A/N: This chapter is longer than usual, but I really didn't want to split it up. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think! Be watching for the next chapter soon. And a shoutout to my friend for critiquing/proofreading this and catching my mistakes.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing from ABC's Scandal or anything/anyone else.

Monday morning, Mellie sat in her office alongside Chelsea, signing bills and taking phone calls. It was only 9:20 a.m., and they were already up to their necks in work. She was wearing her favorite blue dress and matching jacket and had even put up her hair today. She should've felt confident, but something kept eating away at her as she mindlessly read papers and signed them with her black fountain pen.

Mellie secretly wished Jake would try to contact her. She didn't even need a boyfriend right now. She just needed a friend, any friend she could trust in this town. She might have taken Fitz's political capital, but he had won the public's hearts, leaving her with the short end of the stick. She had to claw her way back to where she had been when she started running for senator, especially after the divorce. This journey to the top was no easy feat, especially being a woman and former First Lady.

"We're going to the charity house on Friday, correct?" Mellie asked Chelsea after receiving an email from the charity house. She had promised them a visit at least once a week, and they chose the day. She loved going there and helping out, whether it be doing work on the grounds, cleaning the house, or hanging out with the kids. Being with the kids was probably her favorite part. They kept her up to date on what was popular and what was not, something Karen refused to do.

"Friday at two," Chelsea said, taking a phone call. Mellie had a meeting with the other senators for Virginia and D.C., and went to their usual Monday conference meeting before heading home for the day. She made chicken Caesar salad and vegetables for dinner, then sat in her oversized gray recliner to watch the 10 o'clock news before going to bed.

As she got ready for bed, washing her face and removing her makeup, her phone buzzed with a new email. She panicked at first, knowing an email this time of night couldn't be good. She prayed it wasn't some sort of crisis they would all have to come in for, that Teddy was ok, that whatever it was, it could wait until tomorrow.

She relaxed when she saw it was Jake.

'How did he get my personal email? I bet it was Chelsea,' she thought.

She quickly finished washing her face and got into her queen sized bed under the warm covers, turning off all the lights and unlocking her phone as she laid down. She opened his email, which read:

Mellie,

I'm sorry to bother you so late. I contacted your assistant about getting in touch with you, and this is the address she gave me.

"She knows not to just hand out my email," Mellie whispered to herself, then continued reading.

If you do not have any plans this weekend, I would be honored if you joined me for dinner Friday evening at seven.

There is also an induction for the newest class of Navy recruits next Tuesday, and I do not have an escort. Your presence would be enjoyed, if you have the time.

Sincerely,

Captain Jake Ballard

Mellie grinned. He wanted to take her out. Her. Something she hadn't experienced since college. She decided not to seem too excited and wait until the morning to answer.

Mellie sat at the breakfast table with Francis at seven that morning, who had come in early after dropping his son off at school. She was eating her oatmeal and watching the news when a broadcast about an overnight business fire when she noticed a familiar looking man.

'Is that Jake?' She thought, watching the firemen put out the fire quickly. She picked up her phone off the table and looked him up, but was unable to find any more information on him than his being head recruiter at the Navy office.

She opened a new email to him and began typing, a smile forming on her face.

Captain Ballard,

I would love to join you for dinner, but I will warn you, Francis must join us for safety reasons. I will check my schedule and get back to you about the induction.

Are you a firefighter?

Sincerely,

Senator Richardson

She hit send and smiled, waiting impatiently for his reply as she went to put on her shoes and go to work.

Mellie walked up to her front door at five that evening, exhausted after today's meeting to prepare for the next big meeting on Friday. She unlocked it and dragged herself inside, shutting the door behind Will and laying her keys on the kitchen table.

That was one thing she was grateful for; Fitz had bought her a house in D.C. as part of the settlement. She was right on the edge of downtown, but still close enough to see Teddy when she wanted. It wasn't the White House or the houses in Santa Barbara, but it was better than she expected him to do.

As soon as she set her bag down and went upstairs to change into more comfortable clothes, her phone rang. She picked it up off her bed and saw it was Fitz, and wondered what he wanted.

"Hello?" She answered, not feeling like putting up with anything out of him. He only ever spoke to her about Teddy.

"What day this week do you want to come see Teddy?" He asked coldly, his voice hateful.

"Thursday afternoon, Friday, and Saturday," she said, working on taking her makeup off.

