Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to ABC Disney, Shonda Rhimes and the TV show Scandal. All credit to them.

A/N: I incorporated one of my favorite Papa Pope lines in this chapter. I am positive that you will notice it when you read it. If I made any errors I will fix in the morning, Anyway, here is the latest. Enjoy..

"Olivia, sweetheart is that you?" He yelled when he heard the door shut.

"Yes dad." She said as she walked over to his office. "What are you doing up?"

"Waiting for you since your mother got called in."

"Oh ok, well I'm off to bed. I will see you in the morning." She walked over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Good night Olivia see you in the morn-" He stopped mid sentence and turned his head sideways. "What the hell is that on your neck? Are those teeth marks?"

Olivia swallowed hard. She remembered Fitz biting her neck earlier in the night but she never looked in the mirror to check and make sure that there was no mark. "Shit." She cursed herself in her mind. She leaned back out of her fathers embrace avoiding his eyes. Maybe I could just walk out like I didn't hear him say anything, that could work, Right. She thought to herself.

"Olivia. What the hell is that on your neck? Don't make me ask you again!" Rowan yelled.

"Umm..you see..uhh-"

"You are testing my patience child."

"Fine, I am not going to lie dad. They are teeth marks."

"Obviously, I can see that with my own two eyes. What the hell is it doing there?"

"It was an accident. Things got a little carried away with the guy I am seeing and if I had known that he was leaving a mark I would have stopped him." Olivia offered honestly.

"Things got carried away? Are you out of your damn mind coming in her after midnight with that on your neck and thinking that "things got carried away" is an acceptable answer?" He shook his head in disgust. "You are a swimmer Olivia. Did you forget that while you were getting "carried away" with some guy?"

"He is not just some guy dad! I love him."

Rowan laughed shook his finger at her then laughed some more like she was the funniest thing on earth. "You love him? Oh is that supposed to make everything ok? To make that fact that you have no damn respect for this house, for this family, for your swim team who will have to do with out you in a key swim meet this week because you can't hide bite marks in a bathing suit, and last but not least yourself!" He slammed his hand down on his desk and walked over to her. "Did I not raise you for better? How many times have I told you that you have to be what?"

"Twice as-" She started in a low tone.

"What!?" He shouted.

"Twice as good."

"Twice as good as them to get half of what they have. Showing up here with that on your neck..Ugh for God's sake." He threw his hands up. "You have scouts showing up to these meets expecting to see you swim and you throw that away for a guy? Is that why you spent all of those hours in the pool? To throw it away when it finally mattered? What about the team that is counting on you for support? As much as swimming is an individual sport you're a leader for those other people on your team. They looked to you for strength Olivia!"

Olivia felt herself breaking down with every word he spoke. She felt so selfish for allowing herself to get caught up in the moment and not think about how her actions might have effected other people. Sure she could mask the marks in clothes but how did she explain this to the coach to her teammates? She felt the tears start to run down her face but wouldn't dare move to wipe them.

"It's too late for tears Olivia. Obviously you are involved with a guy that doesn't even know you or he would know better. He doesn't love you he is just trying to get his-"

"He is not like that." She choked out.

"Sure he isn't. I can't even stand to look at you right now. If your mother hadn't asked me to wait for her before deciding punishment I would have those car keys, that phone and your tablet in my hands this very moment."

"Dad.."

"Go. You are a disappointment to the hard work your mother and I have done to get you this far. I don't even know who you are anymore." He said turning and walking back to his desk refusing to give her a second glance.

She wiped her eyes and walked out of his office. Though she and her father didn't see eye to eye on a lot of things lately she had always looked up to him and sought out his approval. She grew up a daddy's girl and the way that he was looking at her now killed her. There were two things that she hated most, one was being a disappointment and the other was having someone that she cared about mad at her. She went in the bathroom and across from her bedroom and washed the tears from her face. The more she washed it the more they continued to fall. Her phone started buzzing and she knew it was Fitz but she wasn't ready to talk to him, not yet. After drying her face she walked into her bedroom changed into her pajamas and laid on her bed under her covers. Her phone started to vibrate again and she gave in and answered it.

"Hello." She answered in a low raspy voice.

"Livvie I've been calling you for the past half hour."

"Sorry.." She said barely above a whisper.

"What's wrong baby? Did something happen?" He asked when he sensed that something was off with her.

"My dad saw the teeth marks that apparently you left on my neck tonight and he said these things.." She looked up to the ceiling cleared her throat and paused trying not to get overwhelmed in her emotions. "The things he said.."

