"I ran into my ex today."

"You did?"

"I did. His law firm is about to be audited by the IRS and his bosses sent him to my accounting firm who promptly assigned the case to their top CPA team."

"Namely you and your Gladiators."

"Namely me and my Gladiators."

"Are you okay?"

"Do I look okay?"

"No. You look pissed."

"Exactly."

As soon as the bag was anchored securely, 28 year old Olivia Pope's left foot slammed hard into the middle of it, followed by a rapid succession of blows, alternating between hands and feet. Thankfully, they were covered by white boxing tape and white ankle protectors were on her feet. A black tank top and dark gray sweats finished the look and her onyx hair was up in a top knot, tendrils already loosening. Finished with a combo set on the bag, she started shadowboxing around the semi circular room, bobbing and weaving as if she were facing a giant. Picking up a large rectangular mat, 38 year old Fitz Grant III, clad in all black, stood in her path and she transitioned to knee strikes smoothly, again alternating between the left and right.

"Can you excuse yourself from the case? Cite a conflict of interest?"

"Cyrus offered me the out but I said no. Plus, Edison's refusing to work with any of my team without me present. He says that his bosses want me and him to do the lion's share of the work. It's a delicate situation since one of their own was just nailed for embezzling. There can't be too many fingers in the pot."

"That makes sense but it also reeks of bullshit on his part."

"It is. Apparently, the grass wasn't greener on the other side and now, he wants back in my heart and my bed. It's not going to happen. He lied to me, Fitz. He lied straight to my face for months about Jeannine and god knows who else. If he wanted to end things with me, then he should've been a man and said so before he got in someone else's bed. He acted like a teenage boy and a cowardly bitch baby and he…he hurt me. What's really pissing me off, other than the fact that I have to look at him for 8 hours a day, is that he's just happily disregarding the fact that he hurt me, glossing it over like it didn't mean anything. If he really loved me, then he wouldn't do that. If he really loved me, then he would've kept it in his goddamned pants, the son of a bitch!"

Fitz felt a twinge in his chest at the crack in her voice and she sat down on the mats, resting on her elbows on her knees. Olivia had come into the Capital City Gym 6 months before when they had done a series of self defense seminars. She had signed up for kickboxing and MMA classes, putting her directly in his orbit. Over the months, he had gotten to know her and had grown very fond of her, a fondness that was mutual. They trained together 3 nights a week and had a standing date for pho and spring rolls at Nai's Noodles every Sunday afternoon. She came to the gym after work for other classes and for weight training. She also swam but in a facility about a mile from her K Street apartment. Sometimes, they'd end up texting back and forth late at night, FaceTiming too. Both of them were night owls with a love of classic movies, a trait picked up in college by both and in the military for him.

She was very dear to him. She kept him grounded and for the first time in a long time, genuinely happy.

"I'm sorry…I shouldn't have…"

"Don't ever apologize for how you feel or for opening up to me."

"I don't want him back. I truly don't but I just…an acknowledgment would be nice. I don't want an apology because I'd tell him to shove it up his ass but him owning his part in our breakup would be nice. I'm certainly not blameless in the situation. It takes two people to make a relationship work and it also takes two people to make it fall apart. I was distant from him. I never felt comfortable in talking to him about how I was feeling and I just…this sucks, Fitz."

"I understand. I felt the same way when I saw my ex again after our breakup."

"Mellie Vaughn, right?"

"Yeah."

"She really did a number on you, didn't she?"

That was putting it mildly. He had come to her penthouse to bring her soup (she had said that she had the flu) and found her in the shower with Andrew Nichols. Ignoring Andrew's excuses and Mellie's begging, Fitz had simply removed the engagement ring from her finger and walked out the door. The hurt had been two-fold, his fiancee and his best friend, but it had been a teachable moment for him. Looking back on things, Fitz could see that even if he and Mellie had made it down the aisle, they would've ended up in divorce court before they could celebrate their first anniversary. They were just too different in their personalities, in their ambitions to make it work for good. Everyone had been expecting him to marry her and he had allowed a twisted sense of duty to override his instincts.

Finding Mellie and Andrew together had been painful but it had also been liberating. It had provided her with a man who truly loved her to be with her and it had prompted Fitz to take firm control of his life. After weeks of arguing and posturing with her and Big Jerry Grant, he had been able to leave California with his trust funds and he had settled in DC. He had taken the job at the gym and the rest was history…

"What are you going to do about Edison?"

"My job. And if he tries something, I'll use him to practice that arm bar you showed me a couple of weeks ago."

/

"Going up?" Edison Davis greeted her cheerfully.

"I'm taking the stairs." she replied flatly.

Olivia walked away from the bank of elevators and suppressed the urge to lash out as Edison followed her back to the main lobby. While the main HQ of the firm was near the Capital building, her team was based out of an old clothing factory about 20 minutes from 1600 Penn. She could see the White House from her office, along with the bustling traffic in the capital.

"Olivia, I just…don't you miss me at all?"

"Absolutely not…you're a mistake to me, one that I have no intention of ever making again."

"How can you say that?!"

"I don't know, maybe because you cheated on me with the Company Xerox Machine and I didn't find out about it until I got infectious mononucleosis?! Then, there's the fact that you felt the need to cheat on me to begin with! If we had a good relationship, then you wouldn't have cheated or you would've had the common courtesy to break up with me before you jumped into bed with someone else! Do you know just how humiliating it was to have explain to my superiors that I'd have to work from home for a month because my boyfriend, my boyfriend who always stressed the importance of trust and communication in the relationship, lied to me, went out in the streets and came back with mono?! Although, knowing Jeannine Locke and her ways, I should be thankful that it wasn't herpes or HIV!"

Edison caught the stairwell door before it slammed in his face and Olivia bristled as his hand latched onto her jacket sleeve.

She moved on instinct.

"What did you do to her?!"

The snarled demand from a rapidly approaching Huck broke through her red haze. Edison was slumped against the wall by the elevator, wheezing for air and looking at her with panicked eyes. The panic only grew as Huck lunged forward and grabbed him by the lapels of his Armani suit, pinning him against the wall with a forearm to the neck.

"What did you do to her?! Why did she just knee you in the gut? What. Did. You. Do?!" Huck snarled again as Edison sputtered frantically for air and for calming words.

Although it would be grimly satisfying to see her ex's blood on the walls, the trouble that Huck would get into, the trouble that her whole team would get into was not worth it.

Plus, if anyone was going to make Edison Davis bleed profusely, it was going to be her…

"Let him go, Huck."

"What did he do to you?!"

"Let him go, Huck. Now."

"Did he hurt you? Did he touch you? Did you touch her, you son of a bitch?!"

"Just my sleeve. We were arguing. He caught me off guard and I reacted. You know I've been taking combat classes and…let him go, Huck. He's not worth it and he'll keep his hands to himself from now on. I know he will."

"…if he doesn't, I'll disembowel him."

Edison was unceremoniously released and Huck retreated back to his Domain, closing the door behind him with a pointed, warning bang. Olivia knew that it was mean and immature but the sight of her ex slumped against the wall with wobbling knees was an immensely satisfying one.

The most satisfying sight would be the back of him, her professional services no longer required so it was time to get ready for more spreadsheets, triplicate, and bureaucratic bullshit.

Just another day at the office…

"Once you pull yourself together, wait in the conference room for everyone else. Huck found something on the servers that you'll have to explain…and the next time you put your hands on me, I'll break them."

