This man, Olivia thought to herself, when the ability returned to her. This crazy, impossible man.

He loved her. Against all odds, against all reason. Fitzgerald Grant loved her. 

She’d hurt him. Badly. In the very core of his being. He’d done the same to her. 

Lying here in his arms, none of that exercise in hurt seemed to matter. He loved her anyway and she loved him. 

When was she going to stop being afraid to love him back? Now, her heart whispered to her. The thought terrified her in some undefinable way.

What are you running from, Olivia? 

The words echoed deep inside her, much like the heartbeat lying beneath her ear as she lay upon Fitz's chest. There were so many fears that Olivia never had admitted to herself, let alone been able to admit to anyone- up to and including Fitz. They had made her run from so many things in her life.

They had made her the woman she was. But now Fitz had her questioning that as well. Is this the woman she wanted to be?

Which woman was she? The woman that existed outside this room? The high-powered gladiator in a suit whose name was known and respected - and sometimes feared? Or the woman she was right here in this moment, soft, warm. 

Beloved.

What did she really want? What did she really need?

Then, through her thoughts, she heard Fitz as he murmured softly into her hair. In the way that true lovers do, it was as though he senses her thoughts and his words sent a sweet trembling to her insides.

“We can make this work, Olivia. Just tell me what you need, what you want me to do - and whatever it is, I’ll do it.”

The love in his voice gave her strength she didn’t know that she had had. Maybe his love was all that she needed, to fill her in her weak spots, to catch her when she fell. Maybe that was the last barrier that had been in her way and Fitz the only person in the world capable of getting past it. 

The face that turned up to his was filled with so much openness and love that it nearly took Fitz’s breath away. 

“All..All I need is you, Fitz.” she admitted at last and it was like a boulder had rolled off of his chest and he could breath again, freely and deeply at last. 

The smile she gave him at his changing expression gave him the air he needed. 

“And all I want is for you to keep on loving me the way you do - the way that you always have.” Olivia paused. “I know I haven’t made it easy for you...”

He didn’t let her finish her words - he neither wanted nor needed an apology from her. He loved Olivia for everything she was, no matter how infuriating and stubborn she might be. It was a part of her and she was the only woman he had ever loved. He’d never expected perfection from her. 

Not when he was so imperfect himself. 

Fitz swept her up into his embrace, pulling her on top of him and joining his mouth to his. He kissed her deeply, overjoyed as she returned it with just as much wanting and needing - and joy, and love - as he did. 

When the need for air finally drove them apart, they found themselves smiling at one another like idiots. Insanely happy idiots. Crazy in love, that’s what they were. And that was fine with him.

They stayed in their little cocoon for just a little while longer after that, but there came a time when they knew that they had to leave it.

This time was different; the two people leaving this place, were not the two that had entered. They were eternally changed, the two of them. They were one. 

Fitz glanced at Olivia as she slipped back into her clothes. A secret little smile was hovering at the edges of her lips, one that widened as she looked up to catch him looking at her. 

“I hope the next time I see you and it’s not in private, that you won’t be looking at me like that.” she said.

“Like what?” he said, drawing closer. “Like a man in love?”

“Like a man in love.” she agreed. “And why? Because I might slip up and look at you with that same look - like a woman in love - and then where would we be?”

Fitz slipped his arms around her. “In love. Free.”

She laughed softly, shaking her head. 

“It’s going to happen, Olivia.” he said. “That’s a promise - a promise I am making right here, right now and one that I am going to keep. We are going to be together. Trust me.”

She looked up into his eyes. “I will. I am. I do. Trust you.”

I do. Olivia had no idea what those two words did to him just then, what secret dreams they answered in his heart. Fitz knew enough to not push it though. Tonight’s admissions had been enough. Had been more than enough. 

//**//

In silence, they left the room together. In silence, they returned to the limo, where Tom was waiting and silently drove them to Olivia’s apartment. 

They made the ride to her apartment mostly in silence but it was a quiet created of shared contentment. Once inside the limo, Olivia had curled up into his embrace; one arm slipped around him, while his own gathered her in close. That’s had they spend the rest of the ride, both of them lost in their own thoughts.

And then they were there. As they felt the car come to a halt, Fitz felt Olivia move reluctantly away from him. Their eyes met once again; there was so much to say and no more time to say them in. 

She smiled at him, eyes full of love. He looked back at her with the same. 

“I’ll wait for you, Olivia - if you’ll wait for me.” Fitz told her. He meant it; during their ride, his mind had gone over the night. He’d been wrong to her so many times, she’d been wrong as well. They each had their own demons to battle. But they could do it, if they did it - together. 

Another silence came up between them; he watched as his words penetrated and then a slow smile came to her face, one that took his breath away. 

“I’ll wait for you - if you’ll wait for me.”  She kissed him then, sweet and slow. “Don’t ever stop loving me, Fitzgerald Grant.”

“Never.” he promised, meaning it with every part of his heart, his mind and his soul. 

Olivia gave him a final smile before she left him. 

Fitz didn’t dare walk her to her door, as much as he wanted to. It would have been the perfect ending to the fantasy this night had become. But, he thought to himself, time to return to reality once again. 

But at least he’d do it with a smile on his face. 

//**//

His intercom buzzed. “Sir?”

“Yes, Tom?”

“Are we returning to the White House?”

Fitz hesitated; for a moment, he wished that he could say no, but they were beyond the doors of Blair House now, and back to the reality they lived in. 

“Yes, Tom.”

“Sir?” Tom hesitated before continuing. “May I suggest that we go in through Blair House, enter the White House via the tunnels and use the corridor that opens up into the Oval Office?”

