Olivia was in the elevator headed up for surgery. Considering everything that happened she felt blessed to walk away with only a broken arm, foot, bruised ribs, and a punctured liver. It sounded like a lot, but it wasn't to her.
Dr. Taylor liked to think of herself as informed so she had been keeping up with the kidnapping of her patient Olivia Grant. The last place she expected them to find her was in Vermont. Her exterior was battered, but her eyes showed her what a survivor Olivia was. When she listened to her talk to her husband she understood what kept her going.
She knew Olivia was still scared. She didn't want to die after battling for her life. She would feel the same way.
Dr. Taylor grabbed Olivia's hand, "I know that Vermont is not a flashy state, but we have a lot of endearing qualities. I promise to take great care of you. After some treatment and a lot of TLC you will be good as new."
Olivia smiled, "I hope I didn't imply you weren't capable of taking care of me. I have no right."
"Well actually you do. However you never implied it. I was just trying to relax you. Your blood pressure is high, and I don't want your surgery to be complicated."
"You're right."
"Do me a favor. Think about something that made you really happy. As a matter of fact think of your wonderful husband who is on his way to you. When you wake up your family will be here. We just have to patch you up first."
Olivia nodded her head and closed her eyes.
Flashback
Olivia was trying to think about what to give her husband for Valentine's Day. She wanted to give him something different. They had the money to give each other the finest things that the world had to offer, but she wanted to give him something he would never expect. Then it came to her.
She went over to her desk and pulled out her stationary. She decided that she was going to write her husband a love letter.
Dear Fitz,
What do you give a man who has everything he wants, and can buy whatever he desires? I was wracking my brain trying to decide what to do for you this Valentine's. How could I show you I love you just as much as you love me if not more. Then this idea came to me. To write my husband a love letter. Something that he could read anytime he wanted to for the rest of his life.
Here is a secret that I have never shared before now. I fell in love with you in high school. During our senior year. When we started applying for colleges I naturally envisioned what I wanted my future to look like. Career wise I wasn't totally locked in, but I began to have dreams of us married with five children. As time went on it was five children, two dogs, a successful business that we ran together, and multiple houses .
In truth that is what scared me was that I knew as time went on in college that you felt the same way. I wouldn't let myself believe that at such a young age I was in love. I had already found the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Yet here we are. Well on our way to making my dream come true. We need two more kids, and a couple more houses and we will be set.
Fitz, being your wife is everything to me. I am in love with you. You are the love of my life. I no longer feel like I can breathe or sleep without you. Even if I had every minute of everyday for the rest of our lives it would never be enough. However, you are enough for me. I am a better woman and mother because of you.
Getting to wake up to you every morning is a blessing, and I am so thankful. Our children have something we never had a loving dad, an available, dad, and a giving dad. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you, and I promise to do everything in my power to kept that promise. You know I will because I hate not keeping my promise.
Love you to the moon and back,
Your Livvie
End Flashback
Dr. Taylor was glad that she thought of something to get her blood pressure down. Surprisingly it was almost back to normal. She was put to sleep, and her and the Ortho doctor went to work patching Olivia up.
Olivia made it through surgery just fine. When Dr. Taylor went into the waiting room she recognized Fitz from the news.
She went over to him and he jumped up.
She smiled, "Are you Mr. Grant?"
He nodded, "Yes and these are our children. Our oldest Samantha, Sheldon, and our youngest Sabrina."
"Nice to meet all of you. Let's go sit in the room and talk."
They made it to the conference room. Dr. Taylor said, "Olivia, made it through surgery just fine. Her arm was broken in three places. She had two fractures in her foot that the Ortho doctor repaired. He was paged into another surgery which is why he isn't with me. I removed a portion of her liver because it was punctured. The remaining portion of her liver will grow to compensate what we took out. Since I had to remove a section of her liver I also removed her gallbladder. I did that for two reasons. First because it was part of the liver I removed, and it would avoid a difficult re-operation if necessary. She will be in intensive care for a day or two before we transfer her to a private suite."
Samantha asked, "What is her recovery going to be like? Will there be any lingering issues?"
"Olivia is a healthy woman. She is a fighter. Once she heals which will take time she will be as good as new. You will get all of your wife and mother. I can promise you that while the outside is battered. Physically her body is covered in bruises. Several ribs were bruised, but mentally I can tell you that she is the same woman. Actually stronger. It will take 6-8 weeks to recover. She'll be in the hospital for a week or two. I would suggest a lot of rest, and not to rush anything."
