A/N: So let me get this right... you all hated Alexander and is glad that he's gone? lol I loved the passionate reviews to the last chapter.

My eyes flutter open and the blinding light causes a piercing headache to start right away. I open my eyes a slit and I'm momentarily confused by my surroundings. I try to move, but I can't. I then look over to my right and Fitz is laying next to me with his arm thrown across my midsection. The previous night's events come rushing back to me and I can't contain a giggle. I hear him groan and he lift's his head. Even with bed hair and pillow creases on his face he's still devastatingly handsome.

"Good morning." His voice is sleep roughened and I just want to melt into the sheets.

"Morning." I smile at him. He lifts up and is right in my face. He smiles.

"I have a terrible hangover." He lays his head next to my face and we start laughing.

"Me too. Why did we do that last night?"

"I have no idea." He says with his face partially in the pillow. I move to my side and face him. I can't help running my fingers through his sleep tossed curls. He looks up at me and stares into my eyes. My heart starts to beat faster as I feel myself being pulled to him seemingly involuntarily. Our lips are inches from each other, I'm anticipating feeling his firm soft lips against mine.

"Daddy!" We pull apart when Teddy and Tommy come running into the room. They jump on the bed.

"Mommy what are you doing here?" Teddy asks climbing on top of Fitz.

"Mommy was too sleepy to go home last night." That answer seems to satisfy his curiosity. Tommy gets underneath the covers and snuggles against me. He's definitely a mama's boy.

"Mommy are you going to stay here and play with us?" Tommy asks looking into my eyes, he looks so much like his father.

"No sweetie you will spend the day with your dad." He pouts and I can tell Mellie will give in and I can't be happier. "If it's ok with your dad I'll stay a little while." Tommy looks over at me.

"Oh yeah it's ok with me." Mellie rolls her eyes, but I see a ghost of a smile on her face.

I get the boys dressed while Fitz makes breakfast. "I'm going to jump in the shower can you feed them." He nods and I walk away and head towards his bathroom. I'm deep in thought when the shower door opens and Fitz steps in. I look at him like he has another head growing out of his neck, he only smirks.

"What are you doing?"

"Conserving water."

"Did you leave the boys alone?"

"They are playing."

"They ate already?"

"No we decided to wait for you to get out of the shower." I step closer to Mellie. I am trying to keep my eyes focused squarely on her face, but I want to look south so badly. She doesn't move back when I step into her personal space. I keep my eyes on her as I dip my head...

"Mommy, Daddy!" Tommy is standing outside the shower crying.

"Fuck!"

"Fitz watch your mouth." Mellie opens the door slightly and pops her head out. "What's wrong sweetie?"

"Teddy pulled me hair." I don't want to be a terrible father, but I am immensely irritated with both my children.

"Ok tell Teddy I said don't do that otherwise he'll be in timeout." Tommy stops crying and seems happy with Mellie's response. He nods and runs back out of the bathroom. Mellie sticks her head back in the shower, but I know that the mood is broken.

Mellie spends the remainder of the day with us, but she is guarded with me.

"I need to get going." I just nod. She shuffles her feet nervously. "We can't do..." She stops talking and takes a breath. "Maybe we should stop doing these dinners." My heart drops.

"Why?" I'm having a difficult time containing my disappointment.

"Fitz please don't make this more difficult than it needs to be." She goes to walk away, but I can't let her walk away from me again. I pull her against me and capture her mouth in a heated kiss, my tongue slips past her lips and rubs against hers. Mellie's arms wrap around my neck and she tangles her fingers in my hair. I pull away from her and look deep into her eyes.

"You don't want to not see me Mellie, do you?" She slowly shakes her head.

I slowly walk to my car still bewildered by the kiss that Fitz gave me. I know that I'm playing with fire, but he just draws me to him like a moth to a flame. I groan inwardly at the cheesy cliché. I have just enough time to go home and change before my appointment.

"Do you still love him?" I take a deep breath.

"Yes despite everything he's done and despite how hard I try not to I love him with everything I am."

"Why do you resist going back to him?"

"I don't trust him with my heart." It may seem silly, but it's the truth.

"You don't believe him when he tells you that he's changed."

"No, I just keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. For me to not be enough again."

"So Mellie this seems more like an issue with you feeling inadequate than you not trusting Fitz."

"My husband cheated on me for years, my lover cheated on me. Obviously there is something wrong with me. Who wouldn't feel inadequate?" I laugh trying to lighten the mood.

"Is this a product of the rape?" It always comes back to that.

"I never felt this way before I was raped. I felt that I was the best thing since sliced bread. And then one night stripped away everything I thought I was. I've had to reinvent myself just to...survive."

"Have you ever really expressed yourself to Fitz?"

"We've been in therapy before. He'll just try to fix me so that I'll come back to him."

"Do you not understand why he wants you?" I look at her shocked that she's put into words what I've been thinking.

"I haven't been a very nice person. I don't understand why he still loves me and if I can't understand why then he must be lying to me." My voice breaks and I look away.

"You don't think you deserve his love?" I shake my head no.

"Even though his infidelities hurt me I felt... I feel like I deserved it. When will I get to be the Mellie I was before, it happened?"

"Mellie you'll never be the same person you were before you were raped. That was a profound tragedy. Along with the fact that time happened and none of us are the same after the ravishes of time passing."I nod knowing she is right.

"I want so badly just to fall back in his arms."

"Take it slow. I would not suggest you fall back into his arms or his bed, but I can see in your eyes that you yearn to be with him again. Perhaps you should date."

Dr. Jenson's words echo in my head. I only call Fitz to check in on the boys, we don't discuss us. I'm nervously pacing the floor when he comes in with the boys. They run to me and I hug them tightly.

"Here's their bags." He hands them to me. "I should get going."

"Hey can you stay for a bit I need to talk to you?" I nod and go to the den to wait on Mellie. She gets the boys settled in their room and comes looking for me. I can tell she's nervous. I've thought a lot about our kiss and how she basically shut me out afterwards, it was disheartening.

"What did you want to talk about?" She takes a deep breath. She sits in the chair across from the sofa where I am seated.

"Would you like to..." I sit up on the sofa a little straighter. "Would you like to go to dinner with me this weekend?"

"Are you asking me out on a date?" I'm trying not to get too excited, but I may be doing a bit of a happy dance on the inside.

"Yes I am asking you out on a date." I smile so hard my face feels like it's going to break.

"I would love to go out on a date with you Melody." She blushes and looks away.

"Good I'll call Hayley and arrange for her to watch the boys."

"So where are we going?"

"It's a surprise." I like this side of Mellie.

"Ok well I'll see you Saturday." It's Thursday and I have a few speeches to give on Friday, but Saturday seems so far away. We both stand and she walks me to the door. I turn and give her a light kiss on the cheek. When I pull away she's smiling shyly at me. "You've made me a very happy man, you won't regret taking this step." I say softly to her and I mean it. She nods and smiles again. I love her smile. We say our goodbyes it takes all I have not to skip to my waiting car.