Chapter 3

Fitz and Olivia's night of dazzle and dancing went by pretty fast. The day had been a long one for them, and after a couple of hours of waltzing and two-stepping and boogying, they made their exit and headed to the Naval Observatory to spend some quality time alone. They made love a couple of times before crashing headfirst into sleep. They both awoke the next morning at 6am where they got ready for work and had a light breakfast before making their way to the White House. Fitz decided to broach the subject of Olivia moving in with him during their 10-minute drive.

"Liv, would you consider moving into the Naval Observatory with me? Our schedules are about to be all over the place, and this would give us an opportunity to spend time together. We can have breakfast together every morning and dinner every night. Not to mention…"

"Fitz, I don't know if we're ready for that."

"Or is it that you're just not ready for that?" Fitz questioned trying not to get upset before his first full day as VP.

"You need to get settled in and adjusted as Vice President. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be by your side all the way. My moving in would be just another major change at an already hectic time for you," she told him.

"That's a very patronizing way to put it Liv. Thanks for looking out for my best interest," he responded with overt sarcasm.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she inquired with annoyance building in her voice.

"It means if you're answer is no, just say that. You don't have to make it seem like you're turning me down for my sake. You're the new Communications Director for the President of the United States of America. Gaslighting is beneath you. I can accept no for an answer."

"Okay then. No," Liv said in no uncertain terms.

Fitz pinched his brow and shook his head. "Fine." They were a couple of minutes away from arriving at the White House. The couple road in silence the rest of the way. When they arrived and exited the car, Fitz took Olivia by her free hand, and they walked into the West Wing together. "Let me know if you have time for lunch today?" He asked her in an attempt at offering an olive branch.

"I suspect we will be spending much of the day together with the President, but yes, if we get a break for lunch on our own, I'll stop by your office," she said squeezing his hand and giving him a sincere smile before they parted ways.

The first meeting with the President's current staff hires included Fitz, Olivia, President Reston's Chief of Staff Constantine "Stan" Pappas, Press Secretary Britta Kagen, as well as Fitz's Chief of Staff Cyrus, and the VP Press Secretary Marcus Walker. They spent the morning discussing cabinet positions that still needed filling, and picks that still needed final vetting. The team also decided to put together a short list of possible Supreme Court nominees in the event a justice needed to be replaced. The meeting lasted all morning but was very productive. They could tell they would work well as a team, and they were quite excited about what they could accomplish with the Democrats in control of Congress. President Reston had already met with Senate Majority Leader Edison Davis. It didn't hurt that Senator Davis and Olivia were very close friends even though Fitz felt some kind of way about their chummy relationship. Olivia had noticed Fitz's attitude whenever she'd have any type of interaction with Edison, but she was not going to play into his silly insecurities. She loved Fitz, but sometimes he acted like a spoiled little rich boy, and she was never going to act as a pacifier to the trivial things he let rent space in his head.

Stan Pappas suggested they all break for lunch around 12:30pm. Everyone stood to go their separate ways for the next hour, except Fitz and Liv who communicated with their eyes that they'd do lunch together. They went back to his office where Fitz asked his secretary, Lauren to order them soup and sandwiches for lunch. He would have ordered for his entire staff, but many had already left to enjoy their lunch hour. While they waited for their food to arrive, Fitz decided to reprise their earlier conversation with the intent to clear the air.

"Liv, about this morning," he paused to gather more of his thoughts before he continued, "I'm not trying to rush you into something you aren't ready to do. I was just thinking your moving into the Naval Observatory would allow us to spend more time together. We're bound to be extremely busy going forward, and we likely won't get a lot of time together. This is our first full day of work for the administration, and I miss you already," Fitz concluded what he had to say with an unsure smile.

"I understand, Fitz. I really do. I just still consider our relationship to be new, and because we won't be able to build it in a normal way, it will take us a little longer to lay each foundation."

Fitz just nodded his head and accepted where Liv was on this subject and considered the subject closed…for now. Their food arrived, and they enjoyed a peaceful lunch together before heading back to the Oval Office to complete the day's grind. Olivia let Fitz know that she'd be going home to her condo after work. She was still quite tired from the previous day and night's festivities. This day had been hectic, and she didn't even get to spend any time with the communication's staff or White House Press Corp yet. She had that on her to-do list for tomorrow. Olivia looked forward to the end of this first day of work in the White House. She had her heart set on some popcorn, wine, and her bed.

