A/N: I was going to wait until the weekend to post this, then realized I couldn't. I love this chapter. If I had to describe it in two words, it'd be 'smutty' and 'emotional'- I hope you enjoy it!

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. I probably won't have time to post anything else before Christmas, so Happy Holidays to you all!

GLOW: PART THREE

Fitz

Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III began falling in love on the very first night he met Olivia Pope. He loved her across the thousands of miles between New York and San Francisco Bay, and between NY and Chicago, when they spoke on the phone for an hour each evening and texted all day long. He loved her while he waited for her to recover from her mystery illness, and even when she disappeared and he was pissed off and confused, he loved her still.

But all of that was just a prelude to the wild and complex symphony of feelings he had for her now. From standing at her front door and seeing her pregnant tummy for the very first time; through those early days and weeks spent learning one another, feeling constantly overwhelmed by the fact they had made two babies together; to the slow and steady evolution of their physical, sexual relationship. She was the most beautiful person he had ever known, both inside and out. She dazzled him with her clever mind, with her strength; with her compassion and her humor - and he loved her deeply, with everything inside of him. He loved her so much he didn't know what to do with it all; so much it hurt, as he fought to contain it, as it fought to burst free.

He wanted to tell her more than anything - wanted her to know - but he could see she wasn't ready. His life had changed in almost every way but at least his body remained his own; Olivia, on the other hand, was facing a daily struggle to adapt to new symptoms, unexpected cravings and regular hormone swings.

She handled it so well, though. Ninety-five percent of the time she was just so calm. It was a conscious choice she made: to remove all unnecessary stress from her life, from her babies. She woke early on weekdays so she didn't have to rush (and so she had time to seduce him); she focused hard at her new job in the training department, bringing the minimum amount of work home with her; she did Pilates twice a week, and they often took walks in the evenings and at the weekend. She smiled all the time. She loved being pregnant.

And Fitz was in awe of her.

While he waited to be able to profess his love - waited until she asked him to, or until she said it first - he tried to show her instead. He poured it into every embrace, every kiss: the sweet little pecks and the hot, carnal ones as they pulled at each other's clothes, desperate to be naked together. He let it shine in his eyes while they made love, gazing up at her while she rode him or in the bedroom mirror when he was behind her. He silently whispered it with his mouth all over her skin, before, during or afterwards; tucked it into the spaces between their fingers and held on tight.

He never thought he'd beat their first night together. It had shimmered in his memory ever since, like it was made of diamonds and gold. But he had soon realized that he had been naïve: now that he knew her, and loved her; now that she was carrying the most precious babies in her beautiful round belly. He had never had sex with a pregnant woman before, nor had he thought of pregnancy as sexy per se. But everything about Olivia's changing body drove him crazy with desire, and he knew it was only going to intensify with time.

Her twenty-week scan came around quickly, and actually happened at twenty-one because her OB was on vacation. Fitz couldn't believe how fast time was flying. Before they knew it, they would be parents; completely responsible for two tiny, helpless humans. And no matter how much he'd always wanted children and how excited he was to finally hold them in his arms, that thought still left him terrified.

He could see that the twins had changed as soon as Dr Dalton brought them into view on the screen. It had only been five weeks but they were definitely bigger, more developed. "Growing nicely," as the doctor put it. It took a lot longer this time as he examined them for anomalies, particularly their hearts - but eventually he smiled and declared them both as perfect as they could be at this stage. Fitz felt the tension leave Olivia's body, and his own.

They were asked if they wanted to know the genders, but declined. Fitz wouldn't have minded either way, but his girl was adamant she wanted to be surprised.

"I'm glad you chose that," he told her later, over a tapas lunch at a nearby Spanish restaurant. "I keep thinking about the moment they're born and the doctor announcing each one in turn. Look. I have goosebumps already."

He held up his arm and she smiled, lovingly running her fingertips over his skin. "You are so cute."

Then she sat back in her chair, rubbing her bump. The babies had indeed had a growth spurt lately: she was now measuring almost seven months. "God I'm so full. Maybe we shouldn't have ordered that sixth plate."

"We?"

She rolled her eyes. "Okay. I shouldn't have ordered it. But Mama is so damn hungry all the time."

"Mama is stunning."

He stood up and rounded the table, offering her his hand. When she was on her feet too, he kissed her. "Hi," he murmured, gazing deep into her eyes. It sounded ridiculous but he'd missed her, even sitting two feet away.

"Hi," she beamed in reply. It was a look of love if ever he'd seen one.

"Do you want to walk home, help lunch go down?" he suggested.

"Okay. But I need to pee first."

He laughed at the fact she still thought she needed to say it before they went anywhere, as if he didn't already know. "Of course you do. I'll go pay."

They strolled through the city hand-in-hand. It was windy and cold, the day before Hallowe'en, and all the stores were appropriately decorated. When they passed a baby boutique with tiny, holiday-themed onesies in the window, Olivia looked up at him pleadingly and he was powerless to resist her.

