Here is the latest from the White House. I'm working on the final regular chapter and as this story wraps up I'll be doing a little giveaway over in my Facebook group, AgoodWITCH Writes. Until then, enjoy the new arrivals.

Chapter 30

"Sir, Phoenix was taken to the White House Medical Unit," Agent Wilson told Edward.

"What? Is she still there?" Edward asked as he stood, nearly toppling his chair.

"Yes, she's asking for you."

Edward moved through the halls in record time but was surprised when they led him to the Operating Room in the unit and not the Exam Room. He was brought in and led to one of the sinks.

"Wash up and put on a gown and gloves and then you can be with POTUS," one of the nurses said, standing with his gown ready for him.

Edward was thorough and fast as he prepared to enter the Operating Room. Once inside, he took his place by Bella's head.

Agent Harper was the only one of the agents positioned below the drape that would shield the incision from view, but Samuel and Eleazar were also in the room.

"Edward, thank goodness. I didn't want you to miss the birth."

"Did something happen?"

"I went into labor, and this had been the plan all along. When I got here and my water broke during the initial exam, they prepped me for surgery."

"And the babies are all right?"

"Mr. Swan-Masen," the doctor addressed him. "Everything is fine. Your wife was given steroid injections to make sure the babies' lungs were developed. Thirty-six weeks is common for twins. If you could distract my patient, your children will be here soon."

With that, Edward began to whisper encouraging words in her ear. He shouldn't have been surprised that a member of Carmen's team was snapping the occasional photo, but it amazed him that even in such a private moment they had to be on display for the world.

A loud cry brought both of their attention to where the doctor handed off the first of their babies.

"Congratulations, Ma'am. You have a healthy baby boy," the doctor announced before delivering his sister.

After they were cleaned up, both babies were brought over to Bella as the doctor finished his work. A nurse came in and whispered to the charge nurse.

"Mr. and Mrs. Swan-Masen, the pediatrician is here to examine the twins. If you'd like to go with them, Sir, we'll let you know when the President is ready to be moved."

"Thank you."

Edward followed behind the nurse as she pushed the babies out in bassinets to the exam room.

Dr. Shu, the doctor who had been selected as the twins' primary pediatrician, was waiting when they arrived. Her exam was thorough, and at the end of it, she turned to Edward.

"They're perfectly healthy, and at a weight where they wouldn't need to be held at the hospital for any reason. As long as the President is in recovery, I would recommend keeping the children here as well, but I don't see any reason for them to need additional monitoring."

"Thank you, that's excellent news. We have nannies set up, we just need to get them in place, but that won't take much."

"Would you like to hold them?" the nurse asked. "I've got to fill out the birth certificates, so I can ask you the information we need while you get a few minutes with them."

Edward confirmed most of the information on record was correct until it was time for their names.

"Edward Charles Swan-Masen and Elizabeth Renee Swan-Masen."

"Very good. Now, if you could just sign here, I'll be out of your hair."

Edward reviewed that the information was correct and signed so the paperwork could be filed. It was only a few minutes later that the babies were taken for their first feeding, then Edward was able to visit Bella.

Riley announced the births in a brief press conference, and the next morning, a photo from the operating room and one of Edward and Bella each holding a child was posted to their social media.

Bella spent the six weeks of recommended recovery time with the babies, soaking up quality time that she wouldn't get in the coming months. She was still working shortened hours and doing a lot of work remotely from the Residence, but it was necessary.

Edward's mother came to stay with the family for a week and Teddy and Lizzie both won over their Nana quickly.

Diane and Maria were a dream, and they were able to come and go, though they did live in as had been discussed when they were hired.

By mid-March, Isabella was cleared to return to work. She was happy to be back in the office. She pumped whenever she could and what she wasn't able to supply the twins was supplemented with formula.

An interview with a women's magazine was set to be published in May about being the most recognized working mother, and how she and Edward balanced their busy lives with their responsibility to be present parents.

John Caius came out of hiding to begin his attacks on family values since the President had chosen to let others raise her children.

While those who would buy whatever he was selling clamored about the First Family, it had the opposite effect with Millennial and Gen Z voters. To them, President Swan-Masen being a working mother made her even more relatable.

Photos and videos of the children were carefully curated, and both Edward and Bella had to agree for them to be made public.

Since the twins were so small, they didn't have their own detail, but when they left the house with a parent, additional agents traveled with them.

It was a part of their lives that they may never remember, but Bella thought about how different their childhood was. It was the price of her job, but she hoped Teddy and Lizzie wouldn't resent it as they got older.

