AN: I know, I know, it's been ages. I swear I wanted to update sooner, but I just couldn't. Hope you guys enjoy it :)

Sunday morning Olivia was feeling great, she didn't even mind her sister's call to tease her. Emily was leaving to go see their parents that morning. Olivia had to make her swear that she would keep her mouth shut. Emily begrudgingly accepted, but deep down she knew it was better for her sister not to be thrown into the wolves before she was even there.

Liv started packing for her trip, and catching up on her household chores. Since she had been spending all her free time with Fitz, she had a ton to do. Their date was at 7, Fitz texted her he would pick her up at 6:30, she originally thought she would be driving, so she was mildly surprised. The surprise wore off soon though, considering she knew him well enough, and should have expected it anyway.

Fitz was supervising the drawing of christmas cards, the kids wanted to give them to their grandparents, uncle, and to Olivia. Then he had to oversee packing for their trip to visit his parents.
He was also thinking about wether he should give Olivia her Christmas gift that afternoon, or wait until after the holidays. It was truly a bummer for him that they had to spend the holidays apart, after all it would be their first christmas as a couple; however he was also aware of how complicated things would get for the both of them if he changed the plans. He couldn't really ditch his parents and she couldn't either, and to top it off they would be literally on opposite sides of the country.

The day went by pretty fast, and before they knew it, it was time for their date. Olivia chose a casual outfit of jeans, a nice sweater, and boots. Fitz was rearing dark blue jeans, and a light blue shirt, he knew she liked it when he wore blue. His agents had everything prepared for him to go pick Olivia up. Once again she got ready with enough time, and just relaxed watching tv until he arrived. Unlike the previous time, she wasn't nervous or anxious, just happy and excited.

When Fitz knocked on her door she practically jumped out of her seat, and ran for the door. She missed him a lot more than she was willing to admit. The minute he laid eyes on her, he broke into a huge grin. They just stood at the door smiling at each other like lovestruck teenagers. Despite seeing each other every day, and that they weren't going out of the White House, there was some level of excitement at the prospect of an actual date.

"Hello beautiful" He greeted her with a quick peck on the lips. "Here" he handed her a bouquet of white lilies.

"Thank you, I love lilies, come in. I'll just put these in water, and then we can leave" Olivia, Fitz, and of course Tom, walked inside her apartment.

It didn't feel awkward like the first time, so he took a seat on the couch and Tom stood close to the door trying not to disturb the mood. Olivia returned with a vase and placed it on her coffee table. Afterwards, she got her coat, and purse so they could leave. Fitz swiftly got up, and helped her get her coat on. He offered his hand to her, and she gladly took it. A lot had changed since their first date. They were both a lot more comfortable with each other.

The ride to the White House was quick, they chatted for a little bit. He told her about packing for the holidays, and she told him about her neglected house chores. The conversation was simple, and trivial, yet it meant a lot to Olivia how normal it felt, the fact that they could share even the most insignificant aspects of their lives, and enjoy it just for being with each other. It was moments like that which showed both of them that they were building something real, and lasting.

"So I got chef Cooper to make a bunch of different ice creams, and a few other classic movie treats" He said proudly as they walked towards the Family theater. "I think he even made snickers bars"

"You had your chef make homemade versions of movie snacks?" she asked incredulously.

"He volunteered. He said he could make them way better than the store bought kind"

"Well then, I can't wait to try them"

They walked inside the theater, and Fitz told her to pick any seat she preferred. A few minutes later Chef Cooper, and a couple of waiters arrived pushing carts with all sorts of homemade "junk" food. Olivia marveled at the chocolate bars, cookies, cupcakes, and mini donuts. He smiled to himself knowing he made the right menu choice.

"Miss pope, may I offer you an ice cream cone… or waffle bowl" Cooper offered.

"What kinds do you have?"

"We have moose tracks, rocky road, strawberry cheesecake, chocolate chip cookie dough, and caramel praline"

"Okay, I think I'll start with strawberry cheesecake, and caramel praline on a waffle bowl"

"Coming right up, what about you Mr. President"

"I'll have some rocky road, on a cone, two scoops please" Cooper nodded and got busy with their orders.

"I think I'll have a sugar hangover tomorrow morning"

"It's not just sweets, there's also popcorn, pigs in a blanket, nachos… there was something else" Fitz hesitated.

"Pizza" Cooper finished for him.

