Disclaimer: Shondaland/ABC owns these characters. Some owners are more humane creatively than others. Guess which one applies here…

NO-Mellie and NO-Joke: Public Service Announcement for any accidental non-Olitz readers

"Promise me you'll take your naps and drink your tea." Fitz stroked a thumb over Olivia's hand with a faint smile on his lips.

"Duh!"

"Okay, now that Teddy has spoken. Let's hear your promise, Liv." Fitz turned his smiling gaze from the toddler on Olivia's lap, back to her.

"With my Dad watching, you know I'll have to."

"Promise."

"Okay, promise."

"And that you'll ground Jerry if he gets out of hand."

"Jeez, Dad, you're only going for a week. How much trouble do you think I can get into?"

Fitz and Olivia turned to stare at Jerry in a synchronised move that made him sink down in his seat, cross his arms and mutter, "Can you just kiss and leave already. I'll be late for school."

"What about me, Daddy?" Karen sat forward. "What does Mom have to do with me?"

"You?" Fitz grinned, leaning closer to cup her face and kiss her forehead. "I don't have to worry about you, pumpkin, because you are my best little girl."

Then he grabbed Jerry, kissing his cheek loudly before letting him go.

"Are you going to kiss Mom now?" Jerry made a production of wiping his cheek.

"Yes."

"Quick evacuate! Barf time!" Jerry grabbed Karen's hand and pulled her out of the Presidential limousine, slamming the door shut. Only to open it again a second later and take Teddy from Olivia's grasp. "The little dude doesn't need to see that stuff either."

"Wait! Fitz hasn't said goodbye to Teddy yet." Olivia cautioned, supporting the squirming toddler so Fitz could give him a kiss before Jerry hauled him out.

As the door closed a second time, Olivia melted against Fitz with a soft laugh. He wrapped her in his arms for a long silent moment, until she murmured softly, "It's only a week, baby."

He drew back to trace the shape of her lips with his thumb. "I don't want you to fix anything dangerous while I'm gone."

"Cotton wool, Fitz."

"Extra fluffy, Livvie."

She bit his wandering thumb playfully. When his eyes darkened in response, she drew back slightly. "Behave. We don't want to traumatise the Secret Service by making out in the back."

He looked at her solemnly.

Laughing, Olivia grabbed his chin and pulled him close for a kiss, just as the phone rang beside Fitz to alert him it was time to board Air Force One.

With Fitz gone, Olivia felt empty and the day seemed long even though she'd filled it with meetings with her staff, a trip to a local school to talk to students about the importance of high achievement, and a live taping on a talk show about her new hairstyle.

Then when she'd finally run out of things to do, her assistant came in while Olivia was staring into space, and said, "Ma'am, Anna Wintour of Vogue is on the phone again about the covershoot for the October issue. And, uh, Karen Grant is outside. She wants to make an appointment to speak to you. "

Olivia sat up. "Karen? My daughter Karen?"

Her assistant nodded.

"I'll see Karen now."

"What about Ms Wintour."

"Tell her I'll get back to her."

"Ma'am, Cyrus wants you to do the shoot as the magazine comes out a month before elections. The publicity would help."

"Cyrus is excited about Vogue? Why? Do its readers even vote? We're not talking Time magazine."

"Ma'am, I buy Vogue and I vote." Her assistant paused before adding, "It's what Cyrus wants and Ms Wintour doesn't like to be kept waiting."

"I'll get back to her. Send Karen in five. I need to make a call first."

After her assistant had departed, Olivia rang through to the kitchen. Her call was picked up on the first ring.

"Ma'am, we've got chocolate cupcakes with horseradish cream or would you like the barbeque-ribs with caramel sauce?"

Olivia grinned. "Are there any Alfajores left? Can we get a plate for Karen with a strawberry milkshake made from real strawberries just the way she likes? Oh and I'll have a couple of the ribs."

She was placing the receiver back when the door opened and her assistant announced, "Your next appointment is here, ma'am."

"Send her in." Olivia walked up to the door as Karen entered, looking a little hesitant. "Hey, Baby K, this is a surprise."

Karen stood in front of Olivia, her hands clasped in front of her as if she were waiting for bad news. "It's not 'Baby K', it's Karen. I'm not here as your daughter, I'm here as one of your consti-tu-ents."

Listening to each syllable emerge carefully, Olivia bit back a smile and said solemnly, "I don't have constituents. I'm not an elected member of government."

"Oh…So who do you have?"

"A daughter."

