Chapter 48

Air Force 1 slowly pulled up to the terminal at Philadelphia International Airport. The steps were pulled up to the specially equipped Boeing 747, the door seals were cracked, and the door opened. The public had been held behind police barricades about 200 yards from the scene of the welcome home ceremony for Kathleen Lehrer on her first trip back to Philadelphia as President. The Secret Service and police presence was extremely visible for the President's first real public appearance since the assassination attempt. Those in charge of security were not going to take any chances of a repeat.

President Lehrer was greeted by Governor Bruce Billingham, her former boss when she was Pennsylvania Secretary of Education, and by the Mayor of Philadelphia, who two and a half years earlier had been reelected in the largest landslide in city history. The three of them then walked to the podium where the President was greeted with loud and sustained applause by the 500 invited guests, who all had to go through metal detectors and hand held scanners before they were permitted to go within the police barricades.

The Mayor approached the microphone first. "Ladies and gentlemen. Today is a homecoming for a Philadelphia woman of whom we can all be proud. Not only has she taken over control of our federal government during its worst crisis ever, but she has begun the long, arduous task of turning this great nation around."

"Kathleen Lehrer is one of the most courageous people I have ever had the honor of meeting. And to think that she came from this great city!" Applause swept through the crowd.

"It seems hard to believe that it has been less than two months since she ascended to the Presidency when everyone ahead of her in the line of succession had been killed in the Capitol bombing. So much has happened since then, that it is unbelievable. Kathleen Lehrer's first hundred days will go into history as the most momentous in our country's history, surpassing even Franklin Roosevelt's. And to think that she came from this great city!" Applause again swept through the crowd.

"It is now my pleasure to introduce the Governor of Pennsylvania, who will introduce the President. I present to you Governor Bruce Billingham."

The Governor was greeted with a round of applause and stepped to the microphone.

"When I first interviewed Kathy Lehrer to be my Secretary of Education, I knew that in her I would have a very intelligent, hard working woman who was going places and would accomplish great things. Little did I know that Kathy Lehrer would end up as our President during our worst crises ever and would see us through them." Applause broke out again.

"I remember the first time I saw Kathy Lehrer after she became President. It was at a luncheon she had for the governors the Saturday after the Capitol bombing. She had been President for just over 24 hours, and in just that short period of time she had taken control of what was left of the government and was beginning to get a grasp on the problems she would face and would start to address. You knew that with everything that had happened, she had not had the chance to get much sleep, yet she was completely calm and in control of the whole situation. Kathy Lehrer was in command of the situation and everyone in the room knew it. It wasn't because she went around the room shouting that 'I'm in charge'. She didn't because she didn't have to."

"Kathy Lehrer did what any good leader would do. She listened, taking notes on what people said, contributing her views when it was appropriate. If she agreed with you, she let you know, and if she disagreed, she let you know that as well."

"I think the perfect example of that was a discussion about holding off on the congressional elections until after a Constitutional Convention was held. She strongly disagreed because she felt that it was vital that this country had a Congress that would be able to confirm her Cabinet and Vice President so there would be a legal successor to her should something happen to her. Fortunately, she prevailed, and the wisdom behind her decision became apparent the following week with the assassination attempt against her. She saw the very real possibility that someone could try to kill her, which would leave this country without a legitimate President. This could have resulted in complete chaos, which we do not need. Since the assassination attempt, I have noticed that there haven't been any more calls for a Constitutional Convention, although I would not be surprised if this issue came before the new Congress."

"Anyway, I have gone on too long. It is my distinct pleasure and honor to introduce to you our hometown hero, a woman of great courage and intellect, the woman I would be most comfortable steering us through the shoals of the crises that we face as a country, a woman of extremely clear vision about what this country can once again accomplish, President Kathleen Lehrer!"

The crowd rose and gave the President a ten minute standing ovation. The smiling President walked to the podium with the Presidential Seal on it.

"I don't know," she said shaking her head. "With people such as the Mayor and the Governor saying such nice things about me and this kind of reception from you, I guess I'm going to have to come home more often!" The crowd went nuts.

"Today is a very important day in the history of our country. Today is the day we are going to elect a new Congress that will help me rebuild our government and begin to resolve the many problems we face. I am urging everyone to go out to the polls today and vote for the candidates of his or her choice. I hope you will vote for people of both parties that will support my efforts to reform our government and our economy, and not those who will just try to obstruct our efforts to accomplish our goals." The audience applauded.

"Over the past twenty five years, we have been through some rough times that have made some people in this country say that we are a declining power. We have faced a number of challenges in the past, we are facing challenges to us now, and we will continue to face challenges in the future. How we meet these challenges will determine whether we can remain a superpower. I feel that we can do it. But we must work together!" The audience applauded again.

