DISCLAIMER: Scandal and its characters belong to Shonda Rhimes and ABC/Disney.

Grant Ranch - Santa Barbara, CA

"Miss Pope, a word, please?"

Liv felt all the blood drain from her face. Her mind started racing, perhaps she might have overstepped. She wasn't understanding her own reaction, normally after tearing her clients down, she felt amazing, she felt excited she felt alive. She was never one to cower away. Dressing down her clients was not merely for her own enjoyment, it let her client know that she wouldn't take any bullshit if they worked together. But, right now, she wasn't feeling any of that, she was nervous, almost as if she was ashamed of the words she outed, perhaps not the words themselves but the manner in which she had spoken them. This was not her. She didn't second guess herself, much less want to protect a client's feeling when she had said nothing but the truth. She felt like the little girl who had corrected the teacher and been reprimanded for it.

A wave of panic went through her body, she didn't know what to do. She hadn't felt this level of anxiety in a long time. Panic attacks had been a way of life for a younger Olivia. She had learned the hard way that children could be ruthless. She had thought that they were under control because of the therapy and medication, she might have been wrong. Normally, her clients were panicked by her, not the other way round. She didn't know what it was about Fitzgerald Grant that was different but, it seemed like she lost control the moment their eyes met.

"God, please don't fire me. I can't get fired, I am too excited about this. God, I can't be jobless." She muttered, frustrated.

She hadn't realized that she said that out loud until she heard him say "You're not fired. Far from it..."

"I'm not? But I..." She cut him off and couldn't even manage to find her word. What was happening to her? Olivia Pope was never one to be out of words but, something about the man in front of her made her lose the ability to think clearly.

Fitz seemed surprised at her sudden insecurity.

This woman had just shred him to pieces and even he had enjoyed it. This woman, had, in less than five minutes, struck fear into him and brought him to his knees. This woman had handed him his ass on a plate and convinced him that he needed to have in his life. This woman was known all over the country for her no-nonsense and confidence. He couldn't believe that she was insecure. He was taken aback by that fact. This wasn't the fierce Olivia Pope he expected. And for some reason, knowing that made his desire him knowing her and having her in his life grow even more.

"No, you're not fired. I actually wanted to thank you..." Fitz said trying to find his word. He had just forgotten what he wanted to tell Liv. He just wanted her close by and that seemed to turn his brain into Jell-O.

"Thank me? What for?" Olivia chocked out trying to regain some composure. She couldn't understand this man. He was her new employer and she had just shredded him to pieces. But instead of firing her, he was thanking her? Was he serious? She couldn't understand him. Why would he be thanking her?

"Yes, I wanted to thank you for being so forthcoming with me. I am surrounded by people who lie to me constantly, who believe they should always tell me what they think I want to hear instead of telling me the truth. Earlier, you told me the truth without sugar-coating it. It didn't matter that I hired you, it didn't matter that Cyrus was there. You just had to tell the truth. And for that I am thankful." He posed and looked at her. She looked like an angel. An angel sent from heaven to deliver him from the lies and pretending that surrounded him.

Then he added, "I think we'll be great together." The double meaning of his words was not lost to either of them. He looked into her eyes and, he saw it, he saw them married, a house, kids, them growing old together, he saw it. But, could it really be? He had known her for less than half an hour, this couldn't be. Or could it.

He was terrified by what he saw and the fact that he wanted it. But he needed to calm himself down, he knew that it was going too fast. Maybe he had been projecting and it hadn't really happened. But, why did it feel so right? Why did those few seconds he stared into her eyes feel so reel? Why did it feel like he had known her all his life yet, knew nothing about her? Why did it feel like he found what he'd been looking for without even knowing he had been looking for it?

Liv looked into his eyes in awe. She was lost in his thoughts that she frowned a little when he stepped behind. Then Fitz gathered the courage to address her. "I think,..." He couldn't find the words.

"Get Cyrus and get to work?" She finished for him. He just stood there and said a soft "Okay". She led the way and stepped out of his study to find Cyrus in the living room. Fitz watched her leave his study and prayed to whatever God there was that Mellie signed the papers. Because, after what he saw, there was no way in hell he wouldn't get to live that life with Liv.

