"Please, Don't Go…"

Hi guys! Here's the latest chapter. It is the longest chapter that I have written thus far. Also, thanks for the well wishes for graduation! I am officially an alumna at my university! #Go Dawgs! :) As for comments and feedback: 1) Thanks for reading and investing in the story! I really appreciate it. 2) Calm down. This story is about Olivia and Fitz, but I will write about the other characters. Also, they are not together because I want drama. If you want fluff and smut, then read another story. 3) Jake is definitely Fitz's brother and Mellie's brother in law. He said that so he could make medical decisions because Fitz was MIA Jake only wanted what was best for her. 4) After this chapter, hopefully you will see why Jake and Fitz feel the way that they do for Mellie. 5) There are alot of secrets in this story, and I am trying to expose all of them. Just give me time and enjoy the ride! 5) My birthday is this week, so I probably won't update until after this weekend.

Three days had passed, and Olivia had yet to hear a word from Fitz. She emailed him over five times, and he didn't respond to any of them. However, today was the day. Last night, she decided to stop by his office and give him one last chance to explain. If he wasn't there, then she would officially close that chapter and move on with her life. She was tired of being a doormat for men. She was tired of each one taking a piece of her and leaving her all alone. It was time that she took her control of her life, so this was his last chance before she did exactly that.

Olivia walked up to Fitz's office door and knocked. She waited a few seconds and knocked again. No answer. She turned and started walking down the hallway towards the elevator.

"Olivia!" called a ginger-haired women as she stepped out of her office into the hallway.

Olivia stopped midstride and bit her bottom lip. "Dr. Langston," she smiled as she turned around. "So good to see you. How is Dr. Douglas?"

"He is great! We celebrated our fifteenth anniversary on Saturday at the Gardens. It was a beautiful event. Flowers and food galore, " replied Dr. Langston. "I wish you could have been there! A lot of students from your cohort was there. Even, oh what's his name?" asked Sally as she snapped her fingers. "The one with the glasses…and the deep voice…and he wears that tacky plaid all of the time."

"Joseph…"

"Why yes it is. Even Joseph was there, Olivia."

"Dr. Langston, I am sorry that I couldn't be there and celebrate with you and Dr. Douglas. I wanted to, but the symposium was this weekend."

"Yes! I heard. Congratulations! The entire department is ecstatic, and Dr. Grant would be too but you know…with everything that is going on…it wouldn't be right,"

"Wait. What is going on?" interrupted Olivia.

Dr. Langston lowered her head and her voice and stared at Olivia. "Dr. Grant was in a car wreck."

Olivia felt her knees go weak, and the tears began pooling in her eyes. She laid her hand over her heart and took a deep breath. "Oh god. What? When?"

"Yes. Something about drunk driver ran a stop sign and slammed into the car. She's in critical condition."

"She?" asked Olivia as she leaned against the wall.

"Yes. Mrs. Grant was in car wreck on Saturday night. Things are terrible for them, right now. They lost a child, and for a moment, the doctors didn't know whether she would make it. Don't worry, she pulled through just fine."

"Oh, and Dr. Grant…how is he?"

"He's fine. He wasn't in the car. The accident happened around midnight on Saturday while he was at the symposium. His brother called him from the hospital, and rumor has it that Dr. Grant hasn't left her side yet…not even to change clothes. I sent a prayer up for them, and you should too. I know that he would appreciate it."

Olivia choked back her tears and took another deep breath. "Dr. Langston, I'm sorry. I have to go. I have a thing to get to, so I will talk to you later." Olivia hoped that she was calm enough to fool Dr. Langston. "Again, congratulations on fifteen years. Give Dr. Douglas my best." Olivia gave Dr. Langston a quick hug and headed towards the elevator. She thought about Fitz and what he must be feeling right now. Before she knew it, she was in the hospital and walking down the fourth floor concourse. She stopped midstride when she saw Fitz sitting in the waiting room. He looked distraught and terrified.

"Dr. Grant?" She lightly whispered, so she wouldn't startle him as he stared out the window. "Dr. Grant?"

"What?" he asked dryly. "What do you want?" Fitz turned around, and his heart immediately sunk. Once again, here she was…standing in front of him…and he was being a jerk.

"Nothing. I shouldn't have come. It was stupid. I was stupid." Olivia shook her head and turned to leave.

