WARNING: this chapter was hard to write…I actually got chills as I typed it but it has to be done…this was the plan, after all. Remember…most angst in my stories is usually solved within a few chapters so don't fret…

There is violence in this chapter so if you can't deal with it, wait for 20… ( I have an EXTREME TOOTHACHE so let's blame that for all the violence…..seriously….)

Happy Reading!

XOXO

TBS

CH 19

The sun shown through the newly renovated home like something you would see in a Southern Living magazine. It had a bit of a yellow/orange tint to it, giving it a very tranquil feel. Harper made her way from her bedroom down the hall toward the study. She could hear her father's breath as it was so quiet in the house.

Gingerly she eased the door open and the sight before her made her heart leap. Her father and mother were curled up on the leather couch in the study, smiling sweetly and looking at something on her mother's IPad. Neither noticed Harper right off, and for that she was grateful because she was able to just enjoy the view. She loved bother her parents dearly…but seeing them together after all that had transpired was the ultimate reprieve. She smiled to herself as her father buried his nose into her mother's hair, taking in a huge breath and kissing her temple. The love that radiated off of them at this moment was breathtaking.

As she stood there, Harper couldn't help but flash back at all that had transpired since that night over 3 years ago.

FLASHBACK

Liv and Fitz…

Still standing in Fitz's embrace, Liv glanced down the hallway as her daughter glided toward her dressing room. She, along with Fitz and everyone who had witnessed what just happened were all still floating on cloud 9. After seeing Harper disappear in the sea of supporters, Liv felt a twinge of guilt for not being there to protect her…

But she was TOO comfortable in Fitz's arms and thought Harper would be okay for a few minutes.

"Livvie?" Fitz's voice sounded again, rumbling in his throat and chest beneath her head. She smiled and looked up and into his eyes….

"Fitz…" she whimpered. Being mindful of who was standing around, Liv attempted to move back a bit in his embrace.

"Uh unh…no way…" Fitz tightened his grip on her.

"What?" Liv smirked, chuckling up at him.

"You aren't getting out of my arms….not again." Fitz finished and before she had a chance to argue, Fitz attached his lips to hers, tasting her tongue and immediately forgetting where they were.

"FITZGERALD!" a weird voice boomed.

Fitz and Liv broke apart, but in two separate ways.

Liv's eyes were hooded and she was still in her Fitz-induced trance.

Fitz's eyes were wild because he heard his name and the tone used to call him.

"I'll show you! How DARE you flaunt another woman in my FUCKING FACE!" the voice shouted. Liv finally looked toward the commotion and then it started.

POW…

Some people dropped to the floor. Others started to scream. Chaos began, people rushing in every direction and noise began to come from every direction. Out of reflex, Fitz had gathered Liv in his arms at the sound. He felt her begin to get heavier and heavier in his arms and he wondered what was wrong….

Glancing down, he saw red.

Blood.

Liv looked as though she were letting blood run out of her mouth.

"Livvie!? LIV! Baby, what's wrong?" Fitz asked as he allowed her body to slide down to the floor with him. She had a wound on her arm and blood appeared to be seeping out of her dress. Moving quickly, Fitz ripped the fabric and found the culprit.

Liv had been shot through her arm and into her stomach.

"OLIVIA!" Fitz roared. Liv looked up at him and tried to speak, but only more blood would come out. Fitz heard another cock of the gun-no doubt another bullet being put into the chamber. He moved to turn his head and see what was going on and then everything went black….

(Harper and Nick) *Same time as Liv and Fitz….*

"Nick? What the hell are you doing here? "Harper was sure her heart was struggling to beat properly but she couldn't help herself.

Nick stood still as he took in her beauty. She was by far the most stunning girl he had ever seen and he missed her dearly. As he took on her face, he could tell that she wasn't exactly as happy to see him.

"You did great out there. I just…I just wanted to see your face. Just once…because you haven't returned my calls and I understand why. I miss you." He finished in once shaky breath.

This was true…Harper had still been avoiding him like the plague. She felt a smidgen of remorse for a moment but you couldn't look at her face and tell.

