Olivia woke up to the sound of Fitz's wake up call a little after 6:45. She looked over at Fitz and he didn't even flinch at the sound of his alarm, he was dead to the world and rightfully so, he'd been up for most of the night worrying about her. He fell asleep a little before 6 am, she followed shortly after, but she had barely closed her eyes before she heard the alarm.

She was a little foggy from her short nap so she took a moment to collect herself. She gazed at Fitz and felt a smiled tug on her lips as he yawned and stretched in sleep. He was way too tired to go anywhere and she didn't want him to. She thought quickly of what to do but then she realized that Cyrus was most likely up so she took Fitz's cell and dialed him and waited for him to pick up.

"Fitz, what's going on?"

"It's Olivia."

"Hello, my favorite person in the world."

"I'm glad you think so because Fitz probably won't be able to come to the white house till maybe noon... probably."

She was very vague with her promise and she did so on purpose.

"Why not?"

"Because he is knocked out, he's really tired and people die when they don't get enough sleep so he's sleeping and I'm not waking him," what started as a plea morphed into a declaration, "does he have a busy day today?"

"He had a few morning meetings but I can push them back."

"Thank Cy."

"No later than 12pm sharp because he has an interview about this Sally mess at 2 and I'm only doing this because you put in a good word for me with the whole vp thing or else I'd be making my way over there to drag him out of your bed"

She chuckled and yawned.

"Thanks, he'll be there by 12... maybe, scout's honor."

She hung up and threw the phone on top of the sheet then rest her head back in his chest. She wished it was bare so she could admire his abs and gaze at scar, it reminded her how lucky she was to have been stuck at James Madison hospital that night in July almost a year ago. She knew she needed to thank Cyrus for forcing her to stay at the hospital, she would have never met Fitz and got to know how wonderful he was.

She couldn't sleep so she laid quietly thinking to herself and listening to Fitz's heartbeat in his chest and before she knew it a couple hours passed and Fitz stirred in his sleep then jumped up.

"What time is it?"

"It's 8:40," she said she checked the time on his phone, hers was in the closet.

"Shit, shit, shit, I should've been up hours ago."

He was about to get out of bed but Olivia stopped him.

"Don't worry babe, I called Cyrus, I told him you're coming in at 12, he moved at your meetings and briefings."

Fitz breathed a sigh of relief and then smiled.

"Thanks, have you seen my phone?"

"I have it," she said as she handed it to him.

He took it and stood up as dialed his Intel chief and waited until he picked up.

"Hey John, have any of your agents come across anything in regards to a video from the yazd facility counterintelligence investigation?"

Olivia watched as the director spoke something through the phone that she couldn't hear.

"Nothing specific, just any visual or audio recording that was swept up in the raid from the facility?"

Fitz listened again.

"Find out, I want to be the first to know."

Fitz nodded as he listened then he hung up moments after.

"What did he say?" Olivia asked anxiously.

"They haven't heard of a video."

Olivia breathed a sigh of relief.

"That doesn't mean it doesn't exist," Fitz added.

"Yeah but at least it's not out there, which is good right?"

He instinctively walked over to her and caressed her face.

"It could-"

Fitz's phone rang in his hand, he looked at the caller ID, it was Gerry so he answered.

"Hey Gerr, can I call you back in-"

"Dad, turn on the tv right now, dad, right now," Gerry said quickly.

Fitz turned around quickly and headed to the living room, Olivia followed even though she had no idea what was going on.

Fitz grabbed the remote quickly and turned the tv on, then switched to the news.

"-Why did you wait one whole month to come forward with the revelation that your ex-husband president Grant and Olivia Pope were in a relationship while you were still married to him."

Mellie sniffled

"I was hurt, I loved my ex husband, I still do and when he made his relationship with the woman he had an affair with public, I was shocked, it took me some time to get over that but I felt I owed it to the world, to women who feel used and are told to just shut up and take it because their partner is wealthy or powerful, I'm really here for them, a man shouldn't be able to do what he wants and get away with it, especially when he is the president of the United States and has to lead by example."

