"Mels…" he mumbled, laying down on his wife's bed. "Mels, you have to wake up." Fitz kissed her on her cheek.
"Mmm… Five minutes." Mellie covered herself and smiled. He started to kiss her neck and his hand touched her breast. She didn't complain and he became emboldened, he leaned in to kiss her lips, but when his lips grazed hers, she opened her eyes. "Do you know how many times I've wished to wake up like this?" He shook his head and smirked before kissing her again. But Mellie stopped him. "And you know what always happened?" Fitz frowned. "I looked at your empty side of the bed and I counted how many times you named other woman while you were dreaming." He tried to say something, but again, she interrupted. "And you know what was the worst part? When I try to imagine that at night you come back and make love to me, your wife. Because at night, my dear, you weren't there either and I had to close my eyes and try not to imagine you fucking your whore. So, now, I do not think about you and me like that."
"Mels… I… Mellie I've apologized."
"Wow… Fitzgerald, you have apologized, that erases everything! All the nights crying, all the times I needed someone! You have apologized!" He took her hand.
"Please Mellie, I'm trying to please you."
"I'm not going to fall again. Because you'll go again and I'll break again. And I'm so broken already, I can't do it anymore."
"This time is different." Fitz was about to say something when Mellie laughed. "What?"
"It's you and me." She said, imitating his voice. "Mels, I promise." She laughed again. "And then you kiss me, don't you? I know this scene and no. It's not you and me, it's not you kissing me."
"Mellie! I've said I'm going to fight, that I'm going to earn you! I told you yesterday! Why are you laughing? Don't make fun of me! I love you!"
She stopped laughing and stared at him. "What?"
"I'm going to earn you."
"No, the other thing."
"I love you. That's the only thing I care about, I do love you." He said. It was the first time he said that to her in years. "And I meant it. What happened? Last night you seemed so happy about the things I said."
"Nothing has happened, it's just… is this your way of getting me back?"
"No! Of course not." He was a bit angry. Mellie hadn't ever been so difficult with him. "But please, stop the fight, I've made you breakfast, c'mon, it's getting cold."
She was being defensive. She was afraid. She couldn't just let it be. But she was starving, so she grabbed her robe and went downstairs with him.
"Pancakes and coffee for my little darling. Look, I haven't forgetten your orange juice. And take your phone, you'll have lots of emails and text you'll have to respond to now because you won't have time later."
"What?" She stared at all the food that was on the table.
"Don't ask. Just do it, Mels." She smiled, he was really trying. "I'll be right here in a minute to have breakfast with you."
When he left, her phone rang. Benjamin, again.
"Morning, beautiful." He said.
"Hi, Ben."
"I was thinking about coming to Virginia and spending this lovely Saturday with you, would you like that?"
"Actually… I can't."
"What? Why? It's Saturday, you can't tell me you have to work on a Saturday."
"No… It's not that, Fitz's still here and he just informed me that he's made plans for us today."
"For the both of you?"
"Yes, Benjamin, for us. It sounds weird to me too."
"Well, after seeing today's newspaper I don't know what to think." Mellie started to look for the newspaper and found it on the couch. She saw a picture of Fitz grabbing her, kissing her with the title 50 Shades of Grant. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"What should I tell you?"
"That you and him are still together."
"Benjamin, we're married, of course we are together."
"You know what I mean."
Mellie took a deep breath and looked around, checking to see if Fitz had come back yet. "Listen, I'm not having this conversation. I'm with Fitzgerald, he's my husband, I'm his wife. But I appreciate you, I like being with you. Maybe you don't understand, maybe you think I'm a bitch for this. I'm sorry, but the things that happens between me and my husband are not changing because of you."
He didn't hang up, he sighed. "You are right." He said after a while. "You are married to him." Then he hung up and Mellie threw her phone. She got mad at him. He had no right. He knew everything.
"Mels!" the phone almost hit Fitz on the head. "What's wrong?"
"What? Nothing. I'm sorry."
"I'm ignoring that. Okay, I have a surprise for you." The First Lady tried to smile and her husband waved his hand. Mellie truly smiled when she saw her surprise.
"Mommy!" Teddy and Karen entered the kitchen. The little boy ran to hug her, and Karen followed him. Maybe she didn't have the mother gene but she loved her children. The three of them. Fitz took a photograph with his cell. He wanted this moment to last forever.
"Guys, we should eat." Fitz said. Karen nodded and took a pancake.
"I like this house mom. And I love the decoration. More than the White House. This house is more like you, more like us. You should live here after dad's term is over."
"About that…" Mellie blushed. "I don't know if I should say it, but…" She looked at Fitz and he nodded. "Maybe we have to stay there." Karen frowned but she got it.
"I knew it… Oh mom I'm so happy for you! You are gonna be the best President ever!" Mellie chuckled and Fitz coughed. "Sorry, dad, but it's true."
"It is." He sighed and looked at Teddy. "What's wrong Teddy bear?"
"I don't like this house." Mellie frowned.
"Why?"
"Because when mommy is here daddy is sad and doesn't play with me!" his parents looked at each other. Karen felt uncomfortable. She felt sad for a moment, for her little brother. She looked around, they needed a new topic of conversation. Karen found the newspaper on the floor.
"What's this…" Mellie ran and took it, interrupting her daughter. "Mom, I can search with my mobile phone."
"Fine."
