Cooperative
Olivia had finally reached the halfway point in her pregnancy, much to her elation. She loved almost every aspect of being pregnant - the good and the bad - and unlike some expecting mothers, she didn't want to rush through it. Pregnancy was a wonder with endless new discoveries, and she was thoroughly enjoying it.
Seeing how her body reacted to everyday things such as smells or foods was vastly interesting to her. Morning sickness had been her least favorite part of growing a tiny human. The sudden and unexpected urge to empty her stomach of what little had been inside of it was not a pleasant way to start her day. If she was honest though, in an odd way it reassured her that the baby she and Fitz had created was truly in her belly and thriving. Still, she hadn't been sad to see it abruptly end a few weeks ago. Having her appetite back was a fantastic way to usher in the second stage of pregnancy.
Exhaustion, on the other hand, had just about kicked her ass. It was slightly embarrassing to be constantly yawning during meetings and briefings with important people. She had explained to everyone that it was just a side effect of her pregnancy and to not take it personally. Fitz had chosen that particular side effect to be his pet. After a light lunch, he all but forced her to go up to the residence so they could take an uninterrupted nap together.
The first few times he had put his foot down about her getting more rest, Olivia had not been a fan. He had never been the type of man to demand anything of her. Fitz was a go with the flow kind of guy. But when he told her in no uncertain terms that he would throw her little ass over his shoulder and physically remove her from wherever the hell in the White House that he found her, she stopped making an issue out of it. Knowing he was looking out for her health and their baby's health was the only thing that kept her from losing her mind. The extra hour of sleep was one of his better ideas and helped her tremendously. Sometimes she hated it when he was right.
She didn't miss having a period every month and that was probably her favorite thing about pregnancy so far. The mood swings, slight heartburn, and the faint headaches that popped up at random times weren't the end of the world for her. Olivia knew that pregnancy was a combination of the good and the bad. The end result made all of it worthwhile, and she was excited to meet her little one.
The absolute best part of being at the halfway point in her pregnancy was that she and Fitz could finally learn if they were having a boy or girl from an ultrasound. Olivia was beyond excited to learn the sex of their baby so they could start preparing for him or her. She and Fitz could choose colors for the nursery and furniture could be purchased to put in it. It was all very thrilling.
"I can't believe today is the day we find out if we're having a son or a daughter." Olivia told Fitz.
They were at the breakfast table eating scrambled eggs and fresh fruit –Olivia's new favorite morning meal. Fitz glanced at his watch. "Just a little over an hour from now. There is still quite a bit of water left in that glass, Liv."
"Please. No more talk about water." She told him with her palms towards him. "My kidneys are about to explode, and I still have an hour to go."
"What do you want to talk about instead?" He was enjoying this quiet time with her. Fitz had gone from working all kinds of crazy hours at Grant and Associates to learning and fulfilling his duties as First Gentleman. He was surprised at all their was to learn about the job. The office didn't have much going on at the moment client wise, and he really wasn't in the mood for all the sarcasm his associates seemed cheerful to dish out.
Olivia held his hand over the table, and began rubbing little circles on his skin. "Do you want a boy or a girl, Fitz?"
"I just want a..."
"Please don't say a healthy baby." she interrupted.
"What? Why not?" He asked in a surprised tone.
"I want a healthy baby too. Every sane person in the world wants a healthy baby. I'm asking, if you could choose one or the other, which would you rather have?"
He gave her a soft smile and beckoned her to his side of the table. The moment she sat on his lap and her arms came around his neck, Fitz smiled. "I am beyond happy to be a father, Liv. I will be equally as happy if we have a little girl or a little boy. That is the absolute truth, and I'll repeat it until this baby arrives."
Olivia shot him an impatient look.
Pulling her closer, Fitz told her what she already knew. "But, if I was able to choose what we are having, you know I'm preferable to having a daughter who looks, acts, and is every bit as smart as you."
"Really?"
"Really."
"I thought you might have changed your mind after the baby we lost. That it might have made you want a son."
"A son would be absolutely fantastic. He could work with me at the office."
"And Huck could teach him to..."
Fitz covered her mouth with his hand.
She chuckled and moved it to finish her sentence. "To defend himself."
