Chapter 2

The road to the White House

You'll need to read the first chapter of this story to understand this second one. Thank you for reading. The politics mentioned in this story are not necessarily my personal beliefs, what is mentioned works in this story and are meant to make it a little more life like. Ejoy:

I'd turned down the offer to run for United States Senate from Colorado in the second half of my second four year term as Governor of Colorado. I'd be term limited out as Governor, unable to run for a third term, though my approval ratings approached eighty percent within the state, even after seven years and some tough decisions.

My wife, Victoria was having a wildly successful career as Division Chief of Detectives for the Denver Police Department. I couldn't ask her to leave her fulfilling job and move to Washington, D.C. and I would not be able to bear being apart from her.

Some things began occurring during that time, though, that changed the fate of us both. More than just us, it would affect the entire United States, even the whole world.

A scandal broke in the winter of my seventh year in office. Not a scandal in the Governor's office, a scandal in the Denver Police Department. The feds had conducted a sting operation, and swept up twenty two detectives, sixty one uniformed patrol and twelve supervising officers from the Denver Police Department.

Racketeering charges, corrupt police practices and a host of bribery, lying, and cheating charges were filed. Ninety five total officers were suspended, fired or quit. The federal court dockets were filled with cases of police corruption.

Victoria had been chief of detectives and some of her officers were involved. She, herself was clean, no fingers pointed her direction, no invectives directed at her, no suspicions ever noted regarding her actions or decisions.

Victoria was, however a prime candidate for throwing under the bus, cleaning house, exonerating the Chief of Police and the Mayor, so she was asked to resign. As a supervisor, they charged that she should have had a handle on her people and when she did not, she was expendable. Heads had to roll and hers was only one of them.

About that time, it became public knowledge that President Mitt Romney and Vice President Michele Bachman had had a heated exchange in the hallways of the west wing of the White House.

Bachman was decidedly more conservative than Romney and she supposedly challenged the President on two or three major policy differences. Apparently they'd been cool towards one another for some time and the explosion between them occurred in front of staffers.

It went viral in one hour. The news of their donnybrook was the headline of the next months.

Romney was entering the cycle of his second term Presidential bid. The primaries were under way and the Democrats were eating this news and Romney for lunch.

I received an eleven PM phone call from the White House Operator, "Governor Roberts?"

"Yes." I blinked into the dark, reaching for my bedside lamp.

"One moment, sir, for the President."

"Governor, this is Mitt Romney, I'm sorry to bother you so late at night, can I have a few moments of your time?"

"Good evening, Mr. President. Of course; it is eleven here, but one AM there, isn't it, sir?" I replied. Victoria blinked at me in the brightness of the bedside lamp. "Is everything ok, sir?" I said.

"Governor, I have a situation on my hands and I need your help. By now, you've heard of the defugalties between the Vice President and me last month." He said.

"Um, yes sir, I have. It is unfortunate to be sure, Mr. President." I replied, warily.

"Scott, I'm in a tough race for reelection. Michele and I are going to part ways at the end of this term; I need a replacement for her on the ticket. My staff has done extensive research on you out there in the West, we are politically compatible, and Colorado is a swing state, you are a popular Governor, I need you on my team." He intoned.

"Scott, I am asking you to give some serious thought to becoming my running mate." President Romney told me.

"Mr. President ... I, I'm shocked, sir. I don't know what to say." I hesitated.

"No need to answer tonight, Scott. Give this some thought. I can't announce this too early anyhow, so we'll go public in July just before the convention. I have two other possibilities that I'm considering, but you are at the top of the list. I want you to seriously consider the service of your country here, Governor." The President extolled. "Will you do that?"

"Mr. President, I'll discuss this with my wife. I'll give your words serious thought. Regardless of what I decide, sir, I thank you for the generous thought and your confidence." I replied.

"You're a good man, Governor; I know we'll get along great. You have nearly two great terms in office, you have two terms as a Colorado State Senator, you are a wounded hero, and you are ready for the big leagues. The people love you out there and they'll love you all over our land." The President said.

"I won't keep you any longer tonight; let's talk again in a few days. Oh, Governor, please don't say a word to anyone about this phone call for the time being, is that ok?" He asked.

"I need to discuss this with my wife, sir. Without her on board, there is no further need to discuss anything." I said firmly.

"Of course; I wasn't talking about your family, Scott. I mean your staff or the papers or television reporters or that sort of thing. Let's keep this under our hats for the time being, with the exception of Victoria, ok?" He replied.

I was shocked that he even knew my wife's name. "Of course, thank you Mr. President. Good night, then." And I hung up the phone.

I sat there in bed, looking into the darkness of the room like a jackass staring through a gate, my mouth open, my mind frozen in the moment.

Victoria had heard my side of the conversation and much of what the President had said, she was lying right next to my head as he and I spoke, she could hear through the speaker of the receiver next to my ear.

Victoria, too, was silent. With the pressures of her job, the request for her resignation, the times were ripe for change in our lives. We were ready for change and we didn't even realize it would come seeking us.

