02x05 - All Roads Lead to Fitz

[bunniefuu]

We're done.

What?

I'm letting you go.

Previously on "Scandal"...

David Rosen!

Why is Quinn Perkins' dead ex-boyfriend, calling one of the grant administration's biggest donors 11 times the week he's blown to bits?

Wake up and smell the cover-up, Abby.

This is a conspiracy. Who knows how high up it goes?

I hear we have a David Rosen issue.

That we do, Livvie. That we do.

I can't be here. I shouldn't be here.

I am out of the White House. The press could see me.

I am risking everything. Everything.

We are all risking everything.

Would you rather we met inside the White House?

Does that feel less like a felony to you?

(Lowered voice) Secret service is outside that door.

Please do not shout the word "felony" in this room.

We wouldn't even be in this room if it weren't for Hollis.

Now, now, just a minute.

We all jumped off the bridge together. Heck, we held hands.

She means after the bridge and the hand-holding, when you went rogue.

You freelanced, Hollis.

You're damn right I freelanced. There's a big old mess, and hell if anyone else is gonna clean it up.

Now we can sit here all night twisting my nipples, over something I did to protect you ingrates, or we can address the fact that if David Rosen finds the connection between Cytron and Doyle Energy, every one of us here is about three goose eggs shy of spending the rest of their lives in prison.

Am I making myself clear?

We still have a David Rosen problem!

(Mellie) So what do we do?
(Verna) What can we do?

Happy to freelance one more time.

Do not say that in my presence ever again.

Oh, someone's gotten ruffles on her panties since she entered the White House.

(Verna) Hollis, show some respect. She's the first lady.

(Hollis) - Who knows that better than me?

I'll fix it.

What?

What's that, Livvie?

Our David Rosen problem... I'll fix it.

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

Good to see you. How have you been?

You're not speaking to me.

I find when I've been called in by my boss, for the sole purpose of being fired... which is, by the way, rude... it's rude to make someone come to the office so you can fire him.

F.Y.I...

David...

I find that when I am dragged into work to be fired, it's best to adhere to the "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" rule I learned from my mother.

David... - Do I have to clear out my desk, or do you have my stuff in a nice sturdy box already?

David, you're about to feel very bad because I'm not f*ring you.

Right. Wait.

You're not?

No, I went out on a limb. Pulled a few strings, told the powers that be that David Rosen is a brilliant A.U.S.A., my best A.U.S.A., and that I need him, and that he's ready to come off of suspension and make a new start, that he's done obsessing about the past or Olivia Pope.

Am I wrong to say that?

(Indistinct conversations)

This is a good group.

(Sugar packet rips) Yeah.

I go to a lot of groups...

A.A., N.A., D.A.

G.A. Hey, I guess if there was a self-help A., I'd go to that one, too.

(Chuckles)

This one's the best, though, 'cause I really like the people in it.

And I'd really like to spend more time with some of them, you know, outside the meetings, 'cause I like the people in this group... some of them...

A lot.

Uh...

Becky, do you wanna... go out with you sometime?

Yes.

This is my number.

I'm free tomorrow night.

Edison, what did I just say? Tomorrow night's no good.

Because I do not want to go out with you.

No, I don't. I don't.

Okay, fine. Call me later.

(Beep)

What's she doing?

He's gonna call back.

How do you know? - Because Edison Davis has serious game.

(Cell phone alert chimes)

Yes, it is later. Cute.

No. Tonight's no good either because I'm working.

And I do not want to go out with you. Good-bye.

Good-bye.

(Scoffs) (Beep)

Okay. No matter what we see when we walk in that room, no one makes a face, no one cracks a smile, no one says a witty joke.

She's talking about you.

Shut up.

(Huck) Okay, see, the muddy footprints?

Husband came in right here, stopped.

This guy here? Our friendly neighborhood r*pist.

Husband sees the guy on top of his wife.

They were on the floor?

On the counter. You can tell by the blood splatter.

(Huck) Two beautiful sh*ts fired through the pericardium, right to the heart.

One, two. Dead in seconds. Now what? We call the police?

Not unless we want a thousand news vans out on the front lawn within minutes.

Liv, how do you want to play this?

Are you ready to tell me what happened, governor?

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

And as soon as I walked in, I saw...

I saw... he was on top of her.

Joan saw me and started shouting for help, saying "stop. Please stop."

I just... I-I grabbed my g*n and I sh*t him...

I sh*t the man raping my wife.

He was our contractor.

