Disclaimer: Shondaland/ABC owns these characters. But I believe they need to go to a better home, where they will be loved and nurtured to their full potential - except for Joke and Mellie, they can remain at Shondaland to be feted in all their inglorious mediocrity.
NO-Mellie and NO-Joke: Public Service Announcement for any accidental non-Olitz readers
"You don't have to go," Fitz murmured, cuddling Olivia on his lap after she'd heaved most of her breakfast down the toilet.
"I have to go. I can't cancel, not after all the preparations," Olivia muttered, her eyes closed, her head resting on his shoulder.
"You're sick. You should see the doctor."
"You want me to get a doctor's certificate to give to the Chinese," Olivia smiled wanly. "Please excuse Olivia Pope-Grant from attending a very official visit because she's not well."
"Yeah." He kissed her temple. "I'll sign the note, and add the Presidential seal."
She pressed her fingers to her lips and touched 'the kiss' to his mouth.
"Kiss me properly," he urged huskily.
"I've just been sick."
"Good point."
With a soft chuckle, she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.
He snaked his arms around her waist and hugged her back.
After a long pause, she whispered, "I should get ready."
Without letting her go, he mumbled against her shoulder, "So you're doing this?"
"Yes." She ruffled the curls at his nape in a gentle caress. "I'll only be gone for one week."
"Seven days, 168 hours, 10,080 minutes, 604,800 seconds. Anything could happen."
"Tom is sending people he trusts. I should be fine."
He sighed against her neck. "Okay, since I can't keep you chained to my side. Let's get you cleaned up so I can give you a proper kiss goodbye."
"Are you really feeling okay, Mom?" Karen asked, inspecting Olivia's face as they sat snuggled on the couch on Air Force One.
"I'm fine, Baby K. It must have been something I ate, but it's out of my system now," Olivia assured, dropping a kiss on Karen's hair.
"I've got sick bags, travel pills and whale music if you want to take a nap," her chief of staff said from across the aisle. "President's orders."
"No, really, I'm fine," Olivia insisted, feeling her cheeks heat.
"Karen, why don't you come sit with me," Felicia patted the recliner next to hers. "Then Olivia can stretch out and get comfortable."
"No, it's okay," Olivia held on Karen. "I'm not ill."
"Even if you were, you won't look it after we're done with you," Alisa, the make-up artist looked away from the porthole.
"Yeah, we'll make sure you look flawless even after a 14-hour flight," said Tia.
"It's good of you both to come on this trip, leaving your kids," Olivia murmured, stroking her fingers lightly over Karen's hair.
"Well, I don't know about Alisa but I wasn't going to pass up on a free trip to China. And the kids won't miss me too much, they're going to Disneyland with their cousins."
In the background, Jerry was asking Peter, "Wow, I can't believe the Chinese have blocked the Internet. You're saying we don't have access to Google, Twitter, Youtube and Facebook in China?"
"They've blocked a whole lot more sites," Peter said. "But sometimes they unblock them. A few people in Shanghai have access to Facebook, and internet activists are always finding ways around the official firewall."
"At least they haven't blocked Instagram, so I'll still be able to post pictures of the trip."
"I wouldn't do that indiscriminately," Rowan said grimly, not looking up from the magazine he was supposedly reading. "The Chinese are very sensitive to their image. That's why Olivia couldn't bring the press with her on this trip."
Jerry scowled at Rowan. "They can't censor me."
"You are representing your father. Anything you do will get him in trouble, and he has enough of that to deal with already."
Peter nodded. "Yep. You do anything and China will get mad at America, because you're the President's son. It's the Asian way, to blame parents for the way their kids behave."
Jerry rolled his eyes. "This trip is going to be so boring. I can tell."
