AN: Hey everyone, thanks for all the well wishes! I am really struggling, covid is doing me over! And both my children have tested positive too so it's a busy household!

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I don't know when I'll be able to update next, it might be a few days whilst I wait for things to get back on track!

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Enjoy...

Chapter Eighty Eight - The War is Over

'What if you push me away?' Henry whispered cautiously

'What if I pull you closer than ever before?' She offered, walking closer and leaving mere inches between them. 'I don't want to push you away. Never again' she whispered. Henry sighed in relief, instantly grabbing at her waist, pulling her close to him and crashing his lips down on hers.

His hands gripped at her back, pulling her into his skin as his lips frantically mixed with hers. Elizabeth pushed hard into him, her hands slipping around his neck as she pulled him closer to her. Their bodies pressed as one, how they should be. Elizabeth moaned into the kiss quietly as Henry started to trace delicate lines down to her lower back. He pulled back with a gasp of air, his eyes fell on hers, Happiness. There was something different about both of them, yet everything felt right this time.

'I love you so much Elizabeth McCord' His words captured his love for her in abundance. Elizabeth giggled in contentment, her head dipping as she softly nodded in agreement.

'I love you too Henry McCord' her words are soft and effortless as she leads with her heart. 'My Henry' her lips parted, barely a whisper escaped. Henry slipped his hand off her waistline and flicked his wrist to look at his watch.

'It's almost 9 o'clock, do you think we would be missed if we snuck away?' He chuckled. Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at him cheekily. 'Not that, I just want to be alone with you, to talk' he chuckled at the glint in her eyes.

'Is now the right time? I really want to, I just, It's Stevie's Wedding-'

'We've wasted enough time Elizabeth, Stevie is understanding, I'll go and tell her we're just going for a walk yeah?' He asked and she hesitantly nodded

'Don't say why though, please' her voice was a little shaky with nerves as Henry looked at her for further explanation. 'They've been through a lot, the kids I mean, I don't want to give them any false hope-'

'There is no false hope, we will be ok this time' he reassured her

'I know, and I trust that, I really do, I just want to keep it private between you and I for a moment, just to, I don't know, be sure I guess' she sighed, thinking she was making a mess of things.

'Ok'

'Ok?' She furrowed her brow. Henry stepped forward and ran his hands up and down her arms in a soothing manner.

'Ok, I understand and that's ok' he reassured her. She dipped her head forward a little in relief. Henry pulled her in for a hug and gently kissed the top of her head. A simple notion full of love. He stepped back and smiled at her, giving her a playful wink before walking off to find Stevie.

'Wait here' he called back glancing over his shoulder, watching as she saluted him giving him a gentle laugh. Elizabeth stood with her back to the wall, leaning against it and smiling happily to herself, she glanced down the hallway and noticed her DS agent, Matt smiling at her before turning away. Elizabeth laughed out loud, of course they saw that she thought.

It felt good to laugh, to be so overcome with happiness that you flood with warmth and everything feels brand new. All this time she had been pushing Henry away, desperately seeking space so she could breathe again, but she knew now that was never the answer. Love is an emotion that becomes part of the oxygen we need to breathe, the removal of it was causing her to choke, had she only pulled him in closer sooner, she'd have been able to breathe like she could now, breathing so deeply that she could fill the hallway with a gentle laughter.

Henry came back with a slight jog down the hallway, beaming from ear to ear as his eyes fell on her, leant against the wall, her dress draped over every inch of her skin, her hair loosely falling around her face, and her smile, a genuine smile across her face.

'You waited' he acknowledged, almost in disbelief.

'You came back'

'I'll always show up for you' he whispered, placing a delicate kiss on her lips.

'Shall we head up to my hotel room? I have a private balcony, I was thinking maybe we could sit and unwind there?' She pressed her lips together.

'Lead the way' he held out his hand, helping pull her off the wall. He placed his hand out gesturing for her to walk before him but Elizabeth slipped her hand into his, walking beside him, heading off towards the room.

Once the door opened and Henry followed her inside, her security agents standing outside the door, he let out a small sigh of relief.

'Alone at last' he whispered, pulling her into him, his lips crashing onto hers once again. Elizabeth let all her guards down, a complete surrender to his love. Their fingers entwined and danced with one another as their lips reacquainted themselves once again. Elizabeth pulled back and rested her head on his forehead, both their eyes closed as they allowed the comfort and love to restore within, the war between them was over.

Elizabeth slipped from his arms and walked over to her mini bar, pulling out some bottles of wine and grabbing two glasses.

'Why do I feel like you got the penthouse suite?' Henry teased as he glanced around the luxurious room, his head peeking through the open bathroom door where a large shower and roll top bath was sitting.

'Well, I don't because I made sure that was booked for the newly weds, but I think I might have had the second best room' she chuckled 'It's one of the many perks of being Secretary of State' she teased as she pulled open the sliding doors, letting the cool summer breeze filter in as she stepped out onto the wide spread balcony.

