Part Two

X

April, Sedona, AZ

Fitz, Olivia, Elliott, JR and Christine arrived in Arizona on Sunday afternoon. There hadn't been much talking during the entire flight, and the anxiety and nervousness were palpable. The adults were all in their own thoughts while an excited Elliott talked non-stop about the lazy river and the water park at the resort, until she fell asleep.

Not long after they'd all checked in, Fitz and Elliott had changed into their bathing suits, slathered on sunscreen and were tubing down the lazy river. Olivia stayed behind and took a nap. She was exhausted mentally and physically, and she prayed that giving Ford a second chance wouldn't backfire.

Later, an uncomfortable silence had cast a pall over family dinner. Instead of easy, free-flowing conversation, a heaviness loomed in the air. The adults thought they were successful in keeping up appearances for Elliott's sake, but she'd sensed something was wrong. It wasn't anything she said, just the opposite. She was quiet, surprisingly so, and clingy. There wasn't the usual little girl chatter she usually kept up, as they all perused their menus. Fitz tried to engage her as she clung to his side to no avail. He'd asked her what she wanted but she'd only responded with a shrug. He finally decided that maybe his baby girl was tired, so he ordered for her.

As they sat waiting on their food, they talked about everything except the therapy session the next day. They tried to engage the little girl asking her about riding the lazy river with her daddy. JR had teased her about being a mermaid, which garnered a slight smile, but nothing more. The grandparents gave Fitz and Olivia questioning looks, but they both had perplexed looks on their faces as well. They didn't know what was wrong but Fitz's heart ached to fix whatever it was.

Dinner was finally served and Elliott looked at the chicken tenders and French fries her father had ordered for her, and pointed.

"What's that?" she asked, wrinkling her nose.

Olivia frowned. "You know what that is, sweet pea. You love chicken tenders."

She shook her head. "I don't want it."

"You haven't even tried it, princess," Fitz said as he pushed the plate closer to her.

Elliott crossed her arms over her small chest and shook her head again. "I don't want it, Daddy," she said with a pout.

Fitz reached over, taking a fry from her plate. "Then I guess I'll have to eat it myself."

"Daddy!"

Fitz looked down at his daughter. Tears pooled in her big eyes and her bottom lip trembled. "You made me sad," she said before she sucked in a huge gulp of air and broke out in sobs.

Fitz and Olivia sat in stunned silence. This behavior was unlike anything they'd witnessed when she was tired. They'd read books and had been advised to expect something like this after the baby was born, but if they were being honest, they knew that wasn't it either. Neither parent knew how they were going to handle this, and their baby girl seemed unable to find the words to tell them what was wrong.

It was JR who stood, walked around the table and picked up his granddaughter. He settled back in his seat with her in his lap, wrapping his arms around her until the crying slowed. Suddenly a shudder racked Elliott's little body and the crying finally stopped.

"JR you should eat, I'll take her," Olivia said as she moved to stand.

JR shook his head. "No, you eat. I'll be fine." He leaned down and kissed his grandbaby's hair, as Christine took a napkin and wiped her tears. "Can you tell Grampy what's wrong, ladybug?"

Elliot hiccupped before she looked up at her grandfather with those big, blue green eyes and answered. "You and Grammy and Mommy and Daddy make me sad."

The adults all looked at each other. They had all been so caught up in their own emotions, and the uncertainty of what was going to happen the next day, they hadn't thought about how their behavior was affecting Elliott. Their demeanors had frightened the child. She'd sensed a change in everyone's moods and it had disturbed her small world, and her sense of safety and security. Fitz and Olivia should've known that their precocious little girl would see right through their fake cheerfulness, strained smiles and false sense of calm. She wasn't buying it. Her withdrawal and clinginess now made sense.

Fitz's jaw clenched tightly and wanted to blame his brother for his baby's current state but he knew it wasn't Ford's fault. The four adults at the table were responsible. And now it was up to them to comfort and reassure the little girl that everything was okay and she had nothing to worry about. He was willing to do anything, because seeing Elliott in tears was more than his heart could take.

