Current Author's Note: If you follow me on Tumblr, then you already know what's going on but for those who don't, my family has just been hit with some horrifying and heartbreaking news. My little sister Sara has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. It's in a tricky place in her brain and with that tricky place comes challenges in treating it. The doctors don't know what stage it is yet but they do know that they can't take it out so radiation will be their weapon of choice. If Sara responds well to it, then she'll be in the hospital for the duration of the chemo. I'm operating under the hope that she will and eventually go into remission but I already know and have accepted that our time left with her is limited. She's only 10 years old and this…this is unfair. Parents should not outlive their children and younger siblings should not go before older ones. It's just not right. The whole situation is fucked.

My writing will continue. I write not just to fix canon nonsense but as a form of escapism and therapy. Writing literally keeps me sane and I'm going to need all the sanity I can get so I can be there for my sister and for my family in the times to come. Updates and new stories may slow to a crawl as time progresses but they will not stop. If you pray, please do so for my Sara, my family, and myself. If you don't, send good vibes. I love you all and thank you in advance for your support and patience.

Original Author's Note: And the bass keeps running, running and running, running, and running, running…I'm taking advantage of my cooperative Muses for as long as possible. I'm going to get through the Hiatus and beyond with many variations of Olitz goodness. Special thanks to fostes00 for aiding and abetting this latest D.D. idea and to HandsUpPunk08 for allowing me to collaborate with her on a post Balcony fill in the blank fic via PM.

(CMW2/Trumpetnista: Draftbook Drabble #28-(Fitz, Olivia, FTGIV and Karen plus Teddy, White House- Second Term AU, Fitz the POTUS/Liv the Executive Chef (ala Jose), mentioned past Edison/Olivia and Mellitz Zombie, pre-Olitz becoming Olitz, first kiss, first time, NSFW))

Words from the Gladiator in a Hoodie: Let's keep the party going, shall we? This brand new idea has been brewing in my head for a while and here's a special shout out to fostes00 for the refined prompt to help me get writing.

Also, I'd like to thank all of you guys on here and FFN who kept me level headed and cheered me up after the return of the Anon-Troll from Shattering 106-108 hopping onto D.D. #27 to raise hell. As committed as I am to being a Gladiator and an Olitz writer (much to my detriment, sometimes…), Trolls make it hard to carry on but you guys are awesome. Thank you.

There's another new D.D. idea up next and as always, there will be more for the WIPs. Keep your inboxes and dashes open and enjoy the latest!

Mad Love, Jam, and Power Drills, ~*Trump*~

PS: I've decided to stop being stubborn and refer to Mellie as Melody from here on out. I will miss all of my Artist Formerly Known as Millicent jokes but I have to accept the established canon, the good, the bad, and the ridiculous. Although if The Creator changes her name again, all bets are off!

Disclaimer: "Honestly, it's not mine!"

"Oh…oh, shit…I forgot that you stay later than the others, which makes no sense at all because you're the Executive Chef and you don't just feed me, Dad, Theodore, and Numb Nuts. You feed a bunch of people around this joint and you've got to do all sorts of things to prep for that responsibility so of course, you've gotta stay late and I'm in the way so I'm just gonna…"

"Karen, you've got your stuffed elephant, your eyes are red and puffy, and scuttlebutt says that you were in the gym going H.A.M. on the punching bags until you went to play your drums, busting through 3 sets of sticks in 6 hours. School, family, or significant other?"

"…that dirty fucking liar! I can't believe I fell for all that shit! I'm usually smarter than that!"

"Language. Sit down. My prep work's already done and the mopping can wait. Boy or girl troubles means ice cream and ice cream just doesn't taste right without pie."

"True…and it's boy troubles, Ms. Pope. I like boys and I…I thought he liked me for me but it was just the usual Game…are you sure that you want to hear all of this? I'm glad you offered to listen but surely you've got better things to do on a Friday night than listen to a 15 year old girl's existential, heartbroken, bullsh-crap."

"Right now, it's Olivia and I didn't have anyone to listen to my 15 year old existential, heartbroken feelings, which made things much worse. As for the Friday night thing, binge watching Outlander and Chopped on my DVR will wait for me without complaint. Plus, they don't fart or snore or hog all the blankets."

"I fu- freakin' adore Outlander! I've got all the books and everything! We should watch it together, sometimes. You really don't have anyone waiting for you at home? No partner? Not even a speed dial booty call? How come? You're really nice and you're smart and you cook and you could totally be a Neutrogena model."

"I'm single by choice and circumstance, mainly choice. I've been in some god awful relationships. After the last one fell apart, I decided that being single would be best for me, at least until I develop better taste and timing with men. Enough about me and my woes. Here. Your heart and face are sad so they need pie. Eat."

A watery laugh escaped 15 year old Karen Grant and 34 year old White House Executive Chef Olivia Pope sprayed a generous amount of ReddiWhip on top of the confection. Sweet potato pie was one of her specialties and it had become a go-to favorite snack amongst the staff, all the way up to the Oval. She always made sure to make them fresh and to keep them ready for when someone was burning the long past midnight oil upstairs. Next to the huge slice was a double scoop of homemade French vanilla ice cream, drizzled with agave nectar and topped with rainbow sprinkles.

"His name is Todd Samuels. That should've been a warning sign from the beginning. Have you ever met a guy named Todd that didn't turn out to be jerk or a door mat in the end?"

"No."

"Exactly! Anyways, when me, Theodore, and Numb Nuts…"

"Why do you call your older brother Numb Nuts?"

