My first Scandal Fanfic.
Background: Olivia Pope is a world renowned broadcast journalist, and is said to be the next Barbra Walters. Fitzgerald Grant is a retired navy Pilot and has a very impressive Political career ahead of him. When the two meet at the White House Correspondents Dinner, they immediately click.
To be completely honest, I am not very good at all of the political slang. But I will do my best because I am a huge Scandal Fan. This story has all original Scandal characters, and maybe my own.
Olivia's POV
The chaos on the Good Morning America set was surprisingly quite at 4 in the morning. I walked to my dressing room and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked scarily tired and my eyes were puffy. I heard a distinct knock on my door but before I could say "Come in", my always annoyingly perky assistant Quinn Perkins came in. "Hey Perky Perkins" I said as I sipped my hot coffee. "Hey Boss, how's it going?" she asked as she pulled out the daily schedule for this morning. "It's going, I can't complain." I smiled and began brushing my hair. As I was absentmindedly brushing my soft brown I was reflecting over my phone call with my mother. Was she right? Had I been too consumed in my career that my relationship status has hit rock bottom?
*Flashback*
Olivia was lying on her couch, with remote and a glass of La Crema red wine in hand. She was flipping channels until she landed on 'Modern Family', the show that she had heard so much about but never had time to watch. Before she could really get into the show her phone lit up the dark room. She loudly sighed and answered it. "Hey mom", she began immediately talking away about how she needed Liv to meet her friends son. "I had a great day at work mom, thanks". "Oh Livvie, I'm sorry hon. but you don't understand how excited I am for you to meet Edison." Great, Olivia thought, another arranged marriage attempted. She took a huge gulp of her inexpensive, but delicious red wine and only half listened to her mom. "You need to be more romantically involved, get out there, you're not getting any younger and neither am I. I want grandkids damn it." Olivia sighed and tried to make her case. "Mom I am extremely busy, I have a career that I love, and I don't have time for a love life," she said while before drinking straight from the bottle. "Well too bad, we are all flying up to New York in about a month. Edison is so excited to meet you." Olivia's anger consumed her and she almost yelled at her mother. "Mom, I don't need you and the "Golden Girls" crew to play matchmaker. Trust me; I don't have a relationship because I don't WANT one!" Her mother sighed and continued talking, "Livvie dear, I only want you to be happy. Take a chance; you'll never know if you may end up liking him", "Fine mom. I have a busy day at work tomorrow, so I'll talk to you later," she said while pacing in circles. "Okay Livvie, I love you. Have a good night and a good day at work." They hung up and Olivia began to stress. Why is my mom always so worried about my love life? She let out a scream and went to her in home bar. Her stylish and large New York loft had a mini bar mostly filled with red and white wines. But underneath a secret cabinet, she had an unopened bottle of 10 year old scotch.
She poured herself a glass and slowly sipped. While she sipped the strong whisky she walked around her apartment, trying to find something to do, anything that could keep her mind off of her mother's meddling ways. She saw a fancy piece of mail that she may have over looked, and she examined it carefully. It read in beautiful calligraphy, "The White House". Olivia dropped it like the letter suddenly sent a pulse to her fingers. She didn't know if it was the bottle of wine and the scotch that was getting to her but she couldn't tell if she was being pranked. "Okay, this is very funny. Where the hell are the hidden cameras?" She replayed that sentence back in her head and put the crystal glass of the strong, brown liquid on her counter. She picked up the white envelope and slowly opened it. She truly thought she was drunk after reading the letter nearly ten times, which read: The President and Mrs. Obama request the pleasure of the company of Ms. Olivia Carlyon Pope to join them in celebration for White House Correspondents' Dinner. She screamed in excitement and danced around her living room.
*Flashback Ends*
Olivia just remembered her invite to the WHCD and told Quinn. "That's so awesome," she smiled and clapped her hands. "Yeah, but that's in like two weeks. And usually people have already bought dresses and crap like that." Quinn shrugged and began to prep Olivia for her five hour day on camera. Olivia had been on the show for about four years, and she had already had great reviews. The viewers and critics alike agreed that she had a fresh face for television, that she was brilliant, beautiful, and funny. Olivia was humble, never letting those comments get to her head, but they fueled her to do better. She studied hard at the New York University while double majoring in Journalism/Broadcasting and Political science with a minor in Public Relations. She was the only black girl in the top ten of her class. She finished her Masters' and Bachelors' in five years. She was 21 when she finished college and had snagged the job as a high paying intern on GMA right after college. She contemplated moving back to D.C. with her mom for a year, but quickly changed her mind when the producers of Good Morning America called her. She was blessed to have so many offers, but she chose the best one for her career choice. She was happy, she had great friends who she worked with and she had a new found confidence while working in front of the camera.
"Great job today, Liv." Her co-anchor Harrison said as he proposed a toast. Olivia blushed and shrugged her shoulders. She was out with her four great friends. Quinn, who was her personal assistant by day, but was her badass friend by night, Harrison her witty co-anchor, who hit on Olivia her first day at the station, but he soon realized she was more of a sister type. Abby, her best friend since college, who was the producer for the show, and then Huck, who was extremely protective over Olivia and also one of the top studio engineers in the state. They all cheered and drank their shots. "Oh, did Liv tell you guys, she got invited to the White House Correspondents' Dinner," Quinn clapped and smiled like she was the one that got invited. Everyone cheered and did another toasted. "You're doing big things Baby Girl, Big Things!" Harrison said. "To Olivia Carolyn Pope," Abby screamed, she seemed to have been taking shots before they even walked into the classy bar. They all laughed at her and began to drink.
