Chapter 9: Transformation
Fitz closes the bedroom door softly behind him and heads down the hall toward the kitchen for a cup of coffee. He stands by the table for a few moments, reliving the agonizing story that Olivia told him earlier that morning. Tears fill his eyes as guilt washes over him. He feels guilty for not protecting her from such awful parents. He knows that this is a totally irrational thought, but he blames himself (because there is no one else around to blame) for not knowing that the love of his life was suffering. While he couldn't do anything about it all those years ago, he can very well do something about it now. He can help her heal, he can help make her whole. And the first step to doing that is handling both Cyrus and Mellie.
With his game face on, he enters the library to face Cyrus.
"Good morning Cy," he says with false cheeriness. "What brings you to the great outdoors today?"
"Really sir, that's how we are going to play this?" he replies with typical Cyrus sarcasm. "Do you really want to pretend that I am not standing here in the middle of Camp David while your ….. "
Fitz cuts him off with a growl, "Watch it Cy."
"Sorry, while Olivia is what, sleeping off the overwhelming amount of sex you two have been up to since you got here. And oh, let's not forget your fuming wife who you are basically holding as a captive in one of these cabins. If you wanted to tank your career, WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST FUCK LIV IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS?"
"ENOUGH! I WILL NOT STAND HERE AND LET YOU DISRESPECT LIV OR ME! IS THAT CLEAR?" Fitz stands toe to toe with Cyrus glaring at him with steely gray eyes.
Cyrus blows out a big breath and steps back from Fitz, "Fine sir, my apologies. Now that I have been sufficiently chastised, what is it that you want me to do about this situation?"
"Have you seen Mellie yet? She's the one who asked you here, not me."
"I know that, but I came straight to you first because I know that whatever plan Mellie is devising, I won't be a part of it. I just need to know what your plans are, sir. I am trying to save your Presidency."
Fitz could almost believe the sincerity of Cyrus' words, almost. Cyrus would always be more concerned about Cyrus than anyone else. He is driven and power hungry. He knows he could never be President and that Chief of Staff is the highest level he will ever achieve, the power behind the man. He is not ready to relinquish that power. It made trusting him to do the right thing dicey. But at this point, Fitz knows that using Cyrus to take care of Mellie is the best and only option. He decides to play on Cyrus' deeply hidden love for Olivia.
"Look Cy, I am going to level with you. Olivia is not doing well."
"Is she hurt, what's going on? Is the baby okay?" The look of concern on Cyrus' face confirms his tactic will work.
"The baby is fine. Let's just say Liv is not up to a head to head battle with Mellie and won't be anytime soon. She needs some time to regain her strength. I plan to stay here with her for the next few days to help her. I need you to take Mellie back to Washington and keep her under control. I will deal with her when I return."
"How in the hell am I supposed to keep Mellie under control when you can't! And what am I supposed to tell anyone who inquires of your absence?" Cyrus whines as he paces the room.
Fitz sighs heavily, "Cy, if you care for Olivia the way I think you do, you will figure out a way to control Mellie. As for my absence, say I am taking a working vacation at Camp David."
"It's that serious with her?"
"Yes Cy. She needs us now more than she has ever needed anyone. If you don't want do this for me do it for Liv. She really needs us."
The concern in Fitz's eyes convinces Cyrus that he is telling the truth. This is not some ploy to stay and live out wild sexual fantasies at Camp David. This is serious. This is Liv's life. Cyrus may be a lot of evil twisted things, but at the end of the day he considers Olivia a friend, a close friend, one of only a few and she needs his help. He wouldn't fail her in her time of need.
"I'll handle Mellie, you take care of our girl."
Fitz claps Cyrus on the back and gently ushers him towards the door.
"Thanks Cy. I have my laptop and will be working from here. Just call or email me if you need anything. Oh and Cy, be sure to tell Mellie that if she doesn't go quietly and stay quiet, I will burn our house to the ground. Everything that she holds dear will be destroyed. Live in Primetime." His voice is strong and clear and devoid of any emotion. His eyes are the color of steel. Cyrus realizes in that moment that Fitz was not exaggerating at all. He is prepared to blow his life completely to bits for the sake of Olivia Pope.