"Nick, we are so young. We have time to find other people and be….so why are you here? It's not safe for us to even be in the same place and when my dad comes in here-"

Nick cut her off and finished for her. "He's gonna kill me. And that's my problem…I'm here to say goodbye, Harp."

His words hit her like a ton of bricks and out of nowhere, she started to feel a weird feeling in her gut.

Something was way off about all this…

Nick moved to walk closer to Harper, but she was quicker, effectively switching spots with him in an effort to keep the space. She wished she could get her cell phone but of course, as usual it's whereabouts were a mystery.

"Why won't you let me touch you?" Nick's words were slurring slightly and Harper wondered if he was drunk.

"I don't think we should-"

Nick blew up at her, shouting, "SCREW WHAT YOU THINK! What you think is how we ended up in this mess as it is…inability to be together…" by the time he reached the end of his statement, his voice was back above a whisper.

Harper knew at this point she had to find an escape. She never feared Nick…only his step mom and what she and Nick being together could do.

As of this very second, she was terrified of him.

Taking a deep breath to steady her pulse, Harper fixed her stance and looked at Nick….like REALLY looked at him. His usual chocolate curls were now replaced by a greasy looking mat that was now his hair. He had slight dark circles under his eyes and he seemed….taller?

If she were being honest, he looked as though he had been going through hell. She was so caught up in trying to read his face, Harper didn't hear the door open to her left.

"Well, well, well, you know what they say right?" a peculiar voice sounded, instantly running chills down Harp's spine. She turned to see who the fake-happy voice resonated from and suddenly, Nick was in front of her and all hell broke loose. Glancing behind the woman who she remembered as being unwelcome at the press conference a while back, Harper tried to figure out who the woman's older accomplice was.

"If you want something done right…." POW. Mellie shot Nick in his stomach and Harper screamed, clasping her hands to her mouth.

'WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?' She thought…

Nick dropped to his knees, grabbing his stomach and trying to look back over his shoulder at Harper. She saw fear in his eyes and in that instant, she understood what he had meant before…

He truly did come to say goodbye.

Did he know what was about to happen?

"Hey fucktwad….killing someone is a lot easier if you actually TRY!" Quinn screeched as she rushed Nick and swung her pistol across his face, effectively knocking him out.

Harper was now backed into the corner of the room, her hands shaking as she watched in horror. What the hell did this woman want with her? She glanced at the other woman who still stood by the door. People were rushing by running and craziness seemed to be happening outside the door.

"Don't worry, pumpkin. Your mommy is dead and your daddy might be too…so they have nothing to miss. It's just me…" Mellie cocked her clip into place as she was now standing in front of a doe eyed Harper, "And you…"

Trying to kick the thought of her parents being shot up out of her head, Harper shook her head hard and forced herself to focus on the psycho in front of her.

My mom and dad are NOT dead….

"Wha…what do you want from me?" Harper moved her hands up by her head as if she were surrendering.

"Oh, it's quite simple, sweetie. I want what your mother had….I wanted YOU!" Mellie raised the gun to point at Harper's head as she talked and Harp did her best to NOT show any fear.

"You should have been mine, dear child. I bet you whore of a daddy doesn't even remember what we shared…Quinn here is a result of our union." Harper glanced at her apparent 'sister' then back at Mellie.

"Okay…And?" Harper challenged.

Mellie plastered a smile on her freaked out face and Harper grew even more afraid.

"AND…apparently he didn't give me a talented kid because the only thing Quinn here is good at is-"

Quinn decided to pipe in. "Killing people." She finished as she smirked.

"Okay, so in order to get away with this and finally move on with my life I need to hurry up…but since I'm a nice woman I suppose I'll fill you in. Ready, toots?" She asked as she continued to point the firearm at Harper's face.

Harper nodded and lowered her hands a bit.

