Chapter 3: All About Me
Twelve Years Ago
Olivia runs across campus, hoping she won't be late for her English class. She doesn't see the guy walking directly in her path until she runs into him. She practically bounces off of his stone-like physique and falls to the ground.
"Crap," she yells out as she hits the concrete.
"I'm sorry, I didn't see you," a deep voice says from above her. "Here, let me help you up."
She looks up as she takes his hand. He has a kind smile and deep brown eyes.
"I'm fine. My backpack took the brunt of the fall," she says as she settles back on her feet. "And no apology necessary, it was my fault, I shouldn't have been running. I should apologize for running into you. Did I hurt you?"
He gives a small laugh at her inquiry, "I think I will be fine. I'm Edison Davis, by the way."
"Olivia Pope," she replies with a smile.
"So where are you off to in such a hurry Miss Pope?"
"English class for which I am going to be late if I don't get going," she says already jogging away.
"It was nice bumping into you Olivia. Maybe we will meet again."
"Bye," she says with a wave and a smile.
Edison watches her jog away. He decides in that moment that the beautiful Olivia Pope would be his.
For the next two weeks Edison tries to "bump into" Olivia on her way to English class. But to no avail. He tells himself that today is the last day that he will hang out waiting for her when he finally sees her approaching.
She is as beautiful as he remembered. She is wearing a UGA sweatshirt and a pair of black jeans. Her curly hair is held back by a red headband. She is walking with a tall red-head who must have said something hysterical, causing Olivia to burst into a fit of laughter. Her laughter was like music to his ears.
"Hey Olivia," he calls out to her.
Olivia's laughter calms down as she looks to see who called her. She spots Edison coming towards her.
"Oh, hey Edison. How are you?" she says as he draws closer.
"Great and you?"
"Fine, just on my way to English."
"Not knocking any unsuspecting guys down are you?" he teases.
She blushes slightly and says "No. I can't believe you brought that up."
"Hi, I'm Abby," the red-head introduces herself.
"Hi Abby, I'm Edison. Did your friend here tell you she bowled me over a couple of weeks ago? Right here on this path. I think I will walk with a limp for the rest of my life."
"Oh stop! You are so okay and you know it!" Olivia smiles and playfully punches him in the arm.
"Ow! She doesn't know her own strength."
"That's my Liv, a bull in a china shop. Don't let the small package fool you," Abby says.
"Hey, what is this gang up on Liv day?" she pouts.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist teasing you a little. I am really glad I bumped into you though. My fraternity is throwing a party tomorrow night and I was hoping you would come as my guest."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I can't. Abby and I have plans," Olivia starts.
"Nonsense Liv, we can do that anytime," Abby says knowing their only "plan" is to do their laundry and watch CSI and Law and Order they had taped earlier in the week.
"Abby . . ." Olivia responds.
"Hey, look no pressure. Abby is welcome to come as well. The party will be at Phi Delta Gamma house at 8:00pm. I hope to see you both there."
"Thanks," Olivia says with a small smile. "We should get going Abs. Don't want to be late for English."
They say their good-byes and walk away. When they have put sufficient distance between them and Edison, Abby turns to Olivia.
"What the hell was that? He is pretty cute and if I am not mistaken that is Edison Davis. You know of THE Atlanta Davises. Why don't you want to go out with him?"
"Abby, I am eight months from graduation. My teaching internship starts in two weeks, I don't have time for a boyfriend."
"Olivia, make time! You have been so focused on school that you forgot how to have fun. Where is that girl who used to hang out a Frat parties every Friday night, downing Jell-O shots and drinking Jungle Juice?"
"She got tired of waking up with the Saturday morning hangovers. Now drop it and let's get to class."
"Fine," Abby groans. But her mind churning ideas away on how to get Olivia to that party.
With a lot of coaxing, Abby finally convinces Olivia to go to the party and she has a great time. Edison is a perfect gentleman and they spend the entire evening together talking, eating, drinking and dancing. Abby hooks up with her old boyfriend Stephen and tells Olivia she will be gone for the night. Edison insists on walking her back to her apartment.
As they stand on the front steps of her building, he asks, "Liv, I would like to take you out on a date."
Internally she groans and promises to kick Abby's ass the next day. She knew this was going to happen. Now she has to figure out how to let him down gently.
