Hope you all enjoy the fluff!

If any of you want to see anything in particular down the line drop me a Dm. No promises but I will see if I can work it in.

XoMariaXo

CHAPTER TWENTYONE

Elizabeth woke to the smell of bacon wafting through the bedroom. She opened her eyes and was a little disappointed not to see Henry beside her until her stomach grumbled.

She remembered the bacon downstairs. 'That man is good!' she thought to herself.

She made her way downstairs quietly and watched him for a few moments. There really was something unbelievably sexy about Henry cooking for her especially in just his boxer briefs.

She watched the way every muscle moved while he navigated the kitchen as if it were his own and he had been living here for years; the thought struck a cord but she pushed the feeling away as quickly as it came, not ready to entertain the idea.

Henry felt her presence as soon as she was at the top of the stairs. When she didn't enter the kitchen, he purposely did not acknowledge her knowing that she liked to watch him as he cooked. Having given her a few moments, he shouted over his shoulder as he was flipping the pancakes, "Enjoying the view there Miss Adams?"

Elizabeth blushed, but chuckled at being caught, "What can I say, I'm a woman who can appreciate the finer things in life," she ventured into the kitchen and gave his bum a squeeze before wrapping her arms around his waist and settling her chin against his back. "And your ass is definitely one of those things."

Putting his cooking utensils down, he turned around in her arms and gave her a sweet kiss that she tried to deepen immediately. He melted into it for a moment but pulled back, "Elizabeth, it's this or pancakes and bacon – you can't have both, so what's it going to be?" he whispered, confident he knew the answer.

She suddenly pulled away from him, stealing a bit of bacon and settling herself at the breakfast bar. "Pancakes and bacon it is then" she smiled back at him, seeing his surprise "A girl's got to eat and I assume I am going to need all my energy for today's activities, whatever they may be. Now will you feed me please? I'm starving."

Laughing at her, he filled a plate for her and set it down for her to eat, "Nice way to keep me on my toes there. What exactly are our plans for the day, may I ask? I'm more than happy to stay in bed all day, but I do want to see what you get up to when you are here."

Elizabeth groaned as her taste buds lit up, "Emmm sooo good! If you are up for it, I would like to go for a ride and, maybe, show you a few of my favourite places on the land. DS more or less leave me alone here as long as I stay on the property lines so we can have some privacy, for once."

Henry reached across the table and took her hand, "That sounds amazing, it will be nice to get do this outside," he pulled her in for a soft kiss.

They finished their breakfast, got ready for a day spent outdoors and headed out to the stables. Elizabeth introduced all of the horses to Henry and was shocked when he whipped out some horse treats once she mentioned Buttercup's name, "Ahh, someone has been talking to Conrad I assume?"

Henry grinned while he fed Buttercup and stoked the horse. "He may have given a pointer or two once I mentioned that we were coming here for the weekend," Henry was secretly happy that Conrad was right because Buttercup seems to be content with him so far.

"And what other pearls of wisdom did he provide you with exactly?" Elizabeth asked while she walked towards the saddles, curious about what Conrad had told him about her life here.

Walking up behind her and wrapping his arms around her, Henry placed his hands on Elizabeth's hips and placed a kiss on the back of her head, "Well, if you must know all our secrets, he did mention that you don't take people here very often because it is your safe haven."

Elizabeth reached for Henry's hands and pulled them around her waist and dropped her head back on his shoulder, "Hmmm he is very chatty, that Conrad."

Smiling as he whispered into her ear, Henry replied, "Or maybe he just sees this for what it is and he is happy for you, for us? I feel very honoured you felt comfortable enough to take me here Elizabeth. I love getting to discover new parts of your history but I know it hard to open up especially in your positon so thank you."

Turning in his arms to face him, she looked into his eyes, wanting to express her genuine joy at him being here with her, "Henry, this is the first time I have ever taken a significant other here and it was one of the easiest decisions I have ever made. I..." She stopped herself before she went any further with that statement, leaning in and kissing him instead.

Henry noticed her shift but let it pass. He felt in his gut that he knew where she was headed and he felt that urge to go there himself, but held back, unsure if it was too quick.

