A/N: As a thank you for all of the kind reviews you guys have left me, I'm giving you an extra-long chapter. I hope you like it, it's another one of my favorites.

Chapter Eleven.

"Okay. I want you to page Mrs. Underwood's doctor right away. She needs to be discharged, but do not tell anyone about this."

Meechum leaves the nurses station and enters Claire's room, gently shaking her awake.

"Sorry Ma'am to wake you, but we need to leave." Claire rubs her eyes as she tries to comprehend what Meechum is saying.

"Edward, what's happening?"

"The orderly…or whoever he was…shouldn't have been in here. We need to move you back to D.C. for your protection. The doctor is coming up to discharge you right now."

Claire nods and reaches for her phone, but Meechum stops her.

"You can call him when we get to the plane. The fewer people know about this, the better. You should get dressed. Your husband left your bag here when he left."

She puts down her phone and looks over at Meechum holding her suitcase. Her cheeks flush when she realizes she requires Meechum's assistance to get dressed.

"Sorry to interrupt, Mrs. Underwood, I hear you are itching to get out of here," Dr. Carter, the surgeon who operated on Claire, says.

"Yes, I need to get back to D.C. quicker than I thought," Claire responds. Meechum leaves while the doctor does an examination of Claire and goes over her discharge instructions. Dr. Carter exits and Meechum comes back in.

"I won't look ma'am," Meechum promises her.

"I know you won't, Edward," Claire assures him. Together, they get Claire dressed in a white dress shirt with a navy skirt. They sneak her out the back exit of the hospital, away from the press who, luckily, aren't informed about the second lady's quick departure.

When Claire is safely in the air, she checks with Meechum to be sure she can call her husband.

"We should be okay now ma'am, if you want to call the vice president."

Claire dials Frank, wondering how she is going to explain this to him.

"Hey," Frank says when he answers the phone. He leans back in his office chair, shooing away the person coming into his office.

"Hey."

"What's that noise? I can barely hear you."

"Oh…I'm on a plane." Frank tilts his head in confusion, he thought his wife told him she wasn't being discharged until tomorrow morning.

"Why are you on a plane?" Hearing nothing, Frank jerks forward in his chair. "Claire, why are you on a plane?"

"When I got back from physical therapy this afternoon there was someone in my room that shouldn't've been there. Edward thought it was best that I come back to Washington."

Frank takes a minute to absorb what Claire is relaying to him before his mouth flies open.

"Oh my God."

"What?"

"Last night, Tusk came by my office looking for me, but I wasn't there. Hannah was, and she told him that you were still in the hospital to trap him."

Claire follows what Frank is telling her, but she doesn't see this as confirmation like her husband does. Her shooting made national news, someone else could've easily infiltrated her hospital room without it being Tusk. Frank wants it to be Tusk because then he can be removed from the White House.

"Francis, do not go after him. We need to think this through."

"I will see you when you get home." Frank tells her and hangs up the phone. Claire lets her phone fall into her lap and shakes her head. She hopes her husband isn't going to act impulsively about this, he could easily expose them.

Frank leans his hand on his chin. He didn't understand what Hannah was doing until now. It has to be Tusk behind all this, it's the only thing that makes sense. Claire is right though, he can't just confront him based off this information alone. They need more.

A few hours later, the plane touches down in Washington. Meechum has a car waiting to take him and Claire wherever she wants.

"Ma'am, where would you like to go?" Meechum asks Claire. Claire checks the time on her phone. It's after three, meaning Hannah will be home from school. She doesn't want to disturb Frank at work.

"Back to the townhouse, please."

Hannah is doing her homework at the table when she sees Meechum come through the door holding luggage. Her eyebrows raise, she doesn't know why the agent is here when he should be guarding her mother in South Carolina.

"Meechum? What are you doing here?" Hannah asks.

"You'll find out," Meechum winks at her and takes the luggage upstairs. Claire walks in behind him, holding her purse in her good hand.

"Mom!" Hannah throws down her pencil and rushes over to hug her mother.

"Hey honey," Claire mumbles and wraps her arm around her daughter's back.

"What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming home until tomorrow. Does Dad know you're here?"

Claire laughs at her daughter's enthusiasm. Hannah isn't typically this talkative.

"Yes, your father knows I'm home. I asked to be discharged early and they agreed." Claire isn't going to admit the real reason she came home a day sooner. She doesn't want to unnecessarily scare the teenager.

