2 Years Ago: Washington, DC
"Quinn," Olivia said to the perky real estate agent beside her, "this place is perfect. How did you even find this?"
Quinn smirked a little and shrugged her shoulders. "Beginners luck," she replied. "So you like it? You love it? You have to have it?"
"Yes. This apartment is amazing."
"Well," she said clapping her hands excitedly. "You stay here and I will go get all the necessary forms to make this beauty yours."
As Quinn made her exit from the apartment, Olivia walked over to the window to stare out at the view of Washington DC. Her life was changing drastically today and signing this lease would be her first big step.
Just before graduating from Harvard Law, top of her class of course, she had made the promised phone call to the lecturer from the year before. In true Olivia Pope fashion she kept her options open, applying to many different law firms. Not surprisingly, pretty much everyone wanted Olivia Pope. But the chance to start over, in the political capital of the country with one of the most brilliant legal minds around, was just too good of an opportunity to let slide.
Starting over was exactly what she needed. A new life, a new slate. She stepped out onto the tiny balcony and took in the view. If she held onto the railing and leaned forward just a little, she could see the White House in the distance. A smile spread across her face at the realization that this could be hers. She turned to walk inside as her cellphone buzzed. Looking down at her new phone she saw Abby had replied to the text she had sent just before exiting her car. Look at you with your D.C. number. Find a place? Olivia laughed and typed up a quick reply as Quinn re-emerged.
"Quinn Perkins, real estate agent extraordinaire," she said with a self satisfied smirk. "I talked to the landlord, a Mr. Davis, and he wants to meet you. You just need to sign some paperwork and this is all yours."
Olivia took a look at her watch and smiled brightly. "My meeting isn't for an hour. Let's go."
2 Years Ago: Santa Barbara, California
"Cyrus Beene, you are a genius!"
"Well thank you," Cyrus replied into his cellphone with a laugh.
"Where are you, old man," Fitz said jovially, "I want to buy you a drink. Hell, I wantl buy you a car!"
"As much as I would love a new car, I am out of town. I will be back tonight though."
"Meet me at Chrissy's near the diner when you get back. We have to celebrate. "
Cyrus laughed and looked down at his watch. "You have a deal. But listen, I am on my way to a lunch meeting and then I am catching a plane. I will see you tonight."
"See you tonight," Fitz replied. "And Cyrus, thank you."
"You're welcome. For the record, I always wanted a cherry red sports car."
Fitz laughed and placed the office phone back on it's cradle, picking up the paperwork on his desk. Divorce papers. He had signed divorce papers. He was free.
His mind wandered to Olivia and he wondered briefly how she was. He knew that Harvard Law had graduated a few days earlier and he couldn't help but smile thinking of Olivia beaming in a cap and gown. She had probably graduated near the top of her class if not at the top. She probably already had a job lined up or had started working. Olivia Pope was never one to waste time.
He looked down at the papers in his hand and sighed. This had been a long time coming. Months of drama and plotting were behind him and he was free. It had been a miserable year of bickering with Mellie but she had finally seen his resolve and given in. He smiled to himself. He was free.
A knock sounded at the door and he looked up to see his secretary standing nervously in the open doorway. She was a young girl; pretty and sweet and incredibly competent but a little skittish.
"Can I help you, Amanda," he asked kindly.
"Uhm, yes well, uhmm." He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. She took a deep steadying breath and tried to compose herself. "Your father is here, sir. He wants to speak to you. "
Fitz shook his head and smiled kindly at her. His father had probably terrified the poor thing.
"Send him in, Amanda, and then go take a break. You work too hard."
"Yes, sir," she said, throwing him a genuine smile before scampering away quickly.
Fitz quickly cleaned up his desk and ran his hand over the wrinkles in his shirt. He was moving his divorce papers aside when his father strolled in.
"Fitzgerald," he said as he sat in one of the chairs. "We need to talk."
"What is it, Big Gerry," he replied cooly. "I am busy."
"It is time you took on a more visible role around here, son. You are the heir to my throne and you are wasting your time with busy work. You aren't just a lawyer, you're a Grant and you need to start acting like one."
Fitz barely suppressed the urge to sigh and roll his eyes like a petulant teenager. Instead he took a deep calming breath and made eye contact with his father.
"I am happy where I am, Gerry. I have no interest in running this firm and I don't know how I could possibly make that any more clear."
"You are being selfish, Fitzgerald. First you insist on going through with that ridiculous divorce. Stupidest decision you ever made. And now you won't step up as a man and my only son!"
"I wasn't created to do your bidding, dad. I am an adult and I can make my own decisions. Mellie and I were not happy. I do not love her. End of story. As for this place, I have zero desire to run this corporation. I am a lawyer not a CEO."
"Happy? Love?" Gerry scoffed. "You're a fool. Marriage is a business agreement and you blew a fantastic deal."
"Get out, dad. I have calls to make."
"Fine. But we aren't done discussing this."
