Chapter 16: Valentine's Day

It's Valentine's Day. Julia had to leave the flat very early for a meeting with Mike Travis. She prepared a tray for him with buttered toasts, marmalade and porridge (one amongst the little things she can cook), coffee is warm in the coffee machine and she got him a new mug - a Celtic FC one. She left a note: "See you tonight, my Valentine. Love. Julia". David smiles, he feels like a teenager again, this is so refreshing.

The day is passing quickly, David leaves the office, comes back home and buys a card on his way back. He has written: "Happy Valentine's Day Julia. Every day I love you more and more. Every day, I chose you and I chose to build our own happiness. I love you. David". He had also bought an orchid, to replace the one she has in the den at Overstrand Mansions which did not like the move to Downing Street. He prepares homemade fries, mashed peas and he prepares the fish batter. He had also prepared a Jamie Oliver's lemon pie (one of Julia's favorite desserts) the previous day, in secret. He quickly showered and he is waiting for Julia in their flat with no clothes on, except a black bow tie (and a bathrobe whilst he is waiting for her). She texts him she will be home around 19h30.

It's 19h45, Julia is not home yet and she didn't text him to let him know she was late. This is not like her. David is suddenly worried. He tries to reason with himself and calm down, using one of the meditation techniques his therapist has taught him but it doesn't work. "Come on David, calm down. Parliament surely overran".

His phone is ringing. He jumps on it, looks at the screen: "Anne Sampson"

David answers the phone trembling slightly: "PS Budd"

"David, it's Sampson. We have a code red. I repeat, we have a code red"

David crumbles to the ground

"What happened?" says David with a trembling voice

"She got kidnapped. She was buying a Valentine's card in a shop on her way back from Parliament, the shop was packed with people. She was at the cash register and 3 men sprayed self-defense protection gas in the eyes of her PPOs simultaneously and 2 women wearing burqas did the same to her & the cashier. The women put a burqa on her swiftly, each grabbed her holding her under her arms and left the shop pointing a gun in her back. They all disappeared in a van which was waiting for them in the street. It was very quick. Chirurgical"

"Does the GPS implant works?"

"Yes"

"Where is she?"

"The vehicle she is in is still moving. We are tracing it and following the vehicle at safe distance. Special Air Service (SAS) are ready to give the assault as soon as the vehicle stops"

"I am going with them"

"No David. We are going to get her out of there alive and she would never forgive me if anything happens to you. There is an ARV waiting for you outside with 3 men, all top notch. They have all the relevant information, equipment and materials you might need. You will be one of the ARV back-up vehicles of the SAS teams and you will be one of the first persons there after the SAS' assault".

"OK, thank you"

"That's the least I could do, David. She is going to be fine. We are going to save her, I promise you. Now go David and good luck"

David is grabbing a Tshirt, boxer shorts, socks, sweatpants & a hoodie. He dresses quickly, takes his phone and an ultra fast charge external battery and he is out in the street.

"Hi PS Budd. I am Captain Stark, this is Captain Haskell and Captain Reid"

"Hi. What's the status?"

"The vehicle transporting Lavender is still moving and followed by SAS vehicles at safe distance, using the GPS implant"

"OK"

"Here is your uniform, bulletsproof vest, helmet, watch and combat shoes. We have got several types of guns. Which ones do you want?"

"Can I have 2 glocks & a C8 CQB, please"

"Good choice, same as mine"

"OK, let's go! Let's save Julia"

"And keep you alive Sergeant"

Davis nods. They continue to drive in silence. Until the radio is telling them "Lavender's vehicle stopped. She is in a house in the middle of the English countryside, a 10 min drive from your position. We have to stop and we have to progress by foot from now on"

David's phone is buzzing.

"PS Budd"

"It's Sampson David. The kidnappers called us. They are not asking for a ransom but they want a swap of "prisoner". They want us to release Nadia Ali in exchange of Julia"

"What? Fuck !"

"What did you answer ?"

"David, they are holding our Prime Minister as a hostage. Of course we said yes, but I tried to save us some time. The exchange will happen in 2 hours"

"OK, received"

"The SAS team is going to contact you as they will need your team and 3 others as back-up"

"OK, received"

They meet the SAS teams in the woods around the house. They are briefed quickly.

"There are 2 guards patrolling outside the house. The thermic camera shows 8 people inside: 3 downstairs & 5 upstairs. One of the silhouette upstairs is not moving, so we think this is the Prime Minister"

"Sir, does the thermic camera show a normal temperature?" asks David.

