by D J Small
Banner opened the door, and Val and Ryan got into it. Banner would ride with the other agents who were in the massive SUV further back, and Val knew more of them were already on their way to Summer’s apartment. Val sighed and rested her head back against the seat. This was one time where she honestly didn’t want the heavy security.
They arrived at Summer’s building a short while later and took the elevator up to the floor her apartment was on. Val saw the numerous security personnel on the floor and asked, “Are there usually this many of you at night?”
Ryan chuckled quietly. “No, ma’am. This is because of you.”
Val rolled her eyes, slightly annoyed. “Of course.” Ryan showed her into Summer’s apartment and Val turned to face him. “I want to do this alone, so if you and Kat could wait outside, it would be appreciated.”
Ryan nodded, and he and Agent Banner left. As soon as the front door shut Val blew out a deep breath and walked over to the closed door she believed was for Summer’s room. She took a second before turning the knob to enter.
The room was pitch black, and Val stood in the doorway as she ordered the lights to turn on to their lowest setting in a soft voice. Once the lights were on, Val saw that Summer was curled up in a ball in the middle of the bed. The blankets had been thrown from it, and pillows lay in various locations around the room.
Val gathered the pillows and placed them on the bed, then she got the blanket. Despite the cool temperature of the apartment, the back of Summer’s t-shirt appeared to be damp, and Val could hear soft whimpers coming from her. Her heart ached at the sight in front of her, and she did the one thing that felt right for the situation. After throwing the blanket onto the bed, Val took off the slippers she had on and crawled onto the bed. She took Summer into her arms and whispered, “I’ve got you, Summer. It’s okay.” Val pressed a tentative kiss to the back of Summer’s head. “I’m not going to leave you.”
It took a couple of minutes for Summer’s whimpering to stop, and after a while, silence encompassed the room. Val began to doze off, but became alert when Summer asked in a barely audible whisper, “What are you doing here?”
Val held Summer tightly against her. “We’ll talk about it in the morning,” she whispered back. “Go to sleep.”
Summer nodded, and to Val’s surprise, held on to the arm she had wrapped around her. The gesture caused hope to flare to life, and Val didn’t bother to stop it. The fact she still loved Summer was bad enough, but adding hope to it put her in a dangerous situation. Yet, holding Summer and comforting her through her nightmares drowned out the sirens telling her this was not a good idea, and she valued the moment for what it was regardless of the situation. It took a while, but for the first time in two years, she and Summer fell asleep in each other’s arms.
~~~
The pounding in Summer’s head made her not want to open her eyes. She thought she would have gotten used to it by now since she’d been having them for the last week or so, but it seemed that would not be the case. Summer drew in a deep breath, but the weight of something resting on her midsection caused her to stop breathing for a moment as she took stock of her surroundings. There was another person in her bed. Summer knew damn well she had gone to bed alone, so she wanted to know who the hell was in bed with her.
Summer all but stumbled out of it and ordered the curtains to open as she reached for one of her crutches. The sudden brightness in the room caused her to squint, but Summer could still tell who was in her bed, and she couldn’t handle it. “What the hell are you doing here?” she shouted.
Val groaned and pulled the blanket over her face. “Can you not yell please?” She sighed. “What time is it?”
Summer gawked at her. There were a number of thoughts flying around inside her head, but the main ones revolved around Val having once again witnessed the effects of her nightmares and how exposed she felt. She scowled and resumed yelling at Val. “I will yell if I fucking want to, especially when I wake up to someone else in my bed.” She drew in a deep breath to reel in both her anger and anxiety. After slowly releasing the breath she asked curtly, “What are you doing here?”
Val let out another groan and mumbled, “I have absolutely no caffeine in my system to deal with your freak out right now.”
The remark pissed Summer off further. “You’re in my fucking bed, Val. Answer the damn question, or I will have Ryan come in here and throw you the fuck out of here.”
The outburst seemed to wake Val up completely and she sat up in the bed, pinning Summer down with an irritated stare. “What time is it?” she asked again, but with a slight edge to her voice.
Summer glowered at her after she glanced at the clock on the other side of the bed. “Five fifty-five,” she answered through clenched teeth.
A deep sigh escaped Val as she ran her hand over her hair. “I have to leave.”
Summer lost it. “No, you don’t fucking get to leave until you explain to me why you are in my apartment and in my fucking bed. If I don’t get an answer, I’m going to have you arrested for breaking and entering.”
Val smirked at her and countered, “Have you forgotten who you’re talking to?”
Summer scoffed and retorted, “No, because it’s obvious I am talking to my stalker ex-wife.”
“I forget how dramatic you can be when you’re upset,” Val said with a roll of her eyes. “Ryan brought me over last night,” she explained. “He didn’t know what else to do.”
Summer’s eyebrows furrowed as she tried to decipher what Val told her, then it all made sense. “Oh, he is more than fired.”
Val moved to get out of bed. “You’re not allowed to fire him. He was worried because your nightmares have gotten worse.” Her eyes softened, and concern came over her as she moved closer to Summer. “What’s going on, Summer? Has your medication stopped working?”
