This is it. I can't believe how amazing it has been to write this story and how grateful I am for the wonderful feedback. I've loved every second of working on this story. A few days ago I had a dream about Olivia and Fitz, and I decided to write it down and see what I can do with it. I am now five chapters into a new story that I am quite excited about. Stay tuned! Again, thank you to everyone that has read, reviewed, followed, and supported this story.

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Epilogue

The slight breeze was a welcome relief on a hot California September day. Despite the light, flowing sundress she was wearing, Olivia was sweating. Her thighs were sticking to the wooden chair, and she adjusted her body for the hundredth time. Reaching for the glass of ice cold water on the small table beside her, Olivia let her eyes travel over the vast expanse of green in front of her. She loved the large yard, especially during the spring months, but even now it was her favorite part of her home. For most of her life, she had been a city girl that enjoyed the fast-paced living, but now Olivia appreciated the more quiet, beautiful environment. She watched the scene in front of her with a smile on her face.

At age twenty-seven, Karen was a beautiful, successful woman with her mother's ambitions and her father's big heart. She was a successful lawyer, but more importantly, Fitz' daughter was a happily married mother of a little girl. The two-year old had her entire family wrapped around her little finger, and Olivia was absolutely no exception. She let her eyes rest on her step-daughter for a moment, grinning when Karen threw her head back and laughed at her baby girl's antics. Little Isabelle was attached to her uncle's leg much like a little monkey, giggling as he playfully tried to shake her off. Teddy was growing up quickly, and Olivia saw so much of his father in him. He was a tall teenager with striking blue eyes and wavy hair that had the girls swooning already. He wasn't quite aware of his effect on the female population just yet, but Olivia knew that would come soon. He was his father's son after all. Although soft-spoken and quiet, Teddy was incredibly intelligent, diplomatic, and charming. Olivia had a feeling that he would someday follow in his dad's footsteps. He loved his little niece fiercely and treated her like the princess that she was.

Later that day, Gerry was expected home as well, and Olivia had high hopes of meeting his latest girlfriend over the weekend. Against all odds, Fitz's oldest son had chosen a different career path than the rest of the Grant family. Gerry had become an elementary school teacher with an incredible passion for education, teaching, and children. He lived to teach, and Olivia knew that Fitz was just as proud of his decisions as he was of Karen's. Although she had always loved all of Fitz' children equally, Olivia still had a soft spot for Gerry, who had looked up to her and adored her from the moment they had first met so many years ago on the campaign trail. When he walked through the door and spotted Olivia, he'd still always have that same look of adoration in his eyes.

Olivia loved being able to sit back and watch the family's life unfold in front of her. Between everyone's busy work schedules and the fact that they lived spread out across the United States, it wasn't often that the entire Grant family had a chance to get together. Olivia reached up to wipe the sweat from her brow again, and readjusted her dress with a huff. She couldn't remember summer in D.C. ever being quite this hot. Her mind drifted to the people that she had left behind in the nation's capital – her friends, her gladiators. The fact that all of them continued to work for Olivia Pope & Associates made her heart swell with pride and happiness. Harrison was running the D.C. office successfully with the support of Quinn, Abby, and Huck. Every couple months, Olivia would get on a plane and fly out to the East Coast to see them and to get a good look at the work they were doing. She still consulted with them regularly, but Harrison had proven himself worthy of running the office. Soon after she had moved to California, Olivia had opened a second office and although the scandals and issues were different here, she continued to fix the lives of those that sought out her help.

She thought about Cyrus and James who lived a less stressful life now. The latter hosted a popular political talk show, while Cyrus had managed the campaigns of several candidates running for a number of different offices. Above all, they were committed to one another and to raising their daughter who was growing up to be a smart, inquisitive young lady that had a bright future ahead of her.

