"Honestly, I don't really care about what you have to say to defend her. She's made her bed, and she can lie in it. With whomever she's fucking now."

While Fitz rolled his eyes at Jerry, Jerry took the few moments to gather what he needed to tell his son. Olivia was gone from their relationship. Apparently, gone from the apartment and somewhere out there now. Knowing Liv was mad at him, Jerry knew she wasn't going to come seek him out for a place to stay for a few days. Not that she needed it.

"I knew Livia was going to go see Richards. I tried to convince her to take you with her, or at the very least let you know she was going. But we all know how stubborn she is. You told her you didn't want her to be apart of the divorce and she truly wanted to abide by your wishes. But when you told her that Richards wanted to see her, she knew she wouldn't be able to avoid it."

"And fucking my way out of a divorce was an option?"

"Seriously, Fitzgerald? Do you honestly believe that Olivia Pope is able to do that kind of behavior? You think she's capable of screwing someone she hates so that you can have a final divorce decree?"

"I don't know what she's capable of. She's lied to me. She's kept things from me and you're assisting her. As my father, you should have told me what I needed to know. You are supposed to be on my side."

"You didn't speak to me for over a decade. And when you did, it had some very unpleasant words. Forgive me for taking the confidence of a friend."

"That doesn't excuse you."

"I'm not making excuses for myself or for anyone."

"You seem to be making them for her! She left a note and keys and the deed to the apartment. Probably to run off with her fuck buddy Richards."

"That's enough!" Jerry shouted, slamming his fist on the desk. "Livia left you the apartment and keys because she loves you. She hates Richards. I told you before there are two people that Livia hates: Edison and James. Nothing in this world would be able to change that fact."

Fitz let out a half laugh and looked at Jerry. "She hates him, huh? Then why'd she go running to him behind my back?"

"To help you. You wanted a divorce, and she was going to help you. Livia put her hatred aside to go to him and give him what he wanted. All so you can be free of Mellie, just like you wanted. She never should have gone alone. She should have told you where she was going or told someone."

"Well, we all got what we wanted then. I got divorced. James got to see her. And she got fucked."

"He raped her."

Hearing those three words come out of Jerry's mouth froze him. That was something he had never thought about. Fitz tried to open his mouth to speak but the lump in his throat stopped any noises from coming out. Swallowing hard, he tried again but still nothing. Taking a drink of water from the glass on his desk, Fitz kept eye contact with Jerry.

"He what?"

"James Richards raped Livia."

"When?"

"When she worked for him. That's why she quit."

Fitz tried to process what he was hearing. Every sound in the office just started buzzing around him. How could he have raped her? He's a judge! He's supposed to uphold the law. Not break it. Why didn't she tell me? Why?

"That's why she hates him. Now it all makes sense. Every time I had a lunch meeting with him, and I'd ask her to come with, she'd tell me no. She never wanted to talk with him. She'd only talk to Nancy."

"Nancy is a treasure. She's great at her job. But she's protected him. James Richards should be disbarred and thrown in jail for what he's done. But I can't make Livia press charges against him. I can only protect her from him."

"Wait, is he the one Javi calls 'the bad man'? Is that who he's talking about? James is the one I promised Javi I would protect her from?"

"He is. Javi heard Huck and me talking about him hurting Livia when we brought her home from the hospital. We didn't want him to repeat his name, we only called him the bad guy," Jerry told him. Watching Fitz run his fingers through his hair, he was sure Fitz was as furious as he was when he found out.

"Is that what he wanted to see her for again? To rape her again?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Jerry shook his head. "It's possible. Though I don't think Livia would put herself in that position again. I didn't get the chance to talk to her about it after she went."

"So, it's possible that a judge raped her a second time and I sat here calling her a whore. Why wouldn't she just say that she was raped? Instead of hiding it and acting like nothing is wrong? She hates him and now I understand why. Damn it! I feel like a complete asshole."

"You should."

"Not helping, dad."

"Do you want me to lie and say, 'don't feel bad, you didn't know'? Sorry, that's not going to happen. I told you before that Livia was a complex girl. And I know she told you there were things that she didn't want to tell you."

"But this is different! I work with him on many cases. She should have told me."

"Fitz, that's exactly why she didn't tell you. You worked with James on so many cases that she didn't want you to be caught in the middle of them. He's a judge. You can't hate him for raping your girlfriend one minute and then asking him to let a criminal out the next. She was trying to protect you and your career."