"Ok so are you going to teach this city boy how to ride a horse or what?"

"Let's see how cocky you are when you are mounting, shall we?" Elizabeth joked.

After a few false and funny starts, Henry managed to mount Buttercup and they set off at a slow trotting pace to explore the land. There was one spot in particular that was very special to Elizabeth and she wanted to share its beauty with Henry.

Elizabeth was impressed with how quickly Henry seemed to be picking up riding up and how comfortable he was with it. Most people took a few goes before they would even consider going faster, but Elizabeth decided to test her luck.

"You ready to up the pace, city boy?"

"If you think I'm ready for it, farm girl."

Elizabeth giggled. She would have hated that, as a child, but now she loved it because she really was a farm girl at heart.

"Oh I think you are ready, so give him a light nudge with your heels and when you want him to slow down, pull on his reigns, ok?"

"I'm sure I could handle that," He nudged his heel against Buttercup's belly and they took off at a faster trot as he let Elizabeth lead the way. Henry watched on as the stress visibly left Elizabeth's body and he understood very quickly why she loved coming here and why she made it a priority in her life, she needed the release the horse and land provided.

A little later, Elizabeth slowed to a stop, indicating for Henry to do the same "Let's tie the horses to the trees here. There is somewhere I want to show you and the horses can't go any farther."

She helped tie the horses, then grabbed the picnic basket they had prepared earlier and set off through a wheat field. They came to a stop at the edge of a small waterfall; the calming sound of the water cascading over a series of rocky edges and pooling into the lake below instantly transported them to a place of peace and tranquillity. The yellow of the sun bounced and reflected against the blue ripples of the water creating a bright glittering effect.

Elizabeth watched as Henry took in the scene before them. The waterfall still affected her like this many years after she discovered it as a child; it held a very special place in her heart and she had never brought anyone here ever before. Slipping her hand into his and gripping his fingers, she stood with Henry and basked in the glow of the sun and serenity of the sound of rushing water. This place had seen Elizabeth through some of the hardest and happiest times in her life and she was grateful she could share such a special moment with him.

"Elizabeth," he said softly.

"This is stunning; thank you for taking me here." He stood, rooted to the spot and just staring at the captivating image of his surroundings, as his emotions caused his eyes to mist over.

Henry could tell this place was special to Elizabeth. When she turned herself into his embrace and rested her head on his chest, he held on tight and let the moment pass between them, not needing an explanation as to why she brought him here.

They set out the picnic nearby on the grassy banks and lay languidly drinking wine and eating, taking their time while they just enjoyed each other's company and making out. It was rolling into late afternoon and this particular make-out session was getting very heated very quickly. Henry's hands started to roam Elizabeth's body under her clothes as she straddled him.

Elizabeth broke their connection, breathlessly calling out his name and trying to form coherent thoughts.

"I know baby, let's go back and pick this up when we can finish what we started," Henry murmured against her cheek.

She smiled down at him, thankful he was able to understand her silent request. She couldn't trust herself to not take this any further and although they were in private, she could never fully trust that no one would see them, while the DS agents roamed the grounds.

On their way back, Henry realised that Elizabeth never got a proper ride. She had been going at a slow pace while he learnt the ropes, but he was sure she would want a good run out with Buttercup.

"Babe, we are almost back so why don't you take your best mate for a proper run and I'll doddle back slowly and start brushing this other guy down?"

"It's ok. I will get to another time, you have only just started learning and I don't want to leave you on your own," She really would have loved to have taken Buttercup out for a good ride. Nothing cleared her mind or cleansed her soul the same way, but she wanted to spend her time with Henry and didn't want to just abandon him with a horse he wasn't used to, even if he had picked it all pretty quickly.

Pulling on Buttercup's reigns, he slowed them to a stop. "Elizabeth," he said sternly, "This is your weekend off, and you are here, so take Buttercup and go enjoy yourself, I insist." "I know I am a city boy, but, come on, have I not proven myself to at least be competent enough to slowly make my way back to the stables? It's not as if it's far."

She smiled at his attempt at being stern with her "How about I take a run after getting you to the stables? As you said, it's not as if it's far."

