Disclaimer: Shondaland/ABC owns these characters. But I've taken the Gladiator oath as a writer: #OLITZ4LIFE #JAM

That was a Public Service Announcement for any accidental non-Olitz readers


Fitz stared as the door shut behind Olivia, then he flung back the covers and got out of bed to pull on his pants and go after her.

He found her in the Lincoln Bedroom looking uncertainly at the four-poster bed.

"Appropriate choice."

"Go away."

"Did you know that Lincoln was an unhappily married man?"

"I haven't watched the movie."

"It's not in the movie. Mary Todd Lincoln is said to have made her husband's life a living hell."

At Olivia's darting glance of surprise, Fitz added, "She was described as one of the most detested public women in American history. She had the same problems as Mellie - narcissism and borderline personality disorder. Her son Robert had her arrested and committed to an insane asylum, until she was released after a retrial."

"Okay, you can have this room, and I'll find go find somewhere else." Olivia tried to side-step him but he blocked her path.

"Lincoln is believed to have loved two women – Ann Rutledge possibly the first and great love of his life. She rejected him for another man who later abandoned her. Historians say she and Lincoln became secretly engaged but she died of typhoid fever before they could marry. Then he fell in love with Mary Owens, who rejected him because he lacked social graces."

Olivia gave him a level look. "But he married Mary Todd who made fun of him for eating butter off his knife at the table, and opening the front door himself without waiting for a servant."

That made him grin. "I love how you know that." He drew closer, adding in a slow drawl. "How would history have changed, if Lincoln had married the love of his life; if he'd been able to marry the women he loved, had they not rejected him?"

"You and I probably wouldn't be in this room."

They both fell silent, absorbing the impact of her words, then he reached out and took her hand. When she didn't snatch it away, he tugged her reluctant figure into his arms. "I have waited four years to claim you."

"It sounds like you need a branding iron not a marriage licence," she muttered, avoiding his gaze.

"Livvie, look at me."

"I'm not a cow."

His gust of laughter had her furious gaze fix on him instantly.

"That's not funny!"

"You're cute when you get mad."

"Ugh! Let me go!" She pushed at him.

He let her go but caught her quickly when she stumbled in her haste, and they stood still for a moment facing each other, linked by only his hand on her arm.

As she stared at him, her breathing harsh and visible, he slid his hand down to her wrist to wrap his fingers around her palm.

"Why are you so mad at me?" he asked her.

She looked at him, then she sighed and the tense line of her shoulders vanished into a slump.

"It's not you."

"Okay, why are you mad at you?" When she didn't speak, he added gently, "You knew this would happen eventually, us being together. You said 'yes' when I asked you to marry me."

"I didn't think it would happen this fast. I thought Mellie would keep fighting back. I knew she'd keep delaying, she'd argue about the settlements, she'd demand visitation for the kids, I was so sure she'd drag it out until the re-election. Maybe even after that... but…"

"She died… and now we're here."

"I just... I don't think I can do this..."

"Be my wife?"

"Be First Lady. I don't think I'll be very good at it."

He stepped close, so close that she was leaning against him. "Why would you think that? You've been staying here with me, with the kids after Mellie moved out. "

She sighed, laying her head on his chest. "I was just looking after you. I was in damage control mode. I was trying to be a buffer between her and you and the kids, but now that she's gone, it feels like my job is done."

"You're job isn't done, it's just starting."

"It doesn't feel that way."

"Livvie, I need you. The kids need you. Even the dogs need you. Poppy growled at Cyrus when he tried to pick her up but she comes looking for you for a cuddle when you come home from work. They all wait for you. We need you, Livvie."

"I'm here, Fitz. I'm here and I'm happy with the way things are now. I don't want that to change."

"…Are you saying you don't want to marry me?"

"I do want to marry you. I do, but I don't want to be Mrs Grant."

His hands reached up to cup her face. "If this is about that silly argument we had before about your married name. I was teasing. You're Olivia Pope. You'll always be Olivia Pope, even after we get married."

"That's just it. I won't be, even if I keep my name, I'll still be another Mrs Grant."

"Livvie, that just doesn't make sense."

"I know," she said sadly. "That's my problem."


"What she wore is the trending topic this morning after Ms Olivia Pope, the President's Fiancée made her first official public appearance last night. Ms Pope attended the State of the Union address on Capitol Hill wearing a gorgeous Michael Korrs dress, white with black lace. It's a gorgeous dress, but as the tweeters out there have said, we've seen it before. Here's a photo of Ms Pope in the same dress she wore on the night of the President's Inauguration, almost four years ago. It looked good then as it did last night but what does it say about the economy if the First Fiance has to recycle her wardrobe to that extent, are we heading for a fiscal cliff..."

