A/N: Thank you a million times for all the reviews on this story. I take each one to heart and am grateful you are reading and enjoying. While I finish up A Secret Service, I am going to forewarn you another update for this story may be a week or two. My mind is blown holding the two scenarios and story ideas. Once I complete A Secret Service, this will be top priority. Thank you all again, especially for your understanding. Happy reading.

Chapter 6—Dinner and a Kiss

On the car ride back to Fitz's place, Olivia stared longingly out the window. She watched as the rows of trees and fall colors disappear and change to open fields of mountains in the background. She began to think about the past few hours. She could feel the exhaustion overcoming her body, not having any sleep last night because of Mister over there.

She turned and focused on Fitz who seemed to be in his own trance of thoughts while he was driving. She looked at him while she still had the chance of him not realizing and thought of his heart of gold beating his chest. What had prompted him to give her such a memorable day? She couldn't remember the last time her heart was this full and she was so happy. She barely knew him, yet she felt such a connection to him, such a liking to him. Scared to admit, she felt safe in his presence.

The motion of the car ride was making her sleepy, but she couldn't fall asleep, especially not in a car. She hadn't been in a car this much in years as she had been from Friday until today. Suddenly, she felt his touch, he brushed her hand and looked back at him.

"Hi", he said. "You were deep in thought. Can I offer you a penny for them?"

"Hi", she said back. "I was just thinking what I did to deserve such a wonderful day. This was one of the happiest days I have had in many years Fitz and I cannot thank you enough for it."

She saw him smile and it stretched ear to ear. She would bet that the pain she saw in his eyes last night was gone also. Her thoughts went to when they were in the pile of leaves. Her body had such a reaction to his, one she'd never felt before, and they almost, just almost kissed. Could they have such strong feelings for each other in so little time?

"No need to thank me. It's selfish of me, but it's my way of making you fall in love with Rutland. I want to deter any thoughts of you going back to the city. I want this place to feel like home to you."

"If you asked me now, I couldn't think of one reason to go back to New York." Olivia was being honest. Except for Huck and her talks with Harold and Betty, she missed nothing about the city. She would be waking up tomorrow, on a Monday, and for the first time in three years, she wouldn't be rushing out the door to catch a train on the subway.

Fitz turned into to his driveway. Daisy suddenly arose from her slumber on the back seat. Fitz looked down at the clock. "We're cutting it close. I told Bryce we would be there by 6. Think you could be ready in an hour?"

Olivia chuckled. "You're talking to someone who would leave her condo at 545 to catch her subway train at 6, and I lived three blocks away. I got this."

Fitz opted to use the bathroom downstairs and let Liv get ready upstairs in the master bedroom and bathroom. When Olivia walked into the room, she looked over to where she found Fitz last night. She thought of the difference from that to this afternoon. He didn't remember anything, that was obvious, but he was so in control today. Maybe if she opened a bit to him, he would do the same.

She walked towards the bathroom and stopped. She didn't notice this last night, but maybe because she wasn't looking, but there was a picture of Fitz on his nightstand. Fitz was smiling, and he was in his Navy uniform. Next to him was an older version of Fitz, but the man didn't look as happy. Liv tried to imagine what kind of relationship he had with his father. She looked around but didn't see any other pictures and wondered about his mother.

While Fitz let the hot water beat against his body, he thought of his afternoon with Olivia. From the moment she opened her gorgeous brown eyes and saw the sight in front of her, Fitz forgot all about his pain, all about his scars, and all about his conversation with his father. He just felt his heart grow full as he saw Liv's expression. Eating lunch and piling the leaves was so comfortable with her. Then, the moment, that moment when felt her hands on his neck feeling through his curls, and their lips so close. It almost happened and his couldn't help but wonder if she wanted it as much as he did. He felt her beating heart, but still wasn't sure if it was his or hers, or both.

He thought of the picture on her wall. She was so carefree, so happy and for a few hours today, he brought that back in her and that made him feel better about himself than he had felt in years. She awakened him and there was nothing he wouldn't do to keep her here in Vermont.

He quickly washed himself and finished his shower. He dressed in his black faded jeans and a flannel long sleeved collared shirt. As he combed through his hair, remembering her touch, he thought of what she mentioned about her father. He had died not long after that picture was painted. Hopefully, she would open to him, perhaps that what causes hurt in her eyes. Perhaps he could do the same and open to her.