"No, come and have a seat, Ms. Pope." Fitz patted his hand on the seat beside him and gave her an encouraging smile. "I'm sorry. The last few days have been rough, and I just don't know what to do anymore. Mellie is unconscious…Jake and I are always fighting …and I lost a child. The last few days…." Fitz started to cry but stopped when he remembered that he was in a public area.

"I heard, and I'm sorry for your loss. If you need someone to talk to, I'm here for you." Olivia reached down and gave Fitz's hand a gentle squeeze. "You don't have to go through this alone. You have a friend in me."

"Ms. Pope, thank you but we…I can't do this anymore…I'm sorry…" Fitz turned away from the window and looked into Olivia's eyes. If he was about to break her heart, he needed to be a man and look at her. She deserved that much. "I meant every word I said on Saturday night. I feel it too, but…"

Olivia put up her hands to stop Fitz from talking. "Dr. Grant, I know what you're about to say and don't. It was a mistake. We made a mistake, and it won't happen again."

"Please don't say that. It wasn't a mistake. It's just…" Fitz took a moment to gather his thoughts. He knew what he had to do, but he didn't how to do it. "Do you want to grab a coffee with me?"

Olivia gave Fitz a questioning look. "No thank you. I really have to get going." She stood up and gathered her coat and purse. "My study group meets in an hour, and it's my turn to bring the doughnuts." She flashed Fitz a quick smile and headed towards the elevator.

Fitz allowed Olivia to get a few a steps before he started chasing after her. "Stop walking!" screamed Fitz. "Stop walking!" Olivia stopped and turned around. She was halfway to the elevator when he finally caught up with her.

"We need to talk. I can't let you leave like this." He leaned down and whispered into her ear. "You do mean something to me…please don't be mad at me. Just let me explain, and you can leave afterwards." Fitz looked at Olivia and waited for her to respond.

"Okay," mumbled Olivia.

Fitz grabbed Olivia by her arm and pulled her into the elevator. He pressed the button for the cafeteria. They rode entire time in silence. Once in the cafeteria, they grabbed a booth and waited for one of them to talk. A few minutes had passed when Olivia finally decided to break the silence.

"You wanted to talk so talk because there a million other things that I could be doing right now," spoke Olivia as she unbuttoned her coat.

"Just so you know, I've never slept with a student or cheated on my wife," started Fitz. "I mean…I cheated on Mellie once in college when we first started dating. I was drunk ..."

Olivia immediately cringed when he said her name. "How can the name of woman that I've never met make me feel like this?" she thought.

"…and I allowed this sorority girl to give me a blowjob. I'm good man, Ms. Pope." He explained as he ran his hands through his hair.

"What's your point?" asked Olivia as choked back more tears. Sitting there with him was the last thing she wanted to do.

"You are different to me. There is something about you and the way that I feel. I just wanted you to know that I meant everything that I said Saturday night, and I don't regret anything that we did. You were amazing…you are amazing, but we can't do this."

Olivia couldn't take it anymore. She re-buttoned her coat and searched for her keys. "I hope you wife gets well soon, and goodbye Dr. Grant."

Fitz reached for Olivia's arm and gave it a squeeze. "Please don't go…not yet. Let me finish explaining. I need you to know the truth." Olivia stopped buttoning her coat and placed her hand on top of his. "I want you. I really do, but I can't have you. Not like this." Fitz swallowed hard and continued. "I love Mellie because she was there for me when no one else was. As a child, I was bounced from boarding school to boarding school. My parents never had time for me. My dad was consumed with work, and my mom was always focusing on her latest husband. So, by the time I made it to college, I was lost…and broken…and all alone. I had so many demons. I was angry all of the time…I drank too much…I slept with random girls… I even committed a dozen-or-so felonies. I was the resident bad boy at Yale," smirked Fitz as remembered his first year at Yale. "But, Mellie saw something in me. She friended me and cleaned me up. She wanted me despite my flaws." Fitz closed his eyes and tried to stop the tears from falling. "Then, I cheated on her, and she left me…all alone again. I started partying again…really hard…until I overdosed one night. I mistakenly mixed painkillers and alcohol. I thought I was drinking regular punch, but it wasn't. I called her in my drunken stupor and…she came over and found me on the floor covered in my own vomit. It scared me and my family. I could have died, but Mellie saved me."

