Hope everyone is enjoying their holidays. Merry Christmas Eve to those of you on the East Coast! Lots of Olitz goodness in this one – enjoy!
Seven
He was about ready to crawl out of his skin; the constant click of keys, the rustling of papers, the televisions running at a constant clip as a low hum in the background. It was all pushing on his last nerve. She was so close and yet so far, so close that he could just reach out and touch her and yet – he couldn't. Every nerve in his body set on edge from their brief touch the night before. It made his skin itch, his head swim and vision blur.
There was a poor attempt at conversation before she was off and running from him again – he couldn't take it anymore.
"I'm married-"
"I know!"
"I'm running for president, I can't"
"I know! I don't want you to."
"But – just… stand here with me, for one minute. Let's not go back in there or talk or think. For one minute we just stand here and I'm not the candidate and you're not the campaign fixer. We're just us. One minute, for one minute… just stand here with me." He pleaded softly.
A pause, followed by a heavy sigh.
"One minute,"
15 seconds – Her defenses began to fall away.
30 seconds – She knew she had begun to fall.
45 seconds – Every reason as to why not, turned into every reason as to why.
Just before she was completely lost, the door opened and light began to flood the space surrounding the pair.
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She groaned softly as light began to flood her vision, her lashes fluttered weakly.
"Ms. Pope, are you alright? How are you feeling?"
Her eyes continued to blink rapidly as her tongue shot out to lick at her dry lips.
"Tom," she rasped softly.
"You have some scrapes and bruising as well as a concussion. They want to keep you here overnight for observation. He is on his way up, should be here within in the next minute or two."
It was then she caught sight of two large men clad in suits and long dark coats who were headed directly toward her room. Eyes wide, she felt her body begin to shake slightly when Fitz appeared and slowly made his way into her room.
"Thank you, Tom. We'll be speaking." Fitz said, his eyes never leaving Olivia's prone form.
The world then fell away, all he could see was his precious Olivia, his sweet baby curled up in a hospital bed looking impossibly small. In the distance he could hear his men leave the room and the door close behind them with a soft click. With a tentative hand he reached out to gently touch her cheek and his heart broke as she shied away from his touch.
"Hi," he whispered.
His resolve broke when her lower lip began to tremble and her body began to curl in on itself. He then lowered himself onto the bed and wrapped his arms around her form before nuzzling into her neck. It wasn't a beat later when her arms came up around him, grasping at him desperately her entire body trembling. With one last squeeze he leaned back to look into her eyes, his right hand once again moving up to cradle the side of her face.
"You here," she whispered.
A small smile curled on his lips and he leaned forward to press a soft kiss to her forehead.
"I'm here," he said softly, his lips brushing her brow lightly.
A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she collapsed fully back onto the bed.
"You need to rest; there will be plenty of time to talk later. Sleep sweet baby." He said softly as the fingers of his right hand gently stroked her neck, his left busy cradling one of her tiny hands.
He continued to sit with her as she fought off her exhaustion but he knew it would be a losing battle and within the next minute her eyes had fluttered shut and breathing began to even out. Another smile curled on his lips as he gently ran his fingers through her hair before he made careful movements to get up from the bed, not wanting to disturb her.
As soon as his back was to her, the smile fell from his lips and his eyes became hard.
What the hell had happened and where the fuck was her detail?
He then stepped from the room with a soft click.
"Tom, talk to me – what happened?"
"It's my fault sir. I stupidly misjudged-"
"Stop, I don't want to hear that. Just start from the beginning. We'll go from there."
"Full detail on both Peregrine and Snoop as requested sir. There was nothing amiss almost until it was all happening. Peregrine went about her day as normal, the only anomaly was when she came home instead of her normal routine of wine, popcorn and BNC it was wine, popcorn and some very loud music. Snoop was a different story. He was strung out all day, constantly looking around as if waiting for someone or something to pop out at him. It seemed his worries weren't all in his head. He was shot dead at the scene. Professional hit but they didn't make a move toward Peregrine, except in a poor attempt to subdue her. Of course that particular threat has also been neutralized."
"I don't like this. Ballard was clearly after more than what he was originally brought on for. I'm sick of this double agent bull. I want to know what the hell he had his hands in and why someone would want him dead for it. Tonight was too close of a call. I'm no longer content with just surveillance; she gets full detail from now on. I don't care what we need to do to make it happen."
"Sir, if she were to return to the nest detail wouldn't be a problem. Mister Beene is afforded full detail as your Chief of Staff. Ms. Pope would also easily be cleared as one of your top, trusted and most closely guarded advisors."
