180. (The real 180. I think I titled 179 180 by mistake. JB-the last section's for you!)

Ed came up behind Olivia and nuzzled her neck. "Smells good," he said, taking a deep breath and getting a whiff of the lavender scented face wash she always bought from a local vendor. "The food and you," he clarified.

Olivia leaned into him and pushed hashbrowns around in the skillet. "I figured they would need a diner-style breakfast," she said, "Want to mix the bloody marys?"

Ed chuckled, "Getting back on the horse?"

"I feel great," she said brightly, "You?"

"Same. We were wise enough to hit the brakes. But," he kissed her neck and cheeks, "Live music does sound like fun. Brooke'll be here later. We'll have enough adults to sneak away for a few hours."

"Date night," Olivia said, "I like it. Start planning, Captain."

"Oh, I've already planned."

"Yeah?"

"Yep," Ed replied proudly, "Oh, and I saw an interesting tweet from Uber facts."

Olivia laughed and shook her head, "You and your Twitter...and Instagram...of all the people I know you're the last one I would've pegged for a social media aficionado."

Ed took the ribbing with a grin and asked, "You want to hear the interesting fact I learned or not?"

"Yes."

"Seventeen percent of AirPod owners wear them while having sex."

"Where do they even come up with these statistics?" Olivia said through an incredulous chuckle.

"I dunno, but they're facts."

"In someone's imagination," Olivia murmured, "But, to your point, is that something you want to try out?"

Ed cocked his head and shot her his sexiest smirk, "Not at all," he lowered his voice and moved closer to her so even if anyone else was there it would've been impossible to eavesdrop, "All I wanna hear is you."

"This is unfair," Olivia sighed.

"What is?"

"You flirting with me right now when I hear little people running around upstairs."

"The last thing I'd ever wanna be is unfair," Ed replied, "I'll make up for it later. I promise. And you know, Olivia Margaret Benson Tucker, I always keep my promises."

"Yes you do."

…

Sonny closed the back hatch of the Subaru Outback he and Brook purchased shortly after Sofia was born but rarely drove. At the time they say the vehicle as a kind of ticket to freedom. They could more easily get away for a weekend. Sonny could occasionally drive himself to work instead of taking the Subway. Trips to Target or Costco wouldn't require an Uber. But they soon remembered why having a car in the city was also a huge inconvenience unless you were willing to fork over fistfuls of cash each month for a full service garage or lived in an area where street parking was readily available.

Was there such a place?

The morning of the Delaware trip was one of the rare times the car wasn't seen as a burden or unnecessary. It was roomy and easy to load. The seats were comfortable. They didn't have to bother with indifferent rental company salespeople. And, it was fun to drive.

Brooke laughed at Sonny once the traffic thinned out on the highway.

"You look like a NASCAR driver," she said, laughing. "All you need is a helmet and some gloves."

"This thing has some pep," Sonny said.

"Watch your speed."

"Waze'll tell us if there's a police car coming up."

"I meant, well, that and, you have your family in the car," Brooke said.

"Okay, okay," Sonny relied, "I'll be careful." He merged into the right lane and slowed significantly.

Brooke rolled her eyes at the overcorrection but let the matter drop. "I cannot wait to see my sister," she said, "If she didn't choke on her vomit and die in the middle of the night."

"That's a little extreme."

"I don't think so," Brooke said, "Did you hear her last night? You were awake. She was sloshed." She lowered her voice, cognizant of Sofia's keen ears. "I've been texting her but nothing. I hope she's okay. I would think she would want to hear everything about us seeing Aidan."

"It's still early," Sonny replied, "Even for people who weren't drinking last night."

"It's ten a.m.!"

"Already?"

Brooke jabbed a finger at the large console screen where the time was prominently displayed. "We're a little behind schedule, but that's okay," she said, "Oh, and, kind of, take it easy around G, okay? It'll be weird if she knows we know about everything."

"Well, I wouldn't call it everything."

"You know what I mean."

"Okay, okay," Sonny replied, "I'll keep my mouth shut."

"Not completely shut," Brooke said, "Just...be yourself...without all the lawyer. You know, how Olivia can be herself minus the cop."

Sonny screwed up his face. "She's always a cop," he said, "No separating the two. At least not for her. But me? I can unlawyer for a few days. No problem. Plus," he added, grinning in wiseguy fashion, "Aidan gossip should tide us over."

"It should," Brooke murmured, "So weird. He changed so quickly. I remember clearly the middle school kid who cuddled with his cat every night."

