Tri-Olitz
Chapter 7
"Through the fire
To the limit, to the wall
For chance to be with you
I'd gladly risk it all
Through the fire
Through whatever come what may
For the chance at loving you
I'd take it all the way
Right down to the wire
Even through the fire"
Chaka Khan
The Present
General McGowan POV
Damn it, the woman is unflappable. Five hours of nonstop questioning and she hasn't broken a sweat. Is she grinning? I actually think she is enjoying this. Nerves of steel that one. Why the hell isn't she working with Wilson in SAD or Jamieson in SOG? Reese is an idiot. How could he not know he had this genius strategist working right under his nose? Counterterrorism could use her full-time. I read her file. Olivia Pope possesses that rare strategic acumen that gives her keen insight into complex combatant situations. Her skill set definitely falls between a counter-insurgent and a black op assassin. What did Reese say, "she has a gift for interpreting anomalous domestic internet traffic across the spectrum social media and coded dark web chatter."
Olivia's POV
Seriously, a dark room, track lighting, an uncomfortable chair and six chest puffing old guys sporting variations of a buzz cut. Could this proceeding be any more stereotypical or hackneyed? Is this an investigation or an interrogation? The ringleader McGowan pours himself another glass of water from the black plastic pitcher in front of him. He sits enthroned on a black leather chair at a long rectangular mahogany table seated between top brass from the navy, air force, army and marines. The joint armed forces panel has been grilling, well more like chastising me for hours. I guess all the bright shiny medals and ribbons are supposed to have some sort of shock and awe effect on me. Not! There is nothing more cliché and cartoonish than a bunch old men pontificating on the merits of the chain of command, protocol and coordinated team effort. Don't get me wrong, I totally understand and agree with the need for rules and protocols to avoid chaos and rebellion. However, there are times when rules and protocols prove an impediment to situations requiring expediency. For goodness sake, I retrieved a highly trained and valuable asset. Can we at least agree on that one fact? No, this inquisition is about control and respect for military hierarchy. The plain truth is they alone have earned the right to call the shots and my little crafty ass pissed in their cheerios and made them look bad and ineffective with my rescue mission.
They want their pound of flesh; I can't say that I blame them. If I were one of them I'd demand the same. I should act intimidated? They want me quivering in my Jimmy Choo's and pit sweating in my Michael Kors dress? I'm supposed break down and beg forgiveness for my incredible feat of asset retrieval and combatant termination. Sorry, not today gentlemen. Fitz and I have literally gone through fire together, so excuse me if I find this entire charade amusing rather than daunting. Censure me, give me a tongue-lashing, subject me to punition but I will not cringe or shrink in regret for what I did. Ask me a thousand times, my answer will be the same. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Damn I wish I could say what I'm thinking but I have to consider Huck, Jake, Cyrus and Reese. Diplomacy with a smidgen of contrition is in order today. Fine, so be it. Should I shed a tear, go all emotional female on them? Hell no, I'll apologize and take my punishment but that is it! Dismiss me if you want, I think I'm ready for a career change anyway.
Cyrus and Reese POV
We watch Olivia pack up her belongs in silence. Fitz sits next to her desk quietly fuming. McGowan recommended a six-month suspension without pay and reassignment to SAD or SOG but the others argued Pope was a rogue, a loose cannon controlled by her emotions, therefore unstable and unfit for the intelligence work. McGowan argued Pope was an invaluable asset whose skills needed to be directed to more befitting activities. In the end, the majority ruled and Olivia Carolyn Pope was summarily dismissed and given her walking papers.
"You dodged a bullet today Pope".
"If you say so I guess I did Director Beene".
"Oh, now I'm Director Beene".
"Sorry Cyrus, I always knew being fired was a possibility, I just never actually thought they would do it. Suspension, demotion, a loss of pay, sure, of course but actual termination; boy was I wrong".
"You got off easy kid. They could have brought charges, locked you up and thrown away the key. You could be in Guantanamo playing pinochle with Al-Qa'ida also-rans and swatting mosquitoes. You know as well as I do the post 911 world has given the military and intelligence agencies sweeping powers. No Olivia, you got off with a slap on the wrist, a limp slap at that".