Fitz, on the other hand, planned on working late since he'd be going home alone. The kids were back with Mellie in Northern Virginia. He hadn't explored the house or grounds of the Naval Observatory, and he decided to save that adventure for the weekend. He hoped Liv would be with him for the tour. Fitz, Cyrus, and Marcus stayed behind for a late evening meeting to discuss Fitz's tentative schedule for the next 30 days. Marcus would begin drafting potential speeches for several of Fitz's trips around the country. He liked to write his own, but he appreciated the head start Marcus would provide for him. The men didn't stay too long into the evening, knowing that the rest of the staff would opt to stay with Fitz still in the office. He, along with his security detail, made his way back to the Naval Observatory to close out his first full day as Vice President.

Olivia called Fitz around 10pm, knowing he'd still be awake and likely waiting for her call. Fitz answered after the first ring.

"Hi," he spoke first.

"Hi," she responded, missing him, but not sorry she chose to spend the night in her own bed. "Are we about to debrief your first day as the second most powerful man in the world?"

Fitz chuckled, never thinking of his position that way before. "I wouldn't go that far, but sure, let's debrief now that we are in the privacy of our homes and can speak freely. What are your thoughts on Pappas?"

Olivia looked to the ceiling in thought before answering, "He's definitely old school politics. He'll be great when we need to get the Democratic establishment on board, but he won't play too well with Progressives, and that will be a problem for Reston. I told him during the campaign that he needed to lean into that wing of the party and lean hard. They are the future, but Pappas will be a thorn in progress if we don't figure out some way to convince him Reston needs the Progressives. Thankfully Reston isn't as invested in that reach across the aisle bullshit. Let's just pray he doesn't get pulled backwards by Pappas."

Nodding his head in agreement, Fitz chimed in with his assessment, "You are 100% correct about him. I will say he's a political maverick. The man can be a strategic genius in the clutch, but he feels most powerful playing as close to the center as possible. I'm glad he's on our side of center, though. If it weren't for the fact he was born in Cypress, he'd have run for president as early as eight years ago."

"I didn't know he was foreign born," Olivia admitted in surprise. "He's been such a political staple in the U.S. for the past 25 years, I just thought he had some type of scandal too boney to let out the closet."

"No scandals as far as I know. Big Jerry and his ilk would have definitely gone after his jugular if there were. Nope, he's just a naturalized citizen as of 1979, right before graduating from law school," Fitz clarified.

"I can tell he's one of the good guys. He's just old school," Olivia punctuated the conversation on Pappas. "I really like Marcus. I think you two will be the new bromance of the D.C. area," she laughed out loud.

"Were we that obvious? I was trying to hold back my feelings. I didn't want to make anyone jealous, anyone being Cyrus," they both laughed at the clashes between Cyrus and Marcus that they knew would likely become a reality.

"Yeah, your boys will be fighting over you. You're going to have to work hard to keep the peace, especially in a way that Cyrus feels he's still your favorite. As long as he believes he has both of your ears, he'll be fine. Marcus is smart enough to learn Cyrus's playbook on his own. They may clash from time to time, but they will figure it out for your benefit. That, I'm sure of!"

"Britta is a great choice for Press Secretary. Did you find her or was that all Reston?" Fitz asked.

"I knew of her public relations work for Microsoft. She spent a few years working at NPR as a journalist before that. She's seasoned in communications but young enough to give the administration a fresh look. I brought her to Reston's attention, but in a way that made him think his hiring her was his choice. I knew he needed someone like her to be the other face of the administration," she explained.

"Do you think you'll take on more of a public roll with the administration?" Fitz inquired.

"I hope I don't have to, but if needed, I'll be ready," Olivia affirmed.

"I worked out my schedule for the next thirty days, many of them will be on the road. It feels like the campaign all over again. I didn't expect to be going away so soon. I'll be making stops in New Orleans, Dallas, Phoenix, Seattle, Detroit, and Chicago. I leave for my first trip, New Orleans, then Dallas, then Phoenix, next Friday. I should be back by the following Monday morning. A week after returning, I head to Seattle for two days. I'm considering adding a couple of days in California while I'm on the West Coast. I'll decide that closer to my trip. And in three weeks, I'll be in Detroit, then Chicago. You should convince your boss to come with me so that you can come with us, and we'll all be together!" Fitz playfully sing-songed.

"Let me get this straight. I should convince the leader of the free world, the commander-in-chief, to accompany you, the Vice President, on your work trip just so you can have your girlfriend around," Olivia laughed while shaking her head in disbelief of her man's ploys to spend time with her. "Those aren't even romantic cities," she poo-pooed.

"Wherever we are will become a romantic city. I'm romantic, right?"

Olivia twisted her mouth in thought, "You can be when you want. It's been a while."

