Alien in the House

Chapter 68



NOTHING MUCH OF importance happened once the ceremony was over. We were all taken to the Speaker’s office and a tonnage of pictures were taken.

Oliver joined us here, of course. “You look a little, oh, disappointed,” he said to me while Jeff took yet another couple hundred pictures with various politicians.

“Long story, but some of Jeff’s closest family weren’t here. I hadn’t realized that they should have been, either.”

“Not to worry. I took video of the entire event. I also had three other World Weekly News cameramen with me, so if one video didn’t come out right, the others will.”

“MJO, you rock the awesomeness. It won’t make up for no pictures of them with Jeff, though.”

“We all have sacrifices to make. Speaking of which, pictures and sacrifices both, I believe you’re up.” Oliver escorted me to Jeff and the next round of Picture Frenzy started. After fifteen minutes I hoped my smile didn’t look too fake or plastered on. After another fifteen minutes I didn’t care if it looked fake—I was far more worried that I’d never be able to close my mouth again.

But finally it ended. The Speaker gave Jeff a stack of bills, with instructions to read them all, because they were going to be going to vote in the first week of January.

“Should have brought a briefcase,” Jeff said as we and our ever-growing entourage left the Speaker’s office.

“I left it at home, sorry.”

Chuckie joined us, Cliff in tow. “Nicely done.”

“Went well,” Cliff agreed. “So, how are you guys getting home? You can’t go the same way you came.”

This was true. We had a lot of people with us now, and more than that, we had a lot of reporters around.

“We’ll call for the limos.” Of course, our drivers were here with us or out hunting for Colonel Hamlin. “Or, you know, maybe not.”

Jeff took my coat from Len and helped me into it. “We’ll take a cab. Well, a fleet of cabs,” he added with a laugh as he put his coat and hat on.

Managed not to say that he should have worn the hat and trench while being sworn in, too. This look didn’t need to be shared with the world—this look belonged to me, and I was going to be both extravagant in its use and miserly in who else got to enjoy it. “I’m a little nervous about being outside, Jeff.”

“Who can blame you?” Cliff asked. “I drove over here. Why don’t I drop at least the two of you and Chuck at the Embassy?” He grinned. “Besides, I just got a new car and I really want to show it off.”

“Well, how can we refuse an offer like that?” Jeff asked. “But what about everyone else?”

Chuckie shrugged. “If you leave,” he said quietly, “the interesting person leaves, the rest can go home by more mundane means.”

Oliver was near us and he nodded. “I and the rest will follow the four of you. Guaranteed.”

“Then that’s the plan,” Cliff said. “If that’s okay with you, Congressman.”

Jeff shook his head. “Jeff, unless we have to be formal for some reason now.”

“Nope, just teasing you. You ready to go?”

“Let me tell the others what we’re doing first.” Extracted myself and went to Gower, who was the closest. Explained the plan. “So, once we’re gone, you can get everyone else home.”

“Sounds like a good plan, Kitty.” He hugged me. “Thanks for handling the situation on the Floor.”

“Oh, I figured you’d win eventually, but why waste everyone’s time and your patience? Are you going to the Embassy or to your Residence?”

“Residence. I want to make sure everyone’s fine there.” He grinned. “And Uncles Paul and James want a little Jamie-Katt time.”

“You had her last night.”

“Not really. By the time we got home, all the kids were in bed and had been for hours. I’d offer to keep her overnight with us again, but I’d imagine you two would like to see your daughter.”

“Yeah. Should we have had her here?”

“No,” Reader said as he joined us. “Unless you were desperate for a photo op.”

“We absolutely were not. I’m just feeling guilty about us not having everyone here.”

Gower shook his head. “Everyone for us means everyone. We care about that for weddings much more than for appointments like this.”

“Okay, I’ll trust you on that one. What are we going to do about Vance and the Brewers?”

“Escort them home, unless you want them back at the Embassy,” Reader said.

“I don’t know. Jeff just got assigned homework by the Speaker of the House and I’m feeling tired from the last couple of days. But I think we need to have guards on them, Edmund Brewer in particular.”

“We’ll handle it,” Reader said. “You get going, your ride looks impatient.”

Cliff didn’t actually look impatient, but I could tell that he, Chuckie, and Jeff were ready to go. I hurried over to Vance and the Brewers. “I think Jeff and I are hitching a ride with Cliff. Hopefully that means the paparazzi will clear off and leave you guys alone.”

Nathalie laughed. “It makes me nostalgic. But do you want us to go back to your Embassy, or would you like to just go home and collapse?”

“Honestly? I’d like to collapse. But I want you guys to be careful. There’s been a lot of bad and weird going on.”

Brewer nodded. “Let’s all get a good night’s sleep and we can regroup tomorrow. I’ll be happy to help Jeff with the bills. Not that I don’t think that he can manage them all on his own, but I had help when I came on and it really does make it easier if you have someone to show you the ropes.”

“Absolutely. You know, you’ve been over to our place, why don’t we go over to yours tomorrow? That way Nathalie can show me her portfolio while you and Jeff work?”

They both beamed at me. Clearly this was a suggestion they liked. I knew without asking that Jeff would like it, too. After all, he’d been trying to have us become friends with this couple for months now.

“It’s a date,” Nathalie said. “Brunch at our place? Bring your daughter, too, if you want. We don’t have children yet but that doesn’t mean we don’t like them.”

“We’ll see how she’s behaving.” Jamie was always pretty darned well-behaved but I wasn’t sure how good an idea it was to have her exposed right now. There were assassins and Clarence and probably bears, oh my. “She’s had a fun couple of days and may just want to stay home.”

“See you around eleven, then?” Brewer asked.

“It’s a date. I’ll call you if something changes, but otherwise, we’ll see you tomorrow.” Gave them both hugs, which got photographed, and then trotted back to Jeff.

“I’ve told the jocks what’s going on,” he said. “They’ll gather anyone else who matters and get them home. They already have the princesses in tow. And the mountain of bills I have to read and form an opinion of in a week.”

Had a moment’s worry about leaving Rahmi and Rhee unattended and in the care of males, but decided that they’d behaved well so far and there was no time like the present for them to get used to how things here worked.

Cliff led us out of the Capitol building. True to expectations, all the media followed us. It was raining, so I put up my hood. “How far are you?” Chuckie asked.

“I parked on Southwest Drive,” Cliff said. “No worries, we’re not too far. Can’t wait for you to see it, it’s great. I haven’t been this excited about a car in years.”

“So, what kind did you get?” I asked as we walked quickly through the wet. Chuckie didn’t care that much about cars and since A-Cs had reflexes that were so good they actually weren’t able to safely drive, I was the only other “car person” here.

Cliff grinned. “Toyota RAV Four EV. All electric. It’s great. Wanted it in red, but they only make it in white and blue, so I got the blue. Tricked it out with everything extra I could, too.”

Spotted a blue car in the near distance. “Is that it?”

“Yeah. And, don’t worry about being cold, Kitty. It has the remote engine starter. I can have it running and warm inside before we ever get there.”

“I’m not worried about being cold, but if your car can do something about the wet, that’d be great.”

He laughed. “Well, I’ll get her started and the heat on. That’ll help.”

As Cliff pulled out his key fob and clicked the button I felt something with feathers slam into me.

So when Cliff’s car exploded, I wasn’t nearly as surprised as I could have been.