A/N

I want to dedicate this story to Kate!

Thank you for supporting me and pushing me to do something different.

Blake Moran was tired. It had been an eventful day to say the least. It started out like a typical day at the State Department. The delegation from the government of Iraq were expected to meet with the Secretary and then move on to the White House. Nothing ever went as planned though and consequently, due to a lockdown he had spent most of his day in a room with the Secretary's eldest daughter. She had opened up to him, but she seemed more distant after talking with her mom. Before she left Stevie had hugged him and said "You know we spend all this time wondering whether we're even good enough to be around her but what if we're better. Did you ever think about that?"

He hadn't ever thought about it. Whatever his boss had shared with her daughter must have been terrible to leave Stevie wondering about her mother's worth. He had just poured himself a drink when he heard a knock at his door. To his surprise Stephanie McCord stood on the other side. She looked like she had been crying and she had a suitcase with her.

"Hi, I'm sorry for just showing up but I didn't have anywhere else to go." She had meant it to be coherent but instead it sounded jumbled. Blake opened the door and stepped aside to let her in.

"Stephanie, do your parents know where you are?" Blake asked her.

"No, I told my mom I was staying with friends, but my friend had a male guest and I can't stay there. After today I couldn't stay at home. I can't be in the same house as her. I wanted to go to a bar, but I came here instead. "

Blake sighed and decided she probably needed to talk to someone. He put away the scotch and made two cups of tea before joining her on the couch.

Stevie accepted the tea Blake offered but stayed quiet. She didn't know where to start since she wasn't completely sure why she was here. Earlier in the day she felt she had bonded with Blake. Could she really tell him everything her mom had revealed earlier?

"She had someone tortured. She said she wasn't in the room but like that matters. She told me she knew what was happening, that she let it happen. I knew she was CIA and I don't know what I thought but never would I have imagined that she could do that. She said it why she eventually left. She just came home like nothing happened. She coached my soccer team. She told us she was in Jordan the whole time. She lied!"

Stevie wasn't sure when she started crying during her rant, but she realized she had tears running down her face. Blake wrapped his arms around Stevie to comfort her and they sat like that, neither speaking for a long while. Finally gathering his courage, Blake broke the silence.

"Stephanie, I know this hard. I'm not defending your mom, but I think you need to look at things from her point of view. She was in a war zone. She must have been pushed so far past her breaking point. It doesn't sound like it was a decision she made lightly, that the decision she made that day will haunt her the rest of her life. I also know she was forced into telling you. She was threatened, Stephanie. She knew one way or another you were going to find out today and she wanted to be the one to tell you. I saw her right after and I could see the hurt and devastation in her eyes. We all do things we aren't proud of. You can't let one bad decision ruin how you see her. It doesn't change the woman she has become. She still loves you so very much."

Stevie didn't respond she just quietly absorbing his words. They remained silently sitting on the couch, Blake's arms wrapped around Stevie while her head was resting on his chest. Blake woke up the next morning to find Stephanie still wrapped in his arms. He carefully untangled himself from Stephanie, as not to wake her. He went about his morning routine as normal. With one last look at the woman still sleeping on his couch he left a note and key on the table before slipping out of the apartment.

Later that day while sitting in a meeting with the Secretary, Blake's phone vibrated in his pocket. He smiled as he opened the message the from Stevie.

Thanks for last night. You are very special Blake and I'm lucky to have you in my life. I'll get the key back to you.

He typed a quick reply.

You're welcome. Keep the key you may need it.

Across from him Elizabeth wondered about the text her assistant had received that had him smiling bigger then she had ever seen. She didn't comment but filed the information away for later. He would tell her when he was ready.