A/N: Happy New Year dearest reader! I felt the need to begin 2019 updating one of my favorite couples :) Below is the quote which inspired this chapter.

"Somewhere between what she survived, and who she was becoming, was exactly where she was meant to be. She was starting to love the journey. And find comfort in the quiet corners of her wildest dreams. They say people don't change…Well she wasn't always this way. Even if she didn't change the entire world, she would change her part of it. And she would affect the people she shared it with. A butterfly whose wings have been touched, can indeed still fly. Whether something was meant to be, or meant to leave, didn't matter as much anymore. She would soak up the sun, kiss the breeze, and she would fly regardless."

~J. Raymond


Evermore

Chapter 9

Vermont Estate

OPOV

Fitz was slow to lay down on the bed and Olivia moved several pillows hoping this would help make him comfortable. He was under strict orders to rest but knowing her husband this would definitely be a challenge.

"Of all weekends for this to happen, Liv."

His tone was apologetic and Olivia lovingly touched his cheek telling him once again this was something beyond their control.

"I'm just glad you weren't seriously hurt, Fitz. You gave us quite a scare...especially Teddy. I can tell he's still shaken up."

She watched her husband close his eyes resting his head on the pillow she fluffed. Getting the call from Secret Service was still fresh in her mind and she hoped this would serve as a wakeup.

"I think it's time we hire someone to care for the horses. I made a few calls this morning."

Fitz remained quiet and she knew his silence meant he wasn't thrilled with the idea. He's had accidents before with the animals, but this injury was serious and he had the stitches to prove it.

She decided not to press the issue further, instead focusing her attention to his abdomen. Fitz was shirtless and so far, was being a good patient. She lowered the sheets down past his stomach and inspected his incision looking for any sign of infection. The wound was nicely healing but still fresh and obviously still causing a bit of pain.

"I'm going to change your bandage and then start to pack," Olivia announced softly.

Fitz opened his eyes at the words but continued to remain quiet while Olivia grabbed the small bag by his bedside. She gently changed his bandage, applying the antibiotic ointment like instructed. Getting up out of bed was still a chore as most of the left side of his body was badly bruised from the fall. The fence, which broke his landing, left a deep gash near his stomach and it was a miracle a lung wasn't punctured.

Minutes later she was finished, throwing the old bandage away and returning the bag properly in its place.

"I've made arrangements for a hot young nurse to come check on you tomorrow."

She smiled hoping to lighten the mood. Fitz eyed her intently but didn't appear amused.

"Just make sure she isn't blonde. I don't do blondes."

His tone was bitter, and Olivia smirked ignoring his comment. Apparently, Fitz didn't feel it was necessary to have anyone check up on him and didn't bother hiding the annoyance in his voice.

"Are you going to be grumpy the rest of the day?" Olivia asked, not willing to put up with his bad mood. "Or should I make plans to leave tonight instead of the morning?"

Fitz's eyes softened at the question and he reached for her hand almost as if he was calling a truce.

"I'm sorry I'm being an ass."

Olivia smiled and took his hand bending down to kiss him on the lips. He pulled her down slowly, deepening the kiss until a knock on the door sounded causing Olivia to break contact.

She opened the door and saw Lia, Liam, and Teddy waiting at their bedroom door.

"How's Dad doing?" Lia was first to ask.

Olivia stepped aside and invited their children in, motioning for them to see how he was doing for themselves.

Fitz slowly sat up while the three of them sat on the edge of the bed, examining their father from head to toe. Olivia fell back deciding to give them some alone time with Fitz. She slipped into their oversized closet and reached for her small suitcase along with two outfits she couldn't decide between.

Making the trip alone was not what she envisioned but it certainly wasn't the end of the world. She couldn't help but feel excited and deeply humbled. And for the next few minutes she concentrated on herself, making certain she had what she needed for her much anticipated trip to New York City.


FPOV

Fitz tucked a strand of Lia's hair behind her ear assuring all three of his children he was completely fine and on the mend.

