Now that their past has been explained in chapter 3 we can move forward with the aftermath of Cece's sassy statement:)

Disclaimer: I don't own Scandal.

Previously: "Don't go there Fitz, like I said I didn't want to confuse her"

"Then you should have closed the door behind me. So my uncle Fitz is really the sperm donor. Geez mom when you open your legs for someone you really aim high!" She should've seen it coming really, but still the sting of her mothers hand against her cheek takes her by surprise.

Olivia Pope has never been one to beat her child or abuse her in any sense but even she understands that at times it can take more than a vocal reprimand to get the point across.

Fitz is left speechless as he watches the interaction between mother and daughter. Having never before been privy to how Olivia disciplines their daughter, seeing her smack Cece doesn't sit well with him, but wisely he doesn't interfere.

Cyerra's amusement at catching the adults in their lie fades as the reality of what their words mean settles heavily upon her. Her whole life she's prayed and wished for a father and all along he was there and never said a dam thing. The burning feeling of betrayal bubbles over until she's grasping at her throat to keep herself from lashing out.

"Let's all take a deep breath and calm down,"

"Why don't you just leave!" The sound of his voice sends her over the edge. The careful control she was trying to keep over her emotions now forgotten as she looks at the man she trusted, a man she considered family, pleading with her to calm down as if he had any power over her.

"Cyerra" Her mothers tone warned that she was crossing the line once again but she couldn't bring herself to care.

"What mom, he's not family, he's just the stupid president"

"Princess-" It's him calling her by the nickname he gave her, the nickname she so cherished because it made feel safe that made her pick up the glass from the side table and launch it in his direction. The sound of it shattering against the wall going unnoticed as her voice rose to new heights.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT! DON'T TALK TO ME, I DON'T EVER WANT TO SEE YOUR STUPID FACE AGAIN!"

"Cece!"

"Let her go Liv." They both flinch at sound of the slamming of the door.

"She doesn't mean it Fitz, she's just confused. I'll talk to her and then I call you to decide on a strategy. Obviously the Edison route is out for now."

"let me talk to her"

"No you should go, once she's calm ill call you"

"No, I'm staying" He watches as his words sink in and admires how the submissive Olivia he loves turns into the warrior he so very admires. It's in the squaring of her shoulders, the defiant tilt of her chin.

"What do you mean no?" He places his hand in his pockets trying to make her feel more at ease, because he knows his next words won't sit well with her. His fierce, independent Liv doesn't put up with being told what to do, something his daughter so obviously takes from her.

"I'm tired of taking a back seat in my daughters life. I want to be the one she turns to, yells at, finds comfort in. I want to be her dad Liv."

"I don't think" He sees the moment she's brushes off his words and before he can hold back his temper he unloads on her too. Maybe Cece takes a little after her dad after all.

"I don't care what you think Liv. I'm going with or without you to talk to her." The ultimatum only causes the woman in front of him to close off even more. His Livvie turns more into the gladiator, Olivia Pope. Everything about her screams control, too bad for her it's his mission to take some of that control away from her. Even if he has to make her uncomfortable in the process.

"Fitz you can't just come in here and think that you're in charge"

"I can and I will. We are both in charge. I let you win last time. I watched my daughter grow up from afar. Telling myself that it was for her that it was the right thing to do for her. But I was wrong, we were wrong. She needs us both. Don't fight me on this Livvie, I am here to stay"

He's right. She knows he is but that doesn't stop her from using one of her last cards that she knows might just piss him off enough to make him leave.

"What about Mellie-"

"Fuck Mellie, now take me to my daughter" His response surprises her but she schools her features to keep it from showing. She stares at him stoically, different emotions flashing behind her eyes.

On one hand she wants to take his arm and lead him to their daughters room. But on the other she wants to demand that he leave. Its although she's afraid that letting him in, making him an important person in Cyerra's life, event though he somehow has always been, will do away with a whatever amount of normalcy her daughter has. Even now the fixer in her knows that she can fix this. That she can change the narrative make the public believe that Cyerra is not the presidents daughter but rather a happy consequence to a one night stand. Even as he's standing there begging her to let him in she contemplates which network to call first, which news outlet to make a statement to.

"Liv its time. No more fixing, we have a little girl in there who needs us, her parents, not the president, not the fixer."

"Fitz I-"

"Please Liv we did it your way, let's try it mine?" It's the defeat in his voice she would later say that made her agree, and not the feeling of his hand on her arm as he plead his case. Not the stroking of his finger against her skin that made her open to his suggestion. Nope not the spark that could be felt between them that made her enfold her hand in his. After all they were over, they had been since Cyerra's birth, nothing had changed, or had it?

"Okay"

Unbeknownst to them there was a young girl quietly racing back to her room just a few feet ahead of them. A young girl that over heard every word uttered. That witness the intimate moment in which both her parents seemed to be inside their own bubble. A girl whom now was mildly comforted in knowing that her father did lover her. And while that may haven taken some of the sting away it still didn't stop the flow of tears that gave way once she was in the safety of her room waiting for her parents to come make sense of what she now knew. Because no matter what the explanation might be they didn't know what growing up without knowing who your father felt like. The emptiness left inside of you because the person that helped create you didn't want to know you.

A/N: Thanks again for all your comments:) Keep them coming.