A/N: Hey all! I know you probably forgotten I exist and this story and all, but I finally got the courage to write this chapter. I will be finishing it because I know so many enjoy it (for some strange reason) and I couldn't dare let y'all down! I, again, want to thank you for the kind reviews and thoughts and support this stories existence. I have a few more chapters in mind before its all said and done. You all are the reason I write and I want to thank you and know that I your words reassure me in my moments of self doubt. Enjoy and always feel free to leave your thoughts and suggestions (:

Fitz hummed to himself quietly, trying to find a vice to calm his aching nerves as he sat in the living room of Gram-grams home. She had left him alone momentarily to make some fresh lemonade in the kitchen, too much time for him to sit idly and drown in his thoughts. This was not the first solo visit Fitz had made to the matriarch's home; in fact, he tries to stop by at least once a week, with or without Olivia, to have a taste of her fresh dessert of the week. Today, it is lemon pound cake. But this visit is different, the conversation he intended to have with her was of the utmost importance. He wanted to talk about Olivia, a topic they only superficially discuss. Today, he wanted to know everything and most importantly, he wanted her approval and permission.

"You look stressed, my dear." Her sweet yet stern voice entered the room and it brought a smile to his face. She placed the tray laced with two glasses of sweet lemonade and two plates adorned with scrumptious looking cake.

"Comes with the territory I guess."

"Which, dating my granddaughter or running the country?" A light chuckle escaped him, his nervousness melting away with each moment she was near him.

"Both, I guess."

"Alright, lets get to the nitty gritty. What's wrong?" He found himself chuckling again as he brought the brimming glass to his lips. The lemonade was sweet and refreshing.

"I wanted to ask you something."

"Well, ask it!" He enjoyed how much gram hated beating around the bush. It was one of the traits he wished Olivia could have developed from the years of being under her care.

"I wanted to ask you about Olivia and her relationship with her father." Her face darkened slightly as she took a sip from her glass. She seemed to be thinking.

"Has she told you about him?" Fitz nodded. "Well then, I don't know what else there could possibly be for me to say."

"Olivia has told me the situation with Kevin and how she feels about it but…I wanted to know your thoughts on everything. You always seem so sure of everything and…well, I just want to try to understand Liv better." A genuine smile spreads across her lips.

"Child, you know that woman better than I, or anyone for that matter, could ever. There is nothing about that girl for me to tell you that you do not already know. I should be asking you this question!"

"I know Liv, I know I do. But there will be moments when I feel like no matter what I do, I can't reach her. Things are perfect right now, more than I could have ever hoped our relationship could be. But there are moments when she will become distant and untrusting. When I tell her I love her, sometimes she will look at me as if she doesn't believe it. As if this entire scenario is a lie. That what we have is temporary. It hurts me to see that and it pains me even more to know that there is nothing I can do about it!" Fitz picks up his plate and munches on his cake quietly for a few moments, his distress driving a need for a physical distraction.

"Mr. President—"

"Gram, when are you going to stop calling me Mr. President and start calling me Fitz?" He cuts her off with a laugh in his voice.

"When you are no longer the president, which means never. Now hush and listen!" He threw his hands up and continued to eat his delicious cake. "Look, the damage Kevin inflicted on that girl was beyond anything anyone can undo. Her entire childhood was spent believing this one way of living, the living that he imprinted on her. Old habits die hard. She knows better but she forgets to trust her gut sometimes. Olivia is afraid of happiness because to her, that means weakness. She was raised off the idea that weakness is unacceptable.

"She loves you more than anything on this earth, but she also loved her father and her mother for what she knew of her and she loves me. Of the four things in her life, two of them were snatched from her with less than a blink of an eye. She is afraid to lose you, so every once and awhile, she tries to push you away herself. But you know better. You know her. You know everything that I am telling you, but I guess you just needed someone to reaffirm some things. So you're welcome, I guess."

"I guess I did." Fitz thought to himself quietly, reflecting on the not so new knowledge Gram had shared with him. Olivia was always afraid to love because she new the things you loved the most would be taken away. He hated that she felt that way, even after all this time and work she has put into making herself emotionally stronger. It just…it scared Fitz, the thought of Olivia not knowing the unending depth of his devotion for her.

"So what's the next part of this session, Mr. President?" Fitz shifted in his seat uncomfortably, his nerves bubbling up once again. He couldn't pinpoint why he was so nervous about what he was about to ask, seeing as he had already brought the question up to Olivia in a heated moment once before without a second thought. Maybe it was the idea of an official acceptance from the most important person in Olivia's life.

"Well, Gram…I uh…I wanted to ask your…permission on s-something." He was stumbling over his words like a grade schooler asking the girl of his dreams to the dance.

