Chapter 7
***Summer 2019***
"Raya, hey!" Raya looked up from her spot on the beach with Fitz and saw Ezekiel running toward her.
"Zeke! Come here," she gestured, and he sprinted over to where they are sitting. Raya felt bad over how her conversation with Zeke ended last night. She knew that she should have told him about her plan before springing this on him. It is after all their wedding, not just hers. She hoped that introducing her father candidates to Zeke could make amends and maybe he would end up wanting them to attend their wedding. Meanwhile Zeke felt bad for overreacting as well. He knew he could have handled their conversation from yesterday in a far better manner and showed up to finally have a conversation. The last thing he wanted was to carry baggage of any kind with him to the wedding.
"Raya, hey, can I talk to you. I wanted to tell you that I understand what you were thinking by invi-"
"Zeke!" Raya quickly interrupted him midsentence. "Have you met Fitz yet? He's a friend of my mom's." Raya gave him a stare that conveyed everything he needed to know about who Fitz was. Zeke instantly stopped what he was saying.
"No, I haven't. It's nice to meet you, Fitz." He reached out and shook the man's hand. Zeke felt twitchy inside, he was not nearly as mischievous as Raya, and had never been good at acting like she had.
"Fitz, this is my fiancé, Ezekiel." Raya introduced her fiancé to one of the men who could potentially be the one to walk her down the aisle.
He wondered again for a minute if the wedding for a local girl that Olivia was talking about earlier was actually for her daughter; the man and women standing right there in front of him. A part of his heart broke thinking that had he not pushed Olivia to let him stay, he could have missed his daughter's -or maybe, possibly his daughter's- wedding.
"How long have you been engaged?"
"Since Valentine's Day!" Raya spoke excitedly. "He took me on a surprise vacation to the Tanzanian mainland, and we stayed at a safari lodge. Oh why don't you tell it, you're so much better at it!" Raya playfully patted her fiancé on the chest, and he aptly took over the story for her.
"We were staying at lodge…" Zeke began. Fitz tried to pay attention; he was genuinely interested in hearing how their engagement came to be. He wanted to hear and learn everything about them: how they met, how the wedding planning had been, what their future plans were. Fitz tried to stay focused on the story but the topic of engagement made his mind wander off.
***Summer 1996***
After Fitz dropped Olivia back at her home, he made his way downtown where he had promised his parents he'd attend a Sunday night dinner with them. He hadn't seen them since his welcome home party, and he figured he owed them that much. Going into the restaurant he saw his mom and dad already seated with extra chairs around the table.
"Who else is coming," he looked at the curiously, while taking a seat for himself.
"We invited the Doyle's and their lovely daughter too," Fitz's mother spoke up.
"You remember Mellie, right?" Big Gerry asked. Fitz simply nodded. "She just graduated from law school at Harvard, so we thought we'd invite all of them out to celebrate."
Shortly after Gerry's answer, the Doyle's joined the Grants for their elegant dinner.
Hollis Doyle and Big Gerry had been friends for decades. Having met back in their Wall Street days, the two followed a very similar path, both getting married at roughly the same time and having kids -Big Gerry, a son; and Hollis, a daughter – at roughly the same time. They parted ways professionally when Big Gerry went on to pursue politics and Hollis became a key player in the oil industry.
Fitz couldn't help but notice the probing that his father and Mellie's father were doing to force the two to talk to each other. Every single conversation point seemed to transform into complimenting Mellie, and praising Mellie, discussing how brilliant and great she was. Fitz didn't doubt she was brilliant, but he was annoyed with all of this talk about Mellie. Fitz noticed Hollis give his daughter a nudge on the elbow, and she began speaking.
"So Fitz, how are you finding life out of the Army?"
"It was the Navy. And it's good," Fitz spoke rather bleakly, taking a sip of his scotch.
"Oh right, yes, the Navy. I knew that," Mellie inwardly cringed.
"Oh it doesn't matter!" Gerry came in to ease the tension with a hearty laugh, "All military branches are basically the same, they've all got the same agenda."
"You know this from your own military experience?" Fitz shot his dad a challenging look, insulted by his father's comment when he had no idea what the Navy was like.
The military was always a sore subject between Fitz and Big Gerry. He was honored to serve, but he never really wanted to go into the armed forced. It was part of the plan though to breed him as President. Everything always came back to the plan with Big Gerry. And so it was because of the plan that Fitz spent the five years scared shitless flying dangerous missions on the regular, while his father the senator, always a war hawk, promoted aggressive military action in Congress to ensure Fitz would be seen as a war hero when he came out.
"We'll talk about this later, son," Gerry grunted, cutting into his steak. As though the dinner couldn't have gotten anymore uncomfortable, Mellie decided to use this opportunity to change the subject casually and cheerfully.
