AN: Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who take the time to review after reading and hello and thank you to the new followers of this story. Hope you all have a happy Valentine's Day tomorrow. I hope you spending it spreading and receiving love.

Chapter 9

Fitz swallowed the lump in his throat and watched wordlessly as Olivia removed her hand from his and took the few steps to her small suitcase. As she clutched the handle his instincts screamed for him to object, but he instead found himself calming down when she returned to his side and linked their hands once again.

Giving her a half smile, he kissed her knuckles and allowed her to lead them into his bedroom. Once inside they silently prepared for bed, with him retrieving a pair of pajama pants and two t-shirts from his dresser. With an outstretched hand he offered her the one that had NAVY emblazoned across the chest. And even though she had thoughts of a simple camisole accompanying her own pajama bottoms, she happily accepted his alternative; taking it and her toiletry bag inside the bathroom to begin her bedtime ritual after saying thank you.

When she returned, he was already under the covers, his hands interlaced under his head as he stared at the ceiling. She didn't like that his features were stressed because of her, not one bit. Guilt ate at her. She wanted to rectify the situation then and there but she respected and understood his need for no more talking. Besides, some rest brought the possibility of greater clarity in the morning, decreasing the chances of her further sticking her foot in her mouth as she voiced every doubt and concern without thought or regard to his feelings.

Aiming to play it safe she cleared her throat and smiled when his head whipped in her direction. "The bathroom's yours now."

"I'm all good. I just used one of the spare ones." His conflicting emotions simmered at the sight of her. It was the first time he'd seen her without makeup. And along with youth, beauty radiated from her. He wanted her. He wondered how he ever went without her. And then he sadly realized how he had merely existed before getting to know her.

"Fitz..." Uncertain of what was next she looked down at her fidgeting feet before her gaze locked in on him again.

"Its alright, Olivia. Just please come to bed." He turned down the blanket for her and moved over so that she could ease her way in.

Unable to face him just yet, she lay on her side and stared at the wall wishing and hoping that the awkwardness would pass. He on the other hand had determined that he would not give her the chance to shut down. He moved closer and hugged her while his hand came to rest on her stomach.

He kissed her neck and then whispered in her ear imploring her to look at him and after a few seconds passed, she did. "I might not always like what you say but I want you to always say them. I just ask that you give me time to process those things. I want to know how you feel and what you think about everything. I don't need you to ever hide from me, okay?"

She nodded, brought a hand to his cheek and held it there. Then she raised her head until their lips met ever so gently. Raw emotions and memories of all they had previously shared in the bed overwhelmed and ignited the spark between them. And before she had time to process it she was lying flat on her back with him shifting his body until he was nestled in between her thighs.

His eyes stayed on her face while his hands blindly touched everything that was within reach. He caressed her legs, massaged her thighs and palmed her buttocks before his fingers disappeared within the scraps of her lace panties, fascinated by what he found waiting for him there. He answered her whimper with a grunt of his own before flashing her a disarming smile and capturing her mouth in a lazy kiss.

However skilled the attention given to her body was his hands couldn't stay in one place long. They ran along her back, stomach and breasts until they both were craving more. With a slight pang of regret, he removed his shirt from her body; but his spirits lifted with just one touch of her naked skin. His heated gaze studied all of her before focusing his attention down below and hooking his fingers into the fabric at her hipbone. For the life of him he couldn't understand how it was possible to construct something so sexy with such a minimal amount of material. Especially something that could still do a damn good job of supporting all that was Olivia. Regardless of how appealing, erotic and functional, he could only see the panties as his enemy at the moment. They were mocking him, hindering him from where he needed to be most. But with one determined tug from him they were no more.

She was stunning, lying there before him and he couldn't tear his eyes away. He couldn't keep his hands or his mouth to himself either, but the faces and sounds she made told him she didn't mind at all. He stroked and teased until they were both near the point of breaking. Until she finally, quickly rid him of his clothes too, so that their bodies could join perfectly.


He knew that she was no longer lying beside him even before he could technically be considered conscious. Hoping that the perceived loss was just a symptom of sleep he ran his hand over her side of the bed before he fully opened his eyes. Finding nothing but a cold empty space he called out her name repeatedly; desperately when she never responded. Afraid that regrets had gotten the better of her and she had somehow fled during the middle of the night, he jumped up and bolted from the room.

