A/N: Thank you for all the lovely reviews you guys left me last chapter. Just a heads up, there is some overlap between this and The Fallout. I tried to minimize the extent of it, but it was inevitable. I hope you enjoy the last chapter!

Chapter Fifteen.

"Happy birthday, Mom!" Hannah exclaims. Claire is sitting by the windowsill, alone. The teenager glances around, looking for her father.

"He's still at work," Claire informs her daughter.

"Oh, that's okay, here." Hannah moves over to where her mother is sitting, claiming her father's spot on the windowsill. She digs in her backpack and hands Claire her present.

"You didn't have to get me anything," Claire says. Her and Frank aren't big into birthdays. They stopped giving each other presents years ago. The only birthday they still celebrate is Hannah's.

"You say that every year and yet, I ignore you. Open it." Claire relents, and tears open the wrapping paper. Inside is a framed photo of Claire, Hannah and Frank taken at the bill-signing ceremony. Hannah is sandwiched in between her parents, smiling broadly at the camera.

"Thank you." Claire sets the photograph down on the windowsill between the two of them.

"Dad helped me track down the White House photographer. I figured you could use a new photo in your office since the only one you have is from before I was born."

"I will definitely put this in my office tomorrow." Claire reaches behind Hannah to light a cigarette.

It's been a stressful month since the whole Pierce incident. Today was no exception. Frank is within arm's reach of the presidency, but the Justice Department has launched an investigation into illegal campaign contributions, putting the entire administration at risk. They still haven't figured out a way for Tusk and Walker to take the fall without implicating Frank.

Hannah sits quietly with her mother for a few moments. She is curious as to why her mom is smoking without her father. They haven't seen much of him lately, but Claire doesn't seem bothered by it.

"Mom, do you ever wish you didn't marry Dad?" Claire is slightly taken aback by her daughter's question. She lets the smoke filter out of her mouth before responding.

"No. Why do you ask?" Hannah shrugs, she already regrets bringing this topic of conversation up to her mother. She looks exhausted.

"When you were in the hospital, Dad mentioned something to me about you having to make a lot of sacrifices for him."

"Hannah, when your father proposed to me he said that I will never be bored. And he has kept his promise."

"But you're here and he's not, and it's your birthday," Hannah protests. Claire presses the cigarette to her lips. She doesn't expect her daughter to comprehend the intricacies of her marriage. Not many people do, except her and Frank.

"And if it was important to me, I would ask him, and he would be here." Hannah nods, accepting her mother's answer. Claire reaches over and tucks a piece of hair behind her daughter's ear. "I do appreciate you spending my birthday with me."

Hannah sheepishly smiles and ducks her head. Claire passes the cigarette to her daughter, who raises her eyebrows in shock.

"Can I?" Hannah asks. She has seen her parents do it a million times, but they have never invited her to join them. The teenager hasn't asked, she figured it was her parents time together and didn't want to encroach on that.

"I won't tell," Claire winks at her and watches her daughter take the cigarette. Hannah inhales it and coughs. Claire laughs just as Frank opens the front door.

"Have I been replaced?" Frank asks when he spots the cigarette in Hannah's hand. Hannah hands it back.

"No, you don't have to worry about that. I don't know why you two do this all the time. It's gross." Hannah stands up, letting her father reclaim his spot next to Claire.

"I see you got our present," Frank tells Claire, picking up the photograph between them. Claire hands him the cigarette as she nods.

"I did. It's lovely, thank you," Claire tells him.

"It was my idea," Hannah pipes up, not letting her father take all the credit. Frank laughs and puts out the cigarette. "Are you any closer, Daddy?"

"No, the situation with Walker is only getting worse," Frank informs Hannah and Claire.

"What can I do?" Claire asks, a question they often pose to each other when needed.

"We need to find a way to prove to them that we are on their side. What we are doing now isn't enough."

"Why don't you wine and dine them, Daddy? Show them that we are committed to defending them. Mom is good friends with Mrs. Walker, it's perfect," Hannah suggests. Claire and Frank mull over their daughter's idea. It's not out of the question, but they would have to play it carefully so they don't appear too transparent.

