Hey guys & gals! This is Jayismz from Twitter, and I am here to present you with a new chapter of LAY. With Muses being one of my best friends and inspirations for my own passion for writing, she has allowed me to write an ENTIRE chapter for you all (with her finishing touches of course) after us constantly going back and forth about me writing FF lol. I'm super grateful for the opportunity and I hope you all enjoy this as much as we do, and after this if you want to read more of my work you can follow me on Twitter and click the link in my bio or copy and paste the link below. And who knows, you might see an FF appear from me one day ;). So, without further ado, ENJOY THE CHAPTER!
Link to 'NOVA': my. /pavQJqM6gV
Previously:
He pours himself a cup of coffee and takes a tongue burning sip.
"Hello, Fitz." Amber walks into the kitchen
He turns to look at Amber who walks in the room proudly, but he doesn't respond.
"You aren't going to speak?"
"Hello, Amber." He goes back to eating his bagel.
"What are you doing?"
He lifts his plate up.
She walks to Fitz, taking a good look at him, she pulls out his necklace.
"Why aren't you wearing your ring?"
He takes the necklace from her hands and places it back inside his shirt.
"Can I help you, Amber?"
"Why aren't you wearing your ring?"
"Cause it's too small." He lies
She attempts to take the necklace, but Fitz grabs her hands.
"You're lying." She pulls her hand away.
"What do you want?" he's annoyed and more than that he's angry. He has to find this girl and the last thing he wants to do is talk to someone who's a part of the problem.
"You're fucking, Olivia."
He throws the plate on the counter harshly, but it doesn't break.
"I thought I made myself clear about saying such accusations like that."
Her head rises "it's not an accusation if it's the truth."
His eyes squint tightly "oh really? How is that?"
"I saw you two together, today."
"You saw what?" He feigns ignorance
She hands him her phone, and he watches him, and Olivia hug one another.
"That's not proof of anything, that's me hugging a coworker who just found out some bad news."
Amber challenges Fitz "that's not true. I think you two are dating and I think you hide that ring because it's Olivia's…. what if I tell Daniel about that ring would he be curious?"
"Go right ahead."
Amber smirks at Fitz "Be careful Fitz, things are starting to get to pretty messy around here."
He grabs her arm "what are you after?"
Her eyes soften slightly before looking at Fitz openly and clearly "I think we both know what it is that I want."
"You can't have me."
"Then neither will she."
X
It's crowded. The bar they once loved was now overrun with an annoying younger crowd begging for validation. The music choice is horrid and displeasing to the ears, but the majority seems to like it.
With vexation etched on their faces, Abby, and Stephen silently judge everyone while Quinn's shoulders move to the beat of the music being that she's a fan of the pop-rock blasting through the speakers.
It wasn't until Abby and Stephen fixated their indifferent yet soft gazes upon her when she realized she was in her own world and not in any way sitting in silent judgment like the others.
Caught like a deer in headlights, she clears her throat and exhales.
"Don't tell me you guys never heard of this song."
Abby and Stephen look at one another then back at Quinn.
"No." They say simultaneously.
"You're living under a rock." She chuckles, taking a small sip of her half empty bottle of beer. "You need to get out more."
Stephen scoffs. "And you need to not blend in with these... these-"
"Kids." Abby chimes in.
"Yes! Kids." His head moves in an almost indistinguishable nod. "You are no longer a part of that crowd anymore, Quinn. You're a part of the older, more seasoned crowd now."
"Older?" Abby questions, glancing over at him with a raised brow.
"Seasoned?" Quinn chuckles. "That's not disrespectful." The sarcasm clear in her voice.
"Stephen's just upset because his heart was broken by some young... bimbo." Abby quips.
Stephen glances over at Abby, wincing at her comment while Quinn downs the rest of her beer in awkwardness.
"That was a low blow, Abby." He smiles, leaning over the bar counter. "I'm impressed. However, she wasn't a bimbo she was just-"
"Lacking the proper intellect to have a decent conversation that wasn't about her body or hair? Yeah. I know." Abby chuckles, playfully smacking Stephen on the arm.
"Ouch." He laughs.
"So, you guys... let's get serious for a moment." Quinn says, crossing her legs attracting both Abby and Stephen's attention. "Does anyone think it's weird that we're here? I mean it's not necessarily the best place I would've chose for a meeting."
"According to Olivia, this is the best place for a meeting due to the circumstances I know nothing about." Abby says.
"Yeah, and this is normal for Fitz. He and I used to come to places like this all the time." Stephen adds. "I used to get so much-"
"Enough!" Quinn and Abby exclaim simultaneously, laughing shortly afterwards.
