Disclaimer: Shondaland/ABC owns these characters. But I've taken the Gladiator oath as a writer: #OLITZ4LIFE #JAMMMmmmmm
Dead-Mellie and NO-Joke: Public Service Announcement for any accidental non-Olitz readers
Driving back from the hospital, Harrison said, "Looks our new client is the boss lady, Olivia Pope."
"Olivia Pope Grant." Quinn corrected, "The First Lady."
"Yeah, the First Lady kidnapped and almost drowned by the Second Husband," muttered Huck.
"He's a nutjob!" Abby said.
"He's a nutjob from Georgia," said Harrison.
"Where Olivia attended the gun case, representing the President," said Huck.
"And the US attorney got shot after the verdict. Patrick Dent. This must have something to do with him," Quinn said.
"Must everything be a conspiracy theory with you?" Abby asked impatiently.
"Yes. Life's more interesting that way," Quinn said.
"Look, we need to know if Dent's connected to Langston," said Harrison.
"We need to go to Georgia," said Abby.
"Why can't we just ask Zeke?" said Quinn. "Anyone know where he's staying?"
"I do," said Huck.
Senator Lucas Zeke arrived at his hotel suite to find Olivia Pope's associates watching the news with Oscar.
"Well, now it's nice you guys came over for a slumber party but I'm going to need my beauty sleep."
"They're here about Dent," said Oscar.
"What about Dent?" Zeke removed his coat and scarf, placing them on the back of a couch.
"That's what we want to know," said Abby.
"Is he connected to Daniel Douglas Langston?" asked Huck.
"Did his death having anything to do with what happened today?" asked Quinn.
"Whoa! Calm down, I'd like twenty questions fired at me after I've had a chance to sit down!" Zeke collapsed onto an easy chair.
Harrison sat forward, glancing at the television footage of the rescue teams still in action on the waterfront. "The agent driving has been found dead, and the other one is under police guard at the hospital. This isn't a bad weather accident."
"Of course, it isn't," said Abby. "Liv wouldn't just take off in the middle of her wedding reception to take a drive down to the waterfront!"
"Without a coat," muttered Quinn.
"Or telling the President where she was going," added Huck.
Zeke glanced at Oscar, then focused on OPA. "Daniel Langston is the founding member of an exclusive boys club down in Georgia. Started his secret society when he was in college and it just got more strategically powerful when his wife became Governor." He paused, "These are gay men so deep in the closet they've seen Pacific Spookfish. They're cover is their love of guns, so they get to hang out on hunting trips."
"But they don't just shoot a few rabbits. Some of these guys are in the business of import/export. They do private sales. They lobby behind the scenes for the NRA," added Oscar.
"Yeah," grimaced Zeke, "in their spare time, they play dress-up in Klansmen gear and hang out with their redneck cousins promoting hate, fear and paranoia. Hate so those fuckers keep buying guns; fear that the Second Amendment is under attack; and paranoia that anyone who advocates gun control is out to get them."
"So why kill Dent?" asked Quinn.
"Guess he stopped being useful," Huck shrugged.
"Dent liked his sex kinky and he was getting careless," Oscar added.
"If that's the connection between Langston and Dent, why did Langston go after Liv?" Harrison quizzed.
"That's the million-dollar question," Zeke muttered.
Cyrus Beene was waiting on the steps of the White House, with the WH Counsel, the Counsel to the President and US Secretary of State, all wearing their Valentine's Day party gear.
"Madam Vice President," Cyrus said as Sally stepped out of the car.
"Cyrus," Sally glanced at the men, "Are we going to complete the formalities out here? My becoming President?"
"Acting President," Cyrus emphasised, glancing at the Secretary of State, who said,
"With DC Harbour police still searching for you husband, do you really want the added stress of being in charge?"
"There are others who don't have their spouses swimming in the Potomac who might be more suited to taking on the role, while Fitz is in hospital," added Cyrus.
Sally turned her attention from Cyrus to the Secretary of State. "The whole purpose of agreeing that I should take over executive powers the moment the President becomes incapacitated is to avoid a repeat of happened when Fitz was shot. This country was in limbo while he was in a coma."
"The First Lady took front and centre of that entire episode," the White House counsel said diffidently.
"The former First Lady," the counsel to the President clarified.
