InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "but I don't remember anymore"

Elaine Hammond (elaine_hammond) wrote in omega_reality,
@ 2012-11-10 12:32:00

Entry tags:

*complete, 2012 11, character: bud hammond, character: elaine barrish hammond

RP: Elaine and Bud
Who: Elaine and Bud
Where: Team Center
When: November 10, 2012
Summary: Elaine spends some time with her ex husband

Since the death of those two young people, things had been tense. She had seen the increased training (not that there was much you could increase when training a woman her age), she'd heard about the sharper orders (people really needed thicker skin), but none of that concerned her. What she didn't like was the move.

Living with those three boys had been interesting, but also she had plenty of freedom, because they weren't going to give her orders. Morgan and Prentiss were different. They didn't give orders per se and were always polite, but she had no doubt that they would object if she started doing whatever she liked. Bud's situation wasn't any better. Before he was living with Nell who was always working and that kid, Nick, who Bud ignored. It was harder to ignore when he lived with Vance and two boys, one of whom was Sam's son. In short, she felt like they were guests in their own homes and she didn't like it one bit.

There was also such thing as too much time together. Elaine had always worked. Even when she was the First Lady and technically didn't have a job, she was still working. She wasn't used to being home, and with people who weren't her family. The only plus side was that she was living with her mother, but even then, they could only spend so much time together before getting on each other's nerves.

Today, she decided that she had enough. She stopped at the officers' mess hall, ordered to meals on the go and then phoned Bud. "My office in five. I have lunch and wine." She hanged up with a small smile and then went to the office. Now this was more like it.

(Post a new comment)

bud_hammond
2012-11-10 05:48 pm UTC (link)

Bud was saddened by the deaths of Savannah and John. It was always sad to see good people die, and Savannah had helped to make him feel welcome. But the increased paranoia around the base was driving him nuts. When Elaine called and said she had food and wine, he was relieved.

As he walked into her office, he loosened his tie and undid the top button and rubbed the exposed portion of his neck. "You always had the better ideas of the two of us, Sugar," he said, closing the door behind him and his eyes lighting up at the wine.

It was a rough week even without the deaths. This was supposed to be the week when she was elected President of the United States. He had really looked forward to returning to the White House, even as First Gentleman (or First Asshole, depending on who you asked).

(Reply to this) (Thread)

elaine_hammond
2012-11-10 05:55 pm UTC (link)

Elaine smirked. "That's because I was always the brain of the family. You had to smile and make people love you. Something you do very well." She was setting up on the coffee table. Eating on the couch might not be as comfortable as a table, but she wasn't looking for propriety at the moment.

She poured two glasses of red, before kicking off her shoes and getting comfortable on the couch, before patting the seat next to her "Come on, join me. Not exactly the celebratory drinks I was hoping for, but it'll have to do."

Her thoughts kept going from the election to the boys. In a sad way, it was almost good to have to worry about them, because otherwise, election night would have been a lot worse than it was. "Mother has been her charming self, making sure that I don't wallow. I don't think she understands, though. We were going to make history. First woman, first couple. We were going to be amazing."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

bud_hammond
2012-11-10 06:19 pm UTC (link)

"Truer words have never been spoken, Sugar," he said in response to her apt description of their family and his tasks. He joined her on the couch.

"No, it's not what I was hoping for either," Bud almost brought up the celebrations they had after he won the Presidency the first time, but then thought better of it. He really couldn't imagine how this must feel for her. To have been so close to that power and then have it ripped away.

"Yes, you were going to make history. I think of all the things we could have achieved with the huge win you were most likely going to have. Comprehensive immigration reform." He raised his glass. "To the woman who should be President of the United States."

He took a sip. "It was odd not pouring over turnout data with Dougie during the day."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

elaine_hammond
2012-11-10 06:26 pm UTC (link)

And just like that, as soon as he mentioned Dougie, the Presidency, the White House and reforms were not that important. "I wonder how they are doing. Tuesday couldn't have been easy for him. He was great with the campaign. So young, but so, so good. So much better than we were at his age. We deal with local politics, but he could run a presidential campaign. Youngest Chief of Staff, and he would have earned it."

She touched Bud's glass with her, but whiskey glasses didn't have the same ring as a wine cup or a flute. Still they were better than paper cup that came with their meal. She took a sip from the glass and sighed.

"Dougie should have been here. He should have-" She stopped abruptly. "Mother says that they have to find themselves. Doug has always known where he was and what he wanted to do. He did it for TJ. He's done for his brother what we can never seem to do for him. I don't understand him, Bud. We've given him everything, and it's never enough. What did we do wrong? Because I can't imagine what we did that was so horrible that he tried to kill himself twice and now he went off, with his brother, risking his life and Dougie's."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

bud_hammond
2012-11-10 06:47 pm UTC (link)

Bud watched as she spoke of Doug's political aptitude and he smiled, because although he'd give his son hell, he was impressed. "I'm sure he drove TJ and Travis nuts with having to watch the election returns. He would have been great as Chief of Staff. I would have loved to see someone on the Hill try to cross him."