"It's more like a term of endearment than an insult, now. He calls me Harpy or Satan's Favorite Midget, or just Asshole…so, after the dust settled with the long overdue coup de grace to the Mellitz Zombie, Dad rightfully got full custody of the 3 of us so we moved. I met Todd on the first day of new school and he was just so nice to me. He didn't look at me weird and he didn't even mention Dad or Melody or politics at all. He just…we just talked about normal stuff like I was normal and…he was my first real kiss. I thought he…okay, we're teenagers. Real love doesn't happen to teenagers except for in Molly Ringwald movies and John Green novels when he doesn't kill everyone we get fully invested in like the Bespectacled Grim Damned Reaper of…"

"Karen, come back."

"Sorry. I'm still very bitter about how The Fault in Our Stars ended."

"You and everyone else who read the book or saw the movie…so, it wasn't real love but you still thought it was something tangible?"

"Turns out that it wasn't…his dad's in some sort of right wing nut job war mongering lobbyist posse with that bottle blonde Republican leader chick that looks like a hotter C.C. Babcock…"

"Elizabeth North."

"...so dear ol' daddy gave him marching orders to seduce me so he and the posse could get a guaranteed in with Dad. It was like Melody and Dad all over again, only unlike Dad, I was brave enough to figure out the Business and shut it down before hearts and innocent children were dragged into the swirling shit filled Bermuda Triangle of political marriage."

"Language…you've got a way with words, though. Have you thought about going into journalism or writing?"

"A little bit. My first love is music, though. Composing, performing, listening…I want to do something with music. Although, anything's better than being political glitter and arm candy to some dude, although that was all on Melody. Nobody held a gun to her head and made her marry Dad. She could've said no or she could've still been politically active herself. And Dad's not a misogynist bastard like Grandpa Grant was. All she had to do was ask and he would've been a stanning fool for her until the end. If she had just stopped leeching off of him long enough to realize that, we would all be better off because they would've gotten divorced years ago and she'd be a real politician instead of an annoying, bitter wannabe on the sidelines. The only good things that came from them staying married after Gerry showed up are me and Theodore. Babies don't save relationships, especially when they're already DOA but I'm really glad that I'm alive and Theodore…he's pure sunshine. I love Numb Nuts and Dad to death, don't get me wrong but he's my heart. I just really hope it's not too late. One Grant kid should have a chance to know what it's like to not be emotionally screwed up and over by grown people's decisions, y'know?"

Olivia knew better than anyone. She didn't have siblings but she remembered the undeniable distance between her and Eli, Rowan, or whatever the hell the man called himself nowadays. It had always been there but after her mother had "perished in a plane crash" when she was 12 (run off, most likely with Dominic Bell that had lived around the corner from them...), it had been like an Iron Curtain between them. The rift only grew when her professional drive and passion went towards cooking instead of something "noble" like activism, law, or politics. Olivia wouldn't be budged off of her chosen path and had simply stopped actively seeking his approval. It was less stressful that way and she knew that unless she became a carbon copy of himself (or one of his Minions…), she'd never get his approval. He would always find her lacking in some way, even if the whole world adored her. He was her biological father and she did love him but there wasn't more that she could say than that. Hell, she could barely say that she loved him.

It was like an ongoing battle between them, sort of like a Cold War. Neither of them had made moves to outright destroy the other but the intent…if you push me, I will push back…

He had paid for her tuition at the New England Culinary School but she had quickly paid back every penny with interest. She didn't want him saying that she wouldn't be where she was without him, that she owed him. He had contributed to giving her life but that didn't mean that he could control it forever, not on her watch.

She didn't come home for holidays and only acknowledged them and his birthday with impersonal Hallmark cards in the mail. Why bother? All of the warmth and joy that holidays and birthdays brought left when her mother left and/or died. Sure, she'd get a nice dinner and some good wine out of showing up but that wasn't worth having to spend an extended amount of time with her father in name only. He should be happy with the cards. At least she remembered to send them and there was always money in them.

She didn't introduce him to any of her boyfriends. One, because her relationships had a tendency to spectacularly fall apart before they got to that depth and two, what was the point? Eli was never going to approve of her and that disapproval would automatically extend to anyone she brought home unless he picked them, which Olivia was never going to allow him to do. She didn't want to end up with one of his Minions on Assignment nor did she want to spend the rest of her life with a carbon copy of Eli's way of thinking. 18 years of it had been bad enough.

He had "accidentally" shown up to the restaurant where she and Edison had been eating to formally introduce himself to her then fiancé. That was part of what contributed to their final break up. Olivia didn't talk about her family so Edison had assumed that she didn't have one. Having been proved wrong, he had accused her of being too compartmentalized, too untrusting, too remote with him. She had agreed to marry him and she shared his bed but nothing else, nothing substantial, nothing deep. He was giving 110% and she was doing the bare minimum to keep him around. It was time for it to stop. He was tired of being shut out, of feeling like he was unnecessary and unwanted. It was time for her to grow up and open up or they were over.

Before he could even finish the ultimatum, Olivia had the ring off and in his hand.

It was better than leaving him at the altar or a divorce, anyway.

The four days after that decision involved her packing up her things, placing her half of the month's expenses in a large envelope, and ignoring Edison's repeated attempts to reconcile. He hadn't expected her to call his bluff so thoroughly. They could work it out, couldn't they? She didn't have to share everything from stem to stern, just the pertinent things. She couldn't possibly blame him for being upset about not knowing about her dad! They had been together for years and she hadn't even mentioned that he was still alive! Didn't she care about how much time they had invested in each other? What about everyone who was expecting a wedding?

She had replied that if he gave her a list of names, she would send them hand written apologies and consolation gift cards to their favorite restaurants.

Edison hadn't taken too kindly to that flippant statement but she didn't care.

She had ended up ducking under his arm to get out of the condo door and into the cab.

When Eli had called the week after she settled into her current apartment, expressing his "sincere regrets" about the situation, she had bluntly told him to leave her the hell alone and to go fuck himself. She didn't want to hear from him or deal with him again until she was ready.

It had been 7 years and counting since that pre-dawn phone call.

