Disclaimer: I do not own the LG characters they belong to the wonderful people of Lost Girl, Showcase, Prodigy, et al. And all Scandal characters belong to the Goddess (of The Underworld) Shonda Rhimes, Shondaland, and ABC
They managed to get to Montgomery in reasonable amount of time but getting into the building that housed the offices of her supporters had been a complicated matter. Even before the bus had pulled onto the street that it was located on Lauren had noticed the massive group of reporters that were gathered in front of the building. So when they reached it Sean arranged for Lauren and her entourage to enter the rear of it. They had barely walked into the office area when Cara came over to Lauren and started to go off on her, "Of course when you finally get your shit together you decide to bring a massive shitstorm onto the campaign. Are you even fucking thinking Lauren?"
Lauren was thrown off guard by Cara's verbal onslaught and she had no idea what to say. Luckily she didn't have to say anything because Olivia took over the situation, "Excuse me Cara but you have stepped back as Lauren's campaign manger so back off."
Cara scoffed then turned around to walk away but then she spun on her heel and argued, "It's bullshit really. We work so hard to keep this damn campaign a-"
"Cara. Go." Olivia pinned her down with an intense stare and said, "Now."
The other woman glared at Lauren then stalked off to another part of the office. The interns and volunteers that had been running around were now gawking at Olivia and Lauren so Olivia ordered, "Everyone back to work now. We have a rally to prepare for."
Everyone went back to work and Olivia let out a frustrated breath. She moved a strand of her hair out of her face as she tried not to focus on Cara's outburst but Lauren asked, "What was that about?"
Olivia was certain that she knew what that was about but she wasn't going to tell Lauren the reason behind Cara's tirade. She gave the other woman a tight smile and said, "Campaign stress." Lauren had a hesitant look on her face so she added, "Plus your campaign has probably been one of the toughest ones to work on so it's getting to her."
A small frown appeared on Lauren's face and she sighed, "I should apologise. I never meant for any of this to happen."
Olivia shook her head no and told her, "You have an interview to get ready for which is in ten minutes so go with Evan and prep with him. I'll talk to Cara." She gave Lauren a reassuring smile then went further into the office space and turned the corner that led to the private offices.
Lauren stared at the hall that Olivia had just walked down then she looked up at Sean and said, "Something is up with those two."
Sean chuckled and pointed out, "You're sleeping with your opponent's daughter so I'm certain they have a reason to be twitchy."
They began to walk over to Evan, the man responsible for making sure Lauren was prepped for all her interviews, and she said, "They're not just twitchy. It's something else." Lauren's eyebrows scrunched together, "I'm not sure what it is though." She and Sean got to Evan and after they shook hands Lauren said, "Evan, Olivia has placed me in your capable hands so that you can prep me for the interview that we're having with the Post because the Times has pissed her off."The man laughed and they began to go over the potential questions that the reporter might ask Lauren.
xXxXxXx
Olivia walked into the private office that was far away from the main part of the floor and when she opened the door Cara's head snapped up. After she closed it behind her Olivia asked in a low and dangerous tone, "What the hell do you think you are doing?"
"Well Olivia," Cara shot back as she stood up from the desk, "I appear to be doing your job because you think Lauren cavorting with a known tabloid whore is okay for a presidential candidate."
Olivia crossed her arms and snapped, "You're not doing my job." She glared at her, "You sound like a spurned lover who has just found out that her girlfriend has been cheating on her." She moved closer to the desk and pointed at Cara, "This is why you haven't been around Lauren for the last month. Now find a way to deal with your feelings towards her Cara or I will deal with them permanently."
Cara looked at her with a hard stare and her jaw was tight. There was more to this than simple attraction and it was raising several flags in Olivia's mind. The dark haired woman gave her a curt nod and said, "Fine Olivia. But you better deal with this Bo Dennis situation or we'll be the laughing stock of the presidential cycle."
Cara sat down in the office chair that was behind her and she went back to work on whatever she had been working on. Olivia looked at her for moment then she turned around to leave out of the office. The conversation with Cara had her mind reeling but she wasn't able to dwell on it for too long because it was almost time for Lauren's telephone interview with the Post.
According to Olivia the interview had been success since Lauren had been able to keep the reporter from dwelling on the Bo scandal. She had made him the first reporter to hold an in-depth discussion with her on foreign policy. A topic she never discussed for too long due to her inexperience with it. But the topic did what it was supposed to do which was be a distraction. After the interview she had three speaking engagements in Montgomery then they had moved onto Birmingham. They had one more stop in Jackson before they would have a two day stop in New Orleans.
