Chapter 14

All the Way

Olivia felt herself coming awake, but the greater part of her wanted to stay in the warm cocoon of the bedclothes. She turned over and caught a whiff of pine and something else she could not name on the cool pillow. Moving closer to the mixture of scents on the other pillow, she inhaled deeply. Thoughts of Fitz filled her mind accompanied by a slight ache in her abdomen.

Startled by the sound coming from the bathroom, she sat up in the bed. Relief washed over her when realized it was Fitz's voice.

"I don't care what it involves, Cyrus. Take care of it immediately. You don't need to know why! Just get it done," Fitz said, in lowered tones that rose with the last sentence.

Fitz appeared in the doorway, head down, staring intently at his cell phone. It was dark, but the light of the phone illuminated him as he examined the screen.

Olivia glanced at her bedside clock. It was barely four in the morning.

"I'm sorry for waking you, Livy," Fitz said, walking to her side of the bed and sitting beside her. "How are you feeling?" he said, flicking on the beside light.

Olivia considered the caring look on his face. In that moment, she had the sense he would do anything for her. Was that the look of love? she wondered. He had professed love before, but she was conflicted about what it meant and how she should respond. She wanted to crawl into his lap and stay wrapped in his arms until she could figure it out.

"I'm fine," she said, "What was that about on the phone?"

He lifted the covers and moved in beside her, motioning for her to lie down.

"I need to get ready for work," she said, resisting him and moving to sit back against the headboard.

Fitz matched her movements and sat up beside her.

"Work, huh? Do you think that is a good idea?" He wrapped an arm around her, rubbing her cool arms.

"The phone call, Fitz…what was that about?" she pressed.

"I'm going to make this right," he said.

"But how can you? I don't know all the specifics, but he didn't go to jail for what he…" her voice trailed off.

"I am so sorry for this," he said.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," she said, turning to face him. "I don't want you to jeopardize your future with this. I know he…he sent me those tulips in some sick gesture, but I don't think there is any chance of physical danger…I'm not a child anymore. I can protect myself. It'll take more visits to Dr. Chase, but…"

Olivia stopped herself, surprised at her slip up. She never mentioned Dr. Chase to anyone.

"Who is Dr. Chase?" Fitz asked.

Olivia tried to move but he kept her still. She held her breath hoping she could think of something to say to end their conversation. Her mind raced. She let out a ragged breath and let her head fall back on the headboard.

"My therapist, Fitz. He's my therapist," she said, unable to face him as she spoke. She looked at the patterns made by the moonlight on her ceiling instead. "I had to start seeing him again because of…because of us. What happened to me…it made me abnormal…emotionally…sexually. That's why we shouldn't get involved…" she said.

She took another deep breath and turned her head to face him waiting for him to protest. She thought he would say something like, "Well, it's a little too late for that."

"Maybe we should see Dr. Chase together. I want to learn how to support you…how to show you I love you without—" he said.

"Fitz, stop…I can't understand why you want this…why you want me…and I'm not saying this because I think badly about myself. You just won your second term as governor and you said you want to run for higher office, some day right? I'm a businesswoman with my own goals. I wouldn't be a good wife or mother. I'm not good with people. I don't have friends…"

Fitz clasped her hand and squeezed. Olivia could tell he was trying to decide how to respond.

"It would make me feel better if you would accept a security detail," he said, "I'd put one here and one with you at work. They'd be like shadows. You wouldn't even know they were there," he said.

Olivia looked away and let her head fall back on the headboard. I love you, she thought. She frowned at the sentiment. "I don't have a choice do I, Governor Grant?"

He squeezed her hand again.

Olivia sipped the coffee from her mug, massaged her temples, and refocused on the computer screen. This was her second cup this morning. She felt groggy either from lack of sleep or the fog of the medicine still in her system. Maybe Fitz had been right. She should have taken the day off. She'd let him convince her to go back to sleep, but she had awoken at half past five, determined to go to work. He had not protested much. Olivia could tell he was treating her like spun glass for fear she'd break if he pushed her too much. She smiled, thinking about him.

