Distractions

Olivia was in the bedroom she shared with Will. It was only nine thirty, the earliest the two of them had finished their day since Olivia had become president. It felt strange to be in the residence this early, but Olivia wasn't about to question it. She needed a good night's sleep. She had taken off her make-up, put on her nightgown, and was vigilantly rubbing lotion on her arms and legs. Will had just finished showering and was putting on his pajamas as his wife watched from her spot on the edge of their bed. Will was still in great shape and she could feel desire for him beginning to build as she openly looked at her husband of eight years.

She crawled over to his side of the bed where he was pulling a t shirt over his head. "Will? Let's have a baby."

"Olivia." Will said her name the same impatient way he would a petulant child. He hastily reached around her tiny body to remove the innumerable decorative throw pillows from their bed. An annoyed look was shot in her direction as he waited for her to move so he could pull back the thick comforter. The silent stand off ended without incident when Olivia crept back onto her side of the bed. Will got in, turned off the bedside lamp, laid on his side, away from her, and closed his eyes. He hoped she would take the hint.

Sitting on her still made up side of the bed and staring holes into the back of his head, Olivia said, "can't we at least talk about it? Please?"

"Olivia, we've talked this thing to death. It's just not the right time for us to start a family." Will said, never moving from his place in their bed.

"Tell me why. Why can't we try to have a baby right now?" She got up and began to pace at the foot of their bed.

Will angrily rolled over and looked at her. "Do we really have to do this right now? This is the first night either one of us has been in our bed before one in the morning. Can't we just sleep right now?"

"No." She snapped back. Olivia was no longer in the mood to sleep. She wanted answers. "It's been eight years, Will and I'm not getting any younger. I want to have a baby." Olivia was in her forties. Her child bearing years were passing her by, and she was not going to let that happen without having a child. Her gynecologist had been telling Olivia for several years that she was already at the age that if she did become pregnant it would be termed a geriatric one. Because of her age, she was at greater risk for complications. It wasn't good news, and with every passing year she felt that time was running out on her chances to have a healthy pregnancy.

With a loud huff, Will jerked back the blanket and sat up against the headboard, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "You just got elected as president less than three months ago. You haven't gotten through the vital first hundred days in office and you're talking about wanting to get pregnant!"

"But I..." she began.

"People are watching you! Not because you are the president, which is a reason they most definitely will be watching you. But you are the first female president. You can't afford to get pregnant at this point in time. You've got to stay focused on running the country. And if you are doing your job correctly, neither one of us will have the time it takes to raise a decent human being. The spotlight is no place for a child anyways. He or she will be seen as a weakness of yours and that means a target to our enemies."

Olivia gave him a hard look before resuming her pacing.

The truth was that Will had come from a broken home. His parents had remained married and lived together, displaying a strong and happy united front to their family and friends, but they weren't happy. Will and his brother Edward had learned that their parents had stayed together for their sake when they had graduated high school. The brothers had both found it unnecessary and each voiced those feelings when the matter was discussed with them. Their parents had still been married when they died in an airplane crash fifteen years ago. They had left everything to their two sons.

"Come on, Will. We've discussed this before. It's not like I'm surprising you with it. I want the two of us to have a child together." Olivia had pleaded. "We are going to be living here for the next four years. Maybe eight. The timing isn't going to get any better. If I get re-elected, I'll be knocking on the door of fifty by the time my term is up. We've got to think about that."

Children had been discussed by the two of them before they got married. And while Will had voiced his concerns and worries about having them, he had finally caved in and told Olivia that he would have just one with her. She had been over the moon to hear him agree to a single baby. One child was better than no kids, and Olivia had quietly conceded the dream of a house full of children she'd always wanted since she had been a girl.

It seemed that Will had changed his mind though. Either that or he had just told her that in order to get Olivia to marry him. She figured it was probably the latter. At this point nothing would surprise her about Will. That was part of the problem. He was so predictable.

"My feelings on the matter aren't new either. You know my thoughts about it." He thought the days of him and Olivia discussing this were long over. She was in her forties for god's sake. "Don't you think you should be focusing on running this great country instead of chasing after a kid?"

"I don't think that I should have to choose between the two. There are times that I will have to focus more on one or the other, but that isn't a reason to take the subject completely off the table. Don't you still want to have a baby? You said you did when we talked about it before we got married." All she wanted to hear from him was that he did remember. That on the evening of her one hundredth day as president the two of them would run up to their bedroom and start trying to have a family.

"Let's talk about it another night. I'm tired right now. We've both got big days tomorrow." He pulled back the blankets on her side of the bed. "Come to bed, Olivia."

She gave him a sad smile and padded towards the window in their bedroom. "I'll be there in a minute."

