Short bit of inspiring words that came to me with a fresh re watch of early Season 1.
When did Henry get tapped again by the NSA? Discussion on Facebook group Madam Secretary Fans.
HI. I haven't forgotten about Henry!
Some writing is better than no writing. So I hope you like this.
I know I have left my fics sitting. They will be updated soon. I finally have a little writing time as fall routines are settling. I have missed this.
Reviews always make my day. It's my Birthday on Oct 17 and I chose to have a quiet day at home to just let my introvert self enjoy quiet activities. Writing is one of those activities.
For now I hope you enjoy this. I also hope the typos are limited.
Brenda.
2014
Henry.
Let me start Journal by saying that I am very proud of Elizabeth and I think she's doing an amazing job of transitioning from being a teacher, a parent and a horse owner to being America's top diplomat.
The whole family is still in shock and while we are very honoured and proud it's brought out some challenges.
We all had to move to DC and we are in the public eye and so the kids are not handling it as smoothly as we had prayed. To be honest we were hoping for a miracle and zero drama or pushback and as Elizabeth said the moment she hung up from accepting the job. Saddle up Professor. It's gonna be insanity for a while. Insanity we don't even know about.
She was right. We decided to keep the farm so our finances limited us from getting a large suburban sprawl with 100 rooms and a pool. Georgetown had offered me a job as a lead professor in theology and with that came a housing allowance provided I lived close by. With DS involved and privacy concerns and proximity to a good school that was safe for our two youngest teens- we chose this townhouse and are fixing it up and moving in.
We mollified the anarchist with an Xbox and gaming gear. Allison loved the idea of going to a school like Rory Gilmore from a tv show she loves and we promised to let her text her boyfriend every day and to arrange visits a few times a month. We thought Stevie was happy at Lovell and simply wanted to be left out of things.
Sounds good right ?
Except Jason hates all schools. His hamster Professor Whiskers died the day before we moved in, and he's revelling in his moms difficulties at work. Allie misses Josh and the dweeb dumped her by text. Elizabeth and I were not supposed to know that though because we were spying on her phone. Somehow in connecting all our devices to the new firewall and having everything cleaned by the White House security teams - my IPad twinned with the iPhone we gave Allie so our ethics went out the window for a few weeks while we decided how to handle that. We did decide it was stinky of us and we cut that cord.
Our one saving grace was our 20 year old. She was in college - doing well and living a responsible life. So for two months of transitioning we were safe but then kaboom. Stevie quits college and comes home and it's driving my wife crazy because Stevie was such an easy teenager and now we get the rebellion? My wife is overwhelmed but trying to cover it well.
The worst is me. I have a strange background of military, religion, ethics and theology. Raised poor blue collar and now I am well off and known around the world for my work in Catholicism and other world religions. So for whatever reason I was asked to work for the NSA a couple of times after 9/11. Elizabeth was allowed to know and once she determined that my life shouldn't be in danger she looked forward to hearing about how I got intel at religious conferences to pass to the US government. The pay was a nice bonus because professors don't get paid millions of dollars. Boring old Henry the religion prof at UVA got to pass a couple of notes to Uncle Sam.
But now I have to do it again. I have to lie to her because she is Secretary of State and can't be read in.
I don't think this is a good idea but I have been told if I squeak it's going to ruin the both of us.
So I am working on a book as my cover. I really am writing a book. But she's going to India with the kids on the first official trip and I have to stay home and work on my NSA target.
I hate lying to my wife . I hope this doesn't last for long or I am going to develop an ulcer.
I do sometimes wonder why Conrad tapped her and now conveniently the administration wants me. Are we part of some giant conspiracy?
I am not that guy but things have been weird since the get go.
It started when George showed up all paranoid about Elizabeth being in danger because Marsh might be dirty and then he was killed in that plane crash.
Then while Elizabeth is hosting the King of Swaziland and trying to make her mark as a comptent Sec State, Juliet shows up to the house with Isabelle and they tell me that George was killed in a single car crash to a telephone pole.
They were both heartbroken and they asked me to tell Elizabeth. Said they would check in with her tomorrow.
So I found myself in her office to catch her before she heard it on the news.
Coincidence or conspiracy or just plain creepy.
It feels like all three.
...
