'I want him locked up!' Abby hissed.
After the incident the rest of the night had been a whirlwind. As the only person on Olivia's official payroll, occasionally her job was very hectic. Tonight would definitely be one of those nights.
Abby had spoken to the security guards at the venue, had a meeting with the event coordinators, now she was down at the police station and it wasn't even midnight. She did all this, and still had Teddy following right behind her heels.
She had barely even noticed his presence at first, but he was trying his best to be helpful. He was opening doors before she could get to them, handing her bottles of water, and he had been holding her bag since they left the awards show. Honestly, he was just happy to be a part of the madness.
Now they were down at the police station, and Abby wanted to make sure that Quincy was going to jail for what he did. The officer at the desk seemed fairly uninterested at the rampage the red head was throwing before him, but he entertained it as he enjoyed his cup of coffee.
'What is being done about this?' she slammed her hand down on the desk, nearly wincing in return. She was trying her best to seem strong, but the smack was a bit harder than expected.
'Look, lady.' the man rolled his eyes. 'We're handling it, alright. Please give us some time.'
'Where is he now?' she threw her hands up in frustration. 'Is he being interrogated?'
He sighed. 'He's asleep in his cell. It's getting late, and no one is moving on this right now.'
'Well, you should be.' Abby cut her eyes at him. 'That's a dangerous criminal!'
'It was simple assault at the most.' he explained. 'But this isn't up for us to decide. You have to let the system work. Now I'm going to be asking you both to leave.'
She leaned down to his level where he was sitting and pointed her finger directly at him. 'I will be back here everyday until this gets resolved.'
'Oh, what joy. I have something to look forward to. he groaned and waved her off. 'Have a good night.'
'Hmph!' she huffed and turned on her heel, making her way out of the police station.
Abby brushed by Teddy, who was now looking like a deer caught in headlights. He waved at the officer before scrambling after her out of the door. By the time he made it out, she was already on the sidewalk pounding away at her phone.
'Do you believe that guy?' she vented, not even looking up to acknowledge him.
'No, he's ridiculous.' he replied, although the officer seemed fairly reasonable in his opinion. He didn't think it would be in his best interest to disagree with Abby at this point in the night, though.
'We need to get ahead of this.' she murmured more to herself than to him. 'I don't want any of these videos hitting the internet and going viral. I want this to go away quietly.'
Teddy sighed and took a step away from her, now leaning on the side of the red bricks of the police station. He kept a close eye on her to make sure nobody tried to approach, but he also couldn't help getting lost in the views of the city. In a way he sort of missed the convenience of living in a bigger city, but Knights Ferry was nice too.
If they were back on the ranch he would have been asleep by now, preparing for the next day of work ahead. Life was so much different for the people here as they walked down the streets in their nice clothes, bar hopping and party going.
A frozen yogurt sign eventually caught his eye, and his lips curled up into a little smile. Ice cream always made him feel better, so he would at least try it with Abby.
Teddy walked back over to where Abby was standing, adjusting her bag on his shoulder. He reached out and touched her elbow, tugging her along down the street.
Abby took a couple of steps, too caught up in her emails to even notice what was happening, but her head eventually shot up. She cut her eyes at him as he continued to pull.
'Where are we going?' she questioned, pulling her arm back.
'For ice cream.' Teddy gestures towards the illuminated sign.
She nearly scoffed. 'I don't want any ice cream.'
'True.' he nodded in confirmation. 'But you need ice cream. It's good for you.'
Abby looked at him as if he had just sprouted a second head from his neck. 'In what way?'
'It's scientifically proven that dairy will increase serotonin.' he reasoned. 'And if it is frozen, then it can be almost euphoric.'
She studied him for a moment, her eyebrows furrowed. 'That doesn't sound true at all. I've never heard of any study like that.'
'Abigail, I'm a scientist.' he scoffed, although that wasn't exactly the truth. Fitz was a scientist, and he worked directly under him, so he figured that that was close enough. 'I understand endorphins. Plus, I know your feet must be killing you.'
For the first time in a few hours Abby looked down at her feet and realized that she was still in her heels. Teddy was right, her toes felt like they were on fire. She scoffed and rolled her eyes, pulling her arm out of his grip. He thought she would have something snarky to say, but instead she began walking in the direction of the ice cream shop.
Teddy couldn't help but grin as he used his wide strides to keep up with her quick pace. 'That's my girl.'
By the time they got back from the ice cream shop it was a little before 1am. They were both dog tired, but neither of them had noticed because they couldn't stop laughing. Teddy had relaxed a bit, and Abby actually found him to be quite the charmer when he wasn't fumbling over his words and trying to impress her.
It must've been that very dangerous Grant charm that Olivia had previously warned her about.
xxx
Somewhere between ice cream and the apartment building, Abby had picked up a few articles of Teddys clothing. Her Versace heels were replaced by his Dior Oxfords, and his tuxedo jacket had been draped across her shoulders to help ward off the coolness of the night time air. In return he got the opportunity to walk the streets of Sacramento in his socks, carry her shoes in his right hand, while his left arm had slyly wrapped around her waist.
'Alright, alright, last one for the night.' Teddy said as the elevator let off on Olivia and Abby's floor. She was turning nearly red in the face because she was laughing so hard, and he was impressed with himself. 'How do you make a piece of tissue dance?'
Abby took a deep sigh and wiped a tear that was pricking at her eye. She wasn't sure if Teddy was hilarious, or if she was delusional from lack of sleep. 'How?'
He lightly tapped her nose and grinned. 'You put a little boogie in it.'
She laughed and swatted his hand away from her face. 'Teddy that is disgusting.'
'Aw, come on now.' he chuckled. 'All the corny jokes I've said tonight, and the booger one is the one that crosses the line?'
'Absolutely.' she snorted.
Once they made it down the short hallway, Abby and Teddy both stood in front of her door. She reached out and put a hand on both of his shoulders as she stepped out of his shoes, her now bare feet pressed against the hardwood floors. He swallowed hard as he watched her, trying his best to stay still.
'I've got to say, Teddy,' she bent over to pick his Oxfords off the floor, and then handed them over to him. 'ice cream wasn't a terrible idea. I do feel a bit better.'
'You've got to listen to me more.' he teased. 'I'm full of those.'
Abby then slid his jacket off of her arms, and he took it and draped it on his shoulder. The pair shared a few moments of awkward silence before she finally spoke up again.
