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Olivia picked up the newspaper and threw it straight into the garbage bin as soon as she saw the front page. It was the picture of the the President and the First Lady holding their son proudly announcing his upcoming 1st Birthday. She guessed that was the reason why Huck had tried to hide her newspaper from her earlier that morning. Theodore Wallace Grant, fondly known to the world as Teddy, America's Baby was the apple of his father's eye. He was a happy and chubby baby, and just like his siblings he sensed from the very beginning that Fitz was his primary parent. The press loved seeing Fitz with his children. After Mellie became pregnant Fitz demanded for Gerry and Karen to return from Boarding School and stay at the White House full time like he's always wanted. After Liv's departure Cyrus couldn't keep denying him that and made sure that the kids were returned to the White House, much to Mellie's disdain just before Teddy was born. Having the kids at home lessened the sadness he knew Fitz fought daily with the absence of Olivia. It also strengthened his polls just as Olivia always said it would. She had always fought that battle for Fitz to no avail.

Olivia looked at her daughter who was only over a few weeks old. Every time Olivia laid eyes on her her heart expanded. How she loved their little girl with all her heart, and though there was always some sadness that creeped in, Isobel was more than enough, more than she ever thought she deserved.

Huck walked in and handed her a cup of peppermint tea giving her shoulder a brief pat before leaving her alone once more.

When Pope and Associates disbanded officially in DC, Olivia wasn't prepared for the overwhelming solidarity that her gladiators offered and provided. From the moment she announced her pregnancy and confessed as to who the father of her child was, they were all on board. Though she had given them the option to keep OPA open, they all agreed that without her it would not be the same. Harrison, Abby and Quinn waited till Olivia decided where she was going to relocate and chose surrounding cities that enabled them to be within visiting distance. Without discussion Huck had stayed with her every step of the way. He made it his mission to protect Olivia and her baby. When she had decided on a small town outside DC, the house she had chosen had a granny flat at the back for Huck, so that he could remain close but still have the privacy she knew he needed. She couldn't be more grateful to all of them. They were her family, Belle's family and with them in her life she couldn't feel less than fortunate.

Abby and Quinn had taken her to every single one of her doctors appointment, while Huck and Harrison made sure she want for nothing during and after pregnancy.

It was never a surprise to find one or all of them at her house over the weekend or even throughout the week. Olivia often wondered amused whether she should have just gotten a house to house them all in. Though they all had keys to come and go as they pleased, they were aware of watching eyes and always took precautions, such as never taking the same route twice. Huck kept on top of it making sure that Olivia was not traceable through the others. He and Olivia both knew that Fitz and Cyrus sent out feelers for her regularly. She had hoped now that she has had some contact with Fitz he would stop searching.

Since he first met Isobel, Huck had taken her to the White House once to spend time with Fitz and for him to introduce her to her older siblings. Karen who was fourteen and Gerry at seventeen were not blind to the marriage of convenience that their parents existed in. They had lived all their lives through the fighting. They also weren't altogether surprised that Fitz had a relationship with Olivia as the only time they had ever seen him truly happy was when she was around. Both Gerry and Karen loved Olivia and even after she had resigned the first time, she had remained in contact with them and always readily available. To present day they had a pager number to reach her on and whenever they needed to talk to her she would call them.

The night Fitz had come home from meeting Isobel for the first time he couldn't help but wake Karen and Gerry to share the news. With Olivia gone, and Cyrus somewhat impartial, his children were his closest confidants and vice versa. They had always been the three Muskeeters and now more than ever.

"Daddy what's wrong?" Karen asked knowing by the look on his face that something was up.

"Lets go get your brother and lets have ice cream." Karen nodded and pulled her covers back and threw on her hoodie before following Fitz to Gerry's room. Fifteen minutes later all three of them sat side by side at the breakfast table with bowls of ice cream, both kids mirroring the same look of shell shocked as Fitz after he had told them.

"Wow!" They said unison.

"I'm so sorry. Falling in love with Olivia was never part of the plan. She came so unexpectedly and was such a breath of fresh air that she literally knocked the wind out of me."

"Is that the reason you fired her?" Karen asked piecing the well known anecdote together with the information he had just given them. Fitz nodded and couldn't help but smile at her astuteness.

"We fought it for as long as we could and then it happened. We never took it lightly and she was forever telling me we had to stop, that we owed you more than that and that she didn't want to hurt you both. When I became president she resigned. We didn't see each other for over a year,"

"Till Amanda Tanner," Gerry piped in as he nodded. There were no secrets between them and when Amanda Tanner threatened to expose him, he had sat his children down and admitted to his mistake. They knew him well enough to know that Amanda Tanner was a one off thing and even if he had never said it, they knew it was because he was miserable without Olivia. Which didn't mean they weren't disappointed and angry at him, but their bond allowed for forgiveness. For the next hour he answered their questions, and he consulted them on what to do next. He knew he wanted to be a part of Isobel's life and he gave them a choice not wanting to force Isobel on them if they wanted nothing to do with her, it would have broken his heart but he valued and trusted their own judgement.

"Dad, she's family. Of course we want to be a part of her life. We love Liv, we always have and though this isn't exactly your typical half sibling scenario Isobel is one of us and she would never be anything less than that." Gerry spoke for both he an Karen who shared his sentiment.

