April 24, 2019

It's here, she announces today. Henry notices the excited nervous energy radiating from her. He watches as she reads her speech, the handwritten version on the legal pad she originally wrote it on. That won't be the copy she reads, she'll read off of a teleprompter, but there is something special about the legal pad version. The version with her beautiful script, sometimes crossed out with little scribbles. The version where she tried to get it perfect before printing it up for distribution. This speech will become the first in a long line of them during this campaign.

"Can you believe I'm actually doing this?" Elizabeth asks him in the kitchen of their farmhouse where this campaign will take off. "Because I can't." She laughs, shaking her head slowly.

"I always knew you would do this." Henry smiles at her. He leans against the counter beside the stove, looking over at her with love and adoration.

"You did?" She looks at him her head slightly turned to the side.

"Yeah, right about the first time we voted together." He smiles at the memory. A young politically engaged Elizabeth who had not just dreams of changing the world but plans to. Who ranted and raved about things she wanted from her government and her total belief in human rights and democracy. Who volunteered at homeless shelters and donated to charity. She is still that girl, he knows, just older, wiser, tougher, more battle-tested. And she's still got that fire in her eyes. She opens her mouth to speak, then stops herself. She stands there for a second, staring into space, trying to collect her thoughts.

"Babe, you're going to kill it." He reaches over and kisses her softly on the lips.

"Thanks," she says quietly. They make their way outside and she stands behind the podium with the debut campaign signage. She looks right standing there, and he knows she'll look even better when she stand behind a podium baring the presidential seal.

There are hundreds of people gathered around the area in support. People who have been waiting all night for this moment. The speech is perfect. A great mix of passion and plans. It is exactly what the audience wants to hear from their candidate. They cheer after each section ends, wanting more. When it's done she thanks them, shakes hands with dozens of supporters, and hugs a few. Those few mostly consisting of family. But then a reporter throws her off her game.

"Madam Secretary, can you please tell us what happened to you in the winter of 1991?" She tries to lay eyes on the reporter that asked the question, but there's a million of them here. This wasn't supposed to happen. This is her announcement, how is this happening?

"I don't know what you're referring to." She tries to clarify the question, maybe it's just about the CIA, or Henry's deployment and being a military wife. But all hope are gone.

"In January of 1991, were you the victim of a sexual assault?" A Fox News reporter. How did he get that information? She sees Henry's face go red with anger, and Jay's and Mike's register confusion. Lie or tell the truth. Lie and she lets shame win. She doesn't want that. But she doesn't want this either.

"I don't see what that has to do with anything we're talking about today." She stats plainly. Not a denial, but not a total admission. She looks at Mike, who is still confused, but he gives her a slight nod singling his approval of her answer. Good. That's better than lying.

"Our viewers have heard your story, they want to hear it from you." The reporter continues. "What was the nature of this assault? Was it violent?" She looks over at Daisy, isn't it her job to know what news is out there? And know where it's coming from?

"Aren't all assaults considered violent, that's what the word assault means." She says cautiously with a hint of sarcasm. Mike gives her another nod.

"So you're saying that this man didn't physically hurt you?" Another reporter is chiming in. Now she's annoyed.

"That's not at all what I said." She fires back. Her hands make fists and takes a look at Henry. She expecting to see him giving a death glare to the reporter. But instead he meets her eyes and gives the strength she needs to not falter.

"I understand that you've been through a lot. But our viewers want to know about the attack. They want to hear your side of the story." The man's voice is so sweet, like he's asking for a favor. She looks at Mike, who gives her a nod silently telling her to duck out of the conversation. Then Henry who is mouthing the words your decision.

"One in six American women and one in thirty three men will be the victim of a sexual assault at some point in their lifetime. I have never claimed to not be one in six." She gathers her strength, and smiles at the reporter, trying to act as if this conversation is not bothering her. Trying not to think about what will be said about her on Marty Hawks show later today. "But I have worked to overcome the trauma and went on to become a CIA Case Officer and later the Secretary of State. And I'm here today to let my fellow Americans know that I am ready and willing to lead this country to greater heights." She finishes. She's so glad she told the kids. But watching her staff and brother react makes her wish she would've proactively told them too.