Inside, the store was much bigger that it looked. They hadn't done any baby shopping yet: she had superstitions about getting the twins to at least twenty-four weeks' gestation, and preferably much further, before she would let herself nest. But having just spent an hour watching them on screen, seeing them move and hearing them declared 'perfect' by her doctor, Fitz knew she felt reassured - as did he.

They spent two hours there. It was eye-opening and a little bit daunting, but mostly a lot of fun. They looked at everything from cribs to breast pumps; from books offering all kinds of advice to a wide variety of nipple creams. Olivia started a list on her phone of things she wanted, brands she liked. At one point he lost sight of her, only to find her in the clothing section literally crying over tiny newborn hats. He wiped her cheeks with his thumbs; kissed her forehead and held her close, falling in love all over again. Then he asked her to choose two - both white organic cotton, one embroidered in pale gray stitching with a duck, the other with a fox - and he bought them for her.

Back at her apartment, she lay them on her belly over her pale blue sweater, one on each side, and Fitz took a photo. Immediately it became his all-time favorite, and the lock screen and background of his phone.

"I can't wait to meet you," she said softly, relaxing back against the cushions. "I want to hold you both in my arms, to breathe you in. I want to be your mommy forever."

He sat beside her and she snuggled into him. The babies wriggled beneath his hand and Olivia soon fell asleep, and it was only then that Fitz let his own tears fall.

"God I love you," he murmured, so quietly he barely heard it himself. He closed his eyes and drifted off for a little while too, into dreams of big brown eyes and caramel skin and tiny white hats with animals on them.

Fitz's father, known as Big Jerry to all his friends, arrived in New York the second weekend of November. A semi-retired sheep farmer and horse breeder, he had also recently ventured into local politics back in northern California. They had always had a good relationship, and they'd had to: Fitz's mother had died when he was very young, leaving just the two of them. He always thought he'd grow up and work for his dad on the ranch, eventually taking over the business - and he would have loved that. Physical labor, animals, the great outdoors. But Big Jerry had insisted his son went to university, to earn a degree, as he never had the chance to do himself.

"He's got all the brains of the family," Fitz would often hear him say, proudly, to anyone who would listen. "He's studying computer science, whatever the hell that is. The future, apparently. All I know is, if anyone will make it in life, it's my boy."

Indeed, Fitz had chosen wisely. It was the late nineties, the tech industry was about to burst wide open and he knew he would never struggle to find work. Add in a little luck - one of his professors met Steve Jobs' recruitment guy at a fundraiser and managed to set up an interview for his brightest student - and Fitz left Caltech top of his class, with an internship at Apple which would soon see him become a software designer for the very first iPhone.

Since then he'd written countless programs and designed hundreds of apps, many of which gave him a regular income on top of his salary, his consulting fees. More than enough for him to invest in property in Silicon Valley and San Fran; to buy stocks, to maintain a healthy profile. It was never about the money, but about security. There were some years growing up when his father struggled to pay the bills because half his flock had caught a virus and died, or had failed to produce enough lambs, or a heatwave seared the grass and they had to buy in feed from elsewhere. And Big Jerry had always provided for his son as best he could, but Fitz was aware of the stress it caused. When - if - he had children of his own, he vowed he would be financially stable.

Fast-forward to his late thirties, with twins on the way and the high cost of living in NYC, and he was grateful to his younger self for being so smart, so level-headed. His and Olivia's children would want for nothing. He wanted for nothing. In the last ten weeks, he'd found everything he'd ever dreamed of.

Olivia was waiting in Fitz's apartment when he brought his father back from the airport on Saturday afternoon. They barely spent any time there because he had a roommate, Simon. He was a nice guy, but there was so much more privacy at her place. Fitz had finally told his dad all about Olivia, about her pregnancy, a couple of weeks back - and, just as he'd predicted, Big Jerry was ecstatic.

"Olivia," he said warmly when she opened the door. "It is so good to meet you at last."

She accepted his hug, his kiss on her cheek. "You too. Fitz has told me so much about you."

"All terrible, I assume?" He laughed, holding her at arms' length as his gaze traveled down her body. "Wow. Look at you."

She smiled and ran her hand over her bump, wrapped up warm beneath her pale gray sweater. "There's a lot of baby in here."

"Two, I hear. Boys, girls?"

"Surprises," Fitz said, passing them with his father's suitcase.

"Ah. The best way, I think."

"Me too," Olivia agreed.

"Well, you look great," Big Jerry said earnestly. "You're glowing. Isn't she?"

Fitz set the case against the wall and walked back to his girlfriend, unable to resist putting his arm around her shoulders, kissing her temple. "She is. She's a superstar."

"Oh stop it," she complained, but she was smiling nonetheless. "Come on in, Jerry. Can I get you a drink? How was your flight?"

That evening they went out to one of Fitz's favorite French restaurants, to celebrate family and an early Thanksgiving and Big Jerry's impending foray into being a grandfather. Fitz loved to watch his two favorite people getting along, laughing together, often at his expense - but he didn't mind. His father was a good storyteller, full of the Grant family charm, and Olivia seemed to genuinely like him.

