"Come to bed," she whispered in his ear as she bent down from behind couch.

"I'm almost finished."

Fitz was up in the late night hours surrounded by papers and folders as he prepared for his next business trip. This would be the longest one yet for the new scholarship foundation at Georgetown. He was busy all week getting ready at his office but decided to bring his work home on this particular evening. Their typically tidy living room had papers sprawled across the coffee table and couch where he made himself comfortable. He had his brown reading glasses on and was still wearing his clothes from the workday, substituting his collared shirt for a white undershirt.

Olivia would normally let him take care of his important business until he was finished, but she was genuinely lonely in bed. And if she was being honest, a little bored. She casually walked around the couch and placed herself in his lap, straddling his waist and moving his paperwork to the side for a moment of his attention.

"It's lonely in there without my yummy husband with me," she quietly stated as she leaned in for a simple kiss against his lips, and one on his chin.

Fitz's body relaxed as he rested his hands on her hips and gently pulled her closer to him. She took that moment to take off his glasses and place them on top of her hair, holding back her bangs. She slanted her face to begin softly kissing his neck in his favorite spot while her nails grazed his chin. His eyes immediately drifted shut as she touched and kissed him perfectly.

"Your yummy husband has loads of paperwork to catch up on," he lazily replied.

"My yummy husband can catch up on paperwork, after I finish showing him how much I've missed him," she said against his skin.

"Livvie," he spoke softly as he let her kiss his neck torturously slowly with his eyes still closed.

Olivia leaned back to look at him. He looked so tired. He had circles under his eyes and probably hadn't shaved in two or three days. His hair looked unruly as if he had been running his hands though it all night. She lovingly held onto his chin and tilted his face up slightly making sure her eyes reached his.

"Come to bed so I can make love to you."

"Liv, I-"

She cut him off placing her index finger against his lips. "I'm not too proud to beg Fitzgerald. I want you. Right now."

"You are very distracting, you know that?" He said with a smirk, tugging her body quickly. As her face jerked closely towards his he snapped his teeth together pretending that he was going to bite her lips.

She giggled and settled against his chest, letting her head rest on his shoulder. His arms raised up her back so that he could hold her firmly and rub circles through her thin camisole.

"You do know you haven't been inside me in over a week, right?" She mumbled as she rested against him.

"I'm aware."

"A week. As in, more than seven days."

"I know. And, I'm sorry. Things are just getting-"

She leaned back with her head to the side and an eyebrow raised. Her nails were slowly grazing his nipples through his tshirt. Fitz knew what she was trying to do. And it was actually kind of working.

"Is it possible you may have forgotten how good it feels?" Her eyes had a spark in them, a playful dare to get him to see things her way.

Fitz couldn't deny his wife's sexiness. But sometimes she was just plain old cute. Olivia always made him smile, no matter how exhausted he was. He brought both hands to hold her face.

"Theres no way that could happen. And, I'm very, very sorry. Between the trip coming up and work. Getting prepared for that. And the whole Karen thing, too. My mind is all over the place."

Olivia knew that everything he was saying was true. He was determined that things be perfect as the scholarship was finally getting off the ground. He had doctors appointments to insure he was up to date on his immunizations before he flew to Africa. And the Karen issue popped up unexpectedly.

She had decided to visit Fitz's mom on a short trip. Unfortunately, during the few days she was in California, her grandmother had a very bad episode. An apparent side effect to her treatments. Karen was always closest with her grandmother. Watching the woman she loved so dearly battle such a serious sickness was an emotional roller coaster. But, Fitz did everything in his power to be a source of comfort for his only daughter. They would spend the days texting back and forth, and the nights talking on the phone or using Skype. Although he thought nothing of the fact that he was being pulled in various directions, Olivia could tell it was beginning to catch up to him.

"Can I take a raincheck? I promise I'll come straight to bed when I finish up."

She smiled at him but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Sure," she responded rubbing his chest gently for a moment and climbing off of him, careful not to touch any of the papers surrounding them.

"Livvie," he said sounding disappointed in himself more than anything. She took the glasses from atop her head and handed them back to him.

"Its okay. Really. I understand, I do."

Fitz reached out to hold her hand as she stood in front of him. She cupped the side of his face and he kissed the inside of her palm.

