AN: NO, it's not a joke, I'm back. I know it's been forever but now I'm back. I won't bore you with the details of what happened to me in the last 6 months. But, to make a long story short, 2015 hasn't been kind to my family at all. And, I took it hardly to the point where I was sent to rehab due to a deep depression. But, the important thing is that I'm back and plan on staying. And part of me being back means I'm dedicated. I'll be updating the story at least every two weeks between now and December.

Thank you for all who remembered my story and kept asking for updates.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but my imagination. Scandal and its characters belong to Shonda Rhimes and ABC/Disney.

Without any further ado, chapter 13!

Grant Ranch, Santa Barbara-California

"... Robert Keith Nichols, father of ..." that is the last thing Fitz heard before everything went black.

Fitz collapsed on the floor before Huck even had the chance of finishing his sentence. Liv sent Huck to retrieve some water and try and re-animate him. Liv took his head on her lap as she tried to get him to awake by pouring water on his head and in his hair. The difference of temperature between the water and his body would trigger a reaction from him thus waking him. For once she was glad she'd taken the first aid training. They'd decided that if he wasn't awake within 5 minutes, they'd take him to the hospital.

However, Liv was doing all she could to make sure that they didn't have to call an ambulance. The kids wouldn't take very kindly of their father being taken to the hospital unconscious upon their arrival. She couldn't think of the way they'd feel. The desperation they'd be in. And the anxiety on whether or not he would make it. Truth be told, she was having a little anxiety herself. She didn't know his medical history so she didn't know whether or not he had a heart condition. If he did, then the level of stress he just faced could be fatal. She prayed for heavens that that wasn't the case.

She couldn't bare the thought that his kids, as adorable as they were would have to go live with Mellie. Although she was their mother, Liv wasn't comfortable with the idea of Karen and Keith living with her. From the background check they'd done, Liv learned that the nicest way she could describe Mellie was in one word: horrible. She couldn't bear the thought of her corrupting the innocent minds of the kids. Besides, she couldn't stand something happening to him before she had the chance to explore whatever it was that was between them. For once that she'd found someone to spark her interest, she wasn't ready or willing to let go if need be. But, she convinced herself that that wasn't occurring. The guys wasn't even 35, he'd just divorced his witch of a wife and hadn't even had time to enjoy it. He was gonna be okay. Hour had to be okay. He couldn't not be okay for that meant she wouldn't okay. That, she was sure of. He had been the only guy she found interested her in nearly a decade and even with that, the pull she felt towards him was stronger than anything she'd experienced in the past. So, he had to be okay, if he wasn't, she was sure that she would be done with dating. Think positively Liv, he's going to make it. He has to make it. With all he's been through, if he had a heart condition he'd be dead by now. Get it together and make sure that he does make it.

After a minute of Liv pouring cold water into Fitz's hair, damn, the way his hair was smooth, he started to stir. To say that Liv was relieved would be an understatement.

"Wha...What happened?" came Fitz's weak question.

"You fainted. When we told you about the kids. I think your shock was so great that you fainted." replied Liv.

Listening to Liv tell him what happened seemed to trigger his memory. And, he looked pained. Liv seemed to notice.

"Huck, help me to get him sited against the wall."

Fitz started to stand up by himself but felt dizzy.

Huck did as he was told. And then brought the glass of water he'd gotten before knowing well that Fitz would need to re-hydrate himself. Once Fitz was securely sited against the wall, Liv spoke to him again.

"Could you give us the room? I think there might be a trick or two you can show the kids. You might even help Keith improve his skills so that he might stand a chance of beating me at that rematch." She said jokingly. But Huck saw what she was doing. She wanted to be the one to tell Fitz the whole truth.

Seeing his initial reaction, she thought that it might be better if she was the one to explain herself. She knew it would be a hard pill to swallow, and although she was scared to death about how he might react, she decided that it would be better coming from her seeing as how they had established a sort of friendship. Huck understood that, and he silently exited the room.

As Huck exited the room, Liv took a deep breath, ready to face the music.

Somewhere around Santa Barbara

"Boss, I'm done with my research." he paused a little. "I think it might be time to call in a code blue. Your whole family should be made aware of this information. It might explain a lot." he said nervously.

"If we need to calling in a code. Call in the code for Saturday. I want everyone at the cabin at 1. No kids allowed." he took a sip of his scotch. "So, what's so bad that I had to summon everyone?"

He cleared his throat.

