Speech Therapy

She was on television again. It was the second time this week. She was speaking about the men and women who had lost their lives while serving their country by trying to keep order in a desert far away. They had done an excellent job until they had come under fire from the enemy and paid the ultimate price with their lives. She didn't have to tell the public the sad news herself, but he knew that she would feel compelled to just the same.

Taking off his navy suit jacket and carefully laying it across the end of the black leather sofa, Fitz went to the refrigerator to grab a beer. He came back into the living room, loosened his tie, and sat down in front of his tv with the remote in his hand. He turned the volume up a bit, tossed the device onto the coffee table in front of him, and leaned back on the sofa, letting his legs fall open as he watched her speak. Watched everything about her. Bringing the beer bottle up to his lips, Fitz mentally took notes on things that needed to be changed before the next time she was on television.

She had a bad habit of licking her lips every so often. If it was distracting to him, then it was probably distracting to the average viewer too. She also raised her eyebrows when she was trying to stress a point. Those weren't big deals. Not really. If he mentioned them to her once, Olivia would stop doing them immediately. The thing he saw that bothered him the most was what he knew Olivia had some control over but wouldn't change no matter how much he mentioned it.

Sleep needed to be made a priority very soon. She looked tired. She looked beautiful too, but the fatigue was starting to show through. He would have to figure out a way to talk to her about it. She wasn't really listening to him these days though. And wasn't that infuriating and maddening at the same time to have to come to terms with? Still, he would try because she was a client of his and because she needed to not look worn to the bone on national television. Something had to give. She couldn't continue this way. It wasn't good for her health or the country.

If other world leaders saw a tiny exhausted one here, they might get ideas. Ideas to attack their neighbor who has a tired looking President. The fact that she was the first female leader of the United States of America would encourage them to see just how far they could push her. They would try to push her regardless of how tired she looked but because she was a woman in charge of the most powerful country on Earth, they would try all the more. That would be a mistake on their part. But they would try, he knew.

Not wanting to think about foreign leaders threatening to attack her, Fitz gave Olivia his full attention once again. The red dress she was wearing was both patriotic and fitting for the topic she was discussing. He could only see her from the chest up as she sat behind her large wooden desk, but the color suited her very well. Her hands were clasped in front of her, sitting on top of the desk. Her hair was perfectly styled and fell bone flat against her head, as was her habit. Unless she was attending a party or dinner or some equally boring function that demanded she look fancier. She had pearls at her throat, and they looked elegant against her beautiful brown skin. She was poised and her words were perfectly measured, conveying solemn gratitude for the fallen hero's service. Still, no matter how well her people put her together, they couldn't quite mask her exhaustion.

The topic of her getting enough sleep had been brought up once before. When Olivia had been campaigning for the job she currently held, Fitz had told her in no uncertain terms that she had to slow down some and get more rest. And Olivia had told him quite plainly that she would rest when she got the position she was working so hard to attain. Until then, she told Fitz that he needed to let her do whatever was necessary to get it. Now she had the job, and still she had no intentions of slowing down.

He wished she took better care of herself. Her husband should be thoughtful enough to encourage her to get a little more sleep. But these days, William Swann was a very busy man himself. He had just about every reporter in America wanting to interview or photograph him. He was the first official First Gentleman of the country and everyone wanted to know what that meant and how he lived his life.

William was not that complex of a man, in Fitz's opinion. He came from money his parent's left him before they died several years ago. He had a loud voice and a matching loud opinion on just about everything and was willing to share it with anyone with ears. He was interesting, but not worthy of pursuit by every news outlet over the most mundane topics. Still, everyday a large group gathered to get his opinion on any and everything from foreign affairs to how he preferred his steak cooked.

Olivia had run for President using her maiden name and kept it once she won the election. It was a source of contention between her and William, but it was also one she refused to change. The two of them had been married for eight years and they seemed happy together. The way things seemed and the way they really were oftentimes are very different.

He dropped his aggravation for William and his worry about Olivia faded some as he chose to concentrate and listen to her words instead. Words he knew she would say because he had helped to craft the speech. Fine tune it, really. In fact, he had just gotten home from her office where he had been summoned by her right hand. He had no idea what he was needed for earlier and when Fitz asked, he was simply told, "she needs you."

That could mean anything. Literally. Emotional support, cleaning up a mess of her, Will's, or someone else's making, an intervention, listening to her vent, or any number of things. In this case her speech needed to be gone over by someone with fresh eyes. They called him for all manner of things, and he always came to help. He would do anything for her. He already had gone way above and beyond his job description, but he never complained. Not to anyone, least of all her.