"You must be David Budd"

"Yes, Sir"

"Yes, the temperature is normal. She is alive"

"Thank you, Sir"

"On top of the main entrance, there are 3 windows downstairs and 4 upstairs"

"Here is the plan. 2 snipers will kill the guards simultaneously, to avoid them to raise the alarm. They will also provide back-up, if necessary, and we have 3 ARVs teams in back-up as well"

"We will progress quickly by groups of 2 or 3 and each group will enter simultaneously by the main door and all the windows. For the windows upstairs, we need a group of 3 as one man will help the 2 others to climb"

"The surprise effect will help us to progress quickly. The only objective is to get the Prime Minister out of there alive. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Sir!" they answer all together with a low voice

"All the roads are blocked, in case they manage to escape, which is very unlikely. We also have a team of deminers ready to intervene. Paramedics are on-site as well, in case of and in all cases, to check the Prime Minister health after the operation"

"Any question?"

"Sir, I would like to be one of the 3 men entering the window which is closer to where you think Ju.. the Prime Minister is hold"

"Sergeant Budd, this was already planned. I will be with you and Captain Mc Conaughey"

"Thank you Sir"

"Sir, I also want to inform you that the Prime Minister has been trained to Self-Defense & in shooting"

"Ahh.. and who trained her?"

"I did, Sir"

"OK, thank you Sergeant. We will take an additional gun for her, in case of. Does she has any preference?"

"She likes to shoot with a standard Glock, Sir"

"OK"

"Let's go! And remember: "Who dares wins""

They reply all together with a low voice: "Who dares wins"

It's dark outside, the moon is hidden by dark clouds, and the trees around the house provide a good ground to advance.

They are all in position. The SAS commandant gives the signal and the 2 snipers kill the guards. No noise, no gunshot to raise the alarm.

They progress quickly. There is only an hour left now before the exchange. They are very careful where they put their feet, in case there are some wires linked to alarms.

They are all in position.

"3, 2, 1: GO"

They enter and manage to kill the 3 terrorists downstairs and 2 upstairs very quickly. There are 2 terrorists left and Julia in the same room.

The Commandant and David are both outside the door. The other men are close, as back-up.

"David, I enter first and I take the one on the left. You take the one on the right.

"OK"

They break down the door, the commandant enters the room, one terrorist shots him in the stomach and he falls on the ground. David enters the room and shoots him. The other terrorist is holding Julia against his chest, as a body armor, a gun pointed on her head.

"If you shoot me, she dies. You are going to step back. All of you"

David looks at Julia, she looks at him and nods lightly.

"Now!"

Julia nudges the terrorist and dives to the floor.

David doesn't hesitate and shoots him twice in the head and runs towards her, pull her gently back on her feet and hold her tight in his arms.

"It's over. It's over"

"You came for me. You came for me"

"Of course, I came for you, love. Julia, you are safe. You are safe. I love you"

"Love, the commandant needs help"

David crouches down and checks his injury.

"I will be fine, David. Paramedics will be there soon" One of his man is applying pressure on the wound.

"Thank you very much to allow me to come with you. It was an honor to combat with the Special Air Service"

Julia crouches down and says: "Thank you very much Commandant. I wish you a speed recovery"

"It was an honor Prime Minister. You are safe. That's all that matters"

"Thank you"

"Come on love. Let's get out of here"

David cuts the ropes the terrorists used to tie his hands with a switchblade and checks if she is OK.

"I am OK David, I was well treated. They were never violent or threatening my life, until you assaulted the house"

They leave the house and join the rest of the SAS men.

Julia feels very emotional.

"Thank you, thank you to all of you for saving me today"

They all discretely nod.

"Really, I am very grateful. Thank you"

"Let's go home, David"

David doesn't answer but hugs her as tightly as he can.

Sampson arrives on the scene and see them in the arms of each other, holding tight.

"Julia, I am so happy you are safe"

"Anne, thank you. I am very grateful"

They hug briefly. After all their heated exchanges, these two strong women are finally burying the hatchet and show that they respect each other.

"Julia, before going home, you need to be checked at the hospital"

"I am fine, Anne. I just want to go to bed"

"Prime Minister, please, I insist. At least some blood tests & toxicological exams and a full body MRI scan"

"Love, she is right. I know you are exhausted, but this is the right thing to do"

"OK, you are both right. Let's go"

"We will make it as easy and as quick as possible, I promise you. There is an ambulance waiting for you, right here. They are going to perform the initial checks, blood tests & toxicological exams during your transfer to the hospital. You will just have to pass the full body MRI scan at the hospital whilst they run the analysis and you will be free to go if the MRI scan and the preliminary results available at Day 0 are OK"

"Thank you"

"I will keep you posted when we have information on the identity of the men in the house & their boss"

"Thank you so much, Anne"

It's around 3 a.m. when they finally come back to their flat. The preliminary results & the MRI scan were OK. They will get additional results on Friday afternoon.

"Do you want to eat something love?"

