Please review! I know this played out in the show a different way, but Fanfiction is all about reimagining things, right? :)

"How did it go with Ms. Cole?" Francis asked as he sat down on the bathroom floor next to the tub.

Claire shrugged as she washed the shampoo out of James's hair, her eyes remaining on her as she played with her bath toys. "Not like I planned, but I can remedy that." She smirked at him. "She held my hand to her belly to feel her baby, probably thinking that I'd never experienced it before. She doesn't know about James at all." She chuckled when her three year old stuck out her bottom lip and blew to made a motor noise, pushing her little plastic boat through the soapy water. "If she wants to sue me, fine. I can play just as dirty. She won't get far though with a case of prejudice against children, not when I have James."

"A little shock and awe?" Francis raised his eyebrows, smirking when Claire straightened up with a new sense of pride. "I wonder what James would do if she knew we were planning this."

"Don't encourage that." Claire stated sternly. "Remember, we want her to not become us. We enjoy this, but we know the darkness that comes with it." She chuckled when James stood from the tub and held out her hands for her towel, clearly ready to be done. "She's already too much like us for her own good."

Francis grinned and grabbed the towel as Claire reached into the tub and pulled the plug. "How much trouble could a conniving three year old get into?" He wrapped the towel around his daughter, chuckling when she grinned at him. "Then again, you are an Underwood, my darlin'."

James giggled when he lifted her out of the tub and started drying her off. "We destroy them." She shivered when the air started seeping into her heated skin. "It's cold."

"We'll get you in your pjs and warm you up before bed." Francis smiled before Claire handed him the kid's pajama onesie outfit that was James's favorite. He threw the towel over James's head, chuckling when she giggled trying to pull it off her head. He glanced up at Claire. "What time are you heading in tomorrow?"

Claire chuckled through her own amusement watching her toddler struggle with the large fluffy towel. "Not until ten. You can't keep her up super late."

"But, I can keep her up for a little while." Francis smirked before James tossed the towel aside, stepping into her pajamas when Francis held them open for her. He caught the raised eyebrow from Claire though. "C'mon, Claire. It's my only night home before she goes to bed this week. You know she'll behave better tomorrow if she gets some time with me tonight. She always does."

"I know, but I'm not sure we should be accommodating that behavior habit." Claire winked at James before reaching down and zipping up the pajamas from the calf up to the collar. "But, we can't blame her for wanting to spend time with you. She is a Daddy's girl after all."

Francis beamed. "Daddy's brilliant and cunning girl."

"What do you think about this?" Claire asked, holding up a piece of paper for James to look at too. Her three year old sat on her lap in a floral overall dress with a girly pink undershirt. She even had allowed Claire to put on the matching bow in her hair, something that was rare given James did not like her hair touched. The paper she held up for the toddler was a picture of a party plan designed for a hotel across town. "We just don't know where to put the DJ."

"Up here." James stated, pointing towards the corner furthest from the bar but closest to the exit. Her little finger made a line from the DJ, past the silent auction items, and over to the bar. "They walk right by."

Claire grinned, pulling James closer to her and dropping the paper onto the desk. "How did you get so smart?" She tickled her daughter's sides and pretended to attack James's neck with kisses, making her daughter erupt into laughter and scrunch up. "Huh, smartypants? When did you get so smart?"

James giggled, her arms tucking against her sides to try and deflect Claire's hands. "Mommy, that tickles!"

The door burst open then, Gillian Cole marching in to surprise Claire but shocking herself seeing the small child in Claire's lap. Evelyn rushed in a second later, clearly not phased by the mother and daughter. "I'm sorry, Claire. She just barged in."

"It's okay, Evelyn." Claire gave her friend a small smile, one of her arms wrapping around James's torso protectively. "Can you get in touch with Mr. Harvey to discuss donations for the thirtieth?"

Evelyn nodded. "Next on my to do list. Would you like me to take James to the conference room?"

James shook her head, pushing her back closer to Claire's chest. "No."

"We're okay. Thank you." Claire chuckled, turning James in her lap so she was sitting sideways. She leaned back in her chair, nearly cradling James when she tucked herself between her arm and torso. "How can I help you, Gillian?"

Gillian rolled her eyes and gestured to James. "Alright, Claire, whose child did you steal to try and prove that I don't have a case against you? I know feeling my baby would've hurt you, but this is low."