"I am sorry Pope. You are a rare talent and I have no idea how I will replace you".
"Thank you sir, it has been an honor to work with you Chief Reese".
"The honor has been all mines Pope".
"So what are you plans Pope", Cyrus asks with genuine concern.
"You mean aside from collecting unemployment and being a kept woman?"
Fitz grabs my hand and kisses it.
"I've been toying with the idea of opening my own crisis management firm".
"I see, well if you need references put me down; anything I can do to help".
"Thank you Cyrus I'll keep you mind".
Morning, The Same Day
A strong loving arm gently hugs my waist. I love this time of day, the quiet predawn of morning. Nestled snuggly against Fitz I feel warm, safe and loved. It's amazing how his simple touch, the slow rhythmic song of his breathing and the warmth of his body calms and comforts me. I take his hand, kiss it and lift it off my body. I swing my legs over the side of the bed, exhale with a sigh and quietly sit gathering my thoughts. Crossing my legs unconsciously, I stare at the scar running from the base of my ankle to the top of my calf. I smile to myself thinking of how Fitz refers to my scar as my blazing beauty mark. This scar is a daily reminder of why I love and will do anything for Fitz. At one time friends suggested I cover it with a tattoo but I would never do such a thing. This patch of dermis imperfection is proof of our destiny and the depth of our love.
"Liv honey, what are thinking about?" Fitz asks wrapping his arms around me from behind, kissing my neck.
"I'm thinking how blessed I am to have you in my life. I thinking how just the thought of you warms my heart and brightens my day. How I will never hide or cover this scar", I say bringing my knee to my chest as I turn to face him. "This scar reminds me of the day I knew my love for you was not a fantasy or a dream. It was real, precious and genuine. The day I got this I wanted I to scream but not from pain, from joy. In the midst of the danger surrounding us, I found joy". Fitz gets out of the bed and kneels in front of me. He pulls down my leg and softly kisses my knees. He lays his head on my thighs and wraps his arms around my hips.
"I felt the same way Livvie. I can't explain it; I knew our life together began in that instant". He lifts his head to look me in the eyes.
"Not surviving never crossed my mind. The second I touched you and looked in your eyes, a peace came over me. Like you, a joy filled my heart in the midst of that dire situation. I knew we'd be together forever; me and my sweet Livvie forever". He gently glides his fingers along the length of the scar and returns his head to my thighs.
"Whatever happens today, you're going to be all right Livvie. We are going to be all right".
"Baby I'm fine, worst case scenario I lose my job and become a kept woman", I tease combing my fingers though his hair. "Imagine it, every day when you come home I greet you with a drink and slippers and have a hot meal on the table. And every night I offer you my body for your kinky sexual enjoyment.
"Hmm, I'm actually intrigued by your proposal Ms. Pope. I fully support your choice to be a kept woman, except for one minor detail".
"And that detail being?"
"Exactly how is the hot meal thing going to work? You and the stove are sworn enemies." He looks up at me grinning.
"Ah, yes, good point. Okay, I will have the best piping hot take out waiting on the table for you every night".
He rubs my thighs slowly, alternating his touches with kisses. He moves up my body with each kiss until he reaches my head. He kisses my brow and each cheek. Placing his forehead against mine, he massages my left breast and grasps the back of my neck with his right hand.
"I love you Olivia, until time ends and beyond", he whispers.
We kiss, slowly and thoroughly. Our mouths open eager to let our tongues sweep across familiar terrain. He stands never breaking contact and pushes me down on the bed. He lays on top me grinding against my pelvis, his hand snaking up my t-shirt. His weight covers me, overwhelming me with his presence, arousing me.
"Be one with Livvie, shut out everything else. It's only you and me. No one and nothing else matters in this moment".
"Make love to me Fitz. Take us away from here baby", I moan against his cheek. His hand slides into my panties cuffing my leaking folds.
"Umm, umm, show me why I can never be with another man", I coo breathless.
"With pleasure sweet baby. How about some kinky shower lov'n? "
I shake my vigorously in agreement and within minutes my body is engaged in rapturous joyance.
