"Why are you mean-mugging me?" Fitz asks.
"Because you still get to lay on your stomach and I don't. Do you know how uncomfortable it is being on my back all the time?" I say.
"I didn't hear you complaining ten minutes ago" He smirks, flipping onto his side using his palm to prop his head up. I want to smack him. "How are you feeling?" He lays a loving hand on the babies and starts caressing small circles into me.
"Okay." I smile "But I'm scared, I never imagined having one kid and now we're having two at the same time."
"You know the last time we saw each other before everything- I said we would move to Vermont and have two babies."
"And we're halfway there," I say. His gaze is trained on me as if he's trying to read my mind. I jump out of my thoughts. "What if I stayed in Vermont?" Fitz sits up and he swipes his boxers off the floor.
"Like until you give birth?"
"Like until the end of your term…" I say and I instantly regret bringing it up at all because of the expression clouding his face.
Fitz sighs, running his hands through his flat damp curls. "It would complicate plans that I have for us here-"
"Divorcing the First Lady and moving me in. I see how that can get complicated." This isn't the first time Fitz has thought up a plan and didn't bother to consult me or ask about my feelings on the matter. My chest is pounding and between my brows is starting to ache. Sucking in a deep breath I sit on the bed and exhale. "I don't want to move into the White House," I say.
"When were you going to tell me?" Fitz asks. "So you're going back to Vermont?"
"I'm leasing a townhouse in Georgetown… well I'm looking into it." I stand up and Fitz blocks my path to the bathroom. He's upset. He walks me backward until the frame of the bed is touching my calves and sits me back down. As he kneels, he takes both of my hands. "You're not mad?" I ask
"I am. But you're high risk and I won't put that stress on you right now. All I want you to worry about is taking care of yourself so you can deliver our healthy baby girls." He says, I smile as he palms my belly.
"Also we're pretty much out of the woods. Dr. Cole said that women in my case usually go into early labor around twenty-five to twenty-six weeks, and today I'm twenty-eight weeks. My cervix is closed for the next two months. These babies aren't in a rush."
"That's good to hear but I won't stop worrying until we're at thirty-nine weeks." Fitz kisses my belly and I giggle from the tickle of his stubble.
"I think I like the beard look," I say.
"Don't get used to it. I'm shaving today." Fitz walks into the bathroom. And I hear the water cut on, a few minutes later Fitz sticks his head out of the door, toothpaste dripping off his chin, "What does your day look like?"
"Watch the rug," I say. He cups his hand under his chin. "I'm going to OPA today and that's it. I'll be home for the rest of the evening. Quinn's been distant lately. I think she's still mad."
"Funny because Abby's been nothing but clingy. She's punching above her weight class and if she doesn't get out of the ring, Cyrus is gonna start coming for her." My face must've said what I didn't want to because Fitz's brows knitted in a tiny frown. "What?"
"What?" I ask. He's done brushing his teeth and standing in front of my closet as I'm trying to pull out a coat. That's his new thing, he knows I can't just quickly move past him to avoid his questions anymore. "What was that face?" My shoulders fall carelessly and I walk around him and go to my dresser.
"What's up with you and Abby?" He asks. And I wish he hadn't.
"Well… she thinks I should have gotten an aborti-'' I didn't even get the last syllable out before he was flying across the room collecting his clothes. He was dressed in a flash. "Fitz, Fitz" He ignores the pleading in my voice.
"I've always liked that color on you," he says and leaves me with a parting kiss on the cheek.
"Don't do anything drastic."
"I won't. I love you!" He says.
As I'm stepping off the lift, Quinn sprints past me hurrying down a flight of stairs. To get away from me no doubt. I didn't expect this to go over well with Quinn at least not after what I did to Charlie. A part of me is still shocked that she's here.
"Quinn" I call from the landing and my voice echoes off the white walls. "Quinn, you're fired if you don't come back."
Her footsteps increase and I see the top of her brown locks at the second landing. "What, Olivia?" she says."Why do you want me here if you can't trust me?"
"I do trust you. I had a decision to make. I was only told two people and-"
"You told Abby, she's the enemy Liv, she works at the White House, with Cyrus and the First Lady. I should have been your third person. Because even when you don't have my back I've always had yours."