2 Years Ago: Washington, DC
Olivia nervously adjusted her blouse as she sat at the small table at the fancy DC bistro the lecturer had selected. She glanced down at her watch and let the seconds tick by, trying to calm her nerves. Her phone buzzed offering a welcome distraction from her nerves. She was 10 minutes early as usual. Normally it provided her a sense of calm but today the waiting was making her anxious. She clicked on the text from Abby and smiled.
Need new email & home addresses please.
Olivia shook her head and opened up her email application, typing a quick email before switching back to text Abby.
Just e-mailed you my new address. What do you need that for anyway?
She looked around to see if the lecturer had arrived but saw no one. Abby was almost as fast a texter as she was so the reply came quickly.
The always efficient Olivia Pope. I may have gone home with a couple of your blouses. Accidently, of course.
Olivia had to stifle a laugh as she surveyed the room once again. This time she saw the lecturer entering so she typed a quick reply.
Accidently, right. I have to go. He's here.
She quickly put her phone away and stood just as he was being escorted to the table.
"Ms. Pope, " the older man said as her extended his hand. "It's nice to see you again. Please, let's sit."
2 Years Ago: Santa Barbara, California
Fitz sat back in his chair and stretched his arms over his head. He spent all morning working on a particularly complicated case and his eyes and head were starting to hurt. Big Gerry had gotten the company into some hot water with his sketchy business practices and as the senior lawyer on staff, it was up to Fitz to fix it.
He rolled his head to the side trying desperately to relieve the knot in his neck. His eyes landed on the divorce papers and he picked them up again. Flipping through the pages he thought back over all the mistakes he made on the road to this moment. If he had been stronger sooner what would his life be like now? Would he be with Olivia? Would they be married, he wondered. The thought of that lost life caused him to stand and look out the window of his high rise office.
This was a new beginning for him and he had to stop reliving the past. There was nothing he could do to change what happened and how he had screwed up but he could be a new man going forward. He could be worthy of Olivia. And maybe if he tried hard enough he could get her back.
"Amanda," he called to his assistant. She came running into the room within seconds. She really was a skittish thing.
"Yes, Mr. Grant," she replied nervously.
"I am going to go to take a long lunch. Would you like to come?"
"S-seriously," she stuttered.
He smiled that charming Grant smile and nodded. "Seriously. We have been crazy busy for weeks and I could use the company. Come on. I will pay and you can tell me all about your new dog."
"My new d-dog?"
"I saw the picture on your desk. Handsome guy. What do you say?"
She looked at him and nodded nervously. "Sure."
"Wonderful. Let's go. I'm starving. So what's the dogs name?"
2 Years Ago: Washington, DC
"Ms. Pope," the older man said, "I was so glad to get a call from you. You really impressed me in that class and your professor had nothing but good things to say. I think you'll fit in wonderfully at the firm. I'm just sorry I wasn't around for more of your interview process."
Olivia smiled kindly at the man and took a sip of her water. "It's not a problem at all, sir. I understand you are a busy man."
He laughed heartily and motioned for the waiter to bring them the check. "That I am. And on that note I must unfortunately bring this meeting to a close. I have some business on the west coast that I need to attend to so I am flying back tonight."
"I understand," she said with a nod. The waiter appeared at the table and the man quickly handed him a credit card.
"I am glad we took this opportunity to get to know each other. I won't be at the office very often but I see a lot of promise in you, Olivia. You remind me a lot of myself when I was younger," he said with a slight laugh.
"I will take that as a compliment." He looked at her at that and let a rare smile grace his lips.
The waiter returned to the table with the receipt and Olivia watched as he carefully considered it and then signed with a flourish. He put down his napkin and stood from his seat, taking a look at his watch.
"I hate to be rude but I really should get going. I have a plane to catch and I always get pulled aside by security. Walk out with me."
"Of course," she said as she stood and they began to walk out. "I just wanted to say thank you for this opportunity. I am sure many people applied for this position and I want you to know that I look forward to working for your company."
"I have no doubt it you will do well. It was nice seeing you again, Olivia. Have a good day and enjoy DC."
"It was nice to see you again too. Enjoy your flight, Mr. Beene."
Cyrus waved his hand in dismissal. "Please call me Cyrus. Mr Beene my father."
She smiled warmly at him and grabbed her keys out of her purse. "Of course. Enjoy your flight, Cyrus."
2 Years Ago: Santa Barbara, California
Fitz glanced down at his watch as he walked into the bar and realized he probably had a few minutes until Cyrus arrived. He looked around the bar and found a seat in a quiet corner of the bar and signaled for the bartender, ordering a scotch. The brown liquid appeared in front of him and Fitz took a celebratory sip. He turned around to see Cyrus entering the now crowded bar and waved his arms over his head to gain his attention.
Cyrus surveyed the room slowly before his gaze landed on Fitz waving his hands like an idiot over his head. He made his way over to his old friend, clapping him on the shoulder before sitting in the seat beside Fitz.
