PART II

Chapter 8: The Reunion

July 20, 1976

"ABBY!" she called loudly when she walked in! "ABBY!"

"Jesus, Liv," Abby walked out of her bedroom with a towel wrapped around her hair and a facemask on.

"You'll never guess what happened in Central Park! Who I ran into! It was so bizarre!" Olivia was frantically pacing back and forth in the living room. She couldn't believe that after all these years she had just coincidentally run into Fitz - and on her birthday of all days – and right after talking about him briefly with Abby. Olivia took some deep breaths to try and calm her heart rate.

"Who'd you see?" Abby asked eagerly.

"Fitz!" Olivia cried excitedly with her eyes wide.

"Who?" Abby replied and cocked her head. It dawned on Olivia that Fitz from a very different part of her life before she even met Abby.

"He was the kid in the photo that you saw, my old neighbor from Virginia," Olivia explained.

"Oh right, the family friend!"

"Well he was actually a little more than that," Olivia confessed. "He also dated Mellie for about two years."

"That's so funny that you ran into him after unpacking that photo."

Olivia went to her room and signaled Abby to quickly follow her in.

"Yeah, Edison and I are meeting back up with him for drinks before we get to dinner, which is why I'm back to get ready early. We're going to Charleys, and I suggested we should be there by 5." Olivia rummaged through the clothes that were already unpacked in her closet, throwing them onto the floor as she madly searched through everything. "I don't know if I can make it. I have so much to do. I have to shower, and do my hair, and paint my nails…and I don't even know what I'll be wearing yet. How does this look?"

Olivia pulled out a navy blue sleeveless dress.

"No, you're right…how about this?" Olivia then pulled out a sleeveless lavender dress with cinch at the waist and a deep v-cut.

"You said that this was Mellie's ex-boyrfiend?" Abby questioned her, seeing her get so distraught.

"Yes, why?"

"Uh…no reason…" Abby replied awkwardly. "But yes to the purple dress."

ooo

Edison and Olivia made it to the bar five minutes late. Fitz was already there, seated at a booth wearing a royal blue shirt with the collar popped open to see enough hair and white pants.

"Hi, I hope we didn't keep you waiting too long," Olivia said sliding into the booth across from Fitz and next to Edison.

"No, no not at all," Fitz replied, looking at her. "You look great…you-you both do."

Olivia smiled at Fitz and then heard Edison clearing his voice.

"Thank you. We have dinner reservations after this…So Fitz, Liv told me that you used to date Mellie?"

"I-I-um-yeah. It was a while ago, way back when I was in high school," Fitz said.

The waiter came over and they ordered their drinks of beer and cider.

"Fitz and Mellie broke up when he left for the Navy," Olivia said. It wasn't exactly the full truth, but it was partially accurate, and saying the full truth would have taken a long while and included details Olivia didn't want to relive.

"You were drafted?" Edison asked intrigued as the waiter scurried over with their drinks.

"Um…no…voluntary service," Fitz said nervously. "I was overseas for a little over two years and-and came back in the spring of '72."

"And what did you do after?" Olivia asked erratically. "Sorry, it's just been so long. I want to hear about everything."

"Everything?" Fitz asked and chuckled a little bit and took a sip of his beer. "That could take a while. I went to college, and now I'm here for law school."

Olivia's eyes popped open, "Did you say law school? I'm starting Columbia this fall!"

"Holy shit! No way! I-I-Me too," he yelled enthusiastically.

"I can't believe this!" Olivia mused, laughing at Fitz's excited little stutter he had. "Who would've thought we'd end up going to law school together. Maybe we'll even be in classes together."

"That would be so cool Livvie!" Fitz gleamed with a sense of poise that made it seem like it was back to old times, and there was a part of him that wished it could be so.

"I have another friend, Quinn, you'll love her. She's going to Columbia too," Olivia shared, ecstatic that she already had two friends going into law school.

"So that explains why you moved here, I guess. Where are you living?"

"Just south of campus in Manhattan Valley, what about you?"

"Stephen and I have an apartment in the Upper West Side."

"Fancy," Olivia smirked. Olivia knew Fitz came from money, and assumed he was likely using his inheritance to fund his lavished lifestyle for now.

"That is a pretty nice area," Edison chimed in, trying to join in the conversation. "Where did you move from?"

"Stanford, California. I went to Stanford after the Navy to get my Bachelors."

"Good school…" Edison commented, frowning slightly.

"Yeah, well I also have family in California not too far from there, so I thought it'd be best. Then I linked back up with Stephen and told him I was moving to New York, and he came with me," Fitz grinned.

"Sounds like Stephen is a good friend."

"He is," Fitz told Edison. "The military really brings about a sense of camaraderie."

"So is it true what they say then? That all military people are the same cold blooded baby killers?" Edison asked, spitting the question onto Fitz.

"Edison!" Olivia nearly choked on her drink hearing him ask those things.

