Power
Friday, November 3rd, 2018, 09:00a.m.
The White House

For the first time since months, Jack wore a suit. As he had looked into the mirror this morning, seeing himself in that outfit- with a neatly done red tie, this expensive wear, he had finally realized that he'd be really doing this now. That he'd said yes to President Taylor, that he'd joined a group of people he had never thought to be in. Politics. She hadn't left him much choice.
The last time he had been so close to the political community was as David Palmer had been president of this country. Then again, in Secretary Heller's administration.
This was a totally different kind of war.

He had met Heller today morning- he'd resume his duties as Secretary of Defense. Heller had been sparing with words for what reason ever.

Jack met Colonel Tusker, striding down the corridor to the white house ceremonial hall, where his inauguration would take place. The ceremony was already going on. Protocol expected his arrival in two minutes.

„Harry.", Jack greeted his soon to be right hand man.
Tusker joined him on his way down the corridor.

He owned that man so much, it was indescribable. Tusker had been the force in the background to have Anderson senior removed as Secretary of Defense and to send Miles Anderson to a trial for attempted murder. Jack was also sure that it had been Tusker's choice to leak the video of his interrogation to the press… but they both just didn't talk about it. Some things were best left unsaid.

„Did you see Audrey again, Harry?", Jack asked.

„Yes, yesterday.", Tusker answered in passing, while he checked on the adjustment of his service uniform. They were about to enter another flurry of camera flashes in a short time. „Are you ready for the show?", he asked Jack, smiling.

But Jack's thoughts weren't directed at what would wait for them behind the door at the end of the corridor.
„How was she? Is she alright?", he asked.

„Yes, she's doing fine. She's getting over it.", Tusker answered. Jack asked him every day about Audrey's condition, knowing that she kept contact with Harry.

„What's the status about Anderson junior?"

„We've found out that Anderson senior had several good contacts to the DoD, even before he was appointed secretary. As Audrey's cousin called Heller for help, his contacts gave that information to the Andersons along with your position. And Miles Anderson used that on an unsafe phone channel. Just another good reason to explain why they had to be removed from office.", Tusker sighed, but continued smiling, „And not good for his trial for attempted murder."

„Good." Jack was relieved. „Then let's go." With any minute they sunk deeper into the net of political intrigues- and that on their first day in office.

The guards opened up the doors for Jack.
He was almost blinded by the frenzy of camera flashes.

In the evening

Audrey took a glass of red wine with her, to sit down at the couch. From here she had a wonderful view over a large part of the city.
She was alone again. Harry had been here in the afternoon for a short time and had told her about Jack's inauguration, and he had brought her the latest newspaper.
Yesterday evening he had been here already, they had been talking for a long time. At one point in his story, she had asked him to stop. No more stories about Jack, she had told him. She didn't want to hear them.

Harry had been stunned first, but then he had finally understood.
He had stayed here for a few hours, avoiding to touch any topic that could have led them to Jack.
Audrey was happy that he accepted that and didn't even question it. They had had enough other things to talk about.

Drinking a sip of the last glass of wine out of the bottle in front of her she now sat there and leant back.
The newspaper he had brought her still lay at the table- untouched.
Although it was folded and she could only read the first few letters of the headline from over here - Today's inaug.. - she knew exactly what that article was about.

She just couldn't fight her curiosity.

After a few more sips at the wine, Audrey had enough courage and fetched the paper.

A big photo of President Taylor, the chief justice and Jack, swearing the oath on the bible, was on the title page.

She took another sip of the delicious red wine and read the article beneath.
The wine was the thing that made her so courageous.

As she finally put the newspaper down she had folded it in the way that Jack's picture was up front.

The first person not to give us a smile upon inauguration, the paper had written about him within that article, and it was true. Even on the picture she could see that Jack rather looked earnest. He had said himself to the reporters on that question that it was not a time to cheer right now, as their country had been under attack and large parts were practically lying in ashes.

But even the newspaper had referenced his earnest appearance to Renee and had written that he was the first person to be inaugurated as president or vice president who had recently lost someone close.

Drowned in thoughts she looked at the black and white picture.
He'd get over it one day, she was sure.
That would be the day when she'd see him smile again-

time heals any wound.

At the white house

Relieved that the day was over, Jack loosened his tie and sat down at the couch in the middle of his new office. He had given his best in hiding that he actually wasn't used to the power that he suddenly had - at least that thing he had concealed quite well up to now.
The resumé was a good one. That was all he had planned for, for today.

