Author's note: Sorry for the longer wait. My life has been somewhat crazy lately. The good news is that the next chapter is partially done, so you won't have to wait as long. As always, reviews are welcome and bring me so much joy. Happy reading!
"Babe, we're here," Henry said.
Elizabeth groaned and buried her face deeper into Henry's chest.
I love these moments with you. I almost never had another moment with you again.
He chuckled, and then kissed the top of her head. "If you want to sleep on the plane, just let me know. I'm planning on going home though…"
"Okay, I'm awake," Elizabeth said, pushing off his chest and sitting up.
Henry rubbed her shoulders. "How did you sleep?"
"Pretty good actually. It was nice to have my plane to ourselves," she replied.
Henry smiled at her. "I'm just glad everything worked out for once."
The plane came to a complete stop on the tarmac at Andrews Joint Base and Elizabeth grabbed Henry's hand. "Let's go home."
They stood up together from the bench seat and Henry grabbed the packed bag. He kept his hand linked with Elizabeth's and helped her out of the plane and down the steps carefully. Once on the tarmac, she looked up and locked eyes with Russell Jackson.
"You look like crap," Russell said.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Thanks. I feel like it too."
Henry wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer.
Russell's eyes turned serious. "I'm sorry this happened, Bess. I'm glad you made it back."
Elizabeth looked down at her feet, avoiding Russell's gaze.
She still feels guilty about the people who died protecting her.
"Thanks, Russell," Henry said, filling the silence and trying to lighten the mood a little bit. "We're ready to go home. Is the motorcade ready?"
Russell nodded. "Yeah, you'll be in the second SUV."
"Who are the Secret Service men that will be riding with us?" Elizabeth asked, squeezing Henry's hand.
He squeezed back. I'll be right there with you, Babe.
"Michael Johnson and Christopher Hicks. They've been with Conrad for years. You're in good hands, Bess."
"I just—"
I can hear that she's nervous and on the verge of panic.
"Can you give us a minute Russell?" Henry asked.
Russell nodded and then walked toward the motorcade, leaving them alone.
Henry turned to face Elizabeth. Her eyes were shining with tears. "Babe?"
"I promise I'm trying to be okay with this."
He wrapped his arms around her at the desperation in her voice. "You don't have to be okay with anything. What can I do?"
She buried her face in his chest. "I don't know. I don't trust anyone right now. After what happened with Farhad and Agents Valdez and Rogers…"
"Do you trust President Dalton?"
Elizabeth sighed. "I think so."
"What about Russell?"
"He's annoying most of the time, but yeah. I don't think he has bad intentions."
Henry chuckled.
Elizabeth moved so that she was looking at his eyes. "What if these Secret Service agents are part of the plot to kill me and overthrow Conrad? I know Vice President Hurst is dead, but that doesn't mean she didn't put a whole plan into motion. Russell was convinced that Agents Rogers and Valdez were good enough to hire and look what happened with them."
He rubbed her back. "It's definitely complicated and scary. You're allowed to be upset."
"How can I trust anyone to protect me right now?" she whispered.
I am so sorry. You don't deserve to feel this way.
"Do you trust me?" he asked, slightly afraid of the answer.
"More than anyone else on the planet." She smiled at him.
Thank God.
"Well let's think about Agents Johnson and Hicks for a second. Do you really think they would have stayed with President Dalton all this time if they were going to attempt to harm or kidnap the Secretary of State?" Henry asked.
Elizabeth thought for a second and then let out a breath. "Probably not."
He squeezed her shoulders. "Right. So it's probably safe to assume that they are just going to take us straight to the house. I'll be with you in the backseat. They won't touch you, Babe. I promise."
She nodded. "Okay."
He put his arm around her shoulder as they both headed toward Russell and the SUV. She walked slowly, leaning heavily into his side.
"We need to fill your prescriptions on the way home. I know your leg is bothering you."
"I'm okay," she replied.
"Babe, you're in pain."
"It's not that bad. We can send someone to fill it tomorrow. I just want to go home."
"You sure?" he asked.
She nodded as they reached Russell.
"Everything alright?" Russell asked.
"It's fine," Henry said. "We're ready."
Russell clapped his hands together. "Great. Let's roll." One of the Secret Service agents opened the door to the backseat and accidentally brushed against Elizabeth's arm. She flinched and shrank back toward Henry.
"It's okay. I'm here," he whispered, while helping her into the backseat and then sliding in after her. Russell climbed in and squeezed into the backseat next to Henry. The door slammed and the Secret Service agent got into the front passenger seat.
Russell crossed and un-crossed his legs, trying to get comfortable. Henry stared at him, while he kept his arm around Elizabeth.
"What? Is there something on my face?" Russell asked, confused.
"No, I'm just curious why you're in the car with us."
"President Dalton said that I was to escort Elizabeth. I'm just following orders, Henry."
Henry scoffed. "I'm not sure he meant literally…"
"It's fine. Let's just go home," Elizabeth replied.
The Secret Service agents in the front turned around to face them. Henry felt Elizabeth freeze and he turned himself so that his body was blocking their view of her.
"We'll get you home safe, Madam Secretary," the agent in the passenger seat said.