Shopping Mall - Santa Barbara, CA

Mellie tried to keep her mind off of Fitz and the decision she'd be making whether or not she wanted to in a few hours. Whether or not she expressed her decision or not, the inevitable would happen. Fitz was determined that she makes a decision, and was willing to go to war with her if she didn't. Since leaving the house that morning, Fitz had kept texting her an hour countdown every hour. It was driving her crazy. The worst was the fact that they were in mid-afternoon and her source hadn't called her back. She was now starting to worry. In a few hours, all she worked so hard for would be destroyed. All because her stupid husband decided he couldn't wait 8 more years to divorce her. He was taking away her chance of being FLOTUS.

She was convinced he was leaving her for someone else. How could he not? She hadn't had sex with the man since the birth of the Twins and she couldn't blame him if she cheated. The man was very attractive and he could've had anyone he desired. And, he was a man, he had needs that needed to be taken care of. How had it come to this?

At that moment, she missed the Fitz she met in law school. That Fitz had craved to get people's attention. Mommy and daddy only cared for him because of his grades, he had wanted someone to see beyond his intelligence. She missed the Fitz that came crawling to her every single time his parents didn't seem to notice him besides his report card although he was their only son. He had been a lonely soul who needed someone to be there. And she had been there as his "Friend" and he confided in her. She missed the 23-year-old who had a PhD but no idea how to flirt. She missed the Fitz that was so broken because of his intelligence that he always went to her for comfort. She missed when times were easy with him. When she knew exactly what to do or what to say to get him wherever she wanted him to be. But, those times were over. It seemed that after being hurt one too many times, he found the strength to finally say no. She wasn't sure if had ever loved him. But maybe she had cared for him once upon a time.

She had known who he was, before shyly asking for direction to the library. Once she had been accepted into Harvard Law, she had made sure to learn everything she could about all of the eligible bachelors she was set to meet. She had been determined to leave Harvard with a husband in good standing, preferably from a political family. It was her luck that she stumbled upon Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III, in the student directory. He didn't scream money but she had known he was as close to royalty as blue bloods went. He was the son of Fitzgerald Thomas Grant II, known as Big Gerry, the senator from California. Marrying a Grant would have been a great achievement any day of the year. But Fitz wasn't just a Grant, he was the son of the Hollywood Mogul and heiress Ariadne 'Ari' Reichenbach. Fitzgerald Grant III embodied all of the money and prestige of the Reichenbach name combined with the political standing of the Grant name.

Most people forgot that he was Reichenbach, because of the clout of the Grant name in politics. Mellie made sure to know all of the most influential families, and the Recheinbachs were only rivaled by the Rockefellers as far as money and prestige. The Reichenbach name was synonymous with American wealth. The family was talked about with the same awe and reverence. They had made their fortune in the mining business at the turn of the century before they diversified into almost every facet of the economy. Now, Reichenbach was a name that adorned everything, from museums and luxury hotels to private banks and film studios. She had wanted that. She had determined that she would not settle for anything less.

She had researched everything she could find on him, even emptied her meager savings in order to hire a private investigator. It had paid off, she had learned he was the youngest of four and the only boy. He lived a sheltered and isolated life. She had learned that he was a gifted student who just wanted to be normal. With all of the information in hand, she had determined to befriend Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III. She had known that plenty of other would-be Grants would chase after him relentlessly, so she had determined to set herself apart by keeping things platonic. Her plans had worked like a charm and before the end of law school, she was the future Mrs. Grant.

And now, it all came crashing down. Mellie had often wondered what it felt like to have it all but lose it in an instant. She wondered if this is how Diana felt about her divorce. Perhaps it would have been better never to have a taste of this life. It was hard to miss something that you never had. Her lawyer had gone over the prenup and there was no way she could continue to afford her current lifestyle unless she found someone else to marry. She didn't doubt her ability to find a new husband. But, even if he was a perfectly acceptable option, it would be a serious downgrade from Fitz. He might have money but she doubted she would ever get anywhere near the kind of money Fitzgerald had again. She could marry someone whose name was respectable enough in politics, but could never rival the Grant name in terms of political capital. Fitz was a history-making governor, she seriously doubted finding anyone else with his kind of pedigree. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. It wasn't like she was unaware of all this before, but she had been certain that Fitzgerald would never leave her no matter what she did. Oh, how wrong she had been.

