Hello All its been a very long time . . . between life and my inability to login to my original account (Lunaming1), its been months since I updated my story (Bittersweet). I hope fans of the story find this chapter worth the wait and new readers will begin with my story (Bittersweet) Chapter 1 - 17 before reading this one. As always don't owe Scandal, just love the show. Happy Reading. LM1

Four months later….

I balance my one year old, Lily on my hip and quickly pulled my luggage bag onto the Pope and Associate elevator.

As I stand there, I think to myself, "what could be going on?".

I shake my head and repays Huck's voice message over and over. "Olivia you are are needed in the office immediately"

I have been away from the office for three weeks visiting my mother in Florida, and the office ran like a well-oiled machine. The day I land at BWI airport, there suddenly emergency, "Could this involve a huge scandal….maybe with Fitz."

My thoughts are interrupted when the door of the elevator opens.

Lily smiled and clapped her hand at the sound of the bell and the doors suddenly opening.

I walked out of the elevator and Stephen suddenly appears, "Libby great, your here, come on your needed in the main meeting room."

I quickly walked into the conference room and I was surprised at what I saw. The room was filled with Happy Birthday balloons, there are streams hanging from the walls, gifts covering the table and little mini cupcakes with whip cream lilies on the top of them.

I looked shock, "what's going on guys?"

Abby immediately took Lily from me and hugs her, "we are giving Lily another first birthday, since we were unable to attend the first one in Florida."

Harrison put a red and white birthday hat on her head, which she attempted to pull off.

Abby placed her in her special birthday "throne".

I bit my lip. "I'm sorry . . . I didn't know you guys would want to go to a one year old party and travel all the way to Florida for it."

Stephen shook his head "of course we would want to be there, Lily has become family to us."

Harrison nodded, "yeah she is an Pope and Associate member." He smiled and waved at her. Huck nodded in agreeing, "yup family" He cracked a smile, a rare instance for him.

Tear nearly filled my eyes, until this touching moment is interrupted with Lily taking a hand full of cream off a cupcake and smack it in her face with a huge smile.

She muttered "cake!"

Meanwhile in the Yellow Oval Room of the White House…

Fitz stood staring at a painting from the Adams Administration in the Yellow Oval Room.

A camera crew is setting up equipment in the well decorated room, the paint on the walls of the room being a mixture of yellows, peaches, whites, and browns.

He knew he agreed to go along with this scam, but a part of him wanted to give it all up for a regular life he dreamed of with Olivia. However, a part of him still had a thirst for power and he knew walking away would mean, losing his presidency, shaming his family name, Millie divorcing him, and the media portraying him as a quitter and failure. Despite his love for Olivia, he was not certain he could give everything up for her.

A White House assistant bought in a vase filled of lilacs and lilies.

The sweet smell of the flowers filled the room, it reminded him of Olivia. Everything reminded him of Olivia, these last few months he tried his hardest to hate, and to kick her out of my heart, but something always reminds him how much he loves her. Even the simple smell of lilies, takes him to a place where he yawns for her.

This moment of peace is short-lived as Mellie entered the room. Her entrance suddenly made the once warm and inviting room cold.

She comes over to fix his tie, "must look picture perfect for our big announcement about America's baby."

She rubbed her developed baby bump.

Fitz rolled my eyes, "I just want to get this over, so I can go back to running this country."

He moved away from her hands on his tie and adjust it himself.

She raised an eyebrow, "My dear husband this baby has done wonders for your approval rating and helped you do your job earlier, so I would appreciate some gratuity"

His face becomes tensed, "Mellie can I please speak to you in private."

He paused for a second and push out the word "Honey."

He walked out to a side den and she followed him.

He shut the door behind them. "First of all my approval has nothing to do with this publicity stunt, I happen to have passed several domestic bills, took out a terrorist organization, and prevented the crash of the social security system, so do not delude yourself in thinking this stunt has anything to do with my approval.

She opens her mouth to speck and mutter "but"

He interrupt her, "Second, gratuity, that is rich coming from you, you are knocked up by another man and I'm supposed to be glad about it?"

He shook his head, as Mellie looked defeated having no come back to such bitter words.

Ever since the deal she, Cyrus, and Olivia cooked up, Fitz has changed, his become colder, and put up with less of Mellie mind games.

The two of them stood there in silence for a moment, before an assistant rushed inside ."There you two are, are ready for the interview?"

They both of them nodded and got fitted for body microphones on their respect outfits. They took their seats on the light yellow couch. The makeup assistant freshened Mellie's face, as another made sure Fitz hair was perfect.