"Why do you think your husband was unfaithful to you."

"Fitz had never cheated before, he never even flirted with another woman before, I think when he woke up from that coma, he was vulnerable, after all he'd just been shot and I think Olivia Pope knew he was vulnerable. She told us herself that after his injury he wouldn't be able to control impulses and emotions and I think that she used that to take advantage of him. She was his doctor, he trusted her, I trusted her, even when she would tell us that I couldn't be in the same room with them for evaluations and exams, now I see that she used that trust to seduce him."

"Do you have evidence of their affair?"

"She admitted it to me, quite glibly, she was unashamed of it."

"So you don't have any physical proof of the affair?"

"No, only what I've seen with my own eyes and heard with my own ears."

"Some might argue that you are just a jealous ex wife, this is a woman who saved the life of your ex husband and brought your son back from paralysis, she a very well known doctor and in the month since their relationship became public many people have come forward as a character witness, attesting to the fact that she is a good and kind person, don't you think you owe the public proof or better yet do you think it was the right thing to do to make this accusation publicly without proof?"

"I think the very fact that she entered into a relationship with someone who was both her patient and the father of her patient is a testament to her character, it is unethical for doctors to be romantically involved with a patient, many doctors have had their license revoked for less."

"A romantic relationship between a doctor and patient is in fact seen as widely unethical and well there you have it, former First Lady Mellie Grant with some very shocking allegations about the President Grant and Olivia Pope. We will take a short break as we request a statement from the whitehouse."

Fitz and Olivia stood in the middle of the living room in disbelief, both unsure of what to do next.

"Hello, dad, you still there?" Gerry asked.

Fitz cleared his throat.

"Where is your mother?"

"She's in the living room with the news crew, I woke up earlier and I was going to the kitchen for breakfast when I saw the news crew, I didn't know why there were here until she started the interview. She was really mad that I went to Olivia's lecture and didn't tell her, I didn't know she was this mad."

Fitz sighed.

"Gerry, I have to go but let me know if she plans anything else."

"Okay dad."

As Fitz hung up, he got an incoming call from Cyrus and answered quickly.

"Yes Cyrus, I heard it, I'll be there as soon as I can."

Olivia heard her phone ringing from the closet and ran to get it. She saw that it was Abby and answered quickly.

"Yes Abby, I saw it and I'm gonna have to call you back."

Meanwhile back in the living room Fitz dialed Mellie, she picked up immediately which told him she was expecting his call.

"You know I'm gonna get you back for this right?"

"No, you're not, you're not gonna tell anyone about Nolan and me because it would hurt the person you love most in the world, Gerry."

"You're wrong, there are two people I love most in the world and you just fucked with one of them."

Fitz hung up and when he turned around Olivia was standing behind him.

"I told you how sexy I think your temper tantrums are," she said with a smile.

He smiled even though he felt like punching a wall.

"What are we gonna do about this?" She asked.

"I have an interview at 2, I'll shut it down, can you meet me at the whitehouse at 1, I just want you to be in the loop with everything before we go ahead and do it."

"Okay."

Fitz kissed her and went to shower and while he did that, Olivia called Savannah.

"Olivia?"

"Hi Savannah,"

"I'm very angry with you."

"Are you angry or therapist angry where you can't really be angry because you're afraid it will traumatize me?"

She heard Savannah chuckle.

"Therapist angry. Why haven't you been returning my calls?"

"That's why I called, I wanted to get back in my daily schedule because we have a lot to talk about."

"We do, you and the president made your relationship public, that's a big step."

"Yeah and it's been going pretty well so far but we're dealing with something of a crisis right now so I just called to check in, we will have a full session tomorrow, I'll tell you everything, I think you'll be proud of me, I made real progress with Fitz last night."

"Olivia are you just saying that, or will you answer the phone when I call?"

"No, I promise."

"Okay, it was really great hearing from you and I look forward to our talk tomorrow."

"I do too, bye."