"No, I just want a quick shower and sleep in your arms"

"OK, call me if you need anything. I will have a quick sandwich whilst you are under the shower"

David is eating his sandwich in silence in the kitchen. Suddenly, he realizes Julia is sobbing under the shower. He is beside her in a few seconds, he undresses himself quickly, steps inside the shower and holds her tight. He gently caresses her hair, her back, her cheeks, pressing his body on hers.

"You are safe Julia. You are safe. You are safe. You are safe"

He gently washes her, she washes him, they cuddle under the rainshower.

"Let's go to bed love. Let me just tidy up the kitchen quickly"

"No, we will do that tomorrow. Stay with me, please"

"Julia, I want you to see Devon tomorrow"

"I will. I already texted my PA to book an appointment with him tomorrow as the top priority and to cancel all my appointments. I will not go back to the office until Monday"

"Wise decision. I am happy. And I have already said to Sampson that tomorrow I will not go to the office. I have texted Deepak & Louise as well"

"Let's sleep now"

"David I am sorry for our evening. It was supposed to be our first Valentine's together"

"Nothing to be sorry for. We are alive. We are together. I love you. You love me. Nothing else matters"

They go to bed, David spooning her and holding her tight in his arms. Gently caressing her hair until she falls asleep.

Julia has a very bad nightmare and wakes-up 2 hours later in a panic attack.

"Julia, it's OK. You are safe. We are in our flat. I am with you. I am OK too. You are safe. Breath in, out, in, out"

They wake-up at 1 p.m. Slowly. They cuddle.

"Stay in bed love, I am going to prepare some breakfast and bring it here on a tray in bed"

"Thank you darling"

They eat their breakfast in silence.

"Do you know at what time you are going to meet Devon?"

"He is going to come here actually, around 16h and he will see both of us"

"OK. Not a bad idea that I see him as well, actually"

"Do you need to do a press conference?"

"No. An official statement was released by Mike this morning and he will handle the press conference. Unless the stock exchanges are getting mad if rumors I am injured or dead are damaging"

"I am very proud of you love"

"Why?"

"Because you have learned to delegate to your Ministers and your team in general"

"You are right, I have improved on that. I think it's because I am more balanced outside work"

"Julia, normally Ella & Charlie are coming this weekend. Do you want me to ask Vicky to switch?"

"No David, I will be happy to see them"

"OK, I will call Vicky to confirm then"

"David, thank you so much for having insisted to put the GPS implant when I was elected"

"No need to thank me Love"

"David, it saved my life yesterday"

"Yes, you are right. Without it, we would never have been able to find you so quickly. I am happy I managed to convince you"

"I know that you will never let anything bad happen to me"

David doesn't reply and simply kisses her.

"Do you want a piece of Homemade Jamie Oliver's lemon tart? My plan for Valentine's was to spread it on each other's body and eat it & lick it on the other's body"

"Hmmmm I really like the idea, but I am not in the mood for that David"

"Of course, I understand, love. Do you still want a piece of the pie, in a plate with a spoon then?"

"I would love that"

"Don't move. I will be right back"

Julia's phone is ringing.

"Hello Anne"

"Hello Julia. How do you do?"

"I am OK, we have just finished our breakfast"

David is coming back in the room with 2 big pieces of the lemon tart on two plates and 2 spoons. Julia puts Anne on speakerphones.

"Anne, David is back in the room. You are on speakerphone"

"I have got some news: the kidnappers were all coming from Syria and their boss, also present in the house was Nadia Ali's brother. He wanted to free his sister. We have identified & arrested all their accomplices in the UK. We have also some good leads to arrest their smugglers and potentially the whole network. Several satellite phones have been found in the house and are very useful"

"Thank you Anne, this is a very good news indeed. Please, let us know if you manage to arrest more people"

"Of course, Julia. May I also ask you if you want to change the members of your PPO's team?"

"No, why are you asking?"

"Well, they feel they have let you down and they all asked me to be removed from your protection team as they have failed you"

"They did not failed me. It happened so quickly and it was so well coordinated. There was nothing they could have done, but we will all need to take the time to learn from what happened. I want to be able to go out and feel safe. I will talk to them later today. They will bring Ella & Charlie later this afternoon"

"OK. Thank you"

"Bye now"

"Love, are you sure you don't want to change your PPO's?"

"Yes, I am sure" replies Julia in an exasperated tone rolling her eyes.

David is very surprised by her reaction but doesn't say anything.

"They did not make any mistake. But I want to add 2 more discreet agents, in civil clothes when I am going in public places, as you suggested when I entered Downing Street. I should have listen to you"

"Well, you are now. Your PPO's are top notch, they must feel pretty bad. I can be there with you when you talk to them later, if you want"

"No, David. You are my partner, not my head of security. I will handle it" says Julia harshly

Again, David is very surprised by her tone, but of course, he understands. She has been under so much stress the day before.

