Soundboard
"Thanks for having Josh you two."
"No worries, you know we love having him here, especially Ella... After all, he's the closest thing she has to a brother." James replies wholeheartedly. But if James only knew how close that comment cuts to the bone, following Olivia's recent reveal, he'd feel plain awful; as Fitz, in response attempts to mask his sadness with a smile, as he stares over at Joshua and Ella, who are happily builtding towers of Lego together... Although, James was perfectly right, Ella really was the closest thing that Joshua had to a sister as well. They had always been incredibly close.
"Here you go", Cyrus hands him a cup of coffee, as he joins them around the table... "Thanks Cy."
"Well Fitz, I have to say you're sounding much better, because earlier on in the week I could barely recognise your voice over the phone."
"Yes, it was pretty awful, I've never had flu like it, but it's easing up now thank goodness… In fact, Olivia has really helped me out a lot this week too…" Fitz replies with a slight catch to his voice.
"And how is Olivia?" Cyrus probes. Glad that Fitz has brought up the subject of Olivia himself, as he had happened to bump into her one morning this week, on his way out to work, just as she was heading up to Fitz's apartment.
"She's good… In fact, she's the reason I need you to look after Joshua today. We… we needed some time alone to sort a few things out…"
"Sounds ominous?" James turns to him curiously.
"Yes, well…" Unconsciously, Frankie looks up at the clock, making sure he has enough time to sound things out with his friends, before carrying on. As he could really do with a friendly ear right now.
"Relax Fitz, you won't be late, now spill…" Cyrus coaxes insightfully.
Fitz laughs, "Gosh am I that transparent?"
"Afraid so… So come on, tell us what's going on?"
He motions to Joshua… lowering his voice. "Not in front of him..."
James calls over to Ella, "Sweetheart, why don't you show Joshua your new doll house in your bedroom, I'm sure he will love it."
"Oh yeah!" She smiles brightly at the idea, suddenly very excited to share her new favourite toy with Joshua, as she jumps to her feet, taking Joshua by the hand and encouraging him to do the same... "Come on Joshy, you have to see it, it's really good", she exclaims as she bounces towards her room. "Coooool" Josh replies back, following after her.
Kids successfully removed from the room, Fitz starts to divulge all that's transpired between him and Olivia over the past week. It's full on, and a lot more than what either Cyrus and James would have ever anticipated him relaying; especially about the abortion. However, to begin with they voice very little of their own opinion, and instead they provide Fitz with the platform he requires to offload… It comes as no surprise to them both that Fitz still loves her; of course they had known that from the very beginning. As underneath all the anger and rage, there had been a broken hearted man that desperately wanted to reconcile with his love, but he was just too fragile to admit it himself, let alone anyone else… but it seems with Olivia's hard work and sheer determination to get better and make up for lost time, she had finally managed to break through those ridged defences, to reveal a man, who like her, yearned to make things right between them again, and not just for Joshua's sake either.
"Do you think we are moving too fast?" Fitz eventually asks, in desperate need of their input.
"Well I suppose it's all relative really, after all, you and Olivia are hardly strangers; you've got a whole host of years and history between you… whereas on the other hand, she's only been back for four/five months? Therefore, based on that knowledge-do I think that your physical reconnection was rushed? Yes, maybe a little- but then again the culmination of events leading up to your sexual engagement was not exactly the norm, now was it?" Cyrus offers.
"To be fair both our defences were down that day…" Fitz admits.
"And understandably your emotions got the best of both of you." James finishes off…
"And the baby? What's your thoughts on that?" Fitz has to ask.
Both think on it for a moment. "Medically speaking, considering the circumstances, honestly I don't think Olivia would have coped with another baby…" Cyrus responds honestly, as James adds sympathetically... "I'm so sorry Fitz. It's an incredibly sad situation, that much is true… but looking from her point of view I believe her actions were more than justified…"
"I just wished that she came to me for help…" Fitz admits sadly.
In a bid to comfort, James places a hand on his friends shoulder... "I know, and I suppose she wishes she could have come to you too… It would have been wonderful to have another little Grant running around the place, and great for Joshua too-having a little brother or sister to play and grow up with, but who's to say that can't still happen…"
A thought suddenly strikes him…
"Come to think of it, after your little interlude the other night, if you ain't careful they could well be another little one on the way... Were you, careful?"
The look of alarm on Fitz's face says it all… "Damn it, with all that's happened, I didn't even think about the possible consequences of our actions…"
"I take it there was no time for precautions then?" Cyrus asks knowingly.
"Cy I was half delirious with fever, and well, you know what it's like… It wasn't exactly planned?" Fitz is distraught… "Shit, how could I be so stupid, so careless?!" He chastises himself.
Cyrus reaches over to him, trying to calm him down… "Fitz, listen to me, there's no point in worrying about that right now… What's done is done…"
"But what if she's pregnant…?"
"You will deal with it…" James replies levelly, "In the same way you have dealt with things so far… together."
Fitz hangs his head, forlorn... "It was not supposed to happen this way."
"It will all work out in the end, I'm sure if it!" James replies reassuringly… "The most important thing is that you two love each other, and that the both of you want to make a real go of it… And if you ask me, that's the recipe for strong foundations, strong enough to weather whatever life chooses to throw at you."
Fitz sighs, head reeling... "I hope so… God I really do hope so."