A/N: A few things first. I've never written anything that wasn't a one-shot and with this much dialogue, so this is a very new thing to me and I'm fully winging it. I also have no idea where this story is going, please bear with me anyway. In this story Fitz won both terms and Olivia said no to Defiance. It's always nice to get some feedback, if you have the time please leave a review and share your thoughts. Thank you for reading!

Fitz takes a sip of his beer. Lounging on the balcony's bench, he feels the breeze of the Californian winter. A well-earned privilege.

His presidency officially ended five weeks ago and the pacing of the new routine has been a welcome surprise. The chance to unwind and simply be was such a long-awaited dream, now he gets to actually appreciate the opportunity. The tranquility is refreshing. Being able to enjoy the fresh air of the ranch without any worry that some crisis will interrupt his peace. A small taste of everything he's missed out on.

Spending the first couple of weeks here with Jerry and Karen, getting to play tennis in the mornings, and eating their meals together was restorative. Even if each of the kids went out each with their own group of friends most evenings, there was a peacefulness in knowing they could spend a little time of the day together.

They were good company and Fitz enjoyed them while he could. With both Karen and Jerry off to college now, life moved on without him. It all went by so quickly. Now he will only see them for spring break.

He lets out a sigh. They're so grown-up.

Gazing at the stars, he can hear an owl from a distance. It's a beautiful night. The cold breeze sends shivers down his spine, and he closes his eyes, listening to the sounds of the shaking leaves.

No longer owing anybody anything, he's allowed to enjoy the stillness of being outdoors.

His stay in California hadn't been planned in advance, yet during his last week in office, his body ached for the relaxation of the ranch. The Secret Service had already made the adjustments necessary for his stay in D.C, arranging security and a well-rounded staff to meet his every need, but the thought of staying there full-time seemed suffocating. He served his country in the best way he could. His duty was done.

The love he feels for the capitol hasn't faded, but the change of scenery has been refreshing. There was nothing else for him in that city anymore. Not enough to live in it at least.

Around six months before the end of the term, when the realization of how the end was near, it was as if a switch had been flipped. Nothing changed about his approach to work, but a break from such a fast-paced life wasn't a mirage anymore. Thoughts about the future slowly crept in and the realization that maybe what he needed was a rural area or the suburbs.

No matter what choice was made, leaving office meant finally enjoying some well-earned freedom and peace. When the idea to take up residence in Santa Barbara came up everything seemed to fit. The privacy provided by the isolation was welcoming, being away from the press after decades spent in the public eye.

Agreeing all those years ago to get into politics he knew what the plan was, how his marriage, having children, every step of the way had been mapped out for him. He made his choice to go along with all of it, but now he's done.

There was new-found ease in him. Being able to let himself just be, not worrying about being played or used as a chess piece in everybody else's game. His marriage is over, his father is gone. He loves his children, but there's no need for him to be around at all times anymore.

Two terms governor, two terms president and now he can once again take control of his life. Now he mostly doesn't owe anyone anything.

When the beer bottle is finally empty he goes to the kitchen to discard it, and then he starts getting ready for bed. Changing his jeans and jacket to some black sweatpants and a gray navy sweater. He brushes his teeth and lies down.

The new routine allowed him the time to read a book, watch a movie, or the news. Setting a nice pace that's finally been curing years of light sleep and insomnia. Tonight, Fitz turns on the TV, so he can fall asleep with some white noise.

Flipping through some sports channels and the food network he settles for Curtis Price's late-night show. Sometimes there are some interesting guests and it's never too loud to bother him if he does fall asleep.

He catches the end of an interview with a famous thriller author and as the next interviewee is announced his heart skips a beat.

Fitz reaches for the remote to pause the video.

Liv

Different emotions run through him.

For the most part, he has been avoiding thinking about her.

Ever since the divorce two years ago, thoughts of reaching out have relentlessly occupied his mind. The illicitness of the affair might've been at the core of what drove her away, but Olivia always made clear how the presidency was a problem in itself.

You're married, you're the leader of the free world or some variation of it were part of Olivia's constant reminders of why they could never be together.