"Oh, yeah, I wonder how Oreo's doing," Sonny said.

Brooke scratched her forehead. "I have no idea what happened to that cat. Seriously. I wonder if we left it in the house."

…..

Fin walked into Benson's office without knocking and dropped a densely packed interoffice envelope onto her desk. "Came from IAB," he muttered in his most disinterested voice. Then, as abruptly as he entered, Fin left.

Olivia unwound the string and emptied the contents. The documents weren't highly confidential, hence the utilitarian way they'd been transported, but they would help SVU begin making a case against an officer implicated in a child pornography investigation. Olivia sighed as she paged through the files. For all the progress that had been made in her line of work, it was terrifying to think an internet-based child porn ring was greeted with about as much shock as the sun rising.

It was late in the afternoon and she'd been in the office most of the previous night and day. She yawned and turned in her chair to get a reinvigorating glimpse of natural light. The caffeine and tea no longer seemed to be packing a punch. Completing the swivel, she was once again faced with the pile of documents, but now she noticed a newer, brighter piece of yellow legal pad paper sticking out of one of the folders.

Immediately, she recognized Ed's angular, fine-tipped scrawl.

I would have brought these over myself but I got tied up. Let me know if you need anything other than what's here, but I included copies of everything we have.

He signed off with "Ed", and, beneath his name, was a squiggly line that was strange to see on a piece of Ed Tucker correspondence. Olivia smiled. Maybe he had wanted to write something more personal but stopped himself just in time. Or maybe he was absent-mindedly doodling, but Tucker did not seem like one to sit around and scribble. He was the type of guy to bury himself in work until it was complete. He-

Ed Tucker was certainly taking up a great deal of her headspace.

Out of professional courtesy and because she wanted to hear his voice, she gave him a call. He didn't pick up which meant he was busy probably interrogating a suspected dirty cop or driving to a scene with Cole Draper. The note did say he was tied up. When he was available, Olivia knew she could count on a call or text but probably a call back. But, as it turned out, he was nearby. Thirty minutes later, Tucker appeared in the flesh.

"Liv?" Fin had poked his head in. "Tucker's here."

Startled, Olivia blinked and fumbled with her glasses.

"You okay?"

"Yes, I, uh, did he say what he's here about?"

Fin smirked, "You know he plays it closer to the vest than that. He asked if our Sarge was in."

"Well, I am."

"Want me to stay?"

"No," she replied, "I got it."

Tucker strode in and took a seat in one of the armchairs. "Oh good," he said casually as if the meeting had been planned, "You got the files. NYPD couriers aren't so abysmal after all."

"I did, thanks," Olivia said, trying to play it cool despite her heart thumping in her chest, "Thought you were tied up?"

"I was."

His smirk and sparkling blue eyes were irresistible. There was a cockiness about him, too, as if he knew how attractive he was, at least to her.

"Showing up in person to confirm delivery. Now that's great service."

"I may have had an ulterior motive. Wanna get out of here? You've been on for what? Twenty hours straight?"

"Keeping tabs on me?"

"You emailed me about those," he nodded at the contents of the envelope, "last night at midnight."

"No fooling you."

Tucker's expression suggested he was concocting a witty response. Olivia waited in anticipation. A few seconds passed, and his features softened. "You want to go get a coffee? Some fresh air?"

He was unsure of himself and maybe even slightly nervous.

"Coffee sounds good," Olivia replied in a soft, quiet voice.

"Want me to leave first?"

"No, no," Olivia stood up, found her phone, and slipped it into her blazer pocket, "Don't do that, just…" she grinned and shot him a wink, "Look annoyed."

Ed tugged on his lapels and visibly went into IAB mode. "No problem," he said, "How's this?"

Olivia sized him up. Dark suit. Basic tie. Shield. Weapon. Jaw set. Face ruddy. Lips pressed in a straight line. A complete transformation. Yet, Olivia knew better. She'd had a glimpse of the Tucker who hid behind all that rigid austerity and not only did she like the version others rarely saw, it also helped her understand the totality of the man who once made her skin crawl.

"I've never seen you look more normal," Olivia finally said. She spun on her heel and opened the door, ready to march through the squad room amid curious eyes.

Tucker trailed by a few steps and mumbled, "I'll consider that a compliment" loud enough so only she could hear. He easily stayed in character, but knew his comment would have amused Olivia to the point she'd have trouble keeping a straight face. Normally, he wasn't into games, but this one certainly was fun.

