Valentine's Day, Part II

"Well, Tucker, Happy Valentine's Day." Cole raised his glass with a simper, and took a long drink of the pilsner. Ed successfully ended his day early-a little too early for Olivia, and, the two investigators huddled at the Peter McManus Café for a late afternoon drink.

Tucker smirked back at him. "Back at ya, Cole."

"So," Draper spoke in his usual penetrating, curious drone, "Whaddaya have up your sleeve for tonight?"

"It's a secret."

"Expensive?"

"Yes, well, not too bad, I got a good deal. Barba of all people actually hooked me up."

Cole whistled, "Whew. Aren't you worried about using up all your Aces in the hole too soon?"

Ed took a drink and paused, savoring the pleasant burn of the bourbon, and dismissed the possibility, "Nah. I always think of something."

"I'm glad my wife doesn't know Olivia very well. I'd be in the doghouse for sure if they compared notes."

"What're you doing?"

Cole looked embarrassed and muttered, "First, I need to pick up flowers on the way home." Draper had been married for over twenty years and had three kids at home. He and his wife were long past Valentine's Day hoopla. As Ed listened to Cole's description of what sounded like a terribly mundane dinner and a movie, he vowed to always have something spectacular in store for the most romantic day of the year.

"Cole, man, they're gonna be out of the good flowers now."

Draper broke into a grin and gave Ed a friendly shove, "Lookit you, Tucker. I'm proud of you. All in new husband mode. You probably had her flowers ordered since the day after you got married."

The estimate was close. The floral delivery had been in the works for two weeks, but Tucker had been planning the major part of the evening before the wedding. He couldn't wait to see the raw jubilance on Olivia's face when he finally revealed how they were spending their evening.

Cole continued the friendly ribbing, "Don't worry. It won't be long 'til you're just like the rest of us, scrambling around at the last minute."

Ed finished his drink.

I don't think so.

"Another one?" Cole asked.

Ed checked his watch.

"One more."

…

Brooke texted back and forth with her sort-of boyfriend as she rode the elevator to the apartment. A few days after she agreed to babysit Noah, he called to apologize. He had to be on duty that night and the rest of the nights that week, so they were getting together at some point during the weekend. She shifted her bag from one shoulder to the other and hoped Noah would go to bed early and easily. Inside the bag was a thick stack of papers that needed grading.

Lucy opened the door and held it open for her. "Hey, Brooke!"

Brooke smiled at Lucy, said hello, and asked if she had any plans.

Lucy looked down at Noah regretfully, "No, I don't. Noah, well, he was kind of it. And I have a paper to write."

Brooke picked him up and snuggled him, "Well, he's a good-lookin' date!"

Lucy tickled him. "Yes he is!" She exclaimed.

"And good luck on the paper," Brooke added, "Let me know if you need a proofreader."

"Thanks," Lucy said, sounding as if she may actually take Brooke up on the offer, "So, do you know what your Dad and Olivia are doing tonight?"

"No, he won't tell anybody."

Lucy lowered her voice and glanced around as if she anticipated hidden cameras and voice recorders in their midst, "Well, last week, when he came home, he was on the phone with someone. And I think I know what it is."

Brooke pointed to the kitchen and plopped Noah by his toy box, "Let's go in there. If he hears anything, he'll be blabbing about it all night."

Lucy and Brooke retreated to the kitchen and spoke in hushed tones, reviewing the bits of evidence they had either been privy to or come about accidentally. The dearth of information was prohibitive, though, and the ladies agreed any prediction they could come to was pure speculation.

…..

Olivia called Fin into her office.

"What's up, Liv? You know, we got this, you can go."

She stood, arms akimbo, staring at the gigantic bouquet. "I know. I'm leaving. I…would you be offended if you sent me these flowers and I didn't bring them home?"

"Yes."

A light bulb went off in Olivia's head. "Hey! Get me an evidence box."

"You're gonna put them in an evidence box? Now that would really offend me."

Olivia waved her hand. "No, no, no. I'm going to take some of them home and leave the rest here." She would put them in the vase Casey gave them as a wedding gift and tell Ed she thought it would be nice to have some at work and some at home.

"Good idea. I'll grab the box."