Fitz reached out and took her hand. "We're all sorry, princess. We didn't mean to make you sad." He looked at his wife, who along with his mother was wiping tears from her cheeks. "We promise it won't happen again. Okay?"

Elliott shrugged her shoulders, which wasn't good enough for her father. "I'm going to ask you again. Do you believe that everything will be okay?

This time she nodded her head confidently before smiling and scrambling out of JR's lap and onto her father's. She threw her little arms around his neck and hugged him tight. Olivia reached out and rubbed soothing circles on her daughter's back. Turning around on Fitz's lap, she leaned back and snuggled comfortably against his chest and looked at everyone smiling indulgently at her.

JR leaned towards his cherished granddaughter and whispered conspiratorially. "Would you like Grampy to order a cheese pizza, ladybug?"

Elliott vigorously nodded her head, her thick brown and blonde streaked curls tumbling around her forehead, and a huge smile on her face. Her daddy's hugs, kisses and reassurances seemed to have worked. She sat and looked around the dining room of the restaurant as everyone enjoyed their dinner, and in less than a minute she had fallen asleep, her pizza forgotten.

X

Fitz and his parents were driven to the outpatient center Monday morning. He'd been unable to sleep the previous night and had just dozed off when he was awakened by small hands patting his face.

"Daddy, wake up. I'm hungry."

Elliott sat on her haunches, looking down at him. He looked into the face she shared with him, eyes like his mother's, and her curls all over the place. She looked absolutely adorable as she grinned at him, and he grinned back. She had awakened in the middle of the night and came into the bedroom where her parents were sleeping.

Fitz frowned at his daughter standing in the door. "Hey, princess, what's wrong?"

"I'm scared, Daddy.

He wasn't surprised. After the episode at dinner, she'd slept while the adults had finished eating. She was tired and never woke during the walk back to their suite or while her parents changed her into her pajamas. She'd obviously awakened in the unfamiliar room and had come looking for them.

Fitz moved toward the center of the bed and lifted the sheet, inviting the little girl to join them. Elliott ran to the bed and crawled in next to her father. He helped her get comfortable, purposely putting himself between his daughter and her mother so none of her limbs would come in contact with Olivia.

"Feel better?" Fitz asked.

"Uh-huh," Elliott answered, snuggling closer to her father.

He leaned down and kissed her hair. "Good."

"Daddy I want pancakes for breakfast," the little girl mumbled, before falling peacefully back to sleep.

Fitz chuckled and squeezed her to him. She would get her pancakes.

Fitz glanced at the clock, six forty-five, and then at his wife, who was still sleeping. He leaned down, kissed her cheek and rubbed her belly, before returning his attention back to their daughter.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," he said in a low voice, so he wouldn't wake Olivia.

"Good morning, Daddy."

Fitz sat up and smacked a big kiss to her cheek. "Come on so we don't wake mommy. He grabbed his toiletry bag and hand in hand he and his daughter walked to the second bathroom to complete their morning routine before ordering breakfast.

Fitz grinned at his daughter. Maple syrup was smeared on her cheek and she was enjoying the pancakes and bacon he'd ordered for her. Since she hadn't eaten dinner, he expected her to be hungry. She was on her second pancake when Olivia walked into the room.

"Mommy!" Elliott exclaimed.

"Good morning, sweet pea," Olivia said, giving her child's sticky cheek a kiss. "How are you?"

"Fine. Right Daddy?"

"Yes, you are princess," Fitz agreed, reaching for his wife's hand and pulling her onto his lap. He cupped her chin.

"Good morning, Mrs. Grant."

"Good morning, Mr. Grant," she responded.

He kissed her on the lips. Mindful that their daughter was watching, he didn't make the kiss as long or as deep as he would have liked.

"How did you sleep last night?" he asked, his hand settling on her pregnant belly.

She smiled. "Actually, pretty good. Bean's kicking kept me awake but I finally fell asleep. The party started again this morning at seven."

Fitz chuckled. "I just love that feeling. It's so weird to know it's our baby kicking that hard." He was fascinated by it, by the life he felt inside her.

That got Elliott's attention. "Is Jellybean kicking you, Mommy?" she asked around a mouth full of pancake.

