Hey guys! So here's chapter two. Thank you for the reviews and wonderful comments. I'll try to update again sometime this week but i have mass amounts of rehearsals so it might not be until next Sunday that I update again. And as for my other stories I'm still mussing over them, trying to see where I want them to go. This one is just so easy to me, Haha! Again. reviews are welcome!

I Do Not Own Scandal or these characters in any capacity.

"Harrison!" Liv yelled across the baggage claim as she saw her best friend enter the bustling area.

"Hey! Wow, you look great!" He said as he took in her tanned skin and natural curls. He'd seen her on Skype dozens of times but seeing her in person did more justice.

"Oh please I just threw this outfit together. Anyway, how was your flight?"

"It was good. I'm glad to be on the ground though. "She giggled at the comment.

"Did they feed you on the plane?"

"No. Lets go grab a bite to eat and you can fill me in on your amazing life." Liv rolled her eyes at that but smiled playfully after.

"Ok, grab your bags and we'll go to a restaurant close to my place. You are staying with me, right?" She said hopefully.

"Hell yes! I need to spend as much time with you as possible. Plus your place is on the outskirts of the city so I can relax and enjoy my vacation without all of the tourists." She smiled at him as he grabbed his bags and they headed for her car.

On their short walk they started to fill each other in on the little things that had been going on since the last time they had spoken. Harrison talked about his job and the promotion that he had just received and how he and his on again off again girlfriend were currently off again. Liv told him about her current exhibit and how the showing went last night and that she wasn't currently dating anyone. Sure she had her fair share of offers but no one held her interest. A comfortable silence fell over them as they drove the 20 minutes to the restaurant that Liv decided would be perfect for them. Getting out of the car, almost as if it was a second thought, Liv started to speak of her encounter from earlier that day.

"Oh, so I went to get coffee this morning at the café down the street from my place and guess who I ran into?" She said with a sly grin.

"I don't know, Liv. Who?" Harrison said in between laughter. He knew his best friend like the back of his hand and knew that whoever she ran into was someone she really wanted to get to "know".

Liv cut her eyes at him, knowing why he was laughing. After a moment she continued.

"Well I was walking to the café and as soon as I got there I dropped my keys on the ground. I bent down to get them but this hunk of man beat me to it. And when I say hunk I mean he is like pure sex."

"Wow, Liv. Could you be more obvious?" Harrison joked and she slapped his arm playfully.

"My point is that he's not just some random man. He's intelligent and beautiful. He's a writer and a very famous one at that. I love his work." She spoke the last part softly but it did not go unheard.

Harrison took notice of the way she worded herself. He looked her over and she gave him a confirming look.

"Wait? You mean you met the writer of that damn book that you've read like a hundred times? What's it called? My eyes told me something, something told me my eyes…" he joked as he held the door open for her to enter the restaurant.

"Harrison you know the name of the book, and yes. I did happen to meet the author. His name is Fitzgerald Grant but everyone calls him Fitz. His words not mine."

"Wow…" He said as they sat down at a table in the bar area. "So did you have some deep, earthshattering conversation with him over coffee?"

"Actually, no. I wasn't able to because I had to come get you, cock blocker." Harrison almost spit out his water in laughter. She giggled as he stared wide eyed at her.

"Liv!"

"You know I'm kidding. I did give him my number though. Hopefully he calls." She said honestly.

"Liv you're serious about him. I know you don't sleep around and I know you don't give out your number so you are really feeling this guy." Harrison said as he looked into his best friends eyes.

"I don't know what it is. I don't even know this man and yet I'm drawn to him. He is so intriguing to me. There is no real info on him, he doesn't do interviews, he is somewhat of a mystery but I like that about him." She said looking down at her water.

"Well if he's a smart man he'll call you. It's not easy to catch the attention of Olivia Pope." He gave her a wink and a smile.

They ordered food and a bottle of red wine and continued to catch up on each other's lives and current events.

After Olivia left the café, Fitz couldn't stop thinking about her. He decided to head back to the house he was renting that was not too far away. The house he was renting was more like a mansion. There were five bedrooms, a huge living space and kitchen. There was also a large garden and pool on the vast property and horse stables. Fitz had always been a horse man and loved the idea of being able to ride. He also loved the garden that was filled with native flowers and an abundance of red, yellow, and white roses.

