The Final Chapter-Reckoning
Cameras flashed incessantly and reporters suddenly fell silent as the four sharply-dressed public servants marched onto the stage. They made a fine-looking quartet.
The new chief cleared his throat and stepped to the podium. His baritone voice reverberated throughout the hushed auditorium as he introduced the panel.
"From the Internal Affairs Bureau, Captain Ed Tucker." Tucker remained expressionless as he stared into the press corps.
"We also have Assistant District Attorney Rafael Barba." Barba nodded. His nostrils flared with a combination of anger and annoyance. Anger because the widespread criminal behavior pervading among the ranks of NYPD enraged him and annoyance because Benson and Tucker looked nearly identical in their black suits and white shirts. Sure, Tucker wore a tie, but the color nearly matched Benson's robin's egg blue earrings. Barba couldn't help but assume the tie was an Olivia purchase since he knew Tucker to prefer a relatively conservative color palette.
"And, to my left is Lieutenant Olivia Benson of SVU." Benson pressed her lips together. Her serious, downcast expression conveyed no false pretense of hope. Everyone in the room knew this would be ugly news.
The chief invited Olivia to speak first. "During the course of the investigation relating to the deaths of Jarvis Lewis and James Hayes the Special Victims Unit continually found the evidence trail leading to a pair of New York City police officers, Benjamin Cartwright and Michael Dunmore. The two officers were volunteers at the Police Empowering People Athletic Academy in Harlem and knew the boys through its lacrosse program. Yesterday, SVU detectives arrested both officers without incident."
Tucker was next. "As of their arrests, both officers have been suspended without pay as per NYPD policy, and IAB will continue to examine evidence related both to this case and previous cases to determine the extent of the officers' misconduct. We will provide no further information until the probe is complete. Considering both men have over a decade of combined experience, it could be a while until IAB's next update. We ask for your patience."
Finally, Barba ticked off a lengthy list of charges including first degree murder, drug trafficking, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The two officers had been arraigned and the judge, considering the gravity of the charges and Barba's argument that they each may have hidden assets, remanded them to Rikers.
The chief refused to allow questions, and he ushered his team from the stage. Once they were out of earshot and not in view of the cameras, he checked his watch. "Lunch?" He asked casually, as if they had wrapped up a friendly meet-and-greet rather than just having informed the world that, in addition to being corrupt, two NYPD cops were also child killers.
Benson absolutely did not want to sit down to lunch with this mix of people. "I should really get back to the precinct. We're short staffed as it is."
Barba and Tucker both tried to sidle their way out of it, too, but the chief was not taking no for an answer.
"We won't be long," he assured them, "C'mon. My treat."
Benson, frustrated by this forced interaction, shot Tucker a look of dread. His eyes drooped sarcastically but also with resignation. They were trapped.
Barba noticed the nonverbal interaction and he stiffened. This could potentially be the least enjoyable lunch of his life.
The chief led them to a nearby Vietnamese restaurant which he raved about for the entirety of the five minute walk. Tucker raised his eyebrows as they walked in. The place was tiny. Quiet. Too brightly lit.
A jovial woman greeted him by name. "Chief Wilkins! Hello! Back again!"
"Yes, and I brought friends. Can we sit over there?" He pointed to the only table near a window.
"Absolutely!"
After learning none of his lunch buddies were Vietnamese cuisine aficionados, the chief suggested he order for the table and Benson, Barba, and Tucker all nodded their consent. On the way they'd passed at least two bars, one, The Whiskey Tavern, was a favorite stop of Tucker's and he desperately wished he and Olivia could excuse themselves and hunker down there for the rest of the afternoon. Instead, he was set to eat unfamiliar food and make uncomfortable small talk in the shabby interior of this restaurant that seemed to be popular only with SVU's top lawman.
Tucker entertained himself by occasionally touching his shoe to Olivia's boot. He liked seeing her shoulders tense and her face tighten as she tried not to laugh.
"Well, the Commissioner certainly is pleased," Chief Wilkins said, "but, Tucker, we need to make sure we fully vet all allegations, even frivolous ones, from here on out. NYPD needs an image boost. We've had a rough couple of months."
Benson was annoyed not only by Ed's under-the-table antics but also by Wilkins implying that Tucker needed to be reminded to take charges against cops seriously. There were obviously dozens of people in the city who needed that reminder, but Tucker certainly was not one of them. Besides, the two cops were targeted because of SVU's investigation, not the other way around.
"Hopefully they'll take pleas," Barba thought aloud in his clipped voice. "It would save their families and the city a long and painful trial."
"Don't let them off easy," the chief instructed.
"Of course not."
The chief switched gears. "So, plans for the weekend?" He asked brightly.
Negative nods all around.
