Olivia, still standing in the shadows, just out of the view of the cameras, but in direct line of sight to the podium and able to hear Mellie's revelation clearly and completely, felt sick to her stomach. As soon as Mellie had made her announcment, Fitz's eyes met Olivia's. Immediately, she turned away, but he was able to see the horrified and shocked look on her face first, and it broke his heart.
She couldn't stay there and listen to this. She ran from the hall to the nearest bathroom, where she couldn't stop her dinner from coming back up. As she sat there, leaning over the toilet, she couldn't believe what was happening. Tears streaming down her face, she couldn't catch her breath. They were so close, and now this. It wasn't fair. She deserved to be happy, after all the terrible things that had happened, she only wanted to be with Fitz.
Her mind raced through thought after thought. Surely, there was no way Mellie was actually pregnant. She'd pulled this stunt multiple times before. Still, Olivia couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Mellie was the mother of Fitz's children and as much as she wished that wasn't the case, there was nothing she could do to change that.
More than all of that, though, Olivia didn't know what to do next. Mellie was winning yet again. No matter what Fitz did now, he would come out looking like the bad guy. Surely he was up at the podium right now smiling and nodding, going along with what Mellie wanted, because that's what he did. He always seemed to play right into her hands. He was the president of the United States, but he could still be manipulated by such an evil vile woman.
As the flashes went off from every camera in the press room, Mellie put one hand on her stomach, and reached back for Fitz with the other. She was confident she had the upper hand now. He would have no choice right now, but to put his hand in hers, and go along with what she had just told the media. Beyond this, she wasn't sure exactly how it would all play out though.
Running scenarios through her head wasn't necessary right now. She would have plenty of time to actually plan her next step, this was just a spur of the moment, last ditch effort to try and stop what was coming. And she was pretty sure it would work. Fitz was backed into a corner, she had won, at least for now.
But, her hand reaching for Fitz remained empty. He wasn't smiling, and he wasn't reaching out for her. He stood there, his head bowed, looking at ground, seemingly unaware that the press wanted a comment, and pictures of the First Couple. A panic look crossed her face, and she turned back toward the press. "Forgive my wonderful husband, this is the first he's hearing of the good news," she said hoping the press would believe her. "You know how new dad's get, it doesn't seem to matter if it's the first time or the fourth," she smiled nervously back at the press.
Fitz was in his head. Mellie had pulled some awful stunts in her day, but this one really took the cake. He should have seen this one coming. How could he have let this happen, he silently scolded himself. There was no time to think about that, though. He needed to focus on what to do next. Scenario after scenario ran through his head at warp speed, while the world around him seemed to be going in slow motion.
He could go up to the podium and tell everyone the baby is not his, but if Mellie came out looking like a cheater, she would throw Olivia under the bus immediately. He could smile and go along with it. Maybe he could tell everyone it was a false positive later. But then how hypocritical would he look when he filed for divorce right after they had announced they were expecting. He could just walk out of the room, without saying anything. But, the speculation that would cause wouldn't be good either. There was no good solution, and Mellie knew it. That's why she did it. He was so angry, he was fuming.
Abby seemed to be the only one with her wits about her. Having seen the presidents face, she knew she had to get Mellie off the podium immediately. She walked up, gently nudging Mellie out of the way. "Thank you, guys, that's all the time we have for tonight," She announced, trying to usher the Grant's out of the room.
But Fitz still wasn't registering anything anyone was saying. He had to get out of this. The look on Olivia's face was like something he had never seen before. The pain she felt in that moment was written all over her. No matter the cost, Fitz could not let Mellie do this again.
He did have one other option, he could tell the truth.
As Mellie and Abby went to step down from the raised platform, Fitz stepped up to the podium. The two woman hadn't even seen him do it. They were shocked when they heard his voice.
"I'm sorry, everyone. I don't even know what to say." Fitz paused for a moment, clearly trying to compose himself. He took a drink of water and tried to focus on what to say next. Wanting to take the high road, he tried tot think of away to avoid throwing Mellie to the wolves. Above all, though, he couldn't let this farce go on any longer.
"I have been lying to you, to the American Public, and to myself for far too long," he said shaking his head. He was ashamed he had let it come to this, whatever was coming, he needed to finally stand up and take it like a man.
