M was worried about Tally. Ever since she and Gerit had split, Tally’s friend Abigail had been setting the First Daughter up with blind date after blind date. While they had all been “security friendly” dates, M’s concern with the dates was how Tally was handling them. She seemed unaffected on the surface, but M wasn’t convinced. It had been a rollercoaster few months for their protectee, from the break-up, to visiting her mom, to the dates, and more. However, until Tally expressed any outright concerns to M, there was nothing they could do except be the support they always try to be for her.
M was trying to be the best support they could be while sitting one booth away from Tally on one of those dates. They were drinking a Coke and wishing it was spiked with rum every time Tally’s laugh drifted to their ears, their heart clenching uncomfortably. Tally’s laughter wasn’t directed at M and instead was directed at the slimy businessman’s son that sat across from her. Her recent date was a Columbia business student, set to take over his father’s company, owned a sailboat, belonged to the rowing team, summered and wintered in different locations, etc. It was all similar information to what the other men had sprouted on their date with the First Daughter, and while they knew Tally’s laugh was fake, their heart clenched slightly just the same.
The dates Tally went on with women, and non-binary people were the ones that M wished more than anything else to have two fingers of whiskey in front of them. Those laughs were more natural, the touches lingered longer, and they were the ones most likely to be invited on a second date. Despite all that, no one had made it longer than three dates.
“Wow, that’s so interesting,” M tuned back into the conversation just in time to hear Tally’s dry response. “Hey, did you know sharks don’t have any bones?”
“I didn’t, but tell me more,” M heard Tally’s date reply as they finished their drink and strode over to where the pair were seated. In their head, M scoffed; of course, this playboy would feign interest in anything Tally said, just wanting to get in her pants.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Craven,” M interrupted. “We really have to get you back to the White House for your meeting.” When the blind dates first started, M made Tally come up with a code word to use whenever she wanted out of a date. Shark was when she wasn’t feeling it, and Mount Washington was when she needed to be rescued immediately.
Tally turned and smiled at M, “Thanks M, I’ll be out in a minute.” M took the cue and stood a few feet away while Tally said goodbye to her date.
“This really was fantastic, I’m sorry I didn’t realize that we were running out of time, there was so much more I wanted to discuss,” she told him, her politics voice firmly in place.
“Yes, Tally, I feel the same,” her date said, leaning forward and reaching towards her hands. M watched Tally keep her hands out of reach with the slightest movement as she smiled flatly.
“I’ll be in touch,” she told him. This was Tally’s way of ending every date. M knew that she would go back to consult Raelle and Abigail as to whether she should go out with the person again before sending the poor sap a text to meet up at a coffee shop just outside the White House. It was there that she would gently let them down in a way that had her date thanking her for her time. M would be impressed with the system Tally and the girls had come up with if they weren’t already concerned for the aforementioned reasons.
Just as M expected, Tally texted her most recent date the next morning to meet at Brewed Awakening, her go to coffee dump spot. M thought the name was apt, as a “brewed awakening” is what all of Tally’s dates received there. At least Tally was nice enough to pay for their orders. M stood by the door as Tally and the unnamed man took a table at the window. M never bothered learning the names of Tally’s dates, it hurt too much, but the dates never stuck around long either.
“I’m really sorry, but I don’t think this will work,” M heard Tally tell the man.
“Are you sure?” M heard him ask. “I think we could be really good together if you give us the chance.”
“I’m sorry,” Tally said as she stood. M walked towards the Fist Daughter so that they could walk slightly behind her away from the table. They always stand slightly behind Tally when she walks away from things like this, in the event of someone coming at her from behind, and it was only because of this positioning that they heard the man mutter something under their breath. They weren’t close enough to hear exactly what it was, but the tone was dark enough that M took note should they ever see the man again.
Once they were outside, they were joined by the other secret service members in plain clothes for the walk back to the White House. Tally had made it clear early on in Wade’s presidency that for places just outside the White House, she absolutely would not be taking a car. This often meant a full rotation of Secret Service agents, but M knew they all loved Tally, so none of them minded. As they got further away from the shop, M chose to break the silence.
“Why do you keep going on dates?” they asked.
“I guess because it makes Abs and Rae happy. I know Abigail feels guilty because she’s the one that pushed me towards Gerit, and Raelle just wants me to be as happy as her and Scylla are. They are looking out for me, even if it doesn’t look like it.”
“None of the dates go anywhere though, you don’t want to see what any of them could turn into?”
