Disclaimer: I do not own Scandal
Chapter Twenty-Five: When the Sand Runs Out
I spent the morning at an old friend's grave
Flowers and Amazing Grace, he was a good man
He spent his whole life spinning his wheels
Never knowing how the real thing feels
He never took the chance or took the time to dance
And I stood there thinking as I said goodbye
Today's the first day of the rest of my life
I'm gonna stop looking back and start moving on
And learn how to face my fears
Love with all of my heart, make my mark
I wanna leave something here
Go out on a ledge without any net
That's what I'm gonna be about
Yeah I wanna be running when the sand runs out
- "When the Sand Runs Out" Rascal Flatts
Olivia cleared her throat before moving to stand behind the podium of the press room at the White House. The room immediately fell silent with the exception of the clicks and flashes from the various press cameras. "I have an update on the shooting that took place last night at the President's 50th birthday gala." The room remained quiet, "The President of the United States is still in surgery, all questions regarding his condition should be directed to the Chief of Staff at James Madison Hospital."
Chaos erupted and Olivia held up her hands for silence. Questions continued to fly at her so Kimberly Mitchell, a reporter she used on many occasions, stood up, "We won't get any information if we don't let Olivia speak." The room immediately fell silent.
Olivia took a steadying breath before she continued, "Hank Sullivan, the Secret Service Agent who was shot is out of surgery and will be fine." She paused and looked down at the empty podium, taking a deep breath she looked back and did her best to blink away the tears, "I am deeply saddened to report that Julie Keefer, the White House Press Secretary, succumbed to her injuries during surgery early this morning. Julie was thirty-two years old, a graduate of Georgetown University with a masters degree from Columbia, she was engaged to Mark Hall, one of the high ranking staff members here at the White House. I got to know Julie while on the campaign trail and personally recommended her as my replacement when I stepped down during the early months of President Grant's administration. She was a sweet and loyal hardworking woman. She will be greatly missed." Olivia cleared her throat and was glad that the press did not erupt in a fit of questions, Kimberly seemed to quiet them effectively, "Homeland Security, the local DC police, and the FBI are searching for a woman dressed in a black hoodie carrying a guitar case leaving the Plaza. She is noted as average looking with dark hair about 5'4". Any further questions regarding the search for the shooter should be directed to the head of Homeland Security who will be leading a briefing right here in two hours. Thank you." Olivia stepped away just as questions began to be thrown her way.
When she rounded the corner she was greeted by Tom, Cyrus and James. Pressing her back to the wall she let her head rest in her hands, "I can't believe Julie is dead." She murmured. "How is Mark?" She asked as she looked up.
Tom cleared his throat, "He's still at the hospital with Mrs. Grant. He's holding her engagement ring and repeatedly asking 'why' according to another agent."
Shaking her head, Olivia straightened, "We can't dwell on this now. The only thing that can truly help Mark at this point is getting things moving forward and finding the shooter." She paused, "Also, I need an update on Fitz. I need to know if it looks like he'll make it out of surgery or if Sally is going to be inducted today."
Cyrus slammed his hand against the wall, "She can't be."
"Cy," James rested a hand on his arm, "if he's in a coma or he dies then she definitely will be. It's protocol."
"Liv!" Harrison came running up, "Sally's on the warpath. She's going to all the members of the cabinet looking for signatures for her petition that states she can be inducted now."
"Shit." Olivia looked at her tan pumps. They were the ones Fitz liked to make fun of and call her skyscrapers. She sighed, she couldn't afford to think like this she had to stop Sally. Taking a steadying breath she said calmly, "How many signatures does she have so far?"
"Four out of ten."
"I need to go talk to Mellie." Olivia raised her head and marched down the hall. She paused a moment later, "Tom, are you good to stay with me?"
"Of course Liv." he jogged down the hallway and guided her down the corridor while ordering a car to take them to the hospital.
SCANDAL
"If Liv is talking to Mellie to try to convince her to speak on behalf of Fitz, what more can we do?" Abby asked as she paced around what was Olivia's office, then Julie's and now was vacant.
Stephen stared down at his shoes, "We go to the cabinet members ourselves. We try to convince them that President Grant is still alive and still technically President. It won't do any good though."
"She just got her fifth signature." Harrison popped his head in, "And Cyrus is drinking himself into a stupor. Even James can't stop him."
Huck looked up from his laptop, "Abby should talk to Cyrus. He likes you the best."
"What if we have James leak a positive view of Grant's condition to the people? He writes and anonymous blog post or something?" Quinn suggested from her place in front of her own laptop. "Couldn't that help maybe?"
Stephen shook his head, "I don't know, if he dies and someone finds out it was James his reputation is shot to hell."
"Okay well we have to do something." Harrison stepped fully into the room to pace.
"I'll go talk to Cyrus. Call me when Liv gets back from the hospital." Abby pushed herself up and left the room.
SCANDAL
Mellie stood up as Tom and Olivia approached, "How dare you show up here." Her voice was low and raspy, and nearly demonic. "How dare you show up, you are not his wife. You are just his mistress."
