Alien Diplomacy (63 page)

“Right here,” he said, coming up. “Just finished getting all my shots. Great stuff.”

“Can you please take a picture of Amy here?”

“Certainly. Why?”

“Humor me. Doesn’t have to be great. Use a digital camera if you have one here.”

“Of course I do. Several. And film cameras, too, of course.”

“Good to know you’re ever the artist.”

Christopher laughed as Oliver took some snaps of all of us. He put out his hand and took the camera as soon as Oliver was done. He grinned. “Everyone’s exactly who and what we think they are. So, now you have proof from more than one source, so stop stressing.” He gave Oliver back his camera and pulled Amy back into his arms.

She sighed with relief, then looked around again. “Does something like this happen every time you guys go to a formal event?”

“You’ve seen my wedding video. Yeah, pretty much.”

Doreen and Naomi nodded emphatically. “We’re going to keep that designer in business,” Abigail said with a laugh.

“That settles it,” Amy said firmly. “Justice of the Peace.”

“Huh?” Christopher said.

“Screw the big wedding. My parents are gone, thank God in the case of my father, and I spent all night with people pretty much acting all scandalized because we’re living together and not married, like it’s nineteen-fifty or something. Let’s just do whatever your version of going to a judge and saying ‘I do’ is.”

Gower and White exchanged a very meaningful glance. “You’re sure?” White asked.

“Totally sure,” Amy said.

Christopher shrugged. “It’s up to her. I don’t care as long as it abides with our religion.”

“Conveniently,” White said, “we even have our favorite photographer present. Mister Joel Oliver, if you would?”

“What, now?” Christopher’s expression was priceless. Oliver clearly thought so, too, since he took a few quick snapshots.

“Yes,” White said, with a totally straight face. “Why wait any longer?”

Amy looked at Christopher’s face and laughed. “Let’s do it back at the Embassy. I think all of us could use a shower before the not-so-big event.”

“I’m all for a shower!”

Jeff laughed and hugged me. “Only my girl.” He nuzzled my ear. “Love your focus on the priorities.”

“No shower any time soon for Jeff,” Tito said, Doctor From Hell voice going.

“Why not?” I looked at Jeff’s chest. I could see a bruise over his hearts. “When did you get shot with adrenaline?”

“Right before we went downstairs to save you,” Christopher answered. “Jeff really overdid it. As usual.”

“So did you,” Tito said calmly. “I didn’t give you adrenaline. This time. But you’re headed for isolation, too, Christopher. So, let’s get back home.”

“Can’t yet,” Caroline said, interrupting Christopher’s protests that he was fine. “The President’s taking the stage.”

“Can Doreen wait?”

Doreen nodded. “Yes. I want to hear what he says.”

My father joined us. Kevin and Mom were near the President. The President started speaking, reassuring everyone that the fire,
which had broken out in the basement and had consumed much of the lower levels, had been contained. It was the usual “let’s all calm down, the danger’s past” speech. Chuckie, Reader, and Tim joined us while the President was talking. We got the “it’s all good” sign from them and the “yes, I still have the remote” sign from Chuckie. Good. I looked back at the stage.

“And, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank our good friends from American Centaurion,” the President said, smiling in our direction. “Their fast actions ensured that we all were able to evacuate safely, and their Embassy staff were instrumental in helping contain the fire before it could spread throughout the hotel.”

True enough in its way. We got some applause. “In particular,” the President went on, “I’d like to thank both Chief Ambassadors, Jeffrey and Katherine Martini, for once again proving that when America needs a friend, American Centaurion is always there.”

“Like a good neighbor,” Gower whispered to me. I cracked up as we got a spotlight. We all looked awful—our clothes were disasters, and everyone’s hair looked worse. But I didn’t care. Because I knew our hearts and minds, and we belonged here. Besides, clearly, this town needed us.

The President then went on to thank the brave police force and firefighters who’d come to the call, and he announced that, in light of many things, he was requesting the police force be reinstated to full power, with additional slots being created. This got a lot of applause in the room.