"Fine. I'll save my stories for another day." He laughs. "So, does anyone know why we're here? I mean the details are very scarce."
"No, I was just told to be here at a specific time." Quinn answers.
"Same here." Abby adds. "You know Olivia speaks a little as possible."
"Fitz too, strangely." Stephen nods, taking a sip of his wine. "Speaking of Olivia and Fitz... where the hell are they?"
/
Outside of the bar parked directly across the street, Olivia and Fitz sit in awkward silence. Both of their minds are filled with the respective stresses from their jobs clouding the words they want to speak. Fitz turns to Olivia, watching her aimless stare out the window; his mouth opens to speak but nothing comes out. He turns around frustrated with his inability to tell Olivia of his troubles. The flashing yellow lights signal for the drivers to yield with caution, and Fitz watches with amazement with how few do. He ponders, the strength of his own conviction, can he muster the strength to finally and definitively take down his father and Daniel, yet nothing penetrates his heart the way Olivia does, if this all were to crumble could he still save her or look after her?
Olivia could feel eyes burning through her coat, the uncomfortable sensation of being observed so intimately, she is frozen at this moment. Olivia has always been three steps ahead, forever calculating the several moves of her opponent but in this very moment she is at a loss with what to do with this case. The case that has unleashed Pandora's box. She's entangled in the web of deceit, destruction and chaos thanks to Daniel, and now with Fitz center stage she has no choice but to resume her role and become smarter than her enemies. With the overwhelming information she and Fitz have uncovered, she is worried but not for her safety but his.
They both have their drawbacks about the entire plan, both regretting even going down this dark road, but there's a small window of hope. Small enough to give them the strength to do what's right.
They have each other.
Shifting in her seat, Olivia fixes the collar of her midnight blue blazer attracting Fitz's attention.
"You okay?" He asks, brows furrowed as he places a hand gently on her thigh.
"I'm fine." She answers quickly, not looking at him. She can feel him watching her as she adjusts herself, waiting for her to falter even just a little, and she does. "I'm not fine." She admits, releasing the breath stuck in her throat. "This is insane, Fitz." She finally looks at him.
Fitz exhales softly. "I know, Liv. I-"
"Are you sure you want to do this?" She cuts him off. "Because once this gets out, once Jerry and Daniel catch wind of what we're doing... we're not getting out. Not together. They will destroy us." She motions a finger between them. "That's reality, Fitz."
Her words go straight to his heart, slowly breaking him down. He knows she's right. This path they have chosen will only lead to more people hurting, more people losing themselves in this adept game of catch the criminals.
He wants to stop, to save himself and the woman he loves from becoming consumed with darkness, but he also wants justice as does she. And although her words are a painful reminder of what could be, he knows without a shadow of doubt that they will overcome the obstacles set before them. To move on with his life, he must take Jerry and Daniel down so that the world can rest a little more peacefully.
With a pained smile upon his face, he takes her hand in his. "I'm sure I want to do this, Liv. I know it's a long shot and a million things could go wrong, but I can't allow them to get away with this... we can't allow them to get away with this."
"I get that, Fitz, I do, but I'm sure your father has ties everywhere. We won't be able to get any kind of leverage. It'll be suicide. And with you working with him again..." she looks away, thinking of the harsh reality. "You won't be the one to make it out."
"Liv."
"He will corrupt you just like he does everything and everyone else."
"He won't. Because I won't allow him to."
"You worked for him before, you know him." She glances over at him. "Who's to say he won't succeed this time?"
"I'm to say." He exhales, placing a hand on her face. "I'm done letting my father control me and my life." He assures. "I promise you, Liv, he won't win. He can't."
"Why can't he? Give me one good reasoning as to why."
"Because I have you." He smiles. "I have an amazing woman that loves me, an amazing woman that stands up for what's right no matter what the odds are, and an amazing woman that gives me hope every single day. You are that woman, Liv. Jerry and Daniel are monsters surrounded by monsters, but me... I'm surround by the light... your light, and no matter what happens... you won't lose me."
Tears well in her eyes. Overwhelmed with emotions she leans in and kisses him hoping he would understand the words she couldn't speak. For the first time, she was scared, but somehow, he removes that fear filling her mind and body with the strength she desires.
"We're in this together, Olivia Pope." He whispers against her lips, hands cupping her face. "Never forget that."
A soft smile spreads across her face, her brown orbs fixated on his cerulean ones.
"We're in this together."
She wipes the crack of his lip and smiles at him "I wouldn't want you, if…" she stops talking at the feel of his lips caressing hers.
"I got you and you got me, and that's all we need."
