A/N Wasn't even supposed to be updating, but the premise of this chapter struck so I had to write it out before I forgot. I will regret staying up this late in the morning. Again thank you all for the kind reviews. Please check out my other fics if you haven't done so.
It's been three days since I heard from Fitz. I assume that he went back to D.C. and took up with Olivia again, forgetting all about me. I am waiting for the papers to be returned. He must be having his lawyer look through them. Teddy and I spent the day at my parent's house. It was nice to have a moment to forget about all my troubles. We are being driven back to my rental when I notice several SUV's and cars sitting outside the house. The front door is open and agents are going in and out of the house. I notice a few of them removing luggage.
When the car stops I tell Teddy that I will be right back and I jump out of the car.
"What are you doing?" I ask walking up to one of the agents.
"We have orders to remove your belongings ma'am."
"What? Am I being evicted? I paid for a year." I am confused. The agents continue packing my belongings into one of the SUV's, I continue to stand dumbfounded. I stop an agent carrying a box of Teddy's toys. "Under whose orders are you doing this?"
"The president ma'am." I see red.
"For what purposes?" I say walking after the agent. He stops and turns to me.
"Ma'am we have orders to remove yours and your son's belongings and to bring the both of you back to D.C."
"Why don't you call the president and tell him that I'm not coming?" The agent shook his head.
"Sorry ma'am but that is not an option." I run toward the car with Teddy and attempt to remove him from his seat, but I am grabbed by an agent. He hoists me in the air and carries me to the passenger side of the car before dumping me into the backseat.
I scream at the top of my lungs when he grabs me and I struggle, but I'm just making myself tired. "Let me out of here!" I notice that the child safety locks are on and I can't open the door. Teddy is looking at me terrified and I know I have to calm down.
"Mama what's wrong? Why you upset?"
"I'm fine honey, its fine." I say ruffling his hair. I close my eyes trying to calm myself. I bite my lower lip trying to will the tears not to come. I just don't understand why he's doing this. He hates me so much that he will do anything to punish me. One of the agents gets into the car and speaks into his mic.
"Swan is in the pond." I imagine he's talking to Fitz and my ire rises, but I have to keep calm for Teddy's sake.
We arrive at the Air Force base and I see the jet waiting for me. A tear falls down my face and I swipe it away. I don't want to go back, but I will go for now and then figure out another way.
D.C.
I get word that they have Mellie, apparently she went without much of a fight. Probably owing to the fact that Teddy is with her. I know she is far from happy, but this was the only way I could think of to get her back to D.C., I know that if she comes home I can show her how things are going to be different, how I will be different. I'm having a difficult time concentrating on work. I keep looking at my watch anticipating when her plane will touch down. I have notified my agents that I want to be at the Air Force base when her plane arrives. I decide to go up to the residence to change clothes to kill some time. Finally I get word that her plane will be touching down within the hour. I leave the White House so that I can greet Mellie and Teddy.
I'm anxiously waiting in the car for the plane to come in. Finally I see the plane taxing down the runway and my heart speeds up. I know she is going to be furious with me. My agent comes around and opens the door for me. I wait on the tarmac, finally the plane door opens. I can hear my heart beating in my ears. I am suddenly feeling warm as the anticipation takes over me. Finally I see her step into the doorway carrying Teddy on her hip. I begin to walk towards them, when Teddy sees me he begins to squirm in her arms. Mellie slowly walks down the stairs and as soon as her feet hit the ground Teddy wiggles free and she sets him down on the ground. He runs toward me.
"Dada!" I can't help but to smile he is so happy to see me. When he reaches me I pick him up, hug him tightly and kiss his cheek. Mellie walks slowly towards us. I close the gap between us, I use my free hand to pull her to me, kissing her jawline. She tenses and disengages from my touch almost immediately.
The ride back to the White House is silent. Mellie spends the entire time staring out the window. Teddy is filling me in on his trip to North Carolina, none the wiser of the tension between his parents.