"How are you going to, I mean you're the president." Karen asked carefully,

"Liv has asked that Isobel remain a secret for her protection. She doesn't want Isobel to be labelled, and I don't either. I hate that I can't openly acknowledge her as mine as though she means less to me than the three of you. It breaks my heart that for the first few years of her life I'll just be some guy she sees every so often who brings her presents. How do I explain that to her when she's big enough to understand that you have me all the time and she never did?" Karen placed a hand over Fitz's.

"She'll understand Dad. Liv will never let her think that you love her any less. This is Liv Dad. She knows what a great father you are and she would be the first to make sure that Isobel knows that you love her."

Olivia wasn't at all surprised that her Grant specific pager went off the morning after Fitz met Isobel. She made herself a cup of tea before making the phone call.

"Hey Liv,"

"Hey Kare. I take it you've had the Three Muskeeters pow wow already." Karen smiled, she certainly knew them well. She knew them better than her own mother did.

"Are you okay?" Karen asked affectionately.

"I am sweetheart." Olivia, from the moment she met her had always looked out for her and genuinely loved her. Despite how old she got she was always her little Kare Bear.

"A little sore, tired but as good as can be expected when pushing something a size of a watermelon out of something size of a lemon."

"Ewww Liv, TMI." Olivia laughed.

"Sorry! Are you, are you and Ger okay?"

"Yeah. It was a shock and it wasn't." Liv had to chuckle

"She's our little sister Liv, she's one of us. We love you, we love her. We want to be a part of her life."

"And I love you too kiddo. That's never changed."

"I know."

"I'll have Huck arrange a time with your Dad so he can bring her to the White House to meet her big brothers and her big sister."

"I miss you Liv," Karen confessed.

"I'm still here sweetheart. That hasn't changed. Did I not call within the five minute slot?"

"I know, and I appreciate that more than you know. Especially now." Liv for the last couple of years had always been within calling distance. When Karen and Gerry were away at school she spoke with them at least once a fortnight because she knew how much they hated being there.

"When can Gerry and I see you?"

"Soon sweetheart. I'm still finding it hard to get around. I'll send Huck with Belle to meet you and then we can arrange a visit okay?"

"Sounds good."

Not at all surprising Gerry and Karen took to Isobel immediately. They loved her instantly and it meant a lot to Fitz that they did. Though Fitz had told Mellie about Isobel he waited till he knew she would be away so that they could all spend time with Isobel without her hovering. Huck had arrived early in the afternoon with Belle, and with the help of Tom and Jack he was able to enter and leave the White House residence without detection.

The more time Fitz spent with Isobel the harder it was for him to part with her. As he stared at his beautiful child all he could see was her beautiful mother. Ironically when Liv looked at Isobel all she could see was Fitz. How she missed him and despite their best of intentions she felt like she was cheating her daughter. The front page of the newspaper triggered such emotions and as hard she fought them, it made her sad.

The ringing of her phone interrupted her thoughts, distractedly she picked it up.

"Hello,"

"Hey Liv,"

"Gerry hey," she replied surprised. She had given Karen her new home number the night they talked and since then they had been checking in with her, but it was always Karen who called and Gerry jumped in throughout the conversation. He never called her.

"Is everything alright Ger?" She asked worriedly.

"Yeah Liv, we're all okay. I just wanted to call you..."

"Because you figure I've seen the morning paper." She completed.

"Yeah," he admitted. Olivia smiled. Gerry was undeniably protective of Karen, and when she came into their lives he began to look out for her too.

"Kid I'm fine."

"Liar," he challenged.

"Okay, the paper is in the bin." She confessed.

"That wasn't hard was it?" He teased.

"Yeah yeah."

"Seriously Liv, you know that's all Mom and Uncle Cyrus just trying to capitalize on America's Baby. Dad would never, especially now. Not with Izzy Bear out there."

"I know Ger. The thing is Teddy deserves it, and that's all that matters. I just had a moment, a brief one. It passed, and you calling has made all the difference." She promised.

"Good. So this weekend?"

"Yes, we're on. Huck will come and pick you guys up with your detail and we'll all hang for the day."

"Looking forward to it. Karen's going to call you in a bit, she was just summoned to play daughter in some mother daughter high tea business."

"I'm sure she's thrilled," Olivia chuckled sarcastically,

"Yeah I'm going to need to talk her off several ledges after spending three consecutive hours with Mom on her own. I swear if she thought she'd get away with putting me in a dress, she'd beg till I did it."

"And we both know you would have done it for her too."

"Yeah well, it's always been me and her against the world. Well me, her, Dad and you. Don't think we don't know you fought for us to not be sent away. With the exception of Dad you're the only one who's really been there for Kare and I. That will always mean so much to us both. So thank you."

"It was my pleasure. You guys aren't exactly hard to love."

"Unless you're our mother," he said dryly.

"She loves you guys. She just shows it differently to what you're used to with your Dad." Olivia tried to reason,

"Hey Liv, why didn't you let him?" She took a deep breath knowing what he was asking,

"Because the American people would have crucified him and his whole legacy would be disgraced and you would all be caught in a scandal. Sometimes the consequences are just too big."

"You know he would have..."

"I know, but the cost would have been too high."