"Edison I'm really not interested in dating anyone right now. My life is so busy, I just don't have time to devote to school and a relationship."
"Oh, I see," he says sadly.
She feels bad for letting him down. She never meant to hurt his feelings.
"Look, just because we can't date, doesn't mean we can't be friends. I really had a great time tonight. I don't want to lead you on though. So if you want something more, let's just say good bye here and leave it at that."
"If that's how you feel. Good night Olivia," he says before turning and walking away.
She feels bad for rejecting him, but it needed to be done. She doesn't want a relationship right now. With a sigh, she climbs the steps to her apartment longing for a hot bath.
Forty-five minutes later she steps from the tub feeling relaxed and refreshed. After toweling off and applying lotion to her skin she slips on her favorite pajamas and gets into bed. No sooner than her head hits the pillow the phone begins to ring.
"What," she answers sharply.
"Olivia, it's Edison. I'm sorry to call so late, but I was thinking about what you said. I respect you not wanting to have a serious relationship right now. But I like you and I don't want this to stop us from hanging out together. So I guess what I am trying to say is that I can accept just being friends, if the offer still stands."
"Edison are you sure? I don't want there to be any misunderstanding."
"I'm sure. Just friends."
"Okay, friends. I'll talk to you later."
"Good night Olivia." Edison hangs up the phone with a smile on his face. She may not want a relationship now, but he will make sure he is there when she does want one.
Over the next two months, Edison, Olivia Abby and Stephen, who reconnected the night of the party, spend time studying at the library, going to movies and just hanging out. Although her life is busy, Olivia enjoys having her friends around.
One Thursday afternoon Liv is sitting in the cafeteria, eating her lunch with her head buried in a textbook.
"Liv," Edison calls out from across the cafeteria.
She raises her head from the book smiles and waves to him. He makes his way through the crowd of hungry students and sits down next to her at the table.
"Hey, I'm glad you are still here. I wanted to ask you something."
"Okay, ask away."
He swallows the huge lump that has developed in his throat before he speaks. "Well, see . . . um."
"What is it Edison? Just take a deep breath and ask me," she says sweetly.
"My mother scheduled a family dinner this Saturday and I would like for you to go with me," he says in a rush. He looks at her will hope filled eyes.
"You want me to meet your family? I mean isn't that normally a step you take with your girlfriend. What will your family think we are to each other if you bring me to a family dinner?" her voice betraying her sense of panic.
"Liv, I'm not asking you to marry me. Just to go home with me and meet my family. I know we are just friends, but you are important to me and I want them to get to know you."
"Well . . . " she hesitates.
"Just think about it and let me know. I plan to drive down Saturday afternoon and come back Sunday afternoon. There is plenty of room for us to stay at my parent's place. "
"Okay, I will call you tonight."
"Great. I gotta go. Talk to you tonight." He leans over and kisses her cheek and then stands and walks away.
Later that night, Olivia fills Abby in on Edison's request.
"Girl, you better go to dinner. I need the details on their penthouse. I hear it is crazy big!" Abby says.
"Abby, it's not about the fancy penthouse. What if going with Edison sends the wrong signals to him and his family. We are just friends. I'm afraid it will send the wrong message."
"Liv, you went home and met my parents and we are just friends. Don't over think it. Go have a great time," Abby encourages.
"I guess since you put it that way," still not completely convinced.
"Liv, Edison knows how you feel. I'm sure his request is innocent. He has committed to being in the friend zone. Go, eat some caviar and lobster and come home and tell me about that badass pad!"
Olivia picks up the phone and calls Edison.
"Hello."
"Hey Edison it's Liv. If the offer still stands, I would love to meet your family."
"That's great Liv. I will pick you at 4pm Saturday. See you then."
"See you then," she says and then hangs up the phone. "Come on Abby, help me pick out something to wear."
Edison picks her up promptly at 4pm on Saturday. The drive to Atlanta is relaxing and fun. They sing to the radio and chat about their plans for after graduation. When they pull up to the entrance of Edison's building, Olivia suddenly feels self-conscious. She peers in the visor mirror and reviews her hair and make-up, frowning at imaginary flaws.
"Olivia, you look great. They are going to love you. Don't worry," Edison encourages.
