Hello all. I am so thankful for all of the follows and reviews I have received. I honestly did not know whether anyone would like this story and I'm happy to see that you do. This chapter turned out rather long, so I split it up into to two. There is a part one and a part two but I'm posting both today. Hope you enjoy it. Please let me know your thoughts.

Side note: In re-reading the previous chapters I notice that I've made the mistake of spelling Big Gerry in two different ways. Sorry about that, I will try to be more consistent going forward.

Chapter 6 – Changes (Part I)

After 2 days of recuperation, Olivia felt much better. She convinced Fitz to relay everything that happened the day of the Summer Barbeque because he was reluctant to provide anything other than superficial details. She was determined to get the specifics since her mother too was only trying to satisfy her curiosity with a vague account of the incident. She did recall hearing a scuffle in the room which she assumed was the fight Fitz had with Edison – the one part she wished she had seen. She thought it would have been thoroughly entertaining. She almost made Fitz recount that particular part of the story twice but she could tell he was not proud of his actions so she decided not to make him relive it again.

He insisted on being present when she viewed Edison's taped apology. So Denise, the Governor, Fitz and Teddy were all present with he to watch and she was shocked to see Edison's damaged and bruised face appear on the screen. She shot a look at Fitz who looked embarrassed by his handiwork. When he saw Olivia's smile of approval, he shook his head at her. She supposed that Fitz expected her to be upset at him for what he did to Edison but she only felt proud to have him protecting her. Hearing what Edison planned to do sent a chill down Olivia's spine. She had underestimated him; she told herself to keep her guard up but had failed to do so. She didn't blame anyone but herself for her naiveté. It was a lesson to be learned and a lesson she would not forget ever.

In the final days of summer, her mother did not take her back to the Grant household. She knew her mother felt bad for the situation that occurred, despite Olivia's continued assurances that she did not think her mother could have done anything to prevent what happened. She believed that her mother was trying to protect her from the harsh memories of the incident in the Governor's mansion. In actuality, it had the opposite effect. Olivia never felt more secure than when she was in the Grant household. She couldn't describe it but although she knew she would never come to harm at her mother or father's home, being with the Grant family was just different. She felt part of a large family that would love her and protect her no matter what. The feeling was awesome. So when her mother refused to take her on her trips to the mansion, she could not help the feeling of sadness that came over her. She tried to occupy her mind with the various tasks she was given to do at the law firm but no matter how busy she got, she kept wondering how everyone was faring. She hoped Fitz didn't feel bad for the incident. She hoped Teddy was feeling some sort of happiness about his future. She hoped Mrs. Grant was not over-tiring herself. She hoped the Governor was not irritating his sons.

When it was time to head back to DC, Olivia convinced her mother to at least let her call the Grant family and say goodbye. She spoke to Mrs. Grant first, who was overjoyed to hear from Olivia and saddened that she could not see her in person to say goodbye. Olivia made an excuse that there was just no time left for her to come to the mansion. She did not know just how much Mrs. Grant knew about the incident so she kept her responses vague. Mrs. Grant promised to write to Olivia and obtained the address to her father's home. This thrilled Olivia who admitted that she would very much enjoy hearing about the goings–on of the Grant household. She asked to speak to Teddy and Fitz but unfortunately they were working with the Governor today and would not be home before she boarded her flight. Olivia sighed heavily into the phone and sadly expressed how sorry she was that she could not at least hear their voices before she left. Mrs. Grant promised to tell them both that she called and said goodbye.

When her mother took her to the airport, she hugged Olivia tightly and said, "Livvy you've grown so much in this past summer, in some ways quicker than I would have wanted you to. But regardless I can never stop saying how proud I am of you. I know you don't care to celebrate your birthday but I haven't forgotten that it's coming up next month and you will be 15. I know you are changing and growing. If you haven't already I know that you will be developing feelings for boys soon – boys that are not like Edison," Denise qualified. She then continued, "We've had the sex talk before, but I need you to promise me that if something happens before you come back to me and you feel like you want to take a relationship with a boy to another level you call me so that I can make sure you are prepared. Promise me, Livvy." When Olivia nodded her head in agreement, Denise hugged her again. She always hated sending Olivia back to the east coast. "I wish you didn't have to go. I love you so much Livvy and I want you here with me all the time. But I made an agreement with your father and I know that this is best. So please, baby, take care of yourself. Remember everything I have taught you and never forget the strength you have inside."

Denise was fighting back tears and Olivia knew how much she hated to cry. So she hugged her quickly and said, "I love you momma and I'll miss you. I'll call you when I get home."

