A/N this is a repost with longer chapters. I will be deleting the other story. I will update again later this week.

Olivia shook her umbrella, sprinkling cool water droplets all over the marble floor, as she entered her family law firm in downtown DC. She quickly walked past the interns running coffee errands and onto the elevator. Her Louboutins announced her presence to everyone on the first floor. It was a rainy Monday morning, and the weatherman's predictions of scattered showers until Friday was not helping her look forward to Tuesday. She pressed the button for the second floor and impatiently waited for the elevator doors to open. She had been in the hospital with her best friend Abby all night. She delivered her baby girl at 4:21 am. Olivia had only gotten two hours of sleep. Her pathetic husband Stephen didn't even show for their birth of their child. The elevator stopped and the door opened. Her coworker Harrison was waiting to get on the elevator. Olivia nodded and he kissed her cheek before getting on the elevator. She glanced at her watch and kept walking until she reached her office. She was late for her meeting with her client. Her father Rowan had specifically assigned Olivia to interview their newest employee. Rowan instructed her not to tell him he already had the job. He was grooming Olivia to take over the family business. Her parents were proud of her. They were shocked their head cheerleader and prom queen daughter went to law school. She moved to Seattle after high school for two years and worked in a coffee shop. Her parents nor her sister knew of her past in Seattle. She had gotten married, divorced and had an abortion all in two years. She glanced in her floor length mirror to check her appearance. Her assistant Quinn walked in her office looking happier than usual. Olivia caught a glimpse of the engagement ring on her finger and knew why Quinn was smiling.

"Ms. Pope, your client has been waiting on you for 15 minutes.

"Send him in Quinn." Nervous as she was, Olivia always kept a poker face. Their newest employee was Fitz Grant. Olivia hadn't seen Fitz in 10 years. They were in the same graduating class, but they were not friends. His file said he was an architect, but Olivia hadn't seen his name on any buildings in DC.

"Hi I'm Olivia Pope. I'm going to be interviewing you." She was relieved her voice didn't agree with her nervousness. Fitz sat in the chair in front of her desk. His eyes quickly searched for a wedding ring. He was pleasantly surprised to know Olivia was single. It would make his job so much easier.

"Fitzgerald Grant." He leaned against the desk and extended his hand. His palms were sweating as he waited to feel her soft hand. Fitz knew this was not the time to get nervous. He was there to do a job. Take down Pope and Associates. He would accomplish his mission by starting with the weakest link, Olivia Pope. Olivia shook his hand and quickly wiped her hand on her pants leg.

Olivia opened her briefcase and took out Fitz file. She looked up quickly, and saw him trying to get a glimpse of the contents in her briefcase. He diverted his gaze to her chest. She quickly pulled out a folder and closed her briefcase. This was going to be a long interview.

The smell of Fitz cologne filled her office. It wasn't an overpowering scent. It was the scent of a man. The smell stirred something deep in her core. Olivia crossed her legs and focused on reading Fitz resume.

"You're assistant told me you were leaving the office early today." Fitz said breaking Olivia's concentration.

"Yes…I'm leaving after lunch. My friend had a baby this morning…" Olivia's voice trailed off as she read Fitz resume.

"So why do you want to work for Pope and Associates Mr. Grant?"

"The same reason you do Ms. Pope." Olivia flashed Fitz a quick smile.

"You don't have a law degree, so why should I hire you?"

"I went to law school."

"You dropped out of law school."

"I do have my paralegal certification."

"You want to be a paralegal? You're resume says you are seeking a partner position."

"Reach for the moon and you will always land among the stars."

"What is that supposed to mean."

"Yes, I'm applying for partner, and no I do not have a law degree, but you are going to hire me anyways." Fitz sat back in his chair. Olivia smiled at Fitz and put his resume back on her desk.

"I'll hire you as a paralegal. Finish law school and we can talk about you becoming an attorney, and then possibly a partner at Pope and Associates.

"Where are you going for lunch Ms. Pope?"

"Excuse me?"

"I would love to talk about my new paralegal duties over lunch."

"I don't think so Mr. Grant." Business and pleasure were never a good mix.

"Why not Ms. Pope."

"Well for starters your married." Olivia pointed at the gold band on Fitz finger.

"I'm not married. The ring is a family heirloom. It was my great grandfather's ring." Fitz rubbed his index finger over the ring.

"Really." Olivia said as she touched Fitz hand to get a better look at the ring."

"My grandfather traveled to California during the gold rush. He had this ring made out of the first gold nugget he found."

"When do I start?" Fitz asked changing the conversation. He was not going to discuss his family details with Olivia. Rowan knew too much already.

"You can start tomorrow morning at 6:00 am."

"You need to be here before the attorneys arrive. We need our case notes as soon as we walk in the office. It that understood Mr. Grant?"

"Yes Ms. Pope."

