A few weeks had passed. The state dinner was only days away.
Oliva had gone on a few minor dates with jacob. Which went great, they were really getting along. She liked jacob but there were no sparks, not anymore, she just went out with him to get her mind off Fitz, which of course didn't work.
She tried to talk him out of the state dinner every chance she got but he wouldn't budge, he was dead set on having her on his arm for the night.
She was really nervous about seeing Fitz but Abby was right, they run in the same circles and they needed to be able to be cordial with each other.
She had been trying to find the perfect dress for weeks and now it was just days before the dinner and she still had no luck.
She had to admit she was being extra picky about her dress choice because she knew fitz was going to see her in it.
Ever since the 'breakup', she thought she would be able to move on but she hadn't been able to get over him. She couldn't help but be sad about the fact that Fitz said he would leave her alone. As much as she hated to admit it, she loved how Fitz would chase her and how he always wanted her. Since the break up, he didn't reach out to her, since she wants nothing to do with Cyrus she can't call him and ask about Fitz and it made her uneasy. She couldn't stop thinking about the fact that Fitz killed Verna. She wondered if Verna telling him about defiance was enough to push him to do that or if it was something else that caused it. She wanted to ask him, she wanted to know exactly why he did it and she wanted to know how he was holding up. She knew that should be angry at the fact that he killed her but she wasn't, she was just sorry that he had her blood on his hands.
She had been thinking a mile a minute and she had barely even gotten out of bed.
She decided to walk ginger to clear her head. She decided to pick out her outfit before she headed out. She decided on a pair of white max mara skinny pants, a silk burberry navy blue long sleeve button down shirt and the silk navy blue matching long duster jacket that caught her at her knees. She matched it with her pair grey suede jimmy choo's and her Saint Laurent sac de jour bag.
When she was pleased with her selection, she put her running sneakers on and headed out with ginger.
Back at the white house.
It was 10am and Mellie stormed through the white house halls like a crazy person.
Every news channel was reporting the same thing.
"Breaking news.
President Fitzgerald Grant files for divorce from First Lady Mellie grant after almost 20 years of marriage."
"Oh oh, trouble in the white house, President Grant files for divorce just days before the annual state dinner, hear the details when we return."
She busted through the door in the oval office to find Fitz sitting calmly at the resolute desk.
The divorce papers had been delivered to her about 10 mins before the new outlets started reporting it.
"Fitzgerald Grant, what is the meaning of this, is this some kind of sick joke, because I'm not laughing, please tell me you're joking." Mellie was irate and yelling.
"Good morning Mellie." Fitz said ignoring her question.
"Have you lost your mind. What were you thinking." she yelled.
"Mellie I don't know why you're acting surprised, you knew it was coming." Fitz said still barely looking up from what he was reading.
"I won't sign these." Mellie screamed.
Fitz looked up.
"You will." his tone was seriously low.
"I will not, you better go down to the press room and tell those reporters that this whole thing was some kind of hoax, because I will not sign these." she said through clenched teeth.
"You are going to sign the papers Mellie, you have till the end of the day to agree to all the terms, I have been more than fair, in terms of custody, I want primary custody of karen and jerry, I'll have them during the week, you can have them on the weekends, that's non negotiable. I will give you 2 million dollars a year for the next 15 years for alimony , that is non negotiable. You will keep you're mouth shut about Olivia, that is non negotiable. Those are my terms, like them, don't like them, I don't really give a fuck but you will sign those papers and you will sign them before the day ends. That will be all Mellie."
And with that Fitz began reading his paper again.
Mellie stood shocked.
She had to compose herself.
"That will be all? what makes you so confident, that I will sign those papers. I will not, I will walk into that press room and I will rain blood down on the place. I will tell them everything, I will tell them about the antics you and you're whore have going on with, I will destroy you, and I will take those kids, and I will take your money and I will leave you with nothing." Mellie seethed.
'I thought you might say that." Fitz said nonchalantly.
It was annoying mellie to no end, that he could be so calm and composed about this.
