A/N: As promised, here is the next chapter. I know some people are upset by the slow burn of this story. If that upsets you and you want to wait, then by all means go ahead.

I purposely do shorter, but quicker, chapter to update regularly and not leave anyone too on edge for a long while. 15 chapters might seem like a while to wait for the big "aha moment," but looking at it in the grand scheme, 15 4,000-5,000 word chapters is roughly the same as about 7 ~10,000 word chapters which many other stories on this site do.

It's a matter of storytelling, and the decision of each author on whether they would prefer doing really long, less frequent chapters with a lot of content in them, or shorter, quicker chapters, with less content per chapter, which means that the chapter count will therefore be higher until Olitz is together. So if waiting like only four days or possibly even less means it will refrain you from leaving any negative comments, then you can just come back later.

Chapter 15: Truths Revealed

January 1st, 1979

Olivia sat in one of the dining room chairs staring at the ring on her finger. It was beautiful, well cut, and clearly pretty expensive. Any girl would have loved to walk around with a ring like this on.

The past hour she spent calling Edison's family as well as more distant relatives to tell them the big news. By about one, Edison excused himself, exhausted and went to bed upstairs. Olivia would have followed, but she told him she had friends in New York that she wanted to call first. She didn't though.

Instead she was sitting in this chair for – Olivia looked at the clock, seeing it was two in the morning – an hour of sitting, doing absolutely nothing. She wished she could say that she was thinking, but she also wasn't. It was like her mind and body had just gone numb.

She'd felt numb since she overheard Mellie and Fitz's conversation upstairs. Learning that Fitz still thought about Mellie somehow felt like a blow to her, although she didn't know why. He was always her friend in childhood and would always be just that: her friend. She guessed that she couldn't blame him. There's something about someone's first love, where you'll never forget. She never got to experience such a thing since her first love was never reciprocated to her. But for Fitz, his first love was clearly Mellie, and nothing would be able to undo that.

Olivia was upset with how she left things with Fitz after breaking up the fight from earlier. She never did get to talk with him about it, which was what she was planning on doing. The look he gave her after she said yes to Edison told her that he wanted to tell her something important. She could just tell. They had gained a new understanding of each other, able to read each other's emotions off the bat.

So Olivia crept up the stairs, hoping that he might still be awake. She saw that his door was left open, and the lights were off. Maybe he was sleeping, or reading with a flashlight? Olivia grew worried when she walked into a completely empty room. She had no idea on Fitz's whereabouts, and did a lap inside the entire house, even going into the basement, but he was nowhere. Then out of the corner of her eye, she saw some movement outside.

She went outside onto the front porch and saw Fitz sitting on the bench against the railing with his head down.

"Hi," she spoke cautiously.

"Hey," Fitz replied.

"What are you doing out here, Fitz? It's cold," she said, crossing her arms to keep them warm in the frigid winter air.

Fitz didn't respond. Instead he just held up the letter in his hand, showing what he had.

"What is that?" Olivia asked, seeing only a piece of paper that Fitz was holding up to her, unable to identify it from afar. He slowly got up onto his feet.

"The letter you wrote to me," Fitz said monotonously. Inside he was reeling with nerves on how Olivia would respond, and using all his energy to try to play cool.

Olivia gasped. She knew exactly what letter Fitz was referring to. Olivia marched over and yanked it out of his hand, almost ripping it, but thankfully not.

"Give me that!" she raised her voice. "Where the hell did you get this?"

"It was in your desk. Did you mean what you wrote?"

"You went through my stuff?" Olivia yelled a bit louder, enraged at the invasion of privacy, and purposely ignoring his question.

"Where's Edison?" Fitz asked, not answering her question as well.

"He's in bed sleeping, but that doesn't answer my question about going through my stuff," Olivia replied swiftly and slowly backed away to give herself distance from him.

"And you didn't answer mine!" Fitz said a little angrily.

Fitz stayed in his spot and stared at his shoes, going quiet. He had to tell her at this point. There was no turning back. He had to dip his toe in the water.