'It was erm.. it was very nice meeting you this weekend, Teddy.' she said, digging through her bag for her apartment key. 'I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again soon.'
'Right.' he nodded, fighting the urge to take a step closer to her. He wasn't exactly sure if he should wrap her in a hug, go in for a kiss, or if he was misreading the moment. Dating was never really his thing, so he was in completely new territory. 'But, I can come and visit if you'd like. Or if you come see Olivia down at the ranch then I'll be there, too.'
'Right.' she murmured in return. Abby was also quite unsure on where they should go from here. Despite her worries about their clear age gap, it was obvious that there was at least some form of attraction between them.
Instead of sitting there and staring at him, she stood on the tips of her toes and kissed him on the cheek. Teddy was a bit surprised that he even got that, and he had to keep himself from grinning like a Cheshire Cat.
'Good night, Abby.' he said, taking a step back and giving her some space to open her door.
'Good night, Teddy.' she gave him one last smile before sliding into her apartment, the locks audible as she twisted them into position.
Now beaming from ear to ear, Teddy palmed his cheek where her lips had been. He rushed over to Olivia's door, excited to share with his older brother the news of his date. Well, maybe it wasn't a date, but he sure got a kiss at the end of it.
If he and Abby had been paying any attention, they would've known that Fitz and Olivia were long gone. They had just turned around to pick him up, but they still had a bit of a drive to go before they made it back.
Teddy knocked on the door a couple of times, frowning when he didn't get an answer from the other side. He started to knock a bit harder, but he immediately remembered the confrontation he had had with their neighbor Martha the last time and decided against it. The only viable solution left was to try and call one of them, but as soon as he pulled his cellphone out of his pocket he realized his battery was dead. With no other option, he sighed and went back across the hall to Abby's door.
She was still in her living room with her back pressed against the wall, wondering if she had made the right decision. Maybe she should have thrown caution to the wind and invited him inside, or maybe she went too far even giving him the peck on the cheek. It was too late now, though, since he was gone.
Abby was shocked when she heard a light knock on her door, and she immediately dropped her bag and shoes off by the couch to check the peephole. She figured it was just Olivia trying to get away for a bit, but she wanted to be sure before she opened the door at this late of an hour.
When she saw Teddy standing on the other side she wouldn't help but swallow hard. She immediately unlocked the door, opening it wide.
'Hey, um —'
Before Teddy could even finish his sentence, Abby was pulling him in by his arm. He yelped, his voice cracking in a way he would have found very embarrassing if he wasn't in such shock, as he stumbled forward into her apartment and the door slammed behind him. There was no time for him to question what was going on before her lips were on his.
Even though she was taller than Olivia, Abby was still much smaller than Teddy. She had to stand on the tips of her toes to even reach his way, but it was all a blur to her at this point. Her need to be spontaneous and to live in the moment had taken full control.
Teddy was still in a state of shock as his back hit the door. Even though this was exactly what he wanted, he was in a complete panic as he realized he didn't know what to do. At this point, he wasn't even exactly sure where to put his hands.
Abby slowly started to unbutton his shirt, and he could feel himself getting hard. Teddy immediately blushed and attempted to put some space between their bodies.
'Sorry about that.' he murmured, trying to will himself to go back down.
Her eyebrows furrowed. 'Why are you apologizing?'
'He just, erm..' Teddy stuttered, fumbling over his words a bit. 'He just has a mind of his own.'
'I was hoping he did.' she smirked at him.
Before he could respond, Abby took a step away from him. She reached behind her back, grabbing the zipper of the dress and pushing it down as far as it would go. As soon as it reached the bottom, it landed and pooled around her feet. Underneath she was in nothing but a pair of nude colored panties, and this made Teddy's jaw drop. The tent in his pants began to rise once again, and she glanced down at his growing member.
'There's no pressure.' she explained. 'But, you are more than welcome to join me in my bedroom, if you'd like. You, and your friend.'
Abby turned on her heels, now swaying towards her room and leaving her dress on the floor. It only took a few seconds before she heard him drop everything in his hands, his steps loud as he came after her.
Olivia and Fitz pulled back up to the apartment complex soon after, and he parked her car in her designated spot. She had slept most of the ride back, and they had decided to just spend the night in Sacramento and just regroup the next day. She yawned as Fitz opened her door for her, and they made their way over to the elevator entrance.
'Did you call Teddy?' she asked, rubbing her eyes.
'I did.' Fitz nodded, opening the door for her as they stepped into the building. 'But, I didn't get an answer. Maybe he's with my parents.'
'We really have to be more careful.' she commented as she used her electronic key fob to access the penthouse level. 'How are we going to keep up with a baby if we can't even keep up with a teenager?'
'Hey, now.' he smiled and hugged her from behind as they waited for the lift to come down and get them. 'Teddy is a grown man, he can take care of himself. And besides, the baby won't be able to walk for at least a year or so. She won't be able to get far.'
Olivia chuckled. 'You're doing it again.'
'Doing what?' he asked, now pressing his lips against her neck.
'She.' she answered, lightly patting his cheek. 'You don't know if it's a girl.'
'Olivia, I'm a scientist.' he grinned. 'Which means I'm an expert at these things.'
'You're an animal scientist, Fitz.' she reminded him, laughing as his breath blew against her sensitive skin. 'This is a human baby.'
'Have I ever steered you wrong before, though?' he asked, as the elevator finally opened for them.
'I just think you need to wait and see what Dr. Fulton says before you start getting any ideas.' Olivia answered, strategically avoiding his question.
It didn't take long for them to ascend to the top floor, and Olivia couldn't wait until she could finally get out of her dress and into her bed. Her terrible evening was turning into an even longer night, but at least she could spend an extra day with her friends before heading back to Knights Ferry.
With only 3 people living on the top floor of the building, the hallways were usually extremely quiet— especially at this time of night. Fitz and Olivia found themselves shocked as they heard some sort of banging coming from one of the apartments, although neither of them could exactly place where the noise was coming from.
'Olivia,' Fitz whispered as they made their way to her door. 'I think your neighbor is getting some action.'
'Good for her.' she smirked.
His nose crinkled. 'I guess it's just weird to think that Martha Stewart is still having sex.'
She playfully smacked his shoulder as she unlocked her front door. 'Just because she's older doesn't mean she doesn't have needs.'