"Hell no! We're not having a mini CIA operative with a god complex running around the office. Whatever we have, I am going to be ridiculously happy about it. I can't wait to meet him or her."
"I can't wait to see fixer Fitz in dad mode." She admitted with a smile. "I bet it's going to be super sexy."
"Undoubtedly." He agreed.
She popped a berry into her mouth and chewed before bringing up the other thing that had been on her mind lately. "Fitz?"
"MmmHmm?" He asked absentmindedly.
She put her hand on her belly. "We still don't have any names for this little one."
His hand covered hers on top of her slight bump. "We need to work on that, don't we? The President can't have a child without a name. Do you have any ideas for some? Maybe we should come up with a short list for both sexes?"
"Orrr, we could wait until we definitively find out the sex of the baby at the ultrasound this morning and start working on names at the dinner table tonight?"
"I like that idea. Knowing will alleviate the work by half." He told her with a smile.
"And, it means we'll get the job done faster. Hopefully."
"Are you sure you want to know what we're having?"
"Of course I do! Don't you want to know?"
"I'm definitely finding out." He firmly replied. "I just meant if you wanted me to, I'd keep it a secret until the birth. If you would rather wait to know?"
Olivia's response was to laugh at him. "You couldn't keep that a secret and you know it!"
"I beg your pardon?"
"You're sweet to offer, and I know you get paid to keep a lot of highly confidential things quiet, but there is no way you could keep that information to yourself for the next four and a half months. You'd be running around town with non-disclosures, telling everyone."
"Would you like to test that theory, Madam President?"
"No, I wouldn't. I want to know if we are having a son or daughter just as much as you do. I'm ready to get started on the nursery. There are so many things that need to be done before he or she is born. They will be easier to accomplish once we know what we are having."
"I'm assuming there won't be a patriotic nursery, then?" Fitz teased.
"Do you want that?"
"I want whatever you want."
Olivia grinned at him. "You are a wise man, Fitzgerald Grant."
His response was barely a murmur as he began to nuzzle into her neck. "Happy wife, happy life."
"I love you endlessly. But you know you can tell me your opinions on..." Her voice trailed off. God, what was his mouth doing to her skin right now? Her thoughts were suddenly fuzzy. She let out a happy little sound and held onto him tighter. She was about to cave into his unspoken plan, when she remembered her nine o'clock meeting. "Fitz?"
"Mmm?" He just needed another thirty seconds and she would be moaning his name instead of saying it like she just remembered who he was.
"God, no. You've got to stop doing that!" She reluctantly pulled her head back, effectively getting his mouth out of her neck.
"Do I though?" His head lurched forward to try to convince her otherwise.
"Yes, you do. I have a meeting with Cyrus at nine."
"Cyrus can wait, Liv." he grumbled.
"He can't. We will be discussing my plan to run for a second term." Talking politics would either turn him on or shut him down. It was a fine line with him sometimes.
"I was wondering what your thoughts were about that."
"I'd like to hear your thoughts about that." She countered.
"There are vast benefits to being married to the President of the United States." he replied with a grin. "But in all seriousness, I'm behind you one hundred percent. Whatever you decide to do."
"It means everything to have your support. I'll need it for my second term as President."
"I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I love your confidence." He leaned closer and softly brushed his lips against hers.
"It will also mean that we will be leaving the White House with a five year old."
"Maybe not just a five year old?" he suggested.
"You want more kids?"
"If I'm answering to the woman who just asked for my honest opinions; I do. We've discussed this briefly before." He didn't want to explain the when, and just kept going. "I'd like to have a large family. At least three kids. But definitely more than one."
"I'd like a whole houseful of little Grant children. We'll have to see how hands on you are once they arrive, to see how many we end up with."
"I'm very hands on with the creating of them." He replied, giving a light chuckle. Once again, he leaned into her neck, planting baby kisses there. He thought he was winning the battle when her grip on him tightened and she let out a breathy sound.
"Believe me when I say nothing is happening here until after my doctor's appointment. Holding in all this water is a terrible feeling."
"But after that?" he prompted.
"After that you have to go to work and so do I."
"Fine. Go to your meeting with Cyrus. I have First Gentleman things to do. Picking out china for some function next month. Someone really ought to update the First Lady, First Gentleman job descriptions, Liv." He complained.
