A Happy Ending

Part 1

Kendra and Mike ran into the Oval Office one after the other. They burst through the doors with an urgency that startled everyone in it.

"Sir, it's Emily. She's been... She's been shot" Kendra explained anxiously, only just starting to get her breath back. She ended her sentence by looking at Aaron.

It should have been her.

"What?!" Aaron exclaimed, standing immediately.

He was in the Oval Office with the President, Seth and Lyor, discussing what their next move would be. The Kirkman kids were there too, although not participating in the conversation evidently, because the President wanted to spend as much time with them as possible before they went to Aruba.

He couldn't believe Emily had been shot. Her of all people. The kindest, sweetest, yet most headstrong woman he knew.

And his girlfriend.

Tom's face dropped immediately. He felt his heart race. He couldn't help but glance at his kids. Penny had laced her hand in Leo's and both of them looked as worried as he must have.

Then he glanced to Aaron. It wasn't broadcasted for the world to see but he and everyone close to them knew that Aaron and Emily were together, their relationship blossoming.

He glanced back at his kids.

After all that Leo and Penny had been through, he really hoped that this situation wouldn't end badly. They couldn't lose someone else close to them.

Emily was one of his oldest friends. His confidante. Leo and Penny's friend, basically an aunt.

She had been with him through it all, from when he was Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, until now. Almost 2 years into his presidency.

"Sir, I just got word that the bullet hit her arm, through and through. Secret Service took out the sniper, identifying him now. They're taking her to the hospital now" Mike added, holding his earpiece.

"Dad, can we come?" Penny asked gently, worriedly, stopping him in his tracks as he had moved to exit the office. Leo looked down at his little sister and then back up at his dad. It was a pleading look. He knew it was probably a bad idea, but he was with his sister on this one. Emily was close to them, they wanted to be there.

Tom looked at Mike. He nodded understandingly.

"Let's go" he gestured towards his children, who followed Mike and him out of the room. The rest of them exited after them, piling into their respective Secret Service details and heading over to the hospital.

They were met with a quiet hospital wing, with the exception of some nurses and doctors and the Secret Service officers who had been with Emily and the ones that had come with them.

One nurse jumped into action, directing them down the hall and around a corner to Emily's room. They piled into her room one after the other following the President and sighed with relief when they saw that she was not in terrible shape. She'd been sitting over the edge of her bed, phone in hand, waiting.

She was surprised but also not to see Penny and Leo pop out from behind their father, dithering by his side. Aaron was next in, immediately swooping in to sit by her.

He had to remain calm – whether that meant professional he couldn't decide – so he settled for taking her free hand in his. The other arm, the one which the bullet had hit, was wrapped up in a cast. Besides that and a small cut on her right temple, she seemed in decent shape.

She offered Aaron a small smile, leaning her head on his shoulder for a short second before straightening back up again.

The President was the first to speak.