The season had changed, the weather outside was now icky and cold, indicating that the holidays, the most joyous time of the year were near. Yet the Grant family wasn't in much of a celebrating mood but understandably so since the man that had bonded them together was still nowhere to be found.

One, gut-wrenching month since the kids and Olivia last saw Fitzgerald. When Olivia felt like she had no other choice, she finally taken the advice from so many of her friends and gone to the police station to file a missing persons report on Fitz. It had honestly been the hardest thing she ever had to do. So many questions. So many speculations about her, him, and the littlest issues in their marriage. Did she want him gone? Had she done something to him? Maybe he left and just didn't want to be contacted by her or the children. Why did she wait so long to make a report? What was she hiding? Did she pay someone to get rid of him? Did he have any enemies? Did she know of anyone that would want to hurt him, get back at him? Was it Mellie? Mellie's ex-boyfriend? Maybe a jealous ex of hers? Why were they separating?

The interrogation had skyrocketed her anxiety, caused her so much distress and anger. She had to confess some hurtful, ugly truths. It was truly a miracle that her lupus wasn't giving her any problems, too.

In the beginning everyone was hopeful that the police would find him right away or Fitz would just magically show up and cause this all to go away, but as the days turned into weeks, hope seemed like a lost cause.

Once the report was filed, news reports and social media blogs flooded with Fitz's alleged disappearance. Everywhere someone had something to say about Fitzgerald Grant III, wanting to know what truly happened to him. Literally everyone was giving their think pieces. It was a madhouse outside of the homes of his family members. Olivia and Ashlin worked hard to keep their children safe and out of the spotlight but eventually even they had to be pulled out of their schools for their mental health. Asher had nearly gotten into a physical fight when someone spoke ill of Fitz around him, but luckily Nolan had been there to calm his brother down. It was too much chaos and some kids could be the worst. That, and another incident that led to the decision to keep them home was Olivia being phoned by the elementary school's principle telling her that Katie needed to be picked up immediately. When Olivia arrived at the school, she was terrified, her mind already thinking of the absolute worst scenario, but that quickly turned to anger when she found Katie sobbing because some of her classmates had began repeating and taunting her with the things the adults around them had said. "It was that wife. Olivia had him killed so she can get his money. I'm sure that's all she ever wanted. Surely she knows what happened to him."

Luckily, Olivia and Katie had a stronger bond and Katie knew better than to believe any of the nonsense she'd heard. What had truly caused her outburst was the way people spoke of Olivia, and how much the little girl just really missed her daddy. She had defended Olivia the best way she knew how, but it eventually became too much.

As for Olivia, she blamed herself for all of the madness her family was going through.

Why did she have to believe Tamia over Fitz was always her number one question.

"Livie? Olivia? Oh, honey.." Maya released a long aspirated sigh as she entered Olivia's bedroom. The room was dark and freezing cold. Olivia was buried under the massive comforter. She kept her drapes drawn shut, fighting off any sunlight that might've tried to peek through. Tiredly shaking her head, Maya sat on the edge of Olivia's bed. She placed her hand atop of Olivia's hand and softly spoke, "You have got to get up, baby. Please."

Her worried eyes never leaving Olivia.

Seeing her daughter look so down and defeated really broke her heart. No mother would want to witness their child suffer.

"I'm fine." Olivia replied. These days, all she wanted to do was lay in bed and wish she could awake up from this nightmare.

Since Fitz disappearance, nothing seemed to matter. Life was hard with him, but without him, it was just unbearable.

"Olivia, you have kids and a life to live, baby. It's been one month, Liv. Do you think this is fair to them? For you to just shut down? Your life does not stop because some man decided to walk out! Fitz left, ok? He left because he knew he was wrong!" Maya said. In all honesty, that had been on her chest for quite sometime. She was never entirely convinced that Fitz was "missing". He was a grown ass man, and grown men didn't just disappear into thin air unless they wanted to. Something was definitely off, and although she did feel disdain about Fitz, she did feel deep sympathy for her daughter. If she could wish this madness away, she would. She was so tired of seeing Olivia hurting and wallowing because of the men she married. When Eli Pope decided to leave, Maya didn't stay down and out, and depressed. She knew she had to keep moving forward for her five daughters. Olivia was that way in the beginning, but now she wasn't, and Maya just wished she would get that mindset again. "When Eli walked out on us-"

"No, mom!" Olivia interrupted. "First of all, he is not just some man, mom! He is my husband! And my husband is missing!" Olivia shouted.

She was trying her hardest to remain respectful, but Maya was testing her patience.

