This was not happening, the man she loved, belonged to, waited for was not currently lying in a hospital bed connected to wires, machines, and tubes to help him breathe. He wasn't still as a statue or pale as the moonlight's reflection on water, she couldn't accept this image of him looking weak and frail.

Olivia Pope knew she didn't have legal ties to President Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III but she did have personal, emotional, and intimate ties to Fitz, the man, the kind and caring human being that he was and will be once he wakes up from this bad dream.

She couldn't help but think overt the day and how it played out. It was one thing for her to be back in the White House as the interim communications director but for her to actually have to sit in on the funeral plans for Fitz was almost pushing her to her breaking point. Olivia still didn't know how that worked out so that she was involved with the decision making process because last time she checked her job was to handle press, the media, and other related issues not hear about placing her injured ex in a closed or open casket.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts Olivia glanced over at the object of her thoughts and took a deep breath. Fitz looked peaceful and young again even though he was hooked up to machines and wasn't moving.

"Fitz, I need you wake up because…" Olivia took a deep breath before continuing. "Because I need you in my life, I can't exist in a world without you. Remember how I told you I belong to you and that you control me well it's still true to this day.

I don't care about you "letting me go" I never truly wanted that and when you wake up well I don't even know if I'll even tell you the truth. Everything is a mess and I just want you to wake up and tell me everything is going to be alright again." Olivia sniffed and wiped a few stray tears from her cheek. Everything was starting to take a toll on her and she wasn't sure how much longer she would last.

For the past three weeks she'd come to visit him and sit by his side waiting for him to wake up but each time was like the last, no response except for the beeping of the monitors. Olivia made sure he was shaved, hair was combed, and he looked presentable. She even took time to massage his legs to ensure movement wouldn't be difficult for him when he woke up. Despite her and Mellie's complicated relationship, Mellie Grant understood how important Olivia and Fitz were to each other and if it meant that Fitz could somehow draw strength from Olivia Pope and wake up to come back and be President again then by all means she'd allow Olivia to be by Fitz's side cause Lord knew she couldn't do it 24/7.

It was right after a month passed that Liv began to notice the difference in Fitz. She'd just place her hand right above his and there would be a slight twitch and when she went to touch his face or comb the errant curl back into place his heart monitor would chirp excitedly. After a few days Olivia decided that distance wasn't an option anymore and she took the alone time afforded to them to curl up with Fitz in the small hospital bed. At first it was a bit uncomfortable but after getting her body settled in being mindful of the few tubes and wires they hadn't taken out Olivia was more comfortable.

She must have fallen asleep and started dreaming because the next thing she felt was warmth almost as if the sun's rays were beaming directly upon her, surround her upper body. Looking down she saw an arm wrapped around her waist and curled tightly into her body as if the person was embracing her and not wanting to let go.

Moving gingerly so as not to wake herself up from this wonderful dream she let her gaze travel up toward the length of the arm to the person's face who was holding her. When she got to his face she couldn't help but let the tears flow because she was looking into the blue-grey eyes of none other than Fitzgerald Grant the man she loved more than anything in the world.

"Hi."

Although it was raspy and slightly lower than its normal register, it was Fitz's voice that reached her ears.

"Hi." Olivia couldn't believe what she was hearing and feeling right now. There was no way after a month of being in a coma and being shot was Fitz awake and talking to her. It was definitely a dream.

She reached up to touch his face with trembling fingers and when they connected with his cheek and he didn't begin to fade or drift away she knew it was all real.

"I'm real Livy, we're real." Fitz smiled and squeezed her waist.

Olivia could only look at him and savor this moment because she knew that once everyone knew he was awake the reality would come crashing down on them again and it would be a circus.

"You almost died."

"Yes."

"Don't do it again."

"Ok."

With her hand still on his cheek she craned her neck up toward him and brought his hand down to join their lips together in a sweet yet tender kiss. They both knew the road wouldn't be easy and it wouldn't be a short battle but as long as they were together in this, they could take on the world and win.