The longer Olivia sat in the car and thought about her ex, the angrier she got. She met him on her seventeenth birthday at a concert, she knew who he was immediately. Stephan Concietti. He was the son of another mob boss in the area. At first she thought it would be a great way to piss off her father, how stereotypical. The mafia princess falls for the mafia prince from rival families. She quickly realized he father thought he could use the relationship to his advantage, and Stephan's father thought the same. As soon as she realized she was being pimped out by her own father, for the sake of business, she told Stephan hoping to end the relationship, but he continued to pursue her claiming he had no interest in the business. They had fun together and both understood the life, but it never amounted too much more than that for Olivia, however Stephan was different. He loved her. She broke up with him before she faked her death in an effort to save him some pain, but if what Michael said was true he was still upset when she died. Michael hated him and distrusted him, there was no way that he would have confided in him unless he saw Stephan was in real pain. Olivia briefly wondered why he never sought her out when he found out, but really it was for the best. What she had with Stephan was over before it had began.

Fitz wasn't hard to read. He was jealous. He kept his arm locked firmly around her the whole drive. She knew he was feeling awful about not being able to help her, and they hadn't had the chance to explain who Stephan was and why he could help. There really wasn't time. For now the only thing she could do to reassure him was to lean in closer to him and give him encouraging glances. His body was tenser then it normally was, but it was still home, and she found comfort in his grasp. After everything that her parents had told her, and the adrenaline after, she hadn't really had time to think about it, but she was quickly crashing. He was the only thing holding her together. She tried to squeeze him and give him looks that told him as much, and he gradually relaxed, but they got to the hotel too quickly, and he stiffened again. She pulled his head down to her and whispered, "I love you," only loud enough that he could hear her. She felt miserable over what he was brought into, but she really couldn't do this without him anymore.

They all starting getting out of the car when Huck stopped them,

"Liv, you and Fitz check in, we will bring up the bags, change and then head to the bar." Olivia and Claudia both gave him a questioning look, its not like Huck was concerned with fashion, he wore jeans and the same five shirts on rotation, while the guys started unloading.

"You need to talk to him, he's vibrating," Huck nodded his head in Fitz's direction, "besides you will stick out like a sore thumb dressed like that in a hotel bar." She looked down and realized she was wearing leggings and a one of Fitz's old navy shirts that skimmed the bottom of her thighs, she wasn't wearing make up and her hair was in a knot on top of her head. Claudia wasn't dressed much differently, they would look ridiculous, he was right on both counts. Olivia walked over to Fitz and grabbed her backpack from him with a bump to his hip and a look that made sure he couldn't help but follow her into the lobby. Olivia went right up to the counter and got the keys, when she returned with only four keys Michael gave her a look and said, "You better be bunking with Claudia because I'm not sharing a room." Olivia just rolled her eyes and moved even closer to Fitz. After everything that had happened today and was going to happen later, she wouldn't be with him tonight. Fitz tried not to smirk as he looked at his shoes. With a pissed off look on his face he stalked off to the elevators leaving Claudia and Huck with impressed looks on their faces.

"And here I thought I was going to have to smuggle you into my room in my backpack." Fitz was relieved, they didn't sleep well apart and he still didn't feel comfortable about going to meet her ex boyfriend.

"Nah I'm not that flexible."

"I think we both know that's not true." For the briefest of moments when she looked at his smile and the way his eyes crinkled like an old man's they were back in Rhode Island and everything was fine. She gave him and wink and walked away with an extra sway of her hips, he knew was just for him. They all went up to the elevator and into their rooms to get showers and settled in. Olivia was exhausted as Fitz held the door open for her, as soon as he closed the door behind him she plopped down on the bed and patted the spot next to her. They both laid on their back looking at the ceiling, after a few minutes Olivia turned over and molded her body to Fitz's side. He wrapped his arms around her and asked,

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"About how I got you shot? Although technically my parents did that, we could talk about that. Oh or about how now my parents want to keep me here and if I don't your life is in danger? How about the fact that you would be so much better far far away from all this, and me, but I'm too selfish to let you go? How about the fact that we have to go and get help from the man my father pimped me out to? That will be fun. We could talk about how its even possible for you to love me after seeing where and who I came from or how scared I am about what you will think about the things I will have to do!" She was sitting up on the end of the bed giving him a look that scared him. It was her face that told him she was going to run, the same face she had in the beginning when she thought he was just the TA that liked to hook up with the students. The face that old him she doesn't trust him, it's the face she makes when her gut, brain, and heart are all fighting each other.

"Olivia look at me!" She turned immediately he never called her Olivia, even when they first met each other within a week it was Liv, then later Livvie.

"You DID NOT, I repeat did not get me shot, and neither did your parents. Whoever pulled the trigger did. My life would be nothing without you, so me being better far away from you and whatever, wherever that might bring us, is so wrong is almost humorous. Livvie my every mood is controlled by the look on your face. Whenever something happens, something funny or weird or scary, you're the person I want to tell, so if you're selfish than I am too because I'm not letting you go. There's nothing your family could do that would make me leave. You're not them. You're Livvy, you love watching the news, but only the political stuff because human-interest stories make you sad. Your hands are always warm but your feet are always freezing. You have the most beautiful laugh, when you really laugh, but when you sneak a laugh because you think you're the only one that thinks something is funny, that's amazing too. Nothing you could ever do would take that person away in my mind. As far as Stephan goes, it doesn't matter whatever he and your father pulled, and if he even looks in your general directional I'll pop him one." She looked at him in awe, the things he noticed about her weren't things that they had discussed, just things he knows from watching her and really paying attention. She didn't know what there was to say to that, it put her mind at ease,

"I love you so much Bee." She kissed him firmly, trying to convey how grateful she was to have him. How much she needed him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her as close as possible. They pulled apart breathless, both knowing how easy it was to get carried away, they had learned that the hard way.

Professor Beene had caught them on the couch in Fitz's office a few months earlier. She had busted in during his office hours yelling about her grade. Without saying anything she slammed the paper on his desk. She was repeatedly yelling "B!?" until he finally looked up and said, "It's Fitz but you can call me whatever you like." After they discussed her grade they had gotten so wrapped up in each other that when Dr. Beene knocked they didn't hear him come in. They both jumped up, when they heard, "My God." Fitz was covering her, while readjusting their clothes as he yelled at them, but eventually gave his approval, but insisting that he would grade Olivia himself. He recommended they stay under the radar, because while he had a soft spot for Olivia and Fitz not everyone would. He facetiously recommended code names. After that Liv called him Bee.

Regretfully she looked at her watch and realized they only had fifteen minutes before they were due to meet up with everyone.

"I'm going to grab a shower. Care to join?" She gave him a look and his face immediately light up, but quickly became a pout.

"We definitely wont be able to meet your family in time if we do, and some how I don't think Michael and Huck would be as understanding as Cyrus." He groaned frustrated and fell back into the bed as he watched her strip and throw her clothes in his direction. When her bra landed on his head he almost changed his mind, but thought better of it. After listening to Cyrus warn him about being good to Olivia Pope, he didn't want to get another one anytime soon especially from her over protective big brother with guns for hire. He threw on some jeans and a zip up sweater so that he would fit in more than he would in his gym clothes. He laid down and began reading as he waited for her to finish her shower.