Ready to bang his head against the desk, Fitz threw his head to the back of the chair. "I can't act like I don't know what he did now. I can't just pretend I don't know or like it didn't happen. How am I supposed to go into a court room with him and be cordial?"

"You don't have a choice. And this is the exact reason why she didn't tell you. Livia would rather suffer in silence than make you suffer with her. James is a cruel bastard with sick games. More than likely, that's why he wanted to make you sent her to him."

"So, what happened when she went to see him this last time? Why did he all of a sudden sign off on my divorce when he's been pushing it back for over a year?"

"Maybe Livia blackmailed him? Perhaps she threatened to tell the police what he did to her. She has the proof to show it."

"She does?"

"This is Livia. Of course, she would save evidence. She's not stupid."

"I fucked this one up. I said so many horrible things to her."

Jerry couldn't hold back the laugh as he looked at Fitz finally realizing how wrong he was. "You did fuck it up. Badly, I might add. If I were her, I wouldn't forgive you. If you said half the things you called her to me and Huck, I would definitely not forgive you. I don't blame her for leaving you."

"It's been almost a week since she left. Do you think she's had time to get over it? Maybe had the time to forgive me or at least see it from my side?"

"Livia… she might have gotten over it. She might have also had time to think of ways to off you and make you regret your words. Varies on her mood. I think if you give her a call, she might be willing to talk to you. But you did call her damaged. To me, that's unforgivable."

"I have to do something. If she hangs up on me, so be it." Picking up his cell phone, Fitz scrolled down to her number and hit the call button.

Hearing the phone on the corner of the desk ring, Abby picked up to answer. "Fitz?"

"Abby?"

Hanging up, Abby opened the door to the office with a laugh. "You could have just opened this door if you needed me."

"That's Liv's phone. Why do you have it?"

"It's a work phone. She left it with instructions on the desk. I thought you said she wasn't working her anymore."

"Really Fitz?" Jerry smirked and pulled his phone out. "You only have her work number? You don't have your girlfriend's personal cell number? And she's the messed up one." Hitting the share contact, Jerry sent it to Fitz to have him call.

Several rings went in before it went to her voicemail. Unsure of what to say, especially with others in the room, Fitz hung up and saved the number.

"This isn't something either of you need to hear," Fitz told them. As Abby walked out and closed the door, Fitz threw his head in his hands. "Do you know where she went? If she's in town or not? Maybe she went to Vermont?"

"I haven't talked to her since our return weeks ago. She couldn't have gone too far. The only three people she lets sleep in bed with her are right here in the city. Though, Javi said something this morning about her going far away."

"But to him 'far away' means across the street. Huck doesn't know where she is either."

"How is it a four-year-old knows where his aunt is, and we don't?"

"If Javi does know where she is and Liv told him not to tell anyone, you know he won't say anything. He loves her too much to break a secret with her. Would she have gone to Cyrus? Or her parents?"

"Doubtful that she'd go to Eli and Maya. They could still be in Europe for all we know. And Liv would never fly across the ocean. Not for anyone. I'll call Cyrus and see if he's seen her. Try to give her a call again."

While Fitz tried to get Liv on the phone, Jerry stepped out to the other office to call.

"You've reached Olivia Pope. Leave me a message."

"Liv… it's me. But you probably knew that and ignored the call. Look, I think we should talk. About what happened last week. About what I said. Just about everything. I messed up saying what I said, and I know it now. Dad had to give me your personal cell number. How messed up is that?" Fitz half laughed. "I don't even know my girlfriend's number that's not her work one. Will you call me back please? We can fix it. I can't take back what I said. But we can fix it. You're a fixer, Livie. Help me fix it… fix us. Let me know where you are and I'll come to you. Please… sweet baby, please just call me back."

Hanging up the phone, Fitz could feel someone's eyes on him and looked up to see Jerry. "You called her 'sweet baby'," Jerry said a little shocked. "Does she have it?"

"No, not yet. That's why I went to California to see Mom," Fitz told him. Unlocking the top desk drawer, he pulled out the box and set it on the desk. "I had planned to give it to her when the divorce was final. I know she's not ready to get married, or even engaged. But I thought this would be enough for now. I wanted to show her I wasn't going anywhere." Taking a quick look at the ring, Fitz put it right back in the drawer and locked it up. "Any luck from Cyrus?"

"She saw him last week. Was there probably the day after she left her. But she didn't tell him where she was going. He talked to her this morning though. All he said was that she was fine but sounded exhausted. He doesn't know where she is though."