AN: Hey guys. I hoped you liked last chapter, as well as this one. These next few chapters will really develop the relationship between Fitz and Olivia and I for one can't wait! I know I just updated but I literally wrote this chapter two hours within finishing the last one.

Fitz's POV

I clear my throat. "Karen."

My daughter looks down at her full plate of pancakes, bacon and eggs. These foods used to be her favorite breakfast, which is why I asked Lena to make it this morning. But Karen hasn't even taken a bite - she's just poking it with the prongs of her fork.

"Sweetheart," I look at her from across the table. "Eat your breakfast. You haven't eaten since yesterday. Lena tells me you didn't even eat your dinner last night."

Karen finally looks up at me, her light blue eyes icy cold. "Maybe if you were here, you would know that for yourself."

I sigh. I already apologized profusely yesterday for breaking my promise, along with explaining that I was actually there to tuck her in. I understand that she's frustrated, but avoiding me and refusing to eat like a toddler is seriously straining our relationship. "Enough, Karen. I already said I was sorry. I already explained to you the requirements of my job. I don't know what else to tell you. You are literally acting like a little, stubborn kid - not the mature eleven year old young lady I know."

"How would you know how I acted as a kid?" Karen shouts at me. "You weren't there! You were never there for me. You were always in the office, at a conference, always somewhere to get away from me and Mom and Gerry!"

I close my eyes. I never meant for any of that to happen. I never meant to hurt her or make her feel that way. But I can't explain that to her. She won't believe me. She doesn't trust me.

"Mr. Grant?" Lena appears awkwardly at the doorway, holding my cellphone in her hand. "You have a call from White House."

I look at the phone, then back at Karen who is now rolling her eyes. I want to go up to her, tell her that I am sorry one last time, explain to her that I recognize my mistakes. But I am two weeks away from being elected Secretary of Defense and I cannot be missing calls from the White House.

I take the napkin off my lap and throw it on my empty plate before taking the phone from Lena and excusing myself to the kitchen. "Hello?"

"Fitz," Livvy's voice comes through the phone and I raise my eyebrows in surprise. Not a bad surprise. Her voice is like an escape from the painful reality - that I am flailing as a father. "The White House put me through. What's up?"

"Nothing," I say casually, putting my hand on the kitchen counter. "Just failing at all parental responsibilities. The usual."

Livvy laughs - the most beautiful thing I have heard in a long time. I miss her. I haven't seen her for what, fourteen hours? And I miss her so much. "I can hardly imagine that. Karen seems so sweet."

I snort. "Sweet? She's sweet in magazines and interviews but in reality, you don't know pain until you've suffered the wrath of Karen Grant. She's evil."

Livvy laughs even louder. It makes me grin. She's so light and she has such a sense of humor. Even when I feel like the world is crumbling, she keeps me grounded. "I can hardly take you seriously when all I have seen are floral dresses and colorful headbands from your daughter."

"The headbands hide Satan's horns," I joke and Livvy bursts into even more laughter, as if that was possible. "In all seriousness, all is not well in the Grant household. How is it at the Ballards?"

There is a pause. "Actually...not so great."

"Trouble in paradise?"

"To be honest," Olivia admits with a sigh. "There was actually no paradise. I don't know why I am telling you this, but things are tough."

I frown. Even though I don't wanna hear details about her perfect life with Jake or whatever, doesn't mean I ever wanted Liv unhappy, like she sounds right now. "Money wise? Say the word, Livvy, I will have you and your family taken care of -"

"It's not that," Livvy chimes in quickly. "Like I said, I don't know why I am burdening you with all my problems. Anyway, do you wanna come pick up your car today?"

I frown harder. Livvy is not burdening me at all. I am interested in her problems - I spent the last five years worried and thinking about her. I will do whatever to make sure she is taken care of - financially or otherwise. But she seems to not want to talk about it. At least for now. "Yeah, that sounds good. Was everything alright with the car? Was it okay for you to drive and everything?"

"Are you questioning me because I am a woman?"

"Not a-at all," I stutter nervously. That is not what I meant at all. "I wasn't implying that, I swear-"

Livvy giggles. "Relax, Fitz. I'm joking. The car was terrific. It really impressed my four year old. It made her smile. Not a lot of things make her do that these days. Thank you."

My heart warms up. "You're welcome, Livvy."

"So you'll come pick it up today?" she asks. "I'm currently at 1441 Wilder Lane. Do you know where that is?"

"I'll plug it into my savvy GPS," I reply. There's a pause on the other end. "Come on, Livvy. You didn't think I only had one fancy car, did you?"

Livvy chuckles. "I just didn't think you'd be so quick to show off. Come by pick it up whenever, okay?"