Olivia chuckled lightly at the mental picture of him choosing plates with white gloves on. "I'll see what I can do."
"I'll meet you in the Oval in an hour."
She got to her feet, pecked his lips, and said, "see you in an hour" before heading to her office.
An hour later, her bladder was screaming at her. It was so full, it was almost painful, but still Olivia walked hand in hand with her husband to see doctor Lane. On the way, the two of them discussed what she and Cyrus had talked about in their meeting concerning her reelection.
The President was weighed and then quickly ushered into an exam room, and helped onto a table lined with sterile white paper. She thanked her husband for the assistance, and held his hand once her blood pressure had been taken.
"Your weight and blood pressure are good. How have you been feeling, Madam President?"
"So much better now that I'm in the second trimester."
"The nausea is finally gone then?" The good doctor asked with a smile.
"Yes! And my appetite is back."
"It's good to see her eat and actually be able to actually keep it down." Fitz remarked.
"I'm sure it is. Those first few weeks can be tough, but you, Madam President, are much tougher." Doctor Lane wrote some notes on the President's file and then set it down.
"Now then. Since I'm sure you didn't drink lots and lots of water for the fun of it, let's take a look at your baby."
"Yes, please!" Olivia agreed excitedly.
"We have both been counting the days until we can find out what we are having." Fitz told doctor Lane.
"I'm sure, but please remember that your baby might not be ready to share that with us today. Sometimes babies are shy and won't allow parents in on the secret."
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there." Olivia said.
"We'll definitely find out on his or her birthday." Fitz agreed.
Fitz and the doctor gently helped Olivia lay down on her back, and her top was pulled up over her little bump. Doctor Lane held up a tube for Olivia to see. Before she squirted it on Olivia's belly, she gave a warning. "This might be chilly, Madam President."
It was on the cool side, but Olivia hardly noticed due to her excitement.
The doctor put the transducer on the President's belly and began moving it in search of the baby's heartbeat. All of a sudden, a loud sound like that of a vinyl record could be heard and then a repetitive swishing sound filled the room.
Fitz immediately stilled, listening to the strange sound. "What's that? Is something wrong?"
Doctor Lane smiled at him. First time dads were such worriers. "That, Mr. Grant, is your baby's heartbeat."
"That's just..." He began, feeling tears stinging his eyes.
"Wow!" Olivia breathed out. "That's amazing!"
"Does it sound normal?"
"It's very strong, Mr. Grant." Doctor Lane replied. She pointed to the screen a few feet away. "And look! There is your baby's profile. What a cutie."
Olivia gasped, staring at the little black and white image on the screen. It was terribly grainy, and at times she didn't know what she was looking at, but in Olivia's mind it was more beautiful than the Sistine Chapel. Seconds later she began to cry. This was so very different than the last ultrasound she had been through. She saw a what looked like a head and chest. Their baby appeared to be laying on his or her back, loving the attention it was getting today.
Fitz was mesmerized by what he was seeing. It was all so...real. Sometimes upon hearing that a woman is pregnant, he never really thought about an actual baby until it was born and he could see it. But right there! On the screen was a baby. The baby he and Olivia created together. It was beautiful.
He immediately got closer to Liv, to comfort her, but he ended up momentarily falling apart beside her. The two of them held each other until they got their emotions a little better under control. "I'm sorry about that." Fitz said, wiping his cheeks with the palm of his hand.
"Please don't be. It's nice to see a couple as bonded and in love as the two of you, enjoying the first sight of their baby. You cry as much as you like. I'll just keep taking pictures." She continued to move the transducer over Olivia's belly.
The screen momentarily froze on an image, and Fitz and Olivia craned their heads sideways to get a better look. They watched silently as the doctor leaned closer to the computer and began tapping on keys and moving the mouse over the image. "What is that?"
"That is your baby's foot." she informed them with a smile. She printed the photo and gave them a minute to look at the screen before moving on.
"Look at that perfect little foot." Olivia gushed.
"I see five cute little toes already too. That's incredible, Liv!" Fitz agreed.
"I can't wait to kiss those little toes." Olivia admitted.
"Not if I get to them first."
The doctor freed up the image and began moving the transducer against Olivia's belly once again. A few moments later the image froze again, and again the couple tried to guess what they were looking at. "Is that a hand?" Olivia asked.
