First of all let me apologise for the massive gaps in updates, although, I've had my hands full to be fair, with being a first time mum to my little girl Cassie, who is turning one in a few days time.

I can't guarantee that I will have my post regularly flowing, like I used to, but I am still aiming to finish this story, because I just hate unfinished business.

Hope I have a few readers still invested.

Part 22

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Liv offers, fully aware that he could do with the moral support, especially if Karen responds negatively to their news. It's no secret that Fitz and Karen's relationship is extremely fragile, so there's a strong possibility that him having another child, or worst, that he's having that said child with his ex-best friend's daughter, it was not going to go down well with her at all.

Fitz rest his hands gently on her slightly protruding bump, and belying his fears, he gives his beautiful woman an award-winning smile, assuring her, that when it comes to Karen, delivering their news will be better coming from him, alone. In truth, he knows that his daughter is not going to be happy, he is certain of it, and he does not want Liv to be on the receiving end of what he suspects will be Karen's point-blank rejection to having a little baby brother on the way. That would not be fair to Liv. A huge part of him questions if there's any point in travelling all the way to New York to tell his daughter about the baby, when he's certain to be met with nothing but rebuke. But he also reasons that he owes his daughter the courtesy to tell her this news face to face and not over the phone.

He walks into Le Bernardin, a pricey and very prestigious restaurant in New York, (his daughters' suggestion of course, and her not so subtle way of saying, "if you want to see me Dad then it's going to cost you"). He is greeted by a young man at the front desk, who asks if he has a reservation.

"Yes, I do, it's under Fitzgerald Grant".

"Ah yes, I see the other half of your party has already arrived… If you could please follow me sir, I shall take you to your seat…"

He spots her immediately, glass in hand and taking a sip of her wine, she looks tense. In fairness, it's been over a year since they last saw each other, and regrettable he recalls how they had not parted well. Which is why, despite his best efforts, he failed to pin her down for a date during his brief stay in Vermont. In fact, he should probably count himself lucky that she's even agreed to meet with him today.

'Hello sweetheart…" He greets her, leaning over and planting a kiss on the cheek…"

"Hi Dad". She responds stoically.

He hates how strained it always is with them, but he tries his best not to show it. "You look well, I see you've changed your hair, it looks good…"

"Yeah… Well, I've had my hair cut a few times since I last saw you…" she answers dismissively, whilst purposefully having a dig at him too. Wisely however, he chooses not to rise to the bait. If anyone had been avoiding this visit, it had been her. Prior to his reasons for coming today, he'd been wanting to see her for a while now, but she had made it clear to him that she did not wish to see him.

"I don't mean to be rude Dad, but can we NOT do the small talk thing; I'd rather you'd just get straight to the point and tell me why you're here?"

"As forth right as ever I see," He picks up a menu, in an attempt to delay what will inevitably be a show down… "Don't you think we should at least order first?"

"Fine." She's not even hungry, but she picks up her menu regardless, and finds herself scanning the card for the most expensive dish on there. Her behaviour may appear petty, but as far as she's concerned it's the least he owes her.

Food ordered, and a strong drink for himself, Fitz takes a large swig of his whiskey, bracing himself for what's to come.

"Dutch courage?" she quips, knowing that whatever his reasons for coming here today, it had to be big. Why else would be so persistent that they meet up. Normally when she tries to fob him off with a lame excuse as to why she can't meet up, he doesn't fight her on it… but not this time. "So, what is it? Are you sick? Dying?"

"No Karen, I'm not sick, and I'm not dying…"

"Well, I suppose that's good, after all, I wouldn't want to lose another parent…" It's a sarcastic jibe that doesn't go amiss. Her feelings of abandonment, still very raw. "So, if it's not that then, what is it?" She asks impatiently, wishing he'd just hurry up and spit it out.

He gives her a long-levelled look… "Karen, there's no easy way to tell you this…" he begins… "But… in 5 months' time you'll no longer be my only child."

"Ex…Excuse me…?" She looks at him aghast. No way! No, surely, she's misheard him… "I'm Sorry Dad, but… are you trying to tell me that I've got a baby brother or baby sister on the way?"

By the tone of her voice, he can tell she's teetering between keeping it cool and losing it… Carefully, he replies. "Yes; a baby brother to be precise, and he's due in July."

