A/N: You are all amazing! They are making progress! So when I started this story, I had a lot of different songs playing through my head that I wanted to base this around. This chapter is finally influenced by Hinder's Lips of an Angel. Please enjoy and keep dropping those reviews!

Chapter 9

Sleep seemed to be out of the question for Olivia tonight, she tossed and turned for what had to be the hundredth time tonight to see that her clock was already reading 1:00am.

After dinner, Jake and Olivia had come home and had some less than satisfying sex, at least in Olivia's opinion. When Jake initiated she couldn't come up with a good excuse to refuse him without rocking the boat any further, instead she convinced him to take her from behind simply because she knew it was his favorite and she wouldn't have to look at him. The truth was that she wanted to be able to disengage from the sex. She faked her way through the first two orgasms he expected of her, and by the time he was sure he could give her a third her mind went elsewhere.

It wasn't intentional, never would she purposely think about another man while her fiancee was pounding into her but she couldn't help it. When she closed her eyes, she saw Fitz. She saw his blue eyes morphing into their dark, stormy gray. Suddenly it wasn't Jake that was gripping her hips and kissing her neck, it was Fitzgerald Grant. That's how she finally had a real orgasm that night, and she had to bite down on her pillow to keep from screaming his name.

Jake passed out shortly after he finished, the alcohol hit him hard and she could tell that there wasn't much right now that could wake him. Sleep wasn't in her future, there was too much on her mind and she was still far from satiated. With a deep sigh, she grabbed her phone and pulled up his contact. It was late, but maybe he was still awake. She had to try, she needed to talk to him or else she would never sleep.

After one more glance at a passed out Jake, she removed the covers from her body and quickly stepped into a hoodie and an old pair of flannel pajama pants. She walked out of the room, phone in hand and quietly slipped out onto the back patio. After another minute of contemplation, she clicked on his number and listened to the phone ring as she awaited his answer.

Fitz wasn't sleeping. Mellie had come home earlier in the evening and he had to put on his best face for hours. He wasn't ready to bring up the affair, not until he had more information. Besides, if he were to ask her now there's no doubt that she would only lie to him.

He had gone 3 days without seeing his children and chose to spend the entire evening playing and cuddling with them. His favorite thing about himself was his children. Both Jerry and Karen had his blue eyes, not the same blue as Mellie but an ocean blue like his. Jerry was his perfect mini-me, even as a near newborn. If Fitz had to choose between fighting with Mellie over her affair or throwing all of his attention at his two babies, he would always choose his babies.

It was just after 1:00am, at this rate he probably wasn't going to sleep at all tonight and he was already dreading how tomorrow would go because of it. For the last three or so hours his thoughts continued to drift back to Olivia. He had wondered if she had spoken to Jake yet, if she now knew the truth of what happened that night. Part of him worried that she would hate him after she found out, he could have told her before he ever kissed her. He may not have done anything horribly wrong that night, but he did worry that by learning about he and Jake's fight she would think he was only interested in her for payback. That was far from the truth, he would have wanted her no matter who she had married. If he was honest with himself, the reason he hadn't taken her to bed yet was because he refused to disrespect her that way and he refused to disrespect Jake that way. She wasn't a piece of property for two men to fight over, she was a beautiful and intelligent woman that deserved the world.

He was taken out of his thoughts by the sound of his phone buzzing beside him, he quickly grabbed it before it could wake Mellie. With a single glance at the screen he quickly made his way out of bed and into his office, locking the door behind him.

"Liv? Are you okay?" At first when he saw her name he was excited, but as he thought about the time and Jake's arrival home earlier this evening all he could do was worry.

"I'm fine. I just couldn't sleep. I didn't wake you, did I?" Her voice was quiet, he figured that meant Jake was home and she didn't want him knowing that she was talking to another man. He was in the same position, making the first of what would be many secret phone calls between the two of them.

"No, I haven't been able to sleep either. Why are you calling, Livvie? What's on your mind?"