….

By the time Sarah, Justin, and G trudged downstairs, the three kids had eaten their breakfast and had begun a painting project in the backyard. They were parked in the grass, surrounded by small jars of paint and two small piles of rocks and shells. The kids had also been provided cups of water to rinse their brushes and the water was a murky gray. Wyatt and Maggie were lying on their stomachs, painting away, oblivious to the others. Noah, less prone to spill, had been sitting in an Adirondack chair and balancing his rock and paints on a piece of newspaper on the armrest. Hearing the door slam, he looked up and smiled when he saw the trio holding plates full of reheated food and looking like they needed to crawl back into bed for another twelve hours.

"Hi sleepyheads!" He called.

They managed three cheerful hellos.

"We're paintin' rocks and shells for da garden!"

"Wow," Sarah said, "You have a whole art studio out here! Stencils and everything! Hello Maggs and Wyatt."

Maggie and Wyatt each mumbled "hi" but kept their eyes on the rocks.

"Well aren't they social butterflies this morning," Sarah said.

G took her first bite of eggs and bacon and prayed she could keep the food down or at least make it to the bathroom before it came back up. Her stomach was rumbling and she nearly gagged when she had a taste of the bloody mary. It was strong, though, and she hoped the alcohol would dull her throbbing headache. The ibuprofen had not yet kicked in. The first bite down, she tried a second. She glanced around the porch to focus on something other than her hangover.

Ed sat across from her but he was zeroed in on the kids. His pride was evident. G admired him and Olivia for their hands-off approach to parenting. They rarely let the kids out of their sight, but playtime was mostly unstructured, and, as a result, the trio had keen imaginations. For the painting project it looked like the adults had merely provided the raw materials and some basic instructions and let the kids' creativity take over from there. It was refreshing in a world where so many parents felt like they had to jam pack their children's days with lessons and carefully scheduled playdates.

Wyatt was the first to emerge from the artistic trance. He scurried from his spot in the grass to the porch with a freshly painted rock sitting in his palm. He wore khaki cargo shorts, a plain white t-shirt, and a pair of goggles around his head.

He handed the rock to Ed, "Here, Dada."

Ed pinched it between his thumb and forefinger and examined Wyatt's work. He'd used yellow and green and a little black.

"I sigh' my name," Wyatt further explained. He stood on his toes to try and track Ed's gaze.

"I see it right there, pal," Ed replied, "W-y-a-t-t. Good job! Paint's still wet. Go put it back under the sun so it'll dry."

"It's for Mama," Wyatt protested, albeit in mild fashion.

Olivia beamed, "Thank you honey," she cooed, "Can we let it dry for a few minutes then we'll find a place in the garden for it? A special place for Wyatt's rock?"

Agreeing to the plan, Wyatt held out his hand. "I puttit inna sun."

"Yup."

"And painnanother one?"

"Paint as many as you want sweetie," Olivia said.

Justin peered over the porch railing at the flower beds below, "Rocks are gonna look good in there." The dirt was freshly rototilled and rich black in color.

"We were hopin' to run to the nursery before it gets too hot," Ed mentioned, "But I dunno if you're in any shape to keep and eye on the kids for an hour or two."

"Oh, Daddy," Sarah said, "We're fine. And, it looks like your children are sufficiently occupied with rocks and shells, so between the paint and us I think you have at least one total competent babysitter."

"Great," Ed muttered, "Liv? Want to get going now?"

"Sure."

"Get yourselves together," he said to the partying trio and raised his voice, "Because, No, what are we doing when we get back?"

"JET SKI!" Noah shouted.

"You ride with me, Noah!" Justin called to him.

Noah grinned and nodded.

"What about the boat?" Sarah asked.

Ed shot her a you-should-know-better expression, "Brooke'll be here this afternoon. Be a little rude if no one's here."

"Oh, yeah, I guess so. Where is my head?"

"Think you may have left it on the beach last night," Justin giggled uncontrollably at his own lame joke.

"We won't be long," Ed said in a stern voice, "Behave."

"Oh, don't worry about us," Sarah replied breezily, "We'll just be here painting rocks."

"And shells," Ed added with a wink.

Sarah saluted, "Yes, sir," she said, "Upon your return you shall find an abundance of finely crafted garden accessories."

Ed rolled his eyes. "See you later."

"Byeeee!"

