A/N: Welcome back readers! Some things I wanted to mention: some details here will be different from the show, because this is my world and you're all living in it ;). We will absolutely revisit the first time they met though! I think you would all enjoy getting a deeper look into that. Here is your new chapter! Let me know what you think.

Chapter 5

The weekend came and went all too quickly and still not quickly enough. Jake woke up on Saturday morning ready to fight. The moment he made his way into the kitchen and noticed Olivia sitting at the table with her tea, he attacked. There was no warning, she barely had time to process his presence before his words were cutting her like knives.

"You know, for 5 years we have been there for each other. We have supported each other and I can't for the life of me understand why you chose now to just say 'fuck it.'" She tried to process what he was saying, tried to discern what was true and what he was simply saying out of anger but he didn't give her time. The words just kept flowing out of him as he made his morning coffee.

"All I asked was that you talk to me before accepting the job. I'm not comfortable with you working there but that doesn't seem to bother you." She wasn't going to deal with this, not first thing in the morning. Not at all, she had given up everything for her fiance and refused to be stepped on and belittled for making a decision.

"You know Jake-" She finally interrupted, "Maybe I could understand why this was bothering you so much if you just told me what happened. Otherwise, you look like a jealous fiance that doesn't want his future wife to be working with another man. Or is it that you don't want me to be successful? Is that your real issue here, Jake? Did you hope that I would just be your trophy wife?"

That's all it took to set him off. Olivia never bothered to look at him as she spoke, as if she didn't really care what his answer was. The truth was, she didn't care. It wasn't fair to her that he thought he could control the choices she made. He didn't discuss his decision to quit his job with her, and never once did she hold it against him even now as she watched his business begin to fail. There was a look in her eyes now, a look that told Jake she was pulling away and becoming indifferent. If he didn't act now, he would surely lose her.

It wasn't that she was indifferent, not at all. She loved Jake as much today as she did the day she agreed to marry him. Over the last month or so though, she rarely saw her fiance sober. He was a grown man, allowed to make his own decisions, but his excessive drinking was beginning to take a toll on them financially, sexually, and emotionally. Surely it was because work wasn't going well, it was never an issue until he started losing bids and losing clients. He had been distant, their sex life was nearly non-existent but not for a lack of trying by either of them. Jake would initiate regularly, the alcohol lowering his inhibitions but nothing turned Olivia off more than his drunken attempt at dirty talk while slurring over every other word. She didn't even want to think about the whisky dick that she had to nurse on more than one occasion.

That wasn't all though, lately all they seemed to do was fight. More often than not the fights were about nothing important, silly things like forgetting to turn off lights or close doors, once he had even gotten upset with her because she chose to take a bath at the same time he decided to go to bed for the night. Was this normal? It had to be, the honeymoon stage didn't last forever with any couple and there was no reason her relationship should be different. Couples fight, especially when life is extra stressful and they have both been feeling that extra stress recently.

His tone softened as he sat across from her at the kitchen table, reaching for her hand. When she didn't bother to look up at him, or acknowledge his gesture he sighed aloud and took a sip of his coffee. "We were in the Navy together, I was his second in command for six years before he retired from the Navy." And that was enough to spark her interest. Her deep, brown eyes finally met his green, and now he had her full attention. "We were best friends, pretty much brothers. I knew him well, he was always a major playboy, always on the hunt for another lay. We had a falling out, nothing important, but I know what he was like only a few years ago, Liv. I just don't trust him around my fiance. My gorgeous, sexy, funny, smart fiance." His eyes softened as he looked at her, and she couldn't help but smile at his words.

There was more to the story, Olivia was smart enough to know that he was holding back. For now though, his reasoning was enough to at least try and resolve the tension between them. They were still freshly engaged and the last thing she wanted was something as simple as a job to ruin their marriage before it even happened. "Thank you, for finally telling me. I want this job, Jake. So I need you to trust me, I need you to know that I will never stray away from you. And if, for whatever reason, he is the same man that you remember I will get out of there immediately. Can we please just give this a chance, just until I am able to finish school?"

