Fic: Hope Persists
Title: Hope Persists
Author: Mary (stillxmyxheart)
Beta: Lindsay (nylana)
Rating: PG-13 (language)
Genre: Angst, Drama
Word Count: 8,713
Characters/Pairings: Nathan, Harrison, Alex, Simon, April, Whitman, Penny, Evan (April/Simon, Penny/Evan)
Summary: There is no hope unmingled with fear, and no fear unmingled with hope.
A/N: If you know anything about me by now, you know I absolutely zero patience, so here's 10 XD Long fic is long, eh? XD Stick around for the epilogue, guys, it'll be coming soon. Summary quote is attributed to Baruch Spinoza.
Nathan stepped into Harrison's office, sharing a nod with the Security Adviser as he walked past in the opposite direction.
"Dan have any news on the investigation?" Nathan asked as he moved towards Harrison's desk.
"Yeah," Harrison said, frowning down at something on his desk for a second before he looked up at Nathan. "They found a website with details about both attacks, plus mentions of, uh, future attacks if those two weren't... successful."
Harrison paused a moment, his expression troubled, before he continued. "Couldn't find any names, but they've shut it down and are tracking down the IP addresses of all the visitors. Hopefully that'll give us something."
Nathan frowned at the thought of future attacks, and his mind drifted briefly to Simon and April. Worry gnawed at him, his head filling with images of them being hurt worse than they already had been until he shook his head sharply, forcing the thoughts away. He sighed, running a hand down his face before he spoke.
"Harrison, I hate to ask, but it's been over a week since -" He paused abruptly and took a breath. "Have you given any thought to who you want to nominate for the new Vice President?"
Harrison looked at him, seeming almost surprised by the question.
"I was going to nominate you."
Nathan stared at him. He probably should've expected that, but hearing Harrison say it out loud somehow managed to take him by surprise.
"Were you planning to discuss this with me?"
Harrison frowned. "I thought-"
"I don't want it," Nathan said, shaking his head.
"What do you mean, you don't want it?" Harrison asked, his frown deepening
"I mean I don't want the job."
"I don't understand; you've always wanted the job."
"That was a long time ago. Things were different back then."
Harrison didn't respond and Nathan sighed, turning away from him.
"I still don't understand," Harrison said after a minute. "When my dad was in office-"
"I was drunk off my ass for most of George's presidency," Nathan said, turning to face Harrison. "I wanted a lot of things back then that I wasn't meant to have." Nathan paused. "And besides, when the time did come for you to choose, you picked Sam. Not me."
Harrison raised his eyebrows as he stepped towards Nathan. "That was a purely political choice, and you know it."
"But now that Sam... now that he's gone, suddenly I'm good enough for the job?"
Harrison's expression darkened. "Don't make this personal, Nathan."
"Don't make this personal?" Nathan exclaimed. "You're the one who's acting like I'm turning down the job just to spite you."
Harrison advanced towards Nathan, finger pointed at him like a dagger and his mouth open to reply, and then he stopped suddenly. His hand fell to his side and he almost seemed to deflate, and then, seemingly driven by the same thought, he and Nathan both looked over at the chair Sam usually occupied. They stared at the empty seat a moment and then Harrison turned away, running a hand over his face.
"What the hell are we doing?" he asked quietly. "Fighting like children and expecting Sam to settle our arguments for us like always, and he's..."
Nathan lowered his gaze to the floor and took a breath. "Guess it's time for us to grow up."
Harrison laughed shakily. "Yeah." He sighed. "I just assumed you'd want the job. Sort of feels like it's just you and me now, I guess I just hoped..."
"I'm not going anywhere, Harrison," Nathan said quietly as he looked up. "I'm not leaving, or quitting, or resigning, or whatever it is you think I'm going to do."
"I know," Harrison said, but he looked relieved and Nathan knew that was what he'd been afraid of all along.
Harrison moved to sink into his chair and Nathan settled into a seat in front of Harrison's desk.
They were silent a moment and then Harrison took a breath. "I'm sorry," he said, glancing up at Nathan. "For this and for what I said the other day about you and Simon. I didn't mean it."
"Thank you," Nathan murmured, frowning slightly and flicking at a piece of lint on his pants. "How's Penny?" he asked, wanting to change the subject. "I haven't had much of a chance to really talk to her lately."
"She's hanging in there. She's almost three months along now."
Nathan looked at Harrison a moment before he leaned forward, resting his chin on his clasped hands.
"And how are you?"
"Absolutely fucking terrified," Harrison replied, rocking back forcefully in his chair and raising his good hand to his face. "When I think about Penny, all I can think is... she may die from this. She's my daughter, and she could die, and there's nothing I can do to stop it."
"She's not going to die," Nathan said firmly, staring intently at Harrison. "This is going to be fixed, and she's going to be fine."
Harrison looked at Nathan a minute before he sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbow on his desk.
"I hope so," he murmured. "I really hope so."
Alex frowned down at the computer printout in front of her, trying to find a new pattern, even though she already knew there wasn't one.
She could hear Simon restlessly pacing the length of the lab, his shoes scuffing softly against the linoleum. She understood his agitation, and shared it to a certain extent.
She had been doing this research now for three months, and though there were differences and irregularities in the samples she had, she wasn't any closer to understanding what the problem was.
The President's daughter was now five months pregnant, and Alex could feel the pressure of time heavy on her shoulders. Almost all of the pregnancy-related deaths had occurred during the third trimester, so there was still time yet, but not very much.
Alex sighed and dropped the printout on the table, shoving it away and covering her face with her hands.
She heard Simon walk up behind her, and he asked what was wrong.
"Everything's wrong," she said as she turned to face him, propping her head on her fist. "None of the tests I've done have yielded conclusive results, just mild differences that are statistically insignificant."
Simon was quiet a moment, looking thoughtful.
"Are there more tests you can run?" he asked finally.
Alex shrugged, raising her eyebrows as she ran her fingers though her hair.
"Yeah, there are always more tests to run, but after a while they start to become superfluous when they don't produce results."
Simon looked at her a second before he glanced at his watch.
"It's getting late; why don't we just get out of here? Maybe things will look different in the morning."
"Maybe," Alex murmured, sighing as she turned back to shut down the computer for the night.
Several hours later Simon was lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling and thinking about April, as he always did when he was away from home and trying to sleep. He missed having her beside him, missed being able to turn over and feel her there; he even missed her poking him awake when she got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and came back to him sprawled across the bed, sheets tangled around him and one hand gripping her pillow.
He reached for his phone, flipping it open and staring contemplatively at the display. He'd only talked to her once today, just after lunch, and had somehow missed her call earlier that evening. He wanted to hear her voice again, but he knew she'd be asleep by now and he didn't want to wake her.
He stared at his phone a moment longer before calling up the text messaging menu. He typed out two words, hesitated for a moment, and then added two more before sending the message to April. He waited for the sent verification before closing his phone and rolling over to go to sleep.
Miss you. Love you.
April rolled over on to her back, sighing as she glanced over at the clock.
She'd been trying to sleep for hours and her eyes burned from exhaustion, but every time she closed them, sleep just wouldn't come.
She'd tried to call Simon earlier that evening but he hadn't answered and she'd gotten too immersed in some work she'd brought home to think to call him again before it got too late.
She suspected this was why she couldn't sleep. They'd talked almost every night since he'd gone back to Boston, and she always felt unsettled when they didn't, like her day wasn't complete when he didn't tell her good night.
She stared up at the ceiling, watching the blades of the fan spin rapidly overhead. Her hand drifted over to Simon's side of the bed and she smiled vaguely as she thought of the way he managed to take up the entire bed when he was alone, and of the way he held her when they were together. She sighed again, running her fingers through her hair.
Her eyes drifted shut in another attempt to sleep, only to open again a few minutes later when her phone vibrated on her bedside table.
She frowned and reached for the phone, wondering who would be texting her at almost two o'clock in the morning.
Her lips curved slightly when she saw it was from Simon, and a broad smile spread across her face when she read it.
Simon's phone beeped just after he closed his eyes and he opened them to see the display light up. He groaned softly and fumbled for his phone, hoping it wasn't anything serious, though serious things weren't usually texted to him in the small hours of the morning.
He flipped it open and smiled when he read the message from April.
Miss you too. Love you more.
He shut his phone and replaced it on the night stand, his heart feeling considerably lighter as he grinned broadly into his pillow.
The next morning, Alex was more anxious to get to the lab than she had been in weeks.
"Hurry up," she said, prodding Simon's shoulder as she walked behind him.
He swallowed his bite of eggs and frowned as he glanced back at her.
"Can I at least finish eating?"
"Yes, just hurry up," Alex replied, pouring coffee into her travel mug before grabbing his from the dish rack and doing the same.
Simon looked down at his plate, contemplating it for a moment, and then reached for his toast. He piled the rest of his eggs and bacon onto the still warm piece of bread, folding it in half as he stood. He turned towards Alex as he shoved the whole thing into his mouth.
"Okay, we can go," he said thickly.
Alex stared at him for a moment, looking slightly disgusted, and he raised his eyebrows at her. He could hear the two other agents at the table making muffled sounds as they tried to hold in their laughter.
"What?"
Alex shook her head and handed him his coffee.
"Cream-" he began, still chewing as he accepted the mug.
"Yes, cream and two sugars," she finished impatiently before looking at him properly. "Don't talk with your mouth full," she chastised, scowling at him.
Simon swallowed his food, chasing it down with a swallow of coffee as they started towards the door.
"You said hurry up," he said as he patted his pockets, checking to make sure he had his wallet, badge, and phone. His hand dropped to his hip, almost as an afterthought, to feel for his gun.
"Yes, but I didn't say be disgusting about it. How does April put up with you?" Alex said, her brow creased as she stepped aside to allow Simon out the front door first.
"Well, she doesn't let me eat in bed anymore, for one thing," Simon replied, grinning.
Alex's frown disappeared as she burst out laughing and Simon's grin widened as they walked to the car.
"How're things up there?" April asked later that afternoon, tucking the phone between her chin and shoulder as she made notes on a statement regarding cleanup efforts after the hurricane that slammed into Florida two days ago.
"Okay, I think," Simon replied. "Alex is doing that thing where she stares at her computer and doesn't really say much." He paused. "When she does talk, I don't understand half of what she says, though that's not really much different from any other day."
April laughed and capped her pen, dropping it onto her desk as she leaned back in her chair.
