The last chapter ended with Declan Murphy escorted into the squad room, having been picked up in a raid on an illegal gambling joint. We are ahead in time: mid-late April, 2017. I know this story's description is all about the sweetness, but I am bringing a little heartache into the fray for no other reason than to highlight the strengthening bonds among TucksoNoah and the OCs. Enjoy and thanks for all the comments here and on Twitter- fid2916

Snares, Tears, and Loose Threads

Declan Murphy, hair slicked to the side and beard closely cropped, glowered at the squad like most criminals who see the police as mere obstacles temporarily obstructing their enterprises. He wore an impeccably tailored navy suit with a lighter blue paisley tie and handkerchief. On his feet were dark brown, monk-strap leather shoes. Whoever was running his undercover operation made sure to attire their mole appropriately. Olivia's mental calculation put his outfit's cost at well over five thousand dollars.

"What the hell…" Rollins murmured under her breath.

"I'll call the chief," Olivia muttered, returning Murphy's glare until he disappeared into holding. The squad followed to her office. Fin closed the door. The call did not last long. "He said he'll contact the U.S. Marshals and Interpol, but, for now, he's a perp. So…do your jobs." Before they all departed, Olivia pulled Rollins aside. "Hey…did you know Declan was still around?"

"No," Rollins replied, "After we took down Johnny D, he was the ring's number one. I haven't seen him since Jesse's birthday. Even then it wasn't for long. He was taking a huge gamble coming to see us, and he hinted that he was leaving the country."

"Ok, listen, I don't want you handling any of the interrogations here. Observe, but no contact." Olivia noticed Rollins' alarmed expression. "Just to be safe," she emphasized.

"Got it, Lieutenant," Rollins said somewhat dejectedly.

…..

Every single person SVU interrogated stonewalled the detectives, so they were held overnight awaiting arraignment on various charges. Murphy never wavered and was even combative, leading the squad to believe he was even more deeply undercover than before, and Chief Dodds was still waiting to hear back from his handlers. Officers escorted the perps to jail, and Olivia sent everyone home, including herself.

She was surprised to find Noah in their bed since he didn't seem at all distressed in the goodnight video. He rarely had trouble going to sleep on his own, and he almost never objected to bedtime as long as he had his blanket, Bernie, and his two (or, if it was Ed, three) stories. Olivia lifted him out of his nest of pillows and blankets and put him back in his bed without incident. He stirred ever so slightly but fell back into a deep sleep. She found a pair of shorts and a tank top on the rack in the bathroom, put them on, and got in bed.

Ed wasn't snoring, but he was close. His breathing was heavy and steady and he lay on his stomach, face turned towards her with his mouth slightly open. The arm closest to her was outstretched, indicating he had fallen asleep with it draped over Noah. She gently moved it to his side, and, like their son, he appeared unbothered by the interruption. Olivia put her head on her own pillow and stared. She debated whether or not to wake him. He always kissed her when he returned in the middle of the night, but he didn't usually attempt to completely wake her up unless he was really in an extreme mood—either terribly upset or desperate to make love. She fell into neither category and she would have to be at the precinct early tomorrow morning, so she programmed her phone's alarm, made sure the volume wasn't too high, and closed her eyes.

Not more than a minute later, she felt Ed scoot closer so their bodies touched. He put his arm around her, making sure to lightly brush her breasts, and he kissed her bare shoulder before returning his head to the pillow.

"Mmmmm," Olivia moaned as she nestled into him.

"Now I can sleep," Ed whispered, sounding relieved.

"You were sleeping," Olivia retorted.

"Uh-uh." Ed sounded like Noah.

"You were nearly snoring."

Ed mumbled something into her upper back.

"Go back to sleep, Ed."

He already was.

….

By the next afternoon, the penthouse bust was beginning to shake out. The three girls with no identification began talking with the assistance of the translators and with the promise that their families would be flown in to escort them back home. They had all fallen in with members of the trafficking ring by patronizing a particular nightclub in Belgrade; the location was apparently the epicenter of Murphy's empire. Olivia praised Rollins and Carisi for so quickly and empathetically convincing the girls to talk, and once their security detail arrived to escort them to their hotel rooms, she sent the detective and the sergeant home. Olivia remained in her office, waiting for Chief Dodds to show up. She was in the middle of perusing the penthouse owner's financials when her office phone rang.