"Yes, of course," the White House counsel agreed quickly.
Ignoring this exchange, Sally powered on. "We have a country to run, and Fitzgerald Grant needs to be able recuperate without matters of state interfering with his medical treatment. And it is obvious that he is far more concerned with the welfare of his family, particularly that of his wife, the new Mrs Grant."
"Yes, he doesn't have your nerves of steel. Husband missing but it's business as usual," muttered Cyrus.
"I would rather have work as a distraction than sit home, waiting for the phone to ring with inevitable bad news."
Olivia woke to find Fitz staring at her.
She smiled sleepily, touching his jaw with gentle fingertips. "Why aren't you asleep?"
Fitz tightened his hold around her. "Your father is right, Liv."
She frowned in confusion. "What?"
"Rowan was right when he said you didn't sign up to this. I nearly lost you last night... I don't want you to live like this. I don't want us to live like this."
She sat up. "No."
"No, what?"
"No, you're not quitting, Fitz."
"Livvie, I don't want to take any more chances. Not when it comes to you or the kids. This job isn't worth it. If Sally Langston wants to be President so badly, let her have it. If the American people want to have her as President, let them have her. I just want my family safe. I want you safe, Liv."
"What happens to your family if Sally Langston becomes President? When they start selling guns in supermarkets and banning contraceptives and sex education in school? She'll promote the standard Republican agenda: lower minimum wage, tax breaks for the rich, and legislated intolerance for anyone different—!"
Fitz stopped her with a kiss, gently teasing her lips to pacify her. "We don't have to talk about this now."
She drew back, and settled down on his chest, muttering fiercely, "You're not quitting!"
Fitz rumbled a sigh, quietly stroking her back.
The FBI director and the Secretary for Homeland Security arrived with the morning nurse. They waited until the usual checks were done and the nurse had left before reporting their findings.
"We didn't find anything on the aircraft, any of the aircraft at Joint Base Andrews, sir."
"And the sniffer dogs and sweeper guys didn't find anything at your home in Vermont either."
Fitz glanced at Olivia, who was gripping his hand. "So that was a lie?"
"We checked the Vice President's, uh acting President's, communications from her office and residence," the FBI director continued. "There was only one call, incoming, the day she left for Georgia. The call was from a cell phone registered to a Cassidy Langston."
"Sally's daughter," Fitz muttered.
"So she did have a family emergency," Olivia frowned.
"We have a recording of that conversation, as part of our routine surveillance," said the Homeland Security chief. "The daughter was rounded up with about twenty other students in a drug and alcohol bust on campus. We've learnt that the Vice President used her contacts to get her daughter released, with all charges dropped."
"So Daniel Douglas Langston was playing mind games with Olivia." Fitz slid his arm around Olivia and brought her close. "Has he been found?"
"No, sir."
"We're checking the shoreline. His body could have washed up anywhere along the river in three states."
Breaking News
…The Vice President's husband, believed drowned, has been found alive and in a stable condition this morning. Daniel Douglas Langston was brought ashore on board a fishing boat. The owner said he'd gone out on a private search and rescue mission after hearing about the accident on the news.
"…I was at the Marina, making sure my boat was secure against the bad weather, when I heard about the accident. I jumped back in my boat and joined the search party because I know these river currents like the back of my hand. Turns out I was right too. I saw this guy floating on the water like a piece of garbage. Yeah, he's lucky I saw him. And even luckier I know a thing or two about cold water immersion injuries. Gave him some of my best moonshine too…"
Daniel Douglas Langston lay propped up in bed, at Number One Observatory Circle; with Sally beside him, holding his hand.
"He really should go to a hospital," said the White House doctor, straightening up after listening to Daniel's chest.
"I'm fine," Daniel patted Sally's hand. Then he turned his attention to the Police chief and FBI director waiting in the background. "I understand you have questions for me?"
"I do feel this should wait until the morning, Daniel," Sally gave his hand a tight squeeze. "And with the question of your safety paramount in my mind, I would think you would be more comfortable at the White House medical unit."
"I'd feel safer, in my mind, sleeping in our own bed," He patted the double bed in the guest bedroom. "I'm sure I will be perfectly fine, with all those damned fine-looking nurses, checking up on me all night, and our trusted special agents on guard."
