A/N: Final chapter! I will admit I'm not entirely sure why I ended up writing this from an outside perspective; maybe just to get that different view of the situation after being so up close and personal. Anyway, thanks for reading, guys, and I hope you enjoyed it overall!

Elaine twisted her gloves between her hands as flashing lights came into view. It was fully light out now, allowing them to take in the whole endeavor. There was the tow truck, which had just pulled a white Mustang from the impressive snowdrift around it, two patrol cars blocking the exit lane, a snow plow, which seemed to be preparing to leave, and an ambulance of course. Her heart leapt into her throat as they passed the scene by. Bud took one of her hands in a firm grip.

"We'll be over there before you know it, Sugar," he said. "He just has to catch the next exit to swing around. The professionals have everything under control."

"But we don't know that for sure from here," she lamented. "Half the night all alone in a drafty way station, with TJ sick, heaven only knows what that meant, and no supplies to speak of. We should have said no to the party, made them come home with us when we heard the weather forecast."

"Sugar, they're not three-year-olds anymore. We got lucky and had the Secret Service to keep them reigned in for eight years. The vast majority of parents don't get that luxury. They're going to want to take on life for themselves, make their own decisions, and all we can do is teach 'em what we can and wait for them to come home."

"There was a real possibility they wouldn't have come home in this case! They could have been seriously hurt, or—"

"Shhh, you're gettin' carried away with yourself. They'll be smiling and laughing when we get there, just you see."

It was strange only having two cars on the trip, one for them and an agent in the front, and one with the other agent and a staff member who had offered to take the boys' car back, if it was drivable. They looped around the exit easily, and within a couple minutes had stopped in front of the patrol cars at the rest stop.

"I'm sorry, sir, the facility is temporarily closed," said one of the troopers.

"Excuse me!" Eliane called out, before her window was fully rolled down. "Our apologies, Officer. Perhaps you recognize myself and my husband. We've usually been accompanied by much more obvious transportation. Those are our sons in there."

"The apology is all mine, Ma'am, Sir. Give us just a minute to move the cars, and we'll let you in."

Someone had shoveled parts of the walk in front of the little building to allow for easier maneuvering. Both of them practically ran to the glass doors. The inside was in absolute disarray—clothes and blankets strewn around, plus the EMT gear, and the crew themselves huddled around a lowered gurney.

"Mom! Dad!" Douglas waved them over. He was wrapped in one of those silver emergency blankets, clearly exhausted but otherwise fine, leaning across the gurney from the wall side. TJ smiled wearily at them from under his own cover, one arm exposed with an IV secured to it.

"My boys, thank God you're okay!" exclaimed Elaine, rushing between the EMTs to hug both teenagers at once. She couldn't begin to describe her relief at being able to feel how warm and solid and alive they were. Douglas embraced her in return.

"I told you we were doing fine," he reassured her.

"That doesn't mean I wasn't still worried sick." She pulled back just enough to take full stock of TJ's condition. "How are you feeling, sweetie? Do they need to take you to the hospital or anything?"

He was noticeably paler than usual except for a stark purple welt above his left temple, eyes shadowy and hair sticking in odd angles from yesterday's gel and dried sweat. His temperature might be a little high, but not by much. Under the blanket, he was back in his unbuttoned dress shirt with a t-shirt underneath that.

"We figure it was just short-term stomach bug or something similar," one of the technicians explained. "He was dehydrated, so we're giving him some fluids, and they reported a slip in the bathroom at one point—"

"He just got dizzy for a minute," Douglas cut in. Elaine's eyes went wide.

"Minor bump on the forehead, and a small cut on one hand, that's all. Anyway, we don't see any reason why you can't just take both of them home. Get them some real food, hot showers, and a good long rest, they'll bounce back in no time."

"Thank you all so much. We can't begin to thank you enough," lauded Bud.

"You've got resourceful boys, Mr. President; it's them you should be praising," said the other tech, though both were clearly in awe at the present and unexpected company. "Douglas here did everything he was supposed to, given what they had to work with. I would, however, recommend putting a few sandbags in that trunk of yours to get a little better traction on the winter roads."

Blushing wildly, Douglas nodded.

Elaine eyed the IV bag, which was not quite half empty. "How much longer do you think he'll need that?"

"For now the more, the better, but he doesn't have to have all of it. We'll need to take care of some paperwork, and the troopers will probably want to complete a report as well, but names will be kept need-to-know only. He should be good to go once everything's squared away," replied the first tech.

"How 'bout you take them, Sugar, I'll take the officers," Bud suggested. "Dougie, I know you've had a long night, but think you can get all this cleaned up so we can get it to the cars?"

Douglas nodded, giving TJ's knee a squeeze before standing up. "Yessir. Some of the stuff might not be all the way dry, just so you know for when we get home."

"We'll come to that when we get there. Come on, I think it's time you boys got some real rest."

Once the formalities were taken care of, their things loaded, and the boys bundled up warmly, everyone started heading out. The staffer had already left with the Mustang. Bud helped support TJ to one car, where Elaine climbed into the middle to sit between their sons, before taking his own seat in the second car.

"I'm really sorry about all of this," TJ said meekly. He fussed with the medical tape around his elbow, trying to keep it or the gauze from peeling up.

"We both are," Douglas seconded.

"The important thing is it's over, and you're both safe and sound. That's all your father and I can ask." Elaine slipped an arm around each of them, hugging them close again. To her surprise, they didn't squirm or complain about being too old for such affection. And before too long, they were both fast asleep on her shoulders. No matter how big they got, she would always cherish moments like this when she could get them.

Fin!