Olivia nodded. "Yep, Jellybean's kicking woke me up."

Elliott climbed down from her chair, and walked up to her parents. Olivia wiped her hands before taking them and placing them on her belly where the baby was kicking. The little girl giggled with delight at the baby moving inside her mommy's tummy. "It's your big sister, Jellybean." The baby kicked again, a little harder. "Mommy, my little sister knows it's me," she squealed.

"Or your little brother," Fitz quickly added. They both made sure to remind their daughter that she might get a baby brother. She usually ignored them. Like now.

"Are you ready to eat, Livvie?" he asked, as their daughter stood in front of them, her hands on her mother's belly, and a huge smile on her face.

She nodded. "Yes. I'm starved!"

Fitz laughed. "Well let's get you two fed."

Later, Olivia sat on the side of the bed watching her husband get dressed. Their daughter was in the living room playing a reading game on her tablet. She could tell he was having second thoughts about seeing his brother.

"You okay, babe?"

Fitz glanced at his wife. "Thinking I'll let them meet without me."

Olivia stood and went to stand in front of her husband. Taking his chin between her fingers, she made sure that she had his full attention. "You know that you can change your mind if you don't want to do this right now, don't you?"

Fitz took both of her hands in his. "I'm not changing my mind. We've come this far, and besides, I won't let my parents do this alone." He pulled her close to him, as close as her belly would allow, and kissed her. She wrapped herself around him and kissed him back.

"I love you so damn much, Olivia Pope-Grant," he said against her lips.

"I love you too, Fitzgerald Grant," she said as she kissed his chin. She looked up and gave him a smile that seemed to connect straight to his groin. Fitz was tempted to strip the robe and silk pajamas from her body and take her right there, but with their daughter in the other room, he knew that was impossible. They couldn't take this any further. Instead, he redirected their focus.

"Seriously Livvie, I'm okay. I'm going to go with my parents and listen to what my brother has to say, and then we're getting the hell out of here and heading to Disneyland." He whispered the last part because of the little ears in the next room.

Olivia chuckled.

"What are you ladies getting into today?" he asked.

"Well the resort has quite a few activities for the kids, but our daughter insists on going to the water park."

"Livvie, are you sure?"

She nodded. "I'll be okay. It's the kid's water park, not a lot to get into."

They both laughed.

Fitz cradled her belly again. "Okay. Please be careful and I'll be back as soon as I can." He kissed her cheek before walking into the living room and swinging his daughter up in his arms. "Be a good girl, princess, and don't give your mother a hard time today." He kissed her cheek

Elliott giggled. "Okay. Bye, Daddy." He placed her back in the chair that she'd been sitting in, and she returned to her tablet.

Winking one last time at his wife, he walked to the door of their suite and closed it behind him.

X

The ride was quiet, each person deep in their own thoughts. The three of them had met in the lobby of the resort to wait on their driver. The only thing the elder Grants were concerned about was their granddaughter. They both breathed a sigh of relief once Fitz reassured them that all was well with Elliott Grant. Fitz looked out of the window but his mind wasn't on the passing scenery. He was thinking about what his brother had to say to him.

Fitz reached out and placed his hands over his mother's, which she wrung nervously.

"Your hands are ice cold, Mom." He rubbed them between his warm palms. "Better?"

"Yes," she said as she smiled weakly. "I'm so nervous. Maybe this wasn't a good idea."

JR kissed his wife's cheek. "There's no law that says we have to do this today, or tomorrow. We can go back to the resort and enjoy the water park with Olivia and our ladybug."

Christine smiled. The offer was tempting. "No, we've come this far. I want to see my son, and hear what he has to say."

Hugging her close, JR kissed her again. "It's going to be okay, Chris. Ready?"

She looked around, unaware that the SUV had stopped. Nodding, she watched her son step out of the vehicle after the driver opened the door. He turned and extended his hand to his mother, and assisted her onto the sidewalk. JR followed and took her hand, and together they walked towards the entrance of the building.

