CHAPTER 54
Olivia was right, of course. Will Caldwell was waiting for them when they had emerged from his armored SUV, with Peter standing by on the veranda. In spite of what Olivia had told him about both of them, Fitz couldn't help himself from greeting the younger brother with more warmth than what he offered his brother. Peter's behavior the last time they met was still very much in Fitz's mind.
Nathaniel Caldwell was on the phone as Fitz was ushered into his presence and he waved at hand at them to take a seat. Fitz preferred to remain standing while the older man continued his conversation and they did too; it was obvious both brothers were reluctant to sit while their president stood.
"…I know what the rumors are, but let's get this one straight. I don't give a damn what you've heard - no invites got lost in the mail. This isn't one of your cherry-picked GOP fundraiser - did you forget that I don't answer to your cabal anymore -"
Fitz noticed as the other man paused, that where someone else using those words would have been angry, Caldwell's eyes were sparkling with laughter that was at odds with his tone of voice. Whoever it was on the other end of the call was getting the full effect of Nathaniel's famously blunt tongue. "This isn't a party fund-raiser, or have you people forgotten that I hung up my Republican cape? There was a reason for that - so goodbye."
He hung up with obvious pleasure and turned his attention to Fitz. Nathaniel Caldwell was a man well into his seventies, with a close-cropped beard that was the opposite of the long hair that hung down close to his shoulders.
"Thank you for accepting the invitation." Nathaniel stood and moved to shake Fitz's hand, expressing the hope that he'd enjoy his visit, promising him plenty of good food and conversation.
"Is that why I'm here?" Fitz asked.
"Why do you think you're here?" Nathaniel answered his question with a question.
Still mindful of Olivia's information, Fitz was careful with his words. "I came mainly for Will's sake; I endorsed him publicly - and I still support him. I think he can be a powerful partisan for the Party as we move forward into the future."
"If he stays in the party and doesn't follow his old man." Nathaniel said with a grin that warmed Fitz in spite of himself.
"I'll make my own path, thank you." Will said.
Nathaniel's answer was a deliberate chuckle as he walked over to a massive sidebar that held a large choice of scotch, brandies and other expensive liquors, but to Fitz's surprise, Nathaniel touched none of them. He moved instead to what Fitz aw was an expensive juicer, bent down beneath the bar and came up with a bowl of prepared fresh fruits and vegetables including - to Fitz's surprise - an expensive looking juicer.
He looked up at Fitz and grinned, guessing at his surprise. It was a compromise with the women of his family; if he were to be allowed to enjoy a scotch or two during the weekend, he had to balance them out with something somewhat healthy.
Peter remarks that it wasn't just the women, they all want to keep the old man around as long as possible.
"So you can partake of my wisdom." Nathaniel was deliberately sarcastic, but not in a mean way, again surprising Fitz.
"Something like that." Will smiled and Peter agreed. And they all seemed to relax just a little.
Fitz said nothing even as his senses tell him that some of this has the feeling of being rehearsed. Everyone always wants something, and that's why he was here; Fitz knows it and is used to it and the subtle look Nathaniel keeps giving his watch only underscores it. He takes the older man's up on his offer and Nathaniel continues to chat about trivial matters as he fixes drinks all around, a carrot, orange and papaya juice blend that was surprisingly light and delicious. Olivia would approve, he couldn't help but thinking.
They settled down into the leather sofa and chairs grouped at one end of the room and the talk about wisdom was steered into a conversation about the colorful life the Caldwell patriarch has led. Fitz assumed that the majority of it was public knowledge; Nathaniel been something of a maverick during his early years, ex-military, along with rumors of ex special rangers that had never been confirmed or denied. Unsurprisingly, those stories hadn't hurt his reputation. He was a contemporary of his own father in the Senate and for a time it was an infamous history they shared, one of hard partying and hard campaigning, eventually wielding incredible political power and influence with charisma and brutal charm.
Nathaniel surprised Fitz by going to the unspoken elephant in the room. "And then, of course, everything changed."
Fitz knows all about this, the country knows all about this - and Fitz knows more than most. Times changed people and the country's values; Caldwell and his father had had a friendly rivalry - friendly until they both developed presidential ambitions. The discovery of a second family, the fall from grace - Fitz had always wondered if his father had played a hand in that. Big Gerry had gloated enough about Nathaniel's downfall, but karma had played its own trick on Fitz's father - if Nathaniel had lost his chance at the Oval, then so had he.
The way his father had screwed around on his mother, Fitz knew that he was lucky that his father hadn't created a second or even a third family of his own. He couldn't help but believe that it was definitely karma.
Fitz glanced at Peter and Will. Neither of them had said much since taking their seats and hearing their father's words had left their expressions carefully neutral.
"They know my faults, Mr. President." Nathaniel had noticed his gaze. "My children are my saving grace - only it took me a long time to learn the lesson of how important family is."
He looks at his sons and there's no denying the affection in his eyes when he does. Fitz realizes that he's more than a little jealous - and hurt as well; he and Big Gerry had never had anything like this - and of course now they never will. And that truth hurts as well.
"Better late than never, Dad." Peter jokes. Fitz notes the emotions behind his eyes. There's little doubt that as the oldest son, he'd probably borne the brunt of Nathaniel's missteps as an authoritarian parent and considering how much their fathers had been cut from the same cloth, had undergone a lot of the pressures Fitz himself had experienced.
He turned to Fitz and he saw the same realization in his eyes. Understanding flashed between them, then Peter covered it with one of his usual sarcastic remarks, this time jabbing gently at his father and asking if he was going to at long last get the pony he'd asked for when he was five.
