A/N: This is a story I've been working on for awhile. The subject matter- as an American- has hit sharply. I wept while watching the two-part episode. Some things shouldn't be fiction. I am sorry to all those who have been pained by my country's actions. I am so sorry for what we have allowed to be done, and I wish that meant anything.

Disclaimer: I do not own Madam Secretary and portions of the dialogue were taken from the show directly and, so, are not mine.

Madam Secretary Prompt: (Family Separation) Elizabeth forces them to allow her in to change the caged baby, and then refuses to put the crying child down, instead attempting to soothe him. AND When Elizabeth gets arrested, she doesn't go quietly.

"But those who toiled knew nothing of the dreams of those who planned."

(Metropolis, 1927)

…

The warehouse was extremely dim when they entered, the closest light inside coming from around 5 to 7 yards away- a small desk lamp that rested on a foldable table with a stool tucked underneath. The deputy led them inside- past the desk lamp and rounding rows of shelving filled with unlabeled cardboard boxes- until they came upon a well lit area, where instead of shelves lining the rows, it was chain link fencing. On the other side of the fencing, were the small, curled into themselves, bodies of little children. Little brown children.

Bright lights hovered over every few feet, casting a dull, yellow glow upon their faces. The sound of crying was at a constant, and Elizabeth was surprised she hadn't heard them when she entered the building.

Elizabeth reached out to touch the metal fence, weaved with hooks latching together, snagging on all that passed by. This could hurt them. If they became even more distraught, they may try to break out and scratch themselves on the fence.

She looked toward the shining light. Kids didn't know any better than to stare directly at light, like the sun. It was bad for their eyes, but they didn't know that. And what about at night? Were these lights turned off? If they weren't, they could prevent them from sleeping, give them nausea, or insomnia. Make them sick and distraught.

The children looked hungry. When had they last been fed? Some of the younger ones had stains on their clothes. Who was changing them? Who was comforting them? They were scared. They were separated from the people they loved, who had been tasked to protect them.

A small boy sat a few feet from the fence, on one of the many mattresses scattered about. His cheeks were stained with tears, but he no longer was crying, just simply staring out into the distance. Her eyes met his. He looked back at her, unsurprised to see a lady on the other side of the fence, looking at him. Elizabeth's eyes instinctively ran over him, checking for any visible injuries. There was a dark wet spot on his jeans. Elizabeth took a deeper breath in, leaning in closer to him. He had wet himself. Someone needed to change him.

Elizabeth swallowed thickly. They had taken that someone from him. The person who had vowed to care for him. They had stripped him of that comfort. They had taken the first person to have ever loved him, out of spite and hatred, and left him here- out of sight, out of mind.

A guard stood a few feet from her and the boy. He stared straight ahead.

Elizabeth stood from her crouched position, and walked over to face him. "Are you going to change him?"

"Excuse me?" He looked at her with slight confusion.

"The child there. He needs to be changed."

"The child aides make their rounds every three hours."

Elizabeth let out an incredulous huff. "Three hours… that's not… have you had children?"

The guard did not reply.

"Do you have anything I can use to change him?"

No reply.

"I will be changing him either way, so I suggest you give me something."

"No one but the child aides are allowed inside."

"The child aides?"

"In case they harm anyone."

"They're children!"

"Still, ma'am, they have tempers."

"They have been separated from their families, of course they're upset!"

No answer.

"Let me in, I swear to-"

"Madam Secretary." Kat spoke up from behind her. "There is a door right here; the lock is very rudimentary."

Elizabeth almost laughed. It was one of those cheap locks that could be easily undone with a q-tip. "Yes!"

Kat fished a small q-tip out of her purse, and quickly turned to insert it but was stopped by a gentle hand on her wrist.

Elizabeth shook her head and took the q-tip from her. "I can't let them arrest my policy guy." Instead she shoved the q-tip in herself, unlocking the fence to the dismay of the guard, and running toward the young boy.

The children suddenly became quieter, the cries lowering to sniffles and shuffles away from Elizabeth.

"Ma'am, please exit that side of the fencing."

"Not until you hand over those supplies."

