Disclaimer: Scandal belongs to Shonda Rhimes.

Author's note: Thank you for reading and reviewing. I'm learning details about the American President and House I didn't know, very different from the Danish Government, but very fascinating.

Love is the hardest
Love is mess
Beth Hart

Take It Easy On Me

Chapter 5

A few hours later she was passing through the main entrance of the White House, she walked in a fast pace though the corridors, ignoring her speeding heart and the lump in her throat. Her pace slowed down a bit when she was a meter from the oval office, but taking a deep breath she walked to the door and knocked.

"Come in" his bass voice sounded through the door. Swallowing, she opened the door and stepped into the room to meet the most powerful man in the world. He was reading some papers and didn't look up, but the small tension in his shoulders told her that he had sensed her presence.

Uncertainly, she stood still just inside the door, in the past she would've walked directly to his desk no matter how absorbed he had been in work. Now their status had changed and she felt less sure of herself.

"No need for you to stand there, we have chairs in this room." Fitz still kept his eyes on the papers. Taking the cue, she walked to one of the armchairs and sat down.

"You are welcome to help yourself to a glass of wine." He offered.

She poured a glass of wine but looking at the single glass, she asked softly, "do you want a glass of wine or something else?"

"Red wine will be fine. I'll join you momentarily."

Like the night before, the wine was one of her favorite brands and his consideration warmed her. Sitting down with the two glasses, she took the opportunity to study him out of the corner of her eyes. He was an attractive man, not the most handsome man she had ever met. But she was attracted to him unlike she had been to any man before him, and their lovemaking was addicting. Edison may think they had been good together, but they had been nothing compared to how good Fitz and Olivia had been together.

She missed him, missed how his lips felt on hers, felt on her skin, and missed the sweet burning caresses of his hands. She missed how well they fit together when he moved inside her and how safe and loved she felt in the aftermath of their lovemaking. But, most of all she missed the bond between them, the bond that made them breathe in the same rhythm when they were in the same room. Missed how he always had an eye on her and knew how she felt. She missed talking and laughing with him. Missed doing the small things with him like eating a late, rushed lunch, sipping a glass of wine while they watched the news update, and she missed the smell of him on her pillows.

Feeling the heat in her cheeks, she reached for the glass and took a generous drink of the wine, over the rim of the glass her eyes met Fitz's, the intense heat in them burned into hers making it impossible to break eye contact. The heat in her cheeks increased and she saw how his mouth opened slightly and his breathing changed. Her own breathing changed and followed his pace, and a new tension started in her belly and spread to other parts of her body.

He took a step forward and her body hummed in welcome, she watched how his eyes darkened further with desire and claim, and without thought she got up from the chair and took a small step forward, hating the space between them. But suddenly, she saw his body tense and then he broke eye contact. A pained expression flashed briefly over his face before it was replaced with exhaustion.

Olivia felt a deep sense of loss when their connection were broken, chilled to her bone she hugged herself, and the burn of the tears in her eyes was the only heat left in the room. Abruptly, she sat down again. She had been so engrossed in her thoughts, that she hadn't seen Fitz leaving his desk before she met his eyes. She needed to be more attentive when she was in the same room as him in the future.

Fitz came closer and took a seat in the chair opposite her, a small table between them served as a chaperone. He pushed further aback in the chair and took his wineglass with him, taking a sip he looked past her. "I'm sorry you had to wait. I take it that you've had lunch?" His eyes became cold.

"No bother. Yes, I had an excellent lunch, thank you." She got angrier by every word.

He glared angrily at her, "I trust the company was the excellent part and the food the secondary part?"

Tears rushed to her eyes, and angrily she blinked them away and shot back, "you've no right to have me followed, Mr. President!" She hated how defensive she always became around him these days, the need to hurt him was just taking control and she couldn't help it.

"No, I'm well aware that I have no right to anything concerning you Olivia Pope, and for your information, I don't have you followed and I don't interfere in your precious love life, in anyway. One from my press pool just happened to pass by the restaurant and got an excellent picture, very clear, of the two of you. He came to show me and ask if I wanted to use it somehow."

Some of the airs left her, "why would you use it?" She hadn't realized that the press would be interested in her connection to Edison, damn her urge to hurt Fitz.

"It's always good to be ahead of possible conflicts of interest. " He gave her a cold stare. "You did come earlier than I expected, why?"

Looking away she asked, "where's Cyrus, won't he join us?"

"No, Cyrus is elsewhere engaged, and he asks us to stop using him as a middle man and start behaving as adults. Do you've a problem with that?"

"No, I don't." It was a lie. "I came because of my lunch meeting."

"You wanted to make sure I know you're dating? I'm well aware of that fact, so you don't need to come here and sweetly tell me you've moved on. I'm not interested!" He broke eye contact before he was done talking, but not before she saw the pain in his eyes.

"What kind of woman do you take me for? I would never do that, I'm not that heartless!" She almost shouted, more hurt than angry.

