Hey! Thanks for all of the encouraging words and comments you've left here and on Tumblr. Y'all are great. Hope you enjoy this new chapter. xo

The rest of the work day went slowly and that bugged Olivia to no end. Attempting to play it cool, she knew the team was privy to the change in her mood. She was ready to get to Fitz, apologize profusely, and have a relaxing night. That irritated her the most - she had to make up for her behavior at the office. It was uncalled for but as a creature of habit, it was expected. With other guys, it was the thing to do. But it was not an excuse anymore. She had to do better to become better.

Wandering through her mind, was the notion that she could actually love again. Love meant something different to her. The people who "loved" her ultimately did more damage to her soul than good. But seeing firsthand, that Fitz could get her back on track in a matter of minutes, and not be turned off by her hard outer shell, had switched the light on. Observing how kind he was to her, in the last month, was endearing.

Was it love that drew her to him? A strong connection or infatuation? Who knows, but she was willing to explore this. She had to be cautious and not fall too deeply. When she finally let go, it was a done deal.

It was obvious that Fitz was interested, but what if she was another rebound? At their first meeting, he said he didn't date often. There was a reason for it. Was she a quick fix for his loneliness? What about Teddy? From what she knew from friends and clients, dating with children from previous relationships were extremely sticky, if not treated carefully. She adored the boy, even as a woman who wasn't naturally drawn to children. Distance was needed.

She wanted to ask Fitz about all of this. How to go on from here, as well take it one day at a time.

Olivia surprised Abby, Harrison, and Quinn individually with early leave. They were able to bounce at 4, instead of 6. They would just have to deal with the piles of work in the morning. That gave her time to get home, change into something more casual - a blouse, dark washed jeans, and flats, and pick up a few things.

A teddy for Teddy. Hopefully it would not be offensive to the younger Grant since that was a play on his name. With a bottle of aged Scotch, for the master of the house. She was able to find it through some of her connections in the city.

Driving north to the house. As the traffic waned up Rts. 185 and 355, Olivia was able to clear her mind, and think happy thoughts. Looking forward to spending quality time with two of her new favorite people.

She hadn't been to this neighborhood, that was nestled in an area behind Connecticut Avenue. Olivia decided to park on the street. Touching up on her lipstick and mascara, she gave herself a moment to brush off the crap of the day.

As she walked up the driveway, she could hear Big Band music playing. Her eyes reached the window and caught a figure moving around. Teddy was dancing in what was probably the living room. Loud giggles and then Fitz joined in the picture. He was also bouncing around, with a huge smile on his face.

"Whoa, Buddy Bear!"

The sight made her heart melt. Olivia could not resist watching them. But then she realized she looked like a creep, barging in on such an intimate moment. If she wasn't careful, they'd catch her staring.

Before it got too awkward, she pressed the doorbell.

"That must be her! Livia!"

Olivia smiled to herself as Teddy exclaimed. Heavy toddler steps were close to the door, followed by the twisting of the doorknob and several grunts.

"Uhh! Uhh! Daddy! I still can't reach the lock."

"Don't whine, Teddy. I'll help you."

Olivia quickly straightened her shoulders and put on her best face, just in time for the door to open. Teddy, dressed in a long-sleeved tee and jeans, gave his adorable smile and ran into her knees, nearly pushing her back. "Livia! I am so happy you're here. You look so pretty!"

Already a charmer at the age of four, Olivia could not help but feel appreciated. "Hiya, Teddy. Thank you for letting me come." Looking up to his father, she shyly smiled.

"Hi."

Fitz, leaning against the door, winked.

"Hi."

Olivia felt that pull again - that time had stopped - when her eyes met Fitz's. It amazed her how one exchange could turn her day around.

"Daddy, we need to let Livia in," Teddy tugged on his father's hand, while reaching for Olivia's. But as soon as the three crossed the threshold, Teddy ran off.

"Your son is quite the host." Olivia remarked.