"You were framed for a bombing and I got you out of there. No one else. So don't ever imply that I don't have your back because when you were running around playing spy kids with Charlie, I was reminding the team that you're still one of us." I say "And If we want to get technical this pregnancy is my business, so I don't owe you a damn thing, Quinn."
I start back up the stairs, and Quinn's boots thud against the concrete stairs. "I'm sorry but Liv, I could have been of more help. If you had told me I could have stopped Charlie from getting that DNA sample. I could have helped."
"Maybe you're right but Quinn you'll know when I need you to know something and when I don't. You have to respect those boundaries." I say. And she starts picking at her fingernails.
"Okay. I'm sorry I was pissed at you." She says.
"I forgive you." Quinn throws her arms around and squeezes me. I tap her shoulder so she'll loosen her grip. "I haven't told anyone else yet. But I'm having twins… girls." Her face brightens and her body instinctually goes to hug me but she controls herself.
"Thanks for trusting me," she says, and skates down the stairs as much in hurry as when I caught her earlier.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
I know it was twelve forty-five because I had just glazed over the clock, wondering where the hell Quinn was. I wasn't too worried about the office because we didn't have any new clients today, but she's been gone almost an hour. Then Huck poked his head into my doorway scolding me for not eating. Though it wasn't intentional, Fitz and I's discussion had taken root in my head and the thought of food escaped me momentarily. After he grilled me on whether I've been remembering to take my prenatal, he leaves to get me a salad and large fries.
I look up at the clock again and the little hand is hovering over the one. A text from huck comes in [Be back in fifteen]
I drafted a message to Quinn but before I could hit send. She barreled into my office like a tornado. I didn't hear or see her walk up and I just now saw Brian appear from his original post alongside her secret service agent. The First Lady is prattling on. I only caught every other word and then I stopped trying to make out what she was saying after Whore.
"Why are you here?" I ask
"Why are you still screwing with my husband?" Mellie snarled at my question, folding her arms against her chest. "I asked you point blank months ago, were you two involved again and you lied to my face."
"I don't owe you an explanation Mellie because I'm not the one you married." I don't stand up because I know it would only make this worse than it already is. "That's something he should have told you"
"Olivia Pope you really have no shame do you?" She screams, and my agent looks through the glass but I nod him off.
"Mellie, you need to leave now," I say. "I have nothing here for you."
"You and Fitz can keep your eyes closed living this fantasy but you both have to wake up sooner or later. The American public will never embrace a two-time cheating President and his whore, you are even dumber than I thought" She takes a few more steps closer to the desk until she's hovering, and then she chuckles. "Oh. That's it. That little bastard that you're carrying-"
I jumped up so fast I had to plant one hand on the desk and the other on my babies, protectively. The chair titered back and forth a second. Her eyes widened as she scaled me. "Brian, the First Lady will be leaving now."
"If it was secret you would have cleaned your desk" Immediately my focus burned on the What to expect when you're expecting a book that Kim loaned me a few days ago. "Go!"
"You'll be unrecognizable when I'm done with you," Mellie says as she's leaving.
"Are you alright ma'am?" Brian asked.
Raising my hand I waved him out of my office and I finally exhaled a deep breath that I had been holding. But I kept in the blood-curdling scream that I wanted to expel so badly. Huck's boots thud against the tile before I see him. But I was already repacking my purse.
"Brian I'm ready to go home," I say
"uh, Liv you haven't eaten-"
"Huck, I have to go, I'm sweaty and I don't feel good."
"uh okay, I'll take you home," Huck says "I have to"
"Okay," and he immediately opens his phone and starts texting someone. I assume it's Kim.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
The drive back to my apartment was quiet and I appreciated that. But I could tell something was up with Huck, he hadn't put his phone down the entire drive. I was getting worried about that, but I also had a million other thoughts racing through my head right now. I just hope if it's serious, whatever it is he'll be honest with me. How naive was I to believe that all my problems went out of the door along with my father? Even now I'm trying to convince myself that Mellie is in fact as intelligent as I've given her credit for. Exposing Fitz and I wouldn't just blow back on us but it would kill her chances of being the next Virginia senator and after she wouldn't even be allowed to dream of stepping foot in the Oval Office as President.
My key was in the lock and I was starting to turn the deadbolts, but beside me, Huck is wiping sweat off his brows in August. "Huck, is something wrong?"
