A/N: Here is a long update for you all. Hope you all keep reading and enjoying and reviewing.
2 Weeks Later
"Melody what's wrong with you girl?" Maeve came into Mellie's room and questioned her about her sullen behavior.
"Nothing mom I'm just not feeling well."
"I get that, but that is not entirely what's wrong with you." Mellie took a deep breath. "Don't try it Melody."
"Mom please just let me work through this."
"What has he done this time?" Mellie stood and walked to the window seat in her bedroom. She stared out of the window looking over the expansive land of her parents home. Mellie thought back to much simpler times when she would sit in the window and dream about the fairy tale life she was hoping would come true. Her life was the furthest thing from that and she had no one to blame but herself. Her mother warned her about Fitz, but she didn't listen. One of the few times she didn't listen to her mother and it lead to destructive consequences.
"Mom why doesn't he love me?" Maeve gasped and came to sit next to her daughter. Mellie looked at her mother, eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"What did he do sweetie?" Mellie took a deep breath and looked back out the window.
"I think he took her to the house in Vermont." She said softly. Maeve suspected something like this when her cleaning crew found a necklace at the house in Vermont. She didn't tell Mellie of her suspicions because she didn't want to upset her. Maeve pulled Mellie to her chest and she let go of all the pent up emotions. Maeve had enough. Fitzgerald Grant had hurt her daughter one too many times.
3 Days Later
Maeve lied to Mellie and Woodrow telling them that she had to go out of town on business in all actuality she was going to pay her no good son in law a visit. She strode into the reception area of the Oval Office and walked past Fitz's secretary Lauren.
"Excuse me he's in a meeting." Maeve kept walking like she didn't hear what she'd said. She opened the door and stopped in her tracks when she saw who he was meeting with. Her eyes narrowed.
"Maeve what are you doing here? Is Mellie with you?" Fitz stood from the sofa. Maeve didn't speak as she walked over to him and slapped him with all the anger she'd been holding in for over twenty years. She slapped him with the fire of a mother that was tired of her daughter being hurt. Fitz grabbed his face stunned.
"What was that for?"
"I told you if you hurt her one more time I'd hurt you." Fitz looked over at Olivia.
"This isn't what it looks like."
"I'm not happy to see this trollip here, but that's not why I'm here."
Olivia stood from the sofa. Fitz gave her a warning look, but she ignored him. "Excuse me, but if you are going to call me names at least don't do it to my face."
Maeve spun around not believing this woman's audacity.
"I'll call you names to your face, behind your back and any damn way I please. What are you going to do about it?" Maeve stepped closer to her and Olivia looked at her stunned. "If you know what's good for her Fitzgerald you'll have her get out of my sight." Maeve stated through clenched teeth never breaking her icy gaze from Olivia. Fitz motioned for Olivia to leave and she took his direction. Maeve eyed Olivia until she left the office closing the door behind her.
She spun on Fitz as soon as the door was close. "You are a lying piece of shit. I should have taken the opportunity to get rid of you long ago, but she loves you and I tried to give you a chance. That's over now Fitzgerald."
"I have no clue what you think I've done."
"I know what you've done. You took your whore to our house in Vermont." Fitz's face went ashen. He was stunned silent. "From the look on your face and the fact that you probably just shit your pants I know that it's true." He closed his eyes momentarily to try to compose himself.
"Does she know?"
"Bitchgerald Can't of course she knows why else would I be here!"
"Maeve it's not what you think." Fitz stepped away from her. She walked back into his face.
"You aren't a lying piece of shit that took his whore to his wife's parents house and fucked her? What did you tell her that you bought the house for her?" Maeve stated snidely. Fitz fail silent again. She laughed, but it was without mirth.
"Mellie and I were in a bad place at the time and I made a stupid decision to take Olivia there. I have changed and I look forward to her coming back home so I can show her that I've changed."
Maeve burst out laughing. "She's not coming back to you. Are you a fucking idiot? I'd sooner lock her up in the cellar than let her come back to you." Maeve stated her accent caressing every syllable.
