"What the hell are you doing here!?" Fitz boomed as he stares into the eyes of the last person he expected to be looking at in this moment. His yelling was more out of shock than anything. Maybe a little misdirected hostility had been present as well.

"Hello to you too Fitzgerald. Is that any way to speak to your mother?" Susan asks as she brushed past her son and makes herself at home.

"I'm sorry ma, it just isn't a good time." Fitz replied, his voice full of remorse. He was never short with his mother and as the seconds of silence went on between him, his shoulders began to hunch, heavy with guilt.

"Nonsense, there's never a wrong time to see your mother. I won't be around forever you know."

"You're right. I'm sorry." Fitz replies again as he walked over and gives his mother an apologetic kiss on the cheek.

"So, where are my grandbabies? I know they are growing like weeds." Susan asked as she walked around the home, taking in it's immaculate appearance.

Fitz was never a tidy child, and that carried over into adulthood. Susan also knew that he had let go of the entire staff except Marta when Mellie had left as a staff to maintain a home was not how he had been raised. Although the Grants owned one of the largest ranches in Santa Barbara, Susan took comfort in doing the household chores herself. She would only bring in help if they were set to entertain. Other than that, she maintained the enormous home and took pride in doing it.

"They are with Mellie. She should be back with them in an hour or so." Fitz replied as he looked at his watch.

"So, have you spoken to Lee Lee since you've been back from Chicago?" Susan asked making Fitz laugh at her pet name for Liv. Fitz knew Liv hated that name but she loved Susan so much she learned to adjust over the years.

Fitz sighed and cast his gaze downwards. Suddenly that speck of lint on the carpet seemed very intriguing. Instead of pressing further, Susan took her sons silence for everything it was. She was going to have to pull in some overtime to get these two knuckleheads to see the error of their ways. But for now, she would just be happy being mom.

"Well, how about you come into the kitchen with me and I'll whip up a batch of those snicker doodles you love so much." Susan was pleased as she saw Fitz's eyes light up like a child's on Christmas morning.

Fitz followed his mother into the kitchen and helped her pull out the ingredients needed to make his favorite cookies. Susan began mixing everything together and just like that, he was four years old again, trying to dip his fingers in the cookie dough.

"Fitzgerald! There will be none of that!" Susan scolded as she smacked Fitz's hand with the wooden mixing spoon. Just like that Fitz was like a four year old on the verge of tears. "Maybe if you behave and grease the cookie sheet, I'll let you have the bowl and the spoon after." She quickly added as she watched her grown son on the verge of tears. Fitz began to smile when there was a knock on the door. He waited until Susan's head popped up before taking a huge glob of the cookie dough and running towards the front door.

"I will get you for that Fitzgerald." She yelled after him.

Fitz reached the front door and looked through the peephole. He took a deep breath before opening the door. "Ok, God must be in a joking mood today." Fitz thought to himself as he stood staring in disbelief.

"Hi." Liv said shyly as she cast her gaze down at the threshold. Suddenly the ant trying to cross the barrier was very interesting in that moment.

"Hi." Fitz responded as he willed Liv to look him in the eyes.

"Fitzy, who's at the... Lee Lee! I am so glad you are here!" Susan called out, breaking them both from their trances.

"Hello Mrs. Grant. It's so good to see you again." Liv replied as she offered up the weakest smile known to man.

"Honey, if you don't get in here and give me a hug! Don't forget you aren't to old for me to put you over my knee."

Liv looked up at Fitz who stepped aside to allow Liv to enter. She walked into the older woman's embrace and felt so much lighter in the moment. Susan took a step back and looked Liv over.

"Honey, you are just as beautiful as the day I met you! Fitz, isn't she just gorgeous?" Susan gushed. Judging by the look on Fitz's face he agreed.

"Yes ma, she is."

"This is going to be easier than I thought." Susan thought to herself as she watched the pair lock gazes with one another.

"Well Lee Lee, we are making cookies, won't you come join us?"

"I don't want to intrude Mrs. G-"

"Nonsense, you aren't intruding, you're family. Right, Fitzy?" Susan asked staring directly at Fitz.

"Right ma. Liv, you're more than welcome to stay."

Liv searched Fitz's eyes for any type of reservation but found none. "Ok, what kind of cookies?"Liv asked speaking more to Susan than to Fitz.

"Snicker doodles." Susan replied with a smile. She knew snicker doodles were Liv's favorite as well. Her homemade snicker doodles were honestly the only sweet Liv would ever allow herself to over indulge in.

"So that means there's cookie dough-" Liv began

"Unattended in the kitchen..." Fitz finished.

"Oh no you don't!" Susan yelled, but it was too late. Liv and Fitz had already made a mad dash towards the kitchen.

This is going to be way easier than I thought.

