Hey everybody, y'all all right? New week, new chapter. So happy so many of you are enjoying this story. Also, there were some good guesses as to how Olivia would react after finding out about Joey's and Julian's relationship. Well, in this chapter you'll see.

This is part one of a two part chapter. Part one is more about Olivia, and J and J. Part two will focus on Fitz's return, their dinner date and more. What will happen? Don't know. I haven't started yet, but maybe I'll finish by this weekend.

As always, thank you for reading AWS and leaving reviews, and sending kind PMs.

Also: If you're going out in public, please wear a mask. The covid delta variant doesn't care about your political party or religious affiliation, blood type, skin color, (yes, some people believed this) etc, it will still take you out of here. Remember, children under twelve cannot get vaccinated and are vulnerable, so they're depending on us to do the right thing. Please be careful.

Happy reading,

TBOT

Part One

Sunday morning…

Olivia lay in the middle of her bed with a smile on her face. It was early Sunday morning and she was wide awake. Sunday was the one day she had absolutely no obligations, so she usually slept in. But this morning she was just too excited to sleep because she had Fitzgerald Grant on her mind. She'd gone to sleep with him there, and he was still there when she woke up.

The man was just…incredible. He was also intelligent, handsome, charming, romantic, focused, driven and considerate. He was also a gentleman, and sexy as hell. And he only wanted her!

Last night had been as close to perfection as it gets, and now all she could think about was a life filled with a lot more moments like that one. It was a long, enjoyable and romantic night, and it was exactly what she needed. Neither had wanted the evening to end but it had.

Olivia lifted her arm and the platinum and diamond bracelet he'd given her, slid down to her wrist. She stared at it as the light coming through the open panels caught the brilliance of the diamonds. She could also hear Big Olivia's voice. Her grandmother, the family matriarch, always told Olivia and her cousins that, a woman doesn't accept jewelry or money from a man she doesn't love. She'd never accepted gifts from any men other than her father and her brother, obviously, whom she loved dearly. Did she love Fitz? Did he love her? She'd only known him a month. Wasn't that too soon? Her feelings for him were strong, but she wouldn't classify them as love...yet. She deeply cared for, and about him, that she was certain of.

Olivia glanced at the clock on her night table. It was close to seven-thirty. She wanted to call him but he'd told her that he would call her, so she would wait.

She grinned to herself. She wanted to tell someone about her night with Fitz, and by someone she meant Joey. Still grinning, she forced herself out of bed so she could begin her day. She needed to run a few errands and then she'd stop by Joey's house to give her all the details about her date, and the gift she'd purchased the previous evening.

X

Joey tied the belt around her robe as she walked quickly down the hallway. Before she could reach the door, the doorbell rang again.

"I'm coming."

Looking through the wide angle door viewer, she almost choked on the piece of bagel she was chewing. Cursing under her breath, she tried to think quickly.

"What's wrong?" Julian asked, watching her pace back and forth.

"Your sister's at the door."

"What?!" he said, surprise on his face. "What is she doing here?"

"How am I supposed to know?" she snapped.

The doorbell rang again.

"Quick, go back in the bedroom," she said, practically pushing him down the hallway.

"Look, Josephine, I agreed to keep this a secret because you wanted to, but I am not going to hide behind doors and inside closets. If Liv's here, you need to let her in. She's going to find out sooner or later anyway."

"Can it please be later?" Joey asked, sliding her arms around his waist, and looking up at him with puppy dog eyes. "Please, please, please."

"All right, all right," he said, finally giving in to her pleading. "But this is the one and only time."

"Thank you, thank you, baby," she said, giving him a kiss on the lips. "Now go."

Joey waited until she heard the bedroom door close before opening the front door.

"What took you so long?" Olivia asked, stepping inside when Joey stepped aside.

Joey closed the door and tried to think of something to say.

"I was in the bathroom with the water running, and I didn't hear the doorbell at first. I ran to answer but remembered I left the water running so I ran back to turn it off."

Olivia took a closer look at her friend after hearing her rambling explanation. Still in her pajamas, her curls in complete disarray and she was breathless.

"You? Sleeping in? You really are taking it easy this weekend."

Olivia noticed the anxious look on Joey's face as she looked past her down the hall. What was going on?

