Disclaimer: I do not own Scandal

This is the sequel to "This"! I'm so excited to get started on this new story. As always, thank you to everyone who reads and particularly thank you to those who not only read, but also review. I really appreciate the time you take to submit a review to any one of my stories!

Enjoy!

XOXO

MAS

Chapter One: Up the Ladder to the Roof

Come with me and we shall run across the sky

And illuminate the night oh, and I will try to guide you

To better times and brighter days don't be afraid

Come up the ladder to the roof where we can see heaven much better

Come up the ladder to the room where we can be closer to heaven

Stay with me and we shall let expression sing can't you hear them ring

Oh memories of yesterday, yesterday's broken dreams

Don't you know they'll fade away

- "Up the Ladder to the Roof" The Supremes

Five Years Later - January 2007

"Fitz?" Olivia called out from the top of the steps of their Georgetown home, "Have you seen Jerry's coat? I can't find it anywhere and it's freezing outside. Damn snow." She muttered the end of her sentence as she moved back into Jerry's room in search of her four year old son's winter coat.

Fitz appeared in the doorway a few moments later with Jerry in his arms, "On him Liv." He grinned, "I swear, pregnancy makes your brain disappear."

Olivia stood up and put her hands on her hips, "My hormones are not that bad." She muttered as her hands fluttered from her sides to her still flat stomach, "Get worried when I actually start to show." She reminded him.

Fitz chuckled and stepped into the room to drop a kiss on his pregnant wife's cheek.

"Mommy," Jerry spoke up, "you're crazy in a good way." He informed her as he patted her cheek.

Catching his hand, he pressed his little palm to her mouth, "You've spent too much time with your daddy." She insisted.

"It's only cause you were out of town this weekend." Olivia rolled her eyes at her husband's response.

Clearing her throat she looked at her son, "Go get your backpack and mommy is going to take you to school today." She wait for Fitz to lower him to the ground and for him to sprint out of the room down to the kitchen, "Have you called him?"

Fitz groaned and rolled his eyes, "No."

"Fitz, if you're seriously considering running for president next year you could use him." Olivia argued.

"I'm not calling him."

It was Olivia's turn to huff and roll her eyes, "It's not like I'm asking you to call your father." She said in an exasperated tone, "It's Cyrus Beene. He's a political genius."

"You're a political genius."

"True."

"You're my political genius." He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him and pressing his lips to her neck.

"Fitz, I'm already pregnant." She reminded her husband as she craned her neck so his lips could move lower.

"Momma I'm ready!" Fitz lifted his head as Jerry's voice echoed up the steps.

Olivia took a step back and swiped the wrinkles out of her cream colored turtleneck, "Don't be a stubborn idiot. Call Cyrus." She directed before standing on her toes to press a kiss to his lips, "I love you sweet baby. Have a good day at work." She called out as she headed downstairs.

SCANDAL

"What?" Olivia answered her cell phone as she stepped back into her car after dropping Jerry off a kindergarden

"Well, did he bite?" Mellie's voice rang through the phone.

Olivia let out a groan, "No not even a little bit. He's not interested in using Cyrus as a potential chief of staff. I get that Cyrus working with his father previously is a turn off, but I remind him that you surprised us all, and Cyrus will want whoever is in power and if we shut down Big Jerry then Cyrus won't have any interest in him. We can make sure he's loyal."

Mellie sighed, "Well Fitz always was a stubborn man. You're more stubborn Liv. You can change his mind."

Olivia let out a sigh of her own, "I don't know if I can or not."

Mellie chuckled, "Well if you can't then no one can, oh and that reminds me, Stephen and I got your text last night, but we were already otherwise occupied, anyhow, congrats! I can't wait to find out if it's a boy or a girl this time. I hope it's a girl."

Olivia grinned, "I kind of do too. We already have a girl name picked out."

"Really? Oh maybe we should save this for wine night," Mellie paused, "nope I wanna know now."

"Karen Michelle Grant." Olivia replied.

"I love it, it's great. Oh, Liv, I got to go, a client just walked into the office. See you ladies tonight."

"By Mel!" Olivia hung up and shook her head as she turned into the parking garage in her office building in downtown DC. She never would've believed that she and Mellie would be such good friends. She also never would've believed that Stephen would've settled down. And with Mellie no less.

