Archive of Our Own ^beta

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Alex’s accident: This will be a full story and I will not kill her off. I will not be paying attention to anything regarding this last episode. It pissed me off so much. However, she does get into that horrible accident we saw on the midsession finale.

Tom had just gotten out of a meeting with the Generals. He wanted to get out early so he’d be able to catch Alex in time to talk about what was going on but he was told that she’d never came home. So he waited. Her phone went straight to voicemail and all he could do was wonder if they could fix what was broken.

He had waited for two hours before he finally got up and started walking towards the residence when he got a call. Thinking it was Alex he answered quickly with apologies on the tip of his tongue.

What came out from the other end was not what he was expecting.

“Mr. President we are sorry to inform you that your wife has been involved in an accident. She’s stable for now but we can’t get her out the car because she’s crushed beneath it. We...” the voice on the phone started to distort and become further away as he went into shock and dropped the phone. Everything had gone so wrong so quick... He blacked out.

“Mr. President!” Agents ran from all corners to help him up.

Emily and Aaron ran from inside the Oval Office and saw their boss staring stoically into space.

“What’s happened?!” Emily asked frightened.

“He got a call but we don’t know what about.”

“I think we do now...” Aaron said pointing to the television. The channel was doing a piece on a motorcade involved in a car accident. When they showed the car everything clicked.

“I-it’s the First Lady’s vehicle” a staffer whispered from the far end of the hall.

“Oh my god. Alex.” Emily said. Tears started running down her face and she got up and ran back into the Oval. Aaron ran after her to find her collapsed on the floor, sobs racking through her entire body.

At the scene...

Kendra couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She didn’t believe it was real. Everything was fine before and now... She had been told not to get out the car but she couldn’t just stay, she had to see if Alex was alright. She prayed that she was. She had to be. She unbuckled her belt ignoring the pain from her chest and opened to door. There were so many people gathered around and it was too loud. She blocked everyone out and ran to the side of the car she had seen Alex get into. She could see a slumped form in the backseat and she could see the injuries. No one could survive that. No one. She thought. She started to cry and went to take out her phone when a movement caught her eye. She looked into the car and she could see that Alex was moving. Albeit not much to be noticed if you were not close enough to see. But it was obvious she was gravely injured and would need immediate attention.

“Ma’am we need you to get away from the vehicle.”

She turned around and saw an agent standing with a group of fire fighters.

“She’s alive! I saw her move. You have to get her out!” She started screaming at them.

Someone grabbed her by the waist and carried her as she continued trying to get someone to help her friend out the car.

“They said they were going across the a street and a car came out of nowhere and hit them and kept going.” Aaron said. He knew that everyone needed updates but no one was paying attention to the screens anymore. The President himself had disappeared somewhere.

“Did they say anything about Alex? Is she okay? Where’s Kendra?” Emily asked. She needed to know. She needed answers no one seemed to be able to give.

“I don’t know. There’s nothing about her. I’m not even sure they know it’s her yet... At least they haven’t given any reason to think they do.”

Seth came up and replied. He gave her some water and walked off to find Lyor. They’d been in the residence talking to Penny about her day (after she’d cornered them and had somehow managed to get them to play Princess Tea Party with her. Their phones had started ringing and Lyor ran out the room after hearing the news.

“Seth!” He heard Emily’s voice ring out. Turning around he saw her wave him back.

“We’re going to the scene. The President is going and so are we. We need to be there for him.”

“... I really don’t think we should go.”

“Well it’s not your call is it?” He heard his voice and knew he wasn’t getting out of this.

“No sir.”

“Everyone ready?.”

Piling into the car they were ready to go. The car stayed silent the entire ride because no one knew what exactly to say to each other. One half of the car was trying to figure out what they would tell the press when they finally realized whose car it was. The other were thinking about the last moments they had with Alex. Tom was going over their disagreement and the promise he’d made her before she left. Emily was going crazy at the thought of not knowing what was happening. She and Alex had finally moved past the “You work with my husband so we are merely acquaintances.” phase and onto the “Let’s be friends” phase.

Silence stayed over them like a cloud of dread.

Finally they reached the hospital where Alex was being treated. “THANK GOD!” They all thought. The atmosphere was beginning to become toxic.