Claire smirked, reaching up and tucking a strand of hair behind James's ear. "Feeling your baby inside your was unmoving, Gillian. I've felt my own baby kick inside me, and I've given birth. If you had worked here a little longer than you did, you might've realized that this is my daughter James."

"She is not yours." Gillian stated plainly, resting a hand on her swollen belly.

James gasped and pointed to Gillian's belly. "Mommy, baby!" She moved her hand to Claire's belly. "Like me!"

Claire grinned. "Yes, sweetheart. She's having a baby just like I had you." She giggled when James looked down at her own belly, pressing her hands there. "Honey, your father would have a fit if he found out you were having a baby."

"I don't believe this." Gillian stated before pulling out her phone, typing something into it. "This will prove I'm right once and for all." She smirked before turning her phone around to face James and Claire, showing a picture of Francis she had pulled up on the internet. "Who is this?"

"Daddy!" James's face lit up before grabbing Claire's phone. She turned on the screen and showed it to Gillian, a picture of Francis, Claire, and James in white clothes, cowboy boots, and mud stains. It was from a photoshoot they had done for Francis's current campaign, and it quickly turned from clean family pictures to getting hosed off in the garden when James had found mud puddles by their home in Gaffney. "That's my daddy."

Gillian gaped, her face reddening in anger. "So, you have a daughter. You know what it's like to have a child, and you still cancelled my insurance. Claire, you know there's things I can't get without that coverage."

"Well, my lawyers have advised me not to speak to you since you're going through with the lawsuit." Claire stated plainly. "Besides, you signed consent forms." She picked up a sheet of paper, handing it over to Gillian smoothly. "It's an insurance issue."

Gillian stared down at the form, the realization hitting her with a deadly force. "You did this." She tossed the paper onto Claire's desk. "I can feel my baby moving. You said it yourself; you know what it's like. How could you do this when you know I need those medications?"

Claire played with James's hair as she was busy scrolling through more photos on her phone. "It's not criminal. You tried to make yourself superior to me just because you're pregnant. Being pregnant or having the ability to be pregnant does not make you more of a woman than somebody else. You think all of this has to do with your baby. You thought I had some prejudice against pregnant women or children. I've been pregnant. I have a child." She shrugged. "So, you can go through with the lawsuit, but you and I both know that it will end with you having a bunch of legal fees and no settlement from me."

"So, why cancel my insurance if you know I have no case?" Gillian asked.

Claire sighed, gazing down at James. "The bond you have with your child is amazing, isn't it?" She looked back up at Gillian. "Even when I was pregnant, the flutters, the kicks, they were the only ways I could connect with my daughter without seeing her or hearing her. And, I have never had a connection like that with anybody else." She kissed James's temple, smiling when James grinned up at her. "I know what your child means to you, so you know what my child means to me and how far I'm willing to go in order to shield her from anything that might make her world darker. I spend my life protecting and shielding her, but I will let your child wither and die inside you if that's what it takes to keep my family safe."

Gillian took a few moments to let those words sink in. "If I drop the suit, will you reinstate my insurance?"

"You'll drop the lawsuit either way, Gillian." Claire hummed. "But, I'll call the insurance company. I suggest you head back to Africa or think about relocating elsewhere. D.C. won't treat you well."

Francis pulled off his jacket and walked over to his and Claire's window to find her with a glass of wine. "Sulking or celebrating?"

"Reveling." Claire smirked before handing him her glass and crossing her arms over her chest. "Francis, you should have seen her face when James told Gillian we were her parents. I barely had to speak. James did all the talking, and Gillian was mortified." She giggled softly to herself. "James even grabbed my phone to show off pictures of you."

"No kidding." Francis grinned before downing the rest of the wine in the glass. His attention moved to the foyer though when he saw the movement of small legs covered in cartoon panda faces. "Speaking of our daughter, I believe she is up."

Claire shook her head with a smile, seeing James trying to hide on the staircase. "She was out cold when I put her to bed." She pushed herself off the window sill and moved towards the living room. "James, honey, what are you doing?"

James jumped, startled, but she pushed her face through the banister rungs to peek out at Claire. "I heard Daddy outside."

