Real Talk
Olivia and Fitz were in the residence enjoying breakfast at an ungodly early hour. They both had more meetings today than they had time for, but being people in demand meant they had to somehow make it work. They enjoyed their time together and made breakfast a priority, unless it was something of the utmost urgency that couldn't be helped, avoided, or rescheduled.
This morning, they were eating French toast and fresh berries. There would have been whipped cream, but it had gotten used the night before in a much more creative and satisfying manner. Olivia could have requested more from the kitchen, but she knew they still wouldn't use it for its intended purposes.
She loved her quiet, mostly uninterrupted time with Fitz every morning, and it was her favorite part of the day. They discussed their schedules, upcoming plans, whatever was on their minds really. Unless it was confidential, no topic was considered off limits between the two of them at the breakfast table.
Both of them were dressed and ready to tackle the day. He in a fitted black pinstripe suit, and she in one of her beloved dresses. Olivia took a moment to admire her handsome morning date. The way his lips held onto the plump, red, juicy fruit as he sunk his teeth into it. She never wanted to be a strawberry more than in that moment. She needed to think about something else. Anything else. Clearing her throat loudly, she decided it was the perfect time to bring something up.
"I'm going to host a dinner at the White House. It will be informal. Just a small gathering for a select group of people. No press allowed." Olivia stated.
Fitz put his newspaper down and gave her his full attention. She had an unmistakable flushed look on her face, and he wondered what could have possibly aroused her at the breakfast table. While his mind wondered on that, he kept up with the conversation. "That sounds interesting."
"I'm glad you think so. Consider this your invitation." She told him.
"You want me to come?" He asked.
"It would certainly defeat the purpose if you didn't." She didn't elaborate. She needed a full on conversation to keep her mind from running into the gutter with thoughts of his lips and teeth marking her skin in seen and unseen places.
He was oblivious to her inner struggle and he didn't understand the conversation they were having either. "You're hosting a dinner?"
"Yes."
"At the White House?"
"Yes."
"And you want me to attend?"
"Yes." She could do this all day. Needed to at the moment.
"Why?"
"Because I'm inviting a few of my close friends and you are inviting a few of yours."
"Why?" he asked again. He hated that repeating the one word question made him sound like a three year old, but it couldn't be helped.
"So they can get to know us. One day I won't be the President. I'd like to...I don't know...have Harrison over for dinner, but I won't have anything to talk about with him because I don't really know him."
"How will having him over for dinner at the Grant house be any different than having him at the White House?"
She smiled at the thought of legally becoming a Grant. She never wanted to take her husband's name when she got married. Something about it just didn't feel right. Olivia was fully on board with changing her last name when Fitz became her husband though. "Because he won't be the only guest at the table here. If there's a lull in the conversation with Harrison, there will be other people to talk to."
"That makes sense. Do you have a specific date in mind for this dinner?" Her smile at his mention of the Grant house didn't go unnoticed. He picked up another strawberry and watched her brown eyes zero in on it with laser like focus. So, that was what had her barely breathing.
As he brought the bright red berry to his mouth Fitz locked eyes with Olivia while her were focused elsewhere. When he opened his mouth, he saw her open her mouth in anticipation and flick her semi closed, very hazy, brown eyes up to his blue ones. He winked at her and gave a slight nod before his tongue landed on the strawberry and he brought it into his mouth. They were going to have strawberries a lot more often for breakfast. But first, he had to bring her back to reality. "Liv?"
"Hmm? Oh! Right! Uhhhh..."she fumbled. She was losing her mind, and needed to get it back on track. She had a nation to run for goodness sake! "Yea. Let's pick a date for our dinner."
He needed to finish this conversation for clarity, but he wasn't leaving for the day without touching her. "What about the schedules of the people we intend to invite?"
"It's the White House. They will adjust their calendars." Olivia told him with a little more confidence.
"Now I see why you enjoy being the President." he chuckled.
Both schedules were checked and double checked until finally a date was chosen that wasn't too far away. Now they had to make a guest list of the select few. "Who are you inviting?" Olivia asked.
"Who are you inviting?" Fitz echoed. He'd base the number of people he chose based on the number she chose.
"I'm inviting my old neighbors from Ohio - Donna and Jerry McIntosh, my college roommate Denise, and my cousin and childhood confidant, Ellie."
