Elizabeth stood towards the front of the elevator in silence, listening to the staffers behind her as they spoke animatedly about their night out. She was happy that they didn't feel the need to censor themselves while they talked about it with her in the same vicinity. She knew that people do, and would always be mindful about what they say around her, it simply comes with the title - but sometimes that just gets old.

What also gets old is people avoiding the elevator all together. She is definitely not blind to that. It's hard to miss how people rush up to the elevator and then suddenly slow down or walk the opposite direction once they notice that she is the one holding the doors open, or when they notice that she is waiting for it to come to a stop so she too, can get on.

That rubs her the wrong way. She gets it, she really does. She is the 'big boss,' but she wouldn't mind standing in a respectful silence, or making polite small-talk. So, today, she reveled in it. She welcomed the conversation that she was totally not eavesdropping on, she welcomed their conversation in which they could just be. But the excited tones of their voices and the upbeat nature of their conversation couldn't chase away the blanket of uncomfortable silence and emptiness that seemed to wrap around her the second she had stepped into the building.

The sudden ding and the jerk of the elevator coming to a stop jolted her out of her reverie.

She stepped out of the elevator and shot Blake a weary smile, "Good morning, Blake," And then she did a double-take, "Uh-oh, coffee and a pastry. It's one of those days?"

He held out the pastry and coffee to her with a smile on his face, "Good morning, ma'am. After the week you have had, I figured you would appreciate the extra carbs."

This was their routine, a way to start their day with something resembling normality, even if it lasted less than two minutes. It was nice. Nice like the banter you would hear around family. It felt… natural.

Elizabeth let out a small 'ha' as she took them from his hands and began making her way past the glass-lined offices to her own, Blake only two steps behind her the whole time. Once she got into the seclusion of her office, she set them down on the coffee table and began tearing her coat off.

"Well, I will make a note of the fact that you were the only one at the elevator today, and not everyone else. I don't think I would be able to handle another elevator ambush this week." She quipped as she sat down on the couch. She opened the bag and peeked inside, letting out a content sigh. She could never get tired of bear claws.

Blake smirked to himself as he hung up her coat in that small, handy little closet. "Well, if there isn't one today, we can always count on tomorrow." He paused and then continued in a rush, "Not that I want to jinx it or anything."

He closed the closet door with a thunk and turned around to face her, his no-nonsense, professional look taking up residence on his face, "The senior-staff will be in the conference room in five minutes for the morning briefing. After that you have a call with Foreign Minister Chen. He would not say what it was about, just that he would appreciate talking to you as soon as possible."

She slid her glasses onto her face and looked at the paperwork on her desk. She glanced up and shot him a small, yet grateful smile. "Thank you, Blake. I will make sure this paperwork takes no more than four minutes and thirty seconds." And with that she picked up her pen, and began signing documents, only stilling for a second as the thunk of Blake closing the door brought that overwhelming feeling of silence and emptiness once more.

That's how the rest of her morning went; paperwork in silence, meeting, paperwork in silence, meeting, that was, until the ringing of the phone gave her a reason to not continue sitting in the suffocating silence.

Determined, she picked up the phone, only getting a short 'McCord' out before the voice on the other end began to speak.

"Hey, sorry to call you on your work phone, I know you are probably busy." She could practically hear Henry's 'I'm-not-really-sorry' smirk through the plastic in her hands.

She bit her lip and smiled, "I can never be too busy for you. Oh gosh, that is so cheesy." She couldn't hold back the half-snort, half-laugh that rose out of her throat. "How can I help you this morning, Dr. McCord?"

There was a slight pause before he continued, "Well, I was hoping I could treat my wife to some sandwiches on a park bench later today, say around-" There was a shuffling of papers before he continued, "- 1:30? I know that's a little late, but hey, better late than never."

"Hmm, sandwiches, a walk around the park, and-" She let out a mock gasp, "-you? I'm in." She glances at her watch and then back at her stack of never-ending paperwork. "Once I finish these papers, I will be on my way. Unless, you know, the world decides it wants to burn down when I am about to leave."

She couldn't help but think that this was exactly what she needed - fresh air and Henry - that combination usually helps. Thinking about all the times before, she couldn't help but think of anything else that could help clear her mind, even if they sat and walked in silence. It should be far from the one that encompassed her today, it should be comfortable, welcoming even.

"Great, see you then. I love you." Henry replied.

She smiled to herself. "I love you too, see you soon." And she set the phone down with a clunk.

She was wrong. She was very wrong. The walk and the sandwiches-on-a-bench did not help, if anything, the silence beginning to wrap around her with each step she took.

Ironic, isn't it? Silence being so deafening, so suffocating. But with each passing moment she was with Henry, it grew, along with an uncomfortable feeling deep down in her gut. It was like the feeling brought with an itchy palm; no matter how much you scratch, your palm is still determined to itch.

It was far from silent. People everywhere were rushing back and forth, making phone calls, your typical State Department and lunch-time in the park scene. But as she took in these scenes, the ones she came to love so much, the feeling and itch deep in her gut, the silence in a not-so-silent world settled on her shoulders, weighing her down even further.

And for the life of her, she couldn't figure out why.

"Blake." Elizabeth called from inside her office, her voice only slightly muffled by the swishing and straining against fabric.

He was hovering inside the doorway withing seconds, "Yes, ma'am?"

"I'm heading out. Everyone will be home at the same time if I leave now, and I need some nonsense." She picked up her briefcase and walked over to stand in front of him. "Go home, enjoy the rest of your evening. You all have worked hard this week, and you deserve it."

He nodded as she moved behind him and began walking, "I will pass the message along. Goodnight, ma'am."

"Night, Blake." She said as she raised her free hand to give a short, stiff wave as she descended down the hall towards the elevator, calling 'goodnights,' and offering a smile to anyone she walked passed.

Today was hard. Which is weird, because it was a simple day. There was no 'crisis after crisis', only small flames to put out and medium-sized piles of paperwork, yet she felt completely and utterly drained. That's the best way to describe it - drained, and dare she say, weighed down. So, she needed her family. They were always good at lifting that weight, even if they didn't realize that they were. She needed the warm, comforting, centering touch of her husband, and, after today, she needed both the bickering and banter of her kids.

She couldn't hold back the smile that blossomed when she thought of them. Bickering and all, they were just the remedy this called for. That smile lingered all the way to the first floor, lasting up until she was standing in front of Matt, who was holding the door open to her warm and, usually, comforting SUV. Only this time, the sight of Matt and the motorcade kicked that gut feeling up, although it subsided and settled again just as quickly as it had commenced.

"Ma'am?" Matt asked gently once he realized she was going to just stare into the inside of the SUV until she got snapped out of her thoughts.

Her head snapped up and she shot him a half-smile, "Thank you, Matt."

She buckled and decided that she would at least try to not sit in that foreboding silence.

"Evening, Frank. How are the kids?"

"They are good, ma'am. They are participating in the science fair, so pieces of their projects are all over the house." The smile was evident in his voice.

"Ah, good ol' science fairs. I remember helping the kids with theirs. I kind of miss that." A sad smile flickered on her face, before she started fumbling with her jacket. "Enjoy it while it lasts."

"I will, ma'am."

"Good."

Then, as they pulled out of the State Department and began the trip home, the silence began to settle. Only this time, the emptiness that came with it shoved its way through her and took up residence right next to her heart. And as she looked out the window and up at the stars, she could almost pretend that the stars shined brighter tonight, but really, as she continued to gaze, she could tell that it was the darkness that was deeper.