To my siblings, just 'cause you're there.
Love ya! ;D
Hotel | by Breanne Nedra | June 26th, 2014
Ted stood uneasily as the guards came to lead him to the Oval Office. It was just over an hour after Ned called Sinead and told her of the bet the brothers had placed, and Sinead had just arrived to help them sort out the dilemma.
The President felt terrible for having to continually drag his sister back into the mess they were in with increasingly arduous tasks. First she was bait, then she had to play nurse, and then her brothers decide to use her as the deciding piece in a stupid bet. Ted couldn't honestly say he'd blame her if she never spoke to them again once all this was over. She wanted no part of Ned's criminal side to begin with, let alone being left to clean up the messes he made in his wake. Ted decided he'd make it up to her somehow; although he couldn't think of anything big enough to compensate.
At that moment, Ian came walking down the hall, having finally come back from wherever it was that he'd went after Ted was arrested. He smiled pleasantly at the guards escorting Ted. "Hello, gentlemen. Please, allow me to take it from here." He flashed his MI6 badge for good measure.
Thankfully they backed off and hustled off to their posts. When they were out of sight, Ian reached into the inner pocket of his coat and pressed something into Ted's hand. "Save it for a rainy day," he murmured quietly. "I have a bad feeling about this."
Ted looked down at the item and a gasp was pulled from his lungs.
In his hands was a shiny dart gun, loaded with darts, probably filled with some sort of specialty Lucian poison Ian whipped up in his spare time. With a note of desperation, Ted tried to give it back. "I really don't think I'll need this," he insisted.
"Well, keep it anyway," Ian half-grumbled. "On the off chance I'm wrong and you don't need it, it will be a lovely impeachment gift, wouldn't you say?"
"What if you're wrong and I'm not impeached?" Ted questioned, fingering the weapon nervously. "What is it then?"
Ian laughed. "Oh, that will never happen." He clapped his hands twice in a Let's hustle manner. "Chop-chop! Places to go, people to see." He walked off.
Ted sighed, ill at ease, and tucked the gun into his jacket pocket. He wasn't liking where this was going at all.
"Can I have the Secret Service back?" Ted muttered quietly as he trailed nervously after Ian.
Before he opened the door, Ian grabbed Ted's arm to make it look like he had led the President to the Oval Office. When the door opened, Ted couldn't suppress a grimace.
Sinead sat on one couch, staring down into a cup of jasmine tea, refusing to look at either of her brothers. Ned sat on the other couch, and turned when he heard the door open to flash a smile at the newcomers. He gave a little wave, and Ted couldn't help but notice he used his right hand to do it. In an attempt to not seem rude, Ted waved back as Ian guided him over and sat him down next to his brother.
It was going to end here.
"Anytime you're ready, Sinead," Ian said, taking a standing position next to Amy.
Sinead took a deep, shaky breath in a fruitless attempt to calm her nerves. She cast her brothers a fleeting glance. Swallowed. Finally, after what seemed like eternity, she began softly, "I would like to say something before I make my decision." She looked over at Ian, who motioned for her to continue. "Well," she said, "I would first like to tell Ted that I'm not mad at him for bringing me into this – repeatedly – because I know he's just trying to do what he thinks is right, and I can't get mad at him for it because that's why I encouraged him so fervently to go into politics after he made the decision to; I knew he would make the hard choices and do the right things, even if he risked losing something dear to him in the process." She gave her teacup a small smile, but Ted knew it was for him. "Ted, I really admire that about you, and I'm so happy and proud of the person you've grown up to be. You're better than me inside and out, and I know I don't say this often, but... I love you. And I'm so lucky to have you as a brother."
Ted bit back a smile, the tears that threatened to well up, and the words that longed to jump from his throat. He had to remain passive so he and Ned looked the same. But internally, he was jumping for joy and wanted nothing more than to wrap his sister in a gigantic hug.
Maybe that would come later.
"And now for you, Ned," Sinead continued. "I first want to apologize for what I'm about to do. I don't want it to end like this, I don't want you to go to jail, I don't want to be the one who sends you there, but... I can't deny that you made your own decisions. And while I'm not proud of those decisions, growing up I couldn't have asked for a better brother. You were the one I could always count on; the one who was always there for me even if you didn't feel like it; the one who went out of his way to see me smile, even if all you did was tell a corny joke. You spent a solid week almost constantly on Facebook, even though I and our parents and Ted all got mad at you for ignoring us, because you were coordinating a thirteenth birthday party, and you didn't want to tell anybody because you wanted it to be a surprise for me and Ted, even though it was your birthday, too. And to this day, that is still one of the nicest things anyone as ever done for me."
