Chapter 5: Leaving

July 13, 1969

The funeral was held a week later, and Fitz kept himself locked up inside the house ever since. Aunts, uncles, and cousins came to town to help, but all eventually left back to California a couple of days after the funeral. Since he was already 18, he was legally able to inherit everything his parents had laid out in their will for him, which included the entire Grant net worth and the house that he was currently cooped up in, refusing to leave.

Olivia watched the door to the Grant house intently, waiting for Fitz to emerge, but with each day that passed on, the more worried she got. Even staring out her bedroom window, she was met with no sign of Fitz. The curtain to his bedroom had been shut and remained so all day long as did all the curtains to all the windows of the house.

Mellie tried a few times each day to visit him, but the door was locked, and no one was answering. She couldn't even get through to him on telephone. She was extremely worried. She hadn't seen him since the funeral, and she knew that Olivia was worried too by her frequent glances off to the Grant house through the window in the living room. Using this as a final try she tapped on Olivia's doorframe.

"Come in," Olivia replied, putting down her book.

"Liv, could you come with me to visit Fitz?"

Olivia was a little taken aback, "why me? You're his girlfriend."

"He's not answering the phone. He's not answering the door. And I know you're worried about him too," Mellie explained. She really was trying. "Please. I think if we're both there it might help."

"Well, what about mom and Cyrus?" Olivia asked. She knew her parents were both busy, but thought they still had sometime to spare to check on Fitz; after all, he had become somewhat like a surrogate son to them throughout the last two years. However both parents became extremely busy that summer. Maya was continuing her pursuit in Civil Rights, and Cyrus had just taken on a new calling, building up a defense team for the people caught in the Stonewall Riot in New york just a few short weeks ago.

"They've tried too, but he's not answering. Liv, please, it's been over two weeks since the funeral and…" Mellie trailed off, wiping the tears from her eyes. It's been an emotional time for her. She was already worried about her and Fitz breaking up after she got back from London. The last thing she was expecting was for a family tragedy like this to strike. She didn't know where they stood at the moment. Now all she wanted was to make sure that he was ok.

"Ok," Olivia agreed and got off her bed, bringing Louie with her. Fitz liked Louie, and she figured what better way to cheer someone up than with a dog.

They walked out of the house and crossed the yard to the Grant house. Olivia stood back on the steps with Louie, allowing Mellie to take the lead. Mellie swallowed loudly, lifting her hand and balling it up in a fist before she started knocking.

"Fitz," she called out. "Fitz, it's Mellie. I'm outside with Olivia. Please let us in."

They waited a moment longer but were met with silence, "Fitz please, everyone's worried about you. Please, open the door. I don't want to have to call anyone but if-"

"I'm fine!" Olivia and Mellie's heads shot up to the window where the voice was coming from.

"That's the farthest I've gotten," Mellie muttered disappointedly to Olivia.

"Hang on," Olivia hopped off the steps and went into the Grants' landscaping looking for the big red rock she knew was behind a bush.

"Here," Olivia said, raising the rock and picking up the spare key that was hiding underneath.

"How did you know that was there?" Mellie asked in amazement.

"Remember when Fitz went on that two week trip with his parents to the Poconos, and Mrs. Grant paid me to water her plants over the vacation?" Olivia responded slyly, sliding the key through the lock and unlocking the front door. She cracked open the front door, stepping inside and letting Mellie and Louie follow in after her.

The lights were completely off, with the curtains pulled over every window not letting an ounce of sunlight in. The place looked abandoned, everything was covered in a layer of dust, as though the main floor had not been touched in weeks. A poignant smell filled the air of the house that made Olivia and Mellie both grimace. They went up the stairs towards Fitz's bedroom and the sight broke Olivia's heart.

He laid on the floor in a t-shirt and pajama pants, the little stubble that he could grow was visibly growing in patches. He had nothing near him except for a glass of scotch within arm's reach and some empty bottles surrounding him that he had already gone through.

