Fitz exhaled in relief when he felt the plane finally touchdown.
For the past hour, he fought the urge to tell the captain to stream them faster but he chose to pray that he'll land them safely in Vermont instead.
Moments like this, he thought, makes one wish to be the president again - when he can just land squarely within his property and not at Vermont Regional Airport; but this is what it is, his team did their best and he ain't gonna voice his thought out loud, not when they did all the best they could to get him this chartered flight.
As the captain's voice roared through the speaker informing them of their successful landing, he closed his he remembers the tone of Olivia's voice when he called to check earlier.
She was well, that he was certain, but as soon as the words, "It's Bella" left her lips, Fitz made a firm decision to cut short his trip in Washington and head straight home to Vermont.
Moments later, when the SUV's wheels came to a halt, Fitz immediately unbuckled his seat belt and head straight to the front door. His anxiety racing through the roof and it didn't help that Olivia wasn't answering her phone when he tried calling her on the way from the airport.
"Hi," he whispered as soon as he closed the main door, his eyes landing squarely on Olivia's standing figure whose arms were securely holding their sleeping 6-month old daughter. Her tiny head, prompted securely on her mother's shoulder.
"Hi," the former DC fixer replied with a tired smile.
She watched as Fitz closed the distance between them before taking in his scent as he lands the familiar peck on her lips.
"You're here," she stated.
"I am here," Fitz replied with a smile after kissing his daughter's cheek.
"And the meeting…"
"Can wait," he supplied. "I tried calling to tell you I'm heading home, you didn't answer."
"I'm sorry," Olivia replied, "I turned off my ringer to let her sleep."
Fitz nodded. "How is she?" he asked.
"She's been crying the whole day. She doesn't want to be put down. I already tried everything. She got so fussy that I think she tired herself to sleep," Olivia said, tiredness evident in her voice.
The former president can't help but to land a hand on his girlfriend's back.
They exhaled.
"At least now she's sleeping," Fitz said as his eyes trace the baby's sleeping form.
"Yeah," Olivia softly replied as she run a palm on their daughter's back and relished on the silence of their house.
In all the years she held different crisis, Olivia aced all of them. It's handled, she would often say but when her 6-month old daughter wailed her way this morning, Olivia Pope was definitely put to her wits end.
For the first time in her life since her miscarriage, she felt inadequate, defeated even.
Sensing her emotions, Fitz drew himself closer earning her attention. With a small smile, he planted a kiss on the side of her head and whispered, "You're doing great, mommy."
It was a little past eight when Fitz and Olivia decided to call it a night. The Vermont air was settling in outside their home, offering a weather fit for a warm snuggle.
Usually they would cozy up on bed and sometimes (or most of the time they would end up making love) but tonight Fitz found himself setting up the ArmsReach crib next to Olivia's side of the bed.
Normally, since Bella turned four months old, she would sleep in her nursery down the hall, but when she cried and fuss when she woke up from her nap, her parents were set to let her sleep with them tonight – a decision they made as they ate dinner earlier that night.
"There," Fitz declared as he tests the crib's stability once again before turning to face Olivia who just finished nursing their daughter.
"Can you?" Liv asked as she slowly pushed Bella away from her chest.
Immediately, the former president readied his shoulder with a cloth before reaching for their daughter before expertly manuevering the baby girl.
"Hi sweetheart," he sweetly greeted Bella, who in turn gave him a grin. "At least she's smiling," he added as the baby settled her head on her father's shoulder.
"Do you think she's okay?" Olivia asked as her hands buttoned up her night blouse.
"Babies get fussy, Liv, no need to worry," Fitz assured as he watched his girlfriend come closer to where he was standing. "If she wakes up in the middle of the night and needs us, we're right here," he added a beat after.
Olivia whispered her agreement but deep down she knew something wasn't right with her daughter.
Bella has never been a cry-baby. She would only cry when she's hungry or wanting her nappies to be changed and her emotions are expressed through her laughter and by the way her eyebrows would knit together in focus like her father's or a judging arch like her mother's.
Either way, she's a quiet intelligent kid, her Grandpa Eli would say.
So when Olivia spent the whole day calming her wailing, fussy little daughter, she knew something was amiss. Reaching out her hand, the former fixer caressed the soft curls crowning her baby's head, her eyes tracing the tired little eyes that was closing to sleep, before saying, "at least she doesn't have a fever."
It was in the wee hours of the night that Olivia was pulled from her deep slumber. Beside her, she could her Bella's little coos and the white noise machine was humming from the corner of the room. Back in DC, and during her "single-days" – as Abby would coin it – Olivia knows how much of a heavy sleeper she was; but with Bella's arrival, some form of imaginary switch was clicked inside her and she would find herself waking up in the middle of the night just to pad down to the nursery and check on Bella.
Tonight isn't any different aside from the fact that she doesn't have to pad down to the nursey.
Thank God for co-sleepers, she mentally said as she reached over to her daughter.
In an instant, however, Olivia sat off from bed and looked straight to the whimpering baby beside her, her eyes adjusting immediately to their dimly-lit room.
"Ohmygod," was all she uttered as she lands a palm on her daughter's face again. Bella isn't warm, she's hot.
"Ohgod! Fitz, Fitz!" she hurriedly called jolting the former president awake.
"Wha-"
"Bella's running a fever!" Olivia said, anxiety lacing her tone.
"What?!" he exclaimed, a growl escaping his throat as he sat up. In an instant, he turned on the lights frightening the six-month old who began crying in her mother's arms.
"We need to go to the hospital now, Fitz! Now!" Olivia declared as hurriedly bundled Bella in a thick fleece blanket.
"I'll go get the car," he replied before going out the room running, keys immediately at hand.