"By working together, we can accomplish great things. In order to do that, I need a Congress that will help me to change the things we need to change in order to once again make this country as great as it can be."

"After this election, your job will not be finished. It will just be beginning. I will need your continued help to keep us going in the right direction. You need to stay involved, keep informed about issues, and contact your Representatives and Senators to let them know how you feel about the issues of the day. I need you to write to me at the White House to let me know how you feel about the job I'm doing. I am only human, and I make mistakes too. I try to learn from my mistakes so I won't make the same mistake in the future. If you feel I've done something wrong, or something you don't agree with, please let me know. If you have an idea that might help me resolve a problem in this country, please let me know. It's possible that it's something that neither my advisers nor I had thought of, and it could be the solution that we had been pounding our heads trying to find. So, your jobs as citizens of this great country are just beginning."

"Over the past two months, I have tried to hold this country together until we could get a new Congress and together begin rebuilding the government. We have a lot to do. I'm depending on all of you out here and throughout the country to keep the pressure on us to get done what we must."

"Once we start getting things together, I will take a trip throughout the country to try to get a better feel of how we are doing and to touch base with the people of this great country. I plan to hold a series of televised local town meetings where everyday people can ask me whatever is on their minds. I will try to answer whatever questions are put before me, but if I don't have the answers, I will try to find out and then get the answer back to the person who had asked it. This will help me learn what is important to people in their everyday lives, and will help me to govern more effectively."

"Today my fiancé, my son, my daughter and I have come home to vote for our new congressional representative and U.S. Senators and to meet with some of the state and local leaders to try to find out what is of concern to them. We will only be in Philadelphia a short time on this visit, but we will be back again real soon. Once again, I would like to thank you all for your very warm reception. May God bless all of you."

As the President moved from the podium toward her armor plated limousine for the motorcade into the city, she was once again given a standing ovation. As she prepared to enter the limo, she turned toward the crowd, smiled and waved to them.

The motorcade proceeded out of the airport, got onto I-95 north to the Schuylkill Expressway, past the oil refineries to the South Street exit, where they turned right to go into Center City. The motorcade then went down South Street to 22nd Street, turned left and went up to Spruce Street, where they stopped so the President and her family could go into the church hall to vote.

President Lehrer signed autographs and posed for pictures with the election board at the polls and with poll workers outside the polling place. She was also photographed coming out of the voting booth by the news media. After they had all finished voting, Kathy decided to walk around the corner to Delancey Street and say hello to some of her old neighbors, which did not sit well with her security people. After about fifteen minutes, she walked back to her limo and the motorcade went to City Hall, where she would meet the Mayor and other dignitaries in the refurbished Mayor's Reception Room. After the reception, she went into meetings for two hours, followed by a luncheon at the Philadelphia Hilton Hotel. After the luncheon, the motorcade went south down Broad Street through South Philadelphia, onto I-95 back to the airport and her flight back to Washington.

After arriving back at the White House, Steve Stone finished packing for his trip to Tucson. Steve would be leaving the next morning and would return to Washington the following Monday. He showed Kathy his Mother's old photo albums that he was taking with him to show to his Father and Aunt Peggy. After putting them in his suitcase, he called his Father at the ranch to confirm his arrival time and their plans once Steve arrived.

After Steve checked to make sure he had packed everything, he and Kathy sat and talked for a while.

"You're really excited about this trip, aren't you?" asked Kathy.

"Is it that obvious?" he replied.

"Just slightly," she answered with a grin. "I think you have reason to be excited. I know I would be if I was in your shoes."

"Yeah. You know, it's hard to believe that I'm finally going to be meeting my Father for the first time in over twenty five years. The last time I saw him I was in kindergarten. I wonder what he is like?"

"Well, you'll get to start finding out tomorrow."

"It's going to be strange. I don't think I hold any bad feelings toward him. I don't know how I really feel toward him. I guess I feel, I don't know, I guess mostly curious."

"That's a natural feeling, I guess," answered Kathy. 'What are you the most curious about?"

"I guess what he's like, like what kind of personality he has. If he's introverted or out going, if he's naturally friendly or if he tends to be real reserved unless he really knows someone. That sort of thing. I also want to hear his side of what happened between him and my Mother. I heard my Mother's side of the story, but she never really put him down, although my maternal grandmother did. She couldn't stand him for what he did. Abandoning my Mother and me to fend for ourselves, as she used to put it. I guess my Mother still had a soft spot in her heart for him, even when she was going through really rough times."

