A/N: Welcome back! I hope everyone had a good holiday season and are ready for the new year. I'm so excited to share this chapter with you guys, I really think you are going to like my little surprise. Enjoy!
Chapter Twelve.
Relax, Claire. Nobody is going to shoot you…again. Claire repeats this in her head in a continuous loop. She ignores the prying eyes, writing and recording every movement of her and her husbands'.
Frank notices the iron-clad grip Claire has on his hand. He purposely positioned himself so she can use her good hand to clasp his if she needs to. His eyes slide over to her, completely in awe of her stoic demeanor. What she is about to do is not easy. Talking about something so traumatic so soon after it happened requires an extraordinary amount of courage. Not that he would expect anything less from his wife.
Claire steps up to the podium, letting her hand slip out of his. Her eyes dart from person-to-person, her ears picking up the clicks of their cameras. She clears her throat, senses her husband's hand on her back and forces herself to find her voice.
"As most of you know, while speaking at a rally with my husband in his hometown of Gaffney, South Carolina, I was shot in the shoulder by a still yet unknown assailant. Luckily, the damage caused by the bullet won't have any long-lasting effects on my health. My husband and I would like to thank the staff at the Gaffney Medical Center for taking such good care of me while I was a patient there, you made the recovery process smoother."
"It means the world to us to have such wonderful men and women who stepped up to treat my wife. I wouldn't expect anything less from the people of Gaffney. I couldn't imagine what I would do without her, and thanks to them, I won't have to." Frank says, exchanging loving looks with Claire. "If anyone has any information at all regarding Claire's shooting, we encourage them to step forward. Thank you."
Frank turns to leave, thinking Claire is right behind him. His wife is still at the podium, rooted to the ground. He approaches her, coiling his arm around her waist. She opens her mouth and shuts it again, debating whether she wants to proceed with her plan. Whatever she decides, she better do something fast.
"I wanted to…" Claire cuts herself off, "A few days ago, CNN released a video of my husband and I having a private conversation before I was shot. There has been speculation circulating that I was pregnant at the time of the shooting. And I just wanted to say…those rumors were true. I was four months pregnant when I got shot."
Frank and Claire hear audible gasps from the crowd. They weren't expecting the Underwoods' to address the video at all, given the sensitive nature of the subject. The second couple is notoriously private, heavily controlling what is released to the public.
"It pains me to say…" Claire clears her throat. "Due to the shooting and subsequent surgery afterward, I suffered a miscarriage while carrying our second child." Frank tightens his grip on her waist. She didn't have to do this, but he understands why she did. Revealing such an intimate detail about themselves will drum up sympathy for them and make them appear more relatable.
Frank notices Claire starting to struggle to string words together. He can tell she didn't expect to have this sort of reaction to disclosing her miscarriage. His hand navigates to hers, squeezing it to communicate to her that he will pick up where she left off.
"My wife has been through an incredibly distressing ordeal and we ask that you respect our need for privacy. We will not be making any further statements on this matter and we appreciate everyone's well-wishes. Thank you."
This time, Claire is the first to step away from the podium, ignoring reporter's shouting questions at her. Frank remains behind her the whole way, shielding her from anyone who gets too close. He shuts the door to the townhouse, effectively cutting off communication with the outside world.
"Why didn't you tell me you were going to talk about the miscarriage?" Frank asks her. He isn't angry, but he doesn't think she should've blindsided him like that either. Having him looked as shocked as the rest of the world by her admission makes it seem like they keep secrets from each other, which couldn't be farther from the truth.
"I didn't know I was…I did what I thought was best. We should see what people are saying."
Frank follows Claire upstairs to their bedroom and watches her turn on the news.
"Reporting live from Washington, D.C. where Vice President Underwood and his wife, Claire, have just held a press conference outside of their home. We were glad to see that she's okay, but shocked by the news of her miscarriage. What are your thoughts and reactions? Lindsay, we will turn to you first." Anderson Cooper says to a panel of politicians and journalists.
"Thanks, Anderson. I will say that it was even surprising to hear Mrs. Underwood speak. Usually, the vice president does the majority of the talking for them, which is fine. It shocked me even more to hear about her miscarriage. What a sad thing to happen for them especially when she was so far along in her pregnancy, but I'm glad we heard it directly from her. It made it seem…I don't know…more heart-wrenching. As a mother and a woman, I could actually feel her pain."
