Please review! Sorry for the wait. I've had some other projects I needed to focus on.

"No, we already discussed this with him." Francis stated into his phone, trapping it between his ear and shoulder as he single handedly flipped through the stack of papers while holding James in his other arm. After her school had been evacuated by close by protestors, Steve had picked her up and brought her to his office since Claire was going to be in and out of her office due to her upcoming charity fundraiser. With the little amount of time he had been spending at home, he was happy to have some time with his daughter. Unfortunately, one of his reliable votes was now rebelling. "Well, I don't care if he doesn't have a life to get home to. Do you know how long it's been since I've been home before my daughter is passed out for the night?"

James, sensing her father could use both hands, motioned for him to set her down. Once her feet hit the ground, she ran over to her bag to rummage for something to occupy herself during this next meeting. She managed to tug out a small pouch of markers and a coloring book. She held them up for Francis to see.

"Fine, I'll make it work." Francis interrupted the other party on the phone. "Tell him to walk the twenty feet to my office." He slammed the phone back down before looking over at James. "I'm sorry, darlin'. I promise. This is the last meeting tonight." He squatted down in front of her, tapping her nose with his finger. "You want to watch me put Congressman Loren back into his place - watching out for your daddy like he should?"

"He'll never say no to you again." James grinned before she rushed to the other half of the office where Doug usually worked.

Francis smiled before heading for the door to the outer office, opening it enough to see Nancy hanging up her own phone. "Nancy, can you send Congressman Loren in when he arrives. He shouldn't take too long if he decides to finally listen to me about this."

Nancy nodded. "Mrs. Underwood called just now. She just finished at the office and mentioned coming by to pick up James."

Francis glanced down at his watch. He didn't blame her. It was nearly two hours past James's bedtime. He was surprised James was behaving as well as she was. Usually, her tiredness resulted in blunt truths. Showing a little more of his personality than Claire's. "If she arrives before we're finished, she can pop in to collect James. Hopefully, it won't take that long." He knocked twice on the door frame before passing to the other office, finding James already comfortable on the couch. Sat in the middle with her colors in hand. "Your mother is on her way. If the meeting isn't done when she gets here, she's going to take you home."

"But, Daddy, you promised you would read to me tonight." James reminded him, a slight whine in her voice.

"I know, and I want to keep that promise." Francis sighed, grabbing paperwork off of the second desk. "I will make Loren regret his indecision if he makes me break it." He sat down in the armchair to her left, kicking his feet up on the small coffee table. "What story did you want me to read tonight?"

James capped her marker, reaching into the pouch in search of another color. "The story where the guy buries his friend."

"Ah," Francis grinned, lounging back into the cushions. "The Cask of Amontillado. One of my favorites." He perched his glasses on his nose just as a knock on the door caught both of their attentions. "Come in."

"Frank, I-" Congressman Loren began bellowing before noticing the small child on the couch. He paused, glancing back at the door as if he had stepped into the wrong office. "I didn't realize you had your kid here, Frank."

Francis glanced back down at his paperwork. "It was a last minute deal with her school. James may be young, but she won't disrupt our conversation with childish requests. My up and coming President. At least, that's what she likes to call herself." He caught the grin on James's face before motioning to the chair across from him. "Sit. I understand you're now on the fence about the bill."

Congressman Loren took the seat, nodding his confirmation. "It doesn't necessarily benefit the people in my home state. Regulations on oil drilling, stricter laws around new locations. It will cost my state thousands more in taxes if this bill passes."

"If I remember correctly, your people had a location explode due to improper oversight on their oil hub. A city had to evacuate for a week while the government came in a cleaned up the mess. Taxes on regulations would be much cheaper than rebuilding a whole city." Francis reminded him, keeping his eyes on the papers in hand. "I know that the income to your state is a nice lining to their pockets, but the message will ring loud and clear if you vote against this bill. You care more about the money than the people that voted you into office."

Loren rolled his eyes, leaning back in the chair. "Don't pretend I'm the only congressman here that looks at the financial as more practical than the most humane way to do things. That Peach Water Tower of yours has taken more lives than that one explosion in my state."

"I can't prevent people getting on the road drunk or driving recklessly because they're getting their marbles stroked by the mistress in their passenger seat." Francis peered over his glasses, hiding his smirk at the clear discomfort on Loren's face as he glanced at James. "That explosion, however, could've been prevented if corners hadn't been cut. Water is easier to clean up than oil any day of the week."

