Disclaimer: I do not own Scandal

Chapter One: Sparks Fly

The way you move is like a full on rainstorm

And I'm a house of cards

You're the kind of reckless that should send me running

But I kind of know that I won't get far

And you stood there in front of me

Just close enough to touch

Close enough to hope you couldn't see

What I was thinking of

Drop everything now

Meet me in the pouring rain

Kiss me on the sidewalk

Take away the pain

Cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile

Get me with those green eyes baby as the lights go down

Give me something that'll haunt me when you're not around

Cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile

- "Sparks Fly" Taylor Swift

Olivia Pope smoothed the wrinkles out of her cream colored slacks as she glanced down at her silver watch. She stepped forward to the counter at the Coffee Grinder and ordered three coffees. Twenty minutes later she was stepping off of the metro and moving down the sidewalk in a less than friendly area of town. She stopped in front of a dumpster and got down on her haunches, "Huck?" She tilted her head as the grimy, less than well groomed homeless man opened his eyes.

"You're late this morning Olivia." He gave her a half-hearted grin.

Olivia smiled, "Well I brought you this," she handed him the coffee and I wanted to show you something on the other side of town. You game?"

Huck accepted the coffee cup and stood up, offering his dirty hand to Olivia. She didn't hesitate. She grasped it and pulled herself up to a standing position. "What's going on?" His voice was faint and confused sounding. Olivia wasn't quite sure what he'd been through, but she knew it was dangerous and it broke him. She wanted to offer him a new life.

"I have an idea. And I need your help." She started to walk back towards the metro, "First we have to stop by a diner and meet some friends of mine."

Huck ducked his head to avoid eye contact, "Of course Olivia." He murmured.

SCANDAL

Abby Whelan stopped in the doorway of 3rd Street Metro Diner in downtown DC. Her eyes widened when she saw who Olivia was sitting with. He looked homeless. He had to be homeless. And he was easily the cause for the foul oder in the small restaurant.

Steeling her nerves for the glances she was about to get from all other patrons, she bravely made her way to the table. "Liv?"

Olivia stood up and smiled, "Abby!" She grinned, "How are you?"

Abby rolled her eyes, "I'm not broken anymore Liv. And I haven't heard from him." She glanced down at Huck, "And I have lots of guns now too."

Olivia chuckled, "Well that's good I guess." She sat back down next to Huck, "Abby this is Huck, Huck this is Abby." Abby chose to wave instead of shaking his hand.

"This has to be quick Liv, I have a meeting to get to." Abby and Olivia both shot up at the sound of the voice joining them.

Olivia chuckled and stood one more time, "Harrison Wright, this is Abby Whelan and Huck. Let's get started."

Abby's head fell to the side, her long red curls falling over one shoulder, "Are you a lawyer too?" She gestured between Harrison and Olivia.

Harrison shook his head and grinned, "Not anymore."

"Then what kind of meeting do you have to get to?" Olivia repressed a chuckle at the inevitable shock that was about to come to Abby.

"With my parole officer." Harrison picked up the cup of coffee the waitress had just put in front of him. "So what's up?"

Olivia leaned forward. "I have an idea. I want to start a business."

Abby frowned, "Liv, I'm an investigator. I'm not a lawyer, I don't have a law degree." She looked at Huck, "Does he?"

Olivia shook her head, "Not a law firm. Look one thing I've learned is that I'm very good at fixing problems and saving reputations. I want to open a business. Olivia Pope and Associates. We would fix the problems of our clients, big or small." She glanced down at her watch. "I purchased a building. My friend Stephen Finch is going to meet us there. He had some," she rolled her eyes, "issues this morning." She handed Harrison the address, "Meet us there for lunch?"

Harrison leaned back, "You're the best Liv. I'm in."

Olivia looked over at Huck, "Are you ready to join the real world again?" She whispered. He nodded and looked out the window.

Abby grinned and rolled her eyes, "I'd go over a cliff for you after what you did for me Liv. Let's go look at that building."

SCANDAL

Fitzgerald Grant, III glanced out of his hotel window. "What exactly are we doing here?" He asked his father.

Big Jerry, Fitzgerald Grant, Jr, rolled his eyes, "Look you've done your two tours. You made your statement. Now it's time to get you involved with politics." He leaned back and sipped his scotch, "We're just going to spend some time with some political friends of mine."

Fitz rolled his eyes, "Did you ever even consider that maybe I don't want to be in politics."

"Fitzgerald," Big Jerry started, "for the last time, I did not put you through Harvard Law School for my health. I put you through it so you could eventually run for president. A law degree is a good thing to have under your belt. I think your first step should be to run for Governor of California" He waved his hand, "We'll run it by Cyrus Beene."

Fitz stood up and walked over to the large bay windows, "I don't want to be a politician," he stated again, "I want to be a prosecutor. I want to do some good. I want to use that law degree."

"That's weak and narrow-minded Fitzgerald. Let it go." Jerry stood up, "Now go get showered and changed. We're meeting downstairs in two hours. I'm going to take a nap before lunch with Cyrus."

