I'm back with my first story featuring Tuckson! I feel that I'm a rare breed because I do ship Tuckson AND E/O. I know, I know. Please don't throw stones because I have a great story for you and it features BOTH Tuckson and E/O. Enjoy!

Set shortly after the finale of season 17!

Pressing the "close door" button on the elevator, the gleaming ring on her finger caught Olivia's eye causing a smile to light up her face. After two months, the ring still felt odd on her finger, a good odd. She had come to terms years ago that her left ring finger would remain bare but she was so happy that she was proven wrong.

Shoving the file she was holding under her arm, she slipped off the ring and attached it to the chain she wore around her neck. She kissed the piece of jewelry before placing it under her navy blue v-neck for safe keeping, a habit she had picked up at work since the night two months ago.

Adjusting the dark rimmed reading glasses that rested on her face, Olivia sat curled up on the couch flipping through the file in her lap. Like a bat out of hell, Noah came flying out of his bedroom with Ed trailing behind him.

"Mama! Mama!" he screeched, running into her lap.

"Yes, my love", she laughed, running her hand over his dark hair. Ed watched the two, a smile spreading across his face as he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

Noah crawled into her lap, showing off the velvet box in his hands. "Look! Papa found treasure!"

Sparing a quick glance at Ed, she took the smooth box in her hands and opened it slowly. What she saw took her breath away, the most beautiful ring she could ever imagine. A thin white gold band decorated with a three carrot round cut solitaire diamond. As soon as she looked up at Ed was kneeling down in front of them, placing his hands on the outside of her thighs.

"Ed…", she breathed, her right hand moving to his bicep. Her left arm was still around Noah, the box in her hand.

"Liv, you know I'm not the best with words." His gruff voice stated. She let out a small laugh, tears brimming her eyes. "I've been thinking about what to say for weeks and all that kept coming to my mind was a hail mary. Do you know what that is?"

A look of confusion crossed her face. "A prayer?"

"Well, yes. But in regards to football?"

"Da giants!" Noah piped up, clapping his hands.

Ed chuckled, high- fiving the boy. "You got it, buddy." His hands returned to the light hold on her thighs as his blue eyes met her brown. "When a team is losing and time is running out in the last quarter, in a last ditch effort to win the quarterback will blindly throw the ball hoping someone will catch it in the end zone." She smiled, shaking her head briefly. He could tell she still had no idea where he was going with this. "Before I met you, I had lost all hope of finding someone. I was a fifty year old cop hated by all other cops, I had very few genuine friends. The odds weren't looking good for me. And then you walked into the bar that night rambling on about Amaro and his father, all fire and beauty. I knew that I needed you in my life, that I had to have you."

Seeing his eyes start to glass over, a shaky breath escaped her lips as she reached out to stroke his chiseled cheek. "You and Noah have breathed new life into me. I feel like I have a second chance and it's all because of you. You're my hail mary, Olivia Margaret Benson, and I'm so glad I caught you." Tears were now freely streaming down her cheeks. "So what do you say? How would you like it to be you, me and the kid… forever?"

She nodded enthusiastically, not trusting her own voice. Her hands pulled his face to hers, Noah stuck in between their bodies. A single tear slid down his cheek as her lips met his."Yes, yes, yes", she breathed against his lips, punctuating each word with a kiss.

When they pulled apart, Ed had the widest smile Olivia had ever seen plastered on his face. "Hey No, wanna help Pop?" Ed asked the boy who in return nodded excitedly.

Together they took the ring out of the box and gingerly slid it on Olivia's slim finger. In that moment, she was sure that she had never loved anyone as much as she loved her two boys nor will she ever.

The elevator dinging brought Olivia out of her day dream with a huge smile on her face. The doors opened and she walked into the squad room of the 16th precinct.

As always, she was met with an enthusiastic Carisi. "Hey Lieu, how was court?" He asked leaning on his desk, sporting his signature slicked back hair and suit vest.

Olivia shrugged, continuing to saunter towards her office. "There's been better, there's been worse."

"I hear ya on that. Oh hey, there's someone waiting for you in your office." Sonny informed, finally taking a seat as his desk and getting ready to do work. That stopped her in her tracks, she hadn't been expecting anyone. "You okay, Liv?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. When Fin gets in fill him in on what Barba said about the victim's testimony on Thursday." She ordered, her hand poised at the handle of her door.

