AN: When reading this chapter it is important to remember the idea for this story came to me during the Christmas holiday. Thanks again everyone for reviewing, following, and favorit-ing this story. The interaction has been fun. BTW, Fitz unknowingly told us who Mrs. Teller is in Chapter 5.
Chapter 11. The Assignment
Prequel
"You want me to do what?" Helen Teller asks in astonishment after she is given her assignment.
"Yes, Helen. I need your special talents to help those two. They have no idea but they have some difficult times ahead of them and they're going to need each other to get through all that awaits them."
"So what am I'm supposed to do with them?" She asks, looking down at Fitzgerald Grant as he walks to the curb to catch his taxi to the airport and Olivia Pope who is rushing to jump into the same taxi.
"Your assignment, Helen, is to make sure these two people come together- become a couple."
"A couple? These two will never be a couple. First of all they are both too stubborn. And second, he has buried himself so deep into his work he'll never lift his head long enough to see her. Plus, that old Cyrus Beene has him just where he wants him. But that's not even the biggest problem. He has locked away the truth about his family. Until he comes to terms with who they are he won't ever be happy. He hasn't been home for the holidays in years and he doesn't even remember why."
"And that one, poor thing", Helen shakes her head sadly. "She's been burying herself in her work too. She's afraid of intimacy because her biological parents abandoned her. She never feels good enough so she hides from serious relationships. I don't know about this assignment, sir. This is a tough one. They are both stuck in their patterns."
"That's why I chose you for this case, Helen. You have the best record for handling the tough cases."
"Aww, now you're just trying to butter me up, sir", Helen gushes.
"Helen, you know I don't have to butter up angels."
"You're right, sir. I'm sorry. I forget sometimes." Helen says sheepishly.
"I'm still working on that with you, Helen."
"I know. I know. I'm getting better though, aren't I?"
"This could be the case that puts you over the top, Helen - move you to the next level."
"Yes! I've been waiting for this promotion for 325 years."
"Now, now, Helen. You know we don't measure time up here."
"I know, sir", she says childlike. "I just get so excited sometimes."
"I understand, but you must learn how to control yourself, Helen."
"Yes sir. So now that I have my assignment, where do I conduct my business?" Helen asks anxiously.
"There, in the apartment across the hall from Olivia's. You will never have to leave your apartment. You will watch them through your peephole and give them advice even when they don't know they need it, or even want it. And, Helen ..."
"Yes sir?"
"Don't overstep. Don't try to change the course of history. Just give them some of that sassy Heller Teller wisdom. These two have something great to contribute to the world and you need to make sure they become a couple."
Helen's eyes widen.
"You mean a -?"
"Yes Helen - a baby. It's been preordained."
As Helen prepares to take off for her latest assignment, she is given another bit of information about the case.
"And Helen, there is one more thing you should know about this case."
Helen looks up curiously.
"Hannibal has a role in this assignment too."
Helen's eyes grow wider.
"Hannibal Ramsey! That old -"
"Now, now, Helen. Mind your tongue."
"I'm sorry, sir. But that Hannibal uses some of the nastiest tactics when doing his work."
"Don't judge, Helen. Everyone has their special talent. You won't have to work directly with Hannibal this time. I just thought you should know he has a role in this case."
"Thanks for telling me, sir", not happy about the information she was just given.
"Now go, Helen."
And with one breath Mrs. Teller is standing in her apartment, on her step stool, with a shawl wrapped around her shoulders, looking through her peephole.
"Humph, all I get is this old dress, an old lady's shawl, and a step stool. In 1320 BCE when I was a dancer for King Tut, I had so many beautiful costumes in all sorts of bright colors.
"I heard that, Helen."
"I keep forgetting, you hear and see everything, sir."
"That's right, Helen. And remember, vanity has no place in our line of work."
"I know. Sometimes I forget."
"Good night, Helen."
"Good-bye, sir."
Present Day
"I can't believe we're actually moving to New York, babe. The Big Apple." Olivia smiles brightly as they sit on the bed looking at the apartment listings on their tablets.