She let out a sigh on the other end of the line, she felt the sting of tears and tried to hold them back. She hadn't fully admitted to herself how hurt she was by Jake's absence and dishonesty. She hadn't admitted how much her conflicting feelings were actually affecting her and now she was having a hard time holding all of it in.

"I need you to tell me what happened that night, every detail. I need you to, Fitz."

"Liv, honey-" No, now was not the time to let pet-names slip. Now she needed him to be the responsible voice of reason. "Olivia, I told you that your fiance has the right to tell you that story. It involves him as much as it does me and it wouldn't be fair for me to air out our dirty laundry."

"I already asked him, Fitz, he told me it was just a stupid fight over nothing. I don't believe that. He's lying to me about something, or everything, I don't know." A single tear finally fell and she could feel herself falling apart. She wasn't this woman, she didn't cry over a man for any reason. When she spoke to Fitz though, some of her walls just collapsed and she couldn't help herself from telling him everything.

She could hear his hesitation as he sighed into the phone, he was obviously struggling with telling her what she needed to hear and she felt guilty for pushing it so hard until he finally started speaking.

"Jake and I met while I was in the Navy, he was my best friend. Honestly, he was more like my brother. One thing I should probably tell you about me is that before, well before a few years ago I was a pretty massive fuckboy."

Even with the emotional weight on her, Liv couldn't help but laugh at his confession.

"Yeah, I know. Anyway, when I was twenty six or so, I came back to the States with Jake to visit his family. Long story short, I ended up sleeping with his sister. I wasn't a complete ass about it, I had talked to Jake beforehand and he said he was cool with it. That's not really important to the story, but I figured I should tell you as much as I can.

January 31st, five years ago, we went to that bar to celebrate my retirement from the Navy. When you and Abby walked in that night I couldn't keep my eyes off of you. That white piece you were wearing just contrasted with your skin so well, you were the most beautiful and sexy woman I had ever seen."

She was shocked by his revelation, more than anything she was surprised that he had remembered what she was wearing. One thing she had learned is that men rarely noticed and remembered that kind of thing. She sank down into the lounge on the patio, bringing her hoodie in closer to her as she attempted to fight the cold chill.

"I waited for a couple of hours, not wanting to bother you. For the first time I didn't want to approach a woman for a one night stand, I just wanted to speak to you and to know your name. When I finally did, you denied my offer for a drink but I eventually convinced you to let me buy you a birthday drink. You were an absolute spitfire, and from that moment I was hooked.

Jake knew that I wanted to try again with you before the night was over. But when I was on my way to you, I got caught in the traffic of the dance floor. Next thing I knew, Jake was taking you outside. I was pretty drunk, so maybe that's why things escalated between him and I. I ended up hitting him, and I hadn't seen him again until you brought him to the fundraiser."

He had intentionally left out the part about Amanda, that wasn't his story to tell. The thought of her finding out that Jake went after her out of jealousy and that she wasn't the woman he wanted that night killed him. Jake had to tell her about that. Maybe Jake really did fall in love with Olivia that night, maybe Amanda was now irrelevant.

"I don't understand Fitz, all of this was just because Jake approached me when you wanted to? He hates you so much, there has to be something more." The way Fitz told the story, it sounded like Fitz should be the one hating Jake. Even still, a brief conversation between her and Fitz couldn't have been enough for Fitz to be so upset about not getting the girl. She wasn't that special. How could she not remember meeting such an amazing man?

"That's most of the story. The rest isn't mine to tell, and it might not even be relevant anymore. If Jake didn't want to tell you, maybe it's because it really isn't important anymore. I can't share his story, I won't accuse a man of intentions that I don't know for sure. But now you know that when I shared my feelings for you, those feelings aren't new. I've had them since the first time I saw you. You showing up in my life again has been the best thing to happen to me behind my kids."