"That's not your call."
"She may be an adult, but she will always be my baby and I will do whatever is necessary to protect her."
"Like having Andrew come to North Carolina? To what seduce her?" Fitz tried to shame Maeve, but she was far from shameful.
"What's your point?" Maeve stated unfazed. Fitz knew that he had to try a different tactic.
"I love her please don't do this."
"I'm not doing anything. You did this, you made your bed now you'll lie in it. I warned you that if you hurt her again I'd hurt you. The only thing that's keeping you breathing is the fact that you are president if not I'd have you snuffed out for good. My daughter and grandchildren would be better off without the spawn of Big Gerry in their lives." Fitz's eyes widened. He knew that Maeve didn't like him, but he never knew how much she hated him. To the point she wanted him dead. He had to fix this mess. He wasn't sure how he was going to do it, but he had to.
Maeve arrived back home and acted as if nothing transpired between her and Fitz. She went in search of her daughter.
"Hey baby how are you today?" Mellie was laying in bed with a cold compress over her forehead.
"I've been better mom." Maeve sat on the bed and rubbed her daughter's stomach. Mellie laughed slightly. "I'll never grow up to you will I?"
"No you'll always be my baby and I'll do anything to protect you."
"Like send Andrew here to try to seduce me?"
"Yes because I feel he's better for you than Fitzgerald."
"And you would probably be right." Mellie said sounding defeated. "How was your trip?"
"Productive." Mellie looked at her mother.
"I need to go to D.C." Maeve figured this was going to happen. Mellie wasn't the type to hide out.
"If that's what you think you need to do to have closure, then I support you." Mellie stood up and hugged her mom tightly.
"I love you mom."
"I love you baby girl so very much." Maeve held her daughter tight and ran her hand up and down her back.
1 Week Later
Mellie walked through the halls of the White House. She couldn't get it out of her head about her parents house in Vermont. She knew without a doubt that Fitz had taken Olivia to her parents house. Mellie strode into the Oval office. Fitz stood from his desk surprised to see her. Cyrus was happy that she had arrived.
"About time maybe things can get back to normal around here."
"Not likely." Mellie stated through clinched teeth. Fitz knew what was about to come his way. He tried to still himself for the onslaught.
"We need the room Cy." Cyrus looked between them before nodding and leaving the room.
"Mels before you say anything. I just want to apologize."
"You think an apology is really going to fix this?"
"No, but it's a start."
"How could you have such little respect for me? You took your whore to my parents house!" Fitz closed his eyes tightly.
"Mels I can explain." He stood and came around his desk. Mellie backed up, she held her hand up.
"No don't even bother."
"Mels don't let me talk to you."
"I didn't come here to have you explain anything. I came to tell you that I'm done. This is it Fitz." She went to leave, but she turned around. "What did you tell her? Did you tell her you bought that house for her?" Fitz looked away and she knew. A single tear fail down her cheek and she absentmindedly rubbed her stomach. She felt like the pain was going to strangle her. "I was so stupid to think you'd changed."
"Mellie this was before you and I decided to work things out. I made a stupid mistake don't let this mess up everything that we've built."
"I'm done Fitzgerald." She was about to walk away again, but she turned around. "I'll let you see Teddy and this baby." She said putting her hand over her stomach. She didn't wait to see his reaction before she walked out of his office.
Fitz stood for a moment dumbfounded by what had just happened. Mellie was pregnant? He shook himself out of his stupor and nearly ran out of his office. He had to find her, he couldn't let her leave or he knew she'd never come back. He ran into the hall and looked both ways, but she was nowhere in sight.
"Can you find out where the First Lady went?" He asked the agent that was standing by the Oval Office door. The agent spoke into his mic and informed Fitz where Mellie had gone. Fitz took off in that direction. He saw her heading toward the Residence. She was probably going to collect some of her belongings. Fitz rushed into their bedroom behind her, he slammed the door behind him. Mellie spun around at the noise.