"I will convey the message sir."
"One more thing Cy, SSA Hal should return to DC today as well. Have a detail take him home and place him on house arrest. I will deal with him when I get back as well."
Cyrus just nods as he climbs into the waiting SUV and heads off to Mellie's cabin. He is not looking forward to this encounter one bit.
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Watching Cyrus leave, Fitz feels a weight lifted off of his shoulders. He can wait to deal with Cyrus and Mellie when he returns to Washington. Right now, his priority is Liv. She is emotionally and physically exhausted. He needs to be here for her. He goes back down the hall to check on her. Cracking the door open slightly, he can barely make out her petite frame in the bed from the doorway. She is curled up tightly in the fetal position and her head is practically buried under the covers.
He walks over and stands by her side of the bed, he pulls the covers down gently to look at her face. Her brow is deeply furrowed and her entire face seems pained. He can still make out the tracks her tears left on her face. She looks pale and tired, even though she is sleeping deeply. She doesn't stir when he places a gentle kiss on her forehead. He adjusts the curtains to make sure the sun doesn't shine in directly on her face and he quietly leaves the room.
He heads to his office to try and get some work done. This is one of the rare times he regrets being President of the United States. He would love to do nothing more than sit at Olivia's bedside and stroke her hair and hold her hand until she wakes, but he can't do that. He has a nation to run and a world to corral and this responsibility is always standing at the door.
It is 9:30am when he boots up his laptop and begins reading the plethora of emails that have come in overnight. The work of POTUS is never done.
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Cyrus takes a deep breath before he knocks on Mellie's cabin door. She practically pulls the door off its hinges when she opens it.
"It took you long enough to get her Cyrus," she immediately starts into her tirade. She is quite disheveled, her hair standing wildly on her head and her clothing is wrinkled from being slept in.
"Mellie, calm down. Here, I had your assistant pack a change of clothes for you. Why don't you go freshen up and I will get us some breakfast," Cyrus says as he hands her the overnight case and gently pushes her toward the bathroom.
She drops the bag at his feet and places her hand on her hips.
"I don't want to shower and eat breakfast like there is nothing going on. I want to know what Fitz is planning to do. We have to come up with a plan of action to stop my idiotic husband from destroying everything we have worked so hard to build." She paces frantically back and forth across the room.
"Mellie, look at me," Cyrus calls to her in an effort to get her to stop pacing. She stops in her tracks and turns to face him.
"Mellie, we can talk about this at length back in DC. Just go get cleaned up and I will order breakfast. Okay?" He says as calmly as possible.
"Cyrus," she narrows her eyes at him, "what aren't you telling me? Why the rush to get me back to DC? I'm not going anywhere until I speak to Fitz!"
He crosses the room and puts his hands on her shoulders. When their eyes meet he speaks, "Mellie, he won't see you. If you force a meeting with him now, you might as well pack your bags and head back to California. Let's go back to DC and wait for him to come back. You can talk to him then."
"So I'm supposed to go back and wait for him like a good little wife, while he stays here and plays house with Olivia? That is not going to happen."
"If you don't leave now and keep quiet until he returns, he is prepared to burn the house down. I looked him in the eyes this morning Mellie, he is not bluffing. Do you really want that?"
"He wouldn't . . ." Mellie starts, not really believing that Fitz has grown a pair that would allow him to make such a life altering decision.
"He would. He will if you don't cooperate right now," he says earnestly.
She stares at him for a moment and then walks over to her bag and picks it up.
"Fine Cyrus, we will do it your way. Just know I am not going to sit by idly and let him destroy what we have painstakingly built." She sighs heavily, "Just order coffee and toast for me Cy. I will be out in a few minutes." She disappears down the hall into the bathroom.
Cyrus opens the cabin door and motions to Hal, who standing guard outside the door.