Liv was sitting on the couch in the living room petting Daisy when Fitz came out. "Wow, you did get ready quick." He said as she stood up.

"Thank you, Liv said, but before I forget. She looked for paper and found a post it note. She wrote down her new number. "I got my phone unpacked today. Here's my number. Call anytime, I mean it." Fitz punched the number into his phone, and hit call. Liv heard her cell buzzing, but didn't get it. After that, he turned off his cell. No one was disturbing this night.

"Now you have my number, he said, looking at her up and down. "what?" She asked blushing.

"You look amazing, by the way. No one would ever suspect you were covered in piles of dirt and leaves just few hours ago."

Liv was wearing a simple grey long sleeved sweater and black leggings. She had on flats, casual shoes, nothing too fancy. This didn't seem like a town that doted on elegance.

"Same to you, you look rather comfortable. You have a kind of farmer look to you Fitz." She said jokingly.

"Well, my lady." He said and he held out his arm. "Allow me to give you a ride on my tractor." Liv smiled and hooked her arm in his, which surprised him. He didn't think she would actually take his arm, but she did. He looked back at Daisy, "ready girl, let's go see the McClellan's."

Fitz pulled into the driveway of the warmest looking home Liv had seen to date. It was a ranch style home with a stone exterior. There was a three-car garage at the end of a long driveway. The driveway was covered in colorful sidewalk chalk drawings and Liv thought of their three girls. She was suddenly getting a bit uneasy having to meet all of them, but Fitz grabbed her hand and said "Ready." She seemed to always calm down when he did that.

Daisy ran to the door and gave a little scratch. When it opened Bryce welcomed them and as he stepped back, they were led into a foyer that led into the kitchen. Connected to the kitchen, like Fitz's was the living room. Off to the left, though there was a dining area, already set for seven.

The aroma was enticing, and Liv could smell the tomato sauce and it made her mouth water. Greeting her warmly was a beautiful brunette who looked no older than twenty, but surely was older, being a mother of 3. Is this who Liv dreamed of being? A wife, a cook, and a mother. Was this woman living what Olivia had dreamed?

"Hello Olivia. Bryce has told me so much about you already. I am Lara. Welcome to Rutland. I am certain you will love it here."

"Thank you, Lara, the pleasure is all mine meeting you. You have a beautiful home. Whatever it is you're cooking smells heavenly also."

"I hope you like lasagna. There are two trays, one with meat, one without. Two of my girls can be picky, and they tend to ignore the one with meat, Bryce however, well, he wants his protein."

Liv heard pitter patter of footsteps and three gorgeous girls stood in front of her. They were lined up from tallest to shortest, although they didn't seem purposely to do it. They all stopped at the same time, looking at Olivia. The tallest had the greenest eyes Liv had ever seen. Clearly a mixture of her father's blue and mother's brown. The other two had brown eyes. They all inherited their mother's beautiful brown hair.

"Meet the ABC's of the McClellan's" Bryce's voice chimed in as Fitz stood behind him. Daisy came running in and all three girls kneeled to pet her. Bryce put his hand on the tallest girl's hair. This is Alyssa, she is 7." Alyssa looked up and waved. "Hello" she said. He placed his hand on the next girl. "This is Brianna, she is 5." "Aloha", she said. "That's how Moana says hello in Hawaiian." The youngest had her head resting on Daisy, trying to claim her from her sisters. "And this one", Bryce said picking her up as she squealed, "is Chloe, she is 3."

She whispered something in her father's ear, and he whispered something back as he put her down. She walked over to Olivia who kneeled to her level. "Hi Owivia, you are beautiful, even more beautiful than a pwincess." She put her arms around Olivia's neck giving her a brief hug and then she jumped into Fitz's arms. "Thank you, Chloe, that is very sweet of you to say."

She wrapped her hands around Fitz's neck, and they rubbed noses together. Olivia's heart melted as she saw the liking Chloe took to Fitz. She heard Chloe say to Fitz, "are you going to mawwy Owivia?" Fitz just smiled and put Chloe down.

