AN: What are your thoughts on the season so far? Let me know in the reviews! I know there has been a lot of negativity, but personally, I'm enjoying it. I just wish there were more actual Olitz scenes. . :(

'With pride, love cannot exist.'

Fitz's POV

I walk in, planning to take my coat off, but immediately wrapping it tighter against my chest and arms. Must Eli Pope insist on keeping it so freaking freezing all the time? I don't get cold easily but it's like he is purposely doingthis.

I don't understand why he can't tell us to leave if he doesn't plan on forgiving his daughter. After all, that is what she is - his daughter. But it seems like he likes playing mind games and he's a manipulator or something along those lines. My dad was like that too. And that would be okay, you know? To each his own.

But when my Liv is brought into this, it's not okay. It's the opposite of okay. I know she isn't perfect but she is not a bad person. She just wants forgiveness. She just wants love and while I make her happy, it's not enough.

"Fitzgerald?"

I look up and walk into the kitchen, my coat still on.

Eli is sitting at the table, two cups of coffee in front of him. "It's late. Where have you been?"

I feel like he has asked this to Livvy many times before. "Out." I feel like she has replied with that just as many times.

"Sit down," Eli says, not even blinking. "Did my daughter go with you?"

I sit in front of him and take the cup of coffee I assume to be mine. "No. Livvy fell asleep about...four hours ago."

"Livvy," he repeats slowly, before cracking a small smile. "Her mother used to call her that. Did she tell you?"

"No," I take a sip of coffee. I don't even mind when it burns my tongue - it's so cold in here that I could devour this in one gulp. "We don't speak much about her mother and in turn, we don't really speak about mine."

Eli doesn't say anything for a few seconds. He just looks at me, like he is trying to read my eyes. But I have nothing to hide. I'm just a guy who loves a girl. "Olivia was very close to her mother."

"That she told me."

"She took it very hard when she died," Eli looks back at his cup. "She...lost herself, so to speak."

"She also told me that," I bite the inside of my lip. "Mr. Pope, she made mistakes. And she is willing to apologize for them. Hell, she already has in so many ways."

Silence.

"She loves you very much," I continue, a degree of desperation in my voice. "And I love her just that much. So I would give anything to see her happy. You, forgiving her... that would make her happy, sir. Livvy is a wonderful girl."

I smile, because I could talk about Livvy for days on end. "She's the best. She is beautiful and bright...she is always the smartest person in the room at any given time. She is funny too.. She knows how to take a joke and she knows how to give one. More than that, she is kind. And caring. And thoughtful. She wrongs her rights and she loves tremendously."

I shake my head. "What we have, Mr. Pope...it's really incredible. We have been through hell and back. We always find each other in the end. Our love was made for movie screens."

I pause. "But this isn't about us. It's about Liv. She is everything to me. And while I want to see her happy, I NEED to see her safe. I won't-...sir, I won't let you mess with her head. I won't let you get her hopes up and knock them down. When you hurt her, I lost respect for you when I had never even met you yet. If it were up to me, you would never speak to her again." I lower my eyes. "But it's not up to me. You are important to her. Your approval and your love mean something to her. And sir, she deserves both. Liv is... incredible."

"Has she been sober and clean?"

I look up, taken aback by the question. Eli looks right back at me, patiently waiting for his answer.

"Y-yes," I reply. "Really, she has. She drinks from time to time but we all do. Honestly. Nothing has gotten out of hand, not at all."

Eli says nothing in return.

I inhale, wondering how far I am willing to go. "And, um...I know about the video?"

Eli narrows his eyes. "You do? And it does not bother you?"

"Livvy told me a while back," I admit, staring at my cup of coffee. "And no, it doesn't bother me. Because she has changed. I take it you're the type of man who doesn't believe people can do that."

"That isn't true." Eli looks down into his own cup for a

When he finally speaks, his voice is low and steady. "I know people can change because I have seen it happen to Olivia. When her mother died...it was havoc."

Should I say something? "I'm sure it was..."

"Do you know how she died?" Eli looks up at me questioningly. "Has she told you that yet? Has Olivia trusted you with that information? Or her version of it, at least."

I raise my eyebrows. "What do you mean? Liv told me it was a car accident. On New Years Eve."

"Well," Eli presses his lips together. "That is the only truth she knows. Expect it isn't true at all. Besides the date. I didn't lie to her about that. Maya did die on New Years Eve. That much is accurate."

I stare at Liv's father. What the hell is he talking about? "So, um...that is not how Liv's mother actually passed?"

Eli looks at me if I'm an idiot. I pretty much am but I just can't believe what he's saying. "Fitzgerald, Maya Pope overdosed on crystal meth."

I stare back blankly, just as confused. When I manage to speak, it comes out barely audible. "What?"

"It had been going on for a while," Eli explains, his eyes distant and anywhere but meeting mine. "I mean, Maya had a difficult childhood and she got into drugs heavy as a teenager. Olivia's age, maybe younger. But when Liv was born, she got clean. And she was doing so well. But when Liv turned maybe, fifteen, she relapsed. I don't know how, I don't know the details. I never cared. I just...pushed it under the rug. I hoped it would work itself out." Silence. "I guess you can tell it didn't. And i loved Maya, I did. But drugs... they mess you up until you're barely recognizable anymore. They destroy everything in your life. Taking them is selfish. But that is just what Maya did. That's why I couldn't forgive her."

I'm speechless. But I don't have to say anything. Eli continues.

"I wanted to shield my daughter away from all that. I wanted to protect her. She was so innocent - so good." Eli shakes his head. "Olivia is our only child. Maya felt horrible. But I didn't care. I only wanted Liv to see the good in life. I wanted her to stay ignorant. That is why when I got the call from the DEA Agent, I came up with a quick story. To protect Olivia."

