So the side plot begins when Fitz is preparing to sign a peace treaty with the president of the Republic of Bandar, a country in the middle east. A translator from Bandar sneaks in a plea for Liv to help him while translating to her at a dinner at the White House. He is seeking asylum in exchange for telling the President about a secret nuclear weapon plant. Fitz gives OPA a day to see if it checks out. When Marcus attempts to give Liv the intel they've found on Naveed, the translator, Quinn unfairly criticizes his delivery (slight jealousy?) and finally just takes over the rest of the report. Huck gets a pill to Naveed that makes him ill and lands him in the hospital while they investigate his claim. Meanwhile, Fitz gets VP Susan Ross to delay the negotiations by purposefully putting her foot in her mouth and commenting to the press that she'd like the treaty better if it included young women in Bandar getting education. This offends the president of Bandar and successfully delays negotiations.
But, OPA tells Liv Naveed's intel doesn't check out, as it leads to a soda factory. But Huck notices that while water is being delivered to the factory the soda delivery trucks never move! But Liv has already told Fitz and Naveed that it was just a soda factory. Naveed is going to be sent back to Bandar, and Fitz is preparing to sign the treaty! Liv rushes to the hospital to get to Naveed and calls Abby to tell her to stop Fitz from signing the treaty. Liv finds Naveed in the bathroom bleeding out after attempting suicide. She tells him it was more than a soda factory and that he'll get asylum in the U.S. She also points out that they couldn't reach any family or an emergency contact for him. He says he told her he doesn't have anyone, but she says they saw the phone records of all of his calls to someone named Amir. He then tells her people are killed in his country for being gay. Meanwhile, Fitz ends up signing the treaty and then whispers to the President of the Republic of Bandar that the soda factory (which was actually full of processors, that were being cooled with all the water being brought into it, which Bandar was going to use for cyber attacks against the west) will be destroyed in 7 minutes!
Meanwhile, Rosen is still hooking up with Elizabeth (who is still lamenting that she went from being Chief of Staff for the most powerful man in the world to babysitting VP Ross) and having awkward moments with VP Ross. He's also being played by Cyrus, who shares with him the news that Rowan has escaped from prison. And Rosen does exactly what Cyrus hoped he would do after Fitz continued to not get the FBI involved in finding out who helped Rowan escape and refusing to tell Cyrus who he has working on it. Rosen immediately goes to get the FBI involved, not knowing Cyrus is neglecting to tell him the President doesn't want the FBI involved.
Meanwhile, Mellie is calling in her favor to Liv, but Liv hangs up in her face despite Mellie threatening to tell Fitz that Liv helped Rowan escape. After hanging up on Mellie, Tom Larson gets on the elevator with Liv in her office building. Upstairs, Papa Pope is waiting on her. He tells her she should be afraid, because even he is afraid. He says his "sons" have turned against him and are trying to kill him, noting Jake is the least of his worries. Then he tells her as long as he is alive he will do his best to protect her, and if he dies he's given her everything she will need. He also tells her how proud he is of what she has become.
Later, Liv beckons Jake to the Oval Office, but he thought Fitz asked him to come. She tells him what her father told her, and Jake asks her if she's ever lied to someone when she was backed into a corner. He adds, if its' true he only hopes he gets to Rowan first! Then he asks when she's going to tell Fitz she's the one that helped his son's murderer escape prison. She says she's going to tell him eventually, and Jake tells her he's not going to be her shoulder to cry on and that she should cry to her boyfriend. She responds by saying he wanted her to choose him when he told her Fitz loves her and she should go to him. Later she talks to Abby about not wanting to tell Fitz yet, because she's not ready to lose him.
But Rosen finds out it was Liv who helped Rowan escape and tells Cyrus security is on their way to arrest her! And they do! Fitz goes to see Liv and removes her handcuffs. He says he knows she didn't help Rowan escape, because she's no Mellie. But we see her confess everything to him, though we don't hear what they are saying to each other. But Fitz is visibly upset and leaves.
Later, when Cyrus is talking to Fitz (secretly happy it was Liv who did it), Fitz ends up commanding him to find a technicality to have Liv released and bring her home (clarifying home is the White House residence, not her apartment). Liv is brought to the White House, and Mellie calls her once again to threaten to tell Fitz she helped Rowan escape if she doesn't help Mellie. But Liv tells her she already told Fitz and hangs up. Then Liv notices that the maids are putting all of her clothing from her apartment in the closet at the White House. Fitz tells Liv she's moving in and he will keep her protected. Her eyes seem to say she is seeing herself becoming the prisoner Mellie once was.
Now, earlier in the episode Jake asked Huck to help him get Rowan, but Huck only gave him intel. Huck tells Jake that Jake's "man" is out and Huck can't let his "man" out, because he's worked hard to fix himself and wouldn't be able to get back this time. Later in the episode Jake tells Fitz he's located Tom and Rowan, but when he gets to the location all he finds is a murdered Tom! Somewhere else, Huck walks into an empty warehouse where Rowan is tied up! Is he protecting Rowan for Liv or has he let his "man" out?!