"Fitz...Fitz is missing, ok? The love of my life is fucking gone and I don't know when or if he's ever coming back. You don't think I'm worried about my kids? I think about my children's wellbeing day in and day out, but you know what else I've been thinking about? I've been thinking about the day someone comes knocking on my door to tell me know that Fitz is...that their daddy is dead and how I'll be the one that has to give them that news. I'm sorry I'm not as strong as you were when daddy left. I'm sorry I'm not the 'strong black woman' everyone expects me to be. I want to be strong for my children, but right now...right now I just can't. How can I be there for them when this is all my fault, huh? Tell me, mom! And even if Fitz did decide to leave us, this is all still my fault. Everything is my fault! I- I should've just shut my mouth and listened to him instead of believing fucking Tamia."

"Liv, baby-"

"Don't, mom!"

"Olivia, just listen-"

"No! Stop!"

She wiped the tears from her cheeks before throwing her hand up. She had to stop her mom from saying anything else that would piss her off. This isn't how she planned on spending her morning.

"Mom, I really don't want to hear whatever it is that you have to say. This situation has really opened my eyes. You are not the same mom that said all those kind and loving things to me at my wedding. And I didn't know you thought so low of Fitz, but man have you showed your true fucking colors. Please, just go. Please." She desperately begged.

Maya sighed and pushed himself up from the bed. She would respect her daughter's wishes but nothing that had been said changed how she felt about the situation. She does love Fitz, but she love her daughter more and she wasn't going to sugarcoat her.

"I love you, Olivia. I just want to see you better. You are better than this. And I love Fitz but I don't like what he's done to you, and to your sister," she said and walked out. She made sure to close the door to the cold room behind her. She refused to sit around and watch Olivia act like her life didn't have purpose because Fitz decided to walk out.

No, not on her watch.

Olivia was once again left alone and welcomed the peace. Her daughters Willow and Katie had been staying with Fitz's mom while Nolan and Asher were staying with their uncle Benjamin. When the decision for them to leave had been made, plenty of tears had been shed by the children and Liv, but Olivia knew it was for the best. Keeping them in the home without Fitz wasn't doing them any good. Seeing his pictures everywhere was just too hard for them. She missed her babies every day but knowing they were now doing better mentally brought her a bit of comfort and let her know that she had made the right choice by them.

Barbara was still barely speaking to her, but Benjamin assured her that the girls were being taken care of. Olivia never doubted that. She trusted Fitz's family a whole lot more than she trusted her own right now. Every day she spoke to Felix and Teddy. She loved talking to them the most. They had so much of Fitz's energy. Felix even sounded so much like him, but that sometimes made the conversation difficult to last longer than a few minutes.

In these trying months, Olivia probably hadn't had a bit of fresh air in weeks. So caught up in her own emotions, she rarely left her bed for any reason and went days without eating a proper meal. She had lost so much weight that her clothes barely fit, but she didn't care much about anything. She tried, but nothing was as important as hoping for Fitz to come home.

She knew he was somewhere out there. She could feel it deep in her bones that he was. She just wished he'd come back home to her and their children. If he wanted a divorce then- then so be it, but she just needed to know that he was ok.

Because with each passing day that he didn't show up, it was hard to believe that he was.

"Hi, dad." Olivia answered on the first ring.

"Hey, kid. I'm just calling to check up on you?"

"Nothing's changed since yesterday, daddy."

"What about you? Have you changed? Or are you smelly, wearing yesterday's clothes?"

That actually made Olivia crack a smile. Unlike Maya, Eli had the decency to call his daughter before just showing up at her house and he actually made her feel better rather than bringing her more agony. During this period of Olivia's life, Eli had really proved himself. Whenever she needed her daddy, he was there without question. Being the great listener that he is. Plus, he didn't down-talk Fitz, he didn't call her lazy or make her seem like a bad parent. He just wanted her to know that she didn't have to go through the situation alone.

During one of their many recent conversations, Eli told her how sorry he was that she was going through this and how disappointed he was in Tamia, but what had truly shocked Olivia was the moment he brought light to how him walking out on their family is what really contributed to the way Tamia lived her life now. When she needed her father, he was not there. And that was on him.

Olivia was grateful. This was an awful situation, but it had done one good thing, and that was bring her and her daddy closer.

She was extremely grateful for him and the comfort he exude whenever he was near.

After ending the phone call with her father, Olivia silenced her phone. She was once such a chatterbox and loved social media before this incident but now all she wanted was peace.

And though communicating with people felt more like a chore these days, Olivia never complained when her cellphone vibrated with a call from one of three private investigators she'd hired. Each time she received calls or messages from them, her heart leaped with hope.

"Do you have any information for me? Did you find him?"

X

Every day was a physical and emotional struggle to keep his mind intake.