"Fitz!" Mellie ran to his side and nudged him slightly. He groaned a response. He was clearly alive, but also clearly drunk out of his mind.

"Go away," he growled, using the little energy he had to swat Mellie's arm off of him.

"Fitz?" Olivia echoed Mellie in a far more concerned voice. She had never seen anyone in a state like this before, and to see him like this now, well he was like an older brother to her. Fitz's eyes popped open, hearing Olivia's voice. A tiny bit of common sense seeped through his mind, knowing that Olivia at her age shouldn't be seeing anyone like this.

"Fuuucck," he groaned once more, and rubbed his eyes to try and get rid of the pounding headache and exhaustion.

"Please, just leave. You shouldn't be here," he slurred and shut his eyes, dozing off.

"Liv, help me move him to the shower," she heard Mellie instruct her.

She went over and grabbed his ankles while Mellie carried the heavier load of his upper body. They slowly walked to his bathroom and lowered him into the tub.

"Is he going to be okay?"

"He should be. He just needs to sober up," Mellie assured her. "Do not tell mom or dad about any of this. They don't need to know."

Olivia nodded in agreement and stood back to let Mellie takeover. She turned on the cold water and watched as the shower sputtered Fitz back to life.

"Jesus Mellie! What the fuck!" Fitz shouted, spitting out water that was still pouring on him. "Turn it off!"

Mellie turned off the water and locked eyes with Fitz. "Fitz, we've been worried sick about you."

"I told you I'm fine," he snapped.

"Clearly you're not!" she said gesturing to his drunken state. "Have you just been drinking this entire time?"

"That's none of your business!"

"But it is my business Fitz! What would you have done if Olivia and I didn't manage to finally come in today? Were you expecting to just live off of scotch for the next four weeks?"

"You have some nerve coming in here and lecturing me! What would I have done?! Well what about what would you have done if I didn't find out about your trip to Europe? Would you have told me?!"

"Fitz, I thought we are past that. I told you I was going to tell you," she pleaded, annoyed at his way of trying to change the subject.

"No!" he shouted, raising his voice much louder. "You don't get to just come in here now to play the supportive girlfriend when you were nothing but secretive and absent before you left for Europe!"

Olivia turned her attention to Louie who was on the floor. She was no stranger to being in the same room as Mellie and Fitz when they got into one of their many fights, but this one seemed to be escalating to an all new level that she did not want to be involved in.

Mellie paused to take a deep breath, "Fitz, you're drunk."

"Oh here it is," Fitz said smarmily.

"And you're angry."

"Saint Mellie here to lecture me on my behavior. What are you going to do, start a new temperance movement?" he yelled sarcastically.

Olivia looked up at Mellie. She knew by the look on her face that Fitz had really done it now.

"Alright Fitz, I get it! You're sad. You're parents are gone and what happened was tragic. I'm sorry about that, I truly am, but do you think that right now this is what they want out of you?"

"Excuse me?" He sat up taller in the tub.

"You're father was a great man! You were always telling me stories about how brave and strong he was when he fought in Europe. And you have every right to be proud of him for how he fought overseas and all the work he's accomplished. Now, can you honestly tell me that you're father would be looking down on you proud right now?"

"Do not bring my father into this!"

"Would he be proud, Fitz? Are you being brave right now? Are you being strong? Because I don't think you are! I think you're cowering behind a bottle and not letting any of us try to help because you're afraid of showing any sign of vulnerability!"

"Mellie," Olivia stepped in and put an arm on her stepsister's shoulder. She saw tears fill Fitz's eyes. Mellie had always shown the tough love approach, and especially now that she was ticked off it made sense that she would go to that. But Olivia could tell that it was not what was needed right now. "I think that's enough. I think he gets it."

"I'm sorry, Fitz." Mellie tried to apologize. "Let's just get you changed and in bed."