"Does anyone call it that anymore?" Fitz asks seriously, as he swipes his screen to view the next listing.
"I do", she says, not bothered in the least by his comment.
"It is pretty exciting, Liv. I wasn't sure what to expect when I met with John in New York to discuss the position. He's a helluva salesman."
"Well he knows what kind of talent he's getting. You're not chopped liver, babe."
"What really sold me on the deal wasn't just the lead surgeon role, but John's vision for the department. He's planning some innovative changes. He's very forward thinking, Liv. And, although Children's here in Phoenix is pretty progressive, Presbyterian is light years ahead. But, Liv, I'm really thrilled about getting the opportunity to teach - to mold young minds", he says playfully.
"That's terrific, babe. I'm so happy for you. I know it's going to be difficult to leave Children's after being there for so long."
"Honestly, at first I was feeling remorseful about leaving my colleagues, the staff, and my patients of course. But I have no regrets now. It's time to move on."
"Good", she says, rolling across the bed to kiss him."
"What was that for?"
"Because you're a good man and I love you so much."
"You know, Liv", Fitz says, looking again at the listings for the apartments Charlotte emailed them. You don't get much for your money in New York. Living in New York City is definitely going to be much more expensive than living in Phoenix."
"I know. Some of these places are really small. I hope you get a good price for your place from Max", she says, looking at the same listings on her tablet.
"Does Abby still want to buy your place?"
"She does. We had lunch last week and she can't wait to move in." Olivia says somewhat sadly "She wants to keep all of the furniture."
"And so does Max."
"Well, he can't have my painting you bought. That's the only thing I want to take to our new home in New York." She rubs her stomach. "I still can't believe you bought it the day after our first date."
"Do you think we really need to live on the Upper East Side?" Fitz asks, swiping his screen again.
"Well, based on the requirements we gave to Charlotte she thinks the Upper East Side will meet most of our needs. We can get to our jobs easily using public transportation. The bus and subway lines are just a short walk from all of the apartments Charlotte sent us. Plus, there's plenty of restaurants and shopping in the area."
"I don't like that you'll have to use public transportation", Fitz says, now looking up at her.
"Fitz, it's not practical to own a car in New York."
He grimaces and resumes reviewing the pricey apartments.
"Besides, we can always rent a car when we want to get away from the city."
Fitz nods as he looks at another listing located on the Upper East Side.
"Do you really think we're going to need three bedrooms? One guest room should be enough, don't you think?"
"We'll need the third bedroom, babe."
"I'm not sure, Liv. The place on 80th Street has an office space and we can use the second bedroom as a guest room and a second office."
Fitz reaches for his ringing phone and a knot forms immediately in the pit of his stomach when he sees who is calling.
"Hello, Chief Barsky. Of course, George. How are you?"
Olivia grows tense.
"Well Fitz, I wanted to let you know the outcome of the Sabrina McDaniels case."
Fitz clenches his jaw.
"Just a minute, George. I want to put you on speaker phone."
Fitz presses the speaker icon and holds the phone so Olivia can hear the Chief.
"Go ahead, George."
Fitz and Olivia hold their breath as the Chief updates them on the outcome of the case.
"Well …" the Chief begins. "Your parents pleaded guilty to a gross misdemeanor count of interfering with a dead body. District Judge Ian Stephenson ordered them each to serve two-year probation. He suspended the maximum jail sentence of one year for each of them, pending the completion of their probation. They each were also ordered to pay a $2000.00 fine and to perform 50 hours of community service. They basically received the maximum punishment under the law."
Fitz and Olivia nod as they look at the phone screen.
"And that Daniel person, your family's handyman who moved Sabrina, well he's done. He's been in a nursing home for several years now with Alzheimer's. There was no point in going after him."
They nod again.
"What about my brother? Has Tristan been found?"
"I'm sorry to say we haven't found him. He probably left the area long ago. But if he ever comes back to Waukesha County he will be arrested for attacking your fiancée. As we discussed, to press criminal charges against him for the McDaniels case your brother will have to admit to pushing the girl down those stairs."
