Sorry for the delay, I had a busy weekend which included seeing a Stars vs Avs game with Ghostreader24 herself! We didn't run into Spiderward, but we had a blast. And more exciting news, the winners of the TFFA were announced last night and I got 3rd place for Best Screener and 3rd place for Undiscovered Gem for this fic! I'm truly honored by everyone who voted. The screener award means a lot because I work hard on the fics I pre-read for so to get that love is special. Enjoy the reunion between Presidentella and her Secret Serviceward and I'll see you in two weeks from a special location!

Chapter 12

The moment the door closed behind them, Edward pulled Bella into his arms. "Tell me I get to hold you tonight."

"I'm hoping you'll do a lot more than hold me."

He leaned back to meet her eyes. "I love you, Bella. God, you have no idea how well I slept once I knew Fitzwilliam had agreed. I don't know how much longer I would have lasted before I resigned and came to you, begging you to forgive me."

"We both have to sacrifice enough for our jobs. But you shouldn't have to give it up completely to be happy."

"I would have," he swore.

"I know. I don't know all of the logistics, I'll leave that in your hands, but I don't want you to be a dirty little secret. It was known that we were together before, though not publicly. Can we go back to that?"

"I don't see why not. We'll have a strategy meeting with Alice to see how she thinks we should approach it. She'll need to have a plan in case someone leaks it to the press."

Bella sighed. "I hate that we need to have meetings to plan how to have a relationship."

"You were the Vice President when I fell in love with you. I knew what I was signing up for."

"I love hearing you say that. I've loved you from the day you showed up with two side orders of egg rolls so you could guarantee getting one."

"They do disappear when you're around," Edward said with a chuckle.

"Take me to bed, Edward."

"Dinner?" He asked, always concerned with my needs.

"We'll eat later," Bella promised.

"Let's go to your bedroom, then," he said, his excitement palpable.

Edward led Bella into her room and stood in front of her, unsure of his next move.

"Don't overthink it, Edward. Just feel."

Bella reached down and pulled her blouse over her head; the movement snapped Edward out of his stupor. He quickly worked to remove his suit. He turned off his earpiece and pocketed it inside his jacket before he kicked off his shoes. By the time he stood before her in nothing but his boxer briefs, she was wearing only her bra and panties.

Edward pulled her close, kissing her thoroughly as his hands began to explore every peak and valley on her body. His movements were slow, reverent. He was determined to take his time.

Edward was proud that she came before he was even fully naked; his hands and mouth set her ablaze. He knew how close he'd come to never being with her again, so he held onto the moment.

Bella tugged his hair, intent on returning the favor, but Edward was wound too tight.

Edward shook his head, his voice gruff. "I won't last. I need to be inside you."

"Okay," she breathed out. "But I'm going to have you later."

"I look forward to it," he teased.

Edward carried Bella to the bed and laid her down, his body covering hers.

"Still covered?"

"My shot is next month," she confirmed.

He discarded his underwear and lined himself up at her entrance, teasing for a moment before he pushed inside her.

They moaned together and he thrust hard, filling her with one swift movement.

"Edward," she gasped.

"That's it, baby. Don't think, just feel."

For those intense, perfect moments, she wasn't the president, she wasn't under the scrutiny of her opponents and the press. She was a woman, in love with a man who could command her body to feel things others couldn't dream to elicit.

She clawed at his back as he pistoned into her, needing to feel the intensity of the moment with her. He had been miserable without her and feared they'd never reach this place again, but he should have known that his Bella wouldn't have stood for that. She was a force to be reckoned with and she was his.

The way she met his every move, holding him close as she moaned and sighed–he loved those little sounds. There was nothing sexier to him than how free she was when they were together like this.

He felt the beginning of her orgasm; the flutters he craved made him speed up, his need to come with her eclipsing all else.

"Cum with me, Bella. I want to feel you milk me dry."

"Yes, Edward. Oh, God, what you do to me. I can't even describe it."

"I know. I feel it too."

A few more thrusts, and Edward felt Bella orgasm around him. He came shortly after, feeling the slight tremble in her body as she relaxed into the mattress. After a moment, he moved to climb off her, but Bella's arms clung to him.

"Don't move yet. I don't want to lose this feeling."

He pushed her hair off her forehead and brushed his thumb against her cheek. "I'm not going anywhere, Bella. We're in this together now."

"I know."

"Why don't we get comfortable and take a nap. We can order dinner when we wake up."

And that was exactly what they did. After a few hours of sleep, Edward called in an order with the chefs upstairs and dressed that way he could get the food when it was delivered.

They enjoyed their meal; then Bella took out her outfit for the next day so it would be ready when morning came.

Edward made his own preparations, stepping out briefly to return with Garrett and Alice.

"I want to coordinate a few things with Gar so tomorrow goes smoothly. I thought you and Alice could talk logistics as well," Edward told Bella.

"All right. Have a productive meeting."

Bella tugged Alice towards the table in the living area.

"What logistics do we need to discuss?" Alice asked, concern heavy in her tone.

"How we're going to handle the fact that Edward and I are together. We'll be circumspect, but we won't hide anything. We'll behave as we did when he was on Harry's team, or as close to it as we can."

"Only now, you'll be around one another in a professional capacity."

"Exactly."

