Trees had been deprived of their leaves to the evergreen blankets of the earth. Crimson, amber, and saffron vegetation seemed to be the colors decorating the grounds of the District of Columbia. Which could only signify one truth. Election season was approaching very rapidly. Almost too rapidly. So rapidly that Mellie was in her final stages of campaigning before the highly anticipated Election Day. It was vital that Elizabeth's candidate would do something vital to show her unwavering and resolute seriousness to hold the state Senate seat of Virginia.
Liz contemplated her next words cautiously. "Divorce him" She blankly uttered. She had exhausted all other routes to gravel support from women. Mellie was puzzled, her face leaned to her right side wondering how in the fiery pits of hell, she concocted this notion; she arose from her chair and leaned over her desk. "Pardon me?" Mellie replied with a slight hint of an attitude. Also making it an opportune time to have Elizabeth amend her statement.
"Divorce President Grant. You can win the senate seat. You can be senator of Virginia but it's going to come at a cost. You have to be willing to do everything in your power to gain people's support in this case women. You have half the women's vote and Kaiser has the other 50% because she is relatable. You have to surpass that in order to win" Liz stated trying to help the First Lady fathom the seriousness of women's support.
Mellie chuckled while collecting her thoughts. "You can not just barge in here and demand I leave my husband. It doesn't work like that. I have constituents to make proud. I can not just randomly divorce my husband because I want to be perceived as the heroine of feminism"
"You're polling numbers have you down eight points. You can win this you just need to do something drastic to show Virginians you are committed to this" Elizabeth advised handing her a folder with her charts and pie graphs.
"I'm not divorcing Fitzgerald. We made a deal. We are together. We are happy" Mellie firmly said giving off her inauthentic grin.
"Look, feminists, working women, young women, hell even grandma's aren't the same women they were twenty years ago. If you want support from women's political advocacy groups, you're going to have to show that you aren't Hilary; you aren't controlled by your political agenda. Show them that you don't have to be by Fitz to have a voice for yourself" Elizabeth clamorously responded to Mellie's coined answer.
"I…" Mellie sighed interrupting her train of thought, "You are a fixer, a manager, you handle and you make do with what you have been given, divorce is not an option" Mellie continued to extricate the inept concept. Elizabeth sighed vehemently.
"Cyrus" Mellie shouted across the White House East Wing corridor.
"Yes Mellie" Cyrus awaiting his daily irritation that Mellie would fulfill. He speculated generically that she was yelling his name at eight in the morning to fix a trivial predicament.
"Elizabeth North wants me to divorce Fitz" she whispered.
Cyrus cringed and pulled the both of them into the nearest aides office. "Disperse, we need the room for a second" Cyrus said pointing to the young aides towards the door. "You will not divorce. Make it go away or hire a new campaign manager. We can not afford a blow to our administration not after the West Angola mess. I'm still counteracting months after we sent troops in" Cyrus said so fast his face started turning crimson and he had to start controlling his air intake.
"Cyrus, breath! I am controlling it. I just thought you should know, since it could possibly torpedo my husband's administration too" Mellie spoke quietly.
Olivia Pope & Associates
Olivia dwelled in her office terminating files of a case she had just concluded. She heard a symphony of bells blaring on her television screen which only meant one thing: The Liberty Report- Sally Langston's daily BNC show was being broadcasted. Olivia sighed but failed to change the channel. Surprisingly she was interested in tuning into what Sally was condemning the Grant Administration of today.
"Good Morning America and welcome to the Liberty Report. Let us divulge into an issue that is pressing America right now. Beside President Grant's failed education bills or horrendous foreign policy. Let's talk about a far more inconceivable matter. The First Lady running for the Virginia senator seat" Sally said in her usual condemning tone, her conservative principles and southern style made it facile to despise her but her views still drew in four million Americans. Photographs of Mellie and Fitz appeared onto the screen. "Mellie Grant is prematurely running for state senator of Virginia. Mellie Grant needs a political venue not one from her husband. We can't all be naive and think she really wants to be in the state senate? She wants to run in the 2016 general election and senator of Virginia is her first step in fulfilling her vision" Sally remarked. Olivia looked up from her case study and saw Edison Davis on the segment.
"With me, I have Sen. Edison Davis of NY" Sally introduced Edison onto the segment.
"Good Morning Sally. It's a pleasure to be here" Edison greeted the former Vice President.
"Welcome. You've worked with me in the Grant administration. You're in the cabinet. So I have to ask what's your take on the First Lady running for office?" Sally interrogated Edison.