"I love boots, I go shopping in my boots, but those old boots with that dated dress? Honey, lets all start a collection for that poor woman. It's obvious her allowance doesn't stretch to the designer suits worn so well by the former First Lady, Melody Grant, who died so tragically just a few weeks ago. Now there was a woman who could put the power in a power suit. Her passing will be such a loss to the fashion industry..."

"Is that an old dress? That's what we're talking about today. Not kids killing and getting killed by guns; or the money the government could be channelling into health or education, if tax-payers weren't subsidising minimum wage workers - because that was what the President was talking about last night. But what we're talking about this morning is an old dress and what it means for our economy. Really? There's a link? Someone woke early this morning to join random dots to spot a trend? All I want to know is what the FTSE 100 Index has got to do with the First Fiancee's dress, can someone tell me that?..."

Fitz plucked the remote from Olivia's hands and switched off the TV.

"You looked gorgeous in that dress. I love you wearing that dress," he muttered, hugging her tightly under the covers.

"I loved that you chose that dress. That you remembered the last time I wore it," she said softly, snuggling close.

"It's etched forever in my mind." He kissed her.

She smiled against his lips. "I think I need a stylist."

He drew back sharply. "You don't need a stylist. You've got style. I love your style."

"Fitz, they think we're heading for a financial crisis because of my wardrobe."

"You don't need a stylist. We need a counsellor."

"What?"

He shifted to lean against the pillows, looking at her patiently. "Livvie, we need pre-marital counselling. We need to sort out what's going on with you. With us. I feel like you're running away again."

"Fitz, I'm right here."

"In body, but your mind has packed its bag and put one foot out the door. Do you want to call your friend, Dr Mendoza?"

"I'm not talking about my problems with my friends."

He stared at her solemnly, then said patiently. "I'll find the counsellor."

"I don't want a complete stranger knowing our business."

He stared at her some more and she stared back.

Then the door slammed open and Jerry barged in, forcing Olivia to dive under the covers, so that she was almost decent by the time Karen and the dogs jumped on the bed.

"I'm getting a lock on that door," Fitz muttered, as he and Olivia were covered in doggy slobbered greetings. Then he noticed that Jerry was glaring at him as Karen clung to Olivia.

"What?"

"Why did you make Mom wear an old dress? They're being mean about it on all the gossip sites."

"Yeah." Karen agreed, tightening her arms around Olivia.

Olivia kissed Karen, then reached past Daisy and Darth, to take Fitz by the hand. "I was late, remember? Your dad had to pick a dress, and lucky for me he picked one of my favourites. I didn't mind that I had worn it before."

Fitz smiled at her, then grinned when Jerry said gruffly, "I think you looked beautiful in it too."

"Me too," Karen muttered.

Then the kids scrambled off the bed. "Okay, we'll tell them where to go with their bitchy comments."

"Hey, Jer, Baby K, no!" Olivia called out, forcing the kids to stop in their race out the door.

"Why not?"

"If you respond to negative comments, they'll get worse. Respond to the nice ones. Other kids will be reading your comments, show them you're clever at handling the bad stuff."

Karen and Jerry exchanged a glance, then they nodded and left at more sedate pace, with Rex and Poppy following behind.

When Daisy and Darth remained, Fitz said firmly, "Out." Then more sternly, "Out!" but all they did was wag their tails and lick his face.

Finally it was Jerry's 'walkies' whistle that had the dogs jumping down and racing off, leaving Olivia giggling as Fitz cursed and went to shut the door.

When he came back to the bed, he said, "Get dressed."

"Why?" Olivia pulled the covers up and crossed her arms.

"We're two reasonably intelligent adults, we can work this out."

"Work what out?"

"Us, you, whatever the hell is going on here."

"There is nothing going on."

"Are you getting out of bed?"

She shook her head, then gasped when he yanked off the quilt, then launched himself at her in tickle mode.

"Fitz! Get off me!" she laughed, trying to get away.


"I hate you," she muttered as he dragged her outside. "And it's snowing."

"It's stopped snowing."

"Why can't we talk inside?" she grumbled as they plodded through the snow, leaving deep pits in their footsteps.

"We can't have a snowball fight inside," he said.

She stopped abruptly, her eyes widening in delight. "We're going to have a snowball fight?!"

"Yeah," he grinned.

She tugged free of his grasp and bent to scoop a handful of snow.

"Wait, there are rules to this game," he stalled her.

"How come you get to make the rules?"

"My game, my rules."

She threw the half-scrunched snow mound at him. "That is not fair!" Then she took off giggling as he chased after her.

