Chapter 10

Fitz, Olivia, and the kids had enjoyed their week in California. The following week when they returned home Olivia went to her doctor's appointment, and her pregnancy had been confirmed. Fitz was beyond excited, and his excitement was contagious. Olivia was waiting to get through her first trimester before they told anyone else. So for now only her and Fitz, and Abby and Harrison knew.

Today was Olivia's first day back at work, and she was busy. She bad back to back appointments, and a headache that wouldn't let go of her. She was headed to the front of the office to grab another patient chart from Quinn when she heard Quinn raise her voice.

Quinn said, "Ma'am he isn't at this office. He is currently at his home office. If you will calm down I can call over to his receptionist and get you an appointment."

Another raised female voice said, "He's the owner of this practice, and I want to speak with him now. I am not leaving until I am able to speak with him."

Olivia walked in with a tentative smile. She said, "Hi, My name is Dr. Pope, I am the owner of this practice. I'm sure I can be of assistance to you."

The brunette shook her head, "You can't help me unless you are Fitzgerald Grant, or you can tell me where he is."

Olivia's smile became a little more strained. She said, "Well, if you can calm down. I can help get you in direct contact with him. Why don't you come back to my office and we can give him a call?"

The woman nodded and blew out a breath. She said, "I'm sorry for causing a scene. I went to his home office, but they said he wasn't there, so I came here. When she told me he wasn't here I thought that maybe he was trying to avoid me, or something."

Olivia nodded noticing that the woman was pregnant. Olivia asked, "How far along are you?"

The woman absentmindedly rubbed her protruding belly. She said, "Five months."

Olivia smiled, "You and your husband must be really excited?"
The woman entered Olivia's office and took a seat. Olivia closed the door behind them, and then took a seat behind her desk reaching for her cell phone.

The woman said, "The baby might not be my husband's baby. That's why I need to speak with Fitz."

Olivia looked up. She asked, "Fitz?"

The lady said, "Fitzgerald."

Olivia asked, "He's being helping you?"

The woman said, "Ha! He's been helping me alright. Helping to get me pregnant, and then disappearing after the deed was done."

All of the color drained from Olivia's face. She just knew she didn't hear this woman say what she thought she said.

Clearing her throat Olivia asked, "Fitz is the father of your unborn baby?"

The woman nodded saying, "Well him, or my husband. I'm leaning more towards Fitz."

Olivia said, "I'm sorry, but what is your name?"

"Melody Nichols," The woman replied.

Olivia nodded. After a moment she said, "I'll call Fitz now."

Olivia picked up her cell phone again. She dialed Fitz's number waiting for him to answer. After three rings he did. "Hey, babe how are you feeling?"

Olivia absentmindedly said, "I'm not sure. I have Melody Nichols in my office."

"Mel- Olivia, I don't care what she told you, it's not how it sounds," Fitz pleaded realizing that this probably looked bad from Olivia's vantage point.

Olivia said, "I would get over here now if I were you."

Fitz said, "Babe, I'm on my way."

Olivia said, "Dr. Grant is on his way over. Can I get you something to eat or drink?"

Melody said, "I'd take some water if it's not too much trouble."

Olivia stood and left to get water for the woman who claimed to possibly be carrying the child of the man she loved. The man whose child she knew she carried.

When Olivia left the office Melody got a little antsy. She got up and started walking around. Then she noticed a phone on the credenza behind Olivia's desk. It was a photo. In the photo was Fitz, Dr. Pope, and two children who looked to be about four, or five. They were standing in front of the Disneyland sign. Melody started to panic. Was he married too? Was Dr. Pope his wife? It would make sense. They co-owned this practice.

Olivia said, "I have your water, if you're done invading my personal space."

Melody jumped almost dropping the frame with the photo. She said, "I'm sorry. Are you two married? If so I just want you to know that he told me that he was single."

Olivia sat the water bottle on her desk and took the photo out of Melody's hands. She said, "He and I are not married."

Melody took her seat again, and cracked open the water bottle. She said, "But it's obvious that the two of you have some sort of relationship."

Olivia didn't say anything. She simply nodded her head.

"If I had known he had someone I wouldn't have gotten involved with him," Melody explained.

Olivia retorted, "I find that hard to believe since you know, you're already married, but that's not a concern of mine. Whatever we have going on apparently started after you."

Melody bristled at Olivia's statement. She didn't like this woman. She seemed a bit pompous and arrogant, and Melody didn't appreciate it one bit. After a moment she asked, "I hope that you don't intend on standing in the way of Fitz taking care of his responsibilities."

