Draftbook Drabble 7, a scandal fanfic

Author's Note: Hey, everyone. This fic took ages and was 95% written by hand. Usually I use the notebook for notes but this time, I wrote the story. It was actually fun. It was like a throwback to my early days as a fic writer and the words…they flowed. This D.D. is a top contender to become a WIP in the future and I hope you guys enjoy it. Have a good one and an update for The Thunderbolt will be up soon, along with one for Loose.

CMW2/Trumpetnista: Draftbook Drabble #7-(Canon Corrector AU, Defiance, Fitz, Olivia, David, Cyrus, Mellie, mentions FTGIV and Karen, Eli/Rowan, Big Jerry, Mellitz Zombie Divorce, ride or die, Olitz, NSFW)

Words from the Gladiator in a Hoodie: One of the biggest things that pissed me all the way off about Defiance is the fact that Liv went along with it. I know that she was trying to help, I know that she was being emotionally terrorized and bullied by mainly Cyrus at the time, I know that she was stressed and sad and fucked in the head because the feelings she had for Fitz were not going away anytime soon and she didn't know how to handle them (and still doesn't today, god-fuckin'-dammit!) but…NO. There was another way of doing things, a better way of doing things, a braver way of doing things and this D.D. is gonna show it full force. It's probably not very realistic but shit, it's SCANDAL. Reality is relative. Hopefully, the reality that I've come with is to y'all's liking. Mad Love, Jam, and Power Drills, ~*Trump*~

Disclaimer: Honestly, it's not mine!

"…let's not play innocent here. Fitz is clean. Fitz walks on water. Fitz makes the fishes and the loaves, and people like Hollis, me, and you...don't roll your eyes at me. You are one of us Olivia. We march behind him, we sing his happy tune. And then we pick up our hatchets and we chop the Judases into bloody little pieces and dance around the corpses because that's our job. That is what we do. We take care of Fitz. And we don't do it because we are believers, which we are. We don't do it for the rush or the high or the power, which we are most certainly junkies for. We do it because Fitz can't. He can't do it. If he could do it, we wouldn't worship at his altar. People like Fitz, they go down in history. People like us, we create the history. We run this world so he can lead…"

"You did it, Olivia. We've got more than enough to take them down for good. Unfortunately, the good Governor's campaign will go down with them."

"I know."

"He won't be happy about it. He may try and stop all of this…"

"He won't. You…you don't know him like I do, David. He's not like the typical Republican big fish. He's not like his father, doing the dirty things expecting just to get away with it. I know that he wants the White House but I also know that he wants it legitimately, cleanly. This whole time, all he really wanted was to have a clean campaign, to do the right things, win or lose. He wanted to do the right things like a good person. He's such a good person, a sweet person. That's why I did it. He didn't deserve to be… he's…let me tell him, okay? When he gets here…let me tell him. I want to tell him. I need to tell him. He'll want to hear the truth, the whole ugly truth from me."

"I don't know, Liv. You're about to fall apart…"

A shaky laugh was Olivia Pope's response to the dubious deadpan and she drew her knees up further into her plush leather office chair. It was late at night, about 3 hours before dawn. She and her contact, her Handler were meeting for what had become routine. All the other times, she had been full of piss and vinegar, cold and full of righteous rage, righteous determination to destroy those who sought to destroy the sanctity of democracy…

She had been determined to destroy those who sought to destroy the sanctity of him. They said that they wanted to elevate him. They said that they believed in him. They said that they were doing what was best for the country and for him but she knew better. It was lies. It was all lies and omissions and icy manipulations. All the Four cared about were themselves. They were arrogant. They were presumptuous. They were lazy cowards. They were a quartet of lazy cowards and users, cloaking themselves in the shadows and…they were all poison.

She had to protect him from them, even if destroyed her.

If she were honest with herself, Olivia would readily agree that she was like them in many ways (which sickened her…) but she had an advantage over all of them.

She didn't want to make history.

She didn't want power.

She didn't want control and credit for creating history.