"I think it would be better to call in the code now. Because, Fitz doesn't really have any claim on them, I mean the kids."

The other man stopped what he was doing and instantly became agitated.

"What do you mean he doesn't have any claim on them? They're his children for God's sake."

He begun to fidget with his fingers. "Uhm... " he cleared his throat "he doesn't have any kind of claim on them as they are not his children."

"What? I'm going to kill that bitch." the only sound that was the heard was the sound of the scotch glass shattering against the wall.

Back at the ranch

Fitz saw the nervousness on Liv's face. It must be bad if she's fidgeting her fingers like this, while trying to come up with the best way to deliver the news.

"Liv, just out with it. It can't be nearly as bad as you're anticipating it to be. You're making me nervous."

She took a deep breath. "So, like Huck was telling you, in our background check of Mellie, we found out that the kids couldn't possibly be yours - I'm very sorry for that by the way. We went to a chase of the father.

We couldn't find anything suspicious after you'd caught her making out with Mike Edwards at Jennifer's farewell party. She had at the time stopped their affair and only hung out with either you, Andrew or his brother Robert.

So, since the kids couldn't be yours as you couldn't be the father as the kids were conceived when you were in Geneva for your summer internship at the UN. It had to be either Andrew or Robert who fathered Karen and Keith."

She paused to give him time to register the information she'd just shared. The sat silent for a little while. Their silence was interrupted by Fitz's soft murmur.

"God, not Andrew, please let it not be Andrew." he whispered in the air.

"That's also what I thought 'cause, from what you told me, he's too much of a good friend and would never do this to you. But, I needed to be certain in order not to give you false hope.

Turns out, contrary to what you were told, no cousin with anomalous trichromacy (a type of color blindness) in Mellie's family. She doesn't even have a cousin for the matter. But she is a gene carrier for that deficiency.

On the Robert has the disease. And the only way for both kids to have the disease is if both parents are carrier of the gene since it is a hereditary disease. And with Andrew not being a carrier of the gene when Mellie is it can only mean..."

"Robert is their father!" he cut her off putting 2 and 2 together. They sat there in silence with neither of them knowing what to say. Finally, Liv spoke up "I'm sorry." she said in a soft voice placing her hand on his knee.

Fitz looked up at her. From the look on his face she could see that he was lost and he looked like he was about to cry. She on the other hand didn't know what to do. What should she say? Just then, Fitz seemed to realize that Liv's hand on his knee. He immediately grabbed it and held it for dear life. Liv didn't comment, she knew he needed someone to be there for him; and, deep down, she wanted to be that someone.

After about 2 minutes of the just sitting and Fitz holding her hand, he decided to speak. "Does he know?" he asked so quietly that she almost missed it.

"From what we gathered, he doesn't know. Before you came back, the pair had a major fallout. He wanted them to come clean about the affair and get a divorce. She didn't accept saying he had nothing they could stand on.

He begged her saying that he had been offered a job and would be able to sustain them financially. But, she still refused. He broke things off with her and left Cambridge never to come back. That was the 3rd time they'd broken up during the length of their affair.

When you went back to California, they were meant to bump into each other again. After she begged him, they resumed their relationship. She'd told him you were on the verge of a divorce but had to wait until you were elected to tell the public and he believed her.

After you were elected, he proposed and she said yes. I think that was the time your security detail told you about, when he couldn't make up the guy's face. After months of waiting he started pushing her into going public. She'd told him you weren't willing to pay child support if she left before your first term at least.

He offered to take care of the kids as his own and she refused giving him for excuse that you should man up and take care of your responsibilities. After almost a year of pushing, he broke things off with her and moved to Chicago."

He sat there, thinking. After what seemed like forever, he managed to speak up, his voice thick with emotion. "I think we should tell him." he said. "But make sure we are prepared in case he wants full custody of the kids. I don't think I would be able to survive if they were taken away from me." he was on the verge of tears.

"Damn the DNA, they're your kids no matter what. You were there for every single major event in their lives. Nothing and no one can take that away from you. You were the one that held them as they cried at night, you were there reading to them as they were sick, and you went to every single parent-teacher meeting or school event. You are their father no matter what. Even if the court might decide otherwise." she told him.

She knew it would be hard to nearly impossible to ensure that he kept custody of the kids mostly since he wasn't related to them. But, she would do her best to make sure that he got to keep them or at least had shared custody.

He smiled a little and looked into her eyes. "Just promise me something."

