This story is inspired by Season 1 Scandal, Vermont and the Olitz actors – Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn

NO-Mellie and NO-Joke: Public Service Announcement for any accidental non-Olitz readers

"Darth has got the smug look of a brand new father," Olivia murmured, taking another helping of steak, made especially for her.

"That sounded like a dig at me," Fitz smiled, brushing a kiss on her cheek as he passed by her chair.

"What's a cross between a shorkie and a pug?" asked Jerry.

"A shug?" Olivia caught a flying spoon and handed it back to Teddy who chuckled and threw it again, this time at Fitz, who managed to duck before it made contact.

"I need to wear a flack jacket to breakfast." Fitz muttered, as a staffer picked up the spoon on the floor and replaced it with a new one on the table beside Teddy, which Fitz quickly moved aside.

"Dadda, spoon."

"Promise not to throw."

Teddy nodded but immediately tossed the spoon Fitz gave him, chortling when Felicia lifted him out of the baby chair onto her lap. "We are going to teach this young man the proper use of a spoon. What's this?"

"Spoon."

"What's this?" Felicia placed Teddy's bowl of porridge on his plate.

"Prridge."

"Yes, porridge. We use the spoon to eat porridge."

"I gather Karen won't be going to school today," Rowan said, glancing up from the newspaper he was reading towards her empty chair.

"No," Olivia confirmed. "She's exhausted, after checking on Poppy all night."

"I checked on Karen checking on Poppy. Can I stay home too?" Jerry pleaded.

"No," Olivia and Fitz said together.

"You need to get an education if you want to be a journalist, Jerry. Maths, science and literature all come in handy when you're covering major news stories like Poppy's birth," said Rowan, turning a page of his paper.

"Man this country is going to the dogs," said Mack, looking down at the front page of the newspaper that had blown across the street and smacked into his shopping trolley. "Them puppies will have a better life than you or me. We sure are livin' the great American Dream."

Hollis who was snoozing on his cardboard sheet, grunted.

Mack tapped Hollis' leg with his boot. "Hey Texas, wake up man. We got an early appointment with the free barber on Main. We need to beat the rush before the other deadbeats get in line. The dude's a professional and real popular round these parts. He'll have you lookin' like your old self in no time at all."

Hollis just grunted again.

Mack sighed and rummaged inside his trolley. "I've been savin' this for an emergency. Looks like you're it." He unearthed a bottle half-filled with amber liquid, and gave Hollis a vigorous shake of his shoulder. "Drink this, man. The headache will be worth it."

Hollis opened one eye, then the other. Then he struggled to sit up. "You been hidin' the moonshine from me, Mack?" He groused, rubbing his bleary eyes.

"Yeah. 'Cuz this stuff ain't free."

Hollis took a swig from the bottle. Then extended it to Mack, who shook his head. "I need to stay sober to stop you wonderin' off into oncoming traffic. Or worse, pickin' a fight with a cop."

Hollis took another swig. "Why don't you let me loose? I'd be out of your hair for good."

"You kiddin', Texas. You're the first friend I've had since my dog died. Besides, it ain't much of a conversation talking to myself all the time."

Both men fell silent, staring straight ahead onto the street. Then Mack drew the paper to him again.

"What you readin'?" Hollis muttered, turning to peer at the page. A second later he'd grabbed the sheet out of Mack's hand.

"Hey! Didn't your Momma teach you no manners? I was reading that!"

"Look!" Hollis shoved a section of the paper right under Mack's nose. "You see that?"

Mack peered at a publicity portrait. "Democrat Samuel Reston will dine with the Homeless of LA this weekend." Mack shook his head. "It's a publicity stunt. He wants to be seen as the man of the people. He knows we people out here living on the street have got no vote."

Hollis grabbed Mack's coat sleeve. "This ain't about votes! We need a seat at his table!"

Mack stared at Hollis, then grabbed his bottle back. "You've had enough."

Olivia and Fitz were leaving the Family Dining Room Karen raced up nearly crashing into them.

"Whoa!" Fitz released Olivia's hand to catch Karen in his arms and lift her up. "Where's the fire?"

"Daddy, I slept in! I'm going to be late for school."

"We've decided you can skip school today," Olivia said, rubbing Karen's back. "You didn't get much sleep last night and we thought you'd like to spend time with Poppy and her brood."