Once he got back to his home away from home he decided to take a walk in the garden that was just off the back of the house. While strolling among the flowers Fitz's mind wondered to Olivia. He couldn't help but think about the fullness of her lips, her smile, or her beautiful brown eyes that gave him a sense of life. He'd never been so turned on by a woman and something about Olivia made a fire burn deep inside of him. He imagined kissing her soft skin, caressing every inch of her. He imagined how her lips felt, wanting to taste every inch of her mouth.

He was brought out of his thoughts by his cell phone.

"Hey, Cy. What's up." Cyrus Beene was Fitz's agent and had been for years. Fitz viewed Cy as a best friend and shared everything with him. Cy has been pushing Fitz to finish his book by the end of this year so that meant he only had about five months to write a draft for his publisher Sally.

"How's the book coming? Please tell me I don't need to fly to Barcelona and chain you to your desk so you can finish this damn book. Sally is down my throat about you and this book and how she doesn't have time to wait for you. If you don't get your book in by December she's probably going to drop you and no one is going to want to pick you up because you've done nothing for the past eight years!" Cy said somewhat annoyed. Fitz let out a heavy sigh at this. He hated being rushed and whatever happened would happen in due time. He hoped something would spark his interest in writing again but at the moment the only thing on his mind was Liv.

" Look, Cy. I'm working on it! I just got here and at the moment I'm getting acquainted with the city. Tonight I'm going on a date with a beautiful artist, well hopefully, and I'm sure that'll spark something." He said with a hint of mischief in his voice that did not go unnoticed by Cyrus. He scoffed into the phone and took a deep sigh.

"Damn it, Fitz. I don't care if you get your rocks off tonight but if you don't tell me you've at least started writing a goddamn book within the next three weeks, so help me…"

"Cy! I got it under control. Don't stress about it because you know you're getting up there and I don't need you having a heart attack."

"Just write a damn book, Fitz." The line went dead. Fitz chuckled at his friend and placed his phone back in his pants pocket.

With a content sigh, Fitz made his way inside of the house. It was only 2 p.m. and he wanted to call Olivia but he didn't want to rush the situation so he opted to swim a few laps before he called her. He ran upstairs into his massive master suite and changed into his swim trunks.

It was around 3:30 when Liv and Harrison finally made it back to her place. She parked her car in her usual spot and helped him with his bags before opening the door.

"Damn Liv! This place is amazing! How many rooms are there?" Harrison said wide eyed as he took in the massive space.

"There are 3 bedrooms, two massive bathrooms, two living spaces, my studio is upstairs which I also use as my room, and there is a wine cellar in the basement that is small but it gets the job done." She said smiling.

"The three bedrooms are downstairs, take your pick. The biggest is in the back of the loft and it has its own entrance so if you decide to bring a date home I don't have to know." She winked at him and he pulled her into a hug.

"You know me so well. God bless you." She laughed at him as she pulled away from him.

"So, you get settled. I'm gonna paint for a bit. Feel free to explore and there is another set of keys by the door if you decide to run around." She kissed him on the cheek and ran up the spiral staircase to her upstairs loft space.

Four hours later Liv was stripped down to her bra and panties and covered in paint. She had jazz music blaring in the background and she was so focused on her painting that she did not hear Harrison leave nor did she hear her phone ringing. Getting engulfed in her work was not something foreign to Liv and she was notorious for not showing up to events if no one pulled her out of her world. It wasn't until her playlist stopped and she need to choose another one did she notice she had missed calls. Two were from her sister, one was from an unknown number, and three were from Harrison.

She would call her sister and Harrison back a little later but the unknown number made her heart flutter. She felt like a school girl pining over the new boy and that was definitely not her. She didn't even know if it was him who called but it could have been.

She picked up the phone and called the number.

"I was beginning to think you didn't want to talk to me." Fitz said as he smiled into the phone. He'd called almost an hour ago and was wondering if he was going to have to find dinner on his own tonight.