"Benson."

"It's Tucker. Am I on speaker?"

She smiled at his professionalism.

"Yes."

"Pick up."

She did. "Yes?"

"Couple things." He sounded like he was in a hurry. "Three actually."

"Why are you calling on this phone?"

"I told Siri to call Benson and that's the one she dialed." Ed still used her last name when he was in police mode.

"Oh, well, ok, what's going on?"

"First, my team got a call, so I can't get Noah from Brooke. Second, the closing date is two weeks from today at two o'clock."

"Great!" Olivia exclaimed in response to the second part. "I'll make sure I'm free that day. This is so exciting, Ed."

"I know, Liv. Listen, I hate to leave you in the lurch like this, but there's a guy threatening to jump on the Manhattan Bridge—"

"Don't worry about it. I'll call Brooke, and I'll be out of here soon. Um, you said you had three things?"

Ed took a few seconds, pretending to think. "Oh yeah, I love you."

Olivia smirked into the phone. "I love you too. Be careful."

"I will. And Liv?"

"Yes?" Thought he was in a rush?

"We're going on a date tomorrow night. Just the two of us."

"Sounds romantic."

"Absolutely. Ok, I gotta go, love you."

"Love you. Bye."

"Bye."

Sarah's text came through seconds later, as if she were waiting for Olivia to be off the phone and unoccupied.

Livvie, can we meet for a drink?

Now?

Whenever you get out of work.

Olivia sent a text to Dodds requesting an ETA before she replied to Sarah. Sure, but I'm waiting for my boss, so I can't give you a specific time right now. But it'll have to be just one, because I have to get Noah.

Ok, just let me know. Sarah ended the text with two pink hearts.

The next order of business was to call Brooke about Noah. Olivia opened apologetically, "Hey, Brooke, thank you for helping us out. I hate to do this to you on your spring break."

Unbothered, Brooke answered, "Not a problem. It's just a couple hours."

"Well," Olivia replied hesitantly, "Would you mind, possibly, a couple more?" She went on to explain that the chief was coming in and something was up with Sarah.

Again, Brooke was flexible, "Sure, I can keep him longer, but, I'm going out to dinner at seven-thirty. Do you think you can get him by then? Otherwise, I can just bring him and you can pick him up at the restaurant?"

"No, no, no," Olivia said, "I'll be there by seven or earlier. Don't worry about his dinner. He should have snacks in his bag if he's hungry."

"Oh he ate," Brooke said breezily, "You know, Sarah and I are on a mission to increase his cholesterol and blood sugar."

Olivia laughed, "That's what sisters are for. Thank you again, and I promise we won't be late."

The chief walked in, alone, as she was ending the call. "Lieutenant, thank you for waiting. This won't take long."

Olivia acted like she was in the middle of something important, but she was actually texting Sarah. Meet you at Quinn's in 30 minutes.

….

Olivia thought about Chief Dodds' update as she walked the short distance between the precinct and the bar. Murphy escorted the women from Serbia to the United States using a private jet owned by the wealthy Ukrainian who also owned the penthouse. In just under two years, Murphy collected evidence implicating hundreds of men in dozens of countries in Eastern Europe and Asia, and he was begging to remain undercover, believing the tentacles of the ringleaders reached even deeper and to more prominent world leaders. However, Declan was also attempting to spend more time in the United States, and that was beginning to arouse the slightest suspicion among those closest to him. At the very least, this particular bust closed a major point of entry for the Belgrade-based part of the organization. The chief complimented SVU, particularly Rollins and Carisi, and then, before leaving, said, "Well, I'm sure you have things to do and places to be," he said mournfully, looking down at the floor.

"I'll walk you out," Olivia grabbed her jacket and patted his back, "How are you?"

He appreciated the concern. Benson's How are you genuinely expressed an interest in knowing his emotional status. She and Alice had been the only two people to see him break down; in front of everyone else, he remained stoic. Additionally, Olivia had been the only one to treat him normally after he returned from a few days of bereavement leave. For that, he would always be grateful.