Karen's eyes widened with delight, then she sighed. "I can't, Mom. Suzie and I have to talk about dinosaurs in class today, she won't be happy if I'm not there. She hates standing in front of the class by herself."

Olivia looked at Fitz. "We can't disappoint Suzie."

"Dinosaurs are a big deal," he agreed solemnly.

Karen eyed them in turn. "I'm nearly nine. I know when you're teasing me."

Fitz chuckled, setting Karen down on her feet. "Okay, pumpkin. We'll stop teasing, run in there and grab some breakfast. I'll tell the guys to wait for you."

"You don't have to. I'll grab an apple and some toast to go."

Watching her run into the Dining Room, Fitz murmured, "That sounded very Chief of Staff."

"Or Leader of the Free World."

Fitz grinned, curving his arm around her shoulder and shifting her close. "Did you just take a swipe at me?"

"If the patriarchy fits…" Olivia murmured.

Fitz leaned back. "Patriarchy? Take that back."

Olivia shook her head, reaching up to straighten his tie before sliding her hands down his chest and around his waist. A smile teased her lips as she watched his ears turn red.

"Livvie…" He whispered, his gaze focused on her mouth. "I'm a very progressive guy."

"When you're not being Presidential and protective."

"I thought you liked me being Presidential and protective?" he grumbled, as they walked towards the stairs.

"Maybe."

"Maybe most of the time or maybe all of the time?"

"Maybe sometimes."

"That's mean."

Olivia laughed, reaching for his hand. "Come on, Mr President, you have a plane to catch."

Fitz dragged his feet, reminding Olivia of Jerry on his way to school, and she chuckled again when he muttered, "Maybe I'll give Arizona a raincheck."

"You can't. You've got very important meetings with the Governor of Arizona and migrant workers' unions about immigration reform. And you can't disappoint the media, they're waiting to take pictures of you in a great, big hat."

Fitz tugged her against him, pulling free of her hand to circle his arm around her waist. "I may be over 50 but I know when you're teasing me."

Olivia smiled, leaning back against his shoulder. "What exactly are you accusing me of?."

"Being mean and teasing me."

"I'm not."

"You are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are." His smile hovered temptingly close but didn't make contact.

Her gazes soft, she said huskily, "I'm done teasing. Kiss me…"

He gave a grunt of laughter a second before his mouth latched onto hers.

Karen was the first to arrive in class, carrying her books and laptop which Jerry and a couple of agents were going to help connect to a projector.

"Sure you don't want me to navigate?" Jerry asked after the task was completed in minutes.

Karen shook her head, "Suzie's going to do that."

"Come on, Jer," one of the agents grinned, "You can't skip your math test hiding in here."

"I'm not hiding, I'm helping. That was a legit offer."

"Now you've hurt my feelings, lying to my face like that," the agent grinned, steering Jerry out of the room.

The other agent lingered, "You need anything else, kiddo?"

Karen shook her head, smiling. "No, I should be okay."

"Well, you know where to find us if you need us."

Karen nodded, it was a daily reminder of the Command Centre at the school, used exclusively by White House agents on school detail for Jerry and herself.

"Miss me?"

Olivia laughed into the phone. "You haven't been gone 10 minutes."

"I miss you," Fitz reproached.

"Okay, I miss you."

"Don't say it if you don't mean it."

Olivia laughed out loud. "Shouldn't you be briefing the press on what you'll be talking about?"

"They're reading your press notes. Besides, I'd rather be speaking to you."

Olivia smiled and they shared a moment of silence, then Fitz whispered, "Are you alone?"

"No."

"Are they getting you ready for the photoshoot?"

"Yes."

"I'd like nude shots of you taken just for me."

"Fitz!"

"But I'm afraid they'll get into the wrong hands."

Olivia smiled at the sigh that gusted down the line. "Fitz…"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

He sighed. "Say it again."

"I love you."

"Now say something sexy."

"Mis-ter Pres-i-dent…"

"Mmmmm…now say it without laughing…"

"Oh! You're here! I was afraid you wouldn't come because of the puppies!" Suzie swept into the classroom with all her paraphernalia, including a papier mache dinosaur and meteorite that was carried in by Suzie's bodyguard.

Dropping her books on her desk, Suzie pushed back a swathe of hair from her face and asked, "Did you bring pictures?"

Karen nodded, turning on her laptop and clicking on the video Jerry had saved for her. Suzie's bodyguard, dropped the dinosaur and meteorite on the nearest surface, murmured something indistinct and left the room.

