202. Sorry for the delay! Went on a little vacay!

On Sunday morning, the day of the Yankees' game, Noah strutted out of his room before nine o'clock clad in his fan gear. He poked around the hall closet in search of his baseball glove, and, after finding it, frowned and murmured that Maggie and Wyatt didn't have gloves of their own. "They're big enough," Noah claimed, "They need a MITT!" Ed agreed, used his phone to check the inventory of the closest sporting goods store, and told Noah to get ready for the impromptu errand.

Olivia slid her arm around Ed's waist and called him a pushover.

"They need mitts," he insisted, sounding a lot like Noah. "I can't believe we forgot that part."

"We haven't been to a game in a while," Olivia pointed out.

"Yeah," Ed's eyes grew distant, "I think they were barely walking the last time we went…" He was not usually the one mourning the twins' ascent out of babyhood, but he was suddenly overcome with a bit of sorrow and longing for the days when Maggie and Wyatt relied on him and Olivia for everything.

"Ready, Daddy!" Noah announced from the foyer.

"Magg GO! Magg GO!" Maggie ran across the living room and raced into the bedroom. She returned wearing her pajama top and regular denim shorts.

Ed chuckled. "Let's get a different shirt on."

Maggie looked down, giggled at her oversight, and darted back into the room to swap shirts. Ed finger-combed her hair and pointed to her sandals which she tugged on. It was almost October, but summer had not yet released its grip on the city. The kids were all still wearing their shorts and t-shirts.

"We'll be back," Ed called to Olivia and also to Wyatt. He was still curled in his beanbag with chocolate milk and watching Paw Patrol. Wyatt offered a lazy wave and pulled his blanket tighter under his chin as if to say, don't even think about making me go, too.

Olivia finished up in the kitchen and went to the living room. Taking advantage of a commercial, she waved Wyatt to the couch. "Come and sit with me, sweetie." Wyatt extracted himself from the beanbag and dove onto the cushion next to Olivia. She pointed to a stubborn spot near his ankle where the marker was still faintly visible. "Have some tattoo left," she said sweetly.

Wyatt giggled into his cup.

"Sweetie, where did you and Maggie draw your tattoos?"

"No more drawing on skin, Mama."

"I know. But, at school, before we made the rule, when you and Maggie did the tattoos, where in school were you?"

"Unner da side!"

"Oh….you took the markers to the playground?"

Wyatt nodded and jumped off the couch. He went to the bedroom and then the laundry basket and brought Olivia a pair of his cargo shorts. He slapped the large side pocket and grinned. "I putta markers in here," he explained.

Olivia smoothed his hair and smiled, "You're so smart, Wyatt Edward," she cooed.

"Bi'pockets have a lotta stuff!"

"You're right, honey."

Wyatt looked up at her, giggled, and buried his head in her side. The show was back on, and he zeroed in on the screen. Olivia kissed his head and held him tightly. She and Ed hadn't had a chance to play their good cop/bad cop routine, yet the circumstances of the tattoos nagged at her. The "art" was elaborate and had obviously taken some time to complete, and she was more worried than she let on that the kids were unsupervised at school. On the playground, though, they did have more independence, so Olivia's mind was more at ease. Both Noah and Wyatt had a habit of packing their cargo pockets with a variety of items, and art supplies were no exception.

"Your phone, Mama" Wyatt mumbled. He had inadvertently sat on the device and pulled it out from under him.

"Thank you, honey," Olivia turned it over, expecting to see one of her family members' names on the screen, but she was wrong. It was Michael, the producer of the show Wyatt had been featured on last year. The series had wrapped, so Olivia was prepared to decline another offer on Wyatt's behalf. She and Ed were adamant about keeping Wyatt out of the child acting world.

"Olivia!" Michael said in his high-pitched, nasally voice, "How are you? How's Wyatt?"

"We're good," Olivia replied, "How are you?"

"Great! And I have wonderful news! The show's been picked up for another season. We start shooting in two weeks. And we're hoping to get Wyatt onboard again!"

A pit formed in Olivia's stomach. She played with Wyatt's thick brown hair and watched how he let the sippy up rest on his bottom lip. It probably reminded him of the pacifier he used for so long. How strange, she thought, that this small, innocent preschooler was sought after by one of show business' most successful producers. One minute he's singing songs on the sun rug and the next minute he's on a television show set with huge, fancy cameras pointed at him.

