Title 7A WF 92135

Author: GEM

Date: 2-8-13

Pairing: Olivia/Fitz

Rating: T

Summary: Every decision we make influences our lives. Fitzgerald Grant never thought one of the most important people in this life would ever become a number. Someone close to the President has been kidnapped. Will they be found before it's too late? Will Olivia be able to save Fitz from himself? Warning: Dark and Angsty Fic ahead. Read and Review

Disclaimer: Scandal is Property of Shonda Rimes and ABC et al.

Warning: The Beginning of this chapter is beyond rough. Mentions of abuse, and assault. extremely strong T rating for one or two parts. I don't want to offend you Consider yourselves warned.

A/N: This story has nothing to do with House of Cards. This is a completely different ball game. For the purposes of this story we shall say the last night's episode of Scandal while brilliant hasn't happened yet. America's baby will be mentioned but not central to the story. This story has turned into a father daughter story. Mellie will make appearances but I when I watch this show I feel like Fitz was/is the primary parent. We will be exploring the relationship between Father and Daughter. Thank you to all my reviews for their kind words, follows and faves. Warning: Dark chapter ahead. Mentions of abuse, extremely strong T rating you all have been warned. Remember to Read and Review.

Chapter 7

All Karen wanted to do was sleep but the pain was too much. She looked down at her legs, they were covered in burns and bruises. He right arm was numb. She had a headache. She felt like she had fallen off a horse and been trampled by two more. She didn't know how long she'd been here but there was a bit of light in the room today. It was dim but not completely dark like it had been the first time she woke. She suddenly felt sick. She didn't want to remember the first time she woke up.

The first time when her mother's friend was pushed into the room by the captors and forced at gun point to do all matter of unspeakable things. Her clothes had been missing since his visit. She only had her undergarments on. There was no blanket around either. She thought in the beginning he was doing it to help save her but she learned quickly it was all about saving himself from their wrath.

Karen could smell and taste the unmistakable coopery taste of blood in her mouth. She could feel dried blood on the sides of her face and on her legs. She didn't know how many of her captors had had their way with her but she was retreating inside herself. She could here movement outside. She pushed her body as far up against the wall as she could as she heard the door open but having her hands and feet tied didn't make the task easy.

"Look who's awake. Excellent it will make this easier." Two men entered behind the one that was taking. She was happy to see her mother's friend was not among them although her relief was short lived. The first man came in and held her down while the other took a knife and cut the ropes holding her feet in place.

The man with the knife then took it and ran the side of the cold metal blade up the length of her body until her used it free her hands.

"Easy, my boy you'll get your turn." The man that did the talking said. "Stand her up and get her dressed. We don't have all day. I want this precious little girl's father to understand why we are doing this so when it's over he will feel the same pain we feel every day." Karen watched the man leave and shut the door.

The two man pulled her to her feet roughly the man with the knife had picked up a bag and started pulling out clothes. They were the one she wore to compete in. The put on her shirt first pulling roughly at her sore arm. They pushed her to the bed and the second man put on her pants and a pair of socks. Karen could feel tears coming to her eyes but she couldn't cry. She couldn't speak either.

The talking man came back into the room. "Tie her up on the bed. Open her shirt let's make more obvious the kind of pain we are putting her through. "

"Boss wouldn't it be better to send her dear old dad a tape with a bit of action."

"No! Let his mind run away with what he sees. Make sure you're able to see the blood stains on the bed. "

The talking man walked toward Karen scooted back on the bed. "Don't run away little girl. I just want to give you this to hold in front of the camera. " He handed her a newspaper that had today's date on it. "Now, this card here, has what I need you to tell you daddy and all of his friends. can you practice reading that for me?"

Karen held the newspaper in one shaky and the index card in the other. She opened her mouth to read but no sound came out. Her throat was too dry. The talking man pointed to another in the doorway. He came up and knelt down in front of her. He took a cap off a bottle of water and poured a generous amount down her throat. She did her best not to choke but went into a fit of coughs. She could taste new blood in her mouth.

"READ the CARD!" Talking man said as he slapped her across the face.

"You have taken everything from my family now I will take everything from yours. Your daughter will pay for the sins you have visited against my family and no one will come to your rescue or hers. You will learn to live with pain, sorrow and disappoint as we take our revenge." Karen stumbled over the words in a extremely horse voice.

"Read it again and this time don't whisper. You." Talking man pointed to the water man who was now behind a camera. "Film this. " Talking man adjusted the paper so the date was visible and moved out of the camera shot.

"Remember nice and loud so Daddy can hear you. "

Karen read the words once again, her voice was louder but still weak and shaky. When she finished reading the card. Talking man turned to Knife man and the man holding her talking man ripped the card and paper out of her hand as the man holding her pushed her down on the bed as the other man with the knife removed her clothes again. "You can have your fun boys but remember I still want her alive." Karen felt her cloths leave her body. ties were being put back around her wrists and ankles. She felt hands all over her body before she closed her eyes. She knew all too well what was coming next it had been happening for the last few hours.