The cameras were being adjusted as Susan Reed, a channel 6 news reporter, greeted both of them and took her seat. Susan Reed was the reporter they used when they first announce she was pregnant and the Amanda Tanner situation did not happen, so it was only fitting she would be the one who get the scoop about the sex of the baby.

Fitz puts on his presidential smile, as Mellie moved in close and held his hand. From the outside they appeared to be a very loving couple, but reality was deceiving.

The camera light flashed on and Susan Reed smiled, "Hello America, I'm here with President Fitzgerald Grant III and First Lady Mellie."

They both smiled, as Mellie spoke first, "it is an honor to share this special moment with you and all of America."

Fitz lovingly rubbed her stomach and agreed.

Susan Reed is handed an envelope from a random assistant and opens it. "So America's baby is a ….Boy."

Mellie face lite up, as tears filled her eyes.

Fitz a true politician smiled, "Boy…oh…Boy." he said in a joyous tone.

Susan turned to the cameras, "You heard it here America, the First Family is having a baby boy."

Fitz and Mellie smiled at each other, appearing to be whispering sweet nothing about their new baby boy.

As the camera cut, Fitz stood and shook Susan hand, "Great interview as always."

Mellie stood as well, "Thank you Ms. Reed."

They both exit and returned to the private residence.

Fitz turned when he knew they were alone, "Guess you should share the good news with the real father."

Mellie rolled her eyes, "you are not even the slightest bit happy about this?"

Fitz shook his head, "I'm happy you and Cyrus got the show you wanted, now I must get back to the Oval office . . . to do some real work."

Mellie shook her head, "you know . . . what I'm going to California to handle some official first lady business . . . so you don't have to sleep in the guess room."

Fitz shrugged "tell George I said hello and congratulations on the son"

On bench in a park not too far from the White House…

Cyrus sat reading a newspaper. He immediately stood and hugged me, when I approach him.

I smirked, "Someone has missed me since I been away from Washington D.C."

He laughed "Yes Liv, you're my sanity, between a moody pregnant Mellie and even more moody President, the conflict in the Middle East is a walk in the park." He joked.

I shook my head, as I sat on the bench next to Cyrus.

I thought to myself . . . how my relationship with Cyrus has somehow been mended since he declared war against me for my relationship for Fitz. A minding that was not an overnight sensation. It took a lot of apologizing on his part and understanding on mine. I realized since my exile from Fitz's life that Cyrus was not declaring war against me, but trying to protect Fitz. I was a liability, a scandal that would and could ruin his life, in retrospect I probably would do some very underhanded things if put in the same position. A part of me forgave him because he was just being Cyrus; loyal to Fitz to the end, but another part of me forgave him because he remains my only link to Fitz. Even though I made the decision to cook up this scheme to get rid of the Amanda Tanner scandal, my heart still breaks every day I don't see him, so talking to Cyrus keeps me sane and seeing Lily smile keeps me from collapsing.

My reflection is cut short, by Cyrus hands nervously rubbing together.

I smirked and reached into my bag and handed him a manila folder.

He swallowed and opened the file. The file contained a picture of a tan baby girl of three weeks with hazel eyes and a head full of curly hair. "Is this her?" A smile cracked across his face.

"Yes, this is her . . . a daughter for you and James, that is if you both still want her."

Cyrus nodded "My adoption process will be completely private right?"

He chuckled, "TMZ will not have a copy of my adoption form and contact the baby's biological parents."

I laugh to myself, "Cyrus you worry too much . . . and I'm good at my job, so this adoption is completely under the radar."

He nodded, "I'm not a shame of adopting this baby or anything, I just want privacy and for the child to have a normal life, it's a big reason why I been driving James crazy delaying doing this." I rub his shoulder softly, "I completely understand, but a baby is a big responsibility, they sleep little, cry a lot, and her diaper. . . "

I laughed "the smell can be toxic, can you handle that?"

He nodded, "Yes, I cannot wait and James will be over the moon, he has been threating to return to the press corp."

I shook my head, "yeah and that would be very dangerous for a President in the middle of multiple international conflicts, a economic recession, and deficit bill negotiations."

Cyrus nodded; "yeah . . . having my husband digging up trouble is the last thing I need, a happy house-husband makes Cyrus life a lot easier."

I laughed and showed him where I need him and James to sign on the forms.

He took out his brief case and hands me a small wrapped gift "It's for baby Lily's birthday."

