"Livie?"
"For once in my life, I won't let sorrow hurt me
like it's hurt me before (Not like it's hurt me before)
For once, I have something I know won't desert me
I'm not alone anymore (I'm not alone anymore)
For once I can say, "This is mine, you can't take it"
As long as I know I have love, I can make it
For once in my life, I have someone who needs me
(Someone who needs me)
Hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah
(Someone who needs me)
Oh, I'm in love, baby"
Coming in the front door of the apartment, Fitz dropped his bag to the music of Stevie Wonder and Olivia singing somewhere around the rooms. Calling her name, he didn't get a response and headed in further to the apartment. Just around the corner in the dining room, Olivia was too busy singing and dancing around the table, clearing it, to even notice he was there.
"For once in my life (For once in my life)
I won't let sorrow hurt me
Not like it's hurt me before (Not like it's hurt me before)
For once, I have something I know won't desert me
I'm not alone anymore (I'm not alone anymore)"
Standing in the doorway, Fitz watched Liv move around dancing. Before he could stop himself, he stepped forward to took her hands dropping the papers she held and twirled her around and started singing with her.
For once I can say, "This is mine, you can't take it"
As long as I know I have love, I can make it
For once in my life, I have someone who needs me
(Someone who needs me)
Oh, for once in my life
(Someone who needs me)
Yeah, somebody that needs me
(Someone who needs me)
Oh, baby, for once in my life
Letting her go as the song changed, Liv went to the living room and turned off the record player.
"Guess it's true what they say,
"So, we're listening to records?" Fitz smiled seeing her happy and carefree. A very unlike Olivia emotion.
"I was listening to records. I didn't think you'd be home until later tonight. Your flight hasn't even left yet," she mentioned before kissing him quick and went to the couch.
"I took a different flight; thought I could surprise you."
"I like this surprise. Let's not make it a habit though. I prefer you being home." Moving toward him on the couch, Liv climbed on his lap and kissed him hard, starting a make-out session.
Fitz placed his hands on her hips and pulled back from her lips. "Tonight. We don't have time right now."
"You just got back, and you don't want to have sex right now? Think I'm in a parallel universe. We always have sex the same hour you get home. Like, every time. It's practically a tradition now!"
Lightly kissing her pouty lips, Fitz pulled away again to stand up. "And tonight, I can spend hours and hours with your body. But right now, I need you to go get dressed into something suitable for dinner. These yoga pants are too much for me right now."
"You want to go out? I'm not really in the mood to go out tonight."
"Come on, you'll love it, I already have reservations. Let's go, move it."
"Fine! I'm going!" Heading to the closet, Liv pulled out her red floral dress and heels and got ready to leave. Stepping out half an hour later, "ready".
Escorting her down to the car and off to the restaurant, Fitz held her hand while talking about the last two days away. Taking the table in the side of the room, there were more than two place settings.
"Who else is coming?"
"Dad and Verna are on their way. They're probably running a few minutes behind."
"Fitz, can't it just be us? I want it to just be us tonight."
"Liv, it's just for a while. I promise, if you still want alone time tonight, I'll give you that."
Sitting down, Jerry and Verna came in and joined them. Pecking Liv's cheek, Jerry sat down across from her after pulling out the chair for Verna and sitting her down.
"Olivia, I want to talk to you about last night," Verna started but was cut off.
"No," Liv told her sterner than she ever thought she had in her. Shooting her a near death glare, Verna kept her mouth shut while Fitz made a mental note to ask what that was about later.
"How was your trip?" Jerry asked to change the subject.
"It was good, productive. Mom says hello. She asked how the wedding plans were coming along."
"I think we're on track. October isn't far away," Verna smiled taking a drink of the water. "We'll be getting the invitations out in the next month."
Confused, Liv looked between Jerry and Verna. "I thought you two wanted to wait until Javi was better. You said you wanted him to be your ring bearer."
"We do," they both answered.
"Then how do you know October is going to be a good time? He's not better yet. He might not be for a long time. I'm not saying postpone everything indefinitely. I just thought you'd wait until he was out of the hospital and better."
"I'm sure Javi will be fine and can make the wedding, Livie," Fitz smiled at her.
"How do you know he'll be fine?"
"Ask him yourself."
Pointing off to the front door, Liv turned her head to see Kim and Huck looking around the room for them while Javi ran towards her yelling her name.
Getting down to him, she opened her arms as he ran into them. "My gosh Javi! You're getting even bigger!
"I'm huge Aunt Liv! My clothes don't fit no more," Javi told her. "I got you something." Hugging him tight, she asked what it was before he proceeded to give her sixty 'Javi' kisses. "One for every day I didn't get to give you one."
Saying hello to Kim and Huck and giving them both a hug, Liv sat back at the table with Javi on her lap when he refused to sit next to his parents. Javi told her about all the things they had done since they last talked. "Then we went and picked Uncle Fitz up and came home. And I FINALLY go to see my favorite Aunt."
