A/N: I do hope to hear from you in the reviews if you're still following the story I originated as a one shot. Just when I think I'm out of ideas for this, something pops to mind and here I am writing. Happy reading. Enjoy.
Chapter 12
Ten years ago
It was his secret place. Only Fitz knew why this small space behind the library was so important to him. It was where she kissed him, he couldn't believe it when it happened. She. Kissed. Him. This was where he felt her soft lips for the first time.
Looking around now, memories filled his mind. In front of him the parking lot where the lights of her father's car had come into view that night. The small wall he sat on now, where he was sitting when she pulled his lips to hers. Now, the smell, the scent of vanilla, he didn't know if it was her body wash or her lotion, but it never left him, not after she ran out on him. The scent of vanilla haunted his sense of smell.
Coming here often, more often than anyone knew, this was his "thinking only of Livvie" place. Sometimes when he couldn't sleep, he would sneak out of his dorm and come and sit on the wall, wondering what she was doing in Alabama. He wanted to do something to make this place special, a never forgotten shrine for him and their first kiss.
He remembered movies where children, teens, would carve their initials in a tree with a heart around them. It would symbolize the place they first kissed. How could he do something like that here? He continued to look around and try to think of something creative before he graduated.
Laz was a friend since freshman year. He wasn't a good a friend as Mason, but he was always with Fitz in the classes they had together and would occasionally eat lunch together. Knowing how talented Laz was, Fitz asked him a favor and Laz was happy to help.
A week before graduation, Fitz went late into the hour of the night. He pulled out a shiny shape from his pocket. It was a gold heart, small, metal, and engraved. Laz had the tools and the talent to engrave and carve anything and Fitz gave him weatherproof gold metal.
Laz engraved the initials FTG and OCP onto the heart. The FTG on the top and OCP on the bottom. It was beautiful and Fitz couldn't wait to finish his idea.
He used a masonry drill and found a small, hidden spot on the small wall. One would have to lean back to see it, and that's what Fitz was doing now. He was leaning back and was able to screw the small heart shaped metal into the concrete wall. It wasn't much, but it was there.
Fitz gave it a rub and longed for the day he could bring Olivia back here and show it to her. He would show her he never forgot her and he loved her, he loved her before that weekend and after that weekend. He still loved her and doubted he would ever stop loving her.
He hopped down from the wall and took one last look at it. I would be the last time he would visit before graduating and going off to Top Gun Academy in Nevada. He only hoped one day he would return with Olivia on his arm and show her the small token of his love.
Present Day
Mr. Santos was so happy with the work Liv and Bess had accomplished on the grant, he not only gave Olivia her two-week vacation he was going to let her work the month of May out virtually with Bess and the school administrators.
Liv was on the phone with her mother. "Baby girl, Nevada? For how long?"
"A month." Liv couldn't contain her happiness.
"Girl, you going to elope?"
"Mom!" Liv couldn't pull anything over her mother's eyes.
"Well?"
"We're thinking about it." Liv confessed.
"You do, but you aren't getting out of a wedding here. I am showing off my daughter's man to all my friends, you hear me. So, elope if you want, but you're going to have a wedding regardless."
"That's a deal, mom. I have some packing to do, then we're heading to the airport. I'll call you when I get there. I love you."
"Love you too Baby Girl."
Liv hung up and Fitz knocked on the door. She dragged her suitcase to the door and placed it next to the other two bags. She had no idea what to pack so she packed just about everything.
Fitz looked at the three bags. "You understand we'll be in a tiny apartment on base right?"
Liv shrugged. "Is there a storage unit nearby?"
Fitz shook his head laughing. "Come on, we have a few stops to make before we head out."
"What time does the plane leave? Wait, what airline are we flying? Do you have the tickets? I've been so busy packing and getting ready, I didn't ask any of this."
Fitz stopped her. His hands on her shoulders and she looked up at him. "I love you so much Livvie." He laughed and gave her a kiss on her lips.
