A/N - This chapter is pretty short. Longer one coming. Enjoy.

Olivia took a deep breath in the backseat of the van. Fitz was considerably calmer but maybe he was faking it, she thought. The girls were at the hotel with Sonia and a squad of guards and even that made her nervous.

There were journalists, newscasters, reporters, and paparazzi outside the van, screaming questions before they had even come to a stop at the capitol building.

"It's gonna be fine," Fitz said as he took her hand, reassuring her. "Remember I told you, anything you don't want to answer, just tell them it's classified. If they can't show you proof, don't answer because they don't know. I was very careful but you need to be careful as well, don't give them a reason."

Olivia nodded again, "I went to law school, I passed the bar...I shouldn't be this nervous."

"No, you shouldn't."

"This is gonna be a shitshow," she said with a sigh.

"It's gonna be a shitshow," Fitz agreed then he smiled, "come on."

He opened the door and stepped out then he helped Olivia out and clamor enveloped them both.

The flash of photography and the screaming of questions became cacophonic. They walked together, hand in hand quickly up the steps to the building.

Olivia wore a white Dior suit, one she'd made herself. Fitz wore his dark blue general's uniform. They were in the building for almost an hour before they made their way to the hearing room where senators, journalists, spectators, and foreign press awaited.

Then they both entered, the click of cameras went into a frenzy. All of the senators were seated, as was Abby who was on the opposite side. It was only a day before the hearing that they announced Abby would be there.

Olivia walked down the hall in front of Fitz and took a seat at the table beside her lawyer then Fitz sat beside her with his lawyer on the opposite side of him.

Between finding out they'd been summoned to a hearing last week and actually arriving at the hearing this week, the full video of what transpired on that day in New York was released. It was every bit the worst-case scenario they had imagined, full of violence and gore and atrocities, of course, committed in the name of the United States but still the fact that it was on camera and clearly some were committed by Fitz was not something that would go away soon.

"Good morning," the chairman of the Senate intelligence committee greeted. "I'd like to welcome our witnesses today and I'd like to thank you all for agreeing to answer our questions today. I think after what we all witnessed this past week, at the very least we deserve to have our questions answered, both by the government and civilians alike. That's not to say we aren't grateful the attack was thwarted by you and your team General Grant. I think we all realize how catastrophic it was and could've been more so had you not intervened but what we witnessed was also a horrific display and after thoroughly reviewing the materials collected, I think it was imperative we meet in this format to have accountability under oath for the American people."

Fitz rolled his eyes.

The chairman continued followed by the ranking member then they called on Fitz to give an opening statement.

"I have no comment," Fitz said.

The chairman turned to Olivia, "your opening statement, Mrs. Pope-Grant."

"I have no comment," Olivia said.

"Ms. Whelan," the chairman said.

Abby opened a folder on the table in front of her, her lawyer was by her side.

"I want to thank the committee for offering me a platform to truthfully answer questions today to give the American people a better understanding of what took place that day in December so many years ago. I witnessed the video just like everyone else. It was horrific but it was necessary and we don't do anything other than what is absolutely necessary to protect the American people. That was our only goal that day and I hope after this meeting, all your questions will be put to rest. Thank you for your time."

"Thank you, Ms. Whelan," the chairman said then he turned his attention to Fitz. "Do you usually have missions performed on American soil?"

"No," Fitz answered.

"Why was this different?"

"The attack was on American soil."

"Has that ever happened before?"

"I can't say."

"Why not?"

"It's classified, I had a brain injury and my memory isn't reliable, take your pick."

The room chuckled.

"General Grant, this is serious."

"I disagree."

"You disagree?" the senator questioned sternly.

"Listen, I don't give a shit what the American people want to know-"

"-language," the chairman barked as he banged his gavel.

"You guys said the same thing the first time you dragged me up here to answer questions and then what? You did absolutely nothing but show off on camera for seven minutes each then everyone forgot about it. Also, why is my wife here?"

"She was a part of an elite team of special military forces, as were you and since not many who served close to you are alive, your wife appears to be a great witness."

"Witness to what exactly? She wasn't there?"

"Witness to all events that took place while she was there," the chairman barked.

"So this isn't about what happened in New York?"

"I got a tip that your wife blackmailed her way onto the unit."

"What?" Fitz said with a chuckle.

"She allegedly had no military experience, no military training but somehow she ends up on an elite fighting team as a sniper, how does that happen?"

"We accept prodigies into the unit all the time," Fitz quipped, "Ms. Whelan over there was barely out of training before she was being scouted for the unit. Did your tipper mention that."