"I don't know what to think. She's done nothing but trouble the Grant Administration and embarrass herself time and time again. Remember when she unfolded her husband's plan to civilians discussing military options over the phone? Remember when she prematurely went on tv and said her husband was cheating but wouldn't say with whom so all of America was left on a goose chase of 'who dunnit' having a woman being wrongfully accused. Not to mention the innumerable amount of times she has been condescending towards congresswomen and other state senators. Those are just a few of the things she's done. What if she does get elected and has to make decisions will she have her husband telling her what to do, will her husband influence her policy? What if she is a swing vote? Will she favor her husband? Why can't she take a stand and show she is a leader and leave her marriage, at this point no one is buying it, oh I forgot, she can't do anything without her husbands support. If she wants people to take her seriously. She needs to take a bold and drastic measure to prove her validity. She can't hide behind her husband because of the weight he carries. She has to be her own political force. She can't be Hilary Clinton circa 1991. We saw that in 2008 and we didn't vote for it." Edison answered. Sally nodded.
"I absolutely agree. How can we trust she isn't on one accord with her husbands policy? I'm going to be lured into it and The Lord will bring vengeance on that administration. He will not tolerate wickedness"
"Exactly Sally. There's no telling what detrimental harm she could potentially cause from her lack of experience and separation from her husband's administration" Edison replied confirming Sally's suspicion of Mellie running for senator.
Olivia eyed the television screen and sarcastically sniggered, she muted The Liberty Report since it was on a commercial break. Olivia picked up her phone and called Edison. This was all too familiar.
"Olivia Pope. Is this déjà vu? It's been what two years?" Edison greeted fixing his tie on his commercial break.
"Hi Edison, who paid you?" Liv said cutting to the chase.
"No one paid me, Liv" Edison gave a light chuckle.
"Edison I'm not dumb. Who paid you to say that?" Olivia pried she knew something was up but couldn't put her finger on it.
"Besides the network?" Edison questioned.
"Yes besides the network" Olivia said hopeful for an answer.
"Seriously no one paid me. I got a call from a lobbyist asking to include a few things but I told them I'd speak my mind for free. Now what-"
"Goodbye Edison" Olivia said hanging up.
First Lady's Office
Elizabeth turned off the tv. She sighed loudly watching Mellie fidgeting with her necklace trying her best to avoid the conversation she was about to have.
"Sen. Davis questioned your integrity on national television and called you a troublemaker in your husband's administration and you're sitting her fidgeting with a locket?" Elizabeth harshly scolded: upset she had been sedentary for the past ten minutes.
"Sally can have whoever on her tv show but she will not, will not, slander my name" Mellie viciously retorted.
"It's not slander if it's the truth" Liz said purposefully trying to get Mellie riled up.
"Screw you" Mellie retorted angrily.
"Prove her wrong then. Prove to her you aren't a scared little bitch hiding behind President Grant. Prove to them that you are serious about America and being senator that you are willing to leave your marriage to correctly channel your abilities" Elizabeth said trying to push this divorce on to her. "I- I" Mellie stuttered "
You what? Your marriage is bullshit. America is staring to catch on and America knows a bullshit marriage when they see it" Elizabeth said, "he's always going to care about her more, he went to war for her" Elizabeth continued giving it the last push.
"Okay" Mellie gave in.
"He is mocked by Congress everyday for his decision and it's all because of her. Now you tell me would he do that for you. Huh? Would he? Every benevolent legislature, act, bill, or law passed during his term is overshadowed by a foolish decision to declare war on a region we had no business being in! He was willing to have his name tarnished and spit on just for her. If they found out congress would impeach him in a blink of an eye! All for her. For her!" Elizabeth remarked putting the nail in the coffin. She sighed fully aware of how manipulative she was being. A single tear rolled down Mellie's cheek.
"He was going to let that bitch die. He was going to let those kidnappers kill her. You're boyf-" Mellie's voiced cracked while she tenaciously attempted to not bawl.
"I give you my word this divorce is the ticket into the senate and to your presidency" Liz promised giving Mellie a tissue.
Oval Office
"I'm divorcing you" Mellie said softly.
"What?" Fitz answered not sure he had been listening correctly.
"I'm divorcing you" Mellie repeated in a low manner.
"What makes you think you're approval ratings can survive a divorce?" Fitz smirked acting incredibly smug.
"My faith in my political force" Mellie said confidently.
"Look, I know Sen. Davis spooked you but you need me if you want to become senator" Fitz retorted.
"No Fitzgerald that's the point! I've realized I don't need you. Remember on the campaign trail when your father forced himself onto your campaign and how miserable it made you?" Mellie recalled,"that's how it'll feel like if you are with me. I need to build my own political network and earn my own PAC money. Not have it handed from you to me" she continued.
"Do you understand how much this will hurt whatever agendas I have for the next years in my term? I won't get anything passed or taken seriously!" Fitz yelled very angry.