She could hear the joking tone in his voice and smiled into the phone as she answered. "I'm sorry about that. I get so engulfed in my work sometimes that I block out everything and anyone else. I think my friend who is staying with me even abandoned all hope of getting me out tonight." She said with a small giggle.

"Well if you're working we can do this another time…"

'Oh, no. I would love to have dinner with you but…" she took a look at herself and realized that she was covered in paint and there was no way she would get it off quickly. "it might be like an hour or two. Or, I could order something and you can come over here. We can chat and I'll open a bottle of wine, it'll be great and so much more relaxing than going out on a Friday night."

Fitz liked the sound of that. He'd never been one to like going out on weekends and he really wanted to pick her brain which would be so much easier without all of the noise of a restaurant.

"I like plan B. What time should I come over?"

"How about in half an hour?"

"Sounds good to me. What's your address?"

She gave him her address and he said he'd see her soon. After hanging up she ran to her bathroom and jumped into the shower in an attempt to wash off as much of the paint and charcoal as possible. After getting if not all, most of the remnants of art off of her she dried off and quickly moisturized with her favorite vanilla scented oil. She had just slipped into a pair of black leggings and white knit oversized off the shoulder sweater when she heard a knock on her door. Lucky for her the high bun she had done earlier was still intact and she opted for no make-up so she put on some soft Spanish guitar music and headed downstairs.

"Hi." She smiled as she took in the sight of him. He was wearing jeans that had a rugged and worn look to them with a cream colored dress shirt that wasn't tucked in with three buttons undone that exposed just enough of his chest hair. His curly brown hair was brushed back but there was an unruly curl that sprang forward and gave him a boyish look.

"Hi." He smiled back at her and drank in the sight of her. She had only a little skin showing, her sweater was hanging just off of her shoulder and exposed her velvety skin. She wasn't wearing any make-up but she looked like a goddess and he wanted nothing more than to touch her. Just to see how soft she really was.

"Would you like to come in?" She said, pulling him out of his thoughts. She opened the door wider so that he could enter.

"Why thank you. You look lovely, Liv."

"Thank you. You don't look half bad yourself." She said as she closed the door behind her. "So, I have a brand new bottle of shiraz that I'm dying to try so lets order some dinner, shall we?" She walked over to the to the end table next to the large overstuffed couch in the living room and pulled out a stack of takeout menu's. "What are you in the mood for? All of these places are great so I'm good with anything."

"Well I could really go for some good pizza. You know of any places around here?"

'Actually there is one place that does have great pizza. I'll order. Make yourself at home." She said as she gestured to the couch and then disappeared into the kitchen.

An hour later the food had arrived and the first glass of wine was slowly beginning to diminish. They started with small talk, asking about the rest of their day and how they liked the food and wine. There was a comfortable silence and neither felt like they needed to rush the conversation so they slowly treaded the untraveled waters of each other's lives.

Fitz looked at Olivia and she smiled as she took a sip of her wine. They were sitting on the floor across from each other, her coffee table separating them.

"So, Liv. I've never met anyone who actually liked Something My Eyes Once Told Me." Olivia seemed somewhat surprised by that, she'd known that many critiques had looked down on the book but she thought that it was spectacular and the writing was so pure. It made her feel like she knew him.

''Really? I guess I can understand why critiques wouldn't approve of it. It is very different from your other books and the writing is train of thought, which doesn't go over well with many people because it can be a little overwhelming at times but I adore it. Something about the way you let everyone into your mind, the way you look at the world is fantastic to me. You're an optimist and you like to see the good things in life. There was no real sense of darkness and it intrigues me that someone who can write such dark material as you have can write something so beautifully simple and uncomplicated." She said as she looked him square in the eye as if to push him to tell her why. Why? What changed him in such a way that it changed his writing?

Fitz was quiet, going over things in his head, trying to come up with an answer to her unspoken question. Olivia took another sip of her wine and upped the ante.

"You know, I was never a fan of your writing until I read that book. You're other books seemed somewhat forced and unrealistic. There was no realness to the situations you created. Everyone was one dimensional and static. Nothing seemed to catch my attention in any of your other books, until this came into my lap."