Fitz had to change into a suit and then make his way to the White House. As always, Olivia's Chief of Staff met him in the hall and led him to the Oval Office. "It was good of you to come on such short notice."

"Of course. Whatever I can do to help."

The two men stopped at Olivia's secretary's desk and she made eye contact with both of them. "You can go in. She's expecting you, Mr. Grant."

Fitz glanced at Mr. Beene and he shrugged and said, "I've got things to do before she goes live on air later. Whatever she needs. Just get it done!"

Cyrus could be intimidating if Fitz let him. Instead, he turned back to the door where an armed man stood guard. He ignored Fitz altogether as he turned the doorknob and stepped inside the Oval Office. Once inside, Fitz found the woman he had voted for sitting behind the resolute desk looking at a neatly typed piece of white paper. He went to the opposite side of the desk, quietly standing at attention much like the guard outside the door, waiting for an invitation to either sit down or be told what to do.

As he waited, Fitz found a bit of irony in the situation. She had asked for help with her speech, but when she ran for President Olivia was never unsure of her words. Ever. She was the perfect speaker, holding a captivated audience in the palm of her hand. She made the people she was addressing feel like they were her oldest friends and that she was trusting them with her most private secrets. It didn't matter if she was on television or talking to you in person at a town hall meeting. Everything else faded away somehow and it felt like it was just the two of you. She always possessed that gift naturally while the masses tended to avoid public speaking. Most people didn't like the spotlight shining on them for all to see. Most people weren't Olivia Pope though. And most people weren't in her position, having no choice but to talk publicly because of the job she was after.

Her charisma and the way she made you feel like whatever you were talking about with her was the most important thing in the entire world at that moment was what won her over in the hearts of the American people. It wasn't even close between her and the other candidate. She won by a landslide. It was something Fitz was immensely proud of her for.

Lost in his thoughts, Fitz momentarily forgot where he was until Olivia finally looked up at him, gave a curt smile, and wordlessly handed him the speech. He reached across the desk and took it from her, being careful to not touch her. "I don't know about this. It just seems…wrong somehow? I was hoping you could take a few minutes to look over it and tell me that I'm wrong."

Fitz held her gaze as she spoke and concentrated on what she was saying. Her beauty always captivated him, to the point of distraction at times but at this moment, he needed to keep things professional. It had been much simpler to discuss important matters in a more casual setting than here at the White House. But this was not a personal visit. It was business. Keeping eye contact with his clients was of the utmost importance in his job. Besides, he was listening to the leader of the free world. She deserved his full attention.

Reluctantly, he tore his eyes away from her big chocolate ones and began reading the words in front of him. She was right. He was no speech writer, but there was something off about it. He looked at her and without asking pulled a pen from his jacket pocket and began making notes on it.

She came around her desk to stand beside him, looking to see what he had changed.

"See?" He lowered the paper so she could look at what he had changed. She had on heels, but her short stature was no match for his naturally much taller one. He had noticed the scent of her perfume floating around the room since he had walked in, but now, with her in a much closer proximity, it filled his nostrils. Fitz tried to ignore the alluring scent. "Moving this over here makes a much bolder statement and you'll connect with your audience a thousand percent better."

She read it. Then re-read it again, giving him a smile when she was finished. "You're right. That is better. The whole speech somehow flows so much more fluidly. If the fixing game ever gets old, you could have a new career as a writer."

"Thank you, Madam President but I can't see myself doing anything other than being a fixer. I enjoy helping other people and have always liked to be able to solve puzzles. Being a fixer is the best of both of those aspects."

"I can't imagine how available you are for other clients when my office constantly calls you for silly things like speech corrections? I'm sorry for interrupting your afternoon." He looked amazing. It had only been a few weeks since she had seen him last and Olivia realized that was entirely too long for her liking. On the other hand, it was good that they had put some space between them. They were drawn to each other like magnets, and while she truly enjoyed being around Fitz, sometimes magnets damage other things in their invisible pull.

He smiled at her. She had no idea that he would immediately clear his schedule for her for any reason at all. "It's no problem. I serve at the pleasure of the President, just like everyone else does."

"Well, not quite like everyone else does." She kept her eyes on the paper, but her meaning was conveyed crystal clear to him. He wasn't just someone at her beck and call, he was her friend. More than that really, but those things weren't discussed in the Oval Office. Olivia looked up into his sparkling blue eyes and extended her hand toward him. She knew she would regret it, but duty drove her manners these days. The moment his hand slid into hers, she felt that electric spark. The same spark she felt every other time they touched each other.