Ford's therapist, Dr. James Novak, stood waiting in the lobby. He stepped forward and the Grants introduced themselves. When they finished, he asked them to follow him before turning and walking down a quiet hallway. The therapist finally stopped in front of a door with his name on the nameplate. He turned and looked at his patient's family, noticing the nervous look on Christine Grant's face.

"Are you ready?" he asked. They all nodded and he turned and opened the door.

Ford Grant was sitting in a chair with his back to the door. He was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and he stood when his family entered the room.

Fitz heard his mother release the breath she'd been holding, when she laid eyes on her youngest son for the first time in seven months. He smiled at her and she walked toward him, wrapping her arms tightly around his back. Fitz and his father stood back watching, still leery of Ford Grant. They'd both expected this tearful reaction from Christine, but were both shocked when Ford reached up and wiped the tears falling unchecked from his own eyes.

Finally, mother and son turned to face the other two Grants with expectant looks on their faces. After a minute, it became apparent to Dr. Novak that neither Fitz nor JR was going to make it easy for his patient. So, he took matters into his own hands.

"Can I get anyone anything to drink?" he asked. They all shook their heads. "Okay. Why don't we all have a seat?"

Christine sat next to JR on the sofa, while Fitz sat in an armchair farthest away from his brother, who sat facing him. Dr. Novak sat facing the elder Grants, strategically placing himself between the brothers. He'd noticed the chilly glare the older brother was giving his patient. The rage building up in Fitz was so pronounced that at first he didn't hear his father calling his name.

He increased the volume.

"Fitz." JR's voice drew the attention of the others in the room, but not his oldest son's who continued to stare across the room at his brother. Finally, he turned to face his father, trying to focus.

"The doctor is speaking."

Dr. Novak opened the session by thanking Fitz and his parents for attending and made small talk to relax everyone. He started by asking each person why they thought they were there.

Christine spoke first. "I would like to know why you did what you did. I don't want that flippant response you gave us months ago. I want an honest and coherent answer." JR put his arm around his wife's shoulder and nodded in agreement. The doctor then turned to Fitz. He glanced at his parents before finally sighing.

"I guess I'm here for the same reason. My brother wrote a letter, asking me to attend a session, because he wanted to apologize for what he did to me five years ago."

Noting the resistance and discomfort from Fitz, the therapist pushed him a bit and asked what he hoped to accomplish during the session. After an extended period of silence, Christine looked at her younger son and asked, "How could you do this to us?" She was now crying quietly. JR hugged her while Ford simply lowered his head. Fitz rolled his eyes and crossed one leg over the other, essentially separating himself emotionally from his brother and his foolishness.

Dr. Novak asked Ford to read the personal letters he'd written to his parents and to his brother. He also asked the other three to hold off any comments or questions until Ford was finished. They all agreed. Ford read first the letter to his parents, and the second to his brother. He spoke of personal problems, frustrations and also the happy memories. He also admitted that his behavior was the cause of him finally facing some consequences, and taking responsibility for his actions.

Fitz wasn't surprised when his brother admitted to being jealous of him. He knew he was the favorite, the golden boy. He was the namesake of Senior and JR, and the attention he received, along with his parent's perceived favoritism, angered his brother. But Fitz never used his status as "the favorite" to his advantage. If anything, he shied away from all of the attention and instead, used it as leverage to get what Ford and his cousins wanted. Although Ford wasn't the easiest person to get along with, Fitz was always his brother's keeper and his biggest cheerleader. That is why his betrayal cut so deep.

"Fitz, growing up, you and I were not only brothers but best friends. You always looked out for me. You protected me from bullies and tried to keep me out of trouble," He looked up at his brother and smiled, "when you could." That got a smirk out of Fitz. "As we got older, that bond grew stronger. You always took my side too, and no matter how wrong I was you always had my back."

Fitz leaned forward in his chair, elbows on his knees, both feet planted on the floor, his eyes bearing down on Ford, as he continued.

"I looked up to you because you were so much more than a big brother to me. Even when I was being a jerk and pushing you away, you tried to give me thoughtful advice, and always put me first. I want you to know that your boundless generosity, kindness, and positive attitude were always appreciated. I rewarded your loyalty and your unconditional love for me with the ultimate betrayal. Honestly, I'm getting what I deserve for what I did to you, and I want to apologize and let you know how sorry I am for hurting you, Olivia and my beautiful niece."

