Chapter 12

The next few days were spent getting their family back in sync. Fitz stayed at the house every night, and stepped in for Olivia with the twins when she wasn't feeling well. The twins may not have noticed that Olivia and Fitz were at odds, but they were definitely responding positively to them being back on good terms. They loved going to bed with both of them there, and waking up with them both there.

Olivia and Fitz had just finished their commercial shoot, and were leaving to go get the twins from camp. Olivia was looking through her oversized Prada bag in search of her sunglasses. She said, "I think the commercial is going to turn out nicely. Now we have to do the shoot for the brochure. That's going to be done at both of our offices."

Fitz said, "I think we should do a family photoshoot with you, me and the kids."

Olivia looked up at him, "That's a good idea. Since it's your idea, make it happen. Let me know the time and the place and I'll make sure that the twins and I are there. Ohh I can't wait to shop for this shoot."

Fitz shook his head. "Woman, you look for any reason to shop."

"I told you if you didn't call me, that I was going to come back. You must have thought that I was playing with you. You think that you are just going to move on and live your happy life with her, and ignore me? Well, I just want to let you know that you have another thing coming, Fitzgerald. You are going to take care of your responsibility. I didn't ask to be pregnant, and I'm not doing it alone," Melody stated.

Fitz turned around asking, "What are you doing here?"

Olivia asked, "How did you know where to find us?"

Melody scowled at Olivia. She said, "This is between my child's father and I. It has nothing to do with you. So you just keep your cute self on mute, please."

Fitz said, "Mel, you're not going to disrespect Olivia. I too would like to know how you knew where to find us?"

Melody looked at her manicure. She said, "I have my ways. When are we going to talk, Fitz?"

Fitz asked, "When are we going to take the paternity test, Melody?"

"You and I both know that this child is yours. Yes I'm married, but I told you that was a mistake, and Andrew and I are rarely intimate," Melody said.

Fitz replied, "I also know that I always used protection whenever we were together. So?"

Rolling her eyes she said, "You're a doctor. You know damn well that condoms are not one hundred percent effective. Olivia run. Don't get pregnant by this man. You see how he runs away from his responsibility?"

Olivia said, "Don't address me. I'm not the one. I'm not going to play these games with you."

Fitz said, "Look Mellie, if I am your child's father I will be more than happy to take care of my child, and to provide for my child, but I am not sitting down and discussing this with you until you can provide me with what I want."

Melody asked, "What is it that you want?"

"I want a P-A-T-E-R-N-I-T-Y T-E-S-T. A paternity test. That's non-negotiable." Fitz said with force.

Melody's eyes blazed with fire. She glared at Olivia. She walked towards Olivia with her finger pointed. Olivia stood leaning against the back of Fitz's SUV unflinching. Fitz stepped in between the two women. Melody said, "This is your fault. You said you're a mother. How would you feel if someone was trying to stop your children's father from being in their lives? You wouldn't like that."

Olivia rolled her eyes, "Bitch, please. This isn't about the child that you're carrying. I'm not quite sure what you're after, but it's about more than your child. I know this because if it was about the child you would have no problem doing the paternity test."

"Who are you calling a bitch. I have not disrespected you-" Melody started, but Olivia cut her off.

Olivia said, "I told you not to address me, but you did it anyway. So I said what I said. Either give him what he's asking for, or we'll take you to court once your baby is born and get it done that way."

Melody rolled her eyes, "We? This has nothing to do with you! I don't know what you don't understand."

Olivia looked at Fitz, "Babe I'm ready to go."

Fitz nodded, and Olivia headed to the passenger's side of the car. She said, "Oh, and we is because I'll be his wife before your child is born, and then it will be my business because Fitz is my business."

Both Melody and Fitz stared at Olivia with disbelief. Fitz recovered quickly, "Sorry to chat and run, but my wife to be is ready to go. You know how the saying goes: happy wife, happy life. Maybe you don't since you're not a happy wife."

Fitz went to the door and opened it for Olivia. After he made sure that Olivia was settled in the vehicle he made his way around the car, got in, and left.

A few minutes later he asked, "Babe, what was that all about? You know the whole you're going to be my wife thing?"

Olivia said, "I'm sorry to just blurt it out in that moment, but I want us to get married. Before you ask, no it's not because I feel threatened by her. I want us to get married because we're having a child, and we're living as a family with my kids, and I want to set good examples for them. I was standing there listening to her speak, and I was just thinking about what type of mother she is going to be. Then I started to think about what kind of example I'm setting for Lea, and Leo. I have a man who is ready and willing to commit, but I'm letting fear keep my from committing to him. That's not cool."