She turns to the crowd and smiles, thanking them for their support. That goes on for an hour or two, and then she is whisked back inside.

"Um, Bess we got to talk." Mike is being gentler than he usually is, which unsettles her a little. She doesn't need that from him, she doesn't need it from anyone. She nods.

"I know. Convene a meeting with the main staff. I only want to have this conversation once, if we can help it."

"Okay, sure." He leaves her alone in her living room. She sits down on the couch, taking deep breaths until she realizes she's hyperventilating. She forces herself to calm down.

"It's okay" Henry tells her. "You did great."

"Every one's gonna know." She hears her own voice break, and she gets up from the chair and starts pacing the room.

"But that's alright." He hugs her tight. It feels good. She sinks into him, trying to hold onto his warmth. She finds herself leaning against him. His arms are strong, holding her close.

"I love you." He whispers to her.

"I love you too." She buries her face in his chest, willing herself not to cry.

"Everything's going to be okay." He comforts her, and in this moment she believe's him, mostly. She believes that she will be okay, that he and the kids will be okay. But what her journey to 270? Will it be okay?

"Is the campaign going to be okay?" She asks him.

"Yep. Mike knows how to handle the press. And so do you. You got this." He reminds her.

"But my reputation..." She wishes she could read the collective minds of the American people right now, as they learn about this on their Twitter feeds.

"Is above reproach." He tells her. Elizabeth is respected widely. She's a woman who has overcome more than one horrible life experience and she has filtered the negative feelings into determination. She has earned her place in this field. She is here because she is qualified. What she survived does not change those qualifications.

"Do you think Kincaid leaked it?" She asks him.

"I don't know who else would've." He sighs, "We'll figure it out, babe."

"Thanks." She gives him a hug.

"Anytime. You have a staff meeting." He smiles at her and places a soft kiss to her lips.

They're all gathered in front of her. Daisy, Jay, Mike, Blake. Here in the living room of her farmhouse looking at her like they are expecting her to know what to say.

"Um, well we were all obviously caught off guard there." It seems good to start with a semi-joke. "What do you guys need to know?" She poses the question that way, because she doesn't want to make this a big issue. It isn't. It doesn't affect her ability to lead this country.

Daisy looks at her and then looks at Mike who looks back at her and says, "Why didn't you tell us? We could've prepped for it. Been more prepared." She's offended by her tone but holds her tongue. This is not the time to express it.

"Well, first of all I didn't think this would happen, or I guess I hoped it wouldn't." She tells them. "And secondly, we had enough to worry about between policy prep and speechwriting and donor charming." She lets out a nervous giggle. "I thought maybe this was going to be a nonissue. It should be a nonissue, it doesn't affect my ability to lead."

Jay and Blake nod in agreement. Mike's jaw is set and he looks like he wants to strangle someone, but she watches him take a breath.

"Okay, two things. Find who leaked it. And you need to give an exclusive interview. Get it over with and move on, so people don't dwell on it." Mike's voice is firm. Elizabeth looks at him and shakes her head. The thought of sitting with a reporter and giving a full interview about what happened to her makes her nauseous.

"I'm not doing that." She says firmly.

"You have to." Mike's voice is hard. "This is not something you can sweep under the rug. Not when you are running for the highest position in the most powerful nation on Earth."

"I'll think about it. As for leaked it. I'm pretty sure I know who it was." She tells him. Daisy and Jay look at her with surprise.

"Who?" Daisy asks.

"Tom Kincaid. He's the man who raped me. He was going to run for Governor of Virginia this year. I've prevented from being able to do that. Now he's fucking with me." She tells them. The information lingers in the room. Everyone looks at her, waiting for her to continue. But she has nothing else to say. Not tonight. She's spent enough energy talking about this.

"Let's reconvene in the morning." Mike instructs, realizing he's not getting anywhere with her tonight. He knows her well enough to know that she likes to think about things before she acts, so he'll let her tonight.