Executive Orders

CH 10 | Episode 04: A Perfect Understanding

Chapter Ten

There were a few other possibilities on Cyrus' list, none of them with either glaring recommendations or cautions - at least none that they knew of right now. Fitz would get final say, of course, but between Cyrus and herself, Olivia knew that they'd manage to weed out any difficulties or possible conflicts. They then spent the next little while discussing and debating the pros and cons of each potential candidate.

"Too bad Jocelyn Martin is a visibly happily married woman." Cyrus said, when the conversation was almost at its end. Jocelyn was the NSA Special Envoy to the White House who had served as a consultant during the Irasn Affair and along the way, had surprisingly developed a friendship with the president. In Cyrus' opinion, she would have been perfect.

At the very least, they could have counted on her willing and total cooperation. Unfortunately, not only was she married - and very happily so, but she was currently taking a very well-earned leave of absence and was traveling with her daughter overseas.

"She'd be the perfect and understanding candidate for the job. Smart, beautiful, recognized as an expert and highly regarded professional in her field." He finished up.

"I've already got smart and beautiful." Fitz reminded him. "And as an acknowledged professional expert in her field, I'm lucky to have her."

He looked to Olivia, smiling as he held out his hand to her. "More than lucky."

Olivia left her chair and walked around the desk to stand by Fitz's side, letting her hand slip into his.

As Fitz pressed a tender kiss to the back of her hand, Cyrus felt a strange sensation in his chest, and it was an unfamiliar warmth. Whether they knew it or not, whether he liked it or not - and he acknowledged to himself that his inner jury was still out on that one - Olivia already looked every inch like a First Lady.

She was dressed in her signature white; a custom-tailored peplum jacket and skirt of textured silk, no doubt precisely chosen as armor for her potential battle with the morning's press briefing. Like everything else she wore, it fit her perfectly.

They'd all expected the press corps' Monday morning belligerency. Once they'd realized they lost the scoop of the Grants' separation to the weekend television's hosts, they were not happy.

But Olivia had anticipated them, arriving at the press podium with exclusive shots of Fitz and Mellie and the entire family as they'd walked with their mother to the private plane taking she and Teddy to the Santa Barbara ranch. Karen and Gerry had been flown in a few days earlier before the separation papers had been signed so that they could all spend a few days together as a family and then they'd each returned to their schools as soon as Mellie and Teddy had left.

It wasn't what she wore, Cyrus forced himself to recognize the fact. Nor was it the unquestionable authority that radiated from her petite frame.

It was in the fierce devotion in her gaze as Olivia looked down at Fitz.

It was in the adoration shining out of Fitz as he looked up at her.

It was the incandescent love that was mirrored in their faces, as clear as rain and as bright as the sun. That and something more. And that was power - raw political power. In that moment, Cyrus saw what a powerhouse the two of them could be. Once this political juggernaut got rolling,there would be hell to pay for anyone trying to stop it. He also could see the level of power and authority that might be brought against them for that very same reason.

Even so, he couldn't bring himself to remind them of that right now. He struggled with that, believing it to be a necessary evil, but looking at them now, he just couldn't do it. Ignoring facts was something that Cyrus wasn't used to.

After a moment, Cyrus cleared his throat, reminding them all of the here and now. "We've made good progress this morning, but I think it's safe to say we're done for now."

He glanced at his watch as he stood up. "I seem to have some fresh logistics to update, which means the shifting of some meetings - and Mr. President, may I remind you that you have another meeting with an oversight committee in about ninety minutes."

From the way they were looking at one another, Cyrus had a good idea of where some of the minutes were going to be used.

He gathered up his share of the papers and folders and headed towards the door, reminding himself of all the things that he now had to add to his to-do list. His hand on the doorknob, Cyrus visibly checked himself and turned around. "Olivia, if you can - can you stop by my office before you leave?"

Olivia frowned at him, while the look Fitz sent his way was unreadable.

"Is something wrong, Cy?"she asked.

"No." His eyebrows lowered, his concentration focused inward, putting a smooth face on his lie. "Just a sudden blink of an idea - I'm going down to my office right not to jot it down before I lose it - but I'd like your input. If it's anything worth more than a second thought, the both of you will be the first to know - together."

"I appreciate that, Cyrus." Fitz said. "Oh - one favor, though?"

"Anything, Mr. President - of course."

"Could you ask Lauren to hold my calls for the next hour? Short of a nuclear holocaust, I don't want to be disturbed."

"Yes, sir - Mr. President." Mentally, Cyrus shrugged and shook his head, not surprised at all. It wasn't like he hadn't seen that coming.

XXX

As soon as the door closed behind Cyrus, Fitz stood up and moved to stand behind Olivia, his arms wrapping themselves around her and holding her close. For a moment, neither one of them spoke. Words weren't necessary. The plan was in play and they were another step closer to finding their way into the light. They both stood still, taking that thought in.

It was Fitz who broke the silence. "What else do you think is on Cyrus' mind?"

Olivia had caught Cyrus' vibe as well. When Cyrus' mind was spinning off into the weaving of multiple webs, he almost vibrated with the energy. You had to know him well to look for it, but it was there. This time it had been so strong that a remnant of it still lingered in the air behind him.

Olivia gave the question a moment in her mind. "It's too early to say."

"With Cyrus, that could be a dangerous thing." Despite the lightness in Fitz's voice, they both knew there was a note of seriousness and truth beneath his words, something that they both had reason to know. Whether Cyrus was on your side or not, once he got an idea in his head, he was a political dog with a bone.

"I'll listen to what he has to say." Olivia knew that she owed him that much. "He's both the dragon at the gate as well as the dragon-slayer. It makes things difficult for Cyrus sometimes."

"Part of his job is to lower his morals - so I don't have to." Fitz's voice was quiet. "He told me that the day you and I met, how I didn't have the stomach for all the back-alley brawling - but he did. He wasn't wrong - but he wasn't right either. I've learned a lot since then."

Olivia heard what he didn't say; she turned around in his arms, one hand coming up to caress his face. "Heavy is the head -"

"That wears the crown - I know." Fitz leaned a little forward and Olivia did the same, meeting him halfway. As their brows touched, they each closed their eyes. "I know it all too well." He murmured softly.

Olivia's hands reached up to him, cupping his face even as her heart ached for him. Very few people knew just how true those words were for him. The burden of the presidency was one that Fitz by nature, carried alone. Not even the love they shared would ever be able to take that burden from him. Fitz would never want that, would never allow that and she'd learned to accept that along with the rest of him - another lesson learned from their recent past.

But she could give him this one minute. For one minute, they could close their eyes and shut out the world around them. In her arms, for one minute, Fitz could let the weight of his responsibilities go. For one minute, he could simply love and be loved... and her own fears were nothing against this.

She could almost forget about her own fears in this. She could almost forget about her fears in them. And so she did.