He knew she was crazy. Obviously she was fucking crazy! She'd had him tied up in a chair for almost two months, but he determined himself crazier.

Today would be the day that she met her match. He didn't give a damn if the baby she was carrying died along with her. But he'd had enough of these silly ass games.

He had a family to get back to.

It'd been a month too long.

X

"Hi handsome. How are you," she asked casually casting him a glance while whipping him up something to eat. He was seated at the table in the kitchen, hands tied behind him with a thick rope, and a bucket underneath him for whenever he needed to go. She had clearly planned this months ahead. "You know, I told my mom that I was going to a doctor's appointment for the baby and y'know what she said? 'Well I'm going to check on Olivia'." She laughed humorlessly, "It's always about Olivia. Olivia this..Olivia that.."

"I'm sorry that happened to you, baby."

She stopped in her tracks and really looked at him. Her eyes full of hope. He was finally beginning to crack.

"Did- did you just call me baby?"

Fitz nodded.

"Oh, sweetheart.."

"I'm finally starting to see you as the beautiful woman and courageous woman that you are. Being here has really helped me put things into perspective, and you're even more beautiful to me now because you're carrying the baby we created together."

"Am I more prettier than Olivia?"

"O...of course you are." Fitz stammered. "Olivia isn't half the woman that you are."

"Ha! I knew it. She has nothing on me."

"You're right, baby. Come here."

Fitz licked his lips seductively as he watched her strut over to him. She straddled his lap and started to grind on his penis, kissing the shell of his right ear. When she didn't feel him reacting to her body the way she wanted, she pulled back and looked him in the eyes with a frown. "What the fuck is wrong with it!" She questioned angrily, realizing that his dick wasn't getting hard from her erotic movements.

"This dick doesn't get hard for you", he wanted to shout back at her. Then, he shook his head. He couldn't make her upset. He had a plan and had to stick to it. "I- I just need to be able to hold you and touch you. Here. Take off the rope and that'll help."

"It will?"

Tamia looked hopeful. Fitz nodded. Happy that she was so naive and desperate to have him. He was playing her like a fiddle.

"It will. I just need to touch you. I..I want to be inside of you."

She moaned at just the thought of him being in her and quickly moved to grant his request.

"Oh hell, yes! But Fitz, I really don't trust you. I'm sorry I have to do this."

Tamia reached behind her back and pulled a gun out from the waistband of her pants. She held the gun to Fitz's head and he inhaled sharply. With a smirk on her face, Tamia began to untie the knotted rope.

"What the hell, Tamia!" Fitz shouted as his heart raced. Someone as looney as her certainly should not have possession of a deadly weapon, but...America, with the fucked up 'gun laws'.

"Try anything stupid and your brain will be everywhere but in your head." She warned once he was free.

The glock 19 had certainly thrown a wrench in his plans, but Fitz was a quick thinker. He knew he was stronger than her, and quicker. It's why she never once untied him for any reason so all he needed to do was distract her for a second, then he'd overtake her.

"Shut up and behind over," he said.

Fitz was calculating his next move. All he needed was for her to pull the gun away from his head, then he'd attack.

"Hell no! I'm not stupid! This gun stays at your temple. Don't try any funny shit with me, Fitz!"

"Then I can't help you. I'm not having s..sex with you while you point a gun at me!"

"Then, I'll just have to tie you back." She shrugged.

Fitz sighed, shaking his head no. "No! I have an idea. You can sit in the chair with the gun. I've got a good position in mind."

She quickly did as he insisted. She took a few steps backwards as he walked around in front of her. She never turned her back on him, but Fitz's plan was still going to work out perfectly. Once she was seated, Fitz mustered up what little strength he had and kicked the gun out of her hand before kicking her stomach with just enough force to cause her some much needed pain.

Tamia screamed in pain as she bent over, tightly holding her stomach. Fitz couldn't careless. For nearly two months she had taunted him, telling him all about his kids wellbeing, about Olivia's mental health, about his mother and brother. For a month he had been tied up to a fucking chair, a month she had slapped on him, spat on him, told him how Olivia was moving on without him, how no one was looking for him. For a month he had been at the mercy of her hands, but now, the roles were reversed.

With a quickness, he grabbed the gun from the floor and pointed it at her head.

"Fitz! Please! Don't!" She begged.

"I'm not going to shoot you, Tamia. Not unless you give me a reason to," he said, picking up the rope that was once used to tie him to the chair and used it to restrain her. His own wrists were raw from the rope rubbing his skin for so long and his body ached badly but he couldn't focus on his discomfort and pain at the moment, he had some planning to do.

"I'm in charge now, you psycho," he said, then hit her with the butt of the gun, successfully knocking her unconscious.

Sorry this update took so long! I hope you enjoyed!