"Don't marry him," he murmured ever so quietly.

Olivia looked at him in shock. She was certain she had heard correctly, but she still was having trouble processing his words.

"What?" she asked.

"Don't marry him. Don't marry Edison." Fitz said a little louder in a more assertive and confident tone. He looked at her, taking deep breaths of the cool air as he slowly walked closer to her again. "You know in your heart that you shouldn't."

"Why?" she asked, stunned because she couldn't say anything more. Obviously Fitz and Edison didn't get along, she knew that, but she could tell that there was a far greater reason for Fitz to be telling her this. Was it because maybe Fitz… – no that couldn't be, Olivia thought in the back of her mind.

"'Why?'" Fitz quoted her sarcastically. "You know why."

Oh shit, it was for the reason that sat in the back of Olivia's mind. The reason that frequently crept into her mind on an almost daily basis, but she would always brush aside, thinking that it was the remnants of a childhood crush and she and Fitz were always and only remain just friends. But here he was saying that he wanted her. But that was impossible – that had to be impossible. Olivia's mind worked in overdrive thinking about herself and Fitz and Fitz and Mellie and their most recent conversation. It gave her a terrible headache. She stood absolutely still, completely dumbfounded by him. She struggled trying to find the next words to say.

"No, no, Fitz," she said, shaking her head and moving backwards again to get away from him, but he moved forwards to get close to her. She tried to move farther, he clearly didn't know what he was talking about.

"Livvie, we have to talk-"

"No, Fitz stop. Now you're just being cruel," Liv backed away more with tears brimming on the surface of her eyes. This got Fitz to stop in place and see how upset she was over his confession to her.

"Cruel? What?"

"Fitz, stop! You can't do this," she yelled loud enough that if anyone were on the first floor of the house they would have heard. "I have always been second to Mellie in everything, you know that! And I won't be the person you settle for just because she's taken. I won't-"

"Livvie," he pleaded.

"No, I won't. I can't…You can't tease me like this, not when I've spent my entire life loving you," Olivia cried, making no effort to hide the tears that were streaming down her face. She couldn't help herself. She felt insulted, like this was all some sort of joke he was playing on her, flinging in her face that when she was a kid she would always do anything for him. And even to this day part of her still thought that she would still be willing to do anything for him, and here he was testing her, playing her. She couldn't do it anymore. Not this time.

"Livvie," she heard him say, "y-you don't want this. I kn-know you don't actually want this. Believe me, you're making a mistake"

"How do you know what I want? How could I possibly believe you?" she snapped, catching him off guard. He hadn't predicted that she would have gotten so mad.

"You-you don't have to believe me. It's fine," he said as steadily as he could. "B-but I just…just can't have you marrying Edison."

Fitz furrowed his brow, his stuttering was back and it was not being helpful right now. It hurt that she didn't trust him like he thought she would have, but if he could just buy himself more time, more time of having Olivia not be married to Edison, then even that would be a good accomplishment at this point.

"You can't have me marrying Edison?" she repeated angrily. As if she needed more reason, here he was telling her what to do.

"No, I can't let it happen…"

"And when did I suddenly need your permission?"

"Look, I-I'm saying this as you-your friend."

"As my friend? Fitz, as your friend I have always been supportive of you even when I personally disagreed with your decisions. Why can't you do the same for me?"

Fitz froze, thinking about the night she spent with him before he left for basic training. She didn't have to stay with him, she was pissed at him for leaving, and disagreed about the war and his decision to join. But she stayed with him anyways, because she told him that she would always be there for him if he asked.

"I have to go," Olivia quickly responded and turned around toward the sliding door that led inside.

ooo

January 26th, 1979

"Hey mate, I'm gonna go down to the pub to get drinks with the others. You coming?" Stephen wheeled himself into Fitz's doorway.

"I'll pass," he stated bluntly, laying in bed.

Stephen let out a sigh, "Fitz is this seriously about Olivia…seriously you have to take the advice I said last spring and just fucking grow a pair."

