Disclaimer: I don't own Scandal.
Chapter 1
How To Save A Life
Looking at her reflection in the full-length mirror Olivia is smiling, and mocking her decision to wear white. She always told herself if she ever took the plug to walk down the aisle over the age of thirty, she'd never wear white. Running her hands down the strapless flowing gown, she gives a wry smile. She had to hand it to Harrison, he sure can pick out an emergency wedding dress. She wanted to wear one of her trademark Armani suits, but he wouldn't have it and rushed out in his lunch hour to meet a fashionista friend who could help out. So today Vera Wang's having the last laugh. But getting married is no laughing matter.
Clearing her throat she touches her face. She's looking perfect.
There's a knock on the door and she tells the person to come in.
"Hi Olivia," says a familiar voice and a middle-aged man face is peering around the door.
"Hi Dad, come in."
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm good."
"You ready?"
"I'm ready."
"Let's go."
And father and daughter leave the room arm in arm.
The wedding ceremony takes place in front of a small crowd of family and friends - lasting around twenty minutes. When it's over Olivia gets into the car with her new husband. They're driving to a venue a short distance away.
"So how does it feel to be married?" he's asking her softly, but there's an edge of anxiety coating is words.
"No different, just an extra piece of jewellery to worry about," she jokes back lightly, stretching out her left hand to admire the shiny gold band he'd placed on her finger just minutes before.
She turns to look at him and the handsome man is smiling warmly at her. She's frowning when she notices he's still looking weary from his recent adventures. His cheeks are hollow. Dark circles persist under his green eyes, and there's a greyish hue to his skin. She can't imagine his diet was balanced in anyway. She's going to fix that in the coming weeks. It's going to be a pleasure fattening him up. "What about you? Do you feel any different?" she asking him eager to know.
He sighs heavily and reaching out his hand, he's caressing her cheek. She closes her eyes and tilts her head against his palm.
"Olivia, I've been living in a hole for the past month. I'm just happy to be alive."
She covers his hand with her own. Opening her eyes she's staring kindly at him. She's feeling happy she's doing the right thing. She's killing two birds with one stone: saving her own skin and his life.
"Me too Jake, me too."
Fitz is pouring a glass of his favourite mind-numbing medicine, and wondering why he's bothering to use the glass. He should just put the bottle straight to his lips like a Frat boy, and be done with the pretense, but he guessing a glass looks better than swigging from a bottle.
"The ceremony... it's over by now?" he asking his Chief of Staff, Cyrus Beane.
Cyrus is going through the motions of looking at his watch to delay the inevitable confirmation that, yes indeed, the ceremony is over. He's wondering how he's going to get through the next four years with his childlike boss sulking because he didn't get the girl at the end of the movie. But he's remembering he's getting to play 'pretend president' so goes along with the charade is all part of the power game.
"Yes, it'll be all done and dusted, and she can now be as miserable as the rest of us married folk," Cyrus is telling him in a clip tone clearing his throat. He's frowning and his eyes narrowing watching Fitz drain the contents of his glass, and without taking a pause automatically reaching for the bottle again. "You don't want to start that -"
"Start what Cyrus? You wouldn't drown you sorrows if James left you to marry another man?" Fitz asks him bitterly.
"Sir, you know why she's done it -"
"I don't care why she's done it. She's supposed to be mine. Not his. Mine. Cyrus - do you understand?"
Cyrus isn't moving a muscle, sitting comfortably in his seat. He's accustomed to the predictable emotional outbursts.
"Sir, I do, but due to recent events we've all had to redefine the lines of our responsibilities."
"She married him Cy… she married him," he's moaning, taking a long drink of the brown nectar that becomes his best friend in dark times.
"Because she was outed as your mistress. What the hell did you want to happen? Olivia to come skipping across the White House lawn and declare to the world you two are red-hot lovers?"
"I didn't want this…"
"You have to forget about Olivia Ballard," he saying deliberately, twisting the knife, and watching Fitz literally freezing up at the sound of the B-word. "Sorry, but that's her name now. You have to forget about her, and focus on your re-election and finishing the job you started. You want those wishy-washy Democrats directing foreign policy on the current Syria situation? I don't think so. C'mon, the best wedding present you can give to Liv is: winning a second term with the First Lady by your side."
Fitz is visible shuddering at the thought of Mellie. He's casting his mind back to a few weeks ago when he'd come crawling back to her at Blair House, getting down on bended knees, and begging forgiveness, with his head in her lap. It burned him. But there was a bigger picture, a plan, involving his precious Livvie, now blown to smithereens with her marriage to his former Navy buddy.
Slamming down his half drunk glass of whisky and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he's marching towards the Oval office door.
Cyrus is sighing in frustration. He's slowly rising to his feet.
"Where are you going Mr. President?"
"I'm going to a wedding."
AN: This is a one shot take on my first reaction to the end of S2. I know Jake is a polarizing figure (oh, alright, hated figure among Gladiators), but I like Scott Foley's character. I think he adds another dimension to the show. But that's just me.