Put a Ring On It

Chapter 4

"WAIT! STOP, PLEASE, LIVVIE!" A familiar voice yelled from the entrance of the church.

Olivia quickly spun around toward the entrance of the church. She would know that voice anywhere.

"Mr. President!" Abby squealed in shock. Quinn and Huck watched in stunned silence from the side pews in the church.

Fitz quickly strode inside, flanked by four secret service agents. His beautiful face was filled with pain- but it was also set and determined. He looked like a man completely in control of the situation. He had something to say, and he wasn't leaving until he said it.

Olivia felt her mouth drop open. She wasn't expecting this- it had been nearly a year since she had even seen the President of United States in person. Now here he was- doing his signature swag walk into her wedding?

The wedding's congregation started buzzing excitedly in confusion. Why was the President of the United States interrupting Olivia Pope's wedding?

Fitz immediately let everyone know why he was there.

"LIVVIE, I'M SO SORRY! I'M SORRY ABOUT EVERYTHING! I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT YOU! I TRIED AND I CAN'T! I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES- I WILL RESIGN THE PRESIDENCY TOMORROW IF THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE CAN BE TOGETHER! PLEASE, LIVVIE, DON'T DO THIS!"

"SOMEBODY GET HIM OUT OF HERE!" yelled Jake furiously.

No one seemed to hear him. Everyone in the church held their breath, watching the President address Olivia.

Olivia stood at the altar in shock for split second. Then she threw her pure white rose bouquet to the floor, hiked up her wedding dress, and started to run toward her love-

Jake grabbed her arm. "LIV, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" He looked angrier than Olivia had ever seen him.

Olivia shook Jake's arm off her. She took off the huge diamond engagement ring he had given her and pressed it into his hand. "I'm sorry, Jake. It's just not you! It's NEVER been you! I didn't mean to lead you on- I thought I could make myself feel love for you. But I love Fitz! It's always going to be Fitz! I don't meant to hurt you- but that's just how I feel!"

And then she turned her back on him and proceeded to run to Fitz.

"No, Liv, WAIT!" Jake roughly grabbed her shoulder and spun her back around to face him again.

"YOU TAKE YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF HER!" Fitz yelled. He started toward Jake with his hands balled into fists. He would not allow this trash to manhandle his Livvie. Jake was seriously overdue for what Fitz was about to do to him. He didn't care that he was in a church full of people. He didn't care that this would be streamed on every media platform in existence worldwide. This needed to happen.

The congregation gasped. So those rumors about the president and D.C.'s top fixer were true!

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? Jake started toward the president, his mouth set. The glare he gave Fitz was full of envy and hatred. He looked ready to kill the president with his bare hands.

A Secret Service agent quickly closed the distance between Fitz and Jake. He nonchalantly put Jake in an unbreakable hold. Jake was caught there, his hands forced behind his head. He was restrained, but it didn't stop him from shooting daggers with his eyes at the president.

"I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Jake was beside himself.

At this, the agent quickly kneed Jake in the stomach. As Jake doubled over, another agent whipped out a set of handcuffs and swiftly put them on him.

"Threats against the President are considered acts of domestic terrorism. You're coming with us." The agent's tone invited no more resistance from Jake.

Olivia gave Jake a scathing look of pity and revulsion. Then, without so much as backwards glance at her former fiancé, she ran into Fitz's arms and kissed him.

Both of them momentarily forgot that they were in full view of the wedding goers until the congregation started to murmur loudly in shock and excitement. They broke apart, but still embraced each other fiercely.

"What do you say we go somewhere less public to talk?" Fitz asked Olivia.

Olivia smiled. "Lead the way, Mr. President."

Fitz and Olivia quickly exited the church, hand in hand. Once outside, Fitz picked Olivia up so that she towered above him. She laughed hysterically as he spun her around in gleeful circles. He was so happy to be holding the woman he loved that he could barely contain his bliss. Everything was out in the open- just like he always wanted. Olivia threw her head back and laughed uproariously. She knew she had deeply hurt and embarrassed Jake, but she couldn't help but forget about him for the moment. All that mattered in this instant was that Fitz had stopped her wedding. They were finally going to be together- no matter what.

Fitz lowered her and they embraced each other again, still smiling merrily.

Olivia's heart felt like it was about to beat out of her chest. She just couldn't believe it- just as she realized that she couldn't marry Jake, Fitz barged in and broke up her wedding because he realized he couldn't live without her.

Just then, Fitz noticed the crowd in the church peering out the huge stained-glass windows at them. His Secret Service detail frantically tried to keep the crowd inside and away from the president, but they couldn't stop them from taping Fitz and Olivia's reunion on their camera phones.

"Well, our relationship is officially common knowledge of the American public," Liv said. She couldn't help but smile. Who cared anymore?

Fitz smiled. "I couldn't make myself care about that if I wanted to. You're all that matters!"

