A/N: This story picks up in 2.04, Waiting For the Taleju, right after Elizabeth and Nadine are talking about the NSC meeting.
Don't forget to let me know what y'all think!
"You'll find a way to be heard," Nadine reassured Elizabeth. She smiled softly in gratitude for her Chief of Staff. She could always count on Nadine to have her back, even when it seemed that Conrad and Craig turned on her.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, Madam Secretary." Daisy marched into her office in a way that made it clear that she was not, in fact, sorry at all, but instead said an apology out of default.
"Ah, the tablet of doom!" Elizabeth said with false enthusiasm. She added, rather drily, "Better make it quick while we still have a budget."
"It's actually somewhat personal," Daisy said as she came to a stop in front of her desk. Elizabeth knitted her brows with concern. First Russia, then Craig, and now this?
"Oh. Excuse me," Nadine said as she tactfully exited the room, Blake shutting the doors behind her.
"One of my contacts at The Chronicle just informed forwarded a query that's going around," Daisy said. "It seems to… Well, it seems to be from someone in possession of…" Her voice trailed off in uncertainty.
"Spit it out, Daisy."
"Someone is trying to sell photos of you hand your husband being intimate," Daisy blurted.
"What?!" Elizabeth exclaimed incredulously, voice almost cracking as she stood up to look at the tablet.
"They included one photo as proof, but once the seller gets paid, they're promising more," Daisy explained urgently.
"More than this?" Elizabeth asked, referring to the picture of herself and her husband in a post-coital cuddle, both covered by only thin cotton sheets.
Daisy confirmed her fears. "Everything."
Elizabeth swayed slightly as a wave of nausea rolled over her. She swallowed to gather her composure. Emotions could wait, she decided, until after this was under control.
"Find out everyone that got this query," Elizabeth ordered as she picked up the phone and began to dial Henry. "I want a full list," she continued. "Does Russell Jackson know yet?"
Daisy shook her head. "I literally just found out two minutes ago."
"I want us in front of it with him," Elizabeth said, then pleaded into the phone, "Come on Henry, pick up." She sent a worried glance towards at Daisy. "We can kill this, right?"
"We're gonna do everything we can, obviously," Daisy tried to assure her, "but with the teaser photo already out there—"
"Teaser photo?" Elizabeth cut her off. "Like an ad campaign?"
"I'm sorry." Daisy winced at her own wording.
At that moment, Blake flung open the door. "Ma'am, Russell Jackson wants you in his office. He says it's urgent.
"So much for getting in front of it," Elizabeth muttered. "Blake, call my motorcade!"
"Done!" he called back.
As Elizabeth was enroute to the to the White House, her phone rang.
"Hey babe!" It was Henry. "I saw that you called earlier, but I was on a run. What's up?"
"Hey," Elizabeth breathed, closing her eyes as she tried to steady herself. "Um, there's no easy way to say this, so here it goes: There are pictures of us. Together."
He was quiet for a moment before he said, "Okay? That's nothing new. What's wrong?"
Oh, Henry. Sweet, innocent, Henry. Elizabeth clarified herself. "There are pictures of us together in bed."
There was silence on Henry's end.
"Someone… Someone took photos of us being intimate, Henry. They're trying to sell them, and if someone buys them, there are going to be photos of us having sex all over the Internet. They're turning our private life into porn!" Her voice had gotten high with anxiety.
There was more silence on Henry's end.
"Baby, please say something. Anything," Elizabeth begged, tears stinging her eyes.
After an agonizing wait, Henry finally said, "Oh my God."
"The photos, they aren't out yet, but Henry, if they do get out, what are we gonna do?"
"I have no idea," he admitted with a shaky exhale. Elizabeth bit her lip in concern. It wasn't every day that her husband didn't know what to do.
"But I do know this," Henry said in his warm, loving tone. "We're gonna be okay, no matter what. I promise." He always had a way of calming her down with that low, husky voice of his. Elizabeth cracked a smile for the first time since that morning. She glanced out the window to find that she was parked outside of the White House and probably had been for a while.
"I've gotta go, but I love you, Henry."
"I love you too, baby. Bye."
Elizabeth sat in the car for a moment after Henry hung up to brace herself whatever tirade Russell was about to go on then headed into the White House.
I have absolutely no idea where I'm going with this or if im gonna keep going on this so next update might be kinda far in the future/never.