"Look son, you're a good kid. Your mother and I trust you. You can talk to whoever you want, we know that you have our best intentions in mind, you won't embarrass us at this dinner. But whatever you do, do not talk to Eli Pope," Gerry commanded his son.

"I know, dad. Democratic and Republican rivals. I'm twenty-seven years old. I can handle myself, I'll talk to the right people, won't provoke Eli Pope, blah blah blah. We go over this ever time," Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III gave his father a kind but annoyed look. The man ruffled his son's hair.

"I know you know. Just a reminder, because this time Senator Pope is actually going to be here. Besides, this dinner is big for you too, you can really get your name out there for when you run for Senate," Gerry said.

"Gerry, don't put your own thoughts into our boy's head," scolded Mary, his wife and Fitz's mother.

"It's okay, mom. I'll make the decision when the time is right. Can't hurt to put myself out there in case I end up wanting to run," he said, giving his mother a kiss on the cheek. She smiled at her boy.

The three were sitting in a limousine on the way to a state dinner. Fitz had attended galas before with his father, the Senator of Virginia, but had never been to one this big. He had also never been do one with his father's Democratic rival, Eli Pope, in attendance. He was interested to see him in person, after hearing his father rage about him for years.

The limousine reached their destination, and the family walked out and through a herd of reporters down the red carpet until they were escorted inside into a beautifully lit dinning room larger than anything Fitz had ever seen. But it wasn't just the dinning room, it was the people too.

Fitz was taken aback by the beauty of the men and women surrounding him; he had been involved him politics from a young age because of his father but this was like nothing he had ever seen before. All due to the fact that the President was in attendance. Fitz grabbed a drink and immediately was taken aside by politicians of all sorts. He was a true gentleman, kind and thoughtful, but still powerful in his presence. If he ever decided to follow in his father's footsteps he could make it all the way to Pennsylvania Avenue with just his charm and wit.

After hours of milling around and talking, and with no sight of Eli Pope, Fitz was starting to get bored. But then he caught a glimpse of someone and all the other thoughts ran out of his head.

It was her.

Fitz had never seen her before, yet he felt drawn to this woman in no way that he had ever experienced. She was talking with someone, mid-laugh, when Fitz laid his eyes on her and immediately hoped to God that he could stare at her forever.

She was wearing a low-cut, black dress that hugged her body in all the right ways. The neckline was a dangerously low v-neck that stopped in the middle of her stomach. The dress stopped mid-thigh, and her long smooth legs made Fitz gulp as his eyes traveled down to the black six-inch gold stilettos. Her gorgeous, dark hair was pulled into an intricate top not which left room to admire her face. The face, her face was like looking into the sun. The combination of her doe-brown eyes, full pink lips, and chocolatey skin was the most beautiful thing Fitz had ever seen.

But it wasn't just her looks; the way she held herself you could tell that she was important and smart. Like she had something to say and every body knew that she would be right.

He wanted to meet her. Fitz had to know her.

But before he could take any steps towards her the announcer called out that dinner was being served and he was forced to his table.

Fitz continued to be his gracious, kind self throughout dinner, impressing everyone who met him. But he couldn't take his mind off of that woman. When sitting he couldn't see where she was, and that infuriated him. He felt like he was attached to her by strings, and he didn't understand it. Finally the plates were cleared, speeches were given, and music started playing as all the beautiful people started to dance with one another. He saw many young woman eyeing him, but he sought only one person. He couldn't find her until they bumped into each other, literally.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there, I was looking for—" he began.

"Crap! Sorry, I didn't realize that—" she said at the same time. They both broke off when they turned to face each other.

It was her.

—

It was him.

I mean, she had never met him before, but there was something different about him. Not only that, but she recognized him from somewhere. And it wasn't just that he was the most handsome man that she had seen, because he was, but she felt like she was supposed to know him.