It was close to midnight when the bus pulled into the hotel that Lauren and her team would be staying at. As it came to a complete stop Lauren looked out the window and saw the massive group of reporters that were taking pictures of it. There were also police officers that were doing crowd control and making sure none of the reporters got too close to the path that had been cleared for Lauren. She let out a heavy sigh and asked, "They don't take a break do they?"
Olivia stood up and said, "No and because your interview isn't set to be published until tomorrow everyone is still focused on Bo Dennis." She glanced out the window then said, "Abby got in touch with the pollsters so they'll be doing a quick polling after the interview is released. That way we can see what kind of damage you're facing."
Lauren looked at Olivia and smiled, "I hope they're better than when people thought I killed my wife."
"The voters will surprise you." Olivia remarked then she said, "When Fitz was campaigning he did terrible in the polls after they found out he defaced a Navy statue in his early-twenties. But then his numbers went up two days later when he said he was a big fan of apple pie." Lauren chuckled and Olivia smiled, "Like I said they're surprising. You ready to get some rest?"
Lauren let out a small laugh, "Like I'll be getting any rest. I've got to go over my speeches for tomorrow."
Sean walked back to their seats and smiled, "Ready to walk the gauntlet?"
Lauren rolled her eyes and remarked, "Can I get a new lead agent? This one seems to have a smug sense of self."
Sean chuckled and shot back with, "Hey but I've kept you alive."
"But not out of the press." Olivia pointed out as they made their way down the aisle of the bus.
The man chuckled and shook his head as he muttered, "I make one mistake." He brought the sleeve of his jacket up to his mouth and mumbled a few orders into it then he looked back at Lauren and Olivia, "Buckle up ladies."
The door of the bus opened and as soon as they stepped off of it questions were shouted at Lauren from the reporters that being held back by the police. "Has Bo mentioned how her father, Senator Dennis, feels about her sleeping with his liberal opponent?"
"Dr. Lewis is this just a physical relationship or have you been able to find love so soon after your wife's murder?" That question caused Lauren to stop walking but Sean took hold of her arm and kept her moving.
Just as they were about to cross the threshold and walk into the hotel Lauren was able to catch another question, "As another scandal hits your campaign will you be considering a concession from the race?"
As they walked through the lobby to get to the elevators Lauren thought about the last question. It had been two months since she had actually thought about conceding from the race but that was when she had been in her hole of self-pity and alcohol. Lauren's numbers weren't terrible but she placed fifth in the overall race. Olivia noticed the look of contemplation on her candidate's face and she asked, "Are you okay?"
Lauren nodded and gave her a small smile, "Yeah. I didn't think they would hit the jugular right away."
Olivia let out a soft scoff then told her, "That wasn't the jugular. The jugular would have been them asking why Bo as well as calling you all sorts of names. Then they would have blamed you for using her to advance your presidential campaign."
Lauren got a surprised look on her face. She hadn't thought about that. She would never use Bo just to get ahead in a political race but she also saw why the press would think that. The elevator stopped on the floor that her room was on and as she was getting off the lift Olivia said, "No overnight guests Lauren. There's too much press outside and we still don't know what kind of backlash that we're dealing with."
Lauren gave her campaign manager a wide smile, "But the risk is so worth it." Olivia scowled and she laughed, "I'm kidding Liv. No late night visitors. I'll be on my best behaviour."
When Lauren began to walk down the hall to her room Olivia moved her hand so that the elevator doors could close. She had a feeling that her presidential candidate wasn't going to follow the one rule that was meant to keep her out of the news. When Lauren and the five Secret Service agents that were escorting her got to the room Sean instructed three to go in to check it while he and another agent waited outside in the hall with Lauren. She pulled out her phone and called Bo. The phone rang a couple times and when the call was answered there was roughness to Bo's voice that made Lauren worry, "Hey."
The frown on Lauren's face worsened as she wondered, "What's the matter Bo? Did something happen on your assignment?" The other woman muttered something that Lauren couldn't hear and she sighed, "I didn't catch that Bo."
Bo cleared her throat then said, "I didn't have an assignment."
Lauren bit her bottom lip then the door to her room opened and the agent said, "All clear Dr. Lewis."
