The agents were so busy rushing and trying to get what Fitz wanted done that they didn't even notice her standing there. Idiots.

Once the coast was clear, Mellie calmly made her way to her office. She locked the door and placed a call to her favorite agent, Hal.

Olivia remained seated on the bed, partially obscured by Fitz. She was eyeing Mellie warily. She knew better than anyone that Mellie only made a grand entrance in this fashion when she was pissed and wanted to pull the rug out from under someone, namely Fitz; something Mellie took great pleasure in doing.

Fitz folded his arms across his chest as well, matching Mellie's stance. He really didn't have time for her bullshit at the moment. But, he was curious as to what she had to say, and he couldn't wait to burst her bubble by telling her what he knew. For someone so educated, sometimes Mellie could be really stupid; astoundingly so.

John looked at Fitz apologetically from the doorway. He'd tried his best to restrain Mellie, but after the debacle with Fitz earlier that night, he wasn't really on his A-game.

Mellie stepped to the side so that she could see both Fitz and Olivia. "Olivia," Mellie said, smirking, "Fancy meeting you here. But then again, where there's Fitz and a bedroom I can be sure to find you as well."

Olivia didn't bother to respond, instead, tilting her head to the side. She looked at Mellie for a few seconds before laughing. That only made Mellie even angrier. Fitz and Olivia watched with amused expressions as Mellie's brow furrowed and her face turned red. She was determined to wipe their amused expressions off their faces.

"What's so funny, Olivia? I'd like to know, because, surely, if you knew what I did you wouldn't be laughing. In fact, you might even hate Fitz." Mellie eyes were full of hate as they focused on Fitz. "I know I do."

They both looked at Mellie in confusion. Neither knew what she was talking about, and that wasn't a feeling that they liked. When it came to Mellie it helped to be 5 steps ahead at all times.

Mellie walked over to the chair that Fitz had been occupying very early that morning and took a seat. She took her time crossing her legs and smoothing out her skirt; always the consummate politician's wife. "Olivia," she began, but Fitz cut her off.

"Why did you do it Mel?" he asked. He scoffed when she had the nerve to look confused. "I know all about Andrew and Elizabeth's plans. I know you were helping them."

Mellie continued to pretend that she didn't know what he was talking about. "What plan Fitz?" But her upper lip twitched, and he knew for sure that she was lying then.

Olivia chose that moment to move off the bed. Fitz immediately turned to help her as her movements were slow due to the aftereffects of the sedative. Mellie's face was set into a deep frown as she watched the tender care that Fitz showed Olivia. It's like he was handling the world's greatest treasure. It bothered Mellie to no end that she'd never been shown that kind of affection from Fitz unless she was pregnant.

"I'm fine," Olivia said to Fitz, stepping out of his protective embrace once she was steadily standing on her feet. Slowly, she made her way over to Mellie.

Olivia didn't care that she could technically go to jail for assaulting the First Lady, she didn't even think about the fact that there were Secret Service agents outside who would likely tackle her to the ground. She walked right up to Mellie and slapped her across the face so hard that there was a red handprint on Mellie's right cheek.

Mellie grabbed her cheek and stared up at Olivia in shock and outrage. Fitz was standing there dumbfounded. None of Mellie's agents made a move to restrain Olivia; they'd already heard what happened to Fitz's agents so they weren't too quick to underestimate Olivia at the moment, and they knew that touching her would mean enduring the wrath of the President.

John, who happened to be standing outside the doorway when it happened, shook his head. What is it with these two? he thought.

Calmly, Olivia made her way back over to Fitz. "That's for trying to have me kidnapped," Olivia said.

"I did no such thing!" Mellie yelled.

"Do NOT sit there and lie to either of our faces!" Fitz quickly made his way over to Mellie, and she shrank back in her chair. She thought he was going to slap her too, but Fitz would never put his hands on a woman. "I'm sick of your shit Mellie! You put Olivia's life in danger by calling off the agents I sent to rescue her, all so you could do what? Take my presidency? Destroy me?" His chest was heaving, he was breathing that hard. Olivia's eyes widened. "If you hate me that much then you should've signed the divorce papers one of the millions of times that I asked you to."

Mellie jumped up, getting in Fitz's face. "No, Fitz! I'm not going to sign a damn thing so you can run off into the sun with your precious Olivia. I didn't give up my whole life for you, only to have you toss me to the side because you've suddenly realized what love is. We made a vow 'till death do us part,' and guess what? I'm still breathing."

