Author's Note: Good evening. I've been writing to distract myself today, not only from my Monthly Curse (that showed up early because my big sister is here again…synchronized ovaries and all that bullshit) but from the fact that I may very well be out of a job, soon. My boss, who is already terminally ill, has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. Currently, she is in the hospital (and has been since the lion's share of last week) being evaluated and possibly operated on and I am concerned for her, not as a boss but as a family member.
I suppose that's the drawback of Home Caregiving. One gets attached to their clients and when they take a turn for the worse, even when it's expected from the Jump, the pain is very deep and the sadness…my boss is a strong woman and the cancer was caught early but…yeah. Despite my feelings, I have to be pragmatic. There's still a possibility of taking on that 2nd client and my family has promised to help me in a job hunt or with getting on public assistance so I can go to school.
If I do go to school and it's a big If, then I either want to go in to train to be an English teacher (my dream job), to formalize what I do now (the time period of doing that is relatively short), or to go into something completely different that's solid and reliable with money. I don't know yet. I'm just going to pray and see what happens next.
Disclaimer: "Honestly, it's not mine!"
They had driven West and then North, ending up in the upper part of Washington State. Arrangements were being made for her to be relocated to Anchorage with the option of her leaving the country entirely if she so chose. Her new alias was Nadine Hendley, a single mother starting anew in the wake of an abusive relationship. She had no family, no friends, nothing but her baby boy who was due in less than 5 months…and her gun.
Peeking through the curtain again, she tightened her grip on the weapon, scanning the dark parking lot diligently for movement and threats.
As a child, Amanda had quickly figured out that no one was going to really take of her but her. She had to do whatever she had to do to survive, to make it from sun up to sundown. The streets had taught her to shoot, stab, and hustle. They had taught her to lie and to cry, to use her femininity and her sex to get what she wanted. They had taught her to work hard and play harder. They had taught her to run and hide. All those lessons were being put to the ultimate test now. She could not fail. Her child deserved a chance to be born and her child deserved to be raised by a mother, a mother who was deeply flawed but still loved him more than anything in the world.
His name was going to be Matthew Cadman, for he was a blessing from God and he would be a fighter. Even if he looked like his father, she wouldn't see him but anything less than precious. She would make sure he stayed in school and that he would have structure and warmth. She would make sure he knew about the Lord but if he decided to be an atheist or something different, she'd support it. She'd never discourage his dreams and she would keep every drawing, every certificate, every trophy he would earn. She'd be front row center for anything he was in and she'd embarrass him in front of his friends, girlfriends, boyfriends…it didn't matter. She would be the mother that she had always longed for and…
The quiet man called Huck led her away from the window and eased her down onto the couch, propping her feet up on the small table. After sliding a pillow underneath her feet, he pulled out his gun and took her place as sentry. The nice but fierce one named Quinn was spraying Lysol on the remade beds, a gun of her own holstered on her thigh. She turned towards the kitchenette area and watched as Olivia Pope-Grant made grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken with stars soup. Since she was the First Lady, she had to stay under the radar so while the two associates did legwork, they stayed with the car or in wherever they were staying.
"…why are you helping me? I heard what Mr. Beene yelled through the phone a couple of days ago. I'm your Client and I really don't get it. You have every right and reason to hate me and throw me under the bus for what I tried to do to your husband."
"Amanda, people make mistakes all the time and you're no different. I'm angry at what you were a part of and the fact that I have to be away from my family to Fix it but…Billy is going to get his come hell or high water…and I am the hell or high water."
" Good. Fucking bastard…for what it's worth…I wouldn't have gone through with it. It was different before. Billy made it sound like it was a noble thing to do, a God-given destiny or whatever but…when I saw that plus sign, I knew that no amount of political power or influence would be worth putting my baby in danger. Billy would've told me to get rid of it or would've tried to pass it off as a Presidential Love Child. The truth would've come out and then their life would've been ruined forever. I could already hear the kids on the playground making fun of them for their crazy, stupid, lying slut of a mother and…no. Not again. I went through that and look how well I turned out."
"…I think you've turned out great."
/
"Daddy?"
Fitz looked at the doorway and immediately knew what was troubling their son. The same forlorn tint was in his own eyes and he just opened his arms. Ger ran in and buried his face in his chest, drawing the blankets close to his body. Gently, Fitz pressed a kiss to his temple and flipped the channel to the ever present Spongebob marathon on Nickelodeon. If he remembered correctly, the current episode was the one with Homicidal Hibernating Sandy…
"I miss Momma.", he sighed.
Miss was too weak of a word to describe it. They had been apart before, of course but this was different. Maybe it was because she hadn't been able to call, maybe it was because what she was doing for Amanda had the potential to be deadly, maybe it was just being in the White House without her but…his Livvie was away from him and he absolutely despised it. And Ger was almost like an adrift ship without her. He and Liv were very close and had been from the moment he first kicked her…
"She'll be home soon, Ger-Bear."
"I hope so. You're sad without her. I'm sad without her. Even Uncle Cyrus is sad without her." Ger pointed out before unmuting the 'Dirty Dan' argument and settling in. After a minute, he grabbed one of Liv's favored pillows and rested his cheek on it, his eyes drifting shut as her scent surged into his nostrils.