"I keep meaning to ask," Simon said, "how's the new vice president shaping up?"
"He's all right," April murmured, her smile fading as she rolled her pen with the tip of her finger for a moment before glancing up at her monitor.
Sam's note was still attached, secured with tape. The post-it glue had failed one night and April's heart had clenched painfully in her chest when she walked in the following morning to find that the note had disappeared.
She found herself compulsively checking the tape every so often, running her fingers along the edges to make sure it wasn't starting to come off, and layering on a new piece when it started to feel loose.
She reached up and touched it now, passing her thumb over the ‘S' scrawled at the bottom; tears rose unexpectedly in her eyes and she sighed sharply, turning her chair to face the other direction.
"You all right?" Simon asked quietly, sensing the change in her mood.
"Fine," she replied softly.
She heard Simon take a breath to speak, and then the sound of Alex's voice in the background.
"I have to go. Alex says she needs my strength."
"No, I said I need your hands," Alex said, close enough for April to hear. "There was nothing in there about your alleged strength."
"You hear how she talks to me?" Simon said indignantly.
April laughed softly. "It's good for you. I like that she keeps you in check when I'm not around to do it."
"Both of you are just mean." Simon sighed, and when he spoke again, April could tell he was smiling. "I'll talk to you tonight, okay?"
"Okay," April said, smiling slightly.
"I love you," Simon said, with only the smallest bit of hesitation.
"I love you too," April replied, her smile widening.
There was a soft click as Simon hung up and April placed her phone on her desk, swiveling slowly back and forth in her chair as she stared blankly at the wall.
A knock on the door jamb made her jump and she looked up to see Whitman standing in the doorway.
"Everything okay?" he asked, frowning slightly.
"Yeah." April sighed, pushing her hair behind her ears. "I just miss Simon."
Whitman hesitated a moment, rubbing his knuckles on the door frame. "Have you talked to him today?"
"Just got off the phone with him."
Whitman was silent a moment and then he cleared his throat.
"I was just headed to the cafeteria for lunch. If you haven't eaten yet, maybe you could come with me?"
His voice lacked any sense of expectation and she looked up at him; his expression was sort of vaguely optimistic, telling her that he hoped she'd say yes, but it would be okay if she said no.
She nodded, realizing rather suddenly how hungry she was, and stood, smiling slightly.
"Lunch would be good."
"Great," Whitman said, sounding surprised but pleased.
He smiled at April as he moved out of the way to let her pass before falling into step beside her.
"Hope the special today isn't meat loaf," he muttered, grimacing slightly as he slipped his hands into his pockets.
April giggled and Whitman grinned down at her, laughing with her as they rounded the corner.
It was a few days later when Alex said, sounding surprised and a little breathless, "Oh, my God."
Worry flashed through Simon as he walked over to stand beside her.
"What is it?"
She looked up at him, a faint smile on her face. "I think I figured it out."
Four days later they were back in Washington, in a car on the way to the hospital to meet Penny and Evan.
Alex's knee bounced anxiously as she stared out the window and Simon looked over at her.
"Relax," he said softly.
Alex sighed as she pulled her gaze from the window. "It's just..." She took a breath, glancing down and scratching at a spot on her skirt before looking up at Simon. "What if I'm wrong?"
"Alex, you ran the test three times. You went through the results a hundred times. You even made me go through them, once you showed me what to look for." He paused and stared intently at her. "You're not wrong."
Alex was quiet a moment, propping her elbow against the door and combing her fingers absently through her hair before she looked back at Simon.
"What if she's not compatible?" she asked quietly, voicing the fear she'd been feeling ever since she got the first set of test results back.
Simon didn't answer right away, glancing down at his hands.
"I guess we'll just have to cross that bridge when we get to it," he said after a minute, looking up at Alex.
"It's gonna be a pretty short bridge," she muttered, resting her chin against her palm as she turned back to the window.
A short while later they were in an examination room with Penny and Evan.
Penny was sitting on the table, arms wrapped protectively around her middle, heels thudding anxiously against the padded footrest.
Alex smiled as she wheeled the stool over and sat down next to Penny.
"Have you found out what the problem is?" Evan asked from the other side of Penny, staring hard at Alex.
"I'd rather not say just yet," Alex replied, checking the small table next to her as she pulled on her gloves.
Simon was leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest as he watched the swinging motion of Penny's legs. She seemed much younger to him than she had in years, and he didn't know if he'd ever seen her so nervous.
"What're you gonna do?" Penny asked, watching as Alex placed a small tube within reach.
"I just need to take some blood. I'll send it to the lab in Boston, and we'll have the results in a couple of days."
Penny grimaced and Simon remembered her dislike of needles.
"Will it hurt?" she asked.
"Like a bitch," Simon said, the corner of his mouth rising in a grin.
Penny looked at him and rolled her eyes, a short laugh escaping her lips.
"Shut up."
Simon chuckled softly. "It won't take long."
Alex reached for Penny's arm, extending it carefully and pushing her sleeve up slightly as she fixed the tourniquet around her upper arm.
Penny took a breath and looked at Evan, holding out her hand. He took it, squeezing it and pressing his lips to her fingers, the corners of his mouth rising slightly as he looked up at her.
Simon smiled as he watched them. He missed April and had been living with the feeling like a constant dull ache in his chest for two months, but now that he was back in town, he was anxious to see her.
"All set," Alex said after a minute, pulling the needle from Penny's arm and untying the tourniquet.
"That's it?" Penny asked, glancing down at her arm.
Alex smiled. "That's it." She placed a piece of gauze in the crook of Penny's elbow. "Hold that," she instructed as she reached for the medical tape.
A few seconds later the gauze was securely fixed in place. Penny started to move off the table and Evan placed a restraining hand on her leg.
"Wait a minute. You know how you get after you get blood drawn."
Penny sighed, scowling a little, and Evan grinned up at her.
"I need to get this sent out," Alex said, holding the vial of Penny's blood between her fingers, "but you can leave whenever you're ready."
Alex moved towards the door and Simon stepped forward to place a kiss on Penny's forehead.
"I'll see you guys later," he said, raising a hand to Evan as he moved to follow Alex from the room.
"Where to now?" he asked as they stepped out into the hall.
"To get this sent, and then to see the President." Alex paused, glancing sideways at Simon. "And yes, you can go see April when we get there."
Simon laughed, raising his eyebrows at her.
"You act like I don't know you," Alex said, grinning as she nudged him.
An hour later, after Alex had packaged Penny's blood sample and included a very detailed set of instructions for the lab in Boston, they were in the White House, heading through the corridors towards the Oval Office.
Harrison's secretary informed them that he was in a meeting and Simon looked at Alex.
"Do you want me to wait?"
Alex gave him a look. "Oh, right, like you're going to sit here and wait patiently with me when the girlfriend you haven't seen in two months is working right down the hall."
Simon grinned at her, bemused. "Well, it is my job."
Alex waved a hand at him. "Go on. I've got Cynthia here to keep me company, and two strong Secret Service agents in the vicinity to keep me safe," she said, gesturing towards the two agents standing outside of Harrison's office.
"At least they better," Simon said, shooting the agents a pointed look. They both gave him small nods, one of them grinning very slightly, and Simon looked back at Alex.
"All right," he said, pulling his phone out of his pocket to check it was turned on. "Call me when you're finished."
Alex nodded and Simon turned to go, glancing back as Alex settled herself into a chair in front of Cynthia's desk.
He headed for April's office, dodging staff and other agents, acknowledging various nods and greetings but trying not to get pulled into conversation.
April was standing in front of her desk, her back to the door, and Simon paused in the doorway, unable to keep from grinning broadly when she leaned far across her desk to snag a pen from the cup beside her monitor. He admired the view for a moment before he stepped forward and April gasped when she straightened, her back colliding with Simon's chest.
She glanced back and then sighed.
"Jesus, Simon, you scared the hell out of me."
Simon leaned forward, slipping his arms around April's waist and resting his chin on her shoulder, angling his head slightly to see her face.
"Sorry," he said, grinning slightly when he noticed the corners of her mouth turning upward. "Forgive me?"
April gave an exaggerated sigh. "Dunno."
Simon pouted and April looked over at him, rolling her eyes.
"Oh, all right," she said, grinning.
Simon smirked and leaned forward, pressing against her back as he captured her lips in a fiery kiss.
"I've missed you so much," he murmured.
"Clearly," April replied, smiling as she looked at him. "I've missed you too."
Simon grinned and straightened, moving back slightly to allow April room to turn around, though he kept his arms around her waist.
"Where's Alex?" April asked as she leaned against her desk, lightly clutching the front of Simon's suit jacket in her hands.
"Waiting to see Harrison. She'll probably be a while; do you want to have lunch?"
"Definitely. I want to hear what you've been up to for the past two months."
"Oh, it's been absolutely thrilling," Simon said dryly.
April giggled and leaned forward to kiss him just as there was a knock on her door.
"April - oh."
April and Simon looked up to see Whitman standing in the doorway, a vague look of surprise on his face.
"Hey. Shit. Sorry if I interrupted, I just wanted..." He shook his head. "Never mind. You're back," he said, grinning slightly at Simon. "Maybe now she'll stop going on about how much she misses you."
Simon frowned and then looked at April, surprised when she laughed.
"Shut up," she said as she looked at Whitman.
His grin widened and he moved from the doorway. "I'll see you later," he said, raising a hand before he stepped back into the hallway, disappearing from sight as he rounded the corner.
"What the hell just happened?" Simon asked, looking bewildered.
"You've been away for two months," April reminded him gently. "Things have changed a bit. He apologized." She paused, raising her eyebrows slightly. "For everything."
"So, what, you guys are friends now?"
"I suppose so, yeah."
"Why didn't you tell me this?"
April frowned. "I'm telling you now, and besides, it's not like I was thinking about him while I was on the phone with you every night. The topic didn't come up."
Simon stepped away, his brow creased as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"I don't understand. The last time I saw him, I punched him in the face for saying shit about you, and now you two are friends?"
"We were friends before I met you."
"Yeah, and you went on a date and he tried to force himself on you."
"Simon-"
"April, I don't know if you forgot," Simon said, raising his eyebrows as he looked at her, "but less than three months ago he grabbed your arm hard enough to leave bruises."
"Of course I didn't forget, but I told you, he apologized for that. He apologized for all of it."