News of the First Lady's Trip from international media agencies
…The First Lady, Olivia Pope-Grant arrives in China with the two Grant kids, Jerry and Karen. This tax-payer-funded vacation includes Mrs Pope-Grant's parents, and a friend of the First Son, Jerry. It is unclear why there was a need for this trip, at tax-payers' expense, at this time. All White House officials will say is that the vacation to China was at the invitation of the Chinese First Family, specifically the First Lady…"
…Olivia Pope-Grant enjoys a holiday, while her husband is left to clean up the mess at home. The head of White House Secret Service Tom Larsen will not release information about the exact number of White House aides that accompanied the US First Lady to China. The reason for the secrecy is said to be security, which has been beefed up on the Pope-Grant's first official overseas vacation…"
…The First Lady Olivia Pope-Grant is flying without a parachute on her first diplomatic trip overseas to the People's Republic of China. Mrs Pope-Grant, a neophyte on the diplomatic scene, is travelling with her parents and step-children. Political observers have questioned the expense to the public purse on what appears to be nothing more than a family vacation…"
"Man, I forgot the joys of flying cattle class," Harrison muttered, narrowly avoiding Abby's elbow as she adjusted a neck pillow on her seat. "Now I wish I'd sold a pair of shoes for a better seat."
Across the narrow aisle in the economy section of the aircraft, Quinn leaned over and hissed. "We need those shoes to pay our bills!" She paused to let a handful of people get to the toilets. "We haven't worked for nearly a month, and we're still getting our finances sorted by the accountants."
Abby yanked the pillow into place. "After that crazy bitch froze all our assets, so we couldn't hire lawyers. I hope Sally Langston rots in hell."
The man one seat up, turned around. "This country sure went to hell and back in a hand-basket with a woman in charge."
"Well, to be strictly accurate, she just made use of a precedent set in 1989 by the Supreme Court saying it's okay for the Government to freeze a defendant's assets before a criminal trial, in order to prevent them from hiring a defense attorney," said Quinn.
"Hey! Stop giving free legal advice!" Abby glared at Quinn, then turned to the man. "You want legal advice? We charge $800 an hour."
"Sheesh, I was just making conversation," The man muttered, putting on his earphones and facing front, but not before adding, "That bitch needs to remember it's a free country."
"I wish they'd let me bring my gun on board," Abby scowled in his direction.
"Calm down. We don't want an international incident right now," Harrison murmured, just as Huck walked up holding the hand of a little boy.
The other associates stared with varying expressions of alarm and concern.
"Who's the kid?" Harrison ventured at last.
"I don't know. He said he wanted to walk me back to my seat."
"You stole a kid?" Quinn hissed in outrage. "Take him back! Before we get arrested for kidnapping or something!"
"Kid, shoo!" Abby waved her hands at the kid.
The kid stared back impassively until a voice yelled, "Brian!"
"Yes, mom?"
"Get back here!"
"Okay, mom." Brian let go of Huck's hand and ran back in the direction of the irate voice.
"Man, this is going to be one very long flight," Harrison groaned, as Huck pushed past to get his window seat.
"Twelve hours and counting," came the wry response from the front seat.
News from the Wire Services…
"… Chinese social media, Weibo, explodes with news of US First Lady Olivia Grant's arrival at Beijing International Airport this afternoon. Grant was greeted by the Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister and US ambassador to China.
"The US First Lady instantly charmed the host contingent with her surprising fluency of Mandarin, while impressing Chinese bloggers with her flawless sense of style after travelling halfway across the world. Grant arrived in Beijing wearing a dress designed by Derek Lam, an American designer with a Chinese heritage.
"Meanwhile, the First Family will reportedly be staying at the Westin Hotel close to the US Embassy. The JinMao Presidential Suite, which has a listed price of $8400 a night, comes with a 24-hour private butler service as well as a separate lounge, kitchen, sauna and steam room. That a one-bedroom suite. Our sources say that a 70-person entourage is accompanying the US First Lady on what has been promoted as a cultural and educational trip.
"Tomorrow, Grant is due to spend the day with the Chinese First Lady, visiting schools in the morning, then attending a private dinner with her host …"
"Wow, Mom, I didn't know you spoke Mandarin." Jerry looked in awe at Olivia. "Pete said you speak better than he does."
"Why, thank you," Olivia smiled at Peter, who nodded solemnly.
"Can you speak Mandarin?" Karen asked Rowan.
"Not as well as Olivia, but I have a functional grasp of the language."
"He means he speaks good, not excellent."
"Yes, thank you, Jerry. I don't believe I am in need of your translation services but—"
"Dad, Jer, don't. It's been a long day." Olivia pleaded softly.
