Bellie was packing for her weekend at Mellie's when Gerry found her. He could tell from her movements that she was in deep thought as though she was mentally preparing herself for what was to come. She knew of the stories that Teddy told her, and she vaguely remembered that Thanksgiving she spent with them when she was younger. Her exposure to Mellie had been minimal since.

Hey Kid," Bellie looked up and smiled at her brother.

"Hey yourself. Why are you not at the house? You slacking off again?" she teased knowing he spent most of his time ripping out walls in their new home.

"I thought I'd take a little break,"

"You're so full of it. Who told? Mom or Dad?" Gerry grinned.

"Dad slipped and then Mom filled in the gaps. Boo, you sure about this?" he asked.

"It's not fair to him Ger, if my going makes it less sucky for him then I'm willing to do it."

"Then we will all do it." Gerry replied definitively

"What?" Bellie stated confused.

"I spoke to our Mom. I said we would all go, but only to her event. No sleepover, for you or for Teddy. It's not fair that you would take one for all of us. We're her kids. The responsibility should be more ours than yours. I love you, and I love that you want to protect him, but that shouldn't be on you alone. We're all in this together."

When Gerry had found out what Bellie had thrown herself into in the name of solidarity he had called Karen and they had both agreed to get Teddy out of his predicament. With everything that he was already going through, they didn't think it was fair for him to be subjected to their mother's manipulation. Mellie reluctantly agreed to Gerry's terms when he called to tell her. It would be the first appearance that her eldest children have ever agreed to. She couldn't even remember a time she had been with them for a significant period of time since the divorce. She knew the distance between them was her own doing, and as much as she regretted it, she found that it was easier to undo her mistakes with her new family, her youngest daughter. She always felt their suspicion of her and her motives. When Fitz had told her that Bellie would be joining Teddy at his request, she had thought about protesting, but Fitz made it clear that they were a packaged deal and it was Teddy's terms that his sister go or he doesn't at all. Mellie had nothing against Isobel Pope Grant, but she was a spitting image of her mother whilst embracing a lot of her Dad's qualities that made her undeniably a Grant. Conceived while Mellie was still married to her father. It still stung a little. She may have moved on, but there will always be a part of her that would feel the betrayal and the sense of not enough the moment Olivia Carolyn Pope had walked into the room.

"Ger, are you sure? I'll be okay. We'll be okay."

"Yeah Boo, Karen and I have been lucky. We have always exercised our right to choose. We chose to be with you and Mom instead of with our biological mother. We had an almost normal childhood as a result of it. Teddy never had that. He is finally getting a taste of normalcy and with everything that's going on with him at the moment. He doesn't need this too, especially if he doesn't want to go."

"Seeing her with your new sister makes him feel bad Ger." She decoded. Gerry sighed and sat down on Bellie's bed.

"I figured as much." Bellie placed her laptop in her backpack and sat beside him,

"I know how that feels Ger. Well certainly not in that same degree but I get it."

"Boo," he said glancing over at her as she played with the rip of her jeans,

"When we first got here, it felt like Mom became Teddy's Mom overnight, whilst I understood that she didn't love me any less. I felt as though I wasn't enough, that she wasn't truly happy till she and Dad finally got together, and being here, she finally got the family she always wanted."

"You know that's not true right?" he asked horrified.

"Yeah Ger, Mom and I have had that talk. The difference is Ger Mom has fought hard since then to make me believe without a shadow of doubt, that I was enough, that with or without Dad, we were enough. She knew me, so she knew when it wasn't sitting right with me. She loved me enough to know I needed her to fight for me, and fight for me she did. I know how lucky I am Ger. He doesn't have that same faith in your Mom."

"Millicent Holden is no Olivia Pope Grant. She would never have picked up on the signals, and even if she did, she would never have done anything about it." Bellie placed her head on his shoulder,

"Which is why I couldn't let him go on his own Ger."

"You're pretty awesome Isobel Pope Grant." He said dropping his lips to her temple. Bellie merely shrugged in response.

"I guess you're pretty okay too." Gerry chuckled.

Liv found them in that same position minutes later. By then their topic had shifted to painting the nursery walls. They were debating over colour and Bellie was on Amy's side opting for a light purple while Gerry was leaning towards a minty green that they weren't totally opposed to but fell second to their preference of purple.

"Tell him your idea Bellie," Liv said as she entered the room smiling at the sight of them.

"What was your idea?"

"I was going to tell Amy first," Bellie answered poking her tongue out at him mockingly.

"Is that right?" he taunted getting ready to tickle her mercilessly.

"No, no I take it back. Please don't." she pleaded knowing that once he got started there was no stopping him,

"So, your idea?" he repeated making her roll her eyes at him.

"I thought maybe alternating stripes between the two colours, or paint the one colour and have random shaped bubbles in the other. Two incorporate both of your colour choices."

"Boo, that's a great idea. Amy would love it." Bellie beamed,

"I keep telling you I'm brilliant."

"And modest," he quipped as she stood to her feet. Bellie grinned and took out her laptop from her backpack now that she wasn't going to stay over at Mellie's.

"Did you tell Mom?" she asked pointedly.

"Yes, he did. I feel remarkably better knowing that both Gerry and Karen will be with you and Teddy." Olivia answered

"Me too." She admitted sheepishly.

"I got your back Kid, always." Gerry promised as he got up to pick up Amy from work. As he passed Liv by the door he dropped a kiss on her cheek,

"Yours too."

"Ditto Sport." Liv replied lovingly.