Tucker kicked Benson again. He had plans for her. She shot him a quick sideways glare.
Wilkins didn't mind carrying the bulk of the conversational load, "Well, just so you know, if you're ever interested, I have a boat, and with the weather warming up I'll be taking it out more and more. You're welcome to join me."
Seriously? Benson thought.
"Thanks," Tucker croaked, trying unsuccessfully to sound grateful.
"Where's it docked?"
"Inwood."
"A friend of mine has his slip there."
Ed and Olivia sat back in their chairs, relieved that Barba and the chief had found common ground and they could perhaps be ignored. They were finished eating, but the chief did not seem like he was in a hurry to leave. Tucker let his thoughts wander to later when he and Olivia would be alone in her bedroom. He mentally outlined his routine; the details were best improvised in the heat of the moment.
Finally, the chief paid the bill and they left.
Outside, Tucker gallantly placed a hand on Olivia's back and turned her in the direction of his office. "Lieutenant, I'll give you a lift back to the precinct."
"Thank you."
"Well," Wilkins shook their hands, "Great work. Let's keep it up. But first have a nice weekend. Don't forget about the boat. Standing offer."
Tucker and Benson broke off from the group and briskly walked away, stifling their snickers for at least a block.
"Right, like we're going to spend weekends on his boat," Olivia said sarcastically.
"What is he trying to do?" Tucker asked, dumbfounded by Wilkins' generosity and overall pleasant nature.
"I have no idea."
"We're not going. Ever."
"We?"
"Yes," he said confidently, "Me, you, and Noah. We are never going on the chief's boat."
Olivia intentionally bumped into him as they walked, "I like the 'we,' Tucker."
Instead of answering he gazed over at her intensely, a little smirk on his face. A pleasant chill fluttered through Olivia's body; Tucker's facial expressions could ignite all kinds of powerful emotions within her.
"So…tonight?" She had been thinking ahead, too.
"I'll be there," Tucker said. "I'm going to take a run up to Narcotics and then I may just head home. Are you planning on staying late?"
"I hope not."
"Keep me posted."
….
For once, Manhattan SVU was having a slow day—a fortuitous reward for working so diligently to bring some sense of justice to the families of Jarvis and James. Olivia arrived at the precinct to find her detectives bantering back and forth in between bites of Chinese take-out.
"You looked good on TV, Liv," Fin complimented her as soon as she walked in.
"Thanks," she replied, "Anything going on?"
"Just buttoning up the reports," Carisi answered cheerfully, "They're ready for Barba and IAB."
This time, mention of Ed's department prompted no sly glances or awkward reactions.
"Ok, great work. Chief Wilkins is very happy and sends his congratulations. We still have a trial ahead of us, but Barba thinks the evidence is strong enough to get a plea."
"Good deal," Fin said.
"Lieutenant, we're leaving Fin to mind the fort," Rollins said, "and we're going to have a drink. Why don't you come with us?"
"And bring Captain Tucker," Carisi's impromptu invitation caused all three pairs of eyes to widen. Carisi, of course, had been informed of the turbulent history between Tucker and SVU, but he optimistically lived in the present, and Tucker had impressed him during the hostage crisis. Sonny actually admired the guy and saw him as a potential mentor much like he viewed Barba.
Olivia did her best to sound normal. "I'll check with him."
…..
When he saw the text, Tucker did a double take.
Having a drink with Rollins and Carisi in an hour. Your presence is requested.
"It's not possible this is happening twice in one day," he said out loud to himself. Two awkward social outings in the space of a few hours?
There was nothing to do but laugh.
Tucker wanted to decline, but his desire to make Olivia happy outweighed his reluctance. After all, she asked, and she probably could have found some reason to leave him out of it.
Time and Place?
She immediately responded with the details.
He had ended up going back to IAB after speaking briefly with Dunmore's superiors in Narcotics. This was going to be a long, intricate investigation, but he was ready, eager to do his job and do it well. For now though, he sat back and placidly looked around his office. Stark. Sterile. Ordinary.
Maybe it was time to put Benson's photo on his desk.
Maybe.
….
When Tucker arrived, Benson, Carisi, and Rollins were well into their first drinks. The three of them were seated at a high top table adjacent to the bar. While he was not totally at ease, access to alcohol and the ambiance of a low-key pub made him significantly more comfortable than he'd been at lunch.
Rollins, facing the entrance, spotted him first and offered a little wave.
Carisi turned, and he, too, waved at Tucker and eagerly called out to him, "Captain! Over here!"
Olivia hopped out of her chair and greeted him with a casual hug, "Thanks for coming," she said softly.
He wasn't expecting the physical contact, so he didn't exactly return the affection. He would explain and apologize later.