"I-it's ok, Liv," Fitz assured her, putting his hand up to show he was fine. "A lot of people were a-against the war."

Olivia could sense the tension between Edison and Fitz, making her jitter slightly in her seat.

Edison was unsatisfied that Fitz didn't answer his question, but rather than continue pushing, he didn't. He knew it would hurt Liv if he continued on this subject, so instead he just excused himself.

"Right, sorry about that. If you'll excuse me, I have to use the restroom," Edison stood up to leave.

"Ok darling, we'll be waiting right here," Olivia placed a hand onto his forearm to show that she was not significantly upset with him.

"Won't be too long," Edison smiled and pecked Olivia on the lips before walking away.

Fitz waited, watching until he was out of sight before he turned his attention to Olivia, "So, Edison?"

"We met when our first year in college at Princeton. He was in my freshman year dorm. We've been dating now for a little over three and a half years," Olivia told Fitz the basics.

"Wow…that's a long time," he lingered a moment before asking, "so…um..is there a wedding in the future?"

"We're not engaged," Olivia answered him promptly.

"But you will be, if he asks?"

Olivia looked over her shoulder to see if Edison was coming back from the bathroom, "Most likely, I suppose. But not right now. I'm so busy with law school, and he just started working. I think we need more time."

Olivia waited a beat of silence gazing into Fitz's blue eyes. The same blue eyes that she had always adored when she was a kid. She shouldn't have been staring; she knew that. Her boyfriend was just in the bathroom down the hall. She quickly gazed down away from Fitz and looked at her hands on the table.

"And what about you? Military veteran at a top-notch school; you must have been quite a hit with the ladies?"

Fitz didn't want to lie. After he returned and recovered from Vietnam, he spent the first two years of undergrad sleeping around a lot. The whole "orphan/military vet" rap that he had going for him gave him just about a new girl every night. In fact he spent most of his time at Stanford partying and just barely skimming by academically. He had an especially messy second year, and probably would have been booted out. It wasn't until the end of that year when Stephen gave Fitz a surprise visit, followed by a lengthy lecture that Fitz began to get his act together.

"Um, I-I mean kind of…but nothing serious," Fitz quickly added and closed his eyes in frustration feeling as though he had completely butchered everything.

Olivia saw Fitz's pained look and put her hands on his, "relax. I'm only kidding."

"Oh," he smiled, and pulled back.

"Did you know Mellie is actually engaged?" Olivia asked to a strikingly shocked Fitz.

"For real?"

"Mhmm," Olivia nodded. "His name is Marcus. They met at Michigan. They are both living in DC right now running an NGO."

"An NGO? That doesn't surprise me in the slightest," Fitz chuckled. Just then Edison returned to his seat, looking more fresh and well mannered.

"Sorry about that."

"No worries," Olivia assured him. "We were just filling each other in."

Olivia turned her attention back to Fitz, "So did you end up playing football at Stanford?" She looked to Edison to explain, "he was the quarterback in high school, and had an offer at Brown before."

"Uhhhh, no…" Fitz shifted a little awkwardly and tried to laugh it off. "Come on Livvie, I was far too old to have played college football at that point."

"So what was Stanford like for you?"

"Uh…un-uneventful," he lied, cringing inside, overcome with a strong desire to change the subject. "And wh-what about you?"

"What about me?" Olivia asked.

"What was Princeton like for you-or high school too?" he rambled. "I want to hear about everything."

"Everything?" she said, mocking him from earlier.

"Everything," he insisted.

"Last I recall you made student council…" he laughed.

Olivia, Edison, and Fitz continued talking over drinks for another two hours until Edison informed them that they had to wrap up in order to make it to their dinner reservation for Liv.

"This was so great seeing you, Fitz! We'll have to do it again now that we're so close to one another."

"Yeah, I would like that," Fitz said, noticing a grim look on Edison's face, which he cockily smirked back to him. "Have fun on your date you two…I won't keep you."

Edison wrapped his arm around Olivia and started walking out the door with her.

"Oh wait!" Olivia called out and turned back around, quickly going back to the table. She quickly grabbed a napkin that was still there and a pen that she had in her purse.

"What's this?" Fitz asked as she handed him the napkin.

"This is the phone number to my apartment. Right when you find out your schedule for the fall I want you to call me, ok? I have a roommate named Abby, she might pick up. If she does, just tell her you're a friend of mine."

"Okay," Fitz said, giving her a big smile and secretly hoping that he would receive his schedule soon just so he would have the excuse to call her.

"I mean it, Fitz. Right when you find out. I'm already intimidated enough to be starting law school, I would at least appreciate knowing people in my classes prior."

"Aye aye, captain," Fitz said sarcastically, giving Olivia a salute. She rolled her eyes at him and headed out the door back into Edison's arm. Fitz stared at the napkin for a brief moment, trying to digest everything that had just happened.