"OK, you are right" says David calmly "I did not want to be controlling or anything, I just care about you and I wanted to help".

"Can we have our dessert now?"

"Yes Ma'am"

It's 4 p.m., the doorbell rings. Julia is opening the door.

"Welcome to Downing Street Devon"

"Hello Julia. I am very impressed to be here actually and to see what's behind that door. But enough about me. How are you feeling?"

"I am feeling slightly better this afternoon as they have arrested the accomplices and other people from their networks. We had a good brunch but I had a panic attack during the night"

"Hello Devon. Thank you for coming here this afternoon"

"Hello David. How are you feeling?"

"I am feeling tired, the adrenalin rush kept me awake for the biggest part of the night, Julia had a nasty panic attack but afterwards we slept until 1 p.m. Then we had the good news about the arrest of the people behind the attack"

"Good. I will start with Julia and then we will talk as well"

"OK, thank you Devon" David leaves the room after a light peck on Julia's lips.

"So Julia, do you want to talk about what happened yesterday?"

"No"

"Do you want to talk about your panic attack during the night?"

"No"

"Do you have plans for this weekend?"

"Ella & Charlie are spending the weekend with us. We are supposed to go all together to the theater and see "The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part' which was released on February 8th, but I am not going to go with them"

"Why?"

"I don't want to go out in public"

"Why?"

"Because I am fucking scared! There, happy? That's what you wanted me to say isn't it?"

"Julia, why are you so aggressive?"

"I have been kidnapped!" snapped Julia! "After surviving a sniper attack & a bombing!"

"Do you want to talk about how you felt in the van or in the house?"

Julia's voice softened a bit "All I could think of was David. That I might never see him again. But at the same time, I knew the police was able to track me thanks to the GPS implant David insisted on inoculate me when I was elected. So I was hoping for a rescue mission"

"And how did you react when the rescue mission happened?"

"I was relieved to start with but then I was so scared the terrorists would kill me"

"What happened next?"

"There were only 2 terrorists left with me in one room. One man entered the room and was shot by one terrorist who was then shot down immediately by the second man entering the room and I realized it was David. The last terrorist was pointing a gun on my head and asked David to back off. This is a situation we have rehearsed so many times with David during our self-defense sessions, I knew what I had to do. David gave me the signal and I nudged the terrorist and dove to the floor to give David a clean line of fire to avoid the terrorist to harm me and to prevent David from hurting me accidently"

"And how do you feel about David rescuing you?"

"I was so relieved to see him and that we were both alive, unhurt and safe. But what the fuck was he doing there? He could have been killed for fuck's sake and his kids would have been fatherless, because of me!"

"Did you tell him that?"

"No"

"And then?"

"Last night, we had lots of kisses, cuddles and he hold me tight. He managed to calm my panic attack quickly, which was great. But now, I am so scared to be dependent on him, I pushed him away earlier. I wanted to have sex with him after he mentioned something he prepared for Valentine's day but I pushed him away. And I have been talking aggressively to him"

"You mentioned your sex life was very active, very satisfactory, fulfilling, adventurous & respectful of the other. You said, you wanted to have sex with him, so why did you rejected him Julia?"

"I am so scared of losing him. I think I unconsciously pushed him away to avoid to be hurt in case he dies or leaves me"

"OK, It's very good that you are able to analyze your behaviors & feelings the ways you do. We have talked about that before, no one can prevent other people to die, especially people we love, but this is a risk we have to take in life. The same for couples splitting up: you can't prevent it from happening, but you can't enjoy fully a relationship if you keep thinking the man you love is going to leave you. Roger cheated on you, so abandoned you in a way and you left him. Your dad died abruptly but David is alive and David loves you Julia"

"I know and I deeply love him"

"Good. You have to learn to push aside your worry to be the partner of a police officer, which is a dangerous job and to be able to love despite the risk of losing. Also, please, keep in mind that David is training to be a Detective Inspector, he is not patrolling in the dangerous streets of London, he is not facing danger in his job every day and he isn't a PPO to anybody anymore"

"You are right. And I know that, and I am very proud of him and of what he is doing. But it's heavy for me to know he would still give his life to save me"

"I will work on that with him. You both also need to learn to communicate more, even if you both improved a lot quickly on that. And don't forget: Love is stronger than fear"

"Thank you Devon"

"Now, I suggest we do a hypnosis session to help with your anxiety and to get things out of your system. Are you OK with that?"

"Yes"

After the session, Devon asks her to stay "aware" of her feelings and try to express them to David, instead of pushing him away, and he also asks her to go to the movie theater with David, Ella & Charlie. Julia nodded: "I will try".

"Good, I suggest I come again on Sunday, if that's OK with you?"

"Vicky is picking up Ella & Charlie at 5 p.m."

"I can come at 5:30 p.m. if that's OK with you?"