When she stepped into the office of Olivia Grant and Associates, she legally changed the name shortly after the wedding, she was immediately bombard by Abby. "Well?" She asked.

"No go." Olivia moved past her and into her office, where she hung up her coat, stripped off her blazer and tossed her purse in her chair, "He's being stubborn. I just have to wear him down. I mean it's Cyrus. He's not a genuinely bad guy. He's not Big Jerry."

"Well maybe we can vet another candidate?" Abby thought quickly as she spun her wedding rings around on her left ring finger.

Olivia sighed, "I don't know if anyone would take him on. He's not a front runner in the election. His name is barely out there. There are rumors that Governor Reston of Maryland is going to run. That's a big name. That Senator Sally Langston of Georgia is going to run. And she's a Republican. I mean do you honestly think he can beat a female Republican when the country is wanting to swing back Right anyways?" Olivia sighed, "He'd be a great President, but he needs a well-known, popular, influential Chief of Staff. And he is not who most candidates for the job will gravitate to. I heard Reston is sniffing around at Cyrus right now anyways."

"I thought Cyrus was a Republican." Abby frowned.

"He's going through a divorce. He's gay. He's out, but not out." Olivia waved her hand around, "He hates Langston anyhow."

"So should we start prepping for the campaign? We need to start feeling out where our voter base will be." Harrison popped his head into Olivia's office. "Also, Quinn and Huck have some announcement, they've already snagged Stephen in the conference room."

Abby and Olivia grinned, "Do you think?" Abby asked.

"I hope." Olivia responded as she kicked her heels off and followed Harrison and Abby into the conference room where Stephen was sitting and Huck and Quinn were standing at the head of the table.

"Please, sit." Quinn gestured to the table.

"Well?" Abby asked leaning forward.

"Wait." Huck set a cell phone on the table, "Is everyone there?"

"I'm here." David's voice echoed through the speaker.

"Same." Fitz's voice filled the room.

"Me too, but can we make this fast? I have an appointment in thirty minutes I'm still not fully prepared for." Mellie piped up.

"I have a client in ten minutes." Alexandra's voice echoed through the speaker as well.

"Do you want to or do you want me to?" He looked at Quinn, who was hoping from foot to foot.

"You can." Quinn replied, "We're engaged!" She squealed before Huck could speak.

Mellie, Abby, Alexandra and Olivia squealed and Fitz, David, Harrison and Stephen gave congratulatory shouts.

"Thanks! Mel and Alex I'll send you shots of the ring. Look girls." Quinn flung her left hand out to Olivia and Abby could see the ring.

"Oh it's beautiful." Abby cooed, "Wedding planning. Again!"

"So many weddings." Harrison muttered. "First Liv and Fitz, then Abby and David, then Mellie and Stephen and now Huck and Quinn."

"We better be next baby!" Alexandra called out, "Oh customers, gotta go, send me that pic ASAP Quinn. Congrats!" Alexandra hung up.

"Girls night tonight will be awesome. Is Kathy coming?" Mellie asked, "Oh shit, I have to go." She hung up too.

"Well congrats, we'll see you guys for lunch." Fitz and David hung up simultaneously.

Olivia stood up and pulled Quinn into a hug and then Huck into one, "This is amazing. We have a new client though."

"We do? I thought this week was a slow week?" Stephen leaned against the conference table.

Olivia pulled a picture out of a file she'd brought into the conference room and slapped a picture on the windows used as a blackboard, "Fitzgerald Henry Grant, III."

"Oh the future President of the United States of America." Stephen raised his tea cup to the photo.

"Yeah well we need to either convince him Cyrus Beene is the best choice for a Chief of Staff or we need to find another Chief of Staff candidate." Olivia announced.

"I can start to pull a list of possible candidates." Harrison tipped his chair back.

"I want Cyrus brought in here." Olivia leaned forward on the table and picked up a picture of Cyrus, "I want him interviewed. I want to find all of his connections to Big Jerry and I want them all severed."

"You got it Liv, I'll start digging." Abby headed to her office.

"All cylinders peoples." Olivia clapped her hands with a smile on her face.

SCANDAL

XOXO

MAS