Susan finally caught up with the pair who, just like when they were children, were sitting at the counter, Liv in her normal spot on top of the counter, trying to hide the fact either of them had stolen cookie dough from the bowl. Susan shook her head at the two as she began placing little balls of dough on the cookie sheets. When she had emptied the bowl, she handed it to Fitz. She gave Liv the spoon which immediately caused Fitz to pout.

"No fair! Liv always gets the spoon!" Fitz cried, folding his arms like a petulant child.

"I get the spoon because I'm cuter. And... I'm the baby!" Liv replied teasingly as she let out a roaring laugh at the pouting almost 34 year old man across from her.

"Give me that spoon!" Fitz said as he looked at Liv.

"What? This one?" Liv asked as she brought the spoon to her mouth and ate some of the cookie dough.

Fitz began moving in Liv's direction. She hopped off of the counter and took off for the living room with Fitz close behind. Susan remained in the kitchen but smiled as she heard the laughter coming from the two people she had watched grown into adult versions of their childhood selves.

Fitz had Liv cornered as she was on one side of the couch and he was on the other. She tried to fake him out to the left, and quickly moved to the right, but Fitz was too quick for her. With a loud thud and an enormous burst of laughter that immediately followed, Susan ran into the living room to see the two friends laughing and wrestling on the floor, over a spoon like they had done so many times before. Susan walked back into the kitchen and pulled out her cellphone. It had only rang twice before it was picked up on the other end.

"Hello, Maya? Step one is in motion."

"The cookies?"

"Isn't it always the cookies with them?"

"Good... Good... Well, we'll get started on step two once you return. Keep me posted."

"Will do." With that, Susan hung up and went back to tending to the cookies.

Fitz and Liv were still wrestling on the floor over a spoon. Deciding Liv wasn't going to give the spoon up, Fitz climbed between her legs and began a full on tickle assault on her stomach. Liv instantly began screaming in laughter and relinquished the spoon to Fitz.

"Here! Here! I give up! Take it!" Liv screamed as she she was laughing so hard she was in tears.

Fitz took the spoon from her and instead of eating the cookie dough off of it, held it to Liv's mouth. The mood instantly changed as Liv stopped laughing and took a bite off of the spoon. Fitz watched Liv adoringly as she licked the bit of dough that had collected on the corner of her mouth.

"Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise!" Mellie spat as she walked in the front door to find Fitz between Liv's thighs. Fitz jumped up and helped Liv to her feet just before the children had made their way into the house.

"You know Fitzgerald, I always knew you had a thing for Olivia, but you could've at least waited until the divorce papers were finalized.

Fitz felt his anger begin to rise as his fists began to ball up. He sent the kids into the kitchen before responding. Liv wasn't sure whether she should stay or go. She went to make her way towards the kitchen when Fitz's hand reached out blindly and stopped her.

Stay it is...

Fitz looked at Mellie with so much iciness in her eyes it sent chills down her spine. "Really Mellie? Is that what Andrew suggested?" Fitz spat back with so much venom both Liv and Mellie flinched. "Because I'm pretty sure that is not how it went."

"Oh Fitz, be serious here. You've been in love with Olivia Pope forever. The only reason you two weren't married first was because she had actually come to her senses and found someone else. I guess temporary clarity works the same way as temporary insanity."

"Mellie, I-"

"Oh save it Fitz. You may have not cheated on me physically, but you were never mine emotionally. Do you know what it's like to have your husband pine away for another woman? A woman that only saw him as a friend? A woman who he named a restaurant after?"

"Mellie, it was an ode to a friendship. You named the chain. I told you that you could name it anything you wanted and you chose Little Italy."

"Yes Fitz, I did. But the one stand alone, the one that was so far different than the others it comes with a six month waiting list for reservations? You named that one after Olivia. Mio Dolce Olivia, My Sweet Olivia. That's not friendship Fitz, that's unrequited love."

Fitz faltered for a minute but wouldn't allow Mellie or Liv see that her words had actually gotten to him. "So that gave you full carte blanche to do as you saw fit with this marriage? To run off with another man? YOU tarnished our marriage! YOU broke our vows! YOU LEFT ME!"

Fitz couldn't help the tears that were flowing from his eyes. Not from hurt, but from anger. His breathing was heavy and his cheat was heaving. How dare she throw Liv into this! If she couldn't understand what Liv's friendship meant to him, that she was there well before Mellie came into the picture and was still there now, maybe it was for the best Mellie saved them both and left when she did.

The three of them stood quietly, all not sure of what to say in this moment. As much as Fitz constantly swore he had no feelings for Mellie, Liv could see in this moment, his pride and his ego had been hurt by Mellie's hasty departure. She knew he would need time to heal from the way she left, maybe now he was beginning to see it as well.