"Oh god…" she said, looking at the picture of her parents. "Really?"
"I think they could have choosen a better title, you're not like Anastasia Steele at all." Fitz said, trying to make fun. Mellie raised an eyebrow.
"Of course I'm not. But you aren't like Christian Grey either."
"Guys! I would live better without knowing you two have read those books."
"I haven't." Fitz answerd quickly. Karen stared at her mom. "Mels…?"
"I think I'm going to have a shower."
Fitz chuckled and Karen opened her mouth. "Do not say that during your campaign."
Her father waited until he heard the shower. "What do you think?"
"I don't know, I think she liked the surprise."
"Are you helping me?"
"Dad… I love you, but mom…"
"I just want us to be a family, a normal family, I promise, Karen, please, I love your mom." Fitz took her daughter's hand. "Do it for your brother."
"And Olivia Pope?"
"How do you…"
"Dad, please, I'm your daughter."
"She's getting married."
"Who broke up?"
"I did."
"Why?"
"I don't know if this a good subject for us."
"Do you want my help?"
"Yes."
"Then I want to know everything. I need to know if you deserve mom's pardon."
"Okay…" Fitz began to tell the story.
Olivia came to see me, as usual, late at night. I was in the Oval, waiting for her. It was two days after my wedding anniversary. I felt so connected with Mellie that night, I saw my girl again, and I know she saw her Navy guy too. I was smiling, looking at our wedding photo, when Liv came in.
"Hi." I said.
"Hi."
I looked at her, but I felt strange. It was weird. I looked around and I felt Mellie staring at me. And I felt the pain, in her eyes. She was only in pictures, but I felt her pain. I didn't understand what I was feeling.
"What's wrong, Fitz?"
"I… I don't know." She kissed me and I felt worse. "Liv… I'm sorry."
"What?"
"I know you've made me choose and I've chosen you, but…"
"Have you screwed you wife again, is that?"
"No… But I haven't been completely honest about Mellie." Olivia frowned. "I didn't choose you."
"What…"
"Let me finish. I love you, Olivia. You've been my everything for the last seven years, and I'm grateful for that. That's why I can't do this to you. I can't. Or more important, you can't. You can't spoil your life with me because I'm not giving up on my life or my family. I'm not giving up on Mellie. Maybe we are not in a romantic relationship right now, but I do love her. And I'm not leaving her."
"Of course you aren't! You are the President, you can't leave your wife and run away with me!"
"Olivia, I don't care about the presidency. I care about a woman who has given me her whole life. Don't you see that? Maybe you think this is like the movies, maybe you think we are going to be together, no matter what. But it's not. I may be the villain of your story, and it hurts, but I won't be the villain in Mellie's story, not any longer. I can't let it happen. Not after all she has gone through because of me and all she has done for me." I wasn't sure about everything I had said, I didn't know if Mellie would agree with everything, but I was sure about not leaving my wife for Olivia. I saw clearly when she kissed me. Olivia didn't say anything. She was just staring at me. "I'm sorry for wasting your time."
"I haven't wasted my time."
"I want you to be happy. And I can't be the one who makes you happy." I hugged her, then I stood there and watched her leave.
I looked over at Mellie's picture. And it was like she was smiling at me. I thought about everything I'd said. And I realised I felt everything in my marrow.. I just had to figure out how to tell Mellie. Then I remember what she asked me. What she said to me. She asked me to be friends. And she meant it. I was going to do it for her. I was going to be just her friend. And I was not telling her anything about Olivia. The future was only ours. And who knows what could happen.
Karen stared at her father. He looked sincere. But there was something she couldn't understand, why would he change his mind about their relationship?
"And what happened then?"
"Nothing."
"Dad, you want her back. As you wife… Oh my god I can't believe I'm talking about this." She dropped her face into her hands, covering her eyes. The hot blush burned her cheeks.
"Okay… But I need you to promise you won't be mad at your mom." Karen looked up and nodded. "Your mother's ex fiancée showed up."
"What? But you had been together since you were born!"
"Her high school boyfriend. And apparently he's attractive, tall, blond…"
"Mom was dating Senator Taylor when she was in high school?"
"How do you know…"
"Dad, I'm seventeen, I have eyes and I see the news, he's like the hottest senator ever." Fitz frowned. "Sorry, keep going."
"I… You need to stop growing up. Anyway, as you, your mother finds him attractive. And he appears to find your mother attractive too, I don't blame him, of course. And they…"
"I get it." She said quickly not wanting to hear anymore.
"So, I can't be your mother's friend anymore, because now I know I can't be just his friend, I want her. I know it's horrible I find out like this, but I do." Karen blew out a breath and shook her head. Her parents were so smart but when it came to matters of the heart they were so dumb. "So, are you helping me now?" Karen nodded. And Fitz smiled. "Is he really that attractive?"
"He had been chosen the hottest politician in Europe at least three times."
"It was because I wasn't in Europe." Karen chuckled.
"He's going to win the hottest American politician this year, dad, I'm sorry."
"Does that even exist?"
"Not officially, but it does."
"And who won last year? Me?"
"Who won what?" Mellie suddenly said, coming into the kitchen.
"Apparently, there is something called American hottest politician, can you believe it?"
"Oh, honey, I'm sorry you didn't win last year."
"You knew about this? And who the hell won?"
"I did." She said with a big smile on her face.
