NSFW

After having lunch with Cyrus, the ladies went straight back to Olivia's apartment so that she'd have time to take a quick nap. Just as Dr. Fulton had suggested, Abby had stopped to get a blood pressure cuff so that she could monitor her levels. She tried to persuade Olivia to use it before they made it home, but she refused. She had other things on her mind, so the last thing she wanted to see were numbers that were too high.

Just as promised, Tiffany had been on her best behavior during lunch. The whole thing was pretty boring, so she opted to blog about her day instead of really paying attention to the conversation. All of her followers were super excited to see more pictures of her and Olivia together, so she was sure to include a few more. They dropped her off at the hotel with Big Gerry and Angela so that she could start getting ready for the ceremony that night.

Olivia kicked her shoes off then went straight into the bedroom so that she could get out of her dress. Fitz had been laying in bed waiting on her. Showing his parents around the town had been a very tiring experience so he was ready to take a nap, but he also wanted to make sure that Olivia made it back safely. They had 2 hours before her hair and makeup team arrived, and he knew that they'd need some rest.

'Hey there.' he smiled as she walked in, his whole body perking up. It had only been a few hours, but he missed her. He always did.

'Hey.' she smiled back as she started pulling her dress over her head. It was pretty loose fitting, so it didn't require much work. Olivia immediately threw it off into the hamper, leaving her only in a pair of panties.

Fitz licked his lips as his eyes raked over her body, but he tried to keep himself under control. It was pretty hard, though, when her breasts were lightly bouncing as she moved around the room. The panties she had on weren't even particularly sexy, but that didn't deter him from wanting to pull them off. He had been thinking about her chest since earlier that day at the doctor's office.

'How was the city?' she asked, not even noticing how he was watching her. 'Did your parents enjoy everything?'

'They did.' he nodded. Fitz was already only in a pair of boxers, but he began to discreetly pull them down his thighs.

Olivia walked over to her vanity to grab a ponytail holder so that she could push her hair up. 'That's good. What'd you guys do?'

'A bunch of stuff.' he replied, now staring directly at her ass. 'Mom wanted another piece of cheesecake, so we went back by the restaurant before I dropped them off.'

'Did you get me a piece?' she asked hopefully.

'No.' Fitz shook his head. 'The doctor just said this morning that you need to be eating healthy foods. I don't think that another piece of cheesecake falls into that category.'

Olivia sighed but couldn't help but to agree with him. She'd never say that out loud, though. Fitz laid down on his side and pushed the covers back and held his arm up for her, inviting her to come and snuggle into his chest. She scoffed at the goofy looking smirk on his face.

'What makes you think that I want to cuddle with you right now? I'm mad at you.' she huffed as she glanced over his bare chest and down towards the rest of his body.

She was expecting a pair of boxers, but her eyes widened when she looked over his half erect penis instead. She was supposed to be mad about the cheesecake, but she had forgotten all about it now. It never ceased to amaze her at how fast she could get distracted if Fitz being naked was involved.

'Well, we don't have to cuddle if you don't want to.' his wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

'I'm mad at you.' she repeated before stretching her back and laying down beside him. Olivia turned her back to him but pushed his arm off when he tried to wrap it around her. 'Don't touch me, Fitzgerald.'

Fitz burst into laughter before turning over and shutting the lamp off on his side and leaving the room in darkness. He had already shut the curtains, so the sun could only fade in through the dark fabric. He came right up behind her, careful not to touch any part of her body. He knew that she'd give in way before he did, so it was comical to see her try to play hard to get.

5 minutes later, just as Fitz predicted, Olivia started to slowly inch her body closer to his. She moved slowly until her back was pressed against his chest and her behind was wedged against his crotch. He chuckled lowly as he eased closer to her and wrapped his arm around her petite waist.

'I thought you said you didn't want me to touch you.' he whispered in her ear before placing a small kiss on her neck.

'You can touch me but only a little.' she said as if it was some type of great compromise.

'Oh, really?' his eyebrows quirked. Fitz's hand began to roam until he found her chest. He was careful as he squeezed down on her breasts, softly tugging on the bars dissecting her nipples. He knew how sensitive the area had been, and he didn't want to hurt her. 'Can I touch you here?'

'Mmhhmm.' she hummed lightly. Olivia shut her eyes and squeezed her thighs together as she started to feel a familiar tingle between them. She moaned softly as Fitz began laying kisses up the column of her neck and lightly sucking on all the spots that he knew would drive her wild.

'Where else can I touch you, pretty girl?' he lowly murmured against her skin.

Olivia took hold of his hand and gently guided it down to her womanhood as she parted her legs. She was still in her panties so she pushed his fingers down to the damp portion of the material.

Fitz slid his thick digits in between her parted thighs and cupped her pussy. He lightly massaged it and grinned as her body shivered.

'Are you wet for me, Livvie?' he murmured lowly. Fitz's fingers traveled into the waistband of her underwear, and he caressed her flesh. He could feel his cock begin to harden as he separated her lips. 'Talk to me, pretty girl.'

'I want you.' she whined, not wanting to be teased.

'How do you want me?' Fitz started to push her panties down, now feeling like they were in the way.

'On top.' she responded as she pushed the skimpy fabric down using her feet and slowly rolled over on her back.

This had always been her favorite position to do with Fitz when they were making love. There were times when she preferred to be bent over or up against the wall or even in the shower, but today she just wanted them to take their time. It was something about being about to kiss and look each other in the eyes that she found extremely intimate.

She smiled up at Fitz as he sat up on his knees in the bed and worked to push the covers back. Olivia watched as his erect penis sprung from under the sheets and pressed against his lower abdomen. He worked his hand over his cock a few times as he looked over her body.

Fitz placed his hands on both of her knees and parted her legs. Olivia bit down on her bottom lip as held out her arms for him to join her on the bed. He laid down on top of her, using his elbows to hover a bit to avoid squishing her. Now that she was pregnant, neither of them had to worry about using a condom and he loved that. He much preferred the feel of her slick walls gripping his manhood.

Olivia's hands began to explore all over his body as he started kissing her neck. His cock was pressed right at her entrance as his precum started to mix in her fluids, causing a mess on the sheets below them. Olivia wrapped her legs around his hips and began to grind her pussy on him, hoping that he would slide in.

Her hands wandered into the curls at the nape of his neck. Olivia used her pointer finger and thumb to grab the helix of his ear and lightly pull on it. Fitz immediately snarled and sunk his teeth into her shoulder. She knew that that was his weak spot, and she enjoyed exploiting it at almost every opportunity she got.

'Fuck me. Fuck me.' she whispered breathily into his ear.

Fitz reached down into between their bodies and grabbed the base of his dick. He slid his tip up and down her wet slit, teasing them further. Olivia cried out, her body arching until it rose off of the bed. She could feel her walls clenching, craving to feel his connection.

'Please.' Olivia nearly sobbed.

With that, he finally started to slide inside of her. Her jaw dropped and she choked on air as he filled her to her brim. Before he could slide out, Olivia reached down and grabbed his butt, digging her nails into his flesh of his right cheek.

'Not yet.' she shook her head desperately.

He grunted lowly as he tried to pull out of the vice grip her pussy had on him. 'I have to move, Livvie.'

Olivia shook her head once more. 'Not yet, not yet.' she repeated.

