Olivia could tell that Fitz was still shaken up when Claudia came knocking at the door. They both weren't used to that kind of fight and it seemed to her that he was as scared as she was. Neither could tolerate losing the other. She was the first to break eye contact as she walked over to the door to let Claudia in.
"Good morning to you too CeeCee," Olivia said dryly as she barged into the room. Fitz nodded at her and gave her a thin guilty smile. He was a little worried about having yelled at Olivia that way, especially in front of her family.
"Yeah yeah yeah morning. So Mom will be here soon and you're not dressed. So I'm calling half time. Fitz would you mind going down stairs and meeting Huck and Michael incase Mom gets here before we get down there?" Happy to have an excuse to leave and that he wasn't going to get yelled at or punched by Claudia he left the room to gather his phone and wallet.
"You don't have to separate us like we are children Claudia, were not fighting anymore anyways. And I thought you said Mom was here already?" Olivia rapidly informed Claudia.
"Liv, don't be petulant, just go get dressed." Claudia sat down on the couch to get comfortable while Olivia got changed, Olivia gave her a final glare, but she remained unfazed. Fitz was leaving and bent a bit to kiss her before he left, but she dodged him and pulled him into the room.
"Are we…?" she broke off before she could finish. He walked over to her and pulled her into him so she could tuck her head under his chin. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held tight.
"We are good Livvy, I love you." He released her a bit to let her go and get changed, but she squeezed him tighter.
'Than why are you leaving?" She peered up at him from her spot nestled into his chest.
"Claudia told me to." He told her a bit sheepishly. Olivia busted out laughing and the sound was music to his ears, and Claudia who was listening intently from outside the door.
When she heard the struggle in the hall she sent Cammie to take a shower, knowing it would take her a while and keep her busy. He stomach dropped when she saw the state that Stephan was in and her blood ran cold when she heard Olivia and Fitz yelling at each other. She was especially disturbed by the tone of her sister's voice. She had noticed the last few days that Olivia used to different tone when talking to Fitz, it was nicer or more relaxed or something, it was indefinable. Most people probably wouldn't even noticed much of a switch, but Claudia had been hovering over Olivia all her life. She could read her younger sister like a book. She wouldn't let Olivia's controlling rash behavior lead to her losing Fitz. She knew Olivia would never recover if she did.
"I don't want to go, but it'll be motivation to get changed faster. You can't leave me alone with the guys, who knows what trouble we could get into." Olivia snorted, there would be very little trouble that they could get into especially with Huck there. Fitz really didn't want to leave her side after fighting and holding her so comfortably, but he was curious about what was going on with Stephan, the thought that Michael and Huck might have killed him briefly passed his mind, but his pushed the thought away refusing to believe that Olivia would allow that to happen, no matter what the provocation.
"In that case I'll hurry!" she told him playfully as she pulled away from him and headed straight to her suitcase to find something more appropriate than the borrowed clothes from Fitz she preferred to lounge around in. He snuck in one more kiss before heading out the door, still nervous about facing Claudia alone.
"Are they in the lobby?" he asked her cautiously pocketing his phone and wallet.
"Yeah, can you get Cammie first though before you go down? I want to talk to Liv, and I don't want her here for it."
"Look I know you're probably not happy with me right now and I'm not proud of the way I spoke to her. I don't really have an excuse, I just lost it when I saw her step between Stephan and I, and I knew she had that damn gun. She does that kind of thing more than she realizes, I just, I love her so I got scared. I apologized to her, but I want you to know too."
"Are you done?"
He nodded.
"I'm glad you said what you did. Someone had to, frankly I think you let her off easy. She runs away like a bat out of hell trying to handle everything and everyone. I don't know why or how to stop it, but if anyone can its you. She loves you more than she has loved anything or anyone Fitz, you make her better because you challenge her, don't ever stop that. And she may not need a hero, but that's no reason not to try and be one for her."