"So, what do you think?" he asked her when Jerry excused himself to use the bathroom.

She looked at him with dark, soulful eyes. "He's wonderful, Fitzy. I'm so thankful our babies get to have him as their grandpa."

Suddenly Fitz felt emotional, his throat tightening. Olivia noticed. Her expression softened and she reached out her hand, lovingly stroking his cheek across the table. "You're so sweet," she sighed. "If I could bend forward, I'd kiss you right now."

He took her palm and kissed that instead. "You look beautiful tonight," he said softly. She always did, and he always told her, but it never seemed like enough.

After a lovely dinner they dropped Jerry off at Fitz's apartment, where he was staying for his three-day visit, and then took the same taxi the few blocks to Olivia's place to avoid the rain. Outside her front door, Fitz spun her to face him and stole the keys from her hand. She looked up at him, confused, as he pressed her back into the woodwork.

"Finally," he murmured, his breath ghosting over her lips - and then he kissed her.

She was the most delicious thing in the entire world. The way she moaned into his mouth, caressed his tongue with hers, dug her fingers deep into his curls and pulled, just hard enough to hurt - God, he was crazy about her. And he soon began to regret his decision to seduce her outside of her apartment, because her hand had descended to the bulge in the front of his pants and the way she was rubbing him was making him lose his fucking mind.

"Baby," he groaned eventually, unable to handle this torture a second longer. "Get inside, now. I need you out of these fucking clothes."

He struggled so much with the keys, trying to get them into the lock behind Olivia's back, that she took them from him and turned around. Immediately he used this to his advantage, cupping and massaging her breasts, kissing the side of her neck. She shivered from head to toe and pushed open the door.

Five seconds later he slammed it behind them, already lost in her again.

In the bedroom they hurriedly stripped each other, illuminated only by amber light from a single bedside lamp. Olivia trailed her lips all over his body; knelt before him and enveloped him in her warm, soft mouth. When he couldn't take it anymore - which was barely any time at all - he lay her on the bed, making sure she was comfortable among the pillows, and returned the favor. Going down on her was one of his favorite things. It was becoming more and more difficult to find a good position with her growing bump in the way, but that was something else he loved: sliding his hands over her curves while he licked and sucked on her; glancing at them in the mirror, at the contrasting colors of their skin and her incredible body rising and falling in time with her long, loud cries.

He made her come, hot and wet in his mouth, calling out his name - and then he kissed his way up over her abdomen, to her chest. Her hard nipples felt exquisite beneath his tongue, as did the way she whimpered and trembled beneath him.

They made love slowly that night, with him kneeling between her legs, lifting her bottom so her thighs wrapped tight around his hips. He missed being able to lean down and kiss her but the sight of her there in front of him, touching and playing with her boobs; the ecstasy on her face as she tipped back her head and moaned for all she was worth; the way she felt, at this unbelievable angle - it was more than enough for the both of them.

Her orgasm triggered his.

It was phenomenal.

"Is it just me," she asked later, once they'd cleaned up and gotten cozy beneath the covers, "Or does the sex just keep getting better?"

"It's not just you," Fitz replied, kissing her belly. He was lying further down the bed, watching and feeling their babies move inside. They tended to be most active when Olivia was relaxed, especially in the evenings. "We are very good at it."

"We are," she agreed, stroking his hair. "I've never, ever come so hard in my life. Not even close. And every single time is more amazing than the last. I think you might actually kill me, one day."

He looked up at her, smirking. "The French got it right. Le petit mort."

"They should have called it 'the big death'. There's nothing little about these orgasms you give me."

"Mm. So I gather from your screams."

She motioned for him to move closer and he did so, letting her kiss him. "Same again tomorrow morning?" she said cheekily, nuzzling his nose with hers.

"No," he replied, reaching over her to switch out the light. "Tomorrow will be even better."

Fitz spent all day Sunday and Monday with his dad, showing him some of the city sights, catching up, making plans for Christmas. With Fitz's permission and encouragement, Big Jerry invited Olivia to California for the holiday - to which she happily agreed, as long as her OB gave her the all-clear to fly.

On his final night, Fitz and Olivia cooked for him at her apartment. They made a spicy Tunisian bean stew, served with a crusty loaf from their favorite bakery. The men drank red wine and Olivia even had a small glass too - her first alcohol in over five months.

"Oh, I've missed this," she said, savoring the taste. Fitz watched her, his heart somersaulting in his chest.

Later, full of good food and great stories, Jerry pulled out an envelope from his jacket just as he was about to leave.

"For you," he said to them both, passing it over.

Fitz opened it with a frown, not knowing what to expect - and inside found a check for fifty thousand dollars.

"Dad. What the-?"

"Don't argue," Jerry said, waving his hand to silence his son's protests. "I've had that money sitting in a bank account for almost forty years. Your mother and I set it up before you were born, and I added to it whenever I could. I gave you a portion on your twenty-first birthday but you already had a job by then, and a great future ahead of you, so I thought I'd keep the rest in case you ever needed it."

Fitz didn't say anything. He was completely stunned. He felt Olivia's fingers curl into the back of his shirt, holding onto him.