She's visibly struggling to process the news, and yet, he thinks worriedly, she only knows half of it.

"A brother?" She pauses… "I guess, you must be thrilled, finally you get the son you always wanted…" Her bitterness in palpable.

"Karen… don't be like that…"

"No, it's fine Dad… we both know the deal; after having me, you and mum tried for years to have a son, but then mum died… and your dreams for a son died with her… Well, up until now it seems… So… who's the lucky mother-to-be?"

He swallows hard, his nerves shot, because he's about to drop the biggest bombshell of them all; and there's no turning back after that.

"It's… it's Olivia".

It takes a minute for her to register what her father is actually saying… "Olivia? As in Liv… as in Uncle Eli's daughter?"

She pales. He winces: The implication of what she's just said, "Uncle Eli" hits him like a ton of bricks and it leaves him feeling extremely uncomfortable… "Yes… Livvie is carrying my baby."

She feels sick to her stomach. "You've got to be kidding me, have you completely lost your mind!?" Much to his chagrin, her raised voice begins to draw attention from the other patrons in the restaurant, so he begs her to keep it down, but that only serves to rile her more.

"Keep it down?! Ummm… I don't know Dad, maybe you should have given yourself that very same advice," she gestures, standing up and pointing towards the direction of his lap, to emphasise her point and embarrass him even further… "Maybe then, you wouldn't have impregnated your best friend's daughter! I mean it's bad enough that you slept with her, but to get her pregnant as well, how could you be so reckless?" She accuses; utterly disgusted by her father's actions. "For goodness sake Dad, Liv is young enough to be your daughter, in fact, she's younger than I am… "My God!" She exclaims hysterically, "Uncle Eli is going to KILL you when he finds out!"

"He already knows." He hangs his head, not feeling particularly proud in this moment.

She snorts… "And yet you're here, ALIVE, to tell the tale? Well, well, well… lucky you…"

She stands there trembling, shocked beyond believe; in her lifetime she's had to deal with a lot, but nothing or no-one could have prepared her for this. At a total loss of what to say or do next, she sits back down. She takes a massive gulp of her wine, whilst Fitz briefly cradles his head in his hands, grateful to have a chance to re-collect himself.

For a moment, they just sit there, silenced by the weight of it all. Detecting a window of opportunity to approach them, their waiter walks over and checks if everything is okay. In unison, they both reply that they are fine, although it's obvious that they are far from anything close to fine.

After a while, a little calmer she asks… "What did Uncle Eli say…"

He sighs. "He didn't take the news well, he hit me and accused me of deliberately abusing his daughter…"

"And did you?"

He closes his eyes, horrified. "How can I have failed you so badly that you can believe me capable of such a thing?"

"How can I not ask? None of this is normal behaviour Dad, I mean, what do you expect me to think?"

"Not the worst!"

"Fine then, tell me what happened?"

He leans back in his seat, clearly agitated about being under scrutiny once again, but he also appreciates that she deserves a proper explanation.

"We grew close…" he relays softly. "Liv had been going through a very difficult time; and to top it off, she had fallen out with her Eli too. She was broken when she turned to me for help; and if I'm honest, I felt compelled to help her, she was so lost back then, and in a way, I was lost too…" Unfortunately, unbeknownst to Fitz, his words have cut Karen deeper than he realises. In truth, she's reeling, as she listens to, and learns that in Liv's time of need he couldn't stop himself from helping her, yet when his wife, her mother died, he was incapable of reaching out to her. The knowledge of that is crippling; it angers her too. But he's so focused on sharing his back story with Liv, that he hasn't noticed the war that is waging behind his daughter's troubled eyes. Oblivious, he presses on… "I don't think I will ever fully get over your mother dying; what followed was probably the most desolate time of my life, and that overwhelming sense of loneliest seemed to stretch on forever; it wasn't until Liv and I started spending more time together did that feeling begin to subside. After a while, we both began to rely on each other, not only for support, but dare I say companionship and comfort too… I knew that our relationship had evolved into something more than friendship, and to be frank the idea of it possibly being more terrified me. God help me, I tried to ignore what was happening between us, but Liv… I guess, she's a lot like Eli in that way, her wilfulness, and her inability to let things rest, she forced me to admit how I truly felt about her…"

Incredulously, Karen abruptly cuts him off, she's heard enough... "Are you telling me that you fell in love with her?"