Fitz said, "We were going to spend the summer with the kids traveling. Is that something that we can still do?"
"Yes, if possible I would like her to stick around and let us do her post-op, but if that is not possible I will transfer her files. I think traveling would be good for her. She wouldn't have tons of energy. With her foot she may not be able to walk long distances, but she could be with you."
"That sounds great. We'll stay here through post-op."
"Can we see her?"
"Yes, but only two people at a time are allowed in intensive care. Once she is moved to a regular room all of you can see her together. Just so you know right now she had a lot of wires and tubes coming out of her body. It is because of the surgery."
Sam and Sheldon went to see her first. She must have felt their presence because she opened her eyes for the first time since surgery. She was heavily medicated so they could control her pain.
They held her hand and told her how much she loved them. She missed them. They missed her more.
After a few minutes they told her they were going to get Fitz so she could see him for a minute.
Sam told Fitz that she was awake. Fitz had reserved them some rooms on the way to Vermont. Sam told him she was going to take the kids with her so she could feed them. She would also call their grandmothers, and update them.
Fitz thanked her and told her to let them know he reserved them rooms already. The jet was headed back to bring them the next day.
He made it in the room. She was hurt, but not nearly as bad as when he saved her. When she opened up her eyes he understood what the doctor was saying. He hadn't lost his Livvie. She had kept her promise. She had fought and won.
He walked over and kissed he lips. He wiped the tears from her eyes, "Hi"
She smiled, "Hi"
"Rest Livvie. We have time. I'm not going anywhere."
She barely nodded before the medicines took over.
Two days later Agent Palmer and her partner arrived in Vermont. Olivia had agreed to see them. After they received the mysterious package that led them to Edison they still had questions. Since Edison wasn't talking they hoped Olivia could fill in the blanks.
Their team had arrived in Vermont to make sure to contain the story, and protect Olivia and Huck.
The grandparents had Sheldon & Sabrina. Samantha stayed in the room.
Agent Palmer asked, "Olivia I know you have been through hell and back. We received a tip, and we are trying to piece this puzzle together to get justice. Do you mind talking to us?"
"No, I am happy to talk with you."
"Good, let's get started I don't want to take up more time than necessary. Do you have any idea why he would bring you to Vermont?"
"I do. He did it to get back at me because of my husband."
Everyone in the room was shocked.
"When I was married to Jake after he beat me he would put me in a room with no food and water. It was torture. At the time I didn't realize it, but when he kidnapped me I asked him where I was."
"He told me it was the same place I dreamed of being with Fitz. He heard me crying one night. I didn't know he was back. He usually stumbles over things. I was caught up thinking of Fitz. I would have random dreams of us being together. One night I dreamed of us having a house in Vermont with lots of kids. I would make jam while he was out running around with the children. I would talk out loud, because my mom believes that you can speak things into existence."
Agent Palmer asked Olivia if she remembered anything about her being kidnapped.
In truth she did. Before the agents arrived she talked with Fitz & Samantha. It was clear to her that her daughter had put the pieces together which her husband confirmed. She felt like it was only fair to clue her in.
Before Huck stuck the needle in her he made sure that she saw Edison & Jake in a car watching. It was his way of confirming to her that it was going down.
They didn't want the police & FBI to know everything so Olivia told them it all happened so fast. She doesn't know who actually took her.
Agent Palmer asked, "When was the first time you saw Jake & Edison?"
"The day after my kidnapping."
"Did they say anything to you?"
"Jake told me he was going to make me pay for what I had put him through. He smacked me a couple of times. Saying things like he knows I miss him. Edison seemed to be in his own world. He kept telling Jake they needed to get the money. When we were married they did business together so I wasn't shocked that he was involved. What became clear was that they wanted two different things. Jake wanted revenge, and Edison wanted money."
"Did Edison ever touched you?"
"He dragged me off the cot the day they did the video. He pulled me too hard. That is how my arm was hurt?"
"We have received information about Mr. Davis's ex-wife. She was supposed to be dead, but it looks like she faked her death and fled the country. We spoke with her briefly on the phone. She is on her way back to the United States. Can you provide any insight?"
The truth was that she could, but Huck didn't want Olivia involved in it. Neither did Gwen so when the time came the story was that she was concerned about her safety after the divorce so she hired Huck to keep an eye on Edison once the divorce was finalized. A record trail showed that she had paid Huck if asked.
