Humongous thanks to the ever wonderful Jen for sending encouragement when I needed it and for making the fabulous cover art for this fic (you can view the gorgeousness in its full glory on Tumblr whenever I post these chapters).

Alright guys, here we go!

They're all waiting for the final numbers, but anyone who can do basic math knows the end result. She's done it, she's won. After years of hard work and unwavering commitment, she's achieved what she set out to do when she started her career, and he could not be more proud.

Robin Locksley had been working for MI5 with his wife, her as a security strategy consultant, him as chief bodyguard to the British royal family, when death had ripped her from him after childbirth, his grief forcing him to abandon his position and flee any reminder of his Marian's untimely demise. He never thought that packing up his life and moving himself and his then newborn baby boy to the States would bring him so many new adventures, but it had, all in the form of the woman now standing on the side of the stage, waiting to address the crowd.

Robin had relocated to this country on a whim. He'd wanted to start fresh, and marrying Marian (a Boston native and member of the US Armed Forces) had granted him a green card, so he'd thought why not? and hopped on a plane. He hadn't expected to get into the same line of work when he moved, but then the opportunity had presented itself at the governor's office in Maine, the place he'd picked to start anew, and he couldn't resist. It seemed the new governor had taken them by storm, firing every corrupt member of the previous administration, including the head of security, and needed someone who would be her eyes and ears, as well as her protector. Robin had great qualifications for the job and excellent recommendations from his previous employers in London, so less than two days after he'd dropped his CV off at the office, he'd been eagerly offered the position by the Human Resources manager, and he had accepted immediately.

He'd known the new governor by reputation. An academic prodigy turned attorney, graduated from Harvard Law at twenty five, admitted to the bar in four different states. She was a shark, taking almost every big case presented to her and engaging in difficult disputes that she always ended up winning, and then one day she'd quit all that and moved to Storybrooke, a small town in Maine with no real prospects of a big legal career for her, but she'd made it work. There, she'd been elected mayor and had a very successful run thanks to her swift justice and strong demeanor, and that won her the governor's election four years later. At thirty-two, she was the youngest governor the state ever had, and one of the youngest in the country, but instead of being commended for her prowess, she'd been criticized and slammed by the press for being a woman in such an important job. She'd had to work twice as hard to prove herself capable, and she'd succeeded.

The local papers called her the Evil Queen because of how ruthless and resilient she was in her profession, and Robin had already mentally prepared himself to meet a stubborn know-it-all who would fight him 'til the end to get her way, regardless of the safety risks, but it hadn't been that way at all. Instead, he'd been met with a very poised, very intelligent and very, very beautiful woman. Regina Mills.

He'd been fascinated by her the second he met her, and thankfully, their personalities hadn't clashed. Instead, she'd been warm and receptive, had listened to his plans for her security and that of her staff, had taken his opinions into account and even sought out his advice on other matters he probably had no business meddling with, and through it, through that job and her admirable performance, he'd managed to heal, to purge himself of the pain that accompanied thoughts of Marian, to embrace this new life and all the good things that came with it.

Robin had gotten to know Regina better as time passed, had found out she had chosen to move to Storybrooke out of love. A small town professional (even the mayor) had flexible hours and decent pay, and that allowed her to both work and care for her sick husband, whom she'd introduced to Robin two months into their friendship, and Robin, in turn, had introduced them both to his son.

Regina was wonderful with Roland, and Robin enjoyed his work with her, had even become friends with Daniel, playing chess with him on his nights off and sometimes even sharing a beer or two, when they thought Regina was too busy playing with the baby to notice two grown men sneaking booze out of the fridge like underage college boys.

Daniel was a veterinarian with bright eyes and a kind soul, and it was easy to see that he loved his wife deeply, that it pained him that she had to nurse him because he couldn't do it himself, but one look into Regina's rich brown eyes and Robin knew that given the choice, she wouldn't want to be anywhere else. She loved her husband, took pride in him and his accomplishments, and she did not regret a single moment spent with him, regardless of the cancer that was threatening to rip them apart.