He grinned at her. "I'm going to get stories about Liv as a kid, Liv in college, and Liv as a private citizen. I can't wait!"
She shook her head back and forth and grinned back at him. "It's part of the purpose of the dinner. I'd also like to invite Alexander Coleman. But only if you're comfortable with it."
"I'm glad you brought him up actually."
"You are?" Olivia had a feeling that Fitz and Alex would become friends if they ever met each other. Hearing him being open to it was the first step.
"MmmHmm. I'm going to invite my ex-girlfriend. Her name is..."
There he was. She sighed and impatiently said his name. "Fitz."
"No. Not even close."
"Fine. I won't invite him." She was not going to make things strained between her and Fitz. As much as she wanted the two men to meet, she wasn't about to put her most important relationship in jeopardy for it. It just wasn't worth it. Still, she wished Fitz was a little more open to the idea of meeting Alex.
Fitz snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her close. His smirk evaporated when he touched his lips to hers. He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. "I am not remotely threatened by Alexander Coleman. If you want to invite him, I have zero problem with it."
"Really?" She asked in a hopeful tone.
"Of course, Liv. I am not the jealous type."
She pulled her head away from his and sent him a doubt filled look. "Then why did you storm over here the night I had my first, quote, unquote, date with him and act like you were?"
"We aren't talking about that right now." he reminded her in a playful tone. "I got the girl and he's in the friend zone."
Olivia chuckled at him.
"In all seriousness, I know that he was a big help and a generous man with his time when you began dating last year. I'm glad the two of you turned into friends. He was there to make things a little more bearable publicly for you when I couldn't. I'm grateful."
He was such a wonder to her. "Thank you. Now who are you inviting to our friendly little dinner?"
"Harrison and Abby aren't friends...yet. But the potential is there for that. And they work closely with me. I'm also going to invite Kurt Young. He's been a friend for years. He's also been doing my hair for years. He's a great guy."
"Cuts by Kurt?"
"Stop it! You do not know Kurt."
"Cyrus does." Olivia giggled.
"Cyrus will need to get a new hairstylist now, because I can't stand the thought of us sharing anything. Remind me to tell him. Thanks, Liv." He dragged a hand through his hair.
"You can deal with that later. Who else are you inviting?"
"I guess if you're inviting someone of the opposite sex, then I'll do the same." Someone specific came to mind. It was kind of perfect. Fitz decided to run with it. "I kind of owe this certain woman a night at the White House without death threats and gun violence. But only if you're okay with it"
Olivia giggled and quickly covered her mouth when she realized who he was talking about. "Miranda! Yes! You definitely have to invite her. She deserves a visit to the White House where she doesn't leave by ambulance. Poor girl. I can give her a tour of the White House with all the bells and whistles. It'll be fun."
"She's tougher than you might think." Fitz replied. "I hadn't really thought it through, but I think she'll get along really well with Abby and Harrison. They all have a similar twisted sense of humor."
"New friends would be a great way to make up to her the disaster that was your last date."
"She wasn't my date, Liv." He gently reminded her.
"You know what I mean."
"I do. I think it'll be fun. The relaxed atmosphere will take the edge off the stress of actually being here. And, she might get some new clients from it. It's a win win."
"Aren't you forgetting someone?" she asked.
Fitz quickly thought about the list of names he had mentioned. "I don't think so."
"We are not hosting a dinner for our friends and not inviting Huck, Fitz."
"Come on, Liv." Fitz faked outrage.
"He's coming too, and that's final. Huck is more like family anyways." Olivia knew Fitz better than anyone, and she knew he had no intentions of not inviting the tough guy to their little gathering. She hoped to get some more Quinn intel from him, and maybe arrange to finally meet this mystery woman who had won Huck's heart.
He knew she would insist that Huck come to their dinner. Fitz had every intention of inviting his right hand man. He just loved giving her hell about the scary looking man who had a very soft spot for her. "This is a great idea. The more we talk about it, the more excited I get."
"Oh? You're getting excited?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at him and studying his lips. Thoughts of the strawberry came back to mind in full force. God, she wanted him.
"Don't start something you can't finish." he murmured. She was insatiable, but she'd never hear him complain about it.
"I never do." She assured him with a mischievous grin.
"I have a meeting with your Chief of Staff in ten minutes." Fitz reminded her. Not that he cared about being in the same room as Cyrus. Thoughts of having Liv overruled everything. Especially rational thinking.
