The best is yet to be

Elizabeth sat in the oval office, her feet stretched out under the desk and her arms raised above her head. She sighed heavily and closed her eyes; allowing herself five minutes of peace.

'Knock-Knock' came the voice of Henry as he entered the office. She peered through a sleepy eye and smiled as she seen it was him.

'Hey youuu' she leant forward and placed her arms on her desk, blinking a few times to re-adjust to the light. Henry walked over and took a seat at the side of her desk, he swung his feet up onto the corner of her desk and smiled

'Busy day?' he laughed

'Something like that. Did you know that Russia and China want to go to war with one another approximately seven-thousand times a day' she groaned

'I did hear, so that is why, I brought you three little surprises' he whispered and she immediately sat up; a glint in her eyes as she leant towards him

'Ohh pleaseeee tell me one of them is chocolate' she bit her lip as he reached into his inside pocket pulling her out a bar of chocolate. Elizabeth almost squealed and clapped her hands excitedly.

'Ohhhhhh this is why I married you; well that and I knew we'd make cute babies' she teased ripping the packet open and Henry laughed shaking his head at her.

'Speaking of Babies, I just spoke to Ali and she will be flying home and landing in DC Christmas Eve morning but won't be going back until the New Year. Jason is already on his way back from university so he will be home from tonight...'

'And that just leaves Stevie and Dimitri' Elizabeth filled in the gaps and Henry nodded

'Have you heard from her yet? I haven't seen them for weeks and its Christmas in four days!' She moaned. Ever since Stevie got married five years ago she didn't spend as much time with her and she missed her terribly, especially since her second term began Elizabeth had reached a point of 'no return' and took on the attitude that she only had four years left to change the world, so as a consequence she saw her family less often than she liked.

'Well actually, I did say you have three surprises, chocolate was one and the other two...' Henry stood up and winked at her, he walked to the door and opened it

'Come on in you guys' he laughed as he watched his wife almost cry with joy; she knew what was coming.

She moved from around her desk and bent down as two tiny little humans came running in towards her; both their arms stretched out wide, both desperate for a hug from their nana.

'Nannnnnaaaaa' came the screams from them as their little hands wrapped around her neck, tangling in her hair. She wrapped both her arms around the little boy and little girl, squeezing them so tight.

'Hi Babies' she whispered as a tear dropped from her eye. Her grandchildren were home.

'Nana I seen you on the telly' the young boy shrieked

'Ivan, I told you that Nana is a very important lady' Stevie spoke to her eldest child.

'You're the leader of the world nana' Ivan jumped excitedly and Elizabeth laughed

'Not quite baby' she smiled

'He's trying, he is only four but he will get it one day' Dimitri teased as he greeted Elizabeth with a hug.

'And you, come here' Henry scooped up the little girl and held her close to him.

'How is my littlest of babies?' he smiled as she nodded

'I ok' she smiled and hugged him tight.

'Hey Elizabeth, why don't you tell Nana what you did today' Stevie prompted the little girl

'OHH NANA I WENT WEE WEE ON TOILET' she shook with excitement. Elizabeth walked over to Henry as he held their granddaughter

'Wow, you are very clever for a two year old!' Elizabeth played along.

'Sorry to interrupt ma'am but you're needed in the situation room' Jay came rushing in. Elisabeth sighed heavily and rested her head onto Henry's shoulder.

'Go, here and take this' he leaned over to her desk and picked up the chocolate. She smiled thankfully and said her goodbyes before leaving.

'Right you four, let's go upstairs, guess what pops has upstairs for you both? CHOCOLATE' he teased and started to run upstairs with Ivan and Elizabeth

'They adore them' Dimitri commented as he wrapped and arm around his wife

'They do' she smiled following suit and enjoying the afternoon with her family.

Later that evening Elizabeth joined her family in the residency, as she walked through the door she slipped her heels off and flung them to the side

'I see something never change' Jason commented

'Sluggerrrrrr' she rushed to him and wrapped him in her arms kissing him repeatedly despite the fact he squirmed beneath her hold.

'Mom, Mom, MOM'

'Nope, I haven't seen you since you went back to university in the summer, you're staying put' she continued to hug him a little longer

'Ok Elizabeth I think he needs to breath'

'Thanks dad' Jason rolled his eyes as Elizabeth listened to her husband and let go of her only son.

'Nana come play' came the sweet voice of Ivan

'Ohh hello you, I'll just hug this handsome boy instead' she smiled and sat on the floor holding him tight until he shifted in her lap

'Oh go on then, what are we playing?'

