A/N: Wow, thank you all so much for the reviews after Liv told her story. Now, Fitz's turn. After the story is told, they will continue to heal, learning about one another, talking now as a couple.

Hope everyone and everyone you love is staying safe. Pray for Afghanistan, Haiti, and all that are facing hardships. Hope this takes you away from all the reality for a bit.

Happy reading. Wear a mask and stay safe. Leave a review, if you can.

Chapter 24-Revelations Part 2

The shower was therapeutic for Olivia and Fitz in so many ways. There is something about a hot shower, Liv thought, that cleanses the soul. Ever since she was unable to take a shower for close to two months, she welcomed the water beating down on her skin, the foam of the soap coating her body, and watching all of it go down the drain, and making her feel new again.

For Fitz, taking a shower was a gift. There was a time he never thought he would take one again. Having been given just a bucket some soap and a small towel for two years, when he first arrived at his home in Santa Barbara after captivity, he stayed in the shower for close to 45 minutes.

He let the cold water beat down on his back. Iraq always being so hot and his body constantly sweaty, the cold water opened his pores. One of the things Fitz did not like was sweating. For one, he broke out in sweats when his post traumatic stress took over. He also sweat every damn day in that cell, no matter how dark it was.

Both Liv and Fitz stood in the shower now, in their tiny log cabin get away home, having admitted their love for one another, having made love twice, and Liv giving Fitz pieces of her story.

They agreed on a lukewarm temperature and Liv took the body sponge and let the foam of soap coat Fitz's body. She gently washed over his back, looking closely at the scars. Besides the three obvious, he had some scar tissue around the back also, something you had to be up close to see.

Olivia gently washed his back. She wanted to take that pain away, because although her scars were painful, they were from an accident. This, Liv was sure, was no accident. She received pain medicine and treatment to deal with her wounds. She didn't believe Fitz received that same kind of treatment.

She wanted him to know she loved his body as much as she loved him. As she was being so gentle, so loving while washing his back, he closed his eyes. He took her touch in and let it calm him. He was getting anxious having to tell her the truth, but she was brave enough to tell him, he owed her the same.

He turned to her, looking down, and just for some comfort, he cupped her face, and placed a tender kiss on her lips, Liv dropping the sponge to the shower floor and began running her hands through his hair. There was something about his wet hair that gave her such a jolt. Fitz slowly pushed her up against the shower wall, so they were out of the stream of water for a few minutes.

She had, since they met, brought out a side to Fitz he thought he lost with his imprisonment. He never thought he would feel like a man again, make any woman feel the need for him, but she had changed all that, and he needed to feel her sexual weakness one more time before telling his side.

He kissed his way down her neck, to her chest and onto her breast. Liv's mouth was wide open at this moment, not believing that he was doing what he was going to do, but before she could speak, his lips met her fold, and she lifted her leg unknowingly, resting it on his shoulder, as he gripped her hips.

She felt his tongue do some magic down there, gliding up and down as the palm of her hand rested on his head, her other hand trying to grip the wall of the shower to no avail. If she did orgasm, which she was 99% sure she would, her only stronghold would be his hair, and she didn't want to hurt him.

Liv's eyes closed in pure desire for him. She truly didn't know how she was ever going to get enough of him. She felt his tongue go in and out of her entrance and develop a pattern. In out, slide up, circle her g-spot, slide down, and repeat.

Now, with her eyes closed, her mouth opened again, and her body beginning to shake, she could feel her grip getting tighter on his hair. "Fitz," her voice was shaky. "I can't hold on." She felt his tongue enter and exit one last time and as it glided up, she was hit with a pulsating feeling, and she moaned into the air.

She felt his hands grip her hips and steady her through it, pulling her close to his chest as his fingers took over for his tongue. He held her through her shaking, her body tensing, then calming down. She wrapped her arms around his waist, cheek against his chest, as she let out her breath easily to calm herself. She looked up at him as he looked down at her. "What superpowers you have Mr. Grant!" She smiled as he smiled back.

"You think so Livvie? Because if they are superpowers, they will only come out with you."

She put her forehead into his chest and kissed down to his abdomen and was just about to take care of him, when he pulled her back up. He caressed her cheek and pulled them back under the stream of water. "It's fine Livvie, let's finish up in here and get some sleep."

"Ok", she said a bit disappointed, but more concerned. Fitz seemed a bit anxious, almost nervous. "Are you Ok, Fitz?"

"Yeah, just tired. I just want to hold you in my arms and get some sleep."

"Well, thank you, Mister, you sure do know how to make me feel good." She put her lips up to his ear. "I owe you one."

"I'll hold you to that." He turned off the water as they both stepped out of the shower.