She still wasn't ready to deal with him.

It was unlikely that she would be ready anytime soon and she felt little regret about the matter…

The clink of the spoon hitting the now empty dessert dish broke her from her morose thoughts and brought her attention back to a still sad but visibly calmer Karen.

"The worst part of the situation is that I can't really avoid Todd, not unless I switch schools. He's in my Honors English class, my lunch hour, and we're in the same sit down and marching band sections. He keeps calling and texting, trying to apologize, trying to explain but what's there to say? He was going to use me and the only reason he's sorry is because he got caught. Maybe one day I can forgive him but I'm not getting back together with him. I can't be with someone that I can't trust and if we got back together, I'd always be side-eyeing him and that's no way to live or to love. I deserve better."

"You still miss him, though."

"I do but I deserve better so I'm never going back. It would be toxic."

Hearing teenage Karen declare that with such conviction gave Olivia a lot of hope for the generations behind her. It took most people many years to fully accept their value, if they ever did. Olivia had learned half of that lesson. She never settled for less than what she deserved in her personal life, platonically and romantically. One of the few things she and Eli agreed upon was that mediocrity was unacceptable. Do things right and with a standard of excellence or make way for someone who will!

Now, if she could just learn how to accept and actually enjoy the things she did deserve without self sabotaging, she'd be cooking with gas…

"Have you talked to your father about the situation?"

"A little bit. I just told him that me and Todd were curtains but I didn't go into the dirty details. If I did, he'd try and deport the jerk and then he'd get that wounded puppy in the rain look on his face, which I so hate. He always used to have that look when dealing with Melody and it's just not good. He'd take on the blame and he's already got enough to worry about with leading the Free World and all. Numb Nuts knows the whole story with Todd and I had to talk him out of beating the hell out of him. As awesome as it would be to know that he's pissing blood, it wouldn't undo the hurt and I don't want my brother getting his inevitable felony because of my teenage woes."

"Not to mention that since he hurt you, you and only you have the right to make him piss blood."

"Exactly…you were right. Pie did make it better. Thanks for listening, Ms. Pope."

"It's Olivia or Liv. I can't take your mom's place but if you ever need to talk about anything, I'm usually around here someplace or you can just call me. Abby has my number."

"I…I'd like that. I'd like that a lot. Good night, Olivia."

"Sleep well, Karen."

/

The Next Morning…

The sound of rhythmic squeaking made Olivia look over and see 4 year old Theodore "Teddy" Grant enter the kitchen. He was in forest green pajamas and the squeaking came from the fuzzy panda bear slippers that were on his feet. A large stuffed panda bear was being dragged by the left leg behind him and a midnight blue blanket was draped over his shoulder like Linus. His brown hair was rumpled from sleep and his cerulean slate eyes were still drowsy. Those eyes were known to be Grant eyes and the emergence of those eyes when the time came had silenced the whispered doubts about the paternity of the youngest Grant child quickly.

People lied all of the time, especially the now former First Lady, but DNA did not. Gerry was the spitting image of his father. Karen split the difference but mostly favored her father. Other than the eyes, the little boy simply looked like the spitting image of his mother. It wasn't a bad thing. Mellie Vaughn was a very beautiful woman on the outside. It was her personality that grated on people's nerves and broke spirits. Hopefully, Teddy would keep the trend going and keep his father's warm nature like his older siblings had.

As soon as her presence fully registered, the little boy's face lit up and Olivia chuckled as he hugged her legs tightly. Karen's description of her youngest brother being pure sunshine fit perfectly because Teddy had such a bright and cheerful personality. It took a while for him to warm up to you but once he felt comfortable, he was a bundle of energy and just plain precious. He always wanted to learn new things and he had a growing love of cooking that everyone wanted to nurture, which is where she came in. Every Saturday morning, she would come up to the Residence kitchen to make breakfast with him and with supervision, Teddy could visit with her downstairs when times were slow.

The cooking lessons had become one of her favorite parts about her job.

"Hi, Ms. Olivia!"

"Hey, Teddy Bear. Are you ready for your next cooking lesson?"

"Uh-huh. What are we gonna make the family for breakfast?"

"Pumpkinberry pancakes with the good maple syrup."

"From Vermont?"

"Yep."

"Cool! What's a pumpkinberry?"

"It's just what I call them. We're going to make pumpkin spice pancakes, which is like dessert, but we're going to put a whole bunch of berries in the batter so they'll be healthy. Well, sort of. But, before we get started…"

"Clean hands help make good food!"

Once he was safely up his little red stepladder, Olivia tied his dancing panda bears apron over his pajamas before putting a hair net over his thick curls. She took a brief moment to inhale his little boy scent and she sighed softly while she put together the base batter. While her head knew that it best for her to be single for the moment, her heart still had longings. Marriage wasn't a requirement. It never had been for her. Rings and Vows did not guarantee happiness nor did they guarantee fidelity. Her childhood had taught her that lesson. What she really wanted was the trust, commitment, and tenderness that came attached to serious, healthy monogamous relationships. And the babies that inevitably showed up in the midst of said relationships, too. Her parents had taught her what not to do with a child and Olivia knew that if she had the chance, she'd be a great mother…

The main doors opened and Teddy was off like a shot to greet his father. The President pulled at least 4 all nighters a week and Friday going into Saturday morning was a common one. She smiled at the sound of Teddy's laughter and at the sight of his father giving him a piggyback ride back to the kitchen counter.

"Ms. Olivia is here, Daddy. We're gonna make pumpkinberry pancakes. Do you wanna help?"

"Sure, champ. Let me get changed first, though. Your Uncle Cyrus had me up all night a-gain."

Teddy snorted at the exaggerated roll of his eyes and Olivia's smile broadened as she put the berries into the batter.

