Alien in the House

that they should have been, either.”
    “Not to worry. I took video of the entire event. I also had three other
World Weekly News
cameramen with me, so if one video didn’t come out right, the others will.”
    “MJO, you rock the awesomeness. It won’t make up for no pictures of them with Jeff, though.”
    “We all have sacrifices to make. Speaking of which, pictures and sacrifices both, I believe you’re up.” Oliver escorted me to Jeff and the next round of Picture Frenzy started. After fifteen minutes I hoped my smile didn’t look too fake or plastered on. After another fifteen minutes I didn’t care if it looked fake—I was far more worried that I’d never be able to close my mouth again.
    But finally it ended. The Speaker gave Jeff a stack of bills, with instructions to read them all, because they were going to be going to vote in the first week of January.
    “Should have brought a briefcase,” Jeff said as we and our ever-growing entourage left the Speaker’s office.
    “I left it at home, sorry.”
    Chuckie joined us, Cliff in tow. “Nicely done.”
    “Went well,” Cliff agreed. “So, how are you guys getting home? You can’t go the same way you came.”
    This was true. We had a lot of people with us now, and more than that, we had a lot of reporters around.
    “We’ll call for the limos.” Of course, our drivers were here with us or out hunting for Colonel Hamlin. “Or, you know, maybe not.”
    Jeff took my coat from Len and helped me into it. “We’ll take a cab. Well, a fleet of cabs,” he added with a laugh as he put his coat and hat on.
    Managed not to say that he should have worn the hat and trench while being sworn in, too. This look didn’t need to be shared with the world—this look belonged to
me
, and I was going to be both extravagant in its use and miserly in who else got to enjoy it. “I’m a little nervous about being outside, Jeff.”
    “Who can blame you?” Cliff asked. “I drove over here. Why don’t I drop at least the two of you and Chuck at the Embassy?” He grinned. “Besides, I just got a new car and I really want to show it off.”
    “Well, how can we refuse an offer like that?” Jeff asked. “But what about everyone else?”
    Chuckie shrugged. “If you leave,” he said quietly, “the interesting person leaves, the rest can go home by more mundane means.”
    Oliver was near us and he nodded. “I and the rest will follow the four of you. Guaranteed.”
    “Then that’s the plan,” Cliff said. “If that’s okay with you, Congressman.”
    Jeff shook his head. “Jeff, unless we have to be formal for some reason now.”
    “Nope, just teasing you. You ready to go?”
    “Let me tell the others what we’re doing first.” Extracted myself and went to Gower, who was the closest. Explained the plan. “So, once we’re gone, you can get everyone else home.”
    “Sounds like a good plan, Kitty.” He hugged me. “Thanks for handling the situation on the Floor.”
    “Oh, I figured you’d win eventually, but why waste everyone’s time and your patience? Are you going to the Embassy or to your Residence?”
    “Residence. I want to make sure everyone’s fine there.” He grinned. “And Uncles Paul and James want a little Jamie-Katt time.”
    “You had her last night.”
    “Not really. By the time we got home, all the kids were in bed and had been for hours. I’d offer to keep her overnight with us again, but I’d imagine you two would like to see your daughter.”
    “Yeah. Should we have had her here?”
    “No,” Reader said as he joined us. “Unless you were desperate for a photo op.”
    “We absolutely were not. I’m just feeling guilty about us not having everyone here.”
    Gower shook his head. “Everyone for us means
everyone
. We care about that for weddings much more than for appointments like this.”
    “Okay, I’ll trust you on that one. What are we going to do about Vance and the Brewers?”
    “Escort them home, unless you want them back at the Embassy,” Reader said.
    “I don’t know. Jeff just got assigned homework by the Speaker of the House and I’m feeling tired from the last couple of days. But I think we need to have guards on them, Edmund Brewer in particular.”
    “We’ll handle it,” Reader said. “You get going, your ride looks impatient.”
    Cliff didn’t actually look impatient, but I could tell that he, Chuckie, and Jeff were ready to go. I hurried over to Vance and the Brewers. “I think Jeff