She had listened to his every word carefully, she paid close attention to how his tone changed and from what she could tell he was telling her the honest truth. He had fallen for her that night, and his feelings never changed. Why then was he now married? Doing the math, he and Mellie hadn't married too long after Fitz and Liv had met the first time. She stored that thought in her mind, tonight wasn't the night to ask about it but she would soon.

She shook her head, letting the information sink in for a moment before finally speaking. "I can't believe I don't remember you."

"In your defense, you were pretty drunk." He let out a quiet laugh, in which she naturally reciprocated. "Go to bed, Livvie. It's late and we have a busy day tomorrow."

"I already told you, I can't sleep, Fitz."

"Yes, you can. You're going to go back to bed, you are going to relax, and you are going to sleep. Or I can stay on the phone with you and coax an orgasm out of you to ensure you finally relax." His voice was low, she could tell that he was joking, but that he would also one hundred percent make good on his word if she asked him too. She let out a loud, nervous laugh.

"I think that goes against our rules. Respecting our partners and each other, remember?"

"Hey, you can't blame a guy for trying. But it made you laugh, so it was worth it. Goodnight, Livvie."

"Goodnight, Fitz."

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

It had been a month since Fitz discovered Mellie's affair. He had hesitated at first, but eventually he decided to get an old friend to do some surveillance for him. The envelope was sitting right there on his desk, all he had to do was open it and he would have evidence of her affair and reason to file for divorce. According to his source, the folder also revealed the man his wife had been sleeping with.

When Tom had gathered the information, he offered to give Fitz the man's name. Fitz refused, he wasn't ready to know for sure. He wanted a little more time. Yes, Mellie was a cheater and he never really was in love with her, but she was still the mother of his children. He was still preparing to throw a marriage away and that thought left a pit in his stomach. Prior to hearing of her affair, Fitz had considered separating from her on a few occasions. Their marriage was loveless, and sometimes he thought that maybe leaving each other would make them both happier.

The yellow folder had been sitting there, still closed for an hour now. At some point he was going to have to open it, he was going to need the truth and there was no point in waiting anymore. He finally grabbed the folder and leaned back in his chair, the rest of the office was gone for the night. The moment was completely private, a fact that he silently thanked the deities for when his eyes caught sight of the photos.

A mix of emotions ran through him, all within what felt like a single second. Anger, hurt, confusion, relief. He felt everything and nothing at all. Yes, Mellie was in fact having an affair. But the man that she was sleeping with, that's what now complicated an already growing mess in his life. He needed to handle this, he needed to address the situation at hand and he needed to do it at soon as possible. He was leaving for Colorado on Friday to scope out some potential land, he wanted some kind of closure before then which only left him two days to plan. It was late, but not too late so he pulled out his phone and made a call.

"It's Fitz. We need to talk. Can you meet me at my office tomorrow night?"

How did his life, in such a short span of time, become so messy? How was everything around him rapidly changing and how would he ever catch up with it?

"Liv, are you sure you don't want to come with us? Colorado is beautiful this time of year, the entire board will be there and there's so much you can learn. It's only a week."

Fitz had been trying to convince Olivia for the last two weeks to join him and his team on this short business trip. It would be an amazing opportunity for her to learn and network with people outside of his office, and it would be a chance for them to build their friendship without the shadow of work hovering over them constantly. She declined over and over again, stating that she finally had Jake home and wanted to be able to work on things with him. She also expressed that she didn't trust the office to continue running if both her and Fitz were gone for an entire week. He was leaving the following morning, and he wanted to try once more to change her mind.

"I am staying here, Fitz. Can you imagine what would happen if we left Charlotte in charge for a week? I can't imagine that it would go well." She laughed as she continued looking through the array of suits he intended to take with him. "You should ditch the pinstripes and pack your navy suit instead, navy blue makes you look taller."

"Since when are you a fashion expert?"

