A/N: Still with this story also. Hope you enjoy. Happy reading.

Chapter 11

Ten Years Ago

Liv's phone rang not too long after her first game as a senior. It was Quinn calling. "Hey Quinn, what's up?"

"What do you mean what's up? I went on the Bama Prep website, you killed it in your first game. I am just making sure no one cheats you out of the scholarship you deserve. You did great today. How do you feel?"

"I'm feeling good. Lonely, but good. It's sad to look out in the stands and see no one there for you. I didn't have this problem there because I was injured. At least there, though the baseball team cheered on the softball team."

"You don't get that there because you chose to jump ship to an all-girls school." Quinn finished.

"Yeah, an all-girls school." Olivia echoed. "So how is your year without Charlie there, must be lonely for you as well."

"It is, we talk every night, and he visits on the weekends. I've been going home so we can spend time together. I am not chancing get caught with him here, like you said, the penalty isn't worth it, not my senior year anyway."

Olivia then realized what Fitz had chanced having her over that weekend. It was his senior year, and he was taking a chance on getting caught, possibly expelled. Guilt overcame her again; she should have just called.

"You still there Liv?" Quinn's voice came back through.

"Yeah, still here. We have to get you down here for a game. It would be nice to look over and see you in the stands. I'll see when my parents are coming down again and maybe you can hitch a ride with them, if you don't mine driving that long with them."

"You kidding, I can bother your dad the whole way down. I can tell him about all the boys you dated here on campus."'

"Don't even play like that. You know how he is. He's still bitter over my junior prom fiasco, just keep the conversation about softball and academics, and it will work."

"I still can't believe you're a virgin. You better do something about that before you head off to college. Stop being a goody shoes, live a little Liv."

Liv laughed. If only Quinn knew. "I have someone in my heart, let's see what happens. I have to go."

Present Day

A week after their dinner with Mason, Liv and Fitz were heading to NY to finally break the news to Quinn and Charlie. This was going to be interesting, and Liv was looking forward to Quinn's reaction, even though she thought of wearing a helmet for protection.

"Stay here." Liv instructed Fitz as she was about to enter Alfredo's. "I'll text you when to come in."

"You better hurry, a good-looking guy like myself may not last on a busy street corner like this." He kissed her as she opened the door. She spoke to the host who pointed her in the direction of the table.

Quinn's back was to her, and Charlie saw her approaching. Liv put her finger on her lips for Charlie to keep quiet and Liv covered Quinn's eyes from behind. Quinn grabbed Liv's hands.

"You friggin' dork." She jumped up and hugged Olivia, making her purse fall to the floor. "Where the hell is mystery guy?"

Liv gave a Charlie a kiss hello and turned to Quinn. "Relax, have a seat. He's on his way in." Liv sat down and grabbed a piece of bread from the table, picking at it. She pulled her phone out and sent the text.

"I swear Pope if this is some kind of prank and dumbass Jake comes walking in, I am going to pounce you. No, I'll pounce him first, then you."

Liv laughed and her face lit up when she saw Fitz approaching.

Quinn's eyebrows crossed. "Liv, I haven't seen you smile like that since high school." Quinn looked at Charlie who looked stunned as he stood up and Quinn shot her head around and looked up at Fitz.

She looked back at Liv, who was still smiling and now nodding her head. "Quinn, I believe you know Fitzgerald Grant."

Charlie walked over to him, put his hand out that Fitz grabbed in a shake, and they gave a pat on the shoulders. "Hey Fitz, man, good to see you again. Still in the Navy?"

Fitz nodded. "Sure am, and I hear you're CIA, we should team up one day, take over the government." Fitz laughed then looked at Quinn.

"Quinn, how are you? I haven't seen you since I annoyed you in the library." Fitz smiled.

Quinn pushed his shoulder. "Which was like every day. What the hell?" She gave him a big hug, as he sat down.

Quinn pushed Liv's hand; Liv's other hand was interlocked with Fitz's. "Tell me you dated in high school." Then Quinn stopped. She squinted at Liv. "That weekend, Valentine's weekend." She looked at Fitz. "That was you? You broke her heart?"

"Wait." Liv interrupted. "Who said my heart was broken?"

Quinn tilted her head, tightened lips. "Come on Liv, anyone could tell, I could tell just in your voice when you ran off to Alabama." She looked at Fitz. "Was that because of you?"