"You probably don't need it now," his father continued, "But it's yours, to do whatever you like with. Buy everything you need for the twins, or put it into savings for them. I don't mind. Just be happy, both of you. You don't realize how lucky you are."

And then Fitz saw it: the brave, vulnerable man who lost the love of his life just two years after their child was born. The single parent he was forced to become. The heartbreak he'd never forgotten.

When they hugged, as fierce an embrace as he could ever remember having with his father, Fitz cried. Big Jerry stood strong, comforting his son.

After a long moment, Fitz managed to collect himself and stepped back, wiping his eyes. "Thank you," he said hoarsely. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too."

Olivia moved towards Jerry, holding out her arms, kissing his cheek. "Thank you so much. It's far too generous of you."

He squeezed her tight. "Nonsense. It's my pleasure, sweetheart. I've watched Fitz search for you for so many years, and now seeing you together, seeing how excited you are, how in love - you've given me a new lease of life. Honestly. I can't wait to become a grandpa."

She didn't refute the 'in love' part, and Fitz wondered if she'd really heard it. But then her eyes met his and he saw that she had - and that she would never refute it, because it was true.

One more piece of evidence to add to his collection of She Loves Me memorabilia, curated in his mind like the hand-picked petals of the most beautiful flower in the world.

Two days later, when Olivia hit twenty-four weeks, Fitz met her at lunchtime and they went to open a bank account and deposit the check for their children. "We made it," she said later that night, sitting across from him in an upscale bistro where they were toasting this latest milestone. The survival rate for twins born at twenty-four weeks, as opposed to twenty-three, was significantly higher. Definitely something to celebrate.

"You made it," he corrected. "I haven't really done anything."

"Oh come on, Fitz," she admonished, looking at him like he'd gone mad. "You've kept me sane this entire time. You've made me feel beautiful every day, even when I didn't want to, when I thought it was impossible. You've looked after me so I could look after them. I can't even begin to imagine going through this without you."

He was taken aback by the passion in her voice, by how it broke at the end; by the sudden tears shining in her eyes. "Are you crying?" he asked, overwhelmed by how sweet she was. "Livvie. Don't."

She shook her head as tears fell over her eyelashes, as she hurriedly wiped them away. He got up from his chair and went to kneel beside her, pulling her into a hug. "God, you're adorable. Shh. Don't cry, silly girl."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay." He lifted her chin with his fingertip, waiting for her to look at him. "I will always be here," he promised, kissing her lips, finding her other hand with his and gripping it tight. "Always."

She sniffed and managed a smile. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me."

"I do."

"Okay. You can thank me properly when we get home," he said suggestively, making her laugh.

"Okay, I will."

She kissed him once, twice; deepened it, until he had to remind her where they were.

"Did you want to order dessert?" she asked, as if she felt she had to, and he knew she was already turned on.

"I think you want me to say no, right?" he replied, grinning at her. He stood up and held out his hand. "You order the Uber, I'll pay on the way out."

She thanked him twice that night.

It was the best dessert he'd ever had.

Inspired by Fitz's relationship with his dad, and wanting to feel closer to her own parents, Olivia called her mom one evening in the week before Thanksgiving and they had a long heart-to-heart. She confessed she had been keeping her pregnancy secret for almost six months; told the whole story from the beginning.

"I am huge, Mom," Fitz heard her say at one point. "You'll be shocked when you see me. I'm shocked when I see me."

He looked at her sitting there on the couch, her legs crossed in her plaid pajama pants, her gorgeous belly snug beneath a maroon knit sweater that had once, not too long ago, been loose. Her curly hair was tied up in a messy bun, her face bare after her shower, her lips softened with vanilla-flavored balm - and Fitz had one of those moments where he couldn't believe she was his.

He got up from his armchair, abandoning the work he was trying to get done on his laptop, and went into the bedroom to pick up the lotion she kept on her bedside cabinet. Then he sat down on the rug in front of her, ignoring the fact she was still on the phone, and pushed up her top to her ribcage. She smiled at him as he began to moisturize her skin, smoothing the coconut-based oil over the contours of his babies inside. They were already moving, poking his hands with their tiny feet, their elbows. He paused often, stroking the spots where he felt them; spoke quietly to them, kissed them, rubbed them affectionately with his nose. This had been a nightly ritual for weeks now, but it still blew his mind.

Olivia continued talking to her mother as he tenderly massaged her tummy, then each of her hands, then her feet. She sighed and closed her eyes, sinking deeper into the cushions as he worked his magic, as he worshipped her.

Eventually, when her conversation came to an end, Fitz took her phone from her and threw it to the other end of the sofa. She laughed, her eyes alight with love.

"How's your mom?" he inquired.

"She's fine. Really understanding. I think she's just over-the-moon at the idea of being a grandma, to be honest."

"Good. I'm glad. Do you feel better, now that you've come clean?"

"Yeah, I feel great. Especially because of you." He leaned over her, bringing his face close to hers as she said: "That was amazing. Thank you, Fitzy."