"Welcome to the team Mr. Grant." Olivia said as she reached over the table and shook Fitz hand. Fitz shook Olivia's hand and rubbed his finger across her bare ring finger. Olivia quickly pulled her hand away from Fitz.

"Ms. Pope, your next client is here." Quinn walked in Olivia's office and Fitz quickly stood up.

"So how did it go?" Quinn asked Olivia when Fitz left her office.

"Mr. Grant is going to be working with you Quinn." Olivia said as she put Fitz resume back in her briefcase. She looked at her watched when her stomach growled. She could not wait two more hours for lunch.

"Tell my client we will be meeting at the café across the street." Olivia said as she grabbed her purse and briefcase.

"Ok." Quinn quickly left Olivia's office and told her client to go to the café across the street. Olivia's phone was buzzing on her desk. Her sister Camille was texting her. Let's get Brunch Olivia quickly texted her back. Can't I'm going to see Abby and my godchild. Olivia threw her phone in her purse and walked out her office.

Fitz stood by the elevator watching Olivia walk out her office. He hadn't seen her since high school and she still was pretty and petite. His family would never approve of him seriously dating a black woman, but Fitz was never one to care about what anyone thought. Fitz kept his mission at the front of his mind. It was easy to get sidetracked by Olivia Pope's beauty. His investigative report didn't contain much detailed information on Olivia. The Pope's were very leery of what information was publically shared about them.

Rowan Pope kept his family close and his enemies closer. He was too smart for his own good. Did Rowan really think Fitz was forgetting what Rowan Pope Senior did to his family? He cost his family their million dollar fortune. Forty years ago when Jerry Grant was attending an exclusive boarding school for children of aristocrats, Rowan Pope Senior was the chief financial officer of the largest mortgage company in the United States, Grant Holding Company. He under reported the companies losses and caused the loss of their family fortune. Jerry transferred to public school and his family relied on donations for food. Their family moved to a farm in the middle of nowhere California. Jerry became mayor of their small California town. Fitz and his older brother Paul moved to DC when Paul was 22.

Fitz finished high school, while his brother built buildings all over DC. He followed in his footsteps and also became an architect. His grandfather had told him stories about the Popes, but he had never met them. That is, until he started high school and crossed paths with Olivia Pope. Fitz wanted revenge and he would do whatever was necessary to take down the Pope family fortune. He attended law school, but legal textbooks were boring. He settled for a paralegal certificate. He introduced himself to Rowan Pope, and out of sympathy or plain mockery, Rowan offered him an interview with Olivia Pope. Now here he was watching her introduce herself to her client before going to the café across the street.

"Excuse me." Olivia smiled at Fitz and wondered why he was still standing by the elevator. Her client pushed the button and the elevator doors opened. Fitz got on after Olivia and stood too close for her comfort. She stepped away from him until her shoulder was pressed against the elevator wall. Fitz was thinking of another strategy to get Olivia on a date. The perfect idea came to him a few seconds later. The elevator doors opened and Olivia and her client headed to the café. Fitz headed to the hospital and hoped it was the one Olivia would be at in an hour.

"Emily."

"You need a favor." Fitz sister in law said as she looked over the charts in the maternity ward.

"How did you guess."

"I married a Grant. I know that look."

"I need you to find me some volunteer work in the next hour."

"What kind of volunteer work?" Emily laughed at Fitz.

"Preferably something on the maternity floor."

"You're trying to impress someone?"

"Yeah a lady. Her friend is a patient in the maternity ward here."

"What's her name?"

"I don't know her friend's name. I know she will be here in an hour."

"Okay Fitz. You usually would have to fill out a volunteer packet, but I will let you skip that step. You can read to our babies that are addicted to drugs."

"You want me to read to them?"

"It helps keep them calm."

"Go wash your hands and I will let you in the nursery."

"Thanks." Fitz went to the sink to wash his hands while Emily opened the door to the nursery. He had a good view of the maternity floor from the nursery. He smiled when he saw Olivia get off the elevator an hour later. She talked to Emily before walking to Abby's room. She came back a few minutes later with Abby. They were looking in the window waiting for Emily to open the nursery. Fitz turned around and waved at Abby and Olivia.

"Who is that?" Abby asked Olivia.

"My new coworker."

"Why is he in the nursery?"

"I don't know Abby."

"You have a baby in here Mr. Grant?" Olivia asked when Emily opened the door.

"No, I volunteer here."

"He sure does, and he is really good with the babies." Emily said as she took Abby's baby out of her bassinette.

"Should I put you down for tomorrow at this time Mr. Grant?"

"No, It will have to be later in the day. I start work at Ms. Pope's firm tomorrow."

"Maybe tomorrow she will let me take her to lunch."

Abby looked at Olivia and Olivia blushed. Olivia hadn't mentioned Fitz.

"We can talk about your paralegal duties over lunch tomorrow.'

Fitz smiled at Olivia. His plan was working perfectly.