Olivia sent a text to Ed informing him of her imminent departure and then sent another one to Brooke asking if she wanted dinner delivered. She replied quickly.

No, I'm taking him out if that's ok. We'll wait until you two get home and then go.

Ok. Thank you again for watching him. See you in a bit.

Fin returned with the box and carefully plucked the thorny roses from the vase. "How many?"

"Half?"

"Yeah, you better do half."

"And then I need to get home before he does," she was starting to worry about the aesthetically unpleasant box.

Fin finished the transfer. "I'll walk you out."

"Thanks."

Olivia said quick goodbyes to Carisi and Rollins as she walked briskly out of the squad room. Fin shot them a little eye roll through the flower stems but followed dutifully.

"So, what are you two up to tonight?" Fin asked in the elevator.

"I have no idea."

He nudged her playfully, "I bet it'll be good. You got Tucker whipped, Liv."

She contemplated this for a second. "I guess I do."

"That's a good thing."

Again, Olivia delayed her reply. She remembered their last Valentine's Day together, right after the Abraham case, in the early days of their intimate relationship. They had dinner, went for a cozy nightcap at a wine bar, and concluded the night at her place, one of the first times he spent the entire night. However, the heart wrenching devastation Abraham had inflicted on his family cast a pall over their moods. Tonight would be different.

She pictured her husband's ruddy face and mused, "He's a good man."

Fin held the door for her, "He got himself a good woman."

…..

"Mommy!"

Noah started to sprint towards Olivia but stopped in his tracks when he noticed her arms were full.

"Hi sweetheart. Just a second. Mommy has to put these flowers in a vase."

Brooke furrowed her brow and cast an odd stare at Olivia. "Did you bust a flower-wielding Valentine's perp?"

Olivia laughed, put down the box, and tried to remember where she had stored the vase she thought would never be used. "Not exactly," she answered hurriedly, "Your Dad sent me every rose in the metro area…and I brought half of them home."

"That's half?"

Olivia opened and closed closet and cabinet doors, "Yes."

"Wow."

"I know."

"Noah and I are going to the Chocolate Bar," Brooke half-shouted and Olivia darted to the back hallway.

"He'll love that!"

Brooke heard rumbling, a thud, another thud, and then an elated "found it!"

"We really need to move," Olivia remarked. She was frazzled, but in her hands was the large crystal vase engraved with Ed and Olivia, December 31, 2016. Brooke offered to arrange the flowers.

"Noah," Olivia said, "Tell Mommy about the party."

"We ate cupcakes and sang songs."

"Did your teachers like their cards?"

"Yes," Noah smiled coyly, "They gived me hugs."

"What did you eat for lunch?"

"Hot dog."

"Did you ride your bike?"

"Uh-huh. Lucy taked me to ride. I go fast! It's warm outside, Mama, so we can ride the bike. The helmet's too tight." Noah went to the entryway and got his helmet. Olivia fiddled with the cluster of straps but the plastic clips didn't budge.

"We'll have to get Daddy to do it. He'll fix it before you go out again."

"I go out now?"
"No, Brookey's going to take you out on a date."

Noah giggled. "You go on a date, too?"

"Yes, with Daddy."

Brooke, finished with the roses, broke down the evidence box and shoved it in the recycling bin. She placed the arrangement on the coffee table. If Olivia had been watching television, her view would have been mostly obstructed.

"Thanks, Brooke," Olivia had to slide over to see her stepdaughter, "I hope we're not ruining your plans for tonight."

Brooke read too much into the comment. What did Olivia mean? Did she know?

"No, no…I don't have anything going on until the weekend. It's hard for me to go out on the weeknights. I end up being so tired at school the next day."

Olivia sensed she was uncomfortable, so she let Brooke off the hook. "Have you thought about applying for jobs closer to home?"

"I have, and I'm working on my resume and all that. The commute is hard, but the school…it's wearing on me. Those kids need so much. I hate to abandon them, but this is my fifth year, and I'm just running out of energy. I need an easier job if I'm going to do this for the rest of my life."

The South Bronx, where Brooke taught middle school, was one of the most dangerous places in the city, and the students Brooke taught came to school hungry, tired, mentally scarred, abused, and, to add insult to injury, most of their academic skills were hopelessly behind grade level.