"I'll send out a memo reminding the entire staff that the security level shouldn't be taken lightly, that the White House is both an office and a residence, and respect for the privacy of the President is a paramount concern."

"Do you think that will be enough?"

Alice nodded, her tone confident. "We have a good mix amongst the staff as far as ages go. To the older generation, the personal life of the President shouldn't be for public consumption unless it affects national security. The younger ones see you as a symbol of the change they feel is necessary. They're protective of you. You'd be surprised by the loyalty you inspire. The rest of us aren't, but you are."

"Okay. And we'll try to keep the PDA to a minimum."

"Edward will succeed. You'll be the one to make the first move to arouse suspicion."

"And when that happens?" Bella asked.

"I'll handle it. You aren't breaking any laws, Bella. You're a single woman in a relationship with a single man. This relationship pre-dated your current job. You aren't going against any protocol. More to the point, his boss had reservations at first but after speaking with you, he agreed there wasn't a need to reassign him. There will be clapback simply because the opposition will find fault in anything you do. We aren't going to let that determine our actions."

"Thank you. The next year and a half will be the hardest. Making this push to win the Presidency, not just being handed it under the worst of circumstances, will either validate my legitimacy or turn me into a Jeopardy question."

The door opened to the far bedroom. Edward and Garrett emerged.

"How did things go in here?" Edward asked.

"Alice is going to manage talks around the West Wing. When we get outed, she'll handle it."

"Don't worry, Edward, I'm as good at my job as you and Garrett are at yours," Alice assured.

"Better, I would say."

They parted ways and Edward pulled Bella back into the bedroom.

"Don't you want to sit out here? Maybe watch some TV?" Bella asked.

"Not really. Tonight, I want to get lost in you. Tomorrow we're going to be out in the world and facing what this looks like in the light of day. Are you good with that?"

"More than good," Bella whispered.

The next morning, Bella woke up to an empty bed. She momentarily panicked until the sound of the shower registered to her. His career had him hard-wired to be an early riser. It was something she would need to get used to.

The water shut off, and soon Edward strode into the bedroom, his towel low around his hips as his eyes met hers. "Food should be here soon, and with it, Emmett and his son. If you want to shower first, I'll make sure everything is still a go for today."

Bella nodded and caught sight of Edward lying down on the couch with his phone and coffee as she gathered what she needed to get ready for her day.

The hot water relaxed her muscles as she stood under the spray. The past twenty-four hours had been magical, but she and Edward were stepping out into the real world for the first time since everything had been ironed out. Today would be a test, for sure.

Bella turned off the water and wrapped the thick hotel towel around her body, and a second around her head. She dried quickly and then dressed so she could start to work on her hair.

It was about thirty minutes later when she was finally done in the bathroom, her makeup modest and her hair pinned back with her signature comb on the left side. When she reached the living area, breakfast was there and so were Alpha Team and Emmett, along with his son and his team.

Emmett smiled at Bella and scooped the young boy up into his arms. "Henry, this is President Swan. Madam President, this is my son, Henry."

"Hewwo, Pressident Swan."

"Hello, Henry," Bella beamed up at him. "I'm so happy to be meeting you."

"Daddy says you're the boss of everyone."

"I am. But your dad is my partner."

"Can I be your parner too?" Henry asked.

"Sure. I need all the help I can get."

Edward cleared his throat and motioned to the table. "If we're going to be on schedule, you all should eat something."

The group sat down and within a half hour, Bella was shrugging into her suit jacket so they could get on the road.

Henry's nanny took him back to the room and the President, Vice President, and their entourage made their way down to the waiting motorcade.

Their first stop was the local VA, where the veterans being treated by the doctors there got a chance to meet the new President and Vice President. Emmett was in his element. As a former serviceman, he was able to relate to these men in a way that made it effortless, while Bella spoke to those who'd been injured overseas and a few of the spouses.

The footage captured by the representatives of the White House Press Office, as well as the local and national news, was positive, and after lunch in the cafeteria surrounded by their details, the campaign was off to their next stop.

Turning Page Bookshop was an independent shop nestled in the heart of downtown Chicago. The crowds outside were varied and quite animated, which put Bella's detail on alert.

Alice stood a few people down the line when she heard it the first time. A polite but firm order from Garrett.

"Sir, I need you to let go."

The man immediately let go, excited to meet the President, but no real threat. Similar exchanges happened a few more times until they were in the relative safety of the shop.

Emmett greeted parents in the children's section as he shopped for Henry, while Bella stood by the fiction section, Edward close by while Bravo Team spread out a bit more. The additional field agents were by both doors, allowing for a quick escape if necessary.

Bella posed for photos, shook hands, and hugged those who had managed to make their way into the bookstore. Around four, Edward placed his hand on the small of Bella's back, her team's silent way of telling her it was time to go.

After a final goodbye, they went out back to the Beast and were taken back to the hotel.

After a wardrobe change, a few moments spent speaking with May to make sure everything was still good with her speech, and they were on their way to the Ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton, where the fundraiser was being held.

It was in that room that Bella announced her plans to run for re-election, much to the excitement of the crowd. Both she and Emmett gave speeches about their hope for the future and all they could accomplish with more time.

This crowd was primed and ready to hear her plans. They believed in the change she was proposing. But they weren't the ones she would need to convince, or the ones she should be worried about.