AN: Hey guys! Sorry this chapter took so long, it took me awhile to figure out where I was going and I have to do a LOT of rewriting and rearranging. This was probably my hardest chapter to right and I'm still not 100% happy with it. Nonetheless, just some filler! And yes, this story goes from past to present, again, I am sorry for the confusion. I don't know why I'm not a fan of timestamps lol. I'm sorry I haven't been able to reply to your reviews, but the website has been acting tricky the past few days and half the time I'm unable to see them at all :/ Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the chapter, Scandal's finally back tomorrow! (((((:

For the next few days, his family catered to his every need. Fitz was never the one to like being fussed over, and everyone knew it, but Marsha refused to let him lift a finger. The family checked out of the hotel the morning of the board meeting, deciding it would be better to stay in Fitz's guest rooms until it was time for them to return home. Marsha took over the household, making sure everyone had a specific duty they tended to. Brandon and Sean were responsible for the upkeep of the house: mowing the lawn, tending to the garden, taking out the garbage and bringing in the groceries that Kelly was responsible for buying. Besides groceries, Kelly was responsible for the laundry and the light cleaning. Anthony was focused on speaking with doctors, handling the payments for the bills that were already coming in, and working on finding Fitz a new car since his was totaled in the accident. Marsha focused on the cooking of meals and trying to lighten Fitz's mood.

It was apparent he was in mild depression. He barely slept at night, tossing and turning, and Kelly was sure that she had heard him crying in the middle of the night a few times. Because of his lack of sleep at night, he would lay in bed all day. He was quiet as a mouse and you wouldn't believe anyone was actually in the room unless you heard the bathroom toilet flush. He wasn't present at meal time and he hadn't touched any of the plates that Marsha saved for him at every meal.

"Did he eat today?", Kelly asked as soon as she walked through the front door with the mail.

"Nope. The food's still here. I don't know what to do anymore. He's been like this all week. We can't even get him to go see her", Marsha responded, shaking her head. The family would be going back to DC in two days and she was worried how Fitz would hold up. If this was how he was going to act while his family was there, she couldn't even begin to imagine how he was going to be once they left.

"You need to stop babying him Mom! Don't sugar coat it! He hasn't even been to see her! He's acting like he's victim when she's the one laying there. He won't even let us go see her!", she said, slamming the mail down on the counter, taking off her satchel and placing it next to the envelopes as she walked over to the stairs.

"Fitzgerald, grow up! Grow the fuck up and get outta that damn bed!", she yelled up the stairs, angry that he was acting so childish. "Have some damn respect for Olivia! Stop being a coward. Get outta that bed and go see her!"

"Kelly, you watch your mouth young lady!", Marsha scolded after her.

"Sorry Mom, but I'm so sick of this. I understand he's upset, but to just leave her there because he's guilty? He needs to get over it".

He could hear it all. The conversations everyone had about him. About her. He would lay in bed all day, just listening. He heard every word Kelly and his mother was saying. He was a coward. He couldn't face her. No matter how many times people told him it wasn't his fault, he wouldn't believe them. After he saw her laying there helpless, a new wave of guilt overtook him. He knew he was supposed to be there for her. Kelly was right, it was disrespectful. He couldn't do it. He wanted to, he needed to, but he couldn't. He was scared. He was scared that he would be in the room when she took her last breath. He was scared that he wouldn't be there when she woke up. He was absolutely terrified, and he hated himself for it. He was shaken out of his thoughts by a loud knock on the door.

"Fitzgerald, you open this door right now!". Kelly. Why did she have to be so persistent. She had no idea what he was going through. He really wanted to be left alone. "Fitz! I said open this door!", she banged harder. The sound alone was driving him crazy and he rose from the bed, hoping to get rid of her. He swung open the door.

"What?!"

"What? Seriously? Look at you! Have you even showered? This room is a mess! You're a mess! Enough is enough! I know you're my big brother, but I can't take to see this anymore. I love you too much to let you do this to yourself!"

"Kell..", he tried to speak, but his words were caught in his throat.

"Fitz, I know you're upset. But please...please. Just go take a shower. You're going to see Olivia. We're going to see Olivia. She can't do this without you."

She was right. How could he expect her to pull through when he wasn't there for her? What was he ever thinking letting his own guilt blind him from the true situation that was at hand. Olivia was alone and she needed him there for her. He needed to be there for her.

"Okay", he whispered.

"30 minutes. That's all I'm giving you before I come back up here and drag you out of this room myself!" She didn't even give him a response before she was stomping back down the stairs. He smiled to himself, so grateful that Kelly was the voice of reason.

