Please spam the reviews if I don't update on Monday's... sorry I'm late (again)


acaronar: to tenderly, lovingly pull someone closer

Henry woke up the following morning and smiled as he saw his wife still peacefully asleep. He folded the covers open and he wondered when he had even put them on. His heart skipped a beat when he looked around the room and found all three children there. It seemed like they had gathered all the pillows and blankets in the house and now lay huddled together on the ground.

He was surprised he hadn't heard them come in, but then again he had been exhausted. He knew their kids wanted to be close to their mother.

A slight murmur coming from his right caused him to glace at his wife. A frown covered her face and she was squirming in her sleep. He touched her arm gently and she woke up. Her eyes shot open, but she didn't move away from his touch. Bringing his finger up to his lips, he looked at their kids. She followed his eyes and smiled at the sight.

She had to keep herself from crying, because she didn't want that to be the first thing she did this morning. Instead, her face turned to Henry again and she leaned closer. By now, he new the drill and lay still as she kissed him.

"Move." It was a barely audible whisper, but he knew what she meant.

Every fiber in her body screamed at her to stop, but she pushed her feelings down and kissed him again. This time, she felt him kiss her back ever so slightly and after a while, when the feelings became too much, she pulled back.

"Ouch." They heard from somewhere on the ground and they found Stevie waking up, followed by her other two siblings. "You kick in your sleep."

Jason looked at her offended and ready to fight back when a glance at their parents' bed made him shut up. Both parents were giving them an amused smile.

"Did we wake you?" Alison sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"No, we were already awake." Henry promised them. "Why are you guys on the floor?"

"We wanted to be with mom." Jason admitted with a tired sigh and all three kids looked slightly embarrassed.

"Then get in bed." Elizabeth forced her aching body in the middle of the bed. Stevie and Alison each sat on one side and Henry had been banned from the bed, not that he minded. Jason sat next to one of his sisters, but his mom grabbed his hand for comfort.

"I'll make breakfast." Henry smiled as he waited a little while, enjoying the sight of his family for a moment.

Her kids were back in her arms and it was a moment she had dreamed so many times of. She felt like everything inside her melted at their contact. She knew there would be tears in her eyes, because at this moment she believed that every bit of the nightmare that she had gone through the past year, had been worth it to bring her back to this.

"Next time wake us up, okay? You shouldn't have to sleep on the ground."

"We can't really fit five people in a twin bed." Stevie mused. "and we didn't want to wake you or dad."

"Besides, I haven't slept this good in over a year." Alison admitted. Ever since she lost- or thought she lost- her mother, she had been suffering from insomnia. Sleep wouldn't come easily at night and she even fell asleep in class once.

Fortunately, her teacher was aware of her circumstances and let her off the hook. He had told her to go home and sleep, but no matter how tired she was, she couldn't find sleep.

Elizabeth felt a flicker of something deep within her belly and she recognized it immediately as guilt. Guilt of putting her family through this much heartbreak. For causing her kids to suffer and be the reason for their pain.

Almost instinctively, her hand lifted up to Alison's face and she brushed hair away from her eyes, before reaching up to touch her face as if she was trying to remember what she had felt like.

"I'm so proud of all of you."

"I'm going to see if dad need any help." Stevie pressed a kiss on her mother's head and left the room. She knew her dad was having a hard time as well and she wanted to make things as easy for him as possible.

"Mom?" Alison's voiced sounded scared and she squeezed her hand.

"Yeah?"

"I thought you were dead."

"It was all a lie." She pulled her towards her, ignoring the sharp pain that stroke up through her shoulder as her arms circled around her daughter, and she all but crushed her to her chest. She felt Alison press her face against her good shoulder, and she knew her daughter was holding onto her with the same kind of desperation that she was.

"I had the same dream over and over again. You were trying to wake me up for school and so I'd have like ten seconds where I could feel you. Feel you brushing hair off my face or squeezing my shoulders or tickling me. And then I'd wake up, really wake up and then I'd remember that you were dead."

"Oh, noodle."

"And I would lie in bed and just hope it was all a bad dream, but it never was."

Both mother and daughter let their tears fall and they felt Jason wrapping his arms around the pair. He knew his dad needed him to be strong as well, but right now he just couldn't be. His mother's presence was enough for him to tear up.

"I'm never leaving you again." She promised, her voice not nearly as steady as she desperately wanted it to be.

"Hey," Stevie walked back in, followed by Henry as they were both carrying trays. "I want in on that."