"Mike, how bad to they look?" Mike was applying the last of the antibiotic cream to the wounds. It had been a week since he'd been struck. They were healing, but they were taking time. Each time Mike tended to one, he cringed, he could only imagine the pain this soldier was feeling.

"They don't look too bad. Here", and Mike rubbed three spots on Fitz's back "is where you are going to have raised scarring. That's where they drew blood when they hit you and without the proper first aid care, they didn't heal right."

Fitz let out a long sigh. "She'll never want me, not after she sees this, not after she knows I was held captive for two years. She won't want me."

"I don't know who you are talking about, but if she loves you at all, she accepts all of you and if she doesn't accept this as part of you, then you don't belong with her. I think it's less than a week now. I've heard chatter, and they haven't been in to hit you, so it's only a matter of time. I know that last round was brutal, but I think it was the last of it."

Fitz didn't care anymore if it was or not. He wanted to die that last go round, but now he just wanted to get back home, he wanted to begin his life with Natalie. He would tell her, regardless, he would tell her his story. He hoped she wouldn't run, but he had a bad feeling.

Now Fitz was in the corner of his cell. He was holding his head in his hands. The sun made the air so damn hot. It made it hotter in the cell being confined. He felt the sweat coating his hands, and he just wanted to stop sweating.

Mike opened the door, "time to come out, get some exercise." The exercise was boxing. It helped Fitz deal with pain release and anger and it's something Fitz looked forward to doing. He pulled his white, crumbling t-shirt off and began swinging at Mike, and put his hands up in defense as Mike swung back.

"You're going to tell her; you are going to tell her the truth. She will love you through it." Fitz stopped swinging, he sat on the ground now, in anticipation of having to tell his story.

"Liv can handle it, Fitz, she can. But you need to get it together. Try to deal with the trauma better. Let yourselves heal each other. No more episodes. You know we are all safe now."

Fitz looked up at Mike confused. "You just called me Fitz, how did you know my name, you always called me soldier. Who is Liv?"

Fitz looked down to pick up his shirt to wipe some sweat off his forehead and when he looked back up to get his answer, Mike was gone. When his t-shirt reached his forehead, it was cool, as if it had been under cold water. It felt so refreshing and he raised his other hand to bring it down along his face.

He felt another hand hold his and his eyes opened. He blinked twice, and then, once more, and he saw Liv's face. He was sitting in the corner of the log cabin bedroom. The sun was peering through the window that was once dark.

Olivia was rubbing Fitz's face with a cool cloth and had to remove his shirt to rub down his chest. He was sweating right through his shirt, and she wanted to put some coolness onto his skin. He closed his eyes as her hands worked their way from his chest and to his back. She looked at him. "Hi, welcome back."

"Hi, what happened? Did I?" Fitz's shoulders slumped. He didn't need an answer.

"I woke up and you weren't in bed. You were here, swinging your arms, and mumbling. I couldn't understand what you were saying, but I did hear the name Mike. Do you think you can stand? We can head over to the loveseat by the window. The sun just came up."

"Yeah, I can stand." He rose and Liv put her arm around his waist. She sat first on the loveseat and Fitz sat next to her. "Here", she said, patting her lap. "Put your head here. I want to rub that hair while you're talking."

Fitz put the back of his head on Liv's lap. He stretched his legs the length of the loveseat. He thought back to his dream with his conversation with "Mike." Liv didn't leave him, wasn't scared, and saw him through it. Fitz began the only way he knew how, with Natalie.

"This is the only time I will mention her, but I want you to know, Natalie doesn't know about my back, she does know the story of my deployment, and she still chose to walk away. She was married when I came back, but still she walked away. Livvie, please don't walk away."

"Fitz, I told you I love you; I see what this is doing to you. Until you let this out, this will continue. I think we can heal together, I don't care about Natalie, it's you and me now Fitz."

"My first two deployments weren't too bad. I mean war is war, it's never good, but I was with Two Shot and Sparks, so it wasn't as rough as the last one. We had been through training together. The three of us, tops in our Naval class. We could fly and land a fighter on a sea vessel like no other pilots. I'm not bragging when I say I was the best, but I was."

Fitz took a deep breath. "When I was younger, I used to play with planes, make paper planes, build model planes, you name it, I did it if it had to do with planes. I loved the fighter jets. I would buy magazines and take out books just to study the displays and panels of the fighter jets. Of course, it was never something I could tell my father, but I was determined to be in the Navy. Lucia, our housekeeper, always asked why not the Air Force, but it was the landing at sea on a small stretch of a carrier in the sea that invited me. To be able to do that so precise you had to be good, and that's what I wanted to do."

