Chapter 2: Seven Weeks Later

Emily had not expected to find herself crying into the shoulder of the President when she arrived in the Oval Office that morning. But her persistent upset stomach for the last few weeks had compelled her to take a pregnancy test. Upon the slip turning pink, Emily had sat on the floor of her bathroom and cried for hours. The only thing that motivated to get up off the tiles and go into work was the stimulus package that Kirkman was trying to work through Congress. She needed to be there to run point on negotiations with members on the Hill.

Try as she might, however, to maintain her habit of focusing like a dog with a bone, Kirkman had immediately sensed upon her walking in with his Daily Brief that something was wrong. Staring at her with affectionate concern, all it had taken was those thick glasses to come off his face and a simple, "Emily, are you all right?" for her to fall apart in his arms.

She spilled everything: sneaking away from the Inaugural Ball with Aaron to making love with him in his hotel room. And now she was carrying the child of the Vice President of the United States. The child she and Aaron had conceived...

And Aaron had thought they could hide this from the President (because keeping secrets had worked so well for him when he leaked the Al Saccar video, soon after Kirkman was first sworn in). How could she have been so naive?

A bit of snot ran from Emily's nose and onto the President's suit as she hiccuped bitterly. Kirkman hardly seemed to notice, holding her and rocking her.

"Emily... Em... don't..."

Emily sniffed, wiping at her eyes as she lifted her head from Kirkman's chest and gave him a watery smile. "For a man who is given headache-inducing news daily, you seem to be taking this pretty well. I know it's the least of your problems..."

Kirkman shook his head, his voice heavy and gravelly. "Don't make less of yourself, Emily. Do you think I love that my Vice President got my Chief of Staff pregnant? I want to kill Aaron! I would, too - with my bare hands! But I've already lost one Vice President to death, and I don't intend to lose another... especially not at the risk of impeachment over hypothetical murder charges."

Emily couldn't help but shakily laugh at this, but Kirkman's stony expression did not change. He looked like he was one tick away from losing himself into a rage. Deliberately, he crossed to the Resolute Desk and picked up the phone.

"Wyatt? Patch through to the Naval Observatory and tell the Vice President to get his ass down here immediately." He slammed the phone back down so hard, the cradle chipped.

Emily blanched. "You're not actually going to kill him, are you? I can't raise this baby alone." She went even further white. "How am I going to raise a child on DC expenses? How...?"

"Stop," the President ordered, rubbing her forearms gently. "I'll get you the money, Emily. I'll do whatever it takes, I'll get you the money." He knew about the costs she had already incurred, clearing up her mother's estate following Mrs. Rhodes' death. The inheritance had been modest, at best.

Emily stared. "Mr. President... don't risk running afoul of ethics violations for me..."

"I won't. There are ways for me to help provide for you legally and ethically. Plus: I'll have help..."

As if on cue, the hidden door leading into the Oval opened and Aaron sprinted in. He blinked upon seeing Emily there. "Em? Came in early?"

Kirkman glanced between the couple, then nodded to his Chief of Staff. "Emily? Would you like to tell Aaron what you told me?"

Taking a deep breath, Emily walked up to her lover. "I'm pregnant," she whimpered.

Aaron's mouth dropped open. Then he glanced to the President. Kirkman's expression was unflappable. "You know what the right thing to do is, don't you?"

Aaron threw his shoulders back, and held his head high. "Resign?"

Kirkman smiled tightly. "No. You are going to do the right thing, and marry her." He glanced to Emily. "That is, if she'll have you."

The Vice President and Chief of Staff looked at each other for a long, tense moment. At last, Emily smiled weakly. "Of course I'll have you."

Beaming, Aaron swept her into his arms and kissed her. "And I you." Bending low, he whispered in her ear, "Emily... I love you." She shivered in delight.

Kirkman nodded in approval. "We are going to get ahead of this. I can marry you right here, right now. If only we had a witness..."

Just then, Communications Director Seth Wright stumbled in, Penny clutching at his ankles and laughing so that the man had to birdwalk into the Oval. Leo brought up the rear, trying to give Seth a noogie.

"Ah, perfect!" Kirkman smirked. "Now, if my children aren't too busy disturbing the peace, I need them to stand over there quietly." And he pried Penny off of Seth, standing her up straight and positioning all three in a line. Seth looked befuddled.

"Mr. President, what's going on?"

"A wedding," Kirkman replied simply. "Now stand there and shut up."

In the presence of the First Family and Seth, the President blessed the couple. Upon being declared husband and wife by the power vested in the President of the United States, Aaron bent and kissed Emily, which she happily returned.

"And now, we are going to keep getting out ahead of this by blocking and tackling the media." Kirkman turned to Aaron. "You will announce a press conference this evening, and own up to everything. Take responsibility before scandal hits, and there won't be a scandal. Be sincere, and the American people will be forgiving."

That evening, Aaron stood before the podium in the James Brady Press Room.

"Good evening. Tonight, I am here to confess to the American people that I have been involved romantically with White House Chief of Staff Emily Rhodes. She is now expecting a baby, for whom I am the father." Glancing to Emily, Aaron smiled with love. "This morning, President Kirkman married us in the Oval Office. I intend to do right by her, and our child, and continue to do right by the American people as your Vice President. I can how happily add the title of husband to my resumé... and though she is not yet showing, let me just say: Emily, I have never seen anyone as beautiful as you in all my life."

Hand over her stomach, Emily gazed at Aaron and beamed.

As soon as Aaron stepped away from the podium, ignoring the cameras flashing and shouting of questions, Seth leaned close to the whole group and whispered, "You all had better be thinking of what the baby will call us."

"What? Like Grandpa?" Aaron jerked a thumb at Kirkman.

The group oddly stilled. Emily looked mortified. "Mr. President, I am so sorry: the baby will not be calling you that..."

"Don't apologize," the President croaked, his voice oddly thick with emotion. "Grandpa Kirkman... I actually quite like that."

Emily smiled glowingly, blinking back tears.