"Despite the problems that have arisen with a house cleaning in the White House, President Grant seems to have taken it stride and become perhaps a stronger President. Possibly stronger than he was prior to the death of his son. Insiders at the White House, say that the President seems to be happier and more focused than he was a few months ago. "

Mellie Grant sat on the couch with her glass of vodka in her hand. When she left the White House, she managed to liberate a case of Polish vodka that was a gift from the Polish ambassador. Her reasoning was that her husband was a scotch drinker and if her hunch was right, her replacement would be drinking red wine. Her hair was dirty and she had around old ratty robe around her.

"Senator?" the maid asked.

Mellie 's eyes were glued to the television as she sipped her drink. She saw pictures of her soon to be ex husband on the television. She also saw that Fitz was definitely not alone. They were at a gala and Fitz was talking with different people. But Mellie spotted a person off camera that was trying to be inconspicuous. Olivia was talking to some Ambassador that was a guest at the White House. She had an idea who Olivia would be leaving with that night.

"The Ambassador from France had said that he had enjoyed the Gala in his honor. He especially enjoyed the cuisine prepared from the chefs of the White House. He had invited President Grant to visit him at any time." The announcer continued.

"Senator? I have the Congressional Secretary on the line." The housekeeper said. "What should I say?"

"Tell her I'm not feeling well." Mellie moaned. She picked up the bottle of vodka on the table and poured another glass. She took it and pressed it to her lips. Andrew was getting better day by day. Divorce papers sat on the table with grease stains on them. Next to it, another plate of fried chicken and fries. Mellie felt like everything had been taken away from her. She may have won the election, but lost the war. Her children were being used as pawns in a battle. She had been told that she couldn't use the children for any future campaigning , because she had been using them enough.

Olivia walked past Morris as she happily handed him a box of cupcakes. She had the biggest grin on her face as she strolled into the big black gates. The marine guard stood at his post and then the desk guard had her sign as she showed her pass. For all the years she would go into the West Wing , she finally felt like she belonged. Even when she worked with the White House as Communications Director, she had that dirty secret of being the President's mistress. Now she was free and soon they would be able to come out as a couple very soon. Abby and her had been working on the spin .

"Miss Pope, I 'll tell the President that you are here." Charlotte said happily.

Olivia managed to walk past Daniel and then knocked on the door of the Oval. "I wanted to know if you were free for lunch." Olivia said as she walked in the door. Fitz was at his desk with several of his advisors and aides. Elizabeth North seemed to be taking up most of his attention.

"Oh well this is a surprise." Fitz said happily. "Folks we will resume this later. Miss Pope and I need the room." The crowd as well as Lizzie Bear left the Oval. Olivia threw herself into his lap and then put her arms around his neck. Her lips were drawn to his like magnets. She let her hands wrestle his dark curls. Fitz started to move away from her and then he wiped his lips from the liptstick.

"Did I come at a bad time?" Olivia asked innocently.

"On the contrary, we actually need to talk." Fitz said seriously. "Karen is coming home from school for the summer and I think its' time we tell her about us. She should know before the press and the rest of country know. "

Olivia had fond memories of Karen. There was the adorable little girl when they were on the trail and her parents were too busy to remember her birthday. Olivia took it upon her self with her and Jerry to be a pal to them . She would take them out for ice cream or play video games with them. Karen grew up very fast after she lost her brother. Jerry was her best friend and ally. She rebelled in a big way with the whole sex tape episode. She and her team saved Karen's ass and she turned lioness on the terrible parents who wanted to take advantage of the rich Grant family. She wondered how Karen would feel when she found out that she was the woman that her father was cheating with. After all, it tore her apart when she caught her mother on her knees with Andrew.

"I think we should wait." Olivia said honestly.

"Olivia, are you backing out?" Fitz was very defensive. "It's a little too late for that."

"I just don't know what might happen. I remember how she felt when she found out about Mellie and Andrew. She was torn apart and I don't want to destroy her anymore." Olivia admitted .

Fitz wrapped his arms around her and then whispered into her ear."I just want her to know that I am finally happy. She knew that her mother and I weren't."

The next day , Karen arrived with her luggage and her own detail. Fitz was ready for when she got to the White House. She ran right into his arms.