"I'm flying the plane. It's my plane, you and me on a plane, I'm the pilot. Does that turn you on?"
Liv smiled pulling him to her as her head rested on his chest. She squeezed him. "It sure does, but where are we going first?"
"Well, I have to go put all my bags back because I can't fit any of my things, you're bringing too much." He smirked
She whacked his shoulder. "Be quiet. Am I really bringing too much?"
"Yeah, but it's fine. I just have some things go do. Come on."
During the drive, Liv was deep in thought looking out the window as the car sped by other cars and trees. Fitz looked over towards her and grabbed her hand, interlocking his fingers with hers.
"Are you excited, Livvie?"
She looked at him. She let the grip go and rubbed his cheek. "I am so excited. I'm leaving Miss Pope and coming back Mrs. Grant. I've dreamed of this since I was 16."
Fitz took her hand from his cheek and gave it a kiss. "Look." He pointed. "Recognize this place?"
Olivia turned and looked out the windshield. "This is…." She looked again to be sure. "This is the parking lot behind the library at the Jersey Prep. What are we doing here?"
Fitz found a spot in the empty lot closest to the wall. Classes had ended for the year and graduation was getting close, but the campus was empty. "Remember that wall Livvie?"
Liv's shoulders slumped. "That's where I kissed you for the first time, I could never forget that."
"Come on, let's go reenact it." Fitz's eyebrows went up and down and they walked towards the wall holding hands.
Laughing as Fitz took his place seated on the wall, Liv grabbed his face and pulled him down for the kiss. It wasn't as quick as the first one, as Fitz held on, leaving his lips on hers as his tongue made its way deep in her mouth.
She stopped and rested her head on his shoulder. "It seems like yesterday. I remember my father's car coming in and I ran from you after you gave me your number." Liv smiled. "So why are we here?" She looked at him now, his eyes becoming the deep grey.
He blinked back some tears, took a swallow, and tried to find the right words to say. "After you left, I came here often. I thought of you, of our kiss, and of our future that would never happen. I would stare at the lot hoping for your father's car to come back and drop you off." He stopped, catching his breath.
"I smelled your vanilla lotion, or wash, or whatever it was. It came to me, it was all I could smell. I felt your lips, I thought of your smooth skin, and I longed for you every day."
"Fitz." Liv whispered. She was beginning to tear up.
"If this wall could share my thoughts it would talk for days. So, I did something. You know how first loves carve initials in trees?" Liv shook her head. "Well, I put a heart plaque, a tiny one into the concrete behind me. Our initials are on it, want to see?"
Liv covered her eyes, rubbing the tears away. "You didn't." she whispered.
"I did, here take a look." Fitz showed her how she would have to lean back and turn her head to see it clearly. "Think you can do that without me holding you?"
Liv shook her head and sat on the wall, while Fitz stood up. He watched her go back slowly.
"Oh my God, Fitz, that's beautiful." Her hand reached back, and she rubbed over the initials. FTG and OCP. She reached her other hand out. "Help me up Fitz."
She felt his hand grab hers and hold her ring finger. As she sat up, she felt a ring slip onto her finger. With the push of the ring and her sitting up, Fitz said "Marry me Livvie, be my wife."
She looked at the ring. A gorgeous 3 carat side stone diamond ring. She looked up, shocked, nodding her head yes. "Yes, Fitz, Oh my God, yes." She pulled him into a hug. "But I thought we were getting married."
"I wasn't going to marry you without a proper proposal." He kissed her hand. He looked around. "I figured this would be the perfect place, our first kiss, and now, our forever kiss." He planted his lips on hers as she pulled him close to her. All of her dreams coming true before her very eyes.
Ten Years Ago
The car was all packed and Liv feared the ride to Alabama would be a long and sad one. Her mother stayed behind, not able to miss too much time at her job. Liv was gearing for hours of awkward silence with her father.