"I promise I'll make it up to you."

"I know."

"I'll do that thing that you like, too."

She chuckled knowing exactly what he was talking about.

"I get to pick the song then."

"Okay." He gave her hand another kiss before letting it go. She ran her fingers through her messy, wavy bed hair to clear it from her face.

"Okay. Well I'm going to bed," she said as she walked behind the couch to exit the room. Fitz turned his upper body and watched. He had to smile at himself watching his petite wife exit the room.

"I'll be there in a bit. Don't wanna be too tired for hundreds of screaming kids and the smell of animals tomorrow."

They were bringing Jackson to the Washington Zoo for his first time.

"Very funny," she said looking over her shoulder still walking out of the room. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Hey, Liv."

She stopped and turned around to look look at him.

"I love you. Sleep tight."

"I love you, too. Night."

"Stop it. What are you doing?"

"Baby, he's sleeping. Come on. Just let me-"

"No," Olivia said through giggling laughter as she tried to shift out of his reach. She grabbed his wrist and squeezed it tightly trying to use any tactic to get him to stop.

"You know it doesn't hurt when you do that, right?" Fitz teased as he continued driving their black SUV on their way home from the Zoo. He wore a fitted light-blue V-neck T-shirt and dark blue jeans. Olivia couldn't deny that he looked sexy while his strong hand moved higher and higher up her thigh.

"Fitz," she sang in a sweet voice, attempting to reason with her clearly unreasonable husband."Our son doesn't need to wake up to us having grown-up time."

"Grown-up time?" He would have made fun of her choice of words, but he was a man on a mission."You knew what you were doing when you wore this outfit today."

"It's a grey maxi dress made of jersey. You're acting like I'm wearing lingerie."

"You might as well be," he said adamantly, never taking his eyes from the road. "Plus, you have your hair up. So, of course I've been tempted to kiss your neck all day. And have you seen your ass in this dress?"

"Language," she warned.?

"He," his hand squeezed her thigh,"is," another squeeze but higher, "asleep." Fitz's hand slowly made its way to the juncture of her hip and leg but she attempted to lightly swat it away.

"He can still hear what's happening around him," she pointedly reminded him.

Fitz slowed down as they approached a red light. As soon as the car was at a complete stop he lifted his aviator sunglasses to get a good look at his wife and gave her a charming grin. Olivia knew that look of his, but continued to play difficult.

"What?" Her tone sounded irritated but he knew better than to believe it. She stared at him not able to hold back the smile creeping at the corner of her mouth.

"Give me a quick taste of those sexy lips." He was opting for the direct approach now.

"What has gotten into-"

"Hurry. Before the light turns green."

Olivia smiled widely and didn't move but instead made him lean over the center console to reach her. Fitz used his left hand to hold her cheek firmly as his lips touched hers slowly and softly. Light as a feather. He traced the tip of his tongue along her lower lip and she opened her mouth more, inviting him in. He deepened the kiss, using his hand to hold her face with more control. The gentle force he used to reach his tongue as far back as he could was perfect. Olivia subconsciously let out a moan at how good he felt. Her head tilted slightly to change the angle of their lips.

It was her time to taste now. She slipped her tongue past his lips, gliding it across the roof of his warm mouth. She loved the familiar taste of him. His mouth always felt perfect to her. Olivia caught his bottom lip between her front teeth and tugged gently. Fitz slightly opened his eyes and let out an airy laugh as she bit him. She began pecking the same spot on his mouth sweetly with her full lips.

Just as she lifted a hand to touch his face, a loud sound jolted them from their kiss. Apparently, at some point, the light turned green and the drivers behind them were getting restless.

Fitz pulled back and chuckled as he focused on the road again to drive. He licked his mouth and bit down on his lower lip, reaching over to hold her hand and intertwine their fingers.

"Mrs. Grant," he said proudly with a devilish grin as he drove and made a turn down a small road.

She smirked and stared at her husbands profile in wonderment of his natural sexiness.

"You are one hot man."

"Glad you think so," he said, lifting her hand and kissing her knuckles, ending with a gentle kiss against her wedding band and ring.

"You really need to get me home and finish what you just started."

