Scandal Episode 2.13 Nobody Likes Babies

When we last left Hollis Doyle, he was stepping into an elevator with the man who is planning to kill him. Huck hops inside the car before the doors close. He stops Charlie from carrying out the hit. Cyrus is in shock when Olivia reveals that Hollis didn't try to kill the president. In other news, Fitz and Mellie take part in a photo shoot to give the world its first look at their new baby boy. They play nice until the PR moment is done. Fitz is still moving forward with divorce plans. He knows Mellie induced labor to manipulate him. He asks Olivia to wait for him as he kisses and caresses her. She'll have to think about that one.

Supreme Court Justice Verna Thornton is the person who hired Becky to assassinate the president. Olivia figures this out, but knows she can't turn her in. Verna says, "Confessing does more harm than good." If that's true, then why does she make a call to David Rosen? Even though the persistent U.S. Attorney was summoned to Verna's hospital room, he's blocked from seeing her. That's because she already has a visitor. Fitz is in her room. He screams for help when Verna stops breathing. Efforts to revive her are unsuccessful. Verna Thornton is dead.

Fitz wears a troubled look on his face as he gazes out the window of the Oval Office. Cyrus is ordered to assemble a list of possible replacement justices before meeting up with Mellie in the hallway. The First Lady would rather be where the action is than with her new child. Cyrus feels the same way because, as the Mellie so eloquently puts it... "Nobody likes babies." Mellie also assures Cyrus that she will go nuclear if Fitz goes public with his divorce thoughts. After she destroys her hubby, she'll run for office herself. Good to know.

Olivia needs know what kind of information David has uncovered. Thankfully, "Bobblehead" lives. Bobblehead, by the way, is the name Olivia and Huck have for the listening device they placed in amongst David's shelf of collectibles with wobbly oversized noggins. Abby wants all recordings with R-rated material left for her to ears only. One of the CDs reveals that David is in possession of the memory card that was used to rig the election. Abby mentions he has a safe in his office. She later hears a recording of David saying he loves her while she was asleep.

Abby asks Olivia if she paid David's ex to say that he beat her. The answer is yes. Abby knows Harrison was the payoff man. She's furious, but Harrison makes an impassioned speech declaring that he only did what he did because he's a gladiator just like her. Abby shows up at David's door to say she loves him, too. The two of them spend the night together. David leaves Abby alone in his apartment as he goes off to work. He has a big case to present to the grand jury. The election rigging scandal is about to go public.

James is subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury. He confronts his hubby about his role in fixing the election. Cyrus makes James strip to make sure he isn't wearing a wire. After both men are completely naked in the middle of the bedroom, Cy admits that he stole the White House. It was the only way he could run the country without actually becoming president. Cyrus is visibly worried when James says he's going to do whatever it takes to protect their new baby. He places a call to Charlie. He has a job for him.

Quinn can't stomach the fact that Hollis Doyle got away with murdering her boyfriend and ruining her life. She wants someone to kill the energy tycoon. She offers $5,000 to Huck, who will do it for free if that's what she truly wants. But that means she can't ever return to Pope & Associates because they aren't in the revenge business. They fix things. They are gladiators. A trembling Quinn realizes that she'd rather move forward in her new life instead of staying trapped in her old one.

Cyrus has two phone conversations simultaneously. On one call, he pleads with James to not testify. On the other line, he's asking Charlie to delay carrying out his murderous mission. James heads toward the courthouse. Charlie is going to kill him until Cyrus calls off the hit. James testifies before the grand jury. He lies about having any knowledge about election rigging. The hits just keep on coming for David when he realizes the incriminating memory card has been stolen. His prime suspect is Abby, who denies the theft. It's a lie. Abby breaks down in tears as she turns over the memory card to Olivia.

Olivia returns her engagement ring to Edison. She wants "painful, difficult, devastating, life-changing, extraordinary love." She's willing to wait for it. Fitz tells her not to bother just before he steps up to deliver the eulogy at Verna's funeral. He speaks highly of the deceased Supreme Court Justice. We see via flashbacks that Fitz said he would do this when he spoke with her in her hospital room. This comes after a deathbed confession as to how he became president. Fitz is stunned to learn that Verna is the one who tried to kill him. He's further devastated to learn that Olivia was part of the conspiracy to get him into the Oval Office.

Verna says she's coming clean to David Rosen after the president leaves her hospital room. Fitz takes a moment to process this. As we mentioned earlier, he promises to keep Verna's legacy intact. He wants to do the same for his own. That's why he removes Verna's oxygen mask. Fitz holds her hands down as she struggles to breathe. After a few harrowing moments, Verna takes one last gasp before literally dying at the hands of the President of the United States.

In present day, Fitz tells Mellie that he thought she was the one who tried to have him killed. He now knows that's not the case. He asks his wife if she loves him enough to be by his side. Mellie does love him and she's never left his side. Fitz holds her close. He says they are in this together because he doesn't have anyone else. As for Olivia, she remained alone in a pew at the church after Verna's funeral confused and unsure of what the future will bring.