"At least Ms. Whelan had some military experience, Mrs. Pope-Grant had none."

"She was a shooting prodigy. We're very talented, you see. She was scouted to perform at the Olympics in archery and the junior Olympics in swimming...oh and she was a gymnast...wait...what was the question?"

The room chuckled.

"This is serious."

Fitz shrugged.

Olivia shook her head uncomfortably, biting her lips, trying to hold back a laugh.

"Ms. Whelan, does Mrs. Grant shoot better than you, a seasoned veteran of the elite team?" the chairman asked.

Abby leaned to the mic, "she was a precise shooter, she had almost a perfect score. I was there when Fitz- sorry, General Grant tested her and she passed in the 99th percentile."

"Why did he put you on the team?" the chairman asked Olivia.

"I was in command, you ask me," Fitz interjected.

The chairman nodded, "fine."

"We lost our sniper and need another. She was a precise shooter. It's that simple."

"There were no others in this team of elite fighters who could've been the sniper. You expect me to believe that?"

"I don't care what you believe. You've never set foot in the military other than for a photo-op so I'm not sure why you'd understand-"

"-Excuse me-"

"-When you have a team of elite fighters every fighter serves a purpose. Pretty much all under my command were precise enough shooters to act as a sniper but that would've been a waste. A sniper stays behind and shoots the strays and hostiles. Am I supposed to leave my best fighters behind, who I need in the field, and let them shoot hostiles?"

The chairman groaned, annoyed, "I yield my time."

The ranking member leaned to the mic.

"You're a sniper, or you were a sniper, Mrs. Grant so I'm assuming you killed someone before. Multiple people in fact, right?"

Olivia's lawyer leaned to the mic, "my client won't answer that."

"What is she pleading?" the ranking member asked.

"This isn't a trial, she's not pleading anything, she just won't answer."

The ranking member went on until her time ended and then another senator began.

"You were fired from your role as head designer and creative director for Christian Dior, is that accurate?" he asked.

Olivia took a breath and leaned into the mic."No, I resigned but after some negotiations with the board we decided I take a leave of absence and return by a mutually agreed upon date."

"Why did you attempt to resign?"

"My husband just returned after years away and I wanted to spend time with my family, without any work commitments."

He nodded, "Don't let the feminist hear you say that Mrs. Grant." He tried to joke and some members in the room laughed.

"Do you have a question, Senator?" Olivia asked, short.

"Do you have an identical twin sister, Mrs. Grant?"

"Uh...yes, why is that relevant?"

"Reclaiming my time?"

"Okay," Olivia said.

"Are you close with your father?- were you?"

"What does my father have to do with anything?" Olivia asked.

"Did you do everything he told you?" the senator asked.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know I was called here to talk about my daddy issues."

The room chuckled.

The senator rolled his eyes, "answer the question."

"No," Olivia said.

"What?"

"No, my father is dead and has nothing to do with what happened that day."

"You have to answer the question, Mrs. Grant," the chairman said.

"She doesn't," Olivia's lawyer chimed in.

The senator turned to Abby.

"Does General Grant usually kill in such a barbaric manner?"

"I mean...he doesn't put a pretty ribbon on dead bodies."

"Answer the question, Ms. Whelan."

"I guess."

"Yes or no?"

"Yes. we all do."

"Please answer the question as I asked it, thank you."

The senator turned back to Olivia.

"Why did you leave this special team?"

"I found out I was pregnant with my first child," Olivia answered.

"By the general?"

Olivia sighed, "obviously."

"Yes or no, please," The senator snapped. Before giving Olivia a chance to respond he turned to Fitz. "Do you think it was appropriate to engage in sexual relations with a woman under your command?"

"There was nothing appropriate about what we did," Fitz quipped, to laughter from the room.

Olivia pinched his knee under the table.

"Please answer the question," The senator warned sternly.

"No," Fitz answered. "this has nothing to do with what I'm here to talk about so find a question that does or move on."

"Here's a question: are you worried your children will one day watch what happened and think their father is a monster," he asked.

Fitz immediately became angered, remembering what Erin had done to the girls and their reaction.

"I don't know, last week when you went on that quasi-nazi news channel to talk about bombing civilians in Syria were your kids disappointed?"

"Excuse me-"

"Don't fucking talk about my daughters."

The chairman banged his gavel- "you are out of order sir," he barked from the dais.

"Fuck every single one of you useless losers," Fitz said as he stood from his chair and took Olivia's hand. Abby's mouth fell open on the other side of the hearing room.