"Easy Quinn. I was going to Alabama regardless, I got the scholarship and my father, well, you know my father."

"Yeah, but you two didn't keep in touch or anything. Ok, something happened, and you didn't tell me? LIV!"

The server came over. "Shall we order." Liv cleared her throat and looked over at Fitz smiling. This was going to be fun.

"I knew you weren't a virgin when we talked before you went back for your senior year. Why the hell didn't you tell me sooner?" Quinn turned to Fitz. "And you, you are so lucky her name never got leaked." Quinn picked up her water glass, taking a big sip from it.

"So I've heard." Fitz smiled at Quinn. "I did enough damage to her; I wasn't going to do it again."

"So it was you all along?" Charlie looked at Fitz. "Is that the reason you left our teams high and dry, no championships?"

Fitz nodded. "I couldn't do anything Charlie; it was hard to breathe at times. You should know, how did you feel when you and Quinn were apart her senior year."

"Yeah, that was rough, especially with the training I had in the CIA. Speaking of training, I heard you nailed it at Top Gun, that's impressive."

"Missing Liv every day, it was the only way I could get through. Toughest twelve weeks of my life."

The server came with the food. Liv's eyes widened when she saw the size of the steak Quinn had ordered. "Uh, are you a bit hungry?"

"Eating for two." Quinn smiled at Charlie. "We're expecting. I'm four months along."

"Oh my God, Quinn!"

"Yep, need to live it up while we can. These date nights will be fewer once the little one comes along.


It was a great evening spent with old friends. On the way back to Liv's, Fitz took her hand at a red light. "You ok?"

"Great, I am so happy for Charlie and Quinn. She's going to be a great mom."

"I have to agree, she will be badass." Fitz pulled the car over finding a parking space and held on to Liv, so she didn't get out.

Liv looked down at his hand on hers. "Fitz, what's going on? Come on in."

"I can't. I start duty at midnight. Liv, your father called me. He wants to do lunch on Sunday."

Liv just stared at him. "Ok, I am free on Sunday."

"No, he wants just me there, he made it clear not to bring you and not to even tell you about it, so please don't say anything."

Liv nodded slowly. "Ok, I won't say anything." Fitz could tell though something was on her mind.

"What do you think it's about?" Fitz was curious.

"I have no idea, my father can be filled with surprises, just don't let your guard down, let him do the talking. I mean he already knows our story except for what you told Simon, so I don't know what his intentions are." Liv rested her head on his shoulder.

"Come on, let me walk you up. I am going to miss you tonight, Ms. Pope."

Freshman Year (Alabama)

Liv had just returned to her dorm from the team's winter meeting. She was the star freshman, and the coach had no problem announcing it to the team. A large weight was put on Liv's shoulders to succeed, and she was worrying she may let the team down.

Over the past summer her parents had come down to Alabama, rented a house, so Liv could stay down there and prepare for a life of four years on campus. In between softball camps and team meetings, Liv had to entertain her father easing his fear of her being able to stay healthy.

She didn't want to call him with every pain she experienced, but she had a dull pain in her back that seemed to be lasting for a few days. Figuring it was just something she ate that hadn't passed, she didn't say anything.

Liv's father picked up the phone when the doctor from the Alabama University Hospital called later that night. His daughter was brought in unconscious, and he needed clearance from a medical guardian about treatment.

Liv's parents were on a plane within an hour. It was the longest two and a half hours on a plane the two had ever spent. It took another never ending half hour to get to the hospital.

Olivia had been admitted through an ambulance upon receiving a 911 call from Jaz, her roommate. Jaz had been awakened with a call of her name, a loud thump, and some moaning. This was right before Liv passed out.

Liv had tried to get out of bed and failed miserably. She fell to the ground, hitting her head in the process. She would later tell Jaz the pain in her side was unbearable and she shouldn't have tried to move, when she did she had no balance and fell.

Arriving at the hospital with a 103 fever and pains in her side, stomach, and back, according to Jaz, they completed a cat scan. Liv was diagnosed as having a kidney infection due to an untreated UTI . The prognosis was good, but she would spend several days in the hospital.

The doctors had to be certain the infection did not spread to her abdomen or into her blood stream, which could deem fatal.

Also due to the fall trying to alarm Jaz, they were treating Liv for a slight concussion and had to monitor her for the next few days. The priority being to get the fever down and begin her immediately on anti-biotics.

