Chapter 25

"I was just wondering when you were coming home," Fitz said to Olivia as he spoke to her on the phone.

Olivia sighed, and looked down at her watch. She said, "I would, and could come home right now, but I have to make a stop before I come home. Last week I got a call that Jake was missing. They want to talk to me about that a little more."

Fitz was silent for a second. This heightened Olivia's suspicions. Finally he says, "Jake is missing? Why didn't you tell me? Has he contacted you?"

Olivia isn't sure she believes his shock, but she says, "Because I am pregnant and I don't want my husband going out and doing something crazy. I need you here when I give birth. I don't think that I can do it without you. No, I know that I can't."

Fitz sighed and said, "Nothing will keep me away from her birth. You can believe that. However, if you did have to do it yourself you could and would. You're just that strong Olivia Pope."

Olivia smiled and said, "Babe, Can I ask you something?"

Fitz grinned thinking that she was trying to get naughty. He said, "You know that you can ask me anything, baby."

"Did you have anything to do with Jake's disappearance? Do you know anything about it," Olivia simply asked.

Automatically defensive Fitz said, "Why would you ask me something like that?"

Olivia sighed and said, "Because you really wanted to know where he was. You were really determined to make him pay. Now he's just missing and surprisingly no one knows where he is. No one has any information. That's a little weird to me. No one can answer any questions."

Fitz tried to redirect Olivia's attention by asking, "So what do you know about his disappearance?"

Olivia frowned as she finished packing up her things to leave for the day. She answered, "Well, he went missing some time the morning after the state dinner. They last have record of him eating dinner late the night of the state dinner. Then when they went to take him breakfast the next morning he was gone. That's pretty much all that we know."

Fitz said, "Mmm. That's not much to go on. Maybe he ran."

"You never answered, Fitz. Do you know anything about this. At least so that I can stop wasting my time running around town trying to figure out what happened," Olivia reasoned with him.

"Olivia, you told me to leave it alone. I'm leaving it alone. I'm a little hurt that you're accusing me," Fitz said once again deflecting.

Olivia sighed and said, "I'm sorry, Fitz. I don't mean to accuse you, but I have to look at all possibilities. I'm also going to ask my parents. I asked Quinn if she and Huck had anything to do with it. I'm just trying to leave no stones unturned. I didn't mean to make it seem as if I thought you were guilty."

Fitz's heart was racing. Lying to Olivia wasn't something that came easy to him. It wasn't something that he was in the habit of doing. He said, "It's okay, Livvie. I understand. Running the world can be difficult, and sometimes you have to make the most difficult calls. I get it. Look, do you have to go to the Pentagon tonight? Can you go tomorrow?"

Olivia thought for a second and then said, "I mean, yeah. I didn't really feel like going over there tonight anyway. I never actually told them when I was coming. I just thought I may as well go tonight and get it over with. Why? What do you have in mind?"

Fitz smiled his pulse starting to slow as he realizes he has successfully kept her from going to the Pentagon. He says, "I made a chicken, and I wanted to have dinner with my wife."

Olivia smiled, and said, "Oh that sounds so good. Doesn't that sound good, little girl," Olivia cooed rubbing her pregnant belly.

Fitz said, "Great see you in about thirty?"

Olivia said, "I'm actually already packed and ready to leave. Mellie is taking Teddy to see a play at the Kennedy Center. So I should be home rather quickly."

Fitz's eyes bulged. He hadn't expected her to be coming so quickly. He hadn't really made dinner. He had just used the excuse in order to lure her away from the Pentagon. To Olivia he said, "Babe, I have to go check on dinner. I'll see you when you get here. Liv? Can you stop and grab a bottle of wine?"

Olivia chuckled and said, "We have wine at home, Fitz. Go down to the cellar. Don't make your pregnant wife go buy wine that she can't drink because she's pregnant."

Fitz said, "I know, Livvie, but it's so that we will have a healthy, beautiful baby girl. I know we have wine here, but I have a taste for your favorite wine, and we don't have any of that."

Olivia smiled and said, "Okay, Fitz. I'll stop in Adams Morgan to get the wine, and then I'll be heading home. It's good to see that my wine selections are rubbing off on you."

