Secrets 12-Reality

A/N: If you guys haven't figured it out by now, I don't work on Tuesdays. I wrote some this morning, then took a quick nap before finishing this chapter. I love reading all the reviews. Please feel free to express yourselves about our couple and all the people around them. It sometimes helps me figure out which thought I should write into the next chapter. So let's get back to the story shall we.

Happy Reading!

It had been two weeks since Max had been sentenced and one day since Mellie's death, Angela after seeing the news about Olivia, Max, Fitz, and Mellie finally came to Washington to see Max before he was shipped off to federal prison.

Max picks up the phone "Hey Ang. How's my little guy doing?"

"He fine, but that's not why I'm here. You lied to me. You told me you loved me, but you attack Olivia because she is with another man and carrying his baby. What happen to divorcing her and marrying me Max?" Max drops his head because he has no answers for her. "Plus, the child support stopped. Did they put a freeze on your money?"

He finally looks up. "I'm sorry Angela, I have nothing. Liv took me for everything in the divorce. She outsmarted me and took everything. I could not even afford a lawyer. I had to get a fucking public defender. I tried reaching out to you but the bitch I asked to contact you played me."

Angela's face forms a frown "What do you mean you have nothing? How in the hell did you let her take everything? What about the house you promised me, what about our son? How am I supposed to take care of him? Because of you putting my damn name out there I was fired from the team."

"Fuck Angela, I've spent over 500,000 on you. I got 25 fucking years. There is nothing I can do for you or my son and for that I am sorry. Did you save any of that money?"

"Because I'm not stupid yes I did. It's a good thing too seeing you won't be around to help me raise him."

Max shifts in his seat "Where is my son anyway? Why didn't you bring him with you?"

With a deadly glare "I'm not bringing my son to this place. You did not have to be here. You chase after your wife because she was more important shows me where your priorities were. He is my priority and a place like this is no place for a child."

"Come on Ang, I need to see my son."

She begins to get upset "No Maxwell you come on. The reality of this all is that you wasn't thinking about your son when you felt the need to attack Olivia because she was with another man. How the hell do you think that made me feel? You got me out here looking stupid. If you loved me none of this would have happened, so I'm sorry Max you're on your own. Our son will be 27 years old when you get out of prison. Until he's old enough to choose to want to see you I won't be back. You left me out here to fend for myself and raise our son alone. Now I have to somehow explain to him why daddy isn't coming back." She begins to cry "Why did you lie to me?" But before he could answer she answers for him. "Because you are still in love with Olivia that's why! I hope you rot in this place." She quickly stands and walks past the guard and out the door with Max calling after her.

….

Within three days Mellie funeral services had taken place. Marcus of course paid his respects and promise Mellie's parents they could stay in Teddy life. They were his grandparents after all.

The investigation was quick. Within two days of the shooting Gerry used his resources to shut the story down after the exclusive report was given to Kimberly Mitchell and she spun it in the Grants favor. This created a ton of business for both Olivia and Fitz, but neither had yet to return to work.

It had now been a week since the shooting and Liv spent that week with Fitz. Fitz was a bit worried about Liv because she continued to say she was fine, but he could sense she wasn't. She did not want to talk about what happened. Each time he brought it up she would become quiet and say it's over and she didn't want to talk about it. He watched as she gathered her clothing. "Liv what are you doing?"

Without looking at him she continues taking her things from the closet. "I need to go home. I've been here an entire week. Jay has been asking when I'm coming back. The team has been calling. I need to go back to work. I have so much to catch up on. It looks like my client list just got bigger." She stops and turns to him "I love being here with you Fitz, but I need to get back to work."

What Olivia was not saying is that she was having trouble dealing with the reality of everything. If is now dawning on her that she did indeed loved Max and needed to deal with those feelings. She was afraid to admit that to Fitz because she was also falling in love with him. How could she have feelings for two men? Why did she still love Max after what he'd done to her? She needed time to sort through her feelings, but she couldn't do that being in Fitz space. He deserved better. He deserved more. He deserved honesty. She needed time to figure it all out before she attempted to explain it all to him. Truth be told she did not know how to explain it to herself.

He stands from the bed and walks over to her. "You can go to work from here. You have at least five work suits, are you sure you're ready to return to work." He questions while rubbing her stomach. "I don't want you to go."

"Baby just come by my place tonight if you'd like. I really need to be getting back home. I have to figure out what to do with the house. I have clients that will only deal with me. I love our little bubble with just us, but the real world awaits me, and you also need to get back to work. I also just need a little time to clear my thoughts."

"Livvie I have to be honest with you. I can't stay the night in another man's home. It's a man thing. Just come back tonight, please?"