We spoke not a word. I rolled over and kissed my beautiful wife. She returned the kiss with passion. Her need to be loved was extra keen at this difficult time, and my desire for the security of her arms was extra keen at this daunting time.

Victoria slid her thigh between my legs as we kissed; she rubbed her warm pudenda on my naked leg, moaning into my mouth, writhing in my arms. I responded to her passion with an erection hard enough to cut glass, poking her hip. I licked her lips and the roof of her mouth, my tongue dueled with hers, we exchanged moans.

She touched my hard root with her strong hand, encircling it and pumping. I smelled her great need, she asked me to stick it in and as I rolled over onto her, I let her guide me into her warm folds.

In one smooth stroke I was buried in my loving wife, she urged me on, putting her hands through my arms and at the back of my shoulders, legs splayed on either side of my torso. I pumped, grinding the top of my cock on her clitoris; she began ascending to her orgasm with increasing speed.

I bottomed out, inside her and she gasped. A stifled scream escaped her lips. She knew a loud scream would bring a Colorado State Patrolman crashing in on us, weapon at the ready. We both stifled giggles.

My Chief of Detectives and I, the Governor of Colorado, mated there in the master bedroom of the Governor's Mansion until dawn. When we had to finally pee, we disconnected and I called down to the kitchen for two bowls of fruit and a pot of coffee with two cups.

We had needed to reconnect. The pressures of both our offices, our responsibilities were great and we needed one another now more than ever. And, we always had needed one another badly.

I decided to take this Friday off, cancelling my appointments through my inter office voice mail to my staff. Victoria also called in and announced she'd not be in. Her boss, the Chief of Police called, demanded to talk to her, but we were insulated by the Governor's staff and she'd shut off her cell phone. We needed a day or two and now was the time to take it.

For, that which would follow would be daunting, indeed.

Our weekend shut away in the Governor's Mansion was spent mostly naked, mostly in bed. We did dress late on Sunday morning and walked to a Village Inn nearby for a feast of Banana Nut Pancakes, eggs, sausages, coffee and orange juice. We went incognito and nobody recognized either one of us. It was fun; occasionally we tried to get out and among the people unnoticed. We'd become pretty good at it, not getting caught even once.

There was great pressure in the air the following Monday morning as Victoria Roberts, the first lady of Colorado and the Chief of Detectives of the Denver Police Department, marched into the office of her boss.

The Federal District Attorneys were ruthless in their prosecutions of the police department. But, Victoria was without blood on her hands, she had no nervousness for herself. Those around her, many of them, did have great nervousness.

She had met with trusted colleagues, she had led an in depth investigation about the alleged corruption scandal herself, and when she entered her bosses office, she had two of her most trusted lieutenants with her.

"Chief, you are under arrest. I am placing you under arrest for corruption, accepting bribes and racketeering. Hand over your weapon and your shield, sir." Victoria said to her boss, Chief of Police Derwood Patrick.

"Detective Roberts, what the fuck are you..." he exasperated.

The two lieutenants took either arm, twisted them around behind him and cuffed him. They patted him down, removing the contents of his pockets. Victoria advised him of his constitutional rights and then dialed the Federal prosecutor from the chief's own phone, on his desk, and announced that they, the Feds, needed to come take into custody her prisoner in the matter that they were investigating.

Nobody expected this. Not the Feds, not the Mayor not the police department. Victoria is a consummate professional and she did her job. When she got wind of the corruption, she launched her investigation, privately, quietly. Not knowing who she could trust throughout the department, she only confided in her closest allies.

Her discretion, her experience and her tenacity paid off. The U.S. Department of Justice had concluded the same results as Victoria, but they were slower to act and she got the rat. She turned all her findings over to the Feds that day.

The police department was in a ruinous heap. Morale was at low ebb, the ranks were depleted because of the arrests, firings and resignations, and those left to carry the load were overburdened.

Victoria held a meeting of the Denver Police Department Protective Services Association, as acting Police Chief. She spoke to the officers and asked for their cooperation while the sorting out took place. Many of those men and women were her peers and had backed her up, or she they at one time or another. As usual, they only had each other in their jobs. They'd make do.

The mayor asked Victoria to assume the Chief of Police Position as permanent Chief.

Without even thinking for a moment, she replied, "No, sir. I am not interested at all. I'll tender my resignation to you right now, effective one year from today. Until then, I'll serve as your acting Chief. If you find one sooner, my resignation will be effective then." Handing him her letter, she turned and walked away from the mayor of Denver at that.

Victoria had been betrayed. Betrayed by the mayor, the chief and those in a position to do what was best for the department. But, now, Victoria had other fish to fry. Her husband may become the Vice President of the United States. He would need her and she intended to be there for him. It was time for a break. It was time.

The Colorado Governor's office had received requests from the national media to speak to the growing swell of support for Scott Roberts to join President Romney's reelection quest. Not having decided and not having heard further from Romney, Governor Roberts refused all questions about the subject.

It was April, already, and the rift between the President and Vice President was growing. The party needed a healing force if it was going to remain in power.

Governor Roberts had held off answering President Romney. The President was becoming increasingly vulnerable to the hard right, and the left was always there firing their missives. Romney had finally asked Roberts again, pleaded with him, to accept the invitation to run for Vice President.