"Could the fact that Mrs. Underwood said it instead of their communications director be some sort of ploy?" An older, white man speaks up.
"Unfucking believable," Frank mutters and crosses his arms. He recognizes the man speaking as a Republican congressman from Texas, Claire's home state.
"Are you suggesting that the Vice President and his wife would lie about a miscarriage for political gain?" Anderson Cooper asks, the disgust evident in his tone. The Congressman blushes and shakes his head.
"No, but it wouldn't surprise me. The Underwoods' are always conspiring about something. I'm just saying the timing is a little fishy, that's all."
Claire bites the inside of her cheek so hard, she can taste blood in her mouth. Normally, she doesn't give a damn what people say about her, but what the congressman is implying stings. She revealed too much of herself and now the public has turned on her.
Frank sits on the bed beside her, lightly grasping her chin. Her eyes meet his briefly before she looks away.
"Don't doubt yourself, sweetheart. You did the right thing."
Their attention is brought back to the television. A Democratic strategist Frank has collaborated with over the years is currently weighing in on their press conference.
"How dare you imply Mrs. Underwood is exploiting her miscarriage! She not only got shot in front of her husband, but they lost their second child. I have known the Underwoods' for many years and they wouldn't go public with this unless they felt it could help people. For you to invalidate their grief by making erroneous statements about them using their trauma for political gain is reckless."
Frank and Claire smirk at each other. She reaches around him to turn off the television, not needing to hear any more. They hope the reaction to the press conference will be overwhelmingly positive, especially with the coverage they are getting on CNN. Of course, there will always be people who don't like them and never will, but people on the fence could be swayed in their direction.
"I'm thinking of going back to work tomorrow, Francis," Claire mumbles after a few moments of silence. She can't sit in the townhouse with nothing to do, it's driving her crazy.
Frank is wary about the idea, he thinks she is underestimating her recovery. However, sitting at a desk doing paperwork won't exacerbate her injury. If she needs something to occupy her mind, he won't deny her. And really, she's not asking for his permission. She's going to do as she pleases with or without his blessing.
"Okay, I'll be happy to have you back. Claire, this morning Hannah told me about her debate competition at the school tonight. If you don't want to go…"
"No. Of course I'll go. Don't tell her, I want it to be a surprise." She wants to be there to support her daughter, regardless of current circumstances.
"Good. I have to go in, I'll see you later." He brushes a kiss to her cheek and leaves her in their bedroom.
Later that night, Frank and Claire quietly enter the auditorium to Hannah's school. They sit as far back as possible, not wanting to attract any unwanted attention. Unfortunately, many parents have already caught onto the second couples' arrival. Whispers and people pointing surround them.
"That's Claire Underwood! Look," Frank hears behind him. He turns his head to pinpoint the source of the voice as Claire rests her hand on his knee.
"What's she doing here? I thought she just got shot," another person says back. Claire digs her nails into the fabric of Frank's pants until he clasps her hand in his own.
"She looks fine to me…who knows, she probably was being dramatic for the cameras," a third woman pipes up.
Frank whips around to glare at the women talking about his wife. Claire tugs on his hand, urging him to turn back around.
"Don't give into them," Claire whispers to him. She appreciates how protective he is of her, but tonight is about Hannah.
Frank and Claire proudly watch their daughter eviscerate her opponent. Hannah is calm, concise and deliberate in her speech. Her tone never wavers even when insults are flung her way.
"It's like I'm watching a pint-sized version of you," Frank mutters in her ear. Claire beams at Hannah, who catches her eye. Hannah winks at Claire and finishes her current thought.
"She's amazing, Francis," Claire gushes in awe and leans her head on his shoulder.
After the competition is over, Hannah rushes to find her parents in the crowd. No surprise to her that her parents are surrounded by people eager to hear about Claire's condition.
"I'm fine, really, thank you for asking," Claire insists to Lauren's mom. Frank stands next to his wife, her arm looped through his.
"Han, I'm so proud," Frank says to his daughter when Hannah permeates the growing crowd of admirers.
"You did so good, honey," Claire agrees. Hannah nods, embarrassed by all the attention.
Frank and Claire are relieved they can set aside everything to support their daughter. It makes them seem like a normal family.
"Excuse me a second," Frank says when he hears his phone ring. Hannah and Claire stay behind to accommodate the people lingering to speak to the Underwoods'.
"Sir, we finally tracked down the wire transfer Kinsey received," Doug begins.
"And?"