"Good days and bad days," he replied, trying to sound unaffected, "Been almost a year."

Olivia breathed deeply and sighed, "Certainly doesn't seem like it."

"No it doesn't. Hard to get those images out of my head, but then, other times, it's a blur."

"You'll get through it, with time…" Olivia almost added "and therapy," but she held back. "I'm always here for you, Chief, if you want to talk."

Surprise crossed his face. "Maybe a drink sometime?"

Olivia fought off her reluctance and smiled, "Sure, sure. Whenever…let me know."

"Where are you headed now?"

Olivia hated to tell him she was seeing her stepdaughter, feeling like it reinforced the reality that Mike was gone, but there was no way around it. "I'm meeting Ed's daughter."

"Oh," Dodds' disappointment was evident, "Well, have a good night, Lieutenant."

"You too."

Olivia, lost in thought, jumped when Sarah called her name as she entered Quinn's. There she was, at the far corner of the bar, flailing her arms as if there was the slightest chance she'd go unnoticed. Olivia grinned at her. Even in this time of personal distress, Sarah was gorgeous. She had her father's dazzling blue eyes. His ruddy face, replicated on her, was one of delicate elegance, defined cheekbones, and a perpetual rosy hue which always made her seem wholeheartedly energetic and alive. Today she'd pulled her blonde hair back in a sleek ponytail, making her facial features even more distinct.

"Hi." Olivia hugged her. "Everything ok?" There was little time for small talk.

Sarah called the bartender over so Olivia could order her drink and then jabbed at her phone's screen. "Lookit this."

It was Jeff's Facebook page. Olivia searched for exactly what Sarah wanted her to see. He listed no marital status. His location was Philadelphia. Both the profile picture and cover photo were Phillies-related.

Sarah finally prompted her, "He posted a new set of pictures, see it? Labeled spring training?"

Oh.

There were no terribly incriminating pictures, but in almost every single photo, Jeff was next to the same woman.

Sarah saw the realization come over Olivia's face, "So, all this time, I'm thinking he's just going back to the single life, pissed off because I don't want to have kids and be this neat little family, and he's the one fucking around on me."

Olivia tried not to jump to conclusions. "Let's stay calm. This looks bad, but, do you really think he would put this out there knowing you could see it? Do you know who she is?"

"I have absolutely no clue, but they have all kinds of interns working there." Sarah thought about the other question. "He probably thinks it's no big deal, or he's just being passive aggressive, hoping I'll comment or text him and be mad. I'm just going to leave it alone, but…"

Tears rolled down Sarah's cheeks and fell in droplets on the bar. Olivia practically saw the pieces of her crumbling marriage crush her, causing her face to contort with despair. Sarah fell against Olivia as she put an arm around her shoulders. "Why does everything come easy to me except…this?" Sarah choked out.

"Sweetheart, marriage is not easy. Love isn't easy."

"Yours is."

Here we go again, Olivia thought. Sarah failed, in fact refused, to understand that the path to Ed and Olivia's coupling was anything but easy. She also rejected Olivia's constant insistence that Sarah not compare her marriage to theirs. It wasn't the same. Of course their marriage looked easy; almost every ugly scenario Olivia could think of was behind them.

"Sarah," Olivia began gently, but she was quickly cut off.

"I literally think my Dad would die without you. Like, seriously, drop fucking dead. He loves you so much, everyone can tell. Everyone. Even people I hadn't seen in years, at the wedding, they came up to me and were like, 'holy shit, your Dad is smitten with whoever that is. Good for him.' And he's always holding doors and if we're over eating dinner or something, he makes sure you and Noah have everything you need before he even sits fucking down. And, like the other day when we went shopping, I think he really would have preferred you stay with him. He was so sad that you were leaving." Sarah stopped rambling for a second and peeled herself from Olivia, took a drink, and wiped her eyes. "Jeff never once acted that way around me. He never looked at me like that. He'd laugh. Roll his eyes. Smile. But never ever did he look like he was in love."

Olivia tried to make her regular point, "It's not—"

"I know, I know, it's not good to compare me to you. But this has nothing to do with marriage. It has to do with feelings. Dad would act like that even if you weren't married. He did. We all saw it."