Liv rubbed his forehead, bringing her hand up through his hair and resting it on his head. She imagined him as a little boy. "You must have been adorable as a little boy holding a model airplane."

"When I told my father I was joining the Navy, he already had me set up for failure. I had received a full scholarship and would study while doing a rigorous 22-week training program. He was livid though, he wanted me to go to Stanford, get my degree in Political Science, then go on to Law School at Harvard and come back and take his place as Governor or Senator. I didn't want that life, and he basically told me I was going off to die."

Liv turned her head in the other direction, so he didn't see her anger with his father, or her disgust for that man at this moment.

"Anyway, I exceled, and my first deployment was only three months, it was a simple mission, and we were home in no time. I think my father was shocked I got back in one piece, but I had received a few awards in DC, and my father was there for me. The second deployment was a little over eight months, the missions a bit more complex, but we were able to get through it."

Fitz stopped. He sat up now, raised his arm so Liv could rest her head on his chest, and she did so. If that's how he felt comfortable to go on, it was fine with her.

"When I was called for a third deployment, I questioned it. By that time there were other fighter pilots, younger than me that could do it, but the Commander insisted I go. Two Shot and Sparks didn't get a deployment assignment, and they were confused about that. Either way there was no fighting it, so I did what I had to do."

He stood up now. He walked over to the window, staring out into the open air. There was a dusting of snow on the deck and Fitz focused on the pond for a moment.

"As soon as I landed, I was given a flight plan. I looked it over. The mission seemed simple enough. I figured, three months, tops, but the plan had me there for six months. I shrugged it off and climbed onto my aircraft." There was a long pause.

"My father had said before if I was deployed, that if I was captured, I should kill myself because of who I was and my connections to DC, I just thought he was still angry, just being Big Gerry."

Liv bit her bottom lip. How could a father say that to his own son? She didn't say it, but she was thinking it. She stayed still, just listening.

"I felt the bullets hit the plane. I heard the engine get blown, and it was going into failure, and started into a spiral whirl. I ejected immediately and landed safely with my parachute, but there were no American ground troops there, only Iraqi soldiers. There were three of them. They were standing over me with weapons. They lifted me up and as I began walking, they kicked me in the ribs."

Fitz leaned over a bit, as if feeling the blow again. He paused again still staring out the window. He didn't think he could look Liv in the eyes when he would admit he was a prisoner.

"The next thing I know, I wake up handcuffed to some bed post in a dirt cell. There was one little opening, a tiny little circle, on the roof that let the smallest of daylight in. It was the only proof I had from when a day would end, and night would fall."

He was looking up at the log cabin ceiling now, and Liv was squinting at him. It dawned on her now, his fear of the darkness.

"For three days it was just me, that circle of light, and the words of my father drowning my thoughts. I buried my dog tags so I wouldn't be identified, but they already knew who I was. It was then I realized I was going to be in this cell for a while, and it hit me that I was now a Prisoner of War, having fallen to the enemy."

He punched down on the windowsill, breathing anger now through his teeth. Then both his hands went through his hair, and he held on to his head before beginning again. He felt Liv's arms wrap around his waist and rest her head on his back. It felt so good at that moment, and he just closed her eyes and began rubbing her hands.

"Mike, well, Huck, he came in with two soldiers on the third day. He introduced himself as a translator. The one soldier noticed the opening in the roof and said something to Mike, who left. He had to go cover up the hole and it was translated that I was not to know when day ended, and night began. So, began my life of darkness.

"The door of the cell would open two times a day. One time for the food to come in, the other for me to go outside for an hour or two. It was a routine I began growing accustomed to, and then, the lashings began."

Fitz looked down at the floor, Liv still resting her head on his back. He thought of the first hit, the one that drew blood and likely caused one of his scars Liv was now so close to.

"Suddenly, and I don't know how many days it had been because I had lost count, the captor would come in with a rope. If they were angry about how my negotiations were going with DC, well, they would hit my bare back take a picture and leave. Sometimes it was comforting. I know that's strange to say, but it meant I still had feelings, and I would welcome the pain. But, the sound, the sound of that rope, hitting the skin, I can't forget that."

Liv had let go now, and Fitz turned towards her, both standing by the window. Fitz closed his eyes tight now. His face cringed just a bit and Liv reached up to caress his cheek, just to let him know she was still listening.

"I knew each day I would get food; I knew I would get outside, but I never knew when I would get hit. That was something I had to wonder about each day. It was dreadful. The whole ordeal was dreadful. For two fucking years, 625 days, I had to wonder if I would make it to see another day, if they would hit me hard enough and I would bleed to death."