"Hannah does have a point. If Garrett sees you are trying to extend an olive branch, it could sway him." Claire recognizes how easy it is to manipulate the Walkers'. She has easily gained Trisha Walker's confidence without really trying. Although she angered Garrett when Frank and Hannah were kidnapped, she is confident he will easily forgive her.

"Okay. I will float the idea to Walker. What should we serve them?" Frank asks.

"Cyanide," Claire and Hannah say simultaneously. Frank chuckles and shakes his head. His daughter is becoming more like his wife every day.

"Maybe for desert. Save some for Tusk too." Hannah notices her parents smirking at each other and she knows it's time to dismiss herself.

"Right…I'm going to finish my homework. Happy birthday, Mom." The teenager dusts a kiss to her mother's cheek and then her father's. She bolts upstairs and shuts the door to her bedroom. Frank goes into the kitchen and pulls out a bottle of wine, pouring a glass for each of them. He hands Claire her glass with a kiss.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart." They clink glasses and light another cigarette. "I wish I could've spent more of it with you."

"You know I don't care about that. I just want us to be in the Oval Office."

"We will be soon enough." Claire moves so her body is pressed up against Frank's.

"This past month has been hard on all of us. I'm wondering how Hannah is dealing with all of this. She's been relatively quiet since the night after that incident in your office." Frank moves his arms so they are wrapped around her frame, no longer having to be mindful of her sling. She transitioned out of it a few days ago and only sleeps with it on.

"I was thinking of bringing her by the office tomorrow. She hasn't stepped foot in there since that day with Pierce." Hannah used to love visiting her parents at work, but hasn't in a month.

"I agree. I'll tell her to come by after school. I don't want her to be afraid." Claire passes the cigarette up to her husband as she readjusts in his arms.

The next day, Hannah knocks on her mother's office door. Claire waves her in and ends her phone call.

"Hey, Mom. What am I doing here?" Hannah asks. She was surprised to receive a text from her mother asking her to come to the White House after school.

Claire can tell how nervous Hannah is by being here, which is exactly why her and Frank wanted to do this.

"We are going to your dad's office. Come on." Claire isn't going to take no for an answer. Her daughter needs to face this fear head on.

"I don't want to. Can't he just come here?" Hannah asks. Her mother only knows what her father has told her about that day. She wasn't there to witness someone dying in front of her.

"No. Hannah, being afraid accomplishes nothing. It will make you feel better. Let's go." Claire is being hard on Hannah because she wishes someone was on her. She never told her mother about her rape in college, knowing she wouldn't be emotionally available to help her through it.

Hannah reluctantly lets her mother drag her to her dad's office. Claire knocks and steps in first, tugging on her daughter's hand. Frank is sitting in his desk, waiting for Hannah.

"Hannah, come in," Frank tells her. Hannah shakes her head. Her eyes are concentrated on the spot where Pierce was killed. The carpet has been replaced in the office to remove the blood stain, but she can still visualize it.

"Daddy…I can't. He died…right there." You shot him, twice, and we watched him die. Hannah thinks to herself. Frank stands up and walks over to his daughter. Claire moves around Hannah, choosing to sit on the couch.

"You can't think about that anymore. This is my office, what happened that day doesn't change that." Hannah nods and lets her dad take her hand, forcing her to step forward to keep pace with him. She slowly steps into the office, eventually reaching her mother on the couch.

"Good job," Claire says and squeezes Hannah's hand. A part of Hannah resents her parents for making her do this, but they are right. Living with this paralyzing fear of stepping into her dad's office isn't healthy. She has to eventually get over it, and she's glad her parents are there to help her.

"Can we go now?" Hannah asks. She would rather see her father later at home than disrupt his day here.

"Yes. I have to get to a meeting. The Walkers' are coming over for dinner tomorrow." Frank tells Claire and Hannah.

"That was easy," Claire comments. She's not surprised the Walkers are so willing to come over for dinner. They are too naïve to suspect anything other than the Underwoods attempting to make peace.

"Spineless…Hannah, I'm going to need you to make a surprise appearance at dinner. Go over to Lauren's for a while and then come home around…seven." The Walkers ask about the teenager all the time and Frank is determined to use their liking of his daughter to his advantage.