"I said day, not days-"

"And I said Thursday and Friday. Give me that, Fitz. I get to see him twice a week if I'm lucky, the way you keep him from me. You get to see him every day. Don't make me release about that time you almost tried to-"

"Fine, all three days," he interrupted, and quickly hung up. She sighed, always angry with him, as she put her phone back down. She changed into her pajamas and put her hair up in a ponytail when she checked her emails. As she expected, there was a new email from Jake.

Mellie,

Please, don't call me Captain. That is my official title that is only used by the Navy and in official paperwork. If you must call me something other than Jake, Mr. Ballard will do fine.

Will Francis have to be there the whole time? The restaurant isn't in the middle of the city. Wonderful you can come. I'll pick you up at seven, if that works for Francis and yourself.

Why do you ask if I'm a firefighter? If you must know, the answer is yes.

Jake

Mellie grinned as she sat on her bed. She learned something new about this man every day. He was a firefighter. He was all about the danger. She even had a date with Danger.

She locked her phone excitedly and knew she would be up all night. Jake made her happy, he excited her, made her tingle from her head to her toes. He had ignited a flame in her that had been smoldered for years.

Friday afternoon rolled around, and Mellie was in a hurry to leave work. They visited the charity house at one and hung out with the kids, doing basically whatever the young adults wanted to do. They got back to her office at 4:45, trying to wrap things up for the afternoon after having a good time earlier. She threw the rest of her unfinished papers and bills in her file and shoved it in her bag. She grabbed her sweater and put it on, knowing the late August air would be cool on her skin as she headed home. She clocked out down the hall from her office and hurried out the door to her shiny black sports car, a "parting gift" of Fitz's. She loved driving again, something she had missed since moving into the White House. She loved the feeling of being behind the wheel again, being able to roll down the windows and feel the wind and sun against her face.

She made it home at 5:20, getting stuck in rush hour traffic, and immediately started getting ready for their date. She picked out her favorite sleeveless red dress and matching silver heels and immediately started on her hair. It was around 6:30 when she started touching up her makeup and got a text from Chelsea.

"So Francis tells me you and Jake have a date tonight."

Mellie sighed. She had totally forgotten about telling Chelsea. She knew she wasn't happy.

"I totally forgot to tell you. We planned it Tuesday. It's just dinner," Mellie typed back and hit send, picking up her eyeliner again. She began re-applying it when she heard Francis come in and announce his presence.

"It's just me," he yelled up the stairs.

"I'll be down in a minute," Mellie yelled back, putting on her lipstick and a diamond necklace.

"You gonna be able to keep your hands to yourself? I saw how infatuated you were with him after the dinner." Chelsea texted back.

"Should I have something written up for damage control on standby?" Chelsea replied again, and Mellie decided to answer her before she made any more comments.

"We'll be fine. I do not care. I lived too much of my life caring and trying to stay two steps ahead of the press and keeping my tracks covered. I won't live like that any more. Let the people talk. I'll tell them whatever I want to."

Mellie shoved her phone into her silver clutch and started down the stairs, catching Francis's attention.

"You look stunning this evening, ma'am," he said, taking her hand as she walking down the last few steps.

"Why thank you, Francis," she blushed. "Jake was wondering if we could go in his car tonight."

"I reviewed Mr. Ballard's driving history earlier today and it was excellent, so I believe we can allow him to drive," Francis said, and went to answer the door upon hearing the doorbell.

"No, let me get it," Mellie said excitedly, racing to beat him to the door. She opened it and found Jake standing there in a dark gray suit, white shirt with the top button undone, and black shoes to match. His hair was fixed nicely, and his teeth were shining bright.

"Hey," she said, looking him over again, taking all of him in. "You look great."

He stood there for a moment, at a loss for words. Her pinned up curls and dark gray eye shadow, along with her stunning red dress and soft lipstick had him speechless.

"You look beautiful," he managed to get out. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," she said, and Francis followed them out the door and to Jake's car. It was a large silver truck that looked to only be a few years old, and she was impressed. He opened her door and Francis climbed in the backseat, and Mellie got into the passenger seat. Jake snuck in a smile at her when he closed the door and got in the driver's seat.

"So where are we going tonight?" She asked, checking out the interior of his car as he started it and drove away. He had gone all out with his car, having heated leather seats, Bluetooth, backup camera, high definition speakers, everything anyone could want in a vehicle.

"Do you like seafood?"

"Absolutely," she said, eager to know their dinner plans.

"Good. We're going to a little hole in the wall yet elegant seafood place called Wade's. It's about fifteen minutes from here. I made reservations for 7:30. I thought we could stop and pick up a bottle of wine on the way there," he smiled.

She smiled and knew this man was going to be the death of her. He had such charm and every word he said made her feel warm inside. His eyes were what really got her, though. Looking into those hazel eyes was like staring at freshly polished gems.

