A/N: This is the final chapter of this fic. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you want I will continue writing another one-shot or multi-chap fic w/ Bensidy and Noah. It just may take me a little time to get it up as it's gonna be a busy 2 weeks and I have some other fics I need to update too (Christmas Blues for sure). Let me know what you think. Thanks :)

Stepping out of the pizza shop, they noticed that the sun was just slipping below the horizon, painting the sky a brilliant mixture of orange and pink. It would not be long before it was dark enough for fireworks. The temperature had dropped a few degrees while they were inside too, aided by the cool ocean breeze, prompting Olivia to put Noah's jacket on him and drape a light blanket over his bare legs.

The crowds from the beach seemed to have all migrated up to the boardwalk area and there was chaos unfolding in every direction. Noah took it all in with wide-eyed wonder. The street performer playing a soulful rendition of "God Bless America". The group of pre-teens participating in an ill-timed game of tag, weaving through the masses of people eating ice cream cones and corndogs. The street vendor selling glow-in-the-dark bracelets and necklaces. The frat guys cheering on their friend as he tried to chug a Big Gulp, presumably full of beer, in less than a minute. Occasionally Noah would peer over his shoulder, ensuring that his mom and Brian were still behind him, before resuming his people watching.

As they walked, Brian's hand naturally travelled to the small of Olivia's back. The contact was so light at first she could barely feel it but when she didn't shy away from his touch, he gradually relaxed his hand, letting it rest comfortably against her.

An hour later they had made it back to their starting point and it was just about time for the fireworks display to begin. They had bought Noah a t-shirt to commemorate his first trip to the beach and a box of salt water taffy. Because as Brian pointed out, who goes to the beach and doesn't get salt water taffy?

Finding an empty spot on the retaining wall, they sat down to wait for the show to start. Olivia lifted Noah out of the stroller and sat him on her lap, smiling as he stuck his thumb in his mouth and snuggled against her chest, his monkey still clutched tightly in his other hand. He probably would have been able to see just fine from his stroller but Olivia was unsure how he would react to the loud noises and figured he'd feel safer in his mother's arms.

Brian wanted to wrap his arm around Olivia's waist but he resisted the temptation, not willing to press his luck. She hadn't pushed him away earlier when he initiated physical contact, but he wasn't sure how far her grace would extend. He instead settled for resting his hand on the wall, close enough to Olivia that it brushed up against her thigh.

A few seconds later the first colorful explosion lit up the night sky. Olivia and Brian both immediately glanced at Noah, wanting to gauge his reaction. Noah was not sure what to think of this new development. He was torn between being terrified of the loud noise and enamored by the bright colors dancing across the sky. His solution was to alternate between clapping his hands in excitement every time new flashes of light would appear and burying his face in his mother's chest in an attempt to block out the offending sounds. Brian and Olivia laughed at the little boy's antics, relieved that at least he hadn't burst into tears, yet.

The longer the fireworks went on, the more used to the sound Noah got. To the point that he had relaxed in Olivia's arms and was now just watching the light show through heavy eyelids.

Olivia snuck a glance at Brian halfway through the display and noticed that instead of watching the fireworks that he had insisted they stay for, his gaze was fixed on Noah. The expression on his face was hard to read. While he was smiling from ear to ear, his eyes held a look of sadness and regret—almost identical to the way they had looked the night she and Brian broke up. She made a mental note to ask him about it later.

When the fireworks finally ended, they loaded a sleepy Noah back into his stroller and joined the masses swarming back to their cars. It was only a short walk but by the time they reached the car and Olivia was positioning Noah in his car seat he was just about asleep. As she reached into the car seat to fasten the buckle she heard him mumble "Buh-buh" in his sleep, bringing a smile to her face. Buh-buh was Noah's baby-talk version of "Buddy", which is what they had agreed he should call Brian since Da-da wasn't really appropriate and Brian didn't seem quite right either. Normally Olivia would pretend to be hurt that Noah had not said Ma-ma, but today it brought joy to her already full heart to hear Noah asking for Brian.

"Hey Bri," she called softly to Brian, who was loading the stroller and beach bag in the trunk. "Noah's calling for you."

Brian closed the trunk and walked around the car to the other side. Opening the door, he poked his head in and placed a quick kiss on the top of Noah's head. "I'm here buddy. I hope you had fun today. I know I did. Now let's get you and your mommy home before she falls asleep too and I have to carry you both up to your apartment." As he spoke he softly ran his finger up and down Noah's soft cheek.