Joey was trying to make sure that Julian was going to stay put. After hearing him say he didn't care if Olivia found about them, she wouldn't put it past him to walk out at this very minute.

"Are you okay, Jo?" Olivia asked, turning to look in the same direction as Joey.

"What?" Joey said, facing her friend again. "Um, of course. Why do you ask?"

"Because I asked you a question and you didn't answer."

"Sorry," she said.

"Are you sure there's nothing wrong?"

Not wanting to raise anymore suspicion, Joey laughed off Olivia's questions and headed into the living room so they could sit and talk. Walking to the entrance, she noticed Julian's shoes and made an abrupt u-turn, causing Olivia to walk right into her chest, almost making her lose her balance.

"Jo! What is going on?"

"Um, nothing. Actually, I'm starving. How about some breakfast?" she asked, grabbing Olivia's hand. "I'll make avocado toast."

Olivia observed her strange behavior, but didn't say anything else.

"Sure. I'll have whatever you're having."

Following Joey to back of the house, and into the kitchen, Olivia glanced back toward the living room one last time, wondering if whatever was in there had anything to do with her friend's behavior.

Just as she walked in, she saw Joey placing dishes in the sink. "I thought you said you were hungry and wanted to eat."

"Yeah, I am," she said, running water in the sink. "I left a few dishes in the sink overnight. "I've been really lazy this weekend."

"I see," Olivia said, nodding her head. Something wasn't adding up. Joey seemed more on edge than relaxed, and though she'd never been a neat freak, there were already pots on the stove.

"What brings you out so early on a Sunday morning?" Joey asked, finally getting her breathing under control.

Remembering the reason for her impromptu visit, Olivia took a seat at the island.

"Have I got a story for you," she said with a huge smile on her face.

"Oooh," Joey said, remembering the second part of Olivia's date with Fitz. "How was the cocktail party? Details…details," She said, grinning at her friend. Her questions and comments were flying fast and furious.

"Jo, I think I might have fallen in love last night," she said honestly and dreamily, wishing that she was in Fitz's arms at that very moment.

"Wow, Liv. Does this end with Fitz getting past third base?" she asked with a sly grin.

Olivia stared at Joey long and hard. "Jo, what happened last night was about more than sex."

"That good huh?" Joey asked.

Olivia nodded. "Last night was an amazing evening with an even more amazing man."

She told Joey about the entire evening, just as she'd done with the brunch date. When she got to the end of the evening, she repeated their conversation word for word and held out her wrist when she finished.

"Let me get this straight," Joey said, shocked by the change in Olivia's attitude toward Fitz. "Are you telling me that you and multi-million dollar superstar athlete, Fitzgerald Grant, are now officially dating?"

Olivia grinned at Joey and nodded her head vigorously. "Yes!"

Joey reached out and grabbed Olivia's hand, squeezing. "That is some story, Liv. I am so happy for you."

"I knew you would be. That's why I couldn't wait to get over here this morning. I just wanted to share it with my best friend."

Joey listened intently as Olivia told her about Fitz's trip to Chesapeake Bay with his sister, and their dinner plans on Wednesday. With each word she spoke, the guilt of the secret she was keeping continued to eat away at her. They had been best friends since first grade, sharing their ups and downs, and highs and lows over the years. This was the happiest she'd seen Olivia in a long time with regards to a man. It was the same way she felt about her man. A man she had been hiding for the past six months.

"Also, since you've been working so much and so hard, lately, and judging from the mini-vacation you took this weekend in your house, I think I made the right choice."

Joey stared at Olivia, confusion on her face.

Olivia reached into the leather tote hanging on the back of her chair and removed an oversized white envelope.

"I bought this for you at auction last night."

Joey hesitantly reached for the envelope and slowly opened it. She read the letter included and looked at the vouchers. Suddenly, her throat constricted and tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Oh, Liv, you didn't. Las Vegas?"

"You love that place. I thought you could use a few days away from D.C."

Sniffling, Joey reached across the island for a napkin and wiped at the tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

"That was so sweet of you to think of me."

Surprised by Joey's emotional response, Olivia took her hand. "Aww Jojo, it's really no big deal. It was for charity and I knew you'd enjoy it."

"Stop it, Liv!" Joey yelled, and snatched her hand away. She stood from her chair and began to pace.

