Devastating Secret™

We The People

Noah smiled and waved, picking up Amelia as he played to the cheering crowd. A chant of 'Four more years' started and swelled, drowning out the music. Eva glanced uncomfortably at Noah who was offering a shaky apology to Eric. It was his night, but the people had other plans.

Noah walked up to the podium and the chant was now accompanied by claps and stomps. He quieted the crowd with a simple wave of his hand. Once he had silence, he introduced Eric.

"Your President-Elect! Eric Waterman!" He stepped back applauding, but the chant picked up again as Eric approached the podium.

"Four More Years! Four More Years! Four More Years!"

"Did you set this up?" Noah asked his uncle angrily.

"Of course not! This is in poor taste and embarrasses Eric and Olivia!" Wayland pointed out. "It's your own fault for quitting on them."

"I didn't quit on them!"

"No? You just put yourself before service to your country."

"SERVICE!!" Noah had to practically shout over the chants. Eric couldn't get a word in edgewise. This was a disaster! "Those people are the same ones hanging me out to dry when I increased military funding! I don't need this!"

"Noah, I think we should leave. This is Eric's night and it's ruined." Eva suggested.

"You can't leave! This may turn into a riot!" Wayland declared worriedly.

"So, what do we do?" Eva asked.

"We send the children back, in case this gets ugly."

"You have to charm them into relaxing," Wayland suggested.

"I'll have Ana take the kids back," Eva stated, and Noah was about to argue, but he saw the look in her eyes. She wasn't leaving him.

Eva followed him to the podium and took her post as if she was a part of his detail scanning the crowd. Noah cast a worried glance to Sam and he moved to her left in front of her, mimicking her position. She wouldn't be taking any bullets tonight.

She watched Sam and then turned and smirked at Noah who now satisfied with the security arrangements began his speech.

"I'm feeling the love!"

They hooted and whistled and Noah silenced them with another wave of his hand.

"But the elections are over. I wasn't the winning candidate, but I was glad to serve. Eric will be even better at the job, he actually knows what to do."

The crowd laughed, and he continued, "You're actually getting an improvement and I'm not just saying that because he's married to my cousin. He actually dreamt of being President and he believes in this country, in all of you!"

"Don't you believe in us?" One supporter asked, and the crowd nodded.

Noah paused wanting to speak his mind but not wanting them to turn he said as honestly as he could "I've heard the talk about my 'foreign' wife, my military budget, my alliance with Russia and the Middle East. I'm apparently too friendly with foreigners for the American people. I had a simple strategy of making all our so-called enemies our allies. Why can't we be allies? Why should America dictate how another country does its business unless they're outright killing its citizens or starving them to death? That should not be our focus! If the citizens are made safer and are well taken care of, frankly I don't care! Free trade for everyone! Makes the price of everything lower and everything you buy is now cheaper.

But this is not how an American president should think, so now you have one. Eric, I wish you the best of luck for your next four years!"

He walked off to absolute silence. Eric hustled to the podium and made some hasty joke about Noah speaking his mind while Eva and Wayland picked their jaw off the floor and followed him.