A/N: Okay, so I know I have at least 12 readers, which is amazing! Thank you all for commenting so that I know someone is on the other side of this story still wanting it to continue! This chapter went a weird direction at first so I had to tone it down and change a few things, that's why it took me so long to update. Let me know what you think!
Xx Kate
"Karen, can you hear me? I can see you but I can't hear what you're saying!" Mellie yelled into her iPhone, holding the device away from her face and squinting into the camera. "This god damn phone, I can't figure out Facetime," she swore and attempted to keep pressing all the buttons she could find.
Fitz appeared in the doorway of her office and she jumped from her desk and ran over to her husband, "Fitz, thank god, I need you to figure this out," she said, waving the phone in his face.
"Ok, but I need to talk with you later…Hi Karen!" Fitz waved to his daughter's annoyed image on the phone and then clicked something on the screen. Karen's voice suddenly emitted from the phone.
"Hello?" it screeched in exasperation. Mellie grabbed the phone quickly away from Fitz.
"Karen, honey! Sorry about that, baby. Just got a new phone and I'm afraid there is a learning curb." Mellie took a seat on the couch in the middle of room and held the phone perilously close to her face.
"Jeez, took you long enough to figure it out, mom!" Karen laughed.
Fitz leaned over the back of the couch, bent over Mellie's shoulder, and guided her hands out further so that he was in the picture as well.
"Actually, I'd like to point out that I figured it out," he said, grinning.
Mellie rolled her eyes, "I would have hit that button eventually."
Fitz glanced down at his wife and smirked, "Coming from the technologically challenged woman who couldn't figure out how to set the timer on the oven."
Karen gasped from the phone, "Mom…You used the oven?"
Fitz howled with laughter and Mellie pouted, "For your information, I've been cooking a lot in my free time."
"Oh, god, well then I'm super thankful I've not been home!" Karen joked.
"Are you inferring that I'm not a good cook?" Mellie asked, feigning shock.
"Yes," both Fitz and her daughter answered simultaneously. Mellie gasped and slapped her husband playfully on the shoulder. She couldn't help but laugh though, because she knew it was true. She had tried to make a simple roast chicken the night before and it had turned out drier than California in the drought.
"You ate everything I served on your plate, Fitzgerald!" Mellie protested.
"I didn't want to upset you…" he said slowly, a grin still plastered on his face.
"Do my raging hormones frighten you, honey?" she drawled, her southern accent making a sudden appearance.
"What raging hormones? You're as meek as a mouse, Mellie Grant," Fitz replied, his sarcasm apparent but his intent harmless.
"Oh aren't you hysterical," Mellie giggled.
Karen Grant just stared in astonishment as her parents continued with their playful banter. She hadn't seen them like this since she was a little girl. Or maybe she had never seen them like this…it was disturbing but oddly comforting to her.
"So mom," Karen finally interrupted, "the reason why I'm calling…how are you and how's my baby brother or sister?" Karen beamed into the phone.
Both Mellie and Fitz glanced down toward Mellie's round abdomen, "Well personally, I'm finally starting to feel like my old self again. And he's moving a ton lately, actually," Mellie replied, smoothing her white blouse down with her two hands.
"He?" Fitz asked in amusement.
"Did you guys find out the sex and not tell me?" Karen asked, appalled.
"No, no, I guess I didn't mean to say 'he,' could be a girl, of course," she clarified, "I just have this feeling though…" she said, her voice wavering. Mellie didn't like to talk about her pregnancy much and no one really asked very often.
"You never told me that…" Fitz said quietly behind his wife, feeling offended.
Mellie turned her body to face Fitz, "It's not like we really talk about that kind of stuff," she muttered, more for him than for her daughter. She was feeling defensive.
Fitz thought for a moment and then replied, "You're right, I should ask. I'm sorry," he said genuinely.
Mellie smiled faintly and put her hand on Fitz' hand, "That's alright," she assured. She suddenly got so caught up in her husband's eyes, their contact unwavering, that she almost forgot her daughter was still on the screen in her outstretched hand, witnessing everything.
Karen coughed to break the tension, "Anyway, I hope it's a girl," she laughed, "I want a little sister to dress up and play with."
Mellie and Fitz both chuckled, "Well, in about five months, we'll know…and I'd like to find out in front of America," Mellie said.
"In front of America?" Karen asked, confused.
"You want that to be filmed, Mellie? Isn't that sort of private?" Fitz asked.
"It'll be good for ratings," Mellie said, "People want to know."
"Why does everything always have to be about the ratings with you?" Fitz snapped.
Mellie shot Fitz an irritated glance, "We can talk about it later," she said through gritted teeth.
"Actually, you know what, I have to run off to class, so you guys feel free to talk. Jerry and I will call again in a couple of days! I love you," Karen said hastily, wanting to get off the phone as quickly as possible.
Mellie and Fitz both said their goodbyes and Mellie hung up the call.
The couple was silent for the moment, neither really wanting to get into it. Fitz walked over to Mellie's desk and leaned against it, crossing his arms over his chest and waiting for his wife to start arguing with him.
Mellie sighed heavily, "I don't want to fight right now," she said.
"Neither do I, Mellie, but we have to talk about a couple of things," he said, "We can do it calmly, we're both capable adults."
"Fine," Mellie agreed, "What did you want to talk about?"
"I have a proposition," Fitz started.
"I'm listening."
"I'll agree to revealing the sex of the baby on live TV if you do something for me," he said.
"And what is that?" Mellie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her abdomen.
"Cyrus is not happy about my image lately…the magazines last month and everything…"
Mellie smirked, "Okay…"
"And anyway, Cyrus suggested something and I think it's a good idea."
"Just spit it out, Fitzgerald!" Mellie was getting impatient.
"A weekend at Camp David, just the two of us," Fitz answered quickly, the word tumbling from his mouth. Mellie just stared at her husband, her face twisted in disbelief. Fitz' face turned red.
"Just the two of us?" She snorted, "So…a couple days of photo ops, you mean. I thought you didn't care about ratings, Fitz."
"Well, it's not just about photo ops," He said defensively. Mellie eyed him suspiciously. They both knew better.
"Then what else is it about? Does Olivia know about this?"
Fitz knitted his eyebrows together in confusion, "Why would Olivia know about it?"
Mellie just shook her head in amazement, "I don't know who you're trying to fool."
Fitz ignored her comment. "I think it would be good for us to have a weekend away before the baby comes, a lot of couples do it," Fitz spoke rationally.
"We're not like a lot of couples, Fitzgerald!" Mellie's frustration was increasing by the second.
"I said we could do the gender reveal your way. It's not that much to ask, Mellie, really…"
Mellie took a moment to look into her husband's pleading eyes. She could see guilt in them…maybe she could use this request to her advantage; maybe a weekend away could actually be good for them. But would he really want to use the time for that? She didn't know. There was one way to find out…
Mellie stood from the couch and sauntered over to where Fitz was leaning against her desk, "So you want a weekend with me?" she asked, stopping just a foot in front of him.
He took a deep breath, "Yes I do," he confirmed, pushing himself from the desk so that he was towering above her.
She stared up at him and for some reason she felt her heart speed up and her breathing increase. Fitz glanced down at her rising chest and suddenly felt an overwhelming heat flush across his face and neck.
"I'll do it," Mellie sighed, sending shivers up Fitz' spine.
A/N: So what do you think? A weekend away for Fitz and Mellie could go one of two ways…any predictions?