In that instant, Fitz could vividly picture her lying in a hospital bed with an oxygen mask covering her face, just like Verna... But he wouldn't let his mind continue down that path. He wouldn't lose control, no matter how infuriating she was.

He grabbed her by the arms in a vise-like grip. "Tell me where the hell Andrew and Elizabeth are right now," he demanded.

"No," Mellie said, indignantly.

"Tell me," he repeated.

"Go to hell! I said no."

Suddenly, Olivia spoke up as she started pacing, trying to work out her thoughts. "Mellie, tell me something."

Fitz loosened his grip on Mellie, turning his head to look at Olivia.

"Andrew promised you something, right?" She didn't wait for Mellie's response. "If Fitz loses it all then so do you, and I know you, you don't want to lose it all. If you lose it all then not only will you have nothing but you'll be nothing. As much as you'd hate to admit it, Fitz made you. If it weren't for him, no one would even know your name. You wouldn't have a platform, you wouldn't get to speak at or host events. You'd still be a lawyer, and maybe you'd be good, but you wouldn't have the level of power that you crave."

Mellie's face was ashen; she was shocked that Olivia had figured it out. A part of her had always been in awe of Olivia and the way her mind worked. Maybe that's what drew Fitz to Olivia.

"He couldn't have offered you marriage, because let's face it, you aren't cut out for that. And marrying him would only make you First Lady, which you already are. Granted, he could let you have a more functional role, maybe even let you call more shots, but that wouldn't be enough for you. You want it all or nothing. Right?" Olivia stopped pacing and turned to face Mellie. "You don't have much experience in politics so naturally you'd have to work your way up, but that could take time. Unless, Andrew made you his VP."

"Mellie?" Fitz asked. Olivia's reasoning sounded very logical, but he wanted to hear it from Mellie. He wanted her to confirm that power really meant this much to her; it meant risking someone's life.

Mellie glared at Fitz. He didn't get to judge her. They all did terrible things for what they believed was the greater good of the country, and she would be good for their country.

Olivia chuckled to herself. "I'm afraid you just might be dumber than I thought. I mean, did you really think Elizabeth was going to sit back and let Andrew make you his VP after she'd worked so hard to help ensure he become president. That's assuming that their little plan succeeded, which it didn't. You're not fit to help run this country."

"Shut up, Olivia! You don't know anything. You still don't even know who leaked your name and let the world know that you were Fitz's mistress in the first place. Well it was Fitz!" Mellie pointed an accusatory finger in his direction. "He did that to you. He ruined your life. If he hadn't done that, no one would have been any wiser as to just what or who Fitz's weakness was. Once your name was out, anyone with two eyes could look into you two and see just how taken he was with you. He had whipped written all over his forehead. It was only a matter of time before someone used you to get to Fitz."

They heard an "oh shit" from John. He knew he had to get Mellie's agents to get her out of there right now before shit hit the fan, or a body.

Olivia's mouth fell open, and her eyes darted back and forth between Mellie and Fitz. Fitz had never hated Mellie as much as he did in that moment. There was no doubt in his mind that she'd intended to drop that bomb all along. Mellie saw the horrified look on Olivia's face and finally smiled triumphantly.

Mission accomplished.

"I guess you two probably need to talk," Mellie said.

Neither of them paid attention to her as she finally left the room.

"Liv," Fitz said, reaching out to her. He needed to touch her, to know that he hadn't lost her just yet. He knew there were probably a million thoughts racing through her mind and not a single one of them was in his favor.

"No. Do not touch me," Olivia said, shaking her head in disbelief. She couldn't even look at him right now. All that she had gone through: the humiliation, the whispers; whispers that she still heard on occasion… she'd felt so broken, but she didn't complain, she figured it was bound to come out some day. Never in a million years did she think Fitz would be the reason, not unless it was part of their orchestrated plan for it to happen that way, but that would be a decision that they'd make together.

"Don't push me away. Let me explain first," he pleaded.

"Explain?! What is there to explain, Fitz? Hmm? You heard Mellie, you ruined my life!"

