I sigh resting my face in the palm of my hand, my eyes burning from reading all day. Closing them only soothes it for a few minutes and then I find where I left off and go back to the torture. It's been a few hours since Olivia and I left the hospital. The good news is that next time we visit we won't be leaving empty-handed but that doesn't alleviate my stress. This divorce is proving to be more trouble than I anticipated. Not that I doubted my ex-wife's ability to hold a grudge but I had hoped she had enough self-respect to accept defeat when it was dealt to her.

My eyes are burning again. The sun is dropping below the horizon when Charlotte pops her head in.

"Sir" She's holding an average-sized brown box, and it's my excuse to put these papers down. "Ms. Wheland, dropped this off but she didn't want to disturb you," she says.

"That's alright, I need the distraction." Getting up so she doesn't have to walk all the way to my desk, I take the box and thank her. And as she's leaving she reminds me of the time and insists I turn into the residence for the evening and she's right.

I grab the letter opener off the edge of my desk and start cutting the box. I can see the pastel colors through the clear plastic protecting them. Smiling because I know when Olivia sees these she's going to fall in love with them. The papers are still waiting on my desk as if calling to me. But this time I ignored it and took the box and myself upstairs.

Her bush of dark curls was splayed over my pillow as she cuddled the pillow, sound asleep. I set the box down and started undressing, I needed a shower after today, just to wash the energies off.

Olivia was still asleep after I got out of the shower. Gently pulling the duvet back careful not to disturb her. She hadn't been sleeping- in truth neither have I. Not having the girls with us isn't easy and I underestimated how badly it would affect Olivia. She practically lives at the hospital, and when she isn't there, she's either pacing in her office or here. Only because I asked her to. She was still reluctant with Mellie still coming around.

I was being nice remembering that Mellie and I have an extensive history and that our children are involved. So what Huck presented was a warning. Not to my surprise, she didn't take it well. But she signed the divorce papers and she's taking her five million dollars and endorsements and she's leaving us alone. With the dirt I have on her, I didn't forget the dirt she has on me and Liv.

Olivia stirred a bit now feeling my body next to hers, she snuggled up to me. "Hi" she says softly, sleep still in her voice. But that doesn't stop her from delivering small kisses to my neck, red flamed my cheeks, but I know we can't do anything, and I'm okay with that.

"Don't start anything."

Olivia giggled and started lifting the covers, she slid on top of me, her gorgeous legs pining me to the bed. "I'm not, I just wanted a kiss"

"mhm," I groaned as she pushed her hips down, her short cad ass seated directly on my manhood. "I know what you're trying to do."

"Relax" Her kisses got hotter, as she grinded into me. I put my hands on her hips to halt her movement she moved slightly and my hands slipped down to her ass. "I wanna start the nursery," I say. And she takes her lips off my neck.

"No."

"Liv, I won't have you or them away from me. We need to be a team,"

"I want that too, but not at the cost of being under your ex-wife's thumb. I'm tired, Fitz, It's not just myself I have to look out for."

"you're not doing it alone, Mellie is out of our lives. Soon enough that won't even matter."

"What's tomorrow?"

"Tuesday."

Olivia slipped out of the covers, went around our room, and picked up her clothes and belongings "where are you going, it's 3 am."

"I'm not going anywhere tonight, but tomorrow Mellie will be here to pick up your son and we don't want her to see this."

"Why are you being like this?"

"Like what? Rational, realistic. If you want me and the girls to live here in this-" she sighs "If you want us to stay. I need to know that we'll be safe and protected. Cause if not I'm taking them to Georgetown or to Vermont."

Olivia sat on her side of the bed, barely on the edge. Leaning over I scooped her up in my arms "She can pick Teddy up from the service entrance. She claims she's leaving Blair house soon." I kiss her cheek "Livvie you Maddy and morgan are my everything. I will do whatever it takes."

"I apologize if I'm being too difficult"

"You're stubborn but this isn't you being difficult, you're a new mom and you want to take care of them. I also want that, which is why I need you here, with me in our bed."

She nodded, but I could tell the wheels in her head were turning. "I have an idea." She unwrapped my arms and wrapped herself in my robe.

"Sir I don't quite understand." The aide said, looking to the other aide to see if he understood what I was demanding.

