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
Also very politics-centric
Two men in a club, spoke through a haze of smoke.
"That Canadian incident was a disaster."
"Wall-to-wall Grant coverage. Talk about bad timing, I was just beginning to forget the guy existed. They've even got the baby in on the act."
"The baby isn't the problem. It's Grant. He's got people talking about a third choice again. Just when the idea was buried and gone for good."
"If only there was a way Grant could be buried and gone for good."
"The Coshes tried that."
"Cheap bastards. You don't hire amateurs when you need professionals to get the job done."
"It's too late to go down that path. We don't need martyrs like MLK and JFK. The mood of the country is different… more militant. The insurance guys are already nervous about climate claims, they can't afford the payouts for riot damage."
"So what are we going to do about Grant We can't let the idea of third parties take root. How would we ever control them all?"
"The people need to understand that their democratic choice is to vote between two candidates of our choice."
"The voters aren't buying that. We've got the two most unpopular candidates in history."
"But Edison has the advantage – he's guaranteed to get the minority vote. The problem with the rest of America is that Edison is unknown. Even with everyone hating Langston's guts, he's still not getting ahead in the opinion polls."
"The problem is that Edison is known. He's black, and he's connected with the death of a white man. Not the kind of thing that will endear him to a majority of voters."
"Edison didn't kill Reston."
"No one cares about facts. It's what they believe, and they believe Edison killed Reston, and if he didn't – he looks like he could. He doesn't have the Langston woman's advantage. The rabid lunatics feel sorry for Langston because she had the bad sense to marry a crazy, gay guy."
"She drove him crazy."
"But it's not her fault. She's white. She's a victim. And she's appealing to the other victims of 'it's-never-my-fault' for their vote."
"Gotta love post-racial America."
"Yeah, it's the only thing keeping us from being guillotined."
"If Grant gets in, we'll be as good as guillotined. You saw what they did to Hollis Doyle. I mean that should scare the bejesus out of any plutocrat."
"Doyle's small fry."
"Doyle's the minnow. They're getting ready to go after the sharks."
"What are we going to do? It's a tossup between Davis and Langston with Langston a few points ahead."
"Langston would be a disaster. She's a loose cannon, but she thinks she's a reformed loose cannon. That's makes her unpredictable as hell. Davis is eager to prove himself – that's something we can work with. We need to present Edison as the good guy."
"Against Langston?"
"Yeah. Cut Grant completely out of the picture and remind the voters of the two parties that count."
Two days later, Olivia got a call from James.
"The weirdest thing happened today."
"What did Cyrus do?"
"It's not Cyrus. It's work."
James had returned to his former employer, not as a journalist but as an executive in the News Production division.
He lowered his voice and then Olivia heard the sound of a shutting door. "Edison Davis and Sally Langton are going to have a Town Hall meeting."
"A debate? Thanks for the heads up. I'll make sure we tune out on the night."
"You may want to tune in. I was thinking Fitz could be moderator."
"Fitz?!"
"Olivia, we need to remind people that Fitz is a viable alternative to the two most unpopular candidates in recorded history."
"He quit the race."
"But his name is still on the ballot. He quit after the deadline to withdraw. We need to encourage people to vote for him in protest. There's enough people who are #NeverEdison and #NeverSally that Fitz just might win the Presidency."
"And the Network is okay with Fitz being moderator?"
"They don't know about it. They think I'm going to do it."
"James, this could turn out bad."
"I thought about that, Liv, but then I also though about how bad it would be if either Edison or Sally becomes President... I don't think the Canadians have room to take us all in."
Olivia gave a wry smile. "They'll have to introduce immigration quotas."
"Or start building a wall."
Olivia sighed. "So how are we going to do this?"
"That, Olivia Pope, is the reason I called you."
Zeke rang as soon as James ended the call. "You hear about the debate they're planning for Sally Langston and Uncle Tom?"
"James just told me."
"James? As in Cyrus' James? Fitz know you're talking to him?"
"He will, when you tell him."
Zeke chuckled. "Hey, now, don't get all feisty on me. I'm just trying to help. You know what happened the last time you kept secrets from each other."
"Was there something you needed, Zeke?"
"Yeah, we need to get Fitz in that debate with Sally and Davis."
"That's what James wants."
"Yeah? I always liked that dude. Beats me what he ever saw in Cyrus." Then without giving Olivia a chance to respond, he added, "So what's the plan? How are we going to get Fitz into the debate?"
"James wants to sneak him in as moderator, without telling the Network." Olivia paused, "But I don't want Fitz going down to Town Hall. It's not safe, I don't trust Edison or Sally."