There was a time, somewhere between the Carolina's when Olivia began to daydream off into the daylight. Her father was talking about batting averages, and she had tuned him out. For some reason, her mind went to the night she dared to kiss Fitz.
She closed her eyes, head turned entirely towards the window, so her father wouldn't see the tears building up. She could only see the blue of his eyes, almost smiling at her, as they engaged in their talking.
Liv had never been so daring, so sure of wanting something or someone as much as she wanted Fitz. As her hands cupped his face, she had no choice but to kiss him. As quick as it was, it stayed on her lips for the night.
Usually unable to remember her dreams the next morning, she remembered the one she had that night clearly. Her father didn't pull into the lot, as it really happened, instead, Fitz caressed her cheek and deepened the kiss.
He asked her that night to not only spend the weekend with him but to spend the rest of her life with him, to be his wife. Liv turned to him, in their spot of their first kiss and said yes. They continued on in kiss, and Liv woke up with a feeling of love in her heart.
That was supposed to be where he would propose to her, in her dreams, that was the spot he would propose. She was going to tell him one day what that place meant to her but now, she would never get the chance, all because of boy gossip.
"So do you think you can accomplish that in high school? It would be a feat to do in college, but I think you can in high school, if your focus is on the next two seasons. Liv, O-LIV-IA." Her father's deep voice got loud and Liv jumped out of the daydream.
"Runs in a season?" Liv asked to be sure that was the question, wiping a tear away before turning.
"Yeah, what do you think, are your ankles up for the challenge?" He smiled and patted her shoulder.
"I think so, you think I will get leadoff hitter, that would help the cause, huh?" Liv's mind turned to softball.
"Definitely, that's my girl. Drag bunt, drag bunt them to death, you'll reach first every time with your speed." He pounded the steering wheel. "Yes, that's what I'm talking about." He was smiling ear to ear as any proud father would.
Liv gave a slow blink, shaking her head. She could never tell him about Fitz, it would break his heart knowing how her heart was broken. Her father was right, focus, academics and softball. Get into college, things will all fall in to place.
Present Day
They sat on the wall for a few more minutes, not wanting the moment to end. Liv's head was sideways on his chest as Fitz caressed her back. He gave a gentle kiss to the top of her head, his hand rubbing over the ring on her hand.
"Penny for your thoughts Ms. Pope."
"I dreamed this would be the place you proposed to me, Fitz. The night I kissed you, I had a dream you would propose to me here, and here we are." Liv looked at up at him. "You make my dreams come true Prince Charming."
"I dreamed this is where you said yes to my proposal. I told you I could come here any chance I got and just thought of you. So, if I am Prince Charming, you are my Princess, and." He picked her up, cradling her in his arms. "Away we go, off in our chariot." He ran towards the car.
Liv squealed, holding onto the back of his neck. "Don't you fall, Fitzgerald Grant, I will never forgive you."
He stopped by the car door. He pushed her head towards his, "oh yes you will", and kissed her before opening the door and putting her in.
Liv's heart was pounding. She was looking out at a runway that seemed to go on forever. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she turned to watch Fitz.
He had on headphones and was saying something to tower, Liv was too nervous to understand. He looked over at her and rubbed her hand. "We'll be fine Livvie, do you trust me?"
She closed her eyes and nodded. "I trust you Fitz. I am just nervous. Besides you flying this thing is turning me on, is there an autopilot?"
"Naughty Livvie, very naughty. Change of plans though, we are going to Santa Barbara first then off to Nevada. My dad has to get back DC and we'll stay there for two nights. You ready." Liv heard the propellers begin to spin, and Fitz played with some buttons as the small plane began to move.
It was a gorgeous plane ride and being flown by the love of your life made it even more surreal. Fitz was a natural, in control the whole time. He pointed out controls to Liv and even let her steer the plane for about 2 seconds.
