A/N: I tried to make it a bit longer, but I'm writing at sporadic times during the day, and I know when I read stories I'm always so eager for an update, I guess I just appreciate frequent updates. So here it is…part 3. To be honest, I don't have any idea how long (or short) this might be, or what will even happen. I'm just going with whatever keys my fingers decide to hit. And a big thank you, again, to all those who have reviewed. If there's anything you don't like, or have any suggestions for improvement, I'm all for it.

Previously on "Nation's First."

"You didn't answer my question. Where are you going?"

"To have a private conversation with my favorite Press Secretary." And then she was gone.

Sarah the Saint

It wasn't often that the President of the United States came to her office. Usually it was the other way around, so Kelly Ludlow, speech writer turned Press Secretary to the first female President, was admittedly surprised to see her boss leaning in her doorway. She stood from where she had been leaning on her desk looking at one of the many televisions in her office. "Madame President."

"Hi Kelly. Mind if I come in?"

A bit curious as to why the President was here and now asking if she could come in, Kelly motioned her in with an "Of course." Mac took a seat in one of the chairs by her desk. Kelly now hovered by her own chair.

"I wanted to talk."

"Talk?" She knew the President pretty well; she had been working for her for over two years now. It wasn't that she was uncomfortable around Mackenzie Allen, it was just that she wasn't exactly sure where the relationship should fall between President and Press Secretary.

"Yeah. We haven't just talked in a while." Mac really didn't know how to break the ice for what she was planning to ask. "I miss those late nights of chatting we had while we were working on speeches."

Kelly just nodded her head. She was completely at a loss.

"Well actually, I want to tell you something, and then I want to ask you something."

"You say jump, I'll jump," she responded without hesitation. She really looked up to this woman. Not just because she was the President, or because she was a great politician, but because she was a great person, a woman who didn't compromise when it came to what she believed in.

Mac let out a brief chuckle. "No, it's not like that. Actually, it's more of a personal matter." Kelly didn't say anything. "I'm just going to come right out with this, sorry. It appears that there is a chance I might…" she hesitated.

"Ma'am?"

"I think I may be pregnant." Kelly had been running 'I might' situations through her head since the President had paused. Pregnancy was not on that list.

Not knowing what to say, the best she could come up with before she came across as speechless was "Congratulations." She followed this after a moment with a hesitant, "right?"

"Well, yeah, I suppose so. If it's true. Actually that's the problem. Kelly," she looked straight at the younger woman, "I can't just go to the drugstore, and I can't really schedule a doctor's appointment."

"The press would have a field day." She thought the President was asking her what to do. She was not prepared for Mac's next question.

"So Rod and I discussed it, and well, I was wondering…" She stopped. "Wow, this is really awkward, do you think you could manage to get a pregnancy test for us?"

Kelly had to consciously prevent herself laughing. This was going to be even more awkward. She looked down at her desk than back to her rather anxious looking President. She opened the top right drawer of her desk, shuffled some things around, and then placed a box in front of Mac. It was a small blue and white box with the bold letters e.p.t. on it.

Mac looked at the box for a moment and then back at Kelly. The woman had a small and unreadable smile on her face. "Do I even want to know?"

"Truthfully?"

"I don't know." Mac was a bit stunned, she must be getting old. When she was Kelly's age, women kept lip balm and maybe nail polish in their desk drawers, not pregnancy tests.

"I got a package a few weeks ago from a good friend in California. She and her husband had been trying to have a baby for some time. She called me to tell me they were going to have a baby girl. The next day I got this from her. It came with this note." She handed the note to the President, deciding it would be easier for her to read than to try to explain.

Kelly,

As you know, Mark and I are going to be parents! It may sound strange but we had bought half-dozen pregnancy tests while we had been trying. Now that we've got one on the way, I figured you could use this. Think of it as my way of making fun of your pathetic love life. And my reminder to you that work isn't everything, no matter how important your job, as only a friend like me can remind you. Don't roll your eyes, just store it away for the future. And I hope for both our sakes the near future. I can't take too much more of you being single, the phone bills will start to be too much.

All my love (and undeniable humor),

Sarah

"You really have to know Sarah to understand it I suppose." She realized the President of the United States was reading this strange letter, with no context of the friendship in which to frame it.

"I suppose. Either way, she's a Saint" Mac had the urge to grab the box in front of her and race back to the Residence, but she felt she owed Kelly more than that. "Well I wasn't expecting you to whip one out of your desk, but I really appreciate this. And I don't think I need to say…"

Kelly knew what she was going to say. She started to shake her head, "You absolutely don't ma'am."

Mac rose and smiled at her before turning to leave.

"Good luck," Kelly said quietly as she turned the door handle and disappeared, presumably back to the Residence to use her "gift."

This time as she hurried back into the Residence, she ran into the other twin, Becca. Becca was a smart girl, but she still had plenty of that teenage rebelliousness in her. Mac slipped the box into her pants pocket, and kept her hand over it, hoping her daughter wouldn't notice. She didn't.