The girls were so engrossed in the video that they jumped when a face thrust between them short while later, demanding, "What's going on?"

"We're watching puppies being born."

"Ewww! Gross!"

Karen and Suzie giggled, then Suzie sighed, "I think they are so cu-uttte."

"Let me see," Another curious kid joined their little group and soon Karen was surrounded, but the gathering quickly dispersed when the teacher came in, asking everyone to take their seats as they had a lot of presentations to get through.

Karen and Suzie were up first. The dinosaur and meteorite were transferred from Suzie's desk to the teacher's and Karen had just set up the video slides about the 'evolution and extinction of dinosaurs' when a car began beeping.

There were giggles in class when the Principal's voice came over the intercom. "Seth, your car alarm's going off again. Can you take care of it, please?"

There were more giggles when the teacher groaned, rolled his eyes and hurried out.

As soon as the door shut behind him, a kid ran up and picked up the papier mache meteorite and tossed it across the room.

"Don't!" Suzie cried, chasing after meteorite turned volleyball. "You'll break it!"

"Give that back!" Karen demanded outraged as she tried to intercept a throw. "Don't be mean!"

Suddenly the laughter died from the face of the kid holding the meteorite as a pair of arms reached over Karen's shoulder and plucked it up.

"Here you go, Karen. Here's your ball."

Karen turned to stare at the tall kid who was holding out the meteorite.

"Thank you, Evan."

The boy stared, then gave a shy smile. "You know my name."

"You're a junior. You sit by yourself in the cafeteria."

"You noticed," his smile grew wider.

"Isn't that the kid who's got a crush on Sweetpea?" said an agent, looking at CCTV monitor.

"Yeah, but this is the first time he's said anything to her."

"What do you wanna bet he's sweating up a storm?"

"Man, I remember my first crush – little Annie-Sue. She sure could throw a mean punch…" reminisced the first agent, leaning back in his chair, preparing to take a leisurely stroll down memory lane.

"That fucking kid!" a roar cut through the genial mood in the room as an agent sprang to his feet and raced towards the door.

On their screens, the others saw a boy take a swing at the CCTV camera with a chair, a second before the screen went blank.

After a stunned silence, a voice demanded, "Why'd you do that? You just destroyed school property."

"Yeah," agreed Evan, dropping the chair which clattered onto the floor. "They were spying on us." He jumped down from the desk and reached for Karen's hand but she snatched it away.

He stood for a moment looking at her, then shook his head and walked towards the door, where he'd placed his school bag. He sat on the floor and started taking out aerosol cans and what looked fireworks, calmly assembling the lot as the whole class watched.

"What are you doing, Evan?"

The boy on the floor didn't reply.

"What are you doing?" Suzie asked.

When he still didn't respond, Suzie nudged Karen who'd begun backing away from the group towards her laptop still on the teacher's desk. "You ask."

"What are you doing?" Karen obliged, in a quieter tone.

"I'm making rockets."

"That doesn't look a rocket," said a boy, approaching Evan for a closer inspection.

"Yeah, I looked it up on the Internet," called out a girl sitting at her desk in the back row. "Fixing fireworks to a spray can makes it explode."

Evan looked at her with a fierce scowl. "Get away from that. I don't want anyone touching their laptops."

"Why?" she scowled back.

"Because I said so. Now move it!"

"No." The girl went back to her computer then jumped in surprise when Evan's fist sent it flying against the wall.

"You broke it!" she accused, jumping up, only to gasp when Evan grabbed her by the arm and shoved her against the opposite wall. "Stay there and shut up!" Then he glared at the rest of the kids. "I want everyone to come over here and stay quiet."

They did as he asked and stayed quiet for about a minute, before someone asked, "Are you making bombs?"

"Bombs?!" Several kids gasped. "He can't make bombs. That's not legal!"

"Who's gonna arrest me? You?"

Olivia's cell phone rang in the middle of the Vogue photoshoot and her chief of staff let her know it was Jerry.

"Jerry?" Olivia padded barefoot over the Red Room carpet, trailing gauzy layers of a haute-couture maternity ballgown after her, ignoring the frustrated hands-in-the-air gesture from the photographer and lighting crew.

"Ma'am, you just ruined the cover shot!"

"Jerry?" Olivia answered the phone.

