Disclaimer: I do not own Scandal (or How I Met Your Mother)
Chapter Four: The One With the Purple Elephant Mug
Present Day - 2025
Jerry sighed, "Dad, while this is all thoroughly interesting," he lied, "you really aren't telling us how you met Mom. You've told us how you met Aunt Mellie. Who you and Uncle Jake apparently hated. Can we please fast forward however many years to get to Mom so we can go. I want to meet up with Elise tonight." He whined.
Fitz rolled his eyes and looked down at Olivia knowingly, "I'm getting there. You're almost to her first big entrance." He paused, "Now where was I?" He asked.
"Jerry had just shown up at the hospital with Mellie." Olivia reminded him, "And hurry up, I've only got fifteen more minutes before the timer goes off."
"Oh right." Fitz sighed, "So like I said, Mellie was standing right next to Dad. Uncle Jake was not thrilled to see either of them."
February 2003
"What the hell are you two doing here?" Fitz snapped.
"Son, you were in a PoW camp in Pakistan, what do you think we're doing here?" Jerry asked.
"Oh Fitzgerald," Mellie cooed as she floated to his bedside just as a nurse walked in, "I'm so thankful you're okay." She placed a kiss on his forehead before turning to the nurse, "How long until I can take him home?"
The nurse smiled understandingly, "We're going to keep him for observation. And he's still dehydrated. Captain Ballard, what are you doing in here?"
"Just wanted to see my good friends Big Jerry and Mellie. Plus I thought my face was the first on Fitzgerald would want to see when he woke up." Jake replied, "Was I wrong?" He asked in mock concern.
"Not in the least." Fitz joked back.
"A sense of humor, that's good." The nurse smiled warmly at the two men. "Well you two need to get some rest, Captain Ballard, let me help you back to your room."
SCANDAL
"Jerry he should stay in the hospital." Carol crossed her arms petulantly.
"Carol," Mellie began.
"Ms. Hulsey," Carol corrected, "I go by my maiden name and I have not approved of this marriage myself so you may not call me Carol." She corrected.
"Ms. Hulsey," Mellie flushed scarlet at the correction, "technically I am Fitz's power of attorney and medical contact. I think he should be moved to a private facility here in California where I can stay with him while he finishes his recovery."
"So he can run for Governor." Carol finished, "He doesn't want to marry you or run for Governor."
"He's already agreed to marry Mellie. It's official, Carol." Jerry interrupted before stalking away.
"And I am moving him to a private facility." Mellie replied stiffly.
Present Day - 2025
"Dad, why didn't you do something?" Jerry asked, "You were a grown man, weren't you?"
"Oh yes, he was nearly thirty and he was still letting them control him." Olivia piped up, "The real reason they wanted to move him was to keep him from Uncle Jake, whose family couldn't afford a private facility and he was going to be released soon anyway and move back to New York with them where they could help him with the remainder of his recovery."
"It's okay though, son, we're getting to the good part now." Fitz smiled and looked over at Olivia, taking her hand in his and pressing a kiss to the back of it.
April 2003
"I'm going to repeat myself just one more time," Fitz began, "I have no interest in running for Governor of California. I have no interest in politics at this point in time at all. I want to practice law and teach night courses. I've made up my mind. And I want to do it in New York. On the East Coast. Away from you," he pointed to his father, "and you." He pointed to Mellie, "near Mom and my best friend."
Fitz watched in amusement as Big Jerry turned three shades redder before replying, "You have already had your six years of freedom, it's time for you to start to focus on the career you're supposed to have. As a Grant. It's your responsibility to this state. And so help me God, I will cut you off. You won't like paying for a New York City apartment without money."
July 2003
"I have no idea what to get her." Fitz muttered as he moved through the department store. "The woman has every fucking thing she could want."
Jake Ballard rolled his eyes and laughed, "You do know you're marrying her, right?"
Fitz glared at him, "I haven't officially asked her yet." He reminded his friend.
Jake shook his head, "If you don't want to marry Melanie Carmichael then why are you planning to?"
"You heard my father." Fitz reminded him.
