A/N-This one shot is based on episode 502. This was a request so this is my version of what Fitz & Olivia talked about during the negotiations. So the other conversations are just mentioned to carry the story along. I added a twist to the ending. My own twist. I don't own any of the characters. They all belong to Shondaland. Enjoy!
Olivia was on her way to the White House. She still couldn't believe what she did. She outed herself. As soon as she did it she looked at herself in the mirror. She expected to feel like a fool, a crazy person, or just a lapse of judgement.
The truth was she felt free. For the first time in her life she felt like she was in control. She knew all hell was about to break loose, but it didn't matter. She had finally done the one thing that she demanded of all of her clients. She stood in her truth.
After getting ready she snuck out of her apartment, and made it to the White House. She had no clue that Fitz was sitting down right now to refute the claims that Mellie had left the White House, and that their marriage was in trouble.
Over at the White House Abby stood in shock as she watched her best friend torpedo everything with one three letter word. She would deal with her later, but right now she had to stop the interview.
Abby along with the Secret Service were on their way to shut down the interview. Olivia made it to the White House. She saw Liz talking with the staff. Their eyes met for a moment. She stopped and then kept going.
Abby was able to shut down the interview. Noah Baker was confused. What kind of crisis happened in that short about of time?
The couple was escorted into the Oval where Olivia now stood.
Mellie being Mellie said, "Look a hear. It is the woman that can't keep her legs closed."
Olivia said nothing. She looked at Fitz who was looking at her wondering what was going on. Before he could ask Mellie turned up the TV where they witnessed Olivia outing herself to the world as the President's mistresses.
Stunned wasn't even the right word. Mellie had never planned for this day to come. She had planned for Fitz to be foolish to put their affair out there, but never Olivia. She always said she had another card left to play, but shooting herself in the foot was beyond even her.
Fitz couldn't break away from the television. He would be a broke man right now, because if someone told him that Olivia would out herself to the world he would have told them they lost their marbles.
What was even more shocking was that she was standing here with him. She looked calm and composed. Of course she was scared but she wasn't running. Not yet at least.
After Mellie finished her tantrum she stomped out the room. Fitz was moving forward with the truth. Something he always wanted to do.
Abby stayed behind. Olivia tried to give other options, but it was clear that Abby didn't care to hear anything that Olivia had to say and Fitz was guns blazing ahead.
Fitz made it clear they were going forward, telling the truth, and he was moving on with Olivia. They were going to be together.
Abby knew what that meant, and she left to tell Noah that the interview would happen.
As soon as Abby walked out the room Olivia turned around and apologized, "I'm sorry"
"Stop"
"I Should Have Warned You."
"I Wasn't Thinking"
"I Should Have Said….."
"I Love What You Said"
Fitz was standing in front of her. As she looked at him she realized why she did what she did. There was a shit storm in front of them, but it was clear that this man loved her. He wanted her, and he wanted a life with her.
It was bound to be hard, but she couldn't keep living the way she was. She was tired of running.
The couple sat down on the couch relaxing. Olivia had taken her shoes off and got comfortable. Fitz had taken his suit jacket.
He didn't look at Olivia, "Why?"
"What made you do it?"
"Honestly I'm not sure."
"Jake…"
She turned and looked at him.
He got up and went to the window, "Even when I am trying to do right by us I am still competing with him Olivia. You two are not over."
She said nothing so he continued.
"So you didn't try to sleep with him when you were gone?"
Olivia just looked at him.
Fitz nodded, "So now you understand why I am asking you why. You left the White House, and went on the run with Jake. I don't care why you left, but you did. I know you. You wanted to sleep with him to forget what we had going on. Do you know what you really want?"
"If I didn't want this do you think that I would have shared a secret with the world that I could have kept to myself?"
Fitz didn't say anything he just went back on the couch and sat down.
Olivia knew he had a valid point. She didn't want Jake. Jake was her crutch. Her medicine to forget about her problems and pain. He was right. She couldn't throw Mellie in his face anymore. He kicked Mellie out. He served Mellie with divorce papers. He had chosen her. Now the test was would she choose him.
Olivia went and sat down, "I'm sorry. This is a lot, and that is not an excuse. I want you. I want us, and I didn't say yes for the hell of it. I'm sorry about Jake. I said yes because I want you. I want jam, babies, and a life with the man I love. I truly want that."
The couple was enjoying a moment's peace when Liz came in and let them know about Cyrus. That set Fitz off. Olivia told Fitz to hear her out.
She knew it was a power move. They all knew it, but Fitz knew Olivia was right when she told him that anger would get them nowhere.
It is why he agreed to listen.
Liz nodded at Olivia in thanks and left. Fitz went over to her. Their foreheads touching.