"Thank you, George. I understand. You've been very helpful."
"Now we can officially close the Sabrina McDaniels case. Maybe she can finally rest in peace knowing that some degree of justice has been served."
"And her parents?"
"We tracked down her family in Chicago. Sabrina's mother died five years ago and her father doesn't want to reopen the old wound."
"Thank you again, George. We appreciate all of your help. Good night."
Fitz disconnects the call and wraps his arms around Olivia. They remain silent for a long while, thinking about what all this means for everyone.
"So, what were you saying about needing three bedrooms?" They have to move on, leave the past in the past.
"Are you okay, babe?" Olivia looks up at her fiancé's pensive face with concern.
Fitz nods slowly and presses his lips to her temple.
"Are you?"
"I'm fine. We have a whole new life ahead of us in The Big Apple." She says playfully, trying to lighten the mood.
Fitz shakes his head and smiles at her insistence on using the nickname for New York that was first made popular in the 1920s by John J. Fitz Gerald, a sports writer, and in the 1970s because of a promotional campaign by the city.
"So, three bedrooms? He asks, resuming their discussion of their apartment needs.
"Yes, we're going to need the extra bedroom, Fitz - in about seven months." Olivia looks at him and smiles as he continues to look, in deep thought, at his tablet screen.
"Fitz, did you hear what I just said?"
"Mhmm", still reading the listings. "In seven months we'll need a third bedroom."
Realizing what he just said, his head snaps up and she bursts out laughing.
"You mean?"
Olivia is shaking her head and Fitz jumps from the bed and sweeps her up into his arms.
"You mean you're pregnant – we're pregnant, we're having a baby?" He shouts with joy.
"We're having a baby", she says, smiling and nodding her head vigorously.
XXX
After packing up the apartment for the movers, Fitz and Olivia walk across the hall to Mrs. Teller's apartment to thank her for all of the sage advice she has given them over the past year, even when they did not know they were getting it, even when they viewed her simply as being an old busy-body. Olivia knocks on Mrs. Teller's slightly ajar door and it swings open slowly, but wide enough to reveal an older gentleman moving around in the apartment.
"Excuse me …" Olivia says, trying to no avail to get the man's attention.
"Excuse me", Fitz booms, getting the man's attention instantly.
"I'm sorry", the man says, looking up from the box he is rummaging through. "How can I help you?"
"We're looking for Mrs. Teller", Olivia says, glancing around the room she sat in last year discussing with the woman her uncertainty about pursuing a relationship with Fitz.
The man looks at her perplexed.
"Mrs. Teller", Fitz interjects. "The old woman who lives here – who always wears a shawl and knows everything that goes on in this building."
Olivia nods her head supporting Fitz. The man furrows his brow, looking from Fitz to Olivia.
"I'm sorry", the man says, "This apartment has been vacant for over a year. There was so much water damage when the pipes burst I decided to strip it down to the studs and start all over. No one has lived here in over a year."
"That can't be", Olivia chimes in. "There was an older woman who lived in this apartment for well over a year. We talked with her all of the time. She was always looking through her peephole, checking out what was going on. She shared so much of her wisdom with us over the past year that we didn't appreciate at the time. But now we recognize how important she was in keeping us together as a couple and we just wanted to thank her."
Fitz looks intently at the man and nods.
"I'm sorry ma'am, I'm afraid I don't know what to tell you", looking helplessly at the couple. "Maybe you have the wrong apartment?"
With mouths hanging open, Olivia and Fitz look at each other, wondering who the hell they have been talking to for the past year.
New York City
As they ride in the taxi to their new apartment in the Upper East Side, Olivia thinks about their first taxi ride together and she smiles. She thinks about their first time together in New York, and she smiles even brighter. That all seems so long ago and she is so happy they were able to work through their problems.
"What has you smiling?" Fitz asks, kissing Olivia on the temple.
"I'm just happy, babe. I'm just happy."
XXX
"Charlotte, you really outdid herself. This place is exquisite", Olivia says, spinning around the oversized living room. "The online tour really doesn't do it justice."
