Chapter Four

"Ms Pope." There were two soft knocks on the door carried out intermittently, it couldn't be Huck because he was never that timid. Quinn was more apt to break in if Olivia ignored her for this long, and Marcus would simply get Huck or Quinn. She knew they weren't here. She had sent them on errands, she can't remember for what but they were important at the time.

She had no idea how long they'd been gone either, how long had she been on the floor?

"Ms Pope?" Again a female voice with two timid knocks. This was the tenth time this person had knocked she needed to answer, they usually left her alone after three or four tries.

"One second." She finally manage to rasp out after clearing her dry throat twice.

"Okay." She could almost feel the relief of the person behind the door.

She stood brushing her shirt off and kicking her abandoned blue blazer under the bed. She swung the door open after she made sure she looked presentable, no red eyes like the last time.

"Yes, I'm sorry what can I help you with?" She was very polite in asking but she saw the young woman flinch and clutch the flies she had in her pale hands closer to herself. She was definitely a college student, a blonde haired, blue eyed young college student looking to make a place for herself in politics. She had friends like that once.

"Um, I'm sorry to disturb you, Mrs Grant said you were busy, but there is a problem in the lobby, it's under control and has been taken to on of the private offices. There's a lady that refuses to leave without seeing you. She disguised her self as one of the campaign volunteers and was caught sneaking up to your floor by on of the security guards." Olivia struggle to hear and understand the words out of the girls mouth, because every syllable was punctuated by an um or a stutter.

"Okay, give me a moment." She shoved her foot back into her pumps, forfeiting putting on her blazer over her white blouse and grabbed her key before stepping into the hallway with the petrified girl.

"So how long have you worked for the campaign?" Small talk always brought people out of their shells, Olivia wasn't particularly interested.

"Um a month now, I like it." The statement hung in the air for the rest of the walk and the elevator ride.

They got to a door that was marked Manager, after ducking into a section of the lobby marked off as employees only. However Olivia couldn't hear any commotion coming from behind the door they were stopped before.

"Thank you, I'll take it from here." The girls shoulders sagged with relief before she turned to dash away, but Olivia's words slowed her to a stop.

"You might want to not be as expressive with your fears in politics, you make easy prey." With the end of her statement Olivia pushed down on the handle that let her into the small office.

"I'm sorry for the delay, I was busy, what seems to be the problem?" The man behind the desk stood upon Olivia's entry, but the other individual in the room stayed seated. From the back, her dark hair was streaked with strands of silver, that brushed against dark tan shoulders covered in freckles. There were thick straps to the top the woman was wearing that were very colorful in the drab brown office decor.

"Ms Pope, it's simply a small altercation that took place. I'm afraid this lady managed to breach the volunteer protocol and was caught loitering in the halls. She revealed once she was caught she was looking for you. I'm sorry to have to drag you down her for something this small, but before I could stop the young woman she had gone to get you. The police will be here momentarily to deal with this."

"That won't be necessary, I told you I know Olivia, she's like a daughter to me." The sound of the woman's voice immediately took Olivia to a place of warm comfort and summers under a gazebo with four beautiful women.

"Aunty Rain?" Olivia voiced held all the shock in the world as the tall willowy woman stood and turned to face her god daughter.

"Olivia." The way her aunt said her name made a shiver run up her spine. Rain's slanted light brown eyes collided with Olivia's soft doe ones and the questions in them railed against Olivia and almost broke the dam of emotions she held back. She quickly dropped their stare causing Rain to furrow her brow and purse her lips.

"The police won't be necessary, thank you for alerting me. I'll take it from here." Olivia spoke quickly and walked to shake the older mans hand before turning to face the door and walking out.

"I'm sorry I had to cause such a hocus in your facility, I'm actually not usually this crazy, I was just desperate I hope you understand." Rain's words to the man halted Olivia's walk toward the lobby, she had forgotten how honest and truthful her Aunty Rain was.

"Olivia, wait for me." Rains voice carried down the short corridor as she watched Olivia walk away from her.

She stopped and whirled around, "What are you doing here?" Her voice was sharp as she folded her arms and looked around to make sure no one was looking at them. It was a short hallway and they were its only occupants

"What do you mean what am I doing here. I'm here to see you of course." Rain walked closer to the woman who had been once been the little girl she gave piggy backs too on their walks to her gardens.

"How did you know where to find me?" Olivia asked running her palm up the arch of her neck where she cupped her throat before turning away from raised brow her aunt sent her.

"No offense Olivia, but the whole country knows where to find you. Your brilliance as a political strategist made sure the sisterhood is something most American's are rallying around. I personally find it foolishly childish." Rain reached over and touched the middle of Olivia's back with her thin fingers, but as soon as contact was made Olivia stepped forward and opened the door that would allow them to walk into the lobby.

"You call it childish I call it making a President." She picked up her previous pace, but she could hear the even pace of her aunt following her. She didn't pick up speed or slow down, she was steady like that, at least she had been when Olivia was a child.

"I'm really busy with the campaign now and I'd be happy to spend time with you but there is no time so I sorry but we have to say good bye here." Olivia didn't know how to handle the sudden intrusion that was Rain. She pushed the elevator's button several times to call it, not bothering to turn and face one of the few people she had had to let go in her quest for power and success.

"I know I know you better than this, so I'm not going to waste my time giving you five of them, I'm gonna stick to two. Two; You are acting a sore version of silly that I haven't seen since your mother got involved with your father and I will not hesitate to slap it out of you like I did out of her. One; you better check yourself quick, because giiirrrl you are walking a thin line between a smack in the face and a read that I was saving for a civil conversation." Rain did not even look winded after she just spewed her quick words at Olivia. The deep breath that Olivia took and the hitch that came with her exhale, however told her her target was hit pretty cleanly.

"I'll be busy with the campaign you are welcome to hang around as long as you want." The elevator's door slid open along with Olivia's softened voice. They both stepped in and rode silently to their chosen floor with their gazes fixed on each other. When the doors to the elevator reached the campaign floors Olivia stepped out but stopped briefly at Rain's words before walking down the hall at a more moderate place.

"I look forward to your challenge my Olive."