FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

A/N: Ok so I'm really nervous about y'alls reaction *ducking*...ahh! Let me know what you think...good, bad, or otherwise. Enjoy!

Ch. 6 He Brought a Knife to a Gunfight

October 27, 2012

Progress, was Jax's last thought before his body went limp and he lost consciousness.

Moments Earlier

Jax never saw the man in the shadows, never saw the syringe in the stranger's hand and never saw the black hood that soon would envelop his senses.

Two weeks ago he would have never been caught unaware; he would have been on high alert; he would have been protected. Olivia Pope had changed him. Wanting to appear normal, or as normal as he could under the circumstances, he had taken to leaving his guards a block away from her office whenever he visited. Although she never voiced her discomfort, he knew she felt uneasy in the presence of his heavily armored entourage. What he did not know, however, was whether her discomfort stemmed from his men being armed or from them being reminders of who he was. Once she had commented on his men's absence and he glibly remarked that they liked the nearby park and feeding the birds. She'd just shook her head and smile in response, to which he'd clicked his tongue and winked.

It was this preoccupation with Olivia that caused Jax to enter her building without being fully aware of his surroundings. She had asked him to meet her to go over the latest development in his "case," as she liked to dispassionately refer to his situation. So there he was eager to see her and exposed. He felt the prick moments before his world went black. He didn't have to ask who was responsible for this – he knew the culprit. He also knew he'd see him soon enough.

Well, it's about time…Progress.

When Jax came to, he had a splitting headache and his throat was burning. He squinted his eyes – allowing them time to adjust – to ward off the extremely bright light and noted the figure seated quietly in front of him.

"You know," He cleared his throat. "If you wanted to see me, all you had to go was ask."

"Yeah but…where the fun in that."

"You Americans and your flare for the dramatics." Jax leveled his gaze unto the man he'd never met yet knew intimately. This man's life, after all, had become his obsession.

"To what do I owe the pleasure…" his voice barely concealed his contempt for the man. "Mr. President"

"I thought it was time you and I had a little talk…no go between."

"Yes but what a lovely 'go between" she is…would you not agree?"

He watched Fitz's jaws clench and unclench.

"Ok…let's talk about Ms. Pope."

"No. Let's not. Let's talk about my family…the ones you killed."

"That…was an accident."

"Where I come from, we believe in an eye for an eye."

"Are you threatening me Deveaux?"

"Wouldn't dream of it sir." Jax tried to suppress the smile that tugged at his lips. His smile grew ten folds as he watched a slow, deadly smile appear on Fitz's face. He understood that Fitz had read him and was accepting to his silently launched challenge.

"Let's talk about Ms. Pope" Fitz repeated calmly.

"Olivia…" Jax inwardly cheered as Fitz flinched upon hearing her first name. "is quite lovely. Do you know her well?" He tone was unmistakably mocking.

He met Fitz's stare head on, neither man giving an inch. They stayed locked in a staring match until Fitz took a breath and asked the question that had been eating at him.

"What do you want?"

"Her." Fitz sat rigidly still and his eyes glazed over with rage. Jax lowered his eyes to the ground and said, "All of her…complete—"

Olivia exited her building more annoyed than she could ever remember being. She had every intention of marching to Jax's place and giving him a piece of her mind for standing her up for their meeting an hour earlier. As she made her way down the street she was shocked to see one of his guards sitting on a park bench feeding a flock of birds.

"Where's Ja-, I mean Mr. Deveaux?" she stated in greeting.

"Ma'am? He's in your office."

"No he's not. I've been waiting for him for over an hour."

The guard shot out of his seat and signaled for the other two men to join him.

"He walked into your building an hour ago…"

Olivia turned on her heels and began walking back to her office, not bothering to listen to the rest of the man's statement. She knew who had him. She couldn't believe he would do it, but she knew who had him.

"Olivia Pope for Cyrus Beene"

"Cyrus, you tell him to let Jax go right now"

"Cyrus," she cut him off. "I don't care how you do it, but if Jax isn't back in his office within the hour, the Jamie Lynn – your favorite Washington Post attack dog – is going to mysteriously get the story of a lifetime dropped into her lap. Do I make myself clear?"

"Within the hour." She snapped her phone shut and headed to Jax's compound to wait for him. I can't believe he did this.

The sting from Fitz's fist registered first; then came the taste of cooper. Jax, already slouched to the side from the impact, spit a mouth full of blood on to the floor, sniffed in an attempt to relieve his nose the burning, and straighten himself in the chair. He looked up and saw Fitz hovering above him panting, eyes wild with rage.