He was shocked by what Claudia had just told him, he expected, threats or gladiator faces, or both. Not for her to say Olivia got off easy. He didn't really know what to say. He stood there speechless, it wasn't exactly the first time Claudia had rendered anyone speechless with her candor so she continues unabashed,
"Now I want to talk to Olivia without the great protector and I need someone to make sure Cammie isn't playing angry birds instead of getting ready."
"I'm on it." He told her simply as he walked out of the room feeling lighter. He was still upset with himself for their fight, but he could see bits of his Livvy coming back so he would fight to pull her out the rest of the way.
"Fitz! Wait grab a coat!" She told him immediately jumping into her mothering role as if he was part of the family.
He raised an eyebrow at her.
"Its snowing. And my mother may not notice or care about much but for some ungodly reason if any of us don't wear a coat she throws an unholy fit."
"It was almost seventy yesterday!?" He said astounded, not really put off by her telling him to wear a coat, but the fact that the weather changed so quickly.
"Yeah. Well, welcome to Kansas, where if the mafia doesn't kill you the weather will." Laughing he shrugged on the coat that he gave to Olivia last night and finally made his way out the door.
Claudia was waiting patiently on the couch for Olivia as she got dressed. She wasn't really sure what to wear to this little meeting. Not wanting to look like a child, but obviously it wasn't really time for a pant suit, she was torn. Peaking out to see what Claudia was wearing, she decided to just go with her jeans, converse shoes, but one of the nicer sweaters she bought yesterday. Claudia was wearing something similar, but with nicer shoes. Normally she ran around in heels too, but she just couldn't summon the energy, she hadn't been up for an hour but she was emotionally exhausted. As a last minute addition she put on the jacket that Fitz bought her knowing it would make him happy.
As soon as she walked out the door to the living room she saw Claudia there and immediately knew she was in trouble.
"Look I already got it from Fitz this morning and I'm not in the mood." She looked at her sister and told her exhaustedly.
"Okay well now you are going to get it from me because with Mom coming you need to hear it more than ever."
"Fine, go." Olivia said dejectedly and slouched into the chair across from Claudia.
Claudia rolled her eyes, unfazed by anything Olivia would or could pull.
"Look I know you think you need to handle all of us, but you cant put yourself in danger just so you don't feel like our parents. You have all their best traits, but that's a good thing, its perfectly okay. What's not okay and what we won't allow is for you to try and handle things yourself in some vain attempt to stop everyone from else from getting involved. We get involved because we love you, not because we feel obligated. And believe it or not we can handle this just as well as you Liv. So my point, aside from reinforcing what Fitz said, do not think that we will let you go off on your own and get yourself killed, because the rest of us will be right next to you to follow you right over a cliff."
Olivia softened when Claudia was finished, she hadn't even realized that she did it, it was just in her nature. She knew Fitz would be by her side and if she got herself into trouble he would be right next to her, which was very nearly reason enough to extricate herself from her families drama, but knowing that her family would too was enough to make her really stop and think before she acted alone.
"I'm trying CeeCee. I'm going to try." Olivia told her and she meant it.
"Good. Now get me coffee." Claudia got up and looped her arm through Olivia's as she pulled her out of the room. They both took a deep breath and prepared to go down and meet the rest of the family.
When they entered the lobby they immediately heard Michael's booming voice and expected trouble, but when they turned the corner they saw Fitz head thrown back in laughter and Cammie glaring at them both. Huck wasn't there; they figured he was busy upstairs working on the computer. Claudia sat down pretty rigidly, or as rigid as she gets, next to Michael and Olivia squished herself between Fitz and Cammie on a sofa that most definitely wasn't big enough for the three of them. She snuggled in and wouldn't let anyone get up. Just as she had gotten comfortable on the couch she saw her mother come into the hotel. All three of them immediately sat up more formally, still squished in but not piled on top of each other anymore.
"Morning." Their mother said blandly as soon as she got close. Olivia was the only one of her children, she replied,
"Morning Mom," But didn't add anything else.