He chuckled as he kicked his shoes off at the door. 'I'm not saying she doesn't! It's just weird to think about!'
'Well, I'm happy for her.' Olivia said, immediately turning her back to him so that he could unzip her dress. 'But can we stop talking about it? I grew up watching her cook on television, and that's the only image of her I want in my head.'
Fitz simply laughed as he helped her out of her garment, and they both made their way to the bathroom to get ready for the night.
The next morning around 8am, Teddy found himself sneaking back across the hall to Olivia's apartment. Abby had given him the spare key to get in, and he was hoping that they were both still asleep.
His hair was disheveled, his pants were still unbuckled, and he was pretty sure that he had missed a couple of buttons on his shirt. Despite his unkempt appearance, he was smiling as if he had a coat hanger stuck in his mouth.
He quietly unlocked the front door, sighing happily as he placed his things on the entryway door. The smell of waffles and eggs immediately hit his nose, and he knew that somebody was up.
Fitz rounded the corner of the kitchen, furrowing his eyebrows as he looked his younger brother up and down. 'Teddy, where have you been? And why does it look like you've been in a fight?'
'You guys locked me out, again.' he huffed, although it was very hard to be upset after last night.
'Sorry about that.' he murmured, unwilling to admit that they had also left him by mistake.
'It's okay. I found somewhere else to crash.' he said, winking at Fitz to try and give him a hint.
His eyebrows furrowed. 'What's wrong with your eye?'
'Oh, nothing.' he shook his head. 'I was just letting you know I spent the night with someone.'
'Did you go back to the hotel with mom and dad?' he asked, now returning to the kitchen to finish up with breakfast.
Olivia's alarm was bound to go off soon, and he wanted her food to be ready for her once she was up. Dr. Fulton wanted her on a better eating schedule, so he was willing to do anything he could to make sure that that happened.
'No.' he shook his head, following his brother. He stood next to Fitz, close enough to where they were almost shoulder to shoulder.
He cut his eyes at him. 'I feel like you want to tell me something, but you won't just spit it out. What in the world has you so happy this morning?'
Teddy grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling it down a bit to reveal the column of his neck. Right underneath was a large love bite that had been placed there the night before.
Fitz's eyes widened. 'Did you go out with a girl last night?'
'No, Fitz.' he smoothly corrected, now leaning against the cabinet. 'I went out with a woman last night.'
He nearly snorted before turning his attention back to eggs that he had on low. 'My apologies. What woman is this?'
'Well, you already know who she is.' he hinted.
After thinking about the possibilities for a moment or so, his head immediately shot up. 'You don't mean.. No. Not her.'
Teddy grinned even wider than before. 'Yes, her.'
'Abby!?' his nostrils flared.
'That's my girl.' he simpered, a dreamy look taking over his face.
'As in Olivia's best friend, Abby?' he further questioned, clearly in a state of shock.
'Well, she's kinda my best friend now.' he shrugged his shoulders. 'But, yes. That's her.'
For the first time in a long time, Firz found himself absolutely speechless. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to be proud of his little brother for finally getting the girl of his dreams, or aggravated that out of all the women in the world, he had to choose Abby. Both of these feelings quickly turned into nausea, though, as he realized that it wasn't Martha who they were hearing last night when they made it back.
'I think I'm going to have a heart attack.' Fitz said, clutching his chest.
Teddy nearly snorted at his brothers over dramatics. He walked over to the refrigerator to find a bottle of water. 'I think she may be the one, Fitz. I think I finally found her.'
'Most people don't just marry the first person they hook up with, Teddy.' Fitz commented, trying to pull both of his heads out of the clouds.
'Ya, well I'm sure about Abby.' he said, his tone full of assurance.
His eyes rolled. 'You just keep this to yourself for now. Let Abby tell Olivia when she's ready.'
'Tell me what?' Olivia asked as she rounded the corner from her bedroom.
Teddy met her with a smile. 'That Abby gave me your key so that I could get in this morning.'
'Oh, great.' she yawned and turned her back to them so that she could search for something in the refrigerator. 'You can just slide it back under her door since I'm sure she's still asleep.'
'Something must've really tired out last night.' Teddy commented, making Fitz immediately smack him on the back of the head. 'Ouch!'
'She told me she was going to handle everything from last night, so I'm sure she didn't get home until late.' Olivia finally stood up and crossed her arms against his chest. 'How did you get Abby's key, anyway?'
'Oh, erm..' he mumbled. 'I spent the night with mom and dad last night, and then I called her this morning and she slid it under the door for me?'
'Why didn't you just knock, or call one of us?' she questioned.
'I didn't want to wake Ms. Stewart.' Teddy reasoned, hoping that would be enough.
'After last night I'm sure she's the least of your worries.' Olivia said, now nudging Fitz a bit.
'Right.' he nervously laughed, quickly turning his attention back to the food. He was notoriously bad with keeping secrets from her, so he didn't want to slip up and say anything.
'Well, you should go ahead and return the key now,' Olivia suggested. 'We're leaving after breakfast.'
He blushed. 'Why so early?'
'I think we all need a break after what happened last night.' Olivia paused for a moment, then decided to correct herself. 'Or maybe it's just me. This has been such a stressful weekend.'
'Right.' he bit his bottom lip. 'But Abby told me she needed my help with something today around noon. Can we just leave tonight?'
'Hmmm.' Olivia thought for a moment, but then sighed and nodded her head. 'Fine. What does she need help with?'
Fitz finally spoke up. 'She had some paintings she wanted to put up.'
'Oh, well then both of you should go over.' she smiled. 'Get the work done twice as fast.'
'I don't think Abby wants me putting paintings up at her place.' Fitz murmured.
Before their conversation could continue, Teddys phone buzzed in his pocket. He had gotten the chance to charge it a bit before he had left Abby's place.
'Actually, Abby says she's ready for me now.' he grinned, making Fitz nearly gag. They had just started seeing each other, and now they couldn't keep their hands to themselves.
He was definitely failing to realize that he and Teddy were way more similar that what he thought. He wasn't remembering how he nearly kept Olivia under lock and key at the ranch after they met.
'She's up already?' Olivia pulled her phone out, frowning. 'She hasn't responded to any of my messages yet.'
'Well, everyone needs a break every now and then Olivia,' Teddy defended, although he didn't have much time to chitchat. He was already nearly rushing out of the kitchen.