At one point, he was so focused on his route and controls, Liv just stared at him. In a few days she would be his wife. This beautiful man, flying them into the rest of their lives. She closed her eyes and thought about three months ago, how she longed for him, how she missed him.
Suddenly, they hit a pocket of turbulence and the plane dipped, not too much, but enough for Liv's stomach to drop with it. She covered her mouth and Fitz looked over at her. "Livvie, you alright? We're fine, it was just dip, nothing I can't control."
She nodded and unfastened her belt. She jolted to the bathroom, and just as the door opened, she emptied the contents of her stomach into the small opening the plane called a toilet bowl.
She reached over for a tissue to wipe her mouth, but another round came up, and she couldn't control it, as the contents emptied again. She covered her face with her hands, calming herself down. She had a feeling what it may be, and the plane ride was just adding to the nausea.
She hadn't told Fitz but packed in one of her bags were about five pregnancy tests. She hadn't taken one yet, and with this news of marriage and the engagement thrown at her, she had to wait until they were settled.
Now, with the news of going to Santa Barbara, would she have time to confirm it? If she calculated correctly, she was still just barely in her first trimester. She needed to see a doctor, but that would happen after the confirmation of the pregnancy test.
Liv had been so caught up in the grant writing, meetings, and Fitz, she didn't even realize she missed her period for two straight months. It was only when she felt a slight pain in her stomach, and then some vomiting, did she go buy the pregnancy tests.
Then Fitz whisked her to their place, asked her to marry him, and now she was on the plane, throwing up in a 2x4 bathroom. She took a deep breath, now feeling some pain in her back, because of the way she was sitting against the "bowl." She stood and rejoined Fitz up front.
"Everything ok?"
"Yeah, just a drop in my stomach that caused me get nauseous, I'm fine."
"Good, about twenty minutes to land."
Liv's Freshman year in college (recovery)
"Although you made a full recovery, Ms. Pope, the odds of this reoccurring is very high, you have to remember to always drink plenty of fluids and see your urologist frequently. Please remember to also mention this to your gynecologist as well." The doctor had discharged Liv from the hospital and wished her well.
"Baby Girl, this is serious. That urinary tract infection got into your blood stream, you cannot let that happen again. You heard the doctor, adhere to his advice." Her mother was talking as her father was wheeling her out of the hospital.
"You will be fine to start practicing in a few months for softball, so don't worry about the scholarship."
"Eli, would you please." Maya was shaking her head. "Forget softball for a damn minute, will you, this is her health. Not too long ago, you were in distress over it."
Liv rolled her eyes. "Will you two please stop. I'll be fine. I have the medicine and I'll finish it all, and yes, dad, I'll keep my strength up so I'm ready to practice in a few months, now stop bickering."
Back in her room, Maya kissed her forehead. "You were in so much pain. You scared me young lady."
"A kidney stone and urinary tract infection, yay me. That was brutal. One of the nurses said the pain from a kidney stone is worse than pain from being in labor." Liv gave a small smile.
"Well, let's not be able to compare it to labor pains for a long time, you hear. That's all your father needs." Maya laughed, holding Liv's hand.
"You know I told him I wanted to have his baby." Liv put her head down. "I told Fitz that weekend when he asked where I saw myself in ten years. I told him married with a child, with him." Liv covered her eyes while she rubbed them. "I thought of him a lot while I was in that hospital bed."
"Aww, honey, you never forget your first love. Things will get better." Maya said the words, but she didn't believe them. It's been almost three years, and not a day goes by Olivia doesn't talk about Fitz. She falls into the deepest depression on Valentine's Day. The past two, Maya had to talk to Liv for hours to stop her from crying.
"I still do, mom. I still want to have his baby." Maya pulled her in for a hug.
She didn't know what to say. "We'll just have to see what fate brings, Baby Girl."