"Lara, can I help you with anything?" Fitz asked as his walked past Olivia with a wink. The other two girls already had her hands and was leading her to their bedrooms. "Come on Olivia, we'll introduce you to our dolls."

When they were called in for dinner, they were seated at a table filled with food and drinks. There were two trays of lasagna, two trays of bread, and extra sauce. Everything looked so inviting. The girls made sure Liv and Fitz sat next to each other even though Chloe wanted to sit on Liv's lap. Lara convinced Chloe Liv couldn't eat like that, and Chloe reluctantly went to her spot.

The conversation started around the first two days of Liv being a Rutland resident. She bragged about seeing the sunset and the sunrise. She was in awe of the foliage and loved being in the company of Abby, Sophie, and Leo. The girls chuckled when she said Leo's name.

Lara told them to stop being silly. "They call Leo the cookie monster because he is always making them cookies and after he gives them their share, he gobbles up what is left. Leo is always good for a laugh."

"Olivia, are you coming Friday to Fairytale in the Park?" Alyssa asked with her curious green eyes. "It's going to be so much fun and after your fairytale with Fitz, we can make one up to do together."

Olivia didn't know what the young girl was trying to say, and Bryce realized the confusion his daughter caused. Before it went any further, Bryce said. "Remember Alyssa, Olivia is still new to Rutland, we will explain that more to her later." Alyssa nodded as Fitz gave her a reassuring smile. Something was up, Olivia knew it.

Brianna had so many questions about the city. She was studying living in a city in kindergarten and was asking all about the skyscrapers and busy streets. Olivia told them about her commute to work everyday and they were so surprised that she worked on the 75th floor of a building. "You must be Wonder Woman" Brianna said without doubt.

Olivia looked at Lara for clarification. "Do you mind if I explain my job to them? I was the first female to hold the position, and I'd like them to understand that."

", please do. The earlier they learn, the better."

"Wow," Alyssa said. "So, you were the boss of everyone?"

"Yes, something like that. It wasn't easy. You must work hard to be the boss. Just like your mom works hard and your dad. It all depends on the job you have to do and if you are the best at it, it shouldn't matter if you are a girl, you should still do it."

Alyssa and Brianna nodded in agreement. Chloe was too caught up in feeding Fitz some bread. Although Fitz was listening contently to Olivia, he was still minding the fact that he had to bite the bread to entertain Chloe. The little girl really loved Fitz. That much was obvious.

After dinner Fitz and Bryce offered to clean up with Alyssa and Brianna. Lara, Olivia, and Chloe were in the living room. Chloe brought over some crayons and paper and asked Olivia if she could sit on her lap.

While Chloe was drawing and handing Olivia crayons to color, Lara was talking about growing up in Rutland. "You mentioned you met Abby. I am a few years older than her, but we went to school together. She is one of my closest friends. Did she tell you a bit about Fitz?"

"She did. She told me about how he helped the town. She also mentioned that he doesn't get out much."

Before Lara could respond, Chloe lifted the paper in front of Liv's eyes to show her the work of art she had created. The artwork was messy, as per a three-year-old and Liv asked her to explain it.

She pointed to the three "people" that looked like little bugs. "That's Awissaa, that's Bwianna, and that's me in our beeeeeeutiful dresses." She said with pride.

"Oh, and where are you in your beautiful dresses?" Olivia noticed two bigger "bugs" in the picture also. "Are you going somewhere with your parents?"

"No, we are at the wedding. You and Fitz are getting mawweeed and we are the fwower girls. Fitz will dance with me though too, not just you."

Lara spoke up. "Chloe, I don't know if we should be talking about a wedding. Olivia just moved here honey; I don't think she's getting married."

"But you said Fitz wiked Owivia."

Lara blushed. She looked at Olivia. "I apologize."

Liv stopped her. "No need to apologize. She's innocent and only speaking what she feels. That's a good thing." Olivia took the picture. "May I keep this, please, Chloe. I would like to hang it up in my new home."

"Oh yes," Chloe said with excitement. "Mommy, I gave Owivia my picture, see, she will marry Fitz." Chloe got up to get something else to and Lara continued.

"Chloe isn't shy about saying what she feels. I will be honest; Bryce hasn't seen Fitz this carefree in a long time. He did more than help the town, he saved it. An up-and-coming developer, Edison Davis, came here threatening us all. He was very arrogant, very demanding. We were scrambling to find ways around his demolition of the town."