Fitz said, "So, I'm just asking for the sake of clarification. You want to get married? Like I can plan a proposal, and you'll say yes?"

Olivia said, "Yes, Fitz. You don't have to make a big production out of it, even though I know that you will, but yes if you ask my answer will be yes."

Fitz said, "You suck, do you know that?"

Olivia let out a bark of loud laughter. She asked, "Why do I suck?"

"A proposal is supposed to be a gigantic surprise, and you just took that away from me," Fitz whined playfully.

Olivia laughed, "I'm still not going to know when you actually decide to do it Fitz."

He said, "Yeah, but now every time I try and do something for you you're going to suspect. Not fair."

Olivia said, "Well, at least you get to marry me."

Fitz said, "Maybe I don't want to marry you anymore."

Olivia laughed, "Yeah right. Ok, Fitz. I believe you. The smile you had on your face when I said I'll be your wife by the time her baby was born said it all."

They drove a little longer in silence when Fitz asked, "When should we tell the twins that we are having a baby?"

Olivia said, "I think it would be best to wait until we can visually see that I'm pregnant. Only because I think that'll make it easier for them to grasp the idea."

"How do you think that they'll take it," Fitz asked?

Olivia shook her head, "I have no idea. Let's ask them."

Fitz asked, "Ask them what?"

"Ask them how they would feel if they got a little brother or sister. They are tiny humans. You can talk to them, and they are very good at telling you their feelings," Olivia said with a sassy smile.

Fitz said, "Wow, you're such a smartass."

When they picked up Liliana and Leo. The twins were really excited because they had went to the petting zoo. Olivia said, "You all smell like the petting zoo too. You're going straight home and getting in the bath."

Leo said, "Mommy, I'm not a little boy. I am a man, and mans take showers."

Olivia and Fitz looked at one another and shared a quiet laugh. Olivia said, "Men. When you're talking about more than one man you say men, baby."

Leo said, "But, mommy I'm only one mans."

Olivia murmured, "I give up."

Fitz laughed. He asked, "So guys mommy and I were talking, and we wanted to know how you would feel if mommy and I had another baby?"

Olivia looked at him, "Wow, you didn't waste any time."

Liliana was the first to respond, "If you have another baby that will be out brother, or sister. So can we call you daddy?"

Leo asked, "If we have a baby we can stop calling you My Fitz? Cody said that was the stupidest thing he ever heard."

Liliana said, "But Cody is stupid, and he has cooties."

Fitz smiled and looked over to Olivia. He whispered, "They're your children."

"Yes they are, but I had them, and they turned out this way. You have chosen to make them your children even though they are the way that they are."

Liliana asked, "So can we? It makes senses anyway. He lives at home with us."

Olivia said, "Fitz doesn't live with us. He has his own home."

Liliana and Leo both said at the same time, "Yes he does."

Liliana said, "He puts me to bed and he wakes me up in the morning. He even tooked me to camp today."

Olivia said, "Lili, why did Fitz take you to camp this morning?"

"Because mommy was sick, but mommy he was still there all night. Does My Fitz have two homes? Some people have two homes you know, but that still means that he lives with us," Liliana said.

Leo said, "Lili is right. I knowed that she is. Because some people live at two homes."

Olivia just shook her head. Her children never offered a dull moment. She asked, "When did Fitz tell you two that you could call him daddy?"

Leo said, "When he marries us. Why is he taking so long to marry us?"

"Yeah," Liliana chanted after her brother.

Olivia sat with her arms crossed smiling at him. She was waiting to see how he was going to answer them.

Fitz smiled at Olivia, and said to the twins, "I'm just waiting for your mother to get ready."

Olivia stared at Fitz. Then she heard Liliana ask, "Mommy, why you not ready?"

Olivia said, "Marriage is a big responsibility. Mommy just wants to make sure that she makes the best decision for myself and you too."

Liliana said, "But Mommy My Fitz is the best decision. He loves you, and he love us too. I don't understand."

Fitz joked with Olivia, "Yeah, Livvie. I don't understand."

Fitz drove into the driveway. He got out and helped the twins out of the truck. Once they were in the house Liliana said, "You still didn't answer me."

Fitz and Olivia both turned to look at her. Olivia asked, "What question, Lea?"

"If we have a little brother, or sister are we going to be able to call My Fitz daddy?"

Olivia said, "You can't have a baby sister, or brother just because you want to call Fitz daddy. You have to love your sister, or brother even if Fitz isn't in our lives anymore."

Leo asked, "Where is My Fitz going?"

Fitz said, "I'm not going anywhere."

Olivia said, "He's not going anywhere, but did you two hear what I said. You can't just do things to get what you want. Life isn't always about getting your way, ok?"