She set down her tray at the end of the bed and joined the hug situation that was currently happening on the bed. No matter how badly Henry wanted to join, he decided to give his wife a moment with the kids.

"Bagels?" Elizabeth's eyebrow shot up in confusion and she wondered if they had gone out to get them. They hadn't been gone that long.

"They were sent by Blake and-" Henry thought about his choice of words for a moment. They were no longer her staff, so he settled for the next best thing he could think of. "-Blake and the others."

She hadn't thought about them yet. She couldn't imagine what they went through. To lose two Secretary's of State couldn't be easy.

"How are they? How's Blake?" She had always found Blake like a little brother to her. He took amazing care of her family even beyond the job description.

"Blake had a rough time, but after a while he got back on track. He still works at the State department and he calls every week to make sure the kids and I are still okay."

"And the others?"

"Nadine moved to California to be with her son. She has a grandchild now. Daisy had her baby and is now dating Matt. Jay and Abby patched things up for Chloe's sake."

She thought about how much had changed. Nadine as a grandmother. Daisy as a mother. She had always known Matt and Daisy would end up together. From day one day had this chemistry, but they both tried so hard to deny it. Convincing everyone around them that, really nothing was going on.

"Let's eat." Stevie and Henry took place on the end of the bed and handed his wife a plate.

Breakfast was the same as it had been the day before. She barely ate anything, and he made a mental note to check her weight daily. If she wanted to get better, she would have to gain her strength. The way to do that was by eating, but that wasn't something she seemed to be all too interested in.

He was sure the kids noticed, but they all respectfully kept it to themselves. It wasn't until after breakfast and Henry had gone downstairs to clean up, that his youngest daughter walked in.

"So, dad, I was thinking." Alison started as she lingered around the kitchen counter. She had left her siblings upstairs with her mother, so she could have a moment alone with her dad.

"About?"

"Tomorrow is Monday and I'm supposed to go back to college. I was just thinking-" Before she could even finish asking if she could stay home an extra week, her dad interrupted.

"No, you're going back to school tomorrow." Henry was aware his daughter wanted to be close to her mother, but he refused to let her drop out. He knew Elizabeth would agree with him. "Mom will still be here next weekend."

"But dad-"

"You're going."

Alison sighed, but eventually gave in. "Okay, but on one condition. You guys video call everyday."

"Promise." He pulled his daughter close for a moment before he finished cleaning and Alison returned upstairs.

"I'm really glad mom's home."

"Me too."

Henry had helped his wife downstairs and she was now sitting comfortably on the couch. Alison and Stevie were with her while Jason sat at the breakfast table writing a paper.

With everything that happened, he had forgotten about it, but he wanted to finish it. He knew school would understand if he didn't meet the deadline, but it was a nice distraction.

Every now and then he listened to his mom talking to his sisters. They were talking about some new fashion trend and it made him feel slightly left out. He had missed his mom just as much as they had, but somehow, they found it easier to reconnect.

Unbeknown to Jason, his dad was watching him. Henry noticed the expression on his son's face and the hint of jealousy. He didn't want to burden Elizabeth with it, but he would tell her if Jason still felt that way after a while.

After Henry had made lunch and they ate together, he helped Elizabeth upstairs since she wanted to get changed out of her pj's.

"I promise eye contact only." Henry guided her to the bathroom and brought some comfortable clothes with him. He took a step closer and touched the hem of her shirt. "Allow me."

She froze, and her eyes widened with horror. For a moment, she was back in the room and there was so much pain. She could hear someone crying and she knew she was the one doing it, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. Everything hurt, and she heard a voice.

His voice.

"Allow me." His hands roamed her body, but she wasn't able to do anything except squirm under his touch. The bindings held her in place and she pleaded for him to stop.

She snapped out of her memory and looked up at Henry, everything around them blurring, and though she knew she was safe at home, she didn't feel like it. Her mind was still back there, and she took a step back.

"What is it?" Henry's voice was filled with worry and he took a step back as well to give her a sense of personal space. "Talk to me."

"I- I can't." It was a soft whisper, but he heard it.

"Let me in." His tone was so very gentle, and she finally looked him in the eye.

"His hands were- I couldn't stop it I just wanted him to stop." She sounded so broken and he wished he could just take her in his arms. The sobs coming from her were heartbreaking and he wished there was a way for all of this to go away.

"Can I please hold you?" He asked, trying to ignore the impulse he had to his wife's words; unfortunately for him, though, his mind was giving him horrifically graphic visuals involving her being hurt as she had suggested.

