Love Lies and Life

A/N: Sorry for the delay, but hey life calls and so does work. I will try and update again this weekend. Happy Reading!

Chapter 9

After Fitz exits the apartment Liv turns to her mother. "Mom that was so disrespectful." Candice looks Liv up and down from head to toe placing her hand on her hip. "Don't be so dramatic Livvie. You always were sensitive." Candice turns to Caleb "Lil boy come over here and give nanna a hug and stop acting like you shy." Caleb slowly walks over to his nanna and hugs her. She kisses his cheek. Liv stands with her arms folded. "Caleb baby go and put on your clothes mommy laid out for you." Happy his mom gave him an escape he takes off running to his room. They say children are the best judge of character and Caleb is not really feeling good vibes from his nanna.

Candice sits down while looking over Liv's apartment. "Cute apartment it's very cozy and…cute. So what are you doing with your trust fund your daddy set up for you when you were born. Now that you're 21 and have access to it?"

"I don't know anything about a trust fund. You've only now just shared that information with me. I've had not contact with dad since he went to prison but now I wish I would have."

Candice looks at Liv in disbelief. "Well I'm telling you now. You have a trust fund. Your father continued to take care of me until the day you turn 21, then everything stopped. So I'm going to need you to look out for me financially."

"I need to look out for you…why? You never looked out for me. You were always too drunk to even notice your perverted boyfriend was lusting after me and tried to rape me, but you want me to look out for you? You really are twisted mom."

"You owe me Olivia. I took care of your ass, I quit my job to take care of you and now it is time you return the favor. It's your turn to look after me."

"Really mom if that's what you think you will be waiting the fact that you completely ignored what I just told you about Chris and don't acknowledge I was a child, your child tells me a lot about you as a person. What's going to happen is if I have a trust fund which I'm sure I do otherwise you probably would not be here even on dad's death bed I'm going to take care of my dad and move on with my life which don't include you."

"Yeah yeah say what you want Olivia I am still you mother. I have sacrificed for you and you will do the same. So when is the funeral?"

Liv shakes her head in utter disbelief. "You are unbelievable Candice. My father your husband is laying in a hospital bed brain dead and you're worried about my trust fund. I know for sure if dad left a trust fund for me that he also had life insurance. Maybe you should look into that…oh you can't because you refused to keep in contact with him and forbid me from contacting him as a child which rolled over into my present life. How I wish I had not listened to you because now my father is dead and as of right now so is my mother. This will be the last time we will be speaking and you will ever step foot in my home. I don't need people like you in me and my son's life. You are toxic and a user. You don't care about me or my son. You still have not acknowledged what I said about Chris nasty ass." Liv continues in a low tone as to not scare her son. "And I'm sure you have not stopped drinking because it's 7:30 in the morning and you reek of alcohol and perfume not a good mix by the way. I will be having dad cremated so there will be no funeral so you do need to put on an act like you care. I want you to leave…NOW!" Liv growls out still keeping her voice low.

"Girl like I said dramatic. Your father is against cremation so you will have a funeral and you will respect me when I'm present. As for Chris he told me about you walking around in those tiny ass shorts and shit trying to temp him. I knew you wanted him that's why I put his ass out too, I've always thought that boy in there was his until today when I finally saw his father for that I am sorry. I was wrong in my judgement. I knew his daddy had to be white love for cream in our coffee is just a something you and I both have in common." Liv temper is slowly rising and she's not sure how much more of her mother she can take. So she just walks over to the front door and opens it having nothing else to discuss or say to or with her mother. In that exact moment Abby walks up and when she notices Liv disposition she becomes concerned. As she walks into the doorway and sees Candice whom Liv favors a great deal so immediately she understands.

"You good Liv?" Liv still looking at her mother "Yes she was just leaving." Candice stands and shifts her purse "Liv I'm all the family you got if I walk out of that door. I won't be back." Liv chuckles "Good now get out." Candice heads for the door passing Abby looking her up and down before walking out. Liv slams the door behind her. Abby sits down her purse. "I take it that's your mother?" "Mhm that's her." "Well, why don't you go get dressed while I say hi to my god son?" Abby one to never speak on Liv and her parents relationship seeing her parents were no longer here knew that Liv's parents were nothing like hers and she could not judge how Liv dealt with them and just remained neutral.