"This hearing is not adjourned," the chairman barked.

"Fuck you," Fitz mouthed to him again before he turned and walked out with Olivia, leaving chaos behind them.

Olivia sat on the couch in their hotel room. The day had been long and grueling. She wasn't sure where Fitz had gone but it had been a few hours since he told her he was going for a walk after they returned from the hearing. The girls were down for their bedtime and she'd just showered and was wrapped in her towel robe. Their flight back to the island was in the morning and it couldn't come soon enough.

She got bored on the sofa and stretched for the remote to turn on the tv.

"-He got mad when someone asked him a tough question and stormed out like a bratty child."

"Don't you think asking about his children might be seen as crossing a line, senator?"

"I don't and frankly anyone saying it was is blowing this out of proportion, just like he was. He's a cold-blooded killer, thank god for him that day in New York but are we seriously saying he can't handle a question about his children. These liberals-"

"Well, actually, we don't want to speculate on his politics because he hasn't made that clear," the journalist responded.

"Look at his wife, she's as feminist, social justice warrior as they come, just take one look at her social media and-"

Olivia turned off the tv and leaned back on the chair then she heard the hotel room door and moments later Fitz walked into their room. He headed straight for Olivia and laid his head on her lap on the couch.

"Are you okay?" she asked, holding back a chuckle.

"Can you believe I'm the one who lost it? I thought it was gonna be you."

"Me too," she said. "That senator is on tv talking about you."

"I gave him exactly what he wanted, attention."

"Yeah, you did."

"Really, it's your fault."

"My fault?" Olivia asked.

"Who told you to give me such fucking awesome daughters."

Olivia laughed and ran her hands through his hair.

"I know you're worried about what the girls will think when they're older. You can't fret about that, all you can do is be the best parent you can be and when they're older. They'll choose you. Everything else won't matter, only that you're their father."

"You tell me shit like that to make me feel better and it works but as soon as someone says the smallest thing my insecurity about this goes on overdrive again."

"Your relationship with them is still new, it'll take time," Olivia said.

"I know," he said with a sigh, "I just need to get over my issues."

Olivia's phone chimed and when she grabbed it from the seat beside her, it was an unknown number once again. She'd been waiting for it to ring all evening.

She stood quickly and walked to the bathroom then closed the door behind her and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Olivia?" she heard Erin's voice call. "I need your help."

"Erin?"

She heard crying. "Where are you?"

"I'm at home. I made bail."

"Are you high?" Olivia asked.

Erin sniffled but said nothing so Olivia took that to mean yes.

"Why are you calling me?"

"Olivia, you know how hard I tried to get off drugs, you know what it did to me. Why would you let him do that to me? I'm right back where I started."

"Erin, you were trying to get us arrested-"

"Not you, him."

Olivia shook her head, "After everything you did, what choice did I have but rid myself of you. I know you act the way you act because you hate me."

"Of course I hate you," Erin cried, "What choice do I have? The only other person I could hate for how horribly my life was is dead. You're the only other family I have, so what choice do I have? I know it's not fair and I know it's not right but I don't have anyone else."

Olivia sighed and wiped her eyes, "I don't know what to do with you, Erin. I've tried so hard but every time I try you just...you spit in my face like I'm nothing. I know your life was hard, Eli hurt you, and maybe that's why I tried so hard to help you and make you feel better but after what happened, I don't know if I can do that anymore."

"I know-"

"I don't fuck around when it comes to my daughters Erin, you know that."

"I know," She cried.

"So how could you? You're their aunt."

"I don't know," she said softly. "I'm sorry- I just."

Olivia took a breath and wiped her eyes again. Her face was drenched.

"Um...what do you want?"

"I just need someone. Cheyenne won't return my calls and I don't know what he gave me but it feels like Heroin. I've been smoking weed to kill the urge to get more but it's not working. I have to get out of here because I'm losing it."

Olivia closed her eyes, "if I help you, It doesn't mean we're okay, it just means you're my sister and we're family and I'd rather you not be high and vulnerable out there." Olivia sighed, "I'll have Rumi call you in a bit."

"Okay...thank you, Olivia."

Olivia hung up and wiped her eyes again then took a breath. She took a few minutes in the bathroom before she walked outside to see Fitz waiting at the same spot on the couch that she left him. She sat down and took a breath.

"Erin, right?"

Olivia didn't answer.

"So you finally answered...what did you agree to?" he asked as he sat up.

"When Scott was beating strangers up and driving drunk what did you do? Did you make him worse or did you make him better?"