"I am aware that one of our investigators was keeping up with Edison. He found some alarming information, but none of it was admissible in court. All I know is that a decision was made to get her away. Once Edison thought she was dead they were able to continue investigating his illegal dealings."
"Who taped the ransom demand?"
"Edison taped it and Jake had a knife to my back. He was hidden from the camera."
"Do you need a minute Olivia?"
She looked at her husband and daughter. She wanted this to be over. She wanted to focus on her family. On her recovery.
"No, if you don't mind I would like to go ahead. I miss my family and the longer this drags out the more I can't focus on them."
Agent Palmer nodded
"Do you know who picked up the money?"
"Edison, Jake was in the room taunting me. We got in a fight. I knew that he wouldn't kill me without knowing if they got the money. He had called me all kinds of names, and I didn't say a word. He then called me a whore and tried to touch me, and I backhanded him. He hit me again. I hit him again. It threw him off."
What Olivia didn't tell them was that Huck was in the room. He moved the gun. When Jake didn't find it he assumed that Edison took it with him. After Olivia got a couple licks in he was forced to hit her. It was just a slap. Enough to get her to stop hitting Jake. He could tell that she had gotten angry. He had to reel her back in.
"Once they got the money what was the plan?"
"Edison wanted to kill me. He was ready to go, but Jake's plan was to torture me. He wanted me to beg for my life. He wanted to embarrass me, because I did it to him. Edison needed Jake so he was forced to concede. Jake made me record the second video so they could leak it out to the media. He wanted my image tarnished, and leave Fitz feeling brokenhearted. He wanted those to be my last words instead of something heart warming."
"Can you tell me what led to the shooting? How did you get a gun? Where was Edison?"
Olivia was thinking before she answered her. She thought about the times that Huck had secretly taught her to shoot. She practiced until she kept hitting the bull's-eye every time. Huck told her she wouldn't have time to get it right. Olivia took him seriously. She made Huck continue to practice with her in various positions until she was perfect.
When Huck selected the warehouse where she was going to be held he had put a cot in the room. He knew that Olivia may be injured when she fired the weapon so he told her that when the time came to try to be close to something for the purpose of balancing.
When Edison came back from delivering the video he had grabbed some pizza. He had a bottle of Crown Royal there, and he was the only one who drank it. While he was gone Huck put a sedative in his drink to knock him out.
Olivia said, "I'm not sure where Edison was in the warehouse. I couldn't hear out the room. I assumed he was watching. I knew there were cameras in the room. He came in taunting me. I was tired and ready for it to end once and for all."
She stopped for a moment.
Flashback
When Jake went to get the gun he never expected the tables to be turned. Huck had altered his appearance so that Jake wouldn't recognize him.
So he was shocked to see that the man they hired was none other than Olivia's right hand man. He was shocked. He knew that Edison was of no help. He was knocked out in the other room. He was beginning to realize he didn't fall asleep on his own.
Jake said to Huck, "You set me up."
"No your ex-wife did. She was never as dumb as you portrayed her to be. You messed with the wrong woman."
Olivia was leaning against the cot for support. Huck threw her the gun.
Jake turned around. The look in her eyes told him everything he needed to know. This was not the woman he was married to. She had told him that time and time again.
He was pissed, "Say something. Cat got your tongue now."
She said nothing
"Oh so you are going to stand there like you are the shit."
Nothing
"Put it down. You have nothing to go home to. You have embarrassed yourself remember. Your husband believes you used him. The country now sees how selfish you are. Drop the gun you dumb bitch."
She looked at him and snarled, "I told you that if you ever touched me again I would shoot you between the eye."
Jake laughed
She cocked the gun, and as he realized what she was about to do she had shot him between the eyes. He dropped dead.
Jake's prints were already on the gun. He held it several times already. Huck had on gloves so his prints were not on the weapon.
As planned Huck left after helping Olivia get outside the warehouse. She had taken Jake's phone out of his pocket.
Huck knew she would not be able to give an address when she called so he specifically found a building that had a name on it that Olivia could give it to the dispatcher to find her.. It worked.
End Flashback
Olivia blinked again as she thought of the events. She had told her family what really went down. The agent in front of her was going to hear differently.