Will bid her goodnight before slouching down into the warm bed and rolling over. He didn't know how to tell her that he in fact wasn't interested in having kids. Not at all. He might have felt inclined to have a baby all those years ago, but feelings change. And his definitely had. This was not the time to tell her no. It was the time to remind her of the important things in life. Things they had going on now. Not the what ifs.

He imagined Olivia passing the snot nosed brat onto him all the time. Meetings, summits, parties, campaigning, all of it. Her life would continue on. It would have to because as the president Olivia was more or less the symbol of America. But his life would be limited to feedings, diaper changes, and all the other shit that came along with a newborn. And nobody would care that he wouldn't be able to give interviews or be photographed whenever they liked because he would be saddled with a baby.

No, siree. William Swann was not about to give up his life to take care of a baby. He hadn't been that supportive when Olivia decided to run for president, but once the two of them had started campaigning all across the nation, things had gotten a lot more interesting for him. William Swann had discovered the benefits of campaigning on behalf of his wife for the position of the most powerful woman on earth.

The number of women who flirted with him was mind boggling. Every town Olivia and her team stopped at to make an appearance always seemed to have a woman or three who wanted to sleep with the potential president's husband. And those stops they sent him to, to toot his wife's horn on television or for the local newspaper. Will considered it his contribution to the campaign and willingly obliged the females. He had found his own fixer to clean up the mess after they left town. The person Will had used had been fantastic and there hadn't been so much as a whisper of infidelity on Will's part. When his wife won the election, the women became even more infatuated with him. His fixer had warned him that it would be much more difficult to clean up a mess made by the First Gentleman than Will Swann, the husband of a potential candidate on the campaign trail. He kept the fixer on retainer and under the radar.

He had obliged a very select number of women since his wife had become the president. He couldn't afford to get caught, but at the same time he didn't want to give up the adventurous and secret lifestyle either. Will had been sure that he had interrupted something similar between Olivia and Fitz several nights ago in the Oval Office, but nothing out of the ordinary had been said. The two of them had really been talking about a damned garden. How utterly boring! He dozed off thinking about his day tomorrow with a brand new female willing to accept his contribution. He needed his rest for his mid morning performance.

Olivia heard her husband's light snoring as she sat down on the window seat and looked outside. The sky was dark but there was a light not far away that faintly illuminated the area around it. She found herself smiling the moment she realized it was snowing. She knew that children in the area would wake up and see endless possibilities for play as their parents saw detrimental driving conditions. She hoped for their sakes that it didn't melt before morning.

As thoughts of children blew through her mind much like the artic wind outside, Olivia's head wandered in a different direction altogether. She imagined what Fitz looked like as a child. She was smiling as the mental image popped into her mind automatically. In her mind, Fitz had been a tall skinny awkward kid with braces. She bet his pants were constantly too short legged for his height and an inch or two of his socks were always showing. He probably wore button up dress shirts instead of solid colored tees or those with cartoons on them. It wouldn't be fair if he had always been the suave well put together handsome guy he is now. One day she would have to ask him about his childhood. Maybe even ask him for a picture as proof. But for now, in her mind, he had been a bean pole with crooked teeth. God, she missed him.

She wondered what he would think about the baby discussions. She wished she could talk to him about it. Would he tell her to grow up and listen to her husband and focus on the country for now? Or would he tell her if she wanted to have a baby to do whatever her heart desired? That it would be a good thing? Great even?

Another thought slid into her mind. An image of her in a hospital room cradling a newborn who was blissfully asleep in her arms. She would be wrapped up snug in a pink blanket where only her tiny soft face showed. She would have beautiful black eyelashes and a cute little nose, just like her mother. Lots of curly black hair too. But when those long eyelashes fluttered open, two bright blue eyes would look up at her parents, who were completely enchanted with every sound she made.

Fitz would be sitting beside her on the narrow hospital bed, gazing down at his daughter in complete adoration. He would pull the edge of the pink blanket back for the umpteenth time just so he could count his daughter's tiny fingers and toes again. She would sigh in her sleep, a peaceful sound, and Fitz would grin, knowing he was completely and hopelessly wound around her littlest finger. He would lean down and kiss her forehead again and tell her, "daddy loves you" before lifting his head and telling Olivia that he loved her too.

Olivia could picture it perfectly and the smile on her own face made her heart ache with wanting it to become a reality.

It did no good to wish for things she could never have. A baby. Fitz. They were both in the same category now. Unattainable. She sighed, closed the curtain, and went to bed without another thought. She tossed and turned for most of the night as she dreamed about weirdly tall babies with great hair and crooked grins.