"Funny Fitz, very funny" Mellie yelled. Fitz kept quiet not indulging in whatever rave was about to come ahead. "So when it's for Olivia Pope the whole republic can burn down to the ground but when it's for Mellie Grant the republic must be intact?" She questioned.
"We're supposed to be a team" Fitz replied. "I'll have an attorney representing me in your office sometime next week" Mellie said walking out of the Oval Office.
"Fine, if you want a divorce you will see a divorce like none other!" Fitzgerald angrily replied throwing his files onto the ground in frustration.
Chief of Staff's Office
"POTUS needs you to find the best damn divorce attorney in the district. I know you know some damn good ones because you're a lawyer" Cyrus told Abby. She gave him a shocked glance stopping herself in the middle of the hallway.
"Are you serious...divorce? They can't, their approval ratings will sky rocket to the ground" Abby said in fear.
"I know I've tried to talk them out of it but no one wants to listen" Cyrus explained not impressed at the idea.
"I will not. I can not watch them ruin themselves" Abby refuted the idea.
"Just get me the damn attorney red" Cyrus demanded.
"Yes sir" she said.
Abby's Apartment
"Leo, when he asked for a divorce attorney I thought you know maybe a philandering congressman but he said 'the president wants a divorce attorney' meaning the president wants a divorce. Usually-" Abby stopped herself. She suddenly had an epiphany.
"Dammit. Church and state" Leo replied.
"No. I mean usually he'd ask Olivia Pope to handle something like this but if Olivia knew then-"
"Then...then our philandering cad of a president would start openly banging Olivia Pope. It'd actually be a thing Abby" Leo said with a disgusted look on his face.
"Leo stop" Abby said laughing at the face he was giving thinking about it.
"I just never found that relationship comprehensible" Leo shamelessly admitted shrugging his shoulders in confusion.
"Well luckily it's not for you to understand. They're in love. He loves her. She loves him. It's not about what we think, Leo" Abby replied setting the confusion to a halt.
"Can you imagine them doing it?" Leo said naughtily.
"EW. You're gross stop that" Abby responded hitting him with a pillow. He laughed hitting her back with a different pillow.
"I'm going to go hop in the shower, wanna join?" Abby offered.
"No I'm going to head to bed" Leo lied.
"Okay" Abby said undressing herself ready to go into the shower.
Leo turned off his nightlight and waited til he heard the water running to make his call. "Hello Kimberly Mitchell, I've got something you're going to want to hear" Leo gossiped.
Chief of Staff's Office
"I dug up some old contacts. His name is Richard Wallace. He's elite, it can be done within a month and he won't leak it but he will charge and arm and a leg and then some" Abby told Cyrus putting his contact information on the desk.
"Excellent Red!" Cyrus exclaimed sarcastically.
President Grant and Mellie entered into Cyrus' office, they were holding a magazine plastered with unflattering photos of both of them on Us Weekly. 'Presidential Divorce: All The Deets! Check pg. 101 for the juicy insider source!'
"Who the hell leaked it? And why did they leak it to a tabloid" Mellie said infuriated.
"I'm sorry Madame First Lady I will put a leash on it" Cyrus promised.
"A leash? Cyrus, you would have to be a wrangler to hand this" Fitz said angrily.
"Who talked to the press? Who leaked it?" Mellie angrily suspected Abby. Mellie gave her a snotty glance.
"I, Madame First Lady it was going to come out anyways" Abby retorted furiously.
"It was going to come out anyways? I was planning on announcing it to the women caucus groups. I had a plan and now they're going to know that I'm using the divorce for support. How could you?" Mellie raged
"You get the hell out of this oval! You get the hell out of this office! "YOU DO NOT LEAK INFORMATION TO THE PRESS ESPECIALLY PRIVATE INFORMATION...YOU SON OF A BITCH" Mellie continued to rage angrily.
"I didn't tell the press! I might have mentioned it to Leo but I promise you he didn't say anything because the last time-" she stopped herself.
"The last time? You leak private info all the time?" Fitzgerald interrupted just as angry as Mellie. Fitz was genuinely upset shaking his head and Mellie was using numerous breathing methods to calm herself.
"Of course Leo Bergen opened his fat mouth to BNC who leaked it Us Weekly...Gosh darn it" Cyrus said throwing his hands in the air feeling defeated.
"I expect a letter of resignation on my desk by tomorrow" Fitz said cooly. Abby failed to make eye contact with anyone, nodded, and tried her best not to shed the built up tears until she entered out of the office.
A/N: Thank you for reading. Leave a review I love knowing what readers think. This chapter is pretty tame rating wise but as a story it will get more explicit and I have great ideas with this story, so please read and review.