Be My Valentine, Part I!

Brooke scanned the living room for evidence. Ed would be there soon to pick up Noah, and she still hadn't mentioned her new beau to anyone other than Sarah. However, even her little sister remained in the dark about the man's identity. Brooke still felt the relationship was too casual to be revealed and she fretted about Ed's reaction.

Sarah thought her decision to withhold all of this information was ridiculous. "He's not a serial killer or a druggie, is he?" She asked earlier when they FaceTimed.

"Of course not," Brooke answered.

"Then I don't see the reason for all this secrecy."

Sarah was probably right. Brooke was creating mystery and drama, but if the relationship wasn't serious, she didn't see the need to upset everyone's normalcy. She did wish she could talk to Olivia about it, but there was no way Brooke was going to ask her to keep such an important secret from her husband.

Satisfied the room was devoid of anything incriminating, Brooke repacked Noah's bag. In went the matchbox cars, the preschool folder, his lunchbox, and the two coloring books she bought for him on their way home that afternoon. Noah looked up from the iPad. "We going bye-bye Brookey?"

"You are. Daddy's coming to get you." Brooke wet a kitchen towel and dabbed at a circle of pizza sauce on Noah's light blue long-sleeved polo. "I hope this doesn't stain. This shirt looks new."

"This is a new shirt. Mommy got it for me."

"Then we might be in trouble."

Noah's eyes widened. "Go to timeout?"

"Does Daddy put you in timeout?" This was a very un-Tuckerlike punishment, besides, Brooke had trouble picturing him disciplining Noah in any way. Ed playfully criticized her and Sarah for spoiling Noah, but he was just as bad, if not worse.

She swore Noah scoffed at her for even suggesting Ed would put him in timeout. "No," he answered.

"Who puts you in timeout?"

"Mommy."

"Do your teachers put you in timeout?"

Noah appeared shocked she would even ask. "No. Peter goes to time out. And Michael, too. I'm on green." Noah dug his school folder out of the bag, ruining Brooke's neat packing job in the process. He took out a January calendar labeled Behavior, "See?"

Sure enough, all days were filled in with green highlighter over smiley faces. Noah was officially a good citizen.

"That's so great, No. Be a good boy at school so you're not like my students when you get older."

"You give kids timeout?"

"Yes, it's called detention." Noah struggled to comprehend the word, so Brooke explained further. "It's when the bad kids stay after school in a room and they have to be quiet."

Brooke watched Noah's face contort as he grasped the concept. He started to say something, but the sound of the door opening distracted him.

"Daddy!" Noah sprinted into Ed's arms. He was getting bigger and the force of the collision made Ed have to step backwards to maintain balance.

"Hey big guy! Did you have a good day?"

"Uh-huh."

Ed noticed the spot on his shirt, "I see you ate something red?"

"Pizza!"

Ed wasn't concerned. "TJ will get it out."

"Who's TJ?" Brooke asked.

"Dry cleaner."

"You're on a first name basis with the dry cleaner?"

Ed didn't see how this would surprise Brooke, "I've been going to the same place for years. Of course I am."

"Does Olivia have her own or did she switch to yours?"

"She switched to mine. She wasn't as, uh, attached to her guy."

Brooke was amused. "That's nice of her."

"Yeah, it was." Ed put Noah down and zipped the Thomas backpack. He noticed the edges around the exterior pockets were becoming frayed and made a mental note to get him a new one soon. "Listen, Brooke, I need a favor and I feel bad asking, but…"

"What is it Daddio?"

"Valentine's Day is coming up, and," He held out his hand, palm facing her, "I don't want you to think I'm assuming you have nothing to do, but I really want to take Olivia out. Can you watch Noah? We won't be late. It's a Tuesday."

Brooke had no plans yet, so she agreed to babysit. If something came up she could always suggest they wait for the weekend. Her work schedule required her to leave the apartment by six-thirty most mornings, so she usually avoided going out during the week anyway. Ed thanked her profusely. "I really appreciate it, Brooke."

"It's your first Valentine's Day as a married couple," she reasoned, "You have to do something special."

"Yeah, I know. Now that I have child care, I can plan."