"No, uh we should go in"
I look to Brian for something of an answer to Huck's strange behavior, and of course, his face is even more unreadable. I open the door and Quinn is standing in my living room, the balloon she was blowing up zigged and zagged through the air before floating down to the crest rail of the sofa. Hanging from the archway a white and baby pink banner: IT'S GIRLS snatched my attention.
"...Surprise!" She says.
"What's this?" I asked, stepping over a wrapped box, my floor decorated with pink confetti and balloons floating.
"It's a baby shower- your baby shower," Kim says. She came out of the kitchen, with a handful of streamers. By her expression, I know mine isn't painting a picture of someone who's happy. And it isn't that I'm not, it's just I'm thoroughly surprised. A baby shower hadn't crossed my mind, not that I don't want to celebrate my babies. But I've been so focused on keeping them a secret from everyone and I forgot.
"Wait Liv don't cry," Quinn says "Here sit down" She swept a pile of streamers on the floor and I sat down.
"I'm fine," I say "How did you do all of this, it's only been two hours or so."
"With Kim's help, but we didn't get to finish. I had to make a second trip to the malls, twins need twice as much. And if you open a bag full of boy stuff, you can thank Huck for that."
"What?" Huck shrugged playfully defensive. "I casted my vote."
"Thank you guys" wiping tears from my eyes, it wasn't hard to find the source of awkwardness, the room went quiet just watching my hormones flare up. "I'm fine- I'm just-"
"Overwhelmed?" Kim says
"Yeah- what should I do?"
"Nothing, just sit there and open your gifts," Quinn says. "We all chipped in…well we tried but huck covered it courtesy of stolen-" Her mouth snapped shut and I looked over at Huck to see him shaking his head very intentionally. I don't ask, but I already have a clear idea of what the secret is.
Kim presented me with a purple gift bag, inside were two onesies that said we're drinking buddies with two pink baby bottles on the front. A lot of the bags were filled with onesies with cute taglines and bottles and pacifiers and barf clothes. Quinn snuck and snapped a few candid photos of me as I was unboxing baby gadgets. I started getting nervous when we got down to the bigger gifts. Further convincing me that I will definitely need more space before the twins arrive. Huck disappeared into my room and came back rolling a double stroller, it took up half the space of my living room. There was so much stuff in my living room I just hoped there was nothing else in my bedroom.
"Babies like walks in the park." Kim says "And there's a twin harness, although I don't know how to get you in it but it's there for you anyway."
"Oh there's one more bag down here, Liv" Quinn handed it over "you'll definitely need those, the white house is a maze."
"Right, thanks." The door opened and Brian stepped inside, he tried to hand me the phone but I shook my head.
"Ms. Pope is in the bathroom at the moment, Sir." He lied, so I gave him a nod of appreciation. "Yes Sir, I will."
"Thank you guys so much. I don't know what to say."
My mouth was a desert when I woke up, and the girls were taking turns to see who could kick my kidney the hardest. Food and water were on my list as I maneuvered out of bed. The living room was a mess as if a group of fairies threw a party. Torn sparkly wrapping paper draped on the sofa, balloons, and streamers still hanging from the ceiling. Cleaning this place will take forever, and I'll never get the glitter out of the carpet. However, that's tomorrow's problem. I open the fridge and relief and joy flooded me. I pull out the pasta and grab two cupcakes off the tray. And while I wait for the oven to heat I pour a glass of water.
Between this mess and the mess of my life, I declare tomorrow is my much-needed day off.
It seemed the minute I was done eating one of the babies got super active. "Hi, baby," I whisper. "What are you doing up?" I rub around my belly and she's chasing my hand. "Your aunt's and uncle got you guys lots of gifts today." She stopped moving as if my voice was lulling her back to sleep. "Goodnight, sweet baby"
At twelve-thirty it was apparent I wasn't getting back to sleep anytime so I started sorting baby clothes and making space for gadgets where I could. By one-fifteen I was working on the girl's and I's hospital bags. We've only got two months until they're here. The least I can do is make sure they'll have clothes to leave the hospital in and hopefully a home to take them to.
A soft but intentional knock came at the door.
"Fitz?" He moves past me, looking over the contents of the disheveled room "What are you doing here?"
"Brian said you've been sick all day, so I'm here. What's all this?"
