This chapter is much shorter than I usually post, but it's a nice bridge into the ensuing Sarah drama (and then we'll get back to fluff because that's what I really love)

31.

Olivia managed to push Ed backwards down the corridor and then guide him through the boisterous crowd to the street. The noise level was so loud inside that nobody other than the four of them knew what happened. Needing to find some space in order to calm her husband, Olivia kept one hand on Ed's wrist and with the other dug into her wallet and, fortunately, found a few bills and shoved them at Sarah.

"Go in and settle up with the server for us, okay?"

Sarah started to object, but she caught Olivia's stern eyes and obediently went back inside.

Olivia put her hands on Ed's shoulders. "Hey, look at me. Ed?"

His breath came out in huffs and Olivia couldn't remember a recent time when his face had been that red or his jaw and cheekbones so hardened with anger.

"C'mon," she urged, "Walk with me. Let's go." On one hand she hoped a walk would ease some of the tension, on the other hand, she didn't want to have a second altercation with Dodds.

Wordlessly, he allowed Olivia to lead him down the street. She held his hand now, and he intertwined his fingers with her tightly, signaling that he was, at least, level-headed enough to respond to her touch. Thoughts swirled. What was Dodds saying to Sarah? Was it as bad is it looked? Where in the hell was Sarah? Olivia sent her back in there. Was she back with Dodds?

"Liv, I'm sorry," he finally mumbled.

Their path was aimless and Olivia realized they were getting close to Columbus Circle where they'd be able to sit and blend in with the tourists and early-evening commuters. She merely rubbed his back and held him close as they made their way north a few more blocks. When they were at the edge of the park, she spotted a bench and they sat down. Olivia inspected his right hand.

"Doesn't look like it's swelling much."

Lingering rage was the only thing keeping Ed from erupting into laughter. Back at the bar, he was so consumed with hostility, he hadn't thought of anything but getting Dodds away from his daughter, but now that he was with Olivia, he worried she would lecture him and demand remorse. But, no. She worked over his hand while concentrating on his face, waiting for him to wince.

"We'll put some ice on it at home," she said.

Adrenaline still pumping, Ed suddenly felt the urge to get her home immediately. But they were on a bench at the southern edge of Central Park and several blocks from their apartment. He shot up, yanking her with him.

"C'mon."

"Ed? What are—"

"Just, come on."

He practically dragged her across Fifty-Ninth Street and into the Essex House Hotel entrance.

"Ed." Olivia tried to dig in her heels. She attempted to squeeze the swollen hand. She shot a wide-eyed incredulous glance at him.

Nothing worked.

"My wife and I need a room for tonight," he told the desk clerk in an amazingly even-toned voice.

The clerk punched a few buttons on the computer. "We have—"

"High floor, view of the park," Ed instructed, more urgently now. Olivia was still holding his hand tightly, and he squeezed back but also brushed his thumb back and forth across hers. He whipped his wallet out of his pocket and slapped a credit card on the counter. Minutes later, they were on their way through the tiled lobby to the elevators. Once the doors closed, Ed immediately wrapped Olivia in a tight embrace and kissed her ferociously. Stunned, Olivia could do nothing but attempt to match his aggressive liplock. The elevator dinged just as Ed was reaching under the hemline of her dress.

Knowing any attempt at reasonable conversation was futile, Olivia, nevertheless, tried, "Ed, I—"

"Stop talking, Liv," He commanded, following the signs to their room. Locating it, he opened the door with a flourish. Once inside, he threw off his blazer, kicked off his shoes, and wrapped his arms around Olivia's waist, simultaneously kissing her and carrying her to the bed.

They fell onto the plush mattress. Rather than attempt more questions, Olivia embraced the spontaneity and frantically unbuckled, unbuttoned, and unzipped his pants. She only got a few shirt buttons undone before Ed momentarily pulled away from her and yanked both the oxford and the undershirt off over his head, tossing them aside. Her dress was next, then her bra and panties, and, finally, his boxer briefs.

Ed remained silent. His eyes met hers and Olivia wasn't sure how to respond to the emotion she saw…they were lustful, hurt, passionate, irate, hungry, and full of yearning. Sure enough, after a few more deep, almost-angry kisses, he squeezed her breasts, brushed his fingers along her thighs and then up the center of her body, and whispered, almost apologetically, "I need you."

"I'm all yours, Ed," she replied in a husky voice, suddenly needing him just as much as he needed her. She massaged his back and slid her hands to his ass and then his hips, bucking her pelvis into his. "I need you, too."

Ed never once broke his gaze into her eyes as he thrust in and out of her. Taking advantage of being out of Noah's earshot, Olivia didn't bother muffling her moans and shrieks with a pillow or with Ed's shoulder. She threw her head back and writhed beneath him, trying to comply with his demands for her to keep her eyes open.

"I wanna see you, Liv, I wanna see you come for me baby, Look. At. Me."

"Ed!"

"Like that?"

He was moving even faster now, creating a sensation Olivia wasn't sure she'd ever felt before. The final scream as she thrashed about in the throes of her orgasm triggered Ed's release and he jerked violently, never concentrating on anything else but her eyes, and he collapsed on top of her, meeting her lips with a sloppy, open-mouthed kiss that was more an attempt to consume her chin than anything else.

"Oh my God," Olivia huffed with Ed's lips still on hers.

He swiped his tongue a few more times against hers and then rolled to the side, still keeping her close. "I love you, Liv. I love you so, so, much. So. So. So. Much." He peppered her face and neck with kisses and repeated so, so much multiple times.