"So forget the sugar crash, I guess I'll roll out of here into the hospital for an angioplasty"

Fitz laughed heartily. "I just wanted there to be options, like it would be on an actual theater… since we can't go out and all" He suddenly got a little too serious. He couldn't shake the feeling, that she was missing out on things for being with him, and that was the last thing he wanted.

"Fitz" Olivia took a hold of his hand. "The company is way more important than the place"

Fitz gave her a faint smile, and brought her hand to his lips to place a soft kiss on it. Cooper stood quietly, and awkwardly, holding their ice cream while they shared their little moment. That was of course until he felt the first drop of melted ice cream land on his hand. He cleared his throat, and the happy couple was brought back to reality.

Both of them went to take their seats, and one of the waiters brought over a tray with the savory snacks, and a couple of glasses of wine. After that Fitz gave the signal for the movie to start. The lights dimmed, and the screen came to life. Olivia still had no idea what movie they were watching, but when the initial credits rolled in, and she was pleasantly surprised. They were going to watch Beyond the Lights.

"This movie just came out" She said in amazement.

"I know, being President has it's perks" He smiled smugly.

Fitz draped his arm around her shoulders in a very teenage date type of way. Olivia had her eyes fixed on the screen, but he just couldn't stop looking at her. Eventually she turned towards him, and smiled.

"You know there's a movie going on in here"

"I know, but you are so much prettier to look at" He started leaning in for a kiss, but she moved.

"None of that mister, I actually want to watch the movie. If you wanted to just make out you should have picked a movie I have watched already" Her answer made him laugh.

"I'll keep it in mind" Fitz decided to try and pay attention to the movie, but wasn't sure he'd accomplish it.

They walked up to the residence holding hands, he knew it was getting late but he wanted a little more time with her. She was leaving on Tuesday, and the next day if they got too busy they might not even see each other. He had decided to have a little late christmas celebration when they both returned to DC, so he would wait until then to give her the gift.

"So did you like it?" He asked.

"I loved it, it's a great movie" She replied with a smile.

"Good, but next time I'm picking a boring one so we can make out the whole time" That earned him a playful slap on the arm.

"Fitz!" She chastised him.

"What?" He feigned innocence. "You suggested it"

Olivia laughed and they continued their walk. After they arrived at the residence he opened another bottle of wine and poured two glasses. They sat by the fireplace, and just chatted about the upcoming holidays. She mentioned how much of a bummer it was that she would not see him for such a long time, so he took it as his cue to suggest the late Christmas celebration. Olivia loved the idea. She had bought his gift already, but she didn't have it yet, so the extra time was good for her.

After about an hour Olivia's eyes seemed to be getting heavy. The combination of the late hour, excess sugar, and the wine, were making her extremely sleepy. Again he nearly suggested she stayed, but he didn't want there to be any issues right before they separated for a while. Olivia knew he nearly asked her to stay, and was grateful he didn't. A part of her wanted to, but she felt she wasn't ready for it. She didn't want anything to put their relationship at risk.

Fitz wrapped his arms around Olivia on their way to her place, and she dozed off pretty much after they left the White House. He was about to gently wake her up, but decided to carry her up instead. It was trickier than he thought because she had been leaning on him. He somehow managed to have her leaning into the seat so he could leave the car, and then take her out. He realized she must have been exhausted not to wake up with all that.

While on the elevator Tom fished around her purse for her keys. He opened the door for them and stayed in the living room. The rest of the agents stayed outside. Fitz took her to the room he assumed was hers. The door was open, and there were clothes on the bed. He laid her down slowly and then proceeded to remove the items from her bed, he threw it all on a chair before returning to put a blanket over her.

He had never been in her room so he hoped she wouldn't be upset. Fitz found a pad of paper on her nightstand, and wrote her a note that read "Goodnight sleeping beauty. Call me in the morning" He softly caressed her cheek and kissed her forehead, and walked towards the door. But before he left, he turned around to get one last look at her, and thanked his lucky stars once again for bringing her to his life.

Fitz went home, and before he got ready for bed he went to check on his sleeping children. Once he had repositioned blankets, and adjusted stuffed animals he went back to his room. He had just gotten in bed when his phone started ringing loudly. He cursed and mentally prepared himself to yell at Cyrus. Only it wasn't Cyrus, it was his brother James.

"Jim is everything ok?" Fitz asked, his voice laced with sleep.