"Mm. You're amazing."

He kissed her, parting her lips, delving his tongue between them. Her hands went straight to his hair; slid down his back, exploring the muscles beneath his t-shirt as they made out, their bodies moving together in a very familiar rhythm.

Eventually he traveled to her jaw, her neck; skipped over her chest, still hidden beneath her clothes, to her bare belly. "You are not huge," he said seriously as he pressed a line of kisses down the middle. "You keep saying that, and it's not true."

"It is. I can't even see you down there."

She wasn't exaggerating. When she lay back like this, he was entirely hidden from her view.

"That's good." His hands gripped her thighs. "It means I can surprise you."

She cried out when he nuzzled her center through her pajamas; when he bit gently on her clit, rubbed it with his nose. She lifted her hips, letting him strip her; gave in to him, to his overwhelming need to pleasure her. It didn't take long for him to make her come, her toes curling into the edge of the sofa as she writhed and cried out to God.

When she eventually calmed and reached for him, her eyes hazy, cheeks flushed, he indulged her with a passionate kiss - but stopped her from taking things any further.

"That was for you," he said with a smile. "I'm fine. Relax, enjoy it."

"Are you sure?"

"Livvie. You know I love to spoil you. It's a non-negotiable part of our relationship."

They moved to lie along the length of the couch, facing one another. "Like… kisses?" she asked cutely.

"Definitely kisses," Fitz replied, drawing a blanket over them.

"And snuggles?"

"Of course."

They subconsciously moved closer, his clothed body curled around her naked one as best he could.

"What else?"

He thought for a moment. Love, he wanted to say.

Instead: "Date nights. Honesty. You laughing at all my bad jokes."

"Your jokes are terrible."

"That's why the laughter is non-negotiable. To make me feel better."

"Ah, I see," she grinned, combing her fingers through his curls. And then she sobered, gazing at him thoughtfully. "In the spirit of honesty - can I ask you something I've been wondering about for ages?"

"You know you can ask me anything."

"When Savannah set us up… Why were you single? Why hadn't someone snapped you up and married you ten years ago? I don't get it. You're so kind, and generous, and ridiculously hot-"

"Am I?"

He wiggled his eyebrows and she laughed. "Stop that. You know you are. I just… I don't understand it."

Fitz didn't have to think hard to answer. "I always wanted to marry my best friend."

Olivia frowned. "Oh. Who was she?"

"Well, she didn't exist. I just mean, that's the type of relationship I wanted. We'd talk non-stop, play stupid games, laugh until we cried. We could be stranded on a desert island for the rest of our lives and we would never get bored. You know?"

She nodded. He could see she was comparing their story to his fantasy, wondering if she measured up. Surely she already knew that she did?

"The women I've dated before…" He shrugged. "I never found anyone like that. My friends would tell me my expectations were too high, but I knew what I was looking for. Who I was looking for. And I always knew I'd recognize her the moment I saw her."

Olivia's eyes widened; her lips parted as she inhaled.

Fitz simply smiled. He traced the tip of his finger over her cheekbone, around the shell of her ear. He didn't need to say it. She knew.

"You saw me," she breathed, stunned by his confession. "That night. You saw me. I felt it here, in my chest."

"I did. I do, Livvie. And now I know I was just waiting for you, all this time. I was waiting to meet you in that bar; to be swept up in you, in everything about you. And you exceeded all of my expectations."

"You exceeded mine, too." She found his hand, laced their fingers together. "I could hardly believe you were real. I couldn't stop looking at you."

"I noticed."

Her smile was bashful. "That was the only time I'd ever slept with a guy on a first date. The only time I'd ever even contemplated it. It just felt…"

"Inevitable?"

"Yes. And right. It felt so right, Fitz."

Reliving these memories, he was starting to get aroused again. "You know what turned me on the most that night? You knew exactly what you wanted, and you weren't afraid to tell me. I got sassy, sexy-as-fuck Olivia Pope. And then, the next time: shy, determined, no-idea-just-how-beautiful-she-was Livvie, with our two babies growing in her belly."

His voice was reverent, and her expression clouded over with emotion. "I wish I was still sassy, sexy Olivia," she said, managing a small smile.

"You are. You know you are," he countered, deliberately echoing her earlier words. "Yesterday you pushed me up against the bathroom wall and put your hands in my pants."

Her smile grew. "I guess so."

"I know so." He shifted slightly, his growing erection pressing into the underside of her bump. The air around them suddenly crackled. "I will always want you, sweet baby. In one month, or two, or three. When you're a mommy. When you're forty; when you're eighty."

She giggled. "Are you sure about that?"

"One hundred percent."

He kissed her hard and didn't stop; dived into her and let himself drown. When she eventually began to move above him, right there on the couch, he looked into her eyes and could see that she believed him.

But there was more than that, too. He could see that she loved him, more than she could ever describe in words. He could see that she was fearless; bare in every possible way.

Most of all, though, he could see forever.

And for now, that was more than enough.

Fitz fell in love with Vermont.