"I did fall… I'm completely in love with her…" he admits freely.

This time there is no hiding the scorn in her voice, as she presses, "And she's in love with you too?"

Despite his daughter's disdain, he answers her with confidence… "Yes, she is."

Karen can't help but shakes her head in contempt. "But how do you know for sure, for all you know "these feelings" could be nothing more than misplaced daddy issues. You said so yourself, her relationship with Eli was tenuous…"

"It's not like that, it might be hard for you to comprehend but what we have is real and it's powerful and regardless of our circumstances and our age difference; despite all that stands against us, we've chosen to stand firm in our love and be together."

"So that's it then… you've made the decision to have a baby with someone less than half your age… even if it means destroying your oldest and dearest friend, even though, I suspect, very few people are going to support you with ludicrous relationship… I mean, I hate to tell you this Dad, but I can't support it… I won't!"

He's finding this exchange emotionally taxing; he loves his daughter immensely, and the last thing he wants is to upset her, but she's so unwilling to hear him out without judgement, that he's finding it incredibly hard to continue this conversation with her; he's tired of having to constantly justify his actions and his love for Liv. He exhales his frustration, before imploring… "I never meant to hurt Eli… or you, or anyone else for that matter…"

"But that's the problem Dad, you make these rash, life changing decisions with only your best interest at heart, whilst neglecting to consider the impact your decisions are having on everyone else…"

"That is simply not true!"

"Oh, but it is! I'll tell you why you sent me to New York, it's because YOU couldn't cope…"

"No, you are wrong. I sent you to live with your mother's family, because I thought it was the best thing for you…"

"When Mum died, for days on end, you hardly talked. Some days it felt like you couldn't even look at me. But I needed you, Dad! I was 17, I had just lost my mum! I couldn't bear it! But instead, you packed my bags and sent me away. You were so caught up in your grieve, you gave up on me…"

He's momentarily stunned into silence, her words proving difficult to digest… Is that what she's thought all this time… No wonder she wants nothing to do with me… "I never gave up on you Karen, I love you! I just wanted you to be happy, and I thought you'd be happier there, instead of staying with me. I was a mess; I didn't want to end up hurting you…"

"You never mean to hurt anyone dad, but that's the thing, YOU DO… You hurt people all the time…" She starts to well up, but when he tries to reach for her, she pulls away… "I need to go…"

"Please Karen, don't leave…" He's about to follow her, but she stops him dead in his tracks. "Don't get up, I'm done, I'm done discussing this with you…"

"We can't keep doing this Karen, every time we are faced with something difficult or hard, we run away… We need to face this…"

"No dad, running away from your problems is what you do, and I don't need to face up to anything, in fact, if anyone needs to face up to harsh reality of this shit show, it's you…" Ruthlessly, she tells herself she is done with beating around the bush, as she allows all her built up emotions to come together and form one massive blow...

"This relationship with Liv is only going to end up in tears, you might think you love her, but if you really did, then for the first time in your life walking away would have been the right thing to do… But instead, you get her pregnant, effectively stripping away her freedom, and binding her to you. Seriously Dad, can't you see that you've ruined her life; and not only hers, but everyone else's around you… And for what? 5, 10, maybe 15 years down the line- if you're lucky, before Liv finally wakes up and decides to leave you… Because this ridiculous bubble that you're living in, will eventually burst, and when it does Liv will realise that the man she "loved", had not only used up her prime years, but he also robbed her of her youth. I actually feel sorry for her."

He grimaces under the sting of Karen's insight, for it toys dangerously with the many insecurities he's battled and still battles against since being with Liv. Ultimately, he knows the older he gets, the greater the fear and chance that their 25-year age gap will be the reason she leaves him.

Noting a chink in his armour, Karen decides to go for the jugular. "I tell you what, why don't you give me her number, so I can warn her, and let her know that loving someone as emotionally unavailable as you are, will only lead to heartache… Because EVERYONE that loves you ends up getting hurt, and it's only a matter of time before it happens to her, and sadly the same thing will happen that baby too… After all Dad, you've spent a lifetime letting people down, myself included, so what makes you think this time will be any different."

And with her haunting words left to hang in the balance, she turns and walks away, leaving him to stew in the aftermath of her truth.