I refuse to let him see me cry. I refuse to let him see me cry is the mantra I say over and over in my head. I can't even look at him so I stare out the window the entire time. As we get closer to the White House I dread this even more. Finally we arrive and I look over briefly to see that Teddy has fallen asleep. It's late in the evening so I know that Fitz will be done in the West Wing. We exit the car and I reach for Teddy, but Fitz gently lifts him out of his seat and carries him into the house and to his room. I follow him preparing to get Teddy ready for bed.
"I have this you can go settle in." Those are the first words we have spoken to each other since my arrival.
I just nod and leave the room. I immediately head for the Queen's bedroom, once I reach the door I turn the knob and notice that it won't budge, the door is locked. I walk down the hall to the Lincoln bedroom and have the same results.
"All the bedroom doors are locked, except the President's bedroom of course." I notice her going from room to room trying to find a place to stay. I had anticipated this and had the rooms locked. I even had the sitting and living rooms locked in anticipation. I am not trying to torture her, but I want her back in my bed, nothing else will do.
"I'm not sleeping in the bed with you, you can forget it." She begins to walk away and I know she is leaving the residence.
"I hope you aren't about to go to Blair House because you'll find the same results." She whips around and gives me a cold steel blue stare.
"Why are you doing this to me?" I know she is trying to be strong, but I hear the anguish in her voice.
"Because I love you and I don't want our marriage to end. You belong here Mellie, with me your husband." She scoffs and shakes her head.
"You just want to punish me for not giving you the divorce when you wanted it. How long are you going to do this? Is there anything I can do to get you to stop this madness?"
"I'm not punishing you how many times do I have to tell you that! Are you just going to stand there and not acknowledge that I just told you that I love you?" We stand staring at each other. I will not acknowledge the lies he is telling me. Suddenly he grabs my hand and pulls me towards the master bedroom. Once we are in he closes the door and I hear the distinct snicker of a door being locked. "I didn't want to keep having that conversation where anyone could hear us." I stand with my back to him refusing to look at him.
"Did you have to lock the door?"
"If I thought that you would have a conversation with me without running I wouldn't have, but seeing you current mood I know that's not going to happen. To answer your question yes I had to lock the door." I walk over to the wing back chair near the fireplace and sit down. "How long are we going to do this Mellie? Why don't we just start working on our marriage? You know I'm not signing those papers, that I'm not letting you go."
"That's not your call Fitzgerald! I want a divorce and I will get that divorce."
"So you say. I'm going to take a shower do you want to join me?"
"Fuck off!" He just smiles and shakes his head as he goes into the bathroom. I am so angry I could scream and I do. I also grab a folder of papers that he has sitting on the nightstand and I throw them. I am in the middle of a full blown temper tantrum and I could care less. I throw a few more things on the floor before the utter exhaustion that I feel begins to take over me. I try to will my body not to go to sleep, but I can't hold the sleepiness at bay. I walk back over to the chair and sit down. I feel my eye lids getting heavy and I only plan to close my eyes briefly.
When I exit the bathroom I notice Mellie sitting by the fireplace, completely knocked out. She's beautiful and I smile. I look around the room and see that she had a tantrum while I was in the bathroom and that causes me to laugh slightly, she is something else. Quietly I walk over to her and lift her in my arms. She stirs a bit but does not wake up. I walk Mellie over to the bedroom and lay her down gently. I look at her again before turning and heading into the closet. I grab her a night gown before returning to the main room. Mellie has turned on her side, but she is still fast asleep.
As gently as I can I begin to remove her clothes, as every inch of skin is revealed I feel a stirring in my groin. I close my eyes tightly knowing this is not the time. I strip her of her clothes and I know she must be exhausted because she does not wake up she is dead to the world. Gently I pull the night gown over her head and cover her with a blanket. I reach down and kiss the side of her head.
"I do love you. I know it has not always seemed that way, but I do." I look at her a moment longer before standing up and grabbing a pillow off the bed. I move to the couch and lay down. I look at her from the couch sleeping peacefully and I feel everything is right with the world knowing she is with me again.