Carisi nodded, "You got it, Boss."

Opening the door to her office, her right hand instinctively moved her her gun holster. There was someone sitting behind her desk, the chair back facing her as to hide their identity. "Excuse me, can I help you?"

The chair slowly swiveled around and Olivia came face to face with someone she hadn't seen in five years, someone she thought she would never see again. "Elliot…" she breathed.

The air quickly left the room as she took in the sight of him. It baffled her how he was so familiar yet so foreign at the same time. The hair at his temple had started to gray, matching the short stubble that covered his cheeks. The strong line of his nose leading down to his thin pink lips. She noticed that his blue eyes still crinkled at the corners as a smile spread across his face. "Lieutenant…" He greeted.

Olivia was frozen where she stood. "What are you doing here?" Her voice was still just above a whisper.

"I was reading about your Sergeant in the paper and it said that you were a lieutenant now. I had to come see for myself." He explained, standing up from her chair and rounding the desk. She still hadn't moved, standing only a couple feet away from her office door. "You look good." He smirked, his eyes raking over the expanse of her body as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the front of his desk. She was wearing her usual dress slacks, her badge clipped to her right hip. A navy blue v-neck under a blazer tailored to her curves. "Command suits you, Liv."

She flinched at use of her old nickname. "You look…" She started, moving to put down the file on the small table next to the couch, "exactly how I thought you would." The clothes he was wearing were practically identical to the street clothes he used to wear on his days off so long ago. Faded denim hung low of his hips, his dark gray cotton shirt stretched across his chest and arms, clinging to the muscles there. His fingers flexed around the worn leather jacket he held between his hands.

"Wow. Lieutenant. I can't think of anyone who deserves it more." He looked down at his brown work boots. He took a breath before continuing. "I'm really proud of you."

His eyes flickered to hers but she couldn't hold his gaze. She shoved her hands in her pockets and looked down at the scuffed floor below feet. She hated how much those words meant to her, especially coming from him.

Elliot slipped his leather jacket on. "So Liv, how about you let me take you to lunch?"

"El…", She began and before she could continued his voice cut her off, his narrowed eyes looking through the blinds on her office window.

"Uh oh, mama bear. Which one of your cubs is in trouble?" When he saw her confused expression he continued. "Rat squad is here." He nodded towards the window.

She closed her eyes and let out a sigh before there was a brief knock on the door. It opened revealing Ed Tucker. "Hey Liv, you ready?" His gruff voice died on his lips as he saw his fiancé's guest.

In true Elliot Stabler fashion, his eyes narrowed as his brain calculated the scene in front of him. The Ed Tucker he knew would never call an officer by their first name, let alone a nickname. And coming into a precinct in street clothes, no less.

Ed stepped into the office, shoving his hands in his pockets and puffing out his chest. "Stabler", he rasped.

"Tucker", the other man countered, crossing his arms over his chest. If the tension in the room didn't have any correlation to her, she would find this masculine stand off comical.

"What are you doing here?" Ed interrogated, his cold gaze never faltering.

Elliot let out a quick, bitter laugh. "Not that it's any of your business, but I'm visiting my partner."

Ed's jaw clenched as he made his way towards Olivia and placed a hand on her lower back, below her jacket but over her shirt. "Ex-partner", he corrected. He was a man of few PDA's and even fewer words so she knew he was marking his territory. Elliot squeezed his biceps at the gesture, his knuckles on the verge of turning white.

Before the pissing contest could continue, their attention turned to the sound of small footsteps stampeding into the room. "Mama!" Noah exclaimed, running into Olivia's legs.

Bending down, she picked up the three year old and peppered his face with kisses. She couldn't bring herself to see Elliot's reaction so she kept her attention trained on her son. "Look what Sonny got me." Noah squealed, holding up the plastic police badge in his chubby hands. "Like you and Papa."

"Oh boy", she laughed. Despite the tension in the room, Ed managed a small smile and he ran his large hand down the toddler's back. "Why don't you go see if Sonny will let you handcuff him to the desk again?" She suggested, her eyes bright. The boy's face lit up and he darted out of the room as soon as his feet hit the ground.