Fitz was now utterly speechless. He had no idea how to answer this woman who had just ripped his work to shreds and yet complimented him on his most unsuccessful work to date. He was pissed at her but completely turned on by the fact that she had the balls to tell him the truth. She held nothing back and her eyes never wavered from his as she spoke, boring a hole in his soul. Downing the rest of his glass of wine and pouring another he slowly composed himself.

"Ummm. Well, Liv I can't say that I agree with you but I am biased. I do not believe that my work is one dimensional or even static and they would not have won so many prestigious awards had they been." He was looking her directly in the eyes. His jaw was tight with anger but he was still intrigued. He decided to up the ante.

"The reason that that book was so different, so surprisingly real and open to the way that I view life is because that book was written for my daughter." Olivia almost choked on her wine.

"Your daughter?" She said as she tried to compose herself. "I didn't know you have a daughter. How old is she?"

There was a shift in the atmosphere. Fitz's eyes filled with pain and he turned his head so not to look at her. He knew that if she kept looking at him he would tell her. He'd never spoken of the horrible events that took place after he finished the book. Cyrus was the only one to know a mere portion of the truth of what happened.

Olivia knew then and there what had happened. She didn't need to push on details and she wouldn't ask unless he wanted to. Her heart fell at the thought that he had to deal with so much pain.

"Fitz, I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

"No. It's okay." He took a deep breath and turned his head to lock eyes with her. He told her everything that happened.

"When my wife Mellie found out she was pregnant we were ecstatic. Mellie and I had been going through a rough patch and were even thinking about divorce but when she told me she was pregnant my whole world changed. I knew that having a baby wouldn't solve our problems but I knew that my life would have meaning. I started writing the book when Mellie was about three months pregnant, when she started showing. She was so beautiful." A tear escaped his beautiful grey blue eyes. Olivia offered a weak smile and got up from her spot on the floor and moved to sit next to him. Taking his hand in hers there was a sense of comfort that washed over both of them as he continued.

"Everything in the book was special and intimate. I was so happy and nothing seemed to be wrong in the world. I finished the book about a week before Mellie went into labor. We were so concerned because the baby wasn't due for another two months but the doctors said they would do everything in their power to make sure she would be fine."

"15 hours. It took 15 hours of pushing, yelling, and medication to bring our little angel into the world and within 5 minutes they were both taken away from me. Mellie went into heart failure almost as soon as our little girl was born and the baby had an infection in her brain. She was seezing within the first few minutes of being born. I couldn't do anything. Mellie was hemorrhaging and they couldn't control the bleeding and with her heart failing, there was no real hope. The baby died almost as soon as Mellie did, her lungs were premature and with the seizures she was not getting oxygen to her brain. To say the least, that was the worst day of my life. After that I didn't have anything in me. Nothing to give as nothing fed my soul in order for me to write again. I took a year traveling around the US trying to run away from myself and when that didn't work out I went overseas thus my arrival to Spain yesterday, then I met you."

There was silence. He wasn't looking at her but he was no longer crying, no longer in pain from the hurt he'd carried around for years. Something about her made it easy to handle.

"I haven't told this to anyone and I don't know why but for some reason, you make it so easy to want to tell you any and everything." He said, still looking forward. Olivia couldn't believe he'd shared that with her. She'd never met a man so willing to defend his work, his legacy that he'd tell the most personal of stories to get his point across. She kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you for sharing that with me."

The kiss lingered on his cheek and he smiled a genuine smile. He suddenly felt a weight lifted off of his shoulders. He wanted to heal and had been running from the truth for so long, this one conversation started the process. Taking a deep breath he looked at her.

"I guess I really put a damper on this evening, huh?" She giggled at him as she pulled them both to standing.

"No. You haven't put a damper on anything. Since you've told me about your work I want to show you mine." She said as she pulled him up the spiral stairs into her studio.

"Wow!" He gasped into the air. "These are beautiful."

The room was filled with abstract pieces that held a special place in her soul. She'd only shown her abstract work to Harrison and her sister Frankie. No one other than those two knew how much abstract art fed her soul. She was brilliant at doing historic work and portraits but she didn't want to expose herself, these works were a part of her and she'd never be able to show them.

