Olivia returned to her quiet life in France. When the summer was over her parents reluctantly returned to the States not wanting to leave her but she had assured them that she was fine. Her Mom had promised to be back long before she was due to give birth. Not long after they got back from Stephen's wedding the little bump started growing into a big bump.

She skyped with her family daily who were overjoyed to see her progress. Stephen insisted to see her growing stomach daily. She took photos and sent them to him, every photo she took, she filed so that one day, if they ever got their timing right Fitz could see them.

As a force of habit she kept an eye on him and Cyrus was doing a great job keeping him focused. Cyrus had taken her pregnancy better than she expected. He appreciated that she had told him and that she had already talked to Fitz. Determined to make her proud of him Fitz concentrated on being the best president he could be. He continued to dote on his children. Unbeknown to Olivia he and Mellie had long since stopped sharing a room. They had a mutual understanding. Truth was Mellie cared for Fitz, but not in the way a wife is meant to care for her husband. She was well aware of the attraction and romance between Fitz and Olivia and she was grateful for their discretion and respected Olivia all the more for it. After Fitz had found out that Olivia was pregnant, he was upfront with Mellie, who wasn't altogether surprised.

On the eve before Fitz's 50th birthday Karen had come into his study just before midnight. He was waiting to be summoned into the situation room and was killing time reading through the stack of paperwork on his desk.

"Hey Daddy, Happy Birthday." She said as she walked in. Fitz looked up and grinned.

"Sweetheart you should be fast asleep, but thank you." He said giving her a big hug.

"Well you're fifty and that's pretty special. Besides I had to give you something,"

"What honey?" he asked. Karen handed him her iPad. Curious he took it from her and smiled seeing Olivia on the other side,

"Happy Birthday Daddy. Night Liv, love you both." Karen bid them goodnight.

"Love you too," they chorused as she left the room and closed the door behind her.

It had been months since he had seen her. Since their talk at Stephen's wedding. Every so often he would receive a confidential package couriered especially by Huck and it would contain a sonogram of the baby. Olivia did her best to keep him in the loop of her pregnancy, to be a part of it somehow.

"Happy Birthday Old Man." She greeted somewhat sheepishly not knowing how sensible it was opening doors that she wasn't sure she wanted to open. But it was his birthday, and she couldn't not greet him, not after everything they had been through. Fitz couldn't help but stare, she looked beautiful. Pregnancy agreed with her. She was more relaxed than he had even seen her.

"God you're beautiful." He said breathlessly,

"For a whale you mean." She joked as she moved her iPad to show him just how big her stomach had gotten. Fitz gasped, she was indeed incredibly pregnant, and he it broke his heart to have missed it all.

"You're breathtaking Livvy," he murmured, his emotions betrayed him as he swallowed the lump on his throat. His eyes brimmed with tears,

"Hey, this is supposed to be a Happy thing." Liv said wanting nothing more than to touch him,

"I am happy. I'm happy that I finally got to see you both, I just."

"I know Fitz, I know."

"I miss you."

"And I miss you. So much." She confessed letting out a huge sigh beginning to question if it was such a good idea to call him.

"I see you've been doing good things," she said referring to the bills that he had recently passed and the major situations he had avoided.

"Gotta keep myself busy somehow." He replied nonchalantly.

"At least, it wasn't in vain you know?" Truth was all Fitz wanted to do was curl up into a ball after she he found out she was pregnant, wanting nothing more than to be with her, but he knew they couldn't be and if they couldn't, he didn't want their separation to be for nothing. He still wanted to be the man she would be proud of.

"I do, and I'm so proud of you. Peanut and I both are." She said rubbing her stomach.

"She goes to bed every night listening to you, she's not wild on some of your policies, but she does find your voice soothing." Fitz laughed for the first time in what seemed like forever,

"Is that right? Well can we discuss those policies as soon as she's out. Hang on, she?" Olivia nodded.

"I found out today, I thought it'd be a great gift for you."

"Thank you Livvy."

"So I hear there's a gala in your honour."

"I said no party, and well since when did my chief of staff and wife ever listen to me?"

"It's a big deal Fitz. People would want to celebrate such a milestone with you."

"I wish you could be here."

"Wouldn't that cause a stir?" She said dryly with a laugh rubbing her rather large stomach,

"Well it'll certainly give everyone something to talk about. We have an intimate dinner here at the residence tonight with the select few."

"I heard, Verna checked in a couple of days ago."

"How is she doing?" he asked, being the one of three who knew she was sick.

"Stubborn as only Verna can be. Chemo's hard on her but she won't admit it. I have Huck sit with her so she's not alone and though she fought me on it at first, she's learned to suck it up."

"No one argues with Olivia Pope,"

"Well some definitely try."

"How are you feeling Liv?" he asked longing to touch her,

"HUGE, but aside from that Peanut and I have learned to co-exist without any dramas. This bed rest thing is driving me crazy, but not long to go."

"Bed rest?" he asked somewhat alarmed. Olivia bit her lip and mentally smacked herself,

"It's a blood pressure thing, I'm fine. I'm closely monitored and I do as I'm told. I stay in bed. My Mom's arriving at the end of the week to be with me, it's a couple of weeks early, but try and argue with the woman."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Fitz, if I felt it was something major, you would be the first to know. I promise. This is your child as much as it is mine, and I would never deprive you the opportunity to swoop in and be her Daddy hero. For now she's fine and I'm fine."

"I worry about you Liv,"

"I know, and I worry about you too. We just have to make the best of it for now. I better let you go. It's well after one there now."

"Thanks for calling Liv. It means so much to me."

"Of course."

"Call if you need anything." He insisted,

"I will," she promised. She touched her lips with her hand and brought it to his face on the iPad.

"Take care Fitz."

Fitz was staring at the blank screen long after she had signed off. Though he loved talking to her, and seeing, her it only reminded him of what he was missing out on.

A couple of days after their talk came out of the bathroom and jumped to find Fitzgerald Thomas on her bed.

"Aren't you supposed to be on strict bed rest?"