Today is update Monday, so here is a new chapter. Do not own Scandal or its characters. Please excuse any typos. Happy Reading, and as always reviews are greatly encouraged.


The following Friday at Olivia's condo . . .

Olivia rolled over knowing immediately when her phone rang who it was. "Good morning Mr. President." She said in a slightly muffed voice, as she yawned and sat up to see she still had 20 minutes before her alarm was to go off.

Fitz smiled. "Someone sounds cranky this morning."

Olivia chuckled slightly as she looked out her window to see the rain coming down heavily outside. "Yes quite cranky when you deny me 20 minutes of sleep . . . you could have texted me good morning."

Fitz shook his head as he walked over to grab a mug of coffee. "Well I wanted to hear your voice and wish you well during your travels to New York . . . what time is your train leaving again?"

Olivia shook her head going over her complete agenda for New York several times with Fitz even agreeing to take Jeff, Lily's secret service agent, with little resistance. "9am . . . Jeff is already here . . . bags are packed . . . no you cannot tag along, you have a country to run."

Fitz laughed at Olivia pre-answering every question he was going to ask as if she could read his mind. "ok ok . . . but promise me you will text me when you get there so I know you and Lily made it there safe."

Olivia climbed out her bed and stretched as she turned around to remake her bed. "Yes I will text and might even send pictures . . . but you should be focusing on your war strategy meeting this morning . . . oh have you talked to Gerry and Karen about the BBQ on Sunday?"

Fitz shook head. "Oh no . . . I haven't yet . . . but Gerry came home from Georgetown last night so I will tell them before my morning meeting . . . I am sure they will move mountain when I tell them you will be there."

Olivia is about to respond with a cutting come back but her alarm began to buzz. She hit the button on the top of it to turn it off. "Save by the alarm . . . got to go Fitz . . . I have a busy morning ahead of me . . . I love you."

Fitz smiled. "I love you too."

Olivia hung up her cellphone with a smile on her face. She quickly jumped in the shower and dressed before pulling hers and Lily's luggage to the door. She turned and saw Lily's detail agent, Jeff, sitting on the couch reading a newspaper. "Good morning Jeff can I offer you coffee."

Jeff stood to his feet and shook his head. "No ma'am may I help you with any additional bags you need assistances with."

Olivia smiled. "No, we are only taking those two bags, since we are only going to be gone for two days . . . again you can call me Liv . . . and you can relax, we probably will not leave for another hour or so."

Jeff nodded his head sitting down and picking up the newspaper he dropped.

Olivia turned towards Lily's room. She left waking Lily up for last, knowing she would get very little done with a hyperactive morning Lily buzzing around. She goes into Lily's room and tried to wake Lily.

Lily stirred and turned towards Olivia with a running nose.

Olivia frowned as she placed her hand on Lily's head. She was not running a fever. In that moment Olivia decided Lily would stay in Washington D.C., giving the cold and rainy weather outside . . . she did not want to risk Lily getting an infection by walking around New York City.

She pulled out her phone and began to dial her mother's number as she tucked Lily back into bed. "Hello mom, I know you and Malcolm are flying back to Florida this afternoon, but I was wondering if you could come over and take Lily to the White House before you leave . . . she is getting a cold and I decided not to take her with me to New York, but there is no way I can take her to the White House and make my train in time."

Sophia shook head. "I can be there in about 15 minutes . . . aww my poor baby is sick . . . I can cancel my trip and stay with her."

Olivia shook her head. "Oh no you and Malcom have put your honeymoon on hold long enough . . . I'll text Fitz, since he should be in his meeting by now and I will get him up to speed on the situation . . . will also call Lauren to make sure the nanny is there too."


Less than 15 minutes later . . .

Sophia knocked on the door.

Olivia smiled. "Oh that was fast . . . did you get in the car the minute I call you."

Sophia smirked. "Yup my grandbaby needs me . . . plus Malcolm was in the process of loading our bags into the car anyway with plans to go grab breakfast before we head to the airport, when you called . . . so he just dropped me off to get Lily prepared for the White House while he grabbed our breakfast."

Olivia nodded her head. "So I dressed Lily, but she is still in the bed . . . I wanted to give her a chance to get as much rest as possible . . . I already gave her a dose of medicine and her pink duffle bag is by the door . . . I already text Fitz also." She looked over at Jeff.

Jeff stood at attention when he saw Olivia look his way.

Olivia walked over to him. "So small change of plans, Lily will not be going with me to New York . . .so you will not need to come either ."

Jeff bit his lip. "The president wanted me to look out for you as well while we are in New York."

Olivia shook her head. "I know, but I don't think the President will get upset if you remained by Lily's side, after all she is the one you are supposed to detail."

Jeff nodded. "Yes ma'am . . . I mean Liv . . . I'll just follow your mom and her husband with my car."

Olivia looked up at the grandfather clock near the door. "I have to get going, if I am going to make it to Union Station with the traffic I am sure to encounter at this hour." She grabbed her purse and her luggage with the wheels. She hugged her mother goodbye.


