Author's Note: There will be short epilogue to this fic posted tomorrow night. I'd like to give a big shout out and a Gladiator salute to lovepollution for inspiring me and to every person who read and enjoyed the hiatus fic to the full. I certainly enjoyed writing it. Updates for the WIPs are in the works and another Draftbook Drabble will be up soon. Have a good one!

Disclaimer: "Honestly, it's not mine!"

"He hasn't said anything."

"Nothing at all?"

"Other than to demand a lawyer and a cup of water, he hasn't said anything. The defense lawyer cliques are playing hot potato with him because the case is just so fucked up and he's so fucking guilty that no one wants to touch it."

"Do you think he'll end up representing himself in the case?"

"Most likely and he'll plead out. He doesn't really have a choice but to cop to what's happened. The Senator sang like the proverbial choir boy and the phone records indicate that he was the instigator for the whole thing, starting with blackmailing The Senator to try and bust up the relationship to hiring Ballard to do the dirty work. He did react to the pictures of DA Pope's face, though. Poor kid…thank God it ended well."

"The Bug Man really came through for her and Jake Ballard's going to be feeling that ass whooping for the rest of his life in the loony bin. Serves him right. No means No, goddamn it and he should've accepted it a long time ago."

"I hear ya, rookie. Buy you a cup of coffee?"

"Make it mountain dew and you've got a deal."


6 Weeks Later…

"We should go somewhere together."

"Like a vacation?"

"Exactly like a vacation."

"Getting away from the city does sound nice…where should we go, Fitz?"

"Where do you want to go, Livvie? As long as we're together, I don't care."

"…I want to go someplace warm and tropical. With lots of sand and water that's blue like your eyes…"

Said blue eyes softened and Fitz smiled at the approving hum as he guided another spoonful of cinnamon bun ice cream into his Livvie's mouth. Although today was the day that the sentences would be handed down, neither one of them had any intention of going to the courthouse. The two conspirators and their pawn had been found guilty of all charges related to the incident. Eli Pope had also been charged with extortion in connection to the blackmail attempt of Big Jerry. They had been present for the first day of the trial (all three were being tried at the same time) and they had released a joint statement to the media, saying that while they had no ill will towards the 3, they were interested in seeing justice be done and they wished to be left in peace to heal privately.

The physical wounds were nearly gone but the emotional toll had been heavy on both of them. It was one thing to know that their sperm donors were against them being together. It had been unsurprising, really. Eli Pope and Big Jerry Grant were two men set in their ways and had made no secret of disapproving of their respective children's life decisions. If they had accepted him and Olivia being together, it would've been seen as a sign of the Apocalypse. What had shocked them both were the lengths they were willing to go to get their ways. Jake Ballard could've easily killed them. They knew that the man was unstable and used him anyway, accepting the possibility of their children, children they claimed to love, could've been taken away.

It was sick.

Both men were as sick in the head as Ballard and thankfully, all three of them would be locked away from them for at least the next 40 years, which may as well be a death sentence to the conspirators. As for Ballard, Fitz's words had been spot on outside of the interrogation room. He certainly did have mental issues but they didn't have him falling under the legal definition of insanity. He would receive treatment but most likely, he would also be sent to prison. Again, as long as the man never put his hands on his Livvie or pointed a fucking gun at his Livvie ever again, Fitz would be happy with his fate…

Olivia sat up and kissed him tenderly, her vanilla-cinnamon flavored lips smiling against his mouth as his fingertips stroked up her bare back. She leveraged herself forward and put him on his back, the city filtered sunlight playing beautifully over her topless torso.

He was looking forward to feeling and seeing the tropical sunlight play over all of her bare skin.