Chapter 2

America was in the homestretch of this election cycle. The Reston-Grant campaign had kept on pace with its travels around the country, and both Governors did exceptionally well in their debates. They were ahead in the polls beyond the margins of error, but Olivia was never one to rest on her laurels. Fitz had done a fine job of setting up the ticket to be viewed as the best choice amongst voters under 30. It was now Gov. Reston's turn to reassure them that he was the best candidate to serve their interests. It wasn't too hard, though, since Gov. Langston always seemed to be talking down to the youth of America with gloom and doom of how God is disappointed in them for their worldly ways. Her message may have played well with their grandparents, but it alienated the young, and her campaign didn't think to use its youngish VP candidate to appeal to those who have yet to reach their prime.

Senator Mellie Grant saw the writing on the wall with the success of the Democratic ticket, and if she had to be honest with herself, she was quite impressed with the come-up of her ex-husband. She still had not made up her mind as to which candidate she'd vote for, as neither campaign had asked for her endorsement as of yet. She couldn't imagine voting for the democratic ticket, but in the event Reston-Grant won, she would, by virtue of her children, be two heartbeats away from the White House. The election was two weeks away, and if Reston and Grant won, she'd angle for a seat at the table…beginning with Thanksgiving. Fitz and Mellie had not spent a holiday together since before their divorce, but she figured now would be a good time to create new family traditions. She had no desire to rekindle a relationship with Fitz, but Mellie ached for a significant political career. Having an ex-husband baby daddy Vice President of the United States was just one pathway to her ultimate goal.

The last four weeks weren't just good for the campaign, it was wondrous for Olivia and Fitz. Although they did not make their relationship openly official, they didn't hide that fact that they were spending more and more time together. Two people who certainly noticed the ever-growing affection between the two were Cyrus and Gov. Reston. The Governor was the first to pull Olivia aside to ask about the relationship and the potential impact it could have on the campaign. Gov. Reston was not against their budding romance, but he had every intention of having Olivia work in his administration, and they had to figure out how her being in a relationship with the country's VP may violate any federal government protocols. Olivia reasoned that if she did indeed work for a President Reston, she would answer to his chief-of-staff and the President himself, and not to the Vice President, nor would he be her subordinate. Their relationship could also be a good thing in that it places Fitz in a steady coupling with one woman, and the press would need to stand down from a dating VP narrative.

Cyrus took a little more convincing. He never liked the idea of anyone having more influence over Fitz than he did. Although he was grateful to Olivia for putting the finishing touches on his raw presidential candidate, he didn't want her to replace him as the voice in Fitz's head. Cyrus would never vocalize this out loud, so his stated reason for hesitation to their relationship was that it gave the tabloids daily fodder to focus on his love life rather than his politics and political wins. Fitz could sometimes come across as a dope, but he was quite smart, and sometimes he could even out-strategize a master strategist like Cyrus. He basically told Cyrus that his relationship with Olivia would practically lock her in to be his campaign manager when he decided to run for president in eight years. That shut Cyrus up and all was happy in the growing Pope-Grant love story.

Election Night

The Reston-Grant campaign gathered at the Gaylord Hotel at the National Harbor in Maryland to watch the election results. They had the largest ballroom reserved in the event of a win, and by all accounts, they were going to win. On this night, Olivia was the campaign manager, so she stayed close to Governor Reston and his wife Joan as the results came in from each state. Many states were staying true to their red or blue status, but the usual suspects of every presidential election were causing knots in everyone's stomachs. The campaign was hoping for Florida to go blue, but it went for Langston. Pennsylvania came through for the democrats, and Wisconsin was a big surprise choosing Reston. Langston was likely to get all the smaller red states which had yet to call their elections, but if Ohio went for Reston, the election would be over. They were waiting on Defiance County to submit its results. Olivia reassured Gov. Reston that Defiance County would not let him down, and that they would be celebrating soon enough.

Fitz walked over to Olivia and tapped her on the shoulder. She stood and walked with him in the direction of the refreshments table. "What do you think?" He asked her in a nervous tone.

"I think before the night is over you will be Vice President-Elect Fitzgerald Grant. You guys did an amazing job campaigning, and you my dear made a big difference getting those under 30 to the polls. I believe we will claim victory tonight, but no matter what the outcome of this election," Olivia paused and placed her hand in his, "you and I won."