OOO

Twelve Hours Missing:

"I think I found something." Abby was going over Jeff Johnson's phone records. He called this number twice in the last three months."

"That's not much Abby could be a Doctor's appointment." Harrison said as he was continuing to search through Hansen's vetting files.

"What have we got people?" Olivia said as she walked into their makeshift office at the EEOB.

"I'm going over Hansen's last ten years of decisions. Huck is working on video footage with the Service and FBI. "

"Liv, I think I found something in these phone records." Abby handed her the pages with two highlighted calls.

"I told her it's probably a doctor's office or something." Harrison looked as Liv turned a whiter shade of pale. "Liv?"

"It's not a doctor's office." Liv took a copy of the pages and left the room in search of Huck. She found he two doors down working with Tom on video.

"Huck, Tom?" The two men turned around.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Liv?"

She stepped in a closed the door. "Huck, have you had any luck with the voicemail Jeff sent me."

"I haven't really been working on it. We been going over footage from Pamlico."

"I need you to work on that more. " Huck nodded and Liv turned to Fitz's right hand agent. "Do you know the First Lady's cell number."

"I'll find out for you, Ms. Pope. " Tom left the room leaving Huck and Liv alone.

"Do you think the number belongs to Mellie Grant?"

"I don't know Huck? It's possible. "

"Do you think that she's having an affair with him. We know she's capable."

"I don't know but it sends up flags for sure. If this is her number, he called her twice. The second conversation was the night he left the voicemail on my phone.

"How long did it last?"

"three minutes forty-two seconds."

"It's too long to be a voicemail."

Tom came back into the room and handed Olivia slip of paper. It had a number on it and a note in Fitz's handwriting." Olivia pocketed the paper.

"It's her number. Is there any way to find out what they talked about?"

"No, not if they talked to each other. The only way to find out is to talk to one of them."

"Well, that is going to be fun." Olivia turned around "Keep working on the video." Olivia walked back to the office Harrison and Abby were working in. "I have to get back the President needs to see me. I'm working on something but I need you guys to find the connection between Hansen and Johnson."

"Johnson as in Jeff Johnson?" Abby asked.

"Yeah, I'm following my gut. I think Johnson maybe the key to the entire thing."

"How does Johnson link to Karen Grant?" Harrison asked.

Olivia was walking out of the office and yelled back "I'm working on that."

OOO

"She didn't come find you when I asked her? It's been a full twelve hours. If a ransom comes in soon I won't be held responsible for what I do Cy?"

"And I won't be held responsible for what Sally Langston will do once you sign over power to that right wing nut job we picked as Vice President."

"Cyrus! My little girl is missing. It's been twelve hours and there is no sign of light at the end of this tunnel or nightmare Mellie and I are living through. My wife is blaming me! Cyrus. I don't know what going on. I've been sitting in meetings for twelve hours and I don't remember any of them. It's time."

"I told Liv and Sally we needed to wait a little longer."

"Why?"

Olivia walked into the Oval Office. We are waiting to see if they send a ransom demand. The letters are ready but it's not the best time to step away. The FBI and Secret Service are doing everything they can. Sally's been sitting in on all the meetings and as right wing as Cy says she is. She's your Vice President and also a mother so she's on your side her. There is nothing for her to gain from this. We are one unit here."

"Okay, but that ransom comes in. I will not negotiate with terrorist. It's my little girl but I can't be seen..."

"I know." Olivia walked over and put her arm around Fitz. "And I will be there for you. I'm not leaving your side."

"It has to be Sally. We need to invoke the twenty-fifth then."

"And we will sir. I will kept Sally in line."

Olivia turned to Cyrus "We need to use your office and make a call."

Cyrus gave Olivia a questioning look. "Trust me Cyrus."

"When don't I."

OOO

Fitz followed Liv into Cyrus office and shut the door. "What's going on?" Fitz grabbed Liv around the waist .

Liv pushed him away "Fitz." She felt guilty the moment she did it. This whole ordeal was taking its toll on him. He needed her but now was not the time. She would find the right time for that but it wasn't going to happen here. "Mellie's been talking with Jeff Johnson." Olivia said as she sat down in the chair next to Cyrus's desk.

Fitz felt like a bucket of cold water had just been thrown on him. He fell back into Cyrus's chair behind the desk. "I thought we were over this...apparently..."

"Don't blame yourself right now. It may not be what you think. "

Fitz laughed a little. "I am sure it's not what I think it is. Things are never what they seem with my wife."

Liv reached across the desk and squeezed his hand. She wanted nothing more than to take away the pain that suddenly appeared on his face but she could only be supportive. The need to push forward and get to the bottom of this. 'We need to know what was said in a conversation that she had with him two weeks ago."

