A/N-Denise Haughton, this is for you….
Olivia had never been more grateful for their mini-honeymoon. The minute that they got back in New York they were going non-stops. Fitz had cases that needed to be prepped for trial. She had interviews. The kids had school and sports. Karen was also working on her book. Between her interviews and final prep work on her book and being in mommy mode all the time it was tiresome but enjoyed every moment of it.
The weekend was coming up. After almost three weeks of late hours Fitz had finally caught up. The kids had a sports free weekend, and Olivia had no interviews or meetings scheduled. They planned to do nothing but lounge around and relax all weekend.
Olivia was working from home when her phone rang. It was her mom. She picked up, "Hi mommy…"
"Liv..."
"What's wrong mom?"
Maya didn't have time to sugarcoat the situation. She brought Olivia up to speed. By the time Olivia hung up the phone she heard Fitz coming in the house. They met each other in the hall way. She knew that he had also gotten a call. She saw him trying to hold his tears back.
She pulled him into their office. Once her arms went around him he fell apart. She was his safety net. She kept whispering to him over and over that everything was going to be okay, and while at the moment she wasn't sure how everything was going to pan out she knew that as a family they would work things out.
When he finally calmed down he looked her in the eyes, "I can't lose my brother and Marian. I need them."
"You won't lose them. I promise. My mom is already on it. My dad is even helping, and when we get there so will I. They are my family too. Head up and take a nice long shower and relax. The kids are going to be home any minute. I'll talk to them. We don't have to pack much since we got the home in California set up."
"Thank you Livvie. I love you and I am sorry for being such a mess."
"Never apologize for showing me the real you."
"I love you Livvie…"
"I love you too Fitz…"
Fitz headed upstairs to shower and try and calm himself down. The kids arrived, and she sat down and gave them a brief explanation as to what was going on. They were upset, but due to Olivia not telling them everything they remained composed for the most part. She let them know they were headed to California so pack a bag. She reminded them that they already had clothes, shoes, and toiletries there, so they shouldn't need to pack much.
An hour later they made it to the private air strip where a plane was waiting on them to take them to California. Once in the air the kids and Fitz fell asleep which Olivia was grateful for. She was tired, but she pissed. The older she got the more she realized that there were some people in the world that you just had to show them better than you could tell them.
Once they touched down there was a car waiting for them that immediately took them to their house on the ranch. When they walked in Fitz was shocked to see his in-laws as well as his mother-in-law's team working in their family room.
They stopped to greet the family. When Fitz got to Maya she kissed his cheek and them she whispered in his ear, "I go you. You are my son, and no one messes around with my family and doesn't pay."
"I know ma. How did you all get set up in here? It looks like you have been working for some time."
"We have. I helped Elizabeth get the house ready, and I was here for some of the deliveries when she had plans. Liv asked your mom to make me a copy of the key, so we would be have one to check on the house when you guys were in New York. Before you left Olivia asked me to come over and set up. She was working on the plane the entire time."
Fitz was in shock. "I was asleep. My wife would have been a kick-ass attorney if she went to law school."
Maya laughed, "Yeah. It is in her DNA for sure. She still takes classes from time to time. At one point when she was having a major case of writer's block she considered going to law school. She even took her LSATS. My baby is brilliant."
"Yes, she is…"
She walked over to them, "Is everything okay?"
Fitz kissed her forehead, "More than okay. Do you mind if I take the kids up to the main house and check on mom? It looks like you and Mama have everything under control."
"That is fine. Tell Mama Liz I said hello, and I will come and see her as soon as I get a moment."
Fitz leaned down and kissed her. when he pulled back, "I will tell her. Promise me that you will take a moment to eat something. I know how you get when it comes to work.
"I will…"
As soon as Fitz and the kids left she turned to her mom, "What the hell has Mellie done?"
"I never told you it was Mellie…"
"You didn't have to. I am your child remember. This has her name written all over it. Actually, Big Jerry is involved somehow. My guess is the money man."