Meanwhile at the White House . . .

Fitz sat at his desk in the Oval Office looking over his notes. He looked down at his watch and saw he has time to return to the Residence to talk to his kids about the BBQ with Olivia on Sunday. He left his cellphone in his office with plans to retrieve it before the meeting.

Unbeknownst to him, Olivia had just texted about Lily staying in Washington D.C. with him.

Fitz made it to the Residence and both Gerry and Karen were up eating breakfast to his surprise. He was expected at least one of them would still be sleeping and the awake one would be relaying the message. "Oh good both of you are up, I would like to talk to you about Sunday . . . do either of your having plans for Sunday afternoon?"

Gerry shook his head. "No major plans for Sunday . . . I was planning to stick around here and study this weekend . . . I needed a break from campus life."

Karen shrugged. "I don't have plans either really . . . do a little homework . . . work on some lyrics to this song I am writing."

Fitz smiled. "Oh great I want to have a BBQ on Sunday . . . I mean we . . . as in Olivia and I thought it would be nice to have a BBQ . .. since . . . well . . . we have not had many family dinners since everyone been so busy lately."

Karen smirked. "we huh . . . hmmm you and Liv been getting close working on the campaign again huh."

Fitz shrugged. "I enjoy working with Olivia . . . she is the best at what she do."

Gerry caught onto what his sister was doing and joined in on the questioning. "You sure you don't want to use this BBQ to announce something to us."

Fitz chuckled. "Announce . . . something . . . like what . . . why does this feel like a FBI interrogation from you to two."

Gerry shook his head. "Dad we know."

Karen nodded her head agreeing with her brother.

Fitz raised an eyebrow. "You know what?"

Gerry chuckled. "We know you and Liv are more than friends . . . that you are a couple."

Fitz was shocked by his children's confession. "What?"

Karen smiled. "We aren't little children anymore Dad . . . we saw the way you looked at Liv when the two of you were dancing at your birthday gala . . . it was written all over your face."

Gerry added. "And I saw Liv leaving your room really early in the morning after the gala."

Fitz laughed. "If you two knew all along . . . why didn't you tell me?"

Karen shrugged. "We figured you would tell us when you were ready . . . we didn't want to ruin your fun."

Fitz shook his head. "Cannot get much pass you two . . . can I?"

Gerry shook his head. "Nope . . . but can we still have the BBQ even though we know . . . I would sell my right thumb for a read burger . . . Kia has me on a vegan diet." Gerry refer to his girlfriend recently desire to be a vegan.

Fitz nodded his head. "Yes . . . instead of a reveal party . . . I guess we will just celebrate."

Karen smiled. "I am happy you and Liv are together . . . I have never seen you this happy . . . you are always smiling now."

Fitz smiled. "Yes . . . she makes me very happy . . . but you guys are seriously okay with me and Liv dating . . . I know with some kids they take it hard when their fathers or mothers start dating other people after a divorce."

Gerry shrugged his shoulder at the mention of their mother. "You meant that woman that pushed us out her body . . . we don't think about her, like I am sure she does not think about us . . . I am happy for you dad . . . you deserve to have someone who really loves you and not just using you." Mellie had not bothered to contact either Gerry or Karen since she was kicked out the White House nearly a year ago.

Karen nodded her head. "To be honest we were wondering what took you two so long . . .you are seriously meant to be . . . Liv is the mom we always wanted . . . so don't mess this up old man."

Fitz shook his head as he thought how lucky he is to have the children he has.

Cyrus interrupted the sweet family moment as he came into the room. "There you are Fitz . . . everyone is gathered in the strategy room for the important foreign policy meeting . . . I grabbed your notes from the Oval, so we can go straight there."

Fitz nodded as he took his notes from Cyrus. "Oh it will not be necessary for you to attend this meeting . . . but thanks for retrieving my notes and coming to get me for the meeting." Ever since Olivia suggested the decrease in Cyrus's responsibilities in the phase out stage of replacing Cyrus, Fitz has made sure to exclude Cyrus from all important meetings.

Cyrus sighed and nodded his head. "If you need me I will be in my office."

Fitz said goodbye to his children and went straight off to his meeting having a lot to cover with his team.

He passed Lauren, his receptionist, who was trying to get his attention to give him the message, she received from Olivia and Jeff, that Lily will soon be at the White House. Fitz rushed passed her to the strategy room instead not looking in her direction. She shrugged as she called the White House nanny to make she sure should can arrive before Lily, Lily being just ten minutes.


AN: I really enjoy every review I receive but please do not post spam-like reviews.

Recaps:

- Change of plans Lily will not be going to NYC with Olivia (aww poor Lily, feel better soon)

- Karen and Gerry inform Fitz they already know about him and Olivia (FBI investigators in the making)

- Lily is on her way to the White House for the weekend (I'm sure Fitz will be happy to have his butterfly with him)

Preview: Olivia Trip to NYC

As always review, I really like hearing everyone's thoughts! LM1.