Fitz began to roll his hips side to side. She kissed him in any place that her lips could reach, going up and down the side of his cheek and temple. As soon as she started to let him go, he pulled out the way out, then snapped his hips back into place. Olivia screamed loudly, her stomach trembling from the building pressure.

Olivia met him thrust for thrust, even as he started to go faster. Her perfectly manicured nails were causing scratches all over his backside, but he didn't even seem to notice. The sounds of their animalistic like grunts and growls took over, and they were both glad that Teddy had gone to stay with Big Gerry and Angela for a while.

The two of them made love until it was almost time for Olivia's team to show up. Both of their bodies were spent, but they still got up so that they could take a shower. Despite telling Fitz that they needed to get ready so that they wouldn't run late, he immediately dropped to his knees and parted her legs. She didn't put up much of a fight, though, as his tongue started to circle her clit.

By the time they heard someone knocking on the door, she had just started drying off. She hated that she didn't get to take a nap, but it was worth it. Abby could tell by the huge grin on her face that she had been thoroughly fucked, but she didn't comment on it. Instead, she led the rest of the 'glamsquad' into the living room so that they could set up.

The peace and serenity that was once over the apartment was long gone. Fitz never thought that it would take so many people just to get one person ready for an awards show, but Olivia had a whole dedicated team.

There were 5 stylists that had set up shop in the living room, and they were all moving around each other like one well oiled machine. Olivia was sitting in a chair in the middle of the room, while they all took turns with her. Fitz tried to stand close to see what was going on, but he ended up just being more in the way.

Abby had Olivia's phone and was walking around the room so that she could take pictures to share with the fans on her social media. The Book Keeper Awards definitely weren't as popular as the Oscars or Grammys, but Olivia had a loyal fanbase that was sure to tune into the live stream once it began.

Teddy got a taxi back to Olivia's place. The original plan was for him to just ride with his parents, but he wanted Abby to see him in his tuxedo before they left. He was nervously adjusting his tie as he watched Abby do her job. He turned to Fitz as he fixed his boutonniere. 'Do you think she's seen me?'

Fitz raised his eyebrows. 'Who?'

'Abby.' he murmured lowly and gesture to her.

'Oh.' his nose crinkled. 'I doubt it. She seems to really be concentrating on her job.'

'Maybe if I ask to take a picture with her, she'll notice me.' he stood to his feet and began to fish his phone out of his pocket.

Fitz shook his head. 'She's busy, Ted. Just wait until she gets a moment to breathe, then try and talk to her.'

He sighed. 'I guess you're right. We have all night.'

One of the men that came had brought a whole suitcase full of accessories with him. He miraculously found enough floor space to sit it down and open it up, revealing what seemed to be dozens of compartments. Each one was filled with different types of necklaces and bracelets with jewels and diamonds, and he began to inspect each one individually.

Olivia usually followed the style advice of her team, but they always gave her options. They wanted to be sure that she was happy and comfortable in whatever garment that she'd be in. He walked over so that she could see him, and held up two different sets.

'These are my recommendations for tonight. I think they'd both go well.' he suggested. 'Which one would you prefer, darling?'

One of the makeup artists was working on her eyeliner, but she peeked down long enough to get a good look. Olivia couldn't really move much as she wanted to, but she gestured to the gold set. They were simple gold chains, but with small, vibrant red roses linked together. The man nodded his head and smiled, happy that she went with his top pick for the look.

He made room amongst the others to put her necklace on and made sure to secure it tightly. Next, he reached for her wrist so that he could do the same with the bracelet. His nose slightly crinkled when he saw Doux Bebe on her ring finger.

'This piece is beautiful, but it doesn't match anything you have on. The ensemble just doesn't fit.' he took hold of her finger. 'I don't think it's a good choice for the night.'

Olivia immediately took her hand back, growing a bit defensive. Just as she had promised Angela and Fitz, she hadn't taken it off once since he had given it to her, and she certainly didn't plan to tonight. 'Not this. This one isn't up for debate. I'm wearing it.'

He sighed at her fashion decision, but knew better than to put up a fight over it. Olivia could be pretty strong willed, and he knew that he needed to pick his battles with her. Instead of dwelling on it, he put her bracelet on her and then went to find the matching earrings.

Fitz had heard their exchange, and he couldn't help the huge grin that formed on his face. He loved the fact that she'd be wearing her ring for everyone to see. Olivia didn't want to treat it like some type of costume piece to be taken on and off, and tonight would be no different.

As the hairstylists finally finished, Olivia stood up from her seat. She was already in her dress, but they had draped a few towels around her shoulders to keep it protected. Abby assisted as they started to remove the layers, and another grin formed on Fitz's face.

She looked absolutely stunning. Olivia always looked great in his eyes, but tonight was different. He wasn't sure if it was the baby, the makeup, or the excitement of the award, but she was glowing radiantly. She was wearing a red gown that flared out near the waist to help camouflage her baby bump, and the neckline plunged. The material ended below her feet, which meant that she could ditch her heels and wear a pair of flats instead.

'Wow.' he murmured as he looked her up and down.

'Wow?' Olivia smirked and did a twirl so that he could see the whole outfit. Her shoulders and neck were fully exposed, but the team worked hard on concealing the bite marks Fitz left behind earlier that evening. 'I've been sitting in that chair for an hour and a half. Is that all you can say?'

'Absolutely.' he nodded and stepped closer to her. 'I'm speechless.'

'Awww.' the stylists all said in unison.

Olivia and Fitz seemed to have tuned everybody else in the room out as they shared their moment. He reached out and took both of her hands in his, still grinning ear to ear. Abby had been watching from afar, but she quickly got her phone out and snapped a few photos of them together. She wouldn't be posting them publicly, but they'd be nice to have for later.

Teddy lightly tapped her shoulder, bringing her out of her train of thought. He smiled as brightly as possible, hoping that she'd notice him. 'You look great, Abby. I really like your outfit.'

Abby had to keep herself from smirking. She nodded her head. 'Thank you, Teddy. You also look very nice in your tux.'

His entire face lit up and it was impossible to hide. He honestly didn't think he'd get this far, so he had no clue how to take the conversation any further. Before he could think of anything, though, Abby's phone began to ring. The car she ordered was about to pull up outside, so they needed to get ready to leave.

'It's almost showtime, people. Let's get out of here.' she clapped her hands together a few times to imply urgency.

Teddy cleared his throat. 'You heard her. Pack it up, everyone!.' he said in the deepest voice that he could muster.

Fitz chuckled lowly and leaned forward to press his forehead against Olivia's. He spoke lowly so that only she could hear what was said. 'How long do you think Abby is going to last before she wants to kill Teddy?'

Olivia giggled softly in return. 'I'll give her until the end of the night. She may not kill him, but I'm pretty sure she'll try to strangle him.'

They both laughed lowly, clearly content in staying their own little world. Abby rolled her eyes and pushed their foreheads apart and began to slightly adjust Olivia's hair. 'Can you two do this later?'

Anybody else probably would have been annoyed at their manager being so bossy, but Olivia didn't mind. She understood all the pressure that Abby was under. Most celebrities had multiple people in their entourage to take care of their needs, but Abby was by herself doing it all. She had been very stressed about things being perfect for tonight, and she didn't want anything to go wrong.

'Yes ma'am.' Olivia answered somewhat sarcastically.