"No," he shook his head. "I want you out of my house."

"Fitz?"

"No. Not after what you just-no!" he repeated firmly.

"I'm not leaving you here by yourself."

"No I don't care. You're leaving."

Mellie nodded, she knew she had let it gone too far. She glanced at Olivia who looked uncertain and walked to her with her back turned to Fitz.

"Mellie, I don't know what you want me to do," she whispered.

"I really don't want him to be alone right now, Liv. I know it might seem uncomfortable, but if you could stay here for the night and make sure he eats and sleeps…I would really appreciate it."

Olivia nodded, she felt the same exact way, and he had yet to mention anything about kicking her out.

"I'll tell mom and dad," Mellie said as she walked out the door. She heard her going down the stairs.

"You don't have to stay either if you want. I just wanted her gone. I'll be fine without anyone," Fitz said. She turned her attention to Fitz who in his drunken state was struggling to get out of the tub.

She rushed over and grabbed his arm right before he had a chance to slip.

"No, it's ok," she told him, taking note that unlike Mellie he had given her an option. "I'll stay for a little bit."

Fitz nodded and let out a sigh of relief. He didn't actually want to be alone anymore, but didn't really know anyone he could turn to right now. He was grateful for Olivia's presence.

She helped him stagger back to his room and sat him down, "Ok, how about you change out of these clothes, and I'll cook something for dinner?"

"Okay."

Olivia left his room and went downstairs to the Grant's kitchen, leaving Louie in Fitz's room to watch over him just in case. She followed the poignant smell right to the kitchen and braced herself for opening the refrigerator door.

It was just as she expected, completely rotten and spoiled food from weeks ago in the fridge. She bit her tongue, trying not to let herself vomit from the smell as she complete sorted out and cleaned the fridge then took out the trash. Twenty minutes later she came back to Fitz's room and found him half asleep in his boxers with Louie laying next to him.

"Fitz, there weren't any groceries."

He just grunted a response. Olivia sighed and went over to him, helping him get under the covers so he was more comfortable.

"What have been doing for food?" she asked.

"Pizza," he mumbled and looked in the direction of the corner of his room. Olivia saw three large empty pizza boxes sitting on the floor.

"Alright. I'm going to order us some food. Where's your wallet?"

"Nightstand. Top drawer," he grunted, and turned his head away.

Olivia decided to order more Italian, but from a more upscale pasta place than just cheap pizza. She remembered hearing from some of the older girls at school that carbs helped with hangovers, and she hoped the rumor she heard was true. She ordered a pasta dish for herself and Fitz and a side of some vegetables and also a salad, as the pizza boxes made it abundantly clear that Fitz's focus right now was not on nutrition. As she waited for the dinner to arrive, Olivia went back to the kitchen of the house and continued her clean up. She swept and mopped the floor, wiped off the layer of grime that covered the counter, and did all of the dishes by the time the food arrived.

She went upstairs taking both of their dinners. Fitz, still half asleep, practically inhaled his entire meal in a matter of minutes. What she didn't eat she fed as scraps to Louie for the night. She looked back up after putting their empty food containers back in the plastic bag it came in and saw Fitz sound asleep, looking as peaceful as she had seen him that day.

"Stay with him," she whispered to Louie and patted the pup's head. She then continued her mission of cleaning, and collected all of the pizza boxes and clothes that were left lying on Fitz's floor. She threw the boxes away, took out the trash in the entire house, and then started to work the house's laundry machine. As she did laundry she also went through the house's living room, study, and den, giving all of the common spaces a quick dusting and sweep. She looked around, proud of herself for making the gloomy house seem once again like a home. She had one last final task of emptying the house of all its alcohol. She gathered all of the bottles between the kitchen, the cellar, and then Fitz room, dumping all of their contents down any drain nearby.