Olivia said, "I wouldn't dream of it. I have children, and they are my first priority, but you just admitted that you're not exactly sure that he is the father of your baby, so maybe you should figure out who the father of your child is first. You know, before you start worrying about me."

"I have no problem getting a DNA test done after the baby is born," Melody said.

Olivia said, "Well aren't you lucky that we live in the age of modern technology. You don't have to wait until your baby is born to find out it's paternity."

Melody reared back in her chair. She said, "That test is invasive, and puts my baby at risk."

Olivia said, "I'm a doctor, and I can tell you that the test is minimally invasive, and carries little risk to your baby, and very accurate."

At that moment there was a knock on Olivia's office door. Olivia said, "Come in."

Nurse Ana walked in saying, "Dr. Pope, you're next appointment is waiting on you."

Olivia asked, "Can you have another doctor see them, and give their parents my apologies. I need you to have Quinn reschedule my afternoon because an emergency has come up."

Ana nodded and turned to leave running into Fitz's hard chest.

She planted her palms firmly on his chest saying, "Oh Dr. Grant I didn't hear you come up behind. I completely lost my balance."

"Ana," Olivia warned.

Ana giggled, and left to complete the tasks that Olivia had given her a minute ago.

Fitz walked into the office and closed the door behind him. He said, "Melody what are you doing here?"

Melody stood turning to Fitz presenting him with her swollen belly.

Olivia watched as Fitz's eyes got as wide as saucers. Then his eyes immediately snapped hers. Olivia stood there expressionless waiting patiently to see what was going to happen next.

Fitz said, "No. Nope. We're not doing this. You are married, and you need to go back to him. You're not bringing your drama to my door when my life is falling into place. No. I refuse to do this with you. You need to leave, and you need to leave, NOW!"

Melody said, "I am not leaving until you let me know that you are going to support this child if it is yours."

Olivia asked, "Are you going to get the paternity test now, because if not then he's not committing to anything?"

Fitz said, "Olivia!"

Olivia looked at Fitz with murder in her eyes. She said, "Olivia what?"

Fitz walked over to where Olivia stood taking her hands into his own. He whispered to her, "Livvie, let me handle this, and we will talk about this later. I promise."

Olivia looked at him incredulously. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She looked at them. She grabbed her phone. She said, "I have patients. Someone needs to to do some work around here instead of being caught up in drama."

She moved to walk past Fitz and he grabbed her arm. Olivia looked down to where he had her arm in his hand, and then back to his face. She asked, "What?"

"Babe, don't act like that. Don't allow these shenanigans to interfere with us, and what we're building. This has nothing at all to do with us," Fitz said.

Olivia pulled her arm away from his grasp and said, "If you truly believe that's the case then what we're building wasn't started on as solid a foundation as I thought."

With that Olivia left her office.

Fitz turned, "Mellie, why did you come here?"

"I came to your office. I have been calling you for weeks, and you have not returned not one of my calls. I did what I had to do to get my opportunity to speak with you," Melody said.

Fitz was clearly frustrated. He asked, "So because you have a fucked up relationship with your husband, you come in here trying to fuck up my relationship, and my life?"

Standing she said, "I'm not trying to do anything to you. I thought you might want to know that you possibly have a child on the way."

Inhaling a deep breath Fitz said, "Do you hear how insane you sound? You could possibly have a child on the way."

Melody said, "I thought that you were a good man and wanted to be informed."

Fitz just stared at her. He was regretting the life he lived prior to meeting Olivia. Melody was a woman that he had met a few years ago while out partying with Patrick and some friends. They had never seriously dated, but when he had an itch she was always willing to scratch it.

Things had gotten sticky this past spring when Fitz had been confronted by her husband. He hadn't known it at the time, but when he had met her she was engaged, and had since gotten married, but she had continued to sleep with him, and here he was today.

Fitz said, "Look, Melody. I have a lot of things happening in my life right now, and this news is all a bit overwhelming. Give me a few days to sort this all out in my head, and I'll call you. I promise."

Melody stood, picked up her water bottle and said, "Fine, but you better call me, or I'll be back."

When she left Fitz went on an unsuccessful search for Olivia. She had Quinn tell him that now wasn't the time or the place. So he left and went back to his office.

That evening after work Olivia turned off her phone. It had been blowing up all afternoon with texts from Abby, because she heard about the brunette. Olivia guessed that Quinn had informed her. She also had a lot of missed calls and text from Fitz. He was the last person she wanted to talk to.

She picked up the twins from camp, and took them out for dinner. She delayed going home for as long as possible because she knew that Fitz would show up.