"Long story short, the money came from one of Tusk's subsidiaries. We got him, Sir."
"Thank you, Doug," Frank tells his chief of staff sincerely and hangs up the phone. A grin chases across his lips while he walks back to Claire and Hannah.
"Mr. Vice President, we were just saying how wonderful your daughter did," a faculty member tells Frank as he rejoins his wife and daughter.
"She did great, we are so proud," Frank says politely. Claire nods in agreement and glances at her husband. He is ready to leave, and so is she.
"Hannah, we should get going," Frank tells his daughter.
"Okay," Hannah trails behind her parents, waving goodbye to classmates on the way out.
"What did Doug have to say?" Claire asks on the way back to their townhouse.
"We have some solid evidence that Tusk is behind everything that happened," Frank informs Hannah and Claire.
"Really? What's going to happen to him, Daddy?" Hannah asks.
"He's going to be arrested as soon as possible."
"Do you think Garrett will intervene?" Claire asks.
"He can pardon Tusk if he wants, but it wouldn't play well for him. Especially not after our press conference today," Frank explains.
"I thought what you did was really brave, Mom," Hannah mutters.
"Thank you, honey," Claire responds. "We should celebrate tomorrow. Go out to dinner as a family."
"Oh, we should go to that new sushi place Lauren suggested," Hannah says with a wide grin on her face.
"We can go wherever you want, Han," Frank tells his daughter. After all they put the teenager through these past few months, she deserves a night out.
"Goodnight Mom, Daddy," Hannah says when they arrive back at the townhouse.
"Night, you did good today," Frank tells her and brings the teenager in for a hug.
"You already said that," Hannah complains with an eye roll and moves to hug her mother.
"Let your father have his moment," Claire lightly scolds while she stamps a kiss to the top of her daughter's head. Hannah laughs as she bounds up the stairs to her bedroom.
"We got him, Claire," Frank tells his wife. He engulfs her in a one-armed hug, rubbing her back. He severs their embrace, but his hand remains on her good shoulder.
"We did it, Francis," Claire whispers back. She is ecstatic Tusk is going to be removed from the equation, leaving only Walker in their path to the Oval Office.
He presses a deep kiss to her lips, reaching to cup her cheek. When they separate, Claire goes to the fridge to grab a bottle of wine and two glasses. She meets Frank at the windowsill. He has already lit a cigarette and takes a puff while she pours them their wine.
"To us," Frank declares, holding up his wine glass. Claire grins and clinks glasses with him, letting the liquid pour down her throat. Frank hands her the cigarette while he drinks his wine.
"A union like no other," Claire says. She takes a healthy drag of the cigarette before handing it back to him, her fingertips brushing his. Frank holds the cigarette to his lips, letting it linger. "What's on your mind, Francis?"
"You…us…what's next."
"You know what's next."
"No, I mean after the Oval. What do we do after that?"
"Then it's my turn," Claire says with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Frank laughs as he presses the rim of the wine glass to his lips.
"I don't think this country is ready for a Claire Underwood presidency."
"You will have to warm them up for me."
"It's so good to have you back, Mrs. Underwood," her assistant says the next morning.
"Thank you. Are my messages on my desk?" Claire wastes no time easing her way back into work. She wants everyone to know it's business as usual.
"Yes, your messages are on your desk along with all the flowers and cards you've received while you were away. There is also a pile of interview requests for you to sort through. Apparently, your press conference resonated with a lot of people."
Claire nods and shuts the door to her office. She won't be doing any interviews any time soon. They made it perfectly clear they won't be discussing the miscarriage ever again and doing an interview would directly contradict that.
A myriad of flowers lines the shelves of her office, with cards enclosed in each one. One particular bouquet catches her eye, white tulips sitting in the middle of her desk. She shakes her head and grabs the card, not surprised in the slightest when she discovers it's from her husband.
To the future First Lady and love of my life.
-F.
Claire leaves the card in her desk and moves the flowers so she has room to spread out. She boots up her laptop and starts combing through a weeks' worth of emails.
An hour later, Claire is disrupted by someone knocking on her door.
"Come in," Claire yells. She assumes it's her husband since he's the only one besides Hannah who could drop by her office unannounced without warranting a call from her assistant.
"Hey," Franks says and shuts the door behind him. Claire throws her glasses on the desk and smirks at her husband. "What?"
She watches him sit on the edge of her desk, glancing over at her laptop.
"You don't have to check up on me, Francis. I'm doing fine."