"Hey kiddo how was school?" Once again, Mac really wanted to get back to Rod, but she couldn't blow off her daughter, no matter what was going on, and she didn't want to.

"Oh," Becca looked down, "fine, I guess."

Mac reached out and tipped her daughter's head up, "you sure? It was just fine."

"Well mom, no one in their right mind likes school. I just," she was cut off. A faux hurt look coming across her mother's face.

"Hey, I loved school!"

Becca just rolled her eyes, "Well, you would. Anyway, are you going to make it to dinner?"

"Wouldn't miss it." Looking at her watch she realized said dinner was in 10 minutes. "I just have to run and um, change."

Becca gave her a bit of a look, her mom usually didn't change out of her suit for dinner, she usually came in, ate and then went back to the West Wing, which of course was if she made it to dinner at all. "Oh, okay."

"See you in a few." With that Mac was back on her objective and made a beeline for the First Bedroom.

Where was Rod? Mac peeked into the bathroom and then threw up her arms in defeat when there was no presence of him. "Rod Calloway, where are you?" She didn't mean to say it so loud, but before she had a chance to make it all the way to the door to go search for him, he popped his head in the door.

"Looking for me?"

"No, I'm looking for my other husband!"

"Oh boy, if you are pregnant, I get to deal with another nine months on the Mackenzie Allen hormonal roller coaster." His wife was now just glaring at him. This only served to further his point, and they both knew it. "What's up? Did you talk to Kelly?"

She pulled the blue and white box out of her pocket. "I did." She held it up to him, smiling.

"Wait, that was fast. Too fast."

"She whipped it out of her desk drawer, I'm serious." Mac could see the utter confusion written all over her husband's face. "Don't ask, let's just do this."

Still a bit shocked, "right, okay. Umm…I guess I'll go stall for you at dinner, and it'll be done by the time we've finished."

"You want me to do it now and wait 'til after dinner?" Mac was almost whining.

"You're actually not busy and its 6:30, how often do you get to enjoy a relaxed family dinner where you don't have to rush back off to work?"

"Okay." She conceded and headed to the bathroom, she felt like she was off to seal her fate. If she was pregnant, and inside she knew she was, life would not be the same, and it would certainly not be easy.

When Rod walked into the dining room, four heads turned to greet him. His youngest daughter, Amy, leaned forward to see around him, disappointment appearing instantly in her eyes. "Mommy's not coming?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"Oh no, sweetie, she is. She's just washing up."

"Oh, okay." After Rod's reassurance the young girl perked right back up.

Just as he had made it to his own seat, Mac appeared around the corner. "Hey everybody." She took the long way around the table, stopping to kiss Amy's forehead, "hey baby." As she passed her own mother, Kate Allen, she brushed her shoulder, "mom." Mackenzie gave her husband a nervous look that said, 'okay, 15 minutes.' She was visibly anxious, because she knew dinner would last longer than that. She wasn't sure how she was going to keep herself or Rod for that matter, from leaping out of her seat and racing to look for that infamous blue stripe.

"Mom, I thought you were going to change?" Becca had instantly noticed the business attire she still donned.

Oops, busted. "Oh, I decided not to Bec, I realized I may need to head back downstairs for a little bit later on.

The family made small talk for most of the meal, asking each other how their days had been. Mac couldn't think of anything that happened except for her revelation, and Iran of course, but she wasn't about to share either of those over dinner with her whole family.

Rather, she took this time to sit back and revel in the happiness and simplicity of the moment. Taking a moment to look at each of her children, she took a moment to reflect on the memory of finding out that she was pregnant with each of them, especially finding out about twins.

And while she was happy to soak up this moment, she couldn't help but think of the pregnancy test that was waiting for her back in her bathroom. She tried to sneak a peek at her watch, 20 minutes had passed. The answer was already there, she just couldn't get to it. Noticing his wife's anxiety, Rod excused himself from the table for a moment.

This sent Mackenzie into a sheer panic for a moment. Was he going to look, without her? He wouldn't do that, would he? But before she had a chance to go after him, he was back. He just smiled at her and took his seat. What was that supposed to mean? Did he look?

Just then a steward cleared his throat at the doorway, "Madame President, there's an urgent phone call for you." Mac frowned, but Rod smiled. When she got to the phone she wasn't happy. If she got called away before she could go look at that damned test, she would send the Army into Iran in a heartbeat. "What?"

"Good evening, ma'am." It was Jim.

"This better be good, Jim." Jim was a bit confused as to her attitude. Understandably she wouldn't be happy to be pulled away from family time, but she had never been cross about it.

"Actually ma'am, I was just asked by Mr. Calloway to give you an 'urgent' call. He mumbled something about 'taking a look' before he hung up."

"Ma'am." No response. "Madame President?" Again, no response. Then the line went silent. Strange.

Mac had broken into a huge grin, never having loved her husband more. She kept herself from full out running to her bathroom. When she got there, she stopped in the door jam, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She felt a hand on the small of her back. Good, he came, they should do this together.