"That's right, Madam President. Your baby is waving at you. See?" She pointed to the screen where it appeared their baby was laying on its back and waving at them.
Both parents gave watery smiles and waved back. "Hi, baby."
"We have the smartest baby in the world. I bet other babies aren't this advanced with waving yet. Right, doctor Lane?"
"Actually..." She began.
"Ignore him." Olivia chuckled. "He's in proud dad mode and it really is the cutest thing to see."
"I could watch this all day long." Fitz commented in amazement.
Glancing over at the President, doctor Lane asked, "Do the two of you want to know what you're having?"
"You already know?" Olivia asked in a surprised tone.
Doctor Lane nodded with a smile. "I peeked while you two were crying."
"Liv? Are you sure you want to know? I really don't mind keeping it to myself until the birthday."
Olivia touched his cheek and pulled him closer to her. "You're cute, Fitz, but absolutely not. I want to know."
"It looks like we both want to know, doctor Lane." Fitz held his wife's hand.
"You have a very healthy little girl growing in there." She informed them.
"A girl?" Fitz whispered. "Really?"
Olivia began to cry again. They were definitely happy tears though. She couldn't hold them back even if she tried. She was too damn happy. She and Fitz were finally getting their long awaited daughter. It was like a dream come true, and she couldn't be happier. "We are finally getting our daughter! I love you so much."
Fitz leaned down over the side of the exam table and kissed his wife excitedly. "It's absolutely perfect. I love you too!"
Her arms came around his neck and they simply held each other and cried. The little girl Olivia had daydreamed about the two of them having was now a reality. He was over the moon to know they were having a little girl. When his voice came back to him, he informed his wife, "she is going to be so spoiled. I'm not even sorry, but that's a fact."
She chuckled at him through her tears. "This spoiled little girl needs a name."
More measurements of the baby were taken as the lovely couple happily rejoiced at the news and then began planning.
Fitz kissed Olivia. "Whatever you want for her, it's done. Paint, furniture, name. We'll pick and choose all of it today. I'll clear my schedule and we'll get it done."
"Fitz. Relax." Olivia sniffed. "We still have a little over four months to figure all of that out."
"We're not going to wait until the last minute to get it all done." He warned.
"No, we're not. But today, you have to go to work and so do I."
"That's a good point." He hugged her again and said, "I'm just so happy we're having a daughter."
"Fitz? Please don't jostle me too much. My bladder is very full."
Doctor Lane began printing pictures for the overly joyous expecting parents. Moments later, she put the transducer down, pulled some paper towels from the wall dispenser, and began removing the gel from the President's belly. She offered her hand, and once Olivia was sitting up, Doctor Lane informed her that she could go empty her bladder now.
When she had disappeared into a restroom, Fitz asked the doctor, "everything looks alright for Liv and our daughter?"
"It does, Mr. Grant. The President is healthy and she's taking this pregnancy very seriously. That's a very good combination. And you are keeping up your part of the deal by making sure she rests during the day and keeping her as calm as possible under the circumstances of her job. It's all going very well. I assure you."
"Good. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure she stays that way. We talked just this morning about several things. One of which was her getting rest after the baby gets here. The other was that we both want more kids. Is that going to be a problem for her health wise?" Fitz wanted to have all the facts before proceeding. It was how he operated as a fixer, and it was how he intended to operate as a husband and father too.
Doctor Lane touched his shoulder. "I know she is slightly older on the scale for having babies, but there are women in their fifties who still have children. The President is in excellent health. It is my personal opinion that she could have more children after this one; if that is what the two of you wish."
That was great news to his ears and he couldn't quite contain the grin that threatened to split his face. He stuck out his right hand and happily shook hers. "Thank you, doctor Lane."
"You're quite welcome."
"That is so much better!" Olivia remarked as she approached Fitz and the doctor.
"Do the two of you have any questions for me?"
"Olivia does." Fitz answered smoothly.
"That means that he wants me to ask you something I mentioned in passing." Olivia informed her doctor.
"I get that a lot, and it's fine. What's on your mind?"
"Fitz has all but demanded that I rest for an hour each afternoon." Olivia began.
"You do need all the rest you can get, Madam President." Doctor Lane agreed. She knew where this conversation was headed thanks to Mr. Grant. Fitz turned his head to his wife and shot her a proud grin.