He pulled over at a liquor store on the way there and ran in, getting the nicest bottle of red wine he could find. He kept her background and tastes in mind, hoping she would like what he picked out. He came back out a few minutes later and got in the car, putting the wine in the backseat.

They pulled up at Wade's at 7:25 and Jake quickly parked his car, then went over to get Mellie's door. He was right - it was about ten minutes out from the city, but still on a paved road. It was more in a suburb than the country. He helped her out of the car and grabbed the wine, and Mellie stopped a confused Jake as they watched Francis head into the restaurant.

"He has to check it out first," she said, watching Francis confirm the reservation as he spoke to the woman at the door.

He gave Mellie their secret confirmation signal and she looked over at Jake.

"It's safe," she smiled, and he followed behind her, also wanting to protect her. He took a deep breath, excited to be going on a date with such an incredible woman.

He didn't see her as the former First Lady or even as the current Senator of Virginia. He just saw her as a smart, beautiful, independent woman who he was lucky enough to get a date with.

They walked inside the restaurant and sat down at their table, near the back, as Jake requested. He put the wine on the table and the waiter came and opened it, then poured it into glasses for them and handed them menus before walking away. Jake could tell she was a little nervous about being on a public date for the first time since the divorce.

Mellie looked around the dimly lit restaurant and saw it was packed, but she didn't let that bother her. She was here to have a good time. She noticed the dark wooden walls, the red booths, the cute little candles on the tables. She picked up her menu and skimmed over it, not even really hungry. She was just glad to spend time with him.

"Anything catch your eye?" Jake asked, glancing up from his menu.

'Yes. You,' she thought, then pushed it to the back of her mind.

"The grilled tilapia and scallops," she said contently. He was all that was on her mind.

"Good choice," he said satisfactorily. He closed his menu and set it down as he leaned forward.

"So where is Francis at in here right now?" He questioned, and Mellie smiled, winking at Francis from afar.

"Over by the bar," she said, and he turned around to look, barely able to see him in the corner, drinking some water and keeping an eye on them.

"I told him to keep his distance tonight. I've never gotten this far from any security detail out in public in the past fifteen years," she laughed, taking a drink of her wine.

"It's nice to take a break," he said assuringly as the waiter came back to take their orders.

"What will we be having tonight?" He asked, pulling out his ticket book.

"She will be having the grilled tilapia and scallops, and I will be having the seasoned salmon and shrimp. Two Caesar salads also, please," Jake said, handing him the menu.

'He is the epitome of a gentleman,' Mellie thought, grinning slightly as she rested her hands in her lap. She wanted to hold his hands and wondered if they were soft.

"Very well. I'll put those orders right in," the waiter smiled and trotted off to the bustling kitchen. Jake was overjoyed to be sitting here with this awesome woman, he couldn't help but smile. Their waiter brought their salads out moments later, and Jake was thankful. He was hungry but also needed a minute to think. He and Mellie enjoyed themselves until she heard a familiar voice approaching.

"Mellie Grant," The unique voice asked as the person came up behind her. She almost dropped her salad fork in shock and Jake saw the fear in her eyes. Her heart dropped because she knew exactly who it was.

'We let that snake Hollis play in our garden for too long...'

"What a surprise to see you here," Hollis Doyle said with a smile, standing at the end of her table. His Texan drawl was quite prominent tonight.

"Hollis!" She faked a smile and got up to hug him. "How have you been? It's a while. This is my friend, Jake."

"Jake, how are you?" Hollis asked, shaking his hand. "Almost too long. I saw you and Fitz got a divorce recently."

"We did," she said, glad to say it. She had begun to accept the fact she could never make him happy and she needed to really start thinking about herself. "I go by Richardson now."

"It was for the better, Mellie. He was holding you back. Now you're free to climb the political ladder. You have my number if you ever need some extra support. I'll be in town for a week before I head home," Hollis said.

"Maybe we can do lunch one day?"

"You got it, sweet pea," he said. "Y'all have a good evening," he nodded, leaving the restaurant. She watched him walk out the door and she could finally breathe easily again. Jake gave her a look and she sighed.

"It's a long story," she laughed. "Hollis and I go back to Fitz's campaign for president. He's done so much for my family," she explained.

"Big donor?" He asked, wondering how she had really come to know him. He took a bite of his salad and she sipped on her wine, really not wanting to talk about this here.

"You could say that," she said happily. She saw Francis shoot her a look and she sighed quietly, knowing what he meant. She should have known better than to agree to go out so soon. She saw the cameras outside the building and escorted Jake to the bathroom frantically.

