Disclaimer: I don't own 'Scandal'.

AN: Further to a recent guest review, I thought it important to set out my 'Scandal' AU timeline to clear up any confusion:

1999 (Jan) Olivia and Fitz have a one-night stand

1999 Camille Pope is born

2000 Fitz becomes State Governor of California

2003 Olivia joins Grant Campaign

2004 Fitz becomes POTUS, Olivia sets up OPA

2008 Fitz wins a second term, Olivia resigns from OPA and leaves DC

2011 Olivia and Camille return to New York, Olivia dates Jake

2012 Fitz steps down as POTUS and reconnects with Olivia after four (4) years

2013 Olivia's accident, Camille meets Fitz

Hope that makes sense. This is my first FF so apologies if my writing in the Prologue and first three chapters wasn't clear. I'm a work in progress, and learning all the time. LOL.

Chapter 8

Calm Before the Storm Part II

When the day that lies ahead of me

Seems impossible to face

When someone else instead of me

Always seems to know the way

Then I look at you

And the world's alright with me

Just one look at you

And I know it's gonna be

A lovely day

Lovely Day – Bill Withers

Thursday – is the last day.

The nurses had just completed their late morning check-ups and left. Camille was dressed and preparing to meet Abby at the hospital entrance. Walking over to her sleeping Mom she picked up the television remote control on the bedside table and flicked on the TV. She settled on a random news channel.

"I'm gonna leave the remote control here," Camille explained to her Mom, placing the device by Olivia's hand. "So you can change the channel if you feel like it."

She gazed at Olivia looking for a response to her words a slight change in her breathing pattern, a faint twitch, anything to indicate she was still with her. Camille lowered her eyes she didn't want her Mom to see her disappointment. She took a deep breath, and when she raised her head up a huge bright smile greeted Olivia.

"Listen, Mom, I'm off with Abby, but I'll be back later. I'll get you a present… okay?" And she kissed Olivia goodbye.

Picking up her bag she left the room and bumped into Dr. Ramen.

"Good morning Camille, what are you up to today?"

"Good morning Dr Ramen, I'm off to meet Abby downstairs," she said cheerfully to the doctor.

"Are you going anywhere special?"

Camille shook her head. "No… probably just heading back to her hotel, and getting in touch with a few friends."

"Well, take care of yourself, and have a good day."

"You too Dr. Ramen, bye."

"Bye."

Camille proceeded towards the elevator. She hummed to herself as she waited. She thought that she might spend some of her day online researching her Mom's favorite songs. She remembered reading somewhere that music had healing benefits, and playing coma patients familiar songs could help. In some cases, it could wake them from their deep sleep. She smiled. Yes, music would be her present to her Mom.

She was still smiling to herself when the elevator arrived and did a little skip when it pinged. The doors parted and there he stood between his two agents. Their eyes met and her sunshine smile drained from her face. Heart pounding and chest tightening, her breathing become unsteady, and suddenly she was taking in oxygen at a fast rate.

She looked away, and quickly stepped to one side, so they could pass.

The three tall men stepped out.

Fitz stopped right in front of her, smiling gently. He knew she wanted to jump straight into the elevator after their last meeting. But today was a new day, couldn't they start again? When he thought back to the other night, he had to admit, he'd surprised himself that he'd pulled rank so quickly. But seeing her purposefully destroy the gifts he and the boys brought was behavior he couldn't ignore.

"Hello Camille," Fitz greeted her warmly, slipping his hands into his pockets.

"Hello…" she murmured, refusing to meet his gaze and shifting her bag onto her shoulder. "I need the…" she was saying, pointing at the elevator, and attempting to move past him at the same time.

Fitz shifted his muscular frame to fill the elevator entrance, deliberately blocking her path. The door closed, and Camille's eyes did too. Taking a deep breath she stepped back.

"Tom, Bill, can you give me a minute? Thanks," said Fitz to his two agents, still looking at Camille.

Both men gave a brief nod, and left walking side by side towards Olivia's room door.

"Camille…"

"I gotta go..."

"I didn't mean to barge in on you, but I've a meeting with Dr. Ramen this morning," he explained.

Her head shot up to look at him.

"Why, what's wrong? Is it Mom?" she asked frantically, and Fitz shook his head.

"No, no, there's nothing to worry about. I have boring paperwork to go through with him and the hospital administrator."

"Oh… phew," and a faint smile of relief crossed her lips.

"I saw your grandparents yesterday just before they left for the airport. Did you guys have a good time at Culina's the other night?"

Looking back down and straight ahead, she nodded, and again, shifted her bag over her shoulder.

"Yes… thanks, we had a nice time."

