Disclaimer: I do not own Scandal

Chapter Ten

And bring on all the pretenders

Four Days Later

Olivia turned off the television in her office. Every news station only seemed to be reporting her visit to James Madison and Billy's trial. It was almost as if the escalating amount of terror attacks cross the globe didn't matter. Or the men and women who died in the Middle East each day. Or the healthcare bill Fitz was working on with other members of the House and Senate to lower premiums, deductibles, co-pays and make healthcare easier to access. Or the insane deficit Fitz was trying to balance. Basically anything other than her hospital visit and these trials felt more important at this point.

It made Olivia borderline crazed.

"Liv, you've got to stop watching this. You gave your testimony. It's out of your hands now." Stephen set a mug of tea on Olivia's coffee table. "All you can do is wait for closing arguments and the jury's decision."

"Until Elizabeth North goes on trial next month. Followed closely by Andrew Nichols' trial. And at some point, Big Jerry will go on trial and all hell will break loose." Olivia sighed. "It doesn't end, Stephen, it's never going to end."

Sitting down next to Olivia, he placed the teacup directly in her hand. "Drink. Calm down." After she took a few sips he continued. "I know it doesn't end, but you have to learn to live during the quiet moments. This is a quiet moment. So," he took a deep breath, "drink your tea and pick a damn nursery color and prep for your big gender reveal with Kim. Alright?"

Leaning down, Olivia picked up the color boards, flipping through them slowly. "You know what?" Stephen shook his head at her question. "I really hate interior decorating." She grumbled. "We should just go with and pick an accent color after we know the gender."

Shaking his head, Stephen's eyes crinkled as he chuckled at her. "Not everything can be white. And I don't think America will appreciate you not giving Peanut, America's baby, the most adorable nursery ever."

Olivia smacked him in the stomach hard enough to make him grunt. "I really hate that everyone is calling is calling Peanut America's baby. America was not in the room when Peanut was made. It was just Fitz, Olivia and Tequila if I recall correctly."

"Well unfortunately America has also staked claim to Peanut. She's everyone's baby now."

Rolling her eyes, Olivia muttered, "When Peanut is a boy I'm going to tell him you spent all this time calling him a she."

Patting her knee, Stephen replied, "I'm going to do the same when she is in fact a girl."

SCANDAL

"Well this certainly feels familiar." Olivia and Fitz turned from their quiet conversation in the corner at Kimberly Mitchell's voice.

Smiling, Olivia pulled away from Fitz. "Hi, Kim!" She greeted the woman like the friend she was quickly becoming. "I'm so glad you're the one doing this." Olivia murmured as the two hugged. "And thank you for the flowers. They were beautiful."

Pulling back, Kimberly tucked a wayward strand of hair behind Olivia's ear. "I'll admit, when I heard you were at James Madison I panicked. I finally got in touch with Stephen and he updated me. So I'm going to ask this and I want an honest answer from you." Kimberly waited until Olivia nodded, "Are you sure you want to do this interview? Because you've been under a tremendous amount of media scrutiny these days and the last thing you and Peanut need is more invasion of your privacy and stress."

Olivia gave Kim a soft smile. "I so appreciate your concern and that this is an option, not a requirement. But we need to do this. The people need to know I'm healthy and that Peanut is going strong as well. Plus they'll all want to know the nursery color and the gender." Olivia rolled her eyes. At Kim's hopeful look she murmured, "Yellow, a very soft yellow."

With a nod, Kimberly murmured. "Alright then. I'll make sure we're all set up and ready to go."

SCANDAL

Olivia and Fitz sat together on the small sofa with Kimberly in a chair right across from them. So far the interview had gone smoothly. Working with Kim was easy. She kept the questions pointed enough to give the viewers what they wanted to know without putting Olivia and Fitz on the spot. Especially in regards to their private life. And her reaction to the color yellow picked out for the nursery had been wonderful.

She even volunteered to come help paint the room herself. Apparently she could free hand a kick ass giraffe.

"So," Kim waved around a plain envelope. The envelope that held their baby's gender inside it. "Are you both ready to find out if Peanut is a boy or a girl?"

Olivia and Fitz locked gazes before nodding together. Fingers clasped over Olivia's belly, they kept their eyes on each other as Kim pulled the small slip of nondescript white paper out of the envelope.

Kim held her breath for a moment to keep her audience on the edges of their seats.

"Peanut is a girl."

SCANDAL

"Let the record show," Stephen held up his flute of champagne, "that I was correct and Olivia, Peanut's own mother, was wrong about her gender. To Uncle Stephen."

The room groaned at that. "To Peanut." Abby corrected sharply.

"To Peanut." The room agreed, ignoring Stephen's grumbling about always being right.

Olivia groaned as Stephen continued to needle her about being wrong. "I'm never going to live this down, am I?"

Fitz chuckled and draped his arm over her shoulders. Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, his response was muffled by her hair. "Knowing Stephen, probably not. And he will definitely tell Peanut over and over throughout her lifetime that you called her a him."

Olivia let out a harrumph at his words. "Think we could deport him?" She finally asked. Fitz loud laughter and shake of his head was her only response.

The party continued on around them in the Residence living room even after a very tired Olivia excused herself to turn in, intent on checking on Jerry one last time.

"Be honest, Fitz," Kim came up behind him, "how bad is it?"

Quietly, Fitz led her to the two wing chairs in the corner of the room. "She's a wreck. The trial and the fear from it is driving her mad. And nothing I say or do seems to calm her down. This was the most relaxed she's been in weeks. To be honest, Stephen picking on her has been wonderful for her soul. It's lightened her up a bit more."

Kimberly chuckled, her eyes landing on Stephen and lingering there for a moment before turning back to face Fitz. She shook head to clear it and refocus. "It's something else. Something more. I can sense it. It's like a ghost haunting her. And it's following Abby and Quinn too. I promise you everything in regards to our friendship is completely off the record. Always. Now," she paused, "how can I help?"

Fitz watched as David popped open another bottle of champagne. "I need information on a name." Kimberly nodded. "Keep it under wraps." He paused again. "The name is Jake Ballard. Former Navy. I need to know everything about him since he left the Navy."

"This has to do with Olivia's kidnapping, doesn't it?" Fitz bowed his head in acknowledgement to her question. "Then why haven't you asked Huck to look into it for you? He's far more equipped when it comes to hacking."

"We think he's somehow involved." Fitz and Kimberly both turned their eyes to where Huck was sitting in the corner talking to Olivia's parents. "Maya and Eli Pope, too."

SCANDAL

XOXO

MAF