Ford finally finished by stating that none of this was an excuse for what he'd done and by acknowledging that his dysfunctional behavior had caused his family hurt and pain. He wasn't asking for forgiveness because he knew he hadn't earned it.

Fitz silently agreed.

Forgiveness. It was something Ford didn't dare hope for. Resolution, possibly. Some kind of understanding, maybe. Forgiveness, he knew, wasn't in the books. Not when it came to Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III. He had chosen to do wrong and he deserved to suffer the consequences.

When Ford finished, the room was quiet. Dr. Novak looked at his patient's family members, waiting for a response. When none came, he asked what effects the letters had on them. He first looked at Fitz who rolled his eyes, and then moved on to the elder Grants. Christine began, and Fitz was content to sit back, observe and listen to what his parents had to say about their son's revelations regarding growing up in the Grant household.

X

Fitz showed his red wristband to the attendant at the entrance of the resort's water park. He'd sent a text to Olivia earlier and she'd informed him that she and Elliott had just finished lunch and were returning to the pool area.

The family session had lasted four hours, until they broke for lunch. Fitz had heard enough from his brother and decided he'd rather be at the resort, poolside with his wife and daughter. He pulled the therapist aside and explained to him that his anger towards Ford had somewhat lessened after listening to him, but he didn't think staying for the remainder of the session would change anything today. Dr. Novak said it was okay if he wanted to leave, especially if Fitz felt that way. JR and Christine had been moved enough to remain for the second half of the session.

Fitz bade everyone goodbye before returning to the resort, changing into his trunks, and setting out to find his family. It didn't take him long to spot Olivia and Elliott. They were on the lip of the pool at the shallow end. His daughter was wearing the neon green rash-guard swim set with bright pink dolphins, that her Grammy had surprised her with the previous day. He shifted his eyes to his wife in a two piece black and white polka dot suit, her belly exposed, and an oversized floppy black straw hat that protected her face from the sun. She was sitting with her feet in the water, talking to their daughter, who stood next to her.

"Daddy!" Elliott squealed excitedly.

Fitz stooped down and braced himself for impact. He scooped up his little cannon ball in his arms. "Hi, princess," he said, and kissed her cheek. "Are you having fun?"

"Uh-huh," she nodded vigorously as her loose curls flopping over her face. "Me and Mommy going on the lazy river."

"Oh yeah?" Fitz asked. That wasn't the plan. She nodded again as they walked over to Olivia. He extended his hand and helped her stand, and pulled her as close as the large hat would allow. He angled his head and kissed her lips.

"Hi."

"Hi." She looked around. "What are you doing here? Where are JR and Christine?"

Fitz glanced at their daughter who was paying far too much attention to their conversation. "Little ears."

Olivia nodded. "We'll talk later."

"Now, who wants to go on the water slide?" he asked.

"Me!" Elliott squealed, bouncing up and down in her father's arms.

Fitz laughed. "Of course you," he said as he tickled his baby girl, sending her into a fit of giggles.

"Fitz, are you wearing sunscreen?" Olivia asked.

He shook his head. "I waited so you could do it," he answered, giving her that crooked grin.

She rolled her eyes and turned to walk back to the chaise lounge she'd commandeered earlier. He followed and set Elliott on her feet before he pulled the rash guard over his head. Olivia couldn't tear her eyes away from her husband's muscles rippling and flexing as he tossed the shirt aside. He straddled the chair and she knelt behind him, applying a generous amount of the lotion to his wide back, shoulders and arms, while he carried on a conversation with their daughter.

"Turn around, babe."

Fitz complied with her request.

Squeezing more lotion into her hand, she massaged it onto his broad chest before moving to his face. She looked at him staring at her. The look in his eyes was pure, unadulterated lust. Glancing at their daughter, whose attention was now on the water slide, she mouthed, "Later," giving him a knowing smile.

"Here," Olivia said, squeezing lotion into his hand. "For your legs."

"Aww, Livvie. Why can't you do it?" he whined.

