A/N: This story was inspired by an acquaintance who shared with me, over the Christmas holiday, her hesitance about entering into an inter-racial relationship with a man who is pursuing her. Of course I thought of my favorite couple. This is not going to be long, perhaps five to seven chapters. Just needed to get the idea out of my head.
Chapter 1. Meet the Grants
Standing in her taupe bra and panties set, Olivia rummages through the walk-in closet looking for her white silk blouse. She hates when she can't find what she's looking for. Living between two apartments is becoming increasingly difficult. She has to have two of everything – one for her apartment and one for his.
"Hon, have you seen my white blouse – the silk one? I want to wear it today."
Fitz walks into the closet buttoning his shirt.
"You know if you just moved in you'll stop losing clothes," he says, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"I like my apartment, Fitz", she says, rifling through the hanging clothes.
"Well, you're going to have to give it up once we're married."
"Here it is! How did it get mixed in with your shirts? You have a lot of shirts, Fitz."
"So, when are we getting married? What's the date?" He asks, kissing down the side of her neck.
"Fitz, we just got engaged last week."
"I don't believe in long engagements", sliding down her bra straps.
"How many times have you been engaged?" Sliding her bra straps back up she turns with a raised brow and looks into his beautiful blue eyes. She will never tire of looking into his eyes.
"Two, three, maybe four times", he says, laughing into her neck.
"You better be kidding", she says, pulling away from his embrace.
"You know everything there is to know about me, babe. I've told you about my family. You've seen the pictures."
"I don't know everything, Fitz. I haven't met your family. I'm sure they have a lot to say, especially Tristan. I still can't believe how much you two look alike."
"He hates when people say that." He slips his hand into her panties and she gasps.
"Fitz, we don't have time. I have to meet the PM (project manager) at the site."
His fingers thrust in and out and she begins to ride his hand.
"Fitz ..."
"I love you, Livvie." He sucks her ear as he brings her to her peak and she collapses against his chest.
"Baby, you don't play fair", she says breathlessly. "You just made me late for work."
"No, I just made you cum." He turns her around and gives her a searing kiss, gliding his tongue in her mouth. He loves kissing his fiancée'.
"You're a bad boy."
"Never have been. You can ask my mom when we get there for Christmas."
"What? We're going to your parents' home - to Wisconsin for Christmas?"
"Yup. In three weeks. I booked our flight two months ago."
"Two months ago?" She asks with a look of surprise spread across her face.
"Yup. Thought Christmas would be a good time to announce our engagement", he smiles brightly.
"Fitz, you just proposed last week", she says, buttoning the white silk blouse.
"Knew I was going to marry you on the plane ride from our conferences last October. You just needed to catch up", he says, kissing and licking her shoulder.
"Liar", she swats him on the chest.
"I'm not. In the span of a few hours you went from being the rudest and most annoying person I'd ever met to being the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. You were so sad and I just wanted to take care of you – to make things better."
"Awww, you never told me that."
"Didn't have to. Now kiss me again."
Wisconsin – Christmas Eve
"Come on, Liv", Fitz hollers from the huge wraparound porch. "It's freezing out here", wiping his runny nose with the back of his gloved hand. "I'm going to leave you out ..."
The front door swings open and a sea of bright faces shout Merry Christmas.
"Fitzgerald!" His mother, Anneke, screams. "Welcome home", cupping his face, blue eyes smiling at blue eyes.
"Mother", he says, smiling and kissing her on the cheek.
"Get on in here, son. Are you trying to heat all of Wisconsin?" Gerry, his father, booms. He shakes his elder son's hand then pulls him into a bear hug. "My, my Fitz. You sure have bulked up. You're all muscle now. Are you still doing that kickboxing?"
"Good to see you too, dad. And it's taekwondo."
"Take off that wet coat, Fitzgerald", his mother says, helping her son to slide his coat down his arms. She shakes the moisture from the coat and hangs it in the foyer closet. "Go sit by the fire in the parlor and get warm. Gerry, give Fitzgerald something to drink that will warm him up."
Fitz looks over his shoulder wondering where Olivia is.
"Stop fawning over him, Anneke. He's just fine."
As Fitz walks toward the parlor he sees Tristan, his younger brother, coming down the grand staircase.