"Yes, thank you Devon. I feel calmer already"

"Great, see you on Sunday Julia. Have some rest now". Julia feels very tired and goes to bed.

David enters the room.

"Do you want to drink something Devon?"

"A cuppa would be nice"

"Do you want to join me in the kitchen while I am preparing it?" looking at him insistently.

Devon got the hint and answers "Yes, that would be great, so we can start to discuss there"

"David, what's up?"

"I wanted to be a bit further from our bedroom for our discussion"

"OK, what is bothering you?"

"Julia is not doing well, I am scared of a relapse of her PTSD"

"Julia has faced 3 massive trauma in 5 months, of course she is still battling PTSD. And the last trauma happened less than 24h ago. That's why we have done a hypnosis session today and I am coming back on Sunday"

"Thank you so much Devon"

"However, now I want to talk about yourself David. You have saved Julia twice, which is great, but we need to be careful that you don't fall into the savior syndrome and you are also still battling your own PTSD"

"Aye, I know about the savior syndrome. It's part of our PPO's training. I know the different signs and I am not ticking any box. But I love Julia, deeply, and I am very worried about my girlfriend, hopefully wife-to-be"

"OK, as I said, we need to be careful about the syndrom, so, please, bear that in mind and be ware"

"I will"

"How did you feel during the assault of the house?"

"There were only 2 terrorists left with Julia in one room. The Commandant entered the room and was shot by one terrorist whom I shot down immediately. The last terrorist was pointing a gun on Julia's head and asked me to back off. This is a situation we have rehearsed so many times with Julia during our self-defense sessions, she knew what she had to do. I gave her the signal and she nudged the terrorist and dove to the floor to give me a clean line of fire to avoid the terrorist to harm her and to prevent me from hurting her accidently"

"How did you feel when you entered the room?"

"I was very concentrated and focused. I didn't hesitate for a microsecond. I am very happy about that. Julia's life was at stake, I could have been paralyzed but on the contrary, I was in overdrive and nothing could have stopped me"

"Would you give your life for her?"

"Of course, without any hesitation!"

"David, that's something we need to work on. Julia is scared to lose you: that either you die or leave her. It can be explained partially because she knows you would die for her and your kids would be fatherless "because of her". It's a heavy weight to carry for her. This is part of your ex-PPO role and also your chivalrous personality"

"But I can't change that"

"No and that's fine, but it needs to be manageable.. for Julia but also for your own sanity"

"OK, and how do I do that?"

"First, I think you need to stop being involved in Julia's security decisions or to be trying to help her by being involved. This is not your role anymore. This is very overwhelming for her"

"She was very upset earlier when I offered to be present when she meets her PPOs later today to discuss further security measures. She was very aggressive"

"I am not surprised. You have to delegate her security David. This is not your job anymore. Of course, you can provide advices or recommendations if she asks your opinion or if she asks you to practice self-defense, but you have to let it go and rebalance your behavior between being caring and overprotective"

"I understand"

"Julia is the Prime Minister. She is the most guarded person in the UK, alongside the Queen. You can't be by her side at all times and protect her against the rest of the world"

"I know"

"Good, I have advised Julia to go to the movie theatre with you, Ella & Charlie tomorrow evening. She needs to go out in a public space as soon as possible really. And as her partner, you can, of course, insist"

"OK, I will do my best. The kids will help me without guidance as they love her and would like her to be there"

"Good"

"We will discuss on Sunday again, but please, try to take a step back regarding her security, relax and enjoy to love her and being loved in return"

"OK, thank you very much Devon"

Ella & Charlie arrive and Julia is still asleep.

"Dad, how is Julia going?"

"She will be fine, Ella, don't worry. She had an exhausting night, she just needs to sleep"

They order some pizzas & they watch a movie together, the kids curled up against David. Julia is still sleeping, David is checking on her from time to time but she is peacefully asleep, looking so beautiful.

David is putting the kids to bed, they are half asleep and don't ask why Julia didn't wake up.

David is tip toeing in their bedroom and he spoons her gently and hold her against his chest. Julia doesn't stir.

David murmurs: "I love you Julia. I am never going to leave you. And I don't intend to die until I am very old. I survived the war and I survived Thornton Circus & St Matthews"

Julia doesn't say anything and doesn't move. David kisses her hair and finally fall asleep.

The next morning, Julia wakes up first and she can hear Ella & Charlie watching cartoons on the main TV.

She removes herself from David's embrace, puts a bathrobe on and goes in the living-room.

"Julia!" they both run into her to hug her tightly. "We are so happy to see you"

"Me too, my little monsters"

"Are you hungry?"

"Yes!" they answer together.

"Eggs?"

"Oh yes, please, Julia. Should we wake-up Daddy? "

"No, Daddy needs some additional sleep this morning"

"OK"

They have breakfast together and then they play cards games.

