Hello My pumpkins. I decided to do another chapter of "Fixer" because "The Trail" episode re-aired on ABC last night. It motivated me to write more on this story. So I guess you're in luck. Enjoy…and you can thank ABC for showing this episode. It's the bomb. ;-)

Chapter 7: The Olitz Nor'easter…lots more than just snow….

While eating dessert wit Olivia's parents, Fitz asked how they had met each other. Louis Pope was a Northern boy, and Allce (Allie) was definitely from the south. He learned that her dad was prior active duty. He was in the Air Force and stationed in Louisiana where he met Allie. They met in their early twenties and it was love at first sight for them. Allie always put him in his place back then and that had not changed. Her parents did not like the fact that he was a northern boy, but in time they learned to like him.

Louis Pope's parents lived up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They were not thrilled with him entering the Air Force, and when they found out about Alice they intended to meet her before they got married. His parents arrived at the base for a long weekend, where they finally met Allie. Louis' mother loved how Allie loved every part of her son, and did not take him for granted. She knew that Allie, as southern as she was, was THE ONE for her son. His father equally adored her. Allie had all the Pope men wrapped around her finger immediately.

After six months of properly courting Allie, he asked her father for her hand in marriage. Louis had gotten orders to go overseas and he knew he would rather go a wall then leave without Allie. They were married right before he was due to move in a traditional Catholic Mass. They showed Fitz and Olivia the pictures. Olivia had seen them before but looking at them with Fitz made her wonder if they ever got married, what would their wedding be like? She noticed too how Fitz was watching her as they flipped through the pictures. He was thinking the same thing and she knew it.

/

A few hours later everyone decided to go to their rooms for bed. Olivia kissed her parents and thanked them for putting up with them. She said goodnight to Fitz and told him they could talk about campaign stuff in the morning. Fitz then asked her parents if they needed help with dishes, and of course they said no. He thanked them also and headed up the stairs.

He walked by Olivia's room and her light was already off. He so wanted to go in there and see if she was okay but he decided against it. It would take all his strength not to climb into bed with her, and hold her all night long. Being this close to her, having her directly across the hall was giving him heart palpitations. He finally let a huge breath out and went into his room. He changed into his flannel pajamas bottoms, and NAVY t-shirt and climbed into the bed.

Fitz thought back to the hug she gave him in the airport. Holding her in his arms like that after not seeing her in so long was better than he could have imagined. She felt so small, and fragile. It was like every part of their bodies matched the other perfectly. She became in that one hug, the missing piece of the puzzle he knew he needed to have in his life. He knew something happened in DC just by how she squeezed him. He wanted to take all her pain away then.

Then after they arrived at her parents, she placed her hand on top of his for Bear to smell him. He never thought getting sniffed by a dog could be one of the greatest moments with her so far. But what topped that all was when she finally called him FITZ. He longed to hear her say his name, but tonight it happened so unexpectedly that it made his heart melt. He could become the most powerful man in the world, but in front of Olivia, he became weak as a mouse. Olivia could bring him to his knees, and as long as she was there to hold him, Fitz did not care. He kept these thoughts with him, and finally went to sleep.

/

Olivia heard Fitz coming up the stairs and turned the light off. A part of her wanted him to come see her and the other part knew it was a bad idea. The intimate moments they shared tonight already were replaying through her mind. First there was how he told her he missed her in the car. Then how she helped him with BEAR. He didn't seem afraid of Bear but having him trust her like that made her heart melt.

She thought about his comment "if you were mine, I would be overprotective of you too." She remembered how they looked at each other after he said this to her. She knew he wanted to say something else to her, but her parents came outside. Olivia had no doubt that if her and Fitz ever became a couple, he would do anything for her. Protect her from anything and anyone who tried to harm her. He still did not know what happened with her and Richard, but she knew it was time to tell him.

She felt the hand that was placed into his when he gave her Misty. In that moment she finally let some of her fixer wall down and let him into her heart. Their fingers together gave her tingles up and down her spine. If her dad had not shown up, she may have let Fitz kiss her.

Olivia believed him when he told her that he would be there for her and if she needed to talk. She knows this man better than anyone and trusts him and most importantly his heart. When he asked her if she thought he would make a good President, she knew he would be a great one if he won in November.