The eyes of all the Secret Service Agents and Mark were on her. Mark looked wide-eyed from Mellie to Olivia. Of course everyone knew the President was having an affair while on the trail, no one knew it was with Olivia.
Olivia cleared her throat and smoothed out her blazer, "Mellie, I realize I am the last person you want to see right now," Mellie snorted at her words, "but Sally is getting signatures to be inaugurated tonight. And they're piling up fast. At last count she had five of the ten she needed." Mellie rolled her eyes at Olivia's words, "If Sally plays this right you could be kicked out of the White House whether or not Fitz survives this. You wanted 1600 Penn. You are the First Lady. It's time to start acting like it. We need you to speak to the American people. To assure them that they still have a living and breathing President and he is your husband. That should slow the signatures down. The last thing the staff members would want to do is piss off their constituents."
Mellie glared up at Olivia and waved her hand nonchalantly in the air, "Fine. Get me clothes. And get me a phone so I can call Hollis and inform him as to what is going on."
Olivia did her best to keep a straight face, "I'll call Hollis and Verna. I'm sure they'll want to come here to see you." She turned without another word and with Tom at her heels.
"Liv, are you okay?" Tom grabbed her arm and spun her around.
"No I'm not okay. You know, you knew, I already disappointed you. I hadn't disappointed Mark or the other agents yet." Olivia put her head in her hands.
"Liv, I know, and I know it's not just an affair. Hank and I know it's more than that. Hank and I know he's going to leave her. She hates that you care more than her, that he'd rather you care more than her. And she hates that when their kids come here they will probably lean on you."
Olivia cleared her throat, "I should have Huck fly out to California to get them." She paused, "I should send Quinn with him, but I may need a computer genius with me." Olivia looked up at Tom, "Would you go to get them with Huck?"
Tom nodded, "I'll get us on the next flight out."
"Thanks, I need to go get Mellie clothes now."
SCANDAL
An hour later Olivia stood off to the side with Harrison, Stephen, Abby, Quinn, Cyrus and James as Mellie took her place behind the podium. "Do you think this will work?" Cyrus asked.
Olivia shook her head, "No, it won't, but it's the only thing I could come up with." She sighed, "By the end of today Sally will be President and we will just have to focus on finding the shooter and praying Fitz lives."
"I'm going to be out of a job and one of my two best friends will be too. One of my two best friends may die." Cyrus ran a hand over his face.
Olivia leaned down and wrapped his big hand in her small one, "Life's too short to waste on regrets and not taking chances."
"What are you suggesting Liv?"
"I'm saying you should marry James." She whispered. "You should marry him while you can. I should've helped him leave her while I could. I shouldn't have walked away." She paused, "If he dies I have to live with that for the rest of my life."
Cyrus's head snapped towards her, "Please don't say that ever again."
Olivia turned her attention back to the podium just in time to hear Mellie pleading with the press and the people, "American has a President, a living, breathing President. And his name is Fitzgerald Grant. He is still with us and he will lead us through this." She paused, "Thank you."
SCANDAL
"Let me see if I understand this, the President of the United States gets shot and you propose to me?" James stared at Cyrus who was on one knee holding up a white gold ring with diamonds around it. "Seriously Cy?"
Cyrus grabbed onto the end table next to the window and pulled himself into a standing position. "You have been right about everything James. And I love you. I just, I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life loving you. And I know I'm a cankerous, mean old man, but you make me feel like I might actually be worth something."
James cut him off by pulling him into a kiss. "Yes Cy, yes!" The door opening cut their celebration off, "Liv, he proposed!' James held up his hand that he had slipped the ring on.
Pulling James into a hug Olivia whispered "Congrats James! I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need him for a minute."
James nodded, "Of course, you guys have a lot of work to do and I'll leave you to it. I have a wedding to plan and a President to help save. I'll see if Abby needs anything."
"I'm glad you're marrying him." Olivia whispered.
"Let me guess, Sally got her signatures."
"Sally got her signatures." Olivia confirmed.
Cyrus let out a yell and shoved books and papers off his desk and onto the floor. "Damn it all to hell!" He screamed.
Olivia nodded and took a seat on the leather sofa, "When he dies, I don't know what I'll do." She paused, "I don't know how I'll survive."
"We can't, you can't," Cyrus sat down next to her, "you can't think like that. He has to live."
"She won't let me see him to say goodbye. To just be with him. I know she's his wife, but he loves me. And I love him." Olivia put her head in her hands and let her shoulders shake as tears silently fell down her face, "I feel like I've actually lost him and I wasted all the time we could've had together building a life."
"You haven't lost him yet." Cyrus reminded her.
She disagreed.
SCANDAL
Sally pulled the Bible to her chest and looked around the Oval Office at 10pm that night. She was the first female President of the United States of America. And it didn't matter how she'd gotten here.
She was President.
And she'd be damned before she let it go.
SCANDAL
XOXO
MAS