Present Day
"Well, look at you, as beautiful as a rainbow in a dark sky. So you're the one Fitz has been numb over the past ten years, well I can certainly understand why." Gerry, Fitz's father gave Liv a tight, big hug. "You make yourself at home here, you understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"No sir, call me Gerry, please."
"Yes, Gerry, thank you."
"Dad." Fitz gave his father a big hug. "Glad you finally get to meet Olivia, the love of my life."
"I'm not arguing that, you waited a long time for her." He turned to Liv. "I couldn't even get him to take a girl out to dinner. He truly does love you."
Liv nodded, smiling. "I know Gerry, and I love him. You raised a wonderful man."
"Go on and put your things away, dinner will be in about an hour." Gerry walked away.
Liv cringed her back a bit, still feeling the dull pain. Fitz looked at her and could tell she was in pain. "Liv, everything ok?"
"I think I sat up against the bowl too hard on the plane, I am fine, I just need to lay down."
Fitz led her to his childhood bedroom and Liv looked around. "Oh my God, Fitz." On an enclosed shelf in the front of the room were dozens of self built model airplanes. "Did you make all of those?"
Fitz nodded. "My father helped with a lot of them, but yeah we built them ourselves. I told you he was always so supportive of me, that's why he wouldn't accept anything less than Top Gun."
"Really?" Liv was pointing at one of the posters still hanging up.
Fitz shrugged. "Who doesn't like Beyoncé in a swimsuit?"
"Shameless." Liv laughed. There was also a poster of Barak Obama speaking at his historic Inauguration and another poster of Britney Spears. "You had a thing for B's huh? Beyoncé, Barak, and Britney."
"Never noticed that." He pulled her too him.
"Ow, ooh, Fitz, easy." Again, Liv cringed.
"Livvie, you're making me nervous, you sure you're ok."
"I'm fine, really, I just need to lay down. Go spend some time with your father. Come up in an hour to wake me for dinner."
"Ok. I love you." He kissed her.
"Love you too."
As soon as Fitz closed the door, live grabbed two pregnancy tests. She went into the bathroom. The lucky kid had a bathroom in his own room. She settled them both down after following the directions.
Within five minutes, they both showed the same result and confirmed Liv's suspicions, she was pregnant. Liv stared at the tests and covered her mouth. She was beyond happy and wanted to scream for Fitz to come up.
The last thing she wanted to do, though, was scared him that she was hurt. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was smiling to herself. "Tell him when he wakes you for dinner." She saw herself cringe again as the pain got a bit sharper in her left side. She held on to her back and walked towards the bed.
Operation Enduring Freedom (infirmary) Fitz's recovery
By Fitz's fourth day in the infirmary, he was ready to pull his hair out. He was so bored, and although still seriously injured, he wanted so much to be on the battlefield.
He had played a thousand games of solitaire, completed hundreds of crossword puzzles, and read 15 books. Finally, Connors came and gave him a notebook and pen. "Knock yourself out. Write love letters to whomever you love and won't tell me."
"Thank you."
Fitz began writing each day to Olivia. It started out as just a few lines, then it went into a paragraph, and then into five paragraphs. At one point, he wrote five full pages before stopping.
He reminisced in the letters about having a family with her. He dreamed of marrying her, being with her by his side as they grow old. At one point, he wrote about her meeting his father and how happy Big Gerry would be for his son.
"You, Liv, are the personification of beauty. Your face, the thought of your touch, the love I know you still have for me, that's what gets me through these dark days. If ever our dream of having a family can come true, then I will forever count my blessings. I love you and will always love you."
Fitz turned the page of the notebook, but to his sadness, he had filled it up. Those were the final words he wrote in that notebook, and the next day he was released from the infirmary. He would mail the notebook to his father and ask the envelope enclosed in the box be put safely in his room.
One day, as he wrote, he hoped to bring Olivia to his ranch in Santa Barbara and he would show her the notebook and they would read it together. Hopefully, she will be holding their baby on her lap as they scan through the pages.
