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Tweak says, "You are getting sleepy....."

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.

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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).

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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."

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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."

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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."

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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.

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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."

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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..."

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