DISCLAIMER: Scandal and its characters belong to Shonda Rhimes and ABC/Disney.
Santa Barbara Municipal Airport
When Liv arrived at the airport, Huck's plane was late. It irked her keen sense of punctuality. Perhaps it was the time she spent in Switzerland or the fact that as a young girl her father used to say that 'When you're early, you're on time. When you're on time, you're late. And when you're late, you'd better be absent.' It had made an impression on her particularly as she grew older and realized the value of time. She always made sure to be punctual and expected the same of those around her. Of course, she knew Huck wasn't to blame for the plane being late, this delay risked throwing off the rest of her schedule.
After waiting for almost an hour, the board finally announced that Huck's plane had landed. Since Huck had been in Business Class, he was among the firsts to come out of the plane. He only had his backpack with him. He was wearing his usual clothes; a simple T-shirt and jeans.
"How was your flight?" She asked as he came to her.
"Okay" was his simple reply. "Please don't get mad at the airline, there was an ambulance that was due to land at the airport before we departed so, we had to wait a while for our departure," he said before she could even ask. He knew her well and knew she wouldn't be able to calm down before she either talked to the company or, had a valuable reason for the delay. This is one of the reasons she didn't like flying commercial.
"Ah, okay. By the way, we have to pick up a rental."
"You hadn't gotten a rental yet?" He asked incredulously. It wasn't like Olivia to take cabs. She always wanted to feel in control and that meant having her own car.
"No. When I arrived, I was picked up by the hotel's car. And I have been alternating between using it and the Governor's driver."
"Okay."
After searching for an appropriate car and bantering like siblings, they ended up renting a BMW. It was high-end but understated.
Grant Ranch - Santa Barbara, CA
10 minutes after Liv left, Fitz found the courage to face the music and called Mellie.
"Mel, we need to talk."
"Oh, thank God you came to your senses and forgot that stupid idea of yours."
"What the hell are you talking about? We still are getting divorced."
She felt all the joy she had felt at seeing his call vanish and was immediately replaced by panic. What if Harmony had gone to him? What if she had told him the truth? Was he changing the deal? But, she wouldn't let Fitz know that she was about to shit in her pants from the fear of him actually changing the deal and deciding that he wouldn't give her a thing. After Harmony's monologue, she started thinking about how Fitz had the power to determine whether she would be left with at least some money or nothing.
"But, you said we needed to talk!"
"Oh, yeah, we do need to talk," he said. He wanted to play this one close to the vest. He still didn't know what to make of Harmony's words. He wanted her to be the one to tell him what was going on.
"Okay, so, what do we have to talk about? I thought the deal was settled!" She couldn't help but feel like he might know something.
"Well, Harmony came by the house today." He said. "Are you sure you have nothing to tell me?" he asked innocently. Maybe that might be enough to get her talking if she thinks I already know the truth.
"So, Harmony came to see you, and now you think that I have something I should tell you? Unbelievable!" she tried to sound outraged. "I am your wife of over 10 years and now, just because someone said that I'm hiding something from you you believe them? I thought you were better than that Fitzgerald."
"Well, had I asked you if you were cheating on me you would have denied it so, I never know with you." He said before hanging up. Clearly, Mellie wasn't going to say a thing. But he was now certain that Mellie was hiding something big from him. He just hoped that Liv could find out what she was hiding before it was too late.
Four Seasons - Santa Barbara-Biltmore, CA
"So, Liv, what exactly is happening here? You were awfully quiet the ride back here. And, yesterday, you said you were lost. Tell me what's going on so that I can help you." Huck decided to break their silence.
"Order lunch first. I promise I will tell you but, I need you to help me with something first."
"Okay." He ordered them Thai since it was Liv's favorite and he sensed that whatever it was, she needed to eat her favorite. Olivia Pope was never one to feel lost, so her feeling out of raised alarm bells for him.
"So, I would like you to do a full background check on Millicent Grant, the governor's soon-to-be ex-wife. I want to know everything there is to know about her as soon as possible."
"I don't know if I can guarantee top speed. I would need to get some proper equipment then. I didn't bring my full set up."
"You can get whatever you need." She replied to him, retrieving her AMEX.
After lunch, they both went to their workstations. Liv wanted to get a headstart on the plan she and Fitz had come up with together.
She had been working for almost two hours when Huck interrupted her.
"I think I found something big." He said excitedly.
"We need to tell the Governor." She said after, absorbing what this meant for Fitz, for the divorce, and for the campaign. "Also, get me everything you can on Harmony Montgomery."
Grant Ranch - Santa Barbara, CA
The lawyers had arrived at quarter past and had been there with the papers one. They were going over everything to make sure that that was what they had agreed upon. Fitz was silent the whole would speak to her lawyer from time to time but Fitz was completely mute. Now, they were talking about the children's custody and the money. The lawyers asked if they had a deal. Mellie said yes.
"No" was what came from Fitz shocking his lawyers.
"No to what?" asked Mellie. Had Fitz changed his mind about the divorce or had Harmony really told him the truth? She hoped that it was the divorce he was against and not the latter. Cause, if he knew the truth, then she was done.
"No to the deal."
"Are you saying we aren't divorcing anymore?"
"No, not at all. But I changed my mind about the deal, I want a new one."
"Okay." said the lawyers perplexed. They didn't know what was going on. Mellie was freaking out, Fitz seemed to be deadly serious.