"And you just accepted it? Just like that?" Simon stared at her as though she were crazy.
"He's different now, you saw him," April said, gesturing towards the door. "I don't know how or why, but he's changed. Every time he sees me he asks how you are, if I've talked to you recently. He's trying so hard."
April stepped away from the desk to stand in front of Simon. He looked down at her, confusion and disbelief etched on his face.
"Do you trust my judgment?" she asked.
Simon frowned slightly. "Of course I do."
"Then give him a chance." She raised a hand to Simon's cheek as he started to look away. "For me."
Simon sighed as he looked at her, turning his head to kiss her palm before taking her hand in his. "All right. I'll try. For you."
April smiled and stood on her toes to kiss him. "Thank you."
"Okay, come on, let's get lunch. I'm starving."
April rolled her eyes as she went to grab her purse from her desk. "You're always starving."
"Hush," Simon replied, giving her a look.
April giggled as she walked over to him, taking his outstretched hand as they stepped from her office.
"Is he available?" Nathan asked as he approached the door to Harrison's office.
"He's with Dr. McKay," Cynthia replied and Nathan looked at her.
"She's back? Why didn't you tell me?"
"For starters, you didn't ask," Cynthia replied, fixing Nathan with a look. "And when I tried to call, you didn't answer your phone, and I don't have time to sit here all day, trying to call you to tell you that Dr. McKay is here."
Nathan held up his hands in a placating manner and grasped the handle to push open the door, just as it swung open, pulling him off balance. He stumbled slightly and found himself staring into a pair of bright blue eyes.
"Holy-"
"Hi," Alex breathed, her expression startled as she looked at Nathan.
"Hi," Nathan replied. He was still slightly off balance, though this might have had to do with the way the sunlight was making Alex's hair glow red, or maybe the way she was smiling at him. He found himself grinning back at her, and after a minute realized Harrison was saying his name.
"What?" Nathan said, reluctantly pulling his gaze from Alex.
"You wanted to see me?" Harrison said, his eyebrow arched as he stared at Nathan.
"I did, but I don't remember why now." He paused, frowning slightly. "If I do, I'll let you know."
"You do that," Harrison said, smiling bemusedly as he turned his attention to his desk.
Alex's cheeks were flushed slightly when Nathan looked back at her, her lips curved upward in a shy smile, and he realized he was blocking the doorway.
He moved out of the way and Alex came forward, tucking her hair behind her ears.
"I told Simon I'd call him when I was done here," she said, and Nathan thought she sounded a little regretful.
"He's probably off somewhere with April," Nathan replied, grinning slightly.
"Yeah," Alex said, laughing slightly. "They've been apart for so long; I'd hate to interrupt them."
"I was just about to go to lunch," Nathan said, glancing at his watch. "If you want-"
"I'd love to have lunch with you," Alex said quickly, and then grinned a little nervously, as though startled by her own daring.
Nathan smiled broadly, surprised at how pleased he was that she said yes, and together they headed for the cafeteria.
The test results arrived two days later and Simon watched as Alex signed for them, waiting anxiously for her to open the envelope.
He studied her face as she looked over the paper in her hands.
"Well?" he blurted finally, unable to contain himself any longer.
"Well what?" Alex said distractedly as she flipped to the second page.
"You know what, is it good or bad?"
"I can't tell you."
Simon frowned. "Why the hell not?"
"Because, Simon, it's private," Alex said as she glanced up at him.
"You told me April's."
"That's because she listed you on her medical records release form. Penny didn't." Alex looked fully at him, eyeing him shrewdly. "Speaking of April, did you tell her?"
"No," Simon said sullenly.
Alex raised her eyebrows. "Really? I'm surprised."
"You told me not to!" Simon exclaimed, sounding highly indignant.
"Yeah, but I didn't think you'd actually listen to me."
Simon looked at her a moment, and then sighed as his phone rang. "You really don't play fair," he said, arching an eyebrow as he turned away, raising the phone to his ear.
Alex smirked, trying to keep her emotions in check as she placed the stapled sheets of paper back in their envelope. She was thinking of using her own phone to call Penny to set up a meeting when Simon let out a surprised, "What?"
Alex looked at him sharply, frowning as she stared at him.
"Is it serious?" he asked after a minute. He stood still, one hand on his hip, the crease in his brow deepening as he listened intently.
"We're on our way," he finally said, snapping his phone shut and staring at it a minute.
"Simon, what's wrong?" Alex asked as she stepped towards him.
He let out his breath in a loud whoosh as he looked up at her.
"Penny's in the hospital."
April was in the hallway when Alex and Simon arrived, a few steps away from the agents stationed outside the door to the examination room. She was pacing a short line back and forth and chewing on her thumbnail as she stared down at her phone.
She looked up at the sound of their footsteps and smiled anxiously.
"What happened?" Alex asked.
"She, uh, she said she felt some pain," April replied, frowning slightly, "like cramps. She got scared and called Evan. He came home, and they came here. Evan told me to tell you to go in when you got here."
Alex nodded and moved towards the door as Simon stepped over to April. He took her hands in his, realizing they were trembling very slightly, and he frowned as he looked at her.
"Are you all right?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah," she replied, her smile strained as she looked up at him.
He raised a hand to push her hair back and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"Go on," he said to Alex. "I'll stay out here with April."
Alex nodded and pushed open the door, shutting it gently behind her. Penny was perched on the edge of the table dressed in a hospital gown, arms once again wrapped around her middle; Evan was standing next to her, arms crossed tightly over his chest. His jaw was clenched, his mouth set in a hard line, and Alex felt a small flash of unease as she looked at him.
"Have you seen a doctor yet?" Alex asked, turning her gaze to Penny.
Penny nodded vaguely, her brow creasing as she tucked her hair behind her ears.
"She, uh - she left to run some tests and said she'd be back soon," she murmured. "She said something about it probably just being ligament pain."
"It's very common," Alex said gently.
"Yeah, that's what she said," Penny replied, glancing up at Evan before lowering her gaze to the floor.
Alex glanced at Evan before she reached for the stool and pulled it close to Penny.
"Penny," Alex said softly, waiting for the younger girl to look at her. "You're going to be fine."
Penny started to shake her head and Alex reached forward, hesitating a moment before she placed a gentle hand on Penny's leg.
"I mean it: you're going to be fine."
Penny looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?"
"I got your test results this morning; you - you're compatible," Alex said, frowning slightly.
"Compatible?" Evan said, stepping forward. "What does that mean?"
Alex ran her fingers through her hair, trying to think of how best to explain things, and knew that Simon would tell her to keep it simple.
"Keep it simple," she said softly to herself, pausing a moment before she continued speaking. "There's a genetic abnormality I discovered while studying the tissue samples of some of the women who died. When I compared the samples of the mothers with the samples of the, um - the fetuses, there was a distinctive difference that shouldn't have been there. It essentially made mother and child incompatible, forcing the mother's body to reject her baby. In some cases this simply led to a miscarriage, but in some it unfortunately led to the death of both the mother and child. Age is a factor, as it is in normal pregnancies; most of the miscarriages occurred in women under the age of thirty, while most of the deaths occurred in those over thirty."
"Get to the point," Evan said irritably.
"Evan," Penny admonished softly, frowning up at him.
Alex looked at him uncertainly a moment before she continued. "While studying the newer samples I received after the president made the request, I noticed that some seemed to lack the abnormality, which basically means that there are some women who should be able to have children without any difficulties." Alex turned her attention back to Penny. "You're one of them."
Penny opened her mouth to speak, but Evan interrupted her before she could say anything.
"'Should be able'?" he said, his eyes narrowed as he stepped forward. "What does that mean?"
"Well, there's no way to be absolutely certain until there's a child carried successfully to term. There are, of course, more tests I can run, but it's still a wait and see situation."
"Wait and see?" Evan repeated, frowning as he came closer to Alex.
"Yes-"
"So we still have to wait and see if my wife dies?" Evan yelled, stepping so close to Alex that she jumped to her feet, stumbling backward and knocking over the stool with a loud clatter.
"Evan!" Penny cried, reaching for him.
Evan shrugged her hand off just as the door flew open and Simon rushed in. He placed himself between Alex and Evan, shoving Evan hard in the chest and forcing him back a step.
"You need to calm down," Simon said in a low voice, "or so help me, I will throw you out of here."
Evan stared at Simon, fists clenched at his sides and looking as though he dearly wanted to throw a punch. After a tense moment he backed away and pushed past April as he stormed from the room.
"I'm sorry," Penny said to Alex, sounding as though she wanted to cry.
Alex shook her head, trying to smile. "It's all right, he's just... he's just frustrated. It's understandable."
Penny started to stand and April stepped over to her, placing her hands on Penny's shoulders and pushing her gently to sit back down.
"I'll talk to him, okay?" April said quietly, looking closely at Penny as she carefully pushed her hair from her face. "I'll talk to him."
Penny nodded, frowning as she sniffled lightly, and April stepped towards the door.
"April-" Simon began, reaching for her.
"I'll talk to him," she said firmly.
Simon looked at her for a moment before he nodded and let her go.
She stepped out in the corridor and saw Evan just visible at the far end of the hallway.
She hurried to catch up with him, her heels clicking rapidly against the tile.
"Evan-" she started when he was within earshot, and then skidded to a stop when he rounded on her.
"April, don't," he said shortly, raising his hand to cut her off.
"Don't what?" she asked, eyeing him warily.
"Don't stand there and tell me that this is good news."
"But it is good news," April replied, confused.
"No!" he yelled, making April flinch. "No," he repeated, lowering his voice, though the edge remained. "It's fucking false hope. She doesn't actually know anything," he said, gesturing down the hall. "It's all just speculation."
"You just... you have to have faith, Evan," April said as she took a step towards him.
Evan laughed humorlessly. "Right, I have to have faith. I have to sit idly by for the next four months to see if my wife will die, and you want me to have faith? In what? Someone I don't even know telling me that Penny should be okay?"
April was silent, not knowing how to respond, and Evan shook his head, his lip curling slightly as he turned away.
"It's bullshit, April, that's all it is," he muttered.
April felt a flash of anger. "You know, you're not the only one who cares about Penny. You're not the only one who's scared to death by this whole situation. She's my best friend."
Evan turned abruptly, stepping so close to April that she shrank back slightly.
"Yeah, but if she dies," he murmured, his gaze intense, "your entire world doesn't die with her."