"What is wrong with you?" Olivia yelled back, stunned by Joey's sudden outburst.

She stopped and stared at Olivia. "You're my best friend, Liv."

"Of course I am, girl," she said, wondering what the hell was going on. "We've been friends since…"

"…the day we met in first grade," Joey said, finishing her sentence. "And we've never kept secrets from each other."

"You're not making sense, Jo. Are you…"

"…okay?" Joey asked. "No, I am not okay. But I will be in the next few minutes. Wait right here."

Olivia watched as Joey quickly left the kitchen. She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, dumbfounded. What had gotten into her friend? Needing to do something, she stood and began to clean up the mess. When she reached the stove, she picked up a pot of oatmeal and felt its warmth. This food wasn't from last night. Moving to the sink, she saw two empty mugs, two bowls of half-eaten oatmeal and fruit, and two plates of half-eaten eggs. Suddenly, the picture became very clear. Joey wasn't alone last night, and from the looks of it, she wasn't alone this morning either.

So that's why she was acting so weird, Olivia said in the empty room. Looking around, she searched for clues as to who it could be. Maybe it was Kellan, the guy she'd met at Fitz's pool party. Had Joey reached out to him? She hadn't mentioned any other guys. Wouldn't that be something, both of them dating professional athletes.

"Liv?" Joey called, standing in the entrance to the kitchen.

"Jo, I already know."

"You do?" she asked, partly relieved, and partly afraid of Olivia's reaction. How would her best friend really feel about her sleeping with her brother?

"The half-eaten food, the dishes in the sink," Olivia said, pointing out the evidence. "This brings me to only one conclusion," she said smiling at Joey. "A man spent the night here."

"Yes," Joey said.

Olivia watched at Joey shifted from one foot to the other. "He's still here, isn't he?"

Joey nodded and then began to explain. "I want you know that I wanted to tell you about him much sooner, but everything was so new. I…We…"

"Jo," Olivia said, hoping to calm her down. "It's okay. You have the right to some privacy."

"It's just that…"

Remembering that they weren't alone, Olivia lowered her voice. "Is it Kellan? I thought you two hit it off at the party."

"No, it's not Kellan, it's me."

Olivia's head snapped in the direction of the booming voice. It sounded just like her brother, but that was impossible. Within seconds, the face belonging to the voice stepped from behind the wall. She blinked, trying to make sure that she wasn't imagining things.

"Julian?"

"Yes."

He walked over to Joey, and Olivia watched as he wrapped his arm around her as if he was protecting her.

Tension filled the room, and a long, awkward silence followed. No one spoke as the seconds ticked by, and Olivia looked from one to the other.

"Say something, Liv," Joey said pleadingly.

"You," she pointed at Joey, "and…you," she pointed at her brother, "are together?" she asked in disbelief. Olivia was having a hard time putting two words together. All of the petty arguments, the snide remarks and sarcastic comments between the two, how did they stop fighting long enough to get together?

"I know this is probably a shock to you, but…"

Olivia heard Joey's words, but she didn't register them. She cut her off. "How long has this been going on?"

"About six months," Julian said, looking at his sister, and then back at Joey.

The moment between the two was not lost on Olivia. It was tender and sweet, and it didn't help her temperament.

"So both of you have been lying to me for the past six months?"

"We just didn't want to tell anyone. We weren't sure how it was going to turn out," Joey said, almost begging Olivia to understand.

"I'm not anyone, Jo," Olivia said, feeling angry and hurt.

"I'm sorry, Liv," Joey said, moving away from Julian and closing the distance between her and her bestie. "It tore me up inside that you didn't know. But we all know your mother isn't exactly a fan of mine and I didn't want things to be awkward between all of us if we decided to stop seeing each other."

"You mean awkward, like it is now?" Olivia said.

The room was quiet again.

"You were flirting with Kellan. If you were so committed to my brother, how could you do that?"

"We were just talking," Joey explained. "My only reason for talking to him was to get you to loosen up and enjoy yourself. I wanted you to meet someone who could make you just as happy as J.P. has made me." Joey glanced at Julian with a smile.

Olivia thought about all the dates that Joey had gone on over the past several months. She never introduced any of them to her because none of them warranted a second date. Now she understood why. All those dates were with Julian.

"You make it sound as if I'm some charity case."

