Mellie was seething; what had meant to have been a warning shot across Jocelyn Martin’s bow had instead turned into a very polite but very definitely set down on the other woman’s part to her.

The shock of it still rattled deep inside of her. What was even worse was that beneath all that cool iciness, Jocelyn Martin had actually scared her. How dared she, Mellie thought as she stalked back into the White House. 

Maybe she should have tried another way, Mellie thought as she made her way towards the Residence. She could have tried for the women in arms together route, but the idea of Fitz possibly falling for another woman had made all rational thought fly out of the window.

Now she was faced with choices to make. Was that woman simply what she seemed to be on the surface - a working member of the administration? - in which case she herself had just humiliated herself for nothing. 

Was her gut right or was she seeing ghosts where there were none? She couldn’t take the chance. She couldn’t wait for another woman to come into Fitz’s life and possibly take her place.

Mellie was in for another shock once she reached the Resident quarters.  She walked into the nursery, concerned motherly expression all ready.

It fell flat as she took in the scene between her. 

Fitz was just buttoning up a tiny jacket on James. A full diaper bag was waiting nearby.

“What’s - what’s this?” She tried for normal, but her voice betrayed her, and her words came out strained. 

Fitz turned to her; his eyes were hard, but his voice was soft - no doubt for their son’s sake and his alone. 

“You lied to me, Mellie. Again. ” he stopped and sighed. “Over such a trivial thing, too. It’s getting old. 

“You behave as though I don’t ask questions about my son. He wasn’t ready for a nap -  he’d just woken up from one - and he needed changing before you brought him to me.”

Mellie just stood there. It had never occurred to her that he would question her or the staff on such a trivial matter. But he had and now her lies laid exposed between them as another barrier to reach him. Inwardly, Mellie swore a thousand curses  - She would see that that cow of a nanny paid for opening her mouth. 

See how other women were not to be trusted! 

Fitz was looking at her, shaking his head. He wasn’t disappointed; he wasn’t even surprised.

“But it’s all right; I was planning to get out here for a few hours later this afternoon, but since he’s just woken up, Teddy and I can go on a little adventure together.”

Mellie brightened; maybe this is exactly what they needed, to get away as a family. “I think that’s a wonderful idea, Fitz. Let me just grab a jacket - it’s nice enough, but the breezes can get a little chilly...”

She was turning while she spoke, but his next words stopped her in her tracks. 

“I’m glad you think it’s a wonderful idea, Mellie, but it really doesn’t matter since you’re not invited.”

“What?” She spun back to face him. 

Fitz had Teddy in one arm and the packed diaper bag in his other hand. “You heard me the first time, Mellie. I am going out with my son and we are going by ourselves.”

She was still standing there in disbelief when he walked past her and headed downstairs. “Where - where are you going?” 

His matter-of-fact answer was a slap in the face. “Out. And you probably shouldn’t look for us for lunch.”

//**//

Settled in the back of one of the presidential sedans - he had insisted on no limo - Fitz couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of Mellie’s face as he’d left. 

He shouldn’t, he knew it - but really - she brought it on herself. She was so used to lying and manipulating to get her way that she just didn’t know when to stop. She was really her own worst enemy.

He reached over and played with his son his car seat. “Just you and me, little man.” Fitz said to him. “We are going to take a special trip, just you and me, buddy.”

It didn’t take long before his small cavalcade were pulling up in front of Cyrus and James’ house. They weren’t expecting him until the late afternoon, but once Fitz had talked to the nanny, he knew that he couldn't have stayed around Millie much longer before they would have locked in an argument and he was just too weary for that.  

At least Cyrus would understand. Fitz laughed aloud again; even though the sentiment behind the laugh was bitter, his son didn’t know it and he abruptly stopped because of it.   

Fitz smiled at him again, even if there was a little bit of sadness in it. Teddy was going to grow up with the full spotlight of the White House on him. It was his job to give him whatever sense of normalcy that he could. That included visits with his god-sister. 

