A/N: Thanks to your lovely reviews, I have decided to write a sequel to The Interview. This story follows the original and not the rough draft I posted recently. I recommend you read that before reading this. Sometimes this story will follow the show, and sometimes it will drift off into something of my own creation. I hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own House of Cards nor the characters they have produced. I'm only borrowing Frank and Co. for my own amusement as is everyone else on this site.
Chapter One
A stuffed lilac rabbit arcs over the bed, pelting Claire Underwood in the face. Next, an elbow digs into her outstretched arm. Claire's eyes flicker open, trying to discern who the tiny appendage belongs to. She sees a hand grip the sheets into a ball and the top her daughter's head become more visible.
"Emily?" Claire asks, sleep clinging to her voice. Her two-year-old has managed to shimmy herself onto the bed. Emily's cerulean eyes are wide with fear. The rabbit has found its way back to its owner who is holding it close to her body. "What's wrong?"
"Bad dweam, mommy," Emily whispers as a fat tear cascades down her cheek. Claire bites back a sigh. This has been a recurring theme these past few months with their daughter, Emily has a nightmare and then wakes one of her parents up in the middle of the night crying. Of course, Claire and Frank do their best to comfort their daughter, but they are trying to teach her how to self-soothe.
Claire reaches past her daughter to turn on the light. This captures the attention of Frank, who rolls over to find his daughter trembling next to his wife.
"Another nightmare?" Frank asks, his Southern drawl filling the room. Claire nods and watches Emily move towards her father. "We have to break her of this habit."
"I agree. Emily, what was your dream about?"
The Underwood's have learned it helps Emily calm down faster if she is able to articulate her fears.
Emily's bottom lip trembles when she remembers what sent her running into her parent's bedroom.
"Daddy in twoble, you," Emily points at Claire, "are mad wif daddy and not wanna see him. I wanna see daddy." Claire nods, most of Emily's nightmares relate to her and Frank in some fashion.
"Mommy's mad at me? She is never mad at me," Frank tells his daughter, brushing the pad of his thumb over her cheek. Emily sniffs and uses the back of her hand to wipe her eyes.
Claire and Frank rarely disagree, but when they do, they try their best to have their arguments away from Emily. The only one she has seen was a brief disagreement after the interview she gave two months ago. Even then, it was minimal and they made up in front of their daughter.
"Emily, daddy and I love each other. There is no reason for you to worry." Claire finds it odd she has to reassure her two-year-old that her marriage isn't on the verge of collapsing. She blames herself and the press for putting ideas into her daughter's head.
Frank leans over so his head is resting on Claire's shoulder to prove to their daughter her nightmare has no basis in fact. Emily looks convinced, her tears have ebbed.
"Okay, I sweep wif you tonight?"
"No. You need to sleep in your own bed," Claire tells Emily in a firm voice. Emily looks to her father to refute her mother, but he merely nods in agreement.
"We will see you in the morning," Frank says and picks Emily up, setting her on the hardwood below. Emily internally debates whether she wants to throw a tantrum over being relegated to her bedroom, but decides against it. She clutches the stuffed animal in her hand and pads back to her own bed.
"You can't hold yourself accountable," Frank reminds his wife as he does every time their daughter comes to them crying. Claire turns off the lamp and sinks down into the pillows. As much as she appreciates Frank saying that to her, she does take responsibility for her daughter's discomfort. If it wasn't for her agreeing to do the interview with Ashleigh Banfield, none of what ensued afterward would've happened.
"Goodnight Francis."
"Goodnight."
Frank resumes his original position with his back turned to her. Claire scoots closer to him, swiping one of his pillows in the process. Sleep evades her as her mind mulls over the inciting incident that triggered Emily's nightmares.
The original plan involved both Claire and Frank bringing Emily to the park. It's been two days since Claire gave the interview and the press has been hovering ever since. Claire told Frank the three of them should be photographed out together in the days following the broadcast and he agreed. Now, Frank has been pulled into an emergency cabinet meeting, leaving Claire with no choice but to take Emily by herself.
"Mommy, where's daddy?" Emily asks as Claire is buttoning her pea coat.
"Daddy had to go to work, but I thought I would still take you to the park." Claire and Frank are rarely home during the day, which makes today a rare occasion for the toddler.
Emily clasps onto Claire's hand tightly as they leave the townhouse. Reporters shout questions at the pair, all of which Claire ignores. Between the camera flashes and the shouting, Emily suctions herself to her mother. Reporters clamor to get a shot of the toddler, who has evaded the public eye since birth.
