Part 43

"Can I see your I.D. please?"

"Of course," replies the real Dr Rosen, giving Mr Grant a knowing look as he hands his identification over. He was fully abreast of the situation, and the need for security.

Twice the guard looks down at the name on his badge, and then back at his face, as if studying him, sussing him out… Then all of a sudden he grabs for his fire arm, and is now pointing it at the Doctor… "Mr Grant, step aside please, I have reason to believe that the man next to you in an imposter and has means to cause you harm."

Outraged. "You've got to be kidding me, this is absurd!?"

"There must be some sort of mistake?" Fitz defends, certain of Dr Rosen's identity.

"Indeed, as I am no imposter… I am Dr David Rosen, world renown for my clinical studies in Obstetrics."

"Wrong." The guard disagrees, his weapon still trained on the Doctor… "Because the real Dr Rosen, came and left 15 minutes ago…"

"This is ridiculous, I'm the real Dr Rosen…" Rosen continues to protest, whereas huge alarm bells are going off in Fitz's head… "Oh my God, Liv!" He exclaims, barging past the guard and charging into his beloved's room.

He finds her sitting up in bed… The contents of the envelope laid out on the bed in front of her. "Liv, my sweet…" Frantic in his motions, he rushes over, his heart almost flying out of his chest in a combination of worry and relief. "Thank God…" He quickly checks her over… "What happened? The man that came in here, did he hurt you?"

Lost in thought, almost trance like, she responds with a definite catch in her voice... "No, he didn't…" Leaving Fitz completely confounded. And then, increasing so, as she hands him the sheet of paper in her hands. Bewildered, he takes it from her… "What is this?"

At that point the guard enters the room. "Miss Pope are you alright?"

She looks up at the guard, then back to Fitz again, before nodding her head in affirmation… "After I hand this over to the police, yes, I think I will be…"

Meanwhile, the blood has completely drained from Fitz's face; now appearing as ghostly white as the sheet of paper staring back at him. Urgently, he turns to the guard and demands… "Get the Chief of Police in here, immediately!"

Xxxxx

Her room is suddenly filled with police officers and officials. They are asking her question, needing to know details of the unnamed intruder who had managed to successfully breach security and hand Miss Pope this incriminating evidence.

Fitz was about to self-implode… "Enough with the questions, I want you to send a team over to my father's house and arrest him now, this very instant… Otherwise, I will not be held responsible for my actions!" He yells.

"Mr Grant, we need you to remain calm?"

"Calm? You should be more worried about the severe case of negligence and gross misconduct that I'm about to file against the entire Police force…" He reels, steaming with rage, as he addresses the Chief of Police head on… "First of all, one of your "so-called" officer's breaks confidentiality protocols by leaking information to the Press, and now your men have proved their incompetency once again, by failing to protect the mother of my child!"

"Mr Grant, I can only apologise…"

"Save your apologies, I'm not interested, I just need you to do your job, and arrest my father… and then my wife."

Suddenly, a huge commotion, coming from outside draws everyone's attention to the door... Cautiously, Fitz and the Chief walk over..."What's going on, let me through?!"

He immediately recognises his voice. "Huck!?" Fitz's exclaims.

"Huck!" Liv echoes, "Let him pass, he's a friend!" She instructs the officers, who are struggling to keep Huck at bay.

As requested, they let him pass and enter… "Huck, where the hell have you been?" Fitz approaches him, relieved to see him."I've been following up a lead…" he replies guardedly, not wanting the police to catch wind of his findings, but then none of that seems to matter once he finds himself distracted by Liv's appearance… "Oh my God, Liv, what have they done to you…?"

"It's okay, it's nothing that won't heal, I'll be alright…" she replies bravely, as he catalogues her injuries, fixing every single abrasion to memory. Some-one was going to pay in kind. Although, to an extent he holds himself personally accountable. "I should have been there!"

"Huck, we all should have been there…" Fitz replies with an equal measure of guilt and blame.

Huck sighs, "I suppose you're right". And then resolved to make things right again- knowing he will not rest until he avenges the attack on Liv; Huck waste no time in finding out as much information as possible...

Xxxxxx

"Fitz, can I have a word outside…"

"Of course Huck," Fitz turns to Liv, seeking her permission to leave… "Will you be alright, for a second?"

"Sure, but hurry back… Because I need to talk to you…" she tells him, making it clear that she has something to get off her chest too.

"Of course sweetheart, I'll be right back".

Once outside the room, away from prying ears, Huck tells Fitz about his lead… "I have reason to believe, that the man who came here today, is the very same man, I've been trying to track down for the past two days… His name is Jake Ballard."

"Who is he?"

"He's a hired hit man; he does the dirty work for the rich and privileged- 7 years Marine and 4 years Covert Opps, he's the real deal, and extremely dangerous. Believe me, the only reason Liv is alive right now, is because he wants her alive."

"But why, if his orders were to kill her?"

"Who knows, maybe's she's got under his skin, she has a tendency to do that. Either way, it doesn't matter… Because I'm handling it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Before I heard the announcement on the radio about you and Liv, I was on my way to City Airport; I found out that Jake Ballard has a flight booked for 1 O'clock this afternoon, it seems he plans to skip out of town…"

"He's distancing himself."

"He is, but trust me, he won't be getting very far…"

"Huck, maybe we should inform the police, let them deal with it…"

"Negative, the police lack the skill and intelligence to reprimand this man, unlike your father; Ballard is a professional… He will see them coming a mile off and evade them with relative ease…"

"Whereas you…?"

"Whereas with me, he will be meeting his match…". Conscience of the time, Huck looks down his watch… "Fitz, if you're happy for me to go after Ballard, then I need to leave now…" He warns; because this was a time sensitive situation.

Letting his heart rule over his head, the decision was made; Fitz gives Huck the green light that he's been waiting for… "Go and get him, but for God's sake Huck, be careful."

"Fitz, I will not let you down."

And as quickly as he came swooping in, Huck leaves just as swiftly… With only one agenda in mind. To bring Ballard to his knees.

Xxxxxx

Abruptly pulled from his thoughts, the Chief of Police tracks him down outside… "Mr Grant, we have a team ready to capture and arrest your father… would you like to come along?" Fitz peers at Liv through the window; she's holding up remarkably well, despite all that she's been through. But then he recalls the neediness in her voice moments ago, when he had left the room with Huck. Her ability to deal, was nothing but a smoke screen in his eyes, Liv needed him more than ever now. And as much as it would give him a great sense of pleasure to witness his father's face fall, the exact moment the police place the handcuffs on his wrists, Liv needed him more. "No, I will stay here with Liv… However, when it comes to arresting Mellie, I will be there, but only for my kids."

With that said, he enters the room, as the rest of the police exit, in pursuit of his father.

Finally leaving Fitz and Liv alone.