Tiredly, he looked straight through her, "I don't know who you're anymore, you played a nasty trick on me Li…Olivia."

The pain pushed the air from her lungs and she gasped for air, "I..I just.. I just." She stammered unable to tell him the truth and admit she had wanted to hurt him. It had been wrong to work with Mellie.

"I doesn't matter anymore. Why did you come so soon?"

"Do you know that Senators Miller and Marvin are in the same lobby and have been in that lobby for years?" Her voice was businesslike now, and she was in control again.

"No!" He looked taken aback, "I didn't know that."

"Senator Davis is in the same lobby and I believe Mellie is connected to it as well."

Their eyes locked, "this is worse than I ever imagined. Mellie always wanted me to change my soft political opinions into real republican politics, but I never thought she would actually help to destroy my political carrier. How old is this lobby?" He looked defeated.

"Senator Davis joined when he went to Harvard but the Republican Lobby was already formed then, I think it had been recently formed before Edison joined it."

"Do you've prove that Mellie is active in the lobby?" He asked softly.

Her heart went out to him, he had so few people in his life he could trust. "No I don't, but Senator Davis was very secretive about the members, and he stated that Miller and Davis had easy access to the White House."

He gave her a small laugh, "I have a friendly wife."

"Fitz." Olivia began wanting to tell him she hadn't moved on.

"Don't." He replied, "Let's us just sit here and drink our wine, please."

"Why did you ask me to stop by later, Mr. President?"

"It just don't matter anymore, Olivia." Fitz thought about the papers he had studied when she walked in, they had been the reason, but now it was pointless, she had moved on.

For a while they sat in silence and sipped their wine, both lost in their own thoughts.

Olivia drove directly from The White House to Judge Lawson. She was directed into the study where she found Oliver and his father waiting for her. Walker smiled tensely to her, "Thank you for coming, Olivia."

"Not a problem, Walker." She smiled. Looking directly at Oliver she said; "Oliver you never told me how you wanted me to handle this situation?"

Oliver looked briefly at his father before he turned to Olivia, not able to mete her eyes, "I've a serious problem, Ms Pope. I wished I had asked for help before all this happened. I'm really sorry for the pain I've caused Jaz and Emilio, please believe me. I need help, I'll take my punishment." He looked scared and pale.

"I don't want my son to go to jail, Olivia." There was sorrow in the judge's voice.

"What you did was a crime Oliver, but a jail sentence will not undo the wrongs you have done. I've spoken to Emilio, and Jaz and his mother, they don't want the world to know about the abuses. If you will get professional help with your sexual disorder they will drop all charges."

Oliver bowed his head, "thank you, I promise I will."

Oliver raised her hand, "I've advice you father to compensate Jaz and Emilio, you'll pay for professional help to both. Emilio will be compensated with two millions and Jaz with another million. The deal is that if you drop out of treatment or has intimate relations with a young man or woman under the age of 18, they will press charges against you. Do you understand?" She waited until he looked into her eyes and nodded.

"There is more, the police will not try for a jail sentence for drug procession if you agree to admit to a rehab facility."

"I'll do it." Oliver swore.

"I'll make sure he honors the settlements." Supreme Court Judge Lawson promised.

"Good, now I just need you to sign the papers, Oliver." Hopefully, the lives of three persons had been fixed today.

Later that night, she once again walked through the main entrance to the White House. It was a bittersweet sensation to be tied to the President, the tie held no future and no happy endings, but regardless of the undeniable facts, her heart felt lighter and the butterflies in her stomach wouldn't calm down with the prospect of being near the man she loved.

She wanted to walk away and move on, wanted to be rid of the pain and anger but her heart kept pulling her back to him, the President.

The door to the oval office was open so she walked right in only to find the room empty, confused she looked around, maybe she was too early? She was about to take a seat when she heard voices from the small room behind the oval room. Smiling, she closed the door and walked to the next open door finding Cyrus and the President in a conversation about Mellie and Santa Barbara.

"Excuse me gentlemen," she said as she walked in. Both men looked up and nodded in greeting, neither shared a smile. Fitz's eyes took a little walk up and down her body before he withdrew his look without meeting her eyes. The butterflies danced wilder, he was still attracted to her.

She sat down in the same chair as the night before and accepted the glass of wine Fitz offered her but declined to share their meals. Food appealed little to her these days. Cyrus had no problem with his appetite, but Fitz pushed his food around the plate without eating much. Finally, he pushed the plate completely away.

"We were just discussing how we can keep Mellie in Santa Barbara for a little longer, she has been cooperation well so far, but stated earlier that she will not stay here much longer." Fitz briefed her like he was talking about the weather broadcast.

"I don't think it's wise to have her return yet, we are not fully prepared." Olivia stated, "have our own press pool to manipulated the networks to spend more times on the doctors who claim, that a stressed baby are expectable in this semester of the pregnancy and with the stress that comes from being the First Lady and a late in life pregnancy. Let the massage be that Mellie will be irresponsible to return to a stressful environment right now. Make sure she will be seen as a careless mother, if she doesn't stay in your home in Santa Barbara."