"She probably heard me laughing with Steve." Francis breathed before standing up himself. "C'mere, darlin'." He grinned when James hung onto the railing as she took the steps one at a time with her short legs, chuckling when she ran towards him. "There's my girl!" He lifted her up into his arms, hugging her against his chest. "I heard you were a talkative little thing at work with Mommy today. Do you think you could come with me tomorrow for some of my meetings?"

"No." James shook her head, brushing her hair away from her face as she met Francis's eyes.

Francis frowned. "Why? Don't you want to spend time with me at work?"

James chuckled and kissed his cheek. "It's boring." She pointed to Claire. "Mommy's is fun."

"Well now, that's just not true." Francis said.

Claire giggled, running a hand through her own hair. "Just wait a few more years, Francis. She'll be ready to beat you to the Oval Office." She smirked when James started yawning in Francis's arms. "Sweetheart, we need to get you to bed before you pass out in Daddy's arms."

Francis kissed her head. "I need to go downstairs for a little bit. Why don't you go get settled? I'll kiss you goodnight later."

"Hey, Mommy?" James asked as Claire laid her down in her bed, tucking her into the pink and purple covers.

"Yes, sweetheart?" Claire sat down on the edge of the bed beside James, grabbing one of the stuffed animals for her daughter to cuddle for the night. She reached out and started combing back her wild hair from the little sleep she had gotten before Francis got home.

James held the animal to her chest. "Are we getting a baby?"

"No, we're not having another baby. The lady we met today, Gillian, she's having a baby. But, there's no baby in my belly." Claire shook her head with a soft smile. "Why? Do you want a baby in the house?"

James shook her head, sitting up despite Claire's attempt to get her to fall asleep. "Do you?"

Claire winked at James, dropping her forehead to hers. "Why would I need another baby when I've got you? Your father and I are very happy with you. Why change that?"

"Bane got a sister." James said, almost as if explaining the whole conversation with her few words and referring to her friend she occasionally saw at the park. "Is he happy?"

"I'm sure he is." Claire breathed, sitting back up herself. "He's probably very happy to have a sibling, but I'm sure he was still happy before she came along." She lifted James up, bringing her into her lap. "Your daddy and I almost had a baby a few years before I got pregnant with you. It was a little boy. But, it wasn't meant to be. I'm sure he would've made your father and I happy, and we would love him just as we love you. If we had him though, we wouldn't have you. I fought very hard to have you."

James peered up at her mother with matching blue eyes. "Why?"

Claire kissed James's nose. "I knew that I had to have you." She grinned when James smiled. "I hadn't even heard your heartbeat yet, and I knew you weren't going anywhere. I was willing to give up everything for you."

"For me?" James asked with raised eyebrows.

Claire giggled with a nod. "All for you." She hugged James to her chest, burying her nose in the three year old's hair. "You mean the world to me, James. I would do anything for you." She felt her heart warm when James's arms wrapped around her torso, hugging Claire as tightly as her little arms would allow. "How could I ever want more when I've got you?"

James pushed herself closer to Claire's chest. "I love you, Mommy."

"I love you too." Claire whispered, gently rubbing her toddler's back.

She wasn't sure how long she had stayed there holding James, but it was long enough for her daughter to fall asleep. Claire couldn't bear to put her down though, enjoying the moment that was becoming more and more rare these days. Her attention was diverted though when Francis appeared in the open doorway, coming to kiss James goodnight. "Get everything done?"

"Yeah," Francis nodded, gesturing in between her and James, "everything okay here."

Claire nodded, resting her head back against James's while gazing over at him. "I know nothing is ever perfect. You and I know that better than most, but she's pretty perfect."

Francis smiled and walked over, gently sitting down beside Claire as not to wake James. "Melt your heart perfect?"

"Captured your heart perfect." Claire chuckled, gently rocking from side to side with James secured in her arms. "She means everything."

"You almost left me over her." Francis huffed on a breath, remembering the moment Claire burst from the guest room. "I can't say I would blame you knowing her now." He reached out, gently caressing James's cheek. "You were right to choose her. I'm glad you chose her." He leaned over and pecked Claire's lips. "Our love for her is going to get us both killed one day though."

Claire smirked, knowing Francis had been fighting off wolves. Afraid of the one that would come out of the dark and hold something against him about James. "Unless we do the slaying first."

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