Fitz said, "Why are we doing this?"
"We have to hear them out Fitz. If we want to get through this."
"We are never going to please Mellie. It will never be enough"
"Maybe, but we won't know that unless we hear what they are offering."
"Fine, we'll do this your way. We always do."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Honestly, you always say that you want me to be President. I am the best man for the job right?"
She nodded.
"Then why do you feel like I can handle an entire country, but I can't handle us."
The statement stopped her. Not so much the statement. Well the statement, but how he said it. He was really confused. She really made him doubt himself. It was a valid question. She thought he could make decisions that impacted the country, and at times the world. Yet he wasn't capable of handling them.
"I don't know how to answer that. I don't want to answer you for the sake of answering. When I answer I want you to know I really thought about what you asked me."
He smiled and nodded. He appreciated that she wasn't trying to placate him, and that was a step forward. She wasn't coddling him. She heard him, and she really needed to understand why she did what she did.
The couple waited why Cyrus made his list of demands. All of which were meant to restrict the couple from really moving forward, and standing in the sun.
Olivia stood by the window and listened as Abby rattled off the list of demands. All the campaign stops, being her little bitch available at her beck and call, keeping their relationship a secret.
Fitz wasn't going for it. He was telling Abby no, when Olivia told him to accept the deal. At the end of the day it was about Mellie feeling like she won. Was it really too much to ask? If she was being honest it was, but to keep Mellie happy she would pretend it wasn't for the sake of getting Fitz to agree with the deal.
Once that was out of the way Abby explained that Cyrus only wanted to deal with Abby, and not Liz. Olivia explained why to Fitz.
That set Abby off. Abby ran out the office. Once they made it to her office they had their pow wow. Abby got to rip into Olivia, and tell Olivia how she really felt.
Olivia knew that she handled the situation with Abby all wrong, but she knew that one of her biggest flaws was that she didn't know how to trust others.
She handled everything. People played by her rules. She never intended for Abby to step up to that podium, and be embarrassed. She wasn't thinking about Abby, and that was being honest.
It was clear there was nothing that she could do to fix her relationship with Abby at the moment which sucked. She was beginning to realize just how shitty her life was, and how badly her decisions affected those closest to her.
She made it back to the Oval. Fitz looked up, "Everything okay?"
"No, but there is nothing that I can do about it at the moment so can we not talk about it."
"If that is what you want."
"I do."
Fitz didn't say anything at first. He just looked at her out of the corner of his eye. He knew she wanted to pace, but she didn't because he would know what was going on with her.
"You can pace, do your circle, walk back and forth. Whatever you need to do. I know that each time someone comes through the door it makes you question your decision even more. I'm not naïve Liv. I didn't expect you to be fully in this with me, because of one statement. One word doesn't change who you are Liv. It just changed the situation we are now in."
Olivia just stared at him. She loved and hated how much this man knew her. It was why she loved him so much. No other man even Jake knew a fraction of her.
As she looks out the window she realizes that all this time he had spent the least amount of time with her. He had slept with her the least number of times. They had minimal contact for periods of time yet if someone walked in this room there is nothing he couldn't tell them about her.
Abby came back in, and went over some additional requests. Fitz got up and walked around his desk. He was over it.
It was true when he said that this was total insanity. He didn't want to sign the deal. Olivia told him to sign the deal. Fitz agreed.
Abby left out of the office.
Fitz looked at Olivia, "Me signing this deal works for you."
"Don't do this Fitz. This is not on me. This is Mellie."
"Yeah it is. A deal that keeps us in the dark. What the hell! It doesn't matter. It's not like I get a say in this anyway."
The day was beginning to get to them for the same and different reasons. Olivia needed some air. Fitz wanted to stop her, but decided to let her go.
Olivia ended up in the Residence. She thought about her call to Jake. Looking back that was a bad move. Although it was really just a call to a friend Olivia knew that if she was going to be with Fitz she had to end her friendship with Jake.
He would always want more. If she frowned he would think he was needed, and that wasn't going to work. She always used Jake because Fitz was with Mellie. Those days were over. Fitz was willing, and making changes for her. She needed to decide what was she willing to do.
She was walking down the hall when she ran into Mellie looking for her hooch. If it wasn't Mellie it might have been comical to watch her looking for the alcohol.
The whole time being Mellie. She gave her the speech about giving everything up. What it was like to be the First Lady.
In one ear she knew that Mellie thrived on being the First Lady. It was her role, and she wanted it. She just wanted to a functional First Lady which Fitz wouldn't allow. She knew this was Mellie getting one last jab in.