"It's not fair that he always does that to you. Presidents need to sleep good too so they don't get cranky and push the wrong buttons. You should tell him to let you go to sleep at 8 or 9 like I do. You're his boss, not the other way around. He should stay in his lane or get fired."

As if choreographed, she and Fitz looked down at a juice box sipping Teddy and then at each other significantly.

"Out of the mouth of babes flows sweet truth…good morning, Fitz."

"Good morning, Liv. I'll be right back."

Not for the first time, Olivia took the opportunity to appreciate the nice view that Fitzgerald Grant III made. He was tall and he had the Old Hollywood elegance to his movements blended with matter of fact Swag. Since the divorce had gone through, he had been growing his hair out and while the mahogany brown was shifting to salt and pepper, it was still luxuriously thick. Another thing that the divorce had done was to have him working out more. He was already made of long lean muscle but lately, he was much more defined, even through his suits. The Presidential 15 (or rather, 50) was definitely steering clear of #44. He came into 1600 Penn as a beautiful man, inside and out, and like with fine wine, he was getting better with age.

The fact that she now had his genuine friendship along with a front row seat to his fineness on a regular basis was the most popular subject of water cooler conversation amongst the staff.

The second most popular subject (other than speculating about the exiled Former First Lady) was the fact that of all the people on staff, the 3 Grant children had the most affection for her and not just because she cooked 80% of their meals, either.

Nobody had outright asked if she and Fitz were having sex but she was aware of the innuendos.

Even if she wasn't, the lingering suspicious and calculating looks the aforementioned Cyrus sent her when she occasionally ventured into the West Wing said it all.

She was also very aware of the non platonic feelings she had for Fitz Grant III but just because a person had feelings didn't mean that they had to act on them nor did it mean that acting on them would be the best idea.

By the end of his first month in office, he had gained her respect.

By the end of his first 100 days, he had gained her friendship.

By the end of his first year in 1600 Penn, Olivia knew that she had fallen in love with him.

She had been horrified. The absolute last thing she needed was to be in love with her boss, especially since he happened to be the President of the United States. Plus, he had still been married. Unhappily married but married all the same. She couldn't have him, even if he wanted her.

Everyone knew how Grant men rolled and as hard as it would've been to say no, if Fitz had propositioned her back then, she would've shut him down without hesitation. She wasn't going to put her career and reputation in jeopardy. She had worked too damned hard for too damned long to throw it all away for her hormones and soft heart. No way in hell!

She wasn't going to be the other woman, not even for the man she loved.

She couldn't have him, even if he wanted her and she was willing to let him have her.

It would be an ice cold decade in Mordor before Mellie Grant let him go.

She had paid, cajoled, and manipulated her way into being by his side and she wasn't going to give up her place without destroying him first because she was that petty and mean.

Climate change was a reality all over because not only did Mellie Grant let him go, she had ended up with no choice but to let him go.

Olivia still couldn't believe how the needed Grant divorce had come to be. No one could, really.

The whole story was something straight out of a Lifetime movie or from a soap opera script…

Since they were in boarding school, surrounded by plenty of opportunists, Karen and Gerry had gotten into the habit of having nanny cams in their sleeping areas. That way, if anything got stolen or tampered with, it would be easy to identify the culprits. That habit had come with them to 1600 Penn without their parents' knowledge.

That habit had changed everything.

One sunny July 2013 day, while Fitz was working hard and the kids were away, their mother had been in the Residence but far from alone.

Gerry's nanny cams had caught her with Secret Service Agent Hal Rimbeau. They had only been kissing but that had been because he was still on the clock, on the A-Team that protected the President. Fitz had decided to go on an afternoon run and that meant Hal had to leave, much to their bitter disdain. It had been much too long since they had been able to be together and it was just so fortunate that Teddy's eyes had them in the clear. So, so fortunate…

Mellie's disappointment had lasted as long as it took to pull out a secret burner cell phone.

Just because one of her paramours had to go didn't mean that she still didn't have options.

Karen's nanny cams had recorded her with replacement Vice President Andrew Nichols and they had been doing much more than kissing. It hadn't been outright intercourse (after all, they were in her daughter's rooms…) but despite what a certain, much beloved former president would claim otherwise, it had been very explicit, sloppy, illicit sexual relations.

If at least one person involved in the encounter gets off, then it counts as sexual relations.

When Karen and Gerry had checked their camera feeds that evening, they ended up with two sets of very incriminating, very intimidating clips. After working through their disgust and rage, they had realized what they had and decided on a plan of action to use it wisely.

Despite that plan of action, the clip sets had been exposed to the internet via an anonymous cyber hack at midnight the next day.

They hadn't gone viral.

They had simply exploded.

Kim Kardashian-West had nothing on #MellieGate when it came to breaking the internet.

Within the first 2 hours, there had been over 3 million hits total.

By lunch time, the clip sets were pushing 40 million hits total and rising.

Hal Rimbeau had promptly been dismissed from his duties and blacklisted from ever being more than a mall cop, if a mall would even take him in.

Andrew Nichols had been given the boot via a jaw, nose and rib breaking Presidential beatdown.

It had taken the combined efforts of SSA Daniel Benson, Cyrus Beene, Abby Whelan, and Leo Bergen to pry Fitz's hands from around his former blood brother's neck.

The beatdown hadn't been for Mellie. It had been for Karen. It was bad enough that the undynamic duo had done their dirty deeds in his own house but to be in his daughter's rooms, in her sanctuary? Nichols was lucky to be alive!

In an atomic bombshell opening to the damage control Primetime interview, Gerry Grant had bluntly introduced himself to the whole world, as the one who leaked the #MellieGate footage.

He had done it before James Novak could even finish his intro and everything had ground to a screeching halt.

When James had asked him to repeat himself, he had without hesitation, smiling for the camera.

Gerry Grant was known for his sensitive, withdrawn nature by with the Media and within his family. He preferred to be in the background, quietly observing everything instead of right in the thick of the action.