"To lie to her," I correct him, trying to sound less bitter than I feel. "Essentially, that is what you did."

"I thought I was doing the right thing," Eli protests calmly. "And I still do. But when I saw that video...I knew Olivia has been shooting something up. And I lost it. I will tolerate many things but recklessly using drugs is not one of them."

This all makes sense. It really does. But it doesn't mean it's right what he did.

I take a deep breath. "If Olivia knew why you took this so personally, maybe she would understand. Maybe...maybe you two could patch things up. Like I said, it's really important to her."

"And what is important to you?" Eli shoots back. "Why exactly are you here?"

Okay, this is the moment. Before I can convince myself not to, I pull out the ring I just bought about half an hour ago. I place it on the table in between us, trying to ignore the irregular rhythm of my heart. Despite all of this, I know it's what I want. It's what I need.

"I want to marry your daughter," I tell him, hoping I sound as confident as I feel. "Not right now, but soon. Very soon. She is the love of my life."

Eli looks at the ring, then at me, then back at the ring. I can't read his expression for the life of me. Then, he takes the longest sip of coffee I have ever witnessed.

I swallow deeply.

I know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, this is what I want.

Olivia makes me smile. She makes me cry. She makes me happy. She makes me sad. No other human in this world holds the power to do that. I love her - so much it hurts. I want everything to do with her. I want this. I can't make it without her. I can't.

Livvy is all I need. And I need for her to know that.

"You want to spend the rest of your life with my daughter," Eli suddenly says, very evenly, very slowly. "Even though I am telling you just how messed up this family really is?"

"None of that is Liv's fault," I argue firmly. "Even if she was, I don't care. I have accepted a lot of things she has done and I have never loved her less. We have been through hell and back. We're still here. We always will be."

"So you are asking my approval?"

"No," I answer, because I need him to understand this very clearly. "If you disapprove, I am still going to ask her. Like I said, I won't ask her now. But soon. What I am asking you to do is apologize. Or forgive. Just make amends." I take a deep breath. "She is your daughter. You have put her through hell these past few years. You owe this to her."

"I don't owe her a damn thing," Eli pushes the ring by my cup. "I'm happy for the two of you and you are welcome to stay the night. But as far as I am concerned, she is not my daughter. Nor will she ever be again."

I stare at him, cold and hard. How could he do this? She is his daughter. She always has been. Parents don't have the right to disown their kids, for whatever reason. They just don't. Especially when the kids are as well meaning as Livvy. I'm so completely pissed off by Eli's bullshit right now.

I have tried so hard. I stuck out my neck for her. All I can do now is hope she will be able to move on. I slip the ring back into the box and my pocket after taking one last look at it.

It's a beautiful white gold ring. Princess cut. Gold band. $3,000, which is a lot for me who doesn't get as much as he did before. But it doesn't matter. The more I think about it, none of this matters.

What matters is that one day, hopefully, Liv and I can move past this crap and finally be happy. Together.

I push my cup of coffee away and stand up, pathetically looking at Eli. "Are you sure?"

"Excuse me?" He doesn't even have the decency to look at me.

Wow. If he is this toxic and heartless, I am not sure I want him Liv's life. I'm not saying I can dictate that. But I'm just so uncomfortable here and I can tell she feels the same way.

"Are you sure?" I repeat impatiently . "That you don't care? Because despite your opinion, Liv is your daughter and if you didn't already know, she is pretty great. You...you raised her well. A few bad choices doesn't erase that."

Eli rolls his eyes like that is the stupidest thing he has ever heard. "Are you done?"

"Yes," I look away and start heading out of the room. I don't want him to see me break down. I'm not exactly crying - I'm just so fucking angry. How could he do this? How could he be such a-... I can't even think straight right now. I'm sweating even though I'm freezing. My fists are clenched so hard that my nails are imprinting my palms. My heart feels like it's going to collide with my ribcage. I want to kill somebody, right here, right now.

I force myself to breath. I lean against a wall and make myself pull it together. I hate him. I hate Eli Pope so much. And I wish Livvy hated him too. I hope she can learn to let go. Because I think Eli is disgusting. And I think he won't ever forgive her. I'm not happy about that, but I am not complaining if I never have to see him again.

Once I have cooled down enough, I walk upstairs. I need to see her. She is the only one who makes me feel like everything will truly be okay. I need her.

By the time I reach her room, I am desperately trying not to cry. I convinced her to come here all for nothing. She is just gonna get hurt again and I never wanted that to happen.

I open the door and step into the dark room. I think about turning on a light but I don't want to wake her. I just want to lay down and eight hours later, open my eyes to Italy again. Where it's just us, in our little perfect bubble.

I thought I could fix this. I wanted to. So badly. I want to give her everything she wants. But I am just now realizing that Liv isn't a material girl. She needs more. And I can't provide everything. I fail sometimes. And that kills me.

I take off my coat and very gently push away covers on the opposite side of the bed. It's too dark to see her, but I feel Liv breathing next to me, in a peaceful sleep that she had to be coaxed into.

I wrap my arm around her waist and kiss her shoulder, my lips pressed to the fabric of the NAVY t-shirt.

"Fitz," Liv turns around, still mostly asleep. She wraps her leg around my waist and buries her face into the crook of my neck. "Where did you go?"

I rest my jaw on top of her head. Instead of answering, I promise her the one thing I'm sure about. "I love you. Everything is gonna be alright."

That seems to be enough for some reason. Liv falls back asleep and she's right where she belongs - in my arms