“This may seem silly, but on every one of these dates someone else pops into my mind and I can’t help but compare my date to them. It’s not that any of them were bad dates necessarily, it’s just that none of them measure up to what my expectations have been made by this other person,” Tally explained. M swallowed roughly at that, secretly wishing that they could be the person Tally was talking about, but also knowing that they weren’t near good enough for her. They stopped asking Tally questions after that, and if they thought they saw Tally’s face fall slightly when they didn’t ask who the other person was, then they chalked it up to being all in their head.
After their talk, Tally became much more selective on her dates, going from about one a week to one every few weeks. There weren’t many more men, but that really just made M’s chest hurt even more and the fact that Tally even started going on third or fourth dates with some of them made M’s job all the more difficult. Thankfully M’s heart got a reprieve in the form of a weeklong trip to New England for Tally to be the guest of honour at the National Rowing Championships being held at Harvard. M walked up to the convoy just as Tally’s bags were being loaded into the back of one of the vehicles, though the First Daughter herself was no where to be seen yet. They checked their watch, ten minutes until they were supposed to depart.
They walked over to the agents waiting in a loose circle by the door to go over the security place for the move, and once they got to their accommodations.
“Morning everyone,” they greeted. A chorus of ‘Morning Boss’s, and Morning M’s” floated back at them. “Since we are driving so far today, we will be receiving a police escort. It will also be a standard three car setup, with flags, no need to be more covert than the heavily tinted windows. There will also be a driver change halfway through. Once we arrive at the cottage, we will be conducting a perimeter sweep as well as thoroughly checking the inside prior to Seer entering. Any questions?” No one made a sound and M nodded, glad they had such a solid team. They would trust every single one of them with their life, and they also knew that there was no one better to watch over Tally.
As the team dispersed to their vehicles, M figured it was time to go find out what was taking Tally so long. They nearly walked into the First Daughter as they entered the White House, since the woman had her head down and wasn’t watching where she was going. Thankfully M was able to stop short and steady Tally as she nearly backpedaled into the doorframe when she realized she almost walked into them.
“Woah there,” M commented.
“Sorry, sorry,” Tally huffed out. I couldn’t find my phone, turns out I left it on the table by my window, when I swear I left it either in or by my bed.”
“Hey, don’t worry,” they reassured her, “we still have five minutes until we need to be on the road. Are you sure you’ve got everything else?”
“Don’t worry, I made a list and checked it twice,” the woman commented brightly.
M chuckled, “alright Santa, let’s get this show on the road then.”
It was over seven hours to Harvard from DC, so M had made sure to bring some light reading and to wear their comfiest suit. Tally was also dressed comfortably for the ride in yoga pants and an oversized sweatshirt, it was all M could do to keep their eyes off her. While M was used to Tally in all manner of dress, Tally’s comfortable look was one that made M’s heart warm. They couldn’t help images of a cozy Tally sitting in a large chair while M prepared dinner from flashing in their mind. They knew nothing could ever happen, but hope is a tireless thing and it latches onto the cracks in their resolve.
At the hour four mark, and after a successful and uneventful driver switch in all cars, M could tell Tally was getting bored.
“Gah, I wish planes didn’t make me so sick, this is brutal,” Tally complained.
“Sorry,” M comments lightly, and Tally waves them off.
“It’s not your fault, I blame those celebrities who got blasted in the paper for taking short flights on their private jets that put the PR team in a tizzy so that now we can’t fly unless it’s over 12 hours to drive there.”
“Did you download any podcasts?” M asked.
“Not in the mood anymore.”
“Puzzles?”
“Solved ‘em.”
“Even the Ghost Cube I gave you?” M asked with an eyebrow raise.
“Yep,” Tally said proudly.
“Smart girl,” M praised. A blush spread across Tally’s cheekbones and down her neck as she looked away, suddenly bashful. And oh. Shit. What M would give to make Tally flush like that again and to see how far it spread. Their stomach flipped uncomfortably and they needed to think of something else, fast.
“20 questions?” they blurted out, with immediate regret. It was a game that Tally always asked to play when they had long car rides, but M always found something else, less Tally ask them something they couldn’t answer. Tally snapped her head up, a smile replacing the blush.
“Really?” she asked, excitement in her voice. While M had undergone literal torture without spilling state secrets, they were powerless against Tally.
“Really.”
“Okay, me first,” Tally said. “If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?”
M laughed, not expecting that to be the first question. “Definitely potatoes, have you seen how many ways you can turn them into dishes? It is the perfect food.”
