Executive Orders

CH 32 | Expect The Unexpected

Elizabeth had been watching as Garner as he'd approached the president, knowing the reason why and shortly after that, the president had left the room confirming what she'd already guessed.

She should have been present in the meeting he was leaving to attend, only the GOP leadership had decided that she'd be more effective in the main room rather than be involved in what was going on behind the scenes tonight.

They decided. Their dismissal still burned. Once again, they'd underestimated her and the hand she'd come to play - and proof of that was the sudden, subtle president of the vice-president as she came to stand briefly at her side.

To anyone who might have been watching, their meeting probably seemed accidental and inconsequential, but there they would have been wrong and honestly, right now, Elizabeth didn't care who might notice. If the current powers that be wouldn't deal her in, then certain people shouldn't be surprised when they finally realized that she'd decided to stack the deck in her favor.

The next series of events spun by in rapid succession, leaving Fitz to assume that each subjects had been wrapped up all pretty beforehand and now were being brought out and handed around like trick or treaters' going happily from door to door.

There was a brief discussion over the possible appointees to the Supreme Court. He recorded in his mind, who was for whom and remained silent vs spoke loudest. He particularly noticed Congressman Caldwell and the sarcastic smile that flashed across his face.

From there, the conversation went on to cover a number of other subjects, purposefully brief. Fitz supposed that this was like speed dating, something he'd recently read in some magazine.

They touched on Andrew Nichol's unsolicited support out west on Fitz's behalf, along with a comment on immigration reform and some ridiculous suggestions on tax reform that Fitz let go by without a single remark.

Through it all, Fitz was also very careful to offer no promise set in stone. The president had come, listened to what was said and would review what needs to be done against what wants to be done. That was all they were going to get from him tonight.

Just as the meeting looked like it would mercifully end, there'd been a bump in the road when one of the donors - new to the group but obviously was feeling his step up into the upper levels of influence under the influence of one too many drinks.

He had a question, he said. As he demanded to know how was it that Colleen Cassidy was here and why he had not been told, Fitz recalled that he was a tech mogul with several NASA satellite contracts, a fact that Cyrus pointed that fact to him in a few precise words, just enough to put an unspoken threat into the air.

When Caldwell spoke up with a sarcastic comment, one that effectively ended the meeting, Fitz found himself not surprised to see the irritated glare Tillman gave him, something that he recalled to Cyrus as they left the room.

"I agree, Mr. President." Cyrus said. "Caldwell must have done something to get on Tillman's naughty list. In light of his remarks, he needs looking into - him and Wallace as well. It's possible that he considers he and Colleen Cassidy rivals, plus I want to know who invited him into this meeting and what was he set up there for."

"So our plans are reaping unexpected benefits?" Fitz looked into possibilities that hadn't been possible before tonight.

"It would appear so." Cyrus said. "Excuse me sir, while I get things rolling." he excused himself with a nod and walked away.

Fitz was a little preoccupied as he walked back into the event room, accidentally almost walking right into Susan Ross. He apologized.

"It's all right, sir - I was looking for you. For Colleen, I mean." She wanted to make sure that you knew that she'd be right back - she stepped outside to call her dad and check in with him before he went to bed. She does that every night, no matter where she is."

"You know her well enough to know this?"

As usual, Susan was a more than a little flustered by his attention before she answered. "She was one of my earliest donors - once Olivia Pope took me under her wing." Susan said. "Olivia gave me my voice and Colleen was one of the first somebody's to listen."

Fitz shouldn't be surprised; Olivia had praised Susan enough - had even contributed to running her campaign. If Olivia was convinced enough to support Susan by not only word but by action, there had to be a good reason why.

This was his Olivia at her finest, diamond-edged, diamond sharp. He'd learned on his own how cutting-to-the-core Susan could be, but would he have even learned her name without Olivia - would she ever have come to his attention? He doubted it.

Fitz could feel the very many eyes on them, could feel the malevolent mingling of condescension and speculation. His innermost self responded.

He held out a hand to Susan. "Shall we?"

"Shall we what, Mr. President?"

Watching the realization wash across her expression was priceless. "In case I wasn't clear, I'm asking you to dance."

Susan looked at his hand as though she were seeing it for the first time. Then she looked back up at his face. "But why me?"

"Because, why not you?"

Once Susan got over her awe at being in his presence, they managed to have a decent conversation; she managed to offer several ideas worth looking into and with Fitz encouraging her, she even had something to say about tonight's event.

"I think that Elizabeth made a huge mistake by excluding the press to what was basically a cocktail hour briefing. What this should have been a bipartisan event to kick off he holiday season." Susan said. "I tried to bring the idea up to her, but I could tell thirty seconds after I opened my mouth, she wasn't interested at all."

"Her loss." Fitz said, and meant it.

Fitz noticed Colleen as she came to the edge of the dance floor near to where they were standing. The current song came to an end , then he and Susan joined her.

The three of them spent a few minutes laughing and joking, Colleen telling them stories about her father that were both informative and entertaining. Fitz thought that he'd like to meet the man. That amused Colleen, but she promised to look into it just as Cyrus appeared, reminding Fitz that he had one more duty to see to tonight.

He kept his words as brief as possible, thanking everyone for having taken the time to attend this little gathering and reminding them that as political-minded that they all were, this was the season to not only to get - but to give. To be as generous with their hearts as they were with their checkbooks.

"It's my most sincerest hope that we can truly offer goodwill to all during this upcoming season and beyond." Fitz ended his speech by thanking them all for coming once again.

He stepped down from the podium, accepting handshakes and smiles, as his gaze drifted from the faces surrounding him - and then from across the room, Fitz found himself staring straight into Olivia's eyes.