When they get to the park, Claire lets Emily sprint towards the equipment while she makes herself comfortable on a bench. The toddler often shouts to Claire, encouraging her mother to watch her every move. Claire focuses her attention on a book she brought, occasionally glancing up to make sure her daughter is still playing. Meechum hovers nearby, sweeping the area for any press looking to bother Claire and Emily.
Claire watches her daughter approach a boy about her age. The two exchange words Claire can't decipher. Suddenly, the boy runs away from Emily and she makes a bee-line for Claire.
"M-m-mommy," Emily chokes out, her little shoulders shaking with sobs.
Claire scoops up her daughter, wondering what she could be so upset about. Even though her daughter is two, she hardly ever cries unless she is hurt. She does a thorough inspection of Emily, checking for any bruises or cuts. Finding none, Claire is now led to believe that Emily's problem could be emotional instead of physical.
"What's wrong, Em?"
"Dat boy won't pway wif me."
"Why not?"
"He tell me daddy is mean and dat he killded someone," Emily says.
Claire almost drops her daughter after hearing what she has to say. She can only assume this boy is regurgitating something he heard from his parents, whomever they may be.
"That is not true, your daddy would never hurt anyone," Claire knows she is lying, but her daughter doesn't need to know the truth. It's her job to protect Emily, even if it's from Frank.
"He say dat daddy is b-bad man, mommy."
"Emily, you can't believe what other people think and say about us. You know that your daddy is a good person and that's all that matters."
As Claire is saying this to Emily, she realizes her daughter might be too young to grasp what is being relayed to her. The fact is, Emily is going to grow up and seek answers about her parents regardless of what Frank and Claire tell her. It's up to Emily to decide how she is going to process the information she discovers.
Emily nods and her sobs diminish into barely audible whimpers. Claire holds her daughter as she scans the playground for any indication as to who the boy's parents are. She would like to have a word with them about what their son tells her daughter.
"I want you to go by Edward and ask him to push you on the swings," Claire tells Emily, knowing it will cheer her up. The toddler is fond of the Secret Service agent, like her parents.
"Okay mommy, I tell Meechy!" Emily jumps off of Claire's lap and runs towards Meechum, beckoning the agent to bend over so she can whisper in his ear. Claire makes sure her daughter is distracted before walking over to the boy's mother.
It takes her a moment, but Claire recognizes the woman. She is Tracy Ellis; the wife of a Republican Congressman Frank has sparred with during his term as whip.
"Hello, may I speak with you for a moment?" Claire asks, although she won't take no for an answer. Tracey puts her magazine down and gestures for Claire to continue. "It seems as if your son is not letting my daughter play with her and he is telling her some pretty awful things about my husband that are simply not true. I just wanted to clear the air."
Tracey stands up, putting her a few inches shy of Claire.
"I think you and I both know what your husband did to Peter Russo. I don't want my son becoming friends with your daughter. You and your husband shouldn't even be allowed to have a child."
Claire turns her head, checking to make sure nobody is within listening distance of them. She will not allow anyone to talk about Emily or Frank this way.
"Isn't your husband trying to secure funding for an endowment to a hospital in his district?"
Tracey doesn't affirm Claire's question, she merely crosses her arms over her chest.
"I would hate to see Francis give the money to your husband's opponent. That's 13 million dollars and over 3,000 jobs lost in your husband's district. Your husband wouldn't stand a chance next election cycle, his constituents would turn their backs on him."
"Your husband doesn't have the authority to do that."
"He's the vice president, Tracey. Plus, he served in Congress for 22 years, he still has a lot of influence there. I want you to tell your son that you were lying about my husband and to let him play with my daughter and the money will go where it should."
"I'll go to the press," Tracey says as a last-ditch effort to put some fear into Claire.
Claire doesn't bat an eye, she has heard threats like this before. The press doesn't have the time nor inclination to hunt down every tip they receive.
"Be my guest. And while you're at it, I'm sure they would love to hear all about how your husband bribed members of Congress last term to push his stimulus package through."
Tracey shakes her head at Claire, but remains silent. Whether what Claire is saying about her husband is true, the media will believe her anyway.
"You and your husband are a disgrace."
"Think whatever you want, but leave my daughter out of it."
Claire pivots on her heels, leaving a shell-shocked Tracey in her wake.
"Emily, five more minutes!" They should leave before any third party gets involved in their playground scuffle. Claire resumes her place on the bench. She can see Tracey call over her son and then the boy walk over to Emily and Meechum, asking if he can be pushed on the swings too. A smile chases across Claire's lips, but it doesn't overpower the remorse bubbling in her stomach.
