Well, last week's episode of Scandal was a sizable let down, so here is something just in case this Thursday follows suit. I hope you enjoy it!

Higher—Kwamie Liv

I'mma take you back to the old town
I'mma make you dance, spin you around
I'mma shout it out from the rooftops
I want you, and I never want it to stop

Come the break of day we'll be stronger
Won't be nothing that we can't conquer
Baby you and me we are fire
And all I wanna do is take you just a little higher
I want to take you higher

"So… You found a place?" Olivia pulled the milk out of the fridge, trying to hide her smile from Chase.

"I have a few options to choose from." Chase popped open the bag of marshmallows.

"That was quick. Apartment hunting in L.A. is infamous for being a pain."

"Well I had some help."

"Is that so?" Olivia said, suggestively, as she measured the hot cocoa powder before distributing it between the mugs.

"Is there something you want to ask me?"

"No, it's just that you have been out a lot this week. A man can only know so many people on his first week in L.A."

"Where is your whipped cream?" Chase scanned her fridge.

"Second shelf. Probably in the very back. How's Mellie?" Olivia finally got to her point.

Chase tossed her a bright smile over his shoulder, answering her question.

"Did you get her a gift for tonight?"

"Yep."

"What is it?"

Chase popped a marshmallow in his mouth and answered vaguely. "A book."

"So you two are good?" Olivia caught the bashful blush on his face as he turned away. "I'm glad. Both of you deserve each other."

"Have you and Fitz worked out the reporter thing yet?"

Olivia put the mugs of hot chocolate in the microwave. "I haven't talked to him about it yet."

Chase nodded, not prying any further.

"After Christmas. I don't want to ruin the holiday."

It was Christmas Eve that night. Everyone was meeting up at Olivia's home to exchange gifts. The next day, Olivia and Fitz would volunteer for an all-day charity toy drive that would supply meals and toys for the underprivileged children of L.A. County. She wanted to enjoy the holiday without being exhausted, so they all agreed to the night before.

Earlier that week, Chase chided Olivia for not having a Christmas tree, so they spent a day the day before finding a small one and decorating it. It was only four feet, but they spray painted parts of it gold and white, and directed it with minimalistic ornaments. It fit her home well. Now, multiple gifts were positioned carefully beneath it.

A little while later, Fitz and Mellie would arrive. They settled on the carpet floor in front of the tree and lit fireplace with their gifts in tow.

Chase handed his first gift to Mellie: A beautiful leather bound special edition of Their Eyes Were Watching God, which was her favorite novel. For Fitz and Olivia's present, he pulled out a large flat package.

"Now I understand if it doesn't blend with the aesthetics of your new home—or if you just don't like it in general." Chase explained himself as they uncovered a beautiful impressionistic painting. "I saw it at a friend's gallery show back in New York, and it reminded me of you two, so I thought why not."

"Chase this is gorgeous." Olivia took in the colorful swirls of pinks, blues, purples, reds, and a little green. It depicted two figures embracing, but they were composed more of nature imagery than flesh.

"Alright, now open mine now." Mellie handed over a box to Olivia. She opened it to find a bottle of red wine.

"Mellie, I need to know how you keep copping these rare bottles." Olivia gasped as she held the rare vintage French bottle of wine.

"I have a connection."

"Well, by all means, please give me their number. Thank you so much."

Fitz slide a flat box across to her. There was a glint in his eyes that she could only decipher as trouble. She opened the box, only to find a black lingerie set that he picked out for her. She quickly shut the box, shooting him a look.

"What is it?" Chase asked, taking a sip of his wine.

"Nothing I'm going to reveal to you guys." Her face turned red.

"Come on, Liv. Hold it up for everyone." Fitz tried to suppress his laughter.

"Nope." Olivia stood with the box pressed tight between her hands. "This is going to the back of my closet."

Everyone protested, but she took it to her closet, where she dutifully slid it behind her shoe rack.

"Fitz, you can't open my present until the end, because of that." She smirked as she took his present and put it by her side, out of his reach. "Chase, this one is for you. It's from Fitz."