/

"…it was actually kind of anticlimactic. I mean, I got to say my piece and to give him a swift knee but really…it was an overall 'eh' ending to a shitty situation, which is better than a disaster, I suppose. I finally got closure, Evans and Bell won't be shut down for tax evasion, my crew got a huge cut of the commission, and now, instead of trying to get back in my heart and pants, Edison Davis is utterly terrified of me. You should've seen him during the wrap meeting. He looked like he was going to shit his pants the whole time all because of little ol' me, can you believe it?"

"I most certainly can. I'm more than a little scared of you myself, Livvie."

"Fitzgerald, I am half your size! I am less than half of your size."

"A stick of dynamite can fit in someone's pants pocket and it still does a lot of damage."

"So, I'm a stick of dynamite?"

"More like C4…you blow me away, Ms. Pope…"

Her full blown laughter was hearty and always a treat to hear, even if it was at his expense. After leaving Nai's, Fitz had suggested that they spend the rest of the day together and she had eagerly agreed. They were at the Lincoln Memorial and he smiled at the sight of her on the stairs, her hair blowing in the warm breeze. She was in an ankle length pink and red printed maxi skirt along with a mid sleeved white lace v-neck top. Instead of ankle protectors or mile high heels, she had on black canvas sneakers, putting her just at chest height. Her amber eyes went to him and he cocked his head curiously at the gleam within them.

"What's wrong?"

"May I try something? It won't hurt you."

"Sure."

Olivia ascended to him and Fitz's brows raised as she matter of factly settled onto his denim clad lap, hooking her ankles at the small of his back. Her hands braced on his shoulders and she raised herself fully, putting their face and more importantly, their lips mere inches apart.

"I would like to kiss you. Will you let-"

Her lips were plush and silky soft, tasting of Vietnamese tea and her cherry lip balm. She fit in the cradle of his arms with room to spare and her hands cupped his face tenderly, her fingertips playing with his thick brown waves. Olivia moaned into his mouth as the kiss deepened, sending molten heat and electricity through his veins. Fitz was no stranger to the pleasures of the flesh nor was he a stranger to the attentions of a beautiful woman but this…this was a game changer.

They broke for air and Olivia's right hand pressed against his dark gray thermal top where his heart pounded. Fitz shuddered as she captured his left earlobe between her lips, suckling at the cherry red flesh and his hands spanned her waist in response, cradling her.

"That was…"

"That felt…right. You feel right, Fitz."

He nodded in agreement and gently urged her off of his lap so he could stand up.

"Can we…I'm not Edison, Olivia."

"Thank God. I'm not Mellie."

"Thank God…I…can we…I'd like to take you on a date. A real date."

"With a meal and dancing?"

"I can attempt to dance for you but a meal would work. Dinner."

Excerpt from Draftbook Drabble #14

"…I'm not making the same mistakes dad did with The Incubator. It all worked out in the end because now he's got Olivia and she's made entirely of awesome but I'm not going to go through 15 years of politically sound yet emotionally toxic purgatory before I can find and be with the right woman. Fuck that shit."

"Who said anything about being a relationship? I'm talking about getting laid…"

"Well, that's what makes us different, my friend. I'm not saving it for marriage but I'm not giving it up to the first pretty girl that wants it, either. When I start having sex, I want to be attracted toallthe parts of my partner, not just her ass…"

"…you're a damned fool, man and I'm gonna miss the shit outta you when you and K.G. move to D.C. with your dad and your de facto step momma. You're going with them, aren't you?"

"Not yet. We're going to wait until he's been in office a year before doing the Big Move. We'll come out to D.C. for breaks and the occasional state dinner but we'll be here mainly. Dad and Liv let us choose to stay and it's trippy as hell. I mean, for years, it was like "you two brats stay on the back shelf in the closet far, far away until it's time for the tap dance number" and now, we actually get a say in what goes on. They actually ask about what's going on with us and…and they listen! And they care and they yell and they remember shit that's important to us and it's so fucking weird but awesome."

"Holy shit…you have real parents now."

"I know."

"It's a miracle…"

…Gerry didn't really know what to make of his biological mother's relationship with his godfather. On the one hand, he was happy that Millicent had a man who truly loved her because that meant that his father was free to be with someone who truly loved him but on the other hand, there was a deep seated resentment against them both. While his father had stuck by her and endured being in a loveless political marriage, they had been sneaking around behind his back for years, lying to his face for years. His little sister who he loved dearly (despite her tendency to be an acid tongued pain in the ass sometimes…) could've easily been his half-sister, a Nichols passed off as a Grant to keep his dad underneath Millicent's thumb forever. The only reason that the truth came out was because of someone having the common sense to harvest and sequence the whole family's DNA. Who knows how long the affair with Andrew (and the other men) would've remained hidden if someone hadn't stepped up to the plate?

It was yet another thing to be grateful to Olivia Pope for…

"…so, Dexa?"

"Dexa.", he confirmed sheepishly.

"How utterly predictable. You gonna tell her?"

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"She's completely out of my league and we've got a good friendship going on, Karen. I don't want to fuck it up."

"Who says that you'd fuck it up?"

"I do."

"What if you're wrong?"

"What if I'm right? Besides, we're going to be moving away next year. It wouldn't really be fair to her for us to get something started just when I'm about to be across the country."

"Gerry, this is the golden age of Skype, Gmail, Facebook, and Tumblr. Plus, as Presidential kids, I'm sure that we'll have access to a bunch of private planes, trains, and automobiles when we want them. Long distance relationships are hard, especially for teenagers, but they're not impossible. Quit being a little bitch and put yourself out there. Even if she tells you to fuck off, then you'll know where you stand with her and it's way better than living with the what-ifs."

"…who's the older sibling here again?"

"You are but that doesn't mean that I can't be smarter than you…"

…Dexa gasped as they parted for air and looked up at him with disbelief before…

"Ow!"

"So I'm awake, then?"

Gerry chuckled and nodded, rubbing the sting from his uniform slack clad thigh. She stood up and he followed her, embracing her tenderly.

"You've got my lipstick all over your mouth and on your cheeks, too."

"Good."

"Good?"

"Fuckin' A."

"Okay. So, um…I'd really like to be your girlfriend."

"I'd really like to be your boyfriend, even after I move to D.C."

"Really? It's gonna be difficult…"

"Dexa, I'm about to be the son of the Leader of the Free World and I inherited the Grant man singlemindness. As long as you're willing to meet me halfway, then I will fight hard for us to stay together. I'll be here for another year but then…

"I'm more than willing to put the work in and you better come and visit me often, querido because there are some things you just can't do long distance…"

"Good Morning America! It's Wednesday, November 5th 2008, and we have a new President…"

"Grant took 74% of the popular vote… dominated the electoral college…even with the loss of Ohio to Governor Samuel Reston of Maryland…"

"Republican Candidate Governor Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III of California has been elected to be the 44th President of the United States of America…"

"...celebrated his win by laying a rather impressive kiss on Olivia Pope and it seems that he is not the only Grant man with…"

"…Baby Boy Grant is officially down with the swirl! That's right, ladies and gentlemen…Fitzgerald Thomas Grant IV is off of the market and not only is he with a black girl, he's with a brilliant little knockout…this picture of them was posted to his little sister's Facebook page shortly after his dad won the Election…aren't they adorable? I think they're adorable…"

"Like father, like son…"

"…Dexa Elizabeth Washington...16 year old only daughter of TruBlue Cosmetics CEO Beatrix Sanchez-Washington and Nathanial Washington VII. of the 80 year old Washington Import/Export Company based out of San Francisco…"

9 Days Later…

"Did you ask her yet?"

"No."

"For Christ's sake, Gerry!"

"Shut up, Karen!"

"Don't you tell me to shut up for calling you out on being a little bitch again! It's just dinner and a weekend at the Ranch, not a walk down the aisle! What's the big deal?"