"You know I don't make promises." — That was also one of the things they'd talked about in the past weeks.

"Just this once, make an exception," she nodded and he continued "Promise me that no matter what happens, I'll get to see my kids."

Without a second thought, she replied "I promise." she had already vowed to herself that she'd do everything in her power to make sure that he got to see his kids. They sat there silent for a while before Liv decided that he'd had enough time to digest everything and it was now time to tackle the issue that was MELLIE.

"Now, what do you want to do about Mellie?" Liv asked after straightening her back. This was going to get ugly.

Saturday, Somewhere around Santa Barbara: Grant Code Bunker

Big Gerry waited for everyone to be settled before making his entrance with a special guest to this family extraordinary gathering. As he entered, he could see that everyone present was anxious of the reason behind the calling of this code. It was only to be used in case of great emergencies. And for Big Gerry to call it, it had to be something huge and concerning Fitz as he wasn't present and they were told not to tell him.

As soon as he entered, all eyes were on him and the unknown stranger. "All right everyone, let's get right to business. You all know that for this code to be called, our family must be under great threat. And in this case, that threat is the reason why Fitz is not here today."

Just as he finished his sentence, the room erupted in loud murmurs from all over the room. There was no way Fitz could be a threat to his family. So, if it wasn't him, it had to be someone closely related to him. So in other words...

"Silence!" he had to yell in order to get everyone's attention. Once everyone was quiet again, he continued. "First of all, to put your mind at ease, Fitz is in no way the threat we are now facing. However, this is a personal matter that can't evolve him in anyway if we are to take the course if action I was thinking of taking.

Now, back to the threat. I think that Fitz's sudden divorce came as a shock to every single one of us. It turns out, his decision wasn't in no way rash rather a way for him to protect his family and in this essence his kids even if he didn't know if at the time.

However, before I continue, I have to remind you all that whatever is said between these walls doesn't get to go out. You can't even tell your siblings or kids upstairs about what is said here today. This is a sensible matter that's why even the teenagers who are normally supposed to be privy to these sorts of meetings aren't here today."

He paused and opened a folder. He took out a picture that he stuck at the board behind him. "The one threat to this family is none other than Millicent Anne Lancaster." He said pointing at the picture. No one seemed surprised at that. They just looked at him expectantly.

They all needed to know what she'd done this time. No one seemed to doubt that she was guilty of whatever Big Gerry was accusing her of doing and seemed all ready to make her pay for it more so that it seemed to include Fitz. Besides, it's not as though Mellie was very popular among the family. Contrary, If they were to do a list of the wife most hated by her in-laws, Mellie would have made the top 10.

Even if everyone was thinking the same thing, only Frank Lauder the IV, one of the youngest members present; at barely 23 years old, was the one to speak up. "What has she done this time?" he asked irritated. Of the younger generation, he liked Fitz the most; he was his role model in addition to being his godfather.

Frank could never understand how on earth his favorite uncle came to marry such a horrible woman. He always thought that his kind-hearted uncle deserved more than the cold-hearted woman he called a wife.

Besides, he was irritated because of her he once again. This had to be the fourth time since school started that there had to be a family meeting because of something that Mellie said or did since the beginning of his freshman year at Harvard Law School. It seemed as though Mellie always messed up and if was the family's role to clean up 'cause they cared about Fitz and it would be affecting their reputation negatively.

Frankly, he was beginning to be fed up to being called for a meeting that he must attend in the middle of other programs when he couldn't tell anyone, not even his girlfriend who had begun to call him on it.

But, that wasn't the only reason that he was fed up with Mellie, since his godfather had married her, he seemed miserable and they didn't have their special time, just the two of them, where. Fitz would talk to him about subjects he knew his father was reluctant to breach.

Finally, he wanted to get rid of Mellie once and for all. It seemed as though when Mellie married into the family, she destroyed their bond. Everything changed once she came. The family vacations became awkward.

And, Fitz seemed to realize that and started skipping them so he could make everyone else comfortable during family time. Although the others didn't catch up on that, be did. For the rest of the family, it seemed as though he was preferring Mellie to his family when in reality he was giving up one of the few occasions be got to be happy with his family so that everyone else would be happy.

But, as he got older, he could see how Fitz's decision was impacting everyone else lives. If had made the relationships between Fitz and the rest of the family strained. But the relationship between Fitz and his parents, mostly his father, was the one to suffer the most.