'Abby doesn't take breaks.' she scoffed and shook her head.
Wanting to change the subject, Fitz cleared his throat to grab her attention. 'Why don't you queue up the Star Wars movies for us? Abby may not take any breaks, but we sure do.'
The front door slammed as Teddy rushed out of the apartment with a change of clothes in hand. Olivia couldn't help but chuckle. 'He really would do anything to get her attention.'
Fitz nervously shook his head. 'You don't know the half of it.'
After making it back to Knights Ferry, Olivia had been trying to just rest and get her thoughts together. She was tired, both physically and mentally, and she just needed a break. Being on edge wasn't good for the baby, especially since the doctor had already warned her about her ever increasing blood pressure.
She found a lot of bitter irony in the fact that stressing about her blood pressure was one of the main things making it go up.
She wouldn't be getting rest anytime soon, though. Because they came home so early, Hollis and his family were still at the house. They wouldn't be leaving until later on that week, and they had really made themselves at home while they were away. Typically this wouldn't have been an issue, but Olivia had wanted nothing more than to come home to a clean, quiet house.
She got the opposite.
Adding on to that chaos, Fitz's parents had also followed them from Sacramento. They weren't supposed to leave California for a few more days, and it didn't make sense to stay in the city if Olivia and Fitz weren't going to be there. Plus, Angie was really worried about how Olivia was adjusting with the baby. She never intended on being the overbearing monster in law type, but it was obvious that Maya wasn't going to be of any help. Somebody had to step in and help them manage.
Or, at least that's how she saw it.
And even on top of that, Olivia was still supposed to be working on her book. She usually required peace and quiet when she wrote, but she didn't have that luxury this week.
Fitz typically made breakfast in the mornings after he got done with his work, and Olivia woke up to her stomach growling. Her morning sickness had gotten somewhat better over the past couple of days, and now all the baby had on their brain was food.
She threw on a soft cotton t-shirt and a pair of leggings before stepping out of the bedroom. Olivia could already hear the noise going on downstairs, and she wasn't amused at all. She took a deep breath before exiting the room, and making her way to the stairs. Percy was also barking and running around in the living room, but at least one of them was enjoying themselves.
The tv was turned to whatever morning talk show the group had chosen, and Olivia immediately looked away from it. She wasn't sure if the story about the man at the award show would be playing, but she didn't want to see it. Abby promised to keep the situation under control, but she didn't want to take the chance. Besides that she was her manager, not a miracle worker.
Lulu, only in a Minnie Mouse diaper, was chasing Percy all around the living area. She was laughing loudly and had applesauce all around her mouth as she tried to catch up with the dog. Tiffany was sitting on her computer and typing, Olivia assumed it was for her blog, and sipping some tea she found in the cupboards. Angie and Rebecca were chatting away on the couch about all the suggestions they had for Olivia to help make her pregnancy easier.
In all of the chaos, though, she hadn't seen Fitz. And she definitely didn't smell anything cooking in the kitchen. She placed her hands over her growling stomach to try and quiet it, but it wasn't working.
Angie smiled brightly as soon as she laid eyes on Olivia. Fitz had already made her promise not to interrupt her sleep, so she had been eagerly waiting on her to come down. 'Good morning, Olivia. How is mama feeling today?'
Olivia shot her a polite smile, although she wasn't really in the mood for pleasantries. 'I'm fine. Just a little hungry. Have any of you seen Fitz today?'
Rebecca caught Lulu in her arms before she could run by again. It was obvious to her that Olivia was just a little annoyed by the commotion in the living room. She grabbed a napkin to wipe some of the food from her mouth, although the little girl continued to squirm, laugh and wiggle. 'He left this morning with Hollis and Teddy. They haven't come back yet.'
Olivia glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed. It wasn't like Fitz to be so late getting back, but she'd have to think about that later. For now, all she wanted was food.
She thought about making eggs and waffles, but then immediately decided against it. Olivia didn't want to be rude and just make enough for herself, but she wasn't in the mood to cook for everyone in the house. Maybe she was being a bit selfish today, but she felt like she had earned it. Instead, a bowl of cereal and milk would have to do today.
As soon as she turned the corner into the kitchen, she saw Big Gerry planted at the counter. He had been sitting there very quietly, so the site did take her by surprise. He had on a white button down shirt, a pair of black slacks, and a sensible pair of black loafers. His top was wrinkled and untucked, the cuffs were undone, and his belt was unbuckled, adding a bit of informality to the look. Olivia thought the getup was a bit much for 9am in Knights Ferry, but she chose not to comment on that.
He had a glass of scotch in his hand, and it reminded her that Fitz said that he used to have a bit of a drinking problem. Not only that, he was apparently an angry drunk. It suddenly made much more sense that he had isolated himself in the kitchen.
'Morning, Gerry.' Olivia said, barely looking in his direction.
'Olivia.' he nodded in her direction.
Big Gerry also wasn't much of a morning person himself. What made it worse is that he didn't want to be there. This ranch was one of the things that he hated the most, and he had promised himself that he'd never visit if he could help it. He wanted to stay in their hotel in Sacramento, but Angie wanted to be closer to the kids. And whatever his Angel wanted is what she got, even if it meant he'd be suffering.
And boy, was he suffering.
Gerry had grown up in California, but he got out at the first opportunity he could. He wasn't into the family farming business, and had bigger dreams of being in politics. Even driving through the town made him sick to his stomach. They didn't make any stops, but he could tell that Knights Ferry hadn't changed at all.
The only saw two people outside while they were driving to the ranch. They were getting some boxes out the back of a pickup truck and loading them inside of the local bar. Big Gerry nearly gagged as he realized that the man was his old friend James, and the woman was his daughter Mellie. He and James had grown up together, and he found it very sad that even have all these years, he was never about to get out of this do nothing town.
When Gerry had kids of his own, he didn't want them anywhere near this place. Fitz, somehow, ended up being enthralled with the farm and went to visit most summers. Him choosing his grandfather over him served as a major wedge between Gerry's relationship with both of them. He felt as if he knew what was best for his son, and his father wasn't even giving him an opportunity to parent his own child.