She said, "He got pissed because I wouldn't bow down to him like before. He was mad that I wasn't scared of him anymore, and he decided that he didn't want to continue to deal with me. Torturing me wasn't working out so well. When he turned around to grab the gun that was my chance. He had been drinking. He wasn't drunk, but the alcohol threw him off. I got to the gun, and knew he was coming after me so I shot him."
Agent Palmer was no fool. She had done her research on Olivia. She knew how smart this woman was. From what she gathered no stone was left unturned when it came to her so she felt like Olivia probably knew her ex was gunning for her. She knew more about Edison's plans to kill his ex-wife.
As an agent she should care and demand more answers, but to her it wouldn't change anything. Edison and Jake were garbage. They committed crimes. Jake played a deadly game that got him killed. So she wasn't going to put Olivia through the ringer. Besides her and her team gave them the case against Edison on a silver platter. She would never admit how much she knew. That is why her clients paid her the big money, but she was one of the good guys even if she didn't do everything to the letter of the law.
She looked at Olivia and smiled, "Olivia, I am glad that you made it out of that warehouse alive. It was a risky game you played, but it worked out. Edison will be arraigned next week. We want to sit down with Mrs. Davis, and go over some information. Do you want to be there?"
Olivia shook her head, "No there are a couple of people on my team Lauren & Huck who will be there to assist her. If you should need anything let them know they will do anything to help you. Thank you for helping my family. I appreciate it more than you know."
"You are welcome. Thank you for putting your life on the line to bring them down once and for all."
Olivia knew that was her way of saying she knew she left things out, but understood why and they were okay.
Agent Palmer stayed for a few more minutes going over some minor details before she left. Once she left the air in the room was thick. They now had the whole story. She told them some things, but not all because she didn't want to repeat the madness.
As she lay in the bed her body ached. She didn't look like herself, but she wasn't going to let her physical injuries be in vain. There were times that Huck had to hit her because Jake was looking. He couldn't be soft or they would have suspected something.
Jake had been front and center from the moment that she had been taken. He always believed that he was running the show only to find out that Olivia was the real leader. Now they had to take down Edison, and his day was coming soon.
Fitz finally got up and came over to her. She could tell he had so many things going through his head. Finally he asked her the last question she was expecting, "Why didn't you ever tell me about Vermont?"
"Honestly, I put it out of my mind. I had so many thoughts and dreams about us being together. We have so much that I was just grateful for the life we have."
"So you still thought of us here?"
"Truthfully yes. Despite how I was treated by Jake I loved the state. Life here is simple, beautiful, the air seems better. I don't really know why I fell in love with this place. It killed me to be here again without you when I finally found out where we were."
"Okay sweet baby. Relax. I'm going to grab some food, and some broth for you. I know you really can't taste your food, but at least get something into your system."
"Okay baby. I love you."
"Love you more."
After Fitz left Sam came over. Olivia didn't have as many tubes coming out of her once she was transferred to her private room.
Since Sam was a young woman when she came in her life Olivia didn't get to comfort her, do things that she will do with Bri like climb in the bed and console her. She knew that Samantha was once again forced to put her big girl panties on, and support her dad while she was gone.
Fitz raved at how she handled everything. Olivia was beyond proud of her daughter. She moved on so she could get in the bed with her.
Sam was petite like her so she fit in the bed with no problem. Olivia began to brush her hair with her hand.
She looked at her daughter, "I'm sorry that you had to go through this, and if I had any other options I would have taken it in a heartbeat. My life wasn't the only one on the line, but the main one. I need you to know that I went through this temporary pain in order to get a life time of happiness. Despite your age you are my little girl too. I love you so much Samantha Grant, and I hate that you had to lose in order for you to become mine. I just need you to really understand how much I love you. All three of you. I am nothing without you guys."
Sam looked at her mom, "We are nothing without you either mom. You know what's funny. The one thing that Jake did that he thought would destroy you is the one thing that we knew was a flat-out lie. I remember your interview with Dr. Phil. I knew that you weren't with dad out of obligation. Everyone knows that mom. I don't think that I understood the depth of your love until you were gone. Dad kept moving, but he wasn't the same. He didn't breathe the same, move the same, or even think the same. You two really do breath in sync. Despite Bri being a daddy's girl she loves you. She is used to doing certain things with you like eating lunch. Seeing you after she wakes up from a nap. Sheldon is a mama's boy. The list is endless with him. Me, well I felt like I had lost my best friend. I loved my mother, but dealing with my father was a full-time job. She didn't purposely ignore us. It just happens when you are trying to keep someone happy. With you I have a mom and a best friend. There is nothing that I can't come to you for. Like dad said from the moment you went missing I just wanted you back. I have you back. The injuries will heal."