Since the show was a one-time thing, Ed and Olivia didn't hire an agent and negotiated everything themselves, but Olivia found herself wishing they had an intermediary. It would have been easier to say no that way.

"Let me talk to Ed," she said in a strained voice, "And I'll call you back."

"For sure," Michael said, "Talk soon."

He hung up before Olivia finished saying goodbye. She kissed Wyatt again and kept her head against his. She was more bothered than she should have been, and she didn't know why. Ed would be home soon, though, and help her make it all make sense.

The Paw Patrol episode ended and Wyatt kicked off his blanket. He was the Tucker most prone to lounging around, but even he had his limits.

"Ready to get dressed, honey?"

Wyatt nodded, "Need my bayball sirt."

"Yes," Olivia replied, smiling, "We'll get your baseball shirt. Are you excited to go to the game?"

"Mets?"

"No, Yankees."

"I li'da Mets."

Olivia chuckled and wondered where he picked up all of this new information-tattoos, the Mets...she assured him they would go to the Mets game next time. "Daddy might need some convincing," she said, "But he'll do it."

…

The heat wave entered its third day and showed no signs of abating. Commuting New Yorkers found themselves in various stages of sweat-drenched misery. The Tucker kids arrived home from school each day with ruddy faces, damp clothing, and daily complaints that outdoor time was cut short. Olivia and Ed spent their days visiting the indoor, air conditioned places they liked to go, but they missed their leisurely strolls. There was no breeze, so the path adjacent to the river was scorching. Even running errands was torture. Everyone was restless and cranky. When Maggie overreacted and lashed out at Noah for eating the last package of fruit snacks, Ed made a split second decision.

"We're going away for the weekend," he said, "Pack a bag."

Taken aback, Olivia and the kids exchanged stunned glances. "Where are we going?" Olivia asked.

"I don't know," Ed replied, "I'll figure it out while you get packed."

A whirlwind of activity ensued. The kids loudly ran about, rife with verbal speculation about where they were going and what they would do. Certainly there would be a pool, so swimsuits were a must. Wait. It was only Thursday. Tomorrow was a school day.

"Dad!" Maggie shouted into the master bedroom from her doorway. "What about school?"

"We're calling in sick," Ed muttered loudly.

"Whooohooo! Skipping school!" Maggie's chanted "skipping school" a few more times but her voice faded away as she moved deeper into her bedroom.

"Are you okay?" Olivia asked her husband. She cocked her head and narrowed her eyes. Ed had a determined expression on his face as he methodically folded polo shirts and shorts.

"Yep," he replied, "We need to get outta here. Beach is too far away for a weekend but upstate's not."

"And school?"

"One day's not gonna kill them," Ed said matter-of-factly, "And I bet they're only writing about and talking about and learning about how hot it is and why it's so hot and making climate change activists out of them."

Olivia chuckled.

Ed softened a bit. "Sorry, Liv," he said gently, "Shouldn't have made that call without talking to you about it first. I-"

She rounded the bed and slid her arms around his waist, "It's the right move," she said, "I'm glad you're so decisive." She kissed his chin and patted his back pockets. "If you trust me to pack your bag...want to, um, book the hotel?"

"Of course I trust you," he replied, "Just, uh, not all sexy underwear, okay? This is a family trip."

Olivia laughed and gave him a playful shove. "I'll try to control myself."

Ed kissed her on the lips, "One hotel booking, with pool, coming up."

….

Caroline had been a rabid Yankees fan since she landed in the Bronx in the mid-Fifties, but Noah had not realized how devoted she was to her team until he sat next to her during a live game. Being in the stadium brought extra fervor to her cheers and jeers, and more than once Noah broke into giggles when Ed gently requested she sit down or calm down. The twins, who were old enough to pay attention to anything and everything, did exactly that and took in the sights and sounds while eating hot dogs and cotton candy. In the fourth inning they finally put on their baseball gloves and copied the players' habits of punching a balled fist into the heart of the leather.

"Gramma," Noah asked, "How come you know so much 'bout baseball?"

"I know a lot about everything," Caroline said, "But when I came to New York, one of the cheapest things to do was go to a ballgame. Wouldn't know it now." Caroline held up her beer, "Costs an arm and a leg now, but back when I was young, this was a good place to go with your friends or for a date."

"Who's your favorite player?"

"Dave Winfield."

