Disclaimer: Shondaland/ABC owns these characters. But I've taken the Gladiator oath as a writer: #OLITZ4LIFE #JAM #StillTrawling-KerryPics GoldenGlobes!
No Mellie or Joke: Public Service Announcement for any accidental non-Olitz readers
It was late, and Olivia didn't bother knocking before she stormed into the Oval Office, to find Fitz behind the Resolute desk, calmly reading a report.
"You are having me followed?!"
Fitz looked up, his hand suspended mid-air, then he closed the file carefully and got to his feet. "The guys were supposed to be discreet."
"Discreet?" Olivia glared at him.
Tom, having followed Olivia into the room, said in mild defence. "They were discreet, sir. But Olivia's man, Huck spotted them."
Olivia shifted her irate gaze from Fitz to Tom and back again. "This—!"
"Is for your own protection, Livvie," Fitz cut in soothingly, "The Secret Service has to follow you. It's the law."
"United States Code Title 18, section 3056," Tom added helpfully.
Olivia glared at him in outrage. "That section is to protect the President and everyone in line to succeed his office!"
"And their immediate families, ma'am."
"You are my immediate family, Livvie."
"I am not your immediate family because we're not married! Which means you had to issue an Executive Order to have me followed!"
Fitz glanced at Tom, then focused back on Olivia. "You're right I did issue an executive order."
Tom cleared his throat. "Permission to leave, sir."
"Permission granted, Tom."
After Tom had made a quick exit, Fitz faced Olivia. "On a scale of one to 10, how mad are you? Twenty? Thirty-five?"
"This is not funny."
"Keeping you safe is a serious concern of mine."
"How long have you had me followed?"
He hesitated before admitting, "I've had a detail on you since the KKK." When she gaped at him, he hastened to add, "But they were under strict instructions to be discreet because I knew you wouldn't like it."
"So when I went to Blair House to see Mellie the night you were drunk...did Jerry send Tom?"
"No."
She didn't respond to that, except to stare at him solemnly as he approached.
"I love you, Livvie. I don't want anything to happen to you."
"The Secret Service couldn't prevent John F Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, you or Mellie from getting shot. There is no absolute guarantee of safety."
Slowly, cautiously he gathered her into his arms. "I know, but it's the idea of safety that I need sometimes; to know that you're not rushing into volatile situations on your own."
"I'm not on my own. I've got Huck."
"Huck doesn't report to me. And I hate not knowing what's going on with you. Not knowing if you're okay. This needs to be done, Livvie. Not just for my peace of mine, but because it's a legal requirement when you are my wife."
"Fitz…confidentiality is a big deal in my business. How can I guarantee that to my clients when you've got people following me?"
"I only know where you go, and who you meet. No one's listening to what you say, I haven't authorised that. You still have a degree of confidentiality. My people are just watching out for you." He lifted a hand and cupped her cheek, stroking his thumb lightly over her soft lips. "Nothing more."
She allowed the featherlight caress for a moment, then sighed, "Fine."
"Fine?"
"Yes, fine. There's nothing I can do to stop you, and I'll have to get used to the idea of having them around once I'm married to you."
He gave an audible groan of relief, easing her into a tight hug. "Thank you. I was going to tell you after we were married."
"You mean when it was obvious that there were guys in suits following me in plain sight?"
"Yeah."
Olivia drew back to look at him. "What else are you going to tell me after the wedding?"
"I'll tell you after the wedding."
After leaving Fitz to finish reading his highly confidential intelligence report, Olivia went to check on the kids; all fast asleep, with the dogs either curled up on beds or lying stretched out on the carpet but alert enough to wag their tails silently when she looked in.
Closing the last bedroom door quietly, Olivia stood for a moment staring blindly at the wooden surface before making her way to the bedroom. The silence was unnerving, so she switched on the TV and began pacing the carpet, before deciding to change out of her clothes and do a bit of yoga to calm her mind.
She was doing the supported yoga headstand when Fitz barged in, and slammed the door shut behind him, prompting her to straighten up instantly.
"Fitz! What's wrong?"
"You went to see Governor Kris Klunkett?!"
Olivia placed her hands on her hips. "Did you get the Secret Service report now? Snail pace. You need to improve their reporting times."
"Olivia, this is not about timing, this about Klunkett - you can't have that man as a client!"
"I have only two words to say to you – Chinese Wall." Olivia stripped off her top and pants, then sauntered off naked to take a shower, leaving a sudden silence behind her.
She had just finished adjusting the water temperature to her ideal when the Fitz entered the shower stall equally naked and glared at her.
"Did you just use your sexy butt to distract me?"