He'd been our contractor for over two years.

He built this house from scratch.

You hire someone, you let them into your home, you think they can be trusted.

You never expect them to...

Your damn contractor.

Where'd you get the g*n?

(Projector and camera shutter click)

Back cupboard. I keep hunting r*fles, a few pistols.

I'm sure you remember from the election.

The g*n-friendly democrat.

Abby, will you take Mrs. Reston upstairs?

She could use some rest.

(Sniffles)

Her hair is wet.

She showered.

So?

So a shower makes a r*pe exam negligible.

It means we have nothing.

I thought I made myself clear on the phone.

My wife was r*ped an hour ago, Ms. Pope.

I'm supposed to tell her she can't shower the guy off?

Not to mention, your bourbon's out.

One wet glass. You've been drinking.

Hey, again, my wife was r*ped. I sh*t her r*pist.

I-I think that warrants a drink.

Governor, I know this is a terrible time for you, and I understand how you feel about me, but if we're going to work together, if I'm going to help you here, you follow my rules.

It's up to you. You know what's at stake.

You've seen what I can do.

You're the best.

Don't I know it.

Get Jane Powell on the phone... Home or cell only.

She's the new A.U.S.A., David Rosen's replacement.

Never been to the playground with her before.

Let's see how well she shares.

Huck, make sure there's no trace of us in that kitchen.

We've only been here minutes.

What did she mean, "you've seen what I can do?"

The governor was 10 points ahead of president Fitzgerald six weeks before the national election.

Yeah, I remember.

Who do you think took all those points away?

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

(Indistinct conversations)

(Clicking)

(Clicking)

(Clicking)

Is Mrs. Reston asleep?

She's lying down. She took a sedative.

Quinn, you didn't leave her with...

I gave her one. Took the rest with me.

Good job. - Ms. Pope, Jane Powell, Assistant U.S. Attorney.

I understand you're working with the governor and his wife.

I need to question them. Mrs. Reston is sleeping, and the governor's still in shock.

So sad. I understand. How about later today?

How about my office, noon?

Make it 1:00.

They should try to get as much rest as possible.

It's the governor of Maryland. I've been told to be discreet.

That was easy.

(Front door opens and closes) You'd be surprised what powerful people can get away with behind closed doors.

(Olivia) We need to craft a statement.
(Woman) Why is she here?

We need her, Alison.

Actually, we don't need her, and after all the dirty tricks she pulled during the election, we sure as hell can't trust her.

I'm happy to go home.

Now hold on. Alison, you're a spokesperson, not a fixer.

We need a fixer. Olivia, you were saying?

Paper statement... brief, basic.

"We're grateful to the people of Maryland for their support "and ask them to respect our privacy as we handle this family tragedy."

This tragedy is an opportunity.

Alison...

What the governor did was heroic. We need to set that narrative... - "We're grateful to the people of Maryland "for their support and ask them to respect our privacy as we handle this family tragedy."

Basic, boilerplate, nothing fancy, no narrative.

You do not need to get ahead of this.

We see how this plays out over the next 24 hours, and then we set our agenda. Agreed?

♪

You're the fixer.

Yes, I am.

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

At which time, governor, you heard Mrs. Reston cry for help, grabbed the g*n from the cupboard, and sh*t him.

Yes. Twice.

Mrs. Reston, the contractor entered through the living room and pinned you to the counter. Is that correct?

That's...
(Voice breaks) That's correct.

(Crying)

Well, I think I have everything I need.

I am so sorry for the trouble.

I know this must be difficult on top of everything else.

I'll be in touch if you have any other questions.

(Olivia) What else do we know?

Phone calls... lots of them, long ones between.

The governor and the contractor.

They got pretty heated, according to the contractor's secretary.

Red flag. The g*n... He bought it a week ago.

Are you sure? Because in his statement, it says he's had it for 15 years.

It's rare.

Mateba model 6, customized wood handle.

I traced the workmanship to a private dealer in Blacksburg.

Shipped last week, arrived two days ago.

Ouch. That's awful convenient.

(Harrison) He was drunk.

The governor didn't go home after he left his office.

He stopped by a local bar called the barrel.

(Huck) Red flag number two.

Maybe he forgot he stopped. After the trauma, he could've...

Maybe he needed liquid courage. Okay, this is getting messy, ...support from the people of Maryland.

The governor is also grateful for the freedom granted by the constitution in the right to bear arms, the right to protect his family and stop a r*pist before he could commit further v*olence to his wife.