Saying "Fitz" tonight, made some of her wall crumble into Fitz's lap. She had wanted to say it for weeks but couldn't bring herself to do it until now. Saying his voice aloud, made her realize how important he was to her. Not only did she have some strong feelings for him, but he was becoming her best friend.

After what happened with Richard a few weeks ago, she was afraid to get hurt again. Fitz would never hurt her but she was hired to help him become President, not become his girlfriend, or his wife. Thinking those things made her gitty as a school-girl. She finally closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

FEW HOURS LATER

Fitz woke up in the middle of the night, and despite how much he wanted to go back to sleep he couldn't. He turned and looked at the clock and it was almost 2:00 a.m. He was tired, but he couldn't get Olivia out of his mind. What didn't help was the fact she was RIGHT ACROSS THE HALL. URGH….

"Oh screw it," he told himself and finally got up out of bed. He put on his NAVY sweatshirt, and went downstairs. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs when he heard someone crying. He looked to the room where the fireplace was, and saw Olivia on the floor, with her knees up to her chest crying. His heart broke at this sight of her like this. She had always seemed so strong, and to see her like this, broke his heart.

He finally spoke…"Livy?"

Olivia looked up at him. She couldn't believe she let him see her this way. "Oh my, you weren't supposed to see me this way. I am so sorry."

Fitz hurried and sat in front of her on the floor. He SO wanted to pull her into his arms but he refrained. "Livy, you have nothing to be sorry for. Not ever. I told you earlier that I was here for you. But in order for me to be you have to let me in. Talk to me. Let me fix you for a change."

She finally looked up at him and a small smile came across her face. She had to make herself say the words. Saying them out loud to him, made it real.

"He CHEATED ON ME! He freaking cheated on me, in our bed. I walked in on my ex fiancée, screwing another woman in our bed. Apparently it had been going on for a while, and there was more than one woman. How did I not see that? How was I stupid enough to not see it." Her tears were starting to come down her cheeks again. She looked down because she could not face Fitz.

Fitz's heart ached for her at that moment. How could any man willingly sleep with another woman after being with Olivia? He found himself becoming angry. He calmed himself down and finally took Olivia's hands in his own and scooted closer to her.

"Look at me." Fitz said to her.

Olivia didn't look up. She continued to watch the fire.

"Olivia, Look. At. Me." Fitz said to her again forcibly.

She finally turned to face Fitz. She gazed into his eyes and could see how upset he was at the man who cheated on her and hurt her so deeply. Fitz was holding her hands and she knew that if he wasn't he would hit something. She did not expect him to look so upset.

Fitz took in a breath and said to her. "Livy, it was not your fault. Your ex was an asshole and how could he repeatedly do that to someone as wonderful, and as beautiful as you. This was not your fault. He did not love you the way you deserve. You are not stupid. You are the smartest, most beautiful woman I have ever known Livy. You deserve every happiness in the world and a man that is worthy of a woman like you."

She watched intently for a few moments after he said this to her. She knew he was trying to tell her something but it scared her knowing what he could feel for her this soon. She kept watching his eyes and saw all this love in them. He was just a hurt as to what happened as she was.

She smiled at him. "But how come I didn't see it happening? Was I that blind? God, he told me I worked a lot and was not home like I was before. I thought that he loved me enough not to sleep around. We were engaged. He cheated on me more than once. What makes it worse is that I could have married him and never have known. How stupid was I not too see this going on?" She felt so ashamed that she looked away from him.

Listening to her speak like it was all her fault, was making Fitz mad. Seeing this woman who appeared to be so strong on the outside to everyone fall apart in front of him, just broke his heart. She was always strong, willful and scaring the crap out of everyone one the campaign. Now, Olivia looked hurt and afraid, not knowing who to trust with herself or her heart again.

Fitz stood up and looked at her. "Stand up, Liv."

"Huh, why?"

"Humor me silly and stand up." Fitz said to her again.

Olivia stood up and placed her hands on her hips and just looked at him. "Okay now what? Do you want me to dance or something?"

Fitz smiled at her. "Nope."

Before she could answer him, he scooped her up into his arms and sat with her in the couch. He knew she was light as a feather but to hold her in his arms this way felt heaven.

"What the…" was all she could say when he picked her up.