"Daddy! " she jumped into Fitz's arms. The two enjoyed a joyous reunion. Karen had braced herself after a tearful phone call from her mother. Between gulps of gin, she sobbed about how her father threw her out of the house. She said that she was lucky to find a small townhouse in Georgetown for her to live in. Karen hated to be in the middle of her parents battle, but she had bad feelings towards her mother ever since the Andrew mess. She couldn't blame her parents for finally breaking up.

"Karebear, I am so glad that you are staying here for the summer. I want us to spend some time together. " Fitz explained.

"I understand, Daddy." Karen smiled.

Fitz took her hand and then led her into the Oval. "I need to talk to you about understand about your mother and me. We just couldn't get along anymore. We tried because of Jerry's death and then we bonded together when your mother was running for the Senate. We have putting on this front for years. We had wanted to act like the perfect family but that was only for the optics and the camera. In truth your mother and I haven't even been intimate for a long time. " He couldn't tell his daughter that the reason their family was wrecked was because her grandfather had raped her mother and that her dead brother was quite possibly her uncle as well. He was preparing for the big bomb he was about to drop.

"I know that you and Mom have fought for a long time. We could hear the yelling. I thought that is why you had Teddy." Karen commented.

Fitz didn't want to get into the whole Teddy argument as well. He just knew that it had to be like pulling off a bandaid , one swift rip. "Well originally we hired Olivia to get us to look more like a loving family. Mom and I would fight and then I told her that if she wanted to live in the White House, she was going to have to straighten up and then act like a couple. It seemed to work except , it was all an act. Mom and I tolerated each other until a few weeks ago . We decided to stop torturing each other and then we decided to get a divorce. "

"Daddy, I am kind of glad. I know that I always thought it would be great if you and Mom got along. Deep down in my heart both me and Jerry knew that that would never happen. You guys would argue and yell and then mom would go cry somewhere and you would drink. This is a good thing because now you and her can finally be happy." Karen said.

"Well pumpkin, that isn't the end of the story. I am kind of seeing someone." Fitz admitted.

"Well daddy, I think that's great. I think you deserve a really great woman. I remember thinking you cheated on mom until I found out she was cheating with Uncle Andrew. I am sure that you didn't deserve the way Mom treated you. "

Fitz took a swallow of scotch and then braced himself. "When I was running for President the first time, I did meet someone. Your mother would just be around me long enough to pose as the happy couple and then she would disappear. I met a wonderful , brilliant, and gorgeous woman who I fell in love with. We worked well together and then nature took over."

It dawned on Karen who her father was referring to. She remembered how Olivia became like a big sister to her and Jerry. They continued their friendship even when she had left the White House and cried to her the night that her father was fighting for his life in surgery. Olivia was the person who saved her after the whole "Eiffel Tower' incident. She was smart enough to know to call her to bail her out of the mess.

"Daddy , is this woman Olivia?" Karen asked earnestly.

"Olivia and I have been through so much. We have broken up , gotten back together, she stood by me when I was shot, I almost lost her when she was kidnapped." Fitz admitted.

"Wait a minute! Olivia was kidnapped?" Karen exclaimed.

"Do you remember when I declared war on West Angola? You might have heard people at school talking about it. "

"Yes."

"Well there were these terrible people who told me that if I didn't declare war , they would kill her." This stopped Karen in her tracks. "I didn't have any choice. The day she came back I was so thankful she was all right." Fitz felt that a giant weight had been lifted. He would just wait until Karen could digest all of this .

"Daddy" she sobbed. It seems that Fitz had indeed suffered so much. In all the years he was alive , he had never had so much grief.

Mellie stumbled into the dining room and pulled out a bottle of her daddy's hooch. It was originally for celebrating when Fitz won Governor of California. Mellie had indulged in it quite a few times. She felt like her world had ended. She had these rosy picture that her husband would fall madly in love with her again. She felt like she had herself to blame. She was protecting him but he felt that enough blood had been spilled for the good of the republic. Why didn't she know that the man she met with was the head of B613? And worst of all, she found out that the man was none other than the father of Olivia Pope. He was Command and he knew about Remmington after all. He knew about it all. It all made her head spin when she started to count all of her sins.

But she would finally step out of his shadow. She would be the politician she was meant to be. Everything was coming up Mellie. But could she do it on her own? She had given him twenty some years of her life and they were a team. But now she was alone. That thought struck her to the core and made her chug a glass of the lethal liquor. She walked over to the couch, closed her eyes and then passed out.

"Senator? Senator?" the maid called . Alas she was down for the count.