"Hal, two things for you this morning, first, please call down to the kitchen and arrange for toast and coffee for the First Lady's breakfast. Second, you really fucked up son. You should not have interfered with this situation. It just may cost you your career and your freedom. You are to return to DC with me and the First Lady. You will be on house arrest until the President returns."
Hal just nods and returns to his post. He calls down to the kitchen to place the order for breakfast. Standing at his post he reviews his actions of the previous night. He doesn't regret anything he has done for Mellie Grant. If it costs him his career, so be it. If it costs him his freedom, oh well. She is a fine lady and in his mind, she deserves better than Fitzgerald Grant III. If it were up to him, he would give her the world.
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Fitz didn't realize how late in the day it was until his empty stomach growls, sounding very much like some kind of wild animal. He glances at the computer clock and sees it is 12:30 in the afternoon.
He is somewhat surprised her hasn't heard from Olivia yet, so he heads back down the hall to check on her. Assuming that she would have slept in after their very early morning, he expected to see her long before now. Opening the door to the bedroom again, he is startled to see her in the same position she was in that day morning. She hasn't moved a muscle. When he brushes her hair away from her face she groans slightly. She is obviously worn out, so he decides to let her sleep a little longer.
After making and eating a quick sandwich for lunch, Fitz decides he can't go back to work just yet. He needs to be close to Olivia. He returns to the bedroom and strips down to his boxers and slides under the covers next to her. She whimpers in her sleep when his arms envelope her. He gently caresses her arm and whispers soothingly in her ear, "It's okay Livvie, I'm here and I'm never letting you go." He lay there with her in his arms, gently caressing her arms and back and then he too drifted off to sleep.
He wakes an hour later and realizes that Olivia is no longer in the bed with him. He panics briefly, thinking that she has left him once again, until he hears the water running in the bathroom. He is anxious to see her and to begin to talk through what she revealed to him, but his hopes of that are dashed as he sees her exit the bathroom. Her face is ashen and there are dark circles under her eyes, even though she has slept soundly for hours. Her petite frame seems even smaller than normal. She trudges back to bed, climbs in and pulls the covers over her body resuming her fetal position.
"Livvie?" Fitz is at a loss for words.
"Uhmm?" she responds sleepily.
He scoots closer to her in the bed, gently embracing her, "Let me get you something to eat."
"Not hungry," she responds, her voice is thick with sleep.
"Livvie, you have gone too long without something to eat or drink. You have to think of the baby."
She doesn't reply. She only buries herself deeper in the covers.
Fitz continues speaking as if she is paying attention to him, "I'll make you some scrambled eggs and toast. How does that sound?" He doesn't expect her to answer, given her previous lack of response, but he gets out of bed and retrieves his clothes. Once dressed, he heads toward the kitchen to fix eggs for her.
He returns a few minutes later with a tray containing a plate loaded with scrambled eggs with cheese and buttered toast and a glass of orange juice. He sets the tray down on the foot of the bed before approaching Olivia.
"Livvie, I have your food," he shakes her gently as he speaks to her. She doesn't respond right away, so he continues to shake her gently until she begins to stir.
Finally she opens her eyes and looks at him, "Please just let me sleep Fitz."
"I'm sorry Baby, but you need to eat something. Just sit up a little, I made you some scrambled eggs and toast."
"Fine, I will eat something," she says as she pushes herself up to a half sitting, half reclining position.
He places the tray across her lap and sits down next to her on the bed, fully prepared to feed her, when his cell phone begins to ring.
Rising from the bed he looks at the caller ID, it is his secretary Lauren. He answers the call, "What is it Lauren?" he asks testily. He listens to her for a few moments and then replies, "Ok Lauren. Give me ten minutes to pull up the email and then call the main cabin phone here at Camp David."
He disconnects the call and turns to Olivia, "I need to take a call in my office. I will be back to check on you in a little while. I expect a clean plate when I get back. Okay?"
"Uh huh," she replies unconvincingly.
"I'm not leaving this room until you eat something," he emphatically states.
