CHAPTER 1: THE FALLOUT

About a month after they all participated in the escape and of a terrorist, her mother. They were all reeling from the realization that they participated is her release and worked tirelessly to locate her.

So much had happened no one spoke of the possible implications of their actions; it was too much for them to handle. So instead of communicating to each other their feelings about what is known as their "greatest failure" they just continued to work.

Olivia herself had been extremely busy trying to repair the damage done. She wasn't concerned about her relationship with her father, she just wanted to find her mother and lock her away for her crimes. She wanted to restore herself and her teams as "Gladiators" which she currently felt they were not. She wanted to wear "The White Hat" again. Her team searched endlessly to find her mother looking everywhere overseas. The only problem with that was her mother was right in their back yard, closer that she ever imagine.

He had not spoken to her since that night. He was upset with her. Who could blame him? He had just committed a crime against the country he swore to protect. He thinks to himself, The President of the United States, indicted on charges of Treason, WOW, how did he get here? And, it was not the first time it had happened. The first time was with "Defiance", he had no idea what took place until much later, he had forgiven her after months of torment for the both of them. But this time he was fully aware and he could not forgive himself for his actions and neither her. How could he allow this to happen? How could he let his feeling for a woman control him so much.

At this realization he decided he could not continue his relationship with her. He could not do his job as long as he was with her. He has an obligation to the American people that had to be placed before himself and her. He remembers his wife's comment about Olivia being his achilles heel, his greatest weakness. He could not afford to make another mistake like that. So he decided he had no choice but to let her go AGAIN. Maybe for good or at least until after his term is over. He then thought to himself what if she doesn't want me after my term is over, he could not hold onto that thought he had to do what was best for the country.

With that he calls her, she answers with her usual I'm busy tone that she gives when she's busy or annoyed or even both.

"What!" she answers.

"Hi" he says,

Of course she replies "Hi"

After a moment of silence and they are in sync again

He's the first to speak, "I need to see you"

She sighs, "Now is not a good …." But before she finishes,

he continues "I will be there at 11"

When she attempts a rebuttal "That's not …."

In a sternly raised voice he tells her "this is not debatable Olivia!"

After a brief moment of silence he continues "I will see you at 11"

and with that he hung up.

And at 11 o'clock on the dot he shows up with Tom and another agent flanking his left and right. Expecting his visit, Olivia opens her door after the first knock. She steps back and allows him to enter quickly and closes the door behind him. She looks at him and recognizes that he seems rushed and agitated. He's pacing, so something must me wrong, and really wrong because she knows anytime he's with her he is always calm, unless something's wrong. And with that, she reaches out to grasp his arm to stop him from pacing. She looks him in his eyes and asks him "What's the matter?" He looks at her, with a tormented gaze. He really doesn't want to do this, the thought of doing this hurts his heart and he knows it will break hers. But he knows things can't continue.

He moves in quickly to her, so quickly that there was little time for her to react. In a moment of desperation he kisses her until he needs to come up for air. She returns the kiss with the same level of intensity. And when he pulls back just enough to leave their forehead touching she is stunned, confused, and concerned. She is looking at him, waiting for him to say something, anything, because she knows whatever it is, its something that he is battling with telling her and it must greatly impact their relationship.

"I'm sorry" he says "I'm so sorry" and with that a tear that he had been holding back since he walked though her door. She pulls away to get a better look at him when she sees the tear falling she immediately swipes it away and looks at him seeing his red eyes with unshed tears waiting to fall. Her voice laced with deep concern "What's going on?" she cup is face with both hands, "Whatever it is, we can work through it" and that it, the dam breaks, one, two, three tears continue to fall. He looks at her willing her to understand without him having to speak the words but he knows he have to say it because he knows she cannot read his right now. She is really afraid now; her mouth is trembling and tears are threatening to fall "Fitz, please you are scaring me".

He knows he can't drag this out. It's not fair to her. He needs to tell her and leave because he doesn't believe he could stand leaving her when she starts crying. As she releases his face from her palms "Fitz…just tell me" and he begins "Olivia…." He pauses and begin again Olivia….I" pause "We can't…We can't" pause, he puts his head down because he can look her in the eyes and tell her what he has come to tell her. After taking a deep breath, he pushes forward, grabbing both her hands into his and bring them to his mouth, kissing them, tears still falling. A look of terror on her face and she begins to understand what he might be getting ready to tell her. But she can't believe it.

He pulls her hands away from his mouth but doesn't release them. He barrels ahead in attempt to get it all out before his is struck silent unable to finish "Olivia we have to stop seeing each other. I can't uphold my responsibilities and continue this relationship with you. You know I love you but I can't…we can't. I thought about this long and hard and this is the only option I have. We have to end things. At least until after my term in office is over. And I know I have no right to ask this of you, but if you wait for me I will withdraw my petition for reelection. But until then I will not be able to continue this.

All the while he is speaking she is looking at him with tears falling from her own eyes. She understands the torment he is going through. She knows why he's come to this decision. When he finally looks at her and sees her tears he knows her hurt is caused by him he is so sorry but he cannot deny that this is the best decision that could be made, for the both of them. "Liv…..Livie please" but it her turn he has said all that needs to be said and she doesn't want to hear anymore from him. "Fitz…..please leave" it comes out quietly, like she has barley even spoken, she broken, like a little kid who has lost everything. She realizes that she has just lost everything, he is her everything, her chest is tightening, it's becoming difficult to breath. She releases a breath sounding like a choking breath. She's struggling she doesn't want this to happen but there is no turning back at this point. She tells him in a firmer more confident tone "Fitz I understand your decision, I…I…..I don't know what to say….Just, I need you to go. Just go, please." And with that he looks at her while backing away then head to the door. As he exits, he looks back, wipes his face, and straightens himself out, opens the door and leave.

As soon as he leaves she breaks down, crumble to the floor. The flood gates opened, she cries so much that when she finally stops too weak to move she just lays there in her living room and falls asleep in that same spot. She didn't wake until 4am the next morning. Reflecting back on last night, the moment that she lost everything, the moment he said it was over, the moment he walked out of the door. From all the crying she did the previous night her throat was really dry. She lifted herself from the floor and went to her kitchen to retrieve some water. The tears started to fall as she drank. After she completed the full glass her stomach began to rumble, the nausea was back and the water would not settle. She rushed to the toilet where she expelled the contents that she had just ingested only remembering now that she had forgotten to eat the night before. She can't do that again, she has to take care of herself. It was not only her health she is responsible for; she has a whole other life that is dependent on her and she cannot worry about what she has lost but the life that is dependent on her.