"Dr. Grant, I don't know what to say…"

"It's fine…I am the man that you see today because of her. She believed in me when no one else did. She told me that I was somebody and that my dreams do matter. I need her…I need her so bad that I prayed the other day…that's something I haven't done since senior year at St. Peters Preparatory. I asked God to send her back to me because I can imagine the man that I would be without her, and I don't like him. So, I vowed that I would be a better man if Mellie was okay, which is why we can't do this…I can't. I'm sorry."

Fitz leaned over the table and kissed Olivia's forehead. He allowed his lips to linger a little longer than necessary. He inhaled her scent one more time and took a mental snapshot of her. To him, this would be the last time that he would see her outside of school.

Olivia closed her eyes and tried to enjoy her last moments with Fitz. She processed their conversation and recalled about how tormented Fitz looked. When Fitz moved his lips away from her forehead, she opened her eyes and leaned her head back. She could hear him grabbing his phone and shoving his keys into his pocket.

"Can you stay one more minute?" asked Olivia as her rested on the back of booth. "For one minute, can we pretend that you're not married…that I'm not your student….and that things aren't complicated? Can we pretend that we are just two people sitting in a booth and enjoying each other's company?' Olivia leaned forward and placed her hand on top of Fitz's hand.

He thought about her request for a few seconds. Then, he looked her over at her and smiled.

"Sure…" he whispered.

For one minute, they sat there in complete silence. They gazed into each other's eyes. For the first time since they met, their minds we clear. There was no animosity, no fear, and no uncertainty. They both knew what would happen after they left that table. They would move on with their lives and forget about each other.

Fitz grabbed his phone off the table and headed back upstairs to check on Mellie. Once he was out of sight. Olivia covered her mouth with her and began sobbing. She tried to stop, but her body wouldn't let her. For the next fifteen minutes, she sat there and cried uncontrollably.

Three years later…

Fitz woke up and hoped it was all dream. He opened his eyes and was disappointed when he realized that it wasn't one. His worst nightmare had come true; his marriage was indeed over. Mellie's clothes were missing from the closet, and all of her beauty products had disappeared from the vanity. Fitz sat up in bed and remembered their conversation from last night…

"Fitz, I love you, and I love our life together," started Mellie as she leaned against the kitchen counter. "But I can't do this anymore. We can't keep ignoring the elephant in the room. I think we should separate and take some time to think about what we really want out of life. I already…"

"Mellie, is this about having a baby?" interrupted Fitz. "Because if so, we can try again. We can do another round of in vitro. I have access to my trust fund now, so money is no object. We can do as many rounds as you want," promised Fitz.

"This isn't about having a baby. This is about me feeling inadequate and alone, Fitz! I can't have children! My ovaries are scarred, so in vitro will never work!" screamed Mellie. "I am tired of getting my hopes up for a few weeks, only to have them crash before the second trimester." She took a moment and choked back the tears. "Then, on top of all that, I have to deal with it alone. I have dealt with three miscarriages alone! You are never here! You are either working…or at the gym…or at Stephen's place. You are never here for me, and I am tired…I am tired of doing everything myself!

"Mellie,"

"I am alone here! We are supposed to be partners…we are supposed to be in this together. But, you are never here! We have become strangers to each other! " Mellie took a deep breath and composed herself. "I'm sorry, but I need a break. So, I've checked into the W hotel for the next week. If you need anything, just call me." Mellie grabbed her purse and headed towards the foyer.

"Please, don't go."

"I have to…if you want out marriage to survive, please give me this break."

"Well, you don't have to stay at the W. I can move in with Stephen after the symposium this weekend. You can have the house as long as you need it. I will find condo closer to campus."

Fitz leaned against his headboard and rubbed his brow. He took a moment for himself to think. After a few minutes, he got out of the bed and started packing for the symposium.

Recap: We found out the history of Mellie and Fitz's relationship. Fitz and Olivia had the talk, and he intends on keeping his side of deal. At least, we saw them have a "one minute." Moving on, it's been three years, and Mellie and Fitz are on the rocks because sheis having a hard time getting pregnant again. Lastly, it's time for the symposium. I wonder what will happen this year? ;) As always, let me know what you think!