'Ha, ha.' Abby rolled her eyes and grabbed her bag off of the couch. 'Do you need anything before we go, Liv? I have some saltine crackers if you're feeling nauseous. I also grabbed a battery powered fan, just in case you get hot. And—'

Olivia placed her hands on Abby's shoulders. 'Breathe, Abigail. I'm fine.'

Abby took a short breath in, and then out, then nodded her head. She headed towards the front door and opened it. 'It's time to go. Let's file out.'

She chuckled and shook her head. She knew that it was no way to get her to relax at his point. Teddy immediately walked out the front door, eager to follow her instructions, but Fitz and Olivia lagged behind.

'I don't think I want an assistant anymore.' he whispered to Olivia. 'She may bite my head off.'

Olivia nearly snorted. 'She's just on edge. It'll all be worth it once we see the final product.'

Instead of sending a normal vehicle, the car service gifted them the use of a limousine for the evening. It was their own personal way of congratulating Olivia for her award, and ensuring that she and Abby would continue to be loyal customers. The driver was already parked near the front door, and he immediately got out to let them inside.

Because of the size of Olivia's dress, she had to hold it at the bottom to make sure that it didn't scrub against the ground. Fitz simply watched on proudly as she gracefully stepped out of the building and headed towards the car. She looked like a princess walking amongst men, but he knew his opinion was a bit biased.

There was full bottle service for the duration of the ride, but nobody drank anything. Olivia, of course, had to abstain from any alcohol, and Fitz and Abby figured that it wouldn't be fair to drink without her. Teddy was a bit tempted to try something, but he knew better. Fitz would surely make a comment about it, and he didn't want be called by his older brother in front of the woman that he was trying to pursue.

When they arrived at the venue, there were plenty of paparazzi waiting outside to grab pictures. Instead of having a traditional 'red carpet', the long press walk had white carpets and a floral backdrop with thick vines and roses. The flashing cameras were enough to overwhelm both Fitz and Teddy, but Olivia and Abby seemed to be in their element. The driver stopped the car and got out to open their door.

Olivia looked over her shoulder at Fitz, knowing that the cameras made him uncomfortable. 'Just stay close.'

He cut his eyes to try and protect them from the blaring light. 'I'll try.'

Abby checked her watch and sucked her teeth. They were only running 2 minutes behind, but it annoyed her nonetheless. 'Olivia, you go out first. Talk to a few reporters, and take a few pictures while I make sure that our tables are ready.'

Teddy's nose scrunched up as he saw the group of people begin to surround the car, awaiting Olivia's appearance. 'Can I go with you, Abby? This doesn't really seem like my scene.'

She sighed but nodded her head. Abby wasn't used to having anyone tagalong with her for these types of events, so she just prayed that he wouldn't hold her back. 'You can, but you're going to have to keep up. Things are about to start moving fast.'

'Gotcha!' he grinned and nodded his head, although staying close to her was what he wanted to do anyway. It wouldn't be much of a challenge.

The driver finally opened the door, and suddenly people were calling Olivia's name. He used his arm to make enough space for her to get out, and she stepped onto the carpet. Fitz followed right behind her, trying to stay as close as possible. It amazed him that she could so effortlessly handle huge crowds like these.

There were a few other authors there who had been nominated for awards and Olivia knew a few of their faces. Usually Abby would give her a crash course on names and faces and their published works, but they hadn't had time to go over anything. She was a bit flustered, knowing that people were going to start coming up and greeting her, but she had no clue who they were.

Award shows weren't necessarily her favorite thing to do. She would have skipped the process completely if it hadn't been for Fitz. When he found out that she'd be receiving an award, he was over the moon about it. Olivia was happy upon receiving the announcement, but she had all intentions on just sending Abby to get her trophy and then mail it to her or just put it on the shelf with her other awards.

But, despite her apprehensions, she managed to work the crowd pretty well. Fitz was close enough to almost trip on the back of her dress, but he was careful not to ruin anything. The last thing he wanted to do was embarrass himself, or her, in front of all of these cameras. He couldn't help but feel proud, though, as everyone's attention fell directly on her. Even the roses on the backdrop seemed to match her attire perfectly. She definitely looked as if belonged there.

There were circles on the ground indicating places for people to stop and take photos. Olivia halted her steps about halfway down the walk, then took hold of Fitz's hand. She tilted her neck to gesture towards the camera, and he seemed to have gotten the picture. He wrapped his arm around her waist and smiled the best he could.

'Olivia! Olivia! Turn to the side!'

'Olivia! Who are you wearing?'

'Over here, Olivia!'

After a few shots of them together, people starting requesting photos of Olivia by herself. Fitz was about to back away, but she took hold of his hand and murmured softly. 'You don't have to go anywhere.'

'This is your moment, Olivia.' he lightly kissed her temple, not caring about the flashing cameras. Fitz released her fingers and took a few steps back so that she could have her time alone.

In the past Olivia would have turned her nose up at this type of PDA, but she enjoyed it with Fitz. She chortled and blew him a kiss to show off for the cameras, then turned her attention back to the photographers. She was careful not to take too many shots from the side, trying her best to keep her ever growing belly out of view.

Fitz took his own phone out of his pocket to snap a few photos of her. He knew he'd have plenty of options for his new screensaver by the time the night was over and done. Before long, though, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

He immediately turned around and was greeted by a short woman wearing a press badge. She had on a thick pair of glasses, and a frumpy looking top with flared jeans. 'Excuse me, but can you answer a few short questions?'

'Ummm..' he hummed, his eyebrows furrowing. He didn't think anyone would be paying much attention to him, so he definitely wasn't prepared for his. 'I'm not sure, actually.'

She chuckled. 'It won't be anything sinister. I promise. This is pretty standard procedure.'

'So I guess you can tell that I'm new at this.' he said, glancing over his shoulder to make sure that Olivia hadn't gone anywhere.

'First timers are usually pretty easy to spot.' she smiled warmly, knowing that she was reeling him in. 'What's your name?'

'Fitzgerald Grant.' he answered, feeling a bit more easy about the process.

'Nice.' she smiled and nodded, holding her phone closer to his face so that she could record what was said. 'And I see that you're here with Olivia Pope. Is it safe to say that you're an item?'

Fitz was a bit hesitant at first. While their relationship wasn't a secret, he knew that Olivia liked to keep her relationships private. He chose his words carefully before speaking. 'We are definitely an item. She is my girlfriend.'

'Oooo.' she grinned widely, causing Fitz to nervously laugh. 'We haven't seen her with anyone on her arm in a very long time. How does it feel to be dating the most groundbreaking fiction author of our generation?'

'Amazing. Surreal.' he answered immediately. 'I'm so very proud of her and her accomplishments. I couldn't have asked for a better person in my life. I'm very privileged to have her.'

'That was a very sweet thing to say.' she reached out and touched his arm in the hopes of getting him to warm up a bit. 'Do you read her work, or do you simply support?'

'I have read every single one of Olivia's books at least twice.' he answered proudly. 'They're wonderful, actually.'

'I'll be sure to put you down as a super fan.' she smirked. 'Does she let you read any spoilers ahead of time, or does she leave you in the dark like the rest of us?'

'Oh, no.' he shook his head. 'Sometimes she'll give me a word or two, but she's extremely secretive about her work. Olivia won't allow anyone to see what she has done until she's satisfied with it. She's truly a perfectionist.'