Olivia was listening intently. "When Bryce and Fitz first met, Fitz proposed some things to him and they put the work in motion. Fitz didn't have to, but he stayed around and within two months, the town sent Edison Davis packing. He warned us he would be back someday when he was more successful, we are all dreading the day he comes back to town." Lara looked at Liv. "I am sorry, I didn't mean to bore you with that."

"No, not at all, that's interesting. I am glad Fitz was able to help."

"Fitz is the one that encouraged Bryce to become Sheriff. Bryce takes the job seriously and takes care of the town. We want this to be home to our children like it was to us. I was pregnant with Brianna when we met Fitz. He is the godfather to her and to Chloe. Chloe has an attachment to Fitz."

"Yes, I noticed, it's the sweetest thing."

"Chloe is a good judge of character. If she doesn't like someone, she will let you know, Fitz has a heart of gold, Liv, but something holds him back. Bryce has tried to help him, but he closes up. Sometimes we don't see him for weeks. This is the first time since he's been here that he's going to Fairytale in the Park. He deserves all the happiness in the world and from the little time you've been here, you clearly make him happy."

Liv felt her face become flushed. "He has done so much for me in the past two days, I don't know how I can ever repay him. But we are neighbors now and I promise I will look out for him. Thank you, Lara, for sharing all that with me."

Lara patted Liv on the hand just as the others entered the room. The girls formed a circle sitting around Olivia and Lara stood next to Bryce. Fitz entered in with a wreath of leaves on his head, and Liv had to look away not to laugh.

He kneeled next to Liv and Alyssa whispered in his ear. Fitz nodded. "Princess Olivia, I have been ordered from Queen Brianna of Rutland to ask you for your time on Friday and allow me to escort you to the Fairytale Festival in the park. Will you be so kind to say yes?"

Brianna whispered in Olivia's ear and Olivia nodded. She took the wreath from Fitz's head and placed it on her head. "Princess Olivia accepts your invitation, but Queen Brianna has informed me that I must be the one with the fairytale and I will have to get it approved by her. Do you accept?"

"Yes, I do." The girls all clapped in sync.

"You're going to love the Fairytale Festival Olivia", Lara said. "Stop by during the week and I will give you the background of it all. During the day is good when the girls are at school and Bryce is working. We can gossip. It'll be fun to have someone to talk to."

Liv took off the wreath and placed it with her picture. "That sounds great. I will let you know a day that's good."

It was getting late for a school night. The girls all said their goodbyes to Daisy, Olivia, and Fitz. Chloe put Fitz's hand in Olivia's before going upstairs to bed. "Don't let your pwincess go Fitz, ok."

Olivia thanked Lara and Bryce for a wonderful evening and promised to be back. While Olivia waited by the door, Bryce and Fitz shared some words and shook hands as Fitz turned away. Bryce gave Olivia a wave.

Before driving away, Fitz turned Liv. "Thank you. I know that wasn't easy, especially with the kids. You were amazing."

"That was fun. Today has been a wonderful day Fitz, thank you so much. And I get a picture and leaf wreath out of it too. The picture, according to Chloe is of our wedding. This is us," she pointed to the two big "bugs" and this is Chloe and her sisters as flower girls. So, will I learn more about this Fairytale Festival."

"You will. He looked closely at Liv. "You, ok? You look exhausted."

Liv lifted her hand to Fitz's cheek. "I am. I didn't get an ounce of sleep last night." She looked away for a moment. "I was worried about you all night Fitz." Her hand slid to his shoulder and went to rub his back, but he caught it again. He gave it a small kiss.

"Don't worry about me. I will be fine." He turned and started the car. Liv reached for the leaf she had given him.

"Do you know how to preserve this? Do you know how to press a leaf? If not, I can do that for you."

"That's something I don't know how to do, so I'll be happy to learn. I want that leaf to stay like that forever because I never want to forget today also." They pulled away from the McClellan's and headed towards Liv's place.