Liam asked most of the questions which mainly centered on how long his father would remain off his feet. Fitz had always been extremely active and it was a shock to his children's system seeing their father immobilized even if it had only been for a short time.

Teddy was the most quiet during the visit so he took the time to try and comfort his son, making certain he knew he wasn't to blame for the accident occurring.

They were discussing the steps leading up to Thunder's actions when Lia changed the subject, asking about Olivia's upcoming trip.

"Do you think we should go with Mom?" Lia asked

There was worry in her voice and Fitz shot a glance at the closet wondering if his wife heard the question.

"Have you talked to Mom about going?" Fitz replied. "I'm sure she'd love to have you join her.

Before she could respond, Liam jumped in, answering for his twin sister.

"I think she should go, Dad," his son blurted, shrugging his shoulders. "Mom's a girl, Lia's a girl…it's really a no brainer."

His cavalier attitude was quite amusing, and Fitz couldn't help but chuckle. Teddy stood back and didn't offer his opinion, simply studying Fitz as if he was made of glass.

"And what do you think, Ted," Fitz finally asked. "How does having a guy's night sound? There is something I could use your help with."

Teddy's eyes grew wide at the request and he nodded his head in agreement.

"Sure, Dad…guys night sounds great."

Fitz decided to address his son's guilt later. It was obvious he was still blaming himself for the accident and Fitz knew he couldn't allow this to continue.

"Lia, honey…I think it's a great idea you go with Mom. Don't worry about me – your brothers will take good care of me."

Lia's face spoke volumes as she reacted to Fitz's statement, her face contorting almost as if she smelled something rotten. Fitz laughed, and a sharp pain instantly shot to the side of his chest causing the laughter to turn into a wince.

Olivia entered the bedroom at the sound and was instantly at Fitz's side.

Fitz held up his hand, holding off his wife, hoping the gesture let her know he truly was alright.

"We've decided Lia is going to be your date tomorrow. We're going to have a guy's night while you girls take on Manhattan."

Olivia's face was a mixture of shock and amusement and she turned to her daughter who made it clear she was still undecided about the impromptu trip.

"I don't want you to go alone, Mom…but I also don't want to leave Daddy."

The predicament she found herself in was indeed interesting and her sincere concern about both her parents was quite endearing.

"Sweetheart, I think you coming with me is a wonderful idea…but only if you want to. If it makes you feel any better, I do have a nurse coming tomorrow to check on Daddy."

Lia's face lit up and she instantly stood, hugging her mother tight. In a flash, their daughter scurried out of the room and headed to her own bedroom, no doubt ready to pack. Seeing her happy made Fitz happy and he returned his attention to his son's who both remained on the bed.

"Liam, can you give me and Ted a few minutes to talk?"

Olivia seemed to catch the clue quickly because she immediately returned to their closet and out of sight.

Liam nodded his head and hurried off the bed, pushing his glasses up in the process. He appeared clueless as to why Fitz would need to speak to his brother which he was actually thankful for. The less Liam knew about the accident, the better.

"Ted…come sit down," Fitz motioned to his son.

Teddy sat on the edge of the bed and kept his eyes on the floor. His hair was long and wavy and from his profile there was little doubt they were related. He was a younger version of Fitz…incredibly handsome exactly like his father.

"What happened isn't your fault-"

"Dad, it is!" It was me who forgot to close Thunder's stable. If he hadn't gotten out…"

"Son, it was an accident. He's thrown me off him at least ten times already…this time was only different because of the fence. I should've had it replaced before we came up for the holidays. I knew it needed to be repaired."

Silence fell between them and the next words spoken was nothing Fitz could've prepared for.

"I was in a hurry to see Ella, Dad. We've been dating for a few months now."

It took Fitz several minutes to process Teddy's words until he had no choice but to respond.

"Ella…as in Ella Beene? My Goddaughter, Ella? That's not the Ella you're referring to, is it?"

Teddy kept his eyes low and nodded yes, still refusing to make eye contact with his father.