"Well, well, well. Look who has decided to grace the family with his presence."
Fitz stops in the hall and gives his slightly inebriated younger brother a tight smile. The brothers shake hands and hug each other.
"Merry Christmas, brother. I see you've started celebrating early", Fitz says.
"I have and you have to catch up. Let's go."
The almost identical brothers walk toward the parlor when the doorbell rings.
"I'll get that", Tristan says. "I'm sure our dear old parents want to spend every minute they can with their favorite and perfect son."
"Don't start, Tristan. Let it rest for once."
Fitz stands by the fireplace with his father sipping on a healthy tumbler of scotch, the family drink.
"Son, I thought you were bringing your girlfriend ..."
XXX
Olivia finally found the glove she was searching for. She can't figure out how one glove ended up in the snow pile at the side of the car. It probably has something to do with Fitz wanting to make out with her before they went into the house. She picks up the bag filled with gifts from the freshly plowed sidewalk and sloshes up the steps of the huge house. She can't believe he actually left her outside in the cold. She'll have some choice words for him when she gets into the house. Olivia rings the doorbell with her gloved hand.
Tristan walks down the hall to let in whomever is pressing on the annoying doorbell. He has always hated that damn buzzer. He opens the door and is startled to see an annoyed looking woman dressed in a white coat and white fur hat holding a black leather glove in one hand and what seems to be a bag full of holiday gifts in the other hand. She is absolutely beautiful, he thinks, for a...
"Hi", Olivia says, smiling brightly and extending her hand. "I'm Olivia and you must be Tristan. Fitz has shown me so many pictures. You two could be twins."
Tristan bristles at the woman's comment. He has long grown tired of hearing how much he and his older brother look alike. He's been trying to establish an identity separate from his perfect brother all of his life. And, unfortunately, it hasn't been going too well.
"And you are?" Tristan asks tersely.
"Olivia. Olivia Pope. I'm Fitz' fiancée."
Cold and in desperate need of a bathroom, Olivia is growing more annoyed as her fiancé's little brother gawks at her and asks her 20 questions.
"Do all of you Grant men have a habit of leaving women out in the cold?"
Tristan steps aside to let Olivia in and the cold Wisconsin air sweeps through the house. He smiles and thinks, this ought to be good – really good. Tristan hangs Olivia's coat next to Fitz' in the foyer closet, grabs her hefty gift bag from the floor, and walks hand and hand with her to the parlor.
"This is a beautiful house, Tristan. The pictures don't do it justice."
"Seems like my brother has shared a lot of family pictures with you, Olivia. Unfortunately he has not afforded the family the same courtesy. We've not seen any pictures of you."
Olivia frowns, unsure of what to make of Tristan's comment. Tristan stops Olivia in the doorway of the parlor and scans his parents' happy faces as they drool over their precious Fitzgerald.
"Mother, father ..." Tristan calls out in dramatic fashion, getting everyone's attention.
The Grants halt their conversation and look over at Tristan. Mrs. Grant clutches her pearls at the sight of the woman. Gerry raises a questioning brow. And Fitz beams brightly, with the biggest smile spread across his face until he notices his brother is holding Olivia's hand.
"Mother, father. This is Olivia", swinging their entwined hands in the air as in victory. "This is Fitzgerald's fiancée!" He says with a devious grin.
Mrs. Grant gasps and covers her mouth with her small hand. Still holding Olivia's hand, Tristan walks her over to his brother, who is grinning like an idiot.
"Your fiancée, brother." Tristan bows and smiles slyly at his older brother.
Fitz wraps an arm around Olivia and kisses her deeply on the lips.
"Your lips are cold", he smiles mischievously at her.
"You left me all alone", she whispers. "You're going to pay."
"I told you to hurry", kissing her again. "Stand here by the fireplace with me and get warm."
Olivia moves in front of the fireplace and Fitz wraps his arms around her waist. The couple is oblivious to all of the eyes looking at them. Gerry clears his throat to get his son's attention.
"Fitzgerald", Gerry says sternly. "Is there something you want to tell us?" He looks between the couple, bewildered, as his wife seems to be frozen in place on the sofa. Tristan smiles to himself as he stands at the bar pouring himself another scotch.