He looked at April a minute longer, then took a step back and started off down the corridor again.
"She's still alive, you know," April called after him.
Evan slowed to a stop and looked back, frowning.
"What?"
"Penny. She's still alive." April sighed and ran her fingers through her hair as she stepped closer to Evan, her expression exasperated as she looked at him. "You're so busy being angry and worrying about how she might die, it's like you've forgotten that she's still alive. She needs you right now, Evan. She needs your love and your support, and she doesn't need you freaking out on the one doctor who's trying to save her."
Evan stared at April and then took a breath as he lowered his gaze to the floor.
"Tell Penny I'm sorry," he said, just loud enough for her to hear.
"Tell her yourself," she replied before turning on her heel and heading back down the corridor.
"Pen, you should go to bed," April said softly several hours later. "It's late."
Penny shook her head and shifted in her seat; her eyes were on the TV, though she didn't seem to be paying much attention to what was on. Her feet were propped against the edge of the coffee table and her hands covered the barely noticeable swell of her stomach.
"You can if you want," Penny murmured. "I just don't think I can sleep yet."
April propped her elbow on the back of the couch and rested her head on her hand, staring solemnly at Penny.
"He'll be home soon," April said quietly.
"Yeah, if he hasn't left for good," Penny replied, laughing humorlessly.
"He wouldn't do that," April said, shaking her head.
"How do you know?" Penny said cynically, rolling her eyes as her head fell back against the cushions.
"Because I know what he's done for you," April said firmly, leaning forward slightly, "and I know that he loves you."
Penny shook her head as she stared at the ceiling, and then closed her eyes, raising a hand to her face.
April slid forward on the couch, placing her hand on Penny's shoulder; she opened her mouth to speak and then stopped when there was the sound of a key in the lock. The front door opened and closed, and Evan appeared a minute later.
Penny looked up at him and Evan stared at her, his face a mask of guilt. Nobody said anything for a minute and then Evan took a shaky breath.
"I'm sorry," he whispered hoarsely, his brow creasing.
April stood and reached for her purse as she started for the door. Evan looked at her as she passed.
"April-"
She shook her head, raising a finger to her lips.
"Later," she murmured, and then pointed at Penny before slipping from the apartment.
Evan watched her leave, staring at the door for a minute before looking back at Penny.
She was sitting cross-legged, staring down at her lap and picking at the seam of her jeans, and Evan felt a fresh surge of guilt as he slowly started towards the couch.
He tugged on his already loose tie, pulling it off completely and wrapping it around his hand as he sat down hesitantly in the seat April had just vacated.
He took a breath, not sure how to begin, and then it all just came in a rush.
"Pen, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for - for getting angry, and for leaving. I know it's supposed to be good news but it still feels so uncertain, and it just... the thought of losing you scares me so much. I mean... what am I supposed to do if something happens to you?"
"I'm still here, Evan," Penny said quietly, still staring down at her lap.
"I know," Evan said quickly, shifting closer to her. "I know, and I'm sorry if it seems like I forgot."
He reached for her hand and she let him take it, looking up at him as he moved closer.
"I have to believe that she's right," Penny murmured, "because I don't want to think about the alternative." She raised her eyes to Evan's face, frowning slightly as she struggled against the tears shining in her eyes. "But if - if she's wrong... I need you, Evan." Her voice broke and she raised her hand to her mouth. "I need you every day, because if she's wrong... this is all we have." She took a shaky breath and raised her eyebrows. "So I need you to believe with me. I need you to believe that she's right, and that this is all gonna be okay."
Evan nodded and leaned forward, taking her face in his hands as he kissed her and then pulling her into a tight hug, closing his eyes as he buried his face in her hair.
April arrived home, pushing the door closed and twisting the deadbolt before dropping her keys into her purse and setting it on the table by the door.
She stepped forward, opening her mouth to call for Simon, and then stopped, smiling when she saw him sprawled on the couch, sound asleep. The TV was on, playing the eleven o'clock news, and she could see the remote on the floor, just under Simon's fingers. She walked over quietly, tugging her shirt from the waist of her skirt as she sat carefully on the edge of the couch.
Her smile widened as she leaned down, placing her hand on Simon's chest as she pressed her lips to his. He stirred, his lips parting as he kissed her back, his hand rising to comb his fingers through her hair.
"Hey," he said, smiling sleepily when she pulled away. "Just get home?"
April nodded, shifting slightly as Simon sat up behind her. He picked the remote up off the floor and switched off the TV before setting the remote on the coffee table.
"Why didn't you call?" he asked, frowning as he glanced up at the clock on the wall.
"I did. You didn't answer."
Simon's frown deepened as he patted the pockets of his pajama bottoms and then he looked at the bedroom door.
"I think I left it in the pocket of my pants," he said, smiling a little sheepishly.
April grinned and patted his leg as she started to stand.
"C'mon, let's go to bed."
"Wait a minute," Simon said, grabbing April around the waist and pulling her back down onto the couch. "How's Penny? Did Evan come home?"
"Yeah. He's probably still apologizing."
"He should be," Simon muttered.
"He's just scared," April said quietly, glancing over at Simon. "So am I."
"You don't think Alex is right?" Simon asked, frowning slightly.
"I do, for the most part, but there's still a chance, Simon. I know you've spent more time with Alex and probably have more faith in her than anybody, but it's harder for the rest of us." April looked down, folding the hem of her skirt between her fingers. "I feel like I've been so busy the past few months, I haven't really thought about what could happen, and then today... it's like it became real all of a sudden. Seeing Evan lose it like that, seeing how scared he is, it's like it all of a sudden brought it home for me." April paused. "She's my best friend, and she could die."
Simon shifted closer to April, placing his hands on her arms and turning her towards him.
"Don't think about it like that," he said softly. "That's what Evan's been doing, thinking that he might lose her, and not realizing that she's still here. We have to believe that Alex is right, and not spend all our time thinking about what might happen if she's wrong."
April nodded. "Yeah," she said, smiling slightly as a tear slipped from her eye.
Simon caught it with his fingertips, brushing it away before he leaned forward to press his lips to April's forehead.
It was later, just after they had gone to bed, that April turned towards Simon, finding his hand under the covers and twining her fingers through his.
"Alex said I was compatible," she murmured against his arm.
"I know," he replied quietly.
They were silent a moment before Simon shifted, and she could feel his gaze on her.
"Do you - do you want to talk about it?"
April shook her head. "Not yet."
She felt him nod and she pulled her hand from his, nestling against his side and laying her head on his shoulder. His arm slipped around her and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
It was a long time before either of them fell asleep.
Harrison burst into the waiting room and scanned the faces of those already there.
"How is she?" he asked anxiously.
"Don't know yet," April replied, her calm voice belied by the way she was curled against Simon's side and the way her hands moved restlessly as she rolled the bottom edge of his t-shirt between her fingers.
Simon tightened his grip on her, absently running his hand up and down her arm, and shifted to rest his cheek on top of her head.
"What took you so long?" Nathan asked, sitting a couple of chairs down from April and Simon. His hands were clenched tightly in front of him, his arms resting on his legs as he leaned forward in his seat.
"I was 35,000 feet in the air, Nathan. I couldn't exactly pedal to make the plane go faster," Harrison replied as he settled into the seat next to his friend.
"I'm surprised you didn't jump out with a parachute strapped to your back," Nathan said, smirking.
"I thought about it, but I don't think the Secret Service would've approved."
Harrison looked up at Whitman, who grinned slightly.
"No, sir, we wouldn't have."
Despite the tone of their conversation, the tension in the room was thick and Harrison leaned forward to rest his elbows on his thighs, matching Nathan's pose.
"Where's Alex?"
"In there," Nathan replied, nodding towards the double doors.
"What about Evan?"
Nathan started to answer when Evan appeared, slipping his phone into his pocket and looking harried.
"My parents won't stop calling, even though I told them I'd call if anything changed," he muttered irritably.
"They live all the way out in California," Harrison said, "they're just worried."
"Then the next time they call, you can talk to them."
Harrison smiled slightly and took a breath to speak when the doors opened suddenly and a nurse stepped out.
"Mr. Mitchell," she said, her gaze falling on Evan, "we need you."
Evan stood frozen in place for a moment and then stepped forward, pulling his phone from his pocket and forcing it into Harrison's hands before he followed the nurse through the doors.
Nervous silence descended, broken a few minutes later when April stood suddenly, wiping her palms on her jeans before pulling her sleeves down over her hands and crossing her arms tightly over her chest.
She glanced at Whitman, who tried to smile encouragingly at her, but even he seemed to share in their anxiety and kept looking over at the set of double doors Evan had disappeared through.
Several minutes passed, during which the atmosphere in the room grew tenser, until the doors finally swung open again.
Evan stepped into the room, holding a tiny blanket-clad bundle in his arms; when he looked up he was grinning ear to ear, his eyes shining with tears.
"It's a boy," he announced, and then added, "I'm a daddy," and laughed as though he couldn't quite believe it.
April's hands flew to her mouth as she burst into tears and she stepped over to Evan, standing on her toes to kiss his cheek before she turned her gaze to the baby in his arms.
"He's beautiful," she breathed, smiling broadly and swiping at the tears on her cheeks.
"Do you want to hold him?" Evan asked, glancing at April.
She nodded eagerly and Evan turned towards her, gently placing the baby in her arms. Her smile widened as she looked down at him, stroking one tiny exposed foot with her fingers.
Nathan came to stand beside her as Simon approached Evan and it was a few minutes before anybody noticed that Harrison hadn't moved.
"What about Penny?" he asked, very quietly.
"Perfect," Evan said quickly, "completely perfect. Said she expects all of you in there as soon as she's ready."
A relieved laugh escaped Harrison's lips as he lowered his head into his hands for a second before he stood, pulling Evan into a fierce hug.
"Congratulations, son," he murmured.
"You too," Evan replied, grinning at Harrison when he pulled away. "You're a grandpa."
Harrison laughed again as April stepped over to him.
"Mr. President, would you like to hold your grandson?" she asked, smiling up at him.
"More than anything in the world," Harrison replied, carefully taking the baby from April. He smiled broadly, utterly charmed as he looked down at his grandson.
"What's his name?" he asked after a second.
"His name's Sam," Evan said softly, grinning slightly. "Samuel George Mitchell."
Harrison's eyes filled suddenly with tears and he raised Sam up, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead.
"Welcome, Sam," he whispered. "The world's been waiting for you."