Now it was Tally’s turn to laugh at M’s response. “You’re not wrong, but for me it would be bread. It’s just as versatile and there’s nothing that says you can’t put things inside the bread, like ham and cheese, or a bread bowl for soup.”
“You, Tally Craven, are a genius,” M commented, and Tally blushed again, but lighter and only across her cheekbones.
This time Tally was the one to direct them away from the topic, “your turn to ask a question.”
M thought for a moment. “What was your favourite hobby when you were a kid?”
“Puzzles,” Tally answered succinctly and M groaned.
“Sorry, sorry, bad question,” they said while Tally laughed.
“That’s okay, try again.”
“Why did you choose to study linguistics in college?”
“I always loved languages, and growing up, I taught myself French and Spanish. Once my mom got diagnosed, I realized that despite her memory fading, she could still communicate and that the one thing that brings us together is languages. I guess I felt more connected to her through that realization.” M reached out and covered Tally’s hand with their own.
“That’s beautiful,” they whispered before pulling back. Silence stretched between them before Tally broke out of her reverie and smiled at them.
“This one you don’t have to answer, but why did you leave the Marines?” Tally asked and M gulped before taking a moment to think about their answer. Tally sensed their unease it seems as she rushed to amend herself. “You really don’t have to answer, it was insensitive of me to ask.”
M closed the short distance between their legs and set a gentle hand on Tally’s thigh. Tally showed her vulnerability with her mother, so it was only fair that M do the same. “It’s okay, I want to tell you, it might just take me a moment.”
“Take all the time you need,” Tally whispered giving M’s hand a reassuring squeeze where it still rested on her thigh.
M took a deep breath and began, “I was stationed in Afghanistan, on my third tour, when my convoy hit an IED.” M heard Tally gasp softly, but they continued. “I was banged up, but just minor cuts and bruises. Half my unit though was mortally wounded or dead, and we started taking fire from all sides. I tried to save who I could, to drag them behind one of the Humvees while we radioed and waited for extraction. There were five of us sheltering and trying to fight back the best we could when our support came, just in time too since I had only five rounds left. But just as I was loading the last person in the back of the truck, we noticed one of the guys out in the wreckage start moving. We had all thought everyone else was dead, but there was Peters crawling towards us. As I ran to help him, the people who had us pinned down had their reinforcements roll up, including a lovely little rocket launcher that was enough to take out the truck with the guys in it. The truck waited as long as they could, but just as I was loading Peters into the truck, they finally got me in the leg. I buckled, couldn’t get in the truck on my own anymore, and all the guys were too injured to assist or were driving. I, um, I ordered them to leave, and so as the truck kicked up dust, I was swarmed and taken to an outpost to be held and tortured for three days before they found where I was and got me out. So, yeah, I was honourably discharged on account of my injuries, given way more medals than I deserved considering I lived and so many others died.” In the midst of telling the story, M didn’t realize that Tally had moved to the other side of the vehicle and had wrapped her arm through M’s.
“Jesus M, I am so so sorry that happened to you.” Tally said.
M felt emotionally raw and therefore couldn’t help but speak what was truly on their mind when Tally said that, telling the woman, “it all led me to you, and you have no idea how much you’ve helped me.” The two of them sat in silence after that, Tally’s arm still linked protectively through M’s. It wasn’t long before Tally actually fell asleep in their position, and her head lolled onto M’s shoulder. M smiled softly, heart aching from telling their story, yet oddly full from the presence of the woman beside them, before using their free hand to grab their book and settling in to let the First Daughter rest.
They were thirty minutes out from their accommodation for the week, Tally still sleeping soundly, when M got a message from the forward team that went ahead to secure the house.
“Forward to Sekhmet.”
“This is Sekhmet, go ahead,” M responded.
“The President of the Championship is here with some of the competitors, wanting to welcome Seer, what would you like me to do with them?”
“Keep them outside the house, I don’t want anyone knowing the layout. They’re about two hours early, considering the official welcome dinner isn’t until later. We will be there is 30 so do whatever you have to keep them from going inside.”
“Understood, out.”
M sighed, knowing they were going to have to wake Tally early. When it appeared that the First Daughter was going to sleep all the way to their accommodation, M had begun to entertain the hope that they would get to scoop her up and carry her inside where she could continue to rest. They knew it would have never been an option, but no amount of scolding themselves for how out of control their feelings have gotten and how unprofessional it was could kill that hope. Now though, reality came crashing into their fantasy thirty minutes sooner than expected. The gently nudged Tally awake and she opened her eyes slowly, groaning softly. It seems that when she remembered where she was, mortification overcame her sleepiness as she shot into sitting.