"Did your Mother talk much about your Father?"

"No, not really. If I asked her a question about him, she would try to answer it as completely as she could so that I would understand what had happened. But she never tried to consciously turn me against him. She was of the opinion that I was created because of the love of two people and although they ended up splitting up later and getting divorced, that she should not try to make me feel bitter toward my Father."

"Your Mother was a special person, wasn't she?"

"She was a saint. As hard as her life was, I never heard her complain about anything. She always tried to smile, no matter how much she was hurting. I never heard her raise her voice in anger, and she never put anyone down, no matter how much that person may have deserved it. I don't know how she always remained so calm. I know I couldn't have."

"Neither could I," smiled the President. "Sometimes I'm a little too blunt and to the point for my own good. God knows I've raised my voice in anger more than a few times around here already. I've got to learn to be more diplomatic at times. I'll have to learn how to take Teddy Roosevelt's advice to talk softly and carry a big stick."

Steve laughed. "I can see the headlines now. 'President beats adviser with Cane.' 'President says she's emulating Teddy Roosevelt.' 'President trying to whip government into line.' The tabloids will have a field day."

"Yeah, they'll probably have cartoons of me in black leather tights with a whip," she laughed.

"Actually, I'd rather see you in that black negligee you have. After all, tonight's the last time we'll be alone together for almost a week."

"Yeah, I'm going to miss you. You make sure you're careful out there."

"Yes, dear. I'm going to miss you, too."

"I feel a little grungey. Would you like to wash my back?"

"I'd love nothing better."

The two lovers got up and walked arm in arm to the bedroom, where they closed the door. They turned to each other, embracing as their lips met in a soulful kiss. While rubbing Kathy's back through her dress, Steve reached up to the top of her back and started pulling down her zipper. As he brought the zipper down, he slid his hands inside the back of her dress, releasing the clasp of her bra.

Kathy stepped back from him and began unbuttoning his shirt. Once she had done, she reached up and slid Steve's shirt off of him. Then, she reached down and pulled his undershirt over his head.

Steve then reached forward and gently pulled Kathy's dress forward so that it slid off of her arms and down to the floor. Kathy then stepped out of her dress and toward her fiancé. Steve then reached forward and pulled Kathy's bra off her, exposing her beautifully shaped breasts. Steve dropped the bra onto the floor and leaned forward, kissing Kathy's rapidly hardening nipples before taking first one breast, then the other fully into his mouth. Kathy reached around to the back of his head, holding him closer to her.

After sucking her breasts for a few minutes, Steve started working his way up, nibbling on Kathy's shoulders, and then on her neck. Kathy then reached down and undid Steve's belt before she reached inside his pants and undid the clasp. She then reached around and eased them over his ass so they would easily slide to the floor. Steve kissed Kathy on the lips, their tongues twirling around each other while Steve reached down and rubbed Kathy's ass through her panties, pulling her closer to him as she quietly moaned into his mouth.

Steve then eased Kathy over to the bed, where he gently eased her down. He then kneeled in between her spread legs, reached up and tugged her panties. Kathy lifted up her ass to allow him to pull her panties off of her. He pulled the panties off of one foot, then she kicked them off of the other foot.

Steve then started kissing Kathy on the insides of her right knee and began working his way up the inside of her right thigh, gently nibbling, then licking, then kissing as he went. When he reached the top of her thigh, he could smell her female pheromones, but rather than dive right in, he decided to move to her left knee and slowly work his way to the divine triangle. When he reached the top of her left thigh, Steve decided to tease his lover some more, and gently blew into her vulva before moving over and nibbling on the top of her right thigh some more.

Kathy was undulating and moaning from what Steve was doing to her. She had not been this hot and excited in a long time, and it was a feeling that she realized she missed. They would have to do this more often.

Finally Steve dove into Kathy's well lubricated vagina, licking away for all he was worth. He pulled her clitoris between his lips and gently sucked on it before releasing it and rapidly moving his tongue back and forth across her sensitive little organ. Kathy's breathing came faster and faster as she approached a stupendous orgasm. Her hips rocked back and forth faster and faster as she climbed closer and closer to her climax. Finally with a loud moan, she raised her hips a foot off of the bed, shoving her vagina deep into Steve's mouth as she came.

Steve slowed down the action of his tongue as Kathy started recovering from her mind blowing orgasm. He then started moving up alongside of her, holding her close to him. As he pulled even with her face, Steve leaned over and gave Kathy a gentle kiss on the lips, slowly easing his tongue into her mouth. Kathy responded, holding him close to her with her arms and her legs while fervently returning his kisses.