"Father, mother..." Still smiling proudly. "This is Olivia - my fiancée. I was going to announce our engagement later this evening, after dinner, but it seems like there are two big mouths around here", he says, looking over to his brother then smiling at Olivia and kissing her on the temple.
"Well, congratulations, brother", Tristan says, raising his tumbler in the air, and eyeing his stunned parents. "Isn't this the best Christmas present ever, mother?"
Anneke Grant glares at her younger son and quickly recovers from the shock of her elder son's holiday surprise and remembers her manners. She stands from the sofa and hesitantly walks over to the fireplace where her Fitzgerald and his fiancée are standing with her husband.
"Engaged? Fitzgerald, we didn't even know you were seeing anyone seriously." His mother says as politely as she can muster.
Fitz smiles, holding Olivia closer.
"Olivia", grabbing the young woman's hand lightly. "Our Fitzgerald is so full of surprises. We had no idea. It's so lovely to meet you, and congratulations, dear."
"Olivia, I echo my wife. This is quite the surprise. Fitzgerald didn't give us a clue. Congratulations."
"Thank you, Mrs. Grant, Mr. Grant. I am delighted to finally meet you all. I'm sure our engagement is a bit of a surprise."
Fitz is grinning from ear to ear as Tristan chokes on his scotch, watching the tense scene unfold before him. His brilliant brother has always been so naive.
"Tristan", Gerry growls. "Stop lapping up that stuff and go out to the car and get your brother and Olivia's bags."
"Aye, aye, sir." Tristan says, raising a half-empty tumbler to his father.
"Fitzgerald, dear", smiling at her son. "Why don't you take Olivia upstairs to the guest room so she can freshen up? I'm sure she's a bit tired from the long flight. You can rest a while before dinner, Olivia."
"Thank you, Mrs. Grant. That would be wonderful." Olivia is grateful for the woman's suggestion because she has to pee really, really bad.
Fitz grabs Olivia's hand and leads her out of the parlor.
"Mother, Olivia will be staying in my room. We are engaged after all."
"Of course. Of course, dear."
XXX
Olivia takes a quick shower then walks into the bedroom drying her hair. Fitz is laying across the bed reading something on his tablet.
"Babe, how do you think that went? It seemed a bit awkward."
He looks up from his tablet and smiles when he sees her in the short robe revealing her legs. He walks over to his fiancée and wraps his arms around her ass and kisses down her neck.
"I love you so much, baby - with everything that's in me." They begin to make out.
Fitz backs her to the bed and pulls the ties holding her robe closed, revealing her nakedness. His dick begins to twitch.
"Everything will be fine", he says huskily, as he lowers her onto the bed.
"We can't, Fitz."
He slips out of his clothes and stands before her, in all of his glory. He strokes his dick and she licks her lips.
"Please, baby", he moans.
She wraps her full lips around his pulsating member and he moans with pleasure. She runs her soft, wet lips up and down the length.
"Baby, you make me feel so good", running his hand through her hair.
He pumps into his fiancée's mouth getting close to his pleasure, unaware the bedroom door isn't fully closed and someone is watching them.
XXX
Tristan sits across from Fitz and Olivia at the dinner table and watches how attentive his brother is to his fiancée. He watches Olivia scoop the mashed potatoes from the bone china plate and slide the silver fork through her plump lips. His dick quivers because he's seen what those lips can do. He takes another sip of scotch.
"So dear, how did you and Olivia meet?" Anneke Grant asks.
Fitz smiles and lifts her hand to his lips. Tristan frowns.
"The most annoying woman I'd ever met and I knew immediately she was going to be mine."
"Babe", she swats him on the arm lightly. "I wasn't that bad."
"You were, but I used my Grant charm to win you over."
Olivia rolls her eyes and smiles, reflecting on their encounter.
"We met at a conference. Well, after the conference actually", she smiles somewhat sadly.
"So you're also a physician?" Gerry questions.
"No, I'm not. We were at two different conferences that were held at the same hotel."
Flashback – October Last Year
On the third day of the five-day conference Olivia receives a phone call from James, her best friend, informing her Ella, her goddaughter, is in the hospital. Ella apparently fell off the slide at the playground and hit her head. She's in a medically induced coma until the swelling on her brain goes down. Olivia changes her flight immediately to get the first available flight in the morning to Phoenix. She doesn't sleep at all that night. She is jittery all night as she packs her bag and talks with James on the telephone throughout the night.