Olivia hung up and brushed her teeth while Fitz was in the shower and then went to the kitchen to make coffee. By the time, Fitz got out the shower and quickly got dressed, he had a hot cup waiting for him. When he walked into the kitchen in a partially button dress shirt and pant, Olivia handed him the coffee.

"Wow, you made me coffee?" He asked with smile.

"You slept for 2 hours and 54 minutes this morning and on top of that Mellie handed us a steaming pile of turd, you need coffee because it's going to be a long day."

He smiled and took a sip of his coffee.

"You're handling it pretty well, I thought you'd be angrier."

"I could be angry but I know that's what she wants, I don't know, I guess I just want to see how this all plays out, what you say in your interview later is going to be a big part of that."

"I know that's why I want you there so you can keep me in check so I don't do anything crazy because what I really want to do is sit in the interview and embarrass her."

She chuckled.

"What makes you think I won't let you?"

"Because your even-tempered and logical… sometimes."

"Shut up."

Fitz smiled and took another sip of his coffee and quickly finished getting dressed and then brought his tie over for Olivia to tie around his neck. As she made the knot, she felt Fitz staring and she look up and met his ocean blue daggers head on.

"What?" She asked with a smile.

"We made real progress last night right?"

She finished the knot and then wrapped her arms around his neck.

"We did."

She stretched up and kissed him softly at first and then she deepened it to a slow, sensual dance of their tongues. As they kissed, Fitz felt her slap his ass then grab it.

"Woah," he said with a chuckle.

"I love you."

She kissed him again.

"I love you too."

She buttoned his jacket and then walked him to the door and saw him off.

After he left, Olivia made herself busy for a couple hours before she showered and headed to her closet to get dressed.

"What to wear, what to wear," she said to herself.

She skimmed through her racks of clothes and opted for fitted white strapless dress that stopped about the knees and a sheer white long sleeve overlay, both from Chloe and she didn't feel like wearing heels so she settled on her favorite brown Gucci Princetown slipper.

She curled her hair and did her makeup then grabbed her Hermes bag and called her guards to escort her down.

Olivia stood in the elevator as she made her way down to the lobby of her building. The elevator dinged as she stepped out and walked across her lobby to the exit where the press was waiting for her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she walked out and the questions flooded her.

"Dr. Pope is true, did you and the president have an affair?"

"Did the president cheat on his ex-wife with you?"

"Is Mellie Grant lying?"

"Do you have any comment?"

Olivia blocked it out and tried to hurry to the car. She was only a couple feet away from the car when from the corner of her eye, she saw a man duck under the rail and dived in between the guards and grabbed her around her waist and her lift her into the air.

"Let me go!" she screamed frantically.

It was a random man, he was dressed in jeans and he had on a t shirt with her face on it.

"I love you Olivia. Olivia I love you."

The secret service almost instantaneously grabbed him and pried him off of her.

"Get off of her!" she heard one of her guards yell.

"I love you Olivia, please marry me, I have a ring" he continued screaming as they held him face down on the ground. The man tired reaching in his pocket for the ring but he was restrained.

"Please just let me show her the ring - I have a ring for you Olivia, Please."

The press was eating it up and got more chaotic as they tried to capture the entire exchange.

Josh picked her up and carried her to the car and once Olivia was in the car she started crying. She looked down at her feet and noticed her shoes fell off.

"Miss Pope are you okay?" she heard Josh ask as he checked her for any injuries and slipped her Gucci mules on her feet.

She wiped her eyes.

"I'm fine just take me to Fitz."

"We're heading there now ma'am."

The minute Fitz stepped out of his briefing in the situation room, Tom hurried up to him.

"Sir, Ms. Pope was just attacked, she is fine, her agents are bringing her to the residence right now."

"Wait, what, what do you mean attacked," Fitz said frantically.

"She's okay, just shaken up, the agents are taking her up resid-" Tom paused as he listened to his earpiece, "she's in the residence right now sir, they just got there."

"Who attacked her?"

"A man, he have him in custody."

Fitz didn't wait to respond, that was all he needed to hear before he rushed straight to the residence.