Fitz remained stunned trying to put any pieces together. Nothing jogged his memory and for the life of him, he couldn't imagine how something like this could be happening without his knowledge.

Uncomfortable silence continued to fill the room until Fitz forced himself to speak.

"Does anyone else know?"

Teddy shook his head no and Fitz tried his best to remain calm.

"We talked about telling our parents, but we didn't want anyone to freak out. Mom is still pretty worked up over Karen."

Fitz internally rolled his eyes over the reference to Mellie but didn't allow his emotions to show. Instead, he chose to take another route, knowing this could all be just a phase.

"You've practically grown up with Ella, I always thought you saw her more as a sister."

"It's definitely NOT like that, Dad…she's actually quite the opposite. She's not like other girls…she's strong and mature and smart and beautiful and doesn't put up with my bullshit."

As if on cue, Olivia entered the bedroom again with a small suitcase in her hand. She set it near the door before returning to Fitz's side, once again checking on his abdomen. It appeared she had no knowledge of their discussion and he kept his eyes on Teddy waiting for his next move,

"Have a good trip tomorrow, Olivia," Teddy stood making eye contact with his step mother. "We'll take good care of Dad."

Olivia smiled at Teddy and thanked him, switching spots with him on the edge of the bed.

The second they were alone, Fitz reached for Olivia's arm and closed his eyes startling his wife.

"Mother of God," he breathed out, unable to keep quiet. Olivia didn't hide the confusion on her face and readjusted her body on the bed.

"What is wrong…is Teddy okay?"

"Oh Teddy, is fine," Fitz bit out sarcastically. But I'm glad you're sitting down for this one…you will NEVER, in a million years, guess who he's dating."

Olivia looked as if she was deep in thought for a moment before essentially giving in.

'I have no idea…who?"

"Ella- as in our goddaughter- Ella. Ella Beene."

Olivia's eyes widened as complete shock spread over her face. Fitz shook his head yes as they sat in silence, each trying to process the information.

"Are you going to say anything?" Fitz finally asked, hoping to get Olivia's opinion.

"There's not much to say," Olivia replied. "I mean- they're both adults…there's not much we can do to stop them."

Fitz remained quiet and studied his wife, wondering if she was holding back her real opinion.

"I'm just glad they have you in their corner…because if this ever goes public, Lord knows they will need you."

Olivia remained quiet but didn't reply, simply looking at her husband with a mixture of love and concern. After all these years together, he simply couldn't comprehend how his better half was able to remain so cool and collected.

"Don't get yourself worked up, Fitz. I need you resting while I'm gone."

Olivia hovered over him, her demeanor shifting into full blown wife mode.

"Besides," she continued. "They are both so young. It's probably nothing serious."

Fitz shook his head in disagreement leaning it further back against his pillow. She looked angelic dressed in white, and he adored the way the ends of her hair fell onto her satin blouse. He reached for the tips and twirled a lock around his finger making a point to hold her attention.

"He's very serious about her, trust me."

Fitz was matter of fact, not mincing words.

"Fitz, how can you be so sure?" From her tone alone, he knew this would take some convincing.

"Because you didn't hear him, Liv. The way he speaks about her is the same way I speak about you."


OPOV

Looking at New York City through Lia's eyes was such a beautiful experience for Olivia. This was her daughter's second official visit and there was something about being in the Big Apple as a teenager that made it all the more special.

Olivia made it a point to take her dress shopping before the awards ceremony that evening and Lia accepted the opportunity with such appreciation. They didn't spend nearly enough mother / daughter time together and Olivia made a mental promise to make Lia more outings like this a priority.

Shopping turned into pampering themselves at a lavish salon, which then turned into trying a variety of pizzerias in Little Italy. By the time they arrived at their hotel, both women were so tired, they collapsed onto the bed not bothering to take their shoes off. Olivia was first to doze off, but her nap was short lived when a knock on the door sounded.