"My people threw me a baby shower. It's late and leaving the White House is risky. What are you doing?" I ask, trying to mask my annoyance.
Finally turning to me, he smirks "Why are you ignoring my calls. You're not sick, so what did I do? Liv I know you well enough so just tell me so I can fix it."
I sigh and we move closer to each other until his arms are wrapped around me and my face is planted in his chest. Inhaling his warm, musky scent. I needed him today. I needed this. We're planted in this spot for a while.
"What do you need?"
"I need you to be here for me." Pushing away from him I go and stand on the other side of the room. "Because I feel alone and I shouldn't because you said you'll handle everything. That's what I need"
"What are you talking about? I got rid of your father, I'm handling Mellie, you are not alone- Why are you laughing?" Fitz asks irritation deep in his tone.
"Handling Mellie? Is that what you call, her showing up at OPA and threatening me. Fitz, I'm mad but I don't wanna be mad at you. I'm trying to tell myself that I won't have to worry about her, but that would just be another lie because she's your wife and you share children."
"Ex-wife"
"I can't. I have to protect them and if-"
"If what- If you have to leave? Liv I'm their father, we said we're in this together so let's be together"
"It's easy for you to say that the country won't turn against you, Fitz you have everything to gain and I have everything to lose. I am a black and a woman, pregnant by the President with the second-highest approval ratings since Obama. The American people will forgive you, me on the other hand I could never show my face in Washington-"
He stalks across the room to get to me, I turn my back walking closer to the window, blinking back tears. His hands creep around my waist and he pulls me against his chest. I resist at first and then I melt into his embrace. He touches my stomach and whispers in my ear.
"I'll do whatever you want me to do. Just forgive me?"
…
Fitz POV
Olivia's frustration is understandable but that doesn't make being pushed away by my pregnant love any less painful. Brian is standing guard next to Larry, he avoids eye contact until I'm too close that it's impossible "If you ever lie to me again, about Olivia pope, you won't have to worry about what she'll do to you, cause I'll handle you"
"My apologies sir."
"Go home, Larry will cover your post," I say.
Charlotte has already left by the time I return to the White house. Now instead of going to bed and preparing for my Cabinet briefing tomorrow, I have to figure out a way to stop my Ex-wife from ruining my life. I don't know if it's her hormones or genuine fear but I've never seen Olivia back down to Mellie before. The line rings twice before it's answered. She's not friendly, she's cold but almost sounds relieved as if she expected this. Being married to the woman for twenty-five years has taught me one thing, Mellie has always been calculated. She threatened the one person I would go to war over because she knew I would bend to whatever demands she has. That's why she sounds relieved about my call because she's practically been waiting all day.
"What do you want?" I ask.
"Fitzgerald, you called me," Mellie says, and I can hear it, she's pacing the room.
"You know what I mean. What do you want in exchange for you to leave Olivia and me alone? We want to be done with this, with you. The Santa Barbara ranch, more money, what will it take to keep you away?"
A symphony of chuckles was her only response. "Predictable." She says "My chief of staff will be in touch, and by next Thursday there will be a meeting. You, me, and that whore you knocked up-"
"Call Olivia anything that is not her name again and you'll get nothing. Try me."
"...Thursday afternoon, if she's not there to sign the papers, then there will be no deal and I won't get what I want and neither will you." She leaves me no time for a rebuttal, the line disconnects. I slam the phone down and recline my chair.
It's Thursday, almost a week later. I haven't seen Olivia since that night last week, and we only talked on the phone a handful of times from that time until now. Mellie kept her promise, Brenda her chief of staff has been in touch, and her demands weren't light work. But Olivia and I agreed to it. I endorse her campaign so she can bring it off the ice, and she gets two million in the divorce, plus her name on Jerry's foundation. I can live with that.
Olivia's the first to arrive, I think that was on purpose.
"What's wrong?" I asked. She shrugged, shaking her head.
I denied the uncomfortable sensation in my back because if I started getting into every change my body has gone through then we'd be here all day and night. I wake up with aches and stiff limbs. Pregnancy in the movies is so much more enjoyable.
"Seriously you look…constipated" I whispered that word and I had to laugh.
"I am actually. And my back hurts. I had to get wider shoes and my pants are held together with an elastic band."
"Why haven't you bought maternity clothes or sized them up?"