"Mom! Karen's class is being held hostage by a kid with a bomb! I've got to go, Mom! They won't let me stay!"

"Jerry?! Jerry!" Olivia tried to call him back, but all she got was his voicemail. "Get my clothes," Olivia told her chief of staff.

The Vogue crew stared as Olivia shed the ball gown, and pulled on her own clothes and shoes while hurrying for the exit.

"Ma'am? Hey! Mrs Grant!"

In the corridor, she nearly crashed into Tom on his way in.

"Jerry called me," she told Tom who was breathing visible as he to an abrupt halt beside her. "Now I can't get him on the phone."

"He's talking to the President. The school is being evacuated. Jerry's on his way home. Zeke's waiting for us in your office."

"What do we know about the kid who's taken the class hostage?" Olivia asked.

"According to the intel that Oscar send through, the kid's a loner. His parents are away on business. He's been looked after by live-in staff. They say he spends most of his time playing video games and working out on his Dad's home gym."

Barely had he got the last word out, than Olivia's phone rang again. It was Jerry.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Mom, I didn't want to leave but they made me."

"Jer, I need you to tell me everything you know about this kid with the bomb."

"He's an asshole, Mom. A real creepy dude who follows Kaz around when he thinks she's not looking. I should have punched him in the face when I had the chance."

"Jer, I need you to tell Abby and Quinn everything you know about this kid, okay? Here's the number…"

"I need to pee," Karen announced.

"No one leaves this room."

"I am not going to pee in front of the class!" Karen glared at Evan.

"You are going to have to because I'm not letting you out of here."

"I need to pee too," Suzie said.

"Me too!" A chorus of voices came from around them.

Evan pulled out a gun from his gym bag and pointed it at the kids. "Shut up! No one is going to pee and no one is leaving this room!"

The kids fell silent.

"I'm on my way home," Fitz said over the phone.

"I'm on my way to the school," Olivia replied.

He was on Air Force One. She was in a motorcade of SUVs filled with agents

"Olivia."

"I'll see you there." She ended the call. It rang immediately.

"You're not going to make me change my mind, Fitz."

"I know… I just," he sighed. "…Be careful."

"I will," she responded softly.

After Fitz rang off, Olivia's phone went off again.

"Yes, Huck?"

"The place is crawling with cops and FBI. They're not letting anyone through. Not even parents. They've got the police chief out here running interference."

"Does anyone know what kind of bomb is in that room?"

"No."

"How much time do we have?"

"No one knows."

After he rang off, Olivia called Abby and Quinn. "Anything?"

"The cops are here," Abby said. "We didn't have time to get inside."

"But we did manage to catch the kid's dog," Quinn added. "It was making a run for it after one of the cops left the front door wide open. Do you want me to bring it to the school?"

"No," said Abby.

"Yes," said Olivia.

The kids were seated on the floor, silent, still grouped in a huddle in a corner of the room.

In the quiet of the room, the ringing of a phone startled them all, including Evan.

"Who the fuck is this?" he roared answering his cell. "How did you get this number?"

The kids stared silently as Evan listened to the response with a scowl on his face. "My school file is private! This is an invasion of privacy. I know my rights! When my mom finds out about this she'll sue your ass!" He listened some more, then snarled, "What do I want? I want to blow the school up and every kid in this class. That's what I want!"

Olivia's motorcade made it to the school in record time only to be stopped by a ring of heavily armed police who were keeping the media, curious bystanders and furious parents at bay.

"I'll take care of this," Tom said, getting out of the vehicle

Before he could stop her, Olivia followed. She marched right past him up to the cops and demanded, "I need you to step out of the way!"

The police chief immediately broke away from the manicured talons of a woman who'd been threatening to make his 'head roll' after she had him 'fired!' and jogged over to Olivia.

"Ma'am, ma'am, we're not letting anyone through – we need to keep everyone out of the school zone. And I mean everyone."

"My daughter is in there! If you don't let me through, I will have to drive through this police cordon!"

"Ma'am, Mrs Grant, Olivia. I realise you're upset, but—"

Olivia held up a hand, cutting him short. "You don't understand, every second I waste out here is a second lost!" When the chief stared at her nonplussed, she turned and pushed at the barrier of cops. "Move damnit!"

"Ma'am, if you keep doing that, we'll have to shoot you!" gritted the cop facing Olivia.

"Then shoot me!" Olivia yelled in his face.