"We could have the debate at the White House; we've ramped up security around here, better than Fort Knox."
"That might work..."
"It might even make Fitz run again." Zeke chuckled.
"So how are we going to change the venue?"
"Since I'm smokin' with great ideas, leave it with me. I'll fix this for you"
BREAKING NEWS…
Live update! We have a hostage situation in our capital – Washington DC. Reports just in allege a lone gunman is holding 300 people hostage at a Town Hall concert. Several shots have been fired, the number of dead or injured is unknown…
Update on the previous update! This is scary. We have phone footage of the masked man shooting at the audience. You can hear screams, and see people take cover, running for their lives. We still have no official confirmation of the number of fatalities at the Town Hall hostage crisis tonight…
Update from Reporter at the Scene: SWAT teams have arrived. Hostage negotiators say the gunman, armed with an AK-47, is demanding an end to American imperialism. He wants people in America to experience the horror of living in downtown Fallujah…
Late night Update: The siege has ended. The hostages are free. It's taken 7 hours of negotiations and in the end the only casualty was the gunman who killed himself when he was asked to throw down his weapon and surrender…
In related news…
Due to safety concerns, representatives for Sally Langston and Edison Davis have asked for a change of venue for their first debate. It is understood the White House has offered the East Room as an alternative with a promise to increase security at the heavily fortified President's residence...
"You shot someone? This is how you fix things?!" Olivia yelled at Zeke.
"Relax, Liv, it was fake."
"What was fake?"
"The guy was an actor. Did you know we have crisis actors on the government payroll for disaster drills? I just found that out. Yeah, these guys are paid to fake being dead in fake threats – natural or man-made."
"Man made?"
"Yeah, riots and terrorist attacks, but I'm thinking tornadoes, and disease outbreaks could fall under that category too."
"So the whole thing was staged? Even the audience?"
"Yeah, the whole damn thing was fake. It was like Hollywood meets Reality TV. Did Fitz do anything like this?"
"No." Olivia said repressively, "Do you realize concerts across the country are being cancelled because people are too scared to attend Town Hall venues after what you did?"
"That's my bad…"
"And you've got people talking about Islamic terrorists because of that Fallujah reference."
"Liv, if Sally Langston gets the winning ticket, America will go to war. That's what the Pentagon wants. That's what the guys knocking on my door to propose an increase in the Pentagon budget want. That's what the guys pulling Langston's and I reckon, Davis', strings want. They got rid of Fitz because he didn't start a war. The wars they create won't have crisis actors. Real people get killed. And who do you think they'll start wars against – the Queen of England or some Muslim bastard who makes flatbread for a living, and has six kids?"
Olivia fell silent.
After a long pause, Zeke said, "Have you told Fitz what's going down?"
"Not yet."
"You want me to smuggle him to the White House, all tied up and blindfolded?"
"Zeke."
"Just saying: I've got Plan B handled."
"There'll be no Plan B."
Olivia walked to the window to see Fitz on the Ride-on-Mower with Teddy on his lap. Karen and Jerry were chasing the dogs to a safety which they obviously thought was a game.
Carlita and her kids had gone home the previous day, with the promise to return for Gracie's christening. The associates had received a call from Oscar that morning, letting them know they had a client who wasn't leaving the office until he could speak to them. Huck had refused to leave, but had no choice when Quinn refused to get into the car with Abby driving. The house had felt silent and empty ... until Fitz had decided to mow the lawn.
Heading downstairs, Olivia met Rowan coming in through the front door, carrying Gracie. The sound of barking dogs and laughing children followed him into the house. "Those kids should be in school."
"Not now, Dad."
"No, I didn't mean right this very minute, Olivia."
Olivia opened her mouth, then closed it staring at her father, solemnly. "All right, I'll speak to Fitz."
"Good." Then he handed the baby over. "She needs her nappy changed."
Controlling the urge to poke a tongue out at his retreating back, Olivia headed back upstairs to change Gracie's nappy.
Olivia was waiting to ambush Fitz when he came out of the shower, but then Felicia came into the bedroom to let her know that she needed to make the final decision on who was invited to Gracie's Christening.
"I'll ask Fitz."
"He asked me to ask you."
"Can this wait?"
"If we wait any longer, people will get their invitations after the event."
Olivia sighed and followed Felicia out of the room.
"Fitz," Olivia walked into the Den, determined to say her piece before anyone could distract her, then stopped.
Fitz was asleep on the couch with Gracie snoozing on his chest. Daisy and Darth were wedged between his legs, snoring loudly.