"Mom." Karen wrinkled her nose, a reluctant smile peeking.

"Okay, you can be a rep for an interest group. They see me, because they want me to speak to Fitz . Is that what you want me to do – speak to Dad for you?"

Karen shook her head. "Jerry said you fixed things when you came to see him at school."

Olivia's radar went on high alert, and she reached for Karen's hand, leading her over to the couch. Just as they sat down, the door opened and a White House staffer came in carrying a tray.

Karen's eyes widened. "My favourite cookies and milkshake!"

"For a very special visitor."

Karen giggled sliding along the couch to cuddle up to Olivia. "I'm a very special visitor?"

"The special-est". Olivia hugged Karen to her. "So what's this about, Baby K-ar-en." She brushed Karen's hair back with gentle fingers. "Why did you want to make an appointment to see me? You know you can talk to me any time. Is someone being mean to you at school?"

Karen didn't respond instantly. She waited before saying softly, "Why do people listen to boys more than they listen to girls?"

"Are you talking about what's been happening with Jerry?"

"All the cool girls in school want to be friends with me because Jerry's my brother. They think he's gorgeous. I don't think any of them like me for me."

"Do you like any of the girls who want to be friends with you because of Jerry?'

Karen shook her head.

"Then the next time they want you to do something with them, say 'no'"

"I don't want to be mean."

"It isn't being mean, honey, it's keeping your choices pure. If you keep saying 'yes' when you really want to say 'no', your brain gets confused about what it wants. Then you'll only say 'yes' to the things and people you don't like and you won't have time for the people you do like."

Karen stayed silent leaning against Olivia.

After a long pause, Olivia said, "Now we know the people you don't like, is there anyone you do like?"

Karen angled a shy glance at Olivia. "There's a boy…"

"Are you resting?" His voice sounded clear and strong on the line, like he was in the room with her, instead of half a world away.

"Yes."

"You're lying."

"Yes."

"Livvie."

"Fitz."

"Karen likes a boy."

"What?! What's his name? Where does he live?"

"Fitz, he's a nice boy."

"You've met him."

"No, I checked his Facebook profile. Plus, I got Abby and Quinn to check him out at school and the neighbourhood. He's okay."

"Has Tom checked him out?"

"I am not going to have a 14-year-old boy investigated by the Secret Service."

"He's fourteen?"

"He's a friend of Jerry's. They take turns watching out for Karen, to make sure she doesn't get picked on in school."

"Huh."

"Don't worry about this. I think Karen's trying to move on because Peter's been posting pictures with the same girl on Instagram. He seems to have found a girlfriend."

"Pete? … Our Pete?"

"Fitz, don't worry about it. We'll talk about all this when you get home. … Fitz?"

"I didn't know any of this was going on with Karen."

"Because we're always focusing on the job and Jerry. Karen felt she had to make an appointment to get my undivided attention. When you get back, I think you should take Karen out on a Daddy and daughter date."

"Maybe I can get her to show me where Jerry's friend lives."

"Fitz."

"What?"

"You're the President. You can't go around intimidating teenagers."

"You're right. Let me speak to your dad."

"Fitz!"

"She's only eight!"

"I know, baby, but she's going on nine. Our little girl is growing up."

There was a longer silence.

"Mr Pres-i-dent…" Olivia teased.

A laugh gusted into Olivia's ear. "Don't."

"Don't what?"

"I'm meeting the Japanese Prime Minister in twenty minutes."

""Fitz…" Olivia lowered her voice. "I'm taking a bath."

He rumbled a sigh. "This is cruel and not-unusual punishment."

"Poor baby."

"I hate you."

Olivia giggled. "You don't want to offend the Japanese with that attitude." When he didn't respond, she said, "Fitz…?"

"Keep talking. I can almost pretend you're here in this room with me."

Olivia was just leaving her office in the East Wing when she got a call from Quinn.

"Busy?"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "What's happened?"

"Can you make it to Abby's?"

"Will David Rosen be there?"

"I think they're off again. I can't keep up, but no."

"Okay. I'll see what I can do."

An hour later, dressed casually in jeans, sweatshirt with a cap pulled low over her face, Olivia made a discreet entrance into Abby's building. By her side were two similarly clad female agents, giving the impression that the three of them were returning home after an early evening run.

They took the service elevator to Abby's floor. At the agents' knock, Quinn cracked the door open, then turned back into the room and hissed loudly, "The Eagle has landed!"

She checked the corridor right and left, before pulling Olivia inside and shutting the door in the agents' faces.