"I'm glad I'm back to honey. The first month or so won't be so fun as I recover, but at least we will be together."
"Mom, I rather spend everyday taking care of you than not having you here."
A week later Olivia was released from the hospital. Her body was still healing so Dr. Taylor suggested that she still use a wheelchair to get around.
Fitz wouldn't tell her where they would be staying while they were in Vermont. All she knew was that they wouldn't be in a hotel.
Olivia was still on a lot of medicines. She was still in pain so moving around wasn't easy. They had given her some pain medicine before she left the hospital so she could travel comfortably, and it would also give them tine to fill her prescriptions.
A short time later Olivia woke up as they were pulling up to a house. The house was huge. It was beautiful.
Fitz helped her out, and got her in the chair.
Sheldon came over to her, "Mommy do you like the house?"
"I do honey. It looks like there is plenty of room for us."
As she spoke her moms came out along with Nate and Jerome. She was so happy to see them. Nate & Jerome were the dads they never had. Their moms were happy which was all that mattered, but they made them happy to.
Her dad was never there for her like they had been. Fitz had told her how he had slipped up and called them dad when she went missing. They told him they were honored he thought of them that way.
After lots of hugs Fitz, Nate, and Jerome unpacked everything. Olivia was still enjoying being out of the hospital. The medicines were still working so she wasn't feeling too much pain.
Sheldon asked, "Mommy, daddy says it snows out here a lot in the winter. Do you think we could come here for Christmas one year?"
"Maybe, but we have to see if the house is available?"
"Why mommy? This is our house!"
"No honey. Daddy is renting the house which means he is paying someone to use it."
"No mommy"
Before Olivia can say anything Fitz steps out the door, "He is right Livvie we are not renting this house. The house is ours. I felt like the least I could do is make this nightmare a dream. A dream where we have a house here in Vermont."
Olivia was in shock. She couldn't believe it. She wondered how.
Fitz saw the look in her eyes, "After you talked to Agent Palmer I asked you if this was still your dream. You said yes. So I called the agent back and told her that I didn't want to rent a property, but buy one. I wanted it ASAP. I was willing to pay all cash so we could get it ready before you were released. When she sent me the listing for this house I knew it was the one."
Olivia had tears in her eyes. "Show me."
She loved the style of the house. A country estate. She found out the house had eight bedrooms and seven and a half baths.
Fitz told her that the biggest selling point was the three bedroom guest house. That way their moms had their own space especially now that they were in relationships. The other selling point was the elevator so Olivia could get around on her own which he knew was important to her.
When he showed it to her she smiled. God, she loved this man. The property itself was stunning. They had a screened porch, heated pool which she hated she couldn't try out for several more weeks, a greenhouse, a garden, barn, and tennis courts.
They were now in their master suite. "So what do you think?"
"I think that this is definitely a dream, and I am so glad that you made it come true."
"Good, because your happiness means everything to me."
Olivia grabbed his hand, "You are my everything too. Without you I wouldn't have made it through this ordeal."
"I know Livvie. Do you want me to contact Dr. Sherry?"
She shook her head "Right now I am fine, and if that changes I promise I will tell you, but when I shot him I felt nothing but peace. That we never had to look over our shoulder again. That Gwen finally gets to live her life, and find her king like I found mine. I just need you to know I love you so much, and my love is why I'm with you. Nothing more and nothing less."
"I know baby. Rest honey."
When Edison first woke up he was in a hospital. He was handcuffed to a bed. He had no idea what had happened. They were eating and drinking.
After a doctor checked him out and cleared him two agents came to transport him to jail. They had read him his rights. He had cut them off, and told them he wanted to speak to his attorney.
He knew he was charged with kidnapping, embezzlement, wire fraud, mail fraud, and a host of other charges. They were federal charges because he crossed states. He was looking at life with the kidnapping alone.
The hit man had all of a sudden become a ghost. Huck had erased himself from the picture. Now that Jake was dead he was going to go down for this alone.
On the morning of the arraignment when he was brought to court he knew his life was over when the prosecutor stated that they were adding attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit murder charges.
Edison was confused since Olivia was alive. He wasn't anywhere near her. His attorney did explain that if they could prove that Jake's intent was to kill Olivia, and he was in on the plan the charge would stick. However he wasn't so sure about the attempted murder charge.