Author: Mary (stillxmyxheart)
Beta: Lindsay (nylana)
Rating: PG-13 (language)
Genre: Angst, Drama
Word Count: 8,713
Characters/Pairings: Nathan, Harrison, Alex, Simon, April, Whitman, Penny, Evan (April/Simon, Penny/Evan)
Summary: There is no hope unmingled with fear, and no fear unmingled with hope.
A/N: If you know anything about me by now, you know I absolutely zero patience, so here's 10 XD Long fic is long, eh? XD Stick around for the epilogue, guys, it'll be coming soon. Summary quote is attributed to Baruch Spinoza.
Nathan stepped into Harrison's office, sharing a nod with the Security Adviser as he walked past in the opposite direction.
"Dan have any news on the investigation?" Nathan asked as he moved towards Harrison's desk.
"Yeah," Harrison said, frowning down at something on his desk for a second before he looked up at Nathan. "They found a website with details about both attacks, plus mentions of, uh, future attacks if those two weren't... successful."
Harrison paused a moment, his expression troubled, before he continued. "Couldn't find any names, but they've shut it down and are tracking down the IP addresses of all the visitors. Hopefully that'll give us something."
Nathan frowned at the thought of future attacks, and his mind drifted briefly to Simon and April. Worry gnawed at him, his head filling with images of them being hurt worse than they already had been until he shook his head sharply, forcing the thoughts away. He sighed, running a hand down his face before he spoke.
"Harrison, I hate to ask, but it's been over a week since -" He paused abruptly and took a breath. "Have you given any thought to who you want to nominate for the new Vice President?"
Harrison looked at him, seeming almost surprised by the question.
"I was going to nominate you."
Nathan stared at him. He probably should've expected that, but hearing Harrison say it out loud somehow managed to take him by surprise.
"Were you planning to discuss this with me?"
Harrison frowned. "I thought-"
"I don't want it," Nathan said, shaking his head.
"What do you mean, you don't want it?" Harrison asked, his frown deepening
"I mean I don't want the job."
"I don't understand; you've always wanted the job."
"That was a long time ago. Things were different back then."
Harrison didn't respond and Nathan sighed, turning away from him.
"I still don't understand," Harrison said after a minute. "When my dad was in office-"
"I was drunk off my ass for most of George's presidency," Nathan said, turning to face Harrison. "I wanted a lot of things back then that I wasn't meant to have." Nathan paused. "And besides, when the time did come for you to choose, you picked Sam. Not me."
Harrison raised his eyebrows as he stepped towards Nathan. "That was a purely political choice, and you know it."
"But now that Sam... now that he's gone, suddenly I'm good enough for the job?"
Harrison's expression darkened. "Don't make this personal, Nathan."
"Don't make this personal?" Nathan exclaimed. "You're the one who's acting like I'm turning down the job just to spite you."
Harrison advanced towards Nathan, finger pointed at him like a dagger and his mouth open to reply, and then he stopped suddenly. His hand fell to his side and he almost seemed to deflate, and then, seemingly driven by the same thought, he and Nathan both looked over at the chair Sam usually occupied. They stared at the empty seat a moment and then Harrison turned away, running a hand over his face.
"What the hell are we doing?" he asked quietly. "Fighting like children and expecting Sam to settle our arguments for us like always, and he's..."
Nathan lowered his gaze to the floor and took a breath. "Guess it's time for us to grow up."
Harrison laughed shakily. "Yeah." He sighed. "I just assumed you'd want the job. Sort of feels like it's just you and me now, I guess I just hoped..."
"I'm not going anywhere, Harrison," Nathan said quietly as he looked up. "I'm not leaving, or quitting, or resigning, or whatever it is you think I'm going to do."
"I know," Harrison said, but he looked relieved and Nathan knew that was what he'd been afraid of all along.
Harrison moved to sink into his chair and Nathan settled into a seat in front of Harrison's desk.
They were silent a moment and then Harrison took a breath. "I'm sorry," he said, glancing up at Nathan. "For this and for what I said the other day about you and Simon. I didn't mean it."
"Thank you," Nathan murmured, frowning slightly and flicking at a piece of lint on his pants. "How's Penny?" he asked, wanting to change the subject. "I haven't had much of a chance to really talk to her lately."
"She's hanging in there. She's almost three months along now."
Nathan looked at Harrison a moment before he leaned forward, resting his chin on his clasped hands.
"And how are you?"
"Absolutely fucking terrified," Harrison replied, rocking back forcefully in his chair and raising his good hand to his face. "When I think about Penny, all I can think is... she may die from this. She's my daughter, and she could die, and there's nothing I can do to stop it."
"She's not going to die," Nathan said firmly, staring intently at Harrison. "This is going to be fixed, and she's going to be fine."
Harrison looked at Nathan a minute before he sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbow on his desk.
"I hope so," he murmured. "I really hope so."
Alex frowned down at the computer printout in front of her, trying to find a new pattern, even though she already knew there wasn't one.
She could hear Simon restlessly pacing the length of the lab, his shoes scuffing softly against the linoleum. She understood his agitation, and shared it to a certain extent.
She had been doing this research now for three months, and though there were differences and irregularities in the samples she had, she wasn't any closer to understanding what the problem was.
The President's daughter was now five months pregnant, and Alex could feel the pressure of time heavy on her shoulders. Almost all of the pregnancy-related deaths had occurred during the third trimester, so there was still time yet, but not very much.
Alex sighed and dropped the printout on the table, shoving it away and covering her face with her hands.
She heard Simon walk up behind her, and he asked what was wrong.
"Everything's wrong," she said as she turned to face him, propping her head on her fist. "None of the tests I've done have yielded conclusive results, just mild differences that are statistically insignificant."
Simon was quiet a moment, looking thoughtful.
"Are there more tests you can run?" he asked finally.
Alex shrugged, raising her eyebrows as she ran her fingers though her hair.
"Yeah, there are always more tests to run, but after a while they start to become superfluous when they don't produce results."
Simon looked at her a second before he glanced at his watch.
"It's getting late; why don't we just get out of here? Maybe things will look different in the morning."
"Maybe," Alex murmured, sighing as she turned back to shut down the computer for the night.
Several hours later Simon was lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling and thinking about April, as he always did when he was away from home and trying to sleep. He missed having her beside him, missed being able to turn over and feel her there; he even missed her poking him awake when she got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and came back to him sprawled across the bed, sheets tangled around him and one hand gripping her pillow.
He reached for his phone, flipping it open and staring contemplatively at the display. He'd only talked to her once today, just after lunch, and had somehow missed her call earlier that evening. He wanted to hear her voice again, but he knew she'd be asleep by now and he didn't want to wake her.
He stared at his phone a moment longer before calling up the text messaging menu. He typed out two words, hesitated for a moment, and then added two more before sending the message to April. He waited for the sent verification before closing his phone and rolling over to go to sleep.
Miss you. Love you.
April rolled over on to her back, sighing as she glanced over at the clock.
She'd been trying to sleep for hours and her eyes burned from exhaustion, but every time she closed them, sleep just wouldn't come.
She'd tried to call Simon earlier that evening but he hadn't answered and she'd gotten too immersed in some work she'd brought home to think to call him again before it got too late.
She suspected this was why she couldn't sleep. They'd talked almost every night since he'd gone back to Boston, and she always felt unsettled when they didn't, like her day wasn't complete when he didn't tell her good night.
She stared up at the ceiling, watching the blades of the fan spin rapidly overhead. Her hand drifted over to Simon's side of the bed and she smiled vaguely as she thought of the way he managed to take up the entire bed when he was alone, and of the way he held her when they were together. She sighed again, running her fingers through her hair.
Her eyes drifted shut in another attempt to sleep, only to open again a few minutes later when her phone vibrated on her bedside table.
She frowned and reached for the phone, wondering who would be texting her at almost two o'clock in the morning.
Her lips curved slightly when she saw it was from Simon, and a broad smile spread across her face when she read it.
Simon's phone beeped just after he closed his eyes and he opened them to see the display light up. He groaned softly and fumbled for his phone, hoping it wasn't anything serious, though serious things weren't usually texted to him in the small hours of the morning.
He flipped it open and smiled when he read the message from April.
Miss you too. Love you more.
He shut his phone and replaced it on the night stand, his heart feeling considerably lighter as he grinned broadly into his pillow.
The next morning, Alex was more anxious to get to the lab than she had been in weeks.
"Hurry up," she said, prodding Simon's shoulder as she walked behind him.
He swallowed his bite of eggs and frowned as he glanced back at her.
"Can I at least finish eating?"
"Yes, just hurry up," Alex replied, pouring coffee into her travel mug before grabbing his from the dish rack and doing the same.
Simon looked down at his plate, contemplating it for a moment, and then reached for his toast. He piled the rest of his eggs and bacon onto the still warm piece of bread, folding it in half as he stood. He turned towards Alex as he shoved the whole thing into his mouth.
"Okay, we can go," he said thickly.
Alex stared at him for a moment, looking slightly disgusted, and he raised his eyebrows at her. He could hear the two other agents at the table making muffled sounds as they tried to hold in their laughter.
"What?"
Alex shook her head and handed him his coffee.
"Cream-" he began, still chewing as he accepted the mug.
"Yes, cream and two sugars," she finished impatiently before looking at him properly. "Don't talk with your mouth full," she chastised, scowling at him.
Simon swallowed his food, chasing it down with a swallow of coffee as they started towards the door.
"You said hurry up," he said as he patted his pockets, checking to make sure he had his wallet, badge, and phone. His hand dropped to his hip, almost as an afterthought, to feel for his gun.
"Yes, but I didn't say be disgusting about it. How does April put up with you?" Alex said, her brow creased as she stepped aside to allow Simon out the front door first.
"Well, she doesn't let me eat in bed anymore, for one thing," Simon replied, grinning.
Alex's frown disappeared as she burst out laughing and Simon's grin widened as they walked to the car.
"How're things up there?" April asked later that afternoon, tucking the phone between her chin and shoulder as she made notes on a statement regarding cleanup efforts after the hurricane that slammed into Florida two days ago.
"Okay, I think," Simon replied. "Alex is doing that thing where she stares at her computer and doesn't really say much." He paused. "When she does talk, I don't understand half of what she says, though that's not really much different from any other day."
April laughed and capped her pen, dropping it onto her desk as she leaned back in her chair.