Fitz squeezed her hand and two seconds later, the room erupted in cheers and raised fists. He and Olivia looked over to Gov. Reston, then to Cyrus who barreled over to them and initiated a group hug to accompany his tears of joy. Fitz freed himself to hug Olivia and kiss her on the temple before heading over to now President-Elect Samuel Reston. The two governors embraced and congratulated each other. Olivia regained her composure as campaign manager to inform the room that they should prepare to head down to the ballroom for the official introduction of the next President and Vice President of the United States. In the midst of the commotion, a phone rang, and it was handed to Gov. Reston. The room became silent, with everyone knowing this call was from Gov. Langston conceding the race. Their conversation only lasted about three minutes, but it was very important for the smooth transition of the current administration to the next one.

One of the staffers conveniently found several bottles of champagne and some cups and began pouring celebratory glasses for everyone. Olivia made her way to the Restons to congratulate them on a well-done campaign, hugging them both. She then informed them that they needed to get changed quickly for Gov. Reston's victory speech to the nation in one hour. In this moment, Olivia realized what she had not acknowledged for so long. She was absolutely exhausted. The countdown began in her head to when she could take some time to herself before the administration took office on January 20th. Thankfully, another staffer was taking point on the transition of administrations, but she would still be very instrumental in vetting potential cabinet members. She walked back over to Fitz who was still hugging various campaign staffers with childish glee. Olivia told him that he needed to get changed for the victory speech. Fitz heeded her words and they left for his hotel room. Once inside, Fitz grabbed Olivia around the waste and swung her around kissing her passionately. She threw her head back playfully as she hugged his neck, accepting his kisses up and down her neck. Their revery was broken by the sound of Fitz's cell phone ringing. He set Olivia on her feet and retrieved his phone, checking to see who was calling before answering. He rolled his eyes and drew in a deep breath before accepting the call.

"Big Jerry," Fitz said unenthusiastically into the phone.

"Well hello son, or should I say Vice President-Elect. I guess your failed presidential bid somewhat paid off for you," the elder Grant was always adept at offering backhanded compliments.

"I would ask you 'what do you want', but I really don't care. Why are you calling?" Fitz asked with growing frustration.

"I'm just calling to congratulate you. You actually made lemonade out of lemons. Maybe you'd have won the nomination had you dumped that loser Beane. That little Black gal who ran Reston's campaign put that grumpy old shoe Cyrus to shame. And I never cared for that poser Chambers either. He was never going to win. Don't let that Pope gal get too far. You have a real shot at winning the Presidency if she runs your campaign."

"Her name is Olivia Pope. She's an amazing woman, and yes, she's a hell of a campaign manager," Fitz retorted shaking his head, ready to end this call. "I've got to get ready for the victory speech. Thanks for calling. It was very generous of you. Take care," Fitz said, ending the call and looking over at Olivia.

"What was he saying about me?" she asked.

Fitz loosened his tie and toed off his shoes, "It doesn't matter. He was just hoping that I still had old wounds for him to rub salt in." Fitz continued to undress, "In Big Jerry's twisted way, I truly think that call was him saying he's proud of me. I've gone farther than he did. I'm sure a part of him hates that, but the dad buried way deep down inside of him can't help but be proud of his son becoming VP."

Olivia smiled at him as she kissed him sweetly. "I'm going to head back to my room to get changed. I'll meet you in the ballroom in 30 minutes," she pecked him one last time and exited his room.

XXX

Olivia made it down to the ballroom in 25 minutes. She completed all of the preliminary checks with the production crew and various news outlets to ensure everything was perfect for Reston's speech. Many staffers were already inside the ballroom mingling and dancing to the music being piped throughout the room. Servers were already serving trays of hoers d'oeuvres and champagne. Olivia made her way backstage where Gov. Reston, his wife Joan, and Fitz would be getting camera ready for their big moment. The Governor and his wife walked in, and a makeup artist sat them down in chairs to blot their faces. Olivia checked her phone to see if Fitz had texted her, but he had not. It was now 20 minutes until time for them to walk out on stage together. Just when she was about to call him, Fitz and Cyrus arrived backstage with Jerry and Karen alongside. It was a pleasant surprise for Olivia, as Fitz had not mentioned that they'd be joining him tonight. They didn't make any previous appearances with Fitz since he was adamant about keeping them as far from the campaign as possible. He didn't want them used in any way by their own campaign or Langston's. As far as Olivia knew, the kids only knew her as the campaign manager and not as the new woman in Fitz's life, so she addressed the two as such.