"Exactly. A meeting that is in this building, and less than five minutes away. Also, a meeting that will not start without you." Olivia's hand slid down from his neck, over his shoulder, and made a beeline for the top button of his crisp white dress shirt. She freed it from the button hole in seconds and moved to the next one.
"Is the President requesting a quickie?" He asked with a grin. It was an exciting thought and he felt his lower half begin to respond positively to the idea of it.
"No." Olivia looked up at him. "She's demanding it."
"That's extremely sexy." Fitz told her as his hands began to wander down over her curves. "And you're wearing a dress. It's like you planned it ahead of time."
"Easy access." She breathed. Olivia felt his fingertips graze against her skin before he pulled her firmly against his chest and devoured her mouth. She loved having him in the residence early in the morning. Having her way with him was the best way to start her day. She reached for his belt but he batted her hands away and spun her around so she was facing the back of a sitting chair nearby.
Reaching her hands behind her, Olivia continued her work on his belt as Fitz tugged the hem of her dress up her silky smooth thighs. He roughly dragged her panties down her legs and watched her quickly step out of them.
When he was standing behind her once again, he pulled the front of his pants and underwear down and lined himself up to her opening. "I thought you were demanding before I started spending the night here on a regular basis. It's...done nothing but make you...worse."
She squeezed the cushioned chair back to get a better grip, looked over her shoulder, and asked, "is that a problem?"
Keeping eye contact with her, Fitz slammed himself inside of her with one deep thrust. A sensual groan tumbled from his throat as his hands tightly gripped her hips. "Fuuuuuuck. Definitely not."
Six minutes later, both of their clothing was being put back into place. They were grinning smugly at each other's reflections in the large bathroom mirror as finishing touches were made to make themselves presentable once again.
Olivia turned toward him and straightened his tie as his hands found their way back to her hips. He was beyond tempted to have her all over again. A smile snuck onto his handsome face as he began plotting how to make it happen. "No!" she commanded and took a step backwards.
"What?" he asked innocently.
"Do not use that voice on me." She chuckled. "We have to go to work."
"We don't have to. You are the President after all. You call the shots around here." He wanted nothing more than to have the President spread out on her large bed so he could take his time savoring her body.
"And I'm saying you need to go to work." She saw him open his mouth, probably to say something sarcastic. She cut him off before he sweet talked her out of her clothes and up against another surface in the room. Giggling, she evaded his grabbing hands and said, "No! Go be productive!"
He grinned down at her and pecked her lips. "I love you."
"I love you back. I'll see you tonight?"
"MmmHmm. Have a good day, Liv."
After being told to go right in by Cyrus' secretary, the fixer opened the door to Cyrus' office. The man was sitting in the chair behind his desk, and when Fitz walked in, he watched Cy glance at the watch on his wrist and then immediately shoot him a scowl. "You're late!" It wasn't long before he got to the point.
Fitz sat in the visitor's chair and listened to the aging Chief of Staff go on a tirade. He was livid about the antics, as he liked to call them, that had been showcased on every news outlet and website in the nation from the Met Gala. It had hit several websites in other nations as well. Just when the fixer thought Cy was winding down, he started right back up again. Unfortunately, he had no meetings to get to, so he sat there and listened.
"Can you understand the predicament you put me in every time you feel the need to touch the President in public, Mr. Grant?"
The fixer sighed heavily and barely refrained from rolling his eyes. "It's happened twice, Cyrus. You make it sound much worse than it actually is. Besides, the press loves us together."
"I'm well aware of the fact that they love the two of you together. Of course, they loved seeing her with Mr. Coleman too."
"Cy..." Fitz said in a warning tone.
"Hell, they loved seeing her with anyone other than that pompous, self serving, joke of a man she was married to for far too long."
"Cyrus!"
The older man ignored the fixer and gave a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. "But he's gone now, and the two of you need to pump the brakes with all the PDA. Must the two of you always make out once you spot a camera nearby?"
"Is the temptation to screw up her legacy that strong?" His voice got louder as he continued to speak. "Is it?!"
"You need to calm down." Fitz advised. "A man your age, with a job this stressful isn't a good combination. It adds up to a heart attack if you're not careful, Cyrus."
"Don't talk to me about the dangers of my job." Cyrus yelled.
