"Who's the suit?" Eddie asked, letting Fitz's door fall shut behind him. Plopping into the red chair in front of Fitz's desk, he rested his feet on the wooden surface.
"Make yourself comfortable." Fitz glanced over the monitor. "What suit?"
"In your front lobby," Eddie elaborated, reaching for a piece of chocolate fudge in the open container near Fitz's hand. "Kolbie wouldn't let him back here. Even after he flashed that fancy badge of his."
"Fancy badge?"
"He's a fed." Eddie popped the sizeable chunk of fudge he'd snagged into his mouth, chewing for a moment before speaking around the sweet treat: "You're going to have to keep Liv around this time. This fudge is great."
"Seph and Athena made that," Fitz recalled fondly. Athena had suddenly taken an interest in cooking, and Seph was never too far behind her older sister. "You didn't happen to get a name did you?"
Eddie raised a brow, an incredulous look on his face.
"I'm not your secretary."
"For good reason, too," Fitz smirked, reaching for the phone on his desk. Placing the receiver to his ear, he dialled Kolbie's extension. As soon as he picked up, he asked: "Who's the fed-up there, Kolbie?"
"Agent Masters?"
"Hunter?" Fitz snorted, surprised the man had actually shown up. "Bring him back here."
"Hunter Masters?" Eddie asked once Fitz had placed the receiver back in its cradle. "Carson's kid brother?"
"One and the same," Fitz nodded. "Been working for the Bureau for the past 5 years."
"Something going on that I don't know about?"
"I'll let you know when I know," Fitz offered, eyes drawn toward the door as Kolbie showed the younger, suit-wearing man in. Grasping the container on his desk, Fitz held it toward Eddie.
"I'll talk to you later, Eddie. And I'll have Athena make some more fudge."
Olivia rolled her shoulders, wincing at the tightness there and in her neck. Her fingers cramped, red ink marking the paper before her. Not for the first time that day, she vowed never to get so far behind on her grading again.
"That doesn't look like it's going to be a good grade," Athena commented, setting a pink, clay coffee mug by Olivia. "Sorry if there's too much sugar. Seph wanted to help."
Smiling, Olivia brought the cup to her lips, inhaling the strong coffee odour as she took a sip. Licking her lips, she placed the cup back on the table and looked at Athena:
"You didn't have to make me coffee."
"I know I didn't. I wanted to." Athena shrugged, scanning the paper her mom was working on. "I think that's the most I've ever seen my name written."
"Well, Athena was kind of a big deal to Athens."
"She was a patron god of Sparta?" Athena asked, settling into the empty chair by her mother.
"Yes," Olivia responded absentmindedly, as she returned to her red pen.
"Why did you name me after her, mom?" Athena rested her chin in her hand, blue eyes watching her mom.
"Names are important," Olivia stated, pen scratching across the paper in front of her.
"But why Athena?"
"She's the goddess of wisdom and prudent warfare. She's strong and smart - everything I had hoped my daughter would be."
"Am I?" The words were soft, easily missed if Olivia hadn't been listening so closely.
"You're stronger, smarter, and braver than I had ever hoped." She gave the teen a small smile, breaking long enough to pat her hand.
"Besides, your dad wanted to name you Karen."
"At most, we're looking at five to seven years."
Fitz sighed, massaging his temples. Five to seven years was something, at least. But it wasn't the news he had been hoping for. Five to seven years...the amount of scheming that could happen during that time. The damage that could occur once those years had been served. It was not enough.
"Even with the threats?"
"The threats are the reason it's five to seven and not one. Harassment doesn't count for much."
"Will he be charged with both? Or just the threats?"
"Both. Indiana still has the three-strike law." Hunter gave a smirk, his hands resting on the leather of his holster.
"He's not stupid," Fitz admitted, hating the words all the same as they left his mouth. "He gets hit with both, and he'll make sure to cover his tracks better."
"True," Hunter mused, grabbing the framed picture that sat by Fitz's computer. Flipping the wooden frame around, his eyes roamed over the glossy image. "We all grew up together. We know his tactics. Just as we know, he slips up when he's emotional, and he's plenty pissed at you."
"I just want him to leave my family alone." Fitz exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We're adults. This schoolboy grudge has gone on for too long."
"Well, some people never grow." Hunter shrugged, returning the picture frame to its rightful place on the desk. "Cute kids. Liv looks happy, too."
Fitz's gaze drifted to the photo. It had taken a lot of convincing to get Lio in the matching pink - coral in Olivia's words, and beige for Easter. The girls had been considerably more cooperative. So much so that Athena's wide grin and arms thrown around her mother had made it to the final product. Seph, snuggled in Fitz's arms, looked content while Lio's frown as he slouched between his parents had been the cause of a few laughs.
"I like to think she is," Fitz confided. "She's made me happy."
"I hope things work out."
"Me too."
"And just why are you not speaking to your niece?" Ellie's hands rested on her hip, a frown gracing her lips.
Sadie chewed on her bottom lip, eyes downcast. The last thing she wanted was to be cornered by her mother. Especially when she had no good reason for her behaviour, it almost made her feel like a little kid again. Almost.
"It's complicated, mama." Sadie cringed as the words left her mouth. She knew better. Her mother was not going to accept that answer, shaky as it was. She would demand an explanation - an explanation Sadie just wasn't sure she could give.