Joey shook her head. "No, not at all, Liv. Look what came out of it. You have a boyfriend now; you're in a relationship with a great guy."

"Boyfriend?" Julian said, finally speaking. "What's that about?"

"She's been spending time with Fitz Grant, and now they're an official couple. He even gave her a 'we're official' gift. Isn't that sweet, honey?" Joey said, genuinely happy for her best friend.

"The last time we talked, you didn't even want to go out with the guy. Now the two of you are exclusive?" Julian said with concern. "Don't you think you may be moving a little too fast?"

Olivia flinched, as though he'd hit her. "You have the audacity to question my choices when it comes to relationships, when you've been lying to me for the past six months. We've seen each other at family dinners, in my office and we've spoken on the phone. Now I'm finding out that it was all lies, lies, lies."

Hurt, Olivia brushed past them both, not bothering to say goodbye.

"Liv wait," Julian called after her, as he followed her to the front door. He caught up with her and blocked her from leaving when she opened it.

"Look little sister, you were always telling me to find a woman. Well, I did," he said with a shrug, and smiled.

His attempt at humor was lost on Olivia. Without responding, she walked out the door and headed to her car.

Julian stood watching her until she pulled away from the curb. If she had been more observant when she arrived, she would have noticed his Benz, with the custom paint job, parked in front of Joey's house. No one in the District had a vehicle that specific color of gray.

He closed the door and walked back inside to the kitchen. Joey was sitting at the island with her head in her hands. Rubbing her shoulders, he wanted to make the hurt and the guilt go away.

"Are you going to be okay?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Don't worry, baby. She'll come around."

"That's just it, J.P. she shouldn't have to come around. We should have told her when we first start dating."

Julian kissed the top of her curls. "We both know why we didn't. We needed time, just like Olivia does now. Once she calms down, we'll all sit and work this out."

Joey lifted her head and looked at him, with tears in her eyes."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

X

Late Sunday afternoon…

Olivia was sitting on her sofa with a chenille throw across her legs when she felt her cell phone started vibrating again. Reaching beneath the throw, she checked the caller ID, and sent it to voicemail when she saw Joey's number. She'd long stopped the tears and now she was just pissed.

Her cell and landline, which she only used for work, had not stopped ringing, and she'd ignored both their texts and calls. Eventually, Julian and Joey would get the hint and leave her alone. Either that or her voicemail mailbox would fill up. Between the two of them, there were over twenty messages clogging her inbox. They both knew that she would read their texts, emails and listen to the voicemails. Due to the nature of her work, she couldn't just ignore them.

For a second, she'd actually thought about calling Fitz, but decided not to in the end. She didn't have the energy to do more than what she was doing right now, eating leftover Marjolaine. She'd convinced herself that she didn't want to hear what her brother or Joey had to say, and that she'd done the right thing by walking out.

X

The news about Joey and Julian had thrown off her entire day. Those two were the last two people she ever expected to get together. For as long as she could remember, they couldn't stand the sight of one another, and were always at each other's throats if they were around each other for more than five minutes.

Her suspicions about the two of them were correct, and she couldn't be happier. But she was still stinging from the hurt of being kept in the dark about the two of them. For years she'd listened to both of them moan and groan their way through one messed up relationship after another, but the two of them together was like mixing oil and water.

Julian Pope was ultra-conservative. He didn't like things loud and flashy. The majority of his wardrobe was custom suits and formal wear. She couldn't ever remember seeing her brother in a pair of jeans. Like her, he spent his days and half his nights working. An evening at the opera was his idea of a good time, for goodness sake.

Whenever she went to his house, she felt the urge to keep her hands away from everything, and to whisper. It was not a place where a person could go to just kick back and relax. How did a man like her brother end up with Joey?

Joey had been a wild child from the moment they met. When they were in college, no one ever had to guess which side of their dorm room belonged to her. You could stand in her space and figure out what she'd eaten and worn for a week. Her clothes were always everywhere but in her closet. That girl had been a whirlwind; classes, club meetings and parties, and Olivia had long ago stopped trying to keep up with her.

Olivia actually smiled when she remembered the way Julian held Joey when they'd told her what had been going on between them. It was obvious he cared about her, but that didn't take away the shock she'd felt when she found out. Why did they have to lie to her?