"Daddy!"

"Hello David. Did you sleep well?"

"I did, thank you for covering with the kids & letting me sleep. I needed it" says David whilst kissing her lightly on the lips.

"Did you sleep well too?"

"I did, thank you for letting me sleep last night. After the hypnosis session and all the emotions from the night before, I needed it"

"I am glad" Julia laughs

"Do you want some eggs for breakfast?"

"No, thank you love. There is some porridge you made still left I think"

"I will have another coffee whilst you eat your breakfast"

David is eating some porridge and they drink coffee together.

"What do you want to do today?"

"First I will have a shower, then I am going to visit the SAS Commandant at the hospital"

"Do you want me to come with you? "

"No, David. I need to do that first step alone. It's important for me. Too many people died because of me, I need to see by myself that he's doing fine"

"I understand Julia. I will supervise the kids homeworks whilst you are there"

"Thank you David" and she kisses him lovingly.

"What about we prepare a chocolate cake this afternoon and then we go to the movie theater tonight to watch that Lego 2 movie?"

The kids are over the moon. "Yes! Thank you Julia"

David mouths "Thank you. I love you"

Julia is showered and is ready to go to the hospital.

Her PPO knocks: "Ready when you are, Prime Minister"

"I am coming in a minute"

"I am very proud of you, love. Everything is going to be OK. Please give him my best hello and my thanks" and he kisses her

"I will do"

She takes a deep breath, opens the door and steps out.

The travel to the hospital is smooth and Julia stays calm.

She enters the room of The Commandant.

"Prime Minister"

"Commandant Starlight'

"This is my wife, Belinda"

"Nice to meet you Prime Minister"

"Nice to meet you. Please, call me Julia"

"How are you feeling?"

"I am doing well. I had some surgery to remove the bullet but none of my vital organs have been damaged, so I will be out of the hospital in a few days. I will have to take it easy for several weeks but I will recover fully"

"I am very happy to hear that. I really want to thank you and your team for rescuing me"

"That's our job, Ma'am"

"I know, but it was my life at stake, and I will be forever grateful"

"Thank you, I really appreciate that"

"How is David going?"

"He is fine, thank you. He asked me to give you his best hello & his thanks"

"Thanks, ditto"

They discuss for 30 minutes about generalities, kids and the SAS. The nurse if coming in the room to perform some treatments, so Julia & Belinda leave the room.

They talk quietly in the corridor.

"Belinda, may I ask you a very personal question"

"Euh, yes"

"How do you cope on a day-to-day basis with the stress that he might not come home and that you might never see him again?"

"« Love is stronger than fear » and I trust him completely to do everything in his power to come back alive. He is one of the best in his field and that keeps him alive and he is never alone, he can count on his team and his team can count on him"

"Thank you for sharing this with me"

"Julia, David is not a PPO, potentially risking his life for his protectee, anymore, he is not patrolling in the streets, he is not in the army anymore, he is training for Detective Inspector. He might be on some ground operations in the future, but not every day, and he survived a lot of hardships. He will be fine. You will be fine" and she hugs her briefly.

"Thank you Belinda"

Julia is coming back to Downing Street. David & the kids are preparing the chocolate cake. Julia is kissing David lovingly and hugging him tightly.

"How did it go?"

"It went well, he says his best hello back to you. His wife was there as well and we had a good discussion"

"Good, I am happy for you. Homeworks are all done and we wanted to surprise you with the chocolate cake"

They have fish fingers, mashed potatoes and peas for lunch.

Then they play Monopoly all together, some videos games and they eat the cake.

They go to the movie theatre, watch the film whilst eating pop corns & sweets.

On Sunday, they have a late breakfast as they came back late from the movie.

They shower and dress up and then go for a walk in St James's Park, they play football all together and then go to the children's playground. Ella & Charlie are playing with other kids. Julia & David cuddle on a bench, looking at them.

"Julia, would you be my Valentine's tonight? I would like to have a romantic dinner with you"

"I will be your Valentine's tonight and I will bring the wine"

"Deal" and they kiss softly.

They come back and have macaroni & cheese for their late lunch.

They play board games all together and then Vicky picks them up.

Devon is arriving as Vicky is leaving.

"Hello Devon"

"Hello Julia, how are you feeling?"

"Much better, thank you"

"Hi Devon"

"Hello David, how are you feeling?"

"Much better, thank you"

Devon and Julia go to Julia's office in the flat and David starts to prepare the dinner & dress the table and he put some candles here and there.

"So, what happened since I saw you on Friday, Julia?"

"After our session, I slept through the evening and the night. I woke-up and had breakfast with Ella & Charlie to let David sleep a bit later"

"OK, and how did you feel after all these hours of sleep?"