If that is not heroism, I don't know what is.

Did she just...

Do the exact opposite of what I told her to do? Yes.

She did.

So she put me on a pedestal.

Big whoop. That's what I pay her for.

And when the press finds out about the angry phone calls to the victim? When they find out you were three sheets to the wind before he was k*lled?

Now hold on a second...

That the g*n you sh*t him with was purchased less than a week ago?

From a collector I've been chasing for years.

I can show you the e-mail chain.

So the multiple angry phone calls...

Was me telling a crappy contractor to stop gouging.

He took two months to install bathroom tiles.

Now if you think that's a motive for m*rder...

I think it's enough to give people pause.

Pedestals fall down, governor, and I don't want to see you hanging there like a piñata.

(Chuckles)

Something you'd like to say?

Yeah, it's just ironic, that's all...

You lecturing me on political opportunism. (Scoffs)

You want to know the real reason I own so many g*ns?

Governor...

Governor nothing!

You ran an att*ck ad saying I was soft on crime, when you knew damn well it wasn't true.

You framed the narrative. Guess what. It stuck.

Cost me the South, and if I had to point fingers, I'd say it probably cost me the election.

Do you want to survive this, governor?

Do you want your career to survive?

Of course I do.

Then let me do my job.

I need the president on the phone as soon as he can step away, before noon, have the team in my office, ready to brief on east Sudan when he calls.

The president's in Japan.

At the G8 conference, yeah.

No, I mean, he's in Japan.

Yeah, I know. He's at the g8 conference.

Funny story... I'm the White House chief of staff...

No, I'm saying, that it's 13 hours ahead in Japan.

So people tend to tell me things relating to the president.

I'm saying that he's sleeping for the next seven hours, because it's after midnight in Japan.

He's in Japan.

He's in Japan.

You could've said that sooner.

You don't listen. You just talk over me.

I never get to finish my...

Mary, why is my husband James in the press secretary's office?

He's a journalist.

Yes, but why is he here?

He's a journalist.

I'm saying, he is a journalist.

(Indistinct conversations)

Hi, honey. What are you doing in the press secretary's office?

I'm a journalist.
(Chuckles)

What is happening?

I called my old boss, and he gave me my job back, because he cares about me and my happiness.

I told you why we can't adopt a baby.

And I heard you, which is why I'm back at work.

We discussed when we got married.

Why you continuing to work at the White House would be problematic.

And me without a baby is very problematic, but funny story...

Don't "funny story" me.

Funny story...I am now the chief White House correspondent for the most powerful news outlet in the nation, and I'm childless, so I got plenty of time to give it my all.

(Door opens)

(Door closes)

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

Mmm.

Hey, guess what?

Hmm?

They offered me my job back.

That's great. (Moans)

I don't know if I'm gonna take it.

Wait. What? Why?

The ex-Cytron guy I've been calling for weeks, finally got back to me, and we're meeting at the Griddle Cafe, 3:30 this afternoon.

Uh...

What? Be happy for me.

This guy could tie Hollis Doyle to the expl*si*n.

He could be my missing link, my second sh**t, my smoking g*n.

Okay, but then what?

You throw your incredibly promising legal career, that you've worked your entire adult life on away, to become a professional conspiracy theorist?

Hold conventions in the desert?

Sell "who is Quinn Perkins" t-shirts for the rest of your life?

Why do you care what I do with the rest of my life?

(Cell phone rings) I don't.

I'm just saying.

(Speaks indistinctly)

(Ring)

(Ring)

(Clears throat) Stopped for coffee.

Yeah, on my way.

See ya.

The governor's people jumped the g*n with their press conference, but the media's seeing him as a hero, so we need to keep that alive.

The man sh*t a r*pist. What else could he be but a hero?

Or an angry drunk wanted to try a shiny new p*stol on a human target.

There's many ways to tell a story.

(Olivia) We need to tell the story our way.

We've got a hero, we've got a victim, now we just need to finish the job... give the press their villain.

The contractor.

We're digging up good, old-fashioned dirt, everyone...

The more, the better.

Quinn, check out Bill Meyer's police records.

We're looking for any history of v*olence.

Harrison, Abby, talk to the contractor's crew.

Maybe they hated their boss. Let's move quickly, people.

We want to lock this down, give the media a nice, clean narrative, then let them do the work for us.

We're on it.

What?

Nothing. Go, team.

You want inside or outside?

Inside.

Sure. Makes sense. More privacy for when you need to sneak away to talk to your new boyfriend.