He then took her face in his hands. When he did this, he felt her body quiver at his touch. She was not sure what he was going to say or do.

"Now Olivia, you are going to listen to me. And you are not going to talk till I am finished okay. After I am done you can get up if you want. I won't hold you here unless it's what you want. The ball is in your court after you hear me out."

"Oh Shit," Olivia was thinking. "I am sitting in my Presidential candidates lap, at my parent's house, and if he tells me what I think he's going to, I am so going to have a heart attack."

She nodded. He put his arms on the base of her back.

"Firstly, none of this was your fault. He was the one that made the mistake to not only cheat on you once but numerous times. The RAT," Olivia smiled, "made that choice over and over again to be with those women. You did not force him to do it. So you got busy with work and he missed you. If that was the case, then he should have come and told you he wanted out of your relationship, or made the effort to fix it."

"Second, any man who cheats on his girlfriend, fiancée, and especially his wife is not worth the time of day. He is the loser, not you. He is a coward, for not sticking by the woman he's supposed to love in sickness and in health. And man that can't be faithful is not a man at all. He's a user, and only out for his selfish needs."

Olivia watched him closely when he said this. She saw the pain in his eyes. Oh my god, he's speaking from experience. But I wonder who could have hurt him this way?

"Last, but not least. You, Olivia Carolyn Pope are not only a wonderful person, but have the most gracious heart, and mind of anyone I have ever known. You are an incredible woman and not only are you beautiful on the outside, which you are, but on the inside. You have inner beauty and strength. Most of all how you see and believe in me takes my breath away every time I look at you. You make me believe and those around you that dreams are possible and that fairy tales do happen in the real world. You worked hard to become the woman you are today. Don't let the RAT take that away from you. Show the world who you are. If you do, trust me, I'll be by you side every step of the way. You are my biggest fan. Now let me be yours Livy." He reached up and wiped the tears off her face and kissed her cheek.

Fitz was watching her for a response but she couldn't say anything to him. He kept looking at her but nothing came out of her mouth. "Holy frack, I just left her speechless. Dang I have some mad skills," he thought.

"Liv," he asked, "say something."

Before she could say anything, she nuzzled herself into his chest and breathed in all his scents. Never in her life has she ever felt so at peace and safe before. Not only that but she felt Fitz's entire body react to her doing this. His breathing matched hers. His heart rate slowed down, and she felt his arms coil around her making her feel like she was the luckiest woman in the world to have found him. She knew that he felt it too.

She looked up into his eyes and said, "Um, thank you Fitz. Thank you for being you, and believing in me. You're my best friend. Do you know that?" She was getting ready to lose it. This man, who could become the next President of the United States, fixed her.

"Did I fix you?" He asked smirking at her with a devilish grin.

"Yes you did. How about that for a change? I am sorry that I didn't tell you before. I wish I did. I guess I needed a Presidential pep talk."

Fitz laughed at her now. "It's okay that you didn't tell me. I get it Liv. I really do."

She sat back up. "Fitz, when I walked away from Richard, that's his name, after injuring his junk," Fitz raised his eyebrows, "he told me that we weren't over. I am afraid that he's going to come after me, or cause some issues I don't need down the road."

Fitz pulled her closer, which she didn't resist. "Richard, the RAT, is not going to get anywhere next to you. I won't let it happen. I have the means to get extra security. If that is what you want I'll do it. I am the Governor after all, and my security detail will do whatever I ask of them. Which reminds me, how did you pull getting me here without freaking my security out.'

"Now Governor Grant," she touched his chin, causing him to jump, "I can tell you all my secrets. What kind of a campaign fixer would I be if I did? The day we leave here, they will be waiting for us to escort us to New Hampshire. No one knows where you are but me, Cyrus and your Chief of Security."

Fitz tilted his head from side to side looking at her now. "Really now," Miss Pope. All of a sudden the mood changed between them. A part of her wanted to move off his lap, but something was keeping her there. It just wasn't his hands and arms around her either.

/

Fitz could feel the tension building between them all of sudden. She then turned her head and looked at the window. He saw her eyes get big.

"Livy what is it?"

"Look outside Fitz. Oh my god. Look outside."

Fitz turned his head not releasing her. A huge smile came across his face.

They turned and looked at one another. She broke free of his arms, and grabbed his hand and took him to the back door.