"I've missed you." Cyrus smiled, "I'm glad I turned Harvard down, at least for tonight." Cyrus looked mildly ashamed.

"He lacks the insight into women that you have, and I think it's the first time he has to handle a traitorous First Lady." Fitz clarified why Cyrus looked shameful. Fitz still had a touch of loss around him and she wanted to wrap her arms around him and hold him until the storm had passed.

"Fill me in" she asked instead of giving into her daydreaming.

"Mellie has been on the phone most of the day, most of her calls were directed to Senators Marvin and Miller and one to Senator Davis, we guess she doesn't know that the cell phone, she forget to inform Secret Service she own, is tractable."

Olivia paled when Fitz mentioned Edison, this was going from bad to worse. Mellie had always been ambitious and never kept it a secret, and she had been deeply disappointed, when she had realized that her best option for having any influences in politic had been to marry into politic. But would she work against her husband?

"Why didn't Mellie participate in your campaign before I was called in?" Olivia wondered why she never had asked that question before, probably because of her attraction to Fitz from the first day.

Her question was met with silence. After an awkward pause Fitz took a hallow breath, "we had talked about divorce for a couple of years and Mellie wanted to go into politics, but it would be impossible if we divorced. The people voted me Governor but Mellie lost the election for the Senate, and it strained our marriage to the unbearable. She didn't want to support me but hadn't the courage to make a public scandal by divorcing me either. Something changed after you talked to her, Olivia. I never knew what changed Mellie's mind."

Olivia was taken aback, she had never understood her first conversation with Mellie, now she had a vague idea about what had changed Mellie's mind. Mellie had been polite almost bordering to the impolite, she had talked about her job at the law firm she worked for, and how proud she was of her children and her husband. It had all sounded forced in Olivia's ears. It wasn't until Olivia had talked and talked about how much she believed in Fritz's chances for winning, and how much he could do for the country that she had got Mellie's attention. Mellie had accepted to participate in getting Fitz elected.

"She said I would get her to the White House, I thought she misspoke."

Fitz caught her eyes, "I don't think she did!" The electricity was instantly building between them making her body anticipating his touch. After a moment, Fitz cleared his voice and broke the contact between them.

"Huck's investigation recovers that the Republican Lobby has five members; Miller, Marvin, Davis, the First Lady and Supreme Court Judge Morrison."

"Martha is a member?" Cyrus broke in.

"Yes Martha Morrison, do you know her?" Olivia asked

Cyrus stood up in his usually dramatic way, pacing while he talked, "we campaigned together once, a young promising man who had a weakness for gambling, it was a short campaign for Senate." He chuckled, "I was green and believed Martha when she told be the boy had potential, I learned a lot. The boy ruined the campaign after one month."

"Miller has set his mind to become Governor and succeeding he would leave an empty senator seat, see the picture?" Olivia asked.

"This Huck should come work for the White House!" Cyrus stated.

"He works for me!" Olivia gave him a stern stare.

"Well you work here…" Cyrus pointed out with a huge smile.

"Not on full time, you know that." Olivia couldn't see anything funny in that.

"Okay what do you want Mr. President?" Cyrus lost the smile and looked seriously at his boss, and so did Olivia.

"I don't want to leave the White House in disgrace due to my kind wife, I want this to be handled so when I leave his office it will on my terms."

"It can turn out to be ugly and dishonor Mellie." Olivia felt she had to warm him.

Fitz returned her stare, "we will try not to dishonor Mellie for the sake of the children, but I'm not afraid of ugliness, never have been." He clarified. She blushed, she was the one always leaving Fitz because of the loss it would be for America to looses him.

"Olivia it would be best if you could coordinate the press pool tomorrow and plan our next move, would it be too much to ask for?" Cyrus asked.

"Olivia is busy, I'm sure she is not available." Fitz said before Olivia had a chance to answer. She would have said no but hearing that Fitz didn't want her there, she changed her mind in obstinacy. "I am free tomorrow."

Fitz stared at her in disbelieve but said nothing. Cyrus walked Olivia to her car.

With his hands in his pocket and looking down Cyrus paused beside her car before he suddenly looked up and said, "are you a ticking bomb too, Olivia? Tic Tock. Are you ready to explode in my face? Because, I already have two ticking bombs in my hands and I need you to help defusing them, so I need to know if you're stable?"

Olivia tensed in anger, he had no right to ask her that question, he had repeatedly told her to walk away from Fitz and let him be great. She had listened to him and to Stephen, she had done the right thing and struggled to keep doing the right thing. She had sacrificed as much as any of them.

"He is struggling and rarely sleeps or eats," He gave her a serious glare which she returned, "Neither do I." She said and got into her car. She drove away without looking back.

To be continued