Getting him in front of a camera lens was considered a treat by the Media but a statement, especially such a life altering and ruining statement was just…wow. He had hung his own mother from the rafters and the only regret was that he hadn't done it sooner.

Fitz had been shocked mute by the confession, jaw hanging and eyes wider than saucers.

An apoplectic Mellie had immediately lunged for her 15 year old son's neck, all facades gone.

She had been stopped by security guards and had to be hustled out of the room.

There had been a beat of silence and then Teddy, already tired and overwhelmed by the all the people around them had bolted, followed by Karen, both in tears.

On their way out, the pair had run into one of the boom operators, who had stumbled into the main camera, toppling it over.

The 'PLEASE STAND BY' message had been on every viewer's television screen for 7 minutes.

No one watching had moved an inch, other than to turn up the volume and eat their popcorn.

It had just been too unbelievable to miss.

Once the interview finally began, a subdued Gerry explained his actions to his hurt father and to the country.

He started by apologizing to his father for not warning him and to his absent sister for not sticking to their plan. Fitz had asked his son just what plan they had and the story spilled out like overflowing water.

The nanny cams hadn't been installed to catch their mother's indiscretions but they weren't going to throw the opportunity away. She wasn't the parent who inspired that kind of loyalty.

Karen had wanted to use the footage as private leverage to reel their mother in so their father could easily divorce her after his Time in 1600 Penn was done. Gerry had agreed to that and then released the footage as soon as she was asleep, wanting the changes sooner rather than later. He was sick of seeing his father miserable. He was sick of having to live with lies upon lies.

The teenager had then gone on to explain to the Public that his parents' marriage was nothing but an elaborate political theater production. There was no real love between them anymore, if there ever had been. It was nothing but self serving lies on his mother's part and nothing but duty on his father's part, both to his children and his country. His father knew that the country would never accept a single or divorced President so he sacrificed his happiness, his peace of mind so he could continue to lead. Gerry was hoping that his father could be proved wrong.

The American People certainly did respect family values and tradition but they were also much more understanding and progressive than his Party gave them credit for. He had been a good Leader to them, hadn't he? Surely, they wouldn't impeach him for doing what was best for himself and his children, right? After all, wasn't it better for children to grow up in a single happy parent household than to stay caught up in the middle of an obviously unhappy marriage? Didn't they deserve better than that?

It had taken some doing but the answer had ended up being a resounding yes.

Andrew Nichols had been replaced by Susan Ross, a Senator from Virginia known for her endearingly tactless honesty and for having a commitment to helping the People, no matter how many partisan and power hungry toes she stepped on. Although there were moments of friction, she had proven to be a boon for the Grant Administration and there was already a growing amount of support for her to run for the Oval next.

With the clip sets exposing not just her actively cheating but confirming that at least Teddy could've easily been another man's, Mellie had immediately signed the divorce papers, along with the termination of her parental rights to all 3 of the Grant children. Her family had helped her leave the US and no one, save Andrew Nichols knew where she was because he had fled the country with her.

He claimed to love her but the truth of the matter was that he had nowhere else to go and no other woman would be caught dead with him. He was damaged goods socially and politically. Andrew hadn't been dragged nearly as harshly as Mellie had, since he was the single one and a man, but it had been severe enough to make him into one of the biggest social pariahs of the decade.

It had taken until the end of Winter 2014 but the dust had eventually settled into the current March 2015 reality.

Fitz was a happy single parent and his political position was more secure than ever.

According to the league of Talking Heads, both sane and insane, now that his personal life wasn't chaotic, he was much more focused and effective as a second term President. It was a crying shame that the Grant divorce hadn't happened sooner. Who knows where the country would be, then?

Fitz was no longer unhappily married and was now very much available.

Olivia was still very much in love with him but she was hesitant to let him know.

Sure, they were friends and yes, she had established a good rapport with his children but that didn't mean much. Fitz had never indicated that he saw her as more than a friend and employee. He was still her boss. He was the President of the United States. There were so many other, politically and Optically sound women around him. He could choose anyone other than Olivia. He actually had the opportunity to pick someone decent, now. He'd never want her.

Right?

Even by some slim chance he did want her, it still wouldn't be easy. All Optics aside, Olivia was not an easy person to be in a relationship with at all. She was more trouble than she was worth, as Edison and her few other exes ended up screaming at her more than once…

"Liv?"

Fitz was standing next to her and she looked up to meet his concerned gaze.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just…"

The abrupt whir of the hand mixer and the splatter of berry filled pancake batter against her cheek cut her off. Slowly, Olivia turned her head to see a wide eyed Teddy still holding the mixer and area around his mouth stained with blue, black, and cranberry juices.

"…oops."

Fitz cracked up and Olivia sighed fondly as she wiped the batter off her cheek.

"Don't worry about it, Teddy Bear. This is not the first or worst thing I've been splattered with. Let's get cooking. Fitz, I'm going to need you to get the cast iron skillet and the Pam…"

/

Three Weeks Later…

"Do you like my dad?"

"Yes, I do. He's a great person and a good boss."

"…that's not what I meant."

"What do you mean exactly?"

"Olivia, I see the way he looks at you, sometimes. Everyone does. He looks at you like you're golden or like he's a hungry Nat Geo lion and you are a gazelle but in a respectful way. There's always warmth in his voice when he talks about you and he talks about you a lot. It's like the warmth he has for me, Asshole, and Ted but it's different. He likes you and me and the other two like you so I want to know how you feel. Do you like my dad?"

"Gerry, I…it's…I don't like him."

"Oh…that sucks."

"No, it doesn't suck because like is too weak of a word to describe how I feel about your father."

"So, you're in love with him, then?"

Remembering that they weren't in the Residence kitchen (and therefore vulnerable to eavesdroppers), she nodded once.

