She stood at the mirror and stared at her reflection. She barely recognized herself anymore. Sure, she still looked like the formidable Olivia Pope but she hadn't felt like that woman in well over a year. The lies and the secrets had changed her. She had become a shell of her former self. She had become a robot; a Stepford wife fashioned to look like Olivia Pope but held none of her former strength, humor, or power. For what? To hide something so precious? To keep that secret to maintain a reputation? A reputation that wasn't even her? A reputation that was carefully crafted but was all a mirage, a façade created so Olivia could save face professionally while personally she fell apart? It was all bullshit and everyone with two eyes and a brain knew it was. She was sick of it and decided to fix it today. No more lies or secrets. No more false fronts or stock answers to questions. Olivia Pope was going to live her truth come hell or high water and the first step was talking to him.

She finished applying her soft pink lip gloss as she sat in her car in his driveway. They had always been friends, probably best friends. When she first met him all of those years ago a deep friendship blossomed quickly. They clicked. In fact, Olivia had never had that kind of connection with anyone in her entire life. He saw her and she saw him. They understood each other. He was kind and idealistic. A man with his heart firmly placed on his sleeve. He believed in the goodness of people and devoted his time to causes that reinforced that belief. He had stood by her through every single rough patch and crisis over the past decade. He was the one person she could count on always. No questions or judgments. Just love and support. When their friendship turned it felt natural. Yes, he was married with two children and Olivia knew it was wrong but it didn't feel wrong. Sharing a bed and her every emotion with him felt like the most natural thing in the world. She loved him beyond reason and would be his for as long as he'd have her. It worked for a long time. Then he decided he wanted out of his marriage. He wanted Olivia and no one else. He even started the process when life threw Olivia a curveball. Their plan to slowly roll out their relationship hit a major glitch and she had to think quickly. In a panic over what would happen to her business and her life as well as his, she made a choice. It was the wrong choice. She had broken his heart. She had broken her own heart but OPA was thriving so there was that she guessed. The amazing thing to her was that he remained her friend. He still supported her and loved her despite her choices. Over the last 6 months he had given her the courage to move forward. To do the right thing and that brought her to his door.

'Hi.' Fitz smiled that devastatingly gorgeous smile that made his ocean blue sparkle and her knees get weak. He was casually dressed. She always loved when he wore a white T-Shirt and dark jeans. They made him look carefree and youthful and handsome.

'Hi.' Olivia replied. 'Thanks for meeting with me on such short notice. I know it's late.'

'Of course, Livvie. Come in. It sounded urgent. Are you okay?' Fitz led Olivia into his living room and they sat on opposite sides of the tan sofa.

'Yes. I'm fine. Actually I am better than I have been for a long time and that is why I'm here. I need to discuss something with you.'

'Well I'm all ears. Shoot!' Fitz leaned back against the sofa.

Olivia let her eyes sweep over him. She was nervous. She wasn't sure how he would react. She may have overstepped her bounds but she had to do it. She couldn't live another second with the lie. It was killing her. He deserved better. 'I saw the news about Mellie. How is that going? How are you feeling about it?'

'It's good. It's what needed to happen. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it myself but I needed to get through it and make sure my children were okay.'

'Please, don't apologize to me, Fitz. You don't owe me anything when it comes to the decisions you make for your family.'

'I know but you're my friend and you shouldn't have had to hear about my divorce on the news.'

'I understand why though. I kind of changed the dynamic of our relationship a year ago. I can understand you not wanting to confide in me about this topic.'

A melancholy look fell over Fitz's face. 'Yeah. I'm still sorry, Liv.'

'No worries. That's not what I am here about though. I have something for you. I want you to open it and then we can talk about what it is and what it means. Is that okay?'

'Sure. I like presents.' Fitz smirked. She could tell he was trying to lighten the mood. She just hoped that he would still feel that way once he opened his gift. Olivia pulled a deep blue wrapped box from her bag and handed it to Fitz. He looked at her for a moment and then tore at the wrapping and opened the gift box. In it was a dark brown frame with a document in it. His eyes filled with tears and his heart started beating loudly in his chest. He looked up at Olivia.

'A copy of this will be leaked to the press overnight. The story will break first thing in the morning.'

'I don't….I don't understand. You said….'

'I know. I'm so sorry, Fitz. I lied. I lied to you. I lied to the world. I was so afraid. Your divorce wasn't final. You hadn't even filed. I didn't want to destroy us both so I lied and every single day since has been hell. I have no idea what I was thinking. I don't know why I believed for one moment that I could find happiness without you.'

Fitz didn't speak. He just stared at the frame. He just kept reading it as if the words were going to change. He didn't even notice that Olivia had stood up and started pacing.

'Do you know that I can't even look at Jake? I can't stand the sight of him. When I have to deal with him, my skin crawls. I don't let him touch me. He's not a good person, Fitz.'

'What? Why did you marry him then?'

'I didn't. We aren't married. Not legally anyway. You're a public figure, Fitz. We both are. If the truth had come out before your divorce, both of our careers would have been destroyed. I would have been a whore and you would have been a horny old man.'

'Old?' Fitz chuckled somewhat offended.

'Fitz, you are 17 years old than I am. I don't think you are old but the press would have labeled you that way. We both know that.'

