Twenty minutes later, Olivia was being ushered into the west wing of The White House, and with what she could have sworn was a reassuring smile, Tom opened the door to the Roosevelt Room. Olivia's eyes gauged the room as soon as the door swung open, and immediately, any apprehension she felt on the ride over disappeared. It looked exactly the same as it had the last time she was there, and she felt the same as she did the last time she was there: self-assured and armed with a Plan A and a Plan B. She was back in The White House ready to do what she did best, which was to be, arguably, the second most powerful person at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Olivia hoisted her handbag higher on her shoulder and looked around the table. From her left to her right sat Hollis Doyle, Cyrus, and Verna Thornton – all looking very pleased to see her.

"Olivia!" Hollis's Southern twang rang from her left.

"Doyle," Olivia nodded towards him with a tight-lipped smile; she was certainly not keen to forget that it was his fault that seven innocent people died and an unaware Lindsey Dwyer, better known as Quinn Perkins, was currently in her office at Pope & Associates. "Cyrus, Verna."

Cyrus and Verna smiled respectively, and Olivia took a seat.

Cyrus clapped his hands, "Let's get this thing moving then. The President is resting, as is the First Lady, who is expected to give birth any day now. Protocol's the same: he doesn't know, she will be briefed following this meeting. Olivia, you have the blog?"

The mention of Fitz was not lost on Olivia, who quickly shoved him out of her mind and pulled out the printout of Capitol Jill.

"I researched it this morning, and made photocopies. From what I could do at home, it doesn't seem to be a very sophisticated website. We're dealing with simple HTML, simple web and interface design, uncomplicated proprietary software, et cetera, et cetera. The content is very limited and so this isn't something we're going to lose sleep over, but it is something that needs to be handled. What concerns me is that this blog, and this post especially, has been shared to numerous websites. It has over 200 hyperlinks and widgets, which means I'm going to have to shut down those hosts as well. I don't want any tracks, I don't want any crumbs." Olivia spoke quickly and efficiently as she handed out photocopies of her research to all at the table. "There was no listed author by name or penname, but we can easily track IP Addresses in our sleep."

"And you can do all this?" Hollis asked doubtfully, not bothering to look at the papers he was being handed.

"I'm sure that was a rhetorical question Mr. Doyle."

Cyrus laughed from across the table and clapped his hands together again, "Okay, now this is what I like to hear. We are back in full swing."

And so the meeting between Cyrus, Olivia, Verna, and Hollis quickly went from wrapping up damage control on Defiance, to discussing the President's current health ("..doing physical therapy three times a week to regain full muscle control and arm movement after the gunshot," Cyrus informed the table), and the importance of getting Mellie, the President, and their baby in the spotlight after it's born ("…quick and symbolic, but it can't be showy. We need to tell the American public that this is family who is strong and close, but we can't look like we're showing them off. Subtlety is our best friend here," Olivia advised). After an hour's worth of strategizing, a soft knock on the Roosevelt Room door sounded.

"Come in!" boomed Cyrus.

White House Social Secretary, Paulette Pitcher, stood in the doorway, "The First Lady would like to inform you that the President has awoken and is getting ready to leave his bedroom. The Roosevelt Room meeting needs to conclude immediately."

Cyrus nodded and everyone stood.

"Verna, it was nice to see you again. I hope you're doing well, take care until I see you again," Olivia said softly, reaching out to shake the Supreme Court Justice's hand.

Verna smiled graciously and left the room. Behind her, Hollis made an attempt to do the same, but Olivia caught him quickly by the elbow.

"Hollis, just a word. Quickly."

Hollis looked at the door, which was slightly ajar, then back to Olivia. Smiling slightly, he turned to face her completely and nodded, "Alright. I don't have anything against a quick word."

"I don't know if you know this, but what you did was disgusting. It was heinous and wrong and if it weren't for the reason why we were all here in this room right now, I would take you down. You need to give me your word right here and right now that you will not go to extreme measures for anything. Not for Defiance, not for Cytron, nothing."

"Olivia, and what pray tell, what was I supposed to do? I might as well have stood in the middle of the National Mall and shout out -," he dropped his voice to a whisper, "shout out unofficial, rigged voting machines in Ohio?"