I don't have a... I don't know what you're...

You're getting laid.

Harrison!

Hey.

It's a good thing.

So it says here you arrested Mr. Meyer for shoplifting twice?

That's good. Oh, I-I mean, it's bad.

It means you and I are punished because we have to pay a higher price for our goods and services.

Was he a violent shoplifter?

You gonna do a stacked stone with rustic wall cap?

I was gonna lay the bed with saginaw river rock first, then add some keystone and arch stone? (Whistles)

You get all that off the Internet?

Every single word.

So did he have a lot of arguments with people?

What kind of question is that?

Do you have a lot of arguments with people?

I'm about to.

Look, my boss d*ed here, I just lost my job.

Make yourself useful, red, and give me those. Thanks.

(Stevie wonder)
♪ you haven't done nothin'

♪ it's not too cool to be ridiculed ♪
♪ but you brought this upon yourself ♪

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

♪ And we are sick and tired of hearing your song ♪
♪ telling how you are gonna change right from wrong ♪
♪ 'cause if you really want to hear our views ♪
♪ you haven't done nothing

(Quinn) He stole for no reason, like, erasers and lightbulbs and stuff.

He was a serial shoplifter.

Okay, I know it's not much, but I'm still digging.

Got some dirt to add to the pile?

No dirt, just hair. Unless Mr. Long Hair was raping her all over the house, they were screwing, Liv, in the shower, the hot tub, the laundry room.

They even used the bed once in a while.

It's a major renovation, Abby. It's his job to be everywhere.

(Scoffs) You ask Lonnie the stonemason, his boss had a long history of going the extra mile in his jobs to make the wives happy.

He was screwing them left and right.

You were having an affair.

What? Your husband burst in on you and you panicked, and you cried r*pe, and then you watched as he sh*t and k*lled Bill Meyer.

You were having an affair, Joan, and that's how you tried to hide it.

You tell me that isn't true.

Honey?

(Exhales deeply) Joan?

You faked that he was attacking you?

(Crying) - I panicked in the moment.

You lied.

You cried r*pe.

I am so sorry.

For what? The affair?

For getting caught? For making me a k*ller?

You're gonna have to be more specific.

I sh*t that man!
(Sobbing)

Governor, did you know your wife was having an affair?

Does it look like I did?

I need to know whether even in the back of your mind, you went home that night expecting to catch them and intending to sh**t your wife's lover.

No, Ms. Pope, I did not know my wife, whom I trusted and loved, was screwing around with the contractor, who was soaking me for every penny I had.

Yeah, I always wondered why we needed the guest house, and the barn and the damned pagoda.

You didn't want your boyfriend to leave once the house was finished.

Oh, the laughs you two must've had at my expense!

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

(Crying)

(David) Thanks for taking my call.

Now before I tell you anything, I need to make sure, that if Doyle energy goes down, or should I say, when they go down, I get immunity.

I can't take the fall for something this big.

That depends. What do you know?

I knew about the firewall, the breach, the expl*si*n, all of it.

So Cytron...

Hollis Doyle's company was behind that expl*si*n and the seven people who d*ed, right?

Huh? No. No, no. That expl*si*n was the worst thing that ever happened to that company.

What?

I thought you were legit, man.

Hollis Doyle found out he had a massive security breach in his firewall.

I'm talking anyone who wanted to could get in there...

16-year-old baby hackers, anyone.

So he hired Cytron to fix it, but Cytron only gets halfway through before they go boom.

So then Doyle says, "okay. Cut our losses."

The breach is half-fixed, and we don't wanna tell a whole other company we're just sitting there, waiting to get hacked.

S-so they're...

Sitting ducks, man.

They knew I wasn't gonna keep my mouth shut about something like that.

So they fired me.

Oh, I thought...

Forget it. Doesn't matter what I thought.

But we still have our deal, right?

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

(Gasps) I thought I told you not to sneak up on me like that.

It's creepy, man.

Sorry. Where do you take women?

You asking me where I put the lotion on their skin.

Unless they get the hose again or...

On dates.

You have a date?

Yes.

You?

Yes.

(Laughs)

Hey. Look, just take her to do something you like to do.

Oh, she won't like anything I like to do.

Just take her to La Table d'Or.

Women like nice restaurants. It's a universal truth.

Oh. Will I need a reservation? It's tomorrow.

That's too late for reservations.

Dude, you've hacked into the N.S.A.'s mainframe, you don't think you can make yourself a dinner reservation?