Noah's eyes fluttered a few more times before finally staying closed and eventually his breathing evened out indicating he had fallen asleep. Brian gave Noah one more quick kiss before standing up, closing the back door, and hopping in the driver's seat. Olivia verified that the car seat buckle was secure before joining Brian in the front of the car.

Instead of starting the car right up, Brian shifted in his seat so he was facing Olivia and turned the interior dome light on. He gave Olivia a tentative smile before saying, "Thank you for agreeing to do this today."

"No problem. I'm glad you thought of it. I had a lot of fun and I know Noah did too."

She could tell Brian had more to say, so she waited. When a minute passed and silence still enveloped the car, she did her best to draw it out of him.

"Today was really important to you, wasn't it?" She carefully studied his face, trying to figure out what it was that had changed his demeanor. To her recollection, she had not done anything to reject his advances. Quite the contrary, she had openly welcomed them, finally accepting what Brian had probably already known for weeks—her, Brian, and Noah, they were a perfect fit.

"Yeah it was," Brian replied, fidgeting with the hem of his shorts while fighting off the emotions that were welling up inside him.

"Care to explain?" Olivia asked gently, stroking his forearm in a reassuring motion as she waited for his answer.

Brian took a deep breath and released it slowly before he spoke. "My best memory of my dad is from the Fourth of July when I was five. My sister had just been born a week before so she and my mom weren't really up for the usual family picnic. Plus I had been feeling a little neglected because of all the attention the new baby was getting. So my dad decided we were going to have a special 'Boy's Day'. We loaded up the car and drove to Long Beach Island, just the two of us. We spent all day constructing the most amazing sandcastle you've ever seen. Then when it got dark we went up to the shops and ate hot dogs and cotton candy and grape soda until I thought I was gonna puke. And then we walked back down to the beach and sat on a blanket and watched the fireworks together. It was the best day ever. I talked about it for weeks after the fact."

He paused for a second before continuing. What he had to say next was going to be hard and he hoped he could get through it without crying. He swallowed around the lump forming in his throat and looked down at his hands, unable to make eye contact with Olivia when he made this final admission. "I guess I wanted Noah to experience that same fun day. And I know he's too young to remember it the way I remember the day with my dad. But I was afraid if I waited until Noah was five…"

Brian stopped again, choking back a sob and wiping away a tear that had managed to escape. "I was afraid he'd have an actual dad by then that he'd rather spend his time with."

He rubbed away another couple tears before looking up to see tears streaming down Olivia's face. Gathering her in his arms as best he could with the gear shift in the way, he held onto her small frame, rubbing circles on her back until her crying, and his, had all but subsided.

When they finally broke apart, Olivia took a few moments to collect herself before looking deep into Brian's eyes and saying the most beautiful words he had ever heard. "You're the only father Noah's ever going to know, Bri."

Brian stared quizzically at Olivia, wanting to believe what he was hearing, but certain that he must be misinterpreting her meaning. "What are you saying, Liv?"

"I'm saying I want, no, I need you back in my life permanently. I never stopped loving you Bri. And I don't think you stopped loving me either. I just needed to be sure that your love for Noah was as real as your love for me. The irony is I think we've gotten to the point that you're more worried that Noah and I will walk out of your life than I am that you'll disappear from our lives. I'm sorry for any hurt I've caused you over these past two months with my back and forth behavior. Even as recently as this morning I was still sort of on the fence about everything, but when I heard you promise Noah you'd bring him back to the beach again I knew you were telling the truth—that you'd never break a promise you made to your little buddy. And that was when I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt I couldn't risk losing you again. I love you Brian and you mean the world to Noah. So if you'll have us, we're yours for the taking."

Brian paused a moment, letting her words fully sink in. He felt a calmness wash over his body—a calmness that had probably been missing since Lewis kidnapped Olivia the first time, over a year ago. "Olivia I knew from that day in the grocery store that you and Noah were the only family I could ever imagine myself having a life with. You're right, I never stopped loving you either. And seeing you with Noah—the way you interacted with him, cared for him—made me love you even more, if that's even possible. I know I never told you this, but I used to want kids, back when I was a wide-eyed newbie. But then time passed, I got older, the job hardened me, and it never happened. So by the time we reconnected I had basically ruled out ever being a father, figuring that door in my life was closed forever. I had made my peace with it and was envisioning this carefree life with just you marked by spontaneous weekend trips and decreasing responsibilities, not one riddled with strict schedules and early bedtimes. But for Noah I'd willingly do it all because for some reason it doesn't feel like I'm giving anything up; it's like I'm gaining so much more instead. So there is no question that I want you and Noah to be mine forever."

