Chapter 1

The first thing he noticed when he stepped off the plane was the smell. The metallic bite of ocean air had always smelled like freedom to Jake, and after sixteen hours spent breathing the recycled circumscription that passed for air on the plane, the smell of freedom was intoxicating. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath and was hit with a wave of memories; running barefoot in the sand, catching dinner while floating listlessly in a beaten up dinghy. The sun was bright and the air was warm, and suddenly the travel friendly jeans and t-shirt he was wearing seemed stifling and out of place. He turned his head and took in the uninterrupted panoramic view of the sparkling turquoise waters surrounding the island airport and smiled. Jake Ballard was finally home.

An exasperated sigh from his travel companion drew him out of his reverie. Olivia Pope had just exited the plane and was struggling with her coat and bag. She looked hot and uncomfortable. Her hair was already starting to curl in the humid, tropical air. He couldn't believe she was actually here with him. When the plane took off, Jake was sure that she was going to change her mind about wanting to get away. She had done her best to hide it, but he could tell that she was anxious and unsure. On the outside, she was poised and composed, but her eyes had danced with insecurity and fear. There was a small part of him that hurt every time he saw that look in her eyes. She had experienced more than her fair share of heartache in life and as a result, she didn't have a lot of faith in the goodness of people. That made him want to pull her close and reassure her that he was different. He wanted to reassure her that not everyone was out to cause her pain. Instead, he gave her space, because he knew she didn't want that. He also knew that trusting someone wasn't something Olivia did easily and he was no exception. He hated that she didn't trust him. She said that she did, but Jake knew that his actions caused him to be lumped in with the group of demons she was trying desperately to out run. The only thing that made him believe that she could learn to trust him again, was her choice to run away with him. They were both getting a chance at a do over in life, and Jake was determined to get this right.

When that call came in from the White House, he expected her to turn herself inside out, yet again, to accommodate the ill fit of a life that she had long since outgrown. He was surprised when she held her ground and rejected the phone call. He was even more surprised when she turned those big brown eyes on him, and kissed him. It was an open kiss that left no where for them to hid from their feelings for each other. And even when Jake tried to pull away from her, she wouldn't let him go. So he stayed, and he took everything she was willing to give. Jake cherished the kisses she gave him, because she wasn't often generous with her affections. At least not when it came to him.

And still, he couldn't walk away from her. He said he was going to walk away from her, and actually managed to take a few steps. But the moment she called, he was right there by her side, each and every time. He was pretending to be her boyfriend, or he was giving her information he had no business divulging. He was keeping tabs on her father, tracking down her mother. Whatever she needed, he was willing to give. Until finally, he was in her apartment, standing amongst boxes filled with all the memories she was trying to forget, asking her not to be put away with the rest. And then, it was her turn to give.

So Jake got some boxes of his own, and shipped his memories off to someone he trusted to handle them with care. Then he grabbed her hand, and together, they ran. Now, one private jet and sixteen in flight hours hours away from all of the mess they'd been tasked to clean, Jake found himself staring at a cranky, travel worn, uncomfortable looking Olivia Pope. "Here, let me." He crossed the short distance between them and took her coat and bag. She gave him a grateful smile, then turned to take in the scene around her.

"Oh, wow. Jake, this is beautiful." He watched her scan the horizon with a look of awe on her face, and almost envied her experience. French Polynesia was the place that people imagined when they thought of paradise, and watching Olivia experience the fantasy become reality was a sight to behold.

"This is Tahiti."

"Pape'ete, I've always wanted to come here."

Jake gave Olivia an appreciative nod. Not everyone was able to name the capital city of Tahiti off the top of their head. "Moonlighting as a geography teacher Ms. Pope?"

"I will have you know, Captain Ballard, that geography was one of my favorite subjects at that fancy boarding school I attended. Name a place, I'll tell you it's capital," Olivia said with a tilted head and a smirk.

Jake laughed, "Is that so?"

Olivia nodded, "Official US Geography Olympiad, ranked first in the Varsity Division. Thank you very much."

Jake tilted his head to match hers and exhaled, effectively suppressing the laughter that was building inside of him. "So let me get this straight, you're a Gladiator and an Olympiad?"

Olivia shot him a look of mock disdain. "Yes, that's right. Do you have a problem with that?"

"You're such a nerd." This time, Jake allowed the laughter he was holding in to break through. Olivia raised her hand and gave him a playful smack to his chest. "Ow," he joked, "There's no need for violence. I happen to like nerds, I'll have you know."

Olivia's look softened, "Is that so?"

"Yes, it is. So take it easy on me, please." After a moment of exaggerated contemplation, Olivia nodded her concession and Jake smiled. The Island air was already having an effect on her. She was playful and teasing and it pleased him to see her acting so carefree. He also took pleasure in knowing that he helped to bring about this new, carefree Olivia Pope. "I didn't know that you've always wanted to come here. I guess I chose wisely?"