He opened it to find an old film camera. "This is the Leica M12. Amazing. Thanks. I didn't think there were any working ones left."

"I found it in the back of my father's closet and tested it out the other day. It works like it's brand new."

In their own little tradition of buying each other gifts meant for humor more than functionality, Fitz reached behind his seat to pull out a poorly wrapped tennis racket. "Mellie, this one's for you."

"Oh, gee whiz, Fitz. I wonder what it is." She sarcastically ripped the paper off to find a brand new tennis racket. He had clipped the strings on the inside, so it was sabotaged. She twirled the racket in her hand "Hm. Maybe you can beat me now."

"I'm glad you get the joke." Fitz beamed.

"Well, I don't know how I could ever top that." Mellie handed him a box. "But this would probably do it."

He opened the box to find it full of tiny packing peanuts. He tossed her a look.

"Don't worry, it's in there. You just have to work for it."

He dug his hand into the Styrofoam to pull out a small piece of paper.

"Go on, read what it says."

"One year's membership to the gym." Fitz smiled lifting up the hem of his sweater to reveal his perfect six pack. "Thanks, Mel. I can't wait to use it."

"Alright, Chase. You have to open mine first, then Mellie's." Olivia slid him an envelope with his name on it.

"Liv, I told you that you didn't have to. Letting me staying here was enough."

"Shut up and open it."

He did, finding a voucher to the Rodeo Drive location of Giorgio Armani. On the coupon, it read one personally tailored tuxedo. Before he could even raise his eyebrows to question it, Mellie handed over a second envelope. He opened it, pulling out two tickets to next year's Golden Globes.

"Will you be my date?" Mellie smiled.

"I would be honored." He kissed her chastely on the lips.

"Alright Olivia. There is only one present left. Hand it over." Fitz held his palm out, as she tossed him a small box, impeccably wrapped.

"Now, just a heads up: only 50% of it is yours, and you can't have it yet, so don't get too excited."

His eyebrows rose on his face as he opened the packaging. Inside was a velvet box. When he opened that, he found two rings. One, was very familiar. It was the ring he bought Olivia in Brooklyn. Two rose gold hoops, forged together to make an infinity. The other one was a slightly larger, more masculine version. It was made from the same material.

"Olivia, are these what I think they are?"

"I tracked down the shop you got my ring at back in March. I wanted our wedding rings to have some significance."

Fitz pulled her face to his, where he kissed her softly. "Thank you."

She took the box out of his hands. "I'll go put these away, since we obviously can't use them yet."

"Put them next to my gift to you." He joked as she stood.

Olivia grabbed a handful of the packing peanuts and tossed them at his face in her passing. "Watch it."

She set the rings in the back of her closet and returned to her company on the floor. They laughed and drank as they created their own Christmas memories. Olivia brought Cards against Humanity out, as they began to play the game.

"What really killed the dinosaurs? Owls, the perfect predator. An M4 assault rifle. Finding out Santa isn't real." Fitz looked over his options. "Well since it is December 24th, I'll have to go with 'Finding out Santa wasn't real.'"

"What? That doesn't make sense!" Olivia complained tossing a popcorn at Fitz.

"Well now we know who didn't have the winning card." Fitz joked as he popped the kernel in his mouth.

"It was mine." Mellie swiped the black card out of his hand, adding it to her pile. She drew a card from the untouched stack. "In the seventh circle of Hell, sinners must endure _." Everyone put their cards in the circle as she picked them up to read. "Heteronormativity. A sad handjob. Mufasa's death scene." She casted a prying look at each of her opponents to see if any of their expressions gave away their card. "A sad handjob."

Olivia broke into a grin. "I'll take that." She took the black card to her collection, drawing a new one. "Meryl Streep + _ = Oscar." Olivia giggled at the prompt, letting the wine go to her head. She picked up the options to read aloud. "Statistically validated stereotypes. Wearing glasses and sounding smart. A visually arresting turtleneck. Hmmm. These are all fucking hilarious, but statistically validated stereotypes takes the cake."

