Chapter 1

Roberta died in surgery. This shook up the President and she paid a visit to her parents and awarded them the Presidential Medal of Freedom a week later in a ceremony at the White House. Roberta's fiancee took the shooting badly and had to be institutionalized. Gabrielle saw to it that Roberta's parents would receive Roberta's pay for the next year.

With Inauguration Day quickly approaching, Chris became paranoid about his wife out in the cold protected by a bulletproof shelter as she would deliver her Inauguration address to the country. Little did he know at the time that the Secret Service had the protective booth heated. She would be warmer than anyone out there. She decided to slap PETA in the face and wear her black sable fur to the affair. Gabrielle could be downright ornery if she set her mind to it. PETA was one organization that she disliked the most.

The whole affair went off without a hitch. Her thirty-eight minute speech was considered good by many of the media. They pointed out she did not touch the growing histilities between China and Japan. Korea had been united twenty years before and now they felt they were being squeezed from both sides to back them up diplomatically. They tried the neutrality bit but neither side accepted this. This would prove to be one of her most distressing episodes of her entire presidency.

"Don't you ever get tired of strawberry yogurt, raisin toast and green tea for breakfast?" Chris asked Gabrielle as they ate their morning meal in a small dining room just off their bedroom. He was downing egg beaters that were made into a small omelet, a slice of ham, hash browns, toast and coffee.

"No," Gabrielle replied. "It's healthy and I don't feel full."

"But seven days a week," he mildly complained.

"Look at it this way, darling. Dogs eat the same old dry dog food twice a day. Day in day out. They just want their bellies full and the way most wolf it down they don't have the chance to enjoy the taste."

"Well you're not a dog."

"If I were, I'd be a shih-tsu. You would be a rottweiler or pit bull," she laughed at her sense of humor.

"I'd rather be an old english sheepdog. Big enough so other dogs would think twice before attacking me."

"Nice doggy, nice doggy," she ran her small hand through his hair.

"How's the tournament going?" she asked Matt on her way to the Oval Office.

"Hey Runt, how are you doing?" Matt asked. He had looked around to make sure no one was around to hear him. Secret Service Agents didn't count. "Illinois won so they're in the sweet sixteen. De Paul, who shouldn't be in this tourney, got plastered by Georgetown."

"Well we'll have to hope Illinois wins it," she walked on. She liked her brothers calling her Runt when no one was around. It made her feel like she was back in her home again. Her father, Jeff, had died almost two years ago leaving Peg to live alone in that large house. She was under protection but Gabrielle told her if any agent didn't talk to her, don't complain. Their job was to protect, not babysit. So Peg worked at the church as much as she could just to keep busy. Chris provided her with five hundred dollars a month to make sure she didn't have to worry about living. That, her social security, and her late husband's social security gave her enough to be comfortable. Chris also paid her property taxes, insurance, and any unforeseen expenses that might drift her way.

She reached her office looking as attractive as ever. Pewter satin blouse, black knee length skirt, and black high heels. She kicked the shoes into the corner near the flag, and sat down. "Good morning ladies and gentlemen please be seat." They sat in a semi circle not able to put their hands except in their laps. "The reason I wanted you here this morning is that I'm paring down the cabinet from sixteen to ten..."

There was mumbling coming from most.

"I'll find you all jobs if you are removed from the cabinet. And I'm going to combine two into one. I'm sorry if I throw a double work load on some of you but some of these positions overlap. First off, I'm combining Agriculture with Interior. I may have to split that back later if things do not work out. Labor with Commerce. That's a must. Energy with Transportation. I am eliminating Urban Development, and I'm combining Veteran Affairs, Veteran will go with Defense. Questions!

Gabrielle was bombarded with an overload of inquiries from cabinet members who saw their positions of importance fly right out the window. Yes, she promised them jobs! But where? Doing what? How much of a pay cut would they have to take?

"What kind of a job do you have in mind?" a woman that Gabrielle had trouble recalling her name, asked

"State and agriculture have many openings. It's upper management and the pay cut is minimal. I want all of your resignations on my desk this afternoons then I'll hire you back as I see fit. If you aren't selected for the cabinet, you will be offered other work. If you don't like what you are offered, I will write a glowing reference if you choose to work outside the government. So let me thank you for all your wonderful service you have given us." With that, the President stood up and walked quickly out of the room only allowing the one question.