"Okay, well I'm happy to see you. You missed Dad going into school today and getting my teacher fired."

Hannah had to hide her smirk when she watched Ms. Newbury collect her things. Nobody at her school knew it was Frank and Hannah that got her fired. Hannah would prefer to keep it that way. She doesn't need her classmates hating her more than they already do.

"I heard," Claire brings Hannah over to the dining room table where her daughter has her notebook and textbooks spread out. "Your dad also told me about the argument you two had while I was gone."

A frown breaks out on the teenager's face. She knew this conversation was coming, but not as soon as her mom came in the door.

"Is there anything you and Dad don't talk about with each other?" Claire shakes her head. Her daughter should know by now Frank and Claire tell each other everything.

"No. We don't keep secrets from one another. I know your dad can lose his temper sometimes, but he comes from a good place. He loves you, Hannah and he wants you to be safe."

"It wasn't him…this time. It was me. I came in acting like a brat and he called me out on it."

Claire nods, Frank didn't tell her any of this. He made it sound like it was his fault, not Hannah's.

"Your dad told me that a teacher said she wished your dad got shot too. What else happened?"

"There's more to it than that. A lot of my so-called friends…never mind. It doesn't matter." Hannah doesn't want her mother to feel guilty about something that isn't her fault.

Claire reaches across to tuck a piece of hair behind Hannah's ear. Her daughter shouldn't hold anything back from her. That's not the kind of relationship she wants to have with Hannah.

"Hannah, you can tell me and your dad anything."

"Kids in my class were telling me they wished you died."

Claire is undeterred by Hannah's confession. It's no secret her and Frank aren't well-liked. They don't particularly care as long as it doesn't affect their daughter.

"A lot of people don't like me and your father, but you shouldn't let that bother you."

"It does, Mom. It was hard to listen to people who I thought were my friends tell me that they wished you were dead."

"I know. And I don't like that it happened, but Hannah, you are going to hear a lot of things about me and your dad that aren't pleasant, especially when your father becomes president. What matters is what you know and what you believe."

Hannah smirks at her mother's mention of her father becoming president. As much as it pains her to admit, Claire is right. If Hannah crumbles every time she hears someone say something bad about her parents, she won't survive her father's presidency.

"And Hannah, anytime you see an opportunity for retaliation, you should take it," Claire advises, with her eyes sparkling. A grin splashes across the teenager's face, thinking of all the things she could do the kids at school who were mean to her. And the best part is, her parents would condone, encourage even, her actions.

Claire notices the spark she ignited in Hannah's brain. She trusts whatever her daughter is planning, she won't get caught.

"I'm going to unpack; your father should be home soon. Finish your homework before you start scheming," Claire instructs Hannah. She brushes a kiss to her daughter's head and heads into the master bedroom. Her luggage is already waiting for her on the bed.

Claire ends up falling asleep halfway through unpacking, the pain medication coursing through her makes her susceptible to naps. Frank comes into the townhouse a few hours later, carrying takeout.

"Hey Dad, you don't care that I cause a little chaos at school tomorrow, do you?" Hannah asks, her face radiating innocence. Frank sets the bag of food on the table and glances at his daughter. He can tell she is serious because Claire makes an identical expression when she has an idea.

"I don't care. Just make sure the police and press don't get involved and it doesn't trace back to you." He stops for a second, "your mother got to you, didn't she?"

"She merely told me that if I see an opening, I should take it." Frank shrugs, he doesn't see a problem with that.

"Where is your mom?"

"Upstairs. She said she was unpacking, but I think she fell asleep."

"How is she?" Frank asks Hannah since his daughter was the first to see his wife since she's been back.

"She seems fine…but it's hard to tell with her." Claire puts on a brave face, but Frank can eventually wear her down until she admits how she is truly feeling. His wife wouldn't reveal anything to Hannah.

"Okay, I'm going to get her. Feel free to start eating." Frank informs Hannah and climbs the stairs. He quietly opens and closes the door to their bedroom, seeing Claire sleeping under the covers. Frank flips off his shoes and climbs into bed with her, slipping his hand under the bend in her arm. Claire stirs and grabs his hand, enclosing it in her own.

When you have been married as long as Frank and Claire have, you notice the subtlest changes in your spouse.