"Thanks for the invite," he replied graciously.
Their server came over to take Tucker's drink order. He pointed to Olivia's glass. "I'll have one of those, but no ice. Neat."
"Captain, I don't envy you. I think this thing with the cops, it's just the tip of the iceberg," Carisi spoke to Ed like a teenager would speak to a rock star.
Ed acknowledged his point. "Let's hope not," he grumbled, "but…you're right. It could get even nastier." Tucker's drink was delivered. He thanked the waiter and raised the glass, "Cheers."
"To SVU and IAB," Carisi suggested.
"And the weekend," Rollins added.
"And to Fin, may he not have to call us," Olivia joked.
They clinked glasses and drank. The awkward air subsided and for the next hour or so they were just four cops unwinding after a particularly trying week. The topics of conversation, mostly directed by Sonny, moved seamlessly back and forth between their work and personal lives. Carisi told sweet stories about his gigantic family and Rollins reported in on Jessie. They gossiped a little about Dodds, mostly just to make the point that his father had put him in the worst imaginable position both professionally and personally. Olivia had already told Ed privately that she didn't think Dodds would be long for the NYPD world. She speculated he'd move and get a fresh start elsewhere.
Most important for Ed, though, was Olivia's behavior towards him. Unwilling to obscure her affection any longer, she let down her guard. When he was overly cynical, she rubbed his forearm in an attempt to dial back his intensity. When Rollins complemented his tie and he blushed a little, Olivia playfully slapped his back and revealed that it was a gift from her.
"He needs some shine in his life, right?" Olivia explained light-heartedly, "Some variety, some color."
"It's very appropriate for spring, Captain. Looks good," Carisi groveled. Rollins rolled her eyes at him and he flashed a sassy smile back at her.
Ed sweetly thanked Olivia for bringing shine and color into his life, leaned over, and kissed her on the cheek. There, he thought to himself, that made up for the miscue on the hug.
Carisi and Rollins took the PDA in stride. Seeing their boss so purely blissful made them happy and made it easier to leave the past in the past.
The server came and offered another round, but Olivia shook her head. "We should go. I want to get home to Noah."
Rollins looked at Carisi, "One more?"
Carisi agreed.
Ed put down two fifty-dollar bills. "On me."
"Thank you Captain," Carisi said sincerely. "I'll get it next time!"
Ed smiled, actually smiled, at him. Surprisingly enough, Tucker believed there would be a next time.
He and Olivia linked arms and leaned against one another as they stepped out into bustling rush hour foot traffic.
…
As soon as Noah heard a key in the door, he scampered to meet his mom and his Tuck. He hugged both their legs before Olivia picked him up and covered him with kisses. "Hel-lo, Noah, we missed you today," she gushed, hugging him to her tightly.
Tucker said hello to Lucy and moved to the kitchen where he deposited the two bags of Italian food he'd been carrying. He grabbed the glass he had used that morning and poured himself some water from the refrigerator dispenser. There were two bottles of wine on the rack, but he held off on opening one. After three or four bourbons, it would probably be a good idea to put an end to the evening's alcohol consumption.
Olivia and Ed changed into jeans and tee shirts, and they ate on the couch. Noah split his time between his plate of plain spaghetti and his toys which Olivia typically did not allow, but she made an exception on this unexpectedly festive Friday night.
"So we were one-for-two today," Ed assessed, "Lunch was awful. But it was good to hang out with Rollins and Carisi."
Olivia chuckled a little bit at the thought of their lunch. "Did you even eat anything? It seemed like you were just staring, and kicking me, the entire time."
"I did. It was ok," he replied and then broached a touchy subject, "You and Barba…are things…any better?"
Olivia frowned, "We're speaking to one another if you consider that better. We've talked. I explained. Justified. Even told him I understood why he did what he did. I get it, I really do, but…"
"It's me." Tucker was no fool. He knew the ADA's problem was rooted in good old-fashioned jealousy.
Sadness momentarily clouded her face, "I think so. That relationship will never be the same and it will take the longest to repair." It troubled her knowing her chummy partnership with Barba would never be as close and tight as it had become over the past several years; she could only hope that it could somehow be reconfigured.
Tucker put his plate on the coffee table. "Hey," he half-whispered, reaching over to stroke the side of her face, "Can you blame him? It must be hell to be in love with you and not be able to do this." He leaned over and kissed her. He pulled back just a bit and stared at her, his eyes oozing with flirtation and desire.
Olivia took a deep breath. "Ed…"
"What?" He smirked. God, he was sexy when he made that face.
Tucker usually struggled to find the perfect words to describe his feelings for her, but now it was her turn to scavenge for the ideal language. "You amaze me every day," she said, her voice cracking a little as she tried to hold back tears.