Later that night, after Emily is put to bed, Claire and Frank enjoy a cigarette by the windowsill. Frank passes the cigarette over to Claire, who is staring aimlessly off into the distance.
"Do you want it?" Frank asks.
"What? Oh…" Claire accepts the cigarette and takes a drag.
"Something on your mind?"
"Emily and I were at the park today and Tracey Ellis was there with her son. Apparently, her son told our daughter that you killed someone and you were a bad man."
Frank is appropriately taken aback. He accepts the cigarette but lets it linger in his hand.
"Is Emily alright?"
"Yes, I told her that it wasn't true and she shouldn't believe everything she hears about us."
"What did you say to Tracey?" Frank asks and takes a healthy drag of the cigarette.
"I threatened to cut off funding for the hospital in her husband's district. And if she ever goes to the press, we would leak the bribing of the stimulus package."
Frank laughs, God, he loves his wife. He can only imagine the look on Tracey Ellis' face when Claire calmly explained how they were going to potentially end her husband's career.
"How did she take it?"
"Ethan Ellis is coming over for a playdate this weekend."
"And what about you?"
"What about me?" Claire's fingers brush over his as the cigarette is passed back.
"How are you handling all of this?"
Frank knows his wife better than he knows himself at times. She never wanted to do the interview because she saw the potential backlash that would result. Now they are living it, and it has spilled over into their daughter's life as well. However, Claire is never one to say, 'I told you so,' she accepts fault as much as he does.
"It was a decision we made together, there is no use in dwelling on it. But, I will not allow our daughter to be bullied because of us, Francis."
"We will protect her and each other, as we always have done." Frank reaches over, skimming his hand over her cheek. Claire puts out the cigarette and follows him into their bedroom.
"Claire?" Frank asks, breaking her reverie.
"What?" Claire watches Frank reach under her and snatch his pillow back. She senses a grin tug at her lips while scooting closer to her husband.
The next morning, Frank and Claire slip effortlessly into their routine, maneuvering around each other in the kitchen while their daughter sits in her highchair.
"Daddy, look at dis," Emily shows him the picture she is sketching while Claire gets breakfast ready for them. Frank sets down his suitcase and leans over, hoping he doesn't have to guess what the blobs his daughter is drawing represent.
"Very nice," He says while dissecting an apple.
"Dis for you and mommy," Emily passes over the piece of paper as Claire is setting cereal in front of the toddler. Claire glances down at the picture and slips it into Frank's briefcase.
"I have to go, my meeting with Katherine starts in an hour," Frank says as he bites into his apple.
"Do you think she is going to go behind Walker's back and support you with China?"
"I told her if she doesn't like how the table is set…"
"Den she turn over da table," Emily finishes for him offhandedly, surprising both of her parents.
"She really is your daughter," Claire says and brushes a kiss to Frank's cheek. Frank waves goodbye to Emily and knocks on the counter twice.
Once Frank leaves, Claire nurses a cup of coffee while Emily finishes her breakfast. She drops Emily off at school and heads to the Capitol.
"How did your meeting with Kathy go?" Claire asks Frank while they are having lunch together later that day.
"She agreed to my course of action, but I'm still skeptical."
"Can we trust her to do the right thing, Francis?"
The couple has always seen the Secretary of State as an ally, but lately she has wavered in her allegiance. Claire worries Kathy will turn her back on them and side with Walker simply because he is the president.
"I'm not sure yet, we might have to move on without her."
"I've noticed she has been treating me different ever since I did that interview."
"Different, how?" Frank asks with a furrowed brow.
"I don't know, softer, I guess. She seems to believe that because I'm a mother, I won't involve myself as much with what you are doing. It's almost like she thinks I'm taking a backseat."
"Do you want me to talk to her?" Claire shakes her head and takes a bite of her salad.
"No, I don't think that's necessary. I'll talk to her myself if I see it getting out of hand"
Frank sympathizes with Claire. It makes it harder to do their job now that people know about Emily. For whatever reason, people think Frank isn't the ruthless pragmatist he always was just because he had a child. If anything, Emily encourages him even more to achieve his goal of occupying the Oval Office. He encountered the same skepticism with Raymond Tusk while trying to negotiate a deal during the energy crisis.