She blows out a heavy breath, picks up the fork and spears some of the egg onto it. She makes a big show of placing the food in her mouth, chewing and swallowing.
"Happy?" she asks.
"It's a start. Now finish up and I will be back as soon as I can." He kisses her forehead and leaves the room.
As soon as the door closes, Olivia puts the tray on his side of the bed and lays back down, falling asleep in moments.
Returning to the bedroom 45 minutes later, Fitz is disappointed, but not surprised to see her tray of food untouched. He stares at her sleeping form for a few moments. She is no longer in the fetal position and her brow is no longer as deeply furrowed as before and her face seems a little less pained.
He takes the tray back to the kitchen and disposes of her uneaten meal. He returns to the bedroom, strips down to his boxers and crawls into bed next to her. He lays there on his back, one hand behind his head, the other by his side, staring at the ceiling, listening to Olivia breathe. His mind jumps from how to help the love of his life and how to maintain his Presidency. He honestly wonders if he can achieve both. He thinks of the new life inside of Olivia and it makes him happy. He pictures a little girl with his eyes and Olivia's smile.
He awakens, not realizing he had dozed off, when he feels a sudden pressure on his chest. His eyes take a minute to focus. He looks down to see the top of Olivia's head. She is cuddled up against to him, with one of her arms extended across his chest. He rearranges himself so that he can encircle her in his arms. She sighs and snuggles closer.
"Hi," she fairly whispers.
"Hi. How are you feeling?"
"Tired and I have a headache. How long was I asleep?"
He turns his head to look at the bedside clock, it is 6:00pm. "Oh, I would say somewhere in the neighborhood of nine to ten hours. You feel up to eating something now?" he asks gently.
"I could probably eat something now, but I want to shower first."
He kisses the top of her head again and releases her from his embrace. "Ok, you shower and I will see about getting dinner," he says as he sits up to get out of bed. He forgoes putting his clothes back on in favor of his pajama pants and t-shirt.
She gets out of bed and retrieves clothing from the dresser and heads for the bathroom. He is halfway to the door when Olivia calls out to him from the bathroom door.
"Fitz," she calls out.
He turns and sees she is standing at the doorway, her hand extended out to him. He walks over to her and takes her hand in his.
"Thank you," she whispers.
"Livvie, you don't have to thank me. I love you. This is what you do for the people you love. There is no place else I need to or would rather be than here with you." He gently squeezes her hand and then releases it. "Go have a nice long, hot shower and I will take care of dinner." He flashes her his 1000 watt smile and leaves the bedroom.
She closes the bathroom door and makes her way over to the shower, turning on the water and letting it run until it reaches the perfect temperature. She slips out of her clothing and puts on her shower cap. Stepping under the scalding spray, she immediately feels her muscles begin to relax and the aches ease away. After indulging in the hot spray for what seems like hours, she quickly bathes herself and exits the shower.
The bathroom is steamy and smells of her fragrant body wash. She dries off and begins to lotion her body. She slips on a pair of panties and then puts on a set of ruby red silk lounging pajamas. She smiles briefly as she pulls the smooth fabric over her skin. She remembers when Fitz gave these to her . . .
Flashback - Thirteen months ago
She is wearing her signature white silk lounging set when she opens the door to Fitz. He stands there looking sexy and mischievous. She notices he has one hand behind his back.
"Hi Livvie," he says in his sexiest voice.
"Hi Fitz. What's behind your back Fitz?" she inquires.
He chuckles, "Aren't you even going to let me in first before you grill me about my surprise?"
"Fine, come in," she says grumpily, while trying to hide a smile.
He kisses her briefly on the cheek and makes his way passed her into the living room, all the while keeping the package away from her prying eyes.
"So now you are in, what's the surprise?"
"Come sit next to me," he pats the spot on the sofa next to him.
She crosses the room and dutifully sits next to him. He pulls her close and runs his hands up and down her back. He loves the combination of her silky skin and the silky fabric she always wears.
"Have I told you how much I love you in these silky things?" he murmurs in her hair.