All she wanted, all she needed was to take care of Fitz.

And unlike them, she knew exactly how to do it without breaking a single law.

Her moral compass may not be the standard issue for humanity but it was still there. Her Gut was still there and she knew what she had to do. She knew what she had to do from the second that Cyrus had read her into the brewing scheme.

She would be their downfall.

She would ruin them all and enjoy it.

They shouldn't have been bad.

They should've listened to her.

They should've been good.

They shouldn't have tried to hurt her Fitz.

Once they did that, once it became clear that they were not going to be reasoned with, they had sealed their doom.

And now…now, it was Time. She had more than accomplished what she set out to do and it was time to strike, time to spring her trap, and watch the world burn down to the ground.

Olivia was about to be part of something that would make the world burn down to the ground and reality was hitting her full force.

She really did look like she was going to fall apart. Her normally perfectly coiffed hair was in utter disarray, tangled from nervous fingers and half sweated out. Her amber sienna eyes were wide and watery, bloodshot from lack of sleep and stress. Her chapped fuchsia lips quivered and clenched with the effort to speak without bawling. She had unbuttoned her beige blouse to turn over the last puzzle piece so her lacy demicup bra was fully exposed, the color a near blinding white. White had always been her shield. White symbolized justice and resolve in her mind. White was her security blanket. White was…

The conference room side door opened and in walked the love of her life.

Oh, he was going to be so hurt, so angry…

Would he blame her, too?

She would blame her too if she were him…

Oh, he was going to hate her!

She just knew that he was going to hate her and that…that broke her heart.

The heartbreak would be worth it, though. She would bear it with grace.

Any pain that she went through to protect him would be more than worth it.

"Livvie?"

In response to the naked concern on his face, to the light touch he gave her trembling hands, Olivia burst into tears and ran into the attached bathroom. Picking the largest stall, she locked herself in and threw up everything she had managed to keep down in the last 12 hours.

"Governor Grant, my name is David Rosen. I'm a prosecutor out of D.C. and a friend of Olivia's. I'm here because 6 weeks ago, she contacted me about a conspiracy involving your wife, Hollis Doyle, Cyrus Beene, and Verna Thornton using inside access to the Cytron voting machines to engineer a guaranteed Grant victory in Defiance County, Ohio. Mr. Beene drew Olivia into their Plan but unbeknownst to all of them, she has been wearing a wire the entire time. She got their whole operation from stem to stern and we're ready to move in."

"…is she a full conspirator? Did she flip on them?"

"No, sir. In fact, she's been the hold out against going forward. See, the Four want an unanimous agreement as an insurance policy against future blackmail but Olivia…she knows that time is running short and they're getting desperate. You should hear the latest pitch that Beene gave her, it's disgusting."

"I can only imagine."

"Olivia believes in you, sir. The Four only see you as a meal ticket and a springboard to furthering their own interests. Olivia is determined to stand her ground against them but she doesn't trust them not to go forward anyway. They may have already done it and are now trying to get her implicated as a conspirator."

"That's a distinct possibility. While Verna Thornton is a surprise to me, the others are power hungry and manipulative to the Core. They would go forward and make sure that all of the blame went to Olivia if…when it came out. Or if they haven't proceeded, they would hurt or even kill her to get her out of their way so they could do what they want and make sure there isn't a witness against them."

"Exactly. They're too late, though. Even if Olivia gets hurt or god forbid, killed, we've got them dead to rights. They're going down."

"…do what you have to do, Mr. Rosen. Take them all down. I will not defraud the American People. I will not let this happen. I want to lead this country. I want to be the President of the United States but not like this. Never like this…take them all down but make sure that Olivia is completely safe. If she ends up charged or harmed, I will hold you personally responsible and act in accordance. Do you understand?"

"…yeah. I…I understand completely. The arrests will happen before the weekend. I'll just…I'll be going now."

"Mr. Rosen, this has the potential to be the biggest case of your career. This could open many doors for you. It would be a shame to have a loose tongue ruin it, wouldn't you agree?"