"I am revoking the former First Lady's access to the White House, she is not allowed in the residence, the kitchen, or Teddy's room. There will be an exchange, either with me or his nanny. Jen already knows the protocol." They both nod, but I can sense that they're still very confused. My agents were a bit more comprehensive. And I know this is going to be a huge adjustment not just for my staffers but for my family. I have to do this not just for my own peace of mind but for Olivia and the girl's safety. I know the kind of monster Mellie is.

The aides look at each other as if gathering what they're getting ready to ask. "Sir, are we to remove the First Lady from the premises if we see her."

"There is a code word, my agents are familiar with it and all you or anyone else have to do is whisper it to an agent and they'll handle it. If she's near my children your concern is them but they'll always have rotating agents as well as a nanny to guard them" Both men bob their heads forward and turn to leave.

"Sir it's Ms. Pope." Agent Kholson says as we start down the hall, I take the phone and disappear through the hidden door in the corridor.

"When are you getting here?" Olivia says, and my face drops into a frown. "I'm waiting for you in the car."

"Lead with that, I thought you went in without me. I just had to finish up something at the white house but I'll be there, the agents are setting up the car."

"Did she come yet?" immediately I can hear the exasperation in her voice and I'm happy to soothe her nerves. I explain that Mellie was here but it'll be her last day in the white house. And I can almost hear the exact moment her heart returns to a normal rate.

"Tell me that everything is gonna be fine from now on." She needs this, and I wouldn't say it if I didn't believe it.

"Livvie, everything's gonna be okay. We'll be okay, together." I say.

Olivia Pov

Fitz grabs my hand and I can feel his nerves vibrating in my palm. It's comforting to know that he's just as nervous as me. Fitz has done this three times before me and there's so much I don't know about raising one baby let alone two babies at one time. Sucking in a deep breath I squeeze his hand tighter and he stops me at the door.

"We're bringing our babies home," Fitz says. "Whatever happens next we can handle."

Finally exhaling that breath I'd been holding, I nod "Okay." and I don't know what it is. I couldn't name it if I tried but a sudden relief washes over me and we walk into the girl's NICU nursery. Madison is sleeping, and Morgan is watching the mobile above her go around in circles. I swear I see her crack a smile when Fitz leans over her cradle to greet her, but it could've just been my imagination, they're identical but she's a brown version of Fitz.

"Mommy and Daddy are bringing you home today," Fitz says as he takes her little hand between his fingers softly caressing it. "Livvie, are you alright?" I can already feel the tears sliding down my face but they're probably the only tears I've ever cried out of joy. Overwhelming wonderful joy.

"You're a good dad," I say and he smirks.

"I'm gonna be better with them I promise, better with you." He declares, as Madison stirs in her cradle, her eyes cracked open just a bit to see what's woken her up. "She's making your frown, Liv, look."

I can't resist my babies and I pick her up even though the nurse explained that she should supervise me holding them, but I'm sure I can get this one gesture down. "I don't get it, how did we create them in the most chaotic time in our lives? Everything was so…"

"Broken," he says, moving closer to me, he lays his hand on Madison's leg and presses a kiss to the top of her pink hat. "Everything is not your fault, Olivia you are a good woman, and you will be a good mother to our girls."

"Yeah."

We let the silence take hold of the room for a while until the discharge nurse comes in. I imagine the debrief with the secret service was lengthy. She gives me a look of disapproval but straightens her face when her eyes land on Fitz, in awe but now rethinking everything she thought she knew about her government.

"What's this?" Fitz goes toward her reaching for the packet she's holding.

"The discharge papers for the twins, Mr. President." The nurse says, gulping back a lodge of saliva.

"And is there anything else we need?"

"No sir. The packet, explains everything that we did for Madison and Morgan and the aftercare they'll need in the coming weeks, as well as a scheduled appointment for their immunizations. Besides that they are in perfect health, Madison is still weighing two pounds below Morgan but that's normal for twins. It'll correct itself as she grows."

XXXXXXXX

It wouldn't be fair to compare Mellie and Olivia and before now I've never wanted to. Olivia's always had a soft grace about her. It's one of the things that drew me to her, that and her eyes. Doe brown and determined with fierce power. But watching her be a mother to our daughters has brought me to my knees. I was used to Mellie handing our children off after the cameras turned off, hell even before the camera shutters and press, she always had a nanny nearby.