"Not really, they usually don't stay on too long when you are around."
"Well I do. I love the way they feel in combination with your skin. It is a huge turn on for me. I often dream of you in these, but . . ."
"But what?"
"Never in white. I know white is your color. I mean just look around this place, white sofas, white bed linen, white dishes, even a white boyfriend," he chuckles. "Don't get me wrong, white looks great on you, and in you I might add. But I just . . ." He hands her the wrapped package.
She takes it from him and rips off the paper and pries open the box. Inside is a set of ruby red silk lounging pajamas.
"They are beautiful Fitz. I love them. Thank you." She leans in and kisses him. "Shall I put them on for you?"
He can only nod his head. She takes the package and retreats to the bedroom. She emerges a few moments later wearing her new gift. Fitz about loses his mind when he sees her. He can feel the blood rushing to the lower regions of his body. The color is perfect for her skin.
"Is this everything you dreamt of?" she asks with a coy smile not moving from her spot.
"Even better," he replies as he crosses the room to her. "You are so beautiful. Do you even know how beautiful you are?" She blushes at his words.
Just as he reaches out to pull her into his embrace, there is a knock at the door. Fitz ignores the knocking and leans down to kiss her. Their kiss quickly becomes heated but is interrupted by another knock at the door.
"I will send whoever this is off to Guantanamo Bay!" Fitz declares as he yanks opens the door.
Tom is standing on the other side with a satellite phone in his hand and a genuine look of fear on his face.
"I'm sorry sir, we just received word that Prime Minister Walker has arrived in DC early. He is due at the White House in 30 minutes. I am sorry, we have to go sir."
Fitz only glares at Tom and then nods, "Give me a minute," he says before closing the door.
He turns to Olivia and takes in the sight of her wearing his gift. He wants nothing more than to stay here and live out one of his many fantasies about her, but duty calls.
"Sorry Livvie, I have to go," he says with an enormous sigh.
"So I heard. It's okay, you have an important job to do. We can finish this later."
"Promise?" he asks as he pulls her close to him and nuzzles her neck.
"I promise," she whispers. "Now go be POTUS." She pushes him gently away.
He takes one more look at her and lets out a frustrated groan before he leaves her apartment. She goes back to her bedroom and takes off the red pajamas and puts her white ones back on. She hangs the new set up in her closet. Running her hand across the silky fabric, she decides not to wear them until they are together again.
However, she never got to wear them for him, because three days later he found out about Defiance.
The knock at the bathroom door pulls Olivia from her bittersweet memory.
"Livvie, are you okay? You have been in there quite a while?"
"I'm fine. I will be right out."
"Okay, dinner is about ready. Are you sure you are okay?"
Her heart melts at the sound of concern in his voice. "I'm fine. I just need a few more minutes to look human again."
"I will give you five minutes. If you aren't out of there by then I am calling in the Marines," he threatens.
"Five minutes, I promise."
She hears him walk away from the door. She wipes the tears from her eyes as she peers at herself in the mirror. She doesn't see the same woman reflected in the mirror that she saw in the early hours of the morning. That woman is starting to fade away. The heavy weight on her heart is gone.
She admires the reflection of herself in the red pajamas. Somewhere in the back of her mind she suddenly realizes that her choice of an all-white wardrobe had nothing to do with her love of the color (or non-color some would argue) but her desire to blend into the background. To not stand out and be seen. All those months ago, Fitz gave her a gift that would let him see her. He had been trying to pull her out of her shell even then.
She quickly brushes her teeth and pulls a wide tooth comb through her tangled hair. She takes one more look at herself in the mirror. The change is minor, not even something she could describe if asked. But she sees it nonetheless.
All because of the love from the man in the next room, she is changing. She is transforming.
A/N: Hello Gladiators. I know it has been too long and I apologize. The move was HELL and I am still not settled. I started writing this chapter just to relieve some anxiety. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
As always, comment/suggest/rant as much as you want. It makes me happy!
I don't own Scandal, but if I did it would be all Olitz all the time!
