"Livi, honey, wake up," Fitz's rich baritone invaded her ear canal and his large, warm hand began gliding up and down her back, beckoning her from her deep slumber. Olivia opened her eyes to find him peering down at her with worry etched all over his handsome face. "Are you okay? You were groaning in your sleep," he continued, explaining his reason for waking her. "How are you feeling?"

Olivia covered the yawn threatening to escape from her lips before answering, "I'm fine. A little queasy, but fine."

"I thought you might be. Here, drink this," he handed her a small glass filled to the brim with a carbonated drink she didn't immediately recognize.

Olivia gazed down into the cup curiously. "What is this?"

"It's warm ginger ale. Google said it might help settle your tummy."

"Why is it red, though?" Olivia chuckled.

"It's infused with cranberry, I thought you might like the flavor better. I bought the regular kind too, if you don't like the taste. I have crackers too," he pointed to the plate he had laid down nearby in order to free a hand to wake her.

She smiled brightly at him in spite of her nausea and grabbed a saltine off of the platter he had placed on the nightstand. "Thanks babe."

"Of course," Fitz kissed her forehead and watched her sip for a moment before slipping back into the bed beside her and pulling her into his embrace. The room temperature soda and dry crackers felt good going down and Olivia felt a little more confident that she wouldn't need to run to the bathroom at any given moment.

Fitz pulled back the covers and scooted down so that he could rest his head on her stomach and began whispering, "How's my little girl doing this morning? Huh? Are you being good for mommy?"

Olivia laughed and ran her fingers through his bed head curls and he closed his eyes at her touch. "You're going to feel very silly if it turns out that we're having a boy," she teased.

"No I won't, because it's a girl. A father knows," Fitz winked up at her. "Maybe we should start thinking about names?"

"Okay, but even though you feel absolutely certain about the gender, it's probably a good idea to think of names for both sexes. Just in case. Actually, now that I think about it though, I guess we don't really have to do too much thinking if it's a boy. He'll be FTG the fourth, obviously."

Fitz made a face, "No, let's think of names for boys, too."

Olivia paused, "You don't want to continue your family tradition?"

He shrugged, "Not particularly. I think there are more than enough Fitzgeralds in the Grant family to go around, in a number of variations. The name definitely not in danger of going extinct any time soon. I mean I like my name now, but when I was younger I hated being "Little Gerry," so I always insisted that everyone call me Fitz instead. I know it's not exactly the same thing, but I wouldn't want my son to feel like he has to walk in my shadow and follow in my footsteps. I want him to be an individual and feel free to forge his own path and that begins with his name."

Olivia beamed, "I get it, I understand."

"But, we don't have to worry about that this go round, 'cause my heart is telling me Baby Olitz is a girl!"

Olivia chuckled, "I hope you're right on this."

"Maybe we could find out on Monday?" Fitz asked hopefully. Olivia had scheduled their appointment for them for that upcoming arternoon and he was excited. Even though he knew it was still early in their journey, he wanted to find out as many details as possible about their growing child.

"Sorry babe, it's still way too soon for that."

"Awww," he groaned in childlike disappointment.

Olivia smiled as she peered over at the clock and noted that it was only a little before seven o'clock. They planned to leave the house around eight-thirty or so, so that they'd have more than enough time to leisurely explore the Aquarium and get some lunch before meeting Harrison, Huck, and Quinn at the docks to catch the ferry across the waterway. Olivia had wanted Abby to join them as well, but she had already made plans to be out of town for the weekend.

"Hey, do you think Alex is up yet?" She asked.

"Nope. I went and checked on him before I even woke you. He's still knocked out."

"Great, since it's still early we don't have to wake him just yet. I'm a little hungry, want to get started on breakfast?"

"Sure, what you in the mood for babe?"

"Fresh Belgian waffles," she answered easily. She had dreamt of them.

Fitz rolled out of the bed and walked over to her side. He leaned down, his lips hovering over hers as he slid his arms beneath her shoulders for leverage. "May I carry you to our destination, my love?"

Olivia clasped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips gently before kissing behind his ear and his neck. "You may."

"You better quit playing with me," he murmured in a dangerously low voice, lifting her up out of the bed, with her laughing in his arms as they headed towards the kitchen.

When Fitz tried to place her on the counter she didn't let go, instead choosing to wrap her limbs tighter about his waist. Fitz smirked at her, loving her literal clinginess. "Are you really going to make me carry you while I try to make these waffles at the same time?"

"Yup," she giggled, kissing his jaw.

Fitz's smirk turned into a full blown smile, "I guess it's lucky for me that you're light as a feather, then."