The instant he pulled his gun on her, Tom had his gun in the cop's face.

"Fuck!" yelled the police chief. "Put your weapons away! Can't you see the media out there watching us like hawks! I SAID PUT YOUR GOTDAMN GUNS AWAY!"

No one budged.

"I need these cops to step aside and let me through," Olivia glared at the police chief.

"I'd listen to her if I was you," Tom said calmly. "Or this will get ugly fast."

Seeing that no one had put their weapons away, the police chief muttered, "Damnit, okay! Let her through. This is looking bad enough already."

"Are you really going to kill us all?" Suzie asked tearfully.

"Yes."

"We're really going to die?"

"Yes. Hold this!" He thrust a firework taped to an aerosol can at Suzie.

"No! I'm not going to hold it!" Suzie thrust her hands behind her back.

Evan immediately pointed his gun at her. "Hold it or I'll shoot you. Either way you're going to die. Now or later it's your choice!"

"But I don't want to die – now or later!" she wailed.

"Stop CRYING!" Evan roared.

"Stop yelling at her! Can't you see you're making her feel worse?!" Karen pulled Suzie close and began rocking her in her arms. Then eyeing Evan coldly, she added, "If we're going to die then I'd like to say goodbye to my family."

"How are you going to do that? Did Ms Perfect break the school rules and bring her phone to class instead of keeping it in her locker?"

"No, I didn't."

"Then you can't talk to your parents."

"We can use your phone."

"Anyone who touches my phone is dead. And you know what means – that's a one way ticket to hell."

"I don't want to go to hell!" Suzie let out another wail, immediately joined by several more kids who started weeping

Karen turned to Suzie and gave her a hug. "It's okay, Suzie. I know you'll go to heaven. Because you're kind and good and haven't shot anyone."

"What do you think heaven's like?" asked a kid next to Suzie.

"There'll be lots of puppies," said Karen.

"What about bunny rabbits?" asked a tearful Suzie.

"Bunny rabbits, ducklings, kittens. You can have all the pets you want, your Mommy and Daddy won't be there to say no."

"I hope there's a rollercoaster in heaven," said another kid. "One that doesn't make you sick when you reach the top."

"You don't need a roller-coater," said a kid in the front of the group. "We'll be angels. We'll have wings! Right…?"

"Hold this and you'll find out," Evan smirked, shoving his home-made explosive into the kid's hands.

Olivia arrived at the school riding a wave of barely contained fury. She was met by Karen's special agents waiting on the steps.

"Ma'am, I'm really sorry—" One of them began.

"We don't have time for that right now," Olivia interrupted. "Where is she? Where's her classroom located"

"We'll take you to her," another agent supplied in a subdued tone.

With Tom and the retinue of Secret Service agents in tow, Olivia hurried along deserted corridors, only to be stopped by the FBI and SWAT commander. "Ma'am, you cannot be here. We're trying to contain the situation by limiting the casualties—!"

Olivia cut the SWAT commander short. "I need to see Karen."

There was a pause as looks were exchanged. Then the FBI official said in a sonorous tone, "Ma'am, you have a right to be concerned but we cannot have you making a bad situation worse."

"Especially as the Principal and class teacher are refusing to leave until the kids are safe. We don't need to keep adding potential victims to the final body count," the cop muttered.

Olivia gave him a blistering look. "There will be no final body count unless you're talking about the bodies walking out of here alive!"

The cop's face turned red as he began blustering, "I'm talking about safety. You need to let the experts handle this—"

"Get out of my way!"

The SWAT commander looked over at the FBI official, who shrugged and made one last-ditch effort. "Ma'am, if things go pear-shaped and we have to answer to a congressional hearing as to what happened here today, it'll be your ass that gets fried."

"If it hasn't been already," muttered the SWAT commander.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, now move out of my way."

"Why are you trying to stop me?! You let the Grant woman through!" A parent raged at the Police chief. "My taxes pay for her lifestyle and yours, asshole! I'll have your badge if you don't let me get my kid out of there!"

"I don't take kindly to threats," the police chief began.

"That's no threat! That's a promise!"

"Let me reiterate, we cannot let anyone through because the Federal Government cannot afford the avalanche of civil claims that will be launched by your lawyers if you happen to stub your toe while running away from an exploding bomb. We're doing this not just to save your ass, but to save ours too."

"Fuck you!"

"That's not an option right now."

