Disclaimer: I do not own Scandal

Chapter Three: Awakening

Here we are now with the falling sky and the rain, we're awakening

Here we are now with our desperate youth and pain, we're awakening

Maybe it's called ambition, you've been talking in your sleep

About a dream, we're awakening

Last week found me living for nothing but deadlines

With my deadbeat sky, but this town doesn't look the same tonight

These dreams started singing to me out of nowhere

And in all my life I don't know that I ever felt so alive, alive

- "Awakening" Switchfoot


Sharon Marquette accepted the mug of tea from Quinn, "Stevie, you didn't tell me you worked with so many pretty girls." She tutted lightly as she eyed Quinn approvingly.

Stephen chuckled and patted her hand, "I'm married now, Sharon, don't tease me. And Quinn's married too." He reminded her.

"I know I was your wedding." She rolled her eyes, "Still, a man has needs and"

"And Mellie fulfills them all." Stephen promised her, "Trust me. Besides, the woman would shoot my balls off from a hundred yards away. She from the bloody South and demands she shoot her bloody weapons weekly for 'therapy.'"

"We're in." Huck's voice echoed over the speaker phone.

"And for the record, Stephen, if you paid for a hooker now that you're married, I'd load the gun for Mellie." Abby screeched. Clearly she'd been listening in on the conversation happening at OGA headquarters.

"We're looking for a list of Sharon's clients." Olivia leaned against the table and spoke clearly into the speaker phone, interrupting Abby and Stephen's argument about the legality and morality behind sex with a hooker before it could really get off the ground.

"I'm wiping her hard drive now." Huck informed them, his voice had that distant vague quality it took on when he was fully invested in whatever it was he did for them on the computer. Olivia still didn't understand it fully, and it was probably better off that way.

"You better hurry up." Harrison was standing on the street outside of Sharon's town home on the conference call with them. "The cops are pulling up."

"Tell them to get photo albums." Sharon replied coolly. "They're important." She primly took a sip of her tea as Quinn continued to stare at her. Olivia smacked her arm lightly to draw her attention away from the madame.

"Huck, Abby," Olivia spoke quickly into the phone, "get the photo albums and get out."

"You've got maybe two minutes." Harrison warned them as the cars started rolling down the street and closer to him. He stepped behind a tree to hope to avoid detection for a moment longer.

"I think we've got everything." Abby murmured to Huck.

"You've got the albums?" Sharon confirmed, leaning forward, her voice switching from cool and unconcerned to worried in a heartbeat.

"We've got the albums." Huck promised.

Harrison's eyes connected with Jane Powell's and he turned, "Guys, Jane just saw me. Get out of there." Harrison moved swiftly down the street to where his car was parked.

Olivia ended the call and leaned back, "Jane Powell is about to show up here."

"Meet her at the door?" Stephen asked.

"Meet her at the door." Olivia confirmed, "Stay here, Sharon, we've got ten minutes." She glanced down at her watch as she stalked towards the front door of her office.

Olivia leaned against the back of the sofa in her entryway and glanced down at her watch. It'd been eleven minutes. Jane was never late. "Maybe she's not coming." Stephen murmured.

"Oh, no, she's coming. Text Abby and make sure they stay out of sight with the evidence until we get Jane and her team out of here." She ordered. Stephen hurriedly pulled his phone out of his pocket and shot off the text just as the elevator doors opened and DA Jane Powell stepped out in her gray power suit.

Olivia straightened and put on a sweet smile as the woman threw the door open, "Why is the First Lady of the United States of America defending a the owner of a call girl ring?" Jane asked abruptly.

Olivia wanted to snort, tact and pleasantries had never been Jane's strong suit, "It's nice to see you too, Jane."

Olivia watched Jane's jaw twitch and had to bite back a grin. It was pure fun to ruffle this woman's feathers, "The madame, Olivia, where is she? And where is the list?"

"List? I don't know about any lists." She turned to Stephen, "Have you heard of any lists?"

Stephen shook his head, "We haven't seen any lists here."

"Your people cleared her place out." Jane accused.

"Really? Did you find evidence of them in her apartment?" Olivia asked.

"I saw Harrison on the street." The DA shot back.

"Wait, on the street, which is only two blocks from where he lives and just a few town homes down from his favorite bar, or in her home?" Olivia grinned as she volleyed back and forth with the woman.

Jane's face scrunched up into a very unflattering scowl before she demanded, "The madame is coming downtown with me. Where is Sharon Marquette?"

"Do you have a warrant for her arrest?" Olivia asked.

Jane stared blankly at Olivia, "No."

"Well then, you come back when you have a warrant." She leaned forward, "My white hat is bigger than your white hat."

SCANDAL

"First Lady Olivia Grant's firm, Olivia Grant and Associates, has taken on the case of supposed DC Madame Sharon Marquette. One of her girls was arrested by an undercover police officer on Sunday night. There has been no official comment from the White House or from OGA regarding Olivia Grant's involvement in such a controversial case. In other news, Supreme Court nominee, Bradley Hargrove's arrest record has come to light, revealing a history of theft. The question remains, will he make it through a Senate vote? Or will the President have to find another candidate for the Bench?"

Cyrus flicked the TV off, "This is a PR nightmare." He snapped.