Victoria encouraged her husband to follow his conscience. She advised him that she was with him, whatever his decision. She let him know that she'd be free from her responsibilities at Denver PD no later than February the following year, just after inauguration. She offered to be his sounding board, and they often spent the evening or all day on a weekend talking about all the possibilities, liabilities and challenges.

Finally, "This is Governor Roberts of Colorado to speak to the President, please." Scott told the White House operator. There was but a few seconds of silence on the line.

And, then; "Governor, how are you. I am so glad to hear from you, do you have news for me?" The President spoke.

"Mr. President, it is wonderful to speak to you again also, sir. I do have news. Sir, if your offer still holds, I'd be proud to join your ticket as your running mate in November, for your second term as President of the United States as your Vice President."

"Thank God. Scott that is the best news I've had recently. I'll dispatch a team from the campaign to come to Denver and bring you up to speed on what is happening. I'd like for you to field some of those questions from the press. The team will discuss all this with you. We can announce together from the steps of the Denver Capitol next month, in June if you'd like." The President spoke breathlessly, obviously greatly relieved and excited.

"Very well, sir; but I thought you said we'd announce in July. This will really change my life right away," Scott laughed.

"The alligators smell blood in the water, Governor, I need reinforcements. You'll be a great help." The President confided.

There was great celebration in Colorado and on the steps of the Colorado State Capitol building that day in June when President Romney and Governor Roberts along with Ann and Victoria announced that the Governor would join the Republican ticket.

Victoria and Scott celebrated quietly that night. "Remember finding me in a puddle of vomit, my pants full of poop, my life in confusion, Vic? You, single handedly brought me out of the depths of defeat and destruction. Whatever is to be, you are the catalyst. Have I told you how much I love you, lately?" Scott asked Victoria as they sat on a porch swing quietly rocking back in forth embracing one another in the the West Garden of the Governor's Mansion.

She didn't answer, just nuzzled into her husband's chest and increased her hug around his middle as they sat in the swing. She smiled to herself, full of satisfaction, happy that she'd done the things she did to encourage him.

He'd become her strength as well. For her, he was unlike any other man. He fulfilled her in a way others would not dream to do.

The Democrats selected Hillary Clinton as their Presidential Candidate and Diane Feinstein as Candidate for Vice President.

President Romney and Governor Roberts both thought the Democrats made a tactical error in judgment in doing that. They were right, as it turned out.

Governor Scott Roberts was sworn in as Vice President of the United States of America on January 20th, Victoria holding their Bible for him to swear his oath of office onto.

Romney/Roberts had swept to victory with a 54/45 margin over the Democrats. 1% went to 'others.' The Senate of the US was split 54/45 Republicans in majority with one Independent in residency. The US House of Representatives was split 225/206, plus 4 independents, also a 54/45 % split Republicans over Democrats. The country was divided exactly the same in these three areas of Government.

The mandate to govern was solid, though slim. The road would be rocky and fraught with battles over policy.

Victoria flew back to Denver after the inauguration ceremonies, resuming her duties as acting Chief of Police for three more weeks.

The court cases against the ninety some officers hadn't gone well for the government over the past eleven months. Most of the available damning evidence pointed to the ex-chief of police and two of his deputies, and was exculpatory for most of the other officers accused. Some minor offenses were reported and acknowledged, but nothing as criminal, nothing as sinister as initially undertaken and accused by the Federal authorities.

Reputations were destroyed, careers ruined and a whole city and state uprooted without just cause. It seemed political in nature as Romney and Roberts looked back upon it, with the Democrats in the Department of Justice trying to discredit Roberts before he even was up for office. They'd anticipated Romney's choice well, but the culpability just wasn't there. As it turned out, there wasn't enough dirt to fill in a grave in the department, except the Chief and two of his cohorts.

President Romney directed his Attorney General to appoint a Special Prosecutor to look into allegations of wrongdoing against the Dept. of Justice, itself. What a nest of wasps, indeed.

Victoria was begged by the Mayor and City Council to stay on as Chief of Police. She declined, absolutely, and left her office vacant, without a replacement on the date that she had noted in her initial letter of resignation, one year earlier. She finished her business in Denver and moved to Washington, D.C. to be with her husband, the Vice President.

Denver Police Department finally hired a veteran of its' own ranks. He was recommended to the Mayor and council by Victoria before she departed and was one of the two men who had been with her that day that the previous Chief was arrested.

President Romney was being hounded day and night by the loyal Democratic opposition. The liberal press was in a full court press against him and he seemed paralyzed to act. Day after day week after week they carried unflattering stories and biased criticisms of the administration policies. Fair and balanced were not the order of the day for the media hounds.

The President asked the Vice President to breakfast every Wednesday morning. They cleared their calendars for two hours and spent those hours in communion with one another, talking candidly about the issues of the day.

It was July of the second year in office, in that second Romney term. The day was warm and humid, the President and Vice President were on the portico, having soft boiled eggs and Canadian bacon with hash browns and wheat toast, served with orange marmalade and coffee.