"For now," she half joked.

"Liv, you'd have to gain at least a hundred pounds for me to even begin to struggle to carry you," Fitz told her.

She didn't answer verbally, instead she smiled and let go of her hold on him, allowing him the free reign to gather the necessary materials as she sat on the counter watching, legs dangling in the air. He placed the syrup and mix on the counter next to her before turning to get the rest of what he needed, but seeing the sticky, sweet substance besides her gave Olivia an idea.

"Fitz?" She called for his attention as he faced the cabinets opposite of her. He pulled down the large metal bowl quickly before turning to face her.

"Hmm?"

Her wagging index finger telling to come hither was all the instruction he needed. Fitz stepped between her legs and she used the same finger she beckoned him over with to spread the maple syrup over his bottom lip and her tongue quickly followed the digit, cleaning up the sticky mess she had made.

"Hmm, baby," he moaned, his mouth opening up in expectation of her tongue and his hands reaching out to clutch her ass and bring her body closer to his. She continued nibbling and sucking at his lips in the most temptingly, painstakingly slow fashion and Fitz could feel himself growing excruciatingly hard at her ministrations. Unable to take any more teasing, he closed his lips around her tongue, almost swallowing it. Olivia tightened her legs about his hips and rocked into him in a way designed to drive him crazy.

Fitz grabbed the syrup bottle off of the counter and squeezed a long dribble onto her collarbone. Returning the favor, Fitz purposefully licked at her skin, leaving not a drop behind. Her hands pushed his face lower and Fitz obliged her desires. She gasped as his took her nipple into his mouth and flicked his tongue over it. His hands reached for her shirt and he had almost tugged it fully over her head when the sound of glass shattering against the ground somewhere down the hall caused both of them to freeze.

They stared at each other in confusion for a moment before Fitz began disentangling his body from hers. "I got it," he muttered as he took off down the hallway towards his converted study where his nephew was sleeping, or was supposed to have been sleeping, anyways. He opened the ajar door up wider to reveal his desk lamp laying in pieces on the ground and his nephew's body in a lump underneath the covers, smack dab in the middle of his bed.

"Al, I know you're not asleep," Fitz called from his spot in the doorway.

Alex yawned dramatically and came up for air from beneath his blanket as he wiped the "sleep" out of his eyes and stretched his arms. "Huh? What'd you say, Uncle Fizz? I was sleeping."

Fitz almost laughed, but caught himself. He knew he had to be firm with him right now if he wanted to be taken seriously going forward. "If you were asleep, then how is it that this lamp moved from its place on the desk to the floor? I was just in here to check on you not too long ago and everything was in its proper place."

"I don't know," Alex shrugged, "maybe a ghost did it. Yeah, I think a bad ghost did it."

Fitz walked over from the his spot in the doorway to sit on the end of Alex's small race car bed. "Al, one thing you have to know is that we don't lie to one another in this house. We tell the truth, no matter how hard it might be, okay?" Fitz continued when the sheepish grin on the boy's face turned into a look of remorse. "So, I'm going to ask you one more time: what happened to the lamp, Alex?"

Alex looked up at the ceiling and tears began to fill his big blue eyes. "I'm sorry Uncle Fizz, I broke it. I didn't mean to! It was just pretty and I just wanted to touch it."

Fitz nodded. "See that wasn't so hard, now was it?"

"No..." Alex fumbled with his hands before finally looking at his uncle. "Are you going to send me back home now?"

Fitz pulled the boy onto his knee before answering, "No, no, no. Of course not, buddy. I love you very much and I want you to have a good time here with us, but lying to me or to your Aunt Livi is unacceptable, got it?"

"Got it," Alex nodded.

"We asked you not to touch anything on that side of the room because accidents like this happen and we don't want you to get hurt. The lamp can be replaced, you can't," Fitz explained as he made a mental note to clear the desks off completely before the day was over. He had only left their desk lamps and other little odds and ends that he hadn't thought would pose a problem, but he see now how the color glass might be a temptation to a small child.

"Is everything okay in here?" Olivia asked from the doorway and he wasn't sure how long she had been standing there, listening and watching.

"Yeah, everything's okay," Fitz replied. "We just had a little mishap."

"I broke the lamp, I'm sorry Aunt Livi," Alex confessed again.

Olivia came in and sat on the other side of Alex and took his hands into hers, "You know you're not supposed to touch our desks."

"I won't again, I promise," Alex pleaded.

"Okay, I believe you, but...that was a really expensive lamp. Now you're going to have to get a job to pay to replace it."

