"Did I hear her right? Did she really just offer to pay for a funeral of a man who kidnapped her?"
Fitz stood at the bedroom door, eavesdropping on her phone call. Verna and Jerry were a little surprised at the question. Would Olivia actually do something like that? And not only pay for the expenses, but also attend the funeral?
"That wouldn't be out of character for her though," Jerry reminded them. "Livia thinks this is her fault he's dead, then she's going to make it up to them. From what I've heard about the Davis's, they don't come from money and they really were not happy when Edison… did what he did. This might be a little relief for them as well. Sad as it sounds, with Edison gone, they might breathe easier."
"He's right. Sometimes a death, even if it is your child, can be better than knowing they are still out there and capable of doing unimaginable things," Verna added on. "If Olivia decides to take care of the funeral, then she will take care of it. She won't let anyone talk her out of it."
Olivia took her seat at the kitchen counter looking at her nails as she thought through her day. I killed a man. One who would have possibly killed me first if I hadn't done something. Can I justify that? Could anyone justify it? No, wait… yes. Self-defense, of course. He would have killed me if I didn't stop him. I did what was necessary to stay alive.
After a few minutes, Liv felt someone behind her and looked over her shoulder to Fitz snaking his arms around her. "Everything okay?" Fitz asked before kissing the top of her head.
"Just fine. But I do want to go to bed."
"I'll set up the guest room for them."
"Can't you send them home? I don't want anyone hovering."
"They aren't hovering. I would prefer that they stay here tonight. You have a concussion that Verna knows much more about taking care of than I do. It's just for tonight, Livie."
Knowing he was right, Olivia went to set the guest bedroom for them and said her good nights to them before going to change and waited for Fitz in their room.
Every hour Jerry or Verna would come into her bedroom and tap her to wake her up, only waking Fitz twice through the night. When four in the morning came around, Liv was up and getting ready for the day. Being as quiet as she could, she didn't want to wake anyone up this early. Getting a quick shower in, she got dressed and quietly closed her bedroom door, taking her heels with her in hand heading to the entrance hallway.
"Any particular reason you look like you're doing a walk of shame?"
Liv jumped hearing someone talk and looked around to find Verna in the kitchen making coffee. "Don't scare me like that. I'm not doing a walk of shame. I live here."
"So, you're sneaking out."
"No."
"Then what do you call this?"
"Going for my morning run."
"Dressed in a skirt and blouse, and holding four inch stilettos? My dear, you are very talented however not in that department."
Olivia rolled her eyes at the comment and went to pour herself coffee. "If you really must know, I'm going to the police station and then I'm going to work."
"Why are you going alone?"
"Because I do not need a babysitter. And that's exactly what you three have been doing all night. I'm going to give my statement and then I'll be in my office catching up on my missed work from yesterday. I have deadlines coming up by the end of the week and several others that come up quick."
"We aren't babysitting you, Olivia. We were making sure you make it through the night. Once the sun actually rises, Jerry and I will get out of your hair and go home. We're still going to call to make sure you are alright and breathing but we both know you are in good hands with Fitz."
Finishing her coffee, Liv left the apartment and went on her way. Giving her statement to the police then going to the office, she skipped over her morning breakfast with Huck. After finishing her paperwork and getting someone to deliver them to court, she was about to text Fitz when her phone rang.
"Hey dad, are you back in the states yet?"
"Maya and I are headed back tonight. Cyrus called me about what happened. Is he really dead?" Eli asked while he started throwing clothes in his suitcase.
"He is dead. Three shots in the back of the head. I don't think anyone would survive that. If they did, they'd probably want to be dead. You don't need to come back tonight. And why would you bring mom?"
"She's worried sick about you. I practically had to lock her in the bathroom so she wouldn't jump the first plane out to you."
"Since when are you two so close? Why are you spending time with her anyway? You hate her."
Eli laughed and looked at Maya pulling her clothes out of the closet. "Given enough time, hate can dissipate. We've spent almost two months together and we've only yelled at each other those first three weeks."
Olivia had an idea of her parents together. Both of them yelling at each other, throwing things, shouting how much they hated the other. The two hadn't been together since she was five. "Well, I'm glad you two are getting along and whatever else you're doing but don't fly back here."
"Olivia, we're coming back tonight."
"No."
"Why wouldn't we come back?"
"WHAT?!" Maya yelled hearing one side of their conversation and ran over to him grabbing the phone. "Liv, I am coming home to you tonight. I've already booked the tickets. You need your mother right now," she said instantly regretting her words.
Sitting up straighter, Liv was ready to battle off with her. "Now? Now is when I need a mother? You disappeared for nearly fifteen years! And now you think you can be nominated for the mother of the year award? Absolutely not. Whatever you and dad have going on, keep it there in Italy. Keep yourselves there. I do not need you here. I do not need you. I needed you long ago and you left. You left me with a gambling addict who was never there until I turned eighteen. Don't you dare come back here and try to play happy family with me."