"Where is she?" Fitz said to the first guard he came across.

"She's on the balcony sir."

Fitz walked quickly to the balcony to find her looking out at the park.

"Liv?"

She turned around, even though it was obvious that she had been crying, there was a smile on her face.

Fitz took a sigh of relief and walked over and wrapped his arms around her tightly and kissed her on her temple.

"Are you okay, Tom said you weren't hurt?"

"No, I'm not hurt, I'm fine now, I was just freaked out."

"What happened?"

"Well, I was walking out of my building and I almost made it to the car when - I kinda saw the guy from the corner of my eye, he rushed under the barrier and grabbed me and lifted me in the air, he had a t-shirt with my face on it, he was begging me to marry and telling me how much he loved me, it was kinda surreal."

"So he was crazy?"

"About me, obviously, but he might have also been mentally ill," she said with a chuckle.

"This is not funny, what if he'd hurt you?"

"He didn't, the guards made sure of it, he barely got his hands on me before they had him on the floor so no need to antagonize them about this."

"I fully intend of finding out how anyone even got close enough to you to touch so I'm pretty sure I'll end up screaming at your guards."

She chuckled.

"And let me guess a manhunt is underway too."

"I don't have to conduct a manhunt if we already have him in custody, he picked the wrong woman to obsess with, you're mine and mine alone to obsess about."

"You aren't gonna charge him though are you?"

"Of course, I'm definitely making sure he gets charged with something, make an example of him so no one else feels the need to try."

"I guess he did pick the wrong person to mess with," she said with a smile, "oh and I spoke with Abby, I'm not gonna bother going to New York with everything that's going on, she'll bring Sahara tomorrow to visit."

"That's perfect, does she need me to send the plane or something?"

"No, they're taking the train," she said.

Fitz was a little skeptical that she was able to handle it so well.

"Are you sure your okay?" He asked.

"Honestly earlier when he grabbed me, immediately I went back to the night in Ethiopia when they pulled me from my tent but once Josh took me to the car and I was able to breathe a little, I calmed down but I just needed to see you."

Fitz was still skeptical and he hoped she wasn't just saying that to make him feel better and Olivia could sense it.

"You don't believe me," she said as her mouth fell open, not in an angry way but in a challenged way.

"No, I belie-"

She cut him off.

"I've only ever been in love with one person and that's you. I've never told this to anyone except my therapist," she paused, "but when I was in Iran, do you know who I thought about every single day?"

She looked at him suggestive and waited for him to answer.

Fitz smiled shyly, "Me?"

"Yes, I'd think about if you were in a meeting or if you were writing a bill and arguing with congress, or if you were hanging out with Gerry, if you were sleeping enough and eating steak and scotch like I asked you not to. I'd think about what our kids would look like, what their names would be, we had a daughter and son. Every time I fell asleep, I dreamed that you rescued me, it was the same dream really, you break down the door with your bare hands and you killed all the bad guys, and you know I abhor violence but they were pretty bad people so I think violence was appropriate, you wore a tux and you had your hair gelled like James Bond, I know that's a ridiculous dream but in my defense, I hallucinated alot," she paused and wiped her eyes and smiled, she hadn't realized she was crying, "I'm telling you this because it's really important to me that you to know how much I love you and need you and count on you. I don't know if I give you the impression that I don't but if I do then I'm sorry because I do need you. I've never had this before, growing up when my father didn't give me love or show me affection unless he was trying to get something from me, I started to think that maybe I didn't deserve love as I was, but you changed that, you make me feel loved everyday, even when I was on a cold floor in a cell in Iran and I had absolutely nothing to offer you I still felt that you loved me."

Fitz opened his mouth to speak but no words came out, it made Olivia smile.

"Speechless, that's a first."

Fitz shook his head and chuckled.

"I-" Fitz still couldn't find the words to describe or respond to what he'd just heard.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and he pressed his forehead against hers. They stood silently and shared the moment together until they were interrupted by the sound of Cyrus clearing his throat.