"Its good to see you guys since you haven't been home." Maya addressed her oldest children and Claudia immediately jumped to reply,
"I'm surprised you noticed." Maya's eyes flashed to Olivia and decided not to engage. Instead she addressed Michael again,
"I am sure you don't want to divulge too many of your plans to me, but I'm willing to help. I thought maybe we could have breakfast and discuss some things."
"Like what?" Claudia responded again.
"Like making sure that Olivia graduates college in one piece. Honestly I'm curious about what her plans are after that seeing as how tight lipped she has been about it." She watched at all the children exchanged a look. She had been watching them have silent conversations for years now so she waited for them to finish.
"Yeah, that's fine. I have a few questions for you anyway. We can't stay here though." She nodded not really knowing why, but willing to go with the flow for now. Olivia and Claudia were both surprised that Maya didn't seem to have a problem taking orders from Michael. As Michael and Maya stood up, everyone else followed him out. Fitz grabbed her hand and she gave him a smile at the same time she asked for Huck.
"He's got business to take care of." He didn't say it sharply just enough so that she knew not to ask in present company. "You two are riding with me." He told Fitz and Olivia, and let Cammie and Claudia take Claudia's car, Maya was riding alone. Olivia was once again surprised, there was plenty of room in Michael's navigator for all of them. She let it go and got into the passenger seat as Fitz opened the door for her and climbed in the seat behind him. All three were silent until they got on to the road and Olivia finally spoke.
"Okay what's the deal Michael, even with Stephan around I'm safer in the hotel so why are we driving twenty minutes for scrabbled eggs?"
"We needed to talk, not in front of Mom. Huck and I were talking and we think it would be best if Fitz took you back to Providence tonight. Can you make that work?" He made eye contact with Fitz in the rearview mirror.
"I had a pilot fly it back to Providence, but I can get us a flight." He pulled out his cell phone and immediately started book them a flight home. "Livvy do you want me to get a car or do you want to ask Abby?"
"Wait a second, you can't just ship me off without giving me any information. And no I don't want to involve Abby at all, just incase."
"Is that you saying you'll leave?" He laughed at her. He knew she would do what he asked, Claudia and Fitz may have had a hard time getting her to do as they asked, but that wasn't a problem for him. Something about the big brother/little sister relationship meant that she always deferred to him even when she didn't want to.
"If you'll tell me what I need to know than yes. We need to get home anyway. I've got a paper to write and the TA in that class is a real hard ass." She told him motioning towards Fitz. He gave her a faux dirty look and went back to trying to find them a flight.
"Things are getting bad Livvy. Dad and Stephan's father are escalating things quickly. They're trying to get the Russians to stop exporting from their territory. They called a hit out on one of their men and made Stephan do it. That was the day you got here. He hasn't been doing well, that's why he's been so out of control. He wants out. He and Huck are working on getting him fakes and getting him out of town. Harrison is leaving to go with him. We're going to help them both Liv so don't worry. We want to get you home before the Russians figure out what they are up to. Claudia thinks that we can work it so that if Stephan leaves town his father will be pissed and distracted and Dad will lose an ally. Hopefully Mom has some guys that we can use to make it seem like the Russians are getting Dad's territory and some of his higher ups will either drop him or turn to us. Obviously there's more wheeling and dealing that will have to go on, but that's the plan."
"So what do we do?" Olivia was so distracted by the idea that Stephan's father had actually made him kill someone that she didn't hear much of the rest of the plan.
"You and Fitz go home, go to class, take your midterms and finals and decide where you want to go for Christmas this year. That's it Liv. I don't want you involved in this."
"You'll keep me in the loop?"
"You think I could stop you?"
"I can't wait to get home." She would miss her family, but Providence had really become home to her. She had Fitz and Abby and had made friends and a life there, she was grateful for the time spent with her family but just the idea of crawling into her bed and curling up with a book and Fitz was making her eyes close and her muscles relax.