I'm finally back and on coincidentally on the one year anniversary of me updating this story. I'm already done with the next chapter, so it definitely won't be that long of a wait for the next update! Hope you enjoy and I'm excited to be back! Make sure to read my A/N at the end, I would love the feedback.

Chapter 4: Loose Ends

"Well looks like we won again! You and I both know those idiots didn't deserve the great outcome they got but the client is always right… right?" Abby snarked, walking into the office with two cups of coffee and paperwork in hand.

Olivia groaned. She couldn't tell what was louder, the shrill of Abby's voice when she got temperamental or the clicking of the new glossy Ferragamo heels, she had just bought, obviously still being broken in. Whichever it was, both were too much for Olivia's pounding head, especially so early in the morning. She had gotten home so late last night and was now regretting all of the alcohol she had consumed.

"Woah, well don't you look like hell. Does not mean the date went well or not?" Abby said, putting her things down on the long desk before going over to sit in one of the chairs near her ailing best friend.

This question was just followed by another groan. Olivia sighed deeply before bringing her head up from the cool wood desk where it had been lying for the past twenty-five minutes.

"Before I tell you anything, absolutely no yelling. My head or heart at this moment can't take it." Olivia breathed out, trying to get control of the relentless thrashing going on in her head.

Abby gave her a bewildered look. She was now growing more and more concerned. Olivia was never hungover. Sure, she drank her fair share of wine but that only made her sleepy at times when she drank a little more, but she was never hungover.

"You're worrying me now. Did the date not go over well?"

"With Wesley? No. It did not, I don't even think I can even call it a date with the amount of time we spent together last night. With Fitz? Yes. I had a lovely time but again, not so sure I can constitute this one as date considering his daughter was present." Olivia answered slowly. She held her head firmly, hoping somehow it would brace her for what she knew was about to come.

"I'm sorry, come again!" Abby shrieked.

"Nope, that's it. We're done with this conversation until I can handle your Godawful noises and judgment. I just said I cannot take it right now." Olivia reprimanded, as she hoisted herself out of the chair she had been sitting in.

She walked over to the steaming hot cups Abby had laid at the end table earlier.

"Which one is mine?" She said while picking up both cups looking for the barista-made pen marking to direct her.

Abby still had her mouth agape, still trying to take in and process the tidbit but crazy information that was just presented to her as if it was normal or supposed to make any type of sense.

She finally was snapped out of all of her thoughts, by a popping a sound. She hadn't answered, so Olivia had just resorted to taking both tops off and smelling each cup to figure it out which one belonged to her.

Abby stayed seated, as Liv made her way back to her chair, stirring her drink.

"I will not make any more loud sounds, though I can't promise anything when it comes to the passing judgment part. I cannot wait for this hangover to subside, I need details and I need them now. What the hell happened last night?" Abby asked firmly. Sure, she was beyond curious but utterly confused as well.

"Honestly your guess is as good as mine. I was there but I wasn't. Last night was a daze while I was living it and even more now while I'm trying to figure it out." Olivia started. She took another sip of her hot coffee. She honestly as perplexed with herself and her night as Abby was.

"Wesley picked me up last night, we had a fine ride to the restaurant. I was nervous but I was looking to have a good time. I don't know… I did like him when we met but when he arrived at my door, it felt all wrong." Abby listened closely, making sure to take in every detail in hopes to be able to piece this story together if she had to.

"We made it to the restaurant, which is beautiful by the way, we have to go. It's like a ski resort, so cozy and elegant. The waitstaff were the nicest people, they take their jobs very seriously. The food is spectacular, and oh! The wine! The wine was even bet…"

"Liv!" Abby raised her voice a little. She made sure to keep any bass out of her voice and tried to keep the shrieking sound to a minimum as she had just promised. Olivia always did this, she gets so caught up in the most minuscule of details to try to distract from the story or information at hand.

"Sorry… Sorry." Liv shook her head, knowing what she was doing as well.

"Anyway, we were on our way to the booths and all of sudden Karen Grant is calling my name."

"You're kidding! I'm surprised she said hello. I thought she despised you."

"Well she did and for good reason but to my understanding, Mellie has moved on. I knew she moved back to California in hopes of winning mayor but it sounds like she met someone along the way."