"Well? Get on with it, child!" Her urgency was the kick he needed to forget his nervousness and jump into the topic at hand.

"Well, I wanted to ask how you would feel about me asking Olivia to marry me." Fitz watched her face intently, hoping to find an instant unspoken answer in her soft eyes. Her mouth revealed neither smile nor frown, but her eyes were sparkling with the sudden wetness of tears and excitement.

"How I would feel about you making my granddaughter the First Lady of the United States? Now what kind of question is that?" She wiped away the stray tears escaping her eyes and smiled brightly.

"Just asking. You never know with that Olivia."

"Oh hush! That girl will marry you in a heartbeat. Fitz, of course you can marry my Livvie. I would be delighted!" A deep sigh of relief escaped him and a smile as wide as the Nile spread across his face. He got up from his place and moved to wrap her in a deep embrace. Things were falling into place perfectly as of late, Fitz couldn't imagine waiting any longer to claim Olivia as his wife.

Fitz didn't like keeping things from Olivia, the dishonesty of even the smallest things reminding him too much of the painful years filled with deceit with Mellie. But sometimes, she couldn't know certain things. He knew her too well and was able to understand what things, no matter how small and trivial, could set her off. As he sat in the convoy impatiently waiting for the clearance of his entry, he couldn't help but feel awful at coming here without her knowledge or consent. The two knocks on his car door window snapped him out of his murky thoughts. He took a deep breath and exited the vehicle.

The walk into the penitentiary was a long one, his secret service detail larger than what he usually took around with him. As he walked by the empty common area, an uncomfortable silence ringing beyond his heavy footsteps, he felt the loneliness created by his position. His safety was always number one on the agenda, but he couldn't help but feel isolated all the time. Not even having the wary and shocked glances of men locked away beyond his reach made him want to recoil into himself for some form of company. The meeting room was just as deserted as he took a seat behind one of the glass partitions. The moment he sat down the unwelcoming face of Kevin Wallace awaited him. Instantly, Fitz found the stunning similarities of his Livvie in the man's face; the high cheekbones, wide questioning doe eyes and that forehead that seemed to wrinkle at any sign of discomfort.

Fitz picked up the phone next to him and waited as Kevin did the same.

"Mr. President."

"Hello, Mr. Wallace. I've heard a lot about you."

"Sorry to say I can't say the same for you." He had a wicked smirk on his face that made Fitz slightly uncomfortable. "What have I done to garner this over the top yet distinguished visit?"

"I wanted to ask you something personally."

"And what could a man such as yourself have to ask me?"

"I'm sure you know that I am currently dating your daughter, Olivia."

"I heard through the grapevine." A tinge of darkness enters his eyes momentarily, but it is gone with a swift blink.

"Well, I knew from the moment I met her that she was the one. I still don't understand how I made it through my life without her, but I have her now and I have never loved anything the way I love your daughter. I want to marry her, but I wanted to ask for your blessing." A hearty boom of laughter radiates through the phone.

"Fitzgerald Grant. You want to marry my daughter? Why in the hell would you ever think I'd give my blessing for that?" Fitz didn't know what to do other than stare at him in shock. "My daughter is off limits. I only have so much control here in this cell to rot for the rest of my life, but my hold on her is permanent. She won't marry you."

"I don't think you know your daughter as well as you think."

"I know her better than anyone!" Anger radiated through his words now, the crinkle in his forehead growing deeper and deeper. "I raised her to aim for the best and then when she reached that, aim higher. You think she loves you? Love doesn't exist. I raised her better than that. Love is a weakness, a blemish that lies on the road to success making it impossible to reach. She knows better. Everything I did, as harsh as she may say it was, was to make her better. I raised her to only want success.

"Marriage is the complete opposite of what she needs. There is nothing powerful about sitting around all day looking at drapes and planting flowers in the Rose Garden! Olivia strives for better than that. So no, Mr. President, you do not have my permission to marry my daughter!"

Fitz looked at the enraged man with a smile on his face. He was trying to hide the sadness in his heart. It was strange to see the physical reality of what made her the way she is today. He always felt that Olivia had exaggerated her father slightly, but now he knew that, if anything, she underestimated his tenacity. But it gave Fitz comfort to know that he really knew her better than anyone, and how vast her change has been.

"All due respect, Mr. Wallace, but you do not know your daughter. She is powerful and strong, things you instilled in her for sure. But she has a heart and she knows how to love. Her love is so deep and never ending, I sometimes wonder if it could ever run out. You broke her down and its true that your impact on her may never go away, but she knows better now. She can have it all, and I am going to give it to her. So I will marry your daughter, because her grandmother gave me her blessing. Your comments are irrelevant, I just thought it would be a nice gesture to stop by and meet the man that almost stole my love from me." Fitz hung up the phone, the sight of the man still screaming and pointing fingers into the glass bringing him a little too much joy. As he walked out of the prison, he felt lightness on his heart. He hated lying to Olivia, but he felt a deeper connection to her now because of this visit. He was no longer afraid of those moments when she will draw away from him. They were inevitable, yes, but he also knew that she was stronger than anyone he knew. He just told the cause of the problem himself; she knew she could have it all, and she was going too.