They traveled up the day before Thanksgiving and shared the driving. He would have gladly done the whole journey himself but Olivia was adamant she wanted to drive while she could still fit behind the wheel. Besides, with all her police training, she was much better at it than him. She could out-gun anyone at an intersection; weave through traffic as though it didn't exist.

She ended up taking the last leg, and he stared out of the window as they passed the snow-capped Green Mountains, surrounded in all directions by endless patchwork fields and the skeletons of trees swept bare by the wind. There were countless small towns with tall church spires; rivers, waterfalls and lakes reflecting the overcast sky. Even though winter had come early, it was still stunning.

Her parents had moved here five years ago, when Eli retired, to be nearer Maya's sister Martha and her family. They lived just outside of the City of Rutland, in a beautiful old house set on fifteen acres. It had a wrap-around porch and an apple orchard, and reminded him in many ways of his father's ranch.

The Popes were just as Olivia had described: her mom animated, always talking; her father quiet and thoughtful, his voice and opinions carefully measured. Maya fussed over Olivia's baby bump, wanting to feel the twins move while asking a thousand questions. She got teary-eyed over the ultrasound images; then brought out a huge box of presents for her daughter.

"Mom you shouldn't have," Olivia said, taken aback. "What is all this?"

"Just some of the basics. You have no idea how much stuff you need for a newborn. So many onesies, sleep suits, muslin cloths, baby wipes, diapers… And you'll have to times all of that by two."

Fitz saw the look of panic cross his girlfriend's face and reached over to squeeze her knee. Maya noticed and smiled at him.

"Sorry," she said apologetically. "I'm sure you can handle all of this yourselves. I'm just so excited to be a grandma at last. What about your parents, Fitz?"

"There's only my dad," he answered. "He's really excited too. So am I - although sometimes I still find it completely surreal."

Eli spoke for the first time in several minutes: "Until you hold your baby in your arms, the whole thing is surreal. I studied biology for forty years and I still marvel at the miracle of reproduction."

Fitz was glad to hear he wasn't the only one.

"Go and fetch the albums please honey," Maya instructed her husband, before turning back to Olivia and Fitz to explain. "I found so many photos I hadn't seen in years, of you as a baby. You were so cute."

"I'm still cute," Olivia said indignantly, feigning offense. Fitz told her with his eyes that he agreed.

Later, after cooing over countless images of baby Olivia Carolyn and imagining their potential twin girls looking exactly like her, they all took a walk down to the nearby river. The air was bitterly cold but the Popes had warned them to bring their warmest clothes. Olivia could just about fasten the zipper of her black puffer jacket around herself and looked very sweet in a matching knit hat with a faux-fur pompom. Eli, a keen photographer in his retirement, took numerous pictures of his family, most of them natural and not posed. Fitz was grateful, knowing he'd show them to his children when they were older and reminisce about the time they lived and grew inside their momma's tummy.

Eli strolled alongside him on the way back to the house. "My daughter…" he began, a wistful smile on his face. "She's a firecracker, Fitz. Always has been. As a baby, she went straight from crawling to running. No time wasted trying to walk." He chuckled at the memory. "I may be wrong, but I don't think becoming a mother will slow her down."

He glanced sideways at Fitz. "I hope you can deal with that. I hope you'll support her, whatever she decides to do. Her career means so much to her."

"I know," Fitz said evenly. It didn't feel like Eli was threatening him. He was just looking out for the girl he'd raised, the woman he'd tried to protect all her life. "Don't worry. Your daughter's happiness is all that matters to me. If she wants to go back to the NYPD full time, I'll stay home with the kids, or we can get a nanny. And if she never wants to work again, I'll bring in the money."

Fitz stopped walking and so did his father-in-law, looking at him with curiosity.

"I know the circumstances of our meeting, of Liv's pregnancy, might seem like we're having to try to make our relationship work for the sake of the babies. But it's not like that. We would be together even if she wasn't pregnant. She is… she's very special to me. And I promise you, Eli, I will always have her best interests at heart."

The older man smiled and held out his hand. Fitz shook it warmly. "Thank you, son. I know you don't owe me anything, but once you become a father your whole world suddenly centers around your child. And thirty-six years later, even though she lives far away and she's having children of her own now, that still holds true. She will always be my baby."

The two women had caught up with them. "What's going on?" Olivia asked suspiciously. "Why are you both looking at me like that?"

"Because you're beautiful," Fitz said, sliding his arm around her shoulders and kissing her cheek. He didn't care that he'd only just met her parents: he wasn't going to hide his feelings for her from anyone.

"You are," Eli added. "Just like your mother."

Maya leaned into her husband, smiling but clearly embarrassed. "What has gotten into you?" she muttered.

Eli actually winked at Fitz. "Nothing, darling. Now, shall we head back for tea and banana cake? Your mom's best recipe."

"Sounds great, Dad." Olivia held Fitz's hand as they set off again, following behind her parents. "What were you two talking about?" she asked quietly.

"Oh, not much," he grinned. "Sports, the weather. You know."

"Ha. That's bullshit, Fitzgerald. My dad hates sports and the weather is terrible - end of conversation. He was warning you to take care of me, wasn't he?"