By ten thirty the next morning, it had already been a busy start of the day and Olivia was ready to take a nap somewhere quiet and dark. She'd been up since four. After showering and getting dressed, she had a silent breakfast with Will in the residence, been briefed by the joint chiefs about a potentially dangerous situation brewing in Bandar, listened to Cyrus drone on and on about some woman on her staff being insubordinate, and had a dress fitting for the banquet she was throwing at the White House next month. The only person she wanted to hear from was avoiding her like the plague.

She supposed she couldn't blame him. Not really. After their most recent meeting Fitz had kept his distance from her. She knew that he was probably dealing with guilt and fear and maybe even a little bit of anger. Guilt for being involved with a married woman. Fear that Will might know what was going on between them. And anger because they couldn't just enjoy each other in peace like they both desperately wanted to. She had dealt with the trifecta of those feelings warring inside of her for quite some time too. She momentarily shook off thoughts of Fitz as she entered the Oval Office.

Olivia closed the door behind her and leaned heavily against it. She had fifteen minutes before she had to leave for her next meeting. Her plan had been to go into the Oval without being noticed and take a
quick ten minute nap on the yellow and blue sofa. It was just long enough to help her to feel refreshed in the middle of a busy day. The need to close her eyes was a high priority at the moment. A brief rest would surely help.

She hadn't been sleeping well for the past few days. This time it wasn't from the stress of running the country. It was a result of the interrupted late night meeting she had scheduled with Fitz in this very room several nights ago. That had turned into a debacle of epic proportions when Will surprised both of them with his cocky presence. She never should have asked Fitz to come that late in the evening. It was a recipe for disaster that had surely delivered.

It was time for her to stop thinking and enjoy the peace and quiet. She took two steps towards the couch when the phone on her desk rang. She had been so close. A yawn escaped her lips as she veered from her path to the couch and now headed to her desk to quiet the obnoxious ringing sound. She wanted to be rude to whomever was breaking her plans for a quick nap, but instead she politely answered the phone. "Hello?" It was the chef asking what she wanted for lunch and then dinner in the residence later on. She told him what she felt like eating and ended the call.

Looking over her shoulder at the sofa, Olivia decided that it seemed too far away. She rolled her eyes. So much for a nap now. She probably wouldn't be able to sleep once she got comfortable anyways. The moment she closed her eyes someone would come in unannounced and want something. She turned her head in the other direction and was drawn to the large picture window instead. The one behind her desk. Olivia went over to it and pushing the sheers aside, looked outside.

The snow was still on the ground. She wondered how many houses in the area had a snowman in their yard. How many snowball fights had already been fought? How many kids and parents had slid down hills of all sizes as nervous laughter bubbled up in their throats? She wondered if she would ever be able to play outside in the snow with her child? Dammit, she needed to stop torturing herself this way.

Sighing in defeat, she dropped the curtain. The beautiful winter scenery outside showed trees without any leaves on them. As a result, they had no protection from the harsh cold snow, or the arctic wind that whipped through them without a second thought. They looked cold and barren outside. Olivia felt the same way on the inside.

The door opened and Cyrus made his presence known. "Madam President?"

That had been a quick ten minutes, she thought to herself. Good thing she didn't try taking the nap. In a weary voice she asked, "What is it, Cy?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt but you've received a phone call not long ago from a woman named Donna McIntosh. Does that name ring a bell?" He knew it did. It was his job to know everything that had anything to do with her. He knew but asked the question anyways.

Olivia knew that name. "Donna and Jerry are good friends of mine and Will. They were our neighbors back in Virginia. We were always spending time with each other. Did you say they called the White House?"

"Yes, ma'am. Oddly enough, the son is the reason I am mentioning them at all. It seems that young Mr. McIntosh has gotten himself into some trouble at school." Cyrus explained.

"What happened?" Olivia asked. She had been fond of their son and would constantly sneak him treats and little gifts every time she and Will spent time with his parents. The boy had a good head on his shoulders and seemed interested in government. She couldn't imagine him getting into trouble anywhere. He just wasn't the type. Of course, kids oftentimes changed once they hit puberty. "He was going to Madison Prep if I remember correctly."

Cyrus took a seat on the sofa. The same sofa Olivia had planned on taking a nap on earlier. She reluctantly left her spot at the window and joined him by sitting on the sofa across from where her Chief of Staff was sitting. "There was a boy there. A…" He looked down at the piece of paper he was holding in his hand. "Henry Easterwood. Apparently, Henry hacked into the school's computer system and changed his grades. He was failing a few classes and he changed those grades to A's."

He rolled his eyes at her. "Henry must not be the sharpest tool in the wood shed because everyone knows you don't go from failing to getting a solid A overnight." He gave a short chuckle. "Amateur."