As soon as Olivia ended the call he told the secret service to go to a nearby restaurant to pick up the order that he was calling in. Then he called the restaurant, and told them that he needed a whole chicken dinner ASAP. It was at times like these where his being the former President of the United States of America came in handy.

He felt bad because he had called urgently with such short notice that they would probably take the dinner that someone before him had ordered, but they would do it because he former President had called in a panic.

Fitz hurried around the kitchen, and the dining room setting the table and preparing for the meal that was to come. He prayed that secret service was able to get back before Olivia got home. Lying was certainly something that he couldn't, and wouldn't get used to. Especially not to Olivia. Here he was running around like a chicken with his head cut off trying to cover up his lies. However, if she got home and it didn't look as if he was preparing dinner then she would definitely know that he had something to do with Jake's disappearance. This was too much for Fitz. He knew in that moment that he without a doubt had made a mistake when he decided to get into bed with the Popes.

Now here he was lying to his wife. Like they hadn't had enough lies, and scandal to last them a lifetime. He and Olivia had come so far. He shouldn't have let anger rule his decision making. Now here he was worried to death that he was going to get caught in a lie by his wife. He didn't know what she would do if she found out that he had lied to her.

About fifteen minutes later Fitz heard a car pull up and he prayed it was secret service and not Olivia. He was in the kitchen. He had turned the oven on so that it would be warm like he had been cooking. His secret service agent entered through the kitchen door with the food that he had ordered.

Fitz was in the process of helping his agent transfer the food from the containers to the platters that he had already set out. When he heard his front gate opening signaling that a car was entering. More than likely it was Olivia. He said to his agent, "Finish transferring the food while I go stall her, and get these containers out of here."

Fitz wiped his hands on a dishtowel and trotted towards the foyer. When he arrived Olivia entered their home. Fitz said, "You made it!. See it didn't take you that long to stop and get the wine. Come here, Livvie. Give your husband a hug."

Olivia smiled, and walked into his arms. He held her for a moment. He said, "Why don't you go ahead, and shower. Change into something comfortable. I have a few finishing touches to put on dinner. By the time you're finished with your shower it should be time to eat."

Olivia pulled away and leaned upwards to kiss her husband and then turned to head to their bedroom. Fitz ran back to the kitchen. He was relieved to see that all of the containers were gone, and that all the food had been transferred to the platters. His secret service agent had even put the platters into the over so that they would be warm. He couldn't think his lucky stars enough. He had to stop lying to Olivia. Because it was becoming too much work to keep lying. It was like there was one lie right on top of another.

Fitz grabbed oven mitts and moved the platters from the oven to the dining room table. Once all the food was on the table he went back to the kitchen to grab a bottle of sparkling water for Olivia. He had just finished pouring some water into her glass when she came to the table.

She was dressed in navy blue maternity lounge pants, a black tank top, and a long open front navy blue cardigan with pockets on both sides. She had her hands in her pockets as she approached.

Fitz turned and smiled. He said, "Ah, don't you look beautiful, and comfortable all at the same time?"

Olivia smiled shyly, and said, "I don't mind dressing up for work. It's my thing. I actually love it, but the more pregnant that I get, or should I say the bigger that I get I just want to wear comfy casual clothing."

Fitz smiled. He got her situated in her chair, and asked, "What do you feel like eating today? You think you want to try everything?"

Olivia gently protested Fitz catering to her, "Babe, I can fix my own plate. Sit down. You spent all afternoon working on this meal for me. The very least that I can do is allow you to enjoy it."

Fitz replied, "You should know by now that spoiling you, and waiting on you hand and foot are things that make me completely happy. You are the reason I enjoy every aspect of my life."

Fitz placed Olivia's plate in front of her, and started filling his own. Olivia said, "I didn't realize until I sat down just how hungry I am. This looks very good, Fitz."

Olivia cut into her chicken and placed a forkful into her mouth. She moaned.

Fitz sat down at the table with his plate. Olivia's eyes flew to his. She said, "Wow, Fitz. You really have improved your culinary skills. This tastes like food straight from a restaurant. I'm so glad that one of us has taken to learning to cook. Me and this little princess will never starve."

Fitz looked at Olivia, and smiled. Then he looked down at his plate. He wasn't hungry the guilt was eating away at him.