Fitz didn't want to mention that he had seen at least 10,000 words of the new book, because he had helped her write it. Olivia's writer's block had really been getting to her, and he volunteered to do whatever she needed. That part wasn't important to him, though. He liked helping her. He didn't want to say it and diminish any of the hard work she had already accomplished.

'And what would you do if she decided to stop writing? Would you support her other career endeavors?'

'Absolutely not. I'd have to break up with her if she stopped writing.' he joked then bellowed out a laugh. 'But, seriously, I'd follow Olivia to the ends of the earth and back. She can move to Antartica, and I'll go as long as she allows me to.'

'Awww.' she smiled. 'Some people even call her the black J.K. Rowling. Those are big shoes to fill and—'

'Well, I don't agree with that.' he immediately shook his head, not allowing her to finish her sentence. 'She isn't the black anyone, except the black Olivia Pope. She shouldn't be compared to anyone else, and to do so would be condescending.'

The woman seemed a bit taken aback by his answer, but simply nodded her head. She wasn't expecting him to be this passionate on the subject matter, but she knew she didn't to reel things end. The last thing she wanted was for Fitz to get upset and end the interview. She had a feeling she could get a few more good comments out of him.

'Alright, we'll move on.' she cleared her throat.

Before she could get another question out, they heard Olivia start to call his name. She had gotten tired of taking photos, and it was pretty warm standing under all those bright lights. The last thing she wanted was something to trigger a hot flash, so she knew that they needed to head inside. She held her hand out to him, lightly flexing her fingers to beckon him along.

'Do you think you can get Olivia over here? Maybe you guys can answer some questions together.' she waved at her in hopes of getting her closer.

Fitz shook his head and then reached to shake her hand. 'I'm going to have to decline. Tonight is about her, and I think she's ready to go.'

She shook Fitz's hand and tried to persuade him to stay a bit longer to answer a few more questions, but he was already walking away. She cut her eyes at him as she turned her recording off, but she knew she had more than enough for a good story.

'I was gone for three minutes and now you're famous.' she teased, intertwining their fingers. Olivia was more than ready to sit down, so she just waved at a few people as they passed, but didn't stop.

His face turned a bit red from embarrassment. 'She wanted to interview me. I wished she had asked me where I got my tuxedo from. I wanted to show it off.'

'Aw, poor baby.' she murmured in a sympathetic tone, although she was obviously making fun of him.

'I hope I said the right things.' Fitz mused. 'She seemed very excited about talking to me. Maybe she'll actually put me in an article.'

'Did you admit to murdering anyone or hiding a body?' she asked, glancing up at him out of the corner of her eye.

'No.' his head shook.

'Well, then you couldn't have said anything too bad.' she shrugged her shoulders.

If Olivia was being completely honest, she didn't even think the woman would think twice about Fitz. There were plenty of other interesting people in attendance to chat with tonight, so she doubted that he'd make the cut. She wouldn't say it directly to him, though, because he seemed pretty confident about the interview. She was really just glad he seemed to have eased up a bit around the crowd.

Although Abby had already alerted the people in charge that Olivia had arrived, she had their official passes in her clutch bag. There was a bit of a line to get to the main security guard at the front, so they waited patiently. Everyone knew that she would be receiving the Book of the Year Award, so people were congratulating her as they passed.

'Olivia Pope! Olivia Pope!' they heard from a distance.

There were no more photographers allowed past that point, so they were both confused as to who could be calling her name. It was a man near the end of the line, but he managed to make his way through the waiting people to get to them.

Fitz's eyebrows furrowed and he leaned into her so that he could whisper. 'Do you know this man?'

Olivia gave him a wave and pretended to smile at him, but she knew that it wasn't anybody that she knew. It wasn't until he got close to them that she recognized him as the man from the bookstore. 'I think he's just a fan.' she whispered back to Fitz.

The guy had the biggest smile as he approached them, cutting in front of other people in the line. His black hair was slicked back, and he was obviously wearing way too much cologne. Olivia nearly gagged as he approached, his strong scent proving to be way too much for her already weak stomach. Fitz saw the reaction she was having, and he tried his best to stand in front of her and shield her away.

'Fancy seeing you here, Olivia.' he teased, obviously not noticing how sick he was making her.

'It's nice to see you, too.' she said, trying to casually cover her nose as she spoke.

Fitz took a step in between them, but simply smiled and held his hand out for him to shake. 'My name is Fitzgerald Grant. I'm Olivia's boyfriend.'

The man looked in between them, and then shook Fitz's hand. 'Wow. You're one lucky guy. Olivia is the person who inspired me to start writing. I wouldn't be where I am now if it wasn't for her.'

'Wow. That's amazing, actually.' Fitz commented. He was happy that his Livvie could inspire so many others to follow their dreams, but he knew they needed to get away from this guy. He could see the line start to move up a bit, so they moved with it.

'Oh, Olivia, did you get all the packages I sent you?' he asked, now ignoring Fitz.

Olivia choked a bit and her eyes began to water. She simply nodded her head, although it was a lie. She hadn't received any packages at all since she had been in Knights Ferry. Abby had stacks of fan mail that they needed to sort through, but she hadn't gotten around to it.

'I wanted to know what you thought about chapter one in my new book.' he continued. 'I was hoping you'd maybe give me some pointers.'

Fitz cleared his throat to catch his attention, hoping that he'd leave Olivia alone. 'How did you say you met Olivia again?'

'Oh, um, Olivia hasn't told you? I'm surprised you haven't heard of me.' he said, somewhat smugly.

'I'm sure she has, but can you just refresh the story?' Fitz asked, praying that the line would go a bit faster.

The man turned his attention to Olivia, who was obviously becoming very flustered. 'I'm sorry, but I just don't remember right now.'

He immediately frowned, his face nearly shattering with disappointment. 'You don't remember? It's me, Quincy Philips. We met at a meet and greet back in 2014 and you signed my books. You said you saw potential in my writing.'

Olivia turned her back to the both of them as the scent really got to be too much. She didn't mean to be rude, but she also didn't want to throw up all over the floor and the people around her. She knew she wouldn't be able to fight it for much longer, so she immediately began to fight her way through the guests in front of her.

A few people gave her some dirty looks, but nobody really objected as she cut in line. She threw her ticket on the security desk and went straight inside the building. Security protocol was to stop anyone who hadn't been scanned in, but the man at the desk recognized her face. And besides that, she seemed to be in a big hurry.

Fitz watched on in horror and knew he needed to follow after her. He turned to Quincy who was standing there completely stunned. He gave him an apologetic look. 'Sorry about that. I think her nerves are getting the best of her.'

He stood there in silence for a moment. 'Olivia Pope is my idol. I did all of this because she said she believed in me. She didn't even remember my name.'

'I'm sure she does. It's just been a long night.' Fitz excused. Olivia would never purposefully offend anyone, especially not a fan, so he was sure this was just a mistake.

Fitz knew he was needed elsewhere so instead of sticking around to comfort the obviously distraught young man, he also began to break through the line. People were much more forgiving to Olivia, but he still managed to get to the front. After explaining to the security guard that he was with Olivia Pope, the man let him straight through.

There were people already starting to crowd around in the lobby area, and Fitz couldn't find her. He figured that she has escaped to a bathroom, but he wasn't exactly sure where they were. After asking around for a few minutes, one of the staff members pointed him in the right direction.