If it gave him an escape as well, why not take the unexpected gift?

//**//

It was James who was surprised to open his door to find a group of secret service men  standing on his doorstep.

The four men stepped inside first and began a thorough inspection of the interior.

“Mr. - Mr. President?” James stammered. He was clearly in shock at seeing Fitz show up on his doorstep. Fitz guessed that Cyrus hadn’t told him about the possibility of him showing up today.

He smiled at James. “I think the father of my god-daughter is allowed to call me Fitz - especially in his own home.” 

James was still somewhat stunned. “ Of course, sir - I mean - Fitz. But... but...”

“It’ll be a minute before they’re through.” Fitz said with a motion of his head to indicate the agents. He shrugged his shoulders by way of apology, shaking his head a little. “Sorry, it goes with the job.”

He turned his attention to his son, who was sitting quietly enough in his arms, his bright eyes looking around in curiosity. “Have you met Teddy?”

The two men chatted for a few minutes while Fitz’s agent completed their sweep. A nod to the president and they moved away to take up their posts. 

James gestured for Fitz to follow him and they walked through the house towards the back.

“It was such a beautiful day that we decided on an impromptu picnic. Well, I decided at least.” he said with a still nervous laugh. “Cyrus’ idea of picnics is a lunch on the balcony of Chez Whatever.

“I have to say, this is a wonderful surprise. Ella will be so happy to have both of her god-parents here at the same time...”

Fitz didn’t hear anything James said after that. Both god-parents? His heart felt a sudden swooping sensation pour through it; his gut tightened and his entire body reacted as he took that in. 

Olivia was here. 

They came to the library that led out into the gardens. James motioned towards the doors. “Since the two of you don’t need introducing, excuse me while I go find Cyrus, remove the phone from the semi-permanent place at his ear and give him a little bit of hell for not letting me know that you were coming.”

“Don’t be too hard on him, James. We had a conversation and it was mentioned. I just found myself free and made a last minute decision.”

He could tell James was still a little nervous; it probably terrified him - the thought of having to make small talk about babies and other everyday things with the president of the United States.

Fitz turned back to the french doors as James went after Cyrus. His guts clenched; he was more than a little uneasy himself. It had never occurred to him that Olivia might be here. 

He would have thought that Cyrus would have told him that she might be - he would have thought that Cyrus would have moved heaven and earth to make sure the two of them wouldn’t have a chance to lay eyes upon one another anywhere outside the White House, let alone at his own house. 

But that was before he’d learned about Deception, Fitz reminded himself - and everything, everyone - had changed. 

Fitz moved until he was at a point before the doors but still out of sight from anyone outside. 

He wanted to just - for a moment, he didn’t know what he wanted. And then it came to him. He wanted to just watch her. Just for one unguarded moment, to just stand there and drink in the sight of her. 

She was tense; Fitz could read it in ever line of her slender body. Of course; she had had to known what was happening as soon as his agents had began their walk-through. But she could hardly jump up and run away without seeming foolish. 

Besides, Olivia Pope was never a woman to run away from anything or anyone. Not even him. And given how things were between them now, especially not him. That thought sent a tense grimace across Fitz’s face that might have been the beginnings of a smile. 

She hid it well enough. Her fingers were busy in Ella’s hair, skillfully weaving it into a series of tiny braids, but her eyes kept flicking upwards towards the doors. 

Fitz watched as Olivia finished the last of her braiding.  She bent forward to smile down at Ella, say something to her and kiss her gently on her cheek. 

A jolt went through him. As crazy as it seemed to him, Fitz felt that kiss, felt her lips as though they had touched his flesh; the sensation traveled through him, all the way down to the tips of his toes. It gave him a moment of gentle pleasure, but then a wave of resentment rose up in its wake. 

How well she wore her masks, he thought. Bitterness rose up in him again, filling that little bit of pleasure with familiar anger.