"Shut up, Stephen! You don't get it!" Fitz snapped, sitting up, and then cringed hearing himself. "I'm sorry to yell."

"Fucking pussy," Stephen muttered under his breath, but loud enough for Fitz to hear as he started to wheel himself around.

"Fuck you, Stephen!"

"No, fuck you, Fitz!" Stephen turned himself back around. "You think I went ahead and risked my fucking life, got my fucking legs ruined, just for you, just so you can live the rest of your life wallowing in self pity!"

Fitz winced at Stephen's words they were harsh but true.

"That's what you do, Fitz. You wallow about how 'Olivia is with someone else' or 'I'm forever indebted to my best friend.' You think you're indebted to me? Is that what our friendship is even built on? You feeling like you owe me?"

"What? No, not at all," Fitz said immediately. "I just…I mean- it's just you didn't have to do it a-and stay with me when I was slowing you down."

"I did that because you're my friend, and as your friend need to hear me when I tell you that you need to man the fuck up with Olivia!"

"I told her how I felt!" he yelled back to counter Stephen's attack. "I told her I loved her, and she rejected me!"

"Did you, Fitz? Did you tell her? Because from what you told me, all it sounded like was that you told her not to marry Edison – which I agree for the record - but did you actually and wholeheatedly tell her?"

Fitz flinched, blinking rapidly, trying to replay the scene from that New Years night in his head.

"I-I…it was implied!"

"It was manipulative," Stephen sighed to a puzzled looking Fitz. "Did you ever think about this from her view? She spends her whole childhood crushing on you while you're dating her sister. You break up with Mellie. You completely leave Olivia behind without any contact while you go halfway across the world. Even when she was the only person from your hometown who reached out to you and wanted to check in, you told her not to respond. You purposely didn't give her a mailing address, just to make sure that she couldn't respond. Then you suddenly come back into her life when she has a very long term, serious boyfriend. You walk the thin line of flirting and friendly for years, knowing full well that she used to have a crush on you. You snoop through her stuff and find a letter she wrote when she was 18 –right before she even started dating Edison - where she wrote that she loves you. And then you use those deep feelings of love that she had towards you during her childhood years and hold them against her, telling her not to marry Edison. Because why? Because you know, you just know, that she still has some of those deep feelings from her childhood for you even after all these years."

"Are you saying that she doesn't?" Fitz replied with concern his eyes. "Sh-She doesn't love me an-anymore?"

"I'm not saying that. Look, in that scenario she made her feelings pretty clear from when she was a kid. I don't know on where her feelings stand now, Fitz. But where in that portrait that I just outlined did you make your feelings known for her?"

"I-I-I didn't…"

"You didn't! Because you were just expecting her to throw it all for you. Because when you weren't getting mail, she wrote to you. Because when you were struggling in class, she offered to tutor you. Because when you didn't have a place for the holidays, she gave her house to you. So of course naturally, because you now want to date her, you expect her to just drop everything come back to you."

"Hey! I love her! " Fitz growled with gritted teeth.

"Great! That's fantastic! But I'm not the one who needs to be hearing that."

"I can't," Fitz sighed. "She deserves better than me. I've got nothing to offer her. I can't even finish – I-I think I might drop out of law school."

Stephen looked up at his friend in shock hearing the latest development that he hadn't said out loud at all. Surely Fitz wasn't serious about that and was just acting out. "Whoa Fitz, I said enough with the self pity."

"This is the kind of thing I wouldn't expect you to get. I-it's complicated. I'm going to fail anyways, so I may as well just drop. But you're right Stephen. I have a lot of problems of my own, and all I do is use her friendship to try and fix them…she deserves better than that."

"That's not what I was going for, Fitz."

"But you're not wrong…" Fitz leaned back into his bed and rolled over. "Just tell the others I say hi."

ooo

The gang sat at their usual booth getting drinks like they always did at the end of the week. It was just Olivia, Edison, Abby, Stephen, Huck, and Quinn. Fitz had not been to one of their happy hours since everything that happened on New Years, and he remained isolated from the group with the exception of Stephen and Abby whenever she would come over.