"Look, I don't care nor do I want to know just what your relationship with Olivia is. I'm interested in justice. Although…all right, she is a constant pain in my ass. She has been since the day I had the misfortune of meeting her but at the end of the day, she's my friend and…"

"I'm in love with her. It's not just about sex. I'm not using her. I won't abandon her. I love her."

"…okay, then. Good night, Governor."

"Good night."

Opening the bathroom door, he could see her bare feet in the handicapped accessible stall. Feeling his heart melt and shatter in his chest, Fitz Grant III reached underneath the door to unlock it. The door opened with a slow, low creak and he stumbled back as he got an abrupt armful of Olivia. Supporting her with hands underneath her bottom, he allowed her to wrap her limbs tightly like a baby koala. She was sniffling and Fitz embraced her tenderly, rocking carefully on his heels in an effort to soothe…

"…do you h-hate me?"

"No, Livvie. I could never hate you. I love you…"

"I…I tried to stop it. I stalled them as long as I could. I tried to do better. It's my fault. If I had been better, then they wouldn't want Defiance so badly. It would've died by now. I…I was h-hired to do a job and I failed. I let you down and I…I'm so sorry, Fitz…"

"Don't. Don't you dare. You haven't done anything wrong, Olivia. This isn't your fault. If it weren't for you, the Campaign would've fallen apart. You hold it all together. You hold me together. You saved me, Liv. I love you, Liv."

"…why didn't we meet sooner? We should've met sooner! It's not fair!"

"Oh, honey…"

"I love you. I did it because I love you."

"You do?"

"Very much."

She unhooked her ankles and Fitz bent forward so she could get back on her feet easily. Since her blouse and heels were still in the stall, she stood only at his chest height and she looked up at him with a blend of sadness, guilt, resolve, and a near painful amount of devotion.

"I love you. I-I couldn't let them hurt you. I couldn't let them ruin you! I had…I had to protect you. I had to! That's what love is…Fitz, I…I'm cold. Where's my shirt? I want my shirt…"

"I'll get it. Do you want your shoes?"

"Yes, please. God, I'm so cold…why am I so cold?"

She was cold because she was in shock. All of the stress she had been holding in, all of the emotions she had been holding back being released had her at the end of her rope. He couldn't blame her. She was going to be part of American History. She was about to be key in exposing the dirtiest, nastiest back alley political deal since Watergate. She had to pretend to be normal, pretend to be friendly to everyone while she was gathering Intel. Deep cover work, Dark Ops work took everything and more out of a person and Olivia was a civilian. She wasn't trained to deal with the Aftermath, the Come Down…

The sink was turned on and she rinsed out her mouth, cleaned her face. After she used a bundle of paper towels to dry off, Fitz passed her the blouse. Her fingers were shaking too much to get the buttons. Crossing to her, Fitz took over the task and a sickly version of her smile curved her lips upward.

"This is new. Usually, you're undressing me…"

"I'm adaptable, Liv."

"Lucky me. I…I'm okay. I'm okay, now. You can go…"

"No, you're not. You are not okay and I'm not leaving you."

"For now, I have to be not okay by myself. All hell is about to break loose and you need to be above reproach until it dies down. Even though I love you and I really hope that you love me back…"

"I do, Olivia. So much."

"…if we're not careful with our Optics…I don't want you to be lumped in with your father and his indiscretions. I don't want you to be a punch line. I don't…I don't want to be your Monica Lewinsky, your black Monica Lewinsky, your Sally Hemmings…"

"We are not anything like that! We are not anything like them!"

"I know that! I really do know that but…we will be together in the end, Fitzgerald. I promise. I keep my promises…"

"…I hate this."

"I know you do. I don't like it, either but it's what we have to do."

"What can I do to help? Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Karen and Gerry should hear it all from you. Defiance…us…you need to sit them down and tell what's going on and what's about to happen to their mother. Read them in. Be honest with them. That's the best way you can help right now."

"All right. I can do that. I'll talk to them tonight."