"Whenever," I repeat in confirmation. "Got it. Bye, Livvy."

"Bye, Fitz."

I hang up the phone and slip it into my sweatpants pocket. I hate to admit it, but I feel like I am going to change into something a little more dressy before seeing her. I have the college student urge to impress her, like a kid. I'm so excited to see her again. I walk into the dining room and turn to Lena, who is collecting dishes. "Lena. I'm going to need you to drive me to 1441 Wilder Lane to pick up my car from a friend."

"Okay," Lena replies, taking the dishes away.

I turn to Karen, who's still at the other end of the table in front of her full plate. "Karen? How about skipping school today to hang out with your dad?"

I usually don't condone Karen skipping school since I am big on education and she's just getting settled into her new private Academy. But I don't want her to leave on a salty note with me. I'd rather just spend the time with her, even if she's not speaking to me.

But she just shakes her head. "I've got an algebra test today."

I watch her as she pushes her full plate aside and goes up the steps.

I realize that Karen may not be angry - she just may be sad.

I don't know what hurts more.

Olivia's POV

"He's a total dick," Abby shakes her head in disgust. "The biggest asshole I've ever met, Liv. And that's saying a lot because I have met a ton of assholes in my lifetime. But Jake may actually take the cake. He's horrible. And a complete idiot for treating you like crap when he could have treated you like the queen you are and actually kept you."

I shrug, sipping from my tea mug.

"Don't defend his actions," Abby grabs my hand from across the table and grips her coffee with her other hand.

"I'm not," I sigh. And I am seriously not. Even though I had the rest of the night to sleep and think about it, there's definitely a huge part of me that despises Jake. But I am also at fault. "It's just that Jake and I both made mistakes. And I am not such a catch. He didn't even fight for Savannah or me."

Abby shakes her head and squeezes my hand. "He should have, Liv. You are beautiful, inside and out. And Savannah is the most precious little girl I have met in my life. He is so stupid for giving that up. You both deserve more."

I smile warmly at Abby. She is such an angel. When I pulled up at her driveway at four am, she gladly took me in and made sure Savannah and I were taken care of. Then she made us both breakfast this morning and she has been giving me support all day. She's not letting me raise my finger - she did the dishes, cooked and made sure Savannah is watched after and taken care of. I don't have many friends but I am glad to have Abby Whelan. "Thank you, Abby. I mean it. I don't know what I would do without you."

She shakes her head firmly. "Don't you thank me, Liv. Seriously. You I would do anything for you after you saved me from that son of a bitch nine years ago. We have each other's backs. Over a cliff, Liv."

"Over a cliff," I repeat, smiling. I look over at Savannah, who is sitting on the couch with a bag of Oreos, a juice box and watching a show called Sofia the First. Right now, being strong for her and making the best choices for her are my priority.

Abby's phone chimes from the table almost exactly as her front doorbell rings. "Oh, crap. Can you get the door, Liv?"

"Yeah," I get up from the table. "It might be the guy whose Mercedes I drove anyway. I'm expecting him."

I open the door and sure enough, it's Fitz. If it were my home, I would definitely invite him in, but it's Abby's. I'm pretty sure she would be fine with it, but just in case, I close the door behind me and step on the wooden porch in front of him.

Even though it's really sunny outside, Fitz is wearing a white dress shirt and dark jeans, holding a white CVS bag. . Looking him up and down in the light, I realize that he has aged, but in a really fitting and handsome way. I look down at myself and realize I am in a white sweater and grey sweatpants. Oops.

"Hi, Governor Grant," I tease him, folding my arms.

"Ha ha," he rolls his eyes, but he's smiling. "You look better than you did last night. Although I must admit, I never thought I would see Olivia Pope wearing sweatpants."

I begin to blush, but he holds up his free hand. "But they look good on you. They fit you. So does the Mom life, I guess."

I smile. He steps back and looks at the big, white shuttered house. "So this is your place, then? It's nice. You can't find too many places like this in Bethesda."

I grin. "Thanks, but it's not mine. It's my friend's - Abby. Like I said, things got a little rough last night so I thought it would be best if my kid and I got away for a little while."

Fitz gives me a funny look, but he nods. "Your kid. Does she have a name? Or do you just not want to tell me?"

I press my lips together. He deserves to know. After all, she's his. But I am not ready for that yet. "Fitz-"

"It's okay," he holds up his hand and gives me a tight smile. He reaches into the bag and pulls out a small stuffed pink and yellow glitter unicorn. "Anyway, this is for her. I stopped by to pick up a few things and I just threw it in there. I hope she likes unicorns, I guess."

I smile and take it from him. It's so sweet of him. I literally think that it's making my heart warm. "Thank you, Fitz. But you didn't need to."