Olivia sighed, took her arm out of Quinn's grasp, opened the door and said, "Come in."

"They can't come in," Quinn hissed.

Abby stepped forward. "For once I agree with her. This isn't Lindsay's usual paranoia. We shouldn't have an audience for this."

The agents exchanged a glance. "We need to check the place if you want us to stay outside." At Abby's nod, they stepped inside, with one of them murmuring in passing, "The Eagle landed on the moon."

Quinn poked her tongue out at the agent's back, but swiftly masked her expression when they glanced back.

Once the agents were satisfied that no threats lurked in the closet or under the bed, they left the apartment to wait outside, practising their stretching exercises. After the door had shut behind them, Olivia faced her associates and asked, "What's going on?"

From his perch on the edge of Abby's couch, Huck took a sheaf of photographs from a manila envelope and spread them on the coffee table. "Edison has started campaigning for Reston."

"I've been expecting that. Is that why you got me down here?"

"No, we just wanted to say 'hi'," Abby rolled her eyes. "Liv, we don't care if your Ex is in bed with a murderer – metaphorically speaking."

"But we do care when he's best buds with two murderers!" Quinn spat, snatching up a picture lying in the middle of the pile and thrusting it in Olivia's face. "Edison is working with Reston and Hollis Doyle!"

Olivia sat down slowly.

"You know what this means, right?" Huck asked grimly.

Olivia nodded, saying the word in a chorus with the other women, "Defiance."

"Edison, Reston and Hollis – that's what I'd call an unholy trinity."

Cyrus shook his head at Olivia. She'd managed to catch him in his office later that evening when she returned from Abby's. He said he'd gone home to have dinner with James and Ella, but returned to the White House to catch up on some paperwork.

"Time to start planning my retirement and a long vacation. The timing couldn't be better. James wants to adopt another baby so Ella has someone to relate to besides two gay white men who can't dance."

Hands on hips, Olivia stood in front of Cyrus and glared. "So that's your solution, to bail on Fitz when he needs you most?!"

"Fitz is bailing on himself. That bullet in his brain did more damage than either of us realised. And your 'stand-by-your-man' routine isn't helping him see sense. Politics is no place for idealism, not unless you want to end up a carcass of failure, feeding the vultures of self-interest and greed. In the Coliseum on Capitol Hill, they are baying for blood and come November, Fitz will get thrown to the lions."

"Leadership takes courage. It's not about pleasing the majority in Congress."

"Can we start by pleasing the campaign donors? The really big ones that have the power to break our balls?" Cyrus leaned back in his chair, linking his hands behind his head. "Oh what I'd give to be President, but I could never be President. I'm old and I'm gay. The latter eclipses the sun of all my other attributes. Instead I wait in the wings hoping for a protégé to step up without self-combusting."

Olivia paced in front of Cyrus' desk, her arms crossed over her chest. "Why did you want Fitz to win? To give you street cred as a king maker? To give the Republican agenda another term? To be puppet master? Why?"

"I can't remember."

"That's the problem with living in the gated community of the White House – you forget the ideals that brought you here. Now you just want to maintain a status quo that never included you. You're still a member of the Republican Party, a party that doesn't like gays or blacks. Next time you want to tell Fitz to blend in with the bourgeoisie just remember that Fitz isn't like that. He opened his heart to both of us. It's time you stopped thanking him with a slap in his face."

"Olivia, wake up and smell the dung heap of reality. Hollis got Fitz a victory. Now that he's joined the Reston apparatchik , Fitz can kiss a second term goodbye. He's not going to win against Defiance II."

"I'll talk to Hollis."

"And tell him what?"

"I'll think of something."

Olivia ran into Zeke on her way out of Cyrus' office.

"Howdy," Zeke grinned, tipping his rawhide Stetson. "What's this I hear about our First Lady becoming a Vogue cover girl?"

"I haven't said yes."

"It's Vogue, hon."

"Yes, that banner of diversity," Olivia said drily. "I'm so honoured."

Zeke chuckled. "Cy's already told the Gift store downstairs to pre-order the October issue."

Olivia glanced at Zeke, with Hollis Doyle on her mind.

Seeing her distracted smile, Zeke said, "Got a problem? Is it the size of Jerry or your dad?"

Olivia glanced over her shoulder.

"Right," Zeke nodded. "Step this way." He led her to his office, next to Cyrus and switching on the lights. Then closing the door, he said, "I feel this is going to need a team effort, am I right?"

Olivia silently debated an appropriate response.