"So Fitz, how was your weekend?"
"It was good." He was just trying to make it through this dinner at this point.
"Did you do anything special?" she continued.
"Actually yeah, I spent the weekend in Santa Barbara with my girlfriend."
A loud clank echoed across the room when Hollis Doyle dropped his fork and knife onto his plate and Fitz's mention of the word "girlfriend."
"Girlfriend?" he raised an eyebrow at Big Gerry. Big Gerry's eyes darted at his son's.
"Girlfriend?" Big Gerry mimicked Hollis.
"Yeah, I just started dating this really amazing girl: beautiful, smart, and wickedly talented," Fitz mused and looked at his mother, "You would love her, ma."
"You know, I just remembered I have a conference call in an hour. We better get the check and get going." Hollis lied, unimpressed by the way dinner turned out. The Doyle's paid for their meals and rushed out the door.
"What the hell were you thinking!" Big Gerry yelled, now back at his home.
"I was just answering the question. Mellie asked what I did over the weekend." Fitz calmly answered as though he didn't do anything wrong, and he didn't.
"You don't bring up having a girlfriend when Mellie is right there!" he yelled.
"Why not?"
"Fitzgerald, I cannot believe you can even be my son given how big of an idiot you can be at times! You know what you're suppose to be doing at this time in your life!"
"Gaining legal experience and run for congress," Fitz recited the next steps that had been ingrained in his mind.
"Yes! And settling down and starting a family."
Fitz stopped and stared at his dad for a second. Big Gerry took in a deep breath, trying to keep his blood pressure from rising too high.
"Son, people are going to vote for a family man, they do not want a bachelor."
"Well then it's good that things are getting serious with me and my girlfriend then, isn't it?" Fitz shot back at his father, tired of this game.
"And who is this girlfriend?"
"Olivia Pope, you remember her from my welcome home party?" Fitz had never seen his dad's face turn so red before in his life.
"Olivia Pope! Olivia Pope!" Gerry huffed, pacing. "And what are you going to tell her when you get an engaged to Mellie?"
"I-what? I'm not getting engaged to Mellie. I barely know her!"
"What do you mean? You've known her for years!"
"No, you've known her father for years. I barely know Mellie, and frankly from some of the things I heard at this dinner, I don't really want to."
"Watch your mouth son!" Big Gerry snapped. "I've looked at the numbers, if you want to have a shot at winning your congressional election, or hell any election, you're going to need some Mayflower blue blood."
Big Gerry marched to a drawer in the living room and angrily pulled a box out.
"You see this?" He held out a ring box. "This belonged to my grandmother, her father gave it to her at her debutant ball, bought it at auction. It's been passed down generation to generation. And you, Fitzgerald, are going to use this ring to propose to Mellie Grant come hell or high water! So if you don't like her, I suggest you learn to start liking her, because you have an entire life with her ahead of you!"
He slammed the ring box onto the counter and took a marker writing "for Mellie" clearly on the box.
"Whatever you have with Olivia Pope, end it now!" he shouted and marched upstairs.
Fitz looked at his mother with pleading eyes almost on the verge of crying.
"Mom?"
She came over next to Fitz and rubbed his shoulders.
"I'm sorry honey. You know how you're father can be. But you know he has always had your best interest at heart. He just wants you to succeed."
"I know," he swallowed. "I've let him control every aspect of my life though, and just this once I – mom, I love her. Will you talk to him, please?" Fitz's voice croaked.
"I'll see what I can do," she reassured Fitz, squeezing his shoulders and heading upstairs.
***Summer 2019***
Once Zeke finished explaining the story of his proposal Fitz quickly excused himself.
"Well that was weird," Zeke observed, watching Fitz walk away.
"Yeah, Fitz is a weird one, a little quiet, but it also seems like he was the most serious with my mom, so I don't know if inviting him here was good for him."
Raya was brought out of her thoughts over Fitz when she saw Stephen walking toward them.
"Oh you have to meet Stephen! He's a really cool and chill guy." Raya grabbed Zeke's hand and rushed over toward where Stephen was setting up his sunbathing spot. They saw two lounge chairs next to him.
"Hey Stephen, mind if we join you?"
"Not at all, take a seat," he gestured for them both to take a seat.
"Stephen, this is my fiancé Zeke. Zeke this is my mom's friend, Stephen."
"Fiancé, you don't say?" Stephen looked up and pushed his sunglasses to the bulb of his nose "Well congratulations to you two lovebirds!"
"Thank you. Yeah, Raya and I have been dating for about six years now," he said taking her hand.
Stephen smiled to himself and let out a little bit of a chuckle.
"Ah, it's so nice to see couples young and in love."
"Hey, don't give up Stephen!" Zeke playfully quipped. "She's out there somewhere."