As Sally pursed her lips, the police chief drew up a chair and sat next to the bed. "Can you tell us what happened, Mr Langston. From the moment you left Georgia."
"Actually start from the time you and Mrs Langston left DC," said the FBI director.
Daniel glanced at Sally, then looked at the two men. "Excuse me gentlemen, much as I would like expedite this situation. I feel the need to call my attorney."
"You are not under arrest," said the chief of police.
"I would like to keep it that way."
"Let me make the call," Sally said quickly, getting to her feet and leaving the room. She returned almost an hour later with Daniel's attorney and his team. After a brief consultation with his client, the attorney allowed the questions to resume.
"To repeat the question, what made you leave DC?"
"Sally got a call from our daughter, Cassidy. She's a party girl, but she had a bad run. Got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. She used her one phone call to let us know she was in trouble. Sally was concerned that she'd be kicked out of school, if the press got hold of the story and the news went viral. So we went down to Georgia to speak to a few people and clear up the whole mess. After that, Sally didn't want to return to DC, so I came back alone."
"Why didn't Mrs Langston return to DC with you?"
"Now I don't want to speak out of turn, so I'll let my wife answer that."
"I felt my daughter, Cassie, needed a bit of TLC. I didn't feel it was appropriate to abandon her in her hour of need, so I could attend a party at the White House."
"And what happened after you got to the White House?"
"I needed to speak to Olivia Pope."
"For what purpose, Mr Langston?"
"For the same reason half of the guys on Capitol Hill have seen her. She's a crisis manager. I had a crisis. So I asked one of the agents in the car to get Olivia; I wanted to have a word with her in private."
"What was the crisis?"
"It's confidential."
"This is an official investigation involving the First Lady's safety."
Daniel shifted, looking towards his legal team. "I'd like a word with my attorney."
There was a whispered conference, then the lawyers drew back and the other men resumed their seats as Langston continued, "I had been informed by a reliable source that one of Fitzgerald Grant's political allies was involved in a murder, in my home state of Georgia."
The police chief looked at the FBI director. "Not my jurisdiction."
"What murder?" The FBI director took over the questioning.
"The murder of Patrick Dent. I was sent undercover surveillance footage by an anonymous source. The video shows Dent being forcibly taken from his home by Zeke's men including his partner Oscar and Olivia Pope's associates were in a vehicle across the street. The two female associates later approached Dent's wife, and got her to take the children and clear out of the house. That would explain why Dent was found alone at the time he was murdered. He was the prosecutor in the case involving The Guns for Freedom Alliance and the President Fitzgerald Grant III."
There was a silence, the FBI director said,"That case was found in favour of the President. Why would his allies want the prosecuting attorney dead?"
"Dent threw the case. I saw it, guess the Senator saw it too."
"Why was the tape sent to you?"
"Now how would I know that when I don't know who the darned hell sent it to me."
"Where's the tape?"
"In the safe, in Sally's study."
"Mrs Langston, are you aware of this tape?"
Sally turned her wide-eyed gaze from Daniel to the FBI director. "I can assure you that I most certainly do not. My husband uses that safe more than I do."
"Why didn't you turn the tape over to the authorities?"
Again there was a brief pause and a whispered conference, then Langston resumed speaking, "There were matters of national security involved."
There was a pin-dropping silence, then the FBI director muttered, "What happened in the car?"
"I heard a gunshot."
"You're sure it was a gun shot?"
"Yeah, I hunt. I collect guns. I know the difference between a gunshot and tyre blowout."
"Then what happened?"
"After the gun shot, we took a dive."
"Are you saying the car went off the edge after the gunshot?"
"Yes."
"Did you advise the First Lady that she shouldn't travel to Vermont for the safety of herself and the President?"
"No, why would I do that?"
"Did you tell her that she shouldn't trust the Secret Service?"
Daniel Langston allowed himself a wry smile. "Now why would I make an insane accusation like that?"
"Did you tell here there was a secret organisation that was paying to turn the agents against the President because of his stand on gun control?"
"I have no idea why Mrs Grant is making those accusations against me, unless it's to distract us from what's really going on. I think you folks need to find out if her husband, the President of the United States, sanctioned the murder of a Federal Prosecutor. And if the First Lady, or First Fiancee as she was at the time, helped pass on that informal Executive Order."