Not ten months into her new tenure, right before Roland's first birthday, cancer finally won, claiming Daniel's life after years of battle and leaving Regina devastated. Robin still remembers how her professional mask had slipped, how she'd fallen to her knees on the floor and wept when she got the call from the hospital. He had thrown caution to the wind then and hugged her for the first time, unable to watch her suffer without offering some sort of comfort, and as selfish and horrible as he'd felt for thinking of such things in that heartbreaking moment, for having such an intense feeling towards another woman not a year after his own wife's death, the fact of the matter was that the second he'd had Regina in his arms, he'd wanted to keep her there and never let her go.

Regina threw herself into her work for the next two years, shutting herself off from everyone but him and Roland, breaking down in his arms when the pain of missing her husband became too much, grinning with red-rimmed eyes when Roland would draw her a picture or pick flowers for her and babble her name excitedly. Robin was glad that his little boy was the reason she could still smile, knew that they could help her heal just as she had helped him when she'd given him a chance, and so he devoted himself to doing just that, without ever expecting anything in return, only wanting to help her find joy in life again. He'd wiped away her tears, made sure she ate, brought her coffee in the mornings, when her pain was the strongest because of the nightmares that plagued her, and had her secretary reschedule her meetings when she needed the afternoon off to grieve. Little by little, he'd watched her reclaim her life, and by the time she entered the final year of her term, she was herself again, even though the light in her eyes wasn't as bright as it used to be.

All that time, he'd pined for her, felt this tight pull in his heart whenever she'd so much as breathe near him, and it was agony, not being able to hold her or be close with her like he wanted, but he'd kept his distance anyway, valuing their friendship and putting his respect and admiration for her above his own desires, simply because it was the honorable thing to do. Besides, he knew what the scandalous consequences would be for Regina if he pursued her and someone found out, and he did not want her to go through more scrutiny from the public, especially not after how hard she'd worked to achieve her goals... but then one night they'd stayed late at the office, and things had taken a turn.

She was tired and grouchy, stunning as ever, and he'd made her laugh, something she hadn't done in a very long time, and then he'd kissed her. What's better, she'd kissed him back, and having her return the gesture, tasting her, feeling the texture of her lips after merely dreaming about them, it had made his world explode in wonderful bursts of color and light.

That very night, he'd undressed her slowly, pressing her against her desk and kissing every inch of her skin until she was panting with need, and after she'd come on his fingers, he'd buried himself inside her and gotten lost in the feel of her, in the wonderful sensation of her hips leisurely rolling against his until they'd both reached their peak, his guttural groan of ecstasy joining the breathy moan of his name that had spilled from her lips as she'd come undone beneath him.

After that encounter, it had all turned into somewhat of a game, a delicious game where they would sneak kisses between meetings, where he'd feel her up under the conference table while she struggled to keep quiet. A game where she'd giggle whenever he'd throw a suggestive comment at her, or blush when he'd trail the back of his finger down her cheek, a game where he'd bring her home with him and have her splayed in his bed, her hair tumbling over his pillows, her sweet scent lingering on the sheets even after she'd gone. A game where she'd leave him Terry's chocolate oranges or Cadbury eggs in his office simply because she thought he'd like a taste of home, a game where he'd fallen in love with her little by little, until he was too far gone to care what anyone else would say.

"I want us to go public," he'd told her some six months later, after they'd collapsed on his bed with heavy breaths, and she'd turned her face to his, sheened lightly in sweat, and she had smiled.

"I know you do," she'd replied, but did not acquiesce to his request.

"What's stopping you?" he'd asked, "I know that you have to keep up appearances, but this is your last year in office, and what we have isn't some random dalliance."

She'd sighed, uncomfortable with the subject, and he'd hurried to reassure her.

"I won't leave you if you want to keep this private. That's not what this is about. I want to be with you in whatever way you'll allow me to be, Regina," he'd said with his hand on her cheek, loving the tiny smile he'd coaxed out of her with the gesture, "I just… I'd like to be able to hold your hand when we walk down the street, or take you out to dinner, or just be able to touch you and kiss you without having to check if we're being watched first. I love you, I don't see why we have to hide."

He hadn't realized it was the first time he'd told her of his feelings for her, but she did, and her smile had grown. She didn't return the declaration, however, but dropped a bomb on him instead.

"I'm running for president."

