Letting go of Ashley, Frank looked up and smiled at Lauren, who was standing quietly in the wings, enjoying the family reunion. "Nice to see you again, Lauren," he drawled slowly, his eyes twinkling at the young woman.
"Same here." She turned to Janet. I will not think about the book she sent. I will not! "Did you have a nice flight?" She began nervously tugging at her glasses.
Janet just rolled her eyes. "Well, come here! I talked to Dev on the phone before this horrible bombing mess. You can't pretend you're not a couple anymore," she announced firmly. She shot Lauren a look when the writer started to protest. "And that means I get a hug."
Lauren laughed and happily joined Christopher and Aaron in giving Janet a good squeeze.
Amy and Emma hovered in the background, and the nanny directed the porters carrying the Marlowes' luggage to take it to the Lincoln bedroom. "Well, now," Frank boomed, once everyone had said hello, "Devil's going to be sorry she missed this, but how's about we get McDonald's for lunch?"
The children cheered, and Emma laughed and picked up the phone, already knowing what everyone's orders would be. They were the only household in America that had a hotline to the local McDonald's.
Janet looked around the room, slowly shaking her head. She still couldn't believe her little girl was President. Sometimes it was truly incomprehensible. She watched fondly as the boys tugged their grandpa by the hand back to their room to show him their latest drawings. Ashley was hot on Frank's heels, exacting his promise to go to her room next and see the Barbie that grandma had sent her, and the new hairdo, much improved, she'd graced her with.
The room quickly emptied, leaving just Lauren and Janet. The younger woman stood by somewhat awkwardly. Dev wasn't due back to the White House for several more days, and Lauren was dying to use this time to get to know her parents better. Dev loved them, and she knew it would be important to the President that she establish at least some sort of relationship with them. She rocked back and forth on her heels, suddenly a little nervous. She hadn't exactly had raving success with her own parents. "Well, I guess I'll leave you-"
"Good Lord, get over here and say hello. I don't bite, dear. Despite what Frank might say after a few beers."
Lauren giggled, then made a face when the comment fully registered. Ewww.... "No offense," she mumbled, taking a seat next to Janet on the sofa. "But let's not go there."
"You're thinking ‘ewww', aren't you?" Janet accused. "I can tell." She looked mortified. "I'm not that old!"
"Oh, no," Lauren quickly corrected. Uh oh. "It's not that." Her head swayed back and forth as she searched for the right words. "It's just... just... Good grief! You're somebody's mother!"
Janet was dumbfounded. "And mothers aren't sexual beings?" She snorted and eyed Lauren in disbelief. "Maybe I needed to start you off with a more basic book, dear. I didn't think the cabbage patch theory of conception was popular with young people these days."
"That's not what I meant, and you know it!" Lauren groaned in embarrassment, but it soon shifted into laughter with Janet joining in. The blonde woman's earlier tension was all but forgotten. It was hard to remain formal or even the slightest bit uncomfortable around Devlyn's brash, uninhibited mother.
"Just remember, Dev is three somebodies' mother." Janet wriggled her eyebrows, and Lauren saw a flash of Devlyn in the gesture. "And I'll bet you think things about her that make the stuff in chapter eight look tame."
"Bu... bu..." Lauren sputtered helplessly. Her eyes widened. "You read The Joy of Lesbian Sex before mailing it to me?!"
Janet waved a dismissive hand in the air. "For research purposes, of course." Then she winked. "Why, if I showed that book to Frank, I'd never get out of bed. Well, you've been married, you know. As a matter of fact, one time..."
"Oh, my god," Lauren whimpered and covered her ears with her hands. "This is just wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong."
Janet laughed harder.
Lauren fixed a hard stare on Dev's mother. "Now I know where your daughter got her evil streak."
Janet only shrugged. "Frank could have told you that, dear."
Wednesday, September 8th
Dev's long strides carried her down the hallway of the White House and towards her family and Lauren. She'd been gone for nearly a month, touring the bombing sites and participating in endless community rallies and meetings with community leaders. The tall woman was so glad to be home, she nearly cried when Air Force One landed at Andrews Air Force Base.
Her parents and Ashley met Dev in the hallway, where they all shared a round of hearty hugs, and Devlyn endured her mother's scolding over the fact that she'd lost some weight. Weight she didn't need to lose. "I'm okay, Mom. I swear. I've just been busy." Dev smiled indulgently. "You need to get Dottie to send up Devil cookies more often. I haven't had any since Lauren's birthday."
Dev's eyes scanned the hall, and her brow furrowed. "Speaking of Lauren... where is she? And the boys?" She didn't say it, but Dev was disappointed Lauren hadn't greeted her along with her parents and Ashley. She'd thought about the writer for days on end and was so anxious to see her it was giving her a slight stomachache.
The small group was silent for a beat, and Dev's demeanor instantly turned wary. She stood up straight, and her alert eyes snapped in the direction of Lauren's and the boys' rooms. "Where are they?"