"Then don't talk to me about the dangers of my personal life." Fitz yelled back. He took a deep breath in and continued when he felt calmer. "Look, I'm not some over excited teenager fumbling around with the prom queen. I am a grown man who fixes problems for a living, and I am well aware of the person I am in love with."
"She is making history, but instead of you seeing that and giving her time to shine, you are stepping in front on it." Cyrus pointed a bony finger at the younger man. "And it needs to stop."
"I'm not ever going to get in her way, and we are not going to stop our relationship just because it bothers you!" Fitz enlightened him. He got to his feet and his voice got a little louder too. "You might want to deal with that."
"I get paid very well to deal with all manner of things."
"Good." Fitz agreed. "Keep this in mind too, so you can also deal with it when the time comes. This isn't just a fling. Or a summer romance. I am going to marry Olivia."
"What? You...you can't be serious!" Cyrus sputtered with wild eyes.
"I am extremely serious." Fitz informed him. It was high time the Chief of Staff was fully briefed on the situation. Cyrus was an asshole at times, but he was an important part of Olivia's administration. "I will be proposing to her by the end of the year. I'm very certain the press will be all over that too. I am giving you fair warning. Do not get in my way about this. I'm not dating her for my five minutes of fame or for her money. I am in love with her. If that is too much for you to deal with, I suggest you find another source of employment, because I am not going anywhere!"
"Let's get something crystal clear. I work for the President. Not you. I asked for this meeting as a courtesy. There doesn't need to be any more public displays of affection between you and the President. Surely, as a fixer in the political game, you can see that that is sound advice." Fitz stood toe to toe with the much older man and tried to rein in his temper.
"It would be sound advice if she was a much older woman. Like the Queen. But she's not, Cyrus. She's young and vibrant. And like it or not, she's in love. The country needs to see her happy and thriving. They've had enough of the sad broken hearted lonely leader of the Free World. It's time for her to move on. As the best political fixer in the game, I know what I'm talking about. I've looked at this from every side. I'm not going to harm her reputation or her place in history. I want her legacy to be as untarnished as you do, Cy."
"Don't you think you're a little too close to the situation to be objective about it?" Cyrus asked smugly.
"Absolutely. That's why I had a third party take a look at our relationship. Just to be sure I hadn't missed anything."
"You did what?" Cyrus bellowed. This man was going to be the death of him. He could feel the acid in his stomach churning and a headache was beginning to form behind his eyes. He slid a hand into the left breast pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a small bottle of antacids. Keeping his eyes on the pain in the ass in front of him, Cyrus popped the top and brought the plastic bottle to his lips. A few pastel colored tablets fell into his mouth and he chewed them angrily and put the lid back on.
Cyrus was a walking heart attack waiting to happen, by Fitz's best gestimation. He held his palms up toward him and gently said, "relax. I asked Huck."
Cyrus scoffed and began to pace behind his desk. "I don't like that guy."
"There's a surprise." Fitz replied flatly.
"Look, he knows everything."
"Everything?" Cyrus sputtered.
"Yes. Everything." Fitz echoed. "He was at the hospital the night of the birthday..."
Cyrus waved his hand dismissively. "I remember. He was giving me the evil eye for hours as he stood guard outside the President's hospital room. You're telling me that guy knows everything about your relationship with her?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying. I trust Huck with my life. He'll be objective, Cy."
"He works for you. How do you know he can really be objective here?"
Fitz chuckled. "Because as loyal as he is to me, he has a soft spot for Liv. He thinks she's a badass."
"I like him a little more knowing that. He's not wrong though." Cyrus shot back quickly.
"I know that. He's supposed to give me the run down later this morning with all the pros and cons. We have a meeting scheduled to discuss polling and what America thinks of us as a couple. All that shit that would be stupid to anybody else. To me, it's important. I want to protect Liv too. It would be nice if we could work on that together."
"I'd appreciate a heads up on that list. Fixer may not be my official title, but it is in my job description when it comes to the President. If this is going to happen I'd rather be on the right side of it when it does. Let me see where I can help."
Cyrus had fought the good fight when it came to his boss' personal life. But it seemed he wasn't going to win this one. The truth was, he didn't expect to. Not this time. As much as he had tested them individually, like any father figure would, he had come to the conclusion that Olivia and Fitz were going to end up together. He liked the guy, but not more than his boss. Maybe it was time he became a supporter of this...Olitz business?