Good point.

And the president's tri-lat with Japan and South Korea at this week's G8 summit also yielded progress on the ongoing trade negotiations, in addition to questions of security in the region.

(Reporters speaking at once) Yes. You.

Has the president heard the news about the sh**ting at Governor Reston's house?

I don't know. I'll have to take that question. Carol?

Uh, Cyrus, you... Excuse me. Sorry. Sorry, Carol.

Um, just a follow-up, quick. How often does the president...

Sorry. We don't do follow-ups here.

But you didn't answer my first question, so technically, not a follow-up.

The rules have changed somewhat since your previous tenure, but I'm happy to catch you up.

(Laughter)

One question per reporter and no follow-ups. Carol.

Thank you. - Excuse me. It's just that I didn't get a question.

Because you took it... Whatever that means.

So I'm not asking for two questions.

I'm not asking for a follow-up question.

I'm just asking for one question, 'cause that is the rule, right?

You had a question. I took the question, which means I will take it back with me to work and bring you back an answer in due time.

Will that satisfy you?

That depends.

Exactly how long is "due time"?

That's another question. Carol?

Thank you, Cyrus. Now going back to the tri-lateral with South Korea and Japan, you said that President Grant yielded progress on the ongoing negotiations...

I sent your wife home to get some rest.

I suggest you do the same.

Home? You think I can go there ever again?

The house her lover built?

No. I think I'll be sleeping full-time at the Governor's mansion from now on.

(Scoffs)

It's funny, you'd think I'd have known, had some inkling.

I hate to say it, but from a legal standpoint, it's lucky that you didn't.

So what are we looking at?

We could break the news ourselves, tell the truth.

We stress that even though it wasn't r*pe, you believed it was r*pe, and as such, you're entitled to the same protections.

And my wife?

Your wife will likely go to prison.

She cried r*pe and caused you to k*ll an innocent man.

What if we don't break the news?

Well, the police don't know it was an affair. Only we do.

However... and this is a big however...

If the police do find out it wasn't r*pe, if they catch even a whiff, that we were sitting on that information, then the likelihood of them showing any leniency toward you and your wife is slim to nil.

See if there's a paper trail... Anything the police might find that proves they were having an affair.

And if there isn't?

The world thinks I'm a hero, Liv.

Why disappoint them?

(Door opens)

(Cell phone rings)

(Door closes) Verna.

When was this?

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

(Indistinct conversations)

How are we doing?

Well, they made me put on a hospital gown.

I don't care how they wash 'em.

They're still clothes someone else has worn before.

I mean, think about it...

They wash a bloody hospital gown, call 'em clean because the stain's no longer visible, and we just put 'em on.

I probably got Ebola on top of the cancer now.

But you're feeling fine?

Oh, I was in some pain.

They sh*t something up my spine.

But I'm fine.

How's it going?

Did you do what I asked?

I had to go through some people, call in some favors, but Wexler offered David his job back getting David to take his job back, however...

I can handle that. I have a guy.

Oh, good.

Maybe he'll go back to work and drop this. One hopes.

One hopes.

(Sighs) Yeah.

Hollis doled out hopes and dreams like he was Santa Claus on Christmas morning.

I got a seat on the Supreme Court.

Cyrus runs the country.

Mellie got to be...

Mellie.

And you?

I'm not sure what you got.

But here we are.

Oh, crap.

I can't bend over to put my damned shoes on.

Hmm.

Stuff like this, like what we did...

It never really goes away, does it?

It's just one big, bloody hospital gown.

I prefer to think that anything can be fixed.

Then you're a fool.

Jane Powell will be here shortly to get you and your husband's signatures on your printed statements.

Before she gets here, however, I wanted to ask you, is there anything I should know about?

Anything you kept? E-mails, voice mails, cards, anything at all that would prove or even suggest you were having an affair?

Not that I can think of.

Oh.

So my husband's trying to keep the affair quiet then?

I think he's just trying to keep all of the options open, mainly, I presume, to keep you out of jail.

You'll let me know if you remember anything?

Of course.

He's a different man, you know...

Different from the man who ran in that election.

That man was hopeful, affectionate.

He had dreams, not only for our family, but for families across the nation.

And then one Tuesday night in November, it all went away.

The headline in "The Sun" the next morning wasn't even a headline.

It was a number.

4,359.

That's how many votes we lost the presidency by.

One county in Ohio changed our lives.

4,359.

And not a day goes by when he doesn't bring it up.

