Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
A/N: Hey, everyone. Enjoy some Olitz affair backlash from Abby's POV.
Abby sucks in a deep breath. If she thought Olivia's confirmation of the affair on national television was bad, then she clearly hadn't given enough consideration to the inevitable Senate investigation into any special favors Olivia had received while President Grant was, well, president.
"Good morning everyone. I don't have anything to share this morning, so let's get right to your questions." Every hand in the room shoots up. Abby thinks some of the reporters might even have both hands up. "Rachel."
"How long has Olivia Pope been the President's mistress?"
Abby doesn't allow her calm and collected facade to falter as she answers, "This was covered in the President's statement earlier this week."
"How was it covered by the statement?" Rachel protests.
"I'll read it for you again." Abby looks down at the folder in her hands, the statement staring up at her. "'The President is cooperating fully with the Senate investigation and will answer any questions they may have if called to testify. In the meantime, he asks the public to respect his privacy in this matter.'" Abby winces internally. The statement barely covers the question. "Scott."
"When did Mellie discover the affair?"
Abby glances back down to her statement. It absolutely does not cover that question. She meets the eager eyes of Scott from the Washington Post. "All questions about Senator Grant should be directed to her office. I represent the President." She nods towards a reporter in a navy suit. "Sue."
"Did the President or First Lady inform their children that Ms. Pope would be going on national television to admit to the affair?"
Abby takes a second to gather herself. Going after the children was always a cheap shot. "I refer you to the statement, which clearly covers your question." Abby glances towards the back. "Lila."
"Is the President getting divorced?"
Only if the President and First Lady could stop tearing each other's heads off long enough to sign a divorce agreement. "Covered by the statement. Jas-"
"Wait. Are President Grant and Ms. Pope currently seeing each other?"
Abby pauses as she tries to decipher the question. "I don't believe I understand the question, can you ask it again?"
"Ms. Pope went on national television and admitted to being the President's mistress, answering a question that has been hovering over the administration for years."
Abby tries to keep her forehead from wrinkling as she frowns. "This has been covered."
"Yes, but I'm asking if Olivia Pope is currently his mistress. Throughout President Grant's time in office, he and the First Lady have seemed committed to working on their marriage. Are they still committed to their marriage?" Lila pauses. "Or are President Grant and Ms. Pope seeing each other?"
Of course, they're seeing each other. No business woman, especially an infamous one like Olivia Pope, stands in front of a pack of reporters with everything to lose and chooses to out herself as the First Mistress if she isn't currently seeing the President. What could she possibly gain from that except the man she's in love with? "I refer you to the statement."
"The statement doesn't cover my question."
"Both President Grant and the First Lady remain committed to their family, as they always have been." Abby nods at a reporter in the center. "Jason."
"Why was the podium given to Ms. Pope after President Grant was shot?"
"Ms. Pope used to be the communications director for this administration and, as we all know, the former Press Secretary had also been shot."
"But why Ms. Pope?"
"I'll take the question back to the Chief of Staff and the current Communications Director." Abby gestures to a reporter on the far left. She's usually fair in her questions. "Linda."
"Why did President Grant lie about sleeping with Jeannine Locke?"
So much for fair. "This is covered by the statement. Next question, Rob-"
"How is it covered by the statement?" Linda interrupts with the question of the week.
"I'll repeat it for you. 'The President is cooperating fully with the Senate investigation and will answer any questions they may have if called to testify. In the meantime, he asks the public to respect his privacy in this matter.'"
"So if the Senate asks him about why he stood at that podium two years ago and named Jeannine Locke as his mistress, he'll answer them? He'll waive his executive privilege?"
"The President is cooperating fully with the Senate's investigation." Abby points to the back of the room. "Nancy."
"Based on video footage obtained two years ago that showed the President exiting Ms. Pope's apartment building, can you confirm he broke security protocols in order to make that visit? And have there been other breaches of security protocol in order to aide the affair?"
Abby can feel her palms starting to sweat. "I cannot confirm any security protocols were broken at any time during the President Grant's time at the White House."
"Did President Grant refuse the protection of the Secret Service at any point during his presidency?"
"I'll take that question." There is no way in hell she will be advertising the answer to that question at the next briefing, but it's only a matter of time before the reporters realize it's a matter of public record. "Robert."
"The President gave Ms. Pope a diamond ring."
"That's not a question." Abby gestures to a reporter in the front row. "Jamie, your-"
Robert raises his voice to talk over Abby. "Ms. Pope was first spotted wearing the ring at Cyrus Beane's wedding. In almost every public picture of Ms. Pope since that wedding, she is wearing the President's ring."
Abby holds her eye roll inside. Jesus, these reporters were digging through almost eight years worth of photos. "Do you have a question, Robert?"
"What is the significance of the ring to President Grant?"
Abby looks around at the reporters sitting on the edge of their seats. "I'll refer you back to the statement, Robert. The President asks that the public respect his privacy in this matter."
"Come on, you have to give us something." Abby cannot make out which reporter shouted that, but she'd bet it was the Huffington Post.
"Does anyone have any other questions?" Every hand shoots up. "Questions related to a topic not concerning the President's relationship with Olivia Pope." Most hands drop, but Natalie's hand doesn't lower even an inch. "Natalie."
"You used to work at Olivia Pope and Associates and you went to law school with Ms. Pope. Were you aware of the President's affair with Ms. Pope before she confirmed it on national television?"
Abby knows that she's been silent 3 seconds too long, but she'd never expected to get a question about her relationship with Olivia. "I'm not here to answer questions about my personal relationships. Here, at this podium, I represent the President and only the President." Abby makes a split second decision. "Thank you for your time. That will be all for today." Natalie just gave every reporter in that room the great idea to take a poke at her connection to the scandal.
She's the Press Secretary. She can't be part of the scandal, not if this administration wants to avoid going down in flames. If she knew about the President's affair, then who else knew? And if people, inside the bubble-people like the Chief of Staff or the Director of the CIA or the Director of the NSA or the Attorney General knew about the affair and went out of their way to cover it up, then that affair becomes a conspiracy to defraud the American people. That affair becomes an impeachable offense. That affair will burn the Republic to the ground.