After losing Fitz to the same lifestyle that he clawed his way out of, Gerry kept a tighter leash on Tiffany and Teddy. He spoke down on his father and Fitz to his youngest children, leading them to believe that what they were doing was crazy. He gave them everything they wanted in a desperate plea to hold on to them for as long as possible. The end result, though, was Fitz moving away and being resentful of his father, and Tiffany and Teddy being dependent on him. He felt like a failure either way - especially now that Teddy was also gone.
Once his parents became older, Big Gerry begged them to move to the east coast. He wanted to be able to keep a good eye on them and maybe even get them their own apartment, but they weren't having it. It frustrated him that they were both so determined to die in this old, dingy house.
After they passed away, his father left everything he owned to Fitz. Big Gerry's name wasn't even mentioned in the will, and that hurt him to his core. Despite being absent in the later years, he had put his own blood, sweat, and tears into that ranch growing up, and he felt like he deserved at least a small piece of it.
He understood why his father made the decision, though. He knew that if it were up to Gerry he would burn the house down and everything else on the property. The only other person to ever even give a damn about the farm was Fitz and, just like his grandfather, he was determined to keep it running.
'You're dressed and ready.' Olivia commented as she began to check the cupboards for her cereal.
'Well, you know what they say about a man in business clothes.' he said, taking a sip of his drink.
'No, I don't.' Olivia glanced over her shoulder at him. 'What do they say?'
Big Gerry thought for a few moments, and then laughed. 'I actually have no fucking clue.'
Olivia had to keep from rolling her eyes. She could tell Gerry had had maybe a sip too many, and his words were beginning to slur a little. She didn't remember him acting like this when they visited in DC, so she tried not to think much of it. They all had had a long night, and she knew people coped with stress in different ways. Not only that she knew she'd be right beside him if she weren't pregnant.
She pulled the box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch from the cabinet, and sighed. It was obvious that someone made it before she did, because the container was almost empty. Olivia poured the remainder in a bowl, enough to fill it up about halfway, then went in search of the milk.
Instead of going back into the living room, she decided to sit at the island with Gerry. It was much quieter in the kitchen, and she knew that he would be too occupied with his drink to want to hold up a conversation. Or at least that's what she hoped.
They both sat quietly for a few minutes before Big Gerry actually said anything. 'So, have you two been thinking of names?'
Olivia shook her head. 'No, not yet. We want to see the gender first.'
'Well, it's a Grant tradition that the first male in every family be named Fitzgerald Thomas.' Big Gerry said in a matter of fact tone.
Her eyes rolled. Olivia didn't care about the tradition, and Fitz certainly hasn't mentioned anything like that before. 'Wow, that's cool.'
He nodded proudly. 'If it's a boy, and I'm sure he is, he'll be the fourth one in our line.'
'I'll have to bring this up to Fitz.' she said, in an attempt to dismiss the topic.
Before their conversation could continue, she felt her phone buzzing in the waistband of her leggings. She immediately got it out so that she could check the caller id. It had Abby's name on the front, but Olivia decided to ignore the call. She already knew that she wanted to talk about what happened, and she wasn't in the mood.
A few minutes later, she heard Fitz, Hollis, and Teddy come back to the house. They were all laughing and talking loudly which usually wouldn't bother her at all. But today, Olivia was tense. Fitz came into the kitchen first with the biggest grin on his face and a dead rabbit in his hands. He looked very proud of his kill from this morning.
'Look what I trapped today.' he said, clearly full of pride.
Big Gerry immediately plugged his nose. This was another thing he hated about being on a farm. The smell was terrible. He also didn't have much of a stomach for hunting. He would constantly remind Fitz as a child that it was "Better to buy the meat, than make the patties".
'Whatever it is, it should have stayed outside.' he nearly gagged.
The scent hit Olivia at the same time, but her reaction was a bit more dramatic. The only bright part of her day so far was the fact that she hadn't had any morning sickness, but she could already feel her breakfast coming up. She immediately used both of her hands to cover her nose, then ran past him up the stairs.
Fitz was a bit confused for a moment, but then the realization hit him. He usually took much better care to shower and clean up before he saw her in the mornings, but today had been a little different. He was having a great morning out with Teddy and Hollis, and had managed to lose track of time.
Not only that, today had been a major eye opener for him. He had spent so much time alone, he forgot what it was like to have friends and family around. Fitz wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to take all of this company at his house, but he was actually having a pretty good time. Sure he loved when it was just him and Olivia at home together, but it was nice to change it up a bit every now and then.
Before he could make another move to follow Olivia, he felt a smack on the back of his neck. He winced, nearly dropping his daily winnings on the tiles of the kitchen floor.
'What were you thinking?' Angie hissed. 'That thing reaks, and you brought it around your pregnant wife!'
'I wasn't thinking, ma.' he admitted with a sigh, immediately feeling terrible. 'I feel bad enough. No need to rub it in. And, Olivia and I aren't married.'
'I hope you don't do this while we're not here.' Angie continued to lecture, now covering her own nose with her shirt. 'If so I'm going to help her pack her bags myself. You'll never be married if this is how you treat her.'
'Nobody is packing their bags.' Fitz bit back, quickly shutting that idea down. Olivia wouldn't be going anywhere if he could help it. She'd have to waddle out of the house with him holding onto her ankles. 'And no, it isn't. I just got so caught up I forgot-'
'Just go wash up.' she waved him off. 'And get rid of that thing. Right now.'
Fitz immediately looked down at his feet. He hadn't had his mother scold him in years, but the feeling definitely hadn't changed. He walked back into the living room, to see Rebecca kicking both Hollis and Teddy out of the house.
'You all need to hose down.' Rebecca gagged. 'You smell like wild animal, and shit.'
'Shit!' Lulu repeated, making Hollis laugh a bit.
Becca shot her young daughter a look, letting her know she was pushing it a bit. 'That's not a nice word, Lulu.'
'I can't believe I'm getting kicked out of my own house.' Fitz grumbled.
Big Gerry, who was now way past drunk, stumbled into the doorway of the living room just in time to laugh as Fitz made his way to the porch. 'And you're the man of this house? Could've fooled me. You could never fill your grandfather's shoes.'
This comment nearly had Fitz seeing red. He was fairly good at ignoring his father, but to comment on his grandfathers legacy was a bit too far. He quickly turned on his heels, his eyebrows furrowed with anger. 'You want to run that by me again?'
'Oh, I think you heard me just fine.' he sneered, obviously not backing down. 'You're weak, Tommy boy.'