“Oooh!” Doreen grabbed Irving’s arm. “I think it’s time. Like now.”

“We’ll get the limos,” Len said. “Can we give you a ride home?” he asked Adriana.

“Absolutely.” She smiled at me. “Grandmother expects me to be late.”

“Len, Kyle, take Adriana out for some ice cream or something.”

“Us too?” Michael asked, arm around Caroline.

“Sure.”

“Great, as long as Amy’s not getting married tonight,” Caroline said.

“No,” Amy said with a laugh. “We’ll wait until everyone’s home.”

“What about everyone else?” Abigail asked meaningfully.

“I’ve called for a floater gate,” Reader said quietly. “We just need to get Doreen down to one of the limos.”

“Works for me. Jeff and I will stall people here. You all get going.”

“You want me, Matt, or Chip to wait for you?” Jerry asked.

“Nah,” Jeff said. “We’ll manage. If you want, once Doreen’s safely home, go out, too. Might as well end the night on a high note.”

“Yeah. We can always call a taxi.”

This earned some chuckles, and our group wandered off, determining who was going home and who was going out. My dad gave me a kiss. “Tell your mother I’m going to go back with Doreen. Irving’s asked me to provide some Jewish support.”

I kissed him back. “Will do, Dad. Dad?”

“Yes, kitten?”

“Thanks for loving me just the way I am.”

He smiled. “As far as your mother and I are concerned, kitten, no one could make you more perfect than you are.” Dad trotted off and caught up with Reader and Gower.

Oliver was still standing there. “MJO, what’s your plan?”

He smiled. “I’d like to stick with you, Ambassador. You’re good for my career.”

Jeff sighed as he buttoned up his shirt and tucked it back in. “Let’s go find your mother, baby. Yes, yes,” he said to Oliver, “tag along. But take an unauthorized picture of any of the kids or, worse, print one, and I’ll kill you.”

“I understand, Ambassador,” Oliver said with a twinkle. “We’ll discuss authorized pictures another time.”

We headed off toward where we’d last seen Mom, Oliver trailing us. We got stopped by a lot of people who seemed to feel the President’s speech had been a none-too-subtle hint for them to say thank you to us. We shook a lot of paws and said a lot of “our pleasures.” Oliver took a lot of pictures. Some people actually had us pose with them. None of them knew what we’d actually done, but it didn’t matter. We’d clearly gotten the Presidential Seal of Approval stamped on us.

Right as we reached Mom and Kevin, who were with the President and First Lady as well as a tonnage of other people, Missus Darcy Lockwood rushed up to us. “Oh, Missus Martini, it’s such a thrill to see you here. You’re, as you know, my favorite student of all those in my Washington Wife class.”

I looked right at her and smiled sweetly. “I’m sorry. I don’t believe we’ve ever met.” Then I turned my back to her and went and hugged my mother.

Best. Party. Ever.

W
E GOT HOME LATE,
took care of Jamie, looked in on Doreen, Irving, and Ezra, who’d arrived with absolutely no complications whatsoever, then headed to bed.

Well, I headed to bed. Jeff headed to isolation. Christopher was already there. It was weird having both of them sleeping in the room attached to the nursery, but it was that or send them both to Dulce, and I just couldn’t do it.

I slept like a log, and Jamie didn’t wake me up in the night. I decided not to worry about it. It was a little harder doing all her routine without Jeff’s help, but it wasn’t impossible. I was still tired and fuzzy from the energy expenditure the night before, so I was moving more slowly than normal, but we had nothing to be on time for, so it didn’t matter.

Jamie and I had slept in late, so late that I discovered Amy and Caroline had gone shopping with Pierre. I was glad they’d bonded. I really was. But I felt really alone. The Embassy was essentially deserted—everyone was over at Home Base, briefing Senator McMillan on all we’d learned. Why I hadn’t been invited was probably due to my sleeping like the dead, but it still rankled.

After wandering the Embassy like a pathetic, lonely ghost, I went back up to my apartment. Jeff and Christopher had a couple of hours before they were going to be out. I heaved a sigh as my phone rang.

I grabbed it. “Hello?”