Jake had eventually conceded, much to Olivia's relief. She didn't enjoy fighting with Jake, there was a reason they were together and sometimes the fighting made it hard to remember the reason. Becoming a lawyer was all that Olivia had wanted for as long as she could remember, she wanted to do good in the world and it didn't take her long to decide that becoming a lawyer was the best way for her to make it happen. And now, having an opportunity to work at Grant Homes, she knew that she could change lives. While sitting in his office for that single hour, a woman in a sleek, black, pantsuit had presented Olivia with a folder that outlined many of the Grant Homes current and future projects, along with a deeper look into a non-profit organization housed within the corporation that she had never heard about prior. Fitzgerald Grant had so many plans that the public wasn't aware of, plans that would change the world if he did it just right. Olivia Pope wanted nothing more than to be a part of those world changing plans.

The fighting had stopped. Finally. Only now it had been replaced with regular passive aggressive comments and enough tension to suffocate her. It wasn't ideal, but it was something that Olivia could deal with. Luckily, she had planned a day out with Abby to do some more shopping so that she had professional outfits for her new job. Abby had been her best friend since high school, they stuck together through college until Olivia dropped out of law school, but their friendship never faltered. Abby was her person. She was a safe place for Olivia to bitch and moan about Jake, celebrate her new job, and fantasize over her future successes. There was never any judgment, probably because Abby and Jake never got along to begin with so Abby seeked out any chance she could to talk shit about her best friend's fiance.

"I just don't get it Abby! It's just a job. I'm not a prostitute, I wasn't hired to service Mr. Grant sexually. Jake is acting like I'm signing up to cheat on him or something." Olivia sighed as she sipped on her tea Saturday evening. It was nearing time for her to get home and make dinner, but she needed her best friend to remind her that she was making the correct decision in accepting this now problematic job offer.

"Well the man is hot. Not my type, but there's no denying that he's a god of a man." Abby shrugged, a slight grin tugging at her lips.

"Yeah, he is good looking. Like… really good looking." She let out a long, slow breath. There was something in the way Fitz had looked at her that still held her attention. He wasn't as tall as she thought, once he straightened up she could tell he was sitting closer to 6' or 6'1, but still towered over her. His blue eyes had traveled the length of her body when he thought she wasn't looking but there was no denying the way her skin burned as his eyes raked over her. Sure, she was slightly attracted to him but it's perfectly normal to be attracted to an attractive man. "But there's nothing there. He's my new boss, and I am capable of having a professional relationship with an attractive man."

"He's just jealous. And maybe during his fuckboy days that Jake told you about he slept with Jake's mom or something. Or maybe he slept with one of Jake's ex-girlfriends. I think he's just being dramatic because you'll no longer be home to answer his beckon call. Don't stress it too much." In true Abby form, she was always able to pull a smile and a laugh from Olivia. Whatever had happened, it didn't involve her and there was no reason so give up her job for Jake's benefit.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Beep! Beep! Beep! Five o'clock came too soon on Monday morning. It was early March so the sun was still hidden away, making the inside of Olivia's bedroom just as dark as when she fell asleep the following night. Her arms stretched above her head as her eyes slowly started to open, before she even looked behind her she could tell that the other side of the bed was empty. As she finally sat up in bed and checked her phone, she was surprised to see a message from Jake sent just over twenty minutes earlier.

Good morning baby, I got called into an emergency meeting at the office this morning. I'm sorry I couldn't see you before your first day. Let's go out for dinner tonight. Love you.

She smiled softly to herself before the anxiety kicked in. She was already anxious for her first day of work, partially because of the new environment and partially because of the man she now worked for. But now she was anxious because Jake rarely got called into emergency meetings this early, it would either be really good news or horrible devastating news. Either way, it would be in the back of her mind until she heard from him again.

She went through her normal morning routine, taking a few extra minutes to make sure her makeup and hair were perfect for her first day. Her hair laid straight, falling to the middle of her back and her makeup was simple with a dark shadow to accentuate her eyes. The gray pant suit that she had opted for hugged her hips tightly, giving a perfect view of her toned and firm glutes. Before leaving the house she took the time to respond to Jake, letting him know that she looked forward to seeing him tonight and that she hopes everything is okay with work. Her nerves were racking in and the butterflies in her stomach were on a rampage as she took one last look in the mirror before heading out the door for her first day of work.