Brooke watched Ed help Noah with his parka and knit dinosaur cap. The hat had orange spikes across the top and was a little big so it partially covered his eyes. Ed patted the coat pockets, found his mittens, and slid them on. She imagined how Sarah, if she were here, would not be able to control her emotions and would launch into a litany of her signature omigods. Brooke was not as effusive with her feelings, but a lump formed in her throat as she witnessed the mundane but very tender routine.

"Tie the strings, Daddy."

Ed tied the hat strings loosely under his chin. "Ready?"

Noah hugged Brooke's leg. "Bye Brookey."

"Bye No. Love you."

"Love you, sissy."

Ed cast an inquisitive glance at Brooke. Sissy?

"We FaceTimed with Sarah," Brooke explained. "That's how she signed off."

Ed rolled his eyes, "I don't get how she can talk like a three-year-old and hold down a corporate job."

"You can ask her next weekend," Brooke said, "Jeff's going skiing so she's coming."

Ed forced a smile. Sarah's frequent solo trips to New York worried him; this would be her third visit since the wedding which was just five weeks ago. "Great," he muttered, "We'll all have to do something Friday or Saturday night. I forget which one Liv has off, but I'll let you know."

Noah, with Ed's assistance, shouldered his backpack and they left. On the street, Ed held his mittened hand as they walked side by side towards home. He stared straight ahead, squinting against the frigid evening air, jaw set, an air of confident aloofness about him. Noah, too, walked with as much purpose as a kid in a dinosaur hat could project. Most people they passed paid them no attention, but a few folks smiled approvingly at the smartly-dressed father-son duo strolling up Ninth Avenue. Ed pretended not to notice, but he relished the attention; he liked people to notice and, perhaps, envy the contentment and perfection in his life.

….

The room was spinning. Ed closed his eyes and took deep breaths in an attempt to slow his rapidly beating heart. The rest of his body was so relaxed he couldn't be sure his limbs were still attached. He felt only the slight pressure of Olivia's head on his stomach and an arm draped lazily across his hips. She was laying perpendicular to him, her bare legs hanging over the edge of the bed. He tried opening his eyes, expecting the dizziness to return, but the room was still. He bent his head down to check on his wife, and the sight of her tangled brown locks spread out in every direction over his midsection made him smile.

"You asleep?"

He felt her lips move against him as she mumbled, "No, but I can't move."

"Comfortable?"

"Yes."

"You don't look comfortable."

"I am, especially since I can't feel my legs."

"I can't feel mine."

Olivia brushed her hair out of her eyes. "I love you, Ed Tucker."

"I love you. And I love that you caught the guy because," Ed blew out a burst of air, "Celebratory sex with you, is…I can't describe it."

"Debilitating?"

They erupted into laughter and Ed grabbed her by the shoulders, dragging her up so her head was next to his on the pillow.

"I can't wait to see you on TV."

A press conference was scheduled for early in the morning. Benson and a gaggle of NYPD administrators were set to boast about the arrest and declare New York subways free from the latest predator.

"Then I better get some sleep. Dark circles under the eyes look worse on camera."

"People will think it's because you were up all night hunting down the perp."

Olivia touched his chin with her index finger, "And you'll watch, knowing the truth."

"Our secret," he whispered, biting at her finger.

She kissed the spot where her finger had just been and then kissed his lips. She cherished every new secret, every inside joke, every seemingly innocuous glance, the innocent touches…all of these simple, esoteric, shared moments added to and broadened the tapestry of their love. She thought about the press conference and how she would be sharply dressed in a dark suit, the lone female among the panel of men, she would give a statement, update the public, flash a satisfied smile as she verbally confirmed the arrest, but the whole time she would be thinking of Ed and of Noah and how much she couldn't wait to reunite with them at home later in the evening.

Ed's stomach growled and Olivia came out of her thoughts. When Ed and Noah returned to the apartment earlier in the night, Olivia was not yet at home. Noah had eaten, so Ed gave him a bath and got him ready for bed. They were reading a story in the rocking chair when a relieved Olivia sauntered in, kissed both of them, and announced that the case had been solved. She was free…until the next one of course. Anxious to celebrate, they tucked Noah in bed and went straight to the bedroom, not giving one thought about their missed meal.

"You're hungry."

"I'll be fine."

"I'll make you something."

"No," Ed replied firmly, "Stay here. It's late. Let's just sleep."

