After nearly 7 hours of debate, the House of Representatives approved two articles of impeachment against Fitz, charging him with lying to the American people on live television and being involved in an illegal activity.
As instructed in Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution, the chief judge of the U.S. Supreme Court was sworn in to preside, and senators were sworn in as jurors. He was to be the second sitting president to take a stand before a grand jury investigating his conduct.
Fitz has been scheduled to speak live through a closed-circuit television to a distinguished jury in a nearby federal courthouse in three days time.
The whole world was talking about it. Every single news outlet in the world was babbling about the impeachment. Fitz's supporters were asking him to make a statement. And his haters were outside the White House lawn, screaming for him to exit the White House immediately.
Olivia and Fitz were in the Oval office. "This is getting out of hand, it is more than I expected. But what illegal activity are they talking about?" Olivia nervously asked Fitz.
Fitz also was nervous, but trying to act calm. His elbow was on his desk, supporting his head. "I have no idea. Abby is to give me information on that." He answered.
Olivia walked to Fitz's desk and sat on it, she could see through his calmness. "I'm sorry for being the cause of this."
Fitz sighed. "Considerably, I've done my best for the country, if this is how I get out then so be it. I'm just glad not to be living a lie anymore."
Olivia stood up from his desk and began pacing, thinking of a scheme. "We have to show the world you're not nervous or afraid. We have to do something."
"How about visiting the Marines at base camp?" Fitz suggested.
"Nah, this is not about your work, this is about your personal failings. We have to do something personal." She continued with her pacing.
Fitz thought for a while and gave another suggestion. "How about we tell the world we are expecting a baby?"
Olivia stopped pacing and looked at him. "Are you crazy?" She asked him. "The world doesn't need to know that."
Fitz smiled at the "Are you crazy" line and walked up to her. He enveloped his hands round her tummy from behind. "You know you'll be showing shortly, right?"
Olivia rested her head on Fitz's chest. "I know, I'll travel somewhere and come back when the baby is born, just like you suggested before."
The smile was gone from Fitz's face. He turned Olivia around for her to face him. "Why? The world already knows about us. I don't want my baby to be a mystery. I thought you don't want that too?"
Olivia was somehow not ready for the territory they were about to get into. "Yes, with time, the world would know, but not right now. They'd called our baby an illegitimate child. Don't you see this?"
"Then let's get married. What is more personal than that?" Fitz asked, bringing up Olivia's suggestion of doing something personal in order to show the world he wasn't frightened or nervous.
Olivia knew Fitz was nervous, but not this nervous to rush into marriage within three days. "We should get married within three days?" She asked him, not really wanting an answer.
"But…"
Olivia cut him off quickly. "Fitz, let's just drop this subject for today. When I become visible, we'll think of what to do. Right now, we have to deal with this present situation. You may really be removed from office. And this would not be good, after all the sacrifices we've made."
Fitz was back to reality. "I know. What should we do?"
Olivia stared at him blankly. "We have to do something light, but personal. I get it." An idea popped into her head. "There's a basketball game tomorrow, between the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs. Let's go together."
"Together as a couple? Olivia, this may put the focus back on you, you just barely reopened OPA."
Olivia smiled at him, very touched by his words. He always put her first. "Nah, right now I am some kind of a hero who saved those kids lives. This will be good for us both."
"You think so? Just us, as a date?" Fitz was already excited. He has been dying for them to do something publicly, but didn't want to push her because of the negative impact her confession to Diane Sawyer had on her.
"We can ask Abby and some of your staff to come along as well, to make things less obvious."
"OK, let's do this." Fitz replied happily.
Before Abby could come in with the information about the illegal activity charge on Fitz, Olivia got a call from Quinn. Quinn informed her Dr. Walker has been arrested for his involvement in illegal fetus transplant, and his wife wanted to see her. Olivia looked at Fitz, with fear written all over her face.
"What's the matter?" Fitz asked her.
"This is getting worse. The illegal activity is the fetus transplant stuff."
"Oh, boy." Fitz said frustratingly and sank in on a nearby chair.
Olivia picked up her bag to leave. "I have to go and find out what Dr. Walker has told anyone about your involvement in this."
"I can just deny it. I don't believe there's any proof." Fitz said.
Olivia came back and sat beside him. "This all boils down to votes. Right now Democrats are the majority in the House and Congress. And they hate you. We need to know the people on your side, and then persuade the others who aren't, within three days."
"Edison is the Democratic majority leader. So, good luck for me there." Fitz said sarcastically.
Olivia felt bad for getting him into this hot water. "I can talk to him, he may help. He could speak to the others."
