A/N: This is the sequel to "Gemini". I hope you like it...the other one just screamed for a sequel. This one has a few events from the series, but I played with them some. Please send reviews...it's not complete yet, so who knows where it goes! Hope you enjoy! As usual, most of the characters aren't mine.
The limo pulled up to the overhang and the marine standing guard opened the door as Alex touched up her makeup. She pushed the mirror back up and stepped out of the car, accepting the marine's hand. She smiled her thanks and smoothed the dress down before pulling the shawl tighter around herself.
She looked up as the door opened and Charlie stepped out of the house. "Charlie, did you come to welcome me," she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I was looking for your sister, actually," he said, "But you do look lovely tonight."
"Thanks for noticing," Alex replied dryly, "Is everyone inside?"
"Yeah," he said, "Your mom and dad have been asking about you all night."
"Gone two weeks and they're already going crazy," she muttered under her breath. "Well, I better not keep them waiting. See you later." She smiled, then entered through the doors.
Alex entered the foyer, which was filled with people dressed in formals and milling around. She spotted her mother and father in the middle, her mother taking pictures and her father greeting members of Congress.
The crowd parted as she walked over to them, smiling as her mother spotted her. "Alexandria," Abbey said, pulling her daughter into a hug.
"Hey mom," Alex said, hugging her mother back.
"How is school? I've barely talked to you since classes started," Abbey said, looking at her.
"I've been busy," Alex said, "Pre-law's not exactly an easy major."
"I know," Abbey said. She knew Alex was caught up in college; it was the one part of her life that was normal. "Met any cute guys recently?"
"Well, there is this one in my poli sci class," Alex said with a grin. Abbey grinned and listened as her daughter began talk about her first college classes.
Alex sipped her glass of champagne and listened idly as Josh and Sam discussed recent campaign reform legislation that had passed. She had kept up on it through watching CNN and a few conversations with her father. Her attention swayed though, when she heard someone call her name. She turned to see Zoey rushing towards her with a broad grin. "Hey," Alex said, hugging Zoey tightly. "I thought you'd never get here."
"Traffic," Zoey replied with a groan, "And Charlie."
"Uh-oh. What now," Alex asked, hooking her arm through Zoey's and walking over to grab another glass of champagne.
"He wants to get back together," Zoey said, taking a glass from the table.
"And," Alex asked, crossing her arms, glass of champagne in one hand.
"And I don't want to," Zoey explained, "He respectfully declined my request that we break up."
"At least he was respectful," Alex said, "What's so bad about you two getting together again?"
"You mean aside from the fact that he works for our father," Zoey asked. "Who, by the way, threatened to call in the 82nd Airborne if he hurt me."
"So he can be a little protective," Alex argued.
"Alex, dating him just puts me even further in the spotlight and right now, I just don't want that," Zoey said.
"You mean that you're afraid the threats will start again and he could get shot," Alex said. She remembered all of the threats that Zoey had received the last time she and Charlie had started dating.
"Yeah," Zoey said, chewing on her lip.
"Zo, there are always people that will disagree with who you're dating. That's normal. It comes with the job," Alex said, "Do you want to date him?"
"I don't know," Zoey said finally. She sighed and smoothed her hair out in an attempt to calm herself.
"Zoey, I can't tell you to date him or not date him," Alex said, "But I can tell you that it might be worth a shot." Zoey nodded, still unsure of the situation in front of her. Alex squeezed her hand gently, then went to go talk to CJ.
Alex looked up as she heard a knock on her door. She had left the dinner an hour ago to work on some homework for her statistics class. Zoey had left for campus at the same time, claiming she had a project to work on. Alex knew that she had really just needed time to think.
"Come in," she called, hooking a strand of hair behind her ear. She glanced up as her mother walked in, still wearing the evening dress she had worn at the party.
"How's the homework coming," Abbey asked, sitting down on the bed.
"Not bad," Alex replied, "It's not hard…just time consuming. The party over?"
"For the most part," Abbey said, "Your father and I bid every goodnight, then came up here. You and Zoey both looked beautiful tonight."
"Thanks," Alex said, "She tell you about Charlie?"
"No. What happened?" Abbey knew of her daughter's involvement with her husband's aide.
"Charlie wants to start dating her again," Alex said, leaning back in her chair.
"How'd Zoey feel about this," Abbey asked.
"She's afraid of the threats starting again," Alex replied.
"Reasonable fear," Abbey replied. She sighed, feeling the heartache that she often felt when it came to her children and their private lives. Throughout her husband's career, Zoey had never been allowed to date who she wanted without undergoing some scrutiny or commentary from the press.
When she had dated Charlie, Zoey had received multiple threats. American society just seemed against a white girl dating a black man. Abbey had supported Zoey's decision to break up with Charlie, but wished that she had had at least had the chance to see what their relationship would have been like.
"Alex, I wish with everything I can that you and Zoey will have some sort of life, away from the media and spotlights," Abbey said, "Your father and I have tried hard to give you that privacy. Zoey dating Charlie just isn't acceptable in the eyes of many, no matter how hard we try to dissuade those opinions."
"I know," Alex said, "Just doesn't seem fair sometimes."
"I know, sweetheart," Abbey said, "Finish your homework and don't stay up to late. I love you." She kissed Alex gently on the forehead, brushing hair from her face.
"Night. I love you too," Alex said. She watched her mother leave, then turned back to her homework.