SCANDAL

"Okay Liv, this building is awesome. And this office is beautiful." Abby glanced through the big windows at the top floor of the downtown building.

Olivia grinned, "Let me show y'all your offices." The elevator door opening interrupted her, "Stephen! You're here!" She floated over to his side. "Stephen this is Abby and Huck."

Stephen waved at them, "So I guess you two are in for Olivia Pope and Associates?"

Olivia nodded, "So is my friend Harrison. He's just meeting with his parole officer."

"A hardened criminal?" Stephen rolled his eyes, "You do know all kinds."

She poked his chest, "You were almost one too."

Abby looked around, "Am I the only not criminal in this room?"

"I'm not a criminal." Huck spoke for the first time. Abby just stared at him,

Olivia clapped her hands together, "Okay, office tour time!"

SCANDAL

Harrison walked into the office an hour later with a bag Olivia had asked him to pick up. She led Huck into the bathrooms, "I thought you may want to clean up?" She suggested gently, handing him the bag.

Huck nodded and looked down, "Thanks Olivia." He murmured.

She walked out of the employee bathrooms that had showers and joined everyone in the break room that she'd already stashed with a coffee pot. "So when is opening day?" Stephen asked, pouring a cup of coffee and handing it to Olivia.

Olivia grinned, "Monday."

"You already have a client don't you?" Harrison chuckled, "And you knew we'd accept the offer."

Olivia shrugged, "I mean I didn't have to hold a gun to your head to get you to."

"Huck!" Abby's eyes widened, "You look great."

His head dropped and he didn't respond, "Lunch?" He asked.

Olivia set the coffee mug in the sink, "Yup, let's go." She picked up her bag and led the way to the door, locking the office doors behind her.

SCANDAL

Fitz glanced down at the menu of The Palm and then out the window. The waiter set the glasses of wine in front of himself, his father, Cyrus Beene and Hollis Doyle. Fitz picked up his glass and took a sip. He decided to tune his father's discussion about oil with Doyle and focus on the customers entering and leaving the restaurant.

Olivia handed her keys to the valet and stepped out of her SUV, "Oh I love The Palm." Abby gushed as she looped her arm through Olivia's. Stephen opened the door and held it for them, smiling at Abby's enthusiasm.

Olivia led the wait to the hostess counter, "Reservation for Pope." She smiled warmly at the woman, her eyes flitting around the busy restaurant.

Fitz watched the small group of five walk through the door, his eyes landing inevitably on the dark-skinned woman. "Fitzgerald?" His father tapped his arm, "Are you with us?"

Fitz tore his gaze away and looked tiredly at his father, "Yes?"

"Hollis asked if you had a girlfriend or a fiance." His father prompted.

Fitz rolled his eyes, "No."

Big Jerry grunted, "He does, her name is Melanie Carswell."

"She's not my girlfriend." Fitz insisted.

"He's going to ask her to marry him." His father interjected.

"No he's not. He can't stand to be around her." Fitz interrupted his father.

Hollis chuckled, "Look we can always find another woman. Whatever deal you have with the Carswells can be amended. If the boy really wants to kill her there's no need to add potential murder to his already stellar resume."

For his own sanity, Fitz tuned out the conversation once again as his eyes traveled around the restaurant in search of the woman that had just entered.

"Liv," Abby leaned over and whispered, "don't look, but there is a very attractive man scoping you out. And shamelessly too."

Olivia smiled at Abby, "Where?"

"Over Harrison's left shoulder." Abby picked up her water glass and took a sip.

Olivia nodded and she looked over at Harrison, "How was your meeting?" She asked. Her eyes wandered to the brown-haired man sitting across the room. He was with three older men. They wreaked of power. Her head fell to the side, she knew just what kind of influence two of the older men had. One was two-term United States Senator from California, and that was just one of his credentials, Big Jerry Grant. The other had the same look her father had. She didn't know exactly what circle he ran with, but it was a dangerous one. She looked away and took a sip of her water.

"Liv," Abby tapped her arm, "send your card over."

Olivia's mouth dropped open "Are you nuts?" She asked, "He's sitting with a Senator from California, absolutely no."

"Senator Grant is here?" Stephen glanced around, his eyes falling on the table.

"Don't look." Abby and Olivia both scolded him.

Stephen grinned, "Ah you must mean the young man with him."

Huck's eyes wandered stealthily over the crowd, "That's his son."

"So you're eyeing a senator's son?" Harrison chuckled, "Isn't that a step down? Last time it was a senator." He referred to her now ex-fiance Senator Edison Davis. She just swatted him away.

"He's a sexy senator's son." Abby muttered, "Too bad Grant is a Republican."

"I'm apolitical." Olivia reminded her.

"Yeah well I'm a Democrat. He's all yours besides," Abby nudged her, "he can't keep his eyes off of you."

Olivia looked up and smiled at him. He grinned back. Cyrus watched the two of them and shook his head. He was smiling at Olivia Pope. She was dangerous to the career his father wanted him to have. It would have to be stopped.

SCANDAL

XOXO

MAS