'That's rich coming from the drunk old man in my kitchen.' Fitz nearly growled. 'You don't get to sit in my house and tell me I'm less of a man, and you don't get to tell me shit about filling granddad's shoes. I'm doing a much better job of it than you are!'
'Or what?' he laughed. 'Are you going to cry about it? And this isn't your house! If anything, it's mine!'
At this point, he had really heard more than enough from Big Gerry. This conversation had activated his flight or fight response, and he knew that he had to make a decision on his next move. He glanced around the room, finally getting a glimpse of everyone's face around him. Their expressions could be simplified into one category: fear.
Hollis always knew that Big Gerry had a temper, but he had never witnessed it first hand like this. He and Teddy were standing in the doorway, watching on and waiting to see if they needed to pull the two men off of each other. Rebecca was holding on tightly to Lulu and Percy, making sure that they both stayed out of the way just in case something did go down.
Tiffany was more than used to her father's outbursts, but it didn't hurt any less to see him that way. This situation reminded her of time before Fitz left for California, and how the two of them constantly bickered. She remembered being younger and crying for hours in her room as the two men she loved and respected the most went at each other like cats and dogs.
Much like times before, Angie was ready to play the mediator between the two of them. It wasn't always pretty, but somebody had to do it. She knew Gerry could be this way, but nobody else saw him the way that she did. This wasn't the Gerry she knew and loved. She shot Fitz a pleading look, begging him to back down before things escalated any further.
Fitz cut her eyes at her, but sighed and turned his head away. It took a lot of willpower, but chose not to engage with his father. He hadn't seen him drunk in a long time, but he had been praying he never had to again. He could be very mean spirited once he got a little alcohol in his system, and he didn't want Olivia exposed to that. Besides, he knew Big Gerry wouldn't remember any of this by tonight. It would only serve as a deep wound to everyone else who had witnessed his outburst.
Not only that, he knew that if he stooped to his fathers level he'd be no better than him. He was determined to forge a new path, away from what Big Gerry had walked. In his mind not only did this make him a man, it made him a better man.
Angie shot an apologetic smile to everyone in the room and Fitz exited through the front door. She usually kept a better eye on her husband, but she had gotten so caught up talking with Rebecca, she hadn't even thought about him. She walked over to where he was standing and lightly touched his shoulder. She gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek, and began to slowly pull him towards the hallway where their room was.
'Why don't we lay down for a minute, GerBear?' she suggested with a smile.
Tiffany hadn't realized it before, but she had been holding her breath the entire time Fitz and Big Gerry were arguing. She hadn't seen her father like that in a while but, for whatever reason, they brought out the worst in one another. Not only that, she hated that her mother was always the one to have to clean things up after he made a mess of everything. She bit down on her bottom lip, and began to nervously ring out her hands. Maybe it was time for her to start thinking about leaving DC as well
Once they heard the bedroom door shut, Rebecca and Tiffany both breathed a sigh of relief. Neither of them really knew what to say next, or if anything needed to be said at all. At first Tiffany felt the need to apalogize on her fathers behalf, but she immediately decided against it. She refused to carry any of the burden of Big Gerrys misbehavior.
Rebeca opened her mouth to say something, but it ended up being Lulu who got the next word out. 'Shit!'
'Lulu!' Rebecca scolded, obviously flustered by her outburst. Tiffany, on the other hand, couldn't help but giggle.
The awkward feeling had also seeped outside where Teddy, Fitz, and Hollis were all washing up. All three of the men were quiet as they took turns with the hose, and some dish soap that Angie had thrown out to them from the porch. It wasn't the best way, but it was hopefully enough to keep them from stinking up the house before they could get in the showers.
'Was he always like.. that?' Hollis asked. He wanted to mind his business, but he was deathly curious. Fitz had always told him stories, but it was something completely different to experience first hand.
Fitz's jaw clenched, indicating that he wasn't going to be speaking on the topic. Teddy cleared his throat a bit as he raised his arm and slathered his armpit down with Dawn. 'Only with Fitz, and to the people he's angry with.'
'He's angry all the damned time.' Fitz bit while using the hose to wash through his hair.
'I can't help but feel like I'm partially responsible for all of this.' Hollis said, teetering a bit on the topic. He didn't want Fitz blowing up at him next. 'It was my idea to go hunting this morning, and-'
Fitz immediately shook his head. 'You didn't do anything. He was already drinking, he was going to find something to be upset about. We were just easy targets.'
'Oh.' he softly mumbled in return.
Teddy sighed and shook his head rapidly, causing the water in his hair fly everywhere. 'I'm so glad I'm out of that hellhole they call a home.'
'You're damned sure not the only one.' Fitz grumbled.
After they got done washing off, Teddy and Hollis made their way back on the porch. They left their wet, dirty boots off to the side, and used some old towels to dry off the best that they could.
'You coming inside, Fitz?' Teddy asked.
'No.' Fitz shook his head. 'If I even set my eyes on him I'm afraid I may kill him.'
'Then where are you going?' Hollis asked.
'On a walk.' Fitz responded. He slid his pointer finger and thumb into his mouth and whistled loud enough that even the people in the house could hear him. 'I'll be back later.'
Uno and Una, Fitz's two hunting Beagles, rounded the corner of the house. They were coming at full speed to him, barking and howling with excitement. When they made it to his feet they both immediately sat before him, ecstatic to hear their next orders.
Hollis glanced over at Teddy, who immediately shrugged. Despite their age gap, he knew his brother fairly well. Sometimes Fitz just needed his space, and he definitely didn't want to be the one to impede on that. They watched him as he took off on foot, and they both made their way back inside.
In an attempt to make things feel a bit more normal around the house, Angie had started to prepare dinner. It was also her way of apologizing for Gerry, who was now way too hungover to even roll out of bed. It had been a few hours and Fitz still hadn't returned, but she wasn't very worried about him. Her main concern, as always, was Olivia.
She hadn't been there to witness firsthand what had happened, but Olivia could definitely hear all the commotion from upstairs. When she found out that Fitz hadn't come back inside with Hollis and Teddy, she hid herself away in their bedroom. She wasn't in much of an entertaining mood, and even less now that she didn't have his backup.
Angie remembered Fitz telling her earlier that morning not to wake Olivia up under any circumstances, but this was a bit different. She was worried about her, and she knew that the doctor had given her strict instructions on her meal schedule. After she had everyone else sit down at the kitchen table, she made her way upstairs.