Olivia pushed past a group of police and FBI agents crowding the corridor right outside the classroom. Stuck to the door was a sheet of paper with large bold writing proclaiming – 'Beware of Bombs! Breaking door open will trigger explosion."

"Have you made contact?" she asked the hostage negotiator.

He nodded, "We got the kid's cell phone number from the school file."

"What did he say?"

"He wants to detonate the bomb. We don't know what it is or where it is. We know from thermal imaging that the kids are all in a group in the far end of the room. So far no one's been injured."

"Has anyone called this kid's parents?"

"We tried calling the mother. The school only has her number on file, but she's stuck in a meeting."

Olivia took out her own phone and called Fitz. "We need the military to collect this kid's mother."

"Give me the details."

Olivia got the details out of the reluctant hostage negotiator and passed them on.

Then the group lapsed into an awkward silence, until Olivia asked the hostage negotiator, "Can you get the kid back on the line? Ask him if I can speak to Karen?"

"Ma'am, I don't think…"

"My daughter is in there. I need to speak to her."

There was another exchange of looks and the phone call was made. When Evan answered, the negotiator relayed Olivia's request, then advised, "Ma'am, the answer is no."

Olivia snatched the phone from the negotiator. "Evan, I'm Karen's mother. I need to speak to her."

There was a pause, then a sullen, "Why?"

"If you're going to… hurt… my little girl, I need to speak to her one last time."

There was a pause, then Evan asked, "Is my Mom out there too?"

"She's on her way."

"Don't lie to me!"

Olivia put the phone on speaker, then made a call on her own cell to Evan's mother, speaking loud enough for Evan to hear. "This is Mrs Olivia Grant, the First Lady of the United States. I am standing in front of the class where your son, Evan, is holding my daughter Karen and her friends hostage. I need you to tell Evan where you are right now."

"Was the military escort necessary? My client thinks I'm an escaped felon!" a female voice snapped.

"Tell me where you are!"

"There was a pause, then the woman said sounding surprised, "I'm on my way to the damned school, but you know that."

Olivia cut the phone and called out, "Evan, did you hear that? Your mother is on her way here."

"You sent the military to get my Mom?"

"Yes…Can I speak to Karen now?"

"No."

"Damnit! There's a police cordon. Now what do we do?" Quinn asked.

"Don't ask me! I've got a dog in my face and I can barely breathe!" Abby gritted, trying to push the dog to the backseat. It wouldn't budge. "You need to think of something fast before I suffocate!"

"Open the window, that'll let some air in."

Abby did better – she opened the door and got out, holding a hand to her chest and making a production of gagging for air. In the meantime, the dog seeing freedom was just an open door away, sprang out and took off.

"Abby! You opened the door! I told you to open the window!" Quinn jumped out from the driver's side and started running after the dog.

"Let it go! It's heading for the school!" Abby yelled, running after Quinn.

"It's running towards the cops. Cops with guns! Hey! HEY! DON'T SHOOT THAT DOG!"

A SWAT team member inside the school, held up his hand for silence as he pressed his other hand to his earpiece.

"There's a dog running loose outside."

Olivia immediately turned to him, grabbing his arm. "That's Evan's dog. Make sure they don't hurt it! I need that dog brought in here alive."

The message was relayed by a dubious looking cop.

"Can you hear dogs barking?" a kid spoke up from the seated huddle.

"I can check the news on my laptop," said another kid.

"No one moves," threatened Evan, taking out his phone. After a moment he cried. "Barney! What the fuck is Barney doing out there?! I left him locked in my room!"

"Barney?" Karen asked.

"My dog! He hates cops! Someone needs to get him before they shoot him!"

"My Mom can save him."

"Your Mom is dead!"

Karen stared at him solemnly, then said softly, "My mom is outside. You were speaking to her before. Do you want my Mom to save Barney or not?"

Evan scowled. "Barney's smart. He'll know how to get away."

The sound of a shot rang out from the phone, and the livecast news reporter announced excitedly, "Is the dog chase over? No, it's okay, folks, that was a false alarm. The dog's running free again, but there's blood on his leg. He's been injured…"

"I need your phone, Evan." Karen held out her hand. "My mom will make sure the next bullet won't find Barney."

"Mom, can you hear me?"

Olivia almost sobbed with relief. "Karen?! Karen! Are you okay?"

"I'm okay, Mom."

"My dog!" a belligerent voice interrupted.