Her cell phone rang. She answered despite not recognizing the number. She hoped it was Fitz.

"Hello," she said.

"Hi, Olivia," Maya said.

Olivia didn't know which was more jarring, hearing her mother's voice or her mother's use of her first name and not, "Carrie."

"Please don't hang up. I want to see you…to make sure you are okay. I'm so sorry this is happening now. If I could change all this I would—"

"Mom…Mom, I'm fine. There's no need for us to…I'm fine," Olivia interjected.

"You don't sound fine, I want to see you for myself. You can't keep hating me for what happened in the past. Lord knows I've paid for my mistakes many times over, Car-Olivia. I'm your mother, please…I want to see you…please….please…" Maya pleaded.

"Mom….Mom! Okay…Lunch," Olivia said, "We can have lunch. Meet me downtown at Marco's Tavern at Lafayette Square and Broad."

"Oh, thank you, sweetie, I'll find it. See you at one…and thank you," Maya said.

Olivia disconnected the phone just as there was a knock on her door. Before she could respond, the door opened and Abby walked in.

"Olivia, before you say anything," Abby said, her hands raised as if she wanted to literally push any protests away, "Please hear me out. I want my job back. I've learned my lesson. I shouldn't have acted so unprofessionally, but most importantly, we are a good team, Olivia. I would do anything for this business. No one will be as loyal to you as I am. I heard about Abiba's…situation. I know you hired, David Oshiro. I know he is a design genius, but I'm not sure why, considering we didn't need him and couldn't afford his hefty salary...considering our recent expansion…"

Olivia hadn't been prepared for her mother's call or Abby's pitch. This was yet another reason she should have remained in bed. Abby sounded sincere to Olivia. She could also hear a tinge of desperation in her voice. To be honest, Olivia had missed working with Abby. She had to admit she'd felt betrayed by Abby's indiscretion. She was disappointed in Harrison's actions, but didn't feel as slighted. Olivia rested her head on her hand.

Abby frowned and moved closer. She sat in one of the chairs facing Olivia's desk. "Are you okay? You look…different," Abby said.

Olivia stood and walked to the window. She needed to stretch her legs and fortify herself. All these pleas were starting to grate on her nerves.

"I look different how, Abby?" she asked, folding her arms.

"I misspoke, Olivia. I didn't mean anything by it. We haven't talked in a while. I miss working with you, and I really want my old job back."

"Okay," Olivia said, fully admitting that she needed Abby, especially now,

"Oh my God, Olivia, really? Thank you! I will not disappoint you again. Can we do lunch to catch up? I have some concerns about SpaBliss," Abby said.

Olivia grinned at Abby's excitement as she returned to her desk. "I have a lunch appointment, but we can talk now," Olivia said.

"There's a rumor going around that Abiba is on her way out. She's going to quit, Liv. What if she goes to work for the competition? The setback will hurt sales at SpaBliss. It's going to be difficult to find quality candidates for the job. It's not like there is a school for this," Abby said.

Olivia clicked through her e-mail as she responded to Abby. "There is nothing to worry about Abby. I spoke with Abiba about this already. She's pregnant with David Oshiro's baby after proclaiming to us that she's asexual. Now David is working here. I'm sure that is unsettling for her. Besides, she won't break her contract with what she stands to lose. If she and David reconciles, she will thank me."

Abby sat back in her chair. "David is her baby daddy? Did you know that before you hired him?" Abby asked in surprise.

Olivia didn't immediately respond. Instead, she opened up an e-mail from a vendor.

"Is that why you hired him? But why would you do that considering how you reprimanded Harrison and me? Tell me Olivia? This can't be a coincidence," Abby said.

"Abby, I think it's time for us to add a line of products for pregnant women and their partners. Look at the market. Run some numbers. Also, look at some medical studies we can use in marketing," Olivia said, ignoring Abby's questions.

