Disclaimer: I do not own Scandal
I've been praying, Lord don't let me walk through life empty and alone
Olivia took a steadying breath once she'd cleared the first round of security to get onto the White House grounds. Closing her car door and locking it, she glanced up at the big white house that the most powerful man in the world lived and worked. She'd be working here, too. "Well, here's to a fresh start." She murmured, walking up towards the staff entrance.
An hour later she'd cleared security and was standing next to SSA Hal Rimbeau. "You ready, Ms. Pope?" He asked.
Olivia looked up, "Huh?" She asked.
"Are you ready? President Grant is waiting for you." He motioned to the big white double doors that led to the Oval Office.
Olivia gave him a timid smile, "Yes, I'm ready."
Hal knocked at the door and they heard a vague, "Come in."
Opening the door for her, Rimbeau stood right next to her, "Mr. President, Ms. Pope is here for you." He motioned to Olivia.
Fitz looked up from the file he was hunched over at his desk. His eyes landed on Olivia. She was dressed in a cream colored skirt, a black silk blouse, black pumps and a matching cream colored blazer. "Ms. Pope!" Fitz smiled and stood up, "It's so nice to have you join our team."
Olivia stepped forward, "It's nice to meet you, Mr. President." Olivia held out her hand to shake his.
Fitz nodded, "You as well, Ms. Pope." He glanced over at Hal, "Thank you, Hal. That will be all." Hal nodded, sent her a parting smile, and left them alone. "Please, Ms. Pope, have a seat." He motioned to the sitting area. Olivia nodded and followed him around to a chair across from him. Fitz leaned back and studied the young woman in front of him for a few moments. "So, from a law office on the Upper East Side to a secretarial position in the West Wing. Why?"
Olivia had anticipated this, "I wanted a change and to get involved in politics."
Fitz leaned forward, "If you wanted to get involved in politics, why didn't you just join a campaign or find a senator or congressman to work for?"
Olivia shrugged, "Or I could go directly to the West Wing." She smiled, "And I know that it's more than just a secretarial position. To handle your schedule, to type up minutes, it's quite an involved process, is it not?" She asked archly.
Fitz chuckled as he studied her, "I suppose so." He stood, "Well, then, Ms. Pope, welcome aboard."
Olivia nodded, "Thank you, Mr. President."
SCANDAL
Olivia spent the morning getting acquainted with the computer programs she would be working with, most notably the online calendars.
"Honestly, Leo, I can handle this." Olivia looked up as a willowy redhead and a man approached her desk.
"I'm here to provide back up." The man grinned at her.
"Back up meeting with the President? Are you joking? You're ridiculous. Go help stop a war some place." She tried to shake him. She came to a stop in front of her desk, "Hi, I'm Abby Whelan, Director of Communications. This is Leo, he's an ass. Is the President in?"
Olivia opened her mouth to respond, but Leo ran over her, "Please, I'm not an ass all of the time."
"Not now, Leo, is he in?" Abby asked.
Olivia cleared her throat, "Yes, let me just see if he's available." She rounded her desk and knocked on the door. When she heard his welcoming voice, she poked her head in, "An Abby Whelan and Leo are here, Mr. President. Do you have a moment for them?"
Fitz chuckled, "I guess you got your welcome to the chaos of the West Wing with those two." He shook his head, "Send them in."
Olivia nodded, "The President will see you now." She murmured, opening the door wider, shutting it behind them.
SCANDAL
"And you must be the new girl." Olivia looked up from her mug of tea she was preparing.
"Excuse me?" She asked.
The man shot her a wide, disarming grin, "You're the new girl, the President's secretary." She nodded, "I'm Billy Chambers, Chief of Staff for the Vice President." He held out a hand.
Olivia pushed herself up off of the counter, "Olivia Pope."
"So, how are you settling in?" Billy asked, skirting around her to reach for the coffee pot.
Pouring the water from the kettle into her mug, swirling her Twinings Lady Grey tea bag around slowly, "Yeah, I think so. Everyone's been very welcoming." She looked up when chaos blew through the door.
"You are a misogynistic ass." Abby Whelan screeched. "And you," she pointed to a man Olivia hadn't met, but she recognized as Attorney General David Rosen, "are no better."
Billy rolled his eyes, "Ab, you're not making a very good first impression on our newest higher." He motioned to Olivia, who dropped her eyes to the floor when everyone turned to face her.
"Oh, so you're the new girl!" David Rosen approached her, "I'm
"David Rosen." Olivia looked up, "I know, you were a bold choice on the President's part. A good choice, but a bold and dangerous one. Personally, I was surprised the VP went along with it."
Billy chuckled, "The VP is a team player." He offered lamely. Olivia merely shrugged.
"Well, if you know who I am, then perhaps you'd like to introduce yourself." Olivia held out her hand, "Olivia Pope."
David paused, "Not like the attorney Olivia Pope, from New York. You worked at Purcell & Flanagan?"
Olivia cleared her throat, "One and the same." She turned and made sure the kettle was empty and dry, before picking up her mug, "It was nice to meet you all."
When she rounded the corner, she leaned against the wall and took a few deep breaths before making her way back to her desk.
Billy, David, Abby and Leo watched as the kitchen door swung shut behind her. "That was a little," Leo paused, "odd?" He questioned.
"Yeah, I'd say so. She's not much of a social bug, is she?" David asked.
"Don't know, just met the girl." Billy pointed out. "She seems pretty quiet. She's still settling in, you know?"
"I guess, hey, can you tell Leo that he's an ass?" Abby requested bluntly.
SCANDAL
"Ms. Pope?" Fitz called out from his place on his sofa, through the open door to his office.
Olivia stood up and moved to stand in the doorway of the Oval Office, "Yes, Mr. President?" She asked.
"Come on in," he waved her in. When she sat down, he smiled brightly at her, "So, how was your first day?"
Olivia smoothed down her cream skirt, pressing out invisible wrinkles, "It was fine."
Fitz watched her hands move methodically across her skirt, "Just fine?" He asked, his voice slightly teasing.
"Oh," she smiled softly, "no, it was a good first day." She paused, "Is there anything else you need, sir?"
"No, that's it. I'm going to head up to the Residence." He stood up, "Have a nice night, Olivia."
She nodded, "You too, Mr. President."
Fitz watched as she left, the door to the Oval shutting behind her. She seemed like a mystery. She was hard, something had made her hard and cold. She was hurt, she'd been hurt and she was carrying that around with her on her shoulders, weighing her down. This was a fresh start for her, he hoped that worked for her. When he tried to have a fresh start, it backfired.
Sighing, he rounded his desk and picked up his coat, shrugging into he realized he wanted to know what it was that hurt her. He was curious. Shaking his head, he flicked the overhead lights off and shut the door firmly behind him.
SCANDAL
Olivia poured the bag of popcorn into a big bowl and added a little bit of salt. Opening up a fresh bottle of wine, she poured a large glass and made her way to her living room. Flicking on the television, she surfed until she found the news. Leaning back on her sofa, she tugged her sweater tightly around her body. Her first day had gone well. She knew she could do this job well, she hoped she could lose herself in it.
When her cell phone rang, she reached over and idly picked it up, "What?"
"Hello, Olivia."
The chuckle that reverberated through the phone caused her to drop it to hardwood floor by her feet. She stared at it like it was a snake about to bite her.
And in a way, maybe it was.
SCANDAL
XOXO
MAS