"Fitz, you don't want to run for Governor of California." Jake nudged his shoulder, "So don't. Don't run and don't marry Mellie. I'm telling you, the woman is an ice queen. Is the sex even that good?"
"Oh, she knows what she's doing." Fitz winked at him.
"Gross, man." Jake rolled his eyes, "Okay, so why am I here exactly?"
"To help me find a birthday present for her. She's turning twenty-eight tomorrow."
"And you're shopping in a department store for your almost fiancee when she's super rich and you're super rich?"
"My father is super rich, I'm not super rich." Fitz reminded him.
"That's something only rich people say." Jake rolled his eyes, "Look man, she's going to be expecting something like jewelry."
"I hate shopping." Fitz muttered.
"Me too, and this isn't even for a girl I'm fucking. So if I can suck it up, you can too. Come one, let's see if they have something that may not look too department storey in the jewelry section." Jake shoved his friend forward, knocking him into a willowy red head.
"Hey, watch where you're walking." The red head snapped.
"Sorry ma'am," Fitz tipped his head at her, "Jake watch where you shove me." He snapped.
"Idiots." The woman rolled her eyes, "Livia!" She called out, flagging down a woman in a white sundress with bright red wedges on.
"Hey, Abs, sorry I'm late. Cyrus went on forever and ever and ever about some campaign that's going to take a miracle to win because the candidate won't propose to his girlfriend and blah blah blah. So not interested, but we're meeting up with him again later today." The dark skinned girl yammered on as she approached.
"Hey man," Jake leered, "that sounds like you. Isn't that blood pressure neurotic dude named Cyrus?"
Olivia's eyes moved over Abby's shoulder to the two military men standing behind her, "I'm sorry, but was I speaking to you?" She asked rhetorically, "I think not. Come on Abs, I need to find some mugs and you said you need place mats?" She asked.
"Yeah, let's go." Abby rolled her eyes at the two idiots, albeit sexy idiots, behind her.
"It was nice meeting you too, Red!" Fitz called out before shoving Jake with a laugh. "Alright, you've talked me into spending too much money on a woman I don't like. Let's go."
Jake paused and looked back at the two women, "Let's go look at coffee mugs and place mats."
Fitz paused and rolled his eyes, "Okay which one, the red head or the one in the white dress?"
It was Jake's turn to roll his eyes, "I saw the way you were looking at the one in the white dress, let's go find them. She could totally be your replacement and then you won't marry the ice bitch."
"Ice queen." Fitz corrected.
"Same difference." Jake turned Fitz's body toward the home goods department, "Now march, soldier."
"Sir, yes, sir." Fitz replied with a salute and a grin before taking off in the direction of the two women.
Fitz and Jake came to a screeching halt when their targets came into view, "What do we do now?" Jake asked.
"Seriously, man? This was your idea." He rolled his eyes and stepped forward, "I don't know what I'm looking for." He said rather loudly, causing the red head and the woman in white to look over at them.
"Did you two pervs follow us here?" The red head snapped.
Fitz and Jake looked at each other and slowly shook their heads. "We're just looking for," Jake started.
"This." Fitz picked up the first item in his reach, a purple coffee mug with a giant elephant on it, "I need one of these." He said.
"A purple coffee mug? With an elephant on it?" The woman in white questioned.
Fitz looked down at the child's cup, "Yup." He turned to Jake, "Let's go, man." He shoved his friend, taking the cup with him.
Present Day - 2025
"That's how we ended up with that mug?" Karen asked.
"I figured someone got that for us." Jerry shook his head. "Such a lame move, Dad. You seriously need some game."
"Hey, I have game. I did snag your mom, didn't I?" Fitz asked.
"Not because you stalked Aunt Abby and me and then bought that mug." Olivia pointed out.
"I'll never get rid of that mug, and now you two have to promise to keep it in the family after we die." Fitz shook a finger at them.
"Yes, Dad." They chorused as the timer went off.
"Well, that was a great story, we're going to go finish our game now." Jerry stood up, picking the basketball up with him.
"Oh it's not over. I had no idea who your mother was at that point. We're just getting started."
"Wait until I get back." Olivia requested as she stood up and walked into the house.
SCANDAL