Maya nodded, "Sit down. I will fill you in on all the details while you eat."
Olivia agreed. Maya made her a plate and brought it out to her.
Maya sat down and began to explain to Olivia everything they uncovered.
"You are right. Mellie is the master mind behind Ethan and Marian being picked up by ICE. It is a long web. Despite Elizabeth's warnings it seems that Big Jerry has decided to try and call her bluff. Huck has not figured out the money trail, but he is working on it. Mellie got a job in the library, and after some reading she decided to get an appeals lawyer which we believe Big Jerry hired for her. We will need to get our hands on the letters that I am sure they wrote through a friend of a friend to make it happen. The lawyer happens to be someone that went to school with Ethan. The young man is also an immigrant, but from what I can tell didn't like Ethan."
"What did Ethan do to him?"
"Nothing. He was upset that Ethan got better grades than him, and that he had a better life. He felt that everything was handed to Ethan while he had to work twice as hard. I did hear back from one professor who said that Ethan tried to befriend him, but he didn't accept thinking that Ethan was only trying to be his friend out of pity. As you know visits with your attorney are private. They had plenty of time to plan according to the records."
"I didn't know that Marian was in the country illegally."
"She isn't…"
Olivia looked up in surprise.
Maya shook her head, "By sheer luck for them the USCIS officer that handled her case was convicted of taking money from immigrants to get a favorable review on their interview and naturalization test. Marian was not one of them we know, but they know someone who changed the records and her name was flagged as one of the ones who paid. If Marian is here illegally that would make Ethan…
"A Dreamer. She never disclosed who his father was, and Big Jerry would never voluntarily step up and do the right thing."
Maya nodded, "The good news is that your dad made some calls. We have hearings for both tomorrow morning. We have more than enough evidence to get them bonds. Russell has a lot of computer knowledge. He offered his services if it is okay with you."
"It is fine with me. He picked the team so when I must go out I will be fine with one of them. We will be here at the ranch most of the time."
"Good, I also placed some calls, so we have been able to keep it out of the media. Not only does it save the family from unnecessary embarrassment I am sure that it will confuse Mellie and her accomplice They were banking on this moment. If they couldn't get to the two of you directly then hurting family would be the next best thing."
"We have work to do. I am not leaving California until I have cleared their names, and mom I don't care how much it cost I can't have this hit the media. We could handle explaining that the charges were erroneous. I need the element of surprise when I confront Mellie."
Maya looked up at her daughter, "I thought her going to prison would be the wake up call she needed. She has gone too far this time. I played nice and was the supportive girlfriend. Now I am the wife and mother. She has woken up a beast that she will soon learn she should have left sleep."
Maya thought there was nothing that she hadn't seen when it came to her daughter, but she was wrong. This was a new type of anger. The only thing that was going to simmer it was the people who were responsible heads on a platter.
Everyone worked into the early morning hours. Olivia had moved to her office, so she had no idea that everyone was sleep until her husband walked into the office.
She looked up at him, "What are you doing up? Are the kids okay?"
"I could ask you the same question, and the children are fine. With the time difference they actually went to bed early."
Olivia nodded. He handed her the tea that he made for her.
"You know that everyone else is sleep."
"I am just reading all the information that Huck and Russell gathered. I am close to figuring to figuring out how this whole operation went. The kids only have school two days next week. I can't leave California until they are cleared."
"I emailed the teacher's when I went over to mom's house. I had a feeling you were going to say that. With the time difference I haven't received a response, but I'll handle it."
"Thank you. You should try and get some rest."
"I don't sleep well without you. I am scared, because I know what can happen behind bars especially if anyone recognizes them. It wouldn't surprise me that they put a bug in someone's ear. Then I am worried about my wife who has had no sleep, because she was working the whole time she was on the plane."
Olivia looked at him and saw the worry and pain in his eyes. She knew that in order to be any good later in the day she would need to take a nap. She was too tired to make it to their bedroom. She could tell that he felt the same way.