Ted glanced over at Ned, who had his lips pressed together and was obviously putting in a Herculean effort not to laugh or even smile at the memory. But in his defense, Ted was having the same problem; that had been the best birthday party he'd ever had. The Pin the Nucleus in the Atom game had been pure genius, as had the little teacups made out of molded chocolate. Ned had been careful to plan things that both of his siblings would like, and it had resulted in an amazing party.
Ted happened to catch Ned's eye, and for a second it was like they were kids again, and they shared a smile.
"All that said," Sinead went on, "I guess the only thing left, Ned, is to say that I love you more than words can describe, and that I'm so, so sorry for what I'm about to do. I don't want to, and I hope that on that ground you can forgive me." Finally, she looked up at her brothers, studying their faces like they would disappear forever and she needed to memorize them before that happened. Ted knew she wasn't trying to figure out who was whom. She just wanted to get a last look. After a minute, she turned to the Secret Service agent behind her, pointed at Ned and said, "That's him."
Ned offered her a smile. "That party was no big deal, Sinead. I'd wanted to do it. You guys were really all I had growing up, and the little things you did for me always meant a lot, even though I never said so."
"We both love you, Ned," Ted piped in as the Secret Service agents beckoned Ned to stand. "And I know I speak for both of us when I say that we forgive you."
Ned smiled widely. "Thanks, guys. You're the best. You almost made me reconsider what I'm about to do, but I figure you can forgive me again."
"What're you-"
Quick as a flash, Ned kicked one agent in the leg and spun to give the other a left hook suited for an MMA fighter. The agent fell, out cold.
Hamilton and Dan converged in an attempt to cut him off, but he ignored them, racing to the hallway and narrowly missing being nabbed by Amy who had predicted the move.
Ted was on his feet, listening to the sound of Ned's retreating footsteps and the heavy breathing from his team.
Ian had done nothing to help, and instead stood exactly where he had after putting Ted on the couch, shaking his head. "I told you something bad was bound to happen."
Ted released a sharp, irritated exhale. "I hate it when you're right," he huffed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the dart gun.
Sinead stiffened when she noticed the weapon. "What are you going to do with that?"
"Relax, it's just a dart gun."
"Really? Because it looks like a real gun!"
"My own design," Ian said smugly. He turned to Ted. "Sounds like Ned was headed toward the Press Briefing Room, no doubt planning to escape through the garden and over the fence like last time."
"Then I should be able to cut him off through this door," Ted said, and sprinted to the door that led straight to the garden from the Oval Office, bursting into the evening sunshine.
He scanned the yard, paying careful attention to bushes and shaded areas where Ned could easily hide in the receding light. Suddenly, he saw him: a figure running through the garden, full-speed.
Ted didn't hesitate; he ran after his brother.
He caught up easily when Ned reached the fence and realized he didn't have enough time to scale it. He couldn't get out from here; not before Ted got to him. Ned reached into the pocket of his suit and pulled out a pistol, whipping around and aiming right at Ted, who already had his realistic-looking gun aimed.
It was a stand-off.
Ned's smile, which had been so warm and genuine back in the Oval Office, had gotten its sinisterness back. Panting, he said, "So. This is what it comes down to. What happened to love, Ted?"
"I don't know, Ned. Probably the same thing that happened to 'sorry.'"
Ned gave a chuckle. "Touché."
"You know, it's not too late. You can still turn yourself in. I can still pardon you. We can be best friends again, just like we were growing up. I promise." Ted looked at his brother hopefully. "What do you say?"
Ned thought a moment before replying, "I say you're kidding yourself. You thought I would give up that easily?" He chuckled again.
"I had hoped," Ted replied.
"Yeah, right." Ned brushed his cheek against his shoulder, wiping away sweat. "You may as well just give up, Ted. We both know you'd never shoot me."
The President licked his lips. "Oh, no?"
He didn't even flinch as he pulled the trigger.