Liv stretches up and kisses him "I'll see what I can do. Oh, and we have an appointment with the OB this Friday at 2 so be sure to mark your calendar." She states deflecting from Fitz original question

"Already engrained in my memory. Friday at 2." He helps her with her bags placing them in the trunk of her car before kissing her goodbye. She was barely out of the driveway and he was already missing her, but he remembered her telling him that sometimes she holds her emotions inside and with time she'll talk. He just needed to give her time.

…..

Olivia and Fitz would find returning to work was long overdue. Both individual businesses had picked up greatly on cases and that meeting after work would not happen. Long hours became a necessity that entire week. Just a goodnight call was all they had for the moment, both hopeful that the weekend would be much better.

It is almost 10:30 on a Thursday night and Liv is going over yet another case when she gets an unexpected visit from the past. "Liv this young lady says she knows you and needed to speak with you." Stephen states before slowly stepping to the side and allowing her in. Liv looks up from her paperwork and is shock at who she sees. "Abby?"

Abigail Whelan steps into Liv's office with a black eye, swollen lip, and torn stockings and what appeared to be pain in her upper body. "Liv I need your help." Liv with a shocked expression on her face swiftly walks over to Abby nodding to Stephen that she would take it from here. She guides a bruised Abby to the sofa. "Abby what happened?"

Abby slowly sits down. "Charles happened. Liv I'm so sorry I didn't believe you. I'm sorry for cutting you out of my life and taking his side over yours."

"Nevermind that, what happened?'

Abby and Liv were also college friends. They met on campus and just clicked. During their third year Abby met Charles Putney who was running for US Senate and they began dating. Liv never trusted Charles because of the way he spoke to Abby and the creepy vibe she got when he looked at her. Abby fell head over heels in love with Charles. They would get engaged within six months of dating. Liv tried to warn Abby about Charles, but it would be to late because Abby could see no wrong in the guy. Charles made sexual advances towards Olivia and she shot him down and read him in a way that only Olivia Pope could. This prompted Charles to claim Olivia made sexual advances towards him before Liv could speak with her. This created a fall out between Liv and Abby.

Abby would confront Liv not giving her a chance to defend herself. She would accuse he of being jealous and wanting what she had including her man. She would state that seeing that she couldn't trust Olivia that she didn't see them continuing to be friends. Liv was left hurt and dismayed but she would respect Abby's wishes. Abby would spend the next two years ignoring Olivia completely. Liv has not befriended a female ever since.

"He was beating me Liv. You were right not to trust him. You tried to tell me, but I wouldn't listen. Your warning became my reality because it didn't take long for him to start beating me. It was six months after we married. I became pregnant and Charles was not ready to have a child. I lost the baby. He would tell me how sorry he was and that he loved me. I was such a fool. I just can't take it anymore. I've already had a dental work and my jaw has been broken. You have to help me get out of this marriage. Please Olivia I am so sorry for what I did to you. Please forgive me, I saw you on television I drove all night to get here. I can't go back there. Please Liv." She cries and pleads

"Come'er." Liv states pulling Abby into a hug. "I'll help you Abby." She takes a moment to allow Abby to cry it out. "You don't have to worry about Charles, me and my team will take care of him. I will get you a divorce. I promise you that. So tonight, I will get you someplace safe to stay. I have a home that I'm currently not using you can stay there as long as you need. It's late so we will get things in motion tomorrow." Abby finally stops crying and she and Liv talk a bit more as Liv closes up for the night and drives Abby to the home, she once shared with Max after instructing Huck to get rid of her car since it was in Charles's name. They spoke on Liv's pregnancy, Abby's lost pregnancy. Their lives including Fitz, and everything that went down with Max. Everything was out there for the public and the reality of it was anyone who watched the news knew about it. Abby shared with Liv her destructive life while living with Charles. Abby had no room to judge so she just listened and shared. If felt like old times. Liv was her saving grace and she needed to make all the hurt she caused up to her. After showing Abby around the home Liv calls Fitz to pick her up. Leaving her car for Abby to use.

…..

Fitz pulls up and gets out and goes inside. Liv introduces him to Abby before they head back to Fitz place. Liv shares with him her and Abby journey as they drive. They arrive and hit the bed with no energy to talk as sleep immediately overtakes them both.

The following morning neither of them wants to get out of bed. The feeling of being wrapped in each other's arm feel too good. Liv also knows she needs to talk with Fitz about how she's been feeling lately so she calls Jay. "Hey Jay-man, I need you to handle everything today. Have Huck find out everything he can on Senator Charles Putney, create a kill folder and pull all medical records on Abigail Whelan-Putney. I need Stephen to start up divorce litigations for a swift divorce. Have Harrison check on Abby and make sure she has all she needs, also put a tape on the Senator's personal phone. I need this divorce to happen quickly Jay."