But he figured if Elizabeth could hold herself together right now, well then so could he.

Elizabeth wiped her tears away and took a step closer. "Can you please just help me get dressed."

"Alright." Henry managed to get her out of her clothes without breaking eye contact and when he was about to help her put on her sweatpants, she stopped him.

"Did I hurt you?" His immediate worry warmed her heart, but also showed her how careful he was around her.

"No." Her gentle tone easing his worry and she pressed her lips together as she stared at him for a moment.

She now noticed the dark circles under his eyes. Though it had only been a year, he looked like he had aged. Through this all, his soft eyes were ever so familiar and gave her all the strength she needed to continue. Knowing he would be by her side no matter what.

"Look." She whispered and for a moment Henry didn't understand what she meant. He was already looking at her.

Then it hit him. She was telling him she was ready for him to see. To see the injuries on her body and the history of what she had been through the past year.

She might be ready, but perhaps he wasn't.

Swallowing hard, his eyes shifted down to her body. They landed on a cut between her breasts. Her bra was covering it slightly, but he still noticed it. Next was the bruising on her ribs followed by some bruises on her legs. When his eyes reached her ankle injury, his eyes were filled with tears.

Henry was someone who could take a lot. He could handle the pressure of his wife's job and the media that would spread rumors. He handled being deployed and being in warzones.

But there was one thing how couldn't handle; seeing his family hurt.

"Henry." Elizabeth's voice sounded more like a sigh and his eyes snapped up to meet hers.

"Did he-"

"No." Her tone was flat, but her usually bright blue eyes showed a darkness that betrayed her.

"Babe." A desperate plea that she could no longer ignore. He deserved to know the truth.

"Almost. He did a lot of things, but I think that's where he drew the line."

"But he said he took you because you rejected him."

"It was about power." Despite all of her instincts telling her to do otherwise, she stepped closer to him. As she grabbed his hand and held it against her chest, she forced him to look at her. "I don't want him to take anything else from us."

"Is it okay if I kiss you?" Henry asked, and Elizabeth's face filled with joy. The fact that he asked gave her butterfly's in her stomach and she was certain things were going back to before.

"Yes." She leaned forward, ignoring the alarm bells that went off in her mind. His lips softly brushed against hers and she enjoyed it for a few second before pulling away.

It would be a hard and very long road, but the love she still held for him was enough for her to keep going.

They managed to get dressed and although Henry had seen the extend of his wife's injuries, he respectfully avoided staring.

When helping her downstairs, they walked past Jason's bedroom and noticed him in bed. He probably didn't get a full night's sleep, so he took a nap.

She stopped and told Henry to go downstairs. Hesitantly, he left her as he moved downstairs to find his daughters.

Elizabeth reached Jason's bed and lay down next to him without waking him up. He had always been a deep sleeper and she was glad at least something hadn't changed.

The past year and especially the past few days must have been exhausting for all of them. Usually Jason wasn't the type to nap, but then again that could be something he had picked up over the past year.

"Mom?" Jason mumbled suddenly, sleepily looking up at her. "You're here, right? I didn't dream everything?"

"It wasn't a dream. I am here, slugger," she assured him, her hand moving to his cheek. She ran the back of her fingers across his skin, so very soft.

He smiled. "Just making sure." He yawned then and closed his eyes again.

She waited until she was sure he was asleep before she got up and made her way downstairs. Before she was even halfway down, Henry rushed to her aid and wanted to help her downstairs.

"Stop," She demanded. "Stop treating me like I'm some sick child that can't stand on their own. I don't need you thinking that if you don't worry about me every five seconds, I must break in half." Her eyes blazing with an icy defiance that seems both disturbingly familiar and deeply unsettling to Henry; while he had wanted Elizabeth to find her fight again, he wanted it to be on her terms.

"I'm sorry." His tone so very gentle and non-combative.

"No," She sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Mom?" Stevie and Alison walked in to find their parents. They had heard the argument between the two of them.

"I'm okay." She told them, but she knew it was an empty promise after what they had just heard.

"Ali and I were going to watch a movie if you want to join?" Stevie offered. She hoped it would take her mother's mind off things for a moment.

"Yeah." Elizabeth glanced one last time at Henry and grabbed his hand for a moment. Giving it a gentle squeeze, she smiled at him and hoped he would forgive her little outburst.

She followed her two daughters and they watched a movie. They had picked a non-violent, comedy movie and she enjoyed spending time with her kids.

TBC