Bud sipped the wine after clinking, "You always had good taste in wine, Sugar." He paused and added under his breath, "Good taste in everything."

"I always thought the 'finding yourself' was just an excuse people used for running away from a difficult situation. I don't know. I really don't know. I've asked myself time and time again over the years. I never really knew what you had felt when you found TJ in the garage until I found him in the club. If he wanted out of the limelight, he could've gotten out. Hired some bodyguards to keep the press away, lie low. I just don't know, Elaine. I don't know." He took a sip of the wine and rubbed his eyes, trying to prevent tears from forming.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

elaine_hammond
2012-11-10 06:59 pm UTC (link)

"Good for him. He deserved to enjoy the night and after what he's done for his brother, it was time that TJ did something for him." She looked at Bud for a moment. "Why did Marks go with them? It's been driving me crazy. He had no reason, he barely knows them. Do you think he and TJ..." She hated having to second guess everything about her son, but she never understood anything connected to him.

"Doug... he's competent, but he's not us. He can make things happen, he can make the money and votes arrive. He wouldn't have enjoyed the blackmailing and backstabbing." She laughed at his comment. "Is this where I say that I have good taste because I married you? Because if you remember, I divorced you as well."

She reached over and kissed his cheek. "He doesn't get how much we love him, and I don't know what to do to make him see it. He might be the older brother, but he was always the baby, wasn't he? Doug was mature before he even finished elementary school. Always so perfect in everything he did."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

bud_hammond
2012-11-10 08:13 pm UTC (link)

"Aye, Doug deserved it," Bud nodded his agreement and then shrugged. "I don't know why. Maybe Marks had a troubled childhood and sympathized with TJ's insane desire to go off on his own? If they are seeing each other, then I hope it is healthy," he nearly choked on the wine at his own suggestion, as if anything with TJ could be healthy.

"True, Doug has too good of a heart, I don't know how he would've handled the more ethically dubious aspects of governing. I certainly enjoyed them," he chuckled even though it was true. There was something immensely gratifying about knowing you had a Congress-asshole by the balls. He grinned. "Well, that divorce was my fault. You had good taste not to put up with an adulterous bastard after you didn't need to." He was fine with her keeping him around when it would've been politically damaging to divorce him. It made her later re-acceptance of him all the more meaningful.

Bud smiled when she kissed his check. "I think after three decades, there is nothing more we can do. If he doesn't get how much he loves us by now..."

(Reply to this) (Parent)

elaine_hammond
2012-11-10 07:36 pm UTC (link)

Elaine straightened up and stared at Bud. "Seeing each other? We were here a month, before they were off, riding into the sun set together. And at Disney, they barely talked to each other, but Marks was always staring. How is that seeing each other? How can it be healthy?"

She sighed. "He wouldn't have. That's when the President would have done her job. Or well you," she said with a smile. "There was nothing that said that you couldn't be involved after the election." In fact, Bud had been involved plenty during the election, but it had been behind the scenes and more effective that if he'd been in front of a camera. "I'm not arguing with you on that front."

Elaine leaned back again. "So what do we do now? There's no more presidency, no way to explain what happened when we go home. I've been thinking about it, but there's no way we can ever go back, even if they find a way. We're too known. Whoever is in charge will never allow us to roam free. We need to make other plans for us and the boys. And what do we do with the boys when they come back. We need to make sure they know what we're thinking about them, especially if we tell them that we can't go home ever again."

(Reply to this) (Thread)

bud_hammond
2012-11-11 04:02 pm UTC (link)

Bud didn't see he had walked into the hornet's nest before it was too late. "I don't know, I don't know." He said in almost a defensive tone. "There isn't anything we can do about it now."

Bud smiled broadly. "I was always hoping that would be the case." And he had certainly planned on all but officially being the first spouse. But it was quite nice to hear it from her. "It is just so wrong that there is no after the election anymore."

