The chapter you've all been waiting for, the election is upon us! I had hoped ffn would be fixed when I posted, but we're still seeing issues, so look to my FB group AgoodWITCH Writes for posting updates and if you want to see some of the mentioned memes.

Chapter 23

Quil made quick work of adjusting the last few events to virtual ones hosted on the DNC site. The party was happy to host them to keep their candidate safe, and it relieved all involved.

Riley practically lived at the White House as she handled every angle of the story. But for once, details were easier to come by.

Miles Huff was a forty-two-year-old pharmacy tech from Baltimore. His car had been found in a parking lot a few blocks from the park where the rally had taken place. Originally, it seemed like a dead end as far as evidence went.

The treasure trove was discovered by FBI agents when they searched his apartment. He'd kept detailed notes of his plans, both past and present, in composition notebooks.

It had been both terrifying and enlightening to see how he'd learned about 3D printing and turned that hobby into a deadly pursuit, with both the failed bomb and the pieces of the gun he'd created to avoid detection.

Some details still remained murky. For example, how exactly had he gotten the bomb into the chair? However, he'd been a guest at the hotel while the weekend setup took place, so that might be one of the mysteries that died with him.

Bella sat in front of the FBI agents who had been heading up the investigation from the beginning, as they briefed both her and Edward on every last detail they knew.

Agent Trent shifted as he finished his presentation of the case.

"Are you satisfied that we're not missing something?" Edward asked.

Agent Trent responded. "I'd like a clear idea of how he got that bomb installed into the chair, but it wouldn't have taken much to guess that the chair that was slightly different from the rest was for the most important guest in attendance."

Agent Jackson continued. "Some things won't be explained. But the majority of our questions were answered and there was no hint of him acting with others. He was a loner. Nothing in his finances would lead to him being paid, or doing this because he'd fallen on tough times. He felt the American Dream had failed him when others were thriving. You and Former President Clearwater were clear examples of that. We're confident enough to believe that once the last of his belongings are processed, we can conclude this investigation."

Bella stood. "Would you be willing to make the announcement this weekend?"

"You want the announcement before the election?" Agent Trent questioned.

"Only if you're as confident as you say. If there's a reason to delay, we'll make a statement that we believe this is behind us and we look forward to hearing the formal findings soon. The last thing I want to do is compromise anything you're working on," Isabella explained.

"I don't see a reason we can't make a statement. We can allude to tying up the final loose ends, but the overwhelming evidence supports our findings." Agent Jackson stood as he finished speaking.

"Thank you both for all the hard work you've done over these long months," she told them.

Isabella shook their hands, as did Edward before he escorted them from the Treaty Room.

"Maybe I'll stop being the subject of every meme on the internet," Edward grumbled.

"I doubt it. Millennials love their memes. But your approval ratings in the 18-49 demographic is through the roof. Maybe we should lean into it and make 'I Will Always Love You' our song."

Bella's barely contained mirth was enough to cool his annoyance. "You're lucky I love you."

"Yes, I am. But we do need to decide on things like that. I'd like to ask the artists attending to perform before the rehearsal dinner."

"You're serious?" Edward asked incredulously.

"You're marrying the 48th President of the United States. Trust me, these artists are asking to be considered. That's half of what Dawn is going through at the moment, though the State Dinner is taking priority."

"It will be a busy December for us."

"But hopefully, it will be a little less tense."

The last few days leading up to the election were mundane by all reports. And after the FBI announced their findings regarding Miles Huff, they were able to turn their attention to Election Night.

Alice was released from the hospital Sunday afternoon, having made it through all her medical checks. Garrett would have preferred she stayed in DC for the event, but she held firm.

As for Bella, she was over the moon. Having her best friend healthy and by her side was amazing. It hadn't been the same without her. With Alice coming back to work, she knew there wasn't a worry to be had with the running of the White House. She might even get to truly enjoy her weekends again.

The team was packed and ready to leave early Tuesday morning as soon as the polls opened.

The First Couple casting their votes in the Presidential election was thoroughly covered by the press. The staffers with them who hadn't filled out an absentee ballot also cast their votes, and shortly after, they were in the air.