"Make it happen, she'll have no choice at this point. I'm sick of this nonsense. Olivia is coming home whether she likes it or not. She's resting quietly now, is there a place-"
"There's a private waiting area just off her room, sir"
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It had already been a good two hours since he'd arrived at the hospital. He was now settled into what was quite possibly one of the most uncomfortable chairs ever created. However, he wasn't moving. One of the agent's sole duties tonight was to keep an eye on her as she slept. He was to be notified if her eyes so much as fluttered. A cup of bad bitter coffee and the financial times were his current and only company – not that he was complaining as he saw a thundering dragon make its way toward him.
"Fancy meeting you here,"
"You know what happens if a board nurse or an arrogant doctor tweets that the president, the same one that was shot in the head ten months ago is in the hospital in the middle of the night – markets panic, reporters swarm, DEFCON levels change!"
"Cats and dogs will finally get along,"
Fitz couldn't help the thrill of dark pleasure that ran through him at Cyrus's exasperated eye roll.
"Sir, you have no idea how much damage control this requires. The lies I've had to tell James Madison in order to replace their staff on this floor with military personnel who won't tell The New York Times that the President of the United States is here on a late night booty call."
"A booty call – Cyrus, really!? Livie was attacked and nearly killed tonight. I'm here; I'm staying here until Olivia is discharged because that is what you do when someone you love is in the hospital. You're welcome to wait here with me, run whatever kind of interference you think is best but I'm here." He said firmly.
A heavy sigh and shake of the head was all the reply Cyrus gave as he settled into a chair, adjacent to the president.
"Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt,"
"Tom,"
"One of her people, a Harrison Wright attempted to gain access to Ms. Pope – we blocked him per your orders. He did leave the premises but she did receive a phone call from him. It was brief but she seemed distressed afterward. I've sent a team to her offices to see if there's anything going on we need to be aware of."
"Good, is she still awake?"
"No sir, she's now sleeping."
"Thank you, Tom."
Once Tom had left, Cyrus couldn't help but sit forward.
"Sir, what's this about Olivia almost dying? What the hell is going on?"
Fitz was well aware that he had been freezing out his Chief of Staff for nearly the past year. The betrayal of Defiance and loss of Olivia were too fresh and raw but at the end of the day Cyrus Beene was supposed to be the guard dog, the gatekeeper – what he wasn't supposed to be was the damn puppet master. That was something he was going to have to make abundantly clear if he allowed Cyrus back in.
"You've been out of the loop for a long while now, Cyrus. Mind you that's not an accusation, it's an observation and that's because I've worked at making sure that you were on the outside looking in."
"Sir,"
"Things have been changing and are going to keep changing Cyrus – probably at a very rapid pace for a little while. This isn't the time for anymore bull or back room deals. You're either Cyrus Rutherford Beene MY Chief of Staff and on my side or… just simply not."
"Sir… I know it may not have always appeared as such but I am always in your corner."
"There's too much to discuss here but to simplify, Olivia has been under my protection and surveillance for the past seven months. The guy I had initially brought in to watch her turned out to be dirty. While he's no longer an issue something bigger is going on, Tom and his team, are handling clean up and trying to dig deeper into what exactly is going on. Olivia will also be returning to the White House even if only in a consulting capacity after this whole debacle has settled down – no arguments."
"Of course sir, though I will admit I'm now left with even more questions than answers."
"I'm sure; it's why we'll discuss everything at length a little later. Now I want to check on Livie."
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Fitz woke with a start.
"Mister President, the doctor is here to see to Ms. Pope."
As the doctor made his way into the room Olivia began to wake up. This of course gave the star struck doctor a moment to gush over meeting the current sitting President of the United States. It wasn't long before the doctor gave the all clear for Olivia to go home. Fitz then followed the doctor to the door and asked Tom for the clothes he had requested for Olivia earlier.
"The clothing you came in with was a mess with blood and everything. I had Tom retrieve these for you."
"You can go," she said softly.
"You don't dismiss me."
"You're having me followed! Watched!"
"I love you."
"Stop saying that! You're having me watched! There is no way Tom and his guys could have shown up that way if you weren't watching me, god you probably figured out a way to get cameras into my apartment." She then caught the look on his face at her words.
"Oh my god, there are cameras in my apartment!? That's not love!"
"You have to understand Defiance and you leaving changed me – it changed me Livie."
"You – you think Defiance didn't change me? What you said, the things you said to me the day of Verna's funeral didn't change me!?"