Their gait was ungainly and when she tripped, he caught her and they rolled around laughing. "You don't play by the rules," he chided, looking into her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"What are you going to do about it?"

He looked at her mouth, then at her laughing gaze, then reluctantly got to his feet, hauling her up after him.

"We're going to play my game first. We're going to make a snowball for what we love and what we hate about each other, and then we're going to hit each other with it."

"I go first right?" Olivia raced off to make her first ball. "Hate or love first?"

"You get to choose." Before he finished speaking, she hit him with handful of icy flakes.

"I hate that you dragged me out here in the cold!" She yelled, then she hit him with another snowball, "But I loved the snowball fight idea!"

When his turn came, he hit her with "I hate how you won't tell me what's wrong! I love you!"

"That's cheating!" She pelted him with another volley. "I hate how you push me to do things I don't want! But I love the way you do it sometimes."

"I hate you for being stubborn and I love you."

"Cheating!" She pelted him again. "I hate that you want me to give up my job!"

"I hate that you're not beside me when I'm doing mine!"

"I don't want to be mannequin!"

"Do you want to marry me?" he threw a snowball at her.

"Yes!" She hit him back. "But I think we should wait!"

"I don't want to wait!"

"This isn't about what you want! What about what I want?!"

"What do you want?! Tell me what you want! Not what you should want!" He lobbed an extra large snowball at her.

She paused as it smashed into her chest. "I want to be me. I want to be Olivia Pope. I want to fix things. I'm good at fixing things, I run a successful business fixing things and I earn good money doing that. I'm functional, Fitz. I don't want to be ornamental."

"So you don't want to get married?"

"I don't know."

Just then they heard excited barking followed by laughter and shouts from Jerry and Karen.

"Can we play too?"

"Yes!" Olivia laughed hugging the kids and the dogs, and then they all had another massive snowball fight during which Fitz managed to laugh and play as if the love of his life hadn't just pushed him off the edge of a cliff.


Fitz managed to keep up the pretence all the way through brunch, without actually talking to, or meeting Olivia's gaze.

When Karen and Jerry said they were going bowling in the White House basement, he watched Olivia escape with Teddy, heading for the Map Room with Daisy and Darth on her heels.

After a moment, he followed too, overriding his initial hesitation at wanting to marshal his thoughts; of needing to have a clear plan of attack before he confronted her again. But watching her walk away, he knew they needed to talk even if he hadn't formed a single persuasive thought in his head.

He stood watching her for a long moment, rocking Teddy in her arms, then he heard her speak and realised even she was at a loss of what to do next.

"This is so complicated. I don't want it to be so complicated." He heard her sigh, kissing Teddy's plump cheek. "I've made your Da mad."

"I'm not mad."

Olivia turned swiftly, her eyes widening at the sight of him leaning against the doorjamb, watching them.

With an honesty that didn't have any finesse, he blurted, "I'm just sad, Olivia. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to say." He inhaled a deep breath. "Do you want to be with me?"

She nodded, resting her cheek against Teddy's head. The dogs wagged their tails.

He came further into the room, closing the door behind him.

"Then we won't get married. We can be partners, together. Here. Just like we are now. We'll have a modern relationship in this old building. Show the people that we're no different to–"

"Fitz…" she interrupted. "Don't…" And then she bit her lip, tears gathering in her dark, soulful eyes.

In an instant he was at her side, gathering her and Teddy in a hug.

"Da!" Teddy chortled, slapping his father's chin as Olivia buried her face in his chest.

"I don't want to imagine a life without you, Livvie. It wouldn't be a life without you," he whispered into her hair.

She rubbed her cheek against his thick sweater. "I'm scared."

He stilled against her. "Scared of what?"

"Scared of turning into Mellie."

Just when he thought they'd manoeuvred past an ice floe, it turned out he'd gone and hit the iceberg.

Fitz drew her away from his chest so he could look into her face. "You are not Mellie. You couldn't be Mellie. It's impossible for you to be Mellie."

Olivia gave him a weak smile, then as Teddy did a little dance in her arms, she moved away to start wandering aimlessly around the room.

"Livvie, talk to me."

She came to a halt, swaying with Teddy in her arms. "I know that part of why you love me is because of what I do. I'm an independent woman. I have my own business. I don't need you for material support. I feel like we're equals in that sense, even though you're the Leader of the Free World and I'm just a Fixer. I don't feel less when I'm with you."

"You're not less. You can never be less," he said hoarsely.

