Chapter Text
"Elizabeth, calm down. It's just an interview, you've had like a million interviews." Henry said rubbing her shoulder while the makeup team finished up the final details.
She was currently under harsh lights in the news studio. Sitting across the desk from her was Celine Monat, a world renowned interviewer and journalist. Russel had to get the best of the best when it comes to things like this. The downside to that is this time it wasn't about work. She's dug into her personal life. Her relationship, her kids, and her parents.
"Yeah, I know. I just... I've never had an interview solely about my family. It's always about foreign policies and budgets. She's gonna ask about you and the kids." Elizabeth whispered into his ear.
"Daisy has already briefed you on what she's pretty sure she's going to ask. You'll be fine."
"Henry, Celine is the best journalist in the country, I'm sure she's dug up something Daisy didn't think of."
"You'll be okay. Looking nervous will only make it worse," he kissed her forehead and gave her one last pat on the shoulder, "good luck, I love you." He got up and took his seat out of view of the camera."
She shook hands with Celine and heard the producer start talking, "Rolling in 3...2...1..."
"Hello, I'm Celine Monat and I am joined today by Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord. Thank you for being here today."
"Thank you for having me."
"I know we are jumping right into the hard stuff, but would you mind talking about your parents?"
"No, of course. My mom was a stay at home mother, she was very strict, but was always there for my brother and I. My father was from a wealthy family, but he still worked harder than anyone I have ever met. They were amazing people. Um.. when I was fifteen my parents and my brother went to get ice cream and I stayed home to study. My father lost control of the car, and they were killed on the scene. My brother sustained a broken leg, and had over 50 stitches."
"Who did you live with after their passing?"
"We spent the summers with my grandparents and then we went to boarding school the rest of the year. My grandparents died when I was a freshman at UVA. So I gained custody of Will, and he stayed with me during holidays and summer break."
"So you were what? 18? And suddenly you are a full time student and essentially a mother to your 15 year old brother?"
"Yes. He was a pretty good kid. We both grew up pretty quick, so there wasn't really much mothering. Just making sure he had enough money on his food card, and he wasn't completely failing every single class he was in. But he is incredibly intelligent, and is a surgeon now. So I was mostly there for advice and support when he needed it."
"Wow. That's incredible. You also met your husband Henry at UVA, correct?"
"Yes I did."
"How did you guys start a relationship?"
"We were in a class together and one day after class he asked me to dinner." Elizabeth smiled at the memory, "and the rest is history."
"Now, there is some things about your relationship in college I would like to bring up."
"Um okay." Elizabeth shared a confused glance with Henry who was sitting behind the camera. He also looked confused.
"It says here in your junior year you took an entire semester off?" The interviewer asked. Elizabeth's face dropped.
"I... yes I did." She glanced at Henry and all he wanted to do was get up and comfort her, but he knew he couldn't.
"Can you explain?" The interviewer asked, obviously knowing more than she was letting on.
"I had some health issues." She was twiddling her rings on her finger.
"Can you elaborate some Madam Secretary?" Celine pried, determined to get her to talk.
"I had just found I was pregnant." Elizabeth finally admitted.
"You've never spoken publicly about what you went through, have you?"
"Um-I'm... No I haven't." Of course she hadn't. Her kids didn't even know. She would have to tell them the full story when she got home before this aired tomorrow. Of all the things she was worried about her bringing up, this was for sure not one of them. She would have to explain this to her staff, to Russel, and to Conrad.
"Do you mind sharing some of your story?"
"I had um just turned twenty and I had been sick for a few weeks. I told Henry and he and I both agreed I should go to the doctor. She told me I was eight weeks pregnant. I decided then that I would take the next semester off to stay home with the baby. It was just the start of the first semester, so if I took the second one off I could rest the last couple of months of my pregnancy, and it would work out fine. I was financially stable and I wasn't living on campus, Henry and I had our own apartment. I told my brother, of course being a 17 year old boy he tried to act like it wasn't a big deal, but Henry and I knew he was excited. Will came to see me when I was around 19 weeks and we found out it was little boy. I went from nervous and confused to nervous and excited. I went into labor and the doctor told us he was in distress, and the next thing I knew he was out, but he wasn't crying. They tried to save him, but he was already gone." Elizabeth wiped the tears that had spilled on her cheeks.
"Thank you for sharing something so deep and personal. I'm sure it will help other couples out there going through something similar to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel."
"It sticks with you for sure, but now I have 3 healthy beautiful kids, and I couldn't be happier with how they turned out. Sure, we argue, but what family doesn't? They are incredible. Even though losing our son was terrible, it made Henry and I's relationship so much stronger."
The rest of the interview went by pretty smoothly, nothing that she wasn't expecting. Some things about her work with the company and her friendship with Dalton. The second the producer yelled cut, Henry collected Elizabeth in his arms, and pressed multiple kisses on her head.
"I'm so proud of you." He said as they walked towards her motorcade.
"I think there is somewhere we need to go." And immediately he realized where she was talking about. He told the driver where to go, and they silently held hands the whole ride. Once they arrived, her detail opened the door, and followed Henry and Elizabeth at a distance.
Then they arrived at the spot. A beautiful headstone with the words Carter Ryan McCord
The only thing there was the artificial flowers that Henry had left on Carter's last birthday, Elizabeth had only been here a handful of times in the past 30 years. It was just too painful. But Henry came every year on his birthday without fail. They just stood there holding hands until Elizabeth finally broke the silence.
