Disclaimer: I do not own Scandal
Chapter Thirteen
Olivia rolled over in bed and groaned, her hand flinging out onto the nightstand, nearly taking the alarm clock, the lamp and her glass of water out in the process of snatching up her phone, "What?" She snapped into the phone. She sat up the next moment, "What?" She repeated.
"Liv? Who is it?" Edison grumbled next to her, his hand reaching out for her.
She swatted him away, "Is Huck awake?" She paused, "Have him get me on the first flight out to California." She ordered before throwing the covers back.
Edison sighed and sat up, "What's going on?" He asked.
"I have to go back to California." She mumbled, moving over to the closet. She pulled on a pair of jeans and tugged a camisole and sweater over her head before she pulled her suitcase out and started methodically packing it back up.
Her husband watched her through narrowed eyes. "You promised me you would be here."
"And I promised the Grant family that I would run a presidential campaign. Occasionally, someone will have to take a backseat. I can't be in two places at once." She replied patiently, picking up her wedding set from the nightstand and slipping it on her finger before moving into the bathroom, "Last week they took a backseat, now you do."
"So our marriage is not as important as some job?" He asked, standing up and rounding into the bathroom of their hotel room.
"Perhaps you would like to take some time off from your job and come be with me?' She snapped as she tossed her toiletries into a bag.
"My job is"
"If you say more important, Edison, I may just sucker punch you." She warned him as she zipped up the case.
"Olivia," he sighed and stopped speaking as the hotel phone rang, "What?"
"Senator Davis, there is a car down here waiting to take Mrs. Davis to the airport." The front desk man's voice echoed through the phone.
"It seems Huck handled your transportation as well." Edison snarled.
Olivia gently pried the phone from his hands, "Thank you, I'll be right down." She murmured softly. She turned back to her husband, "Don't make a scene. It's a crisis I have to be in California for. I'll call you when I land." She pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth before leaving him, pulling her suitcase behind her as the door slammed shut.
SCANDAL
Olivia arrived at the Grant Compound hours later. She held a cup of Starbucks coffee in her hand from her layover in Dallas and she pushed back at the sleep that was threatening to envelope her as the car pulled to a stop. The driver offered to handle her bag and she just nodded sleepily, murmuring a quiet thanks as she headed inside, ducking her head at the steady rainfall.
Brenda greeted her at the door, "Thank God you're here." The young woman moved to walk beside her, "He's a mess. This whole thing has turned the campaign upside down, but"
"Numbers are up." Jeanine Locke was in her face holding poll numbers up. "It's a sympathy bump, but we'll take it, right?"
Olivia brushed the papers aside and pushed her way to the steps, ignoring everyone. She found Fitz sitting in his parent's bedroom on the window seat, staring outside at the rain coming down, "Fitz?"
He turned at her voice, "You came." He whispered.
She set her purse and coffee down, stripping out of her light coat before she took a seat on the opposite end of the window seat, "Of course I came."
He looked over at her, his gaze one of a lost boy, "Don't be so surprised that I'm shocked. You just left."
"My marriage"
"Mine too, Livie, but I'm still here." He reminded her.
She sighed and opened her arms, waiting for a moment before he moved into her, settling his head in her lap. "What happened?" She asked quietly.
"Heart attack." Fitz murmured. "The funeral is all set up I think. Mellie and Cyrus are handling it."
"It's for the day after tomorrow?" She asked.
"Why do you ask questions you already know the answers to?" He questioned with a chuckle.
She shrugged and gently combed her fingers through his disheveled curls, "I like to know if I'm going to be lied to." She admitted.
He turned his head slightly to gaze up at her, "You have to know that I would never lie to you."
Her answering smile was soft, "I know, Fitz. That goes both ways." He didn't respond to that, "Huck texted me that he didn't think you'd slept yet." She continued to stroke her finger through his hair, "Sleep now, Fitz. We'll figure out your eulogy tomorrow."
"A statement needs to be released to the press." He murmured.
Reaching over, Olivia grabbed up a pen and pad of paper sitting on the table next to them. "You sleep, I'll do that now." She promised him.
SCANDAL
Mellie shouldered her bag, "I need to go to the florist to deal with the flower arrangements and then over to the funeral home and then the church. Where's Fitz?"
Abby moved to stand in front of her so she couldn't ascend the staircase, "He's sleeping. Olivia asked if you could handle it. She's working on the press release now."
Mellie's eyes narrowed slightly, "Fine. You're coming with me then." She told Abby before spinning on her heel and heading to the door. "If I have to do everything that is." The woman muttered under her breath.
Abby just barely had time to snatch up her coat and purse before Mellie was screaming her name again. Grabbing Quinn and Brenda quickly, she mouthed that they should go upstairs to check on Olivia.
SCANDAL
Olivia clutched her glass of wine tightly in her hand as she wound through the huge Grant Compound in search of Fitz. His eulogy had been lovely. Far more touching than she imagined it would be based on the brief glimpse of the relationship she'd seen between father and son. Still, it worried her that she could find Fitz anywhere.
Mellie, on the other hand, was everywhere at once. It may be exhausting and it may only be a funeral wake, but the woman loved playing hostess. And the bump in the polls that Big Jerry's untimely death had given them made her positively glow with grief.
Olivia had to swallow back bile more than once throughout the day.
Brenda's hand wrapped around her wrist lightly, stirring Olivia from her thoughts, "Fitz is out back, chopping wood like a madman." She murmured softly. "There's no press here anymore, but"
"I'll handle it." Olivia passed off the wine glass to the young woman before tugging her black shawl more firmly around her shoulders and making her way out back. She trekked carefully in her too tall heels and watched as Fitz struck yet another log. His coat and tie were discarded on a pile of wood, the sleeves of his white button down were rolled up, revealing his strong arms and his face was masked in pain.
All she wanted to do was hold him until he fell asleep. She wanted to smooth out the frown lines and try to ease his pain. She wanted to take care of him.
The realization of that both terrified her and somehow put her overactive mind at ease.
Making a decision, she crossed to him, "It was a lovely service, Fitz." She murmured. He let out a huff at her words, "What you said about your father was very touching."
He grunted, "It was a lie. I couldn't very well get up in front of all of those people and tell them that I sat outside my father's office on my tenth birthday and listened to him bang his secretary." The ax came down onto another log, deftly splitting it.
Olivia felt her heart clench at the pain in his voice. "That's enough, Fitz." She said firmly. He just brought the ax down again, this time getting it wedged in the wood. Her hand came to rest over his, "That's enough." She murmured softly, taking the ax and tossing it and the log to the side before she stepped up on the pedestal, "Come here." She held out her hand. He took it willingly, letting himself be pulled into her embrace. She cradled his head against her stomach and held him as a few sobs tore loose from his throat.
Leaning down she pressed a kiss to the top of his head and he tightened his grip around her waist, his hands gently stroking her lower back, "Do you think I'll be a good president?" He finally asked.
She sighed, "I think you'll be a great one."
He nodded against her, "Thank you, Livie, for coming back to me."
She closed her eyes, her mind swiftly flicking over Edison before she replied, "I always will, Fitz." She promised softly, "I always will."
SCANDAL
XOXO
MAS