"Oh god Fitz baby, harder baby, harder". All I want at this moment is for Fitz to be balls deep inside me. Pressed against the shower wall, my hands pinned over my head, he drives into me with unbridled passion sending me into a sex-induced stupor of orgasmic splendor. He alternates between kissing my neck and sucking my tongue with every pleasure giving thrust. "I love you Livvie", he moans in my ear over and over again. The water from the shower has long since grown cold but the heat from our joined bodies makes us oblivious to the temperature change. I cum hard mid-thrust, shaking and screaming his name from the sheer bliss of our oneness. He lowers my body to the shower floor only to change position and place my legs over his shoulders. He buries his face between my legs and draws my still throbbing nerve bundle into his mouth. I slam my upper body against the tile wall and run my fingers through his wet hair. The things this man can do to me with his mouth are unbelievable and probably illegal in half a dozen states. He reaches up to fondle my breast in perfect harmony with his oral action. My Fitz is implacable in his pursuit to drive me to the brink of ecstasy. I'm moaning and cursing like a porn star, though there is nothing fake about how Fitz makes me feel. I have no one to compare him to but I don't need to, Fitz is a fucking expert lover who I will crave until I die and I'm pretty sure I'll still want him in the afterlife. His tongue and pearl white teeth coax another body stirring orgasm out of me before I fully recover from the first. He is on a mission to fuck me senseless and take my mind off the day's proceedings.
He lowers my wobbly legs from his shoulders, we stand, he spins me around and enters me from behind. I reach up and lock my hands behind his neck for stability. He wraps his arm around waist to help me remain standing. His other hand gropes my breasts and pinches my nipples. My walls tighten around him extracting his stamina and sending him into a state of wanton release. Together our plunge and squeeze two step dance brings us to the door of sexual delrium. His masterful hand abandons by swollen breasts to fully attend my aching clitoris. With unmatched carnal dexterity, he massages the desire between my womanly folds, bringing stimulating erotic intensity to my overwhelming physical need for him. He rams into me with frenzied zeal, my vaginal muscles compress tighter and tighter until his member explodes under the pressure of my cock crushing walls. Our hands join bracing against the shower wall as we give in to our raging passion. He bites my shoulder and I bite my lip as he shoots his warm milky testimony of his yearning for me inside my tight cum drenched cavity. Breathless we turn to kiss each other. We press our brows together and enfold.
"Everything is going to be all right Olivia. Today is just a formality. The cards are stacked in your favor. They'd be fools to levy anything harsher than a formal reprimand. They know the real hero of the mission, regardless of the fictionalized account memorialized in the investigation report."
He kisses me repeatedly. Each kiss is deeper and more sensual than its predecessor. From the moment we connected after he saved my life in LA my love for him has never waned, only grown in depth and intensity. The same holds true for Fitz too. Our every touch, our every glance, our every thought adds to the dimension and strength of our love. There is not a song, sonnet or love story written that comes close to describing our one of a kind love and that inspires and guides me every day.
This morning I face questioning from the joint armed forces panel and receive, if all goes according to plan, a disciplinary reprimand from CIA command on my unauthorized rescue op.
"Fitz I told you"... He pinches my lips shut with his fingers.
"Olivia I don't want to hear you downplay your role in my rescue any longer. I'm alive and here because of you, your determination, brilliance and love. What you did with Jake and Huck's help is nothing short of a miracle".
"Fitz I …"
"What did I say?" Looking at me sternly, "enough is enough Olivia. Please be my hero this time. Let me praise you and thank you for being there for me. Accept my gratitude and love. Remember we are a team".
"I love you Fitz".
"Through the fire Livvie".
"Through the fire, I smile".
Flashback the Summer of Fate
"Why is LA so spread out? You have to drive everywhere. Oh my god, how long have we been on the road? Why the hell does Harrison's summer fling live in the valley? Are we almost there? Are you sure this is the right way, you know Harrison is directionally challenged".
"Abs don't worry, I did a MapQuest and apparently you haven't been paying attention to the third voice in the car because I have the Waze app on too. We're headed in the right direction, okay".
"How much longer on this road to nowhere do we have until we reach our final destination?"
"Geez Abs, what's your problem?"