Olivia shot him a look with raised eyebrows. "Are you saying that you changed your own grades in school once upon a time, Cyrus?"

Cy smiled through a faraway expression. He abruptly came back to himself and said, "No ma'am. I am absolutely not saying that. But if I did, I would never have gotten caught at doing it."

She spread her hands in front of herself. "What does any of this have to do with Joseph getting into trouble at his school?"

"Well, not only did Mr. Easterwood change his own grades, he changed the grades of a few students who had been picking on him this year."

"And one of those kids was Joseph? Is that it?" Olivia stood up and began pacing behind the sofa. "So, this Henry Easterwood decides that he is going to get even with some kids who have been making his life a living hell for the past seven months? Nice."

"Yes ma'am." Cyrus said nodding.

"So, why did Donna call the White House switchboard?"

"I assume she was hoping her good friend and former neighbor who just happens to be the president of the United States right now might be able to do something about the situation." Cyrus informed her.

"Give me her number and I'll call her back. It would be nice to catch up with her."

"I really don't think that's a good idea, Madam President."

"Why not?" Olivia asked with a crinkled face.

"Because I did a little digging into the situation and it seems the Easterwood boy's parents have reached out to someone to handle things for them too."

Olivia didn't understand why that was such a big deal to Cyrus? Why all the secrecy? The young man in question was the one who had committed a crime. Joseph might have picked on the boy, but that certainly wasn't illegal. It was definitely wrong on so many levels, but not illegal.

The family would need good representation since their son would be dealing with computer hacking charges. Someone who knew what was what and could make it all disappear quietly. Olivia's gut was telling her the obvious, but she wasn't quite ready to accept what her mind had already conjured up. She purposefully kept her breathing even and asked, "who?"

Cyrus had a niggling feeling deep in the pit of his own stomach, and it had nothing to do with making illegal charges for a teenaged boy go away. It had everything to do with a certain male though. One who could cause even more problems than a computer hacking kid. He hoped he was wrong, but he didn't think he was. He was watching Olivia like a hawk when he spoke next. "The family called Fitzgerald Grant for some help with this situation."

"What?" Her eyebrows went up at this information. "Why Fitz?"

He had seen the anxious look on her face. The way she sat up a little straighter. Listened a little more closely. He would have to get some proof for his theory, but things weren't looking good. Without breaking eye contact, Cyrus said, "because Fitz is a family friend. I believe he's even the boy's godfather."

Focusing on keeping a stern expression on her face, Olivia gave a shrug she hoped came across as careless. "Well then, I guess we need to call Mr. Grant in for a meeting so I can get caught up on the situation."

"Ma'am..." Cyrus impatiently began. There was no way he was going to allow Fitzgerald Grant to enter the Oval and discuss kids with the sitting president. Even teenaged ones. Not after her own husband had basically told her he didn't want to have children with her just last night. No way in hell!

"Cyrus, I'd like to know what he knows. I'm assuming he's already met with the parents?" she asked.

"He has." Cyrus said in a clipped voice.

"Then I want to know what he knows. I need to be completely caught up on what exactly happened between these boys so that when I talk to Donna, I can give her the most updated information. If I know Fiii...Mr. Grant,"

Cyrus stared at her but said nothing. He had heard that slip.

"...he already has a plan in place. If I can get him to share it with us, that may be enough to satisfy my former neighbor's worries. It's the least I can do, Cy. Joseph really is a good kid. I don't know how he got mixed up in all of this, but there has to be a reasonable excuse for it. And if there isn't...well then, I'll discuss options with Mr. Grant on how to best deal with him, so it doesn't happen again. I've got a whole hour clear in my schedule for lunch tomorrow. It only takes fifteen minutes to eat something."

Cyrus regarded her. She sure was chomping at the bit to deal with something so mundane. She did have the time at lunch to deal with it. He would most definitely be sitting in on their meeting so they could remain focused on the issue at hand. "Fine! I'll call Mr. Grant myself and ask him to be here at twelve fifteen. He will be out of here by a quarter to one because you have to be..."

As Cyrus rambled on, Olivia tried to contain her excitement. She was going to see Fitz tomorrow afternoon. Maybe that would kill all the thoughts of babies and him loving on babies. Who was she kidding? She knew better. It would only get worse. Feeling invigorated, she got to her feet and glanced at her watch. It was almost eleven. She silently prayed that this day would go by quickly.

The next chapter is the last one I had completed before I posted chapter one. That's when we'll start to get into the back stories. The next chapter is also where we'll find out why Will wanted Fitz's services. Will hate is about to be taken up a notch...