Slowly, gently, Steve entered Kathy as they both enjoyed the sensations they received from each other. Gradually they built up their tempo, keeping in rhythm with each other, perfectly attuned to each other's needs and desires. They continued to rock harder and harder, causing the bed to begin creaking from their exertions. They kissed each other passionately, tongues flying back and forth between their mouths. Their breathing came in gasps as they both neared their climaxes. They both started moaning in pleasure as they could feel the sensations grow and grow toward the explosive moment they had been building to. They were getting closer and closer. They both knew it, and they tried to time that moment of mutual satisfaction so that it occurred for both of them at the same time.

Steve shouted to Kathy, "I'm coming! I'm coming!"

She said, "So am I! Let yourself go! Here it comes! Aaaaaaahhhhh!"

As she said that, Steve exploded into her, which triggered Kathy's own earth shattering climax.

They laid on the bed for about ten minutes, holding and lightly kissing each other while enjoying the after glow of their lovemaking, and gradually allowing their breathing to return to normal. They gently kissed each other, holding each other close until finally Steve slipped out of Kathy. Steve then rolled off of Kathy, pulling her over him while he continued to hold her.

"Would you still like me to wash your back?" he asked.

"Sure would," she replied. Slowly, the two of them rose from the bed, and walked arm in arm into the bathroom, where they turned the shower on and stepped in under the steaming shower. There they began washing each other's bodies, and when they had finished, they got out of the shower, toweled each other off, and went back into bed, where they slept soundly in each other's arms.

At 7:00 the next morning, Kathy's alarm clock went off, and they both climbed out of bed and began to get dressed. After dressing, they went into the kitchen and had breakfast. Kathy read her briefing reports while Steve glanced at his briefing papers.

"Well, do you think you're ready for your first bit of diplomacy?" asked Kathy.

"I think so. Between all of these briefing books, and the sessions with your economic advisers, I think I'll be all right."

"I think you will, too. If I didn't have confidence in you to do this, I never would have allowed it."

"You wouldn't have, would you?"

"No, I wouldn't. This is very important to me and even more it is extremely important to the country. You are going to be on a very sensitive mission, and how it turns out could very well determine our relations with Mexico for at least the next decade or two. That's how important this is."

"Nothing like putting a little bit of pressure on me."

"Oh, you can handle it. I trust you to do the job."

"Thanks."

As they finished eating their breakfasts, Marty and Sara came into the kitchen to eat.

"Good morning, Mom, Steve," greeted Marty and Sara.

"Good morning," answered the President and her fiancé.

"Are you all ready to meet your Father?" asked Marty.

"I think so," replied Steve.

"Are you nervous?" asked Sara.

"A little. I haven't seen him since I was about five years old, and a lot of things have happened since then. I'll just have to see what happens."

"What time is your flight?"

Steve looked at his watch. "9:00. I've got to get going soon."

Steve got up from the table and went to retrieve his luggage and his briefcase with his briefing materials in it. Steve picked up his coat and put it on. He then returned to the kitchen to kiss Sara good-by and to say good-by to Marty. Kathy said she would walk him down to the door and say good-by to him there.

They entered the elevator together for the ride down from the residence. They embraced after the doors had closed. They kissed before they pushed the button to go to the first floor.

"I'm going to miss you," said Kathy.

"I'll miss you, too," said Steve. "Don't worry, hon. It won't be for that long."

"I know, but I'll still miss you."

"I'll call you each night."

"Make sure you use the secure phone. I don't want anyone eavesdropping on our calls."

"I don't either. Don't worry, I'll be sure to use the secure phone."

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Good luck. Both meeting your Father and with Maria."

"Thanks. I think everything will work out all right. With both things."

"I do too. But good luck anyway."

"Thanks."

They came to the first floor and the elevator doors opened to admit them to the main floor of the Executive Mansion. They got off of the elevator and walked toward the South Portico, where Steve's limousine was waiting for him. The valet had already loaded his luggage into the trunk, leaving Steve with just his briefcase. Steve then gave Kathy a kiss good-by as photographers with telephoto lenses were snapping pictures from a distance. Steve then got into the limo, waived good-by to the President, and a Secret Service agent then closed the door before the chauffeur pulled away from the White House and toward Andrew's Air Force Base.

The small motorcade, with Secret Service cars preceding and following Steve's car, made quick progress through the city and were at Andrew's in less than an hour. Steve got out of the limo, carrying his briefcase, while the chauffeur retrieved his luggage from the trunk and loaded it onto the small Lear jet that would carry Steve to Tucson. After everything was secured, the pilot did his final pre-flight checks, and prepared to take off. Five minutes later they were given clearance to take off and Steve was airborne.

