Karen tiredly watched her monitor go dark, still feeling hope it was some mistake and it would be back to normal in a moment. It wasn't. She hesitated for a couple seconds and then took her phone and dialed Bill who was surprisingly happy to hear her voice, even after what she'd done to him earlier.

She looked at her monitor again, as if the miracle could still happen and the access denial signal could simply disappear. Bill told he had Jack with him. She knew he'd do whatever it takes to do exactly what was needed. She knew she couldn't do it any better than Jack and Bill. And as long as that little boy was safe from his sociopathic grandfather, as long as Jack would take care of his father and the whole situation with that microchip, Karen knew it wouldn't matter how bad the things would go for her personally afterwards.

The two men entered her office, one of them calling her:

"Miss Hayes?"

So she told Bill she loved him, and turned off the phone. Slowly getting up from her chair, she bit her lip in hesitation. Just for a moment, she wondered why she never tried to leave the building? That chance could be taken, and there was the possibility that no one would stop her, had she just left moments before these guards were sent. Then again, she wouldn't want them to have any further questions to Bill, or to his loyalty, or regarding the ways he got the information about Jack. If everyone knew for sure it was her helping him, no one would be panicked.

Karen walked towards the guards, and froze standing 3 feet from the door, when one of them pulled the handcuffs out of his pocket. She felt shivers in her spine. Cuffs? For her? In the White house? That perhaps was the way of showing her she was no longer anything but a traitor to them, with no authority and no power.

"That won't be necessary," she spoke in a low tone trying to sound calm. "I'm coming with you."

She thought it wouldn't work, it shouldn't work actually, but it seemed like these men knew nothing about what just had happened and what she'd been arrested for. Was it respect for a national security advisor? Was it just confidence she wouldn't try doing anything on their way? Karen didn't know as she watched the guard still holding the cuffs in his left arm. Amazingly he turned around and left the room. The second one waited for her to follow, and them walked out and closed the door. The three of them went through the hall and down to the security area.

As Karen walked into a dark room where all the furniture consisted of a table with two chairs, she again thought of Bill. Would he succeed? Could actually just two men make difference? She sighed. Deep breath taken, while still approaching the table. She'd keep her fingers crossed for Jack who'd proven to know exactly what he was doing, no matter how hard anyone would try to stop him. Now however, it was his own family at stake. Karen could clearly remember the last time Jack was forced into the middle of a crisis. Not that he actually had any choice, but what shocked Karen at that point was how much his colleagues trusted him. It didn't matter if they'd be sent to prison, or if they could get killed – they simply did what they believed to be right for this country. She remembered Chloe escaping from the custody, risking everything, and Bill helping her even thou he didn't have to be involved.

Bill. He was surprised to get her call back then, warning Chloe. And as Karen would do everything and anything to keep him unharmed, he didn't seem to care if that would work. 'I'll make him talk' she remembered saying, not yet sure what she'd do next, just wishing to keep him far from the angry agents who wouldn't of course break Bill, but would definitely hurt him. Was it when she walked thru the door into his cell, not yet sure what to do, that she first felt this sympathy? He looked at her, his eyes wondering and empty at the same time. And even thou he was sitting there then, knowing she'd do anything to make agents believe she wasn't on his side, Karen could see his eyes smiling at her. 'Karen…' 'Shut up, Bill' she cut him then, almost two years ago. Who could know that by the end of that terrible day they would all be still alive and well? She knew she broke every existing law when she started helping him and Jack then, but it appeared to be the right thing to do. The difference however was there too. She wouldn't be ok this time as she took the biggest hit. Nor would Bill be since he was already under the investigation and this would end up his hopes for a normal life – with or without her. As well as Karen knew he'd do anything to get to her, she also knew what was coming next. She'd be questioned and then given to the FBI for… whatever.

Still sitting at the table, she felt the agent standing at the door watching her curiously. It couldn't have been much time since she came in here, so why was he looking at her this way? Karen jerked in realization her eyes were wet. What the hell? She took a deep breath trying to calm down. There was nothing she could do now except for waiting, she'd done everything she could, Karen told herself. She just remembered she didn't have any sleep for the last 30 hours or so, which could easily explain why her head was so heavy and dizzy. So she tried to keep her thoughts on the better times and places, blocking her mind from the fear.

Why did Bill ask her for the breakfast? They'd known each other for so short time, and yet after everything they experienced that day, they felt so close. She suffered every word she had to say to him with her 'No' response, and hoped Bill wouldn't give up so soon. And so he didn't. He'd send her that funny parrot, even knowing she'd not be able to keep it. But the bird was so fun in the morning wishing a good day in six different languages, that Karen's heart melted. And in a week, Bill and Karen had a beautiful diner together, laughing and talking, and laughing again…

The door made a sound and went open to let the Vice President in. Karen shook her to get back to the reality and got up. The man walked past her slowly, thoughtfully. He was angry, disappointed, yet not understanding what had happened and… and something else, she could tell but couldn't quite surely tell what exactly it was.

***