A/N: My take on a nice, fluffy, ideal Olivia/Teddy relationship. Please note I've taken some creative liberty with Teddy's age and he's only 2 in this story. The "incident" is some kind of national security threat, not 9/11 level, but a serious situation. Liv's POV.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Shonda!

Chaos.

My head is spinning as I try to make sense of what is happening in front of me. The room is a chaotic mix of secret service agents and White House personnel, all talking at the same time. Everyone is moving, rushing around, and yet I feel completely frozen and I can't seem to move at all. Through the cacophony, suddenly, I can hear Teddy crying for Fitz.

I spot him in the corner of the room farthest from where I'm standing. He's crying hard, sitting on an aid's lap while she attempts to comfort him. My heart breaks instantly.

As soon as he catches sight of me his arms raise, reaching for me. I cross the room in seconds, scooping him up from the aid's lap and holding him close. Teddy's little arms wrap around my neck and hold on tight, his wails dropping off into softer cries.

"Hey buddy, shh. I'm here. I'm right here, I've got you," I murmur softly, alarmed by how upset he is.

"Ms. Pope, I'm so sorry, Jen wasn't here tonight, she's on her way now, we weren't sure what to do," the aid speaks in a rush, wringing her hands, looking distraught and apologetic.

I turn kind eyes toward the young woman.

"It's alright, don't apologize. Poor guy, he just doesn't understand what's happening."

The aid remains flustered through her explanation of what happened, but from what I can gather Teddy and Fitz had been right in the middle of their afternoon playtime when all hell broke loose. I'm not a child psychologist but I know this child well enough to understand his reaction to suddenly being jerked away from Fitz. Teddy craves routine, particularly where Fitz and I are concerned. We've made it a point to give him more stability over the past few months, more normalcy, especially after he had developed a bond with me. I hadn't expected him to capture my heart so quickly, but he had other ideas.

To be honest, I wasn't sure motherhood, in any shape or form, would suit me and I found the idea of it a little terrifying at first. Fitz and I had talked at length early on about my potential role in Teddy's life and had decided to follow his lead and let things happen organically. Teddy had been bounced between three different nannies in his short two years of life, and although I wanted to bond with the little boy I was careful not to force anything. A few weeks after my unofficial presence as The First Girlfriend had been well established, I walked over to the residence alone early one evening, too exhausted to wait for Fitz…

Three Months Ago

Peeking into the nursery on my way to the master bedroom, I find Teddy and Jen in the rocking chair getting ready to read bedtime stories. As soon as he sees me in the doorway his face lights up.

"Goodnight little mister," I say with a soft smile and a little wave, just like I would on any other night.

Except this time, he hops off of Jen's lap and runs over to press a book against my legs.

"Lib! Lib wead it? Wead me?"

Teddy is comfortable with my presence, he sees me on a regular basis and we play together often enough, but he's never specifically asked for me before. A little shocked, I look up at Jen, who shrugs and happily accepts the chance to go home a little early.

I kick off my heels, taking Jen's place in the rocking chair, and Teddy immediately makes himself comfortable in my lap.

"Okay let's see, what are we reading tonight?" I ask him as he hands me one of two books he's chosen.

"'Meelon colors," he answers, pointing to the cover of "A color of his own", which displays a brilliantly multicolored chameleon.

"Oh, I see! He has lots of colors. What color is this?"

We work our way through the book and Teddy interjects less and less as he gets sleepier. By the third page of our second book, he's asleep in my arms. I rock him for a little while, feeling his soft breaths against my neck, inhaling baby shampoo and clean rocket ship pajamas. Looking down at his sleeping face, I try to imagine what life must be like for him, constantly having to get used to a new caregiver at such a vulnerable age. He's such a happy little guy, quick to laugh and always one step away from something mischievous. At the same time, he suffers from severe separation anxiety and I have to wonder if past experience has taught him that any time someone leaves, they may not come back. Teddy snuggles down more comfortably against my chest, and a wave of affection takes my breath away.

He asked for me.

Present Day

There, in the dim quiet light of Teddy Grant's nursery, a part of my heart that I didn't even realize needed filling ran over. I realized that I wanted to be his person, his 'Lib', his stepmom, whoever he needed me to be. And that was it. Bedtime became my special time with him, and I've made it my mission to develop a comfortable routine that the little boy can count on.

Various staff members are briefing me on the incident as I stand with the toddler in my arms, his head on my shoulder as I unconsciously sway back and forth. Jen shows up to take him over to the residence but my gut is telling me that with the abrupt change in routine and chaotic environment, he won't go for it. Teddy is hiccupping quietly against my neck, and against my better judgment I move to hand him to the nanny. Immediately he's reaching for me, crying for me, and I can't leave him.

"Okay, you're okay. Shh, I'm here," I soothe, quickly taking him back into my arms.

Someone standing nearby starts yelling into his cell phone, and I feel Teddy jump in my arms, crying harder. I make a split second decision and decide to keep Teddy with me. I click over into fixer mode, sending Jen home first and then organizing a message to Fitz that I have Teddy and that we'll be in the residence. Next is a quick call to Quinn, letting her know I won't be available to come in to the office for the rest of the evening.

Teddy is quiet as we make our way through the West Wing, sniffling occasionally. As soon as we're in the residence I make a beeline for his room, flipping the ceiling fan on and closing the blinds.

Settling into the rocking chair, I take a deep breath and force my body to relax. I press my lips to his forehead, warm from crying, and rub gentle circles over his back hoping that the quiet of the room and the rocking will help lull him into a nap.

We've been rocking in silence for a few minutes when Teddy leans away from my shoulder and looks around, whimpering, "Daddy? Did Daddy go?"

I stroke a few curls away from his face, trying to decide how to explain the situation to a two-year old. As it turns out I don't have to, as Teddy voices his newest fear.

"Lib's gonna go?" Teddy asks, starting to cry again.

"No, honey, I'm not going. I'm not leaving, shh."

I coax his head back against my shoulder. He whimpers for a few more minutes before, finally, his little fingers come up to twirl my hair, a telltale sign that he's falling asleep. I try to lower him into his crib, once, twice, before I give up and let him nap in my arms. I know Jen normally gives him five minutes to cry it out but I just don't have the heart to do it today.

When he wakes up he has a smile on his face, the trauma of the afternoon forgotten.

Later, after Fitz has joined us in the residence for a little hide-and-seek, I send Teddy off to his room to pick out our books for the evening. When Fitz pulls me into his arms, whispering a thank you against my lips, I don't need to ask what he's thanking me for. I've stopped trying to tell him that I don't need to be thanked for taking care of a child that I've grown to love.

"Lib! Lib!" Teddy's voice rings out into the living room.

A grin splits across Fitz's face.

"Go ahead, Lib," he teases, sliding his arms from around my waist.

I smile and hold his gaze for another second before I turn and head to Teddy's room.

"Okay little mister, what are we reading tonight?"

A/N: I have lots of unfinished one-shots sitting on my laptop...if you guys like this one let me know and there may be more!