"Good. I'm going to tell Cyrus that I have some urgent business to take care of and that I have to go home. He won't be happy about it but I know he won't stop me."

"You should tell him that you're sick. You certainly look sick…"

"Gee thanks, lover."

"I didn't mean it like…"

"I know what you meant. I taped a full statement for David before I turned over the last wire but I still may have to testify if it goes to trial. I don't think it will. There's too much evidence but with them, you never know what you'll get. I don't know what going to happen in the end but I do know that I need to go to ground immediately. I shouldn't be nearby when it all goes down…"

"So, you're saying goodbye? You're leaving me?"

"Not forever. I love you and once this is all over, once you're divorced because I know that you'll be filing as soon as you can get to a phone…"

"Damned straight. I should've done it years ago."

"…yes, you should've…when things die down and you get settled, I'll come back. I'll come back home to you."

"Where are you going?"

"I have some friends and a condo in Puerto Rico. It's far away but still a US Territory so it doesn't look like I'm going on the run in case I need to get on the stand."

"Smart…so, this is it?"

"For now."

Caressing his cheek tenderly, she rose up on her tiptoes and started pressing soft, lingering kisses to his lips. Fitz responded to her and deepened the kisses, cupping her face. As much as he regretted not meeting her sooner, as much as he regretted not waiting for her to show up, he wouldn't undo any of the events that led to her coming into his life. People had dubbed her Hurricane Pope with fear and scorn but to him, Olivia Pope was a breath of fresh air. She was warmth and hope that he had forgotten existed. She was warmth and hope that he had thought had been lost forever. She was his future, now.

The last thing Fitz wanted to do was let her go but he would.

He would follow her guidance.

He would keep his head down and his nose clean.

He would let her go but he would not forget her.

He would not stop loving her.

He would wait for her.

He would wait for her until the end of time.

"I love you."

"I love you, too…I'm in love with you, too."

"I'll wait for you. Will you wait for me, Livvie?"

"Yes."

"Say you'll wait for me, Olivia."

"I'll wait for you. I'll come back to you. I promise."

"…this was the dramatic scene two nights ago outside the Martin Plaza Hotel where the Grant Campaign had set up base. Millicent 'Mellie' Grant nee Vaughn, Cyrus Beene, Verna Thornton, and well known oil tycoon Hollis Doyle were all arrested under charges of conspiracy to commit voter fraud in Defiance County, Ohio…"

"Cytron Electronics has removed the machines…complete redesign…"

"…Olivia Pope…infiltrated the ranks of the DC4 Conspirators and turned over approximately 185 hours of audio. Individual conversations, recorded phone conversations, and roundtable meeting were given to the AUSA, along with a 2 hour and 45 minute videotaped deposition…"

"…Governor Grant filing for divorce and full custody of the children…"

"…modern day Watergate…the Governor himself was not involved but he has issued a statement saying that he will be turning the position of California Governor over to Lt. Governor Andrew Nichols and that he is throwing his support to Sally Langston to represent the Republican Party against Samuel Reston in the upcoming election in November. He also implied that we may be seeing him on the Trail again in 2016…"

"…but why, though? Other than the illegality, why? Why would Olivia Pope put herself in danger of prosecution or being silenced by the others to get the footage? What was her personal motivation? What did she get out of it and just where in the world is Olivia Pope, now?"

"…disgraceful…utterly disgraceful…a slap in the face to all American voters…they should all rot..."

"…got a sista digging up the dirt and shuttin' all of those crooked bitches down…I love it! Go 'head, girl…"

2 Months Later…

"You've been quite the Busy Bee, Livvie…it's not every day that a man turns on BNN to hear his daughter being hailed as the modern day Deep Throat…put that knife down. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to give you a gift."

"What is it? A severed head? Is it Fitz's severed head? I swear to God, if you've hurt him or his children, if any of your minions have harmed them, I'll…"

"You always did have your mother's flare for the dramatic, Olivia. Your adulterous boy toy and his children are fine. Despite what you may think…"

"…and what you've done and ordered to be done."