He'd supported her decision, of course, and since then, it had been an arduous road. Hiding their relationship and fighting about it, making up with hurried kisses and urgent touches while absconding to her office or sneaking off to his house, but she wanted him, wanted them, and that was all he needed. During the race, the press conferences, the primaries, the debates, he'd been there, and through it all, Robin watched over her as he'd always done and made sure her quest for the presidency was as smooth and productive as possible. Because he loved her, and if leading the nation was her dream, he would damn well do everything in his power to make it into a reality.

All of that has led them here, to Washington DC, to this pivotal moment, where she's standing on the stage after being announced as the first female president of the United States, and his heart swells with pride as he watches her take the podium and address her loyal followers. She looks beautiful as always, black pinstripe slacks and blazer, pristine white blouse with a black vest buttoned over it, and matching black heels to finish off the ensemble, lips red and provocative, hair down in perfectly crafted waves over her shoulders. He stares at her as she speaks into the microphone, all the while basking in the knowledge that she's his, that when this day is over, he'll get to cradle her in his arms and taste her lips and tell her how unbelievably proud he is of her.

"… So thank you for believing in me, for showing me that hope is what fuels our souls, hope for the future, hope for prosperity. I promise you, I will work ardently for the next four years to prove worthy of the trust you've placed in me today," she says to conclude, her voice trembling as her eyes search the crowd, and he knows she's looking for him, trying to find him amidst the sea of people yelling their congratulations. She spots him when she looks up a moment later, at the corner booth where he stands above the audience in order to better watch over her, and he grins, mouths an I love you to her and gets a watery smile in return. It's been over a year and a half since he'd first said it, and she has yet to say it back, but he doesn't want to push her, because he knows why she hasn't, knows she's afraid that it will all fall apart at any minute and is simply trying to protect her heart from being broken again. Besides, he doesn't mind, he knows how she feels, she shows him the depth of her love for him in everything she does, even if she refuses to voice it, so instead of fishing for those three marvelous words, he'll wait until she's ready, will support and love her until she's certain they won't crash and burn, no matter how long that takes.

She leaves the stage, and he watches carefully that everything goes to plan, that the small group of men he's chosen to escort her do their job correctly, forming a small perimeter around her, and once she disappears from his sight, he leaves his spot, making his way down and outside as quickly as he can. He gets a glimpse of her climbing into the car, the perimeter still in place, and exhales in relief as the vehicle begins to move, her posse of escorting officers now split into the car in front of hers and the one behind.

"Robin Locksley?" someone asks from behind him, and he turns to find a robust, bald man in a sharp suit waiting for him to answer.

"Yes?"

"I'm Tucker Friar, White House Chief Usher."

"Yes, of course, how may I help you?"

"President-elect Mills will be spending the night at the White House tonight, when the press conference and her private meeting with President King are over. She'll need you there."

"There?"

"At the White House, sir. You'll be running the Secret Service during her time in office. You are to be escorted to the Residence to meet and address the Secret Service, as they will be under your command after the inauguration."

Robin is taken aback by that. He'd assume she'd bring him in as part of her security detail while she was president, but he never expected her to name him Head of the Secret Service. He tells this Friar fellow as much, insisting that surely, there must be some mistake, but the man shakes his head.

"No, sir. President-elect Mills has ordered that you be in charge, she said you two have worked well together for some years now, and she wants someone loyal on the job. It's not uncommon for these things to happen, the former chief will be glad to give you the rundown of things and help you get acquainted with the position until you can run it on your own. After that, he'll become your second in command. Now, if you'll follow me, we'll escort you to the White House and show you your future accommodations."

"I— my boy, I've to—"

"Already taken care of. We've sent a car with an escort to the hotel you've been staying at to bring both your son and his nanny, they'll meet you at the Residence."

"This is madness," Robin says, dumbfounded.

"No, sir," the man replies with an amused grin as he leads him outside and opens the door of a black sedan with tinted windows, gesturing for Robin to climb into it, "this is Washington."

He supposes Friar is right. This is Washington. More than that, this is the presidency, and as the car begins to move through the mini traffic jam caused by the celebrations outside the convention center, it hits him, the realization that the woman he loves has just become the leader of the most powerful country in the world.

Their lives are about to change forever.