"I'm not. But I've worked with you long enough now to know what looks good and what doesn't. You look better in navy blue than you do in pinstripes." A smile spread across his lips as he watched her, she was completely focused on getting him ready for his trip and the attention to detail she paid him weighed heavily on his heart. She was perfect, he never wanted to see her hurt. When the sting of guilt hit him, he took the moment to excuse her for the day.

"What do you mean? It's only four, I can stay an extra hour."

"No, you are going to be busy enough with me gone next week. Take off early today, and if you change your mind about Colorado I will keep your room booked. Thank you for everything Liv, I will see you in the morning before I leave."

She eyed him carefully, trying to figure out if he was really serious about sending her home early on a Thursday. When she looked into his eyes, he was not only serious but almost pleading. "Okay, thank you. I'll see you in the morning."

Six o'clock came around painfully slowly. Fitz sat at his desk, tapping a pen as he tried to work through his nerves. In his life he had always been a powerful man, he still was but ever since Olivia came back into his life he had become more and more vulnerable. Her affect on him was evident, but tonight he would not let his vulnerability show. Tonight, he had to be Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III, pre- Olivia Pope.

Finally, six o'clock hit and he heard the inevitable knock on his door.

"Come in!" He said loudly enough for his guest to hear as he stood and moved towards the door. Immediately, the door opened slowly and the man entered the office, keeping the door open behind him.

"Jake, thank you for meeting me." Politely, though against his will, Fitz reached his hand out to Jake who cautiously took it.

"Why am I here, Grant? You and I have no business together."

Of course, Jake was going to try to stand his ground and play the stronger man. Fitz didn't expect anything less, but in all the years they have known each other Jake has never been the stronger man.

"Have a seat, can I grab you a drink?"

Jake sat down in an empty chair across from Fitz' desk as he curtly requested a scotch. Once Fitz poured both drinks, taking his time and getting his emotions under control, he moved to the front of his desk directly in front of Jake. He remained standing, but leaning against the edge of the mahogany wood as he handed the drink over and looked Jake over once more.

"I want to talk about Olivia." His voice was calm but firm, indicating that this was not up for debate.

"You and I have nothing to discuss when it comes to my fiance. You are her boss, nothing more."'

"You're right. But she has been asking me questions, and I need to know just how much I have been lying about on your behalf."

"You shouldn't be talking to her about me, anyway. You have absolutely no right to discuss anything personal with her. In fact, I should be beating your ass for telling her anything about what happened on her birthday."

Fitz couldn't help but laugh at his last statement. He and Jake had been in plenty of fist fights in the past, and one thing for certain is that Jake never once beat his ass.

"Jake, I am being the bigger man here. But she deserves to know, she deserves to know about Amanda. If you and I can't ever be in the same room together, it's going to make her working here harder than it needs to be."

"Don't fucking talk to me about Amanda! Wait… do you think I'm still with Liv because you fucked some chick that I wanted to?" Jake let out a loud laugh. "That's rich coming from you!"

Olivia silently kicked herself as she waited for the elevator to open. She had made it nearly all the way home before realizing that she left her laptop in her office when she left this afternoon. She hadn't heard anything from Jake about when he might be home, so she figured running back to the office wouldn't mess with their evening at all. Finally, after what seemed an eternity the elevator arrived and she made her way upstairs to her office.

When the elevator stopped on her floor, she had her attention completely on her phone screen as she texted Jake to let him know she had to run back to the office. It wasn't until she heard voices coming from down the hall that she looked up and noticed that Fitz' light was still on. Out of pure curiosity, she let herself wander towards his office. He was supposed to be home with Jerry and Karen tonight before he left for a week, he had agreed that he wouldn't stay past five but now here he was at six thirty.

The closer she got to his office, the louder two voices got. One was Fitz, she knew that for sure. But the other had her confused, the other voice sounded like Jake but she couldn't come up with a valid reason as to why Jake would be here with Fitz right now.