Nothing got past her: his smart, sexy detective. "Maybe. I told him I would, as long as you behaved."

"I always behave."

Fitz stopped walking and gazed down into her dark eyes. "I love it when you don't."

She giggled, then rose up for a kiss. He gladly obliged.

"You make me feel naughty," she murmured, her hands slipping beneath his coat, around his waist and then sneaking down to squeeze his butt.

"Mm. I don't think your dad would like me so much if I fucked his daughter in his own house."

"Mm," she echoed. "I know you're right. But somehow that just makes me want you even more."

God, she was so tempting. No matter how many times he made love to her, it was never enough - and he doubted it ever would be.

"No," he said sternly, as much to himself as to her. "You'll have to wait until we get home."

She sighed. "Okay. But I expect plenty of those non-negotiable snuggles we talked about last week."

"You think I'm ever going a day without snuggling you? You're crazy, pretty girl."

He actually saw her swoon. "I love when you call me your girl."

He kissed her sweet mouth again, and stored that knowledge for future reference.

They spent the rest of the afternoon in the living room beside the fire, getting to know each other. Maya and Eli asked a lot of questions about his work, about his upbringing in California. They seemed to like him, and he genuinely liked them too. Eli cooked up a feast for dinner and when they finally all retired to bed, Fitz snuck across the space between his and Olivia's twin beds and spooned up behind her.

"Oh you're so warm," she sighed, drawing his arm more tightly around her, snuggling back into his body. "I'm freezing. It's such a shame my mom's renovating the other spare room, the one with the double bed."

"Maybe I'll actually get some sleep, without you wriggling all night."

"Hey!"

"What? You wriggle. You can't deny it." He softly kissed her neck, her ear. "I don't care though. I wouldn't change you for the world."

He held her until she fell asleep; whispered that he loved her and left for his own bed.

Ironically, he didn't sleep well at all.

The next day, Thanksgiving, was full-on from start to finish. They went to Maya and Eli's church for a special service, and afterwards were introduced to almost the entire congregation. Olivia was, of course, the center of attention.

"Twins! How blessed you are, honey."

"Oh, I remember back when I was pregnant with my boys…"

"Have you got a birth plan yet? Because my daughter Frances had a completely natural labor…"

"Are you sure there aren't more than two in there?"

Fitz could see she was putting on a brave face as countless strangers hugged her, lay their hands on her abdomen. Eventually he stepped in and excused them, wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving before leading her outside to the car.

"Oh my God. Thank you." She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his chest as he protected her from the cold. "I know they were all well-meaning, but if one more person touched me…"

"I know, baby. You did great."

Sometimes he felt he was speaking to her like a child - but sometimes, when she was fragile, she just needed the reassurance.

Back at the Popes' house, they were all helping with dinner preparations when Maya's twin sister Martha arrived, along with her husband Frank, their two sons Paul and Philip, and their wives and kids. Olivia and her cousins weren't particularly close, only seeing each other on holidays and special occasions, but Fitz thought they were great guys. Plus, he was absolutely smitten with Paul's youngest daughter Cady, who had just turned six months old.

"Isn't she adorable?" he said to Olivia in the living room, holding Cady in his arms. She looked at her aunt with huge brown eyes.

"Hi beautiful," Olivia cooed. After several seconds of uncertainty, Cady finally decided she was friendly and giggled at her - and Olivia suddenly gasped, putting her hand to her belly.

"What?" Fitz asked, concerned.

She paused, taking several deep breaths - and then relaxed. "Wow. That was weird. I just felt this tightening. And in my boobs, too."

"Is it gone now?"

"Yeah. It was like a rush of something came over me when she laughed."

Fitz thought back to the books he'd been reading, all about pregnancy and birth. "Sounds like oxytocin - the bonding hormone. It also causes contractions in labor and milk flow. Seeing her must have triggered it in you."

"I am feeling really maternal right now," she admitted. "I could just steal her and run away. Couldn't I, Cady-bear?"

Fitz handed her over and Olivia barely put her down for the rest of the day, even insisting she change her diaper and settle her in for her nap.

"You'll be a natural," said Trisha, Cady's mom. "Although I don't envy you, having two newborns at once. One at a time is more than enough for me."

"I don't really have a choice," Olivia murmured, and again Fitz had to step in and reassure her. Being by her side throughout this pregnancy, he'd realized just how thoughtless people could be sometimes.

Thanksgiving dinner was delicious. He was seated next to Olivia on one side and Martha on the other, who talked non-stop about what it was like being a twin. "Oh, the matching outfits we used to wear," she said fondly. "I was always in blue, and Maya was always in red. I don't know why, because we're not identical. It wasn't like our parents needed to be able to tell us apart."

"It was to stop us fighting," Maya added from across the table. "We always got the same color. No arguments."

"It didn't work, then."

They both laughed.

"Gosh, we were terrible," Martha went on. "Best friends one minute, sworn enemies the next. I still have bite marks on my arm from where you sunk your teeth into me because I played with your favorite doll. But that's just kids, isn't it?"