"Man are you sleeping? It's barely 11" James mocked him.

"I have an exhausting job" Fitz spat back.

"Whatever old man"

"Is there a reason you called"

"Right yeah… Mom and Dad are going on a cruise"

"What" Fitz said suddenly awake.

"Just talked to them, they might be trying to call you right now. Apparently it was spur of the moment they just thought hey let's do something different, ditch the kids"

"Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack, they said we can still go to Cali, escape the cold, but I don't know it will just be us. I could go to you, or you could come here. Or hell we could go to Disney World for all they care"

"Wait you are serious"

"Yeah, though Disney World might be tricky for you cause security, but maybe I can take the kids to the park, and you can stay in the room"

"James!" Fitz said to get his brother's attention. Once the line was silent he spoke again. "So mom, and dad are just leaving, why didn't their agents tell me? And why? Christ it was all set up, and I really don't want to stay here."

"Probably wanted to tell you themselves, I said I couldn't promise anything"

"God I could've made plans with her and… wait a minute no this isn't at all bad. How didn't I think of this before, well because I had plans, but this works great. It's like faith"

"Junior!" James said loudly. "First of all, explain yourself, and second did you say her?"

"Right sorry, so yeah I'll explain later I have to hmm… arrange things. We are coming to you, I'll call tomorrow"

"No wait, don't you dare leave me hanging, there is a her? When did this happen?"

"I have to go now-"

"Don't you dare, if you hang up i'll tell mom and dad" That was enough to get Fitz to reconsider.

"Fine. I have a girlfriend, and you will get to meet her… if mom and dad don't hear a word until they are back"

"Fine" James agreed.

"Fine" Fitz repeated and hung up. Sometimes having a little brother could be quite a hassle, even as grown ups.

Fitz immediately got out of bed to find Tom so they could coordinate a whole new holiday plan in 48 hours. They knew it wouldn't suit well with the secret service, but he wasn't just going to California if his parents weren't there, and waste an opportunity to surprise his girlfriend. James lived in Montpelier, and her family lived in South Burlington, so it was just a 40 mile drive.

He had moved there after spending a few years on doctors without borders, he liked to stay out of the spotlight, and anything concerning politics. Big Jerry, and Fitz did their best to keep him out of it, and just let him have his life. However when Fitz decided to run for president they thought it could be a security issue for him to be in remote, and sometimes hostile places. So James decided to move to a small town, lay low, and help people in a different way.

The Secret Service was a little thrown with the change of plans, but they couldn't really say no to their boss, they just had to make it work. James lived in a nice neighborhood, and his house was secluded enough to make it work. They had to contact local law enforcement, and also the mayor, they had to make sure everyone knew this was not meant to be public. It was just a trip to visit family for the holidays.

The other part of the plan was a little trickier. They had to dig up information about her entire family, and make sure they could work security around her parents house without causing much trouble. Fitz wanted it to be a surprise so he couldn't really call her to work out a plan, but he knew someone else who would be on board with it. It was late so he decided to wait until the morning to keep planning.

Emily was enjoying being spoiled by pretty much everyone. Being nearly 8 months pregnant no one allowed her to do anything. She didn't even have to finish a sentence before someone brought a snack, a cup of tea, or hot chocolate. That morning Harrison brought up breakfast for her before joining her dad for some errands. Reality TV while eating in bed was her new hobby, and in the middle of a very interesting housewife fight her phone started ringing.

"What!" She answered clearly annoyed at being interrupted, and thinking it was Harrison or her sister.

"Good morning Emily" Fitz said politely. The line was silent for a moment. She recognized his voice immediately.

"Oh my God… uh… sorry" She felt really flustered, it was the first time she talked to him, and she just had to answer the phone so rudely. "I thought it was someone else…"

"Is Harrison in trouble?" Fitz chuckled.

"No" She laughed too "I was just, never mind, is there anything I can help you with?"

"As a matter of fact there is, what do you think about me surprising your sister for Christmas"

The next thing he heard was Emily squealing happily, and clapping her hands. Needless to say she loved the idea. During the next half hour they discussed about his plans, and bounced ideas off of each other. Harrison was the only one to possibly know about it, Liv would be in the dark until he showed up, and Emily said she'd make sure they had some time alone before dropping the bomb on her parents.