"Now, honey, this is nothing to worry about." Frank put his arm around his daughter's shoulders. "They'll be completely fine in a few days."
The blood instantly drained from Dev's face.
"Good Lord, Frank! You're scaring her to death. And to think you're a doctor," Janet scolded, fixing her eyes on Dev's face. "They've got the chickenpox, honey. That's all. The first spots showed up yesterday. It's nothing serious; that's why nobody called you."
Dev closed her eyes and willed her heart to stop pounding. "Chickenpox?" she questioned on a ragged exhale. Wait. Chickenpox? That can't be right. "But I thought nobody got-"
"You thought we'd beaten those nasty buggers?" Frank answered. He ran a hand over his beard and scratched his chin. "Not so, Devil. Not this strain anyway. It's resistant to the standard vaccination. Now, it's not nearly as common as the old classic was, because it doesn't appear to be quite as contagious. It popped up in isolated spots all over the country a few years ago, and now it seems to be visiting the capital." He snorted. "Apparently, some children at the boys' school have it as well."
Dev frowned, still not placated. They began walking towards the residence. "But they're okay, right, Dad?" The President held her mother's and daughter's hands as she went, nodding her greeting to several agents who'd remained behind with her family.
"Absolutely," Frank agreed confidently. "Miserable, but okay."
"They're spotted like freaks!" Ashley added enthusiastically.
Dev raised an eyebrow. "And just how did you avoid this, when your brothers and Lauren-"
"And Emma," Janet added, wincing.
"Ooo... and Emma," Dev amended, "weren't so lucky?"
Ashley shrugged one shoulder. "Grandpa said it's a crap shoot. And they stepped right into a big pile of-"
"Ahem," Frank interrupted. "I'm sure your mama gets the idea." He pretended to be oblivious to the evil glare Dev leveled at him.
They reached the boys' room first, and Dev had laid her hand on the knob when her private physician stepped out of Lauren's room just down the hall. Blue eyes flicked sideways, and Dev jogged across the carpet, catching the man before he could turn the corner.
"Hold up, doctor!"
The doctor straightened and tucked his stethoscope into his coat pocket. "Madam President, welcome back. How's the shoulder?" He reached out to touch the body part in question, but Dev pulled back annoyed. She didn't want to talk about her damned shoulder.
"How is everyone?"
"They have the chickenpox, Madam President. I just checked on the boys. They're sleeping and seem to be doing well."
"And Lauren?" Dev leaned in a little, awaiting his res
ponse.
He shifted uncomfortably, tempted to say Lauren was nearly as big a pain-in-the-ass patient as Dev. But the man wasn't an idiot. "Chickenpox is always a little more difficult on adults than children, Madam President. That seems to be especially true with this new strain. But I'm sure she'll appreciate that you were concerned. I'll tell her you came by to check on her."
"No, that won't be necessary. I'll be in to see her as soon as I get changed. I only need five minutes."
The doctor looked aghast. "Oh, no, Madam President, you can't go in there." The doctor's tone was authoritative and unyielding. "She's still contagious and will be for several more days."
Dev put her hands on her hips. "I really don't care, doctor. I will be going in there." Her hand shot out, and she grabbed him by the wrist, checking the time on his Rolex. "At about 4:35, as a matter of fact."
"That goes contrary to my best medical advice as your chief physician. You simply cannot-"
Blue eyes flashed. "If you try to keep me out," she said, dropping his wrist, "I'll call in the Marines to clear the path."
The short man gulped audibly, and Dev could see beads of perspiration suddenly begin to dot his bald head. God, she was the most difficult patient he'd ever had! "It's my duty to inform you that it is not in your best medical interests to be around Ms. Strayer, your sons, or Ms. Drysdale for the next several days." He puffed out his chest and stood his ground. "I'm afraid I'll have to insist. I'm certain that Mr. McMillian would back up my-"
"You can insist until you're blue in the face, doctor! And David McMillian is not the President. I am. And I don't intend to be kept from my family when they need me most. My own father, who is an extremely competent and well-respected physician himself, says that getting this strain of the chickenpox is a crap shoot. I think I've been through enough crap this year, don't you? My chances of catching it are slim. But if it'll make you feel better, I'll wear one of those silly, little masks." Dev pointed the mask still hanging around the doctor's neck.
"Well, um, yes." He gave a short nod. "That would greatly reduce your chances of infection." He nodded again, wishing he had thought to suggest that to begin with. "Other than staying completely away from them, which is something I can see you won't do," he finished in a rush before Dev could begin arguing with him, "the mask would be best, Madam President." He was mollified for the time being, now that the President was at least starting to see reason. "I'll see that you get one immediately."
"You do that," she said, already heading back towards her room. "I'm going to put on some blue jeans." And then visit three spunky blondes that I've been missing with all my heart.
