Futile Devices – Chapter II
The iron frame closed on Olivia with a dull clang as the elevator jolted up into life. She fixed her eyes forwards, sensing the gaze of her father's imposing bodyguard from beside her while the low drone of the engine hummed through her small body.
She felt empty.
This was it. She could never have contact with Fitz again. Never stare into his blue eyes, never entwine her fingers in his small curls, never wrap herself up inside his strong arms.
Every time she had told him it was over, every time she ran away, he had only ever been a few steps behind. But now someone else took him away from her.
Now her father had won.
As always.
The elevator slowed into approach, gradually revealing a solitary figure, standing firmly in attention.
Huck's eyes met hers then flicked past, focusing instead on the pair beside her, belonging to the quiet escort. She could feel the tension between the two men rise, the two professionals staring each other down. But Huck was safe now. She had taken care of it. They were all safe.
Olivia stepped in between the two and drew open the heavy elevator door. Huck's eyes remained on the bodyguard behind her as she stepped out, but eventually turned back to her as the iron door slammed and the elevator hummed back to life, leaving them alone in the empty foyer.
Huck stood straight, watching her with a strange mix of grim determination and concern.
"We need to talk." He said simply.
Liv could only nod at the loaded statement. "Yeah." She agreed quietly. "Are the others inside?"
"Watching TV."
She took in a breath. Of course they were. "Ok." She nodded slightly, then turned from Huck and headed to the door of OPA.
The sound of the television hit her like a wave when she opened the door. A table of pundits argued back and forth as images flashed on the screen, memories of her and Fitz, now exposed to the world, hacked apart and analysed. Three figures stood before the large screen, watching intently, when they quickly turned around at the sound of the door.
"I knew it!" Quinn blurted out suddenly.
"How did you get in?" Harrison stepped in to interrupt.
"I knew there was something!" Quinn continued unabated.
"I tried to call but your phone was off - " Harrison remained in gladiator mode.
"I knew there was a reason – "
"There's about 40 press officers camped outside this office right now – "
"This is why Defiance happened – "
"It's time to break out the file – "
Liv could feel her heart rate rise as her two associates talked over each other, vying for her attention, while beside them Abby stood in silence, arms crossed and eyes sharp.
"I need to get changed." Olivia quickly announced, cutting the two short, then turned and headed to her office before they could say another word.
She felt exposed, powerless. Her father had snatched everything away from her then pushed her under the world's spotlight. But she was still Olivia Pope. No one could take that away from her.
Swinging open the closet door in her office, she took in a calming breath as she scanned her clean collection of spare suits, when her eyes fell on the perfect one. White, tailored, strong.
She quickly zipped out her running gear and untied her shoes as the helplessness of the morning slowly began to fall away. Her associates knew the truth about her, but in the back of her mind she knew they would eventually find out. She just had to hope that they would forgive her in the end, but even if they didn't, she would still stand by them. She would still protect them, no matter what.
Olivia slipped on her light silk blouse and fixed her pulled up hair in the mirror when she saw Huck open her door and slip in to her office quietly. She spun round to face him as he remained by the door, standing awkwardly with his hands behind his back, staring down at the floor.
"Huck…?" She asked softly, taking a step towards him, knowing to give him space for whatever he was struggling to say.
"You need to hire security." He muttered, before looking up from the floor and meeting her eyes. "Outside security."
"Huck - " Liv sighed.
"I haven't been myself for a while." He interrupted, his voice more assured. "For a long while. You got compromised, you got hurt and I failed you. I can't let that happen again."
"It won't."
"It will. These people we're dealing with, you know who they are, you know what they can do. A deal won't protect you forever." He stared straight at Olivia, giving her a knowing look.
Liv conceded with a reluctant nod. The thought of anyone from the outside coming into her carefully constructed world worried her, but she knew Huck was right. "So we hire security."
"Until this thing is over. I will find them myself. Good people. Quiet people. People who can be trusted. I won't fail you on this." He stood firm, his voice cracked with hidden emotion.
"I know you won't." Liv smiled sadly, then turned back and picked out her white double-breasted jacket and slid it on like a second skin. With one final look in the mirror, she took in a quick breath and stood up straight, then quickly turned and headed out of her office, buckling down her black buttons as she went.
"The leak came from inside the White House." Olivia announced as she strode out to her associates, who remained standing by the now switched off TV. "But that's the least of our worries now. Because right now there's an army of press embedded in front of this building that we have to deal with. And we need to deal with them together. So any questions you have, I will answer them honestly. Right here, right now." She stood confidently in front of them as they glanced at each other then back at her.