Olivia settled back into her DC life slower than usual. It was because the summer had changed everything for her. She had new people in her life that she cared for and worried about. She told her father stories about the Grant family but she was careful to leave out the Edison incident. It was clear that her mother had not said anything so she didn't bring it up primarily because she was afraid her father would ban her from going back to see the family she had come to adore. Her father encouraged her stories but whenever she mentioned the Governor her father visibly tensed. She didn't know why but it seemed that her father did not like the Governor at all. She supposed they may have met when they all used to live in California before the parents' divorce but she did not inquire. She thought it might be a painful subject and did not want to cause her father any sadness.

She soon started receiving letters from Mrs. Grant and Olivia tore through them with an eagerness to soak up all the details of the family. She found out that Fitz was back at school in Massachusetts and Teddy was running for office in the state government. The Governor was trying to convince Teddy that he should marry Mellie as soon as possible because it would look better if he was a married candidate. But Teddy refused to marry her before Fitz could come home for the holidays. In subsequent letters she learned that Teddy had moved out of the mansion soon after winning the election to his position in the California State Assembly. Olivia always wrote back giving details of the happenings in her own life, although there was little to tell. She wrote back to congratulate Teddy on his appointment and more importantly to standing his ground regarding his pending marriage to Mellie.

She couldn't wait to see everyone during the holiday break but her plans were derailed when she found out her father made other arrangements. He had spoken to her mother and they agreed that he could take her to Paris during the winter break. Apart of Olivia was upset that these arrangements were made without consulting her but then she always wanted to see Paris and her father appeared so excited to take her that she couldn't bear to disappoint him. Her father told her that she could bring a friend from school to join them but Olivia didn't have anyone that she felt close enough to bring with them. She had some friends at school but no one that she was closely connected with and definitely no best friends. The only close friend she had was Fitz and she had not talked to him for months. She wished he could come but then shook her head at her foolish thought when she considered that he was a grown man enjoying his time in college who did not want to tour Paris with a child. She missed him most of all and wished she could contrive a reason to see him at school but she could not. Plus the fact that her father did not know her strong connection to him and would probably not approve of it anyway.

Her trip to Paris with her father was beautiful but initially uneventful. She loved seeing the historical and romantic sights; even people-watching from sidewalk cafes gave her a wonderful sense of being. But nothing compared to the joy she felt from viewing the works of art at the Louvre museum. She could sit and admire the brilliant artwork for hours at a time. When her father detected her keen interest, he solicited a personal tour guide to address any questions Olivia had regarding the background of the paintings, the artists and the period represented. Olivia soaked up all the information she could and still yearned for more. She loved the painting of the "Empress Josephine" by Pierre Paul-Prud'hon (1805). It was a simple painting of a woman relaxed, contented and surrounded by trees. Olivia thought the woman looked like she was in love. She had such a sense of peace about her as if she waiting for her lover to arrive, an idea that the tour guide could neither confirm or deny. It didn't matter whether or not it was true; Olivia thought it to be so. And as she sat there alone in her thoughts, she began to wish she was in love with someone. She wanted to feel like the woman in the painting. She wanted to feel relaxed, contented and at peace knowing that someone loved and cherished her. She had never felt that need before but when it came, it nearly overpowered her as she now felt incomplete without it.

Her father made sure she saw all the popular tourists' spots in the city. He wanted the trip to be memorable for his daughter. He wanted her to have an experience that most girls could only dream about and he was proud to have shared it with her. He knew the trip would only serve to enhance Olivia's knowledge of the world and help shape her into an insightful, cultured woman.

By the time they returned home, they were both exhausted. Olivia thanked her father over and over again for the trip of a lifetime. His heart was moved by her expression of appreciation but he couldn't help but notice a change in Olivia that he had not observed before. She seemed to have grown even more during the trip and it almost made him wonder whether something happened to spark the change. But he dismissed the idea since he was with Olivia most of the time and would have known if anything unusual occurred. In the end, he excused it as a normal part of her growth into maturity.

Once she called and related the details of her trip to her mother, Olivia couldn't wait to write Mrs. Grant and tell her too. She wrote a 5 page letter to her. Before mailing it, Olivia chided herself for being too wordy but then thought Mrs. Grant would enjoy hearing about everything she experienced. She was a little surprised that during the time she was gone, no letters had arrived from Mrs. Grant; she would have usually received one by now but Olivia assumed that she just got too busy. She knew she was being unrealistic in expecting a quick response from Mrs. Grant but got worried when weeks went by with no letters. She did not want to appear to be impatient so she waited several more weeks.

Then one evening she decided to call the residence. She was careful of the time change so that she would not disturb Mrs. Grant while she was sleeping. Olivia had a feeling that something was wrong and she needed to hear her voice to confirm that her suspicions were wrong. It was a Saturday evening in February and Olivia was admiring the snow fall outside, while the Grant phone continued to ring. The person who answered was the one person she wanted to talk to above all.