"A job? Really?" His eyes went wide as saucers.

"No," she poked his chest playfully, "but just like Uncle Fitz said, we really, truly don't want you to get hurt. So if we tell you not to do something, it's for your own good and you need to follow those rules, okay?"

"Okay."

"Great. Now that that's settled, let's get you some breakfast," Olivia suggested. Fitz picked the boy up, not wanting to chance him stepping on a piece of wayward glass, and the three of them made their way to the kitchen.

"I want cereal!" Alex exclaimed as Fitz sat him at the dining room table.

"Well Aunt Livi and I were making waffles,-" Fitz started.

"I hate waffles," the boy scrunched up his face at the thought and declared again, "I want cereal!"

"That's fine then," Fitz conceded. "we have Honey Bunches of Oats and Cheerios."

"Do you have Rice Krispies?"

"No," Fitz answered and Alex deflated a little bit.

"Pops? Applejacks? Special K?" The little boy threw out hopefully.

"Only Honey Bunches of Oats and Cheerios, sport," Fitz answered with a sigh and Olivia chuckled a little bit.

"Aww mannn, didn't you know I was coming?"

Olivia chuckled, "Al, give your uncle a break. We'll pick up a box later on, on our way back from Spectacle Island."

"Aunt Livi, what is a speckle island?"

"Spectacle Island is this really cool place that can only be reached by ferry boat and today we're going to head there to meet up with some friends after the aquarium. We'll have a little picnic and hike and maybe even swim some, depending on how the water looks. Does that sound like fun?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay, so in order to get a move on we have to come to an agreement on breakfast because you still need a bath, little buddy, and we want to beat the morning crowds! So make a choice, Honey Bunches of Oats, Cheerios, or waffles and eggs with Uncle Fitz and I? What'll it be?"

"Waffles! Waffles!" Alex chanted.

Fitz kissed Olivia's temple, "Way to go."

She winked at him, "I try my best. You get the waffles started and I'll go clean up the glass from the shattered lamp really quickly. Don't want any more accidents!"

Harrison panted heavily as Stephanie's torturous run finally came to an end almost a mile and a half from where it had begun. 'Torturous' was a gross exaggeration, challenging was a more approriate word, but whichever adjective he choose, Harrison was definitely feeling the effects of the workout.

It had been quite a while since he had last pushed himself to do any type of long distance running, and even though Stephanie hadn't completely embarrassed him, his out-of-shapeness was certainly showing and he didn't like it. His T-shirt was sticking to his chest, back, and armpits, his thighs were burning and his heart was racing a mile a minute. Pulling all nighters and binging on convenience foods for the last few semesters hadn't seemed to take much of a toll on his outward physical appearance, but his fitness had certainly taken a hit. He made a promise to himself right then and there that exercise was definitely going to be moving up his list of priorities. The last thing he ever wanted to do was let himself go.

On the contrary, the run hadn't seemed to unhinge his partner in a fraction of the way it had him. He figured that was to be expected, since from what he could gather this type of activity was a standard part of her regimen. Nevertheless, it still impressed him that she seemed to barely have broken a sweat, and not a single hair in her perfect pony tail was out of place. Her toned thighs continued to move up and down, jogging in place to warm down as their time together came to a close.

"That was fun, right?" Stephanie beamed, clearly still feeling the high from her workout.

"Fun, yeah," Harrison chuckled as he leaned forward, bracing his knees. "Definitely." Even though the jog had challenged him, he had honestly enjoyed himself. The pair of them had only spoken the bare minimum during the length of it, communicating more nonverbally with glances and hand signals, but still, Harrison liked just being in her presence.

"Yeah, that route is what I like to refer to as my 'Fun Run,' because I usually only take this path on the weekends when I have a little extra time because it leaves me right here in front of one my stores."

Harrison looked up, finally noticing exactly where they were. "Toscanini's?" He laughed incredulously. The store's tag line was "World's Best Ice Cream," which clued him in to the fact that it wasn't particularly health conscious.

"Yeah," she laughed. "I know it seems ridiculous to run and burn all these calories only to load them back on with ice cream, but their frappes are literally to die for and their ice cream is just indescribable. That's what makes it the Fun Run! It's like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Honestly, I run more for the sense of tranquility and pleasure it brings me, I go to the gym for a true workout."

"Understood," Harrison nodded. "Well thanks for the invite, it means a lot to me that you'd share your valuable free time of solitude and tranquility with me."