"Okay. Lead the way," she says with a false cheeriness.
They get out of the car and walk to the elevators. Edison inserts his key card and the doors slide open. Inside he inserts his card again and pushes the button for the penthouse. Seventy-two floors later, the doors open to a marble foyer. The sound of voices drift towards them. Walking into the living room, Olivia sees two people sitting on a white leather sofa.
"Gabe, Laurel," Edison calls out.
"Well if it isn't Eddie spaghetti," Laurel chants as she gets up and walks over to hug him.
"When are you going to stop calling me that?"
"Never!"
"Hey Edison," Gabe says from his seat on the couch.
"What no hug for your big brother?" Edison inquires.
"Nah, now that I'm a college man, I don't hug other dudes. I will however give you a high five." Gabe gets up and slaps hands with Edison.
Olivia stands back and takes it all in. Laurel looks like she just walked out of a J. Crew catalogue. Her brown hair isn't as long as Olivia's, but is it thick and bone straight, held back from her face with a silver headband. She is wearing a white Oxford shirt with a dark blue sweater thrown over her shoulders and tied in the front. Her pencil skirt is the same dark blue with tiny cherries dotted all over it. On her feet are a pair of penny loafers. Gabe is wearing a white Oxford shirt and navy blue sweater as well, paired with a pair of plaid pants and deck shoes. Olivia feels a little under dressed in her khaki skirt and dark green Izod shirt and her black Mary Janes.
"Guys, this is my friend Olivia. Olivia, this is my brother Gabe and his girlfriend Laurel."
They all shake hands and exchange greetings before finding a seat on the couch.
"So where is Mother and Father?" Edison asks.
"Mother is in the kitchen, probably giving Cook a heart attack with her last minute instructions. Father is still in Miami," Gabe answers.
"I was hoping to see him. Maybe next time," Edison sighs.
"Oh Edison, you are finally here," a female voice calls out from behind them.
Edison gets up and walks over to his mother and gives her a hug and a peck on the cheek.
"Hello Mother. It is good to see you."
Pearl Davis is a throwback to another time. She stands at the threshold of the living room dressed like a character from a 50's sitcom, a la Leave It to Beaver or The Donna Reed Show. Her salt and pepper hair is swept back into a tight low bun. She wears a minimum amount of make-up, but her eyebrows are arched to high heaven. Her light blue jacket and matching skirt are paired with a white blouse with a huge bow at the neck with the required set of pearl earrings and necklace to match.
She smiles broadly at her son until her eyes sweep over to Olivia. When their eyes meet, Olivia can only see coldness in them.
"Edison, who is this," she says as if Olivia were some dirty vagrant sitting on her couch.
"This is my friend Olivia. Olivia this is my mother, Mrs. Pearl Davis."
Olivia stands and walks over to Edison and his mother. She extends her hand and says, "Nice to meet you Mrs. Davis."
Pearl offers her a tight smile and a limp wristed handshake.
"Edison, may I speak to you privately for a moment?" Pearl asks in a clipped tone.
"Um, sure Mother," he replies with confusion.
They walk down a hallway opposite of the kitchen and enter Edison's old bedroom. Pearl closes the door before she speaks.
"Who is that girl? Why have your brought her here?" she inquires.
"I told you, she's a friend from school."
"This was supposed to be a family dinner Edison. Not dinner for the homeless and hungry."
"Mother, Olivia is neither of those things. What is wrong with you?" he replies angrily
"Watch your tone Edison. Who is this girl to you?" she asks again.
"I already told you, she is a friend."
"I don't believe you. We are not leaving this room until you tell me the truth."
Silently, Edison turns away from his mother and walks to the window. He thrusts his hands into his pockets and stares moodily out the window fighting to control his anger.
Meanwhile, Olivia sits quietly in the living room with Gabe and Laurel. Seeking to break the awkward silence that has settled over them after Pearl and Edison depart, Olivia decides speak.
"So Gabe, Edison tells me you are at Harvard Medical School. What specialty are you working towards?"
"Plastic surgeon. That's where the money is. Besides, that way when Laurel gets all wrinkled and fat, I can return her to her youthful appearance with a little nip/tuck and not trade her in for a twenty-year old."
"Gabe, you are horrible," Laurel says with a forced laugh.