It began with dinner after they came downstairs. Claire barely contributed to the conversation, nor did she touch her food. For a second, Hannah thought her parents fought while they were upstairs, but if that were the case, one of them would be absent at the dinner table. When dinner was over, Claire excused herself to go back to bed, not even sticking around for a nightly cigarette.

Frank decided that it wasn't the appropriate time to bring up the press conference they need to have. The press hasn't caught on yet that Claire isn't still in South Carolina, so they have some time. Of course, Frank will stall until Claire is comfortable to speak.

The next morning, Frank wakes up alone in bed. He rolls over, thinking she is in the bathroom. Frank doesn't see a light on the bathroom, meaning Claire must've snuck downstairs while he was still sleeping. He gets dressed and heads downstairs. Hannah already left for school with Meechum. Frank finds Claire standing in his study, the room they were going to start converting to a nursery when they got back from South Carolina. He comes up behind her, shoving his hands in pockets.

"You should go to work," Claire mutters, her voice barely above a whisper. She turns to face him. He is astonished by the ache visible in her cerulean eyes.

"I can stay." Claire nods and pivots on her heels, starting to walk out of the room. Frank stops her, his hand coiling around her wrist, gently bringing her back. He splashes his hands on her cheeks, forcing her to look at him. "When have we ever avoided each other?"

Claire's bottom lip quivers just the slightest bit and he brings her in for a hug, rubbing her back soothingly. She knows he's right, she shouldn't be keeping this from him. It's his loss too, not just hers. After a few moments, Claire pulls away, wiping the corner of her eye.

"Sweetheart, we can try again whenever you want to," Frank promises and sets his hand on her shoulder. She shakes her head.

"I…don't think we should." A deep furrow of Frank's eyebrows prompts Claire to elaborate. "I'm not making this decision out of fear. I just…a part of me feels relieved. We aren't capable of having a second child, not with where we want to go. I would rather have us in the White House."

"It doesn't have to be a choice."

"Yes, it does. We have to move forward. Someone is still out there trying to hurt us, we have to focus on that for now."

It's apparent to him Claire has made her mind up about this. He has never known her to act irrationally. If this is what she wants, he can live with it. And if he's being completely honest with himself, he is happy Claire made the decision not to try again for a second child. For as much as he tells her they don't have to choose between their career and family, they do. Frank can't be an effective father and president. And he wouldn't ask Claire to shoulder the responsibility of caring for a newborn and teenager alone.

It's just surprising to him that she had a sudden change of heart about having a second baby. She seemed so set on it six months ago, before all this happened to them. Maybe when they find the people who did this and Frank is occupying the Oval Office, they can revisit the idea if she still wants to.

"Okay, if that's what you want," Frank tells her, setting his hands on her shoulders. Claire slowly tilts her head up so her eyes are meeting his. His dark eyes flicker with an expression present since she woke up from her surgery. A carefully concealed look of pity, one she would have to search for if she hasn't been married to him for so long. Her mouth curls into a frown. She isn't fragile, the wrong words or actions won't shatter her.

"Don't coddle me, Francis." Her demand comes out as an agonized warning. Yes, they suffered a loss, but it is a necessary one. Another baby complicates their current plans, Claire was a fool to think otherwise. They will move past this and be stronger, together, but she can't have him looking at her the way he is now. It will only push her to internalize her feelings even more than she already does.

"You know that is something I would never do," he tells her sincerely. He respects her too much to patronize her. They still have the same mutual understanding they had when he proposed to her nearly three decades ago. He won't put her on a pedestal, and she won't rely on him to provide her happiness. They are equals in their partnership, that's the only way it will work.

"Good." Frank reaches up to pinch her cheek. He turns to leave, but Claire clasps his hand. "I have an idea." Her azure eyes are sparkling, similar to Hannah's yesterday when their daughter was scheming.

Frank follows her to the windowsill and lights a cigarette, eager to hear her plan.

News of Ms. Newbury's firing spread like wildfire through Hannah's school. It wasn't long before students started connecting the dots between the vice president's unexpected visit and the teacher packing her things. Hannah came into school fully prepared for ridicule, but the opposite happened. Now, she is using her newly elevated social status to her advantage, putting aside her plans for retribution for the time being.

"Hannah, literally everyone is talking about you," Lauren, Hannah's best friend, says as they are walking to class.