"You're not bad company yourself. I've invited people before who just want to chat the entire way, which is super annoying. Anywho, I know you said you have plans with your family this afternoon, but it's still kind of early. If you have the time I'd love to buy you a congratulatory shake or cone? Or are you afraid of a few fats and sugars?" She jested with a smile.

"Challenge accepted," Harrison grinned, opening the door for her. "Ladies first."

The pair made their way inside the ice cream shop with Stephanie leading as Harrison looked around and took in the space. He had passed the store a number of times in his career as a MIT student, but had never patronized it himself, so he was excited to see what it had to offer and experience something new with his new "friend."

Stephanie ordered the Ginger Snap Molasses frappe, while Harrison decided to step outside of his comfort zone of Cookie Dough/Vanilla ice cream, and settled on an Orange Chocolate flavored one. The cashier rung them up and Harrison whipped out his cash before Stephanie could even reach for her money.

"Hey, this one was supposed to be on me," she folded her arms across her chest with a smirk.

"I know, but you've shown me enough hospitality this morning. Let me take care of it. I'll let you get it next time," he winked, placing the change he had received from the attendant in the tip jar. Harrison figured he was already deep enough in the friend zone as it were and he didn't want to solidify himself a permanent spot there by allowing her to pay for his meals, even if it was just a couple of milkshakes.

"Okay, next time," she didn't fight him on it as they settled into a pair of unoccupied seats nearby in the window. The two fell into a light and comfortable conversation as they drank their shakes and the chatter quickly turned to ambitions and Harrison's current job.

"So insurance claims? How exactly did you get into that?"

Harrison chuckled playfully, " I don't even know exactly myself."

She furrowed her brows, "You don't know? Is it not what you went to school for?"

"No, not at all. I was actually a Law major with a minor in Philosophy. The plan was always to go to law school, I was supposed to be starting this summer, actually. I had a scholarship and everything...but it just didn't work out," Harrison explained.

"Wow, I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be, I turned it down." When she raised an eyebrow he continued vaguely, "It just didn't feel right."

"Let me get this straight, you turned it down?"

"I did," Harrison confirmed.

"And this is a scholarship we're talking about here? Not a loan?" She clarified.

"Yep," Harrison sipped his frappe.

"Because it didn't feel right?"

Harrison nodded and Stephanie shook her head. "Wow, just...wow. That's...well, I can't say you're not principled," she eyed him curiously.

"Yeah, I'm sure it sounds more than a little bit crazy, especially in this economy, and every day I wonder if I made a dumbest decision of all time...but I'm of the mindset that everything happens for a reason, even if that reason hasn't become clear just yet. I made a decision and I have to live with it and look myself in the mirror everyday. I have a bigger picture in mind now anyway, so I'm okay with it overall."

Stephanie nodded, "I guess I can kind of relate. I had a scholarship too when I was pursuing my Bachelor's the first time that I had to let go of myself, but the circumstances were a little different."

"Oh. What were the circumstances, if you don't mind me asking?" Harrison asked, hoping he wasn't prying too much.

"I think I've mentioned to you that my father passed away a few years ago. Five, to be exact. It was completely unexpected. When it happened, I was away at school in Florida and it was the very beginning of my sophomore year. It was still move in week, actually. At the time my younger brother and sister were ten and twelve, respectively, and my mother was pregnant again with my youngest brother. The pregnancy was already made more difficult by her age factor, and I knew with the stress of my Dad's death she was going to need help. She was going to need me. So I did what the eldest is supposed to do. I dropped everything and came home."

"Wow Steph. That sounds really hard, I'm sure that wasn't easy for you."

"No, at first it wasn't and I felt really lost for what felt like a long time, but eventually it got easier. Eventually I was able to push past the sadness and focus on remembering how much my dad loved me and wanted the best for me. I knew it wouldn't be his wish for me to just give up on my life and dreams, so I decided to enroll in school again. I was a little discouraged when I found out that only a couple of my credits would transfer, but I figured maybe it was a blessing in disguise. I was originally majoring in Early Childhood Development and Education because my mom owns a day care and it was always sort of a family business, but animals have always my passion. I had already given up so much, I figured it was only right that I do what I wanted and that's the Pre-Vet track. I'm almost finished and then Vet school is next. I'm happy and I haven't looked back since, so I'm sure my father is happy for me."

"I'm sure he is, and so am I. That's a really powerful story, Steph," Harrison smiled, genuinely impressed. Now it made sense to him why she was so focused and driven.

"Thanks, Harry," she smiled back looking down at her watch. "But hey, it's a quarter to eleven now. I should get going so I can shower and stuff before hitting the animal hospital. I don't want to show up a hot, sweaty mess. Thanks for coming along, it was fun, really."

