A/N: Thank you for the reviews! I'm so sorry if you found my work writing cringey, I'm working on it!
14 Weeks
She hated traveling for work while pregnant. It wasn't so much that she was worried something major would happen, she just hated not knowing what would happen with her own body. Would the skirt that fit today fit tomorrow? Would the shirt that showed no trace of a bump suddenly show her barely there bump? Would her suitcase feel too heavy or would they have foods she could eat? So many unanswered, silly questions.
As Henry zipped her suitcase and picked it up off the bench at the end of their bed, he began to share in her worrying. His worrying however, was much more about her and how she felt. Would everything be ok? Would she have the medical care she needed if she needed any? He didn't want her to go, but he understood.
"Thank you babe." She said giving him a quick kiss.
He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in closer for one more moment alone with her.
"Anytime." He whispered in response.
She laid her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around him. While she had finally started to feel more like herself, her anxiety had somehow gotten worse the closer they got to the amniocentesis. He gently rubbed her back.
"You don't have to go if you don't want to." He thought maybe he could convince her to stay.
"Yes I do." She responded looking up at him and moving closer to her suitcase.
"I know." He knew she couldn't, but he could always hope. "You have time for breakfast if you want."
"I was hoping for glazed donuts. Do we have time?" She asked grabbing the handle of her suitcase.
"Maybe if we hop in the car now we can convince the boys to stop at Dunkin Donuts on the way." The statement brought a smile to her face.
"Ok, good enough for me, let's go!" As she finished speaking, he took the suitcase out of her hand and carried it down the stairs. The kids weren't up yet – it was a Saturday after all and they would have her coffee on the plane.
They got into the SUV and were pleasantly surprised when her detail agreed to a quick drive thru run. Drive thru trips weren't common in the motorcade and it was more something Jason thought was hilarious and made him look much more important than he was, but sometimes, like today, it was necessary.
They pulled up the speaker and quickly ordered three glazed donuts and two decaf coffees. As they pulled up to the window, the cashier working the window was starstruck to see the Secretary of State in her drive thru but that would be something Elizabeth and Henry would eventually have to get used to.
The rest of their trip to the airport went off without a hitch and she kissed Henry goodbye before boarding the plane.
Once aboard, the work with her staff began. There was consistent talk of their plans for the next two days in Mexico and tying up some loose ends for the day she would be off next week.
The staff watched Daisy look at her phone and watch her face turn from neutral to concern. "Ma'am, we have an issue."
"What is it?" Elizabeth asked.
"TMZ is running a story… announcing your pregnancy." Daisy told the staff.
"What?" Elizabeth asked extremely concerned.
Daisy passed her phone over to the secretary for her to see for herself. There, in big bold black letters was the headline 'Secretary McCord Pregnant – Expecting Fourth Child.'
"How?" Elizabeth asked obviously upset that TMZ had gotten all the details of her pregnancy.
The article knew everything. The secret doctors appointments, exactly how far along she was, even that she would be out of the office on Tuesday for what they called a 'routine appointment.'
"I have no idea ma'am… I'm so sorry." Daisy replied.
Before anyone else could say anything, Elizabeth's cell was ringing.
"Hey!" She answered, trying to sound surprised, excited, and not nervous as she spoke with Henry.
"Are you sitting down?" He asked on the other line.
"I just saw." She told him knowing exactly what he was about to say.
"I thought we were realizing it next week?!"
"We were! I have no idea how this got out." She responded.
"How did they know everything?" Henry asked.
"I have no idea." She answered. "I know this throws a wrench in things, lay low today and I'll get home as soon as I can."
"Babe, do what you need to do. You don't have to say anything until you're ready, plus being in Mexico gives you a cover." He was right, the press wouldn't be as bad in Mexico.
"I know. I gotta go, I love you." She told him.
"I love you."
They soon hung up.
"Ma'am, we will get to the bottom of this." Daisy nervously told her boss.
"Yes, we will." Elizabeth said turning her attention back to her team.
Her trip in Mexico was thankfully event and crisis free, ending in quick negotiations with luxury accommodations. She had to admit, she slept better in the hotel than she had slept for nearly a week and it was incredibly surprisingly that she slept at all considering how nervous she was to return home and be bombarded by press.
She hadn't spoken to Henry much on the trip but he said the kids were doing ok. He had a date night in planned for them tonight ending in a much needed bubble bath and watching Dirty Dancing until Elizabeth fell asleep 15 minutes in.
The flight had seemed like not only the longest flight of her life but the shortest one too. Daisy had confirmed that they would be able to get to her home without any press and advised her to not answer questions and just keep working.
The sounds of wheels hitting the runway pulled her out of her thoughts and into reality.
"All ready ma'am?" Blake looked at her and asked.
"As I'll ever be." She responded. She wasn't ready but that didn't matter.
She took her seatbelt off and headed to the front of the plane. As Daisy promised, there was no press waiting at the airport. She walked down the stairs to the end of the plane and in to the waiting SUV.
Taking a deep breath, she laid her head rest on the headrest and tried to come to her best head space to get through the next 10 minutes. She knew she could have morning sickness at any point but she was surprised to be experiencing it now. She knew it was just nerves but she hoped steady breathing could keep it off long enough for her to make it inside.
Hot. She was so hot. This always happened when she was sick to her stomach. She untied the belt around her coat and looked down at her barely there bump. It was amazing how something so little could cause so much emotion.
On one hand, she was nervous for today. On the other, she was much more nervous for the next few days. The amniocentesis was tomorrow, she would have her results on Wednesday, and they would have Thursday night all to themselves to decide on major things for the future.
"We're here ma'am." One of her detail members in the front of the SUV told her.
"Thank you." She responded as one of them got out of the car to open her door.
Soon the door was open and she could see her own front door just steps away from her. She didn't expect the wind and forgot she had untied her trench coat leading photographers to capture a photo of her teeny tiny bump framed perfectly by her chiffon blouse as the wind push against her. The photo they just got occurred to her as she looked down to turn her own doorknob.
No going back now. The world knew, she was pregnant.
She quickly shut the door behind her and got in the house as fast as she could. Henry was very excited to see her.
"Hey babe!" He exclaimed rushing up to scoop her in his arms.
"Henry they know." She whispered into his chest, starting to cry.
"I know, it's ok babe. We still don't have to say anything." He was trying to ease any of her fears.
"No, they know." She said motioning her head down towards her stomach.
Henry was incredibly confused until Elizabeth put his hand over her little bump. He could hardly feel the tiny movement but it had a huge impact on him as well. They had just felt their baby move.
She looked up at him with tears in her eyes and was met with the same from his. "I love you so much."
"I love you too." He told her with so much love filling in his heart. "I think this makes the score Life – 3, McCords – infinity, right?"
She let out a slight giggle. "Right!"