Fitz shook his head, refusing the proposition. "No, I don't want you to talk to him. He has already helped you. We don't need any more favors from him."
"Fitz!"
"Olivia, I said no." He stated firmly
"Fine!" Olivia rolled her eyes.
XXX
The heat for Mellie to resign had tripled up too. She was completely clueless on what to do. She has been waiting for Olivia to come up with a plan on how she'd handle this, but Olivia hasn't called or even sent anyone to her. She storms into OPA.
"Where the Hell is Olivia Pope?" She shouted out.
Olivia finally came out. "Can I help you?"
"Can you help me?" Mellie asked demeandingly. "Do you remember Karen and your lover asked you to make sure I stay a senator?"
Olivia smiled and attempted to act calm. "Mellie, I want you to do something for me."
"What?" Mellie asked rudely.
"Leave my office. Go back, calm yourself, then come back and apologize for all the names you've ever addressed me with, and your attitude just now, then I might consider whether to help you or not."
"I'm not going to apologize to you." Mellie spat out.
Olivia smiled genuinely now. "Then go back and tell Karen and my lover, I've refused to help you." Olivia said and turned away from her. "Bye Mellie." She called as she sashayed away.
Mellie left and went to her car. After talking to Karen and Fitz about what Olivia wanted her to do, she came back to Olivia and apologized.
"I'm sorry for all the names I've ever called you and I promise to do anything you ask me to do so I can stay senator."
Olivia knew the apology wasn't genuine, but decided to let it slide. "Good. First, you'll have a seat down with Anderson Cooper, since you wanted to talk to him so badly, which made you put your own daughter on the hospital bed. You'll then tell him the truth. You'll tell him you knew about the affair from the beginning, and you were responsible with the Jenny Locket stuff. Finally, you'll wish Fitz and me well with our relationship."
Mellie pulled back and laughed sarcastically. "I'm not going to do that."
"Bye, Mellie." Olivia shook her head, walking away.
Mellie called right back. "How is all this going to help me, and stop people shouting for my resignation?"
Olivia turned to her and sighed deeply. "You'll say you're sorry and working on yourself right now, then beg the people of Virginia to give you time to prove yourself and make it up to them. And if within some months they still feel the same, you're going to step down."
"So, why can't I say all this without admitting I knew about your affair and Jenny?"
"Because you're accepting responsibility, you're admitting you make errors like any other. People are more sympathetic to someone who accept blame and determine to work on it."
XXX
Karen walked into her father's office. "Daddy, I heard you and Olivia would be attending the game between Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs. Can I come along too? You know I'm a huge San Antonio's fan." Karen paused, certain her father had no idea about that. "I don't think you even know that." She added
"I'm sorry I didn't know that." Fitz said
Karen rolled her eyes. "You need to stop saying you're sorry for everything, it's losing its meaning."
"Sorr… Okay, I'll stop saying that." Fitz smiled at her. "I didn't know you would like to join us. Let me tell Olivia so arrangements can be made."
Fitz dialed Olivia's number. "Karen said she'll like to join us for the game."
"That would be wonderful. Tell her I'm delighted." Olivia replied.
Fitz talked over his phone. "Olivia says she's happy for you to join us."
"I knew she would, she's cool."
Karen was about to leave when Fitz called her back."How is the therapy going?"
"Kind of cool in a way I guess. She says whatever happened between you and mom is not my fault, and I can't do anything about it. She says I should put me first before anyone. She keeps telling me I'm too intelligent and mature for my age."
Fitz smiled at Karen. "I love her already."
"Don't let Olivia find out." Karen teased and left
XXX
Olivia talked to Dr. Walker and he told her everything about Cyrus and the rest. Olivia went to see Cyrus.
"So you think getting Fitz impeached is going to give you some happiness in your miserable life?" She asked Cyrus
"What is happiness Olivia? Who needs happiness? You know people aren't really happy unless they're faking it." Cyrus responded.
"Fitz is not going to be removed from office Cyrus. I'm going to do whatever needs to be done for him not to. And I still have your criminating records from Charlie. You don't want to play this game with me Cyrus."
Olivia waited for Cyrus to rebound with something she couldn't imagine. But to her greatest surprise, Cyrus broke down in tears instead. "I just want to be back in the bubble Liv. I don't want to see all that I've worked for go down in the drain. I just want my boy back. I want him to want me again. That's all."
Olivia held him and consoled him, then told him she'd talk to Fitz.
Olivia and Fitz went to the basketball game with Abby, Karen and some staff. All eyes were fixed on them. Karen sat between Fitz and Olivia. Abby and Olivia were making small talks at the side when the kiss camera came to their area.