She went back upstairs and set a glass of water aside for Fitz on his nightstand just in case. It was now ten at night, earlier than anytime she would normally go to bed in the summer, but she was pretty tired from today's events. Olivia paused for a minute to think. She felt a little weird over the idea of sleeping in one of the Grant's bedrooms…it felt somewhat morbid and in all honesty, kind of creepy.

She looked over at Fitz who was sound asleep. She felt conflicted. She knew she shouldn't be thinking about it. She was just shy of 14, and not only was he her older stepsister's boyfriend, but he was also her best friend, like a brother to her. Yet she wanted nothing more than to stay. She was confused between what she should do and what she wanted to do. Mellie did tell her to stay the night with him. Reluctantly, Olivia crawled into the bed, leaving an extremely large space, and putting Louie in the middle of them and then fell asleep.

ooo

July 14, 1969

The following morning Olivia woke up naturally at seven in the morning feeling completely and totally well rested. She gently got up and went over the window, peeling back the curtain to let the natural light do its job. She watched Fitz toss and stir in his sleep until he eyes slowly opened. He put his arm over his head, trying to block out the sunlight and whined.

"Good morning," she greeted.

"Morning," he murmured.

"There's some water by you," she pointed to the glass that was left there. Fitz sat up on his elbows and chugged the glass down.

"Thanks," he said slightly peppier.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better, I think. Yesterday was just a bad-" Fitz stopped talking, looking to the floor where he left the bottle of scotch from yesterday seeing it bare along with all the empty bottles he had prior.

"I got rid of all the whiskey," Olivia explained before he had anytime to ask.

"I guess I should have expected that," he uttered. "Did you clean my room?" he asked confused looking at the neatness.

"Not just your room," Olivia answered. "Also downstairs and I did your laundry and cleaned everything in the kitchen. You're going to have to go grocery shopping by the way, but…"

"Livvie…" Fitz groaned in embarrassment with a solemn look in his eyes. "Thank you…I can't describe…I know how I must look right now…and I'm sor-"

"You don't have to apologize for anything, Fitz. You might want to apologize to Mellie, or thank her. She was the one that told me to stay."

"Mellie…" Fitz recalled everything that happened and furrowed his brow. "Oh my god, I messed up. She must hate me."

Olivia watched as fresh tears pricked his eyes, "She was right, you know. My father would not be proud of me."

Olivia felt a lump form in her throat and an overwhelming desire to try and comfort him.

"Your dad was a great man – both of your parents were. And part of what made them great was their compassion and understanding. I think he would be understanding of where you're at right now. You have a whole future ahead of you, Fitz. So spend it making them proud."

Fitz looked up and for the fist time in weeks, he smiled with gleam.

ooo

Olivia excused herself to go back home to feed Louie and give herself some breakfast. She gave an update to Mellie, Cyrus, and her mother on Fitz. She felt like after their talk this morning that he was going to be okay. After lunch Olivia returned to the living room to read the book she was reading yesterday, before Mellie interrupted her, when she heard a knock on the door.

"Fitz, my boy, it's nice to see you," she heard Cyrus say, and she put down her book and headed towards the foyer.

"Is Mellie home?" she heard Fitz ask.

"I am," Olivia heard Mellie come down the stairs. At this point Maya had emerged from the library and everyone was gathering near the foyer.

"I'm happy you're here," Mellie said, reaching up and cupping Fitz's cheek before she plopped a kiss on his lips. "I think we need to talk."

"I think so too," Fitz nodded smiling.

"Let's go outside," she said walking toward the door.

"Actually I think that this is something that we should do in front of your family…"

"What do you-" before Mellie could even finish her thought she watched as Fitz got down on one knee and pull out a box. "Fitz? What are you doing?"

"Mellie," he began. "From the moment that I met you-"

"Fitz, stop!" Mellie urged.

"I knew that you were the one-"

"Fitz, get up!" Mellie spoke up and reach out to lift Fitz off of his knee. "What are you doing?"

"I'm proposing, what does it look like?"