“Oh my god, M, why didn’t you wake me? I can’t believe you let me sleep on you, I’m so sorry,” Tally rambled.
“It’s fine, really,” M assured her. “If it bothered me, I would have woken you sooner.”
“Speaking of, why did you wake me?” Tally asked.
M dreaded what they had to tell her next. “The President of the Championship and some of the rowers are waiting for you at the house.” M didn’t think it was possible, but Tally sat even straighter at that.
“Shit,” she swore. “They can’t see me like this.” Before M could even react, Tally had reached into the duffle bag that she brought pulled out some article of clothing and whipped her shirt off. With reflexes that could only come from years in the service, M hit the auto up on the divider between the driver and the back seat and turned their head so fast to the side to look out the window that they’re pretty sure they gave themselves whiplash. Unfortunately though, it wasn’t quite fast enough to miss seeing tantalizing flashes of creamy skin. They clenched their hands in their lap until they were sure to have small crescent indents in their palms. There was some more rustling, that M was sure to keep their head turned for, before everything stilled and Tally make a triumphant sound. M turned their head slowly just in case Tally wasn’t done changing yet, but the redhead had successfully changed into a light dress and was just bent over to finish putting on some flats, a jean jacket on the seat beside her.
“That was an impressive change,” M joked in an attempt to play off how warm their cheeks felt.
“I’ve become a master ever since Kelly was elected. It’s become a very helpful skill,” Tally replied. The redhead had also pulled a small makeup bag out and began to touch up her very light makeup using the mirror in her compact. M didn’t think she needed anything done, but they also knew that if there were any cameras Tally would need to look public approval worthy, not just M worthy, who would have accepted Tally in her comfiest oversized sweater, no make-up, just woke up, pre-coffee look.
After checking over her appearance, Tally settled back once again. They were nearing the house, both of them quiet now, just watching the scenery rolling by. M was mentally reviewing what security measures they would have to put in motion once they arrived. The President of the Championship being there put a wrench in things since they couldn’t have the two forward agents sweep the inside of the house since they were babysitting, and they can’t have Tally wait inside the car while the rest of them check either. The only option would be to have Tally occupy the men outside with a few agents while the rest did their security sweep. From the intelligence briefs given by Anacostia, M remembered that there was a small garden to the West of the house with hopefully enough seating for the entourage. M explained the plan to Tally, who nodded, and then to the rest of the team over the coms.
As they were pulling into the long and winding driveway, Tally finally pulled her phone out for the first time since the halfway point of their drive. When she glanced at it, M saw a look of confusion pass across her face.
“Everything okay?” they asked.
“Yeah, just a weird text,” Tally explained.
“Weird how?”
“I’ll show it to you later, but it’s probably just a wrong number.”
“Are you sure?” M asked.
Tally flashed a smile their way, “Promise.”
The car rolled to a stop and Tally’s genuine smile transformed into what M called her “customer service smile,” since it never reached the First Daughter’s eyes, and stepped out to greet the rowers.
The impromptu welcome, along with the actually planned welcome dinner, went off with out a hitch, security wise at least. It was nearing midnight when they finally all returned to the house, pleasantly surprised to find a few more agents waiting for them. Anacostia had sent them commercially after hearing about the extra meeting that resulted in no agents being rested enough for night watch. For M they were welcome relief, and while they weren’t their usual choice for agents, anyone would be a huge blessing since it seems like a larger security event than originally assessed. After briefing the new agents and running over the schedule for the rest of the week, it was finally time to wind down for the night. M first stopped at Tally’s room to check in with how she was feeling after the events of the day.
They knocked lightly on the door, “Tally?”
“Come in,” a voice called.
M opened the door slowly and peered in to see Tally curled up, reading, in an oversized chair by the window, having pulled one of the books off the shelf.
“Do you need anything else tonight?” M asked.
“I think I’m alright, I’ve already got my alarm sent bright and early for tomorrow,” Tally said, shaking her phone slightly. It made M think of something.
“Oh, that reminds me, can I see that text you got earlier?”
“Sure,” Tally said, handing the phone over after unlocking it and pulling the message up.