"Nobody would blame you for needing a change," Olivia said softly, "You don't want to get burned out so early in your career, and, you'd still be teaching. Still making a difference."

Brooke rubbed her face, "I know. I just remember the looks we give people when they announce they're not coming back, like we sneer at them with this sanctimonious attitude, but really we're all wishing we could be moving on."

"I get it. The same thing happens in the NYPD."

Brooke narrowed her eyes, "How have you stayed in SVU so long?"

Olivia took a deep breath. She knew the answer; it was not the first time someone had asked the question. "I feel like, if I'm not there, the victims will suffer even more. And, yes, my shrink has told me multiple times that this is not true, but, I'm called to do this."

Olivia had never mentioned her shrink directly to Brooke before and Brooke had never been to a therapy session, although she wondered about it. "The shrink? It helps?"

"It does," Olivia replied serenely, "At the very least, it's nice to have an objective person to talk to. He gets my job and gets why I want to stay and he understands there's enough success, enough validation, to keep me there."

"And you have a good squad."

Olivia smiled. "I do. It took a while for everyone to gel, but we're in sync now. And, thank God, getting along."

"Getting along? Sounds like my job."

"Yeah, Carisi annoyed Fin until, I don't know, last week," Olivia chuckled at her own joke, "Carisi and Rollins, I don't know what's going on with them. Sometimes I think they're sleeping together and other times they're bickering like brother and sister. We've had a few sergeants in and out, on loan from other precincts, until we get the results of Amanda's exam."

Brooke tried not to get caught up in the comment about Carisi and Rollins. "And then you'll have to break in a new detective?"

"Yep, and, actually, that may be easier than trying to fit an older Sarge into our unit. SVU requires a little more finesse than other squads."

Noah, whose sense of hearing was apparently much keener than the others', ran to the door before Olivia and Brooke heard the keys in the lock. Ed almost tripped over his son before he hoisted him in the air.

"Whoa! Hey, bud!"

"Hi, Dada!" Noah played with the knot in Ed's tie. "Brookey's here for Valentine's."

"Yeah, that's great, you're gonna hang out with Brookey while I take Mommy out."

"On a date!"

Ed broke into one of his rare toothy grins, "Yeah, on a date."

Olivia kissed him hello, caught a whiff of the bourbon, but opted not to comment about it. "Captain, can you give me some guidance on what I should wear this evening?"

"We're gonna be inside and outside. So, layers."

"Casual? Formal?"

"Uh, regular."

"What does that mean?"

Ed put Noah down and removed his coat and tie. "You know, not work clothes."

Olivia let him get changed first. He emerged in black slacks and a gray sweater over a red collared shirt, and she mirrored him except that she opted for a red sweater.

"Bring your coat and maybe a hat and scarf," Ed instructed.

She screwed up her face and met Brooke's equally curious eyes. It's not that cold. But, Olivia was beyond the point of asking questions and obediently shoved a scarf and a knit beanie in her purse.

"Have fun on your date, Noah!" Olivia said, kissing her son goodbye, "Happy Valentine's Day, sweetheart."

"Happy Valentine's Mommy! Happy Valentine's, Daddy!"

Ed kissed him and then kissed Brooke. "You two have fun. We won't be too late."

…

"Are you going to blindfold me?"

Ed felt her arm tightly intertwine with his; he knew she was gazing at him, and he turned to meet her eyes as they walked the short distance to Medi Wine Bar which Ed thought would be a nice, out of the ordinary treat. He was a pub guy, but Benson talked him in to trying this place when they first started dating. That night he told himself that he would at least tolerate the menu for her sake, but he ended up adding the restaurant to his list of favorites. It was, however, not an easy place to take Noah.

"No blindfold," he said through a smile, "That pretty face of yours needs to stay uncovered."

"Ed…"

"I'm serious."

"Where are we going and why do I have," she held out her free arm draped with the heavy Burberry trench, "all of this clothing with me?"

They were steps away from Medi, and the Ninth Avenue bistros bustled with duos eating, drinking, and waiting to be told their tables were ready. Tucker took his hands out of his pockets and took Olivia's elbow, leading her closer to the curb so he didn't obstruct pedestrian traffic when he kissed her.