"Yes, a good night's rest should do us all a lot of good, considering we've lost a day in travel," murmured Felicia.
The Secret Service agents stood impassively silent as the elevator approached their floor. Rooms on the entire floor had been taken over for family, White House aides and agents. The Secret Service had also ensured that meals were being prepared under their scrutiny, and the elevators and passageways were free of other guests when Olivia was leaving and entering.
Just then the elevator doors opened to reveal a White House aide looking anxious. "Ma'am, we have a problem."
"What were you thinking, travelling to China on the sly?" Rowan railed at Olivia's associates, who sat slumped around a table in an immigration interview room. "Do you have any idea of the diplomatic disaster you've created?"
"We're not travelling on the sly!" Abby shot back.
"We're here on vacation," said Quinn with a little nod to stress the point.
"To take in the sights," Harrison said, his arms crossed over his chest.
"And make sure Olivia doesn't end up in the Yangtze River," muttered Huck.
"Huck!" The others glared at him.
"And we're here on vacation," Huck added.
"You're here under some misguided attempt to protect my daughter when she has the United States Secret Service looking after her?"
"That didn't stop her from ending up in the Potomac," Harrison said.
"Where is Olivia anyway? Why isn't she here to fix this?" Abby scowled.
"She is fixing this! From the hotel! With the help of the US Ambassador and Fitz! The Secret Service won't let her go anywhere they haven't secured. And I don't think the Chinese authorities would take kindly to having Beijing airport evacuated so she can sort through the mess you're in; not to mention alerting the media about what's just happened!"
"How long are we going to be detained at the airport like we're criminals?" Quinn asked.
"You are criminals! You've all got criminal records with an Interpol Green notice that you are persons of interests who are a threat to public safety!"
"That damned Sally Langston! I'm going to put a hit out on her when I get home," Abby muttered.
Rowan snapped his head in her direction. "May I strongly recommend, Ms Whelan, that you and your gang of deviants have your criminal records sealed or expunged as a first priority on your return home."
"What? We have to go home? What about our vacation? Who's going to keep Olivia safe?"
"Olivia will be safe. As soon as we get the all clear, I will organise your safe passage back to the United States. And in future may I suggest you run your travel itinerary with Olivia before you leave the US of A."
White House Press Briefing. Chief of Staff Cyrus Beene takes questions in the media room…
"Is it true that the First Lady's staff were deported by Chinese authorities for having criminal records?"
"Mrs Grant's associates were not deported. They returned to the US to clear their names after being wrongful incarcerated during Sally Langston's time in the Oval Office. Mrs Langston suspended Habeas Corpus, detaining them without a trial."
"Why were they in China in the first place?'
"They were on vacation."
"As part of Mrs Grant's travelling group?"
"No, they were travelling independently of the First Lady's entourage, paying their own way. I understand they've been fascinated by China after Olivia made the effort to master the national language."
"Is it true that a school mate of the President's son is travelling to China at the American tax-payers' expense?"
"No, that is not true. Peter Leong is travelling with the First Lady at his father's expense. Mr Leong will be hosting a private dinner for the First Lady in China where he does business. He felt it would also be a great time for a family reunion."
"But the First Lady's father and step-mother are travelling at tax-payers' expense?"
"They are travelling at the President's expense. Next question."
"Why have we not heard a peep out of China regarding the deportation?"
"Let me repeat that Olivia Pope's associates were not deported. They returned to America on their own volition. As for the Chinese authorities, I believe they are not overly concerned with the travel plans of visitors leaving their country."
"Is the President concerned at all that the Chinese media has colluded in this inter-governmental cover-up?"
"Well, I don't want to burst your bubble regarding conspiracy theories. But the state-controlled media has priorities that don't run to idle gossip and rumour-mongering."
US First Lady Olivia Pope-Grant engages in Question and Answer session with students at a Chinese University, speaking in Mandarin…
"Mrs Grant, the Chinese media is saying that your husband's government approves of China's state-run media. Does that mean the United States will abolish freedom of the press?"
"My husband's primary job as President is to protect the United States Constitution, and the First Amendment endorses free speech. My husband and I firmly believe that free speech and an independent media are essential for a democracy to work effectively."
