The Highest Of Office: Book One: The beginning of Office.

Part Seven

President Lena Adams's Private Home

Summer Ville Ranch

1144 Grey's Land West

Portsmouth

New Hampshire.

USA

Stef had had a long evening, she'd got cramps in her back which was making her uncomfortable. She had been warned that this would happen. She'd been lay in the middle of their living room to ease the pain.

She had wheeled herself into the bedroom, smiling. Lena lay in bed, in shorts and a wife beater, her iPad in her long fingers.

Stef slowly moved into the room before transferring herself into the bed, she moaned as her body relaxed into the bed.

"I did wonder if you were ever coming to bed," Lena said, softly. as she suppressed a yawn. She put her iPad down, snuggling into Stef,

Stef kissed her forehead, moving her arms around her woman.

"Sorry, I wasn't ready," Stef said slowly. her voice shaking, Lena knew it was more than pain. She just got a feeling that there was something that Stef was holding back.

"What is it? honey you know you can talk to me," Lena said looking up at her girlfriend.

Lena watched as Stef closed her eyes for a moment, then her eyes flew open.

"I really don't want the dreams anymore," Stef whispered, her voice breaking with emotion. Lena got up slowly, looking at her, seeing that she had gone pale. They had been so busy dealing with the physical effects of the shooting they hadn't even got to the emotional.

"What dreams?" Lena asked, gently putting her hand onto Stef's face, her fingers running along the soft skin of her face.

Stef looked into Lena's brown eyes, she wanted to cry.

"I've been having terrible nightmares, about that day. Those final few hours." Stef said softly.

"Why haven't you mentioned this before now?" Lena asked, frowning. She really didn't want Stef to struggle with this alone. She didn't want her to deal with anything alone, they were supposed to be a team now,

"Well, you know one of the women in this bed is the President of The United States Of America. She's under a lot of pressure, she's got the world on her shoulders, and I don't think having her girlfriend roll over in the middle of the night and say 'oh hey love, I'm having a nightmare about the day I was shot,'" Stef said, trying to find humour in the moment. she was known for hiding behind humour when things got tough.

Lena sat crossed legged beside her woman and ran her fingers along her tone stomach, watching Stef's muscles twitch as her t-shirt had managed to expose it.

"Stefanie Marie," Lena said, her voice completely serious. It was the same voice she used in the Oval Office.

Lena didn't want her making jokes, she knew it would happen. She'd been warned by Stef's doctors that this would happen. "You really can talk to me about anything,"

"I know," Stef started. "We've got a lot going on right now..."

"We have, we always will. That doesn't mean you can't talk to me, trust me with your feelings. If we are going to do this, we are going to have to learn to commutate." Lena took a deep breath. "Do you need someone to talk to, a professional?"

"Maybe, I don't think I can think about it right now," Stef said honestly. She just wanted to relax.

"Okay, but we will talk about this again,"