Ok so.. I was watching 301 and happened to see the "teaser" that was released like immediately after. At first I was flipping out like I know many of you were, but then I got to thinking as 301 replayed in my head. What if Liv leaving was part of the plan. We know Jerry wasn't, but what if her departure was. We all know Olitz communicates like no other couple so I decided to play around with it and this is what I got. I guess this is my naive hope for 401. It's short, but after my last few Exhale updates, I'm in serious need of a recharge.

It had been 75 days since Jerry was murdered. 75 days since Fitz as a father witnessed his worse nightmare come to light. To make matters even worse, it had been 75 days since he had last seen her. At first he would call and take comfort in her voicemail, he would often dial her number to help lull himself to sleep. It was what had gotten him over the past 75 days with minimal scotch. She would be proud.

Today was the day of his inauguration and he wanted nothing more than to hear her voice. Out of habit, he picked up the phone and proceeded to dial her number.

"We're sorry, but the number you have dialed is no longer in service. Please hang up and try your call again."

Fitz wanted to throw his phone across the room, he wanted to send every item on the desk crashing to the floor. Not because she was gone, but because he allowed her to go through with this ridiculous plan. Now he sat at his desk, 22 minutes away from being sworn in as president for the second time, and Olivia was nowhere around.

What kind of idiot was I to agree to step 2 of the plan.

The plan began as what seemed like an easy task. Step one was for Liv to create a small scene in the oval, mainly for the audio and visual benefit of the cameras. She walked into the oval that crisp October day and executed her part of the plan flawlessly.

"I can't leave them, they need me. I'm their gladiator." She said as she stared across the room with slanted eyes. Fitz played the part of the wounded lover flawlessly as well. In fact, as they lay in her bed that night, spent from hours of making love, Fitz told her how Cyrus had been trying to console him all day. Liv knew then that their biggest opponent was falling into their trap.

The next part of the step wasn't as easy for Fitz. He was to go to Blair house, and humbly give in to Mellie's demands. After four glasses of scotch, Fitz was very convincing as he strolled into the white room of Blair House and rested his head on Mellie's lap. It wasn't remorse he was feeling, it was the effects of the scotch making him dizzy, but it worked nonetheless.

The final part of step one was releasing Liv's name to the press. Fitz was against it at first, until Liv present a very persuasive case. As long as she was unknown, Mellie would continuously hold their affair over their heads. In order to stop that from happening, they had to do the one thing that would ultimately strip Mellie of her power.

By releasing Liv's name, Fitz's presidency was at risk. Knowing Mellie, she'd fight high and low to prevent anything from happening. Of course, as expected, Mellie too fell into their trap and placed the blame on Jeanine Locke. Sure Jeanine was now a social pariah in the D.C. circle, and a joke to the nation as a whole, but the payoff she received in return was well worth it. Ok so maybe it was wrong for Fitz to think such things, but his number one priority was to keep Liv safe.

The one thing they weren't banking on was for Olivia's parents to come crawling out of the woodworks, or the death of Jerry. Because of that, they had to reformulate step two of their plan as Liv could only take but so much. She was beginning to break from the attempted kidnapping by her father, and Fitz knew they had to think quickly to save her from herself. But if any one good thing did come from her father trying to force her out of the country, step 2 was it.

After Fitz had Rowan detained, he knew he'd be out for blood. He knew that he and Liv had to give him something, so he wouldn't take everything. Their compromise? Once Fitz was reelected into office, Liv would take her father up on his offer for his plane and a new life. She would disappear, but keep in contact with Fitz through secure channels. What they weren't expecting was the chaos that Maya Pope would create, or the death of Fitz's eldest son. Fitz recalled how he tried to get a hold of Liv once he learned he had won the election.

Fitz was broken, just a shell of the man he once was. After learning about Mellie's rape, Liv tried to run once again, stating he needing to be there for his wife, that Vermont wasn't happening. Even though she tried to put up a brave front, Fitz could feel her heart breaking as the words left her mouth. However, her fighting him didn't last long. As usual, he showed up at her apartment and the two of them battled it out, before coming to an agreement and falling asleep on the sofa in each others arms.

When Jerry was murdered, it was Liv who fought to keep Fitz on track and stick to the plan. So when he said "Where's Olivia" he already knew when Mellie picked up the phone to call her, that she wouldn't answer. It was two nights later when everything had changed. He didn't want to send Liv away with Jake Ballard, he is the last person Fitz would have chosen, but he knew he had the skills to keep her safe. If he laid a single hand on her during their time away, let's just say that Jake wouldn't be able to dig his own grave fast enough.

Fitz was sitting in the oval, unable to carry himself to the residence. He wasn't shocked when his agent Rashid entered the oval, but he was shocked at what he held in his hands. Rashid handed a box to Fitz and then left the office. Fitz could smell her perfume before he had even opened the package. Once he tore away the paper and opened the folds, Fitz smiled as he saw a single red rose and an envelope. He closed his eyes for a moment and allowed her scent to fill his nostrils before opening the letter. Fitz smiled as he unfolded the paper and took in her flawless penmanship. His smile quickly faded when he read what she had written.