Several moments passed and the tension continued to hang thick in the air. It was Ed who finally broke the silence. "You're done reliving your glory days here, Stabler," he growled, taking a step forward.

Olivia moved herself in front of her fiancé, bracing her hands against his firm stomach. She could see the redness spreading up his neck from below his quarter zip sweater, practically a gauge for his anger. "Go find Noah. I'll be out in one minute, I promise." She begged softly. Her voice so low that Elliot could barely make out what she was saying.

Reigning in his temper, Ed nodded. He glanced over at Elliot before returning his gaze to Olivia's pleading eyes. Bringing his hands to cradle her face, he pressed a lingering kiss against her forehead. Her eyes closed against the feeling of his lips.

Once Ed had left the room she turned around to face Elliot, who was staring at her like she kicked his puppy. "Elliot…" She exhaled. This caused him to start towards her, stopping about two feet in front of her. She didn't think she could take the weight of his gaze much longer. "I have to go." She spoke, gesturing out to the squad room.

Shaking his head, Elliot brushed past her and out the room. When she was left alone, she finally let out the breath she was holding for the past several minutes. Her eyes scanned over her office, examining it for any sign that it was tainted by the run in. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found nothing, it was still her safe place.

Walking out of her office, she noted that Elliot was only several feet away talking to Fin. She walked passed them, catching up with her family.

Elliot's eyes followed her as she reached her son, picking him up. The smile on her face was incomparable as Tucker joined them, kissing the young boy's head and wrapping an arm around Olivia as they headed out of the squad room.

"What the hell happened here?" Elliot demanded, his eyes never leaving the retreating family.

Fin followed his gaze. "It's been a long time, Elliot. Tucker's not such a bad guy." At those words, Elliot adverted his hard gaze to the man standing next to him. "She's happy, man. Let her be happy."

Later that night

Glancing out the window of her office, Olivia noted that the squad room had mostly emptied out except for maybe an officer or two. She looked down at her watch, seeing that it was almost 7pm.

Packing up the case she was reviewing, she took off her glasses only to look up and find non other than Elliot Stabler in the doorway.' "Elliot… I wasn't expecting you back."

"You and Tucker, huh?" he questioned, pushing off the door jam and walking into her office.

She sighed, looking down at her clasped hands resting on the desk. "I know what you must be thinking…"

His piercing blue eyes met her soulful brown ones, giving her a sad smile. "No, you don't." He paused. "How long have you been together? Four years?"

A confused look crossed her face. "About eighteen months."

He was taken aback. "I just thought with the kid…"

"Oh, no. Noah isn't Ed's, biologically. Or mine for that matter. He's adopted."

Elliot started further into the room. "Could've fooled me. Your dark hair, his blue eyes." He paused as if remembering. "I thought you always wanted kids of your own."

Olivia sighed, he was getting awfully personal. "I did. Time hasn't exactly been on my side." She paused, her eyes flickering to his. "Spent twelve of those crucial years riding around in a squad car with you."

Shuffling closer, his hands dug into his pockets. "I don't trust him with you, Olivia."

She could practically feel the anger blaze behind her eyes. "You don't have to", she chided. "Because I do. I trust him with my son and my life. He takes care of us."

"The Olivia Benson I knew didn't need a man to take care of her." He countered, taking a seat in the chair in front of her desk.

A certain audacity washed over her. "I couldn't spend the rest of my life pining for you." The words were barely audible. She couldn't believe she had said that out loud. She was sure he knew what her feelings were for him, but they always remained unspoken.

Elliot's eye blinked a couple times at her admission. "But Tucker, Liv?"

"He's a good man…"

His voice cut her off before she could continue, "He arrested you for murder!"

Olivia's voice raised, matching his tone. "My DNA was on the knife, he was doing his job!" His lips set in a firm line, not wanting to let the venomous words on his tongue spill out. "You know that promotion of mine you're so proud of? Ed pushed me to take the Lieutenant's exam. Even before we were dating." This caused Elliot's eyes to shoot to hers. "He looks out for me… and Noah."

He paused, leaning back in his chair challenging her. "You used to want my opinion on the guys you were dating.".