She hadn't had a full tour of the house since Fitz had moved in and renovated it, but she knew the hallways like the back of her hand. Near the end, before Big Gerry's parents passed away, they had spent a lot of time in California. She waited on them hand and foot, while Gerry couldn't even bear to look at them.
The home had seen many 'retouches' in the last few years. Fitz had kept the bones of the house, and tried his best to preserve everything that was structurally sound. The house had been hand built by Gerry's father, so it was good, solid work, but time had taken his toll on it.
Despite all of the similarities, she could tell exactly what had Fitzs name in it. His multiple degrees and awards littered the walls, along with a few photos of him and Olivia he had managed to print off. Angie nearly chuckled, realizing that Fitz had either purposefully, or subconsciously, posted all of his greatest achievements in one place.
She quietly made her way to the end of the hall, somewhat relieved that the light in the bedroom was still on. Angie knocked quietly, although she wasn't sure what type of response she was expecting in return.
Olivia had heard someone coming up the stairs, but she could tell it wasn't Fitz. As weird as it sounded to her, she could distinguish the exact way he entered into the bedroom. His footsteps were loud, and he always skipped the over a piece of floorboard that had a squeak to it. Not only that, he sure wouldn't have been knocking on the door.
'Come in.' Olivia gingerly responded, a bit wary of who would be on the other side.
Angie slid the barnstyled doors open and greeted Olivia with the warmest of smiles she could muster. 'Dinner is ready. Would you like to come down and join us?'
'Oh.' Olivia murmured. 'You didn't have to do all of that, Angie.'
'Are you kidding me?' she nearly laughed. 'I love cooking got my family. It wasn't a problem.'
'Well, we appreciate it.' Olivia nodded her head. 'But, I'm not hungry right now.'
She huffed a bit in return, but Angie had no intentions on taking no for an answer. 'Are you sure? There's plenty.'
'I'm sure.' she reinfornced. 'I've been working on this new chapter of my book, and I just really can't afford to be distracted right now.'
'Well, why don't I just bring you a plate?' Angie suggested. When Olivia opened her mouth to object, she clasped her hands together and grinned. 'Great! I'll just grab you a little of everything!'
Before Olivia could object, Angie had slid the door shut and was well on her way down the hall. She couldn't help but run her hands down her face in frustration. She knew the older woman was just trying to help, and that it would probably do her some good to actually listen to what she had to say, but she found it even more infuriating that she didn't listen to her. When Fitz finally did return from his little adventure, she had full intentions on telling him about him and his mother.
Fitz returned to the house a few hours later, his head hung a bit low in shame. He had been so worried about getting away, he hadn't even thought that he had left Olivia at home to fend for herself. She had every right to be upset with him, he wouldn't blame her, but he was hoping she would let it slide this once.
By the time he made it inside, most of the lights were already off. He assumed that everyone would be asleep by then, but Tiffany was sitting in the living room on the couch. The only light in the room was the one coming from her laptop screen, but she was only blankly staring at it.
Her head shot up when he walked inside. 'Tom, you're alright.'
This made Fitz smile. This was the Tiffany that he was used to. She used to always be so excited to see him, she would nearly leap into his arms as soon as he walked into the room. This new Tiffany on the other hand was solely focused on Olivia and while he would never admit it out loud, he was very jealous of the relationship they had formed.
'You're the only one that stayed up for me.' he smiled and walked over to where she was sitting and used the palm of his hand to ruffle her hair a bit. 'I'm back, you can go to bed now.'
Her nose crinkled a bit. She wasn't nearly as concerned for his safety as what he thought she was. 'Can I ask you something?'
'Can it wait a second, Tiff?' he asked before walking over to hang his hat up on its respective hook. 'I wanted to go and check in on Olivia.'
'But, it'll only take a second.' she murmured.
'Alright.' he nodded. 'Just give me a few minutes, and I'll come right back down. I promise. And, I need to shower. That dish soap is only good for one thing. Dishes.'
He laughed at his own joke, and Tiffany groaned and rolled her eyes at him. She hugged her knees on the couch as she watched him make his way up the stairs.
Fitz slid the doors to the bedroom open slowly, whispering softly as the darkness met his eyes. 'Livvie.'
Despite Olivia's initial arguments, she had eaten all three plates of food that Angie had prepared for her. The evidence surrounded her as she laid on her back, her laptop resting on her ever growing stomach. Fitz couldn't tell how long she had been asleep, but she was snoring like a lumberjack so he had to assume she had been out a while.
He tiptoed quietly over to the bed until he was standing directly over her. Fitz moved her laptop and put it on the charger next to her nightstand. He didn't want to look at what she had been writing, she would share that when she felt like it was ready, but it seemed as if she was at least making some progress on the word count.
Next he picked up all of the plates, careful not to make too much noise as he sat them to the side. When he was finally done tidying up, he squeezed into the bed next to her, sitting so close to the edge that he felt like he would fall out.
'Livvie.' he cooed one more, this time lightly caressing her forehead.
Her snoring came to a sudden halt, and she grabbed his wrist. 'Why are you waking me up?'
He suppressed his chuckle. 'I wanted to talk to you, and to apologize for today.'
Olivia opened her eyes just enough so that she could glare at him. 'You left me here all alone.'
'Well, you're the one always telling me I need to have my family over more often.' he smiled at her.
'I did say that.' she nodded. 'But I meant with both of us hosting. Not one leaving for hours.'
He finally sighed. Olivia released the grip she had on his wrist, and he ran his fingers through his dirty hair. 'I'm sorry, Livvie. I just.. I just can't handle when Big Gerry flies off the handle like that. And you're right, I should've been here to help, but I just couldn't. I thought I was going to put my hands on him.'
Her eyebrows furrowed. 'Fitz, don't say that.'
'It's true, Olivia.' he returned, his entire face scrunching up into an ugly scowl. 'I didn't like the person I was when we were arguing - I never have, but today was different.'
'Different how?' Olivia asked, trying to prod more information out of him.
Fitz swallowed, now looking away from her. 'Today, it was like looking into a mirror. I saw myself in him.'
'That's not true, Fitz.' she sat up quickly, ignoring the sharp pain in her abdomen. Olivia made a mental note that the baby did not sudden movements. 'You're not like Big Gerry.'