"Sarah, do you realize how difficult it was for us to get where we are now?" Olivia, still sounding sympathetic, became a tad sterner.

"Yeah, yeah. You told us. He was an ass. A gigantic prick."

"Exactly. So, think about me. I have a son. I'm the commanding officer of my unit. I'm happy, finally, for once, I feel like I have a little bit of peace in my life. And then this man who I've loathed since…almost since I became a detective…gradually becomes someone I trust. That was not easy for me, and it wasn't easy for him. Both of us were taking huge steps away from what we thought to be normal."

"See, Livvie? You have a story. There is substance. You have a foundation. You have an absolute point that you can look back to and say, yep, that's when it started. That's when the IAB asshole became the man I love….right?" Her eyes widened.

Olivia took a drink. "That's right. But it's not as romantic as you think."

"It's not?"

"No," Olivia sighed, "It was right before, well, right before Noah's adoption was finalized. We had…a tough trial…all of us were under the microscope, and, I was stressed out about it and about the fact that, in family court, nothing is set in stone until that judge signs the paperwork." Olivia decided not to go into detail about Johnny D. If Sarah really wanted the information, she could dig around and get it, but she guessed that would not happen. "So, with all this going on, your Dad and I were also meeting fairly regularly, just for drinks, as friends and colleagues, and, the night before I was set to testify, he called me."

"What'd he say?"

"Nothing much, just good luck, that he would be thinking about me, that he knew it was a hard week but to stay positive, and I hung up the phone and thought, wow, that was Ed Tucker? And then I started thinking about he and I as us. I knew he was in my corner and it was more than professional courtesy. After that, I opened up, started letting him in, bit by bit, to my life."

"Was that before or after we met you?"

"Way before."

Sarah frowned. "I cannot tell a story like that. Jeff and I. We met, he thought I was cute. I thought he was. We were drinking buddies, had fun, had great sex, so, it was like, hey, let's get married. We don't have anything in common, at least, nothing that is worth building a marriage on. You know what? I can't even tell you when we first kissed! Isn't that weird? I truly cannot remember. I can remember kissing Tyler Ordelt in seventh grade, but my husband? Do. Not. Remember. There was a time, like a two-week period when I was on vacation, we were going out every night and drinking way too much, so it probably happened then, because after that we were practically living together."

Olivia thought this was odd, too, and she also worried that Sarah had been on a two-week bender and so out of it that she apparently had no clue when her intimate relationship with her soon-to-be-ex-husband actually began.

"That does, seem…problematic," Olivia reacted as diplomatically as possible.

"Ugh," Sarah groaned. "Do we have time for another drink?"

Olivia checked her watch, "A quick one."

"Good." Sarah got the bartender's attention.

"Can I make a suggestion?" Olivia asked.

"Anything."

"I don't want you to misunderstand why I'm telling you this because I always want you and Brooke to come to me if you need to talk or need advice. But, you may also want to think about seeing a professional, too." Sarah's eyes fell. Olivia maintained her optimism, "The difference is, Sarah, I'm not a professional and I love you with all my heart, so what I tell you, even though it's my best advice and my honest thoughts, may not always be what you need to hear."

Sarah nodded. "Can you recommend someone?"

"I will."

"I know you tell Dad all this stuff, but, I don't want him to know I'm going to a shrink."

"Ok."

….

Ed notified his wife that the team peacefully resolved the call, and he was headed back to 1PP to complete the paperwork before going home. Olivia sent him a sweet message and paid for her and Sarah's drinks. If they walked briskly, Brooke would have almost an hour before she had to leave for dinner.

"Who's she going out with?" Sarah asked.

Olivia shrugged, "I assumed it was with Sonny, but he didn't say anything. Friends?"

Sarah brushed off that idea, "She never hangs out with her friends. She's either at work or home. She's probably going to bore Sonny to death."

"Maybe that'll change when she gets a job in the neighborhood."

Sarah gasped, "Oh shit."

"What?"

"She and I are supposed to eat with mom tonight, for Brooke's birthday. Crap. I shoulda had a shot before we left. I hope Brookey has liquor."

Olivia wondered why Brooke withheld this information. Both girls had an acrimonious relationship with Angela; maybe Brooke just preferred not to mention her if she didn't have to.