Olivia made bare conversation with Fitz for the rest of their holiday vacation, and hadn't spoken to him since saying goodbye once she was back in New York when they each went to their separate apartments. They had one class together this semester and that was it. Fitz made sure to avoid her though, sitting all the way on the other side of the room. Occasionally she would be able to sneak glances at him, to see how he was doing, but that was as far as it got.

Olivia wasn't sure about how she felt about everything with Fitz, other than just complete and utter confusion. She knew that deep down there was always going to be a part of her that held onto that childhood version of herself that was in love with Fitz. He knew that she had a crush on him, and would always have a bit of a crush on him. But it was unrequited love, and nothing more. It was unrequited then and it was unrequited now. To her, it seemed like Fitz was using it against her after being rejected by Mellie.

She had no doubt that he loved her, at least as a friend that is. And she tried to replay their friendship throughout the years to see if he'd been trying to get to something more. But she was afraid.

She was afraid that her childhood crush would lead to bias as she evaluated their friendship, and make it seem like there definitely was more when in fact there wasn't. She was afraid that if she lived out her childhood fantasy of having a relationship with Fitz that it wouldn't end well and completely ruin them. The one thing worse than never living out your fantasy is having your fantasy completely crushed in front of you.

"Hello, earth to Olivia," Quinn, called waving her hand in front of Olivia's face.

Olivia blinked, realizing she spaced out deep in her thought, "what?"

"I asked you if you and Edison wanted to join Huck and I ice skating tomorrow?"

"Oh, I…um…I can't…I have a lot of school work this weekend."

"No worries. Abby and…." Quinn trailed off realizing the terrible mistake she had just made.

"No, go ahead ask me," Stephen grinned and said sarcastically. "Ice skating is one of my favorite activities. I'd love to go!"

Quinn turned red with embarrassment while the table laughed. Olivia smiled seeing this side of Stephen, always joking and funny, he was far different from the cynical and bitter man she met when she first visited Fitz's apartment. She had no doubt that Abby played a role in his growing happiness, and was glad that she and Fitz managed to set them up. She sighed, thinking about Fitz once again and their friendship that had now been blown to pieces.

After drinks, the couples went their separate ways. Olivia told Edison that she'd have to pass on staying at his place for the night because she felt sick and was coming down with something. It wasn't too far off from the truth. She didn't feel great. She'd been having headaches ever since New Years, trying to figure out Fitz's true intentions in why he didn't want her to marry Edison. Was it a tease by him? Was it the real thing? Or maybe he just said those things in the moment after what happened with Mellie?

Olivia stayed in her room once she got back to her apartment, laying on her bed, replaying her and Fitz's relationship in her head from the beginning as though it was a movie. They meet, she falls in love with him, they become friends, he dates her sister, he leaves, then they're reunited, they become friends again and then…she didn't know what came next.

"Hey," she heard Stephen say as he wheeled himself into her room.

"Hey, where Abby?"

"She's showering right now. But-um I kind of needed to talk with you," Stephen looked at her with big concerned eyes.

"Stephen, is this about Fitz?"

"Yes," he answered honestly. "Look, I don't know what's going on between the two of you, but he's not doing well, Liv."

"What do you mean? Is he okay?" Olivia spoke fearfully.

"Physically yes, but spiritually no. He just mopes around all day and night. He's not sleeping. He's not socializing." Stephen paused, taking a breath. "Liv, he's… he's been talking about dropping out of law school."

"He wouldn't," Olivia argued back. "He has a semester left. He wouldn't just give up like that."

"I don't know, Liv. He's been saying he's going to fail so he may as well drop out now and save himself the humiliation."

Olivia took a moment to process the information Stephen just gave her.

"Stephen, make sure he doesn't," she instructed.

"You think he'd listen to me," Stephen snorted.

The phone started ringing, and with Abby in the shower, Olivia got out of her bed and walked past Stephen into the living room to get it.

"Liv!" he called after her.