Noah screwed up his face and reached for the program, but Caroline stopped him.

"Dave Winfield's from the Eighties," Caroline said, "The nineteen-eighties."

"Oh…"

"He had to fight through adversity, that means some hard times," Caroline said, "But he was a great Yankee. There are a lot of great Yankees, but he's my personal favorite."

"Didja get his autograph?" Noah asked.

"No...never did," Caroline replied, "Who's your favorite?"

Noah proceeded to name every Yankee who started that day and included reasoning for each one. Olivia listened, kept one eye on the twins and the other on the field, and chuckled to herself. Noah could never identify one favorite of anything. He had several best friends. His favorite food list was a mile long. Even he admitted the N train should have been his favorite subway line, but others-the F, the 6, and the C-also held a place in his heart because of where they led.

"Who's your favorite Yankee?" She asked Ed.

"Jeter," he replied without a second thought.

"Really?"

"Yeah. He redefined Yankee dominance in the modern era." Ed reached over and squeezed her elbow, the first body part he could grab. "That surprising?"

"A little," Olivia said, "I expected someone more...I don't know, either obscure, or...older."

"Mattingly comes in second," he said, "That make more sense?"

"Yes."

Ed grinned.

"For God's sake get another pitcher in there!" Caroline shouted, "You have a bullpen ready to go!"

"Ma!"

"GAHSAKES!" Wyatt shouted and heaved his body forward, a scowl on his face, exactly like his grandmother, "GAHSAKES! NEW PITCHER!"

Noah glanced at the screen showing the names of players warming up in the bullpen and shouted the name of the Yankees' ace closer.

"Not time for him yet," Caroline said.

"NEW PITCHER! NEW PITCHER!"

The Tucker crew was getting rowdy, but everyone around them agreed with the pitching change. Their energy matched the other fans'. The opposing team was within three runs and what had looked like a blowout was now turning into a nail biter. When the Yankees' manager finally stepped onto the field and asked for the ball, the crowd let out a collective sigh of relief and applauded the starter.

"Little break?" Noah asked.

"Yep," Ed replied, "New guy's gotta warm up."

"C'we get nachos?"

Ed grinned and twisted the bill of Noah's cap. "Yeah, bud, we can get nachos," he said, "Anything else?"

"Another beer, Eddie," Caroline said.

"Liv?"

"I'll steal some of Noah's nachos," she said, patting the back of Ed's leg and winking, "Thanks." Ed smirked. Olivia was pleased to see he apparently remembered one of their earliest dates which included an embarrassing nacho mishap. "Don't forget more napkins."

He shook his head and laughed. "Yeah," he said, "Good thinkin. Got it." A few minutes later at the concession stand, Ed took a half-inch stack of napkins and an idea popped into his head. He asked one of the attendants for a pen or a marker, and an expressionless twenty-something handed one over.

"Whatcha doin, Daddy?" Noah asked.

"Writing Mommy a note," Ed replied. He scrawled his message and handed back the pen.

"What's it say?"

Ed showed the napkin to Noah who read the words aloud. "You're a home run," a grin slowly formed on his face, "Love Ed. Daddy! Dat's a love letter!"

"Yep." Ed heard their number called and stepped forward for the tray. He handed a bag of popcorn to Noah and managed to carry the rest. "You gotta write love letters every once in a while. Remember that for when you're married."

"Kay, Daddy!"

…..

In Barba's office Olivia rubbed her temples and thanked Rafael for the second cup of coffee. She wished it were later-she would have requested a shot of the whiskey he kept in his bottom desk drawer-but it was barely ten a.m. Carl Rudnick was an hour into his twenty-five-to-life sentence, but Olivia did not feel any sense of accomplishment. Even though they got the bad guy in the end, the case exposed all the ways psychopaths could elude the system. She yawned and gulped the coffee now that it had cooled down. Barba, all business, was at his desk, ready to move on to other work. He and Olivia chatted about Rollins and the inevitable changes coming for the Manhattan SVU squad. Olivia hoped out loud she would be privy to some of the decisions. Barba snorted and muttered, "Don't count on it."

Olivia started to announce her exit when her phone vibrated on the table. After a double take, she picked up the call and said hello in hushed fashion. The caller, Ed Tucker, spoke in his normal voice, but Olivia had been around so much irritability in the past few days, his deep voice sounded almost soothing and maybe a bit cheerful.

