A/N: I know you probably want to meet the Olitz baby, and I'm so excited to write about that, but I wanted to take it back to immediately post-finale to really set the scene for this fic. Really, truly appreciated the positive response from the first chapter. Hope you enjoy!

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She's surprised to see him, wasn't expecting him to interrupt her walk and it takes her aback a bit.

"This isn't where we said we'd meet."

"I know, but I saw you when we were driving passed so I asked the guys to pull over," Fitz explains. "You wanna get in?"

She nods, taking his proffered hand and letting him guide her to the door.

"So, what do you want to do?" he asks once they're seated in the car.

"Honestly? I want to have a nap." Her yawn confirms her exhaustion, and he chuckles.

"Your place?"

She nods in confirmation and shifts to rest her head on his shoulder, looping an arm through his as she settles in for the journey.

"Gonna close my eyes now."

"Okay, Livvie."

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Her bed used to be his solace. The only place in the world he didn't have to put up a front. The only place he could just be Fitz, the man in love with his Livvie. Over the years, however, more and more bad memories became attached to her apartment. That night after Gerry, when he came to find her and she wasn't there comes to mind before he promptly banishes that particular memory. It's the place she was taken from when she was kidnapped, and it's the place she escaped to after moving out of the White House. It's a utopia that has been tarnished with reality, rendering it just another apartment. Suddenly, the bed feels too small.

Her head is leaning on his chest, her arm strewn across his stomach and he absentmindedly traces patterns on her back as they rest.

"What are you thinking?" she asks, causing him to pause his movement.

He squeezes her waist slightly, prompting her to look up at him

"Do you wanna buy a house?"

"What?"

"Here, I mean. In DC. Do you think we should buy a house?"

"I - but we -"

"I know we have Vermont, and we can keep it, but do you think we should buy a house here? For us? I mean, I don't have a permanent base here anymore, and I don't really expect you to move up to Vermont full time, you'd be bored out of your mind. I had been thinking about it anyway, because Teddy is here, you know? But now that we're… well I think it's for good this time -"

"It is," she interrupts him.

"Okay, good. Now that we're together for good… we should move in together, right? We should buy a house."

"Fitz, I - this is… a lot."

"I know. You don't have to answer me right now. You've made a lot of big decisions lately, I get that. Just think about it, okay?"

She nods silently, settling back into his embrace and closing her eyes. She could drift off again easily, she's so exhausted. Just before sleep takes her, a thought involuntarily escapes her mouth that makes his heart pound in his chest.

"I've always dreamed we would live in Georgetown. A townhouse. Lots of rooms. Kids."

This is it. Finally.

..

They're having a lazy breakfast in her kitchen and it's weird. Neither of them have any plans for the day, and for all the time they've known each other, that's never happened. Unsurprisingly, Olivia didn't have much in the way of breakfast food, but they managed to find some sourdough bread for toast which they're currently eating on her couch, a cup of coffee for Fitz and a green tea for Olivia. A companionable silence has settled between them, and it's so peaceful that Liv is almost loathed to break it, but if they were really going to try this time, she needed to share her thoughts with him.

"I've been thinking."

"Yeah?"

"About… what I want to do now. With my life."

He sets down his plate, realising that this is a serious conversation and would need his full attention.

"Have you come up with anything?"

"I think so," she begins. "I don't want to go back to my old team. I think I've outgrown OPA. Or it's outgrown me, maybe, but either way I think it's best that Quinn runs that business without me. But the time I've spent at the institute… I really enjoyed that Fitz. It was fulfilling, and I had forgotten how good it feels to be fighting for people for all the right reasons. So, if you'll have me, I was wondering if maybe I could come work with you?"

It takes a few moments for the words to sink in but when they eventually do, Fitz is ecstatic.

"If I'll have you? Liv are you serious? You are The Olivia Pope. We should be begging you to come work with us. Of course I'll have you."

He moves from his spot on the couch to envelope her in his arms then, too excited about the prospect of working with her again to hold it in.

"Well that's good," Liv says softly, "because a wise man once told me that we work better when we're together."

He hugs her tighter for that, remembering the night she is talking about, the dark place she had found herself in and how he was unable to pull her out. She's out now. She got out by herself, like he knew she could deep down, and in hindsight he's grateful it happened that way, because now she knows she has that strength within herself.

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Olivia's first day of work is one week later. She had tried to take a proper rest but that lasted approximately half a day before she became too restless. She ran more than she had in years, cleared her entire inbox, reorganized her closet, and went shopping for a new closet before finally giving in and allowing herself to think about Fitz's suggestion. It made sense, really. If they were going to start a normal life together, her apartment was too small for the two of them, and it was especially too small for Teddy or Karen to ever stay.Once the idea of a house for them in the city started to properly form in her mind, every single flaw in her building became more apparent. Memories of wine stained couches became sharper, men who weren't him in her bed involuntarily sticking to the forefront of her brain. On the other hand, she started thinking about what their house would look like. A large airy foyer leading into an open plan kitchen and living area. Maybe she would finally learn to cook. Probably not, but maybe. Soft colors and marble countertops and a couch where they would relax together in the evenings when they got home from work. Upstairs, a large master suite with a bed that would be theirs and an ensuite where his things would be laid out next to hers and it would make her heart swell every time she looked at it. And other rooms, too… for Fitz's kids and- she stops herself there.