“Kitty? It’s Bernie.”

“Hey! I’m so glad you called!”

“Wow, talk about a wild party last night, huh?”

“You and Raul made the President’s Ball after all?”

“We sure did! I even saw the President congratulate you and your husband. Boy, he’s sure a hunk and a half.”

“Thanks. Why didn’t you come see me? I didn’t spot you once last night.” Not that I’d actually been looking.

“Oh, I didn’t see you, either, until the President pointed you out, and I didn’t want to come up and have you maybe think I was only saying hi because you’re kind of a celeb right now.”

I snorted. “It wouldn’t have bothered me.”

“Great. Well, I was wondering, you up for a play date today?”

“When?”

“How about right now?”

“Now works. Just need to get our stuff together.”

“Um…”

“Um?”

Bernie sounded embarrassed. “I get why you have bodyguards and all that. But I was hoping to meet up at a park that has a lot of moms and nannies and kids. I just…your dudes kind of stand out. I think they’ll freak the other parents out.”

The boys had had, like the rest of us, a long night. And I was perfectly capable of going to a play date by myself. Besides, Chuckie, like everyone else, wasn’t here to tell me no or to take the boys. “Sure thing. Name the place, and Jamie and I will be there!”

“Wicked!” She gave me the name of the park, then, when I shared I had no idea where it was, laughed and gave me the directions to get there, and we hung up. It was fairly close, actually within walking distance if I was willing to hike it. Which, after the prior few days, I wasn’t. But I decided to go for it anyway.

I hurried us into our coats, grabbed the diaper bag and my purse. I contemplated putting my Glock into it, but if it fell out or Bernie saw it, that was worse than having the boys along. I had the same thoughts about the stroller. It would make some things easier, but it was heavy as hell, and I couldn’t really manage it on steps without help, especially now when I felt totally drained and exceptionally human. Besides, the guys who’d been trying to kill me were undoubtedly long gone.

“Poofies have to stay here,” I said. A lot of disappointed mewling hit my ears. “No, I mean it. Guard Jeff and Christopher.” An animal I couldn’t explain would probably also freak Bernie out. And I really wanted her to continue to think I was a normal gal like her, at least for a little while longer.

I felt like I was sneaking out of my own home, but it wasn’t as though there was anyone to tell where I was headed. Well, Walter. But he probably needed the rest.

I got us outside without slamming the door. Sure the Embassy had great soundproofing, but I didn’t want a slamming door to upset the new parents.

We reached the sidewalk, and I headed off. I looked up at the Romanian Embassy. I was fairly sure Olga was sitting by the window. I waved to her and had Jamie wave, too. We walked on.

After a couple of blocks, not having the stroller along was shown to be a really stupid plan. Enhanced or not, my purse, the diaper bag, and Jamie all felt really heavy after I’d hiked with them for a couple of minutes. The exhaustion let me know I was really not up to sprinting at human, let alone enhanced, levels, and walking was a poor idea, too. But that’s what taxis, real ones, were for. I gave up and looked for an available one.

A couple went by with fares, but I lucked out on the third one. It pulled over and we got in. “Mitchell Park, please.”

The driver grunted and took off. It didn’t take very long; Bernie had been right, it was close. “Thanks,” I handed the driver a $10. “Keep the change.”

Jamie and I got out and looked around. It was a nice park, lots of foliage, lots of trees. I didn’t see a lot of families around, but maybe they didn’t do Sundays in the park around here too much.

We followed the sidewalk in. Soon I spotted the landmarks Bernie had given me to find her, and we went onto the grass. Now I was glad I didn’t have the stroller—there was no way I’d have managed it on the wet and bumpy ground.

“Kitty!” I turned to see Bernie stepping out from the bushes.

“What were you doing in there?”

She laughed. “Jordan lost a toy.” She tickled Jamie’s tummy. “There’s the precious girl.”

I looked around. “Where is Jordan?”

“Raul wanted to meet you, so the baby’s with him.” Bernie clapped her hands twice in front of Jamie. “Can you come to Bernie?” she asked with a big smile.