Even though everyone seemed oblivious to it, if was also taking a toll on Fitz. He could see the pained look in his eyes as he dropped the kids for the summer knowing that he couldn't be with his family because of Mellie.

Frank had finally been Happy when, whole in an internship in San Francisco, he saw on the news that Fitz had finally divorced Mellie. But, he had found it weird that his uncle would divorce his wife on such a whim got because he remembered specifically asking Fitz why he didn't divorce her as he was so unhappy and the answer he got was that at that moment his own happiness couldn't come before his kids'. It all seemed to come into place when a call from his mother the precious day.

The slap that the family relationships suffered since Mellie joined was one of the main reasons she was despised by all in the Grant-Ford-Lauder clan.

Finally Big Gerry answered. "It seemed as though our dearly beloved Mellie went over board this time. And, in light of the information I have today, I think Fitz went way too easy on her. Let Max here lighten you on this matter." he said as he called him.

A tall man that looked as though he had been in the military of was once a pro athlete came through the door carrying a laptop. Once he had his computer on the table he started projecting.

"Getting this information was hard but took less time than looking for it myself. Fitz's campaign fixer has an IT, who I must say is good, who she told to do a full background check on Mellie. He had been doing it from the day Fitz filled.

When Fitz filled for divorce, he had no results of the background check whatsoever. So, whatever he told you about the motivations for the divorce, it's true.

However, the settlement he'd proposed changes once he'd been told the first part of the results of that background check. I will provide you all with a copy of the two settlements.

The first part of the background check showed that Mellie was really pregnant when the two of them got married. However, she didn't miscarry, she had an abortion and paid good money to the clinic to make it disappear in the records. I don't know how that guy did it but, he found her full medical record. My hack was discovered before I could get all the information so, I still don't know the reason behind it." He paused to show the information and let everyone absorb everything in before continuing.

"The second part was only complete the day after Fitz called you all at his house. This is the part that will anger you all. The twins weren't born premature that's why they were allowed to go home early.

If they weren't premature, that means that they were conceived at an earlier date that the initial one they thought by at least 2 weeks. However, Fitz was in Switzerland until the day the twins were supposedly conceived.

In other words, there is no way, medically speaking, Fitz is the twins' father." The only sound that could be heard after that was gasps from every single person in the room aside from Big Gerry, Max and the unknown stranger.

Once everyone recovered, Max continued. "There was more that I wasn't able to gather. However, it seems as though money is mysteriously disappearing from the kids' trust found, the one Fitz set up not the family's. I'll continue looking into it but if seems as though Mellie is behind it." He then excused himself and exited. What was to come was a family moment and he didn't want to be caught in it. However, knowing this family, Mellie better pray to whatever God she believes in 'cause they aren't people to mess with.

Once Max was gone, Big Gerry chose to speak. "You then see why you were all brought here today. I think that you all agree with me that she needs to pay and be taught a lesson." he looked at the room as everyone nodded.

"So, this is where you come in [he said taping the stranger's back). This is what I propose we all do..." he then proceed to revealing his plan, "... do we agree?" he heard an enthusiastic 'yes' from everyone aside from Frank.

"Actually..." All heads turned to him "... I think we could do more than that. In addition to doing what you proposed, I think we should also..." he then presented his plan. He thought that that devil if a woman deserved worse than what his grand uncle was proposing. He was determined to humiliate her to a point where she'd be ashamed to show her face in public.

Once he was done, he looked at everyone trying to see their reaction. "That boy is brilliant." came the booming voice of John Ford. "Come here so that I can kiss you "

After the embarrassing moment for Frank but funny for the others, Fitzgerald Grant I, who had been quiet the whole time decided to speak. "So, it's decided? That's what we're going to do?" There was a collective determined 'yes'.

"Let's show this bitch that she messed with the wrong family." said Patrick Ford, the youngest member present at 18 years old. That made him receive a smack at the head from his mother.

"Mom!?" he complained.

"Language young man, I raised you better than that." Michelle Ford replied.

"Sorry." he said sheepishly. "I was right thought."

AN: So, what do you think for the come back? did I disappoint?

- What do you think is going to happen? What do you want to happen?

- Do you have any questions you wish Fitz to answer during the interview?

- Were you surprised that Andrew wasn't the father? Don't worry, I have something special planed for him!

- What do you want to happen with the 'talk' between Fitz and Cy?

- Any ideas are welcome and will be taken into consideration if they do not change the whole story and how I want it to go.

All the best,

Ghissie