"Where are you going?" Olivia asked, trying to make conversation and calm Sarah down.

"I have no clue. Hopefully no place where I have to keep these clothes on. I want my jeans."

The door to the apartment was unlocked, so Sarah let herself and Olivia in. "Wherrrrrre's myyyyy No—" She clasped her mouth shut when she saw her mother.

Brooke tried to act like the awkward situation was completely under control, and she spoke a little too cheerfully. "Hey, guys! Mom snuck out of work early and decided to come see the new place. Good thing we just cleaned, Sare!"

Noah ran to his mother with outstretched arms, "Mommy!"

"Hi, my love! I'm so happy to see you!"

Angela forced a smile but remained silent.

"Kisses, Noey," Sarah shoved her face in front of Noah's.

He gave her a peck on each cheek. "Dere ya go, Sarah."

"Mom's taking us to Per Se," Brooke announced, trying to sound excited. Her mother never considered her daughters' laid back style when treating them to their birthday dinners. Brooke would have preferred something less upscale, and Olivia already knew how Sarah felt.

Sarah pinched her forehead, "I've had a terrible day. Do you mind if I skip it? I also have more of that reading to do…I'm so lost with this new team I'm working with."

Angela frowned, "Well, I suppose that's fine with me if your sister isn't too disappointed. This is our yearly tradition."

Sarah glared at her like she was about to say go to hell. "I'm sure Brookey's fine with it," she replied sweetly, "Right, B?"

Brooke appeared to be understanding but there was a forlorn look in her eyes; it was no secret that she was unhappy about spending a couple hours alone with Angela. However, she'd done it before. It was simpler without Sarah. Brooke was good at answering and asking questions politely but neatly; Sarah was combative. "Sure, sure, I knew this would be a tough week for you."

"Oh crap!" Sarah exclaimed. "Livvie, my binder's at your place."

Olivia was dressing Noah in his windbreaker and stuffing his things in the dinosaur backpack, "That's ok. Just walk over with us. Your Dad's going to be late; we can order in if you want…that binder's pretty thick, I know you have a lot of work."

Angela locked eyes with Olivia and nodded to Noah, "Sorry you have to handle two children tonight," she said snidely, "But I suppose you're used to it like I had to get used to it, nightly, when the girls were growing up. It's a terrible way to have to live."

Olivia zipped Noah's jacket and glared at her. "Actually, my life has never been better." She focused her attention on Noah, "Ok, sweet boy, we're going."

"See Daddy?"

"Not quite yet. Daddy's at police, but he'll be back later. He always comes home, baby." She shot Angela another stern glance and repeated, "He always comes home and he always will. Say thank-you to Brookey."

Noah gave Brooke a hug, thanked her, and returned her "I love you."

Sarah, who had darted back to her bedroom and changed into jeans and a sweatshirt, reappeared. She gave Brooke a quick hug. "Sorry sis, have a good dinner."

"You too."

Sarah gave Angela a terse goodbye and followed Olivia and Noah out of the apartment.

…..

"Good night noises, everywhere," Olivia read the last line of Goodnight Moon, but she waited to close the book. "Who else needs a goodnight, Noah?"

"Sarah and Brookey and Jeff." Olivia closed her eyes and wondered about the least harmful way to explain why Jeff would no longer be in their lives.

"Ok, good night, Sarah, Brooke, and Jeff. Who else?"

"Daddy."

"Yeah, Daddy. He'll come in and kiss you when he gets home."

"Goodnight, Daddy," Noah said again.

Olivia rocked him a little longer. Noah would be four this winter, and moments like this would start to become less and less common very soon. She wasn't anxious to put him in bed, she held him close, breathing in the scent of his shampoo, and thought about Angela's comment. Ed didn't talk much about his actual marriage other than the end of it, but she felt sorry for him whenever she encountered his ex-wife. She seemed difficult to please and far from the loving, attentive wife and mother Olivia tried to be. Ed didn't become a good husband and father because of Olivia—he had always been one; only now, he was with a woman who could bring those qualities to the forefront instead of criticizing him for being a good man and a good cop.

Noah and Olivia startled at the sound of the door opening. Probably assuming Noah was asleep, Ed remained silent except for the sound of him removing his shoes and jacket. His careful steps came closer.