He kisses her once more before getting out of the car leaving her with a warm smile upon her face as she fixes herself up once more. Proceeding to the passenger side, he opens the door and helps her out of the car closing the door behind her.
With a smug grin upon his face, he takes her hand in his and together they proceed into the bar. Upon entry, they notice Abby, Stephen and Quinn at the bar and make their way over to them.
"Liv, Fitz. Glad you could make it." Stephen says excitedly. "We got you both a drink although, it's not that good."
Quinn chuckles. "The beer happens to be delightful if you drink that kind of stuff."
"We're fine." Fitz smiles as does Olivia. "Thank you for waiting." He says, a tone of sincerity in his voice.
"Everything okay?" Abby asks, attempting to gauge Fitz's and Olivia's mood. "We didn't think you'd-"
"Everything is fine." Olivia assures, folding her arms tightly across her chest imperceptibly wincing at the location although she chose it. "Thank you all for coming. We don't have a lot of time, so I want to make this crystal clear. What we are about to present to you can ruin every one of our careers if not handled with precision. I don't expect any of you to agree to this, but I don't have many people I trust and neither does Fitz."
"Does this have anything to do with the case you're working on, Liv?" Abby asks.
"The case is what triggered this impromptu meeting... as well as Fitz's arrival at the firm."
"So, what is it that you need us for?" Quinn asks.
"My brother Daniel and my father Jerry have done some unspeakable things since they started doing business together." Fitz informs.
"Unspeakable things like what?" Abby asks, watching the disgust wash over Fitz and Olivia.
"Sex trafficking." Olivia answers causing the others besides Fitz to look at each other in shock. "Since the firm was built, women have gone missing, and some ended up dead. The reason no one knows about this is because Fitz's father and Daniel are covering it up."
"Which is why we called you here." Fitz adds. "I don't want this to go on any longer. I despise the man that my father is... Daniel too. So many families are torn apart and so many lives are lost because of him and his subordinates abusing their power, and I want to put a stop to it."
Olivia continues. "I know it sounds crazy, but-"
"You're right, it does sound crazy." Abby says, brows furrowed as she moves to her feet. "But I believe you. Things have been a bit peculiar."
Stephen scoffs. "There's no way we're going to be able to take down the epitome of power. It's just not realistic." He downs the rest of his wine. "With that being said, I love a challenge. What do you need?"
"I need to know if you're in first, Quinn." Olivia says, glancing over at her. "This can get messy, and I completely understand if you choose to opt out."
All eyes fixate on Quinn who takes a moment before speaking.
"Why's everyone looking at me? Of course, I'm in. Seeing power hungry men go down while saving our fellow women was enough to intrigue me."
"Perfect." Olivia smiles, reaching into her purse retrieving a manila envelope. "We have to take care of this first."
Abby grabs the envelop and opens it, pulling out a picture of a beautiful black woman.
"Who is she?" She asks as Quinn and Stephen crowd around her.
"Faith Jones." Fitz answers.
"She has gone missing, I suspect. Which is not like her." Olivia says. "No call, no notice. Nothing. Just off the radar as if she never existed."
"Which is not like her." Olivia adds shaking her head empathically
"How do you know her?"
"She was my witness and collaborator, for Jerry's sex trafficking scandal, she works at the hotel under the disguise as an employee but she's a victim of sex trafficking and a prostitution ring that has Jerry and Hollis leading the reigns."
"You think something happened to her?"
Olivia nods. "My gut is telling me that, yes."
"Have you tried tracking her phone?" Stephen asks.
"I have someone helping me with that."
Right on cue, Huck slowly walks into the bar looking just as wrangled as he was when Olivia first met him keeping his head low. When he closes in on the group Fitz steps in front of her while the others watch from behind.
"Fitz, it's okay." She places a hand on his back. "I asked him to come." She moves from behind Fitz and walks over to Huck.
"It's okay." She smiles. "Thank you for coming."
"Anything for you." He looks up at her.
Her gaze narrows at his words, becoming lost in them for a slight moment. "Everyone." She clears her throat. "This is Huck. Huck, this is Fitz, Abby, Stephen, and Quinn. We're all working together. Is that okay with you?"
"Yes." He answers plainly.
"Okay." She turns to face the group although Fitz's gaze remains planted on Huck. "Now that we're all here we need a plan of action. Huck is already tracking Faith's number."
"What?" Fitz turns to her, confusion etched on his face.
Olivia ignores him. "Any other ideas?"
"I can have my contacts in the NYPD see if they have any leads or information that could be useful. Better if someone has reported her missing" Stephen suggests.
"Perfect. You do that. The rest of us will meet at my apartment."