"Okay," Hannah agrees with a smirk.

"More wine?" Claire asks Trisha Walker when she notices her glass is empty.

"Sure, thank you," Trisha tells Claire. Claire stands up and walks into the kitchen, squeezing Frank's shoulder on the way past. Their dinner couldn't go any better if they tried. Garrett apologized to Claire for their squabble and is admitting to being worried about the investigation.

"I'm sure everything will be fine, Mr. President," Frank lies. Walker nods and takes a sip of his scotch.

"It's Tusk that worries me. I'm not sure how well he is going to stand up under scrutiny."

"Well, you will just have to coach him. Francis can help with that, right?" Claire asks when she returns to the dining room.

"I would be happy to provide my assistance in any way," Frank agrees.

"I appreciate that, Frank, thank you," Walker says sincerely. Frank almost feels sorry for the president. He has no idea what is about to come.

A few minutes past seven, Hannah comes into the townhouse, just as planned. She throws down her backpack and pretends to be surprised by the Walkers in their dining room.

"Hannah, it's so good to see you," Trisha Walker says.

"Thank you, Mrs. Walker. I would've come home sooner if I knew you were coming," Hannah directs her comment at her parents, knowing they will play right along.

"We didn't want to bore you with politics," Frank tells her. Hannah rolls her eyes and fixes herself a plate. Claire points inconspicuously at the empty chair next to the First Lady. Hannah winks at her mother and plops down by Trisha.

"Your parents told us about your debate competition, apparently you put the other kids to shame," the president says to Hannah.

"Oh…I wouldn't say that, but thank you. It's just something I enjoy doing." Hannah smiles at Walker. She actually likes the president, but she would rather see her father in the Oval.

"She's so modest. Frank, I have a hard time believing she's your daughter," Garrett says. Frank lets out a fake laugh and a half-hearted smile. Hannah holds her hand in front of her mouth to contain her laughter.

Hannah and Claire keep Trisha occupied while Frank and Garrett work out a strategy to effectively answer the Justice Department's questions.

"Thank you for entertaining us, it was a lovely evening," Trisha says to the Underwoods while she and Garrett are getting their coats on.

"Yes, it was. We will have to do it again sometime," Claire says for the three of them. They have no intentions of keeping their friendship with the Walkers, especially when Frank becomes president.

"I almost feel bad for them," Hannah comments after her father shuts the door.

"It's what has to be done," Frank tells her.

A week later, Frank has successfully put Walker in a position that he has no choice but to resign in order to save face. Tusk pled the Fifth to all charges brought against him and Walker realized it was only a matter of time before the Justice Department indicted him. He resigned and handed the presidency over to Frank.

Frank and Claire are smoking by the windowsill when Meechum informs him of the news. He smiles broadly at Claire who steps forward to hug him. Hannah catches her parents hugging and rushes over to them.

"What's happening?" Hannah asks her parents. They separate, and Frank cinches his arm around Claire's waist.

"It's official now. I am the president of the United States," Frank informs his daughter.

"I, Francis J. Underwood do solemnly swear to defend…" Frank begins his oath in front of spectators and reporters at Camp David. The Underwoods flew there after news broke Walker was resigning. Now, Frank is being sworn in with Hannah and Claire by his side.

"Congratulations, Mr. President," the judge tells Frank and shakes his head. Applause erupts as Frank brushes a kiss to Claire's and Hannah's cheeks. The new First Family reluctantly poses for some photographs before heading back to the helicopter which will return them to the White House.

"Daddy, you are the president now," Hannah says into her headset while they are in the helicopter. Frank winks at his daughter while Claire loops her arm through his.

They arrive safely at the White House, shocked to see all of their staff lined in the hallway leading to the Oval Office. Frank clasps Claire's hand, with Hannah close behind them. The Underwoods' walk past everyone, eager to get to the door of the Oval Office. Their staff disperses, wanting to give the new president some privacy.

"Hannah, let's give your father some time to himself," Claire tells their daughter. Frank furrows his eyebrows; this moment is as much theirs as it is his.