It was bad enough that she didn't have the guts to tell him. Fitz hearing it on the Grapevine would be high school movie cliché terrible, especially if he didn't feel the same way.

"Awesome. Go tell him. He won't turn you down and if he's not in love with you, then that'll change fast. You seem to be very easy to fall for. I mean, shit, Karen adores you and she hates everyone and everything that ever lived. If you can get her on your team, then Dad'll be a piece of cake."

"Falling for me isn't the problem. Staying with me is. I have intimacy and trust issues."

"…as long as you don't leech off of him politically or financially, as long as you don't disrespect him and disregard him as a person, as long as you're not homicidal, then any issues you've got will be accepted. We're Grants, Olivia. Grants have whole encyclopedia sets worth of issues. You've had a front row seat for a lot of them. Look, it's okay to be a little scared. Love's supposed to be scary. It means that you're still thinking. It means that you know that you're feeling something special and you don't want to fuck it up."

Just because a person was young with little practical life experience didn't mean they couldn't be wise. The 16 year old young man who was now smoothly slicing through halved bell peppers proved that. Of the 3 Grant children, Gerry was "the sensitive one" and "the mysterious one", according to various Media outlets. He had briefly taken Karen's place as "the loose cannon" after he revealed himself to be the source of #MellieGate but that hadn't lasted long.

"…I don't want to hurt him. Too many people have hurt him, already."

"True, but he's a lot stronger than people give him credit for."

"He is. And…you and your siblings would really be okay if your father were together?"

"Absolutely. Karen loves you and Ted thinks you're the best thing since Princess Tiana."

"What about you?"

"I respect you and I appreciate how you engage with people. You listen to them and you take care of them. I think you'd be good for Dad. You're already good for Dad and the 3 of us. I'm out of my rooms and talking with you, aren't I?"

Olivia chuckled at the wry question and conceded the point with a tilt of her head. The bell peppers were carefully added to the sauté of onions, mushrooms, celery, shredded carrots, and leafy greens. Olivia turned up the heat slightly and added another shake of Lawry's to the vegetables. 3 large eggs rested on the counter next to the main chopping block. The garlic and rosemary breadcrumbs were in a midsized circular pan and the main part of the dish was already seasoned and waiting in its deep rectangular pan.

"You're making turkey meatloaf?"

"With smashed cheddar cauliflower and fresh green beans. Could you snap the beans for me? They're already rinsed."

"Sure. So, about you and Dad…"

"…he really likes me?"

"Another part of being a Grant is being no stranger to bullshit but no one should ever bullshit anyone about death, sex, or love matters. Putting Melody on blast was the hardest thing I ever had to do but I did it because I love my family. I love my siblings and my father. I wouldn't be talking to you about this and risking him being hurt again if I was full of shit or if I thought that you weren't good enough for him, Olivia. Yes, he really likes you so go for it. Make a move on him and do it fast. Now, that Melody has been gone for a while, the 'single parent President needs a wife or we're all gonna die' whispers are starting up again. His poll numbers are still high but Cyrus is about two minutes away from putting him on Tinder or hosting the first Presidential bachelor auction on eBay and that would be disastrous."

/

One Month Later…

The weatherman said before Kimmel the night before that there would be a severe weather watch from lunch time to 10PM, possibly into the early morning hours.

By the time 1PM rolled around, the watch became a severe weather warning for the metro area.

Most of the staff had gone home in the hours between 1 and 5PM but it was a windy, rainy mess out there. Since the White House was the White House, power was holding steady but the same couldn't be said about the rest of the city, including her apartment building on K Street. So far, there hadn't been any flooding in the storage area or the parking garage but according to her landlord, it was best for her to stay wherever she was until the storm blew itself out.

Damned right it was best because just before she had gotten that phone call, there had been footage of a man cheerfully kayaking home behind an unlucky reporter giving a live weather update.

Her power was out and all of the food she had wasn't perishable sans the bottle of red in the fridge, which was three-quarters empty anyway.

She didn't have a pet or a partner to worry about so she was more than happy to stay put.

Being no stranger to being in 1600 Penn overnight, Olivia kept a suitcase filled with enough essentials to last her 3 days. She also kept emergency supplies in her car, which she had brought in with her that morning. However, there were many on staff who had lacked that bit of foresight and were stuck. They were stuck away from loved ones or stuck away from their own supply caches. They were stuck and more than a little sad about the situation.

Stuck and sad people could easily turn into stuck and annoyed people.

There was a thin line between feeling annoyed and feeling homicidal, especially in bad weather.

By the time Cyrus had come to give her department and Housekeeping marching orders, things were already running on all cylinders.

So, at 7:52PM, the first White House Sleepover had officially commenced with 152 guests scattered amongst the guest rooms and in 3 conference rooms. Beds, sleeping bags, pallets, nests…everyone had a way to sleep comfortably (with or without a friend), clothing to sleep in while theirs was tended to by the Laundry crew, and with assurances that the power would hold came a feeling of general calm and joy. After all, they were part of a group that would have a special, positive Grant administration story to share wherever they ended up next and it was a slumber party! Slumber parties were fun, no matter how old you got!

Successful slumber parties needed food, a lot of it, and not just junk food.

Olivia was right in her element. Coordinating with everyone, a buffet of food had been put together. The menu was homemade pizza (meat, vegetarian, and vegan), soup and paninis, three fondue stations (two cheese, one chocolate), supplies to make custom tacos and burgers, and a half dozen veggie and cold cut trays with appropriate dips and crackers. That food was supplemented by chips, popcorn, soda, Gatorade, mineral water, and enough cupcakes to feed three battalions of soldiers twice.

No one would be hungry or thirsty at this shindig, not on her watch.

Well fed people were content people and content people didn't cause bodily harm or property damage.

Successful slumber parties needed activities, lots of them.

