Disclaimer: I do not own Madam Secretary or any of its characters used in this story. What is written here is for entertainment purposes only. No infringement is intended and this story is not for profit.

It was a quiet day in the office. There was hardly any work to get done. Aside from getting updated by her staff on previous projects, Elizabeth hadn't needed to step out of the building to go anywhere.

This was all Blake's doing, she knew. Today was her and Henry's 27th wedding anniversary and her assistant has taken it upon himself to make her day as relaxing as possible, hinting that whatever she and Henry planned wouldn't be disrupted at all.

The irony was that she and Henry didn't have anything planned aside from a family dinner and that Elizabeth would gladly take any work instead of idly waiting for her office hours to end.

Just when she was going to get up and annoy her staff for something to do, her well-intentioned assistant walked in.

"Ma'am, I am to escort you down to your motorcade."

Elizabeth jumped in her seat in excitement. "Why? What's happened?" She was shamelessly hoping some crisis was going down just so that she can do something, anything.

Blake smiled apologetically. "Unfortunately, I don't have the clearance to answer that."

Elizabeth's spirits dampened a bit at the lack of information.

Blake continued, "All I know is you've been summoned to a secure location."

"Where did the order come from?"

"White House, ma'am."

Elizabeth's pulse quickened in response. If it came from the White House, it was sure to be big. "Lead the way."

It was a few short minutes after they left the State Department that Elizabeth realized she wasn't going to the White House... or to Air Force one... or to Camp Andrews—she wasn't going to any secure location she had been privy to in the past. In fact, her motorcade has long since left the city. Neither Blake nor her protective detail had answered any of her questions when she voiced them and she became even more confused when they entered the familiar streets leading up to her old address.

Her party eventually stopped in the driveway of her old farmhouse/home where it joined several other private cars parked in the street. She can spot the President's limo among them and the Secret Service agents stationed outside her house.

Warily, Elizabeth exited the SUV and walked in the front door, her thoughts whirling as she attempted to come up with a reason as to why the President of the United States would want to hold a meeting with her in her house.

The curtains in the living room and in the kitchen were drawn which prevented Elizabeth from looking out or anybody from looking in. There was muffled chatter and music coming from behind the kitchen curtains that lead to the backyard garden and Elizabeth wondered, not for the first time, at what was happening.

Before she could find out, however, Blake directed her up the staircase leading to the second floor and said, "He's waiting for you in the Master Bedroom, ma'am."

Elizabeth frowned and walked up, bristling with irritation and having every intention to give Conrad a stern talking to. How dare he drag her out of the office (nevermind that she wanted to go out and do anything at all), demand she go to her own home, and commandeer her own bedroom—all for a secret meeting.

But when she entered her bedroom and was greeted with the sight of her husband—and not the president—all annoyance melted away, only to be replaced with stunned confusion.

"Where's Conrad? What's going on—what are you wearing?" Elizabeth raked her eyes all over her husband. He was standing with his back to the window sill and looking very ravishing in a tuxedo. It was then that she realized she hasn't seen him since this morning when he kissed her awake and slid a diamond encrusted anniversary present up her finger.

"Glad you could make it," replied Henry. Taking full advantage of Elizabeth's astonishment, he took her hand and kissed her gently on the cheek. "Listen, in a few minutes, you and I are going to be renewing our wedding vows downstairs in the garden. And I'm gonna wait for you outside while the girls and your stylist come in and prep you. Because apparently," he chuckled, "I'm still not allowed to see you before the ceremony even if we're already married." He tapped her chin affectionately. "And then you and I are going away on a very long," he placed his lips on hers, "very much needed" he kissed her again, "second honeymoon." He nuzzled the nape of her neck as he continued, "no phones, no kids, no interruptions, no—" he pulled away. "Babe, you with me?"

Elizabeth's eyes were fluttering closed, her body having gone warm and flush against him. Henry wondered at what point he lost her.

"Henry?" she whispered, her expression a cross between pleased and dazed.

Henry grinned, finding her adorable. "Happy anniversary, babe."

Eventually, Elizabeth managed to compose herself and she asked, "A second wedding?"

"Technically, one can only get married once. This is a ceremony to renew our wedding vows. You know, after 27 years of marriage."

"But why? I mean, why now? Why not on our thirtieth or our fiftieth anniversary? What's so special about the 27th?"

"Because—" Henry's breath hitched and he looked away. He tried again after a few seconds, looking at Elizabeth straight in the eyes, and when he spoke there was a raw vulnerability to it. "Because there was a time when talking to each other risked imprisonment, when looking at you and hearing your voice was too painful for me, when I couldn't be truthful to you and we almost lost each other—"

"But we didn't!" cried Elizabeth, refusing to let him dwell on Dmitri or Iran or Virginia. They were doing so well now.

"Exactly!" He gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze and there was an impassioned look in his eyes as he went on, "We survived war, terrorists, dirty bombs, and politics. We're okay, babe. We're more than okay. Our love is stronger than ever because of what happened to us. It's grown so much, gotten so deep and intimate that even when we're surrounded in darkness, our love is the only hope we have to survive. That kind of love, you don't take that for granted. So, I want to marry you, Elizabeth, again and again and again because I love you."

Elizabeth sucked in a breath, overwhelmed and at a loss for a proper reply. Instead, she decided to say, "Save some of that for the ceremony."

Henry laughed, bringing a hand to her cheek. Elizabeth leaned against it for a moment before pulling a fraction away. "So, let me get this straight. You kidnapped me from my office—"

"Rushed you out."

"—cajoled me out of my work under the impression that the President of the United States needed me for matters relating to national security—"

"I hold Blake completely responsible for whatever he spewed out to get you here. Although, we may have to think about getting him a raise."

"—so that we can celebrate our legendary and triumphant marriage and then have weeks of uninterrupted marital bliss?"

"Well, when you put it that way..."

Elizabeth shook her head good-naturedly. "I love you too. And yes, I'll marry you again. As many times as we're allowed." Then, she tugged at Henry's dress shirt, pulled him forward and kissed him. Henry's hand moved to cup the back of her head while Elizabeth's ran down his chest.

Neither noticed the bedroom door open.

"Ugh. The second honeymoon hasn't even started yet," said Alison, her grinning face betraying her feigned attempt at disgust. Beside her, Blake and Stevie wore similar looks.

Elizabeth and Henry disentangled themselves from each other, Henry's arm moving to snake around his wife's waist.

"Mom, you creased dad's suit," groaned Stevie.

"You have to go," Blake ordered Henry. "Your son is waiting for you outside."

Holding up his palms, Henry relented. "Fine, fine." He quickly kissed Elizabeth goodbye, his hand capturing her own and starting to play with the new ring on her finger. "I'll see you out there."

"See you," Elizabeth echoed but still they didn't part.

"Please, leave," said Blake again, breaking the couple out of their bubble.

Henry huffed and finally let go of Elizabeth's hand. He walked towards the intruders. "You guys are mean."

"Just doing my job," said Blake.

Henry looked back to Elizabeth. "I take back what I said about his raise."

"What raise?" asked Blake

"Well, I'm gonna go," said Henry, deliberately ignoring Blake's question. "Can't see the wife before the ceremony and all that." He winked at Elizabeth and she laughed.

Blake mumbled something that sounded like "deserved a raise," and then he cleared his throat and said, "I'll go get that stylist."

A/N: Tell me what you think!