"Oh, of course. I had fun too, thanks again for inviting me," Harrison gushed.

"It was my pleasure. I have to say, I think I misjudged you at first, but I'm happy I was wrong."

"Haha, gee, okay. Do I even want to know what your first judgement of me was?"

"I don't know, just kind of..."

"Smooth?" Harrison filled in the blank hopefully.

"I was thinking more along the lines of 'slick,' but that adjective will do just as well, I suppose," she laughed.

Harrison grinned, "Okay, well I guess maybe I should work on how I come across because Joe said pretty much the same thing. Anyways, I should get going too. May I walk you home?"

"Sure," Stephanie agreed with a smile.

It was 11:03 when Harrison made it through the front door of his house and was greeted by cool blasts of air. Home, sweet home, he thought to himself as he navigated the walk to his room on pilot mode. He was still on a high from how well the run and subsequent talk with Stephanie had gone, and the main thing on his mind was a nice, long shower to cleanse the sweat and grime from his body.

Harrison stripped down to his boxers, grabbed his towel and his shower caddy before exiting out into the hallway again, this time heading in the direction of the bathroom. He turned the water on and remembered only at that moment that he had forgotten his shower shoes on the shelf in his closet. It wasn't that he was skeptical of the cleanliness of his bathroom, but rather that he didn't care for the feeling of his bare feet against the tub. It was a strange pet peeve of his.

Harrison hustled back towards his room, goosebumps forming on his skin from the chilly wisps of air emanating from the vents. He was reaching up to grab his shower shoes off of the shelf when he heard his door slam shut behind him, causing him to almost jump out of his skin. He spun around at lightning speed to face the intruder.

"Quinn! What the fuck! Why are you creeping in my room?"

"Shhh," she hushed him. "I wasn't creeping, I just wanted to talk to you."

"And you couldn't have knocked like a normal human being? Wait, why am I even asking you about behaving like a normal human being, you're Quinn." Harrison sat on the edge of his bed, "So, what's up? What can I do for you?"

"I was actually going to ask you that," Quinn countered with a smug smile.

"Me? What? Why?"

"Well earlier it sounded like you needed a little help handling your girlfriend situation. Abra?"

"Oh, her," Harrison remarked. After hanging out with Stephanie her annoyance this morning had almost felt worlds away. Almost.

"Yeah, her. I know you said you could handle it, but you should let me help. I want in!"

Harrison raised an eyebrow, "I don't know Quinn." As much as he loved her as a friend, Quinn's thirst for blood sometimes worried even Huck, and even with as much as he wanted Abra out of his hair, he didn't want to escalate things unnecessarily. "Does Huck know you're here right now? That you want to get involved with this? He specifically said I should do this myself."

"I've been just jonesing to get into something and Huck has been being so secretive about his cases lately. He won't let me help out with anything! That on top of the fact that we haven't gone out on anything that even remotely resembles a date in almost four months has me up to here," she motioned to her eyebrows, "with frustration. I know I shouldn't even be dumping this on you, Huck is your friend, but I need this, Harry, and I don't care what Huck thinks about it."

Harrison sighed, "Look, let me think about this. I'm not even completely sure how I want to handle this just yet, so let me get back to you."

Quinn grinned as if he had already agreed and nodded. "Huck wants to pull out promptly at 12:50. Enjoy your shower and see you then!"

"Honk, honk, honkkkkk," Alex was showing off his best penguin impression from his perch atop his uncle's shoulders as Fitz's rich laughter melded into it. Fitz had a souvenir two foot stuffed penguin under one arm, a bag of under-the-sea inspired books in the hand on the same side, and Olivia's fingers laced between his on the other side. She had tried to take the bag and the penguin from him since he was already saddled down by Alex's weight, but he refused to let her carry anything. She knew he was strong enough to manage and she had wanted to help anyway, but like always, he insisted and she let him have his way.

"Can't we go to the iMax one more time?" Alex pleaded.

"Al, we've seen Penguins in 3D twice today; I think that's enough. We'll come back another time and see it again, or something else if you'd like," Fitz offered.

"You promise?" The little boy asked hopefully.

"Cross my heart and hope to die," Fitz promised as they reached the car and began filling it with their new knickknacks. Moments later Olivia's phone began to ring and it was Quinn letting her know that the threesome was closeby and would be pulling into the designated meet up parking lot in the next few seconds.

BEEP BEEP! The driver of the familiar black car honked and Olivia waved, flagging Quinn down to where they were situated. Always the impatient one, Harrison jumped out of the vehicle as Quinn slowly pulled into the closest available spot.