I nodded, "you didn't have to do this Cy"

"No, I insist . . . and I must have you and her over when we get the baby"

I bit my lip, "you sure that is a wise idea?"

I paused, "with Fitz hating me and all . . . "

He grabbed my hand, "Fitz does not hate you, quite the opposite . . . I see you are truly the love of his life. He doesn't sleep Liv…"

"So I guess you don't think I'm a Lolita that seduced the President?" I joked, to lighting the mood.

"No your worse." He teased "You are the love he cannot have, so his a love sick puppy taking his anger out on poor little me."

I laughed throwing my head back, "You are so not a victim and you probably dish out as much as you receive from him."

Cyrus smirked, "To-shay"

Before I could say another word, Abby texted me that a case has turned for the worse and I'm need back at Pope and Associates immediately. I bided Cyrus farewell and we both went our separate ways.

Unbeknownst to us, a person took our picture randomly from the shadows.

Fitz sat in his large chair in the oval office. The frustration and stress of keeping up appearances was beginning to get to him. Before, it was easy to pretend to love Mellie and be a good husband, because he had Olivia. When he need to smile at Mellie, he pretended it was Olivia, when he need to hold her hand, it pretended it was Olivia, when he need to take her into his arms and kiss her . . . he pretended it was Olivia soft luscious lips. Now he does not have Olivia and all the pretending seems like nothing but emptiness.

He is about to login into his computer, when secret service man appeared in his doorway. It was not his normal service man Hal or John. "Mr. President I got new pictures of the target, she has returned to the city."

He placed a manila colored file into Fitz hands.

Fitz stood and shook his hand, "Thank you"

The secret service guy nodded, "I'm happy to be of service to you sir."

He turned and began to walk out the room.

Fitz settled back into the chair and opened the folder. He pulls out several dozen photos of Olivia. There was Olivia with her co-workers at Pope and Associates, and a few of Olivia with Cyrus sitting on a bench. The photos he stared at the longest, however, were the ones of her with Lily. He smiled and closed his eyes and began to daydream. . .

Lily ran towards him as fast as her little leg could take her and yelling "Dadda Dadda."

Fitz smiled bending down to get to her level and opening his arms wide as the little girl happily embraced him. Fitz lifted her up, and looked deeply into her grey eyes, that resembled his.

As Olivia ran into the room not a second later, "I'm sorry, she got away from me." Olivia leaned in to kiss Fitz.

Fitz wrapped his free arm around Olivia, and held Lily in the other, 'it's fine I always have time for my two ladies."

Lily smiled and giggled, "Dadda you late."

Fitz look confused as Olivia and Lily disappears.

As he looked up and sees his assistant standing in the doorway, "Sir I been calling you for the last ten minutes, you are going to be late for your Iraq briefing."

Fitz shook his head coming out of his daydream and nodded, "Oh I'm sorry Miranda my mind was somewhere else, I will be in the strategy room shortly."

Miranda nodded and leaves.

As Fitz looked down at the photo of Olivia and Lily bundled up leaving the airport.

He sighed, "If only…" he mutters to himself.

He gathered the photos, and placed them in a special draw full of manila fold with photos of Olivia. He knew it was wrong to spy on Olivia and capture such private moments. He could not help himself, these photos were all he had of her and they kept him sane. Little daydreams about him, Olivia, and Lily being a little family help him get up every morning and keep being the President of the United States.

He shrugged and sighed, as he leaves for his meeting.

Meanwhile at a penthouse near Stanford, California . . .

After a five hour flight on Air Force One, three public appearances, and a through secret service swiping, Mellie was finally able to embrace George.

His face lite up with a smile, as he wrapped his left arms around Mellie, and his right hand protective rubbed her stomach.

Mellie muttered, "I missed you."

He smiled, "I missed you to Mel"

They broke apart as Mellie's secret service body guard waited outside.

George helped, the now several months pregnant Mellie to his couch.

George owned a penthouse condo that over looked the beaches of Stanford, California.

Mellie eyed the recently obtained Professor of the Year award George recently won from Stanford University.

She smiled, "Congrats on the award huni!"

George muttered, "thank you . . . wish you could have been at the ceremony."

He obtain a bottle of water for his pregnant lover.

He hands it to her as happily drinks it.

"I guess I should be congratulating you and the President on your new baby boy." He sat next to her.

Mellie sighed, "The world may think this is Fitz's baby."

She placed her hand on her stomach, 'but . . . this is our son that is growing inside of me."

George nodded, "I understand….it's just."