"Just make sure he doesn't do anything rash he could regret. I'll talk to him about it at some point," she turned back to tell him before picking up the phone. "Hello?"

"Olivia?" she heard Cyrus on the other end, crying. She hadn't heard Cyrus cry since the Grants' funeral. Her stomach dropped, knowing that something terrible has happened.

"Cyrus? What's wrong?'

"Liv," he choked, trying to get through his words. "It's your mother. It's not good."

ooo

March 1st, 1979

Olivia sat in the chair at her mother's bedside in the hospital. Over a month ago Cyrus called her to tell her that Maya had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, already found in its late stages, and Olivia came home every single weekend in February to help take care of her alongside Cyrus, Mellie and Marcus. A few days ago she received another phone call from Cyrus that Maya was readmitted into the hospital, and it was not looking good. She took the very first bus she could back to DC and had been there since.

She was reading some articles that she had to for school while her mother was asleep, but every now and then she would look at her, just to make sure. She looked small and frail with various tubes and machines attached to her. The disease spread fast, and though Olivia was trying to prepare herself, she still had to try to remain hopeful an optimistic for the sake of her mother's spirits as well as her own mental health.

With Maya fast asleep, the phone in her hospital room started to ring, making Olivia quickly get up and answer it before it had the chance to wake her.

"Hi,"

"Hey Olivia. How is she?" It was Edison's voice on the other side.

"She's…about the same," Olivia concluded, assuming he wanted to hear "better," but Olivia had to be honest at this point.

"Gosh, I'm sorry, baby. I'm coming in tomorrow after work so I can be with you and her this weekend."

Olivia slightly smiled that Edison was much more focused on canceling any plans for the sake of being there for her right now.

"I'd like that very much. Thank you, Edison."

"Of course, sweetheart." There was a pause on the phone and Olivia could tell that Edison wanted to say something and was hesitant toward speaking. After a beat however he spoke up. "So I've been doing some thinking about our wedding…how would you feel if we moved it up?"

"Moved it up?" Olivia asked with some nerves to her voice. "Move it up to when?"

"As soon as possible," Edison answered.

"I-I thought we agreed that we would wait until after I finish law school."

"I know, I know we did," Edison breathed. "But with your mom sick, I was thinking maybe we should do it now, so she can be there."

Olivia's breath hitched, realizing what Edison was implying. He was right, in his judgments, and she knew that he meant well with the suggestion, but that still didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"I'm sorry Olivia. I'm not trying to be insensitive," Edison apologized, noting how he may have sounded. "I just think having your mom at your wedding is something that's important to you, and this way we can make sure of it. We can keep it small and intimate, family only. We could even do it in the hospital if your mom has to stay there."

Olivia paused once more. Moving their wedding date up to this weekend. She couldn't. She wanted her mom to be present at her wedding that much Edison got correct. But for some reason something about it felt wrong. Rushing a wedding just didn't sit well with her.

"Olivia?" Edison called out, seeing if she was still there. "Olivia? Are you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here," she replied hollowly.

"It was just a thought. If you let me know by tomorrow I can arrange everything before I leave."

Olivia noticed her mother beginning to stir awake.

"Edison, I have to go," she quickly spoke into the phone.

"Liv-"

"No Edison, I have to go. My mother's waking up. I'll talk to you later."

Olivia quickly hung up the phone and looked at Maya who started opening her eyes.

"Hi baby," Maya said groggily. Olivia went closer to bedside and leaned in to hug and be held in her arms.

"Hi mom. How are you feeling?"

"Just fine," Maya said, which was her usual response anytime she was asked that question. "Who were you talking to?"

"Oh it was just Edison. He's going to be coming in tomorrow," Olivia informed her.

Maya nodded to her daughter and then grabbed on to her hand.

"Mom?" Olivia asked. "How would you feel about me getting married?"

"Well, I would want my daughter to get married of course. I think most mothers would want that for their children."

"I mean this weekend…if I were to get married this weekend," Olivia spoke softly.