"If that's what you think I did, you would be correct," she said cheekily, sliding her arms around his waist and drawing him close.
"Your hair is getting wet," he murmured huskily, stroking his hands over her the spiralling curls.
"Mmm...a shower cap won't get me in the mood to seduce you."
"Your seduction routine hasn't distracted me from the fact that you went to see Klunkett. He can't be your client."
"Too late."
"Livvie, I don't want him associated too closely with this administration."
"He's not associated with your administration. he's associated with my business. He's trying to solve the media fall-out over a traffic issue."
Fitz gusted a laugh. "Traffic issue? That's the least of his problems. He's being accused of using disaster relief funds to bankroll his own media advertising."
"He didn't tell me about that. Maybe I need to set up a follow-up appointment."
"Olivia, the Housing Inspector General is going to launch a federal investigation. I don't want you anywhere near him."
"Fitzgerald, you agreed to stay out of my business."
He smoothed his hands down her back. "I agreed to let you have a career outside the White House – how do you feel about teaching law at George Washington University?"
"Like my dad? In case you missed the press release – I don't want to be like my dad. I'm trying to be my own person, and to keep doing my job, which is crisis management."
Fitz dropped his head to touch hers. "Can I change my mind about what I said?"
"No."
He smoothed a hand up her belly to cover a breast, stroking his thumb over a nipple. "Livvie..."
She arched towards him, whispering. "Your seduction routine isn't going to change my mind either."
He backed her against the tiled walls, lifting her so she would wrap her legs around his hips. "I haven't even started my seduction routine," he growled, kissing her lazily as her hands swept through his hair and over his shoulders.
"Neither have I," she whispered, tugging at his lower lip, making him forget the topic of conversation.
"Mr President, we have a problem."
Fitz dragged his thoughts away from a naked, sated Olivia and focused on his security advisors during the customary daily briefing the following morning.
"Our intelligence was correct. North Korea has gone ahead with nuclear test we believed it would carry out. A tremor with a nuclear bomb signature was detected by the China Earthquake Networks Centre, CTBTO and US Geological Survey."
"So this is the F-U we were expecting in response to UN Security Council resolution 2087 expanding the existing sanctions on North Korea including asset freezes and travel bans on North Korean companies and officials."
"Yes, sir. South Korea has increased its military alert status and Japan is calling for an emergency security council meeting. The Chinese government is talking to the North Koreans, and has formally admonished the North Korean ambassador in Beijing.
"Set up a press conference, we'll send a strong message expressing our disapproval."
"But wouldn't it be better for the Secretary of State to give that speech."
"In any other year but an election year, yes."
"I need a favour."
Huck looked at Olivia warily, "Does it involve me wearing a Tux?"
Olivia frowned in confusion, then said, "I need you to check the financials between Governor Kris Klunkett and the media company that's behind his advertising campaign."
"Governor Klunkett, that's the guy you saw last night."
"Yes, but no one is supposed to know that."
"Is there anything else I shouldn't know?"
"Yes, I need a check on the transaction history of the Governor's Disaster Relief Fund."
"I sent two hundred dollars to that fund."
"Yes, we need to know where your money went."
"Hi, watcha doing?"
"I'm talking to you.
"Besides talking to me, whatcha doing?"
"I'm working. Whatcha doing?"
"I'm here with Teddy. He wants to hello. Say 'hi' to Mommy, Teddy."
Olivia laughed at the chortles and gurgles she heard over the phone, then Fitz was back. "Will you be home for dinner tonight? Karen and Jerry missed you last night."
"I spoke to them before they went to bed."
"I know you did, but I missed you too."
"You got a very personal goodnight well into the morning."
He grunted and sighed deeply, making Olivia gasp a laugh. "Fitz, you're with Teddy."
"Mm... you're fault."
"Okay, goodbye."
"No, don't go."
"I have to," she said gently, "If you want me home in time for dinner, I have to go."
"I love hearing you talk this way. Say something else in that soft, sexy tone."
"Okay reading off the TV screen: Breaking News, North Korea has conducted another nuclear test in violation of United Nations sanctions. The President is due to speak to the nation and we'll be going live to the White House..."
"That wasn't sexy."
"I know, and I know you'll be great at the press conference. I'll be watching."
"I love you, Livvie."
"I love you, Fitz. Kiss Teddy for me." She laughed when she heard his noisy kiss on the other end of the phone.
It was late when she got back to the Residence. She'd missed dinner and the kids were asleep.
Fitz was still awake, reading when she entered their bedroom. But he put the book and his reading glasses away when she dropped her coat and bag on a chair, kicked off her shoes and crawled onto the bed, fully clothed, to snuggle next to him.