"Please don't side with him. You'll just make things worse." Olivia teased.
The doctor chuckled at her patient. "Yes, ma'am."
"Do I need to continue setting aside time each day to rest even after the baby is born?"
"There are numerous benefits to resting after your little one arrives. I'd even go as far as to say it's vital for the first few weeks. Giving birth is exhausting, and you're not going to be able to sleep very well in the hospital. No one does. The first few weeks after your daughter gets here, she is going to need you to be healthy to take care of her. But you're not a typical mom, Madam President. You will still be running a country, and the American people need you to be healthy to take care of us.
Get as much rest as you can. Typically, doctors tell new mothers to sleep when their newborn sleeps, but I don't know that you'll be able to do that. Not with the job you have. You do need to rest though, ma'am. It will benefit you as a mother and a world leader. Are you planning to breast feed?"
Olivia shook her head back and forth. "I have decided to bottle feed. I'm sure that is going to make a lot of obstetricians and mother groups unhappy with me, but I have to do what's best for me."
Fitz put his arm around his wife, in a show of support. "I plan to be very hands on with our daughter too, and that includes feeding times. Whatever the President decides, is what is going to happen."
"It sounds as if the two of you already have come up with a plan. That is crucial when it comes to parenting. Just allow a little room for the unexpected. When it comes to babies, the unexpected is a guarantee." Doctor Lane said with a chuckle. "Do you have any other questions for me?"
The elated parents shook their heads negatively.
"Before you go, here are some photos I took of your daughter." She handed several black and white images to the happy couple.
"Look at that!" Fitz softly remarked, staring down at them.
"This one is going to be framed and put in the Oval, so we'll have two Grant ladies in the most powerful room in the world."
Fitz's heart swelled with pride, and he leaned closer to his wife and kissed her temple.
"Thank you. For everything." Olivia told her obstetrician.
"Of course. I'll see you in a month, Madam President."
Olivia and Fitz practically floated to the Oval Office hand in hand. He opened the door for her and followed her inside. They both wore giddy expressions as Olivia immediately went around her desk and opened the top drawer. She retrieved a pair of scissors and made a cut, separating her favorite picture of their daughter from the rest. She propped it up against a photo of her husband and smiled at both of them.
"She looks perfect there." Fitz commented from beside her.
"She does." Olivia agreed, leaning her head against his broad chest. "I can't wait to meet her."
"Me either. She is going to be an amazing female."
"She might end up working in here one day too."
"Anything is possible when your mom is a badass."
"I'm a badass?" Olivia asked.
"Huck says you are."
"Then it must be true." Olivia agreed with a giggle. "I do love that..."
"Nope. We're not talking about him. This is our moment."
Olivia chuckled again. "You brought him up."
"An error I am attempting to correct." Fitz assured her.
"I love you and our little family." She told him.
Looking down at her, he couldn't help the feelings that had been stirring inside of him all morning. He gently brushed his thumb across her flawless cheek. "I love you too, and our daughter. More than you know."
Cyrus opened the door and barged into the room uninvited. When he saw them not rushing to part like horny teenagers, he averted his glance to the floor. "I'm...sorry, Madam President. Did I get the time wrong?"
Keeping her eyes on her husband, Olivia said, "not at all, Cy. I was just telling my handsome husband goodbye. He has things to do."
"I put it off earlier, so the china beckons me." Fitz replied like a drone.
Olivia grinned at him. "The exiting life of the First Gentleman never ends."
Fitz kept his eyes on his wife and said, "Cyrus? Guess what? We're having a daughter."
"Thats...uhhh...wonderful." Cyrus answered in a monotone voice. Babies made Cyrus nervous. "Congratulations, breeders."
The President raised her eyebrows and her mouth formed a surprised little o at the crazy man holding her in his arms. "No nondisclosure?"
He chuckled at her reaction, knowing she would find him charmingly witty. "Cy is family. He'll probably end up being the godfather."
"That really isn't..." The white haired man swallowed hard. He didn't want to be a baby's anything. "Necessary."
"I apologize for my husband, Cyrus. I know you're not a fan of anything related to babies." She crinkled her nose at Fitz. "I was thinking her godfather would be..."
"Liv!"
"A man whose name..."