"Mom, Evan's dog has escaped and he's at the school. Evan doesn't want the cops to shoot him. Can you help save him?"

"Okay, on one condition. Evan, can you hear me?"

"Yes," came the surly response.

"Evan, I'll make a deal. I'll save your dog if you let the kids out of here."

"No."

"It's Barney, Evan. Do you want the cops to kill him?"

"I'm going to die too. Barney and I can be together in the afterlife."

"Or he could be paralysed for life. Is that what you want for him? He's out there probably looking for you."

"He hates when I leave him alone," Evan agreed softly.

"Do we have a deal?"

"Is my mom here yet?"

"Not yet, but she should be here soon… Do we have a deal?" Olivia repeated

"I'm thinking..."

"Evan?"

"Okay, the other kids can go, but not Karen."

"No, Karen leaves too."

"It's okay, Mom. I'll stay."

"No, baby. You have to leave too."

"She can't leave. She has to stay!"

The phone was cut.

"Shall I tell them to shoot the dog?" asked a cop standing nearby.

"No," said Olivia, dialling through to Evan again. "I've got another offer – you let all the kids go, including Karen and I'll take their place…"

When Fitz stepped off Air Force One, the Secret Service chief was waiting for him.

"We have a situation."

"What kind of situation?"

"Your wife is currently negotiating to trade places with the hostages."

"WHAT?!"

"You want to take Karen's place?"

"Yes."

"Why? She isn't even your kid."

"She's my kid, Evan. In every way that counts, legally, emotionally, I'm her mom."

Evan was silent. "My mother doesn't love me like that."

"My mother, the one who died, didn't either." Olivia heard Karen's voice speak up.

"I know," Evan said softly, "It's one of the things we have in common."

"Is that why you're trying to kill me?"

"I just want to spend time with you. For all eternity."

"Evan," Olivia spoke then, "Do you think it's fair for Karen to spend Eternity with a guy she doesn't know."

"She'll have a lot of time to get to know me."

"Evan, listen to me, it doesn't work that way. If you have feelings for Karen and you don't want to make her feel like she's stuck in a prison, you need to let her get to know you before anything happens. Tell her about yourself, your hopes, your dreams, what you like, what you hate, why you named your dog Barney."

"He's a St Bernard."

"Is a St Bernard one of those Swiss Mountain dogs?" Karen asked curiously.

"You know about St Bernards?" Evan sounded impressed.

"I like dogs. Is Barney huge?"

"Heck yeah!" Evan chuckled. "And he's still a puppy."

"Why did you want a St Bernard?"

Olivia looked over at the listening cops and agents as Karen steered the conversation along. Then they all groaned as Evan cut the call, leaving them in silence.

"You cannot go to the school!" The Secret Service chief yelled at Fitz when reason failed. "This is a matter of national security! I cannot, by law, let you walk into an unsecured site which threatens your safety!"

"My family is in danger! Don't you get that?!"

"With all due respect, sir, you are the President of the United States. The need to keep you safe is legislated by law."

"So is the need to safeguard my immediate family!"

"That's why Tom's down there looking out for Olivia and Karen. I cannot let you go charging in like the cavalry. It could blow the whole place up. Literally."

"If I get blown to bits, Zeke will issue an executive pardon to prevent any legal ramifications."

"That's mighty kind of you, sir, but that will not be necessary since you won't be going to the school."

Fitz about to reply was distracted by a ringing phone.

"Dad! Karen's laptop is sending a live feed to my computer!"

"Jerry, slow down! What are you talking about?"

"Where are you?"

"I'm about to leave for the school." Fitz ignored the tide of red rising above the security chief's collar. "Now tell me again about Karen's computer."

"She's connected to my computer. I can hear everything in that class and I just checked my iCloud, one of the kid's talked about fireworks attached to spray cans—"

Fitz yelled the info to the Security chief who got on the phone to Tom.

In the excitement, Fitz simply walked past the security chief towards the waiting Marine One chopper. The agents nearby just had time to stare at their distracted boss before hurrying after the President.

"We need to turn on the sprinklers to soak the gunpowder in the fireworks!" The SWAT commander whispered furiously.

"No! NO!" hissed Olivia.

"I'm with Olivia," said Tom, "The moment you hose that kid that kid down, he'll start shooting up the room. Jerry said the kid's been threatening to shoot the class."

"How did that kid get a gun past Security?"