"Hon, just because I invited your dad to dinner without telling you, doesn't mean you need to stop trusting me." Then at her wry glance, he grinned. "Don't give me the side-eye, you know it's true."

She sighed. "I need to meet someone but I don't want anyone to know I'm meeting him."

All humour fled Zeke's face as he leaned against his walking stick and said softly, "Oh, now you have just gone and broken my heart. I thought you and Fitz were the real deal. I want no part in this, if you're about to go creeping with Mr Ivy League Edison."

"Edison?" Olivia frowned in confusion, then realising what Zeke was implying, she snapped, "No! This is business." Olivia paused. "I need to speak to Tom."

"Uh-uh," Zeke straightened up, shaking his head. "The man's job is protecting Fitz's ass, not yours. So you tell me who you want to meet with and I'll see what I can do."

"Huck can tell you. In fact, he'll show you where to find him."

"Gotcha." Zeke grinned. "Why don't you come to my place for a nightcap after the kids have gone to bed. You can tell Tom all about that."

"Not sure the President would approve," Tom said mildly as he escorted Olivia from the Executive Residence to the vehicle that would take her to Number One Observatory Circle. "He's given us strict instructions about looking after you. A midnight run to Zeke's for a nightcap is not part of the plan."

"You're looking after me, Tom." Olivia smiled. "And I'm sure the baby's having a nap, even if Mama isn't."

Tom shook his head as he took his seat beside her.

When they got to Zeke's, Olivia was escorted inside by Oscar. She barely had time to notice that the décor had taken on a distinctly non-Langston flavour with vibrant furnishings and African art, before she was ushered into one of the lounge rooms, while Tom and the agents waited in the corridor outside.

As the door closed swiftly behind her, she was surprised to find Zeke and Hollis sharing a laugh and a bottle of fine whisky. Fleetingly she had hoped to see Hollis gagged and tied to a chair in nothing but his underpants.

"Olivia," Hollis got to his feet a second after Zeke. "You are looking mighty fine and fresh for someone in your condition." He waved his glass in the general direction of Olivia's stomach.

"My pregnant condition?"

"Will you be fine with Mr Doyle, Liv?"

"Oh, now all my friends call me Hollis. Ain't that right, Olivia?"

"I'll be fine, Zeke." Olivia took the seat that Zeke had vacated on his way out of the room. Once the door shut, Olivia faced Hollis.

"It's been a long time."

"It has," Hollis smiled at her, lazily swirling the ice in his glass.

"You've been meeting with Reston."

His grin widened. "I always did like a woman who cut to the chase. Let's me know I don't need to waste my time on foreplay." He paused to take a sip from his glass before adding, "Yes, it's true that I have shared a number of this country's finest spirits with the Governor of Maryland. As I have done with the Vice President of the United States. You could say that I am a man of bi-partisan interests. Just like Fitzy Boy. The man is a gotdamn inspiration."

"Reston knows about Defiance."

Hollis barely blinked. "Does he now? That is a shame, I wanted to surprise him with an early Christmas present."

"Why Reston?" Olivia asked.

"The question should be why not Reston. The man would be President now if I hadn't stepped in and done God's work. It's time for me to make reparations for that."

"Reston isn't what this country needs."

Hollis looked at Olivia with apparent amusement, but the blood was rising in his neck. "We need Reston. What we don't need is some damned socialists in government. Capitalism built the wealth in this country, Olivia. It's what my daddy and his grand-daddy fought and died for. And I like counting my gotdamn money in my gotdamn sleep. It helps me dream with a smile on my face. Fitzy Boy's plans for wealth re-distribution is giving me gotdamn nightmares!"

"Hollis, we don't have socialists in government."

"Olivia, that baby brain of yours is affecting your gut. You are knee-deep in socialists and drowning fast. Fitzy Boy is trying to turn the city's iconic buildings into homeless shelters and raise the gotdamn minimum wage. Then there's your daddy giving free legal advice to the Indian government on how to fight its water wars with Big Soda."

"All my father did was to mention a paper he wrote on the legal points surrounding the issue. That paper was published ten years ago."

"It's still gotdamned relevant! Capitalism is under attack and your Daddy is white-anting our defences from the inside!"

"Because it's impacting the drinking water and irrigation systems in India."

