Chapter 13

…Another kind of proposal…

Olivia was nervous as Abby's car pulled up to the National Arboretum. Usually she would be ecstatic about visiting the gardens, it was one of her favorite places to be.

Though she never stayed long when she found the time to make a trip; it was a tourist trap.

If you weren't being asked to take a picture of a tourist from somewhere far away, then a school child was assailing your ear with screams of excitement. DC was a popular destination and tourist dollars fed a good chunk of change into the local economy so she really shouldn't complain. She did….but she shouldn't!

She hoped that Fitz and her could sneak out of the reunion to go and see some of her favorite places. Seeing the Arboretum without being elbowed by an errant school child would be a dream come true. She would love that.

They pulled up to a side entrance and Liv frowned. There was a valet/attendant waiting by a lantern lit pathway, but she couldn't see any other guests arriving.

Shit! Was she late?

Fitz had said 8pm, she looked down at her watch. She wasn't late she had eight minutes to spare.

The tuxedo clad valet opened the door and helped her step out of the car. "Am I late?" she asked "Why are there no other cars arriving?"

"No Ma'am I assure you, you are right on time. Please head up the walkway and follow the lighted path, it should bring you to your destination"

"Thank you" she turned around and looked at Abby who was leaning forward to look out of the car passenger door she had just exited.

"Try and have fun kiddo" Abby said smiling at her. Liv leaned down and smiled back

"Thanks for the ride, Abbs. I owe you one"

"You owe me a whole lot more than that kiddo, but I will collect on the debt later. Love ya!" with a perky wave she was off.

She stood and watched Abby drive off before doing as instructed. She followed the lights on the path in front of her and frowned in puzzlement. Why wasn't there anybody milling about? What kind of party didn't have anyone outdoors hobnobbing?

She continued on the path and with a burst of joy realized where the path lead. Up the hill to the Capitol Columns! The Corinthian style columns were on a grassy knoll next to a reflecting pond. One of her favorite places!

She turned the curve and noticed that floating lanterns had been placed in the water of the pond to light up the area. The columns up ahead were illuminated by long free standing white lanterns. She looked up in the sky and noticed a full moon providing additional lighting to the spectacular night.

Wow, they couldn't have planned this on a better night. It is gorgeous out tonight and whomever had done the lighting had nailed it. The whole garden looked like a night-scape out of the pages of a haute gardening magazine.

Why is there no one else out here?! shouldn't there be….oh my god!

And then she knew. The dress, Abby dropping her off, Fitz not being able to pick her up due to "car trouble" she knew.

She felt tears gathering in her eyes and swallowed hard to stop them from falling. She followed the lights past the reflecting pond and slowly walked up the steps to stand by the tall pillars. She looked around amazed at how beautiful everything looked. She couldn't believe how much effort he had put into this…

She took a deep breath and listened. It was a quiet night. The only sounds that broke through were the distant sounds of traffic. Even the night critters were silent; as if they too waited with bated breath to see what would happen…

Suddenly she heard a beat and a guitar chord play in the background, it broke through the silence softly. It took a second before she realized that someone was playing the guitar in the shadows. The single beat and the single chord went on for a minute and then the strumming began as the song started.

Chords picked up and she peered through the dark night but couldn't locate the source of the sound. She listened as her ears finally identified the song. Oh my god she was going to cry.

Chris Isaak's wicked games, flowed into her ears played beautifully on acoustic guitar. It was one of her favorite things to listen to. She played it incessantly in the house and it drove Fitz mad. Still, he had someone out there…playing it for her…

"Just when I think you couldn't get more beautiful…" she heard him before she saw him. His deep voice came up from behind her and she turned to watch as he appeared from behind one of the Corinthian Pillars.

She stood frozen. Unable to move. He was dressed in black tie. He looked amazing…and he was hers…

"So, I have another proposal for you" he said. He had stopped walking after he appeared from behind the column. They stood about a foot apart staring at each other.

Olivia felt the tears pooling …I'm so in love with him.

The guitar solo continued in the background. Talented fingers strumming over chords that made her heart feel like it might burst….

She looked at him as he moved in closer and stood only inches away from her. The tears run from her eyes unchecked. She had held out for as long as she could, she started to cry.

"Livvie… five months ago I walked into a bar. I was headed home… but something pulled me into that Lounge. I passed by that bar for years and never went in. Five months ago, I went in and my life changed. I met you. There hasn't been a day since that my mind, my body, my soul hasn't whispered to me…. It whispers the same thing to me every day…this one…she's the one" he paused then continued.

"I don't believe in coincidences Livvie...at least not when it comes to us. I was meant to be with you. You're the one for me. No one else. Even if I hadn't walked into that bar, I would have met you. Somehow, in some other time or in some other way; I would have met you. My heart is so connected to you, it would have found a way to bring me to you"

He walked up to her and put his hands gently on either side of her face, looking into her eyes

"Livvie, I love you. I have loved you from day one. I want you to marry me and be my wife. I want you to continue to be my best friend, my lover…but I also want you to be the mother of my children. I want you tethered to me in every way possible, because I would die without you in my life. You are everything. I am better man for having met you" he brought his hands up and clasped her face

"Marry me, Livvie. Marry me…grow old with me" his eyes glistened as he asked.

She cried and looked up into his beautiful eyes. She nodded, trying to find her voice, so overcome with emotion

"Yes…Yes. Fitz, I love you, I told you before. I've loved you forever" she went up on her toes and kissed him. He returned the kiss softly, gently…the guitar went on…chords strummed….

"I love you so much Fitz" she told him in between reckless kisses over his face, his lips…

"…and I know you love me too. I've never said that to anyone except my mother and Abby. I know they love me…with other people, with Edison…I never really believed it. They said they loved me, but I didn't really know if they truly did. With you... I know. The way you look at me, the way you touch me…I know you love me and I am in a place now where I can accept that love. I am in that place because of you"

She saw Fitz swallow trying to hold control the overwhelming feelings.

Olivia thought back on her life. Losing her father at twelve, the loneliness of the last four years as she denied herself joy and love as punishment for the grave error of loving Edison. All the bad was suddenly made good. One powerful moment…made everything all worthwhile. Even the bad was transformed….washed clean, by love. The kind of love he had promised her... painful, difficult, devastating, life-changing, extraordinary love.

He whispered how much he loved her again and again and she said it back again and again.

This...she would never forget this moment. She would be old with Alzheimer's and remember this moment. She burned it in her brain. Etched it in her heart…

"I have to tell you, I really didn't have a problem with the prior proposal, the sex slave thing worked out pretty good for me…but this is way better "she joked

Fitz threw his head back and laughed out loud.

"We can roll them both into one. How about we take out that pesky obey stuff in the vows and put in that we promise to love, honor and provide services of a sexual nature to each other for the rest of our lives?" he said

"Oh my god, Abby would love that..." she said laughing "my mother on the other hand…not so much" she kissed him

"Let's keep that last part to ourselves"

"Deal"

"Whatever happens…we face it all. Together" he said somberly

She nodded "Together...we are in this together"

And they were.

A/N if anyone is interested you can listen to the acoustic version I was thinking of on you tube. Type in the below….

Chris Isaak - Wicked Game - electric fingerstyle guitar w/ Igor Presnyakov.

XOXO

Isa. S.