Olivia ignored him. She grabbed one of Ed's white t-shirts and slid it over her head. "Come on. I want to eat."

Ed put on a pair of boxers and went shirtless into the kitchen where Olivia had just finished heating leftover lo mein. She twirled the noodles on a fork and offered Ed a bite.

"Thank you."

"Here," she stabbed her fork deep into the container and gave him another bite, "shrimp."

They finished the food standing together in the kitchen, using the one fork to trade bites from the lone container. Ed teased her, holding up the fork then pulling it away as she opened her mouth.

"Kiss."

She grabbed his wrist and gently pried the fork away from him. Some lo mein dropped to the counter as she tossed the fork in the sink, but she didn't care. If Ed wanted a kiss, he was getting one. A good one. She tightened her grip on his wrist and grabbed his neck with her other hand. She met his lips with such force that Ed stepped backwards into the corner, knocking the fruit bowl into a wine bottle, and they paused for a second, listening for Noah. Hearing nothing, they resumed the kiss. Ed switched their positions and his muscles bulged as he lifted her a little for a better angle. The feel of her nails digging into his back validated his effort, and she reacted with soft moans as he covered her neck with sloppy kisses. She tilted her head back, giving him more space to explore with his mouth and tongue. He bit at her gently, adjusted his grip on her, asked if she was ok, if he was hurting her, after all, she was partially propped against the cabinet handles.

"Don't stop," she hissed.

"Whatever you say, Lieutenant."

….

Sarah held Noah on her shoulders and the little boy craned his neck and looked back and forth from the dinosaur's head to its tail. They had planned to spend part of Saturday afternoon ice skating, but the subzero temperatures warranted a change of plans. As Noah's Thomas obsession waned, he became more and more interested in dinosaurs, so Brooke suggested they visit the Museum of Natural History's exhibit. Ed was not a fan of museums, especially not natural history ones, but rejecting the idea was not an option.

As soon as Brooke mentioned it, Noah marched around, chanting, "Din-o-saurs. Din-o-saurs. Din-o-saurs." He smiled broadly at Ed, "We see the T-Rex, Daddy!" And then he let out a loud roar before Sarah picked him up, flipped him upside down, and blew strawberries on his belly.

"I'll tell Olivia where we are and hopefully she'll either meet us there or meet us for lunch after." Ed sent a text to his wife who was scheduled to hand off the reins to Fin around noon.

Now, the four of them stood in the main exhibit, impressed at the size of the dinosaur skeleton. Sarah put Noah down and snapped pictures of him juxtaposed against the prehistoric creature, and then she organized different combinations for more pictures—Ed and Noah, Ed, Brooke, and Noah, then the four of them together, a selfie, and then a better one taken by a stranger.

"Where is Livvie?" Sarah whined. She texted Olivia and became impatient when she didn't immediately respond.

"She left the precinct an hour ago," Ed reported. "She's gonna go home and change and meet us at Brickyard for lunch."

They took Noah to a few more displays—elephants, gorillas, more dinosaurs, and a rhinoceros—then they stopped in one of the several gift shops. Noah came out of the museum the proud owner of a plush stegosaurus, a dinosaur skull excavation kit, and, as luck would have it, a new red and black backpack featuring a smiling Tyrannosaurus Rex. He skipped a few feet ahead of the group on the way to lunch, the bag bobbing on his back, and a broad grin on his face.

….

Olivia, clad in jeans and a sweater, waited for her family at the bar. She nursed a Jameson's and flipped through her phone absent-mindedly when she suddenly remembered Sarah's earlier text. "Crap," she muttered under her breath. Sarah took oversights like this personally.

Hey, Sare, sorry I missed this, I'm here now waiting for you guys. Olivia was not a regular emoji user, but she included a few hearts for placation purposes.

Sarah replied that they were only a few blocks away, including three full lines of exclamation points. Olivia smiled at the phone, paid the bartender in cash, and moved to one of the only booths in the pub. She wasn't comfortable sitting Noah at the high top tables. Just as she sat down, Ed and the kids appeared in the window. Sarah held Noah up to the window and he pounded on the glass. A dull thud reverberated throughout the near-empty space. She could faintly hear him shout "Mama!"

Per her usual, Sarah nearly strangled Olivia with her hug. "Livvie, I missed you!"

We just saw you two weeks ago.