"I'll make sure you get a copy of it by the end of the day. Thank you, Cyrus. If this is a genuine offer, I appreciate it." Fitz admitted. As much as he wanted to believe that Cyrus was finally on board with his relationship with Liv, Fitz was going to continue to keep an eye on him. The two men shook hands before the fixer left and headed to his office.
Since it was the week of July Fourth, everyone on Alena's team had a four day weekend to themselves. Fitz's associates had flown back to DC to spend their free time with friends, family, or whoever they were dating. But since the holiday didn't officially start until tomorrow, they were meeting at the office to go over the progress of the campaign and get caught up on all other clients.
Fitz made a thoughtful stop on the way in, causing Huck to beat him to the office. The lights were on and furious keyboard tapping could be heard from the disorganized area that is Huck's office. Fitz knocked on the open door before poking his head inside. "Morning."
"Coming in today was bullshit." Huck informed him in a bland tone.
"Stop your bitching. I brought coffee. The good stuff too. It'll be a short day. Everyone should be out of here by ten."
"So, it could have been covered in an email?" Huck asked with a scowl as he took his coffee from the cardboard carrier.
"You know you missed me." Fitz teased with a grin. Huck took a sip and nodded.
"I missed the coffee more."
"Did you do the recon on that item I asked you about?" Fitz asked quietly.
"Don't I always do what I'm told?" Huck asked, keeping his scowl in place.
"Yes, but not without a bunch of bullshit mixed in." Fitz said. "So, what did you find out?"
"Find out about what?" Harrison asked from behind Fitz.
"Jesus!" Fitz jostled the carton holding the three remaining coffees, causing the black liquid to slosh over the side of one unsecured lid. "You scared the shit out of me, Harrison!"
"Dude, why are you so jumpy?" Harrison chuckled.
"I'm not!" Fitz declared defensively. "I'm still not used to having associates."
"Get used to it! We are here to stay, man."
Fitz handed a white paper cup to Harrison. "It's good to have happy morning people here now. It'll balance out the cranky vibe Huck gives off in the mornings."
"Fuck you." Huck replied mildly as he continued to bang on his keyboard.
"See." Fitz said, jerking his head toward Huck. "He's not exactly a ray of sunshine in the mornings."
"Hey, everybody! Good morning." Abby chirped as soon as she stepped off the elevator.
"More morning people!" Fitz beamed, and gave Abby her coffee. "I still don't know your coffee orders, so I got creative with them. I'm sorry if you don't like it."
Abby took a sip and gave a shrug. "Mine's decent."
"Whatever this is, it's my new favorite." Harrison told him. "It's really good."
"Kiss ass." Huck said, rolling his eyes.
"Seriously." Abby agreed.
"It's the shit I used to buy you when we were in college." Fitz told him with a chuckle.
"Anyways, what are we doing here?" Abby asked. "I know the holiday doesn't officially begin until tonight, but seriously? What are we doing here?"
"I pick the best people." Huck said nodding with pride.
"We need to go over our active clients and that means being updated on how everything is going in Ohio."
The four of them wandered into the conference room and sat down around the large table. "Nothing much has changed since the last update. Alena is still twenty eight points ahead of Mr. Fairburn." Harrison began.
"And we have her schedule packed with speeches and meet and greets for the rest of July to make that gap even wider." Abby added.
"The President's endorsement made all the difference." Huck said. "I'll say it again, Abby did a helluva job bringing Ms. Pope into it."
"Speaking of the President..." Fitz began.
All three of his associates gave him their full and undivided attention as they sipped their expensive coffees. "She is hosting a small informal dinner at the White House at the end of the week, and all three of you are invited."
"Shut up!" Abby exclaimed excitedly.
"Niiiiiiice!" Harrison agreed. He began mentally going through his closet to figure out what he'd wear.
"Why?" Huck asked. That probably meant he'd have to wear a frigging suit and act proper. He wasn't that guy. He'd do it for her and pretend to like it, but he wouldn't. Not really.
"She wants to get to know my..." What was the right word here?
"Friends?" Harrison asked with raised eyebrows.
"Associates." Fitz supplied firmly.
"So, you're not bringing anyone else?" Huck asked. He had already received an email from the President and knew who was on the guest list. He liked to see Fitz squirm.
Fitz looked at Huck and knew in an instant that he already knew the answer to his question. Pointing a finger at him, Fitz shot him an annoyed look as the other man grinned. "Fuck you!"