By the time he made it to the women's restroom, Olivia was already walking out. Her eyes were a bit watery and her lipstick was smudged, but she looked fine other than that. Fitz immediately got his handkerchief out of his breast pocket and handed it over to her.

'Are you okay?' he asked, although he realized that it was a bit of a dumb question.

'I'm fine.' she sighed and nodded her head, dabbing the corners of her mouth. 'Do I look okay? Do you see anything on me?'

Fitz looked her over and then shook his head. 'You look perfect. Absolutely perfect.'

She chuckled humorlessly. 'I don't feel perfect. I feel gross.'

'You feel gross, and I look gross. We make a great team.' he grinned and reached out to take her hand.

'You're an idiot.' she smirked.

'You have a little lipstick on your chin.' he pointed out.

Olivia reached inside of her clutch and pulled out her compact mirror. Fitz held it in his hand so that she could see herself while she reapplied her makeup. There was mouthwash provided inside of the bathroom, so she had already swished some around in her mouth. While getting sick definitely wasn't ideal, she was just glad she hadn't ruined her outfit.

'That guy seemed pretty upset back there.' Fitz mentioned as he watched her complete the final touches on her face.

'I still have no clue who he is.' she shrugged her shoulders then grabbed the compact from his hands and put it away. 'I'm at fan meet and greets all the time. On any given tour, I could meet thousands of people. It's impossible to remember everyone.'

'Well, he'll get over it.' Fitz mused. 'Plus, you must have done something right. He's here at the awards show, so obviously he took your advice and started writing.'

'I'll have to ask Abby to look him up. Maybe I can send him a nice gift or something. I feel a little bad for just running off on him like that.'

Fitz put his hand on the small of her back as they walked, keeping her close as they headed towards the main room. 'You have nothing to feel bad about. You couldn't help that you got sick. He was wearing way too much cologne, anyway.'

They both shared a laugh as they headed towards their table. Some people were already starting to take their seats, but they still had a while before the ceremony actually began. The lights were still bright, and there were crew members running around the perimeters to finish last minute tasks. Abby was sure to get them a table towards the front so that she wouldn't have to walk as far when it was time to accept her award. There was some light jazz music playing in the background, but it was almost impossible to hear over the chattering people.

They fought through the small crowds of people to get towards the front. Most of Olivia's guests had already arrived and were sitting in their assigned chairs. Fitz knew that he'd be meeting some new people tonight, so he tried his best to remember the rundown that she had given him about her friends and family. Her parents and siblings were all at a table together and were mingling amongst one another.

Eli was dressed in his favorite tuxedo, and Maya wore a very simple black gown. Fitz had never seen a picture of her sisters and brothers, so he had to keep himself from staring. Olivia usually preferred not to talk with him about her family, so he didn't know much about them. All he knew was that she was the youngest of 5, and she didn't really get along with them.

Fitz gently grabbed her arm before they walked over to where their table. 'Don't you want to see everyone else first? I don't want your parents to ruin your evening.'

Olivia placed her hand on top of his. 'They'll be on their best behavior tonight. They love these big award shows.'

While her parents hated her career choice, they loved to reap the benefits of her hard work. They never missed an opportunity dress up in nice clothes and smile brightly for the cameras. He sighed but nodded his head, and released her arm. Fitz had no interest in entertaining Maya or Eli tonight, but he'd play nice for her. If they said something to upset her, though, all bets were off.

'Hello, everyone.' Olivia greeted.

Much to Fitz's surprise, Eli and Maya actually stood to greet their daughter. They both wrapped her in a hug and kissed her cheeks.

'We were wondering when you'd arrive.' Maya cooed, although they had scolded her the night before for running late. Fitz almost didn't believe that these were the same people from the night before.

'My hair and makeup took a bit longer than expected.' she responded, clearly not surprised by their cheery demeanor. She was completely used to this hot and cold treatment.

'Well, we're just glad you're here now.' Eli gently patted her shoulder.

Fitz cleared his throat a bit and all eyes were on him. Up until now, Maya and Eli were purposefully ignoring him. Despite the fact that they were playing nice for the crowds, they had no interest in him. They still thought that Olivia picked a horrible partner, and had made a huge mistake by getting pregnant by him.

Eli cut his eyes at Fitz, their argument from the previous night still fresh on his mind. 'It's nice to see you as well, Mr. Grant.'

Olivia could see things growing tense between the men, and knew that she needed to break it up. She grabbed hold of Fitz's hand and then gestured to the table where her siblings were sitting.

'Everyone, this is my boyfriend Fitzgerald Grant. He—'

'The farmhand that got you pregnant.' her sister Hillary interrupted before she could finish. 'Father has already told us.'

Olivia took a deep breath and forced a smile on her face. She ignored her sister's comment, then turned back to Fitz. 'Fitz, these are my siblings Peter, Joshua, Hillary, and Kimberly.'

Fitz lightly patted her hand, his way of showing her that he was okay and could hold his own. 'Well, it's very nice to meet all of you. Olivia hasn't said much about you, but I'm sure that we'll all be getting to know each other very soon.'

Kimberly scoffed and sipped her champagne before looking away. Olivia kept her smile on her face, though, and took hold of Fitz's hand once more. 'We're just going to take our seats now. I'm sure the host will be out soon so we can get things started up.'

Maya took her seat next to Kimberly and nodded her head. 'Alright. Can't wait to see you up on stage.'

'Thank you.' she smiled at her before leading Fitz away towards the table they'd be sitting at.

'Was it just me, or were your parents actually being pleasant?' he asked, his eyebrows quirked.

Olivia laughed. 'I told you they'd be much better today. Bad behavior is bad for optics.'

They made their way to their own table which was just a bit closer to the stage. Abby had already let the award show coordinators know that they needed premium seating this year. She didn't want Olivia to have to walk so far just to receive her award.

Abby and Teddy still hadn't made it, but Olivia's other friends were all in attendance. Harrison, Quinn, and Elizabeth had been there for about an hour, just waiting on her to arrive. They were all very excited to finally meet Fitz and put a face to a name. They had seen him in a few photos before, but it was nice to actually see him in person.

Fitz watched as Olivia immediately lit up once she greeted her friends. It was nothing like the smile she had on her face when she saw her family. The expression was tense and forced, and it was obvious that she was uncomfortable. But, when Harrison hopped up to give her a huge bear hug, she looked as if she was amongst her real family.

Quinn and Elizabeth were right behind him, the 4 of them sharing a long group hug. Fitz almost felt out of place watching them, but he let them have their moment. He knew she didn't get a chance to see them often, so he was glad they were having a nice reunion.

Olivia finally pried herself out of their embrace long enough to catch her breath. She readjusted her dress to her liking before reaching back to reach Fitz's hand. He immediately took it and intertwined their fingers, taking a step forward.

'Everybody, this is my boyfriend Fitz.' Olivia said with a huge smile. 'Fitz, this is Quinn, Elizabeth, and Harrison.'

Fitz immediately recognized them from some of the photos that Olivia had in her small cottage. He reached out to shake Harrison's hand. 'It's so good to meet all of you. Livvie speaks very highly of you all.'

Quinn's eyebrows immediately raised and she playfully nudged Olivia. '"Livvie"? I didnt know it was "Livvie" now.'

If Olivia had been just a few shades brighter, her cheeks would've turn bright red. She pinched Quinn's arm. 'Shut it, Quinn.'