Olivia dropped her voice even lower, "You weren't supposed to kill seven people. Your word Hollis."

Hollis said nothing for a moment and then smiled, "You know, for someone who likes to give orders, you would think that you would have been a bit more specific with your instruction. But Olivia," he said, raising his palms in defeat, "you have my word."

Olivia stepped back as Hollis swiftly exited the room. She turned to Cyrus, who was looking grave but unsurprised. She slid her arm through his and stepped out of the Roosevelt Room.

"Are you sure he doesn't have some oil well somewhere where we can drop him?"

Cyrus laughed, "If he did, he sure as hell wouldn't be here now. Not with me around."

Olivia smiled, "Softie Cyrus? You wouldn't."

"You never know Olivia, I'm known –,"

But Olivia was no longer listening. Across from the Roosevelt Room, entering the Dining Room, stood a very pregnant and tired-looking Mellie, and Fitz. If it hadn't been for the piano playing in Cross Hall, Olivia's gasp could surely have been heard. Her entire body froze on the spot as she took in the sight she hadn't seen in almost four months. He was standing dressed in a dark grey suit with a plain dark blue tie looking just like the strong and sexy Fitz she knew. Olivia took him in, part by part: from his dark hair to the way his lips moved as he spoke, to the way he rested his hands lazily in the pockets of his pants, and to the way his voice sounded and played on her heartstrings. Olivia didn't know how long she'd been standing there staring, but when he finally turned and noticed her, a brick of emotion hit Olivia hard in the chest; she couldn't move and she didn't even know if she could speak. All she knew was that in that moment, the love of her life was looking at her for the first time in such a long time and she felt it. She felt this powerful, all-consuming desire and devotion, and though he was standing feet away, she knew he could feel it too. Time suspended itself in The White House as the two of them stared at one another, searching each other's faces and finding mutual sadness, confusion, and longing. Had Olivia known that Cyrus had removed his arm from hers, she would have been surprised to learn that she was still standing. All she wanted was to rush across the hall and hold the most amazing man she knew. She could sling her arms through his own and hold him tight because in that moment, they were the only people there. Only when Mellie spoke did Olivia realize that she was now standing right next to her.

"Olivia!" She gushed, taking hold of Olivia's hands and smiling broadly.

Olivia hadn't seen Mellie since she had banned Olivia from visiting Fitz. Dressed in a deep green maternity dress, and her hair piled high on the top of her head, Mellie was the stunning image of fertility. Her cheeks were soft and her skin was glowing. Olivia looked into the eyes of the First Lady and her insides hardened.

"Mellie," she replied simply as Mellie pressed her cheek against Olivia's own.

"It has been far too long. How have you been Liv?"

"I've been excellent. And yourself? You look stunning."

"Thank you," Mellie chuckled graciously, "you should see me when I'm not dolled up like this. I'm a hormonal mess, I don't even know how Fitz deals with me."

"I don't know how he does either."

Mellie's smile faltered for a moment, but like a seasoned politician, she regained her composure. "Fitz and I were heading to dinner, we're both so tired and starved. You should join. Please do."

"No. That's all right, thank you, I have a full schedule to stick to. But you will be seeing me around soon."

"Oh?" Mellie paused, "So you're back then? Here?" She glanced at Cyrus as though looking for confirmation.

"Yes," Olivia smiled, "I'm back. Sometime soon."

Mellie nodded slowly and looked back at Fitz before turning to Olivia again, "Well, it's good to have you back Olivia. We look forward to seeing you around more often."

She turned away without another word and walked into the dining hall leaving Fitz, Olivia, and Cyrus standing in Cross Hall, separated by its rich red runner. Olivia looked at him cautiously, and the tremendous urge to reach out and lay with him took her over again. They looked at each other, and then she sensed a sudden pain radiating from him – and she knew exactly why. She was the first to break the silence,

"Mr. President, I'm just here informing Cyrus about upcoming plans for the baby. We're really –,"

"So you're back?" Fitz interrupted, his eyes traveling up and down Olivia.

"Yes…in a sense."

