Liv and Fitz had finally gotten all six children settled and in bed. They couldn't believe that even after marriage, running the nation and a household, they were still reduced to stolen moments at times. They hadn't spoken much about the shooting that occurred earlier in the week, but it was clear that it was weighing on both of them heavily.

The hell that Fitz considered to be his presidency had shifted into heavenly bliss when he and Liv were married. The heavenly bliss he felt coming home and laying in her arms however was constantly interrupted by some form of terroristic activity aimed towards them or around them. Fitz was beginning to resent his position as the leader of the free world. He was beginning to wonder if it was worth it.

As they climbed into bed, Fitz felt it was time to confront Liv about what had been bothering him.

"Livvie, would it be so bad if all of this came to an end?" Fitz asked, his head resting heavily on Liv's lap. Liv stroked Fitz's hair and looked down at her husband who seemed as frightened as a little child.

"Fitz, it would be bad if you did it for the wrong reasons. If you are afraid, that's normal, but you need to understand that we will always be targets. We will always need to have the secret service close by our side." "But we won't always have the opportunity of a lifetime to improve a nation. Would I be upset if this ended, no. Would I be upset if we stayed, no. As long as you are doing it for the right reasons." Liv said as she continued stroking Fitz's hair.

"So you think we should stay?" Fitz asked holding onto Liv's legs tightly.

"Fitz, the security level needs to be raised. Stricter measures need to be taken to ensure this doesn't happen again. Granted this was a freak shooting and we weren't the targets, but we could have been. You could have been. We could have been holding the babies, or walking down the corridor with all of the children. You made a great first step in shutting down the White House but we need to raise the bar. We need to bring in more armed guards, temporarily suspend tours of the White House, and add extra security checkpoints. We need to do it to ensure not only our safety, but the safety of this nation as a whole. The people on our staffs need to be checked into again as well. We need to know what is going on with them. Every part of their lives. It may not seem fair to them, but everything they do in this building also affects the safety and economic standing of this great nation. You need to be the man of this White House the same way you will be the man and protect our home in Vermont. The difference here is that your actions will affect over 300 million people where as in Vermont, it only affects the 8 of us. No matter what you decide, I will support you." Liv said tilting Fitz's head so she could look into his eyes.

Liv knew Fitz wanted to leave this presidency for years, but she didn't want to be the reason why. She thought that once he had run on his own steam and won, that feeling would leave him. She was sure that once they were married and she was with him all the time he wouldn't give it a second thought. But she was wrong. The attempts on her life were bad enough, but Mellie would have been Mellie whether they were in the White House or in Vermont. No matter what misfortune they encountered, Liv didn't want any of them to be his door marked exit.

Liv knew that he was worried for their safety, and he didn't want the economy to suffer, but she also knew that he had the ability to get things under control. If she didn't believe he was the best man for the job, she wouldn't have ever agreed to Defiance, and would have happily started a life with him many years sooner. Instead, she wanted the man that is Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III to stand and reach his full potential. Liv would stop at nothing in seeing that he did.

"Livvie, it just never hit me until earlier this week how many times I've come so close to never seeing or holding you again. How close I've come to never being able to hear your voice, or lay in your arms. How close I've come to never seeing our children again."

"Fitz, there is always that possibility whether you are the president, a banker, a teacher, or an unemployed father that runs out for a loaf of bread. There are no guarantees in life. I feel that if you are going to go out, go out making the world a better place because of it. Go out with not just a bang, but THE bang. The one that leaves your mark on this world for the better. If we leave, you'll be stopping yourself from achieving that. America will never see what I see. America will never see the man that will stop at nothing, to ensure their safety unless you stay. It's time Fitz. Take this nation by force and show them that you will never be silenced. The people of this nation elected you, and the people of this nation deserve to see you and know that you are in charge." Liv said looking into her husband's eyes. Fitz smiled at her and sat up pulling her into his arms.

"So, you've decided to use my own words against me huh?"