"You're 29. She's 13. Just how complicated can it be?"
"Where Athena and I stand with each other isn't all that's complicated, mama." Sadie took a deep breath, exhaling slowly before continuing: "And I do not want to talk about it. I can't talk about it."
"Well, whatever it is, Mercedes Rhiannon -" Sadie fought to keep from rolling her eyes as her mother used her full name. She wasn't a child anymore. "You need to act like an adult and move past it. Athena loves you, and I know you love her, too. Stop wallowing and go makeup with your niece."
Sadie frowned, chest tightening at her mother's words. If only 'getting over it was as easy as that. Fighting to control her breathing, she strode toward the kitchen door - flinging the door open and stepping into the humid air outside. It didn't take long for her now shortened locks to plaster themselves to her forehead and cheeks. Placing her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, she walked across the empty field.
"What are you doing here?" She was as surprised as Fitz looked to see her brother standing at the edge of the pond, a flat rock in his hand.
"Thinking," Fitz answered, pulling his arm back before moving forward and releasing the rock. He watched as it skipped across the smooth surface. "What are you doing here?"
"Thinking," Sadie murmured, bending to select a smooth stone of her own. Taking a shaky breath, she mimicked her brother's motions - her mind on her thoughts more than the stone in her hands. She could tell Fitz - rip the bandaid off and move on. There were just too many things that could go wrong. Starting with her brother overreacting.
"Whoa!" Fitz ducked, the stone sailing inches over his head as Sadie let go a little too early.
"Sorry," she mumbled, frowning at the mishap.
"What's wrong, sis?" Fitz tilted his head, his eyes softening.
"I never said anything was wrong."
"You've also never almost hit me in the head with a rock. Not on accident, anyway." Fitz smirked, his tone light. Sadie snorted - knowing her brother, he was trying to make her smile. If she wasn't in such a state of feeling sorry for herself, it might have worked.
"If I could tell you, I would." She knew that wasn't fair. She had always been able to tell her brother anything. Even things she couldn't tell their parents. Much as she filled the role of best friend and confidante to her niece, Fitz had filled that role for her. He didn't have a problem calling her out on her shit. At the same time, he would stand by her through anything. That alone was enough to make her want to protect him from her past.
"Why can't you tell me?"
"Because you would go absolutely mental."
"Do I need to kick Hayden's ass already?" His tone was light, playful even. Somehow, that only made Sadie feel worse.
"I'd appreciate it if you left my boyfriend's ass alone." The words were hers. The tone was not. When had she ever been so cross with her own brother?
"Whatever you're going through, Sadie -" Fitz stepped toward her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She felt him relax when she leaned her head against his chest. "I'm here. Always in your corner."
"Let me think about it."
She couldn't recall ever feeling this nervous. It felt like a million butterflies floating about her stomach. Lunch had been a struggle. The food kept sticking in her throat, and the butterflies wouldn't let what little she did swallow settle. It had been hard to maintain a straight face - to appear normal for the sake of her kids. Now, with the three of them sitting on the sofa, her anxiousness had increased.
"Sorry, I'm late." Fitz rushed into the room, tossing his hat onto the chair along with his uniform jacket. He paused for a brief kiss before resting his arm around Olivia's waist and facing the kids with her.
"I want to go play, daddy," Seph spoke up, her little arms crossed. She hadn't been too happy when Olivia had instructed all of them to sit on the sofa after dinner. Fitz's tardiness had done nothing to improve the little girl's mood.
"As soon as your mommy and I are done talking with you." Fitz glanced at Olivia.
Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she nodded. It was now or never. Reaching into her back pocket, she pulled the square, thin photo from her jeans. Taking a deep breath, she held it in front of her.
"What's that?" Seph and Lio asked in unison as Athena grinned.
"It's our little brother or sister," she answered, bouncing in her seat.
Chewing on her lip, Olivia asked the question that had been eating away at her from the moment she found out. "You aren't upset?"
"Yeah, mom," Athena joked. "Extremely upset. Can't you just give it back?"
Fitz snorted at his daughter's response, giving Olivia's waist a small squeeze.
"Mommy?" Seph asked, her face twisted in confusion. "How are we going to get them?"
"Right now, they're right here." Fitz tapped Olivia's stomach. "And some time in February, your mom and I will go to the hospital and come back with the baby."
"But how'd it get in your tummy?"
"Yeah, mom. How'd that happen?" Athena tilted her head, her eyes dancing mischievously.
"That's...not a conversation you're old enough for," Fitz answered. "And you better not know, either."
"Health class, dad," Athena replied, standing from her seat. Wrapping her arms around Olivia, she whispered in her ear: "Congrats, mom."
"I'm not so sure you should be happy with us just yet," Olivia responded, the nervousness settling in once more as Athena released her and pulled back.
"Why?"
"I want to be married to your father before we have this baby."
"And?"
"I don't want a wedding while I'm pregnant."
"But you promised!" Athena frowned.
"I did," Olivia acknowledged. "We want all of you to be at the courthouse with us when we go to get married."
"But -"
Olivia held a hand up, silencing her oldest. "And after we have the baby, once I feel up to it, we will have a wedding."
"Just think," Fitz added. "You get all that time to help your mom plan."
A/N: Quel dommage - What a shame