Eli could hear the yelling on the other side of the room. Both Eli and Maya knew it was coming at some point. "Liv, no one said we were great parents, but we want to do better for you. Let us come see you and we can talk things out. We can all get on same ground and work through the past together."
"No one is getting a parent of the year award in this family but we are family, Olivia," Maya added putting her on speaker. "Let's just get together and figure out how and where we stand. Could we please do that, Livia?"
"I am too busy to deal with any of this now. We will not be having any kind of family meeting for quite some time. So both of you can just stay in Italy and maybe eventually I will be ready and willing to become a family with you two again, but I don't suggest holding your breath." Hanging up, she tossed the phone on the desk and went back to work.
"Liv?" Feeling the other side of the bed, Fitz only felt cold sheets instead of the warm body he went to bed with. Not hearing the water running from the shower, he stepped into the bathroom worried something had happened and he hadn't heard it. "Olivia?" Rushing out to the living room, Verna poured him coffee from the kitchen.
"She left a few hours ago," she told him, handing the cup over.
"You let her leave? To go on a run?"
"Olivia went to the police to give her statement and then off to work."
"Why didn't you go with her? Why didn't either of you wake me up? I would have gone with her."
"She doesn't want to be babysat. Which is what she thinks we are doing. And before you argue, I think she has a point, we are pretty much babysitting her."
"Are you not supposed to babysit someone with a concussion?"
"She'll be alright. I checked on her through the night and she was fine. Liv is ready to hit the ground running again. Maybe we should let her do that. Let her lead, Fitz. When she's tired, she'll let you know."
Leaving Verna alone in the apartment with Jerry, Fitz got ready to go and get breakfast before heading to the office.
"Mr. Grant's office," Olivia answered her work phone.
"Heard you shot someone. Not once but three times. My goodness, Olivia, that's quite some rage."
"I can definitely show you some rage, James. I have plenty towards you."
"Careful, Olivia. Threatening a judge is a criminal offense. I would hate to have to put you in jail for it."
Olivia laughed at him. "If I were you, I'd be more concerned that I pissed off the wrong person. I could have you put in prison in a heartbeat. What the hell are you calling me for?"
"Mmm, I do love it when you get all feisty for me," he smirked. "I'm just looking to confirm Fitz's court hearing for Wednesday next week."
"Isn't that what Nancy is supposed to do?"
"I told her I'd personally take care of this one. Poor thing is getting stressed out with this schedule. You know they had to close down the holding cell when your boyfriend killed the guard and that other girl."
"NOT my boyfriend."
"That's right, I forgot about that. You're dating your boss now. How is that going?"
Olivia rolled her eyes at his tone. "Sounds like someone is jealous. Is that what this is? You're torturing Fitz because I wouldn't sleep with you? Drawing out this divorce and having him prove what doesn't need to be against that bitch to punish me?"
"Dear, if I wanted to punish you I have much more fun ways of doing so."
"I will make you a deal. Get him divorced by the end of the month, James."
"And in exchange?"
"I won't go to the judicial review board with the pictures of what you did to me."
Olivia practically heard him smile on the phone. "I doubt anyone would believe you, Liv."
"I dare you to try me, James. I am in no mood for your twisted games."
Hanging up on him, Fitz stood in the doorway of her office looking at her. "Care to explain that?"
"Judge Richards was confirming your hearing on Wednesday next week. I have it in the calendar."
"What twisted games, Olivia? If James is bothering you, I can get him to leave you alone. I don't want you apart of this divorce."
"Fitz, relax, okay? He was making sure it's in your calendar, that's it."
"Let me know if he is bothering you. I want you focused on work, not my divorce."
"I will let you know. Did you get breakfast? You have some calls to make before lunch."
"I stopped off at the coffee shop and got you a bagel as well," he told her handing her the bag.
"Did Huck grill you about making sure I'm alright? That I'm eating and sleeping and not running around like a chicken with its head cut off?"
"He wasn't there."
"What? Huck's there every morning. Maybe he was in the back."
"Nope, I asked to talk to him. They said Javi is sick, so he wasn't coming in."
Pulling out her phone, Liv called Huck after Kim didn't answer. "What's wrong with Javi?"
"Flu probably. He hasn't kept anything down all night. I told Jerry last night he was sick. He didn't tell you?"
"If he did, I would have come over instead of going to work."
"He's got a fever of 103 now. It was 105 a few hours ago."
"You should take him to the hospital."
"Kim doesn't want to take him quite yet. The doctor said to monitor him for the morning and check back in the afternoon."
HAPPY SCANDAL DAY!