"You daddy fucked me senseless one night years ago and got me pregnant. I tried to tell him, but he ignored me and in return, the universe blessed me with my batshit crazy daughter, Quinn. Your mother, on the other hand, has you as a secret love child AND keeps you a fucking secret and when he finds out, he breaks his neck to get near you. I don't want to see my child suffer." Mellie finished as she reached for Quinn. Quinn reached for her mother back and hugged her. Harper breathed a quick sigh of relief as Mellie lowered the gun.

POW.

Harper jumped again and watched in silent horror as Quinn's lifeless body fell to the floor.

"Believe me, Harper, that's the most at peace she's been since she was alive. Her and my reject of a son. Everyone else is dead and so now it's just you and me. I wanted your bitch of a daddy to see you die but I suppose this will do." Mellie said as she raised her gun again at Harper.

"Mellie…." Fitz's voice sounded throughout the room. Mellie took a few side steps back.

"Of fucking course, superman. Come to save the day!" Mellie seemed to be childlike in her annoyance and in any other situation, Harper would probably laugh at her.

Not today…

"Daddy!" harper squealed, making an attempt to run but freezing in her tracks as Mellie pointed the gun at her again.

"Nope. Nice try, honey. Get back over there!" she growled. Harper moved back slowly as she got a good look at her father. Fitz was drenched in blood, but she could only see one wound…it was on his head as if he had been pistol whipped.

"Mellie, listen to me. I have told you time and time again that we are NOT together. There is no US. There never WAS….Quinn isn't my ch-"Fitz froze as his eyes landed on Quinn and Nick on the floor.

In that instance, Fitz swallowed the reality that Mellie TRULY might hurt Harper.

"SO THEN WHAT DO I HAVE TO LIVE FOR THEN? I DON'T HAVE ANYONE, FITZ! I HAVE FELT EMPTY INSIDE WATCHING YOU PARADE AROUND WITH ALL THOSE WHORES AND NEVER ONCE PAY ME ANY ATTENTION. QUINN IS YOUR DAUGHTER!" Mellie shot back.

"Mellie…."

"So this is it hunh? All because of this GIRL and Her MOTHER!? That's why I'm doing this. Harper pope will become my child now that her slutty mother is dead and I will finally have the recognition I deserve."

Fitz couldn't help but wonder how crazy Mellie really was. Livvie wasn't dead…the paramedics were taking her to the hospital as this was playing out but no way in hell was he going to tell her that.

"Mellie, there's no way-"

"SHUT UP! Mellie wailed….as she yelled and screamed, Fitz locked eyes with his babygirl and the fear he saw infuriated him even more.

Suddenly, the gun went off again.

POW!

Fitz felt all the color drain from his face as he took in the sight before him. Mellie still held the smoking gun as she now looked at Harper's body laying on the floor, gunshot to the chest. Fitz long forgot he fear he had for Mellie and her smoking gun and moved slowly toward his daughter as if walking or running full speed would hurt her.

"H….Haa…." Fitz was unable to make as sentence as he approached his daughter's lifeless body.

"Oh my GOD…" Mellie stated lowly.

"My….my babygirl…." Fitz whimpered as he dropped to his knees.

"Fitz, I didn't mean to…I didn't mean to shoot…holy FUCK! I'm so sorry!"

"Harper!" Fitz cried as he cradled her limp body. After a few moments, Fitz moved to stand with his daughter's body in his arms. He was now totally covered in fresh blood again. Mellie tried to touch his shoulder to apologize, but he shook her off, only focusing on his Harper. As he walked with her in his arms, he cried and kissed her face, apologizing with everything he had in him. He made it to the door when the police met him, asking him if he was okay. Out of nowhere, one more shot was heard.

POW.

Fitz closed his eyes as he realized that Mellie, as crazy as she was, had just taken her own life. Shaking his head, Fitz continued his trek out of the room and out the door into a swarm of police, Ambulances, and Press.

AN: I know, I know…don't kill me! They aren't dead…they are clearly alive since this is a flashback. Mellie is ape shit crazy, but I doubt we will see much more of her. Is Nick dead? What was the extent of the injuries?

More soon…I hope. Thanks for continuing to follow me!

Happy Reading!

XOXO