His words stopped Mellie and Abby dead in their tracks. The press room was silent, and everyone was hanging on Fitz's every word. He looked around, hoping Olivia would be there to see this, but she was nowhere to be found.
"Mellie isn't expecting," he clarified. There were a few small gasps from the reporters, but the room remained mostly quiet, waiting for what came next. Now watching from the hall, Mellie's eyes were furious. She did not see this coming, in her mind there was no way he refuted her fake pregnancy, not now at least.
He went along with her when she declared she had a miscarriage, they ended up with Teddy the last time she claimed they were expecting. It had worked before, and she was now standing there is disbelief that it hadn't worked this time. She had miscalculated Fitz at a crucial time. This wasn't the same man she married. He was no longer worried about optics, public opinion, and reporters. He was only worried about one thing: Olivia Pope. It made her rabid with hatred.
Luckily, she was now out of the view of the press, and she intended to stay that way. Refusing to stay for the humiliation, she quickly made her way to the residence. There she could plan her next move in private. Mellie couldn't help but think this was supposed to be her night, but once again, it had become all about Olivia Pope.
Fitz took a deep breath and began to elaborate. "Mellie and I, we're not the First Couple you all think we are. We never have been. Our marriage, since the inception of my political career, has always been one of convenience. It isn't Mellie's fault, if we're placing blame, I'll take it. I used her to get ahead. But, it was an arrangement that worked for both of us."
The press was hanging on his every word. Curiously, he didn't feel nervous or upset, he felt relieved. He wanted to be honest so many times before, and finally he could. There was nobody there to stop him.
"That is, until I met someone else." His voice was calm and steady, but the room erupted in a furry. Reporters were now yelling questions, and the room held a chaotic tone. Everyone had come to see Mellie give her acceptance speech, and now they were getting a story none of them could have predicted.
Motioning his hands for the room to calm down, Fitz continued, and everyone quieted to listen to the president intently. "I am in love with a woman who is not my wife. I accept full responsibility for that." Swallowing hard, Fitz dropped a bomb of his own. "The First Lady and I have already had divorce papers drawn up, and we are hoping that you will respect the privacy of our family during this time."
More flashes from cameras and yelling from reporters, but Fitz ignored it all and spoke his closing statements loudly, above all the other voices. "It's not going to effect my ability to lead this country. Americans are forgiving understanding people, and I hope they can all look at this situation and realize that I am not perfect, but I am trying to do the right thing for everyone involved. Thank you."
Without taking a single question, Fitz strutted off the stage, and past Abby and Cyrus. "They're all yours," he winked. Cyrus and Abby stared at each other, as if daring the other one to go out to the podium. They had no idea this was coming, and had no plan of action. Neither one of them moved. It was like a game of chicken.
Fitz looked up and down the hallway, but found no sign of Olivia. "Where'd Liv go?" he asked Abby.
"I think she went off to the bathroom, sir," Abby answered, breaking eye contact with Cyrus. She sighed, as if she had lost the battle, and went out to address the reporters. She said nothing of much content, as she had no idea where any of this was headed. The last thing she wanted to do was give out Olivia's name. Instead she left the press with 'no comment' after 'no comment'.
Fitz ran down the hallway, and found John standing by the bathroom door, alerting him to Olivia's whereabouts. He nodded at John and knocked on the door to the bathroom. "Liv?' he asked concerned. If anyone were to see them, it would become obvious she was the woman he was in love with, but he didn't care.
He knocked again, but got no answer, so he cracked the door. He could hear her sniffles. She was very obviously upset. "I'm coming in, Liv," he announced before opening the door. His heart ached when he saw her, kneeling on the floor with the toilet lid up. He could tell she had gotten sick. The fact that this situation had made her physically ill was beyond upsetting to him.
Come on, he said, pulling her up to her feet. Olivia still didn't say anything. She had no idea what had happened since she left the hallway, and Fitz didn't want to upset her or stress her out anymore, but at the same time he didn't want her to be ambushed with the information. Fitz walked over to the sink and wet a towel. He proceeded to dab the cool towel on her forehead. It felt nice against her clammy, sweaty brow.
"Liv, I'm really sorry about Mellie. That was not supposed to happen. I should have seen it coming. I shouldn't have given her that opportunity," he apologized.