"Got it Liv, get some rest I got this. I'll call you when we have everything we need. Tell Fitz I said hello."

"Will do." Liv states before ending the call.

Fitz pulls her to him and kisses her on the neck. "So you're not going in today I take it?"

She turns to face him. "Can you take the day off. I really need to talk to you about somethings."

"Whatever you need Livvie." He reaches behind him and retrieves his cell phone from the nightstand. "Hey Tom, the Jamieson case, pushed the court date back to Monday. I need to handle something today, so I won't be in."

"Got it boss. I'll just have the team prep the witnesses again."

"That's cool. Call me if anything changes." He ends the call and turns his attention back to Olivia. "Done. You have my attention."

Liv sits up against the headboard and Fitz follows and does the same. Liv props her head on his shoulder. "Hold me Fitz." Her request barely above a whisper. He does "Now tell me my love, what's going on in that head of yours."

Liv exhales deeply before speaking "I loved him, Fitz. Max, I loved him. I think I still do, but I'm falling in love with you, and it feels wrong. All that man did to me and I still love him. I need to be honest with you about my feelings. I took my marriage serious. Nothing could convince me to defile it…that is until you came along. I felt drawn to you for months. It was a new and refreshing feeling. I wouldn't allow myself to admit my attraction to you even though I found myself watching for you, waiting for you, dreaming about you…making love to you. Then there you were. I had one moment of hesitation but once you crossed that fence, all my will power went out the window. I was on autopilot and you were the captain and now we're here and so are all those feelings. I don't know how to deal with loving two men. It's not fair to you for me to pretend as if Max is out of my system because he's not. You don't have to worry about me going back to him or anything like that. That ship has sailed. I don't care how much I care for him. You are who's most important to me now. You and our baby. I want to give only you my heart but, I'd be lying to you if I said I don't still love him"

A slight ting of jealousy comes over Fitz, but he does not act on it. Liv is being honest with him and opening up to him about her feelings. He had to respect that fact. He takes a moment to think before he speaks pondering over everything she said. "First off Livvie, thank you for opening up to me. I'm glad that you finally came to me on your own. I get it Liv. You were married to the man for two years. You are the type of woman that loves without trying. It's who you are. It's what drew me to you if I'm being honest. I don't expect you to suddenly stop loving someone who you were committed to. I'd be fooling myself if I did. You didn't say you were in love with him, you just said you still love him. That may never change. It's who you are. Take your friend Abby for instance. She was your best and only female friend you stated. She hurt you and pushed you out of her life, but you never stopped loving her, did you?"

Liv shakes her head no. "In fact, you didn't hesitate to help her out of her situation. How I see it that's the same love you have for your ex. It's not a romantic type of love but a genuine one. The kind that all people should have. You don't hold grudges you hold hurt. That's what makes you feel the way you do. Once you can deal with and heal from that, then you can move forward. Don't feel guilty because you are falling in love with me, because that's a different kind of love. To love someone and be in love with someone is two totally different things. What you feel for him is genuine and what you are starting to feel for me is internal. It runs deep. It feels different, it includes desire, and want. It becomes a need to have that person on a deeper level in your life. You dream of a future with that person, you want to give that person all of you, you imagine having children with that person. All the things I see and want when I think of you, and from what I can tell you see and want from me as well."

He rubs circles over her arm as he speaks. This creates a calm in Liv she never knew she needed. This man was amazing. He always had the answers. This is just the kind of man she needed in her life. One that work together with her to solve any problem. A man that wasn't selfish. She loved his confidence. He never came across as narcissistic or conceited, just strong, and confident. His loving nature was just what she needed. She hadn't even realized that the heavy weight that was weighing her down had lifted. The mix emotions were no longer there. Everything he said brought her clarity. She now understood why she felt conflicted and because of Fitz that confliction was now gone. It was now clear to her that she was in love with Fitz. Her reality was undeniable now.

"Thank you, baby. I needed to hear that. Thank you for helping me sort out my feeling, for hearing me out and not getting upset, for you understanding. It's as if a weight has been lifted off of me and I can see clearly now…That I too am in love with you. I don't just love you Fitz, I'm in love with you too. I know that now. You've helped me sort out my feelings and now I can separate the two. For that baby I love you and very sure that I'm in love with you too."

"I know." He states and kisses her deeply awakening desire in both of them and spending the rest of the day making love and just enjoying what real love feels like. This was their new reality.

A/N: I almost wrote smut in this chapter but I'm not sure how you all feel about it even thought this is Rated M. I personally love it but sometimes it becomes a bit much for some readers. So, when I write it now, I will write it with a bit more elegance and less profanity.

Until next time…Keke