Mellie sat in the living room of the residence writing out thank you cards for all the recent baby gifts they'd received. She didn't look up as Fitz entered the room. They had both become masters at faking it in public, but in private it was a different story. Mellie could be downright evil. Her words usually dripping with venom and always ready with some taunt about Liv. Fitz was a little disarmed to be greeted with her silence. Would tonight actually be somewhat peaceful. Before he could even complete the thought, Mellie began to speak.
"We just keep getting the loveliest gifts. Everyone is so excited about 'America's Baby'. I'm writing out these thank you cards because it would be impolite not to respond, just like it was impolite to miss holding your wife's hand during her sonogram this morning." She finishes the sentence with a flourish as she signs her name to a thank you card. She looks up at Fitz from her seat on the sofa.
Fitz hangs his head as he sighs…and so it begins. He bites his lip before responding as he thinks of a response that may keep the situation from erupting into something bigger. He looks at her. For a second he plans to just apologize for forgetting and escape to bed, but he needs some outlet for his pain, the anger that's been building up inside him, and who better than the bane of his existence.
"There weren't any cameras around so I didn't think I needed to be present. Our little farce is fine for the public, but I'm not going to play it in private as well." He stares at her coldly welcoming her response. He's itching for a fight, something that would leave him good and tired and make it easier for him to sleep. He can already see the indignation and anger marring her facial features. He can always count on Mellie to rise to the occasion.
"Fitzgerald Grant don't you forget why there is 'America's Baby' to begin with. I saved your ass. I saved your presidency. Do you think I want another baby. You think you can just walk in here and pick a fight because of some lover's spat that you and your precious Olivia are in the middle of you are sorely mistaken…"
Fitz cuts her off before she can continue. He wants to make her hurt as much as he does. He knows he can be callous towards her, but he usually tries to avoid the personal jabs, but tonight he wants to inflict pain. There is a calculated coolness to his words that Mellie has never really heard before.
"You know I'm quite tired of you always bringing up Liv when you're arguing with me. It's getting old Mellie. You want to know the truth, when I look at you pregnant and I think about that child…I wish it were Olivia here and not you. I wish she was the one carrying my child, my REAL child. Instead I'm stuck with you, stuck in this sham of a marriage because it's my duty, but let's not act like I'm the only one that put us in this position. You had a hand in it just like I did. So I'll continue to play my part, smile, and be the doting husband and father in public, but let's not kid ourselves. If you choose to keep throwing my relationship with Liv in my face I will throw it back in yours. I don't think you'd like that very much so I suggest you stop. I'm going to bed."
Mellie is stunned by his words. Tears silently slip down her face as Fitz turns away from her heading to one of the bedrooms. She does not try to stop him. He tugs off his tie as he heads down the hallway. Even though the lie fell easily from his lips, he wasn't going to give Mellie the satisfaction of knowing that he had called things off with Liv. He knows what he has told her about the possibility of the staff spreading rumors if it's found out they are sleeping in separate bedrooms, but he doesn't care. Let the press corps find out. Once he enters the bedroom he leans up against the door as he closes it and let's go of the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. After it's all said and done he feels like shit. He's never been great at the mud-slinging. That was always Mellie's department. He thought lashing out at her would make him feel better, but it didn't. It only made him feel worse, but he couldn't go apologize. Not tonight, not now. He'd make it up to her some how.
Why was it, even when she couldn't see him he always seemed to be trying to be good for her. He knew that if Liv had seen him tonight, she would have been disappointed in him. She'd tell him that he was better than that. He felt shame wash over him. The thing is, she wasn't there to see and probably never would be again. Why did he need her so much? Why did he love her so much? He dragged himself over to the bed and sat down cradling his head in his hands. For the first time since he had let her go, he finally let himself go, let his emotions have their way. His body shook with the force of his sobbing. He sat on the edge of the bed and let the emotion drain from his body, let his hurt and pain exorcise itself and as he did so, some of the tension eased from his muscles. He laid back on the bed and slept, maybe not peacefully, but fitfully for the first time in a long time.
Olivia always liked to be a little early to meetings. She felt it gave her an advantage. She sat on the park bench scoping out the pedestrians and passers-by as she waited for David. She had even managed to snag herself a green tea on the way. She sipped slowly from the cup peering over the rim. Out of the corner of her eye she caught David approaching her wearily. He was no longer sporting the stubble that he had worn the last time she had seen him. He is even wearing a suit again despite no longer working as the Assistant US Attorney.
David sits down next to her on the bench.
