Three days later, all of Alex's things for college had been bought. She and Abbey had ordered most of it online, but a few things had been hand bought. At the same time, Alex and Zoey had bought presents for their family.
Zoey was home for the break and she and Alex were in the Residence, wrapping all of the presents they had purchased. "You think Mom and Dad'll like this," Alex asked, wrapping up the gift they had purchased for her.
"I think they'll love it," Zoey said, tying off the ribbon on their father's present and setting it aside. She reached for the gift she had gotten for Ellie and tore off some fresh paper. "You ready for college?"
"Yeah," Alex said, setting the gift aside and reaching for Liz's. "Mom and I bought everything over the past few days."
"Online," Zoey asked.
"Among over things," Alex said. "I think we got everything I needed and more."
"I know what you mean. When Mom and Dad thought I was the last to go off to college, they went a little overboard for me as well." Alex pushed herself up and walked over to the bed to get more ribbon.
She heard a sharp crack and gasped sharply as the glass of the window cracked, spider-webbing out. Startled, she heard another crack as Zoey screamed and grabbed the bottom of her sweater, pulling her to the ground. Alex screamed as shots continued and the door to Zoey's room broke open and Secret Service Agents flooded the room. "What happened," one of the agents screamed.
"Gun shots. Over there," Zoey said, raising her head enough to point.
"Bachner, Smith and Andrews get them out here and stay low," one of the agents barked to another. Alex was grabbed off the floor and forced to crouch as they ran out of the room.
"Are you both alright," one of the agents asked as the girls were quickly checked over.
"Yeah," Alex and Zoey managed to stammer out.
"What happened," the heard another voice ask.
"Gun shot. From the north face," the agent in front of them responded. "Gemini and Backpack are fine." The girls were deposited in the hall, sitting on ground outside of their parents room.
"Where's Mom and Dad," Alex asked, her voice shaking as she tried to speak.
"We're crashing the building," the agent said.
"But, where are they," Alex demanded, trying to push herself up.
"Stay where you are," the agent barked, pushing her back down.
"I want to see my parents," Alex shouted, tears falling down her face. She had been shot at, yelled at, shoved and told to sit still when she didn't know where her parents were.
"Ms. Bartlet, your parents are fine," she heard a calm voice say from her left. She turned and saw Agent Butterfield approaching . "We got the suspect. He's in questioning now."
"Why'd he shoot at us," Zoey asked, pushing herself up.
"We're finding that out now," Butterfield said, "We've lifted the crash. Your parents are on their way up." The words were barely out of his mouth when they both heard their mother shouting their names.
"Mom," Alex shouted as she and Zoey running towards her mother.
"Oh God," Abbey said, catching her daughter in her arms. "Are you okay? Are you both okay?" She ran her hands over both of them, looking for any wounds.
"We're fine," Zoey said as Abbey clutched both she and Alex tight. "The glass stopped the bullets." She turned as their father came running up the stairs, moving rapidly towards them.
"Are you both alright," Jed asked, looking over both of his daughters.
"We're fine," Zoey said, her voice shaking. "What happened?"
"A man on the north lawn was shooting at Zoey's window. We don't know yet if that was his intent," Agent Butterfield said, walking up them. "Sir, we will need to see you downstairs."
"Okay," Jed said, "Are you sure you're both alright?"
"Yeah," Zoey said, "We're fine." Jed hugged both of them, and then went downstairs while Abbey calmed the twins.
Abbey sat Alex and Zoey down on the bed, while she went to get glass of water. Alex looked more shaken than Zoey, but then again, her life hadn't been threatened by a gun since the kidnapping. She knew there had been more than her life flashing before her eyes.
Abbey checked their blood pressure and heart rates, more for her satisfaction than anything. Zoey checked out fine, then went to the room she had been moved into temporarily. Security had moved her in case another attempt had been made.
Alex on the other hand remained on her mother's bed, her eyes unfocused. "Alex," Abbey asked softly, "Are you okay?" She touched her daughter's face gently, moving her face to meet her eyes.
She hadn't said anything since the shooting. "Honey? Are you okay?"
"They shot at me," Alex said, her voice barely above a whisper, "I haven't done anything, and they shot at me."
"They weren't shooting at you," Abbey said.
"Then…who," Alex asked, her eyes glancing up to meet her mother's.