Amidst silence once more, both of them opened their mouths to speak, but it was Cyrus who broke it this time,

"Mr. President, the Dining Room…."

With one last look at Olivia, Fitz turned and walked inside of the Dining Room, and Olivia watched him go, fighting the urge to yell out his name and grab him from behind to rest her face on his back or splay her fingers across his shoulders.

"I'm sorry Olivia," Cyrus said quietly, "but we both know what that was like for him."

Afraid to say anything more, Olivia turned on her heel and walked down the Grand Staircase and away from the Roosevelt Room as quickly as she could. On her way out of The White House, she tried desperately to push everything out of her mind. It's only been two weeks, and you're pretty much about to fall apart – again. Get it together, she thought, frustrated with herself. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Pope & Associates.

"Yes, Harrison. It's me. I need you and Huck to find out everything you can about a Capitol Jill. Be there in less than an hour."

x X x

If it hadn't been for the fact that he had spent two weeks waiting for the moment he would hear her voice again, Fitz might not have even turned to notice Olivia. But there she was, standing arm-in-arm with his Chief of Staff, staring at him with wide and almost frightened, big brown eyes. Fitz froze on the spot, hardly daring to breathe. It had been almost four months since he had last seen her and he could hardly believe it to take it in. His heart raced with excitement as his eyes leapt everywhere: from her clean white jacket, to her dark gray pants; from the curls that he brushed away from her face and off her lips whenever she was resting on top of him, to the lips who's contours he knew better than his own. Her soft skin was glowing and he could almost feel himself reaching out to trace his fingers across her collarbone and down her spine, to hold the small of her back and pull her closer like he'd done so many times before. Nothing was happening in that moment, besides Olivia Pope standing in front of him. He was being drawn to her, and he knew that she could feel it too by the way her eyes searched his face and the way she stood rooted to the spot. All he wanted to do was run over and bring her somewhere, anywhere, to tell her over and over again how much he loved her. He watched Olivia and his wife speak for a moment, not even bothering to listen. His attention was on Olivia's lips and the way they moved and pressed against each other with every word. His mind rolled back to time when he and Olivia kissed for first time in his hotel room in the middle of the campaign: his lips were pressed against hers…he pressed her against a wall, her hands slid up his neck and into his hair…he sat her down on a table pressed his face into her neck before running his hands down soft silk of her pink blouse to the soft mounds of her breasts…take off your clothes…. And she had looked at him nervously through big brown eyes. And then almost as if to torture himself, memories of their last phone call seized Fitz with an iron-clad grip, and he was reminded of the pain he felt when she told him 'goodbye'; when she refused to listen to him and hung up the phone, without ever once calling back. He was so lost in pained thought, that he hadn't even realized that Mellie had gone until Olivia spoke,

"Mr. President, I'm just here informing Cyrus about upcoming plans for the baby. We're really –,"

"So you're back?" Fitz cut Olivia off.

"Yes…in a sense."

He watched her watch him and for a moment, he wasn't sure. Did she come back for him? What did this mean? His eyes lingered on every part of her body, driven by a passionate love into an intoxicating tunnel vision. He wanted to hold her and hug her, and tell her she was wrong for saying 'goodbye'.

"Mr. President, the Dining Room…." Cyrus's voice reminded Fitz of where he was.

Unwilling to prolong the pain he was feeling, Fitz looked at Olivia one last time and then turned into the Dining Room with Cyrus behind him.

Fitz had no idea what to think. All he knew was that he hadn't seen the love of his life in four months and here she was, standing in front of him telling him she was back…in a sense. He wasn't content with that answer, and if Olivia was still Olivia, she knew it too.

"So, did you and Olivia have a good chance to catch up?" Mellie asked, lacing her fingers together and resting her chin in their cradle.

Fitz looked up at her, knowing how pleased she was with what she had done over the past three months. Instead of giving Mellie the satisfaction of an answer, Fitz turned to the cook on his left, "Is there salmon today?"

Thanks guys for the feedback and reviews so far! I am really liking this story and hoping to go with it so show it to friends or post it somewhere! A lot of you guys didn't like Mellie and wanted to see Olivia put her back in her place. I'm hoping Olivia does that too!