"Liv, I heard what happened, are you okay kiddo?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said as she stepped back from Fitz.

"Okay, Fitz we need to finish prepping for that interview, it's the first one since Sally and with Mellie's announcement to the world, we need to be prepared."

"Give me a minute," Fitz said even though his eyes never left Olivia.

Cyrus saw how he was looking at Olivia and he knew that look all too well.

"Nope, it won't be a minute, it will be an hour, everytime you look at her like that you two disappear and come back after doing god knows what, not today, I'm breaking you two up right now, you can get all hot and bothered later."

Olivia laughed.

"Go," she said to Fitz, "I need to fix my face, I'll meet you in your office."

Fitz smiled and kissed her over and over again, unwilling let her go.

"I love you so much," he inched a little closer and whispered so Cyrus couldn't hear, "we're going balls deep tonight baby," then he kissed her again.

"My ovaries," she said as she laughed.

Cyrus pretended he didn't hear what Fitz said and dragged him out the room.

Once Fitz left she went to the bathroom to fix her face and headed to the kitchen to grab something to eat then she went to meet Fitz in his office.

He was getting touched up by a team of stylists.

The moment she stepped in, he sent the team away.

"Who are you getting dolled up for?" She teased.

"America."

She walked over kissed him in the cheek, Fitz sniffed her as she took a step back.

"What, do I stink or something?"

"No, you smell like berries."

She smiled.

"I just went down to the kitchen and had a parfait and a blueberry fruit tart, it was delicious."

"So that's where you were."

An assistant knocked on the door.

"Come in," Fitz called.

A woman walked in with a clipboard in her hand.

"'Mr. president, it's time."

"Thanks Carla, I'll be right there."

She exited quickly and awkwardly which made Olivia smile, she was still getting used to the fact that everyone was antsy around Fitz.

"It's showtime," he said with a smile as he took her hand and led her out and down the hall to the sit room. Cyrus met them as they walked there.

She watched as Fitz shook the hands of his interviewer and made himself comfortable in the couch. The elephant in the room was the fact that Olivia was there but no one said a word. She stood in the corner behind the cameras with Cyrus as they waited for the interview to begin.

"We are hot," one of the camera hands called out.

The journalist cleared his throat and begin.

"Hello everyone, I'm Robert Stengel and I'm here with president Grant, thank for taking your time to talk with me Mr. president."

"Anytime Rob," Fitz said with his charming smile.

"So there has been a lot going on, let me first begin say that, the video of the bystander who hassled Dr. Pope has gone viral and we have no word yet if she okay, can you confirm that she has not been injured or hurt?"

Olivia found it funny that he asked that because he saw her and knew she was okay but she guessed he was asking for the viewers.

"She was shaken up but she's okay now."

Rob nodded and continued.

"Good, we all all glad to hear. Former Vice President Sally Langston announced her run for the presidency three days ago, did you know before she announced?"

"I did not, I was briefed after she announced."

"What are your thoughts, is there a sense of betrayal?"

"Ehh I wouldn't call it betrayal, I expect more loyalty to United states government than to me and by that standard she didn't betray me, it's certainly unprecedented for a vice president to run against their president for office but everyone has their ambition and I suppose the oval office is hers whether I'm still in office or not."

"Yes but to run against the president who you served, many people see that as a betrayal, it's peculiar that you don't."

"Don't get me wrong, I would have hoped to have not been blindsided, I was certainly surprised, there was no bad blood between us, I treated her with respect and admiration and we had a meeting the day before the announcement and she gave me no inkling as to what she was planning but like I said, everyone has their ambition and she is free to follow hers, I'd wish her the best of luck but obviously I'm saving that luck for myself."

Rob chuckled.

"There have been reports that former vice president Langston didn't approve of your relationship with Dr. Pope and that was the nail in the coffin for her decision."

"I'm a divorced man. Period. If that's true, I'm not sure what she doesn't approve of or how it's her business."

