"So, Liv, how's it going?" asked Stephen from the back of the car. The two along with Quinn and Abby were driving in Olivia's SVU to go get lunch and have more time to catch up before Quinn, Stephen, and Olivia had to get back to the office. Quinn had claimed shotgun, Olivia was at the wheel, and Stephen and Abby were sitting very close next to each other in the back of the car.

"Excuse me?" she responded.

"All you have asked about is me. My past few years have been dull and boring, consisting of a bad job and a messy divorce. But a lot, I mean, a lot has happened to you while I've been gone. I heard bare minimal from Abby, and recently… well, you've changed, Liv."

Olivia laughed. "I don't know if I've changed that much. I've been through hell and back, we all have, but I feel like the same person."

"Okay, when I left you Quinn turned out to be Lindsey, there was a scandal brewing up about a rigged election, and I was the only one that knew about you and the President. Now—"

"Wait, you knew?" cried Abby.

"I mean, she never told me, but I got the sense." Abby and Quinn stared at him blankly. "Okay, come on. Abby, you saw how going on that campaign trail completely changed her."

"Okay, but I just assumed that they were friends," said Abby. The two seemed to have forgotten that Olivia was still in the car.

"Oh come on, nobody is that happy when they're not getting laid. Besides, he was a Republican and Liv still completely supported him."

"He's not really a Republican. He's more apolitical. Half of his stances lean towards the Democratic side—"

"I could just tell, okay!" protested Stephen.

Liv finally slammed onto the breaks and pulled into a parking space.

"We're done discussing him," she said through gritted teeth.

"Liv, what the hell happened? You rigged the election, the President was shot, they thought Huck did it. Your father and mother suddenly appeared back in your life, you ran away, the President's kid died, Harrison died, you were kidnapped… And now this? You and him admitting to the affair? That's a changed person, Olivia, and you can't tell me otherwise."

Olivia sighed, coming to a decision to answer his questions. "It's all centered around my relationship with him," she said. Abby and Quinn shared a look, surprised that Stephen got to her. "We wouldn't of had to rig that election if I had ran his election better. And I would of, but I caught his flaws to late, because in that state, to me, he had none. He got shot by the man that conducted the election rigging, and Huck is caught up with my father who is caught up with my mother, who is the reason that Harrison and his son are dead. It all leads back to the trail."

"And the trail leads back to the President," Stephen concluded.

"All roads lead back to Fitz," she mumbled.

"What?" he asked, not hearing her properly.

"Nothing. Look, you're right. A lot has happened. And maybe I have changed. But I'm still the same on the outside. I'm still Olivia Pope, OPA still exists, and we have a steady stream of clients and income. I still have my gladiators. So I like to think that I haven't changed. We're not going to talk about Fitz unless we are talking about Abby's job. I'm extremely happy that you're back, Stephen." Liv turned around in the seat to face him, the four still sitting in the car in their parking space. "But I don't walk to talk about him. You can get you're information from Quinn and Abby, they can fill you in on the past. Got it?"

"Got it," the three said.

"Okay then," Liv said, stepping out of her car, her three-inch healed, knee-high boots hitting the ground. She wasn't dressed in work attire, instead more comfortable clothing.

"I'll explain everything later," whispered Abby to Stephen, before following Liv out of the car. Quinn nodded, giving him a smile, the two also shutting their doors. Olivia locked the car, and the four walked over the restaurant, Liv grateful that no photographers had followed.

"Gettysburger is still here!" cried Stephen, happily. The three laughed, excited for a normal lunch.

—

TWO HOURS LATER

"Well, I should probably get back to the office," Abby said sadly.

"Come on, Abs. You're cleared for the day, Liv said so. Wanna come gladiate for a day?" asked Stephen, a boyish grin on his face. Abby looked at Liv questioningly.

"Come on," Olivia said, laughing, the four getting onto the elevator. When they got to the conference room, they found Marcus sitting at the conference table, looking bored, watching Huck and Jake Ballard, who had guns pointed at each other.

"What the hell?" asked Quinn.

"He wouldn't leave, so Huck felt the need to forcibly remove him. But they both had guns so…" Marcus gestured, lazily. "It's been like this for the past twenty-seven minutes."

Abby and Olivia shared a look.

"Who the hell are you?" asked Stephen.

"That's Jake," said Abby. It was clear that he was one of the items that Abby had already informed Stephen about.

The confusion on Stephen's face went away, replaced with a calm look. "Ohhh, you're Jake." Stephen laughed, and walked around him and Huck, circling like a predator searching after his prey. "I don't like you very much."

"Who are you?" Jake asked, dropping his gaze from Huck for a moment.

"I'm so sorry, how very rude of me. My name is Stephen Finch, I work here," Stephen said, a fake smile plastered to his face. He stuck out his hand. Jake ignored it, not putting his gun down.

"You're Stephen?" Jake asked, recognizing the name from Quinn or Huck mentioning him.

"At your service," he said.

"I though you moved."

"I'm back. Permanently, for that matter," the fake smile still on his face.

Jake eyed Stephen suspiciously, turning to face Olivia. She stared back at him, a cold look on her face.

"Liv, I need to talk to you," he said, his voice dropping into softer tones. Before Olivia could respond, Stephen jumped in.

"I'm so sorry, mate, but I don't know if you realized that Olivia Pope is very popular. OPA has a high demand of clients 24/7, and because of that I'm afraid that I'll be the one talking to you about your case. From the looks of it, it won't be to high up on the list, thus not requiring Ms. Pope's attention."

A look of annoyance crossed Jake's face. "Liv," he said through gritted teeth, "I need to speak to you."

"You heard Stephen," she said, giving him a cold look.

"Liv, come on. It's me. Jake? Does that ring a bell? I just need to talk, Livvie," he protested. Olivia's head whipped up at the sound of that nickname.

When she next spoke, it was barley audible. "What… did you just say?"

"I need to talk to you," he repeated.

"No, what did you just call me?"

"Livvie?"

"Get out," Olivia said, still whispering.

"Olivia—"

"I said get out!" she yelled. Abby and Quinn shared a worried glance.

"I'm not leaving until I speak with you," he said with a sigh.

"Get out! Get out, get out, get OUT!" Olivia yelled. Abby grabbed her friend by the waist to constrain her from throwing the nearest object at Jake. "If you have ever loved me, ever felt anything for me, if you love or care for my father, then you need to leave. Please, just get out and never come back!" Olivia gasped, surprised at her sudden outburst. She looked confused for a moment, but regained herself, and turned her back on the group, who were just as shocked, and went into her office, slamming the door behind her.

Huck, using Jake's shocked state to an advantage, knocked the gun out of Jake's hand, and Stephen quickly retrieved it from the floor, the both now pointing guns at his head. Jake reluctantly walked out, and the two went downstairs to make sure that he had exited the building.

When Huck and Stephen came back, Liv was out of her office, talking with Quinn, Abby, and Marcus about OPA's next client. They shared glances, surprised at Olivia's sudden change in attitude. She went on about their business as if Jake had never been there. Stephen and Huck shrugged, and went along with it.

Hey ya'll! I'm so sorry that it has taken me so long to update, and also that Fitz wasn't in this chapter. I've been super busy with school, etc. so it took me a longer time. I will try to update ASAP in the future! I really had to tie up loose ends with Jake, and reintroduce the Stephen to the firm. I also played with the idea of Abby returning to OPA, although I don't know for sure if I'll have her do it.

I promise next time that we'll have a lot of Fitz (and some Karen and Teddy for that matter).

Please, please, please, keep posting reviews, your opinions and ideas mean so much to me.

Thanks so much, I love you guys!