Olivia turned to admire the ocean view once more. Jake watched as as she took a deep breath and tilted her face toward the healing warmth of the island sun. When she spoke, her voice was quiet and calm. "Yes, I would say that you did."

Jake exhaled a huge sigh of relief. Choosing to bring her to Tahiti was a risky move. He had taken her away from her life, and there was no guaranteeing that she would be happy so far away from DC. It was his job to read people, and he was good at his job, but at some point he lost his ability to read her. Or, so he thought. He was pleased to discover that Olivia had thought of visiting this remote island. Her affinity for a place that was so close to him, made him feel closer to her for some reason. "Well, I'm happy that you're happy. But unfortunately, we won't be staying here for long."

She turned to face him and gave him a look of shock. "What do you mean we won't be staying here? This place is a dream."

Jake shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Being this close to her for an extended period of time was a new experience for him, and Jake was doing his best to adjust. She had this ability to derail his train of thought with nothing more than a look, and the look she was giving him at that moment caused all rational thought to fly off into the ocean breeze. Her mouth was open. It wasn't gaping, but she didn't have on sunglasses, and she was squinting in the bright sunlight, and her mouth was open. Jake thought she had never looked more adorable, and he wanted to kiss her. "Absolutely perfect," he commented.

His eyes traveled over her lips then slowly rose to meet her stare. She was no longer squinting and her eyes were searching for an answer to her question. She raised her hand to place it on his chest, and his eyes followed her movement before settling again on her face. "Where are we going?" she asked. This time he saw a hint of desire hidden in her hooded gaze. Just like that the air between them had changed, and Jake found himself leaning in to brush his lips against hers.

"La Orana." The sound of a booming male voice speaking a Tahitian greeting caused Olivia to flinch and step away from him, interrupting the kiss before their lips made contact. Jake turned and was happy to see a familiar face walking toward him. He lowered the bags he was holding to the ground and handed Olivia her coat before turning to greet the man who was now extending his hand in welcome.

"La Orana," Jake shook hands with the man, then pulled him into a hug. "It's been a long time."

"Yes, it has my friend."

The two men separated and the newcomer turned and acknowledged Olivia for the first time. Jake noticed how Peter's eyes swept over Olivia's body with an appreciative ease. Peter had always been a bit of a ladies man, so Jake wasn't surprised that Olivia's beauty had not gone unnoticed. Peter turned and spoke to Jake. "Est-ce son?"

Jake looked at Olivia, who raised an eyebrow at him in return. He stifled his laughter, because he knew Olivia was trying very hard to resist inserting herself into the conversation. Her chin raised and her spine stiffened with the posture of a Washington, DC high roller. Jake could see that she was all business. He gave her a shrug before turning his attention back to Peter, "Oui, c'est elle."

Peter's eyes grew wide with approval before responding, "Elle est très belle."

Olivia cleared her throat before she spoke. "Merci beaucoup. But, she has a name," extending her hand, she introduced herself, "Olivia Pope. Et vous?"

Peter turned and gave Jake a wide eyed stare, "Who am I? Jake, you didn't tell her about me? I'm offended." He took Olivia's hand in his and turned it before bowing slightly and placing a kiss on the back of her hand. "Peter Mauu, Ms. Pope. It is a honor to make your acquaintance."

Olivia laughed and removed her hand from Peter's grasp. "You're quite the Lothario Mr. Mauu."

"I am indeed, Ms. Pope, but please, call me Pete," he responded with a wink.

"Okay, Pete. The pleasure is mine." Olivia gave Pete her full Olivia Pope smile. It was the smile she used to dazzle people, her defense mechanism when she needed distance to assess the situation.

"He has a big mouth," Jake interjected, "but he's harmless. Pete is an old friend of mine."

"An old friend?" Peter scoffed and placed a hand over his heart. "Now, I'm really hurt. We're practically family." He turned to Olivia who gave him a look of surprise. "His family has been coming here since we were kids. I've known this fool practically all my life." Olivia's eyes were wide with shock as she glanced back and forth between the two men. Jake's eyes were focused on Pete who clapped him hard on the back before turning back to Olivia. "What, Jake didn't tell you any of this?"

Olivia narrowed her gaze on Jake. "No he didn't. Jake has told me surprisingly little, actually."

Jake laughed uncomfortably and cleared his throat before speaking. "Yeah well, we'll have plenty of time to catch up when we get to where we're going."

"Which is where exactly?"

Jake groaned inwardly. Her tone was becoming harsher with every bit of new information she received, and he was hesitant to say another word. He knew bringing her here would mean answering a lot of questions. Though he had nothing to hide, in his mind he was still an agent of B-613. An enigma. Invisible. She was also the first person to ever get to him know him this intimately, which made sharing more difficult than he originally thought it would be. "Maupiti. It's an island about one hour from here by boat. We'll be staying in Vaiea, a little village there."

"The house is stocked, just like you asked. Although, if you need anything else you should get it while we're still in Pape'ete. There isn't much shopping in Vaiea.