"I'm so sorry baby, I wasn't thinking. Whatever he said don't listen to it Liv-"

"I should go.." She said quietly.

"No. If you hang up Olivia I will be at your door in fifteen minutes." Fitz got out of his bed and started getting dressed.

"I don't know what to do Fitz..he is never going to let me see you after this.."

"I'm coming over right now. I will talk to him Livvie..don't cry..I'm coming Ok?"

"No, it will only make things worse. I will talk to you tomorrow." As much as she needed to see him she knew her dad and with as mad as he was right now he would probably pull his gun out on Fitz.

"Liv.."

"I have a headache and I just need to sleep to clear my mind. I will call you tomorrow as soon as I wake up."

Fitz stayed quiet on the line. He didn't want to let her sit on this over night but he couldn't just show up at her door at one am. He couldn't even imagine the things her father said to her to make her cry. He hated him in that moment

"I will call you in the morning ok?" Olivia repeated when he didn't say anything.

"Yeah ok." He said in a defeated tone.

"I love you." She said softly.

"I love you too Livvie. Sweet dreams."

She hung up the phone and pulled the blanket up and over her head falling into a deep sleep.

"Livia, wake up." Maya called as she sat on the bed next to Olivia.

"Mom?" Olivia asked in a groggy voice.

"Wake up honey, it's is almost ten. Since when do you sleep in?"

"Mom, I don't feel well."

"This doesn't happen to have something to do with a certain set of teeth marks on your neck does it?" Her mother asked eyeing her suspiciously.

"No..well maybe. Are you here to tell me how much of a disappointment I am because of this too?"

"I'm sure your father covered that for the both of us."

"What did you come up with for punishment? Am I grounded for the rest of the school year?" Olivia asked nervously.

"Not exactly but I did have to talk your father out of switching you back to your private school. What were you thinking Olivia?"

"It happened on accident. Do you really think if I had known that I had marks on my neck that I would go up to dad and hug him?"

"I believe you but you know you are going to have to sit out of your meet on Tuesday right? I'm guessing it will start to go away by the end of the week but you are grounded until Monday of next week." Olivia groaned. "No car, no internet browsing, dishes duty and supervised pool sessions. You will ride to and from school with your father and I will pick you up on the days that you don't have a last period."

"I get to keep my phone?" Olivia asked surprised.

"I had to fight for it but yes you do." Olivia tried her best to hide her smile. "That brings me to the last part of your punishment, a three thousand word essay on what it means to be a leader."

"Three thousand words?! By when?" Olivia whined.

"Stop whining Livia, you got off easy. I want it on Tuesday since you won't be with your team. After I make corrections and suggestions to it I want it back on Thursday to review one more time. Once I think it is good enough you can give it to your father on Saturday. Is that clear?"

"Yes mom. Thanks for helping with dad."

"No problem. I don't need to tell you what will happen if I this happens again do I?"

"No ma'am."

"Ok." Maya said kissing Olivia's forehead as she stood. "I hope you feel better."

After she left Olivia couldn't hide the smile on her face. She pulled out her phone to call Fitz and give him the good news. It was then that she noticed that she had ten missed calls and text messages all from him. She clicked on the text and read them.

Fitz: Good morning Livvie.

Fitz: Wake up Livvie :)

Fitz: Are you still sleep?

Fitz: Livvie are you ok?

Fitz: I'm coming over there.

Olivia looked at the clock next to her bed and saw that he sent that last text five minutes ago. She quickly dialed his number to see if she could catch him before he left. Things were still on edge in the house and having an unexpected house guest especially male wouldn't sit well with her family.

"Livvie! Are you ok? I'm right around the corner."

"Fitz..I am fine. I over slept..please turn around and go back home." She said into the receiver calmly.

"I want to see you."

"You know that can't happen and my dad is here." She said sighing.

"Why are you sighing? Do you not want to see me?"

"Babe you know I always want to see you but after last night we need to be smart. My mom talked to my dad and even though I'm grounded until next week they are letting me keep my phone. So we can still talk."

"Grounded until next week? I don't think I've ever been grounded. What is the purpose of this?" Fitz said angrily.

"The purpose is to give me time to think about what I did and know that their are consequences for those things."

"You have marks on your neck ok so you hide them with makeup what's the big deal."

"The big deal? Really? Maybe my dad was right about you." She said in a annoyed tone.

"Wait what?" He asked confused.

"Just forget it Fitz, I'm going back to sleep I'll talk to you later."

"I will not forget it. You don't make that kind of statement then say forget about it. What is he right about."

"Fine, he said that you don't even know me if you would leave a mark like this on me and not even think about the effect it would have on what I do. Right now you are proving him right."