"…I'm not a complete monster. These disks and this master flash drive have audio of Governor Grant in a very compromising sexual situation, presumably with you. Do the words, 'Take off your clothes' ring any bells?"

"They do, actually…do I even want to know what or who happened for you to get all of this?"

"No. Take the gift, Olivia."

"What's the catch? What do you want from me in return? Nothing's ever free with you…"

"Sunday dinners start up again when you come back to the mainland full time."

"And?"

"That's all."

"…fine."

Keeping watchful eyes on Eli Pope, Olivia used the point of her white ceramic knife to drag the Ziploc bag across the center island. The knife was stabbed into the cutting board and she pulled out the meat tenderizer. After bundling and folding the plastic bag, she dealt a series of savage blows to the 'gift', obliterating the evidence. The fragments went into the garbage disposal, along with the peels of the citrus fruit she had eaten earlier and turned on. After two minutes, she shut off the disposal and the Ziploc bag went deep into the garbage can.

"There. Don't you feel better, now?"

"Slightly. I'd feel my best if you left. I'll be billing 'The Smithsonian' for any damage you did outside while picking my locks."

"That's your choice, Livvie."

"It is. Good bye, Dad."

"Good bye, Olivia. Enjoy your jambalaya. It needs more Lawry's, by the way."

Frowning, she tasted the simmering mixture and sure enough…two quick shakes of the seasoning salt went in. Making sure to get all the goodness on the bottom, Olivia stirred the roux carefully before adding the shrimp. The rice was already done and being kept warm via a burner on low until it was time to serve.

Contrary to popular belief, Olivia could cook. She could cook well. Lack of time kept her to her 'on the go' diet, as well as her go-to pairing of red wine and popcorn. However, being away from her job, being away from the minefield of intrigue that made up behind the scenes politics…

Her cell phone rang and she fished it out of the front pocket of her purple apron.

"What?"

"…hi."

"…hi. How…how did you get my new number?"

"Your friend Abby gave it to me. She said that I was cute and decent…for a slutty adulterous Republican, that is…"

"Oh, God! I'm gonna kill her! I'm so sorry about that…"

"I'm not. A lack of bullshit is refreshing nowadays. I've gotten calls from all of Them, trying to explain why they did what they did. They're asking about you, too. Mellie figures that I'm hiding you in a love nest."

"You would if I'd let you."

"I would…how are you?"

"I'm okay. It's been good here. Peaceful. I learned how to surf a couple of days ago. It was really fun, even though I ended up on the business end of a few rocks at the end. My right calf looks like a fountain pen burst on it."

"Ouch…"

"It's not as bad as it sounds. The bruising's already shrinking and lightening."

"If I were there, I'd kiss it better, Sweet Baby."

"If you were here, it wouldn't have happened to begin with because you wouldn't be letting me out of the bed."

"Damned right. Although, you in a soaking wet white bikini sounds very promising…" he mused aloud with honeyed baritone.

"You pig!"

"Yours. And in 11 hours and 32 minutes, I'll be free to be Mr. Pope legally."

Olivia giggled and corrected, "Grant-Pope, Fitz. I'd let you keep your last name."

"…the kids send their love. They miss you."

"They do?"

"They do. Even though they were upset when I told them about us, they like you and according to Karen, my eyes aren't sad when you're around. She just wants me to be happy."

"And Gerry?"

"He's still pissed at me for putting you in the position you were in. He said that I had screwed you over and I should've sacked up and gotten a divorce before chasing you. But, since you let me catch you, he figures that it's something real so he'll get over it. It'll take a while but he'll get over it. He's mad at me, not you, Liv."

"I'll talk to him when I come back."

"When are you coming back?"

"Everybody's still cutting deals and pleading out, according to David and Hollis' accounts are frozen solid. He was the only one who was still a substantial threat from the inside so…soon. I'll come back soon."

"Good…I better let you go."

"One minute?"

"One minute."

Turning off the burner, she moved the roux to the upper left eye and let her breathing synchronize with his. God, she missed him so much…

"I'll call you tomorrow, Livvie."