Liv made a full recovery with no effects. Once her parents went home, she felt relieved. Lying in her bed that night, she thought of Fitz. What if he had been called overseas? Would he have been able to come see her?

It would just worry him while he was over serving his country. Liv turned and faced the wall. She finger wrote his name on the wall, putting a heart around it, thinking of how it was better they had no contact with one another. Had he been notified, he would have just worried, and she didn't want that for him.

She tried to listen to the news every day about the events and conflicts going on over in the Middle East. It was becoming harder to stay on track because of her softball duties and classes.

She tried to get information through Nathan, but Nathan had lost his contact he had in the Navy and Liv didn't know anything that was going on. She checked the names each day, just to make sure he wasn't one of the casualties.

She fell asleep, not in a hospital bed, for the first time in two weeks. As much as she told herself she was relieved Fitz didn't know, she couldn't help but want the comfort of his arms.

Would she ever be over him? Liv didn't think so, even as she was anticipating her start of softball season and thanking the Good Lord she was healthy enough to keep her starting position.

Present Day

Eli Pope sat in the small café just outside the military base where Fitz was serving. He was watching the sights outside while sipping his cup of coffee. He saw a gentleman walking with his daughter. His young daughter had a baseball mitt on one hand and was holding her father's hand with the other.

She was looking up and nodding, no doubt getting instructions about playing the game. Eli smiled to himself. That was the age Olivia went to her first softball camp. He knew she had a talent the first time he saw her field a ball.

Her speed out of the box only added to her talent and Eli vowed he would do anything to get her into her dream school on a full scholarship. He didn't mean to be so hard on her, but Olivia never put her talent first.

Eli remembered the phone call that night from the doctor. His heart was pounding the whole time getting to the hospital and all he could think of was losing his baby girl. He felt guilty about wanting her to just focus on softball, staying healthy, because that could be the reason she was in a hospital bed.

Having been lectured by Maya after the dinner with Fitz, Eli realized the love his daughter had for this man and for the length of time she had it. From what he witnessed, the young man felt the same way about Olivia and Eli wanted to talk to him.

He had to admit to himself, as a father, he never saw his daughter as happy as she was when she was with Fitz. Ever since she agreed to move to Alabama, he knew something was missing from his little girl. Not being able to pinpoint it, he had her focus on softball, figuring that would cure it.

Now she's a successful lawyer, working the job she wanted. He needed to know Fitz would never hurt her again and there were times she could be fragile.

"Mr. Pope." Eli looked up to see Fitz standing at the table.

He put his hand out to shake and gestured to the seat across. "Fitz, thank you for coming, please have a seat."

After ordering their food, they began talking, subject being about only Olivia. Fitz remembered what Liv had said and let Eli lead the conversation.

"You love my daughter?"

Fitz put his utensils down. He looked the man right in the eye. "Sir, with all my heart, with all my being, my every feeling in controlled by the look on her face, by the thought of her face. I spent six years overseas fighting in a war, and all I could think about was her. She got me through the worst times of my life, and I wasn't even in contact with her."

Eli's hands were folded by his mouth. Fitz was honest, serious, and even Eli could feel the love he had for Olivia.

"She's left a few boys, men, I should say, heartbroken. I could never understand her reasoning, but I get it now. She felt the same way about you as you did for her. Her four years at Alabama, despite her success, she was missing you."

"We've established that. Liv and I have no secrets anymore, sir. We want to move forward, happily, and catch up all the time we have lost."

They had finished their meal and before leaving Eli told him of Olivia's health problem. "There was a time we almost lost her in Alabama. The kidney infection had spread to her bloodstream, but they had her on the right medication and she was able to recover."

Fitz had no idea; he took a long hard swallow. "Sir."

Eli put his hand up. "Don't hurt her. She worked hard, despite her sadness, she's come so far, don't hurt her. Her happiness with you is unique and I want you to know, not that it matters, you have my blessing to move forward. I love my daughter Commander, and I will stop at nothing to make sure she is happy."

"Thank you, Sir, Mr. Pope. I have no intentions of ever hurting her again."

"How long have you two been together? Since the reunion?" Eli asked Fitz

"It will be two months next week. The following week schools in Trenton are on Spring Break. I am going to try to work out something with the base and see if we can have our first vacation."