"Thanks, Chris. We're ready to go," Russell said, typing something into his phone. The privacy screen was raised and Henry felt the motion of the SUV as it took off from the tarmac at Andrews. Elizabeth was tense against him and he couldn't wait to get her home so that she could fully relax for the first time in days.
He rubbed her shoulder and she leaned into him.
I'm right here, Babe.
"Who are you texting?" Henry asked Russell.
"I'm sending an email. The job doesn't stop because I have to escort someone home."
Anger surged through Henry. "Sorry that Elizabeth is such an inconvenience for you!"
Russell sighed. "That's not what I meant." He looked around Henry to meet Elizabeth's eyes. "I am sorry this happened. I can't imagine everything that you've been through. But there is an active investigation going on and I have to respond to emails in order to help."
"It's okay, I understand," Elizabeth replied in a small voice.
Henry gave her a look that said 'are you sure?'
She nodded and laid her head against his shoulder again. He linked his hand with hers.
"I hope the investigation includes how the Hell you were completely blindsided by Agents Rogers and Valdez. I mean,I met them and immediately knew something was off."
Elizabeth squeezed his hand.
Russell put his phone in his lap for a second. "They were highly qualified and had nothing in their background that indicated they were working with Teresa Hurst or anyone in Iran."
"Did you interview them?" Henry asked, still seething.
"What kind of question is that?" Russell asked.
"An important one."
"Of course I interviewed them. I talked to them on the phone for at least—"
"You interviewed them on the phone?" Henry asked, in disbelief. "Is that protocol?"
"Well, no. But they already worked for one of the other cabinet members, so we sped the process up to get her immediate protection."
Henry shook his head. "This is unbelievable Russell. We were held hostage by these men and Elizabeth was subjected to more terror…"
Russell's eyes softened. "I'm truly sorry for that. If I had known Agents Valdez and Rogers were in cahoots with Teresa Hurst, I never would have approved them to bring Bess home."
Elizabeth lifted her head off Henry's shoulder and looked at Russell. "I don't blame you or President Dalton. I blame Teresa Hurst."
Silence fell over the backseat, and Henry rubbed Elizabeth's shoulder, lost in thought.
How did Teresa orchestrate all of this and hide it from President Dalton and Russell Jackson? How did no one suspect anything was amiss? How did she get so close to killing Elizabeth?
Russell cleared his throat, breaking Henry out of his thoughts. "Farhad Azimi is going to pay for what he did to you, Bess."
Elizabeth squeezed her eyes shut. "I don't want to talk about this right now, Russell."
"I just wanted you to know that—"
Henry put his hand up near Russell Jackson's face. "She said not right now. I will not have you antagonize her. She's been through enough already."
Russell locked eyes with Henry. "Understood."
Several minutes passed in silence until Henry's phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket and saw that it was Alison calling. "Hey Ali," he said, answering the phone.
"We'll be home in about twenty minutes. Mom and I are in the car right now with Russell Jackson."
Elizabeth gestured for Henry to hand his phone over to her. "Hey, Baby. How are you?" she asked into the phone.
A muffled reply could be heard on the other line. If Russell wasn't in the car, Henry would have put the phone on speaker so they could both talk to the kids.
"I'm good, Noodle. Are Stevie and Jason home?"
Elizabeth was nodding her head and Henry couldn't help but be grateful for both of them making it back to the kids. There were some moments where he questioned how everything would work out.
"Your pasta sounds delicious, Noodle. I can't wait. We'll see you soon. Love you guys." Elizabeth hung up the phone and handed it back to Henry.
"Everything alright?" he asked.
"Yeah. The kids are just eager to see us."
"I know the feeling," Henry said, beaming at his wife.
How did I get so lucky?
The SUV slowed to a stop and the privacy screen came down. "Madam Secretary, we need to take a different route. It will take us a little bit longer to get to your residence," Agent Hicks said.
"Everything okay, Chris?" Russell asked.
"Yeah, just some construction and a road closure," Agent Hicks replied.
Henry felt Elizabeth's pulse quicken in her wrist. He stroked her hand with his thumb, reassuring her of his presence.
"Thanks for letting us know," Russell replied, as the privacy screen went back up.
Henry leaned in and whispered into Elizabeth's ear. "It's construction, Babe. Breathe." A tear rolled down her cheek and Henry brushed it away. "It's okay. I'm here."
"It's silly," she said, her voice cracking.
"No, it's not silly. Any normal person would react the same way if they had lived the last few days with you. Don't beat yourself up. It will take time."
"Henry I—"
The brakes squealed and the SUV came to an abrupt stop. Henry instinctively grabbed Elizabeth and shielded her with his body.
"What happened?" Russell shouted, his arm braced against the headrest.
Henry felt Elizabeth's heart pounding against his chest. Her breath was coming in short bursts, and truthfully he was panicking too. He looked out the window and his eyes widened in horror. A car was headed straight toward them at full speed. He braced himself for the impact and locked eyes with his wife. "I love you," Henry whispered.
The sound of metal crashing into metal was the last thing Henry heard before he passed out.
He woke to the sound of coughing.