"I hope this doesn't leave a mark." He taunted, "what will she say?"

Even knowing the blow was coming did nothing to stop the pain that shot across his jaw as Fitz punched him a second time. He used the back of his hand to wipe the blood that began to gather in the corner of his mouth.

"Leave her alone." Fitz warned. "She's…she is…mi—"

"Sir!" Both heads snapped at the sound of a new voice. Cyrus stood at the top of the stairs and glared down at Fitz. "You have a meeting you need to be in…now"

"Cyrus,"

"Now…sir"

Despite the aching in the left side of his face, Jax gave Fitz a huge smile as Fitz glared at him one final time before turning to leave. Just before Fitz crossed the room's threshold, Jax's parting words reached his ears. "Beware of those closest to you, Mr. President, for one may not be what he seems...or she."

"Take him back his office…now. And don't touch a hair, understood?" Cyrus barked at the agents stationed outside the door. Fucking children.

"Jax!" Olivia leapt out of her chair as he entered his office.

"This is a nice surprise" He tried not to limp as he walked past her toward his desk. His ribs were severely bruised courtesy of the agents who brought him back to his office. He did only say "hair."

Jax sat down in his chair and closed his eyes, letting his head fall back against the plush cushion. His head still hurt from earlier. His eyes fluttered as he felt her soft fingertips lightly trace the bruise on his cheek.

"He did this to you." She didn't have to ask, she knew. She couldn't help but think that somehow this was all her fault. She whispered, "I'm so sorry."

"Why?" He gazed at her beneath his eyelashes and gently removed her hand from his face. Smiling the boyish smile he seemed to reserve for her, he said "besides, I provoked him."

"Why?"

"Because I could." He chuckled softly. He locked eyes with her and noticed that her eyes were open wide and glassy. "Worried about me?" he teased.

She didn't answer but rather just smiled and looked away.

"I can take care of myself you know." He openly stared at her.

"I know..." From her perch on top the desk, Olivia grew uneasy under his scrutiny and close proximity. She fought the urge to jump down, round his desk and sit on the sofa across the room. Never one to run from anything, Olivia squared her shoulders and raised her eyes to meet his. Shit.

She watched him watch her. To say she was melting – wasn't quite right. To say she was drowning – didn't quite capture it. She was paralyzed. She was feeling everything at once. She didn't know where nervous began and panicked ended; where wanton desire began and rationality ended. She simply could not look away.

His eyes fell to her lips as he licked his own. Just as quickly, they returned to hers. Hers fell to his lips and her own parted slightly. Her eyes darted back to his face as she watched him slowly stand and step forward, just inside her space. His fingertips lightly played against her chin and began to slowly crawl up her cheek. He inched his face closer to hers, never once breaking eye contact. She felt his breath against the side of her mouth and resisted the urge to turn her head toward him.

She gasped as his lips made contact in what can only be described as a "taste." He had quickly dipped his tongue under her upper lip as his lips just barely made contact with her lip. It was as if she her lip was a ladle, containing nectar, and he'd decided he had to steal a sample. As he stepped back and eyed her, her cheeks flushed and her eyes clouded with desire. His hand slid into her hair and he once again inched his lips closer to hers, stopping just short of contact.

He waited. The next move had to be hers. His wait was short lived as she pressed her lips to his. Her lips fell apart as he nibbled and sucked on her bottom lip. On their own accord, her hands travelled up, down, and around his back and shoulders. As their tongues battled, her hands came to rest in his hair, gripping him tightly and drawing him near. She pressed against him as if trying to physically occupy the same space. Oh my god.

In need of air, she tore her lips from his and took deep ragged breaths. She was dazed. She stared at him and tried to make sense of what she was feeling.

"Oh my god." She whispered as she covered her mouth with her hand. She wanted him; physically craved him. It was this realization that shocked her to her core. She hadn't wanted anyone – truly desired anyone – since Fitz. Sure she'd seen men she was attracted too but this was different; this was dangerous.

"I have to go."

"Olivia…"

"Jax, I'm sorry…"

"Olivia, wait…" he placed a warm hand on her waist to halt her retreat. Her waist began to burn from contact. He spoke softly and with understanding, "I'm not asking for your heart…I'm not naïve and I know and wouldn't dare try and compete."

His eyes darted to the ground and back to her face.

"That said, there's something here…" he paused and placed a finger to her lips. "you tolerate me, remember?"

"Right now…that's enough." He laughed lightly. Placing a kiss on her cheek, he removed his hand and stepped back.

She stayed rooted for a few moments as she stared at him. Then she turned around and walked out the door, closing it softly behind her.