Present Day
Going up the stairs to wake Liv up for dinner, Fitz remembered the notebook. His father told him where it was stored, still in the envelope he mailed it in. He made a mental note to show it to Liv tonight before going to bed.
He opened the door. Liv was so peaceful in such a sound sleep he felt guilty for having to wake her. They hadn't eaten all day and that could be causing some of the pain Liv had in her stomach, not to mention the vomiting.
"Liv." Fitz sat on the side of the bed. "Livvie, dinner is ready." She didn't as so much move a muscle with his shake and call. "Liv?" Fitz began to worry a bit.
He felt her forehead, she was burning up. He took her pulse, it was slow, but she had a pulse. "Dad!" He screamed. "Dad! Call 911!" His hand went back to her forehead. "Jesus, Liv, you're burning up. Liv, can you hear me?" Tears began to build in his eyes. "DAD! DID YOU HEAR ME?"
Gerry rushed to the door. "What is it?"
"She's unresponsive, I don't know. Let me go get a cold cloth, call 911…."
"The hell with the cloth and 911." Gerry scooped Olivia up in his arms. "We'll get there quicker with Sal, he'll drive like a bat out of hell, let's go."
Gerry had stopped Fitz just before Fitz was going to enter the bathroom. Liv had left the pregnancy tests there for him to see. She was going to tell him to get her something out of the bathroom so he would find out she was pregnant, that never happened.
Fitz burst through the ER doors. Thank God his father was there because he was still cradling Liv. Fitz didn't think he would've had the strength to do that. "Help, please, someone help, she's not responding."
Gerry put her down on a bed, and a team of nurses began working on Liv. Her temperature was 102, and she was clearly dehydrated. Within minutes they had an IV line in her and was getting saline into her veins.
They needed Fitz to tell her everything he could about anything Olivia may have complained about. He told them about the vomiting on the plane after the turbulence, the dull pain she complained about in her side, and the need to rest. Aside from that, there were no signs she was sick.
The doctor came out of the room. "We need to do a CAT SCAN on her side, but is there any chance she could be pregnant?" She waited for Fitz to answer and Gerry stood quietly waiting as well.
Fitz shook his head, "I mean, I don't know, she didn't tell me she was."
The doctor put her around Fitz. "Have the two of you had unprotected sex in the past few weeks?"
Fitz nodded his head, confirming they had. She went back in the room with Liv. She talked to the nurse who followed the orders. Fitz saw an imaging machine be brought into the room with Liv and the curtain was closed over.
With what seemed like hours but was only about 15 minutes, the doctor came out holding something in her hand. Liv was being wheeled out, and Fitz jumped up to the side of the bed. "Where are you taking her? Liv?" She was still unconscious, and the doctor pulled Fitz aside.
"Who are you in relation to the patient?"
"I'm her fiancé." He watched as the bed was turned out of sight. "Where are they taking her?"
"Sir." She handed Fitz a few black and white pictures. "Your fiancé is pregnant, with twins. We are sure she has a kidney stone, and it may be lodged in her urinary tract causing an infection, thus causing the fever. We have to adjust the CT SCAN for pregnancy so we can confirm the diagnosis with no harm to the fetuses. Is there a next of kin to call besides you?"
Fitz just nodded staring at the pictures. "Her parents." He whispered.
"Well, get them on the phone and tell them they should be here. This may be a rough ride." She patted his shoulder and walked away.
Fitz looked down at the pictures again. Clear as day, there were two small round objects, clearly the heads of their babies.
He pulled out his phone, not even realizing what he was doing. He began to cry softly, as his father came over to him. Through the tears in his eyes, Fitz saw the display read "Maya Pope." He was about to hit send, before he slumped down to the floor, up against the wall.
He handed the phone to his father. "That's her mom's number. Please call her for me dad." He pulled the pictures to his chest and just cried waiting for his Livvie and his life to come back from the exam.