Fortunately, with 152 guests plus the 3 Grant kids, coming up with activities had been easy.

Karen had no qualms about stepping into the limelight with her drums but Gerry had pleasantly surprised everyone when he joined her with his electric bass and on vocals. Like his younger sister, he had a deep love of music but it was mainly a solitary pursuit. They had set up in the main ballroom and were taking music suggestions for a Spotify playlist. Along with all of that was the Just Dance series (courtesy of Gerry) on the 50 inch plasma the pair commandeered from Conference Room C.

Teddy, who had every Disney/PIXAR movie known to man and beast, had taken over Conference Room B with the 70 inch plasma and had used his whiteboard to list what was showing at what time. Disney showings would be the Renaissance Era, Tangled, and his favorite, The Princess and the Frog. The main showings would be PIXAR's Toy Story 3 to make everyone cry and Monsters: INC to make everyone laugh.

Lauren Smith, of all people, had 3 full sets of Cards Against Humanity in her station, along with two gallon bottles of Smirnoff vodka, courtesy of her 'Gram-Gram's Jackie's' deep love of internet shopping. They had taken over the Yellow Room. The last Olivia heard, the sweet Presidential P.A. was on a 10 round winning streak and getting progressively more raunchy and ruthless, especially against Abby, Leo, and Jeannine Locke.

There was still a group of people working in Conference Room A, unsurprisingly led by Cyrus, but it was a relaxed atmosphere instead the high frequency lion's den meets round table meeting that the West Wing usually was.

Olivia roamed through all of the areas, making sure that everyone was all right and helping with the ongoing clean up. There would still be a mess in the morning or more likely afternoon when the festivities ended but chipping at it now would make things go faster later.

Carefully, she added another full recycling bin to the stack in the Residential kitchen and looked towards the Truman Balcony. The thunder, lightning, and gale force winds had stopped about 2 hours ago but it was still raining. Stepping closer to the door, Olivia could see that it was more like a gentle mist and…

He was outside.

Fitz was standing at the center of the balcony with his eyes shut, his face tilted up and arms spread to receive the rain. His even longer hair (it was crossing into shaggy territory) was dripping and he had scruff.

Olivia adored scruff, especially when there was a chiseled jaw line in play.

He was also very shirtless. It was also possible that he wasn't wearing any underwear. His black pajama pants covered up his behind but they were still slung very low. If he were wearing boxers or briefs, the waistband would be visible. He was either wearing the skimpiest of underwear or none at all.

Olivia wanted to find out for sure.

After a fortifying breath, she pulled the knee length gray hooded sweatshirt she had on over her head. Her phone was in the kangaroo pocket and she didn't want to risk it falling out and getting ruined. Next, her pink ankle socks were removed and rolled before going on top of the hoodie. That left her in a pair of black leggings and a thin white undershirt. The bra she had on underneath was powder blue and she knew that the moment she stepped outside, her blowout would be shot but…

The rain was warm. She hadn't expected it to be warm. Her shirt quickly became translucent saran wrap against her but it was all right. Her bra was pretty and made of thick enough material so he wouldn't get a full show.

Although, if wet t-shirt contests were an Olympic sport, she'd be Team USA's MVP.

The wind blew the door shut with a loud snap-click but Fitz didn't move an inch.

Coming up next to him, Olivia looked out at the nighttime vista of their part of the city. Even in the rain, the view was beautiful. The monuments that could be seen were lit (because they were the Monuments, just like they were in the White House) and the Washington Monument loomed high above it all, looking to be aglow. Inhaling deeply, she smelled fresh mud, rain and thoroughly watered flowers, the South Lawn looking like velvet.

His arms lowered slowly and he sighed quietly. He was standing at parade rest now and her eyes watched as drops of water raced over his hairy torso, following grooves and planes. Without thinking, Olivia used her index finger to follow one of the droplets over the defined vein that followed the slope of his left shoulder. Goosebumps immediately erupted and the half lidded look he gave her was anything but unwelcoming. Emboldened, her fingertip was joined by the rest of them and she started stroking his arm, relishing the silk over steel texture of his flesh.

He was still silent but the expression on his face reminded her of a cat being petted just right.

Fitz wore his heart on his sleeve and his emotions broadcast on his face. He had no qualms about protecting his personal bubble. If he didn't want to be touched, then he'd back up, pull away, or shoot daggers with his eyes. Mellie (and occasionally Cyrus) would always provoke a combination of the three reactions.

Her hand left his arm and he turned to face her head on.

He was looking at her like he wanted to devour her.

Olivia stood her ground.

She was no stranger to desire but Fitz…god, he was just…just a look from him…

Fuck it.

He was single, she was single, and she was in love with him.

It was still complicated but she'd worry about that later.

No, they would worry about it later. She'd actually talk to him.

Lack of communication quickly killed relationships.

If (when) she got into a relationship with this man and the children that she adored belonging to this man, she was going to have to play for keeps.

Playing for keeps meant talking.

It also meant not fleeing or pushing him away when she got overwhelmed.

Closing the distance between them, she rose up on her tiptoes to kiss him. Fitz surrendered to her immediately, wrapping his arms around her tightly. He picked her up off of the ground and she moaned as his tongue brushed against the roof of her mouth. Her bare feet kicked a little before her ankles locked, anchoring herself to him. Her arms went around his shoulders and she sighed as he pulled away slowly, tugging gently at her lower lip. Her head spun pleasantly and there was a soft smile on his face as he looked at her. Usually that sort of smile was reserved for the kids but now, it was for her. Shyly, she smiled back and moved to kiss his collarbone…

The rain began to fall faster again and a faint rumble of thunder sounded in the distance, signaling that another storm system had arrived.

Fitz placed her back on her feet and extended his hand, leaving it up to her.