'Oh that's nice' he revealed as he followed her out, his eyes casting over the view of the Thames in the distance, the city a light with a warm yellow glow as the music and laughter from downstairs faintly drifted up to their ears.

'Here' she pulled back one of the cushioned garden chairs and placed a glass of wine on the table for him. Elizabeth then slipped inside for a second and returned, smiling as Henry had taken his seat and pulled another chair out opposite him for her to sit in. 'It's getting chilly' she giggled as she held up a large throw and took a seat, placing It over her shoulder and draping down one half of her body. 'Are you warm enough?' She asked and he nodded in silence, smiling as he watched her.

They both sat in silence for a moment, a content silence replacing all their darker ones spent together before. Elizabeth reached for her glass and took a sip. Henry caught her movement in the corner of his eye, and copied her actions.

'Too Stevie and Jareth' He raised his glass

'Stevie and Jareth' she smiled gently, lifting her glass in the air, and clinking it against his.

'It was a lovely day, Blake did really well helping her organise this' he Acknowledged.

'Hmm, I'll be glad to get my assistant back' she laughed

'Stevie did say she thought she might have broken him in the last few weeks' Henry recalled the memory

'Yeah, just a little' she chuckled 'That and I think with things going on at State, he had Dr Sherman on his case too, I think I need to give him a holiday' She shook her head in amazement at everything Blake had endured.

'Dr Sherman?' He questioned gently

'Hmm' she nodded, pressing her lips together as she swallowed another sip of wine. 'She was worried about me, I had asked her not to reach out to you and she needed someone who I trusted, I wouldn't given her a name and in the end she told me It was Blake or Russell' she grimaced 'So I picked Blake'

'Are you ok?' His heart sinking that she didn't feel she could reach out for him

'In this moment I am' she paused, half of her not wanting to drive right into things, but she also knew the time would come eventually. She took a deep breath and placed her glass down on the table, her eyes never leaving Henrys as he watched her lovingly, and patiently. 'I have been struggling to manage my anxiety, really struggling, especially in the lead up to the wedding. I kept having moments like I had at the farm, and my staff were amazing at keeping it from the white house and everyone else really, but the secrets and pressure that added started to make things worse, it happened once at Dr Sherman's office, then I stood up to leave and passed out again. When I came around I told her that I didn't want to be checked over and that it had happened before so I knew I was going to be ok' she paused, twisting her lips a little as she recalled her memories. 'She wasn't happy and advised me to go to the doctors which I did, I got some medication to help but I wasn't taking it. I started to freak out the closer the wedding got and that's when she contacted Blake, she was worried that It was going to happen today, she kept trying to encourage me to speak to you'

'Me?' He asked and she nodded

'I told her everything, about Erin and about how I'd spoken to you the last time I'd seen you and how I hadn't spoken to you for four months at that point. She thought It was adding to the pressure of today, but it wasn't, that wasn't the reason' she sighed heavily. Her hand shook a little as she pulled the glass closer.

'It was because of where we were a year ago today' he confirmed, sighing as he sat back in his chair. 'I'd struggled with that too' he admitted

'Today was hard' she admitted, tears pricking at her eyes as she glanced down into her lap.

'I thought about telling Stevie, when I saw the date on the invite, but I didn't have the heart too' he admitted.

'I did too but she didn't know' She looked up at him. His face sank as he noted the tears she held back. He pulled his chair closer to hers, placing a loving hand on her knee as he gently started to rub her leg, both of them remembering where they were one year ago today…

MS -

'You know what, you deserve these' he snapped and threw the documents on her desk. Elizabeth marched over to the desk and ran her fingers along the edging. She felt like she had been hit by a bulldozer, she didn't have the strength inside her to even attempt to hide her emotions. She looked up at him, his stoic stance still in place as he glared down at her, fire behind his eyes.

'Henry' she cried but he shook his head

'I can't do this anymore Elizabeth' he tried to reason with her but she fell into her chair, the weight of their failed marriage causing her legs to buckle. 'We cannot communicate anymore, I don't know what else to do' he attempted to reason with her

'So you felt a divorce was the only option?' She confirmed as the documents before her continued to torture her eyes.

- MS -

'Do you think that day will ever go away?' She sighed, her tears finally dripping down to her lap. Henry moved his hand from her knee and gently lifted her chin, this thumb caressing against her smooth skin as he wiped her sadness away.

'I do, because I think we can replace it with better days, it's no longer the day that happened, but the day our daughter got married, and the day I got to finally reunite with you' he reassured her. His kindness made Elizabeth break into fresh tears.

'I cannot believe I spent an entire year without you, it felt like eternity Henry' her voice shook as she spoke.

'I know, but I promise it wasn't eternity, I'm going to spend eternity loving you' he confessed, leaning in and kissing her lips softly.