"Hell, tell the gotdamn Indians to buy bottled water like I do. Or get a soda – it's cheaper than the unfiltered filth that falls from the gotdamn sky! And before you go on about soda companies taking water from the poor to sell their products cheap and make our kids sick here in the good ole US of A, let me tell you that the best gotdamn thing about Capitalism is choice. You can choose to buy a bottle of whatever you want, and you can choose to sign a contract with a soda company that creates jobs and builds some gotdamn roads for your people to get to those jobs. The fact that they didn't read the fine print is not our problem. They made the choice now they've gotta live with it!"

"You don't live with yours."

"What?"

"Five ex-wives, Hollis."

Hollis glanced away, gritting his jaw. "That's not the same thing."

"Yes, it is. Buyer beware applies to love among capitalists. You've been through five divorces to rectify your bad choices. India is going through its first. Or maybe its second with regards to the water wars. I would have thought you'd be more sympathetic."

Hollis looked at Olivia, then he drained his glass and set it on the occasional table with a thunk. "It's getting late. It's past my bed-time, and yours."

"It is," Olivia smiled and got to her feet leisurely. "We must do this again."

Hollis forced a smile to his lips as he got to his feet and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I've gotta say that I'm going to miss you when you and Fitzy Boy leave for that farm in Virginia. Is it too early to give my order for jam?"

"Not at all. I know just the right flavour for you – something with habanero and spice," Olivia said sweetly.

This time the smile on his face was genuine. "Like I said, Olivia, I sure as Sam Hill am going to miss having you in the White House."

"Fitz is not down for the count just yet. I'd wait and see before breaking out the champagne."

When Olivia finally made it to bed, she stacked the pillows just the way she liked it, then stared at the phone willing it to ring.

It didn't.

She gave it another ten minutes before she grabbed the phone and sent a text, with a single word, 'Hi'.

In the next instant, the phone rang.

"Hi," His voice was husky and soft over the phone.

"I miss you."

After a brief silence, he replied gruffly, "I miss you too. I just got out of a meeting and I've been sitting here talking myself out of calling and waking you up."

Olivia smiled. "So the blow up doll I packed for you, isn't working?"

He laughed. "Livvie, I'm glad I don't have to go through security with the things you surprise me with, and no, a plastic doll isn't doing it for me. It doesn't snore."

Olivia snuffled a laugh, curling up with the phone against her ear, hugging herself in Fitz's Navy T-shirt.

After a long pause, she heard his sigh filter across continents. "Livvie, why did you go to Zeke's?"

That brought her up to sitting position. "Fitz, is Tom giving you real time updates of my movements? Have they bugged my shoes or is it my clothes?"

"Neither. I asked Tom to give me a daily report before he leaves for the night, that's all. It's for my own peace of mind. I need to know you're safe." He waited, then said softly, "Liv…?"

"Hollis is joining Reston's campaign. I wanted to speak to him. In private." She waited for a response, when it wasn't forthcoming she said, "Fitz… I didn't want to tell you over the phone, baby. Are you okay?"

"Livvie," his voice deepened. "Right here, right now. I'm glad that Reston will be stepping into my shoes. I'm tired of this job keeping us apart."

Olivia slowly settled back against the pillows. "You want to be Mayor of Vermont and I can make jam."

"I was thinking you could be mayor, and I'd make jam. That way I'd be sure the house won't burn down."

"I hope you have plans to take your doll to dinner because you'll be spending a lot of time with her."

"I'm kinda looking forward to that – you, me and Mimi."

Giggling Olivia said, "Mimi? Well, it'll be just you and Mimi because I won't be in that equation."

"You say that now, but just wait until I get home…"

She smiled. "I'm waiting, baby."

A/N: Hello, to those who've recovered from the PTSDWR (please-take-strong-drink-while-reading) of the last chapter. This one is not too deep. Well, as shallow as I can make it without sex to make it interesting ;)))

I have to say that I loved the reviews, though people are still mad at Rowan and Felicia, with Oscar added to the mix. But I shall persevere in the hope that one day, some day they too will get the love they deserve (*sniff*, my babies).

But enough of that, I chose to include a reference about the real-life Coca-Cola and Pepsi's soda (legal) wars in India after seeing a Tumblr post about soda being cheaper than water. So here it is in my story, instead of a long Tumblr rant – really they did warn me that I'd get crankier with old age, but who knew I'd enjoy it so much!

If you're interested in reading more in order to join the cranky-skirt club, here goes:

Coca-Cola and Water Use in India: "Good Till the Last Drop" (X)

Coke 'drinks India dry' (X)

Tax a Cola, Save the Planet (X)

Oh and if you want to know about time differences when fictional presidents travel, here's a good website:

The World Clock – Time Zone Converter – results (X)