The drive to work was long and frustrating, the typical morning DC traffic was in full swing and Oliva quietly thanked herself for allowing extra time to get to the office today. Today held so many possibilities and each one was at the forefront of her mind. One thing she couldn't stop thinking about though, as hard as she tried to push the thoughts back, were the beautiful blue eyes that were waiting for her only 10 minutes away. She shouldn't have been thinking about him, at least not in the way her mind was allowing her to. She was engaged, happily engaged to a man that she has given herself to for the last five years. Never once has her eye strayed from Jake, and especially never her thoughts. But ever since Friday morning, everytime she closed her eyes her skin would burn at the image of this stranger watching her. Maybe Jake was right, maybe this would be an issue, especially if Mr. Grant is still the womanizer that Jake made him out to be.

Her heels clicked against the floor as she made her way to the front desk and she tried to shake away the thoughts that previously occupied her mind. A smile graced her lips and Devin, the young man at the front desk, reciprocated with a bright but tired smile. "Good morning, Ms. Pope! It's great to see you again."

"Good morning, Devin. I believe I need to come see you to get my key card and parking space before I head upstairs?"

"Yes ma'am, per Mr. Grant's request I have all of the ready for you now. He didn't want to make you wait too long this morning." The young man reached down to unlock the bottom drawer of his desk as Olivia took a moment to once again take in her surroundings. She had no idea how many employees in this building belonged to Grant homes but she wouldn't be surprised to find that the entire building was dedicated to the Grant empire. "Here you are Ms. Pope. Mr. Grant pulled a few strings to ensure you a front row parking spot, that's a hot commodity around here so enjoy it." She couldn't help the slight blush that rose to her cheeks at his words, maybe it was something he did for anyone that would be running his errands, but the thought that it was more personal made her feel giddy inside. "You're free to head upstairs, please let me know if you have any troubles." He handed over the black envelope that held her parking pass, key card, and some papers filled with more building and parking information. She reminded herself to read through those later as she thanked Devin and made her way upstairs.

As she stepped off of the elevator, every nerve that had control of her all morning immediately dissipated when she was met with those cerulean, blue eyes and that deep, baritone voice that suddenly had the ability to ease her entire being. "Good morning, Olivia. I'm glad to see your card works." He met her with a smile that she instinctively mirrored back to him.

"Mr. Grant, I was expecting to meet you at your office. Not less than a foot away from the elevator." Was the flirtation in her tone? No, no it couldn't be, she was definitely making that up and there was no way that he took her tone as flirtatious.

"Please, call me Fitz. I had Devin call me when you arrived so that we could start the tour from the beginning. I was actually hoping to meet you downstairs." His voice was distracting her as much as her big, doe brown eyes were distracting him. He had to remain professional, she was engaged and his employee. It no longer mattered that he wanted her all those years ago, it didn't matter that he still thought about her on occasion. This was his chance to start over with her, his chance to be professional and maybe even gain her friendship. "I was thinking we could head downstairs and grab some coffee then I can give you the tour, bottom to top." Without noticing, as he spoke those final words his eyes drifted from her heels slowly up the length of her body, short as it might be, before finally landing on her eyes.

She didn't miss the way he looked at her, and something about the look in his eyes made her nearly melt. It wasn't quite lust, however there was undoubtedly a hint of desire. She didn't want to believe it, he shouldn't have been looking at her that way. But most of all she didn't want to feel as good as she did when he looked at her. In five years she couldn't recall a time when Jake looked at her in this manner. Not once can she remember feeling so elevated by a single once over, but there was desire and familiarity in Fitz's eyes that she just couldn't ignore no matter how hard she tried.

"If it's all the same to you, I think I will stick to . It is only my first day afterall." She smiled and chuckled softly. "But coffee and a tour sounds great. Lead the way!" And with that they stepped back into the elevator, side by side. A comfortable silence fell between them as the elevator went down floor by floor and the suffocating tension between them grew more and more. It wasn't uncomfortable for either of them, but they could both feel it. Something in the air between them was both satisfying and terrifying. They were complete strangers yet they instinctively wanted to gravitate towards each other. Neither of them even noticed that their shoulders were touching the duration of the elevator ride until they heard the final *ding* and slowly moved away from each other and back onto the first floor.