However, Olivia hadn't left the twins' side once since we arrived and she barely let anyone near them, I even found myself fighting to help her feed or change diapers. She wants to figure this out for herself but I can see it might take some time for her to realize she isn't alone in this. When I took her to see their nursery she teared up and I knew that I had done well not just with the nursery but with the woman I love. Though it isn't ideal I get to have the woman I've always wanted while raising the family I've dreamt about.

"Liv?" confused why Madison's bassinet was in our bedroom. It's only been 12 hours since we brought them home and Olivia was already rearranging them. Madison was just waking up as Olivia was coming through the door with Morgan and one of the aides in tow pushing a lavender bassinet into the room. "What's this?" I ask and she shoots me a knowing look.

"They can't sleep in there Fitz," she says, and here I was thinking she loved the nursery but by the frown that's creasing her features it's as if the nursery was a dungeon.

"They're gonna feel neglected, I counted it and it takes too long to get from here to them. Last night was torture."

"I got up for every feeding, Liv they were fine." Madison starts to fuss so I pick her up before she fully gets upset. "This is spoiling them," I say, and I hope I can relay that I've done this three times over without sounding condescending or like I know it all.

"Thank you!" Olivia says to the parting aide. "Well I feel neglected, there" Olivia lays Morgan on the bed and immediately reaches for Madison from my arms.

"Liv- liv calm down." She rattled about something, I almost want to ask but I don't want add more stress than what's she's under now. For now I'm okay with letting her get the hang of these motherhood ropes.

"Fitz they're all I think about, I can't nap, or go to work because they need me, and sleeping in here with us I can be with them always."

"Okay." I relent, this adjustment is harder for her, and I don't want to punish her for it or make her feel abnormal. I would have taken a hyper vigilant mother with Jerry, Karen, and Teddy any day. "I came to see if you wanted to have lunch."

A smile of joy and satisfaction lit up her sleepy face. "Yeah, we can have lunch."

We decided not to wait to do early introductions. Karen's so many years older than Teddy so I would never have to worry about "she stole my toy" or which kid crayoned on the wall or that old sibling's jealousy. I wanted to introduce Teddy to the twins so that he knows I love the three of them equally, but Daddy has to be more attentive with them and hold them more sometimes.

Today Mellie brought him home, and I didn't want him to be surprised when he walked into the residence and found two babies.

"Teddy, you're a big boy now." I say, he squeezes my hand and smiles. "Do you remember Olivia?" I crouch down, and he nods back to me, his eyes are as blue as mine.

"livia"

"That's right, we-we have a surprise and we want to share it with you, can you keep it a secret?" I say, but I'm not completely worried if he can or not. Olivia's almost 100 percent sure he'll forget as soon as he sees his Thomas train set but I ask anyway.

He nods up and down, a smile growing on his face. I stand up and take his hand again, pushing the residence door open. Olivia's sitting on the sofa, Morgan asleep in her bassinet and Madison was awake gazing at around the room.

"Hi Teddy." Olivia smiles

Teddy retreats behind me, his little finger points ahead. "Daddy."

Lifting teddy, I rub his back. "Remember that surprise I was telling you about?" I feel him move his head signaling that he remembers. "Olivia and I made you baby sisters. That's Madison, and that's Morgan."

"Fitz put him down." Olivia says "Come here Teddy." Teddy looks up back at me and I give him a silent reassurance and he shuffles towards Olivia and Madison. She leans forward presenting the baby to him, and whereas he doesn't look all that surprised, he reaches out and touches her hand gently before pulling it back and giggling.

"Yeah, that's your baby sister, Maddy."

Teddy smiles at Olivia and then back at me. Olivia nods for me to finish the rest of the surprise. She didn't want Teddy to feel left out so she bought him a gift. "Look what livvie bought you Teddy." a train set to match his other dozens of trains and car toys. But she insisted so I didn't object.

"What do we say buddy?"

"thank you livia. Thomas, thomas." He gleefully cheered, jumping up and down waiting for me to unbox it. Turns out it was a build set, so I tossed my Jacket across the back and the chair rolled up my sleeves and made myself comfortable on the floor. As I began to piece together the toy.

It was a scene out of a movie or a magazine, my son and I happily playing on the floor while the love of my life cared for our twins baby girls. Nothing else mattered to me, just the occasional glances that Liv and I shared and the soft coos that alerted us when the babies were awake. I couldn't ask for anything more because I had it right here.

Hi Readers, hope you enjoy this chapter. There's more to come soon. Leave and Review and your thoughts.