"Hey there," he said, "Sorry to bother ya right after court, but, uh-" Olivia smiled. Hearing Ed Tucker nervous brought her great joy. "-uh, some Yankees tickets fell into my lap for tonight. I know it's last minute, but, uh, if you and Noah are free?"

Olivia desperately wanted a quiet night. She wanted to hang out with Noah and go to bed early, but, then again, she rarely slept well and Ed Tucker's offer was appealing. Different. And the ease with which he said "if you and Noah" thrilled her.

"Sure," she said, "What time?"

Ed assumed her overly professional tone was due to her being in the presence of one of her colleagues, so he kept the conversation short and to the point. "I'll come by your place at six?" He asked, "Want to head up there together?"

"Yes," Olivia said, "Talk to you later. And, thanks."

"Thank you. Lookin forward to it."

After the call, Olivia tried not to smile, but she needn't have worried. Barba was uninterested and used to Olivia taking calls in his presence. He half-heartedly asked if everything was okay, and Olivia replied that all was well. "Some shift juggling," she offered as an explanation which wasn't entirely untrue. She would have to duck out a couple hours earlier than she'd planned, but Fin would cover.

"I'm heading out," Olivia said with a sigh, "Glad this is over. For now."

Barba raised his eyebrows, "For now?"

"Guys like this...we can never rest. Not completely."

"Well I for one am going to forget about Yates and Rudnick, at least for tonight."

Olivia grinned, perhaps a little too widely, "Yeah," she said, "Me too."

…

Ed dove over Olivia and turned off her alarm. She always set it for an hour before they had to get the kids up, but, on this particular morning, she was slow to hit the snooze button and Ed wanted a few more minutes of peace and quiet in bed with his wife. He collected her into his arms, kissed her head, and closed his eyes.

"Don't let me sleep much longer," Olivia mumbled.

"I won't."

Olivia raised a hand to his face, "Unless, do you want…"

"You sound like you're tired," he said, "Sleep, Liv."

"Mmmm," she sighed and settled in more deeply against him.

Ed kept his eyes closed but was careful not to drift off to a deeper sleep. Olivia would be horrified if they had to drop off the twins or Noah late. Later, they would laugh together about it, but he wanted to save her the initial embarrassment if at all possible. Even with his eyes closed he could see her still-tanned arms. Her tank top creeping up above her belly button. A pair of threadbare boxers she'd saved from the purge pile sitting low on her hip. The thought of her and how sexy she was first thing in the morning kept him awake. He hoped she would be up for some mid-morning intimacy after they dropped off the twins.

A few minutes passed. Cognizant of time, Ed sat up a little, nudging Olivia into consciousness. Eventually she yawned and stretched and craned her head back for a morning kiss. "Hey," she said with a smile and her eyes barely open, "I guess I should get moving."

"Big day," Ed replied with some sass, "Dress shopping."

"Yes. And time with Sarah and Brooke. I feel like we've been so out of touch with them since the beach."

"Fall's busy."

"Yes it is." Olivia sat up and leaned forward, stretching her back. She paused for a second and glanced at the iPad monitor they still kept trained on the twins. Finding the apartment quiet and still, she turned to Ed, cocked an eyebrow, and suggested they get in the shower.

"Sure."

Inside the bathroom, under the steamy water, Ed wasted no time waking Olivia up. He lavished affection all over her body, grinning when she moaned and cooed and cried out. They had not had many opportunities for this type of intimacy since they'd returned from the beach, and they savored every sensual minute. Sated and swaying together, Ed grabbed Olivia's shampoo bottle and started washing her hair one-handed, not wanting to totally let go of her.

"Mmm," Olivia eventually tilted her head back as Ed massaged her scalp, "You're so good at this."

Ed smirked and kissed below her ear.

"I love it," he said, "I just wish I was allowed to use this shampoo and conditioner. It. Smells. So. Good."

Olivia swatted at his torso, "You can use it."

"Last time I did you gave me a look."

"A look?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry about the look, whatever that is," Olivia said, "You can use anything in here, Ed Tucker."

"I dunno," Ed replied, "I think I like it better if it's just for you."

Olivia shrugged. "Whatever makes you happy, sir."

Ed smirked. "I think you know what that is."

"Yes," Olivia replied, "Yes I do."

….