Like father, like son…
Olivia's absence created a vacuum effect through 1600 Penn. Things still got done but there was a tangible amount of melancholy in the air. It was bittersweet in its reassurance. As they prepared for his swearing in, she had confided in him about her insecurities about being the First Lady. She was confident in her ability to find a platform and to balance her time with OPGA but she was worried about the human elements. She didn't want her family to be sacrificed on the altar of the position and she really wanted to be able to establish a rapport within the White House. She not only wanted to be respected for her position but also as a person.
She had been afraid that they wouldn't like her. They didn't like her. They loved her. They all loved her. Olivia Pope-Grant was adored and wanted and missed…god, he missed her…
/
2 Days Later…
"Oh, thank God!"
That was common consensus. There had smiles, hollered 'welcome backs', and a very frazzled looking Jeanine Locke had nearly broken her in two in a hug. It was nice to know that she had been missed and she was very glad to be home again. She had been hoping to see Ger before he went to school but rush hour traffic had prevented that. She'd just surprise him when he got out of school and maybe hit Baskin-Robbins on the way home, too…
"Where is he?"
"Liv…"
"I want my husband. I have not seen or touched my husband in 6 days, 10 hours, and 11 minutes. I want to see and touch my husband now and I will see him and touch now whether you or anyone else around here likes or not. Where is my husband, Cyrus?"
"…in the Oval. When you two are done with your nauseating and X-rated reunion, we need to talk about our next move."
After a small stare off, Olivia inclined her head in acknowledgment and Cyrus stepped aside as she left her West Wing office. The first thing she had done when she got back was take a shower and change out of the black and gray clothing necessary for the trip. She had texted Abby and Harrison, who had both confirmed arrival of Amanda's proof and had debated on what to wear for a good 15 minutes. Even if she was in a burlap sack, Fitz would think that she looked beautiful but it had been almost a week since they had seen each other and she wanted to look hot.
The knee length dress was white with a modest v-neck but the way it accentuated her curves and long legs was anything but modest. A pair of classic black heels gave her gait a sultry sway and she had put on his favorite lip tint. She was a woman on a mission and her mission was Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III.
"Mrs. Pope-Grant, you're back.", Lauren greeted with a relieved smile.
"I am. How's he been?"
"More depressed than grumpy, really. Although Mr. Beene said something that made him yell like an angry grizzly bear yesterday. Jeanine had to step in and separate them like a referee."
"Oh, really? I'll have to Handle that. Do me a favor? Can you clear his schedule for the next couple of hours?"
"It's been cleared until 2, already. I'll let Mr. Beene know what's going on right away."
"Thanks."
Opening the side door, she felt her heart soften as she took him in. He was laying on the couch with his left forearm over his eyes, his suit jacket over his desk chair.
"Cyrus, unless you're telling me that someone in Pakistan or North Korea just pushed the little red button or that my wife is finally back home, I have a headache.", he sighed.
"A headache, huh? I guess that means I should come back later."
He was up and moving at the first syllable and she met him halfway near the far side windows. The cameras couldn't see there and the both of them had taken advantage of that fact before. His hands went into her hair and he drew her into a deep, desperate kiss. Her knees wobbled and she fell against him, matching his ardor. Their lips parted with a wet pop and his gaze was ablaze with joy, his smile soft and broad.
"… Hi."
"You're home."
"I am."
"I missed you."
"I missed you, too."
The second kiss was sweet and soft, their tongues becoming reacquainted and her hands untucked his shirt, sliding under the t-shirt underneath to feel warm skin. Goosebumps rose as she kneaded at the tense muscles of his lower back and she gasped as he picked her up, pressing her back against a sturdy bookshelf. A loud moan escaped her panting lips as he nuzzled deep into her neck, lowering her dress enough to show a hot pink lacy bra strap. The strap was nudged out of the way and he nipped at her skin, moaning his contentment. Moving her hands out from under his shirts, she drew him even closer to her and played with his hair as he rested his cheek on her bosom. They slid slowly to the floor and he smoothly maneuvered her into his lap, her bottom resting between his spread legs. His left hand tilted her head up and she used the side of her thumb to get some of the candy apple red off of his chin.
"So I take it that I'm never allowed to leave again ever?"
"No one allows you to do anything and you can leave if you have to. Just no more radio silence. Not seeing you is one thing but not hearing your voice…god, Livvie…"
"I know. I didn't like it either but I didn't want to run the risk of the wrong people hearing things."
"I understand. Is...everything's okay, right?"
"Anchorage seemed to be a good fit and they're both healthy. A little scared but that's natural."
"I'm glad. They deserve to have a life. Cyrus wants to meet with Sally today. Read her in."
"Better sooner than later. Does Chambers suspect anything?"
"I don't think so."
"Good. How's dulce?"
"Other than missing his momma, he's fine. He's really excited to see Esperanza again. She got a scholarship to Jefferson and her family's moving down here next month. He's already making her a scrapbook and planning 'the best tour ever'. He really likes her."
"Mm. I don't want to talk about my baby getting hit by the Thunderbolt.", she moaned.
"He won't be your baby forever, Livvie."
"I don't care if he's grown, hairy, and old. He'll always be my baby. And…well, Esperanza's a good girl with good parents. He could've done much worse…like his daddy."
"That was Big Jerry, not me. I chose a beautiful woman in a red dress and no brain/mouth filter to speak of.", he corrected her proudly.
"And it was one of your best decisions ever."
"Damned straight. Come on. Let's go find our bed."
"Are you tired?"
"…nope.", he leered.
She giggled in response and let him lead her out the door.
