A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! Here's another chapter. BIG plot twist Happy reading! XOXO

Chapter 4 – Panic

"You want me to call a ring sweet baby?"

"I just want you to be happy."

Liv's POV:

I have been so busy with work lately. I have had long, late nights and early mornings. My body has been absolutely dragging. Coffee doesn't help and I've tried to eat energy bars, but they're not the most desirable things in the world.

Ever since my last encounter with Fitz I have been on edge and to say the least, bossy. I honestly feel bad for my random mood swings that are pointed towards sweet, innocent Quinn. Huck, Harrison, and Abby are used to me, but Quinn is different. She hasn't had her soul bargained for or corrupted quite yet.

I walk in to work this morning and my esteemed colleagues are sitting in the conference room. Harrison is leaning back in his roll-y chair, while Huck looks uncomfortable as always. Quinn and Abby are looking at the door, awaiting my arrival. I walk in and ask why they're just sitting and not working.

Abby blurts out, "Wow, Liv. You look… a little drab today." I could tell those were the kindest words she could find to describe my appearance. I knew I took a little less time on my makeup when I shouldn't have, due to the dark circles underneath my eyes.

"Um thank you, Abby? Get to work…"

Quinn speaks up, "Liv, maybe you should go to the doctor."

"I'm not sick, I am just sluggish this week."

Harrison responds in his charming, smooth tone, "When have you ever been sluggish? You've not been yourself this week, all you want to do is sleep, but you won't let yourself and now your body is slowing down."

Huck just slowly agrees with everyone's concerns with a simple, "Yeah, you should get that checked out, Liv."

I roll my eyes and thank them for the concern, but it really isn't necessary. I continue about my day, seeing client after client. Hoping the phone would ring and I would pick it up to hear a hushed "Hi." But it hasn't rung and I chastise myself for even wishing for it to ring. I hurry through my work and take my colleagues ill-advised commentary about my health into consideration.

Maybe I should slow down. Throwing myself into my work usually helps when Fitz and I are having problems, but for the past couple of weeks it hasn't helped as much as force my body to grow more and more fatigued.

I decide to leave the office around 5 pm, rather than my almost all-nighters. My gladiators in suits are shocked and appalled that I am leaving around a decent hour and almost walk me out of the door with a congratulatory celebration.

When I get home, I decide to go for a light jog to clear my mind and hopefully ease it enough for me to fall asleep. That's why I don't sleep much, my mind races like a horse and I'm unable to shut it off, not for lack of trying. I jog around Lincoln park and debate on going to the National Mall for a detour.

I'm jogging back to my apartment when a familiar figure appears beside me and begins jogging. I look up at the tall, chiseled gentleman and give him a sly stare. He smiles and says, "A gift, Ms. Pope. Just doing my job." Tom hands me a rectangle shaped black box and jogs the other way to return to his blacked-out SUV. I stop jogging and catch my breath. The SUV pulls beside me and I see Tom on a cell phone saying, "Good to go, sir." Then the window rolls up and the car continues down the street.

Before I could open the black box, it starts buzzing and vibrating. As soon as I realize what has just been "gifted" to me, I open the box in a quick, swift fashion. It's a phone, a Fitz phone.

I swipe right to accept the call and what I hear ignites a fire in me. My heart races and my temperature rises at the sound of his raspy, deep voice. "Hi."

I stay silent as I am taken back by the greeting. "Livvie? I need you to say something, so I know it's you. I can't just- I have to hang up if it isn't you."

"Hello."

"Hello… Hi."

"Hi."

"How are you?"

"I've been better. Working so much that my team is officially worried about me."

"Livvie, slow down. You don't need to be running yourself ragged, you're too beautiful for that."

He always knows what to say. Here I am, ungrateful that I finally have a family that cares for me. I should thank them more often because they are, indeed, my family.

"Hello? Did I lose you?"

"No, sorry just lost in thought I guess. Fine, I'll try to make it to the doctor's office tomorrow."

"Just being stubborn Olivia Pope, I suppose. One of the many things I find inexplicably desirable. I miss you. And I shouldn't be calling or giving you a secret burner phone when I'm not even sure what's happening with us, but I want to see you. I need to see you. Come to the White House."

"Are you crazy? There's no way that's accomplishable. It's getting late, people would throw together any kind of scandal if they saw us even talking."

"You don't think I don't know that? I do. But it doesn't stop me from wanting what I want. Do you remember Vermont? Cyrus' wedding? The last gift I gave you…"

"Of course, I do that whole day was beautiful, but Fitz…"

"I know. I know. One day, Livvie, one day."

