Episode 3: Plans & Priorities
Chapter Six
First Week of November…
There was an initial, but comparatively slight uproar over the weekend when the news of the presidential separation broke, but the Halloween weekend had worked to their advantage as they had planned and other more traditional news diluted much of its impact.
The Sunday morning talk-shows did the rest, allowing the talking heads of all the networks to speculate to their hearts' delight. What that meant was that by Monday morning's news press briefing, most questions had been already been asked and answered, making it easier for Olivia to simply inform them that the President and the First Lady preferred to keep their personal affairs just that - personal - and neither of them have anything to add to this news at this time.
Reading from a well-prepared statement, Olivia also told them that they both were also asking that the press to remember that there are children involved and to respect their feelings as well as their need for privacy at this time.
In the Oval…
"I only wish that I could have been there to see their faces." Cyrus looked very much pleased with the discussion of their meeting with Garner and Sally. "Between that and the media's reaction to the separation news, I think all and all, it's a good start to the week."
"I believe that last part of this morning's briefing went over very well with the press corps." Olivia said.
Seated behind the Resolute desk, Fitz looked up from the folder of photos. Olivia and Cyrus were seated in the chairs placed directly opposite him, each of them holding copies of the same.
This last photo op had Fitz bouncing Teddy up into the air, with Mellie just close enough to him so they didn't appear as intimate strangers and looking on with an expression on her face that said nothing to the internal turmoil she must be going through as their marriage ended.
Mellie had come through just as they had known she would - she'd always known how to give good face. So there she was, not resigned, but accepting and brave in the face of a Brand New Day (tm). Her suit was a rich ivory cream, trimmed in a deep crimson meant to set off her porcelain beauty and oh so subtly declare her republican partisanship. This with the pearls she wore declared her intentions as a political candidate on her own as the three of them walked to the private plane that had taken Mellie and Teddy to California.
On the other hand, Fitz was in a pair of midnight blue slacks and a shirt that matched it - and no tie. That was Olivia's doing; she'd noticed that Fitz always seemed to look good in either a dark blue or an equally rich brown. But after getting the scoop on what Mellie had chosen - and this was something that Olivia had insisted on beforehand - Olivia had carefully moved Fitz's attire to the opposing end of the color wheel, meant to just as subtly declare not only his own independence, but his commitment to America, be they Red or Blue.
Again, as planned, it showed an amicable parting between Fitz and Mellie and that was exactly as all involved had wanted; even Mellie had seen the wisdom in it and had agreed. Now and after the fact of the breaking news, the press would understand there had been something more to that picture than they had known at the time, but this was what the public had seen and Olivia had known that it would make it that much harder for any of the press to try and conjure up any scandal or click-bait outrage behind it.
"It should - the President has a life. He has children to think of; it's just as much my duty to be a good father to them as it is to be a good president to the rest of the nation." Fitz said. "I've witnessed a toxic marriage - I've lived with the fallout of it and I will not inflict it on my own kids."
"If you don't mind me asking, how are they taking it, sir?" Cyrus asked.
"Teddy's too young to really understand; Karen's been sad but understanding - but Gerry? I can't read him just yet - he's shutting both me and Mellie out." He sighed. "When the press gets to speculating, I hope they remember my kids."
"We'll make sure to keep reminding them if we have to." Cyrus said.
Fitz looked at the curious expression that twitched its way across Cyrus' face. "What is it, Cy?"
"Nothing to bother you with just yet. Just a thought."
Olivia lifted one eyebrow at Cyrus before she turned to Fitz, a smile playing across her face. "Cyrus doesn't want to tell you that the optics of Father Figure Fitz coming to the fierce protection of His Children - (tm) - has him almost drooling."
Fitz gave Cyrus a look.
Cyrus gave it right back. "This is not me trying to twist the narrative - I don't have to! This isn't the part where you get dirty in the back alleys either - this is exactly who you are and we couldn't write this any better if we tried."
"So you're not going to try and play ringleader -" Fitz said.
Cyrus shook his head. "You don't need me to. Just do what comes naturally."
Fitz studied Cyrus' face for a few seconds longer. "The fact that you're pleased worries me without me even knowing why." He cracked a rueful grin, one that they all shared.
"All this means is that we're off to a good start." Cyrus said. "An excellent one, right out of the gate."
"A good start?" Fitz said. "Oh yes, the plan."
"Oh yes, the plan. You do remember the plan?" Cyrus said. "The plan that is instrumental to your president's re-election bid and meant to soothe any subconscious worries that the electorate might have about the instability of a suddenly single candidate?
"Speaking of which -"
"I didn't know that we were -" Fitz said.
Cyrus continued. "It's my thinking that he- you - Mr. President - shouldn't start being seen with anyone female until some time after the holidays."
Cyrus paused and gave both of them a significant look. "ANY ONE."
"I am allowed to be seen talking to persons of the opposite sex." Fitz's eyebrow lifts in mock curiosity. "Aren't I?"
"Sex is the keyword we're talking about -" Cyrus said
"We are?"
"We are. If I can trust you to keep sex out of it..." Cyrus began.
"Discretion is my middle name." Fitz said it with another grin that totally said otherwise.
"No it's not." Cyrus said. He frowned. "When it comes to the involvement of certain parties who are currently present in the room, you're barely on speaking terms with the word, let alone the intent."
He looked to Olivia. "Can I at least count on you to exhibit some level of discretion?"
Her first intention was to reassure Cyrus, but Olivia made the mistake of looking over at Fitz first. He added an unrepentant wink to the half-wicked smile already on his face. At the same time, his eyes never left hers as he significantly laid one hand on his desk and let his fingers drift in what could have been mistaken for an idle pattern. That was all it took to give Olivia a few naughty thoughts of her own.
An irresistible bubble of laughter rose up inside of her, she struggled to stifle it, but her lips twitched into a smile.
"I'll certainly do my best." she said, trying to control herself and mostly failing as her face flushed hot with the memories Fitz's motions brought to mind. Fitz hadn't taken his eyes from hers, and the look in his told her he was remembering the same.
Cyrus didn't bother to try and control the look on his face. Instead he just shook his head. "Enough with the secret signals - of which I don't even want to know what they mean."
Watching them exchange another look, after which Fitz chuckled and Olivia stifled a decidedly uncharacteristic giggle, Cyrus sighed deliberately and loudly. "I'm an old man, you two should remember that. Why? Because the two of you are going to give me a heart attack one of these days."
He leveled what was supposed to be an warning look at Fitz. "And if I'm allowed to remind you, Mr. President, you're no youngster yourself. It may be that your doctors have given you a clean bill of health on your last exam, but may I remind you that you're still in the process of recovering from severe trauma that happened not that long ago. It wouldn't do for you to just keel over from - over-exertion."
"But Cyrus, exercise is the key to recovery." Fitz explained, a look of mock concern coming over his face. "Regular, consistent cardio exercise is the key - good for the heart and the mind -"
Fitz turned his gaze back to Olivia. " - it's very addictive, once you get used to it on a regular basis. Hard to give it up - almost impossible."
All too certain about the type of cardiovascular activity that Fitz was referring to, Cyrus simply scowled and refused to answer him.
"Can we just not?" he asked. "Literally and figuratively. Can We. Just. Stop."
Cyrus tried to frown at them both as he watched them trying for innocent expressions. Trying and failing. It didn't work. At least not with him.
After all, when it came to the two of them, Cyrus knew better. "Let's move on, shall we?"
A/N: So we have happy, working together Olitz while the pieces and players taking their places. Hope you've enjoyed this episode [and if you did, you let me know in the reviews] 'Til next time…