"Why because I don't see what the big deal is?"

"Yes Fitz! Do you think I can wear makeup when I swim? Does that make sense to you? Did the one thing I love in life more than you even cross your mind?" She yelled into the receiver.

Fitz swallowed hard. How could he not remember that? Was he so wrapped up in her punishment and not being able to see her that it completely slipped his mind? She couldn't believe that he really didn't know her or want her do be able to do what she loved could she?

"Because that slipped my mind you agree with your dad that I don't know you? God Olivia, if you believe that then maybe you don't know me either." He hung up the phone and turned around driving back towards his house.

"Hold on, so this means you aren't dropping me at Abby's?" Jake whined in the passenger seat.

Fitz gave him a cold stare.

"My bad, I was just asking." Jake held his hands up in surrender. "Beach run then late lunch?"

"Ok." Fitz said quietly as he drove.

Fitz and Jake didn't get to lunch until a little bit after two. Since they were already at the beach they decided to eat at once of the diners close by.

"That was a good run don't you think?" Jake asked trying to break the silence.

"Yeah." Fitz responded half paying attention.

"Do you want to pick up some girls on the beach after this?"

"Yeah. Wait, what?" Fitz turned to him confused.

"Exactly. If you are going to sit here and think about Olivia the whole time why not just call her?"

"Jake, it's complicated." Fitz said dismissively.

"You two make everything more difficult. She already has her parents down her throat about this how do you think she feels having you ignore her now? She was right in what she said by the way, about the way you were talking to her."

"What? The way I was talking to her? I just didn't think it was a reasonable punishment and she went too far saying her father was right about me. Who does she think she is?"

"First, she is the love of your life and if she can't tell you the truth then what is the point? Second, teenagers with parents who care get grounded, it isn't the strangest thing in the world and she actually got off pretty well. Third, sure in the heat of the moment you forgot that she was on the swim team but in the heat of the moment you should have remembered because it is such a huge part of who she is. I think that is why she said that bit about her father because partially it was true." Jake took a sip of his water before continuing. "Soon I am going to start charging you for my advice."

"I hate you when you're right." Fitz said shaking his head.

"What you are saying is that you hate me all the time then?" Jake said laughing.

"Come on let's hurry up and eat so we can go."

Olivia tried to call Fitz back multiple times but he wouldn't answer. She didn't mean to come down on him so hard but she was feeling pressure all around her and his attitude towards her punishment, which she thought was fair compared to other times, annoyed her. She gave up after the fifth time and decided to go make herself something for breakfast. It was almost lunch time and she hadn't eaten yet. When she walked into the kitchen she saw he father sitting at the table reading the newspaper. She wasn't ready for another tongue lashing so she turned around to head back upstairs.

"Good morning to you too Olivia." She heard her father say in a somewhat cheerful voice and she let out a sigh of relief before turning and going back in the kitchen.

"Good morning dad." She said as she walked to the refrigerator grabbing some juice and jelly for the toast she was about to make.

Once her food was prepped she sat down at the table across from her father and ate in silence. There was so much she wanted to say. She wanted to apologize for letting him down and being irresponsible but she didn't know where to start.

"Olivia I can feel you thinking over here."

She looked up and gave him a confused look.

"I can tell you have a lot on your mind but before you start I have a few things I would like to clear up first."

She nodded and he continued. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior last night." Olivia couldn't hide the shocked expression on her face. "Don't look so surprised Olivia, I said somethings that I didn't mean out of anger. You are doing a great job in school and haven't given your mother or I any trouble. I was wrong to call you a disappointment because of one hiccup. I want you to know that I am very proud of you sweetheart and the reflection of myself and your mother that I see in you. Do you accept my apology?"

"I do dad. Thank you so much for what you said." Olivia was really grateful that he apologized. She hated feeling like he didn't think she had learned anything from their hard work. "You have to know that I would never do anything to deliberately cause embarrassment to this family or myself."

"I know that and I was still expecting perfection when that expectation is unrealistic." He took a sip of his coffee. "When am I going to meet this guy that you love so much? With marks like those on your neck I think it's way overdue."

"Dad!" Olivia felt her face turning red.

"Hey you are the one with the teeth marks on your neck." He chuckled.

"I don't even know dad, he is kind of mad at me right now." She sighed.

"Mad? Why is he mad when you are the one that got in trouble?"

"I was explaining to him everything about me being grounded and our conversation somehow led to me telling him maybe you were right about him because he didn't even think about the effect this would have on me swimming. He said it slipped his mind and if I truly believed that then maybe I don't know him at all. Now he isn't returning my calls." She said sadly.

