Episode 2: In Sync In The Oval

Chapter 04

"It's supposed to be very unofficial." Fitz said. It was another late night being spent in the Oval while Olivia was across town in her apartment, curled up in her bed with a final glass of wine.

She'd been working hard as well, dividing the evening between her Communication Director duties and reviewing the preliminary casework of OPA's possibly newest client.

Somehow, this case was already looking like it was going to be more complicated than she'd thought. A meeting with Peter Campbell had confirmed her first gut feeling - that and the expensive bottle of wine that had come her way.

It was however, a very excellent expensive bottle of wine. Olivia took another slow sip and smiled as she savored the rich flavor. Peter had personally delivered this second bottle and had urged her to not save it for a special occasion, promising that he'd make sure she had even finer wines waiting for her at the end of their case. He hadn't given her any particulars just yet - in his words, he was "hoping that OPA services wouldn't be needed, but he wanted them on reserve just in case" - and was willing to pay a retainer fee in the meanwhile. She'd found no reason to say no to that - at least not yet.

"So official that you weren't even supposed to know what the subject of the meeting with Frank Garner was about." She said, agreeing with him. The meeting with Peter had had unexpected dividends. Through him, Olivia had discovered that the Ranking Member - the highest Republican member - of the Judiciary Committee had requested a private meeting with the president.

The plan was - Peter had confided in her - that Garner had been instructed by his [unofficial] superior, Thomas Tillman. Tillman led the Republican dominated House - and he had made it clear to his peers that he intended to 'guide' Fitz on his upcoming choices concerning the judiciary appointments during his next term.

"But now we do." Fitz said. He didn't bother to hide the satisfaction in his voice.

"Now we do." Olivia agreed and he can hear the same thought in hers. "We also aren't supposed to know why this is happening at this particular time. There's some very quiet, very underground rumblings about a certain Justice who may be possibly be contemplating resigning from his seat - citing personal reasons."

She already had Huck on finding out what those reasons were. "I have some ideas -"

" -I may have a few of my own." Fitz said.

"I can't wait to hear them."

They smiled. In sync.

XXX

As Francis Garner was announced, Fitz made a point of coming from behind his desk to shake his hand. He motioned to one of the chairs that faced his desk before resuming his seat. Another time, he might have offered him the more comfortable seating on the pair of couches that flanked the fireplace, but Fitz's mindset led him not to.

Garner was dressed in the Republican uniform, as Olivia often had called it, black suit, red tie along with his signature grandfatherly smile firmly in place. Unfortunately for Garner, that false smile reminded Fitz too much of Big Gerry, who had used this particular front far too often.

Another time he also might have offered the other man coffee, but even before the conversation between he and Olivia, Fitz had found that he didn't like the feeling of being handled - at least not by his so-called fellow Republicans.

That dislike was underscored and magnified before the conversation had gone on for very long. It was obvious that was what Garner had come to do. His smile was too wide, his handshake too obvious. Too something else - too sure of himself and over confident. As the most powerful Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Fitz knew that the other man wielded a certain amount of influence, but Olivia's report told him that he also tended to behave as though his association with Tillman had made him immune to any opposition. It would please Fitz to prove him wrong.

In spite of that, Fitz did his best to remain polite, maintaining the fiction that he was open to the meeting ad remained clueless to the agenda. "What is it that I can do for you, Chairman Garner? My time is limited and this was a last minute request."

It was clear that Garner was used to having his requests - last minute or not - granted. Fitz's unexpectedly direct question threw him off of his game.

"Actually, Mr. President, it's what I - I mean - we - can do for you."

"We?" Fitz's eyebrow rose in question.

"By we, I meant us - your Republican allies." Garner rushed forward, as he'd suddenly realized his unfortunate choice of words. "We - I - well, it's just an offer of friendly advice - a sharing of information, I mean."

Garner pointed out how beneficial their partnership had been for the party and therefore for the country and all he was here for now was to point out a few items that he, the president, might have missed. As he talked, Fitz found Garner's words had every feeling of being a carefully prepared performance and not a last minute thought and request - which was what it had been supposed to be.

"After all, there was your convalescence period after being shot, and then the hostage crisis that came right behind that, I just thought that I'd pass on some information that had been brought to my attention. It's still barely a whisper, but a man in my position hears things -"

He supposed that his reaction was meant to be a grateful one, Fitz thought to himself. But he knew that Garner was Tillman's lackey - and that was being generous. Once he'd been brought into the loop, according to Cyrus, Garner was little more than Tillman's minion, in more ways than one.

Fitz was thankful when they were interrupted by a knock at the door. He called out permission for Lauren to enter and was surprised by the announcement that his vice-president was at the door. He supposed he had no choice but to let her in.

Sally smiled at them both with a brittle attempt at warmth. "I heard that Chairman Garner had been seen in the building, and I just thought I'd stop by and say hello."

She paused and gave Fitz a look. "With your permission, of course, Mr. President."

