"So what exactly is going on?" Olivia asked Harrison as he led her away.
"An aide of the Deputy Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee is making a demand for a special set-up inside the White House?"
"That's interesting." Olivia commented.
"I thought so too." Harrison said. "Care to lay a bet that there's something else going on?"
"That would be a sucker bet." Olivia said, "But I don't like the idea of Susan being used as a target."
"Same here." Harrison said. "But actually, our Susan has it mostly handled -"
He gives Olivia a grin at the use of their familiar and favorite terminology; one she returns before he continues. "- but I thought that she might be in need of a little pep talk - rah-rah girl power and all that - which is the main reason why I came looking for you."
Harrison reaches out and lays his hand Olivia on the arm; a brief touch only, but enough to make them both pause for a minute. "I'm sorry if this messed with your plans a little."
Olivia knew that he was referring to her and Fitz's time together. She shook her head. "We're all working, Harrison, and this is all just part of the job."
"Yes and no." Harrison said.
"Yes and no." Olivia agreed, before changing the subject. "And while we're speaking of girl power and pep talks…"
Harrison knew exactly what Olivia was referring to - or more importantly - who. "Say no more -I'll be seeing to Shireen as soon as we're finished here."
"I think that it's safe to say that I've got this." Olivia told him. "Go find her."
"I'm on it." Harrison nodded and left to do exactly that.
Before he left, he'd told Olivia where to find Susan and so she found the other woman easily, in one of the smaller offices in the White House.
Olivia hesitated just outside the office door, listening to the voices beyond it. She was pleased to hear Susan's tone as she held her ground against Tillman's aide. While the aide's was brash and pushy and just short of outright rudeness, Susan's tone was polite but unwavering, making it clear that she wasn't about to back down.
She knocked and entered; Olivia's appearance put a quick and satisfying end to the aide's objections, although Olivia purposefully bit her tongue, holding back so that Susan could apply the final verbal coup de grace that sent him from their presence with an apology on his lips.
"Thanks for the save." Susan said as the office door closed behind him.
"You didn't need me." Olivia smiled in approval. "By the way, power looks good on you."
Susan was flustered only for a little bit as she smiled back at her but before she could reply, there was a tapping on the door - and then it was opening.
"Olivia, there you are." Sally smiled at both of them. "Someone told me that I could find you here."
"Did they, Madame Vice-President?" Olivia kept her tone carefully neutral. Someone? Really?
The asked and unanswered question of who that someone was hung in the air between them for a long moment before Sally made an attempt to continue as though it had never existed. Her stumbling over her next words spoiled it, Olivia noted with some satisfaction.
"Yes… well… since here we are… I was wondering if - if you would mind stepping into my office for a moment?"
Olivia listened to a sudden impulse from her gut - and even though her first instincts were to tell Sally - politely, but firmly - hell to the no, that this day belonged to the president and no one else, but her gut - along with the memory of her conversation with Harrison - was suddenly telling her otherwise.
She excused herself from Susan and followed Sally. The vice president quickly proved Olivia's instincts right as soon as it was just the two of them; on the short walk to her office, Sally tried several times to engineer some seemingly innocent small talk. But in her rush to set Olivia up, she'd forgotten one important point - that in all the time that Olivia has interacted with Sally - and that had been from the time that she and Fitz had joined campaigns - one fact out of many that she'd learned was the fact that Sally didn't do small talk.
Sally preached, she lectured and occasionally hectored - but she did not do small talk.
That fact alone played itself out along her nerves like an early warning system for Olivia, so she wasn't as surprised as she might have been at the fact that when they reached her office, Sally opened her door then gestured for Olivia to enter before her. If she hadn't been suspicious before - and of course, she had been - then she definitely was now.
What - she wondered - even as she stepped into the room - what the hell did Sally want?
Part of the answer was suddenly standing there before her - a group of some of the more powerful members of the Party were standing around engaging in low-voiced conversations that fell into silence as Olivia walked in.
From the looks on their faces, it was clear that they'd been waiting for her, that they had been discussing her. Their expressions told her more than they realized. It showed in their faces as they ranged from barely disguised curiosity to a touch of apprehension to just under antagonistic.
As Sally followed her in and closed the door behind them, Olivia felt her insides tighten, but at the same time, a rising tide of fearlessness and ferocity flooded into her. It turned her gaze icy and Olivia let it fill her as her eyes swept over them, letting them see her deliberately noting who was there.
