A/N Just a quick idea I had after last weeks episode...
17 years ago...Santa Barbra CA
"You're still up?" Fitz questioned as he entered the bedroom seeing Mellie in bed with all the lights on.
"I can't sleep" she said frustrated as she adjusted the piles of pillows around her and her very pregnant belly.
"How was dinner?" She asked.
"Oh you know every guys night dinner with friends of my father makes me wanna scream..."he trailed off as he began undressing.
"That's nice." She said as she tried to move positions. Fitz looked over at her confused at her response.
"Mel what's wrong?"
" I can't get comfortable at all" she sighed.
"Really ? Even with all those pillows? Im not sure there's even room in there for me with all you have going on in there " Fitz teased, receiving a glare from Mellie.
"Fitzgerald, I am almost 9 months pregnant, there's barely room for me! ... I'm huge I feel like I'm growing out of my skin!" She said tossing and turning once again.
"Honey you look beautiful and you just have to hang on a few more weeks."
"Four weeks , three days and your a terrible liar... you're gonna have to try and get better at that if your going to succeed in politics governor elect Grant " she added
Mellie took in a sharp breath and rubbed a circle across her swollen belly.
"You ok?" He asked as he climbed in bed next to her.
"He is still trying to move around in here even though he's running out of room."
Fitz placed his hands on her belly and leaned in,
"Hey little man it's Daddy...ease up on your mommy in there!" He spoke into her belly leaving a kiss.
Mellie stared down at him, her chest physically ached any time he referred to himself as daddy.
She wanted to believe Fitz was the father and not Jerry she spent the past 9 months willing it into reality, but the truth was she didn't know, and maybe never would.
"Maybe he's gonna be a soccer player?" Fitz asked sitting up next to Mellie.
" I can attest to some very strong kicks." She said wincing in pain again.
"Here , how about a back rub"
"Fitz you don't have to" she protested, she was becoming more and more uncomfortable being touched, but her back was killing her.
"It's the least I can do, turn over on your side " she did and Fitz began rubbing the small of her back.
A moan escaped her. "Oh that feels so good"
"See? I know what you need" he smiled as he leaned in kissing the back of her neck.
They remained silent a moment as he continued to massage her back.
" ya know I keep thinking about what it will be like?... To meet him, to hold him, what that will feel like..." He said breaking silence.
"Yeah..." She said softly.
" I can't wait... I want to show him everything, make the time for him, time my dad didn't give me...everyone keeps saying it goes so fast ... They grow up so fast... Here he is in your belly and we're going to blink and he will be 17, going off to college...bringing girls home to meet us...starting a career ...getting married ..."
"Woah woah... Fitz he's not even out yet! Can you not flash his life before our eyes and age us all?"
"I know... I'm just excited, for all of it, for him and us...for becoming a family. The family I always wished I could have, "
Mellie wished she could kill Big Jerry with her bare hands for all the damage he's caused them.
She honestly didn't even have the words for all she was feeling in the moment. The whole pregnancy had been a blur , the campaign, leaving her law firm, so much on the go she rarely stopped and thought about the future of her child or her family. She had been in survival mode, she felt guilty admitting that.
Fitz had been so supportive and excited about her pregnancy, it made her guilt worse.
He stopped rubbing her back and pulled himself closer to her as he began rubbing circles across her belly.
"Who do you think he'll look like?" He asked and she closed her eyes tightly and tried to control the panic she was feeling inside.
"Mel?" He asked when she didn't answer.
"Um I'm sure you honey, those handsome good looks of yours."
He continued to hold his hand to her belly as he kissed the back of her neck.
"I hope he has your eyes, you have the most beautiful eyes" he continued.
It was as if just in that very moment she realized for the first time they baby was half of her.
It sounded ridiculous but she forgot sometimes as she focused on what he might be the product of. No matter what this was still half of her, her baby. She took a deep breath and tried to relax into Fitz's embrace.
" what do you think ...Harvard? "
"Fitz..."
" I know, I know I'm teasing."
Mellie paused for a moment picturing her adult son.
"Yale." She whispered.
Fitz smiled. "Just like his momma"
Mellie smiled too, both lost in their thoughts.
"I just want him to be happy and healthy, I'm not going to put the same pressure on him as my dad did to me." Fitz said softly.
"You're going to be an amazing father." She said sincerely.
They were quiet a moment.
"Thank you... For being you ... and for giving me our baby... for being my family. I know things haven't been easy lately." He added. Mellie slowly turned around to face him. Those eyes. Filled with a mix of hope and pain and love. She would do anything for this man.
"We are a team, for better or worse." She said placing a hand to his face softly.
"It's you and me...always." He said leaning in to kiss her lips.
Mellie wanted to believe that with every fiber of her being.
that no matter what the next seventeen or fifty years had in store for them, they would thrive as a team. she placed her hand on top of her stomach and went to sleep dreaming of her sweet baby boy and they family they would become.