"Did he really just say that out loud," Olivia thinks to herself. She just smiles and wishes silently for Edison to return.
A few more minutes pass and Edison and his mother still have not returned. No longer able to sit still in the silence Olivia asks, "Gabe, may I use your restroom?"
"Sure, it's the second door on the right."
"Thanks," she replies.
Olivia makes her way down the same hallway that Edison and his mother disappeared down. She reaches the appointed door and enters. Once the door is safely shut behind her, she takes a deep breath and shakes her head. She walks over to the mirror and runs her hands through her thick curls.
Suddenly she hears raised voices coming from the other side of the connecting door in the bathroom. Knowing that she shouldn't, but powerless to resist, she walks over to the door and quietly listens to the argument between Edison and his mother.
"Edison, we can stand here all day or your can answer my questions. Who is that girl to you?" Pearl demands.
"Mother, I already told you she is a friend. That's it."
"But you want more, don't you?" she asks.
"I want whatever she will give me," he admits.
"Edison," she says as she crosses the room to him, "this girl is not for you. I know her type. She will string you along and then when she has you completely hooked, she will break your heart."
"Olivia would never do that. She is kind and sweet."
"Honey, don't be stupid. She knows you come from money. She's just waiting for her payday. Trust me."
"How can you say that? You know nothing about her or her background," he says indignantly.
"Just look at her Edison. Her unkempt hair and her cheap clothing. She obviously is not of our sort. Let mother find you a nice girl from a good family."
"Mother! Her family is a good one. Her parents have been married for 26 years. Her mother is a school teacher and her father is an engineer for SX Transportation."
"Oh my God, a teacher and a train conductor! Blue collar workers Edison! Really?! Next you are going to tell me that she is on a scholarship!"
"What if she is?" he bellows.
"She's poor Edison. We don't do poor in this family!"
Olivia feels as if someone punched her in the stomach. No one has ever been so cruel to her or her family before. Unable to control her anger, she bursts through the connecting door into the room with Edison and his mother.
"How dare you! You know nothing about me or my family! Yet you stand her spouting horrible things about us and for what, because we are not wealthy?"
"You were eavesdropping on us?" Pearl narrows her eyes at Olivia. "See Edison, no class."
Olivia turns to Edison, "Can we please go? I don't want to stay here any longer?"
"Ok Liv, we can go," he says as he walks over to her and grabs her hand.
"Edison! Don't you dare leave here with that girl!" Pearl shouts.
"Mother, enough! If Olivia is not welcome or comfortable here, I'm not staying either."
Edison flings open the bedroom door and catches sight of Gabe and Laurel scurrying back down the hall to the living room. He fairly drags Olivia behind him, his strides much longer than hers. He doesn't bother to speak to Gabe or Laurel, who only look on with barely concealed smirks.
"Edison if you leave here, I will cut you off!" his mother threatens.
"Fine! Cut me off! I don't care!" he yells back as he presses the button for the elevator.
The doors opens swiftly and he ushers Olivia inside. The last thing Olivia sees as the doors close is the fire and fury in Pearl Davis' eyes. All of it directed at Olivia.
"Olivia, I'm sorry," Edison says as they sit in the car a few minutes later.
"Don't, Edison. Just take me home." She turns to look out the passenger window. Tears streaming down her face.
Present Day
Olivia pours another glass of champagne for herself and downs half of it in one swallow.
"When we got back to Athens, I slept with Edison for the first time. Partly because he stood up for me to his mother, but deep inside I did it out of revenge. To me it was like giving her the finger. She didn't want us together, so I did the one thing that would make sure we would be. I knew it was wrong, but I let my emotions get the best of me."
"Anyone would Livvie. That woman sounds horrible."
"Oh, you don't know the half of it. Of course, she didn't live up to her threat of cutting Edison off. He is her firstborn son and that would never go over in her mind. So while she and Edison had mended fences somewhat, I kept my distance. We didn't cross paths again until graduation day. When Edison introduced her to my parents at graduation, she looked down at them like they were diseased or something. I remember my mother caught on to how upset I was and she pulled me aside and chastised me. She said, "People who have to put others down to make themselves feel good deserve our pity and not our anger. Take the high road Livvie. Prove her wrong by being successful and happy."
