"Olivia Carolynn Pope make yourself decent and come out here this minute! You better be on deaths door for not answering my calls!"
"That would be Abby," Olivia laughed at her antics, but soon realized they were about to unintentionally bring another person she loved into the chaos surrounding her family.
"I will get David over here to break down this door!"
"She's not going to go away Liv, go a head we will figure it out after she stops bellowing," Fitz immediately saw the concern in Olivia's eyes, but he had no doubt that Abby would follow through with her threats. Reluctantly she went to open the door and let her in as Fitz and Claudia began hiding what they were doing, Michael went to the kitchen, Huck remained still staring at the computer. She would have to worry about Huck later, because as soon as the door was cracked Abby came barreling in.
"Thank god you opened the door, lord knows I'd need like three Davids to break in! Where have you been!?" She breezed in and started talking, as usual, before she even realized I had a house full of people.
"My… uhm family came to surprise me for fall break," Olivia tried to put on a face that would fool Abby, but when she saw her eye brows shoot straight into her hairline she knew she had failed miserably. She could keep a poker face with nearly everyone except for Abby. Sensing that she wasn't going to get more information than that for now,
"Cool, I guess, so much for your naked week huh Liv?"
"Filter Abby!" both Fitz and Olivia yelled at her at the same time. Thankfully Michael was still in the kitchen and Huck was still in another world. Claudia was thrilled with the turn of events, she loved watching anyone ruffle her sister. After some brief introductions Abby noticed Fitz's arm.
"Oh man Grant what happened to your arm? Liv finally have enough of you?" Abby was motioning towards Fitz's arm, which was wrapped in gauze, as extremely noticeable under his short sleeve t-shirt. Fitz looked down at his arm and over at Olivia giving her the option of lying or telling the truth.
"He hurt it at the gym, no big deal," Olivia barely believed herself when she spoke she doubted that Abby did.
"Ooookay, uhm can we maybe talk outside?" Abby asked.
"NO!" Fitz and Claudia both jumped up to say. Olivia looked defeated.
"Let's just go into the other room." Abby followed Olivia to her office. It was rapidly becoming for of a room for confrontation and hard discussions than studying.
"What's up Abs?" Olivia asked her trying to put on a brave face.
"So we're just going to skip over the fact that despite me knowing you for almost four years I've never met your family and you've never gone to see them, but now they're all here and youre acting like nothing is up?"
"It's complicated."
"Yeah it's family of course it's complicated. If you want to talk I'm here, if not David got tickets to the Arctic Monkeys tonight."
"Shit! Dammit! Seriously? Worst timing ever! I've been trying to get those tickets for weeks!"
"I'm going to assume you can't go now… Liv talk to me? Fitz doesn't go to the gym we both know that man hates it, you look like you haven't slept in days, and your family is here, we both know there's something bigger here than fall break. I owe you everything Liv. You can trust me." For a split second Olivia thought about telling Abby everything, bringing her in, but it would be so selfish. Once she knew it would put her in jeopardy. On the other hand if she left and someone was still watching them they may hurt her. Olivia was trying to process everything and Abby was just staring her down waiting for her to cave.
"Okay here's the abridged version which really is all I can give you. My mother has gone off the reservation and made some extremely poor errors in judgment and Huck, Michael, and Claudia are here to help make sure it doesn't get any worse. I know you want to help, but its being handled. Go to the concert with David. Bring me home a t-shirt. Go get some normal, for me? But be careful."
"You know I can handle myself… At least now with mister Saturday night special."
"Oh god Abby you didn't?"
"David may seem all nerdy and harmless now, but I'm not taking any chances. You might not always be there. Besides a tire iron doesn't fit into my purse." It had been over a year since Abby's attack, but sometimes Olivia still saw the battered woman come out, but even if it made her nervous she was glad Abby was taking strides to take back her life. Olivia laughed and pulled her into a hug.
"Okay. I'm going to get out of here and let you deal with the crazy, but I'm a phone call away."
"Thanks Abby. It means a lot." The filed out of the office and Abby headed back to the table to say goodbye to everyone. Michael was back at the table, a plate full of ham and cheese between him and Fitz while they continued to look through the information they had so far.
"Maybe I should walk you out," Fitz was worried about her leaving Olivia's apartment. He wanted to make sure no one followed her out.
"No thanks, you're just a little too pretty for me Grant," Abby told him before patting her purse and winking at Olivia. Ever since Abby and Fitz met they constantly picked at one another, but they adored one another and Olivia was grateful that there was no tension between two of the most important people in her life.