Olivia's eyes traveled up his icy-grey suit, which hugged his muscles perfectly, to his broad shoulders and up to his face. She couldn't help but stop and stare into his beautiful eyes, a brilliant shade of blue unlike nothing else. His wavy brown hair framed his chiseled face perfectly, a stray curl hanging over onto his forehead.

He was perfect. Literally. Olivia had never seen a man who looked that good. I wasn't possible, and yet there he was, standing before her.

The only thing that drew her back to reality was his voice, a rich sound that made her eyes fly up to his mouth which was curling into a grin.

"I've been looking for you," he said. Once she was drawn back to reality she had to search for her words.

After a pause, Olivia managed, "You have?"

"Yeah. I saw you, and…" he seemed at loss for words at well. "Well, anyways, I'm—"

"Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III," she gasped, reality crashing down when she realized who he was.

"You know my name?"

"Yeah, sorry, that's weird I know, it's just that—"

"No, I mean people know who I am, but I'm normally just 'Senator Grant's son,' so… thanks for knowing my name. And you can call me Fitz, by the way," he said. A boyish grin spread across his face that made Olivia's heart melt.

"Fitz, okay, well I'm Olivia. Olivia Pope by the way, so we probably shouldn't be talking," she said with raised eyebrows.

Fitz's jaw dropped and Olivia laughed at his reaction.

—

There was no way. Out of all the girls, she had to be Eli Pope's daughter? It was unfair, so totally wrong. But then he heard her laugh.

It was beautiful, and it wasn't even her full laugh. Her face broke into a beautiful smile, and if he had thought that the sound of her voice was amazing, hearing her laugh was everything.

"I… I'm supposed to avoid your father at all costs," Fitz said.

"As I am," she stated.

Fitz smiled. "But you're not your father. So I think that I can make an acceptation."

"You can?" she asked.

"Well, you're the most beautiful person I have ever met so I really don't care who your father is, Olivia. And I would really like to have a dance with you, if you don't mind," he said, more formal than he had ever been with any one. But she deserved to be told how beautiful. Because Fitz was falling for Olivia Pope and he had known her for less than five minutes.

He held out a hand.

—

She shouldn't do it. She knew that. He was a Grant. That right there should have stopped her. And there was also the fact that she was already obsessed with him. He could shatter her heart into a million pieces with out even trying. She always put up walls, always, but he seemed to take them down. And that thought scared her.

But it was him.

So she went against everything she had ever learned or taught herself and took his hand.

It was the best decision she had ever made.

—

Electricity. Like he had been struck by lightening, but in a good way.

She took his hand. That was all. Yet it was everything.

The music changed; it was slower, calming. He took her hand and guided her into his arms. It wasn't awkward, it felt like they had danced before.

Because they both had been raised by politicians they had been taught formal dances, so the two were comfortable and danced gracefully, like then had done it a million times before.

Her right hand was on his shoulder and her left in his right. He had placed his hand on her back comfortably, and the two danced together.

People started staring at them, but Fitz's mind was all on the woman in his arms. He loved having her touch him, and wanted to stay with her forever.

—

With Fitz she felt beautiful. When he took her into his arms and slow danced with her she felt gorgeous and elegant and got a warm bubbly-feeling inside.

She noticed people around them stopping to watch the two slow-dance, caught up in the beautiful moment.

Olivia moved closer to Fitz as the song slowed, until both of his arms were around her waist and hers around his neck. She rested her head gently against his shoulder and inhaled is husky, masculine scent signature to Fitz.

As her eyes lazily wandered around the room she caught sight of Senator Grant and his wife, watching them. She saw Fitz's mother smiling to herself, and the Senator's eyes widening when he recognized Olivia's face.

"Shit, Fitz, your dad just saw us. I mean me, and then I'm dancing with you—"

"I seriously couldn't care less," he mumbled.

"I do!" she hissed.

"Olivia, it's not that big of a—" but he stopped short when he finally got a glimpse of Senator Pope, who was staring him down. "Crap, your dad sees me."