"Since Edison and I had slept together, he felt like we were a real couple now. I didn't want to hurt his feelings, so I went along with it. It wasn't that I didn't care for him, it's just there were no real sparks.
Anyway, a couple of weeks after graduation, Edison's father asked him to work in one of their offices up in Connecticut. The job didn't start until August, and of course Edison wanted me to go with him. To move in with him. I was able to put him off for a while, since I was supposed to take a couple of summer courses, plus I had already accepted a part time job working at a private day care center. But then my world feel apart."
Fitz feels her tremble in his arms. He looks at her and sees the tears brimming in her eyes.
"Livvie, you don't have to go on. I get that things were hard for you and you made some difficult decisions. I don't care what you did before now, it doesn't matter," Fitz says tenderly.
"No, I've come this far, I want you to know everything. So it was Fourth of July... "
Twelve Years Ago
Olivia pulls one of three apple pies from the oven. She takes the smallest one, about the size of a pot pie, and hides it in the microwave. Just as she snaps the door shut, Abby walks into the kitchen.
"Oh my god Liv, those smell fantastic!" she exclaims.
"Thanks Abs," she says knowing what will come next.
"Can I have just a little piece?" her request comes with a pout.
"No Abby. The pies are for Peter's 4th of July party tonight. Besides they have to cool first, otherwise the filling just oozes out of it."
"Oh come on Liv. Just one tiny slice?" Abby begs.
"Abby, no. I can't take a partially eaten pie to the party. You will just have to wait."
Abby huffs and walks out of the kitchen with Olivia close behind her.
"I hate you!" Abby says as she plops on the couch.
"No you don't. You love me!" Olivia plops down right next to her and puts her head on Abby's shoulder.
"Do not!" Abby shrugs her shoulder in an effort to move Olivia's head.
"Do too! And I know you do, because I made a small pie for you. It's in the microwave."
Abby's eyes light up as she bounces from the couch and into the kitchen.
"I love you, I love you, I love you!" she screams from the kitchen.
"Alright you goof ball, shut the hell up before our neighbors think we are banging each other!" Olivia calls out.
Olivia stands from the couch, headed to her bedroom, when there is a knock at the door. She crosses the room to open it. To her surprise there are two police officers at her door, one male and one female.
"May I help you?" she asks.
"We are looking for Olivia Pope," the female officer states.
"I'm Olivia Pope. Is there something wrong?" she asks suddenly cold with fear.
"Are you alone ma'am? Is there anyone here with you?" the female officer asks.
"What? Why? What's going on?"
Just then Abby walks up behind her, "Liv, why are the cops at our door?"
The male officer speaks up, "Miss Pope, are your parents, Eli and Maya Pope of Raleigh, North Carolina?"
She can't answer, but just nods her head yes.
The officer continues, "We received a call from the Wake County Sheriff's Department this morning. We regret to inform you that your parents were involved in a fatal car crash early this morning."
The officer continues to speak, but Olivia can't hear him over the words fatal crash and parents screaming in her head. Suddenly, she feels the urge to vomit. She turns from the door and races down the hall to the bathroom where she expels the contents of her stomach into the toilet. She collapses on the floor and begins to wail. Loud, heart wrenching sobs rack her body as she her mind registers the fact that she is now an orphan.
Abby stares at the officers in shock.
"Liv's parents are dead?" she whispers.
"Yes ma'am I am sorry to say that they are," the female officer says. "Here is the contact information to the office in charge at the Wake County Sherriff's Department," she says handing Abby a piece of paper. "He can give Miss Pope an update on the investigation and let her know when the bodies will be released."
Abby takes the paper from the officer with a shaking hand.
"Please give Miss Pope our condolences," the male officer says before they both turn and walk away.
Abby closes the door and looks down at her hands. In one, she has the apple pie that Liv made for her. In the other, death. She runs to the kitchen and throws up in the sink.
Present Day
"When Abby finally pulled herself together she called Edison. He rushed over and between the two of them they managed to get me cleaned up and into bed. Edison held me all night while I cried.
For three days I didn't leave the bed. I barely ate or slept. I just stared at the ceiling and wondered how I was going to get through life all alone. I had no parents, no siblings, I had no one. I was 23 years old and all alone." She shivered as she relived those horrible moments from her past.