Maya, Cyrus and Olivia looked on in shock. No one had seen this one coming.

"I-I-I can't," Mellie stuttered, all of this seeming far too surreal. She was almost certain that this talk was going to end with them breaking up, not a proposal.

"You can't?" Fitz asked, looking heartbroken.

"Fitz, we're far too young to be getting married. I haven't even finished high school yet. I think you need to think this through-"

"I have been thinking this through, Mel!" Fitz raised his voice. "I love you! And you love me, so let's just do it. Let's get married! Everyone is already expecting it from us. Your parents are, and I know that my parents were. So let's just get married and we can be happy together."

"Fitz, I can't marry you," Mellie said still in disbelief.

"You can't marry me? Or you just don't want to?"

"I can't say 'yes' truthfully," Mellie reached out to hold Fitz's hand in support, "Fitz we've barely been able to make it work while dating. How can we get married and expect for things to work themselves out?"

"Because I love you, Mellie. That's enough."

"That's not enough. We'd just make each other miserable," she spoke earnestly.

"Sorry, I didn't realize being with me was so miserable!" he shouted.

"Fitz," Cyrus suddenly stepped in, placing his hand onto Fitz's shoulders and giving him a pat. "I think we're all going through a lot right now, maybe it's best if you go home and come back tomorrow. I can walk you there if you'd like."

"No!" Fitz shook his head violently. "I'm tired of everyone telling me what I should be doing. Mellie, come on, let's do it. Let's be together."

Mellie wiped her eyes that started tearing up on the back of her wrist, "Fitz, you are a good guy. You're going to meet someone at Brown and-"

"I'm not going to Brown," Fitz interrupted her.

Cyrus dropped his arms in shock.

"What?" Mellie asked completely surprised.

"I'm not going to Brown anymore," he repeated. "I canceled my admittance this morning…and I signed up for the Navy."

Olivia felt her heart drop into her stomach at the words and their implication. She looked onward to Maya, Cyrus and Mellie who now looked as pale as a ghost.

"N-Navy? Why?"

"I thought that was what you wanted, for me to be brave and strong…and I thought you loved me, Mellie…but I guess I was wrong on both counts," he replied bitterly and turned away, walking out the door.

"Fitz, wait!" she called after him. He stopped in his tracks and turned around back to her.

"I don't want to hear it. Unless you changed your mind?" he asked with a little bit of hope.

"Fitz, you're not being fair."

"Life isn't fair!" he yelled and stormed off.

Mellie walked to Maya and cried in her arms, "mom, what are we going to do?"

"It's okay, baby," she spoke words of comfort.

Mellie looked at Cyrus, "dad, is there anyone in the military you know that you can call. There has to be something we can legally do. He's not in a good place to be making decisions like this."

Cyrus let out a heavy sigh, "I'm afraid not. He's over 18 and can if chooses to. He'll undergo a physical and mental evaluation, but if they decide that he's physically fit and mentally sound…"

"Mellie, I'm so sorry. He seemed fine this morning, I swear. I shouldn't have left him alone," Olivia didn't realize that started sobbing even harder than Mellie, feeling extremely guilty for everything that just transpired. She should have done things differently. She should have proposed that they get brunch together and dropped Louie off at the house and changed clothes and then gone back. She could have made sure he didn't have a minute to himself where he would make such a drastic life and death decision like this.

Mellie came up and hugged Olivia, "It's okay, Liv. It's not your fault."

But Olivia couldn't help but feel like it was.

ooo

July 20, 1969

Olivia looked up at the crescent moon in pure astonishment. Her family was busy watching on the television inside. She normally would have joined them for watching something as crazy as this, especially something this important happening on her birthday nonetheless, but she had been feeling off all week after Fitz's announcement on joining the Navy. There had been an all around solemn atmosphere around the house, and Fitz hadn't stopped by since he stormed off.

