A/N

I want to thank my beta Kate.

She gave me a reason to believe in myself again.

How did she get here? It wasn't that long ago that she was teaching at UVA. She was happy living on the farm, spending time with the horses and just being a family with her husband and kids. Her life was simple, then Conrad Dalton showed up at her door. One of her oldest friends and President of the United States sat at her table telling her he wanted her as Secretary of State. He told her they could affect real change in the world.

How had she gone from that to standing in the oval office taking the oath for President? She felt like she was in a fog. She had been called to the Situation room where she learned they had lost all communication with Air Force One. How could that be? How could this have possibly happened? She heard Decapitation Strike Scenario and line of succession. Were they really doing this? It seemed liked in no time they were in an office waiting for Senator Gates to arrive. Adding to the stress was the fact the Senator Gates had no idea who the current President was. She couldn't believe what was happening. Once she heard them say incompetent to take the oath for President she knew what that meant. She was next. She couldn't be President. She had come to Washington to serve the President not be the President. She heard Russell say they had to go to the next in line and she suddenly found herself standing across from the Chief Justice, her left hand on the Bible repeating the oath of office for President.

Standing in the oval office as President was more then she could comprehend. Russell told her not to get comfortable, that she was just warming the seat. No fear of that. She couldn't even bring herself to sit in the president's chair. The looks on her staffs face as they entered the oval office would forever be etched in her memory. Matt and Daisy had called her Madam President. No, she couldn't handle that. She told them not to use those words and Daisy asked if the president was dead. Conrad Dalton was an old friend and she couldn't imagine what it would mean if he died. She just had to get through this until Conrad was back and could take over his post. Russell telling her that her first act as President could be shooting down Air Force One didn't help. She couldn't do that. Shoot down Conrad's plane. She walked into the sit room and instantly knew the image on the screen would haunt her the rest of her life. Air Force One had crashed into the Pacific Ocean. Elizabeth collapsed in the nearest chair. Russell turned to see the normally put together Elizabeth McCord sat pale faced with tears running down her face. Elizabeth could hear people talking but she couldn't make out what they were saying. She faintly heard someone say that no one could possibly survive that crash, that rescue and recovery teams were being sent in. Everyone in the room was concerned about a global panic. Now all eyes were on her and those two words hit her like a ton of bricks. Madam President. There was no acting now. Elizabeth McCord had just become President of the United States