"Don't you dare!" he threatened.
"Rhymes with..."
"Thissssssss is getting strange." Cyrus muttered with a scowl.
"Olivia Grant!"
"Luck." she chuckled. He would cave on that. She knew that he would. It was why she was enjoying his reaction so much.
He quickly pecked her lips. "I've got more important things to do than discuss he who shall not be discussed."
"Okay" she happily chirped.
"I'll see you in two hours for our nap."
"Have fun picking out plates, honey." She called to his retreating back.
Fitz headed toward his own office in the East Wing. He found the whole idea of picking a china pattern for a party to be the biggest waste of time for any man or woman. That's what party planners were paid for. If they wanted his input, he'd give it, but he was bringing his own Chief of Staff along to be tortured as well. He couldn't wait to alert Charles about that.
The thought brought a chuckle from the First Gentleman. He was still laughing as he rounded the corner and came face to face with his secretary. Sobering quickly, Fitz sent the young woman a smile and said, "good morning, Jessica."
"Good morning, Mr. Grant." She handed him a stack of notes. "Here are your messages. Mr. Miller is waiting for you in your office."
"Thank you." Fitz flipped through the messages as he made his way to the door to his office.
"Don't forget that you are filming that tv spot on women's rights this morning. The camera crew should be here any time to set up."
"Shit! That's today?" Fitz asked.
"Yes, Sir."
"Is there any way we can reschedule?" She was going to tell him no.
"I'm sorry, sir but I don't believe we can. You have rescheduled once already due to an issue with Ms. Maxwell's campaign. The crew is probably already enroute to the White House anyways." She was going to do everything in her power to make sure that he got this tv spot done and over with. Mr. Grant usually wasn't one to procrastinate, but ever since the President had announced her pregnancy, he had been staying in the White House more than at Grant and Associates. He claimed it was because he wanted to learn all there was to being an excellent First Gentleman, but Jessica knew he wanted to stay close to the President. This tv spot was the last thing he had on his schedule for a few days, and she was going to make sure he got it done today.
"It's fine. This is my chosen social topic and I need to get started on it. Thank you, Jessica." Fitz replied, and entered his office.
Jessica smiled pleasantly, proud that she was getting shit done in the East Wing.
"Good morning, Charles." Fitz said, entering his office. He had good comradery with his Chief of Staff, a lot like Liv had with Cyrus. He just hadn't known the man for as long.
"Good morning, Fitz. How did the ultrasound go?"
"Very well. Both Liv and our daughter are doing great." He sat down on one of the sofas as Charles sat on the one opposite him.
"It's a girl? Congratulations! Have the two of you picked out any names yet?"
"Thank you. And no, not yet. That will be the topic over dinner tonight." Fitz enlightened him.
"Oh, to be a fly on the wall for that conversation." Charles chuckled.
"I'm sure it will get interesting. There's never a dull moment with my wife." Fitz agreed. "Speaking of her, later this afternoon I'll be leaving the White House for a while to run a personal errand."
"Sir?"
"I'm going to buy Olivia something to commemorate us finding out that we are having a girl. I'm thinking jewelry."
Charles smiled at Fitz. "You can never go wrong with jewelry. Now, about this spot."
Fitz slapped his hands on the top of his thighs. "Jessica just reminded me about it."
"Yes, Sir. Are you prepared?"
"I am. It's a topic close to my heart, since I have a wife, and now a daughter on the way. I want to do whatever I can to help by shedding light on this topic. This is not the best way, in my opinion, but it is a stepping stone."
"That's correct. As the Chinese proverb goes, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
"Good point. There are many other things I plan to do with this topic. We can discuss those another day though."
Jessica's voice filled the room just then. "Mr. Grant? The camera crew are here."
"That's our cue."
Fitz and Charles went out and met the camera crew. After everyone's hands had been shaken, Charles led the way to another room. Fitz sat down on a director's chair where make up was lightly applied to his face and neck while the camera was set up in the room next door. When the cosmetician was finished, she left the room and Fitz was asked to wait there.
As he sat in the chair, Fitz remembered that he hadn't told his associates about the baby news. With a smile on his face, he unlocked his phone and scrolled for Huck's name. He thought about changing it to the godfather, but realized he wasn't ready for that yet.
"Whaddya want?" Huck asked in an irritated tone.