Eli nodded. "Well, we hope to have you over again before then. Thank you for you company, Commander." He dropped some cash on the table and left.

Operation Enduring Freedom

"Squadron Commander Grant, come in." The ship was trying desperately to get in contact with Fitz. His plane had been hit by enemy fire and radio contact was lost.

A bit of static and nothing. Fitz was trying to answer the call but trying to control the plane. He was dropping, altitude dipping fast. He had no more time and he deployed from his aircraft.

He heard gunfire in the distance. He had fallen into a combat zone, with no weapons. He found a ditch, one deep enough to hide in, but look out as well. The gunfire was getting closer, Fitz was hoping the Marines would be first to his arrival.

Hearing orders being yelled, in English, Fitz peeked out of his ditch. He heard the grounds commander radio in the wreckage had been found, but no sign of the pilot. Fitz put his head out, the Captain of the grounds battalion noticing him and began to run over.

"Sir", one of the soldiers yelled and there was gunfire. That was the last thing Fitz remembered before waking up in the infirmary with a bullet to his shoulder.

Connors was by his side, and when he saw Fitz finally open his eyes, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Jesus, man I thought you were a goner. Only you would get in shot in the shoulder and smash your head on a rock going down. The amount of blood was horrible."

Fitz blinked open his eyes remembering the plane going down. "The rest of the Squadron?", he whispered to Connors.

"All good Fitz, you got them to safety and took one for team. We really thought you were dead."

Fitz gave a small smile. "Nice try Connors but that would leave you in charge, which would be murder, I wouldn't die for that reason."

Connors laughed. "Get your rest. You're out of commission for eight weeks, so I'll be hearing your sexy voice over the radio in combat missions. Your shoulder had a shattered bullet and your concussion kept you out cold for five days. I had to call your father, he's worried sick."

Fitz nodded. "I'll call him later." He turned looking out towards the desert sand. Olivia, he thought, his Livvie. What if he had died? How would she know, would she ever find out, would she even care?

He closed his eyes in sadness. He would do anything to feel her touch right now. He thought of how she would comfort him, make him feel better. Would she forgive him knowing he almost died?

Connors patted his hand. "Get some rest man, ok, you're on the road to recovery. We can't wait to have you back."

Fitz drifted off to sleep, his dreams as they had been the past two years, that of Olivia and his yearning to hold her close to him again. Little did he know he was dreaming of her from a hospital bed, the same as she was. Both having near death experiences at the same time and both never knowing how close they had come to losing one another.

Present Day

"Because it wasn't his story to tell, Mom, that's why. If I wanted Fitz to know about the illness I would have told him, I was going to tell him." Olivia took a deep breath. "When it comes to Fitz, mom, please tell daddy to stay out of it."

"Baby girl, I usually do, but this time he meant well, he only wants what is best for you. He wanted to let Fitz he has no ill feelings towards him. Talk to Fitz, see how the lunch went, you'll be pleasantly surprised."

"Usually when it comes to dad, the pleasantly is left out, and I am left with the element of surprise." Liv looked up hearing the knock on her door. "I'll call you later mom, I love you."

After peering through the slot, Liv was pleasantly surprised. Not because of her father, because it was an unexpected visit from Fitz. She swung the door open.

"Hi", he held up a bakery box. "Thought you would like some cinnamon rolls." He held the box up and leaned in for a kiss.

"Hi" she kissed him. "I would love some cinnamon rolls. I think the eggs you bought went bad." She crossed her eyebrows. "I'm sorry."

Fitz walked in laughing. "It's fine, we'll get more. It's my fault, I never continued on the cookie lessons."

She placed the box down and sat next to him, resting her head on his chest.

"How did it go with dad?"

He put his finger on her jaw and turned her head to face him. Her looking up at him, him looking down at her. "You almost died."

Liv's shoulders slumped. "He's being dramatic. It wasn't that bad."

"Whenever you're in the hospital, it's that bad. It was scary hearing him describe it, I would have been there for you."

Liv caressed his face. "You had a job to do Fitz, one you worked hard to get, I couldn't expect you to be there. Besides, why would you be, I pretended you didn't exist." She buried her face in his chest feeling bad now.

"Well, if it's any help, I was in the infirmary over in Afghanistan about the same time. My plane was shot down, then I was shot, and I busted my head open on a desert rock. Fun times. I was out cold for five days."