Preparing to deal with anyone who had a hand in helping her with her escape he trampled downstairs in search of answers. However his anger quickly dissipated when the smell of breakfast cooking registered with his senses. Releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding, he paused to get himself under control. Then he walked into the room and there she stood at the stove in pajamas and tank top, cooking.

"Olivia?"

All of her attention on the meal she only realized she was no longer alone when the sound of his voice invaded her concentrated thoughts. She yelped, jumped and placed a hand to her heart in hopes of calming it and turned in his direction. "My God Fitz, can I get a little warning next time? You scared the crap out of me!"

"I'm sorry."

"Are you really?" The lopsided smile on his face forced her to question his apology.

"Truly. I didn't mean to sound so harsh, you just surprised me. Things were a little weird even after we...and there was no you or luggage when I woke up and so I..."

"You what? Thought that I left without even saying goodbye? Wow."

Detecting hurt in her words he pressed forward. "Are you telling me that it didn't even cross your mind at all?"

"No, it did not. Do you want to why? Because I like you and I like being with you. I told you that. And maybe I could have started the conversation of what exactly we are doing a little better than I did and I take the blame for that. But you have to know that this time spent with each other, I wouldn't change it for anything. And I don't want it to end before it has to."

He nodded. "I do. I'm just glad to hear it again."

"And I'm glad to say it. It was cold when I woke up and I didn't want to disturb your sleep so I moved my suitcase into your closet to change into more than your t-shirt. And that's also when I had the brilliant idea to come downstairs and take over your kitchen. Sort of a peace offering for guiding things off the rails last night."

"I guess the talk had to happen eventually. Part of this weekend was figuring out what we could possibly be to one another. But I think perhaps sex muddied the waters for us a little? Not that I regret it."

"Neither do I. Not for a minute."

Feeling heat rising in her cheeks due to his close proximity, she turned away from him to check the food. The knowledge of his gaze still fixed on her combined with recalling how quickly he could distract her, she urged him to find something else to do far away from her until breakfast was officially ready.

Once the food was prepared she took special care in setting the table and completing all the other task that would make her gesture memorable for him. And when the time came they enjoyed the meal in companionable silence; only indulging in light banter from time to time until they had finished they talked about the about everything under the sun; from the drastic and unpredictable changes in weather, Vermont and its attractions and what their weeks would entail. From there the conversation centered on their families; he spoke with pride about Karen and Gerry and how they were excelling in school and adjusting to his constant presence and the slower paced lives they were now living.

The attention she gave to every word he said was amazing to him. When he talked she responded with an animated expression that let him know she was right there with him, engaged in the things that mattered to him. And it was refreshing to him, to have someone interested in him the man, as opposed to the politician.

Realizing that not only was he was monopolizing the conversation, but she was allowing him to do so, he focused on her. Gently, he urged her to reveal any piece of herself that she would and she eagerly began talking.


After cleaning up the remnants of breakfast, showering and dressing, Fitz returned to the living room in jeans and a thermal shirt and waited in front of the fireplace. Olivia joined him shortly thereafter the picture of relaxed elegance in leggings and an off the shoulder cashmere sweater, dropping a kiss on his lips before snuggling herself into his embrace.

After he complimented her appearance they sat in contented silence wearing matching smiles and watching as the fire flickered and crackled.

Finding solace in her presence and the little moments they were slowly making together, he squeezed her close and kissed her temple. "So have you decided what you want to do today? I mean we can ride if you want. Or go for a walk on the grounds or do just about a million other things. This place was designed so that we'd have pretty much everything at our disposal way out here. We can watch movies in the media room or my bedroom. Make use of the hot tub or pool. Or we can do a tour of the whole place so that I can finally show you what was off limits when you came for the interview."

"Really?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I? This isn't work and this isn't for the public's consumption. This is personal. Just me and you. And you have free reign to go wherever and do whatever you please."

"Hmm, tempting. All of it is very, very tempting. But I'd like to stay right here with you for now, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. It's not like holding you is a chore."