"Hello"

"Fitz, hi it's Olivia, Livvy."

"Oh hey Livvy, how are you? It seems like I haven't spoken to you in ages."

"That's because it has been ages and you don't call and you don't write. Never mind forget I said that; I sound like a nagging ex-girlfriend trying to get back with you."

Fitz laughed at her comment.

"I forgot how nice it is to talk to you."

"Well, thanks. So what's going on with you? Why are you at home, shouldn't you be in school."

"Yes, but I took a couple days off to come and see mom. She's not doing too well Livvy. She had a bit of a scare a couple weeks back and she seems to be going downhill."

"Oh Fitz, I'm so sorry. I knew something was wrong when I didn't get any response from my letters. She usually writes me back by now. Do you think she will get well?"

"I hope so. I just try to make her feel as comfortable as possible...So I saw your letter. Hope you don't mind I opened it and read it to mom. I thought it might lift her spirits."

Olivia quickly tried to remember what all she wrote in the letter.

"Mmmm, well I guess it's too late to care whether you read it or not. I just hope the ramblings of a 15 year old girl didn't make you turn red from blushing."

"Well, I have to say that I was surprised to read a full two pages on the subject of love and your feelings about a particular painting." Olivia could tell Fitz was desperately trying to restrain himself from laughing.

But when she groaned audibly, he let go and laughed loudly. "Fitz, let me explain something to you. A woman's thoughts are private and if she chooses to share them with you then you should feel honored and privileged. You never laugh at her. You encourage her candidness and assure her that her thoughts are meaningful. I hope you learn that lesson before you get married to some poor girl who only likes you for your good looks but cries because you are insensitive to her feelings" Olivia's rapid speech was meant to highlight her irritation, which only served to cause Fitz to keep laughing.

"Livvy, don't be upset, I was only joking. It was just different side to you that I had never seen. So are you dating someone?" Fitz asked and when Olivia remained quiet, he continued, "Oh so I guess it's ok for you to ask about my personal life and sex habits but I can't ask about yours?"

"No it's not that. It's just that….I do like someone but before now I had never said it out loud or admitted to myself that he was special. He's a guy in my school; I have him in several of my classes. I know he likes me but I'm a little hesitant. I'm trying to allow time for instincts to kick in."

"Instincts?"

"Yes. I'm not going to date someone I don't know well or I feel has the hidden agenda of just wanting to sleep with me. I haven't been a virgin this long to just let anyone take it away from me. Besides, before that even happens I really need to get on the pill or some sort of…."

Fitz interrupted, "Whoa, whoa, wait Livvy. I am definitely not comfortable with this conversation. I don't want to talk about you giving up your virginity to some senior kid at school. We are friends and I think of you like a sister but conversations have boundaries."

Olivia sighed heavily, "I'm sorry I get a little carried away talking to you. It's just that I've missed our talks and there isn't really anyone else I feel comfortable expressing myself to."

Fitz felt bad because he could hear he disappointment. Olivia could tell through the phone that he was running his hands through his hair.

"Alright, alright. Tell me about your friend but try to filter your words. Use euphemisms or figures of speech or something. This is a new role for me and I need to get used to it slowly."

Olivia was thrilled. She didn't know how much she missed him until that moment. She was so happy that he let her talk about her personal life because it was true; there were certain things that she could not tell her mother or father about. It just did not feel right. But she felt like she could say anything to Fitz without fear of shame, embarrassment or consequences. They talked on the phone for another hour covering various topics. Olivia was starved for updates on what was going on in the household and drained Fitz for information. She had mixed feelings when Fitz told her that Teddy postponed his wedding again due to their mother's illness. While she never cared for Mellie, she didn't want the girl to be strung along waiting for Teddy. Fitz finally had to remind her how late it was on west coast time. Before getting off the phone he told her that he would be graduating at the end of the school year and her and her mother were invited to come to the graduation. Olivia couldn't wait to see how handsome he would look in his cap and gown and told him so, which prompted him to laugh at her again. He suggested that she keep writing to his mother because he could tell that she looked forward to hearing from Olivia. Fitz ended the call by suggesting that Olivia not jump into a relationship that she was not comfortable with; there was no rush. He knew she wanted to be in love but she was too beautiful to accept any guy that came her way. Love would find her eventually. Olivia was so overwhelmed by his comment that all she could say to him was "thank you, goodnight Fitz" to which he responded "goodnight Livvy". Olivia listened for the dial tone, holding the receiver tight to her chest as she watched the snow continue to fall. Her desire to be in California was becoming unbearable.