"I'll answer. Keep your head up, Fitz. It'll be over soon…"

"I love you."

"I love you, too. Bye."

"Bye."

"So, this is where you've been hiding from me, son."

"I'm not hiding from anyone, Dad. Not anymore."

"We have farm hands for a reason, Tripp."

"I know. They're with the horses and I'm meeting up with them near Orchid House. If we're going to do this, you're going to help. Pass me the bales."

Surprising him, Big Jerry actually started tossing his own bales into the back of the dark green F-150. Fitz could feel the older man's gaze evaluating him as they worked but unlike the times in the past, he didn't feel defensive. The exposure of Defiance had been a blessing, even in the wake of the devastation. He no longer had to fake a happy marriage. He no longer had to dance on command to keep his political capital. He was…free. For the first time in decades, he was truly a free moral agent. His Livvie had freed him and he would spend the rest of his life loving her and making her happy.

It was the least he could do.

"Mellie got 8 years. Hollis and Cyrus got 15. Verna also got 8 but apparently, the old broad's chock full of terminal lung and bone cancer so they'll probably put her in a hospice someplace after a year, if she makes it to a year, anyway."

"All's well that ends well. They're where they belong."

"What do you plan on doing with yourself, now? You stepped down as Governor, let Andy take over…"

"I still have my law credentials. I've lined up interviews…"

"…in New York and D.C."

"…and what I really want is to be with my children as a full time parent. Our relationship is much better now and I want to keep it that way. I plan on moving them with me to the East Coast and they're excited. They're already looking for a house for us and into the schools they want to go to."

"And Olivia Pope?"

"Whatever she wants. She's a dear friend to me."

"Huh."

"What did you expect me to say?"

"Your 'dear friend' exposed the biggest scandal in politics in the last 40 years and you've been in regular contact with her, wherever she's hiding. You two have been close since Cyrus brought into the fray and…"

"Just say it."

"You were screwing her. Don't even try and deny it, boy! Like it or not, you're my son and…god, what the hell were you thinking?! She's political suicide!"

"I love her and she loves me back. And unlike Millicent, her love is genuine and doesn't have an expiration date or price tag attached to it. Yes, I pursued her. At first, I tried to fire her to get her away from me but she…I would burn down the world for her. I don't deserve her. I don't deserve her at all. She's a far better person than I am. She did everything she could to keep my political career intact, to keep my marriage intact but…interfere and I'll confirm every nasty urban legend about you on 60 Minutes. You know I can. I let you railroad me and auction me off to Mellie and look what happened. Never again, Jerry. Never fucking again."

"What about…"

"Interfere and I'll spike your scotch with arsenic. If you want to see the kids, I'm all for it. You're their grandfather and they love you. Personally and professionally with me? You're going to stay in your lane or I'll run you off the road. It's a Brave New World, sir. I don't need or want your help."

Fitz slammed the tailgate shut and climbed into the cab, turning the truck on.

"Are you coming? I have to pass the main house on the way and I can drop you off."

"I'll walk back. The Docs have been bitching at me to be more active and to get on some Mediterranean diet…do whatever you want, Tripp. I obviously can't stop you. I'll just sit back and watch the carnage. Watch them bleed you dry!"

"Be sure to leave the Tom Ford in the closet! Blood is bitch to dry clean!" Fitz advised cheerfully with a brilliant grin.

And away he went, leaving the old man in the dust, fuming yet impotent.

"I should've left you out of it. I should've shown Hollis the door to begin with but I didn't. I saw it as manna from heaven but it was poison…this never should've happened."

"No, it shouldn't have. I tried to tell you. I tried to tell all of you but none of you…you said that it was for the good of the country. You said that you all believed in him but that's not true. You all wanted to use him as a Golden Ticket, a magic carpet to fulfill your political agendas because you were too cowardly and lazy to do it on your own. You're a pack of twisted and dirty liars and I wasn't going to let the four of you ruin him or this country."