She smiled at the agent then went inside the room and closed the door. Her throat was tight but Lauren managed to asked, "Then what happened Bo?" The line went silent and Lauren kicked her shoes off as she waited for her to say something. All she heard was Bo's breathing then sound of her drinking something. If the other woman was drinking then that was a bad sign and it told Lauren that whatever Bo was doing in DC was upsetting her. She went over to the bed and as she sat down Lauren sighed, "Talk to me Bo. I know you're upset. You're drinking liquor."
Bo chuckled a little then asked, "Have we known each other long enough that you're able to pick up on my nuances?"
Lauren smiled and remarked, "Well you rarely drink besides the occasional beer and every time we've been on the phone and you were drinking you were also pissed." She chewed on her bottom lip. Lauren was upset that she couldn't be there for Bo and help her work through whatever was bothering her. "Sweetie what's the matter?"
Bo chuckled again, "Careful doctor you're starting to sound like my girlfriend."
"And is that a bad thing?" Lauren meant for the question to come out light and playful but instead it came out as more of a challenge.
Another beat of silence then Bo breathed, "No."
The silence between them continued and Lauren swore that she was going to start screaming at Bo. Instead she lay on her side and smirked, "Will it help if I told you I was naked right now?"
Bo let out a small laugh and replied, "No but it might make me fly down to Alabama so I can have my wicked ways with you."
Lauren grinned. There was her Bo. She wasn't gone completely just buried under some troubling thoughts. "Please don't I've dealt with enough press for the day and we're still waiting to see what the backlash is."
"It won't be good come tomorrow morning." Bo said in an offhanded manner.
That's when it all clicked for Lauren and she sat up, "Did you see you father Bo?" She received no response but she asked, "What did he say to you?"
Bo let out a frustrated sigh then said, "He ordered me to end this with you and I told him to go fuck himself. Then he threatened your campaign." She sighed again, "But I'm not sure if he bluffing or not."
Lauren didn't know if this was something that she should go tell Olivia about or not. Bo had told her this not as some informant but as her lover and she didn't want to betray the trust that was between them. She took a deep breath then said, "Thank you Bo."
Bo sighed in her ear then said, "Yeah well my father lost the right to order me around a long ass time ago." She cleared her throat before saying, "I'm kind of tired Lauren but I'll be in Jackson when you get there. I'm not going to let you face the shit the press is going to throw at you by yourself. It's not fair."
"It is Bo. I'm the public figure here. I'm not going to drag you into some political battle." Lauren countered. She wasn't going to let Bo do this. Not after everything that had happened with Rachel.
Bo scoffed then remarked, "I'm not being dragged into anything. I'm standing by your side in something that affects us both. I-I care about you and I'm not going to leave you to answer their invasive questions alone."
Lauren knew right away what Bo was going to say and she wanted to say the words herself but still she was hesitant to say them. She sighed and resigned to the fact that Bo was going to do what she wanted and that she wasn't going be able to stop her. "Okay Bo."
A silence thick with emotion hung between them and after a few seconds Bo said in a whisper, "I miss you Lauren."
It was a simple statement that said everything but it also said nothing at all yet at this moment it was enough for Lauren and she smiled as she said, "I miss you too Bo."
Another moment of silence then the call ended. Lauren dropped the phone on the bed. Whatever had happened between Bo and her father had the woman feeling vulnerable and Lauren felt powerless to do anything to make her feel better. Then there was that comment that Bo had made. What the hell was going to happen in the morning? Lauren sighed and got up from the bed then made her way into the bathroom for a long hot shower. As much as she wanted the day to end she knew that tomorrow would bring with it the same problems along with some new ones.
Olivia let the door to her room close and she let out an exhausted breath. Between Cara and the Bo Dennis scandal she was beyond tired and she just wanted to sleep. She would like to fall asleep in Fitz's strong arms but she would have to settle for the comfortable bed and a glass of wine. Olivia turned on the television to the twenty-four hour news channel then called room service for a bottle wine. After taking a relaxing shower and changing into an oversized t-shirt and sweatpants Olivia got her laptop then booted it up. There hadn't been anything from the Dennis camp about the scandal although the news channels were running wild with the story. The sleazier news outlets were reporting that Lauren and Bo had begun their relationship long before Rachel's death. The conservative channels were vilifying Lauren because she hadn't grieved the proper amount time before moving on and they were calling her a sexual deviant along with a plethora of other unsavoury words that Olivia would have to combat.