"I hate trucks, they should make separate highways for them. Their huge mobile road bullies. Spewing fumes everywhere, taking up more than their fair share of the lane, barreling down the backs of drivers."
"Abby for someone who doesn't drive you sure a lot issues with 18 wheelers".
"Exactly my point, 18 wheels. That's a small train".
"Okay, Miss Anti-18 Wheeler, how do you propose transporting food, furniture and other goods to stores? In your perfect world, free of long haulers, how does your Lubriderm lotion make it to the drugstore?" Abby goes silent for a moment.
"Helicopters and hybrid or electric vans of course. Both are quicker and more maneuverable and less toxic to the environment".
"Can you imagine the number of vans required to replace one semi-hauler? Can you imagine a sky filled with helicopters? Abby your plan is logistically problematic".
"Whatever Liv, you know I'm right", she huffs looking out the window grinning.
"Okay Abby let me change lanes before you start hyperventilating".
Olivia flips on her signal light to change lanes.
Suddenly, "Liv watch out!" Abby screams.
In an instant, their laughter turns into shrieks of terror. A semi hauling sewer pipe directly in front of them blows a tire sending large strips of shredded rubber into Olivia's lane. Olivia grips the wheel, quickly steering her car across the next lane to avoid the tire debris. Seconds later another tire blows on the truck collapsing the truck's rear axle. The truck fishtails then jack-knifes shifting the load of sewer pipes with enough force to snap the trailer straps and send two of the pipes toppling over onto the freeway. Olivia manages to stay clear of the tire fragments but the sewer pipes are unavoidable. The few cars trailing behind Olivia are able to move over to the far left lane and avoid the rolling pipes. She barely misses clipping one pipe only to be sideswiped other. The pipe impact causes Olivia to spin out onto the soft shoulder and into the rusted highway guardrail. The guardrail, weakened from corrosion and wear almost gives way on impact but proves sturdy enough to impede her car's momentum.
"Oh god, oh god, oh god, are we still alive? What did I just say, what did I just say? Those trucks are a fucking menace!" Abby yells hysterically.
Both Olivia and Abby are in shock, but realizing neither one of them is injured, breathe a thankful sigh of relief; but then they hear it. Fear grips their heart, a loud rumbling is headed their way. They look at each other with dread knowing what the fast approaching sound means. With no time to escape, they look up in time to see a first sewer pipe collide with the second sending it crashing into them. The car flips front first over the shoulder, down the cliff face and lands upright in a clump of tree branches thirty feet below the freeway.
Screaming, they reach for each other's hand as the car somersaults over the edge. Their seatbelts hold them place as the car goes airborne upside down before landing upright. Abby's head bounces from the dashboard to the passenger window and Olivia's head slams into the steering wheel. With no side impact airbags and no impact from a direct frontal collision, the driver and passenger airbags fail to deploy. The car comes to rest wedged atop a large tree with thick brittle branches that cover the driver's side. Olivia and Abby are bloody, semi-conscious and moaning.
/
"You have to admit, living in the valley has its perks".
"No I don't, it's hot, thirty miles from downtown, has no beach and everything closes at ten o'clock on the weekends. I ha…ate the suburbs". Fitz whines in between drinking a Gatorade.
"Excuse me, I believe we are in training for a triathlon. We don't need any unnecessary distractions, plus in choosing our summer locale, I took into consideration your climbing addiction. Our apartment is a mere fifteen minutes from Rocky Peak so you can sneak in some climbing whenever you want. You may now commence apologizing for your insensitive remarks and give me my best bro in the world props". Jake smirks, giving Fitz the royal carry-on wave.
"Fine the one bright spot in an otherwise barren social wasteland you've banished us to is our proximity to better than mediocre rock face".
"Where's the love Fitz? Did you leave it back east with Mellie?" Fitz punches Jake in the arm.
"Hey, I'm driv'n here!"
"Do not mention her name or Amanda's in my presence. I can't believe we let Big Gerry talk us out of pressing charges against those two".