Cyrus and her mother visited him, they were helping him with getting organized to sell the house now that it was no longer needed, but anytime she or Mellie would knock, he wouldn't answer. She knew she could have gone in if she wanted with the spare key that was outside, but after that day it was clear that he didn't want any company.

So now on her 14th birthday, Olivia sat up in the tree house that she spent so much of her childhood in with only her dog Louie laying next to her and a blanket, staring up at the moon. She wondered if maybe she could see the astronauts, they'd be so small, smaller than a speck of dust even. She harshly squinted into the moon's illuminating rays.

"You're not going to be able to see them," she was startled by a deep baritone voice. "It's impossible."

She turned around and saw Fitz coming up onto the platform of the tree house.

"Hi," he said, coming over to her and Louie.

"Hi," she said slightly unsure. She noticed when he sat down that the luscious curls of his head had been shaved off. For some reason, seeing this haircut brought a feeling of dread in her stomach.

"I didn't expect to see you here. I thought you'd be watching the moon landing with your family."

"I just needed some time to myself," Olivia sighed.

"Are you going to kick me out?" Fitz asked with a worried look that made Olivia's heart break.

"No, you can stay, but you have to answer some questions first."

"Liv…"

"Why?" she asked firmly. She tried to run through the events of the past couple of weeks over and over again in her head. If there was something she should have said differently, if there was a way she could have prevented Fitz from signing up. She even went as far back as that time last summer when he contemplated out loud about joining the military.

"Livvie, can we not…" he complained.

"I need to know why," she said, raising her voice slightly. "I just don't get it. I thought the war was something you were against. You weren't drafted. And you wouldn't have even had to worry about being drafted with your football scholarship."

"It's not that simple," he stated.

"Then try to explain it to me."

She boldly grabbed his hand to get his attention, and made him look her directly in the eye. There was no way of avoiding her now.

He closed his eyes and exhaled, "I don't agree with the war, I think it's a mistake, but do you remember when we got dinner one night when I was driving you back from swim practice, and you asked me about what I planned after graduation?"

She nodded, thinking about that day and chastising herself for not reading deeper into his statements and not doing anything about it.

"Well, I had been thinking that same thing for awhile, Livvie. And what is the next step in life? It's the same tale. Go to college, get a job, get married, live in a house with a white picket fence and have 2.5 kids," he chuckled slightly. "And then what? You just continue to work your life away until you're too old and retire, and eventually you die."

He took a deep breath swallowing a sob that was creeping up in his throat, "and sometime you don't even get to become old and retired…and anyway, I don't want it, Liv. I don't want that simple life. It's not for me."

Olivia looked at him angrily, "So, you're running away to Vietnam and putting your health on the line because you don't want your life to be boring?"

"Livvie, it's not like that. I just want something more…"

"It's exactly like that," Olivia snapped, finding his statement to be a rather flawed argument. She was mad. She was mad at him for choosing such a destructive and dangerous way to cope with the loss of his parents. She was mad at him for going out and doing something as crazy as this just to show how much of a man he was. She was mad at him for leaving her.

"It's something I need to do," he softened his voice seeing Olivia's angry expression. "Please Livvie, please don't hate me. Not you too. I can't have you hating me for going."

Olivia noticed tears pricking his eyes and instantly felt bad for him.

"I don't hate you, Fitz. I don't think I could ever hate you."

"But you don't think I should be joining the war," he surveyed rhetorically.

"I just think you should be fighting for what's right," she said simply.

"This is right," he claimed, trying to make one last argument to let Olivia know what his intentions were by joining. "Maybe the reasons for the war aren't, and I disagree with them, but for me, serving my country right now feels right."

"Then I can't argue that," Olivia said, wanting to drop the subject. "When do you leave?"

"…I leave for basic training tomorrow morning…" he sighed.

"Tomorrow?" Olivia felt a lump fill her throat as she fought hard not to let him see her cry. "So your hair?"