They all laughed at that and when they'd finished, Nathaniel told Fitz that Peter was right in spite of himself and that he had no one but himself to blame, that if you get old enough - wise enough - this is a life lesson that you learn. "I'm a grandfather and a god-father several times over. How about you?"
"Grandfather…?" Fitz said the word out loud slowly. He hadn't thought about, not yet… neither Karen or Gerry were anywhere near the age that this had come into consideration. He thought of Ella next and smiled. "No, not yet, but god-father, yes."
"Cyrus Beene's daughter; I've seen pictures and she's adorable." Nathaniel smiled back at him. "Then you'll understand me when I say that when you get to be my age, you start thinking of things like what kind of world do you want to leave behind for them."
This much is true, Fitz thought.
Before he could say anything, there came an abrupt rapping at the door; before anyone could react, a woman was barging in, drink in hand; Fitz recognized her as Anna Caldwell, Nathaniel's only daughter. He recalled what Olivia had told him about the Texas AG, how she had apparently taken advantage of Texas' strong Republican base to rise in the ranks before achieving the position she now held. He also was reminded that she'd had an addiction problem for many years, with alcohol not being her drug of choice.
"Mr. President." Seeing Fitz, she tried to straighten herself up, but still stumbled slightly as she came closer.
Decades of good manners brought Fitz to his feet as she crossed the room; he caught the smell of straight bourbon on her, but kept his expression neutral she held out a hand and he took it, trying not to react to the overwhelming stench of the alcoholic haze surrounding her.
Her brothers tried to do the same, but their father didn't. Nathaniel frowned a warning at her, but Anna deliberately ignored them all, fixing her attention on Fitz.
After a few minutes, it was painfully clear that Anna was more than a little drunk; she was also more than a little inappropriate as she questioned Fitz about many things, expressing her opinions about her father's machinations, resentment concerning her brothers, Fitz's single status and exactly what she thought about it. Thankfully, before she could do too much damage and embarrass any of them any further, Will's fiance came looking for her; between the two of them, Gayle and Will managed to get her out of the room.
Nathaniel apologized for his daughter and an awkward silence filled the room behind his words.
"Was there anything in particular that you wanted to discuss with me?" Fitz asked. Despite her being drunk, some of the things Anna had said had set off faint alarm bells in his head and had left Fitz with more than a few suspicious thoughts. He was here mainly because Olivia had thought it was a good idea, but right now, he wasn't feeling too thrilled with the Caldwell clan and when Nathaniel glanced at his watch once again, he found himself feeling used somehow.
"My apologies, Mr. President." Nathaniel said. "As you can see things are not quite working out as planned. All I can do is ask for your indulgence."
Fitz stood up. "You can ask, but honestly - while your reminisces have been interesting, I've already rearranged my schedule to accommodate you - and I'm hearing nothing that is telling me that it was worth my time."
"- I'm sure Olivia Pope had something to do with that." Nathaniel said. "Based no doubt on her relationship with our family. She's such an authority on the family - but only because I've allowed it."
Fitz's temper sparked at the casual way Nathaniel spoke Olivia's name. "I doubt if you've ever 'allowed' Olivia Pope to do anything."
"Dad… don't -" The way Peter spoke to his father, it was clear that he was trying to defuse the conversation. "The president is right."
Nathaniel's eyes flashed to Peter and then back to Fitz and something went out of him. Fitz could see the change in his gaze. "You're right - that was inappropriate for me to say and I apologize again, Mr. President."
Fitz was reminded of all the times that Big Gerry had been wrong but had never ever apologized for anything he'd ever said or done. The thought cooled his temper some - but not completely. "Let me make one thing absolutely clear. I will not have a member of my senior staff spoken about in that manner - especially when he or she is not present to defend themselves."
"That kind of loyalty can't be bought or dismissed like that." Peter said. The normal sarcasm Fitz had come to expect from Peter was absent from his voice and it surprised him.
Peter turned to his father. "It shouldn't be, sir. With everything she's done for this family, you should know better when it comes to Olivia - and you should apologize."
For a moment, nobody spoke. Fitz was trying to rein his temper in before anyone became suspicious of his behavior, while Peter continued to look back and forth between him and his father, trying to measure everyone's temperament and Nathaniel looked sufficiently apologetic.
"You're right." Nathaniel was the first to break the silence. "I should - and I do. Mr. President - I'm sorry; I have no doubt that Olivia has earned every bit of the loyalty you've just shown towards her - and from my son."
"If you need to, ask your son - or should I say sons." Fitz's voice was still dangerously low with anger. "Peter is right, Olivia has rode to their rescue and preserved your family's good name often enough."
"This entire generation of Caldwells is grateful for her service." Peter said, in an attempt to lighten the mood. "I think that should cover it."
Fitz noticed that his hands had unconsciously clenched themselves into fists. He relaxed them, purposefully bringing himself back under control and hoping neither man had noticed. All was said and done and Nathaniel seemed to have learned his lesson. "Maybe we should just get to the real reasons why you've invited me here. What's going on?"
"A lot more than what meets the eye." Nathaniel admitted. He looked at his watch again and then to his son. "Peter, could check on a few things for me?"
Obviously Peter knew exactly what his father was referring to; he asked no questions, just nodded once and left the room.
Fitz smelled a plot in the making, leaving him to wonder just exactly what it was that the Caldwells - Nathaniel Caldwell in particular - wanted with him.