Realizing how much she had to lose, strengthened her resolve. She treated herself to a shopping spree before reaching out to her source. If today was her last day as Mrs. Grant, she was determined to take advantage of it.

Around 5 pm, she went to meet with her source, to see what he found. She had been gone for the day and it was about time she faced the music.

She sat at the café, waiting for him to arrive. She hoped he found something, anything that would at least delay the inevitable. She waited 15 minutes before Charlie arrived.

"Tell me what you found," she said, impatiently.

"First, your husband is not cheating on you. Seriously, the man can't seem to do something unrighteous. Have you ever seen a politician with such integrity?" Charlie says praising the man. He didn't see the look of sheer panic that came upon Mellie's face when he said that Fitz hadn't cheated. What did that mean? What other reason could he have to ask for a divorce so abruptly?

"Just get to the point already. I didn't wait an entire day for you to tell me he wasn't cheating. I called you so you could find any and everything about the man. And that's not all there has to be on the man named Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III" She snapped, her mind was racing, if that's all he could find on Fitz she was screwed.

"Okay, okay, don't eat me alive. Aside from everything that is public knowledge, I couldn't find much. The man has nothing to hide, or he hides it very carefully. All I could find was that last week after the kids left for his grandfather's house, he called his lawyers and had them draft the divorce papers. He also made a few changes on his will and medical proxy." He paused. "You're no longer an heir on his will and you're not his medical proxy anymore."

He watched Mellie freeze. At that moment, it hit her, Fitz was serious. She only had a few hours before it all ended. She now knew what her decision was. She paid Charlie and paid for her cappuccino. And then headed home. On her way over, there was only one question on her mind: What happened between before and after the kids left that changed Fitz so drastically?

Fitz and Liv made their way to the living room and found Cyrus pacing in frustration. He looked like he was about to scream. When he saw them coming, he stopped pacing and looked at them. When neither of them said anything, he started to worry that Fitz fired her and just threw the election away. He couldn't take the silence anymore so he decided to bite the bullet and asked with hopeful eyes "So?"

Before Liv could say anything, Fitz said, "We're going to start working on the divorce, and, how to break it so it doesn't hurt the polls too badly. You can go and start working on the campaign keeping in mind that I'll be running a single father of 2." He didn't know why but for some reason, he didn't want Cyrus involved with the divorce. He had a feeling he'd try to persuade him out of it. Besides, he wanted, no, ached to be alone with Olivia again.

Cyrus breathed a sigh of relief. For a second, he thought that they were about to concede before the campaign even begun. He really hopes Liv could do something about the situation because if not, they were screwed.

"Ok. Thank goodness you didn't fire her. Am sure with your genius brains of yours you two will be able to come up with a plan." He said going past them to the guest room.

Before he was out of the room and turned to Fitz. "By the way, where do you want your campaign to launch?"

"Boston Common, in Massachusetts. I lived there, I worked there, I was there when I decided to run, so I think it's good for the optics if I start there. Besides, it is close enough to New Hampshire without being too on the nose with it." Cyrus only nodded and made his way to his room.

Fitz told Liv to go in the study while he went to get them some drinks and tell the cook they'd e having a guest for diner. On his way, he couldn't stop thinking about what he saw when he looked into her eyes. He just hoped she wanted him as much as she wanted her.

Fitz made his way back to the study with two sodas and handed Liv one before going to sit behind his desk facing her.

Liv took a deep breath before starting.

"Look, from now on, you're my client and, I do everything I can to guarantee that my clients get what they want. But, I only have one rule, I want you to be honest with me. I want the truth, nothing but the truth if not, all bets are off. Do I make myself clear?" He nodded seeing as she had more to say.