She sighed, two could play this game. "You used to answer your phone when I called, but I guess all that went out the window five years ago."

They stared at each other. A long silence hung between them but their history made it impossible for it to be awkward. "What are you really doing here, El?"

His masculine hands came up to scrub his face and she realized a certain finger was bare. He inhaled deeply through his nose. "Kathy and I are done." Her eyes widened at the confession, but she couldn't say she was surprised. Their marriage was on borrowed time even before he put in his papers. "There was always a third person in our marriage. It wasn't until after I left that I realized just how important that person was."

Air escaped her lungs. She had waited over fifteen years to hear him say those words. To leave his wife and realize that the person he wanted to be with was next to him in the squad car all along. "Elliot, I waited twelve years for you. Even longer actually. I loved you but I couldn't spend my life waiting. I couldn't be second choice." The emotion in her voice made a lump form in his throat.

Elliot cleared his throat, a small smile graced his lips but didn't quite reach his eyes. "Wishful thinking on my part." He rasped.

Olivia took in his demeanor. He as sitting across from her, his elbows resting on his knees. His eyes trained on his fiddling hands, defeat marring his handsome features. She knew that he didn't want to hear about Ed, but she felt obligated to defend her fiancé. "He left IAB for me…"

This shocked Elliot, she could tell by how quickly his eye shot to hers. She needed him to understand. "I have been second choice my whole life. To jobs, egos… wives." The last word sent a wave of guilt washing over Elliot. "Ed chose me without even a second thought and he continues to choose me each and everyday. And I'll choose him, every single time." Her voice thickened and her eyes misted at the weight of her words. "He loves me, more than I probably deserve to be loved and I love him more and more everyday. I'm finally happy, El."

Elliot smiled, happy for her even if it wasn't with him. "You're wrong", he stated. Before the anger built behind her eyes, he continued. "No one could ever love you more than you deserve to be loved."

She smiled widely, quickly wiping away a tear that slipped from her eye. "That Stabler charm." She laughed. Suddenly, that very important piece of jewelry started burning a hole against her chest. "There's one more thing…"

"I know your boyfriend is great, don't tell me he's hung like a horse too." Elliot joked, trying his best to lighten the mood.

Olivia smiled, a blush spreading across her cheeks as she gave him a small shrug. "The thing is… he's not just my boyfriend."

His brow furrowed as she took chain out from under her shirt, slipping the ring off her chain and onto her finger. He brought his hand to his chest. "All ready ripped out my heart, Liv. You didn't have to throw it in a blender too." His tone sounded light but she could tell there was some truth to his words. "Let me see", he requested, reaching his hand across her desk.

She gave in, placing her hand in his. His rough skin a stark contrast to her soft palm. He whistled, causing her to laugh. "He has good taste." he said, leaning back giving her classic Stabler eyes. "In more than just rings." She blushed and looked away and when he looked back his expression grew solemn. "I know it's naive, but I thought I would come back and everything would be exactly the same. Then today, I walk in and it doesn't feel like home anymore."

"Some things haven't changed… I still do care about you, El", she offered, her voice thick. "You were my best friend for twelve years. That doesn't go away over night, or after five years for that matter." That made him smile as he rubbed a hand over his stubbled cheek. "I'd like you to be in my life… and Noah's. If you and Ed can get along, that is. I won't spend my life being the referee between you two."

An even wider smile spread across his face. "I don't think I can even get used to you calling him 'Ed'", he laughed, deflecting from what he was really feeling.

"Just wait until you see him smile." she teased. "Took me forever to get used to that."

"I hope I'm around to get used to it."

"Me too", she smiled.

Elliot sighed and slapped his hands against his knees, breaking the seriousness of the moment. "C'mon, Lieutenant Benson, you have a couple boys to get home to. I'll walk you out." He offered, gesturing to the door.

Olivia stood up and circled to the front of her desk as Elliot rose from his chair as well. Before he could even question what was happening, she circled her arms around his middle and pressed her face against his chest. It took a minute, but eventually he reciprocated and wrapped his arms around her back, one of his hands going to her hair. "I missed you", she muttered into his shirt, her fingers digging into the muscles of his back.

