[Maxwell Lord] "It is my great honour, on behalf of the United States Congress, to declare Catherine Grant of National City, our first female President of the United States."
- Applause -
[Catherine Grant] "First of all I wish to thank each and every person who participated in this election, your support is overwhelming and the value of your faith in me has not gone unnoticed. Navigating my role as a woman and as a Head of State is of great importance to me and I fully intend to uphold the promises I offered to you with great sincerity during my election campaign. Today we move forward as a Nation. Today we move forward in the belief that we will be better, we ARE better than the fears and mistakes of our past, and we will rise above the injustices and bigotry that have shamed this government in years before. I will push us forward, and we will be the better for it.
Thank you."
"Wait just a second" Alex gasped, turning to Kara with half a slice of pizza still in her hand "you mean to tell me you're the actual President Grant's new bodyguard?"
"No Alex," Kara laughed, "I'm her 'body woman.' It's like her personal assistant. I basically just follow her around and get coffee for her I think."
"You don't think it's a little high profile for your secret identity?"
"I forget that even you don't know some of the ridiculous alter egos people can get away with," Kara said to Alex with a wink, thinking back to the time she met Oliver Queen on a business trip and he'd accidentally downed her 'heat-ray-hot' coffee without blinking. They had danced around that topic for all of thirty seconds before they both stared wide-eyed at each other, figuring out who their more renowned super alter egos were. "I'm pretty confident that the President's Assistant is within an acceptable level of spotlight. Plus, I doubt anyone is actually going to remember who I am anyway, I'll be in the background most of the time."
"It's so weird that you'll actually be working for her, after she named 'Supergirl' and everything. How did you even get the job? Have you met her yet?"
"No, not yet. I'll meet her tomorrow I think actually. I got interviewed a bunch of times by some other assistants and then by her Chief of Staff, Lucy Lane. Apparently Lucy thought I was good enough because I got the call from her the afternoon after I went in."
"Tomorrow? Oh my gosh you have to tell me everything! My baby sister working for the President of the United States. I voted for her, you know."
"Are you a bit of a fan-girl Alex, I never pegged you for having a politician fetish," Kara waggled her eyebrows at Alex and squeaked when the other girl launched herself into Kara, the two of them descending into a fit of giggles."
"You are excited though, right?" Alex asked.
"Um, Alex, are you kidding me? Of course I'm excited. I'm probably going to wet my pants though, I'm so nervous already."
"Oh please, Kara, you'll be fine. You're literally Supergirl, stop being so dramatic."
With all her work for the DEO, Kara wasn't actually sure she could handle taking a job like this on full time, but not having a life outside her sister and her job as Supergirl was taking its toll and this was an opportunity of a lifetime, alien or not, she wasn't going to let it slip away without even trying.
Making her way through the White House with her newly issued security clearance, she followed the person sent to escort her to Lucy' office and tried not to look too much like a wide-eyed school girl on a visit but more like the sort of person who may be employed by the President.
"Ah, Kara, you're here! Perfect." Lucy said once she had successfully found her way up to the office of the Chief of Staff. "Just give me a second and you'll be able to go in and meet President Grant."
Lucy disappeared through a door hidden in the side of her office and re-appeared with a smile. Follow me, Kara, we'll go in the front. Get the whole 'Oval Office Experience,' you've got to do it at least once. I hope you're ready. Pushing open the door, Lucy ushered her inside and shut herself out, leaving Kara face to face with the President.
"Kara? Was it? I'm President Grant, it's lovely to meet you."
"Kara!"
Kara heard the yell come from inside the oval office for what must have been the thirtieth time that day. The novelty, despite it being only her second week in the White House, was definitely starting to wear off.
"Yes, President Grant," Kara said, rushing into the oval office and pausing in front of the desk. She had heard in her induction that the desk actually had a name. 'Insistent' or something, but she was still desperately trying to catch-up on all the lingo that she couldn't know for sure.
"First of all, I need you to tell James Olsen to stop referring to the former Prime Minister of Australia as a 'lizard man.' He's gone and got it stuck in my head and I would like to think I am a professional enough person to overcome that but here I am, twenty minutes out with a scheduled meeting with him and I feel as though at any moment James' spirit will possess me and "lizard man" will fly out of my open mouth and wave goodbye to me as I am instantly crucified by the media."
"Yes, President Grant," Kara responded, holding in what she hoped would not turn into a laugh. Since beginning work she had begun to realise that the President was by no means unreachable. Moments like these reminded Kara of the President's sense of humour, however dry it may be delivered, and served to express just how human she was behind her new role as the leader of the free world. She also had an inkling that the little smile she would have shared with Lucy at a comment like this, had she been there, was a peace offering; and a reminder that while she had to be strong and harsh, critical sometimes to the point of blatant cruelty, she still valued Lucy, and all her staff as her friends. That she hadn't forgotten who she was.
"Second of all, could you please enlighten me as to why on earth the plaque on your desk reads: 'Kiera?' I walk past it hundreds of times in a single day, and unless I am very much mistaken your name is Kara is it not?"
"No, no it is, President Grant, it's just," Kara stammered, "I don't think the man who I went to see about getting it made up could hear me very well when I went down, and it arrived a couple of days ago and every time I see him he smiles all big and says," Kara puts on a voice, ""nice to see you again Kiera," and I don't have the heart to tell him it's Kara after he already made the plaque. I think maybe I was the first person he had ordered one for, he seemed so excited."
"Uh huh." Cat said. "You are aware that you work for the most important person in the White House and that other people calling you the wrong name as if you're some inconsequential and disposable female assistant is entirely inappropriate, yes?"
"Yes." Kara wasn't sure where this was going but it wouldn't have mattered because this was the longest non-work related conversation she had ever had with the President and did she maybe just compliment her? The President of the United States had something complimentary to say about her? She was too shocked to say much else.
"Well," Cat paused, "Kiera… please let me know when you've gotten in touch with James about the lizard man, and let Kerry down in admin know about the plaque."
Kara couldn't quite believe what was happening, because then, after the President had finished speaking, she had winked at Kara. WINKED. As though this was somehow some hilarious inside joke they now had between the two of them. She exited the office and slumped down into her ergonomic desk chair (a difficult feat given how particular the chair was, the President was bizarrely passionate about the importance of good posture apparently), and let herself have just a moment of embarrassed delight at the prospect of getting along well enough on a personal level with the President of the United States that they could have inside jokes, before getting on with the frankly outrageous amount of work she had left to do.