"Why?" Hannah isn't charismatic like her father. She doesn't command attention, nor does she relish in it. The teenager prefers quietly observing and only adding input when necessary, similar to her mother.

"Because of what your father did, silly. The man scares the shit out of me, but he did a good thing for this school."

"And that's the overwhelming consensus?"

"Don't worry…uh oh…Amanda, at your two o' clock." Hannah and Lauren are approached by Amanda Cormier, the most popular girl in school. Hannah and Amanda have worked together in the past, both using their fathers' positions to achieve their goals. Otherwise, they stay out of each other's way.

"Underwood, we need to talk," Amanda orders. Hannah bids goodbye to Lauren and follows Amanda into an empty hallway, Meechum hovering close by.

"Look, it wasn't my decision to fire her, it was my dad's." Hannah isn't scared of Amanda, but she would rather stay on her good side. She's seen Amanda and her minions unleash terror on an unsuspecting victim before and would like to avoid becoming another one if possible.

"Trust me, you and the Vice President did this school a favor. Which is why I need a favor from you."

Hannah is prepared to broker a deal with Amanda, having learned how to negotiate from years of watching her father.

"I'm not sure that's how that works, but I'm intrigued. Whatever it is, the press can't be involved, for obvious reasons."

"Neither of us wants that. You have the principal's ear now, thanks to your father, and I need to use that to our advantage."

"How?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I'm glad to know I have your full support. I'll see you around, Underwood."

"Wait. If I do something for you, you have to do something for me." Amanda quirks an eyebrow. Clearly, she doesn't comprehend the concept of a favor.

"What?"

"I want you to endorse me for student council elections this year, when I run. If you do that, I will tell my father to tell the principal to do whatever you please."

Hannah holds her hand out for Amanda to shake. The two teenagers shake hands, forming an unstable alliance. They part ways, and Meechum shakes his head when Hannah steps in sync with her security guard.

"What?" Hannah snaps at Meechum. Usually, the agent is silent most of the day, never offering his opinion about anything the teenager does.

"Nothing. It's just you reminded me so much of your parents just now." Hannah smirks, she can invoke the best attributes her parents passed down to her when necessary.

"Good."

"You have absolutely no intentions of keeping your part of the bargain with that girl. Do you?"

"Of course not, Meechum." Hannah will string Amanda along until she gets her endorsement. Then, she will tell Amanda her father said he won't risk intervening at the school again, for fear of the press catching on.

A puff of smoke filters out of Frank's mouth as he listens intently to Claire's plan. It's dubious, but risky. This could easily backfire on them if they don't play this carefully.

"You need to go to work. People are going to start asking questions," Claire instructs when she finishes her thoughts. Frank nods and puts out the cigarette, knocking twice on the windowsill.

"Are you okay with doing the press conference tomorrow?" Frank asks her. Claire nods and watches him go.

A few hours later, Frank is able to get President Walker and Raymond Tusk in the same room, faking a meeting about China. It doesn't take long for Tusk and Frank to be disagreeing about the president's course of action.

"No, you can't reason with these people, Raymond. We have…" Frank's rebuttal is interrupted by his cell phone. He suppresses his smile, it's time to put their plan into action. "I'm sorry, it's Claire. I have to take this." Frank steps aside, but still within hearing range of Walker and Tusk.

Claire hears Frank pick up the phone and she sets it down on the counter, letting him say what they rehearsed.

"Claire…C-slow…slow down, sweetheart. What is going on? I can't…Claire…I can't understand…okay…" Frank says, loud enough to capture Walker and Tusk's attention. "Listen…I will get you out of there…okay…bye."

"Frank? Is everything okay?" Walker asks. This is just too easy, Frank thinks to himself.

"No. Claire was attacked in her hospital room in Gaffney," Frank lies. Predictably, Walker looks genuinely surprised while Raymond fakes it.

"Oh my God. Is she alright?" Walker asks. Tusk still hasn't contributed to the conversation, just like Frank and Claire thought.

"Yes, she's just a little shaken up. She said someone must have found out where she was staying and came into her room while she was sleeping. Thankfully, Meechum was there to protect her. If you'll excuse me, I need to make some arrangements for her travel."

"Of course. Raymond and I will continue this in my office. We will update you when you sort everything out." Walker and Tusk vacate Frank's office. Frank waits until the door closes to call Doug.

"They bought it."

"Good. I will see where this goes, Sir."