Fitz took a deep breath and exhaled. A relaxing sigh escaped from his lips as his chest swelled with a warm feeling. He smiled. It was the first time she'd said a kind word to him and it felt good.

"Anne said you wrote her a lovely letter… thanks for doing that, and cleaning up the visitor's room."

Camille blushed. Embarrassment was creeping through her insides like a vine, as she cast her mind back to how she'd screamed, shouted and stomped like a two-year old on Monday night, throwing every insult in his direction to keep him at arms length.

"I was already gonna say sorry to my Grandma… I'd brought her a book when I went shopping with Quinn," she said defensively.

"I don't doubt it. Your grandmother told me what a considerate and thoughtful girl you normally are. I know she's very proud of you… what you're going through… it must be every child's worst nightmare."

She twitched uncomfortably, swallowing hard, and struggled to catch her breath, as memories of happier times with Grandma Pope came as timely reminder to how much everything had changed since her Mom's accident and meeting him.

"I-I…I guess," she replied quietly.

"While you're here, I wanted to discuss tomorrow with you? I thought we could leave here late afternoon – say around five? – to be home in time for dinner. The boys have planned something special for you," he ended his last sentence on a lighter note, raising his eyebrows at her hopefully.

Camille began biting her nails nervously. Why did he do that - bring up her siblings? He did that when they first meet, and saw the effect it had on her. Because what child wouldn't want to know their brothers and sisters? The China Wall she'd built up against him had made it easier to push curious thoughts about Karen, Gerry and Teddy out of her mind.

She nodded, and tilted her head to stare blankly at the elevator buttons.

Fitz had hoped hearing about the boys preparing a special surprise to welcome her, might make her feel less anxious about tomorrow's move to the ranch, and give her something to look forward to, but there was only silence simmering between them.

"Camille, look, I don't want this tension between us…"

"And I don't want to be threatened by you," she said, with her eyes glued to the elevator.

Fitz sighed heavily. He desperately wanted to avoid another altercation, and make a habit of arguing every time they spoke. She had every reason to be mad at him, and naturally wanted to make him suffer a little. But that didn't give her license to act out in whatever manner she chose.

"Things had gone too far, I had to take action," he replied carefully.

Her head instantly shot up and she stared at him defiantly.

"Like stopping me seeing my Mom?"

"You left me no choice."

She dropped her gaze and shrugged her shoulders. "It doesn't matter now."

Stay calm girl, she told herself, stay calm. "How long are you hangin' around today?" she asked politely, with no hint of sarcasm.

He sighed in exasperation. Whatever he said, whatever he did was a wrong move.

"I plan on being here till six… does that suit you?"

Six o'clock didn't suit her one tiny bit. She wanted to spend the whole day with her Mom. Why couldn't he at least have given her today? But she held back saying anything. Tomorrow she would be gone, to live with her friends, and he would become a distance memory. No different to a month ago when he didn't know her and she didn't exist in his eyes.

"Yeah, okay, thanks," she replied quietly.

Fitz smiled to himself, because when she wasn't shouting at him at one hundred decibels, her voice was naturally soft and as clear as a bell. As though she were singing, and he felt soothed by her temperate tone.

"You know you could stay… I'd like you to stay, to show there's no hard feelings on my part about the other night," he began to suggest. "Mmm...? Don't you think it would be nice… you and I, getting to know each other?" he asked, lowering his deep voice to a whisper. He took a small step towards her and she didn't flinch or step back, which surprised him.

She licked her lips nervously, and began rolling her bottom lip between her teeth and biting down, repeatedly. She didn't know why but there was something compelling about his voice. She took a shaky in breath as a warm sensation began swirling around inside her stomach and rising up and spreading through her chest. She released a soft slow exhale and felt strangely calm. Shifting her gaze she slowly looked up at him, and her eyes widened in amazement to see sparking blue eyes glowing warmly at her. Looking in his eyes she started thinking about Quinn's last words about not letting the past affect her future and Grandma Pope telling her to give him a chance. Could she… could she trust -

"Camille," he prompted.

She shook her head as she snapped out of her trance, unaware she'd been staring without saying a word.

"I-I'm sorry… um, Quinn, I mean, A-Abby's kinda waiting for me -" she stammered out, and hastily dropped her head, so he couldn't see her blushing face.

Clenching his jaw, Fitz instinctively stepped back, he knew better than to repeat his offer with Ms. Whelan on the prowl. Maybe if she'd been with one of the others he might have pushed it. But the flaming red head was an obstacle he'd rather not tangle with - for now. He could bide his time and be patient. Tomorrow things would be different. He could afford to let this opportunity go.

"Well, if she's waiting for you…"

He stepped aside.

She pressed a button. Her eyes locked straight ahead, as she wrapped her bag and arms tightly around her chest.