James and Michael asked Olivia to be Baby Ella's godmother when they adopted their daughter four years ago. Olivia was honored her friends trusted her to be the godmother of their precious baby girl, and she takes her role seriously. She visits Ella weekly at the Beene's and schedules their private play dates and sleepovers at her apartment. They go shopping together once a month and she even taught the little girl how to swim.
The Next Morning
Fitz stands outside of the hotel talking with David, his old college roommate, about their upcoming whitewater rafting vacation in Colorado when the doorman beckons him over to the waiting taxi.
"David, we'll talk soon", he says, looking back and waving to his friend as he pulls his luggage behind him.
"Taxi, taxi!" She shouts, waving her hand in the air. She runs to the waiting taxi and almost knocks down the man pulling his luggage.
Fitz looks at the little dynamo in shock, thinking he's never seen anyone so rude.
"My goodness", she says while sliding into the back seat of the taxi.
Fitz and the doorman look at the little woman incredulously.
"Excuse me, ma'am", the doorman begins. "This taxi belongs to this gentleman. He's been waiting patiently for a taxi for over 15 minutes."
"What?" She's already punching something into her phone and is not looking up.
"Ma'am, I will be more than happy to hail you another taxi."
"No, that won't do", finally looking up from her phone. "I have to get to the airport right away. My flight leaves in an hour and you know how long it takes to get through security these days."
"Maybe you should have gotten up earlier", a no longer patient Fitz says waiting on the sidewalk.
"What? Did you say something?" Looking at the man. "Are you being rude?"
"The only one around here who is being rude is you. So please, get out of my taxi."
Olivia folds her arms across her chest and looks straight ahead. She has to get back to Phoenix as soon as possible. The driver, the doorman, and Fitz all look at each other in disbelief.
"Okay, what are we going to do here?" The driver growls. I can't keep holding up traffic.
The doorman looks at Fitz helplessly.
"Sir, if you want to make your flight I suggest you share this taxi with this - lady."
Olivia heard the doorman's slur and rolls her eyes.
"Fine", Fitz says, reaching for the front door handle as the doorman places his luggage into the trunk of the car.
"Sir, you're going to have to sit in the back, I have all of my equipment on the front seat.
Fitz rolls his eyes again and sighs heavily. He wonders if this day can get any worse. Olivia tightens her arms around her body and slides closer to her door as the disgruntled man slides into the backseat of the taxi.
"So, what airline are you two going to?"
"Delta", they say in unison.
"Delta it is", the driver says, zooming off into the traffic.
XXX
Flight 2673 to Phoenix is now boarding.
Olivia sits in her aisle seat eyeing the empty window seat, hoping no one claims it. Once it appeared that everyone has boarded the plan, she moves from her ticketed seat to the window seat. She hates the aisle seat where people bump into her leg as they go back and forth to the bathroom and the drink cart knocks into her arm rest. She closes the window shade, pulls her mask over her eyes, and settles in for the long and unexpected flight home.
Fitz is delayed boarding his flight because he stopped help a little boy he saw choking on a piece of candy. After opening the child's air passage and assuring the parents the child was going to be all right, Fitz is escorted by an airline attendant down the gangway to board his flight. He looks at his phone to confirm his seat number as he walks up the aisle of the plane. He silently thanks Lauren for booking him a window seat. He hates the aisle seats.
As he approaches his row it seems like someone is in his seat, already asleep and wearing an eye mask. He clears his throat trying to get the sleeping woman's attention, but to no avail. He clears his throat again.
"Sir, you're going to have to take your seat. The captain is preparing for take-off soon", the flight attendant says.
"Someone's in my seat", he says, pointing to the sleeping woman.
The flight attendant looks over at the sleeping woman and gives him an understanding smile.
"Ma'am?"
Silence.
"Ma'am?" The flight attendant says a bit louder, shaking Olivia gently on the shoulder.
Olivia lifts her mask and looks over to see who has disturbed her sleep.
"Ma'am. I'm sorry to wake you but you're in this gentleman's seat."