"I hope so. What's wrong? Something must be wrong."

"I just want to be with the woman I'm in love with, not in the shadows."

"You're an amazing President, Fitz. Show them who you are and finish your terms. Not too much longer and we can do whatever we want."

"You're right. Are you home yet?"

"Yes, I just walked in the door."

"Well, goodnight Livvie. Take care of yourself, I'll try to call tomorrow night."

"Goodnight, Fitz."

FITZ POV:

I love talking to her. Her voice is so smooth and sweet, much like her silky, chocolate skin. When she says goodnight, I am filled with joy and sadness. Joy because just getting the opportunity to speak to the love of my life at all is a blessing. But sadness because it marks the end of our conversation.

After hanging up the phone, I begin to imagine our future together. She has never denied us a future, but she doesn't like to talk about it as much as I do. Probably because she is realistic and grounded, while I'm an idealist. I see the two-story wooden house in Vermont. Olivia says she'll make jam, but I think that's too simplistic for my queen, also she can only cook macaroni and cheese. I hear the pitter patter of little caramel, curly-haired babies running around. I can imagine waking up and falling asleep with the most beautiful woman beside me, every step of the way, through every fight (it's inevitable because we're both so passionate), for better or worse. When I marry Olivia, our vows will be meaningful and upstand, unlike my current arranged marriage to Mellie. I quickly get back to my daydream because it brings me happiness and serenity in the middle of chaos.

I drift off in my version of perfection for what seems like hours when I realize it is very late and I should be getting to bed for the early meeting I have with the Senate.

Back to Liv's POV:

I fall asleep quite quickly and wake up to quietness. As soon as I check my phone for the time I realize I have slept in and turned my alarm completely off. Fitz is like a sleeping pill to me, he makes me so peaceful that somehow, I found sleep and too much of it. I jump up in a complete panic and rush to get ready. It is already 10:30 am when I leave my apartment looking an even bigger mess than the day before. I didn't even have time to do my hair, so natural curls it is.

When I finally find my way to my desk, I see my team staring at me from the other side of the office like I am an animal at the zoo. I have never slept in before and they realize something but be tragically wrong with me for that to happen. I sit in my chair and just take a breather. It is then that I realize that I'm even more tired than the day before. Quinn enters my office with a coffee and apple in hand. "You should probably eat something and maybe this will wake you up."

"Make me a doctor's appointment for this afternoon, Quinn. I cannot take this fatigue any longer. I slept for almost 12 hours and I am as sluggish as yesterday on only 4 hours of sleep. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'll update you on the time." Quinn alerts me not even 15 minutes later that the latest they could fit me in was 2:30.

2:00pm rolls around and I tell everyone that I should be back after my appointment. I go to my doctor's office and they call me back almost immediately.

Dr. Gomez comes in after they take a sample of urine and blood. "Hello, Olivia. Nice to see you, wish it were for better circumstances, but I guess I am just glad that I am not one of your clients… yet." We both burst out in laughter. I have been seeing her for about 6 years now and we have gotten very comfortable with each other.

"So, Olivia. Quinn says that you've been experiencing an immense amount of fatigue?"

"Yes. I thought it was due to lack of sleep and stress, but I'm not so sure now. I slept for 12 hours last night and I am even more fatigued than before."

"Okay, well let's wait for your urine and blood sample to come back and we will see. It could be any number of things or nothing at all."

"Alright, about how long should that take? I was hoping to get back to the office after my appointment."

"Of course you are, Olivia. Either way you should start thinking of taking it easier. But, it should at the least an hour."

"Okay, I should be fine until then, thank you." Dr. Gomez leaves the exam room and comes back 45 minutes later. I begin to worry because she said an hour and it can only be really bad news for it to be that quick or really good because there was nothing they could find.

"Olivia, I found the source of your fatigue. We need to talk…"

…Panic sets in.

A/N: Yay! Another chapter down. I'm updating pretty quickly if I do say so myself. How sweet was Fitz' little day dream about Vermont? I love that gorgeous, romantic man. So, there was supposed to be a plot twist, but I decided that being the evil genius I am, I would make it a cliff hanger instead. WHAT IS HAPPENING TO LIV? IS IT BAD OR GOOD? Everyone is so worried about her and they have a right to be. Okay, enough torture! I might try to write this weekend, if not be on the lookout next week! REVIEW, FAV, FOLLOW. XOXO