Final Curve
Title: Final Curve - part 3
Fandom: political animals
Pairing: Elaine/Susan
Rating: pg-13 for language (subject to change)
Summary: Elaine is the subject of a documentary... what will the cameras pick up on?
a/n: in this story, garcetti never died and elaine agreed to run as his vp in 2 years. also, susan is once again dating the asshole boyfriend (alex?)
Elaine placed her palms firmly on the marble counter, pushing herself up. Running her hands through her hair she opened the refrigerator door and pulled out the apple pie Margaret had bought earlier that week. Hopefully it hadn't gone bad yet, although she would eat it either way. Elaine wondered what she would do with her weekend off. It was unprecedented - Elaine Barrish having the weekend to do as she pleased. Of course, whatever she decided to do would inevitably involve the documentary guys. This last month hadn't been easy, with the film crew following her every move. But tonight she was alone. No cameras. No questioning stares. Just her and a wedge of refined sugar.
TJ stepped into the kitchen just as her fork was about to take the first plunge into the gooey apple mess. "Hey mom," he said, flinging open cabinets.
"Hi sweetie. How's the job-hunting going?" asked Elaine, already knowing the answer.
"Uh... on hold for a little while actually."
"TJ, I thought you were really committed this time, to find a good job," Elaine sounded disappointed, but after all this time, what could she expect? TJ smiled like he was holding something back. "What?" she asked, curious.
"I got a gig playing for a theater in downtown," answered TJ, his smile getting bigger by the second.
Elaine was stunned. They had thought he was done with piano, didn't want to play professionally. "Well honey - that's great!" and for the first time that day Elaine was happy about something. "So what - what brought this on?"
"I don't know I just... it's the only thing I'm good at - really good at, and..." TJ trailed off, lost in his thoughts.
"And you love it," TJ looked up and nodded his head. "I had a professor once who said that true musicians can't do anything else. That try as hard as they might, they would never be able to find anything that would bring them as much joy as playing."
TJ licked his lips and bowed his head, "I'm sorry."
"Oh honey - "
"No. Let me say this. I'm sorry - about everything. I've been a really shitty son, and you've always been on my side, and I don't know how I can ever convey how thankful I am for that."
Elaine gave him a small smile. "TJ, I'm your mother. I'll always be there for you - you know that."
"Yeah, I do. And so I want to invite you to my first performance. I already got you guys tickets - Dougie already said yes, and Grandma. I still have to ask dad, but... will you come?" asked TJ, hopeful.
Elaine laughed, "Yes of course, of course." Now she had something to do this weekend.
Saturday Night...
Susan put on the finishing touches of her makeup and walked back into the bedroom in her underwear. She had yet to decide on an outfit.
"I think this'll be good for us," said Alex, knotting his bow-tie in the mirror. Susan murmured her agreement, flipping through possible dresses.
"The black or the red?" she asked, pulling both from the closet and holding them up.
"The black," he answered, and in typical form, she hung the black back up and slid the red from the hanger, slipping into it. It was a bright red, and tight, hugging her every curve and exposing much of her back. The neckline dipped low, showing off a fair amount of cleavage.
Alex chuckled, "Should have known..." and Susan rolled her eyes, pulling on black heels.
"Come on, we're gonna be late," she said, grabbing her coat on the way out the door.
They pulled into the parking garage and Alex gave his keys to the valet. "I still don't know why we had to do this," whispered Susan, giving him a look. "I mean, I know you like this kind of thing, but what's so bad about a pizza-movie night?"
"You're such a philistine," said Alex, to which Susan responded by giving him yet another eye roll and walking ahead. "Whatever," he whispered under his breath, trying to catch up with her.
They took their seats - they were in the balcony, front row. "I'm impressed Alex. What did you have to do to score these seats?"
"Peter from 'sports,' his wife got them somehow and he didn't want to go, so he gave them to me," said Alex, but Susan wasn't paying him any attention. They were sitting at the end of the row, Alex in the aisle seat and Susan to his right. The rest of the row had been empty, and now Alex knew why.
Susan had stopped listening to Alex the moment she saw Elaine and Family walking towards their row. No fucking way, she thought. And then, like her dreams had been handed to her in the form of a woman in a tight black dress, Elaine took the seat next to Susan's.
---
The family made their way to their seats, Bud leading the pack, the camera crew bringing up the rear. It was only two guys, actually, so maybe "crew" was the wrong term.
Bud was about to take the seat farthest from the aisle when Elaine saw the one and only Susan Berg sitting at the end of the long stretch of seats. She quickly walked forward, pushing Bud out of the way, and claiming the seat next to Susan.
"Madam Secretary," said Susan, stunned to see this woman sitting next to her - choosing to sit next to her.
"Ms. Berg. What brings you here tonight?"
"I um... Alex here, had tickets. Thought he'd take me for a night on the town, you know..." Susan was flustered.
"Madam Secretary it's so nice to meet you," said Alex, sticking his arm across Susan to get a handshake from the Secretary of State. "My name is Alex - "
"Yes. I know who you are. Nice to meet you," said Elaine, forcing a smile and declining his handshake. Susan pushed his arm back and he glared at her.
Alex wouldn't let go. "So Madam Secretary, what's your take on the current issue in Russia?"
"Alex she didn't come here to be bombarded with questions from the press," said Susan, silencing his line of questioning. Just then the lights dimmed and a man came out on stage.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. It is with great pleasure that I can say that opening for us tonight is the great Thomas James Hammond," said the man, and the crowd clapped politely. The man took his leave as TJ entered the stage and sat down at the grand piano.
Susan looked up at Elaine, a warm smile was on Elaine's face.
And TJ started playing.