As spring grew warmer, the Fathers of the Republic held more rallies. They spread their particular brand of hate, railing against women in power, minorities, and everything that took opportunities away from them.

On one such day, Isabella was meeting with Carlisle when Alice entered.

"The police clashed with protesters in Virginia. There were casualties on both sides."

The tablet she carried in showed the scene to Isabella and her Secretary of State.

"What does Rosalie think of this?"

"The FBI will brief her if anyone is on a watch list, but for now, her agency isn't involved."

"Did the police react prematurely, or was there a present threat?" Carlisle asked.

"The police were there to protect the Federal buildings. They were protesting outside in Alexandria. A group of protesters tried to climb the steps of one of the courthouses with what appeared to be Molotov cocktails. When the police intercepted them, a fight broke out and more of the protesters rushed to join in."

"And that led to the melee." Isabella shook her head. "Work with Riley to craft a statement condemning how the protest devolved. But make sure she doesn't condemn the actual protest. There were hundreds of people exercising their constitutional rights who did not join in on the unlawful activity."

After Alice left, Carlisle turned to his boss and friend. "Do you have another six and a half years of this left in you?"

"If you had asked me that three years ago, I would have said no. I might have done one term and then decided, but I wasn't leaning toward having one of the longest presidencies in American history. Especially when I was newly single. If you had asked me when I discovered I was pregnant, I would have told you maybe, it all depended on how my pregnancy went and how we balanced life afterwards. But today? The answer is yes. Edward is not just an amazing partner in this job, but he's content to be a present father because I can't be as present as a mother at this point. We have wonderful childcare in place, and I have a lot more I want to do. So I'm ready to keep fighting."

Carlisle smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. You and Edward make a wonderful team, both professionally and personally. Our country needs your perspective now more than ever. That's why the Republicans are scared. John Caius is going to make another push, but the idea of attacking you now for being a working mother, when his old attack was for not having children and being unmarried shows his family values platform is flawed. He doesn't understand that the generations between you and him have more respect for the things you've done than for what he claims you're lacking."

"I've missed our after-meeting chats," Bella admitted.

"Then stop sending me all over the globe," Carlisle teased.

"You're too good at your job for me to keep you home. And Esme and the kids enjoy when Dad is off exploring the world."

"They're almost adults now. We're not too far from being empty nesters."

"Your Charlie will live with you until he's thirty, don't worry." Bella laughed.

"The boys do tend to hang around longer than the girls, I've noticed."

There was a sharp knock at the door, which opened to reveal Edward.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I need to borrow my wife."

Carlisle smiled. "No need to apologize. Both of you have a wonderful night."

Edward and Bella walked Carlisle out of the Oval Office; then, with their details in tow, they headed to the Residence. After dinner and some quality time spent with the twins, they handed the babies off to Maria and went back to their bedroom.

"It's been a while since we've both climbed into this bed at the same time and not been exhausted," Edward mused.

"I know, and I'm sorry, but—"

"I'm not complaining, Bella. I was just thinking that maybe I could be the one to exhaust you for once."

"I like the sound of that."

The couple stripped until they were skin to skin, falling together on the bed. Edward was careful with his wife, wanting to build anticipation as they moved together toward their completion. Bella cried out softly as her first orgasm washed over her while her husband crawled up her body from where he'd been between her legs.

The moment he sank into her heat, they both moaned. The contented feeling of being with their other half made the moment special even after all this time. The slow love-making that started quickly ramped up as thrusts grew more frenzied and skin slapped against skin with a satisfying smack.

There was little concern for who might hear, since the agents knew better than to mistake the sounds coming from the bedroom for distress. Thankfully, the nannies were on the opposite side of the second floor and far out of earshot.

"Roll over," Isabella panted.

Edward did what she asked and took her with him, so she was now on top. Sitting up, she resumed their rhythm as she rode Edward hard until he lifted her only enough that he could pound into her as her own pace faltered. They collapsed in a sweaty heap of aching muscles and leaden limbs. Too tired to move, Edward made sure they were covered by the sheets, knowing if Teeny made an early morning visit, she'd know from the state of the bedroom that they would not be decent.

As spring fully bloomed, the dates for the Endowment performances were coming in and it meant that the field offices were hard at work once again. Garrett was checking in with all the people in charge of the coordination. One in particular who had been given the job was Royce King for the Vice President's detail. He was loath to admit it, but Royce had the mind for finding weaknesses in a layout or route and shoring it up.

This added to the President's itinerary over the coming weeks and months, but Isabella was adamant that she would support each of the inaugural endowment winners. This was her first project that wasn't a carryover of Harry's work, and she would not miss the chance to see it succeed.