"Be safe. I'll be in touch." Stephen says, making his exit while the others follow behind, Fitz walking closely to Olivia while Abby, Huck and Quinn trail back sensing the obvious tension.
"Olivia, where did you meet... him?" Fitz asks, the irritation clear in his voice as he opens the door for her.
"The subway."
"The subway?" He winces. "You mean he isn't the subway?"
"Be nice, Fitz."
"Liv, you can't just pick up strays no matter how cute they are." He whispers, glancing back at Huck then at her. "Why is he homeless?" He asks, grabbing his car keys from his coat pocket.
Olivia sighs softly. "He's a trained assassin from a top government spy agency."
Fitz looks at her completely bewildered, remaining silent waiting for her to say she was kidding, but she didn't.
"He's harmless." She assures, glancing up at him as the others walk outside. "You need to get back to work."
"Absolutely not, I'm coming with you."
"That will draw attention, Fitz. You're smarter than that." She smiles, fixing his tie. "You go to work, and when you're done come to the apartment. The rest of us have this under control right now, okay?"
He takes a moment, glancing over at Huck standing next to Abby and Quinn then back at Olivia heaving a soft sigh.
"Fine, but if you need me. Call me."
"I will. Now go."
He kisses her goodbye and waves to the others as he proceeds to his car and drives away.
"I'm guessing Fitz isn't okay with this?" Quinn asks, walking up to Olivia, car keys in hand.
"Fitz is just being well... Fitz." She chuckles, nodding her head in the direction of Quinn's car as they all head towards it.
"I hope he's ready for this." Abby says, glancing over at Olivia.
"I hope so too." Olivia nods as they all get into Quinn's car, making way to Olivia's apartment.
/
Hundreds maybe even thousands of unsolved cases sit in a box on the living room table in Olivia's apartment regarding women disappearing or winding up dead without a trace.
Her, Quinn, and Abby sit on the couch eyeing the box in silence, timorous about the jarring reality that they could be in the same predicament, gutted that men could get away with such horrendous crimes.
"So, are we going to open it?" Quinn asks.
Olivia is so lost in thought she didn't hear Quinn's question.
"Liv?"
"Yeah?" She looks at Quinn.
"Are you okay?"
"Do we mean so little?" She asks in a whisper.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean... being a woman in society leads to horrible situations, and no one bats an eye, but if it were a man missing every news outlet would be reporting on these crimes." She moves to her feet, beginning to pace back and forth. "We are at the bottom of the totem pole, and this box of unsolved cases regarding missing or dead women proves that."
Abby exhales softly. "Liv, I get you're scared but this is-"
"I am scared!" She exclaims. "We should be scared! Men can treat us however they want, disrespect us however they want, and we're supposed to sit in silence and allow the mistreatment to continue because in this world... we mean nothing! So yes, I am scared Abby, but you know what else I am?"
"Angry?" Her brows furrow.
"Hurt?" Quinn asks.
"Powerful! I am powerful. We... are powerful." She stops pacing and folds her arms across her chest. "We're smart, we're strong, we're everything those monsters don't want us to be, and that's exactly why they do what they do."
"I think you're right Liv." Quinn nods in agreement. "Think about it. Yeah, they can easily grab someone off the street, but it's not challenging enough for them. They want to feel in control."
"And the only way they get that sadistic rush is if they feel like they're taking everything they can from us." Abby adds. "Men don't want to compete with women, nor do they want women in power so the next best thing to do is to weaken them using unconventional methods while we pay the price."
"Exactly!" Olivia smiles. "That box is a reality we must deal with, but it doesn't have to be our reality forever. Not only will the case against Jerry and Daniel save the women and men they may have in their possession. It'll also shines the light on this disgusting act and allow everyone to come forward and tell their stories."
"Which can lead to men with no backbone being exposed for the spineless bastards they are." Quinn says, moving to her feet.
"Looks like we better get started." Abby smiles, moving to her feet. "I'll go see if Huck has any leads. He hasn't been out of the bathroom in hours."
"Okay." Olivia nods as Abby makes her way.
"What should I do?"
"You and I will go through this box until we-"
A knock is heard at the door which attracts both Olivia's and Quinn's attention. Quickly Olivia walks over and opens the door to find Stephen waiting patiently.
"Come in." She moves out of the way.
"Sorry I'm late." He says walking inside. "What started as a conversation to get information turned into me signing myself up for rugby this weekend however, I did ask around and I'm sorry Liv, there have been zero reports of missing people."
Olivia scoffs. "None?"
"None."
"Something is not right here. Not one person reported her missing. How is that possible? This doesn't make any sense, Stephen."