"Don't even start with me Fitz." She said as she headed for the closet.
"Do you think it's ok to come here tell me you are done with me and then drop a bomb on me that you are pregnant?" He said following her into the closet.
"Do you think it's ok that you took her to my parents' house? Do you think it's ok that you've had no regard for me as a human being furthermore your wife?" Fitz stood speechless. "Just as I thought."
"Mellie I made a mistake, we've all made mistakes. I don't crucify you for inducing Teddy four weeks early, even though you could have caused him irrevocable harm." Mellie gasped and spun around. "Yeah I know about that, but still I love you and want to be with you."
"It's not the same."
"No it's not, it was worse, but I don't want to get into who has committed the biggest sin in this marriage."
"Fitz we're done. You can give me a list of all the wrong I've done, that's fine. And if I'm such a terrible person then you should have divorced me long ago. I cannot continue to do this with you. It's not healthy for anyone involved." He sighed.
"Mellie, I didn't divorce you did I? I stuck it out."
"No what you did was stuck it to another woman." She turned and began looking through her clothes trying to figure out what she was going to take with her. She knew pretty soon she would have to buy new things anyway.
"You were just waiting for an excuse to end us. You never intended to ever come back to me, did you Mellie?"
She turned and looked at him. "Are you really trying to make me feel guilty for your transgressions? I had every intention of coming back to you Fitz, I was ready to tell you about the baby and come home when I figured out about Vermont. This is not my fault take responsibility for the decisions that you made that contributed to the demise of this marriage."
"I bet your mother couldn't wait to tell you. She's never liked me."
"With good reason I have come to learn. You know what Fitzgerald I couldn't have been more insulted if you brought her here and had sex with her in our bed, but on second thought you probably did." She turned back around and threw a few items in her suitcase.
"I messed up Melody I messed up! I'm trying to make this right, I broke things off with her. I haven't seen her in months. I do nothing but think about you, anticipating when you will return to me. Of us being a complete family again. I don't want any other woman I want you, my wife. That's all I've ever wanted Mellie. The first time we met I wanted you to just like me. As time went on I wanted you to love me. Then I wanted you to be my wife, then I wanted you to be the mother of my children. When that horrible thing happened to you and I didn't know about it, I wanted you to be my Mellie again. Now I want you to come home and spend the rest of your life with me."
"I want this and I want that. Always about you Fitzgerald."
"It's not just about me Mels."
"No I'm not your Mels anymore!"
"Stop it! You're worse than I am, always waiting for the other shoe to drop. I can't make a mistake with you, no one is perfect Mellie, not even you. I know that's what your parents have made you think, but your shit does stink. I am not explaining away me taking her there, but I was in a different frame of mind and it was wrong and for that I am truly sorry, but I am not sorry for having what I had with her." Mellie stared at him wide eyed. "You wouldn't let yourself be emotionally available to me and I am not blaming you, but I needed someone and that someone was Olivia. It's not anymore I am trying to reconnect with my wife, but you want to keep bringing up the past."
"It was less than a year ago Fitz! And you stand there and act like all you did was have pow wows with her and you sat and had girl talk and braided each other's hair. You fucked around on me for over five years and had no regard for how bad it hurt me! I asked, begged you time and again to stop it. I tried to be a wife to you and you pushed me away, you shamed me, called me names, made me beg to have my own husbands time and you just say you were able to connect with her as an excuse for everything you have done!" Mellie was getting hysterical. She knew that this stress wasn't good for her or the baby. "I can't do this anymore Fitz I just can't." Fitz's heart was thudding in his chest. He didn't know how he could make her understand how sorry he was and that he would do anything he could to fix this.
"What can I do baby?" He said softly coming closer to her. She stood her ground.
"Let me go." She was barely able to get it out as she choked up. Fitz shook his head.
"Anything, but that. Please…please." He whispered. "I need you, you're my foundation. For over twenty years you have been everything to me and now I see it. I know I haven't been very appreciative, but I see it now and I can't live without you. And Mels we're having another baby."
