Stolen Moments

Chapter Two

Though it was Fitz and Mellie's humble abode, Cyrus lead his way through the vast suburban home, bearing a miniscule but genuine smile that Fitz hadn't seen in a very long time. The Sun peaked at its highest point in the sky during the noon hour, beaming confidently past the windows and into the traditionally decorated house. Fitz took the liberty of retrieving Olivia's bags from Cyrus, seeing as his mentor had started toward the office and the luggage was but extra weight at his side. Olivia looked his way with grateful eyes as the governor placed her two suitcases by the front coat room and soon walked beside her on the path to his office.

"Thank you for coming to help us," Fitz offered coolly, his baritone voice resonating with a buzz in his chest. He simpered indebtedly at Olivia who nodded back with a gracious grin and modesty. She made sure to raise her voice when she replied so as her previous mentor would hear the exchange between she and Fitz; For some reason unbeknownst to her, she felt if she spoke in the low, conversational tone Fitz used with her, it would be something wrong.

"Well I couldn't say no to Cyrus," she charmed, resulting in laughter from the four of them; Cyrus, Fitz, Olivia, and Mellie, who hadn't said a word since she'd introduced herself. Olivia's mind wondered to what sort of scandal Cyrus had called her in to fix. The chemistry between Governor Grant and his wife appeared immensely strained, and few photos of family cluttered the walls. The situation had to deal with the Grants' relationship. She knew because her gut told her so, and Olivia Pope's gut is rarely, if ever, wrong.

"No one can say no to Cyrus," Fitzgerald joked, again causing an eruption of chuckles from his company. They then approached the office of California's governor, the third room down the hallway. The first thing Olivia noticed when she entered was the unsightly brown paint that made her feel confined. She wondered how anyone could work in such a space.

Fitz strolled to his office chair, lounging in it comfortably and with leisure as he eyed Olivia without her knowledge. Her grey blazer had managed to leave an enticing view of her posterior that he couldn't tear his gaze away from. He cursed beneath his breath when she sat, ending the session of admiration, but his thoughts soon lingered to her hair that tumbled over her shoulders with its loose curls. Fitz hadn't noticed he was staring at the professional-looking siren until she shifted uneasily on the couch, beside Cyrus.

"Go ahead," Cy encouraged, "Tell her what the problem is," he chuckled out. He turned his head toward his dear friend in dry amusement. "I'm sure she can handle it." Fitz drew his attention toward Mellie, at first expecting her to explain the dire circumstances for Olivia's visit, but his attitude soon melted into sympathy for the increasingly unaffectionate woman he called his wife. With a comforting glimpse in Mellie's direction, he soon took a deep breath and began the story telling.

"My father, Jerry Grant-"

"Fitzgerald Grant II," Olivia pointed out. Both Mellie and Fitz exchanged awed glances, much to Olivia and Cy's amusement. Cyrus, however, was the only one to chuckle. "I do my research," she chided politely.

"Yes, Fitzgerald Grant II," the governor confirmed, "raped my wife." There was a diminutive moment of anticipation when Fitz's stomach dropped from beneath him as he wondered, with shame, what Olivia Pope would think of his dog of a father. Little did he know that the news had all but shocked the blossoming attorney; Olivia Pope was a fixer, and she had seen much worse. Despite her finishing law school a mere year and a half ago, she already had quite the reputation around D.C. for her phenomenal work. Nearly every politician knew; If you had a situation, you go to Olivia Pope. Before the brilliant protege had begun her career, they called Cyrus Beene, but he had occupied himself with Fitzgerald Grant III and fascinated his mind with fantasies of the White House. "The press seems to have gotten pictures of it and they initially thought my father and Mellie were engaging in an affair, but Mellie made sure to tell them the incident was far from it when she met with the reporter two days ago. They want ten-thousand dollars or else they release the story."