"Mmm, that's good to know." She closed her eyes and sighed, settling deeper into him as fatigue nagged at her. She could feel the consequences of the sudden and frequent physical exertion her body had been under the past few hours starting to catch up with her. Determined to overcome it, she threaded her fingers through his and squeezed their joined hands. "Tomorrow will be here before we know it and it'll be time for me to get back to the city. I guess we need to resume the talk of us, don't you think?"

"Well you already know how I feel. I want you, Olivia. Us. Now that I've had a taste, I don't think I could know how to not want you any more."

When his lips grazed her ear she shivered at his whispered words of honesty."I want you too, Fitz. I do."

"And I believe it. But I guess I'm just wondering exactly what that means to you? Are you going to walk away and continue to want me? Or are we going to go through this together and see where it leads?"

Taking his questions to heart, she paused and thought hard before answering him."I have to be honest, I don't exactly know how to do this. I've never been that great at relationships in the past. For whatever reason, be it lack of time or commitment or effort, they just implode. And this with you is on an entirely different level. We have my very public job, your situation with Mellie and us living in different states to consider. But I know that I don't want to say goodbye to you. I want us."

"Well since we both want the same thing we have no choice but to make it work. We'll just keep doing what we're doing, what we've been doing, until we need something different, whether it's more or less. You come here whenever you're free or I'll come to you when it's possible. And then when the dust settles from the shambles of my divorce we go from there. Does that sound like a plan you could live with? Are you in?"

"All in, Fitz. I'm all in."


The time spent in his company had been the most fun she could remember having with a man in years. Usually cautious and guarded when it came to embarking on new relationships of any kind, she found with him her heart had seemingly leapt before her mind.

She embraced him fully, treating him as if she had known him forever. When talking about her life and ambitions she had no problem revealing things that she saved for her closest confidants, he put her that much at ease. So as time wound away she talked a lot, laughed heartily and shared whatever without censoring herself.

After spending every moment since she'd arrived inside the house, they ventured outdoors when they finished a simple lunch of soup and sandwiches. With indicators of fall beginning to make a subtle appearance the landscape was even more gorgeous than she remembered. Always touching in some form or fashion as they walked and talked, he directed her on a thorough trek through the gardens, the orchards, and the guest home before becoming distracted inside the space. And a while later they made a stop at the stables and then ended up at the lake to bask in the extraordinary view until they began to tire.


After eating the dinner they made together, Olivia and Fitz went into his study and compared schedules. Being a single discussion could be had, she knew that the next weekend involved her making the trip to Virginia or her mother would rain hell down upon her; probably by way of an extended New York vacation of her own so that it would be even harder to get rid of her. The week following that Fitz was committed to business and a few speaking engagements across country that would keep him tied up well into the weekend, effectively keeping them apart. But even though they couldn't find free time to spend together as soon as they would have liked she was thankful that the situation wasn't nearly as impossible as she had imagined.

She was quite satisfied with how they worked together with a willingness to compromise; juggling and even canceling some things that weren't very important in the grand scheme of things, neither of them were ready to give a voice to the disappointment creeping up on them due to the fact that they would soon be returning to their separate worlds.


"So, I just put in a few calls and everything is good to go. The pilot will be here tomorrow at noon." Fitz's voice was wistful as he stood in the door of his bedroom with his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

Upon hearing him speak, Olivia stopped folding the shirt to be placed in her luggage and turned to look at him. She had left him behind to begin the task of packing while he worked on some things of his own, but she had not accomplished much in his absence. Instead of gathering her belongings all of her concentration was on his bed. The way it looked, the way it smelled, and how he had made her feel in it. She trembled at the memories while wishing they would overpower the anxiousness she felt.

Studying her, he didn't have to ask what was wrong, it was written all over her face. They were the very emotions that matched the feelings deep in the pit of his own stomach. "Olivia," was all he said before moving in and holding her to him.

"I just got here. I don't like that this is ending so soon," she admitted against his chest and then gave it a quick peck.

He broke the embrace and looked into her eyes, smiling while his thumb caressed her cheekbone. "It's only for a little while. And I promise you that when we're together again I will make up for all the time we're apart. It's going to be just like you never left."

"Yeah?" her smile widened until it was almost painful, "I'm going to hold you to that."

"Well, I'm not usually a man who brags but I think I can do you one better and hold you now."