She turned and said to him, "Come on Governor Grant, I've got something to show you."

"I think we're past the Governor Grant crap don't you." Fitz smirked at her.

She let out a huge giggle opened the door and they walked outside. Fitz let out a quick shake. They looked at each other and said "It's snowing," at the same time. There was at least two inches on the ground all ready, and it was getting heavier as they were standing outside.

"Are you cold Fitz?"

"No," his voice deepened which made her jump. He was staring right into her beautiful eyes.

"Good , because you're about to be." She then jumped in the yard, grabbed some snow off the ground, and threw it at him.

"Hey, what the heck? You are so going to get it."

"Yah right California boy. I bet you can't even make a good snow ball."

"Oh is that a challenge Miss Pope?" He asked in a sexy voice that was making her hot, considering it was under 30 degrees outside.

Before she could get away from him, he took off after her in the snow and caught her from behind. He wrapped his arms around her waist, spinning her around in the middle of the back yard.

Both of them started to laugh and Olivia started to squeal. "Oh my god Fitz, what are you going to do?"

He was still holding onto her. He could feel the heat coming off her body coming onto his. It was cold as hell outside, and his body wanted her. He knew she could sense it.

He put his chin on the side of her neck. He whispered to her, "Nothing yet Livy. Since snow is a new concept for me, I'll have to figure something out. It depends on how nice you are to me after I let you go."

Olivia's senses were in overdrive. She never thought standing in the snow with her candidate would be such a turn on.

"Okay Fitz, I'll be nice. But I can't guarantee anything if my brothers come around though. Will you protect me from them, if they come by?"

"I'll always be by your side Liv. Always."

He let her down and she turned around to face him. She took both his hands in hers. "Good because I'll always be by yours." Olivia smiled at him in a way she hadn't until now. His heart melted right on the spot.

"Now how about we go inside, dry off, and have some hot chocolate. Deal."

"Deal," Fitz answered her.

Once inside they realized how wet they got and Olivia found some towels to dry them off. At that point she just couldn't resist messing up Fitz's hair, which he laughed. He went to touch hers and she gave him the evil eye. He smirked at her and moved his hand away before she went off at him.

Both chit chatted after drying off about everything and anything one could imagine. There was no doubt that their relationship changed tonight in a dramatic way. Fitz knew that she would be there for him and Olivia knew he would be there to protect and care for her always.

They also knew that this friendship was beginning to turn into something more than each of them could ever hope for. Olivia felt that he wanted to tell her those "three little words," but he stopped himself. Even though she felt the same way, she was not ready for that next step yet. Her mind, heart, body and soul wanted him but feeling this way so soon was scaring her still. Plus she was not over the entire "rat" problem yet.

Fitz knew that he was "in love with an incredible woman." Seeing the pain she was going through and him being the one to walk her through it, made him never want to leave her side. Winning the Presidency would be the greatest accomplishment of his career, but having Olivia with him would be his greatest joy. He wanted to tell her in a spectacular way how much he loved her, but was unsure how. Then the prefect way came to him, and he smiled at her, as they drank their hot chocolate.

By time they finished drinking, there was at least two more inches of snow outside. Both decided to go sit on opposite sides of the couch, stretch out, and cover up with a blanket. They chatted a little more and Olivia without realizing it closed her eyes and went to sleep. Fitz sat up and just watched her for a moment. He wanted to so badly take her into his arms and fall asleep next to her. Instead he layed back down and gradually relaxed and drifted off to sleep.

This would be some of the best sleep either one would have in a long time. Both were where they exactly belonged, asleep next to the person who made the other's life whole and worth living. Tomorrow was a new day, and one that would be an interesting to say the least. ;-)

/

So my pumpkins what did you think? I hope you enjoyed this very lengthy chapter. I put much thought into it and wanted to give you something full of "OLITZ' angst, fluffy, funny, goodness. I hope it worked.

So how do you think he'll tell her he loves her? What should happen next? Is the RAT going to make an appearance? Sorry not saying but things are going to interesting. Oh their "first kiss" is coming. If any of you guess I'll give you a preview in the chapter it's in….good luck and thanks for reading.

Peace, Luv and pumpkins…Me's

P.S. Leave me goodies please…;-)