"We missed you, too, Sare," Olivia croaked. Sarah's arms were still tightly wrapped around her neck.

Brooke tugged at the hem of Sarah's pea coat. "Sis, sit down. Drink. Let Olivia breathe."

Sarah took her spot next to Brooke, across from Olivia and Ed. Noah was still standing, pulling his new items from the backpack to show them to his mother. "See, mommy? I got this bag, dinosaur head, and, THIS! The, the, st—" Noah looked to the adults.

Ed helped him out, "Steg-o-saur-us."

"Stegassurus!"

Olivia picked him up and cuddled him in her lap. "Did you say thank you?"

"Yes."

She looked up.

Brooke confirmed, "He's very polite."

"Yes, Noey," Sarah cooed, "you're soooo polite, that's why I looove you, cutie patootie. You wanna come to Philly and stay with me?"

Ed lightly kicked Olivia.

Why didn't she mention Jeff?

The drinks arrived and Brooke held up her glass. "Cheers, guys."

"Cheers!"

Clink!

The investigator in Ed could not bury his suspicions about his daughter's marriage. "So, where's Jeff skiing?"

"Somewhere in Vermont."

"You don't know where?"

"Near Burlington I think."

"Why didn't you go?"

Now it was Olivia's turn to kick Ed.

Dial it down a little, buddy.

Sarah was unfazed, "We're going away next weekend for an early Valentine's get away and he went with all his friends. No wives or girlfriends."

"Where are you going?" Brooke asked.

"Some little bed and breakfast in the Poconos."

"Oooh," Olivia cooed, "Sounds romantic."

Sarah brightened, "Hey, why don't you and Dad come too?"

Ed looked mortified and uttered a curt, "No."

"Oh, come on, Daddy, it's both of our first Valentine's Days being married."

Ed was quick to reply. "Which is why I want to spend it with my wife. Alone."

Sarah was indignant, "Now what are you gonna do that could possibly be more romantic than a weekend in the Poconos?"

Ed fired a warning glance in his daughters' direction. Stop asking questions. "I'll figure something out," he said.

Conceding defeat, Sarah turned her attention to Brooke. "And what are you doing, Brookey?" Mischief danced in her blue eyes and she twirled a section of her wavy blonde hair around and around her index finger, feigning intense curiosity as she stared at her older sister.

Brooke wasn't sure whether or not her Dad's plans were secretive, so she played it safe, "Probably watching my show and going to bed early. Some of us have jobs where we have to report before ten a.m."

"No date?"

Brooke glared at Sarah. "Not that I'm aware of." Oh, and shut up.

Sarah gulped the rest of her gin and tonic and poked Brooke's shoulder. "I'm going to get to the bottom of this," she hissed. Ed and Olivia were distracted by Noah and Sarah mouthed, "Who is he?"

Brooke ignored her and flagged down the waiter. "I'll buy us another round."

….

Tuesday, February 14 rolled around during a balmy break in what had been a brutally cold New York winter. Most of the snow had melted and it was so warm that Ed pulled Noah's bike from the front closet so Lucy could take him out after she picked him up from day care.

Olivia dressed Noah in a red oxford and jeans. "You look so grown up, sweet boy!"

"Got my red shirt on. For Valentine's!"

"Yes you do. And we're going to bring the cupcakes and the cards for your teachers. Let's not forget them."

"Ok, mommy. Cupcakes are pink."

"Yes, they have pink frosting."

"And sprinkles!"

Olivia combed his hair to the side. She was tempted to put product in it like he wore for the wedding, but decided against it. "Ok, Noah. Time to go."

Ed was waiting for them in the living room. Noah ran to him with his arms out, acting like he was flying. "Daddy, look, I have my red shirt!"

"Yeah, bud, you look great."

"You have red tie today! For Valentine's?"

"Yep. Does Mommy have red on?"

Olivia swayed in just as Ed asked the question. "Yes she does."

He and Noah simultaneously turned and gaped at the woman in their lives. There was nothing shockingly abnormal about Olivia's appearance, but she dazzled in her red blouse and fresh makeup. She styled her hair in the sexy waves Ed favored most of all her hairstyles. He knew it took her longer to do her hair this way, he appreciated the effort, and told her so.

"I want to look good for my husband," she flirted, "even though I won't see you until later."

