed grinned and waved her over to his side of the loveseat. She leaned against his chest and covered his arms with hers. They had been married now for over twenty years. Being married should have felt normal. But Olivia never normalized her life. She never stopped being grateful for her family. And, at this moment, even though it was trivial, she was overcome with relief that she wasn't dealing with the question of Noah's maybe-girlfriend on her own.

"It was so weird seeing him with a girl and that girl isn't Mia."

"No kiddin'. But I don't know if we'll be seein' her again."

"Sunny was...nice. She seemed...driven," Olivia said.

"Yeah I had no clue what in the hell she was talking about half the time."

Olivia chuckled and kissed the stop of the hand she was holding. "Oh sweetie…" She took a sip of her drink and nodded in agreement. Sunny worked in the medical research field, in essence, she was a scientist, and she definitely spoke like one.

"Noah didn't tell us we needed to study."

"We should've asked for some notes for tonight in case she joins us for breakfast tomorrow."

"Shit." Ed laughed along with Olivia. He kissed the side of her head and welcomed the brief chill that ran down his spine. He loved making her laugh. He loved hearing her laugh. "You want another one?" He asked, noticing her near-empty glass.

"I do," she said. "I like this. I like tonight."

"Then let's not end it yet. I'll go get us two more."

"No room service?"

"Nah, it'll take too long."

"You don't mind?"

"I never like leaving you," Ed stood up then leaned down again and kissed her, "But I can't have you goin' downstairs like this." He winked and grabbed a room key. "I'll be right back."

"Hurry."

"Always."

…...

Noah climbed onto the chair at the head of the table and rested his chin in his hands. "Mommy, whatcha doin?" He asked with extreme interest. Olivia's laptop and a writing tablet were sitting in front of her and she had two highlighters and a few different color pens at the ready. For a kid who took great pride in owning top of the line school and art supplies, the setup itself was of monumental interest. He tapped his fingers against his cheeks and waited patiently for her response. His hands were clean save for a smear of blue marker under one of his pinkies. The skin around his thumbs was red and irritated thanks to a couple of annoying hangnails that tested his discipline.

"I'm starting to make lists for Ireland," she replied sweetly.

"How many lists?" Considering the computer and the paper, the question was certainly valid.

"Sort of three," she said, "One is directions for Justin. I'm typing that one. Another one is to remind me and Daddy what to pack for Maggs and Wyatt and the other is what I have to remember to pack for us." Noah had changed from his school clothes to a navy polo and khaki shorts, a typical choice, and she did her best to hide her amusement. He dressed almost exactly like Ed.

"Maybe we should take those babies," Noah murmured.

Olivia smiled and sighed. She'd had the same thought at least once a day as their trip neared. Ed stood firm and insisted they were making the right decision. If they didn't have people they trusted staying in New York, the twins would have certainly been going. But they were a little young for the itinerary, and the trip was a gift to Noah. Every stop was planned with him in mind and wrangling two three-year-olds while sightseeing and navigating the old cobbled lanes of the towns and the busier streets of Dublin was a hassle to avoid if at all possible. As much as Olivia hated to use the word "hassle" in reference to her babies, she had to admit Ed was right, especially since they were only leaving for a week and each day would be packed with as much activity as possible.

"We'll take them next time," Olivia said. "They'll have fun with Justin. And Carmen. And Justin knows how to take care of them."

"He does a good job," Noah agreed. "He's a good cooker and he always lets us watch what we want. Oh, and, he's a really, really good drawer! He drew our faces and it looked just like us! Like a picture with the da camera!"

"I remember. He's really smart and creative and responsible," Olivia gazed at her son who was now rolling the pens back and forth under his hands. She wondered if she was trying more to reassure Noah or herself. "So, Maggie and Wyatt will have a vacation of their own."

"How come Justy's not gonna stay here?"

"He still has some writing to do and all of his things are there-his books and computer screens, his space, so the twins will go there. They can always come here if we forget something, but-"

"-you're makin' a list so ya don't forget!"

"That's right, honey." Olivia put her hands on the sides of his face and kissed him on the head.

"Maggs! Wyatt! You're goin' on v'cation jus' not on da airplane!"

Maggie and Wyatt were playing, as usual, in the middle of the room surrounded by mountains of toys. Maggie looked up for a second and grinned. Wyatt jumped up, ran to the toy box, and somehow very easily found a mini Delta jet. He skipped over to the table and placed the airplane next to Noah.

"Here yer plane, No." Wyatt said seriously.

"Thanks Wyatt! Daddy gave me dis plane a long time ago," Noah held it up to the light and squinted, "It's a little scratched but still okay."