Everyone at the game began to shout, asking Fitz and Olivia to kiss. Abby also joined the crowd, teasing them to kiss. Fitz was ready to go all in, but Olivia froze, she was entirely caught off guard. She was nervous to kiss Fitz for the world to see. The camera got tired and left them. The crowd shouted their disappointments and booed them.
Karen looked up at Olivia. "Why didn't you kiss daddy?"
"I was nervous." Olivia replied, laughing.
"Why were you nervous? The camera was right there and daddy was ready to kiss you, but you refused to kiss him." Karen stated, clearly disappointed.
"OK, I'll kiss him next time." Olivia said and kissed Karen on the head.
But Karen wouldn't let it slide. "What if there's no next time?"
Fitz was happy his daughter was on his side, he teased Olivia. "Yes, What if there's not next time?"
Fitz and Olivia were busy talking when Karen looked up, and saw they were on the screen again. She screamed out loud. "Now, now, the camera is on us, kiss daddy now."
Olivia and Fitz looked up at the screen too, knowing the camera was on them, they smiled at each other before locking lips over Karen's head. The crowd shouted their cheers.
They kept on kissing and didn't want to quit. Karen had to push their heads apart, and told them to get a room. It was all caught on camera.
The impeachment story wasn't the only news people could talk about after their date. Every news station kept running the tape of Karen shouting at Olivia to kiss Fitz. People were talking how lovely and in love they were. It was all everyone could talk about for the meantime.
XXX
Mellie went for a seat down with Anderson Cooper after that debacle from the kiss cam. She told him everything Olivia wanted her to say and talked about how lovely they were on the kiss camera. She said she was happy because her daughter was happy. She apologized and begged for a second chance.
Olivia dug up some dirt on the Republicans calling for Mellie's resignation, and blackmailed them with, telling them they must back off and support Mellie or she'd expose their dirty deets. Thus, all the Republicans who were against Mellie gave interviews, saying they've forgiven her and would give her a second chance.
And precisely like that, Olivia saved Mellie's ass. Mellie was no longer under fire to leave office.
Olivia spoke to Fitz about Cyrus and asked him to talk to him. Cyrus apologized to Fitz and Fitz decided to forgive him, Fitz told him he couldn't take him as his Chief of Staff, but if Cyrus could work behind the scenes with him, he'd be grateful.
While the cuteness from the kiss camera was a good personal crisis management strategy for Fitz and Olivia, the impeachment talk was still going strong.
Olivia, Cyrus and Abby were brainstorming how to get Fitz out of the hot water. They listed out all the Senators who were for Fitz and all those who weren't.
They were able to make some calls and got some Democrats on their side, but it wasn't still enough. It boiled down to Edison. He was the only one who could persuade more Democrats not to vote against Fitz's removal from office.
"He was your former lover, why don't you just talk to him?" Cyrus said to Olivia
"Fitz said I shouldn't." Olivia replied.
"Liv, this is about his Presidency not his feelings." Cyrus added.
Abby chipped in as well. "Liv, Cyrus has a point. He doesn't need to know."
"No, I'm done doing things behind his back. If he doesn't want his help, then so be it."
"Olivia, this would be the end of his Presidency. After all the sacrifices we've all made, this is how we gets out?" Cyrus asked her.
"Cyrus, your guilty game is not working on me." Olivia replied and left.
XXX
Olivia was more than worried about this impeachment talk. "Fitz, the vote would be against you."
Fitz looked at her and saw the defeat in her eyes. "So, this is the end?"
"Yes"
Fitz ran his hands through his hair, defeated too. "There's nothing we can do?"
"We've tried everything."
He breathed out. "Okay, fine, I'm OK with it."
But Olivia wasn't, she swayed her head. "I want to see Edison."
"Olivia, I said no." Fitz said firmly.
"This is not about you. I just want to thank him for helping me out."
"You already did that through the phone."
"No, I want to see him face to face and thank him in person." Olivia insisted.
"Olivia my answer is still no."
Olivia hated taking orders. "You're not the boss of me. You don't tell me what to do."
Karen interrupted them "Fighting already? After all the lovely kiss cam adorableness? By the way that was awesome."
"No, we're not fighting. What do you want honey?" Fitz asked.
"I have to go." Olivia gave Karen a kiss, walking off.
"Oh, I think she's definitely mad at you." Karen said to Fitz.
"She'll get over it." Fitz replied.
XXX
Olivia went to see Edison.
"To what do I owe this surprised visit? Oh, sure I know why. Your beau is in trouble and you need my help."
"No, I'm not here for that. I came to thank you for your CNN interview."
"Do I get a kiss?"
"Edison!"
"Why? You know you have a special place in my heart." Edison said, smiling.