Olivia looked away. "It's ok, Fitz," she told him half-heartidly. Sadly, Mellie's antics were something Olivia had become very accustomed to over the years.
"It is now," he smiled mischievously at her.
She could tell right away he had done something. "Fitz?" she questioned.
Though he was nervous she might not have been thrilled with all he disclosed to the press, Fitz was excited to tell her about the events that had transpired since she had bolted from the hallway. But, he also wanted to get them out of there before they became sitting ducks.
"Come with me," he said grabbing her hand. He peeked outside the door, and the hallway remained empty except for a few Secret Service Agents. He needed to get Olivia out of the West Wing, but he was pretty sure that Mellie was up in the residence, and he didn't want to risk a run in right now. He would deal with her later.
Luckily, Blair House was empty tonight, and he figured they could use the tunnels to get there without being detected. He whispered to one of the agents to let them know his plans, and the two headed off hand in hand, managing to escape the White House before anyone came looking for them.
Fitz made it clear to his agents that they should be as inconspicuous as possible. He didn't want anyone to know he was there. He just wanted some time with Olivia to explain, and he didn't want anyone to be alerted that he was at Blair House.
When they arrived, Olivia plopped herself down on the couch, exhausted from the events of the day. She slipped off her shoes, pulled her feet up close to her, and grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch. It brought her back to the night Fitz gave her the infinity ring. She absentmindedly began to rub her finger back and forth across the ring and closed her eyes. The room was spinning.
Sitting down next to her, Fitz handed her two aspirin and a glass of water. He brushed her hair behind her ears and sighed, while Olivia refused to make eye contact. "Liv, we need to talk," he said, his eyes begging for her to look at him.
"I saw the whole thing, Fitz. Mellie up there, holding her stomach. It's not true, is it?" she asked quietly, but obviously panicking.
It felt like Fitz had been punched in the stomach. He wanted to be angry at her for even asking the question, but he was more angry at himself for ever giving her a reason to ask that. "Of course it's not true," he sighed, putting his forehead to hers. She looked weak and delicate, a far cry from the old Olivia who never let her feelings show.
"And you didn't see the whole thing," he added, fully aware that she had left well before he took the podium.
Olivia's head shot up and her eyes looked into his. "What do you mean?" she questioned.
Fitz knew he should be careful with how he proceeded. "I couldn't let her do that," he reasoned. Her eyes narrowed, looking at him suspiciously, and he took her hands in his. "I told the press she wasn't pregnant, I told them we were getting a divorce." Her eyebrows raised, but she still said nothing. "And I told them there was someone else."
She dropped his hands, and immediately got off the couch and started pacing. "That is not what we decided on Fitz! We had a plan! You were supposed to file for divorce, wait an appropriate amount of time, and go on a few high profile dates before we became a couple!" she lectured him. In shock, Olivia was shaking. Her voice was angry, and Fitz could tell she was furious.
In normal circumstances, when they did this song and dance, Fitz would apologize, and he'd backtrack with Mellie and in the media. But, that was no more. He was proud of himself, and he was relived. He was never a big fan of Olivia's plan in the first place. It just included more waiting. Fitz was more than ready to come forward and be honest so they could stop the waiting and finally move on.
"I was not going to stand up there and pretend anymore, Olivia. She forced my hand, and I reacted. I know you're scared, but I am not going to apologize for what I did," he argued back, his tone harsher than he intended.
Olivia wasn't really listening, and he could tell. She just continued her pacing back and forth in front of thee fireplace, ideas running through her head on how to spin this. Fitz softened his tone, and his facial expressions followed suit. "You can't fix this, Liv. I don't want you to fix it. This is whats next, we just need to deal with the consequences together, as a team."
He got up and crossed the room. She was hesitant, but allowed him to wrap his arms around her. "This is what's next," he smiled and told her again. She nodded in agreement, and placed a soft kiss on his lips. Her body relaxed, and a sense of relief washed over Fitz.
Hey y'all thanks so much for reading and all the reviews positive and negative. I'm sorry if you feel that last chapter was predictable or if the story is dragging. I am of the mind that even if Olivia and Fitz finally decided to be together, there's still plenty of story left! I hope I'm doing that story justice. Thanks again! Xoxo