"Now that you're my client and that I'm one of your campaign managers, I have to tell you that this divorce is going to impact your campaign and might risk you losing it. Are you willing to risk that?"

"Look, I know, this isn't the ideal time for me to get a divorce considering I'm running. I can't wait to get divorced and then run because everyone already knows I'm running even if I haven't announced yet. But, believe me when I say I can no longer do this. I'm not only doing this for myself, I'm doing this for my children. My children need me to do this. And my children are more important than me running for office. And before you even ask, I'm not leaving my wife for anyone. I've never and would never cheat on her." He answered defeated.

He looked so beaten. The sadness that came upon his face when he talked about his children caught Liv's attention and she made a mental note to ask him about it. She had a feeling that his children had done or said something that had triggered his outburst and sudden need for a divorce.

"Please don't be like Cyrus, don't start enumerating all the reasons why I shouldn't do this. I can't be fighting you too. I can't be fighting Cyrus and Mellie, run for president, be a father and fight you too. It's exhausting. I don't think I can take it. Please, just for once I need someone in my corner." He looked tired, exhausted.

Fitz didn't understand what came upon him. He was never that open and vulnerable with anyone not even with Mellie when he thought she was his friend. He didn't know what it was with Liv that made him so carefree and open but it frightened him. How could he have known Mellie for over a decade and never manage to bring himself to be like that and yet he'd known Liv for less than an hour and he was allowing her to see him as no one else ever did.

Liv didn't know what to say. From what she could gather, he had many emotional wounds. To some extend, she could understand him. Beyond the charm and warm smile, she could see in his eyes a sadness and pain that mirrored hers. The pain of someone that's been hurt one too many times. The sadness of having it all yet having nothing. Setting aside Cyrus's remarks about how stupid and unrealistic the idea of him divorcing his wife was, she decided to go with her gut. And, her gut was telling him that he'd be one hell of a president. She wasn't sure yet what was going in on with his marriage but the look in his eyes told her that couldn't bear it anymore.

"Look, I know that this is going to be tough and that you are risking it all. But I also know that you are intelligent and that you wouldn't do this if you thought there was any other way. So, I won't enumerate the reasons why you shouldn't do this. You are rational and I'm sure you already did that. But, I won't lie, it will be hard, nearly impossible to achieve. I'll be in your corner. But, as I said, I need the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. If I'm going to be fighting the public opinion for you, I want to be certain that I know the truth. I am not Cyrus so, if there is something you are intending to do that affects you as my client and my candidate, I need to be kept in the loop. Honesty is the most important thing for me. So, if you lie to me and that lie affects me professionally or/and personally, all bets are off. And, depending on how badly it affected me I will ruin you. And trust me, I am an enemy you do not want to have. Are we clear?" She asked looking at him right in the eye.

The Liv he was seeing right now was the one whose reputation preceded her. She was the fierce no-nonsense fixer that brought everyone to their knees. Right now, he was seeing the Formidable Olivia Pope and not the woman who moments earlier had seemed so insecure. He didn't know what it was with her taking charge, but, he was so turned on by her right now. Snap out of it Fitz, you barely know her.

It took Fitz a little while to answer, letting all her words synch in. She was on his side. She'd fight for him. He didn't know what to say. He was overwhelmed. She would be in his corner. He didn't know why but he knew that she meant it. He knew that unlike everyone else in his life, she'd be by his side, and not for some hidden agenda but for him as a person.

"I swear Olivia, I can call you Olivia right?" She nodded and he continued. "I swear to you that, I'd never lie to you. I pride myself of my integrity. I'd never risk losing it with you. I'd never risk you thinking any lesser of me."

To some extend, she knew that he meant more than just professionally. She had felt the connection between them the moment their eyes locked onto each other. But, knowing that somehow, he felt it too, and wouldn't lie to her made her happy to some extend. She had been lied to in the past but her gut told her to trust him when he said he wouldn't do that to her. Without realizing it, she smiled at his words.

"Okay, so now that we are on the same page, let the full disclosure begin. First, why would you decide, now of all times to divorce your wife?"

Please tell me what you think. Your opinions are welcomed and desired.

JLG20