Mr. President,

I wish to congratulate you on winning your re-election. I'm sorry I cannot be there to celebrate with you in person, as I have a cousin TOM, who has taken ill very suddenly. The doctors worry it could be BACTERIAL MENINGITIS. I must visit him in STANTON Ohio, in hopes that death will not occur. Please accept my condolences on the death of your son JERRY. He will always hold a special place in my heart.

MY FATHER always told me to keep my friends close, but the enemies who disguise themselves as friends even closer.

I forgot to mention before I left that 72-FP-8A-1-4-3 was my password to my computer. Since you cannot call, I have referred you to my team if there are any other issues.

O

It took Fitz almost a month to figure out what the code really meant. He was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of a phone ringing. He picked up his office phone and looked around as the ringing continued. He finally slid open his desk drawer, and smiled as his private Fitz phone was alerting him of an incoming call. He glanced at the time as he flipped open the phone and noticed it was 8 am on the dot.

It had been 72 days since their last communication (him receiving her letter) yet she knew he would need to hear her voice on one of the most important days of his life. Just as her letter said, she called the Fitz phone or FP at 8 am. 1-4-3? That was the easiest part for Fitz to figure out as that was always their code for I love you. Fitz took in a deep breath and slumped into his chair.

"Hi." He said never feeling more relaxed in his life. His stomach was doing back flips, and his heart was pounding so hard he thought it was going to crack a rib, but he had never felt more alive than in this moment.

"Hi." She responded as she could feel him smiling over the phone. She had waited 75 days for this moment and now that it was finally here, it was everything she could have ever hoped for, and more. They sat in silence for a moment, just content with hearing the other breathe.

Finally wanting to hear her voice again, Fitz spoke. "I miss you."

"When you go out there, make sure you stand tall, smile at Mellie, be soft, loving, caring, be the husband for her that you wanted to be for... Make sure you don't look off into the crowd as you repeat your oath, it'll make you seem bored, uninterested in the importance of the moment. Keep your eyes straight ahead and speak slowly and clearly so even that 90 yr old couple in the back can understand you."

"Anything else?" Fitz asked as Liv stopped speaking for a moment. He missed this, he missed her.

"Yea, one more thing. Fitz, don't wear that black and white striped tie. It's too distracting."

Fitz sat up straight at Liv's last words. "Liv, how? LIV!"

He heard the line go dead the same time the door to the oval opened. He looked up and saw the most perfect vision as Liv stepped into the oval, wearing a white sleeveless sheath dress. She closed the door behind herself and tried to refrain from running straight into his arms. Fitz on the other hand couldn't move fast enough as he tripped over his own feet to get to her. Not wanting to risk being interrupted, Fitz grabbed Liv's hand and pulled her into his private office, locking the door behind them.

"What are you doing here?" Fitz asked as his hands instinctively slid around her waist. Liv chuckled as that was normally her line.

"It's your inauguration day, and I wanted to give you something special." She answered, mirroring her response to the flag pin she had given him on his first inauguration day. "And since you've always said that I am your something special, well that, and there is no way I can top my last inaugural gift to you, here I am."

Fitz could no longer hold the tears that were threatening to spill. He pulled Liv's body against his own as his lips came crashing down on hers. His tongue darted out and brushed softly against her lips, pleading for entrance. When her lips parted and their tongues met Fitz thought he would die right then from pure bliss.

He moaned as her hands found their way into his hair like they had so many times before. His hands roamed her body as he needed to commit her every curve to memory. She was thinner than when he last saw her but her ass was still just as luscious. Fitz quickly found himself walking them towards his desk, and smiled as he thought if his first inauguration. Except for the lack of black lace across the waist, this dress wasn't much different. Finally they broke for air, as neither could tolerate the burning of their lungs any longer. Fitz pressed his forehead against Liv's, and smiled as she began to bite on her lower lip. Fitz was the first to speak as his breathing returned to normal.

"Livvie, I've missed you so much. It is taking every bit of will power to keep from taking you against this wall."

Liv looked into his eyes, and he felt himself hardening at the longing and need he saw reflected in them.

She ran her hands up and down his chest as she breathily replied. "You won't have to leave to be sworn in for another 22 minutes. Think you can work with that?"

Before Liv could process what was happening, she felt the pain of her panties being ripped off of her body and the pleasure of her legs wrapping around Fitz's waist as he slowly entered her slick core.

He knew she couldn't stay and celebrate with him the way he wanted. It didn't matter as he would see her this weekend in Vermont. All that mattered was that she was here, now, as they both gave in and allowed their bodies to reconnect in the most intimate of ways. Fitz looked into her eyes as he began slowly thrusting into her. He smiled as her arms found their way around his neck.

As he lifted her legs higher around his waist, he pressed his lips against her ear and whispered "22 minutes? I can definitely work with that."