Cyrus Beene ran down the corridors of the hospital and burst into the room, startling the nurse who was checking Olivia's temperature.
"Sir!" The woman glared at him. "Please leave! Visiting hours don't start for another hour."
Ignoring the nurse completely, Cyrus gasped, groaned and abruptly collapsed to the floor.
"Dammit!" The nurse pushed the emergency alert to the nurses' station, then thrust herself between Fitz and Olivia who'd rushed to check on Cyrus.
"Stay back! It looks like this man is having a heart attack…!"
Breaking Local News…
"…Olivia Pope Associates, the crisis management firm, is in crisis itself today when all of its associates were taken into custody by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in cooperation with DC police. No official statement has been released to the media, but our sources say the arrests are in connection with the kidnapping of murdered US attorney Patrick Dent. Mr Dent was the federal prosecutor in The Guns for Freedom Alliance v Fitzgerald Grant III in the state of Georgia last month…"
Breaking National News…
"…Senator Lucas Zeke of Georgia is seen here being taken from a DC hotel with his assistant Oscar Zidambe in police custody. Senator Zeke who was tipped to be a strong candidate for a seat in Congress. His assistant has been arrested on charges relating to the kidnapping and murder of US attorney Patrick Dent. Mr Dent was the Federal Prosecutor in the case of The Guns for Freedom Alliance and the President Fitzgerald Grant III. It's believed the arrests were made after Federal investigators received surveillance footage from an unnamed but reportedly reliable source…"
Breaking World News…
"…It's a bloodless coup that didn't involve the military, in the country that claims to be the world's greatest democracy. Acting President Sally Langston has invoked section 4 of the Twenty Fifth Amendment in the United States Constitution. She has written to the Speaker of the House, claiming support from the majority of the United States Cabinet that the President is mentally unstable and therefore unfit to discharge his duties. She is petitioning to remain Commanding Officer of the United States until elections are held later this year..."
A/N: Warning: Please stop reading from here if you don't want to wade through another one of my rants! (A bit late to the party, as I took so long to finish this chapter!)
So this note is about the comments I've been leaving on DayDreamLover and BellaDameNoir's stories (which are great: FANTASTIC WRITERS, LOVE THEM!).
My comments were about the direction of the actual show and how everyone has been bagging the Olivia character (mainly), and to a lesser extent - Fitz.
Olivia and Fitz are written by Scandal Writers, they don't write their own dialogue/actions. For instance some of you hate Felicia and Rowan in this story – blame ME, I write them. Their portrayal is a reflection of my imagination, my writing, my editing, my limitations. They come across as overbearing because I make them overbearing. Real life people can control their personalities (if mentally able), fictional characters cannot (no matter how able!).
On the show, Olivia Pope comes across as a secondary, vacillating, bed-hopping hypocrite because she is written that way. What an absolute tragedy that this should happen. And to the actress that plays her.
When I think of all Kerry Washington did to get people to watch the show, and what an exemplary ambassador she is – brilliant, charming and kind (especially in her interactions with fans); that this should be her reward is heartbreaking to watch.
For those of you who believe this is JUST A SHOW – actually it's not. It's a vehicle of representation for those of us who are under-represented. And leaving aside the moral ambiguities of a true-love affair, we had a heroine worthy of respect with a valid claim to her own dignity (unusual), now she doesn't (not so unusual).
And if you don't think representation is important, ask Lupita's whitenicious fan or those who dare to dress up as Angel Coulby's Queen Guinevere on Halloween.
I've been reading that ABC did a 'bait-and-switch' on the teen show Twisted - getting people of colour to watch a show, that then focuses to a secondary character's angst – pretty much like switching the focus from Olivia to Mellie on Scandal. Lazy story-telling probably, but why are 2-minute commercials doing better at positive representative than 1-hour shows?
Olivia Pope was a 'badass' WOMAN of colour, someone who wore a business suit, instead of a cape (and didn't spin webs or jump tall buildings) – much more achievable. A WOMAN who was LOVED, not simply desired for sexual gratification. Can we as an audience afford to see all that destroyed?
Note: the bait and switch is to women that we're supposed to admire out of pity; female characters who are essentially strident mean-girls or snivelling twits. They are not women who are intelligent, strong or loved in their own right. (Anyone care for another serving of patriarchal misogyny between commercials?)
All I have to say about that is – ugh!