Chase held his hand out for the card as they all laughed. It was getting late. Everyone had been drinking too much to drive home, so Olivia was more than welcome to have them spend the night. She made the couch up for Mellie, knowing there was a chance she would end up in Chase's room.

Olivia went through her nightly routine, changing into her silky pajama set and moisturizing her legs and hands with lotion. Fitz laid across the bed sideways at her feet. He held out a small wrapped present.

"Merry Christmas, Livvie."

A simple smile broke across her lips. "We said one present each."

"Yeah, well, I only got you the other one to see how embarrassed you would get in front of our friends." He smirked, earning a playful kick to his shoulder.

Olivia tore the wrapping paper off slowly, discarding it on her nightstand. She opened the box to find a gold necklace with one simple letter on it. G.

"Thank you. I love it." She leaned forward to kiss him, pulling him back against the pillows with her. They settled underneath the covers incredibly close in every way. Olivia nestled her face into his Adam's apple. His hand slipped under her pajama camisole, softly stroking her back.

"I love you."

"I love you, Fitz. Merry Christmas." She kissed his collarbone. It felt so right to be in his arms like that, saying those words.

"Merry Christmas."

/

The next day Olivia and Fitz woke up early to go to the toy drive. It was one of the many charity organizations they helped out. They handed out thousands of presents and did interviews to raise awareness for the foundation. Around five o'clock in the afternoon, the event was winding down. As they were walking to the car, a photographer's camera flashed. The press had been there all day, documenting their work. Olivia wanted them all to go home and be with their families, but they had jobs to do and paychecks to make.

This one flash in particular made her stop. The reporter was familiar, but not the familiar that made you warm and fuzzy on the inside. It was Gideon Wallace of the Los Angeles Daily. Olivia tried to quicken her step when she saw him, but he noticed that she noticed them.

"Olivia! Olivia." He ran up to them. Fitz instinctively, put himself in between the two.

"Hey, man. Back up." Fitz's voice was relaxed and calm, but there was a clear threat in his voice.

"Alright. No trouble." Gideon took a few steps back. "I just wanted a few words for my piece. I was assigned to cover the drive."

"No thanks." Olivia began to walk away, her arm linked in Fitz's.

"Oh, come on. Don't you think you owe me?" He flashed a smile like they were all in good nature.

"No, I think you're mistaken." Olivia coolly shrugged him off, but he mistook that as her forgetting who he was.

"I'm Gideon Wallace, from the L.A. Daily. Remember? We have the deal about the wedding pictures." He flashed a cautionary glance at Fitz, who noticeably tensed up at those words.

"I know who you are, but our deal says nothing about other public events, so please, just let me enjoy my Christmas. Goodbye."

By this time they had reached the car. Fitz opened her car door, then got in the driver's side. Things were awkwardly quiet, so Olivia flipped the radio on low volume. After a couple of modern renditions of Christmas carols passed, Olivia spoke up.

"I was planning on bringing this up after today, because I didn't want it to taint our holiday, but never mind about that."

"We need to figure this shit out." Fitz said shortly.

"I don't want to fight." Olivia pleaded. Her hand went to fiddle with her necklace, rubbing the tiny G in between her thumb and index finger.

Fitz just nodded, keeping his eyes on the tricky traffic. She noticed he wasn't driving towards her house. The second he turned on the interstate, she knew exactly where he was driving to.

Several long minutes later, he pulled up to their lot. Significant progress had been made since the last time either of them saw it. The frame of the house was finished along with a couple of the basic windows. The large arched windows overlooking the Pacific Ocean were on schedule to be installed within the next week. The in-progress house seemed so different without the crew of workers bustling about. It was calmer. Its peace matched the vast blue waters staring at them.

Olivia followed Fitz out of the car. He walked through the first floor of the house, taking it all in. Olivia followed, waiting for him to say something.

"We can't let that reporter take those pictures."

"Fitz."

"We won't."

"Then what do we do instead?" Olivia asked.

Fitz turned around to look at her, his eyebrows arched. "I don't know. You tell me."