"Karen…"

"Fitzgerald, are you serious about making this thing with Dexa work?"

"Yes."

"Has she pulled away from you since the Press and Social Media picked up on your connection? The tweeters and Tumblr are calling you two GerDex, by the way…"

"I know that and no, she hasn't…I just…The Incubator and Andrew are going to be there, too. If it was just Dad and Liv, I wouldn't be worried because I know that they'd be cool, despite Cyrus' bitching about my timing and the Optics…"

"The angry old penguin can blow it out of his ass. He's worried that the almighty Base will be pissed off that you're with Dex but meanwhile, he's not worried about being dad's CoS while rolling in the hay and between the sheets with a reporter barely half of his age…a dude reporter."

"Seriously?"

"Like the Black Plague, big brother. Do you remember James Novak?"

"Was he the nice guy from the Post with the Buddy Holly glasses and the unfortunate mouth-breathing asthma that we met in Miami?"

"That would be the one and that's who Cyrus is messing with on the down low. Well, not really because if I know, then everyone else certainly does. Don't get me wrong, Quatro. I care about Cyrus. I really do. Hell, he's practically family but he seriously needs to learn how to shut his big mouth and stay in his lane about personal Optics things that don't directly concern him. Dad and Liv are awesome, you and Dexa are awesome, and he should just come out of the closet and be done with it. It's not like Dad's gonna throw him out with the dirty dishwater and that's the only person who really matters in D.C. since he's The Big Giant Cheese now. Look, either you ask Dexa to come over and play by lunchtime or I'm gonna do it and I'll make sure that she knows that you were being a complete chickenshit about it. She's on the second level in the main gym doing her morning cardio hula hooping thing. Scram."

"…do you get some sort of sick pleasure from busting my balls all the time?"

"I'm your little sister, Numb Nuts. It's part of my job to kick you in the balls when you need it and if I didn't love your idiot ass so much, I'd keep quiet and let you fuck up all of the good things in your life because you're too busy dwelling in your own head to enjoy them fully. Introspection is good, Quatro but you can't let your brain have the wheel all the time. Let your heart and your Gut have a turn every once in a while. Now, seriously…scram. I have work to do. Go away."

Work being a large mosaic of the Great Seal that his 13 year old sister was determined to finish in time for Inauguration Day. While he had taken solace in music and his now trademark Goth/Hipster look, Karen had thrown herself into mathematics and art. She focused mainly on ceramics but there were stacks upon stacks of sketchbooks, deep wooden boxes full of various supplies. Karen was determined to be an animator if sculpting didn't work out but Gerry was sure that it would. Whatever she wanted to do with her life would not only work out, she'd be the best.

His little sister was just that good.

Pressing a kiss to the crown of her bent head and dodging the half hearted swipe at his arm, 16 year old Fitzgerald "Gerry" Thomas Grant IV left Art Room II and started downstairs. Fridays at the Academy were free days. There were a few classes offered but mostly, it was the start of the weekend and time to decide whether a student would stay on campus or go home until Monday morning. For the longest time, he and Karen were on the list to stay permanently but now…Nate's words at lunchtime still resonated with him. They had real parents, now. They had real parents who cared and who would be sad and worried if he and Karen didn't come home. Their father had always worried about them and even at the worst times, he and Karen never doubted that they were loved by him but…The Incubator.

Karen had started calling Millicent "The Incubator" from her 3rd grade science class on. There had been an Academy wide thing with baby chickens and Karen had mentioned that Millicent was just like the incubator the eggs rested in. They were in a safe, warm place to be nurtured until hatch day and then, the incubator was taken away and the babies were left pretty much on their own to survive. At first, Gerry had scolded her for doing it, trying to give Millicent the benefit of the doubt, but as time passed and the Grant marriage withered further and further towards ash…

Gerry rationally knew that his father had to have contributed to the decline of their marriage somehow. Just like it took two people to make a relationship work, it also took two people to destroy it. However, the majority of the blame, the majority of the burning resentment in his heart he felt for a stunted childhood and his father's bone deep pre-Olivia Pope misery rested squarely on his biological mother's shoulders. The blame was put on her shoulders and the shoulders of every man that she put her legs over, especially Andrew Nichols. His "Uncle Andrew" had been having a physical and emotional affair with Millicent for years and had lied to his father's face the whole time. His father had to have confided in the man about what was and wasn't going on between him and Millicent. The man had listened, became godfather to his firstborn, and the whole time, practically the whole time, had been thirsting after his wife (in name only) and drinking from her well when she permitted him to.

His little sister could've been his half sister. The fact that she wasn't, the fact that Karen Marie Grant was truly Karen Marie Grant instead of Karen Marie Nichols was one of the few things that kept him from cutting his biological mother out of his life completely.

Another thing, another surprising person in the situation, was Olivia Pope.

Why he was still surprised was anyone's guess. Olivia Pope had a way with people, particularly with Grants, that could bring them in line before they plunged over a cliff of ego driven self destruction and/or delusion. Olivia had come onto his father's campaign and it had been like airing out an old house for the first time in decades. Gerry had initially been wary of her, Karen had been disdainful, and both of them had questioned her sincerity from the start, especially when she engaged with them. What was her angle? Everyone had an angle, everyone had an agenda, and no one hesitated to leech off of their father when they could. What could a woman like her want with a RINO long shot, his dead marriage, and his children's drama?

Olivia had proven to be loyal. Olivia had proven to be genuinely interested and kind to both of them, regardless of Media cameras. Olivia had attached herself to their father, not as a leech but as someone who really wanted to help him, as a real friend, as a real protector…

Honestly, if his father and Olivia had started their romantic relationship earlier than they did, before the DNA bombshell interviews exposed Millicent for the fraudulent wife and mother she was, then Gerry would've been just fine with it, as would have Karen because the only thing Olivia Pope wanted from their father was for him to be his genuine self, Election be damned, and to be happy.

That was her angle and it was a damned good angle, one that was still paying off richly…

Entering the main gym, Gerry could see a pack of various sports players looking up at the second level and he joined them, already knowing what he'd see.

Dexa was absorbed in whatever music that was playing in her lime green ear buds and her silver sparkly hula hoop followed the slow, near hypnotic rhythm of her full hips and strong core. What gave him pause (other than the soft smile playing at her cranberry red lips) was the fact that she was wearing one of his lacrosse jerseys over her black leggings. The navy blue and silver shirt was tied to expose her diamond studded innie navel and the fact she had 'GRANT' emblazoned on her back made Gerry's blood run hot in all the best ways.

"I still don't how the fuck you did it, Quatro. You caught Dexa Washington…" Nate Overton greeted him at the bottom of the left stairs with their usual fist bump.

"She caught me, not the other way around. I didn't do shit."

"Still…no wonder you turned Amber down. Good thing you did, too. She's absolutely horrible in bed…"

"Oh, like you're Don Juan de fucking Marco around here? Get over yourself, moron. Did you at least use protection?"

"Of course. I'm not ready to be somebody's baby daddy, especially Amber's. She's nuts and you were right about her ass. It's as fake as the cheese on Cheetos."

"I could've told you that and saved you the disappointment, Nathan…show's over, pendejos!"

Gerry laughed at the way the pack of horny toads quickly got back to whatever they were doing and Dexa rested her hula hoop on the bottom bleacher bench. She had taken her braids out of the top knot and he tenderly brushed a few out of her cat like sienna eyes before accepting her greeting kiss on the lips.

"It's all right if I borrowed your shirt?"

"It's all right if you keep my shirt. What are you doing this weekend?"

"Nothing. Mami and Papi are in Guadalajara visiting my abuelita so I was going to chill here with my Netflix."