"It's okay, Claire. We did this together, as a family." He swings open the door to the Oval and pulls on his wife's hand, bringing her inside. Hannah follows and shuts the door.

Frank and Claire have been in here many times, but it's different now. The Office is theirs for a long time to come.

"This is so weird…and awesome," Hannah comments. Her parents nod their heads in agreement. Frank sits down in the chair, coaxing Claire into his lap.

"I'm so proud, Francis," Claire tells him quietly. The Underwoods have sacrificed a lot to get here, especially lately, but it's worth it. They were able to get what they so desperately wanted.

"I didn't do it alone," he responds, stamping a kiss to her temple. Claire has been the driving force behind his ascension to the Oval Office. Without her, he would still be a lowly Congressman from South Carolina.

"Before you two get all gross, can we check out the residences?" Hannah asks. She has been waiting to see her new room since leaving for Camp David this morning.

"Sure. The Walkers are still in the process of moving out, but we can go up there," Frank says. Claire gets off his lap and leads the way out of the Oval.

"I think this is your room, Hannah," Frank tells her when they get upstairs. Hannah's mouth flips open in shock.

"This is mine?" Her new room at the White House is twice as big as the one she has at the townhouse. It features a king-sized bed, a flat-screen, walk-in closet and an attached bathroom.

"Yes. Try to come out and see us occasionally," Frank jokes. Hannah nods, not even paying attention to what her father is saying.

"Let's leave her, Francis." Claire wants to give their daughter time to acclimate.

Everything is fresh and exciting now, but Hannah might have some regrets once the nature of Frank's job fully sinks in. Their privacy will be non-existent, and the spotlight is bigger than ever. Hannah won't be able to be a normal teenager again until her father leaves the office. It will be an adjustment for all of them, Claire included. She will have to be just the First Lady for now, until Frank can find a position for her within his cabinet. Not an ideal role for her, but she will be patient. She is confident her husband will deliver on his promises.

Frank and Claire let their daughter explore and cross the hallway into their room.

"Welcome home, Claire," Frank mumbles. Claire steps into the room, trailing her fingers on the fabric of the bed, their bed.

"I think this will work." A coy smile plays on Claire's lips. Frank grins and sits on the bed next to her.

"I'm glad you like it." The pad of his thumb reaches up to pinch her cheek, catching the curve of her smile line.

"Francis, I think we should have a party here, soon. Nothing too big…just a celebration of what we've accomplished."

"I agree. We should get going. The Walkers are going to be back soon." Frank wants to avoid running into Garrett and Trisha if he can. There's no need to be associating with them anymore.

Claire and Frank leave their new room and signal to Hannah that it's time to go.

"When are we moving in?" Hannah asks.

"They want us to be out of the townhouse by the day after tomorrow. We are going to have a party here this weekend," Frank tells her.

"Awesome. Can I invite Lauren?" Hannah asks her parents.

"I don't see why not," Claire tells Hannah as she grabs onto Frank's hand.

As they are driving back to the townhouse, Frank thinks it's a good idea to brief Hannah on some of the changes coming to their family.

"Things are going to be different now, Hannah. There is no room for mistakes. We can't be as carefree as we once were."

"I understand." Hannah has every intention of making her parents proud. She won't let silly teenage exploits dampen her father's presidency. Hannah has goals of her own that she needs to accomplish before her father leaves office.

The teenager relegates herself to her bedroom as soon as they step into the townhouse. Hannah is eager to call her best friend and tell her about her day.

Frank and Claire go upstairs to their bedroom, skipping a cigarette for the night.

"I'm going to miss this house, Francis." Claire mutters while changing into her nightie.

"Me too. This house has been ours since we moved to D.C. almost twenty years ago."

Frank approaches her, setting his hands on her shoulders.

"This is Hannah's first home." Claire isn't usually nostalgic, but with all the changes in the past twenty-four hours, it's hard not to be.

"We gave her a better one." Frank presses a kiss to her lips.

"We did."

"You are going to make a fine First Lady." Claire gives him the tiniest of frowns. She wants more than that, he should know that by now.