Frank pretends to look offended before his grin gives him away.
"I was just checking to see if you got my flowers."
Her eyebrow quirks in amusement as she crosses her legs.
"I did. Thank you for them, they are beautiful. Now, what did you really come here for?"
"Doug and I have a meeting to discuss what we are going to do about Tusk. I want you to be there."
Claire nods, she wants to be involved in everything related to the takedown of Raymond Tusk. This man is responsible for hurting her first child and killing her second. Whatever they can do to make him suffer, they will.
"Fine. When is it?" Claire asks and stands up, abandoning her work for the time being.
"Now. Come on," He reaches down and accidentally grabs her damaged arm, tugging on it.
A mix between a groan and a gasp escapes Claire's lips as pain radiates up her arm. Frank spins around, remorse seeping into his features. She blinks rapidly to clear the tears from her eyes before he notices. He carefully brings her closer to him, letting his wife regain her composure before they leave her office.
"I should've been more mindful of your injury," Frank mumbles. Claire blots her eyes with her good arm, taking in a rattling breath. She didn't realize how painful her shoulder still is even though she had surgery less than a week ago.
"I should've taken some pain medication before I came into work," Claire whispers back. She gently pulls away, giving him a nod to signal she is ready.
His hand locates the small of her back this time, following her out into the hallway that connects their two offices. They notice people staring at them, wondering how the second couple is coping without actually asking. Both Frank and Claire hate the prying eyes, but it's what they expected after the press conference.
Doug is waiting for them in Frank's office, standing up when they enter the room. Claire sits in a chair across from her husband's desk. She only sits on the edge of it or in his lap when it's just them or Hannah in the room. Even though they are husband and wife, it's important to them that they still maintain a professional demeanor when at work.
"Alright Doug, what's the latest?" Frank asks. He has been eagerly awaiting news on Tusk since his chief of staff called him last night.
Doug approaches the desk, sitting in the chair next to Claire.
"Well, Sir, it depends on how you want to play it. Right now, Tusk is in St. Louis. He isn't due back in Washington for at least a couple of days. We could wait until then and risk the press finding out, or we can confront this now."
Frank meets Claire's eyes and watches a smirk blossom on her lips. He knows that smile well, she made her choice and it's the same as his.
"I want you to arrange a private meeting between us as soon as possible. If I have to get on a plane to St. Louis, I will. Just make it happen, Doug."
"Yes sir," Doug says and leaves the couple to continue their discussion.
"I have to get to a meeting. Apparently, Trisha can't figure out how to get Garrett's attention without me holding her hand. I'll see you at dinner?"
Frank manages to chuckle at Claire's comment. He can tell his wife is enjoying manipulating the current First Lady.
"Have fun." He watches her leave, shaking his head in amusement.
"Yes, we can provide you with a full security detail if you decide to travel to St. Louis," Agent Pierce tells Frank.
After Claire left earlier in the afternoon, Frank decided that he wasn't going to wait for Doug. He is going to travel to St. Louis on his own and settle this with Tusk. Now, Agent Pierce is briefing him on the security measures required to make the trip.
"Good. I want as few men with me as possible. And Meechum stays with Hannah and Claire while I'm gone." Frank wants his favorite agent protecting his wife and daughter rather than him.
"Understood."
Hannah comes bursting into her father's office by herself, telling Meechum to wait outside for her. Either her dad is in a meeting and will be available soon or he will send her to her mother's office. She frowns when she sees her dad speaking with someone, so she plops herself down on the couch and takes out her phone.
"Hannah, I will be ready to go in a minute. Where's your mother?" Frank asks, craning his neck around Agent Pierce's body.
"She sent me a text that she will meet us in your office when she's done."
Frank shakes his head. It's just like his wife to throw herself into work on her first day back.
"Okay. Hannah, this is Agent Pierce, the man who has been helping us with security," Frank informs his daughter. Hannah stands up and goes over to the man, who seems to be shielding his face from her.
"Hi, Hannah Underwood. It's nice to…" Hannah's voice trails off as she sees more of Agent Pierce's profile. She has met this man before, on the day of her accident. "Oh my God, it's you."
Frank furrows his eyebrows in confusion, wondering what his daughter is talking about. Before he gets a chance to ask, Agent Pierce grabs Hannah and pulls out his gun, pressing it against her temple.
A/N 2: I'll let you digest for a minute…no spoilers this time! Please leave a review on your way out and thank you for reading. More to come soon!