I smothered another yawn. Then my phone started ringing. I didn't realize I dropped it in my purse after leaving OPA. However, it doesn't matter now because before I could fish it out the call dropped. An unfamiliar foreign number, I was getting ready to investigate when the phone started ringing and vibrating in my hand again.

"Hello?" I say "How are you calling me right now?". . .

"How do we usually make the impossible happen?" His voice was as clear as if he were standing in front of me. I check over my shoulder making sure the lobby is still clear. And although I don't trust my father and I don't doubt his abilities, the lobby might be the only safe space in my building. "I guess congratulations are in order." He says and I can tell he's smiling.

"How did you?-"

"Your father contacted me. Gave a very convincing spiel on why I should come back" Jake says

"Where are you?" I ask and I try not to let my mind slip to the worst.

"On my way to Paris in a few hours. I'm calling to say goodbye." The line goes silent and then he sighs deeply, the breath drawing from his abdomen. "He's the right man. I know that now and I'm not angry, disappointed but not angry so that's good. I can live with that."

"You aren't wrong but we just weren't right for each other," I say and the silence afterward is sickening. When he spoke again it sounded like something was broken inside of him.

"Tell Fitz he doesn't have to worry about me anymore. But Liv, Tom can't be trusted"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"He's B-613, if your father is the threat right now, then so is Tom and any other new face you see." Jake inhales, exhales then he continues "Tom was my eyes and ears in the White House when I was acting command"

"Is Fitz in danger? Is my father going to kill the President?" I ask and I hate the fear in my voice and I hate having to beg Jake for this information. "Jake!" I look around the room, making sure I'm still alone.

"I don't know Liv. I honestly don't know"

"I have to go" I throw my phone in my purse and start searching for the other tiny flip phone. My only connection to the President. My stomach twists tightly, realizing that I left it on the coffee table in my apartment this morning.

The elevator dial moves at a snail's pace taking forever to arrive at the main floor. Something in my gut just screamed to me that something was off. My nerves didn't ease when the door opened and Tom was standing on the opposite side.

Was my father really ready to go to war with me over my relationship which he deems forbidden? Was a question I kept asking myself as I stood on the tarmac, my arms hugging my body to keep the unforgiving wind from ripping through me. From a distance I notice two unmarked cars pulling up, it's my father and his goons. I drop my arms to my side even though the winds persist. I allow my face to harden, I don't want him to mistake my condition for weakness. For a long time, I feared what he was capable of but recently I realized the evils he performs are to keep his fears at bay. If he can pump the fear of God into people then he never has to look over his shoulder. But I want him to know that I'm the thing he should fear.

The large vehicle stopped and four equally large men got out from every direction. Seconds later my father joins them on the outside. I can't hear anything over the noisy propellers, but he gives them some kind of order, and the four scatter to each corner of the hangar. Tom isn't with them though I'm not surprised because my father would be a fool to reveal his secret weapon. It does make me wonder just how long has Tom been reporting back to my father if he's just been pretending to be loyal to the President to gain his trust so that when Fitz has access to me then so does he. That thought alone sends a chill slithering down my spine.

Rowan slinks up beside me wearing a smug smirk like he's proud of something. But I won't fuel his ego by berating him or telling him how evil I think he is. Instead, I ignore him. As I watch him from my peripheral I catch the way his shoulders fall in an I give up manner. He's used to playing chief with his b6-13 clowns, tricking them into a false sense of security and then ripping their hearts out when they least expect it. Me? I've learned my lesson, there is no letting my guard down around a junkyard dog who would tear into you in seconds.

"I hope you enjoyed your stay at Camp David." He says. I don't react because that's what he wants and I won't give him the satisfaction.

"I was sorry to hear about Huck's family, such a tragedy."

"You're despicable, are you seriously bragging about hurting an innocent child?" My teeth clench and I fight back tears that threaten to fall.

