A BIT MORE RUSSELL - SORRY - CAN'T HELP IT. ENJOY! PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!
"You promised her what?" Henry's frustration at Russell ensconced the Chief of Staff's office. Russell had asked him here after lunch, and Henry assumed he'd wanted to talk about … well, work things. Nothing like…
"It was not my idea, Henry." Russell explained from where he sat at his desk chair. "She didn't want to do the public appearance thing last night."
"And you didn't…" Henry shook his head in amazement, "… think about asking us, her parents, before you promised her something?" He stood up from the couch, "You've got to tell her no."
Russell stood to his feet behind his desk, "Henry, she wants you to go with her."
Henry chuckled sarcastically. "I know that's a lie, Russell." He knew his daughter. "Other than Elizabeth, I'm persona non grata. And now I've got to go be the bad guy who says 'no' to something that never should've been promised in the beginning. Thanks for that."
Henry knew it would be bad. Whether Russell told Emma, or it came from him, it would be the same consequences. Emma wouldn't speak to Henry for a while, if Elizabeth somehow walked into any unnecessary tension, she'd take the brunt of the anger, and any progress they'd seen in the last few months would evaporate.
"Henry." Russell called his name. And when Henry looked at him, Russell held up his hands in surrender, "Maybe I shouldn't have promised anything, I know." Henry rolled his eyes at the lame apology, but Russell gave him something that looked like honesty. "But I swear – I'll swear to any god or deity you'd like – I swear she told me this morning that part of the deal she wanted was for you to come with her."
Henry furrowed his brow. He stood there for a while. Watching Russell. The words sounded genuine. And the hope bubbled again. And, after making Russell hold his breath for long enough, Henry said, "Ok I believe you."
"Thank God." Russell breathed out, immediately kicking into gear. "Now, your wife has a few minutes free in her schedule at…" He looked at his watch, "right now. So if you want to go run this by her, I'll be doing paperwork here to…"
"Hell no." Henry shook his head. "I'm not talking to her about this by myself." Russell's face fell, his fate becoming clearer. And Henry, enjoying watching it, said, "You made the promise, you got to convince the boss."
Russell bit the side of his cheek, and mumbled, "It was nice knowing you" as he knocked on the adjoining door to the Oval.
For the first time in a while, he was enjoying watching someone else in the hot seat. Russell had hemmed and hawed around the subject, talking about the ESI bill that needed to be passed, the success of the dinner the previous night, and how overwhelmingly supportive the reception to Emma had been in the press. But Henry just waited.
"I think it was a bit too much for Emma last night." Elizabeth said, "It went really well for the first hour or so, but then, I don't know because… well, I'm not her favorite person… but I think she needs a break from the press for a while."
Russell took a deep breath and looked at Henry with the here-we-go look, and then turned to Elizabeth. "Speaking of taking a break, I think you're right."
"Oh, I'm right?" Elizabeth joked. "That statement is alarming on so many levels coming from the person who thinks it's his job to tell me every time I'm wrong."
"I was talking to Henry…"
"Oh, no you don't." Henry said, "You got yourself into this mess. Don't drag me down with you."
The frustration from his wife drew everyone back into the conversation. "Will someone tell me what's going on?"
Russell nodded, and said, "Remember how I volunteered to check and see if Emma would be willing to do the dinner last night?" Elizabeth sat back in her chair and crossed her legs as she listened. "Well, she didn't want to do it, which we'd all expected. But I thought it was important enough that I asked her how we could make it worth her while."
Elizabeth's eyes filled with apprehension and her jaw locked. "You played politics with my daughter?"
"Yes," Russell admitted, "And I do regret it."
"What did she ask for?"
Deep breath. "She said she'd be willing to do the appearance in exchange for a week at the farmhouse."
Henry wondered how long until they heard a pin drop.
Elizabeth took off her glasses, closed her eyes, and shook her head. "And did you agree?"
"Yes."
The anger. Filled the room. And she said, "You were the only person on my staff who knew about the situation." Russell nodded, and Henry had the feeling the chief of staff might feel like a bobblehead until this tongue lashing was over with. "You knew she's trying to get away from me. For some reason she can't stand being around me. And we had an agreement. Six months." Russell nodded, a pained look on his face as Elizabeth now stood to her feet to continue her barrage, "Has it been six months, Russell?" Russell shook his head. "No. But because you thought it was politically expedient for my daughter to be present in Washington, you made a unilateral decision that affects you in no way." By this time, Elizabeth now circled Russell, like a predator taunting her prey. "What were you thinking?" When Russell opened his mouth, Elizabeth bit his head off, "You weren't. That's the only answer you get to have right now." Defeated, Russell nodded in agreement.
While Henry enjoyed watching Russell's flagellation, he hated the pity that he felt for the little man. Henry had been a victim of the righteous anger from his wife, and knew it was not a comfortable position to be in. And Henry jumped in, "But there is a silver lining."
Now Elizabeth turned her fangs to Henry, "So you knew about this too?"
Henry shook his head with enthusiasm. "No. Russell just told me." Then to add good measure to his stature, he said, "I would've told you if I had known."
"Suck-up." Russell muttered.
"What did you say?" Elizabeth asked, again getting in Russell's face.
"Nothing." He answered, eyes wide.
"Good." Then Elizabeth turned to Henry, and asked, "And what the hell is the good news from this?"
Henry said, "She wants me to go with her."
Elizabeth turned her head to the side, and questioned, "How is that… a good thing?" Henry opened his mouth, but Elizabeth shook her head, now walking to him. "No, let me ask the questions. I'm just confused. Are you the person she won't stay in the same room with? No, you're not." Elizabeth was on a tirade, and Henry could see the pain that the anger was meant to disguise. "Are you the parent she refuses to talk to? No, not that one either. Are you the parent who can't even come close when she's breaking down? The parent who gets the finger when all that parent wants to do make her daughter feel better? No."
Elizabeth took a breath. And turned away from both men in the room and walked towards the window behind her desk. "I can't believe you two did this." She whispered.
Henry wanted to proclaim his innocence, but knew it wasn't the time. He just listened.
The business part of the job took over from the hurt mother underneath the Commander in Chief. "She can go. I want extra security at the farm. No press on the property. Round the clock security." She turned to look between Russell and Henry, "I want the farm as secure as this place. Hell, dig a bunker for all I care."
"We already did, in the back pasture by the house." Russell added, "Protocol for when you want to spend holidays or time there."
Elizabeth's jaw dropped, and then she said, "We've got to… talk about that later…" Then, she looked at Henry, "I want your entire detail with you. That way she's protected as well as…"
"We've got this, babe." He said confidently. And he walked towards her, "Maybe it'll be good for us."
He got close enough to see the tears brimming, and she shook her head, "Good for you and her. Which I'm happy about…"
Henry touched her shoulders, and finished her sentence, "But you're jealous."
She nodded, biting her lip as a tear dripped down her cheek. "I wish it was me she wanted to spend time with."
"I wish that too, Elizabeth" Henry pulled her close to him. "But give it time. Maybe this will let me talk to her about all of the problems…"
She buried her head in his neck and whispered, "I just miss her."
Henry kissed the top of her head, and, trying to lighten the mood, he said, "On the plus side, you'll be here with nothing to do but make Russell's life hell."
"Excuse me?"
And Elizabeth's small smile was barely enough to convince Henry that she would make it through this.