"I've missed you too, honey. How are the kids?"
"You scared we're running things into the ground here without you?"
"Always! What is everyone working on?" He was desperate for news about the office.
"Harrison is doing Harrison-y things and Abby is doing girl shit."
"What exactly is Harrison-y things?"
"He's in his office running numbers on something I gave him to do. Do you want me to transfer you so you can verify it?" Huck asked, in a much more irritated tone.
"No. You can't transfer me anyways, dumbass. I called your cell."
"Do you know how peaceful it was in here until my phone rang?"
"Shut the hell up. You know you miss me."
"You might want to grab a dictionary and look up the meaning of that phrase."
"What did you mean when you said Abby is doing girl shit?" Fitz asked. He had missed sparring with the big scary man at work.
"Relax. She's shopping."
"Shopping? She's out buying new clothes during work hours? Are you insane?"
"I must be. I'm still on the phone with you." Huck knew that got him.
"Whatever floats her boat. If that's how she wants to spend her money, fine by me."
"She's not spending her money. She's got the company credit card." Huck told him with a grin, knowing that would raise his blood pressure.
"I'm sorry. What the hell did you just say?"
"You heard me."
"Huck!"
"Don't worry. I gave her a strict spending limit."
"Again, are you insane?"
"I'm guessing that's rhetorical since I'm still on the phone with you."
"I am going to kick your ass the next time I'm at the office."
"That gives me another four months, easy." Huck chuckled. "Relax. Abby is out buying stuff for the office."
"What kind of stuff for the office? Are we talking new furniture?"
"Nothing wrong with the crap we already have."
"Then why is she shopping, Huck?"
"She's getting coffee, bottled water, and snacks. Shit like that."
"You could have told me that to begin with, you asshole!"
"I could have, but that wouldn't have been as much fun."
"You are the biggest pain in my ass." Fitz muttered.
"If you didn't call to bitch and moan, what do you want?"
"Oh. Right. I called to tell you Liv and I found out what we are having today."
"I thought you were having a baby?" Huck teased.
"Ha ha. You are almost as hilarious as your bestie."
"Liv's been giving you shit lately? That's my girl."
"She is quite literally not your girl!" Fitz took a deep breath. Why was he letting this idiot rile him up? Because he hadn't been around him much lately. "Anyways, we are having a daughter."
Huck had no smartass comment for that bit of information. He thought about the President with a cute mini version of herself nearby at all times. The mental picture made him smile. "That's...that's nice. Really. Congratulations, man."
Was Huck having another one of his infamous moments? He sounded sincere. Fitz supposed he could drop the sarcasm for a minute. "Thanks, man."
"How is she doing? Everything okay?"
"Yea. She's doing great. The doctor said she's in great health and the baby too."
"You'd better be doing your damn job and make sure they stay that way too. You know, since you can't be bothered to come in here and do real work."
"Fuck you, Huck!" It was pathetic how much he admired Liv. It was kinda cute too, but Fitz was never ever going to tell him that.
This conversation had gotten as sappy as it was going to get. "Look, I've got shit to do. Not all of us have the luxury of hanging out in the White House acting important."
Fitz rolled his eyes. "Fine."
"Tell Liv I said hi."
"I will. I'm sending you an ultrasound picture of the baby." His thumbs moved quickly across the screen until he got the job done. "That's just for you to show Abby and Harrison. I've got another one for you to keep if you want."
"Yea? Cool." Huck murmured. "Call me if you get sick of being a little bitch."
"You do the same. And make sure you get receipts from Abs."
"Yea, yea."
Fitz ended the call.
"Mr. Grant?" Someone nearby said. "They're ready for you."
A/N - A reviewer asked why it takes me so long to post one chapter, so I thought I'd answer here since I can't reply directly. It's a simple question & I appreciate the asking. My DM's are always open for future questions btw
I work a full time job & crafting is my other hobby. Also, I have started 3 other Olitz stories (God help me!) & am taking my time getting several chapters ahead on each before I even begin to share them. This one is the most serious thing I've ever written (minus Huck & Fitz lol) so I try to be careful & take my time to get the chapter decent before sharing it.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas & I pray that 2021 is a little better to all of us! Thank you all for continuing to read my stuff. It really does mean a lot! Until next time...