"Do you want to come to the Ranch for the weekend?"

"Will I be meeting your parents during this weekend?"

"Yeah…Dad and Liv are really cool, Dex. They won't cause any trouble and The Incubator already knows that she's on very thin ice with me and K.G. If she's smart, she'll keep her mouth shut or at least attach it to Andrew's the whole time. Look, dinner is likely going to be an awkward as shit mess but I'm not going to hide you from anyone. I'm not ashamed of you or us and I want you to meet my family, as fucked up as it is. Will you come?"

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"Fuckin' A. I'll even bring my guacamole and some empanadas."

"Good."

/

"She's definitely sleeping in Karen's room."

"Oh, I know that! Dad, we're not… I'm not…we're not…Dad, we just got together like 5 minutes ago and I'm not…I…we…no, not yet…we…we…we're not having…yet. Dex and I want to wait. Well, more like I want to wait. Is that bad?"

"Absolutely not."

"I get a lot of shit for it…"

"Language. Gerry, it's okay if you're not ready. It really is. There's nothing weird about it."

"I know that but everyone's so shocked when I mention that I'm not having sex yet. They're all like, "…but you're a Grant man!" and I get it. We're known for politics and horniness but…I just…I don't know. I just want it to be…special. I want it to be with the right woman at the right time. Somehow, I've managed to find the right woman but the right time hasn't come yet. How'd you know that it was the right time with Liv?"

"I didn't know, not really but she did know and then she proceeded to let me know that she knew in the middle of a Georgia hotel corridor."

"That's disgusting, Dad…that image…"

"You asked…son, I know that this is cliché but the only advice I can give you is that when you know, you know. Just follow her lead and don't be afraid to be honest with her."

"Even if I sound lame, stupid, or weird?"

"Especially if you sound lame, stupid, or weird. Women appreciate honesty. She has to be able to trust you and you have to be able to trust her. Without trust, there's no relationship."

"Speaking of relationships, I've yet to hear Big Jerry weigh in on me and Dexa…did the shock and horror of having not one but two viable interracial relationships in the family finally plunge him into the Grant Man Heart Attack?"

"Your grandfather and Liv have an understanding. He keeps his mouth shut about anything having to do with you, me, and Karen unless prompted and he gets to keep his little black book out of the hands of TMZ."

"Thank God she's on our side…don't screw it up, Old Man. You'll never do any better."

"I know. So, tell me about Dexa. What's she like?"

/

"What are you doing?"

"I am hiding my face in your neck and chastely cuddling you on my little sister's pull out bed."

"Why?"

"I missed you, you're nice and soft, and you smell really good."

"Dinner will be done soon."

"I know. Liv's finishing up the turkey meatloaf and Dad made Angel Food cake."

"Your mother is here."

"I know."

"She's already caught up with K.G. She's going to want to see you, too and meet me."

"I know."

"…Fitzgerald, you can't hide up here forever."

"Why not?"

"Other than the fact that it's your house and you shouldn't feel like you have to hide in your own house?"

"Other than that."

"Querido, you said that you wanted me to meet your whole fucked up family and to eat dinner."

"You already met my family. You met Dad and Liv and you already know Karen. That's the family that matters."

"Fitzgerald…"

"You don't understand…"

"Enlighten me, then."

"…she ruins things. Millicent ruins things. She makes people uncomfortable and unhappy and she ruins things."

"She is still your biological mother and I want to meet her. No one will ruin us except for us. It's our relationship, not hers or anyone else's. There's more to it. Tell me. Tell me all of what's troubling you, Fitzgerald."

With a jagged sigh, Gerry raised his head from her neck and looked at her head on.

"…every time I see Andrew, I want to fucking punch him. Dad may not be mad at him anymore but I am. I really am. He was my father's best friend. They go way back, like Pre-K back and he just…how could he do that to him? How could fuck his best friend and brother's wife off and on for 12 years and stay quiet about it? He could've…he should've said something. Dexa, it was…everything was so hollow before. Everyone was so unhappy. I can't even remember a time when Dad and Millicent were happy together and she…Andrew just…it's not fair. How can she claim that she sacrificed everything and then go out and fuck another man, fuck his best friend at that? How could she sit there and make Dad feel like he was the one ruining their marriage when she was the one who threw it away first? How am I supposed to look at her and not resent her for the fucked up childhood Karen and I had to go through? It's just…she ruins things. I know she won't ruin us but I…she doesn't deserve to know anything about who I am now. She wasn't around for the bad times so she shouldn't get to be around for the good. It's not fair."

Gentle fingertips wiped his frustrated tears away and Gerry sighed as she ran her fingers tenderly through his plum purple highlighted brown mop top. Bending down, he captured her strawberry red lips in a tender kiss and Dexa let her free hand stroke his side, wrinkling the material of his dark gray Rage Against the Machine t-shirt. Tentatively, he let his hands span her waist and he squeezed her tenderly, accepting her tongue into his mouth. She was in a coral and white polka dotted tank top and a black maxi skirt, a skirt that rode up slightly as she reversed their positions…

"Gerry, Dexa…dinner's ready!"

Slowly, he broke the kiss and called back, "On our way, Dad!"

Dexa climbed out of the pull out bed and extended a hand to him.

He accepted it immediately and led her to the balcony doors, following the sound of everyone settling in the outdoor dining area. Looking at her, Gerry was fortified by his Dexa's reassuring smile and he pushed open the sliding French doors.

He could do this.

They could do this.

Excerpt from Draftbook Drabble #11

"…you could've come to me for help. You should've come to me for help."

"If we had a typical father-daughter relationship, I would've but we don't. Taking money from you would've been like a yoke around my neck that you could tug and make me bend to your will. It would've put me back under your thumb and made me miserable until I found a way to pay you back. No, thank you."

"What kind of professional future do you expect to have for yourself in this city with that sort of filth attached to you? A simple background check will show everything, not like you care."

"I'm not trying to hide it and there's more than one city that I can make a good living in. And what I do is not filth. Eli, I'm not prostituting. I strip dance and I model lingerie. Both fields are legitimate and quite lucrative. I'm at the top of my classes. I don't have any student loans. I can cover my living expenses and I have savings that grow with interest every day. I'm not doing anything wrong so why should I feel ashamed of my choices just because you are?"

"I'm not ashamed of you. I'm worried about you."

"Liar. You don't give a shit about me unless it serves your purposes. It's one of the very few things left that you and Maya have in common: conditional and opportunistic love for your mediocre, wayward daughter…"

…His name tag read 'Patrick' but he had earned his nickname by his actions or rather, his lack of actions. He never copped a feel when he helped them on and off the stage. He never drank or smoked on the job. When he bounced someone, he did it promptly and he didn't do it with the expectation of sex nor had he taken up any of the offers from the girls. Olivia certainly couldn't blame them for trying. The Gentleman was tall, long, and made of pure muscle. His voice was a silken baritone and his eyes…his eyes were kind and summer sky blue. He kept things friendly but utterly professional, prompting the ongoing heated debate amongst the girls about his status: Married, Asexual, or Gay.

Olivia quietly went with a fourth option: Cop and/or Fed.

There was a sting going on and she would not blow his cover because something…something wasn't right…

"…Cyrus, I think I've been made by one of the performers."

"Which one?"

"Olivia."

"The naughty schoolgirl? It's possible…"

…as soon as their gazes met, Fitz knew that his instincts were spot on. She knew that he was in law enforcement and she knew that he was in the middle of an Op. As if she were responding to his thoughts, she nodded once before miming zipping her mouth shut and throwing away the key. Gripping the pole behind her for support, she pulled herself up and walked towards the backstage curtain, a bit of an extra sway in her gait. Getting to it, she looked at him again lingeringly (longingly?) and then disappeared…

"…PC means Protective Custody, doesn't it?"