They both were fighting off a fresh round of tears by the time Brian finished speaking. Opening the center console Brian pulled out a small pack of tissues and gave one to Olivia before wiping his own eyes.

"But are you absolutely certain that you want to be stuck with me for the rest of your life?" Brian added with a smile, attempting to lighten the mood, but also seeking one final affirmation that this was indeed what she wanted, and not something she had felt forced into by his imposition in her life.

"Well when you put it that way…" Olivia joked. Seeing the way his face fell at her words, she rushed to continue. "Brian, I'm kidding. This is one trillion percent what I want. Nothing will ever change my mind." She reached over and rested her hand on his thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Brian, relieved by her answer, tenderly covered her hand with his own, and chuckled as he asked, "Should we ask Noah what he thinks?"

"Brian, that little boy worships the ground you walk on. And honestly he's always thought of you as his dad, just without the title," Olivia replied, hearing her voice crack, her emotions still raw.

"Well then I guess we're gonna have to teach him how to say Da-da."

"Not until he learns how to say Ma-ma." Olivia laughed, her eyes sparkling.

"We'll see about that," Brian chuckled.

Then he did what he had been waiting to do since he bumped into her two months ago—he shared a kiss with his girlfriend. Leaning forward he planted a soft sensual kiss on her lips. A kiss that she happily reciprocated. While he ran his fingers through her silky hair, he breathed in her scent, a mixture of her strawberry shampoo and the salty ocean air.

Reluctantly they pulled apart after a few minutes, realizing the car was not the best place to get reacquainted, especially with a sleeping baby in the back seat and also that they still had a long car ride home ahead of them. Besides, there would be plenty of opportunities to make up for lost time in the days and weeks to come.

As Brian pulled out of the parking spot to head for home he heard Olivia ask in a soft voice, "So is the trip with your dad when you were five still your best LBI memory?"

He glanced sideways at her, giving her a genuine smile before replying. "I'd say it's a toss-up."

The hour long trip back into the city passed with very little conversation, each of them caught up in their own memories from the day and excitement for the future. Every time Olivia would sneak a peek at Brian he was wearing the same goofy grin that she was sure was displayed all over her face. This may not have been the way she had originally envisioned spending her Fourth of July but there was not a single thing about this day that she would change if she could.

When they arrived back at Olivia's apartment Noah was surprisingly still sound asleep. Even more surprisingly he didn't stir at all during the transfer from the car to his mother's arms or on the noisy elevator ride up to their apartment.

Once inside the apartment Olivia motioned for Brian to wait in the living room while she put Noah in his crib. With as little disturbance as possible she removed Noah's jacket, swim shorts, and sandals and changed his diaper before laying him down in the crib. He opened his eyes briefly when his small body hit the mattress but didn't make a sound and closed them again almost immediately, the day at the beach evidently sufficiently wearing him out. Olivia placed a quick kiss on Noah's cheek and made sure his monkey was where he could find it if he woke up in the middle of the night, before hurriedly changing out of her beach attire.

Brian stood from his spot on the couch when he heard Olivia close the bedroom door and start making her way down the hallway. When she came into sight, dressed in a short silky black negligee, he let out a low whistle, causing Olivia's cheeks to turn a light shade of pink. Olivia hurried to close the gap between them, stopping right next to Brian, their bodies touching ever so slightly.

"You know, I was thinking, it's been a really long day. Why don't you stay the night?" Olivia purred as she casually linked her finger with Brian's finger and gave it a slight tug.

"I thought you'd never ask," Brian growled in her ear.

Together they made their way to the room that was once again their bedroom. The reunion sex would have to wait until later since Noah still shared a room with Olivia and they were both exhausted anyway. But for tonight, Brian and Olivia were content to just fall asleep wrapped in each others' arms. And they stayed that way until the first morning light peeked through the curtains and they were woken by Noah's soft cries.