"Why are we sitting in this bathroom?" He asked quietly, realizing she was stressed out now.

"I don't want these reporters to start bothering you," she said. "I don't know how they found out I was here. They watch me like a hawk and if they got a whiff of me dating, they would have an absolute field day," she sighed.

Francis knocked on the door and she jumped, scared to death.

"It's Francis," he said quietly. She opened the door and let him in and he quickly locked it back.

"The manager is working on running them off. Hollis is helping stall out front. Do you want to leave or finish your dinner?" Francis asked, knowing Mellie hated these kind of things. She had been fortunate to not be hounded by masses of reporters.

"Let's just go home," Jake said, noticing Mellie was sincerely worried for him.

"Are you sure? This is not how I planned a first date to go," she sighed, shaking her head.

"It's fine, Mellie. Just let me pay and we can go," he said, a little disappointed, but he knew he agreed to go out with a famous political figure. Francis opened the door for Jake to go pay, and he came back a few minutes later ready to go. He had even gotten their waiter to make their order to go, and she was glad they could finish their food later.

Francis then slipped them out the back door and in the truck, telling Jake to drive around the front of the building before the reporters figured out their game. Mellie sighed with relief as they got down the road and Jake couldn't help but smile.

"Where do you want to go now?" He asked. She shook her head in embarrassment.

"You can just take me home," she said sadly. "I'm sorry I wasted your time and ruined your night."

"You did not ruin my night. I've had a pretty good time, actually. And we still have to eat dinner. So I'll ask again, where would you like to go?" He said sternly, which drove her wild.

'A man who takes charge. Incredibly sexy,' she thought.

"My house is fine," she said, and he wondered if Teddy was with her for the weekend or with Fitz. He wasn't sure if he could handle a woman with children, but he would take a chance on her.

They pulled up to her house twenty minutes later and Jake parked his truck, jumping out to open Mellie's door for her. He escorted her inside and Francis brought the food in. Jake heated it up and Mellie went upstairs to fix her makeup, taking off her heels before walking up the stairs. She quickly touched up her eye shadow and fixed her hair, wanting to look her best. Mellie left her shoes in her bedroom before going back to her date, worried that he would never come back. She was trying to protect him, not run him off. She walked down the stairs slowly, her hand on the wooden railing as she made her way down. She noticed Jake standing in the middle of the living room with his hands in his pockets and smiling, causing her to smile.

"What is it?" She asked curiously.

"I was wondering if we could start this date over," he smiled from ear to ear, taking her hand as she stepped off the last step and on to the hardwood floor. "Would you like some dinner?"

"Of course," she smiled as he led her into the kitchen, where he had set their now warm food at the dining room table. He pulled her chair out for her and poured her a glass of the wine he picked up on the way to Wade's.

"Thank you," she said, taking a sip of the wine, much more relaxed at home.

She could tell he was better away from the cameras, and she was thankful they came home. He sat down and they both enjoyed their food and wine, getting to know each other better. Two hours later they were laughing and sharing old stories.

"Despite our adventure earlier, this was a really great night. Thank you, Jake," she said happily. "It's been years since I've been on a real date."

"It was a pleasure taking you out, Mellie. I would love to do it again sometime, if you would let me," he said, taking their dishes to the sink and washing them.

"You don't have to wash the dishes. I'll get it later," she said, following him. She put away the wine and dried the newly clean plates, putting them away as he dried his hands. He put his gray blazer back on and she followed him to the door, hating he had to go. It was nearing midnight and she knew tomorrow would be a long day with her charity work.

"So what time is the recruit induction Tuesday?" She asked as they stood in the doorway, the night air filling her living room.

"Dinner will be served at six, the ceremony will begin at seven fifteen," he said. "Fifty-eight new recruits from our area this ceremony," he said proudly.

"I'll be there," she said. "What color should I wear?"

"Any- any color is fine," he stuttered, shocked she agreed to go with him. "Our dinner dress uniforms are black and have gold stripes on them. So anything will look good. I think this red is nice on you," he said, feeling his cheeks turning red.

"I'll keep that in mind," she smiled. "Dinner next Friday, same time?"

"Sure," he said happily. "I'll let you know more details about the ceremony as soon as I get them. I'll pick you up at five fifteen. These people love to mingle," he laughed. "Good night, Mellie."

"Good night, Jake," she said, and he hugged her goodbye before leaving. She stood in the doorway and watched him pull away and head home, her heart overflowing with feelings. She went upstairs and changed into her pajamas, settling into her bed, truly excited for the first time in months.