"Mmmmm." Her eyes were still closed as he pulled away.

"There's more where that came from," he promised and then nodded towards the entrance, "come on, I made a reservation."

…..

Brooke and Noah sat across from one another on the second level at Max Brenner Chocolate Bar off Union Square. Noah was already a mess from his mac & cheese, and she read the dessert menu, looking for the most outrageous sweet treat. As he fed himself, bits of macaroni and sauce had dribbled down the front of the shirt, but Brooke accepted blame for that. She should've brought his child-sized utensils.

"No, do you still wear a bib?"

He shook his head, "No bib, Brookey."

"They have plastic ones here. You might need to wear one for dessert."

Noah's eyes lit up, "Chocit dessert?"

"Yes. And ice cream. Cake. And, bananas or strawberries."

"Bananas and strawberries."

"I'll ask."

The waiter arrived and Brooke ordered Max's Palace Famous Chocolate Mess Party with both fruits for the two of them and a Pinot Noir for herself. She sat back in her chair and studied Noah as he alternated between his cars and his coloring book. He actually was a pretty good date now that he was talking more and more. As he ate dinner, he answered her questions about school; he told her all about wanting to see the movie E.T. Brooke wondered where he would have even heard of that movie, but she told him she would get the DVD if it wasn't on Netflix. He chattered on and on about his bike and his sled, asked Brooke if she had a bike, she said she did, and promised they would ride together in the spring.

When her wine was delivered, she and Noah toasted Valentine's Day with Noah screaming "Cheers" as loud as he could, but the shout did nothing to attract attention in the already cacophonous space.

His next action did garner her attention. Noah tried to stand on his chair as he pointed down to the main level.

"Noah, no, sit down," Brooke commanded sharply, using her teacher voice.

Their table was pressed up against the railing and there was quite a precipitous drop down to the first floor. Noah, not used to hearing this tone from Brooke, immediately sat down, but he still pointed at something…or someone.

"It's Sonny! Brookey, see? It's Sonny down therrrre!"

Fuck.

She told him they were coming here, but he was supposed to be working. Brooke had not accounted for an impromptu drop-in. She looked at Noah who was now trying to yell loud enough to get Carisi's attention.

Brooke watched him figure out the restaurant seating was mostly upstairs. He bounced up the steps and made a beeline for their table, swiping an extra chair on the way.

"Hey guys!"

"Hi Sonny!" Noah reached out for him.

Carisi sat him in his lap. "Happy Valentine's Day, Noah!"

"We eating dinner, Sonny. On a date."

Carisi's eyes were on Brooke as he answered, "Yeah, yeah, sorry for interrupting. I was just out grabbing some food and thought I'd stop by and say hello before I went back to work."

Noah tapped Carisi's shield, "You police, Sonny."

Sensing Brooke's apprehension, he tried to joke, "Yeah. And later, after all the dinners and drinks go wrong, I'm gonna have to arrest some people."

Noah looked at him, wide-eyed, as if he understood. Brooke was also gaping, but it was out of the realization that her little secret was not going to be a secret for much longer. Their relationship started casually, a drink every now and then, but the drinks turned into dinners and then nights at her place. He worked a lot and they only met up once or twice a week which contributed to Brooke's feeling that this was something casual and temporal, but now here he was, showing up on Valentine's Day, even if it was just for a few minutes. However, Olivia's earlier comment about him and Rollins still played on a loop in her mind. Nevertheless, Noah was sure to report this encounter to his parents.

She tried to act normally, "Do you want to have dessert with us?"

Carisi checked his watch, "I don't think I have time, but, hey," he flagged down the waiter, "Can we get three of those chocolate shot things?"

"Yessir."

Three syringes of gooey chocolate were promptly delivered. Carisi handed over a twenty and waved off any change.

"Ok, Noah, bet you've never done this before!" Sonny couldn't imagine Olivia bringing her son here for a two-ounce injection of sugar and cocoa. He helped Noah with the mechanism. Predictably, the chocolate ended up everywhere—his shirt, face, hands, but a bit did find his mouth. Noah licked his lips, gleefully satisfied. Brooke pulled a travel-sized package of wipes from her purse. She had just finished cleaning his hands when the Chocolate Mess Party arrived.