"I'm on it Olivia. We'll have to bring Harrison in on this early for safety and liability…if that's okay," Abby said.

"Of course, Abby," Olivia said, looking back at her screen.

"May I ask you a question? It is personal and none of my business, but it can affect the company," Abby said.

Olivia turned her full attention to Abby, steeling her expression. She knew Abby was about to ask if she was seeing anyone, and she was ready to make her regret asking such a personal question.

"Are you involved with Fitzgerald Grant?"

Even though, Olivia was prepared to give Abby her coldest stare, she hadn't anticipated Abby knowing enough to speak his name. He cheeks felt hot and she averted her eyes. Olivia knew that her expression had given her away. She also knew she could count on Abby to fill the silence. So she waited.

Abby didn't say a word. The silence grew louder and louder, filling with tension.

Olivia couldn't bring herself to lie or hedge. "Yes," she said simply.

Abby had stood before she asked the question, but she sat back down. "Wow," Abby whispered. She smiled as if Olivia had given her a gift.

"How did you know?" Olivia asked.

"I saw you two together at that fundraiser…and there was a story in the Huffington Post…"

Olivia recoiled in surprise, "What? A story—"

"It was nothing, Liv…a short piece speculating about the identity of the woman with him and his children at a café. The picture was very grainy, but I knew it was you," Abby explained.

Olivia tried to remember that morning to recall if there was anything strange. Then she remembered that she hadn't been able to spot the security detail Fitz had following her today.

"I think it's fabulous, Liv, but it's only a matter of time before this gets leaked. Especially since he was just re-elected...and considering your business. Sex. Politics. Power. Love. These are all the ingredients for a good story," Abby said, "but I promise this stays between you and me."

Olivia stood and escorted Abby to the door. "Thanks, Abby. Let's meet again this afternoon, and please let me know if you ever see any story about me in the news," Olivia said.

"Of course, Liv," she said, gleefully, "Have a good lunch."

Olivia closed the door behind her and walked back to her desk. She had the distinct feeling that she was losing the control she so carefully cultivated.

"I'm sorry, baby," Maya said, "I wish I could go back in time and—"

Olivia looked at her mother closely. She seemed genuine, but Olivia didn't care. She didn't want to be here sitting in the back booth of Marco's Tavern witnessing her mother's antics.

"Mom…you don't have to do this. The past is done. I don't want to rehash what happened," Olivia said.

Maya reached for Olivia's hand, but she pulled away. "That's why we need to talk about this, Carrie. You hate me for not seeing what he was doing to you. I blame myself because I was there. I'll never know how I didn't see it. Be mad at me for that, but don't hate me because you think I knew what he was doing to you, Carrie. I didn't know. I didn't know…" Maya said.

"Why did you bring me here to talk about this? This is why I can't see you. You only think about yourself. You always put yourself first. Whether you knew what he was doing to me or not, you chose to pull me off the team I loved to have a private coach when we couldn't afford it. All you wanted was the win, Mom…not for me but for you. If you loved me then you would never have brought me here to talk about this in such a public place. I have to go!" Olivia rushed out of the restaurant, ignoring her mother's calls behind her.

"Ms. Pope are you okay?" Ben asked as he settled into the driver's seat. He hadn't seen her red-rimmed eyes when he opened the door for her since she'd been looking down at her phone.

"I'm fine, Ben," she said, "Please take me back to the office." Olivia had the urge to see Dr. Chase, but she couldn't neglect her work. Her personal life was starting to affect her work and she couldn't let that happen.

"Was that your mother? Ms. Pope? I wish I could have greeted her. I haven't seen her in years," said Ben.

Olivia could tell he was trying to lighten the mood, but she was too upset for that.

"My mother and I are not on the best of terms, Ben. Having lunch with her today was a mistake," Olivia said before she closed the partition.