Abby remained firm, arms still crossed. "So, you and the President?"
The admission caught in Liv's throat, but she knew she had to let it out. "Yes." She finally answered, forcing her chin up.
Abby shook her head. "How could you let him use you like that?" Her voice dripped with deep disappointment.
"He didn't use me." Olivia quickly shot out in defence before she knew what she was saying. "He…" She tried to rally herself, but she knew she had to confess it. "We fell in love."
Abby just rolled her eyes while Harrison gave her a dark look and Quinn narrowed her eyes in quiet victory.
Olivia stood taller. She had to keep going, she had to make them see. "Neither of us wanted it, but we fell in love. From the very beginning, since when we first met on the primary campaign. We tried to break it off, I even left the White House, but it never truly ended. Until now."
Everyone looked at her with sudden curiosity at her last two words.
"Now it's done." Liv reiterated. "It's over. And I apologise to you all for keeping this from you. For a long time I thought it was only my heavy secret to bear, but I was wrong. Because you are my Gladiators. You are my family. And you are the only family I have. I see now that hiding this away from you, for all these years, that was a betrayal. It was a betrayal that doesn't deserve your forgiveness, but I still hope I can earn it."
The room fell into tense silence, as they studied Olivia then looked at each other, weighing up their decision.
"I don't forgive you." Abby's blunt voice cut through, her stance confident, but then she shifted slightly. "But that doesn't mean I won't help you. Over a cliff, remember? No matter what."
"Over a cliff." Liv echoed, the weight of those words hitting her with a dull pain.
"If we're going to do this," Harrison slowly stepped in, his voice low and controlled. "We need to find the leak."
"You could hack into the Post." Quinn attempted to offer indifferently, but then gave a small sigh, joining the fold. "I mean I… I could hack into their metadata, see if there's been any increase in particular calls from the White House."
"We also need to schmooze the press." Abbey added, the energy of the room beginning to pick up. "See if there's any curve balls about to head our way. Pictures, recordings…"
"And meanwhile we should leak positive press on Olivia." Harrison quickly joined. "Drip feed them good deeds so she doesn't end up looking like a femme fatale if this goes on for too long – "
"I'm going to put out a statement." Olivia's voice rang out above them, freezing their brainstorm to an instant halt as they all turn to face her.
"What?" Quinn jutted out, startled.
"I'm going to put out a statement." She reiterated, calmly.
"Saying what, exactly?" Harrison tried carefully.
Liv could feel her chest tighten, but she knew this was the only way. It was over. She was moving on. She had to do it.
She took in a small breath and stood firm.
"Saying that I have never had sexual relations with President Grant."
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Fitz listened to the low voice on the other end of the phone with a stern brow. There was still no news on Olivia. The black limousine had been spotting heading north past Dupont Circle, but then all other traces were lost. He gave a small thank you to the agent on the line, then hung up the phone with a heavy sigh. Looking up from his desk, he watched as his staffers jostled around the office like frenzied stockholders. Phones switching with tablets switching with blackberries: all trying desperately to keep the White House bubble afloat, and all in denial that it had already been popped with the single name of Olivia Pope.
He needed to talk to her. Needed to see how she was handling it. Almost since the moment he met her, he had wished he could dash to a podium and announce his love for Olivia, but he knew he couldn't force her into the public eye. She was private enough as it was, she didn't need the world to know about their relationship unless it was minutely timed and strategized. But now that perfect plan had fallen into rubble, a tormenting ghost of what could have been.
He needed to know what she was going to do, he needed to correlate with her. He needed to talk to her.
Standing at the end of the lounge, Fitz's gaze caught Cyrus talking animatedly on the phone before hanging up with a small groan and looking back up at him.
"That was the Vice President's office." Cyrus grumbled in frustration. "The Grand Wizard requests a meeting with you."
Fitz's gave him a dark look. "I am not going to sit through a smug sermon from that woman while she measures out the drapes. Tell her I'm busy. "
"Sir…" Cyrus gave him a look of wordless disapproval.
He knew Cyrus right. He needed Langston by his side through this, or at the very least not stabbing him in the back from behind. "Fine." Fitz relented, grudgingly, and was about to pick up the phone again when one of the doors opened and Mellie stepped in.
The staffers looked up at the First Lady and froze. Fitz stretched his fingers out and leaned on the desk, readying himself for the onslaught.