TBC...
PART 4
Fandom: political animals
Pairing: Elaine/Susan
Rating: pg-13 for language (subject to change)
Summary: Elaine is the subject of a documentary... what will the cameras pick up on?
a/n: in this story, garcetti never died and elaine agreed to run as his vp in 2 years. also, susan is once again dating the asshole boyfriend (alex?)
Elaine placed her palms firmly on the marble counter, pushing herself up. Running her hands through her hair she opened the refrigerator door and pulled out the apple pie Margaret had bought earlier that week. Hopefully it hadn't gone bad yet, although she would eat it either way. Elaine wondered what she would do with her weekend off. It was unprecedented - Elaine Barrish having the weekend to do as she pleased. Of course, whatever she decided to do would inevitably involve the documentary guys. This last month hadn't been easy, with the film crew following her every move. But tonight she was alone. No cameras. No questioning stares. Just her and a wedge of refined sugar.
TJ stepped into the kitchen just as her fork was about to take the first plunge into the gooey apple mess. "Hey mom," he said, flinging open cabinets.
"Hi sweetie. How's the job-hunting going?" asked Elaine, already knowing the answer.
"Uh... on hold for a little while actually."
"TJ, I thought you were really committed this time, to find a good job," Elaine sounded disappointed, but after all this time, what could she expect? TJ smiled like he was holding something back. "What?" she asked, curious.
"I got a gig playing for a theater in downtown," answered TJ, his smile getting bigger by the second.
Elaine was stunned. They had thought he was done with piano, didn't want to play professionally. "Well honey - that's great!" and for the first time that day Elaine was happy about something. "So what - what brought this on?"
"I don't know I just... it's the only thing I'm good at - really good at, and..." TJ trailed off, lost in his thoughts.
"And you love it," TJ looked up and nodded his head. "I had a professor once who said that true musicians can't do anything else. That try as hard as they might, they would never be able to find anything that would bring them as much joy as playing."
TJ licked his lips and bowed his head, "I'm sorry."
"Oh honey - "
"No. Let me say this. I'm sorry - about everything. I've been a really shitty son, and you've always been on my side, and I don't know how I can ever convey how thankful I am for that."
Elaine gave him a small smile. "TJ, I'm your mother. I'll always be there for you - you know that."
"Yeah, I do. And so I want to invite you to my first performance. I already got you guys tickets - Dougie already said yes, and Grandma. I still have to ask dad, but... will you come?" asked TJ, hopeful.
Elaine laughed, "Yes of course, of course." Now she had something to do this weekend.
Saturday Night...
Susan put on the finishing touches of her makeup and walked back into the bedroom in her underwear. She had yet to decide on an outfit.
"I think this'll be good for us," said Alex, knotting his bow-tie in the mirror. Susan murmured her agreement, flipping through possible dresses.
"The black or the red?" she asked, pulling both from the closet and holding them up.
"The black," he answered, and in typical form, she hung the black back up and slid the red from the hanger, slipping into it. It was a bright red, and tight, hugging her every curve and exposing much of her back. The neckline dipped low, showing off a fair amount of cleavage.
Alex chuckled, "Should have known..." and Susan rolled her eyes, pulling on black heels.
"Come on, we're gonna be late," she said, grabbing her coat on the way out the door.
They pulled into the parking garage and Alex gave his keys to the valet. "I still don't know why we had to do this," whispered Susan, giving him a look. "I mean, I know you like this kind of thing, but what's so bad about a pizza-movie night?"
"You're such a philistine," said Alex, to which Susan responded by giving him yet another eye roll and walking ahead. "Whatever," he whispered under his breath, trying to catch up with her.
They took their seats - they were in the balcony, front row. "I'm impressed Alex. What did you have to do to score these seats?"
"Peter from 'sports,' his wife got them somehow and he didn't want to go, so he gave them to me," said Alex, but Susan wasn't paying him any attention. They were sitting at the end of the row, Alex in the aisle seat and Susan to his right. The rest of the row had been empty, and now Alex knew why.
Susan had stopped listening to Alex the moment she saw Elaine and Family walking towards their row. No fucking way, she thought. And then, like her dreams had been handed to her in the form of a woman in a tight black dress, Elaine took the seat next to Susan's.
---
The family made their way to their seats, Bud leading the pack, the camera crew bringing up the rear. It was only two guys, actually, so maybe "crew" was the wrong term.
Bud was about to take the seat farthest from the aisle when Elaine saw the one and only Susan Berg sitting at the end of the long stretch of seats. She quickly walked forward, pushing Bud out of the way, and claiming the seat next to Susan.
"Madam Secretary," said Susan, stunned to see this woman sitting next to her - choosing to sit next to her.
"Ms. Berg. What brings you here tonight?"
"I um... Alex here, had tickets. Thought he'd take me for a night on the town, you know..." Susan was flustered.
"Madam Secretary it's so nice to meet you," said Alex, sticking his arm across Susan to get a handshake from the Secretary of State. "My name is Alex - "
"Yes. I know who you are. Nice to meet you," said Elaine, forcing a smile and declining his handshake. Susan pushed his arm back and he glared at her.
Alex wouldn't let go. "So Madam Secretary, what's your take on the current issue in Russia?"
"Alex she didn't come here to be bombarded with questions from the press," said Susan, silencing his line of questioning. Just then the lights dimmed and a man came out on stage.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. It is with great pleasure that I can say that opening for us tonight is the great Thomas James Hammond," said the man, and the crowd clapped politely. The man took his leave as TJ entered the stage and sat down at the grand piano.
Susan looked up at Elaine, a warm smile was on Elaine's face.
And TJ started playing.
TBC...
PART 4