Fitz could see she was making it clear the conversation was over, so he said a quiet goodbye, and she nodded, flashing a confused look at him, and he slowly walked away. His cell started to ring and he pulled it out from his jacket, and seeing the caller's name sighed heavily. He turned back to see Camille stepping into the elevator without a backward glance, so he answered his phone.

"Mellie, what do you want?" he asked tersely.

"Fitzgerald, that's no way to speak to the mother of your children, or should that be one of the mother's of your children," she drawled sarcastically.

"Speak Mellie, or I'll hang up."

"I spoke to the boys this morning… Gerry told me Olivia's daughter's coming to stay at the ranch tomorrow?"

"That's right. But you always knew this could potentially happen, forget what's happened, Olivia and I were planning on flying Camille out to California over the summer, so why the call?"

"Well, from what I understand, there does appear to be one Pope woman on Planet Earth that hasn't fallen for your pretty-boy charms."

Fitz stopped walking, and paused to take a deep breath, and began sweeping his two fingers over his eye and eyebrow, repeatedly. He continued his trip slowly down the hallway, promising himself that when he arrived at Olivia's door his conversation with Mellie would be over.

"She's known me for a couple of weeks, and she's dealing with her Mom being seriously ill in hospital. She's confused, she's angry - how would you feel in her shoes?"

"Apparently she walks out any time you go near Olivia," Mellie bitched at him.

"I won't lie it's difficult, but I've seen my daughter this morning - it's a work in progress," he seethed icily. Mellie was the last person he wanted to discuss Camille with, knowing her morbid addiction to any major disruption in his life.

"Really Fitzgerald. Do you think moving a teenage girl - with a bad attitude - into your home is a good idea? I don't wish to sound uncaring, as a mother, I feel for her, I do -"

"That would be a first, you, actually feeling. An emotion," he retorted sharply.

Mellie carried on as though he hadn't even spoken.

"But it's the boys' vacation they should be out having fun, not saddled with the Pope family's problems."

"Mellie we're divorce and –"

"We have an agreement. I play the role of dutiful wife and you spare me any public embarrassment until our official announcement, and then you can run off with whatever woman tickles your fancy. So far I've stuck to our agreement, I visited the hospital with you, to end some of the media speculation over your current fanatical behavior. But you need to distance yourself from this unfortunate incident and play your part. We agreed to a smooth transition, and your continual presence at the Santa Barbara Medical Hospital, and the girl living in your home is not it!"

"Mellie, I'm sorry, but Olivia's accident changes everything. Camille is coming to stay at the ranch with the boys and me. It's going to happen whether you approve or not. I'm not interested in preserving my legacy, or sticking to any agreement we may or may not have. I'm doing what I should've done a long time ago, I'm thinking about my children and our future together as a family," he explained curtly as he reached Olivia's door.

"I've been making plans -"

"That included leaving Teddy with me over the summer, so you could fly to The Hamptons with Patrick."

"Oh, so now you do mind looking after Teddy?" she goaded him.

"Don't twist my words. I love having Teddy with me," he told her between clenched teeth, and she let out a shrilled laugh.

"I'm sorry, but I'm distinctly getting the impression the happiness of our children isn't of concern to you."

"I'm concerned about the happiness of all my children."

Once again, she ignored him. "Didn't you say the girl's grandparents are in Santa Barbara, wouldn't it be more appropriate for her to stay with them?"

"They left for Atlanta yesterday, not that it's any of your concern, and if you keep referring to Camille as anything less than my daughter, I swear -"

"Oh, Fitzgerald, are you trying hit me where it doesn't hurt. This is a dangerous move. You risk exposing our family to a scandal bigger than Watergate, if it comes out she's your daughter at time when you and I are still officially a happily married couple."

Fitz took a deep inhale and exhaled slowly, as he pondered his former wife's last three words. He heard Mellie huff impatiently down the phone.

"Then maybe we stop pretending and end this once and for all."

"What? Fitzgerald Peerson Grant, I'm warning you, if I'm in anyway tainted -"

"So this isn't really about the boys, this is about you."

"How dare you imply -"

"I'm not implying, I'm stating it as: fact."

"You listen -"

"Mellie, I'm hanging up now."

Stepping through the door was like entering into a parallel universe and thoughts of his last conversation - poof - disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Hey sweet baby," he whispered.

AN: Thanks for your comments - they really made me think! Camille's attitude: right or wrong? You have strong opinions. As I have previously said via email to some readers: Cam is hurting, but she can't keep up this relentless angst, and it does appear she's thawing – just a little? Maybe? I'm glad I could clear up the Melitz divorce issue. Last part of this chapter coming shortly. Thanks for your support if you're following the story, made it a favorite or viewing.

Happy Reading to all Gladiators (-;