"You underestimated me, Olivia, that's your fault. I warned you and you couldn't resist being the other woman to save that child." I take a few considerable steps from my father, staring at him in disbelief. More times than I would like to admit, he scares me. It's not the underhanded games and evil doings, it's the fact that he sees no faults in his actions. He could blow up a country and he wouldn't lose sleep because of it.

"When you board, the stewardess will give you an envelope and everything you need for your new life will be in there. Including instructions on what to do when you land. I've arranged for a family doctor to treat you during this pregnancy and after. You'll be seen each week until you give birth." He turns to me and moves closer, he lays his freezing hand against my cheek and I recoil from his touch. "If you miss any of the appointments I'll know."

"Why bother? When I'm gone I have no plans of calling and I sure as hell don't wanna hear from you." Cracking a smile that obviously annoyed him. "And I don't want you around my child. So If you make me leave here tonight don't expect to be a part of our lives."

"Watch it, Olivia." He says, wagging his finger in my general space.

This time I invade his space just so he can see how serious I am. I'm done with the back and forth pretending there will ever be any kind of reconciliation. "Just so we're clear, I'm getting on that plane to protect the man I love and my team. I won't pretend to be the dutiful daughter and you don't pretend to be the loving father. When I'm gone treat it like I don't exist, cause I'll do the same"

"I mean it, I don't want you near me or my baby."

The sting of my words floats for a while and I can see I've cracked something in him not that I ever expect him to admit it. As I walk towards the plane he calls out something to me, but the propellers are too loud to hear anything. Like he said the stewardess was waiting to hand off the envelope when I boarded. She was tall and unimportant so I quickly moved past her to my seat. I take note of the two large men surrounding me, one to my left and the other directly behind me. The stewardess tries to offer me a beverage which I decline and she seems to get the hint and moves to the back of the plane. Through the window, I see my father at the side of the plane watching me. So I untie the knot holding the small curtain open and it flaps closed.

Ten minutes after takeoff, I stand going in the direction of my cabin and the agent sitting behind me tries to follow me but I insist that they both stay in their seats because there's quite literally nowhere for me to run. Shutting the door, I sit on the edge of my bed. Moments later a thud shakes the plane and the stewardess lets out a high-pitched scream. I don't bother getting up to see the commotion. But then a glass shatters so I rush to peek out of the door. And Quinn is lowering the second agent to the ground and the other is slumped over. She shoots me a thumbs up and I come out.

"You didn't kill them right?" I ask.

"No, but they will be out for a day or two."

"Where's the woman?" She points behind me and the stewardess is laying in the back aisle. "What are you going to do with them?"

"Huck wanted- Well you know. Instead, we're going to keep them out for the next few days, at least until you're able to settle in and the President isn't in danger. And then we'll let them go" Quinn says.

"How long?"

"Charlie's guy said the signal will go out in a few hours, by then the plane will arrive in Toronto and your father will get word that you arrived safe and sound."

"Okay," I say, goosebumps tatter my arms and I try to breathe steadily. Taking a seat to better ground myself in reality. But I can't allow myself to get comfortable with my father still out there. And he'll only be fooled for so long before he realizes something is up. It's like he can sense when I'm content.

Quinn starts to move the unconscious reinforcements my father sent, she's struggling but I'm in no position to help. Not that she would want it. After Quinn struggles to drag the last unconscious agent to the back of the plane she goes to speak with the pilot and when she comes back, she doesn't speak a word to me for the remainder of the flight.

Charlie had been so eager to prove his allegiance to Quinn that he employed one of his airforce buddies to pilot the plane. And the other was tasked with getting me safely from a private airport. The ride was longer than I expected because I was dropped off an hour and thirty minutes outside of my target destination. Though the road was dark and surrounded by lanky trees with brownish-yellow leaves sprinkling from the sky like snow. But I knew where I was as we got further from town. The tightness in my chest began to loosen and I began to breathe a little easier.

The house was just as beautiful as I remembered it before autumn hadn't set in and the trees were full and the ground clear of leaves.