Tillman and Garner, she expected; Garner had the grace to drop his own gaze as her eyes passed over him, unwilling or maybe unable to meet hers. Olivia filed that away for future use, reminded that she and Fitz had discussed Garner and his reluctant attraction to her - and the possibilities and probabilities at using that at some point.
This might be just the opportunity to put that into play.
On the other hand, Tillman - secure in his position of the Republican Whip -the second most powerful spot in the party - met her eyes with a coolness to match her own. Olivia even thought she saw a spark of cynical amusement deep down in his gaze.
The other two were of equal interest; Richard Scott, Assistant Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and John Ernest, whose aide had been the bait to draw her out, also returned her look, their faces quickly shifting into a neutral stance.
The remaining members of Sally's little cabal were also either assistants or deputies of some of the more powerful standing committees, Joseph Van Hayden of the judiciary and Mona Costella of the one of the foreign relations joint committees.
It was a very smart, subtle statement that Sally was making; for a moment Olivia was torn between wondering if Sally even knew what she was doing or should she mentally applaud the other woman for it. This was a preliminary drawing of battle-lines; with the exception of Garner and Tillman, the others were all in secondary positions - powerful enough on their own - but not quite the leadership roles that might have worried Olivia.
Instead, she found herself perversely pleased as her thoughts targeted Tillman and Sally - they were the ringleaders of whatever this was - and that made them her first concern.
She let the tense silence fill the room for a long moment before she chose to speak -more than likely, they'd expected her to be surprised - and no doubt hopefully intimidated by them. But oh, they were very, very wrong.
"Gentlemen," she began. "What a …surprise." Stated in a tone that said the complete opposite, Olivia was glad to see her words hit the group with varying levels of success.
Sally led off, no doubt in a hurry to set Olivia in her proper place. "I thought it was a matter of serendipity that all of us were present on the grounds - so much so that I thought it was an opportunity too good to pass by."
"Madame Vice-President was right." So it was Tillman bowing down to Sally today. "Especially in the spirit of the day.."
"What exactly is the spirit that you're referring to?" Olivia asked.
"Of unity, of course." Tillman said.
"Of family." Sally couldn't help herself.
"Well then, shouldn't we all be pleased? When I left the president, he was enjoying himself watching his son playing football with the famous Michael Davis, and of course I'm sure you're aware that his other children are here as well. It doesn't have to be said that he plans on spending the majority of his day with them - or does it?"
Olivia sent a smile around the small circle, one that was sharp around its edges. "It's why I'm puzzled to see a committee level meeting taking place in the White House that the president neither called for or authorized."
She was gratified to hear the rush in their voices that followed, insisting that what was happening wasn't happening. Well, not really…
While that was happening, Sally had circled from behind Olivia to take her seat at her desk, as though to remind Olivia of her vice presidential status. That didn't mean as much as Sally thought that it did, seeing how Olivia had been the one to put her there, had in truth forced the other woman to concede in her bid for the presidency to Fitz.
A slight lift of her eyebrow conveyed exactly what she was thinking to the other woman, just before Olivia directed her next words at her. "Well, of course these things happen - serendipity, isn't that what you called it?"
She didn't give Sally either the satisfaction nor the opportunity of explaining. "A very interesting subject - family, I mean. However, I am puzzled that while President Grant is out in the public showing a fine definition of it for the nation - why are his actions being debated here - behind closed doors?"
"The President's actions aren't being debated." Sally took the bait. "We were just discussing mutual concerns. Like the definitions of unity and family."
"And that's what you all gathered here to complain about?"
"Complain isn't the word we'd use." This came from Garner.
Olivia moved to play him. "And what word would you use?" she deliberately let some of the icy control fade from her voice. How Garner took that was up to him.
"Concerned, I'd say - just as the Vice President said." Garner was clearly not exactly happy with the attention being suddenly forced on him. "We all want what's best for President Grant - and for the party…"
"And that's the point." Tillman added himself back into the conversation. "There are some concerns within the Party's rank and file - and whether you are aware of it or not - they need to be discussed."
"And what concerns might those be?" Olivia said.
"Our main concern, Ms. Pope? - the majority of our concerns lies with you." John Ernest spoke up for the first time.
"Deputy Chairman Ernest." Olivia's tone emphasized the deputy part of his title, ever so slightly - but it was more than enough to remind him of his place; she was gratified to see his face redden. "Should I be concerned that you're concerned with me?"