"Mellie?" He asked, eyebrow raised.
Mellie stood still at the door; hands clasped together, a prim smile straining on her lips. "Can we have the room, please?"
The staffers all quickly turned to Fitz. His wife was the very last person he wanted to deal with right now, but he had no choice, he had to appease her. He gave a small nod of confirmation and his staff immediately collected their devices and hurried out of the office, leaving them alone as he stared down at Mellie.
"I'm not the leak." She spoke out as soon as Cyrus left and closed the door.
"I know you're not." Fitz said with a tired sigh. He knew there was no way she would have gambled giving up Olivia's name since she had such close ties to the White House, and to her. It wouldn't take much effort to question how Mellie could not have known about the affair, and then even less to paint her as compliant with it. No, Mellie would not have risked so much, especially when she was back where she wanted to be.
"Good." She said shortly, surprised by his reply, but then collected herself and took a step forward. "Then we need to go out there, together. We need to make a joint statement and quash these rumours before they gain traction. We've done it before, we can do it again!" Her eyes widened in intensity.
"It's not going to be so simple, Mellie." Fitz let out tersely.
"Why? Because we don't know who the leak is? The leak has nothing. It has a name and that's it. Any other proof and it would have spread through the press like wild fire. We hold a press conference together, we deny any extra marital affair with Olivia Pope, and then it's over. I will make sure it's over. Because you chose me. You chose to serve your country. You chose your presidency. And I am not just going to stand by and watch some side-piece destroy everything we've built!"
Fitz could feel his blood begin to boil as he gripped the corner of the desk tight in his hand and glared at Mellie.
"Mellie," He began slowly, through gritted teeth, trying to keep his voice steady. "I just want to make this one point utterly clear: I did not choose you. I did not choose to go back to you to retain my presidency, nor did I choose to come back because I realised my mistakes. I did not choose you." Fitz let his words reverberate through the office then straightened up proudly. "I chose Olivia. I will always choose Olivia. There is only one reason I am back by your side and that is because Olivia wanted me to. If you want to increase your political status, that's fine, I'm here for you, I'll help you in whatever way I can. But don't go around pretending like I'm some dog back on your leash because I am not. I did not choose you."
Mellie looked stunned at his outburst, but then he watched as her eyes sharpened in realisation. "I should have known." Her mouth twisted into a smug smirk. "You wouldn't think to do anything unless it was the command of your precious Fixer. This is the woman you apparently love so much, the woman you were prepared to give everything up for, this office, your country, your family – but all she seems to do is leave you stranded. She leaves you for dead, the walls of your administration crumbling all around you, and yet you can still stand here and tell me 'I choose Olivia'? You're right Fitz, you're not some dog on my leash. You're on her leash. And she's been pulling tight."
Anger rose through Fitz's chest, but her words didn't hurt so much as the shadow of truth behind them. He did go back to Mellie because Olivia told him to. And she did leave him, yet again. He had let himself fall under the whim of others. He had been pulled back and forth like a human puppet, been manipulated and persuaded and silenced - but he had let it happen. It was his fault, but now it was time to take responsibility. It was time to make his own decision and face the consequences, no matter what.
"Cyrus!" He yelled, eyes still fixed on Mellie defiantly as he heard the side door open.
"Yes sir?" Cyrus peered in, trepidatious.
Fitz gave one more look to Mellie then turned to his chief of staff.
"Set up the press conference right now. I am going to make a statement."
"A statement, sir?" Cyrus asked nervously.
"A statement. I am going to admit to the American People that I have been, and still am, in a relationship with Olivia Pope."
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NB: But wait Fitz! Bad idea! Or Liv! You stop too! Oh wait, I'm writing this damn story – why the hell am I shouting at my own plot?
*stares suspiciously at her fingers*
I think my digits have a mind of their own….
But enough about my world-domination-planning fingers, back to the story! So yeah, still trying to sort things out. Shonda left things in quite a mess so it will be a while till we iron everything out now. And my severest apology for how late this chapter has been. You guys have been more than amazing with your reception of the first two chapters (like more amazing than the amazing race. And the amazing spiderman. Like jawdrapping, heart swelling amazing) so I really hope this offering pleases you.
If it does, or if it disappoints you, or if you want me to shut hell up and keep writing, or if you just want me to shut the hell up completely: Please review! For those who read and review are gods among gods because they give this lethargic monkey the spark to carry on with this damn thing. So thanks!