Fitz scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, he puts me to shame every time. May I take your coat?"

Obliging, Olivia handed him the shawl, but not before pecking Fitz's lips. "Hmm, you taste good."

"Thank you," he replied in his quasi-seductive voice. "I've been tasting my cooking that I'm preparing for you."

Olivia sighed. Then, reality hit and her eyebrows furrowed. "Does he know? About us?"

Fitz's nose crinkled as he answered."No."

"What?"

"Don't worry," he assured, rubbing her back. "I would love to tell him tonight. With you here."

Olivia was taken aback by the idea. "Really?"

Fitz nodded. "Yes, I would feel more comfortable with the two of us present."

Given his knowledge of his son and what would work best, Olivia agreed. "That's fine with me."

"Okay," Fitz said, locking his fingers with hers. "Welcome to my home, Olivia Pope. I hope you enjoy your stay."

They walked past the family room, where Teddy was sitting at the TV.

"Teddy, I need to finish up dinner, so would you be okay with keeping Olivia company?"

The four-year-old skipped to turn off the screen. "Sure."

"If you need anything or if he gets bored, c'mon over to the kitchen," Fitz suggested, placing a soft kiss on her temple.

Olivia chose to sit on the couch, nearby Teddy, who was now sprawled on the floor, checking out a coloring book.

"What did you do today?"

"Preschool."

"Oh?"

Teddy gave a nod. "Yes, I go to preschool. All day. But not always. Sometimes, my babysitter comes to get me when Daddy has a lot of work to do, or has to go to court."

Olivia wanted to know more about this boy so she kept asking questions. "What is your babysitter's name?"

"Auntie Gracie. She's my favorite."

Teddy locked eyes with Olivia; they were so bright and full of life. She noticed that whenever he was passionate about a topic, his cheeks would lift. "Yeah? How long have you known Auntie Gracie?"

"Since I was born," Teddy stated, getting off the floor and making his way to Olivia. "She took pity on Daddy and me when my Mommy moved away. She's a lifesaver."

Moving her arm, so Teddy could cuddle next to her, Olivia was already dealing with a mix of emotions. How children could easily connect with adults, feeling at ease, and wanting to get close. None of her friends had children, so gauging how to talk was interesting.

Teddy smiled at Olivia and continued. "She lives down the street with her husband, Sam, and they have a dog, and two boys. Brett and Patrick. They're like my brothers."

"Took pity," Olivia asked, interested in how the boy learned such a phrase.

Lowering his voice, he clarified with a smirk, "Yes. Daddy says that to elab-bal-late the story." Using jazz hands, he said, "More drama."

Olivia covered her mouth to stifle a hearty laugh. Teddy giggled.

"I'm just glad I don't have to stay at preschool all day and every night. It gets lonely."

"Oh, Teddy," she squeezed him. "You're loved. You would never be left alone."

Glancing over her shoulder, she watched Fitz, who was minding his business at the stove. Veggies being sauteed, checking on the potatoes that were baking. Reminding himself to let the steaks rest. Moving around the room with a towel swung over his shoulder. His sleeves rolled up, just hitting his biceps. And his jeans...ooh, his jeans. He was wearing a great pair of jeans. Mainly accentuating his great ass. Lifting her eyes, she observed his face. Deep in concentration - she liked that.

Olivia had to cough; she was obviously lusting over him. Not that it was bad. She was very surprised that it took this long. Why her mind was taking her to this place so late. Several weeks in, she needed to ask herself - Why was he now turning her on? Maybe seeing him in his natural habitat was comforting and extremely sexy to her. Or was it because he was far away and she could truly get a good look at him. He was damn beautiful. And he asked her out, so that meant for now, he was hers to appreciate and admire.

But oh no - not in front of his child! Teddy in her arms, and he was quite observant. She couldn't get caught ogling his father like a piece of man meat. Trying to focus, Olivia wasn't able to keep her eyes away. .