The chatter in the room ceased and "Patrick" that she now knew was Special Agent Fitzgerald Grant III (The Gentleman was the son of one of the most notorious pigs in American politics…the irony was biting!) came to the corner she had quietly claimed. Carefully, he knelt down to the floor and she curled tighter within herself as he brushed some hair out of her tear stained face. She was shaking from cold and from nerves, her voice husky and soft from lack of use and from weeping. She hadn't stopped crying since they got to the Hoover Building.

"It does. It's only until Brown and Chambers are off of the street."

"D-Do I have to go away by myself? I don't want to be alone right now…"

"No, I'll be going with you…"

"…FBI, Billy. Drop the weapon."

"Big bad Fed thinks he can tell me what to do, huh?"

"Big bad Fed knows that he can tell you what to do. Drop the weapon or I'll drop you. It's over."

"Is that chocolate bitch still with you? I knew you had a hard on for her. 'The Gentleman', Mandi and the other whores called you. You weren't very gentleman like when you'd watch her performances. A few times Chuck and I thought you would get up on that stage and fuck her for everyone to see but you didn't…until tonight. Seems like little Liv-Liv likes to bite…"

Chambers was so focused on him, he neglected to notice her until it was too late.

"Where did you get a taser from?"

"I bought it with my first modeling check. Are you okay?"

"Never better."

Both of them watched as SUVs pulled in with lights and sirens on and Olivia looked up at him impishly as an unconscious Chambers was hauled downstairs, their mutual state of undress pointedly ignored by the responding agents.

"Hell of a couple of days, huh?"

"You could say that. Go back to bed. I'll be with you in a few minutes."

"Be quick about it. Saving the day actually makes me quite horny…and hungry. Is that weird?"

"No. It's a response to adrenaline rush and come down."

"Good. Go and talk to your boss. I want a PB&J sandwich and then I want your cock."

Taken aback (and more than a little turned on) by her bluntness, Fitz watched as she went back into their room and sighed fondly in her wake, heading down to an impatient looking Cyrus.

His assignment was over but his life with Olivia Pope was just getting started.

He was looking forward to it…

2 Days Later…

"…you dragged me through hell and high water for 6 years to get full time custody of her and then, you didn't bother to look after her properly after you got it! What kind of father are you?! Look at the danger she ended up in! Look at her lifestyle! Look at her livelihood! For Christ's sake, Eli, our baby had to murder one drug dealer and tazer gun another just to make it to sundown! She could've died or been raped or god knows what else! Where the hell were you?!"

"I know what danger and lifestyle she's gotten into, Maya! I did the best I could in raising her and if you had actually taken the Vows we took seriously, then I wouldn't have…"

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me! I never cheated on you! You cheated on me with your damned almighty job and had the nerve to be shocked when I got sick of coming in second! I wanted to take Livvie with me but, no…no, the Great Eli Pope had to soothe his precious ego at the expense of the daughter he claims to adore!"

"The Mother of the Century is standing here lecturing me when she hasn't even been in the country for more than 5 minutes to see her in the last 4 years! That's rich!"

"You live in the same city and there haven't been any daddy-daughter lunches, have they? She barely talks to you! She's probably just as sick of your mouth and ways as I ended up being, you smug sanctimonious piece of…"

The intercom was cut off but even through the thick two way glass, the arguing was audible and the rookie agent in the room looked sorely tempted to discharge his weapon. Whether a bullet would go into the combatants or his own head to escape the tempest remained to be seen. With an incredulous shake of his head, 32 year old Special Agent Fitzgerald "Fitz" Grant III looked down at the dispassionately watching woman next to him.

"Do they argue like this often?"

With an exasperated huff, 23 year old Olivia Pope took her sour apple blow pop out of her scarlet painted mouth and met his concerned gaze head on.

"Only all of the time…don't worry. Dominic will come back from the loo and he'll distract Maya with his crumpet fuelled animal magnetism and Eli will sit down at the head of the table to pout. Well, he'll drink from his cup of black coffee and pretend to be unaffected by the lusty loving interracial couple that sickens him with impotent jealousy but he'll be pouting. You can always tell by his eyes…"

"I thought you said that they didn't care about you."

"Oh, they do but not in any normal parenting context. They care about me because I am a pox upon their reputations. I'm a top student. I'm sitting on a 4.0 GPA and have been since I was 12. I'm kicking poli-sci and law ass at Georgetown but instead of doing something respectable like file filing at ACME Paper or slinging Ol' Bess burgers at Gettysburger like a normal college student in crippling debt, I work the pole like a champ and put on silky little naughty things for glossy catalogues to cover my various expenses. I don't hide what I do and people side eye them for my professional choices all the time, especially since I'm one of the top 5 strippers in the area. Why aren't they taking care of me? They're both healthy. Both of them come from money and made quite a bit of it in their heydays. Why isn't their only daughter comfortable enough to take money from them and why are they so distant with me publicly? Don't they love me? Don't they care about me and my safety? The answer is a very firm 'no' to both questions but god forbid that anyone with power and influence knows that awful truth…the boarding school counselors that I was required to go during their various custody melees said that I did rebellious shit in order to get their attention and I guess there's still a ring of truth to it today. If I have a choice, I'd rather have them pissed off at me than for them to look right through me, y'know?"

The door opened and Dominic Bell was escorted into the observation area, looking like he'd rather be anywhere but in the J. Edgar Hoover building but to his credit, there was genuine concern in the blonde man's blue eyes, genuine warmth.

"Hey, Dominic. They're still fighting."

"I know. You can hear their yelling all the way at the elevator. Er, I…if you need to come with your Mum and I back to London for a bit, you can. The door's always open and you've been through hell, Olivia. If you need a break…"

"Thanks for the offer but I'll be okay. I still need to find a permanent place to live and I start my new job on Friday night."

"Are you going to continue with your strip dancing? I mean, if you are, it's okay. There's nothing wrong with it…"

"There's a gym near the Hill that offers aerobic dance classes of all sorts. As many bored housewives and politicians' side chicks roaming around this glorious nation's capital, I'm sure that Pole Dancing for Fun and Health will be a smash hit. You better get in there and calm Maya down. She looks about two seconds away from plunging a stirrer through Eli's eyeball and that would be one hell of a carpet cleaning bill, don't you think? Matter of fact, let's just get this over with. I don't know why you guys let them in, anyways…"

/

Olivia could feel Maya and Eli evaluating her appearance as she came into the interrogation turned waiting room. She had put on a snow white mid sleeved top, dark wash skinny jeans, and a pair of high heeled Timberland lace up boots that went to just below her knees. Her hair was in its trademark Orchid the Schoolgirl style of two messy ponytails, secured by American flag bows and she had gone heavy with her smoky eyes. Her lips were a defiant shade of scarlet red and her lollypop was still in her mouth being gently suckled.

One of her most popular pin-up Tiger Lilly pictures involved her in a white lingerie set covered in multicolored lollypops, surrounded by pink cotton candy clouds.

Maya made the first move and Olivia gamely accepted her hug. Her mother looked good. Her hair was softly waved and was graying gracefully, the streaks in her hair catching the light nicely. She had on a color block gray and sky blue wrap dress, along with a pair of black pumps. A snow white trench coat that had been draped over her chair was now folded over Dominic's forearm and the white diamond jewelry she had on sparkled in the fluorescents.

"My poor baby…I'm sorry you had to go through all of that, Livvie…"

"I'm all right. Fitz made sure that I was well taken care of and there's going to be justice served."