A Secret Service agent ran up to them. He obviously disagreed. "Mr. President, we've got to get you out of here. You're violating a million security protocols by being out in the open like this," the agent whispered urgently.

"Ok, but Ms. Pope is coming too," Fitz said.

Fitz and Olivia were subsequently hurried into an idling government town car. The crowd from the church had finally spilled out onto the church lawn. They continued to excitedly snap pictures of the happy couple and record them leaving.

"Daniel, get us out of here," Fitz barked to the secret service agent who was driving. "Take us to Cathedral Heights."

"Right away, Mr. President," Daniel responded. He quickly pulled out of the church's driveway and made his way to the interstate.

Once safely inside the car, Fitz felt he had to further explain his actions to Olivia. He took her hands and kissed them. "Livvie, I know we have to protect the republic-but I just can't live a life without you in it. I wanted to let you move on- that's why I waited so long to contact you after I heard you were marrying Jake. I know you deserve to be happy with someone else if that's what you want-"

"NO!" Olivia said instantly. I don't want anyone but you- you have to know that!"

Fitz seemed to catch his breath in relief at her words. "And I'm sorry, maybe I can't be the president you want me to be- but before I'm president, I'm a man. A man who's deeply in love with you and has to have you in his life. We can think of some way to protect you from anyone who wants to use you against me-I really will resign the presidency if that's what it takes. I'll probably be impeached after this stunt I pulled goes viral anyway. All I know is I have to keep you safe, but I also have to have you in my life. I love you so much…"

Olivia smiled and put her hands to his lips. She wanted him to know that he didn't have to explain any further. "You love me. You love me so much that you'd give up everything for me. I get it now. Love is painful, it's difficult, it's extraordinary. That's what love is- it means you're willing to sacrifice everything for the person you love. This time away from you- it just felt like there was a big hole inside of me that was missing. So now I don't care about the danger. I don't even care about the damn republic! I'm willing to sacrifice EVERYTHING to be with you. All this time I've made excuses for why we can't be together-I'm done with that. I just want to be with you." She rubbed his hands on her face and kissed them.

Fitz exhaled and smiled at her. "So-we're in this together?"

Olivia put her hand on his cheek. "We're in this together."

Fitz kissed her gently. It was a promise- a covenant between them worth more than any ring Jake had ever given her. And as Olivia kissed him back- she felt something she had never felt in her entire life-pure, unrestrained, unbridled joy.

After they broke apart from their kiss, Fitz turned toward the agent driving. "Daniel, what's the ETA to the house in Cathedral Heights?"

"We've got about twenty more minutes, Mr. President," Daniel responded.

Olivia was confused. "Cathedral Heights? I meant to ask earlier-why are we going there? Did you buy another house in DC or something?"

Fitz had the dignity to look embarrassed.

Olivia understood immediately. "Fitz…you didn't…"

Fitz cut her off. "Yes, I bought us another house. After the kidnapping, I thought you would never want to go back to your old place. So many awful things happened to you there! So, I bought us this house while you were still missing-it was my way of assuring myself that you would come back unharmed. But then we had that huge argument before I could tell you about it, and then we broke things off in Vermont. Even though it's been a year or so since we've even spoken, I just couldn't sell this house in Cathedral Heights or our estate in Vermont. I have never wanted anything but a life with you, Livvie!"

"So you bought another house? Just like that? Just to reassure yourself that I'd be rescued from the kidnapping?" Olivia couldn't believe what she was hearing. Every time she faced proof of the extent of Fitz's love for her, she couldn't help but feel shocked. But now, she didn't feel the urge to run away from it.

Olivia felt flattered that he loved her so passionately. She was so blessed to have his love.

"Yes. I guess subconsciously I've always known we'd find our way back to each other. I did try to live without you, Liv. I tried to get you out of my mind and focus on-well anything that kept me busy. When I heard that you got engaged to Jake, my first instinct was to go straight to your apartment and tell you everything I've told you today. I wanted to beg you to call it off. But I didn't want to destroy your chances of moving forward if that's what you really wanted. But then I just couldn't stand being away from you anymore. I couldn't accept a sentence of life without you."

Olivia felt her lips pull into a huge smile. "Mr. President…what am I going to do with you?"

Fitz grabbed her and held her tight. "I can think of a few things." he said huskily. He pulled her close and kissed her passionately.

Suddenly, the air in the town car shifted. Both Olivia and Fitz realized at the same time that they hadn't enjoyed the pleasure of one another's bodies in a year…

Fitz gently stroked Olivia's face. "You are my everything." He gazed erotically into her eyes, and then traced his long index finger over her full lips. With her eyes locked into his, Olivia sensually wrapped her lips around his finger and started to suck it. Fitz gave a little moan and licked his lips. He readjusted himself to accommodate the bulge in his pants.

Neither one of them could get to the house in Cathedral Heights fast enough…