Olivia was surprised Noah remembered receiving the airplane. Ed brought it for him after he'd made a quick work-related trip before they were married. It was also amazing they'd managed to avoid losing such a small object. She watched Noah swipe the plane through the air in broad, dramatic arcs. Wyatt looked on, impressed, as if Noah were flying a real plane. Noah might remember receiving the gift, she thought, but he won't remember a time when Ed wasn't his Daddy.

"Daddy, lookit!" Noah said when Ed walked into the room.

"Good lookin' jet," Ed replied. "That's from Atlanta."

Noah grinned, "Yep! Daddy brought dis all da way from 'Lanta. Where's dat?"

"Close to Florida."

"Wyatt, here, you fly," Noah shoved the airplane into Wyatt's hand, "I'm gonna go see where 'Lanta is."

Ed opened and closed two drawers in the kitchen before he found what he was looking for. He twisted off the cap of the Advil bottle and downed two caplets.

"What's wrong?" Olivia asked.

"Little headache," Ed replied.

Olivia jumped up from the chair and hurried to Ed's side. "Little?"

"Yeah," he massaged his forehead, "Here. It's fine, Liv, I was too lazy to find my reading glasses. That's what it is."

"Tell me if it doesn't go away."

"I will, but, Advil...works in ten minutes. Maybe more. And some fresh air will help. Maggie? Wyatt? Want to go ride bikes?"

"BIKE!

"BIKEBIKEBIKEBIKE!"

Grinning, Olivia kissed Ed and said, "I guess you're not feeling that bad."

"I feel great. I need to maybe keep a pair of glasses in each room."

"Good idea. I'll order us both a few extra pairs."

"Thanks," Ed gave her a kiss and, in the process, caught a glimpse of the work station at the dining table. "Are we interrupting something with the bike ride?"

"Nope. I'll hit pause."

Ed shot her a too-big grin.

"What?"

"I never thought I'd hear Olivia Benson say 'hit pause'."

"I'm getting good at it." She tapped his chest, "Thanks to you."

The semi-intimate moment came to a clanging halt. The twins had already put on their shoes and were in the foyer trying to wrestle their bicycles from their places in the hall closet. Muted rustling followed the initial crash, and Ed and Olivia rounded the corner and found both Maggie and Wyatt partially buried by both bikes.

"Help!" Maggie yelped. "Help!"

"We cash Dada!"

Wyatt's sweet, soft voice saying the word "crash" reminded Olivia of the time when Wyatt fell into Brooke's coffee table, had to have stitches, and, in a slurred voice, told her the injury was the result of a "cashinatable." She admired her three-year-old for being cool under pressure. The bikes hadn't fallen directly on the twins, but they were trapped by both sets of handlebars hovering above their heads.

Noah came running, "What's goin on?" He shouted, evincing his concern.

Ed and Olivia wrestled the bikes back into a standing position and Wyatt and Maggie popped up. "Your brother and sister are a little impatient," Olivia said, "Aren't you, sweet twins?" Happy to be free, the twins danced around in circles but otherwise didn't respond.

"Maybe those babies needta wear helmets all da time!"

Noah's suggestion was delivered with the utmost sincerity, but Ed and Olivia started laughing. They tousled their bewildered son's hair and told him how proud they were that he was such a caring big brother. Noah smiled and went to grab his own helmet. He tugged on the straps and grunted.

"This's too tight again."

Ed gave one of the straps a half inch or so of slack.

"Is my head getting bigger?" Noah asked.

"Sure is, bud. Almost done with first grade. That brain's huge."

"Dat's why we have summer," Noah said, "For a little learning rest."

"Who told you that, sweet boy?" Olivia asked.

"I jus' thought about it. But," Noah added in case his parents were troubled by the summer months of no school, "I'm still gonna read an' stuff. Maybe a little learning. 'Specially in Ireland. OH! Babies, you're not goin you're goin' to Justy's."

"We go BIKE, NO!" Maggie shot back, her forehead furrowed under her helmet.

"Maggs," Noah said with a shake of his head, "You an' Wyatt are uh'sessed."

Ed and Olivia immediately locked eyes.

"Where'd you learned obsessed, Noah?" Olivia asked.

"Sare Bear," he replied matter-of-factly.

Ed and Olivia laughed again but asked no more questions. They had a pretty good idea of the context in which Noah had learned not only the word but how to use it correctly so follow-up was unnecessary.

"C'mon young Tuckers," Ed said, "Let's go."

…...