She wasn't used to taking a defensive position in a scandal. If this situation were anyone else she would have forced them to address the situation at first mention then deal with backlash. But Lauren had gone through more than enough issues with this campaign so Olivia was going to let the woman dictate her actions. Which didn't sit well with her. It didn't help matters any that Abby or Harrison weren't able to get her any information in regards to the Dennis campaign and how they were handling it. Only thing Olivia was aware of was the fact that Bo had met with her father. Other than that there was nothing else. There was a knock on Olivia's room door and she went over to it. She looked through the peephole before opening it then she retrieved the bottle of wine and tipped the young man that had brought it to her. Olivia closed the door and locked it then walked back to the sitting area of the room. After she sat down her phone began to ring. Olivia picked it up and looked at the number that was calling her then smiled. The smile remained on her face as she answered it, "Are you still in the Oval?"
Fitz chuckled and told her, "Of course I am. The president's job is never done." He let out small laugh, "Although I find it more rewarding than your job. I see the 'People's Doctor' has found herself in some more hot water and it's in the form of Senator Dennis's daughter."
Olivia poured herself a glass of wine and after taking a drink from it she remarked, "The 'People's Doctor' is a lightning rod for bad press. I'm happy for Lauren, I really am, but her starting some clandestine affair with her opponent's daughter is just reckless." She got up to pace, "I know she's seen the numbers. I know she's seen the press. And on top of all of that her wife's murderer hasn't been found yet. So why the hell does she think that having a whatever with her opponent's daughter is a smart idea as presidential candidate?" She took another sip of her wine then said, "I'll tell you what she's thinking?"
"What is she thinking?" Fitz asked and Olivia could hear the humour in his voice.
She continued her rant, "She's not thinking. At least not like a presidential candidate." Olivia sat down on the couch and let her head rest against the back of it. She now realised what Lauren had been thinking. At least when it comes to Bo, "She's thinking like a woman who's falling in love."
There was a moment of silence that happened between the two of them. The words had a double meaning and it wasn't lost on her or Fitz. He took a deep breath then chuckled, "Are you supposed to be telling me this? I am your opponent."
Olivia smiled and countered, "If you use any of this against Lauren people are going to ask you where you go it from and what will you tell them?"
"I'll tell them that a beautiful woman provided me with the information along with using her feminine wiles on me." Fitz said in a flirtatious manner.
Olivia chuckled and told him, "I don't have to use my feminine wiles on you." It was so easy for her to flirt with Fitz but at the same time Olivia knew that it would take one wrong word or move and they would back to bickering with each other.
She was taken from her thoughts when Fitz asked, "What are we doing Liv?"
"What do you mean Fitz?"
He sighed and said, "You know what I mean. This."
Olivia let out a soft laugh then asked in a sarcastic manner, "Oh you mean the flirting and screwing in closed off conference rooms?" She took a long drink from her glass then blew out a breath before muttering, "Just another turn on the merry-go-round that is our relationship."
"So we're in a relationship now?" Fitz quipped. Olivia knew he was joking but it was enough to grate on her nerves.
She finished her glass of wine then leaned forward to place it on the table in front of her, "We're not in a relationship. We're having an affair. We'll you are. I'm..." She trailed off and rubbed her temple. She was an idiot but she didn't say it out loud instead all she did was sigh, "Look Fitz I have to go. I'm certain I'll be dealing with shit storm when Lauren's interview hits."
He let out a heavy breath, "Okay Liv. I'll talk to you later?"
"Maybe." Olivia pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at it for a long moment then she ended the call. Her head fell back against the back of the couch and she looked up at the ceiling. She shouldn't be doing this with Fitz again. The fact that the two of them had sex last night didn't help matters any. Olivia took a deep breath then released it. She wasn't going to dwell on her and Fitz anymore. There was a murderer on the loose that was targeting Lauren's campaign if not the woman herself and now her candidate's love life was becoming tabloid fodder. Not to mention her new love interest was the daughter of one of her biggest opponents.
Olivia let out a gentle snort. Yeah she didn't have time to deal with her and Fitz. She leaned forward and placed the cork back in the wine bottle before getting up to put it in the mini-fridge. She turned off the lamp and TV and as she got into bed Olivia's mind raced with a number of thoughts about the campaign. She hoped that when she woke up in the morning there wouldn't be any new surprises for her but at the same time she still thought about the one man who never seemed to be too far from her mind.
So this is short and it may be moving quickly but there is a method to the madness. Next one is one of my fave chs. After that two more then the epilogue. Reviews=life.