"Why, Livvie? You don't think..." Olivia looked at him brown eyes met blue. "Livvie?" He squeezed her hand and she squeezed back before standing up and staring out the window

"It what my gut is telling me. The team is looking into the connection but we need to talk to Mellie."

OOO

Thirteen Hours Missing:

Megan Collins looked out the window. This was just wrong. They need to find away to get the First Lady home. She was crumbling and blaming the President and everyone around her for her daughter disappearance. Her cell phone rang and she picked it up on the second ring. "Collins."

"Are you enjoying the blizzards."

"Not funny, Lesley, this is hell."

"How are you all doing?"

"We are surviving. She's calling the President every two hours and is yelling that it's his fault, which of course we all know it's not. After the call she collapses on the bed and falls into a fitful sleep. Peter Newman and her detail are doing hourly checks for press and we are trying to keep her in the room.

"But?"

"But, she getting tired of sitting around doing nothing. We won't be able to leave here for at least another two days. There is another storm right on the coat tails of this one. There's already twenty four inches from this one and it's not done yet. There is no window to get home here."

"I know. We are watching. Trying to decide if we should ask the Canadians for help to get you home but the truth is. They can't move their own people right now, it doesn't make sense to ask them to move the First Lady."

Megan could here and argument starting in the other room. "She's fighting with the detail again."

"You have to keep her away from the press Megan."

"I know."

"Is there anything that will calm her or then the sedatives?"

"Her Olivia is here. If you catch my drift."

"I think I do but I didn't know..."

"I didn't know until a few days ago and it's potential dangerous given his position. We may need Olivia's help if we go this route. The other thing that may help is asking her to help with the investigation. "

"I take it this mystery man is an Agent."

"Give yourself a prize. Peter Newman."

Lesley let out a breath, that all they needed. "Do what you have to. I don't have anything new to tell you but if anything happens here I make sure you're in the loop.

"Will do."

OOO

Fitz dialed the number and left the phone on speaker. "Hello."

"Mel." Fitz could hear the utter defeat in her voice.

"Fitz, is there anything new?"

"They are working on the video footage and the FBI is following up on some of the more credible tips. I am sorry I don't have more. As soon as I know you'll know."

Mellie sat up and looked at her lead Agent. Peter sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms.

"Olivia's team has been looking into a possible connection between the Hansen Confirmation and Karen's..."

"Karen's kidnapping. Fitz, your President of The United States and you can't even say that our daughter has been kidnapped! What connection does Olivia thing there is?"

Fitz took a deep breath. "Jeff Johnson." Olivia and Fitz listened as the line went dead.

Olivia stood and finally spoke. "Mellie?"

"Oh, I see you moved right in the moment I left."

"Mellie, I am not going to fight with you. I am here for Karen. We need to focus on this." The truth was she was here for more than Karen but she didn't have time to get into it will Mellie. They were racing against a clock and time was almost up.

"How could Jeff be involved in this?"

"He called you two weeks ago. On that same night he left me a voicemail and told me his family was in danger. We need to know what happened in that conversation."

Mellie thought back to that night. It was an odd conversation. "I was odd now that I think about it. He kept apologizing to me. He said he was so sorry so very sorry. I didn't have any idea what he was talking about. We dated a little in college but we parted on good terms. He never hurt me. He had no reason to apologize."

Olivia started pacing in circles something about this wasn't adding up. Fitz watched her for a minute before walking toward her and putting a hand on her shoulder. He mouthed the words stop and she did. "Mellie was that the only time you talked to him since college?"

"We kept in touch a little after college mostly because we were both lawyers...Wait he called my office in the White House once. He wanted me to talk to Fitz about a case that he lost in the Supreme Court. It was the Stanton Case. I told him that I would talk to him but I doubted I would be able to do anything to help his client."

Olivia looked at Fitz he had seen that look before. He nodded Olivia walked out of the office with purpose and ran toward the exit closest to the EEOB.

"Mel, I think you may have just come up with something to help our little girl. I'll call you back when I know something. Hang in there, Honey."

OOO

Fourteen Hours Missing:

Olivia walked into the Building with Purpose. "Huck, Tom, get Mike Lawrence and meet me in the conference room."

"Miss Pope?" Mike Lawrence inquired as he joined the group in the conference room.

"I think I found our link thanks to Mrs. Grant. Maxwell Stanton."

"He's dead Liv. The Federal Government executed him almost three months ago." Harrison said as he searched for the case file.

"I know. Johnson was his Lawyer. Hansen was one of the Circuit Court Judges that help send the case to the Supreme Court. A court that she now has been nominated to. "

Abby was catching on "A court that let him down. The Supreme Court didn't grant him a stay. The signed his death warrant. The President was his last hope."

"And the President didn't not commute the sentence."

Mike Lawrence looked at the group. "If you're right and I have no doubt you found the connection. This kidnapping can only have one motive."

Olivia looked around the room. She left as if she was going to sick. How would she tell Fitz this?

"Huck, voiced what he occupants were thinking. "Revenge."