M took the phone and examined the message. They didn’t recognize the number, and it wasn’t one that Tally had saved in her phone. Pulling out their own phone, they texted one of the analysts back at the White House, “Hey, it’s Sekhmet, can you run this number for me? 825-592-6361.” They didn’t expect a message right away, but that was fine, it was late. The message didn’t seem threatening, it was a simple, “I loved spending time with you, you’re beautiful when you smile.” If M hadn’t made Tally use a burner to contact her dates, they would have been more worried since this did seem like a text someone would receive after a date. As it is, none of the dates Tally went on ever ended up with her phone number, so M had to agree that it did seem like a wrong number.
“I think you’re right, it does seem like a wrong number, but let me know if any more texts come through though, okay?”
Tally smiled at them warmly, “I promise,” she said.
M handed the phone back, and their hands brushed lightly when Tally reached for it. “Goodnight, Tally,” they said softly.
“Goodnight M,” she replied, just as soft.
The next few days went smoothly, and M had to admit that it was fun getting to enjoy the beautiful spring weather and to watch the Championship. It wasn’t until the second last day of competition that things went wrong. Tally had received another text from the unknown number shortly after the semi-finals.
“M,” Tally approached them, voice shaking, and handed them her phone.
Displayed on the screen was a text that read, “It’s really good to see you again, I’ve missed how the sun glints off your hair, it makes you look so regal. I wish you wore that yellow dress on our date, it suits you.” It would have seemed like a harmless follow up text, a wrong number like the last, if it weren’t for the fact that Tally was currently wearing one of her more comfortable yellow sundresses. M whipped out their own phone and pressed it to their ear.
“Quartermaine,” the voice on the other end of the phone spoke sharply.
“We have a situation,” M began. “Seer has an overly friendly fan,” they explained. M didn’t want to say stalker out loud in front of Tally, knowing she was already freaking out.
“How bad?”
“Texts so far, but they were at the events today we know that for sure.”
“Unfortunately, we cannot retract Seer without drawing suspicion, and a small event like the competition makes it easier to try and figure out who it is. You’ll have more agents before dinner, but in the meantime, I trust you to organize your security in a way that’s best for Seer for the remainder of the events and do your best to discover who is behind this.”
“Yes ma’am,” M replied before the line went dead. Tally had her arms curled protectively around herself when M turned back to her.
“Anacostia?” she asked and M nodded.
“We’re getting more agents, and I’ll be revising the security plan, but otherwise we continue,” they told her.
“What?” Tally asked.
“With how small the event is, this is our best chance to figure out who is sending these texts.”
“M…” Tally trailed off. M opened their arms and Tally fell into them, trembling slightly.
“I’ll keep you safe,” M promised. “I’ll be by your side at all the events, and at night I’ll be right next door.” They felt Tally nod into their chest before stepping back out of their embrace, standing straight. “We have a few hours before the Finals Dinner with the remaining teams, and then the Championship race tomorrow morning, I’d like you to sit with me while I work out the security plan to make sure you feel comfortable the whole time.”
“Thank you M,” Tally laid a hand on their arm softly.
“It’s my job,” M replied.
“Not every head of security would let their charge sit in on the planning, or comfort them during a time like this,” Tally explained. M had no response to that, at least not one that was appropriate to voice. Instead, they just led Tally to the office that served as their planning room.
M and their team finalized the security plan for the last 24 hours of their time, including the added flight back to DC that was approved due to the situation, when the additional agents arrived. M made quick work giving them their assignments, which were mainly rounds and sentry duty, before getting ready for the dinner.
Once they got to the venue, M made sure they stayed within 6 feet of Tally at all times. They also had posted security periodically along the walls, as well as at the entrances and exits. Even though M would not be letting Tally out of their sight, the extra sentries made sure that someone would have eyes on her all night. M made sure to be Tally’s silent shadow throughout cocktail hour, before taking their place slightly behind and to the right of Tally’s chair. Once Tally realized that M wasn’t taking a seat, she turned around.
“I’m pretty sure when I saw the seating chart you were supposed to be here,” she said, motioning to the chair beside her and smiling at her playfully.
“I can see everything better here, especially since the others have to take turns to eat themselves.”
“What if you ate on the first shift and then took up watch?” M hesitated and Tally looked up at them imploringly. It didn’t take M long to cave.
“Fine,” they radioed the change before taking their seat.
Tally leaned closer and whispered, “thank you, I didn’t want to sit in awkward silence before someone finally said something to me. You’re saving me in more ways than one.”
“Well, that is my job,” M said playfully. Tally threw her head back and laughed, while M tried not to glance at the graceful slope of her throat. They need to rein in their feelings before something happens that jeopardizes everything they care about.