Olivia finally looked up at Fitz, meeting his devastated eyes. His expression was pained, as though she'd physically struck him, too. Just like she'd always had issues with being called his mistress, he'd always worried that he had ruined her life, that somehow they could've stayed apart and never fallen in love like they did if it weren't for him. As if.

"How can there be hope for us now?" she asked in a whisper.

"No, Olivia, don't say that. There is hope; there'll always be hope for us. Do you understand me? Don't ever ask me that." He walked up to her, cupping her face in his hands. "I love you," he said, his tone pleading with her to believe him.

Olivia's eyes were frantically searching his. What she wanted was to believe that he wouldn't do something like this, that Mellie was lying, but then she thought about Verna. Fitz was capable of anything when it came to her; she was his Achilles heel like she'd stated earlier.

"I did that for us," he said, just like she knew he would.

"Us? Really Fitz? Is that what you believe?" She pushed his hands off her face.

Olivia suddenly felt very tired. Not just physically, but mentally, as well. This was all too much to take in. After everything that they'd been through, it was all coming down to this moment. She was afraid that she'd finally had enough. Maybe their love was too toxic after all. She started pacing in circles, gradually increasing her speed the more she thought about what Mellie had told her. She thought about the camera flashes everywhere she went, the press going through her trash and surrounding her business and home, the money she had to use to keep her business afloat because no one wanted to be represented by the lady who couldn't even keep her own name out of the papers.

And she'd thought that Fitz bringing Jake into their lives was the worst thing he'd ever done to her, to them. Nope. This took the cake.

"I had to save you from Mellie. She had all of that information on you. She was just waiting for the right moment to release it. She had no qualms with admitting on live, national television that I'd had an affair so you know she would've done it. She would've ruined you, too."

"Yet, you released my name," she said. She didn't care why he'd done it, just that he'd done it.

"I didn't have a choice."

"You did have a choice, Fitz. You did!" She pushed him in her anger. Even though she wanted to leave at that moment, she didn't. She knew how she felt when he refused to let her fully explain herself for Defiance. She at least owed him that much.

She was right he did have a choice, but where would that have gotten him? He wanted out of his sham of a marriage, and Mellie gave him the perfect opportunity. He couldn't not take it.

"That's where you're wrong, Liv. I've never had a choice. From the moment that I first saw you, I stopped having a choice. Everything that I do, I do it for you, for us." He grabbed her shoulders. "Tonight I risked everything to save you. And believe it or not, that's what I was doing when I leaked your name. I was saving you, from living a lie, being a dirty, little secret."

"No, Fitz, you were saving yourself, because you wanted out and you knew I would change my mind and try to talk you out of it!" She got in his face, raising her voice even more until she was nearly screaming. "I have been riding and dying for you! I fixed an election for you! I've sacrificed everything, did whatever it took, to keep you in office. That was for you!" She hit his chest with her fists. "Do you think I've been happy all of these years without you?" Olivia paused to catch her breath. Tears were threatening to fall down her cheeks, and she closed her eyes briefly, trying to calm down. Lowering her voice, she continued, "All I've ever wanted was Vermont and two kids with you. I'd give all of this up in an instant if I believed you weren't the best man to run this country."

Fitz was beyond frustrated. It was always about the country with her and Mellie and Cyrus, and what they believed they had given up. He never asked them to sacrifice anything for him. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, tugging slightly.

"That's the damn problem! You keep worrying about what's best for this country. Well fuck the country! I would go to war to save you. Don't you get that Liv? I don't care if that makes me a bad person. I know it's wrong. I do. But a life without you in it isn't a life at all. I did what I thought would give me a life with you. Yeah, okay, it was stupid to go about it the way that I did, but that's how badly I want a life with you."

"You leaked my name!"

The agents outside of the door flinched. They'd never heard Olivia and Fitz argue like this.

"I did it for you." Fitz's voice was laced with defeat. He lowered his eyes and his shoulders slumped. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. He'd messed up, bad, but surely she wouldn't let this be the end of them, he wouldn't let it.

Fitz attempted to grab her hand, but she jerked back. He watched in horror as she took the promise ring that he'd given her off her pointer finger and threw it at his chest. Its impact felt like a knife being shoved in his chest. He'd prefer that over this. His eyes followed its descent to the ground. He was certain his heart was there now, too.

"Doux bébé," he whispered brokenly.

Well, that was a drastic turn. One question though: Do you guys trust me? You should, because we all know where this is going to end.