He shakes his head immediately. "Like I said, it's okay. I had a four year old girl once. She's a bit older now and likes hurting my feelings, but it's all good."

I laugh. I can't imagine Fitz being any less than a great father. I hope he knows that. I reach into the back pocket of my sweatpants and pull out a twenty dollar bill. I hold it out to him. "For gas last night. Thank you for that, again."

He wrinkles his eyebrows at the bill. "I'm not taking that, Livvy. But you're welcome."

I throw my arm out further, extending the money to him. "Take it."

But he just shakes his head.

I roll my eyes. He's so stubborn. "Come on, Fitz. I'm not a basket case."

"I didn't say that you were," he replies seriously. He puts his hands in his pockets, this grocery bag hanging off his wrist. "All I am saying is that I don't need the money. Therefore, I am not taking it. Do you catch my drift?"

"No," I answer shortly. I take a few steps toward him, so I am directly in front of him. I never realized just how tall he is - I literally don't even reach his shoulders. I fold the twenty dollars and reach across the body, stuffing it in his back pocket.

"Whoa, you're very forward," he winks at me.

I roll my eyes and teasingly push his chest a little bit. "You left me no choice, you stubborn asshole."

"I'm an asshole?" Fitz laughs lightly. "You can hardly call me that when I buy little stuffed unicorns for little girls, now can you?"

I grin. "I guess not."

A silence comes between us, but not an awkward one. A comforting one. It's just nice to be standing here with him. I can't explain it, but it feels good. And I know that I am lucky to have someone like him in my life.

I look over at the driveway, where he's got a white Lexus parked. Inside the Lexus is something that makes my stomach drop - a woman. I can't see her clearly but she looks Hispanic, with long dark hair and a curvy figure. She looks a bit older, but I guess I am realizing that Fitz and I have many years apart. I don't know why but the thought of him being with another woman makes me feel like crap. I nod towards the car, swallowing. "That woman in the car... is she your..."

"Housekeeper," he answers. I nod, trying to stay casual, but inside, there are fireworks. I knew she wasn't his wife but I had a dreading feeling it was girlfriend or something. For some reason, I am glad it's not. "Why?"

I shrug. "No reason. Just making conversation."

"Right," he says slowly, but gives me a thoughtful glance, as if he knows something I shouldn't want him to. He holds up the grocery bag to me. "Anyway, this is for you. I stopped by at CVS. There's a couple things of Theraflu and Gatorade in there. Oh, and this tea that helps with nausea and everything. Mellie used to drink it whenever she got a stomach virus and I think it helps. I don't know why I remember that...but I do."

I stare at him, feeling uneasy and completely overwhelmed with gratitude. "Fitz, you really shouldn't have."

He nudges the bag towards me. "It's seriously nothing, Livvy."

I take the bag and hug it towards my body. I feel tears coming through. Jake never did anything like this for me. It just means more than I can say. I clear my throat. "You didn't have to."

"I know," Fitz smiles tightly. "But I kinda did. You gave me twenty dollars."

I laugh through the few tears spilling out of my eyes. "Thank you, Fitz. Thank you so much. You don't know how much it means to me."

"Well, you're crying, so I have somewhat of an idea," Fitz mumbles. I can tell he's uncomfortable with all the gratitude I am giving him, which makes him even sweeter. He did all this without expecting a 'thank you' which makes him a mix between an insane person and a total sweetheart. Fitz is just a kind person inside. And I love him for that.

"I missed you," I whisper to him, even though nobody can hear us "I really fucking missed you, Fitz. And I don't know how to repay you for all this."

Fitz looks at me, a serious expression on his face. "Please, Livvy. You saved my ass five years ago. My ass would be rotting in prison if it weren't for you."

I shake my head, tears rushing down my cheeks. "I left you. I went away. I-"

"I wanted that for you," Fitz argues. He steps closer and wipes a tear off my cheekbone with his thumb. "I made you promise to leave and I don't regret it. All I ever wanted was to see you happy, Livvy. And you are."

I sniff. I don't have the heart to tell him that it was a lie. That I didn't keep up to my end of the promise. That I have been so far from happy. To be honest, things are better now. From here on out, things will be better. Without Jake. I truly believe that. "I guess so. Thank you anyways."

Fitz smiles. "If you really want to thank me, you'll take care of yourself. You...being safe and healthy and happy actually means a lot to me, Livvy. Okay?"

I swallow. It's not everyday someone says that to me. At least not someone who matters. But Fitz? He matters. He matters a lot. "Bye, Fitz."

X

"Who was that?"

I jump when I see Abby waiting for me on the other side of the door. She was stalking Fitz through the window and looks more than interested. "Jesus, Abby. How long have you been here?"