"Well said, Mr. President, and that takes me to the other huge story that has been making headlines all over the world in a matter of hours, your ex wife, former first lady Mellie Grant made some very shocking allegations this morning, she accused you of having an affair with Dr. Olivia Pope, do you care to comment?"

"Well yes I do, I don't insert myself into my ex-wife's private affairs, I give her the respect and privacy she deserves as my once lawfully wedded wife and the mother of my child and I had hoped she would reciprocate, that being said her allegations are baseless and intended to defame Olivia Pope and I'm not sure why because Olivia is a kind and compassionate person, she brought our son back from paralysis and we are forever indebted to her for everything she's done for our family. I think what Mellie did today was cruel."

"Why do you think she would make these allegations?"

"I don't care to speculate."

"When your divorce was announced, Olivia Pope wasn't in the country and hadn't been for weeks, she had left for a doctors without border trip from which she was subsequently abducted and held for many months, many thought she had died, how is it that your ex-wife blames Dr. Pope for a divorce that she wasn't even present for?"

Fitz looked back at Olivia to see if she was okay and she nodded to let him know she was fine then he turned his attention back to Rob.

"Like I said Rob, I'm not sure how she came to that conclusion and I'd rather not speculate."

"Mellie Grant thinks your relationship with Dr. Pope is inappropriate because she was once your physician, do you have a comment on that?"

"I think the ethics guideline was intended for general practitioners and their current patients, I hadn't been Olivia Pope's patient for almost 10 months before our relationship became romantic in nature, I think it's quite the stretch to suggest any ethical guidelines were broken or to question the integrity of Dr. Pope, given she's done nothing wrong."

"Do you think Mellie Grant owes you and Dr. Pope an apology since she can't provide evidence to back up her claim?"

"I think it's not my place to tell anyone what to apologize for but she is free to do so and I have no further comment on the subject."

Rob nodded and changed the subject.

"Do you expect vice president nominee Cyrus Beene to be confirmed through the senate in the vote next week?"

"I fully expect Cyrus to pass through the senate, he is qualified, he is smart and he's a patriot and I can't wait to have him by my side as my vice president and luckily he'll only be able to run for the presidency when I'm on my way out."

Robert chuckled.

"Many praise your change to an independent candidate as a brilliant political move, while other from your own party say that it just confirms that you were never dedicated to the party, any response on why you made the change and why now?"

"I think that people evolve and that's okay, what you promise to do or what you plan to do, almost always changes when it's time to actually govern. I've had an easier time working with the democrats than most in my own party and so keeping in mind that my loyalty is to my country before my party, I think as an independent I'll better be able to reach across both aisle and achieve better results for the American people, anyone who has an issue with getting results for the American people, I'm unsure of what to tell them to balm their wounds."

"Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today President Grant."

Robert stood up and shook Fitz's hand.

"Thank you Rob, it was great seeing you, congratulations on the baby."

"Thank you Mr. President."

Fitz took off his mic and handed it to an assistant then walked over to Cyrus and Olivia.

"That was great Fitz, you struck the perfect tone, gracious and above the fray," Cyrus said excitedly.

"Liv, any commentary?" Fitz asked.

She smiled.

"That was really… shady, I loved it."

Fitz chuckled.

"Come on, let's go to the residence, we have some very important things we need to take care of."

Fitz and Olivia headed out the door and Cyrus followed.

"Why don't we go to the Oval, why are we going to the residence?" asked Cyrus.

Olivia and Fitz smiled slyly as they waited for Cyrus to catch on.

"By we, you don't mean me, do you?"

"Nope," Fitz said with a smile, "pack up all my briefings and leave them on my desk, I'll read them later and also have Lauren stop by Olivia's apartment and grab some of her stuff, she won't be going home tonight, my next meeting is 4:30, I'll be back before then."

Cyrus sighed.

"One more week till the senate vote and I won't be your chief of staff anymore."

"Speaking of chief of staff, how's the hunt for a new one going?"

"Good, I'll have some choices on your desk by Monday."

"Great Cy, you're the best!"

Fitz took Olivia's hand they went happily to the residence.