"Let it go, there's nothing we can do about it now. Amanda is back to weaving baskets and popping pills from a paper cup at the Northshore clinic for the rich and crazy and Mellie is touring Europe with a handpicked Trunchbull as an escort, compliments of her father, and no friends because her little stunt". Jake chuckles. "You have to admit the expressions on Big Gerry's and Daddy Pearson's faces after Mellie explained to the attorneys why she was standing naked in our apartment chanting while you were unconscious was priceless. I laughed so hard I thought I was going to cough up an organ".
Scratching his nose, Fitz laughs, "It was pretty hilarious. Pearson and Gerry just sat there all red-faced, huffing and fuming and calculating in their heads how much it was going to cost them to make the whole fiasco go away. Pearson is making Mellie go through intensive therapy once she returns stateside. Hopefully once she starts law school she'll find some other poor soul to latch onto and leave me the fuck alone".
"Did you see that?" Jake immediately slows down the truck he is driving. All the cars ahead of him slow and pull to the left to avoid tire debris and the cylindrical objects falling off the jack-knifed up ahead.
"Yeah, pull over let's help. Jake pulls over to the right shoulder next to the remaining strip of guardrail. Several drivers have parked their cars in front of the second sewer pipe to prevent it from rolling any further. Other drivers are on their phones calling the highway patrol and fire department. A couple people are peering over the cliff assessing the status of Olivia's car. Fitz and Jake run to the edge of the shoulder.
"Those branches are not going to hold. Jake get the truck, I'll get my gear. Jake runs back to the truck and maneuvers the pick-up to the spot where Olivia's car broke through the guardrail. Fitz grabs his bag from the backseat of the truck and takes out his climbing gear. He straps on his harness and gloves. Jake pulls a rope from the truck bed and wraps it around the truck's tow winch. Fitz fastens his climbing rope and the tow rope to his harness. With his back facing the cliff, he inches to the edge.
"You ready", Jake yells. Fitz nods. Jake turns on the winch motor slowly releasing the tow rope. Fits goes over the side bouncing down the cliff face to the car cradled in the treetops. He reaches the passenger side and peers in the window. He sees two women slumped over and bleeding. Her tries the door; it's locked. He bangs on the passenger window to get their attention; no reaction. He bangs harder yelling, "can you hear me? Olivia, woozy, stirs slightly. Fitz yells to the driver to unlock the door. Olivia rubs her forehead to ease the throbbing pain from hitting the steering wheel with her head. She slowly looks at Abby and she can see a man gesturing outside Abby's door. Blurred vision prevents her from making out the man's features. She hears muffled words and tries to focus.
"...n door" is all she can make out.
"N door", what's in the door, she thinks.
The man yells even louder and points to the corner of the window. "Open the door!"
Groggy and disoriented Olivia finally comprehends the man's words. She slowly eases back over to her seat. She lays against her headrest, pausing to rest because of the pain in her head from the steering wheel and her chest from the seatbelt. She blindly feels for the door lock with her left hand. She toggles the switch forward relocking the doors instead of unlocking them.
The man yells, "try again, you're locking the door".
Olivia takes a deep breath and claws at the lock again. The locks click and Fitz opens the passenger door. He catches Abby who falls against his chest. Olivia lapses back into unconsciousness.
Fitz stands on the doorframe to raise Abby's bloody head. "Can you hear me? He asks louder than normal. Abby groans.
"You've been in an accident. It's not safe for you to remain in the car. I'm going to get you out of here and back onto the shoulder of the road. Do you understand?"
"Wha, wha, what happened", Abby whimpers, then passes out.
Fitz wraps his tandem rope around Abby being careful not to entangle it with the seatbelt or tow rope. He unbuckles the seatbelt after he is sure Abby is securely attached to his harness. He eases her out the door and they dangle beside the car for a few seconds as he pulls Abby's limp body to his side. Using the doorframe for leverage, he uses his feet to push away from the car. After three tries, he clears the car and hangs pressed against the side of the cliff. He yells up to Jake to restart the winch and he begins to ascend the climbing rope hand over hand up the cliff. When he reaches the top, spectators help ease Abby onto the ground. The muffled sound of sirens blaring in the distance alert everyone help is on the way.
Crack, crack, woosh! A branch breaks under the weight of Olivia's car and her car sinks farther down into the branches. "The car is slipping", someone yells.