If avoiding thoughts of Fitz was her goal then she was completely unsuccessful. The twins kept asking her questions about where "Their Fitz" was, and asking if they could call him. Olivia declined their request because he'd use them unintentionally of course to get to her, and she didn't want that right now.

Now she was home, and had just put the kids to bed. She had just gotten out of the shower and into her pajamas when a wave a nausea hit her hard. She went downstairs to the kitchen and poured a glass of ginger ale when there was a knock at her front door.

She stood at the island for a moment contemplating if she should let him in. However, she knew he wouldn't leave, and she didn't want to run the risk of waking Liliana and Leo. She went to the foyer and disarmed the security system. She took a deep breath then unlocked the door, and opened it walking back to the kitchen without even looking at him.

Fitz came into the house and closed and locked the door behind him. He went to the family room first, but when she wasn't there he went to the kitchen. He found her there sitting on a stool at the island sipping a glass of what looked like ginger ale.

He walked over and stood next to her. He asked, "Babe, are you not feeling well? Did you eat? You know that eating is supposed to help with the nausea?"

Olivia looked up at him and rolled her eyes. She asked, "Did you stop past Melody's place and give her the same advice?"

"No, I didn't. Mellie isn't carrying my child. You are. Mellie isn't the love of my life. You are," Fitz said evenly.

Olivia stretched out her arms on the marble countertop and rested her head on one. She groaned, "Fitz, I really don't have the energy for this. You say I'm the love of your life, but when I try to stand up for you. With you. You shut me down, and in front of her to add insult to injury."

Fitz tried to rub soothing circles on her back, but she flinched so he dropped his hand. He said, "Olivia I didn't mean to shut you down. I just didn't want you to poke the bear. Melody can be kind of crazy. I didn't want to piss her off."

Olivia lifted her head and jumped off of her stool. She said in a slightly raised voice, "Fitz, I don't give a fuck about pissing her off. Who are you worried about appeasing? Her who you claim is no one, or me the one who you claim to love? The woman who is indeed carrying your child?"

Fitz's eyes stretched wide and he then pointed upstairs before he said, "Shhh. You don't want to wake them."

Olivia turned, and glared at him. She asked, "What's your relationship with this woman. Oh, and please spare me the we were done before I met you speech. That much is obvious to me."

Fitz took a deep breath. He said, "I met her a few years ago. We slept together noncommittally for a couple years. This spring I found out that she was engaged when I met her. They have been married for almost two years now. I didn't know. When I found out, I ended our liaison. However, about a month ago she started reaching out to me. I thought that if I ignored her that she would go away. I guess I was wrong. However, Olivia none of that has anything to do with you and I."

Shaking her head Olivia said, "That's where you're wrong. If that woman's child is your child-"

Fitz cut her off saying, "She is not having my baby."

Olivia rolled her eyes. She said, "If that woman's child is your child then I have to decide if that is something I want to deal with."

"Olivia, we are having a baby together. We have a family. Nothing is going to come between that," Fitz said earnestly.

"Us having a child together means nothing. Obviously you make babies all over creation. Me having your child does not glue me to you. If I feel like I'm not respected as your equal partner in life then I will walk away. I will never keep your child away from you, but I am NOT going to play this game," Olivia stated between clenched teeth.

Fitz said, "I don't know what game you're talking about, but I don't think that it's fair that you through away what we have because another woman who came before you is pregnant. I highly doubt that she is carrying my child, but if she is then shit happens. We weren't planning on conceiving a child, but here we are. We're moving forward making the best of an unplanned situation. If Mellie is pregnant it's not something that I planned, but I am a man who takes care of his responsibility, and that's what I'm going to do, regardless of how you feel about it. However, I just want you to remember, that I didn't reject you because you're a mother. I accepted you, and the twins. I even took it one step further to accepting them as my own. Don't you think that I deserve the same courtesy?"

Olivia held up one finger, "One, did you just compare me and her becoming pregnant? Two, if you can't see the difference in the two situations then there is nothing further for us to discuss, and I think that you should leave."

Fitz stared at her for a moment. Then he nodded, "Fine, I'll go. I was supposed to pick the twins up from camp and take them to my mom's tomorrow. Can I still do that? I will have them back here before their bedtime."

Olivia took a deep breath. She said, "That's fine."

Fitz turned to leave, but thought better of it, and turned back and pulled Olivia into his arms. He kissed her before whispering, "I love you."

Then he turned and left.

Olivia stood in the same spot wondering if that was the last kiss she would ever get from the man she loved.