The Elves had my FLOTUS clothes out and lying on top the bed and my large rolling suitcase packed and sitting at the foot of the bed. Once I was dressed, Mahin took my suitcase and went off to tell Antoinette that I was prepped and ready to go, and in twenty minutes, too.
Looked for my purse but it wasn’t where I’d left it. Checked in the closet, to discover I also had a brand-new snazzy rolling purse/briefcase combo, which my purse was sitting on top of. Checked the rolling purse—in addition to interesting things like a laptop, an extended life battery charger, goggles, rope, a lot of clips for my Glock, and more, I had an Aerosmith t-shirt, jeans, socks, and a pair of Converse in there. I also had a bathing suit and swimming goggles. Clearly Algar wanted me to be able to change for action without raising too much suspicion. Hoped this was a portal like my purse, just because extra portals were never a bad thing.
Checked my regular purse. Another pair of goggles were in there, as well as my Glock, my iPod, my portable speakers, my earbuds, and the usual crap I carried at all times. Harlie, Poofikins, and several other Poofs were in there, too, snoozing. Poofs On Board was never an issue.
Looked around the room. “Peregrines please report.”
The room was filled with beautiful feathers in a moment. Not all the Peregrines were here, but a lot of them were, including Bruno. Knew without asking that Lola was with the kids, because she was the Peregrine Nanny To The Stars.
“Bruno my bird, what’s the good word?”
Got some squawking, feather flapping, floor scratching, and then a pointed head cock.
“Gotcha. I agree—I think you’re all needed here, protecting my family and friends and so forth. I’ll have Poofs with me, and I have a suspicion I’m going to be in the water again, which is not your element.”
Bruno nodded, then squawked again.
“No, I agree, I don’t think I want the ocellars or chochos along, either.” Ocellars were fox-cats and chochos were pig-dogs, both from Beta Eight. Ostensibly, all the animals lived on the first floor of the Zoo. They’d all moved into the White House with us, however, and part of the residence section was devoted to them and their A-C caretakers. Right now, however, all ocellars and chochos were on duty at the Embassy, protecting all the kids, along with other Peregrines and Poofs.
Gave all the Peregrines fast scritchy-scratches between their wings, then grabbed my purse and the Rolling Action Arsenal and used the gate in my bathroom to go to the Embassy. Didn’t have to calibrate it, because all White House Complex gates recalibrated for the Embassy, on the correct idea that this is where we’d all want to go.
Exited in the basement, which was standard operating procedure for all A-C homes and such, which I had long ago put down to the fact that aliens were weird. Left the rolling bag and my purse near the gate, took my phone, and went upstairs and into the kitchen, to find Pierre serving food to my dad and Siler along with the kids.
Trotted over and gave Dad a hug and a peck, did the same with Lizzie, then gave Jamie a huge hug. “How was your slumber party?”
“Oh, it was fun, Mommy.” She gave me a kiss. “I wish I was going with you on your trip.”
Hugged her again. “I do, too, sweetie, but Nana Angela said you needed to stay here in case Daddy needs your help.”
Jamie looked unhappy. “But you need us, Mommy.” Said firmly and as fact.
“This isn’t a trip for children,” Siler said using a Father voice.
Lizzie shot an annoyed look at him. “You know I speak the languages. I should be going with you guys.”
“No,” he said firmly. “You’re needed here.”
Lizzie grimaced and appealed to me. “You know I can help.”
“Me, too, Mommy,” Jamie said, with a hint of petulance. “Even Charlie can help.”
“I know that Lizzie is an asset, and Jamie-Kat, you’ve saved the day more than once, and I’m sure Charlie can do his part. I also know that I’m going to be racing around the globe and Daddy is going to be dealing with political things that are going to take all of his focus, and we need to know that the three of you, and all the other kids, are safe.”
“There are, like, fifty Secret Service, Field, and P.T.C.U. agents around all of us all the time,” Lizzie grumbled. “The interesting stuff is going to be where you two are going.”
ACE’s hero worship comments seemed remarkably helpful right about now. “Lizzie, I know that it’s not nearly as cool to stay home rather than be going along with the diplomatic mission to listen to all the blah, blah, blah political stuff. I get it. But Jeff and I have a lot riding on everything we’re about to do and say.”
“So?” Lizzie asked. “We know how to behave.” Jamie nodded. Charlie gurgled. I struggled for a nicer option than “because I said so,” with limited success.
Dad cleared his throat. “I know that you’re quite the capable young woman, Lizzie. And Jamie and Charlie are, of course, amazing. The three of you make us all proud every day. But . . . Nana Angela and I didn’t want to bring your mother into our worlds until it was necessary. And even after your mother proved herself to be extremely capable and all that we could have hoped for and more, there still isn’t a mission she goes on or a job she does where we both don’t worry about her.”
“Why?” Lizzie asked. “Kitty’s totes on top of things.”
Dad nodded. “She is. But she’s our only child. Jeff is, therefore, our only son-in-law. And that makes the three of you our only grandchildren. But it wouldn’t matter if we had ten children and fifty grandchildren. We love all of you and worry about all of you, and all those ‘in the family,’ such as your Uncle Charles and Uncle Christopher and Aunt Amy and little Becky, as well. And your father, Benjamin, too. Benjamin and Kitty need to be able to do the jobs they’ve been assigned without having to worry about the three of you.”
“But—” Jamie started.
Dad shook his head sternly and she stopped. “There are no buts, Jamie-Kat. I don’t care how amazing and competent your child is. That child is still your child, and you love them more than life itself, and you would do anything to protect them. And your parents are going to places where they need to be one hundred percent focused on the jobs they’re there to do. Not on protecting the most precious things in the world to them. That’s why you’re staying here, with me and Pierre and the others. Not because you’re not the best in the world, but because you are.”
“And Lizzie, before you argue again, keep in mind that Jeff is about to handle the most intricate and important political moments in the history of our world, and know that he, also, has to know that the three of you are safe and secure, that you’re somewhere he knows is protected, somewhere he knows he can run and find you immediately in case of danger.”
“But I’m only your ward,” she argued, but with a lot less passion.