Now Fitz put his back up against the wall next to the window. He sat down, upright, staring into the air. He squinted as if he was looking at himself back in that dreadful place and he continued.

"Suddenly, I began hearing other things around me, around me in the compound. I heard screams of other prisoner, I heard bullets from automatic weapons, I heard bombs going off sporadically in the distance, and I just mixed it with the sounds of my flesh being ripped open with one swing of an enemy's hand, and one day, it all got me, it finally got me."

He put both hands over his eyes. He brought them down slowly and clenched them into fists as he continued what would be the worst confession to Liv.

"One of the last beatings, it was the worst. I never let out a cry or a scream because that would mean they won, they got to me, but this last one, was brutal Liv, it was painful and the stinging, I can still feel the stinging. I screamed out, and I think I scared the captor because he never heard that from me and he stopped and just left. I crawled into a corner, and I sobbed. A soldier in the United States Navy, a Top Gun, Navy Seal, and I am crying in an enemy cell. I just wanted death, Liv, death would have been so much fucking better. The physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional pain. I tried to think of my life back home, but I didn't want it anymore."

Then his fist started pounding the carpeted floor beneath it. He clenched his teeth and Liv finally saw a tear fall from his eye. Through grinding teeth, he went on.

"I welcomed death, and when Mike came in that day with the food, I was going to beg him to kill me. I wanted to die, I couldn't take the stinging, the sounds, and the defeat. I. Just. Wanted. To. Die."

With each word he punched the floor and then Liv couldn't stand it anymore. She ran to him. Her legs straddled around his waist, and she pulled him to her chest, as deep sobs came out. Much like he did to her when she couldn't go on anymore with her story. There they sat, on the floor , Fitz letting Liv embrace him, comfort him, and he felt so good to finally let out this whole story instead of bits and pieces.

She pulled him close to her chest, his tears being soaked up in his Navy Seals shirt she was still wearing. She wanted it all gone from him. She wanted to give him those two years back. She wanted the sounds to be silenced in his mind. She wanted calmness for him.

Yet, all she could think about was the torture this man endured, the captivity he survived, and since he's returned, he's done nothing but help others. His anger should be at the world, but instead, his heart is open, and he has helped so many.

As she cradled him in her arms, her love for him grew stronger. She swallowed, hard, and she knew at that moment, holding his head in her arms, Maya was right, Huck was right, this was fate. This was the stars finally aligning and they were meant to be, to take away each other's pain.

"I never thought I could be a man again, Liv." He was now looking up at her as she continued straddled in his lap. "Who would want anyone like me? I was a prisoner, a coward, and I was damaged. I had nothing to offer. Then you appeared. Standing next to Daisy on your porch that early November night. I will never forget that sight. Your arms crossed in such a defense mode, and your eyes glistening to the setting sun. I knew I loved you in that moment. The first sight of you, I loved you, and something came back in me that I had been missing for years. You brought me back to life Liv, you did that."

She could only look in his eyes. They still had remnants of tears, but they were so gentle now. He rested his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her down to his lips. They stayed interlocked like that, him giving his emotions into that kiss.

He let go, breathed heavily into her neck. He put two gentle kisses on her neck and his lips made the entrance to her ear. "Livvie, touch me, like you touched me when we were lying in bed, the first time at your place, remember. Please Liv, touch me, make me feel that again."

Her hand reached back, his boxers not doing much to hide the erection. She didn't ask this time, she pulled back and took his boxers with her, releasing his erection, as her hand gripped it. She positioned herself, her hand stroking him slowly and her hand making its way up his chest. She looked at him, and his head had gone back, his neck out in the open.

Liv reached his neck with her lips, giving him gentle bites, and slow wet kisses, all while stroking his hard erection. His grunts turned to soft moans, and Liv's lips went down his neck to his chest. She took her tongue over one of his nipples, pulling it softly with her teeth and she felt his hand grab her neck again, but this time more for support.

She began focusing on her strokes, and seeing his eyes closed, she went down, engulfed his dick in her mouth and soaked it with one quick suck and lick, and the sound that came from him was just so euphoric.

With the wetness now making her hand glide at a faster pace, she heard a grunt come from the back of his throat, and she quickly kneeled up and pulled him down so their lips came together. In the kiss, she heard one more groan, and felt his stomach jerk, as her hand caught the warm liquid that shot out from him.

They looked at each other. He was breathing heavily. "Livvie, my God. I love you so much."

She went to clean up, came back with a cloth. She pulled him up as they made their way to the kitchen. After a brief silence, he took out some oats and began making some hot, cinnamon oatmeal. While they were eating the warm meal, Liv talked about walking the grounds.

"I'd like to take a closer look at the pond. Are there fish in there?"