The guard bit his lip, turning to the deputy. The officer hesitantly nodded, allowing the guard to retrieve a duffle bag from around the corner.

Kat took the bag from him, leaning in from where she stood in the gateway to hand it off to the secretary.

"Thank you, Kat." Elizabeth bent down to the little boy. "Hola, niño. Yo soy aquí ayudo." Damn, I should have focused more on Spanish in highschool.

"Ella está aquí para ayudar. No tengas miedo." Kat spoke up.

The boy seemed to relax slightly at this, crying out and shifting uncomfortably where he sat.

"He seems barely old enough to walk." Elizabeth muttered, unable to keep the disgust out of her voice. She began to speak soft words of comfort that she was sure the boy didn't understand, but her tone was warm and soft and motherly, comforting him and putting him at ease until he was comfortable enough that she could change him.

The boy blinked up at her the entire time she was changing him. She gave him soft smiles and kissed his forehead when the process was finished.

"Cuál es su nombre?" Kat asked gently.

The boy blinked, shifting to sit up beside Elizabeth.

"Their names are on the tags." The guard offered.

Elizabeth bit back a sigh and checked the child's wrist. Daniel. She went to get up, but small hands reached urgently up at her. The boy's eyes were brimming with tears and he cried out again. Elizabeth could stand it no longer and took him up in her arms, wiping his tears, and rocking back and forth.

"Secretary Elizabeth McCord!" The governor's billowing voice jolted everyone into alertness.

Daniel scrambled in Elizabeth's arms, clinging tighter to her. Loud American men were not his friend.

"You are trespassing on Arizona state property."

"Am I really?" Elizabeth bit back.

"You've tricked your way in here, grandstanding for the press on your self-promotion tour, but you are a long way from the federal swamp you call home."

"Well, Governor, if Washington, D.C. is a swamp, what's this?"

"It's none of your business, that's what it is."

"Why? Are you ashamed of this?"

"Why would I be ashamed of protecting the people of my state?" He looked insulted.

"Because it involves the kidnapping of children."

"Their parents are criminals."

"They are asylum-seekers." Elizabeth could hear Kat grinding her teeth in frustration behind her.

"They are criminals; they ruined their own country and now they've come to ruin ours!"

Elizabeth took a breath. "The Mexican government would like their citizens to be released."

The governor scoffed. "That government has no authority here. This is not Mexico."

"I think the ambassador's demand is on humanitarian grounds." Kat cut in.

"I don't care if it's on grounds of coffee! This is my state and my rules. Lucky for you, I'm feeling charitable today. Y'all can exit peaceably through the back without talking to any press, and I'll let you leave this state without incident."

"I think we're way past that, governor." Elizabeth whispered.

"There's a sheriff out front with a warrant for your arrest. I am giving you the opportunity to ease your way politely outta here!"

Elizabeth pursed her lips. Daniel had his head rested against her shoulder, and despite the loud voices he seemed to have lulled into a half-sleep.

"Look around, Governor. This cannot be hidden from the American people. This can't be ignored."

"I suggest you get moving before I invite the good sheriff in here to come get you." The governor shifted before pointing at Daniel. "Deputy, why don't you put the boy back in his place?"

Elizabeth glared at the encroaching officer, holding Daniel tighter. The boy began to whine as he came to, the tenseness in the air and the secretary's grip waking him.

"Go ahead; Secretary McCord has no claim on the child. The state of Arizona does."

Elizabeth couldn't bring herself to hand over the boy, but just as she was turning to lay Daniel down herself, the silent deputy gripped his legs and yanked him out from beneath her grip. Her heart jumped in panic in the moment before the Deputy safely gathered Daniel and carried the wailing toddler behind the fence again.

"Did you think you can intimidate me or shut me up? Don't test Arizona justice, ma'am." The governor gestured towards the exit.

Elizabeth tore her eyes from the still distraught Daniel, his cries tearing at her as she walked out into the light of the Arizona sun. She found she could not hear him once the door closed. She could though, hear the hundreds of people gathered outside protesting and demanding for the reunification of the children and their parents.

...