He nodded his head in the direction of Jackson's carseat, "If we hadn't picked up this stowaway at the zoo, I'd pull over right now and have you hop in this drivers seat with me. Let you take a little ride, if you catch my drift."

"Oh I'm catching it. And in about," she looked down at her watch, "twenty minutes you'll be getting that ride. Trust me."

Fitz groaned and gently tossed his head back against the chairs headrest before letting out a sigh.

"I love our son. He makes me happier than I thought possible. But, he's seriously killing my game right now."

"I would argue that point, but he is definitely the only reason this car is still in drive," she said, playing with his fingers against hers. He pouted at the same realization. "Speaking of which, why aren't we on the highway anymore?"

"I told you I wanted to pick up that cheesecake before we go home."

"I said I'd pick one up for you during the week. It's really no problem."

"Nope. There's a certain technique to choosing the right one. Believe me, I trust you with everything in my life. But, this cheesecake? No, ma'am. This is serious business."

"Yeah, okay," she gave a look as she rolled her eyes and shook her head at his odd addiction.

They pulled up to a tiny hole in the wall bakery that Fitz had been purchasing cheesecake from since his presidency. He'd been their number one fan for years now.

"Tom and Mary's Bakery," he said in complete contentment as he undid his seatbelt. "This place. It just doesn't get any better."

He had become very familiar with the owners, Tom and Mary. As their children and grandchildren kept the business going through the years, Fitz continued to support them whenever he could.

"Hang tight. I'll be fast, I promise," he said as he hopped out of the car. The agents in the car following them arranged themselves with two inside the bakery and two waiting on either side of the SUV to stay with Olivia and Jackson.

She waited there patiently opting to check emails and the news on her cellphone. In a matter of a few quick minutes Fitz was back in the car, empty handed.

"They run out of cheesecake?" She teased looking a little confused.

He didn't respond, instead maintaining a blank expression as he froze in the drivers seat.

"Dont tell me you couldn't find one worthy of your money,"she joked playfully, leaning forward to get a better look at his face.

She noticed he was now blinking rapidly with his eyebrows furrowed, and still not responding to her. Something was wrong.

"Fitz?"

He finally snapped out of it.

"We need to get to the house," he said seriously as he fastened his safety belt and drove off heading for the interstate.

"What? Did something-"

"Get our lawyer on the phone. I mean, no. Not the lawyer..." He began rambling.

"What?" She shook her head trying to make sense of what he was saying.

"The travel agent. Suzanne? Suzanne. The number's in my cell. Call her. Tell her we need a private flight. Today."

"Fitz, whats going on? What happened in-"

"Liv," he paused still trying to process the information himself. "Big Jerry just called...it's my mom."

Olivia felt like she was swimming. Like she was swimming in a sea of black. No matter what room she was standing in, or what corner she turned around, thats all she saw. Black. But, that's to be expected when you're attending a funeral. This one was no different.

Although this one, the funeral of Genevieve "Ginny" Grant, did have its own distinct feeling. The service and gathering afterwards had the same tradition as any other. But this one had an extra variable to the equation. It was more of a political convention; the who's who of both Democratic and Republican parties. All attendees "mourning a loss", as small meetings are held in dimly lit corners, business plans are discussed, and handshakes are shared on future plans involving the progress of this great nation.

This funeral carried the same burden that had always been attached to the Grants. The push and pull between attempting to keep a "normal" family dynamic while still accepting the fact that they are anything but. The extra dynamic-that of being from a political family-couldn't be ignored, especially when something as tragic as death occurred. The only difference between this memorial service and a fundraiser was the politicians knew to substitute their expensive tuxedos and gowns for equally expensive suits and sheath dresses.

Olivia, herself, opted for a fashionable black pant suit to wear. She figured it would be easier to manage any mini-crisis with Jackson in pants rather than a skirt or dress. She walked through the house and looked in between the sea of black in attempt to find her husband and son. The entire Grant Estate had been open to the hundreds of guests following the funeral service. So, room after room, she looked in between the massive groups of people for her boys. When she couldn't spot them she opted to search elsewhere. Chances were that Jackson was getting restless, and Fitz took him for a walk to diffuse the situation. As she made her way outside the back kitchen door her eyes scanned the pool surroundings. It was then that looked across the water and noticed Fitz holding Jackson in one arm, and a drink in the other as they leisurely snuck inside the pool house.