"Hey fam!" Harry called out with his million watt smile as he drew nearer. He shielded his eyes from the sun with his hand, "Where's the little guy?"

"I'm right here," Alex spoke up from behind Olivia's leg.

Olivia knelt down beside Alex so that they were on eye level. "Remember when I told you that Uncle Fitz and I had some people we'd like for you to meet?" When the boy nodded she continued, "Well this is one of them. His name is Harrison and he's like a brother to me. I know he's a little funny looking, but he's really nice," she joked, winking at Harrison. "You two are going to be good friends."

"You can call me Harry," Harrison offered a hand out to him and Alex shook it gingerly. "Nice shake you've got there. Hey, what's that behind your ears?"

Alex immediately snatched his hand back and felt for his ears, peering up at Harrison suspiciously, "What is it?"

Harrison reached down and pulled a quarter from behind his left ear, "Look what I found!"

Alex looked down at his palm with furrowed brows and then up at Harrison in wonder, "Hey! How did you do that?"

"Magic," Harrison smirked.

"Cool, can I have it?"

"Sure," Harrison handed over the coin.

"A little help hereee," Quinn sung as Huck began inching towards them with three heavy coolers in tow, and from what Olivia could see, there were at least two more in the hatchback trunk.

Fitz hurried over to grab the remaining coolers, "Wow, you've outdone yourself Quinn. I thought we were only having lunch here, not staying the night," he joked.

"I know I got kind of carried away but I made four types of sandwiches, three types of salads, fresh fruit, a cheese platter, parfaits, and plenty of water! This is going to be the best picnic ever!"

"Harriet is a beautiful name, so I've been told." Olivia looked up from the cooler she was hovering over in search of a bottle of water to see a grinning Harrison standing just over her shoulder.

"And you're telling me this, because...?" Olivia retorted, fishing a Fiji water from the very bottom of the ice filled chest.

"Cute. Very cute. Or is that your way of telling me it's a boy? Because in that case Harrison is a very strong name, very masculine."

Olivia chuckled, "I hate to disappoint, but that's not my way of telling you anything and I'm not particularly in love with either of those names."

"Oh come on, Liv, you haven't mentioned a single word about this baby business since the other day. You can't just ask people to buy you pregnancy tests and then leave them hanging!"

"SHHHH!" Olivia cried, peering over her shoulder in a paranoid fashion. Not even fifteen feet away, Huck and Fitz were horsing around with Alex as Quinn cheered the little boy on. "A little bit louder please, I don't think the group on the other end of the beach heard you quite clearly."

"Let's not be dramatic here, okay?" Harrison huffed. He hated being called loud. "How long are we going to keep this a secret, anyway?"

Olivia laughed outright, "We? When did you start speaking French?"

"Shut up, I'm being serious."

"I have an appointment with the doctor Monday. I'll get the ball rolling on announcements once I know for sure, as confirmed by a professional," Olivia emphasized as she settled back onto the blanket and Harrison sat beside her.

"Yes! I can't wait! I know Fitz is just bouncing off the walls and wants to scream it from the mountaintops."

"He does," Olivia nodded.

"And you?"

"I'm...I'm not quite there just yet," she confessed as she watched at Fitz interact with his nephew, the most loving smile gracing his gorgeous face. He was so good with children and Olivia had no question in her heart that he was going to be a great father, but while that was a big comfort, it didn't completely soothe her fears.

"That's to be expected Liv," Harrison remarked, suddenly serious. "This is a big change, and it's a good one, but it's only right that you have some nervousness and apprehension. You're going to be a great mom, I have no doubts about that."

"Really? You don't? Because I do."

"What? Please. You're one of the most maternal people I know. And you're great with Alex, he absolutely adores you, it's written all over his face."

Olivia sighed, "That's different. He's not a baby. Well, he's a baby, but he's not an infant. I've never changed a single diaper, or made a single bottle, or even really held a baby. I don't know what to do when a baby gets sick or won't stop crying or has a rash, and I don't have a mom or a dad or even a friend to help me."

Harrison gripped her shoulders, "Liv, it doesn't matter."

"How can you say that?"

"Because it's true. It doesn't matter because you'll learn and you'll master it like everything else. You're Olivia Pope-Grant and that's what you do." Olivia finally cracked a smie and he continued. "It's true, and I already know that Fitz is going to be the most eager dad in the world and he's going to make it his business to learn as well. And so am I. Changing diapers, burping, the whole nine, I'm going to help and I can bet my bottom dollar that Huck and Quinn will be up for the challenge, too."