After Fitz hung up he had another meeting with the secret service to hash out the details on the second part of his holiday vacation. He also had to call James, and let him know what they would be doing. Emily assured him it was fine to bring his brother, she said it was better for the family to start getting to know each other.

Law enforcement, and city manager in South Burlington also had to be notified, it was a hassle, but the best way to ensure he got the help needed to keep his visit away from prying eyes. He had to make sure all of them knew not to make a fuss about it, and that he was just there for personal matters, and no political agenda whatsoever. As far as the public knew he was going to California to visit his parents, and he hoped to keep it that way for as long as possible.

Olivia was going to visit in the afternoon, and he wanted to wait until she left to tell the kids about the new plans. He didn't want them to get too excited and end up telling her about it. Liv spent her morning packing, and then making peppermint bark with her grandma's special recipe. She wanted to give some to Fitz, the kids, and also Lauren, and his agents. Everything was pretty much wrapped up at the office so she had the whole afternoon to spend with him.

Fitz was finishing some things at his office when Olivia arrived, he was notified, and promptly dismissed Cyrus. His chief of staff wasn't thrilled, but he said his kids needed help with something. At that point he believed the universe was on his side, the stars had aligned for his relationship with Olivia to still be a secret from Cyrus. It was almost a miracle that the old man was still in the dark.

After the holiday break, he planned to tell him about it. He felt there was no point in a potentially creating an issue, when they would be apart for some time. The situation had changed, but he wanted to keep the peace, and carry on with his Christmas surprise, without Cyrus being a pest. Also, he had already agreed with Olivia to wait until they returned, and he couldn't change those plans without spoiling his surprise.

Fitz still felt it was too soon to burst their bubble, he still feared Cyrus could make her want to run far from him. He thought the old man was perfectly capable of causing unnecessary bumps in their budding relationship. He just thought that having met her family, and spent more time together, would make it harder for Cyrus to do anything.

"Hello beautiful" He greeted Olivia and leaned down for a quick kiss. "What are you guys up to?"

"We were just deciding what to have for dinner" Jerry answered.

"And what's the verdict?" He inquired

"Chicken tenders, and mashed potatoes" Karen said with a smile.

"And steamed vegetables" Olivia added, and laughed when the kids scrunched up their noses.

After dinner the kids brought out a Jenga, they had recently discovered it, and were slightly obsessed with it. It had brought them some good laughs. While the kids reassembled the tower that Jerry had just knocked down, Liv and Fitz talked about their upcoming plans. He said there had been some changes in his plans, and that he would see his brother before seeing his parents. That was all he said, and it wasn't a lie so he felt ok with it.

Olivia said she would arrive in the middle of Christmas Eve craze at her parent's house. Besides her parents, and siblings, there was more family that some times spent the holidays with them. Her paternal grandparents would be there, as well as her mother's sister, her daughter, and her son with his wife and two little kids. She said her mom loved having them over because she was desperate for grandchildren.

Fitz said that his parents loved Karen, and Jerry, but were itching for more. He said they never missed a chance to ask James if he planned to settle down ever, and that he had been off the hook for a while, but his parents had started hinting he should give it another shot, and give his kids a few siblings. Olivia locked eyes with him, and knew exactly what he was thinking, and blushed when she caught herself imagining how their kids would look like.

They started a new game, and Fitz was in the middle of a very complicated piece removal when someone barged into the room.

"You are screwing her! What the hell are you two thinking! Have you lost your mind?" Cyrus bellowed.

Fitz had knocked over the tower when Cyrus first arrived, but he was still holding the wooden piece. He was trying his best not to loose his temper in front of his kids, and Olivia, so the game piece was taking the heat. He was sure that if he held it any tighter, he would turn it into splinters.

"Liv, can you please take the kids to either one of their rooms" He said as evenly as he could. "And stay with them please"

"Fitz" She tried to argue.

"Please" He pleaded.

"Come on guys" Olivia urged them of off the floor where they had been sitting. They looked scared, and upset, and she couldn't blame them. Cyrus looked like a mad man.

Once they left, Fitz waited for as long as he could to make sure they were out of earshot. He took a few deep breaths, and tried to calm down even if it was just a little bit. He thought it would probably look bad for a president to kill his chief of staff with his bare hands. Cyrus was huffing, waiting for an answer.

"Fitzger-" He didn't even finish saying his name before Fitz dropped the game piece, grabbed Cyrus from his shirt collar, and pushed him against the nearest wall.