When Frank and Hannah get home later that night, Claire is setting the table for dinner. Confusion ripples across both of their faces. They haven't seen Claire cook in a long time. Not unless it's a special occasion.

"Aren't you supposed to be relaxing?" Frank asks. He figures Claire got restless and decided to prepare a four-course meal. Hannah takes the plates from her mother and finishes setting the table. She is remaining silent in case this erupts into a full-fledged argument between her parents.

"Yes. You can bring the food to the table," Claire states and sits down. She doesn't have to explain to her husband the reason behind her sudden foray into domesticity. When she's anxious and housebound, she cooks.

Frank does as requested and sits across from his wife, eyeing her carefully. She seems to be in better spirits than this morning, but something is still bothering her. He won't get her to admit what it is until she is ready.

"Hannah, your father and I are holding a press conference tomorrow. You don't have to be there," Claire informs their daughter.

Oh. That's what she's worried about. Frank thinks to himself. It makes sense, given they are going to speak about her shooting. Claire hasn't fully processed what has happened to her yet. Revealing it to the public might not be cathartic for her.

"Okay. Have you thought about what you are going to say?"

"Seth is drawing up a statement for us," Frank answers for his wife. It would be better for them if they went off a pre-determined statement so there isn't room for error. Hopefully their new communications director is up to the task.

"Your visit to my school yesterday helped me, Daddy. Apparently, the most popular girl in school owes me a favor." Hannah changes the subject, tearing her father's eyes away from analyzing her mother.

"Good. It's always nice to be collecting favors. Isn't that right, Claire?"

Her father is antagonizing her mother and Hannah can't figure out why. Typically, if her parents are angry at each other, they avoid one another. Now, it's almost like her father is trying to get a rise out of her mother for an unknown reason. She was silent at dinner last night too, but her father left it alone. Not tonight though, he suddenly wants her input on everything.

"Of course." Is all Claire offers. Frank is punishing her for her silence. This is his way of telling her she should move beyond their conversation they had this morning. To look ahead, not back. A swift turnaround from the we-can-try-again attitude he possessed earlier.

"Why are you guys acting so weird?" Hannah asks. She doesn't expect an honest answer, not now anyway. Her parents will clue her in if they deem it necessary.

"We aren't. Finish your dinner," Frank instructs his daughter. Hannah scoffs and shoves a bite of food in her mouth to appease her father. Claire fires a warning glare at her husband. Lashing out at their daughter for inquiring about their silent argument is not constructive.

Claire momentarily leaves the table to grab a bottle of wine, pouring a healthy cup for herself. Frank eyes her, but doesn't comment. It's not his place to monitor her drinking. If he notices it becoming a problem, he will address it privately.

"I have a lot of homework to finish so…" Hannah excuses herself from the table without her parents' permission. She has no idea what is transpiring between her parents, but whatever it is, they can figure it out amongst themselves. She isn't going to be used as a pawn between them.

Claire and Frank eat their dinner in silence for a few moments, waiting until their daughter is out of hearing range.

"What you are doing is childish, Francis," Claire states.

"Is it?"

"Yes. You are scolding me."

"And why would I be doing that, Claire?" Frank asks and reaches across the table, taking a generous sip of her wine. Claire ignores her food, pushing her plate away so she can rest her arm on the table.

"I'm fully committed to what we are doing and where we are going."

"I don't have any doubts about that."

"We don't lie to each other. If there's something you need to say, say it."

She would rather have him yell at her than lie to her. Claire won't tolerate Frank lying to her face. They aren't like other couples, they don't have secrets from each other.

"I was uncomfortable with the way we left things this morning. I feel like you are hiding something from me."

Claire leans back in her chair, crossing her legs.

"What do you think it is that I'm keeping from you?"

Frank gets up from his chair and walks over to her, kneeling down. Claire tilts her head so she is eye-level with him.

"I can't have you thinking that I feel sorry for you, Claire. I don't love you any less or think of you differently because you had a miscarriage."

Frank knows all of her secrets, every dark fragment of her that makes her whole. As she does for him.

"That look in your eyes when we were speaking this morning…you haven't had that look since…McGinnis. I won't have my husband looking at me that way."

Claire is reopening an old wound in order to close a current one. They haven't spoken about her rape since the night of the pinning ceremony when Frank found out who had done it. She hopes to have the same outcome with her miscarriage, but not before they settle this issue between them.