"Just give him time Liv. I don't care how old a man is he doesn't want to be that guy that your dad was right about in a negative light. He was probably more upset with that than he was with you." Rowan sympathized.

"Thanks dad. As far as you meeting him maybe once I am not grounded anymore?"

"I can make that right now and you will invite him over for dinner?"

"Dad!"

"Ok, ok but soon Livia. Very soon." He said standing and leaving for his office.

She shook her head and went to work on her paper.

Olivia was getting ready for bed and she couldn't help the heartbreak that she was feeling from not hearing from Fitz all day. Were they broken up? She felt the knot in her stomach get tighter from the thought of them not being together. Was he that mad that he couldn't even text her back? She finished wrapping her hair and walked slowly over to her bed. She tried to fall sleep but all of her thoughts drifted to Fitz. Her phone vibrated on her nightstand and she smiled when she saw it was him.

Fitz: Good night Livvie...I haven't been ignoring you I just want to talk to you in person at school. I love you. Always.

She was happy and a little bit angry at the same time.

Liv: Okay..you couldn't have sent that earlier so that I wasn't waiting around for your text today?

Fitz: I didn't mean to have you waiting..can I still get a good night text?

She giggled a bit at his request.

Liv: Good night Fitz.

Fitz: ...

She smiled because she knew exactly what he meant.

Liv: Love you too.

Fitz: :)

The next morning Olivia rode with her dad to school. She walked to the gym with him and set her laptop up on the bleachers so that she could work on her paper until school started. She was glad that she went to sleep at a decent time otherwise she should have been more grumpy. The door to the gym opened and she looked to see who would be here this early. He was wearing a hoody and walking towards the locker room but she could tell by the walk that it was him.

She placed her laptop in her backpack and climbed down the bleachers after him. He had his locker open and hadn't noticed she was there. She walked up behind him and slid her hands under his sweatshirt.

"What the-" Fitz jumped and turned around to see who was touching him. "Livvie? What are you-"

He was cut off again by her lips pressed firmly against his. She slipped her tongue in his mouth and deepened the kiss. He moved his arms around her waist and pulled her in close to his body. She broke the kiss and looked up at him.

"Hi."

"Hi." He kissed her forehead and pulled her in close for a hug. "You can't be in here.." He whispered into her ear.

"I know..I saw you and I didn't even think twice about following you in here..are you still mad at me?"

He sighed and tried to move out of her embrace. "Liv.."

"I'm sorry, can you just wait..I want to be in your arms for one minute. Can we do that?" She asked looking up at him.

"Yes. One minute then you have to get out of here before coach catches you."

She smiled as he pulled her closer and snuggled his head in the crook of her neck. She loved the way he smelled and the way his strong arms were wrapped around her making her feel safe. He squeezed her a little tighter before letting her go. He loved her and he hated that she thought he was mad at her.

He leaned down and gave her a light kiss. "I am not mad at you ok?"

"Ok."

"You better get back out there. I'll walk out first and when you hear me bounce the ball twice the coast is clear."

He walked out and glanced around the gym before bouncing the ball for her to come out. She winked at him as she walked past and he slapped her on the butt.

Olivia didn't even try to pretend like she was working on her paper anymore, her full attention was on him and his morning gym work out. He looked so good doing his warm up stretches and she made a mental note to have him help her stretch the next time she was at his house. When he removed his shirt she thought she may need another pair of panties she was so wet. That ended quickly when she heard the door to her fathers office open.

"Grant put your damn shirt on!" Rowan yelled as he stepped further into the gym. "You see we have a guest in here today."

"C'mon Coach! It's soaked with sweat."

"Grant, go get ready for class. The gym is closed." Rowan said dismissively as he stepped up the bleachers to sit next to Olivia. "Sorry about that sweetheart, some of these guys have no respect for their surroundings. All they know is basketball."

"Dad, you act like I've never seen a guy with their shirt off. You know they don't wear shirts at the pool right?" She laughed.

"That is different though. Not really but to me it is." He laughed with her. "Shouldn't you be heading to class?"

"I still have forty-five minutes. This week is going to suck if you have to be here this early each day." She whined.

"The guy you just saw shooting around out there is usually here early and if I am not here to let him in then what is he supposed to do?" He questioned.

Shoot around in the gym he has at his house. She thought to herself. "I don't know dad."

"Well I don't want these guys out of a place to go because for a lot of them the basketball court is their home just like the pool is for you." He stood and walked down the bleachers. "It won't be too bad once you get the hang of it."

"I don't want to get the hang of it." She mumbled under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing dad." She said sweetly.

