Reviews are love and I am definitely feeling the love! You guys are amazing. I know most of you probably expect the "big talk" in this chapter, but Olivia and Fitz don't make things simple like that. ;) Keep reading and reviewing! It's very much appreciated.

Fitz had learnt early on in life that being charming and having a way with words could get you out of many situations. With Olivia, however, he had never been able to use his charm to distract her or lead her into a different direction during a conversation. Sure, she had fallen for him, and in a way, that was proof that she was far from immune to his winning smile and convincing words, but she could give as good as she got, and Fitz knew he could not simply charm his way through the conversation they'd have to face.

Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself to begin talking, when he felt Olivia's hand move within his tight grip. He loosened his fingers around hers slightly, and watched worriedly as her face contorted in pain.

"Olivia? Are you okay?"

"Yes.", she replied unconvincingly. "No. Everything hurts, Fitz."

"What can I do? Do you want me to call the doctor back in? Maybe they need to up your meds. Let me get…"

"No.", Olivia interrupted him, her voice still hoarse but beginning to clear up with every word she spoke. "I'll be okay. I'm sure the pain meds will kick in soon. My whole body just feels so sore. I'm complaining too much. I'm sorry."

Fitz snorted and ran a hand through her messy hair absentmindedly. Olivia noticed, and as much as she knew she should ask him to stop, she allowed him to continue because it soothed her headache and calmed her. Her hair had become a mess of unruly curls, and she realized that Fitz had actually never seen her like that. He didn't seem to mind.

"You've earned your right to complain, I think. Livy…", he sighed. "How are you really feeling?"

She hadn't forgotten that they had a lot to talk about, but for the moment, Olivia let it slide. Looking up at the President, she noticed how pale and tired he looked. The circles under his eyes were deep and dark and his shoulders were uncharacteristically slumped. She had seen him overworked and tired many times in the past, but Fitz looked very different now – almost as if it was that was ill. She squeezed his hand.

"I'm fine. I just feel very achy, but I guess that's to be expected."

"Do you remember anything that happened?", Fitz questioned.

"I don't know.", Olivia mumbled. "I remember leaving the office and driving home. I don't think I was far from my apartment. My light turned green, I think. And after that… I don't know, Fitz."

Tears were beginning to gather in her eyes, and she closed them quickly, trying to hold them at bay. Even though she could not recall the details of the accident, thinking about it made her feel uneasy and scared.

"It's okay.", he soothed. "It doesn't matter."

"What about the other driver?", she inquired.

"According to Cyrus, he suffered minor injuries and was released the morning after the accident. I don't know if he was charged with anything. The bastard should rot in jail…"

"Fitz.", Olivia interrupted him. "It was an accident."

"He almost killed you! Liv, he deserves the worst of punishments."

He sounded so angry, yet so deeply passionate about finding justice for her. It was one of the many things that had drawn Olivia to him: his passion for justice, his willingness to do what is right by law and by moral standards. Her mind drifted back to that fateful day on the campaign plane when she had decided to give her okay to the election rigging. Olivia had never regretted putting this man into the White House because she truly believed that he belonged there, that he had so much to give to this country. But she regretted how it all happened – how he found out about it and especially how much her betrayal had shook him to the core.

Fitz felt it the minute he lost her. Her body began to stiffen and she turned her head away from him to stare at the ceiling. He was unsure what had caused the sudden change within her, but Fitz believed that she was simply putting her defenses back up after allowing him to be close for a short while.

Swallowing, he began: "I know we have things to talk about…"

"Stop.", Olivia whispered, her body recoiling even further. "Please don't…"

"I'm sorry. We don't have to talk about anything. I'm sorry, Liv."

She wasn't sure if Fitz was apologizing for the conversation they should be having with one another, or if he was sorry for what had transpired between them long before the accident. The need to finally have this talk was almost overwhelming, but at the same time it seemed like an unbearable task. They were both so intelligent and eloquent, but neither had the ability to find the right words when it came to their relationship and all the problems they had created for themselves and each other.

