Fitz woke up before Olivia and noticed she didn't look restful, but a fitful sleep has to be better than nothing he thought. He looked down at the woman that he loved. When she was awake her presence was all encompassing. Every time she smiled, each one was different, big and toothy when she was really happy, or small so that it was only in her eyes when she found something funny that no one else did. Now in her sleep, she was quiet, she could almost go without notice. But not to him, never to him. He realizes that it's his arm that woke him up and he tries to get out of Olivia's hold in search of more of the pills she had given his this morning. She's usually a heavy sleeper so he isn't careful with her movements, but today his absence wakes her right up and sends her spiraling immediately.

"Fitz? Where are you going? Get back in bed. I'll get whatever you need." She's still blinking to get her eyes to focus when he looks back. He moves back to her and kisses her forehead, though he knows she hates it. "Im not a child Fitz! That's so patronizing," was what she told him the first time he tried it. "Livvy I can walk, its okay. Where are those pain killers you gave me earlier." Reluctantly she told him. "Night table top drawer." He pulled them out and realized they weren't from a bottle but from a plastic baggy. Holding it up he asked her, "should I even worry about what these are and where they're from?" He was joking with her but a look of shame immediately crossed her face. Her face immediately got blotchy, even though her skin tone you could tell when she had or was about to cry, not that it occurred often. "Oh Livvy I'm sorry I'm kidding. Please don't."

He was about to wrap his arms around her to comfort hurt, but she immediately pulled away. "Fitz, this life what happened. Its not a joke and its most definitely not funny. I know this is new for you and I'm going to make it up to you and make sure this never happens again. Ill make sure you can be normal." She said everything in almost one breath. Sentences running together. "Livvy you can make whatever promises you need but there's only one that I want to hear and you haven't given it to me." He knew she would try to run away from the question. He may not have known about her families business, but he knew she hadn't had a normal childhood. There were nights when she would wake up screaming, shaking, crying or all three. Sometimes she would share the nightmares with him. He knew her, despite how she tried to hide. That's how he knew he would need to let her know that running from him was not an option.

"Fitz I cant tell you that I wont leave. I need to h-h-handle this. I cant have you in danger because of me. I love you, but I wont love you until your detriment, especially if you're going to try and be superman jumping in front of bullets for me. I cant live that way Fitz, I never have let another person shield me and I wont start now." It had never occurred to him that on some level she might be mad at him for taking that bullet. "Olivia seriously? You expected me to just let it happen. What I did wasn't planned. It wasn't heroic. It was instinct for me to protect you it always has been, from when I pulled you away from Charles or what I did this morning. You, we do need to handle this. As much as you don't want me in the line of fire, I need you safe too. I know you hold yourself responsible for this. For me protecting you and even for letting me into your life so when you run off to wherever you need to to end this, I'll be right next to you. That's what I love you means. I trust you. We're in this together. It means all of those things, but it also means I cant live without you, you've ruined me Liv but not the way you think. You've ruined me in the best ways. The kind that leaves a mark on your heart that nothing but that person could possibly make better. You make me better. I need you. You're all I've got. Were in this together."

She just stared at him. Trying to justify leaving him, but she couldn't. As damaged as she was he was too. After sharing one of her nightmares he told her about his family. His father was emotionally abusive, philandering, and a drunk. One night his father came home and told his mother that he was going to move in his pregnant mistress and she lost it and shot him. Fitz was seventeen, too old to be shielded from it and too young to really deal with it. He really didn't have any family. Keeping him in her life could be dangerous for both of them, but pushing him away would be cruel. "Fitz you need to understand, this isn't something we deal with, and it goes away. My family's life will be a constant threat for the rest of my life, our lives. I can't have you go rogue to protect me, but I promise I wont either. I just need you to have your eyes open when you make this choice, because that's it. Its forever." She stared him straight in the eyes the whole time she spoke trying to make sure he knew she wasn't exaggerating. "So were in this together?" He asked her. "Yes." His face immediately flushed with relief and he bounded towards her to get a kiss and realized his arm wouldn't really allow him to grab her and hold her the way he wanted. She smiled a little at his attempt. "Okay Bee time to lay back down and take your medicine." She handed him a water bottle as he pulled two more of the white pills out of the baggy. At the same time he was swallowing her phone rang playing the theme from I Spy that she had reserved just for Huck. "What?" She always answered her phone this way. Most people thought it was odd, but Fitz found it amusing since it was never in malice, it just another way she was different without even trying. "We need to talk and figure out our next move. We will be at your place in ten minutes." Huck sounded calm, but it was really no indication of the state of things. "Okay see you soon. Love you." She hung up and looked at Fitz, "Ready for your first strategizing meeting?"