This definitely wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have with Val. The morning had already started as a horrible one, and she didn’t want to add to it. Summer grabbed her other crutch and once it was situated she stormed out of the room, making her way to the front door of the apartment. Once the locks were unlocked, she jerked it open and stuck her head out into the hallway. She found Ryan standing near the door. “Olsen, get your ass in here.”
“Colonel, I know you’re pissed, but I have a good reason for what I did,” Ryan began as he followed her into the apartment, closing the door behind him.
Summer scoffed. “I don’t want to hear your fucking explanation. You are way out of line for what you did. What were you thinking in that tiny little brain of yours when you involved the president in my personal affairs?”
“Col—”
“No,” Summer barked, cutting him off. “I honestly do not give a single fuck about what you were thinking, but it does make me reconsider your position as the head of—”
“Summer, calm down and stop. This is completely unnecessary.” Val interrupted. “Ryan—”
“This doesn’t involve you, so fuck off and go back to the White House,” Summer said as her eyes stayed trained on Ryan.
Val moved to stand next to Ryan and folded her arms over her chest. “I’m not going anywhere until you lay off of Ryan and explain why your nightmares have gotten worse.”
Summer slid her eyes over to Val and pinned her down with an intense stare. “Leave, Val.”
“No. Not until you explain what is going on.” She stared Summer down and added, “If I leave, I will call your mother.”
The threat pissed Summer off further. She narrowed her eyes at Val. “Leave or I’m calling the cops. I don’t give a flying fuck if you are president.”
The two of them stared one another down for the longest moment before Val pointed at her and said, “Fine, I’m going, but I am not going to let you suffer by yourself again, however, I refuse to be your punching bag a second time.”
Val left the apartment and Summer exhaled quietly as she closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she look at Ryan. “W
hat the fuck were you thinking involving Val?”
“Summer, what the hell was I supposed to do?” Ryan shot back and the exasperation in his tone was not lost on her. “Last night was one of the worst nights you’ve had by far, and you have had some shitty ones. You kept yelling for her and screaming about how you’re going to die. You wouldn’t wake up, and you wouldn’t calm down. I didn’t know what else to do, and she is the only person I trust who is close enough to help.”
Summer’s anger dissipated upon hearing his account of last night’s episode, and she realized the only person she had to blame was herself. She shook her head and sighed before making her way into the kitchen. “You’ve put me in a fucking mess,” she said as she walked over to the stove to get the kettle to boil water for coffee.
“I’m sorry, Colonel, but I didn’t know what to do.”
Filling the kettle, Summer said, “Ryan, shut up and go.”
He gave her one more apology, then left. Summer turned off the tap and set the kettle down on the counter. She leaned against it and closed her eyes. Things between her and Ryan would be fine the next time she saw him; he knew when to take things personally and when not to. This time he wouldn’t take it personally because he felt justified in his actions, so she wouldn’t address the issue further. What she needed to focus on was finding a way to apologize to Val. She had handed her her ass because of Ryan’s worry, but in reality, Val had only been there to help her. Summer sighed.
She was trying to be more contentious about taking her anger out on Val, in a futile attempt to show she wasn’t in that messed up place anymore, but her actions this morning had most likely obliterated her efforts. Summer turned and left the kitchen, making her way back to her room. She went over to the nightstand, and after picking up her phone, she called Nina. It was possible the call would go unanswered since it was the weekend, but Summer would still give her a try.
“Hello?” Nina said upon answering the call, surprising Summer a little.
“Why are you answering your phone?”
Nina chuckled. “Because if I didn’t answer, you would threaten my job. I’m working anyway, since you agreed to plan the governors’ dinner for the White House. You and I both know you’re going to do the barest of minimums for it, so I’m just getting everything in order. That way all you have to do is off on what’s being considered or reject it, making it a simple process for you.”
Summer smirked. Having an assistant who knew how she operated made her life easy. “I will probably have to do a bit more than that since Val is scrutinizing everything, but I appreciate the help.”
“You’re welcome, Colonel,” Nina replied with a light chuckle. “What can I do for you?”
Summer blew out an explosive breath and said, “I need you get me a meeting with the president. The sooner the better.”
“A meeting?” Nina repeated, before muttering, “Damn, you must have done something.”
“Nina…”
“Sorry, Colonel.” She paused then said, “I hate to tell you this, but arranging a meeting won’t be possible.”
Summer exhaled a sharp breath. “Why the hell not?”
“It’s the weekend of the presidential golf tournament,” Nina told her with some reluctance.
“Dammit, I forgot.” Summer shook her head. Val wouldn’t be available because she would be traveling to upstate New York for the annual event. Right as she was about to get frustrated, Summer remembered her dad was participating in the tournament. “Nina, I got to go. I’ll call you if anything changes, and keep me aware of the planning for the dinner.”
Nina told her okay and Summer hung up to call her father. On the third ring, he answered. “What do you want, Summer?”
“I need a favor, dad. It’s a big one.”