"Enough to see Hottie wipe a tear from your face," Abby smirks, then frowns. "Why were you crying anyway?"

I roll my eyes and wipe my face. "Reasons, Abby."

Abby looks down at my hands and the contents in them. "Did Hottie buy you these?"

"Hottie has a name," I sigh, walking back to the kitchen.

Abby eagerly follows me. "So Hottie is a total sweetheart? And he drives a Mercedes and a Lexus? Wow, he's a catch. You're lucky you cuffed him, Liv."

I put the bag with the unicorn on the table and turn to Abby, folding my arms. "It's not like that, okay? Fitz is a... friend?"

"Fitz," Abby repeats, raising her eyebrows. "Fitz...I knew he looked familiar. He was the Candidate Killer, from years ago. Right?"

I inhale. It's time for some more honesty. "Yes, Abby. He was a client of mine five years ago." But I don't stop there. Abby is my best friend and I need her to know the truth. The whole truth. Before she finds some other way. I lower my voice. "I slept with him. In California, I slept with him. But it was more than that. It was more than sex. We fell in love, Abby."

She looks stunned and opens her mouth to say something but I go on before I can convince myself to shut up. "Savannah is his."

She just blinks. I close my eyes. I have never admitted this to anyone besides Jake. And every time I say it, I feel the judgment but I also feel better. Like these past five years have been full of guilt and regret and anger and now I can come past it. Because I never regretted Savannah. And I never truly hated Jake. I just hated what marriage had done to us.

I can feel Abby's eyes on me for a solid minute before she finally says, "Why are you telling me this?"

I open my eyes and swallow. "Because you're my best friend. I have nobody else to tell. That and...ever since I got here last night, you treated me like a goddess. Like I could do no wrong. But I made a mistake. I'm a bad person. I just needed you to know that."

Abby stares at me long and hard before slowly shaking her head. She takes my shoulders and pulls me next to her so we are facing Savannah, who is still naively watching the television show, eating cookies. "Look at that, Liv. Look at that princess sitting there. She is not a mistake. She is the most loved little girl in the world."

Abby steps in front of me, so we're face to face. She doesn't let go of my shoulders. "And you, Liv, are not a bad person. You did a bad thing - you cheated on Jake five years ago. That doesn't make you a bad person. That makes you human. I don't think any less of you."

I swallow. "Really?"

"Yes," Abby looks at me like I'm crazy. She smiles, gesturing at the grocery bag. "And look at this. A man bought this for you. He cares about you and treats you like you deserve to be treated. He is caring and kind. He is Savannah's father and he seems like he would be a damn good one at that. You fell in love with him five years ago and I guess you never stopped caring. He sure as hell didn't. We can't help who we fall for. Let him love you, Liv."

I smile at her. She's right - Fitz is all of those things. Above all, I think he would be the type of father Savannah deserves. He would provide for her - not just financially or materialistically. He would give her love and attention and so much support. That's anyone needs and Jake couldn't give her that.

I'm not saying that it's going to be easy. He's probably pissed as hell that I didn't tell him he had a daughter - I wouldn't blame him if he was. But after that, I know he would give anything to be a good father. And he doesn't have to try. He's a giving, loving person by nature.

That, and if he could forgive me, I would stand by him. I love him. I don't think I ever stopped loving him, really.

Fitz's POV

"Good afternoon, Fitz," Sally greets me before dumping a large amount of thick files onto my lap. "Just some light reading you need to catch up on before you get elected."

"If I get elected," I correct her, skimming through the numerous files. "Damn, Sally, there must be a thousand pages of briefings here"

Sally crosses the oval and goes back to sit at her desk. "Then you better get started."

I close my eyes and lean back against the couch. The closer I get to my approval date, the more reluctant I get. I want this job so bad - but not as bad as I want other things. Not as bad as I want to be a good father. Not as bad as I want Livvy in my life. "What happens if I don't win?"

"Oh, you'll win," Sally says casually, going over paperwork at her own desk. "That's what we're doing these next few weeks. Making sure that there is no reason the senate won't approve you. Fixing all your...flaws."

I raise my eyebrow and look up at her. "Flaws?"

Sally folds her arms and sighs. "Let's face it, Fitz. When you were accused and incarcerated five years ago, you didn't have a strong support system. A lot of people thought you were guilty. And even though things are different now, your legacy is soiled forever."

I blink and look back at the files. Wow, Sally is blunt. But she's right. If I want this job - and I do, so bad - I need to get working.

I need to forget about Olivia, at least for right now. And as much as I hate to say it, I need to forget about Karen too. Because in the long run, this job will fix things.

Right?