She snuffled a soft laugh, taking out her phone to take several pictures for Gracie's baby album, before walking out.
Olivia had just finished rocking Gracie to sleep, and was laying her in the cot when she felt his arms slide around her waist.
"Where have you been all day?" Fitz pressed a long, noisy kiss to her neck. "I've missed you."
Olivia managed to avoid rolling her eyes, as he turned her around to face him, but before his lips could meet hers, she said in a rush, "James called."
Fitz raised his head. "What did he want?" Then before she could answer, added firmly, "Cyrus can't come to the Christening."
"I wasn't going to ask him. This is about Edison and Sally."
Olivia drew him away from the cot. She sat him down on the bed, so she would have a height advantage, but Fitz nixed that by lifting her onto his lap.
"What's the deal, Olivia?"
"There's going to be a debate between the man who tried to have us killed and the woman who locked you up in New Mexico."
Fitz looked at her solemnly.
Olivia lifted a hand to stroke his cheek. "James wants you there to remind voters of the alternatives."
"I'm not running."
"I'm not asking you to run. I'm saying you need to show Sally and Edison for who they are. People need to understand the kind of world they will create."
"We should move to New Zealand."
"We are not moving to New Zealand."
His gaze softened. "I remember my first Town Hall with you. You yelled at me.."
"You yelled back." Olivia stopped stroking his cheek to place her hand on his shoulder. "The Town Hall debate won't be at the Town Hall. It will be at the White House."
"The White House?"
"Yeah, Zeke's arranged it because it's not safe for you alone with Edison and Sally."
"So you talked this over with James and Zeke without telling me about it."
"I'm telling you before the event. Not after you've been arrested by Canadian Border Control."
Fitz sneaked a quick kiss. "Same difference."
"Nope. Not same at all. And…" She forestalled another kiss. "There's something else. The Network doesn't know you're going to moderate."
"They don't?"
"Nope. James wants it to be a surprise…" With Fitz staring at her, Olivia leaned forward to kiss him, murmuring. "You'll be great."
The evening of the debate…
"I still don't get why I couldn't go but Karen could." Jerry said as he lounged on the couch between Olivia with Gracie, and Felicia with Teddy.
"I didn't want you punching Edison."
"I wouldn't have punched him," Jerry muttered, then blushed when both women turned to look at him. "Okay, I would have punched him, but he'd have deserved it."
"He would, but right now we need people to be aware that he doesn't deserve to be President. And that's a more delicate operation than knocking out a few teeth."
Jerry looked at her long enough for Olivia to ask, "What?"
He grinned. "I feel like we're the little guys on that boardgame Grandpa Pope has been teaching Karen."
"A pawn in the game of chess?" Felicia offered.
"Yeah, and Mom's the Queen." Jerry grinned. Then wrapped his arms carefully around Olivia and Gracie. "I still love you though."
Olivia hid a smile. "You are getting to be more and more like your dad every day."
"That hurts, Mom. I don't know how I'm going to recover from that."
"Stop it, Jer."
"I think that's my cue to get the popcorn." Jerry grinned, as he scrambled off the couch.
The previous night…
Karen and Jerry sat in their jammies, long after bedtime was called, staring at the computer.
"Only 16 people get to ask questions," Karen stared at the Election website, advertising the first and only debate between the Presidential candidates.
"If we can get at least four people to ask questions..." Jerry stopped as Karen turned to stared at him. "What?"
"You said 'we'?"
"I mean 'you' because I can't go."
"What if I can't get them to ask your questions?"
"Do you want the guy who tried to kill Mom and Dad to become President?"
"You know I don't!" Karen glared at him. "But I don't want the other lady to become President either."
"Good. That's the plan."
"But what if it doesn't happen the way we planned?"
"Kaz, I'm writing the questions. All you have to do, is find people to ask them."
"I'm going to be sooooooo grounded when Mom finds out." Karen sighed
"Yeah," Jerry agreed. "Me too."
Hours before the Debate
There was silence on Marine Two, heading for the White House.
Fitz began drumming his fingers on his knee, then stopped when Karen slipped her hand into his.
He smiled down at her. "How are you doing, Pumpkin?"
"I'm fine, Daddy. How are you doing?"
"Good, good," Fitz muttered, giving her hand a tight squeeze, then he turned to Rowan, who had his eyes closed as if he was meditating, and asked, "Do you still think this is a good idea?"
With his eyes closed, Rowan said, "That all depends."
"On what?"
"On what will happen when we get there.''
A/N: The next chapter is me on my soapbox... again!