Frank is at his wits end trying to play peacemaker between Walker and Raymond Tusk. The two used to be each other's biggest confidants, but that has deteriorated ever since Tusk entangled them with China. Now, Raymond Tusk has initiated a city-wide blackout only to instigate the White House. Walker is refusing to negotiate with Tusk, instead, he is leaving Frank to do it.
"I don't care how you do it Frank, I can't leave an entire city in the dark," Walker says. Frank sighs, he almost preferred when Walker and Tusk were friends. It made persuading the president to do what he wants harder, but at least he didn't have to deal directly with Tusk.
He tells Seth and Doug to set up a meeting with Tusk so they can hammer out the details. Tusk insisted on coming to the Underwood townhouse.
"Don't let stubbornness cost you your twenty-plus years' friendship with Walker," Frank says.
"You don't care about my friendship with Garrett," Tusk counters.
"You are absolutely right, I don't. However, he is still the president and he could still pursue a FERC investigation until you go bankrupt. I am trying to prevent that."
"I'm not afraid of an investigation, but the fact that you think I am only proves you've gotten softer since becoming a father," Tusk says just to get under Frank's skin.
Frank frowns and opens his mouth to retaliate.
Just then, Claire and Emily come through the front door with Meechum on their tail. Emily sees her father talking to a stranger and huddles close to her mother. Claire picks her up and walks into the kitchen, not noticing Frank talking to Tusk.
"Oh, hello," Claire says politely and instinctively tightens her grip on Emily.
"Raymond, you remember my wife Claire, and my daughter Emily." Frank regrets letting Tusk meet him at the townhouse. He thought Emily and Claire were going to be out for the entirety of their meeting. The less people know about his personal life, the better. Especially, Raymond Tusk, who will use whatever he can find against Frank.
"Hello, it's nice to meet you, Emily," Tusk says to the little girl. Emily nods and doesn't wave back.
"I apologize, she is still wary of strangers," Claire says and brushes past Frank to dig in the fridge.
"No problem, I'm sure she will come around, just like her father will. Goodnight." Frank offers a fake smile and shows Tusk the door. When Frank returns to the kitchen, Emily is sipping on a glass of water in her high chair with Claire sitting next to her.
"Daddy, I not like him," Emily informs her father and steals a carrot from Claire's plate.
"I don't either, Em," Frank agrees.
By the time Frank gets home from the Capitol that night, Claire is sitting on the couch with her legs outstretched, reading on her iPad. Emily is sitting on the floor, in her pajamas. Her dark, wet tendrils are bouncing on her shoulders as she giggles at whatever is splashed across the screen of her iPad. Frank sets down his briefcase and keys by the door before picking up Claire's legs to sit next to on her on the couch. Emily ambushes him, already climbing on his lap, ignoring her mom's legs already claiming the space.
"Hi daddy," Emily says.
"Hey," Frank mumbles. He leans back into the couch cushions, trying to listen to Emily animatedly chat about her day at school. Claire glances up from her iPad and observes how exhausted her husband looks. His shoulders are slumped over, deep bags reside under his eyes. She makes a mental note to check in with him once their daughter is done talking.
"Emily, it's time for bed. Give your father a kiss goodnight and I will meet you upstairs." Claire gives her husband a much-needed reprieve.
"It's my night," Frank reminds his wife.
"I know, but you look like you are about to fall over. Let me have tonight." Emily wraps her arms around her father's neck for a hug and then jumps into her mother's awaiting arms.
"Night daddy, I see you 'morrow," Emily says over Claire's shoulder.
"Goodnight Em."
When Claire comes downstairs a half an hour later, Frank has his head cradled in his hands, his eyes closed. Claire splays her hand over his in an effort to wake him up.
"Go to bed, Francis."
"I suppose I…" his sentence is cut off by both his and Claire's cell-phone ringing. They reach for their phones, wondering what could possibly disrupt their night.
"Seth, slow down. Okay...yup...thank you," Claire says and hangs up her phone, reaching for her iPad.
"What? When? Well, I want you and Seth to meet me over at the residence. We have to start doing damage control," Frank hangs up with Doug. Claire pulls up the article appropriately titled "Mrs. Underwood, Under the Sheets?" with a picture of her sleeping. A picture of her that Adam Galloway took when she was at his Manhattan apartment.
Frank lets out an aggravated sigh, this is the last thing he needs to deal with tonight.
"Tusk," Frank spits out. Claire merely nods and looks up, to where their daughter is sleeping, blissfully unaware of the bedlam that's about to ensue.
A/N 2: I'm only just getting started. I hope you like the first chapter enough to leave me your thoughts. A new chapter should be up soon. Enjoy season 5!