It was like old times. Olivia, Sarah, and Brooke slid into a booth at a SoHo bar/restaurant after an afternoon of benefit dress shopping. With the event only a week away, Sarah took a day off, Brooke stashed Sofia with Sonny's mother, and, at the Tucker home, Ed handled the two school pick-ups and after school snacks. Olivia was relieved when she read a text of his that reported the twins received glowing accolades for their behavior and performance at preschool. Joking about the twins being feared by teachers was fun, but Olivia desperately did not want the hypothetical, hilarious scenarios to become reality.

"No detention? No sitting in the corner in a dunce cap?" Brooke asked.

Sarah giggled, "Omigod, omigod...the terrible Tucker twins."

"No," Olivia said with a smile, "They're good. At least for today. This whole week, actually. They can go back Monday."

"So funny," Brooke said, "Do they like it?"

"They do," Olivia replied, "I think they might be a little bored sometimes because they know letters and numbers, but they always talk about the songs and the centers and the little projects they do-last week they made straw towers and it was all Wyatt could talk about for a couple of days."

"Are they playing with other kids?" Sarah asked.

Olivia chuckled, "No, not really. The teacher asked if we wanted her to encourage them to branch out a little, but we said no. I don't want to force it. Might be the wrong answer from a child development perspective, but it doesn't feel right."

Sarah and Brooke both nodded and smiled in agreement, and an appreciative expression formed on Olivia's face. The girls' appearances had barely changed over the years she'd known them. Sarah still radiated bubbly energy and, outside of work, styled her blonde hair in a messy ponytail or bun. Brooke continued to be the more subdued and levelheaded of the two of them, but she'd shed some of the stress and strain caused by the string of terrible events she'd endured a couple of years ago.

Olivia realized both Brooke and Ed had birthdays coming up very soon. With the benefit on the horizon, she hadn't given much thought to the celebrations, which the family often held together. Next week, she told herself, that'll be for next week.

"Well," Sarah said, "Miss Maggie will have to survive on her own a couple of days, right? With Wyatt filming again?"

"Probably," Olivia said, "But right now everything for him is scheduled in the afternoon."

"I can't wait to see him on the screen again," Brooke said, "He did such a good job."

"Gahhhh, he's a movie star," Sarah said. "I love it."

"His career will be short-lived," Olivia said firmly, "This is it. As soon as this series is over, no more."

"I totally don't blame you," Brooke said, "But it is exciting."

"And I need that show to last a while," Sarah added, "It's so good. I'm glad it got picked up again."

"Me too," Olivia said, "The stories are important."

"Are you going to consult, too?" Brooke asked.

"Yes. And I'm going to ask Rafael Barba to come on board for a few sessions. He has a lot of insight from the ADA perspective."

"Love him," Sarah said.

"He's a good guy," Olivia said.

The waiter brought a tray of drinks and the appetizer they'd ordered right away. He offered to hang up their garment bags, and Sarah flashed a grateful smile. "Thank you," she said, "We'd really appreciate it." He walked away with the empty tray and the hangers looped over an index finger. "I think I'm going to get mine dry cleaned first. Want me to take yours?" Her eyes were wide as if she were asking a question far more serious than the one she'd posed.

Olivia and Brooke both took her up on the offer.

"We're going to be stunning," Sarah said, "Love the jewel tones. Thanks for going along with that. The pictures are going to be amazing! Now...we need to get Daddy into a tie that matches your dress."

"I don't think that'll be a problem," Olivia replied confidently.

Sarah giggled, "No, I suppose not. Oh, hey, does Noey have his suit?"

"He does. And new shoes."

"Omigod, omigod, omigod."

"Yes," Olivia continued, "And G apparently mentioned something about him being her assistant, so he's very much ready to serve in that role. I hope I can find a way to gently explain to him she was just being nice...I don't want him to be in the way."

"Livvie, Noey has been to work with me. He is remarkably good around adults who are working. And very helpful actually."

"Maybe it'll work out for the best," Olivia replied, "This isn't a kids' event. Noah kind of always...was going...we never discussed it...but maybee running around backstage is a good thing."

"We can take turns shadowing him," Brooke said.

Olivia reached over and squeezed both their hands. "You two are the best," she said, "Thank you...for always trying to make things easier for me. For us. I really appreciate it."

"That's what family's for!" Sarah said.

"Exactly," Brooke added.

"You're right," Olivia said softly and grabbed her glass, "Cheers to that."

….

#Tuckson