Fitz nodded after taking a spoonful of oatmeal. "Yeah, I have six cold water fish in there. We can look, but I am going to need some more wood for the fire. I have some outside I need to split. Let's get dressed and we can head out. You're going to love the grounds, especially with the untouched dusting of snow. Makes for beautiful pictures."

"Do the fish have names? And there's something about watching you chop wood that's already turning me on, Mister."

Fitz laughed. "No, I hadn't thought of naming the fish, and, in that case, let me go get my ax."

As they were getting dressed Liv thought of calling the girls. "Fitz let's call the girls. Let's facetime them, show them the pond. Six fish, they can think of two names each. I miss Chloe, I would love to talk to her and Alyssa and Brianna too."

As they exited the log cabin, Liv wearing her leggings, black ankle high hiking boots and Fitz's NAVY sweatshirt, she watched her boots leave footprints in the light snow. It was 20 degrees out, but Liv loved the cool Vermont air.

Fitz had put on his fading black jeans, his workman's boots and a hooded Vermont Lake Monsters sweatshirt over a plain white t-shirt. His footprints were along side Olivia's as they stopped in front of the pond, which was just below the deck Liv saw outside the window last night.

She noticed the movement in the pond as the fish were swimming in their habitat, not a care in the world. They were gliding quickly from one side to the other, and Olivia was lost in a daydream of the happiness they had, not knowing they were confined to just this pond. They were beautiful though and didn't seem to mind, quite the difference from story Fitz told this morning.

"Oh mmmmyyyyyyyyyy, wook. Hi Fitz, where's Wivvie? I miss you so so much." Chloe's voice drew Liv out of her daydream.

Liv walked over next to Fitz who was sitting on a small wood bench overlooking the pond. "Oh, hiiiiiii Wivvie. You are with Fitz now? That makes so so happy."

Liv saw Chloe's little face, the dimples when she smiled and her gleaming brown eyes smiling back at her. "Hi Chloe. We miss you too. How have you been?"

"Oh, it's been gweat. I have so many toys fwom Cwistmas. I can't wait for you to pway with me when you come home. You are coming back home to Wutwand, wight?"

"Yes, I will be home on January 10th. I will tell Alyssa to put it on her calendar ok. Are your sisters nearby? We have a surprise for all of you."

The phone fell on the couch and Liv and Fitz heard Chloe's little voice scream. "Awissa, Bwianna, come wook. Wivvie and Fitz are on mommy's phone."

They heard Lara's voice. "Shouldn't you have let mommy know they were on the phone?" Lara picked the phone up and looked at them. She knew immediately something was different, she saw the glow in their eyes.

"Hey you two. Where are you? You look…well…you look peaceful. That sounded weird, but it's the only word I could think of."

Fitz smiled. We're in Addison for now. We're at a small log cabin. I have a New Year's Eve thing tomorrow with the team and Liv is coming with me before finishing up in NY. We will be back on the 10th. How are things there?"

"Good. Bryce has been busy. A few teenagers getting rowdy over the winter break, causing problems in the town. Other than that, you know, Rutland." She shrugged. "Bryce is going to be bummed he missed your call. Fitz, give him a call later."

"Yeah, will do. Can the girls all see through the phone we have a small pond here with some fish, and Liv got the idea to let the girls name the fish. Maybe I'll call back on your iPad so they can see the fish better?"

When they appeared back on the screen the three girls were filled with anticipation. They were sitting on the couch, once again tallest to smallest. Liv thought that was the cutest thing.

"So, we have six fish. You get to name two of them. Fitz is going to use a stick to point to the fish. You decide who names it ok. No arguing."

"Yeah, no arguing", Alyssa said with her big sister boss tone. "I am going first since I am the oldest, right Liv?"

"No way" Brianna said. I go first because I am better at names than you are. Is that OK, Liv."

"Noooooooooooo." Chloe whined. "Wivvie is my best fwiend, and I go first."

"Hey, stop. Alyssa will go first because she's the oldest, then Brianna, then Chloe, then we will go backwards. Chloe will go first, Brianna second, and Alyssa last." Fitz had it all figured out.

"Fine," Brianna mumbled. "I am always in the middle."

"Ok. Fitz is pointing to a Koi Fish. There are three of them in there. The one he is pointing to is all white with a blue tail and an orange patch above its eyes. Alyssa?"

"Oh, that's easy. Rainbow. It's so colorful."

"Lame as ever," Brianna said.

"Brianna." Liv warned, "Fitz is pointing to the second koi fish. Can you see that, Brianna? It's white but it has four orange patches across the top of its body."

"Tiger. I know there are tiger fish, but that being a koi will make him feel powerful like a tiger." Brianna said proud of herself.