They got their answer when Gwen Davis walked in the court room with her parents. Not only was she alive, but she looked healthy and happy.
He knew his life was over. They asked for him to be remanded. He was a flight risk, and they believed that he had money in off shore accounts that he was hiding from Gwen in the divorce. Considering his involvement with Olivia's kidnapping, and proof that he attempted to kill his wife it was an easy decision to not allow any bail.
Edison knew that by all likely hood that he was going away for the rest of his life. He knew Olivia Grant. She leaves no stone left unturned. He was good as dead.
The deputy came over to him. He scuffled with the deputy and got his gun. He made the deputy back up. As they were clearing out the courtroom he shot himself in the head. Edison Davis was dead.
Gwen had not cleared out the room before he shot himself. She looked him dead in the eyes when he did it, and she was happy. She no longer had to look over her shoulder. She never had to think he could get out of this. She didn't feel sorry for him in the least.
Huck had called Olivia to see if it was okay for Gwen to visit. So she headed to see Olivia after the courtroom drama.
It was of course breaking news so they were aware.
Gwen was greeted by Fitz at the door. She had never met Olivia's mother so it was nice to meet her as well as Sam and Sheldon.
Gwen tried to prepare herself. She knew that Olivia had been hurt, and it still ate at her that she did this to save all of them.
Olivia bruised face was healing, but not enough that you didn't know she was still pretty banged up.
Gwen walked in the room. She didn't even realize she was crying until she sat down beside Olivia. She was sitting on a chaise that Fitz had put in the sitting area of their room. Olivia wiped her eyes.
"Don't cry. It is all over. I don't feel as bad as I look."
"Doesn't matter."
"It does. How did you feel when you saw Edison kill himself earlier?"
"Relieved..."
"Me too. I didn't want it to come down to this, but what I wasn't going to allow was Jake to take anymore of my life. For Edison to take anymore of yours, and steal from people with no regard to their livelihood. I will heal. I will be fine. My family is here. Sam had to fly back and complete two exams. She finished her first year with a 4.0. Sheldon isn't in therapy. He is happy. Bri is the light of everyone's eyes. She is a daddy's girl who loves her mommy. When I get better we are going to try to add to the clan. Our moms are happy with men we adore. Go be happy. Don't feel like you owe me anything."
"You are the older sister I never had. You looked out for me and my parents. I couldn't have gotten better without you."
"Well you are the little sister I never had, and it was my job to take care of you. I'll always be here for you if you need me. Are you going to stay in California?"
"Yes, I'm going to go back and work for my parents. Before I left I met a guy. I told him that I had to leave, but if I got back and he wanted to still talk we could. He saw the news, and emailed me. I responded. I think there is something there. My parents enjoyed not working to hard so once I get back in the groove of things my cousin & I are going to run the company. My parents are going to work part-time for a while, and then retire."
"Good so that means that now we can get together like sisters do."
"I would really like that Liv."
"I would too. We are going to spend the summer traveling so when we get back home we will invite you over to dinner."
Fitz came in the room with lunch, "Well if Olivia is your sister then that makes me big brother. You know what that means?"
Gwen shook her head
"Oh, your guy is going to get interrogated by Sheldon & I. I must say my son is tough. Ask Nate & Jerome. They went through the test when they started dating our moms."
Olivia nodded, "He's right!"
Gwen laughed, "Can't really complain when you guys are looking out for me. I need that."
Fitz hugged her, "Well you have that."
They enjoyed lunch together. Gwen told her about her time on the island. She filled Gwen in on the details about what happened when she was taken.
Fitz peeked in to check on them. Despite what Edison & Jake had put them through they were finding their way. It was an incredible moment to witness.
Andrew & Jeffrey had checked in on her. They seemed stressed but told her not to worry. She called Huck. She found out that the company was suffering because of Jake. They didn't trust the firm. They were losing accounts.
Olivia called Abby. Two days later Tamron Hall was at their Vermont home. She was about to sit down with Olivia Grant.
Tamron was shocked when her producer told her she was going. The network was trying to score an interview with her, but she wasn't the one scheduled to do the interview.
She was told that Olivia requested her because she trusted her with the story. Olivia & Fitz loved to watch the ID channel, and they loved her show. They felt she was a responsible reporter who asked the tough questions, but was respectful while doing it.