That's our lives now.
4,359.

Every... single... day.

I miss my husband, Olivia, and if there were anything I could do to bring him back, I-I would, in a second.

But that would take 4,359 votes, and that's something I don't have.

(Mellie) Well, it's fine for him to be out of the country now, but in a month, I am having him grounded until after the birth.

He has to be within helicopter distance.

But do not quote me on that.

Well, I'll trade you that for a good quote on your feelings about the growing unrest in east Sudan.

James. (Laughs)

Worth a try, right?

(Laughs) Cyrus, you didn't tell me James was working at the White House again.

Can I speak to you for a moment, ma'am?

Of course. James, we have to do that dinner in the residence, just the four of us.

I can show you the nursery.

Oh, I look forward to it.

(Laughs)

He's quite a catch.

I do not want you speaking to journalists while Fitz is away.

He's your husband.

He's a journalist. Inside this building, he's a journalist, and you know it. And you know how I know it?

Because you are a terrifying political animal who would eat off her own foot if it meant you could get ahead... a trait I respect.

But the president is at the G8 in Tokyo, and what is the rule when the president is out of the country?

Oh.

All roads...

All roads lead to Fitz.

All roads lead to Fitz, which means everything has to be about him, not you.

You are not to make a single news story right now.

Nothing. Don't start a recycling plan in the east wing.

Don't comment on poverty or education or even puppies.

If your water breaks, change your pants and cross your knees, because any news about you draws attention away from the leader of the free world, and his great big G8 conference, and if people aren't paying attention to the g8 conference, the president's whole trip starts to look like a massive waste of taxpayer dollars.

So let's stay away from reporters.

Sit on the bench for the good of the team. Okay?

Hollis is a disgusting human being, but against my better judgment, I attended that meeting.

That's about all the team you're gonna get out of me.

You wanted a seat at the table.

That's the table.

Tables and teams. So many metaphors.

What it all means is that we... And by "we," I mean all of us... are at risk.

But like you said, I am a terrifying political animal, so I want to be clear.

I will not attend any more of those meetings again.

If this ever comes up, I will deny, deny, deny, and if anyone ever asks me about defiance...

Okay, first of all, you will attend whatever meetings you need to attend.

They are not optional...

Not for me, not for you, not for anyone else.

Two... if this ever comes up, you won't have time to deny.

Because it means we are already going down in flames.

Three... you may be an animal, but I am a monster...

And I am much more terrifying than you can ever imagine.

And while I respect your position as first lady, I will do whatever is necessary to make sure things go accordingly.

So, Mellie?

Do not ever speak the word "defiance" in my presence again.

I'll have my office call your office to schedule that dinner for the four of us in the residence.

Sounds like fun.

(Sighs)

"Yo Chris, you need to get in on this action.

"You haven't lived life until you've banged a governor's wife on Macassar ebony flooring."

There are others that go into much more explicit detail.

Get the Restons to come in here.

We need to prepare them in case this comes out.

I'm on it.

Ms. Perkins, how have you been?

Good. You know, still alive.

David, I thought you were on leave.

Nope. I'm back. Yay, me.

You're my first port of call, as luck would or wouldn't have it.

Ms. Whelan.

So the r*pe case Jane Powell was working on...

Is now a homicide investigation being handled by me.

A signed affidavit from one of Mr. Meyer's friends, testifying that the so-called r*pist was, in fact, having an affair with Ms. Reston, and had been for several months.

Though I assume from the e-mails you've been reading that this is not news to you. Where are they?

(Door opens)

The A.U.S.A. is here. He knows about the affair.

He wants to press charges against you, governor.

For what? Defending my wife?

m*rder.

What do we do now?

Unfortunately, he has to arrest you, but we'll make sure there's no perp walk.

We'll walk you in through the back, declare your innocence on the front steps.

It'll be tough, but I can get you through this.

No.

Joan.

No.

I'll tell them what happened.

What happened is that I sh*t a man who I thought was raping my wife.

They'll never believe you.

They'll think you knew about the affair and k*lled him on purpose, but if I tell them that I lied about the r*pe...

I can't let you go to jail.

And I can't stand to see you suffer any longer.

I have watched you live in pain every day since that election, and I couldn't do anything about it, so I just gave up...

On you... and on us.

I wasn't strong enough to tell you I was unhappy, and when you walked into that room, I got scared, and a man d*ed.

That's what happened.

I can't get you those votes back.

But this?

This I can fix.