His deep voice stirred her and filled her with anticipation until she tingled. If her need for him was obvious, she didn't care. Because as it stood at the moment she would be denied the intimacy that she had found in his arms for at least two weeks, if not more, seeing as how plans could change and news could break in a blink of an eye.

And because of that, she was determined to make every minute count. The moment their lips touched something snapped for both of them. Tongues dueled and so did their hands as they tore at the other's clothing. Teeth initiated nicks and bites, and whimpers mingled with moans as he guided them to his bed.

They were rough and reckless and demanding with each other. But she needed even more. She moaned and begged for all of him while he feverishly attacked every available inch of her. Shamelessly she utilized the power she discovered she had over him and within a matter of seconds, her pleas broke him and the wild look in his eyes convinced her he would give her everything she asked for, all that she needed and more.


Olivia was groggy when she awoke with the rising sun. The last two days a whirlwind of great sex, excellent wines, and scintillating conversations had her raising a hand to her head in an attempt to soothe what seemed to be the beginnings of a headache.

She looked at Fitz still lying beside her and she couldn't help but be jealous of him. He was still in a state of oblivion, unable to feel anything least of all the sense of dread coursing through her. In just a few short hours she would be leaving him for her home and her job and maybe she was being a tad bit irrational about it but a part of her really just didn't care.

Despite the fact that she was a grown woman with grown up responsibilities she enjoyed him and would miss him; the talks, the laughs, the lovemaking. He was very affectionate and straightforward when it came to what he wanted and needed. A generous lover with a tendency to venture towards the aggressive and she had loved every minute of it. Her tender but satisfied body was a testament to the fact. Thinking of all the attention he had lavished on her in many different ways had her feeling deprived already. No, after being with him she couldn't say that the rush was on to return to her empty apartment but she would just the same.

Unable to bear the thought of letting him go any longer she moved closer to his sleeping form and whispered his name. Desiring to re-establish their connection, she ran her fingers down his chest and called out to him again as her lips grazed his neck. She kissed his pulse point quickly before positioning herself, slowly allowing her mouth to follow the trail her hands had set forth on.

She felt the exact moment he stirred and she looked into his eyes. He was dazed and the curls atop of his head were in disarray. His jaw clenched but instantly relaxed as his brain made the switch from slumber to reality.

"Olivia," his voice rumbled deep in his throat; partly from sleep, arousal and natural tone. "What are you-"

"Shh, Fitz. Just lie back and let me, let me..." her voice faltered with the hardening of him in her hand. "I need you. I have to-"

"Liv...Livvie," he sighed from the sensation of her tongue touching him.

When she demanded and then took more of him, he groaned and wound his hands in her hair. She had left him no choice but to call out and surrender only to her.


"That's it, I'm canceling the flight. I can't let you leave."

He stood in front of her watching as she bent to adjust her foot into her boot. After time in bed and a quick breakfast he helped her do everything else that would get her out the door and in the air on time.

"What," she crinkled her nose in confusion.

"I'm sorry. I was thinking it and I couldn't help but say it. I know that it's not possible. America will be watching for their Olivia Pope in the morning and they'll be expecting bright eyes and a bushy tail so you need to be home to prepare and rest."

"Well, I'm not certain what they'll get tomorrow," she chuckled. "Its been amazing, almost surreal here with you, so it'll be interesting to see how I respond to the real world."

The nerves and regret were practically shooting off of her so did his best to kiss it away. Not even the sound of the approaching helicopter could persuade him to pry his mouth from hers.

"Fitz" she panted as his mouth dipped lower and rearranged the collar on her grey turtleneck in the process.

"Olivia," he held her close his face buried in the valley of her breasts.

"They're here now. I really have to go."

Even though her voice was adamant, her demeanor was not so he decided to try a little humor. "Here's an idea, how about you co-host on location? You know have them beam you in through satellite and all that."

"Yeah, because that would go over so well. I can hear the wagging tongues now," she joked and then grew serious. "But I will feel a lot better about leaving knowing that you'll miss me. Will you miss me?"

"Only until I'm holding you like this again."

Silence fell and they became lost in each other like only they could, never relinquishing their gazes until knocking at the door and ringing phones intruded.

"Well, there goes the real world calling," he said solemnly. "You ready?"

"If I'm not now, I never will be."

She treated him to a smile which he returned before capturing her mouth and kissing her as if his life depended on it.