"I know I asked you why you are really here, but I don't know if I can talk about this now.", Olivia whispered, feeling cowardly.

"It's alright.", Fitz soothed her gently. "We have time, Livy. All that matters right now is that you get better and regain your strength. Everything else can wait until later."

Part of him felt relieved because he did not know if he could talk to her about all the things that had gone wrong. But another part of him – one that he had literally tried to drown over the course of the last few months – wanted to hear her explanations and be able to offer her an apology as well.

"I hurt you.", she interrupted his thoughts. "But you hurt me too. So much."

Fitz knew this, but it still stung to have Olivia voice her pain – the pain he had caused her. He remembered the moment he'd found out about Defiance. Hollis' betrayal he could deal with. Verna's was more surprising but did not faze him much either. Cyrus and Mellie should not have surprised him, because they did everything they did for him as much as they did it for themselves. Finding out about Olivia, however, his Livy, had literally knocked the wind out of him. Fitz had never taken the time to understand why she had done it, and he had never given Olivia the chance to explain herself, but just the thought of her playing a role in a betrayal this monumental, this important, made his heart ache. Yes, he was hurt by his wife and his closest confidant taking it upon themselves to illegally decide the presidential election, but nothing could compare to the pain of learning about Olivia's involvement. Did he have the right to hurt her in return? For nearly a year, Fitz had believed that he had every right to hurt her. Now that he had spent over a week fearing that he may never hear her voice again, never see another sweet smile forming on her lips, Fitz was beginning to feel differently.

"I know. We both made so many mistakes."

Olivia nodded her head yes, but did not offer him more than that.

"Maybe… maybe you should go.", she finally whispered.

This, he should have seen coming. When the words did leave her mouth, though, it felt like a punch to his gut. Fitz did not want to stress her in the fragile state she was in both physically and mentally, and he certainly did not want to push the issues they had to discuss. But still, he truly did not want to be asked to leave. Now that Olivia was awake and slowly recovering, he wasn't sure whether he still had a valid reason to leave the White House on a daily basis. Up until now, it had been made possible by Cyrus and his security team, but Fitz knew that his Chief of Staff's patience was beginning to wear extremely thin. He glanced at Olivia's face and paused for a moment. She wasn't really looking at him, but every now at then he would notice her eyes flicker to his face, almost as if she was trying to see his reaction to her words. When she caught him looking at her, and blush spread across her cheeks and Fitz couldn't help but smile slightly.

"If that's what you want, Liv, I will leave."

"I think you should.", she replied, but sounded so unconvinced that he almost wanted to fight her decision.

"Okay.", Fitz nodded, trying to show her his understanding and respect.

He stood and moved the chair back towards the window, away from its spot by her bed. Then he gathered his suit jacket and put it on. Olivia watched him, wishing things were simpler between them. Wishing she could ask him to stay with her. When Fitz was dressed and ready to leave, he stepped up to Olivia's bedside. For the past few days, he had been able to indulge in telling her that he loved her. He had even been able to leave her with a soft kiss each night before he left the hospital. Now, however, Fitz feared that he wouldn't be able to do either one.

"I will see you soon, Livy.", he sighed, hesitating.

After a long, silent moment, Fitz leaned down, cupped her cheek and placed a lingering kiss on Olivia's forehead. He felt more than heard the quick, surprised intake of breath when his lips met her soft skin. Olivia could feel her skin heat again, and her heart had begun to beat faster. Having him this close still felt as overwhelming as it ever had.

"Goodbye.", she offered after Fitz had straightened up.

She wanted to say more to him – so much more – but she simply did not feel like she could talk about any of their problems right now. Her gaze followed Fitz as he walked towards the door, his head hanging low. He looked crushed. Just before he was out of sight, he paused, almost as if he had remembered something. After a long moment, Olivia watched him shake his head and leave. As soon as the door closed with a thud, Olivia began to cry.