"Still…you killed someone…"

"I didn't want Tom Stanton to kill my friend or myself. It had to be done."

"I guess you're right…are you just going to sit there or are you going to hug our daughter, Eli?"

Her father looked tired. He usually looked tired and there was a lot more than streaks of gray in his short hair. He was in a tailored three piece black suit, a crisp white shirt, and she could see herself in the black leather of his shoes. The only jewelry he had on was a Rolex and his cufflinks. Instead of hugging her, Eli rested a tender hand on her cheek and she looked at him head on, showing no fear as he had drilled into her head over and over again…

"Are you all right?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Good."

As if the three of them had coordinated it, they broke off and went to their claimed places. Maya was next to Dominic (as usual), Eli was sitting at the head of the table, and Olivia was standing in the corner nearest to the two way window. She bit down on the last bit of her sucker and blew a bright pink bubble, letting it pop with a snap.

"Why are you two here?"

"Livvie, you were on the news. Your job was on the news and neither of us had heard from you. Your father and I were worried about you so we came here to get answers from you personally."

"Okay. Well, in short: my boss was part of an Ecstasy manufacturing and distribution point. The FBI put the club under surveillance. I met Fitz who I didn't know for sure was a Fed until a few days ago…"

"Did he tell you?"

"No, but it made the most sense. There was a parade of vans going in and out of the Alley and he wasn't like the other bouncers. He remembered our names. He didn't cop a feel. He stayed sober. He didn't sleep with anyone or even try to…it was Married, Gay, Asexual, or Fed. He didn't have a ring on nor did I ever see him hide one and trust me, the way I caught him looking at me as I did my thing assured me that not only was his libido at full throttle, he's as straight as parallel lines. Anyway, Fitz got made somehow and Tom Stanton was going to shoot him. I had come down to the basement to say goodbye to him at the end of my shift like I usually did. I saw Tom raise the gun and I put my knife through his forehead. Afterwards, Fitz and I went out of town to get away from the heat and when Billy-Boy Chambers found us, we took him down together. He's awaiting trial with Upchuck and Mandi and will likely be locked up for at minimum 10 years. And we all lived happily ever after. The end. Anymore questions?"

"Did you have sex with Special Agent Grant?"

"I did, Eli. I had fully consensual, slightly kinky, wonderful sex with him that I intend to keep having with him as long as he's willing to indulge me."

"Will his superiors have a problem with it?"

"I didn't initiate the sex until we were on the run. He didn't sleep with me to get Intel on the operation. He didn't sleep with anyone in The Coliseum, not for lack of trying on some of the girls' parts. I'm well above the age of consent and he's a grown ass man who's obviously good at his job. As long as I stay on the right side of the law, they shouldn't have a problem with me being around him in his bedroom and out of it…but you do, Eli. Why?"

"He's a Grant man. Their reputations are less than stellar when it comes to their relationships and romps with women. I don't want to see you hurt."

"I see…Maya, do you share his opinion?"

"Well, honestly, yes but…at the end of the day, it's your life, baby. I definitely wish you would consider getting into another line of work but as long as you're safe and happy and you graduate on time, you can do whatever and whoever you want to do. And he seems to be a nice boy…"

"Maya!"

"Eli, she's going to do whatever she damned well pleases anyway! It's the stupid pride she got from you and the goddamned stubbornness she got from me! There's no use in trying to control her because all that's going to do is shut her ears and she'll cut us out completely! Is that what you want? It's bad enough having to constantly explain that our daughter has so little faith in us that she willingly gets on a pole and half naked in front of a camera to pay her bills! Do you really want to explain to your minions and comrades why we're not at her wedding or why we only see our grandchildren through photographs? I don't! For once in your life, just let things be what they'll be! You can't control everything! You can't fix everything!"

"I'm not trying to…"

"Yes, you are! You always are and what good does it do?! One would think that…"

As the second round of arguing began between her parents, Olivia gave Dominic a polite nod before making her retreat. Fitz was waiting in the corridor and the door closed behind her with a soft click.

"Now, do you understand why I'm not exactly sane?"

"I'm beginning to. Your mother seems like she's had an epiphany about her relationship with you."

Excerpt from Draftbook Drabble #8...

As if on cue, the rear left SUV door opened again and Fitz felt his brows raise at the sight of his 16 year old son. Gerry was dressed in black from head to toe, other than a navy blue open plaid shirt and a white belt. Black t-shirt, black cargo pants with enough chains to break a metal detector, and a pair of black Doc Martin shitkickers. His curly hair was an unruly mop top and the light brown was also shot through with navy blue, only his would not be washing out anytime soon. A black electric bass case was placed on the porch swing and a large red overstuffed duffel went on top. Like Karen, his nails were bitten down and black but there was a band aid on his right thumb. There was even a large silver skull ring on his left hand to match the studs in his ears. Practically straightening to attention on the porch, Gerry removed his aviators and black lined cerulean slate eyes looked up at him from his 5'9 height, silently challenging him to say something, anything about his appearance.

"You look a hell of a lot better than when I tried the punk rock look, son. I was trying to look like one of the guys from the Ramones but honestly, I looked like a blend of Peter Frampton and Dr. Frank n Furter."

Surprise registered on Gerry's face and then, both of them grinned.

"Pics or it didn't happen, old man.", he demanded after hugging him and they did a quick fist bump.

"I think they're in the attic someplace. What brought all of this darkness on?" he inquired as they went inside.

"Honestly, it started as just a way to stick it to The Man and you and Mom's political optics but turns out, I really fucking dig it and so do the ladies…"

"Quatro, are you fucking high or something? You just totally shut down Amber Millhouse!"

"Nate, Amber Millhouse's interest in me is as fake as her nose. If it wasn't painfully clear that my dad's about to be elected as POTUS in less than a month, then she would still be giggling behind her hand with her plastic minions as the football team calls me a fag and a Marilyn Manson wannabe. She's digging for Grant family political and literal gold and I'm not having it. I'm not making the same mistakes dad did with The Incubator. It all worked out in the end because now he's got Olivia and she's made entirely of awesome but I'm not going to go through 15 years of politically sound yet emotionally toxic purgatory before I can find and be with the right woman. Fuck that shit."

"Who said anything about being a relationship? I'm talking about getting laid…"

"Well, that's what makes us different, my friend. I'm not saving it for marriage but I'm not giving it up to the first pretty girl that wants it, either. When I start having sex, I want to be attracted to all the parts of my partner, not just her ass, which by the way is also fake on Amber. You can always tell by the thighs."

"Oh, my God…"

"Here's some sage advice from your crazy Uncle Gerry to you, young horny whippersnapper: always check the thighs beforehand so you don't end up replacing someone's silicone discount booty on your dime."

"You're a damned fool, man and I'm gonna miss the shit outta you when you and K.G. move to D.C. with your dad and your de facto step momma. You're going with them, aren't you?"

"Not yet. We're going to wait until he's been in office a year before doing the Big Move. We'll come out to D.C. for breaks and the occasional state dinner but we'll be here mainly. Dad and Liv let us choose to stay and it's trippy as hell. I mean, for years, it was like "you two brats stay on the back shelf in the closet far, far away until it's time for the tap dance number" and now, we actually get a say in what goes on. They actually ask about what's going on with us and…and they listen! And they care and they yell and they remember shit that's important to us and it's so fucking weird but awesome."

"Holy shit…you have real parents now."

"I know."

"It's a miracle…just like popping your man cherry before 40 will be, you old fashioned maiden, you."

"Go fuck yourself. Better yet, go and convince Amber to fuck you as a substitute for me."

