I was so frustrated with tonight's episode of Scandal I had write something to counter my disappointment. This idea has been rolling around in my head for a few months. After watching the standard Rhimes formula of the writers "giveth only to taketh away an episode later", my muses would not stop bothering me.

Chapter 1

We Have a Pope Situation

Division Chief Reese stands at attention in front of a nine-foot cherry desk waiting for the man behind the desk to acknowledge his presence. The man with thinning blonde hair is perusing a file marked classified. The room is silent except for the intermittent heavy exhalation coming from the slightly irritated man behind the desk. The man leans back in his custom maroon-colored ergonomic leather chair. Looking expectantly at the Chief, the man taps his index finger on his lower lip.

"Where is she?"

"She and her strike team are en route to the Douglas MacArthur in the Gulf."

"How the hell was she able to pull this off without anyone catching wind of this unsanctioned op?"

"Sir you know as well as I she is known around the agency as the female version of Jack Ryan."

"Well, today I think a more accurate description is the female version of James Bond. The woman thinks she has a license to kill. Did she really terminate the interrogator with a bobby pin?"

"No sir, that would be the guard. She apparently wants the interrogator to suffer a slow painful death. Our sources tell us he will be wearing diapers and sucking baby food through a straw for the rest of his life."

"What is the status of Captain Grant?"

"Our people report the captain is stable sir. They really worked him over. She got him out in a nick of time."

"I am still at a loss for understanding exactly how she was able to pull this off. How did Pope secure top security level classified satellite intel, bluff her way and two others unto a naval transport, infiltrate an ISIS training camp and save the captain. Brigg's and his team have been searching for that camp for what, a year or more and yet she was able to discover the camp's location in less than 24 hours. How did she even know Grant was being held captive at the camp?"

"Unknown at this time sir. What I can say with certainty is that she was highly motivated to find the captain."

"Motivated? What was her motivation?"

"Captain Grant sir; she is in love with him."

"She loves him?"

"Yes sir. According to her file, she and the captain are lovers. Her closest peers report, she said and I quote, "come hell or high water I am going to bring Fitz home and anyone who gets in my way will get a one-way ticket to hell."

"Jesus, my husband loves me too but I doubt he would even push me out of the way of speeding car if it meant he'd be hit instead", the director chuckles.

"What do you want to do sir?"

"Well shit, I don't know whether to give her a commendation or bring her up on charges."

"I understand sir. She is our best analyst and this little stunt proves she's an asset we cannot afford to lose."

"Stunt, Reese you have the gift of understatement. Technically, I agree with you my boy, however officially I cannot have my best analyst going rogue and potentially causing an international incident. If this stunt of her's had failed, this country may well have been pulled into a military action it could ill-afford. Pope was reckless and thinking with her heart, not her brain."

"Agreed Director Beene, at minimum I recommend a formal reprimand and suspension."

"Reese you and I both know a reprimand is not going satisfy the other branches. They want her head on a chopping block. The woman executed a precedent-setting extraction with only three operatives at a cost of less than a hundred grand. Shit, the boys okaying five thousand dollar toilets are up in arms. Nobody wants the military-industrial complex to go the way of the ninety-nine cent store."

"Forgive me director but I think you are missing the bigger picture here. Pope not only rescued Captain Grant, her team took out an ISIS munitions depot."

"Well yeah, there is that. I suppose we can get the boys with the shiny medals on their chests off our backs if we announce this was a joint operation."

Reese's phone chimes. He excuses himself and answers it. "This is Reese, go ahead." Reese nods his head as he listens to the informant on the other end of the line. "Understood." Reese returns to his position in front of the desk and clears his throat.

"What is it?"

"The captain and Pope are on board the Douglas MacArthur. They should be stateside in 72 hours."

"Make sure they get whatever they need."

"Yes sir. What about the Pope situation?" Cyrus slides his hand down his face and exhales deeply.

"Write up the reprimand and suspend her until Captain Grant is able to return to duty."

Reese smiles. "I will get right on it sir."

"Reese."

"Yes sir."

"Write up a commendation while you at it."

"No problem sir." Reese gives a nod of thanks and leaves the director's office.

Cyrus stands and walks over to the office window. He stands staring out the window at nothing in particular. All of sudden he starts to laugh. "Damn it Olivia, well done my girl, well done."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"How is he," she asks the medic attending Fitz. The medic does not answer her question. She asks again; the medic continues to ignore her. She taps the man on the shoulder and asks again. He turns and notices she is not speaking into the helmet mic. He lifts his mic up and down signaling what she needs to do. She is so concerned about Fitz she forgets that communication is not possible on the helicopter without using the helmet microphones. She quickly repositions her microphone. "How is he?"

"He is in pretty bad shape. It looks he was beaten, water-board and shocked repeatedly. He is lucky you got to him when you did. A few more hours of torture and he'd be dead." The medic hangs the IV on the pole next to a bare-chested Fitz. An oxygen mask covers his bruised face and compression wraps surround his torso to stabilize his cracked ribs.

Olivia caresses his face with one hand and rests the other on his shoulder. She refuses to cry, at least not today. She promises herself not have a nervous breakdown until they reach home. "You're safe baby", she whispers to her unconscious love. "I found you. It is my turn to save you this time. I love you so much. You are going to be alright. You are safe now. Everything is going to be alright."

She looks up to find Jake and Huck watching her. "She mouths thank you and closes her eyes and lets sleep overtake her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

AN- What can I say? I will always right about a badass Olivia Pope because that is what I signed up to watch and if I can't get from the show I'll get it from FF.

Send me a shout out if you are at the end your rope too with this rubber band relationship storytelling.