…

It was well into the evening when three-fifths of the Tucker family returned home from dinner and bowling. Maggie was tallying and retallying the scores, trying to find a way to declare herself the winner, but neither she nor Noah were any match for their father. Inside the apartment, Maggie and Noah kicked off their shoes and flopped on the couch. Ed excused himself to call Olivia and was met with disinterested "okays." Before he closed the bedroom door, he heard the chime of the flat screen being powered on.

The hotel where Olivia and Wyatt were staying was basic and comfortable but did not have any of the bells and whistles the Tuckers were used to. In particular, Wyatt was disappointed to learn the outdoor pool had recently been closed for the season. The presence of a hot tub cheered him up a bit, but the avid swimmer in him remained bummed out. Lack of amenities aside, his Reading Bowl team was performing well and had made it to the final round of competition occurring the next morning.

"So he's in the shower," Olivia said, "Early night for us tonight. What are you three up to?"

"Burgers and bowling," Ed replied, "I creamed 'em."

Olivia laughed at the immature boast from her sixty-something husband. "Congratulations, honey. I hope Noah and Maggie weren't too demoralized in front of everyone."

"The alley was kinda crowded…" Ed grew serious, glanced at the door, and went into the bathroom for added security. "Hey, you didn't tell me Maggie was carryin' around...a...pad!"

"Oh," Olivia gritted her teeth apologetically, "I think Mia gave it to her. I'm sorry, Ed, I noticed it the other day and Maggie was so normal about it I let it go and, I suppose, forgot."

"Forgot?"

Olivia saw the agony and slight panic etched on his face and sympathetically puckered her lips. "Hopefully this is the worst thing we discover in one of our kids' backpacks," she said, "And this isn't a bad thing. When it happens, which, I hope and pray for Maggie's sake is a long, long time from now, she'll be prepared and know what to do and won't be scared."

"You're right," Ed replied, still looking crestfallen. "She's eight…"

"I know." Olivia sighed. "She's growing up. They all are. But, right now, she's still our little girl. And our littlest boy has fifty pages of questions I'm supposed to ask him in a few minutes, so, are you going to be okay?"

"No, I miss you."

"I miss you." She blew him a kiss. "Why don't you go watch TV with Maggie and Noah and I'll call back before Wyatt goes to sleep?"

"How'd you know they're watching TV?"

"I'm their mother, Ed," Olivia replied matter-of-factly.

He smiled sheepishly. Olivia had child rearing instincts he would never come close to having. "Don't forget to call back," he said softly.

"I won't."

Ed strolled back into the main living area and stopped in the kitchen for a soda. Hearing the refrigerator open, Maggie popped up from her spot and skipped over to her Dad. "We arready got you a drink," she said, tugging on his hand, "And popcorn."

"Popcorn, huh?"

"We're watchin' a movie, Daddy," Maggie said, "Always popcorn and movies."

"Want us to start over?" Noah asked.

Ed saw the paused images of characters from a film they'd all seen at least a dozen times. "Nah, bud, I'm good." He took a seat and grabbed his can of soda.

Maggie curled up next to him with a huge bowl of popcorn in her lap. "We can share this one, Daddy."

Ed kissed the top of her head. "Thanks, baby." Ed sat back, relaxed, and laughed along with his kids at the characters' jokes and antics. He took Olivia's implicit advice, enjoyed the moment, and concentrated on being totally present. When Olivia called back. Maggie's weight on Ed's arm had grown heavy, and he assumed she was asleep. He grabbed the phone and attempted to stand up, but she frowned and whined.

"I'm comfy, Daddy."

"Oh, sorry-"

"-stay right here and talk to Wyatt and Mommy," she demanded.

"Okay," Ed smirked, answered the call, and through the miracle of technology, the family was reunited.

…

Ed steered the SUV into the crowded nursery parking lot and shifted into park. "Now," he said to his wife, the only passenger, "I want to make it clear. This isn't the date." He smirked, grabbed his wallet, and opened the door.

Olivia rounded the vehicle and looped her arm through his, "It would be okay if it was," she said, "This is romantic."

Ed narrowed his eyes at the rows of flower beds, planters, and hanging plants and skeptically replied, "If you say so." As was often the case, he couldn't sustain the faux-annoyed facade and broke into a grin almost immediately, "Anywhere's romantic as long as I'm with you, Olivia Margaret."

"We make our own romance."

"Exactly."

Ed nodded to one of the store's staff and steered them toward the outdoor area. The flower beds were complete and ready for planting, and Olivia was armed with research. She knew which flowers best tolerated sun, partial sun, and full shade. Part of her morning routine over the past few weeks had been perusing home and garden magazines, and the vision for her yard gradually had come together in her head.

