THE NEXT DAY
"Karen, I want to talk to you about something. It's important, and I'd very much appreciate it if we could talk about it before I make my decision and also headlines."
Karen Grant sat on her bed, replaying her mother's message over and over. She had already responded with a curt 'yes,' and was expecting Mellie any minute. Karen didn't know for the life of her what her mom was talking about, and it was setting her on edge.
Just then a security guard popped his head into her room.
"Miss Grant? Your mom is here," he said. Karen nodded, getting up and smoothing her skirt down. Ever since transferring schools to a private one in D.C., Karen was wearing a different uniform, and was still getting used to the shorter skirt than the one she had at boarding school.
"Okay, thanks," she said in a whisper. She followed the security guard into one of the White House's many rooms, where her mom was playing with Teddy, excited to see her son. The security guard cleared his throat, and Mellie looked up quickly, a smile spreading across her face.
"Karen," she said, warmly. "How is the new school? The uniform looks good."
"It's good," Karen stated. Mellie stared at her, waiting for more. Karen sighed. "Okay, I really really like it. The kids are super chill, because most of them have politicians for parents, so they get it," Karen said truthfully. Mellie smiled, genuinely happy that her daughter had found a better place.
"It's so good to have you in the city. I'm really glad that you're back," her mom said. Karen just nodded, taking a seat on the couch across from her.
"Well," said Mellie, suddenly getting nervous. "I wanted to… well there is currently eleven months left of your father's term, and most of the candidates running for the election are announcing that they are in the running around now…"
"Okay…" Karen said, still not really understanding where her mother was going with this.
"Look, I know that you hated this place in the beginning, but you've moved back, you're going to school here… I won't do it, if you really despise this place so much, but—"
"Hold up, wait, wait a second…" Karen interrupted, the pieces starting to fall into place. "Are you saying that you want to run for President of the United States?"
A silence that answered Karen's question filled the room.
Karen gasped.
"If you don't want me to, it's okay, I understand. But it's something that I've been working towards, even your father knows, it's why I ran for senate. And I know that I'm a junior senator, but I have a chance…"
"What are you saying?" asked Karen.
"I'm saying that… If I ran there is a very good chance that I could win. That's—that's what I'm saying."
Karen sat back, letting it soak in. After a couple of minutes of thinking she made a decision, one that made her bite back a smile.
"Okay."
"Okay?"
"Okay, you can run. I want you to run, you should run." Mellie grinned, happy that her daughter approved approved of her life's dream.
"Really?"
"On one condition," continued Karen.
"Name it," her mother said.
Karen looked her mother in the eyes and said, "I want Olivia to run your campaign."
—
TWO HOURS LATER
"So let me get this straight," said Stephen, chopsticks in his hands. "This Jake, Joke, whatever, works for your father, who has someone trying to kill him? And your father is trying to start B6-13 up again?"
The five of them were sitting around the conference table, eating takeout. Quinn had skillfully filled Stephen on anything that Abby had missed (he was staying in her apartment) and was now learning about the recent events surrounding Liv's father.
"That's what it looks like," Liv responded.
Stephen chuckled, running a hand through his hair. Liv rolled her eyes, about to respond when the office phone rang. Olivia checked her watch. It was 15 minutes to 7:00 PM, a weird time for clients to call. She shrugged, and picked up the phone.
"This is Olivia Pope speaking. Can I help you?"
"Liv?"
Olivia's eyebrows went up in shock, immediately recognizing the voice.
"Mellie. Do you need something?"
"Yes, I do. In about 15 minutes I am going to announce my run for the presidency and I need you to agree to run my campaign before I do that."
"What?" cried Olivia, shock registering across her face. Her four associates stat up, wondering immediately what had caused Olivia's outburst.
"Look, I know this is short notice, but—"
"SHORT—short notice?" asked Olivia, lowering her voice. "Short notice? Mellie, I can't…"
"Yes, you can, Liv. You've done it before and you can do it again."
"I am not referring to the fact that I have run campaigns!" she cried. "I am referring to the fact that you cannot announce you running without having a campaign manger!"
"But I do have one… If you say yes."
"Mellie! There is literally—" Olivia checked her watch. "13 minutes before you announce this! You cannot possibly think that now is a good time to ask about this."
"It was Karen's idea."
"What?"
"Karen agreed to me running as long as you were my manger. And at the end of the day, I would of asked you weather or not she wanted me to. You're the best Liv. Everyone knows it. I'm surprised that you're not working for any of the other candidates yet."