"The driver is still in the car I'm going back down", Fitz shouts.
"It's too dangerous man, the fire department will be here any moment and the highway patrol just arrived, Jake tries to reason.
"The car is slipping. I can bring her up in a couple minutes. Turn on the winch". Jake shakes his head but follows Fitz's instructions.
He's about to go over the edge when they all hear it; the sound of the car slipping through the tree limbs again. Fitz jumps over the edge without a second thought. Jake turns on the winch and Fitz is at the car no time to spare. He enters the car, the driver is still out cold. Kneeling on the passenger seat, he lifts the woman's head, her face, even though covered with blood is familiar to him. He reaches over her to unbuckle her seatbelt. The driver's door is caved in and pressing against the seatbelt casing making it difficult to unbuckle. He tries to press the release harder but the buckle still won't budge. The buckle is jammed and he needs something to cut the belt. As he pulls back, the injured woman regains consciousness. He stops to help her.
"My head…my head really hurts. What happened? Where am I?"
"You were in an accident and you're trapped in your seat. I'm going leave for a minute to get something to cut you out".
Olivia touches head brow and notices Abby is no longer in the car next to her. "I'm bleeding. Oh god, I'm bleeding. Abby…my friend Abby…where is Abby?" Olivia squirms about searching nervously.
"Your friend is being taken care of. We need to focus on you right now okay". Fitz takes her hand to calm her down. A warm charge flows between them. They both stop moving.
Fitz decides to try one more time to release the seatbelt. He reaches over and tug at the buckle a few more times; nothing budges. He pulls back, his bare arm crosses Olivia's face. She grabs Fitz's forearm and whispers something he can't make out. Thinking she is expressing fear, Fitz reassures her he is going to help her.
"Don't worry miss, I'm going to get you out".
Olivia gazes into Fitz's eyes. He gazes back, squinting his eyes, trying to remember why she seems familiar. He freezes. He knows those eyes.
Olivia blinks several times, hoping, silently praying he is the person she believes him to be. She taps the birthmark on his arm and whispers, "I remember the lightning bolt". This time Fitz hears her loud and clear. Reaching for her neck, Olivia pulls out something hidden under her blouse. It's the ring, the ring Fitz gave her, the ring that is the symbol of their serendipitous friendship. In an instant their eyes lock, their minds become awash with jumbled images of their brief encounters. Synchronicity takes over regulating their breaths, coordinating their heartbeats and linking their thoughts.
Fitz POV
"Olivia", I breathe shakily, so overcome with emotion I tremble. She's here, she's really here, Olivia is here with me. Tears fill both our eyes.
"Fitz", she calls, her voice equally wrought with overwhelming emotion.
"O…O…Olivia", I repeat almost afraid to touch her, thinking she could vanish at any moment.
"Fitz", she repeats.
We grab onto each other and cry. "I remember Fitz, I remember you", she cries.
Suddenly the car drops again. The slack in my tether gives way and I'm jerked from her embrace and out the car.
"Fitz', she screams reaching out for me. "Olivia", I scream back.
Twisting violently in mid air, I yell to Jake. "Jake it's Olivia, it's Olivia in the car".
"What?" He yells back cuffing his ear.
"O-l-i-v-i-a, is…in… the…car", I scream at the top of my lungs.
"Shit", Jake staggers backward stunned by the news. He rubs his temple with his middle finger. He cannot believe what Fitz just said. He rakes his fingers through his hair nervously in total astonishment. Olivia is here…now… in the car.
"She's trapped I need to cut her out the seatbelt".
"Hold on", Jake yells. He sprints to the truck opens the glove box, grabs a utility knife and runs back.
"Heads up", he shouts, then thinks better. He can't chance me dropping the knife. This is may be our only chance to save her. He turns on the winch and draws me closer. He has one of the bystanders tie another rope around the knife and lower it to me. I retrieve the knife, open it and cut it free from the third rope. I hear more branches breaking beneath me.
Yanking the tow rope, I bellow, "lower me now the car is dropping".
"Fitz", I hear Olivia screaming my name hysterically.
"Hold on Olivia. Hold on! I'm coming!"