"Mrs First Lady, we hear that the President wants to stop people from owning guns, but that he is not having much success. How does he plan to change his strategy to ensure success?"
"My husband is concerned about the issue of safety. It's his job to defend people's right to own guns as part of a Constitutional protection, but at the same time he wants to make sure these lethal weapons are sold and kept safely. He does not want children to have access to guns, and he does not want guns sold to people with a history of mental illness. But he cannot change laws without the support of Congress. Instead what he has chosen to do, is issue administrative orders in the public's best interest."
"Mrs Grant, what was it like being a political prisoner in your own home?"
"At the time I was more concerned about my husband. That he was safe and well. But it did increase my appreciation for the freedoms we have, and I am even more determined to see that they are protected."
"Madam First Lady, America is a democracy with a Constitution guaranteeing civil liberty, yet it suffered a non-military coup. Do you see this as a weakness of the Capitalist system of politics dependent on a market economy?"
"That's an interesting question. I would say that far from being a weakness, the experience highlighted our strength in having a legal system that is independent of the government. The judiciary plays an important role in making sure our Constitutional rights are protected. Having said that, we must never assume that our system of government is perfect, it needs work and constant vigilance to make sure that small groups of people with self-interests don't override a system that's in place to serve the interests of all citizens."
News from Reuters and the Associated Press…
"US First Lady has earned the moniker 'Mrs Diplomat' after successfully side-stepping a minefield of political questions from Chinese university students. She reiterated the importance of free speech while avoiding any overt criticism of the Chinese state-controlled media. She even responded adroitly to questions about the recent political turmoil in the US, and her own incarceration in reference to the need to protect US constitutional freedoms. All of this was conveyed with a light hand that has won the approval of Chinese authorities. This is in stark contrast to the 1995 visit of then-First Lady Hillary Rodham-Clinton whose comments regarding China's human rights violations left lingering resentment, even to this day..."
Fitz chuckled as Teddy slapped his chin, while Cyrus muted the television. "It looks like Liv saved your ass on that one, Cy. I'm thinking of giving her an official diplomatic portfolio after this."
"You may want to delay that initiative until she masters the art of keeping her staff on a short leash."
"I don't know about that. I like that they wanted to protect Liv, and she handled the situation with minimum input from me."
"Helps to be in a country with stringent media censorship and authorities used to protecting public officials," Cyrus muttered.
"The Secret Service Agents said Huck had Olivia's itinerary on a White House letterhead. You wouldn't happen to know how he got hold of that, would you?"
"From Olivia, is my guess."
Fitz pulled his tie out of Teddy's mouth. "Olivia says not."
"I'll look into it. Is there anything else you'd like me to do?"
"No. I think we're fine. Let me know if you find anything. In the meantime, I'll be in the Oval Office watching reruns of Liv hitting it out of the ballpark."
Cyrus smiled watching Fitz leave, carrying a gurgling Teddy. After the door closed, he turned to scowl at pictures of Olivia on his television screen.
A/N: Hello, how are you all – what, turtles have been born and pensioned off since the last time I posted a chapter? No! Actually, as my 84-years Guest reviewer said – it truly has been 84 years and my only excuse (which really doesn't excuse me) is that I've become a Tumblr addict. It's terrible (and wonderful) but I stayed off it most of today and finished this chapter!
Thank you to everyone still reading this story, despite my wayward writing habits, and giving me the encouragement to continue – love yous all ;)))
So Olivia is still in China and her ability to speak Mandarin was actually swiped from a Scandal episode. I don't remember which one. The rest, I misappropriated from Michelle Obama's trip to China.
Reported net news titbits – Michelle was called 'Mrs Diplomat'; stories and pictures about her trip got a billion hits in China (the country's population is only 1.35 billion); Michelle impressed the Chinese with her 'soft diplomacy', her fashion, her multi-generational family (daughters, and mother); her work ethic; her study habits. And um, straight-talking Hillary Clinton did offend the Chinese in 1995. Apparently they - like just about everyone else - prefer the carrot rather than the stick method of diplomacy.
For reference links go to Scandal-Maniac on Tumblr.