So the Senate has decided to investigate the President's relationship with Liv, potentially leading to impeachment. Cyrus is glued to the tv with cheeses, wine, and brownies, despite Michael's attempt to get him to turn the tv off and get off the couch. David explains to Fitz that impeachable action is whatever the Senate decides it is, and he reminds Fitz that discussing the investigation with Liv could lead to time in prison (you know perjury, obstruction of justice, and all that jazz). He then advises the President to hire an attorney, as David is the country's attorney, not the President's. Abby asks David who he would use if he was the President, and he suggests Patty Snell.
Patty Snell comes in and sends Abby to the briefing room to declare the President will be completely cooperating. She then calls Elizabeth a joke, tells her to stop talking about executive privilege, and has the White House send all of their files to the Senate for their investigation. Clearly in an attempt to give them too much to go through. While looking at all the files they received, and waiting on more, Senators Gibson and Moskowitz inform Mellie she can't stay on the committee since she's divorcing the President, a clear conflict of interest. A disappointed Mellie goes to Cyrus, and by the look on her face he could tell she was removed from the investigation committee. So he invites her to join him on the couch to watch everything unfold. He even apologizes to Mellie, because it was he who brought Liv onto the campaign in the first place.
Back at OPA, Liv has hired Leo to help her during the investigation. He says they should go with the doe-eyed teenage love story, but Liv disagrees and ends up opting to go with Quinn's idea for the everywoman Liv story line. So Leo tries to go with it, having Liv reach out to Senator Edison (her former fiancee) to do an interview where he would attest to her moral character. And he sent Quinn to go buy her some clothes you can get at a mall. When Liv approaches Senator Edison, he reminds her of how bad Liv treated him when he asked if she was having an affair with the President, quoting the title from episode 11 of season 2, "A Criminal, a Whore, an Idiot, and a Liar". Liv thought he was calling her those things, which he was, but he pointed out those were the things she said to him when he asked if she was sleeping with Fitz. He then demanded she be honest with him about whether she ever loved him, in exchange for him lying for her on tv. I guess she told him the truth, because he goes on tv and says those who know Liv know she has a high moral character. Liv and Fitz are watching it together, thinking everything is all good. But Liv broke one of her own number one rules. She didn't tell Leo the whole truth. She neglected to tell him about the heirloom diamond ring Fitz gave her, despite him having asked if Fitz had given her anything. It was Mellie who told Senators Gibson and Moskowitz about the ring, and they then leaked it to the media! So Liv was forced to go with Leo's original plan, the doe-eyed teenage love interview. But prior to doing the interview she goes to speak to Jake, where she ends up meeting his wife. Slightly awkward, well actually pretty awkward though everyone played it cool, especially when his wife kisses him as she leaves to give them time to talk. Then Jake and Liv discuss her being scared of being forever tied to the White House and Fitz. Then he advises she tell her truth, how she really feels about Fitz. During the interview, she essentially says she wishes she had never met Fitz so they wouldn't have fallen in love and all of this wouldn't be happening.
Meanwhile, Senators Gibson and Moskowitz picked up Marcus, who's only worked for Liv all of two days, and ask him (well actually threaten him with digging up his and his family pasts and using it against them) to be their spy at OPA. For a moment it seemed like he decided to do it, but we learn he only pretended to spy for them. When he met with them in Senator Moskowitz' office he took a pic of documents they were reviewing...not just any documents...documents related to Fitz' conversations with the CIA in relation to Liv's kidnapping and the war in west Angola. Liv immediately goes to David to see what he knows, and he confirms they found the file. So Liv goes to Fitz and fakes a love scene to tell him what they've found. Seeing as they could get away with it if there's no proof that Fitz watched the tape, Fitz has to make a game-changing decision.
With Liv pointing out Cyrus knows Fitz watched the tape, and Liv and Fitz agreeing he would tell, Fitz decides to ask Cyrus to come back to work for the White House. Cyrus goes on this spill about how well he knows Fitz by giving obscure examples of things he remembered from previous campaigns. And then he tells Fitz he doesn't need him and the White House, noting Fitz knows nothing about Cyrus, including his mother's name. Well Fitz shares his own memories, including about Cyrus' mother. So Cyrus has a change of heart, but he required Fitz to make him Chief of Staff and to permanently fire Elizabeth North. Cy's back!