"Good morning," he whispered against her forehead, his arms holding her tight.
She snuffled a laugh. "It's only ten minutes past midnight."
"Long day for you."
"Long day for you, too. Mr Tough-Talking-Sexy President."
"So you were impressed with the press conference?"
"Very impressed. If I wasn't so tired, I'd show just how impressed I am."
They shared a soft laugh, then Fitz murmured, "Tell me what you were up to, then I can be impressed too."
She drew back to look at him, a wry smile touching her lips. "You are so sneaky and so stubborn."
"But you love that about me."
She laughed. "Lucky for you, I'm going to tell you what I've been up to today." She scrambled off the bed and reached for her bag, taking out a USB stick. "Governor Klunkett's financial records and correspondence. Now you can tell the Inspector General where to start looking."
Fitz stared at her for a long moment. Then he took hold of her hand, holding the USB stick, and tugged her down beside him. "I thought he was a client."
Olivia sighed. "Sally wanted me to talk to him, and I thought there might be an advantage for you if I did… but I saw some of his emails. Ones he sent after our meeting last night, he was talking about us. About me, and it wasn't kind…" She smiled when Fitz kissed her cheek roughly, drawing her closer. "It's okay, I'm not upset, and I would have overlooked those emails, if he hadn't taken money out of the disaster relief fund and put it straight into the personal account of the CEO whose agency handled his television ads."
Fitz gave her another kiss, then took the stick from her hand and placed it on the night-table. Olivia narrowed her gaze on him when he started taking off her clothes. "Fitz, are you angry?"
His hands stilled. "No. I'm not angry. I'm... I had this whole speech prepared about why you needed to give up your job. But you've spent the whole day helping me in mine, that I can't say what I want to right now." He looked at her wearily, "Livvie, you're brilliant, and you're brilliant at what you do. I just… I miss you."
"So you want me to give up my job?"
"No, I've been thinking about giving up mine. Pulling out of the campaign to run for a second term. "
"Fitz! You can't! You have to run. Do you want to live in a country run by Sallys or Klunketts or Restons? I don't."
"If I lose, that argument is moot."
"If you lose, we can move to Canada or France – I hear they're in need of a good crisis manager over there."
Fitz gave her a rueful smile. "So we're at an impasse on the Chinese Wall again?"
She leaned forward and kissed him. "Yes."
A/N: I agree with the reviews! I did lose the wit (not sure where it went) and the story has been slow because I was exploring the angst (and then had a crisis of confidence: no jokes AND no sex! How will I do this?).
Also in the last story, I had a lot of fun hating Mellie - which showed in my writing. But I still think she needed to go - kaput, not Switzerland. Otherwise OLITZ wouldn't be a true love story, where they explore their relationship without the props she provides.
But one of the problems is that I've been trying to resurrect the 'fun' of the last story, instead of exploring the deeper issues as a new story – (leave the past behind!) – and simply get on with issues that I feel Olivia would face (i.e. embracing the difficulties).
And as my kind readers have encouraged: I should embrace the current difficulties because there are so many other themes to explore in this situation - not just the interracial aspect (which is HUGE!) but also what it means for Olivia to become First Lady (ornamental); what it means for OPA; etc.
Nor do I think Olivia loves Fitz less (either on the show or this story). She just loves differently. For Fitz love is, NOT letting go of the person because they work better as a couple; for Olivia it is, letting go of the person because she see doesn't want Fitz to gain her and lose everything else. People are different and I guess part of loving someone else is to accept the way they love you – as long as they are not abusive (either mentally or physically).
Also unfortunately, I do have to keep attempting the cloak and dagger stuff because this is politics and politics is all about scheming but I need to bring badass Olivia back eventually, but at the same time convey that this is a new (uncertain) phase in her life (just like mine - OMG I'm projecting! Now, I know what's wrong!). On that note, hopefully by chapter 357, I would have ironed out the kinks. :))))
But again THANK YOU ALL because your feedback and encouragement is better than a writing class!
In the meantime, here's my research stuff:
CTBTO stands for Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation.
The nuclear test stuff is hashed mash or mashed hash taken from : Chronology of U.S.-North Korean Nuclear and Missile Diplomacy- Arms Control Association website from an article published April 2013; 2013 North Korean nuclear test on Wikipedia; government press release: FACT SHEET: The UN Security Council Responds to North Korea's Launch- released Jan 23, 2013; International reactions to the 2013 North Korean nuclear test - Wikipedia.
And as usual the fictional Klunkett was based on the article: Christie Allegedly Diverted Millions In Hurricane Sandy Relief Funds To Pay For TV Ads Starring Himself - Igor volsky published on Think Progress, Jan 13, 2014