"Edison became my rock. He flew with me to Raleigh to claim my parents' bodies and he practically made all of the funeral arrangements. He helped me with filing insurance claims and settling their accounts. He helped me sell the house and advised me to put the money from the sale into a personal savings account.
When we got back to Athens, I was like a zombie. I was supposed to start a few summer classes and I had lined up a part time job at a day care center, but I couldn't function. Abby did her best to help me, but she was preparing to move to Seattle with Stephen. He was accepted to summer internship with some law firm and she had decided to go with him.
Edison came to me and asked me again to move to Connecticut with him. He didn't want me to be all alone in Georgia. I finally agreed. Mostly because I didn't think I could handle being alone.
He was so kind and loving. We found a little townhouse not far from his office. In the beginning, I just wandered around the house, grieving for my parents. Even though Edison was there, I still felt all alone in the world. I had no family, no roots.
Edison didn't know what to do. He asked me if I wanted to go to therapy, but I declined. He finally dragged me to see someone and it was the best thing for me. From my sessions, I realized that I was afraid to make a connection with anyone because I lost my family. If I had any hope of having a happy life, I had to open myself up to others.
Not long after I shared that revelation with Edison he proposed. He told me nothing would make him happier than to be my family. I was so moved by his words that I accepted."
"What about his mother? I'm sure she was not happy that you two were living together, let alone discussing marriage," Fitz inquires.
"Oh, she made a big stink before we moved, but Edison ignored her. Since we were so far away, she didn't have a lot of influence on him or his decisions. He called her after we got married to inform her. She hung up on him and from what we heard from Gabe, she didn't get out of bed for a week."
"Slowly but surely, I came out of my grief. I got a job at day care center close by and Edison and I were settling into the groove of young married life. Not long after our one year anniversary, Edison got a call for Gabe saying that their father had had a heart attack. He was needed back in Atlanta to help take over some of his father's duties. It was supposed to be temporary, just until his father recovered. So he went to Atlanta and I stayed behind in Connecticut. Two weeks later, he calls me and tells me to pack up the house that we were moving back to Atlanta. His mother had convinced him that his place was in Atlanta working side by side with his father."
"So you moved?"
"I did, reluctantly. Edison promised me that he would not allow his mother to interfere in our lives. But of course that didn't work out so well," she says with a sad chuckle.
We wound up living in her house for the first six months, where for the entire time if she was not directly putting me down she was reminding Edison that I wasn't right for him. Eventually, her words became his words. Suddenly, my hair was too curly and my clothes were not right. When I told Edison I wanted to go back to work his exact words were "Davis women don't work. They stay at home, take care of the house and have babies."
"I'm so sorry Livvie," Fitz murmurs in her hair.
"Things only got worse after Gabe and Laurel got married. She started popping out little Davises right away. They have three boys now. Every family get together I was reminded that Edison needed a son. When I finally did get pregnant, I miscarried after twelve weeks. I overheard his mother call me defective."
She takes another long drink of champagne before continuing.
"So eventually I wound up with a house that was way too big for the two of us and playing the part of the happy homemaker. I gave up trying to be me and just adapted to what Edison and his mother wanted me to be. I wore my hair the way they wanted, I dressed the way they wanted, I kept my house the way they wanted and I participated in the activities they wanted. It was an empty, hollow existence. But, I felt obligated in a way to Edison, because he became my family when I had none."
"What was the straw that broke the camel's back? How did you wind up here?" Fitz questioned.
"I found out he has been having an affair. I wasn't even that upset about the affair. It's not like we have much of a sex life. I was upset that I have spent all this time trying to be the perfect wife for him, giving up everything that I am to meet some standard that he allowed his mother to impose, and he was out screwing someone who, get this, is exactly how I used to be. She is a preschool teacher for God's sake! I saw her once, she is almost my twin! So here I am being the Stepford wife and he is out with someone who could be my sister."
She takes a deep breath, "So I emptied my personal savings account, packed up everything that I owned, leaving behind everything that he ever gave me and got on the first plane out of Atlanta. Ten years I wasted on him and his crazy mother!" She begins to cry.
Fitz doesn't know what to say, so he just holds her as she cries. He wonders how someone could take for granted this beauty in his arms. How could Edison not see that Olivia is worth fighting for? He can see it and he has only known her for a few hours.