Both men were now standing, Fitz was behind his desk, grabbing the folder he had obtained from Tom while Jake stood watching him.

"Fitz! I don't know what exactly you want from me or Olivia, but stay the hell out of my business! She chose me! Get the fuck over it! And she doesn't need to know about Amanda which is why I never told her about Amanda."

"How long have you been fucking my wife?" Fitz looked up at Jake with one hand in his pocket as he tossed the folder onto the desk, leaving it open for Jake to see the photos. The smirk that came across Jake's face infuriated Fitz beyond measure, but he fought himself to keep his composure.

"I'm not sure I know what you're talking about."

"Cut the shit, Jake. You're looking at the photos. I want you to tell me how long you have been fucking. My. Wife."

They were both too caught up in their argument to hear the soft footsteps behind them. It wasn't until a nearly inaudible gasp came from the other side of the room that both men turned their attention to a frozen Olivia.

She had walked in just in time to hear Fitz ask the question, it wasn't until Jake responded that the weight of the situation finally hit her. Her eyes were fixed on the photos of the desk, the top picture was a rather vulgar photo of Jake inside of Mellie, both of their faces clear as day. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring herself to tear her eyes away from the photo and she was too stunned to speak.

"Olivia, Liv baby, what are you doing here?" Jake's voice was enough to pull her out of her trance. Maybe not his voice, but more the question he chose to ask knowing that she was currently looking at.

"What's going on?"

"Baby, let me explain. Let's go home and I will explain everything to you. This is what I tried to warn you about when you started working for him, remember?"

"Livvie, I'm sorry…" That was all Fitz could muster up at the moment, he closed the folder quickly and made his way around the desk, standing only a few feet behind Jake.

"Don't talk to her. Can't you see what you've done?" Jake's eyes were now on Fitz, his fists clenched at his sides. Fitz never looked away from Olivia, gauging her every movement and every expression on her face. She was what was important right now, in that moment Jake and Mellie didn't matter. Olivia had just found out that her fiance was cheating on her and she found out in a less than preferable way.

She didn't know what to think, she didn't know what to say. In what was supposed to be a quick trip back to the office she had somehow discovered that the man she was meant to marry was having an affair. Not only was he having an affair, but he was sleeping with Fitz's wife. Maybe it was karma for her catching feelings for Fitz, maybe Jake had gotten jealous and irrationally slept with Mellie to get back at her and Fitz. Maybe this was all a misunderstanding.

"How long, Jake? Answer his question." Her voice was calm and for the first time during what felt like an hour long encounter she finally looked at his face.

"Olivia, please can we go home and talk about this?"

"Fitz asked you a question. Answer it, and don't lie. I can't hear another lie come out of your mouth right now."

Jake looked at her, he could lie. She wouldn't know for sure if he told her the truth or not. The only problem is that he didn't know just how much information Fitz had dug up. For all he knew, Fitz knew everything and had evidence to prove it.

"For a few years… right after they got married."

Both Fitz and Olivia stood in shock, neither expecting that both of their relationships were built entirely on lies.

"So what? Because some random girl at a bar decided to dance with me you not only went after Olivia but then went after my wife? Is this just some sick game of wanting whatever I have?" Fitz was furious, but he needed to stay calm. If he lashed out now, he would only scare Olivia and that was the last thing she needed right now.

"You had everything, Grant. Everything. So yeah, I wanted you to pay. It wasn't my fault your wife was so desperate to jump into bed with any man that isn't you."

Olivia stood there silent, still trying to wrap her head around the conversation flowing around her. Her entire relationship was a lie. Jake only wanted her to get back at Fitz, how incredibly fucked up is that? Her head spun, there were so many questions left unanswered but at this point she didn't know what questions those could even be. She pulled her eyes away from Jake and looked up at Fitz, holding back the tears that threatened to fall.

"Can I still come to Colorado with you?"

AN: I know, another cliff hanger! Drop those reviews, how are we feeling as we approach chapter 10?