Harrison eyed Fitz critically. It wasnt that he didnt like Fitz, but he was very protective over Olivia. For years they had been the only family she ever had. She was more like a sister than anything.

'Liv's been telling us good things about you, too.' he mumbled softly. 'I hope you're able to live up to the hype.'

Olivia's eyes rolled, but she understood Harrison's concerns. She hadnt always been the best at picking out boyfriends, and she had been through multiple really hard breakups in the past few years. But, Fitz was different. She knew he was. Everybody else just needed to realize it.

Elizabeth took hold of Olivia's arm and started to lead her towards the table. 'Come sit, Liv. You're not supposed to be on your feet for a long time.'

'Thanks, Lizzie.' she smiled and started walking towards her chair. Her's was a bit different from the other ones surrounding the table. Per Abby's request, the coordinators had placed a cushion on top for some extra softness. They were going to be sitting in the same spot for hours, so she wanted to make sure she was comfortable.

Fitz quickly released Harrison's hand, making long strides to reach the chair first. He pulled her seat out for her and then gently pushed it under the table.

'Wow.' Quinn chuckled and turned to Harrison. 'And he's a gentleman.'

Harrison sucked his teeth, although he was fighting back a smile. It made him feel good to see that Olivia finally had somebody in her life that was treating her with respect. He wouldnt show that just yet, though.

'Anybody can pull a seat out.' he said dismissively.

Quinn laughed at her stubborn friend and then went to take her seat. Abby and Teddy joined them shortly after, although she wasnt really paying attention to anyone at the table. She was way too busy trying to micromanage the situations around her, and Teddy was simply hanging on to her every word.

Fitz took the seat to Olivia's left, and Abby took the one on her right. The food was supposed to be served at 7pm, and by 7:05 they still hadnt even seen any of the waiting staff. Olivia could tell her friends were growing frustrated with the situation.

Olivia placed her hand gently on Abby's knee. 'It's no need to get upset, everyone. I'm sure they're just running behind. It's going to be okay.'

'No, it's not.' Abby shook her head. 'They said we would have been served by now. I told them that you have to eat by 7pm.' she said pointedly.

Harrison cut his eyes as well. 'Liv, you're pregnant. You have to eat on a certain schedule. They should be catering to your needs.'

Fitz wanted to mention that Olivia hadnt been on an eating schedule at all and had basically just been gorging herself on junk food since the beginnging of her pregnancy, but now didnt seem like the time. He did, however, feel good knowing that all of her friends cared so much about her. It was actually pretty heartwarming to see. He made a mental note about asking Olivia what she would think about making them all their baby's godparents.

No more than 5 minutes later, the food finally came around. Harrison took his time to complain to the staff while Abby tapped away an angry email. It seemed very excessive, but Olivia knew that they all meant well.

By 7:30pm everybody had made it to their seats, and the event staff had dimmed the lights in the large banquet hall. The volume of the soft music began lower, and the lights of the cameras going through the audiences began to shine. The entire program would be recorded and set on a live stream, so Olivia was sure to smile whenever she saw a camera close.

The staff had been filling people's glasses with champagne the entire night, but nobody at their table drank. They did notice that some people around them had been knocking them back as if they were just cups of water, and Olivia kind of felt bad. They would surely do something very embarrassing after drinking so much, and it would all be caught on camera.

They all knew that Olivia would be receiving the Author of the Year Award closer to the end of the night, but she had still been nominated for some smaller things. To no one's surprise, she won in every category she was nominated in. Everytime she would have to stand up, Fitz would proudly get up and as well and pull her chair out, and they could all hear Tiffany screaming her name from her table.

Per Abby's recommendation, Olivia had already written an acceptance speech. It was something short and sweet, but she had put a lot of hard work into it. She had not shown it to anyone, but she had plans on acknowledging Fitz and the thought alone made her a little nervous. Olivia tended to be kind of private when it came down to her love life, so it was a big step to announce to the the people in the room, and everyone watching at home

With three other trophies now spread across the table, Fitz barely had room to keep his plate. He grinned proudly and put his arm around her chair. Leaning forward, he whispered in her ear. 'You are so amazing.'

Olivia chuckled and turned her head to capture his lips for a quick kiss. 'You're just saying that because you have to.'

'I'm not.' he rebutted. 'Liv, we're going to need a waggon to take all of this back. I'm going to have to build you a trophy shelf this week to hold them.'

A smile spread across her face. 'You would really do that?'

'I'm going to have to.' he said in a matter of fact tone. 'We need everybody that comes over to see them.'

'Nobody ever comes to see us in Knights Ferry.' she teased.

'Well, then that means I get to look at them everyday.' he kissed her temple before leaning back in his seat once more as the next category was announced.

Olivia wasn't sure how well Fitz would get along with all her friends, but he held his own in the group discussions they had. By the end of the night, it even seemed like Harrison was starting to warm up a bit as well. With about an hour left in the ceremony, one of the staff members came over to the table and tapped Abby's shoulder.

'We're about to do the Author of the Year Award in about 10 minutes, so I just wanted to let you know to be ready.' the man said, jotting something down on his clipboard as he spoke.

'Thank you.' Abby patted his shoulder, letting him know he could leave. 'Showtime, kid. Get ready.'

Olivia took a short breath, but smiled and nodded her head. She pulled her clutch purse from underneath the table and popped the buckle open. Near the bottom was about 3 notecards with some talking points on them that she had written out. She squeezed the paper tightly in her hand, internally hyping herself up to receive her award.

After a very short intermission, Olivia's publisher, Cyrus Beene, took the stage. She wasn't expecting him to be the one to announce it, but it seemed rather fitting. He was the only person to give her a chance when she first started, and she was glad he would be a part of this big moment. It seemed like everything was coming full circle for them all.

Cyrus was in a black tuxedo and some shiny black shoes. It was something rather simple, but it was definitely his style. A few people clapped as he approached the microphone, but not too many people knew he was. Most of his work took place behind the scenes, and that's exactly how he liked it.

He adjusted the microphone but instead of putting it at his height, he pushed it down just a little lower. Cyrus knew that Olivia would use it right after him, so it would only make it easier on her. He pushed his hands behind his back and cleared his throat before speaking.

'Every year a new up and coming author is chosen to recieve this very prestigeous award. As you can see I have no envelop in my hands, because we all already know who the winner is.' he teased, earning small chuckle from the crowd. 'This young lady has burst into our small community, and taken it by storm. I have never met anyone so passionate about her work, and I don't think I'll see anyone else like this in my lifetime.'

'When I first met this young lady, she was a very shy college student pursuing a career she hated. I've had the privilege to see her grow up and do something that makes herself, and the people around her, happy. I could go one for hours, but that's not what you all came here to see.' he chortled. 'So without further rambling, I'd like to present the Author of the Year Award to Miss Olivia Carolyn Pope.'

The crowd immediately burst into applause, but it was still fairly easy to hear Tiffany screaming Olivia's name amongst all the others. Just as he had done before, Fitz stood to his feet to pull her chair out for her. Olivia was sure to grab her notecards off of the table before heading towards the stage.

She kept her eyes straight forward, but it was hard when people wanted to stop and ask for hugs on her way up. Cyrus met her halfway up the stairs with an outstretched hand, offering his support as she made it towards the top. With her freehand, she held her dress to make sure that she wouldn't trip over it. That would surely give Fitz a heart attack and that's not what she wanted for the night.