"Hey guys! I'm so glad you're able to be here for the big night. How proud are you of your dad?"

Jerry responded first, "It hasn't quite sunk in yet. This doesn't feel anything like election night when he became governor. It's kind of overwhelming right now, but I think the right guys won."

"Yeah, I'm proud of you dad. Where will you live?" Karen asked, suddenly realizing that Fitz wouldn't be living in the White House.

"Thanks baby. Our home will be the Vice President's House at the Naval Observatory. It's in Northwest, DC."

"I hope you guys are walking out on stage with your dad. He could use the support." Olivia prodded.

"Yep. Dad is finally letting us loose now that the election is over," Karen gleefully said.

"Excuse us, guys," Fitz took Olivia by her arm, walked her a few feet away, and leaned down to whisper discreetly in her ear, "You know, you could walk out with me too."

"Tonight isn't my night. I'll be here in the background," she reassured him. "And we can't just spring our relationship on Jerry and Karen like that."

"They know," Fitz nodded his head in affirmation of his words. "I mentioned to them that you and I are getting to know each other and that you are going to be around for a long time, preferably forever," he looked her in the eyes with sincerity. Olivia glanced over at the kids who were trying to look as if they weren't watching their dad and Olivia interact.

"What was their reaction? How do they feel about this?'

"They said they just want me to be happy, and that I seem happier than they've ever known me to be. If you're up for it, maybe we can take them out after the speech tonight," Fitz suggested.

"I'd like that," she agreed. "I think the production crew is ready for you all." The four of them walked over to the Reston family where elects and their families were ready for their big moment in front of the American people. In a matter of minutes, the world was going to be introduced to President-elect Samuel Reston and Vice President-elect Fitzgerald Grant the Third.

XXX

Inauguration Day

Olivia awoke at 6am to a cold winter's day in the nation's capital. The transition team had done an incredible job of preparing everyone who would be a part of the Reston administration for the start of their jobs officially at noon. Thankfully, the day was only bone-chilling cold, but no rain or snow was in the January 20th forecast. The day would be packed with activities for both the new president and vice president. Olivia would be on stage during the swearing in as an integral part of the campaign, as well as a member of the new administration. She had agreed during the campaign that if Reston won, she'd serve as his Communications Director. Her job would begin almost immediately, more so than other members of the administration.

Fitz had asked her to stand next to him as he took his oath of office, but she declined, suggesting instead that his children should behold that honor. She did, however, get him a special gift that he could have with him onstage as a proxy for her. They chose to spend the night before apart to ensure that he got as good a night's sleep as possible. He would be on camera most of the day, and Olivia wanted him to look his best.

Olivia finally rolled out of bed, showered, and had a light breakfast before turning on cable news to see how the media was playing the upcoming transfer of power to their viewers. At 7:30am, her cell phone rang, and she had a pretty good idea who was calling. "Did you get any sleep last night," she asked Fitz as soon as she accepted the call.

"Better than I thought. This is all exciting, but it's not really my day as much as it's Reston's. I'm just glad I get to tag along. How was your night? Did you miss me as much as I missed you?"

"Of course, I missed you, but make no mistake, mister, today is your day as well. You two are a team and that's what you need to show the world today. How are the kids? Are they ready for their big roles? Which one is holding your Bible?"

"They'll be fine. The decided that they flank me on each side and hold the Bible together. Mellie hinted at wanting on the stage, but I told her I'd make sure she got front row seats in the audience," Fitz said rolling his eyes and shaking his head. "I really wish you would reconsider sitting next to me. It's not too late to make that happen."

"No, I don't want to draw any attention away from you or Reston. If you and I go Inaugural official, that may very well be the headline. Besides, I'll be with you at the Ball. And if you're a good boy, I may even come back to the Naval Observatory with you."

Fitz beamed with happiness at her statement of how their night would end. "What time are you coming to Blair House this morning?"

Olivia thought for a second as she looked over her outfit for the day, "I think I'll be there by 9:30am. You need to be at the Capitol by 9:45am. The ceremony begins at 10am, so do not be late!"

"Alright my love. I better get up and put myself together. I'll see you in a couple of hours?" Fitz inquired.