"Well, Olivia it's certainly a gem. I'm glad you and Fitz jumped on it right away. This kind of apartment doesn't stay on the market for very long, especially one that's located between Park and Madison Avenues on of the Upper East Side. Let me give you the real tour."
"As you know the apartment is newly renovated and has over 1700 square feet of living space with seven rooms all located on this private floor. There are hardwood floors throughout and it has the three bedrooms you insisted you needed."
Fitz squeezes Olivia's hand lightly.
"This living room …" Charlotte stops and spreads her arms wide. "Flows into the dining room and centers on this lovely exposed brick wall fireplace."
Charlotte then walks over to a set of glass doors.
"And, you're going to love this enormous wraparound terrace", sliding open the doors that lead from the living room to the expansive outdoor space.
"Such wonderful views of the city", Charlotte sighs.
Charlotte guides the couple back inside to the light-filled kitchen which has all high-end, stainless steel appliances like the SubZero refrigerator, Viking stove and microwave, and Bosch dishwasher. It also has white Caesarstone countertops and custom cabinetry.
"I love this kitchen, Charlotte. All of the natural light coming in makes everything so bright. Isn't it wonderful, babe?"
Fitz smiles and nods, silently wondering why she loves the kitchen so much since she still has not learned how to cook.
"Now let's go look at the bedrooms", Charlotte says, guiding them to the private side of the apartment. "Here is your master bedroom suite", Charlotte says as she walks into the large room. "You can access the terrace from here as well", opening the sliding glass doors identical to those in the living room.
"This is lovely, Charlotte", Olivia says as she walks onto the terrace. I can see us spending time out here, Fitz."
He nods again.
"Now let me show you the closet. It's a fairly large walk-in."
Fitz glances around the closet. It is not as large as the one in his Phoenix apartment but it will do. Charlotte breezes to the en suite, which is outfitted with Calacatta marble, a unique skylight, a large soaking tub, and a walk-in shower.
"You two can have a lot of fun in that tub", Charlotte quips as she leans against the doorframe with arms and legs crossed.
Fitz sneaks a peek at Olivia and rolls his eyes because of the unbelievably forward woman. Olivia smiles because she thinks Charlotte is a hoot.
"Now let's go look at the other two bedrooms, shall we?"
Charlotte leads them out of their bedroom and down the hall to the second bedroom.
"Bedroom number two will make a lovely nursery. You are pregnant aren't you, Olivia? I assumed that's why you insisted on three bedrooms."
Olivia smiles and Fitz rolls his eyes again at the woman's directness. She doesn't seem to understand boundaries. Charlotte shows them the hall bath and the third bathroom that can also be used as an office and guest room.
"You'll appreciate that you won't have any neighbors after dealing all day with the hustle and bustle of the city. Think of this as your private oasis", she smiles.
Later That Evening
"Fitz …"
"Hmm?"
"When are we going to tell everyone that we got married?"
"Never", he says, dozing off in their hotel suite.
"Fitz …" she whines, smacking him on the arm.
"Babe, we'll tell them after we move into our new place - once everything is done to your specifications. You want to have the whole apartment re-painted."
"I just hate that all the walls are white. We need some color on those walls, Fitz."
"Well, after you get your color, we can invite everyone here and we'll have a big reception."
"Including Stephen?"
"Yes including Stephen.", now fully awake. "After all, I got the girl in the end", he smiles and kisses her growing belly. And she rolls her eyes and shakes her head at his cockiness.
"Fitz, my mother is going to kill me when she finds out we eloped", Olivia says, rubbing her stomach. "She has always dreamed of planning my wedding. And my dad – not walking me down the aisle …" She shakes her head at the thought of telling her parents they are married.
"Well, your father would have killed me if he knew I knocked you up before we were married."
She looks at her husband again, surprised by his new vocabulary.
"So true, babe. So true."
AN: Starting a new story called Always in My Dreams. The first chapter should be posted in a day or so. Follow my new story after you stop throwing rotten tomatoes.