Slightly shorter than the first chapter! I really enjoyed writing this chapter, I like writing sweet scenes like this. I don't know if I can ever bring myself to write angst about these two, considering all that Olivia has been through in the series. I just don't know if I can do it...they deserve happiness, no? Anyway, hope you enjoy it :)

Olivia backed out of Noah's room quietly, pulling the door almost shut and breathing a sigh of relief. Asleep, finally. Running a hand through her hair, Olivia headed down the hallway to the living area. It had taken a little over an hour to get Noah to settle; an overtired 3 year old with an upset stomach is never a good combination, and Noah was always clingy when he didn't feel well. Between the stack of paper work on her desk this morning and looking after a sick child all afternoon, Olivia felt like she hadn't had one minute to herself to sit down and breathe. She'd been pretty relieved when Ed had offered to cook dinner for the three of them, even though Noah had barely touched his mac 'n cheese.

Ed looked up from the corner of the couch as Olivia shuffled back into the room. They'd had a difficult hostage case yesterday that had involved a five year old girl, who, luckily, had been rescued unharmed. Her mother, unfortunately, suffered fatal head wounds while protecting her daughter. Ed knew any case with a child was difficult for Olivia, but this one was different - he could see the light disappearing from her eyes with every passing minute that had passed without an agreement with the hostage taker. He'd managed, 7 hours into the siege, to talk the perp into releasing the child - 3 hours after her mother had died in front of her. Once the girl was out, Ed had sent the SWAT team in, and they'd promptly taken down their target. Ed had dropped Olivia home soon after, watching as she had wrapped Noah up in her arms and held him like that for what seemed an eternity.

"C'mere." Ed said quietly, putting the book he had been leafing through onto the side table and holding his hand out for Olivia. She stood where she was, her eyes staring at Ed without focusing on him; finally feeling the devastation of the recent hostage case and the exhaustion of the few hours sleep she'd had over the last 36 hours finally catching up with her. Sighing, Olivia managed to gather up the strength to walk the few feet to the couch and allowed herself to collapse next to Ed, feeling his strong arm wrap around her shoulders and pull her into his side.

"Noah didn't wanna sleep?"

Olivia laughed softly, shaking her head into his shoulder. "He fought it with every blink. I hate it when he's sick."

Ed gave her a gentle, reassuring squeeze. He'd hated witnessing Noah in pain almost as much as she had. "I know. It's hard seeing your kid in pain, knowing there's not much you can do." Ed paused quickly, wondering if she'd picked up on the words he'd just said. He hadn't meant to imply that Noah was…his.

Olivia lifted her head to see Ed staring down at her, apprehension filling his face. She smiled a soft, small smile; the kind that crinkled slightly at the corner of her mouth and filled Ed's heart with a sense of dare he say it, love that he hadn't felt in a long time.

"Noah's lucky, to have you looking out for him, too." Olivia brought a hand up to rest on Ed's chest, letting her head fall back to its comfortable position against his shoulder.

Ed exhaled slowly, relief flooding his body. Just a few weeks ago, when this was new and mostly physical, he hadn't thought he would come to care for Olivia and Noah as much as he had. They were his family now. He loved them. Bending his head, Ed kissed Olivia's hair, breathing in the scent of the coconut shampoo she had used this morning. A scent that was beginning to feel like home.

"Thanks for cooking dinner. I had no idea you were so good at making comfort food." Olivia murmured, tracing lines up and down his muscular chest.

Ed laughed, shifting his body slightly to wrap around Olivia's, bringing his other hand to rest on her thigh. "Just one of my many talents."

Olivia laughed, curling her body into his in response. "You certainly are a man of many talents Captain Tucker. Good thing I gave you a key so you could get into it."

Ed nodded against her, his cheek now lying on her head. They'd briefly touched on the subject of sharing house keys, but they hadn't really talked about it when she'd given him a key - she'd just given it to him. She'd been in a bit of a hurry with one of her cases two weeks ago and had passed it to him in the corridor, calling out a hurried "we'll talk about it properly later!" as she'd dashed off with Finn and Carisi to arrest a suspect. They'd planned for him to meet her at home that night, but he'd decided, in the interests of her sleep schedule, to take a rain check. He'd left her with a goodnight kiss outside her door after walking her home. Today was the first time he'd used the key, letting himself in earlier in the day before Olivia arrived home with a sick Noah.