"See you soon," Olivia ended the call and began to steam her cream-colored suit that was accented with a touch of navy on the cuffs and lapel. She picked out some understated earrings and a gold bracelet to wear and laid them out on her vanity table. She opened the drawer of her vanity to retrieve the small black velvet box containing the special gift that she found just for Fitz. Olivia put the box to her lips as if to breathe life and love into it. She walked into her closet to get the purse she'd carry on this day and placed the box inside.

At 9:25am, Olivia entered the waiting room anticipating Fitz and his children's arrival to Blair House. They entered the room ten minutes later and the four exchanged greetings and hugs. The kids migrated over to the leather sofa to plant themselves in front of the TV with wall-to-wall coverage of the day's events. Olivia opened her purse and took out the little black velvet box and pulled Fitz into the far corner of the room, "I got you something special."

Fitz stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers, "You are my something special."

"Just open it," she said excited for his reaction.

Fitz opened the box, looked at the contents, then to Olivia, and back to the box, "Are these…?"

"President John Fitzgerald Kennedy's monogrammed cufflinks," Olivia finished his statement. "I got them at an auction, and well, I thought they'd be a perfect touch from one Fitzgerald to another," she explained as she removed his cufflinks and replaced them with the vintage presidential set.

"These are amazing, Livvie. Thank you! I love you. I really love you." Fitz took Olivia's hand and led her to the seating area to join the kids while they waited to be escorted to the Capitol Building.

The 10am procession of important politicians began to populate the inaugural stage. Congressmen and women, former cabinet secretaries, military who's who, and other notable people of power graced the stage just before the entrance of the Vice President-elect accompanied by his children, and the President-elect escorted by his wife and grown kids. The National Anthem was sung by Broadway superstar Audra McDonald and America the Beautiful was sung by Reston's favorite singer James Taylor. The Poet Laureate was an amazing young deaf man who interpreted his poem using American Sign Language while it was read aloud by James Earl Jones. At 11:56am, Fitz arose with his children flanking him on each side as he recited the oath to become the nation's Vice President.

"I, Fitzgerald Thomas Grant the third, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God."

Upon completion of his oath, Fitz kissed both of his kids on the temple and turned to Olivia with a wink and a subtle blown kiss. At noon, Samuel Reston, with his wife Joan by his side, took his oath of office as the President of the United States. The rest of the day's festivities went off without incident. The new President and VP attended the Congressional Luncheon, followed by the Inaugural Parade down Pennsylvania Avenue towards the White House. By the time they made it inside the West Wing, the White House staff had changed over the Oval Office to Reston's specifications. Jerry and Karen left with Mellie after the parade. Both Fitz and Olivia made their way to their respective offices and exchanged pleasantries with their office staff.

After spending a few hours in her office getting to know her staff a little better, especially the Press Secretary Britta Kagen, she met Fitz in his office suite with her ball gown and work clothes for the following day. She ran into Cyrus, now Fitz's Chief of Staff chatting with his partner, James Novak, a local journalist. James had finally talked Cyrus into going to a couple of balls that night, although the older curmudgeon was determined to not like one minute of the events.

"Hello boys. Are we all set for a night of dancing and photo ops?" Olivia interrupted the couple.

"Thank god for the fresh air in this stale room," James snipped as he rolled his eyes at Cyrus. "Ooo, is that your dress? Can I get a little peak?"

"Nope, it's a surprise," Olivia said holding her garment bag away from a prying James. "Where is the Vice President?"

"I'm right here," Fitz glided into the reception area of the VP suite, happy to finally be reunited with his Livvie. "I'm ready to go when you are," he told her.

"How about taking James with you? He loves this stuff. Besides, my bunions are killing me and I'm not up for dancing," Cyrus grumbled.

"I got you some special Prada compression socks to help with your bunions and overall circulation. You'll be fine. Let's go old man," James grabbed Cyrus by the hand and dragged him out the door.

Olivia and Fitz exchanged relieved looks and shared a long overdue hug. "Hello Mr. Vice President. Although I serve at the pleasure of the President, it is my pleasure to be at your service tonight."

"Hello Madame Communications Director," he said as he kissed her softly. "Let's make this a night to remember my lady." Fitz took Olivia's bags and her hand and walked them towards the door. He was introduced earlier that day to his permanent Secret Service detail agents Tom Larsen and Scott Stokes. They escorted the couple out of the White House and with the rest of his security detail, they headed to the Naval Observatory where Fitz would live for the next four years.