The Meeting:

A/N: This is just a fluffy oneshot featuring a relationship between Olivia and Teddy. Please R&R!

Olivia stalked into the Oval, having received a call from Cyrus about a meeting. However, the room was empty. Well, not empty, Olivia noted, as Teddy, his small hands holding a teddy bear (how fitting, she thought in amusement), walked up to her. Surprisingly, the child made Olivia slightly nervous, seeing as how he was Mellie's child and all, but she quickly accepted the bear he was holding up to her hands.

"Hi," Teddy said. "What's your name?" Olivia looked at him. "I'm Olivia," she finally replied, checking her watch. Where was Cyrus at? "Livia," Teddy said. "Right. And you're Teddy, right?" How could she, Olivia Pope, feel awkward talking to a child that was barely three?

"Yep!" Teddy reached for the bear that Olivia was still holding, and she relinquished it quickly, handing it back to him. Teddy played on the floor, on the floor, walking his bear over the presidential seal. Olivia smiled.

Soon, Teddy made his way back to her. "Livia play with me?" he asked. Didn't he have a nanny for this sort of thing? Olivia looked at him uncomfortably, and then suddenly thought of how Mellie probably never played with him except on camera. "Sure," she replied, which was how she found herself on her knees, making a stuffed bear talk. She wasn't at all good at it, but Teddy seemed entertained enough, so she continued.

Fitz was late for his second meeting of the day, and Cyrus was reminding him constantly as he stalked down the halls of the White House. He'd just left the first meeting, which was with the CIA director, and he was still trying to comprehend the deluge of information and statistics she'd thrown at him. He'd gotten the gist though; he needed to do more.

This had made him rather irritated, and when Teddy's nanny, Jennifer (Jen, for short), stopped him, he snapped a, "What?" at her before continuing to walk. Jen looked like she was about to cry. "Sir, sir, I'm so sorry; I went to the bathroom while Teddy was taking his nap, and when I came back, he wasn't in the Residence, and I haven't been able to find him. I've started lowering the bars on his crib, but I didn't think that he would go roaming about, especially when he'd been asleep-"

Fitz held up a hand, not comprehending Jen's rambling; he'd only heard to "wasn't in the Residence" before blanking out, and immediately turned to Cyrus, meeting forgotten. "Get the SS on it," he commanded. "Jen, check again in the Residence. I'll look in the Oval and in all the places that he possibly could've gone."

Jen left immediately, but Cyrus hesitated, and Fitz glowered, which sent him walking off in the other direction with a sigh. Fitz hurriedly ran to the Oval, nearly running several curious aides over, but when he wrenched open the door, he stopped suddenly, taking in the scene before him.

Olivia Pope was sitting next to Teddy on the floor, and they were playing with a teddy bear, some blocks, and a few rubber ducks, Olivia making a stack of blocks to support them. Teddy was laughing at something Olivia said, more so than he'd ever laughed with Mellie. Olivia had turned at his entrance, and there was slight embarrassment on her face, an expression he didn't see often.

Fitz took out his phone and quickly sent a text to Cyrus to tell him to call off the search. Meanwhile, Teddy had walked up to him, giggling quietly. "Daddy! This is Liv." He pointed at Olivia. Fitz could barely suppress his laughter. "Yeah, Teddy, we've met before," he replied, ruffling his son's hair.

Olivia stood. "Fitz. I was told there would be a meeting, but when I got here, no one was in, except for Teddy, so I-" Fitz cut her off. "Don't worry," he said. "I think the meeting can wait." He kneeled down next to Teddy's block tower, and Teddy quickly joined him in delight. Olivia looked hesitant, but when Teddy tugged on her leg, she too sat. "Look," Teddy pointed at the duck. "Daddy duck and Mommy duck." He picked up two rubber ducks. "And this one," he added, picking up another, "is Liv duck!" Olivia laughed at that, but there was sadness in her tone as she took the duck from Teddy with a quiet, "thanks."

Fitz glanced at her, knowing the exact reason for that quiet sadness, but then looked away before she noticed. As he watched Olivia rearrange the blocks for Teddy's bear, he knew that he would try harder than ever to make them work, because Olivia and Teddy together was something that he wanted to see more often. And perhaps Olivia was thinking the same thing he was, for she looked across at him and smiled. Fitz smiled back. He would definitely try harder, he thought, and maybe she would too.

~Fin