When she arrived she found Olivia in their living room playing with their youngest daughter. Her oldest was in the corner working on something. She looked out the window and her husband was playing with their son.
She was surprised that her mom answered the door. They had no staff. There were no nannies. Just the family.
Olivia looked up at her and smiled, "Hi, you must be Tamron.."
"Hi Mrs. Grant"
"Olivia please"
"Sure"
Olivia shifted Bri, "Can you can hi to Tamron?"
She smiled, "Hi Tam Tam"
They laughed
"Sorry everybody name is shortened by our daughter."
"Don't be sorry she is cute."
"A terror but she is ours."
Bri jumped down, "Sam"
Samantha looked up, "Pool Sam."
"Okay Bri Bri. Let me send this and we'll go change."
"Kay"
Olivia turned around and introduced Tamron to Samantha.
Sam came over to Olivia, "Mom can you hold Bri for one second."
Bri went back to her mother while Sam ran to the kitchen. She came back with a tray. It had glasses on it as well as a pitcher of water and lemonade. There were some sandwiches and cookies that their moms had made for them. She had also put Olivia's medicine on the tray since she didn't know how long the interview would take.
"Mom, Nana Maya is in the kitchen prepping for dinner. She said to call her if you need anything. I'm going to take little fish swimming. Dad and Sheldon are outside playing with Pransome. Holler if you need us."
Olivia nodded.
Tamron took a moment to look at the woman in front of her. She looked chic in her Camel Derek Lam flare dress. She had on white Valentino Cage Ballet Flat on. The make-up helped cover some of the bruises on her face, but not all. Although she was sitting in a chair she noticed the wheelchair in the corner. She looked well considering the hell she had been through according to the police and FBI.
Tamron asked Olivia, "Do you mind if my assistant grabs some shots of your family & the house while we sit & chat?"
Olivia agreed
Tamron began, "I have to say I was shocked that you agreed to do an interview. Word was that you had no desire to talk about what happened."
Olivia nodded, "That was true. Honestly it still is, but I had to do this interview for a specific reason."
TH: What is the reason?
OG: The Ballards are losing their business because of something their son and cousin did to me. They stuck by him, and for that reason alone they are being burned. I want people to understand that the Ballards believed me over their son. They were there for me when I got out and divorced Jake Ballard. I still help them when needed. What Jake did to me is tragic enough. Taking business away from them only allows Jake to win even in death. Despite his mouth saying he cared about the business his father built it wasn't true. Many of us are parents. I am and I know there will come a time when my children will disappoint me. They will make a bad decision, but I also know that it doesn't make me a bad mother. It doesn't make me a bad business woman. I am doing this interview to show the Jake Ballards of the world they don't win. There can be more Olivia Grant and Gwen Davis survivors. Reach out. Someone will take your hand. The Ballards shouldn't be punished. They should be praised for the work they have done in the professional world, and for me. They have also been great supporters of my foundation.
TH: The reports describe what you went through as harrowing. Your physician with your permission explained that you suffered a broken foot and arm. Bruised ribs, a punctured liver where they had to remove a portion of your liver and all of gallbladder, and bruised ribs. Your make-up is hiding some of the bruises from the hits you took to the face, but emotionally you seem to be in a great place. Is that a true assessment?
OG: It is a great assessment. For years Jake won the battle when it came to our relationship. I decided the moment I was notified of his impending release that I wasn't going to allow him to have that kind of hold over me any longer. It was hard for me to know he had taken me from my wonderful life, but I knew if I fought to get back to them I would. My husband is everything to me. My children are my world, and I wasn't ready to go. I prayed and my prayers were answered. I can't say that it won't catch up to me at some point, but for right now just being alive and back with my family is everything to me.
TH: How long is your recovery expected to take?
OG: About 6-8 weeks give or take.
TH: Any special plans with the family?
OG: Yes, we are going to enjoy the quiet Vermont life while I recover. Then we are going to hit the road as a family. Fitz & I will not be working. We are traveling the country. Each of us has a destination that we wanted to see. My husband took all of our requests, and planned the summer of a lifetime for us. The timing could not be more perfect.
TH: So that means you plan to return to work. You are not giving up your career.
OG: Never. I don't handle many cases anymore, because I am running my foundation, but my executive director and dear friend Vanessa is the best there is so she makes life easy for me when I have cases. So after the summer we plan to go back and do what we always do.
TH: Although your ex-husband is dead, and the man who helped him killed himself do you forgive them for taking you away from your family?
