A/N: Welcome back and thank you for all the reviews I received! I always welcome feedback on all of my stories and I encourage everyone to leave their thoughts. I think you will like this chapter, enjoy!
Chapter Two.
It's been five months since Claire and Frank decided to try for another child. Now, she is pacing nervously in the master bathroom, having just taken a pregnancy test. Frank is busy making sure Hannah gets off to school and will meet his wife upstairs when he can.
"Did Mom go to work?" Hannah asks. Her mom usually eats breakfast with her since her dad gets up early to go to the White House.
"Your mom isn't feeling well today, so I thought I would eat with you." Frank doesn't want to tell their daughter what Claire is actually doing in case the test is negative.
"Okay," Hannah says with a smile and eats her cereal.
"Come on, come on," Claire whispers to herself and checks her watch. It's only been two minutes, she still has another to go until there is a clear result. She wrings her hands nervously and continues her pacing, her heels clicking loudly on the hardwood.
"Bye, have fun at school," Frank says to Hannah and hugs her.
"Bye, tell Mom I hope she feels better."
"I will." Frank watches Hannah climb into the SUV packed with Secret Service Agents who are in charge of her safety.
"Francis!" He hears Claire yell from upstairs. Frank takes the stairs two at a time, bursting into the master bathroom. His wife is holding the test with a euphoric look on her face.
"It's positive?" Frank assesses, based on Claire's smile.
"Yes," Claire whispers and moves to embrace her husband. Frank stamps a kiss to her blonde hair, squeezing her tight to his frame. He hears Claire sniff and he skates his hand up her back, rubbing it soothingly.
Claire wipes her eyes and double checks the test in case the result changed. Frank looks over her shoulder, confirming the test is positive.
"When do you think this happened?" Claire asks out of curiosity. Frank shrugs, he has no idea, but it had to have occurred in the past three months. Claire took another test two months after they started trying and it was negative.
"That night in my office, maybe?" Frank suggests.
Three and a half months ago, Claire says goodbye to her assistant for the night and heads into Frank's office. They have reservations at a nearby restaurant and they are going to be late if they don't hurry up. When she gets there, she is surprised to see Doug and Frank in the midst of a strategy meeting.
"I think he will vote yes," Doug tells Frank, not registering Claire's presence in his boss' office.
Frank turns to wink at Claire, who is making herself comfortable in his office chair.
"What does he need?" Frank asks, knowing the drill by now. If you want people to do what you want, you have to promise them something worthwhile in return.
"Funding for his new Alzheimer's research center in his district," Doug says.
"Can we secure it?"
"I don't know, let me make a few calls," Doug says and moves past his boss, waving to Claire on his way out.
"I'm sorry Claire, I don't think we will make our reservations tonight," Frank says. He is in the process of whipping votes for an education bill, which is proving harder to do than he originally planned.
Claire shrugs, she doesn't care. It makes her happy to watch her husband do what he does best; whip votes.
"I don't mind. Hannah is out for the night, so we can just pick something up on the way home." Frank reaches across the desk to pepper a kiss to his wife's cheek. He is grateful to have such an understanding wife who values his work. Claire takes out her laptop when Doug returns to Frank's office, handing the phone to his boss.
Two hours later, Frank and Doug finally have the number of votes they need to assure the bill's passing. Doug leaves the Underwoods' in the office. Frank goes over to his desk, wanting to see what Claire is working on.
"I am just finishing this email and then we can go," Claire tells him. Frank massages his wife's shoulders while she types. "That feels good, Francis." She shuts down her laptop and stands up to face him. Suddenly, Claire strides over the door to his office, locking it.
"What are you doing?" Frank asks, watching a mischievous grin form on Claire's lips.
"We never got to finish what we started before our daughter interrupted us."
Frank closes the gap between them and lowers them to the floor, stripping off her dress in the process. Claire works to get her husband naked first, all the while helping remove her own clothing.
"That means I'm probably a little over three months along," Claire says, brushing her hand over her stomach. Frank nods and places his hand over hers.
"Are you having any symptoms?"
"I've been more tired and nauseous, which is why I wanted to take the test. Francis, I don't want to tell Hannah for a little while, just in case."
"Okay, I have to go to the office. I'll see you for lunch?" Claire watches him remove his hand from her stomach, reaching for her face to lightly pinch her cheek. She gives him a clipped nod and sees him leave.
The next morning, Frank and Hannah are having breakfast again, waiting for Claire to come downstairs. She can hear the pair laughing in the kitchen and moves to join them.
"Hi Mom," Hannah says as Claire comes up behind her, skimming her fingers through her daughter's hair. Frank stands up from the kitchen table to pour his wife a cup of coffee.
"Thank you," Claire says and kisses Frank's cheek. The strong smell of the beverage is making Claire's stomach churn. Hannah watches her mother's face turn frighteningly pale.
"Mom!" Hannah exclaims when she sees Claire drop the coffee on the table and rush to throw up in the sink. Frank turns to look over his shoulder, spotting his wife hunched over. He goes over to her, rubbing her shoulder while she dry heaves.
Hannah grabs her mom a bottle of water from the fridge and hands it to her dad.
Claire's morning sickness doesn't usually occur until the middle of the day and lasts well past lunch. This morning, with the coffee smell, is a different story.
"Here," Frank whispers to her when she is finished. He forgot how bad her morning sickness was with Hannah, he should've been more aware this time around. Claire gratefully accepts the water, needing to taste something else besides vomit.
Hannah is still staring at her mother with masked concern. Like Claire, Hannah is excellent at concealing her emotions, except when it comes to her parents.
"I'm fine honey…I thought I was done with the food poisoning, but I guess not." Claire lies, not wanting her daughter to know about the baby just yet. She wants to confirm with a doctor and see how far along she is before telling other people.
"Get to school, I'll look after her," Frank assures his daughter. Claire ran upstairs to brush her teeth again so they can leave. Hannah nods and gathers up her belongings, waving goodbye to her father on the way out.
Frank climbs the stairs to check on his wife. She is curled around the toilet, dry heaving again. He kneels down beside her, skimming his hand up and down her back.
"I can't believe I wanted to do this again," Claire comments and flushes the toilet. Frank laughs despite himself. "Don't you have to go to work?"
"Doug can hold down the fort until I get there."
"Hannah get off to school okay?" Claire accepts another glass of water from Frank.
"Yes, I told her that I would look after you, which got her moving."
"Good. Francis, go. I'll be fine." Claire doesn't need her husband hovering worriedly over her while she pukes. There's nothing he can do for her here. She has been dealing with morning sickness for the past week in private and for several weeks during her first pregnancy without him by her side.
"Ok…make sure you eat something before you come in." Frank leaves the townhouse with his security detail in tow.
Claire finally makes it into the office by ten. She bypasses her assistant, who looks shocked her boss is walking into work two hours late. On her desk is a breath mint and a note from her husband.
In case you puke again. I don't want to kiss you if you have bad breath.
-F.
"Nice," Claire whispers and pockets the note and breath mint.
She is in the midst of reading a State Department briefing when she gets a text from her husband, telling her to come to his office immediately and to bring her coat. Claire furrows her eyebrows at the request, but quickly travels down the hall to his office.
Frank already has his coat on and looks frightened. The second she closes the door to his office, he is already sliding her coat onto her shoulders.
"Francis, what is going on?" She hates how scared he looks, meaning something has to be wrong with their daughter.
"It's Hannah. She got into an accident on the way to school this morning."
A/N 2: Next chapter, the Underwoods' have to deal with the aftermath of Hannah's accident. This is just the beginning! Please leave a review on your way out and thank you for reading!