It was quite possibly the best compliment he had ever received.
…
A little while later, Olivia scooped up Noah and announced it was bedtime. "Say goodnight to Tuck," she instructed.
"Night, Tuck," he said drowsily and reached out for Tucker.
Ed took him from Olivia and wrapped him in a tender hug. "Night buddy. Pancakes tomorrow for breakfast."
Noah smiled as Ed passed him back to Olivia.
"Come on, sweet boy." She then looked back at Ed, "You wanna turn everything off out here and meet me back there?" She tilted her head toward the bedroom.
Another smirk.
Ed got to work flipping off the television and the lamps, leaving only the kitchen night light on.
In her room, he slid out of his jeans, tossed them on the easy chair, and stretched out on her bed with his hands clasped behind his head. He closed his eyes, feeling the weight of the day, the alcohol, and the food bearing down, threatening to send him into a deep slumber before Olivia returned.
His eyes were still shut when Olivia kissed him. "Are you asleep?"
"No," he mumbled, still not opening his eyes.
Olivia kissed his forehead, both sides of his face, and then started on his neck. Ed remained still, fatigued, and also playing a little hard-to-get. "Captain," she whispered provocatively, "I think you want to stay awake a little while longer."
He opened his eyes to find her already disrobed, straddling him, hair pulled back, and necklace hanging down seductively. "Well, hello," he drawled. Ed reached up with both hands, and ran his fingers from her shoulders, across her breasts and her waist, then lower, probing her vagina a little, teasing, before he pulled her down and zealously kissed her, suddenly energetic and finding a second wind.
Olivia tugged his boxers down around his knees and Ed did the rest, kicking them off. Her fingers scratched his chest as she slid them under his shirt. They stopped kissing only long enough for Olivia to fling the shirt from Ed's body and onto the floor. Tucker tried to talk, to enhance the experience with amorous repartee, but their kisses became more and more aggressive. He did manage to gasp "Olivia" a couple of times.
"Tucker, I need you right now," she urged.
He, too, was at the peak of arousal, senses heightened. Olivia's face contorted with satisfaction as he guided himself into her, and she bobbed up and down slowly and deliberately at first before moving at a more vigorous pace.
Ed drew in breath with sharp gasps as he felt himself swelling more and more inside of her. "Oh. My. God. Benson. Olivia," he held her tightly at the hips and she alternated between leaning back and bracing herself against his thighs and tilting forward, digging her fingers into his pecs.
Ed liked to be on top when he came. Olivia knew this, so she offered no resistance when he took her in his arms and flipped positions. His muscles tensed and Olivia grasped his firm biceps as he thrust himself in her as deeply as possible. He reached down to fondle her clitoris, and he felt her back arch and her body quiver as the orgasm engulfed her. A few more thrusts and he, too, climaxed, staring straight into her eyes, trying to convey his love, passion, and appreciation for this moment and every other time they had made love.
Tucker lay sprawled on top of her, partially propped up on his elbows but mostly letting his body rest on Benson's. He brushed damp strands of hair from her forehead and beamed at her, sated, content, and replete with love and happiness. "You are so unbelievable," he murmured in his gravelly voice again finding the need to remind himself that this was real life.
Olivia was starting to get used to the idea of Tucker as a fixture in her life, but that didn't mean she was any less astonished by how right it felt to be with him both in bed and out in the world doing normal things like going for breakfast on Saturday mornings. As she often did, she flipped through their timeline in her head—the tumultuous first decade, a few years of gradual détente, and then, recently, when the enemy became the ally…and eventually the lover. This was not torture nor was it unhealthy; reckoning with the past deepened Olivia's appreciation for what she had now. With previous partners she had always held something back emotionally, feeling the need to maintain a steely exterior while also shouldering the burden of being the rock in the relationship. With Ed she could be vulnerable without losing her confidence; she could expend copious amounts of energy loving him without questioning whether or not he would reciprocate. It would take time before this cloak of permanence felt less like a novelty and more like the status quo, but she embraced the change—she hadn't even realized she wanted it—and she welcomed the notion that Tucker added an extra layer of completion to her life.
Olivia caressed the back of his head. "You make me so incredibly happy, Ed," she told him sincerely, so much so that Ed thought it might have been the first time she'd said those words to anyone. "I never want to let you go."
He ran an index finger across her lips before he kissed them. "You'll never have to, Liv," he assured her, and then repeated himself for emphasis.
"You'll never have to."
The End! I hope you've enjoyed Picking Up the Pieces…Now for the exciting part—comparing the story and what actually happens with canon! Can't wait for #UnholiestAlliance, but I hope the stories have helped fill the #SVUHiatus! Comments or suggestions? Review here or on Twitter fid2916