"Liv?"

"Yes? Yes!" Olivia shrieked, scaring herself out of her thoughts. Not even realizing he had moved away and was right beside her.

Fitz sweetly rubbed her shoulder. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. Would you like some wine?"

With a nod, she accepted the offer. Teddy moved away and was playing with an action figure and truck. Good, she thought.

"I got something for you." Olivia quickly scooped the bag out of her purse and followed Fitz to the kitchen. The space was gorgeous with lots of room to use.

Fitz lifted his eyebrows, "Liv, you shouldn't have."

"I couldn't be a bad guest. Especially after the bullshit I pulled earlier," Olivia softly stated. Closing the gap between them, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed Fitz. "I'm sorry."

"I forgive you," he answered against her lips. "Thank you."

Olivia pressed her nose into Fitz's shirt, feeling weak, catching a whiff of his signature scent, a fresh and earthy cologne. She could get used to this.

"I forgot. Teddy has a gift too. Teddy!"

Olivia returned to the family room. "I have something for you too. Here you go."

Teddy looked surprised, but pulled the tissue paper out of the way. "Thank you. Oh, man. A Teddy bear!"

Unable to read his expresions, Olivia fumbled for words. "Is it okay? Do you have a million other bears? If you don't like it, I can get you something else."

Slowly grinning,Teddy scrambled to hug Olivia; his arms wrapped around his neck. "I love it! I don't have a bear. Not like this one. And you put my name on it. My real name. See? I can spell it. T-H-E-O-D-O-R-E. Theodore! That's me!"

A kiss on her cheek sealed it. Then wiggling himself out of her arms, Teddy ran to his father. Olivia followed his path.

"Daddy! Look at what Livia bought me. It's a Theodore Bear!"

His excitement delighted Fitz. Checking out the new toy, he stated, "Look at that. What great details. He even looks like you."

Teddy clutched his new friend. "This is great!"

Dinner time had arrived. Fitz prepared a beautiful course of steak, baked potatoes, and various veggies. Olivia was very thrilled at the taste of a home cooked meal. It had been years since she got to experience.

The conversation was light; Olivia asked how work was going for Fitz. He casually replied that things were busy but manageable.

Teddy interrupted the flow.

"I think I want to be called Theo."

Fitz stopped his cutting. "Oh yeah?"

"Mmhmm."

"Why is that, young sir?"

Teddy shrugged as he chewed his food. "I don't know. It will make me sound fancy. I mean… You get called different names. But no one says you're Gerry or Gerald."

The intelligent and logical case Teddy Grant gave made Olivia shake her head. This boy was a jewel and took after his father. Fitz smiled, patting Teddy's hand.

"You're right. But that's Poppy's name."

"True."

"Whatever you would like, my son. Remember, you were almost named Fitzgerald."

Teddy made a face similar to biting a lemon. "Eww! That would have been the worst."

"Yeah, buddy," Fitz reminded. "You would have been Fitzgerald Thomas the Fourth."

The three laughed at Teddy's reactions. It was such a lovely time, eating and enjoying the company. Olivia felt her heart race as Fitz gently massaged her hand. Then, he realized the need to share information to his son.

"Teddy?"

"Yes, Daddy?"

"Remember when we met Olivia and I told you that I liked her?"

Teddy's eyes widened and his nose scrunched, identical to a face Fitz made. "Yeah," he chuckled.

Taken aback by this inclination, Fitz went to Olivia for confidence. She gave him a knowing look to continue.

"Well, I asked her to be my girlfriend. Is that okay?"

"Did Livia say yes?"

Olivia almost snorted at the quick remark. "Actually, I did."

"Cool! Then yeah," Teddy turned to smile at her. "I'm extra cool with it. This is awesome, Livia. Does this mean you'll come over for dinner?"