"Yeah I thought so." He said over his shoulder.

Olivia waited for Fitz to finish changing but when there was only ten minutes left for class she walked without him, not willing to risk being late and getting in more trouble. She took her usual seat in the second row of class and reached down to pull her book out of her backpack.

"You left without me.."

She looked up and saw Fitz with his best pout face on as he took the seat next to her. He was so adorable. "I wanted to wait but I couldn't be late."

"I know..I couldn't get this curl to stay and the more I tried the more it did it's own thing." He said pointing to the top of his head.

"Mmm..I love it." She twirled a piece of his curl on her finger.

"I love you." He said smiling at her.

"Alright class we have a group project this week and it will take place mainly after school. Unless you have a medical reason that prevents you from working with the person I assign to you there will be no switching of partners. Is that understood?" The class answered yes in unison and he began naming off the groups.

"Fitzgerald Grant and Melanie Carson, Olivia Pope and Jake Ballard.." Fitz stopped listening when he heard the teacher name Melanie also known as Mellie as his partner. He looked in her direction and the smile that she gave him didn't sit well with him. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Are you okay babe?" Olivia whispered to him.

"Huh? Yeah I'm fine. Do you think we could talk before you go swim?"

"Of course."

Fitz grabbed Olivia's hand and led her to his car as soon as the bell rang. He didn't want to talk to Mellie about their stupid project, that could wait, he needed a minute with his love first.

"What was the rush Fitz? I almost fell back there." She asked laughing once they were inside his tinted vehicle.

"Shh. Quiet." He pulled her to him and sucked her lips into his mouth kissing her deeply. He felt her body melt into him and he loved it.

"Fitz.." She breathed trying to catch her breath. "You said talk.."

"I know but I couldn't help it." He smiled against her lips as he ran his hands down her shoulders and arms continuing his way down until her hands were in his. "I wanted to talk to you today because I wanted to apologize for hanging up on you. I was mad at what you said but that was no excuse for my behavior. You don't know how angry I was at what you said and even more how right you were. Swimming should have been the first thing that popped into my mind but I was more focused on not seeing you which was selfish of me."

"Fitz.."

"Let me finish Livvie...I am very selfish with you Olivia and it's because I have this fear that you might slip away from me. I can admit that but I don't want you to feel like I don't support you or think that what is important to you isn't important to me. To prove that to you I have decided to sit out of tomorrow's game. It isn't fair that you have to miss a swim meet but I get to go on like nothing happened. We are in this together." He said as he kissed her hands.

"Babe..I don't even know what to say. i am speechless."

"Don't say anything, I am content with the smile on your face." He leaned in to give her a kiss.

They both jumped when someone knocked on the window.

"Get your ass out of there!" Jake yelled.

"What is your problem Jake?" Fitz asked rolling his window down.

"Olivia the Coach is looking for you apparently your dad said you needed someone there to log your time in and out of the pool?"

"Shit, I forgot about that whole supervised swim thing." She said as she opened the car door.

Fitz hopped out, ran around to the other side to help her up and out of the car.

"I will find you before you leave for a moment to ourselves."

She leaned up on her tippy toes and kissed him. "Can't wait. Have a good practice."

"You too."

He leaned against the car and watched her walk away. This was going to a long week with only school interaction between them he thought to himself.

"You are so sprung." Jake said jabbing him in the chest.

"So what? Does it make it more obvious if I said that I miss her already?"

"Yes, I think I am going to be sick with all of this mushy talk-"

"Hey Fitzgerald."

He and Jake whipped around and saw Mellie walking towards them with a huge smile on her face. She didn't stop until she was standing directly in front of Fitz too close for either one of their liking if they were being honest.

"I can't wait to discuss our project after school..I know you love it when I put my brain to good use.." She licked her lips and slowly backed away from him. "I'll call you when I am on my way." She said over her should as she walked off.

Her play on the word 'brain' was not lost on them and they both stood there in disgust after she left towards the school.

"Uhh..what the hell was that?" Jake asked.

"That...that was my past painfully colliding with my present." Fitz said shaking his head. Not only was this going to be a long week without Olivia but it was going to be a tortuous one with Mellie around.

A/N: Mellie...I think that says it all. Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading! Til next time.

P.S. I think all schools and teams are different but every high school team I've been on we go over like a "Rules/Expectation" of the team. It details what is acceptable/unacceptable in uniform, hickeys or any time of mark was always on the unacceptable side of that list. Which usually led to you sitting out of the upcoming game. Kind of like missing practice. Hope that helps for those who didn't understand where I was coming from. :)