Harrison will be there for the processing, Mrs. Reston.

Then you'll be brought before a judge where he'll formalize the deal.

Okay?

You don't have to do this.

I do.

All set, Mrs. Reston?

(Woman) ...Wife's lover.

Two men ruined by... I'm sorry... A horrible woman.

Horrible. A modern-day lady MacBeth.

I don't think I have ever...

What are you doing here?

I was just headed downtown for some dinner.

I thought I'd drop by.

(Man)..uUnfortunate tragedy. And for Mrs. Reston to...

(Mutes tv)

Another win for Olivia Pope.

We should celebrate.

I can't.

I can stop dropping by. I can stop calling.

I can stop asking. But you never tell me to stop.

Edison?

Yes?

I don't want you to stop.

I want you to keep asking.

But I'm not ready to say yes.

Will you tell me when you're ready?

I will.

I promise.

(Sighs)

(Sighs)

(Laughs) I'm telling you, it wasn't obvious.

Really?

Because I felt like I had "I'm having sexual intercourse with Abby Whelan" written on my forehead.

So the fact that you got your job back... does that mean your meeting at the griddle yesterday...

Total dead-end. I'm not saying there's nothing there, but it's not what I thought it was.

If dropping this thing's the only way to get my job back, maybe it's worth dropping.

(Harrison) Abby!

I'll call you back.

(Beep)

Please don't.

You need a woman's opinion.

What?

Huck's got a date tonight at La Table d'Or.

Really? Well, that's great.

(Quinn) What's great?

No. Please.

(Abby) Huck has a date. You have a date? That's amazing.

You're picking her up, right? What about this tie?

Uh, no. Let's see. It's great if you know about wine and can order her a glass of something really special.

Is that her number?

Maybe.

Charming. But please tell me that's not the only place you wrote it down.

(Scoffs) Read me the number.

Ugh.

(Quinn) 2-0-2-5-5-5...

0-1-8-6. Yeah. Ordering wine is key to a good date, and when a guy orders for you, it's kinda hot. (Snaps fingers)

What about this one?

Mm.

(Projector and camera shutter clicking) The ex-Cytron guy I've been calling for weeks finally got back to me.

We're meeting at the Griddle Cafe, 3:30 this afternoon.

Douglas Fairbanks-style.

Oh, this is gonna look really nice.

Okay, what do you think, Abby?

Yeah. Nice.

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

(Indistinct conversations)

You really want to go back to work?
(Groans)

You don't want to, I don't know, write a book.

Or teach a class instead?

Cy...

Because I'm a traditional man, and if you wanted to stay at home.

And let me be the breadwinner...

I want to go back to work.

I could revoke your press pass.

And I could write an excellent story about it.

Okay, James, honey, this makes you the enemy.

We'll be enemies all day, and then we'll have to forget about it every night.

You understand that? Is that what you want?

Reporters are the enemy?

I didn't mean...

You did.

You must be hiding some very dirty laundry.

I can't wait to find out what.

James.

Cyrus.

If I gave you a baby, you'd quit?

Give me a baby and find out.

That's a no.

I am good at my job, Cy, as good as you are at yours.

You want to have a baby with me because you want to have a child together? Great.

But if you want to give me a baby to metaphorically keep me barefoot and pregnant and out of your hair?

You have never really seen me angry.

I'm going out. Don't wait up.

I am working late. You don't wait up.

Funny story.

Hilarious story. Damn it.

(Indistinct conversations)

(Man) Enjoy.

If they're gonna make you wear their jacket, they should've at least used a lint brush.

Did you have a chance to peruse the wine list, monsieur?

I'd like a ginger ale.

And the lady will also have a glass of ginger ale.

Very good, monsieur.

Hmm.

What's "bouillabaisse"?

Stick to the script this time, governor.

When they ask about your wife, talk about her remorse.

They'll want you to trash her. It makes good copy, but it's better for you.

If you implore the public to forgive her.

Governor, they're ready for you.

I'll be right there.

Can't thank you enough, Olivia.

I've spent the last two years blaming you for the fact that it's that matinee idol in the White House, not me.

Guess I'd rather feel cheated than feel like a failure.

(Alison) Governor?

See you on the other side.

(Reporters shouting at once, camera shutters clicking)

(Cell phone rings)

(Ring)

(Governor Reston) Thank you to the people of Maryland...

Yes, Harrison. Tell her we're not taking exclusives on this.

Actually, give me her number. I'll call her myself.

Hold on a second. Let me grab a piece of paper.