He paused for a second, knowing what he is about to say will not please Mellie one bit. "Leave Fitz and come be with me . . . we can raise our son together."

Mellie is taken back by his request. George and Mellie haven had a relationship on and off for over several decades now, and in all the time they have been together he has never asked her to leave her husband.

She turned to look into his eyes, "Where is this coming from George, how things are . . . works for us."

He shook his head, "Mellie it has never worked for me, I have only gone along with this because I never believed I was good enough to be the man on your arm."

He takes her hand, "but everything is different now, I'm no long that nobody boy from North Dakota, who grow up with nothing and had nothing to offer." He paused looking at his newly acquired award, "I'm a man you can be proud of, I have B.A. from Harvard, a master from Yale, and a Ph'd from Oxford, I'm an tenured professor at Stanford University and I'm the leading professor in my field, you no longer have to be ashamed of me."

Mellie raised her hand to his cheek, "I have never been ashamed of you, even when you were a guy in my introduction to economic class at Harvard, who was foolish enough to wearing a blazer with converses."

She sighed, "Right now is not the right time for us to be together, Fitz is just in the middle of a very tough first term, a divorce would destroy him and my kids."

George nodded, "I understand you feel like you have to stay with him for the sake his presidency, but I'm tired of us having to sacrifice our happiness for a man you should not have married in the first place."

Mellie nodded, "I know I should have married you, but I did what I thought was best, you were not ready to settle down."

George pulled away, "So I guess you married the first guy that could give you what I could not huh….status."

Mellie shook her head upset George was saying these things to her, "It has never been about status for me, Fitz and I was a done deal before I even had a chance to fully get to know you." George looked at her coldly, 'but you did get to know me and you fell in love with me, yet you chose him."

"But George"

"No Mellie, I had to find out the sex of my baby from a freaking press conference Mel, that hurt, but what hurts more is you still do not think I'm good enough to be the man in your life.

Mellie muttered, "I do its just…"

George sighed, "I get it you have aspirations to have your own political career one day, that picture perfect future looks better with Fitzgerald Grant III on your arm, not George McGriffin from North Dakota.

George's phones rang and it's the university. "I have to take this…" He walk out of the room. Mellie rubbed her stomach softly, "little guy I love your father more than I have ever loved anyone, but some things I would never sacrifice for love."

Despite Mellie loving George more than any man she has ever known, deep down inside the thirst for power and status was stronger than any love she could ever possessive for another.

Around midnight at Shady Grove Psychiatry Hospital…

A nurse aid looked into the room for patient 5048. She nodded her head seeing the patient peacefully sleeping face down in his pillow, the standard blue hospital blanket covering most of the patient's body, other than his brown hair on his hand. "Billy Chambers accounted for," she muttered to herself as she checked a box on his chart.

She walked over to the next room.

At that same moment, a man dressed in a Shady Grove janitor uniform held his thumb out to hitch a ride from passing vehicles on a nearby highway.

About four cars and two trucks passed him with no hesitation.

A blue truck with Washington D.C. tags, however, slowed down and stoped where the man was standing.

The truck operator rolled down their window and a woman with long thick reddish hair and large rimmed glasses pops her head out. "Where are you heading?" The woman asked her voice slightly husky from smoking for several years.

The man smiled at her, his face covered by a thick beard but his blue eyes shined brightly. "You must be an angel." he says in his charming southern voice. "My car broke down as I was leaving work and I need a ride back to the District."

He flashed her an smile, "I'll be so every so blessed if you could help me in my time of need." The woman could not help but blush at this hitch hikers flirting with her. Given her large 6'2 and 200 pound frame and gun hidden under her seat, she was not threatened by the fragile hitch hiker pleading for her help.

So she nodded, "sure I can take you as far as New York Ave."

The man immediately walked over to the passenger side of the truck and climbed into the truck. The woman smiled, "I'm Joanne, but everyone calls me Jo"

She looked down and muttered, "Steven?" reading his name tag on his janitor shirt.

The man smiled, "I preferred to be called Billy." He extended his hand and shook hers.

She smiled feeling him slightly glaring into her thick glasses. She hears the car behind her beat, forcing her to come out of her daydream and pull her hand away. She pressed the gas and muttered "Off to Washington D.C."

The man smiled "Yes we are…."

Olivia and Lily are back, Cyrus is getting a baby, Fitz is depressed, Mellie's baby daddy is not happy and oh no . . . Billy Chambers is lose! Hope you enjoyed this chapter.