"Hey! Hey! Aunt Livi! Look over here!" A squealing voice called out and Olivia broke eye contact with Harrison to turn her full attention to her nephew. She couldn't help but burst into a fit of giggles when she laid eyes on him.

"Do you like my costume?" He asked with a crooked grin. In the time that she had been talking to Harrison, the group had garbed Alex in a "cape" that was actually a blanket, aviator shades, a random belt, and much too big boat shoes.

"It's amazing," she smiled as he proudly showed off his new attire.

"I'm a real wrestler now! My name is Lex the Flex! Huck came up with it!"

"Show us some moves, Lex!" Harrison urged him with a laugh before turning back to Olivia. "I'm telling you, Liv, everything is going to fall into place."

Monday came quickly, and for that, Fitz was grateful. He had spent most of the day in anticipation, impatiently awaiting the end of each successive meeting until the time had come for him to leave work. He had never been so excited for a doctor's appointment.

When Fitz exited the building, he immediately felt her presence. Fitz bit his lip as he took in the sight of her, garbed in a simple blue skirt, light top and matching heels. Olivia definitely was a sight for sore eyes as she leaned against his car, basking in the sun as she watched and waited for him. When she spotted him making his way towards her she smiled and gave him a soft wave that sent his heart aflutter.

Fitz sped up his pace until his just a mere feet from Olivia and took her into his arms. He placed his hands on the small of her back gently before sliding them down to rest on her ass.

"Hi handsome," she beamed up at him, wrapping her hands around his neck.

He bent his knees slightly to lean down and kiss her fully, "Hi beautiful. This skirt is new, I like it," he growled playfully in her ear and she giggled.

"We bought it in California, remember?"

"We bought a lot of things in Cali," he chuckled before kissing her again, this time stronger, his hands gliding easily up under her skirt to feel her bare bottom against his skin.

She swatted his hand, "Be good."

"Neverl"

She slipped out of his grasp with a laugh and he groaned. "This is why we're in the situation we're in now!" She chided him.

He pulled her back into his arms and kissed her until she was breathless and pressing her body against his, forgetting her earlier protests. Fitz cupped her chin and kissed her nose, "Am I driving, or you?"

"You," she responded quickly, a hint of mischief still glittering in her eyes. Fitz opened the passenger side door and Olivia settled into the seat before reaching over to open the driver's side for him.

He started the car and placed one hand on the wheel, the other on her bare thigh, giving her leg a small squeeze as they pulled out of the lot. "Hey, are you hungry? Have you eaten lunch yet?"

"No and no, I'll eat afterward," Olivia replied absentmindedly as searched her purse for something.

"Baby, it's almost three o'clock in the afternoon."

"I know what time it is," she chuckled.

"So you should have eaten something already. It's not good for you to be walking around on an empty stomach," he scolded her.

"I had a big breakfast this morning and then I had a couple of bananas when I made lunch for Alex before dropping him off at Harrison's. I'm fine babe," she patted his hand, hoping he would drop the issue.

"You're eating for two now, Olivia, you can't subsist on popcorn and bananas," Fitz continued, either uncaring or unaware of her growing impatience with the subject.

"I know that, Fitzgerald."

"So then let's stop to pick you up something. What are you in the mood for?"

"I just told you I wasn't hungry," Olivia spat back.

"Oh hey look, there's a Hale & Hearty's on the next corner. They have some pretty good soups, right? The line isn't so long and it's much better than an empty stomach."

"Fitz, really, I wish you would just stop pushing this. I don't have an appetite right now and I'm not in the mood for soup. Anyway, it's hot outside," she groaned.

"Well I'm going to run in and get a couple of things and then if you change your mind, you're more than welcome to help yourself to something."

"Fine," she huffed, throwing her hands up in defeat as Fitz pulled into the unoccupied space adjacent to the soup and sub shop.

"I'll be right back."

"Fine," Olivia parroted again, shaking her head as he lumbered out of the car and strode into the restaurant. It drove her crazy sometimes that Fitz always thought he knew what she needed, better than she did. Although he was usually right, and he only meant well, it could be extremely frustrating for her.

In under five minutes, Fitz was heading back in her direction with a small paper bag, presumably filled with soup, and a bottle of water. He winked at her through the windshield and Olivia almost melted right then and smiled back at him, until she remembered she was still highly annoyed with him. She didn't want soup and she wasn't going to come undone that easily by his charm and breathtaking smile. She wouldn't be able to bear nine months of being force fed and he needed to see that.