Olivia looks up at the man standing with a phone in his hand and rolls her eyes at the familiar face.
"Why can't he sit there?" Pointing to her empty aisle seat.
"Because that's not my seat", He says frustrated. "That's not the seat I paid for."
"You're such a baby", she says under her breath but loud enough for him to hear.
"And you're the most annoying person I have ever met."
The attendant looks between the two.
"Do you two know each other?" Thinking she's gotten caught in the middle of a lover's quarrel.
"No!" They say in unison.
"Ma'am, if you don't move right now I'm going to have you escorted off the plane."
"Come on, man, leave the lady alone", someone yells from the back of the plane.
"Just sit down and let the little lady sleep", someone else yells from across the aisle.
"Yeah, sit down so this plane can get going. I wanna get home before the New Year."
Seeing she has the crowd on her side, Olivia smiles slightly.
"Sir?" The flight attendant says.
"Fine", turning a bright shade of red, Fitz huffs and plops down into the aisle seat. These are going to be the worse five hours of his life he thinks.
Everyone on the plane cheers as Fitz takes his seat. Olivia pulls the mask back over her eyes and curls her body toward the window. Fitz looks over at the woman and rolls his eyes; he is livid. Olivia smiles to herself thinking, he sure smells good.
XXX
"Please return to your seats and put on your seatbelt", the voice announces over the PA system. "The pilot says we're going to experience moderate turbulence for the next few minutes - until we get through this storm cell."
Fitz finishes reviewing the MRI file the hospital emailed him earlier, stores the laptop in his satchel, and buckles his seatbelt. He looks over at the sleeping woman and shakes his head wondering if she will sleep through the turbulence. He stares at her for a moment longer and notices for the first time how beautiful she is, even with that stupid mask covering her eyes.
"Hold on folks", the pilot says with his Texas drawl over the PA system. "This is gonna be a bumpy bronco ride for the next few minutes. Don't you worry though, this old cowboy is gonna get us through this storm real soon."
The plane begins to jolt violently and passengers' gasps can be heard throughout. Fitz grips the armrest to steady himself. The constant, rhythmic bumpiness finally jolts Olivia awake and she jumps into the lap of the passenger sitting next to her. Mask askew, she wraps her arms around the stranger's neck, holding on for dear life. First he is uncertain how to react to her, then after a moment he pulls her close and strokes her back soothingly. Olivia stays in his arms until they fly through the storm.
Once Olivia realizes the turbulence is over, she slides out of the stranger's lap and back into her seat, looking embarrassed. She removes her lopsided eye mask and pulls up the shade to see what's happening outside. Fitz stares at the woman wondering how she can pretend she wasn't just sitting in his lap with her arms wrapped around his neck like a frightened little girl.
"I'm sorry", Olivia says, looking out of the window, into the night sky. "Turbulence ... I hate turbulence."
"Me too", he smiles slightly.
She turns and looks at him with wide, frightened eyes. He thinks she looks adorable.
"I'm sorry …" she begins again. "For everything. The last 24 hours have been really stressful. I'm not usually like this - this rude and unsure."
"That's fine."
"It's not. It really isn't", she says softly.
"It's just ..." She rubs her forehead nervously. "I got some really distressing news yesterday and I just really needed to get home." She's fighting back the tears.
"I see", he says looking at her kindly.
"My best friend called me and said his daughter - my goddaughter- was injured and is in a coma. I just needed to get home as quickly as possible. I'm not usually such a horrible person."
"I don't think you're a horrible person at all. You're just dealing with an awful lot right now."
He can't believe the words coming out of his mouth. All morning he thought she was the most rude and inconsiderate person he'd ever met. Now he just wants to take care of her.
"You're being kind", she says, giving him a weak smile.
That smile sealed the deal. He wasn't going to get off this plane without getting her contact information.
"Can I buy you a drink - to calm your nerves?" He asks, staring into her sad eyes.
"No, but I'll buy you one or two. That's the least I can do for making this such a miserable day for you." She gives him a real smile that melts his heart.
"Fine. By the way, my name is Fitzgerald Grant. My friends call me Fitz."
She nods and tests his name on her tongue.
"Fitz", she smiles again. "I'm Olivia Pope", she says, extending her hand to her former adversary.