Well hello there you kind souls! Thank you for the wonderful reviews! I really don't know where any of this is coming from considering I've never written a story in my life, but I'm having loads of fun writing it so I hope you're enjoying reading it! I have a very distinct direction I'm going, its just going to be a matter of getting it all on paper now that break is ending :( Patience is a virtue right? ;) PS: Let Bartlet be Bartlet for whoever was wondering about the title

She had begun to feel numb sometime in the last two minutes. The pain in her left shoulder subsided into a dull throbbing that continued through her entire upper back. Then there was the sharp sting that was originating from just above her right eye. Accompanied by a blinding pain every time she breathed, her body had clicked into adrenaline or some primal instinct to make it feel better. At least that's what Elizabeth told herself as the awful sensations that were plaguing her just a few moments ago had strangely disappeared. Stevie's voice had faded along with hurried footsteps, so she was currently laying still on the pavement so as not to injure anything more. Her mind was having a difficult time processing the events that had just transpired. It was as if her brain was forcing her into focusing all her attention on the systemic pain she was experiencing in order to formulate a plan to escape the feeling. However, Elizabeth wasn't listening to what her body was desperately signaling her. She was thinking of only one thing, one person. Henry. If he could just find her, Elizabeth knew she would be alright. Henry would protect her, help her escape from this personal hell she was now trapped in. Within her jumbled musings, she had assumed that's where Stevie had vanished to. And there was no doubt Henry was searching for her, it was just a matter of how much longer she could fight the desire to abdicate the distress that was of issue.

When she heard the shout of her name in the distance, she yearned to turn her head in search of the origin. She swore it was Henry's voice, but her mind just wasn't processing properly and she couldn't quite be sure. The moment Elizabeth attempted to move, all of the pain she had first experienced during the onslaught of attacks rushed back. She groaned softly and was rendered motionless to await the voice to reach her.

It was his touch that was unmistakable. She was certain it was Henry the moment he rested a gentle hand on her waist in order to shift her onto her back. His concerned gaze reached only her left eye, as blood was now hindering the sight of the other. Despite her mounting fear, she couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle as her one eye scanned the rest of his face. One side was coated with sweat, while the other was covered in dirt.

"Babe?" Henry softly questioned with a perplexed look on his face. What on earth could she be laughing at right now?

"It's just that, well, you look like an Oreo Henry," Elizabeth hoarsely stated.

"Oh my god." Henry couldn't help but laugh. Even after she had just been attacked and was in obvious discomfort, she was still cracking jokes.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" He carefully lifted her head with his other hand and cradled it so it wasn't resting on the ground. Her bloodied eye was bruising already, and tears were forming even as she flashed a tender smile his way.

"Babe, what happened?"

"They came out of nowhere," it was Stevie who spoke. She had jogged to where her parents were and knelt down next to Henry. Her concern for Elizabeth was palpable, and Henry saw the familiar lines of worry on Stevie's face that often plagued Elizabeth when she was distressed. "Alexander and I, we started walking down the sidewalk. To, you know, say goodbye." The sudden color change in her cheeks was obvious. "We were about three houses down when Mom came up behind and asked to have a word with him."

Henry turned to Elizabeth who began speaking but was interrupted by a fit of coughing. The tears were now streaming down her face even as she attempted to maintain a calm, stoic front.

"We need to get you to the hospital. Where are the agents? They must have originally been with you." Henry recalled the odd absence of agents earlier when he first stepped outside.

"It was him," Elizabeth sputtered. She was now clenching Henry's hand in order to distract herself from the torturous pressure every time she took a breath. "The new guy…"

"Derrick," Stevie finished. "The agent assigned last week. He was with Alexander and me, and when Mom came he told Matt and Amelia there was some sort of 'disturbance'," she reinforced the word with air quotes.

"Ok, but that doesn't explain why none of them are here right now." Henry was utterly confused at this point.

"Matt and Amelia refused to leave Mom and totally knew something was up," Stevie continued. "That was when they attacked us."

"They? Who's they?!" Henry was nearly shouting now. His patience had run thin and he wanted answers. Unfortunately, Elizabeth's injuries had other ideas. Henry turned back towards his wife as she began another fit of coughing that was undoubtedly bordering on torture. His fingers, unlike Elizabeth's pain, had gone numb from her squeezing of his hand.

"Henry…" Elizabeth spoke in labored breathes as she squeezed her eyes shut,"Please."

While he needed to hear the rest of the events that had transpired in the last hour, which had rendered Elizabeth agentless and injured, he realized she was in far more trouble than he originally adhered. Her joke had thrown him off, and he mentally kicked himself for becoming sidetracked by the 'how' while Elizabeth was still in danger. It had only been five minutes since he found her, but those five minutes could be the difference between life and death. Gently as possible, Henry wiped away some of the blood that had left Elizabeth blinded in one eye with his thumb. She opened her eyes and gave Henry a slight smile to offer her appreciation. He returned the effort with a soft kiss to her temple that lingered for a moment. Despite her tousled appearance, her skin remained soft. It was the chill of her usually warm skin, and the clammy nature it fostered that worried Henry. He moved one hand to wrap around her shoulder blades and another under her legs. Slowly, he lifted her in his arms, mindful of her pained expression when he shifted his hand down her back in order to stabilize himself. It was in that moment Stevie grabbed his shoulder to direct his attention to the faint sound in the distance. The bellowing of a siren could be easily distinguished in the silence.

Henry again peered at his wife as she nestled her head into his solid frame.

"You hear that babe? Help is almost here." Elizabeth tugged lightly on the lapels of his jacket to demonstrate her acknowledgment of his reassurance. She was in a fit of blinding pain at this point, mainly stemming from her ribs. Yet, she held on to Henry's soothing voice. One that had calmed her countless times before.

"I've got you. Don't worry, I've got you." It was the last thing she heard before darkness took over.