"I'm not wearing that stuff, because if I do people will ask questions and what am I supposed to say. I'm pregnant by the President but you're not supposed to know that yet."
I try not to appear annoyed at what she said, but I don't think I was successful because now she looks peeved. "How many hours are you sleeping at night?"
"Whenever I'm not working, but OPA doesn't have office hours so you know the drill- Come here"
She drew towards me with her eyes, a smile playing on her lips even as she licked them. Olivia sat her purse down first then took my hand leading us out of the eye of the cameras on the ceiling. Her lips called to me but I didn't make the first move. She pecked my lips lightly as if she was testing me. Olivia's next kiss was consuming, hungry yet sweet, teasing me with a hint of promise. I leaned into every minute of it, not wanting to let her go even when she came up for air.
"What was that for?" I say.
"I missed you," She says.
"That's good to know. What else?"
"Oh hush" I love to see her smile, hoping there will be a lot more of that after today. I just want us to be happy, and there's no chance of that if we're looking over our shoulders for the next few years. I grab onto her hips and pull her close to me, her belly is pressed against me and I feel a small flutter.
"Was that a kick?"
"Yeah- feel right here." I guess another round of kicks was coming, however, I didn't get the chance to feel it, because at the last minute, the oval office door swung open and Mellie entered. Olivia moved out of my grasp and sat at my desk and I stand behind her. "Let's get this over with."
"Before you sign, I have a few addendums." A devious smirk spreads across her face. Though I'm not surprised that she waited until the final day. This is her ambush. Either myself or Olivia object. "Firstly, in the original agreement you agreed to endorse my senate run, well now that I can't have Cyrus, Olivia you'll run my campaign, anonymously of course."
"No. I'm due in two months, you'll have to find someone else. Continue." Mellie cuts her eyes at Olivia and she doesn't say more about it but somehow I know this isn't the end.
"Secondly, you aren't allowed to move Olivia into the white house…or marry her while in office. I will be the only First Lady of this administration. I don't want you or your child around Teddy or Karen. And lastly, even when you are out of office, you will not publicly claim this child. And I would appreciate it if you didn't get married until after I'm president. A campaign both of you will support."
"We are not agreeing to any of that. What in the hell is wrong with you? Melody Grayson, when we are divorced you have no say in who I marry and when I marry them. You have gone too far." I look to Olivia who's been quiet this entire time. I wish I could read her mind. She looks a little green like she might vomit where she's sitting.
"You will give me everything I'm asking for because I gave you three kids, this White House, and allowed you to have an affair with Olivia Pope for five years. So this isn't too much to ask for" Before she gets that last word out, Olivia is running out of the Oval, cupping her belly and holding her mouth.
"Leave," I growl at Mellie. She slaps the papers down and demands that they be signed by midnight tomorrow. When she's gone I go find Olivia. She made it to my personal bathroom, just off the Oval office. And I found her sitting outside on the bench.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't"
"I could resign. Her demands are ridiculous and we are not agreeing to any of them. If I resign then she has nothing over us then."
"You can't just resign and move to Vermont with a new family. Fitz, be realistic."
"I am, you're the one behaving like a petulant child. I'm fixing things Liv. Starting with my resignation"
"Fitz I- ow" Olivia doubled over, her hand gripping her belly.
"You need to rest Olivia. I'm gonna have someone take you home."
"Fitz you can't resign. I wouldn't want that for you, and if you do, you'll just regret it for the rest of your life."
"Liv, are you eating, and sleeping enough?" I change the subject because my mind is made up and I know hers is too. Out of the two of us, I'm more stubborn, but she's more persistent.
"I'm fine, it's just that the girls are using my kidney as a soccer ball." She smiles, a tight line across her face.
"Is that their way of saying you'll be a soccer mom?" I say.
Brian comes through the door, and Olivia looks at me like she already knows I'm not going to obey her. "Fitz, please don't do anything stupid until we can discuss this further. Promise me…and your babies."
Woah, they aren't even born yet and she's found a way to use them to get what she wants from me. Reluctantly I promise her and the girls that I won't do anything drastic unless we're out of options. And she's okay with that.
Hello, everybody. I'm back. This summer, the updates will be more frequent because I'll only be working and that doesn't take up much of my time.
So let me know your thoughts and opinions in the reviews. Warm, thanks to all my readers who stuck beside me all this time.