"If you insist," Henry pouted, a little as they made their way back. When they dismounted and swapped horses, Elizabeth pulled him in for a kiss, "I'm sure I will find a way to thank you later."

Grinning happily back at her "No thanks needed, but I look forward to it Madam Secretary."

Elizabeth took off and Henry watched her go, in awe of her abilities. He watched for as long as she was in his view.

Elizabeth felt the wind in her hair as she urged buttercup to go faster. This was her favourite feeling in the world; it was when she did most of her thinking and let her emotions flow freely which generally resulted in some tears. She started to go over everything that had happened over the past few weeks and even shocked herself at how quickly she had fallen for the man that occupied her every waking thought.

Smiling, she realized just how happy she was at the moment. Work was going well, her relationship with Henry was going from strength to strength, she had her best friend with her everyday and Conrad had her back as always. The icing on the cake was that both Blake and Conrad seemed to really like Henry and were happy for her. She needed to see how Lydia would react when she finally told her, but she wasn't worried. She knew Lydia wanted the very best for her and wanted her to be as happy as she could be. For the first time in her adult life, Elizabeth was thinking about the possibility of marriage and children. She knew she always wanted them, but had never found the person she wanted them with until now, and she loved the idea of becoming Mrs McCord and having tiny baby McCords in the house.

Now you just need to tell him how you feel

The thought terrified her; she had never said those words to a boyfriend before. Henry would be the first and although she was sure it was how she felt, saying the actual words was going to be a hurdle she needed to get over.

As Henry was brushing down the horses, his mind wandered as he thought about how his life had taken such a dramatic change in such a short period of time. He couldn't quite believe that a chance meeting in a coffee shop had brought him the love of his life. He couldn't be happier as he thought about the possibility of marriage and children. He had never ruled it out but had almost lost hope of it happening; he just never had the spark he felt with Elizabeth and, now that he had felt it, he couldn't imagine a life without her.

Now you just need to tell her

He pushed the thought away, afraid it was too soon. He knew, though, it would be revisited very soon because he wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

When Elizabeth got back to the stables, she was impressed with how well Henry had done with the brushing down. "You are a natural, Henry, you could move here and help me run this place," she had the words out before the full weight of them registered with her and a blush crept over her face.

Henry smiled back at her; he loved that their future was tangled together in both their minds and it gave him a sense of security that she felt the same as him, "Hopefully one day but I think you have a lot to accomplish in DC first," he said and kissed her chastely before changing the subject, giving her a way out "So what do we fancy for dinner? Will I cook or send for take out"

She was glad he brought up dinner as she had a surprise for him. She hadn't mentioned it because she wasn't entirely sure she would carry through with it, "How would you feel about going out for dinner? Nothing fancy, there is a little place in town that does the most amazing pasta. I love getting to go there when I'm home but I don't very often have a guest so it will be a nice change."

Henry gave her a perplexed look, "But what if people see? Even if there are no paps hiding out, people will talk and it won't be long until the press get a hold of it. Are you ready for that?" he questioned.

"I can't say I am totally ready for that, but that's mostly because I am selfish and want to keep us for just us for as long as possible. This isn't DC though. I grew up here, Henry, and the majority of the people in this village watched me grow up and have looked out for me from when I was 13 years old. They are the reason the media have never been able to get any information on my love life before I became Secretary of State; they all refused to speak to any journalist that came around. I swear I could go for dinner with the most wanted person on earth and they still would not speak to a journalist," She laughed.

"So you are saying we can go out like a normal couple and just be us for a night without fear of being harassed or spied on?"

"Yep," she said excitedly.

He pushed her towards the front door and gave her bum a playful spank, "Well, then, what are we waiting for? Let's go get ready. Please tell me there is a movie theatre in town as well?"

"Yeah, there is, why?"

"Because I want to make out with my girlfriend in the back row, of course," he winked and Elizabeth giggled at his playfulness.

They got ready and headed into town to grab dinner at Elizabeth's favourite café. As they walked in, Henry was shocked that nobody as much as batted an eyelid at her or the DS agents apart from the older lady behind the counter.