Henry was beside himself to be flying on a "fancy plane" and being allowed to stay up late, even if he had to wear a suit.

When they landed in Seattle, they were quickly transported to the Hyatt Regency Seattle, just steps from the Convention Center.

The military presence was noticeable, which made Bella tense.

"This is standard for an event this size. It cuts down on the agents needed and keeps everyone safe," Edward explained.

"I know, but it's a lot."

"And we'll be in our room soon enough."

True to his word, they were up in the Presidential Suite shortly after and Bella was so excited to see a field agent approaching with bags from her favorite local cafe.

The early part of their day was all meant to be relaxing, which meant Bella changed out of her gray suit and blue blouse and into some leggings and a T-shirt.

Edward had snacks and lunch from her favorite places ordered and picked up by the agents. They were small comforts of home that she missed living in DC.

They napped together, made love, and she took a long soak in the tub to relax before it was time to meet up to plan the evening.

Around four o'clock, Alice, Athenodora, Quil, Emmett, and Monica entered the suite and took their places around the table in the dining area. Once everyone was settled, Quil unlocked his tablet.

"Today is a lot of hurry up and wait. We should get a few calls in the next hour, but for the most part, I would say we'll see things start to be decided around 9:00 p.m. Eastern they're able to declare a winner, it won't be until sometime around midnight on the East Coast. Maybe earlier if they aren't close races."

"And you'll keep us posted on timetables for everything closer to when we need to make our appearance at the party?" Monica asked.

Quil nodded. "Yes. Normally, we would decide between making appearances throughout the night or letting the crowd keep themselves entertained with the election results, but with everything that happened, we're not going to put you on the stage before the end of the night.

"A group of staffers identified by leaders at our different offices for being particularly enthusiastic in their work have been flown out here at the campaign's expense for a meet and greet with you both. That will happen after you've had the chance to eat, but before it gets too late in the night. We'll get some coverage of that for the press office. Other than—"

A ping on his phone caught Quil's attention and he picked it up. "Turn on CNN. It looks like the first states are about to be called."

Monica picked up the remote and the group focused on the television as the analyst turned to the giant map that was still completely gray at the moment.

"This just in at the CNN News Desk. While many states closing at this hour are too close to call just yet, we have results for the presidential election in the following three states. Indiana and Kentucky have both been called for Congressman Caius. In the plus column for President Swan, we have Vermont just called for the incumbent in her first election at the top of the ticket. That brings the current electoral count to 19-3, but we have a long way to go in the race to 270. We'll be back after this commercial break to make some predictions for the hours to come."

Bella let out a long breath.

Quil was quick to reassure. "Ma'am, those weren't surprises to us. The next hour or two will be when we really start to see things take shape. I would suggest you all order dinner and eat something, then we can plan for that meet and greet sometime around six o'clock."

With that decided, Edward ordered for himself as well as Bella, Teeny, and Alice, as they were staying with them for a while. The girls were talking about hair options when West Virginia and South Carolina were called for Caius as well.

They ate when the food arrived, then Teeny turned to Bella. "So, Sabrina mentioned something and I think it's a good idea, but you'd have to be willing to go along."

"What have you two come up with?" Bella asked.

"She thought instead of meeting with the campaign staffers all done up either in a suit or your outfits for tonight, that you could meet them in a smart casual look. Like jeans and sweaters or something like that. Sabrina thought it would make you all seem more approachable."

Alice laughed. "After her first meeting with Emmett, I could understand why she would feel this might be necessary."

The group laughed at the story of Sabrina Corcra's initial interview. When Emmett had become the Vice President, he needed to expand his staff, as well as replace those who chose not to stay on. His former aide had been made a Deputy Chief of Staff for Monica, and his position had to be filled. Bella knew she'd be facing something similar as she'd already been made aware of the several staff members who would be moving on at the end of the term.