It struck G as odd that her apartment and Sarah's were, floor-plan wise, nearly identical, yet the Vidal apartment always bounced with fun, positive energy, even when Sarah was the only one at home. G tried to spice her place up with pops of color, the most noticeable of which was her purple couch which had been a delivery error. Seconds before she made the call to complain, the sun caught the piece of furniture just right and she decided to let it stay. Everything else in her place was gray or white with a few muted blues mixed in. Sarah's place was more modern with industrial, metal accents throughout. The color palette wasn't broad, but there was a clear emphasis on contrasting light and dark hues. The home was never dirty, but it was clear the occupants weren't sticklers about putting things away. Tables were cluttered with books and magazines and photographs and a number of brightly colored pieces of bric a brac were lined on shelves. G assumed the mess was what she liked best-it somehow was indicative of contentment.

"So I wanted to show you a few things because Justin might forget."

Sarah led G into the guest bedroom where the twins would decamp in a couple of weeks. She was acting like she was leaving her own kids for a week and it was both amusing and endearing. Sarah cared so much and wanted everything to be perfect, but G knew Justin to be an upstanding guy who wasn't likely to forget these basic directions. They walked into the bathroom where she showed the stash of pull-ups the twins still wore at night, children's Tylenol, Band-Aids, a separate first aid kid, small Dixie cups, and extra tubes of toothpaste. After the bathroom, Sarah showed her the bookcase, the closet where most of the toys were stored, and the switch for the lamp which projected stars and moons onto the ceiling.

"I told Justin how good you are with the twins," Sarah said, "And to call you if he needs help even though his mom will be here most of the days. Still, they love you." Sarah raised both her arms and scratched her head. Her elbow jutted out to the sides and her eyes darted around as she tried to pinpoint anything she'd forgotten. When she paid attention to G again, she noticed her neighbor had lost some coloring in her face. "What's wrong?"

"I have to tell you something," G said. There was a lump in her throat, a tightness in her chest, and she could barely breathe. Sarah motioned for her to take a seat but G needed to stay standing. "I don't know if it's a good idea if I'm around the twins. Or you. Or anyone really."

"What? Why not?"

G took a deep breath and the truth, in summary form, came out. As she concluded, she rubbed her temples, closed her eyes, and said, "They arrested him this morning. He was released on bail. And I'm terrified he's going to come after me. And if he shows up and I'm here or anywhere with the twins, well, I don't want that on my conscience."

"Does he know where you live?"

"No," G said, "Not that I know of. But nobody's hard to find."

"Tell the doorman. Give him his picture. No unannounced visitors."

"Yeah…"

"But, G, damn," Sarah gave her a quick hug which she would have extended if G responded as if she'd wanted to be hugged, "I'm...I don't know what to tell you other than, wow, I'm glad the guy is going to pay for this, but, most importantly, the worst thing you can do right now is shut yourself off from people who are your friends. If you want to be alone, say the word, but we love you and I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say we're here to help in any way possible."

"Olivia's already helped," G mumbled.

Sarah nodded, "I'm glad you told her."

"I didn't tell you because-"

Sarah held up her hand, "-nope. Not necessary. You don't owe me or anyone anything. And me knowing doesn't change anything. I'm still going to knock on your door and drag you out, well, maybe, um, wrong words...I'll call first…"

G managed a smile. "I get it," she said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. And, unless Livvie or Daddy says something, you are still the twins' and Noey's best non-family babysitter for life."

"I think I can handle that."

…

Olivia flicked the light switch on her way out of the bathroom so the only light in the room came from the lamp on Ed's side of the bed. He peeled off his glasses and put his phone on the table. Then, as he did every single night before he and Olivia fell asleep, rolled to the center of the mattress and collected her into his arms. She smelled of face cream and shampoo, clean laundry and maybe a hint of perfume. He kissed her cheek and used the opportunity to touch his face to her hair. It was so soft and soothing-like everything about her.

"How does your head feel?" Olivia asked.

"Hasn't bothered me since I took the Advil," Ed replied, "I'm tellin' you, Liv, it's the glasses. I hate them, but I need them."

"I've worn them for years."

"There was nothin' sexier than walking into Lieutenant Benson's office and seeing her look up atcha over those glasses. And then," Ed smirked and scooted even closer, "When I saw you in them…" he pretended to shiver and trailed off.

"...one of those first mornings?"

"Yeah," he said, "Damn. You in glasses is sexy as hell. Me in glasses, well, I look like an old man."

"As usual, you're underestimating yourself, Ed Tucker. Put them on. C'mon," she nudged him, "Put them on and give me your phone."

Ed obliged. Olivia took the phone and punched in his code. She opened the camera. "Glasses on selfie."

It took her a minute to get the perfect angle and the shot came out perfectly. Olivia was smiling. Ed had never looked more proud or more cocky.

"You can put that on your Instagram."

"Nah," Ed grinned. He took off her glasses and then his own, "I think I'll keep this one only for myself."

…..

#Tuckson