"Much better and much more relaxed as well"

"Good"

"Then I went to the hospital to visit the SAS commandant who was injured in the rescue mission to save me"

"So you left the flat, well done! Alone?"

"Yes, I told David not to come"

"How did he react?"

"He was very supportive"

"Good. And how was the travel to the hospital & the visit?"

"It was OK, I felt safe. And I discussed with the commandant's wife as we clicked immediately and she really helped me towards the fear to lose David because of the dangers inherent to his job"

"How?"

"Well, I realized that he was not facing danger every day anymore and that he was indeed on of the best in his field and that I needed to trust him to stay alive"

"Very good"

"And he talked to me whilst I was asleep, well, I woke up only for a few moments but I heard him, and I feel much more secure about our relationship"

"Brilliant. And did you share intimate moments since Friday?"

"Well, not really as Ella & Charlie were there and I slept as a rock the first night and then the second night I was very tired as we came back very late from the movies"

"Oh, so you went to the movie theater as well?"

"Yes, I did"

"Well done, Julia! You are definitely on the right path"

"Thank you"

"And how do you feel about going back to work tomorrow?"

"I will be fine. I have asked for 2 more PPOs, undercover when I am in public space"

"Yes, that's great"

"Did you speak with David about your fear to lose him?"

"No, but tonight we have a romantic dinner, instead of the one we were supposed to have on Valentine's day on Thursday, it will be a good opportunity to come back on the topic and to share intimate moments"

"OK, unless you want to discuss further, I suggest I talk to David now"

"Great. Thank you Devon. I will take a long bath, before our romantic dinner"

"Great! Enjoy! We will see each other on Thursday for our weekly session and feel free to call me if you want to talk to me before"

"OK, thank you"

Julia leaves the room and David enters the room.

"So David, what happened since Friday?

"Well, Julia told you already what happened on Saturday I suppose"

"Yes, so how did you feel when she told you she wanted to go to the hospital without you?"

"I understood her need to face her fear alone"

"And?"

"I was not comfortable to let her go out for the first time since the kidnapping alone, but I love & respect her, I respect her needs and her choices. So I had to let her go alone"

"Good, that's a massive step David"

"Yes, I am conscious of it"

"How did you cope with it?

"Well, I concentrated on the present, on Ella & Charlie"s homeworks and on preparing a surprise chocolate cake for when she was coming back. It was fine, really"

"Very good. And on Saturday night ?"

"We had my PPO and the kids PPOs with us, on top of Julia's PPOs, we entered in the movie theater at the last minute, just before the movie was starting, so it was discrete and we all enjoyed it"

"Were you swapping the room for potential dangers during the movie?"

"Mmm… yes… sometimes"

"OK, well, Rome was not built in one day and old habits are difficult to get rid of. And your chivalry is also one of the qualities Julia appreciates in you, so let's not push that further. I am very proud of you"

"Thank you"

"You have planned a romantic evening for tonight?"

"Yes, the one we were supposed to have on Valentine's day"

"Great, I am going to leave you with it"

"Thank you for everything you are doing for Julia & I, Devon"

"You are welcome, this is my job"

"Still, you came here on a Sunday, so thank you"

"Have a good evening, bye"

"You too, bye"

Julia & David are both getting ready for their romantic evening.

He wears a black suit with a black shirt which makes the deep blue of his eyes even more beautiful. He wears the cufflinks she gave him at Christmas. He looks devastatingly young & sexy.

She wears a long black crepe fabrics dress, with a deep cleavage in the front, a slit on the left side of the dress, black stockings and the necklace he gave her at Christmas, like every day since he gave it to her. She looks regal & sexy.

"Love, you look amazing"

"You too Darling"

They kiss passionately.

"Are you hungry Prime Minister?"

"Yes, I think I will take a second dessert tonight"

"hmmm.. that's good, I'm hungry like a wolf"

"Should we start then? What did you prepare?"

"It's a surprise but I can tell you that we will need a white wine that accompanies fish"

Julia opens the wine cooler and picks a white wine, a corkscrew and 2 glasses.

"Let's get the party started"

They start with Scottish smoked salmon, sour cream with dill and toast.

"The salmon is delicious David"

"It's coming from Argyll Smokery which is 1 hour drive from my parents' house"

"I am very touched and it's really the best smoked salmon I have ever had"

"I am glad"

She laughs

Then David has prepared a Parmesan Risotto with roasted shrimps and spinach as main course.

"Mmm David, this is delicious as well. Be careful, before you realize it, I will expect a 3 course-meal every day after my long day of work"

They both laugh.

"I actually quite enjoy cooking after a long and stressful day, it's relaxing me. Julia, I want to apologize"

"For what, David?"

"For being on the front line in your rescue mission"

"David.."

"Let me finish, please, love. I wanted to save you, I wanted to be the first person you see to reassure you and I didn't want to fail you this time"

"What do you mean by failing me?"