"Yes, the deal is slightly changing. Mellie will only get the house in North Carolina and 5 million dollars. I get full custody of the kids and Mellie relinquishes her parental rights. She can never come within a 5-mile radius of me and my family. "
"Why on earth would I agree to such a thing? I get nothing." Mellie asked incredulously. The gull of this man, she had given up everything for him, and this is how he thanked her?
"Oh, you should be happy you're even getting that. I was going to leave you with nothing, but it wouldn't look good for the campaign. And, we both know it's better than going to the prenup." he said with a voice devoid of emotion.
"You can't do that. I won't sign. I can't possibly agree to that!"
"Ow, you will sign and agree to my terms."
"What makes you think that. I'm the mother of your children, you can't do that to me. Think about the kids."
"Ow, don't worry, I am always thinking about the kids. It was them I was thinking about when decided I wanted a divorce. And it is them I am thinking about by ensuring that you never get anywhere near them again. Oh, don't you dare play the 'mother card'. You're nothing but a surrogate to Karen and Gerry."
Slowly, Fitz slid a piece of paper towards Mellie. All the color drained from her face, once she saw what was on it.
"After today, I never want to see you again." He told her with the same determination he had when asking for the divorce.
FLASHBACK
"Cyrus, we need the room," Olivia said entering Fitz's study and interrupting the two men.
"What is there that you need to tell him that I can't know?" he asked perplexed. Since Liv came along, Fitz had become even more secretive. She had quickly become his confidante and he now found himself out of the loop. Fitz barely knows her and he trusted her more than he ever trusted him. He was losing his place in the inner circle, and, he didn't like it one bit.
Fitz only needed one glance at Olivia to know that whatever she needed to tell him was major.
"Cyrus, we need the room," he said with a daring eye. And left but not without showing that he wasn't that happy about it.
"Liv, what's going on?" he asked with concern.
"Perhaps, you should be sited," she said gently. "We found something." Fitz sat down, mentally preparing himself for the worst-case scenarios.
Olivia signaled for Huck to start talking once the introductions were out of the way.
"Harmony Montgomery is writing a no holds barred tell-all. In it, she airs a lot of the dirty laundry." Fitz was surprised by this development. Mellie and Harmony weren't that close but Harmony was fiercely loyal and always protected her sister. Something must have changed for her to be willing to out Mellie's secrets so publically.
"She uses pseudonyms but I was able to determine that Holly Monroe is Mrs. Grant, and what's written about her is not pretty. What is of interest here is the account of your early relationship and her first pregnancy. According to the book, Mrs. Grant hired a private investigator on the Governor as soon as it became known that he would be attending Harvard Law. I was able to corroborate the payment to a firm in Boston. Per the account of Ms. Montgomery, Mrs. Grant had been set on becoming your wife even before the two of you met. I have not been able to verify it but, it would appear that Mrs. Grant was the reason behind the breakup between the Governor and his girlfriend at the time." He had come to know Mellie as being manipulative, so he wasn't really surprised that he had been her mark from the start.
"Your wife claimed to have suffered a miscarriage, shortly after your marriage. Her sister claims, and I was able to verify that she, in fact, had an abortion." Fitz felt all the air leave his lungs. It wasn't that she had an abortion, it was that she had lied to him, and watched him grieve for the child they had lost. The miscarriage had been the reason he tried to make it work with her in the first place. He had thought of her as a friend and hoped that they could rely upon another through the tragedy. He had thought that going through it together would bond them forever. And now, he felt like a fool. Had she laughed at him all the times he insisted they see a counselor in order to cope with the loss of their child? He had been living a lie most of his entire adult life. He stood by her even when it meant alienating himself from his family because he wanted to honor the memory of the life that could have been. He didn't know what to say or think.
"There is more," Huck said but stopped after getting a look from Liv. He left the two of them alone.
"How could she do that to me, Liv?" He asked in a broken voice. "I knew we didn't love each other but I thought we were at least friends. She watched me struggle with depression after the supposed miscarriage and said nothing. I ... I... I don't know what to think."
"What do you need?" Liv asked.
"I need a minute, where my life isn't falling apart around me." He said moving from his desk to the couch in the office. Liv joined him, and they sat together, in silence.
"I never want to see her again in my life," Fitz said after a while."Can you do that for me Livvie? Can you make sure that she never comes near me of my children again?" He asked pleadingly. "You can give her whatever she wants if it means that I never have to see her after today."
"I'll do everything in my power to protect you and your children." She said with conviction.
"Thank you."
"What do you want to do about the book?" He looked at her quizzically and she elaborated. "We could kill it, we could scrub any mentions of yours and Mellie's relationship, we could hold it for safekeeping, or we could do nothing."
"I need to speak to Harmony first. We have a lot to discuss."
The lawyers in the room were confused. They didn't know what was going on. Liv gave them each a copy of the new agreements.
Without a word, Mellie took the papers and started signing.
"Mrs. Grant perhaps we should talk about this first." Mellie's lawyer, David Lancaster started to object.
"There is no point. It's over." Mellie replied dejectedly. As soon as she was done, she bolted as though her shoes were on fire. They all fell silent. Both lawyers kept asking themselves what had just happened. Fitz for his part, let out a sigh of relief.
She had signed, it was almost over.
Please tell me what you think. Your opinions are welcomed and desired.
JLG20