He had run into Olivia Pope, a girl who wore many hats in his life. She was his neighbor, his ex-girlfriend's little stepsister, but most importantly she became his friend and confidante leading up to his departure. And now for the first time in seven years he was seeing her again as a grown woman. She was always mature for her age, part of the reason Fitz trusted her so much with his secrets and went to her for advice, but now she looked it as well.

Fitz shook the thought quickly from his head. There was no way he was falling for Olivia Pope, the little girl next door who had a crush on him – and just that, a ridiculous childhood crush. She had a serious boyfriend now, and she was happy. Still Fitz couldn't help but want himself to spend more time with her, like in the old days when they would spend every day in summer together, so he neatly folded the napkin and placed it in his pocket.

ooo

Olivia returned home after her date with Edison just before 11pm. Dinner had gone well, and the restaurant that Edison took her too was very nice. Edison invited Olivia to spend the night at his place, but she had told him that she was pretty tired, and wanted to wake up early in order to finish unpacking before the week was over.

She quickly changed out of her dress and took off her make up, taking a quick shower before getting into comfortable pjs and crawling into bed. Just as she was about to close her eyes she heard the telephone going off in the living room. Olivia immediately sprang out of bed, assuming the call was for her, and went to pick it up.

"Hello?"

"Oh Liv, I'm so glad you answered. I wasn't sure if you would be here or at Edison's. I am so sorry for calling so late. It's just been such a busy day today at work, and Marcus and I got held up with something in the office-"

"Mellie, it's ok. You called before midnight, and that's all that's important, right?" Olivia laughed into the phone.

"I guess so," Mellie laughed in agreement. "But happy birthday, Liv!"

"Thank you!"

"So what did you do? Did you hang out with Edison?" Mellie asked genuinely curious. Her and Olivia had gotten much closer as sisters in the last couple of years. Both being in college and then starting adult life had minimized the general age gap between them, forming a true strong friendship that went just beyond their parents marriage to each other. It was for this reason that Olivia felt comfortable sharing her experience today with Mellie.

"It was actually a little crazy," Olivia paused, trying to think how to continue. She tried to speak the next few words in a calm and steady tone to not giveaway too much emotion. "Edison and I spent the day in Central Park, and you're never going to believe this but we ran into Fitz there."

"Fitz, as in Fitzgerald Grant?" Mellie asked sounding shocked.

"Yeah, he uh lives in New York now…he moved here about a month ago," Olivia explained.

"Did you speak to him?" Mellie grew excited. She was actually thrilled to be hearing about this reunion between Fitz and Olivia. She had long known how important Fitz was in Olivia's life. He was the neighbor that gave her a tree house after her birthday was ruined, the friend who fought a kid outside of the movie theater for her, not to mention the hero that saved her dog.

"We did. Edison and I met up with him later in the day for happy hour."

"Liv, I'm glad. That sounds like fun," Mellie said, eager to hear more. "How is he doing?"

"He seems to be doing really well. He came back to the states about four years ago, and then enrolled in college at Stanford. And um…even crazier, but he's in New York because he's starting law school at Columbia also this fall." Olivia felt herself get a little too excited at the last part, and she forced herself to calm down. She had to remember who she was talking to, here. While yes, Mellie was a sister and friend, she was also his ex, and Olivia wasn't going to forget about that.

"Liv! Oh my god," Mellie squealed. "That is so exciting! This has to be fate speaking for the two of you to be together-"

"What?" Olivia quickly cut Mellie off.

"Liv, you've had a crush on Fitz since your 12th birthday," Mellie said flatly, wishing her stepsister could just put pride aside and be honest with herself. It was so abundantly clear to Mellie that she still felt some way about based on how quickly she would change the subject anytime he was brought up since he left for Vietnam. "It's ok if you want to go out with him. You don't need my permission. I don't mind. It was so long ago; we were kids."

"That's not-we-I" Olivia stammered trying to find her words. "I had a crush, but like you said that was so long ago. We're no longer the kids we were in McLean."

"I know I'm just saying…if you ever wanted to," Mellie began. "…now's the time to go for it. Shoot your shot, you know what I mean, Liv."

"Not gonna happen Mellie. That's ridiculous. We're talking about something from seven years ago. And besides, I have Edison."

"I know…but I'm just saying sometimes fate has more of a say in these matters…"

"This sounds like some hippie stuff that you picked up in Ann Arbor," Olivia laughed. She briefly caught up with Mellie on how she and Marcus were doing and ended the call. Falling asleep that night her dreams were filled with memories from her hometown, to a simpler time when it was just Mellie, Fitz, and her, playing in the tree house together.

A/N: Should I be packing instead of publishing this chapter? Maybe... Will I regret taking the time to do this in the morning when things are more stressful and I should be focusing on my move? Probably - but hey that's the life of a procrastinator ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I hope you all enjoy this chapter in the meanwhile. Fitz has now entered the chat! And he's starting to see Olivia a little differently...lots of excitement and drama and cuteness in the mix in the near future.