"March is…a little early for a summer wedding…" Maya said jokingly, aware that Olivia and Edison spoke about holding a summer wedding after she found out about their engagement after New Years.

"I know…but…what's the point in waiting, right?" Olivia nonchalantly smiled, but tears filled her eyes. She didn't want to be direct with her mother and explain that it was because they were worried she wouldn't make it to the summer. But Maya knew better and understood Olivia's round about ways of speaking.

"It's ok to just say that you want me at your wedding, Livvie. I know…" Maya put her other hand on top of Olivia's to grasp it. Olivia started to freely shed a few tears, allowing Maya to use all the strength she could to reach up and wipe her daughter's face.

"Livvie," she said quietly. "I want to be at your wedding, and I want to be there at your graduation, and when you have your first child, and so much more. It's any mother's dream to be with their daughters as they go through these big stages. But most importantly of all, I just want you to be happy, and if that means pushing things back to a time when…when I may not be here…as long as I know you'll be happy after, with whatever decision you choose, then that's all I could ask for."

"I understand mom," Olivia cried, trying to pull herself together.

"If you want to move up your wedding, because you want to, and because you'll be happier that way, then do so. But only if you are sure it will make you happy, and only get married if you are sure you are in love."

"I am," Olivia said, but Maya could sense some type of hesitation in her voice.

"Are you sure you're in love?" Maya asked with a slight gleam in her eye.

"Edison and I have had a very steady relationship for about six years. We-we work well together. We are good together."

Maya took a few deep breaths, feeling tired and exhausted already once again.

"Livvie, falling in love and having a good relationship are two different things."

"I love Edison, I do," Olivia claimed, slightly annoyed at consistently having to have this conversation with others.

"And Cyrus and I love each other too, but that doesn't change the fact that - oh never mind…I'm just rambling now," Maya quickly caught herself before she could say anything more, blaming the drugs she was on for almost sharing something that she had no right to share.

"What?" Olivia asked her mother, demanding an answer. "What are you talking about? Are you and Cyrus ok?"

Maya sighed, realizing that her daughter wouldn't stop until she explained.

"Cyrus and I love each other, we do. We're friends, we have a good relationship together…but it's different," she explained delicately. Olivia looked at her perplexed, still not understanding. "He's in love with someone else."

"Cyrus is in love with someone else? Who?" Olivia stared at her mom thinking long and hard. This was news to her. Who was this other woman that Cyrus fell for? Olivia thought about it, for as long as she'd known Cyrus she'd never seen him interact romantically with another woman. To be honest she'd never really seen him interact with anyone really, he was a pretty introverted guy, and he didn't talk to anyone outside from…

"James?" Olivia uttered, putting the pieces together. Maya just nodded yes to her daughter. "And you've known?"

"I've known for a while, but I guess I had my suspicions from the very beginning," said Maya.

"But you were still in love with him, even though you knew?" Olivia asked.

Maya shook her head no.

"I don't think I was ever in love with him, no. I was in love at one point, way back when I was in high school. Her name was Elaine. Her father had her married though upon high school graduation and the rest is history."

"I don't get it," Olivia spoke completely baffled by this news she just received from her mother. Trying to comprehend all this new information about Cyrus and her mother herself. "Why did you and Cyrus get married if you didn't love each other?"

"We loved each other…just differently. Cyrus has always been a great friend to me from the moment we met at a council meeting twenty years ago. Cyrus' friendship to me was the strongest relationship I'd ever had in years."

Mays sighed, struggling to see how she could explain what she was feeling best to her daughter, "Rare as is true love, true friendship is rarer."

"What?" spoke Olivia trying to process everything that was just revealed to her in the last two minutes: her mother not being in love with Cyrus, Cyrus being in love with James.

"It means that while true love is hard to find, true friendship is even harder to come by. But if you can find someone that fills both those roles, then Livvie…well, that is the secret to soul mates."

A/N: Like the title of this chapter, many truths were revealed. I know a lot of people had been curious about Cyrus and James from the beginning. We have a bit of an answer now, but there will still be more to come.