He got comfortable on the couch, and she climbed on top of him.
"I'm lucky to have you Livvie…"
She turned and looked at him, "I know that you are used to dealing with the tough situations along, and I am not upset that you are surprised by my reaction. Just know that with me I am here for it all the good and the bad. It is bad right now, but together as a family we are going to make it good I promise you."
"I believe you. I just really appreciate you being by my side. I know that is how it is supposed to be, but I am not used to it. The kids are not used to it. It is an adjustment, but a welcomed adjustment.
After a couple of hours of sleep and a nice long shower the couple were ready to face the day.
Her dad came over with good news. He had two good friends that were immigration lawyers that were more than happy to take on the case. In order not to tip the media the family did not go to the hearings. Maya was there and helped them present their case.
The judge determined there were several questionable pieces of evidence that led to Ethan and Marian being detained. It wasn't enough to clear them which is what was expected, but more than enough to get them out on bond which the family paid immediately.
By lunch time the pair was at home. As agreed they would stay at the ranch and would not leave the state until the matter was cleared up.
They were shocked when they walked in the door and saw everyone. When Fitz and Ethan laid eyes on each other they ran into each other's arms. To some it may seem weird because they hadn't known they were brothers for all that long, but that was what made the reunion so special.
Elizabeth had called her doctor to make a house call. Marian had been recently diagnosed with high blood pressure. Since being detained she had not taken all her medicines or eaten right. She tried to assure everyone she was fine, but they insisted that the doctor look her over. For the most part she was okay, but her pressure was high which he expected since she was under stress. He gave her some medicine through an IV. After they brought her something to eat the doctor gave her something that would make her sleep. He thought the rest would help her pressure a great deal. He was right. When she woke up it was back within range.
Despite the stressful situation they enjoyed a nice evening together. Fitz & Rowan cooked steaks and chicken on the grill. Something that Fitz enjoyed more than he knew. It was nice having a father figure even as an adult.
Before they headed in with the meat Rowan stopped Fitz, "Like Maya said to you earlier you are our son now. I love you, and I will never understand how your father can't see the gems he has, but I do. I will always be there for you."
"Thanks Pops. Having a relationship with you means more to me that I can ever explain…."
"You don't need to."
When they walked in the door Fitz's heart felt full. Not only from the comments from Rowan, but from what he was also witnessing. Karen and Olivia were making cookies together. Jerry, Ethan, and Harrison were playing video games. This is what family was.
He went over to put the meat in the oven while the sides were finishing.
He found his mom in the wine cellar getting a couple bottles of wine for the adults. He went over and took them from her.
He saw her smile for the first time since he had been there. "Mom, everything is going to be okay?"
"I know dear. I wasn't sure at first. Not that I am doubting Maya. I just didn't realize that we were dealing with the devil's spawns."
Fitz laughed, "I agree, but I think that once this is truly over they will never make this mistake again."
Now Elizabeth laughed, "Are you kidding? I thought Maya was a scary woman, but your wife is a beast when you mess with her. I will never cross that woman."
"That makes two of us…"
Later, that night they had migrated back to their house. Olivia's family stayed and the main house.
Russell knew some of the guards at the Central California Women's Facility where Mellie was being housed. He sent them some information that gave them probable cause to search Mellie's cell. As Olivia suspected she had all the letters that had been sent to her. Russell used some of the favors he was owed to get copies of Mellie's letters. Huck had made a house call to the attorney's house. He broke in and located the letters that Mellie had sent to him.
They had downloaded and sent everything to Olivia and Maya. Olivia had been working non-stop to put the puzzle together.
Around midnight she heard someone knocking at the door. She knew Fitz was knocked out because he had a migraine. The kids were gone for the night to hang out with some friends.
She went and answered the door and found Ethan. She hugged him and let him in, "Are you okay?"
"I know you are busy trying to save us…"
"I am never too busy for family. I have some wine in the office. Would you like a glass?"
"Sure…"
After she got them wine Ethan asked, "How is Fitz?"