"Remember when I was around eight months along, we were in bed and he kicked my bladder so hard I peed myself?" She said giggling.
"Yeah I do remember. I had to clean it up because you cried for an hour. All you kept saying was you were tired of being pregnant and just wanted him out so you could snuggle him." He said also giggling.
"If only we had known what was going to happen. Then I was annoyed with the kicks and the backaches, but know I'm thankful. At least we got that time with him." She said, silent tears rolling down her face.
"He was so cute. He had your blonde hair, my nose, and those big pouty lips. I need to find that picture the nurse took of you and him." He said, tears rolling down his face as well.
"I wish the kids would have been able to meet him."
"Me too babe. Me too."
"We need to go home and tell them before the press gets a hold of it. I know the interview doesn't air until tomorrow, but all it takes is one camera man or producer to sell it to a magazine. It will spread like wild fire."
"Okay. I'll text them and make sure they are all home." Henry said, as they walked back towards the motorcade.
They walked into their front door and immediately Elizabeth headed towards the stairs and into their bedroom. Leaving Henry in the living room confused. All three kids were sitting on the couch staring at their dad.
"I thought you said you and mom needed to talk to us?" Allison said confused.
"Yeah we do, I'm sure your mom will be back down in a second noodle." Henry replied and sure enough, Elizabeth was already walking down the stairs with a box in her hands. She sat the box on the coffee table, and sat next to Henry.
"Um. So today I did a personal interview and I told them some things about your father and I's past." She nudged Henry, letting him know she wanted him to tell the story.
"Your mom was twenty, and I was twenty-one. We had just moved in together and were getting really close. Your mom had custody of your uncle and was under a lot of stress, so when she missed her period, we didn't immediately freak out. Then when she started getting sick in the morning we decided she needed to go to the doctor. They told us she was 8 weeks pregnant," he reached into the box full of Carter memorabilia and pulled out the first ultrasound and handed it to Stevie,"we told Will and he was so excited he started crying tears of happiness on the phone. Then I called by mom and dad. They were worried about our age, and all Maureen wanted us to do was get married. We were perfectly happy just being in love with each other though." He said smiling, and nudging Elizabeth to continue on with the story.
"Your uncle Will came and visited when I was about twenty weeks and the three of us went to the doctor and found out it was a boy," she reached into the box and pulled out another ultrasound, it had 'It's a Boy!' printed across it, "Everything after that went smoothly with pregnancy until I went into labor. It was only a week before my due date, so I didn't suspect anything. I did what all the doctors told me to do. I bounced on the ball, I took a long walk, and I took a warm bath. When the contractions were 5 minutes apart I went into the hospital. They hooked me up to the monitor and told me to start pushing. All I remember is them saying they had to get him out and the pain. Before I knew it he was out and the doctors were trying to do CPR, and their faces. They cleaned him up and asked Henry and I if there was an outfit we wanted to put him in. Your dad had picked out this little onesie that said, 'future marine,'" Elizabeth reached into the box and pulled out said onesie and handed it to the girls,"and they dressed him in it and we held him. One of the nurses was nice enough to get his footprints and a few pictures." She said digging them out of the box.
She looked down at the one Henry was talking about earlier. She looked so young, and then it hit her. She was younger than Stevie and only a year older than Alison when all of this happened. She handed all of the pictures to her kids and waited for their response.
"He was beautiful mom." Stevie said tearfully.
"What was his name?" Jason asked.
"Carter Ryan McCord." Henry replied.
"You were so young. I can't imagine what that must of been like." Alison said, barely above a whisper.
"It was hard. Will came back from school for the burial. It was just the three of us. I didn't want a big funeral, so your dad asked for his parents and siblings not to come." Elizabeth said wistfully.
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Jason asked.
"I just wasn't ready." Elizabeth replied.
"Thank you for sharing him with us now. He was perfect." Stevie replied, getting up and pretty much sitting in her mothers lap.
"I think this calls for a McCord family movie night!" Henry said.
The whole family spent the night huddled up watching some movie they had seen a million times before, but Elizabeth wouldn't have it any other way.
It was the next morning and Elizabeth was sitting in her office with her staff. The Tv had been moved in there for the staff to watch her interview all together.
"So this interview got really deep and I shared some really personal stuff. I just don't you all to be surprised." Elizabeth said, taking her place on the couch.
"Of course ma'am." Kat replied nonchalantly.
They all ooh-and-awwed at Elizabeth's story of her and Henry, but Elizabeth was just waiting for the inevitable bomb to drop.
Then it did.
Everyone had tears in their eyes, especially the new mom Daisy.
After the interview was over everyone turned to look at their boss to hopefully get some answers on what in the hell they just watched.
"Well there's that guys, I think we have some actual work to do." Elizabeth said, hoping to change the subject.
"Um, yes ma'am." Kat replied, and everyone left. Except for Blake and Daisy.
Daisy didn't say anything, she just took her boss by surprise and pulled her into a hug. With that she left, but Blake stayed behind.
"September 17th." Was all Blake said.
"Hmm?" Elizabeth replied.
"That's the baby's birthday isn't?"
"How did you know?" She asked, completely dumbfounded.
"You somehow are sick every year on that day, and you act all weird leading up to it."
"You are way too observant for your own good." She said giggling. He was about to walk out when his boss grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him into a tight hug. "Thank you for all you do Blake, and his name was Carter." With that he left and she was left alone.
Her little secret may not be a secret anymore, but that was okay. Her life was wonderful, and she couldn't be more grateful.