As soon as Abby shut the door behind her Huck finally spoke up, "I don't think we need to worry about them going after Abby or anyone else here anymore. They've found a new target back home." Olivia's mind immediately went to Cammie and her stomach dropped.
"Who?" Michael asked. He already had an idea but he needed it confirmed. He knew if Cammie was in danger Huck would have spoken up sooner.
"Maya." With that one word Olivia felt her stomach drop, her body immediately tensed and Fitz moved closer to her recognizing that she was distressed.
"Mom? What do you mean new target? Is she… Did they…" she didn't even know how to ask the question.
"No. For now she's fine but they've got a plan and I don't think she has any idea though," Huck answered her finally looking up from the computer and looking all his cousins in the eye. He knew how Claudia and Michael felt, but Olivia's feelings would be the ones that would determine their actions.
"Okay, so we get in the car. We drive there so we can protect her," Olivia was shocked she even had to suggest it, and she got angry when she realized no one was up or moving.
"Guys seriously, she's horrible, but she's our mother! First we protect her. That's what we do, then we talk to her about the choices she's made of late." The last part came out more like a growl.
"Olivia we know you love her and that she's are mother, but she isn't trustworthy. She's selfish and letting things take their course might be the best way to keep you safe. We can call Dad and tell him to keep an eye out," Michael was pleading with her. He was so angry at his mother he thought if he saw her he might kill her himself, allowing her to deal with her own repercussions would be the easiest and safest for Olivia.
"He wont protect her! Michael you know that. We need to go, now if we want to make it in time," Olivia was pleading with him now.
"Olly, think about this logically, not with your heart. Are you sure this is what you want?" Without a second of hesitation she said, "Yes. Lets move please." They all nodded in assent and started gathering their belongings.
"If I asked you to stay here would you?" The glare Olivia gave Michael was all he needed for an answer. "I'll go get our stuff from next door and gas up the car. I assume that means Fitz you'll be joining us as well?"
"Yes."
"No!" both Olivia and Fitz answered at the same time. She glared at him waiting for him to change his response when he didn't she pulled him into the bedroom. She started throwing her clothes and toothbrush into a backpack.
"You're not coming Fitz. She's… I don't even know, but you need to stay here."
"I'm only going to say this once Livvy so listen up. We're in this together so I'm going." She sat there slack jawed he had never taken that tone with her.
"You wouldn't"
"I would, I will, I'm going to." She let out something between a scream and a moan.
"Dammit Livvy just let me help you!" She wanted him with her, she really couldn't imagine facing everything that would come in the next few days without him, but she didn't want to be selfish.
"Fine." She threw a spare duffle bag she had at him and he gathered the clothes that he had left there. He immediately starting packing, not giving her time to change her mind. By time they both finished packing Michael was back with a few more bags and the keys to his rental.
"Okay let's try and get on the road before rush hour gets really bad. We will have to get dinner on the road," Claudia said while was busy helping Huck get all his tech gear put away.
"Uhm not to sound foolish, but since time seems to be a factor why aren't we flying?" He knew money wasn't an issue, and they were close to several major airports.
"Dead girls can't fly Fitz. Even dead girls with solid fakes, its too dangerous," Olivia told him with her head down. Just one more awkward situation she was putting everyone in for her choices.
"I may have a solution for that," Fitz said nervously.
"And…?" Michael was growing impatient, he didn't want to go as it is let alone play twenty questions with his sister's boyfriend.
"I have a plane. That I can fly. So no one has to know Liv is on it, no security so you can take your guns and gear, and we can leave as soon as we get to the tar mat."
"Olivia how exactly did you forget to mention that?" Claudia said irritated.
"I guess I didn't really think about it," Olivia said dodging the question. She knew he could fly and that he had a small passenger plane at the private landing strip about an hour away from campus, but she didn't want to put him in that position.
"Fitz seriously we can drive…" he cut her off before she could even finish.
"Olivia, I'm taking you home." Her face was covered in mixed emotions. Part of her loved that she was so important to him, but the other darker part was concerned about what they would find when she got home. She still didn't feel good about bringing Fitz into it, but he and Michael were already taking the bags outside and Fitz was telling him about his pilot training in the Navy. It was going to happen whether she wanted it to or not. They really were in this together now.
Huck and Claudia followed them out leaving Olivia to take one last deep breath and lock up her apartment, knowing this was probably the last peaceful moment, even if it was just a second, she would have for a while.