'I got trucks look' he brought a few toy cars and trucks over and they both began to play with them making numerous car noises. Henry stood with young Elizabeth in his arms and watched the scene before him; his daughter content in the arms of her husband, his son laughing at his mother, his wife and his grandson relaxed and messing around, whilst he held the second most precious Elizabeth in the world. He leant in and kissed her head softly

'I love you baby girl'

'I love you pop pop' she placed her tiny hands on his cheeks to hold his head in place and kissed him 'Mwwahh' she smiled proud of herself. Henry's heart swelled instantly.

'So we have Christmas cards to hand out, Ivan, Elizabeth do you want to give these to Nana and Pops and Uncle Jase?' Stevie asked handing her children the cards

'Oh we don't have to do that now, it's not Christmas for a few days and Ali isn't here yet' Elizabeth stood up rambling.

'No it's ok we promised these two' Dimitri spoke. Ivan walked to his grandparents to hand them a card and Elizabeth to Jason. Henry stood close to his wife and wrapped and arm around her as she took the card from Ivan.

'Thank you' she smiled and ripped the envelop open, she turned slightly so Henry could see the card over her shoulder, she lifted it a little and smiled as she read the front of the card

'To the world's best grandparents at Christmas'

Elizabeth then opened the card and began to read the inside passage

'To Nana and Pop,

Merry Christmas! Thank you for being the best Nana and Pop in the whole wide world, we love you so much! Mom and Dad said we are staying with you for Christmas and we are sooooooo excited! And guess what!? Next year you will have another baby to spoil...

Mommy is growing us a baby brother or sister, we know you'll love them too just like you love us! Merry Christmas.

Lots of love,

Ivan & Elizabeth

P.S– I can't wait to meet you, lots of love Bump'

Elizabeth clasped her hand to her mouth as tears filled her eyes. She looked over to her daughter who was crying and to her husband who was choked up.

'Oh my...Congratulations baby' she sobbed as she walked over to her daughter and pulled her in for a hug.

'Congratulations both' Henry replicated his wife's actions with Dimitri before heading to his wife and daughter and encasing them in a bear hug.

'Seriously you guys must be at it like rabbits' Jason teased and Elizabeth threw her head around so she was looking at him

'JASON' she shouted

'What I am just saying what were all thinking' he laughed

'You've spent far too much time around Mike B's house' Henry warned him half heartedly

'Ohh I don't care come here you, were getting another grandbaby' Elizabeth laughed pulling both Stevie and Dimitri in for a hug'

'How far along are you? Are you sick? How long have you known? Does Noodle know?' the questioned poured from Elizabeth's mouth

'Ok, I tell you what, why don't Stevie and Dimitri put the kids to bed, Jason go and do whatever it is you do and then when everyone is settled alllll of your questions can be answered' Henry rolled his eyes taking his wife by the shoulders and steering her away from them.

'Ok Ok' she held up her hands and walked with her husband.

'We will go in our room, just come and knock when everyone is settled down' Henry winked knowing they would want some alone time to digest the fact they just told their parents they were having another child.

Once in the sanctuary of their bedroom Henry span Elizabeth around to face him and picked her up as his whole body flooded with excitement. Elizabeth laughed as she felt her feet come off the ground for a few moments before Henry set her back down.

'Were having another baby!' he gasped and she nodded wrapping her arms around his neck

'Yes! Oh god Henry three grandbabies, and it could be another baby woman' she gushed

'How did we get so lucky?' it was a rhetorical question but one that left his mouth with a sigh of love

'I have no idea, three wonderful grandchildren' her breathing became a little labile as she tried to stop the tears of joy falling

'It makes all of this worth it Henry' her voice cracking as the emotion got to her. Her arms splayed open as she stepped away a little gesturing to the position they were both in; President of the United States and First Gentleman of the United States

'I know babe' he whispered, his own emotion building in his throat.

'In some ways I cannot wait for the next three years to go, then we can go back to the farm and relax, enjoy more time with Ivan, Elizabeth and the new one, we can have them over and it will be just like when the kids were little, all three of them running around the house, riding the horses, playing in the snow, Oh Henry it will be perfect' her tears now flowing down her cheeks as she wrapped her cardigan around her body a little tighter. Henry closed the gap and ran his hands up and down her forearms.

'It will be even better than perfect, because this time we won't be the parents, we won't be working or juggling any other aspect of life. We can simply be grandparents and enjoy every single moment of happiness they bring to us' he kissed her softly, a kiss full of love and excitement for what the future held.

'I love you Dr Henry McCord'

'I love you too, Nana' he winked

'you were right Henry' she gazed into his eyes and watched his eyebrow raise

'The best really is yet to be'