"I agree. I'm not saying you're wrong, but I got nothing. I'm sorry. Maybe she's not missing"
Olivia stares off in deep concentration "or maybe we just aren't looking hard enough."
"She works at the hotel, right?" Quinn asks.
"Yes, as a cover up." Olivia glances over at her.
"Why don't you have Fitz check her timestamp for when she last came to work? It could give us a starting point."
Olivia nods. "That's a good idea. I'll have Fitz inquire and pay a visit to the hotel..."
"In the meantime, is there anything else we can do?" Quinn asks.
"Huck found something." Abby says walking hastily from the bathroom, waving a piece of paper in the air. "After tracing her phone, he found her last known location."
Olivia looks at everyone before taking the paper. "This is her home address."
"So, all we have to do is go to her house and see what we can find." Quinn says.
Olivia reverts her attention to Quinn. "Quinn, we can't just-"
"I think it's a good idea, Liv." Abby interrupts. "You wanted answers, well now we got something."
Olivia heaves a sigh of indifference before nodding in agreement. "Okay, let's do it. Stephen, you want to come with us?"
"Nah, not in the mood for breaking the law today. I'll stay here and keep Huck company. Maybe look through these files and see if I can find something."
"Okay, Abby, Quinn and I will go." Olivia walks over to the couch, grabbing her black Prada bag. "If you find anything don't hesitate to call, oh and be nice to Huck."
"I'll treat him as if he were my own flesh and blood." He smiles.
"Perfect. All cylinders, people. Let's go!" She proceeds out of her apartment with Abby and Quinn following suit leaving Stephen to keep watch.
/
He's sitting in the kitchen, a lukewarm coffee in front of him, his mind running a million miles a minute as he tries to piece together the details of these missing women all while questioning his ability to keep Olivia safe.
With Amber constantly on his heels and Daniel surely is close to finding out, he feels the walls closing in on him as he tries desperately to keep them from crushing him.
"Hello again, Fitz." Amber walks into the kitchen. "You don't look too good."
He doesn't even bother looking up to acknowledge her presence instead, he sips his tepid coffee.
"What do you want, Amber? Why are you so adamant on speaking to me?"
"Because I like you, because you make my cold heart thaw just a little as a reminder" She smiles at him softly.
"Reminder of what?" He took the bait.
"Of what it feels like to feel." She whispers
"I've been numb for so long, the things I've done and had done to me. It would make any sane person crazy and I partially am."
He looks at her, truly looks at her "what happened to you?"
Her eyes falter, her untouchable armor scuffed. "You tell me?"
"I don't know." He answers honestly "You weren't like this."
"Maybe, I'm mad." Amber shrugs sitting down across from Fitz.
"Mad about what?"
"You."
"You're insane." He scoffs, shifting in his seat to face the refrigerator across the room. "I'm mad." He answers strongly but softly.
"You left me Fitz to fend for myself. You have no idea what those monsters did to me."
"I would have never tried to save someone who isn't worth saving."
He hurt her, she sits back in the chair, feeling the emotional punch of his words shooting through her and rendering her speechless.
"I won't leave you alone until you give me what I want." She shrugs imperceptibly, moving closer to him. "I didn't come to New York to be a bad person, I wanted to be lawyer, but Jerry had other plans for me."
"And you were fine with that."
"Of course not." Amber scuffs "but what other choice did I have, go back to the Midwest and have babies?" She rolls her eyes with disdain.
He's repulsed by her statement.
"I'm not entirely bad, Fitz."
And he sees that; he sees the young girl he met all those years ago for a split second and just like that she's gone.
"But I'm also not entirely good either."
He sighs heavily, glancing at her from his peripheral vision and notices Daniel down the hall.
"You can't have me. I told you this before."
"Why not?"
"I don't love you. I hate you." He looks in her eyes as he tells her everything she didn't want to hear.
"That's too bad." She chuckles, folding her arms on the table. Her armor, fully intact "You're only putting Olivia-"
"Why are you interested in Olivia? I'm not with her and I will never be with you." He says harshly.
"I know you, Fitz. You are a good liar, but I see you unlike the rest of these people. And when it comes to me getting what I want, I never lose. Olivia, is going to be in danger if this game we are playing continues."
"Don't mention her name again." He growls with such venom, Amber becomes slightly startled.
"Or what, Fitz?" She questions. "What exactly are you going to do? Because if anything you'll be the one to reap what you sow. You're working for your father, fucking your brother's ex-girlfriend and still somehow you think you're above the fray." She chuckles. "You're not. You're just like us."
"I am nothing like you or anyone else for that matter." His gaze drifts to her and then Daniel who's engaging in conversation with someone, but still trying to eavesdrop. "You are a bunch of cowardice monsters, hiding behind Jerry."