"I have failed you at St Matthews"

"David, you didn't fail me! We have discussed this already. There was no way you could possibly have known there was a bomb under the stage. And you could have died by running towards the bomb, as Kim" her voice chokes with emotion.

"I will continue to work on that failure feeling with my therapist. Anyway, I understand you were a bit angry at me. I was reckless, I could have died or being hurt as Commandant Starlight. I am very sorry. I know I need to work on being your caring partner only and not your PPO anymore"

"Apologies accepted. I understand you wanted to save me. But it's true that's a heavy weight for me to carry to think that Ella & Charlie could have been fatherless because of me"

"I know. I understand. I love you"

"I love you too"

"Should we eat our first dessert?"

"Don't move"

David comes back with 2 warm chocolate fondants with custard sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, melting on it. They eat in silence, looking intensely at each other and both playing with their spoon to titillate the other.

Julia goes to the bathroom and pick-up a small gift box and a medium one, on her way back.

"Do you want the small one or the bigger one first?"

"Mmm.. what is small is cute they say.. so the small one"

"I am sorry I have only got one box, but there are two things in it"

"David, I am not counting.. thank you.. and to be fair, the bigger box is actually for both of us, you will see"

David opens the small box to find a Tiffany & co's Makers Valet Key Ring in Sterling Silver and Stainless Steel with « Our choice » engraved.

"Julia, this is beautiful and thoughtful, thank you so much. My gift is much more classical"

Julia opens her gift box. David bought her a gorgeous midnight blue lace ensemble and a matching silk kimono with some lace on the cuff of the sleeves, the collar, the 2 fake pockets and the belt.

"David, this is so beautiful, classy and sexy. Thank you so much. Do you want to open the other box together? As it is for both of us?"

"OK love"

They open the box which contains 2 sets of handcuffs with white faux fur around it.

"Do you want to use the cuffs on me, Prime Minister?"

"Would you be so kind, Sergeant Budd"

They kiss passionately with their tongue dancing together for long minutes whilst their hands caress every surface of the other's body. They start to be both very aroused. Julia is so wet and David is so hard.

He put both his hands under her bottom, squeezes it and then carries her to their bedroom, she tangles her legs around his waist.

He then realizes Julia had a design metallic bar added on top of their bed

"This is new Prime Minister"

"Yes it is, I didn't want to wrap that gift and I wanted it to be installed when I offered you the handcuffs"

"Mmm I see.. he removes her dress so quickly that he almost rips it off. He unclasps her bra but she stops him and removes his jacket and his shirt quickly whilst he caresses her back applying some pressure with his fingers.

She removes his pants and they are both left only with their underwear. David starts to remove Julia's knickers very slowly with his teeth whilst caressing her inner thighs, coming closer and closer to where Julia wants him the most.

"David, stop teasing, please"

"Yes, Ma'am"

He removes her knickers swiftly and dives to her core, where she wants him and starts to lick her and caresses her little bunch of nerve. Julia starts to squirm under his ministrations and then after some time, explodes all around him.

"God, David, I will never get tired of this"

"Mmm I am glad"

Before he finishes his phrase, Julia is grabbing the handcuffs and tie him at the metallic bar. Both his wrists are cuffed so he is totally at her mercy. His legs, however, are free.

"Do you have seen Basic Instinct, David?"

"Of course"

"Does that remind you something?"

"Of course. I just hope you don't have an ice peak under the bed"

She laughs

"I don't, but I want to replay the rest of that scene"

"As you wish, Ma'am"

Julia slowly moves down his body, she starts to remove his boxer shorts with her teeth, she can feel him becoming harder and harder and some pre-cum liquid starts to escape his cock and stains his shorts. She removes his shorts with her hands and takes him in her mouth, up to her gag reflex. David almost explodes in her mouth instantaneously but manages to restraint himself.

She sucks him off until she feels he can't take it anymore, she straddles him and sinks onto his sex. David contorts himself and tries to block her between his thighs.

"Tut tut tuuuuttt.. no no no Sergeant Budd. I am in charge" and she starts to move up & down on his sex, rapidly reaching a frantic rhythm and getting more & more frenzy.

They reach their peak at the same time, both shaking hard under the strength of their orgasm. Julia is collapsing on him and removes the handcuffs. He hugs her so tightly, it's almost painful.

"God, Julia, that was spectactular"

"Yes, it was. And it was my first time"

"Me too"

"Sex with you is so stupendous"

"Sex with you is sensational. I have never experienced anything like it with anybody before. It's like we both exactly know what the other wants, desires and like our bodies are in fact one"

"Mmm, I am glad. I feel exactly the same way"

"Maybe we should double-check, to be sure"

"Yes, double-checking seems wise"

And so they do..