* * *
True to her word, five minutes later Dev had changed out of her suit and was now wearing jeans, sneakers and a short-sleeved denim shirt. Her mother had talked Frank and Ashley into a visit to the rose garden, luring them away from their prospective checkers match with the promise of ice cream later. The older woman had smiled indulgently at her daughter, knowing she needed a few moments alone with Lauren to say hello. Besides, what kind of people stayed indoors when it was such a beautiful day?
The boys' nurse was sitting outside their bedroom door, reading a magazine, when Dev approached. The young woman quickly explained that the doctor had given them each a shot earlier, and that it had not only brought down their slight fevers, but put an end to their itching. The only reason they were napping now was that as soon as the medicine began to take effect, and they started to feel better, they had begun wrestling with each other like there was no tomorrow. They were simply worn out.
Dev's doctor had found the nurse only moments before and grumpily given her a paper mask to pass along to the President. She handed Dev the turquoise-colored mask, and chuckled when the President rolled her eyes but dutifully put it on.
Devlyn thanked the nurse and quietly crept into the boys' room. They were snuggled together in Aaron's bed, wearing only their underwear. The bedding was in a pool around their feet, their pillows were on the floor, and they were both drooling. God, she wished Lauren were here with her camera. Dev moved quietly over to the bed and perched on its edge. Ashley was right. They were spotted freaks. But they were her spotted freaks. And that made all the difference.
She softly stroked the top of each fair head before pulling up the sheet and tucking it around them. "Good rest, boys. We'll catch up at supper."
Dev left instructions with the nurse to let the boys know she was home when they woke up. With butterflies in her belly she made her way to Lauren's room. I should have brought flowers or something. Or candy. She likes chocolate. Damn! Why didn't I bring chocolate? I'm much more charming with the help of chocolate. Dev had almost talked herself into going to get some at this very moment when she found herself standing in front of Lauren's door. A Secret Service agent walked past her with an odd look on his face. But the dark-suited man said nothing.
She frowned, giving him a look as he walked by. "What's with him?" Then she realized she was still wearing the surgical mask and must look a little odd. "Oh, well," she mumbled, reaching up and knocking lightly on Lauren's door.
Her knock was greeted by a loud thump as something hit the door.
Lauren yelled out, "I told you to go away! And don't even think of coming near me with that damned harpoon you call a needle! Don't make me sic Grem and his demon litter on you. They're meaner than they look!"
Blue eyes went round. "Oh, boy." I'll bet she's been giving the doctor hell. Heh. Good girl. "Laur-" Dev paused and slipped off her mask, stuffing it into her pocket. "Lauren, it's me."
"Dev?"
"Yup. Can I come in?" Dev had just begun to turn the handle when Lauren's voice stopped her.
"No."
Dark eyebrows lifted. "What do you mean no?" she asked impatiently. "I want to see you!"
"No. Go away!" A pause. The next time Lauren spoke her voice had softened. "I'm not fit to be seen, darlin'. And you might catch it."
Dev narrowed her eyes at the door, wishing she had X-ray vision. "I don't give a damn what you look like; I want to come in!" She leaned her forehead against the cool wood. "Don't make me order an air strike."
Lauren chuckled, but sobered quickly. Could this be a trick? "You don't have a needle with you, do you?"
Dev rolled her eyes. "Gee, I knew I was forgetting something. Ever since I got over that pesky crack habit, I've been fresh out."
"Very funny. Okay."
Thank God, Dev thought as she began to turn the knob.
"You can come in as long as you don't laugh."
Dev stopped, then bit her lip. I will not laugh. I will not laugh. The President opened the door, took one look at Lauren, and burst out laughing. "Oh, God, I'm sorry."
Lauren's wavy, shoulder-length hair was sticking up wildly in all directions. She was wearing a pair of old, gray sweats and an oversized T-shirt that swallowed up her compact body, making her look like a little girl. Her skin was slightly pale except for the speckling of bright red dots that covered every inch of exposed skin. One hand was roaming her body, scratching as furiously as her fingers would allow. She was wrapped in a sheet and wearing the absolutely most pathetic face Dev had ever seen. Well, when she walked in it was pathetic. Ever since she'd laughed, Lauren just looked pissed.
"Kill, Gremlin!" Lauren shouted. "Attack! Eat her!"
Gremlin was lying on the floor at the foot of Lauren's bed. To his credit, he did look up at the President in response to his mistress' command. Unfortunately, all he could muster was a weak growl and a big yawn. Fatherhood was even more taxing than the activity that got him in that position to begin with.
Dev took the time to shoot the pooch a disgusted look before smiling sympathetically at her sick friend. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. You just look so adorable, I couldn't help but laugh." The murderous glare in Lauren's eyes let Dev know the writer wasn't buying it, and she sat down on the edge of the tall bed, close to Lauren, but not touching her. "I missed you. I love you," she said softly.
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