"Governor Grant, rescinding a pardon is unheard of," Cyrus said as he shuffled back and forth across Fitz's office. "Why would you want to do this for Ronald Levine. He was only in for tax evasion.

Fitz glanced up from his computer and peered at Cyrus. "Recensions are rare, yes, but they have been done…2014…Jerry Brown in Texas. Submit the proper paperwork. Have the sick bastard picked up and let me know when it is done. I'll take it from there," Fitz demanded.

Cyrus stopped at his words, "Sick bastard, sir? Do you know Levine?"

Fitz squeezed his eyes shut, realizing his error. He couldn't risk anyone finding out about this.

"Of course not, Cyrus. I don't know this guy from Adam. Just accept that I cannot share my reasons with you. This is one of those favors I have to grant, Cy, to some people in high places. Just take care of it for me, please," Fitz said.

Cyrus nodded his head. "Okay, sir. I've already begun the process. He should be picked up tomorrow. But sir, you should know that he can protest this even from jail. If he decides to contact the media, this could be one hell of a story unless there is a compelling reason for the recension."

Fitz considered Cyrus' words. There was so much he didn't know about Olivia's past. This man had violated her when she was young. When Eli found out the abuse he was able to get him arrested for tax evasion. He also used his contacts on the parole board to keep him here for 15 years. Fitz knew he had to intervene personally once the man was back in jail.

"Once he is back in custody, Cyrus, I need to be notified immediately," Fitz said.

"Yes, sir," Cyrus said.

As Cyrus left the room, Fitz realized how complicated this situation had become. He was essentially flying blind and he needed more information. He needed to speak to Elijah Pope.

Olivia stood at her window looking for the agent Fitz had appointed there for her protection. She had not been able to spot anyone tailing her and Ben all day. During the ride to work, Olivia had not thought about it. On the way home, she had purposely directed Ben to make three different spots. With her eyes on the back window, she could not pick out any cars that stayed behind them.

"Maybe he forgot," she said aloud. Olivia knew Fitz had a busy day with staff transitions, meetings, and photo ops after the election. She knew they would have little communication after their goodbyes this morning, but that did not stop her from missing him. Olivia felt a little untethered tonight after the lunch with her mother and knowing that her violator was free. She didn't have work to preoccupy her tonight after a couple of productive meetings with Abby. Olivia felt restless and anxious, like she needed to do something.

She looked down at her lounging pants and black jersey top. She threw on darkest sneakers, a grey jacket, and a brown baseball cap. After grabbing her keys and phone, Olivia opened the door and walked out into the cool night air.

She had it in her mind to go for a walk around the neighborhood. Even though it was only six o'clock, it was dark. Olivia looked back toward her garage thinking she should take a drive instead. She talked herself out of it and decided to go for a quick jog until she remembered that she didn't like to jog. She popped a piece of gum. "I should get a dog…then I would have a reason to take this walk," she said aloud.

Olivia walked down the driveway and to the street. The next house was about a mile down the road so she decided to walk there and back. After about 100 yards, a black sedan coasted down the street past her.

"Where did you come from?" Olivia said, "since this is not a through street.

As if on cue, the car stopped and backed up until it was directly beside her. Olivia held her breath as the dark window descended.

Two men with stony expressions were on the other side of the glass.

"Good evening, ma'am," said the driver, "I'm Jones, and this is Rodriguez. Is there something we can do for you?

"Were you sent by Governor Grant?" Olivia asked, moving closer to the car.

"Yes ma'am," said Rodriguez.

"We've been with you all day," said Jones.

"You are quite the shadows. I wasn't able detect you two at all," said Olivia.

"Ma'am, may we give you a ride back to your house?" Jones asked.

"Okay," Olivia said, reaching for the back door, but it was was locked. Rodriguez exited the car and opened the door for her.

So he didn't forget, Olivia thought. That gave her comfort.

"Thanks Jones…Rodriguez," said Olivia, exiting the car.

