A Year and a Half Later…

Elizabeth and Henry had settled back in to the farmhouse quite easily after president Dalton had finished his first term. He had been reelected, but with the significant forewarning, and loud opinion of his Secretary of State, he had been able to find a satisfactory replacement, allowing Elizabeth and Henry to return to the farm. Life certainly looked different than it had in Georgetown. Though it did catch her by surprise in a quiet moment alone, she wasn't complaining too stridently.

Stevie was engaged to married, soon, to a lovely man she had met at Georgetown. As soon as the winter passed and the spring sprung, she would be walking down the aisle to the man who so adored her. Allison, in hopes of pursuing her design career, had applied and been accepted into Parsons, in the heart of New York City. She missed her family terribly, but she was so excited to be chasing her wildest dream. Jason, though still contemplating college, couldn't consider slacking off while attending school in DC. Though he wasn't thrilled about the move from Virginia to the city, he was even more reluctant to move back. He had formed a solid friend group, guys he knew would always "have his back." He was offered a room with one of his closest friends, and gladly accepted the invitation to finish his high school career in DC.

That left Elizabeth and Henry alone on the farm. Elizabeth was so grateful for the time she was able to spend with her children. Though they didn't see one another every day any more, they were constantly texting and managed to Skype several times a week.

They both had loved the life of public service, and each felt their duties to contribute specific skillsets in order to benefit the safety of their country. When it had slowly faded to an end, Elizabeth stepping out of the State Department, and Henry pulling away from the NSA consulting she was supposed to be oblivious to, they had welcomed the change of pace graciously.

Elizabeth sighed hearing the fall wind rustle the drying leaves. This was exactly the life she had envisioned when she stepped away from Langley. Now, though, she was fairly certain the comfort of a bucolic life with her husband would last.

She leaned into his shoulder, curling her legs beneath her as the porch swing gently rocked with the breeze. She gazed across the lawn, finding each of the horses grazing and galloping around the fence.

In the few short weeks they had spent settling, Henry could already notice a shift in Elizabeth's demeanor. The nightmares ceased, her bouts of panic nearly disappeared, and the tension in her neck had finally eased.

He breathed in the crisp, autumnal breeze. Their first night in Virginia was the first night in a long while she had gotten a good night's rest she so needed. She slept through the night, and the biggest stressor in her life was now writing a grading finals. Though it was still adequately stressful, teaching at UVA with Henry was more than she could have ever asked for. She wasn't an open target anymore. Henry wasn't a target anymore. She was finally able to return home to him, knowing the biggest threat was a rogue college student standing on a soap box.

Travels were no longer disguised by conferences, they were conferences. Last minute trips didn't have to be stealthily explained to the children in hopes of guarding national security. Phone calls no longer had to be taken in another room; they could talk again.

"Can you believe everything that has happened the past three years?"

Henry shook his head, running his fingers over her shoulder. "I can't." He shook his head, continuing to stare across the field. "It sure has been a wild ride."

"That it has been." She ran her free hand down the jean covering his thigh and exhaled, closing her eyes and relaxing deeper into his embrace. "It was incredible while it lasted, but I'm not too sad to ease back into the life of academia with you, professor."

"You aren't so bad yourself." They both breathed out a small chuckle before letting a comfortable silence fall over them. "Seriously though…" He straightened his back, turning to face his wife as he grasped for her hands. "I'm so proud of you," he said softly.

She tilted her head, pursing her lips in confusion. "What for?"

He let out another chuckle, the answer becoming so obvious to him over the past 30 years that he had known the beautiful woman who sat before him. "Everything." He stared into her eyes, brushing a stray hair behind her ear. "Baby, you have gone above and beyond the call of duty to ensure this world is a safer, more pleasant place for our children to grow up." He cupped her jaw with his palm. "You helped progress the CIA for so long, you were the best damn Secretary of State I've ever seen, and—"

"I think you're a little biased." She interrupted, a smile sliding across her lips.

"No, I speak only the truth." He placed a gentle kiss on her lips before continuing. "You are an amazing professor. You are the kindest, most loving mother to our children, and you do it all while putting up with me." A single tear escaped his eye as she moved to quickly brush it away with her thumb.

"Nonsense." She whispered, meeting his gaze. "All of those things were just jobs. Did I enjoy them? Yes. Did I give it 100 percent every day? Of course. This is what matters to me, though." She ran her hand gently down his face. "You and our children are what matter to me."

She kissed him tenderly, feeling him deepen their embrace. She parted her lips, quietly gasping for air as Henry leaned her back against the swing. "Now see," she whispered up, resting her nose upon his. "Aren't you glad we can do stuff like this now?"

"Make out on our porch swing?"

She nodded, giggling against his cheek. "Mhm. No kids, no press, no detail…" her words were lost upon his lips as he leaned in for another heated kiss. She jumped feeling her phone vibrate from within her pocket.

Henry groaned in displeasure. "This isn't supposed to happen anymore!" He nearly cried, watching her reach f or the device. He began to kiss her neck, nibbling her earlobe before trailing back to her cheek.

Her eyes lit up as soon as she saw the screen of her phone. Hastily trying her best to swat both Henry's lips and his hands away she picked up the call. "It's Allison!"

"Noodle!" she exclaimed. Henry smiled seeing the joy that lit her face while talking to their children. Her happiness only served in enhancing her beauty.

They talked for nearly an hour before Elizabeth hung up the phone and excitedly turned to her husband. "That was Allison!" He nodded, waiting for her to elaborate. "Apparently she and Jason will be on winter break at the same time, so they'll both be able to come home for Christmas." He smiled, already looking forward to another Christmas as a family. "That's not the best part though."

"It isn't?"

She shook her head, barely pausing to take a breath. "Nope. Stevie and Jareth are coming and they're bringing caramel corn!"

Henry laughed, knowing he could probably guess which part of the announcement for which she was more excited.

"We're all going to back home for Christmas." She nodded, leaning heavily into his embrace once more.

They had done it. They had given everything they had to a country which had given them so much. They had sacrificed sweet sixteen parties, family dinners, the luxury of conversation, yet they had made it out the other side whole and stronger than ever.

"You know," henry spoke up, squinting his eyes in the face of the rapidly setting sun. "My offer hasn't changed."

"Your offer?" Elizabeth pursed her lips, unsure to what he was referring.

"Yep." He nodded. "I'm still the man beside the woman." She smiled gently as she felt his lips graze her forehead.

"The man beside the woman." She repeated, closing her eyes and snuggling herself deeper into his side.

END.

A/N: Well, i hope you all enjoyed where this story ended up going. Perhaps this simply taught me that I need to actually plan out my stories before i post them. ;) I can't thank you enough for all the love you have shown this story (and my others!), Even after nearly 6 years on here, it still continues to blow my mind. Love you all! xo