"Fitz has a special place in my heart." Olivia fired back.
Edison held his chest. "Ugh, that literally hurts."
Olivia chuckled. "Sorry."
"Its fine. I've never stopped thinking about your lips though." Edison walked closer to her.
"Edison!" Olivia shifted away from him.
"Sorry, okay, enough with that. On a more serous note, your boyfriend's Presidency is over, you know that right?
Olivia decided to try her luck, she walked her index and middle fingers playfully up Edison's arm, stating "If only you do something about it and talk to your fellow Democrats."
Edison welcomed the flirting. "I'm not asking for much. Just a kiss from you, I'll snap my fingers and many of the Democrats against him will fall in line. I miss you Olivia."
"Edison, I can't do that."
"Why not? Are you scared you'll want more?"
"No, it won't mean anything to me, but…."
"It'll mean a lot to me. It will be a proper thank you for my little speech on CNN."
Olivia opened her mouth to say Edison, but he crushed his mouth to hers. She resisted at first, then kissed him a little. Edison tried to reach for her ass, she then pushed him away.
"Stop. I should go. I shouldn't have come."
"Don't worry. I'm going to help your boyfriend." Edison smiled as Olivia walked away.
XXX
"So, I went to see Edison." Olivia informed Abby.
"I thought you said you wouldn't?"
"Yeah." was all Olivia could say.
Abby looked at her and notice something was wrong." Uh, oh. What happened? Is Fitz aware of this?"
"I told him I was going to see him, he said no. But I went anyway. And Edison kissed me."
"Oops."
"The kiss didn't mean anything to me, but now, how am I supposed to tell Fitz after he specifically told me not to see him? If I don't tell him too, it'll be me keeping another secret from him." Olivia paused, and then added. "I think there's something within me that always wants us to fight."
"Did Edison say he'll assist him?"
"He said all he needed was a kiss from me, for him to help him."
"Oh, my gosh Olivia, don't tell me you let him kiss you because…."
"No, I didn't… well… not entirely, but…"
"Olivia, no.."
They were still talking when Fitz and Cyrus walked in happily, to give them the good news.
"Liv, we don't even need Edison. We have enough votes already. Fitz had a meeting with some Democrats against him some hours ago." Cyrus informed Olivia. "I can't believe I actually wanted you to talk to him without Fitz's knowledge. I guess I'm always going to be a conniving little bitch."
Fitz shook his head slightly at the Cyrus' comment. "I told you we didn't need his help." Fitz said to Olivia. "After the meeting with his fellow Democrats, Edison's secretary called me and said he was on board too, but this was already after we had the votes."
Olivia and Abby looked at each other. "I have to talk to you." Olivia said to Fitz.
"We'll talk later, my hearing is in a few minutes, but thank God we know the verdict already, the perks of being a President. Now we just follow the procedures." Fitz said and gave Olivia a kiss on her cheek, walking out for his trial.
XXX
Fitz went to the closed trial. The Senate voted on whether to remove him from office. Fitz was acquitted on both articles of impeachment. The prosecution needed a two-thirds majority to convict Fitz, but failed to achieve even a bare majority. On the charge of lying to the American people, 50 Democrats and 75 Republicans voted "Not Guilty." The charge of his involvement in an illegal activity was rejected due to lack of sufficient evidence.
After the trial concluded that evening, Fitz gave a five-minute televised address to the nation. In the brief words, he acknowledged he lied about sleeping with Jenny Locket. He apologized to the American public to his admission for misleading them to believe he had an affair with Jenny Locket. Fitz said he was profoundly sorry for the burden his behavior has imposed on Congress and the American people.
XXX
After Fitz's televised address, all he wanted to do was have Olivia in his arm. He was clearly a very happy man. The fact that he was going to complete his term, with the love of his life beside him, without them living in secret was way more than he bargained for.
Olivia was already in the bedroom waiting for him. Fitz entered the room and picked Olivia up and embraced her tightly. When he settled her down, he saw that look on her face.
"What's the matter?" Fitz asked her.
"I went to see Edison today."
"I thought I specifically told you not to."
"Well, being the stubborn me, who hates taking orders, I went anyway."
Fitz studied her for some time. "What happened?"
"Edison Kissed me."
Fitz stopped breathing for some few seconds. "Did you kiss him back?" He demanded.
"It didn't mean anything." Olivia answered.
"I asked you a question, did you kiss him back?"
"A little."
The kiss camera thingy is in gallantry to the Obama's family. I watched one video on YouTube were Malia shouted for her parents to kiss in one basketball match. I thought it was just too cute to ignore.
I'm still working on ADDICTS' update. I can only type on launch hour and on weekends, so bear with me.