Liv, you still there?

Liv?

Liv?

(Governor Reston) Rather than pointing fingers today, I ask instead that you show forgiveness, forgiveness to my wife Joan, for her hurried lack of judgment.

I think that went well.

It did, especially in light of these.

4,359 votes...

That's how much you b*at me by.

4,359 votes that turned me into a loser...

A loser whose whole life had been for nothing.

So... two nights ago, I was going to end that life.

I was gonna sh**t myself.

Bill first... so she could see it, then her, then me.

But she cried r*pe.

She cried r*pe.

r*pe... such a... gorgeous word.

r*pe. Yeah, I'm a supporter of women, but let me tell you, she yelled "r*pe," and I thought, "you have a second chance."

A second chance.

And now my approval ratings are through the roof.

I can run for any office in the land, and those 4,359 votes don't mean a damn thing, and I just can't help but thinking, what a wonderful gift my cheating wife gave me.

You're confessing to m*rder.

We have attorney/client privilege.

I still have ways to make your life very difficult.

You'd have as much clout in this town as a senate page.

If someone as high-profile as me goes to prison.

God, it's amazing what this feels like.

What?

Winning.

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

(Doorbell rings)

I'm mad at my husband and I need a drink and dinner.

Dinner is popcorn.

But lucky for you, I just opened a Bordeaux that'll bring tears to your eyes.

(Sighs)

How are you?

Good. Good.

Liv... that meeting with Hollis...

Let's not talk about that. Drink.

Why'd you break out the good stuff?

Governor Reston...

Bill Meyer was his wife's lover, and he knew it.

She cried r*pe, which saved her life.

But the contractor? Totally, completely premeditated m*rder. (Sets down bottle)

But he's a client.

And let's face it, we owe him one.

We owe him more than one.

Not to mention, that'd be a hell of a headline-puller from negotiations at the G8.

All roads lead to Fitz.

(Chuckles) All roads lead to Fitz.

(Sighs)

It's been ages since I've been here. I've missed you.

Missed you, too.

So why are you mad at your husband?

James is working at the White House press corps to punish me.

So? You separate your work life and your personal life.

Really?

How's that working for you?

Fine.

I hear... you're keeping company with Edison Davis again.

He wants to.

I'm thinking about it.

What's the holdup?

(Sets down glass)

All roads lead to Fitz.

All roads lead to Fitz.

(Exhales deeply)

I don't like it when the bad guys get away.

(Chuckles)

Then you shouldn't have come to Washington.

Hmm.

(Huck) Sundays is pasta, and mondays is sandwiches.

But tonight... tonight's my favorite night.

They eat pizza and they play games.

That's the best part. It's game night.

She's Carol, 34, not a natural blonde, but that's okay.

She teaches math at the junior high.

And he's Billy. He sells sporting goods, which is an actual thing... Sporting goods.

(Chuckles) And the little girls are Lucy. She's 8.

And Sarah Beth... she's 10.

Sarah Beth has sleepovers on Fridays with Janie, who lives down there, and Katie, who lives right there.

And on Sundays, the grandparents come over.

So what about you?

What do you like to do?

So that's your solution then?

Verna gets Rosen's boss to give him his job back?

On the condition that he stops pursuing his foolish conspiracy theories.

And if he keeps looking for a connection between Doyle Energy and Cytron...

Then we give him a connection.

The wrong connection.

Personally, I find these humane mousetraps ineffective.

Better to lay down some glue when you hear the critter scream, take a shovel to its head.

But if y'all feel differently...

We do.

Then you have my vote.

But just so we're clear, if this plan fails, David Rosen decides he's not gonna drop it, then I reserve the right to be a little more...

How should I put it?

Thorough.

Agreed?

Agreement's just for show, y'all.

You can go.

Class dismissed.

Abby.

The guy you met with at the Griddle Cafe yesterday...

He was a plant.

He just was. Trust me.

So I did a little digging, and it turns out that Cytron... they weren't just an Internet security company.

They also developed software, some of which had various applications, like this one program that Quinn's boyfriend was working on...

Officially it was used as slot machines.

And unofficially?

Voting machines.

I know you just got your job back, David, and I wasn't gonna say anything, I swear.

No, you did the right thing. Come here.

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

(Abby) I know you just got your job back, David, and I wasn't gonna say anything, I swear.

(David) No, you did the right thing. Come here.

And so on and so forth.

You want me to notify the others?

No.

This one I handle alone.

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)