"I've been thinking the exact same things," Bud replied, because he'd be surprised if they didn't ship them off to a black ops site and dissect them, especially if they ever actually figured out they had super powers in this dimension, assuming they'd go away when they got home. "The only answer I've come up with, which admittedly isn't a plan by any stretch of the imagination, is we don't go home. But staying here isn't exactly safe either. I'm not sure traveling to yet another dimension is a good idea either. I suppose we could disappear here, get some help to fake our deaths, and retire to some small village somewhere." He made a sour face, because the very idea of being somewhere that he wasn't recognized and having to lay low for the rest of their lives was positively revolting. "As for the kids, I've no idea. Probably best for us to come up with the possible solutions first, then figure out what that means for convincing TJ and Doug."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

elaine_hammond
2012-11-11 04:16 pm UTC (link)

"You never know when it comes to the boys," she said with a sigh. "That can't happen again, not when they come back. We've made enough mistakes with them, put them second once too many times. We need to get it right." She had a feeling that they wouldn't get a third chance.

Elaine chuckled. "Hoping or counting on it?" They knew each other too well to play games with each other. They might use the wording of political games, but the intention behind it was not really there. "There's still life after, Bud. It's just... not what we planned."

Of course, Bud had been thinking the same thing. They always thought the same, even when they weren't speaking to each other. It was too easy to imagine what the other would say and do. She looked at him and snorted. "A small village? Bud, you're incapable of passing under the radar. Maybe, a different dimension, not theirs, one where they don't know about the rift and powers. Then you could be as popular as you'd want. You can run for major in some small town down South," she said, laughing, because the idea was so ridiculous and yet they didn't have much of a choice. "Doug we can convince. As long as we present our options logically, then he'll understand. TJ... I don't know, he's never responded well to logic."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

bud_hammond
2012-11-11 09:40 pm UTC (link)

"Fortunately for us, we don't really have anything we can put them second to when they come back. There is only the family's survival now." He sighed. He felt like a sports star who had received a career-ending injury.

"Planning on it," he replied with a coy smile and a shrug. "I know there's life after, Sugar. It is just a curve ball we never expected."

Bud laughed heartily at the idea of him laying low under the radar, because Elaine was right, there was no chance he'd be able to do it. "Assuming they'd even let us go to a different dimension or could get us to one." He scratched his head. This whole thing was bat shit crazy. "Maybe Doug could convince TJ. Then again if we can go to a dimension where we're not already known, it would give TJ what he's always wanted: a chance to be not famous." Bud didn't use the word he thought was more apt: a nobody.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

elaine_hammond
2012-11-11 10:25 pm UTC (link)

Elaine rolled her eyes. "I don't think that's the proper way to approach this. They are our children, Bud. Saying that we'll pay attention because we have nothing else to do won't make them trust us." She looked at him, not sure if she should be amused or upset. "You have a way of upsetting them with every word you say. We should try working on that. We can write a few speeches, sound bites, answers to possibly comments. You know just like we prepare for a debate."

She chuckled. "I'm pretty sure that there would have been an end at home. Eight more years, and then... I guess we could have started working on Doug's campaign, straight to the senate, two terms and then the White House."

Elaine smiled. "If they can't get us to another dimension, then we don't have a choice. If they can, I don't see why not. They know we're more of a liability in this military outfit of theirs." She nodded. "I guess he can." She turned her head to look at Bud. "Do you really think he wants to be an unknown? I think he enjoys the fame> He's just annoyed that it's because of us."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

bud_hammond
2012-11-13 04:39 am UTC (link)

"I didn't get elected President of the United States twice by being that transparent," he retorted. "I meant that there is nothing else for us to put before them now. I didn't mean we should tell them that." At her suggestion about preparing for a debate, he laughed and nearly choked on the wine. He loved the idea so much that he didn't even point out that she had just as much a knack for upsetting the boys. "Yes, let's do that. It'll be like old times." He smiled widely.

Bud shook his head. "I think we still would've been sought after to help on the campaign trail and in foreign affairs. Two terms in the Senate, really?" Bud shook his head. "One would be more than enough after eight years as Chief of Staff." Despite what he said, he would have been surprised if Doug made it through the entire first term as CoS, not because he doubted his son, but because he knew that the average tenure was 2.5 years. It was a grueling job and if Doug ended up having kids, then he surely would've wanted to spend time with his kids, which would be hard to do as CoS.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see," he sure wished he had his chief scientific adviser here. Bud shrugged. "I suppose that's a good point. Living in our shadows can't be easy."

(Reply to this) (Parent)

elaine_hammond
2012-11-13 02:16 am UTC (link)

"And yet your charm has never worked on the two of them," she answered, laughing. "But debated it is. We'll prepare, we'll have our standard catch phrases and we can have Mother ask us questions. She get them boys more than us. She can pretend to be them. We'll shine by the time it's over."

Elaine shrugged. "I'm trying Mother's approach to things, finding other things we're good at, finding myself. If I think about politics, there are enough things I can come up with until I die." Not that they had ever thought about life without politics. "Doug will have to find his own thing too."

She smiled. "We'll wait and see and prepare, like we always do."

(Reply to this)