EPILOGUE

Five weeks later…

The tiny room was crowded as Quinn, Huck, Harrison, Rowan, Fitz and Olivia crammed themselves into Abby's private room. Raegan Olivia Wright was finally here, coming into this world at a whopping nine pounds, ten ounces and no one could be more proud than Rowan as he held his granddaughter for the first time.

"I think she looks like Abby, but with a tan. No offense Abby," Rowan said as he continued to stare into his granddaughter's face.

"None taken. I personally think the same although I'm quite sure your son would disagree," Abby chuckled, slightly becoming aware of how the medicine was starting to wear off.

"Well, Dad, can you hand me my daughter? Don't worry; she's coming back to you soon. I just need her for a brief minute." Harrison asked with his arms outstretched in Rowan's direction.

Rowan hesitated as he kissed Raegan on the forehead before handing her to Harrison.

"In the Wright family, there is a tradition that members of the family hold the newly born child and tell what they have learned over the last year and to offer a blessing over the child based on what they have learned as they hold the child. I'd like to carry this over to our family by asking each of you to think about what you have learned over the last year and to speak a blessing over Raegan based on your new found knowledge. I'll go first, Abby will be next and then I'll hand her over to my left. Continue to pass her until she reaches Abby again, ok?"

The group nodded their agreement, including Fitz, although he was uncertain he should be included in this family tradition just yet.

"Raegan, the lesson I learned over the last year is that as a father, we sometimes have to make the hard decisions so our children can have the best life possible. My blessing to you is that I pray the decisions I make will always be for your good and that whatever consequence comes from them will always allow you to have the best life possible. Your turn Abby."

Harrison kissed Raegan on the forehead and passed her to Abby, whose eyes were filled with tears over Harrison's contribution.

"Um…Raegan, I don't know how I'll ever be able to top what your father just said but what I've learned over the past year is that a mother will sacrifice everything, including her body, to show love to her child. My blessing to you is that I pray that as my body goes back to its regular size, that I use it to help you grow big and strong so that one day you can understand my love for you with your children (if you have them, and I'll definitely talk to you about that when the time comes)." Abby laughed at herself for already thinking ahead to life as a grandmother when she just gave birth to her own child and kissed Raegan on the forehead. She passed Raegan to Harrison who passed her to Rowan.

"Hello my grandchild. Long time, no see," Rowan laughed as the room chuckled with him. "The lesson I've learned over the past year is that no matter what you've done, families forgive and work with you to accept you despite what you've done. My blessing to you is that I pray you would never need your family's forgiveness and that if you do, you will find that it comes swiftly and full of unconditional love." Rowan kissed Raegan's cheek and passed her to Quinn.

"Raegan, as your aunt Quinn, I'm so excited to see you and meet you. The lesson I've learned over the past year is that family does not have be blood but by love. Love shows you the people who are family and when you find them do whatever it takes to never let them go. My blessing to you is that I pray you'll always have family, blood or otherwise, surrounding you with their love and care." Quinn kissed Raegan's other cheek and moved to pass her to Huck, who declined to hold her. No one questioned him or begged him to hold her as they knew he was most likely was thinking about his own son, Javier, who was the last child he held and the son he had not seen for about six years.

Although Huck did not want to hold her he did want to share in the tradition as well. Harrison asked Huck, "Huck, would you like to say something to her? Either Fitz or Quinn can hold her while you do it if you'd like to participate." Quinn nodded in agreement as she continued to hold Raegan and Huck nodded yes.

"Raegan," Huck said, in almost a whisper so low that everyone strained to hear what he was saying. "I learned a lesson too this year. I learned that family can be trusted even when you can't trust yourself. My prayer for you is that you always know that you can trust me. I'm your family too and I love you."

There was not a dry eye in the room after witnessing such emotion from a man's whose time in B-613 virtually stripped him of it. Quinn passed Raegan to Fitz and through sniffles, he looked at Raegan and then at Olivia, who returned his gaze and added a smile.

"Um…I'm not sure if I should offer anything to this tradition, seeing as if I'm not technically a member of the family."

"Fitz, are you trying to be? Do you want to belong to this family? If you do, offer my daughter your lesson and a blessing and keep it moving. I'm starting to get hungry here." Abby said, not trying to be rude but rather trying to let him know he was more a part of this family than he had ever thought.

"Yes ma'am. Well, Raegan, this year I learned that when true love comes, one can stand the tough things in life that much stronger and endure them that much more resiliently because that love fortifies them. My prayer is that you'll find love so true that it fortifies and sustains you to the fullest." Fitz lifted Raegan's hand and kissed it before handing her to Olivia.

Olivia fought back the tears in her eyes only to lose the battle as she stared into Raegan's face.

"Hello my precious Raegan. No matter what your parents say, you were named after me and we Olivias are truly pleasurable people. You'll see. But that's not my lesson. My lesson that I've learned is that life will allow you to experience things, some pleasurable and some not so nice. Love can be one of those things. I learned never to deny yourself love based on the experiences of the past, but rather learn from it so you find the love that's meant for you. My prayer for you is that you'll always love yourself enough to give love to someone else and to allow someone else to love you in return." Olivia kissed Raegan's nose and handed her back to Abby.