"I keep meaning to ask," Simon said, "how's the new vice president shaping up?"
"He's all right," April murmured, her smile fading as she rolled her pen with the tip of her finger for a moment before glancing up at her monitor.
Sam's note was still attached, secured with tape. The post-it glue had failed one night and April's heart had clenched painfully in her chest when she walked in the following morning to find that the note had disappeared.
She found herself compulsively checking the tape every so often, running her fingers along the edges to make sure it wasn't starting to come off, and layering on a new piece when it started to feel loose.
She reached up and touched it now, passing her thumb over the ‘S' scrawled at the bottom; tears rose unexpectedly in her eyes and she sighed sharply, turning her chair to face the other direction.
"You all right?" Simon asked quietly, sensing the change in her mood.
"Fine," she replied softly.
She heard Simon take a breath to speak, and then the sound of Alex's voice in the background.
"I have to go. Alex says she needs my strength."
"No, I said I need your hands," Alex said, close enough for April to hear. "There was nothing in there about your alleged strength."
"You hear how she talks to me?" Simon said indignantly.
April laughed softly. "It's good for you. I like that she keeps you in check when I'm not around to do it."
"Both of you are just mean." Simon sighed, and when he spoke again, April could tell he was smiling. "I'll talk to you tonight, okay?"
"Okay," April said, smiling slightly.
"I love you," Simon said, with only the smallest bit of hesitation.
"I love you too," April replied, her smile widening.
There was a soft click as Simon hung up and April placed her phone on her desk, swiveling slowly back and forth in her chair as she stared blankly at the wall.
A knock on the door jamb made her jump and she looked up to see Whitman standing in the doorway.
"Everything okay?" he asked, frowning slightly.
"Yeah." April sighed, pushing her hair behind her ears. "I just miss Simon."
Whitman hesitated a moment, rubbing his knuckles on the door frame. "Have you talked to him today?"
"Just got off the phone with him."
Whitman was silent a moment and then he cleared his throat.
"I was just headed to the cafeteria for lunch. If you haven't eaten yet, maybe you could come with me?"
His voice lacked any sense of expectation and she looked up at him; his expression was sort of vaguely optimistic, telling her that he hoped she'd say yes, but it would be okay if she said no.
She nodded, realizing rather suddenly how hungry she was, and stood, smiling slightly.
"Lunch would be good."
"Great," Whitman said, sounding surprised but pleased.
He smiled at April as he moved out of the way to let her pass before falling into step beside her.
"Hope the special today isn't meat loaf," he muttered, grimacing slightly as he slipped his hands into his pockets.
April giggled and Whitman grinned down at her, laughing with her as they rounded the corner.
It was a few days later when Alex said, sounding surprised and a little breathless, "Oh, my God."
Worry flashed through Simon as he walked over to stand beside her.
"What is it?"
She looked up at him, a faint smile on her face. "I think I figured it out."
Four days later they were back in Washington, in a car on the way to the hospital to meet Penny and Evan.
Alex's knee bounced anxiously as she stared out the window and Simon looked over at her.
"Relax," he said softly.
Alex sighed as she pulled her gaze from the window. "It's just..." She took a breath, glancing down and scratching at a spot on her skirt before looking up at Simon. "What if I'm wrong?"
"Alex, you ran the test three times. You went through the results a hundred times. You even made me go through them, once you showed me what to look for." He paused and stared intently at her. "You're not wrong."
Alex was quiet a moment, propping her elbow against the door and combing her fingers absently through her hair before she looked back at Simon.
"What if she's not compatible?" she asked quietly, voicing the fear she'd been feeling ever since she got the first set of test results back.
Simon didn't answer right away, glancing down at his hands.
"I guess we'll just have to cross that bridge when we get to it," he said after a minute, looking up at Alex.
"It's gonna be a pretty short bridge," she muttered, resting her chin against her palm as she turned back to the window.
A short while later they were in an examination room with Penny and Evan.
Penny was sitting on the table, arms wrapped protectively around her middle, heels thudding anxiously against the padded footrest.
Alex smiled as she wheeled the stool over and sat down next to Penny.
"Have you found out what the problem is?" Evan asked from the other side of Penny, staring hard at Alex.
"I'd rather not say just yet," Alex replied, checking the small table next to her as she pulled on her gloves.
Simon was leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest as he watched the swinging motion of Penny's legs. She seemed much younger to him than she had in years, and he didn't know if he'd ever seen her so nervous.
"What're you gonna do?" Penny asked, watching as Alex placed a small tube within reach.
"I just need to take some blood. I'll send it to the lab in Boston, and we'll have the results in a couple of days."
Penny grimaced and Simon remembered her dislike of needles.
"Will it hurt?" she asked.
"Like a bitch," Simon said, the corner of his mouth rising in a grin.
Penny looked at him and rolled her eyes, a short laugh escaping her lips.
"Shut up."
Simon chuckled softly. "It won't take long."
Alex reached for Penny's arm, extending it carefully and pushing her sleeve up slightly as she fixed the tourniquet around her upper arm.
Penny took a breath and looked at Evan, holding out her hand. He took it, squeezing it and pressing his lips to her fingers, the corners of his mouth rising slightly as he looked up at her.
Simon smiled as he watched them. He missed April and had been living with the feeling like a constant dull ache in his chest for two months, but now that he was back in town, he was anxious to see her.
"All set," Alex said after a minute, pulling the needle from Penny's arm and untying the tourniquet.
"That's it?" Penny asked, glancing down at her arm.
Alex smiled. "That's it." She placed a piece of gauze in the crook of Penny's elbow. "Hold that," she instructed as she reached for the medical tape.
A few seconds later the gauze was securely fixed in place. Penny started to move off the table and Evan placed a restraining hand on her leg.
"Wait a minute. You know how you get after you get blood drawn."
Penny sighed, scowling a little, and Evan grinned up at her.
"I need to get this sent out," Alex said, holding the vial of Penny's blood between her fingers, "but you can leave whenever you're ready."
Alex moved towards the door and Simon stepped forward to place a kiss on Penny's forehead.
"I'll see you guys later," he said, raising a hand to Evan as he moved to follow Alex from the room.
"Where to now?" he asked as they stepped out into the hall.
"To get this sent, and then to see the President." Alex paused, glancing sideways at Simon. "And yes, you can go see April when we get there."
Simon laughed, raising his eyebrows at her.
"You act like I don't know you," Alex said, grinning as she nudged him.
An hour later, after Alex had packaged Penny's blood sample and included a very detailed set of instructions for the lab in Boston, they were in the White House, heading through the corridors towards the Oval Office.
Harrison's secretary informed them that he was in a meeting and Simon looked at Alex.
"Do you want me to wait?"
Alex gave him a look. "Oh, right, like you're going to sit here and wait patiently with me when the girlfriend you haven't seen in two months is working right down the hall."
Simon grinned at her, bemused. "Well, it is my job."
Alex waved a hand at him. "Go on. I've got Cynthia here to keep me company, and two strong Secret Service agents in the vicinity to keep me safe," she said, gesturing towards the two agents standing outside of Harrison's office.
"At least they better," Simon said, shooting the agents a pointed look. They both gave him small nods, one of them grinning very slightly, and Simon looked back at Alex.
"All right," he said, pulling his phone out of his pocket to check it was turned on. "Call me when you're finished."
Alex nodded and Simon turned to go, glancing back as Alex settled herself into a chair in front of Cynthia's desk.
He headed for April's office, dodging staff and other agents, acknowledging various nods and greetings but trying not to get pulled into conversation.
April was standing in front of her desk, her back to the door, and Simon paused in the doorway, unable to keep from grinning broadly when she leaned far across her desk to snag a pen from the cup beside her monitor. He admired the view for a moment before he stepped forward and April gasped when she straightened, her back colliding with Simon's chest.
She glanced back and then sighed.
"Jesus, Simon, you scared the hell out of me."
Simon leaned forward, slipping his arms around April's waist and resting his chin on her shoulder, angling his head slightly to see her face.
"Sorry," he said, grinning slightly when he noticed the corners of her mouth turning upward. "Forgive me?"
April gave an exaggerated sigh. "Dunno."
Simon pouted and April looked over at him, rolling her eyes.
"Oh, all right," she said, grinning.
Simon smirked and leaned forward, pressing against her back as he captured her lips in a fiery kiss.
"I've missed you so much," he murmured.
"Clearly," April replied, smiling as she looked at him. "I've missed you too."
Simon grinned and straightened, moving back slightly to allow April room to turn around, though he kept his arms around her waist.
"Where's Alex?" April asked as she leaned against her desk, lightly clutching the front of Simon's suit jacket in her hands.
"Waiting to see Harrison. She'll probably be a while; do you want to have lunch?"
"Definitely. I want to hear what you've been up to for the past two months."
"Oh, it's been absolutely thrilling," Simon said dryly.
April giggled and leaned forward to kiss him just as there was a knock on her door.
"April - oh."
April and Simon looked up to see Whitman standing in the doorway, a vague look of surprise on his face.
"Hey. Shit. Sorry if I interrupted, I just wanted..." He shook his head. "Never mind. You're back," he said, grinning slightly at Simon. "Maybe now she'll stop going on about how much she misses you."
Simon frowned and then looked at April, surprised when she laughed.
"Shut up," she said as she looked at Whitman.
His grin widened and he moved from the doorway. "I'll see you later," he said, raising a hand before he stepped back into the hallway, disappearing from sight as he rounded the corner.
"What the hell just happened?" Simon asked, looking bewildered.
"You've been away for two months," April reminded him gently. "Things have changed a bit. He apologized." She paused, raising her eyebrows slightly. "For everything."
"So, what, you guys are friends now?"
"I suppose so, yeah."
"Why didn't you tell me this?"
April frowned. "I'm telling you now, and besides, it's not like I was thinking about him while I was on the phone with you every night. The topic didn't come up."
Simon stepped away, his brow creased as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"I don't understand. The last time I saw him, I punched him in the face for saying shit about you, and now you two are friends?"
"We were friends before I met you."
"Yeah, and you went on a date and he tried to force himself on you."
"Simon-"
"April, I don't know if you forgot," Simon said, raising his eyebrows as he looked at her, "but less than three months ago he grabbed your arm hard enough to leave bruises."
"Of course I didn't forget, but I told you, he apologized for that. He apologized for all of it."
"And you just accepted it? Just like that?" Simon stared at her as though she were crazy.