"And you're not?" She scoffs. "You claim to be so holier than thou, but deep down inside you want his approval just as much as we do. The only difference is... we accept that. You don't." She laughs. "You can't be a monster, and a monster slayer, Fitz. Reality doesn't work that way."
He glances at her, eyes piercing. "What are you talking about?" He asks, although he understands what she means.
"Sooner or later, you'll see that you're just like us and when that happens... you'll lose everything."
A soul crushing chill runs down his spine. Perspiration began to form; his heart began to beat out of his chest.
"I don't take threats kindly; Amber."
She smiles at him "it's a promise, not a threat."
"If you give me what I want... I'll keep your little secret about Olivia sealed between my lips." She tucks her lip in between her teeth,
His eyes narrow with anger as he grabs Amber's hand tightly causing her to wince from the pain. "I'll kill you before I ever touch you again."
"But she wouldn't want you then."
He throws her hand "I'm warning you, Amber." He moves to walk away but feels Amber grabbing his hand with equal strength.
"Fuck me how you fuck, Olivia and I will leave you and her alone."
"You really like being used, don't you?"
"No. But I know that at the end of day that nobody else will want you. This place is not for the weak, Fitz. If you stay here as I suspect you will you will be just like us. Olivia, won't want you if you are like them, which leaves you with me." She lets his hand go, but he's frozen to the spot
He watches with no reaction, wanting to do nothing but shout at the top of his lungs to get her to stop but with Daniel watching he didn't want to make a scene. His blood is boiling, he feels faint. His fear of losing himself and Olivia is coming to the forefront and it's almost inescapable.
"Don't underestimate me." He warns.
She sits up straight, folding her arms on the table "We'll see."
Before Fitz could speak, she was already gone talking to Daniel.
"What's going on with him? What did you say?" Daniel asks, glancing at Fitz who remains still in the kitchen watching them. "He looks like he seen a ghost."
"Maybe he has." She smiles. "I just let him know that things won't be easy now that he's back, and he has to have the balls to make the decisions we make."
"Good. Do you think he'll crack?"
"He already has, but I have another plan in motion that'll put the nail in his coffin." She smiles, fixing Daniel's tie.
"You are a wicked woman. Jerry was right to have you on board." He smiles, gazing into her eyes.
"He'll be leaving soon enough."
But Amber gazes at Fitz who stares out the window "I don't think so. He's stronger now, but he's still sensitive and well, he's Fitz."
"I don't want him here. I want him gone."
Amber nods her head in agreement "of course. You'll get what you want."
"And what about you?" Daniel turns to Amber
"I always get what I want."
/
"Are you sure you know how to do this, Quinn? I don't want to end up in jail for breaking and entering." Olivia says as she walks alongside Quinn and Abby towards Faith's apartment.
"I'm sure, relax Liv. Besides, we'll only go to jail if we get caught."
"That's not comforting." Abby says quickly.
Quinn smiles as she walks up to the door, pulling out a lock pick and a torque wrench from her jacket pocket. While Olivia and Abby keep watch, Quinn begins to work on picking the lock to the door.
She hears a click, and opens it placing her tools back in her pocket.
"See, told you I was sure."
Olivia smiles as she walks into the apartment with Abby and Quinn following, the latter closing the door behind them.
"So, what are we looking for, Liv?" Abby asks.
"Phone, laptop. Anything that could lead us closer to Faith." Olivia answers as she walks cautiously around the living room. "Quinn you take the bedrooms and bathroom, Abby you and I will search out here."
"On it." Quinn says disappearing into one of the bedrooms while Abby and Olivia search the living room.
It's pristine. No signs of damage or forced entry. There are pictures of Faith alone but no pictures of a family or a life, though her artwork and paintings were perfectly placed throughout her apartment. Her apartment is on the upper east side of town, looks exactly like the magazine tutorials on apartments, but it lacks color, life. There's no sign of a phone or a laptop. Nothing to say forced entry.
Abby ducks off into the kitchen, searching through the cabinets. But nothing is out of the ordinary.
"It's clean, Liv." Abby walks back into the living room to see Olivia gazing out of the window.
"Bedrooms and bathroom are clean too. Nothing." Quinn walks into the living room. "So, what do we do now?"
"She was here." Olivia whispers. "I know she was here."
"You don't think someone made it here before us to clean up the place, do you?" Quinn asks as she looks around the living room.
"That's the only logical answer." She turns to face them. "This place is too pretty, and coincidentally her laptop and phone are taken."
"Were you emailing her?"
"No, burner phone. Which I have yet to find."