She shook her head. Julian and Jo. Who would've thought it possible? She even smiled a little when she thought about it. Her big brother had game after all.

X

Sunday night…

Fitz's laugh was loud and deep, and he suddenly realized that it had been too long since he'd been this comfortable and relaxed. Olivia had him feeling at ease. He listened intently as she finished her story.

"So there we were, crawling under the tables to go and hide in the ladies room after we saw Dr. de Matteo walk in."

"How long did the two of you wait?" Fitz asked.

"Hours," she said laughing. "And her father knew we were there. One of Jo's mother's eagle eyed students tipped her off, and she sent Dr. de Matteo to come looking for our under aged selves. That man sat at the bar until closing trying to catch us."

Fitz laughed again.

"We got into so much trouble. The sun was coming up by the time I made it home, and Eli and Maya Pope were waiting. After the yelling and the lecture, I wasn't allowed to leave the house for over a month."

"It sounds like you and Joey were a handful."

"We were. My mother says that I'm singularly responsible for every gray hair she has. The two of us together when we were teenagers, were always bad news."

Fitz laughed again. They had been on the phone for two hours, talking about any and everything. His voice had been the balm to soothe her hurt feelings.

Earlier…

Olivia had finally pushed herself up from the spot she'd occupied for four hours and went to heat up the zucchini ravioli and then grabbed a bottle of wine, for dinner. Julian and Joey had continued to call but she'd avoided both their calls the rest of the day until they'd stopped trying.

The longer she thought about her brother and her best friend, the more she understood why they did what they did.

Fitz had shared their relationship with those closest to him, but she was still hesitant to tell the Pope clan. No one in her family, other than her brother, knew that she was seeing someone, and she didn't know if or when she would ever get around to telling them. She wanted to give her and Fitz time to grow their relationship without outside influence or opinions, and in order to do that, she would hide him. Not out of embarrassment, but protectiveness. With his celebrity status, they'd be public soon enough. Yes, she'd met his parents and his sister, but she wanted to keep her family, namely Maya and Eli Pope, at a distance, for now.

X

She'd been sitting cross-legged in her silk pajamas in the center of her bed, after a relaxing bath. Her hair was pulled into a loose ponytail and she was reading case notes when her cell phone rang. Any other time she would've been excited about talking to him, but tonight was different.

"Hello."

"Hello back to you," he replied. "How are you?"

"I'm good."

"Livvie, are you okay?" Her voice was slightly off, and it made him sit up straight.

"I'm fine."

He wasn't buying it. "You want to talk about it?"

"It's nothing." she said, not wanting to ruin their moment lamenting about Joey's and Julian's deceit. "How are things with your family?"

Fitz didn't believe her for one minute. But he wouldn't force it, he would let her lead. When she was ready to talk, she would.

"Everything's fine here. T.C. worked herself into a state for no reason. Although I'm sure my surprise presence had something to do with my father's calm demeanor. They were both just happy to see her and know that she was okay. They feel more comfortable now, leaving the country."

"That's good to hear."

"I miss you already, Livvie. I miss that beautiful smile of yours."

Olivia laughed. "Are you saying you miss me after only twenty-four hours apart?"

"Yes. I miss you a lot," he confessed.

"I miss you too," she replied. "Wednesday can't get here soon enough."

Fitz pumped his fist. His one goal had been for Olivia to relax, unlock her heart and let him into her world. She had, and now he wanted all in.

"My brother called this afternoon. He can't wait to meet you."

Olivia chuckled. "Have you been talking about me again?"

"Every chance I get!" he said, and they both laughed. "But it isn't just me, Livvie. My parents and sister have also been singing your praises. He doesn't like being the odd man out."

"Well, I look forward to meeting him as well."

"I can't wait to introduce you. I had to put T.C. in a head lock to keep her from telling Wyatt all my business."

Olivia laughed.

"You should've heard her, Livvie. 'Wyatt, Fitz's girlfriend is beautiful, and Mom says she's good for him.' "And, 'he's in love with her, Wyatt. I saw it when she brought me home. And don't try to deny it, Fitz,'" he said in his sister's voice.

Olivia laughed harder. It was a sound that Fitz wanted to hear all the time.

"I love your laugh."

"Do you miss hearing it?" she asked in a soft voice.