"Did it work?" Liv asked caressing Fitz's face.

Fitz sat quietly for a moment. Liv did have a point. Instead of running, he needed to show America who the "Man of the house" truly was. He could do this. With Liv by his side, he could change their situation. He could see to it that stronger measures were taken to ensure this didn't happen again. There was always a chance it would, but he had to at least try. Fitz looked at Liv, the terror gone from his eyes.

"Yes, it worked. Thank you Livvie."

"You are a great man and I am blessed to have you and our children in my life. You never have to thank me for standing in your corner."

Liv looked at Fitz with pure love in her eyes. No matter what happened, no matter what setbacks they faced, nothing could take away how proud she was of him at this very moment. He wasn't going to run. He was going to fight for his nation.

Liv looked at Fitz and saw something she hadn't seen in a very long time. She saw confidence beginning to rise, and there was nothing in the world she found sexier than that.

Liv leaned over and began to kiss Fitz. The moment their lips touched, Liv could feel a transformation occurring inside of him. It was almost as if her kiss was breathing a new, more confident life into him. Liv snaked her tongue into Fitz's mouth and deepened the kiss. The moment her tongue found his all the world seemed to disappear from around them. Time ceased to exist. She felt Fitz's spirit rise like a phoenix out of the ashes.

Fitz broke the kiss and looked into Liv's eyes. He couldn't believe how much she believed in him. His life had always come with a detailed set of instructions. He considered it the guidebook to his success. People didn't believe in him. They believed he could be what they wanted him to be.

Mellie and Big Gerry spent years proving that to him as he was groomed to become the president of this great nation. Liv came along and showed him that he himself was worth believing in. She showed him in every kiss, every touch, every word she spoke that she believed he would make the right call. She didn't want him to be anything but who he was. How he was lucky enough to have her, he would never know. Fitz was just grateful that she was his, and he would spend every waking moment of his life striving to be the man she believed in. To be the man she knew he was, and had patience enough to wait for him to see it too.

Fitz pulled Liv back to him and brushed his lips against hers. He could feel the caressing touch of her breath as it slowly exited her lungs. Fitz pulled Liv closer so she was now straddling him, and deepened the kiss. He ran his hands up her thighs, working his way under her nightgown and pulled it over her head. He repositioned them so that he was now on top of Liv, and his kiss became hungry, his tongue searching every inch of her mouth. Liv removed Fitz's shirt and ran her hands up and down his torso.

The feeling of Liv's hands on him made Fitz feverish with need. Fitz lowered his mouth onto Liv's neck, and indulged in the taste of her. He began grinding his member against her core, and Liv moaned as she felt just how much he needed her.

Fitz traced a trail down Liv's neck with his tongue, savoring every step until he reached her navel. He hooked his fingers into her thong, and slid it down past her hips and her legs allowing it to float to the floor. Fitz looked down at his wife and smiled. No matter when, where , or how, they made love, he never grew tired of just taking a moment to indulge himself in her beauty. He removed his pajama bottoms and rejoined Liv on the bed.

Fitz started at Liv's foot and trailed kisses up her legs until he reached the apex between her thighs. Liv gasped when his tongue came into contact with the bundle of nerves that lay there. Fitz could feel the heat radiating from Liv's body when as he swirled his tongue gently around them and pulled them into his mouth. He could feel Liv's body preparing for him as her essence began to run down her thighs.

Liv's breathing became shallow and her body began to tense up. He knew she was getting close. Not yet. He wanted this moment to go on. Fitz continued the trail of kisses up Liv's body stopping to draw each nipple into his mouth along the way. Fitz continued his trail up to Liv's throat and over to her neck. He bit down gently on the her soft skin as he entered her completely.

Liv moaned at the sensation that rushed through her body. Fitz had always been gentle with her, even when she wanted, needed him to be rough. But this, this type of gentleness he was displaying, she had never experienced before. Although his hips were moving, and grinding in beat with hers, Liv felt him making love to her more with his heart than with his body.