"No problem, ma'am," said Jones.

Olivia's phone rang just as she locked the door and activated the alarm.

"Good evening governor," said Olivia.

"It is good now that I hear your voice. I didn't know you took late night strolls, Livy," said Fitz.

"Six o'clock is hardly late. I wasn't sure if you'd given me a detail so I wanted to see," she said.

"You were experimenting with your safety? I'm not pleased, Olivia. Are you okay?"

Olivia could hear the judgment in his voice, and he was right. She had been deliberately reckless. Olivia wanted to see him tonight, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him.

"I'm fine, Fitz. You are right. I should go and—"

"Pack a bag. Jones will bring you to the governor's mansion…or I can pick you up after my last meeting," Fitz said.

"The governor's mansion? I've never been…spent the night there. It's not a good idea. There was an article in the Huffington Post about us…" she said, walking to her bedroom to begin packing.

"It was barely an article…more like a blog post that didn't make any news. I know you haven't stayed here overnight, but we will be discreet. I would come to you or we could go to the condo, but I really need to stay close to the mansion so—"

"Thanks for the invite. I don't want to be alone tonight," she said, softly.

There was silence, causing Olivia to wonder what he was thinking.

"Fitz? Are you still there?" she asked after time stretched on.

"What do you think about staying out the week?" he said.

"I don't know what to say to that," she said, pausing the search of her closet for clothes.

"I'll see you soon. My next meeting is starting in a couple of minutes," he said.

Olivia disconnected the phone before saying goodbye.

Fitz held the phone for a few more seconds, eyeing it quizzically after Olivia disconnected abruptly.

"Was that my daughter?" Elijah Pope asked from the doorway of Fitz's office at the condo.

Fitz disconnected the phone, walked to the bar, and poured scotch into the heavy crystal drinking glass.

"May I get you or your wife something to drink?" Fitz asked.

Eli shook his head.

"That was Olivia. She is a very interesting woman," Fitz said as they walked into the living room where Maya was waiting. She stood as Eli and Fitz entered the room.

"Mrs. Pope, it is great to meet you," Fitz said extending a hand to her.

Maya shook his hand. "Thank you for having us Governor Grant and for agreeing to help our daughter. How do you know her?" Maya asked.

Fitz glanced at Eli who immediately averted his eyes. "We met when she expanded her company, and I was running for reelection. We had some common interests and have been…friends every since," Fitz explained.

"So how is everything going? Have you rescinded the pardon?" Eli asked.

"It's in process. I called this meeting because of potential problems that might come up later. I need more information about what happened. I have to give cause for the recension. If the media is alerted to the story, someone could begin asking questions that may lead back to Olivia," Fitz said.

"Once he's back in jail it won't matter right?" Maya said.

"It's not that simple, Mrs. Pope. I was compelled to grant Levine a pardon because the maximum sentencing for tax evasion is five years along with a financial penalty. He'd been in jail for almost triple the time and had already paid the fine. If I rescind the pardon, it only takes one phone call to a reporter to get people working on this story. Please tell me more about how he landed in jail, how you, Eli, were able to keep him there, and why he didn't talk. Also, does he have family or friends who might help him?" Fitz said.

Maya's eyes filled with tears. Fitz fetched tissues from the bathroom.

"Thank you," Maya said. "He was Carrie's personal swim coach—"

"Honey, don't do this to yourself—" Eli interjected.

"No, I'm okay. I saw her today for lunch and she couldn't stomach me for 30 minutes…I'm to blame Governor Grant. I hired him to be her swim coach and he hurt her. She never told me outright until after she tried to…tried to kill herself. I pushed her a lot during that time and she didn't want to disappoint me. There were many signs that, looking back, I overlooked," Maya explained.