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale one more time.
"Stop, we need to stop. You are recovering and I don't want to do this here. Let me take you home and then we can talk. We need to talk Liv."
She then sucked her lower lip into her mouth and began to nibble on it nervously. Without a word she grabbed the clothing and headed for the bathroom to change. When she emerged wearing a pair of lululemon still pants in navy topped with a thin long sleeve white thermal, she looked entirely too small and young. Her hair was a wild mass of natural curls that shined in the sunlight as shifted her weight nervously.
"Okay," she whispered.
"Okay?"
"Okay you can take me home and we can talk – but I have to make a stop first. That's not negotiable."
"Where?"
"My offices, I have to handle something with Huck."
"Fine, Tom will follow you up – that's the deal or I don't let you out of the car until we're back at your place."
She gave half hearted shrug in acknowledgment before moving toward the door, he then caught her around the waist before dropping his coat onto her shoulders and helping her slip her arms inside the sleeves.
He then pressed a soft kiss to her temple as he led her from the room.
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Although she had been released nearly eight hours earlier she still felt weak and tired despite having slept off and on for most of the day. She was currently curled up at the end of her sofa snuggled into a rather large afghan with a cup of tea to her right and Fitz settled in at the other end of the sofa to her left.
"You fell out before we could even get in the door, Huck okay?"
"Uh yeah, Quinn and Harrison said they would make sure he made it home okay. Quinn also said she'd stay with him. I'll give them both a call a little later." She said softly.
"Good, I always liked Huck."
"What… what are you still doing here?"
"Olivia you were attacked and nearly killed, no way in hell was I running off as soon as you were released. We also still have yet to have our talk and we both know there's a lot to say – although I'm hesitant to get into anything that heavy right at this moment."
"You were having me followed."
"Yes,"
"Why?"
"Sweetheart, you left me. Finding out about Defiance was devastating but then you leaving - you leaving after my misinformation about it. Well let's just say I didn't handle that well. I've said it to you before but you always seem to conveniently forget the fact that, you own me Olivia. I'm not sorry I decided to have you watched; you might have died last night if it wasn't for that. I love you Olivia."
"That's… that's not normal, it's not-"
"Baby we are not normal, we are never going to be normal. Olivia it's time to face facts and stop playing games. No matter how I got here, I am the President of the United States. You are the formidable and astonishing Olivia Pope. Whether you like it or not we are without a doubt two of the most powerful people in Washington and we happen to be in love. You love me, I know you do and I worship the ground you walk on."
"Fitz," she whispered helplessly.
"I'm long finished with other people running the show, including you. I love you, I'm in love with you – I would move heaven and earth to give you whatever your heart's desire might be but I am also the President. You are mine; I am not spending anymore time away from you. So as of now you will have round the clock Secret Service Detail, no arguments and you will be coming back to work for the White House."
"Now wait just a second!"
"Stop, I would never look to take you away from your business. You built it from the ground up, it's yours. I would never ask you to choose but you will be returning to the White House even if only in a consulting capacity. This will allow for you to have detail without arousing suspicion. You will answer the phone when I call and we will be working on our relationship."
"Do I get any say at all?" She asked sarcastically.
"Of course you do, I want us to be in this together – finally. We need to be, we should be a team but Olivia no more of this saying one thing and doing another. That is over."
With a sigh she collapsed deeper into the sofa and looked over at him with tired eyes.
"You've thought a lot about this."
"I've had ten months to do nothing but think."
A loud and large yawn was her response.
"You need to sleep and I do have to get back, at least for a little while." He said with a chuckle.
"How were you able to say out this long anyway?"
"I'm the President," he said with a smirk.
He then stood up and moved over her, he leaned down to press his lips to hers. One hand went to the back of the sofa to brace himself, while the other reached up to rest on her neck. Slender hands came up to cradle the sides of his face as his tongue begged for entrance. A soft sigh and a few soft kisses later he pulled away and smiled down at her.
"Rest,"
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Tap
Tap
Tap
A quick glance at the clock told her that Fitz had barely left an hour or so before. In that time she had managed to fall into a light doze.
Who the hell would be at her door at this time of night?
A quick look through the peep-hole her world came to a screeching halt.
"Hello Bumblebee,"
"Dad…"
End Seven
Wow! I love take charge Fitz. That man was in the Navy and is the President of the United States – he's got that alpha male hiding somewhere in there – it's sadly been awhile since we've really seen it on the show though. What the hell is Papa Pope doing on Olivia's doorstep? Your guess is as good as mine lol