"I won't stop you from being a father if you choose to be."
"If I choose to be? I've always been a father to our children." She nodded and resumed putting clothes in her bag. Fitz stared at her not believing that she was going to go through with this. She had threatened to go nuclear on him, but that was all posturing this time there were no threats he knew that she had every intention of leaving him. Mellie finished up her packing, when there was a knock on the bedroom door. Fitz walked out of the closet to answer the door.
He got news that made him feel like he had a short reprieve. He walked back toward the closet as Mellie was exiting.
"You can't leave."
"Fitzgerald just stop ok."
"No I'm serious that was the Secret Service your plane has been grounded because of weather."
"You have got to be kidding me?
"Afraid not." Mellie didn't trust him. She walked past him and grabbed the phone on the nightstand. She made a call and was told the same thing. Her heart sank. She didn't want to stay here another minute.
"Well I guess I'm stuck here for the night."
"Yeah guess so." Fitz was having a hard time containing his glee. She glared at him daring him to smile. She looked around not sure what to do with herself. "Are you hungry?"
"No" Her stomach growled at just that time. She couldn't believe her own body was betraying her. He smiled at her. Mellie rolled her eyes.
"I'll have some lunch brought up to you. Unfortunately I have to get back to work."
"Unfortunate for who?" Fitz tried to hide his hurt at her cutting words, he knew that she was just lashing out as a defense mechanism. He knew Mellie very well had known her since she was seventeen. He knew that underneath all that ice that she'd built around her heart was the sweet Melody that he met all those years ago.
The one that would send him numerous letters while he was away in the Navy, the one that would spend hours talking on the phone with him when he would come back stateside. The same Mellie that took care of him when he broke his leg in their second year of law school. That Mellie was still there that's why she stuck around all this time and he finally realized that. It wasn't about the position of First Lady. Mellie hated being First Lady it was about the hope that he would come back to her and they could resume their life. And here he was, but of course it was in jeopardy because of something dumb he'd done.
"I'll see you later Mels."She had turned her back to him and she did not turn around when he left.
Fitz finished up with all his duties and headed back to the Residence. He was going to check to see if Mellie wanted to have dinner. He figured he knew the answer, but he was going to ask anyway. He entered the Residence and a smile spread across his face when he saw her curled up on their bed sleep.
She had changed into a pair of satin PJ's. Her hands were tucked underneath her head and a every now and then she'd let out a little snort that he loved so much. Fitz removed his shoes and crept over to the bed. He wanted to hold her even if it were for the last time. He gently climbed onto the bed and draped his arms around his wife. He cradled her close to him, kissing her temple. Tears begin to fall at the idea of her not being in his life. And he knew he had no one to blame but himself. He gathered her closer to him, Mellie instinctually snuggled deeper into his embrace. Fitz smiled slightly at that, even in her sleep she knew where she belonged even if she tried to fight it. He watched her sleep for a few minutes more before his eyes started to flutter shut.
Mellie stirred. She was momentarily scared when she felt something holding her. She opened her eyes and saw that Fitz was in bed with her. She wanted to be angry, but she couldn't be. She was tired of being angry. She laid there and just stared at him. He was just as beautiful as the day she met him twenty seven years earlier. Fitz opened his eyes and blue settled on blue.
"I came up to see if you were hungry and I found you sleeping. I just intended to hold you for a minute but I guess I was more tired than I thought." Mellie just nodded. She started to roll away from him. Fitz did not want to let her go, but he knew he had to. Mellie stood from the bed and stretched. "I'll be able to see Teddy and the baby?" He said sitting up. Mellie looked at him surprised by his question.
"Yes" He nodded.
"I'll let you go." He said letting out a ragged breath. Mellie was stunned. Fitz stood from the bed and walked into the bathroom. He quietly closed the door behind him. Mellie stood in the middle of their room not knowing what to think or do. This was what she wanted, but it seemed wrong.