Ignoring him, she spoke to their daughter. "Come here, sweet pea." She slathered more lotion on the child's face, legs and arms.

When Fitz finished, he turned to his baby.

"Ready, princess?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" she replied, jumping up and down.

He swung her up, placing her on his shoulders. "Well let's go," he said as they headed off toward the water slide.

Olivia watched the loves of her life and as usual, her heart swelled. Her husband was that dad. Gentle, loving, patient and protective, He didn't coddle but he brought out the best in their daughter. Elliott was more confident and thriving from the love of her father. Her hand cradled her belly. Bean had no idea how lucky he or she was to have Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III for a daddy. Sighing, she lay back on the lounger and picked up the book, Behold the DREAMERS, by Imbolo Mbue. It was her book club's current pick, and she'd brought it with her, to read by the pool.

The three of them spent the rest of the day at the water park. Olivia watched Fitz and Elliott frolic into the water until they were as wrinkled as raisins.

X

Later, Olivia and Fitz took a walk around the resort before retiring to the balcony of their suite. Their daughter was with her grandparents on the resort's mini putt-putt golf course. She was spending the night with them, since they would be saying goodbye to her the next morning. Earlier at dinner, Elliott was back to her chatty self. Her parents knew that whatever had been bothering her the previous day was most likely forgotten as she sat between JR and Christine humming and coloring in the book that Olivia had brought.

Olivia lay between Fitz's legs on the chaise lounge. Their fingers were entwined as their joined hands rested on her belly. She listened intently as her husband recounted what happened earlier during the session with Ford and his parents.

"Fitz, did you know that your brother harbored so much anger and resentment toward Senior and JR?"

He sighed. "I've always known that I was the favorite. That's kind of hard to avoid when you're the first and the namesake. I never wanted nor asked for the attention, but Ford did all he could to receive it. He attended the same college as Dad and his brothers, started at the bottom at GNA, and never asked for any special favors. Basically, he did everything they wanted me to do."

"So his anger and resentment are somewhat warranted."

"Are you trying to make excuses for my brother? Put together a defense on his behalf, after what he did?"

Olivia shook her head. "Of course not. Regardless of what happened to him, we didn't deserve what he did. But it appears that he has valid reasons to feel the way he does about Senior, and by extension, JR."

"What do you mean?"

"Fitz, your brother was treated differently by your grandfather and your father because he wasn't you."

"Livvie, all of my first cousins were treated differently but they didn't turn into lying sociopaths."

"That you can speak so cavalierly about the preferential treatment you received is disturbing. Those are your cousins. They didn't grow up in the same house or in the shadow of the Grant family golden boy. It was obviously different for him."

Fitz was quiet for a minute. He knew there was some truth to what his wife said. His parents were appalled at themselves when Ford had pointed it out. His mother was downright inconsolable because she hadn't realized that Senior's favoritism had hurt her son so much. Fitz knew it, which is why he always went to bat for his brother. Ford did nothing but try to please Senior and JR. And for that, he had Fitz's respect because neither of those men made it easy for him.

He knew that his brother had always wanted what he himself had vehemently declined, to be President and CEO of GNA. Senior and JR had fought him at every turn. Fitz felt his brother had earned it after working his way up the corporate ladder, so he'd lobbied for Ford, and brought the rest of the Board around to vote for him. That's why he couldn't understand where it had all gone wrong.

"It's amazing how different our perspectives and memories of our childhood are. I thought I was protecting him by being a buffer."

"Apparently he didn't see it that way," she said quietly.

"Tell me about it. I thought about all the times Senior goaded Ford him into an argument for absolutely no reason, and that usually pitted Ford and me against him. My brother knew that the less he said to Senior, the better. But I didn't think that way. They rarely saw eye to eye on anything. On more than occasion I had to remind him that I wasn't going to allow him to get in my face and put my brother down."

Olivia listened to her husband and her heart broke. She had been through this with her ex. She'd forgiven him, which wasn't easy. But she had done it, let it go and moved on. She knew her husband was wrestling with whether or not to forgive his brother. She had her own thoughts and feelings about that, but she'd wrestle with her own emotions later. Besides, she couldn't make that decision for him.