"He'll be fine in the morning. It is just a migraine."
"Caused by stress…"
Olivia didn't say anything at first. Finally, she said, "This is not on you Ethan. You can't help who your parents are."
"I know but it is still hard. After all this time I finally get to have a relationship with my brother, and I am causing him heartache."
"No Big Jerry and Mellie are causing the heartache, but this will be over soon I can assure you."
"I couldn't sleep so I came over to properly thank you. When we got here earlier it was a little chaotic. Fitz and I talked, and it seems you have been working non-stop with your mom and her team to get us cleared."
"You are more than welcome Ethan. I don't feel like I gained in-laws. I gained another family. You are my brother like Harrison. I would do the same for him, and I know if and when we have needed you have come through for us."
"I want to also thank you for loving and being there for my brother. I wasn't there during his time with Mellie, but I've heard, and the picture didn't seem to bright. I just hear how much he has changed. How he is so much happier and lighter. After everything that he has been through he deserves it."
"Well I am equally happy and lighter with him, so I am glad I could be that for him."
They talked for a little while longer before Ethan headed back to the main house. Olivia decided to call it a night. She needed a good night's sleep.
After a quick shower she climbed in the bed. Fitz felt her and quickly pulled her into him. He whispered, "I'm glad you are deciding to get some rest."
It took them a couple of days to put everything together, but they figured it out as a team. Now it was time to put things into action. Maya scheduled a hearing to present the evidence that would clear Ethan and Marian.
In the meantime, Olivia and Russell left together for a visit. They found out that Mellie's lawyer had a letter scheduled for delivery. The driver was more than happy to trade places with Russell for a small fee.
As expected he opened the door. When he did Olivia came around the corner where the camera didn't have a view.
"Hi Joseph…"
The look on his face said everything.
Russell walked them in.
Olivia smirked at him, "I take it that you are not speechless because you are meeting a best-selling author. Thank you for buying all my books."
He looked at her.
She smiled, "Yes, I had someone hack into your video feed. I have looked at every square inch of your home. I needed to know who I was dealing with. I was under the impression that only terrorists destroy things and people for the hell of it. I am quickly learning that terrorists come in all forms. I only have one question for you. Are you going to tell me voluntarily how you got hooked up with Big Jerry and Mellie?"
Joseph sneered at her, "I don't know what you are talking about…"
"Okay, well I don't have time to give you multiple chances. I was already going to ruin you. Now I am going to demolish you. Just know that I have figured out that it was your mother who paid to have her interviewed and test changed. I also know that the man your mother used has a son and he is the one you used to go into the computer and make it look like it was Ethan and Marian."
Joseph stood up and tried to talk but Olivia stopped him. "You lost your chance, and before you think about trying to run I have had all of your assets frozen."
She turned to walk about before stopping and turning around, "Oh, by the way I also have you on the no-fly list. Also, that million dollars that you had hiding with the letters that Mellie sent you is gone. I know you checked this morning, but if you tried to spend you they will let you know those are all fake bills. It was nice talking to you Joseph, but I have more business to handle."
Russell escorted his boss and friend out to the van. He was officially scared of her at this point. He also had a new-found level of respect.
A short time later Olivia was packing a bag for her overnight stay. It was going to take some time to track Big Jerry. He was hiding and hiding well, but Huck had the patience. In the meantime, she would fry the other big fish.
Fitz walked in the room. He just watched her for a moment. She was expecting him to try and talk her out of it and let someone else handle it.
Instead he opened his arms. She gladly went in them. After a moment he kissed her forehead and said, "Come back to me…"
She looked him in the eyes, "Always…"
The next morning Mellie walked into the lawyer's room expecting to see Joseph. She was not prepared to see the woman in front of her. She tried to turn and leave, but there was no guard at the door.
When she turned around Olivia was smiling at her, "Sit Mellie. I am about to show you why you let sleeping dogs stay sleep."
A/N-I will pick up where I left off on the next update…