Carisi's endearing guffaw made Brooke laugh. "Wow!" he blurted out.

Noah, slack-jawed, stared at the platter of chocolate cake, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate chunks, and sprinkles.

"Well, No," Brooke said, handing him a spoon, "Dig in, buddy. It's Valentine's Day! Oh, wait…here," Brooke picked up the bib, "Let's not do any more damage to your shit." It was, after all, a Polo.

Carisi took the bib, lightly touching her fingers in the exchange, and tied it around Noah's neck. He dug in and Carisi got up to leave.

"I gotta get back," he said, placing a hand on Brooke's shoulder, "but we're getting together Saturday, right?"

She felt his fingers press into her skin ever so slightly. "Yeah, yeah, I'm free pretty much all day."

"Great, maybe we can go bowling or something and then get dinner?"

"I'm a terrible bowler."

"I'm not. I'll give you some pointers."

Brooke hoped he wouldn't notice her blushing as she grinned at him, "Ok. I think I'll take you up on that."

…..

"Sir, do you and your wife want to see the dessert menu?"

Ed waved it off, "No, thanks. Just the check." The waiter went to grab the bill. "We're having dessert elsewhere," he explained to Olivia.

She thought dessert really meant sex, and she wondered where exactly dessert was taking place. Ed's covert ops surrounding this night were too extensive and too carefully guarded for him to just take her to dinner and then back to the apartment.

The February air was still uncharacteristically balmy as Ed flagged down a taxi. He couldn't believe his luck. When he first began plotting his Valentine's Day home run, Barba warned him there was a good chance it wouldn't work out. The Hudson River, which usually didn't freeze over, had nearly been crippled by the December and January temperatures, but the mid-winter thaw came at the perfect time.

Ed ushered Olivia into the taxi's backseat.

"79th Street Boat Basin," Ed told the driver.

….

Brooke drew Noah's bath water and considered putting his clothes in there with him. The plastic bib was not very effective and he was covered from head to toe with remnants from their chocolaty date. It was even in his hair. She used the handheld attachment to hose him down as he played with his boats in the bubbles.

"I'm gonna dry your hair, then we'll read a story and go night-night."

"You go night-night, Brookey?"

"No, I'm going to work."

Noah made a face and repeated the word softly. "Work."

"Didja have fun on our date, No?" Brooke usually did not ask questions like this, but she wanted to assess how much he internalized the visit from Sonny.

"Yes! We go again tomorrow?"

"No…we go there on special days."

He frowned a little, "We still go for pizza?"

Hmmm, Sonny's visit didn't seem to resonate with him. "Of course! We'll always go for pizza."

Brooke texted back and forth with Sarah as Noah made a few more loops with his boat.

We need to FaceTime later.

Sarah, as usual, was quick to reply. It's Valentine's Day. I'm kinda….busy.

Ok, well, tomorrow.

Ok. The "ok" was followed by at least a dozen heart emojis.

…..

"You rented a yacht?"

The boat captain, who was being paid handsomely for his services, ascended to the navigation level and Ed led Olivia on deck where two bottles, one port, one champagne, were chilling and a tiramisu had already been set out, expertly presented. The area was enclosed on three sides by large sliding glass doors and it was warm enough, at least while they were docked, to open them.

Ed nuzzled her neck. "I did." Actually, Barba's buddy let him use the yacht free of charge; Tucker was paying for the gas and the captain, but the details could be explained later.

Olivia spun around. "You're full of surprises."

"I love seeing the look on your face when you're surprised."

She reached into her purse, "Well, I haven't given you your present yet."

"I told you not to get me anything."

"Well, it's not just for you…"

He raised his eyebrows and opened the red envelope. Inside was a card which he read before opening a second enclosure.

Olivia watched expectantly as he read her own heartfelt message.

Ed,

I'm writing this as you're sleeping next to me, and, of course, I'm starting to cry. My love for you is so intense…it's beyond any description I could possibly come up with. So I'll just say thank you…for being so perfect, so kind, so loving, so you. I love every minute of us and I love you and I love you being next to me every night. Happy Valentine's Day.