Matt sighed in her ear and said, “No, to whatever it is. I’m certain it will only bring trouble.”
“Oh, that’s such bullshit. At least give me the opportunity to let you know what I want,” Summer argued.
Matt let out a sharp laugh. “The last two years have proven that anytime you ask me for a favor it blows up in my face and becomes a PR nightmare for the foundation.”
Summer pressed her lips together. “That’s not fair.”
The line fell silent, and after a few seconds, Matt sighed. “What do you need, Summer?”
Summer relaxed, grateful he was still her father before anything else. “I want to take your place in the presidential golf tournament.”
Matt laughed. “Not only can you not stand the sport, but you also don’t know how to play.”
“I can learn on the fly,” Summer remarked. It didn’t look like a hard game to play. All you had to do was hit the ball with the stupid club.
Matt continued to laugh as he asked, “Why do you even want—” He stopped, and his laughter died. Summer bit her bottom lip. He had connected the dots sooner than she expected him to. “This is Val related isn’t it?”
Summer chewed on her bottom lip before answering. “Possibly.”
“Summer,” Matt said with a weary sigh. She knew she had put him in a tough position, but she needed to see Val and apologize. It was important to her. Matt sighed again. “I know you’re going to make me regret this, but before I say yes or no, I need to ask some questions.”
Summer frowned. “Okay…”
“Do you plan to cause a scene or do something that will be an embarrassment to the foundation?”
Summer opened her mouth to say no, but she closed it and hummed. Considering the conversation she and Val needed to have, there was a possibility of it becoming an escalated one. Summer thought of a decent enough answer for another second, then replied, “I can’t make any promises on causing a scene, but I won’t embarrass the foundation.”
“What is going on with you and Val?”
“That is between Val and I, dad,” she countered as politely as she could.
He grunted. “I’m sure it is. Do you plan to yell at the president in public?”
Summer rolled his eyes. He was being ridiculous, but she figured her actions from the last two years were working against her. She sighed. “If any discussion between Val and I gets to the point where it may turn into yelling, then I will stop it and save it for a more appropriate time.”
“I would rather you didn’t do it at all, but that’s between you and her,” Matt muttered. “Give me an hour and I will call you back.”
After Summer had agreed, the call disconnected. She didn’t know what he was going to do, but hopefully she would be able to take his place in the tournament. Apologizing to Val and explaining everything was important. Having Val back in her life was significant to Summer, but she didn’t dare to think too much about it. She sighed and headed back to the kitchen, hoping her dad could pull some sort of miracle.
~~~
Val pretended to read the file sitting in front of her. She honestly didn’t want to have anything to do with it, but it was her job. Starting her day with Summer going off on her hadn’t put her in the best mood, and it continued to get worse as the day progressed.
When Val had gotten back to the White House, she had barely gotten into her room when an aide had come rushing in asking her to come to a sudden meeting with Jabir and a few members of the Security Council. They had unanimously decided to help the Alliance if and when the request for support was made. Val had been relieved to hear everyone was on board with sending the extra support, but she had ruined the amicable atmosphere of the meeting by telling everyone in attendance that Hasem and Nasir needed to be removed from power.
The outcry that happened immediately thereafter had been somewhat expected, but it still took her by surprise. The main point of argument from her advisors was that this kind of request was beyond her role as president and how it needed to be discussed before being presented to the Alliance. Val had told them she knew the limitations of her role, and thar she also knew what needed to happen, which is why she had told them when she did.
&nbs
p; They still needed to hear from the Alliance, and since she would be preoccupied with the tournament this weekend, it would give everyone at the Department of Defense and those on the Security Council enough time to discuss the removal of Nasir and Hasem. Val even made sure the information on the two leaders got delivered to all her advisors, ensuring everyone would be on the same page the next time they met.
Once the meeting had ended, Val had quickly packed, then she and Addison made their way to Andrews to board Air Force One for their flight up to New York. Val closed the folder in front of her and let her head fall back against the seat.
“What’s the matter?” Addison asked across from her.
Val lowered her head and gave it a slight shake. “It’s nothing.”
Addison glanced up at her. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
Addison put down her pen and asked, “And your current mood has nothing to do with you sneaking out of the White House in the middle of the night?”
Val rolled her eyes. This was definitely not a subject she would be approaching with anyone, especially not in her current mood. “I’m just thinking about the council and the higher ups at DoD and wondering if they’ll come to the same conclusion I did once they read everything.”
Addison snorted softly. “I still need to read through that. You definitely caused a riot with it.” She pointed at Val, and added, “This doesn’t mean you can ignore my question.”
“I know there will be several schools of thought on what we should do, but inevitably it will all lead to the same road. Our problem is the Alliance. We need to make a solid case showing how this is the most beneficial option,” Val said, still ignoring Addison’s question.
If she told Addison she had gone to Summer’s apartment last night, it would lead to a long and wearisome conversation about her judgment and questions about why she went, and Val wouldn’t have any answers for her. There was no valid reason for why she had gone to Summer’s place, and if she thought about it too much, she’d find it surprising that she had even gone in the first place.