Nevertheless, back then she always returned to him at the end of the day, just to talk, or, so they could work together in the Oval.

After she left for good, quitting her job and him, he'd made a vow to abide by her wishes.

It didn't matter how she was always with him, how he longed to know what she would think of something, his policies, or how he missed her laugh and her embrace. He couldn't question her decision to not want to be with him.

With time, it got easier.

He still tried to keep tabs on her to make sure she was alright, but the thought of her leading a life without him eventually stopped being soul-wrenching. She seemed happy and her career was thriving. He couldn't get in the way of that.

But now, looking at her face again, it's as if no time has passed at all.

Carefully he presses play.

Olivia fidgets in her seat.

She never did mind public speaking, but it has been a while since she's done anything like this. The comfort of being behind the scenes, running this kind of thing, controlling the narrative, and spinning stories have always felt more natural to her.

To be honest with herself, the only reason she'd agreed to this was due to Abby's insistence and increasing desperation when the original guest for tonight had to cancel due to a family emergency. With a promotion in the network coming Abby's way, Olivia couldn't deny the favor.

She has been in this studio before. Around five years ago, Kimberly Mitchell was busy at the occasion, so she'd set an interview for her client with Curtis. The place seems to have been through some renovations though. There's a shorter distance between the center of the stage and the audience, but it doesn't look like the number of seats has changed much.

The new setting gives the impression of a more informal environment, the long wooden desk that made the show resemble more of a news type of content is gone. Now, while Curtis has a black chair and sits behind a desk, the interviewees have a quite comfortable couch, allowing viewers to have a full-body view of them.

While Olivia waits in her seat for the cameras to go on, final touches are done on her make-up.

Talking about herself and her work is not something she does. Her role is giving instructions on what to say, how to say it, and informing the best body language to convey a certain story. Being on the other side of this is a completely different experience. The prep has soothed her anxiety, and Olivia has to remind herself how many people she has helped through this exact situation in the past. She knows which steps to follow.

Besides, there is another interview with a well-known actor and activist set up for after she leaves, someone who actually works in front of cameras. Everything will be fine. No one will even notice she's on the show.

"Olivia, are you ready for us?" Curtis asks, emerging from a door that leads backstage, and making his way to his seat.

"Yes," her smile hides any sign of her nerves.

When the countdown for the interview starts, with a deep breath Olivia sets any concern about this in the back of her head and readies herself.

The questions mostly cover her career as a fixer, the way the business works, how to create and build connections, and PR management. The prep and the familiarity from being almost eight years in the area make it easy for Olivia to organize her thoughts and to be clear and concise in her answers. It's also undeniable Price has a talent to keep the conversation flowing smoothly.

"Now, Ms. Pope, you've worked with some of the most important politicians in town. Did your own politics ever change the way you approach a case?"

"No," a slight smile on her face as she answers. "I like to say I'm apolitical. My job requires that I do what's best for my client. The main point is solving a problem or helping them achieve their goal, how I feel about them or their views don't matter"

"Given your answer, is that what drew you away from the White House? Your work on the first Grant campaign is legendary and from what I understand you had a good job as Communications Director which you left for a much different and less stable option of starting a business. What led you to this change towards the private sector?"

When Abby first gave her the list of the questions for tonight this one caused no surprise. This is something people often ask. Why did she leave? The question has been asked for so many years, Olivia no longer has a problem answering it.

"Well, I still work with politicians. I'm just no longer in direct contact with the White House, but D.C. isn't that big, it's impossible to completely cut ties with it."

True.

"That being said, I'm proud of the work I did during the campaign, and I'm thankful for the period I worked as Communications Director."

True.

"But I wanted to try something new."

Lie

"Are you still in touch with President Grant or any of the people you worked so closely with?" Curtis inquiries.

"Some of them, yes. I had known Chief of Staff Beene before I started working on the campaign. Actually, I got that job thanks to Cyrus who recommended me to President Grant who at the time was still governor of California, and we've kept in touch. But time and work drift people apart, so I haven't been in close contact with anyone else for many years, including President Grant," Olivia maintains formality and distance in each of her words, pushing away any old sentiments that might seep in.