Fitz leaned up, "are you picking a fight? Because that's not even comparable to what Erin did so don't even go there."

Olivia turned to him, "what you did to her, it doesn't bother you the least bit, does it?"

Fitz became annoyed, instantly, "Not even a little and since you're looking for a reason to be mad at me I should probably tell you that under no circumstance is she allowed to be around my daughters again so if you're thinking about somehow forgiving her and pulling her back into our lives- don't. I have enough shit to deal with and I don't need your crackhead sister adding to it."

"Don't call her that!" Olivia screamed as she burst into sobs and ran to the bathroom and slammed the door shut. Fitz went after her, shocked by her reaction but it was too late. She'd already locked herself in.

He took a breath, "what do you want me to do, Olivia?"

She pulled open the bathroom door angrily, "I want you to show some humanity to someone who isn't me or our daughters. Erin looks exactly like me and even then you can't show her one ounce of sympathy. The only difference between me and Erin is that I was lucky enough to spend a decade with my mom before Eli came in and fucked me up, Erin only had him so if you could find it in your cold, empty heart to just not be so content in my twin sister's suffering, I'd really appreciate it."

Olivia attempted to slam the door but Fitz managed to shove his foot in the door, stopping her. He stepped into the bathroom.

"Where is this coming from?" he asked softly. "You were fine five minutes ago."

Olivia sighed and wiped her eyes then she walked back to the vanity.

"I've done a lot of fucked up things in my life. If someone had killed me then, I wouldn't be the person I am now-"

"I never said anything about killing Erin," Fitz said, puzzled.

"Then why do I feel like that's what you want? You want her gone, don't you?"

"I'm not going to kill your sister, Olivia. I want her out of our lives but that was only after what she did to you and the girls. Why are we even talking about this?"

Olivia shook her head and rolled her eyes, "whatever."

Fitz sighed and walked away, leaving Olivia alone in the bathroom and hoping her episode was stemming from pregnancy hormones and not a desperate excuse to defend Erin.

He went to the other bathroom in their hotel suite to shower and then changed into pajamas. Olivia was in bed when he returned. He crawled in beside her and felt her scoot away from him the moment their skin made contact.

"Are you serious?" he asked, feeling the sting of her rejection.

Olivia didn't answer.

He sighed and leaned back against the pillow.

"Why now? This happened weeks ago so why are you mad at me now when you said it was okay."

"Just leave me alone Fitz, I'm tired," Olivia answered.

Fitz ended their conversation there. Olivia fell asleep soon after but Fitz couldn't do the same.

In the morning when he woke Olivia was already gone from the bed. It was almost 7am and he stood immediately and went to find his family. They were in the dining room with Sonia. Olivia was combing Lily's hair into two french braids with pigtails at the end as she sat at the table eating her food. Both Isabelle and Daisy's hair was already done.

"Good morning," Fitz said.

"Daddayyy…" all the girls screamed.

Isabelle and Daisy ran to him while Lily pulled Olivia's hand from her head and ran as well. They hugged him and he kissed them then they went back to their food,

"Good morning," Sonia said.

"Good morning," Fitz returned.

Fitz walked to the table and sat then grabbed the pitcher of orange juice and poured himself some. He turned his gaze to Olivia. To his chagrin, she still seemed distant. He drank his juice and then headed back to the room to get dressed.

A few minutes later, Olivia walked in. She headed straight to her suitcase and pulled off her robe then dressed in a pair of yoga leggings and a t-shirt. Her stomach seemed to be rounder than before, perfectly round. It was the first time she truly looked pregnant and not just slightly bloated since they'd found out the news.

Fitz sighed and walked to her and pulled her into his arms.

"I don't want you to touch me right now, Fitz. let me go," Olivia said calmly.

"No," he said angrily, "either you tell me what to do to fix this or you get over it. Being mad at me indefinitely...we're not doing that."

"I don't know how to fix it okay, I don't know," Olivia cried, frustrated, "I know Erin was wrong but so were we. When you told me you'd take care of her, I didn't know that meant drugging her. I tried to be okay with it but I'm not and after talking to her...I don't know...it made me feel worse."

"What do you want me to do to fix it?"

"I want you to care about her the way I would have cared about Scott. I want you to take care of her. I know she can't be around us right now, our daughters come first, I know that and I told her that but it doesn't mean we have to treat her like a dog."

Fitz nodded and held Olivia closer, "I understand, I'll take care of her, I promise."

Olivia nodded and finally melted in his arms. "Thank you."