"I want you to find me a suitable position in your administration. I heard there's an opening in the State Department."

Leave it to Claire to not be content with being the First Lady of the United States. She wants more, a position that will separate her from being just his wife.

"I'm sure Cathy will be delighted to have you. We will get that started as soon as possible."

Claire nods with satisfaction. She is glad she doesn't have to argue with her husband about this. Now is not the time to take a backseat, it's time for her to begin her political career.

"How do I look?" Hannah asks as she steps out into the main living room area in the White House residences. She's wearing a royal blue dress that illuminates her eyes. Her brunette hair is loosely curled, collecting around her shoulders.

"Beautiful," Frank says proudly. He is waiting for Claire to be finished with her outfit. They have a room full of guests waiting for them downstairs.

"Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself, Daddy." Hannah winks at him and sweeps her hair aside so he can zip up her dress.

"Is your mother almost ready?" Frank asks his daughter.

"I'm here, Francis," Claire mutters and steps into the living room. Her silk ivory dress hugs her figure perfectly. She holds out a string of pearls for him to clasp, drawing attention to the sweetheart neckline of the gown.

"Mom, you look so pretty," Hannah gushes. "I'll see you two downstairs."

Frank and Claire watch their daughter, accompanied by Meechum, walk out of the main living area of the residence. Claire turns to face her husband, wondering why they aren't trailing behind Hannah. His finger flicks aside the pearls encompassing her neck to trace the jagged edge of the scar marring her shoulder. He has seen it before, in brief instances when she gets out of the shower or is naked in their bed. She could've easily picked another dress to hide her scar, but she's choosing to share it with the world now. And he wants to know her motives behind her choice.

"Is there a reason you haven't talked to me about this?" Frank asks, his fingers still dancing over the mark. Claire glances down before meeting his eyes.

"There's nothing to say." They can't have this conversation now, not with a room full of people waiting for them to make their appearance.

"Does it hurt?" Claire nods just the slightest bit.

"We should get going." She can tell by the way he is scrutinizing her face that he wants more of an elaborate explanation, when they have more time alone.

Frank and Claire walk hand-in-hand out of the residences and to the top of the staircase. Conversation ceases as everyone turns to look at the first couple.

"I feel like we are at our wedding," Frank whispers to his wife.

"This is worse. At least my mother tried to draw attention away from us because she hated you." Claire waves politely at a diplomat while Frank chuckles to himself.

Hannah joins in the applause while watching her parents descend the staircase.

"Your mom looks amazing," Lauren whispers in Hannah's ear.

"I know. I helped her pick out that dress."

Before the guests sit down for dinner, Frank gives a quick speech.

"Thank you all for coming. Claire, Hannah and I appreciate everyone's hard work, we know this wouldn't have been possible if not for everyone here. It's an honor to be your president and to serve this great nation. I would also like to thank my family." Frank turns to face Claire. "Claire, you have been by my side since we met at Harvard. You are the reason this is happening. Hannah, you have been extraordinarily brave these past few months. Your mother and I are so proud of the person you are becoming." Hannah winks at her father and blushes when people start looking her way. "Anyway, I'll stop talking, I'm sure you are all starving. Let's eat."

The crowd claps and starts making their way to their assigned seats.

"You didn't have to say all of that. Hannah and I know how grateful you are to us." Claire says to her husband. It's not like him to speak so openly about their family to the public.

"Yes, I did. You two deserve to be thanked for all the work we have put in." Claire accepts his reasoning and lets him escort her to their seats.

During dinner, Frank and Claire do their best to mingle with as many of their guests as possible. Claire is already growing tired of the attention, but Frank revels in it. She lets her husband do most of the talking while she sits back and listens. Hannah catches her mother's eye and waves her over. Like Claire, Hannah is not interested in all of the people gawking at her. She would rather gossip quietly with Lauren in a corner than keep conversation with people looking to suck up to her because of who her father is.

"Hannah wants to talk to me, I'll be right back," Claire mutters to Frank.

"Okay," Frank watches Claire get up and weave through the crowd, making her way to their daughter.