Lia remained sound asleep and was oblivious to the doorman entering the room with the large bouquet of long white stemmed roses. There was no question they were from Fitz and she sat across the arrangement, holding a small card in her hand. She looked at the flowers for some time, listening to her daughters breathing. It was the only sound in the room and the moment was so pure, it nearly brought tears to her eyes.

She never thought her life would end up this way, as she was certain for many years, she was incapable of finding love and happiness. For so long, loving Fitz felt more like a curse and it wasn't until she had the twins when she truly understood loving Fitz was never the root of the problem. These thoughts swirled around in her mind and she closed her eyes shifting her focus to the award she had been chosen to receive.

For reasons she couldn't explain, all the hurt and pain she endured suddenly felt necessary. Because it was these tragedies that shaped her into becoming the woman she was today. She was someone her daughter could be proud of and having her share this special night with her couldn't have been more perfect. Although she hated the fact Fitz wasn't there, she knew things were exactly how the universe ended them to be.

Olivia was about to open the card when Lia stirred. She slowly stood up in bed and looked around slightly confused before checking the time. They had a little over an hour to get dressed but you would think it was only five minutes by the way Lia began acting. She watched as her daughter frantically checked her hair and makeup making certain it still looked good in the bathroom mirror. By the time Olivia joined her, Lia was now rummaging through all their bags looking for the items she needed.

For the next hour, they were all business and it wasn't until they reached the limousine in front of the hotel, Lia appeared to catch her breath. Luckily, the drive to Rockefeller Center was a short one and Lia let out a huge squeal once she caught glimpse of the life portrait of Olivia displayed down 47th street. The words WOMAN OF THE YEAR was written in beautiful calligraphy and once again watching Lia's reaction was priceless.

The moment they stepped out of the limousine, they were escorted to several different checkpoints before entering the official building where the ceremony was taking place. Lia enjoyed posing with her mother for the paparazzi and Olivia was in her element speaking during the interviews leading up to the big event. They purposely wore similar gowns which was the topic of much conversation. It was the first time Lia was somewhat showcased on her own and her smile alone indicated she was having the time of her life.

By the time they reached their seats, the lights were dim, and everyone focused on the large screen in the center of the stage. This was certainly not the first time Olivia was presented with an award, but this specific award felt different. To her surprise, there were several interviews from her closest friends who glowingly spoke on what a difference Olivia Pope-Grant made in the lives of women all over the world.

For a good part of the interviews, Olivia felt uncomfortable listening to people speak so highly of her, but when Fitz appeared on the screen, her stomach fluttered making her heart race. His interview was a complete surprise and she couldn't help but wonder when he had time to do it. Most of the audience clapped when Fitz appeared, including Lia who beamed with pride listening to her father speak the following words of adoration about her mother.

"There's this genuineness about her that people can't get enough of. She's not just a smart woman whose made a name for herself…she makes it her life mission to help people…and I think that's what sets her apart from so many. Olivia stepped into a role she didn't ask for when we got married and the way the American people embraced her still to this day is something to marvel at. Not just because it's never been done, but because she tore down so many racial and gender barriers…and the impact will last generations upon generations to come."

Tears pricked Olivia's eyes and she reached for Lia's hand as the screened dimmed and lights returned. The master of ceremonies was now on stage and the official Glamour Awards were underway. She sat motionless trying to stay focused, mentally reviewing her acceptance speech in her mind. Sitting there was slightly like an out of body experience and it remained that way until the very end.


FPOV

Fitz sat up in bed eagerly awaiting his girls' return. He had more energy than he knew what to do with, but thought it be best Olivia return home finding him just the way she left him. His IPAD was on his lap and he enjoyed reading all the articles written about the Annual Glamour Event. The topic centered around Olivia being named Woman of the Year and most of the articles gave a sentimental spin focusing on Lia being Olivia's "date" for the evening. Both of his girl's looked incredible and his face hurt from smiling so much at the small screen.

Once Daniel announced their arrival, he instantly took off his reading glasses and through them aside, powering off his electronic device. He heard Liam's voice first and for the next several minutes, he couldn't make out any of the conversation. A thundering of footsteps eventually could be heard coming up the stairs and at last Fitz caught glimpse of both Lia and Olivia.