"He's different now, you saw him," April said, gesturing towards the door. "I don't know how or why, but he's changed. Every time he sees me he asks how you are, if I've talked to you recently. He's trying so hard."
April stepped away from the desk to stand in front of Simon. He looked down at her, confusion and disbelief etched on his face.
"Do you trust my judgment?" she asked.
Simon frowned slightly. "Of course I do."
"Then give him a chance." She raised a hand to Simon's cheek as he started to look away. "For me."
Simon sighed as he looked at her, turning his head to kiss her palm before taking her hand in his. "All right. I'll try. For you."
April smiled and stood on her toes to kiss him. "Thank you."
"Okay, come on, let's get lunch. I'm starving."
April rolled her eyes as she went to grab her purse from her desk. "You're always starving."
"Hush," Simon replied, giving her a look.
April giggled as she walked over to him, taking his outstretched hand as they stepped from her office.
"Is he available?" Nathan asked as he approached the door to Harrison's office.
"He's with Dr. McKay," Cynthia replied and Nathan looked at her.
"She's back? Why didn't you tell me?"
"For starters, you didn't ask," Cynthia replied, fixing Nathan with a look. "And when I tried to call, you didn't answer your phone, and I don't have time to sit here all day, trying to call you to tell you that Dr. McKay is here."
Nathan held up his hands in a placating manner and grasped the handle to push open the door, just as it swung open, pulling him off balance. He stumbled slightly and found himself staring into a pair of bright blue eyes.
"Holy-"
"Hi," Alex breathed, her expression startled as she looked at Nathan.
"Hi," Nathan replied. He was still slightly off balance, though this might have had to do with the way the sunlight was making Alex's hair glow red, or maybe the way she was smiling at him. He found himself grinning back at her, and after a minute realized Harrison was saying his name.
"What?" Nathan said, reluctantly pulling his gaze from Alex.
"You wanted to see me?" Harrison said, his eyebrow arched as he stared at Nathan.
"I did, but I don't remember why now." He paused, frowning slightly. "If I do, I'll let you know."
"You do that," Harrison said, smiling bemusedly as he turned his attention to his desk.
Alex's cheeks were flushed slightly when Nathan looked back at her, her lips curved upward in a shy smile, and he realized he was blocking the doorway.
He moved out of the way and Alex came forward, tucking her hair behind her ears.
"I told Simon I'd call him when I was done here," she said, and Nathan thought she sounded a little regretful.
"He's probably off somewhere with April," Nathan replied, grinning slightly.
"Yeah," Alex said, laughing slightly. "They've been apart for so long; I'd hate to interrupt them."
"I was just about to go to lunch," Nathan said, glancing at his watch. "If you want-"
"I'd love to have lunch with you," Alex said quickly, and then grinned a little nervously, as though startled by her own daring.
Nathan smiled broadly, surprised at how pleased he was that she said yes, and together they headed for the cafeteria.
The test results arrived two days later and Simon watched as Alex signed for them, waiting anxiously for her to open the envelope.
He studied her face as she looked over the paper in her hands.
"Well?" he blurted finally, unable to contain himself any longer.
"Well what?" Alex said distractedly as she flipped to the second page.
"You know what, is it good or bad?"
"I can't tell you."
Simon frowned. "Why the hell not?"
"Because, Simon, it's private," Alex said as she glanced up at him.
"You told me April's."
"That's because she listed you on her medical records release form. Penny didn't." Alex looked fully at him, eyeing him shrewdly. "Speaking of April, did you tell her?"
"No," Simon said sullenly.
Alex raised her eyebrows. "Really? I'm surprised."
"You told me not to!" Simon exclaimed, sounding highly indignant.
"Yeah, but I didn't think you'd actually listen to me."
Simon looked at her a moment, and then sighed as his phone rang. "You really don't play fair," he said, arching an eyebrow as he turned away, raising the phone to his ear.
Alex smirked, trying to keep her emotions in check as she placed the stapled sheets of paper back in their envelope. She was thinking of using her own phone to call Penny to set up a meeting when Simon let out a surprised, "What?"
Alex looked at him sharply, frowning as she stared at him.
"Is it serious?" he asked after a minute. He stood still, one hand on his hip, the crease in his brow deepening as he listened intently.
"We're on our way," he finally said, snapping his phone shut and staring at it a minute.
"Simon, what's wrong?" Alex asked as she stepped towards him.
He let out his breath in a loud whoosh as he looked up at her.
"Penny's in the hospital."
April was in the hallway when Alex and Simon arrived, a few steps away from the agents stationed outside the door to the examination room. She was pacing a short line back and forth and chewing on her thumbnail as she stared down at her phone.
She looked up at the sound of their footsteps and smiled anxiously.
"What happened?" Alex asked.
"She, uh, she said she felt some pain," April replied, frowning slightly, "like cramps. She got scared and called Evan. He came home, and they came here. Evan told me to tell you to go in when you got here."
Alex nodded and moved towards the door as Simon stepped over to April. He took her hands in his, realizing they were trembling very slightly, and he frowned as he looked at her.
"Are you all right?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah," she replied, her smile strained as she looked up at him.
He raised a hand to push her hair back and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"Go on," he said to Alex. "I'll stay out here with April."
Alex nodded and pushed open the door, shutting it gently behind her. Penny was perched on the edge of the table dressed in a hospital gown, arms once again wrapped around her middle; Evan was standing next to her, arms crossed tightly over his chest. His jaw was clenched, his mouth set in a hard line, and Alex felt a small flash of unease as she looked at him.
"Have you seen a doctor yet?" Alex asked, turning her gaze to Penny.
Penny nodded vaguely, her brow creasing as she tucked her hair behind her ears.
"She, uh - she left to run some tests and said she'd be back soon," she murmured. "She said something about it probably just being ligament pain."
"It's very common," Alex said gently.
"Yeah, that's what she said," Penny replied, glancing up at Evan before lowering her gaze to the floor.
Alex glanced at Evan before she reached for the stool and pulled it close to Penny.
"Penny," Alex said softly, waiting for the younger girl to look at her. "You're going to be fine."
Penny started to shake her head and Alex reached forward, hesitating a moment before she placed a gentle hand on Penny's leg.
"I mean it: you're going to be fine."
Penny looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?"
"I got your test results this morning; you - you're compatible," Alex said, frowning slightly.
"Compatible?" Evan said, stepping forward. "What does that mean?"
Alex ran her fingers through her hair, trying to think of how best to explain things, and knew that Simon would tell her to keep it simple.
"Keep it simple," she said softly to herself, pausing a moment before she continued speaking. "There's a genetic abnormality I discovered while studying the tissue samples of some of the women who died. When I compared the samples of the mothers with the samples of the, um - the fetuses, there was a distinctive difference that shouldn't have been there. It essentially made mother and child incompatible, forcing the mother's body to reject her baby. In some cases this simply led to a miscarriage, but in some it unfortunately led to the death of both the mother and child. Age is a factor, as it is in normal pregnancies; most of the miscarriages occurred in women under the age of thirty, while most of the deaths occurred in those over thirty."
"Get to the point," Evan said irritably.
"Evan," Penny admonished softly, frowning up at him.
Alex looked at him uncertainly a moment before she continued. "While studying the newer samples I received after the president made the request, I noticed that some seemed to lack the abnormality, which basically means that there are some women who should be able to have children without any difficulties." Alex turned her attention back to Penny. "You're one of them."
Penny opened her mouth to speak, but Evan interrupted her before she could say anything.
"'Should be able'?" he said, his eyes narrowed as he stepped forward. "What does that mean?"
"Well, there's no way to be absolutely certain until there's a child carried successfully to term. There are, of course, more tests I can run, but it's still a wait and see situation."
"Wait and see?" Evan repeated, frowning as he came closer to Alex.
"Yes-"
"So we still have to wait and see if my wife dies?" Evan yelled, stepping so close to Alex that she jumped to her feet, stumbling backward and knocking over the stool with a loud clatter.
"Evan!" Penny cried, reaching for him.
Evan shrugged her hand off just as the door flew open and Simon rushed in. He placed himself between Alex and Evan, shoving Evan hard in the chest and forcing him back a step.
"You need to calm down," Simon said in a low voice, "or so help me, I will throw you out of here."
Evan stared at Simon, fists clenched at his sides and looking as though he dearly wanted to throw a punch. After a tense moment he backed away and pushed past April as he stormed from the room.
"I'm sorry," Penny said to Alex, sounding as though she wanted to cry.
Alex shook her head, trying to smile. "It's all right, he's just... he's just frustrated. It's understandable."
Penny started to stand and April stepped over to her, placing her hands on Penny's shoulders and pushing her gently to sit back down.
"I'll talk to him, okay?" April said quietly, looking closely at Penny as she carefully pushed her hair from her face. "I'll talk to him."
Penny nodded, frowning as she sniffled lightly, and April stepped towards the door.
"April-" Simon began, reaching for her.
"I'll talk to him," she said firmly.
Simon looked at her for a moment before he nodded and let her go.
She stepped out in the corridor and saw Evan just visible at the far end of the hallway.
She hurried to catch up with him, her heels clicking rapidly against the tile.
"Evan-" she started when he was within earshot, and then skidded to a stop when he rounded on her.
"April, don't," he said shortly, raising his hand to cut her off.
"Don't what?" she asked, eyeing him warily.
"Don't stand there and tell me that this is good news."
"But it is good news," April replied, confused.
"No!" he yelled, making April flinch. "No," he repeated, lowering his voice, though the edge remained. "It's fucking false hope. She doesn't actually know anything," he said, gesturing down the hall. "It's all just speculation."
"You just... you have to have faith, Evan," April said as she took a step towards him.
Evan laughed humorlessly. "Right, I have to have faith. I have to sit idly by for the next four months to see if my wife will die, and you want me to have faith? In what? Someone I don't even know telling me that Penny should be okay?"
April was silent, not knowing how to respond, and Evan shook his head, his lip curling slightly as he turned away.
"It's bullshit, April, that's all it is," he muttered.
April felt a flash of anger. "You know, you're not the only one who cares about Penny. You're not the only one who's scared to death by this whole situation. She's my best friend."
Evan turned abruptly, stepping so close to April that she shrank back slightly.
"Yeah, but if she dies," he murmured, his gaze intense, "your entire world doesn't die with her."
He looked at April a minute longer, then took a step back and started off down the corridor again.