Sabrina had excellent references and experience, but not many were prepared for both how dashing and likable Emmett McCarty was in person. She'd frozen a bit, stumbled over her words, then declared that he was too damn handsome for his own good. Emmett had laughed out loud and apologized. He had found her refreshing, and once she'd found her footing, he realized she was exactly what he needed. She didn't take shit from anyone, least of all him. She and Monica had become fast friends and she'd gotten used to handling nearly all aspects of his personal and professional life.

"I'm all for it, and I packed more than enough clothing for a short trip, so I think we have options."

Teeny picked up her phone and fired off a quick text. "Okay, let's pick out your outfits."

Once Edward was sent off with his chocolate brown cable knit sweater and jeans, Teeny began to look at the selection. "What about the tan one? I could wear a button down under it to give more definition around the neck."

"I think that would make it too bulky, and we can do that with a necklace." Alice pulled open the jewelry caddie Bella had laid out on the bed and found a chunky gold and turquoise beaded necklace and showed it to them. "Like this."

"Perfect," Teeny agreed. "With her brown ankle boots and dark wash jeans. I think we have a winner."

While the trio got dressed, a new round of states were called. Maine was split between the opponents, and Caius won Alabama and Mississippi, but then the positive returns began to come in. First Connecticut, Delaware, and DC were added to Isabella's tally. By the time they were walking out of the hotel room for the meet and greet, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, and Massachusetts had also been declared for Isabella.

A room had been cleared on the buffer floor for the meet and greet, where Emmett was already waiting with Monica and Sabrina. Alice and Teeny joined their counterparts as Samuel stood outside the door.

"Mr. Ateara is inside and expecting you. We're all clear."

"Thank you, Samuel."

Isabella, Edward, and Emmett entered to cheers and applause. They worked around the room, speaking to each of the twenty staffers who had made the trip to be a part of this evening, taking selfies and feeding off their energy.

Quil called for everyone's attention to announce the latest states to be called. "It shouldn't come as a surprise that Caius took his home state of Oklahoma, or Arkansas, but Tennessee came through for Mr. McCarty and Rhode Island was also called for us. That puts the current tally at ninety for President Swan and sixty-one for Congressman Caius. We've taken the lead for the first time with the calls made this hour."

More cheering followed before the room went quiet when Isabella raised her hands to gain their attention. She briefly noticed Carmen adjusting the video camera setup so it was better focused on her before she began.

"It has taken a lot of hard work to get us to today. When I stood beside President Clearwater four years ago, I never thought I would be front and center this time around. But in the last two years, we've worked hard to show this nation what we are capable of, and you've put in a lot of hours to get our message out there. Vice President McCarty and I can never thank you enough for your dedication, passion, and for supporting not only the first female president, but the first millennial president."

The crowd laughed, but Bella continued on. "Regardless of the results tonight, I want you all to know that I'm incredibly proud of all the effort put forth on our behalf, and both Emmett and I are grateful to have such wonderful volunteers behind us. Now, we've still got a way to go tonight, but we'll let you get back down to the Convention Center, and we'll see you at the end of the night."

With some final waves and pictures taken, their protective details led them outside and back to the elevator.

"I'm going to put Henry down for a nap, so he'll be awake when we need him tonight. I have a feeling Carmen will be on her way up to you soon," Emmett told them.

"Enjoy the next few hours. We'll see you at the Convention Center," Bella responded.

Each call that came filled the map with more color and bridged the gap between the candidates across the top of the screen. They were switching between CNN and MSNBC as far as coverage went, and Carmen was there to document it.

Nine o'clock brought with it an avalanche of announcements.

Nebraska's electoral votes were split between the candidates, but the others coming in were clear wins for each candidate.

Kansas was called for Caius.

As were Louisiana and Michigan.

New Mexico was won by President Swan.

She also took New York.

Both the Dakotas, Texas, and Wyoming were all wins in Congressman Caius' column. And with that, the pendulum had swung with Caius currently at one hundred forty-three and President Swan and one hundred twenty-four.

Then the individual calls began to come.

6:08 PT - New Jersey is called for Swan.

6:14 PT - President Swan won Pennsylvania.

6:30 PT - Wisconsin turned blue on the map.