She spent the rest of her week off finding the best estate agent in the city and working with her to find the exact home she had imagined. On Sunday evening, Fitz found her on the couch after arriving home from spending the afternoon with Teddy. The television was on and she was sipping on a glass of red, turning to flash him a brilliant smile as he entered.

"Hi," she grinned at him, reaching up an arm to pull him down to sit. "Good day?"

"Very good day," he affirmed. "What's got you all smiley?"

"I have something to show you," she told him as she leaned forward to grab a large brown envelope from the coffee table. Handing it to him, she encouraged him to open it. Fitz looked at the envelope curiously, and cautiously reached inside, pulling out a piece of paper.

"Liv," he breathed, taking in the beautiful building printed on it, "what is this?"

"It's a townhouse in Georgetown," she said softly. "It's big. Too big, probably. But it'll be ours."

Fitz wasn't often speechless, generally able to find the right words to express himself in any situation, but the only response he was capable off in that moment was to frame her face with both his hands, and show her how much he loved her with his mouth on hers. She melted into the kiss, drawing herself to his body and straddling his lap to be closer to him, before eventually pulling away.

"Do you like it?" she asked, scanning his eyes for any sign of hesitation. "Because it's not a done deal yet, we can keep looking if you want but I-"

"Liv," he cut her off. "I don't even need to see it to know that I love it. It's perfect. It's our house."

"It's our house," she repeated, ecstatic, before leaning in to kiss him again.

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When she walks into the Grant Institute that morning, the most surreal sense of… right settles over her. Fitz is teasing her about the fact that she wouldn't hold his hand, jabbing her side as he walks with her, smirking at her failing attempts to hide a smile. He was right about the fact that they should have been begging to have her work at the Institute, it's below her paygrade, but she doesn't care about the money anymore. She has had an incredible career, has achieved more as White House secretary and Chief of Staff to the President and CEO of her own company than most people could possibly dream of. Now was the time to use her strengths as a force for good, to take advantage of her contacts and her power to help those who can't help themselves, and to do it with Fitz by her side. She couldn't be more excited.

"Okay, Ms. Pope," Fitz jokes as they reach what is now her office, "have a good first day. I'll let you get settled in."

"Thank you, Fitz." she smiles back at him, reaching out to squeeze his hand gently before moving inside the office.

She doesn't need a tour, already acquainted with where everything was, and Lucia, a promising young associate, had a case she needed help with that Olivia had already agreed to take on. Shrugging out of her coat, she takes a minute to sit at her desk and take in her new view.

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She raps on his door that evening before sauntering over to where he was seated at his desk.

"You ready to go, Mr. President?" she asks, a flirty lilt to her tone.

He reaches out to pull her in by the thighs in lieu of an answer but she swats his hands away.

"I seem to recall you didn't used to mind me feeling you up in the office," he points out, pouting in mock hurt.

"Yeah, well, I didn't used to get to take you home with me either, which do you prefer?" she retorts.

His gaze softens at that and he immediately makes a show of tidying away the documents he was working on, causing her to dissolve into laughter. When he has his things gathered, he offers Olivia his arm, and this time she takes it, happy to end her first day with the love of her life by her side.

"So, how was day one?" he asks as they make their way out.

"It was really productive," Liv replies. "I think we're really onto something with this case. Lucia has a great eye for detail…" She rambles on and his heart squeezes in his chest. He hasn't seen her this animated in possibly years, had almost forgotten she could get like this, but he's so glad the light has found its way back into her soul.

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Olivia's favorite part of their new home is the window seat in the bedroom. It is the perfect spot to unwind after a busy day, the cushions she has decorated it with making it comfy enough to relax on, and the view of their backyard meditative in itself. Fitz insists he's going to be able to keep it that way but it's their first night in the place and Olivia is already doubtful, half a mind to get the number of a good gardener just in case. She's drawn from her thoughts by his voice behind her, and she turns to him.

"Come downstairs?" he asks. "Miss you all the way up here."

Any other day she would roll her eyes at his neediness, but she wants to be close to him too, so she follows him to the kitchen where he's in the middle of preparing their dinner, propping herself up on the island to watch him work. It should be illegal to look that sexy while making pasta sauce, she thinks, eyes fixated on his forearms as he stirs.

Breaking the silence that had settled between them, she says, "You know, I'm not actually that hungry."

"You're not?" he asks, an eyebrow raised, suspicious of her tone before even meeting her gaze.

"Nope." She bites her lip, hooking a foot around his leg to draw him towards her. "You know, I can't help but notice these counters are a really good height."

He glances down to where their hips are perfectly in line, desperately holding in a laugh as he replies, "Oh, did you?"

"Mmm," she affirms, ghosting her lips against his and nodding. "Almost as if it was planned."

"Almost," he agrees, finally pressing his lips to hers, opening his mouth to deepen the kiss.

"Fitz," she breathes, "I want to christen our kitchen."

"Oh, I'm so glad," he manages between kisses, "because so do I."

A/N: Please let me know what you think! Also if there is anything in particular you want to see, either in the next chap (planning to make it about Liv's pregnancy) or just in general, let me know and I'll see if I can fit it in! You can leave it here on catch me on twitter popexpaulsen.