Her head began spinning with emotions that grew stronger with each thrust. Liv had never experience this unearthly form of lovemaking ever. The feeling of the rising sensuality filled her body restrained her from speeding up the pace. It forced her to enjoy the moment he was spoiling her with.

As much as Fitz made lovemaking about Liv, this moment served him as well. With every thrust he felt the fear leaving his body, and courage filling his soul. Fitz continued his movements and watched the way Liv's body responded to his. This was no ordinary love making and they both knew it. Fitz was transforming. He was becoming more confident in himself, in his ability to be a better man, and it showed in every move he made. It screamed in every swirl of his hips. They reached their climax together and even through the gentleness of the moment, they could feel the powerful force that lay behind it. Fitz rested his head on Liv's breasts, their bodies still connected. They remained this for a long time. Liv ran her fingers through Fitz's hair, and held him close to her.

Liv could feel Fitz's heart pounding against her stomach, and she knew the transformation was complete. In all of the times they made love, all of the times she listened to his heart beat, never had it been so strong. They fell asleep with Fitz still laying on Liv, and they were both ready for what the world would bring tomorrow.

Fitz was the first to wake up and slipped into the shower. He had a lot of planning to do for the day, new security measures that needed to be put into place. He hesitated for a moment feeling ashamed he hadn't done more sooner. He quickly brushed that feeling aside as the warm water hit him, and he realized that he cannot change the past. All he could do was change his actions from this moment forward.

Fitz stepped out of the shower and began to dress for his day. His first step would be to heighten the security details in and around the White House perimeter. Next he would see to it that all employees were re-vetted. Fitz didn't want to take any chances. All tours of the White House would be suspended until the new security protocols were in place, and everything was running smoothly.

Fitz walked out of the closet full of confidence and felt ready to face the day. He looked over at the clock on his nightstand and realized he had time to before he left for his day. He crept his way to the door, trying his best not to wake Liv, but the further away he got, the more she stirred.

"You're up early." Liv said as she opened her eyes and stretched.

"I tried not to wake you. I was on my way in now to check on the kids." Fitz said returning to the bed.

"I don't mind you waking me. I mind you leaving without kissing me though." Fitz sat on the edge of the bed and kissed Liv good morning. He sat back and gave Liv an awkward look.

"Is my morning breath that bad?" She joked turning her head.

"No. It's just that there's something on your mind. I can tell."

Liv sat silent for a moment not saying a word.

"Livvie... What is it? No secrets remember?"

"It's just that you never told me who the agent was that was killed. It's been bothering me ever since that day..." Liv said not wanting to bring up the events of their all too recent past.

"Why?"

"Because the past few days I've felt more at ease, like things were beginning to balance out."

"I didn't bring it up because it wasn't one of our agents. She was more of a guard..."

"So it was Crystal that was killed."

"It was Crystal that was killed. I was briefed on the situation early Tuesday morning. Cyrus thought it best that I wait until everything was settled before addressing the nation. Apparently Hank, the security guard had some sort of mental break. Crystal tried to apprehend him alone and paid the price. Tom was on his way in and he screamed something about more shooters inside. Tom fired the shot that took him out. Then Tom ran to find you as the building shut down. They never found more shooters. Only Hank. He was a good man. No one even knew he was struggling with any type of mental issues. He just broke and that was it."

"What was she doing here? In the White House I mean."

"She was called in for a meeting with the joint chiefs. Apparently Crystal wore many hats." Fitz said staring into Liv's eyes. He still found it amazing how in tuned she was with herself. She sensed things before others did. Her gut wasn't broken after all.

Liv brushed her hand down Fitz's arm and climbed out of bed and into the shower. Pretty soon the children would be awake and today they decided to have James and Ella come over for a playdate.

For the first time in a long time, Liv felt like she could exhale. However, she knew if she did, there was always a chance she'd be doing so prematurely. Liv decided to wait on that and showered and dressed before setting off to find the children. What she saw when she entered the living room caused her to freeze.