6:51 PT - New Hampshire continued the wave of blue on the map.

7:00 PT - Montana and Utah are taken by Congressman John Caius. This brought the electoral count to 153 for Congressman Caius and 171 for President Swan.

"I'd better start getting ready. If we get another big set of calls at eleven o'clock on the East Coast, this could be over quickly," Bella said.

"I'll wait a little bit, so Carmen can get photos of us both," Edward commented.

That made Carmen smile. "I love it when my subjects understand what I need from them."

"I used to be one of the people coordinating your access, so I'm well aware of how thorough you are."

Bella walked to the bathroom and changed into her undergarments before slipping into her silk robe. She plugged in her curlers and laid out her makeup. When the curlers were heated up, she set her hair and then began to do her makeup.

Carmen snapped pictures as she went, while Bella brushed her hair over to the right side and used a comb to secure it in place just behind her ear. With her red victory dress and jewelry on, Carmen left to photograph Edward putting on his suit.

It was just before eight o'clock that Emmett and his team arrived and settled in front of the couch.

"Ma'am, that dress is badass. With the feathered edges to the tiers and the bodice with the black-jeweled chain, it looks like something out of a George R R Martin show," Sabrina complimented.

"Thank you. I wanted to stand up there when I gave my speech looking and feeling powerful. And I rarely wear red; I tend to go more for maroon or purple, so I thought I'd wear one of the colors on the flag while Emmett and Edward represent the white and blue in their looks. It sends a clear message."

"The message is definitely received," Alice confirmed.

MSNBC came back from commercials abruptly, which could only mean there were states ready to be called for a candidate.

"We've got more Election 2028 news for you this hour with five states ready to have their races called in the presidential race. Idaho has gone to Congressman Caius, but the next four are big ones. California, Hawaii, Oregon, and her home state of Washington are all being reported to be victories for President Swan. These important wins put President Swan within twenty-one points of winning her first term at the top of the ticket with Vice President Emmett McCarty as her running mate. The next hour may just tell the story."

"We're going to do it, Bella," Emmett told her.

"Where's Quil? Should we be here when they announce the next group of states' results or should we be at the Convention Center?"

"We're holding here," Quil answered. "I was in the elevator while the results were coming in. We have a few more states that are poised to decide. From there, we'll move you all to the Convention Center. Emmett, you may want to send someone to get Henry for you, or have him brought up, so we can make our move quickly."

"I know you want to call it as soon as we hit two hundred seventy, but I'd like a little more cushion before I go out there and give a speech. Especially if we don't get a call from Congressman Caius tonight," Bella told them.

"I doubt the blowhard will concede tonight. He'll want to have a strategy session before he does anything that could be seen as giving in too soon," Emmett relayed.

"You would know better than most," Quil said. "Okay. We'll wait until we have a more comfortable number, then we'll make our way there. But we should be on that stage by no later than nine-thirty."

"Agreed," Bella said as the news cut back in.

Minnesota was called for President Swan just after eight o'clock.

8:10 had Iowa going to Caius.

Then, at 8:13 p.m. PT, the call came in that they'd all been waiting for.

"With ninety-four percent of the precincts reporting, we have a clear winner in Ohio. For the first time in our nation's history, a woman has been elected into the Office of the President. President Isabella Swan, the thirty-nine year old former governor of Washington and Vice President of the United States who served under President Clearwater until his assassination 569 days ago has won this election against John Caius, the former Congressman for Oklahoma. The congressional race in Oklahoma is too close to call at the moment, but for the first time in eighteen years, the seat will not be held by Republican John Caius."

The screaming in the room barely pierced the bubble Isabella was in. She was utterly shocked to hear the words and understand that they were true. It had been so much hard work, and now she'd earned the presidency.

Cheers resonated from the Convention Center, which gave them an idea of how loud it would be once they got inside.

Edward leaned in to kiss Isabella, breaking the spell before Emmett lifted her up and swung her around. Somewhere behind her a bottle of champagne was popped and flutes were passed around.

"To four more years as your second-in-command," Emmett toasted.