Biting the inside of her cheek, Olivia thought of a reasonable answer. "Sure. Not all the time, but maybe once a week? You are also invited to come to my apartment. It's not big like your house, but it's cool. I don't cook but we can order pizza or cheeseburgers and watch movies."

Twisting his lips, the little Grant nodded. He approved.

Young Theodore Grant's eyes were drooping as he tried to listen to his father and Olivia. Fitz swooped the bangs of his face. "Time for bed, baby. You got school."

"Preschool, Daddy," Teddy sleepily corrected.

"Mmhmm," Fitz replied. "Would you like to say anything to Miss Olivia?"

Teddy rubbed his eyes, then faced Olivia. "Thank you for coming and thank you for my Theodore Bear. We never have people come over except for Auntie Gracie and her family, and Uncle Harrison. Daddy is such a lonely sonofab-"

Fitz shot his eyes to the boy, "Theodore…"

"Yikes," Teddy covered his mouth. "I almost cursed."

Olivia turned away so that she wouldn't make matter worse.

"I need to do better at making sure we don't say that in front of you."

"Or talk loud on the phone," Teddy retorted. Fitz lifted his finger, then pointed towards the staircase. The boy took the firm gesture to heart and skipped away.

"G'nite, Livia. I'll see you soon."

Blowing him a kiss, Olivia said her goodbyes. Fitz walked up the steps after Teddy. "I'll be down in about 15. Please, make yourself at home. There's the TV, books, whatever you need."

Olivia waved him off, "I'll be fine and I'll be here when you return." To her delight, there was much to entertain herself. On the walls were beautiful pictures. One struck her fancy. A tall man with a full head of white hair. Maybe Fitz's father, with Fitz, and a baby. The Grant men. They all had this regal look about them. The genes ran strong and deep. Then, to her right on a coffee table were two cute-as-a-button pictures of Teddy.

Grabbing her wine glass, Olivia spotted one more photo - Fitz holding Teddy, probably for the first time. Having the chance to observe their life in pictures was extraordinary. It was simple and gorgeous; a contrast from what Fitz had shared with her.

"Okay," she heard Fitz announce. "Teddy was so riled up. I couldn't get him to get in the bed."

Olivia took a sip of her wine. "No worries. I kept myself busy."

"What did you do?"

"Look at these pictures."

Fitz folded his hands. "Oh, yes. Good times. Would you like to join me for a nightcap?"

Olivia lifted the nearly empty glass, "Sure."

"Come with me."

Fitz had a sneakiness about him that Olivia was intrigued by. After pouring themselves another round, the two made their way to the living room, which was on the other side of the house.

"I'm so glad you came tonight," he said, patting the cushion for Olivia to sit next to him. Olivia couldn't wait. The minutes that followed seemed like a blur. Glasses were put down. Sweet nothings exchanged.

"You're so beautiful," Fitz whispered as he nipped on her neck.

Without words, their bodies created a dance that was easy to follow. The exchanges between breathing. Their eyes expressing what they wanted, and later on, needed.

Olivia carefully unbuttoned Fitz's shirt, revealing a strong chest, with fine brown hair to thread her fingers through.

"I like."

"Good."

Giggling against his neck, Olivia had an idea. She sat up, only to straddle herself onto Fitz. Pressing her center against Fitz's groin, she watched for his response. His breath hitched, while his hands gripped her waist.

"You like that?"

"Absolutely," he replied, voice lower than before. "Don't stop."

Olivia didn't want to. Staring down her boyfriend, Olivia moved faster, and then couldn't contain herself. Feeling him harden was breathtaking. Momentarily separating from Fitz, she unbuttoned her shirt, so he could see what was underneath. He lowly growled, leaning forward to kiss the tops of her breasts, that were spilling out of her cream bra.

"Fuck, Liv," he spoke between kisses.

Olivia lifted his head, and looked into his eyes once more, before claiming his mouth again. It was the first time they were able to do more than a chaste kiss. She could feel herself being soaked.

Taking a moment to breathe, she whispered, "I want you to touch me."