And just like that, Curtis follows up with some closing statements to end her segment and sends Olivia on her way.

"Liv!" Abby approaches Olivia with a hug. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to drop by to see you earlier. You were great. Thank you so much for doing this," the redhead gently squeezes Olivia's arm. "Dinner tomorrow? It's on me."

"8 p.m?"

"Deal."

When Olivia starts walking away Abby reaches for her hand.

"Hey, Liv."

"What?" Olivia asks, turning around and noticing the worried look on Abby's face.

"Are you ok?" Abby asks with a furrowed brow.

"Of course. Why?"

"Nothing," Abby adds with a shake of her head, "never mind, just asking. See you tomorrow," apprehension never quite gone from her face.

As Olivia walks out of the studio she urges her body to relax. Suddenly realizing the knot in her chest has no connection to her interview anxiety.

For a second Fitz thinks he imagines it, the hint of sadness in her eyes as she talks about time leading people to drift apart, but as he moves to rewind the video, he already knows the answer.

He knows her too well.

Though it happens quickly and it's subtle, it's there. The slight shift of gaze and that look. Fitz doubts anyone else would notice it, yet he sees it, how her mind drifted to him, even after all these years.

Against his own instincts, he stopped using the Secret Service to keep track of her. Back then he did it to make sure she was safe and to feel closer to her, for his own peace of mind. Knowing she was well and being taken care of made having to do the job without her easier.

Things changed when she got engaged to Edison Davis. The hurt of watching her move on had been deeper than he expected. There was no room for him in her life anymore, so he made an effort to let go.

That meant that the main way he could keep up with her life was through the news. It wasn't much considering how on a good day he'd catch a glimpse of her in the background of a public event or press conference.

On his lonelier days, he would ask Cyrus about how she was doing. Still, he tried to keep that at a minimum, not wanting him to find out the extent of the relationship he used to have with Olivia.

As he bided his time in the White House, everyone outside his small bubble seemed to have moved on, leading their own lives away from him. Looking at her now though… Maybe he doesn't need to start his life over from scratch. Maybe it's time to catch up on lost time.

Olivia gets home feeling the weight of her day crashing down on her.

Going to her bedroom she sits on the bed, quickly checking her emails to see if there's anything important.

When she's done she moves to her closet, grabs her favorite silk pajamas, and heads for the shower.

It's pervasive the way in which the thoughts of him creep in sometimes. One would think she'd be over it by now. Too much time has passed and still she can't let him go. These last few years have been about coming to terms with that.

In many different ways, on many occasions, she has dreamed about finally seeing him again. Yet, every time the opportunity arose she found an excuse to avoid it, especially after the divorce. After that it was clear he had no intention of reaching out to her, so she started living again. Going back to Edison might've not been the best decision, but at least she was trying. She shouldn't put her life on hold, just because she'd always be tied to him.

Getting out of the shower Olivia uses her hand to wipe the fogginess of the mirror.

Her anger faded away long ago. Now she only misses him. Talking to him, being with him.

Olivia reaches for the toothbrush and the paste on her sink and starts to brush her teeth.

She could always call him.

Olivia puts the thought aside and brushes harder.

At least tomorrow she has work and dinner with Abby. Something to keep her mind occupied.

Starting to feel cold, Olivia finishes brushing her teeth, gets dressed, and crawls into bed. Wrapping herself around her blankets she reaches for the remote, too aware that if she tries to sleep now, thoughts of him will only intensify.

Scanning through different streaming services, she presses play on Now, Voyager.

There is something comforting about this kind of melodrama, a charm specific to Old Hollywood. Bette Davis through a lie tries to live the life she really wants, free from the violence and aggression of her home. She gets to be who she dreams of being, gets to love, and live without shame.

Enraptured by the screen, as Paul Henreid once again lights up two cigarettes in his mouth, an act of love and tenderness, Olivia's phone rings.

Running her hands under the blankets looking for it, it takes a few seconds, but she finds it.

A life-changing, impossible love. A little too relatable.

"What?" her eyes never leaving the television.

"Hi."