"Give this man whatever he want," Fitz said to the bartender once he appeared. "Anything. On me."
"I'll have a gin & tonic. Heavy on the gin." Cyrus turned his attention to Fitz and leaned against the bar. "So. How does it feel?"
"It feels like freedom. I can't even describe it, Cy. I saw the paperwork a couple times during the day and every time I looked at it this feeling of just freedom came over me. Mellie was never a horrible person. She's a beautiful smart woman but I never loved her and that weighed on me greatly, especially lately. Now that weight has been lifted."
"So what are you going to do?"
"I think I need to find myself. I know that sounds cheesy but I've been with Mellie since college and been doing the bidding of Big Gerry since the day I was born. I need to figure out what I want. Who I want."
"Well, kid, you deserve it. I have known you a long time and I consider you a friend. I know your dad and I'm sure he isn't happy about the divorce. For him your marriage was always a business transaction. I am proud of you for doing what was right for you."
Fitz smiled and lifted his glass in cheers. "I couldn't have done it without you, Cy. You're an evil genius," he said as the two men clinked glasses. "I forgot to ask you, how did the meeting with your new hire go? They must be excited to work with the great Cyrus Beene."
Cyrus looked down as his phone began to vibrate. A quick secretive smile spread across his face before he snapped his attention back towards Fitz. "What? Oh. It went great. Kid is a real spitfire. Going to fit in great. Listen, Fitz. I hate to cut this short but I have to go."
"Sure, Cy. Not a problem."
Cyrus stood up, downing his gin and tonic and putting his hand on Fitz's shoulder. "You deserve to be happy. Have a good night."
"Goodnight, Cy."
Fitz looked down at his empty glass and decided to head home. He could celebrate his freedom at home.
2 Years Ago: Washington, DC
Olivia sat down on the bed in her hotel room and pulled her heels off her sore feet. She gently rubbed her arches for a few minutes before getting up to look for something she could respectably use as a wine glass. After the meeting with Cyrus and running a few just-moved errands she bought herself a bottle of decent wine as a present. A new job, new apartment, new life bottle of wine.
She located a glass in the bathroom and brought it over to the bed, pouring herself a generous portion of wine. It had been a long but productive day and she was exhausted. She leaned back against the headboard and rolled her head side to side trying to relieve the kink in her neck. What a day, she thought. She spent the entire day trying to get her new life in order for the first day of work in a week. She had gotten a new phone, signed the lease on the new apartment, and generally just prepared to for her new life.
Her thoughts briefly moved to Fitz and she wondered how he was doing. She wondered if he was still with his wife or if he had finally gone through with the divorce. Did he miss her? No, if he missed her he would have contacted her over the past 3 years. Maybe he thought she was over him though and he was afraid to come back. Olivia sighed and took a long sip of the wine. It didn't matter anymore. She was starting a new life and that meant somehow someway she had to push Fitz to the back of her mind.
But why are you still thinking of him 3 years later? Some questions, even Olivia Pope couldn't answer.
2 Years Ago: Santa Barbara, California
Fitz sat on his couch with his tablet on his lap and hovered his finger over the email application. Cyrus' words from earlier were ringing in his head. You deserve to be happy. What made Fitzgerald Grant happy? Many things brought him happiness; a good scotch, a delicious steak, solving a particularly difficult case. You deserve to be happy. He clicked on the email application and typed up an email to Olivia. It was time she knew how he felt and that he was sorry. She needed to know that he was finally free and that he would do anything to get her back.
He typed and deleted and retyped the email multiple times before finally settling on the perfect combination of words. He wanted to say he was sorry and that he needed her without sounding too desperate. He tried to come across as confident despite the nerves coursing through his body. He wanted to illicit a conversation between them. When finally he was satisfied with the content he inhaled deeply and clicked send.
Within moments his tablet was dinging with an incoming email. There's no way she replied that fast, he thought as he clicked on the same email app. His breath caught in his throat when he saw what the email was. It was a return delivery; the email address didn't exist anymore. Fitz quickly picked up his phone, fumbling it in his desperation and dropping it on the couch. He picked it up and scrolled to the name he was never capable of deleting. If she wasn't going to get his email then he would have to call her. He took a deep breath and hit the send button, praying she would answer his call.
But instead of the sweet voice of his love coming through the phone he got the prerecorded voice of the phone company telling him that the line had been disconnected. Fitz ended the call and stared at the phone, shock marring his features. She had changed her email and phone number and in the process effectively cut him off. He waited too long and now she was gone.
Suddenly, the freedom of being divorced didn't feel so freeing.
A/N: Hiii. Me again. This is kind of a long chapter for you. I am back from vacation and over my post-Europe cold and this chapter just came to me. I hope you enjoy it. Olivia is trying to start her life over and Fitz has got his divorce but no way to contact her. I promise there is a little bit of time apart left and then I'll bring them together. Let me know what you thought. I love reviews. :)