"Fitz, are you alright?" The sound of Olivia's voice snapped him out of his deep thoughts. Air Force One had just landed in London and she found him staring out the window majority of the flight.

"Of course. You're here with me." A soft blush spread across her cheeks, his constant compliments never failing to embarrass her.

"Well, put a smile on. We're about to meet the Queen!" She was trying to hide her excitement, but she was nearly bouncing in her seat. The Queen had invited the couple to a gala she was throwing in honor of a new restoration she put in motion on the royal jewels. The elite heads of state around the world will all be attending. In bed one night he told her that his goal for the trip was to tell the queen a joke so she could crack a smile. It was in those quiet moments alone when Fitz would say the silliest things that her love for him seemed to restrike the match igniting her fire. She always loved him, every moment of every second of her life, but certain moments it seemed to burn brighter, deeper. It was exhausting but liberating.

Tom rounded the corner to where they were seated and motioned that it was clear to exit the plane. Olivia stood up and offered her hand to her love and he gladly accepted it. Before they made their way to the door, he spun her around and captured her lips. The kiss was gentle but rounded with a hint of fire that made her knees buckle slightly. Olivia sneered at the day she would ever tire of his kisses, knowing it could never dare come.

Olivia almost fainted when their convoy pulled to the guarded gates of Buckingham Palace and Fitz whispered that they were invited to stay there. This was already the greatest adventure of her life and they had just gotten off the plane. The room they were placed in was beyond words, the elegance and detail in the gold trimming on the walls and the cold marble floors making her feel dizzy. Fitz simply watched her from the doorway as she bounded to every corner of every inch of the room. When she crashed into his arms, his warmth devouring her in that sweet comforting way, she could only muster the words "I love you". That was always enough for him.

She was sad when they had to break the embrace to get ready for the gala, his arms so complete and encompassing. As excited as she was to meet the queen, there was nothing like laying around with the man of her life. When she slipped into the closet room (literally a room the size of her living room at home. Just for clothes!) where her things had already been eradicated from the suitcases and hung on satin-laced hangers, she sat against the door and took in what her life has become. She was dating the President, had been for over six months. The media was surprisingly fair with their relationship, the scrutiny coming only when it seemed he was spending more time with her than working on foreign policy. In the first weeks of their relationship going public, they dissected everything about her at their disposal, from where she attended grade school to who her last rumored lover was. They had expected this, but it was still overwhelming. Nothing about her father has yet to come up, something she knew Fitz had a hand in. They went on the town sometimes, restaurants shutting down per the request of the secret service. They did normal things as only they could do, normalcy not something they were accustomed too. Gala's and events were always on their agendas, but most of the time, they would be holed up in the residence, take-out littered around them and films yet to be released playing at their leisure. It was unconventional and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Slipping into the couture gown she labored over for weeks, the chilly crimson satin resting on her skin comfortably, she smiled. The gown cinched slightly in the middle of her chest, the peaks of her breast exposed just slightly, her back taking the brunt of the air falling over her due to the dress plunging to the middle of her back. She was extremely satisfied with her choice. Her hair was already spun into ringlets falling around her shoulders and the light dusting of make-up around her eyes was enough for her. She was ready to be back in the arms of her lover.

He was waiting for her when she opened the door, his eyes taking her in hungrily. She could only manage a coy smile as she turned her eyes away from his intense gaze. They took their exit and were guided through the maze of the palace to te hall where the gala was being held. The room was filled with laughter and joy as couples were spinning around the dance floor, a large symphony playing on the stage at the edge of the room. People were everywhere introducing themselves and meeting old friends as waiters walked around with drink and hors d'oeurvres. Olivia smiled brightly as Fitz walked around, introducing her to heads of state and prime ministers and shahs from around the world. The diversity in cultures in the room was stimulating and exciting. When Fitz took her to the queen, her mouth went so dry she was sure a fire could have started underneath her tongue. Fitz leaned over to her and whispered what was sure to be one of his corny jokes. Olivia couldn't hide the shock on her face when a genuine smile spread across the queen's lips.

"I cannot believe you got her to smile." Olivia whispered to Fitz as they twirled around the dance floor, the soft tinkles of the symphony leading them.

"What can I say? She can appreciate a good joke." Olivia couldn't help but roll her eyes at him. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Am I? Fitz, honey, this is beyond words. I never dreamed I would be in Buckingham Palace, let alone meeting the queen herself. Thank you."