Lia ran straight to Fitz, talking a mile a minute. She recapped every detail of the trip, including every detail of her designer gown she wore the night before. Fitz watched Olivia from afar who instructed Hal to put her things into the closet. A few words were exchanged between his wife and her long-time Secret Service agent, before she finally joined the twins on the bed. Lia was still talking, and Liam was next to Fitz appearing to tune his sister out completely. He now had Fitz's IPAD on and appeared to be lost in his own world when Olivia finally greeted her husband hello.

"Welcome home," Fitz crooned, reaching for his wife. She sat next to Lia and kissed her husband before hugging him tight.

"How are you feeling? Are you still in pain?"

The topic quickly shifted to Fitz's physical health but didn't stay there for long when Lia's cell phone rang. She instantly stood from the bed and began a high-pitched sounding conversation with one of her friends. Fitz watched slight chaos unfold as Olivia agreed to each of them inviting a friend over to spend the night. Multiple conversations began to take place as Liam forgot about Fitz's IPAD and focused on Olivia's surprise announcement.

There was one week left in their winter break until they returned to Washington, and Olivia would've normally insisted they remain as a family with no visitors. The twins were even more surprised to hear Olivia share Hal would be driving them into town to pick up their selected friend as soon as they were ready. This sprang both Lia and Liam into action who quickly left their parents alone in the bedroom. Fitz smiled at his wife in complete awe ready to worship the ground she walked on.

"You've arranged for Hal to take them into town, tonight? You are a genius."

Olivia laughed at the words and stood, returning to their closet. Loud goodbyes could be heard from the twin's downstairs who were ready to leave with Secret Service. Fitz yelled goodbye from the bed but doubted they heard him. He thought about trying to get up and at least come to the door but couldn't help but wonder why Olivia was taking so long in the closet. He was about to call her by name when she finally appeared, closing the door and locking it on her way out.

She was wearing a sexy nurse's outfit with matching white stilettos and the image alone made his cock stiffen. He couldn't help but gawk at his wife who was walking towards him with determination.

"I need to thoroughly inspect my patient," she announced, moving the sheet completely off Fitz's body.

His wound was healing and his arousal protruding through his boxers was proof.

"You are so sexy."

It took everything in him not to touch Olivia while she bent over purposely exposing her breasts to him.

"Now remember what the doctor said," Olivia replied. "No extracurricular activities for a minimum two weeks."

"Fuck the doctor," Fitz was quick to counter.

Olivia smirked, clearly amused by the comment and reached for the small bag on the nightstand. Fitz watched his nurse slowly change his bandage and her exaggerated movements didn't go unnoticed. Her breasts were nearly coming out of the white bustier and there was a point liquid began to seep through his boxers from being so heavily aroused.

"Let me clean that up for you," she teased, pulling the top of his silk boxers down.

He gasped in the air as he watched Olivia bend down and slowly lick his penis, taking his precum into her mouth.

"Fucking Christ," Fitz whispered, too shocked to speak louder.

The sensation drove him utterly crazy and he pulled his wife down onto him, so she straddled his bulge completely. She was well below his abdomen and nowhere near his incision. If he was in pain, he couldn't feel it, as the only thing on his mind was the foreplay he was about to experience with his wife.

"You had this all planned, didn't you?" Fitz had to ask.

Olivia mischievously nodded her head and smiled, purposely grinding into his cock until her panties now were coated with his fluid.

"I fantasized about this the entire way home."

Fitz reached for her hands and linked fingers watching this beautiful vision before him.

Silence fell between them and in a split moment, their lust for one another shifted and Olivia began pouring her heart out, taking Fitz somewhat by surprise.

"What you said in the interview…thank you, Fitz. Thank you for loving me the way you do.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there, Baby."

It still pained him not seeing her receive such a well-deserved award in person.

Olivia slightly tilted her head and smiled, making Fitz's heart explode with her reply.

"You were there with me. You always have been. You always will be."