Liv saw him speaking but couldn't hear his voice. She kept telling him she couldn't hear him, but her father kept speaking. He went to say it again, but instead of hearing him Liv heard a loud bang. It made her ears ring and she felt pain and liquid. Her hands were numb and when she looked at them, they were covered in blood, but that's not what made her scream. She screamed because her father was lying across her lap. He was covered in blood and it was the last thing Liv remembered before she passed out.

This time though, after the loudness of the impact she looked down. There was no blood at all, just leaves. There were hundreds of leaves and when Liv went to shake the leaves off her hands, she saw Fitz lying across her lap. He wasn't moving and his face was cold. Liv started screaming "FITZ, FITZ" as the car came to a stop. She felt something wet on her face and then she heard Fitz's calming voice. "Liv, it's ok, I am here, Liv."

Liv shook out of her sleep. She had done what she never did before, she had fallen asleep in the car. The dream she just had as real as the night sky above. Daisy was licking her face trying to calm her down, and Fitz had his hand on the back of her neck holding her in place.

They were parked in her driveway and Liv felt her body trembling. She looked at Fitz, "I am sorry. It was a dream. I am going to…." She went to open the door, but Fitz held her, pulling her close to him.

"Liv, you're trembling. You can't go anywhere." Liv rested her head on his shoulder and cried in the crook of his neck. She didn't want him to let go but she didn't want him to make her feel so protected either. She looked at him.

"Come inside, please, just stay with me. It's cold. I have no heat, maybe you could start a fire?" Liv felt so dependent asking him, but she didn't want to be alone in the new place after this.

Fitz opened her car door and lifted her out by her hand. He put his arm around her shoulder and held her hand in his. She watched him as he started a fire, still shivering from her dream. She crossed her arms and squeezed her hands, like she did the first time she met him. It was just a defensive mode, and it was a habit.

She waited until he sat down on the couch. She felt the warmth of the fire and she rested her head on his chest. As soon as she felt his arms go around her, she drifted off into sleep. She welcomed the darkness as it's all her eyes saw. She didn't want anymore dreams, not tonight.

Fitz felt her body calm down. He took in her smell as he wrapped his arms around her. He couldn't get the sound of that blood curling scream out of his head. He rested his head on hers, much like Olivia did to him the night before. Daisy was in front of the fire curled up sleeping.

Olivia felt safe with Fitz. Fitz could feel it. It pained him to know she was hurting so much, but it comforted him to know she could lean on him. They had so much to learn about each other. Fitz never thought he would ever give anyone a feeling of safety, not after what he went through.

The days were unknown to Fitz. They allowed him to go to the bathroom twice a day as needed. The food started coming more sporadically, and it was always just rice. Sometimes there would be bread. He started getting some more water.

When the American would come in Fitz would try to get a timeline of how long he had been captured, but the American wasn't allowed to communicate with him. The first time Fitz asked him a question, the Iraqi soldier smacked him hard on his back. The sting lasted for hours. The American translated. "If you try to talk to me again, you will be lashed."

The next time they came in, Fitz asked the same question. After the soldier left his food, he pulled something from his back and Fitz felt the strongest pain he ever felt and the wetness of blood. "You were warned," the American translated. Figuring nothing would hurt more, Fitz said "tell them to fuck their warnings, I'll take whatever they give me and if I die at their hands, it will be their loss."

They left Fitz bleeding on the dirt floor for at least a day. The next time they came in, the American tended to his wound while the soldier stood near the door. The American whispered in the lowest voice possible. "Three months and five days. You're not making the news cycle though. Just hang in there don't get lashed anymore. This is bad."

Fitz jolted out of his sleep. He felt some emptiness. Olivia was gone. The clock read 6:15. The sun was about to come up, but it was still dark outside. Fitz saw Daisy sitting next to Olivia outside. He didn't want to go out into the darkness, but he needed to see if she was ok.

Back in New York City, at the same time Fitz jolted out of his sleep, Edison Davis entered a small pastry Shoppe on the corner of Liv's condo building. He pulled something out of his coat pocket. It was a menu from Harold's with a heart around it. He had taken it from Olivia's place.

He then took out a picture Liv had on her fridge. It was a selfie of her and Harold. Harold was holding up some Danish and smiling. Liv never looked this happy when she was with Edison.

Harold turned to Edison. "Good morning sir, how may I help you." Edison held up the picture to Harold. "I will have what she was having in this picture, and if you don't get her back here soon, I will start the bidding on the land this Shoppe is on. I will own it by January."