"I do. I miss all of you."

Olivia was silent, letting what he'd said soak in. It was nice to know that a man, her man, was missing her. She'd purposely avoided relationships, choosing instead to throw herself into her work. Truth be told, loving any man at this point in her life was the last thing she wanted…until she met Fitz. For the first time in over three years, she was craving romance and relationship. Now she was ready to create a future together with him, and only him.

They talked a little while longer and she finally got around to telling him about Joey and Julian. Fitz listened without offering advice or an opinion. He knew she'd work it out on her own. His job was to just listen. And although he didn't exactly appreciate her decision to keep their growing relationship a secret, he understood.

"Sorry for unloading on you."

"As of last night, we're in a relationship. Isn't unloading a part of that?"

"It is, Fitz, but…" She became silent.

"What? Today it's you. Tomorrow it could be me. I'm no pro at this, but my understanding is that our being together includes the good and the bad. So if you need to lean on me, lean Livvie, I'm man enough to catch you. I'm imperfect, but I promise that I will hold you up."

"Stop making me ugly cry."

He laughed. "You could never be that."

"If we were on Facetime right now you'd see the reality, and lose that fantasy."

"Yeah, sure. Anyway, just remember that I'm always here for you. Whatever you need. Are we clear?"

"Yes," she said around a yawn that she couldn't stop.

"Okay, beautiful. I have an early conference call in the morning and you have defense attorneys waiting on your sunshine tomorrow, so we'd better call it a night."

"Fitz I have a question," she said drowsily.

"I have an answer."

She laughed despite being exhausted.

"Why me?"

"What do you mean, why you?"

"Why are you attracted to me?"

Fitz was caught off guard. Of all the questions she could have asked him, this was one he hadn't expected. "Should I not be attracted to you?"

"Based on the women I've seen you with, I don't fit the profile." She described the ways she was different from the other women.

Fitz was quiet for a few seconds, gathering his thoughts. "Have you considered that the pictures you've seen were what the media preferred? Do you think you're some experiment? Like I'm all about those trophy women, and not a real woman? I've been with women of all races and, yes, I often limited myself to a particular type, but that has nothing to do with my interest in you. You're not some social science project for me, Olivia. I am attracted to everything about you. Okay?"

"Okay. Thank you, Fitz."

"For?"

"Being you."

She couldn't see the huge grin on his face. "Anytime, Livvie. Now, get some sleep. Good night and sweet dreams."

"Good night and sweet dreams to you, too."

Fitz ended the call, and Olivia set her phone on the night table. She burrowed beneath the duvet, relieved of her sudden insecurities about his attraction to her. She had no idea where it came from, but Fitz had made sure that she knew that she was who he wanted.

X

Fitz set his phone on the table next to him, and picked up his beer, taking a long sip. He was currently sitting on the patio, eyes closed, alone with his thoughts. He loved talking to Olivia. When he wasn't talking to her, he was thinking about her. She was always on his mind.

Even after knowing her for only a month, he knew that she was very much a part of his future. He wanted to be a better man for her, and although he stopped short of saying those three words, he knew that she already had his entire heart. Every ounce of it; and he found himself hoping and praying that she wanted it as much as he wanted to give it to her. For the first time in his adult life, he wanted not just sex from a woman, but intimacy. And he wanted it with Olivia. Badly.

He grabbed his beer and drained it before standing and going inside the house to shower and get ready for bed.

Olivia Pope was never far from his heart, or his thoughts.

X

Olivia tossed and turned in bed, and wrapped her body around a pillow, trying to stop the desire that always crept up when she talked to Fitz, or whenever he was near. Now, after admitting her feelings for him, she didn't want to be alone. She would rather be sleeping comfortably next to him, in his arms. She sighed as she rolled onto her back, thinking about him.

Finally, she left her bed and padded barefoot across the hardwood floor to the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, Olivia pulled out a bottle of water. As she turned it up to her mouth, she shuddered remembering Fitz's lips when he lifted his glass to take a sip of his drink. Her nipples puckered, and she wondered what it would feel like to have his tongue circling them.

You've got it bad, girl. Olivia said to herself before walking back to her bedroom. Two more days. Two more days until she saw her man again, and when she did, she knew that after Wednesday, there would be no turning back for either of them.

TBC