Fitz grinned, sneaking his hand to cup her sex. She could tell that he had been wanting to receive her permission to do this all night. "I want to as well."

Olivia couldn't control herself; grinding against his hand, her moans got louder. Before she knew it, Fitz had stopped her. But he wasn't done. He laid her down, making quick work to remove her jeans. Just as he had gotten Olivia down to her underwear, excited to pull the fabric away to see her delicious pussy...

"Daddy!"

Olivia froze. Had Teddy migrated to the living room without her noticing?

To her surprise, Fitz ignored the distant call. Kissing her stomach, cheek, lips, and the bridge of her nose, hoping that would be the thing she needed to keep her focused. Because he didn't want this to end.

"Daddy!"

"What the hell," he mumbled. Olivia pulled herself away, frantically adjusting her clothes back to their original positions. Fitz rubbed his hand over his face.

"Go," she insisted. "It's okay."

Fitz shook his head in defeat. "I can't believe this. Don't leave, I'll be right back."

Teddy's cries were getting louder. "Daddy! Where are you?"

Olivia watched Fitz race up the stairs. Her face was hot to the touch as she tried to cool down. Her body was on such a high. They had gotten so carried away; the primal urges were no longer dormant.

Twenty minutes passed with no sign of Fitz. She didn't want to overstay her welcome. Feeling awkward, Olivia quietly walked to the bottom of the staircase.

"Fitz?"

"Come on up, Liv."

Following the streak of light, Olivia stopped at the second room to the left. Stepping inside, she found Teddy was cradled in Fitz's arms. Reddened tear-stained cheeks.

Fitz's eyebrows raised. "I'm sorry," he mouthed.

Olivia smiled and understood.

When Teddy finally fell back to sleep, Olivia and Fitz returned downstairs.

"Thank you for a great evening." She saw Fitz's face slightly fall.

"Liv…"

Placing her hand on his chest, Olivia reminded him, "It's late and I should get going."

Fitz sighed. "Nothing like my baby crying on cue to sabotage me."

Olivia touched his arm and smiled. "I know, but it's a start. Maybe next time we won't be interrupted."

"Or," Fitz interjected, stepping closer into Olivia's space, "we'll just start sooner and not worry."

"Yes."

Keeping her eyes focused on him and not budging, Olivia won this time. No fooling around for the rest of the night.

"I'll text you when you get home."

Fitz tilted his head back and mumbled something. Not able to hear him, but she knew he was disappointed. He then reached for her hand. It felt like heaven.

"You amaze me, Olivia Pope.

"Oh, Fitz."

Fitz promised, "I'll make it up to you."

Olivia rubbed the space in between his thumb and index finger with her thumb, "Shhh, don't worry. We don't want to wake him up again."

"Do you…"

"Do I what, Fitz?"

Swiping his lips with his tongue, which made Olivia's heart skip a beat, Fitz asked. "Do you…get intimate with your boyfriends? I know we were doing a lot earlier, but I don't want to assume anything. I have to ask."

Olivia bit her lip, taking her time to respond. It was incredibly considerate of him to even think about what she wanted. "I do."

"Perfect," Fitz said. "Next time, I'm going to do everything I intended to do back there. And more."

Olivia had to brace herself before she lost her will to leave. Being caressed and handled by Fitz was more than she expected. It a second, she would have pulled Fitz back to the couch and have her wa with him. To break the tension, she added, "You should call Auntie Gracie to take pity on you."

Fitz slapped his leg with a sarcastic eyeroll. "Hardy har har. Good one, Pope."

"You should have seen that one coming, Grant."

Olivia took her shawl from the closet. One more lingering kiss for the road. Stepping away from his embrace, she opened the door. "Bye."

"Bye."

Smiling to herself, Olivia walked to her car. Fitz was still at the door, waiting for her to get in. To make sure she was safe.

There was something happening and Olivia felt that it was truly love.