Olivia thought about Mellie, and a small smile reached her lips. She was still so very Mellie, yet different than she had been in the past. After the struggles of a divorce and learning to live without the man that – despite all issues – had been her husband for a very long time, Mellie had finally found happiness. A busy D.C. lawyer herself, Fitz' former wife was happily married to Congressman Jacob Johnson – a political powerhouse with a passion for life who had managed to show Mellie what it really meant to be married for the right reasons. He was a Democrat, nearly unknown in D.C. before he ran for Congress, and he was a few years younger than Mellie. None of that had mattered in the end, because he seemed to love his wife unconditionally and completely, and in some aspects that had turned Mellie into a different woman. Even though it had not been easy at first, Fitz and Mellie had learned to communicate and to raise their children together. Her relationship with all three of her children was better now than it ever had been when the kids were younger, and Teddy especially spent a lot of time with his mother. Olivia was happy for her, happy that she was finally allowing herself to be loved in that special way every woman deserved. Most of all, Olivia was thankful for the peace they had all been able to find in life and with each other.

Teddy laughed heartily in the distance, throwing his squealing niece up in the air and twirling her around when he caught her. In moments like these, Olivia realized how blessed she was, and how fiercely she loved this family – her family. She'd never taken the step to have her own child, but that was okay because she considered Fitz' children to be hers, if not by blood then by how much she loved them. Karen was sitting in the grass with her husband, and although neither one of them had said a word yet, Olivia had a feeling Fitz would soon become a grandfather for the second time. The thought of watching her husband spoil yet another little Grant heir made Olivia's heart swell.

Her husband. Even after all this time, the word still made her stomach flutter. Being together had been their ultimate goal long before Fitz had even divorced his first wife, but when he had gotten down on one knee eight years ago, he'd still managed to take her by surprise. Olivia absentmindedly twisted the wedding band on her ring finger. Life was far from normal, because she was Olivia Pope and he was former President Fitzgerald Grant, but they had reached a point in their lives where they were content and happy.

Happy.

It was the only way Olivia could describe how she felt about life. Somewhere deep inside, she had always been worried that their love would fade, that normalcy would set in and they would realize that their fascination for one another wasn't enough after all. Marriage had proven her wrong. Today, Olivia loved and received love more strongly than ever before. Fitz was a good man and a great husband. She could fight with him over international politics for hours, and then turn around and watch him cook her dinner in his sweatpants. They could make an appearance at prestigious, high-profile D.C. events, only to leave early and watch old movies in their pajamas. Over the years, Olivia had watched him be Governor, President, father, grandfather, husband, and friend. Most of all, she had watched him be Fitz – the man she had fallen in love with head over heels and was now spending the rest of her life with. He truly was a good man, and he was hers.

The breeze was beginning to pick up, and Olivia felt herself relax back into her chair. She could hear her husband move around in the kitchen, preparing dinner for all of them. He enjoyed doing the things that he had never been able to do while he was President, and Olivia loved the domestic side of him. Something hit the kitchen floor, and she heard him curse under his breath. It made her smile that their utterly strange lives had created such moments of normalcy. Olivia closed her eyes and simply listened to the sounds of her family. Teddy was making animal noises to entertain is demanding niece, and her giggles and laughs never failed to make Olivia's smile grow. Karen was yelling at them to be careful for the hundredth time – ever the concerned first-time mommy. In response, her husband continued cheering them on, earning playful slaps from his wife. In the background, Fitz was chopping away on something in the kitchen, humming along to a song that must have been playing in his head.

Against all odds, they had made it. Fitz had managed to fix her when she hadn't even realized how truly broken she had once been. They had fixed not only each other, but the family that surrounded them. Olivia was brought out of her thoughts when a body fell into the chair beside her. She turned her head to smile at her handsome husband.

She loved him so completely, that he could still make her heart beat out of her chest with a simple look, a tiny smile, or a loving touch.

They had reached their ultimate goal. On this hot September afternoon, Fitz and Olivia sat side by side on the porch of their California ranch. He winked at her and smiled.

"Hi."

Olivia's smile widened.

"Hi."

~ The End ~