Stephen turned to Raya, "actually, if you wouldn't mind, I was wondering if you could give me the lowdown on that foxy redheaded friend of your mom's."
"You mean Aunt Abby?" Raya was shocked. She didn't expect Abby to really be his type, "I didn't think you were into redheads."
"I didn't know either…but I mean I won't do anything if…well is she single?"
Raya laughed watching Stephen get so flustered.
"She's single. She divorced her husband Leo a few years ago, and has come to visit my mom at the resort a lot more since."
Stephen nodded, "good, good...I mean not good about the divorce but uh-"
"It's okay, Stephen," Raya laughed and raised her eyebrow, "but I do have to ask, given what you told me earlier about you and my mom's history, would she be alright if you went after her best friend?"
"You Pope women, always thinking through the details of every plan," Stephen grinned followed by a melancholy sigh. "The truth is, while I was very fond of your mother, she never really thought that way of me. We were just very close friends, but I think I may have eventually pushed her with my crush on her…and eventually drove her away."
***Summer 1996***
"Liv! That was absolutely brilliant!" Stephen applauded from the side as he watched Olivia complete her interview with Billboard. She ran up to Stephen, giving his a hug that made his heart soar within his chest.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you Stephen! When can I expect the article to be out?"
"Should be for next month's issue, but I'll keep you updated," he replied. His chips that he cashed in worked, and now Olivia was going to be featured in Billboard.
"How can I repay you?"
The smile on her face was enough for Stephen. He loved seeing her happy, though he knew he shouldn't, he knew she was taken and that she didn't like him in that way, but still for whatever reason he continued to hope that maybe she would change her mind and turn to him. So he continues his longing, and said-
"Seeing you this happy is enough payment for me?" He cheekily grinned at her.
"I have to do something," Liv insisted. "Ok, maybe some burgers then?"
"Burgers will do."
They went to eat, making small talk along the way until their food arrived.
"Stephen, you know, I am convinced you're my guardian angel," Liv laughed, taking a mouthful of burger.
"Aw come on, you're just trying to make me blush now…" he laughed.
"No, I'm serious. You gave me a place to stay, you helped me get assimilated to LA life, you get me my first interview in the press, how are you not an angel."
"Liv, if anyone here is an angel, we all know it's you…" he blushed.
"Why are you so good to me?" she giggled.
Did she really not have any idea, Stephen thought.
"Most guys would never do something like this…" Liv continued.
Stephen looked at her, shocked that she still didn't really get it.
"Well, I'm not like most guys," he began. He glanced up at her and locked eyes, he knew this would be his time to say something. "Um Liv, I think I need to come clean about something…"
"What is it?"
This was it. He just had to put his heart out on the line and trudge through it. Forget about Navy boy or Gatsby Jr. He was different than them, better than them. Hetried to pump himself up, thinking positive thoughts.
"Liv, I- I like you a lot."
"I like you too Stephen…"
"No not like that…I-I'm just going to put my heart on the line here I guess," Stephen mumbled. "I like you, Olivia. I have been attracted to you from the moment I saw you on that plane. And I know you're going out with some other fellows at the moment, but…" Stephen paused for a minute and shifted.
"…I don't know. I just I needed you to hear it. I just needed you to know. I couldn't handle keeping it in much longer." Stephen's voice went raw with emotion.
"Stephen…" Liv gasped. "I don't know what to say…"
Liv recognized that he had a crush on her, but she thought that with her dates with Jake and Fitz that Stephen would eventually move on. She thought she had made it clear that the two of them were friends. And now here he was, her best friend in LA, pouring his heart in front of her, wanting her to respond in a way that wouldn't be true to her self.
"You have no idea what our friendship means to me-" she started.
"Come on, don't do that. Don't…" Stephen's voice was plagued with sadness.
"I'm sorry if you misinterpreted some things. It was probably my fault."
"No. No. It's fine," Stephen got up from the booth. "It's really probably my bad. Sorry that I misinterpreted our friendship," Stephen said bitterly, and he left out the door.
Olivia remained seated at the booth in shock, cradling her head in her hands. She loved Stephen like a brother, and it killed her to know that she had hurt him like this. Olivia took a few moments to herself thinking. She couldn't have lied to Stephen and pretended. The truth was she didn't love Stephen…she loved Fitz.
Olivia sprang her head from her hands at the realization she had just made. She couldn't love Stephen or Jake, because she was in love with Fitz. She loved Fitz, and she would be sure to let him know that she loved him.
A/N: Aw poor Stephen...but it looks like he might be finding a different love interest. Sorry if this chapter is a little bit shorter, it's part of the pacing that I'm trying to put the story at between its back and forth of the present and past. I hope you all enjoyed, and get ready because the chapter may have a cute, sweet moment or two...