Cyrus escorted her all the way to the microphone, while the young volunteer behind them handed over the trophy. It was fairly big, almost as long as her arm, and very heavy. She actually couldn't wait to get back to her seat and hand it over to Fitz so that he could carry it wherever else they were going. The spotlights and cameras all turned to her, and Cyrus and the young woman both took a step away to give her some room.

Olivia fiddled a bit with her notecards in one hand, but then realized that she wouldn't be able to hold both things at the same time. She gently placed the trophy on the floor beside her feet, then stepped to the microphone.

The first face she saw in the crowd was Fitz. He was wearing a huge, toothy grin, and he mouthed a silent 'I love you' to her from his seat.

Before she could even open her mouth to begin her speech, though, she heard a small commotion coming from the crowd. She tried to see what was going on, but most of the lights were pointed towards the stage and she couldn't exactly tell where the noise was coming from.

Before long, though, it became fairly obvious. There was a man making his way towards the stage and although people were trying to stop him, he simply fought through the crowds. Suddenly, nobody's attention was on Olivia and they all watched as he headed towards the stairs.

'Security!' Abby screamed, standing up from the table.

Fitz also stood up, ready to take the stage himself. He couldn't really make out the person's face, so he had no idea who he was. His worst fear was that he was storming up there to hurt Olivia.

Cyrus took a step forward as well to stand in between him and Olivia, but the man simply pushed him out of the way. Initially Olivia thought that this must have been some type of surprise portion of the show, but when Cyrus hit the floor then she knew this hadn't been staged.

It was only then that Olivia realized that it was the young man from the bookstore. He definitely didn't seem like the nice guy she had met earlier, though. His eyes were cut towards her, and he was stomping around as if he were some type of monster.

Olivia gasped and immediately placed a protective hand over her stomach. She stood frozen in fear, not sure what Quincy's next move would be. She could see Cyrus trying his best to stand up, but her legs wouldn't even move to help him.

Quincy got into her personal space to grab the microphone out of her reach. In the process, he accidentally kicked the trophy over and knocked the notecards out of Olivia's hands. They both fell to the floor below the stage, the glass portion audibly shattering as it hit the ground.

He addressed the crowd, his words slurring from all the alcohol he had consumed. It was fairly obvious that he had been one of the people benefitting from the unlimited bottle service being passed around that night.

'I just came up here to tell you all that Olivia Pope is a fraud!' the entire crowd gasped, clearly in shock as to what was happening to before them. 'She doesn't deserve this fucking award! She doesn't care about anybody but herself!'

The people in the audience immediately began to 'boo', clearly not agreeing with what he had to say. Fitz had finally made his way to the stairs, but the security guards from backstage were already coming from behind the curtain. Three of them emerged and grabbed him, snatching him away from center stage.

'Fuck you, Olivia Pope!' he cried out as they carried him away. 'Fuck you!'

Olivia was visibly shaken by the outburst, and she simply stared as the men dragged Quincy away. The ordeal felt like it had taken place over the span of an hour, but in reality only about 20 seconds had passed by.

Fitz tried to make his way onto the stage, but another security guard stopped him. They had no idea who he was, and they didn't know if he was working with Quincy or not. The man encouraged Fitz to take his seat.

Cyrus made it back on his feet, and made quick work of picking the microphone back up. He placed it back on it's stand and then grabbed Olivia by the arm. He leaned over and whispered in hear ear.

'This is your time to shine, kiddo.' he said softly. 'Don't let that nut take this from you.'

Olivia simply nodded her head, now holding back tears of her own. She gently took the microphone and looked down, noticing her speech now spread across the banquet hall floor. She could see the guards ushering Fitz back to his seat, and Abby getting out of her seat to address somebody who was in charge. The entire crowd was chattering amongst each other about the drama that had just played out before them. Clearly, no one was paying attention to her.

'Hello.' she said softly, quieting down the crowd a bit. Olivia plastered on a smile, although it was pretty obvious that it was fake. 'Thank you all for coming tonight. I'm not sure what's going on, but I can guarantee that we'll be getting to the bottom of it.'

She had never been nervous in front of large crowds before, but Olivia could feel her hands shaking as she tried to remember her speech. 'I—I would like to thank some important people in my life. My friends, who I love dearly, Cyrus, who believed in me when nobody else did, and my family. I couldn't have done this without all of you, and I appreciate everything that you do for me.'

'Lastly, I would like to thank my b—boyfriend, Fitzgerald Grant.' she said, clearly shocking Fitz whose eyebrows nearly raised to the top of his head.

Her voice cracked as tear fell down her face. She wasn't sure if she was nervous to speak, feeling emotional about telling the world about Fitz, or just on edge from the Quincy situation. She had to assume that it was a combination of all these things playing on her pregnancy hormones.

'I— I couldn't have asked for a better person to love me, and everyday just keeps getting better. Thank you for believing in me, supporting me, and just being there for me. I know that you're going to be the best daddy in the world.'

The entire crowd gasped at Olivia's admission, and she immediately regretted letting that part slip out. She hadn't even talked to Fitz about making a public announcement about the baby, yet here she was doing it on stage. Cyrus could tell that she was becoming flustered, and he took her by the arm. Olivia said one more 'Thank you' into the microphone before following Cyrus off the stage.

The mood in the lounge area was pretty tense as Olivia and Cyrus walked in. There were already other award recipients sitting on the sofas and sharing drinks, and they had seen the entire thing play out on the televisions. A few of them wanted to approach and check on her, but Cyrus made them all keep their distance. He knew that when she got nervous she had a tendency to pass out, and he wanted to avoid that.

Olivia flopped down on one of the empty couches and Cyrus grabbed her a cool bottle of water. He unscrewed the top and handed it over. 'How you feeling, Liv? I need you to breathe. Deep breaths.'

'I'm breathing, Cyrus.' she insisted, although it looked as if she was going to start crying. 'I'm fine.'

'What do you need?' he asked. Cyrus kneeled down so that they could be eye level. 'Tell me what it is and I'll get it.'

'Can you go get Fitz?' she asked meekly.

He lightly smiled and nodded his head. 'That's a very simple request. I'll be right back.'

Cyrus immediately stood and jogged out of the room. Olivia sat quietly for a few moments and tried to just drink her water, but it became hard when she realized that everyone in the room was watching her. All eyes were on her, and she could tell that they were all talking about the situation.

Feeling a bit too closed in, Olivia went to the bathroom in the lounge. She went inside and checked a couple of the stalls, thankful that it was completely empty. She locked the door and immediately fell to the floor, not caring that her dress was getting dirty. Her face fell into her hands and she began to cry.

About 5 minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Olivia thought it was someone trying to use the toilet or check on her, but she wasn't interested in having company right then.

'Go away!' she demanded through her tears.

'Livvie.' Fitz said softly. 'It's me. Let me in. I need to know you're okay.'

Realizing that it was Fitz, Olivia got up and opened the door. The first thing she did was wrap her arms around his neck and squeeze him tightly. He stepped into the bathroom and allowed the door the shut once more so that they could have some privacy.

'Everything is going to be alright, Liv.' he assured, holding onto her waist.