On the other hand, she had some valid points that made her think about what her new life would be like. No matter what Fitz did they would be grouped together. She would no longer have a legacy. It was all Fitz's. Could she really handle the life she was about to embark on? Privacy was a thing of the past.
Mellie walked away, and whether it was her goal or not she had done the job. Olivia really now believed like she told Jake that she may have made a mistake.
She made it back to the Oval where she found Fitz & Abby arguing about the deal. She asked Abby to leave the room.
She did although not happily.
They were at a standstill. Mellie was not going to take the deal. There was nothing that could be done at this point. Olivia had come to a decision.
Olivia said, "We are calling it."
"You're What?"
"It's Over!"
Olivia went through her reasoning. Telling Fitz that it was only 18 months. Take Mellie back. They could wait. After she went through her spill she ended it with, "Take her Back"
It dawned on Fitz that Mellie had gotten to Olivia
Olivia said, "I saw her. She talked. I listened."
Fitz wanted to know what Mellie said that had Olivia throwing in the towel.
They began to argue about her giving up.
Fitz said, "You are giving up!"
Olivia said, "On What?"
"On Us…"
"On You…"
"Or on Everything that I have worked for my entire life…"
"What Exactly am I giving up on…"
"There has to be something Right…"
"In order to be together right…"
"In order to live here…"
"In order to be your First Lady…"
"Did you ever think about what I am giving up?"
Fitz thought about everything that she said. He took a moment to digest everything she said then he looked at her. He looked at her dead in the eyes.
"I think about it all the time. I think about what you are giving up, but have you ever thought about what I am giving up to be with you. For us to be together. I have spent my entire life working to get to this moment. Despite not loving my wife I never looked the other way until I met you. In order to be with you everything that I have ever done will be called into question. I lost one son to a man with no morals. I don't hold that against you, because you didn't set the plan in motion. I still have two other children to think about. In order for you to live here, and in order for you to be my First Lady we are both going to have to make some concessions. If you want to listen to Mellie I can't stop you. Yes, you have to give up a lot to be here I won't lie. Yes, you'll have to kiss some babies, make decisions about dinner, and decorations. All true, but you & I both know you will do more. Not because I'll let you, but because you have never been that woman that needed a man to make you. Most importantly I know what you are giving up, because I sat at that desk earlier and cried before I called you, swallowed my pride, and called Mellie. If you want to call it fine, but don't do that. Don't act like I don't care about what all this means for you."
Fitz looked at her for a moment. She turned away. He was tired. He was really tired of this roller coaster ride. If she wanted off he would get her off.
He took a breath before heading to the door. He was about to turn the knob when she called him. He wouldn't turn around.
When he didn't turn around it shattered her. How did they get here? How did she go from standing up for them to throwing in the towel? This is not what she wanted.
Once again he was going to stop the ride. She could get out. She could call Jake, and stand with him. All of a sudden it became clear. That is not what she wanted. She wanted devastating, life-changing, extraordinary love. Without a shadow of a doubt she knew that she would only get that love from him. More importantly she wanted that love. Her gut told her if she let him walk out that door she was closing a door that may never reopen. She couldn't take that chance.
She ran over to him. She grabbed his face and began to kiss him. The kiss was frantic, but filled with need. He felt it. He felt her love. She wasn't throwing in the towel. She wanted them.
They finally pulled apart. She looked at him. He smiled and kissed her forehead, "Do you trust me?"
She whispered, "I do."
"Let me go talk to Mellie?"
In the past Olivia would have given him talking points. What he should say or do, but she was tired. It was time for change, and the first change was if they were going to be together she couldn't make all the decisions.
Olivia kissed him again, "Let me know how it goes."
Olivia could tell how shocked he was. He was already thinking of a rebuttal.
She caressed his cheek lovingly so he knew she meant it. She trusted him.
Fitz left and went to talk to Mellie. For the most part he swallowed a slice of humble pie to get through the talk, but there were some genuine moments. After a while they came to an agreement, and Mellie agreed to the interview.
Once Cyrus found out he assumed that Fitz listened to him so he went to thank him for listening. He also took the moment to apologize for his past actions, and assure Fitz he was ready to take his old job back.
Cyrus was shocked when Fitz made it clear he did not have his job or any job back at the White House. Cyrus was seeing red. He felt like he was played. Instead of walking out he went over, and played Mellie. He convinced Mellie that Fitz was playing her so right as they were walking in to do their interview with Noah Baker Mellie walked out.
She left the White House with Cyrus. Liz reminded Fitz that doing the interview alone would change nothing.
Abby informed Fitz that at this point he needed to stay put and let her do her job, and Olivia agreed with Abby and told Fitz to let her go. He wasn't happy with the idea, but he was willing to trust Olivia on this one and agreed.