"Ah, marigolds!" Olivia exclaimed, "Over here. Oh, and there are some cypress vines…"

Ed followed and did his best to stay focused even though she was speaking a language foreign to him. Making himself useful, he snagged a cart and wheeled along at her heels. It wasn't long before it was full of colorful blooms.

"I think this is a good start," Olivia said. "Ready to head out?"

"Sure?"

"Yes. Let me get these in first," she gave him a peck on the lips, "We may have to come back though."

"Sure."

They paid and carefully placed the trays in the back of the SUV. Olivia waited for Ed to return the cart in the glistening sunshine. She closed her eyes and looked up, soaking in the rays. It was another beautiful, summer day.

"Olivia Benson!"

Startled to attention, Olivia stumbled and needed a second to get her bearings. A woman wearing large black sunglasses and a floppy hat strode toward her with a huge smile on her face. It was only when she removed the glasses that Olivia realized who it was.

"Oh my God, Jo!"

Jo Marlowe grinned and gave her a hug. "I can't believe it's you! Amazing coincidence, huh? And you probably are here to be anonymous!"

"I'm sure you are too!"

Jo shrugged. "A friend of mine has a place a little south of here, almost in Maryland. But this is the best nursery within thirty miles."

"We bought here a couple of years ago," Olivia said, "At first we tried it out on a whim, basically dropped a pin on a map, and we ended up loving it."

"So I'm assuming you retired?" Jo asked.

"I did. Almost a year ago. Wow," Olivia sighed, "It feels strange to say that. A year."

"It definitely takes getting used to," Jo said. "It's been eight years for me."

"A vet!"

"You could say that, yes." Jo started to say something else, but Ed was approaching. She lowered her sunglasses again. "Ed Tucker?"

Unable to place Jo and perplexed, Ed furrowed his brow and looked to Olivia for help. She put her arm around his waist. "Ed, this is Jo Marlowe, ADA? Former NYPD?"

"Yeah, yeah," Ed smiled even though he was cringing inside. He remembered the circumstances of her police department retirement. It had been a brutal, impossible-to-forget tragedy. "Wow, small world."

"Certainly is," Jo said. She broke into a huge, slightly embarrassed grin, an expression of someone who had stumbled upon secret information. "It's obviously been a while and I'm clearly missing a lot of...personal...developments."

Laughing, Olivia replied, "You have. Ed and I got married almost four years ago. We have Noah, he's seven, and the twins who turned three in May. It's-"

"-Holy cow," Jo interjected, "That is a lot of development! But I'm so happy to hear it, all of it. Congratulations, you two."

Olivia and Ed thanked her and asked if she had time to maybe go for lunch or a quick drink, but Jo declined. "We're meeting a contractor later this afternoon," she said. "But, here, I'll give you my number. Maybe we can get together this summer. Are you staying until August?"

"We never put a timetable on it," Olivia said, "But at least through mid-July." She put the piece of paper with Jo's information written on it in her pocket. "We'll be in touch. It was great to see you." She and Jo embraced. The former ADA and Ed exchanged polite nods and Jo made her way back to a pickup truck which, even though it was a newer model, seemed totally out of sync with her style.

"She worked with you?" Ed asked.

"Temporary ADA," OLivia replied, "Maybe ten years ago? Actually. Oh my God," she chuckled, "Remember Fletcher and his whole backstory?"

"Yeah."

"That was one of the cases she worked on," Olivia said, "I totally forgot until now. I wonder how she would have reacted if I'd told her."

"You can tell her when we meet again."

"I doubt we will," Olivia replied, "We didn't connect all that well. She and Elliot were, um, closer."

Hearing her former partner's name, Ed grunted and muttered, "How close?"

"I can't confirm anything, but, it's possible I'm the only woman ever in his orbit who he didn't sleep with." Olivia winced. "That sounded bad. He wasn't like that. But when he and Kathy were having trouble, he was weak. He'd never admit it, but I saw it. Everyone did."

"There were always whispers at IAB," Ed replied. "But there were whispers about everyone eventually." Ed grabbed her wrists and, uninterested in any more work talk, gave her a kiss. "You want to have that lunch before we go back? Will the flowers be okay in here?"

"They'll be fine," Olivia said, grinning. "Let's do it."

"Still doesn't count as the date, though."

"I know, honey."

….

#Tuckson