Olivia sighed, crossing her arms. His word were thickly veiled daggers. "I don't know what to do."

"You were the one who was so quick to think in the first place. Surely you could think of something now."

"Fitz." She took a deep inward breath. "I don't know. I have thought this over and over, but I can't think of a solution. I don't see a way out. All I can see is either we consent to these pictures, or he releases the article."

"Well one of those options is not going to happen."

"Do the pictures really mean that much to you?" Olivia couldn't stop the emotion from rising in her words. "So what, if the world sees my wedding dress in some staged photos. So what if they photograph us shoving cake in each other's face. Strangers take pictures of me all the time. I don't like it, but I have accepted it. I wanted this profession and I knew what I was getting into. Yeah, we lose one veil of privacy, but we have given up so much of that already that I don't think it will be any different."

"Do you hear what you are saying? It shouldn't be like that. That is exactly why I am against this. I don't want our wedding to be some jaded sacrifice of privacy for a mistake I made. Look around us." He gestured broadly to the house. "This will not be compromised. I refuse—"

"Have you considered the alternative?" Olivia cut him off. "Have you really actually allowed your mind to process the consequences of those words being brought up and rehashed? This isn't the nineties, Fitz. You would lose every professional capital you have. Nobody will go watch your movie in theaters if you are a perceived racist. You will be blacklisted. Our entire timeline together will be hyper dissected and torn apart. Then we will lose any shred of privacy." She crossed the floor plan to where he was standing. She brought a hand tenderly to his face. "I love you too much to let you go through that. I refuse to let you go through that."

Fitz sighed, looking down at his feet. "Can we at least explore any other options?"

Olivia turned away and walked over to a ledge to sit on. "Like what?"

"I don't know." Fitz ran a stressed hand through his hair. "Let's get this guy in a conference room with a secret recorder. Pin the bastard for extortion or something."

"Okay, but then the reason for his extortion would have to be made public record. He could still release the article out of spite. We lose and are also dragged into a lawsuit."

"What if we call him in like we want to renegotiate. He won't bite the bait, but we'll get it on tape. Then we can use it as leverage to make him take one of the other options. Hand him the ultimatum of either go to jail or take the job at the L.A. Times with a generous amount of hush money."

Olivia lifted her eyes to his. "That could work. That could work. I'll call Anna in a couple of days to get her opinion on it."

"Okay."

Olivia walked over to him. She could tell that he was still angry, but at least they were on the path to fixing it. She went on her tiptoes to kiss him, pulling her mouth down to hers. She did all of the work, kissing his lips softly.

"I'm sorry. About all of this."

He kissed her back this time, silencing her. His arms wrapped around her back securely, hugging her to him.

"Let's just go back and finish our Christmas. There is nothing that can't be finished tomorrow."

They drove back to Olivia's house, where they spent the evening watching Christmas movies and eating popcorn with Chase. Their day of handing out toys as well as their unexpected drama left both of them exhausted. When it was getting late, Chase retired to his room. Leaving Olivia and Fitz still on the couch, finishing the original Miracle on 34th Street. Olivia moved so that they were in a spooning position.

"We were good today, Fitz." Olivia whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"I was expecting for us to fight over how to resolve the whole reporter thing. I thought our emotions would get the best of us, and we would end up yelling and throwing stones like last time."

Fitz tightened his arms around her. "I think we both learned something from our last fight."

"I'm proud of us." She focused her attention back to the television until a commercial break came on. "I've got to pee." Olivia kissed Fitz before rising. He didn't even notice that she was gone for a couple minutes until his phone buzzed in his pocket.

Olivia: Come to bed.

He smiled as he flipped the television off and folded his blanket over the couch. When he entered the bedroom, he found Olivia wearing the lingerie set he gave her the previous night. She was standing on her knees on the bed. Her breasts were rising barely noticeable against the black lacey restraints. His eyes hungrily trailed down her body to the red bow she tied around her waist. Her G necklace was still around her neck. She stole the breath from his lungs.

His eyes trailed back up to hers. He saw the subtle smirk on her lips.

"So you like your Christmas present?"