The other man was right; with luck, that would be the path of least resistance and least likely for him to be seen or questioned. “Do it.” he told the agent. 

Luck was with him; they went unnoticed and undetected. 

Instead of heading straight for the Oval Office, Tom surprised him by ushering him instead into a small office close to the oval office. The room was empty except for a bank of monitors along one wall. Tom gave him a quick explanation as to why; he’d managed to get himself reassigned to monitor duty of the oval office for the mid-shift change. He checked the monitors, and to Fitz’s surprise, they saw Cyrus and Jocelyn asleep, each one of them on the twin couches, shoes off, feet up on the coffee table and a bottle accompanied by two glasses sitting on it between them. Several folders and scribbled notes lay alongside the drinks.

Fitz thought quickly and realized what must have happened; somehow after he had disappeared, the two of them had managed to closet themselves into the Oval and convinced everyone else that they were in there working with him privately. 

Fitz left Tom behind and made his way to the Oval Office via a private corridor. As he closed the concealed door behind him with a quiet snick, Cyrus was the first to stir, opening one bleary eye then the other to peer at him. 

“Mr. President.” he managed to get out. His tone was carefully neutral. Cyrus leaned forward, cupping his head in his hands. “Good morning, Mr. President.”

“Good morning, Cyrus - although it isn't quite morning yet.” Dawn was still a while away.

“Close enough that it doesn’t matter. Close enough so that it won’t be a lie because it’s already known that you’ve been closeted with some of your top aides for the entire night.” He looked carefully up at Fitz, truth and awareness bright in his gaze. 

Their voices must have woken Jocelyn; she yawned as she stretched, then noticing Fitz’s presence, she made a motion to come to her feet. Fitz put out a hand, stopping her in mid-movement while he shook her head at her. 

Fitz couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face as Jocelyn sank back gratefully into the cushions. Both she and Cyrus looked a little more worn than an all-nighter should have left them. No doubt, the bottle of Remy was responsible for that. And the fact that Cyrus was notoriously known not to share, let alone come close to finishing a bottle with anyone. 

Walking over to the table, Fitz lifted the bottle to check the contents. Yes, they had definitely come close to finishing the bottle off. He wondered briefly what kind of conversations the two of them had shared over the course of the night and didn’t know if that was amusing or intimidating. For the moment, he decided to go with amused. He was in too good of a mood to think otherwise.  

It also occurred to him that Jocelyn knew that he had not spent the night in the White House, but again, that was a concern he would deal with later - if it became necessary. A look at her, told him that it just might not. 

“I think I’ll have some coffee sent in.” Fitz said, as he retreated to his desk. “It looks like the both of you could use some.”

The both of them shook their heads, as they came to their feet.

“It’s really not necessary...”

“No, thank you, Mr. President...” They both spoke at the same time.

“Go home, then. Take the day off and don’t show your faces in here any earlier than ten am tomorrow. Tomorrow” Fitz glanced down at his watch. “Not today - tomorrow tomorrow.” 

For a moment, from the looks on their faces, it looked as though the both of them were prepared to argue with him. Obviously the time they’d spent together - and the now empty bottle of Remy - had bonded them. Fitz wondered if that was a good thing or not. At any rate, it made him grin inwardly at the thought.

“That’s an order.” he said, this time letting his amusement show. “And - thank you. Thank you both.”

He looked at the both of them in genuine gratitude. 

Jocelyn smiled back at him. “You saved me from having to spend an entire night in high heels.” she said as she slipped them back on. Fitz wondered just what she was thinking about where he’d spent the missing hours, but neither her eyes or her expression gave away a thing.  

Fitz turned his attention to Cyrus who returned his look with his usual aggravated expression, but after a moment, he returned Fitz’s smile - begrudgingly. 

“We actually did brainstorm a few ideas last night.” Cyrus gestured towards one of the folders. “You might want to take a look at some of them when you get a chance. Today - today today.” he said pointedly. 

“Go home, get some sleep, spend some time with your family and tend your garden, Cy.” Fitz said. “I’ll talk with you later.”

“Yes, Mr. President, that we will - we will most definitely need to talk.” 

He knew Cyrus would have plenty to say to him in private, but right now, Fitz could care less about it. He just nodded at the older man, which did nothing for his disposition; Fitz, on the other hand, felt like he could walk on air. 

Cyrus and Jocelyn took their leave of him soon after. Fitz knew he should get to bed himself; but how could he when he felt so - alive. 

He chuckled to himself. There was no way sleep was going to happen to him, not after the unexpected way his night had gone. Olivia was his again. It almost didn’t matter what else was going on around him - and he knew that wasn’t really true,  but for these last few moments of the night, he could concentrate on one thing. He and Olivia were back together.

On a sudden impulse, he reached for his secure line. 

“Hi.”

“Hi.” A pause. “I was wondering if you would call.”

“Are you in bed? Did I wake you?”

“I’m in bed, but I can’t seem to be able to fall asleep.” the sound of laughter crept into her voice. “I wonder why that is?”

“I don’t know.” Fitz said; he sat back in his chair and closed his eyes, closing himself from everything except the sound of Olivia’s voice. “Why don’t you take a guess?”

She did laugh then, the sound warming the distance between them and making it as though they were mere heartbeats away from one another. “I don’t need one. It’s because I’m happy.” 

He smiled and knew in the same moment, that she was smiling too. Fitz didn’t say anything for a long moment and neither did she, both of them savoring the word and what it meant. 

Happy. Without the other, each of them had been so far from happy, it was like the distance between the earth and the dark side of the moon. But last night, they had found themselves again, and in doing so everything was all right. At last. 

“Everything is going to be all right.” he told her.

“I know.” 

They smiled again, together.