"There my boys are," she said sweetly closing the door behind her.

Fitz looked up from the ground where he had set Jackson up with some toys. His parents were intent on spoiling their youngest grandson, so they decided that the pool house would also be a fun place to collect toys and train sets for Jackson. So, as Jackson played Fitz watched. When Olivia walked in the door he had a slight look of surprise on his face.

"Hey. Sorry. Didn't meant to run out on you."

"No, its fine. I got stuck talking to Ken's campaign manager. She had every question in the book. And every answer too." Olivia took off her heels, drastically affecting her height. She walked over to the center of room and sat with her legs crossed directly in front of Jackson. Fitz moved as she made herself comfortable and sat on the edge of the nearby couch.

"Thats exactly why I made myself scarce. Jackson suggested we head over here," he said dryly with a dull smirk at his lips.

"Oh he did, did he?" Fitz had gotten into the habit of blaming Jackson for anything Olivia might find questionable. It was cute, for now. "My ten-month-old miraculously speaks now?"

"You didn't like all of those people squeezing those big cheeks, did you?"

Jackson was completely entranced by his set of colorful blocks.

"It was a nice service. A lot of people came to show their support."

"More like a lot of people came here to kiss my father and uncles asses," he scoffed, finishing up the tiny bit of scotch left in his glass. Olivia slightly winced at the bitter tone in Fitz's comment. She tried to lighten the mood with a tiny joke.

"Kissing of ass. The second most popular form of kissing."

They smirked at each other. Keep the conversation light. That's all Liv kept telling herself.

"I saw Karen just now. She went to lay down in the residence."

"Yeah. I told her to go try and rest. She's wearing herself out."

"And, Jerry? I haven't seen him much today."

"He left with Marissa a while ago. You know how he gets around big crowds of people. Especially politicians. I'm not really sure where they went. If I know my son he has her tangled in a fresh set of sheets already. One track mind, that kid."

"Like someone I know."

He gave a weak smile but looked down and reached out to run his hand through Jackson's hair.

"Me and my boy. You're brother and sister dropped me but you don't mind hanging with your old man, right?"

It never ceased to amaze Olivia how Fitz looked at Jackson. Almost in wonderment. As she stared at two of the most important people in her life, Fitz spoke up.

"You looked really pretty today. I can't remember if I told you or not." The compliment was sweet, and simple. He said it in such matter-of-fact tone that she almost didn't catch it.

"Thanks. I clean up well," she joked back.

"You do."

"You looked handsome, as always."

"Thanks."

She looked at him but he looked so sad. He had forced smiles all week and willingly made small talk. He was gracious in his acceptance of every last condolence. But as she watched him throughout the day she saw evert second of pain that he was trying to make it through. He was hurting. He was drowning.

"How you holding up?"

"What do you mean?" He didn't even bother to look up from the lazy patterns he drew along the rim of his glass.

She gave him a knowing look, not blinking until he was forced to lift his face and lock eyes with his wife. He knew. He knew that she was in his head. So, he gave in.

"How am I holding up," he repeated her question as a statement before taking a second to respond. "I'm...I guess I'm okay."

"Today was tough. The last couple days have been tough."

"Yeah."

Jackson crawled over to Olivia's ankles asking for some attention in his own way. She picked him up but immediately looked back over at Fitz. He sat still on the couch, with a lingering pain his eyes as he focused on a random spot on the ground.

"Fitz," she said seriously. But he didnt respond. His eyebrows were narrowed and his jaw was tight. He wanted to respond to his wife, but he couldn't seem to break his intense stare."Look at me. Please."

Her final plea broke his gaze. As their eyes met she felt a part of her heart break. She would do anything to erase his pain, to carry his burden. Anything so that he wouldnt be hurting to the intensity that he was in that moment. She walked towards him slowly, never breaking her eye contact with him. Jackson, who was still in her arms, had relaxed his body wanted against hers. His arms were tucked under his body and his head was just under her chin. Olivia could feel his breathing slowing down as he began to drift off.

"You want to hold him? Hes falling asleep."

She knew that Fitz loved putting Jackson to sleep, so maybe this would cheer him up a little. They carefully shifted the baby from one chest to the other. He was still in the button up shirt and black slacks that they dressed him in for the funeral. The clip on tie was long gone, but he still looked adorable. His small body immediately relaxed against his father's.