After a few minutes, Emmett asked Sabrina to go and get Henry for him, and she gladly went downstairs with his detail to bring his son up.

Bella went to freshen up in the master bathroom. When she came back out into the main living area, she heard what was meant to be a private phone call.

"We did it, Rosie. You should have seen her. Bella is poise and grace and it is what won us this election. I can't wait until we're back in DC to celebrate together, but until then, I love you."

Emmett turned and came face to face with his running mate and friend. "Bella, let me explain—"

"You don't owe me any explanations, Emmett. You're both adults with no other romantic involvements. I'm not someone you have to run your relationships by for approval."

"Yeah, but—"

"No buts." She smiled up at him. "I'm serious. Congratulations on everything, Mister Vice President."

Henry's arrival ended any more discussion.

Bella approached her team and looked at them. "Did either of you know about Rosalie Hale and Emmett?"

"I've been out of the loop for a while now," Alice admitted.

"No," Teeny answered. "I knew he was seeing someone, but never connected the two."

"It's been at least since she helped me pick out my wedding gown. She answered someone that night, but I didn't know who. Well, if neither of you knew, that means it will be news to everyone when it comes out."

The Secret Service details moved the VIPs the short distance from the hotel to the Convention Center and had them backstage just as a few more states were called. With only Alaska, Florida, Nevada, and Virginia still too close or too soon to call, she had 286 electoral votes to Caius' 200.

"Hail to the Chief" played over the speakers and the room erupted into cheers and screams as Isabella and Edward walked out hand in hand; Emmett to her left with Henry in his arms, his earplugs just visible to the crowd.

Isabella walked directly to the podium, letting go of Edward's hand when she was just a foot from the microphone.

"Everyone, if I could have a moment of your time. I know it has been a long day today, preceded by several long months of work from all of us. As MSNBC stated when they called the election just over an hour ago, it has been 569 days since I was sworn into the Office of the President inside the American Embassy in Rome. In that time, we've worked hard to prove to the American people that this administration could rise up from the tragedy of the day and continue to do great things. Well, we have a great deal more in store for you all. I will continue to work hard to fulfill the promises I've made on the campaign, and with the help of what appears to be a Democratic-led Congress, we have the opportunity to pass legislation that will benefit all Americans.

"It has been easy for the opposition to say that I have an attitude, but as Marilyn Monroe once said, 'Strong women don't have attitudes, we have standards.' I've held myself to those standards just as firmly as I hold everyone else. It is those standards that have taken me from New York City, to the tiny town of Forks, Washington, to the Governor's mansion in Olympia, all the way to the White House.

"This is the time for our nation to continue to heal old wounds and grow into our full potential. There's always an opportunity to improve, and I will spend the next four years working with and for the American people to do just that. Tonight is a night to celebrate the milestone we've achieved together. Tomorrow, the work begins anew. Thank you all, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America."

The crowd erupted into more cheering and applause, while Edward stepped up to kiss Isabella on the temple. "Congratulations, Madam President."

After another few moments onstage for photographs, they returned to the hotel. Everyone went their separate ways while Edward took great joy in stripping Bella out of her dress and making love to his fiancée in celebration of the momentous night.

They fell asleep around midnight, but it was only quarter after six the next morning when Teeny begrudgingly woke Isabella to hand her the phone.

"Who is it?" Bella asked, yawning. Then, she took a sip from the bottle of water she'd left on the nightstand.

"Congressman Caius," she whispered.

Isabella sat up, holding the blanket to her as she spoke. "Good morning, Congressman."

"Sorry for the early hour on the West Coast. I know you were likely celebrating into the early morning, but I've been advised to get this over with. So here it is. It appears you are America's chosen leader, so I will concede the race to you."

"Thank you, John. I know that couldn't have come easy."

"Damn straight, it didn't. I don't believe you're what this country needs, but that isn't up to me. Enjoy this while it lasts, and I'll see you in four years."

The line disconnected before she could say anything else. While she'd won today, it seemed John Caius had no intention of retiring after this loss. But she had time before any of that would matter.