"You always look good," He noticed her blush, "Do you think you can leave early?"

"I'll get out of there as soon as possible. So, we should go."

Noah put up a minor fuss when Ed tried to put on his jacket. He was worried about covering the red shirt, but he was easily assuaged. "You'll take it off and hang it on your hook at day care, bud."

"You wear a coat, Daddy?"
Ed wasn't going to, but he grabbed his lighter trench and put it on. "We won't zip up, ok? Then everyone can still see the red."

Olivia watched all this with admiration. Ed had infinite patience and was so good with Noah. Sometimes she wished she could tolerate preschooler whimsy as well as he dealt with it.

"Ready guys?"

Ed kissed her lightly on the cheek, "We are. No, doesn't Mommy look gorgeous?"

"Gojus!"

Ed and Olivia walked Noah to day care and they were still finishing their goodbyes when he sprinted into the play area to join the other red-clad youngsters. They watched him interact with the kids for a few minutes.

"He's growing up too fast," Olivia murmured.

Ed held her hand, "So we appreciate every minute, right?"

She met his eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat so she could speak clearly. "Right."

…..

Thirty minutes later, the tears returned and Olivia was powerless to stop them. Ed dropped her off at the precinct, kissed her, and wished her a gravelly "Happy Valentine's Day." He was staying reticent about the plan for the evening, but she did know that Brooke was coming over to babysit Noah.

Olivia bought coffee and glanced at her emails on the way to her office.

"Mornin' Lieu!"

Carisi's voice, even for him, was unusually perky. Olivia looked up and her entire squad was standing up, grinning at her. This was not their usual morning greeting.

"What's going on?"

"You had an early morning delivery." Fin said.

Olivia raised her eyebrows.

"In your office," Rollins directed.

Her interest piqued, Olivia walked briskly through the squad room and saw it before she entered. On her desk was the largest rose bouquet she had ever seen. Her jaw dropped, legs shook, and her eyes filled with tears. Fin, Carisi, and Rollins left her alone and Olivia closed the office door.

There had to be two, no, three dozen pink and red roses arranged with baby's breath in a clear glass vase. Maybe it was four dozen. Instead of a standard wallet-sized note, a regular greeting card had been placed next to the flowers. She opened it.

On the front was the silhouette of a couple walking on the beach.

For my wife on Valentine's Day

The inside read:

Years from now, I picture us still holding hands, still laughing, and still completely in love. Just like we are now.

Below the printed message was Ed's handwriting.

Liv,

If I added up all the happiness in my life before you and I became us, they would not come close to equaling how happy you have made me. Words cannot express how grateful I feel to get to share my life with you. Sometimes I can't believe it's real. But it is. Nobody will ever love you as much as I do. I am so proud to be your husband.

Love, Ed

Still in his car, Ed held his phone, waiting for her call. He predicted it would take her about ten minutes to get to her office, discover the flowers, start crying, and call him. It took twelve. He hadn't factored in the coffee run.

"Hey," he answered casually. He heard her sniffling. "Everything alright?"

"You…I…the flowers, how did they get here?"

"I made sure the delivery guy saw my gun when I told him they needed to be there by seven," Ed joked.

"I wasn't expecting this."

"I know. How do they look?"

"They're beautiful," Olivia exclaimed. She leaned into them, taking in the aroma, "and they smell great, too. And, Ed, the card. Your note. I don't know what to say other than I feel the exact same way."

"I mean every word, Liv. Every single word. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Are you gonna be able to work now?"

Olivia chuckled, "I'll try…but the bouquet is quite, uh, oversized."

"Five dozen."

Olivia couldn't help it. She rasped a Sarah-esque "Omigod."

How much did that cost?

"The smaller ones just didn't cut it."

"Gotcha."

"I really shoulda had them fill the room with them," Ed kidded, "Maybe next year."

"You're the king of romance."

"Don't tell anybody. I have a reputation to protect."

Olivia turned and saw Fin, Carisi, and Rollins trying to make out what was happening in the office. "Well, you've spilled the beans to my squad for sure."

"They can be trusted."

"Is this the Captain Tucker from IAB I'm talking to?"

He laughed. "I better get off the phone. I'm losing my edge."

Olivia's voice softened, "Ed, thank you, I feel…so loved."

"You are."