"What if I asked you to marry me? Right here. Right now."

"I'd laugh right in your face." She brushed off his question without a second thought. She was used to him randomly tossing marriage related questions around and they never held any weight. They were just jokes. He knew better.

"Aww, Livvie, you wouldn't laugh at me, really?"

"I would."

"Marry me." A chuckle left her as he bore into her eyes with a sudden intensity.

"Fitz, what's—" He spun her suddenly, the suddenness of the motion dizzying her. When she finally righted herself and faced him again, she didn't see him towering over her.

He was down on one knee.

"Fitz, what the hell are you doing?" She choked out the words under her breath quickly. Her heart was beating irrationally fast inside her chest and her anger was beginning to flare at the smug smile on his face. No one around them seemed to notice the man on the floor, but she could feel the energy of the room shifting quickly. She had to nip this fast.

"Olivia Carolyn Pope, you are the love of my life. I don't think you realize how important you are to me. I cannot wait another day without claiming you as my wife." The soft breeze caused by turning couples had ceased and the symphony was slowly getting quieter. Fuck.

"Fitz I…I—"

"Livvie." His face brightened as if he forgot something. He reached into the breast pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a black velvet box. When he opened it with his shaking hands, Olivia quickly realized this was not a random moment for joking. This was real.

"You're serious?"

"Extremely." Olivia inspected the ring and felt her mouth open slightly. It was modest: a medium sized pear cut diamond surrounded by small amethyst on the band. It was absolutely perfect and oddly familiar.

"Oh, Fitz…" Her words came out in a weak whisper, tears slowly beginning to stream down her face. Olivia couldn't manage thoughts to enter her mind, the haze of the surprise getting the best of her. She had to think this through, formulate a list of pro's and con's and what if's, but she just couldn't in this moment. The only thing working properly was her heart.

"Will you say yes? Will you marry me, Livvie?" His words seemed to be the only thing in existence at this moment. The happy gazes and whispers of the guests around her had vanished as her eyes darted between the ring and the eager face of the love of her life. Fitz managed to slip the ring onto her finger and she stared at the foreign object adding weight to her hand. Olivia felt herself shake her head vigorously. She hurled herself into his arms, the two of them falling to the ground. To hell with decorum.

"I can't believe you!" She whispered to him. He just smiled as he pressed his lips to hers.

Olivia twisted her hand left and right, up and down to capture the different ways the light hit her ring. She realized how girly of her it was and felt a slight hint of disgust, but she shrugged it off and allowed the joy to settle back in. Fitz was in the bathroom showering, Olivia opting out of joining him so she could finally think over the events of the day. It was almost too perfect to have been unplanned, but she knew in her heart that Fitz just decided to bite the bullet. Olivia was resting on the couch, her legs pulled underneath her comfortably as her silk pajamas melted into her skin. The more she gazed at the ring, the more familiar it seemed. She had seen this before, in this exact detail. When she twisted her hand away from her and towards the light, a flashback of a picture entered her mind. This ring belonged to someone.

"Picture…picture…what picture?" She asked herself aloud. She thought of Gram and remembered that she still wore her ring without fail, the cut being much simpler. Then it hit her.

"Still admiring it, huh?" Fitz said to her, the happiness seeping through his words. She was sure he had been watching her for a few minutes, taking in the scowl on her face.

"Where did you get this? How did you get this?"

"You figured it out, I assume?"

"How?" Her voice was desperate, her need for answers almost choking her. She felt smothered by the ring in this moment, the weight of its true owner crushing her. She could the see the image, her beautiful wide smile, her left hand trying to hide her face in embarrassment, the beautiful pear cut diamond surrounded by amethyst glowing beside her cheek.

"Gram gave it to me." She felt his weight on the other side of the couch. "I went over there a few weeks ago to ask for your hand and she gave it to me. She told me your father gave it to her after your mother died and she had been holding onto it for the right moment. She said your mother would have wanted you to have it." The weight of his words sat on Olivia's heart. The ring that now adorned her finger was what once rested on her mother's. The woman she loved unconditionally yet never knew. The woman she had yearned for, and still yearns for, once wore this out in the world. She felt a sudden feeling of closure and…completeness. It did not matter that her father had given this ring to her, for she knew back in those days that man was different and full of love and hope. And if her mother had accepted it, how bad could he have been?

"Fitz." She crawled over and straddled his lap, her hands molding into both of his cheeks. The ring was sparkling in the light and they shared a smile. "I love you. I love you so, so, so much. Thank you. For this. For everything." All Olivia's fears about marriage and him were quickly fading into those cerulean eyes. Every answer to every question was resting right there in those orbs.