"You say that we betrayed Fitz and we did but you…I still can't believe you, Liv! You set all of us up! You stabbed us in the back, stabbed me in the back!"

"I was just following your life lesson, Cyrus. You drilled it into our heads in class that loyalty and ambition don't mix. You always said that it's good to have friends, even close friends but when the cards are down, you have to be prepared to cope with stabs to the back and you also have to be ready and willing with a knife of your own at all times. The last time we spoke, you said that we were with Fitz's camp to carve Judases and protect him. That's exactly what I did and I will not apologize to anyone for it, not even God. You, Hollis, Mellie, and Verna put yourselves in prison. You're sitting in front of me in that ugly orange jumpsuit, chained to this table because of you, not me. Man up and buck up, Cyrus. It's only 15 years. If you're a good boy, you could get out in 8 years, which ironically is the same length of time as an ideal Presidency. Funny, huh?"

Cyrus laughed bitterly and laid his head on his forearms, his brow resting on the steel table heavily.

"He gave Sally the nomination."

"Reston will take care of her. Don't worry about it."

"I hope you're right. I'll take that gym teacher blowhard in the Oval over that bible thumping maniac any day of the week. He…Fitz implied that he'd do a 2016 run during his last statement to the Media… do you think that you could convince him to try again in 2012?"

"You're speaking to me like I have serious influence with him."

"You do. You have from the moment I made the biggest fucking mistake of my life and introduced you two. You…you two were having sex. I figured that out but…what you did proves that it's deeper. The fact that you put me in prison after 15 years of friendship without hesitation for him…there's love there. You love him."

"Yes, I do. And he loves me back."

"Of course he does. It's not a fairy tale without the crazy MFEO couple…I take that he's your next stop on your Triumphant Return tour? You're runway ready."

"No. I'm saving the best for last."

"Then, who's next?"

"Mellie."

"…may God have mercy on what's left of her soul."

"I like your dress, Olivia. Red looks lovely on you."

"It's actually scarlet. Given what or rather who we have in common, I figured it would be appropriate."

"What do you mean, Olivia?"

"Drop the act, Mellie. The cameras are off and the wide eyed little debutante in the dark woods bit didn't work with the courts and it won't work with me, either. We both know better.

"…my husband's favorite dessert…"

"Ex-husband. He's your ex-husband, thank God. He shouldn't have been your husband to begin with. You didn't deserve him."

"You're a whore! You were his mistress, his dirty little whore!"

"But unlike you, I'm not a convicted felon. Unlike you, I can leave here at any time and please get off of your high horse, you hypocritical cow. You didn't have a problem at all with anything going on between Fitz and I until you realized that the position your Daddy paid your way into was in serious jeopardy. I don't understand you. You had a good man. You had one of the best men that you could ever have and all you had to do to keep him was love him for him. That's all. And do you want to know what pisses me off about you the most? You could've been anything. Even if you and Fitz had never met, you could've been someone else's First Lady and a good one. You could've been a Representative, a Senator, a Chief of Staff…hell, with the right spin, you could've even been the first female President of the United States! You could've been anything! You should've been anything! You had opportunities, privilege, and potential all your life that many women would kill for just to have for a day! You could've done anything with your life but instead, you willingly got into a political merger, lowered yourself into being into an arranged, loveless marriage and for what? This? Was it worth it, Mellie? Was it? Answer me. You asked for this visit and you never shut up on The Trail. Don't be quiet now that you're the Belle of the Ball and Chain…"

Like Cyrus, Mellie deflated before her eyes and rested her head on the table.

"…you ruined everything…we were…we were fine until you come along!"

"You've always had a talent for self delusion, Mellie."

The fallen socialite straightened up and her face was an ugly grimace, her tone through gritted teeth demonic.

"If you really knew what I had gone through to be with him, what I sacrificed to be on Fitz Grant III's arm, you wouldn't judge me. No one would! You have no right to judge me, anyway! You slept with a married man!"

"I did and I don't regret it.", Olivia replied placidly, enraging the chained woman further.