"She's still alive, you know," April called after him.
Evan slowed to a stop and looked back, frowning.
"What?"
"Penny. She's still alive." April sighed and ran her fingers through her hair as she stepped closer to Evan, her expression exasperated as she looked at him. "You're so busy being angry and worrying about how she might die, it's like you've forgotten that she's still alive. She needs you right now, Evan. She needs your love and your support, and she doesn't need you freaking out on the one doctor who's trying to save her."
Evan stared at April and then took a breath as he lowered his gaze to the floor.
"Tell Penny I'm sorry," he said, just loud enough for her to hear.
"Tell her yourself," she replied before turning on her heel and heading back down the corridor.
"Pen, you should go to bed," April said softly several hours later. "It's late."
Penny shook her head and shifted in her seat; her eyes were on the TV, though she didn't seem to be paying much attention to what was on. Her feet were propped against the edge of the coffee table and her hands covered the barely noticeable swell of her stomach.
"You can if you want," Penny murmured. "I just don't think I can sleep yet."
April propped her elbow on the back of the couch and rested her head on her hand, staring solemnly at Penny.
"He'll be home soon," April said quietly.
"Yeah, if he hasn't left for good," Penny replied, laughing humorlessly.
"He wouldn't do that," April said, shaking her head.
"How do you know?" Penny said cynically, rolling her eyes as her head fell back against the cushions.
"Because I know what he's done for you," April said firmly, leaning forward slightly, "and I know that he loves you."
Penny shook her head as she stared at the ceiling, and then closed her eyes, raising a hand to her face.
April slid forward on the couch, placing her hand on Penny's shoulder; she opened her mouth to speak and then stopped when there was the sound of a key in the lock. The front door opened and closed, and Evan appeared a minute later.
Penny looked up at him and Evan stared at her, his face a mask of guilt. Nobody said anything for a minute and then Evan took a shaky breath.
"I'm sorry," he whispered hoarsely, his brow creasing.
April stood and reached for her purse as she started for the door. Evan looked at her as she passed.
"April-"
She shook her head, raising a finger to her lips.
"Later," she murmured, and then pointed at Penny before slipping from the apartment.
Evan watched her leave, staring at the door for a minute before looking back at Penny.
She was sitting cross-legged, staring down at her lap and picking at the seam of her jeans, and Evan felt a fresh surge of guilt as he slowly started towards the couch.
He tugged on his already loose tie, pulling it off completely and wrapping it around his hand as he sat down hesitantly in the seat April had just vacated.
He took a breath, not sure how to begin, and then it all just came in a rush.
"Pen, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for - for getting angry, and for leaving. I know it's supposed to be good news but it still feels so uncertain, and it just... the thought of losing you scares me so much. I mean... what am I supposed to do if something happens to you?"
"I'm still here, Evan," Penny said quietly, still staring down at her lap.
"I know," Evan said quickly, shifting closer to her. "I know, and I'm sorry if it seems like I forgot."
He reached for her hand and she let him take it, looking up at him as he moved closer.
"I have to believe that she's right," Penny murmured, "because I don't want to think about the alternative." She raised her eyes to Evan's face, frowning slightly as she struggled against the tears shining in her eyes. "But if - if she's wrong... I need you, Evan." Her voice broke and she raised her hand to her mouth. "I need you every day, because if she's wrong... this is all we have." She took a shaky breath and raised her eyebrows. "So I need you to believe with me. I need you to believe that she's right, and that this is all gonna be okay."
Evan nodded and leaned forward, taking her face in his hands as he kissed her and then pulling her into a tight hug, closing his eyes as he buried his face in her hair.
April arrived home, pushing the door closed and twisting the deadbolt before dropping her keys into her purse and setting it on the table by the door.
She stepped forward, opening her mouth to call for Simon, and then stopped, smiling when she saw him sprawled on the couch, sound asleep. The TV was on, playing the eleven o'clock news, and she could see the remote on the floor, just under Simon's fingers. She walked over quietly, tugging her shirt from the waist of her skirt as she sat carefully on the edge of the couch.
Her smile widened as she leaned down, placing her hand on Simon's chest as she pressed her lips to his. He stirred, his lips parting as he kissed her back, his hand rising to comb his fingers through her hair.
"Hey," he said, smiling sleepily when she pulled away. "Just get home?"
April nodded, shifting slightly as Simon sat up behind her. He picked the remote up off the floor and switched off the TV before setting the remote on the coffee table.
"Why didn't you call?" he asked, frowning as he glanced up at the clock on the wall.
"I did. You didn't answer."
Simon's frown deepened as he patted the pockets of his pajama bottoms and then he looked at the bedroom door.
"I think I left it in the pocket of my pants," he said, smiling a little sheepishly.
April grinned and patted his leg as she started to stand.
"C'mon, let's go to bed."
"Wait a minute," Simon said, grabbing April around the waist and pulling her back down onto the couch. "How's Penny? Did Evan come home?"
"Yeah. He's probably still apologizing."
"He should be," Simon muttered.
"He's just scared," April said quietly, glancing over at Simon. "So am I."
"You don't think Alex is right?" Simon asked, frowning slightly.
"I do, for the most part, but there's still a chance, Simon. I know you've spent more time with Alex and probably have more faith in her than anybody, but it's harder for the rest of us." April looked down, folding the hem of her skirt between her fingers. "I feel like I've been so busy the past few months, I haven't really thought about what could happen, and then today... it's like it became real all of a sudden. Seeing Evan lose it like that, seeing how scared he is, it's like it all of a sudden brought it home for me." April paused. "She's my best friend, and she could die."
Simon shifted closer to April, placing his hands on her arms and turning her towards him.
"Don't think about it like that," he said softly. "That's what Evan's been doing, thinking that he might lose her, and not realizing that she's still here. We have to believe that Alex is right, and not spend all our time thinking about what might happen if she's wrong."
April nodded. "Yeah," she said, smiling slightly as a tear slipped from her eye.
Simon caught it with his fingertips, brushing it away before he leaned forward to press his lips to April's forehead.
It was later, just after they had gone to bed, that April turned towards Simon, finding his hand under the covers and twining her fingers through his.
"Alex said I was compatible," she murmured against his arm.
"I know," he replied quietly.
They were silent a moment before Simon shifted, and she could feel his gaze on her.
"Do you - do you want to talk about it?"
April shook her head. "Not yet."
She felt him nod and she pulled her hand from his, nestling against his side and laying her head on his shoulder. His arm slipped around her and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
It was a long time before either of them fell asleep.
Harrison burst into the waiting room and scanned the faces of those already there.
"How is she?" he asked anxiously.
"Don't know yet," April replied, her calm voice belied by the way she was curled against Simon's side and the way her hands moved restlessly as she rolled the bottom edge of his t-shirt between her fingers.
Simon tightened his grip on her, absently running his hand up and down her arm, and shifted to rest his cheek on top of her head.
"What took you so long?" Nathan asked, sitting a couple of chairs down from April and Simon. His hands were clenched tightly in front of him, his arms resting on his legs as he leaned forward in his seat.
"I was 35,000 feet in the air, Nathan. I couldn't exactly pedal to make the plane go faster," Harrison replied as he settled into the seat next to his friend.
"I'm surprised you didn't jump out with a parachute strapped to your back," Nathan said, smirking.
"I thought about it, but I don't think the Secret Service would've approved."
Harrison looked up at Whitman, who grinned slightly.
"No, sir, we wouldn't have."
Despite the tone of their conversation, the tension in the room was thick and Harrison leaned forward to rest his elbows on his thighs, matching Nathan's pose.
"Where's Alex?"
"In there," Nathan replied, nodding towards the double doors.
"What about Evan?"
Nathan started to answer when Evan appeared, slipping his phone into his pocket and looking harried.
"My parents won't stop calling, even though I told them I'd call if anything changed," he muttered irritably.
"They live all the way out in California," Harrison said, "they're just worried."
"Then the next time they call, you can talk to them."
Harrison smiled slightly and took a breath to speak when the doors opened suddenly and a nurse stepped out.
"Mr. Mitchell," she said, her gaze falling on Evan, "we need you."
Evan stood frozen in place for a moment and then stepped forward, pulling his phone from his pocket and forcing it into Harrison's hands before he followed the nurse through the doors.
Nervous silence descended, broken a few minutes later when April stood suddenly, wiping her palms on her jeans before pulling her sleeves down over her hands and crossing her arms tightly over her chest.
She glanced at Whitman, who tried to smile encouragingly at her, but even he seemed to share in their anxiety and kept looking over at the set of double doors Evan had disappeared through.
Several minutes passed, during which the atmosphere in the room grew tenser, until the doors finally swung open again.
Evan stepped into the room, holding a tiny blanket-clad bundle in his arms; when he looked up he was grinning ear to ear, his eyes shining with tears.
"It's a boy," he announced, and then added, "I'm a daddy," and laughed as though he couldn't quite believe it.
April's hands flew to her mouth as she burst into tears and she stepped over to Evan, standing on her toes to kiss his cheek before she turned her gaze to the baby in his arms.
"He's beautiful," she breathed, smiling broadly and swiping at the tears on her cheeks.
"Do you want to hold him?" Evan asked, glancing at April.
She nodded eagerly and Evan turned towards her, gently placing the baby in her arms. Her smile widened as she looked down at him, stroking one tiny exposed foot with her fingers.
Nathan came to stand beside her as Simon approached Evan and it was a few minutes before anybody noticed that Harrison hadn't moved.
"What about Penny?" he asked, very quietly.
"Perfect," Evan said quickly, "completely perfect. Said she expects all of you in there as soon as she's ready."
A relieved laugh escaped Harrison's lips as he lowered his head into his hands for a second before he stood, pulling Evan into a fierce hug.
"Congratulations, son," he murmured.
"You too," Evan replied, grinning at Harrison when he pulled away. "You're a grandpa."
Harrison laughed again as April stepped over to him.
"Mr. President, would you like to hold your grandson?" she asked, smiling up at him.
"More than anything in the world," Harrison replied, carefully taking the baby from April. He smiled broadly, utterly charmed as he looked down at his grandson.
"What's his name?" he asked after a second.
"His name's Sam," Evan said softly, grinning slightly. "Samuel George Mitchell."
Harrison's eyes filled suddenly with tears and he raised Sam up, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead.
"Welcome, Sam," he whispered. "The world's been waiting for you."