Harry loosened his tie, too, opening up one of the wardrobes. „aaaah. Here it is.", he triumphantly spoke and took a bottle of the finest whiskey into his hands. „Care for a drink?", he asked.

„Definitely- yes.", Jack answered and leant back into the upholstery. For a moment he closed his eyes and tried to relax, but leaning there like this wasn't very comfortable for his shoulder. Slowly he leant forward again, taking his right arm out of the sling that he wore beneath his suit and laid it at his thigh to relax.
At the hospital, they had needed four hours in the operating theatre to fix his shattered shoulder blade and his upper arm. A series of screws and titanium splints kept it together for now, until it'd hopefully heal off some day soon.

Some weeks ago, that kind of injury would have been a death sentence for him, he silently thought. For somebody who is on the run from anyone, losing the ability to fight means a certain death.

But now, not even that mattered any more.
He wasn't used to the fact that right out the doors were hundreds of Secret Service men with the sole aim to protect president Taylor, him and even his dear ones. It was a kind of safety that he had never had ever before.

The worst thing, today, had been that they had forced him to put away his own gun. He wasn't allowed to carry it- for the sole reason that somebody could have spotted it's contours beneath his suit jacket.
It was ridiculous. But it seemed like that strange, ridiculous world was the one that he was in now.

Harry passed one of the whiskeys on to Jack. They clinked glasses.

„To the vice president of the United States.", Harry amusedly said, before he sat down on the other couch on the other side of the small table.

Jack just gave him a tired smile and said nothing.

In silence they sipped at their drinks.

Jack eyed Harry, unobtrusively. He looked at his wristwatch, played around with his glass, looked out the windows and then back again. Somehow he made a restless expression.
„What's up, Harry?", he asked, after a few minutes of watching.

Tusker took a deep breath and held it. „Jack, uhm… earlier today….", he started, and his view eventually found Jack's eyes - „I believe I wasn't completely honest when it came to Audrey."

„How do you mean that?" The gentle smile on Jack's lips died at once. He leant forward and put his glass down at the glass table. All his senses had woken up again.

„Earlier, as I told you about the processes against the Anderson's… She's fine, don't get me wrong, Jack," he sighed, „She doesn't even know about this right now. But the Anderson's want revenge on her. In court. Not in person. They're going to mobilize the law firm of Jordan & Baker."

Jack silently nodded, understandingly. Jordan and Baker were not unknown to him. They were specialized on action for damages, reputation and whatsoever. He had already suspected something like that. „I feared that day would come.", he spoke, „right as I saw her in the court room. But Harry,.." he bent forward, a bit over the table and looked into the other's eyes, „you know what has to be done right now. I want hell on earth to be released against any one of them and their allies."
Out of his pocket he pulled a small black envelope and handed it over to Tusker.

Harry opened it, seeing the presidential access card - the most protected and highest level access card of the whole world.
Jack gave it to him and needn't say anything else but „Do whatever it takes. I trust you with this."

Spellbound Harry watched him grab the Whiskey again, taking a big gulp. Eventually he stood up and went over to the wardrobe to pour himself another glass.
As their conversation had come to Audrey, he had suddenly been so changed.
Harry looked at the access card in his hands. With this thing he could do and access almost anything that he wanted to, could issue orders in Jack's name and practically had all his power.
He watched Jack's back, as he poured himself a glass of Whiskey and emptied it within one gulp, probably thinking of Audrey. Almost anyone could have seen that he was unhappy with their situation.
After that, he poured himself a third glass.

It felt exactly the same as yesterday, when he had been at Audrey's place. She hadn't wanted to talk about anything that had to do with Jack.
The same as Jack couldn't stand now to talk more than a few sentences about her- apart from reassuring himself every other day that she was still okay.

Harry put the card into his pocket. Jack's trust was the highest thing he could earn - he trusted him not only with this access card but with Audrey's wellbeing. That weighted even more.
He felt his phone vibrating in his pocket, took it out and quickly read the name - it was from her.

Unobtrusively he let the phone slide back into his pocket again without reading the message, as Jack turned around to back to the table.

He'd have to write back later.

And someday, he'd have to find a way how to confess to Jack that he was just starting to get involved with her.

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Fin.

I decided to continue this - the sequel is going to be called „Power".
Promise: that one will be truly, completely, fully Jack/Audrey.
yours sincerely, thanks for reading
amacma