"Without any proof this won't end well, Liv." Abby says. "If only we could have an exact time regarding-"
And that's when it clicks. "Time."
Abby and Quinn glance at each other then back at Olivia.
"Time." She sets her Prada purse back down on the couch, grabbing her phone out and dialing Fitz. "If we can figure out when Faith last worked, we might be able turn what feels like a loss into a win."
The phone rings a few times before Fitz finally answers. "Liv? Are you o-?"
"I'm fine. I need a favor."
"What kind of favor? Where are you?" He asks, his mind slowly drifting off from the sound of her voice, anxiousness coursing through him.
"That's not important." She says. "I need you to get me an exact timestamp from the hotel regarding Faith and when she was last seen. I know it's a lot, but if there is even a glimpse of her on the cameras, we might be able to pinpoint where she was last seen or who she was with."
Fitz doesn't respond. How could he? He has Olivia wrapped up in something far bigger than her - than them, and he could feel the inevitable approaching as Amber's words echo in his mind. The closer Olivia got to Faith, the closer Amber would get to her.
"Fitz." She calls out to him. "Are you okay? If this is-"
"I'm fine, Liv." A lie. A lie that she could sense.
"You're not fine. I can tell. Did something happen?"
He sighs. "Nothing happened. I'm fine." The indifference clear in his voice.
"Fitz, you can talk to me I-."
"I am fine, Olivia!" He raises his voice shocking her, instantly regretting the action. "I'm sorry." He says calmly.
"Me too." She hangs up, scoffing as she grabs her bag from the couch and proceeds towards the door.
"Is everything okay, Liv?" Quinn asks.
"Is Fitz going to going to-?" Abby attempts to ask but is interrupted.
"Fitz is out. We'll do this on our own." Olivia answers, exasperation etched upon her face.
Abby trails behind her, sensing her obvious distress. "Liv."
"He's out, Abby!" She exclaims as she grabs the doorknob but doesn't turn it. "We have to figure out a way to do this without..."
She pauses for a moment, hearing a faint noise in the distance. Removing her hand from the knob, she begins to follow the noise down the hall towards the bedrooms with Quinn and Abby following behind.
"Liv, what is it?" Quinn asks in a whisper.
"I hear something." She says plainly, walking into Faith's bedroom.
She listens intently and that's when she hears the noise again. It's coming from the closet. Quickly, she tosses her purse onto the bed and opens the closet moving clothes and shoes out of the way frantically as Abby and Quinn watch from the doorway, and that's when she sees it. A small door big enough for someone to crawl through at the bottom of her closet.
Dropping down to her knees, Olivia fiddles with the lock before pulling it from the hinges and opening the door. The faint noise she heard was no regular noise.
"Is that-?" Quinn and Abby ask simultaneously.
"A baby." Olivia answers, curiousness etched upon her face.
/
He walks into Jerry's hotel with his head held high although he's not feeling like himself. He felt horrible for raising his voice at Olivia when she was just trying to help, and the fact that she wasn't answering his calls makes him feel even lower.
He approaches the front desk and flashes his award-winning smile.
"Hi there."
"Mr. Grant. How are you?" The young male asks.
"I'm well and yourself?"
"A bit tired. It's been extremely busy these last few days, it's hard to keep up with myself." He laughs.
Fitz chuckles. "I hear that. Listen, I need you to do me a favor."
"Anything sir... as long as it doesn't break the conduct."
"I need you to look up a name for me and tell me when this person was last seen, can you do that for me?" He asks, placing his hands in his pockets.
"Depends on who." His brows raise. "You don't really have the access quite yet so if it's someone from the higher ups-"
"Faith Jones."
The young man swallows hard. The name is familiar to him, yet he still can't remember where or when he heard it.
"Faith Jones." He types on his computer, pulling up her information. "Got her. She did a late shift two days ago and that was the last we have of her."
"She is not scheduled to return to work?"
"No. That was her last time on the schedule."
Fitz ponders the information for a second. His stomach begins to churn at this information, her fate has been told long before this happened.
Fitz nods, grabbing his phone from his coat pocket. "Thank you. I'll have to let my father know." He flashes his smile once more. "Have a good night."
"You too Mr. Grant."
Fitz proceeds to the exit dialing Olivia. It rings a few times before she answers. "What do you want, Fitz?"
He deserves this. "The last day Faith worked was the day before she went missing. She worked a night shift and never returned."
"Thanks. I'll relay the information to Huck. See if he can hack into the security cameras."
Fitz sighs. "Liv..."
"I have to go, Fitz." She hangs up.
Fitz heaves a deep sigh as he goes to leave but is stopped by a familiar voice.