Over the next week Liv true to her word cremates her father's remains and cut off all contact with her mother. But Candice was a force to be reckoned with but so was Huck. Unknowing to Liv and Candice Huck knew everything concerning Olivia and Caleb. He didn't even understand why he was so protective of Liv he just was. Maybe it was her loving heart, her caring spirit, or her life experience, or her hardship in life and the fact that she had no one outside of Abby. Either way he would protect her until the end and at all cost. He knew that Candice was still with Chris and they were both after Liv's money left to her by her father.

A box was delivered to Liv's apartment 3 days after Norman cremation services. Liv would find that her father wrote her monthly for over a year and once a year after that. She would also learn that all the letters were returned to sender showing her childhood address on all of them. Her heart would find peace but also be broken after reading how much her dad loved her and even her mother despite her deception. The letter also explained the forgiveness he asked of her and given to her mother. Liv finally finds the card the doctor gave her at the request of her father and contacted the lawyer whose name was on it. She would learn that her father left her a large trust fund and a life insurance in which he put in her name only 6 months before his death leaving her mother with nothing but his social security death benefits because she refused to sign the divorce papers he sent to her a year before his passing. He asked her to find her happiness in life and never to hold on to anger and disappointment but if it was left up to Candice and Rich that was going to be hard to do. Liv would spend the next several hours reading her father's letters.

….

Candice was pissed to no end that Liv had Norman cremated. She needed more time to build Liv's trust and Chris was not being very patient or helpful. "So you just let that girl of yours cremate the man without as much as a word?"

"No Chris he left her POA over everything. The life insurance her trust fund, everything. He left me the dam house."

"Well you need to make nice with her so we can get some of that money."

"How am I supposed to do that when she kicked me out of her apartment and won't talk to me?"

"Well there's the easy way or the hard way. If you don't want me to do things my way, then you need to figure it out and handle it or I will." Candice turns to him and gives him that look that only the Pope women can. "What's that supposed to mean, I already told you Chris she is my daughter and I will handle her."

"Yeah well you better hell you've spent up all my money and I had to quit my job to take care of you that's all I'm saying baby." Chris says trying to soften his tone not wanting to Candice on the defense.

Several hours later Candice decided to call Liv. "Hello?"

"Livvie…it's me, mom." Candice says picking up on Liv's sadness

"Mom how could you? You told me my dad didn't care about me but he did. I have letters to prove it. Letter you never told me about. Letters you returned to him unopened. Why mom? Why would you do that? Did you hate my father that much do you hate me as well? Whyyyyy?" Liv is in full tear mode

"Livvie listen to me…" Candace tries to explain

"NO! I don't want to hear anything you have to say. You are pure evil and I don't need or want you in my life or my son's life. I did nothing to deserve this treatment from you. My father went to prison because of you. You brought another man into his marriage bed into his home. You put another man before your own daughter before your own grandchild and I will never forgive you. Goodbye Candice." Liv hangs up the phone and Candice turns to liquor and drinks until she passes out.

Meanwhile Chris has been plotting in his own way. He knew Candice still had a soft spot for Olivia and would become all emotional and her feelings would get in the way of getting the money from her daughter. But he would do whatever it took to get his hands on that money. But little did he know Liv had people looking out for her that vowed to protect her.

Huck was a man that was not to be underestimated. He was a hired body guard, problem solver, and ex-soldier with an honorable discharge who had many skills but only worked for those that had no way out. He didn't kill people he just simply made them disappear. They died waiting for help to come. He always gave them an option. They could leave voluntarily or they could sit in their demise. The choice was theirs and theirs only. Today Candice and Chris would be given that choice.

Once Chris noticed that Candice was out cold he made his move. He planned on kidnapping Liv and forcing her to sign over the money to him and use Caleb as bargaining chip if he had too. He would never make it to Olivia's house because once he opened to door to leave he came face to face with Huck. Before he could ask Huck who he was he was knocked out with on punch.

Huck quickly entered the home removing both Candice and Rick tossing Rick in the trunk and Candice in the back seat tied up. He takes them to and undisclosed location and waits.

…..

Liv continues to have and emotional break down when she hears her doorbell ring but she doesn't answer. The doorbell continues to ring with no respond from Liv. After 5 minutes or so she hears a knock at the door. "Livvie, baby it's me…Fitz please open the door I need to know you're ok?"

Liv slowly pulls herself from the floor allowing all the many letter to fall from her lap and walks over and opens the door. When Fitz sees her his heart drops as Liv falls into his arms. He catches her and lifts her into his arms closing the door with his foot.