She was freaking out.
"You thought I might say that… You thought I might say.." mellie was screaming with disbelief.
"Mellie please use your inside voice.:"
Fitz said to her as he handed her a folder.
"Read it and weep." Fitz said monotone.
Mellie took the folder.
She began reading.
She gasped and looked at fitz with horror.
"You would do that to the mother of your children, Fitz, this would destroy me, you can't"
Mellie pleaded, her eyes filled with water.
"What did you think mellie, that you could induce a baby unnecessarily almost a month earlier than the due date and there would be no consequences. You killed that baby Mellie, with your political antics. I'm not stupid mellie, I ask questions, the doctor told me everything, there is a signed sworn statement from the doctor on page two confirming it.
Page three is a DNA test confirming that Teddy wasn't mine. Page four is proof that you lied about your miscarriage on the campaign trail. Page 5 is a statement from your various maids and helpers detailing your horrible treatment of them on a daily basis. Should I keep going."
Mellie knew she lost.
"What do you want?"
"I want you to tell the world that we grew apart, that we are the best of friends, that is was a mutual decision and we still care about each other. That is the story you will stick to. There will be no blood in the water, no fighting, no destroying each other. You deserve to be with someone who loves and adores you Mellie and that's not me. I truly want to be your friend, I don't even know if that possible but we can try. I am tired of the pretending and the lying, aren't you?" Fitz was being genuine.
Mellie was still looking at the first page of the packet, she couldn't go to page 2.
"What about the state dinner?"
"We can go together, if you want, I don't have a problem with that. You can stay in the white house as long as you want, I don't have a problem with that either, we just won't share a room, you can keep the master bedroom, I'll sleep in another room"
Mellie opened the divorce folder.
"Do you have a pen?" she asked.
Fitz handed her a pen and she signed and walked out.
Fitz sighed, he was relieved, he actually thought she would have given him a harder time even with all the dirt he had on her.
He had been planning the divorce since he found out about Teddy and was glad it went on without a hitch.
Back at O.P.A.
Olivia walked into the office.
"Goodmorning everyone." Olivia called out.
"Hey liv, get in there now, you're gonna want to see this." Harrison called back.
She walked to the conference room.
"What's up harry."
He pointed to the television.
"President Fitzgerald Grant files for divorce from First Lady Mellie grant after almost 20 years of marriage" spread across the tv screen.
"Can you believe he actually did that. The first president to file for divorce in the white house. He is about to become the world's most eligible bachelor" Harrison chuckled
Olivia couldn't move. She couldn't believe it.
She walked out and headed to her office and shut the door behind her.
She just needed some time to digest it.
Abby rushed in the office.
"Liv, are you seeing this." she asked.
Olivia was looking out the window.
"Liv."
"I didn't think he would do it." Olivia said softly.
Abby walked around the desk to stand beside her.
"So what are you gonna do?" abby asked.
"I don't know, I didn't think he would actually do it. I just need time to think."
Olivia said as she still didn't turn from the window.
Day of the State dinner
Mellie decided to go to the state dinner with Fitz.
Since the signing of the divorce things had been pretty calm between them.
They call called the kids and explained to them and the kids were very cool about it, because even they knew it was coming. Gerry actually asked them why they waited so long, which surprised both Fitz and Mellie.
Mellie wore a lavender flowy half shoulder dress, with pearl jewelry.
Fitz wore a slim fit tuxedo with a black bow tie. He looked dazzling.
He was nervous because he knew Olivia was going to be there with senator Shaw and since the divorce came out he didn't know how she would react to him.
He decided to grab a few sips of scotch just to ease his nerves because he knew it was going to be along night.
As they were waiting for Tom to bring the car around, Cyrus approached him.
"Sir, everything it set for the dinner, the guest of honor President Hollande will arrive in 20, you should be there in 15." Cyrus said sharply and he attempted to walk away.
He was a little annoyed that Fitz didn't tell him anything about the divorce, he was just as shocked as everyone else.