"Hey, Mom. You looked bored, I thought I would save you from another one of Dad's stories about his childhood in Gaffney," Hannah says to her mother. Claire smirks, her daughter knows Frank well.

"I've heard them so many times, I can recite them verbatim," Claire tells Hannah. "Hi, Lauren."

"Hi, Mrs. Underwood. Or…uh…First Lady Underwood?" Lauren asks with a shrug. Both of Hannah's parents terrify her, especially Claire.

"Mrs. Underwood is fine. Hannah, we will have a lot of events like this one while your father is president. It's best to get used to them now." Hannah nods in understanding. If her mother can suffer through, then so can she.

"Fine, but I'm not doing any interviews." The teenager has to draw the line somewhere, she isn't about to become fodder for the press.

"Understood."

Frank interrupts his wife and daughter, swinging his arm across Claire's chest.

"Hi." His familiar Southern drawl fills her with warmth. Her hand reflexively finds his, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Hello." Claire says back. Hannah and Lauren say hi to Frank as well, wondering if he came over by them for a purpose.

"I'm stealing your mother for a dance." Frank informs their daughter and steps away from Claire so she can stand up.

"I wish my parents liked each other that much," Lauren comments as Frank and Claire walk towards the ballroom.

"It gets old really quick. Come on, let's go find hot boys to annoy my dad with," Hannah tugs on Lauren's hand.

"Francis, we are the only people dancing," Claire whispers to him. Frank spins her around and brings her towards his body.

"Not for long." Frank gestures to people already starting to join them on the dance floor. "So, what's it like being married to the president?"

Claire tilts her head, looking directly at him with a smirk.

"Exactly the same…what?" Claire follows Frank's gaze. Their daughter is dancing and laughing with a blonde guy about her age a few feet away from them.

"Who…is…that?" Claire tightens her grip on her husband's hand to prevent him from striding over to where Hannah is.

"That is the Canadian Prime Minister's son."

"Why is she dancing with him?" Frank's question comes out almost as a whine. Claire finds it amusing how protective her husband is over Hannah.

"Because she wants to. We can have Secret Service vet him in the morning. Let's finish our dance." Frank knows better than to make a scene at his own party. He locks eyes with Hannah and mouths 'be careful.' Hannah rolls her eyes and gives him a thumbs-up behind her dancing partner's back.

After all of their guests have left and Hannah and Lauren crash in the teenager's room, Frank and Claire share a cigarette in the Oval.

"That wasn't terrible," Frank comments and passes the cigarette over to Claire.

"No. It was tolerable. Let's not make a habit out of tonight, Francis." Claire wants to savor as much privacy as she can.

"Agreed." Frank loosens his bow tie while Claire takes the final drag of the cigarette. She puts it out in a cup of water sitting on the desk.

"I wasn't ready," Claire mumbles abruptly.

"What?"

"When you asked me why we haven't talked about my scar…I wasn't ready to discuss it." Frank believes no matter how much Claire has convinced herself she has moved past the miscarriage, a tiny fragment of her hasn't. Seeing her scar reminds her of getting shot and losing their child. By nature, Claire is an incredibly private person, she didn't want to expose herself until she felt equipped to handle it.

"And now?" A chaste grin plays out on Claire's lips. It's difficult to articulate her innermost feelings. Even to her husband, someone she tells everything to.

"I was thinking about when we forced Hannah to go into your office, how scared she was, but she did it. I had to do the same."

He leans over to capture her lips in a quick kiss.

"I love you."

"I love you too." She hops off the desk and stands next to him, leaning on his chair for support.

"I got you something."

"You didn't have to."

"I know. Open your desk." Frank slides open the drawer to his desk. Inside, is the photograph of them that Pierce ripped up and threw away taped to the wood. His fingers slide over the photo as a grin plays out on his lips. "I know how much you love that picture."

"I do."

Claire and Frank silently leave the Oval Office and head into their bedroom, shutting and locking the door behind them.

THE END.

A/N 2: It's a little bittersweet finishing something I've been working on since last summer. Now, I know you guys expressed interest in a sequel, but I have no ideas. Any and all reviews would help. Thank you so much for reading State of Play and I will try to get something going in the next few weeks!