Olivia was following close by with a crying Bella in her arms. "It's okay, mommy's here, it's okay," she soothed as she walks hurriedly out the door, casual clothes be damn.
"Sir," Luther softly called as he hands Fitz two coats, one for him and one for Olivia who was standing near a hospital bed, soothing her 6-month old.
In their haste, the often well-dressed couple arrived at Rutland Regional in their PJs. They thought of calling Bella's pediatrician to just come over to the house but with Bella's spiking fever, they don't want to take any chances.
"Chest sounds good," Dr. Stein said before pulling the stethoscope over her shoulder. "Has she vomited since this morning?" she added.
"Just once, this morning. I thought it was because she was crying too much, something of a gag reflex I guessed." Olivia replied.
"Uhm," the doctor acknowledged. "May I?" she added, silently asking permission to lift the baby.
Dr. Stein has been a pediatrician for 20 years, she has seen this case before, over and over again. She has turned and carried a lot of babies throughout her career, examined them to her heart's content but somehow with Bella she knew, things might be different. It's not enough that she's Olivia Pope's daughter but Bella is also the fixer's love child AND the former president's; she has the head of top secret organization as grandpa and world-renowned assassin for a grandma and two former B613, Huck and Quinn, as godparents too. There's no way she would want to mess this up.
"Of course, please," Fitz answered, breaking the doctor from her musings. He was now standing next to Olivia who was pulling her coat on her shoulders.
In a swift yet gentle motion, Dr. Stein lifted Bella off the bed before holding the baby in one arm.
"Has she lost weight since her last visit?" the doctor asked as she 'battle' with the baby's fussy hands.
"No," Olivia answered. The pediatrician nodded before eyeing the baby's features. A beat later, she carefully pulled Bella's lower lips and smiled.
"Ah there it is," Dr. Stein commended as she examine the interior of the baby's mouth. Happy with her discovery, she smiled at the confused parents across the bed.
"She's teething," she confidently.
"What?" Fitz returned just in time when Olivia voiced her "Oh."
"See these white line underneath the gums? Those are her first baby teeth," the doctor shared, gently tugging Bella's lower lip to show to her parents. As reflex, the baby pushed the doctor's hand away and squirmed but was futile thanks to Dr. Stein's firm but gentle grasp.
"At six months, babies get their first batch of teeth and as an effect, in most cases, these are uncomfortable for the baby so they get fussy and sometimes, develop fevers," the doctor informed.
"So this is normal?" Olivia asked.
With a smile, Dr. Stein replied, "Yes."
"Will she be okay? Like tonight?" Fitz asked as they watched the young doctor placed Bella back on the bed.
"Yes, Mr. President, she will. I'll put her on Tyenol and hopefully her fever will drop gradually," the doctor replied, scribbling on a chart a she does.
"But Sir, Ms. Pope," she added as soon as she placed her pen back in her pocket, "I still highly suggest keeping her here overnight; at least until tomorrow afternoon maybe? Just so we're sure."
"Of course, doctor, whatever you need," Olivia instantly replied while her hand reaches for her daughter.
"Well, in that case, let me just give my new orders outside. A nurse should be at your service in minutes. If you would excuse me, sir, Ms. Pope," Dr. Stein said before making her way out the door, giving the small family some privacy.
"Thank you, doctor," the former president acknowledged before landing his eyes on Olivia who was now holding their daughter close as she plant a firm kiss on the side of the baby's head.
In an instant, Bella's cries slowed down before settling her head on her mother's shoulder.
Teething, Fitz mused, that's what gotten their little girl so fussy and uneasy; and although he knew every baby goes through it, he can't help but wish he can take away the pain Bella is feeling.
Three hours later, Fitz slowly pushed the door close before making his way inside the presidential suite where Bella was admitted for the night.
It had been a slow night for both him and Olivia but with Bella's fever now gone, even the 2-hour sleep was worth it.
Instantly, his eyes zoomed in Olivia's figure as she held their sleeping daughter in her arms. The soft ray of dawn tracing an outline, a view that proved Fitz he can love her more than he already did.
Noticing his presence, Olivia eyed him as he walk towards them. Her tired eyes speak her earlier worry but as soon as their eyes meet, it soften and her lips uttered the familiar, "Hi."
He replied and the word "Hi" leaving his lips almost quietly as he feared anything louder would wake up his daughter.
Upon reaching her side, he landed a gentle kiss on Olivia's head before properly settling on the space beside her.
"You can go to sleep, I can take over from here," he said as they both looked down at Bella's sleeping face.
"I'm fine here," Olivia replied.
"She's fine, Liv. She's sleeping; and her fever's gone," Fitz assured and began stroking his daughter's dark curls.
"She gave me such a scare," the former fixer shared a beat after and he hummed his agreement. He too had been scared and mentally kicked himself to have forgotten the signs of a teething baby.
A father of three at that, he mentally snared to himself; but honestly he knew why he failed to see the sign. His emotions got the best of him and all logic went straight flying through the window the moment he was told Bella was unwell. The fear that something tragic might be happening was something his mind doesn't want to comprehend.
He already lost Gerry and he and Liv had let go two babies before. He can't. He doesn't want to.
"Fitz," he heard Olivia called him, her brown eyes looking at him with concern," you okay?"
He smiled and nodded before planting a soft yet tender kiss on the fixer's forehead; and just as Fitz's lips left her head, Bella gently wiggled in her mother's arms and eyed both her parents.
"Hi, princess," the former president whispered only to be responded with a tiny cute little yawn from the month old baby.
"Ohgod, I can already buy you a pony right now," he said.
Liv can't help but chuckle because he probably would. She too would give the world to her bur for now all she could do is to stroke her baby's head and whispered, "I love you, Bella."