His hand maneuvers its way to the back of her head, roughly pushing her lips against his. She accepts the kiss for what it is; his way of communicating to her he will treat her the same as he always has. She is his wife, his partner and his equal. Nothing changes that.

Their swollen lips separate with a smack. They can't escalate because of her current condition.

"Francis, we need to talk to Hannah," Claire whispers. Frank clasps her hand and walks with her upstairs to their daughter's room, knocking softly.

"Come in," Hannah yells from the other side of the door. She is shocked to see both parents entering her room. "Hey."

Frank and Claire sit on opposite sides of their daughter's bed. Hannah abandons her homework and focuses her attention on her parents.

"Hannah, what we did at dinner was unfair to you," Claire begins. Hannah nods. This as close as it gets to her mom apologizing to her.

"We didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable," Frank adds.

"I know. You guys can discuss things in front of me. I don't want there to be any secrets," Hannah mutters.

"We understand," Claire agrees, ignoring Frank's questioning gaze. They can't afford to be transparent with Hannah, their daughter wouldn't look at her parents the same if she knew all that they've done to get where they are today.

"Is everything sorted out between you two?" Hannah asks.

"Yes. Your mother and I talked, and it won't happen again. We are moving forward, we all are." Frank winks at Claire.

"Okay. Since we are being honest with each other…I've been…having nightmares."

Claire's mouth curls into a frown as a distressed look appears on Frank' face.

"Why didn't you say anything to us?" Frank asks.

"With everything going on, I didn't want you to worry about me. I'm fine, it's not every night." Hannah downplays it to alleviate any unnecessary guilt her parents might be feeling.

"Hannah, I want you to come into our room if you need to," Claire says firmly.

"I will," Hannah ducks her head, embarrassed by what she just admitted. Frank catches her chin, tilting her chin up.

"We love you, Hannah. We should say that more often to each other," Frank mumbles, stealing a line from his wife.

"I love you guys too."

Claire and Frank leave their daughters room, going into their own.

"Did you know she was having nightmares?" Claire asks Frank as she sits on their bed. She doubts it, their daughter usually confides in her before him.

"No, but it makes sense, with everything that has been going on," Frank says over his shoulder while getting undressed.

"Let's keep an eye on her."

"Of course." Frank approaches her, threading his fingers through hers.

"Are we any closer to getting Tusk?"

"Doug is going to watch him for the rest of the day and give me an update after the press conference tomorrow."

Frank turns to leave, but Claire keeps a firm grip on his hand. He quirks an eyebrow, wondering what his wife is thinking. She wraps an arm around his waist, bringing him in front of her. With her good hand, she lowers his zipper, a seductive simper forming on her lips.

"Here, let me," Frank says the next morning. Claire is struggling to dress herself due to her injury. He can only imagine how frustrating it must be for someone as independent as her to suddenly depend on someone to complete such a mundane task. His hand navigates to the zipper of her navy dress, gliding it up her spine.

"Thank you," Claire whispers. She is grateful she didn't have to ask him for help. Frank slips his hands through the gap in her arms, fanning his hands out on her waist. His lips dust the nape of her neck.

"We don't have to do this if you aren't ready." Claire doesn't have to sacrifice her privacy for them if she doesn't want to. They could easily release a written statement to be read and dissected by every major news outlet in the country. Face time isn't necessary, nobody has to see her shoulder wrapped in a sling.

She spins to face him, her heels making him eye-level with her. A feeling she can't explain is compelling her to step outside of her comfort zone and offer pieces of herself to the media.

"I'm ready." Her tone doesn't leave any wiggle room for doubt. People are waiting for them outside the townhouse, it would look bad if they canceled now. Not that Frank cares, he would still do the press conference without her if necessary.

"Okay…here," He hands her the sling, so she can position it just-so. She clicks it into place, wincing the slightest bit at the abrupt movement in her shoulder. Frank gulps back his comment about taking something for the pain. Claire won't, no matter how crippling it becomes. "Stunning. Shall we?"

"Yes." They descend the stairs hand-in-hand, nodding at the Secret Service to open the door to their townhouse, out into the press eager to hang on every word uttered from their mouths.

A/N 2: Next chapter, Claire and Frank's press conference doesn't go as planned and there's a surprise nobody will see coming. I can't wait! Please leave a review and thank you for reading. Happy Holidays!