"Who wants cookies?" Susan said as she walked into the living room with the children close behind her. Susan stood for a second taking in the three adults before her. "Hello Millicent. So lovely to see you again. Please tell me you were just leaving." Susan said, her voice laced with faux sweetness and arsenic.

Mellie cleared her throat before shooting daggers at the older woman. She knew Susan had never liked her, and if she were honest with herself, Mellie couldn't stand the woman either. She couldn't see how a woman could be content staying home all day catering to her husbands every need. To Mellie it was sickening to fawn over a man as much as Susan had with Big Gerry.

"Yes, I am leaving. I just wanted to grab a few of my things while I was here, and I'll be on my way."

"Mommy, we told you in the car daddy got rid of all of your things." Karen said just before popping a cookie into her mouth.

"Nonsense, your father would never -"

"No Mellie he would never. I on the other hand had no problem getting rid of your car, jewelry, or clothes."

"Don't tell me your who-"

"Mellie if I were you, I'd choose my next words wisely." Fitz spat as he stepped into her personal space. Sensing he was serious, Mellie straightened her posture and rephrased what she was about to say.

"Don't tell me you gave all of my belongings to Olivia!"

"No Mellie, I couldn't fit your clothes. Not my style anyway. The shoes are way too big, and just... No."

"So what exactly did you do with my things?" Mellie asked as she felt her blood begin to boil.

Since moving in with Andrew he didn't see the use in paying her anymore and instead of buying her new clothes, he told her to gather her things from Fitz's place. What she had saved from working wouldn't be enough to afford her the designer brands she had grown accustomed to.

With a crooked grin Liv stepped closer to Mellie and smirked. "Technically Mellie, since Fitz purchased those close, many without his knowledge, and considering your prenup prevents you from keeping any money or items that you did not enter this marriage with, everything you owned belonged to Fitz. As for your clothes, let's just saying they were smoking hot."

Mellie's eyes grew wide as she realized what Liv had meant. As quickly as they widened, they narrowed as Mellie turned quickly on her heels and stormed off to her car without even so much as a goodbye to the children.

With Mellie gone, Liv was finally able to greet the children the way she had wanted to. After they got all of their hugs out of the way, the five of them made their way into the den to prepare to watch a movie.

Neither of them were sure about much, but as they sat their on the sofa with the kids and Susan, they both knew they wanted moments like this together for the rest of their lives. First they would have to work on themselves.

3 months later

Abby was getting tired of Stephen's routine. He would either stand her up, or spend half of the night in bed complaining about his wife. As much as she wanted Stephen to herself, she was beginning to wonder if it was all worth it.

Sure Stephen had a great job as an USDA for the District of Columbia, but she couldn't help but to wonder if there was something more out there for her. Deciding she needed some space from Stephen, she decided to take Jason up on his offer to attend a family barbeque.

As of now Jason was three hours late as Abby lounged on her balcony enjoying the sun's rays. She scoffed to herself as she saw Jason walking down the sidewalk wearing... Leather? Who the hell wears leather anymore?

"Hey babe, are you ready to go?" Jason yelled as he looked up on the balcony. His words were slurring and Abby could tell he was clearly trashed in the middle of the day. She knew Jason drank and dabbled in drugs but the sex was so good, she was willing to overlook it. But today, she had finally had enough.

"I'm not going!" Abby spat as she refused to budge from her lounge chair. She instead reclined back further and adjusted her sunglasses on her face.

"C'mon babe! It's hot out here." Jason was right, for being mid April it was ridiculously hot. Didn't mean Abby was going.

"No!" Abby yelled back, still refusing to budge.

"So what am I supposed to tell my mama and my son?"

Whoa, did this motherfucker just say son?

"Your son!? How old is this son?"

"Almost 13, why?"

"Jason, I don't like this. I don't think we are in a position for me to be meeting your family right now."

Jason continued spewing on about how bitches were all the same and cried about how no one knew how to treat them. "If you can find a woman that wants your ass, she can have you!" Abby thought to herself as she watched the man staggering 3 stories below her.

"Jason, go home! I don't want you!"

"You raggedy bitch, you'd better watch who you pick up in the supermarket next time!" Jason spat as he threw a crab apple at Abby. He was so drunk he hit the balcony the first time, but it served to scare Abby enough. She however refused to allow her fear to show.

"Jason, take your drunk ass, leather wearing in 2004, need a shave, stinky ass home. I'm not going."

Jason looked at Abby and threw one final crap apple which landed at her feet. As he turned away, Abby picked up the apple and hurled it, hitting him square in the back of the head.

"Ooow! It's like that? So it's like that?"

"Bye!"

Abby turned to walk into her apartment and made a vow to try her hardest to be more careful about the men she associated herself with.

Liv was sitting behind her desk going through her latest client file. She looked over on her desk to a picture of her, Fitz, and the kids. They weren't exactly a couple just yet, but since their blowout after their snicker doodle movie fest with Susan and the kids, they were at least back to being friends. They had honestly been inseparable with Karen and Jerry being at the forefront of their relationship.