"Hi Daddy!" Noah clambered out of the chair for a hug and a kiss. Ed scooped him up and came over to kiss Olivia.

"Hey you," he half-whispered.

She rubbed his forearm, "Hi."

"Should we ask Mom if we can read one more story?" He asked Noah, who nodded eagerly, sharing Ed's conspiratorial expression.

Olivia extricated herself from the chair and worked to remove Ed's holster. He relished the feel of her fingers against his waist. "I'll put this away and then I'm going to read a little bit. In bed," she added.

He smiled at her.

"Did you eat something?" she asked.

"I'm good."

"You didn't answer the question."

"Not really, but I'm not hungry. At least not for food."

Her mouth formed a shy smile, "There're leftovers in the fridge if you want. Goodnight, boys."

…..

Ed joined her in bed later, much later. She was still awake and reading. Ed looked at her sheepishly as he collapsed next to her. "Sorry, I kinda dozed off in the chair with him."

"It's nice, sitting with him like that, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is." Ed inched closer to her and played with the string on her pajama shorts. "What happened today?" He asked the question like he had advance information.

"What happened?"

"Brooke sent me a text," He looked around, "I left my phone in the kitchen, but it said something like, tell Olivia I'm so sorry, will explain later. I didn't read it until just before I walked in."

"Oh," Olivia chuckled a little bit, "She doesn't have to apologize. She was having dinner with Angela and Angela was at the apartment when I got Noah."

Ed groaned. "I'm sorry, Liv."

"Ed, it's going to happen every once in a while. It's not like she lives in the neighborhood."

"Thank God for that."

"We got out of there quickly."

"Good. Noah didn't seem traumatized when I asked about his day, so she must not have spent much time with him, not that she would talk to him anyway." Ed smacked his lips and moved even closer, "Let's not talk about her."

Olivia knew it wouldn't be long before he was completely on top of her and smothering her with kisses, so she figured she better bring up Sarah. "I had a drink with Sarah today."

"Again? Liv, I—"

"Stop. I told you and I told them, I want to be there for them when they need me. But, Ed, she's struggling."

"I know."

"How do you know?"

"Liv, I'm her father and a cop. I can tell. And besides, she likes to act like everything's ok all the time and she ends up acting like she's too ok."

Olivia told him about the Facebook photos and Sarah's constant couple comparisons. "It was a little strange," Olivia said, "I told her about us, just getting started, you know, when I figured out you weren't constantly calling me…to…interrogate me."

"Hey," Ed interrupted, "You called me too."

"Not as much as you called me."

"Ok. I surrender." His body was now flush with hers, and his fingers were exploring just under the elastic of the shorts.

She knew her time for talking was limited. "The way she described their early days…was strange…almost like they were, acquaintances, who one day just decided to get married. I don't think she ever felt connected to him…you know, emotionally."

"She'll learn," he said before adding, "usually people learn that before they have engagement parties and weddings and honeymoons." To her surprise, Ed didn't start kissing her then. He spoke so hurriedly, she was sure the next thing he was going to do with his mouth was put it on her body. Instead, his voice softened, and he stammered, "I…I…didn't understand that connection until…you."

"You know what?" She said, smiling at him and running her fingers along his scalp. "I didn't either."

"Oh come on," he objected gently, "You had boyfriends."

"It's that old cliché—give and take. I was giving most of the time. When you do that, it fosters resentment, not unity. And then," her voice cracked ever so slightly and she gazed into his eyes, "This guy, Tucker, he just kind of swooped in, and showed me how it was to take every once in a while. And I liked it."

"It wasn't really a swoop," he corrected, "More like a slow jog, or maybe even a stroll. I wanted to kiss you for so long before I actually did it."

She recalled how nervous he'd been as he moved closer one night after he'd walked her home. "Why did it take you so long?" She teased, "Were you worried I'd run away?"

"Kinda."

"You may have been right."

Now he moved his lips along her shoulder and then her neck, "I'm glad I was patient," he murmured into her skin, "Because I started to want you so badly…even now, like right now, I want you. You're so damn perfect."