"I don't know where Olivia is, I didn't even know she was gone. I haven't seen her since last Monday. I will be happy to give you the boysenberry buns she comes in for, but that's all."

Edison leaned closer to Harold. He held up the menu with the heart. "She really likes this place, Harold, and if you don't get her in contact with me, I am changing the name on the door from Harold to Edison." He grabbed the bag Harold had and dropped $20 and his card on the counter as he turned to leave before the rush of customers came in.

In North Carolina, at the same time Liv was waiting for the sunrise, Mellie Sinclair got behind the driver's wheel. She had been crying all night and Fitz's phone just kept going to voicemail. She needed him. She needed to talk to him. She left a note to her father that she would be back soon but didn't say where she was going.

She had been so confused since her mother died. She had no one to talk to, no one to understand her like Fitz understands her. He wouldn't judge her. Since she couldn't contact him over the phone, she would just drive to Vermont.

She put the car in drive looked back at the seat loaded with luggage. This time she wasn't staying for a week, she needed to be there much longer. She put some calming music on the radio and headed towards I-95 north. She should be in Vermont in a day or two depending on the amount of stops for rest she would need. Fitz would love the surprise.

Olivia heard him coming up from behind, but she wouldn't turn to him, she was crying, and she didn't want him to see the tears. He sat behind her, his legs on the side of hers and wrapped his arms around her holding her hands. He rested his chin on her shoulder. "Are you ok?"

"I am just waiting for the sun to come up. I am so used to being out the door and on a train by this time, I guess I need to fix my internal clock." She looked back at him and gave a weak smile. "What about you, are you ok?"

He looked at her. He saw she had been crying. He moved so he was sitting next to her, his back up against the house. A bit of gold started to peek out from behind the mountains. Liv started talking.

"When I was 12, my dad was killed in a car accident. I was with him in the car. The airbag saved my life, but not his. He wasn't wearing his seatbelt." She took a deep sob and covered her mouth. She looked at the golden light to find some comfort and took a deep breath.

"The other car ran a stop sign and hit my father's side head on. All I heard was the impact and glass shattering." She took a long pause. Fitz held her hand. The sky was getting more golden now as the sun slowly rose.

She turned to Fitz. "I don't remember much after the sound of that impact but when I could see past all the blood and glass, my father" …. she sobbed again…..and the tears streamed…."my father was dead on my lap." He pulled her in and let her face bury itself on his chest as she cried. She stopped and looked up at him.

The glow of the sunlight was greater now and it was making Fitz's face seem golden. He looked at her and took a deep breath.

"When I was in the Navy, deployed to Iraq, bad things happened over there. Bad things happened to me. Things I am still afraid to talk about. You get that Liv, I am scared. Does anything scare you?"

Liv nodded. "I am scared of letting you in. I am scared of the feelings I have for you. I am scared of starting this new life alone, and I am scared of how safe I feel in your arms."

"I am scared too; of the feelings I have for you. I cannot stop thinking of you Olivia. You comfort me and make me feel I have a meaning in life. I fear that because I don't want to drag you into my darkness."

Liv looked at him, deep in the eyes. She could see the tears forming, but she could see the sunrise glowing in them also. She felt her heart pounding in her chest as she moved closer to him. She placed her hand behind his head and pulled him down to her lips. She closed her eyes and as a teardrop fell, she savored his soft lips as they wrapped around hers.

For that very moment, Olivia felt her body melt and Fitz felt his come alive. Olivia stopped and rested her forehead on his as she bit her bottom lip.

"Fitz," she said in a whisper.

"Livvie," he whispered back.

"Why does this feel so right?" she asked him.

"Because it is." He answered.

He pushed forward and their lips met once again. Gentle kisses as the sunrise lit the sky golden and red. Two lonely people beginning their journey to love. The backdrop of the sunrise trying to erase the darkness they both had in their hearts.

Fitz held the side of her face holding her in place as he could gently feeling the softness of her lips. Olivia rubbed his curls with passion, slowly guiding her tongue into touch his. When the kiss finally ended, Olivia turned and placed her head on his chest as they interlocked hands and watched the rest of the sunrise bring light to their day.