"He's getting so big," Fitz said in a low tone. He lowered his face to rest on Jackson's head gently. "I want him to always be this small. Small enough to sleep in my arms."

Olivia lifted her hand and rested her palm against his face. Fitz relaxed into it closing his eyes and releasing a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.

"Thank you for checking on me," he sheepishly whispered.

She moved closer, nuzzling just under the crook of his arm while he supported Jackson with his other arm. They sat like that in silence for a while.

It was surreal for the both of them to sit as husband and wife listening to each breath of their son. If you would've told Olivia during Fitz's presidency that moments like this existed in the near future, she wouldn't have believed it. Not one bit. But yet here she was. Supporting her husband on one of the darkest days of his life. Sitting while their toddler fell asleep to the rhythm of her husbands heartbeat. Moments like this made the tough times worth it. She was pulled out of her thoughts at the sound of Fitz's voice. It was quiet, and sad, but it was still his voice.

"She knew, you know."

Olivia lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at Fitz inquisitively.

"Who knew what?"

"About us. My mom. She knew. She always knew."

"You're kidding me. Right?"

He cleared his throat and sat up a little straighter. It seemed like a good memory for him from his facial expression.

"She figured it out after our first campaign stop here in Santa Barbara," he said with a barely noticeable smile at the corner of his mouth. His back was leaning against the armrest so that he was facing her with a better view. While he was speaking with slight amusement in his voice, Olivia seemed more concerned than anything.

"How did she-? I was barely here at the house that weekend." She was racking her brain back to those quick few days. It had been years and years ago now.

"My mom claimed that after I introduced you she had suspicions. And then she just sat back and watched us together. The way you looked at me when nobody was looking. The way I looked at you not caring who was looking. She just knew," he said as he shrugged his shoulders, and began rubbing Jackson's back in a circular motion. The same way he'd rubbed Olivia's back so many times before.

"She knew? The whole time. She knew." Olivia was basically talking to herself now, almost amused at the fact that they weren't as discreet as they once thought.

"So, she sat me down and talked to me and made it clear that she wasnt the type to condone affairs. But, that Mellie and I stopped being husband and wife long before my ticket to the presidency. And, with you, she just...she saw it right away. That it looked like magic. So, she said that if I was genuinely happy with you, then do what was necessary to make it right."

"Wow," Olivia said, with her eyebrows raised. She was now leaning one elbow on the back of the couch, gently rubbing her temple. During this trip she expected a lot of conversations about her mother-in-law, but she definitely wasn't expecting one like this.

"Apparently her suspicions were solidified after our second trip out here."

"Our second trip? Why?"

"Well...she heard us in the pool."

"In the pool? In the pool, in the pool..." she was muttering under her breath now, again tossing previous events around in her head to jog her memory. "Oh my god! In the pool?! Your mom heard us?"

Fitz couldn't help but slightly chuckle at Olivia's reaction. He bit his bottom lip to subside any noise he might make that would wake up Jackson. But that didn't hide the ridiculous grin that was plastered on his face.

"Well, when I said "us", really, I meant you. She said she heard you in the pool. And when she looked out..."

"She saw us?! She watched us having sex? I'm...god," she shook her head at herself in disgust and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Seriously, why? I mean, seriously, what is wrong with us? Why can't we ever wait to get a room, like normal adults?"

"I always tell you that you get loud," he plainly stated.

She lowered her hand and looked at him with a look of playful disbelief.

"You cannot put that one on me. I remember that night. And I remember I told you to not get in the water."

"You never really mean it when you say stuff like that."

She pursed her lips at his statement and they shared a mischievous look.

"Anyway, so what'd she say?" Liv was intrigued now.

"First, she congratulated me on my seemingly much appreciated skills." She rolled her eyes and motioned with her hands for him to continue with the story.

"Second, she scolded me for not being cautious. She pointed out that any of the groundskeepers could've been around. And then... she told me to use birth control."

"This is actually getting worse. You should've told me this as soon as it happened. I could've talked to her and explained-"

"My mother specifically told me not to tell you. She didn't need explanation. And she was always very considerate about it."