'So what did you do? You just made up a marriage? How did you get him to go along with this?'

'Like everyone else in this town he has secrets he doesn't want out. I asked him to pose for the photos. All he had to do was wear a tux and stand with me in a wedding dress. I leaked the photos and the marriage was born. I never confirmed or denied it. I just let it happen. Then I appeared with Jake a couple of functions and it became the truth. No one asked any questions after that. The rumors about you and I just disappeared.'

Fitz nodded. 'Why couldn't you tell me? Why did you keep this from me?'

'There isn't an easy answer to that. I was ashamed and afraid. I know you. If you knew the truth you would have screamed it from the rooftops and even if I was able to convince you to keep quiet, your face would have given us away. So I had to end us and let this charade play out. But it's killing me. I can't do it anymore. You deserve the truth. You deserve to know her and she needs to know you.'

'I should be angry with you. You made choices without me. Choices that affected the both of us, Livvie. You kept her from me! You let me and the world believe that she was Jake's! She's almost six months old. I can't get that time back!'

'I know. And I am so sorry. But Fitz you were there the day she was born. Jake wasn't. You were there the first time she rolled over. You have been with her. You have loved her.'

'Not every day, Livvie. I should be with her every day. Instead I'm in this big house all alone and Jake is raising my daughter!'

'Jake is NOT raising our daughter. I am raising her. Jake has only seen her once and he didn't even touch her. She is yours. He knows that.'

'Have her eyes changed?'

'No. They are still blue. They are still your blue. They aren't going to change.'

Fitz felt his eyes well up again. He already loved the baby because she was a part of Olivia but now knowing he helped create her, he felt like his heart was going to burst. Olivia was the love of his life. He had always wanted children with her. When she seemingly ran off and married Jake and told Fitz she was pregnant and the baby was Jake's, Fitz's heart shattered. But today it was whole again. He looked back at the frame and read it again:

Mother: Pope, Olivia Carolyn

Father: Grant, Fitzgerald Thomas

Name: Grant, Abigail Faith

It was his daughter's birth certificate. Olivia had been honest and listed him as Abbey's father. For some reason he was comforted by that.

'So what now?' Fitz asked.

'Now I fess up. I tell the world I am not married to Jake Ballard and that my beautiful daughter is a product of my relationship with you. I sit down with Diane Sawyer or Oprah and I own everything. After that I let the chips fall where they may and you and I work out an agreement for Abbey.'

'An agreement?'

'Yes. I don't want to keep her from you anymore. I want you to spend as much time with her as possible. I want to be fair to you and Abbey.'

'You mean a custody agreement?'

'Yes.'

'No.'

Olivia's face dropped and her eyes widen. Had she hurt him so much that he was going to file of custody of Abbey? Was he going to take her daughter from her?

'What?'

'No. I want to be with her every day, Olivia. Every. Day.'

'Fitz…' Olivia eyes started to water and she felt like she couldn't breathe. 'Please.'

'Olivia, sit down please.' Fitz motioned for her to move back to the sofa. After a few moments she did. 'Do you still love me?'

'What?'

'Are you still in love with me?'

'Yes. I never stopped loving you. I did most of this because I love you.'

'Then you and the baby are moving in here. I'm not spending any more time away from either of you.' Fitz reached over and opened the drawer in the end table next to him. He took out a small box. 'I bought this the day before you ran off to the Caribbean. I never took it back. I guess a part of me just couldn't let go of the idea.' He handed the box to Olivia. 'Open it.'

Olivia slowly opened the box and gasped when she saw the perfect ring lying on a soft satin pillow. 'Fitz…it's beautiful.' She whispered.

'Do you want it?'

'Do I want it?' Olivia was confused.

'Yes. Do you want it?'

'I…..' Olivia didn't know what to say.

'Olivia, it's a yes or no question. Do you want the ring or not? Do you want to be my wife or not? Because that is what I want. That is what I have wanted from the day I laid eyes on you. I have wanted to love you and build a life with you from the very moment I caught a glimpse of you in that ballroom. So Olivia Pope, do you want to marry me? Do you want to make at least one more baby with me?'

Olivia had tears streaming down her face. She never thought he would want her after what she had done. She expected him to be angry and want nothing to do with her beyond Abbey. 'Yes.' She whimpered. 'Yes, I want to marry you.'

Fitz turned to face her. He cupped her face and said 'Then put the damn ring on and let's go see our daughter.' Olivia laughed as Fitz moved in to kiss her. They kissed for what felt like hours. Olivia pulled away first. She didn't want to wait another second to wear his ring. She took it out of the box and handed it to him. 'Will you put it on me?'

Fitz took the ring from her and knelt before her. 'Olivia Pope, you are the love of my life and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?'

'Yes!' Olivia cried out and kissed with so much force they both fell to the floor. After a while she pulled back and looked into his blue eyes, their daughter's eyes. 'Come on. Let's go get your daughter.'

Hello! This was bouncing around in my head. This is an AU Olivia and Fitz so Abby Whelan doesn't exist. The only Abbey in this story is the littlest Grant. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this little one shot. Hopefully now I can get back to Damaged Faith. Review please. And…the answer to the question you want to ask is…yep!