Liv looked up at him. "Fitz", she whispered. "How would I ever have known if I lost you?"

He shrugged. "But you didn't. Trust me, I thought of that. I guess Mason would have let you know eventually." He connected his forehead with hers. "We didn't lose each other, and there's a reason for that."

Fitz connected his lips with hers, softly kissing her as her arm went around his shoulders. He pushed her back and took his shirt off. Liv continued her kissing down to his jaw, pecking his neck, and down his chest. She stopped at his abs and pulled her shirt off, braless, just the way he liked it.

Before she went back down on him, he held her out to look at her. "I am one lucky guy." He licked his lips and kissed her stomach. "Is this where it hurt?" He moved his head over a bit. She felt his soft wet kisses, her hand on his curls. "Or here?"

He moved his head over to the other side. "Was the pain here?" His lips cupped her beautiful brown skin and she picked his face up by his chin, burying her lips on his.

"It doesn't hurt anymore." Deep breath words between kisses. "It won't ever hurt again, with you here." They stood up together, undressing one another.

Fitz overpowered her, kissing her and leading her into the bedroom. She could feel him growing down below and her kisses were more urgent now down his neck, to his shoulders, back up to his lips.

He sat on the bed, and Liv straddled him, sitting up. She didn't think they would be laying down for this one. She had him right where she wanted him, feeling his hands go up and down her back. She looked down at him. "You aren't dying on me Commander, you hear that."

"Dear God, I hope not, I would miss this so much." He looked up at her and pulled her down, feeling his dick slide into her wet entrance.

He put both hands on each of her hips and watched her body bob up and down, feeling himself deep in her. Her head thrown back and her hands caressing her own breasts, he heard the sexiest of moans.

His lips found her stomach again, his fullness still in her as her hands now gripped his hair for leverage. "I can't stand the thought of ever losing you Livvie." He closed his eyes against her stomach and felt her body bounce up on him.

She grabbed his face once more pulling him up into a mind blowing kiss, as her body tensed against him, all the while straddled over him. Once her head landed on his shoulder, signaling how weak he had made her, he held her in place and emptied himself with a deep breath.

He backed up on the bed, pulling her on top of him and kissed her passionately until she rested her tired body by placing her head on his chest. "I love you so much Fitz, sometimes it hurts."

He held her hand that was rubbing his chest. "I love you too Olivia, the strain of ten years lost stills aches me."

They just laid like that in silence for a few minutes. Fitz closed his eyes with what he had to say. He had been putting it off for a few days, but now he needed to let her know.

"I have to go to Nevada for a month. I know the schools have spring break coming up, but I have to instruct a class of Top Gun recruits for a month. I was hoping, during their break, you could take a vacation and come out to the base with me for ten days."

Liv looked up at him, both worried and concerned. "Does it include combat?"

"Mock combat, nothing dangerous, just rigorous. What do you say, will you come?"

"To Nevada?" Liv smiled.

"Yeah, and I can take two days and we can go visit my dad in California. Would you like that?"

Liv nodded smiling from ear to ear. "I would love that. I can even get two weeks off if Bess is willing to take the final leg of the grant workload."

"Really?" Fitz sounded like a kid that was offered a lollipop.

"Really."

"You know." Fitz began putting her hair behind her ear, "what's in Nevada, Las Vegas."

"Yeah and? You don't seem like the gambling type." Liv said

"Maybe not the gambling type, but the chapel type, the wedding chapel type."

Liv's eyes shot up to his. "You want to elope, in Vegas." She was seriously considering it.

"YOLO, isn't that what the kids say?"

"I'm all for it Commander Grant." She buried her lips once more on her soon to be husband. "Let's do it."

Fitz wrapped his arms tightly around his Livvie. Never again would he lose her, near lose her, or not be by her side when she needed him the most. He didn't care about a big wedding, he just wanted her to be his wife. He rested his head on hers and drifted off for a nap.

Liv's arm was wrapped around his waist. For ten years she wanted him as a husband. She could do without the bridesmaids and fancy expensive wedding. All she wanted, all she needed was him, and he wanted the same. She closed her eyes, drifting into nap with Fitz.

Soon, she would be Mrs. Grant, and since she was 16, it was all she dreamed about. She loved this man a bit more now, he makes her dreams come true.