'You didn't see the looks on everyone's faces, Liv.' he shook his head. 'They were all staring at me, as if something had taken over my body.'
'You were angry.' Olivia grabbed his face, turning his neck so that he could face her. 'He said things to purposefully hurt you. You had the right to be mad.'
Fitz had never been much of a crier, and he had no intentions on starting today. He shut his eyes tight, and then leaned forward so that he could hold his forehead against hers. Olivia didn't move an inch, instead she kissed his nose while they both sat completely still.
A sudden knock at the door was enough to bring them both out of their moment. Olivia sighed. 'It's probably your mom trying to bring me another plate of food.'
This made him chuckle a bit. 'She's not hungry, mom!' Fitz called out to the other side of the door.
'It's me.' Tiffany shouted back.
His eyebrows furrowed, clearly puzzled. Whatever it was that Tiffany wanted before it must have been urgent. Olivia let go of Fitz's face, but a little bit of space between them.
'Come in, Tiff.' Fitz responded.
Tiffany slid the door open gently. She was wasn't sure if she was happy that they were both there, or if Olivia's presence in that moment made her even more nervous.
'Is everything alright, Tiff?' Olivia asked, crossing her arms against her chest. She had never seen her look so timid and down, so this was concerning.
'No, it's not.' she shook her head. 'Tom, I really don't like what happened between you and dad earlier.'
Fitz frowned, his head dropping a bit. He was already feeling like he had let the situation get way out of hand. 'And I'm sorry about that, Tiff. I should have just ignored him.'
'No.' she murmured. 'You shouldn't have. You stood up to him, like you always do, and I'm glad you did. He has to learn he can't talk to people that way.'
Although the brothers had grown closer since Teddy moved to Knights Ferry, Fitz and Tiffany had always been the best of friends. She always believed that the reason she was never the target of Gerry's fits was because Fitz was always there to stand in the way.
'I just can't stand to see him that way.' Tiffany continued.
'Hopefully it will all blow over once he gets back to DC.' Fitz rationalized. Big Gerry only drank when he was stressed, and he knew that being back in the house would be tough for him.
'Maybe I should give you two some space.' Olivia suggested, scooting further away from Fitz so that she could crawl out of the bed.
'No.' Tiffany shook her head. 'I have to ask you both something.'
'Ask us anything.' Olivia responded.
'I…' she trailed off for a moment. 'Can I stay here with you guys?'
Fitz's jaw immediately dropped. If it wasn't attached to his face it probably would've hit the floor. 'Tiffany, you don't want to live here.'
'You're right, I don't.' her nose scrunched a bit. She definitely couldn't see herself in Knights Ferry long term. 'I just need a few months to get a job, and maybe I'll move to LA or something.'
'You don't even have a plan.' he laughed incredulously. 'Where is all this coming from? You've never even mentioned this to me.'
'Seeing dad today made me realize that it's time that I put some space between us.' her shoulders shrugged a bit. 'I just need some time to be on my own.'
'You've never had a job before.' his countered. 'What experience do you have? Do you at least have a resume?'
Tiffany blushed. She could argue with Fitz until she was blue in the face, but he did have a good point here. Big Gerry had always taken care of her and bought her anything she needed or wanted; leaving her enough time to follow all of her passion projects. That mostly consisted on blogging about Olivia and her books, but Gerry didn't care as long as she was happy.
'I can figure it out as I go along.' she huffed. 'Please, Thomas? Just for a little while. I just need to get away.'
'It sounds like you're running away from your problems.' he replied.
'Just like my big brother.' she bit back at him.
The immediate scowl that overtook Fitz's face let her know that she may have taken it a bit too far with her last comment. She thought of apologizing, but then immediately decided against it. Fitz ran away from DC every opportunity that he could, so she wasn't going to let him place judgement on her for something that he had done himself.
'That was different.' Fitz retorted, now glaring at her. 'I went to school, and then I followed my passions. You don't know what you're doing.'
'But I know I'm not going to figure it out in DC!' she glanced over to Olivia. 'Liv you see what I'm saying, right?'
Olivia's eyes immediately widened as all of the attention in the room was put on her. She could see both sides of their argument, but she knew that disagreeing with Fitz at this point wasn't going to do any good. 'Maybe give your brother a second to process this?' she suggested.
'You're acting as if I'm asking you for a million dollars.' Tiffany groaned. 'I just need a few months, and then I'll be out of your hair.'
Fitz ran his hands down his face. 'Goodnight, Tiffany.'
Tiffany's jaw clenched, realizing that she was essentially being dismissed. She cut her eyes at her brother before turning on her heel and leaving the room, sliding the door shut behind her.
'What do they think this is? A hotel?' Fitz asked, flopping backwards on the bed.
'You're being dramatic.' Olivia chuckled, looking down at him. 'She just needs a little help.'
'Why is it always me, though?' he grumbled. 'Every time they need something they run directly to ME.'
'You're their big brother.' she reminded. She gently placed her hand on his chest, rubbing small circles there through his shirt.
'I don't see you going to your siblings and-'
'My family dynamic is much different than yours.' Olivia cut him off. There was no point in even trying to compare their situations.
He sighed. 'I just miss when it was us here. Just the two of us.'
'Even without Tiffany and Teddy here, wouldn't be just two of us for much longer.' she placed her other hand over her stomach. 'We have to change and adapt as things come, Fitz. Besides, Tiffany said she wouldn't stay long.'
His eyebrows furrowed a bit. 'Why do I remember us having a similar conversation when Teddy asked to move in?'
'I have a soft spot for your sister and brother. They're like the little siblings I never had.' Olivia smirked. 'And I think it would be fun to have her around.'
'I don't.' he grunted.
'Fitz, Tiffany is trying to get away from the same situation you got out of.' she reasoned. 'She wants to grow up and not be dependent on a Big Gerry anymore. I think that that's reasonable, and we have the resources to help her do that.'
Fitz sighed. 'And you're sure you're okay with this?'
'Another Grant to coexist with?' she snorted. 'The more the merrier.'
I'm not declaring this as some official return to FF, but I'm here for now! This chapter I struggled with. It's been a while since I've written consistently, and it's kind of a weird transition period. We'll have one, short fluff chapter, and then a bit of a jump in time. I need to finish some of my other stories, and then I'll update here again. Hope you all have been well!