"Governor Grant, we both failed Olivia. I was traveling a lot, but that doesn't excuse me. I didn't protect my baby girl. It was two years…two agonizing years that he violated her. When we found out, we went through the proper channels to press charges, but Olivia wouldn't speak…or couldn't speak. When she came home from the hospital, she was in this sort of fugue state. She was in no condition to testify to what he did to her. Levine tried to blame it on stress. He denied everything and tried to blame us—" said Eli.

"He tried to get us to believe they were in a relationship…that he had a right to see her…It was awful…" Maya interjected.

"I had some contacts who looked into his past and found evidence that he'd violated his clients before. He had developed a lucrative coaching business aimed at wealthy families. We couldn't get anyone to speak out against him, but forensic accounting showed that he never registered his business nor filed taxes. We were skeptical that anyone would take action on this especially since he came from a wealthy family. Fortunately for us, his parents had apparently disowned him, so besides the court appointed attorney, no one helped him. Each year when he came up for parole, I was able to get them to deny his release by paying off the board. This was one case where the failings of the criminal justice system actually helped to keep a true criminal behind bars," Elijah said.

Fitz needed another drink, but he didn't move from his seat. He kept thinking about Olivia and beginning to understand her more through the lens of her history.

Fitz leaned forward in this chair and said, "So you essentially worked the system to get him in jail and exploited the issues within the system to keep him there. Do you know anything about Martin Berg? He was listed as Levine's advocate on the pardon application."

"The name isn't familiar," said Elijah.

"Can you predict if he would make trouble? Is he invested in covering up this history? If not, he might not go back to jail quietly," said Fitz just as the doorbell rang.

Fitz frowned. He wasn't expecting anyone and according to the visitor's log and his official schedule, he was in a meeting with Cyrus.

He signaled for the guard to check the door. "Sir, It's Mr. Cyrus Beene."

"Let him in," Fitz said.

"Governor Grant, I must talk to you now. Privately, sir. This cannot wait," Cyrus said when he entered the room.

Fitz could see the urgency in Cyrus' eyes. "Please excuse me. I must attend to this," Fitz said to Eli and Maya.

When they were back in Fitz's office with the door closed, Cyrus began his campaign.

"Sir, you must let me help you handle this situation with Olivia Pope. After you called Levine a 'sick bastard,' I reasoned that your desire to rescind the pardon was personal. I figured it had something to do with her so I looked into it. I ran a search on her name and found articles about her swimming titles," Cyrus said, gleefully, "And who was listed as her swim coach almost each time? Ronald Levine. Then their connection runs cold. I could not connect the dots until I did a deep dive and found that he was acquitted of statutory rape in Minnesota. Then I began to wonder if by some twisted coincidence this guy did this to Ms. Pope. I know it's all circumstantial and requires a lot of imaginative gymnastics but somebody could connect these dots, especially if this bastard begins to talk. On top of all of this, you are involved with the woman whose violator you released but then put back in jail. There are so many ways to look at this. It's a fucking kaleidoscope, but it has the same damn picture. We are screwed."

Fitz sat down while Cyrus poured them both a drink.

"Now, for other reasons, I tried to talk you out of getting involved with her. Aside from this, there are other reasons why she isn't a good choice for you considering your future ambitions. But you shut me down. I guess the heart wants what it wants. I can't let you handle this, sir. You are going to have to stay a thousand miles away from this. It is my strong recommendation that we do not rescind the resignation. Instead, he will be discreetly approached and offered some kind of deal to go away. If you put the man back in jail, he won't go back quietly. In the interim, we must try to scrub the system of any evidence of their connection," Cyrus said.

Fitz couldn't help but see the glee in Cyrus' eyes as they danced with excitement. Cyrus was enjoying the intrigue; the shadiness of it all seemed very appealing to him.

Fitz took a swig of his drink and considered Cyrus' words.

"Governor Grant, let me take care of this. This is what I am here for, to help you," Cyrus said.

"So you recommend I maintain the pardon, but blackmail him into staying away from Olivia," Fitz said, "But how can I protect him from doing this to someone else?"