In all honestly, Fitz's nerves had been on fire for the past few minutes. Despite him insisting, security had refused to let him anywhere near Olivia. The only reason he was able to come back stage was because Cyrus came and personally escorted him. He could tell that she was okay and that Quincy hadn't physically harmed her, but he still needed to see her up close. He needed to feel her and know for himself.

Olivia pulled away, her makeup running and her face wet. 'Fitz I'm so sorry I shouldn't have said that I'm so stupid and —' she began to ramble.

She was talking so fast Fitz's head nearly started spinning. He shook his head and spoke up to interrupt her. 'Slow down, Livvie. Why are you apalogizing? You didn't do anything wrong. And you're not stupid. Don't ever say that again.'

'Yes, I am.' she reached up to wipe away one of her tears, but Fitz beat her to it. 'I told everybody about the baby and I didn't say anything to you about it first. I didn't mean to do it, but it just slipped out.'

Fitz smiled warmly and pressed his forehead against hers. 'I thought what you said was beautiful. I loved it.'

'You're not mad?'

'Not at all.' he smiled and hugged her again, holding her close to his body and taking up all the warmth she had to offer.

'I was so scared.' she whispered into his ear. 'I thought he was going to try and hurt me. I didn't want anything to happen to the baby. I just panicked and froze up and —'

'It's alright, Olivia.' he gently rubbed her back. 'It's going to be okay. It's all over now. I was scared, too.'

She chuckled humorlessly. 'I bet I look a hot mess. There's no way I can go back out there now.'

Fitz pulled away from her to get a good look at her. He smiled and dabbed her cheeks with his thumbs and held her face in his hands. 'Your makeup is a bit off, but you look great.'

'I just couldn't stop crying once I made it back here.' Olivia murmered. 'It's these stupid pregnancy hormones.'

'Livvie, you thought somebody was trying to attack you.' he reasoned. 'It was a stressful situtation.'

Olivia sighed. 'Do we really have to go back? I think I'm just ready to go home.'

Fitz considered her proposition for a moment, but then nodded his head. 'I can go get Abby to get the limo pulled around. She and Teddy rode with us, so I'll tell them they have to come on.'

'Fitz, I don't mean back to my apartment.' she shook her head. 'I meant back to Knights Ferry. Back to our home.'

Fitz's eyebrows immediately raised. He had never heard Olivia refer to Knights Ferry as her home, so this was a bit surprising. He nodded his head. 'Let's go home.'

'How are we going to sneak out?' she asked. 'I'm sure there's a media storm out there by now.'

'Just follow my lead.' he said, taking her hand. 'Do you trust me?'

Olivia giggled softly, but nodded her head. 'I trust you.'

'Good.' he opened the door to the bathroom. 'Let's go.'

The pair exited the bathroom as quietly as possible. The sound of the door opening brought people's attention to them, though, including Cyrus who was sitting on one of the couches and waiting. He immediately came over and hugged Olivia.

'Are you feeling any better?'

'I am.' she nodded and hugged him back. 'Thank you for everything, Cy. We're going to leave now.'

'I don't blame you.' he said sympathetically. 'I'll call you in the morning and check on you. Sound good?'

'Great.' she nodded once more. 'And, if anybody asks where I am can you please apologize for my absence. This night has turned into such a disaster.'

'You have no reason to apologize to anyone, Liv.' Cyrus insisted. 'Everyone will understand why you had to leave early. You need to go and get some rest. I'll find Abby and we'll handle the rest.'

'Thank you, Cyrus.' Fitz answered for Olivia this time. He wanted nothing more than to get her out of here at this point. He quickly shook the older man's hand then started to lead her through one of the back doors.

Olivia's feet shuffled as she followed Fitz out of the door. There was only one way out, and it was directly through the front entrance. The crowd was still a bit on edge and the show had taken a short intermission so that some of the staff could clean up and try and calm everyone down. Nobody was even paying attention as quietly walked through the shadows.

Just as Olivia had predicted, there were news reporters everywhere outside. The only thing they could see were bright flashing lights of cameras, and a few microphones being pushed in their faces. Fitz placed one arm around her waist, and used the other to try and obscure the camera's view of her face. Olivia walked with her head tucked into his shoulder, now even more eager to get away.

They didn't have to deal with the press for long, though, because there were a few police officers outside. They had been called to haul Quincy away, and there were still a few left just in case anybody else tried anything. The officers helped to make a path for Olivia and Fitz to pass through, and they hurried to the sidewalk.

Fitz rushed Olivia about a block away from the building, and then they finally stopped to catch their breath.

'What's the plan now?' Olivia asked, leaning against the wall of a shop.

'Honestly? I have no idea.' Fitz shrugged his shoulders. 'I didn't think we'd make it this far.'

Olivia couldn't help but laugh. 'You are such an idiot, Fitz.'

He chuckled and reached down in his pocket and grabbed his cellphone. Fitz opened up the Uber app and requested a car to pick them up at their location. Luckily, there was already one just a couple of blocks away and he arrived a few minutes later.

Fitz helped her stuff her dress into the small car, and then got in beside her. There wasn't a lot of traffic since it had gotten pretty late, but the ride was still took way too long for their liking. The driver attempted a couple of times to chat with them, but neither were very responsive.

Once they arrived at Olivia's apartment building, they got out of the car and Fitz ushered her inside the lobby. He headed towards the elevator, but she stopped him.

'What's wrong?' he asked, eyebrows furrowed.

'I don't want to go back upstairs right now.' her head shook. 'Can we please just leave?'

'What about all of our stuff?'

'I'll have Abby send it.' she gently tugged him towards the door of the parking garage. 'Can we please just go?'

Fitz sighed but smiled. He didn't have anything upstairs except for some clothes, and he had plenty more at home. Instead of arguing, he followed her into garage where her car was parked.

It only took them a few minutes to get in the car and on the road again. Fitz wanted to talk to her about what had just happened, but he would save the conversation for another time. He could tell she was tired, and he didn't blame her.

He gently placed his right hand over her stomach, while the left one stayed on the steering wheel. Olivia intertwined her fingers with his, both now resting over her growing belly. Whatever happened after this, they would just have to deal with tomorrow.

For now, all that mattered is that they were together, they were safe, and they were on their way home.

After about an hour of driving, they were almost halfway back to Knights Ferry. Olivia had long fallen asleep, but Fitz was enjoying the quiet. It was giving him the time and space to process everything going on around him.

Olivia woke up with a startled look on her face. She gasped loudly and swiped Fitz's hand off of her stomach. 'Fitz!' she hollered.

'What's wrong?' he yelled back, clearly shocked over her outburst. 'Did you have a nightmare? Are you sick?'

'No!' she smacked his shoulder. 'We forgot Teddy!'

Fitz's eyes widened at the realization. 'Fuck. Should we go back for him?'

'Of course we have to go back for your brother!' she said as if it was obvious. 'He lives with us! How would he get back?'

'Can't Abby just send him with the rest of our stuff?' he teased, clearly not taking the situation as seriously as she was.

'Don't be a smart ass.' she lightly scolded.

He sighed but chuckled and shook his head. There wasn't anymore traffic around them since it was so late, so Fitz made a U-turn in the middle of the street.

A/N: Back to Knights Ferry! I don't have much to say about this chapter, but it was fun writing a little drama in. I enjoyed it. Thank you all for sticking with me, hope you liked it, and please leave me a review! Until next time!

Excuse my typos or any redundancy. I proofread, but I probably could've reviewed it once more.