"You're the third person to ever see my abstract work. I don't like to share it because it feels like an invasion of privacy. My other works are fun to do and filled with historic value and are pleasing to the eye. These, however, are my soul. They describe how I feel when I create them. The emotion that is overwhelming and filling me to the brim that in order for me to move on in life I must paint it. Something about these works is dark and painful but so rich and beautiful. I like to think of them as an extension of me." She said with a shy smile. Fitz took notice of this and was completely in awe of what she does. She was brilliant and she could easily put these works out into the world but yet she kept them for herself.

"Liv, I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything. I spend my days listening to what people have to say about my art when I would rather listen to the silence it creates. The thought process and the internal conversation make my work so much more fulfilling." She said as she looked into his eyes again but this time there was something there. Something that sparked between them.

There was always an attraction but this time there was a pull. Sharing their deepest feelings with each other seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back. They'd only known each other for a few hours and yet it seemed like an eternity. They were connected. There was no denying the feelings that they had for one another. No one believes in love at first sight but this was the case. There was a love there and for some reason it did not take them weeks or months to figure out, it was just there. They felt whole in each other's presence.

They continued to stare into each other's eyes. Fitz was moving closer, wanting to lessen the space between them. Olivia's breath hitched with every step he made towards her and her mouth was dry. That could have been from the copious amount of wine she drank earlier but she didn't think so. He was close now, so close that their lips were almost touching. Their chests were rising and falling in sync and there was no turning back. They were whole together and the only thing that would keep them apart would be GOD himself.

There was a pause. Neither one breathing and suddenly he pulled her flush against his body. She gasped at the feel of him. His body was hard and so very warm; she wanted nothing but to have skin to skin contact. She wanted to feel him inside of her and wanted to feel his massive arms around her as he pushed her over the edge. She was engulfed in thought and so was he. He wanted her, naked and warm, dripping wet from his efforts. He wanted to feel her from the inside and become one with her. He yearned to have her in his arms forever.

"Liv," He breathed her name against her lips and a small moan escaped from her mouth. He wanted to continue. He wanted to kiss her desperately but he wouldn't do it without invitation.

"Look at me." She was lost in a haze of desire but complied, locking eyes with this beautiful man. Knowing he was asking, willing her for permission to continue, she brought her hands to his face and pulled him down into a soft kiss that sent chills down her spine. As the kiss continued, so did the passion. Liv moved her fingers to the dark forest of curls on his head and laced her fingers through it as his hands roamed all over her body, feeling up her ass and gripping her tiny waist. They wanted each other but Fitz couldn't bring himself to take her. Not now. He'd just started to heal and didn't want to ruin things between them; his mind was taking over as he halted the passionate assault that they were having on each other.

"Fitz?" She questioned as he pulled away from her. She wanted him and her eyes were clouded with lust. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just… I don't want to rush things. I like you, Liv. I really do and I want to… I just don't want to ruin things." He was looking down at his feet. Liv knew from the bulge in his pants that he was turned on but something was holding him back. She didn't know what but she did know that he needed time.

"Ok. We'll wait. Maybe we can go on a real date first before we take things to the next level." She said as she smiled at him, taking all of his hesitation away.

"You're something else, you know that?" She shrugged at the comment and walked closer to him. Taking his hand in hers as she gazed into his eyes.

"You should go."

"I should go. Good night, Liv." He said as he kissed her softly on the lips before turning around, making his way down the stairs. She watched him as he walked to the front door. He turned around and winked at her.

"Good night. I'll call you tomorrow." He said as he closed the door into the dim streets of Barcelona.

"Good night." She whispered under her breath.

Liv stood in the doorway of her room for a moment and thought back over the events of the night. With a heavy sigh, she stripped down to her underwear, turned off the music that'd been playing for the past three hours, shut off the lights, and crawled into bed. She was not sleepy but she didn't want to be awake, not without him with her. She lay in bed for hours, going over what he'd said about his wife and daughter, how he'd not written a word since. She went over her own dark past and wondered if she should share it with him. Slowly, as she mussed over everything in her head, she drifted off to sleep.

Well there you go! I hope you enjoyed. Again, please eave a review! Xoxo