Soon the nurse came in to check on Abby and Raegan. While the nurse tended to their care, everyone else stepped outside to discuss lunch options and to see when they could meet at the hospital again to say their goodbyes for the evening.

"I'll meet you all downstairs. I need to head to the restroom." Rowan told Olivia and Fitz before turning to find a public restroom nearby.

"I need to go there too. I'll meet you all downstairs too," Fitz said as he followed Rowan to their destination.

After asking a nurse where the nearest public restroom was located, the men walked through the door. Rowan headed into the first available stall and secured the door while Fitz looked around to see if anyone else was in the facility with them. Once he cleared the restroom of any outsiders, he cleared his throat.

Rowan cut him off before he could even get started. "I have a feeling you're not in here just to use the restroom. What do you want to say?"

"Sir, I love Olivia and I think she's meant for me…" Fitz began.

"Go on. Get to it. Say what you want me to know son."

"I want to ask her to marry me so I want to know if I can have your daughter's hand in marriage?"

"Why?"

"Why what? Why do I want to marry her?"

"No. Why ask me for her hand in marriage when you've already got her heart? Asking for anything other than her heart is just a formality and downright greedy if you ask me. You've already got the prized possession. You don't need my blessing when she's already given you the green light."

"So does that mean yes?"

"Are you asking me to marry you? If so, son, you're barking up the wrong tree. Otherwise, go continue to make my daughter happy. How's that for a blessing?"

"I'll take it."

"Good. And son?"

"Yes?"

"Don't follow me into the restroom again unless you really do have to go. It kind of makes things…um…awkward."

"Duly noted."

The men washed their hands, shook hands, left the restroom and met up with the rest of the group. Quinn located a wonderful restaurant down the street that catered to both carnivores and vegans and suggested they eat there.

Lunch was fantastic and the company was even better. Rowan finally felt the part of a family he's missed for decades and cherished every moment of it. His son just had his granddaughter and unbeknownst to his daughter, she was about to be proposed to by the one man she truly loved. On top of that, he inherited more members into his family with Abby, Quinn and Huck that he could not wait to grow to love. As he continued to listen to Huck speak, he chided himself for ever considering having Charlie to kill him. As for Charlie, Rowan released him from B-613. His reason: Charlie was terminated by Eric Maslin. He felt that it was a justifiable reason since he and his family had gone undetected for many months now.

As lunch finished and everyone began to walk back to the hospital to visit the family for one last time before calling it a day, Fitz fumbled with the ring in his pants pocket. Just as Abby had suggested, he purchased a ring a beautiful platinum halo diamond ring from I Gorman and had it engraved with 'We're better together and together we'll always be.' As nervous as he was as they entered the hospital, he was more than ready to make the call to his children that Olivia had agreed to marry him. When she came to him in California, they agreed that he would work through his custody challenges first before they would even speak about marriage. Through Olivia's tenacity and contacts, she was able to get him a hearing within a week and the judge granted him immediate sole custody of the children. He decided right then and there that he would have to spend the remainder of his life with her, whether they discussed it or not.

Huck pressed the elevator button and as soon as the doors opened, they all filed in. Fitz took Olivia's hand and smiled down at her. She returned the smile as she looked up at him, however, she felt uneasy as he was shaking.

"Are you ok?" Olivia whispered to Fitz.

"No, but in a few minutes I will be," he replied.

They stepped off the elevator and headed back to Abby's room. She and Harrison were resting together as they entered.

"Back so soon?" Abby quipped as the group filed in.

"Yes and where did you put my granddaughter? You can't just up and get rid of her to keep her from us you know. We want to hold her too." Rowan joked.

"The nurse came in and took her to get her vitals and to allow for us to get some rest. So the show's over folks. There's nothing to see here." Harrison explained.

"Maybe there is," Rowan turned towards Fitz. "Go on son. The family is together and it's just as good of a time as any to do it."

Fitz swallowed hard and it was then that Olivia realized he had never let go of her hand but he had stopped shaking. She turned to look at him only to see he was down on one knee.

"My Livvie, words cannot express what you have meant to me over the years. Your friendship and kindness have only been the bonus to the soul-deep relationship we share. Life as I knew it ceased to make sense the day you made a comment on marriage while on the campaign and it has only been better since that day. I've been better since that day. I just want to have a chance to show you I can be even better if I have you by my side for the rest of my life as my partner, friend and love. Olivia Carolyn Pope, will you do me the honor of making me the happiest man alive by marrying me?"

Fitz pulled out the ring and Abby almost ripped the IV out of her arm trying to grab Harrison's hand. Quinn's "whoa" was the only sound that was not sniffles in the room.

Olivia shook her head from side to side and before it was determined to be a negative response, she blurted out "We're better together aren't we? Let's be better together forever. YES!"

Fitz stood up and embraced his fiancée in a hug and a kiss while the rest of the group clapped for them. Finally they would truly be in this together for what will be forever.