Liliana said, "Ok, Mommy, but you still didn't answer the question."

Fitz immediately looked at Olivia. It took everything inside of him not to laugh. After a second he said, "Yes, if we have a baby you can call me daddy just like the baby."

Leo asked, "Can we go get the baby now?"

This time it was Olivia who struggled not to laugh. She said, "I'm sorry, Buddy. It doesn't exactly work like that. The baby has to grow inside of mommy, and then I will go to the hospital and the doctor will take the baby out."

Liliana said, "Mommy you and My Fitz are doctors so you can take the baby out yourself."

This time both Olivia and Fitz laughed. Olivia said, "No, we can't I'm a children's doctor. There is a special doctor who takes the babies out. Remember mommy told you that there are lots of different kinds of doctors?"

They said in unison, "Yes I member."

Fitz cleared his throat. He said, "Why don't you guys go get ready to take your bath, and yes Leo I know. You're a man who is going to take a shower."

When the twins disappeared upstairs both Olivia and Fitz collapsed in laughter. Fitz said, "Wow. They are too smart for their own good. I felt like I was in the court of law, and I had better say the right thing."

Olivia said, "The secret is to not let them know that you're intimidated. They're like dogs, they can sense fear."

Fitz said, "I'm going to head home tonight. I need to do laundry and some cleaning. You want me to pick you up for work tomorrow, or do you think that you can handle the drive?"

Olivia stuck out her lower lip. She said, "I don't want you to go home. I want you to stay."

Fitz said, "Baby, don't look at me like that. You know I already find you irresistible."

She asked, "Did Lea, and Leo scare you away? Be honest."

Fitz laughed at her. "No, they didn't scare me away, but I really do have to go home from time to time."

Olivia said, "You would be home already if you moved here."

Fitz asked, "Olivia, what's really going on? First you're talking about marriage, and now you're asking me to move in. What's with the rush?"

"There is no rush. I don't know. Maybe I'm a little clingy because I'm pregnant. I don't want to really be apart from you. I have to be apart from you most times during the day because we work in separate offices. I just want to come home to you in the evenings and relax. I don't want to live separately anymore," Olivia explained.

Fitz said, "I get all of that, but it's kind of sudden. It's like it happened overnight. Can you understand why I'm a little concerned?"

She shrugged, "Why is it that it's ok for you to move fast, but when I do it you have a million questions? I just want to be up under you. I used to like sleeping alone, but now I don't have to, and I don't want to. I want you here. You should be here loving and protecting your family. Because we are family. Even if I wasn't having your baby we became family that day we went to the aquarium. I may have tried to deny it, but it is what it is."

Fitz pulled Olivia into his arms. He roamed his hand over her back then palmed her butt. He said, "I love you, Olivia. Are you sure that this doesn't have anything to do with what happened earlier?"

Olivia pulled back and looked at Fitz. She asked, "What happened earlier?"

Fitz gave her a dumbfounded look. He said, "Seeing Melody. I know you haven't forgotten what happened. Are you doing this because of her, because if so I want you to know that you have nothing to worry about. I want only you."

Olivia asked, "You asking me that makes me wonder if I need to be concerned. I'm not thinking about Melody."

Fitz said, "I'm just trying to make sure you don't feel forced to do something that you're not really ready to do. I'm not going anywhere, and you don't have to do anything that you're not ready for. I want you to be completely comfortable."

"Fitz let me reintroduce you to Olivia Carolyn Pope. I don't do anything that I don't want to do. I do all things in my own time. I am coerced into nothing," Olivia said with a sexy smile.

Fitz gave her a sexy smile back he said, "I don't want to hear one year when we are having an argument that you never wanted to marry me in the first place and that you felt forced to do so because Melody was going to steal me away from you, and leave you with no father for your three children."

Olivia laughed and said, "I'm not worried about Melody taking you away from me. As matter of fact if you want to go back to crazy you can go. Make sure you let me know how that works out for you."

Fitz said, "Being with your crazy ass isn't much better."

Olivia said, "You haven't seen crazy, but seriously. What do you think about moving in, or maybe selling both of our homes, and buying one together?"

Fitz kissed her, "I think we we should start fresh and new. I think that we should get a new house."

Olivia said, "I think that would be best too. Are you excited?"

Fitz asked, "I am beyond excited this is what I've been wanting. But let me go. I want to get some laundry done."

Olivia looked at him, "You're not going anywhere. You have things here. We'll go to your house tomorrow and stay so that you can do your laundry. How does that sound?"

Fitz said, "It sounds like I don't have much of a choice. Between you and the twins I really don't stand a chance."

Olivia said, "Nope, and imagine how it'll be when the new baby gets here."