Looking over Javi's shoulder at Fitz, she gave him a wide smile. "So, your earlier flight was the jet?"
"Mhm, it was. Kim suggested it."
"That was the best idea ever," Liv told her looking at Kim.
While Javi kept busy playing the kids mazes on the back of the menu, they all discussed how his treatments were going and how they would continue if needed. Having desserts and after paying the check, Huck pried Javi off of Liv to go home to bed.
Heading out to their cars, Fitz offered Verna his arm to escort her out. Curious as to why though, she did take it.
"What was that about earlier?" Fitz asked when they were further away from Jerry and Liv. "What happened last night?"
"I believe that's something you'll need to ask Olivia about. I've opened my mouth too much about this in the last twenty-four hours."
Careful not to cross some sort of line that seemed to be drawn, Fitz nodded. "Is it something I need to be concerned with?"
"Doubtful. Just something you should be on watch for. I'll send you what to do should it happen again."
"I appreciate that. And thank you for checking on her when he got back last night. I know she is never thrilled with people showing up unannounced, so I can only imagine what that looked like."
Holding the door open for Olivia from the restaurant, Jerry stopped her from walking ahead of him by taking hold of her arm. "You know she's only trying to help you."
"I am not sure what her intentions are. But I do know that it wasn't helpful."
"Verna told me what she said to you last night, well, what she started to say to you. I tried to explain some things to her, but I think it should come from you." Jerry stopped a few cars away from where Fitz and Verna were and put his hands in his pockets. "Verna is one of the best psychiatrists in the city. And I'm not saying that as her fiancé. But maybe she's too close on this one. Have you thought about seeing someone else? Maybe you need to see someone on the outside looking in. It's difficult to be someone's friend and their trusted psychiatrist."
Crossing her arms with a simple nod, Liv looked up at him. "That might be a good idea. It might be better that she's not my psychiatrist."
"I'll ask her for references to someone else for you."
"Don't. I don't need them."
"Livia, you should still see someone. You still need someone to discuss your problems with."
"I don't think I do. I've been managing much better. With the exception of the last month, it's been a while since I've had nightmares like that. And Fitz is back now, so, I'll be fine."
"Trading one addiction for another isn't what I meant to do."
"I don't have addictions."
"You do. You had an addiction to not sleeping for as long as possible. Then, since you and Fitz started dating, you only sleep with him. It's not healthy."
Rolling her eyes at him, "you and she are perfect for each other. You both seem to think I don't know what's healthy and not for myself. I'm starting to think Fitz was right."
"About what?"
"About my reliance on you and Huck."
"What are you talking about? You don't rely on either of us."
"For four years, I relied on both you and Huck to be in bed with me so I could sleep. I rely on my work to keep me busy when neither of you could be there. I still rely on our routines. Maybe that's what's not healthy about this."
Jerry was getting confused by her words. She seemed to be thinking of something other than what he was talking about. "Livia, I'm only stating that your addiction to Fitz isn't good for you. He's still married."
No, actually he isn't. But that's for him to tell you. "He's been married since I knew him. And if we're going to discuss addictions, shall I remind you of yours?"
"Too far, Livia, too far," Jerry warned her. "We are talking about you and Verna. She's trying to help you realize that the difference between Fitz and Stephen is affecting your relationship. Fitz asks you to give up a lot and I never realized what it was until she pointed it out last night to me. You're losing sleep when he's not around, simply because you refuse to let me or Huck back over. You aren't allowing yourself to be yourself because of him. And I'm beginning to resent my son for that."
"What does Fitz have to do with my not being myself?"
"Livia, I have seen pre-Stephen, during Stephen, post-Stephen, pre-Fitz, and now during Fitz. These are different people and acceptable under the circumstances. But in all those times, you have had control over who and what you are in someone's life. You control what makes you happy and what doesn't. And the previous four versions I can tell you as fact, that they would never allow anyone to dictate who you allow in bed with you. Those four would never allow Fitz to tell you to not let me or Huck help you. I know Fitz isn't some rebound relationship for you. You are too invested in this. What I do not want to see is you giving up your happiness for something that isn't being reciprocated."
Shaking her head at him, Liv grew angrier with each word he spoke. "You know what? Between what you and she have said, I need some space."
"Livia…that's not what I meant."
"You don't get to compare versions of me from Fitz and Stephen. It's not fair. It's hurtful. And it's dismissive of the fact that Fitz makes me happy. And like I told Verna last night, I'm positive that people give up things in relationships to make the other happy. I've been really good at giving up having anyone else other than Fitz in bed with me. I've given up the late night hours of work. And Fitz has given up his marriage for me."
Jerry snapped his head straight to look at her. "Are you serious? He's given up his marriage to the alcoholic gold digging bitch for you?"
"I need to be away from you for a while. We need time apart from each other obviously. I'll call you when I'm ready to talk to you again."