"We grew out of it," Maya said to her daughter, who was gazing, unseeing, at her plate of turkey. "Don't worry honey. I'm sure your two little angels will be perfect."

Philip's eldest son, six-year-old Charles, picked that moment to pour his cup of juice over his brother's head. In the chaos that ensued, Olivia disappeared.

Fitz found her on the back porch, wrapped in her coat, staring out at the snow-speckled sky.

"Hi."

She turned and smiled at him. "Hi."

"You okay?"

He put his arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him. "Yeah," she sighed.

He didn't believe her but stayed quiet, giving her time. Eventually, she spoke again. "I guess I just realized how totally unprepared I am. Two babies, Fitz! I've never even looked after one before, not for more than a couple of hours.

"I've been so focused on getting to twenty-four weeks, and now I'm just thinking about twenty-eight and worrying about stupid things like weight gain and stretch marks. But pretty soon I'm going to have these babies in my arms. I'm going to have to look after them both, every minute of every day. And when they're bigger, when they're walking and playing and fighting - God, I don't know how to deal with that. What if they're naughty? What if they're monsters we can't control; those kids in the classroom that make every other parent thankful for-"

Fitz stopped her with a kiss. He cupped her cheek in his hand, gazed into her eyes. "You're overthinking it," he said gently. "Nobody can predict the future. Nobody is ready to be a parent for the first time."

"But you always seem so calm," she protested, miserable and clearly envious.

He blinked. "Seriously? I'm fucking scared, Liv."

She looked stunned. "What?"

"I am. If I think about it too much, about all the things I can't control, I'm terrified. And so I take a step back and I tell myself everything I know for sure: that we're not the first people ever to have twins. That our relationship is strong. That we take this day by day, because that's all anyone can do. And we will do this. All we have to do is love our children, and I already do. So much."

And I love you.

"Say it," she whispered.

He frowned. "Say what?"

"What you were about to, when you stopped."

His heart began to pound against his ribs. How did she know?

"Please, Fitz."

He looked at her for the longest time, making sure she was ready. And then, holding her beautiful face in both his hands, brushing his thumbs over her soft skin, he said:

"I love our children, Livvie. And I love you."

The most brilliant smile spread across her lips, lifting her cheekbones, lighting up her eyes. "I love you too," she said softly, rising up, pressing her mouth to his. They laughed into each other's kiss, an expression of pure joy, as Fitz wrapped her up in his arms and drew her into his body, needing her as close as he could get her.

Her kisses seemed to last forever. At one point he thought he heard someone open the back door, no doubt wondering where they'd got to, but he didn't care who saw them. He loved this amazing girl with every fiber of his being and he wanted the whole world to know.

Finally, cold and breathless, they parted. "Wow," Olivia sighed, her hands nestled beneath his sweater for warmth. She couldn't stop smiling, and neither could he.

"Do you feel better now?" he asked, resting his forehead against hers.

"Yes. I'm sorry-"

"Don't be. Don't ever be sorry, baby. I want you to tell me how you're feeling, always. If I don't know then I can't help you, can I?"

She bit her lip. "No. You're right. But you never told me you were so scared."

"I only hid that from you to protect you. I didn't want you to freak out too. I think it's normal though. Everything we're feeling is completely normal."

"What, falling in love with the father of your children after you made them?"

She was trying to make a joke, to make him laugh - and he realized she'd had no idea, this entire time.

"Olivia," he said solemnly, looking into her eyes again. "I began falling in love with you the very first night we met."

She stared at him for a long moment, trying to discern whether he was telling the truth - and when she decided that he was, she started to cry.

"Oh my God, Fitz."

"Hey. Shh."

He held her while she tried to calm herself, taking deep, shaky breaths. "Jesus. My emotions are all over the place today."

He smiled and wiped away her tears. "I don't care. I've loved you all this time and I always will. You are everything to me."

They kissed again, clinging to each other with the force of their feelings - but this time Fitz drew away soon after. "Let's go back inside. It's fucking cold out here."

She laughed and followed him into the empty kitchen, everyone still enjoying the meal next door. As she took off her coat, she said: "You know, all this time I thought our relationship was backwards…"

He shook his head. "It wasn't. Not for me."

Trisha interrupted them, holding a freshly-awoken Cady from her nap. "We're going to head home after dinner," she said, "But I thought you might like to spend some more time with her?"

"Yes please."

Olivia took Cady and sat her on top of her bump, kissing her cheeks, talking to her in a very cute voice. Trisha went back to the table, and as Fitz watched the love of his life interact so sweetly with her cousin's daughter, the fear left him. She would be the most incredible mom. He'd never doubted it, but he'd never had proof - until now.

She glanced up and caught his eye.

"I don't think it was backwards for me either," she said tenderly, holding out her hand. "Come here. I love you."

He kissed her, then kissed the top of Cady's little head. They played happy families in her parents' kitchen until it was time for Cady to go home - and then they enjoyed the rest of the holiday together, full of dessert and gratitude and, most of all, love.

TBC