Note: Some have asked, yes I intended this as a short sequel to First Family. It might go a little longer now that it's been brought up.

CHAPTER 2

Saturday morning, Elizabeth woke up with her head on Henry's chest. It was warm and so cozy. Her eyes opened slowly and peered towards the window, she could sense the feel of winter falling upon the city. She wanted to stay there but she could also smell coffee and pastries.

She slipped her way off of Henry trying not to wake him. She grabbed her light blue robe and headed out to the suite's living area, expecting to find that the staff had left them breakfast treats. Instead she got a big surprise.

"Hey Mom! I made you some coffee." Jason, wearing jeans and a plaid shirt, looking so much like his father, was just pouring coffee in a mug.

"Jason! What are you doing here? When did you get here?' she asked shocked to see him there. She practically ran over to hug him.

"I drove here last night. Stayed with Liam and the twins, while Allie took the night off to be with you. Those babies wake up awfully early," he looked down at their mugs while pouring their coffee.

Only part of that was true, Stevie had called him to come to New York because Mr. Dalton requested their presence at the event honoring their mother's work for children. He needed them there but Elizabeth and Henry didn't need to know that, yet.

"Well, did you bring your tux? Because you need one for tonight," she asked while sniffing the milk from the hotel fridge and pouring some in her coffee.

"Mom, I'm a law school student you don't need to remind me of these things," he laughed.

"Is it clean?" she asked, furrowing her brow at him.

"It has no wrinkles," he answered with the same boyish grin as his father, who had now come out of the bedroom with flannel pajama pants on that hung just right at his hips and a t-shirt that also hugged his body the way Elizabeth loved. Also, why she just stood there staring at him thinking she shouldn't have left the bed.

"Hey, Jayce! What brings you here?" Henry asked while hugging his son.

"Free food!' he answered but then quickly backtracked "and to see you and Mom! Maybe torture Allie!"

Henry laughed as Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"Speaking of torture, how's your speech coming for tonight?" Henry asked Elizabeth kissing her on the cheek.

"Still needs work. But, my work, nobody else's. I will do it after we chat with the girls this morning and then send it off to Jay for approval" she answered taking a bite of a pastry.

Allie walked into the living space, rubbing her eyes, her hair a bit of a mess. "I have to tell you I love it when you come to visit. I get the night off which gives me the best night's sleep."

"Your hair shows it." Jason fired back at her, with all the honesty a little brother can muster.

"Good Morning to you too!" she laughed at him. "Did you tell Mom that the real reason you came down and stayed last night was that you think Melanie is hot? He has a crush on our au pair!"

"WHAT?! Whoa…what about Claudia?" Elizabeth asked.

"Don't you two normally get along? We see all these Insta photos of you two out on the town together all the time." Henry asked avoiding the topic. "Also, Allie don't get used to it, this is a one-time deal."

"It's also awesome that we don't have to slip the details anymore," Alison answered putting a pastry on her plate.

"You slipped your details when I was President?" Elizabeth asked in a mockingly way. "Why am I not surprised?"

Jason grinned, "We learn from the best," winking at his mother.

She pointed back to him proudly.

Henry stared at his beautiful wife, who was now laughing along with her children. He was amazed how they could relax her every time she was stressed. But, sometimes he was also amazed about the things she let slip by.

Allie laughed. "That last time you visited was so much fun. That band we saw. They were so good."

"They were amazing. Where did we go for pizza after that?" Jason asked sitting next to Elizabeth at the table with his coffee.

"You mean the pizza you threw up outside the front door of my house? It was John's."

Elizabeth winced and just watched her kids.

"Let's not bring up bad topics. Claudia was so furious about that. I spent the whole next day arguing with her." Jason rolled his eyes.

Elizabeth looked at Henry. The kids talked as if they were not even in the room. Parenting them in their 20's was not easy but at this moment she sat back and watched Henry handle it.

"Anyways, that was really good pizza. We should order from their tonight after Mom's shindig that we have to go to," Jason said.

Henry whistled reining them back to the conversation.

Elizabeth began "Okay, listen. Although we love that you are both having a great time being up here in the Northeast. Maybe you should slow down the partying a bit?! The reports are starting to make Jay quite queasy. Just a thought." she said in her motherly way of saying "Cut it out, before I make you cut it out."

With that there was a knock on the door.

They all looked at each other. The door opened and Stevie's voice filled the room, "I heard there was a family meeting going on."

"What are you doing here?" Elizabeth said slowly, getting up to hug her oldest child.

"Mom, you are speaking to UNICEF about how children have impacted your career and life. You really think your own children are going to miss that." Stevie answered hugging her mother.

"Are the girls with you?" Henry asked.

"No, I took the earliest flight. They stayed back with Jack and Hope. Who by the way, ate a Lego figurine yesterday and promptly threw it up on the living room carpet last night!" Stevie smirked at her parents while Allie and Jason cracked up laughing.

Allie said, "It must run in the family!" and smirked at Jason, who tossed a look back at her.

Stevie shrugged her shoulders, "I don't even want to know what that is about."

Stevie's phone rang. "Oh here they are. Hello girls!"

"Where's Grammy?" Like everyone, they clearly loved Elizabeth more than their own mother.

Stevie handed Elizabeth the phone as Allie and Jason got behind her to talk to the girls.

The day seemed to fly by quickly. After breakfast, they all went to Allie's to spend time with the twins and have lunch. Elizabeth watched Jason closely with the Au Pair. She saw him look at her. She saw the hand she placed on his arm while laughing at something he said at the table. They didn't notice she was watching, a classic spy craft move she had been using on her children for years. She pretty much knew their every move.

But, what she didn't see was Henry watching her.

The kids were all getting ready at Allie's and meeting them at the event. Once in the car with nobody else around, Henry didn't look at her but said, "You need to stay out of it, babe."

Acting like she didn't know what he was talking about. "Stay out of what?"

"I saw you watching him. You need to let it go.," he looked at her from the side. She didn't make eye contact and stared out the window.

"So, you are okay with this? He's going to give up with Claudia for Allie's au pair?! Because I am sure nothing will go wrong there!" she answered him sarcastically.

Henry rolled his eyes. "I'm just sayin'…."

She waved a hand at him to stop. "Sshhpptt…I am going to speak to him about this whether you like it or not. He's not happy with Claudia, that's fine. But, he needs to keep his romantic life far away from his sister's life."

Henry ran a hand over his face and simply looked out the window shaking his head.