"I just might do that…"

/

There was another, critical reason that 16 year old Fitzgerald "Gerry" Thomas Grant IV didn't want a thing to do with Queen Bee Amber and she was currently across the weight room hauling ass on a treadmill with lime green headphones in her ears.

Dexa Washington.

She had transferred to the Academy the previous year and quickly became known for her variety of braided hairstyles, her bright red lips, and her utter lack of patience for anyone's bullshit. Not to say that she wasn't nice but if you were being an idiot, she would be the first one to call you on it. Loudly. And with the eloquent diction of an Oxford scholar who had spent a few months at sea with pirates.

The read for filth she had given Kelly Masters who had said that Lolita was romantic in Honors English 10B still lived in infamy and Gerry could say that it was the moment when he had started to fall hard for her.

Like father, like son, apparently. Olivia had taken his dad back to elementary school in the middle of an Iowa gymnasium and Cupid's arrow had hit him dead in the ass immediately afterwards…

"So, Dexa, huh? Don't look so shocked, Numb Nuts. You're my big brother and lately, you've been looking at her like you're a hunting lion on the Nat Geo channel…or the way that dad looks at Liv when she bends over.", his little sister greeted while picking up a nearby jump rope.

Gerry snorted and replied as he started his pull up sets, "Don't you mean when she breathes?"

"That, too. It's more than a little grody but I'll tell you, it's better to see Olitz live than watching The Incubator and Andrew be all over each other uncut. At least dad and Liv know how to be behind and lock a door when they want to fuck."

Gerry didn't really know what to make of his biological mother's relationship with his godfather. On the one hand, he was happy that Millicent had a man who truly loved her because that meant that his father was free to be with someone who truly loved him but on the other hand, there was a deep seated resentment against them both. While his father had stuck by her and endured being in a loveless political marriage, they had been sneaking around behind his back for years, lying to his face for years. His little sister who he loved dearly (despite her tendency to be an acid tongued pain in the ass sometimes…) could've easily been his half-sister, a Nichols passed off as a Grant to keep his dad underneath Millicent's thumb forever. The only reason that the truth came out was because of someone having the common sense to harvest and sequence the whole family's DNA. Who knows how long the affair with Andrew (and the other men) would've remained hidden if someone hadn't stepped up to the plate?

It was yet another thing to be grateful to Olivia Pope for.

"Did you tell dad that you saw them banging on the kitchen floor during our visit?"

"Nah. I didn't want him freaking out and after Andrew gave me a lame ass apology and "The Talk", The Incubator bought me a pack of iTunes gift cards and 4 pairs of Louboutins to keep quiet. I didn't need the stuff, I needed brain bleach but who am I to look a bribing gift horse in the mouth?"

"You're 13 years old and still growing. What are you going to do with 4 pairs of high end pumps?"

"One pair's going to Liv for her birthday and I already sold the other pairs to a trio of girls from PCA for 550 bucks each."

"550 dollars for some fucking shoes?!"

"They're genuine red bottoms and retail price is at minimum 800 so it was a steal…so, Dexa?"

"Dexa.", he confirmed sheepishly.

"How utterly predictable. You gonna tell her?"

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"She's completely out of my league and we've got a good friendship going on, Karen. I don't want to fuck it up."

"Who says that you'd fuck it up?"

"I do."

"What if you're wrong?"

"What if I'm right? Besides, we're going to be moving away next year. It wouldn't really be fair to her for us to get something started just when I'm about to be across the country."

"Gerry, this is the golden age of Skype, Gmail, Facebook, and Tumblr. Plus, as Presidential kids, I'm sure that we'll have access to a bunch of private planes, trains, and automobiles when we want them. Long distance relationships are hard, especially for teenagers, but they're not impossible. Quit being a little bitch and put yourself out there. Even if she tells you to fuck off, then you'll know where you stand with her and it's way better than living with the what-ifs."

"…who's the older sibling here again?"

"You are but that doesn't mean that I can't be smarter than you."

/

"Remind me again why I play the fucking trumpet?"

"It's part of your family's rich musical heritage and you're really good at it."

"I don't feel very good at it right now…why the fuck did Ms. J have to pick 'The Green Hornet Theme' and why did she have to give me the first trumpet part? Memorizing the articulation alone gives me an ulcer and I'm nowhere near the actual tempo."

"See the second part of my answer to your first lament."

"Don't make come over there and shove that tenor sax up your ass, Fitzgerald!"

Frowning at the crack in her voice, Gerry set down his instrument and went to the brass section of the orchestra pit. Dexa's tearful amber eyes met his eyes and he used a gentle thumb to wipe the away the ones that had already fallen.

"What's wrong?"

"I just said what's wrong."

"Dexa…"

"Drop it, Fitzgerald."

"No. Talk to me. What's wrong?"

"I'm on the rag."

"Liar. You're not due for your cycle for another week. Try again."

"How do you…"

"The same reason how I know when Karen's is supposed to show up. You're two girls that I spend the majority of my time with and am secure enough in my masculinity to admit I'm afraid of so I keep track so you don't literally throw me under the bus if I crack an ill timed joke."

"Oh, I know you're secure in your masculinity. Any man can fearlessly rock painted toenails during a beach volleyball game with a bunch of jeering roid heads…"

"I was bored one night and I figured 'why not? If I can paint my fingernails, I can do my toes'. You're avoiding the question. What's wrong? Why were you crying? Did somebody hurt you?"

"…not yet."

"Not yet?"

"There's this guy. I really like him but I'm afraid to tell him because he might turn me down."

Hurt slammed into him with the force of a sledgehammer but Gerry kept his composure. Knowing that Dexa was interested in another guy was painful but he wanted her to be happy. All he really wanted at the end of the day was for her to be happy, even if it wasn't with him, especially if it wasn't with him…

"He won't turn you down. Not unless he's taken or gay."

"What makes you so sure?"

"You're brilliant. You're hilarious. You're talented. You're kind. You're passionate about the things and people you believe in and you're a fucking knockout. He won't turn you down. He'll be lucky to have you. Anyone would be lucky to have you."

"…even you?"

He was dreaming. He had fallen asleep in the back of World History again and someone would be waking him up any second now…

"I was crying earlier because I've had feelings for you for a while and I've so been afraid to tell you. You're my best friend and I don't want to fuck that up. Plus, you're about to be all the way on the other side of the country in a new school with new friends and new girls and I just…"

He wasn't dreaming.

He wasn't dreaming.

He wasn't dreaming!

He had to…

She tasted sweet, a little salty from tears but sweet. Her hands went to his cheeks and his eyes snapped open in surprise as she slipped her tongue into his mouth but they drifted shut happily. His heart raced in his chest like it was going to explode and the chair creaked as he pulled her onto his lap. Dexa gasped as they parted for air and looked up at him with disbelief before…

"Ow!"

"So I'm awake, then?"

Gerry chuckled and nodded, rubbing the sting from his uniform slack clad thigh. She stood up and he followed her, embracing her tenderly.

"You've got my lipstick all over your mouth and on your cheeks, too."

"Good."

"Good?"

"Fuckin' A."

"Okay. So, um…I'd really like to be your girlfriend."

"I'd really like to be your boyfriend, even after I move to D.C."