The President jumped out the second the car came to a stop. He could hear agents yelling for him to stop and wait for them to do a sweep. But unfortunately for them, he couldn’t wait to see her any longer. He was here and he wasn’t going to stay put until he had some news on his wife. “They think I’m just going to sit here and wait for information? That’s my wife in there! MY WIFE. I’m not leaving until I have real answers.” He was trying to remember what exactly he should want to know.

They stared bewildered at the man who’d jumped out the car before it’d even stopped rolling. After gathering their bearings they ran after him desperate for information on the First Lady.

He went straight to the floor he’d been told she was on and knocked on the door of suite 304. He had been told (after the nurses finally got their shit together enough to give him what he needed) this was the room she’d been assigned to and that one of them would find a doctor for updates.

There was no answer so he just opened it and what he saw made his heart drop.

His wife, his beautiful wife lying in her bed with tubes coming out her nose and cuts and bruises battered along her face. Her blonde hair dirty from what he only guess was blood and dirt. He could see that she was in worse shape than even he had imagined she’d be in. She was so bruised and she looked dead. If he didn’t hear her heart beating on the monitors he’d sworn she was gone. But somehow she’s survived and he didn’t know what to think. He didn’t know how she’d be afterwards, if there’ even be an afterwards. So many questions and so little information.

Thanks for reading. I knew they killed her off but I won’t because that was horrible. They will have to go through some grueling tests though to get back to where they were before. Reviews are welcomed!!!

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He sat there for who knows how long waiting for anyone to come in, or for her to finally wake up. He knew he should be back at work. He knew he couldn't do anything for her here and that he still had an entire country to run. He knew his opponents would use this against him later but he had to come. But he couldn’t not visit her. He had to see her and when he walked into the room he found he couldn’t leave. His wife. He shouldn't have let her go without him. His car was much more protective. And the fight they had before she had gone. They never made up. It was never that bad and now they may never get a chance to make up.

Footsteps echoed outside bringing him back to the real world. They got closer until they stopped outside the room. Almost as if their owners were hesitant to enter.

He stood up to meet them knowing they probably weren't going to come in.

"Hi." Putting a smile on his face he tried to face them with some sort of dignity.

"Hello sir, um... we are the doctors tasked with treating your wife. As of now she's still unconscious and we expect her to remain that way for at least the rest of the day. We've put her in a medically induced coma and we'll be trying to wean her off the morphine we have her for the pain and wake her up in a few days." One doctors said when it was obvious her coworkers were not going to respond.

He could see they were holding something back from him.

"What else is here for me to know?" He asked pointedly. He didn't like secrets, especially when it came to his family. Specifically his Alex. And right now he was not in the mood to play games with anyone.

"Um, sir, while we were running all the necessary tests we made a discovery. Your wife is.. um, well she's pregnant."

Pregnant? He thought. His heart sunk lower than it already had. Did she know? Is that what she was talking about wanting to tell me before? How much worse can this news possibly get?

He just sat there numb. More bad news just continue to pile up.

"How far along is she? Was the baby hurt? Are they okay?" He started asking questions but it all just came out like blabber. He now had two people at stake and one of them was carrying the other. If she... NO! I shouldn't be thinking this way!

But what if she didn't make it? What would happen to their family? He said a little prayer. Asking God to keep her safe and let his family have more time with her.

He couldn't live without her by his side. She was the glue that held him together. What if their last conversation had been that fight? He couldn't let those words be the last thing she hears from him. She had to come back to him. She had to. It's Alex. She's strong and she wouldn't give up so easily.

I know your fighting to stay. Keep fighting my love. Please.

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He hadn't been able to visit her in the hospital for a few days. The New Years budget hadn't yet made it's way to the senate floor for a vote snd he was busy preventing a government shutdown. He was able to get it approved in time to make it to the school and pick up the Leo and Penny. They hadn't had a visit and wanted to go. He only hoped she'd be awake. The kids didn't need to see their mother with tubes and wires attached to her.

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I walked up to the doors of the hospital stopping to let secret service sweep the flooors before I went up. Right now I'm feeling guilty. I know she's been left alone without me visiting and even though she still hasn't woken I was hoping to never have her alone.