"Hey, Alyssa, none of that." Liv heard Fitz give a warning, now and Liv looked at him. He put the L on his forehead showing what Alyssa did to Brianna after she named the fish. Liv had to cover her mouth, not to chuckle.

"Ok, Chloe, are you watching Fitz? He's pointing to the last koi. This one is white with two orange spots and six tiny black spots going across it's body to the tail. Do you see that?"

"Oh, my goodness, that is so so beeeeeauuuteeeeeful. I want to name it, ummm, uh…. Spotty, no, Bwack Spot, no, just Spot. Yes, that's it Wivvie, Spot. Does it wike its name?"

"Duhhhh" the other two girls said. "Do you think the fish can talk?"

"Girls," this time it was Lara. "Be nice to your little sister."

Liv took the stick from Fitz, now Fitz was going to describe.

"Ohhhh, hi Fitz," Chloe said waving. "I wuv that pond. Can I come see it one day?"

"Sure can pumpkin bear." Fitz said. "Now there are three goldfish to name, but none of them are gold. They are a bit big for goldfish, but that's because they are suited for the cold pond water. Ready?"

"The one Liv is pointing to is all white Chloe. That's a special one. What do you think a good name for the all-white one would be?"

"Ohhh, that's so so amazing…ummm….Whitey, no, Snowy, no no…..oh I have it….Gwost…"

Alyssa looked at her confused. "What is a gwost, like it's gross?"

"Noooo". Gwost like booooooo scawy…..like Hawwoween…"

"Ghost" Liv said. "An all-white ghost. That's clever Chloe."

"Thank you Wivvie…and she turned to Alyssa and stuck her tongue out.

"Chloe" Liv said. "That wasn't very nice."

Liv pointed to the next one. "Ready Brianna?" Fitz continued; this goldfish is all orange with a white circle around it's left eye. Can you see?"

"Yeah, wow, that looks cool. Patch. Like a patch around the eye."

Liv nodded in agreement. "Good one Brianna."

"Ok, Alyssa, last one. This goldfish is white with a black tail, and orange spots on its body, then the head is completely orange."

There was a long pause. Alyssa was thinking and Brianna almost shouted out a name, but Chloe put her hand over Brianna's mouth. "Don't do it Bwianna, then Awissa will be mad."

"I like Panther. I know a panther is all black, but the black stands out on it. Panther and Tiger are cats, and they will get along."

Liv went and sat next to Fitz. "Great job girls. So, we have Rainbow, Tiger, Spot, Ghost, Patch, and Panther. They started swimming a bit faster, so I think they are happy."

"That was so so fun….do you have anything more we can name?" Chloe asked with widest, curious eyes.

"No, bumble bee, nothing more. How about when we get back to New York we face time you again.? Fitz said. "Brianna, we took some pictures of the big Christmas Tree in New York, it was taller than me. "

"Wow." Brianna said. "You're the tallest person I have ever seen. Oh, I can't wait."

"Tell mom we said bye. We love you girls." Liv said.

"Wuv you too, Wivvie, so so much, and Fitz wuvs you so so much." Chloe was waving making sure Liv remembered.

They sat for a few minutes, enjoying the silence. The girls brought a bit of life to the quiet of the outdoors at the log cabin. Now, they took these few minutes to listen to the running water of the pond and watch the newly named fish continue to swim about.

Fitz rested his head on Liv's giving a small kiss before tilting down on it. "The girls love you Liv, you have made quite an impression on them."

"Yeah, they are great kids. Fitz, after the formal, when things quiet down, remind me to talk to you about something with Chloe. Not now, we still need to talk about us, ok, but before we leave, we'll pick a "talk about Rutland Day." Liv chuckled.

They both stood up and continued walking. They passed the deck into some open space. Across the yard, patches of grass peering in through the dusting of snow, there was shed. Outside the shed was a wheelbarrow with a pile of round logs waiting to be chopped. There was a standing splitting block with one log already on it waiting.

"I have someone come every month to check and feed the fish, do some light cleaning inside and chop some wood. I told him I would be by this month, so he must have left it ready for me. Come on over."

Fitz reached and tossed a pair of goggles to Liv. "Put those on. I don't want any splinters getting in your eyes and stand back." He pointed to a spot about 100 feet away. "Over there should be ok."

The ax was leaning up against the shed, and Fitz pulled off his sweatshirt before taking hold of the ax. He looked at Liv who was shaking her head.

"Don't you dare ask me to hold a Vermont Lake Monsters sweatshirt, you can split it with the wood."

Fitz laughed. "Sore loser."

"Hey Fitz," He looked over at Liv who stuck her tongue out at him.