She dropped her eyes from his and smiled politely. "Thank you again for coming on such short notice. And for being so helpful. This administration appreciates everything you do."

"As always, you're welcome, Madam President." Fitz stopped shaking her hand but held it for a moment. When her brown eyes flicked back up to his, he added, "Please take care of yourself."

Olivia pulled her hand from his and went back around to the other side of her large desk and took her seat. She had to put some space between them now. "I'm a very busy woman. This country doesn't run itself you know?"

"I apologize for suggesting that you have lots of leisure time." He took the few steps to stand in front of her and waited until she looked back up at him. She looked weary when she finally did. "Take care of yourself, Liv. Please."

He brought a hand up and while cupping her cheek, gently brushed the much darker skin under her eye with his thumb. "You're not getting enough sleep and it shows."

Olivia wanted nothing more than to just melt into him. To let him take care of her and chastise her for thinking she had to be everywhere, in every meeting, all the time as her way of showing that a woman could indeed do the job as President and do it well! But she couldn't let him do those things. In fact, he needed to stop touching her now. Before someone walked into her office wanting something or needing her somewhere. She snapped out of her Fitz trance and took a small step backwards. "I'll try to get a little more rest. But I've only been here for a few months and there is still a lot that requires my attention every single day. I want to stay on top of things. I need to."

He nodded. She was in Presidential mode and nothing he could say would be able to break through that. He knew from experience. So he played his part. "The press conference will be fine. I'll be watching from home. Have a good evening, Madam President."

"Goodnight, Fitz." Olivia said, and went back to work instead of watching him walk out the door. The moment she heard it close, she looked up with a sad expression. She missed him much more than she should. She knew he was right. She needed to make herself a priority. But she didn't know how to do that while running a country and trying to prove herself worthy of the role?

She sighed loudly and went back to her speech. No sooner had her eyes landed on the paper, than her door opened. She glanced up and saw Cyrus striding into the room and taking the seat on the other side of her desk like he owned the place. "Well?" he impatiently asked. "What did he say?"

Olivia handed the paper to him from across the desk. "He made a few changes. Nothing drastic. It is better though. I don't know. Maybe I've been looking at it entirely too long and it was fine before he got here? What do you think?"

The older man's face turned into a frown as he continued to read, but it wasn't an unhappy expression. He nodded a few times as his eyes continued to scan the paper, taking in the changes along the way. "It is better. It makes a better connection to the audience. It doesn't dumb it down and it doesn't seem too patronizing." He glanced at her with the paper still in his hand and pointed a finger at her. "The American people will love you more for that."

Ah yes, she also had to make sure the American people were in love with her every minute of every day too. On top of everything else she had going on. She wished she could take Fitz's advice and go to sleep right now. She felt like she could sleep for days. Instead, she told Cyrus, "great. Have the speech loaded onto the prompter. I'll go get into hair and make-up and then get dressed. We should be ready to do this in less than an hour."

"I'll meet you back here at six forty-five and we'll get the ball rolling."

"...and God bless America." Olivia waited until she got the signal and then she unclipped the mini microphone from her dress, grabbed her cellphone, and stood up. She left the Oval and everyone inside of it. She was bone weary and wanted nothing more than to close her eyes.

Everyone she passed bid her a goodnight. She smiled and repeated the sentiment back to each of them as she continued walking towards the residence. The Secret Service members kept up with her brisk pace, but stopped when Olivia did the moment they cleared the top of the stairway at the residence. She reached down and pulled off her heels, sighing loudly before continuing on.

She scrolled through her phone, looking for the contact she needed to speak to. She found it in the alphabetically ordered contacts. He was listed simply as Fixer. Olivia knew it was a bad idea, but she wanted to talk to him. To thank him for helping her with the speech. It was a terrible excuse because she had already thanked him. In person when he fixed the damn thing. Talking to him would only make things worse. And by things, she meant the ache she felt for him. The need as well.

Her hand was dropped back down to her side. She would speak to him another day. She was being childish, and it just wouldn't do. It wasn't how the President was supposed to act!

Then again. She was the first female President of the United States of America. No precedence had been set for something like this. She was the first of her kind. A trailblazer! A badass!

She stopped walking again and leaned up against a nearby wall.