Still overwhelmed and a bit disoriented, Olivia simply held him close and breathed in his scent, trying to figure out what to say. Not more than two hours ago they were drinking shots with Carisi and now they were in a hotel room less than a mile from their home, naked and slick with sex, with absolutely no part of the earlier confrontation resolved.

"I love you too," she managed to croak.

"Mad at me?"

Olivia raised her eyebrows, "Of course not. Especially not," she cocked one of the brows, "After this. But I wasn't before."

"That motherfucker."

"He hit you first."

"And, Sarah, what the fuck, Liv?"

"I don't know, Ed. I really don't know. But it looked bad. You had every right to intervene."

Ed craned his neck and looked at the clock. "We can't stay here all night, can we?"

"No, we cannot."

"Damn."

"We have a little more time," Olivia said softly, "C'mere, let me hold you." Olivia slid one arm underneath him and draped the other over his chest. He covered her hands with his and leaned back, surrendering to her embrace.

"You're a good man, Ed Tucker," she assured, "A good father, husband, lover…"

He shook with amusement.

"Well, more than a good lover."

He played with her fingers appreciatively and rasped, "It's easy to love you, Liv."

…

Ed and Olivia expected to find Lucy at home with Noah but Carisi and Brooke were there instead. After hearing about the altercation, they left the bar, went to the apartment, told Lucy they would see about Noah, and had been worried and wondering about the two of them ever since.

"We texted and called," Brooke said, obviously frustrated, "Where were you?"

"Walking," Ed muttered, still a little flushed.

"Well, what the fuck happened?" Brooke, cognizant of Noah, muttered under her breath.

Sonny, taken aback by Brooke's language, blinked and added, "Yeah, uh, Sarah told us you punched Chief Dodds?"

Ed and Olivia both nodded.

Brooke and Sonny looked back at them expectantly, waiting for the rest of the story.

"Ed, why don't you take Noah and get his bath started?"

"Alright." Ed plucked Noah from the beanbag, "C'mon, bud. Bathtime."

"Big bafftub?"

"Sure."

Olivia gestured to the sofa and began filling in the blanks. She told them about seeing Chief Dodds trapping Sarah against the wall. It looked bad, and Ed reacted the way any father would…the way any decent human being would, at seeing that scenario.

Brooke shook her head and muttered, "Sarah."

Sonny reverted to detective mode, "Whaddya mean, Sarah?"

Brooke looked back and forth between Sonny and Olivia. "I knew that guy was bad news."

"What?" Sonny and Olivia said at the same time.

"It was the dinner last Saturday," Brooke explained, "She, uh, she had to buy a new dress because he, uh, requested, she wear this particular color and style. And she did it. I was pissed."

Olivia rubbed her temples.

Carisi screwed up his face. "You meanta tell me Chief Dodds was tryin' ta make a trophy outta Captain Tucker's daughter? What an idiot."

"Sarah went along with it for a few nights," Brooke pointed out dryly. "She liked the idea of someone older. Until, of course, the last time."

"Did she say anything to you?" Olivia asked, "After we left?"

"She just paid your tab, said the Captain hit Dodds, and she left, said she wanted to be alone."

Frustrated, Olivia rolled her eyes. Sarah, who was once the adorable yet whimsical and free-spirited daughter now was becoming a major pain in the ass and, worse, someone who Olivia couldn't trust.

"Thank you, Brooke, Carisi, for coming here, but, really, we're okay. It's probably best if we put Noah to bed and just call it a night. We can…we'll hash this out later."

"I SHOW SONNY!" Noah came rumbling out in his pajamas and went directly to Carisi. "You see da spikes?"

Ed had spiked Noah's wet hair. It was already wilting under the pressure of the water weight, but Sonny played along. "I love it, No!"

"It like the Stegassrus!"

"Yep, that's my favorite dinosaur!"

Noah squinted, "You know da stegassrus?"

"Yup! The one with the spikes on its back! Hey, Lieu, if ya want, me and Brooke'll go to the Natural History Mus—"

Brooke interrupted, "We've been. And, if you want to go, take Noah…it's not my thing." She, Ed, and Olivia exchanged knowing glances. It wasn't their thing, either.

"So," Olivia hoisted Noah into her arms and kissed his cheek, "Maybe Sonny will take you to the museum…you can have a boys day out."

Noah nodded eagerly and Carisi shrugged. "Suit yourselves…we'll have fun either way, right, No?"

"Right!"

"Well, we better go," Brooke said, "I'm sorry tonight ended like it did…guess we'll go home and deal with…her."

"You know what?" Ed dug into his pocket, "Don't deal with her. Here," he gave the hotel room key cards to Brooke, "On us."

Brooke screwed up her face. "What the—"

"Just take it," Ed said, his face insisting that she not ask questions. "Get away for the night."

Brooke and Carisi gushed their thanks and left. As soon as they closed the door, Olivia's eyes widened.

"Ed, the bed!"

He brushed off her concern, "I called while Noah was in the tub, had them do a linen change."

Olivia slid her arms around his waist. "You're amazing."

"Still gonna say that when I lose my job and my pension?"

"You're not going to lose your job and your pension."

"You're right, but it's gonna have to be addressed."

"And I'll be with you every step of the way."

Ed ran his fingers through her hair and, just before he kissed her, whispered, "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"Me too," she murmured. "Me too."

….

#Tuckson