"But don't you see, I spent years building my career, years proving myself, years earning respect and trust. If I gave it up, I'd lose the biggest part of myself that gives me confidence, that makes me feel successful... and then what would I have? I'd just be the wife, craving your admiration and maybe even your attention, while you meet other exciting, amazing, independent career women who'll be more fascinating than me. Presidents, Prime Ministers, Queens, CEOs, astronauts, Olympians, chart-topping pop stars..."

Fitz stared at her for several long minutes before saying slowly, almost in disbelief, "You think that you'll become Mellie and I'll find myself another Olivia Pope."

"Or another Cleopatra or another Marilyn Monroe."

"Livvie." He came up to her, lifting Teddy with one arm, while he gathered her close with the other, wanting to absorb her whole. "There'll never be another you for me. Or another anyone else. I've waited so long to find you – do you think I'm just going to throw you away just like that? Can't you see me trying to hang onto you like a man clinging to the edge of a cliff by his fingertips? You're not stepping into Mellie's shoes, Livvie, you're stepping into your own. You have a place in my heart that's virgin territory; where no one has gone before you."

Teddy chortled when Olivia laughed, but he could tell she was crying, so he hugged her closer.

"I love you." He kissed the top of her head, then felt like smiling when Teddy rested his cheek on the spot he had kissed, prompting an audible sob from Olivia.

Releasing a deep sigh, he held them both, whispering, "I'm not letting you go, Livvie. You're mine. I can't let you go."

When the two dogs whined, Olivia pulled away to stroke their heads reassuringly. Then she straightened, wiping at her cheeks. "It's not you I'm worried about, Fitz. It's being First Lady. From being an independent career woman, I'll be a kept woman in the Crown Jewel of the American Prison system."

"Livvie, I'm enjoying my incarceration ever since you joined me in the Executive Residence Cell Block."

She gave a shaky laugh. "You say the sweetest things."

He grinned, but the grin vanished when she added,"The Office of the First Lady has a lot of traditions and I'm not sure I'm a good fit."

He leaned towards her. "Make your own tradition. Be your own person, Livvie. I'm not expecting you to follow in the footsteps of Eleanor Roosevelt, Mamie Eisenhower or Hilary Clinton. I want to blaze your own trail. Set a new standard here at the White House. Do your own thing. Have a career outside The White House. I don't care."

"You know I can't keep running my business. There would always be the potential for a conflict of interest, like..."

"...Artie Hornbacher." They both said together.

Then Fitz said firmly, "We'll agree on a Chinese Wall – we keep our interests separate. Our working lives separate."

"It won't work."

"We make it work, Liv. If we make it work, we'll shatter the glass ceiling for all future First Ladies with career ambitions outside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue."

Olivia looked at him sceptically.

"Livvie, I want you to be happy, and I want you here, with me and the kids."

"Even if that means I'll end up embarrassing you in front of everyone in my worn-again designer clothes?"

"Maybe Huck and I can come to some kind of arrangement about dealing with your detractors."

She giggled.

"Come here," he said huskily.

"You're holding Teddy."

Fitz held open Teddy's arms, and repeated, "Come here."

She laughed, and came closer to wrap her arms around them.

"Are we good?" He whispered, his lips brushing her temple.

"We're good."

"Gah!" Teddy agreed. Darth and Daisy added a couple of lazy woofs as they lay sprawled on the carpet.

Fitz chuckled, as Olivia snuffled a laugh into his chest, and warmth melted the cold knot in his belly.

"Okay," she said after a while.

"Okay what?"

"Okay, I'll marry you – on Valentine's day."


(A/N: Hellooooo, sooo good to be back (I truly did miss you all!). Thank you soooo much for the votes of confidence… but remember that was only chapter One… potential to crash and burn remains high ;))))) (I say this gleefully!).

So yes, crazy Mellie had a predecessor apparently - the information about Mary Todd Lincoln was taken from the serialised PDFs available on the Knox College website of Michael Burlingame's 'Abraham Lincoln: A Life'. The reference to Mary's mental illness can before in Chapter Six entitled 'It would just kill me to Marry Mary Todd' - this PDF can be found as a stand-alone on Google search. There's another article 'Insane or Just Difficult', on the Mary Todd Lincoln biography by Jean H Baker, which was a book review written by Polly Longsworth for The New York Times on Sep 13, 1987.

And um... I've retired the 3 media commentators in Part I, and brought in 3 new ones - hopefully their 'voices' sound different:)

And much as I'd love to add Michelle Obama to the list of pioneers, she can't exist in this story unfortunately (but her work will inspire Olivia. Just as Fitz is reaping the benefits of President Barack Obama's work!)

BTW, have I said how much I loooooove your comments! THANK YOUUUUUU!