AN: Working on other things next.

For the thirty-fourth time in the last hour and a half, Fitz called Jake. Much like the other thirty-three times before, Jake didn't answer. Hot anger the temperature of molten lava ricocheted down Fitz's spine. Between Mellie's bullshit and now this, he couldn't see straight. He'd been back in the city for a day and a half and was set to return to D.C. tomorrow morning.

"Call me back!" he barked as Jake's phone went to voicemail again. "Call me back you sonofabitch!" He had half a mind to throw his phone, instead, he slipped it into his back pocket.

"Does he owe you money or something?" Natalie, Fitz's younger sister, asked as she entered the living room. She bounced a fussy Karen on her hip. "Or just go by his place."

Fitz cut his eyes towards Natalie and opened his arms for Karen who promptly rejected him. "Traitor," he mumbled. It was no secret Karen was obsessed with her Aunt Nat. "He isn't home. I already went by there on my way back from Mellie's. He's off somewhere for work." He watched as Karen laid her head on Natalie's shoulder.

"So, out with it. What'd he do?"

Fitz sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. He'd been running in circles since Mellie's. The red eyes. The confrontation. He hadn't slept and needed to head back to D.C. in the next few hours. He'd be lucky if he had a job after taking off without notice. He looked up at Natalie and then over to Karen, his heart tugged in his chest. Mellie would never get his daughter. "It's not my place to say."

"Oooh; that dramatic?" Natalie asked. She raised her eyebrows prompting Fitz to scowl.

"It's not dramatic at all. He hurt someone I care about and I want to know why."

"Do I know this person?" she pushed.

Again, Fitz sighed. He wanted nothing more than to shut Natalie up but he knew his sister; she was a dog with a bone. "No. Look, I don't want to deal with this right now. Mellie told me she's coming for Karen. Apparently she and Andrew are getting married."

"Over my dead body!" Natalie declared. "She gave up Karen. Or does she not remember that?"

Fitz wanted to spit bullets. "You know Mellie, selective amnesia. I wanted to put my fist through her head. I've never felt this violent towards anyone. I look at her, then I look at Karen and I wonder what part of Mellie made her." Karen offered up a watery smile prompting Fitz to smile. He reached for her chin, cradling it between his thumb and index finger. He loved his daughter.

"I just want to know where that harpie got the balls to say something like this," Natalie continued. "Does she really think we'd just let that happen?"

"It's Mellie."

"God, I wish you'd never laid eyes on that woman. She makes my blood boil. She's a horrendous human being."

If there was one person Fitz could count on to have his back, it was his sister. "I have to face facts, though. If she takes this to court, she could possibly win. I don't think she'd win full custody, but…" he frowned. The more he thought about Mellie's words, the more he knew her bid for custody - of any length - could be a possibility. "She'll win some kind of bid."

"No. I refuse. Tell Jake what's happening and dad so they —"

"Did you not just hear me say that he hurt someone I'm close to and that I want nothing more but to knock his teeth in." Fitz opened his arms again, waving Karen into them. She was tired; he could tell by the way she rubbed her nose. She always had a hard time falling asleep, especially during nap time, which it was now.

"Does this person not know you and Jake have been friends since birth basically? Would they really screw you over like this? Huh?" Natalie pushed. "He knows Mellie, maybe he has something on —"

Fitz could feel his face running hot. If he looked in a mirror, he knew that his face would be as red as a cherry. "Natalie, enough," he admonished. Karen slid into his arms. "It was stupid of me to even show up here. Definitely cost too much money with it being so damn last minute. I just needed to see for myself. I should've thought this through. Now she knows…" His words trailed off and so did his thoughts. He'd been gone a day and a half now. He left without warning and hadn't even thrown it up on his office calendar until he went to the city. What if Olivia needed him? Who was comforting her? Who was taking care of her? Lord knew she didn't take care of herself past a physical level. "I'm going to handle this on my own."

"Well, you have me."

"I know. Thanks for letting me crash so last minute," Fitz said. He started to rub circles on Karen's back.

"You have a key. Why are you thanking me?"

"Because I just. I needed you and you were here. Thank you."

Natalie smiled. "Don't get soft on me now. It's creepy," she teased. "So, you're going back to DC tomorrow?"

Fitz nodded. "I have a case I need to get back to and a strategy to build around Mellie. I still have a bastard to catch, too."

"Put me in the game when you need me, coach."

The rapid humming of Fitz's phone woke him the next morning. His eyes glimpsed the clock and he yawned. It was barely 6am. He reached over to the nightstand, grabbing the phone. He answered it without looking at the name.

"Fitz, sorry if I'm waking you. I was going to leave this as a voicemail, but since I got your ear, Jake wanted me to tell you that he'll call you back once he gets to D.C." Elizabeth, Jake's wife, spoke. Fitz's eyes went wide at the sound of her voice. Of all the people Fitz thought would call, Elizabeth was nearly last on this list. Then he caught it. D.C. The words rolled around in his head. Jake was coming to D.C. And he had flown to New York to confront Jake and Mellie.

"D.C?" Fitz asked, needing clarification.

"Yes, he's on a merger down there. He's flying now, which is why I'm calling. He just wanted to make sure you knew. He said that you were expecting him, though."

Fitz sat up, looking behind him to find a still asleep Karen. He could feel the indignation seeping deep into his bones. It took everything in him not to tell Elizabeth who she married. Not until he let Jake have his say. Then he'd tell her. "Right, Lizzie, right. I completely forgot. Thanks for the call, though. I needed to get up anyway."

"Wait, Fitz! Did Jake tell you yet that we know the sex of the baby? You're going to be an uncle to a little boy!" Elizabeth announced.

Fitz smiled despite the uncertainty that threaded through him. This was all bittersweet. "Congrats, Lizzie. I've gotta get Karen up and ready. Bye." He hung up without giving Elizabeth the chance to speak.

This was an uphill battle that had only just begun.

Olivia stood on the platform, next to her mother. They were on their way to Olivia's first 'Survivors of Sexual Assault' meeting. Despite telling Maya several times over she didn't have to come, yet here they were. The loud echo of their training pulling into the station interrupted Olivia's thoughts. She took a deep breath, ready to brave the oncoming crowd to get into a car, but was stopped short as a man pushed past her. He was familiar. Lean. Lanky. Tall. She tried to push the thought out of her mind, it wasn't Jake. Couldn't be. Her mind was just playing tricks on her. Again.

"Livvie, come on before the doors close," Maya said. She pushed Olivia towards the trains which now gave their last warnings. "Come on!"

Olivia nodded. She rushed to the doors, but her eyes stayed glued to the exit as she tired to figure out whether or not she'd see the boggeyman.