I heard the footsteps sounding behind me and knew that the kids cars had caught up with the motorcade. Normally I'd never take them out of school but they wanted to see their mother.

"Daddy!" I heard my little sunshine call to me and turned around just in time to catch her in my arms.

"When will we get to see Mommy? I miss her."

"Soon Penny sweetheart. Soon" I was just hoping she'd be able to talk to her mother today.

I look at Leo hoping to see some sort of glimpse that he's even registering what's happened. Nothing. He's been completely drawn within himself.

"You guys can continue up. Everything is clear."

"Let's go Daddy!" My little girl pulled me along the corridors towards the waiting elevators.

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When we arrived on Alex's floor Penny stopped at the entrance of the elevator.

"What's wrong little pea?"

"Mommy's in there. Is she awake?"

"Maybe. Let's see okay?".

"Okay."

"I'm not going in." Leo spoke up from behind us. I nodded.

I could hear the beeps of the machines attached to her before we got to the door. I heard Penny speaking to her and then I heard her speak back.

Stopping in my tracks I listened to my two girls talk. I could tell by her breathing that Alex wasn't completely 100%.

"Where's your father and brother? Did they come too?"

"Daddy came with me and so did Leo! Daddy is outside!"

"Oh is he?" The question was obvious. She wanted me to come in.

I decided to just go in. I wanted to finally see those beautiful blue eyes.

When I stepped in they turned my way. She looked at me with those eyes like crushed forget-me-nots.

"Tom?"

"Hi." There was so much I needed to say. So much I could only say once we were alone.

She smiled at me and held her hand out for me to take. I took it and sat down on the bed next to her.

We just stared at each other.

"Penny why don't you go get your brother? You guys can get food."

"Okay!" She jumped off and left.

"I'm sorry. You know for everything that I caused. I just wanted to help my mother. I know I went too far. I'm sorry Tom."

She was crying and obviously beating herself up over it all.

"It's not your fault Alex. It's not. You didn't know about anything before. None of this is your fault."

"I-I just know I shouldn't have been so involved but I wanted to help her. And I caused so much ache. Especially between us. I'm sure I caused the accident."

"Alex, what do you mean? That accident was not your fault."

"Tom that car followed us. From the courthouse. The accident wasn't accidental. They followed us and then rammed into my car! I know it wasn't an accident."

"They what?! You're saying this was planned?" I was fuming.

"Babe..." I didn't want her beating herself over eveything. "Again, none of this is your fault. I'll be speaking with the people from the other car later."

"I just think it could have all been avoided had I not stuck my nose in."

"Babe I'm just glad that you're okay."
We smiled at each other and I leaned down to kiss her forehead.

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I saw him pull back but I didn't want him to leave. Pulling him back by his shirt collar I kissed him. I just wanted him to stay longer.

"What was that for?"

"Don't leave me Tom. Please?"

He sighed. "I've got a meeting with some generals in an hour."

I looked down. I didn't want to cry because of something as silly as this but the tears were forming.

"You know what? I'll move it to tomorrow. There's nothing important we're discussing. Just formality."

"Really?"

"Really. I will stay the entire night if you'd have me." He said.

I smiled at him and he leaned down for a kiss.

After a few seconds he deepened it and I got lost in the taste of him.

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Thankfully I was able to get her to realize nothing was her fault. She had had the weight of the world on her shoulders these past few weeks. On top of everything this accident will be a definite setback.

"When can I go home? I feel better." She asked with a hopeful look on her face. I know she wanted a definite answer but I didn't know.

"I don't know yet. The doctors want to see if you're fully capable of performing all the functions needed."

"I'm fine. See." She held up her right arm and rotated it. While she did that I saw her wince. She tried to make it unnoticeable but I  still saw it.

"Babe I know you want to come home but you just woke up and technically you won't be allowed to leave for at least two weeks. You were in a coma for five days. They've got a lot of tests to run. Just be patient."

She sighed and leaned back into me. "I know. You know I hate hospitals."

Kissing her head I replied "I know" and pulled her closer. "TV?"

"Sure why not?!".

She was already getting into the shower but I couldn't stop staring at her. All I could think was that I could've lost her. The children could have lost their mother. Our entire lives would have been destroyed without her. I needed her more than I'd ever admit. But she knows. I know she does. Because she always knows.

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