"Remember those threats we talked about? About Zoey and Charlie," Abbey said. Alex nodded slowly, realization hitting her. "Alex, this is why your father and I want you to have two agents. You didn't do anything wrong, but this is just one example."
"I got shot at because people disagree with Zoey and Charlie dating," Alex said slowly.
"Honey, from the distance you were shot at, they thought you were Zoey," Abbey explained. "Do you understand now why your safety is so important to your father and me? We didn't know what to think when heard about the shots."
"I understand," Alex said softly.
"Okay," Abbey said, hugging her daughter tightly. She kissed her forehead gently, then let her go to return to her room.
Abbey opened the door to Alex's room softly to see Alex and Zoey sound asleep in Alex's bed. Zoey had been to afraid to sleep in her bed and had bunked with Alex for the night. She laid the extra quilt over the both of them and shut the curtains as snow fell softly outside. She kissed Zoey, then Alex gently, looking up to see Jed in the doorway. She turned up the heater slightly, then rubbed her arms before walking over to join her husband. He shut the door behind them, wrapping his arm around his wife.
"Zoey didn't want to sleep by herself," he asked as they entered the bedroom.
"Can you blame her," Abbey asked. "What Ron have to say?"
"They were shooting at Zoey," he said, "And they mistook Alex for her."
"I figured as much," Abbey replied. "Alex was pretty shaken up."
"I'm sorry I couldn't be up here."
"You had your job to do," Abbey said. "She realized why we need her to have two agents today." Jed nodded and changed for bed before crawling in next to his wife.
"I'm sorry she had to learn that way," Jed said, turning to face Abbey.
"Me too," Abbey replied. She kissed her husband and allowed him to pull her close, burying his nose in her hair.
Alex and Zoey slept restlessly that night, images of the day's events haunting the both of them. Around four in the morning, Alex finally gave up and crawled out of bed, tugging a sweatshirt on and walked down the hall. She sat down on the couch, pulling her knees to her chest as she stared out the window onto the lawn.
"Can't sleep," she heard a voice ask from behind her.
"No," she said, turning to see her dad walking out of the bedroom. "I can't shut my mind off."
"I know what you mean," he said, sitting down next to her. "Your mom said you were pretty shaken up. Do you want to talk about it?"
Alex shrugged and played with the cuffs of the sweatshirt, her eyes straight ahead. "It just…it reminded me of the kidnapping," Alex said, looking down. "I feel like I should be over it, but I'm not. The gunshots brought back memories that I hadn't remembered yet."
"Alex, there are people who never get over a kidnapping," he said, "Especially as violent and tragic as yours. I thought you had told us you remembered everything already."
"I remember most of it," Alex said, "but… there are a few gaps. Charlotte told me that it may take time to remember everything."
"Yeah, I know," he admitted.
"Dad, was that person really shooting at you," Alex asked softly.
Jed paused, eyeing his youngest daughter. He knew from the beginning that she wasn't buying that lie. "No, they weren't," he finally admitted, "They were shooting at your sister and you got caught in the crossfire."
"Was it about her and Charlie?"
"Did she tell you about the threats?" Apart of him wasn't surprised that she had known. Alex and Zoey were as close as twins came. But, he didn't know that she knew about it.
"No," Alex admitted sheepishly, "I overheard her and mom arguing a few days ago."
"I figured as much," Jed said.
"It's just…you would think that after forty years, people in this country would be more accepting of two different people dating," Alex said, frustrated. She had been hurt when she heard her mother and Zoey arguing over her and Charlie dating.
"Forty years isn't enough time to erase two-hundred years of segregation," her father explained. Alex sighed, knowing her father was right.
"Dad, how is it that this nation has been so accepting of me, a person who was born and raised on the streets and used to steal to stay alive, but hates a person that has worked hard to contribute to society and works to keep himself and his sister in school," Alex asked, looking up to meet her father's eyes.
"They accept it because in their eyes, you are white and he is black. They accept it because you are the President's daughter and he was the son of a cop. Alexandria, there are people who have fought and given their lives to change the injustice that frustrates you. That is why it is so important for you to realize these things. Maybe your generation will be the one to shake things up a little bit," Jed said. Alex nodded and closed her eyes, yawning. "Enough contemplation for one night. Go on back to bed."
"Okay," Alex said, dragging herself up off the couch. "Good night, Dad."
"Night, Alex," he said, watching her go to bed. He stayed on the couch, though, thinking of what his youngest daughter had said.