Her sobs subside and eventually she falls asleep in his arms. He allows her to settle into a deep sleep before he tries to move her. He gently lays her down before standing and then picking her up. He carries her to his bedroom where he places her in his bed and pulls the covers over her. He sits on the side of the bed watching her sleep.
"Don't worry Livvie," he whispers to her sleeping form, "I love you for who you are. I can see you and I want you to be whatever makes you happy. I will do my best to make sure your dreams come true."
He kisses her brow and gets off the bed. Walking to the other side, he slides under the covers and lays there in the dark. His heart leaps for joy when he feels Olivia's warm body move into his. In her sleep she seeks out his comfort. He pulls her into his side and drifts off to sleep.
Present Day – Atlanta approximately, 9:00pm Eastern Time (this is the same day Olivia left)
Edison pulls up the driveway to his home. He has had a long hard day at the office. Davis Corporation's biggest competitor is vying for a hostile takeover and he and his team have been working non-stop to keep it from happening.
He is glad to be home. All he wants is a strong drink, a hot shower and maybe, if she is lucky, a roll in the hay with his wife.
He is a little surprised that the house, although lit from the outside with security lights, is dark on the inside. Maybe Olivia had already gone to bed with one of her "headaches", he thinks. Unbeknownst to him, at this exact moment, Olivia is sitting in the back of a Towne Car with Fitz on the other side of the country.
He pulls into the garage and cuts the engine off. He sees Olivia's black Mercedes S-Class Coupe parked in its normal spot. He reaches over the seat and retrieves his briefcase. He enters the house through the kitchen door and notes that the house is eerily quiet. He walks through the kitchen to the dining room and on into the foyer. No signs of Olivia. He walks up the stairs and enters the darken bedroom. As his eyes adjust to the darkness, he sees Olivia's side of the bed is empty.
"Damn, she is probably out with that Sherry Miles. She knows I can't stand her spending time with that high-handed bitch," he mumbles to himself.
Without turning on the bedroom light, he pulls his phone out of his pocket and dials Olivia's number. To his surprise he hears her phone ringing right in the room. He looks up and sees her phone lighting up on the dresser. He walks over to it, his face a mask of confusion. He ends the phone call and calls out for her.
"Olivia! Olivia are you here?"
He walks over to the adjoining bathroom and knocks on the door. When he doesn't get a response, he opens the door and turns on the light. The room is empty. As he turns back to face the bedroom, he notices the other items besides her phone on the dresser. It is in that moment that he realizes she has left him.
He walks over to the bed and plops down on it. He toes off his shoes and loosens his tie. He looks at his phone for a few minutes before he dials.
"Hello Edison. What can I do for my favorite son this evening?" his mother says.
"She's gone," he says flatly.
"What? Who's gone?"
"Olivia. She's gone."
"Didn't I tell you she was only out for your money!?" Pearl scolds. "You need to check your bank balances and change your passwords. She has probably cleaned you out already. But don't worry, we will find her and get every cent back! That bitch! She won't get away with this! I will be right over. In the meantime, call Charlie, he will find her."
Pearl's rant stokes Edison's anger. How dare Olivia leave him? Who was there for her when she fell apart? Who took care of all of her needs for the last ten years? Now when he is stressed out the most, she up and leaves.
"Mother, there is no need for you to come over. I will call Charlie and get him on it."
"Fine, let me know when you find her."
"I will Mother. Good night." He doesn't wait for her response before he disconnects the call.
He sits on the side of the bed for a few more minutes before his anger finally overwhelms him. He grabs the lamp off the nightstand and throws it across the room.
"OLIVIA!" he screams into the empty room.
A/N: Wow! So that was Olivia's backstory. What do you think? Doesn't appear that Edison is going to go away easily.
So I hope you enjoyed this extra-long chapter. I thought about breaking it up, but felt it need to be told in one shot. Also, I COULD NOT write a sex scene with Olivia and Edison (you are all very welcome), so I just made reference to it (again, you are welcome).
Thanks to everyone who has followed or selected this as one of their favorite stories. I appreciate all of your comments and suggestions.
Until next time . . . .
P.S. I do not own Scandal or its characters. I just like writing my version of Olitz!
