The Oval Office ✓ (Book One)

Chapter Seven

"I would like you to be my replacement. You may only have ten years of active duty experience but you put yourself through more education than any other other normal human on the planet and solved cases that nobody else would've gotten."

I get up and close the door. "Sir, I can't be your replacement."

"Why not?" He shrugs his shoulders. "Between us, most of the fbi isn't worth a damn compared to you."

"My husband is running for president in 2020. It would look like too much of a conflict of interest to the American people."

"Ahh- Senator Wells." He chuckles. "It's not like an independent even has a chance of winning the presidency. Come on, I know you want my job."

"I do." I nod. "But some adventures are more important than others- and I'd rather be the First Lady."

"Lauren, you and I both know that's not true. We've worked together for five years. And Seriously- this is everything you've worked for for fifteen years. Why are you throwing it all away for a mans dreams?"

"I'm not throwing anything away for anybody! Does the first lady's position mean nothing to you?"

"No, not really. You could be the president. It's about damn time we have a female one."

"I'm not a politician." I shake my head. "And didn't you just ask me to be your replacement?"

"Being the director of the FBI would put you one step closer to the presidency."

"Roberts, no. That is my final answer." At home, things are a little more peaceful.

"How was your day?" Kyle asks, pulling his shoes off as he gives me a light kiss.

"I Uhm.. I got asked to be the director of the fbi." I say.

"What?! Oh my god that amazing you... didn't say yes?" He reads my facial expression.

"I couldn't. It would be a conflict of interest."

"Then I'll drop out of the race." He replies, completely serious.

"No. Absolutely not." I sigh. "I won't allow it."

"Lauren, my dreams can wait. All I really care about is yours."

"I've worked on highly classified cases that even you, a senator, don't have access to for the past nine years. Mine have already happened- now it's just time for the next one."

"Okay."

"Okay."

—————-

"Lauren-" Kyle lightly shakes me awake. "Lauren, your phone." I look at my screen, and it's the call I've been dreading for weeks.

"Excuse me for a minute." I say.

"Is something wrong-"

"Nope. Nothing, I'm fine." I quickly run outside and close the door. Of course the clinic had to pick tonight of all nights to call me.

"Hello?" I reluctantly pick up.

"Hi Ms.Wells! This is Jamie from the lab calling about your test results."

"Spill it." I say. "How bad?"

"The tumor we sampled from your left ovary was malignant. Bad news- we're going to have to remove it, the ovary, and the left tube. Good news- you will still be able to have children naturally, it'll just be.. even... harder than usual, but because the cancer is contained and in the very early stages you won't have to do chemo."

"So I have.. I have cancer?"

"Kind of."

"What the- What the fuck do you mean kind of?"

" I mean you're lucky to have caught it so early on. You've got about a ninety nine percent chance of survival- I'll go ahead and schedule the surgery for you if you'd like, it'd be best to do it as soon as possible."

"Can it wait a couple of days?"

"Yes, but preferably no longer than that. You risk having to do chemo if you wait too long."

"Th-Thank you. " I hang up before I start crying. Inside, I hear sudden cheers of celebration , but all I can do is slide down the wall I'm leaning against, frozen in shock. It shouldn't be that much of a shock, I've been having pain for years- I think hearing it from a medical professional is just different.

  "I guess I owe you twenty dollars-" Kyle opens the door, but his victory face falls when he sees me staring into space. "Oh god it came back positive?"

  I nod, explaining everything to him.

  "We can get you the best surgeon in the country. I promise you-"

  "It's not fair, though. I get the best surgeon in the country because I'm the next First Lady and a mother somewhere looses her son to fucking medical error?"

  "That's one of the first things I'm going to change.. do. Well, the second."

  "What's the first?"

"Restoring equality in this country."

———Nine years ago—-

"For fucks sake Kyle, you're a part of the community, why aren't you trying harder to help them?!"

"I introduced and wrote the LGBTQ protections act I don't know what more you want me to do-"

"Convince them."

"The senate is a bunch of racist, homophobic fuckfaces. I can't convince geriatric boomers to pass a law for people that they don't relate to. Lauren, I tried. If you think they can be convinced maybe you should run for my senate seat."

"I'm not the politician. I have zero political experience and I happen to like my job."

"Oh yeah- must be great getting the presidential medal of honor from he who shall not be named."

"Okay, that's not fair. I saved seven thousand people from another 9/11. So you're damn right I accepted that medal!"

"From the greatest threat to human rights in modern history- from somebody whose a single step away from a dictator."

"Well, I guess we have different opinions then." I bite my lip.

"Yeah, I guess so."