Huck opens the door, lending his hand so I can control my balance. The outside is riddled with agents patrolling the area with high-powered weapons.

Before it wasn't ready to live in, construction clothes were covering a great deal of the space. But now it's furnished and warm. A house that I spent one night in felt more like home than I could ever imagine. I picked my jaw up and turned to Huck.

"Where are they?"

"Sleeping" He answers.

"How much did you tell them?" I ask.

"Nothing but I don't think she wanted to know. It's better that way. Have you heard from Quinn yet?"

"No, but I think for now she'll prefer to go through you. She's still upset with me." I sigh, sitting down on the long brown couch. "Huck, eventually you'll have to tell Kim what's going on. You owe her that much. The person you love shouldn't be the last to find out the important stuff." He gives me an understanding nod. And then sits beside me.

"Do you trust the secret service?"

"I don't know but I don't have any other choice right now."

"You should go to bed. I'll be here to watch them." Huck promises.

I've been up for the past nineteen hours but I still can't muster up the will to lay down. Flipping through the channels I come across the state of the union speech. He and Abby did good, considering I gave her my talents and taught her how to execute them. And Fitz never needed much media training, he's always been a natural but that comes from his emotions and morality. Even as I watch Cyrus and Mellie walking out behind him I can always tell when they've added something to his addresses. Just by their slick smiles plastered for the cameras.

XXXXX

I woke up a little disoriented on the right side of the bed because that's where Fitz likes to sleep. Though I didn't realize I had fallen asleep. But there was a noise which I would have normally discarded as agents relieving one another, however, none of them had any reason to come into my room. I quickly surveyed the room for a weapon and the only thing usable was the body of the bedside lamp.

"It's me" His thick voice came through the darkness.

Releasing the lamp, I flop back against the pillows. Rubbing my eyes, I say. "What are you doing here so late?"

"I couldn't break away from Cyrus or Mellie. And to be safe I put Tom in Teddy's nursery." he laid his coat on the chair across the room and came and sat on the bed. "I can't stay long, but I wanted to make sure you got here safely."

"It was just a really long trip that's all. I saw your state of the union address."

"Did you approve of it?" He asks.

I nod, and my eyes avert to the window where moonlight is trickling in casting a blu-ish glow over us. We haven't talked about camp David and we both said some things that we wished weren't said. In times like this, I wish it could easily be forgotten although I know that we meant the words we screamed out of anger. It just scares me because I don't know where that leaves us.

"Are you sure about leaving Tom at the White house with another child?" I ask so I don't have to address the elephant in the room.

"I'm sure but only because, If I make the wrong move and they anticipate it, I could put you and your associates in worse danger. Tom wouldn't be stupid enough to do something on White House grounds. I just need them distracted from you." He begins moving up the bed. "I just need you to trust me. Okay. I'll make certain that you and our baby will be safe here and in Washington." Fitz promises me. I lay my hand on top of his.

"I do trust you." He's closer and a sliver of moonlight caught his eyes and I could see raw determination behind them.

In the shadows his face was so close to mine that I could smell the fermented scent of the scotch he had been drinking, and then his tongue was in my mouth. In all truth I had not invited this prodigy of a tongue; turning, I had merely wished to look at his face, expecting only that the expression of aesthetic relief I might find there would correspond to what I knew was my own. But I didn't even catch a glimpse of his face, so instantaneous and urgent was that tongue. Plunged like some writhing sea-shape into my gaping maw, it all but overpowered my senses as it sought some unreachable terminus near my uvula; it wiggled, it pulsated, and made contrived sweeps of my mouth's vault. His hands cupped my cheeks holding me still as he explored further. Then suddenly he pulled our lips apart.

"I have to get back before morning." He put his coat on.

"I'm sorry," He said as he walked out of the bedroom.

Later than I usually prefer. But I'm excited to hear what yall think about the chapter. Did you predict this? Let me know in a review. Until next time.