They had gotten to the hospital an hour later and they were going through the security checkpoints when Fitz heard his name being called. He turned his head to the direction of where the voice was coming from and he saw Amanda.

"Fitz! Hey there! Where have you been? I haven't seen your name on the sign-in sheets the past few days.."

"Hey Amanda. I've been okay. Just home. I came to see Olivia today. How is she?"

"Of course, Olivia", she thought to herself before answering, "Oh, yes, Olivia. She's okay."

"She's okay? That's it?", Kelly asked jumping into the conversation. "He asks you the condition of his girlfriend, who's in a coma, and all you can say is she's okay?"

"Well..umm", Amanda stuttered. "Who the fuck does she think she is?"

"Kelly! That was rude! Please apologize!", Fitz said, a bit upset.

"Apologize? She's her nurse! Dad paid good money to make sure Olivia was well taken care of and this woman seems much more interested in how you're doing instead of the condition of her patient."

"Kelly!"

"Ma'am, I'm sorry, I was just-"

"No need to explain yourself. I'll just go grab something from the gift shop for Olivia since it seems I'm the only one who cares about her right now", and with that, she stormed off into the direction of the gift shop.

"Amanda, I'm so sorry about that. Please excuse her. We've all had a long week. I'll make sure she never speaks to you like that again".

"Oh Fitz, it's fine. I deal with angry family members all the time. But hey, I have another patient I have to go check on. I hope you enjoy your time with Olivia", she walked off in the other direction. "That bitch better not ever talk to me like that again if she knows what's good for her".

Fitz finally met up with Kelly in the gift shop, finding her in the section with all of they teddy bears. "Kelly, what the hell was that about?"

"What was what about?", she was squeezing the arms of the bears, trying to find the fluffiest.

"In the lobby! With Amanda!"

"Oh that, that was nothing?"

"Really? Insulting the nurse of my girlfriend was nothing?"

"Oh wow, look who all of a sudden cares about his girlfriend", the words slipping out of her mouth before she could stop herself. She turned around and saw his facial expression on his face, knowing her words had hurt him. "Fitz, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. It's just...I don't trust her."

"Who? Amanda? How could you not trust her? You don't even know her!"

She sighs. "Look, I didn't wanna say anything. I figured maybe I was just hearing wrong. She was the nurse that I overheard speaking about Olivia. And you as well".

"Okay..and?"

"And...She was saying that it was a shame that Olivia was in coma because it clearly upset you, but it came off as if it were a shame that Olivia was in the picture at all."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Fitz, just be careful. Something about her rubs me the wrong way and it seems like she's more interested in you than her job.", she walked away towards the register with a teddy bear in hand, as Fitz replayed what she said to him over and over in his head.

He tried to swallow the knot in his throat as he walked into Olivia's room. It was quiet, and if anyone knew Olivia, you knew that quiet was never a word to describe her. She was small, but her personality was huge and she moved like a force. It pained him to see her in the position she was in. Now, She was completely the opposite, coming off meek.

He walked up to her and was glad to see that her cuts and bruises were healing well, compared to the last time he had seen her. Her arm and leg were still in their casts, but the bandage that was previously wrapped around her head had been removed. There were less tubes in the room now, and he watched as the one that did its job to aid her breathing allowed her chest to slowly rise and fall with each breathe she took. He reached out to her, pulling back a loose strand of hair as he caressed her cheek with a finger, planting a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Livvie, I miss you. I miss you so much baby. I'm sorry I haven't been here for you. I've been so selfish, so foolish. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you while I wasn't here". He cried softly, taking her hand in his, intertwining their fingers. "I love you so much baby, I miss you and love you so much. I'll be here waiting for you as long as they let me. I refuse to let you go". He was jumped a bit when he felt a small hand rubbing his shoulders, but he calmed down when he remembered that Kelly was in the room with him.

He took his right arm, pulling Kelly towards him and laying his arm on her shoulder. "Livvie, there's someone special I would like you to meet. She reminds me of you: kind, sweet, determined, strong-willed, beautiful inside and out", he looked down at Kelly, winking and smiling at her as he hugged her closer. "Babe, this is my younger sister, Kelly. Kelly, this is Olivia".

"Hi Olivia," she whispered softly as her voice cracked, wiping a stray tear away from her face. "We've heard so much about you. Fitz speaks nothing but great things, and I can't wait for the change to get to know you personally." She sniffled as moved her left hand to wrap around Fitz's waist, using her right hand to join Fitz's on top of Olivia's. Little did they know they had an audience.

"Oh please!", Amanda whined under her breath, the sight before her was beginning to sicken her. She scoffed and gripped on to her stethoscope, quickly walking away from the room back to the direction of the nurses' station.