Olivia's eyes flashed with that fearful, insecure look and Jake flinched inside. He knew that look, he hated that look. She was hurt. The look didn't last for long because Olivia Pope was very good at wearing a mask, almost as good as him. "Thanks Pete. Can you give us a minute?"

"Sure. I'll see about loading the boat." Peter nodded to Olivia before picking up their carry-on bags and excusing himself so they could talk.

"House? I thought... "

Jake sighed. "Yes, house. My house. My family has a house here. It belonged to my mother's family, actually. You know it's a really long story." Jake looked down at his feet used his fingers to apply pressure to the bridge of his nose. He was acting like an idiot, just like he always did when pressed for information about his family. He wasn't sure if it was his rocky childhood, his B-613 training, or some combination of the two. But whenever he had to talk about his family, he lost his ability to communicate "I wasn't trying to keep it from you. I mean obviously, I brought you here. So I'm not trying to hide anything. It's just…"

"Complicated?"

Jake nodded. "Yes, exactly."

"It's ok Jake, I just wasn't expecting complicated. I thought I was leaving complicated in DC."

"Liv…"

"No, Jake, really. It's ok. I'm actually touched that you brought me here. Obviously this is more than just a pretty place to you. I'm just realizing how much there is that I don't know about you."

Jake was just about to reach for her hand when Peter's soaring baritone interrupted their moment for the second time since his arrival. "The crew loaded your luggage onto the boat, so unless you want to go into the city, we're all set to go."

Jake withdrew his hand and Olivia stepped out of his reach. He tried to meet her eyes, but she had turned her attention toward Pete and wouldn't look at him. He sighed with frustration and ran his fingers through his tousled hair. She was putting up walls. It seemed to Jake that every time he took a step forward in his relationship with Olivia, he ended up taking three steps back. He was happy that she was here with him, and secretly hoped that this time spent alone together would bring them closer. He was beginning to believe, however, that anything more than friendship was just not in the cards for them. "I think Olivia and I are both pretty tired Pete. Why don't we head to the house and get settled in?" He turned to Olivia who was looking in his direction but wouldn't meet his eyes. "We can see what we're working with once we get there and make a trip back to the city in a few days, if we need to. Let's head out."

Olivia nodded, and the group began to cross the short distance to the water's edge where their boat was waiting. The stress of travel was finally catching up to Jake, and he wanted nothing more than to put his feet up and relax. He didn't want to think or talk. He just wanted to stop and take a moment to breathe. He had experienced so much within the past year. Between him becoming command and then losing his position, the things he'd seen, done; James. Jake was so far turned around he felt like he couldn't figure out where he was headed. He had asked Olivia to save him, but he knew that he had to be the one to save himself. So, he decided to come home, not the home of his youth, where he lived in a suburban fantasy land. His real home. The only place where Jake ever felt like he was in control, and free of expectation.

"Jake, I almost forgot to tell you that Ana is on the island."

Jake stopped walking and gave an uncomfortable laugh. Both Peter and Olivia stopped and gave him looks of confusion. He looked from one face to the other and smiled weakly, "Ana is here? That's incredible. Since when?"

"She got here a few days ago. She uh..." Pete looked from Jake to Olivia, then back again for continuing, "She needed to get out of Hawaii and I needed some help with Dad, so she came home."

"Ana?" Olivia questioned.

"Pete's sister," Jake clarified.

"She and Jake were attached at the hip when we were kids. Best friends, those two. It's funny that she's here at the same time you are Jay. But then again, you guys always traveled on similar wavelengths."

"Yeah, I guess we did," Jake replied. The group started walking again and Jake fell into a contemplative silence. He was shocked to hear that Ana was on the island. The last time he saw her they were both eighteen and heading out into the world in different directions. He was joining the Navy, as per his father's request. Her father expected her stay on the island and live a traditional life. She had chosen instead to follow her own path. They kept in touch for a while, but like with many friendships, time robbed them of their connection and communication slowed, eventually stopping altogether. He remembered receiving an invite to her wedding, and a photo announcing the birth of her first child. But all of that came through Pete, who in many ways was becoming his own version of a family historian, maintaining the fragile ties that bind. It will be nice to see her again, Jake thought to himself. He ran his hand over the back of his neck and swallowed hard to removed the lump that had suddenly appeared in his throat.

Once they were on the boat and moving toward their destination, Jake contemplated the vanishing Tahitian landscape. Soon he would be alone on a tiny island, in a small house, with the woman who had been invading his thoughts since the moment he'd laid eyes on her. She was broken and afraid, and he wasn't sure he knew how to help her heal; he wasn't sure he knew how to help himself either. But, he made a choice. And whether is was the right choice or the wrong choice remained to be seen. All he could do now was focus on moving forward and pray to some higher power, one he wasn't even sure really existed, that he was doing the right thing. He simply couldn't bare to think of the consequences if he had chosen poorly.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the story. Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!