"I can give it back…if you want. If this is too fast." Ed murmured, squeezing her thigh with his hand.

Olivia shook her head slightly, facing him and bringing a hand up to stroke the side of his face, his stubble rough beneath her fingers. "Are you kidding? I trust you. I trust you with Noah. I want you to be in our lives, and that means having a key to this house. I want us to-"

Ed cut her off then, pressing a firm kiss to her soft lips, taking her top lip between his and sucking it gently. Olivia kissed him back tenderly, flicking her tongue into his mouth and tracing his top lip like she knew he enjoyed. Pausing for breath, they pulled away from each other, Olivia holding Ed's face close, their noses almost touching. Ed smiled, pressing a light kiss to her mouth again and murmuring, "It's done."

They stayed like that for a few minutes, before Ed moved out from beside Olivia, standing up from the couch and moving to be in front of her. Holding out his hands, he motioned for her to join him. Olivia reached out for his firm hands and let him pull her up. Bending down to the coffee table, Ed found the radio remote and flicked on a random station. A Beatles tune played through the speakers, and Ed stood up again, leading Olivia out from between the couch and the table, and wrapping his arms around her waist. She, in turn, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and rest her chin on his shoulder, breathing in his musky cologne. Together they began to slow dance, Ed leading them in small circles, their bodies moving in harmony together.

"This is nice." Olivia breathed into his shirt, brushing her fingers up and down the side of his neck. She hadn't enjoyed the feel of any other man against her as much as she enjoyed the feel of Ed's body against her, especially in these close, intimate moments. She was appreciative of the fact he enjoyed just holding her as much as she did him.

Ed hummed in agreement; it was the little moments like this, and breakfast time with Noah, and the three of them curling up on the couch for a movie night, that he was beginning to enjoy the most. God, though the physical side of things was amazing, and their minds bounced off each other like magnets were attracted to each other, he still couldn't fathom that he was the one allowed to hold Olivia during these quiet moments. That he was allowed to see her in these tender, vulnerable moments; and that she wanted him there.

"I'm glad you appreciate my sub-par dance moves." Ed chuckled quietly, tightening his arms around her waist, revealing in the warmth her body exuded.

"Guess you're just exhausted from cooking…" Olivia joked, turning her head to press a light kiss to Ed's neck. "You can't be perfect all the time."

"Hey now, I try." Ed whispered in return, enjoying the light banter between them.

Olivia didn't respond, instead allowing the peacefulness of the room to envelope them, the song coming to an end. They revolved slowly in circles for the next two songs, Ed humming along in places, a sound that soothed Olivia's soul and caused the exhaustion to be momentarily forgotten. Olivia felt the vibrations from his Adam's apple through the skin of his neck, making her nose tingle. She breathed him in again, thinking to herself that this was the most peace she had felt for a long time. Ed brought a hand up to toy with Olivia's hair, their bodies so close you couldn't discern where one ended and the other began.

"Thank you."

If the current song hadn't been ending, Ed was sure he would have missed her whispered words. He pulled back slightly, to look her in the eyes. "For what?"

Olivia felt her lips curl into a smile as she looked at the man in her arms, the man who had so willingly dived in to their lives and made himself at home.

"For loving us."

Ed leaned in to kiss Olivia on the forehead, closing his eyes and steeling himself to say the words he hadn't said to anybody in a very long time. But this was it, she was his and he was hers, in every sense of the words.

"I do. I do love you, Olivia."

Olivia bit her lip, feeling his words rush over her like the safe haven she hadn't been aware she'd been seeking. She knew this was it, for both of them, and Noah. This was family.

"I love you, too."

If I fell in love with you
would you promise to be true?
And help me understand
'cos I've been in love before
and I found that love was more
than just holding hands.