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James groaned sitting down at the kitchen counter, smiling when her father set down a plate in front of her. "Morning."
"Good morning." Francis said before setting down her orange juice. "How's the leg?"
"It hurts." James sighed digging into her eggs.
Francis frowned as he pulled his blazer jacket on. "Did the pain medication stop working?"
James shook her head. "I'm not going to take it." She tossed the bottle of pills onto the counter. "I'll take the antibiotics, but I'm not taking the pain meds, Daddy."
"If you can handle it, I'm all for it." Francis said picking up the bottle and settling it down properly by the sink. "Now, your mother and I won't be home until late tonight. I'm being sworn in as VP, and there will be a lot for me to do. Do you want Meechum to bring you down to the White House or would you rather stick around here?"
"Is Gordon going to be there?" James asked setting down her fork.
Francis glanced towards the dining room when he could no longer hear Claire's footsteps on the wooden floor, her heels now frozen on the spot. "I don't know, darlin'."
Claire walked into the kitchen, wrapping her arm around her daughter's shoulders. "If he is there, we'll be there. Meechum will be there as well." She looked over at the new member of their security team that was waiting to assist their daughter in anyway possible. "It'll be hard, but you'll feel better being there to support your father than hide out here."
"I suppose." James said before looking down at her bandaged leg. "What am I going to wear?"
Francis grinned. "There's my girl."
James hopped down from the barstool. "I need to look in my closet."
"No," Claire laughed, putting her daughter back in the chair. "Eat first." She slipped on her bracelet, looking up to Francis when it was secured on her wrist. "Ready to go?"
Francis nodded once before downing the rest of his coffee. "I'll see you later." He said before kissing James' head. "Take it easy on the new guy."
James watched as her parents left the house hand in hand. She glanced over her shoulder to Meechum, standing as stiff as a board. "Have you ever done this before? Protect somebody, I mean."
"Not somebody as important as you." Meechum stated, never moving a muscle below his neck. "You should eat, Miss. We'll have to leave in the next few hours." James turned back to her breakfast, slowly eating what her father had put onto her plate. "May I ask you a question, Miss?"
"Only if you started calling me James." James smirked before lifting up her glass of orange juice.
Meechum nodded once. "Alright. Why do you not want to see Gordon Walker?"
"I'm scared of him." James picked up a knife from the kitchen counter and lowered it to her bandages.
"What are you doing?" Meechum asked reaching for the knife in her hands.
James slid the blade underneath her bandages. "I have to rewrap this anyway." She tugged on the knife, feeling the air brush against her skin as the bandages fell away. The gash in her leg came into few, the stitches holding her healing skin together. The veins around the laceration were dark, highlighted by the damaged white nerves around it. "He did this to me."
Meechum watched as she put the knife on the counter, shoved the bandages away from her leg, and looked up at him. "What happened?"
"I wasn't allowed to say no." James said before getting down from the barstool again. "He didn't rape me if that's what you're thinking." She pushed the plate towards him. "I'm done eating."
"I'll take care of it," Meechum breathed, "James."
James smiled. "Thanks Edward."
"You look great, James." Meechum said as James fidgeted with the dress she had chosen to wear.
"That's not what I'm worried about." James breathed as she walked with him towards the Oval office. "I don't want to look like I'm feeling."
Meechum frowned. "What are you feeling?"
James huffed out a breath. "Like I'm about to fall apart."
"There you are!" Claire said walking down the hallway towards them. "They are about to swear in your father. Now, Gordon is in the room. I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to go home. Your father would understand."
James shook her head. "No, I want to do this. I need to do this." She looked down at her dress before looking back up at her mother. "Do I look the part?"
Claire smiled before kissing her forehead. "You look as powerful as ever. Your father is in the next room. Go say hi before he goes into the Oval." She watched as her daughter made her way through the double doors at the end of the hallway. "How is she really doing?"
"I think she's scared, but she'll get through this, Ma'am." Meechum stated before glancing at Claire. "I really should be with her at all times, Mrs. Underwood."
"Go ahead." Claire smirked, watching as the young man hurried after her daughter. "Looks like the apple doesn't fall from the tree."
Francis held onto his daughter's shoulders. "Darlin', you don't have to do this. I would completely understand if you wanted to go home."
James shook her head. "I won't let him think he has that kind of control over me." She kissed her father's cheek, giving him a small smile. "But, thank you, Daddy."
"It's time, Frank." Garrett said from the Oval Office doorway. "Are you ready?"
Francis turned to see Claire walk up behind him. "I am now."
"Congratulations, Mr. Vice President." Garrett smiled shaking Francis' hand. They both turned to smile at the flashing cameras.
Claire leaned closer to her daughter who seemed to be attached to Meechum by an invisible leash. "How are you doing?"
"Starting to get nervous." James whispered to her mother. "He hasn't stopped staring at me since we walked in."
"It's almost over." Claire reminded her, slipping her hand into James'.
As the photographers left the room, Francis walked over to Claire and James, tugging on his cuffs as if dusting them off. "One step closer." He kissed Claire's cheek, resting his hand on her lower back. "We have a situation in China."
"You want help?" Claire asked.
Francis nodded. "Your opinion would be helpful." He turned to James. "Do you mind hanging out with Meechum the rest of the day?"
"No, that's fine." James breathed. She gripped her mother's hand when she saw Gordon sitting on the couch, staring at her, with an arrangement of hunting knives resting on the coffee table in front of him. He was holding the knife he had used to cut her. "Daddy."
Francis stepped in front of James, turning his attention to the President. "I didn't realize we were carving an animal to toast the occasion."
Garrett chuckled softly. "Sorry. Gordon, put those away." He stepped closer to Francis. "He's been getting into hunting lately. I don't understand why. He's never been hunting."
"Can I at least show them the one you got me?" Gordon asked walking up beside his father.
"Fine, but only for a moment." Garrett smiled a stepped to the side, allowing his son to step forward.
Francis reached back and grabbed his daughter's hand that was clinging to his suit jacket when Gordon lifted up the knife. The blade was medium sized, a little shorter than a butter knife, but was hooked at the end, a tool used to rip flesh from an animal. It reeked of bleach. "Do you know how to use that kind of knife?" He asked.
Gordon smirked. "I've been practicing."
"Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need to get James to her appointment." Meechum said stepping up next to Francis.
Francis turned to Meechum, glancing at his daughter. "Alright." Hugging James, he kissed the side of her head. "I'll see you tonight, darlin'."
James squeezed his hand. "Bye Daddy."
"I'll walk you out." Claire said tugging on her daughter's hand.
Once they walked out of the room, James turned to Meechum. "I don't remember having an appointment today."
"You don't, but I needed to get you out of there." Meechum stated glancing at the closed door. "That was the knife, wasn't it?"
James put a hand on her stomach, trying to ease the twisting knots. "Yes." She closed her eyes, relying on the support from Meechum's arm wrapped around her waist. "I need to go home."
Claire hugged her daughter. "The car is out front." She looked back at Meechum. "Call me when you two get back to the house."
"Yes, Ma'am." Meechum nodded before walking with James out of the White House.
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