"HOW DARE YOU COME INTO MY PRIVATE RESIDENCE, UNINVITED, SCARE MY CHILDREN, INSULT MY GIRLFRIEND, AND QUESTION MY PERSONAL LIFE" Fitz screamed in his face.

"Don't forget your place here" Fitz said in a lower, but very menacing tone.

"I am just-" Cyrus tried to explain.

"Shut the fuck up" Fitz still had a tight hold on his collar. "You are going to leave my house right now, not just the residence, but the White House. I cannot deal with you right now, so go home, think about wether or not you desire to keep your job, and call when you are ready to apologize"

Fitz finally released Cyrus.

"My agents will escort you out" Tom and Hal had rushed inside when they heard the screaming. Fitz stepped away, and they attempted to grab Cyrus by the arms to get him out, but he didn't allow it.

"I can walk myself out" He growled, as he began walking with Fitz's agents behind him.

"And Cyrus" Fitz said, causing him to turn around "If you ever do anything like this again… let's just say I won't be so kind"

Fitz left the game room to get himself a drink. He needed to calm down before he went back to his kids, and Olivia. He was still very angry, and the last thing he wanted to do was upset them even more. He downed the first glass of scotch like it was water, and he was nursing the second one when he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Olivia asked him.

"I should be asking you that" He felt too embarrassed to look at her. "I'm sorry, I thought I had it under control"

"He was going to find out anyway" She said in an attempt to calm him down.

"Yes, but he had no right to come in here like that" He kept his eyes fixed on his glass. He felt guilty that she had to put up with such unpleasant situations because of who he was.

"Hey" She tried to get him to look at her.

"Are the kids okay?"

"Yes, I left them watching Willie Wonka"

"Good" He took another sip of his drink.

Olivia reached for his glass, and set it down on the counter. She took hold of both of his hands and made him turn towards her. He was looking down at his feet, so Olivia dropped one of his hands so she could caress his face. When his eyes finally met hers, she saw they were ridden with gilt.

"I am so sorry" He said, and tried to look away.

"Fitz please look at me" He reluctantly did "It's not your fault. I know Cyrus very well, I've known him for a very long time, and I'm aware of how awful he can be"

"He works for me"

"He does, but you can't blame yourself because he's an asshole. What are you so upset about? Please talk to me"

"It's just that… you have to put up with so many things because of who I am and… I'm afraid you'll eventually realize I'm not worth the trouble"

Olivia's heart shattered into a million pieces when she heard that last part. She let go of his other hand so she could place hers on either side of his face.

"Don't ever say that, again" Even though she was holding his face, he was looking down, avoiding her eyes.

"Fitz, I'm not going anywhere unless you want me to. I don't care what Cyrus or anyone else thinks. You are stuck with me"

Fitz finally locked eyes with her, and her gaze was warm, and kind. It was full of emotion, as if her eyes were trying to convey all those feelings that words couldn't properly express.

In that moment he was certain that she loved him too, and he was finally able to begin letting go of his fears. It wasn't the right moment to finally say it out loud, but it was definitely a very important moment in their relationship. Fitz rested his forehead against hers for a moment, before pulling her into a tight embrace.

Olivia rested her head in his chest, just above his heart. She could hear how his heartbeat was finally steadying, and hers did too. They stayed standing there in the kitchen just holding onto each other for a while, until she loosened her grip. He finally took a step back, but held onto one of her hands. He gave her a faint smile, and he smiled back.

"Come on, we wouldn't want to miss any more of Gene Wilders brilliant performance" Olivia pulled his hand, and they walked together to Karen's room.

She walked in ahead of him, and the kids immediately made room in the bed for her to sit. Olivia sat down, and tickled Jerry in the process. He laughed carelessly, and Fitz's heart swelled with joy. Fitz pulled up a chair so he could sit next to her, and once he did she reached for his hand. He brought up to his mouth, and placed a few gentle kisses on it.

While the kids, and Olivia were marveling at the world of everlasting gobstoppers, and fizzy lifting drinks, Fitz was marveling at the scene unfolding right next to him. He looked at his children, and the woman he loved, and couldn't help but imagine the possibilities, about the future, and all the things he wanted to share with her.

I just had to use Willy Wonka, it was so sad to hear about Gene Wilder. This year has taken too many people, even my grandfather fell victim to 2016. Anyway, please review, they make my day.