Codename: Kryptonite

Chapter Twenty

Agent Mission Log Entry:

It has always amazed me - the way his mind works. He really is quite brilliant; so sad that so few people realize it. In my time, POTUS has the respect of his peers, but it was hard earned. He told me once that for a long time he had been a laughingstock. But, with time, he'd shown them just what he was capable of.

Impressive. That's what it is - to just watch those gears turn behind those beautiful blue eyes. It's almost a crying shame that he doesn't always show his intelligence. Too often, he over thinks things to the point where he doesn't say anything at all, at least not out loud, but he has whole conversations in his head. Conversations that you can only wish to have been privy to.

The true brilliance comes when you can get him to turn off the censor between mind and mouth, when you push him too far into one of the more volatile emotions...like anger.

"What did you just say?" she asked softly.

Jon frowned at her, unsure if she was still angry or just trying not to spook him into full blown raving lunatic status. And, was that a trick question? What HAD he just said? "Um," the gears were turning...turning...click. "Oh yeah. I said, 'You're still here aren't you?'"

Quickly, Gabriella's mind began to race. Was he right? Would she just disappear if he weren't still destined for the White House? And then, suddenly it was almost as if she heard her POTUS say in her head, "Don't think about it so hard, Gabbs. It'll only make your head hurt." She looked up at Jon and realized from the grin he flashed her that the voice hadn't been just in her head.

She couldn't stop her answering smile. "I think you're right," she said in wonder. "If someone else were President, I wouldn't be here." Then she paused as another thought occurred to her. "Well, unless he or she were in danger from an assassin too."

He thought about that one for a mere second. "But, then you wouldn't be here with me," Jon countered. "You'd be with them, protecting them." He frowned slightly; was that a pang of loss he'd felt at his own words? Would he even know that she'd been here? Or, would she just fade away like she'd never existed?

She began to pace again, this time not from anger. It just seemed to help her think when she could move her feet as she did so. "You may be right," she said with a nod for emphasis.

"Of course, I'm right."

There it was - that arrogance she was slowly getting used to. "Right then," she began, "we need to set a few ground rules then."

He frowned again. "What kind of ground rules?"

"There are certain things that as President, you can no longer do," she started to explain, intending to give him the briefing that all new President-elects received.

"Whoa!" he held up one hand to stop her spiel. "Don't start that shit," he ordered. "You need to remember one very important detail," he paused long enough for her to raise one brow in question. "I'm not President...yet." He smiled to soften his next words. "I will let you do your job, but please remember that I have a day job."

Gabriella frowned; of course, he was going to continue to be difficult. "Maybe a few compromises are in order," she suggested.

He was skeptical. "What kind of compromises?"

Treading carefully, she started to lay down a few rules, tossing them out like ideas. Occasionally, she tossed out one that she knew he'd shoot down, so that he'd accept another, allowing him to think he really had a choice. He was almost as easy to manipulate as her POTUS.

After about ten minutes of compromise/manipulation, he spoke up. "Okay, look. If we're done with the manipulation portion of the morning, I'd like to go heat up my breakfast. And, Rich's waiting on me." He rose from his chair, only awaiting her agreement to leave the room.

He had to wait for her to quit sputtering first. "I wasn't...," she paused, then flashed him a self-deprecating grin. "Was I? My POTUS never seemed to catch on," she said that last part as if to herself.

Jon grinned and shook his head. "I've spent the biggest part of my life dealing with women...strong women. I guarantee that I would recognize attempted manipulation at any age, even if it came from a pretty little package like you."

"Are you saying..."

He interrupted her, "I'm saying that if you try to pull that shit in your time, and get away with it, it's because I let you. Not because I don't recognize it for what it is." He flashed her that little half grin, half smirk that seemed to make the female fans go nuts. "Now, I'd really like to go eat some breakfast. Then I've got shit to take care of."

He started for the door, and she stood up to follow him, asking as she practically had to chase him down the hall, "Do you at least agree to allow me to go first in unknown situations, to check out locations before you enter, and to shadow you everywhere?"

Jon spun around just in time to catch her when she practically fell into his arms, because he'd stopped so quick in front of her. "Baby, you can shadow me any where you want." He said it with just enough gravel in his voice and a lusty twinkle in his eyes, that she fully understood the innuendo.

"Almost everywhere," she quickly corrected herself.

He dipped his head just enough to whisper in her ear, his breath causing the little wisps of hair there to dance and tickle her skin. One word made a shiver race down her spine and caused her woman's heart to skip a beat. "Damn."