"That was quick, huh?" He leaned over and kissed her cheek before starting the engine up again.

"Yeah," she replied simply. "Even though I already told you I didn't want any soup."

"And I already told you that this for me. You are, however, welcome to have some," Fitz countered.

Olivia sighed audibly as he pulled off in the direction of the doctor's office and they rode the rest of the way in silence. No sooner than the car had been put into park, than Olivia had snatched off her seatbelt and swiftly moved to open her door and exit the car.

Nevertheless Fitz caught her arm, stopping her in her tracks. "Sit," he demanded and she flopped back into the seat wordlessly.

"Liv, Olivia, look at me."

Her face softened just a bit as she turned to face him and Fitz pulled her into his lap. He buried his face into her neck and bit it gently as his hands clasped around her stomach. "Am I being overbearing?" He asked with a little smile in his voice.

"Just a little bit."

Fitz sighed and leaned his head back against the rest, "Babe, you know that's not my intention, but I can't just let you go the whole day without eating."

"That's just it though, Fitz, I have eaten today. We had breakfast together! I can decide when I'm hungry."

"I never said that you couldn't, but I just-. Honey, we're having a baby. Part of me is growing inside of you and I just want to make sure that everything goes well. For you and for her. You can't be mad at me for that."

"It's not about being mad. I'm not trying to be snappy with you, but my body is just going through some changes right now and I'm trying to adjust. Usually around this time I'm super queasy, but my stomach actually feels settled and since I'm not hungry I don't want to chance upsetting it if I don't have to. If I felt even just a tiny bit weak or lightheaded I would've forced myself to have something besides bananas, but I don't."

"Fine, okay, I won't be pushy about it. But you should know, I didn't get traditional soup. If that changes anything."

Olivia chuckled and leaned back against his chest, "What did you get, babe?"

"Gazpacho. Strawberry and tomato. Deep chilled. I don't know about you, but it sounds pretty good to me," he said, reaching into the bag and pulling out the small round container and accompanying spoon. "I'm going to give it a try."

Fitz lifted a spoonful to his mouth, "Hmmmm. Good stuff." He picked up another spoonful with a crooked smile and lifted it up near her lips, "Sure you're going to pass? Absolutely, positively certain?"

Olivia parted her lips and he let her taste it. She nodded in agreement that it was good, and let him feed her another spoonful. "Seeee, I knew you would like it."

"It's alright," Olivia giggled, and Fitz put the cup of soup down to steal a kiss and she cupped his jaw, holding him in place.

"Hmmm," she moaned as his hands snaked their way up her skirt, gently parted her thighs and began teasing her clit through her panties. "Don't do that," she groaned breathlessly, hers legs squeezing shut to hold his fingers in place.

"Why not?" Fitz asked in a low tone that sent a shiver up her spine and made her forget why it was a bad idea. "I haven't touched you all day," he whispered into her ear, his tongue tracing her lobe, "don't you want me?"

Olivia tried to answer but the words were caught in the back of her throat. She hadn't felt him inside of her for almost twenty four hours and her body was aching for him. His touch was like a drug and it was never enough. Olivia captured his lips again and reached for his belt buckle but he swatted her hand away. "Tell me, Olivia."

"I want you Fitz, fuck," she moaned, taking her pleasure into her own hands by rocking her hips violently against his fingers. She didn't care that they were in the parking lot of her doctor's office, or that their time was limited; all she cared about in that moment was how his thumb felt brushing against her clit and how much better it would feel if it were his large cock filling her up instead.

"Livi," he tried to bring her back to earth, "We don't have time, our appointment is in less than ten minutes.

"Then stop talking," she panted back. Fitz chuckled as he watched her face contort in pleasure as he added another finger. He drew her tongue out with his lips as his thumb pressed against her clit and her body tensed up. He stroked her quickly as the tension built up in her body until he felt her sweetness wetting his hands and shirt.

Fitz couldn't help the feeling of his ego swelling with pride as the wide, satisfied smile overtook her face and she opened her eyes. He loved being able to please his woman.

"See, I'm not the only reason why we're in this predicament," he winked.

"Oh please, you started it," she poked his chest and he grabbed her hand and kissed it.

"Our appointment is supposed to begin in exactly three minutes," Fitz chuckled, eyeing the time on the dash.

"Well, let's head inside then," she smiled.

A/N: Hope everyone is having a happy holiday season! I wanted to update on Thursday, but Christmas threw my whole schedule off lol. I hope you enjoyed this one and let me know what you think! Was Fitz being overbearing? Should Harrison let Quinn help him behind Huck's back?