The only problem was when Karen and Jerry weren't around, they were still awkward. Liv was still hung up over Fitz's last blowout with Mellie. Fitz was still hung up over Liv's last encounter with Kenneth. Both were over months ago, but both were secretly waiting for the other to make the first move. Neither of them had been with anyone else, as they decided to take this time to work on themselves both separately and together.

Liv was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of her phone ringing. She looked at the caller ID and sighed, but answered the call anyway. She knew better than to subject herself to the wrath of Maya Pope. Honestly she did miss her mother.

"Hi ma." Liv said as she smiled into the phone.

"Hi baby, how are you today?" Maya asked in that tone that let Liv know she was up to something.

"I'm good ma, how are you, and daddy?"

"Oh we're fine sweet pea. Listen, I wanted to know what your plans look like for you birthday. Do you and Fitz have anything planned? I know you normally do something together seeing as how your birthdays are only a few days apart."

Liv sighed heavily before responding. "No ma, we don't have anything planned." Her mother was right. She and Fitz used to always celebrate their birthday together. She wondered if they would be celebrating together next year.

"Ok, well I want you to come out to Santa Barbara that weekend. Your aunt Mable is flying in from Tokyo and cannot wait to see you. I also think the Grants are planning a surprise party for Fitz. They want you to be there, but you cannot tell him a thing! Not even that you are coming to Santa Barbara that weekend."

"Ma, you know Fitz hates surprises."

"I know hun, but you let Susan and Gerry deal with that. You just keep your mouth shut."

"Ok ma. I can't wait to see Aunt Mable. I hope she makes her caramel and chocolate popcorn balls." Liv said. She began licking her lips as if she could taste the yummy treat.

"Well we'll see Liv. I've got to go now. I'll email you the details. You take care of yourself and remember what I said. I love you."

"I will ma, mums the word and I love you too. Give daddy my love."

"Alright sugar. Bye."

"Bye."

Liv sat back and sighed. Thankfully her parents would never do anything as mean as throw her a surprise birthday party.

Fitz sat in his office going over numbers from the previous night. He looked over and smiled as he saw a picture of him, Liv, and the kids sitting on his desk. It had been three months since their blowout, but even though things had been awkward between them, they seemed like their old selves when Karen and Jerry were around. Fitz sat silently running his finger over the frame when his phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hi Fitzy, how's my favorite son?" Susan asked on the other end of the line.

"Hi ma, I'm fine, and I'm your only son." Fitz said with a smile.

"Only because God broke the mold when he made you."

"So, what's up?" Fitz asked ignoring his mother's last statement.

"Well, I was wondering if you and Lee Lee had anything planned for your birthdays. Seeing as how you two are only a few days apart."

Fitz sighed as he remembered how he and Liv used to celebrate their birthdays together every single year until... Until Mellie. "No ma, we don't have anything planned."

"Good, because you know your Aunt Marjory is coming down that weekend. You know she doesn't have that many years left with her being 87 and all. She wants to see you. Also, I think the Pope's may be planning a little surprise party for Lee Lee."

"Ma, you know Liv hates surprises."

"I know Fitz but those are her parents and who are we do deny them that chance. Now listen, I want you down here but you cannot breathe a word of this to Lee Lee. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal ma'am."

"Good. Now, I have to run, I'll email you the details. I love you son. You take care of yourself and keep this under wraps."

"Alright, I will ma, I love you too. Bye." Fitz said as he hung up. Fitz sat back and sighed. Thankfully his parents would never do anything as mean as throw him a surprise birthday party.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Maya asked as Susan sat down at their table. Every Wednesday they met for lunch and this Wednesday was no exception.

"I think it went rather well, you?" Susan replied as she took a sip of her tea.

"Olivia is none the wiser. She thinks you're throwing a surprise party for Fitz." Maya chuckled as she glanced over the menu.

"Ha! Fitz thinks you're throwing a surprise party for Lee Lee!"

"Well, let's just hope this works because lord knows if we leave this to our children, they will never get out of this rut and move on together." Maya said with a smirk.

"Maya, I'd like to propose a toast." Susan said as she raised her glass.

"To what may I ask?"

"To future grandbabies."

"To future grandbabies."

Hey everyone. Just want to say for those who don't know, Abby's scene was ripped from the movie. It is not verbatim as I wasn't at home when I wrote that part, but I hope I captured most of the scene for those who have experiences that moment through film/book before. Up next you will find out what is going on with Quinn, and I will take you back to the Olitz blowout. I didn't want to dedicate an entire chapter to it which is why it will be a flashback. Please leave me your thoughts and let me know what you think about the meddling moms and also the cookie fight as well as Mellie showing up... Til next time.