Greetings! I'm sorry for my absence, coincidentally coinciding with CiC's absence from my TiVo  But fear not! I'm back and the show is back Thursday at 10pm!

Mac, Rod, and Kelly were gathered in the President's study for what would be some difficult problem-solving and decision-making.

"First off," Mac broke the silence, "I'm in no rush to make this public knowledge."

"And we need to have a doctor confirm it anyways," Rod interjected.

"Right, well," but Kelly was cut off.

"Well how am I going to get to the doctor's, we discussed this earlier."

"I don't know." Rod knew what they needed to do, but he didn't know how – none of them did.

"I mean, I get a paper-cut – it's news. How am I supposed to get to an OB/GYN without raising a hell of a lot of speculation?"

"Ma'am I think we could," but she was cut short again by Rod.

"Well you don't necessarily need to get to an OB/GYN right now, any doctor can confirm the pregnancy."

It appeared to Kelly that Mac and Rod were both nervous, and they were just going to keep talking if she didn't do something.

"Did you need me for this?" She made sure there was a sarcastic tone, she wasn't trying to be disrespectful. But this got the First Couple's attention.

"Sorry Kelly, you were saying?"

"Ma'am if I may, I think our safest bet is to get you down to Bethesda for your annual check-up. They can arrange to have an OB/GYN there without the press knowing."

"But I don't think that was on the schedule for another 3 months."

"We'll move it up. If we can make it look like now is the best time to get it done then there shouldn't be too much of a problem besides the initial 'is she okay?' questions, and maybe some minor speculation."

"I like it." Rod was satisfied.

"I'm always busy. How are we going to explain pushing something up 3 months."

"We don't need to, we just need to add something to the schedule that will take some prep time and need close attention in a few months." Rod was catching onto this logic. He thought it would work. And if it was good enough for Rod, then Mac figured it would work.

"Okay. So did you have anything in mind?"

This is where Kelly's plan stopped. They all remained silent for a moment until Rod chimed in. "A state visit."

"We have those all the time."

Kelly had it. "I know. Ma'am you've wanted to roll out your education plan for some time now. If we start work on it now and play it up in the press that would be perfect. And then in three months it will be September, the perfect time to go make some stops around the nation to drum up support for it."

"Not to mention the campaign will only get more demanding as we move forward."

Mac sighed, she didn't want to think about re-election right now. "Okay, we'll go with that for now. I'll have Vince move up my physical for sometime this week," she looked at Rod, "I want to know as soon as possible."

The three chatted for a bit longer before Kelly left. Amy was watching cartoons and the twins were doing homework, so Mac decided to run down to the office. She figured she should get some work done while she wasn't going to be sick so that she could afford to push back her morning schedule.

As she walked along the portico towards the Oval Office, it was a warm evening, so she took her time to enjoy the weather. Over the horizon, the city lights created a gentle glow. When she got to the Oval she sat in her chair, leaning back slightly and placing her palms on the surface of the desk. She looked around. She had been the President for many months now, and Vice President for even longer, but she was still awed by her surroundings. She appreciated the history of these walls, her walls – for surely she was making plenty of history.

She wondered what kind of effects a baby would have on that history. Would she have to give it all up? If she did would it be because they asked her to? Earlier she didn't want to think about reelection, but now the thought almost made her sick. She didn't know what to do – what she wanted to do; and MacKenzie Allen couldn't remember a time in her life when that was true. She had always been so sure of everything. Even when she was just a child – she knew what she wanted, and she got it. In high school she knew, in college she knew. In Congress she knew what she wanted to be, and was willing to give it all up just to hold to her ideals. She had made such a difference while she was Chancellor at Richmond, because she had her goals for the school and she pursued them with ruthless efficiency.

And now, having achieved what many would call an ultimate goal – the Presidency of the United States, she didn't know what she wanted to do. She had never been so scared in her life. She turned to stare at the multitude of family pictures that crowded the table behind her desk. She was proud of her children, and proud of the job she and Rod had done as parents. But what would it be like to raise a child in the White House, if she was even given that chance? If she did two terms, the baby would spend its first 8 years deprived from seeing her more than she'd like, not to mention growing up in the nation, even international spotlight. That had to do a number on any child.

Mac pulled herself from her silent reverie, deciding there would be plenty of time for that later. Right now, she needed to manage this all the best she could. And that meant getting work done now. Vince had left a well-sized stack of files on her desk, presumably for the morning. She figured she could get that done at least. Mostly it was just menial paperwork, but she figured that if it made it all the way to her desk, someone had deemed it worthy of Presidential attention. She drew her reading glasses from a side drawer and got to work.

She had been working for quite a while, and it was so quiet in there that she nearly jumped when the door to the portico opened. In walked Amy, already in her pajamas with Kate close behind. Mac swung her chair around just in time to catch the little girl who had just leapt into her lap.

"Mommy," she almost sounded upset.

"Hey baby, what are you doing?"

"Grandma said I could come say goodnight, I thought you didn't have to come back to work?" And there was the reason for her distress. After realizing how quickly the time had passed Mac felt a little guilty. She didn't get to spend nearly as much time with her children as she used to, and on the night that she had been free, she elected to go back to work – how was this going to work with a newborn.

"Oh did she?" Mac shot a 'hello' smile towards Kate. She would never be able to put in words how grateful she was for her mother's presence. "I'll bet she also said you could have a few cookies before bed."

The youngster looked down, then her head shot back up, "how did you know!"

At this, Mac licked her thumb and wiped a smear of chocolate from the corner of her daughter's mouth, as all mothers do. "Oh." Amy knew she wasn't supposed to have a snack so close to bedtime, but she loved her grandma's cookies, and Kate always indulged her.

"Well do you think you could stay awake long enough for a story?" Mac already knew the answer to that question. Amy loved to read, and she loved to read with her mom even more.

The 6-year-old nearly flew off of Mac's lap, "Yes! Can we read Green Eggs and Ham?"

"I suppose." Mac stuffed a few more folders into her portfolio case and took Amy's hand.

Kate grabbed the other and looking at Mac said, "And maybe mom will have some cookies too."

Mac knew what this meant – she wanted to talk. With that the three made their way back to the Residence, hand-in-hand, with Mac's Secret Service agent in tow. Mac took a deep breath of the warm air knowing it was going to be a long few months ahead.

Sorry if you think it's too short, a short chapter is better than no chapter in my opinion. Stay tuned for more, though I can't say exactly when. KP