"That answers that question. So, who else are you bringing?" Abby asked with a grin. She hadn't been introduced to any of her boss' friends and was curious about the people he surrounded himself with.
"My tailor. And my hairdresser."
"Wow." Harrison said, giving a sympathetic look to his long time friend. "Really, dude?"
"What?" Fitz asked defensively.
"That is so sad." Abby replied.
"What's sad about it?" Fitz demanded.
"Don't you have any...I don't know..." The redhead gestured with her hands, trying to think of how to ask the question all three of them surely wanted to know the answer to.
"She means friends." Huck supplied with a grin.
"You! Shut the hell up!" Fitz told Huck. Looking at Abby and Harrison he asked, "I have friends. Plenty of them."
"But you're not bringing them to the White House?" Harrison asked doubtfully.
"What the hell? Is this the Spanish Inquisition? Do the two of you want to go or not?" Fitz demanded.
"Definitely!" Abby said giddily. Huck was right. It was fun to watch their boss squirm. She would be joining in on that a lot more often from now on.
"Of course we do, dude." Harrison admitted. It was obvious that his old college buddy was much too busy with work to have a lot of friends. It was kind of sad.
"Wait until the two of you meet Miranda." Huck said still grinning.
"Who is that?"
"His tailor."
"Hello?" Fitz said, trying to get back into the conversation he had started.
"His tailor is a woman?"
"I'm right here!" Fitz insisted, as they continued to overlook him.
"She's a very sexy woman." Huck informed them.
"Whoa!" Harrison interrupted and leaned closer. "A sexy tailor? This sounds like a dream I had when I was in high school. I'm in. I can't wait. Maybe you can introduce me to her or something?"
"Dude, the last guy who hit on her unnecessarily, got put in his place real quick." Huck told his co worker.
"Some random guy doesn't measure up to the charming skills and grace of Harrison Wright, my friend." He stated confidently with his mega watt smile plastered on his handsome face.
Huck looked at Fitz, who shrugged. "It was the First Gentleman."
"Shut up. Why would the husband of our drop dead gorgeous queen of a President – no offense boss - be flirting with another woman?" He glanced at Fitz, hoping he hadn't overstepped with the heartfelt and honest compliments.
Fitz said nothing. He wasn't a fan of Will Swann's when he was alive, and he damned sure didn't miss him now that he was dead, but he wasn't about to bad talk him. "I think we have much more interesting things to discuss this morning if the three of you want to be out of here by ten."
Abby and Harrison were dismissed by nine. The two associates were hesitant about leaving when they saw the senior members of the team rooted to their chairs. "Do you need us to stay? It's not a problem if you do." Abby had assured them.
"We're good. There are a few things that we need to wrap up together." Fitz answered smoothly. "Things I've had Huck working on alone. That happens from time to time."
"I don't understand. Aren't we a team?" The redhead asked. Harrison nodded and waited for the answer.
"We are. A damned good team too." Fitz began. "Huck has been with me for years, and that means he has more responsibility. I trust him more than anyone else in the world, with the exception of Olivia and that means he is privy to certain things the two of you aren't. At least not yet. That, added to the fact that I'm still getting used to the idea of having associates is why I asked him for his help."
Abby and Harrison exchanged a look.
"You asked. I'm just being one hundred percent truthful in my answer. I'm sorry if you don't like it, but that's the way it is."
"That's fine. For now. We want you to know that you can trust us." Abby told him.
"Exactly." Harrison pointed out. "You've got secrets? We can keep them. You need help with something big? We've got your back."
"I'm the oddest man out, and I'm not even a man. You and Huck have worked together forever. You and Harrison went to college together. I'm just the woman who popped up out of the blue. But I'm loyal and you can count on me to keep my mouth shut." Abby informed the three men.
"Whatever happens at the office..." Harrison began and held his palm out.
"Stays at the office." Abby finished, and slapped his palm. She looked at Fitz with a determined expression.
Fitz studied their faces intently, looking for any sign of doubt or weakness. Instead he saw strength, will power, and eagerness to help. Any lingering feelings of worry or fear immediately evaporated and was replaced with security and trust. He and Huck had chosen the team well. He glanced at Huck who shrugged in silence. "Okay then. Let's get down to it."
Abby and Harrison returned to their chairs around the conference table and the four of them got back to work.