He sighed, tightening his hold on her. "Despite what I said, I'm really glad you're happy. Even if it is with Tucker." He breathed into her hair. She pulled back, smiling up at him.

She grabbed her things and turned out the lights to her office, allowing him to lead her out.

Walking into their apartment, Olivia spotted Ed on the couch nursing a tumbler of bourbon as he watched the game. It was a little after eight and she knew that Noah had, more likely than not, already fallen asleep. "Mmm, something smells good." She called in a sing- song voice as she shrugged out of her jacket and hung it up on the rack.

At her voice, Ed looked over his shoulder throwing her his signature crooked smirk. "There's a plate for you in the microwave."

Making her way over to the back of the couch, she bent down and wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind. She pressed a lingering kiss below his ear before trailing her nose along the side of his neck. "That's not what I was talking about." She whispered seductively.

He smiled, reaching his hand up to cover hers as they begun to roam the expanse of his chest. "Stabler came back?" His words caused her hands to cease. It was more of a statement than it was a question.

"How did you know?" She asked, standing up straight. Her hands still on his shoulders.

Ed answered, his eyes fixed ahead of him. "You're not a woman that man just leaves behind." Olivia made her way around the front of the couch, his eyes following her once she entered his peripheral vision. "What did he have to say?"

She picked up the remote, turning off the television before sitting on the coffee table in front of him. She sighed before she began, "I think you already know."

Downing the remainder of the amber liquid, he ran a rough hand over his mouth in an attempt to contain his emotions. There was a beat before his eyes met hers. "I've dreaded this from day one." Her eyebrows knitted together at his confession. "I've known you two as long as you've known each other. I know what you felt for him."

"That was a long time ago." She defended, her voice soft.

Ed continued as if he didn't even hear her. "Olivia, I love you with all my heart, more than I've ever loved anyone. But I can't live with being second best to Elliot Stabler." She laughed at the irony of his words but quickly ceased when Ed's hurt eyes met hers. "I didn't think I was being funny."

Pushing off the coffee table, Olivia straddled his lap. She placed a hand on each one of his cheeks, meeting his gaze. "Edward Patrick Tucker, if you have to compete with anyone for my feelings it's that little boy sleeping in there."

She swiped her thumb across his cheek. "For my whole life, I've had this hole in my heart. I'm not going to lie, for a long time I thought that Elliot filled that hole." He huffed and tried to look away but she wouldn't let him. "Hey, just listen. I thought that but I would go home at night and that hole felt bigger than ever. I never would've guessed a simple gesture from Ed Tucker would fill that hole."

His hands moved to grip the sides of her hips. "And what was that?" He asked, his eyes softening.

"We were out for a drink one night, very early on. The conversation has lulled and I had caught you just looking at me. You raised your hand, bringing it to my hair." She explained, grasping one of his hands and making him mimic the movement. "You pushed my hair behind my ear before letting it linger on my neck, your thumb stroking my jaw."

His hand mirrored her words and she held his hand to face, leaning into the feeling of his warmth. "That's when I knew", she whispered, placing a searing kiss on his palm.

"Knew what?" he muttered, his voice thick and gruff.

She trained her eyes on his, the feeling of his calloused hand on her collarbone enough to make her lose her voice. "I knew", she swallowed, "I knew that I didn't ever want another man;s hand to touch me like that. That I wanted you to take me to bed right then. That I wanted that little boy in there to call you daddy."

Ed didn't need to hear anymore, he pulled her lips to meet his. Her hands held the back of his head as she took his lower lip between hers, sucking and biting at the tissue. HIs hands flew to grip her thighs as she moved in his lap.

"God, I wish I found you sooner", she breathed, her forehead resting against his. "I want to grow little Tuckers in my belly. All blue eyes, gray hair and raspiness."

That made him chuckle as he brought a hand between there bodies. Slipping the hand under her shirt, he pressed the hand against her soft stomach right above the waistband of her pants. His eyes closed at the thought of a part of him growing inside of her. "Everything happened when it was supposed to happen." He breathed, almost as if to remind himself as well as her.

She nudged her nose against his cheek, making him look at her. "You're right. You're my hail mary, Ed Tucker, and I'm so glad I caught you." Her words caused a wide smile to spread across his hardened face as he caught her lips in a scorching kiss.

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