"Ma'am, what do you want me to do with this do?"

Olivia looked over and saw a pair of jeans half covered by a big hairy dog. Then Huck's face peered around the fur and Olivia felt her agitation subside.

"Tell Evan we're ready to trade – me and the dog for the kids."

"No, son. She's not here yet."

"She's not coming, is she?"

"She is, son, but there's been turbulence, so she's been delayed but we have got your dog."

"Let me see!"

The negotiator sent a camera phone image.

"What's wrong with Barney's leg?"

"He got hurt in the scuffle to catch him. He can't walk that's why we're carrying him," Olivia murmured, which the negotiator relayed. "The dog will have to be carried in."

"I'm not dumb. You're going to send a cop in with Barney!"

"No, the civilian who caught him can bring him in, with the First Lady."

"She still wants to trade places?"

The cops look at Olivia and she firmed her chin. "Tell him I'm ready to go in when he's ready."

"Barney comes in first."

Olivia nodded. When the phone call ended, Olivia turned to the SWAT commander. "When you get the signal, let the sprinklers loose."

"What's the signal?"

"I don't know yet.'

Olivia knocked on the door.

Evan called out, "I'm gonna open the door but don't do anything stupid or Karen gets it."

"Woof!" Barney, who until then had been leaning his big head on Huck's shoulder, sat up and barked. "WOOF!"

The dog sprang from Huck's arms and head-butted the door wide open and loped into the room, his tail wagging as Huck and Tom chased after him.

In a blur of movement, Karen just had time to twist out of Evan's grasp before Barney launched himself at the boy, felling him like a bowling pin. On instant reflex, Huck snatched up the gun that clattered out of Evan's hand, while Tom hauled Karen up in his arms, already on his way out.

"Now!" yelled Olivia, running into the room at a more unwieldy pace, uncaring of the sprinklers on the roof releasing a great soaking shower or the SWAT and FBI teams jostling her as they charged in. She held out her arms to take Karen but Tom hustled both of them out of the room and out into the corridor.

Karen leaned over, holding out her hand and with a laughing gasp, Olivia reached out to grasp it tight as they were hurried towards the exit.

"Wait! What about Suzie and the others?" Karen huffed as they jogged along.

"Huck's got them," said Tom, not slowing down as they heard the blades of a helicopter drawing near.

"Hey!" Evan yelled, managing to shove Barney aside.

"Looking for this?" Huck asked holding up his 3D gun.

"Hey! Give me that! It's mine!" He lunged for it losing his balance and going down splat on his face.

"How you doin' down there?" the SWAT commander grinned.

The rest of his SWAT team gathered around, pointing their guns at Evan while the FBI herded the other kids out of the room sans the makeshift explosives.

Evan stared at the ring of guns barrels in his face, then flopped his head back on the floor and groaned.

"Was that my Mom arriving in the chopper?"

"No son, that's the President of the United States. He's here to collect his wife and kid."

When Marine One landed on the patch of green between a quadrant of buildings, Fitz would, uder other circumstances, have appreciated the precision of the landing but now he waited impatiently for the Marines to dispense with protocol and open the 'damned door!'

"Sir," one of the agents interrupted. "Hold on a moment, they're safe; Mermaid and Sweetpea are safe. Tom's escorting them out."

Keeping pace beside Tom, Olivia ran as fast as she could across the grass towards the waiting helicopter, still holding onto Karen with one hand while clutching her stomach with the other.

Tom placed a protective hand over her head while bending low with Karen in his arms as they ran towards the opening door of the chopper.

Then Olivia felt strong familiar arms grab her and Karen out of Tom's arms, crushing them both to a broad chest where Olivia could hear a heart beat a rapid tattoo.

Fitz.

She breathed in his scent, closing her eyes, smiling at the kisses raining down on their faces, glad that Fitz was holding them as if he'd never let go.

A/N: Helloooo! I promised a couple of my readers that I would upload this a few days ago – but you wouldn't believe the rewrites this chapter has gone through. I still want to rewrite but that would be never-ending so here's what it is, as is.

Sorry for not updating for ages. I really needed break because there was truth in the accusation that the story was getting too bogged down in real life politics, and I had strayed from Olitz [and family] focus.

To all my lovely reviewers, I will respond in my next author's note - I don't want to hang onto this any longer in case I never upload it! I'll be stuck forever on Chapter 47!