"Just the man I wanted to see, my son. What brings you here?" Jerry asks from the far right as he approaches Fitz. "I was getting ready to call you."
"Look no further." He smiles with as much conviction as he could.
Jerry laughs. "You okay? You look like shit."
"Thanks." He gives a half smile. "I'm okay. Just working a lot."
"I hear ya. Hey, the guys really liked you. They believe you'll fit right in. That's of course if you still want to join the higher ranks."
Fitz clears his throat. The last thing he wants to do is be a part of this mess, but he had a plan, a plan with Olivia and he was going to do whatever it takes to see their plan through.
"Anything for you."
"Perfect." Jerry places a hand on Fitz's shoulder. "Come with me. We have business to handle."
/
Back at her apartment, Olivia is pacing back and forth in the living room as she tries to wrap her mind around the baby, Abby is hovering over Huck as he tries to hack into the hotel cameras, and Stephen is assisting Quinn with keeping the baby calm, who was tired, hungry and no more than seven months old.
He's surprisingly a good baby, wasn't very fussy but just wanted to be comforted understandably considering all that he must have seen.
No one was expecting these turns of events, but here they are. Lost. More questions than answers. This is not how this was supposed to unfold.
"Anything Huck?" Olivia asks.
"Not yet." He answers. "They have a very adept firewall."
"Can you hack it or not?" She asks.
"I can. I just need more time."
"We don't have time, Huck. There is a baby inside of my apartment and we still don't have any answers. I-"
"Liv, he's doing the best he can on short notice." Abby says as Huck shifts in his seat.
Olivia heaves a sigh, folding her arms across her chest. "I'm sorry. I'm just... I'm worried that this will all be for nothing."
"Situations like this are never for nothing. There's always a speck of light even in the darkest of times." Stephen says as he takes over for Quinn, rocking the baby to sleep.
"That might be the smartest thing you've said all day, Stephen." Abby quips, a smile upon her face.
"Zip it." He retorts in soft laughter.
"I'm sure we're all confused, but why would Faith hide her baby in a secret hole in her closet?" Quinn asks.
"To protect him?" Abby asks.
"Yeah, but that doesn't make sense. You can't protect a baby by putting him in a closet and hoping for the best. You put a baby in the closet to-"
"To hide him." Olivia answers, turning to face the others. "I don't think Faith is supposed to have this baby."
"You don't think she was taken advantage of and impregnated, do you?"
Olivia's face says it all. For some strange reason her gut is telling her that this wasn't a baby made from love, but a baby made out of deceit.
Quinn sighs, taking notice of Olivia's face. "Maybe you're right, but it's baffling to me because she hid him in her own apartment. Who does that?"
"Maybe she was still seeing the man from time to time." Abby says nonchalantly.
Quinn glances at her. "Abby..."
"Abby's right." Olivia walks over to the baby as Stephen rocks him to sleep. "She had to have been seeing this guy frequently."
"But why her place?" Quinn inquires.
"Because it's inconspicuous." Stephen says softly. "Whoever is the father of this baby didn't want to draw much attention by having Faith come to him, so he went to her. Classic guy code for hookups." He informs. "You don't want your friends to know who you're screwing by bringing them to your place so, you go to theirs."
Olivia winces at his words although they were true. "Do you think that it could've been someone from the hotel?"
"Possibly." He answers. "They're the only people with enough power to eradicate what was supposed to be a crime scene, and the only people with Faith's information."
Olivia exhales as she examines the features of the baby. She becomes lost in thought, a feeling of familiarity looming her.
"Liv. I found something." Huck says attracting everyone's attention.
Quickly, Olivia and Stephen walk over to him standing beside Abby and Quinn as Huck sets the computer on the table pushing play on the footage.
"Is this the night she disappeared?" Olivia asks.
"Yes." Huck answers.
As the footage continues Faith appears to be waiting for someone. It looks as though she's trying to remain off camera but with the cameras 360-degree angling, she couldn't quite hide.
"She looks nervous." Quinn says.
"She does." Olivia agrees.
The footage continues and Faith appears to be called by someone in which she walks off camera.
Olivia scoffs. "Huck."
"There's more. Just watch." He says.
As they continue to watch the footage, their eyes widen when they see Faith leaving the hotel with Jerry, but something else happens. The sensation Olivia felt had returned. She quickly pauses the video on Jerry's face although half was in the dark, she examines his features before reverting her attention to the baby.
She sees someone. She sees Fitz.
"I know whose baby this is."
I normally don't do this but I've been reading the reviews and some missed the entire point of this chapter. I even left a message on the reviews. Fitz is NOT the father! Fitz would have known Faith or said something about Faith if he had slept with her...