"I just saw a three-year-old do that Liv, is that how low you are going?"

He pulled his shoulders back and took his first swing at the firewood, grunting as the ax hit the wood hard. It wasn't a complete split, but powerful enough to break halfway through. Liv stared at him, with admiration, the man was fine, and when the ax connected with the wood, his arm muscles flexed, and Liv felt a pause in her breathing. God, did he look good.

It took about two or three hits on each for him to split five wood logs. The grunting, the cracking of the wood, and the sweat now seeping through his white shirt. Liv had a good look at his body, and boy was it hot. His hair was wet with sweat, and she could see his chest clearly through the white shirt.

"Mister, you are mighty fine. You look so damn good right now Fitz."

Fitz smiled, piling the wood he split into the empty wheelbarrow to get it back to the cabin. "You think so Ms. Pope? Come give me a hug."

"Eww, no, you are all sweaty and have wood chips all over your shirt, and ahhhhhhh, Fitz!"

Before she could finish, he had her wrapped in his arms up in the air, Liv secured by her waist. He looked up at her, and her down at him. She really didn't care as her fingers ran through his sweaty hair and they kissed right there, despite the mess that he was. He was her mess.

His fingers wriggled into her side as he tickled her, and Liv screamed. "No, Fitz, don't tickle, please." She began laughing. "Ahhh, Fitz, no, please." She screamed in between the laughs.

"Then don't say ewwww to me again. Not after I chopped the very wood that's going to keep you warm all night."

He placed her down and Liv wrapped her arms around his neck. "No, you are going to keep me warm all night, the wood will just add some needed assistance." She pecked his cheek as he grabbed his sweatshirt, put it on top of the wood pile and headed back to the cabin with Liv's arm locked in his.

Liv helped Fitz bring the wood in, left the goggles in the now empty again wheelbarrow, and closed the cabin door. Fitz was heading to the shower, while Liv wanted to take some time to text Maya.

Did you get in ok, mom? All settled back in Paris? Are you glad to be home?

Hey baby, yeah, all settled in fine. Glad to be home but missing you. I had a wonderful time in New York. How are things with Fitz?

Things are good. We are in a log cabin, in the middle of nowhere, in a town called Addison Vermont. It's so peaceful here. I showed him the scars mom.

And did he run for the mountains? Is he standing on top of one mortified? Did he jump in his car and speed away leaving you there?

Mom, stop. No, it was magical. He told me his story also. When I get back to New York, I'll facetime you. I love you mom and thank you for everything.

No need to thank me Livvie, I love you too. Say hi to Fitz. Go make some grandbabies for me, now.

MOM!

She looked up from the bed, as Fitz exited the shower with just a towel wrapped around his waist. The phone was frozen in position in her hand as she watched him move about the cabin. They had picked up the condom packets and put the clothes away, so Fitz was going though one of his drawers looking for something to wear. He looked over at Liv.

"See something you like?" He paused his search.

"Do I ever? I can stare at that all day." Fitz blushed, and Liv winked at him. "Mom says hi, she's all settled in. I told her I would face time her when we get back to the city. What's for dinner?"

Fitz put on a pair of dark gray Adidas sweatpants and stayed shirtless. He now did not feel the least bit uncomfortable shirtless in front of Olivia. It was such a freedom that may sound ridiculous, but he never thought he'd walk shirtless again. He didn't even do it alone in his own home in Rutland, but now, she had taken that fear away from him also.

"Come out to the kitchen with me." Fitz began taking out somethings he was going to use for dinner.

Like the first night they had met, Liv watched as he maneuvered his way around the kitchen. "You know that first night I was at your place for dinner, and I watched you move along the kitchen, I thought of a life like that. When I began helping you serve, I imagined doing that with you regularly."

Fitz grabbed a box of rice down from the cabinet. He looked at it and held it up to Liv. "For two years after I came home, I couldn't even look at rice. It's all they fed me in Iraq. I honestly had rice every day I was in captivity. It made me sick to my stomach when I came home and saw even the box of it in the store."

Liv shook her head. "That's just. Wow…I don't blame you. So, what are we having that you're including rice?"

"I figured we would go Asian tonight. I am going to cook up some shrimp fried rice, want to help?"

"Sure" Liv jumped down from the chair. "What can I do?"

"Grab the pot, start to boil the water for the rice. Once the water is boiling, that's bubbling on the heat." Liv whacked his arm.

"I know what boil means, Smart Ass." With that comment, she grabbed his ass.

"Harassing the chef, are you? Well then pour two cups of rice in the water and let it sit until it absorbs. Then I will let you add some more ingredients." He kissed her shoulder as she began pouring the water into the pot, and he took out the rest of the ingredients.