"How do you think I feel?" she whispered.

Fitz pulled back to look at her, grinning. "This isn't gonna be pretty."

"I don't want to have to deal with them right now," sighed Olivia.

"Then let's not," he said, taking her hand and pulling her through the crowd and out the back of the building.

"Fitz, where are we going?" a laugh came bubbling from her throat. In normal circumstances she would have already pulled out the pepper spray on some random guy who danced with her and then tried to pull her away.

But these weren't normal circumstances.

So she let Fitz guide her out the back door of the venue and through the cold Washington night until he pulled the two into a small, random coffee shop.

"Oh God, you're shivering. Here take my jacket," he said. She rolled her eyes as he put his grey jacket on her shoulders, though didn't complain.

She sipped down the bitter but warm coffee as Fitz immediately started asking her questions. She laughed, excited that he wanted to know so much about her.

"Well, I'm twenty-five years old. I'll be graduating from Georgetown's law school in a year. I grew up in Michigan and went to the University of Chicago for college. I decided to go to school here, so I moved to D.C. right after I graduated. You know all about my dad, of course. My mom has cancer, but don't give me that pity look because she is fine. She and my dad live in Michigan, obviously. I don't have any siblings. What about you?" she asked, answering all his questions at once.

He grinned. "Okay. Well, I'm twenty-seven years old. I'm just graduated from the law school at Washington University this semester actually, and before that I went to Stanford. I've been in the navy since I graduated high school, I was dispatched over the summers. I'm sighed up for one and a half more years, where I'll be on duty for four to six months at a time." he explained.

"So I've got a navy boy and a lawyer on my hands? It's my lucky day," Olivia said.

Fitz rolled his eyes, playfully. "I really joined because of my parents. My mom and dad are fine, I guess. They're good people, I've just never been super close with either of them. They live in Virgina, so I hadn't seen them for a couple of months until they came up for this state dinner. I guess the same is for you?"

"Yeah. And I'm also not that close with my dad, either. My mom, on the other hand… well, she doesn't have that much time left according to the doctors, so I just am trying to learn as much as I can about her," Olivia said with a shrug. She looked up at Fitz, surprised that he wasn't giving her a pitting look. He just looked at her like he knew that she could handle anything, including her mother's death.

God was she falling for him.

"You don't have a boyfriend, right," Fitz asked nervously.

Olivia laughed. "No, I don't. I haven't dated anyone for the past year, because I've been so busy with school. I'm sure you can understand that."

Fitz's face fell. "So you won't go out with me?"

Olivia felt her mouth break out into a smile. "You're asking me out? Like on a date?"

"Well… duh. I would regret not doing that for the rest of my life. I really like you, Olivia."

"You've known me for about thirty minutes," she said with raised eyebrows.

"I know. And yet I've fallen for you in the first thirty seconds that we spent with each other. So, yeah, I'm asking you out. What do you say?"

"I say… yes," Olivia replied, shocking herself. "I mean, this is really stupid because our parents hate each other, but… okay. Yes, I guess," she fumbled, a grin started to grace her face.

"Okay," he said. "Here is my number…" he said, grabbing a pen and writing it down on her arm. "Text me your address. I'll pick you up from there at eight. Does that work?"

"I'll see you then, Fitzgerald," she said, cocking her head to the side.

"Bye, Liv," he whispered, kissing her cheek, putting down a five for their coffee, and hailing a taxi.

Olivia sat back in her chair once he had left. It was official; she was obsessed with him.

Her phone rang.

"Shit," she muttered, reading the caller ID. "Dad?" she asked nervously.

"Olivia Carolyn Pope, you better hope to God that that young man that I just saw you with you just looked like a Grant, and wasn't actually one," Eli Pope said dangerously.

Olivia whipped her head around and saw her dad standing outside the cafe, a limousine waiting.

"Fuck," she said.