"There really is someone for everyone. Even a psycho Ex-FLOTUS." Abby laughed out. Although, if she had to admit, she had always admired Mellie's zeal for what she wanted. No doubt about it she was off her rocker but she had great respect for the hustle.

Olivia laughed with her, however, she was happy Mellie had found someone great. While she knew Fitz and her marriage wasn't the strongest, she had still felt awful because it wasn't her place to get in between. Now two years later it seemed to work out in everyone's favors.

'Dare she say even her own?' Olivia kept thinking.

"After greeting Karen, Fitz appeared while Wesley disappeared. It all happened so quickly. Fitz and I began talking a bit and before I know it, Wes is leaving out of the entrance." Olivia sighed deeply, regretting that part of the night.

Now that she thought about it, she was surprised he would ditch her like that but being caught up in the moment she was there with Fitz and really didn't think much of it or let it bother her.

"You mean he just left you? Without saying goodbye or asking what was going on?" Abby was shocked. She knew how Liv and Fitz were, they were probably making googly eggs with each other as soon as they made eyes but still. She thought he would at least assess the situation and not leave her stranded.

"He just took off. No explanation, no goodbye, not anything." Olivia shrugged. She hadn't been upset with him until now. She began thinking about it and couldn't believe he would do that. At the same time though, her attitude and transparent sullen demeanor probably ruined the mood as well. She would at least call and apologize.

"What a jackass," Abby muttered.

"Well, what happened next? You sat down with Fitz and Karen I assume."

"Yes, they invited me to sit. I was just going to order a ride but they insisted."

"Oh right, like you really needed any convincing," Abby responded, giving her best friend a pointed look.

Olivia chuckled, "Yes, I did actually. I didn't want to intrude and for God's sake, I haven't seen the man in over two years. I was almost afraid we wouldn't have the same connection, for a lack of a better word."

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"The same connection. Did you have it?"

"We didn't miss a beat," Olivia said as she smiled down at her drink. She picked up her stirrer once again and started fidgeting with it.

Abby smiled back at her. She knew that look. Two years later, it does seem like it's meant to be.

"So, maybe Wesley the ass had his purpose." Abby shrugged. Ever since moving with Liv, she did believe everything did happen for a reason and at the time it was supposed to happen.

"Yeah, maybe but I still feel bad. He asked me out and was obviously looking forward to it. I don't want to think of him as a pawn." That's the exact behavior Liv wanted to move on from when they left D.C.

Olivia was now conflicted. Sure, she was ecstatic that there was now a possibility to reunite with Fitz but she did feel terrible that once again she had to put someone else down to do it.

"At this point, I don't think you owe him anything." While Abby did understand where Olivia was coming from, it wasn't like she and the Gettysburger man were in a committed relationship. He didn't take the time to figure things out, so why should she have to be the one to dwell.

What Abby really wanted was for Liv to just be happy. They have been great, the two of them since moving North but something was still missing and she could see it. Fitz was missing piece, she was sure of it.

"I want to start fresh with him if we do begin this again. No loose ends. Maybe I'll give Weseley a call. If he doesn't pick up, then I can say I tried."

Abby nodded in agreement before finishing up her beverage.

XXXXX

Olivia couldn't keep herself from pacing. Surprisingly not from the cold but from nervous butterflies. Unfortunately for her, not the kind from being in love but the soon to be confrontational kind.

Liv had called Wes and asked him to meet her briefly to talk things through. He didn't end up picking up, so she left him a voice mail and sent a text as well. She was met with a curt response that he didn't have time to sit but could meet her for a quick chat at the benches in front of the bakery. She took what she could get and they agreed to a good time to meet mid-afternoon.

Fifteen minutes passed by and she began to think he would be standing her up. She hadn't realized he was that upset with her, sure she wasn't the perkiest at the beginning of what was supposed to be their date but she wasn't rude. If anything she should've been the one on the fence today about the meeting but here she is, on time and waiting for the man who left her all of sudden.

Looking down at her watch once more, she decided to pull out her phone to text him one more time to figure out if he would be showing up or not. She told herself if she didn't get a response almost immediately, she would be leaving. She had already gone into the shop bought herself a tea, drank it and finished a pound cake slice with it. This was beginning to be a waste of time. Before she could even pull up his contact, she could heavy footsteps approaching behind her.