"Really? It's gonna be difficult…"

"Dexa, I'm about to be the son of the Leader of the Free World and I inherited the Grant man singlemindness. As long as you're willing to meet me halfway, then I will fight hard for us to stay together. I'll be here for another year but then…

As soon as the neck of the Bottle pointed at Olivia Pope, the circle went still with anticipation of her taking another jell-o shot. The rules for Abby Whelan's version of Spin the Bottle gave anyone who didn't want to kiss or be kissed an out in the form of rum laced with strawberry. Every time the Bottle landed on her, Olivia Pope took the out. Reactions had been mostly positive (except for the split second sour frown that had been on Jake Ballard's face) but now…

Keeping her eyes locked firmly on the man on the other end, she rose up on her knees and slowly dragged the zipper of her black hooded sweatshirt down, revealing the candy apple red tank top she had on underneath. The jacket was carelessly tossed to the side and she curled her index finger at him. Jaws unhinged as Fitz Grant III quickly came to her, tilted her head up and kissed her fiercely. He was kissing her like he was dying of thirst, like he had a chance to make a fantasy reality at last and he was going to embrace it to the full. Gasping, Olivia accepted him and buried her hands in his thick curls, the stacked resin bangles on her left wrist clinking softly.

Thankfully, she was wearing a pair of black lounge pants instead of a skirt because Fitz hitched her leg up around his verdant cargo pant clad hip, supporting himself on one hand as he leaned forward to deepen their kiss. If she had been in a skirt, then everyone would've seen her panties. They were cute panties (high cut red briefs with white polka dots and a bow at the waist line) but still, she didn't want to give everyone more of a show than she already had. Her heart was pounding in her ears and her head was spinning pleasantly. Damn, he was such a good kisser and he tasted so good. She could taste rum, strawberry jell-o, and a spicy sweetness that was uniquely his…

The sound of rapid footsteps before the basement door slammed firmly made her jump and pull away to see the unsurprised yet amused faces of her friends and…

"Was that Jake?" she questioned as her racing heart began to calm.

Everyone nodded and Olivia rolled her eyes in response.

It was definitely something the boy would do, storm off in a dramatic, adolescent angsty huff. Jake Ballard wasn't exactly an enemy but he wasn't a friend, either. He was just…there. He was David's roommate so once he became a part of the group (and Abby's devoted love slave), Jake came in with him on the fringes. It became painfully clear after a while that Jake harbored romantic feelings for her but Olivia made sure to keep her distance. There was no chemistry between them, no spark. Plus, there was something off about him, something blatantly artificial.

His smiles never really reached his eyes and he was aggressively 'average Joe', making sure to hit all the criteria for a normal, red blooded twentysomething. It was like he was an actor on a stage and a very bad one at that. Jake made her infamous Gut burn and roil with warning sometimes. Her Gut hadn't failed her before so she just went with it. She made sure not to be completely alone with Jake at any time and kept things strictly platonic, small talk polite, 'hi, how's class, see you later…'

And she never put her back to him, just in case he had a knife at the ready.

Better safe than sorry…

Fitz eased them back upright and turned his head so that his nose rubbed slowly against where her neck and jaw met. He had on a dark gray long sleeved thermal and her hands unconsciously rubbed over his chest, relishing the heated steel of his body. Fitz Grant III was Harrison's roommate and unlike with Jake, he was accepted fully into the group. When he was around, her Gut was silent and warm. Her instincts told her that he was legit and they had been proven right on more than one occasion. Although he was a Senator's son and came from a well off family, he was genuinely sweet, genuinely humble, and a bit of a goofball. He was a gentleman and a gentle man, a gentle giant in comparison to herself. Olivia was sitting on his lap and legs with plenty of room to spare…

"Yeah. I think y'all were too hot to handle for him. Don't let that stop you two, though." Harrison Wright remarked with a shiteating grin…and really? A bowl of popcorn? Where had that come from and why hadn't he shared? Everyone knew that she had a popcorn addiction…

"Nothing like an after dinner peep show to round out the evening." David Rosen quipped with waggling brows, making Abby clock him on the back of his head, even as she giggled.

"Both of you idiots shut the fuck up. Now." Huck cut in with flat warning ice as he rose up on his knees, ready to defend her honor.

"They were just joking, love." Quinn Perkins soothed him before placing a gentle but firm hand on his forearm.

"It's disrespectful joking. Liv's not a porn star."

"Could've fooled the shit out of me…game over. Let's go figure out where Ballard went to pout while the new lovebirds fuck it out." Abby ordered everyone while chucking the Sprite bottle into the recycling bag.

"Don't you mean talk it out?" Harrison chuckled while he led the group up the stairs.

"Tomato, to-mah-toe…seriously, let's go find the little fuckhead. He looks like the type to come back with a carton of eggs and a machete in the dead of night. Why'd you invite him, anyway, baby?"

"Temporary insanity. It won't happen again."

"Better not or you and your left hand will be bed buddies for a month, Rosen."

"That would hurt you more than it would hurt me and you know it, Whelan…"

The basement door shut behind the group and Olivia felt her cheeks heat up at the intensity in his cerulean slate gaze. She wasn't embarrassed, not really. If anything, she was surprised, both at his reaction and to her actions in general. Despite Edison Davis' bitter claims to the contrary, she was no prude and she was comfortable with her sexuality. Still, she had never been so aggressive before, so sultry when it came to letting a guy know her intentions.

If she were a coward, she'd blame it on the rum or the full moon outside but she was no coward. She had done what she did because she wanted to.

There was an attraction between her and Fitz, one that had only deepened with time. She had kept mum about it. The cluster between her and Edison Davis had put her off of any sort of committed relationship, even if it was just friends with benefits. She needed time to regroup, to figure out exactly what she was looking for in a relationship before she got back out there.

Fitz's very public breakup with Millicent 'Mellie' Vaughn had been brutal. She had cheated on him with Andrew Nichols, his best friend since Pre-K and they had been in his bed. He had walked in on them in the throes. That sort of hurt, that sort of betrayal left emotional wounds that took months, even years to heal properly. Olivia had kept quiet about her feelings not only out of shyness but out of a need to make sure that Fitz was in a good mental place to be with someone else.

Olivia didn't want to be a rebound or an ego boost to anyone, even Fitz.

So, she sought him out for long conversations, for study sessions, for binge watching Netflix programs, and for late night jaunts for stoner food. She wanted to be his friend, to lay a good foundation first before trying for something more. He had opened up to her like a flower in the sun and in response, Olivia had done the same, tit for tat. Although they were from different worlds with different experiences, they had common ground in all the ways that really mattered. They had become a symbiotic sort of entity in the Group, Liv and Fitz/Fitz and Liv, and usually ended up paired off by the end of whatever activity they involved in.

Sometimes, they'd be silly, feeding off of each others dry yet goofy senses of humor until they were all cracking up. Sometimes, they'd be a Greek Chorus to the others' antics, mainly involving Abby, David, and Harrison. But her favorite times were when they were just silent, enjoying each others company and presence…

"Are you okay? I was kind of rough with you…"

"I'm not made of glass, Fitz and if I didn't like what you were doing to me, I would've bitten you on the lip."

"You did bite me on the lip." he informed her while meeting her gaze.

Sure enough, there was a light mark on his swollen lower lip and it took all of her self control not to suckle on the inviting softness or the fingertip tapping on the deepening lover's wound.

There would be plenty of time for both actions later.

"I would've have bitten you in a way you wouldn't have enjoyed. When have you known me to do anything or in this case, anyone that I didn't want to do?"

"Never."

"Exactly. The only regret I have about kissing you tonight is that I wasn't completely sober and we weren't in private. We're going to catch hell from the group for this for a while."

"Only until Abby and David get cited for dry humping in public…again."

"Those two need help."

"Or chastity belts."

Olivia laughed and initiated their second kiss, this one soft and sweet. His hands spanned her middle easily and she smiled against his lips as her back made contact with the plush material of the purple rug that had been the game area. Her knees parted and she shivered as he lay on top of her, her breasts crushed against his chest. He was warm and his lips were skilled, coaxing and demanding all at once…