"The world isn't coming to an end, Cy," Brenda rolled her eyes, "we can spin this. I can spin this." She assured him.

"And how do you propose we do that?" Cyrus snapped, "The First Lady is defending a madame of all things!" He yelled.

"Enough!" Fitz pushed himself off the edge of his desk, "Don't yell and Brenda and don't yell at my wife." He ordered, "We handle it. It's as simple as that. We're used to handling tough optics. This is no different. We spin it as she's a small time business owner who came to OPA for help. We spin it that Olivia has taken a bit of a step back from OPA, and while she supports her team's choice to take the case, she is not overseeing it. There is no conflict of interest and then once we get our hands on that list we use the power to" Olivia's phone ringing stopped the conversation.

"Sorry." She murmured, "What?"

"Didn't Fitz plan on running over Sally's nomination for Supreme Court Justice?" Stephen asked.

"Yeah, Cyrus gave it to Ethan yesterday. His juvie record is making news today, just behind the madame case. Why?" Olivia asked.

"Has Fitz picked his own nominee?" Stephen pressed.

"Why are you asking me questions you already know the answer to?" Olivia snapped. "Just spit it out."

"Patrick Keating is on the list."

"Are you sure?" Olivia asked.

"Liv, I'm staring at his picture on the wall. I'm sure." Stephen confirmed.

"Damn." Olivia hung up. "We have a bigger problem than me defending a madame."

"How could there be a bigger problem than that?" Cyrus screeched.

"Huck decoded the list of Johns." Everyone stared at her, "Patrick Keating is on the list."

The door flew open before anyone could respond. "Which one of you did this?" Sally asked quickly, her cheeks flushed in anger, "This was a juvenile record, it was supposed to be sealed. How did they get it?"

Olivia stood up, "Sally, please, sit down. It's okay, I'm sure we can spin it and"

"And nothing, he'll never make it through the Senate like this. You did it. All of you did it." She accused.

"Now, Madame Vice President," Brenda adjusted her glasses, "we were just in here discussing how we were going to do damage control. We're behind your nominee"

"Don't you dare take me for a fool, young lady." Sally snapped, "You're in this with them, you all played me to get me on the ticket. Well let me tell you, I am now in this for me." She yelled before turning and storming out of the Oval Office.

Fitz crossed his arms, "Well, that was charming." He snorted.

"Very much so," Cyrus rolled his eyes, "we'll get Keating in without so much as a scratch." He promised.

"That's what I like to hear." Fitz grinned.

"Actually, we may have a problem." Olivia waved her phone around, "Keating's on the list."

"What?" Echoed from the three people in the room.

"How is that even possible?" Brenda asked, "We did a thorough background check on him. Harrison assured us all that"

"He's on the list. Huck confirmed it. If it's wrong that calls the entire list into question." She rubbed her temple, "I need to get into the office now." She moved to Fitz's desk and buzzed Lauren, "Lauren?"

"Yes, Mrs. Grant?"

"Can you have the Secret Service ready with a car for me? I need to go into the office." Olivia asked nicely, "And then I'm picking Jer up from school." She paused, "Can you have Rosa bring Karen down, I'm going to take her with me."

"Of course, Mrs. Grant."

Olivia took a breath, "It's going to be okay, I'm going to take care of everything. I promise. We'll protect Keating and we'll keep the list away from Jane Powell. Can one of you get David to my office in a couple of hours? I may need him." She picked up her purse, "Call me if anything changes and I'll do the same. In the meantime, refrain from commenting on the case at all."

"Refrain?" Brenda asked, "Won't that cause"

"A lot of speculation and drama, but less than if we comment and then Keating's name gets out. Let me see what we're walking into first." She asked.

"Of course, Livie." Fitz opened the door as a knock sounded, "And there is my sweetest little girl." He took Karen from Rosa, "Thank you Rosa, enjoy the rest of your day."

The young woman nodded, "Thank you, Mr. President."

Fitz bobbed Karen up and down lightly, "You're going to go to work with Momma today and learn to become a fixer." He cooed at his daughter, "She's going to solve all the world's problems today."

Olivia snorted, "Not all the world's problems, just ours. Oh, and someone may want to talk to Billy, make sure we still have a conduit to Sally should we need it." She paused, "And I don't want it to be me, I still don't trust him."

"I can't believe she didn't fire him after he was under suspicion in your kidnapping." Brenda growled.

"So far he's stayed in his lane. If he steps out, we'll nail him." Fitz promised, handing Karen off to Olivia, "And I'll talk to him. Cyrus may kill him or have a stroke while talking to him. Either way, that's something I'd like to avoid."

"I would, too." Cyrus agreed. "Just let me know if Ethan and I can help at all."

"Come with David in two-three hours to headquarters." Olivia suggested, "We'll fill you in." She pressed a kiss to Fitz's lips, "You deal with whatever disaster is happening in East Sudan. Brenda, you come too." Olivia suggested. "It would do you all a little good to step away from this mess for a while."

"Okay, just call with updates." Fitz ordered lightly.

"You too, love you, sweet baby." Olivia waved as she and Karen left the Oval.

"Liv will handle it." Brenda stated confidently with a smile. "She's the best. And she always does."

SCANDAL

XOXO

MAS