"I recommend you keep everything as is and let me handle it. I will ensure he doesn't harm Ms. Pope or any other woman. I will also protect you from any connection with this," Cyrus said," but you must give me full reign to handle this. You can't know sources or methods. That's the only way to protect you and Ms. Pope."

Fitz took another swig of Scotch. He stared into the liquid as if the answer was there.

"Let's look at it another way sir," Cyrus argued, "How far are you planning on taking this relationship? If this isn't serious, I would recommend you give her good security while you all are dating and keep your relationship secret. So, the question is…how far do you want to take this relationship with Ms. Pope?"

Fitz leaned back in his chair, hands clasped behind his head. "Cyrus, I believe you already know the answer that question. But let's be totally clear on why you are doing this. You've made it clear you don't support my relationship with Olivia. Why would you offer to help me…us? Why not try to convince me to give up the relationship?"

"I believe in you, sir. I believe in your vision for the great state of New York and for this nation. I want to help you win it all. I want you to have what you need. You've made it clear that you want her so far be it from me to stop you. I try to fight battles I can win. Let me do my job, sir," Cyrus said.

"Okay, Cyrus. We have a deal. Call off the pardon recension and do what you have to do to make him go away," said Fitz.

Olivia sat at the round table in Fitz's bedroom at the governor's mansion engrossed in her laptop. Since her arrival, she had showered, spoken to Abby about preliminary proposals for the pregnancy line, and been reading financial reports. Being there had released her anxiety and calmed her enough to get some work done. She hadn't realized how much time had past until Fitz entered the room at 10.

She gave him a slight smile before looking back at the screen.

He walked to her chair and reached for her. "I suppose I deserve a snub, coming in at this late hour.

Olivia stood and walked into his embrace. Pulling back, she said, "I'm not the kind of woman who will be sitting by the door waiting for you to come home, Fitz. I know you had work. You are the governor of New York. I had work of my own," she said.

They regarded each other for a time before their lips met, communicating all they wouldn't or couldn't say in the silences between them. Fitz indulged in the sweetness of her, but he kept a hold on his desire knowing he could not fulfill his desire to completion.

Olivia felt that familiar ache for him. She didn't hold back, but she knew he would. She wasn't mad at him for treating her so delicately. She couldn't predict how she'd respond if they tried to make love.

By the time they were on the bed, he pulled back and cupped her face for one last kiss.

"I need to take a shower," he said, pulling away from her and walking to the bathroom.

She nodded in agreement, taking deep breaths to clear her head.

"Did you meet with my father today?" she said. Olivia followed him into the bathroom. When he stood in front of the toilet, Olivia stepped back through the door and closed it.

He answered after the flush. "Yes."

Olivia returned to the bathroom when she heard the shower spray.

"Fitz, what is going on?" she asked, not hiding the irritation in her voice. Olivia was being deliberately obtrusive by barging into the bathroom twice. The liberties she took were foreign to her. He didn't seem to mind so she persisted. She watched him under the spray, intrigued by his nakedness. Her eyes followed the soap as it trailed down his body front and back. The longer she looked the quicker her breath became and the faster her heart beat.

"Honestly, Livy, at this moment I'm finding it hard to take a shower with you ogling me like that," he said, "I'll be out in a few minutes and will answer your questions."

Olivia pursed her lips and left the room.

"I met with your mother and father," Fitz said after he had finished the shower and was back in the bedroom.

"My mother was there so you witnessed her histrionics," Olivia said.

Fitz was not expecting that response even though Maya talked about their strained relationship. "She was upset when she talked about—"

"Let's skip that part. What going to happened with…him?" Olivia said.

Fitz tapped the bed, inviting her to join him there. "I have taken care of it. I am going to make sure he doesn't contact you ever again. I'm going to make him disappear," he said.

"How are you going to do that, Fitz?" she asked.

"I cannot share the details," Fitz said, "because I don't really know them. I have someone taking care of it."

"Thank you," she said.