"So you are already familiar with this front desk, I assume. Devin is typically here five days a week and can help you with just about anything. If he isn't here, Katherine usually fills his place. She works the desk on weekends, hopefully I won't have to bring you in too many weekends but I will warn you now that it will probably happen on occasion." They continued to walk past the front desk and entered into a large open space. It was occupied by dozens of tables filled with people enjoying their morning coffees and bagels, the room was illuminated by tall windows that took up the entirety of the back wall. "This is what most people refer to as the cafeteria. We have a couple of coffee carts, a full service buffet bar that serves breakfast and lunch. Personally, I wouldn't eat here, I just order in. You're more than welcome to do whatever you'd like for your hour lunch and if you ever need the company card to order lunch please just let me know."

Olivia smiled as she took in the room around her. It was massive for an office cafeteria and the decorations were far more high end than what would ever be expected of a cafeteria and in the back corner she could see people bringing in more lights and what looked to be a stage. "What's going on back there?"

He looked at her for a moment, withholding the smile that built in him when he saw the adorable and curious look on her face. Finally, he drew his eyes away from her to follow her eyes. "Oh, yeah. This floor also serves as our banquet room. We are hosting one of our largest fundraisers of the year next month. It's black tie, invite only. Unfortunately for you, it's mandatory." He shrugged jokingly as he stepped up to the coffee cart. "What are you drinking?"

"Oh just a vanilla chai, please." Her eyes were still fixed on her surroundings, if she looked away her eyes would settle on the broad, handsome man beside her and he'd be able to see right through her. He would know that just his voice and his presence had her skin on fire and her core throbbing. She's not sure how long she had distracted herself, but her attention was quickly back on him at his next words.

"You should bring your fiance to the fundraiser next month." By no means did Fitz want the man that had Oliva Pope's heart at his party, he didn't want to see him holding her, didn't want to see her kiss him. But, he wanted to know more about Olivia and her relationship. He could never be a homewrecker, but if she was as unhappy in her relationship as he was in his then maybe there was a chance. As their eyes met once again, he was surprised to see a look of shock and maybe even disappointment on her face at his suggestion. "I just mean, you are allowed a plus one. I might be taking up more of your time than any fiance would approve of so it might help for him to see the people you work with and meet the new man in your life."

He wiggled his eyebrows at her, drawing a quiet laugh from Olivia's lips. She didn't know if she should tell him that he and Jake already knew each other. If Fitz was anything like Jake and he had just as much of a grudge, Olivia could consider herself as good as gone. For now, it was best that she kept that information to herself. Besides, at this moment she wasn't really sure if she would be inviting Jake to the party. It was still a month out and if Jake didn't get his head out of his ass soon then Abby would be joining her that evening.

"I'm not sure if a black tie party is really his thing, but I will definitely talk to him about it. Thank you." She smiled, but there was something hiding behind it. He could see in her eyes that there was a hesitation about bringing her fiance around which only sparked his curiosity more. Everything about Olivia Pope intrigued him, everything about her drew him in further. Never in his life had he felt this way about a woman, especially so quickly and it was terrifying. There was no possible way that she felt the same way, she was about to be married and didn't even remember him from the first time they briefly met.

She watched him closely as they continued the tour back up to what would be her office. He moved like a man that knew what he wanted. That thought was appropriate, but the one she had after was from it. He walked like a man that was packing enough to satisfy any woman. Something about the way he leaned slightly to the left caused a deep red blush to rise to her cheeks. He was enticing, everything about him drew her towards him and she wanted to know everything about him. She wanted to learn all of him, how he moved, how his mood changed, what color his eyes were depending on his emotions. But he was her boss, he was married, and most importantly she was on her way to being married. Soon enough these feelings would pass, she was simply attracted to his power, status, and god-like physique. She could, and would, move past her attraction. But at that moment, as he turned to leave her to get settled in, she asked herself if she really wanted to.