Fitz's heart sank because he knew she was right. They had fought hard to win the election, and once they established their relationship, they all but stopped doing the little things that counted. He knew at that moment Olivia was right about them not moving in together. They needed to build up their relationship and the little romantic things did matter. In her way, she'd just told him those things mattered to her. "I'm sorry that I haven't put us back on the front burner since we won the election. I promise I will make it up to you. I love you with all my heart and I need to continue to show you that, to never take you for granted."

A glaze formed over her eyes. Olivia was happy in this moment that Fitz couldn't see her. "It takes two, Fitz. I'm just as guilty with not prioritizing us. I propose we try to have dinner together at least three times a week, even if it's in the West Wing. On the days we are both in the office, we take at least fifteen minutes to go for a walk, meet in the Rose Garden."

"You have the best ideas. That's one of the reasons I love you. You should get some sleep, I mean, you're sleeping away from me to get your rest, so get some rest! I'll see you in the morning."

"Are you going to sleep now or are you staying up for a while?" Olivia asked while descending under her covers and turning off her bedside lamp.

"I've got some reading to do. I'll be up for a couple more hours; I'll go to bed at a respectable hour. I promise. Kiss?"

"Kiss. See you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Livvie."

XXX

The next morning, Olivia touched base with her Communications staff, and she and Britta made their way to the White House Press Corp to get to know the journalists who had acquired the White House beat. She knew that having a good relationship with them would benefit the administration, especially during any tough times or potential scandals. Their time with the WHPC lasted a couple of hours as they gave interviews for various news outlets regarding the administration's goals for the first year.

After the meet and greet with the WHPC, Olivia met with President Reston and Pappas to discuss a couple of legislative drafts being proposed by the administration. Senate Majority Leader Edison Davis was also scheduled to join the meeting as well. During the campaign Olivia had made her case as to why President Reston should eliminate student loan debt, and that Congress should do a major overhaul on the student loan process. She knew they would never take on making higher education free, but they should make affordable college education their flagship program.

Stan Pappas, of course, was against it, but during a long conversation one night on the trail, Olivia and Reston discussed how freeing young people up from massive amounts of debt would make them instant consumers who would be able to consistently contribute to the economy. Others who were nearing or had reached middle age would be able to purchase or pay off their homes, giving their families generational wealth they've never had before. Such a move would go down in history for the right reasons. There wasn't really a losing side other than the big banks who'd been bailed out by previous administrations being pissed. In actuality, many student loan borrowers had paid back the principal on their loans but were caught in a many-years cycle of paying the loan's compounding interest. An executive order this sweeping would all but guarantee Reston's reelection in four years, and the Democrats would likely keep one or both houses of Congress if they backed this plan and established law that would preclude predatory student loan lending practices.

The President, Pappas, and Olivia were in the Oval Office when Senator Davis arrived for the meeting. He greeted the President first, then moving to shake Stan Pappas' hand, and finally ending with a long happy, but professional greeting exchange with Olivia. They hadn't had a real conversation since before the general election and the two had been meaning to catch up, but now wasn't the time and their senior government jobs would likely keep them from the friendly lunch or dinner they kept meaning to schedule.

The group discussed Olivia's proposal to forgive student loans, and the group, sans Pappas, was receptive. President Reston wanted a few days to think about this more. He would assign a couple of interns with doing more detailed research on the impact of forgiving student loan debt, and he'd make a decision by the end of February at the latest. They continued their discussion that focused on those members of Congress who would be the best allies for Reston as well as the ones who would take every chance to thwart his efforts when attempting to pass needed legislation. The meeting lasted a couple of hours. Reston and Pappas needed to get to their next meeting with the Secretary of Defense. Olivia offered to escort Senator Davis out which would give her a few minutes to chat with him.

"So, how are you liking being the Senate Majority Leader? Is it everything you dreamed of?"

"It is what I thought it would be. Stressful, frustrating, nerve-racking, thankless. I love every minute of it," Edison said as they laughed together.

"You deserve it. You are so built for this town," Olivia emphasized.

"How are you doing? No offense, but I never pegged you for working in the White House. You're a political animal now?" Edison teased.

Olivia playfully rolled her eyes and responded, "I was asked to serve at the pleasure of the President and that's what I'm doing. It's not as bad as I thought, although it leaves me less time for drinking fine wine."

As they approached the exit, the pair stopped and Edison stared at Olivia for a moment before asking, "Fitz Grant? Really?"

"He's actually a great guy," she said with pride before looking away and added with a touch of sadness, "He has a future in this house." Olivia covered her feeling of uncertainty with a smile.