Fitz assumed that Abby was going to talk some sense into Noah when Olivia informed Fitz that was not where Abby was headed.
He was shocked when Olivia informed him they were headed to the Briefing Room. She explained that Abby was about to stand at the podium, and she was going to throw her under the bus.
Fitz was livid when Olivia told him. He got up to go and try and stop it from happening, but Olivia wouldn't let him go.
She informed Fitz that Abby was making the right call. She was doing the same exact thing she would do if she was handling the crisis.
He trusted Olivia, but this time he really believed she had lost her marbles. He could not sit there, and allow Abby to throw her under the bus.
Olivia meanwhile is fine. Too fine some would say. Life as she knew it was really over, and she is fixing two glasses of scotch like it is a normal day.
Fitz was at the door about to head out when Olivia told him to sit down. Fitz wasn't listening, and he was at the door.
Olivia said again, "Sit Down Fitz"
Fitz responded, "You do not tell me what to do in the Oval Office."
Olivia turned around and made her way over to him.
Loudly she said, "SIT DOWN."
"SIT THERE. SIT THERE AND WATCH ME CHOOSE YOU."
Fitz stared back at here. Those words held some much meaning. When Mellie threatened to go on national television he went to her apartment. He used those same words, and they sat there for 22 minutes and watched the clock run out on his marriage.
As he looked at her he realized that she was serious. This was no game. This was no ride. This was real life. If it was a ride he knew she was saying that she wanted to hop on.
He finally made his way back over to her. She handed him his drink. She took a sip of hers. He sat down never losing eye contact with her.
She finally made her way over to the couch. She sat down and threw her legs over his. He held her as Abby destroyed her reputation. She couldn't think about the next moment.
That is all she ever did. No this was her time. She always had a card to play. They always had a card to play, and they would play them.
Right now she wanted to feel like his woman. She wanted to feel like she had power, and control in this situation.
She looked at Fitz and whispered, "I think we can do it right here on the Seal. If I am going to be labeled easy, a party girl, a whore I want to act like one."
Fitz was about to say something but then he looked in her eyes, and it told him that she wasn't sad. Well she was but that was not the emotion she wanted to explore.
He got up and went to the door. He told Charlotte to hold his calls and visitors. He would schedule a time to meet with Abby & Liz. He told her to tell them to go home for the day. Nothing more could be done today.
She nodded and smiled at him.
He closed the door, and locked it to ensure no one burst in.
When he turned around Olivia was standing in the middle of the seal staring back at him. When he made it back to her she smiled at him.
Olivia said, "We are in this together."
He nodded, "We are in this together."
"Good so before I began my whorish ways I think you need to make a call."
He was confused at first, but he caught on. He pulled out his phone and made the call.
She answered, "Fitzgerald you can forget it. I'm not coming back to the White House to save you and your whore. I hope you both rot in hell."
"We might but you will be joining us. You walked out that door pretending like I no longer have anything to ruin you. You want to continue to shake hands, kiss babies, and make it up the ladder you need to remember that what I have on you is apple to oranges. No one will even remember Olivia's name if I break another story."
Before she could respond Olivia took the phone, "While you are sitting there shocked your advisor needs to remember his bad deeds as well. We know he likes to say he was slaying dragons for the President. He only cares about himself which is why I'm sure you don't know Mellie that he only used your demands to his favor. I bet all the money in my bank account you don't know Cyrus begged for his job back, and it was only when he didn't get it did he used your emotions to turn on Fitz. You were winning. You had us dead to rights, but you trusted your friend. Now you both are about to burn."
Olivia ended the call.
She was done thinking. She was done worrying. Right now she just wanted to be with the man she loved.
Olivia began to undress Fitz. Still a little shocked by the turn of events, but so happy he could scream. The couple slowly undressed each other.
He leaned in and kissed gently. Almost like she would disappear. One gentle kiss turned into two, and it quickly heated up.
Neither was sure how they ended up on the floor with Olivia straddling him.
She looked him in the eyes. She needed him to know she wanted him. That wasn't something that was always clear.
She smiled at him, "I love you so much Fitz. I'm still scared, and I'm not going to always do the right thing. Like I told Abby earlier this is all new for me, but I am willing to try. I am trying, because I love you. I love you so much."
Fitz flipped them over so now she was on her back, "I love you to Livvie. We have a lot to deal with, but I am willing to do this with you. If we handle this together we will be okay."
She nodded, "Make Love To Me!"
"My Pleasure."
Fitz slid into her and she threw her head back. This was reckless she knew that, but everything was out in the open. She knew what she was being called. For once she wanted to just live in the moment, and deal with the consequences later.