"Cy, I know you're pissed at me about the whole divorce thing, but look how well the country is taking it, cut me some slack." Fitz pleaded.
"I'm not pissed that you got divorce, I'm pissed you didn't tell me, I thought we were in a better place." cyrus retorted.
"We are, I just didn't tell you because I knew you would have tried to talk me out of it. Every time I tried to do it in the past, you or Olivia talked me out of it, I didn't want that to happen again, so I didn't tell you."
"I guess that's reasonable." Cyrus sighed.
"Sorry to interrupt your love fest but the car is here." Mellie interrupted.
With that they headed to the dinner.
Olivia had finally found a dress, she loved it.
It was an ivory crepe v neck Stella Mccartney gown. It hugged every part inch of her body. It had spaghetti straps and a beautiful but subtle train and a slit that was mid thigh. She paired it with some stuart weitzman nudist silver ankle strap heels and a diamond encrusted choker necklace with matching knob earrings.
She wore matte red lips and soft dewy makeup with her pair pulled to the side with old hollywood curls. She looked like an absolute bombshell. Once congressman shaw called and told her he was on his way up the elevator she looked herself over and she loved her look.
She heard a knock on the door.
She went over to open it. Jacob stood in the hallway smiling.
"Hi jacob, you look very sharp." Jacob wore a modern fit tuxedo with a red bow tie, she thought is was funny that he wore the red bow tie since she had on red lipstick. She honestly thought a black bow tie would have looked better but she decided to keep her thoughts to herself. She suddenly start think about how good Fitz was going to look in his tuxedo. She knew when she saw him she would have half a mind to walk up to him a kiss him but she knew that things her way more complicated than that.
"Olivia pope, wow, you look amazing, I am one lucky man." he spoke breaking her from her train of thought.
"Thank you Jacob" she said as she secretly congratulated herself on her good work.
They headed to the limo, the dinner was about 20 minutes away from Olivia's apartment but she knew that there would be traffic considering all the government officials that would be in town for the event.
Once they reached the location, they were stuck in the limo because the presidential motorcade was ahead of them. They were about 6 cars behind the president.
Olivia sat in her limo not bothering to make small talk with Jacob.
Her cell phone rang. She looked at the caller id and saw it was Huck.
She thought it was weird for Huck to call her on a night like this because he knew she would be busy.
She answered.
"Huck?"
While all this was going on, simultaneously, secret service had reached their car and had instructed them to come out.
"Olivia, listen to me, the president it in danger."
She was outside of the limo at this point.
Olivia's heart started racing.
"Wait, Huck what are you talking about." she said in a panic.
"Becky, she is not who I thought she was, she is like me, she kills people and she is going to try and kill the president tonight, you have to warn him."
As soon as the the words left hucks mouth, she heard cheering.
The president had finally exited his limo.
She didn't know what to do she she turned around and bolted toward him.
She screamed
"Don't let him get out of the car, Don't let him get out of the car!" but the cheering of the crowd drowned her out.
Under normal circumstances when a random person charges at the president, the secret service reacted with force.
But they knew about the history between the two and were unsure of how to stop her.
Hal and Tom were by Fitz side. It all happened within a few seconds. By the time Tom saw the panic on Olivia's face and grabbed Fitz's arm to head him back to the car. The first shot rang out.
The sound of the p90 machine gun echoed. The first shot hit Hal in the head. The bullet went straight through his skull. He died immediately. The second shot hit Fitz in the arm.
At this point Olivia reached Fitz and dashed her body infront of him, she was facing him. He was confused and horrified. The third shot hit her on the upper right side of her back. The fourth shot hit her just a little lower by her ribs.
Fitz was fully in the car and then Tom grabbed her and pulled her in as well.
Mellie was on the other side of the car and was closer to the entrance of the building, so she was scurried inside. The fifth shot hit press secretary Britta Keagan in her abdomen. By the time the fifth shot was fired the presidential limo speed off.
Panic and chaos erupted.