"Does that mean you'll be taking on the role of First Lady?"

"Absolutely NOT!" Her emphatic response stuns Edison.

"So, you're willing to serve at the pleasure of President Reston, but not a future President Grant?"

"Thanks for taking the time to meet with us today, Senator. We'll be in touch with your office soon," she told him as she gently pushed him through the exit. Edison chuckled, gave Olivia a knowing look, and turned and walked away. She smiled and headed back to her office to check her messages and to see if Fitz had left word as to what their lunch plans looked like. There was a folded note on her desk that she guessed was from Fitz. Confirming what she already knew, Fitz requested her presence in the rose garden at 2pm, giving her 20 minutes to take care of some personal business.

After a bathroom run, and a short conversation with her assistant to discuss the remainder of the afternoon and its potential meetings, Olivia made her way to the rose garden to meet Fitz. When she arrived at the door to the rose garden, both Agent Larsen and Agent Stokes nodded at Olivia indicating that they were expecting her. Agent Stokes held the door open as she passed through and made her way to the Vice President.

"Have you been waiting long?"

"No, I only got here about two minutes ago. I got you some pasta with pesto sauce, light on the garlic," he said as he handed her the lunch container and flatware.

"Perfect! I am starving. Your president is quite long-winded, you know? Our meeting this morning was quite productive, but sometimes what can be said in three sentences gets put into a thesis," Olivia sighed as she took a bite of her lunch.

"But aren't you the Communications Director? Direct the communications," Fitz joked at her expense. She slapped his shoulder as they both laughed heartily. Fitz took and finished the bite of his chicken salad sandwich before saying, "We needed that laugh. I know it's been a little tense for us lately."

"I know and I'm glad you asked me to lunch on this cold January afternoon," She faux shivered.

"I thought about that once I stepped outside. I'm sorry. I'll do better tomorrow."

Olivia kissed him on his cold lips and stared at him for a couple of seconds. "Mind if I come home with you tonight?' she asked.

"Livvie, that's a question you never have to ask me. You are always welcomed there, even if I'm traveling. Do we need to stop by your place on our way there?"

"No, I packed a bag and brought it with me. It looks like I'll be able to leave at a reasonable hour today," she told him as she fed him a bite of her pasta. They finished their lunches and huddled against each other as they continued to talk for another fifteen minutes before returning inside to get warm and finish their respective workdays.

XXX

The next year and a half had both soaring highs and miserable lows for the Reston administration. The President and his supporters were able to pass sweeping student loan reform, including federal student loan forgiveness for any borrower up to $100,000 student loan debt. It was a hard-fought battle against conservatives who were afraid of their banker buddies and their lobbies, but the idea of student loan forgiveness was too popular with the American people that most Democrats eventually got onboard and fervently advocated for the passage of student loan reform. For many in Congress, their re-elections hinged on supporting this law.

Unfortunately for President Reston, his son, Conner, was caught having an extra-marital affair with a co-worker. The scandal was made worse since Conner had only been married for three years and his wife, Becca, was pregnant with their first child. Olivia had her work cut out for her and the White House Communications team during this scandal. Conner was a bit of a brat and didn't make this time easy for either of his parents. Joan Reston was particularly hurt by her son's behavior because she was quite the doting soon-to-be grandma, and now she worried about the possibility of a divorce between her son and his wife, having limited access to her grandchild. The tide changed when Conner's girlfriend exed him out of her life, and he had no choice but to reconcile with Becca. Olivia was ecstatically relieved when this scandal finally played itself out with the media and they moved on to other nonsense.

Olivia and Fitz continued to live separately, although she made it a point to spend Friday night through Sunday night at the Naval Observatory. They had perfected their routine for spending time together with their busy schedules. They even managed to go on dates around town with little fanfare from paparazzi.

They had enjoyed their latest Friday night together and had fallen asleep around midnight. At 4:25am, there was a knock on the bedroom door. Olivia awoke and put on her robe while Fitz continued his deep sleep. She opened the door and stepped outside to see Agent Larsen, who was usually off during this time of night.

"Tom, what's going on?" Agent Larsen proceeded to explain to her why he was there. Olivia nodded her head and reentered the bedroom, closing the door behind her. She walked over to Fitz's side of the bed and gently shook him.

"Fitz. Fitz, wake up," she said gently but firmly.

He finally stirred, opening his eyes, "Baby, what's going on?" asking the same question she had just five minutes earlier.

"You need to get dressed right away. In thirty minutes, you're going to be sworn in as the next President of the United States."