"I got it shaved in advance. I figured that with my thick hair it would have taken a while to get through those curls, and I didn't want to waste anybody's time and have people mad at me on the first day," he said running a hand over the top of his new buzz cut. He heard Olivia let out a faint laugh, and smiled a little.

They sat for a minute in complete silence, staring up at the moon. Olivia pondered on whether there was anything she could say right now to get him to double back on going to basic training tomorrow.

"Do you think they're watching us right now?" Fitz's voice brought Olivia out of her thoughts. "Do you think they're looking down on us, smiling?"

Olivia wasn't sure whether Fitz was talking about the astronauts or his parents. But either way she nodded yes, "yes, I think so."

"What do you think they're thinking right now?"

"They're probably just thinking about going back home, returning safely and healthy…Fitz?"

"Hmm?" he hummed looking back at Olivia.

"Promise me that you'll come back home."

He tried to be honest with her, "…Livvie I don't know if-"

"No, I just need to know that you won't make stupid decisions to try and be some kind of hero. I need to know that you'll at least be trying to come home."

"I'll try, I will," Fitz nodded. It hadn't occurred to him that his stint in joining the Navy could have been perceived by others as some kind of death wish. It wasn't. He didn't want to die in Vietnam – no one wanted to die in Vietnam. He was just surprised to see how much Olivia cared for him. He looked at Olivia, giving her an intense gaze. Through it all she had become his closest friend through their many car rides and tutoring sessions together. But there was something about her now that just seemed different to Fitz.

"What?"

"Nothing, I just…I wish I could get to see you through high school. Watch you get your license and then have you drive me around," he laughed.

"Funny," she said sarcastically.

"I'm serious, Liv. You're going to do so well in high school and beyond. I can't wait to see what you accomplish."

"You too Fitz, you too," she said getting up. She was aware of how late it was now getting.

"Wait!" he reached up and grabbed her hand spinning her around. "Can you actually stay out here with me? I know I don't have the right, I know. But please stay with me?"

Olivia looked at his pale eyes that were once again filled with a terrible sadness.

"Always," she sat back down and then laid on the hard wood, curling up into the fetal position and pulling the blanket she brought with her over herself. Louie came by, taking he usual spot of sleeping next to her.

"Are you going to be spending all night out here?" she asked, looking at Fitz who was sitting down, nervously rocking.

"If that's alright with you. I really don't want to go back inside that house and…be alone on my last night."

She pulled her hand from under the cover and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, "I'll stay, but do me a favor though?"

"Anything."

She started to cry. The realization that in the next few hours he was going to be gone was sweeping over her. Her, sister's boyfriend, neighbor, and best friend was going to be gone for an unknown amount of time. She sniffled, letting the tears fall freely down her cheeks at this point, "say goodbye to me now, and then leave before I wake up."

Fitz nodded, unable to speak at first. He kissed the top of her head.

"Goodbye Livvie, and happy birthday."

Olivia smiled to herself, thinking that he wouldn't have remembered given the stress, but he did. She felt herself relax more as she heard him humming Blackbird to himself, and then she slowly drifted off to sleep.

ooo

The next morning, she felt fingers poking at her and shaking her awake.

"Liv?"

"Mmmmm," she groaned, and tossed over, surprised to feel the hard surface beneath her. She stirred for a minute and opened her eyes staring at the sunrise in the sky. She looked down at her feet to see Louie still sound a sleep and Cyrus kneeling next to her.

"Liv, are you ok?" Cyrus asked. "You fell asleep out here."

"Where's Fitz? He was here just a minute ago. Did he leave?" she was trying to register everything that occurred in the last five to six hours.

"He wasn't here when I came out," Cyrus informed her.

Olivia let out another sob, as the realization hit her. He was gone. She started crying, unable to stop. Even when Cyrus wrapped his arms around her, she continued to cry.

A/N: I'm sorry, I know that was a hard chapter. Please don't hate me. I promise this has got a happy ending.