About five hours later, the pilot announced that they were on their final approach to Tucson and asked everyone to put on their seat belts. The plane made a smooth landing and taxied up to a distant gate where several cars were waiting.

The hatch opened on the side of the plane and a small set of steps was placed in the passageway. The first person off of the plane was a Secret Service agent who had been in radio contact with his fellow agents on the ground. When the agents were sure that everything was clear, they motioned for Steve to disembark.

Steve walked down the steps and looked around. After the chilly weather of Washington, Steve was struck by how warm the temperature was and how clear and blue the sky was. He looked out at the desert and was amazed at all of the colors that he saw. Steve, like most people, always thought that the desert was brown and completely arid, with very little life visible, especially during the day. But, as he scanned the landscape around him, he saw a number of brightly colored flowers that made the scene very attractive and picturesque.

As he stepped onto the tarmac, Steve saw a small group of people approaching the plane. Most of the members of the group were obviously Secret Service and other security personnel, but in the middle of the group Steve saw a slightly built man of medium height and a shorter middle aged woman. Steve walked toward the group, and as they got closer, he was able to see the man and the woman more clearly. Steve was astonished. Ever since he was little, he had been told by his Mother and others who knew his Father that he looked exactly like him. Steve could see that except for the difference in their height and their build, they had been right. While looking at his Father, Steve could see how he would look in twenty years. It was almost like a glimpse into the future.

The group from the plane merged with the group on the ground. Steve reached out and shook his Father's hand before they embraced. After they broke the embrace, John Stone held his son at arm's length and looked at him.

"I can't believe how tall you are!" he exclaimed. "You must have gotten that from your Mother's side. Her Father was pretty tall. Everyone on my side was fairly short."

The woman next to John Stone interrupted him. "John, aren't you going to let me greet my nephew?"

"Oh, Peggy, I'm sorry. Steve, this is your Aunt Peggy."

Steve turned to the woman next to his Father and hugged his Aunt Peggy. "It's a pleasure to meet both of you. We have a lot to catch up on."

"You're not kidding," replied Peggy, holding on to her nephew and looking up at him. "My God, the last time I saw you, you were a toddler. I had kept in touch with your Mother off and on over the years and she told me how you were growing, but I can't believe how tall you are! I might end up with a stiff neck from having to look up so high."

Steve looked at his Father. "Dad, how far is it to your ranch?"

"About thirty miles. It will take us nearly an hour to get there. We should probably get going."

A small motorcade pulled up to the group and Steve, his Father and his aunt got into the armor plated limousine that had pulled up. The driver of one of the other cars took the luggage that had been unloaded from the plane and loaded it into the back of his car. Once the luggage was loaded and everyone was in a vehicle, the motorcade proceeded from the airport and across the desert along with their police escort.

John and Peggy were impressed by the motorcade and the police escort they had just because of who Steve was and they told him. Steve replied that he still had trouble believing it himself sometimes, especially that he was engaged to the President of the United States and that he was now living in the White House.

Steve told them about how he and Kathy had met, and how their relationship had developed over the years into one of mutual love and respect. He relayed some of his adventures in Mexico during the Revolution and about being in the Zoccolo when the Mexican President's helicopter was shot down while he was treating civilians who had been wounded during the uprising. He told them about being in Teotihuacan during the assassination attempt on Jorge Guerrillero, of going to the hospital to treat a wounded bystander and finding out about Kathy becoming President. He related his adventures of trying to get into the U.S. Embassy the following morning to see the ambassador and receiving the phone call from Kathy there and his flight out of Mexico. He didn't go into the details of his flight or who he was flying with because he didn't want to give too much away yet.

John asked Steve who this friend was that he wanted to see during his visit. Steve explained that it was an old friend of his and Kathy's from Mexico who might be able to give him some information about what was happening there. Steve explained that the visit was very sensitive and that he needed their promise not to say anything to anyone about it. Steve told them that if the wrong people found out about the visit from his friend, that her life could be endangered as could a number of other people. They agreed on the need to keep silent.

John and Peggy also began to fill Steve in on what had been happening with them over the years. They all realized how much they had missed by not being in touch over the years. Steve pointed out that what was done could not be changed, but that they could now stay in touch with each other so they would not be strangers. He also told them that in the near future, he would have them come to the White House to meet his fiancee, the President and her two children. John told Steve that when he and Peggy were in their early teens, their parents had taken them to Washington for a vacation and that they had toured the White House during that trip. He said that it would be interesting to go back again to see what kinds of changes had occurred since his last visit forty years earlier.