That was enough chatting as far as she was concerned. Olivia clutched his biceps and pushed him on his back. She let out a triumphant chuckle at her successful usurpation of control and kissed him wildly as she pinned his arms above his head. He moaned with pleasure and laughed a little as he tried and failed to free himself from her grasp. He got his chance when she removed her shirt. He sat up and pressed his face to her chest, biting gently at her breasts, sucking the flesh into his mouth before he took over, laid her on her back, and then picked up in the exact spot where he'd left off. The rest of their clothes flew off in every direction as their collective desire heightened, and right before Ed thrust himself inside her, in between his kisses, he murmured, "Don't forget, we have a date tomorrow night."

Olivia screwed up her face. That was, uh, a little out of the ordinary for that particular moment.

She dug her fingers into his back. Come on. But, he didn't move, he was absolutely frozen, until she gave him and equally mundane reply, "Noted, Captain. I'll be there."

…..

Olivia arrived at the precinct much later than usual the next morning. She had a few excuses, not that she needed them. Noah woke up too early and she cuddled with him in bed for a little while, fell back asleep, and didn't wake up until Ed nudged her. "Liv? Liv? Sorry, I didn't set my alarm, it's eight already."

She popped up and noticed Noah, too, had fallen back asleep.

"Go get ready." Ed replaced her in Noah's bed, his six-foot frame making the toddler bed look ridiculously small.

Then, on the way to work, she got an apology call from Brooke which took longer than expected, and she stopped and sipped her coffee, enjoying the pleasant spring morning as Brooke chatted away. Olivia wondered if Brooke had gone out after dinner with her mother; she sounded like she was either waking up from a night of drinking or was already having cocktails. Ed's older daughter was not usually this talkative, especially not on the phone.

Finally, she made a call she absolutely did not want to make around anyone she knew. This one was to Lindstrom to set up a consultation appointment for Sarah. Olivia didn't think she would want to see the same doctor, but Lindstrom could refer Sarah to someone else.

When she arrived in the squad room, Fin, Carisi, and Rollins had the appearance of people who were trying to look busy but really were not. They each had large coffees. Carisi brought in whatever Italian pastry he'd concocted the night before, and they exchanged idle chatter while staring at their laptops. Nobody was typing or had a hand on the mouse pad. Already thinking about her night out with her husband, Olivia sauntered in, said a breezy good morning, and parked herself at her desk before remembering her conversation with Chief Dodds.

"Rollins?" She called.

Amanda appeared. "Yes?"

"Close the door." No stranger to Lieutenant Benson's wrath, Rollins cringed and prepared for the worst, but Olivia kindly told her to have a seat. "First of all, Chief Dodds was impressed with your work on the bust. Well done. Carisi, too. I'll talk to him next."

"Thanks for telling me, Lieutenant."

"He mentioned something else, too."

Amanda looked at her expectantly. In one minute she'd been anxious, then proud, and now she was back to anxious. "What's that?"

"Declan…" Olivia drew out his name, hoping Rollins would maybe fill in some blanks. After Amanda secured the promotion, she told Olivia, in confidence, that Murphy was Jesse's father. Rollins wanted a fresh start, and she wanted absolutely no secrets between the two of them.

"Yeah, I haven't heard from him," Rollins said, "I wasn't expecting to. Not a good time for him to get away."

"Right. Chief Dodds mentioned something about that, or, at least about him trying to spend more time here in the U.S."

Rollins frowned, "I'm sure that's not going to happen."

"Look," Olivia said, "I don't need to know everything, but I do know that not having him consistently in the picture must be difficult. I know you have a great nanny and all, but, I just want you to know, I understand. I get it. You can talk to me, if you ever need to. Without judgment."

"Thanks, Liv. It's…complicated," Amanda rolled her eyes, "Obviously. But, thank you."

"You're welcome. Send Carisi in, will ya?"

"Sure."

Olivia sat back, a satisfied smirk on her face, finally adjusting to the whims of leadership, and feeling strong, powerful, and valued in both her personal and professional lives. Her squad was in sync and collecting accolade after accolade from the media and 1PP. It was all coming together.

As if that weren't enough, her handsome hostage negotiator husband would be waiting impatiently for her return later that evening.

It was date night.

…

#Tuckson date night coming soon!