Ch.1 The Eye Has Passed

The salient tone of the phone ringing pierced through the silence of Olivia's apartment just as it had at least 50 times before. This morning had held glorious promise: a chance to wear the white hat again, but now the white hat had been ruthlessly stolen. Olivia flinched at the sound and grated her teeth together, staring at the phone. She didn't want to talk to anybody, yet she thought sardonically she was the person that everybody now wanted to talk to. The unnamed woman in the First Lady's tearful tirade, the President's mistress.

The phone silenced and paused its ringing torture as if taking a breath and then it started again, seemingly louder as if screaming now. Olivia couldn't take it anymore. She rolled out of bed and kneeled at her nightstand reaching behind to unplug the screeching monster, but then she saw the caller ID. It was Harrison. Shame rolled over in her gut. He knew. Everyone knew. Technically, he already knew, but now he had confirmation of her indiscretions. Olivia fleetingly thought that she should answer maybe he could help her, maybe he could be her fixer like he promised he would be, but she rejected the impulse and pulled the plug from the wall.

"Quiet," she sighed, "Finally." Olivia climbed back in her comfy bed almost catatonically. She willed sleep to take her but it didn't come. She lay awake staring at her reflection in her mirror covered closet. She viewed herself in disgust. Who was this person staring at her? The girl who fell in love and was weak kneed and star-ey eyed for another woman's husband. A girl who gave up all her morals for a man she couldn't have. It couldn't be Olivia Pope.

As she thought her normal gladiator like determination returned. "I can fix this," she chanted in her mind, "That's what I do. I fix things." Olivia rose out of bed and padded to the kitchen where she left her cell phone that she had turned off after she was dropped off at her apartment by her father. Olivia knew she only had a few hours , if that, until the press found and bombarded her personal number just as they had with her home phone.

She watched her phone power up and her Windows tiles return. Curious, she tapped on the news tile to attempt to see what the media was saying about her. She glanced at it and saw her name, her photo, and the Fitz's photo in passing. She quickly exited feeling some of her determination fleeing her.

She found Harrison's number, took a breath, and dialed. The dial tone only reached her ears once before she heard the click indicating someone was picking up. Tears welled up in her eyes but she forced them to stay in. The hardest part in all this would be owning up to her team.

"Liv?"

Harrison was answered with silence only. She couldn't do this. She wanted to hide away forever. Safe from everybody

"Are you okay? More silence.

Olivia took a deep breath and tried to speak, but only a strangled sound escaped. Ever the loyal gladiator Harrison promised "Don't move. Don't worry. I'm on my way over.

As if she could move. Reporters were swarming her apartment building like ants in pursuit of crumbs. She walked over to her apartment window and carefully peaked out. The number of reporters had nearly tripled from the first time she checked. Before when she checked it was mainly smaller less credited gossip column networks now the big guns were here, the main networks with their names plastered across their fancy vans. In the front of the reporter caravan was BNC. Olivia never thought that she'd ever been news worthy of a BNC van. It was a circus out there and she briefly wondered how Harrison was going to navigate his way up to her.

Earlier that Morning

Cyrus awoke at 4 o'clock in the morning next to his sleeping husband James feeling great. He was in a particularly good mood today. Olivia had left the White House not looking particularly happy and when he went in to see Fitz he found him slumped over on the Oval Office couch looking like someone kicked his puppy. Only one thing could make him look that unhappy. Cyrus surmised that Olivia must have left Fitz once again. Crisis averted. Fitz would settle with Mellie for a while and Mellie would stop being the ticking time bomb she was recently. Honestly, this was the best thing that happened all week and Cyrus came home to celebrate with his husband, even going as far as breaking out his best wine.

While he loved both Fitz and Olivia like they were his children, he loved them separately. They were both ambitious and brilliant, but quite frankly when they were together they made each other stupid. Yes, his friends were in love, but it was recklessly, crazy love; The kind of love that could destroy the Republic. So as long as they played the parts of Romeo and Juliet and stayed with the heavy-breathing, star-crossed lovers nonsense it was all okay. That was hidden love, secret love. The kind that nobody had to know about.

Cyrus arrived at the White House a little after 6 o'clock ready to start his day "at the right hand of the father." However, his happy feelings from earlier had mysteriously vanished. It left a sour taste in his mouth. Somewhere a storm was brewing. He just didn't know where yet.

Olivia had been on the couch for nearly half an hour sitting on the couch facing the TV with her hand poised above the power button on the remote. She figured she should watch the news about herself so maybe she could begin to think of a plan for figuring out this crisis. She couldn't bring herself to do it through. The thought of facing reality literally made her sick to her stomach. The rapid rapping on the door interrupted her thoughts.

She got up and peered through the peep hole to make sure that it was Harrison. It was and he came baring coffee.

She opened the door just enough for him to fit through.

"Hey," he greeted taking in Olivia's appearance. Her hair was down, she had minimal make up on, and was still dressed in the white running shirt that he had seen her wearing on his TV earlier. He had only seen a short video of her getting ambushed earlier that day by reporters. If there was ever a time fot the phrase "deer in headlights," Olivia in that video was it. Harrison felt bad for her.

"Hey," She responded looking kind of embarrassed and bewildered, but attempting to feign some sort of confidence.

Harrison held out his hand, "I brought coffee, here, with extra cream just like you like it."

"Oh, you didn't have to," said Olivia.

"No I wanted to."

They both hesitated by the door for a little bit longer before Olivia led them to the couch refusing to deal with the awkwardness any longer. They both unceremoniously plopped down.

Harrison looked over at Olivia who looked over occupied with her coffee. "Huck should be here soon. I called him on the way over here. I also spoke to Abby. She and Quinn are going to hold it down at OPA."

"Thanks," she paused, "For everything."

"Don't worry Liv we've all got your back. You had ours. We've got yours. You're not going down without a fight."

Olivia stared straight ahead at the TV and chucked to herself lifting her head towards Harrison to look him in the eye. "I guess you were right. The eye of the storm has passed and I'm definitely not tethered to anything."

Harrison smiled seeing a sliver of confidence return to Olivia that he hadn't seen since he came in. Olivia handed the remote control over to Harrison.

"I think it's time we handle this. Gauge the fall out first?", Olivia questioned.

He took the remote. "Consider it handled."