"I've declined all of them, because I don't want to go back into that! The trail, with Fitz—"
"Was the best thing that you've ever done, and you can't tell me otherwise."
"This is different!"
"How? I want to run, Olivia. And you and I both know what a good chance there is of me winning, even after announcing my running later than other candidates. With you by my side, I'll win Liv. It's a given. Look, I know that the trail the second time around was messy, but in the beginning, eight years ago…"
"It was amazing," Liv said in a whisper.
"This isn't the second time around, Liv. It's the first. and it will be just as amazing. You know it."
Olivia sighed.
"Liv?"
"I'm thinking!" she hissed.
"I hate to rush you, but we are kind of running out of time…"
"And whose fault is that?" Olivia said, shutting Mellie up. Olivia made eye contact with Huck, who gave her a questioning look, wondering what her answer would be, having picked up on their conversation.
"I'll do it, but I need to tell him."
"Okay, okay, oh my God, Liv, thank you so much. Okay, that's fine, we'll let him know—"
"No, you prep for the interview, I'm calling him and telling him. I should… I'm the one that needs to tell him," Olivia said, dreading her next phone call.
"Okay, Liv… thank you."
"I know," Olivia said, hanging up. She turned towards her people, who were all staring up at her questionably.
"Over a cliff?" she said, weakly.
"What did you just do?" asked Quinn.
"I just agreed to run Mellie's campaign. Jesus… I need to call Abby… then Cyrus… then Fitz… I need…"
Oliva paused.
"Okay, Stephen, call Abby and tell her to gather the entire press corps and to turn every single TV in the White House on to Mellie's interview. Quinn, call Cyrus. Marcus start making arrangements for us to meet with Mellie first thing tomorrow. Huck, do your thing. Start advertising right away. Go!" Olivia commanded. The four pulled out phones and laptops, and began. Olivia then took out her cell and called Fitz's secretary, walking into her office.
"Charlotte? Hi, it's Olivia Pope… Yes… No, I really need to speak with him. I don't have time to speak with him in person… I have ten minutes… Charlotte—Okay. Okay thanks so much…" Olivia waited for her to be put on with Fitz.
"Liv? Livvie? Are you okay?"
Olivia caught her breath, scared about what she had to say next.
"Turn on your TV."
"What? I'm in the middle of a briefing."
"Turn your TV on to BNC and keep it on for the next ten minutes."
"Okay…" Olivia heard Fitz mumble directions to one of his staff members before he got back on the phone.
"Olivia, it's just normal news."
"In three minutes it won't be." Olivia said, softly.
"What? What's happening at seven? Are you okay?" he repeated, worried.
"I'm fine, I… I just agreed to…" Olivia swallowed. Two minutes.
"Just, I randomly agreed to doing something for this certain politician, and… well, I'm going ahead with it no matter what you say, but you… you deserve to hear it from me."
"Deserve to hear what?" Fitz asked, getting very worried. One minute.
"It was last minute, literally I got off the phone with her a couple of minutes ago… Fitz, I'm running Mellie's campaign for President of the United States. She's announcing it right now. And, Fitz… If I run this thing…"
"Mellie is going to win," Fitz said in whisper, shock radiating throughout his body.
"I'm sorry, but I ran yours so…"
"You don't owe her anything."
"But I do," sobbed Olivia. "I owe her. We owe her this. Which is why you need to not only be okay with this, but you need to announce that Mellie Grant is the woman that you hope wins the presidency. Except that first thing I'm doing is dropping the Grant last name. So, yeah, we owe her. And it's time to pay our debts."
"Liv…"
"I'm not going to argue about this with you. It's happening—"
Olivia stopped mid sentence when Mellie's smiling face popped onto the screen. Olivia hung up, and the rest of her team looked up, Stephen picking up the remote and turing the volume up.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your news at 7, but I promise that we will get right back to it after I give my short announcement," began Mellie. Olivia stood up straighter, ready.
"I am here to formally announce that I will be running for President of the United States. I know that my announcement is later than the other candidates, but after consultation with my daughter and close friends, we together have decided that now is the best time for me to run. And leading my charge will be the best of the best, Olivia Pope." The second those words came out of her mouth the office phones started going off. All five of them ignored the ringing.
"So, I am running, because I believe that America needs something, and I am that something. I will be visiting your state soon, so please go to my website to find dates. Mellie for President 2016!" she said, smiling. The clip cut, and then returned to the normal news.
The five stat still.
"What did I just do?" muttered Olivia.