S504 So this takes place after one of my favorite moments in the series where Fitz boldly went to gather Olivia from her apartment. Hope you like it.

I'm doing the right thing; I'm taking my girlfriend on a date.

Ensconced in the back of the presidential vehicle, Olivia felt an array of emotions. She wanted to be angry that Fitz just added fuel to the already scorching media frenzy, but his action reminded her of one of the many reasons she fell in love with him; because he always tried to do the right thing.

Fitz reached across the seat and took her hand in his, softly rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. He looked at her softly before slowly pulling her closer, wrapping one arm around her and resuming rubbing her hand with the other. He kissed the top of her head and let out a deep sigh. No words were needed between them as they both settled in the comfort of each other's presence embracing the moment of silence.

When the car came to a stop, they were ushered into a private restaurant, secluded from the peering eyes and flashing cameras of the world. Candles flickered everywhere; burnt orange and red alstroemeria, coupled with white lilies adorned the center of their table.

"I haven't officially had the opportunity to take you on a real date. Though this is not the circumstances I intended, I always wanted us to get here."

Olivia sighed looking at the beauty around her, trying to set aside the shambles of her reality and lean in to what Fitz was trying to do.

"I know the past few days have been impossible, but…" The brilliant smile that lit her face halted his words. "This is amazing. It means the world that you would do this and all of what you've done." She looked at him shyly, referencing his bold declaration by action.

Fitz gripped both of her hands gently, smiling at her sadly. "Can we just…for this dinner, set the world aside and just…"

"Be us?" she finished his sentence with a soft smile. "Yeah, I think that's the best idea I've heard all day."

Sitting down to dinner, they laughed at the antics of the Pope Associates with dog-whistle politics over salad and then citrus seared scallops with herb and butter rice.

Relaxed from the dinner, the wine and just being with Fitz, Olivia let out a soft sigh. "I wish things could always be this simple…this good." She looked down at their joined fingers.

"Livvie," Fitz waited until her gaze met his. "You are all I've ever wanted. I know this feels…impossible right now, but I will always come for you. I will always stand for you. I love you."

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, her emotions raw from the public onslaught. "Let's go baby" he whispered, kissing her hand as they exited the restaurant and were ushered back into the car. Without a word, Fitz wrapped her in his arms as Olivia rested her head on his shoulder in comfort.

Knowing his Liv, he knew she wasn't ready to go back to her apartment. Taking her back to the residence, he had only one thing on his mind, her comfort. They entered the silent white house, making their way to the residential quarters. He acknowledged the servicemen stationed outside his bedroom door before bidding them goodnight. Fitz kept her hand, walking them into the bathroom.

"What are you doing?" Olivia tilted her head in question.

"Running you a bath. You could use a long soak." Olivia watched him add lavender bath salts and adjust the water temperature before lighting the three candles at the foot of the tub. He dropped the pack of matches in the little wicker basket behind the tub. She watched curiously as he pulled a duo pack of hair clips from the basket, clearly new and attached to the packaging, placing it on the side of the tub. While she knew she had some bath products there from when she stayed during the White House State dinner that started it all, she knew those were new. When Fitz programmed soft flutes and water sounds, Olivia felt tears threaten again at his thoughtfulness and consideration. Locking eyes with her, Fitz gathered her in his arms, stroking warm hands up and down her arms before leaning down to press a soft kiss to her forehead.

"Take your time baby…" Fitz murmured softly against her skin.

"You're not joining me?"

"No, but I will sit with you..." He smiled at her warmly. "I'll be right back."

Fitz left to grab something from his room as Olivia began to undress and clip up her hair. She eased into the hot water, sighing in pleasure as her shoulders instantly dropped, scooting back to rest her head on the ledge of the tub.

Fitz returned with one of his Navy shirts and a glass of scotch. "I remember your fondness for this shirt. I figured after your bath, we could cuddle up and watch a movie." He sat beside the tub, needing to be close to her.

Olivia smiled at his thoughtfulness. She felt warm inside and out at all the effort Fitz put forth to give her a moment of peace and comfort. God I love this man…she thought silently as she gazed at him warmly. "That sounds perfect."

As she began to relax into the warmth, Fitz broke the silence. "You scared me."

Her eyes locked onto his, silently waiting for him to continue. "Listening to you as you read comments from those hateful people" Fitz looked down at his hands. "I'd never heard you like that. And I felt…powerless to stop it. I hate that you bore the scrutiny and public ridicule of what we did, especially now when it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that it has been us all along…"

Olivia chuckled slightly. "You might just be wrong about that baby…It might take a rocket scientist. People are inherently foolish, they rarely look deeper. Some will, but most won't. What you did…words can't express how much that action meant." She brought her knees to her chest in comfort. "I knew I wasn't alone in…this. But I felt so alone. It feels good to be here with you now." Needing the contact, Fitz knelt beside the tub and grabbed a small towel and poured the foaming lavender oil before slowly stroking the towel down her back in gently circles. He carefully worked the towel over her shoulders to avoid her hair moving the circles up and down in a soothing manner. He carefully rinsed her shoulders and back before pressing a warm kiss to her shoulder and sitting back down, wrapping his arms around his knees and watching her with soft eyes.

She brought her eyes up to meet his. "Thank you. Thank you for being you. Despite everything, you always seek to do the right thing."

"I don't always succeed" he looked at her sadly. "But I will always try."

Olivia continued to bathe, relaxed and comfortable in their silence. As she signaled she was done by removing the stopper from the tub, Fitz grabbed a warmed towel from the warming rack before holding it open for her to step into. Wrapping the towel around her, he kissed her neck. "I love you." She whispered and felt his arms tighten around her and a soft kiss press to the top of her head.

"I'm gonna take a quick shower while you finish." She dried her skin with the warm towel before slowly moisturizing her skin with her favorite scented cream that was also in the bath basket. She watched a naked and toned Fitz enter the stand-alone shower across the room, smiling to herself at what was hers. After folding and nearly stacking her clothes, she pulled his borrowed shirt over her head and sat on the bench beside his clothes while he finished his shower. Steam billowed out as Fitz opened the frosted glass door, water droplets falling from his heated skin as he grabbed a towel.

"You waited" he said, that grin she loved gracing his face. "You know, you could have gone and picked out a movie for us." Fitz dried his body with a grin, quickly donning his boxers and shirt feeling hot eyes raking his body even as he covered it.

Pulling her up from the bench, Fitz took her mouth in a hot kiss. He nipped her bottom lip, slipping his tongue into her mouth to deepen the kiss, running his hands down her arms. Breaking their mouths apart, he rubbed his nose against hers. "I can't help myself when you look at me like that." Taking her hand, he led her out of the bathroom. "Come on. We're continuing this date…"

After a 5-minute debate, they decided on a Die Hard marathon, deciding that an action-packed night would be perfect to immerse themselves in. They settled in on the comfy couch with her curled into his side, arm wrapped around his middle with a light blanket over them both.

As her eyes grew heavy, she marveled at watching a strong hero do the right thing, often at his own peril. But if she knew nothing else, the good guys always won and with the sure, steady presence of Fitz beside her, she knew they too would win.

So what do you think? I have a few more that are in the works, one that I think will be a surprise for some of you readers. :) Stay safe folks!