"Well that's a plus," she inserted sarcastically.

"I remember when she gave me the actual "wrap it up" talk," he started laughing and shook his head at the memory. Liv couldn't help but smile at her husbands lighter demeanor.

"I dont know how you can laugh at this."

"It was funny! I was back home for one of my fathers award ceremonies, right. And I remember, clear as day, we were sitting in the kitchen just me and her. Me and my mom, still in our dress clothes, middle of the night, trying to find some good ol' snacks. She was making me Eggo waffles in the toaster to go with my ice cream and-"

"Of course. Your favorite junk food..."

"Well, of course. And she's pouring syrup on the waffles. We're just kind of enjoying each others company. And just out of nowhere she goes, "I hope my lovely Olivia is using birth control".

As Olivia listened to the story she was attentive but that last sentence made her eyes almost bulge out of her head.

"Right? I mean, completely out of left field. I almost spit my ice cream out. Actually, I think i did spit it out. Anyway, she was very direct, obviously."

"That was Ginny, alright. Sweet as pie but she didn't mince her words."

"Not at all," he said will the most genuine smile. He began playing with Jacksons soft curls."She wanted us to have kids. She wanted grandkids from us."

Olivia's demeanor changed at his statement. She had always felt loved by Fitz's mother, but the fact that she was so accepting of her, and not doing it for show, that truly touched her. Tears began to well in her eyes.

He cleared his throat to give the best impersonation of his mother. "Don't get me wrong, Fitzgerald. I expect loads of beautiful brown grandchildren filling this house with laughter. But not until you make an honest woman out of Olivia. She deserves nothing less."

"Your mom..." Olivia said before letting out a sharp exhalation. If she knew all of this before, the conversations they could have had.

"Then she told me-," he smiled but Olivia could hear his voice mildly change. He was getting choked up. She reached out to gently stroke his forearm. He looked her in her eyes. They both were attempting to hold their tears at bay.

"She told me to never let you forget how much you mean to me."

"She was hopeless romantic," Liv said, just above a whisper with the saddest smile on her face.

"She was good, Livvie. She was one of the good ones."

"She was."

"I miss her already, Liv," he said, clenching his jaw, trying to keep his composure. "It's only been a week and I miss her so much."

Olivia didn't know what to do except sit as close as possible to her husband and wrap her arm around his shoulder tightly. She kissed his temple gently and held her lips there to try and comfort him. He began crying silently, still holding his son, letting his body lean into Olivia's.

"She's gone," he said in a broken voice. The tears he had been holding back all week were falling freely. "She's gone."

"I know it hurts," she whispered into the top of his hair. Olivia held onto him closely, rocking their bodies ever so gently to try and soothe Fitz. He cried, and she gave him time to mourn. To release all of the emotions from this terrible loss.

He didn't stop until moments later. When he did he sat up and leaned back to sit with his head on the back of the couch. He cleared his face with his free hand and kissed Jackson's head before he tilted his head to look at the ceiling. He closed his eyes but reached his hand out to intertwine his fingers with Olivia's. She was discreetly wiping away tears of her own with one hand as she held his with the other. Before she could say anything Fitz cleared his throat and began speaking.

"I'm sorry, Liv. I shouldn't have-"

"Why are you apologizing?" She was genuinely confused.

"I should be stronger right now. I know I should. I'm trying but I can't."

"Fitz...I'll be strong for us. Okay? Let me be strong for us."

He hesitated, holding onto Jackson tightly as he continued to sleep. He squeezed Olivia's hand and rolled his head to look at her with his tear-filled eyes before giving his simple, yet meaningful response.

"Okay"

My fellow Gladiators! SOOOOO excited that the new season started filming yesterday! October will be here before you know it! In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this last chapter. It was a sad one, I know. But I tried to throw in some lighter stuff in the beginning. The next few chapters will explore the aftershocks of his mothers death but I promise its not all doom and gloom. BTW, I really do try to update whenever I can. I'm a fairly busy person so I pretty much keep the story on my phone and write/edit it until I'm happy with the results. So, I promise when I'm taking a while to update, I'm still thinking about you guys and writing:) As always, feel free to leave a review. Any thoughts/comments help me when writing the next chapter. Have an AWESOME day! Till next time...;)