This was ridiculous, he told himself. Fitz gave himself a little shake and smiled at his son. There was no more putting this off. He straightened his shoulders, settled his son more firmly in his arms and stepped forward. He was here, she was here and he was here and they would both have to just deal with it.

Olivia looked up at him as he approached her and the little girl and her face was very carefully neutral. Ella was the opposite - her face exploded into a happy grin. “Unca Fizz!” she called out happily.

Fitz couldn’t help the smile that came over his face. It would be a long time before Ella could get her words wrapped around Fitzgerald, so Unca Fizz was close as she could get. He wouldn’t mind if it stayed. 

There was no getting away from, he had to sit down close to Ella even if that meant he had to sit down close to Olivia. “Hi Ella, I brought someone to see you.” He said as he sat Teddy down in front of her. 

Only then did he raise his eyes to meet hers. “Hello Olivia.”

Her gaze flickered slightly, sliding away for a moment before coming back and meeting his. “Hello.”

A pause. “How have you been?” Her voice was distant and detached. Polite.

Fitz sought for words to say. I’ve missed you - I still hate you - I want you. We’re done...

In the end, he could say none of those things, even if they were all true. “I’ve been - busy.”

She looked away from him. “So have I.”

Her next words came out in a rush, as though she were explaining her presence here. “James has been pushing me for forever to come by so I called him up this morning on a whim and he invited me over. He didn’t tell me that you were supposed to come by.”

Before he knew it, Fitz was giving her an explanation of his own.“He didn’t know. Cyrus has been on me too. I talked about the possibility of it, but I had planned to come over this afternoon if I could make it at all, not this morning. My plans - changed unexpectedly.”

Something in his voice made her look at him again. Fitz could have sworn that for a minute, it was though she were reading his mind; knew somehow that he and Mellie had had words once again, knew how trapped he was feeling and the need for some measure of normalcy had brought him here. Their eyes caught and held for a moment.

It was Fitz who looked away first. 

They were saved from having the struggle of having to hold a conversation by James, who joined them bearing two thermos and cups. He’d heard the last part of Fitz’s words. 

“Unexpected change can be a good thing. I couldn’t have planned this any better for Ella - and your bringing Teddy is just the icing on the cake.”

He began to set out the drinks. “For the little ones, I have pomegranate and cranberry juice - and for the grown-ups, the same, only sangria style with this wonderful Merlot I’ve been saving.”

Having James there was a blessing; a twisted smile bloomed inside him as Fitz noticed that both he and Olivia kept their attention on him and the children and studiously kept their eyes from one another. Not that it mattered; he could feel her presence like the touch of her hand on arm, delicate but with an inner strength of will - a will was just as hyper-aware of him as he was of her. 

Somehow they all managed to sit back and relax into a peaceful silence broken only by the sounds of the two children playing. In spite of Olivia’s presence, Fitz felt the tension start to leave his body.

“What happened to Cyrus?” Olivia asked. “Is he still on the phone?”

“Not anymore.” Cyrus himself announced as he walked over to join them. He carefully looked from Olivia to Fitz. “Not to worry, sir, it was nothing earth-shaking - I was just confirming the logistics  of a morning meeting. I’ve sent out the order and there will be no earth-shaking until tomorrow.”

“See that you do, Cy.” Fitz smiled as the others laughed. Suddenly the day grew a little brighter. “From your mouth to God’s ear.”

James had seated himself to the right of Olivia, so Cyrus took a seat next to Fitz, settling himself with a sigh. 

“Is everything in order?” Fitz asked. 

Before Cyrus could answer, James was handing him a glass and shaking his head. “Could we please not talk shop for the time being? No new crises are underway, it’s a Sunday and a beautiful day for this time of year. Can’t we just enjoy that?”

Cyrus cocked his head at Fitz. “If we don’t do what he says, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“It’s fine by me.” Fitz said. “As long as everything is off the record.”

James was losing some of the awe of hosting the president in his home and it showed in his smile. “I’m off the clock.” James said. “We’re all off the clock.”

And somehow they all managed to do that for the next little while.