"Hurry Jake, the car is slipping!"
I finally reach the car and climb back in. Olivia latches on to me tight.
"It's okay Livvie. I'll have you out in a second". The car slips again.
"More slack", I yell.
"Hurry Fitz, please hurry!" Olivia is frantic. She yanks the shoulder strap desperately trying to free herself. I grab her hands and look her in the eyes. Her breathing is rapid, her chest is heaving and her tears are flowing but she listens to my voice.
"Trust me Livvie. We are in this together; we are going to make it out of here together. I will not leave your side". I caress her face and she settles down.
I make quick work of cutting away the seatbelt strap. As soon as she is free, we hear the deafening sound of branches scraping the sides of the car.
"Olivia I'm going to tie you to my harness and I need you wrap your legs and arms around me okay. Can you do that Livvie?" Olivia nods.
"Okay, Olivia let's do this". I quickly tie the rope around Olivia's waist and snap the rope to my harness. She lays her head on my chest and wraps her arms around my torso. Together we ease out the passenger side. Without thinking, I kiss her on the brow.
"On the count of three, we're going to push away from the door, you ready?" She shakes her head.
"One..two…three…"
"Before we have a chance to push away from the car, one of the large branches supporting the car breaks, the dry brittle limb no longer able to bear the car's weight. The car lurches backward then drops from underneath us plummeting trunk first through the tree branches down the cliff a hundred feet exploding in a ball of fire and igniting the surrounding drought parched vegetation. The fire spreads quickly engulfing the cliff base and sides within seconds. Olivia and I dangle, twisting in the wind as smoke, flames and heat rise from the bottom of the canyon floor. I feel Olivia slip a little bit between the ropes so I hold her tighter and she does the same to me. I hear the winch straining to retract as we slowly ascend to the shoulder.
"Almost there", I hear Jake shout. Relief spreads over me.
"Hang on Olivia we're almost to the top". She doesn't say anything, her only response is to hug me tighter.
All of sudden the winch gear jams and we jerk to a stop. The clasp securing the rope around Olivia breaks and she slides down my body to my waist. She screams and tries to pull herself back up to my chest. I let go the climbing rope and reach to help her but it's hard because she's struggling dead weight. The tow rope slips and we drop to a few feet above the flames. Olivia is screaming.
"My leg, my leg, my leg, my leg is burning! Fitz my leg!" She kicks wildly trying to keep her legs away from the flames.
"Oh god Olivia! Hold on. I won't let you fall. I need you to stop kicking sweetheart, I going to try to swing us over to the cliff face and grab a hand hold". My words are useless Olivia is in a full-blown panic and cannot hear me. I try to gain the momentum needed to swing but Olivia's movements counteract my efforts. I'm about to try again when I see two firefighters coming along side of us. They pull Olivia up, hook a dual harness around us, wrap us in a flame retardant blanket and lift us to safety.
Once we're on the shoulder the firefighters unhook the dual harness and help us out of my gear. Olivia collapses in my arms. She's wearing shorts so I examine both her legs. I see where the flames burned her calf. I point the injury out to the paramedics who rush to access our status. Olivia clings to me for dear life. I caress her cheek and kiss the crown of head.
"Fitz", she whispers to me.
"Yes Livvie".
"That's three," she says and faints.
Xxxxxxxxxxx
AN- So…ooh, what do you think? I had written three different scenarios for the third rescue and decided to use this one. "Through the Fire" came on the radio when I was driving home trying to decide which scenario to use. I think I made the right call. Do you recall the first two rescues? I'm glad everyone likes this version of Jake. Despite what the show writers think, it is possible to have a friend that sticks with you through thick and thin and does not betray you.
All right two chapters down, one more to go before I move on to Desert Princess. The next chapter will cover what happened after the accident, the rest of the summer and how they eventually became Olitz. Be warned, Mellie will make another appearance- the woman is relentless. LOL
SAD – Special Activities Division of the Central Intelligence Agency; covert operations
SOG – Special Operations Group of the Central Intelligence Agency; high threat military or covert operations the US does not want to be overtly associated with
Thank you for your reviews and PMs. Hope you are enjoying the holiday and have a great week.