OG: I do. It doesn't mean that I will ever forget it, but I do because behind me there are eight people who love me to the moon and back. I feel the same about them, and I can't let my hatred for what they done to me steal my joy.
TH: Is there anything else you would like to add?
OG: Life is a journey. No matter how hard you plan it will change. What I will say is don't be afraid of what may be what is already in front of you. Sometimes we make life harder than it has to be. That was my mistake, and it almost cost me my life. I don't want that for anyone else. Again to those individuals who are blaming the Ballards I ask that you reconsider. I'm here today because of them too. Mr. Ballard lost a son at my hands, but he still reached out to me and my family. He loves us and we love him. He is not a bad man. His son made poor choices that he should not have to pay for.
After the interview they made it to the kitchen where the crew captured the family together preparing dinner, and interacting with each other.
They saw Fitz taking care of his wife. Helping her in and out of her wheelchair, getting her meds, and making sure she was comfortable.
They saw a fighter. Three days later in primetime the special aired. The ratings were gold. They topped even NBC expectations.
Olivia went on Twitter and Facebook and praised Tamron for the job she did which made the success of the interview even bigger.
What Olivia wanted the most happened. The Ballards only lost a couple of clients, but they made up for it by gaining several new accounts.
Jeffrey called Olivia, "You know you didn't have to do this. I would have hated to lose the business, but it wouldn't have mattered because you lived."
"I know which is why I had to do something. I meant what I said. You shouldn't pay for Jake's sins. You did the best you could. You tried, and I know you hate what happened. We all do but I wasn't going to let him take another thing from any of us."
"Thank you. You mean the world to me. I hate how you came into my life, but I'm glad you did. You will always be like a daughter to me, and I'm glad you have the husband you do now. There is nothing that man won't do for you. I hope you know that."
"I do. We'll catch up when we return back home okay.
"That is fine honey. Love You!"
"Love you too"
Fitz came outside with their dinner. The kids were with their grandparents at the guest house so it was date night.
Fitz had made their screened porch look like a romantic restaurant. Candles everywhere. Nice linen, china, and silverware were on the table.
Olivia was looking out at their property. She never would have imagined any good would come out of her being taken, but Jake taking her to Vermont was a blessing in disguise. She tried to block out her time with him, and he forced her to remember her time outs. Now she was living in the country estate she dreamed of with her husband and children.
Fitz stepped outside with their plates, "Penny for your thoughts"
"Just still in awe that we have this home in Vermont."
"Are you happy?"
"I really am. I'm at peace. I'm sitting here with my husband who I love with everything I am, and he feels the same. My children are with their grandparents. Our moms are happy with great men who treat them the way they deserve to be treated. They love and treat us like we are theirs, and I'm excited that they have agreed to come with us."
"Me to Livvie. You don't know how much I missed you those days you were gone."
"I might have a clue."
"When you get better..."
"I still want another baby. It is all I thought about in that room. I tried to protect myself so it would cause any damage."
"Livvie, I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of you. You are the true definition of strength, and I am glad that I am your partner."
She leaned over and kissed him, "Your love gives me strength. I don't ever want to take life for granted again."
"Me either Livvie. Let tonight be the first night of the rest of our lives."
"I'll drink to that"
The couple enjoyed the sparkling cider. Olivia couldn't drink because of the medicines she was on, and she wanted to have another baby so it was fine. She was back in the arms of the man she loved. Life was going to be just fine.
A/N-So this chapter filled in details of her kidnapping. I used some creative juices in there as I thought about exploring her having some emotional issues, but I watch the ID channel a lot which is why I added that tidbit in about Tamron. Many know her from the Today show, but the show I talked about in this chapter is real. Her interest in crime came about after her sister was murdered, and to this day the crime remains unsolved. I've watched a couple of shows where the victim decided they would not let their perpetrator win. So I went that angle.
The next two to three chapters will be all fluff and fun. It will be all about their summer around the world.
This story has close to 300 reviews. I am so grateful. Sometimes as authors we feel like we are beating a dead horse when we ask you to send us reviews. I stopped for a while. It was like asking to be bullied, but that is life. The more I write the more I learn of this dog eat dog world of fan fiction. Leave me your thoughts. For those trolls who like to be mean save it. I'm officially over it at this point.
Pictures of the house in Vermont, and her dress during the interview is posted in my Twitter account kimberl17711667