She didn't have to take his hand. He wanted her to but she would always have the option to say no, to walk away from him. Olivia knew that he would always respect her choices, even if it meant that this would be their first and only kiss.

If she took his hand, then she would be in his bed, in his arms, in his life for more than a night.

If she took his hand, things between them would change, irreversibly so.

If she took his hand, she would have to change…

She took his hand firmly and after pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles, Fitz led her inside.

Change wasn't always a bad thing.

/

The bed was new.

The ornate mahogany frame was the same but everything else was brand new.

The king sized mattress was firm but soft, possibly made of memory foam. The sheets were beige and were at least 1000 thread count. There were 4 comforters in various shades of blue, light to dark, and a plush white quilt on top. The dove gray and snow white pillowcases covered luxurious down pillows and Olivia claimed one of the larger ones, resting her head and elbow on it. Fitz spooned up behind her and she moved her hair aside, inviting him to kiss and nibble at her neck. His fingertips trailed over her abdomen and she moaned as his arousal touched the back of her thigh.

Both of them were nude. Leaving wet clothes on would result in them catching cold and it didn't make sense to put dry clothes on just to take them off again.

Her scarlet panties didn't even close to matching her bra but he was still delighted to be with her.

And much to her delight, he hadn't been wearing underwear underneath his pants.

At all.

Slowly, Fitz turned her onto her back and she opened her knees to receive him. Fitz settled between them and both of them moaned as he slowly, tenderly, firmly began to enter her. It had been a long time since she had been intimate with a man and Fitz was much more than she was used to. Not wanting him to stop, she gripped his hips and raised hers, whimpering as they connected fully. His brow rested on hers and he ground against her slowly, making her shiver. He felt good inside of her, so good inside of her…

"You okay?"

"Mm-hm…you can move…please move…I wanna feel you…"

Her hands slid up his back and into his hair, grasping and playing with it. Fitz moved slowly inside of her, giving her time and cataloguing what she liked. Olivia curved her leg over his hip and ran her foot over his calf, delighting in the warmth of him, the weight of him. Much of her delight came from a sense of relief. She didn't have to hide anymore. She had yet to tell him just how she felt but Olivia could tell that he had picked up on it. He sensed good feelings from her, desire and acceptance. Like her, Fitz had been starved emotionally through his childhood and had suffered that loss well into adulthood. He had his children, which helped tremendously, but he still lacked the intimacy, the trust and tenderness that came from a companion. Mellie had taught him not to reach out for that, not to try for it because she wouldn't give it to him, not without a steep price. All of his life, there had been prices for everything and people wanting him to do what they wanted for their own purposes, their own happiness…

Olivia frowned as he abruptly withdrew from her but before she could ask why, he was kissing down her body, intent on one destination. His face on the balcony had been hungry but now, he was ravenous. He draped her legs over his shoulders and his hands pressed down firmly on her thighs, splaying them fully.

"…y-you don't have to..."

"I want to."

She squeaked as he began and returned her hands to his hair, not wanting to deny him or herself. Olivia had always enjoyed oral sex, giving and receiving, but this was different. Fitz was very skilled and a very eager student.

"…so good…so damned…yes, right there…do that again…ah! Right there, stay there…don't stop, please don't stop, Fitz…"

"…you're so fucking delicious, Livvie…could live off of you…my Sweet Baby…"

She could feel it rising, feel the need and pleasure coil tighter and tighter in her belly. Fitz's face was buried in her dripping heat, his tongue licking and lapping hungrily inside of her, seeking more of her sweetness, more of her bliss. Her head fell back and her right hand left his hair to grip one of the columns of the bed. Olivia was groaning and Fitz shifted his focus to her throbbing clit, pulsing two fingers against her Spot between suckles.

Her mouth fell open in a silent scream and her lover drank of her deeply, growling with each tense of her thighs around his head. Once he was satisfied, he rested his cheek on her navel and she sighed deeply, sinking into the mattress. After he got his breath back, Fitz kissed up her body and she captured his mouth, tasting herself on him.

"Livvie…"

"I want you inside of me…you belong inside of me…you belong with me, period."

"…yes, I do…"

This time, his thrusts were deep, hard, and fast. He was seeking his own bliss and Olivia was happy to assist him. Fitz kissed her neck, her shoulders, her breasts, anywhere he could reach. His hands spanned her hips easily and she met him halfway, swiveling and grinding her hips against his to pleasure them both. His eyes were fevered, nearly all pupil ringed with cobalt, and she swallowed as his left hand rested heavily on her sternum, his fingers spreading over her chest. She held his wrist and looked at him with raw, open eyes. She wanted him to see her, to feel her, to understand…

It didn't take long for her to fall over the edge again and he joined her with a shout, shuddering and groaning at how good she felt.

/

"You're the only woman I've brought in here. I haven't…after the divorce, I promised myself that when I started dating again, when I started having sex again, that it would really mean something."

"I mean something?"

"Livvie, you mean everything."

"…I'm in love with you, Fitzgerald. I've been in love with you for a while now."

"I know."

"You know? How do…I never…"

"I'm a lot more observant than people give me credit for, Olivia."

"Oh."

"Don't worry. I love you, too."

"You do?"

"I've been in love with you for at least a year. I'm not exactly sure when or how it happened but I'm glad it did. I love you, Olivia."

"Good…that's good…so, we're together, now?"

"If you'd like to be. I wasn't much of a husband but I think I can be a good boyfriend."

"You were a great husband. You just had the wrong wife, is all."

"If you say so…the kids are going to be over the moon. They adore you."

"And I adore them. They're great kids and they're a part of you. How could I not love them?"

"You'd be surprised…I don't want to get hurt again, Livvie."

"I can't promise that I'll never hurt you because I'm not perfect but I can promise that I'll try my best to make us work. I've never felt this deeply about anyone before and I want to give us a real chance."

"So do I."