Always yours,

Olivia

He shyly cast his eyes downward for a few extra seconds and a red flush engulfed his cheeks. He said nothing, just brought her in for a kiss.

"Open the other thing," Olivia said, her lips still on his.

Inside the second envelope was a travel confirmation, a five-day trip to Key West, scheduled for the end of the month. They had batted around ideas for a honeymoon, but it seemed like a final decision got further and further away. Once again, just as she had done with the wedding, Olivia took control and made the arrangements. Ed ate up her assertiveness.

"I made sure you and I could both get away from work," she explained, "and Sarah and Brooke are going to take care of Noah over the weekend and Jesse's nanny is watching him for the three weekdays. I hope you don't mind—"

Ed's eyes glistened. He took her face in his hands and kissed her hard. "I've never received a better gift. I can't wait."

"Really?"

"Of course."

They spent the next hour bundled up and wrapped in each other's arms as the boat captain steered the yacht on a gigantic loop along the Hudson River. They alternated between kissing and silently taking in the Manhattan skyline, but as they made a final turn in view of the Statue of Liberty and the new One World Trade Center, Ed's desire for his wife became irresistible. His arms tightened around her and he delved into her mouth with his tongue. He felt her react against him, heard her soft moan as she kissed back, and his body filled with a fiery burst so intense he wished they were the only two people on the boat. Their faces crushed together, at times sloppy and ferocious and at other moments tender and precise, but both Ed and Olivia wondered how, after all the meetings of their lips, they could find ways to make each new kiss more exciting than the last.

…..

Ed drove a drowsy Brooke the ten blocks back to her apartment and returned to find Olivia sitting casually on the couch, still fully dressed.

She tried to be as sultry as possible. "I couldn't decide whether you would prefer to find me in bed or if you would want to take my clothes off yourself. So I erred on the safe side."

He studied her with a cocky expression.

"Good choice, Lieutenant."

"Happy Valentine's Day, baby."

The night's intimacy was neither frantic, rough sex nor was it slow, methodical lovemaking. Foreplay lasted longer than usual and in between kisses and caresses, they talked seriously—about the future, the new apartment they would buy, their impending vacation and all the vacations after that, birthdays, holidays, joint IRAs, Noah's first day of Kindergarten, teaching him to ride a two-wheeler…

And when they finally came together as one, and they flailed and writhed and perspiration beaded on both their foreheads, they both knew this was more than physical pleasure, it was more than love—it was commitment and devotion of the highest order, and the reality of all of it was almost too overwhelming to bear.

…

The next morning at work, Olivia tried to put her thoughts about the previous night on the backburner and focus, but this mental suppression proved difficult. Fin's reports only partially registered, and she signed off on something for Rollins, but she couldn't be sure exactly what it had been. She settled in behind her desk and powered on the laptop when Carisi strolled in.

"Hey, Lieu! Good Valentine's Day?"

And the images came rushing back—the dinner, the yacht, the kiss, the sex, the morning sex, this morning's drawn-out kiss goodbye, the irresistible yearning for her husband—but, true to form, she coolly replied, "It was. Seems like everything was under control here?"

"Yeah, everything you need is on your desk. How's Noah?"

Consternation clouded Olivia's face. "He's…fine. Why do you ask?"

"Well, after eating all that chocolate last night I thought maybe he'd be a little green this morning."

As soon as Carisi said it, he knew he crossed a line. Olivia's quizzical expression made apparent that she had no idea he had been seeing Brooke socially. Sonny knew Brooke was reluctant to tell her family about their dates, so he awkwardly tried to backtrack.

"I, uh, ran into Brooke and Noah at Max Brenner."

"You ran into them?"

"Yeah, I—'

Olivia put her hands up, fingers splayed, palms facing outward, "You know what, Carisi, I don't want to know."

"Ok."

"When Brooke wants to tell us, she will."

"Got it."

"And, Carisi?"

"Yeah?"

Olivia removed her glasses and fixed her eyes on him, trying to be simultaneously stern and compassionate. After all, he was a good guy. "Take her somewhere nice this weekend, will ya?"

He flashed an appreciative smile. "Ten-four, Lieu."

….

#Tuckson #Family #Always #EndGame

Hope you enjoyed it!