"I was wondering when you were going to come back and see me young Adams. I hope you aren't getting too big for your boots in that silly DC or I will have to pull you back in line," she said as she came out from behind the counter and gave Elizabeth a motherly hug.

"Maybe a little bigger but I am sure they will be back to their proper size before I leave here. I'm so glad to see you – I have missed you and not just for your cooking."

The older lady looked over Elizabeth's shoulder and looked Henry up and down before turning to face him, "And who is this strapping young fella – a friend or have you finally got yourself a boyfriend, Lizzie?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes "Aggie, this is Dr Henry McCord, and yes I finally got myself a boyfriend, as you so eloquently put it."

"Now, Lizzie, don't get snippy with me especially after finding yourself a good looking Doctor," she pulled Henry in for a surprisingly bone-crushing hug. Elizabeth just watched and laughed; Aggie was always a little forward and did not mince her words but it was one of the reasons she loved her so much "Now Henry, what kind of doctor are you? GP? Surgery?"

Henry blushed a little, he was used to this question but, for some reason, it caught him off guard coming from Aggie. Elizabeth saved him and stepped in, "Aggie, Henry is actually a Doctor of Theology," she stated proudly, giving Henry a warm feeling inside.

"Well, doesn't that sound awful fancy? No idea what it means but I'm sure you will fill me in. Now what can I get my favourite girl and he new beau?"

"I have no doubt you will get whatever information you will need from me! I keep telling you that you should join the CIA as an interrogator. As for food, can we both get my regular with a double helping of ice cream for dessert, please."

"Coming right up, Lizzie."

They made their way into the booth, choosing to sit beside, instead of across, each other. "So, Lizzie?" Henry asked, but Elizabeth quickly shot him down, "Nope! Only she gets to call me that so don't get any ideas, McCord, ok" Chuckling, Henry could only agree.

Their food came and Aggie joined them for a little bit, while she grilled Elizabeth on everything to do with their relationship. Henry was loving the fact they were able to talk and be with each other so openly. She had even pulled him in for a quick kiss when Aggie had gone to get their desserts, which had taken him by surprise. Elizabeth noticed, asking him what was wrong "Oh, believe me nothing is wrong, I suppose I am still finding it a little strange that I can kiss you or hold your hand whenever I want when we are here. I really like being able to be a normal everyday couple even if it is just for a few hours"

Elizabeth smiled ant she look his hand and interlinked their fingers, "Me too."

Aggie came back with two large take out tubs of ice-cream for them both, "Enjoy the movie you too," she said as she handed the containers over "And, before you ask, you only ever order double helping when you are headed there next"

Elizabeth frowned, "I swear the way you and Blake carry on you would think I am the most predictable person on earth."

"Well, sweetie, when it comes to food you are. Also, you best be treating that boy good. I haven't seen him in a while, so make sure you bring him with you next time."

"I'll try, Aggie, but I think he might have a new boyfriend so it could be hard dragging him away."

"You just tell him I've got some inside scoop on you, and he will be here in a shot. Now, off you go, you two. Henry, it was very, very nice to meet you and I hope I see you again soon. I like the smile you have put on my Lizzie's face so make sure it stays there or you will have me to answer too, ok?"

Elizabeth blushed, as Henry answered Aggie, "Yes, mam, I fully intend to spend my life making sure that smile stays on her beautiful face," Aggie smiled as she waved them off towards the theatre.

They made their way to the theatre and parked themselves on the back row, eating their ice cream and popcorn between a lot of making out.

As they took a walk through the streets later in the evening, hand in hand and with footsteps synched, Henry breathed a sign of contentment, "This was really nice. I enjoyed being able to show you off and meeting Aggie was a real treat,"

She snuggled closer into him, "Yeah I loved being able to just be us. It was nice and showing you off was a plus, especially to Aggie. She helped me through some tough times after my parents died and is a mother figure of sorts."

He kissed the side of her head, "I'm glad you had someone who so obviously loves you. I'll thank her for helping to shape the woman you are now because you are one in a million babe."

They eventually made their way home to finish what they had started at breakfast and at the waterfall.