Liv turned around to see Wesley, dressed very similarly like the first time they met. Only this time had all the winter accouterments; hat, gloves, scarf. Things would've worn had she known she'd be waiting.

"Hello." His deep voice rang out as he pulled the scarf down pass his mouth.

Olivia gave him a polite smile and waved.

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up." She said. "Would you like to go in and get warm?"

"No, I can't stay as I said. I have evening plans I have to get to. You called this little meeting. What is it you wanted." Wes responded brusquely.

Olivia tilted her head a bit in shock. The nerve of this man.

"Yes, I did call this 'little meeting' as you said. I just wanted to apologize for my part in having the evening go sour but also ask you why you left and didn't feel the need to say goodbye or anything really." She was trying to stay polite but he was going to make this a lot harder than it needed to be; she could already tell.

"You know when I struck up a conversation with you in line, I thought there was something oddly familiar about you. I knew I didn't know you personally but thought I had seen you somewhere. I assumed a pretty girl like you had a memorable face. We probably crossed paths considering it is such a small town." As Wesley continued to talk, Olivia didn't know where this was going but knew she wasn't going to like it, she felt it.

"But imagine my surprise when we go to dinner, a dinner that I was very excited about, by the way, an excitement that you quite apparently did match." Wesley chuckled darkly before moving on.

"Imagine my surprise when I not only see the former first daughter, the former President of the United States but crazily enough standing beside me; while I had already met her, I clearly didn't know her; Olivia Pope, the infamous mistress of President Grant, who sent the nation into a Bill and Monica tizzy." Olivia squinted her eyes at the comparison.

Also known as the woman I previously thought had some sort of values and morals but was so beyond wrong about." Wesley finished up with an evident look of disgust.

The sweet man she met at her favorite burger restaurant, the one whom she flirted with and he paid for her meal was now unrecognizable in front of her. The same man was now looking at her in absolute repulse and basically calling her what she had been called many times over again: a whore.

"So, that's why you left…" Olivia whispered. She didn't know what else to say. How was she supposed to respond, she wasn't going to waste her breath trying to change his mind.

"You say that like it wasn't a good enough reason. Forget about the fact of who you decided to have your affair with, it's enough you had one at all. I've been cheated on before and I'll be damned if I let it happen again." He sputtered out angrily.

"If President Grant is what you want, then I'm sure he's what you'll get. You don't strike me as a woman who lets what she wants out of her line of sight so easily." Once again dishing out another dig.

The old Olivia would have slit this man a new one by now but the new and improved Liv couldn't be bothered. His words stung no doubt but she knew the truth and how she handled herself. Some of it was justified and worth it and somethings she would do anything to take back. One thing Olivia wasn't going to do was let some random man she thought was a nice guy make her question herself and feel bad about something she now couldn't change.

With that in mind, Liv picked her purse, threw away the wax paper that once held her pound cake and made her way back to her car. She left Wesley standing there as he did her the other night. No goodbye, no care and sure as hell, not an explanation.

XXXXX

Back at her apartment, Olivia lounged her couch with a tall glass of the Blackberry Merlot Cyrus had sent her by mail a while back. He and his husband James spent two weeks in Napa for their anniversary that past summer. She was so happy for them that they were celebrating another year of marriage but was even more so for their trip and Cyrus thinking of her, selfishly. Her favorite brands were almost always because of him.

Olivia had a lot of time to think since leaving Wesley in front of the bakery earlier. A lot of what he said was unkind and a bit gutting, but she knew some parts had truth behind it. Although, he would never know the full story or the full extent of the emotions at play and he never would. He didn't say anything worse then what media outlets had from the day the story broke. One thing he said in between insulting her did strike a chord with her though.

"If President Grant is what you want, then I'm sure he's what you'll get." His words kept repeating themselves in her head.

"If Fitz is what I want, then Fitz is what I'll get." Olivia smiled. She smiled harder than she had in a long time. Fitz was exactly who she wanted, she just hoped he wanted her too.

This chapter was just a filler. Believe me, when I say it was awful to write, I know it's not the best. I'm looking forward to what's up next though. Next chapter or the one following could include smut. Are readers interested in that? I won't write it in if not. Let me know in the review section!

As always please leave me a review or PM me if you have any questions or feedback. Until next time! Xx