When Fitz was ready after taking the rice into the pan, Liv added the cooked shrimp and the veggies as Fitz continued to stir.

She set up two glasses of red wine as Fitz served the dish. Liv took the first forkful and chewed down on the shrimp with her eyes closed. She opened them with him staring at her, laughing.

"Shut up, this is sooooo good, Fitz."

"You helped; it wasn't all me."

"My father was just starting to get comfortable in the kitchen before the accident. He was making dinner each night and his best dish he made was meatloaf. I dreaded meatloaf but for him I pretended to like it. He never did understand why I only had one small piece. He always insisted I eat more, but I just didn't like the look of it."

"Lucia taught me how to cook. I was always in the kitchen building my planes or reading up on the flight panels. I would watch her in the kitchen. She is brilliant with everything, a natural. She was so happy I wanted to learn because her two kids had no interest."

"Well, remind me when I meet her to thank her, because everything you have ever made for me is delicious." Liv took a sip of wine to wash down the last of her food.

They left the dishes in the sink. Fitz started a fire and they sat watching the fireplace bring light into the dim room, the only light on coming from the upstairs bedroom.

As they sat Fitz asked her "Do you remember the night before our first kiss? You had that nightmare in the car and…"

"Yeah, and all I wanted was to be in your arms. It was the only way I knew I would get a calm sleep. You had started the fire in the fireplace in my house. I still can feel your arms wrap around me."

Fitz took her hand now and interlocked his fingers. "When you did fall asleep, almost instantly, I remember thinking I never thought I would ever give anyone a feeling of safety, yet there you were this angel sleeping peacefully in my arms."

"No place else in the world I would rather be, Fitz."

"When I fell asleep that night, I had a dream about being captured. I remember the dream so vividly because Mike was in the dream. It had been the first time I was hit, bleeding, and he was tending to the wound. He told me that night in captivity that I had been there 3 months and five days, and I was able to begin my count again. That was the first time he told me to hang in there."

"Kind of like my presence brought out Mike, huh. That was our connection. That night, the dream I had in the car was about an accident. I always made it a point not to fall asleep in cars as a passenger, but I was so tired. My dream was you were on my lap, and when I reached out for you, instead of blood, there were just piles of leaves, but you weren't moving." Liv took a deep breath. "That's why I have been so scared to say I love you, but you know Fitz, that I do, I do love you."

"Yeah. I am looking forward to tomorrow. I can't wait to see you in that dress."

"Oh yeah, Mister, speaking of, why did you go and do that, and what you did for Betty, you are so golden Fitz."

"I didn't do anything for Betty, I told you that was Two Shot."

"Yeah, ok,", Liv wasn't convinced. "You took care of the two people I love the most in New York. I can't thank you enough for that. Now Betty can go to Florida with her son and her twin granddaughters. That's amazing it's what she always wanted."

When they had gone in to get Liv's remaining suits, there was one more garment bag with the suits. Betty told her it was a dress, for a special occasion. Liv knew it was for the formal. She introduced Fitz to Betty. Betty had given it away when she said it was nice to meet him in person.

She then told Liv she sold the place. It was becoming a second-hand clothing donation and giving spot for needy families. The place would be called Two Shots Clothing Drive. Come in, take or donate, and go. Betty was so happy that her little place would be serving the community. She filled with tears when she said in less than a week she would be moving with her son in Florida. Again, Liv gave her address and would be in touch with Betty.

Now the garment bag hung in the log cabin in the closet in the bedroom. Fitz had purchased a stunning black Lela Rose Mock neck above the knee dress. It had white floral print along the skirt lining. It fit perfectly, thanks to Betty and Liv was able to match shoes for it before Maya left. She must admit, she did look good in it.

"Yeah, I am going to blow you away in that dress. You better hold on to me at that formal."

"I pity anyone that gets ten feet close to you." Fitz whispered in her ear.

After talking for another hour, Fitz put the fire out and met Liv who was already in bed. They faced one another. "We broke down the barrier today, Fitz. Now, we move forward together. I will try to make up for all you missed. I promise."

"Just having you with me, that's enough. I promise to always be your shelter. We will heal together." She moved in, and went to place her head on his chest, but she felt something under her pillow. She pulled it out, laughing. It was a stray condom packet that missed the clean up and she held it up for Fitz to see.

He took it from her hand and tossed it across the room. "Not tonight Livvie, tonight I want you here in my arms, where you feel the safest." She rested her head, and he kissed her hair, taking in her scent. "I love you, Liv."

They fell fast asleep, no nightmares, no PTSD, no cold sweats. Two people in love, leaning on one another and resting to face the challenge of another day…. together.