He tried to hide his reaction, but it was clear he had not been expecting her attitude. Ernest had never quite approved of her, she knew and now he just couldn't hide it in his voice. "It isn't just me - or just us - we're only the representatives of a growing concerned majority."
Olivia moved to one of the tall-backed leather chairs set across the desk from Sally's chair and sat without asking for permission, reminding her without words once again about who had put her here.
"Concerned." Olivia let her gaze travel slowly over each of them, as if she were memorizing each of their faces, giving them time to wonder - and maybe worry about - what thoughts were going on behind her eyes. "There's that word again."
Sally was almost openly antagonistic, her temper, her ambition and intent barely leashed. Tillman's expression was stubbornly set in neutral, but it was tainted around the edges. He was the type that would take power wherever and however it was offered - that made him a chancy ally and Olivia wondered briefly, if Sally was aware of that fatal flaw.
Garner was clearly nervous and on edge, trying to salvage what alliances that he can in the room, no matter how hard he tried to hide his intent, while Ernest was still clearly on the defensive, but was definitely not in her camp. Scott was quietly assessing everything and everyone. He'd had very little to say, so far.
Wise man, Olivia decided. She'd make sure to keep a closer eye on him in the future.
Van Hayden and Constella were simply bodies in the room; Olivia knew that she could discount them as far as any real opposition was concerned. They'd do what they were told - the only question would be who got to them first.
Garner rushed into the volatile silence growing behind her words. "I think that we should slow down and not let anyone jump to conclusions here." He said, looking around at his co-conspirators.
He moved so that he was facing Olivia; when his eyes met hers, they were almost apologetic. "We all understand - and thoroughly appreciate both your position and your importance to the president's last campaign." He hesitated.
"I hear a 'but' in there, Congressman." Olivia said. Her eyes flicked across the group once again. "Does anyone else hear a but in there?"
Garner tried again. "Ms. Pope - surely you can understand that the same level of importance and influence will affect how the president's campaign will be viewed moving forward."
Olivia shifted her gaze from him to Sally. "I should think that the work that I've done would be viewed very positively - in light of the results."
No one in the room needed reminding of how quickly Sally's once formidable lead in the presidential campaign had been decimated once Olivia had been brought onboard Fitz's, forcing her to concede and accept her present role. Plus Olivia was certain that Sally had never forgotten how her Supreme Court nominee had been butchered.
She was out for herself after that - she'd promised both Olivia and Cyrus then - and Olivia had never ever forgotten it. But that was then and this was now; not that Sally needed reminding, but then again… Olivia let her words slide home. "After all, we all are here where we are as a result."
This entire scenario was a betrayal to Fitz - and if this is how Sally thought to challenge him, Olivia was more than ready to meet her half-way.
"No one here will argue your talents, Olivia." Sally half-snapped, despite her rising temper and her memories, she was still wise enough to be wary of Olivia. "It's simply a matter of perceptions."
"Whose perceptions, Madam Vice-President?" Olivia asked. Her voice had gone very soft, but pointed and for a moment, the others in the room might not have even been there.
Sally let her voice rise, no doubt to make sure that her words were heard by everyone - while her eyes remained locked on Olivia's.
"Having had the closest and most prolonged contact with our dear Ms. Pope amongst us, I'd like to state - for the record - that I believe that she is a singularly intelligent and focused young woman with a brilliant career before her."
She even went so far as to nod graciously to Olivia and offered her the tiniest condescending smile - with the hint of a threat in its shadow.
Olivia returned it in equal measure. Returned it and held it until Sally was the one who blinked and dropped her eyes.
To cover, she turned to her allies so that her words seemed to be directed at them. Sally cleared her throat before continuing. "That being said, I'm sure that when it's all explained to her, Olivia will understand how much we were actually hoping to be able to count on her to find a probable solution to a possible problem."
"I'm afraid that you're going to have to be a little more definitive than that." Olivia refused to make this easier for them.
"It's simple enough." Ernest spoke up. "It's the perception that the President currently is projecting to the general public. Yes, today he's here with his family. Two sons and a daughter - a lovely portrait, I'm sure. But overshadowing that is the fact that he is also a man who is separating and in the process of divorcing his wife."
"And?" Olivia asked.
"What is your thing, Olivia? Oh, yes…" Sally asked and answered her own question. "You need to handle this."