There was a great sense of freedom in those thoughts. Thoughts she probably shouldn't be having in the first place, but at this moment, she didn't really care. She pulled the phone back up, touched his name, and brought the device to her ear and listened to the ringing.

Her Secret Service agents fanned out a little and kept watch while their boss made her phone call.

She began to feel deflated. The call was going to go to voicemail. He was probably busy with work, or...maybe out on a date. Maybe he was simply avoiding her all together? God knew she deserved that. She shouldn't have called him. It was a stupid idea.

The chiming stopped and she heard his deep baritone voice telling who he was and asking her to leave a message. She ended the call and took a deep breath. It was for the best, she decided. He was stronger than she was, and she needed that right now. The strength and will power to just stay away from him.

She resumed heading towards her living space for the next four years, walking much slower than she had been. She opened the door to the Presidential living room, hoping to catch her husband and hear about his day, but the room was empty and dark.

Olivia turned on the light and plopped down on the sofa. It felt good to relax for a minute. She grabbed the remote and turned on the television to see what was being said about her speech. The reporter had just started talking about it when Olivia's cell phone began to chime.

The rectangular device was still in her hand and she brought it up to see who wanted her attention now? The smile was on her face before she had the chance to know how she felt about it. Fixer was calling.

She wasn't going to overthink it or analyze it to death. Olivia swiped her finger across the screen, put her phone up to her ear, and politely said, "hi."

"Hi. I'm sorry I missed your call. I was in the shower. Is everything okay?"

She smiled at his words. He had been in the shower. Not working late or out on a date. And now she was imagining Fitz in the shower. She had been in the shower with him before, so she knew exactly what that vision of sexiness looked like. His wet curls plastered to his head, rivulets of water running down his broad hairy chest, and his hands roaming all over her body.

She really shouldn't have answered the phone.

"Liv?"

Olivia cleared her throat, hoping it would clear the mental images from her mind as well. "Everything is fine. I just wanted to thank you again with your help with my speech earlier. It was infinitely better."

"That's really why you called? To tell me something you already told me?" he asked her.

Damn him for knowing her so well. She could say yes and end the call. She's the President after all!

"Why'd you really call me, Liv?" he asked. "The truth this time."

She didn't hesitate. "I miss you."

"You didn't seem like you missed me earlier? You were very much business as usual."

"We were in the Oval, Fitz. Did you expect me to get undressed and bend over my desk?"

"It wouldn't be the first time we've done that in there." he chuckled.

"You're not helping."

"I miss you too. I know you are trying to do everything perfectly. To be the perfect President. To prove to the people who elected you, as well as yourself, that you are doing a great job as the first female President. You already are doing that. America loves you. Your approval rating is already higher than the last three Presidents at this point in their first term. You're doing the damn thing!"

"There's a price for all of that though. It means I can't be with you and I don't know if I can pay it?" she admitted.

"The trade off is worth it. You are breathing rare air on sixteen hundred Pennsylvania Avenue. You will be talked about for centuries. You are the first female President, Liv! Besides, I'll still be around. You'll still need me to fix things. And seeing you is better than not seeing you." It was killing him to admit. He didn't want to pay the price either. He wanted her to remain President and he wanted to be able to see her whenever he wanted to however he wanted to. But that's not what she needed to hear right now.

"You're right."

He needed to change the subject. "You were great on tv tonight. The red dress was perfection on you."

"You're just saying that because you bought it." she giggled.

There was little in this world that calmed him like her laugh. "Well, I do have great taste. Obviously."

He was flirting with her but trying desperately not to. It made her smile. "Obviously." she echoed.

The door to the living room opened. Olivia dropped the happy smile that was just taking up residence on her face. She sat up a little straighter on the sofa as her husband strolled in. He ignored his wife completely as he poured himself a drink and took a healthy swallow.

"I've got to go now but thank you again for your help today."

"Get your ass to bed Madam President." he commanded.

Olivia shivered at his authoritative tone. "I'm going now. Goodnight."

"Nite, Livvie."

I love the idea for this story, but it makes me nervous. Nervous because I don't know if I can do the story justice. I wanted to do something really different for Fitz & Liv & this is what I came up with. It will have some similarities as the show, but not be a carbon copy of it. Also, this story won't be updated near as often as the ones I have written in the past because I am currently working on two others. When I get a few chapters ahead on those stories, I will share them too. If you have a minute, please let me know what you honestly think about this beginning. Honesty is not the same as rudeness. I don't love every story I come across either, but I don't leave hateful comments. That's not productive. My FF & Twitter DM's are always open for a more in depth chat if you prefer.