When Olivia finally got out of the shower she found Fitz asleep with his book open on his chest. She smiled to herself when she saw that he was finally reading the first game of thrones book. When she was reading it he called her a geek and teased her but once they started watching the show together he immediately became addicted even more than she was. She marked his page and set it on the night table for him.

"Fitz... Bee... Gotta get up. I'm sorry." He was usually more difficult to wake up, but today as soon as he heard her voice his eyes peeled open immediately.

"I'm up. I'm up." He was looking around for his shoes and she brought them over to him. He looked down at her bare feet.

"You need shoes too Livvy."

"I know I only brought my old sneakers, I was hoping Claudia might have an extra pair of heels."

"No such luck Liv." Claudia had heard her and let herself into the room. Olivia gave a small pout. She was the shortest in the group and loved how heels made her feel less like a child not to mention the way Fitz watched when she walked in them gave her a huge ego boost. Claudia tossed her converse shoes, black with a hole patched with duct tape at her.

"Those are disgusting. We have more money then we could ever need and you wear those all the time." Olivia rolled her eyes at her sister, Olivia may love fashion and getting dressed up, but she's pretty low maintenance especially in comparison to her sister. She stuffed her feet into them as Fitz tied them for her. She hated tying her shoes and usually just stuffed the laces in but it always made Fitz nervous she was going to trip. Him tying her shoes and her tying his tie quickly became a morning ritual for them. Michael and Huck were standing outside the open door observing Michael announced their presence,

"Let's get this over with." Solemnly they followed his down to the hotel bar in search of Stephan.

"I can't believe we have to talk to this jackass, he better get on board here." Claudia was ranting and switching between calling him a douche and a jackass, normally Olivia would have told her to shut it down, but she mostly agreed, at least as far as needing his help. It was clear Fitz was enjoying Claudia's tirade, he was smirking until he saw the look on Olivia's face, she looked like she was going to be sick so he tried to hide it better. He knew he failed when she gave him an eye roll and muttered "shameless," under her breath. He knew he needed to act before he fell victim to one of her slaps,

"So what's the plan here? I mean how's he supposed to help?" Huck gave them both a strange look,

"You didn't tell him?"

"We were busy without bigger fish than Stephan, besides it's a bit more than a fifteen minute conversation." Olivia's answer came out snarkier than she intended, she gave Huck an apologetic look, and he didn't take it personally. He was more concerned about her state of mind after everything she had been through in less than twenty-four hours. Michael gave her a look telling her to pull it together and started explaining his plan,

"Stephan's father is… in a similar position to our father's," they were in public it wasn't as if he could say they were both criminals and murderers, "they both benefitted from Liv faking her death, and they became allies…" Olivia interrupted him,

"Which was probably the only reason Dad allowed me to date him, some disgusting arranged marriage to unite the families," she was nearly spitting. Fitz couldn't imagine someone using Olivia in that way and it made him furious. He wouldn't last long in Stephan's company.

"Most likely that's true, though we didn't think of it at the time. Anyway if he went, or rather had Mom go to one of the other families to spread word about Liv it would be Stephan's father, Joey. Lucky for us Stephan's hatred of his father is nearly matched to the torch he carries for Liv. Basically were going to get him work from his side, we work ours, and hopefully find Sal in the middle and it ends there." Fitz nodded understanding the gist, but knowing that this guy still had something with his Livvie made his crazier. His eyes were growing fierce and the blue was nearly consumed by the black of his pupil. He knew he couldn't let his jealousy interfere with what they needed to do, but something about the idea of someone else touching her, especially someone as unworthy, not that anyone was, as Stephan made him ache.

Olivia saw how tense he was, worse than when he was in the car, she knew there wasn't much she could do at this point, they needed his help. Fitz had nothing to be jealous of; even when they were dating it was nothing more than teenage stupidity, at least from her side.

"Should we really all approach him?" Claudia knew he would immediately know if they were all there he would be ambushed.

"You may have a point, CeeCee you can go back to the room, bring Huck you guys can do more research. Fitz you can…" He glared at her. He was going with her. She took his hand, "come with us, but try to be more puppy than pit bull. Please?" He nodded in agreement.

"You're sending me away because you think I'll just run him off? And youre having Huck baby sit me?"

"Yeah that pretty much covers it." Liv smiled a little sheepishly hoping she would go. Claudia and Stephan always hated each other; Claudia saw right through him and never trusted his motivations. Olivia figured she had been right, but now wasn't the time to point that out.

"Fine, but I'm ordering room service and raiding the mini bar." Olivia laughed and agreed.

Huck and Claudia headed back towards their rooms as Michael, Fitz and Olivia entered the elevator in silence. Once they entered the bar it wasn't hard to find Stephan. It was a Tuesday night and he was the only person sitting alone at the bar. The first thing Olivia saw was his back, he'd filled out quite a bit in the last three years. She couldn't imagine what that had done to his ego, but she imagined it hadn't helped the problem. Michael and Olivia exchanged a look and walked over, pulling out stools on either side of him. Fitz remained standing behind Olivia, acting as her sentry, not that she needed him, but it was comforting to have him there.

"Stephan, nice to see you're still predictable." She alerted him to their presence and nodded at his drink. Whiskey. He was always drinking whiskey, Olivia had come to find it repellent. The bartender headed over, but Michael waved him away.

"I wish I could say the same to you Liv, but the whole faking your death thing wasn't something I saw coming." He took a sip of his drink without looking at her.

"What can I say I like to keep people on their toes."

He snorted before replying, "you were always good at that weren't you, though you never could stick to a choice. I suppose that's why you're back? Or am I foolish to believe its for me?" She felt Fitz lunge a little behind her, but with a look from her he stopped. "Oh no, you didn't come back for me, I see you don't need me anymore, you've got him."

"I'm perfectly fine with the choices I've made. My parents however are not. They want me to come back. That's not going to happen. We would like to enlist your help with that."

"Why would I do that?"

"We all know how much you like to piss off your father, we are nearly certain our father's are working together on this one."

"Oh there I can agree. I'm sure my father sees your return as another way to get a piece of your father's business. Marry off the children and they split things. Its all very medieval in their minds. What they don't take into consideration was your general indifference to me and my feelings for you Liv. What makes you think I wont help them just to get you back here?"

"We were counting on your hatred of your father being greater than any crazy notions of affection you have for me."

He started shaking his head, "Crazy notions! I loved you. I still do." Olivia rolled her eyes.

"You followed your father's orders to get the enemy in your bed, don't mistake what happened for anything more than two ignorant people being manipulated."

"It was more than that." He looked vulnerable and for a second she felt for him but Olivia was getting angry, Fitz shouldn't have to listen to this and frankly she didn't want to have the conversation.

"This isn't about us. It's over. For good. If you choose to help us great if not, oh well I wasted fifteen minutes." She got up to leave, but he grabbed her arm, gentle enough so that while her sentries didn't go for him, they did inch closer.

"You know you should have told me yourself, I would have come with you and you wouldn't have to put up with this boor." She grabbed his drink and downed the rest of it. She had enough of his games. If he chose to help great if not they would find another way they always did.

"You always were a arrogant bastard, good to see that some things don't change." She smirked grabbing Fitz's hand to leave, "we'll be in touch. Oh and for the record I never needed you."