Fitz wondered just how much of that was true, but felt he had no choice but to agree to her joining them.

Garner had stood when she came in and now he offered her a handshake. Fitz watched them carefully as they took a moment to exchange pleasantries, Sally asking after his family and Garner doing the same. There was no doubt in his mind that this was no coincidence, no matter what Sally had said - the calculation was in her eyes.

When Garner asked if the vice-president might remain, declaring that her input would be invaluable, it confirmed it.

"Oh?" Fitz let one eyebrow lift in a question. "Why is that?"

"Mr. President?" It was clear Garner hadn't expected the question.

"Why would you say the vice-president's input would be valuable." Fitz asked again. "No insult meant to you, Sally - but the judiciary committee's inner workings isn't exactly your area of expertise, is it?"

Sally's expression was cautious. "I take an interest in all areas of government, Mr. President - I consider it my God-given duty. How else am I expected to aid you?"

There it was, another heavy-handed mention of offering him help that he hadn't asked for.

"No doubt." Fitz almost managed to get that out without sounding entirely sarcastic, but it was difficult to keep his temper in check. He knew what they were trying to do and why - they wanted to dissuade him of his continual attempts to reach across the political aisle to find common cause for the American people to not only survive but to thrive.

Not for the first time did Fitz ask himself what these people thought they were doing. Did they - these representatives of the sort of small-minded republicans he'd found himself fighting since he'd taken office - did they really believe him to be that naive to accept their advice with no questions asked?

Olivia's voice came to him then, Fitz remembering a part of a conversation that they'd had more than once.

"People - politicians especially - find it hard, if not impossible - to believe in good for goodness sake, Fitz."

They'd been standing in front of the Constitution in the National Archives. It wasn't the first time that the place had been closed at his request for a private viewing, and once again, Fitz had known that if he asked Olivia to meet him there, she would.

For two political animals as they were, the view of that historic document meant a lot to them both. For Fitz, it was about accepting the mantle of power and the terrible burden of the presidency - "We, The People" - not Republicans or Democrats or Independents - but "We."

It was something that few people would ever be able to understand. But Olivia had. She knew him, like few did, even from the first time they'd viewed it together. Olivia had recognized his dedication to the power of the presidency and its effect on his life. It had both humbled him and strengthened his determination to be a president who would serve all the people, as best he could.

But he'd been coming up against the entrenched Republican mindset more and more as time passed - they seemed to be more concerned with consolidating their power than actually governing with the will of the people behind them.

His latest committee meeting had left him with a sour taste in his mouth and a head-pounding fury. Fitz had needed to get away somewhere, even only for a little while - and he needed to be with her…

"I get that, Livvie." One hand came up and clutched at the edge of the display, tightening in suppressed rage. "I'm not blind to how the game is played. But - but there's got to be a better way -"

Olivia gently laid one hand next to his. "You're doing exactly what needs to be done. You're building a coalition that they can't beat - it means that they won't be able to play quid pro quo with you and that drives them crazy. It'll take time, but in the end, you'll get what you want."

Her nearness made his anger fall away. Fitz let his fingers glide across hers and the soft warmth of her support flooded through him, along with her words, giving him peace and strength. "You think so?"

"I know so." Olivia slipped her hand into his. "They made the mistake of under-estimating you and I think they are just beginning to find that out."

Their eyes met and held for a moment, and in that moment, words became unnecessary.

Fitz let his gaze fall back onto the Constitution. "We, The People…"

He remembered once again, the sense of duty that had brought him here - and these two thought that they could change his mind from doing what he thought - no, what he knew - was right to whatever petty goals that they wanted.

He dared them to try.

Something of his thoughts must have shown in his face; Garner had been persistently praising the virtues of his party approved and preferred candidates and while Sally hadn't said half as much as he had, what she did do was point out her opinion of their lack or gifts of moral characters, citing issues that she obviously thought were lacking in the president. Normally tolerant of others' beliefs, this time Fitz found himself getting more and more irritated by her words. She obviously thought it was part of her job description to make these points and Fitz was fast approaching the point where he wanted to snap back at her about it. She was no Moses and her beliefs were not carved in stone.

It was a relief when Lauren knocked on the door again. "Ms. Pope is here, sir. She says she has some reports for you?"

Fitz made a show of glancing at his watch with a puzzled expression. "I wasn't expecting her, but show her in."

Just as he was pretending to be surprised at her arrival, Olivia did the same when she saw Sally and Garner. She greeted them, then apologized and asked if she should come back later. "It's just that you had mentioned that you wanted these preliminary reports as soon as they began to come in." She lifted the small stack of folders she was holding in her arms.

"Not at all, Olivia." He waved her in. "As a matter of fact, your input might be invaluable -" Fitz took more pleasure than he should have as he used Garner's own words against him.

a/n: Poor Olivia, she still has her inner demons to overcome, but isn't she lucky that Fitz's love is strong enough for the both of them?