"I can't just lie down over this." Loren fought back. "Raising taxes puts a strain on already financially unstable citizens. This bill will take longer for sites to be cleared, making it longer for people to get jobs on this oil rigs. The only benefit is that we could prevent a possible future incident. You know the public as well as I do. They don't care about the worst case scenario unless they're living in it. That's when they care. I'll be hung in the gallows if I vote for this bill."

Francis chuckled, taking off his glasses. "You're more dramatic than my six year old." He tossed the papers and his glasses onto the coffee table, relaxing back into the chair. "Vote for this bill. In the future, we can come up with some other plan to get more jobs into your state. The oil money alone should be helping that anyway."

Loren gritted his teeth. "The future is unpredictable. I may not represent my state in the future."

"Then, you should probably start brainstorming with your team about ways to improve employment, because, if you don't approve this bill, another 'incident' will cement your fate outside of public office." Francis stated before glancing at his watch. "I'd help, but it's late. Vote for the bill tomorrow, and I'll start rallying a team together for you on a first draft of employment."

"You'll screw me about five different ways before legislation passes." Loren huffed before leaning forward on his thighs. "Alright, Frank. I'll work with you, but that doesn't mean I have to like you."

James rubbed at her eyes, a marker clenched in her fingers. "He doesn't like you either." She said it calmly, not evening glancing at the congressman, before she returned to coloring the book in her lap. She did glance over at Francis though. "Is he almost done, Daddy?"

"I sure hope so." Francis sighed before nodding his head towards the other office. "How about you go see if your mother has arrived? I'll be done in a couple minutes." He smiled at her when she capped her marker and gathered her things. He leaned against the side of his chair and tapped his lips as she was walking past, smiling when she pecked his lips. He waited until James left the room completely before meeting Loren's eyes. "So, is there anything else?"

The vein in Loren's forehead protruded under the skin, his cheeks warming to a shade of red that looked unhealthy. "Your daughter is as cruel as you. No regard for another's side, insensitive. How could you raise her that way?

Francis's amusement immediately dissipated. He stood as he approached Loren. "Do you mean with blunt honesty and a lack of patience for people and conversations that waste her time?" He leaned over Loren, causing the congressman to lean back for space. "Gladly."

James yawned leaning into Nancy's desk with her bag dangling from her fingers. Her other hand clung to the edge of Nancy's desk, using her arm as a makeshift cushion for her head. "Do I have to go to school tomorrow?"

Francis chuckled as he pulled on his jacket and stepped out of his office. "Darlin', you really are tired. Tomorrow is Saturday." He turned to Nancy. "Did you call Claire?"

"I've already arrived." Claire announced with a smile as she walked down the corridor.

James turned at the sound of her mother's voice and grinned as she ran over to her. "Mommy!"

"Hello, sweetheart." Claire beamed before picking up her daughter and hugging her closely. "I'm sorry I couldn't come get you sooner, but I'm sure you were a perfect little politician for Daddy. You must be exhausted."

Francis picked up James's bag, slinging it over his shoulder as Claire approached. He nodded to Nancy as she packed up and left as well. "We would've been home already, but Congressman Loren was getting cold feet over tomorrow's vote."

James rubbed her eyes, resting her head against Claire's as she gazed at Francis. "He was fucking annoying."

"We may have reached our limit of exhaustion in the process." Francis admitted, trying not to chuckle at the side of himself in James starting poking through. He could see Claire trying to muffle her own amusement. He held out his hands for James, smiling when she slid into his arms and cuddled into his shoulder. "But, yes, he was really fucking annoying, James. I'll make it up to you. You'll probably be out though by the time we get home."

"I still want my story." James demanded quietly, yawning mid sentence. "You promised, Daddy."

Claire slung her purse over her shoulder as they began leaving Francis's office. "What story is it tonight?"

Francis smiled, resting his head on James's. "The Cask of Amontillado." He caught Claire roll her eyes. "What? It's a classic story. One that has taught us well."

"Yes, but it's so morbid." Claire chided him. "I wouldn't be surprised if James tries to reenact the story with a classmate she isn't too fond of in the next couple years. I can already hear the principal's condescending phone call now."

Francis glanced down when James reached up and grabbed onto the label of his jacket. "I would be rather impressed to get that call." He could sense his daughter's impatience lingering though. "Alright, Darlin'. The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge."

Please review! I know it's been a few weeks, but hopefully this was worth the wait.