May 2nd- Day of Correspondents' Dinner
Olivia was in her comfy suite at the InterContinental the Willard Washington D.C., which was another perk of being invited to the WHCD. Olivia was on conference call with her friends over Skype. They were all giving her tips on what to do at the party, some didn't even take since. "Get drunk before you get there, it'll be way more fun," Abby had said while holding up a tall wine glass in the camera. "Take pictures, well if they allow cameras." Quinn suggested. "Don't get involved with those greedy politicians, and I mean sexually. One look at you and they'll go crazy. I wouldn't want to have to kill one of them." Huck said as he looked seriously into the camera. "Okay, Huck has gone all 'Saw' on us, just listen to me Liv," Harrison smiled, "Have fun and just be yourself." Olivia smiled, "Thanks H, that was the most normal and useful advice all night." She looked at her phone and screamed. "Oh my goodness, it's almost 5, and I haven't even taken my shower yet." She began running around to room taking her beautiful black and white evening dress out of its covering. Olivia was one time obsessed person, especially when it came to big events like this. The dinner started at eight, but Olivia had the inkling that she should be ready by 6:30. She undressed and ran into the shower, letting the steam from the shower jets hit her tense back. She let I wash away all of her nervousness and she got out of the shower. She threw on her plush robe and began her ritual of getting prepped. "Umm Liv," Olivia was terrified when she realized that her friends were still on the chat. Abby whistled and both Huck and Quinn had their eyes covered. Harrison on the other hand was dying of laughter with a beer in hand. "You guys are the worst. I'll text you guys when I get there," she shook her head before anyone cold comment, and took herself off of the chat.
Olivia was pleasantly surprised at her end results, she continuously checked herself out and thought, Damn I look good. She giggled and took a picture that her friends had bothered her to take. Her gorgeous Black and White dress fit her skinny, but curvy body perfectly. She was great at picking out clothes, but was better at picking out dresses. She had little to no makeup on, and she silently thanked her mom for telling her to drink water when she was younger. Her hair was in a French twist type do. (Whole look from s3ep5- "More Cattle, Less Bull"). She smiled at herself one last time before walking out of her room. When she walked out more like strutted out of her room, she could tell she wasn't the only one attending the dinner. The hall was full of faces she'd seen on TV and some she had never seen before. But she could tell by the way that they were all dressed.
Since the main elevator was so crowded, she decided to break the rules and find the service elevator; she pressed the down button and waited for the elevator to reach her floor. She waited impatiently as the floor was still on its way down from the 15th floor, she was on the 10th. She tapped her foot and sighed in relief when the elevator finally opened. She silently gasped when the door opened to reveal two handsome men in US Navy Officer Dinner Dress Blue Uniforms. She nodded, showing that she acknowledged them. Damn, that one with the grayish blue eyes is fine as hell. Her inner voice said. Of course she would never have said that out loud. She saw that the elevator was making its way down. Then she screamed loudly, which shocked the handsome men to death. "Miss, are you alright?" The second cute one with the hazel-green eyes asked. She shook her head and pressed the hold button on the elevator. "What are you doing?" Blue eyes asked, with a cautious tone in his voice. His voice is like smooth chocolate to my ears, Liv thought before panicking again. "My invite, I think I left it in my room." She pulled out her phone and quickly dialed her friend Quinn, who knew of Olivia's sometimes forgetfulness. "Quinn, where the hell did I put my invite?" Her hands sweating under her silky black gloves. "Don't forget why you have your tits!" Olivia smiled and reached into her bra, where she had a little space to fit the invite. "You are the best Quinn, thanks!" She hung up and looked at the men, who were trying to suppress their laughter. She half smiled and pressed the button for the elevator to continue. Olivia fixed herself and straightened out what she could. She could feel eyes staring at her and when she looked up to see if her suspicions were correct. Blue eyes looked up quickly and way from her. She continued to look forward as the door opened up again on the 7th floor.
The door opened, and a fairly attractive woman in a pretty red dress came in. "Fitz, darling I was waiting for you. What took so long?" She walked over to blue eyes and kissed him on his cheek. Fitz, Olivia said mentally. Fitz smiled, but it didn't reach is eyes, "Well Mellie, our friend here had a little scare and we had to make sure she found her invitation." Mellie turned around and did her fake smile. "Oh your are Olivia Pope from Good Morning America." She smiled and shook her hand. "My name is Melody Thomas; it is so nice to meet you." Olivia smiled, "Likewise." She heard green eyes snicker. "Oh what is so funny Jake Ballard?" Mellie asked pretending to be mocked. Olivia looked at the other man and who she now identified as Jake. "Melody, really," he turned his attention to Olivia. "Her name is Mellie, she is trying to be formal, but it creeps me out because anyone who knows her knows she is anything but." He winked at her. "Captain Jake Ballard, by the way." He stretched his hand out to hers and grabbed it and kissed it. "Fitzgerald Grant." Fitz said as he shook Olivia's hand, he wanted to kiss it but didn't want to follow Jake. When they touched they felt a small shock. Even through her gloves, she could still feel it.