"Livvie, I can't measure the intense feelings of anger, sadness and distrust I have had for Ford. But after listening to him today, something changed. I left the session early because the longer I stayed the more difficult it would be to continue to hate him. And I couldn't have that, so I hightailed it out of there quickly."

Olivia turned in Fitz's arms, and looked into his sad eyes.

"After spending time with you and our daughter today, I was so happy and I realized that hating him was only hurting me, and I just didn't have it in me to do it any longer. The feelings of resentment, bitterness and thoughts of revenge began to slowly diminish."

Olivia reached out and touched his cheek. "Fitz it's okay to feel what you're feeling. If you absolve your brother of his wrongdoings, it doesn't mean you're condoning or excusing what he did. You're just no longer allowing Ford to dictate how you feel about him. You're no longer a victim. You can choose to forgive or not to forgive, that's your choice. But at least you gave him the opportunity to apologize."

"I just want to be at peace, Livvie. Letting go and forgiving him will give me that."

Olivia nodded. "Yes it will."

Fitz needed to hear her say that. He knew that forgiving his brother was going to be hard, but it was the right thing to do. For now, he would need to set boundaries if he and Ford were going to have any semblance of a relationship. He would do it to protect himself and his family.

"Thank you, Livvie, for supporting me, for knowing what I needed, and for giving me the space to work it out myself."

She leaned forward and kissed his chin. "Always and forever, baby."

He placed her palm on his cheek and kissed it, before moving to her lips and kissing her hungrily. She shivered as he slipped his hands beneath her shirt, his palms caressing her burgeoning belly. Each craved the other's touch, the moment moving them both to want more. No telling how long the kiss would have lasted if they hadn't needed to come up for air. He reluctantly released her mouth and stared down into those doe eyes.

"It's later," he smiled, reminding her of what she'd said at the water park earlier that day. "The kid's gone and we've got the bed to ourselves tonight."

She chuckled. "Sounds like you've got something in mind."

"Absolutely." He stood from the lounger and helped her to her feet. Together they walked inside. Olivia waited for Fitz to close and lock the door before he took her hand again and led her to the master bedroom. She stood beside the bed watching him pull down the covers. He stood and came to her, and pulled her close…as close as he could.

Olivia stepped out of his arms and kicked off her wedges. She reached for the straps of her sleeveless maternity top, but Fitz reached out and took her hands, placing them at her sides. And then he undressed her slowly, gently touching every part of her body he exposed. When he finished he knelt in front of her. His palms curved around her belly, cradling their unborn child.

"Hey, Bean," he said and kissed her belly. "Just two and half more months," he whispered. "We can't wait to meet you."

Olivia smiled down at her husband, tears filling her eyes. She slipped her hands into his hair, wondering if Bean would inherit his blonde waves or her dark curls. Or would he or she be like its big sister and have both. She was brought out of reverie by Fitz's voice.

"I love your mommy so much, Bean," he said and kissed her belly one last time before standing to his feet. He pulled his Polo shirt from the waist of his jeans and over his head, tossing it aside. Stepping out of his leather flip flops, he quickly unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, and kicked them aside too. Fitz stood before her wearing nothing but black boxer briefs. He slowly hooked his thumbs into the waistband and pulled down the underwear. His dick, thick long hard and ready, sprung up like a cobra ready to strike. Just the way she liked it.

Olivia smiled and licked her lips, which made Fitz chuckle. He lifted her and placed her gently on the bed. Situated above her, he stared at his beautiful wife lying naked before him. He gave her that grin and moved down her body, resting between her splayed legs. He kissed the insides of her thighs and Olivia moaned.

Fitz put her legs over his shoulders, and then began to make love to her with his mouth. She tasted so good and he would have gone on forever, until she begged him to stop.

"Fitz," she whimpered.

Fitz licked her one last time before crawling back up her body where he moved to her breasts. He knew from the many times they'd made love in the past six months that they were hypersensitive. He treated himself to one, tasting, licking, sucking, and then the other.

"Oh…Fiiitzz…yes," she moaned as her breathing sped up.