"It's ok Livvie I'm here. I got you baby." Fitz carries her to the sofa as he notices all the letters on the floor. He continues to hold Liv sitting with her as he tries to figure things out. He reads the address on one of the letter and realizes all these letters are from her father.

"Livvie listen to me…I'm going to get you dressed and get you out of the house. Where's Caleb?"

"H...he's with Abby."

"Ok do you want to talk about it?" She shakes her head no as she continues to cry. Fitz lifts Liv and carries her to her bedroom sitting her on the bed. "Baby where are your comfortable clothes?" Liv points to her dresser and Fitz goes over and retrieves a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that says I'm the boss. He removes Liv silk pajama short and top revealing her breast and red silk panties but he ignores her beauty and dresses her in her jeans and t-shirt but not before searching for a bra for her to put on first.

Fitz knew he needed to get Liv out of her apartment. It had become a place of depression so he took her to his place. Once he gets her inside he makes her some tea and sit with her. "I order us a pizza. I hope that's ok?"

Liv looks up at him "Thank you not just for the pizza but for taking care of me."

"Any time Livvie. Do I need to call Abby?"

"I'll text her. Did you bring my phone?" Liv softly asks

"Yes and your purse too the phone is inside." He hands it to her and she text Abby

L-Having a hard time right now I'm with Fitz so I'm ok.

A-Take care of you I got Caleb for as long as you need.

L-Thx Abs (tear face emoji)

A-(heart emoji)

Sitting her phone down she covers her face with both hands as her emotions spill over once more. Fitz pulls her to his lap and comforts her while holding her in his strong arms. Liv cries like a broken child. Suddenly Liv pulls away from Fitz and begins to pace and lifts her head upwards crying out to her faith. "Oh God please help me. This hurts so bad God I need you to help me." Fitz just stands and watches her as goose bumps form all over him.

Liv falls to her knees "God I need your fire to fill me with forgiveness. Please God fill me up with your love. My heart and spirit is broken. I don't want to hate please fill me with you love and forgiveness. I surrender all to you. Take this pain away god give me victory over my pain."

Fitz is starting to feel emotions he's never felt before. He's never witness anyone pray in such a way. He kneels next to Liv as she cries out in pain and what feels like desperation. After a short time her cries soften and she begins to give thanks as she comes down off of her emotional release. Fitz just sits with her and allows her to find her healing being a man of faith as well he understood and did not interrupt even though this type of worship he was unfamiliar with it didn't deter him. He held Liv until she fell asleep still sitting on the floor. He picks her up in her peaceful slumber and places her on the sofa and waited to the pizza to arrive as he admired this beautiful being in front of him.

How did he get so lucky to find this loving person? He now realized that it was divine intervention that they met when they did and they would get through this and anything that came their way. He would no longer feel guilty about how they met or the events that was considered cliché with the conception of their son. He also realized in that very moment he would marry and spend the rest of his life with this woman that was meant to be a part of his life. It just felt right.

…..

It is now late into the night and Candice finally awakes. But she finds that she can't move her hands or legs, mouth or body. "Mmm…mmm…mmm" Candice tries to wiggle herself loose as well as speak. It's useless. She look in front of her and sees Chris tied up as well with his eyes wide open trying to speak as well but unable to. Finally Huck makes his presence known.

"Hello Candice. You've been a bad girl. We need to talk." He removes the tape from her mouth. Candice is scare to no end. "Now I'm going to talk and you're going to listen. Olivia that's your daughter right?" Candice eyes get big as saucers.

"Y…yes."

"Now seeing that she's the only child you have you were supposed to protect her. But instead you protect her predator and use booze as an excuse. Her father was sent to prison for something you caused. She was 16 and she needed you. You left her to fend for herself. You took away the only man that ever truly loved her for this." Huck turns and points at Chris. "Then she makes a mistake and needed her mother and what did you do? You turned on her for him. This man was lusting after your daughter but you stayed too drunk to see it. Your daughter tells you he tried to rape her and you don't believe her, but you believe him over her. Yes the night she left he tried to rape her, but I stopped him. Then her father dies and you show up here for money with him. Did you know while you were in a liquid coma he was on his way to Liv's house? What do you think he was going to do when he got there? Certainly not console her. What kind of mother are you. You're not anybody's mother. You are a drunk.

Huck stands upright as he was leaning down talking to Candice. Chris has pretty much pissed his pants unable to speak or move. He walks over to a table and picks up his phone. "Candice I have something for you to listen to." He presses play and the recording starts.

There you have it.