"Olivia." He acknowledges her with a tight, closed expression to his face. Olivia is silent still as she sips on her tea, still not looking at David. He turns to her.
"Olivia, you asked me here, remember." He says agitated. Olivia lowers the cup to her lap and finally turns to David.
"I thought I had been pretty clear about you not taking this any further. So, since it seems that you are intent on digging until you get some answers. I'm willing to help you get the answers that you're searching for, but only on the condition that once I do this that you will drop it."
"How do I know that I can trust you? How do I know that you're not just leading me down the wrong rabbit hole?" David asks her, eyeing her suspiciously. What's she up to? He believes that Olivia has good intentions despite whatever she has her hand in. She wears a white hat after all. That he's sure of, but he has to know what she is apart of and how high up the cover up goes and what else she may be helping to cover up.
"You don't. You just have to trust me. We do this my way or not at all. No questions asked. When I tell you to do something you have to do it. If at anytime I feel like you're not following the instructions that I give you this is over. Understand?"
David looks into her eyes for a long time before finally nodding his assent. He's willing to play the game for a while.
"You can go now. I'll be in touch." She resumed sipping her tea. David did not like being dismissed, but he slowly got up from the bench and walked away. As soon as he was out of sight he dialed a number.
"I don't know what she's up to, but she's going to help me get some answers. Can you come by tonight?"
"That's more than I'm getting here at the office. Yes, I'll see you tonight," says Abby on the other end of the line. David hangs up and continues walking.
Olivia sits for twenty more minutes on the bench leisurely sipping her tea and making sure that she has no tail before getting up and walking away. She doesn't completely trust that David will follow her directions so she will be cautious. She throws the empty container in the garbage can as she walks to the hospital. Verna should already be there getting her chemo therapy. Her phone vibrates in her pocket. She pulls it out to check the caller ID and sees Edison's number staring back at her. This man was relentless. She clicked a button to send the call to voicemail and continued on her way.
Verna was already seated flipping through a magazine receiving the treatment when Olivia walked through the door. Neither one said anything as Olivia took a seat. Olivia had been coming and sitting with Verna the last few treatments. She had told herself it was to keep her friend and mentor company during her private ordeal, but she realizes some of it has been because of her own loneliness. She remembers their last conversation as she pokes around in her purse before finally settling back. She readjusts her position in her seat. Verna still did not speak continuing to flip through her magazine as if Olivia wasn't there.
Olivia stole a glance at Verna. Why did this woman make her feel like her mother used to when she was a teenager and had done something wrong. She had not even looked in her direction, but Olivia was ready to confess all. Olivia may not have Stephen any longer, but with a clarity she had not realized, she knew Verna was the confidant she'd been looking for. She slowly raised herself from the chair and as she did so the tears slipped down her cheeks before she could kneel down in front of Verna. She rests her head on Verna's knee; her body still tense. Verna looks down at Olivia. A motherly expression crosses her face as she slowly rests her hand on Olivia's head. The tears now come rapidly as Olivia cries on Verna's knee; her body has relaxed. Verna smooths out Olivia's hair and lets her cry.
After about thirty minutes Olivia lifts her face to look at Verna.
"He let me go." She rests her head back on Verna's knee as she cries a little louder. Verna leans back in her chair as her hand stills on Olivia's hair. She closes her eyes and sighs, feeling sad that Olivia is hurting. She had tried to warn her, if only she had listened.
Olivia's tears finally dissipate. She knows that some people would seek out answers after a confession like the one Olivia has just given, but Verna knows her better than most. She asks no questions, knowing that if and when Olivia is ready to talk, she will. Olivia gets up from the floor as if nothing has transpired between them. She brushes out her pant's leg and sits back in her chair wiping the tears from her face. She gathers herself before looking at Verna.
"I've put the plan into action with David. Let's see if he takes the bait."
"Hollis will be happy to hear that. Now we just have to sit back and hope it works." Verna gives Olivia a small smile and they both settle back into a comfortable silence.
I just have to thank my fellow Gladiators for all of your enthusiasm and support. This would not be possible without your love and encouragement. Thank you for all of the wonderful feedback and reviews. You guys have brought me to tears so many times. I'm so humbled by the response you gave my writing. I hope I continue to do the story justice. I wish I could make the promise that I will have a chapter up every day, but as this plot gets a little more intricate and requires a bit more thinking it may be more like 2-3 days, but we'll see what happens. Just know that everything that has happened in the show up until this point still holds true. Obviously as I move forward it will be my own interpretation, but I'm always going to try and be as true to the characters as I can.