Her husband took his time. He circled his tongue around first, one nipple, then the other before suckling them. Olivia cried out and arched her back as best she could. Fitz slid one hand past her belly and stopped between her legs. She was wet. Ready. Gently, he eased a finger inside his wife and stroked her, thumbing her flower until her hips came off the bed, her head flailing side-to-side.

"Fitz, please, I want you inside me."

His love didn't need to ask twice.

Sitting up on the bed, he moved up and sat next to her. His back supported by the headboard, he reached for his wife, pulling her body over to straddle his lap. Neither was sure how much longer they'd be able to enjoy this position, but for tonight, it was perfect.

Fitz cupped her breasts as she grasped his dick, ready to treat herself to her husband. He helped her as she lowered herself onto him. She shuddered as she took all of him in, feeling his dick twitch inside her. She rolled her hips as Fitz groaned and squeezed her breasts, rolling her sensitive nipples between his fingers.

"That's it, Livvie. Ride me."

And she did. Olivia rested her hands on her husband's shoulders as she met his thrusts, his large cock pressing deep inside her. Her orgasm started to build. Fitz leaned forward and feasted on her breasts, teasing her nipples with his tongue.

Fitz's orgasm came moments behind Olivia, his entire body shuddering as he let out a growl that reverberated around the room. Her own climax had Olivia moaning, as sweat rolled down her back. She could hardly move as Fitz tightened his hold around her, making her ride it out.

When Olivia collapsed against her husband, he loosened his grip, cradling her in his arms as she waited for her heart to stop racing. He stroked her back, lifting her head and kissing her lips.

"I love you."

"I love you too." Olivia smiled against his mouth. "You're quite amorous this evening, babe."

Fitz chuckled. "Well, there's no one to walk in on us."

Olivia laughed at his comment, nodding her head. "True."

Fitz lifted his wife from his lap and laid her on the bed next to him. She pressed both hands against her belly, laughing as Bean kicked against her palm.

He moved a hand on top of her hers. "Looks like someone's awake," he teased.

Olivia laughed lazily. "It's your fault."

Fitz moved down her body and pressed his cheek against her belly. Bean kicked again, and they both laughed.

"He's strong, isn't he?"

She stroked his head and spoke. "Are you going to be disappointed if it's a girl?"

Fitz looked at his wife. He couldn't believe what he'd heard. "Of course not, I just want another happy, healthy baby, and a healthy mom, you know that."

Olivia nodded in agreement. She did know that.

"Now our daughter on the other hand…" His voice trailed off as he moved back to lie beside Olivia. She snuggled as she close as she could against her husband's side.

"She's still adamant that Bean's a little sister. I just don't want her to be sad or disappointed if it's a little brother."

Fitz hugged her close. "Livvie, we just have to keep trying to prepare her for the possibility that Bean might actually be a boy. Right now that's just nonsense to her, but we have to keep saying it."

"I agree. I just want her and her new sibling to be close, the best of friends, boy or girl."

"So do I." He leaned down and kissed her forehead before cupping her chin and looking into her face. "You okay? Do you want or need anything?"

Olivia grinned at him. "We're starving, mister!"

Fitz laughed. "What would you and Bean like to eat?" He asked as he reached for the room service menu. He helped her sit up and together they looked through the selections.

"I want the sweet chili chicken fajitas with extra avocado, taquito nachos and French fries."

"Anything else?" That was a lot but he knew not to comment.

She ran her fingertips through the hair on his chest. "No. What are you having?"

What!" The word left his mouth before he could stop it.

She laughed at his shocked expression. "Oh, you think we're sharing with you, huh?"

Fitz kissed the tip of her nose. "I was hoping you would. But apparently not."

"Ha! Get your own food, Grant."

"I will, Grant." He laughed and picked up the eTouchMenu and placed their order for several dishes. When he finished, he stood from the bed. Reaching for his wife, he scooped her in his arms and kissed her sweetly.

"Come on, beautiful. We have twenty-five minutes before our food arrives." He turned and carried her to the bathroom, and the shower.

They only had twenty-five minutes, but they put that time to good use.