"I could make you regret it! I could ruin you, Olivia!"

"How, Mellie? You know that no one in their right mind will listen to you. You got caught in so many different lies that if you said that the sky was blue, they'd use an instant replay to verify it. And say someone did listen to you…do you really think that I got where I am so young by being unprepared and on my back? Don't answer that because I'll hit you…anyway, Defiance was far from the only skeleton in your closet and I found them all. I have a kill folder on you, Mellie. I have a kill folder on everyone that's been around me, including one for Fitz if the situation arises. I hope to God it won't but better safe than sorry. You can try and ruin me but all it would do is succeed in destroying you for good."

"You don't have anything on me… you have nothing concrete…you're bluffing…"

"I don't bluff, Mellie. Say one day that I got curious and decided to do a paternity test on Kare-Bear…what would the results be? I wouldn't bother doing one on Gerry. No. I've seen pictures of Big Jerry and Fitz from back in the day. Quatro is a Grant through and through. He's got the eyes and the nose but Karen? Karen doesn't have the eyes or the nose, for that matter. At first glance, she bears a striking resemblance to Andrew Nichols, don't you think? Or maybe the strong Grant genes lost on her and she just looks like her mother…I don't know. I'm not a geneticist but if I were a betting woman, I'd say…you finish. You were there."

"…you fucking bitch! How dare you?!"

"I dare because you let me, just like you let me take your husband. And I take bitch as a compliment nowadays. It's a badge of honor and you were right. I was bluffing just now. I know Karen is Fitz's but the Public…a rumor can get very out of hand very quickly and if you can conspire to steal a National Election, it's not too big a leap for people to think that you would screw his blood brother since Pre-K and pass the lovechild off as his to keep him under your thumb. Yes, I slept with Fitz while he was still married. I also fell in love with him and he loves me back. If that makes me a whore, if that makes him a whore, then so be it. We'll be happy and free whores together. But, Mellie? She who lives in glass houses should not be naked on her knees…and she who lives 24/7/365 in a 12x8 concrete cell should be a good little girl and pay her debt to society quietly so that she can have a shot of having a nice future far, far away from her ex-husband and the woman who really loves him after she gets out. We're done here."

1 Month Later…

"Say my name…say my name, Livvie…"

"Fitz…oh, god, Fitz…don't stop, don't stop, don't ever stop…"

"This is our bed, you know…I bought this bed for us…I'm fucking you in our bed…"

Olivia's heels dug hard into his back as he plunged harder, deeper, faster into her willing body. She was glorious underneath him. She was glistening with sweat and she quivered underneath him, quivered and gushed inside. Her lips were swollen and parted, panting, moaning, gasping, and screaming…god, he loved it so much when she screamed for him…

Her amber sienna eyes snapped wide open, darkened, and she shrieked as another climax slammed into her, sobbing his name as she bucked and squirmed underneath him in their bed. Fitz kissed her deeply and she responded hungrily, as if she were trying to devour him. She could if she wanted to. She could do whatever she damned well pleased to him, with him. He was all hers. His heart, his mind, his cock, everything he had, everything that he was belonged to her. Whatever she wanted, he would get it for her, give it to her…

"Ooh, God…shit, baby…gonna kill me…oh! Oh, God…oh, God…Fitz, I can't…I can't…ohhh…"

"You can and you will!"

"…w-with me, then…want to feel you…come for me, Fitz…come inside me…fill me up…I want your babies…I want to have your babies…"

That broke him. Dimly, he registered her delighted groans and he knew that he was screaming. His whole body ached and heaved as he came ferociously, pounding and grinding into her sweet channel. Olivia held him to her and his head fell heavily between her breasts, his cries tapering into moans of her name, of his love for her…

He loved her so much.

She had come back to him, just like she promised.

She had chosen him to love and trust.

She had stood up for him.

She accepted him.

She loved him.

She wanted to have his baby.

Olivia Pope wanted to have his babies.

She wanted a life with him, full and rich.

And he would give it to her.

He would give it all to her.